Frustration...

I'm one of those people who tends to internalize my frustrations and keep everything to myself. It's not the best thing that I could do but it's definitely not the worst. Today was one of those days where it started out great and then things just went downhill and fast. Last night I went to go order the black Sam Edelman Penny boots and the website said they had one left in my size. Well, it turns out they didn't. This morning they restocked and I was able to order them with free next business day shipping. I was so excited! I have been looking for the perfect black boots for years and I finally found them! Then I made a great Sunday brunch of homemade French toast for my mother and I. Everything was going great. 

Around mid-morning I ended up getting hurt and I cried. I am not some who cries easily or often. I won't go into the gory details but it had to do with my nail and it still hurts and the bandaid and pain is making it difficult to type this. My dog accidentally bit me (not maliciously, she was trying to chew her boneand my finger was right there). I was upset with her and I was upset that I got hurt. I was also upset that my nail is broken below the end of my finger and that I will have to grow it out. 

I didn't know how to deal with my frustration. Getting hurt wasn't the only thing that was bothering me. I have been feeling a little stuck lately. I graduated from college and I have a little while until I start my graduate program. I don't know what to do with myself. I feel lost. I don't have a job and I don't have many friends from home anymore and definitely none that I would consider a good friend. The ones I am still in contact with are still in college. I went from living in an apartment with a really good friend and always having something to do and now it's the opposite. I am frustrated. 

I decided (after sometime wallowing in my bed under the covers) to run on the treadmill. I hadn't planned on running or working out at all today but I decided I needed an outlet. I didn't run for long but it helped. I am happy that I have a new way of channeling my energy that will help me deal with my frustrations. 

Staying Healthy

With the New Year upon us it seems like everyone has a resolution to get healthier and exercise more, myself included.  I started working out again a few days before the first and I am so happy I did. I worked out pretty consistently while I was at school but once I returned home I stopped completely. Exercising and eating healthy make me feel so much better about myself. I'm more confident, I feel better, and I am happier. It's not just about physical health but also being in a good state of mind. Lately, I've been trying to be positive and stay positive about situations. I've put together a little list of things that I do to stay healthy. 

1.) Keep a journal of your fitness activities for each day! Find a notebook that you love and it will encourage you to use it. I chose this bright pink one with flowers. Everyday I look forward to writing in it which makes working out a little easier. This will also help you keep track of your goals and milestones. I track the time and distance of each run and because I am still very much a beginner I like to see the progressive I've made. I compete with myself  when it comes to how long I can run and if I can go just a little bit farther in the same amount of time. 

2.) Snacks are essential! This is my typical snack during the summer. I love making a pretty bowls with some fruit and nuts. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing but it's nutritious and filling! Instead of grabbing a fruit juice that is loaded with added sugars and preservatives I opted to make my own iced tea. This particular picture shows my version of a Starbucks Iced Passion Tea Lemonade. I steeped a Tazo Passion Tea in hot water for five minutes, added lemon juice, and let cool. I then poured it over ice. For added sweetness add Truvia!

3.) I love tea! Tea is so healthy for you and it is hydrating. I try to drink tea regularly and it is a great alternative to coffee. I love having coffee just about everyday but I always cut myself off at either two cups or once I've eaten lunch and then I switch over to tea. In the evenings I drink chamomile because it'd helps you fall asleep. I suffer from insomnia and this helps so much! Tea and chamomile always make me feel relaxed. 

4.) After reading Treasure Yourself by Miranda Kerr I really wanted to put some of her ideas into  action. Being healthy and treating your body right is one of the themes and I truly believe that she is spot on. Another theme in this book is positivity.

One of the ways in which Miranda stays positive is through the use of affirmations. I've used some of the affirmations that Miranda has attend end of the book and I've also downloaded a great app that has daily affirmations. The app is called "Affirmations!" Using affirmations helps to keep your mind positive and it trains your mind to think positively. 

Snow Day Favorites

These are my absolute favorite things to have when it is snowing out. There is nothing better than feeling warm and cozy on a cold day. 

1.) The first thing on my list is coffee! I was never much of a coffee drinker except for espresso which I grew up around. Over the past year however I have become a huge coffee drinker! One of my current faves (especially because it is so cold out) is peppermint mocha. Drinking a hot cup of coffee on a cold day always makes me feel better!

2.) Chapstick is a must! When it's this cold outside the heat dries out the air causing chapped lips. One of the most annoying things to me is having chapped lips which is why I always have some Chapstick around. Right now my Chapstick of choice is EOS. 

3.) My feet always get cold which is why I love my UGG slippers. I have at least four pairs of slippers ranging from tall boots to regular slippers. My UGG slippers in Coquette Leopard are my favorites. They are so warm and fuzzy that I never want to take them off!

4.) I love to curl up and watch a movie when the weather is less than ideal. I usually pick an old favorite to watch. The Devil Wears Prada is a movie that I can watch over and over again and not get tired of.  

5.) Reading is one of my favorite things to do. Finding a great book that you can't put down is one of the best feelings. I recently started the Divergent series and I am in love. The book is about a dystopian Chicago and a girl who Divergent. That means that she is able to fit into multiple factions. Each faction has different values and a test determines which faction each teen fits into. After she is sorted into the faction of her choice a war breaks out. I've read the first of the series, Divergent, and I just recently finished the second, Insurgent (pictured above), and I am excited to start the third and last books in the trilogy. 

What are your must haves for a cozy day at home?

-Stephanie

Happy New Year, Lovelies!

Good morning! On this coldy and snowy day I am drinking a delicious cup of French Vanilla coffee to keep me warm and toasty. I wanted to write this post yesterday, on the first of the year, but I was so busy. I have recently started selling all of my old text books to make a little extra money to put toward my student loans. Now that I have graduated and I have a few months before I start graduate school I am focusing on trying eliminate my loans and work on myself. I've started running which I mentioned in a previous post and I am trying to eat healthier. I am also trying to be as positive as possible. 

I hope all of you had a wonderful New Year's!  I rang in the New Year with my family this year because unfortunately one of my family members is sick. Just because it was a small family affair I didn't tone down my look much. Even though it's a feed days after New Year's Eve I wanted to give you a run down of my look from my hair and clothes down to my makeup. 

I am a very classic person to begin with and I believe less is more. I kept to my style with my black oversized silk t-shirt and dark skinny jeans. I wore a long necklace with a cutout diamond pendant that I received for Christmas and I wore my hair in very soft waves. For make up I decided to focus on my eyes. I used BB Cream on my face (Maybelline in Light/Medium), matti flying powder, and topped it off with Hoola Bronzer by Benefit Cosmetics, and Bella Bamba blush also by Benefit Cosmetics. For my eyes I used my new Naked3 palette which I am loving!!! I used about four shades to create a subtle smokey eye. I cannot for the life of my remember which colors I did use but the darkest was Factory. Lastly, I used a light pink/nude on my lips. I used a gloss I got with my Vera Wang Princess perfume set. 

I waited until the last minute to do my nails. I couldn't decide what color or how to do them. I am hopeless at nail art. I was originally going to do light pink with a pink sparkle party nail. Well I chose Sugar Daddy by Essie as my color and it was just too light. I wanted something a little more opaque. I decided to test out the party nail anyways with my sparkly nail polish whichever as A Cut Above by essie. The sparkles weren't as thick as I remembered so I ended up going with a quick all over of the sparkles on all my nails. This was the result: 

I ended up liking the end result but I will not be waiting until the last minute next time! I want to try some new colors and designs. I really like Aruba Blue and Butler Please by Essie. I think those will be the next to end up in yay collection. Leave my a comment if there are any others I should add!

-Stephanie