Wednesday Addams DIY Costume + Makeup

“This is my costume.  I’m a homicidal maniac.  They look just like everyone else.”

I have been basically obsessed with watching The Addams Family movies this Halloween season, so I thought, what else to dress as than Wednesday?  After scrolling through the internet, Pinterest, and YouTube, this costume seemed extremely simple and fun.  So I decided to bring my inner Wednesday Addams out and have some fun with her this Halloween, and here are my end results!

I did want to be Debbie Jellinsky (played by the wonderful Joan Cusack)  from Addams Family Values, but Walmart ran out of blonde wigs last minute!  I will however definitely do that one next year!  To get this look, I bought this short black dress for about $10 at Walmart.  I already had a white, blouse that didn’t quite fit me anymore with the perfect Wednesday collar, so I simply cut it off and sewed it to my costume!  

I bought this Milani lipstick in a very dark purple shade to create the Wednesday makeup look of darkness.  For foundation I used the BareMinerals Pro Powder Foundation and the Sephora Brand concealer.  I used my Sephora “More Than Meets The Eye”  eyeshadow palette for the eyes, my Maybelline Mascara, and my Sephora Brand Eyeliner for the rest of my look.  For the complete Makeup look and tutorial, watch my video below! Be sure to subscribe to my new YouTube channel, too! Leave a comment on the video if you came from here! 

I hope you liked my Wednesday Addams DIY look, and maybe it can inspire you for next year’s Halloween costume!  Comment below your thoughts, and if you’ve ever gone as Wednesday!

Why I've Fallen in Love with Anastasia on Broadway

If you haven’t kept up with my life this past year, then let me fill you in.  I have fallen deeply in love with Anastasia on Broadway.  If you are indeed wondering, yes, Anastasia is the Broadway adaption of the 1997 Twentieth Century Fox animated film.  The show opened in April of this year in New York City, and I have never felt such love for a show.  I have personally never seen a show more than once, but Anastasia is the type of show I would love to see over and over again.

I have been keeping up with this show for about over two years now, and for very personal reasons, in which I’d like to express.  Growing up, my grandmother and I adored the movie, mainly because we loved the real story and history of the Romanov family and Russian Revolution (I am now a major history buff on both subjects!).   My grandmother was raised in Scotland her whole life, and her and my grandfather traveled the world immensely.  Even after moving to America, my grandmother had traveled to Scotland and England whenever she could.

If you are familiar with the film at all, than you know that Anastasia and her grandmother had a strong bond.  At the beginning of the film, her grandmother gives her a music box.  The lullaby with the music box goes like this; “On the wind, cross the sea, hear this song and remember, soon you’ll be home with me, once upon a December”.  This was my me and my grandmother’s same lullaby, that we took from the film.  My grandmother even bought me a replica of the music box from the film!  Needless to say, this film is very special to me.  I will always remember that about a week after she passed away over two years ago, they announced that a musical adaption of Anastasia was in the works.  This was around the time that I began talking to Christy Altomare.

Christy is the original and current Anya or Anastasia in the Broadway musical.  Christy and I became Facebook friends about two years ago, and began messaging each other quite often.  She has made such a positive impact on my life over the time I have known her, and she is someone I absolutely adore.  She has been there for me about my grandmother, and I am so thankful to know her.  I had the opportunity to see Anastasia this past June, and Christy invited me backstage afterwards.  I cried throughout the entire show, mainly because, I was able to remember my grandmother in the most special way.  She always wanted a Broadway adaptation and historically accurate depiction, and I was witnessing that very thing on that stage.  My favorite line in the whole show, is when the grandmother gives Anastasia the music box; “When you play it, think of an old woman who loves you very much”.

Anastasia is very different from the film in many ways, and it is much better.  It has moments of sadness, happiness, and mystery.   It is, in my opinion, my ideal of a perfect show.  Anastasia has been a huge comfort and shred in my life for the past year, it is just my feel good type of musical.  The cast is absolutely stellar, and I have found myself in love with everything they do.  The show does still feature the classic songs from the film, but the writers also wrote a bunch of new and different songs for the musical adaption, as well.  Some of my personal favorites from the show are listed here below:

1. Crossing a Bridge
2. Land of Yesterday
3. In a Crowd of Thousands
4. Stay I Pray You
5. Once Upon a December

There are so many more songs, so I definitely recommend you giving it a listen, especially since it is now available on Spotify!  If you’re ever in New York, I strongly encourage you to see Anastasia.  It is a beautiful show, and it is made for all ages.  Plus, Christy Altomare is stunning as Anya!

Must Watch Halloween Movies

Today is a very rare day; Friday The 13th, in October!  Halloween is all about movies, well at least in my eyes.  You can defiantly bring back some awesome childhood memories with certain movies you always watched as a kid.  I've listed below some terrific Halloween/scary themed movies to get you going - enjoy!

1. Hocus Pocus
2. Addams Family Values 
3. The Addams Family
4. The Conjuring
5. The Haunted Mansion
6. Jumanji
7. Halloween
8. Friday The 13th
9. Haloweentown
10. The Nightmare Before Christmas
11. The Strangers
12. Ghostbusters
13. Ghostbusters 2
14. The Visit
15. Signs
16. The Sixth Sense
17. Stranger Things (yes, it is a TV show)
18. Monsters, Inc.
19. Scream
20. Carrie

Which Halloween movie is your favorite?

20 Things to Do in October

Happy October!  This month is filled with many terrific and fun things, thus I am extremely excited for the month ahead!  Whether you love pumpkin everything, or just Halloween, this month has something in it for everyone.   I personally have a ton of things planned this month, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.  The days and nights definitely are getting colder, sweater weather is upon us at last! 

October can seem a bit overwhelming at a far, probably since there is so much to do at this time of year.  So I have put together a list of some fun things to do this month, and some wish lists of mine! I glad to share with you some of my favorite things to do in October! Comment below if you have any personal favorites!

1. Go to a Pumpkin Patch


2. Watch scary movies


3. Drink a Pumpkin Spice latte


4. Go for an evening walk 


5. Carve Pumpkins


6. Bake a Pumpkin Pie


7. Buy some cute sweaters and coats


8. Go to/or host a costume party 


9. Have a bonfire


10. Roast s’mores at a bonfire 


11. Make some hot chocolate


12. Make Christmas plans (it’s never too early!)


13. Light some fall themed candles


14. Decorate your house for Halloween, and the outside for trick or treaters!


15. Make Mummy Dogs (mini dogs, wrapped in dough, made to look like mummies!)


16. Think of costume ideas


17. Dress your dog in a cute Halloween costume!


18. Go see a scary movie in theater’s


19. (If you’re youbger) go trick or treating with friends!


20. Pass out candy at your house on Halloween! 

My Natural Skincare Routine

Hello, darlings!  Hands raised, who else gets totally dried skin in the fall/winter season?  It seems to be a recurring issue with myself every year, but this year I am confident that it might be a little different.  I have recently decided to try to switch to all natural skin and hair products, and I feel like it is the right decision for me.  I must admit I am still in the process of the full switch to strictly all natural, but I am using a few products now that are halfway there.  In this blog post, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite skincare products that I use every night.

I reverse different nights between these two products, but both work equally as good as one another.  I am not sure if this is a great way for cleansing your face, but I initially wanted to test them, and they both feel oil-free, smooth, and are quality products that I love.

Clarisonic - Refreshing Gel Cleanser

This facial cleanser is really green for oily skin, and since I suffer from this, it’s the perfect match for me.  This gel feels incredible on my skin, and is probably the best gift I received last Christmas.  It contains both green and white tea in it, and it honestly feels very natural on my skin.  Since I was a kid, I have always had a bad acne issue, and it made me feel awful about myself for years.  When I began high school, I started to use the ProActiv products, and my face suddenly became much better.  There was however, one remaining problem: my face was still oily.

Ever since I began using Clarisonic’s product, my face began to feel much better.  I put this gel on every night, rubbing it on each section of my face for about 10-15 seconds each.  When I wake up in the morning, I wash it off with a hot rag (sorry, I can’t do a cold one in the morning!), and my face feels great for the whole rest of the day.  This gel is so refreshing for my face, and I am so glad I came across it this year.

Purity - One Step Facial Cleanser

One of my family members actually loaned me this product, and I have loved it ever since.  This cleanser is really terrific for cleaning everything off of my face.  It removes oils, dirt, and makeup after a long and tiring day.  This product contains natural extracts to help clean and moisturize the skin.  I won’t lie, this cleanser isn’t the greatest scent in the world, but it works just wonderfully.  I was initially nervous to use it, because sometimes new products can give my face a slight rash (I do have sensitive skin), but with relief it didn’t.

Purity has been a more recent discovery of mine, and I am really glad that I found it.  It feels refreshing and smooth on my skin, working wonders every time I use it.  To apply it on my face, I do the same exact steps as the Clarisonic gel!

It is a safe note to make that both of these products have also really helped my acne a lot.  I still get it now and then, but since using these products, I rarely use ProActiv as much as I used to.  

You can purchase both of these products here:

Clarisonic - Refreshing Gel Cleanser

Purity - One Step Facial Cleanser

Why I'm Taking a Style Leap of Faith

For a long time now, I've been struggling with finding my own kind of style that I am comfortable wearing.  I had an idea what kind of style I wanted to do, but the problem was, I think of others opinions too much.  Which is not a bad thing by the way, because when you think of others opinions you also start to care for your own self worth.   Although, having the fear of others judging you for something you would like to do, is not a good mindset to be at.   This is how I have been feeling lately with finding my own style that I would love to rock myself.  

I would say I have a more modern yet retro style when it comes to how I pick out clothes and outfits.   I love putting a vintage touch on every outfit I wear as much as I can.  However lately I've really been adoring Diane Keaton's style.   If you've read my Q&A then you should know that Diane Keaton is probably my biggest fashion inspiration of all time.   Just from the way she is so daring to the way she is extremely confident in anything she wears.   Not to mention the woman rocks every single outfit she wears, ever.  Diane start of the style of women wearing men's clothing.   Should be in the style in Annie Hall, which to this day is her own style.  I don't want to do the whole style completely but I would love to do it halfway.  The only thing in my way, is the fear of being judged.  

I know some of my friends and my family find my sense of style very odd at times so it makes me venture out a lot less.  However I recently had a change of mind, and I decided why not.  Over the past weekend, I was shopping at Forever 21, when I got caught up in the clearance aisle (which by the way, was filled with so many cute and cheap clothes!).   I made the leap to buy a blouse, and I'm going to try it out.  This is an essential piece in having this kind of style, and I am so glad to finally on a piece to try out! I'm honestly very proud of this decision to buy the blouse, because it's giving me my own reassurance of confidence my own style.  It's so important for me to develop my own sense of style that I am comfortable with.  I am not trying to full on copy Diane's style, but to borrow some of it, because she really has inspired me fashion wise.  I hope I can one day be as confident with what I am wearing as she is.

So with that said, I'm extremely excited to try out the style and see if it works on me.  I think I'm more excited at the fact that I've become and confident enough to buy the pieces, than even wearing them yet.  I think everyone needs to develop their own sense of style, even if it's something really little one plane.  So I hope this post could encourage you to venture out and try new things, especially those pieces of clothing you'd love to try.  

Ultimate Broadway Ticket Guide

Whenever I hear of any friends or family who are going to see a Broadway show, my immediate question is "how exactly are you buying tickets?".   Broadway is a very expensive business as a whole, and I mean it should be, it's how the actors get paid and, often times the money is worth it.  There are however, many cheap ways and tips on getting around this.  Over the years, I've seen over three or four shows a year on tour, excluding the shows I see in New York.  I've learned the best ways and websites over the years to score the best discounted tickets, and with great seats, too!  

Planning an entire trip to the city can and will be hectic, thus it is better to know the easiest ways to getting those awesome tickets to your favorite shows.  I'm glad to share my tips with you today, and feel free to send me an email or comment if you have questions about a particular show.  Here are some of my tips and sites on getting those cheapest tickets, enjoy!

01. TheaterMania
TheaterMania is both a Broadway news source and ticket source.  They usually have discounts for numerous shows, and their discounts are often great.  They also have an email list that you can sign up for, and get the latest list of show discounts. Back in August, I purchased a ticket to Waitress through TheaterMania's discount.  I got a 60% discount for front mezzanine, talk about a deal!  I would highly recommend giving their site a look!

02. BroadwayBox
BroadwayBox is in fact a very similar site to TheaterMania, and they will often have some great deals on shows as well.  This site is a great way to also find mostly videos on shows, that way you can get a good glimpse of the show before you decide to see it!

03. TKTS
TKTS is a very famous source for purchasing tickets to shows last minute.  They are more of a "day of" system, and only have discount listings for the current week.  They usually have a 50% discount, which is an awesome deal on any shows.  

04. TodayTix
TodayTix is mainly used for Broadway Lotteries.  These are when you can enter a lottery for a show a day before or day off, and luckily win for as low as $20.  You can also purchase through them with others discount codes.

05. Rush
Rush is when you go to the Box Office when it first opens in the early morning.  You can get cheaper tickets the day of the show for usually great seats, mostly orchestra even.  This is a great way to also get Standing Room, where you can stand throughout the show, but for a cheaper price!

06. SRO
Standing-Room-Only is only offered at Broadway shows that are sold out, just throwing that in there.  They're tickets you can purchase where you get to see a show while standing in the very back on the orchestra.  You won't have a seat at all, but sometimes it's worth it!  For instance, if you can get your hands on a SRO ticket for Hamilton, that's especially worth it.

Now I won't lie to you, sometimes you may simply not be able to find discounted tickets.  You might very well have to pay full price.  I had to pay full and normal price for my orchestra seats in Anastasia recently, which weren't bad seats at all.  Sure they were pricey, but I waited literally my whole life for that Broadway show, so it was worth it.  If it's worth the better seats, go for it if you can!