New Year, New You!

Another year has come and gone!  I swear the older I get the faster these days go by. 2015 was eventful to say the least.  I fell in and out of love, lost friends, made friends, moved, got a new job..twice, and really just learned a lot about myself and who I am as a person.  A new year for whatever reason is supposed to signify a fresh start, so I wanted to share with ya'll a couple of my resolutions for this new year!

1. Let go of the toxic people in your life and don't let them back in.
I'm the queen of second chances, and it hasn't really been working for me.  This year I am focusing on cleansing all of the negative energy out.  Relationships shouldn't be so complicated whether it be friendships, romantic relationships, or even relationships with your own family members.  If it's a constant battle or you're constantly feeling stressed about it you should just let it go.

2. Spend more time in the real world than in the digital world.
I'll be the first to admit that my phone is basically attached to me all the time.  This year I want to be more focused on the physical things a round me.  I want to go on as many trips and adventures as possible.  I want to try new things and make new memories that don't involve a phone in my hand.

3. Let go of the past and stop freaking out about the future.
This one pretty much speaks for itself.  I have my own issues I need to work out, as I'm sure most of you do.

So cheers to a new year! Let's make 2016 the best one yet!

xoxo,
Summer

First Post from Illinois

Well I made it..back in the Land of Lincoln. It has been harder than I thought it would be! As much as I love being back here with my family, I miss my friends down south like crazy!! Also, moving back into your parents house after being on your own for three years is one of the most frustrating things ever. I don't advise it. But all in all, I'm settled in now, and just accepting the fact that this is my life now, at least for the next year or so, so I might as well embrace it.

I've started working at Victoria's Secret again, and that's been fun, but the hour drive there is not. haha it gives me a lot of time to think..which can be a good or a bad thing, but it also gives me an hour to sing to my steering wheel and that's like my favorite thing in the world! (Just gotta look on the bright side of things) All of the girls there are super sweet and totally welcoming, so it's been an easy transition. Not much has changed since I stopped working there about a year ago, so it's been super easy to jump back into things. Honestly, I feel like I never even left.  I find it weird to talk about how working there is such a passion of mine, but helping other women feel beautiful and confident about their bodies really just makes me feel good. Everyone deserves to love themselves, and if I can do that everyday then I know I'm right where I'm supposed to be.

Since being home I've found more time to focus again on my healthy eating and fitness routine.  That's exactly what it is...a routine, and it's so easy to fall out of routines! When I lived in Tennessee, especially this past year it was so easy for me to just stop and get food on my way home from work instead of going home and cooking..and don't even get me started on how much alcohol I was consuming. I've been home a week and a half and have already lost 5 lbs! I can thank skipping out on the fast food for that one! I did cave and get Portillo's today, but if you don't treat yourself than you'll die, and I like being alive, okay? I'm excited to get back into the gym. I think back to 2 years ago when I was literally there every day and how great it made me feel and how different I looked and it gets me totally pumped. Ya'll know summer bodies are totally built in the winter, and I know I'm going to be tempted this holiday season.....I've already bought Christmas candy!!! So getting focused and motivated is gonna be great for me!

As for the most recent ex...he never showed up in my driveway and I'm totally okay with that.  If Tennessee taught me anything it's about how to handle relationships. I've let a lot of things go in my past relationships..shrugged off not being treated well, and tried to find excuses for not feeling like I was the most important thing to them. I know what I'm worth, and I know what I deserve.  To find someone who puts you above everything else and cares about what you're interested in and the things that you love has to be one of the greatest feelings of all time I would imagine, I've always been so quick to fall in love, but this time I'm trying to take things slower.  I know there's no way I could handle another heartache right now, so I find myself sometimes acting sort of detached when it comes to talking to certain people...it's not on purpose at all, honestly I'm just scared, and I'm trying to work through that. Thankfully I know the right one will be patient with me.

I think that pretty much covers everything that's been going on since I've moved back! I'll see ya'll next time!

Stay Sweet
xoxo
Summer

More Life Realizations With Summer

I am a shitty person. We all are shitty people. That's just how life works.
I think ultimately it's part of growing up. We all have to go through that shitty person stage..some stay in it a little longer than others, and some do one shitty thing and never do it again.

As I've done some growing in these past 3 years I have realized how important it is to keep the good friends you have in your life and not do shitty things to them.  I have ruined some pretty great friendships just by being a horrible person. Now it's not like I was being horrible on purpose.  I didn't realize the mistakes I made until I went back and looked at some of the things I did. I'm young...I was 'in love' and I put my at the time boyfriend before my best friend, and that's a shitty thing to do.
Not all bad things come out of ruined friendships though..you learn what not to do to other friends, and you figure out the definition of a true friend. I'm not going to sit here and say that I was the only person in the wrong, because I wasn't, but the point of this post isn't to put anyone on blast.

I don't really know where I was trying to go with this..but moral of the story..just don't be a shitty person all the time. Try to be understanding, and try to be kind to everyone you meet and all of the people you decide to make a part of your life and you should be just fine.

In other news, I am so ready to move back to Illinois it's insane. There are so many amazing, great, and wonderful things that are waiting for me back home and I can't wait to share them with all of you!

Have a happy night and remember to be kind always.
xoxo,
Summer

Another Life Update

Wow, I seriously haven't written anything since February.. That's actually so embarrassing I just can't.  But on the plus side, I have a lot to update ya'll on, so I suppose the best way is to just get started.
Since we last spoke, I've fallen in and out of love..hard.

I met this boy (online, where else?) and I swear the chemistry was INSTANT. Ya know when you meet someone and you just know. Well that's what it was like, this guy brought out a side of me that I didn't even know I had.  We were inseparable for five months, planned on moving in together, even looked at engagement rings together, but life has a funny way of working out, and all good things have to come to an end.
Guys, it's been a month and a half, and I'm still not over it.  I can't even begin to tell you how many sleepless nights I've had, or days I've gone without being able to eat anything because I just feel so physically sick.  I put everything I had into a relationship that ended just so out of no where.  I was totally blindsided.  The worst part is that he has a new girlfriend already (not as cute or as great as I am, but still) and I'm over here still trying to put the pieces of my life back together.  I know we all have to go through this horrible heartache at some point in our lives, but I'm a pretty strong girl, I did not expect this break up to affect me as much as it has.  I didn't even get to say goodbye or anything.  He went to a softball tournament and came back and literally texted me and was like we are done.  I'm even more pissed at him because he took the easy way out.  I hate when guys do that.  But the last time I saw him we were totally fine, getting ready for work together and making out on the couch, the whole shebang.  Like I didn't even get to have a real break up with him and that pisses me off thinking about it.  I want to scream and fight and yell at you and call you crazy for ending something so perfect, but all I got to do was send some rude text messages.
But my point is it hurts...and I don't know how to make the pain stop.  I have gone out with other guys since, tried to find someone to fill the void, but I often find myself comparing them to him.  Even the guys who far exceed him still just aren't good enough for me.  I end up shutting them out after two or three dates. I've gone out with girlfriends and just did what you're supposed to do at 23 years old, but still just gone home and have felt so empty. I have exhausted all of my options at this point, and am starting to think I may never get completely over it..but here's to hoping that I can get over it at least enough to have a somewhat normal relationship down the road.
When you fall that quickly and that hard things are rough.  He was my best friend, and I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with him and it all ended and I quite frankly don't even know what I did to make him want to end it.  We talked all the time about spending the rest of our lives together and how much in love we were.  I literally wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with this guy and I was so excited to be able to spend every single day with him.  Looking back now I took the time we spent together for granted and I hate myself for it.  I spent too much time checking my phone when I was with him and not enough time enjoying what I had right in front of me.  Granted, he had been texting this other girl non stop for the entire last month of our relationship, so he's really to blame, but I can't help but sit there and blame myself.  Like what if I just did this one thing different, would he still be with me, would we be buying furniture like we had originally planned, would we be getting ready for our trip north so he could meet my parents? Who knows. I don't know.  I'm having the hardest time with this and I don't really know where else to turn.  If any of ya'll have any advice, I'd be so happy to hear it, because as much as I hate to admit my faults, I need help.
I don't want to let this ruin the rest of my life.  I sound dramatic, even to myself right now, but it's true.  It's hard.

Anyway, since all of this has gone down, and I'm just not happy in general anymore, because everything reminds me of him, I have decided to move back north and back in with my parents.  I need to take a break and really find myself, and I think that's when the real healing process with start.  I can be away from things that trigger my thinking about him, and I can put my focus back into my job and my family. I think it will be good to go back home and reconnect with family and old friends.  I am hoping this is the right decision for me...but in the back of my mind I can't help but think that once I leave, that's when it's really over between him and I.  There's no chance of us ever working once I pack my bags and drive away, and that scares the shit out of me.  Even though I know I shouldn't be with him anyway, because he's a total asshole who cheated on me, I still wait everyday for the text where he's telling me he's sorry and that he made a huge mistake.  I come home from work everyday just hoping that he'll be waiting in my driveway, with the open arms that I remember, that I used to love coming home to. Living your life like that fucking sucks. because deep deep down you know it's never going to happen, and even if it did happen it wouldn't be a good thing, but everything inside you wants so desperatley for it to happen.  I'm rambbling now.  the point is that I'm saying goodbye to the sweet south where I have found myself and made a home for the past 3 years.  The south has got its roots dug deep in me however, so I can say for sure I won't be up north forever.  I know I'll find my way back down here.  I may be a yankee by birth, but this girl is as southern as they come. I'll be headed up north in early november, and if everything works the way I want it to, I'm going to be video documenting my whole experience with it.  So stay tuned for more updates on that.

I love ya'll.  thank you for not judging me when I go on my rambles, and please tell me at least one of you have felt this way, and that I'm not a total crazy person.

"What Are You Looking For?"

I really hate  referring to myself as a dating 'expert' mostly because that would imply that I actually get to go on a lot of dates...false..but I have had conversations with enough of the opposite sex to know what's what about the topic.  Aside from the typical questions I'm asked every time I match with someone new on tinder...ya know, "What do you do?" "What do you do for fun?" "Is your name Summer because you're hot?" and my all time favorite "Will you sit on my face?",  there is one that sticks out a lot to me...."What do you look for in a guy?"  Now I'm asked this question at least once a day, and it's made me think a lot. Not about what I'm necessarily 'looking' for, but I found my self wondering if people ever actually find EVERYTHING they're looking for.  I'm writing this post to tell you my answer to this question:

I think if I were to go around with a list of things that I did/didn't want in a guy I would never be happy.  Let's be honest...my dream guy list is pretty extensive. I've gotten in the habit of leaving someone or becoming disinterested in them the second they say something/do something that I find doesn't meet my 'list'.  There could be character traits out there that I didn't even know I liked..if I go into a relationship with a closed off mind, how would I ever figure that out? Another point..how is going into a date with a list of expectations fair to that guy at all? Dating is hard. REALLY hard. But it's supposed to feel fun.  I'm not going to put you on the hot seat the minute we sit down to dinner, that's just crazy. So I want you, the next time you go on a date to go in with an open mind. You may find out that you actually can have a good time, and you won't be running home to your roommate saying "everything was perfect....but" (unless that but is that he was rude, or like did drugs with you in the car or something like that...those things are never okay).



Switching gears now to something I've learned during my time spent meeting new people...ALWAYS be yourself.  I have found it so so so much easier.  I've stopped walking around my room to get that perfect selfie lighting for a snapchat (don't judge me), I've stopped trying to put on a front.  The way I see it is..you're going to like me...or you're not going to like me. If you come over at 10 o'clock after I've been at work all day, you can expect me to be in sweatpants with my hair up. Let's get real..I've been at work in heels and a dress all day. I want to be comfy if you're coming over for pizza and beer. (replace beer with whiskey, I'm a girl, and we don't drink beer). But really. I hope someone understands where I'm coming from. I feel like this is a hard topic to get your point across on.  Obviously I'm not going to be a slob every time I see you, but sometimes I just don't want to try, and you should be okay with that, because I expect you to do the same.

So tune in next week with another "dating advice from the girl who goes on zero dates"
I know, I know, I'm hilarious.

xoxo,
Summer

If You're Not First, You're Last

I am a perfectionist...so normally I'm not one to pick out my flaws and talk about them all over the internet.  Then I remember that I'm a real person, and that I'm not 'perfect' and I sit down and write a blog about it.  Today I want to talk about a problem that I have that recently has REALLY started to bother me.

I am such a sore loser. Like seriously....the worst. I am super competitive by nature, and always have been. It's cute when you're young, but as an adult it's really starting to embarrass me.  I need to remember that I am NOT the best at EVERYTHING, and I'm not going to be.

Honestly, I have no idea where I was going with this, and have TOTALLY lost my train of thought, so I'm going to switch gears a little...

Today I posted a status on Facebook about finally being the happiest that I have been in a really long time. Maybe my whole life even.  I have gone through a lot in the last year, and to finally be putting it all behind me is taking a lot of stress and unhappiness off of my shoulders.  I have learned that life is too precious and short to be staying angry and being filled with resentment towards people who may have hurt us in the past.  Being mad will get you nowhere.  Trust me.

So, I want to encourage you to let go of any anger you may have towards anything.  Channel that anger into changing your life around.  That's what I did, and it worked out great.  If you take a step back and look at all of the things in your life that make you truly happy; i.e. living with your best friend, talking to cute boys, and eating cheese fries, you'll realize that you're a bad bitch and no one can tell you different.

At the end of the day, the only opinion that matters is your opinion of yourself.  If ex boyfriends hate you, let them hate you...like they're an ex and you're better off without them.

These are the best years of my life, so I'm not going to let anger and resentment hold me back from enjoying my time.

Cheers to the New Year!

xoxo
Summer

Let Me Tell Ya Bout My Best Friend

Sometimes you go through life wondering if anyone will ever understand you.  I was one of those girls growing up who always seemed to be the 'third wheel' in friendships. Nothing wrong with that really. I was the one that got to hear all of the dirt on the other one and no one really ever had anything bad to say about me because I wasn't around enough for them to get sick of me.

I remember in high school seeing girl's posts on facebook of their girls' nights and being sad because I never was apart of them. I mean it was mostly my choice. I'm not one for drama, and I'm not one for spending time with someone who 2 days prior sat and talked a ton of shit about me.

The older I got the more concerned I became....like when I get married one day who the heck would I have in my wedding?! I mean sure there were the girls I always talked with at work and stuff, but after my shift was done I wouldn't talk to them until the next time I worked. I had friends in college, but after I left that was it..we all kind of just went our separate ways.

I'm a huge believer in the saying 'everything happens for a reason' and I honestly 100% believe that the reason I met that loser online and ended up moving to Memphis is so that I could meet my absolute best friend and sister Lauren. She literally is the only person that knows everything about me and still thinks I'm great.  She loves me for all of my flaws and that's the best thing about a best friend. I mean I'm by no means perfect, but she's still there for me all the time.

We have had our disagreements, but it's all been for the best and has only made us closer friends.  There's no pettiness EVER, and we are just fun. Like she got me sick, and I didn't even care! There's no one else I'd rather be stuck at home with! Granted I'm so ready for us to be over this sickness so we can get back to our double tinder dates, and margarita nights!

I am basically writing you this to tell you not to be discouraged.  It took me 22 years to find my best friend! But I'm so so glad I did!

I love you Lauren! I can't wait for this summer because we are going to make so many new friends, and have so so so much fun! I'm sure there will be nights when we are up crying over stupid boys, but I promise to be right there for you through everything and the next night we will have hotter guys buying our drinks!

Liar Liar, Pants on Fire!

Hello all of my wonderful internet friends! Did you miss me? So sorry my life has been under construction for the past like month and a half, it’s fine.  I have a really good story out of it, so that makes it all worth it, right?

For those of you who have been with me since I was @perfect_belle on twitter, you should know that that great app lead me to a guy for whom I uprooted my whole life and moved south for.  It has been 2…almost 3 years now since that has happened, but things change..and they did. 

Could you imagine living with someone for 2 and a half years, and then finding out that the whole entire time they were lying to you? Like just try to imagine. That’s what happened to me.  The man boy I was living with had been telling me he was a professor at a pretty elite school, when in fact..he was working at FedEx.  Yeah, I can’t make this shit up.

Let’s back track to when it kind of started:  In February he had told me he lost his job (the one at the college) and that he had to move back to Louisiana where he’s from. Since apparently there was no room for me at his grandparents house where he was going, I decided to stay here and just keep working until he found a new job. Fast forward to October….it’s been 8 months since I have seen the guy. At this point I was already so checked out that I didn’t even care anymore..like if I’m not worth a 7 hour drive every couple of weekends, I’m obviously not worth much to you. I think he could tell that I was on the verge of leaving anyway, so one night I get a text saying that he actually worked at FedEx. Yada yada yada, there was a long conversation after that which eventually ended up in me dumping him.  Like I can’t be with someone who is going to lie about something so insignificant.  And it made me realize that a lot of other stuff he probably told me was a lie as well.  I’m like 110% sure he’s cheated on me before (shout out to @sportsbar_belle for bringing it to my attention, and sorry for not listening to ya then girl!), although he swears up and down that nothing ever happened. But yeah. Now y’all know. Let this be a lesson to just not date anyone from twitter ever.

So after all of this went down I decided it was time for a change in my life.  My friend and coworker Lauren and I got an apartment together, and we have been having the time of our lives. Single Summer, and Drunk Summer are most definitely my two favorite Summers, and they’ve been gone for a long time.  I’m fun again, so if you live close or want to come to Memphis for the weekend just let me know and we will have a great time. 

Meal Prep

So my meal prepping is probably the most basic in the whole world.  I am not a serious hard core muscle builder, so I'm not taking time measuring any nutrients out or anything like that.  This is the most simple way that I know how to do it, and it helps a lot when I'm running around and have seconds to pack a whole days worth of meals in the morning.
If you read my last post you saw everything I got on my grocery list, so I will just hop right in to what I prepare!

• Cucumbers and celery- I was and cut these up so that they're in ready to eat pieces.  They make a great addition to a lunch, or they're great for snacking in the middle of the day! If they're ready to eat I will be more likely to eat them and they will be less likely to sit in the back of my fridge and rot!
• Brown rice- I find that 2 cups of rice normally lasts me the longest without going bad or anything, so I boil that and put it in one big Tupperware.  I'll spoon it out and warm it up as I need it.  I think it saves more space rather than putting it out in separate containers. 
• Chicken- I normally do 4 chicken breasts at once.  This time I did two of them with my famous seasoning and the other two I just used low sodium teriyaki sauce. I cut the cooked pieces into littler pieces and put them into containers.  This way it's easier to just throw them over rice or over a salad or however I want to eat them. 

And that's basically all I do.  If I need to make a batch of granola for the week I usually would do that too, but I had plenty to last me for the week.  There are things that I eat throughout the week that don't get prepared on meal prep days.  Since the chicken sausage I buy is already pre cooked I will just cut that up the day I want to have it and warm it up with my rice.  I also use the steam fresh veggies, just because it's easier to me, so I will steam those on a daily basis too.  I make sweet potato fries basically almost every day (I'm beyond obsessed with them) but I have found that they taste better when they're cut fresh, so I cut those up on the day that I cook them as well. 

I hoped this helped some of you who are looking to start meal prepping! Like I said in the beginning this is totally just a basic routine, and just what I normally do on a weekly basis. 

xoxo, 

Summer

Grocery Haul!

Hey guys! So I don't know about you, but I'm OBSESSED with grocery shopping.  It's one of my favorite past times.  No idea why, but something about it is just so relaxing to me..please tell me I'm not the only one.  Tonight I went on a much needed grocery trip.  I literally was out of EVERYTHING. I had been snacking on a pack of club crackers for the past 2 days (so sad, I know) anyway, I thought I'd share with you the things that I picked up.  I know back to school is starting, and once school time comes around it's so easier to just grab fast food on your way home, or go out for late night snacks while studying.  My plan is to post some easy recipes on here for y'all that can help curb your cravings, and still not completely ruining your diet! I have some great breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner ideas that I think everyone can enjoy! As a disclaimer I am by no meas a nutritionist, and I know only what I've read about health. I just eat what makes ME feel my best.  I know that not everything I eat or buy at the grocery store is healthy either..but I just do what works for ME.  Hopefully this will inspire you guys to clean up your cart a little, if one person gets inspired than my job here is done.

• steamed veggies packs
• frozen berries
• sweet potatoes
• lettuce
• celery
• cucumber
• yogurt
• almond milk
• sharp cheddar cheese
• deli turkey
• deli provolone cheese
• coffee drinks
• chicken sausage
• balance bars
• raisin bran crunch
• skinny pop
• pita bread
• caramel corn rice cakes

This grocery haul cost about $73 and should last me about 2 - 2 1/2 weeks.  I didn't need to buy chicken this time around because I have a bunch from the last time.  I will be posting my meal prep routine in the very near future....I PROMISE!! And I'll be posting snack recipes and lunch on the go ideas as well! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and I will talk to you soon! 

xoxo

June Favorites!

I seriously can't believe it's already July! The summer is basically over and I feel like it hasn't even really started yet! Anyway, June has been a CRAZY month for me.  I have just been working like crazy, and to add to the chaos I have decided to venture out and get ANOTHER job! It's at American Eagle (you know I love my retail) doing the floorsets.  It's only 3 nights a month and we work over night..nothing too exciting, but I figure it would give me at least another $100 a month and I can't complain about that! Anyway I hope all of you are having a great rest of your summer break! I will leave you now with all of the things I have been loving for the month of June!

Ocean Potion Ever Glow

I LOVE this lotion! It's so moisturizing, and it has self tanner in it- win/win. I know when I think of self tanner my first thought is turning myself orange and smelling disgusting, but this stuff smells so good (like a beach, with a little bit of coconut) and it doesn't leave me streaky or orange, it just already enhances your summer glow!

Boscia Luminous Black Mask

I've raved about this product on my instagram already, and it really is my holy grail product.  Whenever I feel like my skin isn't as smooth as it should be I just put this mask on and when I peel it off it's like a baby's butt! And the fact that it's a peel-off makes it better...nothing satisfies me more than peeling off layers of dead skin..weird? No. 

Josie Maran Tinted Moisturizer with Argon Oil

So since it's summer time and I've been working out a TON outside, I've found myself not really wanting to wear much, if any makeup.  I was so so happy when I found this gem in my Sephora.  It leaves my skin with a dewy finish, and surprisingly has pretty great coverage for just being a tinted moisturizer.  Normally for the summer time I will just throw some of this on with a translucent powder over it, put on some mascara and I'm good to go.  I hate over doing my makeup in the summer time, especially since moving to the south because it's so hot and humid. I would not recommend this product for someone who has oily skin, just because it is super moisturizing and it does leave me with that dewy look. My skin is super dry, so it's perfect for me, but be warned..a little goes a LONG way!

Workout Gear

This tank top is just so appropriate for my life it's not even funny.  I work at Victoria's Secret as most of you know and when I saw this baby I just HAD to get it. 

Water

I have been trying to drink at least 4 of these a day full of water.  I have felt so much better, and I can actually tell a difference. If I don't have at least one before noon now I get the worlds worst headache.  My skin has been loving it, and so has my body.  Drinking a ton of water is the best- and easiest- way to get all of those nasty toxins out of your body.  You can get bottles like these any where.  I got mine for free on Black Friday (VS associate perks).  They're great for taking on the go, and super easy to drink out of...is that weird..I just think it's easier to drink out of fun bottles rather than a glass or just a plastic bottle, I don't know, I'm weird. 

Yummy Flatbread Pizza!

I thought I'd keep this post short and sweet, so here is the recipe and I hope you enjoy! 

Ingredients:

• Any type of whole grain tortilla or wrap
• 1/2 of a small red onion-chopped
• 1/2 of a small green pepper-chopped
• 2-3 thin slices of mozzarella cheese (you can also do shredded, but I like the way the slices melt better)
• turkey pepperoni (or any meat that you prefer, I just like to have substance)
• about a handful of fresh basil leaves
• optional- some type of tomato sauce- I don't really like tomatoes or tomato sauce on these types of pizza, so I skip out on that, but you are more than welcome to add some.

Directions

• Preheat oven to 300
• Set out your wrap on a foil lined baking sheet
• Layer on all toppings
• Pop in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until your cheese is completely melted

Super easy, and super delicious! Be sure to let me know if you make this on your own, and tag me in your instagram photos! 

Also- if you aren't following me on instagram you should be! My username there is also @perfect_belle. 

I hope y'all are having a wonderful, amazing day! 

Workout Play List!

Hey y'all!

So keeping up with the whole fitness thing, I thought I'd share with you the songs that are currently on my workout play list! I'm one of those gym people who HAS to have music playing, or else I feel like nothing gets done! Now I must say my mix of music is a little odd, haha it ranges far and wide-as you will soon see, but it's what I like to listen to.  It gets me pumped up and it inspires me to keep going.  I hope some of you can find this helpful! I know I always love a good music suggestion, and if you know of any songs I should add then please comment!

• I Hold On- Dierks Bently
• Skinny Love- Bon Iver
• I Need A Doctor- Eminem
• Follow Your Arrow- Kacey Musgraves
• Erase Me- Kid Cudi
• Just Breathe- Pearl Jam
• Save All Your Love- Great White (all time most favorite song EVER)
• House Carpenter- Hurt
• Lose Yourself- Eminem
• Super Bass- Nicki Minaj
• Wagon Wheel- Old Crow Medicine Show
• Body Party- Ciara
• From Yesterday- 30 Seconds To Mars
• Cleaning Out My Closet- Eminem
• Easy- Paula Deanda
• Hurricane- 30 Seconds To Mars feat. Kanye West
• Hey Girl- Billy Currington
• Comin Up- Sammy Adams
• Feel That Fire- Dierks Bentley
• 90210- Wale
• American Boy- Estelle feat. Kanye West
• How He Loves- David Crowder Band (always my cool down song)
• I'm Into You- Jennifer Lopez feat. Lil Wayne
• Check It Out- Nicki Minaj feat. Will. I. Am
• Wasted- Cartel
• I Just Wanna Run- The Downtown Fiction
• Despicable- Eminem (can you tell I'm obsessed with him?)
• Stay Stay Stay- Taylor Swift
• The Spins- Mac Miller
• Check On It- Beyonce
• Sorority Girls- Luke Bryan
• I Love You- The Black Eyed Peas
• Could It Be You- H*Wood
• We Can't Stop- Miley Cyrus
• Dead and Gone- T.I. feat. Justin Timberlake
• Find Your Love- Drake
• Beep- Pussycat Dolls
• Empire State of Mind- Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys
• Circles- Hollywood Undead (my second favorite song of all time)
• Bottoms Up- Trey Songz feat. Nicki Minaj
• All of the Lights- Kanye West feat. Rihanna
• So Rich, So Pretty- Micky Avalon
• I Caught Fire- The Used
• Lonesome Road Blues- Old Crow Medicine Show

There you go! Like I said, so random.  I was typing this list out and just thinking wow I'm weird. Haha it reminded me of high school.. I'd always pick my friend up on our way to school, and she'd bring her own CD because she always thought I had shitty taste in music.  Anyway! If any of these songs are your favorite, then congratulations- we can be best friends! I hope you're all having just the most fabulous day ever, and if not, you'll get another go at it tomorrow- so no worries! 

My Makeup Essentials

Hey y'all! Tonight I want to talk about the things that I put on my face everyday!
Makeup literally has to be one of my most favorite things in the whole entire world.  I just love it. My pink Caboodle has been my bff since the 4th grade, and while the products inside have matured and changed over the years, my love for the dang thing will never ever change. Let's get started!

• Clinique Even Better foundation (03 Ivory)
• This stuff is AMAZING! I used to use MACs Studio Fix in NW20, but after having used it for like 4 straight years I decided I wanted something different.  I went around to all of the counters in the department stores, and all of the brands in Sephora and got samples of EVERY. SINGLE. FOUNDATION. I'm not going to drop $70 bucks on the stuff if it's no good, and this stuff out shined ALL of the other brands that I tried.  It took me a good 6 months to get through all of them, but I always found myself going back to Clinique.  Now I've been using this for about a solid month or so now, and I love it.  I see a drastic difference in my skin tone, and I couldn't be more happy.  It does have an SPF of 15 in it, but it doesn't cause a white cast in pictures which is a major plus. If you haven't tried it I highly suggest going to Sephora or a Clinique counter and asking for a sample to try it out yourself.  It retails for $28.

• Maybeline Instant Age Rewind Treatment Concealer (50 Neutralizer)
• This is my current favorite concealer. It has super great coverage, and although I don't have dark circles (thank you skin gods), I still use it around my nose and on my forehead, or wherever I have a little bit of redness and it evens my color right out! It blends in perfectly, and I don't have to reapply it throughout the day. Lets be honest, anything I don't have to touch up on the regular wins an A+ in my book. It retails for $7.94

• Tarte Clean Slate Eye Primer
• At first I did not like this stuff at all.  It was a huge change from what I used to use, which was Benefit's stay don't stray, but after using it a few times I developed a bond for this baby.  It goes on an soaks right into my eyelids. I can put any type of eyeshadow over top and it will not crease! This product will pretty much speak for itself. It reatials for $19

• Naked 2 Palette
• This has been my go to palette since the day that I bought it.  I literally use it every single day. Most of you probably have it, so I'll skip the details, but I will say my go-to everyday eye routine is Tease on the lid, Bootycall for my brow bone, Pistol in my crease, and then I use either Suspect or MACs color Honesty over top of all of it to give it an extra something and blend everything out.  On days where I want to do something a little less noticeable, I will do Bootycall on the whole lid and brow bone, Suspect in the crease, and YDK on the outer corner.  The only thing that I dislike about this palette is that Bootycall doesn't come in a single pot. I dropped my palette and that was the only color that busted, and I spent hours in Sephora trying to match the color and the closest thing I came up with was Urban Decay's Virgin. It retails for $54.

• Benefit Porefessional Primer
• Not a whole lot to say on this one either.  It's amazing, fills in my pores, and makes my skin feel baby bottom smooth. It's matte too, so it doesn't leave me looking oily at all, but it also doesn't irritate my dry skin. It retials for $31. 
• Benefit Hoola Bronzer
• I like this bronzer because it's matte.  I'm not for the super shiny bronzy look at all.  I like to keep things subtle, especially when it comes to bronzer, because it is a hard product to wear.  This one blends super nice and just gives my face the dimension it needs. It retails for $28. 

• MACs Blush in Breath of Plum
• This is the perfect color for my skin tone.  I'm not much of a blush wearer at all; especially in the summertime, but when fall comes around this stuff gives me the perfect amount of rosy color without making me look like I just ran a marathon. It retails for $21.

• Benefit Bad Gal Lash
• If you know me at all, you know that I already have super long, voluminous lashes (so blessed, thanks dad), so finding a good mascara is hard, because most of them just clump my lashes together, or make them way more extreme than I need them to be...I literally can't wear glasses without them touching the lenses...But this mascara is the BEST. Fun fact though, I have yet to buy myself a full sized tube of this.  I feel like it's the freebie mascara. Literally anytime I buy something from Benefit at my Ulta they will give me a mini tube for free...so score on that one! It retails for $19. 

And that's pretty much all of the makeup that I use on a daily basis.  My tried and trusted favorites.  I hope this helped any of you who are looking to go out and get you some new goodies.  My birthday is coming up, and all I asked for is Sephora gift cards, so I'm excited and I will be sure to do a haul of what I get! 

Fitness Routine!

Well hello everyone! It has been a long time-as always-what other way would I start out a blog post?!

Today I'm going to share with you my fitness routine and what I eat!
I always love these types of blog posts and watching these videos on YouTube, and I'm feeling very inspired today, so I thought why not?! Let me add in a disclaimer that I have no idea what I'm talking about.  This is just what I do to keep myself in shape, and it works for ME! Everyone is different, so if these things don't work for you, or I don't do things how I should please keep in mind that I'm just a normal person who lives this lifestyle.

We will start off with exercise:
The types of workouts I do depend on my work schedule.  On days that I do have to work, I go to the gym.  I'll normally do 30 minutes of treadmill, followed by 30 minutes of the elliptical.  On the treadmill I don't do anything too special.  It really just depends on how I feel that day. Sometimes I just walk, sometimes I jog, sometimes I run on an incline, so you get the picture.  After I finish those I will go over to the free weights, and just do all different kinds of workouts with those.  I really just make things up as I go.  If I do the same thing over and over again, I just get bored, so I like to switch it up a lot.  Then after I get my arms burning I will go and do 2 circuits around the weight machines that my gym has. I also love the fitness classes that my gym has to offer, and when I get time I like to attend those.  I think working out in a class setting can get you more motivated.  I try to do a pilates and yoga class once a week, and then a lifting or kettle bells class twice a week.
On days that I don't have to go to work I like to spend my time outside! I'll go to my local park and I usually jog/walk any where from 6-8 miles.  I use the Nike Running app to track my distance, and I listen to various stations on the Songza app.  My favorite one at the moment is the Get Pumped: Pop Anthems play list..literally amazing. It's got everything from Britney to N*Sync to Rhianna and Katy Perry.  I need that upbeat music when I work out or I would go crazy.
Anyway..I do this 6 times a week, whether it's in the gym or outside.  Sundays are my rest days only because I normally have to work open-close, and am exhausted afterwards.

My Food:
Now I just recently got into prepping my meals, and I don't know why on earth I didn't start doing this earlier.  It is a blessing! Here is an example of what I'll eat on a daily basis:

Breakfast- scrambled egg whites on whole wheat toast
After I finish my workout - Smoothie- one banana, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, spinach, yogurt, water (I really just keep adding things until it tastes good, it keeps me full for most of the day)
Lunch- I eat one of my premade meals- ground beef with tomatoes, onions, green onions, green peppers, and spinach...It's basically like amazing taco filling that doesn't have taco seasoning on it..and brown rice.
Dinner- Chicken breast and veggies- I make mine beforehand, I just cook it in a pan with olive oil, lemon juice, and dill weed. For vegetables I really just eat what I have on hand; broccoli, mixed veggies, brussel sprouts, whatever.

And that's basically it.  Now I'm not all healthy all the time, I still like to go out and eat restaurant food...I am obsessed with chocolate, and I ALWAYS have some type of chocolate on hand, and I like alcohol.  The trick is to not deprive yourself.  I'm in no way unhappy...ever..I eat what I want, when I want, but pre-making my meals makes it so easy for me to just grab something and heat it up..especially since I don't have a normal set schedule.

This is what works for me, and I've lost about 10 lbs and went down a whole size since really kicking this routine into gear! I hope it has inspired you to get your booty up and moving!

My Favorite Chicken Dish

This post should probably be titled 'One of my Favorite Chicken Dishes' because I am basically obsessed with chicken. But this is one of the top ones, and boyfriend and I have been eating it a lot lately, so I decided to share!

Ingredients:

• sweet peppers (red, orange, yellow)
• 2 chicken breasts (or 4 chicken tenders)
• taco seasoning
• brown rice
• queso

Obviously from the ingredients you can tell that this recipe has a LOT of room to make it your own, and that's one of the reasons I love it so much. I tweek it a little each time and it always comes out different. By the way I got this idea from the dish that my boyfriend always gets at our favorite local Mexican restaurant. (a true hidden Memphis gem...seriously, someone's even been shot there!) But anyway, I highly encourage you to make it your own and add new stuff each time! Let me know if you try it and hash tag your pics with #perfectbelleblog. I'd love to try new ideas! 

How To Make! 

• First you want to start your rice, because cooking rice literally takes FOREVER. Brown rice is my all time favorite, but we have had it with Spanish rice as well, and it's just as good. 
• Next, cut up your peppers. I use the sweet mini peppers you can buy at the store in a big bag.  I'm obsessed with these because they cut into the perfect little pepper rings, and I love to snack on them. I find that the perfect balance is about 4 red ones, 3 orange, and 2 yellow. 
• Add the peppers to a preheated pan (medium heat) with a little water and put the lid on.  Only let it sit like this for about 2 minutes before adding the chicken because it WILL BURN. 
• Add the chicken.  You can cut it up or leave it whole.  I like to cut it up while it's cooking, cause that's the easiest way for me to tell if the chicken is done or not. (I have a horrible fear of eating raw or under-cooked anything). 
• Once the chicken has browned up a little sprinkle in your taco seasoning.  I use probably less than a table spoon, but really I just eyeball it until it looks like enough. 

• Let your chicken finish cooking and sample the peppers to make sure they're not crunchy anymore.  Turn the heat off and add in your queso.  You can honestly pour as much as your little heart desires.  I mean...it's queso, so go all out.  Let the cheese warm up a little bit and then serve the mixture over rice! 

I hope y'all get a chance to try this out, because it seriously is so yummy!! 

In other totally unrelated news, IT'S CHRISTMAS BREAK! Although I still have to work, I have a TON more free time, so expect more blog posts! yay! I'm so excited, and I have some good idea!! 

Stay Sweet!

xoxo, 

Summer

Words of Encouragement

Hey y'all!!
I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families, and stuffed yourselves until you passed out!! I totally wish I could have, but unfortunately I'm a retail slave and had to be at work at 7 on Thanksgiving night!!! It sucked, but making time and a half is totally worth it. Who doesn't love a little extra cash around the holidays, am I right or am I right?!
Anyway, I am like WIPED OUT. I am thinking it must be still from the Black Friday madness, but I literally have not been able to pull myself out of bed in the morning or ANYTHING.  I am thanking God that I have not gotten sick yet! (crossing my fingers) Because that would be the WORST!
I wanted to take some time and give y'all some words of encouragement.  I know finals are coming up and just want you to remember that means you are another semester down and another step closer to your goal! Study hard these next 2 weeks and it will all pay off in the end!
Make sure you TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF FIRST! You could pull about a dozen all nighters, but the only thing that will leave you with is a groggy mind, and you'll feel awful during finals. Make sure you get plenty of sleep, and keep eating healthy! No late night trips to Sonic when you have the study munchies!!
Some of my favorite study snacks are carrots and wheat thins! I swear I live off of them when it gets to be this time of year.
And yeah, that's pretty much all I have. haha I have no idea where I was going with this post, but surprise, surprise, I'm procrastinating.

OOOH and I'm convinced my boyfriend have a little elf in our house that steals our things. My iPod is missing and we've lost 2 forks!! How do you lose a FORK? Whatever it's beyond me.  I'm sure we will find them soon.

Oh and one other thing, I have some really good news, so stay tuned if you want to hear it.  It's life changing for me, and NO. I'm not pregnant.

Stay Sweet!
xoxo,
Summer

New Business Idea?!

So as most of you probably don't know I have the weirdest obsession with needlepoint. It's by far my favorite past time, and I'm actually really good at it! So I was thinking, why not do what I love to make some extra cash! I wanted to get other opinions first before I dived right in, but do y'all think it would be a good idea to sell my needlepoints online? I could do special orders for basically anything you could think of or that I could design, as well as monograms, or letters for all of you sorority girls! I'm honestly thinking about doing this. What do y'all think?

Get To Know My Beauty Habits!

Hey guys! I’m sorry I have been nowhere near close to being good at this blogging regularly thing.  Time just gets away from me.  I seriously can’t believe that it’s already the middle of November. Where in the world did the time go?! I don’t know, but I didn't want to go too long without blogging anything, and I came across these questions, and since my blog is centered mostly around beauty lately I figured I’d answer these for y'all so you could get a better look into my beauty habits and routine! I’d love for you to answer them yourselves on your blogs and let me know when you do! I love reading these kinds of things!

1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight?

-It’s this weird mix of in-between, and I hate it.  If I want it to look any kinds of good without using some sort of heat on it I have to just put it up in a messy bun when wet and hope for the best.  Most of the time it just looks like poo natural. (so jealous of all of you who can just take a shower and leave the house)

2. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?

-None of you probably know this, but I have a big problem with gray hair!!! Yes, I know.  I’m 21 years old and my hair is gray…like there are a ton in there, and they grow FAST!! Most of the time I will just use the nice and easy root touch-up to cover them up.  I know dying your hair from a box is bad, but honestly, since I've moved down south I have not for the life of me found a hairdresser that I would let touch my hair. If you know of any good ones, please, send them my way!

3. Do you wear the same style every day or do you change it?

-Most of the time I will just straighten it, because it takes the shortest amount of time, and I don’t have to worry about it.  Honestly, on days that I work, I end up just putting it in a pony within an hour into my shift, because my measuring tape gets tangled in it…..and my ear piece…and my pen..y'all, one day I was literally walking around work for like an hour with a pen stuck in the back of my hair…I am a mess.. Haha, but on days that I don’t have to work, and I go out and run errands or go shopping, or go out with the boy I will try to curl it.

4. do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon?

-I am a broke college student.  I did the whole gel nails thing for like 2 months before I realized how much money I was wasting, and I have SO MUCH nail polish it would be stupid for me not to do my own nails.  Besides, it’s such an easy way to relax.

5. How often do you change your nail polish?

-The minute it chips I have to take it off, because I can’t stand having chipped nails.  I try to do them every other week, but it really depends on my work schedule.

6. Do you polish your toes in the winter or just the summer?

-my piggies always have polish on them.  Is it just me, or do you guys think bare toes look so weird?!

7. How long does it take for you to put on your makeup?

-20 minutes to an hour. Just depends on how my morning is going, and how many breaks I take.

8. What do you do first? Face or eyes?

-I do my concealer first, and then my eyes, and then my foundation routine.  I’m pretty messy when it comes to doing my makeup, and doing my foundation after my eyes helps to cover up the mistakes I make, haha.

9. Do you collect makeup or just buy what you need when you need it?

-Is this a serious question? I am a makeup junkie.  I’ll buy anything and everything no matter what.  I have so many unopened products it’s not even funny.  Oh lord, I have a problem.

10. How often do you wear false eyelashes?

-never. I already have SUPER long and thick eyelashes, anything else would probably be over-kill.

11. Do you do a full face of makeup everyday?

-when I’m at work I do, because I need to look professional, and I’m always up close and personal with my clients, and I want to look good.  But if I’m just going to class I don’t wear any makeup.

12. Do you wear makeup when you’re home alone or with family?

-It depends on what I did that day.  Right now I’m at home alone and have a full face, lip gloss and all, heyyyyyy.

13. will you leave the house without makeup?

-yes!

14. How many high-end products do you have?

-I prefer the high-end stuff over the drugstore brands.  I believe you get what you pay for, and the high-end stuff just works better with my face.  Now I do love the Revlon lip butters.  They’re my holy grail, but that’s basically the only drug-store makeup I use regularly.

15. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you’re getting dressed?

-I am the most indecisive person ever.  My outfit changes at least 17 times before I leave the house every time I get dressed.

16. How often do you change your handbag?

-I change it with the seasons mostly.  I carry around a big brown bag on a daily basis, but when the boy and I go out I’ll switch to something smaller, only because big bags in a bar are like the most annoying things ever.

17. What time do you wake up and go to sleep?

-I’ll go to bed anywhere between 9pm-2am, it just really depends on what I did that day, but I’m awake almost every day by 6:30-7, thanks to my wonderful internal clock. Thank the lord for coffee.

18. How often or when do you workout?

-Definitely not as often as I should, but I’m pretty active.  Work normally wears me out, I’m constantly walking back and forth between bra rooms and the fitting rooms.  I do love a good workout dvd when I’m feeling unmotivated, or when I have a full day off though!

19. Left handed or right handed?

-right

20. how tall are you?

-5’4”

21. do you speak any foreign languages?

-No. I speak English, because this is America.

22. How many pets do you have?

-Boyfriend and I have a wonderful, sweet, (and by that I mean devil, really, I just had to put him in his cage because he was attacking me) kitty-cat.

23. How often are you on blogger?

-NOT AS OFTEN AS I SHOULD.

24. Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts?

-Yes! I have a huge running list in my phone. Whenever I see something or hear about something I want to try I’ll write it down.

25. How did you come up with your blog name?

-It was my old anonymous twitter name, and it just made sense to have a blog to go with my twitter. RIP @perfect_belle

26. What kind of camera do you use for your photographs?

-My phone, which is an HTC One V

27. How often do you clean your house?

-I pick up/ do dishes every day, but once a week I will vacuum, mop, sweep, clean the toilets, do laundry, and all of that fun stuff.  I live to have a clean house, and I can not stand messes. (my car, however, is another story)

28. What is your favorite color?

-Purple!

29. do you swear?

-I try to be a good representation of myself, but some things just need a good swearin’ to.

30. What are you doing with the rest of your day?

-After this I am going to work on a pile of homework ( I may or may not be procrastinating right now, oops)

I pinky promise I will try to update more soon, I'm working on a 'Products I've Used Up' post, but I'm working on trying to use up more products so I will actually have something to talk about! 

Stay Sweet! 

xoxo

Summer

Letting It All Out.

Anyone can make themselves seem glamorous through pictures on their instagram, or tweets on their twitter, but there is so much more to all of us than that, and that's what the point of this blog post is tonight.

As some of you may have noticed, I have once again deleted my anonymous twitter account.  I honestly was just getting too caught up in the 'internet' world, and was starting to hate myself for it.  The twitter world especially...everyone is SO materialistic and so full of themselves.  Like I know, a username like ''perfect_belle'' you're probably thinking, Summer...that was you, and to be completely honest, when I first started twitter like over a year ago, it was!  I was constantly talking about how good I thought I looked, or the stuff that I was buying, but when I sat back and looked at it I realized, that's not who I am.  I am not the things I buy, I'm not the outfits I wear, or the makeup or hairstyle I choose.  While yes, those things make up who I am, I am not them.  They're such a small part of me, but unfortunately that's the only thing you guys ever get the chance to see.

So anyway, getting back on topic, again...on twitter...all I had been seeing before I decided to delete were girls just ripping each other apart.  Calling girls ugly for their pic-slips (I know, I've done it generally, and now I kind of feel like I'm contradicting myself, but I've realized my mistakes and have asked for forgiveness, and I hope some of you choose to do the same.), girls posting other girls' nude pictures, girls just generally being mean to each other, and it made me really stop and think about things.  As girls, I'm sure most of you know how hard it can be..I'm sure all of us has had the infamous encounter with that one other girl who was just so rude, and manipulative, and just plain old horrible to you for no good apparent reason....like we know how much it sucks when constantly you feel like you're being judged for how you look, what you eat, what designers are in your closet, or in your makeup bag. It literally has happened to ALL of us (and some of us are probably even guilty of doing it to others).  And that's where my question lies.  Why, do we as girls...who know what it's like, feel the need to put that hurt on someone else....and I probably shouldn't even say 'girls'...most of my followers I know are out of high school, and probably are in their 20's, so why do we as WOMEN think that it's okay to break each other down still?  We should be building each other up, and supporting each other when we are down.  It's just so surprising to me how quick all of us are to judge.  I literally spend a good 5 minutes (way longer than it should take) analyzing whether or not I should put a picture up on instagram, just because I'm worried about what other people will think; asking myself questions like 'does my makeup look too dark' 'do my fingers look ugly' 'does this salad actually look good, or am I just super hungry', just because I'm worried what people will think when they look at my pictures.

And this has lead me to the main reason why I had to say good-bye to the twitter world once and for all, and this is me explaining my instagram handle as well, a slight disclaimer, if you will.  I AM BY NO MEANS PERFECT. Nope, not one bit.  I skip workouts, I eat candy....(a LOT of candy....it's probably actually not okay, at all...I may or may not be eating a mini 3 muskateers right now, and I have probably had four or five already today..don't judge me, that's the whole point of me telling you this), I get breakouts, I get super moody and get mad at little things for no apparent reason, I curse, I don't talk to my parents as much as I should, all of my friends stopped talking to me when I moved down here to Tennessee, I would much rather wear sweatpants and a t-shirt over a cute outfit any day, and I cry when I watch movies or TV shows....goodness some days I don't even brush my hair....and not one of you can say anything about anything that I just said, because I know for a fact that each and everyone of you do the exact. same. thing. My point is, I am not who I portrayed to be on the internet, I'm not all 'home cooked meals, cute outfits, starbucks every day' all the time.  That's just the portion of my life that I was choosing to share with you.  I don't go shopping all the time....I'm actually really broke, and should not be allowed inside a Target ever again, because I'll end up in the street if I spend another dime there..(that's an exaggeration, but you get my point.)

This has been a totally jumbled post, and I'm not even sure if it makes any sense, but it was just a bunch of stuff that I felt NEEDED to be put out there.  Us as WOMEN need to be building each other up..not tearing each other apart, and I STRONGLY urge you all to step away from your social media sites and ask yourselves if you're sharing who YOU really are.  ESPECIALLY those of you with anonymous accounts...you're the ones who truly can be yourselves, with out the judgement of others who may know you in real life.  If you can't just be yourself and let who you really are shine, you're going to have a really sad life.  I've been away from it for about 3 days now, and I already feel so SO much better about myself.  Even my boyfriend has said he's seen a change in me.

Now I'll leave you with this lovely un-edited picture of myself.  No makeup, no fancy hair, just me.

Stay Sweet,
xoxo
Summer (the not so perfect_belle)