My top 5 favorite lip balms/chap-sticks!

All the people around me who are close to me know I'm a massive chap-stick and lip-balm junkie. There is always one laying around in separate parts of the house, in my pocket, and in my purse. I'm constantly reapplying it on my lips, because licking them and my habit of biting my lower lip just makes them even more dry. To top it off, I have a chapped lip peeve. If I ever see someone else with chapped lips, I always have the urge to attack their lips with my chap-stick -- but, I don't. ANYWAY. Here is the list, with reasons why I love each one. I will go from least favorite to most favorite (though they're all my favorites to have around)!

5. COCONUT OIL

Surprising, right? Coconut oil is a fantastic thing to have if you're into organic/natural skin and hair care like I am. It's incredible for removing makeup and dirt off of your face (yes, even stubborn waterproof mascara, girls!) It also helps ease out any split or dry ends you may have on your hair. It's just all around an amazing thing to have! I like to use coconut oil on my lips at night, after I've cleaned my face, as it's right there. It gives your lips a soft, moist feeling without feeling to greasy or oily (unless you put on a handful of it, then I don't even know what you're doing). If you want to stay away from chemicals, this is the way to go -- but, one down side is that you can't take it around with you. The tub I have is HUMONGOUS. Be forewarned, it has a rather low melting point. During the summer time, expect it to be a liquid. During winter, it will probably turn solid. Now, enough info on that -- I totally went off topic.

4. BURT'S BEES REPLENISHING LIP BALM
with Pomegranate Oil

Let me just tell you guys, right off the bat, this stuff smells amazing. It smells like a very sweet, delicious tea. It is absolutely pleasant, not at all strong. This balm is great -- it goes on smoothly, and it was my go-to lip balm for years. It's a great way to ease-in on the brand, if you've ever wanted to try out any Burt's Bees products.

3. C.O. BIGELOW ROSE SALVE

Now I've only had this for a few days, and right off the bat I've listed it at number three on my list. This salve is just so damn good. It is very smooth -- has a soft, gel like consistency which slightly resembles Vaseline (but smoother!) In the beginning it's a bit solid and waxy, but once you work through, it because more pliable. It keeps your lips smooth and soft for a very long period of time compared to other balms and salves. The scent is light -- it doesn't smell like the usual roses your used to. It definitely does have an 'old lady' rose scent, but it's not bad at all. It just smells like the waxiness of a candle! The only down side about this and any other balms in a tin is that you have to use your finger to apply it -- unless you are supremely prepared and carry around a lip brush with you in public. This could be a bit of a hygiene issue. Other than that, it's great to put on before bed time or have by you while you're doing some work at home.

2. YES TO CARROTS LIP BUTTERS

There is a reason why these things are called 'lip butters'. Never in my life have I used a chap-stick that has glided (glid? just kidding) on so smoothly -- it genuinely is like butter. These things keep your lips soft and smooth for the LONGEST time, and they don't feel greasy or nasty. I wish I could go more in-depth, but they are just so fantastic -- try them out for yourself. I have used the Berry and Melon, and they both smell amazing!

1. EOS LIP BALM SMOOTH SPHERES

These things are amazing. Seriously. Easy to find in your purse, on your table, anywhere. The packaging is incredible -- and shocking. One of my friends thought it was a Pokeball when I pulled it out! The balm itself is so smooth and buttery, it goes on like velvet. The flavor is fantastic, and it keeps your lips soft and moist. Can it get any better? Try these out for sure -- my favorite is the green one. Currently #1 in my book. :)

Roski luncheon, citation, and my mom rocks.

Today was finally the luncheon for the school I'm going to starting Monday (Roski School of Fine Arts in USC). It was also my first time driving to school by myself -- I didn't get lost, which is always a good thing! It was pretty awesome! I was awkward and didn't talk to too many people, but I got to learn a lot of things about being a student there, as well as info on internships and stuff like that. It definitely pumped me up, which I'm sure is what they were aiming for. Great afternoon overall, but it was totally killed when I got back to my car and noticed I had received a parking violation -- just in time for my birthday. :( Apparently the spot I was parked at was reserved only, yet I parked in it two days ago and had no problem. You live, you learn, right?

Needless to say the drive home consisted of me singing to random songs in my car and trying to cope with the fact that I had to pay money for the dumbest of reasons (some laws, man ... some laws). Well, the second I got home, I saw the postman was there. He ran after my car asking me if I live in a specific apartment unit (obviously not posting it), and I told him yes. Well, he had a package for me! A surprise package from my mom!

I rushed inside and opened the box only to find that she had sent me a ton of little gifts as an early birthday present -- all I can say is that I cried a little. Lame, I know, but to come home feeling kinda down from a ticket and to see this -- totally made my day. I was not expecting it at all! Just the surprise of recieving the gift is what moved me, the gifts themselves were secondary. I thanked her and my dad too, 'cause of course he had a hand in it somehow. :) Here are some of the goodies she got me!

A little angel sculpture. I think it's ceramic!

A panda plush. LOOK AT THOSE EYES. I love pandas.

A lace vest!

Detail.

Mini 'Paris Amour' body lotion and 'Twilight Woods' body butter from
Bath  & Body works, C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve (amazing for the lips!)

Bath & Body Works Patisserie candles, set of three.

They are so yummy! French Caramel Cake, S'mores, and Lavender Macaroon.

So beautiful, I love these!

They're both sterling silver, so no infections for me!

This wasn't a gift! It's a picture of my favorite nail color (as you can see,
I suck at applying polish). The name is My Private Jet by O.P.I.. It's this
incredible charcoal grey/nearly black color with very fine sparkles.

Artichokes and mushrooms.

I was completely clueless as to what I was going to make for dinner tonight -- when suddenly, my eye caught a bag of frozen artichokes in the freezer. I played around with it after it was full cooked and come up with this recipe! It's so simple and it honestly tasted so good.

• 1 bag of frozen artichokes (or fresh ones if you really want to)
• 1/2 a 'box' of mushrooms (I used cremini), each sliced in half
• juice of half a lemon + a little squeeze for later
• half a clove of garlic, minced
• olive oil
• cilantro, chopped

As the artichokes cook, mash/mince up the garlic into a small bowl, adding the lemon juice and some olive oil. Whisk until it's a solid yellow color -- that'll mean everything is definitely well incorporated. Once the artichokes are done, add the mushrooms to them. It'd be best to do this in a saute pan, for even cooking. After the mushrooms have cooked a little, add the sauce and mix the vegetables so they're well coated. Cook for a little longer and add the chopped cilantro right before serving, to keep it green and vibrant. Enjoy!

Braid with a feather.

Ever since I was little, I've always had this weird attraction to feathers. Every time I'd walk around and I'd see a feather on the ground, I'd wonder where that bird was right then and there. One time I found this amazing pitch black feather, but when I went to pick it up my friend told me it was disgusting -- and I, being the hesitant, unsure person I am -- didn't pick it up. Totally regret it. Anyway, that isn't the point of this post.

I'm in love with doing this new 'style', if it's even considered one, with my hair. It's so simple! All you need are a few see-through elastics and a bag of feathers that you can get for fairly cheap from any craft store. All you do is braid small sections in random parts of your hair, then tie the end with an elastic. Once that is done, you just take a feather and slip the 'quil' end through the elastic, and it should stay put quite well. You're done! It's unique, and so insanely cheap. I've found it looks best on straight-ish hair, as braids tend to disappear in my usual huge, curly mane. Have fun with this!

Giving away old jewelry!

So today while I was cleaning out my super old jewelry boxes, I tossed out a lot of rusted, old things I don't wear. I found a few pieces that were in fairly good condition and I thought it'd be a waste if I tossed them out -- so, I've decided to give them away! :) They're quite childish, as I was into the whole 'scene' thing a while back, but if you know anyone who'd like them, let me know and we'll work out a way to get the item shipped to you.

NECKLACES

(TAKEN)

(TAKEN)

BRACELETS

(TAKEN)

RINGS and EARRINGS

One set was broken, so I didn't include it.

Flipped over the earrings so you can see the colors on the back.

Leave a comment on my blog post if you want any of these~ <3

Hogwarts houses inspired makeup!

Hello everyone, long time no speak (or post, whatever). I come to you today with some fun I had in my little bathroom -- makeup inspired by the four Hogwarts houses. Without naming what they are, I'm sure you can guess which look goes with which house. So please, enjoy them! I may create video tutorials on them in the future if a lot of people like them -- we'll see. :)

The pigments were brighter in person. I just have poor lighting in my bathroom and a decent camera! I may post more looks in the future. Hope to update more!

And before I forget ... website!

I finally bought my own domain! This website just houses an online portfolio of my artwork. Check it out! If you have any questions, feel free to email me.

tanyab.me

'Asian' inspired salad.

Well, I haven't posted in a while, so today when I was eating dinner, halfway through I decided to take a photo. This is my favorite salad ever -- we make a huge bowl with my family and it ends up being two (or 3) servings per person. Totally fills you up and tastes amazing!

Picture doesn't do it justice at all. Here are the ingredients.

• butter lettuce (a good bunch)
• cilantro, handful (chopped)
• 1 cucumber (we used a Persian one -- a quarter of an English cucumber will do)
• corn (can be baby or normal, we used canned normal corn)
• 2 2x3inch pieces of Teriyaki tofu (we buy it from Trader Joes) OR you can use sliced pieces of chicken breast.
• 1 avocado
• 1 small can of mandarins
• crunchy chow mein noodles, handful
• a few slices of pickled ginger, cut in thin strips
• sesame ginger dressing (we used Annie's Naturals brand)

The instructions aren't that difficult. Simply cut up what needs to be cut up and toss the ingredients together. Feel free to add salt, pepper, or lemon along with the dressing. Enjoy! It tastes amazing, I promise -- and it's addictive.

Be my fan!

I now have a fan page for my artwork on Facebook! Go ahead and fan me if you'd like (please <3). I promise I won't disappoint!

Orientation -- what a day.

Yesterday was my USC orientation, and needless to say, it was BORING AS HELL. But insanely ego boosting. I've never heard so many compliments on my work in my life. I got my portfolio's reviewed by professors, and they were massively impressed. Bumped me up to higher level classes! Excellent! I even got to pick my schedule for the Fall, which is RAD AS HELL. I got some fantastic classes and I can't wait to attend.

I'm currently working on an online portfolio/website for all my pieces -- making it as official as I possibly can. We'll see how that goes. I have a feeling I have to learn Javascript and HTML all over again. Anyway, just a quick update -- more to come soon. Such a busy summer, I'm loving this. :)

Lots of changes and projects.

On Friday June 3rd, my grandmother passed away. Biggest heartbreak of my life -- I was so confident that she was going to live for a very long time. Thank goodness she isn't suffering any more, though. It was very bad. She's in a much better place now. <3 Coping is difficult, but every day it becomes easier. I just need to keep doing what I need to do. :)

This really effected the way I've been acting at home lately. For some reason, her death gave me the strength and maturity I had been lacking. I was building this up for months, but I feel as if this was what really helped change me. I'm so happy with who I am now, thanks to her. I feel years older, though I act the same around everyone. I know I'm going to break at the funeral, but it's okay. It's mostly seeing the sad people that makes me cry.

By next week, I'll be done with community college and on my way to USC! I am so insanely excited. Today I finished my final project. It came out way cooler than I expected. Click on it and it'll take you to the deviantArt page!

Hope I get a good grade. It looks amazing in person when printed out! I'd be so down to have this on a shirt. :) Totally going to invest in that. Til next time.

Overdrive, quitting, and organization.

It's the last few weeks of school. You know what that means? KICKING IN TO OVERDRIVE MODE. I've been working on my last few projects that I will have in this school. After this, no more community college! I'm so excited. I will be updating more once the summer gets here.

I'm really thankful for something that happened about a month ago. Honestly, it was like an intervention. No, I wasn't addicted to drugs or anything -- what I was addicted to was the computer. The distractions it offers. Specifically a website that I used to post on a lot (forums and such). After quitting, I've become a completely new person. I hope the people around me have noticed. Even if they haven't, I have! I've been super responsible, trying to get things done, being more organized -- and it feels great. I've even started to exercise regularly, something I found so difficult to do.

Lesson learned: the less distractions you have in life, the more you get done. It's so simple, yet it took me years (or perhaps the 'intervention', Ihatethatwordit'ssodramatic) to figure it out.

My skin.

Knock on wood, but lately my skin has been absolutely fantastic. I am sleeping earlier and spending less time on the computer. I think on top of that it's my routine. Or just simply put, maybe it's jtime for my acne to go away. Yes, I have the occasional break out the week before it visits (see what I did there?), but honestly, it's great. I'm really happy -- well, maybe it's because of that too! Because I am happy again and less stressed, more organized. Anyway, I just had to let this out. It's a big deal to me. I've always been self-conscious about it. <3

Shoes and sandwiches.

I ordered a pair of shoes from Target and they came into the mail today! I love them, they're exactly what I was expecting. They're a bit wide on the sides, but then I again I have oddly thin feet. It's okay, they fit fine and I'm happy. <3

This is me gazing at my shoes longingly. That is normal, of course.

I might get them in black too, since they're on sale. I'll think about it! Another thing I found that I'm extremely excited about is the Bic 4-color pen in fine point. That's right, the one in the orange barrel! The 4-color pens are my favorites to use, because they're so handy and provide a quick switch for someone who's obsessed with color coding her -- er, THEIR notes/planner.

Yes, two photos. It is just that amazing. Why? Because Office Depot, Staples, Target -- NO where carried this freakin' thing. Until my boyfriend suggested the most obvious thing in the world. My student store. OF COUUUUURSE. So when I checked there, I had to dig through behind a few blue ones until I found this guy, all by himself, waiting for his new mommy.

On to my sandwich, have any of you tried canned salmon? It's like like canned tuna, only way better. Well, there is only a slight difference, but it's still really yummy! Plus, salmon is way better for you.

So this blog is making me photo crazy. Close up macro shots of everything ever, because they are my favorite. SO ANYWAY, I made a salmon sandwich as I usually would with tuna. You know, a little mayo, etc. etc. I got fancy and added wasabi mayo to it, because I love wasabi.

I know, I went overboard with the filling. I HUNGERED. Does anyone else squish avocado onto their bread instead of slicing it? I find that unless I slice it SUPER thin and flat, it just shoots out when I bite into it. So, easy way out, squish it on like a spread. YEEEEEAH.