What I Got for Christmas 2014

Happy Holidays everybody! For the past week I have been enjoying my family and friends, eating lots of delicious food and relaxing. I have been on break for so long that I can't imagine going back to school now. I will not have a break this long until summer!

Personally, I am always very interested to see what other people receive for Christmas so I thought I would share what I received with you.

Girl Online book by Zoe Sugg (Zoella) 

Llama pjs from Anthropology

Macaroon pj set from Nick and Nora

Audio Technica microphone

What about you? What is your favorite thing you received for Christmas or Hanukkah?

♡

Cat Town Cat Cafe

A couple of weeks ago I visited Cat Town in downtown Oakland. It is basically just a cafe where you get reservations to pet adorable cats that are available for adoption (what could be better?). The cats that are up for adoption are the ones who are sensitive and least likely to be adopted. Cat Town gives them to have a familiar place to live instead of changing foster homes every two weeks or so. 

It is such a cute place and it would be a perfect activity to do with friends or family over the holidays.

♡

Delicious Pumpkin-Pie Parfaits

Even though Thanksgiving has already past and the season of peppermint is upon us, I thought that I would share the recipe for one of my favorite Thanksgiving desserts- the pumpkin pie parfait. We discovered this recipe in a food network magazine about 4 years ago and have made it every single year since. Now I am sharing it all with you so that hopefully you will be able to discover its deliciousness.

Makes 5-6 servings

Ingredients:
-gingersnap cookies
-1 tablespoon of butter, melted
-1/2 cup of canned pure pumpkin
-a pinch of nutmeg
-1 teaspoon of cinnamon
-1 1/2 cups of whipping cream
-3/4 cups of powdered sugar
-Whipped cream (you can make your own if you would like to)

Directions:

First, put 7 gingersnaps into a resealable baggie and smash them into pieces. Then, take the melted butter and brush it about 1 inch up the sides of the glass. Add a spoonful of the crushed up gingersnap to each glass and roll it around so it sticks to the sides.

Put powdered sugar, canned pure pumpkin, nutmeg, and cinnamon into a food processor and beat until the mixture is smooth.

In a medium or large bowl, whip the cream with an electric whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Then fold the pumpkin mixture into the whipped cream.

Divide the mixture into your glasses and refrigerate. It is best when the mixture is refrigerated overnight.

Lastly, take the whipped cream and put it on top of the pumpkin mixture. Top with more crushed up gingersnap, and you're finished!

I would really recommend that everyone try this recipe. If you would like the exact recipe (We changed it a little bit), check it out at Food Network. Also I am sorry that it has been a month since I last posted. Hopefully that won't happen again. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

♡

DIY Princess Anna Costume

The Disney movie Frozen is one of my favorite movies. When I saw it on Thanksgiving last year, I automatically fell in love with all of the songs and the characters. I decided a little while ago that it would be really awesome to be one of the characters for halloween. I am the youngest child in my family and have auburnish hair (Unfortunately my sister does not have magical powers), so I decided that it would only be right to make a costume for Princess Anna. I found that this costume is actually extremely easy to do, so I thought that I would share it with all of you.

Materials:

a hot glue gun

a printer

a black tank top

a long sleeved white shirt (or any color you desire)

gold ribbon

a long blue skirt (I dyed mine blue)

a pink scarf or pink fabric

and a pair black boots

Instructions: 

1. The first thing to do it print out an image of the design. After you have done this, flip the tank top upside down so the straps are on the bottom. Hot glue an image of the design onto the top, and then pin the gold ribbon around the top. This looks very realistic and it's really easy!

2. Now put on the long sleeved tee shirt and pull the tank top over it. 

3. Then put your blue skirt on. Pull it over the two shirts to hide the bottom of them. I added a belt just because my skirt was too big, but you can put ribbon on the bottom or just leave it as it is.

4. Put your scarf or fabric over your shoulders and adjust it to where you want it. Then pin it in the middle so you don't have to hold it the whole day. Feel free to use any pin that you want. Even a safety pin would work!

5. Slip on your black boots and your costume is all set.

6. Lastly do your hair in two quick braids and you have completed your costume!

I am so excited to run around on halloween and ask anyone if they want to build a snowman with me :)

What are you going to be for halloween? 

♡

Fall Haul

|     Sweater- H&M     |

|     Scarf- H&M     |

|     Shirt- Zara     |

|     Scarf- Urban Outfitters     |

|     Socks- H&M    |

It is officially Autumn! The weather is finally cooling down a little in the bay area and I have been enjoying having my warm cup of tea in the morning, wearing my sweaters, and staying cozy in bed. I have also been able to wear some new things that I picked up while shopping.

I absolutely love both of the tops that I bought. They look great with any kind of jacket and they are nice for bay area autumn weather- they have long sleeves and are a very soft material, but not too warm. I also am in love with the scarf from H&M. It is a great addition to an autumn outfit because it adds a hint of burgundy. I can definitely say that this is my favorite season :)

Do you like fall weather and fashion?

♡

The Best Fall Scents

Now that the fall season is officially here, I went out shopping to restock some candles from Bath and Body Works. I found these three scents that I am totally in love with and I would definitely recommend to everybody.

|     Pumpkin Pecan Waffles     |

|     Salted Caramel Corn     |

|     Pumpkin Caramel Latte     |

|     Owl Wallflower Fragrance Plug     |

|     Pumpkin Pecan Waffle Wallflower     |

All of the fall fragrances smell very sweet (like caramel) and they have a warm undertone that just make me want to eat them up :) I think that my favorite is probably the Pumpkin Pecan Waffle candle, but it is very close between all of them. If you love candles and all things that smell yummy, I would recommend checking out Bath and Body Works right now because everything smells really amazing.

COUPON CODE: to get 20% off of your purchase total right now type in the code wildvanilla

♡

Tips for a Perfect Autumn Outfit

My absolute favorite season has to be autumn. The foggy weather combined with sweaters, layers, and the color burgundy makes it a perfect time to do anything. The fall season is also a reminder that halloween and christmas are coming up! I'm also very excited for it to rain again (we really need it!) Today I decided to pick out a particularly fall inspired look and thought that I would share it if you want some ideas how to make a pretty basic outfit into a cute fall look.

Adding a brimmed hat to any outfit is a very nice touch. Plus it will keep your ears warm while protecting your eyes from the sun that likes to show up.

Brown combat boots also adds some autumn warmth to the outfit. Adding some cozy socks and rolling up your jeans a little makes the your outfit a bit more dynamic and interesting. This also allows you to show off those cute boots.

It is best to wear short sleeve or long sleeve shirts and blouses in the fall because sometimes it can get a bit chilly. You've gotta stop wearing those tank tops and crop tops and let them hibernate until next spring!

|   Collared Shirt - Topshop   |

|   Long Army Jacket - Lola   |

|   Black Fedora - Forever 21   |

|   Brown Boots - Urban Outfitters (I think)   |

♡

Twinkle Lights and New Room Delight

Recently my sister has just left for college. As a result of this, I get her room (a.k.a. the best room in the house). As a birthday present, I was able to redo the room to make it a little more my style. This is not the total finished result, but this is what it will mostly look like for my time in the room.

This is what the room looks like when you first walk in. The bed is a black and metal four poster bed from Ikea. The curtains and fairy lights are also from Ikea. The bedspread is from Target as are the pillows. 

Here's just another view of the bed from the other side of the room. (That is my cat Ivan) On the bedside table, I just have lots of magazines that I have collected over time and an alarm clock.

On the right side of my room I have a little reading nook where I like to do my homework and I keep all my books.

On the left side of my room, I have all of my beauty things. The mirrors, shelving unit, and flower are all from Ikea (are you sensing where I went shopping yet?). The desk is just an old thing I found in my basement. Lastly, yes, there is a llama stuffed animal because why not?

Here's just one last view of the vanity area. The perfume stand is from bed bath and beyond.

In all, I am very happy with how my room turned out. I have been waiting for this room for a long time so it gave me a lot of time to get inspiration. How would you want to decorate your room?

♡

Welcome

Well, here it goes. I'm Nora. I really love fashion, traveling, singing, and having adventures with friends. I am just starting my freshman year in highschool and I thought that I would write about my adventures. This will hopefully end up being a lifestyle, beauty, and fashion blog. I hope you all enjoy :)