iPhone Apps I've Been Loving

I've now officially have my iphone for over a year now... and I thought I might give some suggestions to apps that I use on a daily basis. Hopefully this is helpful to you!
If you have any apps that you are LOVING, feel free to leave me a comment telling me your favorite apps! :)

1.) WhatsApp - WhatsApp Messenger is a cross-platform mobile messaging app which allows you to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS. WhatsApp Messenger is available for iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Phone and Nokia and yes, those phones can all message each other! Because WhatsApp Messenger uses the same internet data plan that you use for email and web browsing, there is no cost to message and stay in touch with your friends.

In addition to basic messaging WhatsApp users can create groups, send each other unlimited images, video and audio media messages.

• I pretty much love it because you can send audio messages!

2.) Convertbot - A conversion robot for your iPhone and iPod touch. Convert between over 500 units across over 20 categories including currency, time, length, and many more. It’s even smart enough to convert between mixed units like Foot + Inches, Pounds + Ounces, Minutes + Seconds, and more.

• This app is great for school work or if I'm cooking and need to convert things.

3.) Instagram - It’s a fast, beautiful and fun way to share your photos with friends and family. Snap a picture, choose a filter to transform its look and feel, then post to Instagram. Share to Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr too – it's as easy as pie. It's photo sharing, reinvented.

• Everyone's heard of this app... and I can't recommend it enough! It's so much fun to use! :)

4.) Pandora - Pandora is free, personalized radio that plays music you'll love. Discover new music and enjoy old favorites.

• You can use this app on your computer or phone! This is the app that I use to find new artists or songs. I definitely recommend having this app on your phone for any music lover! 

5.) Shazam - Unlimited, lightning-fast tagging. Music - identify songs in as little as 1 second. 

• This is probably my favorite "utility" app on my Phone... whenever I'm driving in the car and I hear a song I really like on the radio but don't know the name, I use this app to find out! It's brilliant. I can't recommend having this app enough! &It's free!

So... I hope you enjoyed my little list! I don't have many apps on my phone... lots of photography editting apps, but mainly just social media and utility type things. 

I hope everyone's having a great day!

xx

Margaret

My New Years Resolutions for 2013

Now that the New Year has started - I thought I owed my humble little abode a blog post on my resolutions!
This is a picture I took at the beginning of 2012: It's a beautiful time of year! :) It's the start of a new beginning.

The year of 2012 has been one of the most dramatic experiences of my life:
-I graduated High School
-I turned 18 and became an official adult!
-I voted for the first time
-I bought my first vehicle
-I got my braces off!
-I realized how hard following your dreams can be
-I applied to colleges, and I got acceptances and declines!
-My brother got his driver's license
-My little sister turned 12!
-I moved 3,000 MILES across the country to California!
-I lived on my own for several months
-I came much closer to figuring out what I want to do as a career
-I had my first semester going to college
-I made some of the closest friends I have right now

I could go on but the bottom line is:

I GREW UP!

This is the first time I'll be making resolutions as an adult, and I want to actually keep to them. To do so, I made it really simple: To be more athletic, accepting, and appreciative.

These are all broad things, so I just want to go into a bit more detail about what I mean.
Athletic: To exercise everyday, even if that means scrubbing the floors or washing the windows. Possibly take up a dance class? I've already signed up for Yoga!
Accepting: I've been very judgmental of people in the past without getting to know them, and I'd like to change that this year. Anyone can be a great person, anyone can be a bad person. You can't judge someone based upon looks or stance, you have to meet them for yourself and base your opinion off of your own encounter. I can't be quick to judge!
Appreciative: This is the big one! Many people today, my generation especially, believe that things can just be handed to them, and want the best of the best without having to work for it. (I've been like this at times too!) Having high expectations leads to heavy disappointment. Material goods only go so far! Society nowadays depicts them as everything. "Ohhh She has a Cartier ring!" or "I wish I had money for a Prada bag..." Material goods only go so far! I've really learned this year that you can't buy happiness. This year I'm going to take time out of my day to be thankful for what I have in my life.

And of course, losing a few pounds wouldn't hurt! ;)

I know there are great things to come in 2013.

xx,
Margaret

Maybelline Barely Branded & Inked in Pink Color Tattoos Metal Eyeshadows Review, Photos, Swatches

I was lucky enough to stop by the CVS on my way home this afternoon and pick up these AMAZING new color tattoos!! I AM IN LOVE.
CVS is having somewhat of a sale on Maybelline products (Spend more than $15 and you get $5 in ExtraBucks - I was planning on purchasing the cream eyeshadows anyway!)

I was playing around with all of my cream eyeshadows last night and I found out that you can switch the tops of the color tattoos with the MAC paintpots and they fit on eachother's packages! So interesting! haha

Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal Eyeshadows in Barely Branded and Inked in Pink ($6.99 for 0.14 oz.) 
Overall:

          PRODUCT

10/10

PIGMENTATION

8/10

TEXTURE

10/10

LONGEVITY

7/10

APPLICATION

8/10

Barely Branded is a champagne/cream/tan color with hints of shimmer- a beautiful nude for any skin tone!
Inked in Pink is a light pastel pink with the same amount of shimmer, but more cool toned.

 I already have two of the Maybelline color tattoos- Bad to the Bronze and Tough as Taupe. I have to say- I barely use them! Especially Tough as Taupe. I just don't think they are very flattering on extremely fair skin. When I saw these - I knew I had to pick them up! Perfect colors for everyday makeup!

 These are swatches of the cream eyeshadows: (left to right) Inked in Pink, Barely Branded

 Today I used Inked in Pink as a base and applied MAC's eyeshadow in Starviolet! It turned out beautifully ~

Overall, I would recommend these to ANYONE! They are just as good as MAC's paintpots! (I have Painterly and Indianwood) The staying power may not be as long, but the pigmentation is the same. For any high school or college student, or anyone that has to apply makeup on the run (which is probably most people) I think these are sample products! 

Looking forward to getting lots of use out of them!

xx, 

Margaret

P.S. I hope you had an amazing Christmas and New Years! ♥

Leave me any suggestions you have on upcoming blog posts in the comments. I love hearing back from you!

Getting through Homesickness (3 steps!)

Homesickness is something that everyone goes through at some point in their lives. Many kids first experience it when they have their first sleep over, but most people don't fully experience it until they leave home and go off to college. I was one of those kids.

When I first came to California, I was so excited and everything around me seemed so amazing!

However, my mom had gone with me, and it felt like a vacation at first. (We were staying at hotels while looking at apartments for rent, and trying to find decent housing for me before my class started.) It wasn't until the last few days that I realized "Omg.. My mom isn't going to be stay here with me. I'm going to be on my own!" Most people would be over-joyed at having relief from their parents. I, however, was dreading it. Now I would have to pay the utility bills, buy my own groceries, and pay the rent! These are things that I never imagined having to do, certainly not things I was looking forward to.

It wasn't just that, I think what made my homesickness worse was the fact that we were on different sides of the CONTINENT. 3,000 MILES AWAY! When I thought about how I wouldn't be able to come home on weekends, and I wouldn't be able to come home even on Thanksgiving, it just made the entire thing worse. Here I was in a huge city, and I didn't know a single person. I went into a panic.

Now I've been here in Southern California for over two months, and I can positively say that I've gotten used to life here, and I do miss my family, but I'm not crying in a corner about it. These are a few things that have helped me, and I wanted to share them with you! Hopefully I can help people that are going through something similar. :)

1.) Find an activity to do when you miss your family. Maybe you like to paint or sew? You can always send your creation back home so a part of you will be with them. Or go out and explore the area. I ended up finding a hobby, and for me, this was BLOGGING. <3 It takes up most of my free time, and it's something that I deeply love! This also helps you from focusing on home too much.

2.) Make sure you have a friend. For me, this is my room mate! You will be homesick much more often if you're lonely. Having some friends provides a distraction from feeling bad, and it also gives you people to talk to about it who can comfort you and make you feel better. Without friends, I don't think I could have made it as far as I have. I would have missed everyone back on the East Coast!

3.) Call Mom, Dad, Sis, Bro, Cousin, Grandma or whoever and keep in touch. It's important to accept that fact that you aren't home anymore, so keep your calling limited! Calling too much will make you feel part of the happenings even though you're not, and will eventually lead to more homesickness. When I spoke to my parents everyday, I thought more about them, and then missed them even more.

P.S. 

Keep a positive attitude! Think of all the great things that are happening right now. Maybe you're away at college or starting a new life? (like me!)

 Focus on making a new home instead of missing an old one. And if you're only gone temporarily try to enjoy what you are experiencing now. When you return, you will not want to look back and see that all your time was spent in misery.

I'm only here until December- so I'm trying to make the best of it!

I wish anyone else going through this the best of luck!

Sincerely,

Margaret

xoxo