Sweater Weather Tag!!

Hey everyone! I decided to do the Sweater Weather Tag on my channel because I felt like answering these random questions would give y'all a closer look into my personality. I love watching tag videos or reading tag posts and I'm excited to finally participate in one. I plan on making more soon!

OPI nail polish mentioned http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?skuId=2156350&productId=xlsImpprod5180201#

Here are the SWEATER WEATHER TAG Questions just in case you want to do this tag!

1. Favorite candle scent?
2. Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?
3. What’s the best fall memory you have?
4. dark lips or winged eyeliner?
5. Favorite fragrance for fall?
6. Favorite Thanksgiving food?
7. What is the weather like where you live?
8. Most worn sweater?
9. Must-have nail polish this fall?
10. Football games or jumping in the leaves?
11. Skinny jeans or leggings?
12. Combat boots or Uggs?
13. Is pumpkin spice worth the hype?
14. Favorite fall TV show?
15. What song really gets you into the fall spirit?

Hope you enjoyed this post! Til next time, xoxo

Praying For Paris and Praying for Humanity

The tragedy that took place is Paris might be one of the biggest wake up calls our generation will experience. As I've been reading around the Internet and hearing on the news, we may have a World War III coming into play real soon...

Every single day, in all corners of the world there are attacks being made, people getting killed, suicides, deaths, bombings, shootings, etc. Why is it that the media only covers it when it happens to an elite city? I am not saying this to downplay what happened in Paris, not at all. Anyone who knows me, or has visited my page before knows that I am in love with the city of Paris. My heart is in shambles after learning about what is happening in the world we live in.

The situation with terrorism has gotten so unbelievably out of control, that now people cant even think about the most beautiful city in the world without being frightened. It seems that whoever is responsible for such heinous, inhumane actions is not fulfilling their sick quest of killings in the Middle East alone. They wont stop until the whole world is under their attack. It hurts my heart so much that these devils on Earth are bringing such evil upon us and also ruining the reputation of an entire religion.

At the end of the day, we only know what the media feeds us. We truly don't know who is involved and who is doing this. I pray that this terror ends. I pray that we could live in a world where people tolerate each other and are compassionate. I pray that people keep their minds and hearts open and radiate love instead of hate. I pray that people do not turn on each other and create wars among themselves. I pray that humanity be restored back into this world. I pray for humanity.

Paris, Je t'aime

What I learned about FRIENDSHIP in 2015

(pic via. Pinterest)

I'm sure you all have heard this quote(above) before. I always find it strange how when you first meet someone, you never know how long they will be in your life. But as I've learned, time tells all. 2015 has been the most difficult year of my life thus far, from losing a family member to dealing with identity issues and pressures of society/my own, I found myself always searching for consolation. On top of everything else that I was dealing with, I had to deal with loneliness as well.

Despite having friends, I always felt lonely. I remember reading back on journal entries from 2013 when my social life was thriving and I had my "crew" of friends to go out with. You would think as someone who always wanted a group of friends to do everything with, that I would see this as a dream come true. But even being out with friends was not enough to fill my void. Not saying that I didn't completely enjoy myself or connect with my friends, but there was a certain void that would devour me whole. My journal entries mentioned this constant feeling of loneliness, which I have yet to shake off. 

This year has slapped me in the face with so many harsh realities, and one of them unfortunately was the weight that friendships hold. When you're constantly surrounded by friends, you take it for granted. But when life throws you in situations and you feel stuck on who to turn to for comfort, that's when you realize how important friendships are and how important the kind of person you  become friends with is.

This year has taught me so much about the importance of friends, and also the importance of understanding who your real friends are. Lets break this down:

Friends for a reason: This kind of friend enters your life and in some way, shapes it. They teach you about life, perspective and lot about yourself. You can learn good and bad things from a friendship like this, or even meet more friends because of this person. Your friendship has levels, and they have a purpose in your life. I've made so many friends throughout my life, and each person I was friends with have taught me a lesson. Whether it was learning about a culture, foods, places, religion, news, etc- this kind of friendship expanded my horizon one way or another. Even if you disliked qualities of the friendship, at least it taught you about yourself and your likes and dislikes. This person might have put you through tough situations, which you either came out stronger, or learned a huge lesson from. That's a positive way to look at it. 

Friends for a season: Things might have been great for a while, but when the sparkle fades and reality sets in, you begin to realize the friendship has an expiration date. This person once was your go-to, your BFF or just a cool person to chill with, but now you don't even speak. Sometimes you just become so distant that the ending of such a friendship is mutual. When you're ok with it, its a relief that you don't have to force yourself to engage in a relationship that lacks authenticity. But when its with someone you were so close to, it feels like getting stabbed in the back and falling backwards. But that's when you really appreciate the amazing friends that have stood by you throughout it all, which brings me to the next category:

Friends for a lifetime: These are the people who keep you sane, who get you, who understand you can't cater to them 24/7 and live up to unrealistic BFF standards. You may go weeks, and even months without talking to these people and the LOVE will still be there. This is unconditional, this is a bond that stays strong through the highs and lows. This is the kind of friendship everyone needs to stay sane.

The lessons I've learned

- People prioritize friendships differently
- There needs to be effort made by both people in the friendship, not just one person
- You don't need to hangout with someone all the time to be close to them
- Not everyone has your best interest in mind

- Friends come and go

- Having no friends > having unreliable friends
- Its OK to let go of toxic friendships

-  It's ok if your significant other is your best friend

- Always let your friends know, no matter how busy you/they are, that you appreciate them

- Always support your friends to be the best version of them
- Talking to a friend really does help heal your wounds sooner

- Keep it 100% with your friends to avoid further conflict

- Its ok if you don't have a "squad" or "crew"
- Doing things on your own helps your creative side grow 

The most important lesson I've learned in 2015 as a reflection on all the friendships I ever had, is to be my own best friend. Put yourself and your feelings first and your friends will either understand or not, and that will determine if they are here for a reason, a season or a lifetime. I hope whoever reads this is blessed with TRUE friends, because even if you have just one true friend, you have it all.

P.S. to any of my friends reading, I love you. I am grateful for you.

Thank you for reading, xoxo