Summer 2013 Reflection

Wow - the end of summer. I can't believe it's actually here! Instead of doing an August Favorites post, I decided to do a more personal post as this year this September means a big change for me: moving out of my house and heading to university. I feel like it's something that I've been waiting for my whole life, but something I've also been dreading. I enjoyed high school; yes, it was stressful and there were so many times I just wanted college to get here already, but I had amazing friends and enjoyed every second of it. Now that I'm moved out and on my own living with a stranger in a dorm in college, it's all too surreal for me still. I feel like this is just a test run or something and I'm heading back home in a few days - it hasn't quite sunk in that I'm not.

I have had such an amazing year so far, including this summer. I was able to go to Florida, travel to London, go to a concert, visit Martha's Vineyard, and so much more. I'm so grateful for all of that and still in shock that it's over. I think it's best described by the ultimate cliche: "It was over in a blink of an eye". That being said, I'm also excited at the possibility of what is to come in this chapter of my life. I know I'm going to meet some amazing (and not so amazing) people, go to different classes and learn new things, develop more interests and passions, and so much more.

July 2013 Favorites

As I say every time I put up a favorites post, I honestly cannot believe that another month has come and gone. This time, it's even more dramatic as this will be my last month before starting a huge chapter in my life: university!! It's so crazy I can't believe it, much less think about it, so let's just get right on into my favorites for the past month (which is much more lighthearted).

LONDON

It has been a while! I last popped up a post right before I left for London. I wanted to try to write up a blog post whilst away, but was so busy I barely had a minute to relax! Thus, I decided I wanted to simply write up a post on my experience in London and then post a huge haul!

Martha's Vineyard Days 3+4

My mantra for the last two days of my trip was sadly singing "rain, rain, go away" while skipping down the streets full of fog and clouds. Although it was pretty cold and windy, we were determined to make the most of this trip, even in the pouring rain.

After a late morning of board games, we decided to venture out bravely into the cold with sweaters and thoughts of warm to lunch. We were back in Edgartown and stopped for lunch in an adorable little cafe named "Among the Flowers". As all we wanted was warm comfort food, I opted for a classic grilled cheese, which was as warm and gooey and comforting as it looks.

Martha's Vineyard Day 2

Hey, everyone! I'm so glad that my last lifestyle post was taken well, so I decided to continue on and talk about my next day on the adorable (and my current favorite) island of the Atlantic. 

After crashing late and a bit tired from all the travel, we took the overcast morning to sleep in and take our time getting ready before going out for the day. We tried our absolute hardest to catch a bus to the center of Oak Bluffs as we were car-less due to our friends off at work, but when two buses drove by us with no indication they saw our waving, we decided to take to walking there ourselves. The walk was so lovely, even in the overcast weather, and we passed by some of the infamous colorful houses that make up the Vineyard.

Martha's Vineyard Day 1

One of the best places on earth? A hidden treasure of shops, restuarants, cafes, beaches, and bikes. Martha's Vineyard is all of the above: a cute little island off the coast of Massachusetts, only 100 square miles of 7 tiny towns. However, in the summer more than 100,000 people cram into this popular island, myself now included. As I have a few friends staying here for the summer (and it only being a train, bus, then ferry ride away), I'm so excited to be taking a mini vacation here.

Yesterday I caught the ferry in, settling down easily for the 45-minute ride in the sun. 

Martha's Vineyard Weekend

We're bringing it way back, here. In an attempt to bring more lifestyle into my blog (as I've been loving the beauty blogs who've been incorporating more life posts), I decided to share a post on a trip to Martha's Vineyard I had way back in February. I'm pretty much in love with all of these photos I took on one morning when I was up for the sunrise on a beach. This was my first time to Martha's Vineyard and it's such a cute place that it's easy to see why someone would fall in love and live there all year round. I'm definitely excited to go during the summer, though, when the island is alive and full of people.

This is really just a post to share these gorgeous pictures and show the beauty of Martha's Vineyard. Sorry it might be a bit boring, but maybe once I get used to more lifestyle posts I'll be able to actually have a decent post! On that note, do you have any summer vacation plans? I've got a few things in the works and could not be more excited. BRING ON SUMMER!!

Graduation

So as I'm typing this up, I'm officially a high school graduate. Obviously my blog is not so much lifestyle, but I couldn't help throwing up this little post (mainly to have for myself later on). I just had my graduation ceremony and am now sitting in bed going through all of the pictures, liking all of my classmates pictures/statuses on Facebook, and retweeting all of the sappy tweets on Twitter. It's so weird to think that in September of 2009 I went into high school with only one friend from my previous school, and how much everything has changed.

I've drifted away from a lot of friends who were everything 4 years ago, when I was 14 years old. That being said, I've grown so much closer to a few old friends and made so many more amazing, new friends from my amazing high school. Words can't even describe how much they all mean to me and even though I have so much more coming up in college, I hope I at least remain in touch with them. This is a huge deal and going off to university seems so scary right now. I keep going through the phases of excitement and then nervousness. I can't seem to decide on one emotion! 

I know that in the grand scheme of things, high school is a mere four years of your life. People always say that you don't want to peak in high school, that there is so much more to come, but I'd like to think that it will always have a very special place in my heart. My graduation means the end of everything I've known. It's the end of a life at home with my parents, more independence, and the real start to creating my own life. It's so weird to even think about! Even though I hopefully don't think I've peaked in high school, I think I've had a pretty great time. I wouldn't change my school or my classmates for the world, even the ones who I wasn't close to. I've had the privilege to meet so many amazingly talented people who I don't think I'll ever be able to forget. It's weird to think that I may not even see every single one ever again. 

I obviously won't go into specifics, but I've met some pretty amazing people at this school. I don't think I could have asked for a more perfect group of friends. Along with that, I don't know quite how it's going to be without my family by my side 24/7 next year. I've got the best two little sisters a girl could ask for along with the most loving parents and best grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. Just thinking about it makes me nervous, but excited because I want to do them proud, as most people do. 

I can't help but throw in a cliche: high school really did fly by. I remember at the beginning of this year, my homeroom teacher stood up in front of the class and looked at us all sternly to say that the year was going to go by in the blink of an eye and before we knew it, we'd all be getting ready for graduation with her. At the time, we all burst out laughing. Now, I completely understand. It seemed so overwhelming: all of my AP classes, the whole entire college process just beginning, etc. But, I was able to handle it. I shed so many tears this year, that I have to admit. Whether it was from pure stress and exhaustion, a bad test grade, a busy week, or sickness. There were times I felt so miserable and overwhelmed it was crazy. In the end, even though those days or weeks felt horrible and as if I'd never make it through, I always did. And the good truly outweighed the bad. I went on vacations this year, I was accepted into amazing colleges, I became closer to my friends and even made some more, and have so many memories I hope to never forget. I only wish I had realized this fact sooner and maybe payed more attention. I wish I took some more pictures and jumped at more opportunities. All in all, I made my experience the best I could have ever imagined and I wouldn't have changed all that much. 

I guess I'm just a big mess of emotions right now, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I hope this wasn't too annoying to read, especially if you made it all the way down to the end. I'll have a new post up in a few days. Thanks for reading and taking this peak into my life!

50 Random Facts

Hi everyone! As I've seen this tag popping up around everywhere, I thought I'd try my hand at it as well. It's pretty self-explanatory, so here's 50 random facts about me!

1. I'm going into my first year of university next year - no idea where I'll be yet!

2. I love Diet Coke. It's really quite bad... a slight obsession.

3. I'm a cat and dog person. I've grown up with both.

4. I've been able to go to Disney World countless times and it has never lost it's magic. The fact that I have little sisters only means I have the excuse to still go at age 17!

5. I've always wanted to go to California - I even applied to a university out there!

6. I've only been out of the country one time - Canada.

7. My favorite fruits are red apples and purple grapes.

8. I started watching YouTube videos in 2006 (I was only 11!) . The first videos I watched were "Shoes" and Shane Dawson.. I used to hide the videos from my parents because I thought they were bad with all of the swears!

9. I'm addicted to my iPhone, I'm literally never without it.

10. Favorite books include: A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Kite Runner, The Perks of Being A Wallflower, Vanity Fair, and so many more!

11. I love any and all music. Hip hop, rap, indie, country, pop, electronic, oldies, classical, rock, etc.

12. I adore the French language and culture. I've been learning the language in school for 4 years now!

13. Favorite shows include: Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, Say Yes to the Dress, Four Weddings, Modern Family, The Middle, New Girl, Game of Thrones, The Newsroom, VEEP, Dance Moms, and more.

14. If I had to choose one continent I'd love to travel, it would be Africa, hands down. I want to travel all over, from south to north and east to west!

15. I'm going to London in July!! I'm beyond excited, I can't even put it into words!

16. I have two little sisters, who are 8 and 10 years old!

17. My kitten's name is Brady, after the New England Patriot's Football quarterback (Tom Brady).

18. When I have spare time, I love to sketch.

19. During the summer, I love going into Boston with friends.

20. When I was younger, I was petrified of going on trains after a stranger had tried to talk to me and I freaked out.

21. I hate potato chips. Never liked them!

22. I dream of working in New York City, London, or Los Angeles.

23. I'm very excited to own my own house or appartment one day so I can decorate it exactly as I'd like.

24. My lucky number is 11.

25. I've dealt with anxiety since I even knew what it was when I was a little girl, so it's been nice to read and learn from so many other bloggers and YouTubers who I admire talk about it and share tips on dealing with it!

26. I have more than a slight obsession with nail polish. I'd hate to count just how many I have as it's far too many for one person to need.

27. I always try really hard to save my money, but it never lasts too long.

28. I'm taking the most advanced level classes in my entire school - you could definitely classify me as an over-achiever.

29. I don't think I've ever loved a pair of shoes as much as I love my Hunter boots and my prom heels from last year.

30. I usually don't eat breakfast, but lately I've been making myself eat an apple so I start my day with something.

31. I get sick a lot - I have a very weak immune system!

32. My favorite colors are pink and green.

33. My favorite drugstore is my local CVS and Target. No other CVS compares to mine!

34. I hate getting my hair cut, I avoid it like the plague!

35. I used to read a lot when I was younger, and I'm trying to get myself back to that habit now.

36. When I was younger, I was obsessed with the Lizzie McGuire show and Hilary Duff - I even met her in person in New York City!

37. My main goal in life is to make a difference in the world. A bit bold, a bit of a reach, but I want to make a difference. I love volunteering and helping others, so this definitely stems from my community service.

38. One of my all-time idols is Audrey Hepburn.

39. Even though I don't always eat breakfast, I love a good breakfast for dinner. Eggs, pancakes, waffles... best food!

40. My laptop is pink!

41. I don't like cold water - I always keep water bottles in my room so they'll be room temperature.

42. On Sundays, I do not like to get out of my pajamas. Of course, sometimes I'll be really productive and run errands, but for the most part I like to stay put.

43. I actually run a little charity shop! I sell nail polishes over on Etsy, which you can check out here.

44. I am a cookie monster. If I had to choose one thing to eat for the rest of my life, it would be a chocolate chip cookie.

45. I have been a vegetarian for 3 years this week!

46. I truly don't think that nothing can beat a bowl of Kraft Mac and Cheese.

47. In the autumn, I love watching football, college and professional.

48. I absolutely love television and movies - however, I'm always really bad at remembering to watch television shows. Netflix is a lifesaver!

49. I first started wearing makeup in 6th grade. Eyeliner was definitely what I loved and I completely over plucked my eyebrows. I cringe when I see old pictures! 

50. In the summer, I live in flip flops. I'm partially convinced that I have a weird spacing in between my toes because of how much I've worn flip flops in my life. 

And that's it! I hope you learned a few interesting facts about me that maybe you didn't know before. I'll see you all in a few days with a new post!

Happy New Year [And Resolutions]

Who else is having a hard time believing that it is almost 2013?! Just the thought of having to write '13 on my papers seems so crazy! The year truly did fly by.

Today is actually a two part post! First, I wanted to give you all an idea that I am going to do in the new year and I hope you do as well! Then, I'm going to talk about my resolutions!

If you frequent tumblr or pinterest you will have definitely already seen this idea as it is huge over there! If not, maybe this will be the first time you're seeing it and I hope that it inspired you to go out and do it with me as well!

The big idea that I'll be doing starting this new year is that I bought an empty glass jar and will fill it up with good things that happen throughout the year. It's that simple! I think it's really a cute idea and it was so cheap, I purchased my glass jar at The Container Store for only a few dollars and will use just regular white computer paper and a black thin sharpie I already have. The idea is to start off with the empty jar and have it filled by the end of the year, at which point you can empty it to look through all of the good that happened!

I'm all ready to start!

Fill the jar with good events that happen throughout the year!

I hope that I've inspired a few of you to actually go out and buy your own jar as I really think that it'll be fun. It's one of those things I'd usually see and think was cute but never actually go out and do it, so I'm happy that I did!

And now onto....

MY NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS!

Ah, New Years Resolutions. Half the time they're a laugh because you know you will never stay true to them and then the other half they're so cliche because everyone picks the same ones! However, I'm determined to beat that and stick to my resolutions this year! Instead of making a whole bunch that I know I'll never keep I'm making a few modest resolutions that I'm going my hardest to keep.

1. The ever-cliche exercise and eat better! I had a really great exercise routine this year, but as school started and life became crazy in September/October it's just gone all down hill, so I want to pick it back up! I'm not going to say exercise 6 days a week/an hour a day because that will definitely lead to failure! I think I'll be happy with just a few days a week and eating a bit more healthy to balance it out.

2. Be happy and positive! Instead of looking at negatives, I want to try my hardest to simply look at the bright side of things. I'm not saying I'm a complete pessimist in life, but I definitely fluctuate from being happy-go-lucky to doomsday downer. I want to try to remain positive and uplifting this year!

3. Do what I enjoy! Instead of wasting my time doing things that I'm not passionate about, I want to fill my time with what I love. Blogging, being with friends, going to lunch with my sisters, and volunteering are all examples of things that I love to do and I want to continue to do them in this year, even when times are crazy and stressful with college right on the horizon. 

Right now, I think that's what I'm going to stick with! I could say I want to try to properly start a YouTube, stop spending so much money on makeup, etc., but I want to stick to just the basics this year. Everything else that is meant to happen will happen!

I won't have another post until the New Year, so I hope that everyone has a great New Years Eve and starts the year off right! Do you have any resolutions? I'd love to hear them! 

Be sure to enter my Naked Basics giveaway here which ends today!

Kiss Your Elbow Nail Polish

Well, hello there! I definitely feel a bit bad for how I've neglected my blog as of late! It started out when my computer was having issues and with tech guys for a week while they went about being Fairy Godmothers and fixing all of my laptop's problems up. Then, I've been so caught up in a new project, that all of my extra time has been devoted to it! I figured since I've gotten everything set up with it now, I can go back into blogging and also introduce you all to my exciting work:

Kiss Your Elbow Nail Polish

"Broncos, Baby"

"A Drop in the Ocean"

Ahh, that's right! I've started my own little shop of nail polishes that I've been creating and working on for the past month. I'm super proud of all of the work I've put into this project and am really happy with how it's going. If you'd like, you can visit my shop (here) and also visit the Facebook page (here).

Otherwise, I'll be back with my regular posts starting tomorrow!! See you all then!

Wednesday Wishlist

I am ready for tomorrow to just be here already! Wednesdays are always nice as you're halfway done with the week, but I am so excited to pick up my products from the new MAC collection tomorrow. Plus, I already prepaid with my pre-order, so it feels like I'm getting the products for free (right?! I just need to keep thinking that anyway..).

Besides that, there's been a few products that I've been eyeing recently, and just maybe I'll have to look around this weekend.

Deborah Lippmann's "Mermaid Dream" is on the top of my wishlist. I have wanted this for ages, back when it first came out and you were able to purchase it at your local stores. Ever since then, when I didn't pick it up, karma has kicked me in the butt by having this polish be sold out everywhere I look.

Another polish I'm craving is the new Thakoon for NARS collection. I really love a few of the colors, but to me, Koliary is what stands out. I barely own any blue polishes, yet this shade looks absolutely gorgeous. I can practically hear it calling my name!

Every time I've gone to Ulta lately, these lashes stand out to me. Katy Perry recently released her own line of eyelashes, available at many different drugstores. The "Oh, Honey" lashes stand out the most to me because they look amazing, but also seem wearable; not terribly overdramatic.

Yes, if you can't tell, I'm loving nail polish right now. Despite the moderate-to-bad reviews on Sephora's website, I desperately want to see these in person. I've grown accustomed to the nail polish smell, so I'm dying to see for myself if these live up to their name. It seems so fun!

The last item on my wishlist for now is also the most expensive. And by expensive I mean, "I'll drool in stores over this product, but the likely-hood of me purchasing this stands at a 5%. Max."
For $75, you can be the proud owner of this amazing Guerlain Guerlain by Emilio Pucci Terra Azzurra Bronzing Powder and Blush. The packaging, the product, and the brands are amazing and if only the price tag wouldn't hurt so much, this little guy would have made it in my shopping bag.


Are any of you wishing for these products? If not, what are you wishing for this Wednesday?

New Years Resolutions///Favorites of 2011

Happy New Years Eve! I wasn't planning on getting another blog post in, but I thought a quick blurb on my resolutions this year and looking back at 2011 might be fun.

Resolutions

• My number one resolution of 2012 is definitely to stick to my schedule I made the other night. I want to get my homework done, blog, and actually try to get some sleep! Hopefully this schedule works for me, and it incorporates everything I need to get done in a day, so here's hoping!
• Of course I also need to include the basic "eat healthier and exercise" bit! I incorporated exercise into my daily schedule, and while it's not a whole lot of time, it still gets me going. And since I'm going to be a vegetarian for one full year this February, I'd like to really spruce up my eating habits (and, of course, I've already made a schedule to start!). Something about Excel spreadsheets just make me focus and stick to my plans!
• My third resolution is to simply blog more! At least 3 times a week... (possibly even start making videos?!)
• Save my money! My goal is to not spend any money from January to March, where on my birthday I can spoil myself a bit and splurge on a pair of Beats by Dr. Dre!
• This resolution is probably the most important to me, and it's to get it all together and volunteer with a program over the summer in Africa. I'd need to fundraise and spend a lot of time with this, but it's incredible important to me and something I've been organizing since September of this year! 
• More school related, I'd like to start applying for scholarships for college because it's expensive and I'll need all I can get!
• A beauty related resolution, I'd really like to get in the habit of only washing my hair every other day. Everyday I will shampoo, condition, apply moroccan oil, blow dry, and flat iron. And I wonder why my hair is so dull! I might invest in a dry shampoo, but for the most part, just a little baby powder and curling my hair seems to work on the second day!
• My last (official) resolution is to appreciate more. I've seen quite a few tragedies surrounding Christmas both locally and worldwide, and I realized I need to appreciate the house and roof I have over my head. I can't take my family for granted, and I need to quit complaining over the silly little things in life!

Beauty Favorites of 2011

• My most recent beauty favorite would have to be the Revlon Butters, I think they're great! My favorite is probably Sugar Frosting, but I also have Berry Smoothie.
• Another favorite would have to be my Too Faced Natural Eye Palette and the Urban Decay Naked Palette. Can't wait to get my hands on the second one!
• From NYX this year, I really liked the Soft Matte Lip Cream and the Glitter Cream Palette.
• My most used mascara this year has to be Maybelline Volum' Express the Falsies Flared Mascara and the Clinique Bottom Lash  Mascara!

Favorites of 2011

• Favorites... I really love that I'm in my junior year of high school, so close to being done!!
• I had a really nice trip to New Hampshire over the summer for the first time in a few years, and even though we went to StoryLand, it was fun in the end.
• I always love seeing my Nana and Papa over the summer, and they came up over the summer so we got to see them a lot, which is always nice. 
• My large makeup and nail polish collection significantly grew this year, and I love it! Even though it's mostly been my own money (so I'm pretty much broke now!), I love all of my purchases made.
• I started this blog this year! In August of this year, this blog was created and I started to blog almost everyday over the summer. I really tried to blog once school started, but with no time, it was extremely difficult to post, but now I'm back!
• I'm sure some other things happened, but I can't really remember to be honest!

I hope you all had a great year, and I can't wait to see what 2012 brings!

My Very First Post...

I've been a bit nervous trying to decide what I should do with my first blog post, but I figured it'd be proper to just introduce myself to everyone, if anyone, that stumbles upon this little blog of mine. My name is Cassidy, and I'm 16 years old, living in the US. I go to high school and am only 2 years away from college, which scares me a little. Ever since I was little, I've loved fashion, makeup, travel, arts, and decided that I want to make a blog dedicated to that. Whether or not anyone decides to follow me or if anyone even sees my blog at all isn't a huge deal to me, I just want this blog to be something I'm proud of. I can't wait to see where this takes me, so I'm off to come up with some fresh ideas for posts...