mer in cashmere

Preparing for the Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Mer) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Though "preparing for the weekend" could imply outfit choices and alcohol runs, my weekends this semester don't require that kind of preparation. Instead, I start every weekend by making a very simple but detailed to-do list. It consists of two parts: a list of all of the work I have to do and a table for me to plan out when to do it. I put it all on one page to keep it neater!

After setting it up, I print it out and check things off as I go. If I need to make changes, I just draw arrows or add them on in pen. This isn't as neat as doing it on the computer but physically being able to check something off is much more satisfying!

It's a very easy template to set up! I have made a Google Doc version of it as an example, click here to access it. You can copy and paste it into another Google Doc or you can put it in Microsoft Word. I hope you have an enjoyable (but productive!) weekend.

Playlist: Relaxing Naptime

noreply@blogger.com (Mer) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 01:04:00 +0000

I started off 2012 and my spring semester with a whopping case of mono. Though my activities have been limited this semester, I have had plenty of time to sleep and listen to music. I have combined these two activities in "Relaxing Naptime," a playlist of my favorite low-key songs. It started out as something to listen to while dozing in and out of afternoon naps, but I've found that it's also a great homework mix! It includes songs by artists such as Lana del Rey, Benjamin Taylor, and Ellie Goulding. I've included three of my favorite songs in this post. If you want to hear the full playlist, click here to check it out on Grooveshark.

Picking Oranges by Leddra Chapman.

Astronaut by Priscilla Ahn.

Bottom of the Sea by Matt Nathanson.

I hope everyone is having a great semester so far!

Ease your eyes with F.lux!

noreply@blogger.com (Mer) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 07:00:00 +0000

I'm always looking for fun downloads to make my life easier. A few of my favorites are Anxiety (a floating desktop to-do list), Freedom (blocks all internet access), and SelfControl (blocks only specific websites). Though it has been around for awhile, I just discovered a new favorite to add to that list: F.lux.

F.lux basically controls the lighting of your computer so that it matches up with the lighting of the time of day. Computers look good in daytime lighting, but they're far too bright and blue for the night! This can strain our eyes and give us problems sleeping. F.lux fixes this by adjusting the color to a more amber color as soon as the sun begins to set. I only notice the change if I'm using my computer during the transition. It does cause some colors to look different but, as long as you're not doing any graphic design work, it shouldn't be a huge problem.

My eyes feel significantly better when I am using F.lux at night. I have been sick and so I'd wake up at 3-4 a.m. wanting to use the computer. Usually I'd be blinded as soon as I opened the screen, but it was actually quite comfortable for me to browse the internet at these strange hours.

Unlike most of my suggested downloads, you can download this on Macs, PCs and Linux operating systems!

I know the semester just began but I'm sure that some of us have some late nights of work on the computer ahead of us. Though this won't help you write your papers, it will take some of the strain off your eyes!

Welcome back to school!

noreply@blogger.com (Mer) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 20:38:00 +0000

The beginning of the school year means buying books, settling into your dorm and getting into the swing of classes again. I've been at school for about three weeks now and it feels great to be back! I'm just going to do a quick blog post now as I figure out how to fit blogging into my school schedule. For now, here are a few songs that have gotten me through my first few weeks of school:

1. The Writer by Ellie Goulding. My best friend got me hooked on Ellie Goulding! She has such a unique voice and I love her covers--check out Sweet Disposition!

2. Boys in the Summer by Jessie James. Another friend posted this on her Facebook and I'm obsessed. I guess it's not technically summer anymore but it sure feels like it in LA!

3. Beyond the Sea by Damian McGinty. I thought The Glee Project would be dumb but it ended up being one of my favorite reality TV shows. I definitely enjoyed it more than Glee! Damian is such a sweetheart, I will watch the third season of Glee just to see him!

I hope everyone's years have gotten off to a great start!

7 Months Later

noreply@blogger.com (Mer) — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 21:33:00 +0000

Seven months ago I decided to take a quick break from blogging. That break turned into a semester-long break, which turned into a break over the summer as well. Now that school is starting again, I think it's time for me to start blogging again as well.

Though I used to use Formspring to answer your questions, I think it will be easier for everyone to use Tumblr. If you want to ask me questions, suggest a post topic or leave any general comments, you can go to http://merincashmere.tumblr.com . I probably will be using this Tumblr exclusively for the questions service, it will not be another blog for me! As always, you can still leave comments on my posts or send me an email.

I hope you all are having an amazing summer! I have been busy this summer and am glad to have some downtime for a few weeks before school starts. Here's my song of summer 2011, Leighton Meester's cover of Summer Girl.

Glad to be back!

New Planner for a New Semester!

noreply@blogger.com (Mer) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 08:00:00 +0000

Somehow I lost both my planner and my pencil case over winter break. I don't know what happened but I an pretty bummed about it! Click here to see my post with information about my old planner. I love this planner and was planning on repurchasing it. However, The College Prepster did a post on planners from Sarah Pinto and I had to get one.

How adorable are the colors? The outer design is so simple and fun--it makes me so happy just pulling it out of my bag! The biggest plus is that the inside is just as beautiful as the outside.

The layout is simple and clean, which is perfect because I hate planners with a ton of extra things inside. I was so excited to see this layout because I did a similar thing with my Moleskine planner! I would put my homework for the day on one side and make a to do list on the other. This is, quite simply, an amazing planner! If you don't use a planner yet, or are still looking for one for 2011, consider this one! Click here to see the rest of Sarah Pinto's products.

The Beginning of the Semester!

noreply@blogger.com (Mer) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 01:14:00 +0000

The beginning of the semester is always somewhat hectic. I spent the weekend with my mom at my grandma's house and I moved back into my room on Sunday. I'm finally settling in and so I will be able to start blogging regularly again! I was trying to post Monday through Friday over break but I think I'm going to try to start a Monday, Wednesday and Friday blogging routine just to see how I handle it. Last semester I just blogged whenever I had time but I think it'll be nice to have three set days. I'm posting this on a Tuesday though, whoops! I'll start sticking to the schedule next week.

In the near future I plan on doing a post about cleaning out my closet as a series of makeup suggestions. Please let me know if you have any other requests!

For now, here is one song I can't stop listening to! It's We'll Be Alright by Travie McCoy and I think it's a perfect song for the 85 degree weather we've been having in Southern California lately.

If it sounds familiar, it's probably because you heard Supergrass' song Alright in the movie Clueless. I love both versions!

I hope everyone is off to a great semester! My friend and I bought our books yesterday and while mine were just a little under $150, her total was over $600. I think that's absolutely insane! Campus bookstores are such a rip off.

Have a PC? Read this!

noreply@blogger.com (Mer) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 08:00:00 +0000

If you're familiar with my blog, you're probably also familiar with the program SelfControl (click here to read my post about it). It allows you to block certain websites (such as Facebook!) to help you get work done. Unfortunately, it is for Macs only. However, I woke up this morning to a Facebook message from one of my friends showing me two similar downloads for your PC! It's good timing, since the semester is just starting up again!

The first one is a Firefox extension called LeechBlock. It seems to have a few more options for customization, it looks really fun! Click here for a good page showing examples of configurations you can set up!

The second one is a Google Chrome extension called StayFocusd! This has a bunch of different settings for you to play around with as well.

I think that these are two great options to help you stay on track while doing homework!

I made a ton of progress on my closet cleaning adventure yesterday, and I will hopefully be posting pictures within the next few days!

Cleaning Your Room: The Playlist

noreply@blogger.com (Mer) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 08:00:00 +0000

When I'm cleaning my room I like to have relaxing music playing in the background. However, I don't want it to be so relaxing that I fall asleep! Here are four of my favorite songs from the "Cleaning My Room!" playlist.

1. What Would Jay-Z Do? by Ben Lee

I could have sworn I posted this on my blog before. I can't find it though! It's so good that it's worth posting twice. I love all of Ben Lee's songs.

2. Whistle for the Choir by The Fratellis

My sister introduced me to this band. She always made me listen to them in her car and I was always like "Ugh nooo let's listen to Hits 1 on Sirius/XM!" However, I'm glad she made me listen to them. This song is my favorite!

3. Look Out Sunshine by The Fratellis

This is another one of my favorite songs by The Fratellis!

4. Do You Know What I'm Thinking by Linus of Hollywood

I posted about Linus of Hollywood a few months ago. I love him. If you like the music I post, you should definitely check out his albums! He's amazing!

Washing Your Face In Style

noreply@blogger.com (Mer) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 08:00:00 +0000

This is going to be a quick post! I was cleaning out my closet yesterday and I was so excited about it. I took all of the hanging things out of my closet and threw them onto my bed. I took all of my handbags out of my closet. I removed all of my old binders from elementary and middle school. I was starting to sort through them, removing all of the paper so that I could recycle it. Then, all of a sudden, I had a spasm in my back or something! I was in horrible pain and I had to move all of the clothes off of my bed so that I could lie down. I thought I could sleep it off but I'm still in a lot of pain! I'm so bummed out because I was really excited to be cleaning my closet out. Hopefully it feels better in a few days so that I can get back to it!

I used to use regular headbands to hold my hair back while washing my face. But when I came across the Microfiber Headband, sephora.com, $11 I decided to try it for fun. I quickly became obsessed. Since it is velcro, it means you can tighten it to fit your head perfectly. Since it is so wide it really does keep all of your hair out of your face, even little wispy ones on the hair line! I just put my hair up in a bun, wrap this around my head and then I'm ready to go. My friend always made fun of me for wearing it because she thought I looked absolutely ridiculous. She didn't get why I was wearing this weird white thing when I could just wear a thin elastic headband. But once she got one of her own, she fell in love too!

I also love the Mimi's Diva Dryer microfiber products. They have hair towels, hair turbans, headbands and facial mitts! I bought the Diva Dryers Facial Mitt/Headband Combo kit, amazon.com, $8.49. I got a pink set and they're absolutely adorable! Click here to see other Diva Dryer's products.

I do prefer the Sephora Microfiber headband because it's a little thinner and really wraps around the head well. However, the Diva Dryers one is so cute, it's hard to pass up! I think that everyone should own one of these. They're seriously amazing and make face washing a lovely experience!

Searching for the PERFECT iPad Case!

noreply@blogger.com (Mer) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 07:00:00 +0000

I've searched all over the internet for the perfect iPad case. I've read reviews on blogs, on tech forums and on Amazon. I tried Apple's case and I wasn't a fan. I tried an InCase sleeve but it was too bulky and left my iPad with no protection once I took it out. I tried a Marc by Marc Jacobs silicone cover but it felt too stretchy. However, I recently found two cases that I'm in love with.

The first one is the beautiful Speck CandyShell, amazon.com, $26.73. It's called the CandyShell because it's hard on the outside (plastic) and soft on the inside (silicone lining). It's so thin and sleek! I absolutely love the appearance.

My favorite part is that it has a cutout on the back so that you can fit the iPad onto a dock or keyboard without taking the case off! This is a HUGE convenience. Here is a picture of it sitting on my iPad keyboard, apple.com, $69.

However, the one thing that the Speck case lacks is screen protection. To avoid fingerprints and glare, I put a matte screen protector on (my favorites are the Speck Anti-Glare Protection Films, amazon.com, $17.46) but even that can get dinged up if you throw the iPad in your bag. Most cases that have a flap over the front cover feel pretty bulky and uncomfortable to hold, so I stayed away from them. But, while browsing Nordstrom with my sister, we stumbled upon the Nordstrom Crackle Metallic iPad Case, nordstrom.com, $48. Though the shiny (and somewhat obnoxious) metallic finish is what drew us in, the functionality of the case is what pushed us each to buy our own.

I never thought I'd consider buying a Nordstrom brand iPad case because I wouldn't expect it to be functional at all. Although a few designers, such as Kate Spade, have mastered the art of the iPhone case, I find that it's usually safer to buy a case from a company who specializes in technology. However, Nordstrom's iPad case is one of the best I have seen. It is not too bulky, it is easy to slide the iPad in and out of and the front flap easily folds over to make a great stand.

Both the Speck case and the Nordstrom case are two of the best that I have found and I will probably be switching off between them based on my needs. Though the Nordstrom case doesn't feel quite as good to hold as the Speck CandyShell, I love that I could throw it into a bag without worrying about the screen. Plus, it's nice to have the stand!

If you have an iPad, do you have a case for it? Which one?

On a completely different note, I'm going to The Container Store today to buy a few things to organize my closet! I can't wait to start organizing. I'm going insane because of how messy my room is right now!

Winter Reading: The Facebook Books

noreply@blogger.com (Mer) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 07:00:00 +0000

I love Facebook. When the trailers for The Social Network started coming out, I was ecstatic. I decided to prepare myself by reading The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich, the book which the movie was based on. While looking for that book I also came across The Facebook Effect by David Kirkpatrick. I decided to read both of them but they're quite different so I thought I'd do a quick comparison for you!

You can tell how different the books are just by looking at their covers. Mezrich's shows lingerie and alcohol and claims that the founding of Facebook is "a tale of sex, money, genius, and betrayal." Kirkpatrick's, on the other hand, is very clean cut and offers the reader a look at "the company that is connecting the world." Without even reading them you know that Mezrich is the "fun" author and Kirkpatrick is the "serious" one. However, I found both books equally enjoyable.
The Accidental Billionaires was an incredibly quick read. I got sucked into it and couldn't stop! Mezrich tells the story of the founding of Facebook, starting with Mark Zuckerberg's days as a Harvard undergrad. He explains how Zuckerberg decided to make Facebook and how it quickly became bigger than Zuckerberg ever imagined. I was incredibly disappointed when it ended! The book ends before Facebook gets as big as it is today, and so I found myself wanting to know more.
Luckily, The Facbeook Effect filled this void. It told the same story as The Accidental Billionaires (not as dramatically, of course) but went into much more detail about the context of Facebook. Kirkpatrick discusses the rise of social networking sites and where Facebook fit in among sites like Friendster and MySpace. He goes into more detail about the business aspect of Facebook, telling the stories of companies who desperately wanted to buy Facebook (but failed). He also talks about the decisions behind adding new features such as photos, the wall and the news feed. It's not as thrilling but, to me, it was just as interesting!
I would suggest The Accidental Billionaires if you're looking for a dramatic history of Facebook that reads like it could be a fiction novel. If you're truly interested in the history of Facebook as a website and a company, I'd look towards The Facebook Effect. And if you just love Facebook like I do, then you should read both!
I've already pre-ordered The Social Network on DVD and I can't wait for it to get here so I can show it to my family. None of them have seen it yet! If you haven't seen it, you should definitely check it out. Have you read either of the Facebook books? Which would you prefer to read?

Benefit Bella Bamba!

noreply@blogger.com (Mer) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 16:58:00 +0000

I said that Benefit's Bella Bamba blush would be one of my first beauty purchases of 2011. Well, I bought it only two days into 2011. I had to! It's so beautiful, the packaging is lovely and it was just calling my name. Benefit describes Bella Bamba as a "3D brightening pink face powder." My sister said I should have asked them if they had 3D glasses for me to try on with it!

Though this is a new blush color for Benefit, the really interesting part is the new packaging! The older Benefit boxed powders have a lid that slides on and off, but this one has more of a magnetic flap design that flips up and down. There's also a little mirror inside! It's so cute. They have downsized the amount of product that you get. The other boxed powders have either .35 oz or .42 oz of product, but Bella Bamba has .28 oz. I actually prefer the smaller size, it's cute and more compact! What I love about this packaging is that you can pick it up just by the sides of the box without pulling the top off. Does anyone else have this problem with the other Benefit boxed powders? I hate the top sliding off!

They have also significantly improved the brush. Shown on the left is Benefit Coralista's brush, which is similar to all of the other boxed powder brushes. Square, sparse and rough. I use it when I'm traveling but use other brushes most of the time. Shown on the right is Bella Bamba's brush! It feels thicker and the shape is so much better.

Here's a swatch comparing Coralista (left) to Bella Bamba (right). I've seen some people say that Bella Bamba is what they hoped Coralista would be. They're quite different but both great. You can build them up a ton to get a ton of pigment on your cheeks, or you can use a light touch and add just a hint of color. Since I have such pale skin, I do the latter! I love both colors. Bella Bamba packs a bunch and gives me a beautiful glow! I was scared to try it but I think it looks great.

What are your favorite blush colors? Will you be getting Bella Bamba? What do you think of the new packaging?

Organizing My Closet: Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Mer) — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 20:26:00 +0000

First of all, happy new year! I hope you all had a lovely New Year's Eve--I spent mine eating ice cream and donut holes while watching Superbad with my sister and two of our closest friends. Does this mean that 2011 will be filled with donut holes and Superbad? I hope so.

Since I'm at home for two more weeks, I decided to take up the task of cleaning out and organizing my closet. When I was unpacking all of the clothes I brought home from college, I found myself shoving things into drawers so that everything would fit. I really need to reorganize and get rid of a few things!

I will post before and after pictures when I'm done. For now, here's one gem that I found in my closet: a Juicy Couture bowler bag. Who remembers these? I thought I was so cool for owning one in middle school. Now I cringe whenever I see it! The other side says "La Couture." Eek!

Does anyone have any closet organization tips? I can't wait to start!

Happy New Year! (+3 songs)

noreply@blogger.com (Mer) — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 07:00:00 +0000

"And we danced, and we cried, and we laughed and had a really really really good time." I think that Macklemore's lyrics describe 2010 perfectly. Though I had a few low points, there were many more high points. Overall, 2010 was a wonderful year. At the end of every year I always feel so thankful for the amazing family and friends that I have. Now I have another group of people to appreciate--my readers. I hope that you have enjoyed my blog as much as I have enjoyed putting it together. I'm looking forward to 2011!

Whether you're spending New Year's Eve at a crazy party or relaxing at home, I hope you have a wonderful night. I've heard that people say the way you spend your New Year's Eve dictates how you will spend the rest of your year but I completely disagree. Last year I spent my New Year's Eve doing laundry and packing to go home. Though I did both throughout the year, I definitely wouldn't look back at 2010 and say that it was characterized by laundry.

Here are three songs that I think are fitting for New Year's Eve, New Year's Day and the rest of the year. See you in 2011!

1. And We Danced by Macklemore.

This is such a funny song! What is there not to love about dancing, laughing and having a really, really, really good time? I'm down!

2. My Dear Acquaintance (A Happy New Year) by Regina Spektor.

I think this is such a sweet song. It's not one I'd play at a New Year's party but it's nice to listen to while you're relaxing before any chaos you might have planned!

3. Happy New Year from Rent.

I hadn't listened to this song forever but I found it while searching "Happy New Year" in my iTunes and I figured I'd post it!

A Few Blog Updates!

noreply@blogger.com (Mer) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 08:52:00 +0000

Although I haven't made any new years resolutions yet, I did take some time to update my blog a little! But first of all, here's a picture of the weather at my ranch yesterday. It was three degrees last night, brrr. I'm not very disappointed to be leaving this weather, even if I am going back to gross rain! I love to spend a few weeks in the snow, but I definitely couldn't live in this.

Now onto the updates:

1. New Layout.

The layout isn't that different, but I did alter it slightly. Now I have more control on the layout of each post because I know exactly how everybody will see it. Check it out if you haven't seen it!

2. Blogs I Love!

I realized that my blogroll was getting quite lengthy and unorganized, so I decided to put my complete blog roll on a separate, organized page. Click here to see the list (which is a work in progress) of blogs that I love! I have tried to split them up the best I can, but if you have any suggestions please let me know. Also, if I'm on your list and you'd like to be on mine, please let me know. I follow a ton of people through Google Reader and I haven't had time to put some of those blogs onto this list!

3. Email subscriptions.

I have a few different ways for you to subscribe to my blog, whether it be through Bloglovin, an RSS feed or Twitter. Now you can get my posts emailed directly to you! I'm embedding the form right in this post in case you're interested:

I hope that you enjoy the changes I made. Let me know if you have any suggestions!

Lazy Day Music

noreply@blogger.com (Mer) — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 07:00:00 +0000

It's December 29 and it's time to put the Christmas music away. I always find it a little sad to stop listening to the Christmas playlist I worked so hard to create but, since I've listened to it 24/7 for more than a month, I think it's time. I'm replacing the Christmas music with some relaxed, chill (but not boring!) music. I thing these songs are perfect for a lazy day in your room (which describes my entire winter break so far). Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Good Life by OneRepublic.

I love this music video. The scenery reminds me so much of the hills where I live, it's kind of eerie! This song is so optimistic, it puts me in a great mood.

2. Baby (Justin Bieber cover) by Kina Grannis.

Kina was discovered on YouTube, just like the Biebs! However, she sings his own song far better than him. I love her refreshing voice.

3. Message From Your Heart by Kina Grannis.
This is an original song from Kina! It always gets stuck in my head.

4. Big Jumps by Emiliana Torrini

I heard this song for the first time in June 2009 while I was in the car with my family. It was on the radio and I used the Shazam app on my iPhone to identify it! I think this is such an adorable song, her voice is so cute.

5. I Was Made For Sunny Days by The Weepies.

I believe that I was made for sunny days as well! I love EVERY single song by The Weepies! I first heard them on Dirty Sexy Money (did anyone watch this TV show? I loved it...) and then I heard them again on Privileged (another cancelled TV show that I loved, RIP!) and I downloaded every album. The Weepies are my go-to study music. They always calm me down!

What are some of your favorite relaxing songs?

New Year, New Makeup

noreply@blogger.com (Mer) — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 07:00:00 +0000

Since I have so much makeup, I didn't ask any for Christmas or Hanukkah. I did buy a few MAC eyeshadows as a post-finals gift to myself, but other than that I felt like there was really nothing else I needed. However, one quick trip to Sephora's website proved otherwise. Here are three products that are sure to be my first beauty purchases of 2011.

1. Benefit Bella Bamba, sephora.com, $28.

I was looking through my RSS reader and I stumbled upon this post from Product Girl. I fell in love with this blush immediately. I am a huge fan of Benefit's boxed powders and I would like to own all of them someday! I was so close but now there is one more that I need. Sephora's website claims that this blush will "amplify cheekbones and create the illusion of sculpted features for a gorgeous 3D effect." Though the claims are a little out there, I think it's just a beautiful color and I can't wait to buy it. Plus, the brush and packaging are slightly different from Benefit's current boxed powder line so I'm excited to test that out.

2. NARS The Multiple in Copacabana, sephora.com, $38.

I always play with the NARS Multiple sticks when I go into Sephora stores, but I never bought one until recently. I bought Maui, a very pretty rose color, but now I want more! I think that my next purchase will be Copacabana, a pearly color that will be a beautiful highlighter. These are so easy to use. They blend effortlessly and I will definitely be purchasing more in the future.

3. Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner, sephora.com, $21.

I have heard so much about this eyeliner and I'm finally going to try it! I need an eyeliner that is easy to apply and lasts a long time, and this seems to be the product I need. If you have used this, do you love it? Are there better products out there?

What beauty products are you lusting over for 2011?

My Favorite Makeup Look: Nude and Dewy

noreply@blogger.com (Mer) — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 12:00:00 +0000

I love to watch shows like 90210 and Gossip Girl. Though the plots might leave something to be desired, the beauty and fashion looks on the show are to die for. My favorite beauty looks are always from Annalynne McCord who plays Naomi on 90210. Here are a few pictures of her rocking my favorite look: liner on the top lid, nude eyeshadow, pale lips and a fresh face.

To achieve this look, you will need:
-Black eyeliner pencil
-Black liquid eyeliner
-Mascara
-Eyeshadow primer
-Nude eyeshadow
-Bronzer
-Highlighter
-Pale lipstick or lip gloss
-Your normal face makeup (concealer, foundation, tinted moisturizer, etc)

This is a super easy look! Unlike smokey eyes, which often take awhile for me to make perfect, I can usually do this pretty quickly.

First, if you use concealer, foundation, tinted moisturizer, powder, etc, apply that. Flawless skin is key to this look. Then apply light bronzer to your cheeks to give yourself a healthy glow. Apply highlighter to your cheekbones and blend well.

Now for the eyes. First, apply your eyeshadow primer to your lids. Then apply your nude eyeshadow. Put highlighter under your eyebrows and on the inner corners of your eyes. Line your upper waterline with the black eyeliner pencil. I used to be horrible at doing this since I hate having my eyes touched, but I've gotten quite good at it! I like to line the water line because I find that it really completes the line of my eyelashes and makes a huge difference for my eyes. I do it very lightly towards the inner corners of my eyes and use more on the outer corners. I don't line my lower water line but if you like to, do it very lightly. The focus should be on your lids! Then, use liquid eyeliner on top of your eyelashes, focusing on the outer halves of your eyes. Apply as much mascara as you can get away with.

Look at your face again and see if you need more highlighter anywhere! I always find myself needing to refresh the inner corners of my eyes. Apply pale lipstick or lip gloss, and then you're done! I know that some people use concealer or foundation on their lips too, so feel free to try that!

If you have a super crazy New Years outfit, consider trying this more simple look! You can spice it up with some silver eyeliner or eyeshadow on the inner corners of your eyes. Speaking of New Years, do you have any fun plans? I'm flying home on New Years Eve day and I'm planning on having a relaxing evening!

Family Time

noreply@blogger.com (Mer) — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 07:00:00 +0000

My favorite part about the holidays is all the time that I get to spend with my family. That sounds cheesy, but it's true! When we are all at home, it's rare to have all five of us doing something together. With our busy schedules, we found it easier just to eat dinner on our own time instead of sitting down together every night. Now that my sister and I are both in college, it's even rarer to have all five of us together. However, we come to our ranch in Montana every winter break for two weeks. For these two weeks, we eat every dinner together! It's so nice to have some time with just my family where we can all unwind from the crazy year we've had.

Speaking of crazy, my dog is an absolute nut job. He's a labradoodle (mostly poodle) and he's insane! Here's a picture I took of him while we were playing in the snow. He's incredibly annoying, but he's so cute that it's hard to get mad at him. I miss having animals to play with while I'm at school, so I've been trying to spend plenty of time with him as well!

I hope that everyone who celebrates it has a merry Christmas, and I hope that those who don't are still having a peaceful and happy winter break! It's time to start counting down to the new year!

Bold Christmas Manicures!

noreply@blogger.com (Mer) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 17:00:00 +0000

When I was packing a few nail polishes to bring to my ranch, I decided on five colors: Chanel Coromandel (red), OPI Black Onyx (black), China Glaze Paper Chasin (green), OPI Bring on the Bling (gold glitter) and Essie Shifting Power (gold). I figured that with these five colors, I could somehow create some fun Christmas and New Year's nails! I came up with these two bold looks, with the help of Tania from Heist Cambon!

I really wanted to do traditional Christmas nails with red and green, but I thought that alternating red/green might be a little too crazy for me. Tania suggested playing with the Blackberry glove trend. What exactly are Blackberry gloves? They're gloves where you can remove the tips of the thumbs and index fingers so that you can use your Blackberry, iPhone or other smart phone with ease! Click here for an example of a pair. So instead of alternating red and green, I painted each index finger green while the rest were red. It's a fun, festive look without being too out there.

Blackberry nails have also been a trend in the past few years. You paint all of your nails but do a different color on your thumbs. It is known as a "Blackberry manicure" because your thumbs are what people see when you're tapping away on your Blackberry. I haven't tried this look before but I decided to try it with OPI's Bring on the Bling, one of my favorite nail polishes of the season. Tania suggested doing just my thumbs red so I could be a red-thumbed Mer in cashmere! I think that I would have preferred this look with a much deeper red, but I only had Chanel Coromandel with me. Coromandel is a pretty bright red in person, brighter than it looks in these pictures. This makes it seem like the red and the gold are both fighting for attention. However, I'm going to show it to you anyway just so you can see how it looked.

In the end, I decided to paint my nails plain and simple black. Maybe I'm a huge wimp, but these looks were just too bold for me! I can handle having all of my nails being one crazy color. I can't, however, handle multiple colors quite yet. I have done crazy neon nails for themed parties, but not for every day life! I'm going to do something with Bring on the Bling and Black Onyx for New Years (or maybe include silver too) but for now I'm sticking to black. Do you like your nails to be bold and out there, or do you prefer a more classic look?

I hope that everyone is having a peaceful and relaxing break. If you celebrate Christmas, have a wonderful Christmas Eve and a Merry Christmas! If you don't, I hope that your December 24 and 25 are just as lovely!

My Favorites of 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Mer) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 07:00:00 +0000

In 2010 I fell in love many times. Sadly, I didn't fall in love with any men. I did, however, fall in love with beauty products, accessories, books and more! I thought it'd be fun to list my top five favorite things of the year with you all, so here they are:

1. Mani/pedi combo: Essie Playa del Platinum on fingers and China Glaze Shocking Pink on toes.

It was hard for me to choose just one nail polish color from 2010, so I decided to choose my favorite mani/pedi combo! I kept coming back to these colors for the entire summer. Playa del Platinum is absolutely gorgeous, and the perfect color to pair with the bright neon pink. Shocking Pink is one of my favorite nail polishes of all time. It's the first nail polish that I've used up and had to repurchase! Everybody should own both of these colors. Shocking Pink isn't quite a winter color but you could definitely wear Playa del Platinum year round.

2. Book: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.

When I saw the trailer for the movie Never Let Me Go, I knew that I had to read the book. I don't even know how to explain the book without giving anything away! Here's the link to the trailer which immediately drew me in. I read the book in October while I was home for the weekend and then saw the movie as soon as I got back to school. The movie was fun to see but really was nothing compared to the book. The book had the same effect on me that The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo did. Even when I wasn't reading it, all I wanted to do was continue reading to find out what was going on. If you are only going to read one book over winter break, I highly suggest reading Never Let Me Go.

3. Mac Download: SelfControl.
SelfControl is seriously a lifesaver. I have posted about it before but it's so useful that I just had to include it on this list. This is the reason that I got any work done during finals week. It allows you to block specific websites, such as Facebook, while allowing access to useful websites such as your library's databases. If you haven't downloaded it already, please click here to download it. If you don't have a Mac, I'm sorry. I'm sure there are similar programs for PCs!

4. Watch: ToyWatch Mini Plasteramic.

I remember hearing about ToyWatches a few years ago but I was never very interested in them. They seemed too big! When my mom told me she ordered a mini ToyWatch, I was excited to see it. I was nervous that it'd be so mini that it would be kind of dorky, but they're not at all. I ordered a white one in the summer and loved it so much that I ordered a black one in the fall! They're super light weight, comfortable and durable. I haven't had any problems with mine. The white is very bright and stands out in any outfit, and the black is a little more masculine and looks great with all the grey that I wear. I love them!

5. Gadget: Apple iPad.

This was an obvious choice. When the iPad first came out, I laughed at the name and moved on with my life. I had no desire to get one. When the rest of my family all got iPads and couldn't stop raving about them, I caved. Now I'm obsessed with my iPad and I don't want to go anywhere without it! I read all of my books on it, play games on it and more. I just downloaded an application where you can make your own font--I'm so excited to play around with it and make some fonts for my blog!

What were some of your favorite things you discovered in 2010?

Essentials for Traveling

noreply@blogger.com (Mer) — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 07:00:00 +0000

Whether I'm driving or flying, traveling stresses me out. Plus, traveling makes me feel gross and tired! I always feel like I need a refresher, preferably in the form of a long, hot shower. Since that's not always possible, I have put together a kit of a few essentials to get me through these long days of traveling.

1. Refreshing spray. Caudalie's Beauty Elixir, sephora.com, $14-46 is amazing. It immediately wakes me up and refreshes my skin. Perfect for long flights or drives! Evian sprays are another popular option.

2. Gum. I always have problems with my ears popping on flights so I try to chew gum. It's also nice to have to freshen up your breath!

3. Advil. I carry Advil, Tylenol and Tylenol PM with me everywhere I go. I hate being caught without it. I just put all of them into the same small bottle so that I don't need to carry three separate bottles with me.

4. Eye rollerball. I bought the Clinique All About Eyes Serum Rollerball, sephora.com, $22.50 because I thought it'd be perfect to relax my tired eyes. I'm not sure how well it works to change the appearance of your under-eyes, but I have had people compliment me after I used it saying that I looked well-rested! I use it more for the fact that it feels nice and refreshing when my eyes feel dead! Garnier and Olay both have eye rollerballs that are a little cheaper and probably have the same refreshing effect.

5. iPod. Music is essential to getting me through any type of traveling. Click here for some of my favorite Christmas songs, and click here for some of my favorite songs right now!

6. Lip balm. That yellow ball is actually lip balm! It's the eos Lemon Drop Lip Balm, walgreens.com, $3.49 and I love it. It's incredibly smooth and moisturizing, plus it smells great! The texture reminds me of Fresh's Sugar Lip balm, but it's a fraction of the price! You can find it in drug stores and also at Ulta!

What do you need to take with you when you travel?

Winter Break Resolutions!

noreply@blogger.com (Mer) — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 18:57:00 +0000

Some of you might remember my Summer Resolutions that I made at the beginning of Summer 2010. With the new year approaching, everybody is starting to think about their new year's resolutions. However, I'm home for a month and there are a few things I'd like to accomplish now. Why wait for 2011? Here are my four biggest goals:

1. Read more books. I have downloaded what seems like a billion books onto the Kindle app on my iPad and I can't wait to read them! I'm currently exhausted so I'm reading a nice mushy book--Lauren Conrad's Sugar and Spice. It's so horrible but I love it! I will try to read decent books as well, but I need some light reading right now. Do you have any book suggestions? I might read the Hunger Games series, my sister is obsessed.

2. Kick this sinus infection. I've had a sinus infection for two, nearly three months. I don't know why I let it linger for this long but I'm finally trying to treat it with a medley of Sudafed and antibiotics. I am trying to rest as much as possible, which isn't hard to do when you're in Montana in 10 degree weather! My goal is to go back to school feeling 100% healthy and ready for a new semester.

3. Blog more regularly! I have been so irregular with my blogging because of school. There were some weeks when I'd blog almost every day, and then there were months like September where I blogged maybe once a week. I'm going to try to get into a regular routine again. I'm so sorry that I've been so irregular!

4. Beat Angry Birds. I have seen this game on the top of the charts forever, and I never had any desire to play it. Well, I caved in and bought it for my iPad and I'm obsessed. It's bad. I play it when I wake up, when I'm watching TV and when I'm trying to sleep. I don't know how I was so late to the game but now I am dying to beat it. Wish me luck!

What do you want to do over winter break? Are you going anywhere fun?

Excerpt of my Driving Playlist!

noreply@blogger.com (Mer) — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:48:00 +0000

I go to school in Southern California but live in Northern California. It's a 400 mile drive which means I need a killer playlist! I'm driving with one of my best friends from home who happens to go to school with me, and we've been working on a bumpin' playlist for the drive. Here are a few of my favorite songs that we're listening to, even if she doesn't want to!

1. Coming Home by Diddy. This song was on the end of the latest episode of Gossip Girl. I personally enjoyed the last episode! What did you think?

2. Erase Me by Kid Cudi feat. Kanye West. Normally I'm not a huge Cudi fan but I love this song!

3. The Show Goes On by Lupe Fiasco. I first heard this song on FratMusic! I love Float On (specifically Goldspot and Ben Lee's covers) and so I love this song!

4. Let Me Down Easy by 2AM Club. I love 2AM Club! You might remember their song Worry About You from earlier this summer. This is another great one.

5. Crazy Beautiful Life by Ke$ha. I haven't listened to all of Ke$ha's new songs enough to tell you which ones are my favorites, but I just listened to this one and I love it!

I'll be home tonight and I should start up with the regular blog posts on Thursday or Friday! I'm so excited to get home.