Concussion update: 2.5 months

Three months ago I was on top of the world. Yes, I was going through the typical teenager dilemma, struggling trying to balance my A+s and AP classes, volleyball, and (somewhat) maintain a social life. At that time it seemed hard, but I trudged along, I earned every 100 on almost every test and made time to have a little fun. Although I thought it was hard, and it was very stressful, I got small victories. I got a sense of pride when I earned the highest grade in the class or a tingle of happiness when a friend cracked a joke. It gave me light, something to follow, something to push me to continue drudging along. Fast forward a couple of days, at the thursday night game, I get hit in the head. Next thing I know I'm not myself. I am spending my time sleeping in a dark room or at the doctors office. Months go by and I don't heal. I am no longer trudging through life with hope on my side, I am being pulled back by my own brain. I can't stop myself, I can't fight it either, the only I can do is sit back and pray for the best.

Teachers, friends and doctors relate it to a broken ankle. An ankle takes time to heal sweetie, you can't run on it right away. I try not to  grimace every time I hear those words. Do they not understand that a broke ankle is NOT comparable to a concussion? Do they not understand that kids with broken bones can still go to school and have a good predicament of when they'll be healed? Do they not understand how agonizing it is to watch yourself fall behind, day by day, and not know when or if I'll every be able to catch up? I constantly have to remind myself that no, they just don't understand.

What seemed like a difficult like three months ago seems like paradise to me now. Kids tell me that I'm lucky to have a break from homework and school. Yeah, a great break if you like staring at walls contemplating life. One of the reasons I set my goals so high for myself is so I can throw myself into something that will benefit me in the future. Busy myself and get into a good college while I'm at it. Without any of anything, I'm left alone with my thoughts, and sadly, I am a twisted depressed person hiding under a perfect GPA and pink sparkles when I think. I try to give reason to things, wrap my mind around things that I can't control. The problem is that I just can't. Things that I did perfectly before I know do mediocre. I am average now, nothing for me to excel in and no tell if I'll ever be able to be back where I was before. And that scares me, scares the hell out of me in fact. The truth is, I've gotten to the point where I'm wondering if this pain will ever end.

Video: NEW Maybelline Rebel Bloom lipsticks

The moment I saw this collection, I knew I just had to go out and get my hands on them. After trying (and striking out) in many drugstores, I finally spotted a bright orchid colored display in a 24 hour CVS. It was perched on the bottom shelf, not touched, not even one lipstick missing. It was meant to be, I freaked inside, grabbed three and ran to the cash register. There are two other pinks that I want to purchase, but for now, the three shades I got are perfect. I got the lightest shade barely bloomed, the lightest pink petal pink, and the purple, lilac lavender. Ahhhh the purple, a beautiful orchid lavender with a slight pink tint. SUCH a hard color to track down anywhere, not only in the drugstore. And I'm just going to say I'm in love. This collection was made for me, full of light nudes and pastel pinks. Finally a collection that's not a brown kylie Jenner nude, a color that looks awful on me. I like the look of a light pinky nude lip, so light that it almost looks slightly white. You may think I'm crazy but I love the doll look it gives. Hope you enjoy!

Xxx Girl with the Pink Bow

Video: Holiday Gift Guide in YOUR budget

It is that time of the year again fellow people pleasers and gift shoppers. As we begin to take out our creamy stationary and let our pen scribble gifts for everyone on our lists until we realize that the pink ink isn't moving, we've come to a blank! Well not to fear... super bow is here (did I really just type that??!). But, on a serious note, I spent a lot of time brainstorming and putting this together so I hope this helps!

Xxx Girl with the Pink Bow

Video: Winter collective haul and what I got on Black Friday

I've been up to a lot of shopping lately, and a few I got on killer deals on Black Friday!! And.... surprise  I have an etsy shop as well!

I picked up so many amazing pieces, so check it out :)

Update on my life: I got a pretty severe concussion two months ago and am still recovering. So lots of sleep and very minimal electronics for me (I am down to 20 minutes of computer time a day). Hopefully I get better soon so I can get back into life because I feel like it's been put on hold for months. Worst feeling ever :(, BUT it has taught me some things and I think that God did this for a reason. I was drawing out and continuing something that I didn't love anymore, and this head injury really made it clear to me that I need to get into other things.

Xxx Girl with the Pink Bow

FOREVER 21/ BASIC GIRL RANT

((Warning, a little bit of petty anger coming your way, feel free to click out))

| zara booties (real leather) |

| forever 21..... |

If you watched my NYC haul, you saw that I got the most adorable pair of booties of Zara. They were a light pink real suede with silver buckles and detailing. I fell in love with them because they were completely my style and nobody else would have them. I log on the website today and forever 21 has the exact same ones. Like real? I know this is a petty and stupid but is this even okay for them to do this? Next thing I know every basic girl is going to be wearing these thinking that she's hipster (AKA white converse). I'm not trying to say that I'm a trend setter or a fashionista, but I bought these booties because I thought they were unique and I take pride in creating cute outfits with unique pieces, not just going to forever 21 and buying things off the mannequin. That's what fashion is truly about, don't get me wrong I love forever 21 and all but anyone can go and tie a flannel around there waist and call themselves "trendy". What has fashion come to?

update: I went in store and checked out the booties and I could not help but to feel an angry tingle in my stomach. But, it did go down a bit when I examined them and realized the quality is way poorer in those. I'm still upset, but that makes things a tiny bit better.

Xxx girl with the pink bow

Model Dreams....

Ever since I was a little girl, I've been enamored with the entire modeling scene. I was fascinated, almost intimidated by its glamour and pure beauty. I saw so much more than a photo of a pretty face, I saw sheer art. Great shots could send chills down my back or make me pause in awe. Models seemed to strike beautiful angles, manipulating the lighting and their bodies to develop a certain aura. As I grew up, I forced myself to shove that one childhood dream deep into me, because I felt as if I wasn't pretty enough or talented enough to fulfill it. The odd truth was, I was and am there, it was just my confidence and mindset that preventing me from reaching it. Modeling takes more then a pretty face. One has to be confident in herself and find peace in her own body before she can use it to create art. How could I have possibly subjected myself to stand in front of a camera if I didn't even possess the confidence to look at myself in the mirror? 

Now, at the young, yet not so young age of 15, I feel that childhood desire spark inside of me again. I think I can handle it this time. Subjecting myself to a world of beautiful people will not break my building self esteem. Modeling will teach me to love my body and all the different moods and scenes it can create instead of hating it for what it can't.

Who knows if I can fulfill this dream. But one day, I'm going to make it a point to at least try. I owe at least that to myself. 

High school...

I found this in my drafts from last year and thought I'd share it. Just a reminder that everyone has these underlying thoughts and sadness.

Growing up, we all heard about high school. We heard about the loads of homework and late nights, we heard about the stress and the tears, the steps forward and the falls back. We heard about the crazy competition, the ones that could power through and prosper through the pressure, and the ones that fell just a little short. It's crazy to know that these four years, in which we are still changing and hardly know ourselves and our beliefs, dictate the rest of our lives.

bow comes to a halt-er (iPhone ootd)...

Wishing a happy day for all of you out there. I just recently started my sophomore year in highschool last week and let me just tell you it has been super busy. So on this saturday, I decided to invest in myself and treat myself to a little break of shopping, movies, and lots of fruit. AKA the exact factors of a lazy day. This is what I wore at the mall, something comfortable and easy to slip on and off when trying things on. I have been obsessed with this brandy melville halter top in this blush pink color and the dusty pink lace bralette. I never thought I'd pair them together because they are both halter necked but the different widths kind of peek through each other and give a cool layered look without wearing too many layers. Topped off with a pair of simple silver necklaces and I have an easy, yet cute and comfy summer outfit.

Halter top: Brandy Melville
Shorts: Necessary Clothing in NYC
Bralette: Urban Outfitters
Shoes: Jack Rogers
Necklaces: Nordstrom and Juicy couture

P.S. I hauled three of these pieces in my back to school haul a couple posts back!

Xxx Girl with the Pink Bow

Phrom Philly

So I am currently on a family vacay to New York City but on the way we stopped in Philadelphia for the day. It was surprisingly chilly so I threw on this lightweight cardigan over my strapless top. The strapless top looks really small and that it would barely cover anything but because it is cropped and strapless it does cover more torso than it looks like it would. With it I paired my white high waisted shorts and let me tell you, I have been living in these this summer. They elongate the legs and are super comfy. The white is clean and crisp but also fresh for summer. With it I stacked a bunch of pretty necklaces. I have been loving the look of layering lots of necklaces lately and finished it with of course my beloved jack Rogers. Probably my best investment of the summer. 

Purse: Rebecca Minkoff

Shorts: American apparel

top: Francesca's

cardigan: H&M 

shoes: Jack Rogers 

Necklaces (in order): local jeweler, Tiffany and co, etsy 

Xxx Girl with the Pink Bow

Bow take Brandy (iPhone ootd)....

I honestly never thought I'd be a Brandy Melville type of gal. Don't get me wrong I have always been in love with their clothes but the style the brand portrays is very grungy and edgy... aka very not me like. However, on my recent trip to NYC I fell in love with brandy melville and picked up a TON of stuff, including this pretty pink floral jada dress. I had never seen this pattern in a jada dress before and fell in love with it. It's so comfy and flowy, perfect for a hot Texas summer day. Paired with a pale pink lace bralette and my jack Rogers, I think this dress worked itself perfectly into my wardrobe. 

Dress: Brandy Melville

Halter Bralette: free people

sandals: Jack Rogers

Purse: Rebecca Minkoff

PS make sure to watch my NYC haul to see everything I got! I found some really fun and interesting pieces!! 

xxx Girl with the Pink Bow

Back to School NYC Haul

Can we just take a second to talk about how much I love NYC?? The entire feel and vibe is so different from Texas. I was so in love with how diverse people dressed and got some great fashion inspiration from others. Every corner there was something new and something beautiful. I was sad to see the vacation end but it's not a good bye but a see you next time. Because NYC has not seen the last of this girl.

Stores mentioned:
http://us.topshop.com
https://www.brandymelvilleusa.com
http://www.forever21.com
http://www.necessaryclothing.com
http://www.eyeslipsface.com
http://inglotcosmetics.com
http://www.tobi.com
http://www.henribendel.com
http://www.katespade.com

Xxx Girl with the Pink Bow

Back to School haul: Part 1 (video)

So today I filmed a video for this post... Let me know how you feel about it and I'd be happy to do more!
Links:
northface backpack: http://www.zappos.com/the-north-face-womens-borealis-shocking-pink-gem-pink
transport backpack: (sold out on amazon but buy it here) http://www.thetoypalooza.com/store/pc/Trans-by-Jansport-Supermax-Hot-Pink-Backpack-p985.htm
monogram pencil case: https://www.etsy.com/transaction/213675666
http://www.officedepot.com
http://www.walmart.com
http://www.target.com
http://www.staples.com

Make sure you watch in 720 HD

Xxx, Girl with the Pink Bow

My 15th Birthday....

I turned 15th on May 30th, and it was one of the best birthdays I have ever had. The older I got, the less birthday parties I had just because my friend circles got bigger from multiple schools and multiple volleyball teams. My birthdays lately had just been small gatherings, small sleepovers, and family dinners. That's why I was so surprised when my friends joined me at dinner and I was just on cloud nine the whole time.

In my life I had participated in multiple surprise birthday parties from when I was teeny tiny to just this past year. I have the type of personality where I like to be spoiled sometimes. I have always wanted to have a surprise birthday party of my own even though I would have never admitted it. And I knew that even though I have the most loving mother in the world, she is not the best at surprises. So I just kind of felt like it would never happen, not because my mom didn't love me absolutely so much, but because stuff like this is not her cup of tea. The smile on my face was from ear to ear when I walked into Japon's (a hibachi place) to a table of my friends. It meant so much to me and I just felt so loved and special for the day.
Top: Old Navy
Shorts: F21
Shoes: Jack Rogers
Necklace: Juicy couture
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff

Not only did my friends and parents plan the most amazing surprise evening for me, I also got the most amazing presents as well. I was not expecting any presents from anyone and it just made me feel even more loved. The day was just magical to me, I felt like a princess, I got my permit, and I was showered in love and presents. I thought I share these presents with you guys because I am so in love with this memory and want to document it.
From my parents my biggest present was the pink mirrored Raybans. Expensive little babies I know, but for $200 they were totally worth it. The green mirrored aviators are extremely popular among my friends and on pinterest and when I saw the pink ones I just had to have them. I got them full price at the Sunglass Hut and I am so in love. They are the flash pink mirror lenses with silver. Those were my big presents and I was not expecting much else but my mom absolutely surprised with the "Go topless!" Wildfox jumper. I had been eyeing wildfox sweaters since the sixth grade and never justified $100 on a sweater. But my mom secretly bought it for me and I was so happy when I pulled this soft pink jumper out of the barbie gift bag. I also recieved the Vineyard Vines seersucker hat, as well as their new Neon Pink tshirt and a pack of the whale stickers. I also got the Kate Spade ipad mini cafe scene case as well.
From my friends I got so many amazing things I was not expecting. My two super close friends gave me the coach crossbody saffiano leather bag in the pink gingham as well as the matching phone case. I was so shocked because this bag is beautiful, not one of the cheap bags from the coach outlet but a legit bag from the actual coach designer store. I also got a pack of rose quartz bracelets from my friend who'se mom is a jewelry designer. My other friend gave me this adorable Kate Spade patent leather polka dot wallet. I love it so much and have been using it like crazy. I also recieved a VS perfume set.
I also got my double piercing on my birthday at Claire's and picked up a couple of sets of earring.
I had the best birthday and will always remember this day...
Xxx Girl with the Pink Bow

My Current Bedroom + Update Plans

Warning, today's pictures contain a lot of bright pink, zebra, and crazy contrast. It's a lot to see, and a lot to take in. Keep in my mind, this has been my room since about third grade when I was crazy about gaudy hot pink and zebra. And it's finally time for a redo, I decided to stay in my current room and not make any major changes (keep my wall color). It's just too much work to move into two "jack and jill" style rooms with a connecting bathroom in another part of my house. I was planning on making one into a closet and one into a bedroom but that would require moving all my furniture, repainting my room, painting two new rooms, and lots more. I decided to update my current room since I will be going to college in three years.

| White drawers, desk, and bookshelf: Ikea | Chair: Amazon(?) |

| Small Canvas: Hobby Lobby | 

| Lamp: PBteen (old) |

| Shelves: Ikea | Mirror/Jewelry organization: QVC | Clock: Hobby Lobby |

| Paintings: DIY |

| Flowers: Hobby Lobby |

| Mirror: Target |

| Umbrella: Disney Epcot |

| View from My Bed |

| Crosses: Hobby Lobby | Decal: PBteen | Shoe shelves: Target |

| Bed: Ikea | Bedding: Macy's | Nighstands: Ikea |

| Lamp: Weir's |

| Zebra dresser: Homegoods |

| Vanity: Ikea |

| Jewelry organizer: Amazon | Mirror: Amazon |

| Chair : Ikea |

| Lamp: Macy's | Fan: Amazon |

As for my current room......

Yes, the walls are a bright hot pink, and yes the theme is pink and zebra. Most of my furniture is from ikea and I will be getting rid of most of it except the Alex 9 drawer set, the jewelry storage mirror, and the big mirror. The bedding is from Macy's and the sheets are from dillards. The shleves are from ikea as well and my lighting is random from my house. My hot pink chair is from ikea and the chair with the yoga ball is from amazon. 

This room has had some great memories, and at the time, I was obsessed and completely in love with the colors and theme of my room. This is where I grew up, from a tiny little 4' girl to the 5'8 teen I am today. This room has held me through crazy memories, great laughs, thousands of sleepovers, and let me cry into its floors and pillows. As excited as I am to change it up, I will admit I am sad to see it go. But I will keep ya'll updated on everything I do!

The plan is to remove the desk and bookshelf and put in a couple custom wardrobe PAX systems from Ikea. Then I am making my own tufted headboars, getting new bedding, and new nightstands. I also found a gorgeous vintage vanity but the placing of all my furniture will probably still be the same. I am going for a shabby chic, super girl, yet glam mix look.... if that makes sense. 

Xxx Girl With The Pink Bow

Recent Makeup purchases

I am willing to admit I just might have a shopping problem. My room is filled with shopping bags and my clothing has taken over two rooms and my closet. But what can you do? Buy more stuff of course. I just can't resist a new makeup item every time I dash into a drugstore for a diet coke, or diet arnold Palmer. This is a small section of the makeup i've recently bought and an even smaller section of all the items (clothing and beauty) I've recently purchased. I like to keep these small so I can do individual reviews along with these little "haul posts".

| no flash |

| flash |

| blush swatched |

| top left: flower lipstick | top right: NYC concealer | bottom: Milani blush |

1. Milani matte baked blush in 10 Deliciozo Pink: a beautiful candy pink color. It is extremely pigmented so the smallest bit goes a long way. Milani markets these blushes as matte, which compared to their usual super glittery blushed I guess it would be. But it does have a pretty satin finish which in a way, is better than a matte blush because it gives you a little something to the skin so it's not just flat on your face. For my super yellow and light medium skin tone it really warms it up and keeps my face from looking too sickly yellow. The consistency is very smooth and not powdery and it keeps the smooth effect on my skin. I think this would work for both pink and yellow skin tones from light to medium skin tones. For darker skin tones it might be a little bright and fake looking but I am not quite sure because I am obviously not that skin tone. Overall I would recommend it to medium or lighter skin tones if you dont already own a candy pink color. The most similar blush I have to it is Elf Pink Passion which is way more neon and bright.
2. Next up is the NYC concealer. I believe this is only available in one shade and is only sold at CVS for around $5. It's a wand-type concealer in the lipgloss type tubes. The color (in medium) is really light for a medium, my skin tone is pretty light and it matches me perfectly. The texture is nice and creamy and ideal for under the eyes or highlighting. It gives the skin a nice, dewy look but is also full coverage. Sadly, for me its not light enough for me to highlight under the eyes and down the nose. Overall if it's your right color, I'd scoop it up because the texture and finish are beautiful.
3. Flower Lipstick in Morning Glory. This is a gorgeous light mauve-y nude color. I'm used to a super light lip which some might not like, but for me the paler the better. So for me, this is a little dark but for most it will still be a very light color. I like how it has a pinky mauve undertone so it gives my lips a little bit more color. The texture is super creamy and non drying but not creamy enough that it will slip off. It's pretty opaque but not completely opaque because it does have a little bit of sheen. Sometimes you do want a lipstick that's not completely opaque so it allows room for a little bit of mistake in application.
Xxx Girl with the Pink Bow

Elf under eye setting powder review

Let's be honest, nobody gets a lot of sleep. Our generation, the age of Netflix, youtube, and Pinterest, keeps us up all night endlessly scrolling through out twitter TLs. Sleep seems to get put on the back burner and unfortunately our eyes are not the only things that suffer from lack of sleep. Sleep is good for you, it allows the body to rest, and helps regenerate and fuel it for the next day. Despite the knowledge of this, I don't tend to get a lot of sleep and my dark circles have paid the price.

| $3 | sold at Target |

| top: no flash | bottom: flash |

| top: no flash | bottom: flash |

Recently highlighting under the eye with a light concealer has become extremely popular. I am a big fan of this because I think it illuminates and adds some brightness to the face. Because concealer is such a thick, creamy product due to its pigmentation and dense concentration, it tends to crease in fine lines or smudge throughout the day. We set liquid foundation with powder, so why wouldn't we set our concealer, which is just a more concentrated form of foundation with powder as well? The answer is we would set it, because that's what makes sense. Typically I would have just used my face setting powder and dust it under my eyes, but setting powders have been all the rage lately. Brands like Laura Mercier and Bare Minerals have come out with specific powder just for under the eyes. They claim to further brighten, and add more coverage, highlighting even more. When I saw this ELF version at target for only three dollars I had to scoop it up.

| what it looks like opened |

| size comparison to my hand, it is quite small |

The texture of this powder is extremely fine, similar to the HD setting powder which I love. It blends seamlessly into the skin and takes away any extra shine without drying out my already dry skin. It is a white color which pretty much shows up translucent on the skin. However, this powder has a slight glitter to it, not a shimmer or a satin, I'm talking a straight up glitter. The glitter is fine, but it's definitely glitter particles in there. I don't notice it doing anything crazy to my under eye concealer, it sets it just as well as my HD powder had. The glitter does not transfer to much to the skin and it's definitely not super noticeable. It does do a beautiful job of setting the under eye area and prevent it from creasing throughout the day but I do not notice this product doing anything to overall brighten my complexion. This product, in my opinion, is a great powder, but is no different from the elf HD setting powder which is an all time favorite of mine except its sparse glitter particles. I will continue to use it as it doesn't look cakey and gets the job done, but I might not repurchase if I already have the Hd setting powder. 

Xxx Girl with the Pink Bow