Music Monday - R&B/Soul - Switching it up

Just within the past week, I've rediscovered Screamin' Jay Hawkins. A classic R&B artist. One of my absolute favourite songs of his is I Put A Spell On You. Every once in a while when I want to relax and I feel slightly down for absolutely no reason, I like to listen to something like R&B/Soul. It's not often, but when I do listen to it, it feels GREAT. It puts me in a better mood, but I still feel calm and relaxed.

While searching for more R&B and soul music, I found this wonderful playlist on Spotify. I then decided to put together a few classic songs! All in one playlist, there's upbeat, and some that have a slower tune. I hope you enjoy these songs, as I will be soon downloading them onto my iPhone so I have it with me wherever I go! Enjoy!



My Baby's Gone - The Ravens
It Rocks! It Rolls! It Swings! - The Treniers
My Story - Chuck Wills with The Royals
Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On' - Big Maybelle
I Put A Spell On You - Screamin' Jay Hawkins
Don't Let Go - Roy Hamilton
Everyday People - Sly & The Family Stone
Wish I didn't Miss you - Angie Stone
Who's Loving You - Jackson 5
It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World - James Brown, Sammy Lowe
How Sweet It Is - Martin Gaye
My Guy - Mary Wells
My Girl - The Temptations
Shotgun - Jr Walker & The All Stars
Uptight - Stevie Wonder
I Want You Back - Jackson 5
All Night Long - Lionel Richie

I always find it nice to switch up the genre of music to listen to every once in a while, that way I never get tired of my favourite tunes!

Much love,
JessicaLynn

My Personal Winter Wonderland

Every year, Christmas seems to be a big deal. It's not just about the gifts that I get, but the fact that I have the chance to spend time with my family without any other worries in life. Christmas is about family, giving, and being happy. Every year around December 1st, my family and I always go on search for our Christmas tree. We buy a real tree and it makes tradition feel much better. Today I feel like talking about Christmas because the decorating task is something that I find what makes Christmas feel like Christmas. Every year for the past six or seven years, we've come up with a different theme. One year it was country, another year all santa claus ornaments. The list goes on, but this year we've decided to go with blue and silver! Everywhere I look I see those colours - and our wrapping paper even matches our theme! It was so much fun looking around the city, finding new decorations that match with out theme and rummaging through old boxes finding things that can be reused as well. The decorating has been completed for the past couple of weeks, as we like to celebrate Christmas longer than just one day. No, I don't mean Christmas morning is everyday - we basically bake holiday goodies, laugh often, shop lots, and have a blast during the preparation for the big day!

I understand that Christmas is officially over, but I thought it would be interesting to be able to share our theme of silver and blue! I decided to share the living room decor in our home, as it is one of my absolute favourite rooms to relax. Here are a few pictures of decorations, trinkets and our tree and more!

Fairy lights are everywhere!

Candles are a MUST in my home!

My favourite vintage fireplace

Hope you enjoyed this post and had a very merry Christmas! New Years is on its way, so I'll be seeing you in the new year!

Much love,

Jessica

Music Monday - My Favourite Christmas Tunes

To be brutally honest, I have been listening to Christmas music since late October. Yes, it's THAT bad. Of course I haven't been listening to it everyday... That is until mid-November came along... So as you may notice already, it my my absolute favourite time of year. In fact, it's the most wonderful time of the year, and when it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, you bet I'll be dashing through the snow! I probably get most of my Christmas music from Songza. I would strongly suggest to check out two amazing holiday playlists called "Chrsitmas Day with Michael Bublé" and "The Biggest Christmas Hits of All Time". It's such a convenient app to have. If you have never heard of it before and have been living on a different planet, Songza basically gives you a concierge in which you choose an activity, a genre of music and then a playlist is made just for you and your mood! It doesn't take up any space on you're device, and can play much more than Christmas music! There are endless options to choose from, so no worries if you don't like this playlist! Anyhow, here it is, a playlist of my favourite Christmas tunes! Enjoy!

The Drifters - White Christmas
Mariah Carey - All I want for Christmas is You
Elvis - Blue Christmas
Bing Crosby - Mele Kalikimaka
Michael Bublé - Holly Jolly Christmas
Charles Brown - Please Come Home for Christmas
Bobby Darin - Christmas Auld Lange Syng
Andy Williams - Happy Holidays/The Holiday Season
John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band - Happy Xmas (War is Over)
José Feliciano - Feliz Navidad
The Killers - Don't Shoot Me Santa
The Ronettes - Sleigh Ride
The Beach Boys - Little Saint Nick
Eagles - Please Come Home For Christmas
Eartha Kitt - Santa Baby
Shakin' Stevens - Merry Christmas Everyone
James Brown - Let's Make This Christmas Mean Something

The list is endless, but here are just a few that I love! Perfect for Christmas morning!

Much love,
JessicaLynn

Beauty Post - Clarins Foundation

Colour - "Honey"

Within the past year or so, I have been using a lot of Clarins cleansing products. I thought it should be time to try out some of their make-up selection. I go to the local drugstore quite often, and they always have new things being released, and did I mention great service? 

Anyhow, it's been far too long since I've posted about beauty! I miss it so much! This Clarins foundation is absolutely one of my favourites! It's high end, but it is so worth it! First of all, I love the large variety of colours available. I found my perfect match and it's what I've been using for the past week or two. I also love the fact that it feels extremely lightweight on my face. Nothing ruins a foundation more than when it looks heavy and noticeable on the skin. This foundation gives off a perfect glow without discolouring or ruining the hard work that you put into applying makeup in general. Another strong point for me is that the Clarins Ever Matte foundation is OIL FREE. Thank goodness. If you are like me and have oily skin, it'll be perfect. Often after applying foundation, it's necessary to apply a powder so it's not too shiny on the skin. This, on the other hand, is perfection in a bottle. The only time I would ever use powder is if I need it to last a very long time throughout the day. Clarins is one of my favourite high end brands, and it just got even better. If you've never tried the brand before, definitely take a look! I've never been disappointed with their products!

If I can remember correctly, the price point is roughly late $20 to $30. Not too bad for a high end product that works so well!

Have you tried this Clarins foundation before? What do you think?!

Much love,

JessicaLynn

Porridge

Mixed berries

Some call it oatmeal, I call it porridge. Porridge is definitely an odd thing to talk about. I must admit, it is one of my favourite breakfast meals to eat in the morning! I love the numerous ways that it can be made. The fastest way is in the microwave, but its also fun to make it in a pot. Although it takes a bit longer to make, it's perfect on your Saturday or Sunday morning with nothing to do but relax! The reason why I decided to write a blog post about this is because there are so many different ways to make it and so many amazing benefits! I just thought it would fun to try something new and share some of my favourite ways to eat it!

For the longest time I loved to put a bit of brown sugar and milk in my porridge. It was simple and as a kid, I loved my sweets! I then thought of a few different ways to make it! First of all, I spiced up my porridge by adding fruit to it! Fresh or frozen, it tastes amazing! After eating porridge every so often, it's easy to get tired of it. Some of the best things to add are blackberries, blueberries or raspberries. I once experimented with bananas (and a bit of sugar) but found it WAY to sweet.

I then found my holy grail of porridge-land! I found a porridge recipe from a website called Blogilates (I suggest to check it out sometime)! It gives you so many different recipes to try as well as workouts and meal plans too (some which I plan to try soon)! Believe it or not, you mash half of a banana and mix it together with the oats, slice the other half and add raisins! It's so filling and tastes amazing! It's my new favourite and I'm on the hunt for more ways to spice up my porridge-filled-life. Here's a tempting photo! I would strongly suggest to give it a go!

Banana and Raisins

So now onto the amazing benefits! I'm going to be brief because it's not my main purpose - just a great add-on to this tasty dish! First of all it helps build your immune system. I don't know about anyone else, but I personally can get sick easily if I don't keep care of myself! It's also a great filler! I find that I snack quite often and when I eat porridge, I gladly avoid any cases of the munchies! I also love that it boosts your energy. If you haven't had much sleep, it's difficult to be productive throughout the day. Porridge gives you the healthy (complex) carbs that your body needs throughout the day! And lastly, the amount of antioxidants in there is crazy! I will happily accept anything that is healthy, yet delicious at the same time!

So there you have it - a breakfast idea. Quick and easy! Feel free to send me any other ideas of what you can add to porridge!

Much love,
JessicaLynn

The Weekender - A Home from Home

This past weekend I went to a lovely city called Toronto. Toronto is one of my favourite cities. There's always plenty of activities to do, and it truly embraces the culture of the world. You see a different form of art everywhere you look and after all these years of visiting this city, I still never get bored of it. Each journey is new and today I would like to share my most recent visit.

My first day of the trip was on Friday. Technically not the weekend, but I wanted to spend a full three days there. I was there to visit one of my best friends and it was truly a blast. I flew to Toronto early in the morning and was exhausted, but it was well worth it. When I got there, I dropped off my luggage and decided it was time to shop. And truth be told, we did a lot of that. I stayed on campus with my friend, and the view was gorgeous. I really wish I had that view where I live (but maybe it will happen someday soon). Before shopping, we decided that I should walk around the campus a little bit. After all, University of Toronto is stunning.

A beautiful view from my friend's room!

The Hidden Tree

On our way to more adventures

Having a chat with my bud!

A part of Victoria College
These beautiful colours can really capture one's eye.

 As I said before, we did a lot of shopping! I had the chance to shop in the Eaton Centre, all down Queen Street West, Yonge Street and Bloor Street! I had so much fun! I did not buy as much as I expected, but I am quite happy with my purchases! Here are a couple of photographs that I took while shopping in the Eaton Centre! The Christmas lights were stunning and I was officially brought into the Christmas mood!

A three-story-tall Christmas Tree. Absolutely gorgeous!

These reindeer were everywhere! As you can see, they were quite large...

After shopping, I also went on an adventure in the nightlife of the city. Again, Christmas was everywhere. I love the effort that city workers make to imp rose the overall view of Toronto! It allows it to be so much more mesmerizing. It ties both Christmas spirit and family and friends together. It is just breath-taking!

A secret park near Bay Street Subway Station.
 Can you tell I love Christmas trees?

Indigo Christmas tree!

Bloor Street lights? Yes please!

And finally.... the food. I am never disappointed when I go to any restaurant because there is always a large amount of selection to choose from! I decided to pick a couple of favourites (Fickle and The Loving Hut) and a few new places to eat such as The Pickle Barrel!

The neatest Thai restaurant on Yonge Street! Delicious food and great prices!
If you are in the area, I would STRONGLY suggest to check it out!
Fickle

Casually sitting behind a MASSIVE chocolate milkshake!
Might I add it was delicious?
The Pickle Barrel

At my favourite organic restaurant
in the Queen Street area!
The Loving Hut

And last but certainly not least I spent the majority of my time on Sunday at the Christmas Parade! It was so much fun and very interesting to observe the huge variety of floats and costumes! Believe it or not, the parade was about two and a half hours long! I was there about one hour early to get a good spot and it was quite fun to spend the time waiting with my friend! We had good laughs and good chats. At the end of the day I wanted to spend my last hour on Bloor Street admiring the Christmas lights on the street. I'm still mesmerized and can't wait to visit again!

Waiting for the Parade to begin, admiring the fall leaves
and beautiful weather we had!

Me and Tim Hortons work well together.
It was the perfect touch while waiting outside!

As I said before, they had many interesting floats passing by! One of my favourites in particular was the One Direction one! It was so much fun as they were playing their music. (And I secretly wished they would pop out of no where.....)

After the two and a half hours of watching the parade, we finally saw Santa!
I am definitely still a child at heart.

So as you can see, this post was quite picture-heavy. I'm glad I had the opportunity to visit this city and my friend. I hope to go back soon! There are so many different and unique things to do in a city so large. I enjoyed myself down there and it was a good break from the reality of university. It's definitely worth treating yourself to a small trip if you have the opportunity to do so.

Much love,

JessicaLynn

Music Monday - Sam Garrett

I have had an immense passion for music for as long as I can remember. Around the age of five, I began playing piano. I did not compete, nor was I pushed by my parents to practice every single day of the year. When I was younger, I just enjoyed creating my own little pieces, and playing pieces that were given to me. That lasted about fourteen years. I absolutely loved it and I feel that maybe one day I will get back into it. I sadly stopped this year due to school, but I have hopes to someday go back to it. I have also played the flute for seven years, and guitar for four years. Both piano and flute were learned through private lessons, and guitar was just a stringed instrument that I loved the sound of. Believe it or not, I taught myself.

This is the reason that I am creating a "Music Monday" post today. During my musician years to this present day, I have always been on the search for new artists or ones that aren't so mainstream. I appreciate many different genres of music, and listen to them based on my mood for the day, based on the weather or based on the upcoming holiday *cough cough - CHRISTMAS*. My iPod is filled with as many different songs as possible and I am still on the hunt for more.

Today I have felt more calm and collective; my excuse is that it's Monday. I was one the search for something that is relaxing, and perhaps more of an acoustic tune. Thanks to a lovely YouTuber called Ben Brown (an awesome daily vlogger) who is friends with this artist and who also featured one of his songs in his vlogs, I have found someone called Sam Garret. I have never heard of him before and the moment I heard his voice, I was captured.

This man seriously has the voice of an angel. He is unique and definitely can change octaves like there is no tomorrow.  He deserves a lot more credit and I have hopes that he becomes very successful in life. It is so nice to hear a change in the music I've been listening to lately, and I was speechless at the talent presented! It was perfect for my mood today and every song of his is on repeat.

Here is one of my favourite songs from his YouTube channel! These lyrics also have such deep meaning - which makes everything even better.

I hope you enjoyed this post! I'm hoping to do more Music Mondays or such things similar! Let me know what you think!

P.S. He also has an EP out on iTunes that I just bought; it's called Be Easy.
P.P.S. Check out Ben Brown on YouTube if you are up for an adventure in England and even more places around the world! I love watching daily vlogs because it gives me so much more perspective on the world!

Much love,
JessicaLynn

Beauty Post - Preparing for Autumn and Winter

Just recently I have discovered a lip balm that is one of the most moisturizing products I've ever used. Even better than the classic Vaseline! It's called the Nuxe Rêve de Miel Lip Balm. I get it, it's french and quite the mouthful to say, but it is absolutely amazing. I thought I should purchase some new skin care products to change up my routine for the seasons to come. I cannot rave enough about this. Firstly, I think it's better than Vaseline because it doesn't leave any (gross) residue. I usually apply it at night before bed, and in the morning my lips are unbelievably soft! Once I wake up, there's no worry that there is any product left on my lips! Ha! I would strongly suggest buying this product if you tend to have dry lips like me, or you just want to be prepared for the colder seasons!

I have been using this for the past few weeks, and have discovered that you also don't need a lot of product in order for it to do wonders. I still have a lot left and it's not bad for the cost! If I remember correctly, I think it is around $20. It's worth it and it lasts a long time!

Another great add-on is that it smells quite nice! It smells fresh (a lot like honey - of course), and doesn't feel thick after you apply it!

I hope everyone is having a great day! I absolutely love fall and want to go on a walk just to take some pictures soon! Maybe for a new blog post! Tell me what you think!

Much love,
JessicaLynn

Three Words for NYC

I have been dreaming to travel to new destinations every year my entire life, but always incapable of doing so. I really wish that I could just travel as my job. So when I do have the opportunity to travel, I take it without hesitation. So far I have travelled to a lot places around my own country, and I've been to a few places in the U.S. and last march I travelled around England for 10 days (not nearly long enough!). I know this is not many places, but my excuse is that I am young and I still plan on travelling as much as possible in my lifetime.

A few weeks ago, I watched a video on Vimeo called "3 Words for NYC". Whoever created this video did an absolute amazing job. I cannot believe the talent that people have. This video that I've watched a few weeks ago, and as well 5 minutes ago made me want to write a blog post about it. It brought me back to New York City when I was there in February 2013. After the trip I was speechless. There was so much that had happened in just a few days and cannot express how grateful I was to be there. I am truly in love with city vibes and plan to live in a huge city when I am a bit older. And this video just summed up everything about New York. Here it is...

What Makes New York so Special ? In three words

(sorry that the video isn't available right on the blog, unfortunately I couldn't access it from YouTube) ENJOY!

There are so many beautiful places in this world, so if you have the opportunity to travel, do it. You will not be disappointed.

Yes this is a short blog post, but I just wanted to share this amazing video and I hope it will encourage you to explore what we have out there in the world. I can't wait to see the endless possibilities to arrive in the future. And I've barely seen anything compared to what this world has to offer.

TRAVEL

MuchLove,
Jessica Lynn

Beauty Post - Bourjois Volumizer Mascara

Happy September everyone!

I feel like this month we are off to a good start. The past week has been so productive and I've been getting everything ready for university... I am so excited to get back into routine. I will do my best to keep up with blog posts, but can't guarantee anything. I'm hoping that when I take study breaks, I will take the time to write a few posts.

Anyways, I've just recently been trying out a LOT of new make-up. And this mascara works wonders... It's called the Bourjois Volumizer Mascara. I decided to review this product because it is a product that stood out to me.

Firstly, I would like to point out that the packaging is gorgeous. I'm not a pink fanatic, but every once in a while it's nice to see and it doesn't look like a cheaply made product! The neat thing about this mascara is that it comes in two steps. The first step includes separating the lashes and giving it its length (something that we all look for in lashes). And the second step gives you the volume that we all want. I saw it on the makeup counter and it intrigued me that it had two steps - It was something I have never heard of before.

The nice thing about this product is that it is not time consuming. I sometimes can get very impatient when applying makeup and this helps time pass by even faster. I also love the fact that this mascara does NOT clump. I repeat, does NOT! There are very few mascaras that clump on my eyelashes and it can be so frustrating. As it is usually the last product to apply on my face, it must be perfect in order to look the way I want it to. For example, you want to avoid making any smudges or clumping so that you don't have to start over. Trust me, it is so frustrating when it happens, and thanks to this mascara I don't have to worry about it.

Lastly, the Bourjois Volumizer Mascara is very light on the eyes and lasts quite long. I've never had a problem with it flaking off or smudging under my eyes after long-wear. It does become a hassle when you worry about how your makeup looks later on in the day. When times get busy (thanks to school...) its nice to know that there's no worries of reapplication of this part of the makeup routine. It is so convenient and just a fantastic product overall.

I have no complaints of this mascara and will definitely continue to use this product, and most likely repurchase. The cost is very affordable, especially for us students! Only $20 - and you're getting great results from this price. It is well worth it to try this product!

Much love,
JessicaLynn

Beauty Post - Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

First things first - I just wanted to say that I am very new to this whole blogging thing. This is my first beauty post and I hope you enjoy it!

Recently I've been watching a few beauty bloggers both on youtube and written blogs. I've had so much inspiration in creativity to try new things and just have fun with it all! I had no idea how much fun I've been having trying new products and enjoying the beauty world in general.

The first thing that I would like to review is the Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation. Yes I'm a little late on the bandwagon, but it has been SO popular and I felt a strong need to try it! At first I was a little bit worried about the fact that it was a low cost drugstore/highstreet product. My skin is quite sensitive to a lot of products and I'm always taking care of it properly. I tested a little bit on my skin and the first thing I noticed was the scent. It was so refreshing and did not feel like I even had put anything on my face. The consistency of the foundation was very light, but still had decent coverage over blemishes and whatnot (side note: I did NOT breakout from this product!!). I loved the packaging as well. I noticed that a lot of the high end products like Nars does not have the pump included (Although I've never tried Nars before - I have high hopes of trying it soon). The Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation has a pump and brings out just the perfect amount for applying it on my entire face! I was impressed. I also loved the colour of the bottle - orange. It really caught my eye in the store while browsing and I felt like I had to check it out! Just like the name of the product, it does give you a nice glow on your face. It has a very light shimmer that is barely noticeable. I am highly impressed with this product and will definitely continue using it. With a cost of about $15.00, it is very affordable and a great product!!

P.S. I am so sorry I haven't posted much at all this month. It's been crazy in the outside world!

Much love,

JessicaLynn

Social Networks Galore

So basically all week I've been working (and still am). I would love to post more often and hopefully a little bit more interesting things! In the meantime (on my small breaks) I am always checking my social networks that I have joined. This includes Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Vine, Youtube... And the list goes on! I really can't believe how many social networks I am a part of, and still able to do other things at the same time! Let's just say I always have to be doing something.

The most ironic thing about all of these social networks is that I am most inspired by these people I "follow" and it makes me want to do more. With me seeing everyone travel and experience new things, I have hopes someday that I can find a time in my life where I can do the things I truly want to do. But then there are the things that I have to do - things such as my typical day-to-day chores. Everything ends up piling up like crazy and sometimes I just need to sit down a relax for a moment - cue the social network browsing!

At the moment I have many things on the go, and I have no choice but to create a list of things to do. Thank god for pen and paper and a cell phone to remind you about everything else! I truly think that sometimes we need to take a break from our busy lives and maybe try to find something that inspires us. So I guess this post is just a little Thank You to all of the social networks and the people a part of them to inspire me!

It is absolutely amazing to think that there are so many things in this world going on right now, and there are endless opportunities if we try. I'm actually glad that these social networks can bring this world a little bit closer together. I am so inspired and it just makes me want to do more and more in life.
Don't get me wrong, the outside world is where its at, but its nice to have some motivation and get some ideas on what we would like to do with our lives.

If you have any comments on my blog, feel free to reply!! I'd love some feedback, and maybe what I should post about next.. How do YOU feel about social networks? Hope to hear back soon!

And to think there is more than just this small view out there. Be inspired!

Much love,
Jessica Lynn

Hello

So as you can see in the title, this blog is going to be very vague.

It is so important to pay close attention to your life and to do what you love. It is amazing to be able to connect with others through social media. Simply all I can say is to be happy.

Through this blog, I will have this amazing opportunity to share my opinion and everything in between. I can't wait to see the opportunities that will be knocking at my door whether it be because of this blog or because I am involved in the community. But at least I'm attempting to make a difference right?

Anyways, this post is just a small introduction to say hi, and hope to see you in the future.

And is it weird that this fortune cookie saying from a Chinese restaurant convinced me to be excited for the future? Yes, I'm weird. Deal with it!

Much love,
JessicaLynn