Happy Thanksgivings

I am so thankful for my family for being there every step of the way, my friends for sticking with me-despite me being, well, me, and my choir for presenting me with opportunities daily.

My Rules to Fabulousity

1. Look your best!
Let's face it- as children, we loved dressing up, and for most girls, we still do. Often at school I get asked how can I dress so nicely or why do I dress up for school? And after thinking about it for sometime, I realized, that looking nice and feeling confident come hand in hand. And the sad truth is, people who don't know you will judge you by the way you look. Why give them the opportunity to bring you down?!

P.S.! You don't need the most expensive clothes to look nice (yay for thrift store finds!) and fashion does not mean you have to give up comfort.

2. Don't Degrade Yourself.
What is it about women that makes us so subject to objectification? Women are not only using raunchiness for our advantage but we are beginning to buy into the fact it is okay. Perhaps this is the reason American is number one in teen pregnancies? Then the good men in the world feel like they have to apologize for every stupid man that degraded women for the soul reason for being man, when they shouldn't. Be courageous to yourself. Don't do something you wouldn't want your best friend or sibling to do.

3. Be Curious!
Curiosity killed the cat? Thank goodness it has 9 lives. If a random question randomly pops in your head, like "How does a sewing machine work?" Look it up! The world is filled with little marvelous things and you can learn something new every day. And if you can't look it up right then, write it down for later.

4. Just Because You're Weird, Doesn't Mean You Should Stop.
Be yourself. I will repeat 5 more times. Be yourself, be yourself, be yourself, be yourself, be yourself! If you like to wear pink and head bang to heavy metal music, go ahead! You don't have to be a stereotype, just be yourself. Don't limit yourself by categories, labels, etc. Wear what YOU like. Listen to what YOU like. And most importantly, do what YOU want to do.

5. Push Your Limits!
Life is about mistakes, and by making mistake, you learn about yourself and who you are. Do something you'd never do before. Get a piercing, go to a concert you would never go to before, drink coffee if you have never had it-you get the idea. Don't stress yourself, don't stress your life. Enjoy the small things in life and the big things even more.

6. Its better to be over, than under.
This is true for most things, but what I specifically mean by this is confidence. Stop looking in the mirror and criticizing everything! Look at your beauties cause that is what people look at. Stop saying you aren't beautiful, because you are. Don't you ever get tired at being negative?


What are your rules to fabulousity?


***

I hate honors classes. I have to time to blog because I am do busy studying, and when I'm not studying, i am sleeping! Now i have a nasty cold! Just myI just have absolutely no time to blog lately due to all these exams for school... I'm so exhausted from being so stressed out. What do you do when you want to de-stress??

Night of My Life

To sum up the concert, it was nothing short of amazing.
I missed a day of school, and 9+ hours of driving, but it was totally worth it to be on the crowd, listening to my favorite band with my best friend!



I was in section 64, so I was no where near close, but I still had a great view of the whole set, and the fans next to us were just as awesome- we danced around, and sang all the songs.

The set list was amazing. Damon was pumped up and jumping all over the stage, you can tell everyone was excited to be playing. The energy was great and they sounded awesome. They played a lot of the great older songs. I took some video shots but I was dancing around the whole time, I highly doubt they are viewable!

Here are some pictures from the concert- warning, there are many!







I bought two posters, one from me and the other for my brother.





I am so happy I went, it was definitely one of the most amazing nights of my life.

Autumn Falls

Autumn is one of the most gorgeous time in New Orleans. We get a spectacular show of oranges, reds and greens. It the the perfect season before we enter winter. Usually, Louisiana is sweating hot, but the sun shining, cool weather is perfect for cosy sweaters, hats, and gloves! And I plan to wear all of them!
I cannot wait for the pumpkin scented candles and the falling leaves. Autumn brings with it one of my favorite holidays, Halloween!

I love everything about Halloween- dressing up, parties, and carving pumpkins!
On Sunday afternoon, I went to a pumpkin patch.

F21 dress, TJ Maxx shoes, New York & Company cardigan, Burlington Skinny Jeans, Claires Fedora


It was such a fun time, I loved picking out from all the pumpkins.


I saw these online!

Aren't those designs so cute!? I love the Minnie Mouse! I can't wait to make it!



Friday, I am going to see my all time favorite band, Gorillaz, in concert for the world tour of Plastic Beach! I don't think I can explain my excitement! I am going with my best friend, traveling 8 hours to Austin, Texas. If you haven't heard of the Gorillaz, I really suggest listening to them. They cover almost every aspect of musical talent (except country perhaps?) There will be many picture updates afterward.




You may notice my layout is messed up. I am going through a major design change. It will not be finished until after this week, but please bear with me. It will be worth it! I hope you understand!

Confessions of a High School Teenager

You know what sucks?
Realizing your graduate from high school in 2012.
I am not a believer in the apocalypse, and even though i know some people are, I can't help but think,
"What if there really is the end of the world?"
And that leads me to questions in the middle of English class like
"Well that freakin' sucks... 4 years of high school just to have it end randomly... All that work for nothing.."
And then it leads to "I wonder what will happen... Maybe it will be like the dinosaurs and end with an asteroid... Or! Maybe zombies will take over the world!"
and by the end of class i am thinking around the lines of
"If it WAS a zombie apocalypse, where would I hide?"

(If you are curious, I decided I would hide on the roof of Walmart, that way, if we ever needed something, like guns or food, it would all be there!)

But I always wondered why the Mayan calendar ended there? And why do we think it is the end?
Perhaps they were just tired of writing, I mean, they were pretty far ahead. I think they could have taken a break. Or maybe they died from disease from European foreigners. There are many theories, but I tend to think practically. They were people too, they could have been simply tired of writing.

And why the END? Maybe it is a new beginning.

Hello!

My apologies for neglecting my blog, after summer, I had to finish 3 summer projects for my classes. THEN I had basically no time to update because I was up till 3 in the morning every night with two AP classes and honors homework. But time is balancing out and I once again have a social life. I had and will never have any intention to quit my blog, but time is not always on my side, eh. Hopefully, I will get back on track with blogging.
I hope you all have a wonderful summer! For the people who have not started school, you are lucky ducks. Your summer is still going! But I am happy that fall is coming, which calls for NICE WEATHER! Louisiana is terribly hot in the summer. When I returned home from Norway, I could barely stand it!

So let's play a game. It's called "Notice anything different?"
Here is a picture of me.

Do you see it?
No, not the dark circles under my eyes...
Here is a hint. Look at the teeth...

That's right! No braces!
After 5 years of braces, they are finally off. And let me tell you, it's great. A true pleasure! Best thing about it, I won't have braces for my junior homecoming! (I will update next with my dress and makeup and such)
It's great. It's great.


That's all for today. A day at a time, I will get better.

Have a great day!
oxox
Anais

Har Det Bra!

I am writing this post 10 minutes before I am picked up to go to the airport, so bare with me!

Going to norway has made me more confident in myself, I have achieved so much in so little time, learning a language (even if it is elementary talk), connected with my family, and not to mention travel to a whole new country!

I want to thank my family for the wonderful vacation! I enjoyed spending the summer and really connecting! This trip has taught me more than you know, i have been through so many amazing experiences!

I've also learned so much Norwegian that last 6 weeks i have been here!
Who knows, maybe by next year I will be able to speak norwegian confidiently! (probably not though hehe)

I feel like this trip has been so amazing and so satisfying, that I can leave norway now, and be so grateful for my trip.
Through I am ready to leave- I will miss you (my norwegian family) so very much.
Jeg elsker deg!


Het Det!
oxox
Anais

Confessions of a Highschool Girl

In a bittersweet way, I will be leaving Norway and back to LA in 4 days, and starting school in 12 days.

I've been going to a school with lockers since 6th grade, but it wasn't till I changed schools that i was actually allowed to use a locker by the school. I never took full advantage of my locker during the year, but now, I know what I should keep in my locker.

Obviously, textbooks, paper and notebooks. This year, I have class after class after class that all require textbooks and notebooks, and carrying them all at once is OUT of the question.

Cardigan/tights- I though I usually have a jacket or sweater with me when I go to school, I am known for burrowing my friends jackets because I forget to bring mine! I cannot concentrate when I am cold, so it is important to have something to spare or repay my friends with something for them to burrow./The weather changes constantly in New Orleans, it can be sunny in the morning, and freezing in the afternoon! And for someone who usually wears a skirt to school, this can be miserable. I like to tights because of that reason.

T-shirt and shorts- often i am doing after school activities- tutoring, choir, plays, clubs- and my usual uniform is less than comfortable. I always keep a stare set of clothes to change into. This changes with season; i.e. sweat pants in winter

$5, keys, and flash drive- These are spare, in case i forget my house key or flash drive, which i need daily. $5, emergency cash.

Personal hygiene- I dont think i need to explain this, every girl should have this in my opinion. I love colgate wisps! They are great for after lunch or whenever you feel like you breath could use a 'pick me up.'

Umbrella, rain boots, and socks- like i said before, the weather in LA is unpredictable. And when it rains, it rains a lot. I hate wet, soggy shoes as much as the next person, so keep some extra socks as well.

Question:So, what do (did) you keep in your locker?

RoadTrip!

Yesterday, I came back from our road trip through Norway. Words can not describe how beautiful Norway is.
The first place we went to visit was a city called Trondheim to visit my great Aunt and Uncle (is that the term for it?). Trondheim reminded me of New Orleans with it's cute boutiques, cafes, art and glass shops, and Cathedral. The place was beautiful and we we able to the roof of the church to see all of the city! (pardon any picture problems, my flickr filled up for the max ammount of space per month! for the moment i am using image shack & some flickr pictures. But remember, you can always click the images to see the full size)



...that is by climbing over 172 steps! It took half and hour to walk up, and it was narrow and dark! There were some parts that were so narrow, your arms would rub against the walls, but the view was well worth it.

After we went to eat... in a rotating restaurant! I couldn't really take pictures of it moving, because it didn't move fast, so it wouldn't be obvious in the pictures we moved.

After, my aunt and uncle bought me a beautiful necklace!

(cathedral with the word Trondheim underneath)
It obviously quite expensive, I almost felt guilty accepting such a gift!

~~~~
After visiting my aunt and uncle, we went to an island off the coast of Norway called Håholmen. Though it was rainy and foggy, you could still see the beauty of the island. The water was so clear, and you could see HUGE jelly fish in the water.



And they had many birds.


Me with a beautiful swan.

We also went to see Trollstigen, a very steep mountain with a beautiful waterfall and dangerous road.



The waterfall.


And a glacier on top of a mountain.


There were a lot of cows by the glacier, this one was very photogenic.



At the end of the day, I went walking by myself near the hotel we were staying at. The hotel was surrounded with beautiful mountains, I couldn't help but take a few pictures...




I made that mini rock formation.


The trip was AMAZING
The places we saw were AMAZING
And it was an AMAZING way to slowly finish this vacation.


Yes, I only have 7 days left till I return to the States.
The feeling is bittersweet.
I can't wait to get home to see my family and friends and my puppies again.
But leaving Norway will be heart wrenching, and I will probably cry on the plane ride home.

It has been a wonderful, beautiful, incredible experience, to say the least.




oxox
Anais

Trips

This past week, I spent with my grandfather,
Interent was very unstable so blogging was very difficult.
We travled to Atnasjø where i saw a whole bunch of sheep walking around!

I love sheep. I used to work at Audubon zoo in the petting zoo area, which had sheep and goats and other farm animals of that sort.

Then we went to the 1994 Olympic Ski Jump in Norway where I rode on the chairlift.

I am not scared of heights, but it is a bit frightening to be to high up in the air, basically in an unstable floating swing, and the only thing protecting you is a small metal frame.



Look how cool this is!

Its a fence made of ski's!


Yestarday, I was asked by Foot Earth to add a picture I took onto there website.

(this one)

I checked it out and it is actually a pretty cool website. Basically, it is a website that shows the world we step on, and people from all over the world have uploaded their pictures!

You can find mine by searching 'Norge' or 'Norway'. It will go to the country and once you zoom in, you can see little images of a photo. If you click the photo nearest to the white spot of land, you will find mine!

**Warning, if you have a foot phobia, this may not be the website for you.**

***

Jumping to fashion, I have been wanting to blog about this for awhile.
What's worse better then a snuggie?
This thing.

I dont even know what this is?!
What do they call it?
I had to search for 30 minutes to find this picture, and it's not even a good one!

"The snuggie generation 2! Now you can look more ridiculous than ever!"

Norwegian girls are wearing this, EVERY WHERE!
I don't know what the deal is! They come in pink, purple, red, every color in the rainbow, but it just makes it worse!
The best part about it, its 599 kr.
It is equivilant to about 100 USD.


If you where this, please don't take this offensivly, but you can buy a sweatshirt and sweat pants for about 80 dollars less...

And look better in it too.


oxox
Anais

Homesickness

I have been in Norway for 3 weeks now., and I am beginning to feel that homesickness.
It's not that I want to go home. Hell, I wish I could stay here forever. But I miss my family and friends, I miss the Cajun food, and the hot summer heat.
I know it will pass, and for some reason, it hits always hits at the 3 weeks.

So here is a list of things I don't miss:
Cockroaches
June Bugs
Flat Land
Sun Burn
Humidity
Frizzy Hair
Obesity
Rain
Hurricanes
The oil spill
Unpredictable weather
allergies


You may (or not) remember my post about the Prada Postcard sunglasses? I was hoping that similar styles would come out, and they have!


They can be found in H&M under the Divided collection.
I am so happy I found these. You will be seeing many picture with me wearing them!


By the way, I love Lillehammer.

I always like there it is cuch a cute little place.

It melts my heart.


That's all for today. I will be posting again soon.

oxox
Anais

There have been a few things I am missing while in Norway.

(1)The southern hospitality.
If I smile at someone in the street they think
A.) I am crazy
B.) I am Drunk
C.) I am American
D.) All of the above

(2) Wal-Mart
No cheap nail polish :(

(3)The Moon

But the other day, I saw the moon for the first time in Norway and it was beauitful.



I have never seen the moon to big in New Orleans! It cast such an awesome reflection over Mjøsa.

The sky was beautiful that day.

That was taken right before the moon came out.

***
Yestarday, I went to a theme park near Oslo called TusenFryd.

Now I love roller coasters, but I hate rides that spin. I am 16 and the first time I went on the spinning teacup rides was last year!

So, there is no possible way I would want to ride this, right?

Wrong.


I rode it- and crush my aunt's hand in the making. I don't know if you can tell, but in the picture you can see me holding her hand.

But I rode it, nearly scarred out of my mind, and had a great time.

And then we went on one of those flying carrousel's. Which i have never been on before.


Typical that my aunt and I were the oldest ones on the ride.



After many rides, we relaxed and got a brain cooler. Basically an Icee.




the day before we went to my great grandmother and had waffles and coffee.


Norwegian Waffles are the best.

Oh, look at these cute glasses from McDonalds.

In Norway, with any medium order, you get a free colored glass. They are actually really cute and have various designs on the, butterflies, tennis rackets, hearts, swirls, etc.


I did something unbelievable. I cut my long nails :(
I have tiny hands, and when my nails are short they look like they belong to an little girl, but my nails kept chipping and breaking, I had no choice. I just hope they grow back quickly!


Question of the day:
Before I go, I realize I am lacking a good blog name. What is your suggestion? Though right now my blog is focused on travel, it will be based on fashion and makeup.