GET SPRING-READY LEGS

ready or not, spring is here; & that means warmer weather, lots of cleaning, & the rebirth of short-shorts. though your legs may have been in hibernation all winter long, it's time to bare all & welcome the warm weather. 

here are a couple of steps i take to get my legs spring-ready: 

1. take a hot shower. allow the steam to get your skin ready for exfoliation & open up your hair follicles for a closer shave.

2. exfoliate. though i've been avoiding exfoliating regularly (i recently learned from my dermatologist exfoliating actually causes bumps on the skin to worsen) it's necessary after a long winter. i use the bath & shower gloves from eco tools.

3. shave. i looove this shaving cream from eos. it smells amazing + really softens your skin. i use it alongside my go-to razor, the venus embrace. oh & treat yourself to a fresh blade…you deserve it ;)

4. self-tan. this is totally optional (but then again all these steps are haha!) but personally it makes me feel much more confident. my favorite self-tanner is the jergens natural glow, both the regular daily moisturizer & the foaming daily moisturizer. i'm definitely on the paler side of things, but i use the medium to tan shade to speed up the process. oh & you can get away with putting this solely on your legs…that's usually what i do. 

self-tanning tips:

-shave + exfoliate before applying self tanner. doing it after can easily cause your skin to exfoliate & your tan to rub off.

-avoid "moisturizing" body wash. those creamy body washes…we all have them, but these can leave an invisible film on the skin that conflicts with self-tanner. be sure to use a body wash that isn't necessarily clear, but see through. (think bath & body works shower gel.)

-finally, use a moisturizer daily & avoid hot showers to keep your skin from drying/exfoliating & make your tan last longer. 

have a request for my next blog post? leave it below!

interested in seeing a more in-depth blog post on self-tanning or how i finally tamed the bumps (kp) on my skin? let me know below!

LOVING LATELY | MARCH

here's what i've been loving lately:

(for direct links to all products mentioned, be sure to click on the images above.)

1. maybelline baby skin instant pore eraser / feels soft on my skin + great to use as a foundation primer.

2. maybelline baby lips dr. rescue in 60 berry soft / current favorite lip product, perfect nudey-pink + acts as both chapstick & lipstick (i'm sold.)

3. urban decay eyeshadow in stray dog / my current go-to everyday eyeshadow, blends like butter, swipe it on the lid + under the lower lash line & you are g-to-g.

4. bath & body works foaming handsome soap in lemon mint leaf / makes my hands feel so clean + smells a-mazing.

5. lolita lempicka perfume / a perfume of mine i have rediscovered, a crisp floral scent with liqourice, violet, cherry, vanilla, etc.

6. eos pomegranate raspberry shave cream / feels so soft on my skin + smells absolutely delicious.

7. pink sugar hair perfume / another product i have rediscovered, leaves my hair smelling sweet as candy all day long. 

DIY MINI DESK CALENDAR

it's been too long since my last blog post but i feel like i'm coming back with a good one…i hope you feel the same!

i've been seeing these cute mini easels around a lot lately; every things cuter mini…or better bite size (but that's a different story.)

i wasn't quite sure what i could do with a mini easel but when i saw them for $1.99 at herwick's i decided to go ahead and buy one. on my way back home it hit me: a mini desk calendar!

this diy is incredibly simple & inexpensive + it makes the perfect addition to any desktop. lets get started:

you will need:
-1 mini easel (you can find these at herwick's, hobby lobby, etc. for a couple bucks)
-sheets of paper (cardstock is best but i used regular printer paper because it was what i had around)
-a paper cutter (scissors of course work too)
-microsoft word

1. begin by creating your calendars using microsoft word. it's extremely easy to do & totally customizable. however, if you don't think of yourself as tech-savy you could try your luck at finding pre-maid templates online.

here's a quick tutorial:
open microsoft word & select "file" > "new from template…"
select "calendars" under "my templates"
& choose the "banner calendar" style.

next, select the month from the drop-down menu for the calendar you would like to create.

now customize!
to change fonts simply select whatever text you would like to change & choose a new font. i used "the skinny" for the month titles & "basic title font" for the days of the week & numbers of the month.

you may notice a grey bar with text in another language (i have no idea what this is) to delete it, select the text & hit "delete" > "delete entire row."

finally, change the color of the green banner by selecting it & changing the color under "shading" under the "tables" tab.

simply repeat the process until you have completed all the calendars for the remaining months of the year. or just make a few for now & a few later as i did (laziness-haha!)

2. now print your calenders. be sure to scale the page in the print settings to make the calendars mini. to do this select "file" > "print..." > "page setup..." & scale by 50%

3. once your calendars are printed, cut them down using either a paper cutter or pair of scissors.

4. stack them on your mini easel & voila! a super simple mini desk calendar that only costs around $2 & adds a cute touch to your desktop!

lots of extra pics below☟

if you have questions be sure to leave them below!
& if you post a picture of this diy be sure to #diywithgrace so i can see it!

WHAT'S ON MY IPHONE

"what's on my iphone" has become a rather popular youtube video where guru's share...well, what's on their iphone, and though i may end up filming the video as well, i felt it would be a lot easier to share my favorite apps, current backgrounds, & phone case in blogger style.

let's start off with my phone case…

i'm absolutely in looove with this floral phone case from charlotte russe, it was a hand-me-down from my friend when she upgraded to iphone 5 (one day, one day…)

i much prefer a rubber phone case like this one. for whatever reason, i feel like they're more protective + they're super easy to clean. every now & then...okay, i'll be honest, everyday (i'm a bit major clean freak) i clean it with soap & warm water.

extra cleaning tip: i've become obsessed with cleaning my iphone 4 with clorox disinfecting wipes nearly every night. just think about all the places you set your phone throughout the day, the greasy table at a restaurant or dare i say the toilet paper dispenser in a public bathroom (ahhh!)
we're constantly touching our phones & then other parts of our body's (face, eyes, nose, mouth) or holding them directly to our faces during a phone call, keep those sucker's cleeeean!

& now for my current backgrounds…

lock screen background

home screen background

i found this floral image on pinterest & immediately pinned it to my spring inspiration board. i felt it was the perfect spring update for my phone…saved that sucker to camera roll & set as home screen in seconds.

for my lock screen, i used one of my favorite apps, "monogram it," to jazz up the floral pic with my monogram, can someone say "scuuute?" (if you recognized that reference, you're awesome!)

& finally, all my apps…

when i first unlock my phone, this is what i see. for the most part, i kept the apps in their original order, it just made sense to me. my calendar, clock, notes, reminders, maps, & passbook are grouped into one section, "productivity," & my contacts, calculator, compass, & voice memos are grouped into "utilities."

on the next "page," (not sure what it is actually called haha) i have all of my other apps. most are grouped into categories & the categories are in alphabetical order. single apps that did not seem to fit into a category are left alone & organized into alphabetical order after the categorized apps. the only exception is the last row of apps, where i placed direct links to my blog & youtube channel so i could access them easily.

the categorized apps will all be addressed separately & their info will be listed there. here is the info for the single apps so you may learn more about them & download them if you would like:

app? citi mobile
price? free
what do i use it for? checking my balance, transferring money from accounts, depositing checks.

app? couple - relationship app for two
price? free
what do i use it for? a fun way to chat with my boyfriend + send pictures, emoji's, doodle together, make to-do lists, etc.

app? game center
price? free (original iphone app)
what do i use it for? i don't! haha

app? blackboard mobile learn
price? free
what do i use it for? accessing my grades for my courses + course content like syllabi, documents, etc.

app? monogram it
price? $0.99
what do i use it for? making cute, customized iphone backgrounds like the one shown above.

coupons

app? coupons.com
price? free
what do i use it for? finding coupons in my area.

app? groupon
pirce? free
what do i use it for? finding coupons in my area.

app? retail me not coupons
price? free
what do i use it for? finding coupons in my area.

health

app? nike + ipod
price? free (original iphone app)
what do i use it for? i don't!

app? nike + running
price? free
what do i use it for? tracking the speed & distance of my runs, + playing music while i run.

app? period tracker
price? free for lite version or $1.99 for deluxe
what do i use it for? tracking my period, haha!

app? fitbit
price? free (use alongside fitbit flex)
what do i use it for? checking my progress, aka, how many steps i've taken & calories i've burned, how well i slept, how much water i've drank, etc.

music & video 

app? imdb
price? free
what do i use it for? looking up movie titles, actors & actresses, etc.

app? pandora
price? free
what do i use it for? listening to music when itunes just isn't cutting it or i'm feeling something different, haha! fav stations? big jet plane radio, mr. jones radio, tame impala radio, etc.

app? sound hound
price? free
what do i use it for? figuring the name/artist of any song that's playing…trust me, this comes in handy!

apps? videos
price? free (original iphone app)
what do i use it for? i don't! (notice a pattern?)

photo editing

app? bokeh cam fx
price? free
what do i use it for? putting bokeh on my photos.

app? bokeh pic
price? free
what do i use it for? putting even more bokeh on my photos, haha!

app? youtube capture
price? free
what do i use it for? filming youtube videos. this films full screen & in hd, highly recommend!

app? flipagram
price? free
what do i use it for? making fun photo collages set to music for instagram.

app? fotorus
price? free
what do i use it for? creating photo collages, + i love their filters.

app? pic stitch
price? free
what do i use it for? creating photo collages.

app? timer cam
price? free
what do i use it for? taking photos of myself non-selfie style haha. in other words, if i ever need to take a full photo of my outfit & no one is around to help, i use this self photo timer.

app? vsco cam
price? free
what do i use it for? editing my photos.

social media 

app? blogger
price? free
what do use it for? editing/reviewing blog posts & looking at my blog.

app? google +
price? free
what do i use it for? checking comments on my youtube channel, blog, & google+ page.

app? instagram
price? free
what do i use it for? editing & sharing photos for both my blog/youtube & personal instagram. & of course, looking at other's photos as well.

app? pinterest
price? free
what do i use it for? beauty, fashion, home, & lifestyle inspiration. i looove creating boards & discovering new pins.

app? polyvore
price? free
what do i use it for? creating amazingly simple photo collages, often for my blog.

app? twitter
price? free
what do i use it for? tweeting! haha & reading other's tweets

app? vine
price? free
what do i use it for? entertainment! haha, i love watching these before i go to bed.

app? youtube
price? free
what do i use it for? checking up on my channel & uploaded videos, + watching other's youtube videos.

store apps

app? haute look
price? free
what do i use it for? well for starters it feeds my shopping addiction, haha! each day their are new, discounted designer items to buy for women, men, kids, home, & beauty.

app? hobby lobby
price? free
what do i use it for? getting coupons to use whenever i am in the store, they always have a 40% off any regular-priced item coupon.

app? michael's
price? free
what do i use it for? getting coupons whenever i am in the store!

app? pink nation
price? free
what do i use it for? mainly to check to see if there are any available coupons when i am in the store, usually there are not…

video editing

app? clip stitch

price? free

what do i use it for? collaging photos & videos together.

app? splimage

price? free

what do i use it for? collaging videos together.

app? video collage

price? free

what do i use it for? collaging photos & videos together. 

phew! that's it, i think that was the longest blog post i've ever written haha! be sure to let me know you're favorite iphone apps in a comment below. 

SPRINGSPIRATION

i can't believe spring is almost here. i just finished up midterms & tomorrow marks my first official day of spring break. the weather here in texas has been crazy, last week was sunny & warm & i found myself in shorts & skirts but this week was cold & gloomy. i can't wait for spring to roll around & the weather to start warming up for good.

i've been gaining a ton of spring inspiration on pinterest lately & thought i'd share some of my favorite photos i've discovered & thought's on this year's spring trends. for more springspiration follow my "spring" board on pinterest here.

1. tulips tulips tulips…

tulips are my absolute favorite flower at the moment & i say this because i am also impartial to gerber daisies. nothing says spring quite like a fresh bouquet of flowers & i'll certainly be adding a brightly colored tulip or two to my bedroom; i love the way the arrangement of white tulips livens up the room in the photo above.

photo creds: 1 & 2

2. skater skirts…

my hunt for springspiration turned up a multitude of vibrant skater skirts & i have a feeling these will be a major trend for spring 2014. shorter skirts in fun, bright colors seem to be the most popular, & as far as i'm concerned, the poofier, the better. dress one down for lunch with friends or dress one up for the perfect girly date look or easter sunday ensemble.

photo creds: 3 & 4

3. pastels…

a spring staple. i am in love with essie nail polishes & these pastel shades are really catching my eye. one of my all time favorites? essie's "bikini so teeny." but pastels for spring definitely don't stop at your finger tips, those pastel earrings are the perfect touch to a spring outfit or pairing to a little white dress & i cannot wait to add some pretty pastel throw pillows to my white bed.

photo creds: 5 & 6

4. florals…

it comes as no surprise that florals will be a trend for spring 2014. floral printed tops, pants, skirts, etc. add an instant touch of spring to any outfit while fresh flowers liven up any room. & don't forget to give your phone a little spring update, i'm currently sporting this floral background & this coordinating phone case in white.

photo creds: 7



*if you are the owner of any of the photos used above do not hesitate to contact me. i would love to provide the proper link to content if necessary & give credit where credit is due; i did so to the best of my availability.

SPRING & SUMMER BRIGHTS | 2013

before we get into spring 2014 beginning this wednesday, let's take a look back at last year's spring trends & must-have products.

spring & summer 2013 was all about the bright colors. hair chalking became a major trend & pink, purple, and blue hair is even more popular today. bright colored nail polish is another trend from last year that is likely to stick around for a while. essie's "playdate," "avenue maintain," & "madison ave-hue" were a few of my favorite polishes from last year. bright shadows were also seen a lot like this pink nars duo in "bouthan."

and for last year's must-have spring products? this limited edition marc jacobs daisy sunshine perfume and lily pulitzer + estee lauder gift set were a couple of my favs.

let me know what spring 2013 trends you're hoping to see again this year in a comment below, & check back on wednesday for more spring inspiration.

FEBRUARY IN PHOTOS

here's a look at my month of february in photos.
from left to right…
1. i filmed a valentine's day makeup tutorial.
2. i wore this outfit featuring my zara skirt & new forever21 booties.
3. i bought a cupcake from hey cupcake! in atx.
4. henry made his way back onto my bed.
5. i snapped this pic during my visit to hey cupcake!
6. & i snapped this photo from my v-day makeup tutorial.
7. we enjoyed one of the warmer days of the month.
8. we discovered taco shack in atx & boy was it delicious, mmm mmm.
9. my bedroom got a little v-day makeover.

& that's it, a quick look at the past month according to my iphone, what was your favorite thing you did/accomplished this month?