Winter Movie List 2016

I am constantly stunned by how many wonderful films there are, and I think with each one I watch, my love for movies grows exponentially higher. Since it has been quite cold here in Pennsylvania, most weekend evenings watching a movie and drinking hot cocoa sounds much more preferable than going out with friends or going into town (yes, I have been turning into even more of a recluse than usual!). But for you this is good news, because it means I have watched many films and now have lots of recommendations. So grab a cuppa tea, your calendar, and start planning some movie nights!!

Inception
Trailer here
I definitely came a little late to the party with this movie... I still remember one day back in 8th grade: Inception had just come out in the theaters, and everyone was talking about it. For whatever reason, I did not jump on the bandwagon then, but I watched it recently and was completely taken with it! The idea of 'inception' is ridiculously trippy (even thinking about it now!), and the movie has wonderful cinematography and phenomenal acting. Leonardo DiCaprio is a perfect fit for his character, and I adore Marion Cotillard. Although I have a lot of films I love, Inception has very possibly jumped up to #1 on my list. On a side note, stunning soundtrack as well; well done Hans Zimmerman.

Winter 2016 Favorites

January absolutely flew by.

It's hard for me to fathom that we are already a whole month into the new year, because it feels like only last week that I was watching the New York City count down to 2016. I have been at a bit of a crossroad this month: on the one hand I am excited about the new year and have many exciting things that are coming up to look forward to, but a part of me has also been struggling with this dreary time of the year. Because I live in Pennsylvania, this time of year is typically very snowy––which I love––but this year it has been unseasonably warm, and we've gotten almost no snow! Instead, it is semi-cold, and the scenery is relatively bleak... not the winter wonderland I am wishing for.

With that said, despite the disappointing weather this winter, there have been a lot of things I have been loving this season. And I wanted to share them with you! This will be my first 'favorites' post, so I will be experimenting with how I want to format my photos and such, but I'm thinking I'll might make this a seasonal routine. Without any further ado, let's get into the mish-mash of what I've been loving!

Grapefruit Salad and Crispy Sweet Potato Fries

I have always loved salad. In part this may be because I was raised with it: in my family, we have a big salad with dinner at least 4-5 times a week. Salads often get the reputation of being a diet food that may not actually taste good, but this is undoubtedly a myth, and the people who say/think these things have likely never had a really good salad! Salads allow you to incorporate many different wonderful, fresh ingredients, and there are endless flavor possibilities. I like to use a spring mix when I make salads, which will typically include things like romaine, arugula, radicchio, baby spinach, etc., which are all much more mild tasting that kale (which can be quite bitter and tough). The dark leafy greens are a great source of fiber, folate, carotenoids, vitamins C and A, calcium, and iron, and combined with additional ingredients is an extremely wholesome and hearty meal.

Getting on to the recipe, this salad is both fresh and hearty while being simple and very easy to prepare. It combines grapefruit, dried cherries, pecans, and a little feta to create a tangy, spicy, and refreshing blend of flavors. Because this salad is on the lighter side, I'm also sharing how I make sweet potato fries which can be a great addition to a salad, adding complex carbs to make it a more filling meal.

The Power of Opposites

In the past couple of years as I have continued to try to develop my style, I have constantly been pulled to a particular look: pairing opposites. Whether it being wearing a sheer, elegant blouse with ripped skinny jeans or having messy, tousled hair with a simple, summer dress, I think pairing opposing pieces is one of the best (and easiest) ways to look smart and chic.

The wonderful thing about pairing opposites is that there are so many different contrasts that you can incorporate, so it's not as if you're always wearing the same thing. 

chic vs. grunge

solid vs. patterned

all black vs. pop of color

Reflecting on the Year: 2015

I was not planning on doing a post about the end of the year, but then was reading Hello-October's (one of my favorite bloggers) Goodbye 2015 post, and was inspired by her positive outlook. She described how she's really been enjoying her adult life, and my initial reaction was 'wow, I'm excited for when that time in my life comes'. I then realized that's a silly thing to think because I have not only had a good year, but should also fully be enjoying my life right now, because life has been very good to me!

In the same style of Hello-October, I want to share some of the highlights of my year with you, as I am a firm believer that being able to reflect on life can be very valuable for both learning and appreciation.

Natural Skincare Routine

If you have read my 'simple ways to look put together' post, you would know I recently have had some trouble with my skin. I have always had relatively normal skin: it's not overly oily or dry, and throughout my 'teen' years I have pretty regularly had spots on my face, but it was never bad acne or that troublesome (just enough for me to become self-conscious about my skin). Then earlier this month I started feeling like my skin was getting worse, until it seemed like it was at an all-time low. My chin was the worst area of my face, but I also had some spots on my forehead; additionally, what made it seem worse was that I was pale from it being winter, and this seemed to emphasize the blotchy redness around the breakouts. I was aggravated by how much I was breaking out, and started feeling like I never wanted anyone to look at me, because I had it in my head that they were staring at my bad skin!

Simple Ways to Look Put Together

Before I get into this post, I first wanted to quickly apologize for being MIA the past couple of weeks. I believe that consistency is important for anything you are trying to accomplish, and I haven’t been doing a good job of that. With that said, I am going to rededicate myself to try to resume a relatively set uploading schedule. Full disclosure, I want to be honest with you: I hadn’t been feeling the best, and am only now starting to feel more like myself. My skin seemed like it has been getting worse with more breakouts of my face, and this previous Monday, I woke up and I felt like it was at an all-time worst. Particularly around my chin and forehead I was really breaking out, and my face looked particularly red and blotchy in general. I have never been one to want to use foundation on a daily basis because to me it would feel as if I was trying to hide my face, and that’s not the way I want to feel about my skin. (for people who do like to use foundation, go for it, this is just my opinion!) That morning I was not looking forward to going to school, and all day I constantly wanted to hide my face, so people wouldn’t see how I was having some problems with my skin. This is a toxic mindset, because instead of enjoying life (particularly at such a happy time of year), I was constantly obsessing over my own appearance! It may seem silly to be so derailed by something as trivial as spots on your face, but it’s something I have always been self-conscious of.

It can be extremely hard to be your best when you aren't feeling your best, so I thought I would put together a couple of my tips for looking and feeling put together. Sometimes you may breakout, or have a bad hair day, or just feel kind of gross; you can’t control that! I think if you are confident in how you look it does reflect how you feel, so embrace the things you can control.