Happy Halloween! This might spook you!

Once a year, on the 31st of October, monsters, ghosts and zombies all go out to hunt you down...

October: Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

I know this month is almost over, like in 2 days, but I just had to write how I have dealt with close cases in my own family. 

Breast cancer is something you might think that might never happen to you or the people you love the most. But just to let you know, cancer doesn't recognize and select people. It can happen to you, to a stranger, a friend, anyone really. 

My story, well the story of my family, begins when I was 6 years old. My father's sister (my very loved auntie) was detected breast cancer at a very advanced stage. There was nothing to be done, she had just to wait and see what happened. My cousin was left devastated, she lost her mom at a very early age. she was only 10. 

My mom's cousin, the mom of my best friend and my very own cousin, was detected breast cancer too, when we both were 10. 4 years later after loosing my other aunt. I couldn't believe it. It was hard, but luckily doctors detected it while it was at an early stage. She received Chemo-therapy and went through 2 surgical procedures to remove the tumor. It all went great, she is still with us and has a pretty good quality of life. She is a survivor. Now she has officially beaten cancer, she has 12 years with no sign of a new flourishing cancer cells. She is with us. 

A year ago, one of my grandma's sisters, they are 8 siblings and which 7 are women, received the diagnose that she had a 5 cm tumor in her right breast. She had cancer. In the family we all thought that this couldn't be happening. 10 years later after having one member being a survivor, another one got sick. Just our luck. Very difficult news. She received Chemo-therapy, underwent surgical procedures, and received radio-therapy. She had some complications because of the surgeries, but she is here with us. She really is. Now she is helping one of her daughters to prepare for her move. She couldn't be better. 

After a few months that we got the news of my aunt's diagnose, we were still trying to process it. When something else occurred. My grandma went to the doctor to her annual check up. They detected she had a small bump in her left breast. She had it tested. It was cancer. 2 cases in a row, inside our family. We were still not used to it. 

This last case is very close, I live with her, I see what she's going through,  I hate it, and at the same time, I can't face the fact that she is not her normal self. It is true when they say cancer affects the whole family not just the sick member of it. 

The moods, the stress, the faces you have to handle are just all combined and makes it more difficult. I can speak about this experience from my point of view and the perspective of what we are going through. They say that people need to make a good environment, always keep the problems aside, but let me tell you, saying it is easier than actually doing so. You have to be strong, but when you are crushed in the inside, it becomes more difficult by the day. 

Even though you want to cry, you have to suck it up and put a mask, trying to make the mood less charged and lighten it up. It is so different from what you hope it to be.

I love my grandma, I couldn't imagine how it would be without her. But luckily, she is recovering well, I see her more like herself. She underwent 2 surgeries at the beginning to remove the tumor. She received Chemotherapy and now she is receiving her radiotherapy. She ends her treatment mid November. She will be fine. She is fine. 

With this post, I am trying to say, that it is important to prevent it. There are many webpages, centers that you can go to, hospitals and else where that can guide you on how you can detect it early so that you can get a fast solution. 

Breast cancer can attack anyone, and has no distinction on age. The earlier you discover something, the faster you can treat it and make it less harmful to your health. 

Share the awareness, live right. 

xo, 

S.A 

picture from here. 

Sunday Funday: TAG edition!

A couple of days ago Becca, from Looks and Books with Becca, did a really fun tag that just caught my eye and made me feel super hyper about it! It is the What's your fragrance? TAG and of course I had to do it too. Besides nail polish, the other thing that I have to have on me at all times, beauty related, is perfume or any other thing that makes me smell nice and sweet! 

So on we go with the questions!

1. Fruity, floral, warm, spicy, or food smell?

     

I love fruity and spicy smells. They are my favorite of all time. 

2. Body spray or perfume?

For days that I am just lounging at home or running errands for the house I will spray myself with body      spray and for the times that I am off to class, going to meetings, dates or to meet some friends I will spray perfume because they last a lot longer and I don't have to reapply that often as I would with body spray. 

3. What's your all time favorite perfume?

My all time favorite perfume is L'air du temps from Nina Ricci.

4. What's your all time favorite body spray?

My all time favorite Body Spray is the Pear Glacé from Victoria's Secret. It is super fruity and sweet, I just love it.

5.What fragrance are you wearing right now?

As I'm just lounging at home today, thinking about studying some more for my tests this week, I am wearing my Pear Glacé body spray. 

I hope you guys enjoyed it and I encourage you to do this fun little TAG. It is great, so as they say I TAG all of you out there! <3

xo, 

S.A 

picture from here. 

New Social Platform: Pheed

Having a lovely sunny Saturday just makes my spirit lift up. And with that I just wanted to let you guys know that there is great new platform called Pheed. Maybe some of you have already heard about it and some of you may have no idea on what I'm talking about here. 

Well up to a couple of days ago, I had no idea on what it was too. I saw Miley Cyrus tweeted about it and that it has awesome apps, like a sound post, a photo post, a video post and also text posts. You can write about twice more than the 140 characters that twitter offers and you have like some options to copyright the content in there. 

I can see now why the majority of celebs have an account there to post pictures and videos. It is more safe for them that way. 

So I joined. Not that I am a big fan of copyrighting but I had to try it at least for the first photo pheed I uploaded! 

Check it out! it seems to have a nice future! 

I hope you are enjoying your weekend so far! 

xo, 

S.A 

Book Tour: Romance in the Rain + Giveaway

Today I bring into your consideration (I feel it like too formal but I couldn't figure out another way to say this!) another book which seems so good! I am starting to love this as you may have already noticed! (specially because I can add lots of new books into my reading list which is AH-MAZING) 

There is something about books that drive us to other places and let our minds wonder freely and boost our imaginations. It's a great way to relax.  

This book tour is possible thanks to the girls over at Romantic Maidens Book Tours! go say hi! There is also a giveaway open stop-wide so that you can enter to win awesome prices! Check it out at the end of the post, but specially have fun and I hope you'll want to read the book like.... ASAP! 

Title: Romance in the Rain (A Seattle Anthology)

Authors: Kristine Cayne, Dawn Kravagna, Charlotte Russell, Sherri Shaw, Clare Tisdale, Marianne Stillings

Publisher: Kristine Cayne

Release Date: October 15, 2012

Pages: 360

Buy Link: : Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK) | B&N | Kobo | ARe | Smashwords

Blurb:

From the pioneer days of Seattle through the smoke-filled clouds of WWII and into the present, Romance in The Rain takes readers on a journey with four generations of the strong-willed and passionate Caldwell family. The anthology of six novellas is a collaboration of the Seattle-based Rainy Day Writers group.

Splendor in the Moss by Charlotte Russell—By the spring of 1853 Englishman James Caldwell has traveled thousands of miles in a quest to find a place to call home. Newly settled Seattle isn’t that place and he’s ready to move on again when widowed Mattie Jensen marches into his life as somber as a cloudy day. But James can see through the solemn haze to Mattie’s strength and passion. Now he has a reason to stay, if he can just convince Mattie to take a second chance on love—and him. (22,000 words)

Final Approach by Marianne Stillings—With the world at war, Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Service pilot Lt. Charlene (Charlie) Thompson faces personal battles as well. Pearl Harbor left her a widowed bride, certain love would never come again – but battle-scarred Capt. Joe Caldwell has other ideas for the beautiful lady flyer, if he can just keep her safe from the secret saboteur who's already taken the life of Charlie's best friend. (17,000 words)

Love Phantom by Dawn Kravagna—University of Washington, 1983: A great place to get an education and meet single men. Drama major Kara Caldwell prefers to hide behind the characters in her plays, yet feels pressure to live up to the example set by her brave and witty grandmother, a veteran of WWII. Can she learn to overcome her reticence and prejudices to discover which guy truly cares for her--and who is just putting on an act? (17,000 words)

What’s Wrong with Mr. Perfect? by Sherri Shaw—No sooner did Chef Ivy Turin wish to meet the perfect man than Sam Rockney walked into her restaurant. But is the sexy Seattle quarterback for real or is there something wrong with Mr. Perfect? (17,000 words)

Shelter from the Storm by Clare Tisdale—Seven years and one broken heart later, JD Caldwell returns to Seattle to pick up the pieces of his old life, never imagining he will fall for Maya—the mysterious woman who lets him into her house and bed but keeps the door to her heart tightly closed. When their summer fling takes an unexpectedly serious turn and Maya gives him his walking papers, JD has to decide whether their love—and his legacy—is worth fighting for. (21,000 words)

Aftershocks by Kristine Cayne—When Seattle is struck by a devastating earthquake, technical rescue firefighter Jamie Caldwell must save his estranged wife and daughter from the wreckage of a collapsed building. He's defied the odds hundreds of times, but will his luck finally run out for good? (24, 000 words)

RAINY DAY WRITERS

Writing fiction is difficult and lonely and more often than not, the "normal" people in your life don't understand the writing process and can't fathom why you are possessed and obsessed with finding the perfect word or phrase that says exactly what you want to say right where you want to say it. Only other writers comprehend and accept that kind of torment.

To fill this need to surround herself with like-minded obsessive-compulsive self-doubting lunatics, in 2005, Marianne Stillings, who writes Romantic Suspense, established what came to be known as The Rainy Day Writers.

There were only two requirements for joining the group: You must be serious about writing and getting published, and any criticisms of co-members' work be honest, gentle, and kind.

Over the years, the membership has changed; some people moved on, others joined. The group we have now has been stable and constant since 2009. The Rainy Day Writers are a family.

Charlotte Russell joined the group in 2006 at the suggestion of a former member. Charlotte writes Historical Romance.

Dawn Kravagna became a member in the spring of 2007 because of a writers' list where Marianne had posted looking for new members. Dawn writes Comedy and Mystery.

In the Autumn of 2007, Sherri Shaw found her way to the group because she and Marianne happened to sit at the same table at the Emerald City Writer's Conference that year. Sherri writes Historical Romance and Paranormal Historical Romance.

Clare Tisdale joined in 2008 as the result of an email Marianne posted on the Greater Seattle Chapter Romance Writer's list seeking new members. Clare writes Contemporary Romance.

Kristine Cayne found the group in 2009 because she won Marianne's raffle basket at the Emerald City Writer's Conference that year. The basket included an offer to critique the winner's manuscript—an evaluation that resulted in an invitation to join. Kristine writes Romantic Suspense.

For more information on Romance in the Rain and the Rainy Day Writers, visit them at www.seattlerainydaywriters.com 

And it is Giveaway TIME! 

All giveaway ends November 22, 2012 at midnight. Make sure to only enter the giveaway you are eligible for.

Giveaway for US residents only.

Grand Prize:

- 1 autographed copy of Deadly Obsession + SWAG

- 1 autographed copy of Deadly Addiction + SWAG

- The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever, by Julia Quinn (autographed copy)

- Blood Trinity, by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love

- 1 e-book copy of “Falling Angel” by Clare Tisdale

- 1 handmade shell necklace by Clare Tisdale

- A handmade afghan crocheted by Marianne Stillings

- 1 autographed copy of AROUSING SUSPICIONS

- 1 autographed copy of SATISFACTION

- 1 autographed copy of KILLER CHARMS

- 1 bag of truffles from Seattle Chocolates

- 3 chocolate bars from Seattle Chocolates

- $15 Starbucks gift card

- 1 autographed copy of Cattle Capers: Search For The MooMoo Pearl by Dawn Kravagna

Prize #5: 

- 1 ecopy Deadly Obsession by Kristine Cayne

- 1 print copy Accidental Cinderella, by Nancy Robards Thompson

- 1 print copy Everything I Know About Love I Learned From Romance Novels, by Sarah Wendell

Prize #6: 

- 1 ecopy Deadly Addiction by Kristine Cayne

- 1 print copy The Angel in My Arms, by Stephanie Sloane

- 1 print copy The Naughty List, by Donna Kauffman, Cynthia Eden and Susan Fox (autographed by Susan Fox)

Prize #7: 

- 1 ecopy Deadly Addiction by Kristine Cayne

- 1 print copy Tsunami Blue, by Gayle Ann Williams

- 1 print copy A Tale of Two Demon Slayers, by Angie Fox (autographed copy)

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Giveaway for both US and International residents.
Prize #1:

- 1 ecopy Deadly Obsession

- 1 ecopy of A Week to Be Wicked by Tessa Dare

- 1 ecopy of The Sergeant's Lady by Susanna Fraser

Prize #2:

- 1 ecopy Deadly Obsession

 - 1 ecopy of Unraveled by Courtney Milan

- 1 ecopy of Unlocked, a novella by Courtney Milan

Prize #3:

- 1 ecopy Deadly Obsession

- 1 ecopy of One Night in London by Caroline Linden

- 1 ecopy of Ruined by Rumor by Alyssa Everett

Prize #4:

- 1 ecopy Deadly Obsession

- 1 ecopy of Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase

Prize #8-10:

- 1 ecopy Deadly Addiction

- $10 Amazon or B&N giftcard

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Prize #11 US and International Giveaway

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xo, 

S.A 

Gossip Girl's Final Season

Is anyone else as sad as me that my most cherished TV series is coming to an end? Is it just me? I want to know. 

Three episodes in the new and final season and I am already feeling that hole in my existence from knowing I won't have it back after that. I will most definitely miss a lot of things from the show. Some of them have been already portrayed in the Wetpaint site (you can get a scoop there!). 

Now, for the real deal. My  best friend and I have self-proclaimed somewhat as the real life S and B. You might figure out who is S (me) and who is B (her). We have a friendship that has lasted for so long that we truly ARE family. I would never think about telling her that we are not going to be close or friends any more (I couldn't live with that)...We've had our fair share of fights through our lives too, and who wouldn't with 15 years of knowing each other!? Yet together we stand, and we like scheming as much as B and S do. So yes,  there might be others that state the same as us, but we like to think there is no friendship like ours! Well enough with me and my bestie, on we go with this memorable post. 

To be honest, the first couple of episode made me a little uneasy, with Blair all "old-school" and Serena all "grown up". The spice of them was just not there yet. And that promise (a very naive one if you ask me) between B and C that they have to find peace on their unfinished business for them to be able to go strong as  a couple (Ok, I'll admit that it is kind of cute and romantic and very hearts and flowers kind of pact) Oh and the engagement ring? That one is even cuter! 

This new episode (careful! Spoilers coming!) just made me reconnect! The old Gossip Girl was here! And the scheming continued, but from the newbie Sage that is..well..doing Nate. I think her character is what the producers said to be Gossip Girl coming full circle. She has the power at Constance, she is Serena and Blair in one with little hint of Georgina and Little J. She's got the older girls rounding up their minds! 

What about Dan? I just hope he knows what he is doing. I think he has become what he always despised. One of those manic, manipulative, rich and spoiled kids from the Upper East Side (well without the money anyways). And Georgina...Seriously? That was an unexpected combination to see (honestly, not so unexpected) 

Chuck Bass, what can I say about him? He is gorgeous, he is rich, he is now the gentleman with his girl and he is just breathtakingly HOT. I want him to finish all his business and just be with Blair already!!!

The highlight of this episode: "DOROTA! I'm feverish!" After Chuck was with her and left her..well..hanging. 

What do you think about Nelly Yuki being back and as Bad as it can get? She has the power in her hands to make Blair tumble and fall (just like the London Bridge), will she be able to get her "revenge" and conquer? I am seriously looking forward to see what happens! 

I think I will wrap this post up, or else it will have to be a complete story book from me! 

As the series go on, I will most definitely continue writing about it! I am super excited to see what else happens but also very much sad about it. 

And what I'll miss the most? this phrase: 

"Gossip Girl here. Your one and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite.....You know you love me, XOXO, Gossip Girl" 

xo, 

S.A 

picture from here. 

Bonding with People

It is nice when you find out that other people like the same things that you do. It gives you more confidence and create a bond between you and that other person that is stronger and more warm. 

When you find out which are your interests it all just makes sense. 

The easiest way to make friends and to have them last for a life time is to figure out the other person's interests, they might be the same as yours. There is your common denominator to a simple equation. I feel like I could ramble about this for hours, just because I have lots of things to say about the topic and lots of experiences to tell. I might become a story teller some day, who knows. 

The first experience I got with this was with my best friend, we are inseparable even though we don't get to see each other that often. We study at different Universities, have different mayors and even have different lifestyles. But one thing that we have in common, besides studying our whole lives in the same School (from kinder to 12th grade) is that we love fashion, movies and a good gossip session. We can spend hours and hours talking and laughing about the most random stuff and never get bored. Of course, we also have some boy drama and we like to hear each other's opinion on the topic. We are like sisters but with different parents! and it is so nice having someone like her in the light that I am an only child. She, on the other hand has 4 more siblings (Lucky she!). Also, we might not share the same mayor interests but we have known each other for almost 18 years now and we have created a great bond. 

Another of these kinds of experiences is with my fellow blogger friend Suemi, who is a great person and met a couple years back at one of our classes in University. I had no idea she had a blog and she had no idea I had one too. It was a nice surprise to find about it while we were doing a final project last semester and since then we have become really good friends. A common interest that brings people together. 

As I said, finding your common interests with other people make the bonding process a lot more fruitful and nice. 

I just wanted to make this post to encourage you to go and pursuit your interests and there you will meet some of the best people you might ever know, and if it doesn't work out, don't worry, at least you had the experience and  met them. 

You know what I think, that your friends and family is the best thing that can happen to you and they will support you no matter what. 

This post was a little more serious than I expected it to be, but I hope you liked it. <3 

xo, 

S.A 

picture from here. 

Workout Playlist 15

It's been fun times to share some of my favorite songs with you guys! I love blasting out my morning with fun and energetic music. I live off of my environment, and if it is not at all nice (Living in Lima does no charm to it) i will just be so unhappy and bitter, so I need to counter act all this "greyness" of the city (at least in winter and fall) and cheer up my very own little environment. 

I am thinking about making this series once every 2 weeks and just adding some nice songs that brighten it all and inspire you to keep moving, working out or whatever activity you are up to starting your week.

So without further ado, the 5 songs of this week!

1) We are Golden- Mika
2) Lollipop- Mika
3) Danger- Hilary Duff
4) Alejandro- Lady Gaga
5) Starstrukk- 3OH!3

have a great start of the week! and let me know how you will like the idea proposed earlier!

xo,

S.A

picture from here.

Sunday Funday: Halloween Candy

Happy Sunday everyone! 

I think people, at this time of year, is going crazy about shopping for Halloween candy, and to be honest I am too! I love candy, that is one of my guiltiest of pleasures, if I can find some good candy well WELCOME! today I went grocery shopping with my parents, and I just went coo-coo in the candy isle. 

There are tons and tons of nice candy this time of year, my favorites are Ambrujos (they belong to a Peruvian brand) and specially like the Hechizos branch. They are candy flavored coke, a red soda and inca kola. Typical flavors that only come out this time of year and I await eagerly to get my hands on them.  

And while writing this, I am indulging in some of them (LOVE), what else can I say? I have my very own Kryptonite hahaha 

I hope you guys are having a great weekend and enjoy it while it lasts <3 

have a nice day! 

xo, 

S.A 

picture from here. 

Breakouts: How I handle them

I am pretty sure everyone suffers from small breakouts once in a while. I am quite thankful that I don't have to handle acne and that my skin is pretty much clear, well except when I have those small and hideous breakouts that are inevitable from time to time. They bother me like crazy. Specially if there is an occasion where I would love to have my skin flawless and what not. But there they are, like knowing that you need that the most and appear like a call has been made to invite them to enjoy the party! 

Recently, I've been having to deal with that. My skin was being mischievous with me and felt like it was playing a bag joke on me. My routine is pretty much the same since I was in High School, but I had only changed facial soaps during this time. I was using a bar soap from Clean & Clear and not my usual foaming cleanser. That was it. 

A couple days ago I switched back and that did the trick. Normally all Clean & Clear products do wonders for me, I just don't know what happened with that one. But switching back to the foaming cleanser was a miracle and also I applied the clear gel to fight with the small breakouts of my skin. So I have seen an improvement. My problem area is my forehead, just in between my eyebrows and going a little over them I don't know the deal about it but it is just hideous and bothering and makes me self conscious. 

Also, I keep reading blogs and hearing YouTube beauty gurus talk about the Bioderma Sensibio H2O, which is a cleansing water that acts removing makeup, as a toner or just to cleanse your face. I am looking forward to trying it. In Peru I know that there are 3 drugstores that carry the brand, they are Boticas Fasa, MiFarma and BTL, if you are living in this beautiful country (like I am) you can go check them out. And there are plenty of other places around the world that carry the brand. You can go to the Bioderma Webpage to see where you can find it with no trouble. 

I hope this has been a little useful and now you know how I handle that little pain in the butt that are those unexpected breakouts. 

xo, 

S.A 

Pictures from here, here and here. 

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. Non of the companies mentioned are paying me to do so and I am not an affiliate of their brands. All opinions are my own. 

Healthy Recipe: Zucchinis Pizza Style

Lately my grandfather has taken a toll on cooking and he's been doing a great job. His European roots are flourishing I guess. So he has invented this really yummy healthy recipe and has our house-hold just going cray cray about it. My mom used to not like zucchinis but with this! it worked magic. 

It is a perfect lunch, and pretty easy to make too. It will only take a couple of minutes if you have to run out the door and want to have a properly served dish. 

Here is the Recipe: 

Ingredients: 

1 zucchini

1 tomato

salt

pepper

Parmesan cheese (grated) or if you don't have Parmesan you can have some mozzarella. 

Butter (optional) 

Oregano

How to make them: 

Cut the Zucchini in half. Set aside. Slice the tomatoes so that they are nice and even. Sprinkle the zucchini halves with some salt, pepper, and some grated mozzarella cheese and then put the tomato slices on top (you can also spread some of the butter on top of the zucchinis before sprinkling with salt, pepper and cheese) and then sprinkle with some oregano. That is is. Then put in the microwave for 15 minutes in medium power. If you have a high power microwave oven then reduce the time to half or until you see it done. 

And that is it! as simple as that you will have a nice lunch or dinner easily! I hope you try it and tell me what you think about it! 

xo, 

S.A 

picture from here. 

Denim over denim?

I have very mixed feeling on this trend that you can see already all over the streets. I love how some people wear it and make it look trendy, but if you try too much it will end up eating you and dropping any of the style sense you had left.

I haven't tried it yet, just because I think it doesn't look that great on my (or it happens the second option in the previous paragraph) and I just fail miserably and end up changing my outfit the last minute I'm about to get out of the door. I think I'm not brave enough yet.

A couple days (or well off a week or 2 ago) I saw a post over at LaurenConrad.com about denim over denim and felt like it gave a lot of good tips! You can check the post here and see what I mean.

What do you think of this trend? Would you rock it or would you just discard it totally? 

xo, 

S.A 

picture from here. 

Accesories Craving: H&M red wool hat

I have never been a hat person. Actually I've only worn a hat while at the beach and it went flying off because of the wind, but I loved that hat and that was the only time I wore one. But I am seriously smitten for this wool hat. I love it, it comes in various colors, and thanks to my best friend I want to have it now! She was looking online and came across it and we are both in love! 

I really like the one in red (it looks more pinkish in the picture), but the blue one also makes a cute statement of color. And don't even get me started on the one in black! it is just the perfect basic neutral color for you to add that perfect spice to your outfit. 

This fall (for the people who are in the hemispheres where fall and winter are coming up) is the best way to accessorize and keep a little warmer and way too cute. 

It retails for $17.95 and it is way too cute to pass the opportunity to make yourself of one of them. 

So if you want to get hold of them (yes, all 3 would be great! haha) click here to go to the H&M site!

Have a nice day and get some shopping done! 

xo, 

S.A 

Disclaimer: I am not being paid to promote any of the items found in the page, the company is not aware that I am doing this post. The hat is an item I loved and probably will purchase with my own money. All opinions are my own. 

Workout Playlist 14

Keeping the post short and simple today! I have to run out the door quite fast!

1) 3- Britney Spears
2) Thriller- Michael Jackson
3) Superluv- Shane Dawson
4) Mare- Black Eyed Peas
5) Not Afraid- Eminem


Have a good start to your week!

xo,

S.A

Sunday Funday: Remember always

Today is not a good day for me, it's been a couple of rough weeks and I feel like today everything just got out of hand and just want to cuddle in bed, watch all the sad movies ever made, not only in Hollywood but in any part of the world. But I will not do that. 

Sometimes you just feel like everything is falling into small pieces, feel like there is no way out of the black hole that your life is slowly turning into, but you should never ever give it a sign that it is affecting you. For this, you need to take a day off, shake off everything that bothers you, go for a walk, a run, a strut, jam up the happiest music ever out loud in your room or your car, how ever you feel like doing it. 

Remember always that you have people that truly love you, unconditionally, even if they are near or far from you at the moment. IF you are having a bad day just remember those small moments of joy and go to a happy place for just a couple minutes to make it up and compensate the bad mood. 

The point of this post is for you (and me) to leave some things that can damage us a little far behind and remembering the things that are truly important for us and move us to do what we are doing at the moment. 

with Love, 

S.A 

Healthy Snacks: Pretzels

I know it's been a while since I've posted one of this healthy snack posts (sorry for the redundancy)! it been waaaay too long! 

I love Pretzels, really really love them. I have been recently obsessed. I buy them every one or twice a week when I'm a little hungry but am really not feeling like grabbing some nuts or almonds or any fruit. It is my "cheat" snack. A better option to the junk food that you buy that are full of oils, fats, salt, over fried or else. Pretzels do have salt, but is the chunky one that just give a little of taste to the whole stick. 

They are cooked in the oven. So they are "Fat Free" as in the "not fried" portion or category of the salty snacks as the potato chips you can get your hands on. And of course I had to have them while I am writing this post! (some of the inspiration came from that!) 

I really recommend to try them, of course, don't indulge too much on them, they are still carbohydrates from white flour, but it's nice to switch it up a little bit every once in a while. Plus the chunky salt will cause the retention of liquids, it absorbs them and them make you puff up. So that is a little bit of a problem. Don't worry, it will happen if you eat them 24/7. But if you just switch it up, with all the other healthy foods, every once in a while (as mentioned above) you'll be fine. 

I hope you like them as much as I do, plus how the pretzel was born is a very interesting story, and a yummy one too! you can check it out here if you want to. 

xo, 

S.A 

Spring. How I've missed you!

Today is actually a day in which Spring is showing it's true colors. I like that very much (except when I go out bundled up in winter clothes and then the sun decides to come out!) and I have been waiting for the hotter days and brighter ones to start appearing so that I can change up my nail polish colors to ones more cheerful and bright. So yes..I did this and painted my nails a kind of coral-y pink nail polish from....can you guess??...*drum roll* Revlon, that is right. 

It is called "Kiss me Coral" and it is very pretty. It has very tiny micro glitter and is sort of a pink reflection. It has a holographic effect. I like it very much. Sorry for the picture, but it is the easiest way to take a quick snapshot (from the webcam!) I think I did captured the essence of the whole nail polish, you can see the coral and a little of the pink reflection. 

I have found that it is a little too sheer for my taste, that is why I tend to apply 3 coats of it so that the color turns out truer to what it looks like in the bottle.  

Sorry for the horrible cuticles and messed up fingers, I haven't been taking that much care of my nails this past days because, well you know, because of this! and now I am back at it. Besides, I tend to bite the sides of my nails when I get really nervous or anxious or stressed. 

That is how it looks like with  3 coats of nail polish on. I think it looks pretty and is very spring-y like. 

I hope you are having a nice day! 

xo, 

S.A 

Midterms. Done.

Probably these are the most stressful exams I've took in my life...well maybe not, but they where really close to be THE ones. I had way too much to read. I will probably learn from this and read ahead and study each class by the date. If the midterms were this hard for me, I don't want to imagine just yet how the Finals are going to be. I learned my lesson, don't worry. 

Today, I wanted to talk about the bag that I have been carrying for midterms. It is the most pretty rosy, baby pink-ish huge bag. I know, you're probably (I feel I've repeated this word like a million times already) wondering, why on earth you carry that big of a bag for midterms? Well the answer is, because I had two tests every day, and inbetween them I had one or one and a half hours to review the concepts for the upcoming one. Some of the reading I had online, so I needed to get hold of them. Plus, I have this small notebook where I write my summaries and it is just perfect. 

I am a crazy girl, and love big bags even if I don't need to carry them. Plus, my bags are always heavy...who knows why...

Of course I had to have my hand sanitizer  with me!

It is so huge and I feel the picture does no justice to it. 

I've had it for 2 or 3 years now, and It's been worn so much. It already has some parts where it's peeling, I might have to retire her soon and take her to be renewed and taken care for. The brand is Navigata, I think you can get this brand only in Latin America, but I am not positive about it so don't take my word on it. It is so well made that  it is crazy the price I payed for it. I think it was like an equivalent of 30 US$ or less (plus it was on sale!) 

I hope you guys enjoyed knowing which bag I carried during my torture week! 

what bag do you carry? 

xo, 

S.A 

Workout Playlist 13

Hello Hello! I am back this time and on time! I hope you have a fresh start, and I feel I repeat myself every single Monday saying you all this. I am grateful to have amazing people in  my life and I'm proud to state that you are all in that category. Have a pumpkin' day!

1) My Girls- Christina Aguilera
2) Till the world ends- Britney Spears
3) Radar- Britney Spears
4) Cooler than me- Mike Posner
5) Rock that Body- The Black Eyed Peas

(totally thought this was tooooooo cute! I had to share <3) 

Nice Monday!!

xo,

S.A

picture from here.

Sunday Funday: October Decor

Today I thought that you might like to know how do I prepare for Halloween, actually I don't tend to do much decorations around the house, I feel like if I put too much of them, specially the scary ones, I would spook the people away and I don't like that. The one thing I do to get in the mood is decorate the one thing I see the most...My computer screen. I put some images reminding me that is a festive month and is just cheerful to think that some magic may happen through it!

As busy as I get with university, I love those little reminders to make me a little happy and less stressed. This is the current image I have on my desktop.

Isn't it a cute reminder? with the moon as the background, the witch's hat and broom next to some pumpkins and those scattered candies. It is just perfection for Halloween.

How do you decorate your place for this festive month?

xo,

S.A

actually, I don't remember where the picture is from, I just typed on google halloween wallpapers and a bunch appeared!

Update + Current Favorites

Hello there! I have been pretty busy these past days, Midterms are here and I'm studying my butt off! 

Gosh I never expected to read so much right now. But in the end it is totally going to be worth it. There is nothing more rewarding than achieving good grades for all the effort you put into it. I believe that having these little gratifications in life is huge to increase your self-esteem. 

On another topic, makeup wise, I've been loving my Revlon Creme shadows that I've had for a while now, I am using them pretty much every day, I feel they are super versatile and nice and they don't crease (at least not that I can see them much). I have them in two palettes, Precious Metals and Moonlit Jewels. They are so pretty and good quality too. So if you get a chance to try them, go buy them. (I'm a big Revlon sucker as you may have already noticed!) 

See? I've already hit pan in some of them :) 

Another favorite of mine has been gummy bears, which are the cure for my Midterm Blues! The amount of sweet is just the best way to keep me going and it makes me a little hyperactive, but well, I think I've had way too many of them today...I feel woozy hahaha! 

To go ahead with accessories, I've been loving my black ankle booties, the cow-girl style ones. They are so comfy and are a great to walk and take my exams on! (as if I took my exams running LOL) 

I think that's all for today! I hope you are having great weekend! 

xo, 

S.A 

Midterm Blues: A cure.

When I am having a bad day of studying, or well an intense study day to say it better, hahaha, i always find myself getting really depressed and hating my life at the moment. Midterms can be stressful enough alone and to add up the whole lot of readings and summarizing to do, is just not pretty nor pleasant. That's why guys! let me tell you! Study way ahead so you're not suffering like me right now! 

Well enough with the rant. I came to speak of a cure, yes I am in deed a little expert on how to cure my blues. I just eat sweet things. I go on the hunt of candy, some gummy's work. If there is nothing at all in my house, which is rare, I stage some sweet diversion. For example, Yesterday I made a banana sprinkled with cinnamon, sugar and some blue berries, that I microwaved for like 30 seconds (just a rough count) and TADA! dessert was ready! It made my mood change and gave me some more energy to keep up and to be able to keep my eyes open longer. 

what is your way to cure any kind of blues? 

xo, 

S.A 

picture from here. 

Bookish bit.

I've been reading a lot lately, it's not just for university, but also for pleasure. I think the effect of not having one my favorite, if not all time favorite, tv show off air for so long, Gossip Girl, and the fact that this season is going to be it's last, is just making me go crazy. 

So crazy I've went, that I decided to read all bout in the series written by Cecily von Ziegesar. And so far, they are very much entertaining. Who doesn't love a good old gossip story from all the elite and their dirt? I'm 2 book in the series and read them for just 3 days. One of them was only 100 pages, or so, long. 

I will keep you updated with this new reading thing. But for this week it will have to wait, this week my midterms began and I have pretty much like hundreds and hundreds of pages to read, not in the pleasure side of course, but course wise. 

I hope you have a nice day! 

xo, 

S.A 

NOTD: Revlon's Sublime Strawberry

Today is one of those very hectic days. I have to read tons and do a run a lot of errands. I decided to make this little post about my current nail polish. It is Revlon's Sublime Strawberry from their very first scented collection that came out a little over 2 years ago. I love this color. It is super girly and bright and pink. hahhaa


love you guys!

xo,

S.A

Workout Playlists 11 + 12

To start off the month of October right, and make it up to you for missing last Monday's Workout Playlist, I will combine them both and make it a 12 song listing! yes that right, not 10 but 12 songs this morning!! <3

1) Naturally- Selena Gomez
2) Dirty Picture- Taio Cruz ft Kesha
3) Mr. Saxobeat- Alexandra Stan
4) New York, New York- Frank Sinatra
5) Your Love is my Drug- Kesha
6) Two more lonely people- Miley Cyrus
7) Sober- Pink
8) You're my everything- Barry White
9) Band Bang Bang- Selena Gomez
10) Somebody to love- Leighton Meester
11) These Words- Natasha Bedingfield
12) Stay at home- One Night Only

Have a great month! love you guys! 

xo,

S.A 

picture from here.