Spring in Nashville, TN: OOTD

Hello! Long time no talk- I just got back from a spring break road trip to Nashville, Tennessee with my family and wanted to hop on here and let you guys know I'm still alive! Below is an outfit I wore in Nashville, the day we had brunch at a great place called Fido (it was yummy, but maybe not worth the long wait) and visited Andrew Jackson's house, The Hermitage, for a few hours which involved a lot of walking around making me very grateful for my comfy shoe choice! I really enjoyed checking out the Hermitage. I learned a lot and definitely recommend visiting if you're in Nashville. We visited on the perfect spring day- high 60s and sunny, with a little breeze. This outfit was perfect for that! My sneakers are from New Balance, my jeans are from Levi's, and my top is from Old Navy. It's hard to see in the picture but I was also sporting a GO HEELS pin to support my Tar Heels since they played Auburn in the NCAA tournament that day- sadly the pin did not work, since we lost :(
For my bag I opted for my Kate Spade blue crossbody which I found at Tanger Outlets in Mebane and have been obsessed with ever since. It is a very comfy crossbody length, fits my essentials (what's in my purse post could be fun!) and what I love most about it is that the textured leather is the perfect finish that in all the times I've used it, at least 60 times, it has never gotten a single scratch or mark! My sunglasses are great too, they are Ray-Bans from the Luxottica line.

Thank you for reading! Come again!

Education is for all.

It's a normal day, in a normal American town, for a normal kid. You walk to school and are greeted by your classmates. Girls and boys work together happily in your class. All is well.

Unfortunately, this is not the case everywhere. Girls and boys don't get to work in harmony, or work at equal levels, all over the world. In Niger, only 11% of women are literate. And not all of those women go to school after age 15, because in Niger, 3 in 4 women are married and bearing children before the age of 18. They are stripped of their chance at an education they need and deserve. Below is an image of girls 'school' in South Sudan. The image shows just how negligent the government in these countries can be when considering the education of women and girls.

What can you do?

It's simple: help raise awareness, donate to causes you believe will really help bring girls and boys an equal shot at a good education all around the world. Spread the word and help bring deserving women education and change their lives.
You can even sponsor a student for around $60 a year through several programs!

Source:

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-41558486

Thanks for reading- this post was an assignment for Human Geography class:)

Winter in NYC OOTD

Good morning beautiful friends and hope your day is off to a good start! I just got back from a short trip to New York so wanted to quickly share one of the outfits I wore in the city. A few of these items aren't available anymore but I will try to find similar options. This outfit was great because my boots are staples in my collection so I was confident they'd be good for walking around all day, and my cozy sweater and coat kept my super cozy and warm but still gave me the option of wearing this fun, girly skirt from Bershka. Enjoy the post!

Skirt (its on sale now!!)

Sweater (mine's from TJ Maxx, this is the closest I could find)

Coat (similar)

Boots

December Favourites

Hello beautiful friends! The end of the year is coming up and I wanted to get at least one more blog post in... so I figured I'd share some of my favorite things from this month because this is one of my favorite things to hear about from other people! Enjoy:)

These awesome lights were a Christmas gift from my aunt but I've been loving fairy lights in general a lot lately- nothing beats a cozy night in with a good book and some beautiful calm lighting. I can't find these online but you can get some sort of fairy lights just about anywhere!

How cute is this donut mug from Target. Not to mention it was 4 bucks and makes me very very happy every time I use it.

I've had these sunglasses for a few months now but can now confidently recommend them because I have worn them countless times! They are comfortable, durable and are the perfect size. I like that you can see my eyes through them because I don't feel like I need to take them off when I'm talking to people, but if you like dark glasses that block out a lot of sunlight these may not be the style for you.

My final favorite for this month is a great book I just read called the Tattooist of Auschwitz. I have read a good amount of Holocaust and WWII books and can still say this is one of the best ones I've read. It is very sad but a great read, and an unbelievable true story.

I hope you all had a great holiday season and are looking forward to the start of the new year. Come again soon!

Christmas Wish List Ideas 2018

Hello friends!! I figured this weekend would be the perfect time to get this post up as Thanksgiving has just passed so it is officially prime Christmas gift shopping time! These are just a few ideas of items you could ask for for Christmas, or even save up your money to treat yourself! I tried to think of more big-ticket, main-gift items, if that makes sense. Enjoy!

FOR MOST AGES:
Especially if you have acne prone skin (like me!) a facial can be a game changer. Good skin is really a confidence booster so if it means saving up to get a facial once a year, then its worth it! I've gotten a facial at Ulta which was really great, but shop around for local businesses for the best deals and best reviews near you.

Unless you live somewhere too warm for this, I think a staple jacket is a great thing to put on your wishlist. I got a sherpa-lined, soft leather jacket with a hood last year made by Levi's. It is so stylish but is so cozy and the perfect amount of warmth for where I live. Do some research and find a classic jacket you could see working well with your wardrobe!

Timeless jewelry, if you're someone who enjoys jewelry, is another great wish list option. If you have your ears pierced, you can't go wrong with a pair of pearl studs or gold hoops. One of my favorite gifts I've gotten is my Kendra Scott Elisa Pendant (thanks Grandma!!) which I have been wearing every day since I got it at least 2 Christmases ago. These kind of things can get pricey so you may not want to spend your own money on them, but if you get them, you will wear them constantly!

FOR HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS/ COLLEGE STUDENTS:
I'm a senior in high school, and my grandma had a great idea to start thinking about things I might like to have in my dorm or in general in college- this is what I came up with!

I have this all black North Face that I have been using year-round, every year, since freshman year (that's almost 4 years so far!!) that looks and feels exactly the same as it did when I got it! Mine was on sale for about $60, which is pricey for a backpack, but I've already gotten to use it 4 years and will continue to use it in college for as long as I can.

I am a huge fan of coffee and would love to get some kind of machine that makes single cups instead of a whole pot at a time. I would do some research on what brand you want because I know coffee makers can range in price and quality so its good to shop around. I'm debating saving up for a Nespresso because I would love to be able to make lattes, cappuccinos, etc. but honestly, they're so expensive but still get mixed reviews, so I'm not sure its worth the commitment.

Oil diffusers are my go-to gift any chance I get to give someone a gift!!! I use mine every single night. I get nosebleeds pretty often in the winter from the dry air but I've found that oil diffusers help with that problem a little bit. But, the main reason I love them is the different oils you can put in them. My fave is peppermint or lavender which help with productivity and stress and just smell really good. I think diffusers would be a great gift for someone moving into a dorm to clear out the stale dorm air.

This one isn't too creative, but if you already know what college you're going to, it never hurts to ask for some of your school's merch!

Let me know what's on your wishlist! Come again (and congrats if you read this entire post!!)

Most Exciting, Best Value Holiday Beauty Sets 2018

Too Faced Peach Collection / / I am so impressed to see this kit for $52. The palette alone is $49 usually, so for $3 more you are also getting a full sized face palette and a full sized lip gloss. This palette has been on my wishlist for some time now, and I've heard mixed reviews but mainly good things (especially from Jessica Braun, my fave YouTuber!). I've enjoyed the gloss in the past- wouldn't buy again but would be happy to use up another!

Benefit Brow Kit / / This kit is definitely expensive, but if you use a lot of different products on your brows, it is perfect! For $59 you're getting 5 full-size Benefit brow goodies as well as an angled brush. 

Tatcha Skincare Set / / I would be so excited to get this set of Tatcha goodies for Christmas. Its got some of their most hyped products- dewy skin mist, the new (ish) primer, a mask, and a moisturizer is reasonable sizes for $64. 

NARS Blush Palette / / NARS blushes are some of the most popular ones on the market- this gorgeous palette lets you try out a couple great shades instead of committing to one. Each of the 6 pans are 2.35 grams compared to the usual 4.8 grams in a full-size NARS blush which retails for $30. If you're interested in this palette, make sure you're going to use at least 3/4 of the colours in it- if not, just pick one shade you love and buy the full size instead!

Too Faced Gift Set / / I've never tried a Too Faced holiday set so I can't speak for its quality (some people think the shadows aren't as good for limited edition stuff), but if the quality is there, this gift set looks awesome. It comes with three adorable palettes and a deluxe Better Than Sex mascara. The set retails for $49, and the reason I think it is such a good set id because you can split up each of the palettes and give them as gifts!

Let me know if you're picking up any holiday goodies or if there's anything fun I'm missing at Ulta or Sephora! Until next time, thanks so much for reading and please come again!

Bad Value Holiday Beauty Kits 2018

Hello beautiful friends! Yes Christmas is a solid 51 days away. But, I know people get on top of their holiday shopping early, so I wanted to get this post up while its useful!! Honestly, I think the products in every single one of these kits look like great quality. This post is exclusively talking about the value of the kits- if you are a particular fan of the formula in one of these sets, you're a collector, etc. then you'll have to decide on your own if these kits are worth it. Let me know if you enjoy this post!

Dior Mini Lipsticks / / There is no way I could ever justify or suggest someone else buy this kit. $50 for 4 MINI lipsticks is ridiculous, especially since there is a good chance you won't love all 4 colours. Reviews say that the lipsticks are small enough that they break easily. In my opinion you're much better off picking out your perfect shade from the Dior Rouge lipstick range and getting a full size of that one colour for $37 instead.
NARS Blush/Lipstick Duo / / For $24, you are getting a decent size pan of blush (especially considering that NARS blushes are fairly pigmented, so you don't need a lot of product) and a mini lipstick, that quite honestly should be a free gift or 100-point perk at Sephora. There are other NARS sets that are much better value, including some for the exact same price, like this or this!
Urban Decay Glitter Liner Set / / I am not personally a glitter liner fan, but even if I were, I would not get this set!! The three colours in this kit are all warm, gold-ish shades- that are going to look crazy similar on your eyes. I could appreciate this kit if there was more variation of colours but $39 for three similar liners is just too much.
Clinique Moisture Set / / I actually am very intrigued by all the products in this kit and would love to try it... If it were much better value. You only save about $12, but more than that, the products don't appear to be full sized (its hard to tell from the website, I could be wrong!).

Are you planning on picking up any of these sets? Are there any others you've seen that you passed on? Let me know below!! Thanks so much for clicking on this post and I hope you come again!