Monthly Favorites: July 2014 Camera, Book, TV Show, & More!

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1.) Canon Power Shot 12.1 Megapixel 2X280HS Digital Camera

I bought this camera about three weeks ago. I love this camera. The video quality is great for my Youtube tutorials. It also has many settings for taking pictures. The only downside of this camera is the battery life when you are filming a video. The battery drains quickly, but it is not that much of a problem for me, as I only film two videos a week.

2.) The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I started reading this book during this month. I am not finished yet, but I thought I would through the book in here this month because I need to talk about Morgenstern's writing. She is a descriptive author who paints poetry with her words in this novel. I am a huge fan of this writing style, as I use it myself in most of my own pieces.

3.) NYX HD Eye Shadow Base


I bought this eye shadow base a couple weeks ago. This eye shadow base is everlasting. It blends easily. It helps my makeup last all day. My eye shadow does not crease halfway through my day. This base is a great cheaper alternative to the Urban Decay Primer Potion.

4.) Writing

I have been writing more this summer, as I have more free time. At the beginning of this month, I set up a writing challenge for myself. I almost forget how much I love writing because during the school year I never have much time for free-writing.

5.) Favorite TV Show of the Month: Grey's Anatomy

Things have not changed from last months favorites. Grey's Anatomy is still my favorite TV show! I talk about it all the time on my Twitter account. Obsessed does not begin to cover it. I am at the beginning of Season 8 right now. I cannot believe that the characters (well, some of them) are in their final year of residency!

6.) Favorite Movie of the Month: Maleficent


I loved this movie so much that I recommended it for one of my Friday Movie Nights. It was great getting to see a take on what happened to Maleficent leading up to her cursing Aurora.

7.) Favorite Song of the Month:

The Dirty Heads - End of the World (Check this song out here).
My Song 5 - Haim (Check this song out here).

Check out my video I did on my July 2014 Monthly Favorites on my Youtube channel here!

Hope you enjoyed my monthly favorites! Comment some of your favorites or attach a link to your monthly favorites, and I will check them out!

Have a wonderful Thursday! I will see you all tomorrow with Friday Movie Night!

Shannon

Inspiration of the Week: Sheridyn Fisher

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I chose Sheridyn Fisher as this weeks inspiration of the week because she inspires me to be a better person. I follow her on Instagram and Twitter. She is best friends with one of my favorite Youtubers, Karissa Pukas, so she has been in some vlog videos as well. (EDIT: Fisher and Pukas are no longer friends, but I am still inspired by both of these women every day.) Fisher inspires not just me, but people around the world to be good people and to live a healthy lifestyle. She posts pictures of her morning exercises with her husband and three dogs as well as recipes for smoothies.

Fisher is a model. She has her own swimsuit line called Sheridyn Swim that she models for. You can check her line out here. I do not own any of the pieces from her line, but I may buy something one day!

Have an inspirational day,

Shannon

Quote of the Week: Limitless

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Sometimes we put limits on ourselves. We convince ourselves that we cannot do something. We tell ourselves that our dreams are too risky. We stick to the safer side of life. But what lies on the other side of life: the unsafe side? What if happiness lies in the unsafe side? What if the safe side is full of nothing but "what ifs"? There will be hardships no matter what side we pick. We should follow our dreams. Go for what we want. The possibilities are limitless when you are doing the things you want to be doing. Anything is possible when you happy doing the things you love. The world is limitless. The possibilities are limitless. We are limitless.

Shannon

Last week's Quote of the Week: Be Yourself can be found here.

Writing 101: Where To Find Inspiration

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When experiencing writer's block, I always look outside my bedroom window and watch the trees. I watch the sun hit each leaf (or pine needle). I watch how the branches sway in the wind. I can see the curve of each leaf and the bend in each branch. After a few minutes, my mind is racing with ideas of what to write.

But what if I am not able to look outside? What if I am in a classroom or copped up in my bed at night? Where do I find inspiration then?

Inspiration can be found anywhere. I observe my surroundings each and every day. I keep track of them and save them to use in my writing.
-I watch how a child's face lights up as he or she slides down a big scary slide at the playground. Was the child nervous about sliding? Was there an incident beforehand that would cause that child to fear sliding? Was the slide a monumental decision in this child's life that leads to greater decisions down the line?
-I watch a dog's eyes as he or she watches for a treat. Do you see this look in other animals eyes? Humans' eyes?
-I watch the miserable grocery stocker in the soup can aisle. Why is he or she here? Why does the stocker look so sad? Did he or she experience a lose recently?
-I watch an older woman feeding pigeons on the park bench. Does she come here every day? Perhaps she used to come her often with a loved one who has passed away or maybe she loves to give back to nature through feeding her creatures.
I watch nature. The grass, flowers, trees, lakes, etc. I watch the way they move and admire their appearance.

Observations can lead to a thousand questions that can become a piece of writing. All there is to do is look and become inspired.

Shannon

Thank You: Grateful For Your Support: One Month Of The Life Of Shannon Arielle

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Friday Movie Night: Maleficent!

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The other night I saw Maleficent. It was SO GOOD! Angelina Jolie was perfect in the star role! I really enjoyed this take on Maleficent's life previous to her cursing Aurora (and what happens after the curse). Elle Fanning was fantastic as Aurora. I do not want to say much more about the movie and possibly spoil it for some of you who have not seen the movie yet!

Go to the movies, buy some popcorn, and enjoy the movie!

Shannon

P.S. Do not forget to let me know what you thought of the movie! Also, leave movie suggestions down below for future Friday Movie Nights!

The Other Juliette: Would You Rather?

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Today, I am answering 15 would you rather questions. I got these questions from The Other Juliette's blog. She is doing a blog post every day this month, and I have decided that this post idea was too brilliant to pass up on. The rules are that you have to pick one. You cannot say: "I'm not choosing." So without further ado, here I go.

Would you rather...


4. Have no hands or no legs
No hands. I cannot fathom not being able to walk and take myself places.

Quote of the Week: Be Yourself

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Be yourself. What does that mean? It means to be you. Be who you are. Be sarcastic. Stand up for what you believe in or believe to be right. Do the things that excite you, that makes your heart pump deep in your veins. Be weird. Dance in the middle of the sidewalk where people can see you. Cry and scream at the tv when your favorite character goes through a terrible breakup or dies when you least expect it. Follow your dreams. Accept that not everyone is going to be a fan of you, and that's okay. As long as you are being you, and you are happy with who you are, why concern yourself with the opinions of others?

Shannon

5 Places I Wish To Travel To

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It has hit me just now that I have seen less than 1% of the world in my 20 1/2 years of life. And that thought scares me. The idea that I have barely seen any of the beauty the world has to offer each and every one of us confuses me and makes my heart skip a beat. Because I want to see it all. I want to see it all before I can no longer see any of it at all. So today's post is 5 places I wish to travel to.

5 places I wish to travel to:

1.) Great Wall of China

Too Much To Do, So Little Time: We Need To Relax

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Today I have been paying sorority dues, figuring out what I need to pay for college, switching my meal plan, trying to plan a little weekend getaway for myself, working on projects for my friends, and helping my dad fill bird feeders. It has made me realize that I just need to relax and not stress myself out so much. We all overbook our days, and I am telling all of us that tonight, we shall take a break. I will be watching Maleficent with a big bowl of buttery popcorn. What will you be doing?

I will be writing some cooler blog posts for next week tonight and tomorrow. Hope you all are having a fabulous day.

Shannon

Oops...I Did It Again: Another Target Haul: Makeup Edition

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It would appear that I cannot stay away from Target. I am trying to convince myself that I feel the need to go to Target so much during the summer and winter break, because the closest Target to the college I attend is over an hour away. But I just really love Target.

I went to Target this time with the intention of buying a couple foundations, concealers, blushes, and bronzers to try out. I have a variety of eye products but limited face products.

So without further ado, let's get into this makeup haul.



NYC Smooth Skin Loose Powder in Translucent



NYC Cheek Glow Powder Blush in 649 Prospect Park Rose



NYC Cheek Glow Powder Blush in 652 West Side Wine



Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Bronzer, Blush, and Eye Shadow in Vegas Strip/Light Bronzer



Maybelline Fit Me Foundation in 110



NYC Smooth Skin Liquid Makeup Foundation in 677 Nude



Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 15 Fair



Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya



Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Eyeliner Trio: Champagne, Pewter, and Black



Essie Nail Polish in Wicked (I have wanted this polish for over a year now. I finally caved in and bought it).

Hope you enjoyed this haul! I will see you tomorrow with a new Youtube video post.

Shannon

Quote of the Week: May Your Choices Reflect Your Hopes, Not Your Fears

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Does this quote really need explaining? Do not be afraid to do the things that you love. There is always the chance of  something going wrong. But would you rather have something go wrong doing something you love or something you do not love?

Your life is in your hands. Spend it doing the things you want to do. Do not let fear stand in your way.

Have a great day!

Shannon

PS. If you haven't already, please check out my Youtube channel!

My Top Five: Favorite Red Lipsticks

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I lovelovelove red lipstick. I have quite the collection of different red lipsticks. Cool tones, warm tones, you name it, I probably have it. So today I will be showing you my five favorite red lipsticks. If you would like me to do a try on video, comment down below and let me know.



Maybelline Vivid Lipstick in 690 Neon Red



Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Romantic



NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Amsterdam



Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in 11 Two Ton Tomato



Urban Decay Lipstick in 69

 What are some of your favorite red lipsticks? Comment down below and let me know! I'll see you tomorrow with the Quote of the Week.

Shannon

Friday Movie Night: The Coal Miner's Daughter

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5 Things That Inspire Me

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1.) Successful People

Seeing others success stories inspire me to want to succeed.

2.) Nature

Nature inspires a line for a poem, a sentence for a story, or a thought provoking question.

3.) Quotes

Different quotes inspire me to get up and do something with my life.

4.) The Future

All the possibilities of what the future can hold for me inspire me to work hard now, so I can be where I want to be later on.

5.) My Family

Family inspire me to want to be the best version of myself that I can be.

I hope you all are having a lovely Saturday. Tomorrow I will be making my Youtube channel and uploading my first makeup tutorial. I hope to see you then.

Shannon

Friday Movie Night: Fried Green Tomatoes

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I freaking love the movie Fried Green Tomatoes. I just bought the book the movie is based off of (Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café) for my Kindle.

The movie takes place in two time periods: 1980's and the 1920's. In the 1980's Evelyn's marriage is falling apart. At a nursing home, she meets Ninny, who tells her the story of Idgie and Ruth, who run the Whistle Stop Café in the 1920's. Evelyn becomes inspired by Idgie and Ruth's story (female power!). She takes her life into her own hands.

I do not want to say too much more, because, I fear I will spoil the entire movie. If you have not seen this movie, I recommend it. Once I am done the book, I plan on doing a comparison between the two.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

P.S. I am editing my first Youtube video tonight! :)))

Target Haul: NYX Makeup, Skincare, Hair Products, Etc!

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I went to Target on Saturday. My Target recently began carrying NYX makeup products...which made me explode from happiness on the inside. I love NYX's makeup...especially their jumbo eye shadow pencils. I picked up a few of their products I have been interested in trying, along with a few other things. I hope you enjoy this haul!



This is everything I bought at Target compiled into a neat pile.



I LOVE this mask. I can get around 2-4 uses from one package (even though it claims you only get one). My skin feels refreshed after using this product on my face. It also helps with acne scarring.



I love the tomato mask, so I decided to try the cucumber mask as well because I have very sensitive, dry, acne prone skin.



I have been on a rampage finding new brow products to try. I use an eye shadow from a Physician's Formula palette right now. I decided that I needed to find an actual brow product to use on my brows. I know I like powders, so I picked this one up byNYX in Blonde.



I own one Soft Matte Lip Cream from NYX, and I love it. I am a chapstick addict, so when I wear lip products, I need something that craves my need to apply chapstick. This product works for that. It dries matte and stays on forever.



I love the Urban Decay Eyelid Primer. I have been looking for cheaper alternatives. I love the ELF eyelid primer. I tried this one out once and so far, my eye shadow is lasting all day with this primer. NOTE: Eye shadow creases easily on my eyes.



The NYX Dream Catcher Palette. I have only tried out a couple of the colors. The ones I have tried are pigmented and last all day.



Here is a close up of the colors. A couple of the colors have shimmer. I have only tried the matte brown colors so far.



I have been looking for a topcoat to replace my Rimmel one that I cannot seem to find anywhere. I decided to pick up this Revlon Base and Top Coat Duo Polish. I painted my nails on Sunday. I am typing this on Wednesday night. The polish has not chipped at all. NOTE: I work in an Antique Shop, lifting things, pulling labels off of items we get in, etc. The polish on my nails should be gone by now. I give credit to this Base and Top Coat Duo Polish for my nails not chipping yet.



More skincare, that seems to not be placed up at the top of the list with the other two items. Oh well, we will just deal with this being down here. I stated above that I love the tomato mask. Now that I think about it, I am pretty sure I have used the cucumber cleansing wipes before and liked them. I bought these to try because I hope they smell like blueberries they were on sale, and I like everything I have tried from the Yes To brand so far.



I LOVE THIS PRODUCT. I use this deep conditioner once a week. My hair feels so soft after using this in my hair. I have very curly hair, so I can typically only wear it down the day I washed it, then the next day I have to wear it up because it becomes a tangled mess while sleeping the previous night. With this product, I can wear my hair down 2-3 days in a row, depending on when I wash my hair again.



I picked up some more of my shampoo and conditioner. I have been using these products since high school. I love the smell and how clean/soft my hair feels after a shower. (The scent is great. People tell me they can smell me before they see me, which I guess could be weird to some. Also, they like the scent, which is a plus).

 That is it! I hope you enjoyed this haul. I will see you tomorrow!

Shannon