Open Note To You

Hey guys. I know I haven't posted in a really long time. It's been really crazy lately, but tonight I remembered that this blog is not about me at all. Crazy outfits, happy colors, beautiful people are all just parts of this blog. The real reason I am blogging is you. I want to be able to encourage you and help you. Whether I know you personally or not, my goal is to help you smile and know that you are valuable. This post is different than usual. It's an open note to all of you who need some encouragement. Tonight, it's especially for my Shorty,

My Open Note To You

Dear Shorty, Struggling student, and all you who need some encouragement,
I want you to know how much you mean to me. I may be just one person, but I am one person who will notice if you are gone or depressed or struggling. I know your nights are late and filled with unfinished tasks, whether it's homework, essays, laundry, cleaning, a job, whatever it is. These late nights make it easy for thoughts to come and flood your brain. You know the thoughts I'm talking about. The ones that plague you. The nagging negative ones that just beat you down bit by bit. They're why I'm writing this to you tonight. It's easy to let these thoughts overwhelm you. 'I'm not good enough.' 'Why did he (or she) leave?' 'What am I doing here?' 'Why try?" I want you to banish all these thoughts. Please know that even if a part of your support system is gone and it feels like the world has given up on you, there is still hope. There is always hope. You are a strong, beautiful lady (Yes guys you are beautiful too ;)) Look at everything you have accomplished. Look at all the troubles you have overcome. Regardless of what you are dealing with now. You have already overcome so much. Each day feels like a burden, but each day is just one day. Tomorrow is always a new day. It is what you make of it. Believe in yourself. I know it's kinda cheesy, but the point stands. If you can't, I will. I have always believed in you since day one. The shyish bubbly girl on the bus has blossomed into a beautiful independent woman. I'm excited to see what the future has for you. You just have to get through one more night at a time. I wish I were sitting right next to you tonight. Giving you hugs, making cookies (or just eating the dough lol) making a mess and having fun. So tonight I will settle for second best, hugs and cookies and kitties. All that the Internet can offer. I send you my words. My heart. My encouragement. Tonight you are not alone. Tonight I am here. Tonight let's finish this one task and tomorrow the sun will be out. My wish for you is to enjoy the sun and the breeze and the clouds. Enjoy the flowers and grass. Even enjoy the annoying roommate. They're always there for you. Be encouraged knowing that someone is thinking of you. Sometimes it's a family member, friend, peer, coworker, professor. Tonight it's me. You are in my heart and I wish for you to know how important you are to me. You are important to yourself. Just think, you couldn't have gotten as far as you are without, well, you.
Say Good bye to yesterday. Say Hello to tomorrow. Another day, another smile, awaits you.
You always have been and always will be beautiful.

Shine Bright and Beautiful.

P.S. For an instant smile, type 'kitten hugs' into Google. Enjoy the images. ;D

School Shopping Trip: Vote for the Best Dress!!

Hey guys. So I'm starting my final semester tomorrow. Super excited.
Naturally, I went shopping to find some new cute school clothes.
On Sunday, two of my favorite ladies and I went and found some adorable dresses.
For something different and fun, I've decided to put together a vote to see which dress you guys think I should wear tomorrow. To keep this interesting, I only took pictures of the patterns and colors of the dresses not the whole dresses. Whichever one wins will have a special post devoted to it on Saturday.
Please leave your vote in the comments below.

Dress A:
This is a simple red orange dress with a beautiful black lace around the waist. It's kind of a shorter dress. It's super fun and summery.

Dress B:
This dress is a black base with this beautifully colored pattern all over it. The sleeves are a bit longer. So it's perfect for a fall day.

Dress C:
This dress has a yellow base. This pattern is kind of striped and swirled around the dress. It has lots of colors and patterns in it. This dress also has longer sleeves perfect for fall.

Dress D:
This dress is pretty simple. The top half is leopard print and the bottom half is black. Super classy looking.












These are the only descriptions I'm going to give. If you want to see more of the dress, vote for it. The dress with the most votes will get a special post and I'll wear it for the first day of school! Happy voting!

Have a Happy Color Day!

Crazy Pants Friday #4: (Almost) Checkered Pants

Whew! It's finally the end of a looooong week. It feels so good to be Friday. Today's post will be a little short today, as I'm just not feeling well.

Anyways, welcome to a little tradition I like to call Crazy Pants Friday. Every Friday I give up regular jeans for a crazier alternative.



Today I decided to wear my (almost) checkered pants. These pants have different colored boxes all over them ranging from black and brown to tan and cream. Because of all the colors mixed in the pants, I can wear different shirts with them to create different looks.



I'm kind of lazy today, so I'm just wearing a plain black t-shirt to really let the pants shine. Also, I'm totally boycotting shoes, lol. Normally with these pants I'd wear black or brown heels.


As usual, I've picked up these pants from a second hand store for just a couple bucks. I really encourage you to check out different stores in your area. There are so many treasures just waiting to be discovered.



If you guys find any treasures, you should email me pictures. Maybe I'll even include your pictures in a blog post. Please leave questions and comments. I'd love to hear about your second hand store adventures.









As always guys,

Shine Bright and Beautiful!

Throwback Thursday: Glow-in-the-Dark Socks

I can't believe it's been almost a whole week since I've posted. Its kind of weird. I've been enjoying doing this blog a lot. The feedback from you guys is so helpful.

Anyways since today is Thursday, I have another Throwback Thursday for you. 

Today's picture features a pair of very bright knee high socks. They look like lace-up shoes. I bought these socks a couple years ago. I love bright colored socks, and these ones called to me. 

They are a bright green/yellow with white laces. The best part about these socks are the laces glow in the dark! Yep, Glow-in-the-dark!!  I couldn't resist buying them. 

This picture took place in my sophomore year of college (three years ago) in my dorm room. I loved hanging out there with my roomie and all our friends. We had some fun adventures in that room. Haha especially some fun adventures with those socks. :) Like running around the hallways when it was darker to see if they would actually glow (which they did/do).

Unfortunately there's a sad ending to this story. Alas I have lost one sock of the pair. Oh well, it's a good excuse to find another glow-in-the-dark pair of socks. 

If you like my posts, I'd love to hear from you. Is there anything you guys would like to see? Do you have any suggestions of stores for crazy (glow-in-the-dark) socks? Most importantly...

Have a Happy Color Day!

Crazy Pants Friday #2: Blue Flower Pants

Welcome to a little tradition I like to call Crazy Pants Friday. Every Friday I give up regular jeans for a crazier alternative.

I call these pants my blue flower pants for obvious reasons lol. The base color is a dark rich blue with light golden flowers, leaves, and chain patterns.

Because of how crazy the pattern is, I usually pair these pants with a plain black shirt or my golden shirt (wearing it!). The golden shirt really brings out the patterns on the pants.

And, of course, I'm wearing my favorite black boots to finish the outfit.

Sometimes I tease that these are my old lady pants because they remind me of draperies or a couch that you would find in an old lady's house. The patterns just remind of that. But I love these pants and will keep wearing them and their pink counter part (another time ;D).

I'm sure you guys have already noticed, but I am a fan of saving money and finding unique clothing. I found these pants in the clearance rack at a retail store. They have a funny story that goes with them.  One of my cousins (I'll call her Lydia) was in town visiting, and we decided we needed girl time. So naturally, we went shopping.

Lydia and I went to the clearance racks, and I found these beauties begging me to buy them. Lydia forbid me and promised to never be seen in public with me. The next day I went to the store as soon as they opened the doors, so I could buy these pants before they were gone. On top of it, I was still on time to work :D

If something (pants lol) call to you and make you smile, go for it. Being happy is the best thing.

Shine Bright and Beautiful!

P.S. Please leave comments and questions. I'd love to hear what you think. Keep it clean and positive.

Throwback Thursday: High School Graduation Dress w/. Red Shoes

Oh Goodness, Guys!! I'm super excited to see my page views grow so much over night.
As a special thanks, I decided to do another post this week.

So this is my obligatory Throwback Thursday post. I never got into this fad much, but I figure it wouldn't hurt to do at least one. I'm sure I'll be doing some more TBT posts.

This picture is from my freshman year of college. For those of you who don't know me too well yet, that was about four years ago.
I still love that dress. I bought it specifically for my high school graduation. If I remember correctly, I picked it up at a second hand store. I love shopping at second hand stores. You can find super cool, one-of-a-kind pieces and save a bunch of money doing it too. I'm a big supporter of second hand stores. *End obligatory second hand store rant, haha*

Anyways, this dress is super easy to wear. It's kind of hard to see in this picture, but it is a nude/tan dress with black flowers. I love to wear it with red shoes. They definitely give a good pop to the outfit. In fact you can see one of my red shoes in the bottom of the picture. If you guys don't have some already, red shoes are a must for every closet. They give some nice eye-popping color to any outfit. Red shoes can even make jeans look classier.

So my hair was super short not too long ago. Definitely in this picture. In the very upper corner, you can see a black sparkly bow. I was wearing a headband. One of my favorites in fact. My grandparents brought it back from Thailand for me. So it holds a special place in my heart. Anyways, with short hair, I love wearing headbands and bows. They make me feel pretty and happy. Which is the whole point, right? Wear what you want as long as it makes you feel good and smile.

Thanks guys for all the views last night.

Have a Happy Colors Day!!

P.S. Please leave comments and questions. I'd love to hear what you think. Remember to keep it clean and positive.

Crazy Pants Friday #1: Rainbow Pants

Welcome to a little tradition I like to call Crazy Pants Friday. Every Friday I give up regular jeans for a crazier alternative.

These pants were the very first I wore for a Crazy Pants Friday. I thought it would be suitable to start with them for my blog too.

I lovingly call these my rainbow pants. I love how the black and white make the colors even brighter than they already are. I've had so many adventures in these pants. 3D Black Light Mini Golfing was so trippy. There's really no other word for it lol. Cosmic (Black light) Bowling is super fun too. The best part is I can wear them with almost any color shirt. I usually spare people's eyes though and just stick with my black sequin shirt (wearing it) or a plain white shirt. Today I'm wearing them with my happy black boots. Sometimes for a colorful spin, I'll wear my green Chucks.

Seriously guys. These are like the best pants ever for dances and parties and classes too. As an ice breaker, rainbow pants have gotten me started talking to my peers which turned into friendships. People can't resist smiling when
they see me wearing them. Giving and receiving smiles is the best feeling.

I almost didn't get to own these pants. I saved them from a clearance rack at the very back of a popular retail store buried behind last season's jeans and capris. They definitely called to me and my crazier side.

Don't be afraid to shop in the clearance or even at second stores. You guys can find some amazing deals and great clothes for less than the sticker price. I'm definitely not above saving a few bucks. Keeps me and my wallet happy lol.
Remember to wear what makes you happy.

Shine Bright and Beautiful!

P.S. Comments and questions are appreciated. If you have any ideas of where you'd like to see me wearing these pants, let me know and I'll take photo evidence. Please kept it clean and positive.

P.P.S. Extra pictures from today are posted on my Google+ page. Check them out. Like them and share with all your friends.

Black Dress & Purple Necklace Adventures

Wow. Watching my page views tick up this past day has been exhilarating. You guys are awesome! I look forward to lots of fun times with you.

Today I tried a tamer (for me) outfit. A black tank top dress with a poofy skirt. It's super comfy. Confession: I actually 'inherited' this dress from my sister. (Love Ya, Missy!!) The dress is cutesy all by itself, but today I chose to wear my new purple necklace. I got it on a shopping trip this last weekend in Reno when we visited my boyfriend's mom. Which by the way, I had an awesome time. Anyways, my favorite part is my boots. Black ankle boots with gold buckles. I like to pretend I'm punk when I'm wearing them.

I've had so much fun today. Mostly dancing around the living room to loud music. Always fun and a great stress reliever ;) Also I have some photographic evidence of me actually going into public wearing this outfit. In the past, people haven't believed me when I say I actually wear craziness outside of my home. Shopping was a lot of fun today. I even got some interesting looks from other shoppers today. They're reactions were perfect.

Anyways, I hope you guys have an awesome day. Never be afraid to wear stuff that makes you happy even if it's not fashionable. Being happy and comfortable with your body are the most important things.

Have a Happy Colors Day!



P.S. Leave questions and comments. I'd love to hear from you guys. Suggestions, pictures, anything you'd like to see show up in this blog. Please keep it clean and positive.

P.P.S. I'm almost done I promise. Just too excited. Anyways, I have more pictures from today. They will be posted on my Google+ account. (Hint hint ;D)