May Favorites

Hello, friend!

Today is the first day of June! Woohoo! We are almost halfway through the year. This month has been a great month full of new music, adventures with friends, and exceptional weather. Here are some of my faves from this month!

Watch/Listen

Basically my favorite song this month has been "Malibu" by Miley Cyrus. This song gives you such happy summer vibes, and I know that I will be listening to this song all summer, especially as I travel! Another artist that I've been listening to this month is Jasmine Thompson. She became big on Youtube from her music covers and released an album this month! I specifically like the songs "Old Friends" and "Wonderland." I've also discovered that Ruth B, the girl who sings "Lost Boys," actually has an entire album and it is so magical and her voice is so pure. She has such a beautiful sound in all of her songs that is unique and her ability to tell a story through her music is unreal!! "If This is Love," is an amazing song by Ruth.

I definitely suggest that you watch travel vlogs(if you have time)! My brother and I both really like watching FunForLouis on Youtube, and right now he is in the Dominican Republic living in a tree house in a jungle. I'm basically living vicariously through his vlogs! Adelaine Morin, who really is apart of the makeup community on Youtube, has been vlogging her trip to Greece. She's almost done with the vlogs, but they are so cool to watch. She has such a positive and bubbly personality that is nice to watch if you need a pick-me-up! :)

This is a picture from Adelaine's vlog to Greece! *heart-eye emoji*

Apps

One app that I've been using this month is Plant Nanny! It's so cool because basically you choose a plant and then you get to "water" it when you drink a glass of water! It sends you reminders to drink water everyday. I have been using it here and there, it's sometimes hard to remember to fill up your plant even if you have been drinking water! It's really cute though and and is a good reward for drinking lots of water which makes you healthier.

Food

Hmm so for food this is so random but I've been loving pad thai. I went out to dinner with my family and some friends last week and we went to a thai place, and the thai food was so good! My mom and I also make pad thai at home and we made pad thai like two weeks ago as well, and the trick is to get the special sauce from the asian market! Pad thai is a noodle dish with your choice of meat and cabbage, carrots(sometimes), peanuts, green onions, and the sauce! 10/10 highly recommend if you haven't ever tried pad thai and you love noodles/asian food!

Fashion

Me, Jess & Jess at Six Flags

I've been wearing stripes. A lot. It's my lazy t-shirt no effort style that I love. Also, I've been wearing my white sneakers from Asos.com that have a little pink/peach splash of color on the backs of them. I wore them to Six Flags Great America actually, and they held up so well! Oh and I also wore my new fanny pack from Forever21 there and it was PERFECT for holding my phone and money. I definitely suggest fanny packs 25/7 they are so comfortable and then your hands are so free.

Well that's the end of my favorites for the month of May! I can't wait to see what June will bring.
Have a great rest of your week!
Joy :)

Spring Fashion Trends!

Hello friend!!

With the weather getting warmer, I've been noticing little things here and there that are definitely trending this spring. I follow some other blogs like withwaikei.com, poppydeyes.com, of course zoella.co.uk. Here's a little list of things that have been reappearing so far:

1. Denim Everything

Since spring is back and the weather is in-between warm and cold, oversized denim jackets are easy to layer over anything and even all denim outfits are trying to become a thing. The only problem is this- how do you find a pair of overalls that don't make you look like a farmer? I guess you'll have to try all of them on until you find the perfect fit. Denim definitely adds a casual and cute touch to any outfit that anyone can wear. You can even go thrifting for the perfect denim jacket!

2. Embroidery

Okay this one is pretty obvious if you've been to the mall recently! Even JCPenny is carrying embroidered jeans along with Forever21, ASOS, and the like. This trend is definitely hopping on the denim trend, because embroidered jean jackets and jeans are a thing! I think that this is a really easy way to mix the floral and personal, unique style you have to your outfit.

3. Pinstripes/Gingham

These two patterns are definitely making a big appearance this spring. Gingham dresses and pinstriped dresses are statement patterns that when worn by themselves are a complete outfit. I would definitely say that you have to be pretty bold to wear a full gingham dress. Pinstripe pants are also another bold statement option if you are experimenting with fashion! Just go for it!

4. Floral

Every spring, floral patterns make a comeback because spring = flowers, so it's just logical that you reflect what the season brings, as well as bring a little color back into your wardrobe!

5. Tinted/Mirrored Sunnies(sunglasses)

Now, you really CAN see the world through rose colored glasses and look pretty trendy while doing so! Even crazy colors like green, red, purple, and blue are in stock.

Welp there's my little fashion observations for spraang! I hope you enjoyed!

x Joy :)

March Favorites!

Hello, friend!

March is officially OVER; it has been one month since my birthday! I have been enjoying being eighteen a lot so far. It basically means that I don't need to get my parents to sign forms when I register to be a camp counselor and go and get my hair dyed, etc. Besides that, not much has really changed. Anyways, welcome to my second monthly favorites blog post! Here we go!

Watch/Listen:

Okay, this is such an easy category to write because so much good music came out this month. Ed Sheeran's album, "Divide," is one of my favorites. I have spent this whole month listening to this album, and my favorites are easily, "Dive," "Eraser," and "What do I know." Another song that I've been loving is "Stay," by Alessia Cara and Kygo(a dj). Kygo is one of my favorite dj's, along with Zed and Petit Biscuit. Check them out!!

To watch, you definitely should see Beauty and the Beast! I just saw Beauty and the Beast with my mom last Saturday, and WooooOOOOwww!! I loved it. Josh Groban's big song towards the end was so good. It was pretty realistic looking and all of the attention to details in the movie made it beautiful!

Apps: 

I haven't been using too many new apps, so I'll talk about just two that I use most often. Number one is ChineseSkill. It's a super nerdy app that lets you practice and learn Chinese for free by listening and writing exercises! It's free and has a cute panda on the app cover. I'm not very far in, but I'm working on improving my Chinese here and there.

I've also been using Pinterest a lot for inspiration for my hair dye, and new recipes and such to cook fun foods for my family! 

Food:

I made dinner for my family in March and kind of improvised off of some Pinterest recipe that I found, and it tasted like pizza-pasta! I made a cheese-based sauce and then added some bruschetta seasoning which totally made it taste like pizza and I loved it! Easy noodle dishes all the way!! Also this month I've been eating a lot more oatmeal in a mug. I just pour a lil' packet of Quaker Oats into my favorite PANDA MUG that I just got from Forever 21, add some water, microwave it, and BAM you got yourself a breakfast. Quick and easy to go!

My panda mug(**not my picture)

Fashion:

My oversized jean jacket has been suuuuper nice to wear, especially when it was warmer a couple of weekends ago! It's a solid layer that looks cute on any outfit. Also, I've been loving my striped tees recently. Another easy thing to layer underneath a jacket or sweatshirt.

Thanks for reading, that's all that I have for you to-day!
xx
Joy

Why You Should Thrift!

Hello, friend!

If you don't know what thrifting is, here's the jist of it:

going to your local thrift store and buying stuff.

Thrifting is something that is really popular amongst teens, and especially those who are trying to develop their own style. If you have maybe thought about it but haven't made the decision to go, here are some reasons as to why you should visit your local thrift store to find the next staples in your closet!

1. IT'S CHEAP
This is a given, but thrift stores are cheaper than normal stores. Check with your local store and see if they have certain days where "green tags" are half price. Many stores have special deals at certain times and they just want to get rid of their items so that they can circulate new ones.

2. You are saving the planet.
Literally. Fast fashion(clothes from stores like Nike, Forever 21, H&M) is causing cheap clothes to pile up in landfills and to be honest, you're paying wayyy too much for the price it took to make that clothing item. You can read more about fast fashion here. Plus, a lot of these companies use women/child labor in other countries, and are paying them as little at $4 an hour. Of course, it is often inevitable to buy clothes from stores like these, but instead of buying ALL of your clothes from there, why not try a thrift shop?

3. Get creative!
I have found that thrift stores can actually carry some high end products if you dig around! One brand in particular that I have found a couple great items from is Tommy Hilfiger. Last Sunday I got a Tommy Jeans sweatshirt for literally ONE DOLLAH. I think that with thrift shopping, you have to be open to going a little bit out of your comfort zone and buying things that you normally wouldn't, or you have to have an idea of what you want from a thrift store before you go, otherwise you might not find anything you will actually like(if you're a picky thrifter like I am). ALSO a tip is-- when you go, TRY IT ON and make sure that you will actually wear the piece of clothing because you don't want to end up buying 15 items for $20 but then you end up wearing only one of them.

4. Thrift stores change daily
You can basically go as often as you like and find something new every single day. You will not run out of items, and if you travel other places, feel free to go to their thrift stores too! You never know what you will find. You can also totally DIY your own clothes from thrift store clothes as well, like cutting the bottom of an oversized sweatshirt or making some shorts out of some jeans you find. And you might not just find clothes, but cool cups or records, or decorations that you can refurbish as a little project!

5. You can give back!
When you go and buy clothes, also remember to give some of your own back! Goodwill in particular gives back to the community by helping people get jobs, and who knows, maybe your piece of clothing from last year will be someone else's favorite item to wear.

I hope that this has inspired you to go thrifting!! Go with some friends and help each other pick some items out. You'd be surprised at how much time you can spend thrifting and what great deals you can find.

Welp, talk to ya later!
Joy :)

January Faves

Hello, friend!

January is now far behind us, and I thought it might be fun to share with you guys some of the things that I loved last month, like food, entertainment, etc! These blog posts are fun because then you get a lot of ideas about what to do differently or add to your routine in the next month.

Watch/Listen:

1. RKCB
RKCB is a small group that does indie/EDM type music, and I have been loving the songs, "Open Arms," "Daydreaming," and "Restless". They just do a great job at making music that is relaxing and nostalgic sounding, but at the same time extremely modern and catchy.

2. La La Land
Okay, this is a given because of my last blog post, but I have been loving the soundtrack. Enough said.

3. John Lusk- Increase Our Faith
This video series on Dtoday.tv is great! John Lusk made a series of 8 videos that contain great scriptures from the bible and fantastic stories about how God has strengthened his faith and thousands of others. He also gives you practicals that you can really think about for a while and discover more about yourself and your own faith as you watch the videos. 10/10 recommend!

Apps:

1. Glitche
This is one of the coolest photo effect apps that I've ever seen! It doesn't really have filters, it just has a different range of effects that can make your pictures look like there's been a glitch in them.
Here are some photos that I've taken and edited on Glitche:

2. SleepCycle
I honestly have loved this app for like 5 years(I've had it since it was free), and I do believe that it has helped me to get more sleep, especially in this past month! This app is basically a smart alarm clock that has a sound and vibration sensor to monitor your sleep. It can tell you when you were in the most deep sleep and the closest to awake, and wakes you up in a time gap between 10-90 minutes before the time that you set your alarm to. I normally have my alarm on 10 minutes gap during school days and 30 minutes(recommended) gap during the weekends. This is because if you are in a deep sleep, and you enter your "time gap," (the amount of optional time you set before your alarm), it will wait a little later until you are out of your deep sleep cycle and then set the alarm off. It records it all into a graph and then tell you how long you were in bed for, your sleep quality, average time sleeping for the month or week, etc. This app helps me to see my trends in my sleep, and the alarm sounds are also extremely calming to wake up to, versus a typical clock alarm.

Food:

1. Fresh berries
This might sound SOO boring and you might be thinking,"Joy what the heck everyone has fruit," but there's something special about having them in the winter that makes them so much more enjoyable(probably because it reminds me of summer). I normally take a bag of blueberries and bring them to my first hour class and eat them, and then after school snack on some blackberries!

2. Basil Pesto, Black Olive and Feta
YAY pesto!! It can literally go on anything. I have recently been making my own paninis at home with pesto, lettuce, cheese, ham, etc and then putting it into the toaster oven at home. It's DELISH! Also, I'll put just pesto and then some parmesan cheese and wallah-- super easy tasty lunch!

Fashion:

1. WithWaikei
I discovered her at the beginning of the month, and she is now my style inspiration. She has her own blog and makes every outfit look so effortless and put-together!! If you want to check her out, this is her blog. 

2. Olivia Jade
Aunt Becky from Full House's daughter inreallife. She's gorgeous(just like Aunt Becky/Lori Loughlin) and her minimalistic attitude about makeup and fashion is right up my alley!! She has a Youtube channel that is growing so quickly, she just has a really down to earth, non bragging personality which I think can be rare in the Youtube fashion community.

3. Morphe
This month I purchased a morphe eyeshadow palette, it's called Fall into Frost. IT'S AMAZING. It has 35 different colors, with one row being matte colors, and the rest cute glittery colors. It's only $22 which is QUITE cheap for 35 extremely pigmented eyeshadows. I feel like since I'm just experimenting with makeup, it's a great palette for a beginning like me! :) However, some beauty gurus like Jaclyn Hill and Zoella rave about this palette as well, and they're certainly not beginners. You can buy it at morphebrushes.com and if you go to Jaclyn Hill's Youtube channel I think she has a discount for the palettes as well.

As I end this blog post, I am going to end it with an idea that I want to focus on in February. I know that I've (more than once), felt incredibly uncomfortable around a person who has hardcore judged another person and assumed their whole life story after meeting them just one time. They say things that are downright rude and unneccessary, but most of all WRONG about the other person and based on zero facts. Recently I had one of these experiences, and I just wanted to focus on the fact that it's not right to judge other people and assume that you know everything about them after just one or even several interactions with them. "Judging a book by it's cover," can also be applied to a person. Obviously, it is very difficult to judge other people; we judge EVERYTHING every time that we're on social media, and this judge mental mindset leaks into our interactions with another. It's important to talk about some more serious topics like these, and I challenge you this month to be less judgmental of others and remember to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Happy February! xx
Joy :)

5 Winter Wardrobe Essentials

Hello, friend!

Here is a list of some clothing items that I believe are CRUCIAL to have in your closet during the chilly months of Winter.

1. Turtlenecks

OH-MY-GOSH this is a must. Turtlenecks are incredibly easy to style, and they come in every single color imagined! If you're starting out, try getting a black turtleneck, or maybe a white one if you have black hair(that way it won't wash you out). I have several-- white, pink, gingham ... they're addicting. I also love mock-neck sweaters just as much, and you might want to check these out if you don't like the idea of a lot of fabric around your neck. Turtlenecks + dark wash or black ripped jeans + converse or boots = <3

2. Pom-Pom Hats

These are so cute!! I have been seeing them all over the fashion side of Youtube, and my friend Eliciane got me a black hat that has a little brown/blonde pom-pom on it! I've also been seeing double pom-pom hats at H&M, which make you look like a panda or a bear, and are adorable. Hats will help keep your head warm AND stylish if you're walking around outside in the cold.

3. Cozy Sweaters

Okay, this is pretty much a given because every girl should have like one sweater for the winter! Just like the turtlenecks, you don't really have to do much to style it, but make sure that its completely comfortable because thats the whole point! You can dress up a sweater with a necklace, or even layer a thin one over a button-down for a casual business look(I actually really like this look, but since I'm in high school I am figuring that I can wait until college to pull this one off).

4. Boots

Tall, short, bright, or shiny, all boots are widely appreciated in the winter. Tall boots are great for when you want to make an outfit more dressy and keep your calves really warm! Short boots are fantastic for when you want to keep your toes warm and let your legs breathe more. I find that wearing boots also give your feet more support and then you get to let your other pairs of shoes take a break.

5. Hoodies

For a while I completely lost interest in hoodies(because the ones I owned were all way too big for my little 7th grade body) and then I regained interest after I went thrift shopping with my friend Abby and found the perfect pink hoodie that says Niagara Falls on it(I've been there)!! I feel like winter overall is sort of a season where I am constantly in between- do I want to look good or feel warm and cozy?? And hoodies can honestly do BOTH for you if you find the right ones! It's all about the fit and the feel. I literally don't understand why people buy anything uncomfortable.

Well, I hope that this quick list has helped you a little bit! :) What are some of your winter essential clothing items?? Leave it down in the comments!

xx
Joy :)