New Year: 2015

2015!

Happy New Year to you! 

The year of the sheep. The year of promise to so many people. The day that resets everyone's hopes, dreams and aspirations. To be honest, I feel very good about 2015, I might have read a few horoscope predictions. After everything that happened in 2014 I was ready to come to a close to the year. I am not one to make huge resolutions on December 31st/January 1st, to be honest, I feel asleep by 8:30pm (hey, I just came back from a week out of town I was tired.) I was awoken by fire works at midnight and gave Skyler a sleepy kiss and went back to sleep. Some of my resolutions this year are simple read more, obtain good grades in my college classes, etc. The typical things. I don't set big resolutions on a single day out of the year because I like to set things through out the year. Because, I don't know what will happen in a month or three months or where I will even be. I feel like if I predict what my life will be like for the next year then I am setting myself up for disappointment and other emotional let downs. Since being a closeted perfectionist I tend to get really upset if I plan something out in my head and it doesn't work out. 

But some of my long term goals (more like mind sets) are to let go and stop holding onto anger. What is that saying? Holding onto anger is like drinking the poison intended for your enemies? Basically my anger is only hurting me. I don't want to do that anymore. This maybe a life long goal but no better time to start then now or more like on Christmas I decided this but not the point. 

I hope you had a wonderful season whether you celebrate a specific holiday or it was just another day for you. I hope you were surrounded by family or friends and love and happiness.

Let me know what some of your resolutions were and I hope you have a wonderful and successful year! 

Living with dermatillomania.

1. Dermatillomania
2. The primary characteristic of Skin Picking Disorder (also known as Dermatillomania or Excoriation) is the repetitive picking at one's own skin to the extent of causing damage. Usually, but not always, the face is the primary location for skin picking. However, Skin Picking Disorder may involve any part of the body.
3. As a disclosure this may be a topic that you may find uncomfortable and you are welcome to by pass it. But if you, or if you know someone who has this, continue reading. Also, I'm not a professional researcher and I am not a psychologist. I am strictly writing from my own personal struggle and research that I have done. If you would like further in depth information go to: http://www.trich.org/about/skin-picking.html
4. I wanted to do a post about dermatillmania because it is a disorder that is not entirely excepted as an actual disorder. I am hoping that I can help others understand that this is a disorder, it is not something you may have control over and that you are not alone. It can be picking at ones own skin anywhere on the body, sure there are area's that are more common to pick, but not everyone does this in the same location. It is believed to be triggered by anxiety, perhaps tend to be done in situation in which something happens and it triggers the need to pick.
   I have dermatillomania. I don't know how long I have struggled with it, but for as long as I can remember since I was a kid. Up until a few months ago I didn't know that my complusive behavior had a name; I just thought it was a bad habit (for lack of a better word). I remember so many people telling me to
   "just stop". 
5. "Stop picking at your fingers they are going to scar"
   "Doesn't it hurt?"
   "why can't you just stop? Just don't pick at them."
   "You won't want your hands photographed on your wedding day."
   "Why do you want to hurt yourself?"
6. Many people would tell me that it's easy to not pick, that it doesn't make sense why I do it. They would ridicule me and make me feel like I was abnormal. I was embarrassed of my fingers, I would hid my hands in my sweater or pockets, I had anxiety of people holding my hand or if I had to hand them something I would arrange my fingers around said object in a way that they wouldn't be able to see the scarring and wounds. I didn't want to do this to myself, it's not for attention seeking. If I could, I wouldn't do this it, I would treat my hands with love and care. But I couldn't control it and sometimes I wouldn't even realize that I was doing it. I would sit there and minutes later realize my fingers were bleeding. Even now, becoming more aware of my disorder I still can't figure out what the trigger is. I try to educate friends and family about dermatillomania, help them understand that I wish I could stop, that I am working on it and that telling me to "just stop" isn't going to help me.
7. So for those of you do struggle with this, understand that this is something you shouldn't feel embarrassed about, rather see it as something you should come to terms with as a disorder and open up to a friend, family member, therapist, whoever. If you know someone who struggles with this, don't tell them to "just stop". You are not helping when you say that, if anything you are hindering them. When you see them picking, talk to them, try to help them see that they are not in a stressful situation (given, that you guys aren't in one?) tell them whatever you feel is right in helping them, do not demean them because you do not understand. 
8. It wasn't easy to write at the beginning my admittance on such a public forum. As I do further research and I grow to learn more about this I want to help others grow with me and if you want to reach out, you are always welcome to drop me a message. Also, I will continue to open up about my struggle with you over time. 
9. 
   

Staying relevant

I'm sure many of us have had self conscious thoughts of: Am I important? Do people care or worry? Etc. In this day of age one of the ways we think we are relevant is based of how many twitter followers we have, how many people like our updates and photo's on Facebook; do you see where I am going with this? I too, have had days were I worry that perhaps I am socially awkward or are boring or any semi-ridiculous thought that something is wrong with me, when in actuality there is nothing wrong with me or you or anything wrong with the people you know, that don't "like" your new photo.

Before there was social networking how did people stay friends outside of high school? Sadly, many people didn't. You moved on with your life as you grew older. Making new friends in college, work so on and so forth. It wasn't because you didn't want to be around your old comforting friends but because as a part of life, you reached out and focus on you. With Facebook we see what everyone is doing. How they are going out of the country, how they are having brunch at the Ritz Carlton, having babies, these huge things and while many of us are sitting at home thinking, when is it my turn? Why are they getting to do all these things? Why do so many people care about their travels and life events? None of things should be important. We concern ourselves with other people's lives too often that we forget to look at what we have. What wonderful things are happening in our own personal lives.

We shouldn't find legitimacy through other people, but through ourselves.

And of course there is the dreadful "unfriended" on Facebook or "unfollow" on instagram or twitter. Why do we care? It's not like we actually talk to these people. Sometimes we do though and that hurts the most. How often do people move on because of a personal dig at you? Not as often as we would like to believe. Believing that someone doesn't want any further contact turns into a selfish desire. A desire to hang onto things and to make things stay the same because it makes us feel secure. Many people are looking for a clean slate, to move on from high school (the drama, the rumors, etc). I have felt offended when I have been unfriended in the past and I probably will in the future. But I myself have unfriended people. Only two people and it was selfish to say the least, but that's not the point of this. We shouldn't focus on what's happening on social networking, we should try to focus more on what is going on in the world, current events. How can we change the world, because that's more important and will be more relevant in the future. No one is going to remember when "so and so" went on a study abroad trip. Many things on social sites are fleeting and will only be remembered by those who actually experienced them.

Hopefully this will help those of you who are worried about why you feel like you aren't relevant. You are not. Just close the computer, go outside, volunteer and experience life through your eyes and your experiences because your relevance should be your own personal thing and everyone else's? That is there's.

Defining size

How often do you walk through a store and see signs that designate where certain clothes are? Such as, men, women's, boys, girls, etc. Or perhaps during online shopping? I'll admit, I love online shopping, even if I have no intent of buying anything I love seeing new shipments and imaging if I could buy whatever I wanted. For much of my life (meaning, the time in my life I could start shopping for myself) I had a hard time going into stores and buying things. I would usually end up crying and being upset, not liking anything that I saw or if I liked something it wouldn't be in my "size". I'm not sure, but I may not be the only one who has had this experience before. It makes me sad thinking that there are people who have or still are feeling the way I would when it came to shopping. Now that I am older I started to understand shopping more and shopping for my size, don't get me wrong sometimes I accidentally buy the wrong size. I didn't really have anyone when I was younger telling me if something looked good or bad. The typical words were: Okay, get it. Sure. So on and so forth. I remember shopping for a school dance my sophomore year in high school. I was at Macy's and saw so many cute dresses. I grabbed a few I really liked thinking they were my size and went to try them on. None of them worked, making me feel like something was wrong with me. That my body didn't meet the standard that these clothing companies appealed to. I ended up buying a very plain baggy dress that I despised even to this day. But don't worry, that whole dance in general was one of the lamest things I ever attended. Even up till this past year I couldn't eye my size or was in denial of my size. When you are a teen or in your 20's, maybe even older, you want to shop in your age groups area. I didn't want to shop in women's, or plus size. Though, I don't believe I was plus sized at any point but in a weird size of not junior or plus. So women's ended up being the easiest place to shop for me.

The point I am trying to make in this post is what defines size? Why do we have to have petite and plus size designated areas? I understand that separating men and women and from there women and juniors. But why do we need to advertise that in this area you are petite and over here you are plus size? You could argue that it makes it easier to shop. But what I would say to that is first, shopping is never easy regardless of organizing. But secondly, how much harder or more work would be placed on the shopper if the sizes were just in the same area with no giant sign? Our society has created this stigma with what our size is. That our size defines us, that we can't shop in the same area as someone who is smaller or bigger than us. All the while designers and retail know that them separating sizes can make someone feel uncomfortable. We shouldn't be afraid to shop in what is right for us. But also, there needs to be a bigger spectrum of sizes, not just a certain body frame. I'm sure in this post I bounced across that discussion of size and that maybe I didn't hit any particular point but perhaps this will help people to start thinking about the question at hand: What defines size?

Chocolate Masque

Doesn't that title sound yummy?

Yum. By the way, I am using my new camera :) 

Hello! So it's been awhile but I want to talk about a new masque I tried. I actually tried it today :) I'm sure most of you have heard of these masques by Montagne Jeunesse. You can find them anywhere really. I picked this one up at Ulta a few weeks ago. It took me awhile to use it because I only use masque's once a week and I was/still using one my Giovanni (check out that post here). So if I had known that this one smelt so good I would've started using it sooner. So a few things about this companies product: it is cruelty free (BUAV certified) and vegetarian.

Cruelty-free and vegetarian

How awesome is that? Also, it is very budget friendly. Because even when you are on a budget you probably still want to treat yourself and let's be honest, LUSH is an amazing company that also makes face masque's but it isn't ideal for the girl on a budget. Or even if you are new to trying face masque's this is a good one to start off with.

Let me start off the major details of it by saying this: It smells like chocolate. Not like that weird fake smell but actual candy bar chocolate. You can't go wrong with that. Just don't try to eat! I'm sure it doesn't taste like candy. This particular masque is for dry skin/ t-zone. T-zone meaning you tend to break out along the forehead down the center of your face. And of course, knowing me, I didn't look at which type I picked up until I got home. Luckily my biggest issue is in the t-zone. It says to wet face with warm water then apply. Make sure you read the back for what to do because some say to apply dry and some say to apply when face is wet. This mask is supposed to hydrate, deep clean pores and an anti-stress. I can agree that the smell of chocolate is de-stressing. I let it on for about 10 minutes and it got very hard. I personally can't tell if my pores are cleaner perse but I do feel like my face is more moisturized.

A real awkward bathroom selfie. The models did it better. 

This definitely a product that I would repurchase and would recommend to others. It is great for those who are on a budget, trying to/are cruelty-free shoppers, strictly vegetarian product users, or for those that like chocolate. 

Have you tried this masque before or another one like it or by this company? Let me know! I would love to hear what you think or your reviews. :)

Where have I been? Yet again. Catching up on life, school and my 21st birthday

Hello!
So recently I haven't been around much on the blogging front. I have over loaded with school, life and everything. It's been a drag. But I'm hoping now (that I am on Spring Break) I will be able to put up a few posts :)

Let me catch you up:

It was my birthday on March 3rd. Skyler took me to Dave N Busters and I had a few drinks, not a lot because I was getting sick from eating bread with gluten in it :x

I think this drink was called Candy Land. It was actually really good. You couldn't taste the alcohol at all. I would've drank beer but being gluten intolerant I can't have beer, so cocktails and shots it was.

Our attempt at an Oscar selfie. I think we all looking charming. (I'm hiding behind Skyler's should) :)

Oh yeah, and my sweet new ride. :P (It's in the wall btw)

I plan on getting a new camera with my birthday money, woop woop! Better quality photo's AND starting up my channel again :)



So after my birthday I had to study a TON for my biology exam. If anyone had taken college biology, you know it's a hard class









Well that's about it so far. I'm hoping to get some Spring, well it already feels like summer in Arizona, inspiration up. See you soon!

-Tori

Giovanni purifying facial mask

Giovanni purifying facial mask
D:tox system

Hey! Long time no talk. Sorry I've been gone for some time. I just started college classes, picking up more shifts at work and other life odds and bits. I hope you had a fantastic end to 2013 and an even more wonderful start to 2014! How are you doing on those resolutions? ;)

So today I wanted to talk about Giovanni purifying facial mask (if that wasn't obvious, haha). What a great one to talk about for my first post of the new year? The word purifying, it makes me think of refreshing, clean and new. And it should make me think of that. Everyone (or almost everyone) starts the new year with intention of a clean slate, starting over and change. For some it's little things like, smile more and for some it's huge things like, over coming a fear. For me one of my resolutions is to love and take care of myself. I don't take a lot of time for myself, I don't know why. But in the past few months I've been learning how to "listen" to my body. Sounds a bit...hippy, right? Well whether it is or isn't shouldn't really matter. It's good to learn how to "listen" to your body. Learn what foods work for you, what make up and facial cleansers work, etc. For me I've learned many things my body does NOT appreciate. Many things I have been eating, drinking or using for many years but that is a topic for another day and another blog post. So onto what THIS post is about.

So if you have read any of my older posts you may know that I have sensitive skin. And it's beyond picky. What I mean is, I can't use many popular face washes (which I don't mind because many test on animals) I can't use liquid foundation or I will break out. And other things. So I am very weary of a lot of products. Also I like to use organic or close to natural as possible. And it has to be cruelty free.Well I have heard many wonderful things about Giovanni from bloggers and The Leaping Bunny. The thing that caught my eye was that they are cruelty free, that right there got all my attention. So for a few months I had been looking at reviews and posts about them, going on their website and such. I came to the conclusion that I wanted to try some of their products and lo and behold I couldn't find any of their things. That's not the companies fault, I could order online, but I'm far too impatient for that :) Anyways the stores I had gone to didn't have their things or if they carried it didn't have it in stock, which I have a few issues with stores not caring adequate amounts of cruelty free products. But I'm not upset by that, I understand. So a few days ago I went to TJMaxx (If you haven't been to TJMaxx before I suggest you go, it's also called TKMaxx in other countries, right?) Anyways I went to their hair and body section and they had many brands that I can't ever seem to find and I saw the Giovanni face mask and I thought: "well well well...I'm going to try this! It's here and I better get it before it's gone." So this was a few days ago. I love face mask, but my luck with them has been so so. It's my skin. Face masks will make my skin feel soft and smooth and clean and then I break out the next day. I don't know why. It's happened with LUSH face masks. So I thought I can't make a blog post the day after trying this to give a real review I need to wait a few days to see how my skin reacts. And the outcome was...

I did not break out! Not one bump and red spot, nothing, nada, zip! I think we can say that this product was blessed by the face gods. It's been 3 days since I used it and not a single zit. It's grey in color and there are no beads on scrubiness to it. I am indifferent on the smell, it's not bad but not amazing. It's the typical face mask smell. My favorite thing about it is that it contains acai and goji berry both very powerful antioxidant superfoods. It's a mask you put on for 20 minutes and gently wash off. When I washed it off my skin felt smooth but it did make it feel dry, I don't know if it was the product that caused it or just the fact that I live in Arizona. This product is certified by Leaping Bunny.

Oh just me looking like an alien with the mask on.

I hope you enjoyed this review! Leave a comment below if you have tried any Giovanni's other products, I would love to hear what you think! Bye! 

Hydroxatone BB cream review

Hydroxatone BB cream

Hello! So recently I had put in an order with Ulta. I had ordered a few things and they were doing a promotion of sorts. The promotion was: spend 'x' amount of money and get a free make up bag full of sample goodies! The samples ranged from make up to moisturizer to shampoo and so on. So it was definitely a deal I could not pass up. One of the sample was Hydroxatone BB cream. (as seen above)

I've never really tried BB cream before. 1) It's a bit on the expensive side 2) I try really hard not to put on layers of make up. My skin will break out if I do. And who wants that? So I thought you know what? It's a free sample I'll try it and see how my skin takes to it. So far no break outs! Hallelujah! It's very light on the skin and hardly noticeable once blended.

Please excuse my vainy hand! This is what the product looks like on my skin (top)
This is what the product looks like once blended (bottom)

It is in medium. I didn't get to pick the color for the products. It definitely suits my skin tone even though I'm never in the "medium" area.
On the back it says it is a multi-benefit formula. The benefits include:
1) Advance anti-aging technology
2) Protection
3) Immediate perfecting coverage

I can not say whether or not the first one is true. I mean I've only been using it for a week. And you know, aging is something that is noticeable over a few years...so.
Also, it has SPF 40 in it. Which is a big deal to me. I'm really into SPF and think more people need to become aware of how beneficial it is. Even if you live in a place that rains more than 365 days a year. You should still put on some SPF.

All in all, I love this product. It's definitely something I would recommend to someone with sensitive skin (or not) and to anyone who just wants coverage!

I hope you enjoyed this review.
Talk to you soon!
Bye

\

Crazy amounts of shopping

Okay. So I may have dropped a bit of money in the past week, but hey, great deals and sales! I got and H&M haul, Ulta haul and so Christmas gifts out of the way. So it was quite successful! But any who, when my stuff comes in I'll be making a post on it. Also, I'm working on how to make holiday cookies with coconut flour so stay tuned for that. Next week we are holiday baking! I'll take some picture and maybe post some recipes. See you soon!

Sweater weather tag

(Photo: Google)

I got this tag from Prettylittledoodahs and thought it would be a fun little thing! :)
Hope you enjoy.

1. Favourite candle scent?

This year I've been really into soy based candles. And my favorite for fall is one I had gotten at Hallmark and it's a woodstick candle. So it sounds like a mini fire in a fire place and it smells like cinnamon-y and warm. It's wonderful.

2. Coffee, tea or hot chocolate? 

Tea. Though I do like the occasional coffee or a nice hot chocolate. Oh! Peppermint hot chocolate!

3. What's the best fall memory you have?

Nothing in particular stands out. But I do remember a lot of walks home from school during this time of the year. And seeing family. 

4. Which make up trend do you prefer: dark lips or winged eyeliner?

Winged eyeliner all the way! 

5. Best Fragrance for fall?

Hmm...there is this one that I had found a few years ago and have yet to find it again. I think it may have been discontinued but it was sweet and pepperminty. Can you tell I enjoy peppermint?

6. Favourite Thanksgiving food?

All of it? Gravy. Potatoes. Stuffing (with no onions) Turkey. 

7. What is autumn weather like where you live?

At first it was unseasonably warm and dry. We didn't get rain ALL of October. Now it's upper 60's and starting to get rainy.

8. Most worn sweater?

My navy blue knit I got from American Eagle...3 years ago? Poor thing has seen better days. But I love it.

9. Must have nail polish this fall?

There is one by Julep Maven that I've been loving it's a slate gray color. It goes well with so many things.

10. Football games or jumping in leaf piles?

Can I jump in a pile of leaves while watching a football game? I love both. But I may have to pick football.

11. Skinny jeans or leggings?

Skinny jeans. On me, I don't like just leggings. If it is paired with a dress, skirt, shorts, etc then it's okay. But just alone, no.

12. Combat boots or Uggs?

Combat boots. Uggs just don't seem like they keep out the water and stuff.

13. Is pumpkin spice worth the hype?

Kinda. There are so many holiday flavors. I actually like caramel brulee latee's. Shh!

14. Favourite fall TV show?

Okay. Let's start: Supernatural, How I Met Your Mother, Castle, Legend of Korra, Once Upon A Time...

Yay! So if any of you would like to do this go on ahead! If you do plan on doing it tell me, I want to see what you guys like during this time of the year. Hope you guys have a wonderful day. Bye!

Winter LUSH haul!

So I know a haul for some people means buying out an entire store of their merchandise. To me, a haul means you bought something, even if it is one thing. Yesterday I had finally made my way to LUSH. In the town I live in we don't have one but two towns over there is one in the mall. I was super excited to go because I knew they would have Cinders. One I had been wanting for awhile now because I have heard many good things about it. I already knew what I wanted and had a spending "limit". I picked up three bath bombs.

Of course I had gotten cinders. I personally have never tried it but like I had said I've heard many good things.

Look at this cutie. Bombardino! Let us just say he is winking. ;)

Ickle baby bot! This is one of my favorite ones at LUSH. I mean, look at him! Plus I love the smell, it's very relaxing to me.

They gave me a small soap sample when I was there. I don't know if it was a promotional or what. But it has a minty smell and to me it's invigorating. 

This is what it looks like. It's a very pretty blue.

Well that is it for my haul. I'm very excite to use these! Have you tried any of these or other holiday ones? 

A bit of a wedding planning update

I've gotten nowhere. Oops. Or more like I've made little no attempt at going forward with any of it. Skyler and I have come up with the basics. Like, color scheme, location, honeymoon, date. But beyond that, not much else. I have been obsessing with wedding shoes I have seen on The Knot. Oh man there are some amazing shoes! But I can't spend $900 or more dollars on just that. I'm not sure what I want to go for: heels or flats. I'm 5'8 so I think it can be either way for my height. Also, I have started working out and eating healthier in order to be down to my goal weight in time. It's going well. So I plan on making posts on different things I am liking, such as, dresses, shoes, hair styles, make up, etc!

Alba Botanica Shampoo review

Alba Botanica Shampoo

Hey! Have you ever struggled with shampoo before?  I have and I hate having to go through many brands looking for ones that work on my hair. Everyone's hair is different and therefore not every shampoo is effective. Which means you do have to be patient (something I am SO not good at) and look, look, look! Recently I have made the switch from typical brands, such as, L'Oreal, Maybelline, Covergirl, Garnier Fructis, etc. And have been looking for products that aren't tested on animals. Doing this is not easy. I have a hard time finding things that meet the criteria  So when I came across the brand Alba Botanica (Parent company Haen Celestial which also makes Avalon Organics) I was thrilled to find a shampoo that was cf! For anyone interested these shampoo/conditioner and other hair care products are cf:

• Giovanni
• Dessert Essence   

So the main questions are, does it work? Is it effective? And I'll tell you, the answer is yes! I love this shampoo! It doesn't have many of the harmful chemicals many shampoos have and it really gives my hair moisture and my hair just feels...clean. It doesn't suds up like a lot of shampoo's but that is due to sodium laural sulfate. Ick. I only use it on my roots because I want to target where it's oily, and condition the ends. The packaging is cute, very tropical to me. The only down fall (which it may not be for everyone) is that I find that I have to use a lot. I don't know if it's because I'm use to suds or what. It smells like coconut as well, which is a big plus! It's not a fake smell either. I would definitely recommend  this product to anyone.

Have you tried any new shampoo's, conditioners or other hair care things? If so tell me what you think or if you have made a post link me! 

The kitten fiasco

Guess what? We got two cats! Recently our baby bunny had passed on and we wanted to fill the empty void that was left. So Skyler had a co-worker whose mother-in-law could no longer take care of her kittens and we decided that we would adopted them from her. They are both 6 months old and full of love and energy! Here are some pictures:

The tan/brown one is named Mocha and the black and white one is named Loki.
I plan on adding more pictures over time and there are many to be found on my instagram.

Best friend tag!

So I would've made a Youtube video of this but oddly enough my point and shoot AND computer are having camera technical difficulties! So, I shall type it out! Enjoy.



Question #0: What is her/his name?
Sarah Shinn

1. How and when did you meet?
   Hmm...let's see. 7th grade?! Oh man. We had a mutual friend I think and maybe one class together? But we didn't become best friends until 10th grade
   
   
2. What is your favorite memory together?
   Too many to count...is what you would think I would say! But, I think one of my favorites was when she and 2 other friends drove 5 hours to see my high school graduation :) To this day I can't be more grateful
   
3. Describe  in one word.
   Understanding
   
4. What's their dream job?
   Musician
    
5. What's your favorite makeup brand?
   I honestly don't know.
   
6. What is something that annoys you about the other person?
   Nothing haha oh other than have incredible musical talent! But it's only "annoying" because I'm jealous. You go girl :)
   
7. If you could go anywhere in the world together, where would it be and why?
   Somewhere in Europe? England!
   
8. What is your favorite inside joke?
   June bug. Rolled up napkin.
   
9. Who takes longer to get ready?
   I don't know. Seems like an odd question.
   
10. Favorite season?
    FALL!
    
11. Favorite song?
    I don't know. I know she likes The Wanted, Landon Austen...and a few others
    
12. What’s it like being friends with someone who’s obsessed with youtube?
    I wouldn't say she is obsessed. She makes videos of songs she has written. More like dedicated to keeping a dream lit
    
13. Heels or flats?
    Flats? Sarah please correct anything I am wrong on.
    
14. Pants or dresses?
    Skinny jeans last time I was told (3 years ago...)
    
15. Favorite animal?
    Dog?
    
16. Comedy, horror, or chick flick?
    Comedy or chick flick.
    
17. Blackberry or iPhone?
    Iphone. That's a given haha
    
18. Favorite movie?
    THE PROPOSAL
    
19. What is something weird that you eat?
    Egglant! That stuff is so weird looking omg.
    
20. Do you guys have anything matching?
    We bought the same shirt once. From Forever 21 I think or wet seal
    
21. What's your favorite TV show?
    Friends I think. I am just going of social networking posts she has made haha

Woo. Well I don't think I have ever doubted myself more than right now! If you have a friend you want to do this for go ahead. I tag everyone :) 

Homemade cinnamon chai tea with milk

Hello! So first off, I cracked my computer screen. I accidentally dropped my laptop and it just cracked. It's not like I've never dropped it before but whatever. 

Anyways today I want to make a quick post about how I make chai tea with milk. I guess it would be a latte then? 

Well lately I've been on a huge tea craze! I've been going through 5+ cups of tea a day. Mainly just green tea and black peach tea. Today though I decided to make something a bit different. 

Homemade chai tea with milk:

-one bag of chai tea

-hot water. I just use my coffee pot to heat water. Yay for being a college kid.

-milk. I used almond milk. But use whatever you have, there is no specific type of milk you need to use. Also I just poured till I got a color I liked. Like tea darker? Use less milk. Like tea lighter? Use more milk. 

-sprinkle on cinnamon. Again, use however much you desire.

-optional: sugar. I didn't use any because I don't like chai sweetened but add it for a sweet kick

For you tea lovers I hope you enjoyed this quick recipe! Leave a comment if you made it or have your own recipe! 

E.L.F cosmetics haul!

Make up haul time! So I got this bundle of fun about a week ago and have finally had the time to sit down and tell you about it! I love when I actually can blog about something. Sometimes I get such a bad writers block that I just sit at my computer and cannot think of a single thing to talk about. It's a pain in the...well anyways. A few reasons why I love E.L.F is because they are cruelty free and they are super budget friendly! If you haven't heard of them I suggest you go check them out!
Let us get into it shall we?

E.L.F cosemtics

I only got four things. But they are four wondrous, marvelous things! I got:

• Mineral infused mascara
• HD mattifying cream foundation
• Under eye concealer and highlighter
• Baked eye shadow in NYC

This is the mascara. It is in black and it is the typical wand. Of course my camera didn't focus on the words so much as the dust...
This stuff is really great!

This is the cream foundation and it is in porcelain. It comes with a mirror and sponge.

Alas, the under eye concealer. I need this so badly. I have the worst under eye circles and this is a life saver! It is in fair.

This is what I was most excited for! I'm a huge eye shadow junkie. I love the colors on this palette so much! They are so pretty and I just don't want to ruin them. They are great colors for everyday wear or a night out! This is the NYC palette. 

What is your favorite E.L.F cosmetic? 

Wedding chaos

Oh my gosh. Have you ever planned a wedding? If not, it's insane. I haven't even really got into the middle of it all but what I have done so far is already stressing me out. We are doing a very simple wedding, but I still need cake ideas, dress ideas, venues, etc. There is a lot to plan. One of the biggest things I have struggled with was keeping people updated on our plans. I know, that's just not okay. But it is what it is. I plan on creating a wedding blog because that's the only way I can keep people updated. I will make blog posts on wedding hair styles, cake fun, and lots of other great things! Not dress shopping or my final dress because Skyler can't see it before the big day :)

How to start becoming cruelty free part 1

The cruelty-free life

This post isn't to shove my views down your throat. This post is explaining what my life style is and what is really happening behind factory doors

Why did I choose to become cruelty free? I used to have a bunny. Her name was Snickers.

Isn't she a cutie?
She actually passed away recently. But she was one of the soul reasons why I decided to go cruelty free.
I had conscious knowledge that there was possibly testing happening. I didn't really look into it though. Plus I thought testing, probably wasn't that bad. I'm sure we all have had that same thought. Then when I was on tumblr I had seen a post (given that the source was so incorrect) it was a girl showing what it was like for animals to be tested on. Of course they weren't actually hurting her in the same way they do to animals but it is quite graphic. Then in 2012 I had discovered Lush. You know, that lovely bubble and bath place. And they told me that they were the ones who had done the campaign I had just mentioned. Lush is completely cruelty free. They don't test, parent company doesn't test or third party company doesn't test. They are the goddess...god of being cruelty free.

Why does testing happen? It happens because companies want to make sure that the chemicals they use aren't going to cause an issue to a human who will use it. Or if it does cause an issue, they can put a warning. Can we think about this for a second? It's 2013...by this point we should be developed enough as a civilization that we should know what can and cannot be put on us and we should have other methods of testing on not a living creature. Plus, if they have a need to test their products, what does that say about their ingredients?

Who is victim?

Mice, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs and many other animals. There are products (maybe not cosmetics) that are tested on dogs and monkeys. Animals we see as companions are being subject to cruel treatment. They are forced to have chemicals in their eyes, nose, ears and mouths. These animals are tested on and then carelessly tossed. 

There are many companies that claim the leaping bunny seal of approval. Therefore, research is highly required. What I mean by "they claim" is that their parent company tests or a third party tests. If the parent company or third party is testing, then the product isn't cruelty free.

There are many companies that test, many that you may purchase from currently. L'oreal, Maybelline, Covergirl, Garnier, Bobbi Brown, Smashbox, Estee Lauder and a lot more!

This website has a good list. 

What companies could possibly be cruelty free in that massive list?
The leaping bunny has a very reliable list, go check it out! There are many budget friendly brands out there that are 100% cruelty free. The website does put icons by some companies about whether or not they have a parent or third party that tests. 

Some helpful websites that you can look at are:
Leaping bunny

Peta (I personally don't use them as a resource)
Google

Apps:
Buycott 

(Though out time I will continue to add to these lists, if you know of any, leave them in a comment)

I plan on making a few more posts about cruelty free things. I plan on putting lists of budget friendly companies and high end companies.
I also plan on finding websites and resources on how to help and make a difference. 

Luvocracy

Hey, how are you? It's been awhile. But I wanted to make a quick post about the website luvocracy. :)

If you haven't heard of this website I suggest you go check it out. It's like Pinterest and amazon collide. It's a great plus to hear about products from people who aren't being influenced. It's also a place where if someone buys something off of your board you get website credit! How cool is that? So if you have an account or plan on getting one head over and be sure to find me! My username is tori3jensen 

Hope to see some of you over there :)