Blossoms and Beauty: November 2014

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Outfit of the Day || November 25, 2014

Hi Everyone!

Today marks the start of my Thanksgiving break and I am finally back at home. I drove 2 and a half hours home this morning and won't go back to school until Sunday. I am super excited to spend time with my family and enjoy my time off from school. Here is what I wore for the car ride home and also what I will be wearing to Mockingjay since my brother and I are going to see it later today.

Let's Get Started!

Black Leggings: Macy's

Brown Boots: DSW

Leopard Sweater: Forever 21

White Oxford: Gap

Black Vest: Old Navy

Watch: Fossil

Gold Bangles: Target

Pearl and Beaded Bracelets: I made myself

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Thank you so much for taking a look and reading!

New main posts every Monday and Thursday.
If you have any questions or comments about anything I talked about leave them below and I will be sure to answer!

| Rachel |

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Monday, November 24, 2014

Review: SRCreates Monogram Decals

Hi Everyone!

Today it is time for another one of my main posts. Today I am going to be doing a review on SRCreates monogram decals. I just a few months ago bought two of them and I am in absolute love with them and I thought I would share them with you.

Let’s Get Stated!

First I purchased two decals both 3inces. I bought one in gold glitter and then one in normal gold vinyl. The glitter one was $4.00 and the vinyl one was $3.00. Which I think is pretty reasonable for decals. If you do add inches like 4inces then the price will increase by a dollar.

Shipping is ridiculously fast. That is one thing that I loved some of the other etsy stores said that it may take 2 weeks to even make my monogram where as I received these two monograms in around a week which I believe to be fast considering they are personalized.

I also love the variety of colors along with glitter and neon colors. One thing that drew me was the classic circle monogram with the circle around it, which is what I really wanted when I was looking.

I would definitely consider purchasing more monogram decals from this store as well as other items that are in the store because I just found it to be timely and done really well. They would make super cute personalized holiday gifts!

I think there are so many things you can do with just the decal because I used mine on my planner and laptop. I would purchase more to put on a water bottle, notebooks and all other sorts of things. I’m obsessed with monograms!

Check them out here!

SRCreates

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Thank you so much for taking a look and reading!

New main posts every Monday and Thursday.
If you have any questions or comments about anything I talked about leave them below and I will be sure to answer!

| Rachel |

Also go ahead and follow me on:

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Green Juice || Sunday Funday

Hi Everyone!

Recently I have had a smoothie obsession. I make a smoothie almost everyday either for breakfast or lunch because they are quick and easy and I can take them to class. It wasn't until last week that I started putting spinach in them really so that I was getting more leafy greens in my daily food. I love it! It makes it more into a juice but I totally don't mind and I really can't taste it all that much. I am going to share with you how I make my smoothie. My smoothies tend to have 200-300 calories in them depending on the type and amount of fruit that are in them. They tend to fill me up if I have them for breakfast or lunch most of the time so I treat them like a meal.

Let's Get Started!

I start by putting about 1 cup of spinach into the blender and put in one can of Dole Pinapple orange juice. The cans are the perfect size for a single smoothie and that way you don't add to much juice so I love these.

Then I blend just the spinach and juice to make sure that the spinach is completely blended.

I have been favoring frozen pineapple and mangos in my smoothies lately. I normally will add half of a banana but I didn't have any. I will add a half a cup of each fruit if I am using the banana.

If I am not I will add a little more of the frozen fruit but not to much to where I would need more liquid.

Then blend it all up and pour in a glass and enjoy! I blend it for at least a minute to make sure that all of the frozen fruit is blended.

Do you like smoothies or green juice? Tell me your favorite recipes down below so that I can be sure to try them!

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Thank you so much for taking a look and reading!

New main posts every Monday and Thursday.
If you have any questions or comments about anything I talked about leave them below and I will be sure to answer!

| Rachel |

Also go ahead and follow me on:

Friday, November 21, 2014

Favorite Lunch || November 21, 2014

Hi Everyone!

Normally on days other then Monday and Thursday when I don't publish main posts I make OOTDs but today is friday and all I wore was leggings and a huge sweater to class and I only had one class so now I'm laying in bed working on my portfolio. But before I came home a stopped and got something for lunch because I got an A on my accounting test! I was so happy so I wanted to get something good for lunch and this is what I made.

Let's Get Started!

Coffee:

Green Mountain Coffee - Nantucket Blend - K-Cup

Chocolate Chip Cookie Creamer

Ready Whip Fat Free Whip Cream

Bagel:

Plain White Bagel

Philadelphia Low Fat Strawberry Cream Cheese

Sliced Grapes

This is one of my favorite lunches because it is delicious. Let me know what your favorite go to lunch/breakfast is down below.

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Thank you so much for taking a look and reading!

New main posts every Monday and Thursday.
If you have any questions or comments about anything I talked about leave them below and I will be sure to answer!

| Rachel |

Also go ahead and follow me on:

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Review: NARS Pure Radient Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30

Hi Everyone!

Today I am going to be reviewing NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer. I first tested out this product when I was in New York City. I went to the NARS store on Madison Avenue and got my makeup done and if you want to check out that post I will link it here. I absolutely loved it when they used it on me so when it was time to purchase a liquid foundation I took a break from my normal Urban Decay Naked Skin liquid foundation and wanted to test out this one. I have used it for I would say about two months and am going to share with you my thoughts.

Let's Get Started!

Let me start by saying that it is good to remember that this is called a moisturizer so it is not meant for heavy coverage even though it does give a great coverage. It gives a great coverage for me because all I am trying to do is tone down the redness of my face and even out the splotchy areas. I use the color Light 2 Alaska but I think that I could go one shade down.

The comparison pictures are not great because it was early in the morning as I got ready and light is awful but you can see that it slightly tones down redness and it evened out my skin a lot. I good way to see the coverage is by looking at the spot on my left cheek (right in picture) and compare how much it shows up on the after picture. It is almost invisible and that is how I personally test coverage because it is a dark brown spot which can be hard.

It has great coverage and on top of the it is light. It feels like I have nothing on. I hate being able to feel foundation on my face but this formula is light and soft. I apply it using a foundation brush and then blending it in with a beauty blender.

Because it is a moisturizer I have found it great for the start of winter when my skin tends to get ridiculously dry. Using this is like putting on an extra moisturizer on top of my normal one and has kept my skin from drying out to much. I normally have pretty dry skin and this keeps it from looking dry put it also does not make it oily.

This product would also work for the summer of you just wanted something light to put on. You could just put this on and as an added bonus it has SPF 30 so you would also be protected from the sun.

One downside of the product is the high price. It is $42, which is crazy expensive but I have sensitive skin and I am sure their is a drugstore one that would work but I have tried tons and they all irritate and break out my skin but this one does not do that, which is always a plus.

Overall I would highly recommend this product because I like it and it does last a long time so you will get your moneys worth from the product. If you are on the fence about it I would suggest going to Sephora and asking for a sample so that you can try it out. A sample is a good way to determine if the product will work for you. I know for me from that sample I got about 3 days from it so for me a little goes a long way and I don't need to buy a new one every two months.

I would not recommend it if you are looking for a high coverage matte foundation because it is sheer and dewy which is something I like but it is not everyone's personal preference.

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Thank you so much for taking a look and reading!

New main posts every Monday and Thursday.
If you have any questions or comments about anything I talked about leave them below and I will be sure to answer!

| Rachel |

Also go ahead and follow me on:

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Outfit of the Day || November 19, 2014

Hi Everyone!

Today I am shamelessly wearing the same scarf and socks that I did yesterday. But I justified it because I have different classes so no one actually saw them yesterday. Today I only have classes and they are turning out to be rather boring. I had Legal Environment of Business, Textiles, and Accounting. Yesterday I had an accounting test and I think I rocked it so I am nervous to see what I got. This is what I wore and like I mentioned it's very similar to yesterday.

Let's Get Started!

Navy and Blue Striped Sweater: Old Navy

Navy Sweater: Gap

Jeans: Old Navy

Cream Scarf: Local Boutique, Apricot Lane

Cream Socks: A previous Christmas Gift

Brown Boots: DSW

Rose Gold Watch: Fossil

Gold Bangles: Target

Beaded Bracelet: I made it myself

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Thank you so much for taking a look and reading!

New main posts every Monday and Thursday.

| Rachel |

Also go ahead and follow me on:

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Outfit of the Day || November 18, 2014

Hi Everyone!

Once again today was bitterly cold outside. I had to get up for 9am class and usually its not that bad but last night I didn't go to bed until 3:30am. This could be due to the fact I took a nap from 4-9pm but that was only because I had an awful headache that would not go away even with Tylenol. So I am probably going to take a nap now because I am already done for classes today and it's only 11am. I mean currently I am laying in bed, eating a snack, and watching Harry Potter. Does it get any better then that on a Tuesday? But I have and Accounting Exam at 6:30 tonight so I need to be up for that. Anyway here is what I am wearing today.

Let's Get Started!

Chi Omega Tank Top: American Apparel Brand

White Sports Jacket: Target

Cream Scarf: Local Boutique, Apricot Lane

Jeans: Gap

Brown Boots: DSW

Cream Knee High Socks: Christmas Present

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Thank you so much for taking a look and reading!

New main posts every Monday and Thursday.

| Rachel |

Also go ahead and follow me on:

Monday, November 17, 2014

Outfit of the Day || November 17, 2014

Hi Everyone!

I think I might die it is so cold here! Walking to class is the absolute worst. It is ten degrees out but my phone says that it should feel like -9. It does. Anyway all I had today was class and here is what I wore.

Let's Get Started!

Maroon Sweater: Old Navy

Jeans: Gap

Brown Boots: DSW

White Tank Top: T.J. Maxx

Cream Scarf: Local Boutique Apricot Lane

Look at that Snow!

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Thank you so much for taking a look and reading!

New main posts every Monday and Thursday.

| Rachel |

Also go ahead and follow me on:

DIY: Recycling Old Candle Jars

Hi Everyone!

For some reason this weekend I was in an extremely crafty mood. What I decided to do was take an old candle jar that I had laying around and recycle it into something else. I originally wanted it to be used for tea lights but in the end I changed what I wanted to use it for. I am going to take you through cleaning out the candle and then the crafty part of it that I did.

Let's Get Started!

Let me start with what you will need to make a candle jar like the one I have done.

Brush

Mod Podge

A Candle Jar

Jewels

Glitter

Tea Light (Optional)

Now to get your candle jar cleaned out this is the best way I have found to do it.
Stick your candle in the freezer. it doesn't need to be long 15-20 minutes.
Then when you take it out take a knife and push on it and it will crack it. Do that a few times and start digging out the pieces and they should come out fairly easy.
Now you may still have the wicks at the bottom run them under hot water and pull them off then proceed to clean out the jar and dry it off and you are ready to go.

My first step was to mix the two glitters that I had. I had white and silver and needed to mix them otherwise I would not have had enough glitter.

Then take a paper plate or anything else you can just throw away and pout out some mod podge onto it.

What you are going to do is using the brush take the mod podge and cover the bottom half of the candle jar with it using a pretty thick coat.

What I originally tried to do was to roll it in the glitter but that did not work out so well. It worked a little bit but not great so in the end I had to sprinkle the glitter over the jar.

Next line the top of the glitter part with mod podge and attach the jewels to create a line around it.

The final step is to apply the mod podge on top of the glitter. This will create a seal so that the glitter will not fall off on your hand or anything else if you were to touch it. It will look like glitter is coming off but trust me it is not.

Make sure you are dabbing it on though and not painting it on otherwise the glitter will come off.

It will probably take overnight to dry but just be patient it will dry clear.

Like I stated above I was going to use it as a tea light but I love it and instead am using it as a makeup brush holder.

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Thank you so much for taking a look and reading!

New main posts every Monday and Thursday.

| Rachel |

Also go ahead and follow me on:

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Things That Annoy Me || Sunday Funday

Hi Everyone!

So I had a thought today on something I wanted to write in a blog post but I didn't want it to be a main post so I have come up with something that won't be every Sunday but just on occasion when I have these random thoughts. Sunday Funday is just where I get to share with you my random and crazy thoughts. I have previously done these on Sundays and they were called My Top 10 Lists and I will link a few of my favorite ones at the end but in the mean time here are some things that just irk me.

Let's Get Started!

| Putting On Tights. |

Now putting on tights is a simple everyday thing that people do but as I put tights on today I found about 20 hangnails and chips in my nails that I never knew that I had. I'm honestly surprised my tights did not end up with a whole in them. I needed to file my nails three times while putting my tights on.

| When people complain about what they get in a subscription box. |

You pay ten dollars! Do not complain about a tiny sample or a squeezy packet. Their is something that you always like in that box that is close if not more than ten dollars so do not complain about that one tiny or squeezy packet sample. I just don't understand you should expect those and expect things you would not like because you are not picking them out and paying a small amount.

| When My Roommate uses my dishes and then leaves them for me to clean. |

If you are going to use my dishes at least rinse them out. I hate going to my cabinets and not having any bowls because they are siting on the counter with your pancake mix hardening in them. Another thing relating to my roommate that just irked me was that I put all the dishes in the dishwasher and then a little bit later she goes 'I Started the Dishes'. No, no you didn't you started the dishwasher and that was it I started the dishes and you left the rest of them just laying there.

| Not being paid back regularly for utilities and internet |

By the end of this post it is going to sound like I hate my roommate and she is just awful but don't get me wrong I don't mind her most of the time. But, seriously pay me back if I am paying the full Utilities which is in your name and the full internet bill each month. I mean when we got our apartment I begged! her to go and get the internet and have it in her name but she wouldn't and I'm assuming because she didn't want to be the one paying it each month so a month later I'm the one who had to go in and get it. She does pay me I mean I have no idea if I've been fully paid back but its 25 dollars here 20 dollars their.

| Winter & Walking |

Now I don't hate winter as a whole and I don't mind walking it is walking to class in the winter. It includes snow and freezing my butt off. The other day it was zero degrees outside as I made my way to Accounting. It was awful. I love wearing skirts and dresses but even with tights it is not possible walking across campus.

Those are all the random things that bother me that I can think of right now. But let me now down below if you can relate to any of them or what some of the things that annoy you.

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Thank you so much for taking a look and reading!

New main posts every Monday and Thursday
Keep an eye tomorrow for my main post - DIY for old candle jars

| Rachel |

Also go ahead and follow me on:

Outfit of the Day || November 16, 2014 || Chapter Meeting

Hi Everyone!

Today I did a whole lot of nothing. That is not entirely true I did go and dig my car out of the piles and piles of snow so that I could go to the grocery store. All I wore there was leggings and a sweatshirt and to my surprise my leggings had a whole in them. Way to go Rachel. I did get ready today though because I have my sorority meeting and here is what I wore.

Let's Get Started!

Cream Sweater: Banana Republic

Red Tank Top: New York & Company

Black Circle Skirt: Rue 21

Gold Tear Drop Necklace: Old Navy

Beaded Gold & Black Bracelet: Forever 21

Chevron Bracelet: Wal-Mart

Mini Gold Bangles: Target

Pearl Bracelet: I made myself

Plaid Tights: Wal-Mart

Nude Heels: Nine West

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Thank you so much for taking a look and reading!

New main posts every Monday and Thursday
Keep an eye tomorrow for my main post - DIY for old candle jars

| Rachel |

Also go ahead and follow me on:

Twitter | Tumblr | Bloglovin | Google+

Check out my Last Posts:
October Favorites | November Ipsy Bag

Thursday, November 13, 2014

What's In My Ipsy Bag || November

Hi Everyone!

Today I am going to be sharing with you what I received in my November Ipsy bag and my first impression on each of the products. Let me know in the comments if you get Ipsy and if we got any of the same things or what you may have received instead.

Let's Get Started!

Forever 21 by Ipsy Glitter Makeup Bag

The bag is not my favorite this month. Don't get me wrong I think it is cute but I could also see my little cousin using it as her first makeup bag.

Nicole by O.P.I Nail Polish in Guys & Galaxies

I don't mind this nail polish. It is just solid glitter but I can always use just a nice glitter nail polish to do accent nails along with it is perfect for the upcoming holiday season where I like sparkles.

L.A. Colors Chunky Lip Pencil in Wine

This is my favorite thing in the bag. It is not a color I would typically use in fall. It is much more of a spring color as it is a bright berry but I love the product. It is super creamy and light and the color itself is pretty.

Elizabeth Mott you're so FINE eyeliner in glitterati

The eyeliner is also not a bad product. I don't typically use liquid liner and this one also has glitter in it but I believe it could be fun to try out.

Demeter pixie dust roll on perfume oil

By far my least favorite thing I have ever received in an Ipsy Bag. It reminds me of the glitter roll ons that you get as a child. That is what it smells like it is not something that I would ever wear and it leaves behind a residue that I would not want on my skin all day.

Temptu S/B Highlighter in Pink Pearl

This is not bad either it is just a basic highlighter that I will use. It reminds me a lot of the Benefit one which I really like.

Overall I would say it was a good bag as most of the products are full size. I also like 4 out of the 5 products which is great!I would say the theme was glitter and pink which I don't mind either!

Thank you so much for taking a look and reading!

New main posts every Monday and Thursday

| Rachel |

Also go ahead and follow me on:

Twitter | Tumblr | Bloglovin | Google+

Check out my Last Posts:
October Favorites | Using a Planner

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Outfit of the Day || November 7, 2014

Hi Everyone!

Like the previous ootd this one is going up late. This is from Friday and yesterday all I did was go to class and get my eyebrows done. Otherwise it was a pretty boring day. I did rent two movies though. I rented a Million Way to Die in the West which was alright and then The Other Woman which I loved and thought it was so funny and good. Anyway, let me share with you what I wore.

Let's Get Started!

Jeans: Gap
Navy Sweater: Gap

White Tank Top: T.J Maxx
Navy Booties: Nine West

Red Hoop Earrings: Forever 21

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Thank you so much for taking a look and reading!

New main posts every Monday and Thursday

| Rachel |

Also go ahead and follow me on:

Twitter | Tumblr | Bloglovin | Google+

Check out my Last Posts:
October Favorites | Using a Planner

Outfit of the Day || November 6, 2014

Hi Everyone!

So these are going up way later then they should be but I was crazy busy this week. This is from Thursday and I had a Practice with the Pros thing. What is was, was a fake interview. They told you what to improve on and really how the interview went and this is what I wore to it.

Let's Get Started!

Ankle cut Khakis: Gap

Tank Top: Target

White/Cream Blazer: Kohls

Black Heels: DSW

Watch: Fossil

Pearl Earrings: Christmas Gift

Thank you so much for taking a look and reading!

New main posts every Monday and Thursday

| Rachel |

Also go ahead and follow me on:

Twitter | Tumblr | Bloglovin | Google+

Check out my Last Posts:
October Favorites | Using a Planner