I am in shock by how fast this month has gone by because Halloween is in literally a day. I swear it was September like yesterday. I keep talking about time on here and it is still so surprising to me just how quickly it all changes and how unbelievably fast experiences go by. That said, I thought this post could be a little reflective on all the fall-related things I've done already because it's been a very eventful season. 

Near the end of September, my family and I went pumpkin picking at a rural pumpkin farm in Illinois. It was a little disappointing for my mom especially because we always try to look for those family owned and uncommercialized "pick-your-own" pumpkin patches. However, a lot of the ones close to using either has too many people now or already has pumpkins picked for you—or both. 

Our tradition of going out into the field and looking for the perfect pumpkin is something my family and I love doing. We even brought my dog Cooper along because we also love taking fall pictures while we do it. We did end up bringing home about five big ones, but it still wasn't entirely the same this year and I guess it was okay. 

So, after that, I actually got a chance to go visit my Grandpa in Michigan over a weekend. I love making special short trips to see family and it was really nice because I also saw my uncle and my dad's best friend who I've known since I was really little. Small reunions like that are always so sweet and I'm glad I got to go with my dad and my older sister, Melissa. 

Over this past month, I've really become family oriented and have realized how much I value family and make those efforts to connect with people I care about. I've always had that personality trait, but just recently it's been very evident and that's always a great thing to have. 

 "The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let the dead things go." -Anonymous

One of the most redeeming qualities of fall is the ability to start over. So much has happened this year, good and bad, but knowing that you get a reset button is the most humbling and refreshing feeling. It's a warm hug from the universe. Anything you think is going wrong in your life at the moment will work itself out in the future and everything will be at peace. 

We hold onto relationships, grudges, memories, stress, and everything else. Nobody is telling us what is and what isn't important to hold onto. Having a chance to reflect and remember is great, but dwelling on the past and what is out of our control will only serve pain and regret. 

It's not an easy thing to do. When so much is happening to you all at once, I know that trying to find a sense of release and content is not always ideal. For me, this feeling comes in phases and different times of the year depending on what's happening in my life. I've noticed that the best things that have happened to me came out of nowhere when I wasn't looking or expecting them too. It's like when all is good and I'm more to myself doing things I love, others around me reflect that and things tend to work themselves out. 

I find that when I release those dwelling thoughts and obligations, I can take my best foot forward and move onto the next best thing. That's all we can hope and there's no better way of looking at it like that. Finding ways to improve from your past, acknowledging it, and never looking back or second-guessing yourself. Life can be so much simpler. I promise. 

"Surrender to what is. Let go of what was. Have faith in what will be."- Sonia Ricotti

It's amazing that I've actually purchased a new blush to add to the collection. About a month ago I was really in search of a new peachy-bronzy shade for the fall season. I knew I wanted to head over to Sephora anyway and was nicely helped by one of the beauticians there. After not finding the Nars blush I was originally after, she suggested the Too Faced Papa Don't Peach blush. 

I was a bit hesitant about it because I haven't used much of Too Faced face products and knowing that it was a scented product made me iffier on it. I know I have sensitive skin, so I thought whatever makes it fragrant might affect my skin and cause a reaction of some kind. 

I actually fell in love with the shade. It's more of a bronzy-gold with a hint of peach and has a slight shimmer to it. It's a really great shade for the warmer months, too. I wore the color around the store a bit and really couldn't find anything else I liked more, so I decided to give it a chance. 

My absolute favorite look is the frosty, but glowy look. This blush really adds a bit of warmth to the cheeks and I love it. I have no problem with it smelling so sweet and yummy. 

I feel like I don't ever really talk about my hair that much because I'm honestly not one to put much effort into it most days. Some people have parts of their morning routine that they spend so much time on and my hair isn't one of them. My hair is constantly changing and I've done many things to it style wise in the past. It's still a long lob and my highlights are starting to fade for the winter, but I thought I would share what products and the main tool I use when I feel like sprucing it up a bit. 

My hair feels its greatest after I shower and blow dry it for like fifteen minutes. While, I wish that was the ideal situation for me everyday, taking a shower and all that is not practical for me and my sleep-wake cycle and workout schedule. My hair feels so fluffy and looks so smooth and shiny when I do, but on most days when I shower the night before, my hair isn't as voluminous the next day. 

I mainly take a brush to it and fluff it out. Sometimes when it really doesn't wanna manage, I'll use my Nume straightener, which I'm still amazed I bought for twenty bucks a couple years ago. Nume was having some promotional deal and all my sisters and I scored. If I really don't feel like wearing my hair down, scrunchies and hair ties are the way to go. I would say a top knot is my ideal hair style. 

As for products, I keep it very minimal. I've raved about the Ouai Texturizing Hairspray on the blog already and love it. However, I've discovered some newbees that I love now, too. The Bed Head Mini Hard Head is a great holding hairspray and I use this mainly when I decide to curl my hair. I need a strong hold hairspray, and at least a mini size, because you never know! 

I believe I've mentioned the Herbal Essences Dry Shampoo already, but I love it so much I thought I'd plug it in again. It's cucumber and green tea—so fresh and revitalizing. My hair feels so refreshed without the mangey residue that some dry shampoos leave. 

The newest addition to the haircare fam is the Dry Bar Triple Sec 3-in-1 and it literally does wonders. It's basically a texturizer, volumizer, and refresher all in one. I've found that it makes my straight lob look ten times better when I spray this on. It just makes my hair look more tousled and full! If you've noticed, these are all travel-sized products. Not only did I just want to try them out at first, but I honestly don't use up full size aerisol sprays to even want to buy them. I think the less you do to your hair, the better it looks. Thoughts? 

I love updating you guys on what goes on during my weeks and I thought it would be the perfect time to reflect on this past weekend full of fun. I can't believe it is already the middle of October. I don't even have Halloween plans yet! Sadly, this weekend I came over with a very bad cold and sore throat, so I've been tackling that while all of these events took place over the weekend. NyQuil has indeed been getting me through. Get vaccinated everyone! It's that time of year. 

My weekends are really nice at school because the way my college works is that most classes are Monday through Thursday. I have a three day weekend every week and normally I take that time to study, babysit, chill and hang out, explore the city, or go home to the suburbs. It's a nice time to regroup before the busy week ahead. 

On Thursday afternoon, my friend Emily and I wanted to venture out and find the pop up Glossier shop downtown and get some goodies before they leave October 28th! It's located in the West Loop and was just a quick 'L' train transfer. To be honest, that was the day I really didn't feel good, but it's what you gotta do for Glossier! 

If anyone is new to Glossier or has never heard of it before, it is a minimalist makeup brand focused on the individual—in other words, "Glossier was founded on the fact that beauty isn’t made in a boardroom—it happens when the individual is celebrated". Their products focus on enhancing everyone's individual beauty and I could not wait to have a chance to try whatever I wanted. 

I knew that I wanted the Boy Brow because I had already been in need of a new eyebrow filler. The applicator is small, but the way you naturally sweep it over your brows creates an effortlessly full brow. It thickens, fills, and sets my brows in place without feeling sticky or leaving any residue! I also have been drawn to the Lid Star cream eyeshadow in Cub. It's the most beautiful copper color and gives a dewy and glimmery look without creasing. So, that was a very fun girl day to try out some makeup and all of the workers there were so helpful with finding products. I would recommend checking it out! 

If you haven't already read in past articles, I've dealt with the fact that I worry about everybody else in my life all the time. I'm always "other-analyszing". When I really should be self-analyzing. You cannot resort to comparisons and making yourself feel worse because someone else has something you don't. It's self deteriorating. We are comparative creatures and we are always in search for the next best thing. The next best Iphone, Lipkit, job, grade, accomplishment, or what have you. 

It is imperative to our health to take breaks. When we work out too hard, we increase our ability to get injured and when we overwork ourselves, we increase the ability of mental breakdowns. People just don't feel like taking breaks because they feel fine and that's when they realize they really need a break once they've hit the extreme. It's definitely not a healthy routine if you ask me. 

Like my schoolwork, personal life, hobbies and writing, and everything else in between, I make an effort to put my mind in a place where I feel the most joy and content. I know what I'm like when I'm overly stressed and anxious, so I pace myself. Taking breaks from my blog and making priorities come first, especially my mental health. I make time to exercise, get my work done, work a little, socialize a bit, and decompress at the end of the day doing something relaxing and not physically inducing or strenuous. I try to eat well, drink water, and also treat myself when I feel like it. Finding balance in all of these things is going to positively effect the way you feel and think at the end of the day. 

When you get into that low place, because we all do at some point, remember that there is help and people who support you. We all are moving through the world with different mental capacities and different struggles. It is important for you to know that it is okay to reach out and ask for help and to tell someone you are hurting or conflicted. I know you are strong, exquisite, worthy, capable, important, and I will listen to you. 

If you came here to see a full apartment tour, this is not it. For the sake of my roommate's privacy and a pretty underwhelming apartment, I thought it was best to skip the kitchen, living room, and bathroom. It's pretty basic and has everything I need—that's all you need to know. I thought it would be nice to at least show you all how my bedroom has turned out. 

So, my apartment is actually an on-campus apartment that was once an old condo building, so it has a lot of history and character. Every door in my apartment is different and we probably have five different types of door knobs throughout the space. This year I have my own room, instead of sharing it with two other people, so I got very excited to have the freedom to just do whatever I wanted with this little square space. 

While I had kept a lot of the decor I had from last year, there were some more things I brought from home. If you know me, then you know I always change up my decor a lot and spend excessive amounts of money on textiles and pieces. It's just something I love. This year, I wasn't feeling the pink and green floral comforter I had from last year. I needed something a bit more practical, sophisticated, and neutral. 

As for my desk area, I knew I wanted to stick with my gold wall grids again because I just love them so much. They're the perfect way to take up some wall space without having to really damage the walls and make hanging up pictures so much easier. I added this pom pom garland for an add of texture. Pom poms are coming back into interior design and I think I'm obsessed. 

By the way, I decided I needed something over my bed and I was originally going to put the pom pom garland on the wall above it, but realzied that my wall is kind of beat up, so this Vintage Washed Tapestry did the trick. The great thing is that it was on clearance at Target and I think it fits in the space really well. 

It was pretty easy finding places for everything and I managed to know exactly where to put my Rifle Paper Co. Yucatan 2018 calendar. I absolutely adore how artistic and detailed these calendars are and I ask for one every year for Christmas. Along with my calendar above my dresser is a basket with my makeup mirror and some products, a jewelry tray, and a canvas that says "explore". 

Something that I added this year was this eyelash mirror to my desk. Mainly because it was a bit too heavy to hang on the wall with a Command Strip. I love the way eyelashes look and how they're coming into a lot of designs lately. And it's gold, so what more could you need? 

I also have this pom pom dream catcher that I just randomly found at Five Below. I needed something to fill up the wall space above the radiator, as well as, something to cover this awful pole that takes up space in the corner of my room. I opted for a fake garland and some fairy lights to make it more appealing and cozy. 

I know my little room is cozy, and I apologize for how poorly lit it is, but it's my little space and I'm proud with how it came out. I know that I'm probably an ad for Target, but I have to say they have some pretty amazing stuff. I hope this has inspired some of you guys living in dorms and apartments because I know sometimes the spaces at school can be hard to decorate or fill when you have no idea how to. 

I've seen many dorm room tours and how intricate people make their spaces, but keep it true to yourself because not everyone has the "perfect looking" dorm room and it can become pretty costly. I know I'm always changing things up, but I'm content with how it is now and it makes me even more comfortable living here.