Where to get THE perfect school bag?

Happy Monday, my dear friends! :D

It's kinda sad that the Thanksgiving weekend is over, but at the same time, I am excited because Christmas is almost here! Yay! :)

I was preparing my school stuff last night, when I suddenly realized that I need, okay fine, more like want a new school bag. The one I'm using right now is a silver hobo bag. It's big enough to fit my books and notebooks and other stuff, but the problem is it's a little too big. Don't you hate how your things don't stay put because there's just too much space inside your bag? I do. I love my bag, but right now, I just need something a little smaller.

So, I was looking through CSN's sites to find some cute leather messenger bags or perhaps a satchel. I found this:

David King Small Messenger Briefcase, $80.99

It is also available in Black and Dark Brown.

I also checked out Anthropologie, and I saw this:

Transcontinental Satchel, $348

Wishful thinking... it's just too pricey for a school bag. That's like the price of two or three text books. *sigh*

So, then I went to everyone's favorite, Forever21's site to see what they have.

Leatherette Braided Handle Handbag, $32.80

Double-Zipper Oversized Shoulder Bag, $44.80


Soft Distressed Leatherette Tote Bag, $24.80


Hmmm, I don't know which one to pick. I guess I will stick to using my silver hobo bag for now, until I find the perfect school bag. Do you have any suggestions as to where I should look for a good school bag?

Have a great week, everyone! :D

Wedding: Hilary Duff and Mike Comrie

Hi, everyone!

How are you coping after Thanksgiving and Black Friday?

I hope you're all doing well. We'll go back to our usual routine of school and work, but no worries, Christmas is almost here. :D

A few weeks back, I made a post on celebrity engagement rings, and some of you have told me that you'd like to see a post on celebrity weddings. I am happy to finally find some time to make one. :)

For today's wedding post, let's take a look at Hilary Duff's wedding to hockey player Mike Comrie.

I love her updo! I'm not sure if it would look good on me, but it looks great on Hilary.

Can you see her huge 1 million dollar engagement ring?

Her bouquet was made up of blush dahlias, tied with a linen ribbon.

Look how beautiful the train is on her mermaid-style Vera Wang wedding dress!

Hilary with her sister and maid-of-honor, Haylie Duff.

I would love to be her bridesmaid! They all wore Vera Wang, and Hilary gave them diamond bangles as thank-you gifts.

Mike Comrie wore Tom Ford, and his groomsmen wore Gucci.

They wed at a private estate in Santa Barbara, California in front of about 100 guests.

They danced their first dance to Stand by Me.

Some more details:

They wanted a rustic, organic, and classic feel.

their wedding favors

The cake:

Hilary chose to not frost her wedding cake because she wanted it to have a "vintage home-made look" to go with the "warm and fuzzy feeling of the wedding".

Personally, I think I want frosting, but she got the feel she was going for, so it's all good. And I love the flowers - on the cake and all over the table. :D

***To see more photos and read more details, check out http://www.okmagazine.com/.***

I think it was a beautiful wedding. What do you think?

I wish everyone a relaxing Saturday night and a peaceful Sunday! :)

My recent purchase: Bath&Body Works (and an Award!)

Happy Friday, everyone! Or should I say Happy Black Friday?! :D

Are you finished with your Black Friday shopping?

For today, I just want to share with you what I bought from Bath&Body Works.

I love Bath&Body Works because they have tons of scents to choose from. They also have an assortment of items - from fragrance mists, cologne, eau de toilette, body wash, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, body butter, to home items such as candles and plug-in home fragrance sets. They also have amazing deals, especially today because it's Black Friday. :)

One of my all-time favorite fragrances from them is White Citrus.

Lavishly spritz our refreshing Fragrance Mist all over your body to leave skin lightly scented with our exclusive White Citrus, a fresh, modern interpretation of classic citrus.

Fragrance Top Notes: Lemon Zest, Sparkling Grapefruit NP, Juicy Tangerine
Fragrance Mid Notes: Mandarin NP, Ginger Flower, Waterlily, Apricot Nectar, Lily of the Valley, Freesia
Fragrance Base Notes: Clean Woods, Sheer Musk (Captive)

*from http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/*

They have a 3 for $10 deal on their travel-size items.

I got the fragrance mist and 2 of the body lotion.

It's perfect to bring to school - fits in my bag, doesn't take too much space. I really love this because sometimes I'm in a hurry and I forget to spray some cologne/perfume - but since I have this in my school bag, I don't need to worry. The lotion comes in handy, especially now that we have to constantly moisturize.

This is also good for all you travelers out there because this 3oz. bottle is TSA compliant for carry-on luggage. :D

What's your favorite Bath&Body Works fragrance?

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I also have an award to pass on today.

The rules:

1. Thank the blogger/s who gave you this award

A big thank you to Pretty Wonderful and Katie for giving me this award! :)

2. Sum up your blogging philosophy, motivation, and experiences using five words.

- Oh my gosh, this is difficult. Can I not follow the 5 words rule?

My philosophy: I just like blogging about interesting topics - movies, food, shopping, makeup, beauty stuff, wedding-related posts... Topics that are not only entertaining, but also informative.

My motivation: I am motivated by knowing that I have blogger friends who take the time to read my posts.

My experience: This, I can do in one word: rewarding! :D

3. Pass on to ten other bloggers.

I pass this on to:

Krystal
Caro
Marley
Amber Blue Bird
Sunny&Star
Nelah
Leeann
Nikki
Natalie
Pop Champagne

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I have more shopping posts coming soon! And also some more awards to pass on.

Have a great weekend, everyone! December is fast approaching! :D

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! :D

I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

And for all our friends from other parts of the world, Happy Thursday! :D

I am thankful for a lot of things. To name a few, I am thankful for:

-My family - We don't always get along and we all have our differences, but at the end of the day, we only get one family, so we really should love and appreciate ours. I know sometimes our families drive us crazy and we say one too many times that we wish we had a different one, but I doubt that we ever mean it. So yup, I am thankful for my family.

-My friends - I haven't seen them in months, but I know and I feel that they will always be there for me. I am soooo excited to see them for our annual Christmas get-together in December!

- My life - It's not perfect, but nevertheless, I am very thankful.

-My blogger friends - For making me feel loved and appreciated! Thank you!

What are you thankful for?

Another aspect of Thanksgiving that we all love is food, of course!

I am going to be in charge of corn bread and potatoes au gratin.

What are you guys having for Thanksgiving?

I probably won't be able to take pictures of the whole cooking/baking process, so I will leave you with these images:

cornbread

potatoes au gratin

***all images from

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! :D

Beauty haul :D

Yay for Thanksgiving break! Who's excited for Thanksgiving? :D

I can't believe Thanksgiving is only a day away! Time really flies, next thing we're gonna celebrate: Christmas! :O

I am finally done with midterms, yay! I can now resume my regular blogging schedule. I still do have some homework, but it'll work out. :)

For today's post, I have a beauty haul!

I got an assortment of beauty products. I will definitely do a review on them.

Should we go through all of them?

Covergirl Outlast Smoothwear Lipliner, $3.29 (Ulta)

There are 12 shades available. I have it in Plum (135).

Covergirl Lash Blast Volume Blasting Mascara, $8.39 (Ulta)

They have 4 shades available. I have it in Very Black (800).

Covergirl TruCheeks Blush, $5.69 (Ulta)

They have 6 different combinations. Mine is combination #1.

Covergirl TruBlend Liquid Makeup, $8.49 (Ulta)

They have a loooootttt of shades to choose from. I picked #3 Natural Beige.

Covergirl TruBlend Minerals Pressed Mineral Foundation

I can't remember how much this was. I think it was discontinued or something. :/

MAX Factor Vivid Impact Shadow Duo, $8.69

I actually gave this one to my Mom. I'm gonna have to ask her what she thinks of it. :)

I can't remember what brand this lipstick is, what shade, and how much... it's been a while since I got it. Haha, but I will surely get those details down when I review this lipstick.

So yup, that's it for my haul. What are your recent beauty buys?

Giveaway winner! :D

Hi, everyone! I hope you're all hanging in there and getting ready for Thanksgiving! :D

I have one more midterm left for tomorrow - hopefully that goes well. And I also want to thank everyone who wished me luck - I got a gooooood score on my Sociology midterm. :)

Anyways, enough about school... it's time to tell you guys who won the $55 CSN Stores giftcard!

After deleting some non-entries and putting all the entries on Excel, I ended up with 100 entries. Entry #22 won!

And, the winner is Toni Tralala!!! :D

Congratulations, Toni! :D

Thank you to everyone who entered! And I might have another giveaway coming up, so please watch out for that one.

:D

Flashback Friday, Harry Potter, and a movie trailer

Happy Friday, everyone!

Thanksgiving is in less than a week, and one more week until Black Friday! :D

It will be a short post for today since I have to go study for my two midterms. :/ Even Harry Potter has to wait. :(

Have you guys seen Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows?

Enjoy this funny video of the Harry Potter stars speaking with an American accent:

Aaaahh, love them! :D

Flashback Friday:

Do you guys remember these?

Ring Pops!

Chupa Chups!

Fruittella!

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Here is a trailer of Red Riding Hood starring Amanda Seyfried and Gary Oldman:

A lot of people are saying it looks like Twilight - it kinda does - maybe because it was directed by Catherine Hardwicke. I'm pretty sure it's different from Twilight, though. What do you think?

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Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY! It closes on Sunday, November 21st at 11:59pm PST. To all who joined, thanks and good luck! To those who haven't, there's still time to enter. :D

Have a fantastic weekend, everyone! :)

***Oh, and it's supposed to rain here in Los Angeles this weekend??? Whaaatt?***

Perricone MD Cold Plasma Review

Happy Wednesday, my dear friends! :D

About two months ago, I was lucky enough to win a Perricone MD giveaway hosted by http://www.fashionistastyle1.blogspot.com/!

The skincare product I received was the

Perricone MD Cold Plasma.

Cold Plasma represents Dr. Perricone's most comprehensive and efficacious work to date.

Through Dr. Perricone's patented delivery system, Cold Plasma offers the skin all it needs for optimal health. Cold Plasma helps correct the ten most visible signs of aging: wrinkles, enlarged pores, dryness, redness, discoloration, uneven skin tone, impurities, loss of firmness, loss of smoothness, and loss of radiance.

Whatever your age or skin type, Cold Plasma delivers extraordinary results.

*from http://www.perriconemd.com/*

After reading that great description, of course I was soooo excited to use this moisturizer. It came at a perfect time because I was in need of a new face cream - and I've heard that once you enter your twenties, you should start really taking care of your skin and thinking about wrinkles... By the way, would you say that that is true?

Anyway, it sounded promising and I was really hoping it would make my skin better - fresh, beautiful, radiant... you get the idea.

And that is why I was sad that it made my face itch. :(

It made my skin really itchy - especially my jawline. I thought maybe it was really supposed to do that and maybe my skin was just adjusting to this new cream... but, I asked my sisters (who also used it) if they were having the same reaction, and they said they weren't.

My sister, Belle, said that it makes her skin tingle and itch just a little bit, but then it goes away. Ann, my other sister, said her skin didn't itch at all. So I guess, it was just me. The Cold Plasma cream just didn't work out for me. :(

I stopped using the cream after a week of applying it twice a day (a week of super itchy skin, I should say). And yeah, guess what, the itchiness went away... permanently.

To be really honest, I have no idea why it works for my sisters and not for me. I have combination skin, but so does Ann - so I don't think skin type has anything to do with it. I am at a loss...

I wouldn't tell you to just take a risk and see for yourself because this moisturizer costs $150. If it works well, I would say it's pretty much worth it because a little goes a long way - it would probably last you around 5 or 6 months. But if it doesn't, you just kissed $150 goodbye. And we don't want that.

I know a couple months back, Perricone MD offered free samples of this Cold Plasma cream. If you are interested in trying it, maybe they can work something out for you. :)



Pros:

- lightweight

- not greasy

- moisturizes and smoothens skin

- blends well

- will last long

- has a cute little spoon (seen in the photo above) so we don't have to dip our fingers in the cream

- The package came right on time - they give you a tracking number.

- I still use a little bit of the cream to put around my eye area - kind of like an eye cream. It works pretty well for me like that. I've noticed that my eyebags are now smaller and not as dark as before.

Cons:

- Many reviews I've read pointed out the smell. Some said it smelled like spoiled fish and that it made them puke. I didn't think so, though. It doesn't have the best scent, but it's tolerable.

- the price: $150 for 1 oz./ 30mL

For more reviews, click here.

Have you tried Perricone MD Cold Plasma? How did/ does it work for you? Are you thinking of trying this cream?

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In other news, http://www.freebeautyevents.com/ has a new contest for us! Visit their site and enter their contest for a chance to win a set of five mascaras. :D

Ten winners will win CoverGirl Lashblast Fusion, MaxFactor Limited Edition, MaxFactor Vivid Impact, Maybelline Lash Stiletto, and Maybelline XXL Pro. :D

You have until November 30th to enter. Winners will be chosen on December 5th.

For bloggers in Pennsylvania and Virginia - Prestige Cosmetics will be at college bookstores with free basket raffles and free makeovers.

For bloggers in Pennsylvania and New York, watch out for Coty as they promote their holiday fragrance gift sets at your local Rite Aid.

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Lastly, please don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY! Click the link if you haven't joined in. Enter for a chance to win a $55 CSN stores giftcard! There's still plenty of time to join - it ends on Sunday, November 21st at 11:59pm PST! :D

A Royal Engagement

Hey, fellow bloggers!

Just a quick post for today, before I go blog-hopping... I was on Yahoo!, and I saw that Prince William just recently proposed to his long-time girlfriend, Kate Middleton (soon-to-be Princess Kate... or Queen Catherine, as the article said)!

I was like, "Oh my gosh, this totally belongs to yesterday's post!"

The royal wedding will take place either in the Spring or Summer of 2011.

Prince William proposed while they were on a safari in Kenya. I think it's cute and funny that he carried the ring in his rucksack the whole time they were there - the Prince said that he continuously looked to check that the ring was still there.

He gave Kate the late Princess Diana's engagement ring.

A closer look:

According to Yahoo!, the ring is "an oval blue sapphire surrounded by diamonds from the jeweler Garrard".

I know we are all looking forward to what will probably be THE wedding of 2011 (or possibly, the century?).

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Coming posts:

Perricone MD Cold Plasma Review

Travel Destination post

Wedding post

Shopping post

:D

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I hope everyone is having a great week! :D

Oh, and don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY - win a $55 CSN stores gift card!