Say what you may about Taylor -- I love her! I became a fan of Taylor Swift after her “Speak Now” album came out a few years ago. I find her music to be extremely catchy, and I fully embrace the sugar-sweet, country-esque pop songs that have brought Taylor so much success. She’s no longer simply the sweet, innocent, broken-hearted country gal, but a sassy, stylish, successful young woman who seems to have grown more of a back-bone (at least this is what her music tells me). All boyfriend scandals and opinions about her personality aside, I think Taylor Swift is pretty awesome.

What I particularly love about Taylor Swift as of late, is her style. I had always loved her pretty little dresses and extravagant ball-gowns, but I especially like the edgy, less frilly style that she has taken on within the past year. She still has the girl-next-door charm, but with a fierce, less-delicate twist. She’s been seen pairing skinny jeans with printed tops and quirky flats as her everyday look. I’m pretty much obsessed with these outfits, as I also happen to love pairing skinny jeans with printed tops and quirky flats. The pops of color give Taylor’s outfits a youthful, yet put-together look.

Taylor hasn’t completely ditched the cute dresses, though. Her dress choices as of late have been whimsical and girly, but not so soft and sweet. Pairing a cropped jacket, black tights, and leather oxfords gives this outfit a flare of grunge.

I especially like this look for Taylor. While the dress has a feminine, classic silhouette, the bright, unique print gives the look a more modern, original edge.

Love her or hate her, I think the girl’s got cool style!

Since my college loan bills have finally begun to take effect, I have been on a budget as of late. I’ve been trying to do little things here and there in order to save as much money as possible. One way I have been saving money is by cooking at home. By shopping for groceries and cooking at home, I save on not only cost of food, but gas costs (from driving to restaurants) and service and tip fees as well. A week’s worth of groceries costs significantly less than the cost of eating out every day. I like to buy most of my groceries at the beginning of the week, making sure that I have enough variety of foods to last throughout the week. I usually spend about $40 on prep food at the store, whereas $40 could be spent within roughly two days if I ate out for each meal. What I buy at the store weekly lasts me at least one week, sometimes two, so eating in definitely helps me save money.

Cooking and eating at home not only saves me money, but calories as well! I am on a never-ending quest to become healthier and make healthier choices, and cooking my own food allows me to do so. Eating out can often lead to gaining weight because of all the hidden calories in oil and such, and the large portions of delicious greasy goodness do not help either. When I cook, I know exactly what is going into my food, and I have control over my portions.

Another perk of cooking at home is that it’s fun. As I’ve been on a tight budget lately, I have not been shopping for clothes or cosmetics as much as before my loan bills started rolling in. Instead of focusing my energy on clothes and shoes I’ve had my eyes on, I have been focusing my energy on creating beautiful foods. I like to call creating beautiful foods my “food fashion”. It’s a bit corny, but taking photos of food is definitely trending right now, and it’s a pretty fun trend!

Check out some of my food fashion and food musings:

Fresh strawberry-mango and nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt parfait with cranberry-nut granola

Avocado, tomato, and mozzarella cheese “salsa” with a spritz of lemon juice served atop tortilla chips

Sautéed broccoli, sweet mini bell peppers, balsamic Parmesan chicken, with fresh avocado

BLT salad with medium-boiled eggs and avocado

Home-made fresh strawberry-mango-lime and Greek yogurt fruit bars

I am a bit of a movie and television junkie, so needless to say, award show season is always exciting for me. This year was particularly exciting because I loved so many of the movies that were up for big awards. Award shows like the SAGs (Screen Actors Guild Awards), the Golden Globes, and the Oscars (Academy Awards) are all about the movies, shows, and the actors, but all movie preferences aside, one thing that all avid movie-goers and not-so-avid movie-goers alike can enjoy is the brilliant display of gowns worn by the nominees.

Two of my favorite looks from the Golden Globes were worn by Jennifer Garner and Jessica Alba. While these two lovely actresses were not nominated for awards this year, they certainly won Best Dressed of the night in my book.

Jessica Alba looked radiant in this form-fitting, mermaid-esque Christian Dior gown with a flowing train that added just enough drama to the look. The soft-pink salmon of her gown was paired well with her coral lipstick and dazzling statement necklace.

Jennifer Garner looked flashy but elegant as ever, supporting her main man Ben Affleck at the Globes. The intricate patterning on this classically-cut custom Vivienne Westwood gown caught the light just right and gave Jennifer’s look an effortless glow all night long.

For the SAGs, my favorite looks were from two lovely ladies from one of my favorite movies of the year -- Les Misérables. Amanda Seyfried killed it in her Zac Posen fitted sweetheart cut gown. The dress had a simple elegance about it, with a perfectly cascading train. Other actresses at the SAGs wore similar strapless, mermaid-cut gowns, but what I loved about this one was that the material did not look heavy or uncomfortable. Amanda Seyfried wore the dress -- she didn’t let it wear her.

Anne Hathaway pulled off an edgy, but pretty look in her Giambattista Valli Couture dress complete with stud-like sequins and sheer black tulle. The look was sexy yet at the same time, conservative, showing just enough leg while keeping it award-show acceptable, and her pixie cut and red lipstick complemented the gown perfectly. She definitely rocked the look while graciously accepting her award for Best Supporting Actress (you go, Anne!).

Last but certainly not least, I’d like to highlight a couple of my favorite looks from the Oscars, and it certainly seems that all the Hollywood starlets saved their best outfits for last.

The ever-amazing Jessica Chastain looked stunning in her form-fitting champagne-colored Alexander McQueen gown. The Best Actress nominee truly shined in such a muted colored but brilliantly adorned gown that required minimal jewelry. The gown paired with a bright red lip brought out the vivid tones in Jessica’s rich red locks.

For me, Naomi Watts’ Armani gown stole the show. The asymmetrical, unconventional neckline definitely caught my attention because it was a daring wardrobe choice that paid off. Also a Best Actress nominee, Naomi definitely came dressed for the occasion. While the gown wasn’t necessarily a classic piece, it was both classy and undeniably interesting. I can definitely appreciate a bold move, which is why this dress was so intriguing to me.

While this last look was not necessarily my favorite, a blog about the award show season outfits would be incomplete without mentioning Best Actress winner Jennifer Lawrence’s dreamy Dior Couture princess-esque gown. J-Law graced the red carpet with her lovely look, and even during her minor trip up the stairs while on her way to collect her well-earned Academy Award, the dress, and the actress, looked beautiful.

Who wore your favorites this award show season?

Call me old-fashioned and a little bit cheesy, but I absolutely love Valentine’s Day! These days, cynics call February 14th “Singles Awareness Day” -- that’s really not what Valentine’s Day symbolizes to me. You don’t have to have a smokin’ hot beau on your arm in order to celebrate the whimsical holiday.

Love doesn’t have to be romantic, and neither does Valentine’s Day. I love getting dolled up and wearing red and pink, but it’s not necessarily all because I’m goo-goo ga-ga over some guy. Valentine’s Day is a fun holiday, made for not only romantic love, but for love between family members and friends too.

There’s nothing wrong with reserving a day to be extra loving -- people are so busy these days that it’s easy to forget to express love for one another. We should love each other every day, of course, but there’s nothing wrong with dedicating a day to those you love most.

With that said, here are some pieces that’ll help complete your Valentine’s Day look, for however you decide to spend your day of love:

Metallic Heart Tee, Forever 21, $14.80

Heart Pattern Sweater, Forever 21, $22.80

Twirl Me Top, Nasty Gal, $58

Beaded Chiffon Dress, Forever 21, $29.80

Seville Mesh Dress, Francesca’s Collections, $44

High-Low Shift Dress, Forever 21, $24.80

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

If you’ve been following my posts, then you already know that I have really sensitive skin. For this reason, I have to take extra care when it comes to the skincare products I use. I have been trying to find the right skincare routine for years, but after years of searching, I’m proud to say that I have finally found a few products I can stand by.

For just about 5 years now, I’ve been using Eucerin Calming Creme, and it’s the best moisturizer I have used. While I was growing up, I always struggled with itchy, dry skin. I’ve tried tons of moisturizers, from Cetaphil to Aveeno to Clinique, but nothing has worked as well as Eucerin Calming Creme. It calms my easily-irritated skin throughout all seasons and doesn’t leave an oily residue. Some moisturizers I’ve tried worked for a while then began to dry out my skin, but not Eucerin Calming Creme. When my skin is feeling more dry than usual due to weather change, I mix Eucerin with a bit of Aquaphor for extra moisture. I apply moisturizer after I shower, and my skin feels soft throughout the day.

Eucerin Calming Cream

For my extra dry spots, I apply Aquaphor a couple times a day, when the dryness is noticeable. I also use it on my lips and sometimes as an eye make-up remover.

Aquaphor Healing Ointment

For showering, I’ve started using Dove Nourishing Body Wash for Sensitive Skin. Since I’ve started using it, my skin has begun to feel softer and smoother. Before using Dove, I had been using baby body wash, simply because I was too afraid that scented body washes would dry out my skin. Dove Nourishing Body Wash for Sensitive Skin moisturizes and is unscented, yet it still leaves a pleasant fresh, clean scent after I shower.

Dove Nourishing Body Wash for Sensitive Skin

If any other sensitive-skinned girls have products to recommend, please do share. For now, these products are ones I can definitely count on to keep my skin nice and smooth!