Color Swap with Wetherills Say I Do

Christmas is a great time for gift giving, and I had the awesome opportunity to participate in a kind of gift swap called The Color Swap, featuring a bunch of bloggers from The Peony Project (I've been mentioning them a lot lately!). The swap was hosted by Melissa of Two Miracles.
The Color Swap was a gift exchange where you had to buy your partner a collection of things that are their favorite color and things that they like, of course. I was paired with the lovely Madison of Wetherills Say I Do, and she's already posted what I got for her on her blog! You can check that out there. It's about time that I get to talk about and publicly thank her for what she's given me as well!
As you can see, my favorite color is orange, and she did a great job at getting me some cute stuff in that color. I would have to say that my favorite things are all the things she got me from Poppin. All of their office supplies are so sleek and I love how they color coordinate everything. That's a big deal for me. 

As a writer, I think it was very fitting that Madison had given me a notebook. I love notebooks even if I have no use for them. I will always find a use for notebooks. Any excuse for me to write things down or make lists is fine with me. 

Of course, a writer needs a writing utensil, right? I was given a neon orange Sharpie and I really like how the color looks on paper. I was a little nervous, but the color is easy on the eyes and is actually lighter than I thought, which I like. (And excuse my little typo where it says "family," haha.)

The two other products I was given included a pebble eraser and the soft mini tray. The eraser is simply too cute and perfect for me to even use it and the tray is perfect to hold random little pieces of clutter hanging around my desk. I like how both of them feel too. 

Orange recipe cards were the last thing I received in my package, and I couldn't be more happy with the timing of it too, especially since I'm living in an apartment over winter break and am planning on living in one in a few months as well. These will be perfect for me to record all of my mom's recipes for my favorite Filipino foods. I've already started asking her for help on that and these cards will be perfect for me to remember them. 

This was a great gift to receive right before Christmas! I could always use more things to help organize myself, and with each coming year I make a goal for myself to be more organized. I'm hoping that these will help with that, haha. Don't forget to visit Madison's page to see what I got for her as well!

The ULTIMATE Christmas Guide Roundup: For Your Secret Santas/White Elephants

This is part 3 of my ULTIMATE Christmas Guide Roundup for this year! I did two others for girls & guys if you missed out on those. For the past couple of weeks I've been researching through tons of different blogs to see which ones had the best, unique, and variety of gift ideas for whoever you're shopping for. And today is all about your Secret Santas & White Elephant gift exchanges.
Whether you're shopping for your best friend whose name you secretly pulled out of a hat or you're shopping for potentially anyone, these gift ideas are sure to make shopping for your Secret Santas. (Note: Most of these are for women but there are a couple gender neutral gift guides in there! I also have a few ideas as well, saved for the end!). 
Like my other gift guides, I will categorize these, although to only 3 categories this time: Unisex, Female, My Ideas (because this is my blog & I'm special :). I hope these posts will help you pick out some cool (or funny/weird, depending on the group of people you're shopping for) gifts!
UNISEX
Girl in Betsey - All these gifts are pretty sleek--warm throw blankets, convertible chargers, a coffee maker, a chocolate basket, and a few more other ideas. And the great thing about these gifts are that you can get (most) of them expensive or cheaper, depending on what the spending minimum is for your gift exchanges. 
All the Joys - I love that Meagan features gender neutral gifts like Krystin from Girl in Betsy does, but they're different kinds of suggestions, a few being for people who are either older than 18 or 21--like mini liquor bottles, a bunch of lottery tickets (seriously, my cousin did this one year bought like $30 worth of scratchers and gave them with a ketchup bottle haha), or any kind of techie stuff for all ages, like portable speakers. She also suggests sports-themed things, which would be unisex if the group of people you're shopping for has both males and females as huge fans of sports (unfortunately my family wouldn't fall into this category--at least no one is a die-hard fan). 
FEMALE
The Preppy Scientist - Cute stationery, beauty products, and even a Scrabble-themed mug!
Books, Beauty, & Bars - Gift ideas for under $15 - feat. gifts like cute Anthropologie mugs and a "minimergency" kit!
Coming Up Roses - 15 gift ideas under $15 - feat. gifts like an inspirational quote print and a silicone ice ball maker... That one seems so interesting!
Girl in Betsey - Some classy stocking stuffers
OTHER IDEAS // TROLL/PRANK IDEAS
Anything for the kitchen or home - If you go to any home goods (or Home Goods, pun intended) store, you can easily get anything from pots and pans to lamps and display pieces for the home. Most of these are gender neutral unless there is a clear theme to it, like pink sparkly baking supplies or something... I don't know. Haha. These are also meant for people who have higher minimums for purchasing Secret Santa or White Elephant gifts (like my family.. my wallet is crying)
Those random books you find in stores like Urban Outfitters - You know the ones I'm talking about--the ones about your poop or awkward family photos or all about bacon. They're the hilarious (and sometimes informative) books that will have you distracted for hours in the store! These are perfect for trolling on your friends and family, unless that's their personality... then you're actually buying the perfect gift for them!
Gourmet Food Baskets - While my family wouldn't care for these too much, maybe the people you're shopping for would. If they are foodies always looking for new types of meat or cheese or any kind of food or if they just like to eat some good stuff, then these would be really yummy to give away. 
Practical Techie Gifts - Practical techie gifts are the most gender neutral gifts, I believe. These are things like portable chargers, speakers, devices (anything portable, really), or even some random things like fancy flashlights (some cousins trolled with this last year or the year before) or heating blankets (I got that one a few years back) or a body massager. These gifts can either make everyone want them or make everyone laugh at the loser I mean person who got stuck with them, haha. 
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This gift guide was definitely the shortest out of all the gift guides, but I hope these were helpful nonetheless! Please check out my other gift guides for guys & gals if you missed them! I just made shopping WAAY easier for you soooo.... You're welcome. (points if you get that reference)
Andddd THAT'S A WRAP! (pun intended hehe)
What have you gotten for Secret Santa/White Elephant gifts in the past?

The ULTIMATE Christmas Gift Guide Roundup: For the Guys

Today brings me to part two of my massive lists of Christmas gift guides! Today it's time to give the men some love, because I feel like with gift guides they're mostly catered to girls. Besides, I have a boyfriend to shop for too so I'll be using these gift guides (& his eclectic tastes haha) to get him a good gift & speak his love language :] 
Unfortunately, the blog world has been taken over by females so most of these gift guides are written by females, which is still fine! But of course I'd want to hear it from a guy's perspective. I managed to find two sites that included gifts for gamers (because I'm so surprised none of these girls seem to have gamer (boy)friend(s) in their life!). If you know of any male bloggers with gift guides for men (or if you are one & have one) please leave a comment with a link below! 
I'll divide the gift guides into different sections, list the blog's name, & try to give mini descriptions so that you don't have to go through every gift guide to find what you're looking for (or you can if you want to, be my guest [:). 
I hope this makes gift shopping just a little bit easier for you by taking a whole bunch of potential gift ideas and putting them in one place! I considered creating my own gift guides, but as you'll see there are already a ton out there, so why add onto the thousands of gift guides when I could just share the best ones? 
Anyway, skim through the different categories and I hope you find something useful! Let me know if you do end up buying any of these items or use any of these gift guides for your own gift giving! 
GENERAL GIFT GUIDES
An Old Story - MAKE, THRIFT, BUY! I featured these in my last gift guide for girls, but Hannah features some great stuff to make for anyone in your life, really. This gift guide is perfect if you are on a budget!
Haute Mess Mag - Gift ideas under $50, $100, and $200
Royally Pink - Many of these ideas are pretty minimalist, so if that sounds like the man you're shopping for, then this is for you! 
The Kardia Blog - for the Manly Man (features some cool techie stuff too)
Flawlessly Flawed - This guide truly does have a variety of living and clothing accessories for the men in your life. From mugs to a gin kit to some Nikes to some boxers, I like the variety this guide gives. 
CLOTHING/ACCESSORIES
Michelle's Paige - Michelle features different types of hip-looking clothing, shoes, and accessories for men.
TECH
From My Vanity - Whether or not your man likes to cook/grill or run, there are a ton of really cool tech-y gifts & gadgets for men who love the latest in technology. 
PREPPY AND CLASSY MAN
Alicia Tenise - Like her last gift guide, this one for men is so classy and chic. Includes things like: a beard care kit, a cocktail maker kit, a flask, a bowtie, and some classy-looking headphones.
Ali Rose - Also definitely for the classy and more mature man (although she includes a cool Spiderman ornament!) This list features items like: Whiskey Stones, some crystal beer glasses from Tiffany's, and a skin care kit from The Art of Shaving. 
Sweet Tea & Sass - This is definitely for more preppy guys (also features gift guide for her) 
GAMER
Life Hacker - This blog features SO MANY things for gamers! From the games themselves, to clothes, to books, to music, and even splurge-worthy gifts, I'm pretty sure you can find something here. (some stuff featured is specifically for girls too, like some of the cosplay stuff!)
Man of Many - Specifically features games & gamer accessories. Darell definitely owns some of the stuff on this list already!
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So that's it for my gift guide for the guys! These gifts can be used for any man in your life, whether a boyfriend, a close friend, or a male family member. If you or anyone you know (preferably a male blogger, but if you're a girl that's okay too) has a gift guide for gamers specifically or other ones for men, link to them below! If you missed my gift guide for girls, check here.
Stay tuned for my gift guide for your Secret Santas/White Elephants!

The ULTIMATE Christmas Gift Guide Roundup: For the Girls

Hey guys! So this week, to get into the Christmas spirit I'm doing my research and choosing my favorite gift guide posts by other bloggers so that Christmas shopping could be made just a little bit easier for you. Today's roundup is all about the girls or girlfriends in your life. 
I'll divide the gift guides into different sections, list the blog's name, & try to give mini descriptions so that you don't have to go through every gift guide to find what you're looking for (or you can if you want to, be my guest [:). 
I hope this makes gift shopping just a little bit easier for you by taking a whole bunch of potential gift ideas and putting them in one place! I considered creating my own gift guides, but as you'll see there are already a ton out there, so why add onto the thousands of gift guides when I could just share the best ones? 
Anyway, skim through the different categories and I hope you find something useful! Let me know if you do end up buying any of these items or use any of these gift guides for your own gift giving (or yourself, hehe)! 
GENERAL GIFT GUIDES The Kardia Blog - For the Lovely Lady 
Label Twenty Nine - For the girl who keeps everything in her bag--gifts under $50
Sweet Tea & Sass - For the preppy girl! (guy gift guide included in the same post)
Stylish Classy & Sassy - Gift guide under $50
Mostly Morgan - Other than three of the items featured--including a terrarium, a scarf, and a necklace--(all cost less than $40 anyway), everything on this list is relatively cheap (under $15) if you're on a budget!
An Old Story Blog - For the ultimate money saver--MAKE, THRIFT, & BUY! Hannah features a bunch of things that you could give to basically anyone in your life by making, thrifting, or buying something if absolutely necessary. I love these ideas!
Royally Pink - Some glamorous and luxurious gifts that really aren't too expensive, but they look like they are (well, the Kate Spade candle is actually pretty pricey for a candle but it's still really cute)!
Polished Perfectly - For the college student. This gift guide features a lot of preppy items, so if the person you're shopping for likes that kind of stuff then this is perfect!
Alicia Tenise - Honestly, many of these products are great for the home (and adorable too!) but there are a few fashion accessories and some makeup as well. This is one of my favorite gift guides!
Shell Chic'd - A nautical gift guide for the "nauti" girl. Haha I love puns!
MAKEUP // BEAUTY
A Lovely Commotion - general gift ideas for anyone who loves makeup! Featuring Michelle Phan's new book (I'll post a review on that soon), a Kate Spade iPhone case, a Kate Spade fragrance, and of course, makeup!
Daily Katy - Skincare
Royally Pink - Makeup Gift Sets (I want ALL of these!)
FASHION 
A Lovely Commotion - The Beach Bum
A Lovely Commotion - These aren't clothes, but they are all items related to fashion, whether it's a book on the history of the dress or some statement accessories. 
FOODIE
Butcher's Niche - This great gift guide includes a variety of cooking accessories, like appliances, an apron, and all around pretty things for the cook in your life!
A Savory Feast - This gift guide includes cool and unique cooking gifts for foodies, like a sushi maker, a donut pan, and a fondue pot! 
Strength and Sunshine - Another post of unique gift ideas, such as a tortilla bowl maker, a world cuisine spiralizer (that's a mouthful... no pun intended), and Soom Tahini, which is sesame butter! There are so many other cool gifts in this post as well!
*Many of these gifts are unisex too, so get them for the guys in your life as well!
TRAVEL
Mandy Living Life - These gift ideas include a combination of travel-friendly items and things that you can display in your home to show off your love for travel. If the person you're shopping for loves to travel, these are all very practical (and cute!). 
BOOKWORM
Kate the (Almost) Great - Accessories for bookworms! She makes a few good suggestions of specific things for each accessory she mentions (posters, mugs, e-readers, and other book-themed gifts). 
Polka Dotted Blue Jay - All book suggestions. These are all non-fiction/inspirational books, like Girl Boss, Yes, Please, Crazy Sexy Diet, and a couple more!
HOME // INTERIOR DESIGN
Butcher's Niche - Beautiful and simple home accessories
Open Spaces Blog - These are all rustic holiday-themed home accessories, so these gifts are best given before Christmas, unless the person you're giving them to loves the Christmas season so much and wouldn't mind getting it the day of or after. 
ETSY // ONLINE
Butcher's Niche - Most of these gifts aren't extravagant, but if you really know who you're shopping for they would make really cute and meaningful gifts (I love the big spoon, little spoon pillows!). 
Dirt to Daydreams - This guide includes different price points of some pretty pretty gifts--$25 & under, $50 & under, and splurge-worthy gifts!
Heavens to Betsy - Betsy recently opened an Etsy shop herself, so she teamed up with other Etsy shops to promote some of their stuff with some coupon codes! (I'd take advantage of that if I were you!)
Yearn Love Grow - Ashley talks about different shops she loves rather than items. A few of them are faith based, like She Reads Truth (I wrote about them recently!) and random ones for nerds and mommies and others. 
GIFTS THAT GIVE BACK
Dirt to Daydreams - List of companies that give back something to a certain community (brands include Krochet Kids (the founders are alumni of my school!) and the Giving Keys)
Many Sparrows - Kayla talks about her favorite products from companies that give back and why she recommends them as gifts! (coupon codes included!)
FITNESS
Strength and Sunshine - Some cool products to help aid in making your workouts better!
BLOGGER [*ahem (; ]
The Kardia Blog - Honestly, you could get most of the products on most of any of the wishlists I featured for a blogger, but if you want to get really blogging-specific, these are some great gifts to help aid in the creativity process :] 
MINIMALIST
Label Twenty Nine - All simplistic but chic items for the minimalist in your life (or for the person who is wants to try minimalism--perfect for the new year coming up!)
ARTIST
Label Twenty Nine - All artsy fartsy products :]
A Tiny Traveler - The girl who wrote this intended it to be a general gift guide I believe, but when I looked at it all I could think of was HIPSTER! I know they're not necessarily artists, but I think that the true hipsters are. All the fakes that are doing it for trend don't consider themselves artists. But that's just my opinion! So, anything on this list is sure to be well-received by the hip.
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I hope you were able to find something useful from this gift guide roundup! I worked really hard and did my research to provide some pretty but also some unique gift ideas. Tomorrow, I'll be talking about what to get the man in your life. Stay tuned! 

The 1st Day After Christmas: Top 13 Outfits of 2013

This is Day 1 of my New Years' countdown, and on the first day after Christmas... I counted down my top 13 outfits!

I've always loved clothes and fashion and with this year being my first full year with Instagram, I've been able to share my outfits throughout the year as well! I don't see myself as a top-notch fashionista, but I am definitely a fashion enthusiast who enjoys dressing up and experimenting with what I have.

My favorite outfits of this year:

1. This outfit was my first one of 2013, taken on New Year's Day! Living in Southern California has its perks, like allowing me to wear these sheer black tights with my high-waisted shorts.

My Only (Few) Wishes This Year

I hope all of you had a restful and blessed Thanksgiving! Now, it's almost December, meaning that Christmas is coming up soon! That being said, I decided to make a wish list because it's an easy way to tell certain people what I want without telling them *ahem, cough cough*

Haha, I'm just kidding. But I did create this to mostly remind myself what I do still need (want) for myself. There are a couple other things I'd like, but this is my main list.

From the top-left going down through the columns:

Army Green Double-Breasted Coat: currently on sale $29.95 // H&M
I have like three coats: two black, one red. The two black ones are faded and the red one fits me weird. I've also had all three of these coats since my freshman and sophomore years of high school, so a new coat is a little fitting, right? (Get it? haha). I also want a coat that could potentially be longer on me so I can wear it as a trench. I'm short so this isn't so hard to accomplish. This coat looks thick and the right length for me, so I'm aiming for this one or one like this!

Corduroy Skinnies: $34.94 // Old Navy
I think I definitely have enough jeans, but sometimes they're too uncomfortable for me and I want something different, whether the color, texture, or both. I also just feel like corduroys make you automatically look more comfortable, except they are more acceptable to wear out than leggings.

Fuzzy Cable Knit Sweater: $15.80 // Forever 21
I need more layering pieces! I also need some more plain sweaters like this one to wear comfortably, whether at home or out with friends. A friend of mine just gave me a black one she didn't like anymore, and I just noticed how many dark pieces of clothing I have in my closet. Forever 21 also makes this sweater really cheap.

Black Maxi Skirt: currently on sale $14.97 // Cotton On
I love skirts and dresses, and while I currently have one maxi skirt already, it's more of a tribal print that seems more appropriate for summer. I just like having neutral versions of any piece I have in my closet. Cotton On is also my favorite store, ever!

Black Crop Top: $17 // Foreign Exchange
I don't currently own any crop tops, but I want one because I like the effect of wearing it with something high-waisted (which are all of my skirts/most of my shorts). I simply chose this one because it is really simple but has cut-outs on the shoulders. I actually don't mind if it isn't black, but I chose it for this specific style. It can be printed or another look, but for the sake of this post, I'll show this simple, but notable one.

Lace-Up Boots: currently on sale $36 // Cathy Jean
My last pair of lace-up boots were from Forever 21 that I had for a couple years, but my dad threw them out over the summer because the soles of the shoes were coming apart, and I couldn't even wear them in the rain anymore because water would seep through. Since then, I've been wanting a new pair to replace those ones, and I like these ones.

Wooden Crate: currently on sale $14 // Typo
You're probably wondering why there is a random wooden crate on my wish list. Well, I'm always trying to find ways to reorganize my things, and a wooden crate would help store some stuff near my desk, and another one could also help organize all the food my roommates and I have on top of our fridge! We always like to stay stocked on food, but sometimes it looks really messy and it blocks our tv, so having a wooden crate to store all that would be nice and make our room look less cluttered.

Canvas Satchel: $108 // Anthropologie
This is definitely the most expensive item on this list by far, but that's why it's a wish list, right?
Anthropologie is one of my dream stores to shop at, simply because their home furnishings and clothes are just exactly everything I would want in my life. As you can tell from the price of this really nice bag, the prices aren't exactly in my range. I remember looking at baby clothes from there once, and a dress for a baby girl was 78 dollars. Really?! That is waaaaay too much for a baby dress. But anyway, that is beside the point. I own a couple large tote bags, one really small one that can't even hold my wallet, and the one that I use all. the. time. It's time to change it up with the size and style, so why not want myself a satchel?

RGB Oxblood Nail Polish: $18 // Otte
I actually put this on my wish list to represent the fact that I am currently obsessed with the color oxblood! It's a really deep red that looks maroon-ish. I'm not sure why I like it so much, but I would love getting anything in this color, whether it be a bag, shoes, pants, a hat--anything!

So that is it! I'm hoping that I'm able to get something like these things on my list for myself or for Christmas sometime during the next month.

What do you want for Christmas this year? (If you're my friend and you're reading this, I'm seriously asking hahaha)

Black Friday Prep: Making the Most of It

Thanksgiving is coming up, so that means a break off of school (and usually work), tons of great food, and... Black Friday shopping!

This consumeristic tradition is going on its 6th year with me! I started doing this during my freshman year of high school to experience shopping early in the morning and scoring some great stuff in the process. I've always been one to try and get some great clothes, accessories, anything for a great deal, and people always ask how I do it! Black Friday is one of those reasons.

These tips are what I've learned through personal experience, and while they don't guarantee 100 percent success (since Black Friday is so unpredictable), I hope that they can help make your time easier! 

1. List EVERYTHING. I mentioned in a previous post how much I love lists and how great of a help they are to me. My mind is already so scattered, so creating lists of what I need when I go shopping is therapeutic for me, even if I don't actually take the list with me. I always keep a list of what I think are classic pieces that I need on my phone, so if I'm shopping and run into a great deal for a certain piece, I buy it and cross it off my list. Whether it's listing what you want to buy, where you want to go, or even who you are going to shop for, creating a list helps organize your thoughts and gives you an idea of how much money to bring, what you can afford to buy, and all that good stuff. 

2. Have an idea of what your plan is going to be. Black Friday shopping isn't usually something people decide to on the spur of the moment (especially at 4am that morning), so it is always good to have a general idea of what you are going to do. Are you going to shop right after Thanksgiving dinner, or are you going to wake up at 4am to go shopping? What stores do you plan on shopping at? What do you need and what do you want if there's a good deal or some extra cash? How much money do you plan on spending? Writing this down helps (see tip #1). Keep this in mind when planning:

• Check store openings! Make sure you know what time they open so you can make sure to get there early.
• Do you want to shop at a mall or go to stand-alone stores like Best Buy or Target? (As for me, I personally prefer malls).
• Are you willing to drive to multiple locations? 
• Are you going to buy gifts or splurge on yourself? (This is an important one). 
• Be prepared to spend more than you planned. You know it's going to happen when you see that item you just need to have!

3. Now that all being said, HAVE A BACKUP PLAN. Like I said, Black Friday is unpredictable. We've all heard those stories of crazy ladies being trampled on at WalMart or BestBuy on that Friday morning. If that thing you needed (or wanted) to buy is sold out, be prepared to check out another store. If you realize you've spent too much, you're going to have to decide what needs to be returned (and if it can be returned). 

4. Patience. Yeah I know it's easy to get excited then cuss out the person who takes the last parking space in the parking lot right as they're opening the store. Just beware of things like that and know that things aren't going to go your way, as much as you try. (see tip #3). 

5. My final tip for now: Go shopping with a friend! Shopping at 5 o'clock in the morning isn't fun alone, especially when everyone is going crazy and lines are really long. It helps to have a friend to keep you sane and help you out when things change. Plus, they can help keep you company when you're waiting in all those long lines to check out or enter a store. Besides, you can always hang out with them after all the shopping is done! I think they help make the experience fun. Unless you're a control freak and can't stand to have anyone help you. Then please, go by yourself and don't hurt anyone around you. 

Haha, but seriously, have fun with it! Whether it's your first time or tenth time going along for this official start to the Christmas season celebration (as I see it), just have fun and don't sweat the small stuff. You don't want to start the holiday season holding a grudge or getting high blood pressure from Black Friday. It's a fun experience, so just go with it! I hope these tips help you score some great deals and deal with all the madness that comes with Black Friday. Good luck!