Kate Middleton Inspirations

Being raised around my British Nana has definitely given me a love for the royal family.

My Nana Fisher, Nana and my Mom all adored Princess Diana. I definitely grew to love her too.

 But my latest idol is the lovely Kate Middleton.
Ever since I watched Kate and William's Royal wedding on TV, I have been a little fan girl. Her wedding dress, was PERFECT.

 

Can we just talk for a minute about how breathtaking her sense of style is?

To die for!!

I love how absolutely elegant and timeless she is.
 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Literal pregnancy goals.

 

 

Just had to go on a rant because she is my idol and c'mon, who doesn't love an outfit inspiration??

With all of this daydreaming of outfits I obviously did a little online shopping.




Here are the latest items on my radar:

 

Floral print Shirtdress

 

Heirloom Macramé Fringe Jacket

 

Cally Color-Blocked Tunic Dress

 

 
Birkenstocks : LOVE this color!!


 

 

 

This week has seriously been so crazy! I finished my online classes for graduation on Tuesday, which means I am one step closer to be being DONE!
 So I am looking forward to just hanging out with my family this weekend.
Hope you all have fun weekend planned.
xoxox


Shona

 

Bragging Rights

So it has really hit me lately how stinkin' lucky I am.

I have by far the most supportive family in the world! It was my Drill Night To Remember just last week and I had my Aunt Heather, My uncle Rob and aunt Jackie, Nana and Poppa, Grandma and cute Teri and Kevin come and support me. Plus my little cousins.

AND I got my dad to dance with me at my night to remember.

Anyone that knows my dad, knows he is NOT one to dance. He is VERY quiet and reserved. So this was a miracle if you ask me. But we practiced and he worked so hard!

 Best dad in the world award goes to me!  I sure love my dad.

Plus my cute brother Calum did it as well. Calum is just the cutest kid ever. He is a blast.

 We laugh ALL THE TIME.

I am so grateful that Calum is my brother because we hang out almost every night just sitting in my room talking and singing to classic songs. If there is anything I have learned my senior year, it is that family truly is the most important thing.

I just have the coolest siblings ever. They make me laugh and it is just the best being able to get to know them.

Short post, I know. I just was feeling too good about my life to not spread the love a little bit.

XO

Shona 

Saturday Finds

Well what a week!

Me and my family have been sick this whole week! 

It was a domino effect. Aislyn got sick, and then I got sick, and then Calum and then the rest of the family. I think I went to a total of 5 classes all week! It was rough. 

So start washing your hands more often, keep hand sanitizer in  your bag and PLEASE cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. (that is my biggest pet peeve)

So since I have a lot of time on my hands, I figured I would do a post on my most favorite products, and a few things I want to try!

1. Fake Bake Self- Tanner

So I had this horrible dream about 4 months ago that I went to the beach and I was in my 20's and I was WRINKLY! Not like smile lines wrinkly, but like an old 80 year Florida resident wrinkly.

 I seriously almost had a heart attack. 

I know that being tan is attractive, but so is beautiful and youthful skin! So I have been taking care of my skin like a mad man because I refuse to be wrinkly before I absolutely have to be. And everyone knows that having a good cleansing routine keeps your skin youthful and glowing! Since I am trying to take better care of my skin, I have found other ways to look sun-kissed without ruining my skin! This product seriously is so great. I LOVE it. When looking for a self tanner, ALWAYS look for a green tinted spray  or lotion rather than orange. Green is more closely related to skin cells natural color and orange just makes you look like a carrot. :) 

2. Revlon Color-Stay Quick Dry Top Coat and OPI Nail Polish

Like any girl, I love being pampered and getting my nails done. 

But sometimes shoes are WAY more important than shellac. (We all have to make sacrifices)

Don't get me wrong, shellac is awesome. But I don't always have the money to get my nails done every month. 

So I have committed myself to finding good nail polish that will last. 

I found this Revlon Color-Stay top coat that does wonders. I always get asked where I got my nails done when I use this top coat. It makes my mani last longer and has a great finish (that looks professionally done) 

OPI, I have found, has the best quality and lasts the longest. I love it. 

 

3. Mane N' Tail

I heard from someone (can't remember who), that using horse shampoo and conditioner helps your hair grow.

I just barely started using the conditioner and it can be used as a leave in conditioner. 

My hair has been so soft since I have started using it. I am always trying to find products that will hydrate my natural curly hair. I get super dry hair in the winter when I heat style, so I am hoping that this product really does work as well as everyone says! 

I don't have results right now, but once I do, I will let you know :) 

4. Erase Paste

I seem to get really dark circles around my eyes. I don't know if it is the pigment of my skin, but as I have gotten older, it has just started happening! I didn't know what to do when it first started happening, but when I went to Ulta, the darling girls there helped me to find this wonderful concealer. It does wonders! 

It brightens my eyes and takes away that dark look! 

5. Urban Decay Brightening & Tightening Complexion Primer Potion

I have the greatest wax lady ever. Hannie is the most knowledgeable person about taking care of your skin that I know. Thanks to her, I have seen my teenage acne decrease tons! One of the products that she recommended to me was this primer. I am totally a brand loyal person and when I find a product that I love, I will keep going back to it. 

Here are some products I have been itching to try! 

1. BirchBox & Ispy

My boss has posted so many pictures about this. I am so tempted to try it. Both of these companies will send you a box monthly with beauty products that are new on the market for like $10 a month. 

Wouldn't that be the best surprise to come home to?

  

2. Bb Hairdressers Invisible oil

Like I have said, I get super dry hair! I love my natural curl but I love straightening my hair. So I am always looking for products that will add that moisture that I need. 

3. Nivea In-shower Body Lotion

So I am just going to be honest. I hate putting on lotion. It is so inconvenient, annoying and I hate taking the time to put it on. I know I should, but the truth is I just don't. So when I saw this, it was screaming my name. It's an actual lotion you use in the shower and you put it on your skin after you have washed and rinsed you body. Then you apply the in-shower lotion and just rinse it off after. Voilà! 

4. Benefit Puff Off

Being on drill team meant A LOT of early mornings for me. Unfortunately, I get puffy eyes in the morning.

 Really puffy eyes. 

Sometimes some that wouldn't go away if I had a rough nights sleep. I would always turn to frozen spoons (I like to kick it old school). But now that I have found this, I might be able to convert! 

The tip of the applicator is shaped like an iron and helps cool your skin while the gel gets into every nook and cranny to smooth away creases and reduce puffiness! 

Well hope you all have a fabulous a Sunday!

 Monday is tomorrow which means emailing with my handsome as ever missionary. Best possible way to start off a week if you ask me! 

Don't forget to be kind! 

 

Xo

Shona 

WHITE

 So these last couple of weeks I have been obsessing over everything white!
(I bought 4 new white shirts just this week, plus white jeans) 

I love white. It is just so bright and refreshing and easy to wear. 

 I love looking through the Pottery Barn catalog and seeing the white bedspreads and fluffy white pillows. I love when the pillows and bedspread look so cozy and white its like you are falling into a cloud. White is just wonderful and I love everything about it. 

So here are some of my favorites lately:

Lina Ruched Duvet Cover: Pottery Barn

Armchair: Pottery Barn 

White Shag Rug

I'm a sucker for a simple flower arrangement. If I am fortunate enough one day, I want to have a constant supply of Peonies in my home. 

Rebecca Minkoff Mini Avery Tote

424 fifth Fan floral skirt

1 state Peplum Pencil skirt

Badgley Mischa Pearson Pump

Aren't these the dream wedding shoe? (insert heart eyes emoji here) 

- Shona xoxo 

Ending February, Kicking off March

Well this month has seriously been CRAZY!

Haven't had hardly any time to do anything besides for school, work and drill.

Anyone that says your senior year is a piece of cake was LYING. I have been so stressed these past couple of weeks! Planning for college is a major part of this stress.

I sent off my application for  a CTE scholarship. It offers one years worth of tuition to students who excelled in CTE classes throughout high school and are planning on going into a CTE based career. This was perfect for me because I am planning on getting my degree in Business and Entrepreneurship.

So if you are reading this, please say prayers for me! This scholarship truly means so much and would help me out tons.

 One thing that recently happened for me was getting the opportunity to model in Ypsilon's fashion show a couple weeks back.
All I have to say is WOW. It was so fun!
Seriously every girl I met was kind and truly as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside.
I was able to model 8 dresses for them, and I have to be honest, it was a little nerve-racking! They tell you how to walk and how to look, but they didn't really mention that people would be sitting SO close to you along the runway!
I have never modeled on a runway before, so this was outside of my comfort zone.
I didn't fall on my face or trip walking down the runway. Thank goodness!
I just had to think of "gliding" for those of you familiar with Miss Congeniality ;)
I will never forget this amazing opportunity.

My favorite gown.

I got the lovely opportunity to walk after Miss Utah on the runway. Talk about intimidation.

  

This gown was so weightless and had no back. I felt naked walking in it! haha

 

 

 The lovely girls I got to model with.

Hope you all have a fun weekend surrounded by the people you love!
Remember to be kind. xoxox


-Shona



Spring Trends

Well since the weather has been beautiful in Utah I am obviously getting extremely excited for spring fashions! I hurt my back at dance today, so I stayed at home and have been online shopping and all I can say is I am SO excited for these darling spring trends! Where is my shopping money??

Look how darling everything is that is hot this season! 

The first one is Gingham. I just ordered the cutest skirt ever in this pattern!

(excuse me while I squeal)

Similar shorts like these at JCrew but they are already sold out. :(

Such a classic look.

Second trend that is hot this spring is white! I know its not a huge shock to have white be big this season, seeing as white is pretty common when the weather gets warm, but it has been especially recognized this season!

loved this look from Burberry Prorsum

Nordstrom also has a TON of white for the new season!

The third is no shock seeing as it is the color of the year... RED!

I will be completely honest, I am not naturally drawn to this color because I don't think I pull it off well, but there are so many different shades and options for this that I am going to have to give it a shot this year.

Louis Vuitton did a ton of red in his spring collection, but he paired a lot of his outfits with an accent color. A few of my favorites:

The last trend that is really big and that I really loved was the simplicity of the patterns and the textures. Obviously a retro 70's look is coming back with lots of color blocking and flared items, but there a beautiful minimalism to these as well.

Happy Upcoming NYFW! Can't wait to see what is in store for fall! 

xoxo

-Shona

Fitness for the New Year!

So I can't stress enough that I am determined to make this year great for me. One thing I have been wanting to do for a while is change my eating habits and become healthier that way! I of course, have found every excuse to not do this in the past, so I finally made a promise to myself that I was going to do it this year! 

I downloaded this app called My Fitness Pal and it has helped a ton. It's an app that tracks the amount of calories you can intake that is personalized for your body weight and age. The purpose of this is not to lose weight, but to become more conscious of what you are putting into your body. 

I'm on a 2,000 calorie diet, to avoid overeating (which is something I do when I get bored or stressed out). 

My first day doing this was a huge wake up call because I exceeded my calorie intake by like 500 calories. (I am a serious stress eater) 

 I have been eating like this for so long! It was so shocking, because I didn't even know what calories were really until I started this! 

But I have been doing this for almost 2 weeks now and have lost 4 lbs by regulating my diet and exercising regularly. 

I have so much more energy now and my skin has cleared up tons! 

It's crazy what your body is trying to tell you when you aren't taking care of it, and a lot of times it tells you through your skin. With being a dancer and sweating all the time, I was always very prone to breakouts. But once I started eating fruits and veggies more often, it helped so much. 

So along with my new (and majorly improved) diet, I have been working out to get my butt into shape before summer! Summer is coming up pretty fast, and that warm weather might come even sooner since the it is so warm in Utah! Seriously 62 degrees? HEAVEN. 

I rarely have the time to go to the gym, so most of my workouts are done at home. What I'm really focusing on toning right now is my inner thighs and my legs. Pinterest has tons of great at home workouts too. Here are some of my favorites. Also, if you have any ankle weights, this helps tons! 

http://www.skinnymom.com/2014/12/10/blast-thigh-jiggle-9-power-ring-exercises-we-swear-by/

   

This workout is awesome with ankle weights :) 

http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Pilates-Workout-Inner-Thighs-36206371?crlt.pid=camp.birMLtOhk5xq

My go-to quick and healthy snacks: 

I have been really trying my hardest to eat so much healthier. So one of my all time favorite snacks is apples dipped in creamy peanut butter. It's 150 calories, and is pretty quick if you buy the Jif To-Go packs. The apples and peanut butter flavor together is awesome. Definitely one of my favorites!

My second favorite isn't so quick but is definitely yummy. I have a weakness for yogurt and granola. Whenever I am over at Court's house it's all I eat! I love the Yoplait Original Greek yogurt with pumpkin seed granola. So yummy!! 

My third favorite snack is oatmeal. This probably has the highest amount of calories, but is still pretty healthy. I love the Cinnamon and Spice oatmeal and then I will cut up apple pieces and dried cranberries and add that. SO good! 

My last one is my mamma's homemade Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies. They are DELICIOUS. And they are only like 70 calories! I will have to post her recipe when I get the chance. They are to die for and will be a regular in my home! 

Hope all of your New Years Resolutions are still going strong! 

-Shona xx