HANDLING JOB REJECTION

advice
It's a new month here on The Leg Up and I'm so, so happy to be in November. Even though I like to call it the "filler" month between Halloween and Christmas, there is still something special about it.

This Halloween was possibly my favorite since I was a kid. I was able to see my nephew trick-r-treat for the first time in his whole entire life (he's seven btw). After my family sat around and just talked about life and watched Harry Potter of course! 

But something also happened Halloween day that could've turned the entire day into a negative parade of emotions. I had been interviewing for a company that I was almost positive I would get hired for. So when I got the rejection email yesterday after work... things weren't feeling to great. 


HANDLING JOB REJECTION //

BLOGTOBER DAY 31 // MONTH REFLECTION

blogtober
Just as a warning... this is going to be a longer post. Because I have a lot to say about this month! I really don't even know where to begin. But I will break it down into sections to make it a little more readable. Oh and before I begin HAPPY HALLOWEEN 

BLOGTOBER DAY 30 // PUMPKIN CARVING

blogtober
This past week has been such an adventure... and when I say adventure I MEAN MADHOUSE. Work was so overwhelming and yada yada yada but it's done. And TOMORROW IS OFFICIALLY HALLOWEEN! Which means two things 1) this is my second to last blogtober post and 2) I am one day away from reaching my goal of blogging every single day this month. 
My darling little nephew came over Wednesday night to carve pumpkins and since this is sadly my last October 2016 post before my reflections tomorrow I figured I HAD to do something super pumpkiny. And what better way than a pumpkin carving extravaganza!

PUMPKIN CARVING // 


BLOGTOBER DAY 24 // VISIT TO A PUMPKIN FARM

bbloggers
Okay... Fall goal realized. Remember all the way back to my 3rd blogtober post when I made my fall bucket list? Well, I have to say I'm pretty proud of all the things I've accomplished on it. I always make these lists and sadly, never get to realize them. But that is just not the case!
This past Saturday I went to Tanaka Farms Pumpkin Patch with my sister and her roommate. It was so. freakin. hot. Like almost passing out in the corn maze hot. But we were persistent and in the end (and after a large strawberry lemonade) had a blast.

PUMPKIN PATCH //



BLOGTOBER DAY 19 // FLOURLESS PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL BARS WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS

baking
As I was perusing Pinterest for recipes yesterday I stumbled upon this delicious looking recipe. I may not be the best cake decorator or cupcake connoisseur but recipes like this are perfect. No fuss with frostings or sprinkles, just the goods baked altogether in a lovely little bar. 
And I honestly have to say this recipe was so so simple for making it from scratch. Sometimes things can get too moist (lol to the people that hate that word) or dryer than a desert. But these came out beautifully and bonus they're gluten free!


Flourless Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars with Chocolate Chips

BLOGTOBER DAY 17 // HALLOWEEN PARTY + PARTYING AS AN ADULT

adulthood
So how about we start with the adorable decor of the party BEFORE we dive into the heavy stuff? I honestly believe that the reason Halloween and Christmas are so popular is strictly due to the special decorations that come with them. Would Christmas be nearly as magical without a beautiful tree, strewn with bobbles and ornaments that glisten in the fairy lights? Nope. It wouldn't. 
The same can be said for Halloween! The pumpkin orange, black, and purple are like a sensory pleaser. They actually make you feel different than you do at other times of the year. How incredible is that?
I'm going to attach some pictures of the party decorations below! I hope you find some inspiration in them as well...

HALLOWEEN PARTY DECORATIONS


BLOGTOBER DAY 16 // HALLOWEEN COSTUME EXTRAVAGANZA

blogtober
I really can't even tell you how excited I am to dress up this year. Normally I wait until literally the day of to think of a costume. I would say that's mostly because in university... I couldn't stand dressing up. I knew what everyone else would be wearing (or not wearing if you catch my drift). I couldn't look at a pair of cat ears without rolling my eyes eternally. 
My senior year my amazing makeup artist friend did my makeup like Marie Antoinette. We took a subway ride down to the city (being stopped many times to take pictures with people) and wandered around the city. After taking a million pictures with random strangers we went back to campus and called it a night, just watching scary movies and waiting until midnight to go buy half priced candy. 
This is my idea of a Halloween well spent. Dressed up as much as you can and then just relaxing with some scary films. The parties should be had during the month of, in my opinion, which is exactly what happened yesterday!
And what could my costume this year be.... (drumroll please). 


HALLOWEEN COSTUME 2016: MIA WALLACE

BLOGTOBER DAY 11 // FALL & HALLOWEEN PLAYLIST

bbloggers

Fall & Halloween Playlist

First off, I am so excited for the TV special of Rocky Horror on Fox in October. My freshman year of college I actually performed in my school's production of Rocky Horror. It was the most fun I had on stage just because of how ridiculous it was! 
That aside I finally got to making my fall/halloween playlist which I am happy to share with you all for blogtober. There is a pretty wide range of music and I will definitely continue to add songs to it throughout the rest of the month. If you have any suggestions I will definitely add them to the playlist! 
For now here are 13 songs for you to listen and enjoy Xoxo Sam




BLOGTOBER DAY 6 // HALLOWEEN PAST

anxiety

Sometimes the nostalgia of holidays is incredible to think about. There are so many memories packaged into one day. All of the changes of your life can be marked by what you did that day a year ago, five years ago, or even 45 years ago. As a child, who was there holding your hand when you walked to the door? As a teenager, were you going to cheesy discos or still secretly trick-or-treating? As an adult, where are you headed on halloween night or do you sit by the door waiting for the new wave of children to come ask for sweeties? 
There is so much power in holidays and sometimes those past memories can even make you feel sad or angry. Maybe you feel anxiety whenever someone mentions Christmas or New Years because old feelings from years past rise to the surface. Either way many of these holidays are milestones in your life. That's why I thought it would be fun to look back at old halloween costumes just as a little reminder of what I was doing at this time years ago!

BLOGTOBER DAY 5 // FALL DECORATIONS

Autumn

I swear there is nothing better than a house chockablock with decorations. At every corner a festive celebration of the season. Don't let me fool you, Christmas decorations are definitely where I get the most intense. But fall decorations, with the golds and burgundy colors everywhere, give me that same warm and fuzzy feeling inside. Pumpkins, leaves, and don't even get me started on halloween decorations! My family does a special "Halloween" tree covered in skeleton baubles, cobwebs, and purple tinsel galore. But those decorations have yet to make their appearance. So for todays Blogtober I figured I had to do a little house tour of Autumnal Decorations. One day I hope to literally make my house like the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland for Halloween... A girl can only dream!

BLOGTOBER DAY 4 // QUICK PUMPKIN BREAD

baking

Can it really be October without eating copious amounts of pumpkin bread? Even when we were living in Spain my sister and I found a Taste of America and spent a crap load of Euros on pumpkin puree... It is an obsession no one can deny. Even though I deny anything pumpkin spiced, this bread is just pure bliss.
I may have cheated teensy weensy bit by buying a quick make bread but I promise there will be a baking recipe made from scratch at some point this week! But to start it all off, here's a very easy and tasty pumpkin bread.

BLOGTOBER DAY 2 // FAVORITE HALLOWEEN MOVIES

bblogger

So, like most people, horror movies don't really float my boat. It isn't that I think they're scary but actually quite the opposite. I either find them so unbelievable that I laugh the whole time or am disgusted by how gruesome they are. But of course there are plenty non-horror Halloween movies that are as classic as any Christmas movie out there!
As a film lover I had to compile my top list of movies that centre around this season/holiday... if you consider Halloween a holiday??? So here it is friends:


BLOGTOBER // 31 DAYS OF BLOGS

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This might just be the most ridiculous idea I have had in awhile. I'll probably kick myself in a week for even putting the thought into my mind but... what's life without a little bit of madness? So I'm putting my name in the cauldron and taking part of Blogtober! 
31 Days... 31 WHOLE DAYS of posting a blog. I really want the content to be good, not just churning out posts for postsake (lol not a word). But I'm up to the challenge and I think it will be great preparation for Blogmas as well. 

I will reveal week by week the topics of the blog: A) Because tackling the number 7 is better than the number 31 B) Keep it secret... keep it safe. 

I hope you Gals and Ghouls are ready because October is gonna get spooktacular!

Here is week one's lineup:
1) September Favorites
2) Favorite Halloween Movies
3) Fall Bucket List
4) Baking Halloween Treats
5) Halloween Decorating Tips
6) Turning Back the Clock: Childhood Halloween Costumes
7) Fall Beauty

I hope you will join me for this haunted hayride of a month! Also, tag me in your own Blogtober posts and I'll be more than happy to check them out :) Xoxo Sam


The Power of Makeup For Halloween - 3 Looks

Alcone Makeup
First of all I want to start out by saying that I did not do the makeup for these looks! That credit goes to my amazing friend Aaron Plantz (@aaronplantz on IG and I'm serious guys check him out he's unbelievable). We really collaborate a lot on the looks we do and I provide the clothing etc etc. So without further ado here are some special Halloween inspired makeup looks for you all!
Look 1: Harlequin 
I always laugh because Aaron really never does gory looks on me but he was able to get his hands on some 3rd Degree Alcone Company makeup and voila! this incision look was born. To be honest I really loved this look because of it's simplicity. The nude lip, soft eyes, and pulled back hair allowed all the focus to be on the two cuts. Considering Halloween is a few short days away I may try to just recreate this look! The lipstick I'm holding is Jeffree Star Cosmetics Posh Spice Velour Liquid Lipsticks (wow that is a mouthful). I'm unsure what fake blood he used but the one's you can get at party city work just as well to be honest!

Look 2: Hypodermic Sally from AHS Hotel
Ugh you guys I love Sally's character so much. I know I already posted this pic in a post but I felt I needed to explain this look a little more. So first the coat is from Forever 21 as well as the earrings. The choker necklace was actually just made on the spot from some things Aaron had lying around his room. My hair was crimped by making hundreds (and hundreds and hundreds) of little braids all over. We let them set while I was getting the makeup done and then back brushed the roots. Obviously this would be easier if we had an actually crimping iron but honestly do they even make those anymore? I had one when I was like 8 but I really don't think I have seen one sense. What is most important is to really get the lip right. I have much bigger lips than the queen Sarah Paulson so it made it look a little more dramatic. The eyes were super simple to do because you basically just have to have a spaz attack with some black powder and eyeliner. Aaron noticed there was an odd shine to her cheeks as well so he added a ton of vaseline which you actually really can't notice in this picture but in person it created a nice dewy look. I walked home wearing this and let me tell you people were giving me the weirdest looks ever and I LOVED IT! 

Look 3: Maleficent 
Okay okay... I saved my favorite for last. But I could not resist putting this one in here! We really didn't know how this would turn out but Aaron was so inspired by Angelina Jolie and those KILLER CHEEKBONES that we just had to do it. The horn/head wrap thing was made using one of those headband things (I really don't know the name) that goes around your ears but has a hole on top and some Halloween Devil horns wrapped in duct tape. We also just wrapped a black sheet around me for the body. I think one of my favorite parts is how well the widows peak blended into the head wrap. The skin looks flawless but man that contour process... I really love this look and we hope to improve it even more with some clay to make those cheek bones even better! 

I hope you guys can find some inspiration from this post! I really am so ready for Halloween to be over and done with because IDK how much longer I can avoid choosing a costume! Have a happy Wednesday 
xoxo Sam



Halloween Outfit Ideas

AHS hotel
So I guess there are various categories women fall under when it comes to Halloween. For the past few years I have been under the category of: No costume because you are resentful of all the stupid sexy cats.
Well ladies and gentlemen this year is going to be different! This year I am going to attempt to dress up BUT the problem is that I am having a hard time deciding what to be.
Let's just take the time to say that there shall be no animal ears, drawn on whiskers, or lingerie for this chicky. Nope if I am going to dress up at all it will be a beloved t.v. or film character!
I think the reason I started to loathe Halloween was because my freshman year of college I was bullied outside of a party. It was the first time someone had really said something incredibly cruel about the way I look directly to my face. Since then Halloween hasn't exactly been on my list of exciting holidays. Luckily, last year I was in Spain but even then the night turned out to be kind-of a letdown.
So here I am, senior year of college, and finally trying to get back into the All Hallows Eve spirit.
Here are my choices so far:
Mrs. Mia Wallace - Pulp Fiction

Lydia Deetz - Beetlejuice
Hypodermic Sally - American Horror Story Hotel (This is actually me... obvi. My friend and I were inspired last week after the episode but I liked the look enough that I may replicate it for Halloween)

So here is to hoping that Halloween doesn't totally suck like it normally does! Let me know what you think is best xoxo



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