Chic Week Review (Halloween - BLIZZARD!)

October was wonderful!  Before Halloween, I went out and bought some decorations and DIY craft supplies.  Halloween night, (I went as a zombie), a couple friends and I went Halloween Hopping (we hit like 5-6 different parties!  Best ever!) 

Then today, November 9th, I had to say g'bye to autumn because my town got a full blizzard of snow.  Gypsy was very intrigued.  But what made it okay was that I got a box of Milk Chocolate Dove Truffles from one of my Australian friends.  I also took an OotD picture of this random girl who had on SUCH a cute outfit!  (See below.)

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What was your week like?  Comment below!

OotD: India Inspired

Would you believe this top is from RiteAid?!?  Yah.  This one-of-a-kind feminine, summery top was purchased at RiteAid!  

Peach Top (from India) - RiteAid

Green Caprees - Walmart

Elephant Necklace - Gardner Village

Mood Ring - Amusement Park

Turquoise Stone Ring - Charlotte Russe

DIY Crafts

My mom is a great teacher, and she has so many awesome crafts and fabrics.  This summer, she let me dig through her stuff and take whatever I liked.  :)  I'm going to be making brooches, pins, hair clips, and whatever else during this Fall semester.  I've always wanted to make my own unique accessories and now I get to do it. :)  WOOT!  

There are sooo many options and combinations I can use and I can't wait!  I've already searched for DIY pictures, and have a small collection of ideas to use for when I start (which will be soon!!)

Of course, Gypsy had to be apart of the picture.  She's a diva at heart.  haha 

Affordable Gym Shoes

I went to Kmart. YES Kmart and bought a pair of narrow black workout shoes for less than $30.  If you can see in the picture above, there is extra cushioning for my heals and the shoes themselves are lightweight, easy to walk/run/jog in, and very comfortable.  (I always wear socks).

My older brother gave me my birthday present a month early.  He bought my own membership to a private Personal Fitness gym and he and I work out there often.  

The gym is absolutely awesome!  The walls and beams are decorated, there are mirrors everywhere, there are locker rooms, bathrooms, fans in the ceiling corners, great air conditioning, multiple different treadmills (MY FAVS!), all sorts of weights and other exercise machines.  The owner Jeff is very helpful and provides several different membership plans.  I'm so grateful for this present "thank you brother!" and am working on getting fit as much as possible before large amounts of homework begins.  

Do you have a gym membership?  Do you prefer running on the treadmill, or running outside?  

OotD: Drip Drip Drop Little April Showers‏

Remember the Disney movie Bambi?  That one song about april showers is a cute song
Even though it's not April (der!) it can still rain.  So, here's my rain-appropriate apparel.

 Turquoise Trenchcoat - Target

Black Leggings - Kmart

Pink Paisley Wellies - Target 

Blue Umbrella - ShopKo

(The Umbrella Mushroom picture was inspired by Disney's Fantasia movie clip.  The one where the mushrooms jump and dance about!  Remember??) 

Back To School Shoes 2012 Haul

Target, target, target...  We will be best friends forever.  Seriously.

I got 4 pairs of shoes of different variety/color, and a very handy and sturdy bag, along with a unique coin pouch.

My favorite pair are the mint tassel flats ($20) followed by the navy topsiders ($20).
I love the brown satchel bag ($25) and the owl coin pouch ($8) because they'll be very helpful for school and such.
The red sneakers are always a staple ($12) and the hot pink tassel flats were on sale ($10).

I've needed new shoes for a very long time and Target has not failed me yet in their shoe selections.

Have you gone Back To School Shoe Shopping yet?  It's time to do so!  (Even if you've already started school!)

Unique (Regular) Braid

One day I decided to braid my hair to the side.

I also decided to separate the three strands UNEVENLY.  

I had two smaller sections, and one bigger one.  

I loosely (and lazily) braided my hair, and secured it with an elastic.  

It looks WAY more interesting doesn't it?  I'm going to do this to my side braid hairstyles like this from now on.

Looking for easy 1 minute hairstyles since we're all back in school?  This would be one of them.

Back To School 2012

Tomorrow I start college again!  I bought a macbook pro last week, so NOW I can easily upload blog posts on a regular basis and possibly get more Lovely Duckling followers.  :)
Stay tuned!  This new semester will be a great one!

OotD: Tie Dye- "More Than Just A Crush"

Yellow V-Neck from Charlotte Russe
Yellow Jacket from Aeropostale

Splattered Jeans from Walmart (Miley Cyrus for Max Azria)
Sunglasses found between couch cushions in a random apt. I was visiting out of state. 
No joke.
Flats from Target.

I really liked this look because it just goes together because of the similar print. Plus, the outfit includes all the basic colors of Summer! (yellow, orange, blue, white)

What do you think of this outfit?  Would you try it?  Is it your style?

Awards!!

I've just received 2 more blog awards and would like to first thank the lovely Jenn Flynn from "Wish You Were Here" at http://jennflynn74.blogspot.com.  She has given me the "One Lovely Blog" award.  Thank you!

And the second award is the "Liebster Blog" award from the lovely Becca from "Looks And Books With Becca" at http://looksandbookswithbecca.blogspot.com.  Thank you!

(Since the rules for both awards are so very similar, I'm mixing them up together for an Award Duo post.)

The Rules:

Link back to who nominated you.  CHECK.
Create own questions for your nominations of the Liebster award.  CHECK.
Write (several) random facts about yourself.   CHECK.

Answer the questions for the Liebster award from Becca.   CHECK.

Nominate & notify (several) Bloggers.   CHECK!

Random Facts About Myself:
1. I folk dance!

2. I have a twin brother, 2 mins younger than me. HAHA!

3. Photography is an unofficial hobby of mine.  http://emilyelisabethphotography.weebly.com/

4. I am in love with Clinique's Acne Solutions System. It's doing miraculous things on my face (aka it's working!)

5. I played the violin from 3rd-12th grade. But I'm not amazing because I wasn't fully devoted.  

6. I am 5'9" (1.75 m) tall.  But growing up, I had wanted to be 6 foot so I could beat the boys in Basketball. 

7. I love Italian food and Chinese food.

8. I enjoy taking pictures of celebrities with their loving fans after local concerts. 

9. I know 3.5 yrs of American Sign Language.

10. My cat has 7 toes on her front paws. I can post a picture to prove it, if need be. 

11. I sing hardcore and you can hear some of my old stuff (2-4 yrs old recordings) at http://emilyelisabeth.weebly.com/

Liebster Award- Becca's Questions
1. Sephora or Ulta?  -Never been to Ulta, will have to say Sephora.
2. Liquid, gel, or pencil liner?  -Both liquid and pencil liners.
3. How much time do you spend blogging per day?  -For 3 posts, probably 15 minutes. (I'm fast!)
4. Bright or light colors?  -Bright or pastel colors?  I'd say both if that's what you mean.
5. Curly, wavy, or straight hair?  -For summer, definitely wavy hair!
6. Do you have any pets?  -Yes.  4 cats and 5 house Mice. 
7. Do you text a lot?  -I used to.
8. Pinterest or Instagram?  -Pinterest!!!
9. What are the last 3 books you read?  -P.S. I Love You, My Brother Michael, and Hansel & Gretel 

10. Natural or dramatic makeup?  -Always natural makeup.

11. What's your favorite color?  -Electric Blue!!  (and Peach)

For both One Lovely Blog & Liebster Nominations:

Czarina at http://hermerriment.blogspot.com/
Victoria at http://www.cherrypearls100.com/ 
Jeasmine Incoglia at http://www.keepintouchwithfashion.com/ 
Niesha at http://www.indianbeautyforever.com/ 
Sharon at http://thetinyheart.blogspot.com/ 
Jasmine at http://awonderkind.blogspot.com/ 
Fashionettista at http://fashionettista.blogspot.com/
Emilie at http://www.hungrydelights.com/

Sarah at http://500daysoffashion.blogspot.com/ 
Dilek at http://deemacy.blogspot.com/ 
Madai at http://leatherandpearl.blogspot.com/

Liebster Award Winner's Questions from Em's Eye Spy Beauty
1. Why do you enjoy blogging?
2. What is your favorite summer activity?
3. How tall are you?
4. Any fashion-embarrassing moments?
5. Makeup or clothes?
6. Who do you wish you could sing like?

7. When is your birthday?
8. What is your favorite candy?
9. Which Disney guy is your favorite?
10. What do you miss most right now?
11. What are you most grateful for today?

I'm so grateful for everyone's unique and impressive blogs!  We're all different and come from different places of the world, and this blogging community is so fun!  Enjoy your day!

I'm BACK!

I am sooo sorry I haven't been around for a whole month.  (It seems much longer than that!)
Here's the thing: my computer is a piece of junk and it suddenly decided to not load the "New Post" page for my blog!  I was completely stuck, until today, my brother tried it just for kicks, and it loaded!!

So for now, everything is alright.  I will be blogging like crazy for the next month because of the blogs I've had saved and prepared for the day when my computer would be functioning again.  :)  Today's the day!

Start looking for tons of blog posts- scroll down to see the 4 new posts I put up today!!  :)

Summer Nights

During the warm summer months, we seem to focus on the hot days filled with tanning, swimming, trips with friends, and BBQs and although all of those are fun and entertaining, I also love love LOVE warm summer nights.  The perfect lighting and temperature make these nights gorgeous and calming.  I'm also reminded of Richard Marx's songs "Endless Summer Nights" and especially "Hold On To the Nights."  Here's the youtube link to that song: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuZ23dn-M4Y&feature=related 

There are so many fun activities you can do in the summer evenings: like a fancy dinner, a hike, a late night movie, night time volleyball or frisbee, a bonfire with smores... there are so many fun things to do with friends or a certain someone.  :) 

What's In My Purse

Yellow Purse: From last year's carnival- bought at a tent -bags are handmade and one of a kind, for very cheap

Keys: you can guess what for.
Water Bottle: I love my Fiji bottle because it's the perfect size and it's a boxier-shape than other water bottles. 

Entertainer's Secret Spray: I sing all the time and this spray keeps my throat from getting dry and worn out.  Demi Lovato uses it too, just saying.
iPod: My baby with the songs I know and love.  There's still tons of space for movies, tv show clips, and more music.  :P
Wallet: Holds my Driver's License, college ID, Business cards... sometimes money.
Pens: For jotting anything down that I may need to.
Various Notebooks: Yellow one is for songwriting ideas and the Black & White is for immediate goal setting.
Pleasure Book: P.S. I Love You is my favorite book to read.  It's so amazing and has you entertained for all 400+ pages of it. 

Mini Lotion: I'm currently loving White Citrus from Bath and Body Works.  It's sometimes better than a mini perfume because it also moisturizes the skin.
Mini Hairspray: L'Oreal's Elnett is great not just for the product quality, but also for it's mini sizes. Great for the fastest touchups ever.
Hair Ties: Bright, fun, non-tearing bands are great for if I ever need to put my hair up and away from my face (which is almost daily)

Powder: I use Physician's Formula Mineral Wear Powder because it responds great to my skin and there's no way the lid will pop off and make a mess in my bag.
Hair Clip: This flower clip is my favorite to use because it's so versatile- look and color.
Powder Brush: Easy to keep in it's little lid compartment so as not to lose the shape of the brush.
LipGloss: Every girl should have their favorite lip color in their bag.  My current favorite is (surprisingly) Bonnebelle's lipLites in Cappuccino (a beautiful natural brown shade) -and no, I'm not a coffee-drinker. :)
Concealor: MAJOR important thing to keep in my bag.  Also very explanatory.
A Couple Lipsticks: Rimmel London's Kate collection lipstick in 014 and Mac's lipstick in Hue are great shades to keep in your bag for an every day use.

Got any blog posts about what's in YOUR purse?

DIY: Jeans Pillow

I went to Girl's Camp a few years ago, and one of my leaders had some extra jeans she was getting rid of and had the idea to make pillows out of them. 
She cut the legs off, and sewed them shut, leaving the top open.
She then had us put stuffing inside and sew the top shut.
I went home and sewed some fabric pieces and buttons to it, to add more personality and color.
I also sewed the top again with colored yarn.  I made it my own.
It was a really fun, VERY quick project and even though I don't have a step by step picture collage of how to do it, it's pretty explanatory and easy to do.  
Have fun!  Enjoy!  

Review: Fructis Curl Shaping Spray Gel

Price: $3
Packaging: Sturdy, simple bottle with easy spray top.

Texture/Consistency: Very longlasting, not too sticky, very holdable.  Honestly, spray gel is unrealistically amazing.  Kudos to the inventors.
Smell: Fresh, not too overpowering, can easily use perfume after use.

Pros: For these few months now, I have sprayed this on my air-dried hair and braided it differing sizes.  After a few hours (I sleep with it in but the waves are created between 3-4 hours minimum.)  It creates gorgeous, frizz-free waves perfect for this season.
Cons: The spray nozzle occasionally gets jammed/plugged and it's difficult to push the button down, but only sometimes.
Overall: 5/5

It's so easy!  I recommend this to everyone!  Plus there's so much product in the bottle, you can use it for at least 2 months if you use it daily, and for only $3!  A serious, and smart steal!

Mother's Day!

Mother's Day is today! :)  I'm so happy!  My mom is the type of person you'd imagine living in a gorgeous cottage with cats, in France.  Haha- so, here are some things I did for my mom: I wrote a mini message and taped it to her door, I gave her the blue fabric magnet (pictured above), an intense pink card, a scented candle called Soft Cotton Blanket, my brothers and I gave her breakfast in bed, and gave her flowers. What did you give your mom?  :) Happy Mother's Day!

OotD- Pretty Pastels

Here is another OotD look!  I included my head this time! -I think I'm gonna start wearing sunglasses, cause I don't know what to do with my face... I'm still learning!  

But I thought this look was very Spring-Trend appropriate and even though the pictures are bad (and my face looks tired- which it is) I thought this outfit was worth posting.

Blazer- (old), Pink Ruffle Top- (Shop Ko), Pants- (JC Penny)

Shoes- (Sole Envy) -I hate showing my toes haha-

What are your thoughts?  How can I improve OotD posts?

Health- Meal Notebook

 I have a goal that for this summer, I will be very conscious and aware of what I put in my mouth.  Eating healthier is always a positive goal and I believe writing down the things I have eaten is a great way to improve one's daily diet.
Here is a picture of my very old, dirty, but still somewhat cute Meal Notebook I have used in the past.  (The page was written in 2010, but it was a good entry haha.)  I'm going to start writing in my meal notebook again and see how this summer goes for more healthier improvements. Join me?

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What's On My Desk

Here is what my desk looks like (or used to look like.  Right after taking these pictures, I rearranged it- haha maybe I'll post an update later in life) :)

I love setting desks, nightstands, shelves, etc.. up. It's just something I find satisfaction in.  :)  And it's a great place to work on dull homework assignments.

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 Left Side: Gotta love phones & lamps!             Middle: The zebra box holds my gum!

   Right Side: The box holds my post-its, flashcards, paper clips, and stapler.

What's on your desk?                    

Once Upon A Time

Once upon a time, there was a TV show called "Once Upon A Time."  Haha, I absolutely adore this show.  It's unique, amazing, intriguing, intense, mysterious... It's so captivating!  The finale is next week, and I'm SO excited to see how everything wraps up- or not.  I don't know if they'll have another season, but I know I want to get this show on dvd! :)

Is anyone else excited for the finale?  What are your thoughts/theories??