My Summer Wardrobe

I usually have a few outfits and key pieces that wear all summer and I thought I'd share them with you. I just love their versatility, comfort, and durability. Within these outfits there are trends like, colors, cuts and styles. I seem to adore neon yellow, a certain cut of shorts, statement necklaces, and an overall polished look. I hope you enjoy! Let's dive in...

For the Fourth// I recently bought this red tank from J.Crew Factory for $5, I thought it was perfect for the 4th as well as any other hot day in July. I got my white and navy shorts from TJ Maxx, they are originally from Willi Smith.  My gold flip-flops are from Old Navy, and my cat-eye sunnies are from H&M. To draw in some more white, I added an off-white belt from J.Crew and a white statement necklace from J.Crew. Wow, I wonder what my favorite store is.

A Little More Laid-Back// This outfit is for a quick trip somewhere in the heat, you can throw in on and still look like you tried. The blueish-patterned, top is from PacSun, I'm pretty sure it was $20. The neon yellow, 3'' Chinos are from J.Crew (surprise, surprise). My neon pink flip-flops are from Old Navy. 

A Little Bit Fancier// I figured this look could be great for a party or an event requiring semi-formal attire. The white, crocheted dress I am sporting is from Old Navy and the tan wedges on my feet were purchased from DSW. As for the mint-colored statement necklace, I recently bought that at J.Crew Factory. The pink purse over my shoulder is from Nine West, it's a few years old but I found the same one TJ Maxx the other day. 

Some Prep in the Mix// In the summer it's always nice to have a basic v-neck to use as a staple. I love this one and have it in about five more colors from Old Navy. I matched the tee with dark blue shorts with green whales on them from TJ Maxx. On my wrist I am wearing two beaded bracelets I made, and an Alex and Ani Sagittarius bangle. My belt, half leather half elastic, is from Banana Republic. My feet are the most comfortable they have ever been in these flipflop-like Birkenstocks. My mom brought these coper-brown babies back from Europe and I couldn't be happier! 

A Bit More Put Together// I just love, love, love wearing button-down shirts with some patterned/ geometric shorts. My bright, green/yellow top is from J.Crew (this is getting old). I was so happy I waited for it to go on sale; it went  from $65 to $10 in a matter of a month. The pink and white shorts are from Old Navy, I purchased them last summer. To dress this up a little bit, you could add a statement necklace like I did, or, you could tie your hair back and wear some big, noticeable earrings.

I hoped you liked reading this post as much as I liked writing it. I love to share what I like to wear -- I also love when things rhyme like that! 

Until next time...

xoxo,

Stella

On My Radar

I thought I'd enjoy talking about what's been on my radar lately. First off though, I would like to apologize for not posting anything for three weeks, or however long. I was wrapping up final projects and exams. But as of last week, it's officially summer!!

Chilin' at the Pool // 

The pool is a summer must-do. Lately, when I'm bored and it's a really nice day out I've been going to the pool with my friends. There are a few pools around town that I prefer over others, one reason being cost. Where I live, all the pools are a part of a club to which I am usually not a member. Some of my friends are members so I can get in for free with them. I should think about getting a few punch-passes though. 

The pool I sometimes go to.

Watching the World Cup //

Recently, for some arbitrary reason I have been loving to watch soccer. Honestly, I barely know the rules or what's happening at a given time, but I really find it exciting and fascinating how soccer is a huge part of a country's culture. I just watched the Spain vs Netherlands game and I was overjoyed that the Netherlands won 5 to 1. I can't wait to watch the rest.

Going Summer-Natural // 

I know what this sounds like, and I'm here to inform you that your initial assumptions are incorrect. What I mean by "going summer-natural" is not wearing make up, and letting my hair exist in it's natural state rather than blowdrying it straight (OMG that rhymed). To me this also means not having to shave my legs (yes!), it's such a pain in the butt. Weird fact: I actually shave more in the winter months than in the summer ones, I think it has something to do with the fact that no one from school is seeing my hairy legs in the summer. 

Driving //

It's hard to believe that I can legally drive with a parent now! I got my learner's permit about three weeks ago and I've been driving almost everyday since. First we did a couple parking lots, then various twisty neighborhoods with stop signs, and then we moved on to intersections and the highway! I'm learning really quickly and according to my brother, I'm actually kind of good.

Me with my permit 

I hope you liked seeing what's been on my mind lately! I like these types of post and I'll be sure to do one again!
xoxo,
Stella

A Year at a Glance

I cannot believe that this school year is over, I've had 90 periods of each class and it feels like I've only had about five. The strangest thing is, that summer is right around the corner and I can't even feel it. It's like my brain doesn't recognize it because it's too inundated with reminders for tests and end-of-the-year things. I don't think I'll feel the excitement of summer until school finally gets out next Thursday; I have an exam just about every day up until then. Looking back at the 2013-14 school-year, I have done quite a bit, especially for it only being my Freshman year in high school.

ONE // Science Fair

At SLVSEF with my beloved biochemistry project.

Science is my thing. You could say that I "geek out" over science, and it would beyond accurate. It just makes so much sense to me, almost everything has a reason, and I like reason 99% of the time. This year in my Honors Biology class, we were required to participate in the school science fair. I chose to do this project alone and initially I was nowhere near excited for it. But when things started to unfold and I was a finalist in my school fair, I loved it. I advanced to district fair and then to regionals (Salt Lake Valley Science and Engineering Fair). Seeing as it was my first regional science fair, I didn't expect to place or advance, but it was a great learning experience and it made me want to do it again next year. 

TWO // Uganda Fundraiser

I am the president of my school's Builder's Club, which is a subdivision of Kiwanis and this year we did many service projects mostly for the community, but this year our huge project was raising money for our sister school in Uganda, St. John's. Alexia a friend from the club and I decided to take this one step further and include my former elementary school in the project. We had competition between classes in which they filled their class donation jars with coins and bills. The winning class received certificates as well as popsicles. In total we raised about $500 that goes towards desks for schoolchildren in Uganda. It was pretty amazing, leading a fundraiser on our own, we learned so much.

TREE // Service Hours

As a part of the National Honor Society we are required to complete twenty hours of community service within the school-year. As you may know from a few posts back, I volunteer at the hospital once a week. Well three hours a week every week for this school year, plus numerous extra shifts taken, I was up to 110 hours of community service. I was awarded third place in number of service hours this year. 

I hope this post didn't seem too self absorbed, I purely wanted to reflect on everything I've done in my first year of High School. I'm sure I did more, but for now these are the biggest, most important things I can think of.
Thanks for reading!
xoxo,
Stella

Spring + Summer Shopping

Wow, I have really been on a roll with spring and summer lately. Spring is here and summer is right around the corner, I only have two more weeks of school! I found it appropriate to share what I bought for the upcoming season and it just so happens that many of the things I talked about in my last post are in this one too. Some of the items in this post I purchased last weekend and some I got last month. But nonetheless, I would like to show you what I will be wearing quite a bit this summer.

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From TJ Maxx-

Silk Tee // This is one of the clothing items I mentioned in my last post, the one I showed is obviously different from this one but they both are very cute. I love this because it has a sort of "mod" look to it and it has my favorite tones of blue in it. This piece was $14.

Woven Sandals // Or Haraches are super cute, simple, and most importantly, comfortable. People who live in South America wear these all the time, it's probably because they look good with almost any outfit. I featured another pair of these in my last post too but I like mine better (haha). These woven sandals were $30.

Chic Shorts // I always like to have a pair of shorts that are a little more on the dressier side. I love these particular ones because of the color (my favorite) and how I can dress them up or down. These were $20.

Flowing Shorts // These are great for when you want to wear a flowing skirt but you don't want to be constantly have to worry about your skirt coming up and people seeing. The geometric pattern on these is really eye-catching and black and white go with everything. These were $16.

From H&M-

Oxblood Skirt // I know, I know, the beautiful color isn't exactly bright like most summer clothes are. But I just had to get it, it was on sale and I don't have anything like it. I think I could sport it this summer and definitely through the fall. This was on sale for $7.

Navy Tank // Believe it or not, It gets really hot in July where I live, and it comes to a point where tee shirts are too much and I need something lighter. Instead of wearing a plain old tank, I thought I'd get one with lace trim. This was $3.

Cat-eye Sunglasses // I never knew what type of sunglasses looked good with my face and nose shape until I tried a whole bunch on and looked it up on the internet and magazines. But I found it, and it's the cat-eye look. I was so happy when I found the perfect pair of tortoise, cat-eye sunnies! These were only $7. 

Blue Polkadot Dress // If you haven't noticed, I really like dark blues. And I really look forward to wearing this tank dress on hot days July, maybe even for the 4th! This was $15.

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I know I didn't particularly get a lot, but I already have so much clothes that I can't keep them organized. So I figured I would focus on things that I needed more, turns out only needed a few. I hope you enjoyed seeing what I purchased and will be wearing for the summer season! Until next time!

xoxo,

Stella

10 Things Every Girl Needs for Spring + Summer

Spring is one of the best seasons for many reasons, one being how everything turns to different shades of green, another is how we can finally wear shorts! Trees, green, shorts, rain, flowers, and sun is what makes spring so awesome. It's very unfortunate that spring doesn't last long where I live, things seem to shift from a complete winter to a hot, dry summer in a matter of about two weeks. I thought because of my obvious spring fever, I would write about what every girl should have in their spring wardrobe. Here we go...

ONE // Small Cross-body

Everyone needs a bag to carry things around in that's small, easy to carry, and hands-free. Cross-bodies are perfect for that, they're a great way to hold just the bare minimum when you're out and don't want to bother with a huge bag. This particular bag is from Fossil, it's a little more on the expensive side but there are so many other companies that sell really cute cross-overs in fun colors. 

TWO // Silky Tee

A new chic look to try for spring is a silky tee shirt. This one's from Madewell, again expensive but you can find them at TJ Maxx and H&M too. It's got a boxy cut that doesn't hug your body in any places, basically and all around comfortable and free-flowing top that looks great on anyone. I have a silky tee shirt that has a blue pattern on it and I love wearing it with jeans one day and dressing it up the next. 

TREE // Boyfriend Shorts

The concept of the "boyfriend jean" has now transferred to shorts too! I don't know about you, but I don't always enjoy skin-tight shorts that almost expose my butt. I like shorts that are comfortable and not too revealing. These shorts are from J. Crew, I love all of their shorts, they fit me so well and I can always find great deals and sales on them. 

FOUR // Colorful Studs

Studs are always a good accent piece, they add a little to an outfit without adding too much. I have these studs from World Market and I love them, they are really cheap and pretty good quality. My ears are sensitive to certain medals and, I have to say these are awesome, they never give me problems, not to mention the compliments I get on their pretty colors!

FIVE // Sea Star Charm

I have been obsessed with the bracelet company Alex and Ani, they have the cutest bangles with little charms on them. I currently have a bangle with my zodiac sign on it and I find that it goes with everything that I wear. This one is a sea star from their Seaside collection. These bracelets are durable and made with recycled material in the US. What could be better than that?

SIX // Strappy Sandals 

Practical yet stylish shoes are a must for the spring and summer time. Wearing ballet flats when it's hot out isn't ideal and flip-flops are very bad for your feet, so I opt for some strappy, flat sandals. They are super cute, especially when there is an ankle strap and only one band around the toes. These are from Gap but I've seen them almost everywhere in different colors and styles.

SEVEN // Comfortable Dress

For those days where it's sweltering hot out and you don't want anything too snug on your body, or on the days when is the perfect temperature but you want to be comfy, I have the perfect thing. Simple, sleeveless dresses with interesting designs are amazing, they are light and loose and not too air tight. This exact dress is from H&M but I can't even tell you haw many places I've seen these inexpensive dresses.

EIGHT // Pastel Oxford

Oxfords are always a classic and great to have, especially pastel colored ones! Pastels are always great for the spring because they brighten up any outfit, and outfits are so versatile and put-together. This one is from Tommy Hilfiger but you can find them at pretty much any store. 

NINE // Printed Shorts

Regular shorts aren't enough for the spring and summer. Any print on shorts will do, but I prefer floral. You can find these easily at Forever 21 and other inexpensive stores. These particular shorts are from J. Crew and they would look great with the pink oxford (8). 

TEN // Haraches 

Haraches are woven leather sandals that are popular in South and Central America. Now the trend is reaching the US! I have seen these many places including American Eagle, Urban Outfitters, and Anthropologie. 

I hope you enjoyed this post, let me know in the comments if you liked this style/structure of a post. Until next time...
xoxo,
Stella

Track Escapades

As I recently informed you in my "Day in The Life" post, I took up track this year. It's been a thrilling ride, both mentally and physically but overall I'm very glad I decided to join. And as the season is coming to a close, I thought I would share my thoughts and experiences with you all. Enjoy!

One of our early morning meets

The initial reason I joined track was because I was not doing any other extracurricular, physical activities at the time. I had just recently quit dance (ballet) after 7 years last spring and my parents were giving me grief about not doing anything active. Which leads me to another reason I joined the track team, to please my parents. But don't think that I didn't do this for myself, I did, I wanted to have fun and do something physical to stay in-shape. One more reason I wanted to join track is because I had heard the track community was very accepting and friendly and after 7 years of bratty dancers, I wanted a change of scenery.

My friends and I before practice one day

I am a pretty cautious person, so I would never let myself do anything completely new without someone I know to share the gut-wrenching experience with me. So I recruited an old friend with a background in swimming and a new friend who I knew would be at the same level of novice as me. The whole school day leading up to the first practice my inside felt twisted and I could practically hear my heart beating, ready to leap out of my cheast (did I mention a have a bit of anxiety?). Words cannot explain the first day of practice let alone the first two weeks! I probably told myself as well as my friends, that I was going to quit. But I made it through the hardest part, my theory was that the coaches were trying to weed out the people who didn't have it in them to keep going, which in the very beginning, was me.

Bathroom stops on the way to meets

Throughout the whole season, my anxiety never went away. Meets were the worst, but at the end of them I always had a good time, it was just leading up to it. It's kind of unfortunate that I stopped being so nervous about practice up until, well, this past Monday. Now for some strange reason, I am so excited for practice, I don't know it it's because its starting to be sunny and warm, or that I have no more meets. Officially, my track season is over, I'm not going to any of the big meets. I never really expected to, I'm definitely not one of the best on the team or even close. But that never bothered me, I did this for me, to have fun and to stay fit, I was never trying to be the best or beat anyone but myself.

Currently I am still going to practice to get a chance to train with the really fast people who will push me and make me better. Plus, my dedication to the team will be recognized and maybe next year I'll be in more meets and the coaches might actually remember my name! Oh, I completely forgot to mention the friends I've made through track, some girls my age who I've known for a while but never really been close to, and some sophomores too. I look forward to returning to track for the next three springs until I graduate, it's been great. I hope you found this post interesting and maybe even a bit encouraging, let me know if you liked this post and I'll be sure to write more about my experiences in high school. Until next time!

xoxo,

Stella

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

I know I've blogged about healthy eating and food previously, but I never actually posted a recipe, so I thought I'd try one! I was watching one of my favorite YouTube channels, MissGlamorazzi,  and she did a great job demonstrating how to make healthy but tasty meals and this pudding was one of them. I had remembered that a while back my mom had told me about this chocolate avocado pudding, so I decided to make it!

What you will need:

•1/3 c organic cocoa powder (no added sugar)
•1/3 c organic raw honey
•1 tsp vanilla extract
•1/2 tsp chia seeds ( I used ground chia seeds)
•3 tbs coconut oil

•1 or 2 ripe avocado (whatever you prefer)

•1/4 c peanut butter (optional)
•Blender (mine is a Blend Tech)




Procedure:

Ground Chia Seeds

First, scoop 1/3 cup of organic cocoa powder and place it into a clean blender. Then scoop raw honey and put that into the blender too. Now add vanilla, chia seeds, and coconut oil. *The raw honey I used is local, supporting local businesses is really good to do and less fuel used to transport!

Second, cut avocado around the pit and twist to open. Then stab the put with your knife, twist, and pull away to take it out. After you have the exposed center, scoop it out with a spoon and drop it into the blender with everything else. *Avocados are a really good source of healthy fats, they also have many other benefits.

Looks kind of nasty

Now that you have everything you want in the blender, you can do ahead a blend it. You may need to stop it a couple times to push the pieces of avocado closer to the blades so they are blended completely.

Once all blended up, scrape out the pudding with a spatula, pour it into a bowl, and set in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. I decided to decorate my pudding with pistachios since berries aren't in season right now, but that would be a great option too!

Well, I hope you enjoyed this post and I strongly encourage you to make this on your own. It tastes amazing and doesn't have any added sugars or artificial sweeteners in it. I don't know of a dessert that is more healthy! Be sure to check out MissGlamorazzi's video, she has two more awesome recipes. Enjoy!

xoxo,

Stella 

Camping for Dumbies

This next weekend I'm going camping with my family and our close friends. I have been camping since before I can remember, I grew up with it. Honestly, some of my best memories and most enjoyable times have been when we were camping, sometimes it's better than going on a fancy trip by plane. My family always has a better time when we go with other families, all the kids share a tent and we all share food and sit by the fire together. I could go on and on about all of my camping experiences but we'd be here all week, lets get on to the actual post about camping tips.

The Grand Canyon

1. Don't expect to be clean.
When you have the opportunity to shower when your camping, I'm sorry that's not camping. Camping is all about dirt, grime, and more dirt. Your hair will be a rat's nest full of oil and dirt, just get over it, no one looks good while camping. One thing you could do is bring shampoo and bathe yourself in a nearby lake or river, I've done it many times. If you don't have access to a large water source, bring dry shampoo to help soak up the nastiness on your head. Another thing, your hands an feet will be very dirty, but hey, whats a little bacteria anyways? Camping is dirty and I advise that if you have a problem with this you should opt out now.

Our community fire

2. Be prepared for everything.
When you're out in the wilderness, you have to be prepared for the worst. If the weather says mostly sunny, don't forget to pack sweats and a windbreaker just incase the weather changes its mind. Another thing you should always do is plan out your meals. Pack exactly what you need for every meal and stick to it. You don't want to run out of food to make dinner, and you don't want too much to go bad. Most things you will eat should be cooked on a camp stove, but if you don't have one or your's breaks then bring tin foil to throw food in and cook in the fire. If the campsite you're going to has some sort of an outhouse remember to bring toilet paper, you don't know if it will run out or even be there at all. Wipes or hand sanitizer are good for quickly washing your hands after going to the bathroom.

Hiking in Arizona

3. Things to do.
Whenever we go camping we go somewhere recreational where we can hike or bike. These are great things to do during the day, I don't know about you but staying at the campsite all day is really boring to me. After long hikes we might go into the nearest small town and get a treat like ice cream, this is a great incentive to getting everyone to do something. In the evening we always play card games, frisbee, and paddle ball while listening to music and sitting by the fire. Glow-sticks and flashlights are always fun to bring for games and they are also beneficial for trips to the bathroom in the dark.

Windy Grand Canyon

Well, there you have it. An entire post about camping for beginners. I hope you found it somewhat intriguing and fun to read. I also hope you liked the pictures of my camping adventures! Until next time...
xoxo,
Stella

Spring Fling

Yay, spring is almost here! Well sort of, there's still snow on the ground where I live. Regardless, I am in the spring mood, I have spring fever and I thought of no better way to express it other than a brightly colored blog post. I decided to show you four outfits that are bright, colorful and comfortable. For all of these looks I am wearing very little makeup to keep things light and soft, just some brown mascara and a small amount of brown eyeliner. For my hair I blow dried it and shaped my layers with a round brush.

This outfit has many of my favorite colors in it. I just love emerald, navy, and turquoise, blues and greens are, in my opinion, the best colors that ever emerged out of the rainbow. My cotton  tee shirt is from J.Crew. My wave-inspired nautical shorts are from J.Crew also. My "bullet shell" necklace is one of may favorites from Down East. With these items you could easily wear some black sandals and nicely painted toes to create the laid-back but polished look for spring.

For this look I wanted to bring in a warm color and pair it with some cool accents. The magnificent pink flower-pattered shorts are from J.Crew (see a reoccurring theme?). My white eyelet three quarter sleeved blouse is actually from my mom's closet, but she go it from Gap. I purchased my mint-colored belt from Old Navy and my jeweled bangle is actually from India. I'm not wearing any shoes but some light brown leather sandals would go well with this comfy outfit. 

When we have those colder days in spring, I like to wear something that covers me but isn't as heavy as a down jacket. I think that the perfect material for days like this linen. I was in a store the other day and I noticed that there was so much linen, it must be coming back, with good reason. My patterned, linen pants are of the utmost comfort and from TJ Maxx, the original brand is Willi Smith. I also got my bright blue linen blazer from TJ Maxx but it's originally from Anthropologie. My charcoal grey tank is from Old Navy and my strappy wedges (if you can see them) are from DSW.

The last outfit I have today is quirky and fun. The mix of polka dots on the skirt and the flowers on the shirt are subtle and not terribly overwhelming. The tee-length turquoise skirt I'm sporting is from Down East. My cropped flowery top is from H&M, and my matching shoes are from Forever 21. If you can see it, my small blue-stoned necklace is from Urban Outfitters. I love this outfit because it's a little bit dressy yet it's still fun and not too sophisticated. 

I hope you enjoyed reading my post and maybe found some inspiration for your spring looks. Let me know if you like to see things like this on my blog and I hope you have a bright and colorful spring!

Until next time...

xoxo,

Stella

My Plate

When I tell people about the way I eat they are astonished. Then they always ask, "How can you do that?". I am always surprised how people think the way I eat is so weird or extremely healthy. But I guess it's never been that hard for me, my mom doesn't buy unhealthy things, so I don't eat unhealthy things. I've learned to adapt to my mom's dietary ways and now it's the norm for me. My family eats gluten free, organic, non GMO, preservative and pesticide free foods. When you try a little bit, it isn't that hard to find good things to eat. In this post i'm going to share with you what a typical day in meals is for me.

Breakfast

When I wake up really early for school, my stomach is growling and so is my attitude. The first thing I do is make my coffee (organic and fair trade of course). Every once in a while I will throw some fruits, veggies, and protein powder into a blender and make myself a green smoothie. But I usually just want to get something into my stomach so I opt for a more simple option, cereal. What I have been eating lately is organic brown rice crisp cereal; like a healthier version of Rice Crispies. It sounds sort of bland but it's the highlight of my morning.

Lunch

I pack a small but well rounded lunch for school days. It usually consists of greek yogurt of some kind, multigrain chips, cheese, carrots, and a banana or a few Cuties. I love greek yogurt, it's like a light whipped cream version of regular yogurt with so much more protein. My multigrain chips are gluten free and have flax seeds in them which have great healthy fats and omega 3s. When I bring broccoli I steam it ahead of time in the microwave and then I zap it again when I'm at school. Usually I pack other snacks to eat before track practice.

Dinner

Almost all of my dinners follow the Paleo diet. So no grains and little to no dairy, lots of lean protein and nutrient rich fruits and vegetables. My dinner plate usually consists of a meat: chicken breast, white fish, turkey, or buffalo, and some vegetables: broccoli, green beans, peas, carrots, or cucumbers. 

Snacks and Sweets

Yes, I do eat sweets, healthier sweets but sweets nonetheless. For example, I have Ben and Jerry's ice cream sometimes, and no it's not always gluten free. For snacks I have chips and the most amazing authentic salsa from Trader Joe's, a granola bar, cheese sticks, or Cuties. I snack so much when I'm home so on the weekends I don't always have lunch because I'm constantly eating (healthily).

I hope you found this post somewhat interesting and explanatory, and hey, maybe even a little bit influential. Let me know if you would like to read more posts about me and my lifestyle, or of course if you completely hate it... lol. Until next time!

xoxo,

Stella

Spring Savings

I love shopping just as much as the next girl but when I'm walking around a mall or in a store that I like I can't help but notice how expensive everything is. I can't spend all the money I want, what I have in wallet is all from babysitting and I hate spending it all on clothes, its not worth it. But when spring rolls around and it's time to get a couple new pairs of  shorts and maybe a tank top or two, I either need a butt-load of cash or some serious discounts.

What I purchased from J.Crew

One of my favorite stores is J.Crew, this store is ME. The only problem is I can't afford to buy $65 shorts and a $40 shirt, it's just too much. My philosophy is to shop in the back where they have all of the clearance or sale items. I always find really cute clothing items back there for a fraction of the price. I was just at J.Crew last weekend with a friend and I found some really cute patterned Chino shorts along with a nice emerald colored tee, both in the sale section. The day I went, all of the sale items were an additional 40% off. So instead of $60, my shorts were on sale for $40 and then $24 with the 40% discount. My tee shirt was $30 then $20 and finally $12. Another awesome thing about J.Crew is that they offer a 15% discount on any purchase if you are a college student or a teacher. You'd be surprised how many really great stores have student discounts, it doesn't hurt to ask.

Roxy pants from TJ Maxx

Another thing to keep in mind is TJ Maxx, close-out stores like this are a great place to find a bargain. I usually go every once in a while and always find myself with armfuls of clothes in minutes, of course I narrow it down to just a few but it's really easy to find cute stuff. The last time I went I was looking for a pair of spring pants with some bright colors. I found these two pairs of pants originally from Roxy and marked down from $65 to $16. They are an amazing fit both price wise and size wise.

Something I forgot to mention is the magnificent thrift shop! Where I live there aren't really any good ones but I'm sure it would be easy for you to find one near you. One tip about thrift shopping: look for a store in a more wealthy area, that way the items donated will most likely be designer or really nicely kept. Well, I hope you found this post useful and informative. Have fun shopping!
xoxo,
Stella

A Day In The Life of Me

Lately I've been getting bored of just writing about fashion every week. By now you are probably asking, "how could fashion get boring?", well my answer to that is: because I like change, consistency bores me sometimes. That's why I've decided to write about what my day is like. A typical Friday looks like this...

Walking in the light snow

I get ready for school really early in the morning and walk to the bus stop in the cold and in the snow (usually). I then take a short bus ride to my school. I sit next to a nice girl who loves to talk about school, boys, fashion, politics, and more... we have some really good conversations.

Awkward picture of the back of my Spanish class.

Once I get to school I put my bag in my locker and get my materials for first period. At my school we have four periods a day and two different days (block schedule). Today I had Honors Math, Honors Biology, Ceramics, and Spanish. A pretty interesting day all around. In the middle of my day I have lunch with my friends, I really like lunch to catch up with them because we don't have many classes together.

My school's track and field.

When school is over in mid-afternoon, I change and go to track practice. Practice is every day for about and hour and a half. The track season just started and I convinced two of my friends to join with me, we may not be the best, but at least we're trying something new and exciting!

Alexia and I in our pink shirts.

I volunteer at my local hospital on Fridays with one of my friends from track, this causes us to leave practice early. At the hospital we volunteer with two other people our age, I always have loads of fun with everyone. The environment of the hospital is really awesome because everyone is so nice and loves to talk to you. Not to mention-- my boss is the BEST! I have been volunteering there for some time now and I can't imagine stoping any time soon.

Well there you have it, that's pretty much my normal Friday. Of course with the exception of me Face- Timing (is that a verb?) one of my best friends Maddi almost every night of the school week. And how could I forget, I also do homework but on Fridays I only have to write a blog post for English. ;)

xoxo,
Stella

Good Reads That Keep Getting Better

This week I wanted to talk about my favorite books that I would recommend to anyone. I will be talking about books that have to do with fashion and I also threw in some novels that I really enjoyed. Between assignments, school, friends, chores, track, volunteering, and other clubs/extracurriculars, I barely have any time to read for pleasure. But over the summer, a break, or a long car ride I read some really good books!

Find this at Amazon

One of my favorites and a new addition to my collection is the book-- Art Deco: The Golden Age of Graphic Art and Illustration. This book has lots of great artworks portraying the fashion, advertising, and the movement of art deco in the 1920s and 30s. Its a pretty large hard back book but its great for studying the beautiful pieces. I really like how it gives really fascinating historical facts and information. I have found numerous paintings that I would like to have prints of in my room so it's really nice how the authors tell you loads on the artist and where to find different pieces.

Find this at Phaidon

This book is an awesome A-Z guide to the designers and important   inspirational people that helped shape the fashion world today. It has everyone from Giorgio Armani to Andy Warhol. Another added benefit is they excerpt about the history and development of the company/person with some sort of picture or drawing of a most successful design or print. 

Find this at Amazon

Emerging out of the fashion books, I have an excellent non-fiction book about a female neurosurgeon and her climb to the top. Many doctors publish articles and books about their lives or studies, but I can definitely say that not all of them are good writers. It's one thing to be good at what you do, and another to be good at explaining it in a non-dry way (if that makes any sense whatsoever). I really liked this because the author has really good voice. I was never bored with the book. I wanted to find out what interesting cases she had, what it was like to be the only female resident in her neurosurgery program, and her trials and errors along the way. I highly recommend this book to anyone; you will fall in love.

Find this here

Fiction lovers, you will love this next one...

A story of four teens who answer and ad in the paper for extraordinary children who would like to receive special opportunities. They then go through a series of exams, testing their logic and cleverness. The four differentiating teens set off on a perilous journey with my twits, turns, and unexpected blind spots along the way. There is actually a second and third book along with a prequel and spinoff. I really think these books are worth checking out, they are so fun to read!

I hope you enjoyed this little stray of a blogpost. I realize it dips into another area but I thought- what the heck let's try it! Let me know in the comments if you have any books you think I should read. Keep reading!

xoxo,

Stella

My Nightly Routine

Today I thought I would share my nightly routine with you, it doesn't vary from the average nightly routine that much, but I still thought I could show you the products and methods I use. I'm usually very picky about the way I do things and in which order I do them, so when it comes to my nightly routine, everything is spot on. So here goes...

Before I hop in the shower I will take my make up off. I usually don't have much, just some mascara and coverup, maybe some eyeliner. I like to use the Equate Exfoliating cleansing face towelettes. I prefer these make up remover wipes over others because they are really gentile and they don't have any harsh ingredients. Lots of people like the Neutrogena wipes, but I find them to be irritating and they make my face sting, not to mention they're way more money for way less quantity. 

Then I wash the day away. For my shampoo I use Paul Mitchell's Shampoo Two. I love this shampoo because it's a clarifying shampoo, with this product you can skip a day of showering and your hair wont get oily and gross, also it's really good for people who are in chlorine a lot. For conditioner I use Garnier Fructis' Hydra Recharge conditioner. I use this because a little goes a long, long way, you only need a squirt the size of a dime and it leaves your hair so silky and healthy. This works best for people who tend to have hair on the drier side or live in a dry climate. For face wash I use the Clinique liquid face soap in mild, I just got this sampler and so far so good, no complaints.

I don't usually shave my legs every time I shower but when I do, I do it pristinely. My razor is an inexpensive one from Venus, as long as it doesn't cut me I'm fine with it. Before I shave I use my apricot scrub, this was really cheap and a complete copy of the more expensive St. Ive's scrub. I scrub my legs before I shave them to get rid of dead skin and sort of clear the way of the hair follicles so you get a longer lasting shave. For shaving cream I sometimes use generic shaving cream, but I find it cheaper and easier to use conditioner, I know it sound weird but it leaves your legs hydrated and smooth.

After my shower I dry off, get dressed and work on my face a little bit more. I like to use the Clinique toner for the dry-combination skin type. Occasionally, I will use the Sea Breeze Astringent for black heads or oily areas. One my face is all dried out I like to put some hydration back into it with my Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizer plus. I only have a sample size to try it out but it is amazing! You only have to use a little and spread it evenly around your face and neck, and your face literally feels like a baby's butt.

After that process, I make some tea. I like to drink a relaxing caffeine free tea to help me sleep. I have been using Celestial's Sleepytime Extra for years now, it has a really good, light flavor of camomile, spearmint and the ancient Greek sleep aid valerian (herb). This tea works so well, it knocks me out and puts me into the best night of sleep. I then, tuck myself into bed, put my phone away and read for thirty to forty-five minutes. After that I snooze off! 

**A couple tips for a better slumber**

1) Your sleeping environment should be a dark slightly colder room. You sleep best when it's a few degrees colder and when it's completely dark you are forced to fall asleep.

2) Turn off all electronics and bright screens at least one hour before you go to sleep. The light tricks your brain into thinking it's daytime causing you to stay awake and have a restless sleep.

I hope you liked reading about my nightly routine, products I use, and simple tips I gave. I really enjoyed writing about this topic and would love to write more things like it. Until next time...

xo,

Stella