Obsessions, going back to school + little haul!

Have you ever just gotten so into something that it's all you think about?

No?

Yeah, me either.

But really, I have been SO OBSESSED with The Mortal Instruments series. in the course of August I've flown through the first four books in the six-part series. I'm currently dying to know what's gonna happen in book five but I'm trying to let everything sink in first. to help myself out I made another tumblr blog (I dare you to try and find me) to help myself deal with the amazing-ness. Also, I'm dying to see the movie which recently came out where I live and I'm hoping to see it before I go back to school.

If you aren't subscribed to my youtube channel you may not know much about this series so here's the 411. (does anyone actually say that anymore?)

Basically the first book of The Mortal Instruments series - City of Bones - starts off with a girl named Clary and her friend Simon. They're at a night club and things start to seem very strange when Clary sees a group of people but no one else seems to notice. She learns that these people are shadowhunters and when her mom disappears she learns that there's a lot more to her life then she thought.

I'd definitely recommend it if you love sci-fi/fantasy books.

I want to know if you've read this series and what you thought of it - no spoilers though! I'm not done the whole series yet!

I'm hoping that the lst two books will get me through the next month cause I have to go back... to school. DUN DUN DUN

It's not that I hate school, it's just that I don't exactly enjoy it all that much. I don't enjoy getting up early, I don't enjoy annoying people (let's be honest though, they're everywhere), I don't enjoy homework.

My advice to myself is to stop thinking of all the stuff I hate and focus on the things I enjoy about it. I like having a better social life, I like learning new things, I like being in the school band. 

But let's be honest, it isn't working out the greatest. 

I've actually been getting some request down on youtube to talk about what I plan on doing after high school. I think I might because it's been quite the difficult time for me and I think it might help some people out if I did a video on it. To be honest, I'm actually not that sure what I want to do after high school yet. But I'm working on it.

If one thing is for sure out of all of this, I couldn't be any happier to get rid of this sweltering heat. It has been so completely humid and muggy where I live all summer and I can't wait to be able to wear my UGGS and comfy sweaters because I am not a shorts-wearing person. Also some perks of fall; Pumpkin Spice Lattes and my birthday!
And now for the haul. The haul of all hauls... a Wal-Mart haul! *intense music plays*
Okay, maybe it's not that exciting but I thought I'd share it.

 I've tired this mascara before, and I really did enjoy it. But for a while I could only find the black satin formula which I didn't like at all. But since I haven't used it in a while I thought I'd pick it up again.

 The products above and below are products I've heard a lot about! I've tried the NYC bronzer before (thanks to my sister) and I think it looks pretty good with my fair skin tone. It's not the most pigmented, but I don't consider that much of a down fall since I'm so pale. The Maybelline Age Rewind Undereye Concealer is something I've been wanted to try for a while because my dark circles are really bad and since school is coming I needed something extra.

x Emily

Back to School Outfits!

I recently posted a video with my sister on my YouTube called The Common White Girl TAG. The last question - do you always look presentable? - made me rant a little about how a lot of girls in the beauty community have been making back to school videos of outfits that aren't exactly practical to wear to school. So as I'm uploading it I went straight to the internet to put together outfits that I would personally wear to school and I thought I'd share it with you.

Obviously this is my own style and won't apply to everyone and everything is optional. I also decided not to put in any brands unless I thought the specific piece was a good price because I want you to be able to find your own stuff and put your own style to it. 

I think a scarf is a great accessory to play up any outfit and make it different. Open sweaters and cardigans are also a staple in my wardrobe because they're great for cooler days, and you can throw it over a tank top to make it more appropriate for school. Leopard print flats are also great because they add some extra pattern to an outfit and consist of neutral colors that can go with almost anything.

Obviously this outfit is based around the military jacket. I think if you wanted it to be more of a focal point you could ditch the necklace and/or earrings. When choosing the shirt I initially picked one with black stripes. But after I wanted the shoes to be red I went with navy stripes. I think blue and red tie in really nicely together as you remember from the nautical trend. Lastly, I picked the cuffed jeans to add a little more detail on the bottom so it would be balanced with the jacket. (I found this jacket on old navy's website; only $40 for a great jacket!)

One of my favorite things to wear to school are v-neck sweaters and black leggings. This pair is comfy, cute, and flattering! Black is slimming as well as v-necks. To dress this up a bit I added a floral scarf, awesome boots and this cute studded watch (which is only $10 at Charlotte Russe!)

This outfit is for lazy days. The cropped jeans are basically if you want to rule out the sweater when it's a warmer day, and if you want to be more lazy, you can replace them with leggings. I saw this cardigan and fell in love with the pattern and the style, so I knew I had to use it. The only thing is that looking for something like this can be really hard and they always come out expensive. Graphic tees are always cheap and easy to find at places like Target and Wal-Mart. As for the moccasins; they can get destroyed really fast, so I'd recommend waiting until Payless brings some out or go hunting at Target or Wal-Mart. Buying expensive moccasins is NOT worth it!

Anyways, let me know what outfits you'll be wearing for this coming school year and what you're looking forward to for fall! (I'm definitely excited for Pumpkin spice Lattes!)

x Emily

Time for Haul!

Yesterday, my sister exclaimed to me how much she wanted to go to the mall. So I decided to humor her and tag along. Recently, my mall has been remodeling and adding in tons of popular stores. In order to get away from the crowds, I've hung back a while and haven't been in quite some time. Let's just say it looked very different and the whole time I was just pointed out how weird it was and my sister kept exclaiming that she couldn't believe I thought it was weird cause "it's been like that for a while!"
Anyways, we hit a lot of stores because I am in desperate need of new clothes for back school but what I came out with was 3 wall flower scents and a scarf... not exactly what I'd gone into the mall for, but I came out a happy shopper anyways.
First off, let's talk about these new fall scents B&BW has released cause holy moly they're all amazing!
When we first walked in and started smelling candles, I picked up the Harvest Coffee Mason Jar Candle and went on a hunt to find this in a wall flower; it smelled so delicious! Unfortunately they don't make this scent in a wall flower and I was very disappointed. I did not buy the candle but now i really want to go back and get it because it just smelled so delicious!  

Anyways, after some disappointment, the first scent I had to grab was Pumpkin Caramel Latte. The website describes this as creamy pumpkin, spiced caramel, and sweet cream; sounds super yummy, right?! Basically it smells like a caramel latte with a hint of spice to it; kinda like Starbucks in the fall!

The next one I grabbed was Blueberry Pumpkin Patch. Sounds weird, huh? When smelling them, I knew my sister didn't find it her favorite and when we got home my mom didn't exactly enjoy it either, but I love it! The website describes it as Blueberries fresh from the farm are the perfect match for ripe pumpkins in this delicious autumn blend. Doesn't exactly describe the scent, so I'll give it a go; it's sort of like blueberry pie with a kick of spice in it.

Last but certainly not least is Bergamot Woods. (If I were filming a video my next sentence would be: is that how you pronounce it? I don't know.) Anyways, this scent just may be my favorite because it smells like - wait for it - a man. Yes, you read that right. It seriously smells like a man ready to go out on a date. The B&BW website describes it as An aromatic woodsy blend, highlighted by bright bergamot, fresh lavender  and deep green cypress. Now isn't that what you want your man to smell like? I sure do!

The last thing I bought on our little trip to the mall was during a quick stop at Spring. I saw this scarf hanging and immediately fell in love with the colors; plus I've been wanting an infinity scarf for a while. Spring had lots of awesome scarves, so if you've been looking for a great way to play up your look check 'em out!
(this one is the vevrousek if you're curious) I'm not ususally one to go for the whole cross trend, but I just loved the colors and had to have this scarf! Plus, when you have it on, you can't really tell that they're crosses.

What's the last thing you bought?
x Emily

My Hair Donation

Many of you - my lovely followers - may be aware of the fact that over a year ago I decided I would donate my hair! After the long process of growing it out, on April 6th, 2013, I cut off 8 inches! Yes. That's how long it took to grow out a healthy 8-inches of hair. My hair is very fine and breaks and splits very easily - I tried to get trims around every 3-4 months. May I mention I hadn't had my hair this short in over 3 years?!

It was quite a scary decision. I grew very attached to my hair while growing it out, and very addicted to doing french braids down my back. I hadn't even planned on cutting it all off that day; it was just supposed to be a trim! But it did teach me that being spontaneous (something I am never) can be a good thing. I do have to admit though, there was a lot of hesitation before it was cut off, and a lot of "its so short"'s afterward. It took a lot of getting used to; but I'm finally truly  embracing it. And honestly, having such long hair was a PAIN. It's grown about two inches since then, and I think I finally found the right shampoo to use with it; which has made a big difference. 

Let's talk about why I love it being shorter:

1. It takes less time to do in the morning

2. It doesn't get tangled as easily (and its easier to de-tangle)

3. I go through less shampoo, conditioner, and hair product in general

4. My natural color is all growing in

5. It dries faster (naturally and with a blow dryer) 

Now; the big question. Emily, what organization did you donate to?

I'm going to be honest and say that I originally was going to donate to Locks of Love but I didn't cut enough off to fit the criteria, and if I'd known about it sooner I'd do the whole #hairforhazel thing happening now. I went with the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program. Which gives hair to specifically women who've lost their hair. 

The timing couldn't have been more perfect; I ended up sending away my hair on the 17th anniversary (August 2, 1996) of my aunt passing away to breast cancer. You heard that right - 17 years - the age I will be turning in November. Hence why my middle name is Deborah, my aunts name. Obviously I never knew her but I've heard about how great a women she was and so I donated my hair in her memory along with the memory of my cousin Amanda, who passed when she (and I) was just 12 of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in 2009. She actually passed 5 days before my birthday, and it was the same illness my grandmother passed away from in 2010. (Her name was Jean which Amanda was named after as her middle name was Jean - so many connections!)

sorry for the story time - didn't expect this blogpost to turn into that. 

But this is a happy post because some brave, beautiful women is gonna get that hair I grew out! It makes me feel so good inside to know that. 

So what products have I been using?

When I first cut my hair, I was using the Pantene Aqua Light Shampoo and Conditioner. I thought it was working really great; it didn't have any extra chemicals in it, it just left my hair feeling normal. But after a while I noticed that it just left my hair natural. And my natural hair tends to be very frizzy and poofy. Although, I am glad I went with that shampoo in the first place because it felt really nice to just cleanse my hair and give it a fresh start. But once those bottles were empty, I switched to the Head and Shoulders Smooth & Silky shampoo and conditioner and I like it much better! My hair is much more smooth and easier to work with. Head and Shoulders is obviously a brand that helps with dandruff, etc. and I find that it does help with flaking, but my scalp still feels itchy and a little dry from time to time. I've also gone back to using my Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship Split-End Protector just to keep my ends in check now that my hair is getting longer. Tip: just because your hair is shorter, doesn't mean you still can't get things like split ends and breakage.

The verdict? I will definitely donate my hair again if it ever gets long enough. But I think before I do it again, I'm gonna have fun doing different things to it!

x Emily

PS If you'd like to see some back to school videos on my youtube click here to go to the playlist I made

Cool People + Shirt-Making

In these past five days I've been to two concerts. I decided they were too amazing to not share with my beautiful followers! I went to the Paradise Fears Battle Scars Release Tour on saturday, so i'll share that with you first.
When buying the tickets, we had a choice of getting regular tickets or VIP. We decided on the VIP which included a Meet & Greet before the show and we got to watch sound check. I loved that we got all the perks but the Meet & Greet was cut a little short and we didn't get pictures with all the members of the band because of it. I think this happened because they showed up a little late - maybe trouble getting across the boarder. We made shirts to wear to this concert and the band really loved them. Concert advice of this post: make your own shirts; the band really appreciates them!
 When we made these shirts we bought the black t-shirts at Michael's and then traced out the cut we wanted with chalk and turned them into tank tops. Then we each got a color of dimensional fabric paint. The fabric paint was a good idea because once it sets for the indicated time on the bottle, we can wash them. We bought silver sharpies to get the band to sign the back, so obviously we can't wash them after that, so mine is now tacked up on my wall.

There are 6 members in Paradise Fears, and like I said, we didn't get pictures with all of them. But the VIP was worth it because we got in early to see the soundcheck, which means better spots during the concert (aka closer to the band and their beautiful faces!). The band (and all the opening bands, which were awesome!) came outside of the venue after the concert to get pictures. Which is when I'm grateful of meet and greets because although we were rushed by their manager, there was more time to talk because they weren't surrounded by so many people.

Okay, now we can talk about the We The Kings Summer Fest Tour. This tour consisted of a lot more popular bands, which meant lots of people, and since bands don't come to Canada often, a sold out show. So I got up at 9am and we left around 11 and spent the whole day in line. My sister, friend Nicole, and her sister, Shawna decided they wanted Meet & Greet for The Ready Set, so they got early entry and got a good spot in the crowd, while me and our friend Carlin stayed in line. The thing we wanted the most was We The Kings Meet & Greet (obviously) so when Carlin and I got inside we got the Meet & Greets right away. And can I mention how lucky we got? There were only about 25 Meet & Greet wristbands and we managed to grab 5!
The crowd got pretty squishy, and during Breathe Carolina, pretty crazy. I'd been in worse crowds, but it's still not the best feeling to be pushed around by sweaty bodies. I don't want to sound too whiny though, cause Breathe Carolina put on a great show! And Keep it Cute, The Ready Set and TMills!
Also, Corey Vidal came to the show and we got to meet him and the ApprenticeEh crew! They're such awesome people, so super nice, and put up a great conversation! We told Corey how excited we are for Vlogumentary and how good the trailer was. He told how emotional everyone got while they filmed Alli's interview - which is partly shown in the trailer.

We made shirts again for this concert! We modeled the front after The Tampa Bay Rays logo, since they're from Tampa. And since five of us went we were able to keep with the jersey theme and chose one of the memeber and put their last name on the back. After watch the CTFxC vlogs and the We The Kings video diaries we tried to match the numbers of the basketball jerseys they own. This time, we bought a pack of white men's t-shirts from Wal-Mart and again, cut them to the style we wanted. Shawna and I sewed our sleeves to make them into tank tops, which I liked because they felt more sturdy. Everyone else just cut theirs. We used acrylic paint for the shirts this time (which meant no washing the shirts). It made more sense because we used more colors. They got pretty stretched out during the concert, but I definitely liked the fabric better; it was a lot more comfortable. 

The guys loved the shirts; they were excited about us having their names on them. Which was exciting for us cause we worked so hard on them! Travis even wanted a picture on his phone!

Shawna - Hunter - Rachel - Danny - ME! - Travis - Carlin - Cooley - Nicole - Charles

We really wanted to meet Alli but I don't blame her for not coming out cause it was such a crazy night; everyone was exhausted! 

x Emily

Three Of My Favorite Books

So I've been sitting in my room all day just wanting to do a blog post, but not sure what to do it on. And then I look over and see that the answer was right in front of me. I've been re-reading on of my favorite books recently and figured I'd tell you lovelies what my favorite books are!
The one I'm reading right now is by Lauren Oliver. It's called Before I Fall. I've had this book for a while and this is about the third time I've read it.

Before I Fall is about a girl named Samantha Kingston (or Sam for short). She's a senior in high school and has three best friends, two parents and a little sister. Throughout the book you're constantly finding more and more about her life. But the big twist on this book is that it starts the day she dies and she forced to keep reliving the same day. This book consists of 470 pages. And it's all full of the secrets and stories of her life. You meet all her friends and find out about them also, along the way. It's really an amazing book that I'd recommend to anyone starting high school or in high school because it really shows all the dynamics that take place there. I'm not just specifically recommending this book to teenagers because of mature subject matter (it's definitely PG-13) but because it contains a message that I think is really great for a teenager to know.
Lauren Oliver is one of my favorite YA writers, and I read this before her Delirium trilogy came out - which consists of a world where love is a disease (also great books).
This next book is one I've only read once, but it was very recent and once I finished I knew it was immediately part of my favorites list. After reading The Fault in Our Stars I wanted to run right out and read another John Green book.

I'm sure you've all heard of this book by now, since it's being made into a movie (and if you haven't heard of John Green what are you doing with your life?!). This book is inspiring and awful and beautiful all at the same time (plus, I cried like 5 times).The Fault in Our Stars is centered around Hazel Grace who is battling a terminal cancer despite the medicine she's been given to stop her tumors from growing. One day in her support group she meets a boy by the name of Augustus Waters who had his leg amputated because of Osteosarcoma. Here's my review for this book on Goodreads: John Green points out all the obvious and brilliant things in our every day lives that we don't notice often. This book is life-changing. I feel like I see things a lot differently. Hazel Grace is the strongest head I've been inside (and not just because she's battling cancer); she's one to hold her own on any opinion, having cancer stops her from doing some things, but not quite everything. Meeting August doesn't change her; it makes her better. A MUST READ! I'd recommended to basically anyone. Even someone who doesn't necessarily like reading. Basically that's all I have to say about it. It's just a great book.
This next book is also one I've only read once, and it was a while ago. But when I started think of the books I was going to write about here, I knew this had to be one of them and now I want to read it again! You may have seen the movie, in which case: read the book it's so much better. This book is Nicholas Sparks', The Last Song.

Since I haven't read it in a while, I'm just going off what I remember to help explain why I love this book so much. This book is about Veronica Miller (but people call her Ronnie), her parents are divorced and she's not very close with her father. So her mother decides to send Ronnie to live with her father for a summer in Wilmington. Since this is a Nicholas Sparks book, obviously she eventually meets Will, and other events unfold in the little beach town of Wilmington. My favorite part about this book (excluding the love of course) is seeing the drama between Ronnie and her dad about music. He is a former concert pianist and she seemed to be following in his footsteps until her parents got divorced. I'd specifically recommend this to teenagers because Ronnie is a typical teenager, but I did read this book and grade 8 and enjoyed it a lot. This book also made me cry like a baby for reason I cannot say unless you want a spoiler!
I rated all these books 5 stars and Goodread and they all have a home on my favorites shelf there. You can add me as a friend on Goodreads to see all my shelves and know when I post a review or see what books I'm currently reading! 
I also just finished The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones but I felt like I couldn't put it in this post since I read it so recently. 
What are your favorite books?
x Emily