April Favorites!

So, this favorites post is a bit late, I know, but I just finished up finals week (thank god), and now I've got three weeks before I'm back to work!
This favorites might be a little short, since I've been so busy with school and trying to do my last papers and the like.
But, without further ado, here we go!

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First up is the ever-delicious, Boom Chicka Pop popcorn!

boom chicka pop in sea salt.

You guys, I have a mad obsession with this stuff. It's so good, and it's basically no calories at all. I think a serving size is four cups, which is only about 140 calories! I burned through my first bag way too quickly, but it was really good. I just like that, since I do eat mindlessly sometimes, I can eat this stuff and not worry too much! My biggest issue with it is the sodium, but that's what comes with sea salt popcorn, I suppose.

Next up are Signature Soy candles!

signature soy (in sun kissed), $5-10.

Mother's Day was quickly approaching, and by the time finals rolled around, it was the last thing I wanted to worry about! So, at the end of April, I ran out to Target and grabbed some things for my mom, and ran into these candles. First, they're really not expensive. They're only about $10 at the most, so I bought a few little $5 ones for my mom! I really liked the Succulent Gardens one, but it wasn't on Target's website, just in the store. Sun Kissed smells amazing, though, and so does Coastal Linen. I thought the selection was incredible, and the scents were all fresh and pretty! I'll definitely have to grab some more when I go back!

Next, we've got braiding!

zoella's dutch side braid.

This one seems a bit odd, I know. But, my hair is finally long enough to braid again, so I've been trying all sorts of braids to try and find some that I really like, aside from a plain plait! I really like Zoella's channel (I have for a long while now!), and she has quite a number of videos for cute braids that spice up a regular one!

And, finally, I've been obsessed with seed bead bracelets!

my own bracelets.

I've been recently obsessed with making these bracelets, especially as finals started! They're simple and kind of mindless to make, so it was comforting to do on my breaks in between studying. Most of mine mean something to me--whether they're dumb or not, haha! I've got a whole Tumblr post of them here, if you're curious.

Also, I typically buy my beads at Michael's, though I'm positive you could find some on Etsy or Amazon!

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Anyways, those are my favorites for this month! Hope to see you again next month!

Coachella-Bound!

Now, I know what most of you are thinking--I can't go to Coachella! Why would you torture me like this?

Well, worry not, loves. I can't either.

But, why should that stop you from pretending like you can go? I think it's totally unfair that I can't go, but that doesn't mean I can't dress the part while I'm sitting at home, studying or watching the livestreams.

Here's a comprehensive list of just the few things you need to complete your Coachella at-home experience!

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First, you'll need a super-cute outfit. Here are two examples:

(clockwise): tie-front pocket shirt, $11; hi-rise festival shortie, $50; cactus sneakers, $15;

studded faux leather crossbody, $23; mini-floral head crown, $5.

(clockwise): embroidered fringe-trim kimono, $33; hi-rise shortie (in summer burgundy), $45;

gladiator-wedge sandals, $30; faux leather drawstring backpack, $30; wool boater hat, $16.

Both of these looks are really easy to achieve, especially with stores like H&M and Forever 21, that carry similar items nearly year-round! The top outfit comes to about $104, while the bottom one comes out to $154. Both are great looks and will keep you comfortable wherever you are!

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Next, to get in that Coachella mood, you'll have to listen to some good-ass music. I literally went straight to the Coachella lineup, scrolled through the list of artists and added the artist's music I already owned to a playlist. Some of the more popular artists this year were: Hozier, Marina and the Diamonds, Florence + the Machine, and The Weeknd.

So, naturally, I made a playlist for those of us who can't go see the show live! It's got the more popular artists on it, but it's great nonetheless.

16 tracks.

It's not my best playlist on 8tracks, but I love Coachella so much, and I had to figure out a way to go--without actually going!

Aside from mine, there are some other great Coachella playlists: here, here & here.

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And, finally, you'll need a few flower crowns and/or headwraps.

Never fear--Forever 21, H&M, and a million other stores are selling them!

Here are just a few options for flower crowns:

neon flower head crown, $20.

braided rose crown, $5.

dainty floral garland, $20.

And, some headwraps:

tapestry plaited headband, $15.

feathered headwrap, $16.

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Hopefully that will allow you to have your own little Coachella in your house, apartment, flat, loft--wherever you live!

Small Old Navy Haul!

I was just home for Easter break, and of course, I had to get some shopping in!

I only bought a few things, but I figured I'd make a quick haul post--hopefully I'll be able to make a fuller one in the near future!

Without further ado, here we go!

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First up is nothing other than a plaid shirt! (Surprise, surprise!)

women's plaid shirt, $25.

I saw this shirt and immediately fell in love. The colors are much richer in person, and it's so lightweight! It's honestly a great summer shirt, and I'm sure I'll get a lot of use out of it!


Next up, we've got some graphic tanks!

sink or swim graphic tank, $10.

I've been recently obsessed with the ocean (part of my issue is that I now live five minutes from it!), so this tank was a must. Also, where I live, 95% of the year, it's most practical to wear a tank and shorts with how humid it gets! This one was super cute, and I love the little pocket, too!

And, finally, I got another graphic tank--this one with more of a photo on it.

live life with a view photo-graphic tank, $13.

I really liked the colors in this one. There was a similar one in oranges and reds, but when I tried it on, it really washed me out! This one is a bit better-suited for my lighter skin tone, but it'll still look great once I've gotten myself a nice tan!

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I know that wasn't really a haul, but I just wanted to show you guys what I've been adding to my closet recently!

Keep enjoying the nice weather!

March Favorites!

Sorry I haven't been active lately! March and April are really crunch time for me at school, so I've been lax on the Internet to try and stay focused.

But, it's time again for my favorites! Some of these I'm sure you could guess, but I'm going to go ahead and say that most of them are movie/TV show related. Oops.

First, we've got my favorite TV show, Once Upon a Time.

i mean, look at these cuties! (captain swan)

It came back on March 1st, and I cannot explain to you all how excited I was. This second half of the season has been crazy so far, but I think it's going to be interesting! I'm in love with Captain Swan (Emma Swan and Captain Hook--yes, that is who that beautiful man is!), and as you can see above, they are literally relationship goals. Can't wait to see the rest of the season!

Next, I've been obsessed with Cinderella!

lily james as cinderella.

Seriously, if you haven't gone to see this yet, please go. It's such a beautiful film, directed by Kenneth Branagh (one of my favorite directors and actors, for that matter!), and though it retells a tale told many times over, it's such a wonderful spin on it. There's a lot more fleshing out of the Prince (who is gorgeous, by the way), and we learn more about Lady Tremaine as well--all without taking away from Cinderella! It's captivating, and if you have a chance, please go see it.

Also, I've been weirdly obsessed with finding this dress:

illusion cage maxi dress, $30.

Seriously. I have been looking for this dress since early March, when I first saw it. I didn't buy it immediately, but I wish I had! I went back to school and figured I'd just buy it at the Target near my campus. Well, they only had one dress left, not in my size--which, I should have figured, because I live in a beach town, and this is the perfect sunny-weather-nice-dinner type of dress! So, I checked every single time I went, just to make sure, and when I went home last weekend to see my sister's musical, I happened to pop into Target, and voila! It was right there, waiting for me! I tried it on, fell in love, and bought it right then! I'm excited to go out in it, since it'll be nice for dinners, or even just going downtown for an afternoon! Wow, that story got long. Whoops.

Next, I've been in love with little notebooks recently.

blank journal, $8 (each).

Now, this one is a bit odd, I know. I've been so busy lately, and having to run all around campus is hard when you're carrying a laptop or a load of books in your bag--it's so much easier to just carry a small backpack and some small notebooks! I've got some specifically for research and the like, but I've got some sketchbooks as well that I carry around for that awkward time between classes. Plus, these sketchbooks from Target are adorable!

And, finally, I've been slowly getting into tea.

twinings earl grey, $6 (for fifty bags).

I'm certainly not a coffee person, but I was recently introduced to tea, and I think I'm starting to like it! I love dipping wafers into it (yuuuuuum!), and my favorite brand/type right now is Twining's Earl Grey. I think it's probably the closest to English tea, and as the little packet above says at the bottom, it's not very intense! It's become harder to drink now that it's getting warmer, but I think in the fall, I'll try to get into it again and hopefully stick with it.

Anyways, those are the five things that have my attention this month! Hopefully I'll be able to put together a Summer lookbook for you guys in the near future--for now, enjoy the warm(ish) weather!

February Favorites!

I'm back with some more favorites of the month! This past month has been a pretty busy for me, so I haven't gotten a whole lot of time to try new stuff, but here we go!

First up is stupid Zodiac sign posts on Tumblr, like this one:

zodiac signs as cities.

I'm seriously obsessed with these. And, the scariest part? A lot of them are pretty accurate! (If you're wondering, I'm a Scorpio)

Next up we've got my Pandora bracelet!

pandora.

I got this for Christmas, actually, but recently I've been adding more charms to it, and I can't wait to get more! I'm actually on the Pandora website as we speak, looking at charms! I could sadly only find one of my charms: birthday blooms (citrine). I wonder if they don't show all of them online? If I come across some, I will let you all know!

And, of course, I can't forget an app... Try Pancake. Seriously.

pancake app.

It looks really simple. And, it is. But, for some reason, this game manages to kick my ass day-in and day-out. All you do is try to flip the pancake, but make sure it lands on the pan. It's frustrating. But, my high-score is 21! Think you can beat that?

And, finally, I've been obsessed with my new foundation!

nyc smooth skin pressed face powder (in translucent).

It's just plain ol' NYC, but they've redone their foundation, and I love it! It goes on so much smoother, and doesn't make your face look cake-y! I'm glad they re-vamped it a little!

Anyways, I know that's a short list--I'm hoping March will bring more with it!

Oscars Dressed Up!

I've got a snow day today, so I figured that making a red carpet dress post from the Oscars would be the perfect way to spend my day!

I was a little disappointed with the dresses this year--some of them were stunning, but most of them were just kind of.... meh.

But, without further ado, let's get on with the pretty dresses!

First up is Scarlett Johansson!

scarlett johansson, atelier versace.

Talk about killer. Damn. She looks so amazing! I love this color on her so much--emerald is such a great color on blondes, and I wish more blonde people would know that! Also, can we talk about that necklace? I love how it compliments the deep v-cut of the dress, and the texture it adds. Perfect pick, Scarlett!

Next up, we've got Anna Faris!

anna faris, zuhair murad.

So, I was curious as to why I liked this dress so much... And, then I googled a little bit, and the answer was clear: it's Zuhair Murad. I've been in love with his designs since spring/summer NYFW in 2013, so when I saw this one, I immediately fell in love. She looks so pretty in this sparkly gown! I'd think that with her light hair and fair skin that this would wash her out, but she looks great! Definitely one of my favorites.

And, we can't forget the ever-gorgeous Zoe Saldana!

zoe saldana, atelier versace.

I mean, wow. I always think she looks gorgeous, but this dress was incredible. I love the color and cut on her--she and Scarlett Johansson sure know how to pick their Versace! The criss-cross in the front is absolutely gorgeous, and seriously, she looks amazing. I like her simple hairstyle as well--the whole look is so simplistically gorgeous!

Next we've got Jamie Chung!

jamie chung, yanina couture.

This. Dress. I love the firework kind of look to it, and I love the colors! I think the metallic/navy/nude mix is amazing. I think her dress is definitely one of the most underrated ones of the night, and I wish more people would see how amazingly gorgeous it is! Seriously, can't explain how much I love this dress, guys.

And, finally, we have the amazing Anna Kendrick!

anna kendrick, custom thakoon.

Honestly, you all shouldn't be surprised that she's on this list--I think she's been on every single one of my red carpet posts! She just picks the best dress every time! This one, along with the others I've listed, is the perfect color. I love the criss-cross at the neckline--it's very feminine and makes for a pretty cutout!

And, there are, as usual, some honorable mentions: Emma Stone in Elie Saab, Jennifer Aniston in Versace, & Lupita Nyong'o in Calvin Klein!

Grammy Gowns!

I'm back with another red carpet post!

I seriously live for these red carpets, you guys. I love the gorgeous dresses, and choosing my favorite looks of the night is always hard.

So, without further ado, here are my top five favorite ensembles of the night!

First up, we have the one and only Taylor Swift.

taylor swift, elie saab.

Taylor positively stunned in this gorgeous Elie Saab gown. I love how it's just slightly shimmery, so it appears almost... ombre-ish in certain lighting. The shorter skirt in the front makes her legs look impossibly longer (Taylor, please tell me your ways!), and God, she looked good. I thought the magenta shoes were an interesting pick, but they surprisingly worked for her!

Next, we've got the amazing Anna Kendrick!

anna kendrick, band of outsiders.

I seriously am loving this suit trend on the red carpet. I like that she keeps it girly enough, too--it's slim-fitting, the pants are slim, and the blazer criss-crosses. I think she kept it simple, too, with little to no jewelry (but, seriously, how cool would it have been to have a killer statement necklace?), and simple, black heels. I'm in love!

Next up: Ariana Grande!

ariana grande, versace.

I am in love with this dress. And, she's keeping with the theme--simplistic is the way to go, people! I really do like the silver 'wing' on the side, since it livens up the pure white of the gown. And, like most everyone else she went mostly jewelry free, only adding a tiny, silver choker and a pearly clutch. Well done, Ariana!

Then, we've got Beyonce, who stunned, as usual!

beyoncé, proenza schouler.

Oh. My. God. She looked amazing--though, that's not really a surprise, is it? I seriously cannot get over how great she looks! Also, unrelated to the dress--can we talk about how beautiful her hair is? Mine will probably never look like that. One can only hope. I also love that she's kept a kind of image up by always wearing these beautifully simple, black ensembles to the Grammys every year. There's only on Queen, and it'll always be Bey.

And, finally, we've got the always beautiful Nicki Minaj!

nicki minaj, tom ford.

Absolutely stunning. Seriously, that V has been taken to a whole naval level (okay, terrible pun, I'm sorry). I love the fringe at the bottom--the movement was so incredible when she walked! Tom Ford seriously knows how to make a damn beautiful ensemble. Seriously, Nicki dominated.

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And, we can't forget the men!

First up, my baby, Frankie Grande!

frankie grande, malan breton.

Can we just take a moment to appreciate that his hair matches the suit? I love, love, love the color (too many guys are afraid of it!), and I think while it may be just a tad obnoxious, it's such a great suit. And, word is that the designer, Malan Breton, used a gold-threading technique that hadn't been used since the 18th century! Frankie is just too cute, and this suit couldn't have been more perfect for him.

Next up is Sam Smith!

sam smith.

I could not find who he was wearing! I know the black one he wore on the red carpet was Armani, so it may be fair to guess that this one was, too! Regardless, I adore this shade of red, and he looked so great in this suit! What a cutie. He's absolutely stolen my heart (and probably most of America's)! And, yeah, yeah, it wasn't the red carpet suit he wore, but this one was too pretty to pass up! Men in red are my thing, alright?

And finally, how could I forget Nick Jonas?

nick jonas, versace.

I couldn't do this post without commenting on my long love, Nick Jonas. Honestly, he looks great. I've always thought Versace made some of the best suits out there (probably only second to Armani), and this one didn't disappoint! Because--hot damn, Nick Jonas.

Hope you all liked my picks--tell me your favorites from the Grammys!