Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone has a wonderful and blessed day filled with love. Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to reflect on all the blessings God has given us. I am most thankful for my amazing family (and of course, my perfect kitty, Hendricks!). 

Yesterday my family and some employees from Seville Quarter fried up 80 turkey dinners for families who were unable to have their own. I am thankful that we are able to do that and help others have a great Thanksgiving of their own! 

What do y'all do for Thanksgiving?? 

#tipsfortuesday: how to travel fast

Going off to college six hours away, and being the huge homebody that I am, has led me to many, many long road trips. I think it’s safe to say that I am an expert traveler, and I specialize in speed. I’m not talking about how fast I drive; I can’t get a speeding ticket, duh! My speed comes from being efficient before getting on the road. I am here to share with you my tips, though I think they are rather obvious. (hehe!)

1.     Plan. Pick a specific time you want to leave, how many stops you want to make, where you need to stop, etc.

2.     Pack ahead of time. You don’t want to be packing last minute and rushing. It will only delay you and possibly make you forget things.

3.     Load the car the night before. This is what saves me the most time. Knowing I have everything packed up and can leave whenever I want is really a wonderful feeling.

4.     Pick out your traveling clothes the night before. Laying out what you want to wear ahead of time will also help you get moving and save time.

5.     Pack snacks and drinks ahead of time. I know I like to have a Red Bull in the car with me when I’m traveling, so I make sure to have it already in the fridge the night before, as well as a lunchbox full of snacks that I want for the drive.  Though, I try not to drink/eat too much before or during the drive, it will minimize bathroom breaks. Which leads to my next tip…

6.     Use the restroom before you leave. Make sure you do this! Long car rides will make you feel like you have to go to the bathroom more often than usual. I know it is basically common sense to use the restroom before you leave, but I know whenever I skip this step, I regret it just moments into the drive.

7.     Fill up your gas tank the night before. Preparing ahead of time will just save you so much time when you want to leave and getting gas is probably the most important task you have before starting a road trip. It’s such a great feeling to just drive and not having to stop at the gas station at the start of your trip.

I I hope you will find these tips handy, I know I use them every time I take a road trip! In fact, I will be using them tomorrow night as I am driving home on Thursday morning!!

xo,

claudia

Groving

Not being a football fan, I can’t tell you how little I really care about Saturday games in a college town. I promise you, I’m not your average college student. There is something special, though, about having your own tent in The Grove to tailgate. It’s honestly the only way I like to tailgate. You have your friends and family surrounding you, a place to sit, relax, with yummy food to eat and bubbly to drink. The Grove really is something special, I will say that.

“The Grove is the legendary tailgating area located at the center of the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) campus. Surrounded by ancient oaks, mysterious elms, and Mississippi magnolias, the 10-acre sized plot known as “The Grove” plays host, most autumn Saturday afternoons, to thousands of Ole Miss Rebel tailgaters,” –Wikipedia.

I had the best time this weekend while my friends and family visited. My parents rented two tents in The Grove and brought all kinds of goodies to enjoy. My three best friends from high school to visit, my brothers, and two of my younger cousins. It was a great weekend!

dinner at Bouré

cousin love

my brothers

the three best friends

oldest girl cousins 

mister brent!

the best parents anyone could have

the man who put together this great weekend!!

grandchild #2 and #3

Hope you enjoy my taste of The Grove!
xo,
claudia 

Friday's Beauty Spotlight

Friday is finally here! My family and three of my best friends are in Oxford this weekend, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. We are going to eat lots of wonderful food as well as tailgate in The Grove on Saturday. I am not a football fan by any means, but there is something special about having your own tent in The Grove, it makes the experience so enjoyable.

My beauty product spotlight for the week is, philosophy’s purity made simple one-step facial cleanser. My roommate, Molli, introduced me to this product after she insisted it was the best facial cleanser she has ever used, describing the scent like “a spa”. I am here to report that it is true; this is a fantastic facial cleanser, perfect for everyday use. It cleanses your face and washes away the makeup and grime from the day without being too harsh. “Purity made simple gently cleanses, tones and melts away all face and eye makeup in one simple step, while lightly hydrating. Skin is left feeling perfectly clean, comfortable, and balanced,” –philosophy. I would suggest to take your makeup off first with a makeup removing wipe and then use the face wash. A toner and moisture after use is my ideal skincare regimen. 

I use this product every morning and night to make sure my skin stays clean, but I also use it along with other products; moisturizer after each use, an exfoliating wash and mask once a week, and a moisture mask twice a week. I have had no problems with irritation from using other products at the same time, and it has not made my face break out at all. It is not targeted to treat acne, aging, or anything else, so if you have problem areas like that, I would suggest continuing using your regular products along with this face wash.

If you have a  product and love it let me know, what other face washes do you love!?

xo,

claudia

Life's Rich Pageant

Hello bebs! Welcome to my blog, an excerpt of my messy life. Now, I mean messy in an endearing way because I love it, but honestly, what 20 year olds life isn’t a mess!? Let’s be real.

I have been blogging since late December of 2014, at first things were going great, I was LOVING blogging. Then around May I got into a creative funk and I haven’t had any motivation to blog since. I tried here and there, but never fully got my groove back until recently. Last week a small company out of Philadelphia looking to add bloggers to their team contacted me, to which I happily accepted. I felt it was a sign that even after being MIA for so long, if a company was still interested in working with me based on my blog, I should get back into blogging! I will discuss more about the company in the near future, I am thrilled to join their team and work with them on many exciting things.

So, like I said, I loved blogging, but lost my interest. I think one of the main reasons being I wasn’t happy with the look/feel of my blog. I am currently working on revamping my blog—new name, new look! I am changing the theme to something I feel is more my personality and the name to something I like more. Picking a name for your blog is so difficult, and I never liked “The Chronicles of Claudia”, I just settled for it, which was a big reason I was so unhappy with things. Settling should never be an option.

I have decided to change the name of my blog to “Life’s Rich Pageant”, which is the title of an album from R.E.M., one of my favorite bands. I feel like the name could take on so many different meanings depending on who you are, which I really like.

One thing I love about life is how imperfect it is, and I want to show that through my blog. When you look at most blogs you see how absolutely perfect things can look, but that’s how they want you to see it. With my blog, I want to stay true to being absolutely imperfect and not try to pretend to be something that I’m not. This first step being my new domain: www.lifesrichpaegant.com. Notice anything wrong? Yeah, I may have misspelled it on accident when I was purchasing the domain, but instead of freaking out and trying to fix it, I am going to keep it for what it is, a charming mistake! I think it will give my blog character, and also teach me to be more careful…

The content of my blog will stay the same for the most part—my random thoughts; which include beauty, food, fashion, school, DIY’s and ranting. I promise to never try to make my life look perfect and to always be real.

I know this was a long post and may not be interesting to all who read, but I appreciate you for stopping by and look forward to my future in blogging!

xo, 

claudia

five fall/winter must haves

Everyone loves fall for one reason or another. Depending where you live, fall can mean different things for you. For me, it means darker colored clothing, sweaters and leggings. I also love a good all-black outfit, I don’t see it as “gothic”, but instead totally chic. So for my top five…

1.     Sweaters. A sweater tied around your waist is the perfect accessory for any outfit in my opinion. I would suggest two size variations for your wardrobe, a large one that covers your behind and a slim/tight sweater. For the more fitted sweater I would wear with pants, skirts, dresses, etc. For the larger sweater, it is perfect to wear with leggings, Nike shorts (think walking to class when it’s only semi-chilly), skirts, and cute skinny jeans (ripped jeans if you’re feeling extra trendy). Remember the longer sweater will more than likely cover the shorts and the skirts, but if styled correctly, it can be very cute.

2.     Leggings. I am one that believes that leggings can absolutely be considered pants if worn appropriately. Rule of thumb, just make sure your behind is covered. Leggings are so incredibly comfortable, as well as very versatile. I wear them almost everyday in the winter months.

3.     Boots. Obviously a must for fall/winter, boots are the trendy and comfortable alternative to heels. When styled correctly they can go with almost any outfit, almost. I suggest tall pair black and brown boots, as well as a pair of both tan and gray ankle booties. If you only can pick one, I would go with the black boots they are the most versatile, and the tan ankle booties.

4.     Leather jacket. The perfect way to spice up your outfit while adding the warmth you need during the colder months. It will be a staple in your closet for years and years to come, so if you can invest in a nice one I would.

5.     Black long sleeve shirt. Probably what I wear the most, with almost every outfit. Just like with the sweaters, I suggest a long one that can cover your behind, and a shorter/tighter one you can wear with pants and skirts.

I hope you enjoy! What are some of your fall/winter must haves?

xo,

claudia