Don't Forget Yourself

This seems to only be timely appropriate for the last minute shoppers, but I hope everyone can get something out of it.

As the Holliday season seams to be in full swing I want to remind everyone buying or making gifts not to forget yourself. We all deserve a little treat too. 

We all have some vice that we let ourselves splurge on one Ina while, and we should that is healthy so long as it doesn't become too often. This is relevant, I promise. Because for me this is an occasion, because when I know there is a big party coming up I often allow my self to buy something new and construct the rest of my outfit around that. So while I was out getting a few things for the last touches of my gifts I noticed the new Essie polishes and fell in love. Not to mention that fall and winter colors tend to be my favorites, and Essie often comes out with good colors. But I desired to treat myself and picked 'mind your mittens' because I thought it was beautiful and because I usually go for red tones which means I already have quite a few. This dark cool green grey is something different. Essentially this is my present to myself this year.

I'm working on some holiday party outfit ideas that I'm hopping I will be able to finish in time. 

That's all for now!  

Cozy Holiday

Cozy Holiday

A Sneakety Peak

a sneakety peak von alovelylittlethought-1, black white window treatments enthaltend

Here's a little sneak peak into my room decoration. Even though I have lived here for a little over two months now, I have been so buzy with school and life that my room decoration has really come out of two trips to ikea and the little things are comming together slowly. I will probably do a more extensive post with actual pictures once I am better settled or when I feel like it is worth sharing. 

Dressing for the Weather and Conscious Shopping

Around this time of year that usually means layers. But I have noticed that the rooms in my school have  a tendency to be really warm and have terribly stale air but get very cold very fast when one try's to open a window. Although I have mastered judging the layers I need for my walk to school, I find that the fleece I have been wearing lately is too warm most of the time. And most of my other sweaters don't open in the front meaning you don't have the middle step of an open front. So I poped out to H&M and was pleasantly surprised when they had some very nice cardigans on sale because they are just what I needed, along with a pair of pants because one of my jeans ripped that morning and brought me to the realization that it's starting to look a little this since I also have a mother pair that I only wear at home because I think they are about to rip due to how thin I have worn them over the years. All in all a very productive trip in which I found exactly what I needed. 

In conjunction with that I am trying to pay more attention to quality and invest clothes that will really last instead of lots of clothes that I won't be able to wear for very long. And as I am now on the hunt for a really good pair of jeans because, although I love the pants I bought, they are not quite as classic and versatile as a great pair of jeans. So if anyone knows a jeans brand that is really worth the money in terms of quality I would love you to share. I find it a little hard to judge how well a product will last in the stores; they can deceive quite a bit when they are brand new. 

Until next time. 

P.S. I would love to here your thoughts. 

How I Spent My Vacation Week

When I ordered my computer online and it came in multiple boxes, most of which contained smaller boxes inside, it was clear to the craftster in me that I could not let these cardboard beauties go to waste. Especially not the one containing my tower, because so many great craft ideas require a good box. But since I don't have that much storage space here in my room I had to use them soon, and used my week off from school to do just that. Not to mention that I wanted a bedside table since I moved in, but never found a model that I liked enough and one that fit into my budget. The shipping box layed flat made a nice sized table for my needs, and the box inside that contained the computer itself fit nicely as a drawer, which are always handy when you never seem to have enough storage space. The whole construction is not exceptionally sturdy, but it really should be enough for my needs. Voila!

The drawr could use a lining and a coat of paint around the outside, but that will probably be a project for Christmas break.
Just to give an idea of what I did step by step: I started by cutting a hole in the bigger box where the drawer should fit in. Then I padded the the sides with some leftover packing material. this was mosltly just to keep the drawr in place so that it wont get lodged in unfotunate ways, because do want it to be functional. Next I taped up the boxes where I had opened them and cut the top off the smaller box so that is would have the propper shape. Next I decoupaged the inside of the drawr to make it surdier, and smooth the edges. Lastly I painted all of the outer sides white and then decorated it with littel blue birds. This would be the step to make it really unique and interesting. Finnaly a clear finnishing spray to seal everything, this is particularly important for me becuase the birds on the top are painted with water color and could therfore easaly smudge if they got wet. If this were not a concern, it would not be so important.

I would really appreciate feed back. Tell me what you think of this project and post.

My Finger Lizard

I love my rings. Plain and simple. I I feel a little naked without them because I have a certain set that I wear almost everyday. I don't have a huge collection, but I have a select few all out of real silver because I prefer to spend a little more and wear them all the time. I find that cheep rings turn my fingers green and don't look good very long. This little critter joined my collection yesterday and I think he was worth every penny. 

Most of my rings (not including the few costume rings) are quite simple. Although I was really looking for a ring with a little piece of green amber, when I found this one, I thought it had a certain delicate elegance and a degree of regal grace. I fell in love so quickly, I simply had to share my find with you. 

August In Review

My August started out pretty lazy with my trying to really enjoy my last bit of summer vacation, because I knew that I would have things to do when I got to Germany. Then I started taking apart my room to pack everything up either to take with me or pack into my closet since my brother would be taking over my room. Afterwards, a pretty straightforward flight with a slight hiccup upon arrival when my suitcase did not make it to our destination with me.  They did find it back in Boston, and it was brought to me a few days later. But in that time my dad and I spent about a week informing ourselves and trying to take care of the official business-y side of moving to a new city/country. We then had a little bit of down time to visit some friends and enjoy Dresden before we went to Munich for a few days. We came back to dresden for a little over 36 hours, in which time I got my key to my new room and started getting situated. I'll probably post all about my room as soon as I have finished decorating it and making it worth showing.  For now it is pretty messy and has some of my family's luggage too because we went to Berlin for a few days and so we all took little bags and left the rest in my room for the time being. 

As I realized that August was coming to a close I tried to think about my favorites, and I realized three things.

1. Most of my makeup and cosmetics are still packed upas they were for the flight, so not in a way that's designed for me to get to everything easily. 

2. Although I am looking forward to going to the drugstore as well as some of the german high end stores and trying new things, especially things that weren't readily available in Boston, I have been so busy that I keep pushing it back. The time I have spent in the drugstore since arriving have been to get the essentials. 

And 3. I have been using the same products a lot. And not even rediscovered one. I have one little bag that's got the basics of everything that I have been using. This little bag has been the one to come with me on all of these little trips. So while I love these products, they would look a whole lot like last month's favorites. 

All of these things together made me think that a monthly favorites would just be boring. So I wrote this instead. I hope you forgive me. And I know I still have not done the outfit post I promised. But I'm pretty sure I will post more often when I start to get settled and can work from a real computer with internet, not just from this tablet with speratic Internet access. Also lately this blog has been a lot about my life and a little less about what I thought it would be about, but I'm okay with that and I hope you are too. I would love feedback. Until next time!

On a day like today

Lately I've been so busy getting stuff done, and going to various offices and visiting various friends, that I was looking forward to having the morning free to relax and pamper myself before going to my grandparents' wedding anniversary later tonight. 

On the agenda this morning: 

First shower. Take the time to exfoliate and shave and give myself a hair mask. These are kind of the fundamental things to looking and feeling a little better, because smooth radiant skin and luscious locks just look healthy and well kept. 

After my shower I gave my self a mini facial complete with a gentile scrub, a clay mask and to finish a slightly richer day cream to hydrate because a clay mask can be a little drying. 

I had to do a few little things around the house i.e. laundry and some minor organization to make packing for our trip to Munich easier. 

Finally I put on some music and did my nails out in the garden. I'm off the get dressed in a little bit. I'll try to put up an outfit post in the next couple of days. 

Until next time!

An Update in Craziness

The last week and a half have been so crazy busy. I finally finished packing with a suit case that was exactly at the weight limit, and quite a pile of stuff that I then distributed amongst my family members who are coming here for a short while and still have space in their luggage. I have no idea how I would have managed without them here to carry some of my stuff. Unfortunately my suitcase never made it out of Boston until this morning. It has since been delivered to my grandparents' where I will pick it up. And I have packed most of my everyday clothes in my carryon luggage. So since we got here, my dad and I have been going around trying to set me up here so that I will be ready to go when school starts in two weeks. 

But I am starting to settle in and we will be traveling a little bit and relaxing more as we can cross things off our list. Hopefully I will have some more posts soon! 

July Favorites

July 2013 Favorites by alovelylittlethought-1 featuring maybelline concealer

Moving to College by Airplane

As I am going to college abroad, driving is not an option. This can be pretty stressful. As I am currently in the process of packing up to move to my university in Germany, I thought I might share a few tips for those moving to college by plane.
1. Check your airline's baggage policy 

Although most airlines have similar baggage policies it is best to look online and see what the specifics are for your flight. Since over weight and extra baggage is often quite pricey, it is best to come prepared and to weigh you luggage at home so you don't get a nasty surprise.
2. Prioritize
Decide what you really need to take with you and what can stay behind. In most cases you really don't need to bring your whole life with you. Also think about what you really need versus what you would like to bring. This way you can start by packing the necessities and take the slightly less important things where there is still space. Also remember that shipping is pretty expensive, so it really is best to take what you can in your luggage. If you are going to a different country think about your electronics too; sometimes it is better to plan to buy a new one upon arrival. What comes to my mind is my flat iron, since it needs replacing anyway there is no reason to bring it and get an adapter. 

3. Think long and short term

If you know you are coming home for thanksgiving, you don't need to bring all your winter clothes with you. Instead you can leave them at home and switch out the bulk of your wardrobe when you visit. This is probably most important with winter clothes because they tend to be bulkiest, but the same idea goes for your spring clothes if you know you will be home for spring break. 

If you know you will not be coming home until next summer, you want to remember to pack for all seasons. But as your space will probably be limited, remember to pack versatile pieces and items that layer well. 

Best of luck! Remember that if you do forget something vital there are probably shops around for you to buy them.                                                                                                                                                          

What to do with Old Jeans and "Scraps' from DIY Cut-offs?

If you are like me and you like to make your own denim cut offs because you know how long you want your  shorts to be and the shops never seem to get them quite right, not to mention that your local thrift store has great jeans that are even cheaper than most new clothes and still in great shape. Now, that's all well and good except that every time you cut long pants into shorts, most of the fabric is now "scrap". And I cannot stand to throw that fabric away, mostly be use they are pretty big pieces, which would suggest you could make something out of them. But if you keep cutting shorts and saving jeans you grew out of or that ripped in awkward places etc. you end up with tons if jean in varying shades, and they continue to pile up. I found this blog post (http://pinoyinoz.blogspot.com/2008/07/tutorial-city-backpack.html) last summer and happened to have some light canvass-y material that was great for lining and embellishment. On the left is a potion of what was my collection of old unwearable denim.

I want to give credit where credit is due. So I won't do a tutorial or go through the details because I feel like that is not fair to her. Instead I recommend you go check out the post by Heart of Mary for full instructions. I just wanted to show what I made with just a few alterations, and maybe give some inspiration to those of you out there with leftover denim because in many cases it is strong enough to make a little bag like this one that is not meant to carry anything particularly heavy. Good luck if you decide to try this project too.

A little DIY in the spirit of reducing clutter and volume

First things first: I know I am not the first to do something like this. I am not trying to steel an idea. I just did this project myself because I am trying to shrink everything I own, including my make up collection which has gotten quite extensive lately.

First you will need:
Palettes or single pans that have been or are about to be depoted ( I have here an e.l.f. Palette where I chose to only depot the shades I liked because I fou d some of them to be pretty bad quality or too similar to another, better, eyeshadow I also owned)
Magnet strips ( you can find these at office supply or craft stores as stickers that are messs free , no glue, and easy to cut into shape if needed. )
Some other container for your new palette. I have an e.l.f. Bronzes that I stopped using along time ago for a plethora of reasons. I have taken the pan of bronzes out of its packaging and placed a piece of magnet sticker on the bottom. If you have something like a metal pencil box or something that is already magnetic you will not need to put down a layer of magnet stickers.

So essentially you want to pop the pans out of their packaging. I do this with my swiss army knife, you just need something you can slip under the pan and pop it out. This may be easier or harder depending on the pan and the old casing. Sometimes the glue is stronger but this usually just takes some conviction to get around. The bigger problem I've had is that some pans will bend and this causes the eyeshadow to crack and get all over the place. I also don't know any good tricks other than repressing the eye shadows into better pans. If you know how to get around this please let me know.
Then some pans are already magnetic and can simply be placed into your magnetic box or repurposed compact, others will need a little piece of magnet sticker on the back. Voila!
What you use for this project and how you embellish it is totally up to you. I have used other containers for palettes before and they are great for storage at home, but I have to say the bennifit of a compact is that they are a great size for taking in your purse and this one has a wonderful big mirror already in it.  Happy D.I.Y.ing everybody!

Amazing How Big Things Creep Up On Me

Four weeks and six days until my plane takes off! I feel like I am so close, yet I have barely started moving prep. I happen to know that there are also quite a few limiting factors in my move.

1. I get 1 suit case that fits that Lufthansa weight and size limits plus one carry on. 

2. Once landing in dresden I won't be able to move straight into my new room. Instead I will have a few weeks living with friends and visiting multiple cities as my family has a ton of people to visit ever time we go back to Germany. 

Keeping these in mind I know that everything I take with me will have to be just the bare essentials. Anything that I can easily buy new or repurchase regularly anyway will not be traveling with me. So my prep begins with a fight agains my pack rat side, by slowly getting rid of excessive things I can reduce my things to a much smaller mount that will be sorted In the final days before leaving.  I can only hope that those last few days are not a complete chaos, but by starting to think long term now and begin to limit the amount of stuff I own I can Imagine it will be a little easier. 

My Magical Pouch

My Magical Pouch by alovelylittlethought-1 featuring tweezerman

I love to keep this little pouch of goodies to help get me out of any pinch I might find myself in when out and about. This bag is big enough to fit all the stuff I need, but don't always think to grab, and small enough to fit in most of my bags (I cannot fit all of this when I take a clutch, but I have most of the most important things in my clutches anyway). By putting all of this in a bag and not just in the side pockets  I have one bag with everything that I can easily grab (along with my phone and my wallet) and put in whatever bag I am taking with me that day, and I am ready to go. 

May Favorites

May Favorites by alovelylittlethought-1 featuring the body shop

Prom

Prom by alovelylittlethought-1 featuring rimmel foundation

OoTD 5/21

OoTD 5/21 by alovelylittlethought-1 

Countdown to Prom

So I wrote about the first couple things to do to get ready for prom, specifically things like finding a dress because that is what I did kind of far in advance for prom prep. And I know that many of you already had your prom, so I'm sorry if you are reading this and it seems late, but, now that my prom is just a few short weeks away I'm getting to the point where I'm thinking about making sure that my diet is good and that I'm drinking enough water to put some effort into getting that glowing from within look. These are things I try to be really good about anyway, but especially so lately because as they become good habits and part of your day to day their effect becomes greater and greater. Also as the weather has gotten warmer and i'm showing a little more skin anyway I've also been using a gradual tanner regularly to maintain a little glow-y color while avoiding unnecessary sun damage. All of these are long term prep and things I try to look out for anyway.

But as the big night gets closer and closer I've been debating making a few appointments. Now I personally am on a budget and know that there are plenty of things I can do just as well at home. So I will pamper myself the night before with a bath and some gentile exfoliation and a mini facial. I will probably also be doing my own hair and make up, so I have tested a few looks out on myself to help me decide how I will do them when the big day comes. Also that last night right before I hope to get some quality sleep, because i know i won't get it on prom night.

To all of you who already had your prom: I hope you had a wonderful evening. And to all of you who still have your prom coming up: I hope your night is every bit as amazing as you hoped.

New York, New York

New York, New York by alovelylittlethought-1 featuring hand crafted jewelry

I am in New York for the weekend, so this is roughly the outfit I will be wearing to Wicked tonight. 

OOTN Party Attire

by alovelylittlethought-1 featuring shimmer makeup

Classic nude make up with a bold read lip pairs wonderfully with this sheer polka dot blouse. 

Braids for Medium to Short Hair

Braids make great easy summery hair styles for all kids of occasions. Those of us with shorter hair have more difficulty rocking these hair styles because most braids require some length. This hair style however, works best with hair that is right around shoulder length. This will be a lot easier for those who know how to french braid their own hair. Also, I have two bright red streaks in my hair which looks really cool woven into the braids so if you have any hair chalk or something similar you might consider adding some colored pieces before you start. although there are also plenty of other ways to make this your own be adding various clips or other hair accessories. I hope you have fun with this if you decide to try it out for yourself.

First start by combing and prepping your hair with something to add a touch of hold or texture if your hair is particularly soft and/or slippery and something to tame frizzy fit is supposed to be windy or your hair tends to be frizzy. If you have bangs decide weather you want to braid them into your hair or leave them separated out (remember that the shorter the bangs the higher the likelihood of little pieces sticking out of your braid if you do decide to braid your bangs in).

Braiding your hair somewhat along your hairline around about half of your head. I am not to careful about parting  my hair all the way done the back when i'm braiding because I don't particularly want that defined part later, and by grabbing random sections the part becomes far less pronounced. Braid the hair as far to the ends as you can before tying it off with a hair tie.

Then going around the other side you want to be careful to grab all the pieces you didn't include in the first braid so that there are not random strands left out in the end. just like before braid all the way to the back and braid as close to the end before tying it off.

Finally take the end and tuck them under each other. Secure with bobby pins. Other areas along the bottom may need some pinning to hold shorter hairs in and help keep the do secure. mine uusually end up looking quite messy at this point, but I like it that way. Viola! You can leave it as it is or embellish as you wish to.

Bright & Girlie

Bright & Girlie by alovelylittlethought-1 featuring travel shirts

Spring (Closet) Cleaning Anyone?

Now that it is really starting to feel like spring here where I live I have started my spring cleaning. For me spring cleaning is usually not a thorough pull everything apart and scrub it type cleaning. Instead I go through my closet and pull out my summer clothes that I put away when it got cold and then pack up my winter clothes until fall. While doing this I go through all of my clothes and asses weather they still fit, and still fit my style because the items that don't fit that criteria don't need to take up space in my closet.
Honestly, most of us could stand to really go through our closets. Going through your closet and picking out all the items that you know you are not going to be wearing soon weather it's pieces that you got bored of or grew out of or decided were no longer your style can only be beneficial.  Don't just let them get dusty sitting in your closet, bring them to a consignment boutique or a thrift store. I like to bring my clothes to buffalo exchange because it is not far from my house and I can get a little bit of cash for some of the things I bring them, what they don't take goes to urban renewals around the corner. This helps me keep from having so many clothes that i don't even know what I have anymore.Besides, the clothes you stopped wearing could become someone else's favorite pieces, so let them be.

Prom!

To be completely honest I was not always sure I wanted to go to prom. But the more I though about it the more reasons I found to get excited for prom. So I figure it may be the one excuse I have to wear a formal gown and get all dressed up so it is an opportunity to make memories and celebrate the end of high school.
In preparation for the big night there are a few things I feel are essential. First among these things being finding the dress. Since one of the things I am looking forward to most about prom is getting all dressed up, I needed to find an AWESOME dress that made me feel like a million bucks. This is also the piece that I was most scared of because I had no idea where to start looking or what I wanted. I did know that dresses of this variety get pricey and I was on a budget. But I also knew that the best place to circumvent such a problem was the thrift store. Thrift stores almost always have great pieces for great prices, not to mention that no one else will have the same dress, and at that price you can afford some alterations because if it doesn't fit right them it is not worth any price. So I went to all my favorite thrift and consignment stores to browse with high hopes and vague ideas. Low and behold I did find an amazing dress with all the tags still on at buffalo exchange, now because they buy most of their things for resale it has a slightly different vibe because they are selective about what they take in, which has often lead to higher success rates in my experience, but it also means slightly higher prices.
Once I found the centerpiece of the outfit I started brainstorming about where to continue, what colors to look for or the styles that would work well. And I figured the next thing to find were shoes. And while I have more shoes than I wear on a regular basis and some would say I am too tall for heels, I like to wear heels, they make me feel a little sexier. But shoes need to fit comfortably, so I prefer to buy them in a store not online. I also knew that I wanted a classic pump so that I will be able to wear them again and again, especially since I probably won't have an occasion to wear the dress again. Jewelry, a bag, a jacket, those can be ordered online or found in my closet.
Now that I have my dress and the shoes I have about a month to piece together the rest of my outfit. I will post pictures when it all comes together.

OOTD Casual Dinner

Polka dots are one of my favorite trends this season. And this cotton knit dress, makes it incredibly easy to incorporate multiple trends into my day to day style, not to mention it is really comfortable.