My Favorite Stores!

Hello Everyone!

I love love love blogging, but for me, blogging is harder than filming, because when I film, I just get to talk. When it comes to blogging, I have to sit down and gather my thoughts and write. So in order to make my posts better for you guys, I plan on sticking to a schedule of blogging once a week, mores specifically, every Wednesday.

In honor of me uploading a collective haul, I figured that I should write a post talking about my favorite stores and why I love them.

1) Nordstrom
http://shop.nordstrom.com

My all time favorite store is Nordstrom. Why it is my favorite is because you can get whatever you want there. You can get shoes, clothes, purses, makeup - whatever! And no matter what I am looking for or what kind of style I'm into at the time, I can always find it at Nordstrom!

2) Zara
http://www.zara.com/us/

Zara is my favorite store to get basics. I can always find awesome basic tshirts and scarves and things like that. One of my all time favorite sweaters is from Zara and I have had it for 3 and a half years! Zara has definitely been a go to store of mine as of recently because of how much I love their basic things.

3) H&M
http://www.hm.com/us/

H&M is one of those stores that I can get basic tee's and stuff, but I can also get really fun, trendy items. I personally prefer H&M to Forever 21 because I find things for a good price, but they are also very stylish and good quality. Forever 21 can be good quality, but it can also just turn to rubbish after 1 wash.

4) Free People
http://www.freepeople.com

Free People has always been one of those stores that I have admired from a far, but never actually bought anything from. As of late, I have been obsessed with it. Their stuff totally fit my style right now. It is very laid back, yet boho and chic. I just cannot get enough! Yes it is expensive as hell, but you can tell that it is good quality!

I hope that you guys enjoyed this post about my favorite stores! I love love love shopping and I love love love these stores and I hope that you guys check them out if you haven't yet!

xoxo




Abbey

DIY - Good Things Jar!

Hello Everyone!

Long time no blog or upload, because I took a little bit of a break to focus on friends and family. But I wanted my first post back to be something positive, so I thought that I would share with you guys my new favorite thing - A Good Things Jar.

Now all that you need for this is a mason jar or some sort of bowl. You can use whatever you want really. Then you need colored paper. I say colored paper because I feel like it makes it a lot prettier if you use colored paper - I personally chose to use neon because I thought it was bright and fun.

The next thing that you do is fill it with good things. You could do it for 6 months, a year, 2 years - whatever you want! Then at the end of the time, you open it up and reflect on all of the good things that happened to you in that time period.

I feel like this is such an uplifting thing to do and it really keeps you positive. Examples of the things that I have put in mine are
  - "Got into Arkansas, LSU and Alabama"
  - "Decided to go to … for college"
  - "Became devoted to YouTube"

Here is a picture of my Good Things Jar:

I hope that you guys enjoyed this DIY post!

xoxo



Abbey

3 Quick & Inexpensive Halloween Costumes!

Hello Everyone!

Something that I have never done on my channel is Halloween themed videos, so I thought that I would bring some ideas to you in the form of a blogpost!

I am one of those people that I always dress up for Halloween, but I never go all out. I always just keep it very simple. So here are 3 easy and inexpensive Halloween costume ideas!

A Pumpkin

This is what I was for Halloween last year and I loved it! It was so cute and so easy to make. All I did was buy a large, orange tshirt from Michaels craft store for about $5 and some black puffy paint for about $3. With the puffy paint I just drew three triangles for the eyes and the nose and then I did whatever I wanted to for the mouth. Aside from the tshirt, I bought a big green bow from Michaels for $3 to act as the stem, and I put it on top of my head. I also purchased pumpkin socks from Target for $1!

Tom Cruise in Risky Business

I was this my sophomore year in high school and I absolutely loved it! All you need is a big, white button down shirt. You can borrow this from your dad, boyfriend, brother or get one from Goodwill! Then you just need some high, white tube socks and some black wafer sunglasses! This is one of my favorite costumes that I have ever worn, because it was so cute and easy!

A Football Player

When I was a football player my freshman year of high school, I just borrowed a jersey from a friend! The most complicated part of this costume is the jersey because you will need an actual jersey to pull off this look. Apart from the jersey, all I wore was leggings, white Keds and I painted black lines under my eyes and put my hair in a ponytail!

I hope that you guys enjoyed this Halloween costume post! I still haven't totally decided what I am going to be for Halloween, but when I do, I will make sure to tell you guys!

xoxo



Abbey

My Favorite Movies - Currently & Of All Time!

Hello Everyone!

I have talked about movies on my channel before, but never in depth, so I thought that I would do a blogpost on the movies that I am currently loving and the movies that I have loved for a long time!

Currently:

No Strings Attached:

I bought this movie back in May in the $5 movie section at Target (which if you haven't checked out, you totally should) and I have been watching it ever since. I love the story line, which is basically about these two people that have known each other since they were around fourteen and they meet up with each other later in life and decide to be friends with benefits. It follows their FWB relationship and all the ups and downs of it! It is a total romantic comedy, which is my favorite to watch, so if you like rom-coms you HAVE to check this one out!

Stuck In Love:

I watched this for the first time on Netflix a couple of months ago because my friend, Baylie recommended it to me. It stars Logan Lerman (die because he's so cute) and Lily Collins and much more! It has so many different story lines to it, which I think is what makes it so great! I don't want to give a full description because if I do, I will end up giving something away, but you guys have to check this one out! It's on Netflix :)

Safe Haven:

This is the perfect "date night" movie because it can pleasure the girls romantic side, but also the boys action side. It has Julianne Hough (who I love) and Josh Duhamel and if that isn't enough to get you out of your seat to go watch it, then I don't know what will. It is about a girl that moves to a small town in order to get away from her abusive marriage. Now, that is all I am going to tell you because I want you to see it yourself!!

I've also loved The Fault in Our Stars & Endless Love recently, but the ones above are the ones that I have been watching over and over again.

Now for the movies that I have loved forever!

She's The Man

This movie came out when I was in 3rd grade and I have loved it ever since. It is a hilarious movie filled with laugh-till-your-stomach-hurts comedy. I watch this whenever I want a little pick me up because I know that it will make me laugh! It has Amanda Bynes and just-starting-out Channing Tatum.

A Cinderella Story

You guys know my love for One Tree Hill and this movie stars not only Hilary Duff but Chad Michael Murray. It is about a girl that is the "Cinderella" of her family and has this secret admirer that kind of keeps her going through the stresses in her life. I love this movie and I always will!

John Tucker Must Die

This came out when I was in elementary school and I just remember watching it with my friends and thinking "I want to be like them in high school" because the girls in it are so likable and bubbly and powerful. It also stars my girl crush, Sophia Bush. This movie is another MUST!

I hope that you guys enjoyed this movie! Let me know what your favorites are by tweeting me @FashionandM321

xoxo



Abbey

Foods to Make: Lime, Shrimp and Avocado Salad

Hello Everyone!

In my last "Foods to Make" post, I mentioned my love of avocados. I think that they add such a creaminess to anything!

I recently saw this recipe on Pinterest and I just had to share it with you guys!

You will need the following:
1 Avacado
1 Red Onion
1 lb of Shrimp
1 Tomato
1 Tbs Cilantro
1 Jalapeño (optional)
Olive Oil

All that you need to do to create this salad is cook your shrimp, chop up your onion and your tomato. Then cut your avocado to the thickness/shape that you desire. After you have done all of that, you throw it all together, drizzle some olive oil over it and squeeze your lime, garnish with your cilantro, then toss and you are ready to enjoy!

How delicious does that sound?! I personally cannot wait to try this! I also think that it would make for a really good dip if you cut all of the things small enough! What do you guys think?

xoxo



Abbey

My Top 5 Jewelry Favorites!

Hey Everyone!

If you guys have been following me for a while, then you know how I pretty much wear the same jewelry all the time, so I thought that I would share with you guys my top five jewelry favorites of all time.

Michael Kors Watch

I have had this baby since I was in 8th grade. I first saw it in 7th grade at a Nordstrom watch counter and I instantly fell in love with it. I love how I can wear either golf or silver with it and it goes with it perfectly.

Classic Tiffany Bracelet

I got this for a christmas present when I was in 6th grade and I have loved it everyday since. I honestly wear this bracelet almost every single day because no matter what I am wearing it with, it just adds such class and beauty. It is my all time favorite bracelet that I own because I just know that it is so timeless.

Tiffany Double Heart Necklace

This necklace was my first Tiffany & Co piece and I just think it is so perfect. It is my "go-to" dainty necklace because it is just so simple and beautiful.

Monogrammed Necklace

I got this necklace as my 15th birthday present from my mom and I love it so much. It is the perfect size and I love the way it hangs. I like that this is more of a "statement" dainty necklace because it is bigger than anything else I have.

David Yurman Ring

Being completely honest, if I were to pick my favorite jewelry piece of all time, it would be this. I got it as my 16th birthday present from my mom while we were in Palm Desert, CA. It means so much to me because of how I was so surprised that I got it as a present and that I know I will wear it forever.

I hope that you guys enjoyed this post! I would love to know what your jewelry favorites are! Tweet me them @FashionandM321

xoxo



Abbey

My Favorite Lush Products!

Hello Everyone!

Over the summer I re-fell in love with Lush Cosmetics, so I thought that it would be appropriate for me to do a blogpost about what my favorite products are from them.

1) Butterball

You guys this is the most amazing bath bomb ever. It turns your bath water into this milky, oily consistency leaving your skin feeling so soft. I typically use this when I feel that my skin needs a little bit of a "pick me up" or if I just really want to pamper myself.

2) Flying Fox Shower Gel

This smells amazing and leaves your skin feeling squeaky clean. I have used this shower gel on and off for about 4 years and every time I start using it again, I wonder why I stopped.

3) Brightside Bubble Bar

This is my all time favorite bubble bar and that says something because I have tried a bunch. I am a sucker for all things orange smelling and this is citrus smelling heaven! It makes your bath so bubbly and orange and you feel like you are in Hawaii because of the amazing scent. The other great thing about this, is that you can get about 4-5 baths out of this because it is a larger bubble bar.

4) D'Fluff Shaving Soap

I have talked about this in my monthly favorites and I have to say it is the most amazing shaving cream ever. Not only does it have a mousse like consistency, but it creates enough of a barrier between your skin and your razor to where you don't have to worry about razor burn or cutting yourself. If you have sensitive skin like me, you guys have to try it!

Now I know that I didn't talk about a lot of products, but I just wanted to make sure that I kept it down to my all time favorites. Let me know what your favorite Lush products are by tweeting me at @FashionandM321

I hope that you guys enjoyed this post!

xoxo




Abbey

How to: Plan Out Your Planner

Hello Everyone!

With the school year now a few weeks in (at least for me) I wanted to share with you guys how I plan out my planner. This is the item that I feel is the most essential when going back to school, because it is what keeps all of your assignments/social life straight.

First step, get a planner. I have a Lilly Pulitzer planner; mine looks like this:

For me personally, I like to write all of my assignments down in pencil. Even though you may think it doesn't matter what you write in, I think that it does. If you write down assignments or plans in pen and then it turns out those assignemtns/plans get cancelled or something like that, it just looks sloppy if you cross it out. 

I write out all of my school assignments at the top of the space provided and then I put my plans/to-dos at the end of the space provided with an astric in front of it. That just helps me see the differences in the two. 

When it comes to highlighting, the only thing that I highlight are the major assignments that are due in school, like "Stats Test" or "English Quiz" things like that. 

Planning out your planner is all very personal, but I just wanted to share with you guys how I do it. I think that keeping your planner as planned out and organized as you can is the best thing that you can do. Like I said though, it is all very personal. 

I hope that this has helped you guys! 

xoxo

Abbey

Review: It Cosmetics CC Cream

Hello Everyone!

I thought that I would give you guys an in depth review about the CC cream that I have been using recently, which is the It Cosmetics CC Cream. I purchased mine at Ulta for $38 and in the shade fair.

This CC cream claims to be a color correcting full coverage cream, has anti aging serum in it and also has an SPF of 50.

I like this CC cream because I do find that it is full coverage without looking cake-y, but I find that it takes a lot to build up to a full coverage look. I typically take a half a pump and spread it throughout my face using a makeup sponge. If I want full coverage, I would have to use a pump and a half. I think that since it is a CC cream is was designed to have light coverage, but also has the option of becoming full coverage.

This CC cream is definitely one of my favorite BB/CC creams that I have tried. I think that it was well worth the price and I do plan on re-purchasing it in the future. If you were looking for a full coverage tinted moisturizer type of product, this would not be for you because it takes so much to get that look.

I hope that you guys liked this post and let me know if you would like more in depth reviews from me in the future!

xoxo



Abbey

DIY Beauty Emergency Kit!

Hey Everyone!

I recently read a magazine article about how you can make your very own DIY beauty emergency kit, so I thought that I would share with you all what my necessities would be in a beauty emergency kit!

First of all, you need a bag to put your emergency supplies in! If it were me, I would choose something very simple. Something similar to this:

Now for the things that actually go in it! 

#1: I would put hair ties in it. If you are a girl, you totally understand the pain of not having a hair tie when you really really need one. So I would probably put about 2 or 3 in here. 

#2: Along with the hair ties, I would also put some bobby pins in there. There is nothing worse than rocking a side braid, but having a chunk of hair fall out of it. That is when you need a bobby pin, so make sure that you have one in your beauty emergency kit! 

#3: Put in a deodorant in travel size. You do not want to be that person that smells, so make sure that you put something in there to prevent that. 

#4: If you want to go that extra step, put a travel size of your favorite perfume in there as well. 

#5: Concealer is the only makeup product that I would put in here. One of the worst things is when it is the middle of the day and a zit has started to come up and it is all red and nasty. But if you put some concealer on it, no one would ever know it was there!

#6 To all my ladies out there, this one is just a given - tampons. Enough said. 

Those are my essentials! I would love to know what you guys would put in your emergency kit! Tweet me and let me know @FashionandM321

xoxo

Abbey

Foods to Make: Avocado & Egg Toast

Hello Everyone!

I feel like the last "Foods to Make" post that I did also involved eggs and toast, but this one also involves avocado! Now, I don't know about you, but I LOVE me some avocado!

Anyways, I thought that I could turn this series into not only foods that I've made and want you guys to try, but foods that I haven't made and want to try. This is one of those posts where I haven't tried this but am DYING to!

I saw this on Pinterest and thought that it was pure genius.

All that you do is toast a piece of your favorite bread, slice up or mash half of an avocado and then poach an egg and put it on top and that is it!

How delicious does that look?! I'm thinking that I will make this for myself for breakfast tomorrow! I will keep you guys posted on how I like it!

Bon Appetit!



Abbey

ENO Review!

Hello Everyone!

If you watched my "Prank Call Challenge" or my "June Favorites" videos, you would have heard me talk about my ENO. ENO stands for Eagle Nest Outfitters and it is a portable hammock.

Now, if you are like me, then you aren't a very "outdoors-y" person. So when a lot of my friends started getting ENOs I thought to myself "I'll never get one of those, because I don't really want to spend a lot of time outdoors." Well, that was before I sat in one.

You guys, it is the most comfortable thing ever! You are floating above the ground, in this cozy material that is very breathable so you don't get hot and it is also very soft.

The ENO takes about 5 minutes to set up and all you need is two trees, the ENO and the ENO straps. All you do is you find two trees that are a good distance apart and then you wrap one of the straps around one tree and the other strap around the other and then you hook the ENO onto the straps and thats it!

I have sat in my eno for 3 hours before just reading, watching netflix (since I do still get WiFi from where I "hang") and just sleeping.

I personally have the double nest, which can hold two people and it retails for $69.95. The single nest retails for $59.95 and for only $10 more, I would recommend the double because you fit another person in it and its just overall more comfortable.

You have to buy the straps separately which kind of sucks, but they are $29.95. So you're looking at about $100 in total, but it is so worth it.

This is the color that I have:

I searched high and low for this color because I wanted to make sure that it was still girly even though it was a hammock. If you are interested in my color, it is the khaki and teal ENO! 

You can find these amazing hammocks at any outdoors store. I ordered mine off of mountainhighoutfitters.com because they were the only place that had the color that I wanted. I bought my straps at an outdoors store in my town! 

Overall, I think that the ENO is an amazing purchase. I know that I will be using mine for years to come. It's also really fun to do with friends because you can hang your ENOs on top of each other and just talk. 

I hope that you guys found this post helpful and that you all decide to purchase an ENO because it is so worth it! :) 

xoxo

Abbey

My Shopping Tips!

Hello Everyone!

I hope that this post will give you some tips on how you can make your shopping experience a little bit more organized and beneficial!

Before I jump into my tips, I just wanted to say that these are the tips I use whenever I know that I am going to be shopping big time. If I am just going to the mall to get a couple of things then I don't do this, but if I am going back to school shopping or something like that, then I will use these tips!

Tip #1 - Clean out your closet
When I go on a big shopping trip, I always clean out my closet to make sure that everything that I have inside are things that I wear regularly and that I truly like. It also helps if you giveaway things that are too small or too big for you because this lets you know what you might want to re-purchase.

Tip #2 - Make a mental note of things that you would like to buy
Sometimes if you walk into a big store like Nordstrom or Forever 21, it can get overwhelming. So have some things in mind that you want to purchase. Like a pair of denim shorts or gladiator sandals. This will keep you focused when shopping.

Tip #3 - Set a budget for yourself
The only thing that I hate about shopping is spending money. So before I go shopping I put a certain amount of cash in my wallet so I don't spend more than I want to. Also by putting cash in your wallet, you can see it disappear, which always helps me. By budgeting you also spend your money on things that you truly want.
With all of that being said, I do make sure that I have money on my debit card so I can still spend a little bit more if I just find something that I can't leave behind!

I hope that these little tips have helped you. I hope that they have also brought you a feeling of excitement for your next shopping trip!

xoxo




Abbey

Why You Should Surround Yourself With Quotes!

Hello Everyone!

I feel like I haven't blogged in foreverrrr, but I thought that my first post back from my "vacation" should be about something that I feel very passionate about. And that is, surrounding yourself with quotes.

Surrounding yourself with quotes, for me at least, goes along with the saying "surround yourself with people that lift you higher." Well readers, I think the same thing goes for quotes; you should surround yourself with quotes that make you feel positive and overall lift your spirits.

I feel like putting quotes in places that I come across everyday really helps me. It not only gives me motivation and strength, but it also makes me feel good about myself, because I make sure that the quotes that I surround myself with truly have a meaning.

During the school year, I make sure that the quotes I have at my desk kind of relate back to school. I still have the quotes that I had up during the last few months of school, so here they are:

The first one reads "Do unto others as you want them to do unto you." 

The second one reads "the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world are the ones that actually do." 

The third on reads "For with God, nothing will be impossible Luke 1:37" 

And the last one reads "This too shall pass" 

I think all of these quotes real helped me keep focused towards the end of the school year. The most important thing is to pick quotes that you truly believe in because those are the ones that will help you the most. 

Now, on my bathroom mirror I keep my favorite quote of all time. I chose this quote to put on my mirror because I look in that every single day. Sometimes I am not at my desk, so I wanted to put that quote in a place that I knew that I would see it every day. 

The quote is "go confidently in the direction of your dreams. live the life you've imagined." I cannot put into words the amount of love I have for this quote. I feel like its pretty self explanatory why I chose this to be the one that I see every day without fail. 

I hope that this post has helped you in realizing why quotes are so important and why you should surround yourself with them! 

Abbey

Re-Vamp Your Life For Summer!

Hello Everyone!

At the beginning of a new season, I always enjoy "re-vamping" my life. Whether that be organizing my room, getting a haircut, getting new clothes, I always like to do something different. Now that it is summer, I always do a huge re-vamp to my life. Since I am home a lot more in the summer, I want it to be a different space and me feel like it is completely de-cluttered.

Here is what I like to do:

First, I re organize all of the "table tops" in my room. My bookshelves, the top of my dresser, the top of my desk anything like that. Doing this makes me feel so organized and so refreshed because it always makes the space feel brand new.

Something I also like to do is re organize my bulletin board. I am a crazy person when it comes to keeping things that I think will hold sentimental value, but in reality, mean absolutely nothing. So at the beginning of summer, I took everything down from my bulletin board and I threw away things that I couldn't even remember the story behind. Now my bulletin board is filled with things that truly do hold value.

Next I will completely re-organize and de-clutter my closet. I am the queen of holding on to clothing that I never wear anymore, but feel that I need to keep. So this year I went through everything in my closet including bathing suits, jewelry, shoes, tank tops literally EVERYTHING and made sure that everything that I was keeping, I wore.
I also re-organized my closet in a way that was a lot more functional for summer. I put my sweaters and jeans in the back of my closet and moved my tank tops, t-shirts and short sleeves shirts to the center. This makes it so much easier to get dressed because everything that I can wear for the season, is right in front of me.

The final thing that I did this year and probably my favorite was I went through all of my makeup and all of my beauty products and threw away anything that I didn't use anymore. This was the most refreshing of them all because I had been keeping products that I wasn't even using and had probably expired. For example, I  had a bin of eye products that half of the things in there, I probably hadn't touched in a year. Now that bin is more than halfway gone because I got rid of anything that I wasn't using.
I also went through my "beauty closet", which sounds a lot more luxurious than it actually is because its just a linen closet that I would keep my over flow beauty products in. So I threw away a ton of beauty things that I hadn't touched in a while and got rid of anything that I didn't see myself using in the future.

Another thing that I would recommend doing if you wanted to "re-vamp" something other than your living space, is I would get a hair cut! I am trying to grow out my hair, so I'm not going to do that, but I would recommend it if you wanted a fresh start for the season!

I hope that you guys found this post helpful in making your space feel brand new for the new season!

xoxo



Abbey

My Jewelry Essentials for Summer!

Hey Everyone!

Since summer is now here, I figured that a perfect post would be to tell you guys my jewelry essentials for summer. During the summertime I love wearing things that are very laid back and go with everything. Because if I am being completely honest, in the summer I typically wear shorts and a t-shirt everyday, so wearing my tiffany bracelet and Michael Kors watch  just looks a little weird with that outfit.

The first thing that is essential in my jewelry collection for summer is a casual bracelet. The bracelet that I am currently wearing this summer, which I never take off (I swim, shower, eat etc. in it) is from a place called Whole Earth which I believe is just in Texas. I love the colors in it because I feel like its still fun and relaxed for summer, but if I were to still go out for a nice dinner and throw on my nice jewelry it wouldn't look weird to keep it on.

Here is what it looks like:

The second thing that I like to do is pick a pair of earrings that aren't to dressy, but still make a statement. I like to wear cheaper earrings in the summer because then if you loose one in a pool or something, it isn't that big of a deal. My favorite earrings to wear in the summer are some that I got at Anthropologie a couple of years ago. What I love about those earrings is that they look good with any metal that you are wearing that day (gold, silver, rose gold even)

Here is what they look like:

The last thing that I find essential in summer is an ankle bracelet. There is something that is so summery about wearing an ankle bracelet and I feel like if you were to choose one jewelry piece to wear in the summer, an ankle bracelet should be it because of how perfectly summery it is. Now, I got an ankle bracelet while I was in Hong Kong a couple of weeks ago, but unfortunately it fell off because I didn't tie it tight enough. But you better believe that I am getting a new ASAP!

I hope that you guys found this post helpful in deciding what your essential jewelry pieces should be this summer!

xoxo




Abbey

My Babysitting Essentials!

Hello Everyone!

I know that this may seem like a weird thing to be blogging about, but I have been babysitting a lot recently and I've noticed that there are certain things that I seem to bring with me every time I babysit and I thought I would share them with you!

1) Phone charger
This. Is. Crucial. Whenever the kids go to bed, you typically are going to play on your phone. Eventually your charge will start to die and you will feel like you are going to die if your phone dies. So, you need to bring a charger.

2) Something to entertain you
Now, if you are like me and you HATE wasting your data while babysitting, then always bring something else to entertain you. I will typically bring the book that I am currently reading, some homework and my laptop so I can watch TV shows when I get bored of reading and homework.

3) Snacks and Water
I say this because I have babysat for people who's pantries are like the motherland and others who have no food. So, I always bring a ziploc baggie of grapes, chips, chocolate covered pomegranate seeds (my fav) or something like that. I always also bring a bottle of water because sometimes the people that you are babysitting for may not have filtered water and that tap stuff is nastyyyyy.

Now even though these are just a few things, I find them to be necessities when I am babysitting, especially after the kids go to bed.

I hope that you guys enjoyed this post and that it helped you out!

xoxo



Abbey

Books to Read: Joel Osteen's I Declare

Hey Everyone!

I am here with another "books to read" post and I wanted to share one that is very personal to me and one that has truly had an impact on my life. That book is Joel Osteen's "I Declare".

Now I know that religion is a touchy subject for some people, so if this blogpost is offensive to you in any way, please feel free to not read it!

Anyways, I started reading this book back in November when I had completely accepted God into my life. I've always been a believer, but I've never had that moment of clarity where I just felt God come into my soul. I actually had that moment/feeling in Joel Osteen's church in Houston, TX. My mom LOVES Joel and so she wanted to make the trip to Houston over Thanksgiving break and go to his church. Which if you're ever in the Houston area, PLEASE go to Lakewood Church to see him!

I bought this book in the bookstore in the church and I started reading it the day after I got it. This book is a daily devotional book of things that you should declare to God.

I read it every night before I went to sleep and I felt like it would close my day on such a positive note and I loved it so much!

I highly recommend this book to anyone that feels like they need that extra guidance in their life or if they just want something to read that will close their day! I hope that you guys read this book and let me know any of your favorite daily devotional books since I am done with this one!

xoxo



Abbey

Why You Should Set Goals (Daily, Monthly & Yearly)

Hey Everyone!

I am writing this blogpost on a cold, rainy night here in Texas.
Anyways, since this is a lifestyle blog, I decided that I should make a blogpost about something that is really important to me and that is setting goals for yourself.

Daily Goals:
I think it is really important to set daily goals because it helps you keep organized and allow you to have more structure to your day. My daily goals include anything from drinking 3 glasses of water to filming, editing and uploading a video.

Monthly Goals:
Whenever there is a new month, I always write my goals for the month on my calendar in my room. I believe that this is the most important because it allows you to accomplish a goal everyday, every week or accomplish it whenever you want in the month. My monthly goals for April include: hit 3,600 subscribers, upload a video once a week, drink 2 glasses of water per day, blog once a week, finish my photography project.

Yearly Goals:
I always set these goals in the beginning of the New Year. I think that it is so important to do it in the beginning of the year so that way these can be the bigger things, the most important things that you want to accomplish.
To me, yearly goals are the most important because of how big you can make them.

I hope that you guys enjoyed this post about why I think everyone should set goals!

xoxo



Abbey

My Pampering Essentials!

Hello Everyone!

I wanted to share with you all things that I find essential when I want to pamper myself for the night! Now this isn't in any specific order of things that I feel are most necessary, but I'm just writing it as I think of it!

1) A Face Mask
I love putting on a face mask when I decide to pamper myself. Something that I have done a lot recently is wait to put on a face mask until after I get out of the shower because then the steam from the shower has opened up my pores and I feel like the mask can get all of the "gunk" out better!

2) A Steaming Hot Bath
An essential for me when I am having a "spa" night is a hot hot hot bath. I love either putting some generic body wash and getting it all bubbly, or if I have one - using a Lush bath bomb (specifically mr. butterball because it turns your bath into milky buttery goodness)!

3) A book or movie/show
Something I love to do while I'm soaking in the tub is watch a  show on my computer or bring my kindle into the bath with me and read a good book!

4) Candles
When I am soaking in the bath, I turn off all the lights and bring in some of my favorite candles and light them all! It really makes me feel relaxed and feel as if I am in a spa.

5) Tweezers
Now this may sound weird, but I feel so much more put together when my brows are groomed. So after the shower when I feel that it's easier to pluck out the hair, I tweeze my eyebrows and I love it! It makes me feel so refreshed.

6) Your Favorite Drink
Now I love drinking on tea while sitting in the bath, but if you are of age or something drink something alcoholic if you want to!

I hope that you enjoyed this post about some of the random things that I find essential when I want to have a night to myself and really treat myself!

xoxo



Abbey

Things Everyone Should Do Before Bed!

Hey Everyone!

I thought that I should tell you guys some things that I find necessary to do before bed! This post doesn't include essentials like brushing your teeth, washing your face etc. These are just random things that I think everyone should do!

1) Brush Your Hair
Now this may seem obvious for some people, but I think that brushing your hair is so essential before bed because when you wake up the next morning, your hair will look so much better than it would have if you hadn't brushed your hair.

2) Apply Cuticle Oil
I love applying cuticle oil before I got bed because then it has the entire night to sink into my skin. Personally I get really dry cuticles so I have to do this, but I think that everyone should do it to keep their cuticles hydrated!

3) Say goodbye to social media 10 minutes before bed
This gives your mind a chance to separate itself from social media and the things that aren't as important in life. It gives you a chance to unwind as well before you do to sleep. I love doing this because I think that it helps me sleep better getting to focus on other things and not just my phone right before bed.


I hope that you guys liked this post and that it gave you guys a couple of ideas that you didn't think of before!

xoxo



Abbey

Foods To Make: Poached Eggs and Toast

Hey Everyone!

I thought that since I am converting my fashion blog into a lifestyle blog that I should probably start sharing foods with you guys that I love to make!

Poached eggs and toast has always been one of my favorite things, but recently I have been having a lot of it! It is such an easy meal and not that bad for you!

What I love to do after I have made my meal is season my eggs with salt, pepper and olive oil. The olive oil gives your eggs so much more flavor and a lot more moisture. I actually learned this tip from Byron Talbott (my favorite chef on YouTube)!
Here is a link to his channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ByronTalbott
He actually has a whole video dedicated to poached eggs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z48Jnoo_Yj0

Let me know if you guys would like more of these posts and let me know what some of your favorite foods to make are!

Love,



Chef Abbey (lol)

Books To Read - The Fault In Our Stars

Hey Everyone!

A long time ago I started a series on my blog called "Books to Read". Since my last post I have read some pretty great books and I wanted to talk about my favorite book that I have read. That is "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green.

Guys. I cannot tell you how amazing this book is. I finished it in 2 days. It is a really easy read in that you get into it really quickly (at least I did and everyone else that I have talked to about it) and you get very attached to the characters. You feel like you're in the story.

This is the first book by John Green that I have read and I think that he is so incredibly talented. I really want to read more of his stuff! So if any of you recommend any of his other books, please tweet me what your favorites are and I will try and read them!

Anyways, back to the plot of the book. Here is it's description :

"Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love."

Now if that doesn't make you want to get in your car and drive to the nearest book store to buy it then I don't know what will! This book can teach you a lot of things about life and love and I think that that is something really special about it. 

They are actually coming out with a "The Fault in Our Stars" movie this summer and I cannot wait to see it! The girl playing Hazel is actually one of my favorite actresses - Shailene Woodley! Since the movie is coming out, it gives you a perfect reason to read it!

I hope that you guys liked this post and let me know what books you guys recommend and I will try to read them! 

xoxo

Abbey

My Traveling Essentials!

Hello Everyone!

I am currently on my college tour so I am doing a lot of traveling! I figured a perfect blogpost would be for me to tell you guys my essentials when traveling!
Also, I can't upload a new video this week because wifi has been very unpredictable, but I figured that I can at least get a blog post up for you guys!

Anyways….here are my travel essentials:

1)  Headphones
This is a pretty obvious one, but headphones come in the most handy when traveling. I am currently wearing headphones right now as I type this because my dad is asleep next to me and I wanted to listen to Rachel Talbotts "February Favorites" video. Headphones are great if you are like me and you like to listen to music when flying or if you're also like me and you're going to be traveling with someone else and you don't want to disturb them while they are doing their own thing!

2) Chapstick
When flying or even driving your lips are going to get really chapped because your environment is changing! The chapstick that I brought with me on this trip is the nivea "a kiss of milk and honey". Personally, I think this does a great job of moisturizing my lips, but I am not crazy about the smell. To tell you the truth, it actually kind of stinks. After I finish this tube though, I will be re purchasing the product, but for sure in a different scent!

3) Journal/Book
I personally brought both on this trip. I have been writing down all of my thoughts on the colleges at the end of the day in my journal and I love doing that! Even if you aren't going to be documenting your thoughts on colleges, write down your thoughts about what you did that day during your vacation!
I also brought a book on this trip because
    a) I had to because I need to get caught up on my school reading
    b) I find reading so relaxing!
Decide which ever one is best for you, but I like bringing both while traveling because then I can do two different things to keep me entertained!

4) Socks
I could not live without socks while traveling. Even when it's summer I have to have socks because to be honest I cannot stand the thought of walking around a hotel room with bare feet. It just makes me cringe. So I highly recommend that everyone bring a pair of socks when traveling!

5) Jewelry
Now this may sound obvious, but jewelry is an essential while traveling. Whether you are just having a beach vacation or your going on a business trip, jewelry is the make or break of an outfit - in my opinion.
If you are even traveling in a super casual outfit - like I do, then jewelry is what I rely on to make my outfit semi fashionable!

I hope that you guys liked this post and maybe it gave you a few ideas on what to bring the next time you travel!

xoxo



Abbey

Things to Do When You're Feeling Stressed

Hello Everyone!

So recently I have been feeling quite overwhelmed with the amount of school work that I have and all of the things going on in my life.

I thought that the perfect blogpost would be for me to share what I do to make myself feel better when I'm feeling stressed!

1) Have a DaNcE pArTy
You guys have no idea how relieving it is to start blasting your favorite song, dancing around your room and just get your thoughts back in place. Even though this only lasts a few minutes - it makes such a difference
* I recommend any Taylor Swift song

2) Go on Tumblr (or any blog)
There is something so therapeutic about going on tumblr. I don't know if it is seeing what other people are interested in or think is cool. Or if it's just escaping from your world for the amount of time you are on the site.
Something about going on tumblr just makes all of my thoughts drift away…

3) Take a bath
Taking a bath is such a stress reliever. I will either prop my laptop up on the toilet and watch a show/movie, read a book on my kindle or just sit there in silence and take in the peace.
Sitting in a tub full of warm water tends to soak up all of my stress and gives me the opportunity to breathe.

4) Eat
Now I know that a lot of people are stress eaters - I am one of them. I'm not saying to go and eat all of your pantry - but there is something about eating a cookie and drinking ice cold apple juice that makes my stresses just fall apart. Find something in your pantry that is your go-to-stress-relieving-snack!

5) Do something you love!
For my final tip - do something that you love to relieve your stress! Whether it be working out, playing a sport, knitting, drawing etc. For me, that is either journaling or filming a YouTube video! Doing what you love is the best present that you can give to yourself when you are feeling stressed.

When feeling stressed it is very easy to loose your positiveness and your happiness. Check out my YouTube video on how to stay positive and happy!

I hope that you all enjoyed this post and found it helpful! Let me know if you guys like these kind of posts!

Until next time,



Abbey

Remember Me?

Hello Everyone!

So its been about… I don't know almost a full YEAR since I did my last blog post! I'm laying here typing this, sick in bed with tonsillitis and I thought to myself "You haven't blogged in forever, why not start it up again and see how it goes?!" So here I am typing on my computer and talking to you guys!

In the past 6 months, I have started following a lot of blogs and so I've gathered inspiration on what I want my blog to be about!

Let me know if you guys have any specific requests on what you want my blog to be… I'm thinking kind of a lifestyle blog! So pretty much everything!

Until next time,


Abbey