Love Letters and Lace

There's a reason why beach bags are so huge: there are a lot of things you need to being with you! It may be mid-August, but to me, summer is still in full swing. It is hot and sunny, and that can only mean one thing... time to head to the beach (or pool!). Over time, I've nailed down the beach bag to an exact science. Here are the products I find are must haves in my beach bag: 1) Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Sunscreen (for body & face)  I've raved about these products over and over. It's the first sunscreen I've ever used that feels hydrating on my skin rather than greasy. It also smells great and gives you the protection you need from the sun! 2) SPF protection for lips Just like the rest of your skin, your lips need to be protected too! I bring just a basic lip balm with some SPF in it. I really like the Nivea one. 3) A big water bottle Staying hydrated when you're in the sun is so important. I always like to bring a really big water bottl

My two favourite seasons for makeup are summer and fall. I like getting to change up my routine and create a different look for the season. This summer in particular has a lot of really great new trends that I am so excited about and am loving immensely. I collected some great examples of them from Pinterest (these photos are not my own!). Let me know in the comments what trends you're loving for summer 2016! 1) Bronzed and Glowing Skin  I am loving this for this summer. Less of a focus on the eyes and lips, but more of a focus on having bronzed and highlighted skin. What else could you want for the summer but to look like a glowing goddess? 2) Flawless skin  Along with your skin being bronzed and glowing, having a flawless canvas is also a must. Whether it is a matte, porcelain doll type look, or a dewy, healthy glow, having a even skin tone looks gorgeous on everyone. 3) Natural Eye Looks  Put away your bold smoky eye for this season. I'm loving just having

As soon as the warm weather rolls around, I love making sangria! I have a handful of different recipes I love to make, but when we plan big barbecues, I always go back to my classics. This recipe is super simple but also very refreshing and delicious. The following measurements are to make a pitcher but I'll also include the amounts to make one glass, in case you don't want to make so much! Citrus White Sangria - 1 bottle of Moscato (I like to use Jacob's Creek) - 2oz of Triple Sec - 2oz of Brandy (Peach Schnapps is also great for this) - 1 can of 7-Up (or any lemon-lime soda) Fill up the rest with pineapple juice and a touch of orange juice. Throw in slices of half an orange, one lime, one lemon and about 6 rinsed marachino cherries. Stir, chill and enjoy! Let me know what you think if you try it! And also let me know if you'd like any of my other sangria recipes... I make a fastastic red sangria, a berry sangria and a tropical sangria! To m

Summer is finally here, and like most years, I have many fantastic ideas floating around my head of the perfect summer. Will any of that happen? Probably not. But as many people say, the best way to have your goals become reality is to make it realistic and to write it down. So here is my plan for this summer. 1) Read more Being a nursing student, I do a lot of reading. However what I'm reading is mostly textbooks and scholarly medical articles. Now that it's summer, and I can finally resume reading for pleasure, I fully intend to do that as much as I can. I am a huge reader so this shouldn't be a problem. In fact, I've already made my first trip to the library! 2) Go outside After the long, brutal winter we had, I think that this summer it's really important that I spend more time outdoors and enjoying the sunshine (as tempting as it may be to stay in and watch Netflix all day). Plus its a good way to be more active too! 3) Go on short trips I really wan

The semester is over and my final exams are written and done. I can officially say that I survived my second year of nursing school. This whole year went by so quickly, I'm a little disoriented by it. But it was stressful, amazing and endlessly fascinating all at once. It kind of blows my mind to think about how much I've learned in the past 2 years and how much I have left to learn. The further I get into my studies, the more I love my career choice and the more I know I made the right choice. I've reached the part of my life where 50% of me is excited for the future and 50% of me wants everything to slow down. One half of me just can't wait to graduate and start working as a nurse, moving out and getting my own place and basically just beginning my life as an independent, working woman. But the other half of me is the scared half. The one that's bewildered at how it's already been 2 years and that in just over a year from now, I'll be writing my exam t

Hey everyone! I've been gone for a little while on vacation but now I'm back; a lot more relaxed, a bit more tanned (AKA sunburnt) and somewhat ready to go back to school. I took a lot of gorgeous pictures on my vacation which I thought I'd share with you all. They aren't the greatest of photos (I took them on my phone) but I'm sure some of you will enjoy them! I had such an amazing time and I can't wait to go back again some day. If anyone would like a more in depth post about my trip to Cape Cod please let me know! :) It was such a great way to end my summer, and I'm already missing it... I hope you enjoyed these photos and you're all having a wonderful end to your summers! xo

Swimsuit season is in full swing, but that doesn't mean you have to strut your stuff in a teeny tiny bikini. I've really been loving swimwear that is still sexy but covers more skin and offers much more support than your average bikini. These would be great for curvier figures, ladies with a bigger bust and those who want a more modest bathing suit without giving up the sex appeal factor. If you've ever felt a bit uncomfortable in a bikini, but think one-piece bathing suits to be less attractive, you've definitely got to check these ones out. Options like these would offer more support for a larger bust. I love the one in the middle with the scalloping on the top and the slimming vertical stripes!  These options remain to be super sexy while offering more coverage than a bikini would. The lace is so pretty! While these are still 2 piece bathing suits, the high waisted bottoms are so flattering and cute. There's less skin shown and I know that ladies

                      I've been spending a lot of time on Pinterest lately pinning tons of amazing summer fashion (and trying to resist heading straight to the mall to buy it all!). I thought I would share some of the stuff I've been loving lately and hopefully give some of you some ideas if you're looking for some inspiration to update your summer wardrobe. (You can follow me here on Pinterest to stay updated with the stuff I'm loving!)     Stripes, bold colours and aztec pattens have been so huge for me this summer. I'm also loving anything flowy; be it skirts, dresses or loose shorts. Feel free to look at My Dream Closet Pinterest board for more inspiration! Besides, though it might seems a bit late in the game for Summer fashion, right now is probably the best time to shop for summer clothes (hello, summer clearance sales, anyone??) What have you been loving in fashion this summer? Let me kno

Now that the semesters over and I finally have a little free time, I've decided that it's time that I start redecorating my bedroom. This is something that is VERY overdue (I haven't redecorated my room since I was about 11 years old...) and I'm really excited to get things going. But its also proven to be SO frustrating... I spent a lot of time on Pinterest, finding inspiration, and it's honestly helped me so much and given me so many ideas. I thought I'd share some of my favourites here! I'm loving the tufted headboard look and I'm definitely thinking of going for a very pale colour on my walls (a pale purple maybe?). Anyone else planning on doing some redecorating? What kind of style do you like? Also, would you be interested in seeing the final product of my redecorating project? Let me know in the comments! Hope you're all having a lovely day! xo

Oops. So, I've been gone for a long time. Who am I again? Lets catch up. And if you're new, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Dina. I'm 19 years old, and I've just completed my first year of Nursing school. And that was one hell of a ride. Exams are finally done, and I have crawled out of my temporary home made up of heavy textbooks to enjoy a couple months of freedom. So what is this blog? To be honest... I'm not even sure anymore. So expect the unexpected. Reviews, hauls, rants, recommendations, recipes, whatever I feel like writing honestly. I hope you enjoy my new and improved blog! I also have a separate blog where I will be posting book reviews all summer; feel free to give that a follow: rainydaybookcorner.blogspot.com Here's to a great summer :) xo Dina

Last weekend, my family and some friends went up to Val-David, Quebec and went to this cute little cafe called C'est la vie   which I just loved. I've been looking for a place like this for so long and I'm so thrilled that I found it! Its so quaint and cozy and the atmosphere was just amazing. The staff was so friendly and the food was delicious!  I ordered a mochacinno and a "Julie" panini which had honey chicken, brie and spinach. They were both sooo good, and they were so pretty I almost didn't want to try them! (so I took pictures haha)  All their drinks were decorated with little hearts on the foamy part which I thought was so cute!  We had the choice to either sit on the big Adirondack chairs at the front of the cafe, on the terrace under the big shady umbrellas or inside the actual cozy cafe. Its really a great place to go when the weathers nice. Overall, I loved this place so so much and I'm definitely going to go back whene