A Glimpse of Glam

Hey everyone!

Awhile back, I was nominated for the Miranda Sings Award by the amazing Jasmine from thesixthdisneyprincess.blogspot.com. She is a wonderful blogger who posts really great, interesting content on topics such as fashion and beauty. She is so real and relatable and creative, so definitely go check out her blog! Thanks so much Jasmine for nominating me!

The rules for this award is as follows:

Announce your nomination with a post, including a link to the blogger who nominated you
Include the featured image on your blog
Nominate 10 other blogs and link the nominees in your post
List seven things you love about yourself (such as appearance, personality, skills, and so on and so forth), and no negative comparisons.

And so to continue on this lovely tag/award thing, I'm sharing with you all today the 7 things I love most about myself. This is in no way an excuse to act conceited and self-obsessed; it is simply a way to spread the idea of self-love. Okay, fine. Maybe it is a little bit conceited, but you know what? Society ingrains into our brains that it is wrong to show some self-love because it comes off as conceitedness. But you know what? I think that to some extent it is okay to do so, rather than always acting so modest.

If you can't proudly love yourself, flaws and all, how can you expect others to love you? Go ponder that why don't you?

Anyways, without further adieu, here are my list of seven.

1) I love that I am skilled in art. Art has been part of my life ever since I could remember. I really love and appreciate my knack for colors and eye for patterns.

2) I love that I have a creative mind. I tend to think outside of the box. Sometimes I hit a rut where I feel as stumped as a chopped up tree, but when I reach that creative state it is the greatest feeling ever.

3) I love that I can be very much a perfectionist. I really like being organized and being in control. Sure, that may annoy those around me, but at times it really comes in handy. It helps me accomplish things, and it shows the immense amount of dedication and diligence I put into everything I do.

4) I love my hair. It is SO easy to manage and is healthy. I used to wish I had curly or wavy hair naturally, like my friends do. But now that I've learned more about styling hair, and gained a better understanding of what works for my hair, I have come to really appreciate what I've got.

5) I love my wit and sarcasm. I have a sense of humor and I'm not afraid to hold it back. I can make people feel at ease even if I have just met them. I've also been told by my friends that my sassiness brightens their days and has kept them on their feet.

6) I love my intuitiveness. It allows me to be on the same emotional level of that of others, and helps me gain a better understanding of the environment I am in.

7) I love my inability to play sports. I have a complete lack of ability to do well in sports. I really try, I really do. But whenever the ball comes flying in my direction, I can't help but duck and cover. And you know what? That's okay with me. It is humbling. Who needs to be good at everything anyways?

Thus follows are the 10 lovely bloggers I am nominating!

Aisha http://aishettina.blogspot.com/
Ambi http://www.ambiinwonderland.com/
Alyssa http://www.alyinwanderland.com/
Marianne http://myhappybubblexx.blogspot.com/
Julia Kaylee http://jkdawn.blogspot.com/
Kayla http://www.kaylasvibrations.com/
Vildana http://living-like-v.blogspot.com/
Roberta http://milleunrossetto.blogspot.com/
Sarah http://www.vivaepernay.com/
Sam http://mybeautycloud.com/

It's so fitting that it is the Miranda Sings award. I follow her on YouTube, and the way Colleen portrays her is so wonderful and motivating.

Please share a few things you love about yourself in the comments below! Even if I didn't nominate you, it will still be a great way to spread the love, as well as get to know you all better.

Thanks for reading! I hope you all are having a fantastic day!


Til next time,
~A

Hey everyone!

Find a similar dress here

Some similar dresses found here

Hey everyone!

As you probably already know based on the outfits I've shared here in the past, I am a fan of contrasting colors, prints, and textures. I am not afraid of experimenting with different pieces to make them work as a cohesive look. However, I've recently found myself appreciating the beauty in simplicity. Simple does not have to be boring. In fact, there are many ways for a monochromatic look to be visually interesting. A classic little black dress can be played up in so many ways and speak of your individual character, and yet all it takes is just one color. (Which isn't even a color, really, because black is actually a shade created from a lack of light. But let's not go that deep).

A short while ago, I created a wishlist of things I'm loving this spring from Banggood. Check out my wishlist if you haven't already to see some of the awesome stuff this site has to offer. I've gotten things from there before in the past, and I was not dismayed. Not sure if you remember or not, but the long-sleeve black dress, leopard print scarf, and leaf ring were all really nice. Go take a look at that last review if you so desire. Anyways, today I'm sharing with you all one of the two dresses I ended up getting from my spring wishlist of Banggood items.

Find a similar dress here

This LBD features long lace sleeves, which I think adds an edgy appeal to an otherwise classic dress. It has a slight high-low cut at the bottom, and the neckline is fairly modest. The sleeves in my opinion are the true focal point. They add a nice flair to it. And you know me, I love black lace.








You can find a similar dress as this one here. I have a SECOND post featuring another dress from Banggood I will be posting soon! It is also from my spring wishlist. So get excited for that.

When I took those photos, it was incredibly hot outside. I am amazed that I was able to wear this dress and not feel like I was dying. My photographer, also known as my sister, was complaining the entire time because she just wanted to go hide indoors with an icy cold drink. Seattle doesn't get hot and sunny as often as other places, but when it does I don't feel prepared. I need to start working on my tolerance levels for hot weather again.

Though, I really shouldn't say that and risk jinxing it. I love when the weather gets to be this nice out. The only thing that bothers me is my fear of getting sunburned, or developing skin cancer. That and the bees that come out to play now that flowers have bloomed and it's time to pollinate. I know bees are great and play a crucial role in nature, but that doesn't lessen my fear at all!

What did you guys think? How do you style little black dresses? Lemme know in the comments below!

I hope you all enjoyed reading, and that you have a wonderful day!


Til next time,
~A

Image Credit: The Upside Sport

Hey everyone!

Leggings are a huge trend nowadays. No matter where you go, you are bound to run into someone sporting a pair of leggings. I know I wear my fair share of them, like here and here and here. Okay, enough with the "here". You get my drift.

You can incorporate them in so many ways into your outfit and wardrobe. The only thing I gotta warn you is to just make sure you actually wear them in a way that doesn't make you look like you aren't wearing pants! That's a huge drawback to these comfy articles of clothing. Today I have a guest post sharing a few ways to dress up your favorite leggings!

This guest post is by Jae Rustia. She's had a guest post in the past here before. She has great tips to share with you all! I hope you enjoy.

Add leather

Off the shoulder

Put on a blouse

Go for asymmetry

Mesh it up

Go for lingerie

Image Credit: The Upside Sport Instagram

Find the right shoes

I hope you enjoyed reading this and got some useful tips! Lemme know in the comments below  what you thought! Thank you, and I wish you all a great day!


Til next time,
~A

Hey everyone!

How's that arugula and quinoa salad looking to you? I'm still working on my photography skills, so I hope I did it justice.

I don't know about you, but one thing for sure that applies to me is that I LOVE food. I love trying out new tasty treats, and putting recipes to test. Whenever I find the time to, I enjoy taking a recipe and making it my own. Food is life! Literally...

Which is why one of the classes I am taking this quarter is like a dream come true. Too bad it's only one class for one quarter. I forgot if I have mentioned in a previous post, but I am taking a culinary nutritional sciences class. All of that is just a fancy name for a class where we get to learn about the science behind foods. We get to cook food as our homework. Can it get better than that? I'm not even at a culinary school either, which is why when I found out this class was offered I had to snatch up on that opportunity as soon as I could.

Recently one of my assignments was to create a vinaigrette, all from scratch! Like you can't take the lazy route and go to the store, buy a bottle of Paul Newman's, and call it a day. We were learning about the properties of emulsion, and how that works. A vinaigrette is the perfect way to show this. I chose to create a honey balsamic vinaigrette because I love the taste of honey. It's the perfect balance of sweet and tangy.

So I'm basically sharing TWO recipes today. One is the vinaigrette, and the other is a recipe idea to go with it. You could just eat the vinaigrette straight up with a spoon, but I wouldn't recommend that. I mean, it is edible. And you won't die. But it's pretty strong. The choice is yours. I'm not your mother.

Also, just want to let you know that you will need a blender or food processor to make this. Maybe a hand mixer works too? It helps to have this to blend the ingredients together into one homogenous product.



Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (NOT the vinaigrette, but the pure balsamic vinegar. I used one that has a light blueberry flavor, but plain works)
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 heaping tablespoon dijon mustard
2-3 tablespoons raw honey (depending on how sweet you like it)
pinch of sea salt
dash of nutmeg
dash of cinnamon

Put the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and mustard into a blender or food processor. Blend together.
Add in the honey and blend again until the mixture is completely smooth and mixed through.
Add the salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon and blend only to combine evenly.

Makes roughly 2 oz


Arugula and Quinoa Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa**
4 cups arugula
1/2 of a long english cucumber
6 mini sweet bell peppers
1 medium carrot
2 medium tomatoes
6 oz honey balsamic vinaigrette (or more if you like)
light sprinkle of hemp seeds

Dice the cucumber and bell peppers into small chunks
Thinly slice the carrot into small 1 inch pieces
Thinly slice the tomatoes. Set aside several pieces for garnish.
Combine all ingredients, except for the slices of tomato for garnish, into a bowl and toss to combine. (I found that adding half of the dressing at first, then slowly adding more and more helped evenly mix it through. Otherwise, the quinoa really soaks up the dressing.)
Top it off with the leftover slices of tomato and serve.

Makes 6 servings


**To cook quinoa it is a 1 to 2 ratio for the dry uncooked quinoa and liquid of choice. Add the quinoa and liquid into a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Once it is boiling and bubbling, cover pot with a lid and reduce heat to a low simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove from heat and let sit to cool for an additional 5-7 minutes with the lid still on. Fluff up and separate the individual grains with a fork and serve. (I chose to cook the quinoa for the salad here with 1 cup chicken broth and 1 cup water for a hint of a savory chicken flavor to pair with the salad )


Give this a try next time you're feeling like eating a salad, and lemme know what you think! I'm trying to get healthier for the summer. And I'm hoping you guys wanna join me in this. Gotta rid of those cold-weather habits sooner rather than later.

What is your favorite type of salad dressing? Have you cooked quinoa before?

Thank you for reading, and I hope you guys are all having a lovely week!


Til next time,
~A