Tag Archives: lifestyle

How I re-created my room to be my favorite space in the house!

Posted in DIY, Lifestyle by

When I moved home in May, I felt like my room was not actually “my room.” When I originally went to college, my mom got rid of my furniture because it was so old, and honestly, it needed to go. When I would come home from breaks from college, I would stay in our guest room or our extremely comfy couch in the living room.

I felt out of place and really wanted a place of my own because I knew I would be at home for at least another year.

I didn’t know what I wanted to do with the guest room, but I knew to keep costs down, I would have to keep the bedroom furniture, but could add fun pieces to make it feel like my own space!

After looking at various Instagram pages, talking with my best friend Erin (a TON) about styles we liked and seeing one of my favorite YouTuber, Sarah Belle’s new room…I decided the Boho Chic style was the way I wanted to go!

Similarly to Sarah, I LOVE color and texture! I knew I wanted to do warmer tones, such as, corals, yellows and pinks (which are also my favorite colors). I LOVE pillows, and am not lying when I tell you I bought 20 pillows before finding the five I wanted to keep!

The decoration of my room didn’t happen over one night- it’s been four months of finding various pieces that I just wanted needed for my room! During the beginning when I was figuring out what Boho Chic meant for me, and I knew it had to include a macrame wall hanging, so that’s where I began! My friend Erin happened to be designing her room at her new townhouse, and was in HomeGoods one day and saw the most magical one for me!

Room19.jpg-USE-this-one.jpg

Literally knew I had to have this! Especially because it was only $24! It’s from HomeGoods, so I wasn’t able to find the exact one, but I found ones with similar colors that you might like: here, here, here and  here. Continue reading →

My Women’s March on Washington Experience!

Posted in Lifestyle by

How do I even begin writing about my experience at the Women’s March this Saturday? So many of us (over 500,000 to be exact) came together to protest various things we all believe in.

I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to make it back to D.C. after heading back to school in Ohio five days prior to the march, but I cannot express how happy I am that I was able to make it back down.

screen-shot-2017-01-23-at-11-01-11-pm

So, why did I march?

I marched because I AM A FEMINIST. I marched because I believe that we all deserve equal pay, equal opportunities, control over our own bodies and because I think the people we have in office right now are outright inhumane! I cannot believe our country has elected someone who treats people the way he does and still demands to be respected. How does he think he can have my respect if he doesn’t even respect me and so many others?

The march was peaceful and throughout the whole day, I felt a sense of unity. I know most of my close friends have a lot of the same beliefs as me so I normally do not feel disconnected from humanity, but it just felt so good to be around SOOO many people who also shared a lot of the same opinions I have. It gave me a sense of hope for the next four years.

Trump and Pence being elected into office has the power to affect women all over the country. Over the past couple of days, I have read a lot of things women have posted on Facebook and other social sites about how “they do not understand feminisim” or how they “aren’t a feminist,” but I would like to challenge them on these statements. I would like to point out to these women who I see posting these things that you are LEADERS in the community and have had so many great opportunities in school and I need you to understand that you would not be there WITHOUT feminism.

I just read the best article after the march that pointed out how we wouldn’t be where we are today without these past heroic women. I am so thankful for women such as: Margaret Sanger, Eleanor Roosevelt and Susan B. Anthony (and so many others) because I AM NOT A SECOND CLASS CITIZEN and I will not sit until people across the world can see that.

As you can see, I am very passionate about this subject, because I do not understand how people (men in particular) think they have the right to make choices for us? Do they really think we are that incapable? Well, news flash, we are not!

One of the chants from Saturday went: “My body, my choice” and this is something I want everyone to understand.

I would like to have an open conversation with anyone who maybe does not agree with me on this topic. I think in order for a change to occur there needs to be dialogue.

For all of my feminists out there, please know that I am always here to fight for what is right with you!

Women’s rights are human rights.

screen-shot-2017-01-23-at-10-54-27-pm

img_2782

BYOB- Build Your Own Birchbox! + A Giveaway!

Posted in Beauty, Lifestyle by

Birchbox is the queen of all monthly boxes! We all know how popular these monthly boxes have become over the past year, and there is no stopping them.

I am fascinated how Birchbox continuously revolutionizes the monthly boxes and how customers try new products. I know so many who subscribe to their boxes, and now I am one of those people after visiting their store in Soho. In the last week, I have visited the store THREE times…you could say I am addicted.

This past time, I went with my two new friends, Morgan  of Mostlymorgan.com and Lara of Seafoananddiamonds.com! We went and created our own, customized Birchboxes.

DSC09977

Me, Morgan (Middle) and Lara (Right)! 

Let me just start off by saying how adorable the Birchbox store is! Take a look at these pictures:

IMG_2964

IMG_2905

Can you see all of the yellow? You all know I am in LOVE with the interior of the store, I mean how could I not be? It is YELLOW and MAKEUP!

After Morgan, Lara and I wondered around the store for a little bit, we decided to get to cracking and build our own boxes. Let’s take a look at the process~

IMG_2982

First, you choose one of the extremely cute box to put all of your items in, I chose the one in the middle!

DSC09961

Second, look through all of the products and choose one from each other their sections: makeup, hair, fragrance, skincare and body.

DSC09946

If you ever get the experience to go to the store, you will need at least 30 minutes to build a box because they have so many great products, it’s insane.

Here is a preview of the boxes that are full of sample size products for you to choose from!

IMG_2971

Birchbox has so many amazing options to choose from, especially things that you would be too nervous to buy a large bottle of, like a bee venom face mask.

We had a blast making each of our boxes. It was difficult to choose from each area of products. The only area that was not difficult for me was the hair section, because as most of you know, I get my hair washed once a week, so I do not need my own shampoo and conditioner etc., but I got this amazing hair tie made by L. Erickson.

At the end of a really fun hour and a half in the store, we had three amazing completed boxes! Lara’s boyfriend joined us and even made his own customized box in the Birchbox Men section of the store!

My box included: a Banana Hand Milk cream, a Stila liquid lipstick in the shade Fiore, a Ceramidin liquid skin moisturizer, which I used this morning and it is AMAZING, my L. Erickson hair tie and a Sud Pacifique Vanille Abricot perfume.

our bircbox all finished

We love our boxes so much that we have decided to gift one to our amazing followers because we love you all so much! <3

We are gifting one of the Radiant Finish Kits. The picture below describes all of the products inside of the box. The summer is the perfect time to have that dewy, luminous skin that we all want! It even has a full-size beauty blender!

13588955_10208433432166597_455309973_o (1)

To enter to win the Radiant Finish Kit all you have to do is enter down below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway will start today at 6 p.m. and go until July 13 until 6 p.m.!

We are so excited about this giveaway and we hope you all are as well. I will announce the winner on July 13 on my Instagram: @Danieminor13.

After our trip to Birchbox, we had an amazing afternoon full of yummy food and photoshoots! I am so glad that this summer I met these two amazing women! I cannot see where the future takes our friendship.

IMG_0002
Cannot wait to announce the winner of our giveaway!

XODanieSparkle

Not resolutions, but promises to Myself

Posted in Lifestyle by

HAPPY 2016 DEFINING DANIE READERS! 

Thank you so much for making 2015 one of the best years for me! I cannot thank everyone enough for taking the time out of your day to read my posts!

I try not to make resolutions because I am one to feel guilt when I do not follow through with the resolutions that I do not keep.

For 2016, I have REAL promises that I am going to keep for myself. I know that a promise can be related to these resolutions, but in my book they are different!

DSC_0038

What are my promises? 

I will start with something that I struggle with often…

Promise #1 

I do not need others around all the time to make me happy. I am personally so extroverted that I crave being around people 24/7. I really want to start learning how to hangout in my house all day and RELAX. I am not one for relaxing, but my mental health needs it so bad.

DSC_0039.jpg

Promise #2 

In the spirit of taking care of myself, I am promising myself that I will stay on track with exercising. When I was a senior in high school, I was a workout ADDICT. I was looking back at my social media from when I was working out constantly and I truly think I was a happier person then. Not because I weighed less, but because I know I truly FELT better. I know it is true that exercising releases endorphins and with a stressful semester coming up, I need all of the endorphins possible!


Promise #3 

To just start taking care of myself overall. I have put my health aside for far too long now. 2016 will be the year of “Danie’s Health Journey.” I am promising myself that this year I will not only be more conscience of what I am eating, but make sure to take the medicines that I am prescribed. I HATE medicine, but my health is coming to a point of needing it more than ever.

I hope everyone had a happy and safe New Year’s Eve! This year, I stayed in with my sister, Payton and one of my best friends, Amanda! We watched the ball drop!  I cannot wait to see what 2016 brings for me.

XODanieSparkle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ready for some bloopers from this fun photoshoot done by friend, Amanda?

DSC_0042

I think this will definitely capture my 2016.

DSC_0043

We have captured this one as “moving on to 2016,” HAHA! Do not worry, we did not go out and rent the moving van, her mom had to move some stuff in!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday, Defining Danie!

Posted in Lifestyle by

DD Bday fav

I cannot believe it is already Definingdanie.com’s birthday. This first year of blogging has been unimaginable. Defining Danie has opened so many doors and friendships, that I could not imagine not having anymore. I really would like to thank everyone who has supported me through this first year. Thank you for every share, like and follow!

I have definitely learned so much about blogging and about myself through this year-long journey. I cannot wait to see what is next on my journey of the online world! Who knows? If there is anything new that you would love to see on Defining Danie, you have to let me know!

DSC_0011

The number one thing that I think has improved since my first post is my use of exclamation points, haha! (Whoops, I guess that was necessary though…) I think that I was so excited when I first started that I thought that everything just HAD to have one.

Make sure you’re connected at all times!

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Bloglovin

Hello March!

Posted in Lifestyle by

febmarch

Can anyone believe that it is already the 5th day of March? I can’t! March is my favorite month of the year. March is the start of flowers blooming, when Ohio starts to not be an icebox and my birthMONTH! My birthday is March 13th.

Because it is my birthMONTH, I have decided to make this month about me. I always do everything for everyone else, and it is time to start doing things for myself! I have made a goal list for myself and some of the goals are really small, but they are all different things that I just want to work on.

1. I would really like to lose 10 lbs by spring break. This is really manageable for me because my spring break is not until March 23-30. Over the summer, I started eating a low-glycemic diet, and I felt really good.

2. Add more water into my life. I have recently gone back to drinking soda, and I feel really unmotivated, and I think this is a huge reason!

3. Stop eating past 8 p.m. In college, it is really tempting to eat while doing homework late at night, but this habit is what made me gain weight last school year. I have recently start to pick this habit up again, and it is going to stop.

4. This past summer, I started going to Pure Barre this summer, and fell in-love! Barre exercise is something I really enjoy, and I really want to take time for myself and go to more Barre classes. Plus, Pure Barre is doing this fun thing where they are trying to challenge people to go to 21 classes during the month of March. If I can’t get to Pure Barre, I would at least like to exercise at least 3 times per week!

I really think I can accomplish all of this! Let me know what your March goals!

IMG_4518

Holiday Travel Guide

Posted in Fashion, Lifestyle by

traveling this holiday

Are you traveling this Holiday season? I am! I need to make sure that I am carrying everything I need with me to make sure that I have the best flight that I can have! I am going to have two carry-ons and a huge luggage!

Continue reading →

My Apartment!

Posted in Lifestyle by

 

Hi guys! So, in my Thrifty Thursday I pinky swore that this post would be up this weekend… and today is Monday, but hey it was a long weekend! 🙂 

I decided to show you all my apartment-style-dorm in a video. I am sorry this is my first video I have EVER edited so it is a little shaky, but I am taking a Course on this type of thing this semester, so if you like this style of post please comment below and let me know! It was super fun making it! I hope you all like it! I am still not completely finished decorating! If you have any ideas for me let me know! For those of you who follow my Thrifty Thursdays, you will notice some of the items that I have bought in the past placed all around my apartment! 

 

I hope you all had a nice weekend! 

XO,

Danie 

 

Thrifty Thursday Time!

Posted in Thrifty Thursdays by

DSCF6348  DSCF6349 DSCF6350 DSCF6353 DSCF6356DSCF6345

 

It is that time of the week again! I just got home from an amazing thrifting trip that I took with one of my best friends, Shawna! I bought seven items for $20! I am so proud of myself! I am still getting everything situated in my apartment and I needed a few more things so I decided that I would wait until today so I could thrift those items! 

I finally have a kitchen, and I am so happy about that because I do love to cook. But, how was I supposed to cook without any pots or pans? So, today I went to Goodwill and they had a few pots and pans but I found the two in the picture above for $6! At full price at even Target or Walmart, I would at least have to spend around $20 for the two of them. I am excited about the steal that I got! Next is the adorable Bohemian-esc purse. I love this bag! it was funny I was already in the process of purchasing everything and the Goodwill that I went to today had their purse section next to check out, so of course I had to browse while the cashier was waiting for me to pay! Haha! 

I am from Maryland for those of my readers who do not know and I was going through the T-shirt section and LOOK WHAT I FOUND… a University of Maryland Terrapins Tee! Guess how much it cost me! $1! YUP. At Goodwill they have certain days that are marked certain colors tags and you will get a certain percentage off of that colored tag! Today it happened to be a blue tag day, making my T-shirt 50% off! The next picture is this adorable polka-dotted shirt! I know the print of the shirt is hard to see, I’m sorry :(. But, the shirt is black with beige polka-dots, and it is SO comfortable!

My apartment (which is actually an apartment style dorm room) came fully furnished, which is AMAZING, but the furniture is not favorite. So, I decided that I am going to put a cute table cloth on my table where I eat. As I was browsing I found this section of fabric and table cloths! I actually did not know that Goodwill sold that! The table cloth that I bought for also only $1 is actually just a large piece of fabric that I am sure someone had laying around their house, but it doesn’t matter to me, it matches and I love that it is patterned! 

Finally, I know you are asking me in your head, Danie, why did you buy a bag of pom-poms? I can explain that to you! This weekend I am making DIY coasters! They are going to be adorable and I will share them all with you! 

I am so sorry I have not posted in a week, this week I started my classes (17 credits worth) and have been so busy! BUT, I know this is no excuse so this week I PINKY PROMISE that I am going to be putting up my apartment tour and my DIY coasters up! 

Thank you all for reading this weeks’ Thrifty Thursday 🙂 

XO,

Danie

 photo-2

 

PS: Here is Shawna and I thrifting our little hearts away!