Beep, Beep Update!

Hello Lovelies!



Just wanted to let you know I haven't forgotten.  I've been super busy with school {exams are coming up soon!}

Some new things that have been going on:

Driving lessons!  Yeah, a couple months ago I got my permit and have been learning to drive.  Honestly, it is a work in progress and hopefully I will get more time to practice and soon I can go out and drive with other cars.

The Face.  This show is absolutely awesome and entertaining.   They make me want to work hard and strive for my dreams!  Great show, you should watch it.

Legally Blonde.  Yeah, that's just enough.  It's perfect and their is nothing to it.  :D

Fashion.  Slowly, but surely I am really working on getting my closet together and really pulling it all in the girly and sensible wardrobe I've always wanted.


Let me know what's going on in your lives! Excited for Easter?

xoxo, Ana

Book Nook: The Fault in Our Stars

Hello Lovelies!

So, during my trip to Washington D.C. I was really craving some reading material.  I really wanted to read Allegiant, the third book in the Divergent trilogy.  Fortunately, the airport I was traveling in didn't have this book.  But, I saw they had The Fault in Our Stars and I said, why not? right.

This is the best decision I have made in a long, long time!  So, considering I have once again fallen in love with reading I decided to give you all a review (more like a spiel on why this is such an awesome book).

WARNING SPOILER ALERT!!!  //  WARNING SPOILER ALERT!!!

Everyone and their mother have already read this book and I know why!  If you have not read John Green's masterpiece, please STOP reading and get yourself a copy this very instant.  I am not usually the person to read sad, romantic, somber reads, but this book completely captivated me.

It's not like a lot of us can relate to the story (most of us are, thanks to God, healthy).  But this young woman's story is told so well, it is hard to believe that this is completely fiction!!!

Firstly, the actual story line.  What? Absolute genius.  I loved the sarcasm and humor used throughout the text.  Some authors can't write sarcasm, because it is so difficult to translate this to the reader.  But John Green made his characters some to life with his words, you felt in the action.

Second, the pure artistry and imaginative thinking.  I loved how they called their meeting place the literal heart of Jesus.  I loved how the narrator and main character, Hazel, said Augustus, the other main character, was handsome and hot and sexy, etc. (It's the way a girl really thinks)  And then tying in another book and their trip to Amsterdam.  Fabulous.  Let me not mention how he took the simplest of words, okay, and made them seem like so much more!

Lastly, THE ENDING.  We all cried, it is practically inevitable.  I didn't expect Augustus to die, I half-expected her to die and the story to end in the middle of a sentence (in reference to the other book in the novel).  But, I loved it.  It was the most perfect, unexpected, lovely ending to an amazing novel.

I think the way Green was able to make Hazel so aware of her situation and make her so analytical of life and so intelligent and wise at such a young age is what draws so many people to read this book.  Although I love thrillers and action, this romantic comedy was well written and deserves all the attention it receives.

Here is the link to the trailer for the upcoming movie {June. Yay!!!}:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ItBvH5J6ss

If you have read this book, let me know in the comments what you thought of the book.  Also, tell me if you are watching the movie {I know I am!}

Have a great day!

xoxo, Ana

Outfit of the Day

Hello Lovelies!

When I went to D.C. it was really, really cold. I have lived in tropic/subtropic climates all my life and this change of weather did not suit me.  But, this gave me the opportunity to style an outfit for the chilly spring weather most people are experiencing.

I wore this look when visiting the monuments and standing in front of the white house.  Granted I had a jacket over it most of the day, I got some pictures for you guys in front of some beautiful trees in front of the World War II Memorial.

Sweater: Old Navy // Pants:579 // Shoes: Target // Bag: Target

Up close and personal.

Hope you guys enjoy this simple, but still adorable early spring outfit of the day!

xoxo, Ana

My "Health Story"

Hey Lovelies!

You might be wondering what a "health story" pertains to.  Don't worry I am alright if that's what you are wondering! Well I cam up with this idea to share my story about how I became interested in health and fitness.  I would also like to do this for fashion and crafts.  So here it is!

My love for health and fitness began about two years ago.  But, this story really begins when I was about nine or ten.  This is when I lost gymnastics {that's another story}.  I felt lost in life, like I had no meaning and could never pursue anything ever again.  At this point in my life I was sad and didn't care anymore about what I ate, what I did to my body, how I treated myself, how I treated others, in fact I focused so much on school and what others expected from me, that I completely forgot about myself  and my well being.

As two or three years went by, all I cared about was school, school, and school.  I am not saying I regret anything I did in my life and I wouldn't change a thing.  This is how I coped with the loss of something that I truly loved and cared for.  Anyway, two or three years passed and I began noticing that my body wasn't working the way it used to.  I couldn't go up a flight of stairs without going out of breath, and I was having symptoms of hypoglycemia.

This scared me, it really did and still does.  To this day, I am afraid that one day I just won't have the fuel in my body to continue and that my body will shut down on me.  So around this time last year I began to research everything I could on the body and health and how I should be treating my body, what I should eat, how I should exercise, etc. etc.

Summer before freshman year of high school I began to work out and start trying to eat healthier.  I found many alternatives to the bad foods I was eating and made an effort to start a food journal again and track my progress.  This continued and my love for health and fitness grew and grew.

This was me beginning high school,
before everything went downhill.

Freshman year of high school began and things got complicated.    I thought I would be able to juggle it all and I thought I would be like super woman and do everything and be everything.  It turns out that life isn't all we expect it to be.  High school was a big, HUGE let down for me.  In fact this has been one of the worst school years ever!

I stopped my effort to eat better and increase the diversity of foods I eat, I wouldn't track my progress, I began eating ice cream and cake in large amounts and eating tons of fried foods.  I let all the people telling me I was weak and small and telling me I could never be strong, I let them get to me.

Today I look at myself in the mirror and for the first time in my life I am disappointed.  Not by the way I look or the fact I am not as skinny as I used to be, or the fact that I am short.  I am disappointed in how I act, how I treat myself, how I treat others, my lack of motivation!

To be honest, I am not sharing this to make anyone pity me or feel bad for my lack of energy and motivation to move forward.  I am doing this mostly for myself.  Here is a little something I have decided to say to myself when I feel like I am not in control:


I CAN DO ANYTHING I WANT TO DO!  NO ONE SHOULD DICTATE MY LIFE OTHER THAN MYSELF.  I HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES AS THE GUY NEXT DOOR, I SHOULD NOT TAKE THAT FOR GRANTED. GOD LOVES ME AND HE WILL HELP ME GET THROUGH THE ROUGH PATCHES IN LIFE AND ALLOW ME TO PREVAIL.

I know that this journey has not been easy for me.  I took all the information I learned and dumped it out the door.  But tomorrow is a new beginning and I don't want to stay stuck with the person I used to be.  Not just in the physical aspect but also just myself.  It is okay to have a bad day, but don't have a bad life.

I want everyone who reads this to smile and focus on the positive and wonderful things we have! I still have time to develop a better diet and train my body.  If you want to get better grades this semester in school, do it. Just work hard and don't let anything stand in your way.

I think my biggest mistake has been not taking the time I have and using that time wisely.  I sit an watch TV until late at night, I made stupid excuses not to help my mother, and I let other people tell me what is right and what it isn't.

Personally, it is very hard for me to develop new habits and change my lifestyle, but if others can do it, why can't I?

I hope that you got something out of this, I know that this was something I really needed and although it is 1 in the morning, I am glad that I wrote this for you guys and maybe now you know how I got into health and fitness and how I plan to continue my journey and not give up {like I have on many things}.

Remember, you can do anything!  Just work hard to get to where you want to be and you will get there!

xoxo, Ana

P.S. - I apologize for this odd post, I was having a rough day and just randomly started writing! I still hope you got something out of this post and  hopefully I did too.

It's almost Spring Break?!?!

Hey lovelies.

Its been a while.

This is just a quick note that my blog will be up and running soon!  Tomorrow is my last day of school before spring break and I am super excited to get some post up for you guys.  I have planned an OOTD post, something about the pool/beach, a post about working out/healthy eating, possibly an organization post, and later a post about my trip to Washington D.C.

Have a great day!

xoxo,

Ana

Yearly Goals Progress

Hey lovelies!

As you may have noticed, I have kind of been slacking a bit on my blog recently.  This isn't isolated toward my blog, I have been neglecting my overall well being and my goals for the future.

Today I decided to do kind of like a "Progress Report" for my yearly goals or resolutions.  If you weren't aware, I made this blog in order to track my progress on myself, my style, my fitness, my projects, etc.  This blog makes me accountable and gives me reason to keep doing exercise (other than my well being) and to wear nice clothes, and to be a better person to others.

Well, since I have been extremely busy, I have put everything on HOLD.  My blog, my fitness, my overall self, I put everything but school on pause.  Although I really enjoy getting good grades, they still aren't the best and I have really been procrastinating and haven't been handling my problems head on.

So, I want to look back on my mistakes and see how I can fix them as well as myself.

~ 1 ~

Help out in my community more often.

Other than occasionally helping my Biology teacher after school, I haven't done much to improve my community at all.  I plan on getting my paperwork for school signed and sent to the guidance counselor {to get the hours for graduation} and then find new organizations or places that need help.

~ 2 ~

Make Healthier Lifestyle Choices

Yeah... No.  I have been eating more fruit and squeezing in the occasional workout, but it has not been going well.  The food tracker only works if you actually write down what you eat.... I always forget or feel ashamed and do exactly what I am not supposed to do!  This aspect of my life needs work.  I need to talk to my doctor about all the things wrong with me, make a plan of action, and actually do what is necessary to get myself back on track!

~ 3 ~

Pray more, worry less.

Another journal that is still sitting on the same shelf, untouched as always.  I still pray at night, but not as in depth as before.  Sometimes I fall asleep midway into my prayers or I forget to pray for someone because it slipped my mind.  I just hope that I can improve my relationship with God and really work on how I manage my time in order to really converse with Him as necessary.

~ 4 ~

Work hard at everything I do.

This one is probably the goal that I failed at the most and the one I am most disappointed in myself for.  I realize that I am my own biggest critic, but I seriously haven't been doing my best at anything, absolutely nothing.  In school I am mediocre, usually I have all As and suddenly I have three Bs and I don't seem to care.  Not only that but I have been SUPER lazy recently and just haven't been doing what I am supposed to be doing to improve myself and help others.  I just wish the last three months could be swiped clean and I could start over, but I can't.

~ 5 ~

Be a better person to myself and those around me.

Part of being a lady (and a respectable human being) is being a good person not only to those around you but to yourself as well.  As I said before I am my own biggest critic.  I wish I could say that I should cut myself some slack, but that only took me into the direction of the typical lazy, boring teenager.  That is not the person I want to be!  But I also need to work on being kinder and more courteous to the people around me.


Overall I have failed the past three months in my book.  But I can change that. I will change that, I am determined to change that!

Ever since my older sister became a "teenager" I promised myself that I would never become lazy, snobbish, conceded, self-conscious, and mean.  To see myself headed toward that direction really made me rethink my choices and made me feel really letdown by my own self.

I want to stay that confident, quirky, kind, hardworking, creative young woman I was before entering high school.  I know that this is a time where some people struggle keeping their true identity, but I am not one of those people.

My plan is to set aside time everyday to write down what I ate, write down my prayers  really focus on my relationship with God, go to confession on Saturday and mass on Sunday, to clean my area, do exercise when time permits {rather than sitting on my butt watching TV shows or scrolling through Pinterest}, help my parents, work on my overall self and how I treat others.

It's a simple plan, and with small changes every day I hope to really get the happiness that I want.

xoxo, Ana

Liebster Award!!!

Hey lovelies!!!

So today I found out that I have been nominated for the Liebster Award!  How cool is that?  I was shocked and really excited to see this comment, not only because it's so awesome, but I found that people are reading my blog and they actually care.

Basically, you give 11 facts about yourself, answer 11 questions from the person who nominated you, and then nominate another set of bloggers and ask them questions.  This should all be for up and coming bloggers with less than 200 followers.

Thank you http://beautybyellaxo.blogspot.com/ for nominating me, definitely follow her!

Here we go, 11 facts about moi:

1. I am one of five children.
2. I am from Puerto Rico and currently live in the U.S.
3. I am a total perfectionist. To the point people think I am OCD.
4. I love, love, love pearls and have since I was only five years old.
5. In college I would like to study engineering and then attend law school.
6. School and fashion are my life. Yeah.
7. I am mostly an introvert.
8. My dream has always been to go to Paris!!!
9. My favorite fruits are banana and raspberry.
10. I have never had a legitimate pet of my own.
11. I have an OBSESSION with Pinterest.

11 Questions from Ella:

1. If you had the chance to travel to any one country in the world, where and why?

I have always wanted to go to France.  I know a little bit of French and their culture is so fascinating.  Not only it is such a chic and antique place, but it is full of culture and class.

2. What is one item you can't live without?

Other than the usual my phone, I think food {specifically desserts}!  Its not exactly "an item" but I can't go without chocolate, or cake, or sweet fruit, or something delicious.

3. What is one item, product or thing that you have really splurged on?

My computer.  I never really had to splurge on anything until I finally needed a good computer to do my schoolwork and work on my French class.

4. If you could spend one day in the life of somebody else who would it be?

I would spend the day in the life of the College Prepster.  Wierd, I know.  But her style and organization interests me, her life seems so fascinating and full of excitement at times.  It would be awesome to see what a day in her life is like.

5. Gold or silver?

Gold. Duh! :D

6. What is the best book you have ever read?

It's between Charlotte's Web and Privilege.

7. If you could have any three items in the world for free what would they be?

A house, a car, and a puppy.

8. What's your favourite colour?

Lilac!

9. Something strange that not many people know about you?

I am really weird in terms of I think very analytically and my mind is always racing and imagining scenarios and thinking of things from different perspectives.

10. What is one of the happiest moments you can remember?

I always remember the feeling of complete happiness just one day at the beach, my whole family was there, and it was just a good time.  There were no worries and no regrets.

11. Going out partying or cozy nights in?
Cozy night in, for sure.

I nominate:
http://aglimpseofglam.blogspot.com/
http://petiteinpearls.blogspot.com/
http://pearlsoffashion.blogspot.com/


My Questions:
1. Why did you make your blog?
2. Who do you admire (either from blogs or in life in general)?
3. Where have you always wanted to visit, fictional or real?
4. Why do you think you were nominated for Liebster?
5. What is your best success?
6. Do you regret any choices you have made?
7. What is your favorite blog?
8. What is your favorite part of blogging?
9. How do you enjoy a lazy day in?
10. Who is someone you can't live without?
11. What is your favorite color?

I hope all of the blogs get my message and continue the chain in introducing new blogs to the community.  Just being nominated is a wonderful gift and I hope the other nominees know and realize this.  Great job girls!

Have a great day! :D

xoxo, Ana

Work It Wednesday: Running Jacket

Hey Lovelies!

Today I have a short post for you guys.  So, I have been wanting a track jacket for a while now.  I came home one day and this beauty was on my chair!

This track jacket is from Danskin Now.  I love this as a casual everyday wear.  It has the thumb holes {tbh: I was most excited for thumb holes!}, pockets, and a hot pink lined hood.

It is lightweight, but still warm for the colder seasons.  I haven't decided if I want to use this specifically for exercise or for casual use... I am still debating.

The best part is that it was on sale and my mom got it for only $7!!!! What? I know, super affordable.  Not only is it comfortable, adorable, useful and something I have wanted for a while now, but it because winter is practically over, it was super inexpensive.

Speaking of saving money, I am debating buying clothes for Washington.  I still am not entirely sure, I might save my money.  I have had lots of expenses lately, and until summer I can't really get a job, so for now I am leaning towards saving my $$$.

I hope you guys enjoyed this quick fashion find {I don't know what to call it}  and have a wonderful day!

xoxo, Ana

P.S. - Have you guys visited frillyandfancy.blogspot.com Kalel is super cute and has such amazing style!!! I love shabby chic like just like her.  Don't worry, I don't know her personally I just really love her style and thought I would direct you guys toward her page!

Sensationail Review

Hey Lovelies!

This past week I was really excited to work on a cool blog post for you guys.  Since it was my birthday I decided to treat myself to a manicure.

My favorite manicure has always the french manicure.  It is sleek, sophisticated, and classy.  But, this manicure chips super quickly due to the large amounts of polish at the front of the nail.  Therefore, I decided to try the Sensationail gel french manicure.  I love their gel colors and thought that I would get the same results: two weeks of damage proof, shiny, spectacular nails.

I have been disappointed.  Don't get me wrong, I love their gel nail color and it lasted through swimming pools, washing bathrooms, and crafts.  I was really surprised by the results I got using the french manicure set.

Maybe I did something wrong, or it was just getting old {I bought this kit summer 2013}.  Here was my experience:

~ Day 1 ~ 

The nail polish was easy to apply and set well on the nails.  I didn't apply the color because I felt like it just looked like my natural nail.  The strips were tricky at first, but eventually I got the hang of it and did all my nails.  At the end of applying the top coat, my nails were dry, shiny, and gorgeous! Here are some pictures:

~ Day 2 ~ 

The nail polish stayed on quite well throughout the day.  No damage was done, they were perfect.

~ Day 3 ~ 

I got some minor chipping, but I just thought I had left that area of the nail without top coat.  It was mainly on the corners and tips of my nails.  I made sure to cap all of them and seal the tips in, so I got a bit confused as to why they were chipping.

~ Day 4 ~

This is when I started noticing that parts of the white tips were actually cracking off my nails.  I hadn't done anything like wash dishes, or put harsh strain on them.

~ Day 5 ~ 

The white parts of a lot of the nails started peeling off.  Just coming off.  One moment I looked at a good nail, the next the white part was gone.  What?  Yeah.  The top coat below the white strips stayed on as well as the base coat underneath them.  I am really disappointed at this point because I wanted them to last for another week.  This is at the end of day five:

You can definitely see the nails ruined and some even have only half the white strip left.  This really disappointed me because I have tried their products before and other then removal, they were a breeze. 

I hope that this helps you guys if you were thinking about buying the french tip kit.  Like I said I totally recommend the gel colors, but this product didn't really work out for me.

Have a great day!

xoxo, Ana  

Disclaimer: I was not contacted by the company.  All opinions are my own, I bought the product with my own money.  :D

Pinterest

Hey Lovelies!

Really quickly just wanted to share my pinterest with you all.  I love pinterest and I know that a lot of you guys do as well.  Definetly follow me if you like my page!

http://www.pinterest.com/anamvalentin/

xoxo, Ana