life.

Hi there, everyone! I know it's been a long, long, long time since I've written here, but let me tell ya, I'm coming back; slowly, but surely. This past month has been super crazy with work, school, and LIFE.

When I turned 21, I thought it wasn't going to be a big deal. To me, it was just another year closer to my skin decaying. A month ago I used to be so afraid of everything; afraid of risks, afraid of being alone, and afraid of not making it. The fear of failure and disappointment has been taking over my life. I  know I'm capable of doing more, yet I let that fear run my life and control my every move. However, for the first time in my life, I'm not afraid of where life takes me. And it truly feels amazing to not have the constant feeling of confusion and fear of failure. It's not that I don't care. It's just that I'm giving myself a little more credit and faith that I can and will make it far. I just needed a little boost of confidence. I don't know where or how I got it. All I know is that, as cliché as this sounds, you need to find within yourself that you can do whatever it is you've got your mind set on. I used to think that was all a bowl of shiitake mushrooms, but ever since I thought that way, I've never been more comfortable with my life. And there's nothing more I would ask for than to not have anxiety and stress 24/7 every single day of your life, because you guys know how utterly horrible that is. I hope you at least got something out of this, if not, stay tuned for some more posts in the future!!

Love, Aumanie

forever 21

I finally got the guts to go ombré on my healthy, virgin hair! (My sister is on the left and I am on the right side.) I must say that I am very pleased with how it came out.

My birthday was last Thursday on the 27th and I wanted a change. Thus, I went in to get my hair dyed. I went to Shampoo Ink and quite honestly, I have never been there before, nor have I ever heard of it. The reason I gave it a shot was I went to my trustworthy Yelp and found that it had five stars from 31 different people. It was one of the highest rated salons in the Phoenix area. I made an appointment the day of my birthday at 6:00pm. Yes, it was kind of late, but it was the only time I was available. They also don't close until 10:00pm! The process took about three hours and when I was finished, I was a little disappointed since it came out to only one color. It had my natural hair color (the dark brown at the roots) and the golden blonde. I told my hair dresser, Alli, that I wasn't very pleased with the results, so she told me to come back the next day to get it fixed on her tab. I paid the agreed upon amount of $95 and decided to come back the next day.

It took about one hour for her to add the lighter blonde at the ends and when we were done, it looked like the above picture (just with no curls). I loved it! She was so nice and patient with me to get the results I wanted.

On Saturday, I had a small party with close friends and family to celebrate my 21st birthday. It was a mighty blast. 

I saw Sarah's post from her sister's party with these cute props for pictures, so I decided to get them for my party. They are so simple, yet so fun!

(Mint dress from Tobi.com, Forever 21 collar necklace)

It was a lot of fun, but the most stressful part of this entire shabang was what to wear. It took me about two months to find the right dress. Call me crazy, but I wanted the right MINT dress for my 21st birthday. It was that important. When I saw this dress, I knew it was it. I found it at Tobi.com and for first time users, you get 50% off; thus, I got this dress for half off! I bought this collar necklace at Forever 21 and although, you probably can't see it, I kept it simple with gold stud earrings. Hope you enjoyed looking at these pictures!

Love, Aumanie

outfits of my school week

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7ETdY7HczvM



Outfit #1: Free People Boca Kimono, Sparkle & Fade skirt, Olivia + Joy bag, Forever 21 Combat boots - Check out one of my old posts for more pictures.

 

Outfit #2: Forever 21 lime v-neck, Forever 21 floral scarf, hand-painted sugar skull Toms, NV white jeans, Fossil Riley Rose-gold watch

Outfit #3: Forever 21 Beatles tank, Ginger G high-low skirt, Zara bag, red Toms

Love, Aumanie

Brandy Melville Winner!

The winner of the Brandy Melville giveaway is Dung Le! Congratulations! I will be contacting you shortly for information in order to send you your Brandy Melville Loren tee! (:

extra fiddy

I know I have been doing hauls quite a lot lately, but I can't help it when deals are thrown in my face in EVERY single direction. I'm not from the Matrix, nor am I Jackie Chan, so I can't dodge it like they can.

I was laying in bed last night, browsing online and came across the Forever 21 website. It was around 1:30AM and I was almost half asleep when I saw the "ADDITIONAL 50% OFF* ALREADY REDUCED MERCHANDISE."

Image via Forever 21 

It immediately woke me up of course and so I ended up adding items to my cart. It ended up being $280 for 29 items, but when I entered in the promo code: EXTRAFIFTY. The total reduced to $140. However, I did what I usually do. I closed my laptop and went to bed.

So here I am, going back to the Forever 21 website and I have about 19 items at $85. Still, too much. My birthday is coming up soon so I KNOW I will be spending a latte money. Thus, I cut that amount  until I reached $50 (Forever 21: $50=free shipping). Here are some of the lovely items I got.

Images via Forever 21

Images via Forever 21

Gents, Forever 21 is not just a lady's store. There are some manly stuff too. I got some cute V-necks for about $3, but I'll save my gentlemen haul for next week. (:

Also, don't forget to enter the Brandy Melville Loren Tee giveaway!

Love, Aumanie

Hint Boutique Giveaway!

I am so excited to be partnering with Hint Boutique to host a Brandy Melville tee giveaway!

Hint is a small online boutique based out of Scottsdale, Arizona. Since being founded in 2010, the company has slowly become known for it's trendy apparel. With brands like Wildfox Couture, For Love & Lemons, One Teaspoon and Vanessa Mooney, the store has created a reputation that appeals to those around the world with a desire for edgy and playful attire. With a strong oncoming Australian influence, we are more than excited to see what the future holds for this fun store.

(Brandy Melville Loren Tee)

Pattern: Sheer Charcoal/Hot Pink
Fabric/Materials: 57% Cotton/40% Viscose/3% Elastane
Product Details: Semi-sheer/Cropped
Measurements: One Size

How to enter:

1. Like Hint Boutique's Facebook Page and follow on Twitter (If you don't have an account, just let me know when you leave your name)

2. Like my Facebook Page

3. Suscribe to my blog via email or Bloglovin'

Giveaway will run until September 23, 2012 at 11:59pm PST. Don't forget to leave your name and email in the comment box in order for me to contact you if you are the winner. May the odds be ever in your favor. (:

**This post was not sponsored**

Love, Aumanie

free people pick fruits

There's a handful of people out there who take advantage of the word "free." Yeah, we live in America and we have freedom and rights to do certain things, but no where in the Constitution does it say to be a complete moron. For example, people use the excuse of having Freedom of Speech to say whatever their dark and black abyss of a heart pleases. It's so obnoxious and irritating; especially people who use unnecessary cuss words to insult another person for such pointless reasons. It's a free country, I can say whatever the hell I want. No. That's just your stupid justification for being a dillhole. I actually find it rather entertaining when people use cuss words as their method to argue against or insult someone, as if it will make them sound better. Foolish humans.







What absolutely irks me the most is that our freedom was fought for and sacrificed by countless individuals, and for these people to come in our lives and take advantage of the same rights we have is downright unacceptable. I mean, I know there is no law against bullies, but we're all human. Every single one of us. Obvious statement, I know, but apparently, not EVERYONE can comprehend this concept. They feel they are superior to others, which they believe gives them the right to say how they feel towards them. Again, NO. It gives you no right whatsoever to purposely hurt someone and put them through great emotional pain.





On a different note, there are some truly silly things we cannot do in this free country. I'm going to narrow it down to Arizona, since it's the state I live in. Here are some laws Arizona created. Take a look.

1. Any misdemeanor committed while wearing a red mask is considered a felony.

2. Donkeys cannot sleep in bathtubs.

3. There is a possible 25 years in prison for cutting down a cactus.

4. When being attacked by a criminal or burglar, you may only protect yourself with the same weapon that the other person posseses.

5. It is unlawful to refuse a person a glass of water.

(Free People Boca Kimono, blue bandeau, orange pilgrim skirt, & Forever 21 combat boots)

Photo Credit: Cristofer Kearsey

Oh, and we can't pick fruits in our neighborhood. I don't know what the whole dealio with that is, but one day, I was walking home from school. Note that it was about 110+ degrees outside and I was sweating like Santa Claus coming down the chimney with the fireplace still burning. Thus, I decided to grab an orange from an orange tree since my water bottle didn't even have one droplet of water left. I began the orange like a mad man, and lo and behold: there was a police officer parked on the side that came by to tell me that I'm not allowed to pick fruits off the trees around the neighborhood...

In this outfit, I'm wearing a bright, royal blue bandeau paired with a rusty, orange somewhat-pleated skirt. The bandeau was rather short so I pulled up the skirt a little to prevent skin from showing. (; I also wore this baggy kimono from Free People that I got in my retail therapy haul for $3 to add a little more oomphf to the outfit. The bandeau and skirt were solid colors with no pattern so I felt bringing in the pattern of the kimono would complement it. Also, the colors from the kimono matched the colors of the bandeau and skirt very well. The colors aren't exactly identical and the colors on the kimono is a bit more washed out, but it really did bring out the colors of the royal blue and rusty orange. Hope you guys liked today's outfit. (:

Love, Aumanie

 

hey jude, don't be afraid

I know a lot of people are afraid to try new things, because they're so used to doing the same things every day. I know, when it comes to certain things, I am one of those people. For example, I used to dye my hair all throughout grade school and high school. I had blonde, brown, red, auburn, cardinal red, bleach blonde, orange, and blue hair. Now, it's been almost three years since I've last dyed my hair and the hair I have now is all natural. I grew it all out, I reduced the amount of heat I put in my hair, and I always air dry it. It is now healthier than ever, yet I'm beginning to get bored of it. However, at the same time, I'm afraid of damaging my hair, but what the double fudge? It's just dye, right?

So I've compiled a list of fashion-related things to do before the year ends; things that I will be contemplating on doing, but am totally chicken or don't have the moolas to actually do it. Thus, we shall see what I will accomplish in the end. They're all pretty random... but oh wells. I'm a random-kind-of-person. Give your thoughts below if you think I should go for it or if I should back off on any of the things on this list!

1. Dye my sweet, virgin hair (probably going to go Ombré)



2. Get a tattoo (No, I'm not going to get those silly, meaningless tattoos just to be cool). I actually drew one out. This is a hand vanity mirror. It represents me, my life, and what I hope to be when I look into the mirror. The flowers on both of the sides are gardenias, my mother's favorite flowers. The pearls around the mirror represent my grandmother, because in the last picture I remember and have of her when she was completely healthy, she was wearing these beautiful pearls around her neck. These two pieces are wrapped around the mirror and not in the mirror for a reason. My mother and grandmother are who I hope to be like and they're the ones who have shaped me to be who I am today, but in the end, it is me who will ultimately shape how my future will be. I'm also thinking about adding a quote reminding me of how I want my life to be like, written inside the mirror backwards, so that every time I stand up to a mirror, only I could read it.



3. Get a piercing.



4. Start to build my own t-shirt company.



5. Go to LA Fashion Week in October. I have exams and projects, but yolo.



Just take risks, is all I have to say. “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” - Mae West

 Love, Aumanie

life beats down and crushes the soul

...And art reminds you that you have one.

Whenever I need an escape from the harsh and unfair cruelties of the world, I like to open my 13 inch MacBook Pro with satin hardcase in peacock and hot pink keyboard cover and do some online shopping. When I say online shopping, I mean I go to every website I know of and add everything there is possible to my cart and then, abandon it. I repeat this process at least three times a week, adding the same things I added the day before and leaving it. This process eventually ends when 3/4 of the stuff in my cart becomes out of stock and the total is at a reasonable amount that I'm willing to spend. Genius, right? No, not really, because it still consumes a large portion of my time and I'm still spending money that everyone and their moms know I don't have.



As you all probably already know, right next to fashion, art is my other passion. (A part of me inside giggled as I wrote and re-read that last sentence. For some odd reason, I become strangely proud and excited whenever I unintentionally rhyme.) It's my other escape. Whenever I'm not working, or studying, or reading, or writing my blog, or putting outfits together, or eating, I like to draw, paint, and make STUFF. It doesn't matter what stuff it is, I like it all. I like to do crafts and make things myself (diy's) when I have time. It gives me the chance to just forget about all the stress I have and just be.

For example, I created a lovey dovey collaboration of doodles at one of the lowest points in my life. I feel like during those times, you have the most inspiration to actually do things. You would think that I would feel like laying in bed and doing absolutely nothing with my life. But not at all. These times motivate me to do the things I love most. It's the time that you get to have for yourself, so take that chance and actually do something.

Below are some examples of my doodles. Yeah, I am pretty much a hopeless romantic. <3

Doodles of a love songs playlist

More lovey dovey & inspirational stuff

Just wanted to share with you guys my love affair for art and fashion. Your fashion sense can help you discover your art sense. Fashion inspires art & art inspires fashion! - ADC Fine Art.

Love, Aumanie

obliviate

Sometimes, I wish it was that easy. To say a simple spell and have certain memories erased; the memories that have caused you tremendous pain and sorrow every time you have thought about it... The memories that bring instant tears to your eyes when something similar comes up in a conversation. To forget it all ever happened so that you could go on peacefully with your life without the constant paranoia that one little thing could somehow trigger that memory that's buried deep inside, back to the very surface of your mind. That's everyone's absolute fear.

But, if you were to erase that memory, you wouldn't be the same. You wouldn't be the strong person you know you have become; the person that got you to where you are today. Yeah, what happened was probably very unfair and you probably hate that that HAD to happen to you. Whatever happened probably changed the rest of your life forever, but the reality of it is, it happened. Yes, it happened to you, but you know what? You overcame it. You overcame that dreadful obstacle like a champ, because if you didn't, you wouldn't be sitting there reading this. Or standing; whatever floats your boat.

Now, I'm not Ghandi, nor am I trying to teach you about life lessons at the age of 20, but I'm just giving you a piece of thought to hopefully help you see that you're not "weak" for not being able to "forget about the past." I strongly dislike the whole forget-about-the-past-and-move-on rubbish. It is a pot of bull shitake. Don't dwell in the past, but don't forget about the past and move on either. Do remember the past, learn from it, and become stronger. If you still think forgetting about all those memories is a lot easier, then you might as well become a zombie; no feelings, no memories, no emotions, no pain.



Off to a happier subject. Since we're kind of, sort of on the subject of Harry Potter, I wanted to show you guys this amazing website one of my best friends, Kelsey, showed me. It's called Pottermore and it's basically a virtual website where you can experience the J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books for yourselves. Now that the books and movies are done, you Harry Potterans probably think that there is nothing left to look forward to, but no you do! This website takes you through each chapter as if you were living inside the books and you even get to be sorted into the four houses. There's games to play to get points to compete against the other houses for the House Cup. As you can see, I am indeed a Gryffindor, whereas Kelsey, the one who showed me this website, is a Slytherin. Go figure. .__.

Hogwarts Photos: Universal Studios Orlando ©

Every time I think about Harry Potter, I get the chills. That's why when I went on this website, I was so ecstatic, because before then, the only thing I had to look forward to was going to Hogwarts in Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. It is the replica of Hogwarts and it is amazingly cool. The theme park even has Ollivander's Wand Shop where you can go to get your wand picked out just like from the book/movie.

(Forever 21 Florida crop top & high-waisted heart shorts, fedora hat)

Photo Credit: Dai Nguyen

Thinking about Hogwarts made me want to wear this shirt today. I got this Florida top and hearts shorts from Forever 21 during their BOGO sale. The shirt was $5.99 and so was the shorts. Thus, I got them both for $3 each. (: I bought these during my shoe & clothing haul, but wanted to save the outfit for this post. Simple outfit accessorized with a fedora hat, watch and bracelets, messy side pigtail, and red lips. Hope you guys enjoyed it!

Love, Aumanie