HAPPY HALLOWEEN

( credit: found on pinterest )

Happy Halloween everyone!!

Look how cute that kitty is! I can't get over it.

Halloween is not my favorite holiday because I am super chicken and I don't like spooky scary things.

One of my most embarassingly memorable and funny Halloween moments is when I was in middle school. I was the one giving out candy. Throughout the years, I was somehow the person to always get stuck doing this. My parents were always nearby.

Someone rang the doorbell. Of course, I opened it. Behind the door was a tall guy with either a bloody Dracula costume or something else scary and bloody. I screamed. Shut the door and quit for the night. LOL. 

Though I still managed to get stuck giving candy year after year after this incident. LOL. WHY?!

I think the only time I was excited for Halloween was in 2013 when I attended a small Halloween party. Growing up, I was always Tinkerbell or a princess. Once a pirate because it was a hand-me-down costume from my sister. For the 2013 Halloween party, I was Minnie Mouse. I know, so original. LOL. Check out my costume here.

Whether you like Halloween or you don't, I hope you have a great day and a safe night cruising the streets for candy.

Be safe out there.

Xoxoxo

Mini Ventura Road Trip

Why hello there beautiful people!

In early October, a few of my girlfriends and I went to visit a friend of ours in Ventura. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2014 and the cancer came back this year after two years of remission. Her spirits have, understandably, been a rollercoaster of ups and downs.

My girlfriends and I had an idea to visit her. Three of us drove up together. The lady of the hour had no idea I was coming. I was the surprise. I waited at cafe table out on the street patio and when they walked by I had said, "Brenda, is that you?" Then were girly screams and shrieks of happiness. 

We ate some Thai food at Rice Thai cafe and got our nails done.  After that we had dessert and coffee at Palermo Cafe.

Done at All Star Nails salon in Ventura, CA

Spicy Thai beef salad :p

I had a pumpkin cobbler bar (far left) and a lavender mocha iced coffee

It was such a beautiful day from start to finish. I was living on the adrenaline for the whole week. My biggest joy was seeing how happy my friend was to see all of us. 

When you're going through a tough time, you can sometimes feel isolated. I am happy we were able to lift up her spirits. The smile on her face is something I will remember and cherish for the rest of my life.

Life is short everyone. Tell your loved ones you love them. And enjoy life. Overnight, life can change in an instant without any warning. 


Xoxoxo

Monday Sayings: No Excuses

One of my biggest pet peeves is when people complain and do absolutely nothing about it. At the very least try. I have more empathy when you made attempts to change it than if you come to me time and time again complaining with no attempts for resolution.

My life philosophy is that if you want it bad enough, you'll do something about it. If you don't want to do something about it, then perhaps you don't want it bad enough. 

That's my quick rant of the day.

Now go and get it! Or at least try...


Xoxoxo

Engagement Ring Selfie

A few weeks ago, a friend and i went to have brunch celebrating our engagements. She became engaged a few weeks after me on her 10th year anniversary with her boo thang. 

We were both so thrilled and excited about our engagements that we decided to have ring selfie photo shoot. Her college friend coincidentally sat at the table next to use and agreed to take some photos.

This is my most favorite one. My hand a little awkward on the left, but overall, it is a beautiful picture. 

Neither of us have started planning just yet. She just started a masters in nursing program and I am finishing the remaining weeks of my second job. We are both quite busy and too tired to even think of it.

We do want to just enjoy the moment, stare at our rings, and have a few mimosas while we are at it ;)


Xoxoxox 

Living with Chronic Illness: Sometimes I Get Tired

Just wanted to make a disclaimer that this is NOT a motivational Monday Saying.

Aloha,

I hope everyone has had a good weekend. For me, this was the first weekend in one year where I did nothing. And it was awesome. As of October 1st, I quit working in the emergency room 3:30pm - midnight for the last year taking only 3 days off. A schedule like this throws your whole sleep and energy schedule out of whack, especially when you do this 1x/week on top of a traditional 9-5. And this year, I had countless all-nighters studying for two board exams. This has been an exhausting year.

I feel like my body is still catching up on a year's worth of missed sleep. I still feel really tired and out of it all the time.

In the last few weeks, it's been difficult for me to take my medication. I've mentioned this several times in the past, but for all my new readers out there, I have an autoimmune disease called Lupus. It's a disease in which my immune system is attacking the good and bad cells of my body causing me to get sick. Fortunately, my Lupus has been controlled and mild-moderate since my diagnosis in 2010. For more on that history, you can read my My Lupus Story and interestingly how Lupus affected my hair here.

I don't know if it's just that I've been tired lately and catching up on sleep or if I'm just really getting tired of taking multiple vitamins and medication each night. For those who have to take multiple pills for whatever reason can probably relate.

There have been some nights where I am just too lazy to take them. It's a lot to take. On lazy nights, I usually can summon up the energy to at least take my actual Lupus medication. I know that's bad. And hypocritical as I work in the medical field preaching med compliance. Agh. I am only human. 

I was too lazy to arrange my pill bottles "blog-worthy" so here's a sneak peak into my life. I have only one prescribed medication which generically is called Plaquenil. The rest are over the counter but a must take as my Lupus has made me deficient in others areas. The aspirin is for prevention of blood clots. There are two bottles of the same thing as one is almost empty.

I summoned the energy to prepare my daily dose of the night. Just looking at it makes me want to gag. 

I know that may not be much to others who are really suffering out there. 

There are just days when I have bad days. And lately, I have been having bad days in which I hate having to swallow all these pills and the mere thought of having to do so sickens me. Looking at it sickens me. Having to open each bottle and taking one out sickens me. 

Ugh. I know I shouldn't complain. There are others far worse than I am.

I am blessed and as healthy as I could be given my circumstance.

Life is what it is, but you know what, sometimes living with a chronic illness can get tiring too.

Cheers as I am about to take my concoction to keep me going.

Xoxoxo

P.S. Sorry this was a depressing post but I am only human.

I WON!! Thank you ANNE DI @BEAUTYBITTEN!!

If you know me pretty well, you'd know I have the suckiest luck a lot of the times. I am blessed in countless ways, but I was also cursed with poor luck. LOL.

When +Anne | beautybitten put out a giveaway on her snapchat yummiebitez, I entered thinking I would never win. I've been an avid YouTube watcher for years, entering numerous giveaways of my favorite YouTubers and never winning. But your chances are zero if you don't give it a shot, right?

The prize was the new Benefit Cosmetics Brow Kits. She was giving away two of the Soft and Natural kits and two of the Defined & Refined kits.

I entered Anne's giveaway. A day or two later, she was announcing the four winners on her snapchat. The first winner was not me. The second winner was not me. The third winner was not me. What were the chances of me being the fourth winner?

LO AND BEHOLD she said my YouTube name. Ya'll don't even know how crazy excitedly I shrieked. I have a naturally soft tone to my voice and was heard

rooms away ;)

My package came in the mail today! I was crazy crazy excited! 

I quickly opened it and was so surprised. Even though I saw her snapchat of her packaging the prizes, it was still so surprising and exciting to see it live. She is so thoughtful putting a lot of effort and creativity and love into her packaging. 

When I first opened the package <3

WHY HELLO THERE!

She even snuck in extra goodies. I love mini notepads for my to-do lists! <3

Tips & tricks + the tin kit. Digging the packaging so far

HOW BEAUTIFUL!! Totally beauty drooling <3

The back of the tin (blurry, sorry. Lighting was not in my favor)

The contents:

- Mini BROWVO! Conditioning Primer

- Full size Precisely, My Brow - Brow Filling Pencil

- Full size High Brow Highlight & Lift Pencil

- Mini brow mapping tool

- Tips & tricks

GAHHHH!!

Cannot wait to use these bad boys!

Moral of the story: NEVER say never. I was the Queen of Never and Queen of Bad Luck and look what happened <3

Thanks, Anne! Maraming salamat! <3

Xoxoxox

Pumpkin Patch Day + Ollie's Belated Birthday

Hello everyone!

The best part about working at a Jewish agency is all the holidays in the Jewish calendar. This year, there are 7 holidays in October allowing me 7 paid days off that does not come out of my PTO.

During the Jewish holiday season, I had the opportunity to go to the local pumpkin patch with my nephew, his newborn baby brother, his other auntie and of course his mama.

The pumpkin patch is one of my most favorite places. I love fall and going to the pumpkin patch just screams FALL!

Oh...and I also picked up an iced coffee with one pump pumpkin beforehand ;)

My nephew Ollie also turned 4 on 9/28 so we had an opportunity to celebrate since I was unable to make his birthday party due to a wedding and out of town visitor.

Baby boy has got swag ;)

Is anyone else looking forward to all things fall???

Xoxoxo

Haul: Kicks + Rite Aid + Ulta

I don't know what happened in the last week but I somehow managed to go to Lady Foot Locker (though this was planned), Rite Aid and Ulta and bought goodies! Some I needed and some I maybe kinda sorta impulse bought? >_<

Nike

I done did it you guys! I bought my first pair of Nikes! That probably has no grounds for excitement for anyone. At the age of 30, I finally got my own pair!

I am not a sneaker person. They make me feel like a boy so I hate wearing them especially if they are black. I need my sneakers to be something girly looking like pink or purple.

I never thought to buy Nikes because they are expensive and everyone has them. Part of me did not want to give in. I did not want to spend so much money to buy a name brand shoe. I'm not a name brand type of gal.

The more I became a Zumba princess (LOL), the more interested I became in sneakers and the higher my urge became in wanting Nikes. They come in such fun, bright GIRLY colors!

I FINALLY CAVED!!! And I feel no shame ;)

Nike Women's Free Flyknit TR 5.0 Training Shoe

The Pros:
- Color
- Lightweight : great for Zumba
- Flexible
- Purple! :P

The Cons:
- The shoelaces are practically ribbon. I need to replace them

- This black insert is kind of like partial sock. It sometimes gets in the way of putting on my shoe. It is very flexible so it's easy to step on when putting on the shoe.

Now, the makeup!

Wet 'N Wild Kohl Eye Liners

Top : 605A Don't Leaf Me!

Bottom : 610A Of Quartz

The green is a beautiful olive green / military green with shine. It applies evenly as you can see.

The purple was ehh. It was chunky. I even swatched it again hoping the first swatch was just warming up.

I swatched each of them again, but this time I wanted to just do a line. Again, the green swatched smoothly and perfectly. The purple was still chunky. Sucks.

Don't Leaf Me! on bottom line. It does not look green on the eyes which is a letdown. 

Of Quartz did show purple 

Both liners did not make it throughout the day even WITH primer. No traces of them at the end of my work day. It was like I didn't even put on liner. The green swatched beautifully but the color payoff wasn't the same on my eyes. Sad.

Essence Lip Liner + Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolor

Top : Essence Lipliner in Satin Mauve

Bottom : Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolor in On The Mauve

Top : Essence Lipliner in Satin Mauve

Bottom : Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolor in On The Mauve

The essence lipliner is beauuuuuutiful. I was trying to find a matching color and the closest I could find in my time-crunch hunt at Ulta was the Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolor in On The Mauve. It's actually a little darker in person and to my dismay, it has a shimmery, shiny finish. For now, I can just dab with a tissue to reduce shine.

Essence Lipliner in Satin Mauve

Ahhhh so beautiful!!! If only it came in lipstick form. The pencil gets used up pretty quickly needing a constant sharpening. I know this color is in demand when I grab the very last one. Luck was on my side that day! :D

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolor in On The Mauve

I was really hoping this lipstick was matte but it definitely isn't! It has a super sheen finish to it, almost shimmery but not quite frosty. I tried to convince myself that it would be okay, that all I had to do was dab it with a tissue to remove the top layer of shimmer...I eventually returned it.

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolor in On The Mauve after dabbing

Lipstick over the liner + dabbing

Redkin Shampoo

Redkind Color Extend Shampoo + Condition

This was recommended by a friend. I had told her that my hair just kept fading to orange whenever I went lighter. My hair would fade to orange in 3-4 weeks. That is way quicker than it should. I can't really say if it works or not. I last got my hair done in late August and it has faded, but this time NOT orange as I got my hair dyed an ash brown. I like the lighter color it has faded to now so hopefully the shampoo will keep the color at what it is....is that what would happen??

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes

This was part of the Ulta 21 Days of Beauty Steals. Original $24, sale $10. This is also the purchase (besides the shoes) that I was most excited about. I never buy purchase non-drugstore mascara when the drugstore has some really great ones.

The only downside to this mascara is THAT I LOVE IT. Not a good idea to fall in love with expensive things :(

<3

Revlon Precision Clear Lash Adhesive

At some point in time, +AprilAthena7 of Youtube's AprilAthena7 had mentioned this as her favorite lash clue and I had to get my hands on it. I use the ever so popular Duo glue but dang, that glue smells so bad, it feels wrong putting something that funky smelling on my eyes. Can't wait to try them!

Ardell Natural 109

I really did not need another pair of lashes, but they were there and they called out to me >_< I have tried Ardell Natural lashes before and loved them. I am not sure if 109 is the only set of natural lashes, but all I know is that the ones I tried were "Natural." Soooo....I just had too.

That's all for my haul. 

When I think about it, it wasn't too bad :D I don't think I went too crazy as the majority of my purchases are drugstore....right? Right?? LOL


Xoxoxox

Monday Saying: Let It Go

I think I've shared in a previous post that I hold a lot of hurt and anger in my heart when it comes to my family. 

I love them because they are my family, but I have never really been close to them. 

I sincerely need to learn to let it go. 

Something I am learning. 

I take a step forward one day and take three step backwards another day. 

It's definitely a work in progress, but I am trying to change my thoughts and feelings. 

I would be happier, healthier, less stressed.

Just a thought and reminder for myself.

<3<3<3