Allena Mistral . The Blog

I've Moved

2014-01-27T00:13:00.000-05:00

Hey all! I've moved to Wordpress! Please change your GFC follow to a Bloglovin' follow to continue to get posts from me! :)

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5 Ways to Instantly Be More Confident

2014-01-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

Have you ever gone through your day and just felt a little off because you weren't feeling confident? C'mon, ladies, you're fabulous and you need to know this! But if you're ever feeling a little down because you're lacking some confidence, here are my tips for instantly becoming more confident.

1 /// Look up some motivational statements or mantras

Hell, look through my Motivation Mondays if you want! Just find something that resonates with you about how fabulous you are! Because let me tell you, you. are. fabulous. Now, put this as your phone background or print it out and hang it in your kitchen or bathroom. See it over and over and you'll be feeling like a friggin' super star in no time!

2 /// Call your bestie

Your bestie will help, I promise. There's a reason that they love you and that you are besties, so obviously, if you call and say "I'm not feeling confident, tell me why I'm awesome," they're gonna be like, "well, first you're MY bestie. But other than that, you're pretty, smart, sweet..." and the list will go on. Just don't do this too much or you'll come off as super needy (although, it's your bestie, so they should love you no matter what!)

3 /// Smile and tell yourself you're awesome

Happy people tend to be more confident overall. Smiling is actually a great way to make yourself happy. If you smile, you're body thinks your happy and will start actually making you happy! It's a weird phenomenon, but it works. If you tell yourself you're awesome, soon enough, you'll start to believe it! Keep doing it and in no time, you'll be ready to take on the world!

4 /// Make a personal resumé

This does not have to be anything you show to anyone, but make a list of things you are good at and talents you have. Can you knit? Cool, write it down. Can you play the saxophone? Fabulous, write it down. Can you lick your elbow with your tongue? First, take a picture and send it to me and then write it down. Think of any random, awesome thing you've learned to do over the years and write it down! This will show you how awesome you are and how much stuff you know how to do! If you're a graphic designer, first, put that on there and then make your resumé super cool looking!

5 /// Wear some sexy lingerie

It doesn't even matter if anyone but you is going to see it, but when I'm wearing cute underwear, I instantly feel more confident! Look at yourself in the mirror and say, "da-yum, I look good!" A great bra and some panties will instantly make you feel better about yourself.

Want a giftcard so that you can go get some cute lingerie? Maeg from The Modern Tulip and a few of us other ladies are giving away a gift card to help you get your confidence up (and/or get some great lingerie to show off on Valentine's Day next month).

Allena Mistral // Elle Sees // A Little Too Jolley

The Modern Tulip // Happy Is A Choice // Yellow Mango Life // Sweet Southern Sparkle

a Rafflecopter giveaway

4 Tips To Make Better Friends In The Blog World + A Giveaway

2014-01-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

So you've started blogging and you're saying, "how do I make this shiz grow??" Almost all of us started with the goal of writing, but it's always nice to get a bit of validation for your efforts! Like when Lauren told me I've been a blogging superstar as of late (which I still don't believe but whatever!) I was so super stoked! That extra bit of encouragement is sometimes all you need. Well guess what! Other ladies need it too! But you can't get feedback or interact with other bloggers without doing a little networking! So below are my 4 tips for networking around blogland.

1 /// Comment on Other Blogs

Okay, yes, this is a relatively obvious one and probably the first one that anyone tells you, so I promise they'll get less repetitive as the time goes on. Just bare (bear?) with me! No clue on that one. Sorry, I'm usually so good with homonyms! Frankly, commenting is the number one way to get your blog noticed. I know it can be frustrating to not get a response sometimes, but keep commenting. Some people are busy and, even more so, some people don't know that you won't see their threaded comment reply in blogger. Just keep commenting. Make friends!

Here's my fine print. Make sure that your comments are meaningful and show that you read the post that you're commenting on. Most bloggers really hate seeing something in their inbox along the lines of "Cool post! I'm your newest follower! Follow me back!" This shows no effort to tailor your comment to the post and almost feels like you copied and pasted. Being personable is important.

2 /// Join a Blogger Happy Hour

Last Thursday, I hung out with 9 lovely ladies from blogland in a Blogger Happy Hour hosted by Erin and co-hosted by Helene. Not only did I get to drink with two of my favorite bloggers (and really, who can top that??) but I got some great blogging advice AND personally met 7 other lovely blog ladies that I didn't really know before that night! The nice thing is that these ladies will not all be in your "blogging circle," so you really get a chance to see some totally new faces. This will also go a long way in you getting to know them on a more personal level. Way more interaction when you're talking face to face than through email! This event is highly recommended by me.

3 /// Find a Local Blogging Group

About a month ago, I found the Northeast Bloggers Network and I'm so excited to be a part of the community! I became fast friends with some of the ladies and it's a much smaller group than all of blog land, so you really get a chance to get to know them on a better level without feeling overwhelmed. Bonus points for this one because you can schedule blates!

4 /// Sponsor People

This one is huge! Get your name out there! The best way to do this (if you have a little cash) is to go big or go home and actually pay for sponsorships that put you front and center (aka a guest post or some sort of blog mention), but if you can't afford these options or are too nervous right now to write a guest post, no biggie! A lot of blogs offer sponsor swaps that you can get in on by just putting your button on their sidebar as well! This is a really great way to get to know people because many bloggers make it a point to read all of their sponsors' posts for the month.

Speaking of sponsors, today I want to introduce you to two lovely ladies and Catie has been so generous as to give one lucky reader some earrings and ad space!

shop /// blog /// facebook /// instagram /// pinterest /// twitter

blog /// facebook /// instagram /// twitter /// pinterest

Go check out these lovelies and enter to win earrings, ad space and some Allena Mistral jewelry credit!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Understated Glam

2014-01-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Understated: presented or expressed in a subtle and effective way. Most of the time, you don't need to be wearing something the size of a Flavor Flav chain to get noticed. Sometimes, a really great pendant can do just the trick!

Don't get me wrong, I love some big statement necklaces sometimes, but most of the time, I'm really looking for something less in your face. That doesn't mean you have to sacrifice style, though! In fact, I have a lot of really great, smaller pieces that can put some statement necklaces to shame! So today, I'm sharing some great understated, yet still glamorous pieces. What I love about these is that you can dress them up or dress them down. They'll finish off any outfit with color or metal, a dash of personality and you won't blind your neighbor with your bling!

1 /// Tiny Facet Necklace with Moss Aquamarine by Hannah Blount
2 /// Gold Filled Triangle Necklace by Pamela Curran Designs
3 /// Rough Cut Aquamarine Necklace by Iridonousa
4 /// Raw Amethyst Druzy Pendant by LovGeo Boutique Jewelry
5 /// Venitian Murano Tricolor Glass Necklace by Leeski
6 /// Virgo Zodiac Pendant by BlyDesign
7 /// Gold Plated Triangle Necklace by Marren Handmade Jewelry
8 /// Large Porcelain Crystal Necklace with Platinum by Red Raven Studios

So which ones are your favorites?

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5 Things You Didn't Know About Me (I'm Sharing Because I Love You)

2014-01-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome to all of you coming over from The Modern Tulip! I'm so excited to have you here and for those of you who have been around for a while, I'm guest posting on Maeg's blog today, so you should definitely go check her out! I thought that it might be a good idea today to list some random facts about me that the majority of blogland doesn't know. That way, not only are my new BFFs going to learn something, but my old BFFs will learn something too!

1) I raced quarter midgets when I was little. These are cars that run on lawn mower engines and, when you're six, you feel like a bad ass going 35 MPH.

2) When I was racing, I had a Pink Power Ranger flame retardant suit. Yes, I was the coolest. If you're really good, maybe I'll have my parents dig out an old photo.

3) During my few year racing stint, I flipped my car on a wall and held the record for highest skid mark for a good 3 years. This statement now does not have the same meaning, so I don't share this accomplishment often.

4) I used to host karaoke. You never knew what you were going to get, but if you go in with a good attitude, it was always entertaining!

5) I love brussels sprouts. Honestly, I was that kid who hated anything green when I was younger, but now that I actually like vegetables, brussels sprouts are one of my faves! Maybe I'll give you all a recipe soon so that you can love them too!

What are some things that blogland doesn't know about you?

Have I told you guys lately how much I love you? No? Well, I do!! Without you guys, I'd be pointlessly writing stuff that no one would ever read! I wanted to give something back, so I decided that I would borrow an idea from Why Girls Are Weird (hope you don't mind, Krysten!) and giveaway a free ad space to one of you lovely readers! I just changed the names of all of my ad spaces to jewelry this weekend (because really, who doesn't want to be called a statement necklace for a month!) so this is for the Bangle Bracelet spot. I'm giving away 3 spots to you ladies because you are all my favorites!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks again for being such fabulous readers!

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Lucky it Happened on Sunday...

2014-01-20T08:27:00.000-05:00

Howdy, lovelies! I'm very much in need of today's motivation! It's been a weekend! Well, actually, just a Sunday, but I'll get in to that in a minute.

Why did I break from Marilyn this week to give you a completely made up quote by yours truly? Well, it all started around 3pm yesterday...

I was sitting on my couch working away and being ~~super~~ productive when my A/C unit started making funny noises. I texted R and asked if it making funny noises was a bad thing. Obviously, I'm very good at being descriptive about my problems! When he didn't respond, I walked over to my A/C unit and saw water coming up out of the carpet. Now, I'm no construction expert, but I do know that water coming up out of the carpet tends to be a bad thing. So what do I do? Well, knowing that I'm not personally allowed to call building maintenance, I call my landlord. Good news, she responded and called the building, but apparently, because I called her, they didn't think it was much of an emergency. Oops!

At this point, I'm a bit nervous. So I pull out my trusty camera phone and start taking a series of pictures to document the newly drenched carpet. Eventually, I prove that this is worth calling building maintenance (yea, I'm persuasive!) and the guy comes in and starts kinda freaking out once he gets the panel off because look at the gushing water coming out of my pipes!

Top left: pipe burst gushing
Top right: look, my A/C unit's on the floor!
Bottom right: still working and the floor is now more like a puddle than carpet
Bottom left: this is what started the whole thing

Frankly, at this point, I was relieved! Why? Because this was the point where I said ~~I have renter's insurance~~ a roof over my head! They figured out what was wrong and, yes, I'm walking around on wet carpets until they come to dry them out today (and I'm missing work because of this, good or bad, you decide), but really, I'm lucky! This could have been way worse! What would have happened if the pipe burst when I was out of town or when I had gone to work for a long day? I was home, it only took 3 hours to stop the leak and I didn't have to go to a hotel (although my apartment has a seriously burnt rubber smell that I'm still not accustom to after more than 12 hours of it)!

So frankly, rather than being motivational today, I'm going to be thankful. What are you thankful for?

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My New Fashion Mantra

2014-01-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

I have a new fashion mantra. Is mantra the right word?? I don't even care. Very often, I will find myself putting on an outfit, looking at it, and then saying, "yea, this is okay." WHAT?? Okay?? An outfit shouldn't be okay! I should be stoked to be walking out of the house in the morning. Like head held high, chest out, shoulders back stoked! I mean, really, why would I want to leave the house in something that is just okay?

Hopefully this means more fashion posts around here. It's not really easy for me to just head out of my apartment, set my tripod up and shoot some pictures, nor do I have a great background in my apartment, but I'm going to give it a shot! This new mantra will also be a great way for me to try new combos for my clothes (Mix it Mondays anyone??) so I'm super excited about what's to come. In fact, here's a little outfit for you that I'll be wearing today!

The light in my apartment is not really conducive to pictures

What do you guys think?

I realized today that I've been eating like crap and have not been working on last week's accomplished goal as much, so I've decided I need two full weeks to form my habits. Alas, I just put too much on my plate, so this coming week, I'll still be focusing on 5 servings of fruits and veggies and Facebook posting. The good news is that the Facebook posting has been coming along great! haha I think I've just been a bit distracted this week (i.e. I tried to put the milk away in my cabinet this morning. Glad I caught myself because that could have been really gross!)

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Pictures that Never Made Instagram

2014-01-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

I'm seriously at a loss for words right now because of how crazy this work week has been. Some days, you just need to throw up pictures and call it a day, so here are some pictures that are awesome but never made it to my instagram.

Took some more photos of some of my work this weekend and haven't gotten a chance to edit the photos yet.

This is the park outside of my apartment complex. Between the park and those buildings in the Charles :) I love where I live!

Cocktails 101! I'm learning to be a bartender (really, it's just for myself) but we made daiquiris and margaritas this week!

What do you do when you have an unknown sample and want to test for hydroxides? Add a heavy metal, of course! In hindsight, picking a different metal might have been a good idea. But it precipitated, so it was definitely there!

How is your week going? Are you ready for Friday?

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Pretty Posts

2014-01-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

Honestly, I don't change my earrings nearly enough. I'm not much of a dangle fan because they tend to get too heavy. I'll definitely wear them, but I prefer posts because it's very hard to make them sinking earlobe weight! This week, I decided to share 8 different post earrings with you guys that I love!

1 || Monogram Post Earrings by Elizajay Charm
2 || Pearl Stud Earrings with Barnacles by Hannah Blount Jewelry
3 || Giraffe Stud Earrings by ZooZ Jewelry
4 || Tiny Bar Stud Earrings by Virginia Wynne Jewelry
5 || Raw Amethyst Stud Earrings by Anouk Jewelery
6 || Leaf Vein Texture Heart Studs by Cinnamon Jewelry
7 || Pink Seersucker Anchor Fabric Earrings by B Three Button Earrings
8 || Tiny Heart Stud Earrings by Cook On Strike

Which ones are your favorites?

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Ambition

2014-01-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday, everyone! As always, I'm back with some Monday motivation for you all. Ambition is one of those things I struggle with. Ambition brought me all the way across the country, away from my family, away from my friends and away from R. I have to keep reminding myself that ambition is a good thing.

I had to push it. I had to be ambitious and move across the country for school. Ambition is important and I am an ambitious person.

Are you ambitious?

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What's in a Font? Plus an Update

2014-01-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

Before everyone chastises me for using Comic Sans, I swear I have a point! I used six very different fonts in this image to get the point across that fonts are pretty dang important when we're choosing anything written, aka our blog designs. Each one of these six fonts gives a completely different feel to the story I'm telling. The top one is Amatic SC and, to me, signifies a fun, and personal font. This isn't a font that a huge corporation would use lightly. This is a typical blogging font that you see. The second and third are Blackjack and Channel respectively. Both are cursive handwriting fonts, but to me, Channel feels more refined while blackjack feels more young. The fourth is Cooperplate Gothic Bold. This feels super cold to me. It's totally useable, but I would need something like Channel to warm it up, otherwise my blog would start feeling like a corporation. The fifth one is Dearest. This one is totally fun and old world-y to me. I absolutely love it! Probably not the best font for a blog though.

What exactly does your blog's font say about you? Take a look at it and see how it makes you feel. Having a hard time doing that while looking at your header? Open up a word document and type some nonsense and see what you get. Not what you were hoping to give off? Make some changes. Your blog is your space and the fonts should reflect you!

I now give to you the actual reason I wrote this post: Comic Sans MS. Someone (and I honestly can't remember who, but if you claim this idea, I will credit you) said that we should have a sarcastic font. I believe it should be Comic Sans. Let's say you absolutely hate peas and carrots. You're writing a blog post about peas and carrot and you want to show your disdain for them. So you write I love peas and carrots. and all is now right with the world.

What are you favorite and least favorite fonts?

Last week, I told you all about my weekly goals and invited you to link up. I'm happy to report that I'm doing pretty darn well with the 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day! Not amazing, but I'm getting there! I'm probably averaging about 3 per day, but this is a substantial increase from where I started, seriously! I'll have to start adding in exercise soon, too!

This week, I'm adding in posting on Facebook (ugh, Facebook!) daily. Not my personal page, but my blog/business page :)

How are you all doing on your goals? Link up! I'd love to see :)

Speaking of exercise, I'm off to get a FaceTime/online workout video date in with R!

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Why My Ovaries Can Just Stop Working for Now

2014-01-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

That may have been the absolute strangest title that I have used on this here piece of the internet ever, but it basically work. For those of you who don't know, I was born in 1988 which makes me 25. Some places have stopped carding me for liquor. I'm telling myself that this has to do with the fact that I eat at more upscale places (solely because I am now more picky about food, not because I have the budget for it) and not that I'm starting to look like I'm definitely 25.

So it's a few months old, but I was warm. I miss the sun! Also, you should never take a picture of a half drank frappuchino. That looks gross!

Anyway, I'm 25. I understand that in some cultures and religions, this is old maid status and if it had been up to my grandma, I would have been a part of one of said religions and likely been married with 3 children by now, but I'm not. I'm a happy, moderately successful 25 year old who is no where near ready for children. (PS, grandma is very proud, despite me not going to church with her) So why does Facebook make me feel like I shouldn't be happy where I am? Oh, that's right, because bunches of people who are younger than me are getting married and having babies. And Facebook, oh that wonderful social networking site, they just want to throw it in your face! The little heart pops up on the right with a message saying "so and so got engaged to so and so" and then I proceed to wonder if I have too many Facebook friends or if I'm just at that age where approximately 5 couples a week that you know are getting engaged.

I'm happy for you, really, I just feel like I'm still too damn young for that! And then, there's the real kicker, the babies! Babies having babies! Okay, maybe I just haven't grown up because, at 25, I willfully subject myself to regular tongue lashings and excessive work hours to get a measly pay so that I can eventually get a PhD. That does not make me an adult. I'm still a student! Maybe it's because my dishes are piled up to the point where I can't put any more in the sink. That's my next task after I write this, pinky swear! Maybe it's because I put exclamation points at the end of ever sentence I write so that I can convey how flippin' excited I am to be writing the sentence! Whatever it is, I feel too young to be a mother, so Facebook, stop sending me family planning app suggestions!!!!

No, Facebook, I didn't because I don't have one!!

Rant over. Happy Alli back tomorrow, promise!

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Radiant Orchid

2014-01-08T07:30:00.000-05:00

It's been three weeks since I've posted a What I Want Wednesday (my version of the ever so popular WIWW blogger acronym). Since a lot of you are new here, let me explain. I. LOVE. JEWELRY. All styles, all colors. If I could have a limitless supply of jewelry, I totally would! But sadly, I can't, so I spent every Wednesday lusting over beautiful, handmade jewelry pieces and share them all with you! Why handmade specifically? Because as a handmade jewelry designer myself, I believe in the power of the handmade community. I think it's so special to have a little piece of someone's heart that you can wear around your neck or wrist. Handmade artists put their heart and soul in to their work and it shows in the quality and uniqueness of what they make.

So this week, I decided that I would go with the Pantone color of the year! Since it's the first WIWW of the new year, this seemed very fitting. Here are some of my picks for jewelry that incorporate the pantone color of the year!

1) Amethyst Bangle Bracelet by Kmi Designs
2) Sterling Silver Necklace with Amethyst by Efrat Jewelry
3) Radiant Orchid Statement Necklace by IKKX (This one has a really cool metal bead in it that I wasn't able to get in the picture, so I highly recommend checking out the pictures on the listing!)
4) Geometric Cage Necklace by Austin Modern
5) Radiant Orchid and Gold Statement Necklace by Crave Jewels
6) Ombre Dangle Earrings by Solar Bird
7) Radiant Orchid Dangle Earrings by Sharon Clancy Designs
8) Purple Swarovski Crystal Bracelet by Bunique Beads

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The Best Damn Ways to Enjoy the Bus

2014-01-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

If you are one of those cool people who gets to drive to work daily and pahk ya cahr in the Harvahd Yahd, then this post is probably not for you. But stick around because these tips will be helpful for that one day when you're a passenger in a really awkward road trip and you don't want to talk to anyone else in the car. Trust me, it will happen. Plus some of these are just general get through your commute tips. You're welcome!

Bloglovin

You're a blogger, I'm a blogger and what do bloggers do best? Read other blogs! If you're finding it hard to keep up with your bloglovin' feed, I've now given you extra time during your commute. You're welcome. PS, this tip comes with the stipulation that you should not follow this tip if you are actually driving a vehicle. Shouldn't need to be said, but just in case, I'm giving it to you.

Audio Books

Saw the Hunger Games and going "yea, I really need to read that book"? Ain't nobody got time fo' that! (Am I too late to use that reference?) Audiobooks are fabulous! Just be aware that if you decide to read the Hunger Games, Audible will make you feel bad about yourself by saying "welcome to Audible for Kids." Yea, I'm 25 and still a child. It is what it is.

Netflix or Hulu

Have a metric ass ton of data from your cell provider? Why not watch TV on your way to work. You get to watch your favorite shows and still make it to work and bed on time. Bonus points if you start yelling at the housewives on the bus and make everyone stare awkwardly at you!

Pandora

Like music more than anything else? Pandora's app is free and you can listen anywhere. Put a J. Lo station on and start shaking your booty on the bus. Be careful not to get to close to old, creepy man. It will not end well for you. Again, bonus points if you start ChaCha-ing through the bus to a seat.

People Watching

Who doesn't love a good people watching session. This is the one I do when I grabbed everything I own on my way out the door and now have zero hand space to pick up my phone. This can be fun and informative. Looking for a job? Eves drop on conversations about what's going on in your city. Or you could just make a bus friend!

What else do you do on the bus to pass the time?

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I'd Like to Think I'm a Smart Girl

2014-01-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday! Today marks my first day back in to full on work week. Hence, I need some extra motivation today! Since I've still sorta been on vacation mode for the last week, my planner looks sadly bare and I'm not actually sure where to begin with my life. Massive brain dump of stuff to do! Buuuuuutttttttttttt I know I can do it! Because I'm smart and Marilyn Monroe says I have no limits!

I should probably have some limits... Like living within the law and things, but you all get the idea!

Happy Monday! How are you going to push yourself past your limits (in a good way) this week?

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January Healthy Habits

2014-01-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday! Today marks the very first link up for the healthy habits. I'm super excited to be starting this because, let's be honest, we need more health in our lives! I'm not just talking about physical health either! Mental health is important too. Want to get healthy with me? There's no better time than the present.

In January, I have a few goals for each week to get me on the right track for being healthy:

Week 1: Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily

I know I said they didn't have to be health related, but this is a serious one that I really want to work on! I've been working on this already, but this one will starts today and I will make sure that I get my 5 servings in! It's gonna happen, y'all!

Week 2: Post on blog Facebook daily

Okay, this sounds like a horrible goal, but I really want to force myself to post on my blog Facebook daily. I'm horrible at posting on it. The last post has to have been from almost a month ago. It's time to actually use my social media outlets! That being said, I actually strive to not be on my personal Facebook so much...

Week 3: At least 30 minutes on the jewelry daily

During the week, I'm really bad at giving myself time for my creative outlet, so I'm going to make sure that I give myself enough time for it. I deserve it! This, of course, will be on top of the work that I do on weekends.

Week 4: Exercise at least 30 minutes a day

If you knew me in high school, you would have know a girl who loved to get off her butt and work out. Now, I can't seem to find the motivation, so I actually need to add this in here. Not only will this help me with my overall health, but if I make it a dance related workout, it will strengthen me for ballroom!

Week 5: Send a note a week to a good friend

I've always wanted to be that girl that makes everyone smile. I love knowing that something I did made another person happy! And no one ever gets good snail mail anymore! It's always crappy junk mail! So I'm going to try to send a hand written letter every week to a good friend. Whether it's a birthday card or a full on note will depend on the week, but I want to try to do snail mail again. Keep USPS in business! haha

Since I'm starting in January, we actually have five weeks this month! Extra time for goal setting! WIN! I was once told that it took 11 days of doing something to turn it in to a habit, so I really do think I can do this! Focus on two goals a week basically and then, it will be habit!

Are you ready for the getting healthy challenge? Start your healthy habits list today!

I know, rules suck, but to link up:

follow Allena Mistral via GFC or bloglovin'
link up to your post (not your whole blog)
and add this here button :)

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How to Make Friends in a New City

2014-01-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

So you just moved to a new city and you really want to find some epically awesome girlfriends to share a bottle of wine with. How in the hell do you find new people to hang out with? Well, today I have a few tips on how to find fun people to hang out with for you.

Work Friends

Assuming you're working a 9-5, you'll be hanging out with these people for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. That's a lot of friend time! There has to be at least one person you can hang out with at work who isn't creepy or smells bad. Plus, psychology says that the more you're forced to interact with someone, the more you'll like them! So interact at work and try to find your next bestie.

Bonus if they're willing to play water gun Charlie's Angels with you!

Public Transit

Now, I'm not saying find the homeless guy who's swinging off his chair and yelling at the guy at the other end of the car and befriend him (homeless guy in story based on actual events), but you can meet some really great people on public transit. Best kind of public transit to meet people on? A commuter bus! The people on this bus will likely not be bums (because they're commuting to work) and, if you find a 20-something or even a 30-something on this bus, you'll have a ton to talk about. Bonus points if you're commuting too! That makes your commute eight thousand times better! How do you start a public transit friendship? It helps to carry a really cool mug with you. The cool ones will talk to you. Let me tell you, public transit has made me a lot of friends!

The Bar

Okay, I'm not much for bars anymore (because I'm like a flippin' grandma at 25), but if you are, this is a great place to meet friends. Like to play pool? Go to a bar with a table and join a game with people who look cool. Like karaoke? Sit at the karaoke bar on a Monday night while doing homework and sing your heart out when it's your turn. You'll meet cool karaoke people. (again, based on true events. I'm all about really helping you find your new friend). Like being on the water? Hit up a booze cruise and find a friend. You've got tons of options people!

Get up and sing your heart out! But try to do your hair a little bit better than I did here...

Community College

Okay, if you're actually in college, then just use your classes for this one, but if you're not, take a class! Community colleges offer so many different types of classes, you're bound to find one that sounds awesome to you! Want to learn how to paint? There's a class for that. Want to learn how to make nude sculptures? There's a class for that. Want to do underwater basket weaving? There's probably not a class for that, but you can sure look! Find something that interests you and take the class! Then find cool people to talk to!

Just Talk!

This is, honestly, my #1 tip for making friends. Now don't run around talking like a crazy person, but in order to find a new friend, you have to talk to people. There's no way to make friends without getting to know someone, so just talk to people! Ask them about their life because people love talking about themselves!

Every friend I made in Paris is from either just talking to someone on the stoop of my building or public transit!

So what tips do you have for making friends?

Happy New Year!

2014-01-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

Happy 2014 everyone!!! Maybe if I keep writing 2014 here, I won't write the date as 2013 in May like I normally do. Today is the first day of the new year and even though I don't make resolutions, I've decided that it's time to kick my butt in to gear and get healthier. This is not all about physical health (although that is a lot of it) but really just a healthy life!

I want to create healthy habits for myself in all the areas of my life in 2014. How am I going to do this, you ask? (No one actually asked, but I'm going to tell you anyway) With a blog feature. Ha! That's the only way I'm going to force myself to do it. Each week, I'm going to add one more healthy habit in one of the five main areas of my life (personal, school, teaching, dance and my business). I'm going to blog about it on the first Friday of every month (and maybe more Fridays as well) and make it a link up. Every first Friday, I'll set my goals for the month and let you know about the progress of last month so that I keep myself on track. Feel free to join! The more healthy things we make a habit, the better our lives will be!

So what am I starting with? An actual health related goal: getting at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. More on this on Friday! :)

Are you trying to get healthy for the new year? How so?

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No Regrets for the New Year

2013-12-31T09:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Motivation Monday on a Tuesday. I got a little wrapped up in hanging out with Ryan this weekend and didn't get any of my blog posts up... I'm really great at following my own advice, right? Well, it's okay. Whenever you fall behind, pick yourself back up and start again!

Today, I want to talk to you a bit about regret.

Honestly, going back in my life, there are very few moments I would change. I've learned something from everything that has happened to me. The lessons may not have all come quickly, but at least they came. So (with the risk of sounding like a total sappy person), I live my life with no regret. Why? Because I love who I am today, and I wouldn't change that person for the world. Do I wish that person had a bit more money to go eat at Chipotle whenever she wanted, yes! But I love me. So no regrets!

Let's try to live our life without regret in the new year, because regret holds us back. It tells us we should have done things differently and that makes you question yourself. Love yourself for who you are now, no regrets needed!

Happy NYE! How are you spending tonight?

Make sure you visit Allena Mistral and check out my jewelry! It makes great holiday gifts.

How to Look Super on Top of Your Life

2013-12-27T10:00:00.000-05:00

*Note, although this is "Blogging for Bloggers," these tips on time management could be helpful for you no matter what group you fall under*

Scheduling. It's something most of us dread, but time management is key for the busy working girl. Whether you're a small business owner who blogs, a student who blogs, a SAHM who blogs or really, anyone who blogs, you've probably got a lot on your plate. So today, I'm going to give you guys some of my tips for looking like you're a super productive person in the face of everything else you could be doing.

Write it Down

If you're doing much in your life, it's likely that you have a ton of things to do. My brain can't process all of the things I need to do at once, so I forget A LOT of things. Without paying a butt load of money to Lumosity or some other service like that, I don't think this fact is going to change, so I write everything down. Every week, I make a to-do list with the five categories of things I do (yea, I'm busy) and keep this in my planner. I make little check boxes next to them because I like seeing my progress. As new tasks come up, they get added to the list. This is the only way I can keep track of everything I need to do!

Schedule Your Time

However you feel that you need to schedule things to keep you on track is the best way to do it. I actually have two schedules. The first place events go in my schedule is in to the calendar in my phone. This syncs with google so I can get my calendar wherever I am as long as I have an internet connection. If an appointment is not in this calendar, I'm very likely to forget about it. The second place that I schedule is in my Erin Condren planner. I flippin' love this thing! I need to actually physically see my schedule, so every day, I write out what my day will look like, including filling my free time with tasks or personal time.

Don't Feel Obligated To Write Daily

This is your little space on the internet and blogging shouldn't feel like a chore. If it does, you're doing something wrong. You do not, by any means, need to write daily for any reason. That being said...

Set a Blogging Schedule and Stick to it!

You should make sure that if you're not writing daily, you have a set schedule of when your posts will go up. Feel like you can only crank out three posts a week? Schedule then for Monday, Wednesday and Friday. No one will complain about extra posts, but people like to know when they can expect to see something from you. Consistency in your schedule is key to getting your content out there. Not everyone uses a blog feed, so some people rely on your schedule to tell them when you'll be posting. You want to keep these people coming back! These blog fans are not the fair-weather type. They'll

Schedule Your Posts

This is not something for everyone, but if you're super busy and blogging is not your chosen profession, you may not have time to crank out a post every day. I try to have posts done for the week by the end of the weekend. This doesn't always happen and I usually leave at least one open (aka Friday) for things that I find throughout the week like link-ups I want to participate in or fun surveys I've been tagged in. If you really wanna be ambitious, just tack those things on top of your other posts. Write two posts in a day if you want!

Blogger has a nifty little scheduler tool on the right hand side that lets you schedule when you want your post to be read. If you do this, I highly recommend paying attention to your traffic stats. Play with the time that your post goes live so that you get the most views. It's not going to make a difference to you in terms of work whether your post goes live at 6 am or 8 am, but it will make a difference to your reader and your page views. I know I always read my bloglovin' feed on my way to work in the morning and home in the evening, so if you want me to read your post, something right before 8 am or 5 pm (assuming I work a 9-5 which is anything but true) would be the best time to get me to read it if I'm your target audience.

This post was set to go live on Dec 27th at 8am, but I actually wrote most of it at 7am on Dec 24th. Yay for not procrastinating!

Take Some Me Time

Productivity is all about getting things done, but most of us can't do that if we're not taking care of ourselves. Take some me time every day, even if it's just to read through a gossip magazine before you go to bed. You'll thank yourself for the time and people who are less stressed have many benefits, including living longer and looking better. Don't we all want to do that?

What tips do you use to stay on top of it all? What other things would you like to know about blogging or design?

Make sure you visit Allena Mistral and check out my jewelry! It makes great holiday gifts.

Flash Sale

2013-12-26T10:00:00.000-05:00

Hey all, just dropping in to give you an after Christmas special!

50% off all ad spots on Allena Mistral until the end of the year with code SNOWPARTY

I'll be back tomorrow with some time management tips, but for now, I'm gonna go hang out on the beach!

Make sure you visit Allena Mistral and check out my jewelry! It makes great holiday gifts.

Merry Christmas!!

2013-12-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas (or Happy Holidays to be super politically correct!)

I hope you all have a wonderful day celebrating with family and friends! WIWW will be back next week, promise!

Make sure you visit Allena Mistral and check out my jewelry! It makes great holiday gifts.

Seeing the Country, One Airport at a Time...

2013-12-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

I feel like I always have the worst luck getting to Florida from Arizona. In February when I came out for a friend's wedding, it took a good 23 hours to get from home to St. Augustine and this time, it took 29 hours and 4 flights in total.

But it's soooo worth it!

We got to the airport and started singing the vacation song

We're goin' on vacation, leavin' right away, if it doesn't rain, we'll stay all day! Did you pack the sunscreen?

Aw crap, I knew I forgot something! Heading to sunny Florida without sunscreen... bad plan!

We were going from Phoenix to Ft. Walton Beach, FL, so we, of course, had a layover. We got to Dallas, rushed through eating dinner and headed to the terminal, thinking we would only be in Dallas for a short hour. Oh, how wrong we were!

First this started happening:

And then this happened:

:((((

The saddest part of this whole thing was that we could have gotten $450 and a guaranteed seat out on the next flight in the morning had we given up our seats. Always take the money, people!! But R wanted to get to his family faster, so we didn't take the money.

We waited in the Dallas airport for 3 hours before the flight was officially cancelled which resulted in this:

R's sister's response to this: "That glass should be full"
My response: "It was, and then I drank it..."

Another two hours dealing with American Airlines customer service and we were rebooked in to an airport that was 2 hours away from our destination instead of 30 minutes and we had $20 off of a Motel 6 hotel room. No compensation because it was "weather related." Ugh!!

Sooooooo at 1am, we got to sleep at the Motel 6, which was actually pretty decent, but we had to wake up at 4 for our 7am flight... 3 hours of sleep later, we picked up some crappy hotel lobby coffee and made our way to the airport to try to get to Florida any sooner or at least get in to the airport we were supposed to fly in to in the first place! That was a no-go.

We flew from Dallas to Nashville to Miami to Pensacola and then drove to Destin. It's been a fun trip... But, in the spirit of Christmas, this is officially the last time I will complain about it (R will be so excited!) and I'm just gonna show you a few cool pictures and why I would have rather stayed in Miami instead.

Enjoy! And Happy Christmas Eve!

It's a plane!! And a sea of clouds :)

Yup, that's a Venti. Had to stay sane!

So warm!!!!

How did your holiday travels go?

Make sure you visit Allena Mistral and check out my jewelry! It makes great holiday gifts.

Marilyn the Great

2013-12-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

I thoroughly believe I could write ALL of my Motivation Mondays using Marilyn Monroe quotes and have content for years. I don't, but I feel like I could? Challenge accepted?

Well, today is a Marilyn day:

{via}

So smile today and every day this week because life is beautiful!

What do you think, should I accept my own challenge?

Make sure you visit Allena Mistral and check out my jewelry! It makes great holiday gifts.

Christmas Time!!

2013-12-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

My love, Lauren, tagged me in a Christmas survey and I figured I would make her super happy and answer all of these lovely Christmas themed questions :)

one: What do you love most about Christmas time?
Does school break still count? If not, I would say the food. Definitely the exorbitant amounts of food!

two: Do you celebrate the holiday in style or is it Bah-Humbug for you?
I flippin' love Christmas! But I didn't get around to decorating this year :( So it's more Bah-Humbug, but I do have the spirit to make up for it!

three: Are you leaving anything out for Santa Claus this year so he remembers to leave your presents?
Maybe some sunblock? We'll be Christmas vacationing in Florida, so old St. Nick should get ready to trade in his snow boots for sandals just like I'll do!

{via}
Go Santa, go!

four: What is the one gift you are most looking forward to giving?
I wish I could say they were all done right now :(

five: What is your all-time favorite Christmas movie?
The Grinch!!! Absolutely hysterical! This might also have to do with my love of green!

six: What is your all-time favorite Christmas song?
All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey or Last Christmas by Wham! Loveeeeeee them!

seven: If given the opportunity would you participate in an Ugly Sweater party and what sweater would you wear?
Yes!! I tried to get R to do it with me this year with his family... I failed. I have no ugly sweaters though. But I would totally love to make an ugly sweater like Erin's. Freakin' fabulous! Or this one:

{via}

eight: Have you started any Christmas traditions this year that you plan on carrying forward?
If I could keep going to Florida for Christmas, I totally would!!! But I'm sending Christmas cards tomorrow and if I could keep that going, I'd be happy :)

nine: It's Christmas morning, what does it look like outside where you live?
Like this:

Yup, super snowy!!

But this is my first year here, so home looks like this:

ten: You have just found yourself standing under the mistletoe...who comes up to give you a kiss first?
Lord I hope it's R...

Who am I tagging?

Emily (even though she's already done it!)

Make sure you visit Allena Mistral and check out my jewelry! It makes great holiday gifts.