Get Ready With Me TAG!

If only I could wake up with my hair and make up done...  Well, that's not the case. I've got super frizzy hair and dark under-eye circles, so there is a bit of effort that goes into getting ready. I thought it would be fun to do a Get Ready With Me video - and maybe you're as easily amused by any sort of 'transformation' or 'before and after' videos as I am! Hope you enjoy!

DIY Ombre

I have dyed my hair countless times at home, but I've never bleached it by myself. Bleach is scary - it damages your hair and often pulls a lot of red tones. And I've seen a lot of hair colorists work their butts off to get rid of those red tones in my hair (back when I used to get highlights).

Yesterday, my cousin asked me to do a bit of ombre on the ends of her hair. I surprisingly said yes and used my previous experience as knowledge. Well, it ended up being super easy and it turned out to be amazing! Very effortless and beachy and the tone is so pretty for this season! 

I couldn't help but share the final results with you! And share my process, too! 

Note: I am not a hair colorist. I have no training. This process will not guarantee anyone the same results as everyone's hair is different - tones, texture, damage, and all. Be careful with bleach and hair dye and consult a hair professional!

Now, let's move on to the fun stuff!

WHAT I USED:

• Plastic gloves
• Plastic bowl
• Hair dye brush/applicator
• Tin foil
• 20 & 30 volume developer (levels of developer depend on current hair color and hair color objective)
• Powder bleach
• Level 8 Ash hair color as a toner

THE PROCESS:

• STEP 1: With my gloves on, I combined 30 developer with bleach powder (according to the package) until it became like a whipped cream consistency.
• STEP 2: Taking a 1 inch piece of hair, I applied the bleach to the ends of my cousin's dry hair using the hair dye applicator.  I also made sure it wasn't perfect by somewhat brushing and teasing the hair upwards. 
• STEP 3: I wrapped the piece of hair in a piece of tin foil.
• STEP 4: I repeated steps 2 and 3 for the rest of the hair.
• STEP 5: I checked on the hair every few minutes and then rinsed it when it reached a desired level of brightness (the time it takes varies depending on hair type, color, and damage).
• STEP 6: Since her hair pulled lots of warm orange and yellow tones, I had to tone it with an ashy color. I mixed a level 8 ash color with a 20 developer (following package directions) and applied this mixture to the bleached ends.
• STEP 7: I checked the hair every few minutes and then rinsed it once it reached a desired tone that was not brassy (length of time varies depending on hair type, color, and damage).
• STEP 8: I rinsed (no shampoo!) and conditioned the hair and then styled it!

And voila! Lovely ombre ends!

March Obsessions

1. PEPLUM

Peplum dresses, skirts, tops, jackets! Peplum everything just screams sweet! I have invested in some peplum tops from H&M and they make me feel so feminine - which I love.

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2. COLLARS

You may think, "Huh? Collars? Why?" Well, I'm not into just any kind of collar, but collars that either have an interesting shape or embellishment or that are worn as accessories! Super trendy, if you ask me... even though I don't think I can pull it all off.

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3. ANYTHING AVOCADO
This obsession slash LOVE of mine may have gone to the next level of crazy. I think Pinterest doesn't really help either because some of the recipes and pictures of avocados on there make me want to have a food coma!
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4. YOGA
I tried yoga for the first time yesterday... just me, my pink yoga mat, and a beginners yoga DVD. Well, after my 30 minute yoga session was done, I could not believe how great I felt! Light bulb! No wonder people practice yoga regularly! Aside from exercise, I am going to try to incorporate yoga into my regular activities too.
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5. THE HUNGER GAMES
It took me long enough to hop on The Hunger Games wagon! I picked up the first novel of the series and read it within a day (because it was awesome!) and now I am just overly antsy and impatient as I wait for the movie to come out! I might just have to order the tickets for the midnight show on the first night it's out at the movies!

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What's in my makeup bag

As if I don't love expressing myself enough, I find another creative outlet in makeup. I used to have major acne problems. It made me ashamed of my face and according to some boys in my class I was a crater face. Makeup was a way for me to feel like my best self, without redness and scars, to be what I was like before my hormones decided to go crazy. My views of makeup have changed a bit since then. Now, it's an art to me and it helps me to bring out my features. I have also learned to be careful about choosing makeup. I only buy what suits my skin type and what doesn't feel or look cakey. I can't deny that collecting and applying makeup is fun!

Here is what is currently in my makeup bag! And don't forget to enjoy the video at the end too!

Hope you enjoyed this post and are having a fabulous week so far!

10 things!

10 things/11 things is going around the blogosphere. And I won't lie. When I saw other bloggers getting tagged to do it, I was just waiting and hoping that someone would tag everyone! Well, thank goodness Mandy from Harper's Happenings did! Yay! My turn!

How this works? I post a photo of myself, tell you 10 random things about myself, answer 10 of Mandy's questions, and then write 10 questions for other people to answer. Here we go.

10 random things about me:

1. I am petrified of rodents! Like I will scream and sprint if you show me a toy mouse. Pretty pathetic but they terrify me.

2. I almost drowned when I was 3. I ran away from my mom when she didn't notice, slid down a kid slide at a water park, and couldn't get up from under the water (even though it was shallow). I can still remember looking at other people's feet while trying to get myself up. Thanks for saving me, Mom. Haha.

3. I am really, really silly when I am around my cousins. They are the only people who see that side of me for some reason. You can't even imagine the silly, ugly faces I can make.

4. My favorite foundation at the moment is Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua. AMAZING.

5. I sing! I took vocal lessons for several years, placed in some competitions, and played lead roles in musicals at school and at music school. I don't sing that much anymore though.

6. According to my doctor, I'm 5 feet and 1-and-a-half inches tall. I like to round it up to 5 feet 2 inches.

7. When I find a song I love, I listen to it over and over and over until I get sick of it. This also involves me blasting the song in my car, singing loudly, and tapping my hands against the steering wheel. Yup, I'm one of those.

8. I am named after my late aunt who died of a rare genetic disease at the age of 25. I always wonder what she was like.

9. I want to develop my photography skills. I admire talented natural light photographers.

10. Ever since I was pregnant with Carter, I cannot stop sleeping on my side. I got way too used to it. Now, sleeping on my back or stomach feels weird.

Mandy's questions:

1. Have you ever met someone famous?

I met Kelly Cutrone (fashion publicist, starred on shows like The Hills and The City) once when I went to a taping of an MTV talk show.

2. What is your happiest childhood memory?

Going on a cruise for the first time. It was also the first time I went on a plane. We went to the Western Caribbean and that trip completely changed me and my dreams. That's where my love for travel and the ocean sprouted. I'll never forget going horseback riding on the beaches of Cayman Island and kissing dolphins in Cozumel.

3. Favorite album of all time?

Definitely Shania Twain's 'The Woman in Me.' I listened to Shania Twain ever since I was little and I know every word of every song on that album. To this day, it still makes my soul dance.

4. Are you a salty or sweet lover?

I lean more towards the sweets! Anything with whipped cream or Nutella sounds good to me!

5. What is your favorite guilty pleasure TV show or movie?

Ah! This is so difficult! My favorite movie of all time is Parent Trap (the Lindsay Lohan version). And at the moment I am crazy for Pretty Little Liars.

6. Describe your favorite sandwich.

My favorite sandwich would have fat free chicken, sliced avocado, tomatoes, some pickled banana peppers, drizzled olive oil, a bit of salt and pepper, and it would be grilled. YUM!

7. What was your first pet?

I was in 1st or 2nd grade. My dad was out of town. There was a snow storm. My mom told me he was away because of work. I went to bed like it was any other night. At 2 in the morning, my mom woke me up. I was slowly opening my eyes, a little lamp was on, and my parents were sitting at the end of the bed. On the bed with them was a 3 month old husky! Probably one of the best surprises ever! She was so cute and on the spot I named her Dakota after a husky beanie baby I had.

8. What is your biggest accomplishment thus far in life?

Without question, my biggest accomplishment is taking charge of my life after finding out I was pregnant at such a young age. The way I think and act has changed completely and it was definitely a choice to be a good mom, to do well in school, and to go to university while being a young mom. I forget how hard I worked to get where I am in terms of school, that I got accepted to every university I applied to. And it gets tougher everyday, but being a good mom and following my dreams are both things I believe in.

9. What is the first blog you started reading?

Bringing Up Bumble! Still love that blog!

10. If you had to choose one dessert for the rest of your life, what would it be?

English trifle with berries, white cake, vanilla pudding, and whipped cream!

Now, it's your turn! I tag whoever would like to do this!

Remember: post a photo of yourself, tell us 10 random things about you, answer my 10 questions, and write 10 questions for other people you tag to answer. Link your posts in the comment section of this post!

1. If you had to change your first name, what would you name yourself?

2. What is your biggest dream?

3. Describe something embarrassing that's happened to your or that you've witnessed.

4. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live and why?

5. What is your favorite holiday?

6. Name a food you haven't tried but would like to try one day.

7. What is something that most people don't know about you?

8. If you could be on any reality TV show or game show, what show would you choose?

9. Describe what you consider to be the perfect weather.

10. Name your favorite blogs.