MY THOUGHTS // MENTAL HEALTH

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If there's much to be proud of in the world now - and trust me there really ain't a lot - it would have to be the emergence of conversations about mental health.


So many bloggers, advocates, and companies are creating a dialogue about their own personal struggles with mental health or about the stigma itself. What this does is reach out to those who feel alone, feel lost, or feel helpless as well as educates those who may know someone struggling.


I think it's so beyond brave and strong for people to come out with their anxieties, depression, or ED. I know when I was in the throws of my personal ED I could only tell two people after months and months of suffering. But now I wonder if it would have gone differently had I seen/heard so many similar stories.

BIG MAGIC REVIEW // HOW A BOOK CHANGED MY LIFE

Big Magic

I've been preparing myself to write this post since I started the book and I just kept putting it off. I think the reason I've found it so hard to write is because I want to do it justice. I NEED to do it justice.


I really, really resonated with this book. More than I think any book I've ever read has been able to relate to my life. But, not only my life, but my internal monologue, my thoughts, and my worries. It's like a part of me wrote this book and it sounds so cheesy but it's very true.


Big Magic has been on my Twitter and Instagram radar for months now so I know there are so many other people out there loving this book as much as I do. But there needs to be more, it needs to be broadcasted to everyone just how amazing the book actually is.

FEBRUARY FAVORITES

big little lies


So March has sprung it's lovely head around the corner for us. I know back in New York they are having fantastic weather which makes me happy to know that even though I suffered four long winters (last years was better... still not great) people are enjoying city-life outdoors.


All I can say is that February was a trying month and I am ready to put it behind me. However, 2017 has definitely been an interesting year and I feel like I'm learning more each and everyday.

BLOGGING TIPS // 200TH POST LOOK BACK

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So the other day after posting my last blog post I noticed that it was, in fact, my 200th post. Which I think is a pretty great accomplishment and made me reflect on everything that's happened since my first post.


Going all the way back to 2012, my actual first post was a 25 before 25 checklist - which you can read here if you would like. At the time I was 18 and a very different person than I am now and I only have 12 of the items left on my list to check off.

CINEMA TIME // MOVIE REVIEWS 2

bbloggers

I think I could literally talk about movies all day long and never run out of things to say.


Actors & actresses, cinematography, hidden meanings; all of the interesting components that make up a film. Throw in an incredible director and a killer script and that's how you make the perfect Oscar-worthy film sandwich.


However, I can't say I always agree with the choices that are put in the best film category. As much as I try to give each one a chance, often times they just aren't my cup of tea. But to each their own!

BAKING // CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD

baking

Woohoo, another post from my favorite new baking recipe book! I seriously look forward to writing these posts so much because I know that baking goes alongside them. I always enjoy baking the most when I'm feeling a little stressed. Which is perfect right now because I'm stressed beyond belief.

But moving on to the shortbread this is another recipe from the United Kingdom section of the book. According to the history behind shortbread they originated in Scotland and are perfect for afternoon tea. I may have to add a fun little Valentines day twist in there too!

BATH & BODYWORKS // SPRING SCENTS

bath and body works

I, like many others, am eagerly awaiting the arrival of springtime. I live in Southern California where the sun shines bright most days *cue Another Day of Sun from La La Land* and I still wait for the changing seasons.

All the pastel colours and bright new flowers popping up hits a part of you that creates instant happiness. I always yearned for Spring in New York & February was always the gloomiest, yuckiest, most blegh month that seemed to go on forever. There were times I would try to trick myself into thinking it was actually not as freezing cold out but that clearly never worked.

Flash-forward to now and even with the beautiful days of sunshine I'm still thinking of those new Spring days. Which is probably what got me to walk in to Bath & Bodyworks to look at all their new candles!

VALENTINES MAKEUP // RED & GOLD

beauty

It's February which means the arrival of the sometimes dreaded/sometimes wonderful day that is Valentines day. I can't sit here and pretend I've always been a Valentine's day supporter. But, in more recent years, I've just sort of thought hey, it's a day about love. Who doesn't want to be supportive of that?

Better yet, who doesn't love the colours associated with Valentine's day? Give me pinks and red with hearts galore, I'll take it all! Red roses and boxes of chocolate I mean, seriously, send them to yourself if you want. 

The look I wanted to achieve is a little more heavy than what I would usually wear. I wanted to incorporate the red tones with the gold lid which makes a very nice combination. If you wanted to make it more subtle you can use a white toned shadow all across the lid. It's all about your preference. 

JANUARY FAVORITES //

beauty


I'm in an utter state of shock that the first month of the year is already over. I mean it's honestly blowing my mind how quickly this month went. Just thinking back to the beginning of the month when I was in Canada to now is unbelievable. 

I'm not sure that I accomplished everything I wanted to for the start of the year; but I am definitely making progress with some of my goals. There's going to need to be more effort on my end to make them all work out so that's going to be my main focus in February. Just zoning in and doing the work. 

I am also really liking the blog scheduling that I planned out where I post every Tuesday and Saturday. It gives me enough time to think out thoughtful posts and not just rush them out. I think I resented how difficult December blogging was but I was working so many hours at work, planning for holiday fun, & being just genuinely extremely busy. It wasn't a good combination AT ALL.

Now that I've settled back into a routine I can talk about all the things I was loving in January. For some odd reason I stopped doing these posts even though they are some of my favorites to look back on!

BREAKING BAD HABITS // A JOURNEY

advice

I'll just come right out and say it, I am in no way, shape, or form perfect. Actually, I am very far from it. No matter how hard I try to control situations I am not ever going to behave exactly the right way. I won't always say the proper thing or react with the normal emotion. It's just not in my  DNA and that's just fine with me.

That being said I am not someone who doesn't think about the repercussions of my bad habits. Just because I do the things I stated above doesn't mean I don't understand that they can/should be altered. But I do often wonder who made the rules for what makes a bad habit?

TRAVEL GUIDE // LOS ANGELES PART 2

ace hotel

*cue La La Land Soundtrack* I swear seeing that movie - multiple times now - made me even more driven to move up to LA. Luckily I only live an hour or so away but I'm always so much happier when I'm actually there. My closest friend loves to go equally as much which makes it so much more enjoyable. 

We really made a day out of this even though we didn't end up leaving until almost 2 - dinner reservations were set for 9:30 so we had time to kill. Here was our lovely day in Los Angeles. 

BAKING // ICED MADEIRA CAKE

baking

Oh, how I love doing baking posts because then I get something delicious at the end too! I received an incredible baking book for Christmas and this is the first recipe I am trying out. The book is categorized according to countries around the world. So I decided to start in the United Kingdom with the Madeira cake. 

There were so many to choose from I would love to make at least two recipes a month if I have the time. This Madeira cake stood out to me for some reason as I was going through all the recipes. There's nothing like a good, lemon cake and the description of the Madeira cake was all too appealing.

CINEMA TIME // MOVIE REVIEWS

arrival

Oh awards season, blessed are you. I live for award ceremonies. Mostly because I want to one day work in the film industry and hope to bump elbows with Hollywood royalty. But, for now, I'll settle with sitting at home in my jam's and daydreaming that I'm actually there.

There is always this mad dash for me to go see the films that are nominated in the best picture category. Unfortunately this year I have severely slacked on my film-watching abilities. I don't know how it all got behind me but I'm bummed. 

I have, however, seen a few films this past month and this month as well that I would love to review for you! So grab some popcorn, check your local theatre's showtimes, and get ready for some seriously amazing cinema.

COLOURPOP REVIEW // NEVER NOT CHILLIN

bbloggers

Sometimes I think about how exciting the world of makeup has become and it makes me all bubbly. With the internet and social media so many new and incredible makeup companies have come out of the woodwork. Colourpop, a hero amongst men, is one of these companies. 

3 DAYS IN VANCOUVER // A GUIDE

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Back at it with another travel guide today! I figured I should definitely just splurge all the information out before I forget everything. Truth be told I really like writing travel blogs because it makes me feel good about spending so much money traveling (lol). But, in all honesty, it also makes me nostalgic to return to those places. 
I really loved everything about our holiday to Vancouver, B.C. The people, the sights, and the atmosphere were all absolutely incredible. Although it was freezing - which sometimes trapped us indoors - I wouldn't trade a single second of this trip. So here is my Vancouver Travel Guide for you!


BLOGMAS DAY 8 // A CHRISTMAS RANT + PHOTOSHOOT!

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A CHRISTMAS RANT + PHOTO SHOOT

Okay so this post is not going to be a rant per se. It's just going to be some of my musings on this time of year. This time that is supposed to be filled with warmth and compassion. A time when selfishness should be set aside. It's the last month of the year, shouldn't it be the best one?

BLOGMAS DAY 7 // ASOS GIFT GUIDE

asos

ASOS GIFT GUIDE

So, as so many online retailers do, ASOS' website has created gift guides for their customers needs. I thought it would be nice to pick through these gift guides and find my favorites! 
I love ASOS, which might sound weird for European viewers, because it just isn't as big of a company in the U.S. But it has so many incredible choices in both high end and affordable price points. Honestly, since finding ASOS I haven't needed to scan through Nordstrom's website - which used to be my favorite site!
And now for the gift guide...

Women's 


BLOGMAS DAY 6 // CHRISTMAS SPOTIFY PLAYLISTS

blogmas

CHRISTMAS SPOTIFY PLAYLISTS

I really can't lie to you, I've been listening to Christmas music since September. But, I also think this makes me qualified to talk about Christmas playlists on Spotify because I have gone through a handful of them! I've found that I am someone who enjoys a classic version of the songs we all know and love. 
While pop remixes can be great, I think they begin to sound obnoxious after awhile. Sorry Sam Smith but I can only listen to your version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" so many times. But give me Judy Garland singing it and I'm complete. 
So instead of just making one playlist I'm going to be sharing my favorites that I've found so far! 


BLOGMAS DAY 5 // FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIES

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FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIES PART 2


Oh there's no place like ABC Family (now Freeform... don't get me started) for the holidays. Honestly the 25 Days of Christmas special has been a part of my life since before I can even remember and I can't imagine a Christmas without it. Even if I've seen each movie 3,117 times I am always happy and excited to sit down and watch. 
I did a christmas list of my favorite movies last year - which you can read here - but obviously I have so many more favorites that didn't even make it on that list! Which brings me to day 5 of blogmas...

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