Author: PaigeMarie

Advice From My Momma

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Advice From My Momma

On this Mother’s Day I decided to ask my Mom for some of her favorite pieces of advice for me, so that I could share them with you guys! My mom is the strongest, most selfless woman that know and I look up to her tremendously. She is the first person I go to for anything and everything, and I always take her advice to heart. There are not enough words to describe how grateful I am each and everyday to have the relationship that I have with my mom. Here is the advice she had for me…

Advice to my daughter…

  • Always live by the Golden Rule…”Do unto others as you would want like done onto you”
  • Stay humble and kind. Remember that just a simple smile or hello can change a persons world or even
    save their life.
  • Remember…”You may only be one person but to one person you may be the world.”
  • Always look for the person in a room that no one is paying attention to or talking to and make a point to
    give them attention. We are all shy at times or even feel uncomfortable but we know what it’s like
    when someone takes the time to acknowledge us and make us feel special. Always remember that
    feeling!
  • Pray daily and be grateful for all you have. Even when times are tough or stressful remember someone
    has it harder or has less. God only gives you what you can handle.
  • Never get too busy in life that you don’t have time for your family- Family is always first.
  • Make your health your priority and take care of yourself every day. You cannot take care of others if
    you yourself are not healthy both mentally and physically.
  • Travel as much as you can and appreciate the world around you.
  • Remember, it is always no until you ask.
  • Follow your heart.
  • Friends are the best therapy so lean on them for both the good times and the bad.
  • Live life to the fullest every single day.
  • I am your biggest cheerleader and I will ALWAYS be here for you!!

My Mom’s favorite song to send to me is I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack. Whether I’m lacking confidence or just needing a pick-me-up, this song is a reminder that there is always something more ahead and reaching for it is only bringing me closer. The lyrics are sweet and inspiring, and I encourage you to read and or listen to them now, or whenever you need them. Here they are…

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance
I hope you dance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin’ might mean takin’ chances, but they’re worth takin’
Lovin’ might be a mistake, but it’s worth makin’
Don’t let some Hellbent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to sellin’ out, reconsider
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance
I hope you dance

I hope you dance
I hope you dance

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, Dance

I hope you dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance

To my Mom on this Mother’s Day, thank you. Thank you for doing life with me, teaching me right from wrong and most importantly, thank you for helping to shape me into the person that I have become today. I don’t know where I’d be without you! Happy Mother’s Day, LOVE YOU MORE!

Anything and Everything Graduation

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Anything and Everything Graduation

Gift Ideas For Graduates

I listed some of my favorite gift ideas for your graduate, ranging from medium to high priced products. If you are looking for gifts for a friend but are not wanting to spend too much money, going in with a few friends on a nicer gift is a great idea! My friends and I do that every year for birthdays and it makes gift giving so much more fun, because you are able to give higher priced and quality items.

Gift Cards

Gift cards are live savers for your graduates that are ballin’ on a budget!! Making a gift card basket is super cute and useful at the same time!

  • Uber: Uber cash is the best gift to receive/ give during grad season. I did not realize how amazing my Uber gift cards were until they were the only thing saving my bank account towards the end of the semester.
  • Amazon: Amazon has all the essentials, so it’s the perfect add in to any graduation gift.
  • Restaurants: Restaurant gift cards are AMAZINGGG!!!!! Look up popular restaurants or food chains near where your graduate lives and treat them to some options for those nights they don’t feel like cooking or for when their dining hall just simply isn’t cutting it. I had a few Starbucks and Chipotle gift cards coming into my freshman year and they were SO amazing for going out to eat or study with my girl friends.

Home/ Dorm Decor

  • Urban Outfitters: Urban is my favorite place to shop for home/ dorm decor, but their products are all higher priced. Asking for a specific comforter, throw pillow or even bath set is a great idea for a graduation gift. Their home products are great quality and very trendy. I personally decorated my dorms around my Urban Outfitters products and loved it!

Jewelry

Jewelry is truly the gift that keeps on giving. Giving your graduate a nicer piece of jewelry that they wouldn’t typically buy for themselves can mean a lot and become very sentimental to them. I listed higher priced brands as well as a medium to high priced one so that there are plenty of options! Next to each brand are the links to some of my favorite pieces!

Clothing/ Shoes/ Accessories

  • Tory Burch Sandals: Popular at southern/ SEC schools! I love mine!! They go with absolutely everything! My brothers girlfriend and her family gifted them to me for my graduation because they knew that they were popular at Mizzou, and I was SO excited!
  • Lululemon Athletic Wear: Perfect for everyday wear, but higher priced, so receiving their products is always a treat.
  • Black Cross-Body Purse: Having that every-day going out purse is essential in college, so treating your graduate to a better quality purse is a great idea. Some of my favorite options are Peta & Jain Gia Crossbody, Perry Bombe Matte Mini and Jet Set Medium Quilted Leather Camera Bag

Cap Decorating Ideas

Pinterest has TONS of ideas for cap decorating. You can decorate with a quote, a joke, your school mascot/ letters and even photos! Make your cap unique and let it tell a story in itself! I choose to decorate my cap with my school, and I absolutely loved it. All I did was print out my school’s letter/ mascot and glue it on top of sparkly paper from Michael’s! There are more examples of cap decorations under the Graduation Photo Shoot Ideas portion!

Graduation Photo Shoot Ideas

Group

I am SO happy that my friends and I had a graduation photo shoot!! We went to a nice park with a pavilion and had one of the dads shoot it for us! It didn’t cost us anything, and it gave us memories that we’ll keep forever. Definitely have fun with this and try lots of different poses so you have tons of options to choose from!

Individual

My brothers girlfriend asked me to take her graduation photos at Mizzou, and here’s how they turned out! Finding the perfect backgrounds was the key to shoot! Unfortunately the sun was not working in our favor, but thank god for editing!

Graduation Party Decoration Ideas

My favorite part of graduation was getting to decorate for my party. I know graduation parties are being put on hold at the moment, but hopefully they can go on this summer!! Hopefully these pictures/ ideas from mine can help you guys out! I absolutely LOVED making all of the decorations/ putting the party together. I bought most of my decor from Hobby Lobby and then decorated it myself. The mason jars that I used as flower vases were actually from one of my friend’s graduation party the weekend before! Passing along decorations was the BEST idea!! My friends and I passed vases, photo wall props, hanging decor, and 2019 decor. This not only saved us money, but made all of our parties super cute! Everything from my party was homemade (besides the food of course) and turned out perfect!!

Who I’m Watching & What I’m Listening To

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Who I’m Watching & What I’m Listening To

YouTube

For as long as I can remember I have been obsessed with the YouTube community. I use it for various reasons, whether I’m momentarily escaping from life, wanting to learn about new beauty products or simply just wanting to binge vlogs. It has always been my go-to. When I was younger I aspired to be like my favorite YouTubers. I would film morning routine videos on my lap-top mini and spend hours learning how to edit them, just so I could show them to my mom. As I grew up, my love for the YouTube community grew and has inspired a lot of the content for my blog. I subscribe to a variety of people but the majority of my subscriptions are lifestyle/ beauty related. Here are some of my favorites…

  • Keaton Milburn Keaton is my favorite YouTuber at the moment! Her style and aesthetic inspire most of my home/ fashion favorites. She is definitely the reason behind most of my makeup purchases as well!
  • Danielle Carolan I actually got the opportunity to meet Danielle at her meet and greet tour with Garage Clothing. She was just as bubbly and outgoing in person as she is in her vlogs. I have nothing but good things to say about her and I highly recommend her if you’re looking for productivity inspiration.
  • Aspyn and Parker Their channel has been more family oriented ever since their new addition, baby Cove, arrived. They are very insightful on home design and everyday essentials. Aspyn has a blog of her own that I love, and would recommend if you’re looking for more lifestyle, beauty, fashion, and/ or travel content.
  • Jeanine Amapola & Jeanine TV Vlogs Jeanine’s channels are mostly centered around her faith and how to incorporate God into your daily life. My main attraction to her videos are the workout and health aspects. Jeanine is currently a Fabletics brand ambassador and has great workout/ healthy eating tips. She is my go-to for workout inspiration! I do prefer her vlog channel over her main channel.
  • Brooke Miccio Brooke is a recent subscription for me, but I have quickly fallen in love with her! She keeps her vlogs very real, and expresses her opinions on dating, beauty etc. I like her vlogs because she shares not only the high points of her life, but the low as well.
  • Hannah Godwin I found Hannah after watching her journey on The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise. I was able to watch her fall in love with her fiance, Dylan Barbour, so I love watching their lives together. She posts her travels/ daily life and some fashion/ beauty!
  • David Dobrik David never fails to put a smile on my face, and is the perfect, quick pick me up. I’ve definitely been guilty of binge watching his vlogs instead of studying for important tests more times than one!!
  • Manny MUA For anything and everything makeup, I turn to Manny!! He’s known for his humor and celeb colabs, and is incredibly talented! I often go off of his recommendations when it comes to trying out new products.

Apple Music Playlists

  • Today’s Easy Hits – This has been my go-to car playlist for months!!
  • Today’s Top Hits
  • ’10’s Country Essentials
  • Country Replay

Songs I’m Obsessing Over

I’ve been loving some new releases as well as a few oldies, but soft pop has definitely been my favorite genre recently. As summer approaches and the weather warms up I’ll start bringing out the country girl in me a little more, but for now, soft pop it is!

  • July By Noah Cyrus
  • Bits and Pieces By JP Cooper
  • Outnumbered By Dermot Kennedy
  • Vienna By Declan J Donovan
  • What a Time By Julia Michaels (Feat. Niall Horan)
  • Falling By Trevor Daniel
  • Dance Monkey By Tones and I
  • Everything I Wanted By Billie Eilish
  • Be Alright By Dean Lewis
  • Close to Me By Ellie Goulding, Diplo and Swan Lee
  • The Bones By Maren Morris
  • More Hearts Than Mine By Ingrid Andress
  • Friends Dont By Maddie & Tae
  • Die From a Broken Heart (Acoustic) By Madde & Tae
  • When It Rains It Pours By Luke Combs

My Favorite Denim Shorts

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My Favorite Denim Shorts

I am constantly getting asked questions about where I get my denim shorts from, and what styles I like, so here they are! Finding the right pair of shorts for your body is always the hardest part when updating your summer wardrobe. Size ranges on shorts change drastically from one store to another, and some shorts are simply too short! Being only 5’2” I always preferred shorter shorts, because they made me look taller, but I hate having to worry about them riding up while I walk. I do prefer jean shorts with little to no rips, because I think they look more mature! Here are some of my favorites… they make me feel confident, don’t ride up while I walk and I get so many compliments on them!

Zara

Zara is my FAVORITE store to shop for jean shorts! They are super trendy and very affordable. I currently have two pairs, and they are both my go-to options for every outfit. As far as sizing goes, I would definitely recommend buying a few pairs and returning to find your true size. I found that for me, the sizing is not true to the brand, but it changes with each style. I included my sizes for references as well as prices.

Abercombie & Fitch

I found this pair on the clearance rack before they were discontinued, so they are not available anymore, but I linked some similar styles! I have the Annie High Rise Short in size 27/4. I do not typically shop at Abercombie & Fitch, because their price points are high, but I do love the jean products I have from there. Their jean products hold up very well, and I found that the wash does not fade much from use.

Pacsun

Pacsun jean shorts are usually a no go for me! I would have issues with them riding up or I’d be in between sizes and couldn’t find the right fit. Their cuffed Mom styled shorts do not ride up, and actually fit me well! Honestly, they are not my favorite comfort wise, but I do still like them a lot. Pacsun can be pricey, but they have buy one get one/ regular sales all the time!

Hollister Co.

The wash of the denim high rise shorts that I have is no longer available, so I linked the short style with a different wash! Hollister’s stretch shorts are AMAZING!! They feel like jeggings, and squeeze all the right places.

Forever 21

I usually don’t shop at Forever 21 for bottoms, but I actually really like their jean shorts! My mom brought these ones home for me, and I was super surprised by the quality! They aren’t the most comfortable or stretchy, but they do look very cute on! Be careful with quality if you try different styles, because it varies!

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

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Mother’s Day Gift Guide

With Mother’s Day only two short weeks away, it’s important to get your gifts now! I’m excited to share some of my favorite product finds and websites for unique and affordable gifts!

Artifact Uprising

Moms LOOVVVEE pictures!! If there is anything you should know, it is that your mom wants pictures of you. Artifact Uprising is a customizable photo gifting website with tons of options for personalizing your gift giving. Here are some of my favorites…

  • Brass Easel and Calendar I am obsessed with this find! This completely customizable photo calendar allows you to add 12 of your favorite photos of you and that special woman in your life, as well as the ability to customize your font.
  • Color Series Photo Book This photo book is a great coffee table accessory that you can personalize to fit the style that you are inspired by. The book size, theme, colors and fonts are completely customizable.

Etsy

  • 500-Piece Custom Puzzle Puzzles are the perfect pass time while stuck in quarantine! An easy add on to this gift is a frame to fit the puzzle once it’s complete.
  • Mother and Daughter Print I bought a print for my mom last Mother’s Day and she absolutely loves it! It fits perfectly on her dresser, and is a cute reminder of us when were not together. Everything about this print is customizable. The gender, bodies, hair, outfits and even drinks are all up to you!

Clothes

  • Photo Pajamas are the perfect gag gift for some quarantine laughs! I made a pair a few years back for my mom and customized it with funny baby pictures of myself. It took hours, but the laughs that came from it were well worth it! Luckily, you can do it all online now! Add pictures of people, or even pets for the perfect quarantine jammies.
  • Robe and Slipper sets are cozy essentials that would get good use during times like this! Some of my favorite places to shop for these products are UGG and Pottery Barn. I currently own a Pottery Barn robe and HIGHLY recommend!!

Jewelry

Jewelry is always a good gift idea! Kendra Scott and Alex and Ani offer extensive Mother’s Day gift giving guides for you to find the perfect pieces for your special lady. Each company offers stack-able bracelet options that you can add to for upcoming holidays/ events!

Current Beauty Favorites

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Current Beauty Favorites

I am no beauty expert, but I think my hours of Youtube makeup tutorial experience and eagerness to try out new products that I never needed gave me good insight on the do’s and dont’s of my makeup routine. I’m always looking for new products to try, so recommendations are welcome!

I have oily skin year round, so I prefer matte makeup products, but am not opposed to water-based products. As far as applying my makeup goes, I use a damp beauty blender for my foundation/concealer, and then Morphe brushes for all other applications. I begin with light portions, and build up depending on what kind of look I am going for.

I have been loving how blendable and natural these products make my skin look, and have had no issues with products not lasting throughout the day. Like I said, I am no beauty expert, but I would recommend these products, especially to beginners, because of their easy application and effortless blendability.

Everyday Makeup Routine Favorites

Products I Want to Try

  • Contour: Fenty Beauty By Rihanna Match Stix Matte Skinstick
  • Blush: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Collection
  • Eyeliner: Benefit Cosmetics Roller Liner Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner (Brown- Matte Finish)
  • Lip Plumper: Too Faced Lip Injection Extreme Lip Plumper (Original Clear)
  • Cream Eyeshadow: Glossier Lidstar (Moon)