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Last Minute Gifts + Decorations

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Merry Almost-Christmas!

Are you still in need of some gifts or still feel the urge to decorate your home a little bit more? Listed below are some last minute ideas to help you complete your holiday to do list! 

Decorative Candle 

 Candles are the perfect gift for the holidays because they can add an aspect of warmth and coziness to any room.

Fun Socks 

  

This gift is good as a last minute stocking stuffer or as a finishing touch for your quirky friend’s present.

Music

  

CDs are quick and easy to get and the music can simply be transferred onto any computer for those who prefer to listen to music on their phones.

Coloring Books

  

“Adult” coloring books have been trending recently and they are the perfect pastime no matter your age. I’m currently in love with the Enchanted Forest coloring book from Michaels. It’s full of intricate designs and whimsy.

Fairy Lights

 Fairy lights can be the highlight of anyone’s room no matter the time of year. However, if you are looking for an extra pop try draping them around the room for a cozy and welcoming feel.

Miniature Trees (DIY + Store Bought)

   
I got this tree from Target for $3 just to emphasize the Christmas fee in my room. I added a personalized miniature stocking and ornament to it too, but it looks just as good without the extra frills.

  
For this DIY tree I hot glued felt circles all around a styrofoam cone and wrapped twine around the bottom. I then sat it on top of a pile of fake snow and a wooden plank.

DIY “Snowglobe”  
This snowglobe is perfect as both a gift and a present! To find out how to make this check of the DIY of the Month.

Happy Holidays!

Callie
 


Growing Up in the Digital Age

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For as long as I can remember there has always been social media around me. Big name social media platforms, such as Facebook and MySpace, were being founded when I was only a toddler. I have never lived in a world where people don’t share every aspect their lives on the Internet.

Fast forward to today. I am now half way through my teen years and deep into the age of social media. An age where it is common to find a classroom full of kids each with their own smartphone. An age where face to face interaction is limited and awkward situations are relieved by staring into the blue light of a screen. My generation is one unlike any other. We are so blind to the world yet so full of knowledge at the same time. As a generation we are extremely tech savvy and constantly have the latest news at our fingertips. However, we are blind to the sights of the naked eye. Think about it. Close your eyes and try to remember what color your mom, dad, brother, or sister was wearing today. If this was difficult for you, you should know exactly what I mean by our blindness. We are often too busy trying to capture moments for others that we forget to experience them for ourselves. I, more often than not, find myself guilty of this. People my age often feel like if we go somewhere and don’t take record of it, some how, it was like it never happened. Since that record will probably be posted on social media, we will spend our entire time at the event taking pictures and video. Out of those 100 photos and videos you took that night, your friends will only see 1 to 5 of them.

It’s incredibly ironic to me how such an open generation is so selective with how others see their lives. Out of those 5 photos shared with others 4 to 5 of them were probably edited with filters. Filters to make you appear tanner, thinner, or make your eyes pop. Or if you really want to get fancy with it, you’ll adjust the lighting, contrast, whiten your smile, and maybe tack on another filter or two. Many edit all of their photos to fit into a certain theme or aesthetic of their page and after the editing comes the captions. For some reason I’ve found kids my age to be really obsessive over that aspect. Many try to appear clever, but not too clever that they sound like a thesaurus. After you caption and tag all of your friends, you press post and wait. The wait is ultimate factor to see if your effort was worth it or just should be deleted and forgotten. I’ve noticed many times with young kids that they would wait to see how many likes a photo would get and if it did not satisfy them, they would delete it and post it again another day. I have never done this before, and I find it quite concerning when I see someone I know do it. Many kids see their only form of self validation as through the amount of likes and comments they get on a selfie or how many followers they have.

This truly frightens me. The way I personally view it is that the amount of followers does not matter. I say this for two reasons:
1. I often go on social media just to waste time. I mindlessly scroll through my feed liking just about anything and everything my “friends” post, not paying attention to the captions and sometimes not even the picture or video itself. Which means that many times, I’ll like a post without even realizing I did.
2. (If you are wildly famous you can skip this point) How many of your social media “friends” have you had an actual conversation with in the past year? Personally, I do not have an accurate answer to that question, but I can guarantee you, not as many people as I have followers. By gaining followers you aren’t gaining friends, instead you’re just gaining more mindless likes.

I guess this cycle of empty minded following and liking is the beauty of social media. You think you know so much about a person yet in reality you know nothing. Sure, you may know the name of their dog or their best friend’s mom, but do you know their hopes and dreams or their biggest fear? Probably not. Which brings me to my last point, my life in the digital age has made me an expert in knowing fantasy from reality.

People are often much different online than they are in person. Online you can basically recreate yourself. You can alter your personality through the aesthetic of your photos or the wittiness of your captions. You can make friends and comment on people’s posts who you would never talk to in real life. You can alter your body image through in depth editing and seeing your body as a photo shop canvas instead of your body. The list can go on and on and on, which goes to show the drastic difference between the world of the Internet and the actual world.

Despite all of the cons of being the primary consumers of this highly electronic age, I am glad that I have the opportunity to be a part of it. Just because you live in a digital age, does not mean that you have to be completely engulfed in it.

–Callie

BTS: Makeup, Music + More

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Hello there!

The school year is now in full swing and with that comes busier schedules and new routines.  As a busy student myself, I have thought of some tips for school, as well as some makeup and outfit ideas!

Lists, lists, lists.

I’m the type of person that in order to memorize something, I MUST write it down. Typically, planners are very helpful for me, but if I need an extra reminder, I make a to-do list somewhere else.  My go-to place to write things down is my chalkboard.


Studying…. With music.

When studying for tests or doing homework in general, I like to listen to music. I find classical or acoustic music the easiest to work to because I find it to be not as distracting as other music genres.  Usually, I will pull up a music playlist on my phone and then put my phone on the other side of the room to keep myself from being tempted to go on it while working.

Makeup

For school I like to use light and natural colors for my eyes, along with a black cat eye and some mascara.

In this look I used the Amazonian Clay Eyeshadow Palatte by Tarte (Tickled pink on the lid, beaming bronze in the crease, hot cocoa in the outer corner, and ideal ivory as a highlight and in the inner corner). For my eyeliner I used the Lineur Intense Defining Liquid Liner by L’Oreal in carbon black and for my lashes I used the Supersizer Mascara by Covergirl in black-brown.


 Style + Comfort

When I dress for school, I like to feel confident and comfortable in what I am wearing.  Lately, I have been really liking soft, fabric, patterned pants paired with plain t-shirts.  Not only is this combo super cute, it’s extremely cozy too!

Patterns, Hats, & Spring

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Happy June everyone!

With the new month comes new favorites!

Dress + Hat 

Today the sun has finally decided to come out so put together this Spring inspired outfit. The blue patterned dress is from Target and the straw hat is from Urban Outfitters. I’m in love with this dress because usually I am drawn to very dark colors and this adds the perfect pop that I needed from my spring and summer wardrobe.

Necklaces 

I’m a strong believer in that the accessories make the outfit. I got the “evil eye” necklace while at a local night market (sorry I do not know the brand) and the jade necklace from Tilly’s.


Blush

I recently got this blush by Neutrogena at Target and I’ve been obsessed with it ever since. It adds the perfect bit of rosiness to my cheeks and blends in well with any skin tone. It is in the color Pure (22).


Music

If you didn’t know, I’m a big fan of folk and indie music and lately I’ve been really into these songs:

– Different Child by Roo Panes

– Seven Nation Army by Zella Day

– Smile by Mikky Ekko

– Take the World by Johnnyswim

– Open Road by Roo Panes

– Holocene by Bon Iver

What have you been loving this season?

–Callie

Pastels for Spring.

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Hi There!
A trend that has caught my attention lately are pastel nails. Pastel nails are very versatile when it comes to color schemes of outfits and pair well with everything from light to dark tones.
The light and airy feel the pastel hue has is perfect for Spring and can have a vintage look when decorated with white polka dots or stripes.

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Polish: Essie
Book: Anthropologie

What is your go-to polish color for Spring?
–Callie