April 27, 2019

Dorm Decor Favorites + Grad Gift Ideas
'Tis the season of graduations! Even though I graduated some time ago, I still love seeing all of the new dorm trends come out each year. Dorms are extra (af) nowadays if I do say so myself, but I'm all about it. Dormify.com is one of my favorite websites and not only do they have great inspo for dorms, but even for apartments as well. I wanted to share not only some of my favorite dorm decor pieces but also a gift guide for any graduates in your life.

Organization

Decor

Essentials


Graduation Gift Ideas

April 23, 2019

3 Things I'm Focusing On This Summer

With every new season is a chance to start a new. Although fall-time is when I thrive, I noticed that the cold weather has really put me into a funk. Now that the weather is getting nicer I feel as though I'm shedding my skin and preparing for a better version of myself. Here's three things I'm focusing on this summer to become that better version.



Finances // Because I have something kind of big planned for this summer, I really wanted to focus on paying off some of my debt. I have an amazing job that pays really well and instead of focusing on smaller bills I want to focus on bigger bills (like my car payment). That way by the time my summer plans roll around I'll have some more spending money.

Photo Editing // As I mentioned in my FAQ blog post, I haven't really found my niche yet when it comes to photo editing. That's something I plan on sitting down and really working on this summer. By the end of summer all of my photos should have a simple platform and guidelines for how they are edited.

Personal Appearance // This may seem like a very odd one. Who admits that they want to work on their personal apparence? Do I want plastic surgery? What do I mean by this? I honestly don't mean anything negative from it. I've been in a funk lately, I'm human- it happens from time to time, but in order to get out of that funk I need to work on myself. My fitness goals have gotten away from me and certain things I used to do routinely (like whitening my teeth, or a face mask once a week) I just haven't had any motivation to keep up with it. I always feel better about myself when I keep up with all of these and feel a bit more confident when I look my best. This is definitely something I want to get back into and focus on as the summer approaches. We all have things we want to "work on," but we also sometimes just want to binge watch Netflix and eat ice cream for dinner. It's cool, I do it too and I'm not afraid to admit that. You can't do that forever though and sometimes it's just about getting out of your rut and the first thing to do that is to just simply start now.

3 Things I'm Focusing On This Summer
3 Things I'm Focusing On This Summer
3 Things I'm Focusing On This Summer
3 Things I'm Focusing On This Summer
3 Things I'm Focusing On This Summer
3 Things I'm Focusing On This Summer

What are some things you're focusing on this summer?

xoxo, Michele

April 20, 2019

Links I Love

I can't believe we're getting ready for the summer season. Beaches, bikinis and tan lines! It felt like winter went by really slowly this year so I'm excited for sunshine. I've seen some fun reads lately, especially with the Game of Thrones premiere last week, a ton of memes have been going around and they are golden. Here's to another round of links I love today!

The Avengers trailer has been released along with teaser clips and the movie posters which confirm who didn't survive during the snap. We have a small group going to the opening night and I can't wait! Also, Stan Lee's final appearance will be in this movie and it'll be so weird to never see him in a Marvel movie again.

Starbucks released a new line of Disney Parks mugs and I'm already planning my next trip back to Orlando, FL.

The newest trend is doing yoga with animals, but this is hands down the coolest one to me... yoga with lemurs!!!

I don't get involved much with politics, but anything that benefits animals I am 1000000000% supportive of. Virginia (where I live) governor signs bill making animal cruelty a felony!!!

Notice most links I love are animal related? This one is no exception. Cows seeing grass for the first time... COME ON, HOW CUTE!!!!???

This one really doesn't need much explanation because Lea Michele is perfection, obviously. Lea is going to be Ariel in the Hollywood Bowl. She's going to be magical.

So many cool and new brand products were released in honor of the Game of Thrones premiere. If you follow me on Instagram, you saw we had the ultimate GOT party. Everything was themed appropriately and we even snagged some of the Oreo's and wines. Some items that I think were really cool are the GOT Mountain Dews and the Urban Decay GOT collection. Still trying to get my hands on both of those so if you know where to get it or want to pitch for me to get the vault collection from Urban Decay find me on Venmo šŸ˜‰!

I can't even explain how cool this is. If Disney princess were Tim Burton Cartoons and I'm in love with every single one of them.

I knew this day would come.. MK&A Olsen movies are coming to a streaming service. Granted I have all but maybe 2 movies on DVD, still, can't wait to binge watch without having to switch discs.

This adorable baby fox made friends with the photographer and my heart just melts.

The cast of Clueless reunited and holy crap do I feel old. How do they all look the same!? Alicia Silverstone is just a beauty.

Speaking of an old, but incredible movie, Disney released the trailer fo Toy Story 4 and I feel like a kid all over again.

I swear this post is all animals and Disney, but are you even mad about it? This adorable pup loves his clothes so much his grandpa built him a little closet. It's just too precious and honestly my grandpa would have done something totally like this.

Now that I'm a die-hard Game of Thrones fan, I'm in love with Kit Harrington. I mean, who wouldn't be? This interview of him talking about his wife (who plays his on-screen love interest) is so heart warming. I've also been loving interviews I find on YouTube of the cast. Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner are so fun to watch!

Okay, lastly, what we all came here for. Game of Throne memes. I swear the best ones are on Tumblr and Twitter. I've been laughing for days over these. If you watch the premiere then you know most of the memes are about Bran, but they're great. Also, the new intro... my heart.

Links I Love

Wow! A lot of great reads over the past couple months. I hope you find them as interesting as I do! Make sure to follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to see the anything other stories I share.

xoxo, Michele

April 17, 2019

Most Frequently Asked Questions

Once people start to find my blog they tend to have a lot of questions of how this all works. Which is totally fine! I love what I do and I'm happy to share as much as I can. Depending on the setting though I feel as if I can't always fully explain what it is that I do here. I'm hoping this blog post can put it all together nicely and if you have any other questions don't hesitate to reach out!

Most Frequently Asked Questions
Most Frequently Asked Questions
Most Frequently Asked Questions
Most Frequently Asked Questions
Most Frequently Asked Questions
Most Frequently Asked Questions
Most Frequently Asked Questions
Most Frequently Asked Questions
Most Frequently Asked Questions



What is a blog?
A blog is a personal website where I share whatever it is that I want. Reviews on products, my stories, my life and everything in between. 

What's your favorite part about blogging?
Blogging is my creative outlet. It allows me to refine my writing and photography skills. Planning blog posts and photoshoots is fun to me and allows me to be creative outside of my full-time job.

How do you balance working full-time and blogging?
I've written a couple blog post like this before that explains how I stay organized and balance it all. I usually work on my blog at night or on the weekends. You can see my daily work week schedule blog post here, how I organize my agenda here and how to balance a work and social life here.

Do you make money from your blog?
Yes, I do! Not enough to do it full-time and pay my bills, but I do make some money from it.

Do you get products for free?
I do! Companies want me to test out their products and review it or share it with my readers so I get products and samples from time to time, but I always give my honest opinion about the products.

Do you even like the products you advertise? Do you ever say no to brand deals?
I only share products that I genuinely like with my readers. Brands and companies do reach out to me to have me test out their products, but it's not until after I test them out do I give my honest review. I have said no to several companies before because it just doesn't make sense for me to work with them. I don't promote drugs or alcohol and I'm a vegetarian and I've been asked to share a steak recipe on my blog before!! That just doesn't make sense to me or my brand and I only share products that I like with all of you.

What's the hardest part about blogging?
It's very time consuming. Most people think it's take a picture and write some stuff, but it's way more than that. It's more than what I even do, but a decent blog post can take anywhere between an hour to four to fully complete it- and that's not even including pictures & picture editing.

How do you get followers and likes on your pages?
I notice when my pictures are all edited the same way and I post consistently I get more attention versus times where my Instagram is sort of fallen flat. It take consistency, patience and time.

How do you make money from your blog post?
There are two ways that you can make money from a post. The first is a brand collaboration. When a brand wants to work with you they pay you to share your review on their products. This is set up differently across the board, some people have managers, some receive PR packages, it just depends. Then, the next thing is affiliate programs. I use Shop Style Collective, Reward Style, Amazon and any other brand that I have an affiliate program with. Basically, I link a product from one of those third party sites, when you purchase that product (or something from that suggested retailer) I get commission from that.

What's your number one advice for people wanting to start a creative outlet?
Whenever someone wants to start a creative platform, whether it's a blog, a YouTube channel or an Instagram, you must, must, must LOVE what you do. Blogging is a pure hobby for me. If one day I can turn it into a full-time job that would be amazing, but right now it's a hobby. It's not something that I started solely based on money, because it is a lot of work. It's not something that you can throw together and expect to make millions. It take consistency, patience and time.

How do you edit your photos?
My editing style is constantly changing because I haven't found my niche just yet. It also depends on the pictures and when blog post is due. Normally I edit on Lightroom Classic using presets and tweaking things, but if I need something edited real quick from my phone I'll use VSCO. It just depends on the photo. Once I find the perfect consistency I'll be sure to update and let you all know.

Do you think blogging is expensive?
This is a yes and no question. Yes, because I think there is this facade where people think bloggers live in these glamorous houses with all white furniture and designer clothes, but the truth is I'm a twenty-six year old girl who has student loans. I can't buy everything I want. There are ways around that though. Working with companies, being on PR list, second hand shops and of course returning a product are ways that you can go around that. You don't need to be rich to be a blogger!

Where do you get inspiration for blog post from?
I can honestly list a bunch of websites and things that give me inspiration but the truth is it's just life. I may see a new makeup product on Instagram then I'll go buy it, test it out and write about it. I might see an outfit that inspires a photoshoot, I purchase, I photograph in it and I write about it. I follow other bloggers and if they write an interesting blog post I might put my own spin on it but they originally inspired it. Can't forget Pinterest and Instagram where I may see something that leads me to ten other ideas. Then there's just my every day life. Anytime I go on a trip I try to make the most out of a trip and get as many post as I can from it. Inspiration comes from everywhere and I am always jotting down notes and ideas.

Do you have a personal photographer? Who takes all your pictures?
I have worked with a few photographers, but I don't have just one person who takes all of my pictures. Most of the time my friends, family, my boyfriend or even my make shift tripods take my photos. I've worked with Rachel Gord Photography, Photo by Lexi, Markey Mark Films and Heather Faber Photography in the past. I will say anyone who lives in Michigan is super lucky because Heather is the best photographer I have ever worked with. It also helps that we were friends before working together, but she just gets me! We used to be able to shoot 4-5 looks in the span of two hours and she would have the best ones edited by the next day. She always knew exactly what I needed, she would pose me, fix my hair and it was just great chemistry. But now that we both have moved outside of North Carolina I don't get to shoot with her anymore and it's so sad :( !

If you have any other questions about blogging please let me know! I always love to share and inspire other creatives.

xoxo, Michele

April 14, 2019


Happy GOT weekend everybody! I know this is the moment we have all been anxiously waiting for and I'm right along with you. I'm a bit late to this whole Game of Thrones trend, but I am hooked and so pumped (and sad) for the season finale. All good things must come to an end though I suppose. To get ready for the season premiere I've listed my favorite GOT accessories, foods and home decor so you can represent your house proudly.

Winter Is Here: Get Ready For Game Of Thrones Season Premiere
Winter Is Here: Get Ready For Game Of Thrones Season Premiere



Fashion

Hodor T-Shirt | Stark Direwolf Shirt | List of Direwolves Shirt | I Drink & I Know Things Shirt | Dracarys With Dragon SweaterHouse Stark Crest Shirt | Targaryen Stark Shirt | Winter is Coming T-Shirt | The North Remembers T-Shirt | Winterfell Stark Brew T-Shirt | Dracarys Cursive Sweater | Mother of Dragons Sweater | Dragon Sweater | You Know Nothing T-Shirt | I Am the God T-Shirt | Targaryen House Crest T-Shirt | The North Remembers With Blood Sweater | Valar Morghulis T-Shirt | Mother of Dragons Hat | A Girl Has No Name Hat | Winter is Coming T-ShirtA Girl Has No Name T-Shirt | Arya's List of Names | Dragon Ear Cuff | Mother of Dragons With Dragon T-Shirt | GOT Sweater | Dracarys With Dragon T-Shirt | Winter is Coming Long Sleeve | Stark Hat | Westeros Map Shirt | Mother of Dragons Socks | Khalessi And Dragon T-Shirt | King's Hand T-Shirt | Game of Thrones Long Sleeve | Fire & Blood T-Shirt | House Stark Sweatpants | House Targaryen Sweatpants | Targaryen Robe | Stark Robe | Mother of Dragons, Breaker of Chains Tank | Winter is Coming Sweater | Danielle Nicole House Targaryen Crossbody Bag | I Drink And I Know Things Hat | Final Season Long Sleeve | And Now My Watch Has Ended Hat

Home 

Cards Against Humanity: Game of Thrones | Game of Thrones Signed Pilot Episode (Copy) | Game of Thrones Houses Bar Set | Stark Cookie Cutter | Winterfell Candle | House Door Mat | Westeros Blanket | Game of Thrones Complete Book Set | Seasons 1-7 DVD Set | Hand of the King Bottle Opener | Westeros Map | What Do You Meme: Game of Thrones Edition | Game of Thrones Monopoly | Game of Thrones Clue | Game of Thrones Tarot Cards Deck | Dragon Egg Candles | Game of Thrones Wine Stoppers | Winterfell Coffee Mug | Game of Thrones Cookbook | Living Language of Dothraki Book White Walker Goblet | Iron Throne Candle | Bravos Mug | House Shot Glasses | I Drink And I Know Things Whiskey Glass | For The Throne Heat Mug | Stark And Targaryen Fleece Blanket | King In The North Mug | Targaryen Candle | Stark Candle | Fire & Blood Candle | Be A Dragon Candle | Dragon Eggs Shot Glass Set | The Seven Kingdoms Goblet

Food & Drink

Beauty


Pets

What did you buy to prepare for the premiere day?

xoxo, Michele


April 12, 2019

Home Decor I'm Loving Right Now

Anytime I see a new home collection come out it makes me want to redo my entire apartment. Except I can't do that and I don't need four different couches. Doesn't mean I still can't admire the new collections from the sidelines. Lately there have been a handful of great pieces to come out and if you are shopping for new decor than this blog post is for you!

Target Opal House Collection




Wal-Mart MoDRN Collection



April 10, 2019

Testing Out YesTo's New Coconut + Coffee Collection

If there's one thing you should know about me it's that I love coffee and my favorite (seasonal and tropical fruit) is coconut. Mix these two things together and I will be one happy gal. So when I received this package from YesTo I was beyond excited to test out these products right away! I'm working with YesTo today to share the new Coconut + Coffee collection which is formulated with coconut milk for ultra-luxurious hydration and caffeine which gives that perfect boost of energy to your skin.

The first thing you can't help but to notice is the amazing packaging. I'm always seeing these standout to me on my Target runs, common ladies, you know what I mean! I'm always gravitating towards this brand because not only are the products great for your skin, but they're so affordable!

In my package I received the brand new YesTo Coconut Collection which includes the Energizing Coffee Peel-Off Mask, the Moisturizing & Refreshing Dry Shampoo Wipe for Blondes, the Energizing Coffee Latte with Coconut Milk Frothe Mousse Mask and the Coconut Milk Mistified Moisturizer. I mean, how incredible do these products sound? The two products that really caught my attention was the Moisturizing & Refreshing Dry Shampoo Wipe for Blondes– a dry shampoo wipe?? Perfect for someone on-the-go and the Energizing Coffee Latte with Coconut Milk Frothe Mousse Mask– it just sounds delicious.

I had a pretty jam-packed weekend including photoshoots, adventures in D.C. and a soccer game. These products came just at the right time. I spent all weekend testing out these products on different days and different situations and here's my honest review on each one!







Energizing Coffee Peel-Off Mask
I used this mask on Friday night to prepare for the next day. On Saturday I had planned an all-day photoshoot and adventuring to D.C. for the Cherry Blossom events. I needed to give my skin a boost and clear out anything left on my face from the work week. The first thing I noticed when I opened the package was the smell. It smelt divine! Maybe it's because I'm a coffee + coconut lover, but seriously this face-mask smelled delicious. Normally I don't care for peel-off masks. Don't get me wrong they're really conveinent and less messy, but I don't really feel like they "clean" my face like a wash-off mask does. This peel-off mask was no exception. It smelt great, it was fun to use and easy to take off, but my skin didn't feel any different. Again, I'm just someone who prefers mud masks and the peel-off mask was great to use since I was busy getting ready for the next day.

Moisturizing & Refreshing Dry Shampoo Wipe for Blonde
Okay, I won't lie, I was very excited to test out this product. I wanted this product to be amazing because it's the perfect thing for someone like me who spends long hours at photoshoots and I'm constantly changing up my clothes, my hair, the weather in Virginia is never consistent and you just don't know what they day is going to bring you. I brought this with me when I was running around D.C. all day Saturday. I knew that I would be changing up my hair styles, touching my hair for photos and I knew I would need to use some dry shampoo throughout the day which made using a wipe much more convenient than bringing an entire bottle of dry shampoo with me. I can honestly say, this product surprised me. I wanted to love it, but I was skeptical. This product is amazing! It was extremely easy to use and it was just the right amount of dry shampoo needed and more. I was able to use it so effortlessly and it didn't create a mess by any means. My hair performed perfectly and just how I wanted it to. I do think that the price is a little expensive for a single sheet, but if you're a gal on the go, this may become a staple in your routine

Energizing Coffee Latte with Coconut Milk Frothe Mousse Mask
Let me just start by saying, this mask was exactly what I needed after a long day. You'll soon see the severaaaaal different outfits I shot, along with my adventures in D.C. and just the long day I had in general on Saturday. My day started at 8:00 a.m. and didn't end until almost 9:00 p.m. It was a long one to say the least. I had makeup on the entire day, walked around a lot, spent time in a Cherry Blossom festival which (thanks to my allergies) wasn't the best for the skin and when I finally got home I felt greasy to say the least. Even after I showered I knew I needed something for my skin to really clean off all the crap that accumulated on it throughout the day and that's why this mask was the perfect detox. Much like the peel-off mask, this mask smelt incredible. I was already excited about it out before I even put it on my skin! I knew this product was going to be a favorite of mine. I love mud masks and this one was a much needed detox after a long day. If I had to choose one thing form this collection it would be the Coconut Milk Frothe Mousse Mask!

Coconut Milk Mistified Moisturizer
This product is something that you have to use more than once to know if you really like it. I used it every night this weekend and am still using it throughout the work week to give you an honest review about it. I actually have combination (oily & dry) skin and I rarely use moisturizers. I find that when I use them my skin just gets more oily and I haven't really found a moisturizer that I like to use. If I do use any moisturizer it's always at night because I'm going to bed so I don't mind if my face is a little oily. However, this product is for people with dry skin and I assume people with dry skin use a moisturizer twice a day (morning & night) so I decided to use it twice a day for several days to see how it affected my skin (someone with combination skin) and how it worked with my makeup throughout my work day. This product isn't what I expected, it was a spray, not a lotion! I thought this was really cool because we all know I love my Mario Badescu Rose Water Spray, so the fact that this moisturizer was a spray was a delightful surprise. I loved the way it made my face feel too! It wasn't sticky or greasy. The only downside of this product was the way it sprayed. It sort of squirted directly and didn't really spritz, if this makes any kind of sense. Aside from that though it was again, another product I was surprised to like as much!

Testing Out YesTo's New Coconut + Coffee Collection
Testing Out YesTo's New Coconut + Coffee Collection
Testing Out YesTo's New Coconut + Coffee Collection
Testing Out YesTo's New Coconut + Coffee Collection

If I had to only choose my favorite products from this collection it would definitely be the Energizing Coffee Latte with Coconut Milk Frothe Mousse Mask and the Moisturizing & Refreshing Dry Shampoo Wipe for Blonde. I think these two products performed the best with my skin and I really felt and noticed a difference after using it. These products are designed for people with more dry skin, so it may perform differently with you than it did with me, but these two products get gold stars in my book!

There it is, my final review on the new YesTo Coconut Collection. This collection is definitely one of my new favorite from YesTo, even though it doesn't beat out the Charcoal Collection in my opinion, but it's pretty close. I really hope this collection sticks around (even though I find most coconut collections don't, which is really sad for me) because this is definitely something I will be repurchasing again

The YesTo Coconut Collection is out in stores now. If you try out the new collection let me know your thoughts by commenting down below.


xoxo, Michele

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