Homecoming: What to Bring in Your Purse/ Clutch

Urgg... I can't seem to get a lot of posts out lately :( I really need to rethink my after school routine so that I can more blog posts out to you guys. With that said, I'd like to make a few posts about homecoming. Some of you may have already had homecoming, but many of these posts can still apply to winter formal, and even some to prom. And today's post can even be used for other parties, dances, or clubbing!

I am one of those girlies that carries a large purse everywhere... And puts a lot of stuff in it. I always like to have everything I may need during the school day or when I go out. But... when you're supposed to be dancing and having a good time, a heavy purse can really weigh you down. I'm certainly not one to just set my purse down on the floor and leave it alone, and I don't want to have to keep looking over to make sure nobody is trying to steal anything. Some schools may give you a place to put your purse where a teacher will be keeping an eye on it, and of course you can always lock it up in your car if you wish. But I feel there are a few things I'll need during the dance that I don't want to have to run to another room, or run out to my car to get (some schools may not even allow this). So how can you bring all of your essentials, and still not be weighed down by a heavy purse? Obviously most homecoming dresses won't have pockets, LOL! So I think a cute little clutch is the answer. :)

When you go homecoming shopping, try to find a cute clutch that will look good with your dress. Preferably one with a shoulder strap so your won't need to hold it in your hand all night. Claire's is one of my favorite stores for clutches and other homecoming (and everyday!) accessories, but many other places will sell them as well. It really shouldn't be big at all... just enough to hold everything you think you may need. You really won't need to bring a lot of stuff with you to homecoming (honestly, you won't need your whole make- up bag, LOL) Here are the things that I would bring with me:

♥ Cell Phone- If your phone takes good pictures this can serve as your camera as well, giving you even less to carry. I would mostly take this just to use as a camera and in case of emergencies, or to call a ride home after the dance. Remember you should be having fun at homecoming, and you shouldn't spend the whole night texting or on Facebook :P 

♥ Camera- Of course you'll want to take pictures while you're having a good time with your friends :) Your phone can also serve the purpose of a camera so you don't need to bring a separate camera, but that's entirely up to you!

♥ Lipstick/ Lip Gloss- While you don't need to bring your whole make- up bag... It's always good to have your lip products with you, as these tend to wear off the fastest and need to bee touched up the most often.

♥ Keys- If you have a lot of keys, I would just take my house and car key (if i had my license, LOL) 

♥ Small amount of money- You'll probably need to pay a small amount of money to get into homecoming (usually about $5.00). But you'll want to bring a little extra just in case you want to buy some snacks or something to drink. You don't need to bring a lot, about $10.00 will usually do.

♥ Brush- This really depends on how you decide to do your hair. If you curled your hair or wore it in an updo you won't need this. This is really only for if you straightened your hair for homecoming. 

♥ Feminine Products- If you are at, or coming near that time of month, it wouldn't hurt to bring a tampon or two... LOL. 

Of course you can always all or take a few things away depending on what you think you'll need. Just remember to keep it small and ONLY bring what you'll need. What would you take in  your homecoming clutch? Feel free to let me know in the comments :) 

Nails of the Week (NOTW): Fun Fall Colors

School has begun and the summer is coming to an end. With fall officially starting in just a few weeks, I decided it would be fun to make this weeks manicure an ombre sort of effect of fun fall colors. I'm not the best at doing my nails, so i couldn't quite get the colors to fade one into another, but I still LOVE the effect that it created by using rougher, less crisp lines. I used colors from my Migi Nail Art set. But you can use similar colors from what ever brand you wish. I also added a thin layer of silver glitter polish onto my nails just for a little bit off sparkle (you'll want to make sure that the glitter goes on very thin, rather then thick so it doesn't cover the colors underneath.) 

This probably is not the best picture in the world, LOL. I had to take it quickly in art class before I began working with clay (surprisingly this polish is actually still in-tact, and looking great! Even after working with messy clay!) The colors I used were yellow, orange, hot pink, and red, with a tiny bit of glitter on top. I think it turned out really well, especially since I'm not always all that patient when it comes to painting my nails, LOL. 

Here is how I did it:

*I did not use a base coat, I have yet to purchase one. Though I would recommend using one if you have one.

-Step 1: I Started off by painting my nails with the lightest color first, yellow. I wanted my nails to get darker in color towards the top, and also putting the lightest color on first keeps you from having to use as many coats of it. 

-Step 2: When the yellow polish was dry I added in orange about 1/4 of the way up my nail (it really doesn't need to be perfect, but you don't want to cover the yellow at the bottom, and you also want to leave room for your last two colors.) Bring the polish all the way to the top of your nail, leaving the bottom yellow.

-Step 3: After the orange polish dried I added hot pink about half way up my nail. Be careful not to cover up all of the orange at the bottom part, and bring the pink to the top. And remember to leave room for the last color!

-Step 4: The last color I added after the hot pink dried was red, about 3/4 of the way up, and all the way to the top, leaving pink underneath it. 

*On all steps that i added a color i just kind of threw on the polish (well, without getting it all clumpy and messy anyways, LOL) to create a more slightly jagged, ombre-ish line that seems to flow a little more, rather then making clean crisp lined. This really adds to the effect!

-Step 5 (this is more optional): I wanted to add a little sparkle and extra fun to my nails, so i added a thin layer of silver glitter polish. You wont want to use a glitter that goes on to think, but just adds a tiny bit of sparkle. 

-Step 6: Finish off with your favorite top-coat

So what do you think of my first Nails of the week post? I will do these as often as I can for the week, and try to add in a tutorial. Would you try this nail design? Have you ever done something similar to this? Let me know in the comments of this post! 

Sorry for the lack of posts

If you haven't noticed... I haven't been posting at all in the last few weeks. School has made me rather tired and I just haven't found the energy or the inspiration to post anything. This is probably because of the lack of sleep I've been getting. But don't worry more posts are coming soon and I will try to post as often as I can, I will try to shoot for at least one or two posts per week! I have some new ideas for posts, including more tips about school, homecoming, and much more. Hope everyone is a having a great and glambitious start to their school year!

Here are a few posts coming in the next couple weeks: 

-Whats in my purse

-Study Hall Survival

-Dealing With Bullying

-Packing A Healthy Lunch

-Nails of the week (This will become a weekly post as i redo my nails every week :D)

-Make-up Tutorials (including my most often used looks)

-Girl Talk Posts

-and more :D

Feel free to leave any suggestions for future blog posts! :) I missed you all!

Cheap Prom Dresses! (And homecoming dresses!)

Since school just started, or is starting in a few weeks for some of you, it's probably way early to think about prom. And if there's any dance we should be thinking of, it should be fall homecoming. But if you want to get a bargain on your prom dress, or even your homecoming dress, it wouldn't be a bad idea to look now. Especially if you know you'll be on a tight budget for either of these dances, or you may not have the money to buy an expensive dress. And I know that sometimes the reason for not going to these dances is that not everyone can afford the full prices of these dresses, and everything that comes along with it. But if you can cut down the price of the most expensive part of prom or homecoming, the dress, you could afford to go... or even spend more money on other parts of your prom or homecoming outfit. 

If you read my back to school haul blog post, you may have seen that I got my prom dress for only $10.00 from Debs! (I'll be sure to update this post with a picture as soon as I can get one) And the dress is amazing! Now all I have to do is get some shoes and accessories to go with it! The dress was originally $159.99, so I'd say its most definitely a steal! The only thing is, the selection is rather small, and in some areas may not even be available, but it's always worth a try! If you have a Deb's in your area, you  should definitely check it out! Deb's also has an amazing selection of homecoming dresses, clubbing outfits, and casual and dressy outfits. 

You can even get a gorgeous homecoming dress for a very low price. Homecoming type of dresses usually have a much larger selection. And if you look on the clearance racks, you can find a homecoming dress for as little as $5.00 (you'll usually REALLY need to look, but it's worth it!) Most clearance items will be a lot less then $40.00. Don't be afraid to look for a bargain! And you don't only have to look for formal outfits, Deb's has many everyday outfits on their clearance racks as well! 

Times are tough, and it can be hard to pay full price for prom and homecoming dresses. But the price of the dress shouldn't be a reason to not go to these dances and have a good time if you can find a dress at a lower cost. And you'll look just as fabulous as if you would have paid full price. And if you save money on the dress, you can even spend more on accessories, and even get your hair and nails done for the dance. You can even put the extra money into other outfits for school or other casual events! If you know of a place where you may be able to find a prom or homecoming dress at a low price, be sure to check it out! (If you know any place other then Deb's that sells prom and homecoming dresses at low prices, feel free to let others know in the comments!) 

Here is the website for Deb's to give you a taste of what they might have, but of course you can find even bigger bargains in the store!: http://www.debshops.com/

And of course it's always okay to pay full price if you wish! It's your night and you should make it the way you've always dreamed of it being! Just don't let high prices stop you from going and having a good time. Just be sure to get their quick as selection is very little, and may run out soon on prom dresses. Price and availability depend on your location. 

***FTC Disclaimer: I am not being paid or sponsored by any of the companies mentioned in this post. All opinions are my own***

Glambitious Life: First Day of School

I made this a while ago, but all of my classes are exactly as listed on here. 

So as I might have mentioned before... I'm a senior in high school. And today was my last first day of high school. I basically knew all of the things our school does on the first day, and it seemed to go really smoothly. I actually got my locker open on the first try! LOL! I didn't get lost looking for any classes, unlike last year when we moved to a new building. I didn't even really get any homework, other then papers that my mom has to sign (All of the papers outlining class rules and such.) And things were kept really simple when we did do anything in class. I've always loved how simple things were on the first day of school. Many people find it boring, but I've always liked it for some reason.

The day seemed to fly by really quick, although... they decided to add 4 minutes to the school day this year. Ick. And my study hall teacher does not allow music to be listened to in his study hall. I'll have to find some way to survive... BOOK TIME! LOL! I didn't today, but I WILL be bringing in a good book tomorrow. :) (Perhaps I should do a whats in my school purse video?) But my schedule seems really easy, and most of my teachers seem really nice. Even speech seemed fun and easy! Today we were given a random topic to give a short speech on, and many of them were pretty funny. Mine was to try to sell my outfit for $100, LOL. Which reminds me, I was going to do an outfit of the day. But I couldn't seem to get a good picture of my outfit today... I will work on this in the future. 

Basically my outfit was a black shirt with a built in zebra print cami kind of thing (it's shown in my back to school haul.) And a knee length black skirt. I put a little black belt between the shirt and the skirt to make them flow better together. For accessories I just put on a silver statement necklace with little circles and things dangling off of it, though I tucked the dandles into the scoop neck of the shirt and it looked amazing! I also wore some big silver earrings (both the necklace and earrings and in my back to school haul.) Then I added some bangles and one bangle with zebra print. I also added a black ring and a black bow headband. Then I added in some black dress shoes. As for my hair I just wore my extensions and had my hair in loose curls. 

So I'd have to say... I had a pretty good day. Everything went smoothly and I knew what I was doing and where I was going. Though I am kind of sad this is the last time I'll get to do this in high school. The first day of school was always my favorite since elementary school. But it's also nice to be a senior and to know that I'll be graduating in may. I hope your first day of school was amazing and I'd love to hear about it in the comments of this blog! I hope everyone has a fabulous year, and I'll be sure to keep the school blogs coming throughout the year. As well as other blogs. 

Girl Talk: Periods At School

If you are a girl, it's going to happen, at some point you are going to get... your period. And whether we like it or not, it's going to happen at school at some point. I know, probably one of the worst places to have it right? You might feel like everyone knows, or you're worried about having an embarrassing accident. There may even be a time when you aren't at all prepared and then, BLAM! And then you need to desperately ask friends for a tampon (or a pad if that's what you prefer). I've been through it all. And it's not fun, but it doesn't have to be as bad as it seems. 

With school just around the corner, and i know that many of you may have already started school, I'd like to share some of my tips and tricks for dealing with the dreaded periods at school. I didn't come up with all of these on my own, I got a few from my mom and from some friends, and also a few from the internet. But I'd love to share all of my school periods tips with you for back to school. If you have any additional tips and tricks, feel free to leave them in the comments on this blog post. This post mostly focuses on school, and more general posts on this topic will come in the future. 

Being Prepared:

♥ Know when you're going to start- My biggest tip to being prepared for your period to start is to know when it's coming. To know when your period will start, count the days from the start of your period, to the start of the next, this is your cycle. The average cycle is 28 days long, but can vary from girl to girl. It can sometimes even be a little different through different cycles, especially when you are just getting your period. Be sure to mark your calender for the day your period may start so that you don't forget. You can also get apps for your phone or iPod Touch to remind you when you're period may start. I use Period Plus.

♥ Wear Pantie-liners as your period gets near- You may want to wear them a couple of days before your period starts, just in case you start a little bit early. These can also be worn all month to keep your undies fresher! Wearing a pantie-liner will help to protect your undies for a small amount of time if you start at school. But if you start to feel a little damp (gross right?), you'll want to get the the bathroom to put on a proper pad or tampon ASAP! If you know your period will start that day, you can even wear a light pad so you don't need to try to make an immediate trip to the bathroom (though you'll still want to change it as soon as you can if you were already wearing the pad, just for cleanliness). 

*NEVER WEAR A TAMPON UNLESS YOUR PERIOD  HAS ALREADY STARTED!

♥ Always have supplies on hand- It's best to always keep a couples tampons or pads in your purse at all times, just in case. You can keep them in a small make-up bag so people won't see them. Whether it's close to that time of month or not. It could sneak up on you, or a friend once in a while. It also wouldn't be a bad idea to keep a small emergency kit (I may do a full emergency kit blog sometime) with enough pads and tampons, and maybe even a clean pair of undies in your locker. Better safe then sorry. This will save you from having to ask somebody else for one, and you can help someone else out. Just don't forget to restock this as needed. 

Staying Fresh:

You WILL need to change your pad or tampon at school. You can almost get away with not changing your tampon (they should be changed every 6-8 hours, or even earlier if your flow is heavier), but it's still best to change it and stay fresh. Pads will need to be changed at least every 4 hours, or less on heavy flow days. You'll usually know when your pad or tampon needs changing. Try to do this between classes (if possible) or during lunch break to avoid taking class time. If it can't wait a little longer, or you don't have enough time between classes, you can try to ask your teacher at the beginning, or end or class. Since I know that not all teachers will allow you to go to the restroom, I'll do a future post on how to deal with that. But most teachers will let you go if you tell them you are having a female emergency. It might be awkward, but both female AND male teachers will know what it means, and will generally understand. 

Don't worry about anyone hearing you change your pad or tampon. Usually nobody is even paying attention. But since (obviously, LOL) you are in the girls bathroom, all of the girls in there will go through it at some point or another as well. But it's not likely they'll even notice, unless you tell them. And of course it's better to have people know you're fresh and clean :) It's always better then embarrassing leaks and feeling icky. DON'T FORGET TO WASH YOUR HANDS AFTERWARDS! 

Many girls worry that everyone will know when they are on their period. But really, as long as you change your tampon or pad when needed (you can even wear both together for extra protection, or even just wear a pantie-liner with a tampon just in case), nobody will ever know unless you tell them. Here are a few things you can do if you are worried about leaks:

♥ If you use tampons, wear a pantie-liner, or even a light pad with it in case of leaks- (Like mentioned before) You'll want to change your tampon if you start leaking. But this will protect you undies, and give you extra protection. 

♥ Wear dark colored pants- Leaks will be less obvious on darker pants then light pants. You'll still want to wash them as soon as you get home, and even cover it if you have a leak. But it'll be a little harder (though not invisible) to see without looking closely. Dark denim or even better yet, black work amazing. 

♥ Have your bestie do a butt-check- If you are worried you may be leaking, ask a trusted gal pal do a butt check. It might seem awkward but she knows the feeling. And it's a lot less awkward then trying to look back at your own behind, or walking around with a spot on the back of your pants all day. 

♥ Carry a hoodie or jacket that can cover it up- If your hoodie or jacket is long enough it can cover the spot all you have to do is put it on. You can also tie it around your waste to cover up the spot. 

♥ Change your pad or tampon when you feel needed to avoid leaks almost all together!

Dealing with cramps at school:

Taking a nap, or even light exercise can really help with cramps. But both of these things would be rather hard to do at school when you need to sit in class. And sometimes the pain from cramps can make it harder to focus on school. Cramps shouldn't keep or send you home, unless they are REALLY bad. You may also want to see a doctor about unbearable cramps. I generally get the worst or my cramps on the first of second day of my cycle.  And I'll generally take some pain medicine like Advil to keep the pain low, or completely away. Since most schools don't allow any kind of medicine on school property (and don't risk it, you could get into HUGE trouble), you'll want to take it before you leave for school. Drinking water can also help a little bit with cramps. Sometimes just placing your hand on your lower tummy can help a little bit too. Wearing loose fitting pants can also help to relieve a little discomfort. 

So these are a few of my tips for dealing with periods at school. This isn't everything I have on periods in general, that's for another future post. But this is what I like to do to stay fresh at school. Feel free to leave any additional tips, and questions in the comments. And feel free to answer other peoples questions. Please note that I am not a doctor, or a professional or any kind. I speak out of personal experience. And never be afraid to ask a woman you trust questions. 

This may also be the last blog post in my back to school blog series, but I'm not sure yet. Though I will still post many school blogs throughout the school year. But along with other posts as well. Keep on the lookout for blogs on homecoming in the next month!

My Nightly Routine

In my last post, I told you about my typical school morning routine. So today I would like to blog on my typical nightly routine for school. A good nightly routine is just as important to keep your organized as a good morning routine, and also helps to make your morning routine go quicker and smoother. So basically, everything that can be done at night, I'll do at night rather then in the morning. Some people may prefer to do a few of these things in the morning, like I know many prefer to shower in the morning, but everyone has a preference :) But then many of these things I feel should be taken care of a night. There's also a few things that I'll only do on a specific day of the week, or when I feel it's necessary. 

Since I don't have any strict bedtime, I go to bed between 11:00-12:00. Surely not enough sleep for someone waking up at 4:30 in the morning, but it's working for me. Though I would never recommend this bad sleep habit to anyone, and I really should try to fix it.  But typically, I'll start my nightly routine around 8:30, and I'm typically done with it by 9:30 or 10:00. 

So here is what I do at night

Around 8:30 I'll get off the computer and go take a shower- I know that many people prefer to shower in the morning, But I like to take my shower at night to save time for the morning. This also allows me to use overnight methods to curl my hair, as well as my extensions. Overnight curling methods save time, and save your hair from the heat. I wash my hair and body everyday. I know that it's not good for your hair to wash it daily, but it looks icky when I don't wash it.

      -I'll usually put the curlers, or use whatever method I'm styling my hair with, on my extensions before I do to take my shower. That way I'm sure they'll be dry by morning, since they are thicker than my hair. I'll also wash them before I take a shower as well. Usually this can be done over the weekend, but can be done during the week if needed. 

On Sunday nights, I'll usually shave my underarms and legs- For me, taking care of these kinds of things once a week is enough. I just prefer not to have extra hair on my legs and underarms, LOL. And it's much easier to manage if you keep up with it once a week. 

Moisturize- Just to keep my skin soft, I'll put on lotion at night. Drinking water can also help make your skin softer and healthier. I love to use lotions from Bath and Body Works! I love the scents, and I like to switch it up once in a while. Though my favorite scent in sweet pea! I don't have much of a problem with dry skin, except on the palms of my hands. But it's still good to stay moisturized!

Pick my clothes for the next day and set them out- Picking clothes the night before will save a lot of time in the morning. I also like to pick my accessories and decide how I'll do my hair and make-up as I pick my clothes out. Sometimes I like to make Monday's outfit go with how I'll paint my nails. 

     -Sometimes it can be helpful to pick out your outfits for the whole week. I usually only do this for spirit weeks for days I want to do the spirit day. I also like to plan some outfits, or get an outfit ready a few days in advance. Like the self-explanatory first day of school outfit, Picture day (though I'm a senior and I won't need to worry much about school picture day), my birthday (I like to dress up on my birthday, LOL), and days where I'm required to wear a certain thing for choir or quest.

Style my hair- I like to use overnight curling methods on my hair. So while my hair is still wet (but not soaking wet), I'll start putting in rollers, or I'll braid my hair for waves. My extensions are done before this. I'll have tutorials on the different ways I curl my hair in the future. If I want to straighten my hair I'll just do it in the morning. But I'll straighten my extensions at night if they were curled the day before.

Grab a last snack, and plan my breakfast- I can't sleep on an empty stomach, so I'll grab one last light snack at night. I try to stay away from heavy foods this time of night, but instead go for things like yogurt, fruit, veggies, or even some crackers. I may also have a glass of milk or juice with it. While I'm in the kitchen I'll also plan what i want for breakfast and get it ready so I can easily find it in the morning. 

Brush teeth- Obviously this gets rid of all the gunk on your teeth from throughout the day and leaves you with a fresh mouth. It also discourages me from eating more late night snacks and filling up on extra calories before bed. After I brush my teeth, I'll still drink water, but nothing other then water. 

Wash face- Just to get rid of excess oil and bacteria and help to prevent acne. Also makes my skin feel fresh and clean!

Get my bags ready- I like to change out my purse depending on what outfit I'm wearing. So I'll switch all of my things over to the purse I'll be using for school the next day. I'll also make sure to put my keys in my purse, so I won't get locked out of the house and I can't forget them, LOL. I'll also get all of my books and homework together and make sure I did all of my homework (if anything was forgotten, I'll need to remember it in 1st period study hall), and get it into my bag. I'll also check the weather to see if I might need to put an umbrella in my tote bag. I like to recheck all of these things in the morning as well. 

On Sundays, I'll usually paint my nails- I'll remove any old nail polish, and paint on a fresh new design or pretty new color. Usually this is just a Sunday thing, but I'll repaint my nails a new color if they get badly chipped during the week. 

Relax until bedtime- My usual way of relaxing before bed is to get on the computer and chat with some friends, or to read a book. I could probably leave this out and just go to bed after I either wash my face, or after my nails dry. Or i could reduce the time I spend online or reading. 

Go to bed between 11:00 and 12:00- This is really late, and I shouldn't go to bed so late. But I've been doing this for a long time and I've been fine with it. When I go to bed i like to spray a lavender sleep mist onto my pillow. I love the one from Bath and Body Works. 

I really do need to work on getting more sleep, but this has always worked for me. What is your nightly routine? What kind of things do you do at night to cut back on time in the morning? Let me know in the comments! :)