Bay Area Fashionista

5 Ways to see the happy side of life

Disclaimer: I am not a mental health professional. The following is my opinion. If you are feeling extremely unhappy and sad, please visit a mental health professional for advice and assistance.

Happy National Happiness Happens Day!

What is National Happiness Happens Day? I wondered the same thing, because it is different than the celebration of general happiness; which happens in March. National Happiness Happens Day is a celebration of just being happy.

Everyone has happiness inside of them; no matter how dark or bleak the world may look. No matter how many problems we each face everyday, there is something inside of us that is happy. Sometimes small things make us happy, and sometimes larger than life things make us happy. The important thing to remember is that we need to remind ourselves about what makes us happy when we are down, that way we can return to being happy!

No matter how many bad things might be going on in our lives, there are many more good things in our lives to be thankful and grateful for. These are things that make us happy. Here are five ways to see the happy side of life, no matter what mood you might be in at the moment.

Mother Nature: We live in a beautiful world. Whether you believe God created it, or you believe it was created another way, the Earth is a beautiful place. We have majestic mountains, life-giving trees, and delicate flowers. The water of the Earth gives us life and the ground provides us with a means to grow food. If you are in the dessert, a forest, coastside, or on a prairie, there is beauty in the nature around you. It is important to stop and take a moment to breath in the beauty of nature and appreciate it’s grand glory.
Exercise: Whether you are a gym rat, or have sworn off exercise as the greatest evil of all, moving your body will make you happy. It releases endorphins, which is a natural chemical in your body that makes you happy. Our beautiful bodies created by God, or if you are atheist-created somehow, have the ability to naturally make us happy. Nothing can lift your spirits more then taking a walk outside, shooting hoops at the park, going for a jog, or hitting the gym. All it takes is a minimum of thirty minutes a day of exercise to make us happy.
Make a Pro List: At some point in your life, you may have made a pro/con list. Instead of making a pro/con list, just make a pro list which details all the things you are happy for in your life. Pin it on the refrigerator door, or somewhere you look everyday. This will be a daily reminder of the things that are amazing in your life, and everytime you look at it you will feel happy and thankful. Love that!
Favorite Food: There is an expression, “the way to someone’s heart is through the stomach.” There is nothing like comfort food. Eat food that makes you happy; and be grateful you have the means to eat it!
Favorite Places: Where is your happy place? This could be an amusement park, a quiet neighborhood park, a hiking trail, the top of Mt. Tam., a cozy café, your Mother’s worn sofa; or anywhere you feel secure, happy, and carefree! If you feel down, go there! If you are happy, go there! Always keep your happy place on your calendar so you can continually look forward to it!

What are some things in your life where happiness just happens? For me it’s the beach, a view of Mt. Tam, swimming laps in the pool, working out in a fitness class, spending time with my family, cooking a favorite meal, relaxing with a good book, sipping warm green tea, having a conversation with you about fashion trends, and gazing at the stars. Let me know where happiness happens for you in the comments below!

Enjoy National Happiness Happens Day and have a very happy day!

XOXO

Cathy

Fall 2018 shoe trends: booties

fall 2018 shoe trends booties

fall 2018 shoe trends booties for fall from top left: white booties / low ankle gold booties (on my fall wish list) / low ankle distressed charcoal booties (on my fall wish list) / brick red booties / white split shaft booties (I own these and love them!) / black patent booties (on my fall wish list) /

Booties are one of the hottest fall 2018 shoe trends on the street, and they are also one of the most classic form of autumn footwear. Booties for fall are fabulous because they can be paired with skirts, dresses, and pants. They may just be the most versatile style of footwear for the fall season. Love that!

The fall 2018 season is full of new bootie styles. Western inspiration is huge this season, and you will see tons of cowboy inspired footwear hitting store shelves. I love how you can find designers who reinvented the cowboy boot for fall, as well as took inspiration from the style and incorporated traits of it into a more classic bootie style. If full-blown cowboy boots aren’t your thing, look for styles with western inspiration, and a more a classic silhouette. This is what I will be doing! I have my eyes on this pair and this pair.

Split shaft booties were a hot trend last year, and they are showing no signs of slowing down this year. Look for several designer takes on the split shaft booties trend for fall 2018. I own this comfortable pair and this pair from last year, currently on a deep discount, which are also comfortable.

One of the big bootie trends from last year, which is also continuing this year, is the sock bootie trend. Look for more skin tight bootie styles to appear on store shelves this year.

Combat boots are also a big trend for fall in the wide world of boots. Look for lug soles booties, hiking boot inspired booties, and chunky, funky boots. You may also notice some 1990s Dr. Marten inspiration on store shelves. Grab your Doc’s and pop in a Nine Inch Nails CD; it’s not the twilight zone, your high school concert style is back!

You may also notice studs lining the perimeter of many bootie styles this upcoming fall season. While full blown studded styles are bit too heavy for autumn, studded lines and outlines are fresh and right for fall. I love this pair.

What are your favorite booties for fall 2018?

Shop fall 2018 shoe trends booties:

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

fall 2018 shoe trends booties

Londontown top coat and ridge filler review

londontown nail care system review

From left: All products c/o Londontown / Londontown Fortifying Ridge Filler base coat / Londontown Protective Top Coat / Londontown Protective Matte Coat /

The key to the perfect manicure is taking proper care of your nails; and topping off your color right! As you may have noticed, I paint my nails all. the. time. This means I need to ensure I am taking proper care of my nails, or else my nails would get brittle and discolored. That’s why I love Londontown’s nail care system so much! They have all the tools for keeping my nails healthy.

Londontown’s nail polish products are 9-free. That’s right, 9-free! In addition to being 9-free, they are vegan and cruelty-free. This means not only can you feel good about purchasing, and using Londontown products, you can rest-assured they are healthy on your nails, and will keep them protected. Love that!

The most important part of keeping nails healthy is to protect them from the color you paint on your nails. If you are placing something gentle on your nails such as Londontown nail polish, then you don’t have to worry so much; but it is still important to create a smooth base, and protect your nails from staining.

Londontown Fortifying Ridge Filler base coat review

londontown fortifying ridge filler review base coat

I love using a healthy base coat to start my manicure. Londontown’s Fortifying Ridge Filler is safe to use on your nails, and provides the ideal base coat for any color nail polish. In addition to protecting nails from staining, it creates a smooth base by filling in ridges, dips, and any other nail imperfections you may have. This base coat is fabulous!

Londontown Paddington Blue nail polish review

londontown paddington blue nail polish review

I painted two coats of Londontown Paddington Blue nail polish on top of the Londontown Fortifying Ridge Filler base coat and as you can see, the result is a smooth, streak-free color on my nails. If you are looking for a classic, closet staple blue, Paddington Blue by Londontown is a great hue! This color can be worn during any season, as it is roughly one shade darker than a royal blue. It’s so pretty!

This color isn’t available at a lot of retailers, so thankfully you can find Londontown Paddington Blue nail polish online here.

Londontown Protective Top coat review

londontown protective top coat review

I topped off my classic blue manicure with Londontown Protective Top Coat. This top coat is strong and shiny; adding the perfect, protective layer to help decrease the chance of chipping your manicure. Love that!

The Londontown Protective Top Coat is also made from a quick dry formula, so you don’t have to worry about your manicure getting dented or ruined if you have to use your hands soon after painting your nails. Love!

Fall 2018 nail polish trends: matte nails

Londontown Matte Top Coat

Have you noticed? Fall 2018 is all about matte nails. The matte nail is the hottest nail polish trend of the autumn season! I can’t wait to use Londontown Protective Matte Top Coat on any color of nail polish in order to give my manicure the perfect, modern look. I switched up my manicure the next day by adding the matte top coat over it, and after a couple of minutes, I had the perfect matte look.

Like the Protective Top Coat, the Londontown Protective Matte Top Coats keeps your manicure chip-resistant and offers a quick drying formula. I used the matte coat in the morning and then hit the gym thirty minutes later; no chips or dents. It was fabulous!

Shop Londontown’s nail care system for the perfect manicure:

If you are looking to protect your nails, and keep your manicure looking fabulous, longer, definitely check out Londtown’s nail care system! You can find it online here.