~Top 3 Best Romantic Movie Scenes~

Happy February 1st all my lovely readers!

Since it's February I decided to share some of my favourite Romantic Scenes from my all time favourite romance movies! Its getting closer to Valentines Day and what do single girls do on Valentines Day you may ask? Well we stuff our faces with chocolate and watch the best romances wishing something that amazing would happen to us! Or at least that's what I do so I wanted to share a few of my favourite scenes with you guys.

My first ALL time favourite Scene comes from my ALL time favourite movie, Pride and Prejudice! Honestly I don't know how many times I have rematched this movie, at least 100, its just such a fantastic love story pause its filled with a little bit of everything, humour, drama, and romance. This scene in particular is definitely the best scene in the entire movie I think ;P  

Coming in second is one of my favourite scenes from Gone With the Wind. This movie is just perfection all around, I mean who couldn't LOVE Scarlett?! I may or may not have run around in my most fancy dress talking with my best southern accent after watching this movie for the first time. I honestly don't know why I love this scene in particular so much but I always have ever since I watched it the first time! There is just something about it that I love. Yeah I know I'm weird like that..

And last but certainly not least is THE BEST SCENE from The Fault in our Stars. Now this movie basically has me ugly crying everytime I watch it and this scene made me cry even harder! Like how is Gus such a perfect human?? This movie has such a beautiful story and the cast acted so well. I don't think I have ever cried during a movie as much as did watching this one.

Well I hope you guys enjoy my favourite scenes and let me know what some of your favourite scenes are down below in the comments or on my Instagram account(@sweetserendipity96)

Xoxo, Alex!!

TAYLOR FREAKING SWIFT!!

I have been wanting to share pictures from when I saw Taylor Swift on her 1989 tour last year for so long with you guys! Today since I finally had a free moment to get the pictures together I will be sharing my 1989 World Tour Experience and pictures!

First off I saw Taylor when she came to Arlington, Texas last year in October. The story of how I got tickets is literally insane. So at first my parents didn't think we could afford tickets unless I could get them pretty cheap. I went on Craigslist looking for deals, which were impossible to find btw because there were SO many scams. The Dallas news stations were actually putting out warnings telling people not to buy tickets for Taylor on Craigslist because so many people were being scammed. I was so close to giving up when I got an email from a lady who said her daughters two friends couldn't make it and she would be happy to give me the (hard copy) tickets at my price. I was BEYOND ecstatic and made a time to meet her. We were supposed to meet at 3:30 the day of the concert(concert started at 7) at a mall not far from us. So my mom and I went to the mall and waited for about an hour and then texted her and asked where she was and she said she was almost there but was stuck in traffic. So we kept waiting and waiting until it was 5:30! We texted her and called but she wouldn't answer so basically I was out of luck. I was literally dying inside but I didn't want to say anything because the whole thing was my idea! My mom felt so bad so we ran home and bought two tickets off Stub Hub which happened to be not too far off our budget! We were running out of time though so we were rushing around like crazy getting dressed and driving there. We finally made it just in time to grab our seats and a snack before the opening acts went on, they were Shawn Mendes and Vance Joy.  Taylor was absolutely fantastic, this was my second time seeing her and she never disappoints. I am such a mega Swiftie <3 I'll put the pics from the show down below! I hope you guys enjoy!

 Xoxo, Alex~

My Top 5 Travel Essentials

Hey there guys! Today I thought I would share my Top Ten Travel Essentials with you guys seeing as I am a VERY frequent traveler myself! These are just some of the things I have learned I literally can’t live without on flights, road trips, etc! So let’s get into it.

1. My first essential on ANY trip has definitely got to be my Ipod/Iphone because music is literally my life on trips. You will never see me without my earphones and Iphone! Music is such a great way to pass the time. Some of my favorite albums right now for trips are 5 Seconds of Summer’s Sounds Good Feels Good Album(and any of their other songs *wink*) and Taylor Swifts 1989( Swiftieforever!).

           

2. Moisturizer is actually one of the most important things for me when I am traveling because it dries out my skin SO bad; flying does it worse than driving. Either way I recommend taking moisturizer with you to keep your face soft and flake free. My go to is the Aveeno Naturals because it has SPF plus Vitamin A, C, and E!

3. BOOKS! I am probably the biggest bookwork you will ever meet in your entire life! Nothing passes the time on a flight or in the car like a great book. One time I actually brought four different books with me on a trip just because! Here are two of my favourites that I HIGHLY suggest you guys pick up(my list would go on forever honestly so I stopped at two!) Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, This book is so amazing. I cannot say enough great things about it, plus the second installment is coming out next month! My second favorite is Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen, this trilogy is beyond captivating! It has everything, Romance, suspense, action. It will have you hooked from start until end!

 

4. I always bring a journal with me when I am traveling because I love to write down accounts of my days or little tid bits of something I did just so I will have those memories to look at later. When I went to Europe for 3 months I was so busy I just knew I would forget things about the trip, so I started jotting down things I did, saw, ate and then when I came home and read through them all andit was like reliving my trip all over again. I even glued postcards and tickets to museums inside to go along with the stories.

 

5. My last essential that I have to bring on every trip with me is Dry Shampoo! I can’t tell you guys how many times this stuff has come in handy during trips. It saved me so many times in Europe when I didn’t have enough time to wash my hair but also didn’t want to look gross in picture or public! Batiste is one of my ALL time favorite brands and I definitely recommend them!

 

 

I hope this helps out any of my fellow travelers out there! Let me know what some of your traveling essentials are in the comments and follow my Instagram account, @sweetserendipity96!

 Kisses, Alex!

Top 10 Girly Must Have's

So today I have a super awesome guest writer for you guys, my good friend Kate who runs the blog Kate's Balancing Act. When she said she wanted to collaborate with me I was like "Heck Yes!" I hope you guys love her post as much as I do! 

Xoxo Alex~

Top 10 Girly Must Have’s

Hey guys! I’m Kate, and I blog over at Kate’s Balancing Act. I have a wide range of things I like to write about, anything from marriage to DIY’s. I’m married to my one true love and we spend majority of our free time hunting together! I’m a full time mechanical engineer and love to volunteer my time for special causes, especially anything breast cancer related. I’d say I am pretty well balanced between being a girly-girl and a tomboy!

So when Alex asked me come say hello, I knew immediately what I wanted to write about. Without any ado, I present to youten must haves for that girly-girl side of you! 

1. Dry Shampoo – So I’m sure you’ve heard by now that washing your hair every day is just simply not good for your hair. However, some people hate the greasy-ness between washes. And this is where this bad boy comes in! I’ve tried several different kinds but I swear by this stuff…it lasts all day, doesn’t leave any residue on your hair, absorbs the oil and doesn’t make it look dusty! Win-win in my book.

2. Chapstick – I’ve been using this smooth goodness for YEARS. My lips seem to always be chapped – no matter what time of the year it is. But if I use this consistently it seems to make all that dryness go away and it is seriously SO silky smooth! Definitely my go-to chapstick.

3. A good moisturizer – this is another product I’ve been using for YEARS. Just like my lips, the rest of my skin is usually pretty dry – ESPECIALLY in the winter. But I have such sensitive skin, it’s hard to find something that doesn’t make the dryness worse or make me break out. This stuff works wonders and I’d recommend it to anyone.

4. A fitted blazer – Giiiiirl if you don’t have one by now, you must go out and get one now! The one I linked is from H&M however I got mine from TJ Maxx for a steal! This is that perfect staple piece for your closet as you can dress it up or down in so many ways! 

5. A favorite candle (or a knock off) – Okay so I am IN LOVE with the volcano candle. You can purchase it from places like Anthropologie or Francesca’s. However, I’m gonna be honest with you…it is prettyyyy pricey. And for a girl who likes to bargain shop, I’ve only treated myself to this candle a handful of times. AND THEN! I came across the Bali Sunrise candle from the beloved Target. Holy smokes, does it smell similar to volcano & only $10 for the large one and $5 for the smaller one. HOLLA!

6. A good makeup remover – I’ve tried a few different ones from the brand “Yes to Carrots.” Most recently I tried this coconut one and man does it smell great! Reminds me of sweet summertime and removes all my makeup without drying out my face.

7. Nice travel totes/luggage – If you suffer from a severe case of wanderlust like me, this is a must. You can’t be travelin’ the world with crappy luggage. It’s just not right. So I liked the super adorable 3 piece set from Victoria’s Secret. I only have the big one and in a different print but it is PERFECT! I also attached an image of my most favorite tote on the planet…this GORGEOUS cork tote from Thirty-One. Unfortunately it isn’t available anymore (except maybe eBay if you’re lucky!) but I highly suggest hitting up your local Thirty-One consultant and checking out their gorgeous bags!

8. Planner – every woman needs a planner. I used to be so guilty of getting one but never following through with using it and looking back now, I’m like what the heck was I thinking?? I used to keep everything in my calendar on my phone, which sure, was super convenient but what the heck happens if your phone breaks and you lose it all? I know there is NOO way I’d remember everything. So having a hard copy is a perfect way for me to stay organized. This year I got a super cute one from Target that is part of the Sugar Paper LA line! So stinkin’ cute!

9. Nice Leggings - So if I could, I’d live in leggings all.the.time. Which I still usually do when I’m not at work. But ladies, PLEASE invest in some nice leggings that aren’t see through – especially if you’re going to wear them as pants. There is nothing worse than being able to see everything going on under those comfy leggings. I’ve linked some fleece lined ones by Steve Madden that I have multiple pairs of. Also – they’re on clearance for $4 at TJ Maxx right now! Can I get an amen?!

10. Fuzzy socks – so coming from the girl who HATES socks this may seem kind of funny. But if I’m leaving the house during the winter you can bet that 90% of the time my feet are wrapped up in some cozy fuzzy socks. There is just something about them that is so comforting. And you can get them just about anywhere for a good price!

 I hope you enjoyed reading about my 10 girly must haves and a HUGE thank you to Alex for allowing me to be a guest on her awesome blog! Be sure to check my blog out at www.k8sbalancingact.wordpress.com and my IG handle is @kate_paszkiewicz! :) 

 

Everyday Makeup Routine

Okay so I've been asked a lot about my typical makeup routine and honestly I go without make up like 90% of the time but on the days when I dress up to look natural here is what I use.

 These are like my holy products that I will buy forever. I start with my Aveeno moisturizer and the use the L'Oreal Magic Perfecting Primer. I then add one coat of the Ready Set Gorgeous Foundation,which I freaking love. Then I take the Maybelline Master Glaze and dab it on my cheeks(it's really bright so it doesn't take much). I use my Sephora Concealer for any zits or redness and then that's it for my face.  For my eyes I use the gold and maroon shade in the Stila and then add 1-2 coats of the Bad Gal Lash(I HIGHLY) recommend this mascara, it gives amazing length and volume without too many coats or clumps. I then add some EOS in pomegranate and then a coat of my Pacifica lip balm and that's it for the lips. 

Here is a before and after of my natural face and then my face with these products. 

Before

After 

I hope you guys enjoyed this! Let me know if you try or have tried any of these products before! 

Clothing/Make-up Haul!!

I WENT SHOPPING!!!!! So I wanted to share all my awesome finds with you guys. I bought some makeup and clothing so let's just get into it starting with all the beauty/makeup. 

Here is the first beauty/makeup item. The Biore Charcoal Bar. So I needed a mild cleanser for my face just to wash it in the morning and this does the job perfectly. It smells like peppermint and leaves my face squeaky clean and it smells like a candy cane afterwards. It's really gentle and I'm just hooked. 

Next I picked up these Physician Formula Waterproof Eyeliners. So I've been using these for about three days and I'm 50/50. They don't stay on as long as I would have hope especially for waterproof. My Urban Decay 24/7 stays on better but they do stay on my waterline perfectly!!! Which is why I got them so I'm satisfied. If you're looking for a waterline eyeliner I definitely recommend these. 

Last in the beauty/makeup is this Hard Candy green pallete. I want to buy a more expensive palate just like this from Sephora but I'm not sure how I feel about greens so I want to try these out before I go spend money on the more expensive one. 

And here is my clothing haul(pardon the ugly blanket, hotel life is hard.) I decided to take a group picture and just tell you where everything is from. The boots are Steve Madden and were on sale for $25, the jacket is Noisy May and was on sale for $40 I think, the sunglasses are from Aldo(they have interchangeable sides which is awesome) and were on sale for $5, the grey shirt is Buffalo and was $18, the All Eyes On Me was $16 from Winners, the purple peplum was from Winners as well and was $12, and the grey sweatpants were from Winners and were $16. 

I hope you guys enjoyed this post and much as I enjoyed making it! ~Alex 

My Favorite Quote

 Okay so I normally DO NOT like to use curse words on my blog or Instagram account but I just loved this too much because I connect with it on so many levels. This quote is so true, I mean at least in my experience. When some girls were basically attacking me on social media, for days, they started calling me a Bitch!  After I stood up for myself by blocking them all. Even the girl I thought was my best friend(I had known her for almost 10 years) took their side and said I was a bitch and then joined them in spamming my Twitter and Instagram. Standing up for yourself(in a classy, nice way)in the face of bullies should not be a reason for people to call you a Bitch. They then preceded to call me a slew of other degrading names, all because I said they were being childish and blocked them. That is called dealing with mean girls in the best way. I will never understand why as women, we feel the need to tear other women down. Being girls we know how harsh the world is, we should really all be sticking together and try to help other women whenever we can. If standing up for myself and other women makes me a Bitch then I guess I am. 

Doctors Today!

So today I have an appointment with my family doctor to talk about this lump I found in my left breast a few weeks ago. It has been hurting and swelling for almost 4 weeks now so I'm going to get it checked just to be safe. It's honestly probably nothing really serious but since my mom had breast cancer I'm a little paranoid. My mom thinks it's fribroids which seems most logical but better safe than sorry right? I'm really not looking forward to having my breasts felt up but I guess you gotta do what you gotta do! I'll let you all know how it goes. Positive thoughts and prayers are much appreciated. 

Haters Gonna Hate

Hello Blog World,

Today I'm going to be sharing the story behind my nearly 2 month absence. The reason I stopped blogging and posting on Instagram was because I was basically having some stupid, childish girls from my town trolling on my stuff. One my best friends(or so I thought) was angry at me and decided to tell some people about it and basically it got out of control and all the girls who don't particularly like me started trolling my Instagram account and blog. They wouldn't leave me alone so I decided to just take a break from all of it. Looking back now I wish I wouldn't have let them make me stop blogging and posting because that's exactly what they wanted. I had a lot of great people stand up for me and they will always have my eternal thanks. Knowing  that I had people on my side was a great help. I am definitely not going to let some girls and their cyber bullying keep me from posting, in the wise words of Ms. Taylor Swift, haters gonna hate. I hope you guys will continue to follow my journey and forgive my long break. I am back and better than ever!! You can all look forward to many more posts by me in the future!

Thigh Gap Rant

I was looking through Instagram earlier and I couldn't help but notice all the comments about people mostly young girls, obsessing over the highly sought after "thigh gap" so I started looking into it and I realized that girls are becoming obsessed with achieving this very hard unrealistic ideal of beauty. They are purging, starving, using laxatives, etc. to try and attain thigh gaps. Girls having or not having a thigh gap does not define your beauty. Some girls naturally have thigh gaps because of their build but some girls are just NOT built for them. Starving yourself or harming your body to try and achieve this when its not meant for you is not worth it. I am a healthy, petite size 0-00 and I do not have a thigh gap. My thighs just aren't built to have one as many girls bodies are. Starving yourself sick for a gap between our thighs is NOT worth it. You are beautiful just the way you are.  I just want you all to know that, thigh gap or no thigh gap you're all gorgeous, wonderful ladies who don't need to go to extremes to try and attain this. 

Fun in Nature/Senior Pictures?

So about a week ago I was in the country visiting some Family and because I'm a model in training I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get some great pictures in the gorgeous country setting I was in. The sun was shining perfectly and honeslty I was having a great hair day so basically everything lined up perfectly ;) Since I'm homeschooled I never thought about doing Senior Pictures or anything like that but these could almost count as those so I'll just call them my Homeschooled Senior Photos. Here are a few for you guys to check out. 

My Secret Weapon

May has officially begun!!!! I don't know about you guys but April flew by for me. It seems like it was barely even here. Since its the first day of a brand new month I thought I would share one of my biggest tools that I use to stay in shape and exercise with my CRAZY schedule. I travel a lot so finding time to excise or space can be a challenge. One thing that really has helped me on my journey these past 3 years are the Popsugar Fitness workouts. I found them at the beginning of my fitness journey and have literally used them ever since. Popsugar Fitness has an app that I greatly recommend all of you download and on the app are all the workout videos you could ever want. They range from 5 mins all the way to 1 hour. My favorites are the 10 min videos because I will mix and match them to build an amazing workout. Another thing I like about them is that they explain everything so simply that anyone can understand the moves and do them. They also offer various modifications so you can go easier or harder depending on your fitness level. Honestly these workouts have really changed my fitness life. I can take this app anywhere in the word and have workouts at my finger tips. It's basically my secret weapon for working out on the go. I highly recommend everyone try their workouts and download their app. 

I'm Back!!

Wow I can't believe I haven't posted in about a Month!! I really missed all you guys. Well I'm back now so you can look forward to many new posts I've been working on for my blog and Instagram account. So much has happened during my time not posting. I've moved from Canada back to Texas, which I'm very excited about, and I'm now looking at colleges. I honestly love Texas so much I'm so happy to be here but I do miss Canada sometimes. The food in TX is amazing though, I'm pretty sure I've gain like 20 lbs since I've been here. Luckily I've located the nearest Wholefoods and Trader Joe's, I need them like I need oxygen seriously. Well that's all for now! I'll have tons of new posts coming y'all's way soon I promise! Thanks for bearing with me. -Alex 

When in Rome

Definitely one of my favorite cities that I saw in Europe was Rome. I absolutely LOVED it there and didn't have enough time there at all. When we drove through Rome we were on our way to a different city and unfortunately could only spend I day there. It was short and sweet but still amazing in every way. Seeing the colosseum was just mind-boggling and roaming the ancient Roman cobblestone streets was priceless. You could practically feel the history in every nook and cranny of the ancient city. I would definitely go back again and recommend everyone go at least once if they can. Here are some pictures from my trip.  

Here is the view driving towards Rome

Rome here we come!

First stop,Colosseum!! 

Colosseum up close, about to go in. 

Finally Inside!

It's huge guys!

After we left the colosseum to find the Trevi Fountain we stumbled upon some ruins. 

"Rome-ing" the streets(get it?) ;)

Finally found the Fountain!! I threw in 4 pennies! 

Circled back around the Colosseum on our way to our hotel. 

Come Dine with Me

Okay so this is probably one of the MOST requested posts that I've ever been asked to write. I'm not sure why people want to know what I eat all day but hey you guys asked so I'm giving it to you. Let's get into it then. So I started keeping a food journal about a week ago just to see exactly what I was eating so here is what I usually eat on a given day. 

For breakfast I noticed that I rotate between these different meals. Either a huge smoothie, two fried eggs and a mango, or a PB&J and chocolate milk. These are like my breakfast staples. 

For lunch I usually had some either chicken breast with salad or a whole bunch of raw veggies like broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, etc. and half a chicken breast with some hummus for the veggies. Sometimes I will just have whatever my moms cooking if I don't want to make my own lunch. That includes homemade burgers, veggie pasta, and sometimes different Pakistani meals.

For dinner I rotate around with either a GIANT smoothie(so I get enough calories) if I had a big lunch, an egg white omelette loaded with veggies and some kind of fruit on the side, or a few slices of chicken breast with vegetables and hummus(again) 

Now for snacks I usually had about 2, 1 in between breakfast and lunch and 1 between lunch and dinner. My snack options are usually half a cup of cottage cheese with fruit and honey, an apple with some almonds(sometimes it's different fruit depending on what I have), and raw veggies with hummus.

Drink wise I usually have either unsweetened tea, lemon water, or plain water. Water is basically my go to especially with a little lemon squeezed in there. I don't drink coke very often if I do it's usually only on a holiday. Once in a while I treat myself to a Starbucks Frapp but not very often. 

This is just kind of an example of the main staples I eat in my diet. Basically I try to eat very whole, organic foods it that doesn't mean I don't treat myself because I do. During the week I kept this food journal I treated myself to a slice of chocolate cheesecake, and also on a different day some cookies. It's all about balance and making sure you don't go overboard with the treats. I aim to eat about 1500-1600 calories a day sometimes more depending on my activity and workouts for that day. If I am doing a big workout one day I will usually up my calories to help my body repair but if I'm say going on a trip and will just be sitting in the car all day I drop the number of calories down a bit. Now I NEVER go below 1200 calories because that isn't enough for anyone and will send your body into starvation mode. You guys can adjust the calories you need based on all your factors like activity level,height and all that. I hope this post kind of helps give you a glimpse into my food world and what I eat. Let me know how you liked it below! 

Stop the Body Shaming.

This post is something I've been wanting to write for quite awhile actually. It's something that I've experienced personally and I know others have as well. It seems that no matter how skinny or curvy you are that you will never escape the hurtful comments and body shaming. I used to be really overweight and I can honestly say that I never got as many hurtful comments as I have being slim. I'm  Naturally petite at my height of 5'2, my extra weight just hid my small frame. 

When I lost the extra weight I looked like a different person and I was very proud of myself, I loved my new body honestly. We live away from most of my family so they hadn't seen me lose the weight all they remembered was that I left being overweight and then came back for the holidays basically a new person. Most of my relatives were completely shocked and I thought they would be just as proud as I was but that didn't end up being the case. Everyone In my family is overweight so before I lost weight I seemed like one of them, fitting in completely but after I lost weight it's like they thought I was some kind of outsider or freak that didn't seem normal. 

 I started getting called Skinny Minny, Boney, Anorexic, and even ugly. Even some old friends would tell me I looked like a stick. I remember one time quite recently where my cousin and aunt actually told me that I had ruined my body, become horribly ugly, and that no guys would want me now. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. These people were my family and even they couldn't help but make hurtful body shaming comments. Why couldn't they just be as proud of myself as I was? I tried to just let them roll off my back but after awhile I started to wonder if maybe they were right, was I really "gross" looking? Had I ruined my body? Then I realized that listening to all this crap was just completely stupid. I hadn't ruined my body at all, I had just improved it.

 I became healthy because carrying all that extra weight on my little frame WAS not healthy. My family doctor had even told me that I was at a perfectly healthy weight so their comments about being sickly or having an eating disorder were definitely not true. I don't even think that people realize how hurtful their comments about being slim can be. They are just as hurtful as calling curvy girls fat. Body shaming of every body type, size, and shape needs to stop. 

EVERY girl is beautiful, it doesn't matter if you're a size 0 or 18, we are all gorgeous, wonderful, smart, funny women who are so much more than just what size jeans they fit into. Instead of tearing each other down with hurtful comments we should be lifting each other up in praise of how amazing we all are. 

Trend Alert!

Now that Paris Fashion Week has officially come to a finish I wanted to share one of the biggest trends I noticed while watching all the shows and street fashion. Long to mid-lengh skirts! They were literally everywhere in every kind of pattern,design, and fabric. They were styled dressy and casual. I really loved this lentgh of skirts I was seeing because it's a length you don't see very often and it really made the wearer stand out. I gathered some pictures of my favorite looks using this hot trend for you guys to check out. Let me know what you guys think about this new trend, would you wear it?