Fall/Winter Fashion

So fall is upon is, and personally it's my favorite season. I love it because I get to wear all the sweaters and scarves I've been saving for cooler weather. I am also in love with pumpkin scented everything, fall leaves, and rain. In this post I am going to give you a quick guide to being in style this fall:) Just to let you know, this is going to be a long post to cover everything for fall. Hope you learn and enjoy!

Let's start at the top, shall we? What am I wearing this fall as far as make-up goes?

Foundation/cover up: Aveeno Clear Complexion BB Cream with SPF 30. It's a liquid, and one I would totally recommend. I love it. If you're into powders, I also use Jane Iredale Pure Pressed, a mineral powder base with SPF 20. Best. Powder. EVER. For the spots though, I use Benefit Industrial Strength Concealer. Works wonders!

Mascara: L'OREAL Telescopic Shocking Extensions Mascara. I've tried a lot of different mascaras, and this is the one I fell in love with. Because my eyelashes are so long and thick, it really helps to separate them without adding clumps. I also use a safety pin to get rid of the extra little bunches of lashes. I use a plastic spoon for my bottom lashes, to minimize the amount of mascara on my skin. Just put the spoon under your lashes and brush them with the wand. Awesome for on the go if you don't have time to clean up around your eyes.

Eye shadow and liner: I don't really use a lot of these products, because natural is really in right now. If you are though, browns and champagne colours are so pretty. Try using brown liner too. My eye shadow is from Korea, so I don't know what brand it is. Jelly got me it last year, along with my liners. The eye liners brand is Nature Republic Pretty Tree Auto Eyeliner. In case you know the brand:)

Lip stick: I don't wear lip stick, I do however, wear gloss. It's called Sexy Mother Pucker (please excuse the name:) and it's from The Soap & Glory Cosmetics line. If you first put on Blistex Mint SPF 15, then the lip gloss, it seriously stays on for like 5 hours. That's if you aren't eating anything or rubbing it off. I would definitely recommend checking it out.

Perfume: I wear Someday by Justin Bieber. Before you say anything, I don't care if you hate or love the Biebs, his first perfume smells amazing. I'm not really a fan, but everyone always tells me how good I smell when I wear it.  Not all perfume smells good on everybody. It's about what's right for you, and what works with your body.
*Helpful tip: To see if a perfume smells nice on you, spray some on your wrist and let sit for a good 30 minutes. Then lick your wrist where you sprayed it, and if it tastes sweet, it's right for you. If it's sour, it's not I know it sounds stupid, but it works.*

Hair: Like I said, Natural is really in. I usually don't do anything with my hair, but I have been blessed with naturally straight hair ( please don't hate me) But every time I wash my hair, I put Moroccan Oil is it, and it repairs and makes it smell really nice, not to mention helps it dry faster.

Let's talk shirts and sweaters now.

Okay, the colours this fall range from earth tones to pastels. Mostly earth tones though, like purpley-reds and dark greens. When you look outside and see the leaves changing on the trees, those are the colours you want to be channeling. The colours of the forest, if you will.

Plaid flannel is really in right now, and is super comfy. Pair it with a matching t-shirt and an infinity scarf and you're ready to go! Layering is big too. It's all about comfort this fall, but not sloppy comfort. So don't take that as an excuse to wear sweats all day, every day.

What I usually wear is some skinny jeans with a loose shirt and a flannel over top. If I'm feeling particularly cold that day, I'll throw on a scarf too.

For Jeans, I have 4 pairs. One pair of light, dark, black, and grey. They're all skinny and the jegging style. I would defiantly recommend owning a pair of light and dark ones for sure. That way you have a pair of jeans for basically anything you own! The black and grey ones are an added bonus, and they are nice shades to have.

Shoes:

Combat boots are seriously in right now. If you don't own a pair, go out and buy some.

That's basically it for this post, if you have an questions or anything to add, don't be afraid to comment!

Stay Lovely,
Dixie xox

Fall Essentials

The crisp air, the cracking of the fireplace, and the oh-so-good cinnamon pumpkin pie. Mm! The joy of fall is here!

In all of the four seasons, fall holds a special place in my heart. The weather is gorgeous, the leaves change their colours, and most of all, Thanksgiving turkey? Oh, oh yes.

So, I thought I'd kick off this new season with a fun post filled with, 'Fall Essentials'! 

Let's begin!

Clothes.

The most important aspect to the season is the clothes!

The more chilly weather will pull you into the trend of knit sweaters, warm jackets, and toasty boots.

Now here are a few examples of essentials that you should try to incorporate into your fall wardrobe.

I just got this new ox-blood sweater for $15 at a boutique here in Korea a few days ago! I can definitely see it being VERY loved this fall! This scarf has been with me since last winter, I got it at Bluenotes for $10! Ox-blood was a very hot colour last year, and this year won't be any different. Have fun with your knit clothes! 

I also got this piece from Korea, this one was a bit pricey, but I don't remember exactly how much it was. But, I think versatile jackets like this should be a splurge. I can't tell you how many times I have worn this. It's not even funny. The military trend was a HUGE trend this past year, and just like ox-blood, it isn't any different this time around. Definitely a staple this fall.

And you can't forget the classic fuzzy monkey jammies. I guess you could wear these out... Not going to lie... I have... (For pajama day!)

Makeup.

Just like the colours of clothing get deeper for the fall, so does makeup. I like to go with a classic neutral smokey look for everyday. But trust me, it's much more natural than a full on smokey look.

Eyeshadow- Innisfree #18 Mineral Eyeshadow. This is an absolutely GORGEOUS shade for fall! It also has some small glitter, which makes it even better!

Eyeliner- Any classic black eyeliner. I like my Maybelline Eye Studio black gel eyeliner, but I didn't bring it with me to Korea. My trick with eyeliners is to always, always, always set it with a corresponding eyeshadow colour. This way, the liner won't travel, and it will set in place.

Mascara- Maybelline the Rocket Volume Express in Very Black. This is my absolute favourite mascara, EVER! It is so voluminizing and lengthening! It really does work like a rocket, my eyelashes just blast off! Haha! This is my second tube of it, and it never ceases to amaze me.

Eyebrows- Innisfree Eco Eyebrow Kit. My eyebrows are already dark and so sometimes I just want a quick pick-me-up and I brush this on them. The kit has two shades of a taupe-y brown powder. It gives off a very natural, yet defined look.

Face- Makeup Forever Full Cover Concealer #5. This is another one of my absolute favourite products that I swear by. This is a waterproof concealer, and the littlest amount goes a very long way. I've had this for a few months and I still have more than three quarters of it left. Mind you, I use this everyday! 

Lip Care- Burt's Bees Mint Beeswax Lip Balm. I have used this since I was probably five, and I always go back to it, especially during the colder months. 

Lipgloss- MAC Cremesheen Glass in Richer Lusher. Coral is my favourite colour, and I definitely love putting some coral lipgloss on! MAC's cremesheen glasses are so moisturizing, they smell delicious, and aren't sticky at all! 

Books.

The last category I will do is books. I have been really into reading lately. I feel like since I've been away from home, books have been keeping me from feeling homesick and lonely. Here are a few that I have enjoyed. 

The Fault in Our Stars - John Green

Oh gosh... I won't start again with this book. I just can't. If you would like to see my full review and thoughts on this work of art, you can go check out my last post, 'The Fault in Our Stars: Book Review.'

I promise you, you won't regret reading this gem.

I Am Number Four - Pittacus Lore

I was at the bookstore and I bought this because I heard nothing but great reviews on it. I have to admit it was a good read, but I found the second half of the book a little cheesy. The first half was pretty realistic and interesting, but the second half had me getting a bit bored. Nonetheless, I can definitely see why so many people enjoyed this book, because I did too.

So, that's a wrap! 

Hope you have a fantastic start to this fall season! 

(Thanksgiving and Christmas aren't that far away! Yay! Goodness, where does time go?!)

Stay strong,

xoxo Jelly

DIY Dream catcher

Since the last DIY was such a hit, I'd though do another one. This one is a kind of spin off the Hipster Room post because I had mentioned dream catchers in it. I have made two dream catchers this past summer, and they both turned out really nice. Down below is the first one I did.

I think it's pretty good for being my first try if I do say so myself...:)

Supplies:
Hot glue gun
Wooden embroidery hoop
Ribbons
Beads
Feathers
Scissors

You can get all this stuff at the Dollar Store or Micheal's. I would try and find supplies around your house that you already have because it can get expensive to buy it all new. Even going to your local Thrift Shop wouldn't hurt.

You can get the hoops in all different sizes, and it comes with two when you buy one, because there's an inside hoop and an outside one. Depending on which one you start with, you're going to want to start wrapping the ribbon in a different place. On the inner on, you can start anywhere. The outer one had a screw at the top to open and close the circle, just screw it as tight as it will go and start right next next to it. All you have to do it hot glue the start of the ribbon and start wrapping.

Truthfully, this part takes the longest. If you use a little hoop like I did, it wont take you very long. But if you use a big one like in the picture, it takes quite a while. After this part though, it's all cake.

*Remember, don't worry about making it look perfect because the coolest ones are the ones that look kinda messy*
Once you're done wrapping, you can start on the middle part. . This looks hard, but it's actually very easy. There's tons of different styles you can do, I did the traditional one as you can see. I don't really know how to explain doing it without a video, so I suggest to Google it.
If you do one where you use both hoops, you can put a table doily (not the paper ones) in the center and tighten the outer hoop around it. I've never done it, but it's on my list of things to try.

Next you're going to want to measure out some string for the bottom. You can attach them anyway you want. I took on long one and tied it so I got two stings out of the one. When gluing the beads, you learn as you go. If you're trying to get them lined up right, it most likely wont be perfectly lined because of the glue and pushing the beads into place. Same goes for the feathers. Basically from here it's whatever you prefer to do. You can do lots of strings with feathers, or fewer like I did if you want it to be a bit simpler and easier. You can even rip off scraps of fabric and tie them off the bottom if you want it to look more bohemian.

Here's the other one I did, as you can see I used different string for the feathers, and did a different kind of wrapping for the center. This center was the easiest, because you just need to tie it off on one place and keep wrapping until you have what you want. You can also see the screw at the top where I attached the hanging string. This it the outer hoop.

I'd love to here about how your dream catcher goes, maybe even send me a picture via email! If you think there's anything I need to add or have any questions, just comment and I'll answer:)

Stay lovely,
Dixie xox

The Fault in Our Stars: Book Review

First thing I'd like to say is, SPOILERS IN THIS POST!

So, recently I read The Fault in Our Stars. To be completely honest with you, it.broke.my.heart. In many ways the book was witty, hilarious, and completely and utterly heartbreaking. This book is by far one of the most amazing books I've read because it's not just a story of a girl who finds a boy and falls in love, the end. No, this book isn't like that.

I think that books are very personal to people, and many people take them in different ways. Let me explain, if you can relate to a book, you open your mind to the characters and story more so than someone who doesn't relate to it. I'm not saying I have cancer, but if anyone has gone through health problems, the characters in this book can word terrible situations better than any counselor.

I found that I could relate to many thoughts and personality traits of Hazel's. It was amazing to see a girl go to a support group with no intentions of making friends, and then see her fall in love with Augustus from the first time they see each other. *Sigh*, so perfect...

You will probably see other reviews comparing this book's story to Nicholas Sparks' A Walk to Remember. Initially, I compared the two stories too because there are quite alot of similarities, but I've only watched A Walk to Remember and have never read it so I don't think I have the right to completely compare them. But, I thought that Hazel and Gus had more of a connection because they were both broken and sick, although Gus had no cancer when they first met. If only it had stayed that way...

'It lit up like a Christmas Tree Hazel Grace...'

Can I just say, that line was a killer. After all this time, Hazel was the one resisting Augustus because she thought she'd be the first one to go, but then the plot twist came. I found the twist definitely a soul crusher, but John Green didn't just throw down the grenade at once so it wasn't as terrible as it could of been, but it was pretty bad.

It was so sad to see perfect Gus get so sick and helpless when he was getting to the end. You can't help but feel Hazel's heart break...

I read the majority of this book on the subway, so I couldn't cry without people thinking I'm a total weirdo, but when I finished it today and came home, I couldn't help it and I cried. I've never cried while reading books before, but this one, wow, this one I have to say really grabs on to your heart.

I could go on and on about this book for hours but I'll stop this review here. So, in conclusion, I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a novel about true love and real pain. You get so close to the characters in this book, that you laugh with them, cry with them, and fall in love with them too. It's a truly beautiful story that won't leave your head even when you turn the last page. In the end, true love isn't just receiving a rose on Valentine's Day, but being there for each other until the very, very end.



xoxo Jelly 

Fear in the heart of a teen

It's the start of a new school year, everyone's trying hard to get back into routine and waking up out of their summer daze. The first day is always the scariest, especially if your the new kid or haven't been to school in a while because you home-schooled. For me, I'm the latter. I've been homeschooling for the past two years due to the fact that my family likes to travel. So today is my first day back part time, because I'm still doing a few courses online. Anyway, I know how scary school can be. There are pressures, fears, and just the overall stress of getting the work done. I'm not going to sugar coat it, schools tough. Here's a bit of advice.

Be nice. Be the best person that you can be. Honestly, this is very important. Just be good to people, help others. That new kid who's too shy to talk to anyone, invite them to join your group of friends. That nerdy kid that everyone hates, show him some kindness. I'm not talking about being perfect or not standing up for yourself because you don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. No, I'm talking about not being mean, and not joining in on bullying someone just because everyone else is doing it. Trust me, If you're a good person, the less people have to talk about behind your back.

Don't be afraid about being yourself. Who cares what other people think? Plus, people think a lot less about you than you think. Just don't go out of your way resulting in getting unwanted attention. School sucks, so why not make the best of it by doing what you love. If you love chess, join the chess club. If you love to act, join the drama class. Don't worry about what people think about you, because as soon as you graduate, no one is going to care. That's another thing, you can't carry popularity out into the real world. When you graduate, no one cares if you were the most popular or prom queen. So don't strive to be popular. It's not worth it in the end.

Try new things. Break from your go-to friend group and try hanging out with other people once and a while. Or invite other people in if your more comfortable with that. Sign up for the yearbook committee or some cool after school club. You could even start your own if you want. Just find ways to make the best out of your high school years.

This next one connects is all of them. Don't let fear ruin your life. Don't miss out on doing something great just because your worried about what other people think, or that it might crash and burn. You never know until you try.

Stay lovely,
Dixie xox

p.s There's this nice girl who runs a blog about lots of different things, she's pretty cool so go check her out.
http://ivivvivi.blogspot.ca

Back To School Series: Friends & Conflicts

So, one of the biggest parts of school is friends. You sit with them at lunch, have classes with them, and pretty much for the whole day, you're surrounded by them. There has always been a moment for us, where we feel like we haven't had a friend by our side that truly is honest, down to earth, and caring. My mentality is, it's better to be alone than to be surrounded by people who don't respect you. I can't imagine hanging out with people who bring me down, and don't have a second to listen to how I feel. So, as the new school year is rolling around the corner, keep in mind that you are you for a reason and if people don't respect that, then walk away.

No matter how close you are with a friend, there can be a situation that tests your friendship. Sometimes you need to step back, remember that your friendship is worth more than a fight, and make up. At the end of the day, friends are there for a reason.

I believe that people who enter my life are there for a specific reason that I may not know at the time, but looking back, I realize what a difference they made. Wether that difference is good or bad, the effect it makes on me will be nothing but positive. When someone brings you down, it will only make you stronger. But, if you fight back, you become the same person as them. You have the decision in every situation, to fight or to step back and forgive. Now think, who's the bigger person?

Over the span of elementary, middle, and high school, some of my friends have come and gone. It's so natural for friends to slowly drift apart. Interests change, hobbies change, and priorities change. Everything happens for a reason. It may seem terrible at the time, but in time, things will change and so will your perspective.


I hope you have a great school year! Remember to be the bigger person! 

xoxo Jelly

DIY Hipster Bedroom

Lets face it, as much as I hate being like everyone else, the whole hipster thing is pretty cool. Especially when it comes to bedroom decor. Even before this kind of style was popular, I always wanted to litter my walls with photos and pictures and fairy lights. I'm still in the process of decorating, it's coming on very slowly though. This is a picture of the quote I currently have, it's a line from an Ed Sheeran song called Grade 8. I'm going to just give you guys some ideas on how you can transform your bedroom on a low budget!

• Fairy lights. You can string these around your room. Above the bed looks very pretty, or against a mirror. Multicoloured ones or regular ones, depending on your taste. These can be expensive, so I usually wait till after Christmas to buy them when they're no longer in season and on sale. 
• Photo wall. Anything from logo's, flags and magazine pictures, to concert tickets, posters, drawings, and your own photography. Sticky tack works great for the thicker, slightly heavier items. Clear tape works nicely for the magazine pictures and printed out photos. This is my favorite part because you can dig through that junk drawer of yours and find cool things to put up. If you don't have magazine pictures you want to rip out, you can always print things off of the computer. Pinterest is great for finding cool quotes and funky pictures to put up. 
• Cork/Pin board. You can pick a cheep one up at the dollar store or Staples. I painted mine black and hot glued different coloured buttons around the edges for a unique look. This is also a memory board, so letters, postcards, photos, and notes are the things to go on here.
• Paper lanterns. You can make your own or pick some up at the dollar store or Micheal's. 
• Random items like dream catchers are easy to make. Wind chimes or paper cranes on a string are also very cool.
• Vases with flowers. Real or fake, they still add colour and can make the room smell nice. Try spritzing perfume on the fake ones ever so often to give some scent to them.
• Shelving. Anything to put your knick knacks on, like books or figures.
• Nice bedding, curtains, pillows. I would pick some colours that you want, and carry it out through the whole room. I like my bedding a solid colour, then patterned pillows. 
• Wall quotes. Like mine in the picture above, I just cut them out of magazines. You can use stencils if you have them, but I think it looks better when they don't all match. Keep in mind that this does take a while if you want it to look good. It probably took me a good hour and a half to cut and put up. It's totally worth it though.
• Glow in the dark stickers. Those cool little stars you that you can stick to the ceiling are super fun. Just remember that they do glow quite bright, so if you like sleeping in the dark, I wouldn't recommend them.
• Hanging rack. This one's pretty self explanatory. 
• Mirrors. I have a giant one in my room that I like to decorate with posters and window paint I got at the craft store. It's also really cool if you take red lipstick and write something inspiring on your bathroom mirror to make you feel good in the morning.
• Photo sting. Hang some string across an area of your room, and use clothing pins to clip your photography to it. It looks extra cool if you hang fairy lights in between.
• Records. Take a trip to your local thrift store and search through their record bins. Pick some cool ones and try to re-vamp them. Buy some sticky jewels and colour them with sharpies to make them pretty. 

The whole idea of a hipster/tumblr looking room is it's full of memories and shows off your personality. It seems like lots of people are doing it, but no two rooms are the same. Everyone has different taste. It's so much fun to personalize everything, weather it's with your favorite quotes or showing off your vintage camera collection. My biggest recommendation would be to travel to a thrift store and see what you can find. Good luck and let me know how your decorating goes!

Stay Lovely,

Dixie xox

p.s I'm on Pinterst and have boards with more ideas if you want to check me out. http://pinterest.com/starkite/boards/

Back To School: First Day

Hey everyone!

So it's almost time for school to start again! I will write tips for you to have a great first day back at school!

Supplies

Maybe a week or so before the first day of school, you should plan a shopping trip for supplies! Get a few binders for subjects, folders, lined paper, grid paper, pens, pencils, erasers, and other essential items that you need.

Clothes

The first day of school is always a 'big deal' ;) Always, always, and ALWAYS plan your outfit in advance! Leaving it for last minute may end in disaster. Don't overdue your outfit and makeup, keep it simple, clean, and fresh! You don't want a wardrobe malfunction during the middle of the day!

Makeup

Keep makeup simple, and cute. Some champagne coloured eyeshadow, a thin layer of eyeliner, curled lashes with a fine coat of mascara, a little bit of blush maybe, and gloss on the lips will look make your face natural, glowing, and youthful!

Confidence

This is the category I need the most help with, every year! Just don't think about how you can embarrass yourself, because even if something goes wrong, just laugh it off! Before you walk in that door, lift your head, smile, and strut your way into that school!!!

School is always intimidating, especially when you're the new kid! But, every year so many memories are made and new friends help you along the way! Be strong, and believe in yourself. You are you for a reason :) Keep smiling!

xoxo Jelly

In the Spotlight

Today there are tons of different magazines out there full of stories and gossip about famous people. Most of those stories are made up though, just something to capture your attention. While they have it, they'll tell you all sorts of nasty things about celebs to keep you reading. It very smart when you think about it, because who can resist reading the covers of the tabloids while you wait in line to pay for your groceries? Not me. Even if the headlines are completely bizarre, it still gets my attention making me want to read more.

The sad part is, most of us all love to read about the stupid things other people do. We like to make fun of them for being so dumb, or laugh at their mistakes and misfortune. There's always that part of us that wants to feel better than other people, so by reading the tabloids you're feeding that hunger. It's kind of like high school. You have the popular people who you secretly make fun of for being fake, when you do the same things except you're not in the spot light. People don't pay attention to your mistakes as closely as those who are popular because everyone's eyes are on them.

Celebrities are normal people who make mistakes just like the rest of us. The only difference is that everyone is watching them, and not you. How could you cope with that? Knowing full well you're always being photographed, always being surveyed. You have to be very careful on what you say and what you do, because one wrong move or a slip of words and you're on the cover of People magazine. So celebrities have the same issues non-celebs do. Drug addictions, divorce, etc. One of the worst parts is that sometimes they have to do crazy things to get them into the tabloids so they can stay popular.

For example, the Jonas Brothers. They we're a hot boy band a few years ago, making regular appearances in the magazines and that whole thing. Then they break up and still stay in the magazines. Kevin gets married and all of a sudden drops off the radar. Now how often do you talk about Kevin, or any of the brothers for that matter? Not very often, I'm guessing. If they made a comeback it would be very hard to get back to where they were because they didn't stay in the magazines. They didn't stay a hot topic for people to talk about and now they're not even close to being popular anymore. People loose interest when there's nothing to talk about.

What I hate is when people bash celebs for their screw ups. Like the whole thing going around about Justin Bieber smoking weed at a party. All of a sudden it's like the worst thing possible. But really, it's not. There's probably tons of kids at your school who smoke weed and don't get a hard time for it because they're not a celebrity. Or people thinking Harry Styles is a womanizer because of the made up stories in the tabloids. I mean you never really know what's true or not unless the person confirms it themselves in an interview. Otherwise it's just some adults sitting around a table making stories up about what crazy things the Kardashian's are supposedly doing.

My point is, celebrities are normal people stuck in the spot light 24/7. They do they same things we do, only they have people waiting for them to screw up so they can write about it, and if not, they make it up. So next time you read a magazine, remember that most of it's made up. That's why I always watch interviews instead to see what they actually said verses what people thought they said.

Stay lovely and sorry for my rant,
Dixie xox

Summertime Essentials

Here we are, halfway through the summer. I don't know about you, but where I live it's crazy hot. One step outside and you're basically melting. Honestly, it's nice to lounge around the pool side, or hit the waves at the beach. They're both nice ways to beat the heat. Then there's always that summer day where it's cloudy and raining, thundershowers and lightning taking over the sky. Those are my favorite summer days. You can just curl up inside with your fluffy sweaters and socks watching the rain pour down outside. It's always so relaxing.

Let's go back to those wicked hot days where you're left melting on the sidewalk. Those are the days where I'm most carefree in the summer, because I don't need to worry about how I look. Not like when you're going to school and your wearing that carefully chosen outfit you picked out the night before. Always worrying about how your hair looks or if your makeup has smudged. No, in the summer it's a no makeup, hair tied back, sun screened up look for the most part. It's pointless to dress to impress when you go to the beach. Those girls who spend the time to wash their hair, do their makeup, and put together an outfit are the ones who don't have as much fun. They can't go swimming because their hair and makeup with be ruined, and they can't lay in the sun because then they'll get all sweaty. There are some things you do need to do before going to the beach. Like shaving your legs and other places. Or making sure your bathing suit fits. But really, it's way more fun when you can go swimming without worrying about the hair and makeup.

Let's add some boys in here because they were bound to come up sooner or later. Guy's like girls who can be carefree and and have fun. Girls who aren't fussing over their appearance all the time. Girls who can just have a good time and be themselves. Yes, guys do like when girls get dressed up too. But for the appropriate times, not when your about to head to the beach. Bottom line is, don't worry about how you look all the time. It's a distraction from the things you could be focusing on.

When I'm going to the beach, I make sure I wear sunscreen. Even if you hardly ever get burnt, it's still a good idea to keep the harsh rays off your skin. I wouldn't recommend wearing water proof makeup because no matter what anyone says, it's not that water proof. You still get those pesky flakes from your mascara, plus it shortens your lashes. We wouldn't want that, now would we? Concealer will still slowly come off. What I do if I'm going boating or to the beach is I put on sunscreen, then powder with sunscreen in it, and a setting spray to top it all off.  I'll curl my lashes too. Then during those days when I'm just out in the sun I'll wear BB cream with sunscreen in it. It's not water proof at all, but it just helps make your skin glow along with giving you protection against the sun. I like to french braid my hair before going tubing, because I hate having my hair being whipped around into one big knot. My beach hair is just a messy bun.

What do you like to do during the summer? What's your usual summer make-up routine?

Stay Lovely,
Dixie xox

Essentials for Roadtrips!

So it's the perfect time in the summer to go on a road trip with the family! At the moment, I am about to go on one myself! :) So here is a quick list of some

of the essentials I am taking! 

Food.

THE MOST important items for ANY trip :) I like taking more healthy snacks such as veggies and fruits because it's more likely to not give me a stomach ache in the car. And stomach aches are terrible to cope with, especially when you're on the road! I like taking peppers, oranges, grapes, and some celery too!

Clothes.
This depends on how long your trip will be, and your destination's climate as well! I like taking a few bottoms and a few more tops! Since it is summer right now, I am taking 2 shorts, a pair of leggings, some t-shirts, and 2 long sleeve chiffon blouses for a week / a week and a half  trip! I'm also taking a pair of fuzzy socks cuz, who doesn't like feeling fuzzy?! I also just take one pair of shoes, aka the pair I'm wearing haha!

Makeup.
I only take my absolute essential products! Mascara, eyeliner, lipgloss, and an eyeshadow! That's it! Overpacking on makeup is very unecessary, just take what you would use daily!

Entertainment.
I take my iphone, so I've got music with me for the whole trip, I take a dvd player that hooks onto the car so I can watch a few movies, and that's pretty much it! I like talking with my family so we can bond <3 ^.^

So that's my post! Thanks so much for reading and I hope you have a great rest of your summer!!

xoxo Jelly

Being a Bag Lady

So here's the deal. I am a bag lady. I'm just gonna come right out and say it. I carry all my junk around, everywhere I go. I always see those girls with their small purses or no purse at all and think to myself  'How do they do it??' On the downside my purse is always heavy and full, often giving me a shoulder ache after a couple of hours carrying it around. Plus side? I'm always prepared, even for things that are highly unlikely to happen. For example, it's the middle of the summer and we're having record breaking heat. My friends and I decide to go to the beach, so I pack my swim suit, towel, sunscreen, all the normal beach items. Except, I bring a few other things too. Like a sweater. Just in case it starts to rain, or gets cloudy. Now before you start to laugh or judge me, let me explain.

I absolutely hate being unprepared. I hate when at the last minute I decide not to bring something because my logic kicks in, and then later needing that object and wishing I had brought it. If you're like me, you totally understand. Being a bag lady is hard. But as they say, better safe than sorry.  Most of my friends know this about me. They know that I have band aids, hair ties, and pens. Or water and snacks when we're at the cinema. Sometimes even socks, hoodies, and almost always, books.

One time I was eating at the mall with my friends and one of them needed a hair tie. I handed over my bag, telling her they were in one of the pockets and I left to get some napkins from one of the food booths. When I came back, she had this weird look on her face as she tied her hair up. When she was done she said 'Why do you have fuzzy socks and two books in your bag? No wonder you've been complaining about how heavy your bag is!" I'm not even going to bother explaining that one because it's as silly as it sounds.

Another time when my grade 6 class was going on a three day camping trip, I had the biggest bag out of everyone. Before hand, my mum had helped me pack. We managed to fill a huge hockey bag with clothing, shoes, toiletries, and bedding. Yes, bedding. We we're staying in a cabin with bunk beds and my mom packed a fitted sheet, a duvet cover, and a pillow instead of a sleeping bag. Everyone made fun of me for having the biggest bag, but I was the comfiest and warmest at night while everyone else was freezing their butts off.

I will admit I carry around a lot more than I need, but who cares? At least I have water instead of buying a bottle for $4 dollars like my friends. Or I can put on a sweater when it gets cooler in the evenings. Bottom line is, being prepared isn't a bad thing. In fact, it's a good thing. It means your always thinking ahead of the game, and calculating all the possible aspects of a situation before it happens. People might make fun of you. In fact, they probably will. But only because they wish they would have thought of the things you did. So don't be afraid to over pack, or worry about bringing to much. Being a bag lady is awesome.

Stay lovely,
Dixie xox

One Way Ticket to Cloud Nine Please!

Today in my small city, the weather was gorgeous and sunny! (And extremely HOT!) At the moment, I'm on the couch enjoying some much needed alone time, and I'm looking at a pretty view of the backyard. The sun is shining through the window, and I'm excited about this post! So, today I woke up and wondered what today's blog post should be on... After spending the day out and about with my mom and doing some art, I settled on a subject that is used very much but I thought, why not give my point of view on it! So here we go!

Being Thankful.
In my fifteen years, I've been through a lot of things, and there are some things I wish didn't happen to me. Personally, without happiness it would have been very hard to look at the positive part of certain situations. There are so many things to be thankful for. Family, friends, a home, clothing, food, clean water, good health, and the list goes on and on!  Ultimately, many of those things that we are thankful for, make us happy!

Perspective.
Many times, terrible things happen to us, and we really don't know why and how. But, how you see it is extremely important. Sometimes, you have to step back, and look at the situation from a different perspective/point of view. Looking at it from several different angles, no matter how hard it is for you to think differently, will give you a feel of different routes that the situation could lead to.

Positive & Negative
At first, the hardship you're facing will seem nothing but negative. But after a while, you'll realize that many other people are going through some things that are more harsh than what you're facing. Every hardship is hard for everyone, but there are many things to be thankful for. Focusing on the positive and not so much on the negative is extremely important to keep up the amount of happiness in your life. This is very, very hard, and I totally understand that. But believe that it won't last forever, have faith, and be strong.

It'll Be Over Before You Know It.
This school year, I had many tests and exams. They stressed me out so much! (On a side note, when we're stressed we usually eat lots of sweets like chocolate and icecream right? Well the funny thing is stressed spelled backwards is desserts!! Haha!) Anyways, what I said to myself before every test/exam was, 'It'll be over before you know it.' That really made me feel better because I looked forward to everything I could do after I was done!

So, for me, looking forward to every positive and fun thing I could do after every negative thing really made it feel like the time was going faster. So through every hardship you are facing, being thankful, changing your perspective, focusing on the positive and not just the negative, will help you believe that what seems never-ending, will be over before you know it.

Stay Strong!

xoxo Jelly

The Secrets Behind the Music

You can start to hear the faint whispers of music off in the distance. The warm air and the sparkling stars accompany you as you make your way towards the sounds. As you get closer, you can hear it more clearly. Right now it's still a bit muffled by cement walls, but as soon as you step foot into the arena it hits you like a tidal wave. The floor vibrates and and the speakers shake. You get even closer and you can feel in now. Feel it coarse through your body, every beat making your heart pound along. You sing the words but you can't hear your voice, only the voices of a thousand others.

That's my favorite feeling. The feeling of music so loud you can not only hear it, but you can feel it. At a nighttime concert, or in the car making the sides thump barely being able to hear your wailing voice. To me music isn't just about what you hear on the radio, or the one song you can never get out of your head no matter how hard you try. It's about feeling the music and really understanding the lyrics. 

Sure, what they play on the radio is great for about the first week or so, but then they play the song to death. Those are never the songs that stick with me. It's the songs that aren't always played on the radio, the ones that will never loose meaning no matter how many times you hit replay on your iPod. The songs that bring back those awful, wonderful, happy, angry feelings you got when you first heard the song and it explained your situation. Those ones tend to capture emotions and thoughts and smells and memories only in a couple minutes. What else can do that? What else can make you feel something so real it makes you want to cry?

I remember one time I listened to a song only when I was talking to this certain person, and after we stopped talking I could never bring myself to listen to that song again because of the memories and feelings it brought with it. But when you actually think about it, it's fantastic. Something that can bring up so many memories about something, it's like it happened only a few days ago. Eventually I did listen to the song, and I never toke it off my iPod. Even though I hated it, I was memorized by the power one song could hold.

When I listen to a new album I always find that one or two songs that I absolutely love right from the start, and more often than not it's the slow ballad-type songs. They just tend to have more meaning to me because you can feel the emotion from the singer. Sometime I try to get my little sister to listen to the slow songs I love, but she never understands them. She always says 'They're too slow!' and I just roll my eyes because I know that one day she'll understand. Or not. Who knows, right?

Lets change the mood a bit here and dive into the music I listen to, shall we?
My music taste is a bit all over the place, honestly. I like indie music, alt-pop music, pop-punk etc. I really dislike country music, so if you're a country music fan, I'm sorry. What I listen to depends on my mood and the weather. If it's rainy I tend to listen to more mellow, sad songs. When it's sunny, I'm listening to the top 40 pop songs or bubbly upbeat tunes. By the time night rolls around and I'm in bed I listen to A LOT of Coldplay and Ed Sheeran. I'm talking the same songs on replay until I fall asleep, and I never get sick of that loop. When people ask me what my favorite song is, I can never narrow it down to one. So I made a list of my top ten.

• Give me love by Ed Sheeran
• Fix you by Coldplay
• Buy the stars by Marina and the Diamonds
• Chocolate by The 1975 (Their accents are so lovely) 
• If my heart was a house by Owl City
• Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls
• Innocent by Taylor Swift
• Men and angels by The Rocket Summer
• The Scientist by Coldplay
• Autumn leaves by Ed Sheeran

There are so many more and after I publish this I'm going to want to add more and more, but these are the ones that came to me first.
Here's my final thought on this, music is a way of expressing yourself. You don't need to be an amazing singer or play an instrument to appreciate it. All you need is to have the few songs that you can totally relate to and understand the secrets behind the music.

Dixie xoxo

Listening Beyond the Sound

There are few things in the world that relate to you, your life, and your situation. One of the best feelings ever is when someone seems to understand how you feel and pretty much ends a sentence you already started. Music does that for me.

There are times when there's no one to talk to when I need them the most, and once in a while, dreaded memories come back to haunt me. That's when I plug in my earphones, and turn up the volume. As the pounding sound of the beat block all sound from around me, I close my eyes and get a glimpse of a different world. A world that is imperfect, or perfect, a world that delicately describes surroundings that make up a story. And sometimes, that story, sounds just like mine.

The beauty of music is very easily disguised by just the sound of it. If it's catchy, then there's a high chance that when you hear it, the lyrics will race past you. It is when you're alone, sad, broken, or when you just feel like digging deeper, that the song you sang along to on the radio, earns meaning.

At every twist and turn in my life, there is always that one song that makes me stop and listen. What song is that for you? Mine is, Jordin Sparks' One Step at a Time. I always heard it in the mall and quietly hummed the melody to myself. At the time, it was just any other song that was played again and again in public places. Then, I listened closely when I heard the song at home. 'It's gonna happen when it's supposed to happen and we find the reasons why'. Sometimes, I feel lost and hopeless, and, 'I don't know why bad things happen to us sometimes but I have to believe something good is going to come out of this.' That's a quote from Carrie Underwood's character, Sarah Hill, in the movie Soul Surfer. So, my mindset is that we don't know how a certain situation can work out well for us because it seems terrible at that time, but after a while of patience, we find the reason how and why it will work out for the best.

Now for some of my other favourite songs, I've been liking:

Clarity - Zedd
Who You Are - Jessie J
Mirrors - Justin Timberlake
Stay - Rihanna
Fix You - Coldplay
You Found Me - The Fray
Iris - Goo Goo Dolls
Never Change - J Han feat. Sam Ock
Ho Hey - The Lumineers
Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men

For what styles of music I like, I love pop and some r&b! I love listening to ballads as well! I'm also a big fan of K-pop! (I'm South Korean ^.^) My favourite band at the moment is EXO and their song 'Baby Don't Cry' is constantly replaying on my phone! I'll end this here because I'll start fangirling about my favourite members and so on, and that will probably take up a good ten paragraphs.

So, in the end, music helps me find another perspective on a situation that seems hopeless to me. Also, there are always times when I want to escape from my surroundings, or when I want to dig deeper and find a new perspective. So that's when I turn to music and listen.


Thanks for reading!

xoxo Jelly 


Also, Dixie and I wanted to let you know about our blogging schedule, so here it is!

Monday - Jelly
Tuesday - Dixie
Wednesday - Jelly
Thursday - Dixie
Friday - Jelly
Saturday - Dixie 
Sunday - BREAK

If there are any questions you have for us, you can send them our way at dixieandjelly@gmail.com :)

Introducing...Dixie and Jelly

Hey Everyone!

Welcome to our blog :D We're so excited you've decided to spend some time with us, and we hope you stay for a while! Our blog will tackle various topics like what's trending, the life of a teenager, and being yourself. The posts that go on our blog will be written by yours truly, Dixie & Jelly!
We'll kick off the blog by each doing a little bio about ourselves down below. This is our first blog, so please bare with us as we are both new to all of this.

Hi peeps, Dixie here.
I'm so excited about starting this new blog with my best friend. I've been rolling around this idea for a while now, and it took my bestie to actually make it happen. I'll be starting grade 10 in the fall, something I'm both looking forward too and dreading at the same time. I'm the kind of person who doesn't have lots of friends, but more a few really close ones. I have an awesome relationship with my parents, we like to hangout a lot together :P
I'm not the sporty type, I'm more artistic. I love to draw, paint, read and write. Swimming is the only sport I can really do. I have a cute little puppy named Ringo after the Beatles band member, Ringo Starr. My little sister makes my life interesting, and my friends make my life one big crazy roller-coaster ride.

'You are the change that you wish to see in the world' - Gandhi


Hey dudes & dudettes! Its Jelly time! :D
I'm so pumped to be blogging with my best friend! We're both really excited to see where our blog will lead us! I will also be going into grade 10... I try not to think about it... Haha! Here are a few things about myself: I'm always hungry, I like to watch movies, music is my favourite, and I love art. I hate being bored, so I always try to keep myself busy!
I am also not a sporty type :/ But I love watching sports like soccer and baseball! I'm really looking forward to the Fifa World Cup that's coming up next summer! I have a tiny maltese named Koon and he has a face of an angel, but the personality of a vicious rottweiler... In other words, he needs anger management classes. I love my friends, family, and God <3

'I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.' - Hellen Keller