Scotland

Long time, no talk, am I right? Sorry for the lack of posts this past week, but I have a good excuse… I was traveling all around Scotland. To say Scotland is the most gorgeous place I’ve ever been would be an extreme understatement. Every single place I visited in the country was beyond spectacular. It seriously felt like I was traveling in a dream. So, so beautiful. I actually went with my brother, four other people from school, and three chaperones. It was an Explorica tip through school and it was such an amazing experience. So, the first day we arrived, we got into Glasgow at 6am local time. We then hopped on our bus and traveled to these ginormous horse sculptures called Kelpies. They were absolutely beautiful, but I think we were all a little too jet lagged to fully appreciate their beauty. After we visited the Kelpies, we hopped back on the bus and traveled to a gorgeous church and cemetery. Next, we went to the city center of Glasgow to wonder around and grab lunch. We then traveled all around Glasgow learning about the history of the city and looking at the monuments from the comfort of the bus. Everyone in the group was trying their hardest to not fall asleep, unsuccessfully. Jetlag really sucks. We then arrived at our hotel, ate dinner, and passed out. I’m pretty sure everyone on the trip was in bed and asleep at 9pm.

So the first day was relatively uneventful, but got us all very excited for our next week in the beautiful country of Scotland.

Day two was spent driving to the Highlands where we would spend the next three days and two nights. The drive was absolutely spectacular and we stopped at a gorgeous lake and a few other pretty spots. I can’t even begin to describe how gorgeous Scotland is. 360 degree beauty, for real. We then arrived at the cutest little hotel and wandered around the tiny village that we were staying in. I swear, it was so tiny I probably saw four locals the entire time we were there. One of the highlights of the Highlands was definitely the chance to visit Loch Ness. I convinced our tour guide to let us take a ferry ride on Loch Ness and it was absolutely, hands down, worth it.

After three days in the Highlands, we traveled to Edinburgh. This city is absolutely gorgeous and if you have the chance to visit Scotland, I totally recommend it. The nice thing about our trip was that the counselors let the students wander around the city by ourselves (we just had the buddy system rule) and it really allowed us to feel immersed in the city and not feel like we were on a boring walking tour. While in Edinburgh we went on an underground city tour, climbed up the Gothic Rocket, ate at a ton of little restaurants, shopped in a ton of cute boutiques, and just wandered around aimlessly. I wish we had more time to explore the city because there were so many hidden gems.

On the last day of our trip, we visited St. Andrews. Home of the famous golf course, castle, gorgeous views, and birthplace of the meeting of Will and Kate. I was hoping to find my prince, but unlike Kate, I was unsuccessful. Like I mentioned before, Scotland is seriously the most beautiful country with the most beautiful cities, but St. Andrews stole my heart. It was seriously so beautiful, quaint, home-y, and beachy all in one. If I had a choice of any city to grow up in, I would definitely have picked St. Andrews.

All in all, my Scotland trip was an amazing experience. I wish I could put into words how awesome of a time I had, but I just can’t. It was too perfect. I’m so thankful that I had this opportunity and totally recommend Scotland as a place to visit. I’ll now leave you guys with a ton of pictures!

If you want me to do a post on the "must see" things of Scotland, let me know! Thanks for reading! xox Chloe

Internet Black Hole

I have this whole week off from school. It’s like pre-spring break. The underclassmen have testing to do, so the Seniors don’t really have to come into school except if their AP classes have study sessions. I have three study sessions, one on Monday and two on Tuesday. They’re only an hour and a half long and one of the sessions on Tuesday is a pot luck brunch. Life isn’t so bad when a pot luck brunch is involved. A whole week off from school (basically) means that I have infinite time (otherwise known as 216 hours minus about 4 hours of study sessions) to do whatever the heck I want to do. My friends and I are planning on playing tourist in our city, I plan on hitting up the gym everyday, and every hour in-between I plan on spending my time scrolling through the black hole known as the internet. I started this plan this past weekend and I found a few gems that I want to share with you. I got deep deep down into the depths of the internet black hole, and I hope you enjoy my findings. You’re welome in advance, because I know you’ll love ‘em.

-How to do Instagram the right way. This video was created in 2012 but it’s surprisingly still relevant. If you have time to waste, watch every single one of Casey Neistat’s videos. That’s what I did and I don’t retreat a single second of my time spent doing so.

-Nineteen beautiful book cover designs. I recently had to do a project in my Graphic Design class at school where I had to pick a book and come up with a design for the cover jacket (both front and back). It took me forever just to pick a book and then once I did, I changed my mind a million times. I eventually went with Freakonomics and my design wound up making it to the city wide art show. I now have a whole new appreciation for book cover designs.

-8 yoga poses to do before bed. My friend recently dragged me to a yoga class with her. I guess I should’ve prefaced that with “I HATE YOGA.” Well I did. I hated yoga. And then, surprisingly, I fell in love with it. I don’t know why the switch flipped, but I just lost myself in it and liked it. I used to be afraid of what other people around thought of me and how I was (or wasn’t) pulling off certain moves, but once I stopped caring, I started enjoying.

-Tree branch photo hang-y thing. With college just around the corner, I’ve been brainstorming ideas to decorate my dorm. I want it to be simple but cozy, just like my room at home. I stumbled across this cute little tree branch photo thing and now I want one, badly.

-English bulldogs have stolen my heart. I want one. No, I need one. They are so darn cute and I can’t get over it. Someone buy me a puppy, stat.

That’s all I have for now! I hope you can get lost in internet black hole too so we can be lost together.

Thanks for reading. xox Chloe

Pinterest, Lately

I've been so obsessed with Pinterest lately. When I'm feeling uninspired or bored  I find myself logging into my Pinterest account and pinning like a madman. I seriously think that I could work a 9-5 job purely pinning for companies. Like that would seriously be a dream. Coming up with boards to match a brand and then finding pins that match that board and that brand's aesthetic. Call me nerdy, but I think it's awesome. If you happen to know of any job openings, feel free to help a sister out ;) Anyway, here are a few pins that I've been loving lately...

an inspiring inspiration wall gorgeous beachy waves a girl as cozy as a i dream of being my dream home a little reminder 

Leave us a link to your favorite pin lately, I'd love to see what your source of inspiration is! xox Chloe

Lanakin

Throughout my entire life, there’s only been one thing that I’ve been jealous of my brother for. It’s not that he’s smarter than me, that he has a better sense of style than me, or that his level of common sense definitely out ranks mine; it’s the fact that his eye lashes are so luscious. Ever since the day he was born, he’s had amazing eye lashes while mine have been on the more “stubby” side. It’s something that I’ve learned to live with and throughout my years living with him, I’ve learned that he will forever have the better genes in the eyelash department.

However I felt my luck in the lashes department start to change when Lanakin reached out to me asking if I wanted to test out their  eyelash lengthening formula. I was all ears/all lashes. Anything to make my eyelashes look more luscious and beautiful than my brother’s oh so perfect lashes is seriously right up my alley. These are just the before pictures, but in just a few short weeks I’ll be back with an update post letting you know how awesome my new and improved eyelashes turn out to be, and if it really is possible to pull through and have the best eyelashes in the undeclared sibling war.

If you’re interested in purchasing Lanakin, feel free to use our discount code to get 10% off your order! The code is POPCO10

Have you ever used anything to help your eyelashes grow? If so, I’d love to hear about your results! xox Chloe

Podcasts

Hello lovelies. I'm probably the furthest thing from a trendsetter. I'd definitely call myself a trend follower before I would dream of calling myself a trendsetter. I never know what "the next big thing" is going to be, and frankly I'm totally ok with letting other people do the figuring out. However, I totally called it that podcasts were on the rise. I knew they were going to be big, and they really are starting to be hot and trendy... at least I think they are. So go me for being ahead of the curve. For once. Pats on the back are well deserved in my book.

As you know, I just got my wisdom teeth removed. I haven't been able to sleep so well with all the medicines that I have been taking, so I popped on a podcast and it was an instant soother. It was also an inspiration kickstarter. I love listening to the radio (i.e. some segments on NPR) but being able to choose the topic of the podcast makes it all the cooler. I decided to compile a list of podcasts that I've recently discovered regarding blogging and creative inspiration. I haven't listened to all of them and some of them I just downloaded like .02 seconds before writing this post so bare with me.

Here's my list:

• The Lively Show
• How They Blog
• Elise Gets Crafty
• Smart Passive Income
• After The Jump
• Seanwes Podcast

I have an iPhone and simply downloaded these podcasts through the Podcast App on my phone. It was super simple and each of these podcasts listed are free which is an added bonus! Let me know if you listen to any of these podcasts or if you have any that you listen to currently that I should add to my list.

Also, just for the heck of it, let's play trend spotter. Do you know of anything that's going to be "the next big thing?" I'd love to hear it! xox, Chloe

TOMS

This might come as a surprise, but I’m super frugal. However, I absolutely love to spend money. It’s just that I love spending money on things that I know I'll love. Frugal, picky, stubborn. Call it what you want, but I have money in my bank account and cute clothes, so I’m winning in my book. A few days ago, my mom and I (side note, my mom is my all time favorite shopping partner in case you were curious) were browsing the shoe section in Nordstrom's. We first glanced at all the fancy designer shoes and then made our way over to the other shoes. The shoes that I can actually afford. As I was looking, I noticed a pair of absolutely adorable high top sneakers. I don’t know what it is about high top kicks, but I’ve been absolutely diggin’ them lately. Upon further inspection, I realized that they were Toms. Who knew that TOMS started making different styles? ‘Cause I sure didn’t. I absolutely loved TOMS when I was in middle school, and I love the fact that they give one when you get one. It’s such a cool concept and I feel like my money is going somewhere important and actually helping people. I was dead set on buying them, but when I asked to try them on they didn’t have my size. I was bummed out, but figured it was just a sign that I didn’t need them.

Well, I was completely wrong. It's a few days later, and I’m still thinking about them. Actually, I’m dreaming about them. This pair of shoes actually showed up in my dreams. I need them. I want them. I have to have them in my life. They are too perfect and too cool. I’m pretty sure I’m going to buy them today, so fingers super-crossed that I go through with it.

Click here to see these TOMS for your self. 

Are there any shoes that you’ve had your eye on lately? What are your thoughts on high top sneaks?

Thanks for reading! xox Chloe

Galentines Day

I've never had a Valentine, but I'm sure if I did I'd spend my day being spoiled with chocolate, roses in every color, and maybe a new piece of jewelry. It would be a day all about me, all about love, and all about, wait, did I already say "me?"I like to think that the reason I've never had a Valentine is because boys are intimidated by me and my good looks, but I think it's probably due to the fact that every time I get close to an attractive boy my brain fails me. I stutter, I blush, I get sweaty arm pits, and so on and so forth. I just don't have the ability to be smooth around attractive boys. It's my only* fault in life. *sarcasm

With Valentines Day right around the corner, yet a lack of an actual Valentine, I decided to host a little Galentines party (based on my favorite TV show, Parks and Recreation) with a few of my friends. We decided to make Valentines Day cards for our non-existant boyfriends, eat food (aka Costco cookies and Goldfish), and laugh at our inability to make eye contact with cute boys. Overall, it was a successful day and we had a lot of fun. If you don’t have a Valentines date, or even if you do, I highly suggest getting together with a bunch of girl friends and having a craft party. A little creativity is always fun and makes for good memories! I decided that I'd compile a list of a few cute Galentines Day crafts so that you can jumpstart your party hosting... you're welcome in advance. DIY heart pillow. Perfect for dreaming about holding a conversation with a cute boy. DIY watercolor heart cookies. Because food is a perfectly fine substation for a boyfriend. Food>Boys DIY Piñata love gram.  A great craft to make with a group of friends!

Here are a few pictures from our little party:

I hope you have a LOVEly Valentines day, especially if no boys are involved ;) xox Chloe

Look Hot, Get Sweaty

I don’t know about you, but in order for me to have a successful workout, I have to look good. I’m not talking about putting on pounds of makeup before I run, I’m talking about wearing cute workout clothes. What I wear when I go to the gym or park for a workout can totally make or break my day. Lately I’ve been eyeing a few new goodies so I decided to share them with you all! My new workout motto is look got, get sweaty. Here’s a little inspiration board to inspire you to look hot while gettin’ sweaty.

ruffle bra | headband | sweater | lululemon gear | athleta | sweaty betty leggings

Some of my favorite workout stores include Lucy, Lululemon, and Free People. Let me know where you purchase your workout clothes, I’m clearly in the market! Look hot, get sweaty, remember that!

xox Chloe

Energy Bites

So, before I get into the real post, I just want to mention that a ton of people found out about my blog at school. It seemed like all of a sudden people were mentioning that they liked my blog or had seen my blog, and it was kind of weird at first. It’s not that I didn’t want people at school to know that I have an “internet life,” it’s just that it felt kind of separate. I’m not any different on my blog than I am in real life, but I do think of my blogging self as a whole different part of me. Anyway, I guess what I’m trying to say is that if you have a hobby or extracurricular activity that you’re passionate about, don’t worry if people find out about it. It’s who you are and it’s a part of you, regardless of what other people think about it. And, if you happen to be from school and you’re reading this… lemme know (;Ok, sorry, moving on to the real post now...

One of my friends from school brought some peanut butter balls to swim practice and she let me have one. Not only was it absolutely amazingly tasty, but it was the perfect snack to have right before a workout. She told me that she found the recipe on Pinterest so I did some digging and found it myself. I didn’t have all of the ingredients on hand so I kind of changed it around a little bit and I happened to really like the way they turned out! Here’s what I did, but if you want the real recipe to make these energy bites, click here.

Ingredients:

1 cup of dry oatmeal (old-fashioned oats) 3/4 peanut butter (I tried almond butter, but it wasn’t sticky enough) 1/2 cup chocolate chips 1/3 cup honey 2 table spoons chia seeds 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Pour everything in a bowl and mix it together. I found that using my hands to mix was much easer than using a spoon or whisk. 2. Put the mixed bowl into the fridge for at least half an hour 3. Roll into balls about 1” in diameter (or however big/small you want them)

Seriously, that’s it. These energy bites are so simple to make and so easy too! If you make them be sure to post a picture on Instagram or Twitter and tag us so I can see!

xox, Chloe

Fitness Motivation

It’s officially December, and you know as well as I do what that means…. food. Actually, food in excess. Thanksgiving is basically foreshadowing the way we plan to eat in December. Every meal is treated like our last, I’m talking breakfast, lunch, and dinner equates to full fledged feasts. Now don’t get me wrong, I love food. In fact, I love food so much that it’s starting to become a problem. I feel like, this past week alone, I gained twenty pounds. I might be exaggerating but I did eat a lot. It’s not that I regret it, but I do want to stay fit and fab, so balance is definitely key.

A little known fact about me is that I was on a club swim team from first through ninth grade. I took a little break but I’m now officially back to swimming on my high school’s swim team and it feels fantastic. I’m now totally obsessed with working out and all things healthy (even though I do eat in excess sometimes… *cough after swim practice bonding meals cough*) so here’s what I’ve been loving lately relating to fitness and healthy habits.

-Blogilates: it’s basically your own personal trainer. Casey makes videos at least once a week and they’re all fabulous. There are workouts for every part of your body, and some of my favorites include The Ultimate Body Workout, Lower Belly Flattener, and Perfect Legs Workout. The videos are super easy to follow and I totally recommend taking a few minutes everyday (right before I shower is the prime time for me) to do a little something positive for your body.

-lululemon has been on point lately. I know they had their see through legging scandal recently, but seriously go check out their new arrivals. They have some amazingly fab things. It’s like workout gear from the future. This tank is gorgeous,  these socks are too cute, and these leggings are way too cool.

-Drinking water is so good for your health, but sometimes it feels like such an inconvenience. That’s why having a cute and cool water bottle is so important. I was searching through my cabinets the other day trying to find a good water bottle for swimming and I discovered an oxo one deep in the darkness. I took it to school and then to swimming and got more compliments on it than ever. It was flattering and I now drink a bunch of water.

So there you have it, three ways to increase your fitness motivation. I hope that helps you stay inspired and energized throughout this fattening month. Let me know if you have any healthy recipes… I love discovering new ones!

xox Chloe

Creative Vibes

Hello, people of the internet. It appears as if, once again, I have disappeared down a dark hole. However, unlike the infamous Alice, I have yet to find the Mad Hatter. I have, on the other hand, gone mad. Not literally, but the stress of senior year finally got to me last week. Most of my college apps were finally ready to be submitted, my classes are feeling more complex, and I started my school’s swim team. It’s been a lot. Not that I’m complaining, I’m definitely not complaining. In fact, I love the business. I have things to do, things to conquer, people to mingle with. It’s awesome and exhilarating and I wouldn’t change it for the world. However, sometimes it’s necessary to take a break and take a moment for myself. My creative side has been lacking lately and Tumblr has been filing that hole for me... yay for creative vibes. I try to take at least ten minutes a day to rejuvenate myself creatively and Tumblr has been hitting the spot lately. Here are a few of my favorite pictures as of lately.

Be sure to follow us and feel free to ask any questions — personal or whatever, I just get excited when I see the red notification on my dashboard! I hope you enjoyed these creative vibes! xox Chloe

Holiday Dresses

It’s hard to believe that another holiday season is amongst us. It seriously feels like I was just shoveling the snow off my sidewalk last week and like the red cups at Starbucks were just here. It’s so strange how days go by so slowly but when you stop and think about which month it actually is your mind gets uber confused and freaked out. I’m not the only one that thinks this, am I? Any way, since the holiday season is here it means that holiday parties are about to be taking over our planners and our social lives. I have zero complaints considering nothing makes me happier than the festiveness of the season and dressing fancier than usual. I decided to compile a list of my favorite holiday dresses for this season. I hope you find a favorite from this list and if not then just enjoy the visuals… I tried to make them somewhat entertaining.

_{black dress | polka dot dress | sweater dress | red dress | woven dress}

let me know which dress is your favorite from these picks! xox Chloe

Friday, Finally

Fridays have to be my favorite day of the week. The school day goes by so quickly and then it’s finally the weekend, aka the best two days of the week. Today after school I’m going vintage shopping with a few friends so we can find our Halloween costume for an event we’re volunteering at through the school. There are four of us and we’re going as the Scooby Doo gang, I’m being Velma and we have a Shaggy, a Freddy, and a Daphne. Each of us totally fits the characters so it’ll be fun to be all dressed up together! Then after we go shopping we’ll probably go out to eat and then head to our school’s poetry slam. There’s a slam once a month and it’s seriously one of the coolest things about my school. People compete with their poems and their poems are so poignant and interesting and it brings a level of respect and understanding that usually wouldn’t be there. Maybe one day I’ll have the courage to write and preform a poem but for now I’m comfortable in the audience just listening!

romper | jacket (similar) | shoes

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHALYNNE IMAGING

oh app-y day

Life is like the App Store, there’s a million options you just have to know which ones to download. If you don’t think that metaphor makes sense then we can’t be friends, just sayin’. Just kidding. Well half kidding. Anyway. Moving on.

I recently upgraded from the old iPhone four (sans Siri) to the brand spanking new iPhone 5. The gold one. That has Siri. I’m feelin’ fab. Since I upgraded to a new phone I decided that I should also upgrade my apps. Out with the old (ie Temple Run and Angry Birds) and in with the new. Today I’m going to share my top three new favorite apps. I’m actually obsessed with them and you will be too. Ok ready? Here they are in no particular order…

1. Evil Apples: If you’re an Apples to Apples fanatic like me, then this game is a must download. I have my seventh period off and my friends and I all go to the same room to “do homework” which usually ends up in us playing a highly competitive game of Evil Apples. It’s basically Cards Against Humanity in app form. Seriously the bomb diggity. 2. Riffsy Keyboard: I found this app through Man Repeller and haven’t looked back since. It’s basically a Gif Keyboard. It works like emojis so the gifs are always at your beck and call. They’re almost too convenient if that’s possible. Go read this post to find out more! 3. Yik Yak: As you might know, I’m a senior in high school and I’m in the whole applying to college process. It’s stressful, and it’s not fun. My future is literally on my kitchen table. However, the idea of college is fun. My cousin told me about this app called Yik Yak and it’s basically anonymous Twitter for colleges. It’s hilarious and it gives a behind the scenes look at what the college students really think and feel about their college. I highly suggest downloading it even if it's just for the laughs.

What are your favorite apps as of late? I'd love to know so I can download them! xox Chloe

Behind the Gram

These Behind the Gram posts have been popping up lately, and I decided to jump on the train before it left the station. This post is quite embarrassing, but please know that if you laugh you're laughing WITH me and not AT me.

What it looks like: omg, just went shopping and have to show off my new fabulously perfect shirt.

What really happened: yeah, this shirt is fabulously perfect and I wanted to show it off, but when I was shopping at the store I picked up a size below my size and then bought it without trying it on. I then proceeded to ask the guy at the checkout if it was final sale (it was) when I was buying it and I still bought it without trying it one (why?! i never do that!). My mom continued shopping around the store and I started freaking out that I bought the wrong size. I then asked a different sales person if I could try on a dress so that I could actually try on this shirt. It was a size too small. But, I accidentally ripped off the tag when I was taking it off after trying it on. I then went back to the sales guy and told him that I “accidently picked up the wrong size and the tag fell off and I don’t know how that happened but can I exchange this shirt for a size bigger.” Long story short, this shirt was a nightmare to buy but well worth it because I got an Instagram out of it and it's fabulous and it was on super sale.

What it looks like: four professional models on the loose in nyc. everyone beware because we feel more fabulous than we look.

What really happened: I saw someone post an Instagram in Lincoln Center that was super cute so I wanted to recreate the picture. I made Frannie, Caroline, and Sammy hunt for this wall. We then found it and made a random lady take a few pictures of us. The first time she took the pictures they didn’t turn out well so I asked her to take them again. She seemed annoyed, but I really needed her to get the shot. Also, this random dude (it wasn’t Bill Cunnigham, but I’m convinced it was someone on that caliber of awesome) was taking our picture too?

What it looks like: hehe, just me being clever and messing around with my macaroons and the focus on my camera.

What really happened: The other interns and I went to Broadway Bites for lunch one day, I brought my lunch that day but still went because I wanted to bond with the other interns and get out of the office for half an hour. I was browsing around while the other girls were ordering their food and I found some macaroons. They were really expensive so I told the guy working the booth that “I’ll be back” so I could nicely leave without saying that his macaroons were too expensive for me. Then the other interns told me I should buy something so I went back to the macaroon guy and bought a macaroon. He remembered me and gave me one for free. I’m pretty he gave me a free one  because I looked good in my party pants because I had already gotten the FedEx guy to give me a reduced price on a package I had to ship earlier that day. I swear, THE PANTS ARE MAGIC. Also, I picked red and blue because America was playing in the World Cup that day and I wanted to seem festive.

What it looks like: chloe here, reporting live from trendyville. I just happened to stumble in this coffee shop with fancy tiled floors. Also, I’m part of the Birks train so I’m cool.

What really happened: I had planned my whole day in nyc around finding a this one super trendy ice cream place. It was a 25 minute subway + walk from my apartment and it was at least 100 degrees out but I really wanted fancy ice cream. I had the address pulled up on my phone but I couldn’t find it anywhere! I was so frustrated and so hot. But on the way to the ice cream shop I stumbled across Lafayette. I bought a coffee just so I could take a picture of my feet on their floor. As I was paying for my coffee I accidentally pulled out a tampon and a guy was at the register, but I was so hot and so annoyed I couldn’t find my ice cream place that I didn’t even care. Then I took like 89052431 pictures because I had to make sure it was in focus. I then got out of there super fast because it was an awkward fest.

What it looks like: Just casually showing off my new kicks.

What really happened: my mom can’t really take pictures that well so I made her be my model. she had to lay on the floor and kick her feet up so we could take a cute picture of these shoes. Her back hurt that day so she was mad that she had to lay on the floor for 10 minutes while I tried to take the perfect shot. Also, we hung a huge white piece of paper right in front of our door because that’s where the best light was. I’m pretty sure our neighbors and mailman thought we were insane.

Hope you like this post! If you want me to do a round two then let me know! xox Chloe

Aesthetic Phases / 1

I don’t know if I’m the only one who goes through aesthetic phases, but I surely can’t be, right? If you follow us on Pinterest (you better be) then you might notice how every few weeks our “mood” shifts. It’s not a dramatic "tectonic plate inducing earthquake" shift, it’s more of a “let’s switch one or two pillows on the couch and see the difference” shift. I guess that’s why I’m not really a “fashion person” (sue me). I like being able to switch it up on a moments notice, so that’s why  I stick to more basic and simple clothes. Anyway, all I’m trying to say is that what I like and the aesthetics that I like are constantly shifting and changing. I decided to create this little mini series thing where I would create a mood board of my current likes. I have absolutely no idea how often (if at all) I will be posting these mood boards, but as Miley Cyrus once said “it’s my blog I can do what I want to.” Err, at least I think she said something along those lines…

photo / photo / photo / photo / photo / photo / photo / photo / photo / photo /photo / photo / photo  This mood board doesn't really have a name, but if I had to choose one I think it would be along the lines of "Jen Gotch is my girl crush" or "this is what feminism looks like to me" or "pink is cute and strong" or "this mood board may be better off nameless."

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think of this idea for a series! xox Chloe

How To Style Pictures On A White Background

I’ve been getting a few emails recently asking how I take styled pictures on a stark white background. White backgrounds, for a blogger, are so important in showing items. The white allows the items to “pop” off the screen. White backgrounds as so important. The only problem is that sometimes the white isn’t so white. Often times the white turns out more on the yellow or grey side. And it can be VERY annoying. Today I’m going to save the day and tell you how I take my pictures on a white background so the white turns out white.

1. I use a white poster board as a background. They are cheap, moveable, and perfect for the job. 2. I then place my poster board near a window and turn off all lights. Natural light is the only way to go. Sometimes I have to wait until the next day to take pictures if I run out of time. It’s worth the wait to have natural light, trust me. 3. I shoot my camera on manual mode. This means that I can pick how exposed I want my picture. I typically overexpose my pictures on white backgrounds so that the white will be brighter. Sometimes overexposing doesn’t work (if you’re shooting a white or light colored object) so you just have to play around with it! 4. Once I am finally happy with a picture (sometimes it takes 100 shots of the same exact scene just with different angles) I upload the pictures on my computer. I then pick the one that looks best at first, aka minimal editing. 5. I then upload the picture in Photoshop and work around with it. I ALWAYS fix the “levels,” so that’s my starting point. I then also play around with the brightness and exposure. It usually depends on the picture for the amount you choose to apply of each. It’s like makeup ladies, the amount depends on the occasion.

the before

This is for "levels" in Photoshop.

sometimes you just gotta place a poster board in the middle of your kitchen to get the best light (even if it makes your dad mad because "you have an entire basement and and an office to do your work")

the after!

So there you have it! It’s pretty simple, but it did take me forever to figure it out. Taking styled pictures on a white background isn't always a piece of cake, but once you learn the process and practice you'll figure it out! Sometimes I just can’t get it so I start the whole process over with different natural light. I swear, the amount of natural light (or time of day) can completely screw you over or help you out.

Please let me know if this helped you out! I’d love to see your white background photos so tag us in your photo on social media (@popcosmo).

xox, Chloe

@popcosmo on Instagram

Chocolate Bark Recipe

I have this problem where I want to be healthy when it comes to food, but then I see chocolate and I eat it. It’s like my brain doesn’t work with me. But who am I kidding, chocolate is worth it. And this chocolate bark recipe? Yeah, it’s more than worth it. My brother and I always cook when we are bored and we decided to create our own chocolate bark combinations earlier this week after seeing some drool worthy combinations in the chocolate aisle of our grocery store. We had some crazy ideas in mind (think seaweed) but we decided to keep the combinations rather simple. And they’re all beyond amazing I might add.Here are the combinations we went for, but you can seriously add anything you want. That’s the beauty of this recipe. -Croissant Crumbs (try saying that in a French accent) -Peanuts and Banana Chips (Chocolate Chimp) -Popcorn (kettle corn would also be amazing) -Banana and Coconut (a tropical sweet) -Potato Chips (the perfect salty + sweet combo)

Here’s what you do. It’s painfully easy.

1. Melt a whole bunch of chocolate chips. We melted ours over a pot of boiling water so that we could make sure they didn't burn.
2. Cover a cookie sheet with wax paper and then pour your melted chocolate onto the baking sheet.
3. Evenly spread all your chocolate.
4. Add toppings as desired. We placed ours in strips but you can create any pattern you want.
5. Stick your chocolate in the fridge until it’s hard.
6. EAT. (the best part)

I’d say the whole process takes about 30 minutes (not including the chocolate drying in the fridge.) It’s easy and delicious. A killer combo in my book.

If you make chocolate bark then we want to see! Tag us in any pictures that you post (@popcosmo).

xox, Chloe

Teen Blogger Showcase

Earlier this month I attended Smart Girls Summit and had the amazing opportunity to meet some fabulous bloggers that are my age. One of the girls that I met was absolutely adorable and as sweet as can be so I decided to interview her for our Teen Blogger Showcase series. Meet Sammy. Like I said, Sammy is a sweetheart. She’s incredibly fashionable (duh, she has a fashion blog) and her Instagram game is always on point. Be sure to follow her blog and her Instagram, you won’t be sorry! xox, Chloe

Inspiring Pins

It’s a good thing I’m a blogger so that I can call my obsessive pinning “work.” I honestly think that I pin 100+ new things a day. I’m addicted. I was definitely one of those kids that collected magazines just so that on a rainy day I could cut out  pictures and  typography so that I could make mood boards. I think that’s why I have such a serious addiction to Pinterest. It’s just that pretty pictures make my heart beat fast. I’ve decided to create a little roundup of a few of my favorite inspiring pins that have recently caught my eye. If you’re needing some inspiration, then we’ve got you covered. These pictures are almost too perfect (kidding, there’s no such thing).

Instagram Life Vs. Real Life (this pin hit the nail on the head)

I’m OBSESSED with her outfit. It’s super stylish and looks amazingly comfortable at the same time. gimme

Peach pie is my all time favorite summer dessert, and this one looks indescribably delicious.

Someone please buy me a one way ticket to the nearest beach. 

I’m not a cat purrson, but this cutie has me by my heartstrings.

If you like these inspiring pins, then be sure to follow us! Like I said before, I'm an obsessive pinner. You will always have something inspiring to look at on Pinterest if you follow us, and that's a promise!

xox Chloe