Happy first day of Autumn everyone! I am so glad that fall is officially here, although it does feel like it’s still summer, I’m just happy that I can start celebrating the season in full force! I thought it would be especially festive if we celebrated together today with a fresh installment of Starbucks @ Home, my recipe series where I teach you how to make versions of your favorite coffee house drinks at home! I have already covered how to make a pumpkin spice latte last fall, but this year I wanted to put together a skinny version of the drink because Starbucks does not have a skinny pumpkin spice latte. The Starbucks #PSL is made with a pumpkin spice syrup that is filled with sugar, very, very sweet and high in calories. As much as I love a good #PSL, I don’t need that sort of added sugar in my diet, so I would prefer to make my own skinny version at home!
Skinny Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe
Coffee of choice (a pumpkin coffee would be perfect!)
2 packets of stevia (or other sweetener of choice)
A shake or two of Pumpkin Pie Spice
Sugar Free Creamer (I use hazelnut flavored because I believe it brings out the pumpkin flavor, but any dairy or non dairy creamer or milk of choice works)
Fat Free Whipped Cream (optional but exponentially more festive!)
So, let’s be honest, you don’t need me to tell you how to put together a coffee, so instead of writing a how-to summary, I thought it would be fun if I just made a little video showing you how I assemble my skinny #PSL! Below is a very short, but fun video walking you through the recipe! Enjoy!
I hope you enjoyed this video and my Skinny #PSL recipe! Are you a fan of the Starbucks #PSL? Are there any other Starbucks drinks you would like to see me make an at home version of? Let me know in the comments!
At the end of August, I picked up the NYX Love in Paris eye pallet and immediately knew it would be my go-to for fall! It’s a great neutral eye pallet with a selection of cool tones, some matt, some iridescent, that I couldn’t help but compare to the ever popular Urban Decay Naked pallets, but at a fraction of the cost. For me, it was perfect, and I immediately began experimenting with different looks for fall. Once I found the perfect fall eye look, something simple and taupe-y, I began messing with my blushes to find the right shade in my collection that would compliment the fall tones I was going for. Eventually, I settled on a creme blush out of my Sleek Blush by 3 Pink Lemonade Pallet because it was a matt, berry/rose color that was somewhat deeper than my normal rosy pink blushes of choice. Then, something funny happened. While putting on my makeup one day, I realized that the NYX Pallet I was using and the Sleek Blusher had a similar name; Macaroon! I thought this was highly ironic, because I love french macarons (although I normally spell the word with one “o” not two) and I was surprised that I hadn’t noticed the names of the colors before this! So, I immediately thought to myself that this was a sign that I should film a makeup tutorial for my channel based on the look, and viola, Macaron’s in Paris was born!
I think this is a perfect fall look because the taupe eye is slightly smoky and chic for fall, and works very well with the berry blush and purple shade of lipstick. To me, these tones are all very sophisticated and can be worn light (as I show you) for the day time, but can then be darkened and deepened for a show stopping evening look.
I hope you check out the video and see how I pull this look together using just a few drugstore items! Let me know what you think and if you’d like to see more makeup tutorials by me. I know I am far from a beauty guru, but I do get complimented on my makeup regularly, so I guess I must be doing something right!
“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.”― Elie Wiesel
“Death: Human beings make life so interesting. Do you know, that in a universe so full of wonders, they have managed to invent boredom.”― Terry Pratchett, Hogfather
“…the opposite of love is not hate — it’s apathy. It’s not giving a damn. If somebody hates me, they must “feel” something … or they couldn’t possibly hate. Therefore, there’s some way in which I can get to them.”― Leo F. Buscaglia
Not caring, apathy, indifference- it’s the plague of society. Isn’t it ironic that in a time where the Internet can bring you vast amounts of data and people are able to connect all across the globe, we are losing the essence of humanity at alarming rates. Christianity, Judiasm, Islam and all the major world religions profess caring about yourself, your world and your neighbors, and yet we are missing the message. We have become professionals at avoiding real human connection, not only with others, but most importantly, ourselves. Think about it, when was the last time you gave the excuse “I’m sorry, I am too busy to…(fill in the blank)?” Or started a diet or exercise plan only to buckle at the first sign of a challenge? We don’t even care enough to take care of ourselves. This is a major problem that really stems from a major malfunction in our own self value.
We cannot expect to care about anything truly until we care about ourselves first. Self esteem and self-love, or the lack of it, is a major player in why we cannot seem to commit. Caring is a commitment after all. It takes time and effort to care about anything, which is why I call it the art of caring. It all starts inside, within your own mind. You must silence the voice inside your head that is screaming out to you that you don’t matter. Because if you don’t think you matter, you won’t think much else matters! Indifference is bred out of fear. Fear that you will fail, fear that someone will not agree with you, fear that people are judging you for your opinions and for caring.
You’re not wrong after all. When you care about things people will judge you, you may fail, and people will certainly disagree with you, but that doesn’t reflect back on you. It’s just the way the world works. You can profess that 2 + 2 = 4 but some smart ass will argue some obscure piece of mathematical theorem that says it actually equals 5. These people don’t matter, and they don’t matter because there is always a dissenter. You’re allowed to not care about the dissenters. As for people judging you, yep, your right! When you care about something or even someone there is always judgement. Like the dissenters, these people also do not matter because someone always has an opinion and wants to share it. While I wish the world would abide by Thumper’s “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all,” it’s actually more along the lines of “misery loves company.” Remember, other people who “don’t care” are going to be confused as to why you “do care,” and they are going to feel inadequate about your caring because they lack self-esteem enough to appreciate the fact that you care about something. It’s a vicious cycle, don’t get caught up in it, just ignore it! Finally, caring may also not work out for you. It is possible to fail at caring. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try, if anything, it is all the more reason to give something a shot! Everyday is filled with failure. Things you were supposed to do, but couldn’t get to. New meals you attempted but ruined. Appointments you were late for. All of this is failure, we live with it everyday and it propels us forward. Think about it. When you are running late for an event do you just decide not to show up? Probably not. When you don’t complete a task today, does that mean you can’t try it tomorrow? Nope. When you burn dinner, does it mean you stop cooking? Not at all! You fail all the time and you get over it! You learn from your mistakes and try again. So next time you decide not to do something out of fear of failing, remind yourself that you fail all the time and life still goes on!
Once you have come to terms with your fear of commitment, you must begin to dismantle the barrier between yourself and the world. The biggest lie we tell ourselves to keep from participating in life is what I call “the busy trap.” You can’t do this or that because you are busy. Busy is a lie; busy is a self-made delusion; busy is the ultimate shield. Busy is our way of legitimizing our disinterest and indifference. People can hardly argue with it, as it almost gives the impression of interest while simultaneously disconnecting us. It’s as though your saying, “I would do this, if I had time” but when someone tells you they are busy or when you use the phrase yourself, remember, what you are really saying is “this is not worth my time and I refuse to prioritize it.” If you have friends who give you this excuse often, you may want to reevaluate whether you should remain friends with them. Consequently, if you give this excuse often, you need to confront yourself on why you refuse to participate in the world. Do you need to work on your self-esteem or do you need to cut off a relationship that isn’t working? You need to be honest with yourself and others because “busy” is a waste of time.
So, now that you know that you matter and that you have nothing to be afraid of and are understanding the barriers you have in place between you and the world, lets discuss why you should start caring about things and the benefits it will bring you. To summarize, caring opens you up to new experiences and new people. It brings you a level of fulfillment and accomplishment in your life that you have never felt before. Caring can sometimes lead you to hurt and pain, but through it also clarity and personal growth. If you talk to parents, they will often use this same language to describe their experience with their children. If you speak to an artist, the same words are often used. The same goes for business owners, writers, athletes, model train enthusiasts and so on! When you care about something, either a person or a passion, you awaken your human spirit. You may think there is a difference between a parent caring for their child and a girl who loves fashion but to each of them what they care about is important and valuable and gives their life meaning.
When you begin to care you begin to spend your time wisely, you learn to prioritize and you live your life more fully. Humans are intelligent and creative and when we engage this natural state our quality of life increases. Get into hobbies, learn new things, connect with people, care about the world, it’s intricacies and its oddities and live life. Don’t be too busy for it all.
My office happens to be one of my favorite places to be, and for many of us, it happens to be a place we spend a good portion of our day. Whether your workspace is a nook at home, a cubicle or a corner office, it needs to feel like a comfortable and inspiring place to do work. There is nothing more un-inspirational than a bland office! So, what’s to be done when you don’t have the cash to purchase new furniture and art? DIY it of course! You don’t have to spend a lot of money to add interesting and functional elements to your office, all you need is a craft store and some creativity! So, to help you get inspired to add a little fun into your office space, I have put together a short video with 5 Easy DIYs appropriate for any workspace, guaranteed to make your work day a little brighter and a lot more stylish!
In this video I show you how to make:
A Custom Framed Cork Board/White Board Combo
A Personalized Desk Pad
A Colorful Keyboard
Inspiring File Folders
A Custom Floral Arrangement
Happy DIYing!
If you have any other ideas for some simple office or workspace DIYs, please make sure to share them in the comments below! And, of course, if you give any of these DIYs a try, make sure to snap me a pic and send it to me via Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, and use the tag #SandCDIY so I can find it!
Today is Labor Day in the U.S. which means the unofficial end to summer. Since it was a three day, holiday weekend, I went ahead and did some vlogging on Saturday and Sunday while Mike and I did some intense hours of shopping and went to a friends BBQ! One of my favorite parts of this weekend, however, was a little trip to a Gelato stand while Mike and I were shopping on Saturday! There is footage in the vlog below, but I couldn’t help but to share a few of my favorite pictures taken from our little indulgence. I haven’t had gelato in the longest time, so it was a refreshing way to symbolically end my summer!
I ordered the pistachio and Mike went for the cookie dough, both were fantastic! Like a little scoop of heaven on a waffle cone! Or in Mike’s case a chocolate and sprinkle dipped waffle cone!
Sorry about the gratuitous images of sweets, but don’t you just love the way a gelato (or ice cream) cone looks when its melting? Okay! Okay! I’ll stop now! Make sure to click on the video below to check out the vlog and see more details on what Mike and I got up to this Labor Day Weekend!
So, what do you have planned for your Labor Day festivities? Let me know how you spent your weekend by sending me a tweet and telling me all about it! Or tag me in an Instagram photo while you are out and about celebrating or even having some R&R at home!
I know, I know, summer has not even ended yet, but for me, I really don’t care! I am not the biggest fan of summer and greatly prefer fall/winter, so if I say it’s time to talk about fall, it’s time to talk about fall! There is seriously something in the air already that makes me feel like this fall is going to be epic. Knowing the sorts of blog posts and videos I am aiming to produce this fall get’s me so excited for the months ahead, and I just have this sense that some good things are going to happen next season! As much as I hope this feeling pertains to good things down the road for me, I hope to share some of that with you as well. Fall, after all is a magical time, and I hope there is plenty of magic to go around for us all! So, today I wanted to cover my top 10 must have items for fall, ranging from home goods, to beauty and fashion alike! These are the items that I am going to be living in and relying on heavily throughout the season.
Home Goods
1. Bath and Body Works Candles: I always have a stack of candles waiting to be burned 24/7 365 days a year, however, the fall is my it time for candles. When the weather changes and it’s cooler outside and you’re trying to stay warmer inside, it’s a wonderful feeling to light up a candle and cozy up with a warm drink! The pumpkin scents from #BBW are a great, festive way to warm up your home and set a wonderful ambience. My favorites currently are Pumpkin Caramel Latte, Pumpkin Cupcake and Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin!
2. A Heated Blanket: I am obsessed with this Chevron Heated Sherpa Throw that my husband got me for Christmas last year. Okay, it was supposed to be a Christmas present, but I made him give it to me early because I could not live without it! Let me tell you, I used that blanket day in and day out for months, even into summer until it was too hot to get away with using it! I am just aching to break it back out because (1) it has an awesome chevron print, and (2) it’s cozy and warm, perfect for cool fall/winter evenings!
Style
3. Blanket Scarves: One of falls big-ticket items last year was the blanket scarf. It was a hot trend and I have a feeling it’s not going away this year either! And why should it? I am a major fan of scarves, particularly large, oversized scarves that keep you toasty and warm on a crisp day! I’ll be doing some fun things with scarves this season, don’t you worry, and I’ll be sure to share!
4. Striped Flyaway Sweaters: I have already begun collecting these for the fall! They are such a great staple piece because you can layer with them and still wear jackets and light coats overtop! Target has a very lovely one in stock right now that I love, and I also picked one up from Forever 21 not long ago, but of course in typical Forever 21 fashion, whenever I find something in store, I can never seem to locate it on their website. Lucky for you, I found two similar styles that I also approve of and may actually end up ordering off their site. This is simple and stylish and this one looks super cozy (oh, they actually call it a cozy sweater, how sweet)!
6. Lace tunics: I purchased a few of these lovely lace tunics via a sale on Jane.com a few weeks ago and I absolutely adore them! When it comes to tops, I am normally much more relaxed and casual, but there is something so cute and put together about wearing a nicer top, especially if you are going out or want to look dressier. Unfortunately, since I purchased mine from a flash sale site, the exact ones I purchased aren’t available currently, but this is the Etsy shop of the maker, and here is a similar style I found online for a reasonable price if you must have a lace tunic right this instant!
Beauty
7. Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure: I have been in love with the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure nail enamel since I first tried them in an Influenster VoxBox! They are such a great quality for drugstore nail polish and really do rival my love for OPI! For the fall, I picked up two new colors that I am obsessing over already! Plum’s the Word, which is a purple based deep grey, and Jungle Jem, a peacock-blue, almost teal color!
8. Wet N Wild Megalast Lipstick in Ravin Raisin: I am a big fan of a bright lip, but last fall I decided to make a switch from hot pink to a bright purple! That went over very well with me, and so this year I have decided to take it a step further by moving into the deep dark purple area! I picked up this very inexpensive Wet N Wild Megalast Lipstick in Ravin Raisin to test out how I like the color on me, and guess what? I loved it! It’s deep, dark, and sophisticated without feeling overly vampy! I also love how this lipstick is completely matte! So for like $2, what are you waiting for? It’s the perfect fall lip!
9. Revlon ColorStay Moisture Stain in Parisian Passion: When I first tried out this new Revlon ColorStay range, I was decidedly not impressed! But, after watching beauty guru after beauty guru rave about these liquid lipsticks on youtube, I decided I had to give them a second chance in case I just got a bad bottle (after all, liquid lipstick is like that, ya know!) So, after falling in love with the deep purples for fall, I decided to test out Parisian Passion, and I have to say, my opinion has changed, slightly! I don’t think the Revlon ColorStay Moisture Stain line is the best liquid lipstick out there, but it isn’t bad. The consistency of this darker color was much more acceptable to me and much longer wearing that the previous shade I had purchased (Rio Rush).
I believe I’ve mentioned before that it’s been ten years since I first went off to college! My, my, where has the time gone? Well, in the spirit of back to school season, I thought it would be fun to do a special Back to School Edition of a What’s In My Bag post! So, here it is!
The Bag
If I was heading back to school this season, there would be only one bag that I would want to carry. My Kate Spade Beau! This large briefcase style bag marries form with function and the result is 100% fashion adorable-ness! Although this bag is nearly a year old at this point, it still holds its form very well and has managed to make it with only a few light marks and scuffs on the leather, which makes me think it would be perfect for the college experience!
The Contents
I don’t think I need to go into detail about each and every single item in this bag, so let’s cover these bullet point style!
11′ Macbook Air with the Michael Kors Sleeve
Kate Spade Literary Glasses Agenda
Multi-subject notebooks (with cute designs on the cover, of course!)
A File Folder (also with a cute design)
A Pencil Case filled with pens, pencils, highlighters, correction tape, markers and more!
A large pouch filled with purse essentials (since I wouldn’t carry a pure with this bag!)
Amazon Kindle (you can buy and read ebook textbooks and save yourself the weight in your bag!)
Rebecca Minkoff Little Louis Card Case
Ban.do iPhone Backup Charger
iPhone 5
Kate Spade iPhone 5(s) case “Keep It Short And Sweet”
The Video
Of course, if you want to see more of these items in greater detail, including a deeper look into my necessities pouch, you will want to check out the video I made to accompany this post! Direct links to items mentioned in this post (or similar) are also included in the video’s description, so make sure to click through to YouTube to watch and of course “Like” the video! You can also go ahead and subscribe while you’re there too, you are going to need to if you want to enter the super secret giveaway at the end of the video 😉
I have been practicing yoga since I was a junior in high school. When I first started out, it wasn’t all the rage it is today. It was still largely misunderstood and not quite considered a mainstream form of physical activity as we know it now. Finding information on yoga and how to get started on a beginners level wasn’t as easy as you would think! Obviously, we are talking about two very different times, one of those being a time when the internet was young and sites like YouTube were years from inception. So, I starting off talking to as many people as I knew that had some clue about starting off with yoga and of course I googled the heck out of the subject, although good websites with solid information were few and far between. Eventually, either through a friend or through a website (I honestly can’t recall, but I think it was a friend in my AP Euro Class that suggested it) I discovered the book Yoga Burns Fat by Jan Maddern. It is a pretty simple guide to practicing yoga at a beginners level, and I still reference it from time to time today. At the time, yoga classes were not an option for me most likely because they were either hard to find or would have cost money to attend. I prefer to work out alone anyway, and especially when it comes to practicing yoga, I don’t think I would feel comfortable in a group setting. But of course, we live in a totally different world now, which means I have much more control over my options for practicing yoga, including many technologically advanced methods, like using an app!
Specifically, I prefer to use the app Yoga Studio. This comprehensive app acts like a personal yoga instructor, with a variety of options on classes offered by skill level or customizable routines that you can build to suit your own needs. I love how clean and simple the interface is; it makes finding the classes or routines you want a breeze and with the built in step by step video demonstrations, you almost get the sense that you are in a real yoga studio filled with serene white light!
So, if you are a beginner who needs that visual guidance that will help you figure out the positions and give you extra advice during the routines on ways you can challenge yourself more or even how to make a difficult position easier for you if you’re having a hard time, I would suggest an app like Yoga Studio over a book. It’s all the benefits of having an instructor, plus you are able to practice in the privacy of your own home and even on the go while traveling! As long as you have an iPad handy and preferably a yoga mat, you are ready for your workout!
I hope this app helps you get starting on your own personal yoga practice! I also went ahead and made a video discussing my history with yoga and why I love it so much that goes along with this post, so if you have some time, feel free to check it out below!
I was talking to my blogging buddy Kristin a few weeks ago about wanting to do a blog post about some of my favorites movies from the childhood. Of course, all of these movies fall into that 80’s children’s fantasy genre that was clearly a strong force at the time. Seriously, what was it about the 80’s that produced so many epic movies, the likes of which we really haven’t seen since. There was something about these movies that was just different from the way they make children’s movies today. They were much darker and often times more adult than movies today tend to be today and even though these movies were my favorites back when I was a kid, I still have an obsessive need to watch and rematch them even till this day. I know its not unusual for children’s movies to include moments of humor for adults, and really the best children’s films (and books as well) are the ones that blur the lines between entertainment for children and entertainment for adults. These movies do just that, and although I fell in love with them as a child, they are even more enjoyable for me as an adult.
So, I’m sure you’re on the edge of your seat wondering which films I have chosen as my Top 5. This was a really difficult task for me to pick 5 out of the many, many more that I watched and loved throughout the years. But, I have chosen to limit this to 5 and so here is what I came up with!
Now, if you would like a little more backstory and explanation behind this list, go ahead and check out my YouTube video below where I talk more about each film!
So, how did you feel about the movies on this list? Are these some of your favorites as well or do you think have a different set of favorites? I would love to know which movies from the 80’s are your favorites and which ones you still enjoy until this day! Feel free to leave a comment, or better yet, send me a Tweet and we can chat about it!
Hands down, one of my favorite skin care items is the Caudalie Beauty Elixir! If you’re not familiar, the Beauty Elixir is a facial toner & makeup setting spray made from all naturals ingredients that help to hydrate, moisturize and refresh your skin! Problem is, it will set you back about $50 for a full size bottle, and during the warmer months or during times when my skin is out of control, I can go through that bottle fast! So, I did a bit of research and decided that I would try my hand at creating my own recipe for a DIY facial toner spray that I could make at home for a fraction of the price of Caudalie’s! Here’s what I came up with!
Now, if you would prefer a step by step tutorial, I also made a video showing how I make this elixir so you can watch that in real time! I’ll link it below so you can take a look!
I hope you enjoyed this DIY skin care recipe I cooked up for you guys! I love facial toners and they are easy enough to make at home, but I am always up for hearing your thoughts and recommendations for similar products or alternate ingredients! Send me a tweet and let me know what you thought about this DIY!
