Election Twenty Sixteen

Preface: this is being free written. There will be no editing or changing this before posting.

Election Twenty Sixteen

The freedom to have your own beliefs and vote on your beliefs is something we Americans should be proud of. We have the freedom to have different views. That’s something (to me) that makes America beautiful. 

Unfortunately…. All I’ve really seen from this election is people talking down towards others if they don’t agree. I’m not sure what has happened to use to begin cursing others out over social media because they see something different. I’m really sad to see friends and acquaintances true side come out with so much hate and discrimination.

We have so much hate in our world already, why are we okay with adding to it?! How are “we” still closed minded when it comes to race, sexual orientation or gender? I believe neither party is going to be a strong leader for our country. Both are so corrupt and discrimination is even being promoted! 

It’s unfortunately too late to find different candidates. So for everyone who wants to “make America great again” or become “stronger together” - that’s going to be up to each one of us. Be open to your neighbor. Care for each other. Don’t let hate and close mindedness cloud your vision. Support each other. Cheer each other on. Problem solve - together. Let’s progress forwards and stop falling backwards.

Love conquers all. 

DIY Face Scrub

I mixed a few ingredients together hoping to make a scrub that I love about a week ago. The first time I used it I fell in love, but I figured to be on the safe side I would test it for a week and see the results... and I'm impressed!

I started off with coconut oil.

Coconut oil helps keep the skin moisturized. I have combination skin and its great on all areas for me because it helps regulate the moisture in the skin. Coconut oil is also believed to help with anti-aging of the skin. Since I buy mine as a solid I melted about two teaspoons worth to make it easier to mix. 

Once I had the oil melted I added a few dashes of cinnamon. 

Cinnamon actually has a lot of benefits for the skin. It naturally fights bacteria so if you are prone to acne or other skin irritants it can help reduce that. It increases collagen production in your skin and helps remove dead, flaky skin for a smooth appearance.

Next I added honey.

Honey also helps clear acne. It also opens up the pores to help them stay clear instead of being able to trap dirt, oils and bacteria inside. Honey is full of antioxidants which promotes anti-aging of the skin. It also helps create a glow-y complexion because how soothing and moisturizing it is. I only added a small amount of honey, but for anyone with dry skin I would add a little more.

And finally I mixed in the sugar.

Sugar is going to create the actual scrub. It will gently exfoliate your skin, however be sure to use fine sugar. Using large grains of it can be damaging to your skin. Sugar will help keep the moisture we just added from the honey and coconut oil locked it. By adding the sugar you will create younger, fresher looking skin because it will help break down the old cells and bring out the new ones. If you have very sensitive skin you might want to consider using brown sugar instead, it's a little softer and shouldn't irritate your skin as much.

The best part of making your own scrub is that it's 100% customizable! Based on what ingredients you need more of to help with your current skin condition you can add more in and have the perfect scrub for you. And not only does this scrub smell amazeballs (and I also love it as a lip exfoliator!) but my skin looks and feels brand new!  I wish I took pictures from the first day to today because the results have been incredible. I feel like my skin is glowing, the texture is so soft and smooth and I've been getting a million compliments.

Go ahead and try your own version and let me know what you think!

Fearless Fashionista && Timesless Beauty

     For those of you who know me well know that I'm always trying to find something "more". Recently I was contacted by a recruiter from Chloe & Isabel to become part of their merchandising team. After some research I realized that this would be SO MUCH fun! Not only is their jewelry FABULOUS but they also offer a lifetime guarantee.
     I am a complete accessory junkie. Even though I do have some pretty loud garment pieces in my closet, I mostly navigate towards staple pieces. With that being said I always have fun with my accessories. I love loud necklaces, chunky bracelets and crazy rings.
     Hopefully you love this line as much as I do. Email me for any inquiries, advice or if you want to host a party and get discounted and/or free jewelry! I'd also love to help you create an entire outfit such as this one which I made for a friend who was going to a winter party. The earrings and ring are on my Chloe & Isabel boutique.

I have also created an instagram specifically for my Chloe & Isabel boutique.

Follow me: amandajoy1228

RIP 2k14

RIP 2k14

To say that 2014 was an amazing year is completely an understatement. I literally took my life and shook it up like a sparkling snow globe, and the results were nothing short of fabulous. The one thing in life that actually makes me feel uncomfortable is consistency. I'm sure most people can say that opposite, but when everything starts settling into place I need something new. If someone would have told me in January 2014 that everything in my life would be different by December I probably wouldn't have believed them... but I would change anything.

Here's 2014 in a nutshell, the most fabulous year so far:

I can't imagine how amazing 2015 is going to be.

Here's to hoping I find my writing muse again!

Rainbow Moments

Back in my Sunday school days, in 8^th grade I believe, I had a teacher who was a little cooky, sorta wacky and dressed like you would assume a clown would on their day off. All weirdness aside, she was a really good person. Not going to lie, I don’t remember a whole lot about Sunday school, except I really didn’t have a choice but to go. However, I do remember one lesson in her class.

I’m sure we can all agree that the news and people in this world today are just depressing. Social networks either have people flaunting their happiness so much that it appears to be nothing but fake, or crying “poor me”. I’m not sure what happened to appreciating what we have and enjoying life, but it seems like the world today just wants more and more.

Anyways, back to Sunday school, we had a lesson that I refer to as “Rainbow Moments”. It’s so easy to focus on the bad in life and let the good things slip through our mind. The point of Rainbow Moments is to find gratefulness in every day and document it to see how much good fills up your life, and eventually you’ll become focused on happiness instead of whatever brings you down.

One of my best friends and I decided to make a Rainbow Moments notebook. We took it to school and would pass it throughout the day, adding in whatever made us smile or what we were grateful for. Before we knew it our little spiral notebook was running out of pages. But the biggest thing was our view of life. The laws of attraction show whatever you put into the universe is what you’ll get out of it, and what will come back to you. So by focusing our energy on good, more and more good was coming into our lives.

This follows the teachings of “The Secret”, which became popular years ago, especially when Oprah Winfrey exposed it on her hit talk show. Which: I highly recommend EVERYONE watch this, it’s available on Netflix, purchase it on their website, or in book form. It’s all about changing your mindset and putting good out into the universe so you can get good back into your life.

So today, start your own Rainbow Moments, whether it be online with a blog or forum, emailing them to me, a journal, thought jar, whatever you want. But the sooner you start focusing on putting good out there, the sooner you get good back.

Golden Globes: Toddle Style

Let's face it: toddlers are some of the most adorable creatures. They do the silliest things and are finally starting to develop physical characteristics. It's so cute when they start to finally turn into miniature adults. 

These first two photos are of my super adorable niece. Even though we live 550 miles apart I get to see her grow, play and smile through Instagram. (Click here to check out my account) Her mama, an amazing photographer, shares her everyday adventures from playtime to shopping and just being silly.

 

One random day of Google searches I stumbled upon ToddleWood (website currently unavailable). Instantly I fell in love. The recent posts that day were of the Golden Globes. Like any awards ceremony my favorite part is always what happens on the red carpet. I find myself critiquing, praising and drooling just like Joan Rivers would be.

Tricia Messeroux is the woman behind ToddleWood which transforms toddlers into superstars. She takes iconic photos and recreates them with children ages 3-6. Her collection is beyond adorable!

Take a quick peek at a few of her looks from the Golden Globes 2013:

Which little tot do you think looks the most glamorous?
(my vote goes to the gorgeous girl in orange!)

Life tastes better [[Spiked]]

At first I was a little skeptical, but now I am addicted to spikes. 

Although spiking your car may be a little extreme, spiking your clothing and accessories can be a lot of fun. The trend is edgy, funky and can spice up traditional looks. You can rock it like a rockstar with leather jackets, skinny jeans and teased hair. 

Or you can soften the look a bit by mixing in soft colors, cotton blend sweaters and tailored blazers.

 

If  you're still a little cautious, start small. Tons of accessories are out there to add in that small dose of this edgy trend. Look for jewelry, shoes, bags and even phone cases.

Double C

Every girl has the one designer that they absolutely adore. I've always been a huge fan of Chanel. It's always classic and chic with a modern twist. Their looks are always soft and feminine with a touch of texture. I explore their iPhone app more often than college students get on Facebook. 

Their Fall-Winter 2012/2013 Haute Couture show definitely met my expectations. 

Here are a few of my favorites:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check out their show here.

Let's Fly Away ✈

I would love to have the life of a jet setter; traveling all the time and always on the go. However, that isn't my reality. So when something does come up and I do get to take a couple days of work and travel it always turns into an interesting experience. Take a look at this photo diary of my life from Monday afternoon until Tuesday evening...

 Started my "work day" off with Brugger's Bagels and Starbucks.

It was a rainy day but departure was on time.

Then we hit an awful storm on the way to Orlando. However, the beautiful thing about storms is you know something gorgeous will follow.

Landed in Florida! Palm trees always make me happy in an instant.

Stayed in the gorgeous Florida Hotel.

And I was definitely plotting ways to steal these ahhhh-mazing chandaliers.

Spent my day in meetings, but would love for a store that looks like this!

Had to pack an acceptable outfit.

 Before I knew it, it was time to head back to ATL.

Enjoyed a few drinks because of a ridiculous layover!

Finally left ATL.

 And had two fuzzy surprised waiting for me when I got picked up!

Look for an update to come soon about all the silly people I got to encounter!

Baubles for Your Besty

We all remember the "best friend" jewelry sets from middle school. The designs ranged from puzzle pieces to monkeys and bananas and every random possible thing in between. Now it's time for the grown up version. Bauble Bar is fashion forward and extremely trendy. It launches a new theme every month and then every Monday and Wednesday they launch a new collection based on the monthly theme. They offer all kinds of fun surprised all the time and you earn points to get money off.

This month they have a bonus feature: Baubles for your Besty. August is Bauble Bar's 30th birthday and they are celebrating by featuring one product every day. If you purchase the featured product they will send one to you and the matching pair to your BFF. 

The best part? You will never get sent a hamburger/french fry set.

Tip: Register your email before purchasing and earn an instant $10 off!

Peplum from the Runway to the Sidewalk

Peplum was a big trend in the spring that didn’t slow down for summer. Peplum, for those of you who may not be familiar with the term, is defined as “a short full flounce or an extension of a garment below the waist, covering the hips”. I know that this trend can be extremely scary for a lot of people. But girls, you should definitely give it a try! It looks adorable on almost all body types (surprised?!), and gives you plenty of fun options.

Let’s start with a peplum top.

The details are endless. You could work with a solid, print and detailing such as lace or beading. Peplum tops are best paired with skinny pants or a pencil skirt. Don’t be afraid to do a bright color or print on the bottom, especially if the top is simple and neutral. Avoid adding pieces that flow away from the body. 

A skirt with a peplum top is probably a little bit harder to wear. If you want to add curves find a skirt that the peplum falls around your hips. If you’re already a curvy girl gravitate towards a skirt with a little higher cut so the peplum hits just above the hips, which will camouflage. For a casual look tuck a basic tank top or cotton shirt in the skirt. I recommend a fitted top that does not blouse for this look. If you have a dressier skirt; look for richer fabrics such as silk. These tops can be bloused slightly, but avoid too much extra fabric in the risk of looking frumpy. You can also pair it with a corset style top; however, avoid costume-y looking ones and add on a cropped blazer for a more professional touch.

The easiest way to pull off this look is with a dress. This is the worry-free way to know that you’re pulling the look off right. You can find a peplum dress that perfectly matches your style; whether it be strapless, sleeveless, long sleeves, lace detailing, bright colors or floral prints, the options are endless. 

Tried this look before? Comment with a link to a picture of you pulling of this fresh look!