Makeover, Inside and Out

So, six days ago (by the way I've gotten on here everyday for the past week and rewritten this same sentence over and over again) was Monday faves and I had no time to get on so I'll post them real quick and then get to everything else. I've decided I would like to do things related to your overall "look". These items will vary from make-up products to exercise videos to self-help facts. I'm also trying to set up a video blog but that would require a lot more time and effort than I think I can expend right now, especially with finals coming up soon but maybe tomorrow I can post one to help show how to apply some of the products that I've selected. We'll see.

1. My first piece is L'oreal volume shocking mascara, and Maybelline stiletto mascara in black. I don't actually like the stick they use for the L'oreal black side so when applying these two you have to use both products. First you're going to want to run a tissue lightly over your eyelashes. This helps you get rid of any excess moisture that might cause your mascara to clump. Then, using the white side of the L'oreal mascara, apply lightly over the upper and bottom eye lashes, sliding back and forth from top to bottom. Next, use the Maybelline mascara to apply over the top of the white mascara, applying it in a similar fashion. This works great for me and makes my eyelashes look about 50% longer!

2. This eye shadow is listed as: beach, plum and it is a clinique product that you can find at Macy's. I have blue eyes and I know that this particular shade is usually recommended for brown eyes but it looks fantastic with blue eyes as well. I apply the purple to the lids and use the brown (which has a slight golden tint) up near my eyebrows.

3. My third item is a workout video for you legs. It's part of cosmopolitan's tonetics series and it's the one for hips and thighs. This is, by far, the best leg workout video I have found. My legs were shaking by the time I was done with this video and I saw real results within about 1-2 weeks of doing it about every other day.

4. Apples. This wonderful fruit is high in fiber, naturally sweet, and low in calories. They make you feel good which motivates you to lead a happier life.


5. Music. It's amazing how music can make you feel. I found that listening to it between classes made me feel about ten times better than I did. I suggest creating a playlist on your ipod/ itouch/ etc. of your favorite songs that you can listen to in your car, while walking somewhere, etc. because it really does improve your mood.



This past weekend I went to the mall and picked up Christmas presents for my family and then bought a new top and shawl for myself (see to the right and the left). What I love and what I hate about Charlotte Russe is that they don't let you know when they're going to have sales because they don't find out themselves until a little thing comes in their email that day. What's nice about that, is then if you happen to walk in that day, you're excited by all the 50% off signs that adorn the store. What's not so nice about it, is that I'm attacked by this shopping high that demands that since everything is so cheap I need to get every single thing I happen to have a momentary whim for. Speaking of my visit to that store there is something, especially around now, that people need to watch out for and that is.... Charity Traps! Charity Traps, as I call them, are where the cashier doesn't give you enough information, and what might have been a generous gesture on your part, turns into you regretting wanting to help people! That's not how things should be. If the cashier asks if you would like to donate a dollar or so to some charity a lot of people, especially during the holidays, tend to say sure and hand over a dollar. Well if you don't pay close enough attention or ask some questions, the things left unsaid can make you regret having donated. When I was in Charlotte Russe the other day the cashier told me that if I donated a dollar I would receive a ten dollar of coupon next time I purchased something in that store. Thinking this sounded great I said sure and handed her an extra dollar. Then as she was handing me my receipt she pulled out my coupon and stuffed it in the bag. Not until I left the store did I look at the coupon and realize that what it said was: $10 of your next $50 purchase. It may sound selfish that I'm upset about this when the whole point was to make a donation to help others, but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth and makes me wary of donating again. I don't know, I just don't like how they conveniently leave out certain details.

Also last weekend I went to a party of my friends and then was tree selling (cruel irony, I think, given the circumstances) the rest of the day for community service hours. And when I got home, lo and behold, my first issue of Vogue was here! Of course it seems whenever I'm excited about something I get bombarded with chores, so I had to do the dishes, the laundry, and clean my room before I finally got to sit down with it. I think I'll be posting comments on it tomorrow if I have time. I've got another Christmas party today, and another on Tuesday which means I have to bake and clean all day tomorrow and Wednesday if we want to be prepared for my grandparents who are coming the twenty-third. Then there is Christmas eve and then Christmas! With the exception of tomorrow I probably won't be on for about a week so I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

French word of the day: Magasin which means mall/ store.

Au Revoir!

"When in doubt, wear red."- Bill Blass.

Traditions

Last night I volunteered at our local elementary school's Christmas Movie Night where they watched the human version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. And it reminded me of a Christmas tradition we do every year that, for some reason, this year, I had totally forgotten about. Every day beginning in December we watch a Christmas movie leading up until Christmas eve. Today I thought I'd post some of our traditions and welcome you to post some of yours in the comments below.

As I already said one of our traditions is watching a Christmas movie every day until Christmas. My favorites are probably How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the cartoon), Santa Claus, and Home Alone 1 & 2.

Another  tradition of ours is that we usually stay at home each Christmas and on Christmas eve make enchiladas for dinner and on Christmas day we make lasagna. We've done this every year for as long as I can remember and it's one of the things that makes me most think of Christmas.

Usually we also get a tree every year and sometime in December get together to decorate it. We play Christmas music and it usually takes us about one or two hours to finish the tree. It's one of my favorite aspects of Christmas but as I said in another post, we couldn't do it this year because of our three kittens. Hopefully by next year they will be old enough that they won't be thinking of attacking everything in sight.

My parents just put out a bunch of presents so I'm going to go investigate!


French word of the day: Samedi which means Saturday.

Au Revoir!

"I wanted this, I wanted to do this, but my work is me, and it has to be done right."- Oscar de la Renta.

FIDM

Today at school a representative from FIDM came to speak to my marketing class. I had arranged it a couple months back so I was really excited to meet her. She was very nice and had a great presentation, even though, due to the class dynamic she didn't get to present about fashion but instead about body language and dress, and I got to talk to her afterwards. The school, which I've been looking into for the past three or four years is one of my top picks for college. I am also looking into two European schools but I'm not sure yet.

Today sucked for the most part. I feel like I'm floating and not really concentrating on anything. It's very weird. I feel better now that I'm home but school was not fun. And besides that my Starbucks coffee mug cracked when I dropped it by accident today and though it's not leaking, it has a HUGE crack all along the side of it. Ugh.

Besides that I really have had a boring couple of days. I have a lot of work left to do though tonight before I can go to bed.

French word of the day: café which means coffee.

Au Revoir!

"Fashion is what you adopt when you don't know who you are."- Quentin Crisp.

Ways to get through a hard week

I was thinking today about how much I'm dreading these next two weeks. We have ten days (count it!) until we get off for Christmas break, and it is dragging on! I realized today that it is only Wednesday and that we not only have to get through this incredibly boring and long week but then do it again next week! I feel like our break time is shorter or something this year too. It just doesn't feel right. Therefore, in preparation for these next two weeks I have come up with a couple of ways to help get through them quickly and painlessly:

First, if you are in school you're going to want to set a time that you have to finish your homework by. Say to yourself, "I'm going to finish everything by four o'clock." If you are dedicated and can get down to work then you will be able to complete everything quickly.

Second, set some sort of thing to look forward to each night. Such as, tonight I'm taking a bubble bath, tomorrow we're watching my favorite movie, Thursday I'm making my favorite dinner, etc. If you get excited about something then the day will seem to go by faster as long as the thing you are excited for is in the short term.

Third thing is to get a lot of sleep. Not to mention the fact that people who get more sleep are happier, it will also make time feel like it's going by faster.

Final thing is to smile. That sounds dumb but scientists have done a study that people who force themselves to smile always end up feeling better. If you're feeling good then you won't be thinking glumly about the next two weeks you have to survive.

I have yet another french test tomorrow that I have to prepare for. Not to mention all the reading I need to catch up with for AP World.

Also Happy 20th Birthday to my sister! Love you!

French word of the day: amuser which means amuse.

Au Revoir!

"Fashion is not just beauty, it's about good attitude."- Adriana Lima

Christmas time!

In about two weeks it will be Christmas time. Yay! I know for a lot of people, though, it's not time for yaying. Christmas can be stressful when you're trying to find a gift for someone and you have no idea what to get them. So this week's favorites are some pretty safe gifts that you can get for anyone and they will be happy and more importantly won't break the bank!

1. Jewelry. If you know who you're shopping for then it is easy to pick out something they would like and doesn't have to be expensive. Depending on if you want to spend a lot of money on them or not, jewelry offers a wide range of prices and types.

2. Fragrance or other bath products (probably for her). This can be tricky but if you know, for example, what specific fragrance they like, it can be a fantastic gift. Perfume is a very intimate gift which would show you know who you're shopping for if you get the right one. I recommend only doing this though if they have expressed that they want a certain one. It would not be fun for you to spend forty-eighty dollars on perfume and then they not like it. Bath products, on the other hand, are a little more flexible. Since they are also cheaper, you can get more of a variety.

3. Men, for me, are always much harder to shop for. They can't be easily pleased with things, it's always specific. Girls (for the most part) are always happy with chocolate, jewelry, clothes, etc. . Men are different. They tend to want particular things that they've been looking at for months and, unlike women, have not simply run out to buy them. So when it comes to guys that you don't know that well, possibly the only safe item would be tickets of some sort (or gift cards, see below). Concert tickets, movie tickets, sports tickets, etc. . They also let you be a part of it, which is always fun.

4. A coffee table book or a mini replica of a painting you might find in an art museum gift shop. You might be wondering how these two have anything in common and what it is, is that they both are pleasing visuals that someone you might not know very well would still get use out of. Whether it be as a decorative piece or something that they would enjoy reading, it is an item that people are always pleased to get and relatively inexpensive.

5. And, finally, gift cards. Ok, admittedly this isn't probably the most personal gift but as long as it's for a store they like, then they will be happy. In fact some people like it better simply for the shopping experience. It's an easy pickup for you and you get to decide how much money goes on it!

Tip: If you ever feel like you should add just one more thing but don't want to spend a lot of money on it, buy a king size candy bar that you know they like. It's affordable and the perfect top-off to a present.

French word of the day: Cadeau which means gift.

Au Revoir!

"If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?"- Unknown.

Model Behavior

God, I wish I could go meet with our local modeling agency now instead of having to wait another month! I just want to know if they will sign me or not. I want work and I want it now. This is something that I've become very serious about. It started as a, "You really think I could be a model?" to I want to do this right now. The problem is because I have more of the figure shape you would find on a Victoria Secret's model my dreams of walking for Gucci or Dolce and Gabbana are pretty much not going to happen but I still want what I can get in that industry. I'll post when I find out!

I started reading Sense and Sensibility yesterday and, unlike three years ago when I attempted to read it, I'm actually enjoying it. I'm to the part where Willoughby has made an appearance and him and Marianne are scorning poor old Colonel Brandon. Now, being much alike Marianne in personality, although hopefully not quite as annoying, I definitely see where she's coming from. With Willougby she has passion, excitement, and commonality while with the Colonel she is faced with a huge age difference (although in that time period it wasn't as big of a deal), a subtle personality, and a generally boring man ( at least at this point in the book). Now I know that Jane Austen has set up Brandon to appear this way at this point and that he becomes much more amiable later on, but I can't get over the giddy, head over heels kind of love that Marianne and Willoughby have (at least until he breaks her heart to marry someone richer). Anyways, can't wait to finish it. I've already seen the movie so there won't be any surprises but it's always exciting to experience the written version.

Today has been pretty boring, actually so I think I'm going to do some yoga and then go to bed.

French word of the day: Décembre which means December (wa-duh)

Au Revoir!

“Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months.”- Oscar Wilde.

December at last!

Happy December 1st everybody! Today I've started a new schedule for myself. My family and I are preparing for a trip next summer and it requires a lot of walking, therefore we have decided that starting now I have to hang out at my school (for an HOUR!) and then when everyone can get to my school, we go walking. I will be running and then heading home to ride on our mechanical bike before doing my leg workout video (I will be talking about that in next week's Monday must haves), homework, blog, shower, and then yoga. Hopefully by being more structured like this I will be able to fit everything I want to in as long as I get through things fast and efficiently. We'll see how it goes.

Anyways, it's that time of year when it seems there are a million birthdays to celebrate. Three of my good friends just had their birthdays, one of which was yesterday. If you're reading this right now, Happy Birthday! I know that the holiday seasons are also just about upon us so within the next week or so I will be posting some wonderful (but cheap!) gifts to look/ make for your loved ones this year. I know that the economic times are hard right now and you shouldn't have to feel guilty for not being able to buy expensive gifts for people.

Something that's putting me off the holiday mood a little bit is that this year, because of our three wild but irresistibly cute kittens, we can not get a Christmas tree, something that is very important to me. One of my favorite things about the Christmas season is picking out that tree and decorating it with my family. Every year we would congregate in the living room and decorate, with our hundreds of ornaments, together and this year we won't get to do it. There are almost no decorations set up inside because of the cats and now that the snow has evaporated it just doesn't feel like Christmas yet.

I've been reading into this whole airport security frenzy that's been going on. I've gone from not caring, to feeling really irritated, to accepting, to being mad again. I usually could care less if it concerns airport safety. I am usually okay with whatever they want to do at airports in order to keep U.S citizens safe but this is going too far. Not to mention the health effects that this could have on people, (though they claim there are none). To me, any radiation is bad radiation. While it may not have a significant effect alone, combined with other outside forces it could really cause some serious health issues. On top of that there are thousands of people that this is going to negatively effect; rape victims, war veterans who have metal plates in their bodies, etc. . If for some reason these people cannot go through this machine then they are viciously patted down. It has become more than the light patting and is, in fact, very invasive. I found an article about a poor older man and his experience with this new line of airport security.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40291856/ns/travel-news/

I have personally never been on a plane and this summer will be my first time, my brother's as well, and I don't want to have the beginning of our vacation ruined by a horrendous pat down in the middle of the airport.

On a totally different note, I have finally had time to start looking at some more of the fashion shows. I've made my way into the D's (designer's name alphabetically), and have begun to really enjoy what the spring has to offer! My favorites have been Dolce and Gabbana as well as their D&G line. Both their lines were beautiful, although I think I liked the Dolce and Gabbana one better. It had lots of corsets and while the color palette was basically just black and white, I thought that there was enough detail and imagination that it never once got boring!

Better go. I've got a horrendous math test to study for tomorrow.

French word of the day: l'aéroport which means airport.

Au Revoir!

"It's (fashion) really too close to the quick of the soul." -Stella Blum.