Surprise Weekend

Wow did I have a busy week.. I had to travel for work later in the week and then was H's big surprise. Remember how I mentioned that there was a big surprise for H coming up this weekend? Well.. the big surprise was one of his best friends flying down to surprise him for the weekend. H has been on his case to come visit ever since we moved last year and he kept bothering him to come visit and was even getting pretty upset that he hadn't come down yet. Soooo.. about 3 months ago Brian emailed me at work and asked me if I could keep a secret and went over dates that would work for us and booked his flights. It was so hard keeping such a big secret from H, but when he doesn't know there's a secret being kept it's much easier to keep it from him. So, I had him take a half day from work on Friday telling him we were going to some local wineries to celebrate my birthday. He fell for it, and I took the whole day off and picked Brian up at the airport and we waited for H to get home. When we saw him driving down the street, he went out the back door and went around the front and rang the doorbell... I took some video of H's reaction which was more shocked than anything else and was priceless.

We had an amazing weekend and went to the beach twice and out both nights and just as quickly as he came to see us, he was gone again as H dropped him back off at the airport this morning. It was sad to say goodbye, but it worked for the best since we needed to do last minute shopping for our cruise next weekend.

Oooh and I got to meet JJ Redick from the Orlando Magic! :-D

So happy to see these two bozos reunited again!

Such a great weekend, and I'm so glad it was a complete surprise for H! Now just to get through this work week until our cruise. Friends of ours are flying in on Friday night and then Saturday we're driving to the cruise port to start an amazing week! 

Continue Reading →

Ulta Salon Follow Up

I had my hair appointment today after work at the Ulta Salon which I had never been to before. As I described in a previous post, I have been going to the same stylist back in CT for almost 10 years so it was really hard for me to branch out and try someone new. I went to the salon for their Monday-Wednesday $50 color, cut, and style deal and was really impressed with how nice it came out for such a deal!

My stylist did a great job and layered my hair to give it some more body since it was so damaged and laying so flat recently. It looks so much healthier and shinier and I'm really happy with it.

However, what I didn't like was that the salon was in the store. It was in the back off to the side, but it was still really weird to have customers walking close by and shopping while I was sitting there waiting for my color to set. But for $50 I wasn't complaining! I'm not sure if I'll go back since I'll be returning to my regular stylist when we're home for Christmas, and afterwards I'll probably look for a stylist at a regular salon.

Ulta

Continue Reading →

Tufted Headboards

Now that we're all moved into our first house, I have been trying to visualize how I'll design some of the rooms and I really want to give our master bedroom some more pizazz. I keep seeing pictures of people's bedroom retreats with a tufted headboard and I absolutely love the look, plus it looks much more comfortable to lean up against as opposed to wood or iron.

I had always loved the look, but wasn't sure where to start looking for that type of headboard. Then I remembered that I had seen something similar to one that I would love for our room on Veronika's Blushing blog under her home decor tab so I messaged her on her formspring page and asked where she got theirs. She responded and said hers was purchased from West Elm. I went to their website and I really like some of the tufted headboards there and may end up going that route, but I want to do some more research first and get H's opinion before I make a rash decision. 

Right now, our master bedroom feels huge and is literally swallowing up our current queen sized bed. When we were at our apartment, our bedroom felt almost too small with our bed, 2 bedside tables, and H's dresser holding our tv on it. Now, our room looks practically empty and has plenty of room to grow into. My current ideas are upgrading to a king sized bed and purchasing the tufted headboard in a green color to match our curtains, getting a new down comforter and duvet cover in white, and painting the walls a light pewterish grey. Currently, they're the same color as the rest of the house which is a light tan/beige. Which looks great against our white trim and tray ceiling, but as I said earlier, I'd like some more pizazz and to step out of the beige-ness that is our house. Also, we'd like to make one side of the room a sitting area with 2 chairs and a table so we have a nice relaxing place to read once the chaos of having a family makes it's way into our lives. 

Continue Reading →

Ulta Salon

I've been going to the same hair stylist for almost 10 years and absolutely love her! However, H and I moved last year and she's not just a short drive away anymore. I went to see her and got my hair cut and colored while home for Christmas last year, but am in desperate need of a new cut and color again and shouldn't have waited this long nevermind continuing to wait until this Christmas! So, I started researching salons in our area, but I'm super nervous about trusting someone new with my hair (ridiculous I know, but I know there are a lot of other girls who feel the same way about their hairdresser). So, a few girls suggested going to Ulta's salon, so I looked up their site to see their services and prices and I found this gem!

I feel a lot better about going to someone new if I'm getting a good deal. I couldn't believe how much I'd be saving, but I told H that I still feel like I'm cheating on my hair stylist back home :0(

I'm definitely still nervous, but I'm going to put my trust in the stylist and bring inspiration pics of what I'm looking for and hopefully it'll come out great. I'll be sure to post a review and some pics after my appointment this week.

H and I just relaxed this weekend and tackled a lot of housework and got in some good workouts since last weekend was so crazy busy with one of my college friends visiting and this upcoming week will also be crazy. I have to travel for work and H has a big surprise coming at the end of the week, but I can't blog about it until after the fact just in case he checks in which he does sometimes. It's almost impossible to keep secrets from him, but I've done great this time around.. in fact he doesn't even know there's a secret that's being kept which  is probably why it actually worked!

Last weekend, one of my good friends from college flew down to visit and stayed with us. We enjoyed a couple days off of work with him and went to Aquatica, the beach, and out to various restaurants and bars. It was a great couple days, but so busy and of course it went by too fast. Beware: picture overload!

One of my new tops from my recent Victorias Secret order

One of my new bathing suits from Old Navy

The only gator my friend got to see while he was here 

We went to Ice Bar which we loved! It was soooo cold but so much fun!

One of my new dresses from my recent Victorias Secret order for our upcoming cruise, but I was too eager to try it out. It was super comfy yet nice enough looking to wear for a night out. 

Ulta

Continue Reading →

I love Bethenny

I know I've been talking about it for a while, but Skinny Girl Sangria is FINALLY in stores! My amazing H surprised me with a bottle when we got home from work tonight. He said the clerk at the store said they had literally just got it checked in and he was buying their first bottle!

....and the verdict is.... I love it! I'm so predictable, but it really is that good! I know part of it is mental since I know it's so much better for you than a regular margarita or sangria, but it really is very yummy. It doesn't taste as "diety" as the Skinny Girl Margaritas do. As much as I love the margaritas, I had to get accustomed to the taste, it was kind of like switching from coke to diet coke. The sangria has a very light fruity taste and it's delish! But no where near as heavy as a regular sangria. Perfect for warm summer nights. I love Bethenny Frankel! She rocks!

Skinny Girl Sangria

Continue Reading →

Product Review: Smashbox Photofinish Primer

Just got in from a wonderful happy hour with the girls from work, and I realized I have a product rave! As I mentioned in an earlier post, when I started running low on my primer (MAC's Prep & Prime) I had the desire to look for a new one. MAC's Prep & Prime left my face feeling and looking oily and I was looking for something that would give me more of a matte finish. So, as I have been doing with most of my makeup products, I switched from MAC and ordered something new from Sephora. I ordered the Smashbox Photofinish Foundation Primer with SPF 15 found here at Sephora and so far is has been awesome! I love the added bonus of it having SPF in it too, so I have extra protection when I'm not planning to be out in the sun.

It goes on very smooth and doesn't feel oily when applying like the MAC Prep & Prime did. It's also supposed to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and provide sun protection. As of right now I'm hooked on it and love this product! Oh and I almost forgot the most important part.. it's a fantastic primer! My makeup stayed put all day into drinks and apps at happy hour with the girls from work. 

Sephora Smashbox

Continue Reading →

It's a Doggy Birthday

The other day was Roxy's 4th birthday, and since we missed it last year since we were house sitting I was determined to make sure we celebrated it with her this year. So, I went to this doggy bakery actually called a "barkery" (TOO cute!) and picked up some doggy friendly cookies for her that are made with shortbread and no sugar.

Birthday cake cookie

This one was my favorite

The birthday girl enjoying her first cookie

The doggy bakery said next time to call in advance and they could have a doggy cake waiting for her... I'll have to remember that for next year!

Continue Reading →

Weekend Shopping Overload

I've been so good these past several months ever since we were under contract for the house with my spending, and this weekend was the first time I felt like I overshopped in a while. But I do have a good excuse.. or two.. both of which I gave to H for my online and in store shopping sprees. The first being how good I've been since February and the second being that I need new clothes and stuff for our cruise that's coming up in a few weeks.

First, I made an online order to Sephora for some new primer since mine is running really low. I've used MAC's Prep & Prime for a while, but feel like it was leaving my face too oily and greasy. I ended up deciding to try out Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer SPF 15  which had great reviews, plus I love that it has SPF built into it for extra skin protection. 

Then, I got another email from Body Central that their clearance items reduced again. Very hard to resist especially after I scored 3 great dresses from them for my last cruise for $9 each! So, I ventured over to their site and ordered the Border Print Kimono Sleeve Dress and the Embroidered Flutter Sleeve Top.

Then.... was when I threw all caution to the wind and made my first Victorias Secret order in 7 months. I can see the multiple catalogs arriving in my mailbox already. Any time I make an order, I start receiving multiple catalogs from them weekly, and as my orders stopped, I slowly watched the amount of catalogs arriving in the mail decrease. Too funny... 

The gold bikini that I mentioned I wanted in my Wardrobe Wants Wednesday post was on sale so I picked that up along with a new bathing suit coverup, tank dress, and a strapless bra. (Mine is on sadly on it's last leg and H has been chuckling at it, so it was definitely time.)

Then H and I went to Old Navy and Marshalls today, and I picked up a new black bathing suit top since I had a mishap with the top half of my black bikini at Aquatica I knew I needed to replace it. And since women's bathing suits are on sale for $6 for each piece right now I jumped on it. At Marshalls, H picked up a pack of Nautica white t's and we both got some new sunglasses. He got a pair of Guess sunglasses marked down from $75 to $13 and I got these Jessica Simpson's marked down from $50 to $10! 

How was your weekend? Did you go on any shopping binges? 

Jessica Simpson Sephora Victorias Secret

Continue Reading →

Chicken Sausage.. who knew?

Those Hillshire Farm commercials for chicken sausage caused me to build up a craving to cook with it. You know this one:

So, tonight for dinner I decided to try a new dish using chicken sausage instead of italian sausage which has a lot less fat.

.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes or until al dente; drain and reserve.

In a large pan or skillet heat olive oil and chicken sausage. Cook through until the meat is no longer pink. 

Add diced onion and garlic to pan.

Add a can of chicken broth, 1 tsp. dried basil, and cherry tomatoes.

Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, then slightly reduce heat.

Add 10 oz. spinach cover and let simmer until spinnach is tender (I skipped this step since H doesn't like spinach)

Add pasta to pan and mix together. Sprinkle with shredded parm cheese and serve. 

Very yummy and good for you! 

Speaking of good for you, one of the things I'm not a fan of is high calorie cocktails. Well, I'm a fan of them, just not the calories. I've been a huge fan of Bethenny Frankel's Skinny Girl Margaritas and am eagerly anticipating the release of her Skinny Girl Sangria later this month, and I was very curious to try those MGD 64 Lemonades I keep seeing advertised. 

So, H and I picked some up a few weeks ago, and I keep forgetting to review them on here. At first, I thought they were terrible. I was expecting them to taste like a light version of Mikes Hard Lemonade, but what they really taste like is a watered down beer with a hint of lemon favor mixed with splenda. I was turned off by them and let them sit in the fridge. A few days later I decided to give it another try, and this time I enjoyed it more. Still not a big fan, but much better than the first try. My final verdict is that it's good enough if you're looking for a refreshing drink at a summer campfire or at the beach, but it's not amazing.

Recipe

Continue Reading →

Dry Shampoo Review

I have very fine hair and have to wash it every day or it gets even more limp and oily. I usually shower and
wash my hair after work after my workout, but yesterday was the day I had been waiting for.. for several years. It was the release of the final Harry Potter movie. It was raining when I got home which means it was humid outside and I was feeling extra oily and icky, but had no time to wash my hair before going to the movies with H. After trying out the dry shampoo from Tresemme a few months ago I wasn't impressed, but I kept hearing great things about Suave's dry shampoo and decided to buy it. I hadn't used it until last night and the results are... I loved it! It worked a lot better than Tresemme's and it also smells amazing! It has a very fruity smell that H noticed and said, "OOooh what are you wearing?" I laughed and said, "Nothing, it's my dry shampoo". The Tresemme's dry shampoo was a "quick fix" while I felt this dry shampoo did what it was supposed to do and replaced washing my hair to go out for the evening. Perfection!

My hair instantly felt a lot cleaner and got the body back that was there when I had blow dried it the evening before and again.. it smelled great! As for the movie.... INCREDIBLE! I blubbered like a baby and was super emotional the entire time. So sad to see it end, but so amazing at the same time. The world has spent the past 10 years reading the books and watching the movies, and it all ended this weekend. 

Dry Shampoo Harry Potter

Continue Reading →

Target's Daily Deals

If you don't know already, I have a serious love for Target! So when I see something I like in their daily deals I get excited. Today, their online deal is the Mossimo Women's Sateen Dress for only $10 which is usually $27.99, plus it includes free shipping so you're not paying $10 + shipping costs.

The dress comes in 4 different color choices: Purple, Beige, Black, or Military Green. I originally wanted to order the dress in purple to pair it with nude heels, but alas they were sold out of the purple except for size 14. So, I ordered the dress in beige as I don't have anything else like it in my closet.

I love the dress and think it'll be a great addition to my Monday-Friday wardrobe.

You can find the dress on sale here but remember the sale is good for today only. Happy Shopping!

Target

Continue Reading →

Urban Decay 15th Anniversary

If you loved Urban Decay's Naked Palette but were looking for a little more pop of color, then you'll love their 15th anniversary eyeshadow collection that was just released (and to no surprise already sold out). But have no fear, they do have a email notification that you can sign up for when they become available again.

You can find it on the Urban Decay website.

I love Urban Decay eyeshadows because the pigment in them is a lot better than other eyeshadows I've worn including MAC. Plus, combined with UD's Primer Potion, they last all day/night.

On a completely different note may I just mention how super pumped I am that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II will be released in less than 2 days?!!!!

LOOOOVE this poster of Neville! It's his time to shine!





Harry Potter Urban Decay

Continue Reading →