july wrap-up & favorites

Oh gosh, July went by so quickly. It really did. I actually had a really good month, though, filled with going to Great Escape, reading every single day, texting my friends, and spending a ton of time in the sunshine.

I said that I had tons of amazing content coming your way…oops. Summer got in the way. I’ve been behind in posting and commenting on other posts. But you know what, I’m fine with that–summer should be spent doing things instead of stressing out over blog posts!

Anyway, let’s get into my favorites from this month.

I didn’t buy or try out many products this month, so I actually only have two favorites. My first is the Wild Honeysuckle lotion from Bath and Body Works. I’m actually really impressed by the Bath and Body Works lotions and perfumes–they all smell so heavenly. I’ve been buying products from them for years, and this product is no exception. It’s smooth and creamy, and smells so so fresh and delicious. It’s my favorite scent out there.

Guys, you know a product is special when it’s on your favorites list twice in a row. Yup, you probably recognize this coconut water facial mist from my June Favorites post, so you probably know that I am obsessed with this stuff. If you haven’t bought it already, you need to. It smells so good, the scent is light and not overpowering, and works perfectly as a body mist as well as a facial mist. I also use it as a makeup setting spray. Sometimes I even spray some on my pillows to freshen them up. Just buy it, people. This stuff is the bomb.com!

– Other Favorites –

• I read 10 books this month–but I’m having a reading binge today, so I’m sure I can get that total up to 12 by the end of the month. Of all the books I read, my favorite was A Darker Shade Of Magic.
• I’ve been loving Oh Wonder’s new album, I’ve been listening to it over and over, along with Imagine Dragon’s new(ish) album.
• My family’s latest obsession has been brownies–I found a special recipe online where you melt a chocolate bar in the center. It’s the best thing since toasted bread. (Is that the right expression?)

Thank you for reading! Hope you all have a fantastic day.

What music have you been listening to lately? What are some favorites from July?

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not your mother’s shampoo & conditioner review

Hello, hello, & welcome back to another post! It’s time for another review post. I’m embarrased to admit that this post has been planned for months, but I haven’t gotten around to it. Oops. I’ve even had the photos loaded up, waiting to be edited. Again, oops. A few of the photos turned out blurry, apologies for that.

Anyway, all that aside, let’s get into the post.

My hair takes a really long time to grow. I use coconut oil and essential oils and all that amazing stuff, and while that has definitely helped my hair, it still grows very slowly. I thought about taking Biotin supplements, but many people said that their skin broke out from it, and as I have blemish-prone skin, I didn’t want to try that out. I’ve always been a fan of the Not Your Mother’s brand, and when I found out they had a shampoo and conditioner shampoo and conditioner targeted at growing out your hair, I jumped right on it.

I know I say this about almost every product I review, but the s & c are extremely inexpensive! (Maybe I’m just a cheap person, if I keep buying inexpensive products. But hey, I like saving my money.)

The reviews are actually pretty good, a lot of people said that their hair was growing like a weed, so I thought it wouldn’t hurt to try. Plus, the shampoo and conditioner are free of sulfates. (Though they do have quite a few chemicals.)

Well, well, well, my hair actually did grow pretty quickly. I didn’t take any pictures of hair growth, but I would say my hair grew a few inches more than usual in one month. I could honestly just tell, looking in the mirror. My hair seemed longer every time I checked. I’m sure if I bought more, I would see even more hair growth. But I stopped using it, for a few reasons.

My hair turned to straw. It was dry, the ends were unhealthy, and overall it just didn’t look very good. Also, I found myself needing to wash my hair more and more, because my scalp was getting extremely greasy. Once the bottles ran out, I switched to OGX shampoo and conditioner, and I’m happy to say my hair is back to normal.

So, if you want your hair to grow quickly, definitely use this product. Everyone’s hair type is different, and I know for a fact that my hair doesn’t react well with too many chemicals, which is probably why it turned so dry. If you end up with a bad haircut and want to grow your hair back long, this will also help! However, it does say on the back of the bottle this product is for already existing hair, and does not grow new hair, so keep that in mind.

Would I purchase this again? Yes, I would. It was cheap, smelled absolutely heavenly (it smelled like strawberries and hot summer days, the scent was amazing), and it worked. It truly worked. However I do think I would need a lot of hair masks to balance out my hair, because it turned extremely dry and unhealthy.

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Thank you so much for reading, as always, and I hope you have a great day.

What shampoo and conditioner brand do you like?

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appearance & self love | personal growth series #1

Hello & welcome back to my blog! I hope you are all having an amazing day. Today is the first post in the Personal Growth. I have some awesome posts coming up on this series, so stay tuned. You won’t want to miss it!

Today we’re going to be talking about self-love. I could write an entire book on this, but I’ll try to limit this post! (You’re welcome.) Ready? Let’s get into the post!

A while back, I read something that really stuck with me. It said something along the lines of If you want to love others to your fullest ability, first you must love yourself. We all go through those days where we feel so ugly, and whenever I’m having a bad day, I always think of this quote. Why? Because it’s true. You can’t expect yourself to be the most loving person on the planet if you don’t love yourself. 

Unfortunately, these days, if you love yourself, people will say you have a large ego, you’re a narcissist, etc. Well, look at the description for self love!

You see advertisements with photoshopped people, and society tells you with this or that, you can look like them. It’s crazy. Work out, lose weight, whiten your teeth, get a haircut, diet, buy trendy clothing, act like everyone else…why can’t we just be the way we are?

Why can’t we just love ourselves, flaws and all? There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be in shape, have good hair, etc. But you don’t need to do any of those things to be beautiful.

Let’s say there are two girls. One girl is extremely beautiful, but she doesn’t have a beautiful heart. She is constantly jealous, thinks negative thoughts, and doesn’t care about others. The other girl may not be the thinnest, her teeth might not be bright white–but that doesn’t matter. Because if she has a beautiful heart, that is all she needs.

Compare these two girls. In your opinion, which one is prettier?

I was raised to love myself. I’ve said this in a different post, but I’ll say it again: I was raised to love myself in a kind way, not an egotistical way. I was raised to be kind to my body, to eat healthy food and get sleep. I was always raised to be kind to my mind–to think positive thoughts and be grateful.

So, it breaks my heart when beautiful girls & women say they’re ugly. It frustrates me, too–because your appearance does not matter. Let me say that again: the way you look is unimportant. If the world was blind, how many people would you impress? Think about that for a few seconds. Would you impress people with your kindness, your laugh? Would you impress people with your good heart?

If beauty was judged by your soul instead of your appearance, would you consider yourself to be beautiful? The next time you think you’re ugly, remind yourself that your appearance does not matter. You have a beautiful heart, a beautiful mind. That’s what’s important.

 – Tips to Increase Self Love –

• Hang up inspirational signs or write yourself notes
• Every night, write something you love about yourself. Anything.
• Take care of your body. If you work out and eat healthy foods, as well as getting sleep, you are more likely to love your body and yourself!
• Let yourself cry. So many people bottle up their tears, but you need to let yourself cry. Let it all go.
• Don’t put too much on your schedule if you’re already busy. You don’t want to always be stressed and tired, so remember it’s okay to say no to things.
• Do yoga.
• Set goals for yourself, and try to achieve them.
• You are not perfect–no one is. Love & embrace your flaws!
• Helping others will help you love yourself.
• Every night, look in the mirror and say things to yourself, like “I am beautiful” “I am strong” This really works!
• Every morning, hug yourself and take a deep breath. You’ve got this!

– Self Love Quotes –

“Own who you are.”

“Be twice as powerful as you think you are.”

“She remembered who she was and the game changed.”

“You owe yourself the love you so freely give to other people.”

“You, alone, are enough. You have nothing to prove to other people.”

“If you’re searching for that one person that will change your life, look in the mirror.”

“Do not look at yourself with disgust, you are a gift to this earth. You are beautiful, you are a light, an energy, an essence. You are nature itself.”

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That’s it for today’s post. I hope you enjoyed today’s post, and I look forward to talking with all of you in the comments. Have an amazing day.

What are your thoughts on this post & self-love?

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new summer series | personal growth

Hello & welcome back!

People can change a lot over the summer. Some people grow taller, get a tan, dye their hair, get their ears pierced…there’s almost always some kind of physical change. (I’m praying to grow taller. It doesn’t seem to be working.) But people can also change a lot emotionally and mentally.

That’s my goal for the summer: positive personal growth. I’ve been working on becoming more confident and not caring about what others think. Well, today, I’m really excited to announce my new summer series: it’s all about personal growth! I’ll be doing posts on gaining confidence, loving yourself, and feeling good all the time! And so much more, of course. Obviously.

I really hope this series will be fun for all of you, and hopefully, it will be a way for us bloggers to become closer, since we’re all one big family! Remember, real queens fix each other’s crowns.

My hope for this series: at the end of every post, you will walk away feeling positive and inspired. I hope that this series will help you with personal growth, and that you will get something out of every post.

Give yourself a big hug right now. You are amazing, you are beautiful, you are strong. Thank you so much for reading, have a fantastic day, God Bless every single one of you!

Any thoughts on the series? What kinds of posts would you specifically like to see in the series?

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June Wrap Up & Favorites

Hello & welcome back! Hope you had a fantastic July 4th!

I know I say this about every month, but June went by fast. Is it just me?! Nonetheless, it was a fun month. We celebrated my sister and my father’s birthday this month, went to Cape Cod on vacation, and spent a lot of time soaking up the sunshine!

We got back from Cape Cod last Saturday, and since then I’ve been spending these precious summer days chilling, reading, and going to the beach. I’ve also been posting a lot less on my blog…apologies! Life gets in the way sometimes, am I right?!

Anyway, let’s jump into the short & sweet post.

My first favorite from this month is the Maybelline Fit Me! concealor. After staying up late reading, I’ve been needing concealor to cover the circles under my eyes! I bought this in the shade Medium 25, and it blends in with my skin really nicely. It’s smooth, easy to blend, and really does an amazing job covering up dark circles. Let me know if you’ve tried this out.

My next favorite is the Pearlessence Coconut Water face mist. Guys, I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love this stuff. I’ve been using it for tons of things: as a setting spray for makeup, as a pick-me-up for my skin when it gets dry, after cleansing my skin….it works wonders, too. Plus it smells amazing and is inexpensive.

The Clean & Clear moisturizer is another fav from this month. It feels really cool and calming when I put it on my skin. My face has a bit of a sunburn, so it’s nice that the moisturizer has a cool feel. It has an almost gel like texture as well–overall I’ve just been really enjoying it!

– Other Favorites –

• Guys, I have been obsessed with the midnight mint mocha frap at Starbucks. It is so darned delicious. And of course I told the barista that my name was Bucky. This is what happens when you watch too many Marvel movies.
• My favorite band, Imagine Dragons, released a new album this month. I stayed up until midnight the day it was released so I could hear it right away! I love all the songs, if you haven’t listened to their music, you’re missing out.
• My hair has been in a dutch braid almost every day this month, haha I can’t get over it! It looks super pretty and is effortless & easy to do.
• I’ve been watching the show The Shannara Chronicles on Netflix…have any of you seen it? I’m liking it so far…

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There you have it! Thank you for reading, and I hope you all have an amazing day.

What have you been watching on Netflix this month? What’s your favorite Starbucks drink?

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The “Dream” Life | Thoughts

Hello & welcome back! I’m currently writing this post on vacation in Cape Cod. We just arrived here yesterday, and will be here for a week, so stay tuned for more posts on our vacation.

Today I just wanted to share some thoughts that I’ve been having lately. A few weeks ago, I was having a hard day, one of those days we all go through. I felt like I couldn’t do anything right, and I just kept feeling like I wasn’t good enough. I kept comparing myself to my friends, kept comparing myself to other bloggers, I just kept comparing myself to everything.

We all go through these days, so I’m certainly not special on this, but I think we can all agree that these kinds of days are completely awful.

I’ve always loved myself. Not in an egotistical way, but in a kind way. I’ve been raised to love the way I look and my personality, and not to compare myself to others. Because if we can’t love ourselves, how are we supposed to love others to our fullest ability? So, I don’t usually go through these kind of days, which is why this was so hard.

I was scrolling through Pinterest and looking at all the nice outfits people had, all the nice homes people had, all the vacations people were going on…it was just cluttering my mind. It was horrible. So I shut off the laptop and just tried to cheer myself up: working out, listing things I like about myself, etc.

And I found myself thinking: why am I comparing myself to others? Why am I wishing for the “dream” life?

And by the way, what is the dream life? Society tells us that if we have perfect hair, white teeth, beautiful clothing, a beautiful house, and a million other things, our lives will be perfect.

Late that evening, right after the sunset, I stood on my deck and looked out at the yard. A slight drizzle of warm summer rain was falling, crickets were chirping in the distance, and the air smelled like freshly cut grass and flowers.

And as I stood there, I realized this is the dream life. Not the life we see on Pinterest, but this. The dream life, in my opinion, is a life filled with happiness, adventure, and simple things. I don’t need perfect clothing and perfect hair and a perfect house to live the so called “dream” life.

Yesterday I was walking on the beach. The cold waves swept around my ankles, the wind whipped my hair,  and I couldn’t stop smiling. That’s the dream life: those small bursts of happiness. The simple things.

Moral of story: don’t focus on trying to look perfect. Focus on trying to feel perfect. Focus on being happy.

Thank you for reading & I would love to hear your thoughts on this! Have a fantastic day.

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How To Take The Perfect Instagram Photos | Guest Post

Hello & welcome back to another post! Today I have an awesome guest post for you from Taiya, a fellow teen blogger. I found her blog via Pinterest and I totally adore it! Make sure to give her a follow & leave a nice comment at the end of the post! Without further ado, let’s give the spotlight to Taiya…

A while ago, Abigail reached out to me to join my Teen Group Pinterest Board, and I checked out her blog and FELL IN LOVE! It was so refreshing and inspiring to find other teen lifestyle bloggers having great success and a wonderful following on her blog. After we emailed back and forth a few times she asked me to write a guest post for her and I couldn’t be happier to work with her and her wonderful amazing audience (that’s you!)

But before we dive right in, here is a little about me…

• I live in a small town, Canada, and when I mean small, I mean small, trust me 😉
• I have been blogging for about a year and a half now, and I couldn’t be happier with how much my blog has grown and changed for the better over these past few months!
• I may have a slight obsession of shopping for clothes (but what teenage girl doesn’t, right?…)
• I can never get enough chocolate, like seriously, I could live off chocolate if needed.
• I love dancing but you’d never catch me in a ballet class; I’m more of a dance-in-the-kitchen-to-the-radio type of dancer if yah feel me.
• And best of all…I just finished school for the summer! Yippee ☺
• You can read more about me here.

Alright, enough about me, let’s get into the photography! In this guest post I am showing you my top tips and tricks on how to take better photos, and how to get those picture-perfect Instagram pics!

#1. Keep an Eye on The Background

When taking photos, you always want to be aware of what’s in the backdrop. A cluttered room or random people in the background could definitely ruin a good picture. If you are trying to take the perfect selfie in your bedroom, I recommend checking what’s in the shot behind you. Do you have some laundry on the floor (guilty), or could you close your closet doors so it’s less messy looking? (also, guilty) Whatever it is, try to keep your background nice, clean, and minimal.

#2. Natural Lighting

When taking photos, natural light is your best friend, I promise you. Artificial light usually looks “fake” on iPhone photos and destroys the quality. When taking blog photos in my room I always try to take them mid-afternoon when the sun is shining, open my blinds, and turn off the light. For me personally, natural light is always the best way to go for the best results.

#3. Try Out Different Angles

I don’t know about you, but photos with a unique angle is always wayyy cooler than a boring straight-on shot, especially for outfit photos. A shot from the left or right side always looks awesome. So, play around with it, try close in, far out, maybe from the left side, or right side. try it out and see what you like best for that particular shot. ☺

#4. Act Natural

When posing for pictures, I know this sounds obvious, but act natural. Easier said than done, I know, but trust me when I say over-posed photos looks fake and staged. Try natural positions and remember to keep your shoulders relaxed. Using objects around you as props also helps. I love this picture not only because of the photos but the way she is effortlessly sitting on the steps in a natural pose.

#5. Take Advantage of Street Art

If you live in a city, street art is your best friend. Colorful walls on the side of buildings or pretty street art is not only trendy, but definitely Insta-worthy! Often when I’m walking around downtown in cities I see gorgeous walls that would be the perfect backdrop for an Insta pic, so grab a friend and take a couple shots! Here are some examples: 

View this post on Instagram

caption this!!!

A post shared by Tara Michelle ⭐️ (@imtaramichelle) on Apr 11, 2017 at 5:38pm PDT

 #6. Use Filters, Sparingly

I’m all about those filters, but you definitely don’t want to go overboard. I use VSCO Cam (free app) to edit all my pictures and I LOVE their free filters. Now I would recommend avoiding those bright pink filters you used back in 2010, yeah, you know what I’m talking about, enough said, LOL. I prefer filters that are bright, crisp, and clean looking. I like to use A6, A4, and HB2 (from VSCO Cam). I will also sometimes veer off the filter path and just manually edit the photo myself. If I do that route, I usually adjust brightness, contrast, and saturation.

#7. Take OOTD Shots From A Lower Angle

If you are going for that perfect OOTD Insta, ask your photographer to crouch down a little. If you are coming from a lower of an angle, it will elongate your legs and make you look taller 😉 And who doesn’t want that?

#8. Use The Rule Of Thirds

If you haven’t heard of the rule of thirds before, don’t worry! There are tons of helpful YouTube Videos on the rule of thirds for beginners. The rule of thirds is basically a photography trick that enhances your photos and makes them more appealing to the eye. You just line the subject of your photo on a “third” line to make an interesting shot. See the first photo below? Boringgg, it’s just a plain ol’ straight on shot. The second one, taken using a “third line”, is much more interesting to the eye.

Well, girl. That’s it for this post, I really hope these tips and tricks helped you step up your photography game a little! It would mean the world to me if you popped on over to my blog and checked it out. Thanks a ton for reading, you rock ❤

 

 

 

 

 

OOTD | Denim Romper

Hello, & welcome back!

I haven’t done a fashion post in a while, but don’t worry, I’ll definitely start posting more fashion posts. A few days ago, the weather was perfect for photography, so we snapped some pictures that I think you’ll really enjoy!

Anyway, without further ado, let’s get into the post. If you are viewing this post from the wordpress reader, go to my website, the photos will be better quality. Thanks!

I think we can all agree that rompers are amazing. They’re not only comfortable, but they look cute and effortless. I bought this romper from Old Navy last year, but it was a little too baggy for my taste. In fact, I felt really self conscious wearing it, so it hung in my closet, only to be taken out every now and then and looked at longingly.

I pulled it out of my closet a few days ago, and decided to just go for it and wear the darned romper. Life is too short to be self conscious.

Isn’t this bracelet so funky? I’m obsessed with it, it really adds personality to the outfit.

I just had to take a picture by the peonies! Peonies are one of the prettiest flowers, if you ask me. Plus they smell absolutely amazing.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the outfit & pictures. Have a fantastic day.

Do you own any rompers?

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How To Always Have A Good Day

Okay, maybe always is a bit far-fetched. Naturally, there are always going to be things that we can’t control that make our day bad. But if you woke up on the wrong side of the bed, there’s always some things you can do to make your day better! So, in today’s post, I’m going to be sharing a few tips that I have found help me to have a good day.

1. Get sleep Obvious as it may be, you are more likely to have a better day if you wake up feeling refreshed and energized.
2. Don’t get right on your phone If you grab your phone to check social media, you’ll probably end up spending an hour scrolling through Instagram. Instead, make your bed, wash your face, get some coffee, write out a to-do list…and when you’re all ready for the day, check your phone.
3. Eat a healthy breakfast Again, I’m sure you’re rolling your eyes, but a healthy breakfast is so important to having a good day.
4. Wear your favorite outfit It’s a fact: when you take the time to dress up, style your hair, and put on makeup, you probably feel better about yourself then wearing sweats and leaving your hair unwashed. There’s nothing wrong with a good old lazy day, but if you wear a nice outfit, you’re more likely to be productive, choose healthier meals, and feel good about yourself.
5. Excercise If your day started off on the wrong foot, exercise! It will make you feel more energized and positive.
6. Be productive I always like to write a mental list for myself of things I need to get done, and I spread it out throughout the day.
7. Go somewhere Of course, a lazy day filled with Netflix is always fun, but there’s a whole world outside your door. You can watch Netflix later. Go outside, go to the mall, go to the park, go somewhere. Make new memories.
8. Talk to your friends Whenever I text or email my friends, I almost always leave the conversation feeling more positive. A good friend lifts you up and makes you feel better, instead of leaving you feeling worse about yourself. If you are having a bad day, just talk to your friend, they are sure to lift your spirits.
9. Pamper yourself At the end of a long, productive day, now it’s time to treat yourself. Turn on Netflix, paint your nails, put on a face mask, take a nice bath…self care is pretty awesome.
10. Settle down for the evening. Put away your electronics and get ready to hit the hay. I like to write in my journal, read my Bible, and settle down with a book before going to bed.

There you have it! Thank you for reading, and I’ll catch you on the flip side.

Do you do any of these things? What helps you to have a great day?

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DIY Honey Mask For Glowing Skin

I’m obsessed with facial masks. Lately, I’ve been putting on a facial mask and painting my nails–just this simple act of pampering and self care can do wonders. Turn on Netflix, light a candle, and treat yourself people!

I really like making my own masks from natural ingredients rather than buying a chemical-filled mask from the store. In today’s post, I’ll be sharing with you my favorite honey mask.

Guess what: all you need is honey. Raw honey, to be exact. Raw honey is better for your skin, so although you can use regular honey, you’ll see better results if you use organic, local raw honey.

Why honey? Honey can help with anti-aging, exfoliation, making your skin way softer, and will make your skin glow. Could it be any better?!

What you do: splash some water on your face (the honey will apply better on wet skin), and rub the raw honey all over your face. I usually rub it in for a minute or so, just to make sure it goes into my pores.

Leave the mask on for fifteen to twenty minutes, then rinse it off, cleanse your face, and mostiurze! After cleansing, I like to apply some essential oils (with a carrier, of course), and then mosturize for extra soft skin.

If you want to see even better results, do this every three days for glowing, gorgeous skin! I usually do this mask in the evenings, and whenever I wake up, my skin is so soft. Also, my blemishes are fading, which is a huge plus.

Well, that’s a wrap! As always, thank you for reading, and if you enjoyed this post make sure to leave me a comment!

Have you used honey as a facial mask? What is your go-to natural face mask?

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