Happy Pintersting Halloween!

Hope everyone in the northeast is staying warm and your power comes back ASAP! Tonight's the night I used to wait for all year when I was growing up. Nothing was more fun than dressing up in my new costume and going out trick-or-treating with my cousins and as I got older with my friends. My mom always ordered a pizza for dinner, and we got ready and went out and got as much candy as we could.

Now that we're in the new house, we're hoping to get some little trick-or-treaters tonight. I'm going to put our jack-o-lantern outside lit up and have our front entry way light on to signal that we have candy. I hope it works! Also, Roxy has been donning her orange and black scarf that says "Happy Halloween" for a while. It's going to be weird to see her back in her regular collar tomorrow, that is until we put her "Christmas bells" back on. Yes, I am one of those doggy-moms ;0)

Now that I'm an adult I have other favorite things about Halloween that I look forward to and I've pinned them on Pinterest:

 Decorating for parties!

Individual s'mores

I've always loved candy corn

Baking Halloween cookies

Carving Jack-o-lanterns

Ok.. a lot of that stuff I loved as a kid too :-P

But my all time favorite part of Halloween is dressing up! Unfortunately, we haven't dressed up for Halloween in 2 years since last year I had just started feeling ill with labyrinthitis and this year we stayed in. But here are some of my favs from years past. 

The pirates of 2009

3 of my favorite people :0)

So inappropriate.. 

Mobsters in 2008 when I was still a blonde! 

We were an eclectic classy bunch! 

Old pic from college.. we were hula girls... and FROZE outside! 

Happy Halloween! 

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ABC's

I stole this cute survey from Stephanie at Blonde Highlights because I thought it'd be fun to play! 

A. Age:  28... my darling brother thought it was humorous to text me today out of no where and say "Haha you're almost 30". Gee thanks... but I replied back to him and said, "Actually, I'm not upset about that as much as I used to be, I'm at the best place in my life right now. I have an amazing husband, a good job, a beautiful new home, and the best doggy ever!" My life is right where I always wanted it to be, so bring it on 30! 

B. Bed size:   Queen... although we plan on upgrading to a king after the craziness of the holidays is over.

C. Chore that you hate:   I must be a freak of nature, because I absolutely love to cook and clean! Even folding the laundry soothes me. A lot of my friends have joked that I'm Monica Geller from "Friends". 

D. Dogs:   Roxy, our adorable and affectionate English Bulldog

E. Essential start to your day:  Used to be Dunkin' Donuts French Vanilla with cream and 1 sugar, but I kicked the caffeine last year when I battled Labyrinthitis. 

F. Favorite color:    Pink, gold, green, yellow..

G. Gold or Silver:  Love both, but gold wins :0)

H. Height:    5'5"

I. Instruments you play:  Played the violin when I was young, and begged my parents to quit, and they finally let me after I played at Carnegie Hall. I didn't understand the big deal back then, but I do now and am very appreciative of that opportunity. Funny thing was my dance recital was that same day back in CT, so after my violin performance, my parents rushed me to the train station so we could get back in time for my first dance number. I remember my mom changing me backstage and I made it JUST in time! 

J. Job: Insurance *boring*

K. Kids:   Zero, but we do plan on filling up this big new house at some point! 

L. Live:   Florida, but born and raised in Connecticut

M. Mother’s name:  Faith

N. Nicknames:  In high school my nickname was Briggs, in college my nickname was Jokes, now I must not be as fun because I don't think I have one anymore :-P

O. Overnight hospital stays:  None. As of right now *knock on wood* I've never had any surgery or broken any bones. I've had some trips to the ER, but never been admitted to the hospital thankfully.

P. Pet peeves:   Traffic

Q. Quote from a movie:  Stage 5 Clinger

R. Right or left handed:    Right

S. Siblings:   One - my little brother who's not so little anymore


T. Time you wake up:   Weekdays = 6:55, Weekends = whenever I'm done enjoying laying in bed and not needing to be anywhere down to the exact minute... 

U. Underwear:  thongs or cheekies


V. Vegetable you hate:  lima beans and peas.. blech.. 

W. What makes you run late:  Traffic! 

X. X-Rays you’ve had:  Hip (fell off my bike as a kid right on my hip bone and was in a ton of pain) and my heart. Marfan syndrome runs in my family and I was always really tall for my age when I was growing up (all of a sudden stopped growing in 6th grade) so I was tested for it and thankfully I was cleared. 

Y. Yummy food that you make:   Pretty much any recipe from my mom or the cookbook she and her friends put together. Lots of yummy goodness in there! I usually post those recipes on here to share with all you lovely ladies.

Z. Zoo animal:   Penguins.. they're so stinkin' cute! 

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Guacamole and Jack-o-lanterns!

No Halloween party for us this year.. as much of a sad panda that makes me, I understand that most of our friends and loved ones are back in CT and we're still trying to establish good friendships down here in FL at our new home. Plus, most of our friends back home in CT were unable to get out to their annual Halloween parties due to the freak snow storm they're currently getting! A lot of them are without power, and those that do still have power are watching it flicker on and off. The snow is weighing down heavily on the tree branches that still have their leaves! Insanity! I'm just glad everyone is safe and sound.

H and I stayed in tonight, and I made fresh guacamole and we carved our pumpkin.

In a small mixing bowl combine:

2 avocados that have been peeled, pitted, and mashed

1/2 of a small sweet onion, minced

1/4 cup of diced tomatoes

3 tsp. fresh lime juice

1 tsp. garlic salt

Chill for 30 minutes, then serve with tortilla chips

So yummy!

After we mowed down on the deliciousness and I finished what was leftover of my Skinny Girl White Cranberry Cosmo from last night, we started working on our annual jack-o-lantern. 

I asked if she wanted to help, but apparently snuggling with daddy won

Finished product

Recipe

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Toasting to Friday with a Skinny Girl White Cranberry Cosmo

I know it's been out for at least a month in most areas, but I finally sent H to the packie tonight (liquor store for all you non-Connecticut born folk) to pick me up my first bottle of Skinny Girl White Cranberry Cosmopolitan.

And the verdict is.....

DELICIOUS! Bethenny you never cease to amaze me girl! 

Happy Friday! 

Skinny Girl White Cranberry Cosmo

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Linkin' Up for Fill in the Blank Friday

Happy Friday! I had Monday off, but it still felt like this week dragged. Boo!

Today, I'm linking up with Lauren at The Little Things We Do for a fun Friday post.

When I was a kid I wanted to be an astronaut or a teacher when I grew up.

As an adult, my dream job would be an interior designer. Oh HGTV how bad I'd love to have my own show with you! Switching gears... I'd also love a job as a lobbyist and actually utitlize that Political Science degree.

When I was younger I wanted to be just like aunt

The childhood Halloween costume that I remember most was my flower costume. My mom actually made it.. I was a giant flower and she even put a giant bee buzzing around the petals.

My favorite childhood toy was probably all my Barbies and their accessories. I seriously had a Barbie world in my room. I had a swimming pool with a slide, a burger stand, a soda shop that actually worked, a jeep, bedroom set, closets with clothes in them, etc.. yipes!

The time I got into the biggest amount of trouble when I was a kid [or pre-teen/teen] was when I ... probably when I forged my dad's signature on a detention slip and got caught out by the teacher. When I was 15, I got grounded after I snuck out to go out with a boy and didn't come home until after 1:00am. I was then shipped off to Florida (lived in Connecticut at the time) for 3 weeks to stay with my mom's best friend. Not much of a punishment, but they were trying to keep me away from said boy, who a year later ended up being my high school boyfriend for my last 2 years of high school. LOL

I get daily inspirations from all the lovely blogs I follow. I never knew how much I was going to love blogging and how rewarding it is! So thankful I decided to start a blog :0)

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A not so typical anniversary

Today marks one year since I experienced my 1st of many labyrinthitis attacks. A year ago, I was called into my boss' office to go over some reports and as I was sitting there, this dizzy and weird sensation took over me and I wasn't sure if I was going to pass out or throw up right there. It was awful, and I completely freaked him out! I shrugged it off to low blood sugar and went home and tried to eat a healthy lunch. Didn't work..

Fast forward a few weeks, and it's not getting any better. The attacks come and go, and are at their worst when I'm in public places such as Target, the mall, or the grocery store. Something about the lighting in those places really set me off.

My symptoms:

-I felt seasick.. which led to me feeling nauseous when it would hit

-I also felt really disoriented a lot which was kind of like being drunk without the good feelings that come with drinking

-I had a very stiff neck and upper back and severe pain in the back of the lower part of my head

-I went through periods of exhaustion, but also had a hard time sleeping through the night

-Sometimes you just don't feel a part of reality, it's like you know you're there, but you feel like it's a dream and you're not really there

-Near the end was when I started to become really sensitive to noise and my ears started to hurt

-I was very sensitive to different lightings. I felt the most sick going into stores (like Target or the grocery store... the mall was completely off limits or else I think I would have passed out) and in my boss' office because of the way the light came in through the blinds and it was always hot in there.

-I also felt sick when I had to talk to someone and maintain eye contact


Thankfully, this gradually started to get better around Thanksgiving when I decided to kick my caffeine habit. Oh how I miss my morning coffee! But I had read on all the labyrinthitis boards, that caffeine exacerbates the attacks. It was amazing, as soon as I cut the caffeine, the attacks became fewer and farther between.


I look back to a year ago, and remember how scared I was, and how I had a few months of suffering ahead of me. I'm so thankful for how far I've come since then, and how I'm pretty much back to normal. I've been able to fly a few times for work and did great on our cruise in August. I can also do every day things such as going shopping or making eye contact while someone is talking to me without feeling seasick. 


I wouldn't wish Labyrinthitis on anyone, it was absolutely debilitating, but I got through it and it made me stronger and much more appreciative for my health and every day life. 


Sorry if this post was depressing or sappy, it should be uplifting! And now to watch "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" on ABC. Love holiday Charlie Brown specials! 

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I'm Finally a VIB!

That's right! I'm finally a Sephora VIB! I know to some of you that's old news from years ago, and you keep your VIB status going each year, but I only recently started doing the bulk of my beauty and skin care shopping there in the past year or so. I used to purchase most of my makeup from MAC, and slowly started converting all my makeup products to Sephora not only to save money and try out new products, but to earn Beauty Insider points. MAC offered me nothing for being a loyal customer except constant free shipping promo codes. Umm.. no thanks. I get free shipping at Sephora too with any $50+ purchase and I get tons of free stuff and perks! Another win-win!

I also got this Smashbox set for FREE for achieving VIB status! 

Sephora

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Muppets OPI Nail Polish Line

I may be a little late to the game, but I just recently heard about the new limited edition line for OPI inspired by the Muppets for the holiday season! Ahhhhh I can't tell you how excited that makes me! I love all things Muppets and Kermy and Animal are my favorites! I'm doubly excited because it's coinciding with the release of the Disney's The Muppets movie hitting theaters on November 23rd. Like the movie, the polishes will be available starting in November, which I can't believe is already next week! Where did October go?!

Who wouldn't love these guys?!

This month's In Style magazine has a full page ad for the new line, and I already have several favorites that I'd like to try out! 

Warm and Fozzie

Wocka Wocka

Excuse Moi

Designer, de Better

Gone Gonzo

OPI

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Kate Spade Friends & Family Sale

Another Friends & Family Sale! This one is for Kate Spade (my other happy place!)

30% off today through Sunday at all locations and online. If shopping online use promo code FALL11FF at checkout.

Between this great sale and Sephora's Friends & Family Sale you should be able to score a lot of great deals this weekend!

Happy Friday and Happy Shopping! :0)

Kate Spade

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Sephora F&F Sale Online Code

Good morning ladies! Sephora's Friends & Family Sale is finally here! There were a lot of rumors going around yesterday on their Facebook wall and on other blogs that they were only releasing the code to Sephora employees to distribute to their own friends and family which caused a lot of backlash. Thankfully, this morning they changed the website that I posted in yesterday's post to a place where you can enter your email address and they'll give you a one time offer code good for 20% off your purchase from now until November 2nd.

Click here to get your code

Happy Shopping!

Sephora

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Super Excited for Sephora's Friends & Family!

I've been waiting for Sephora's Friends & Family Sale for a while and it'll finally be here tomorrow! However, my mom said she got me a gift card and keeps forgetting to put it in the mail! I don't know if I should pull the trigger on my order right away or be a patient little girl and wait for the gift card that mom may or may not send in time...

For those who are unfamiliar with the Sephora Friends & Family Sale, it's a promotion that runs October 20th-November 2nd. Using an offer code, you can save 20% off your entire online purchase. Details can be found here.

I have several things on my Sephora wishlist, and would like to take full advantage of the 20% off. But.... H will be a tad upset if I spend that much when we have so many more important things that are definitely bigger priorities right now....such as a new dining room set since we're hosting Thanksgiving at our house next month. So, I promised him I'd take it easy *sigh*

I definitely know I'll be purchasing the following:

I'd like to get some more Philosophy Purity as I explained in a recent blog post, I tested this out in the travel size and I loooove it! My skin has been so awful for the past year and a half, this is the first cleanser that seems to be making a difference. I feel so clean and refreshed afterwards.

My go to blush

Sephora Collection Pro Smokey Eye Brush

I'm waaaay overdue for a replacement brush head for my Clarisonic Mia

Things that are on my wish list and may or may not make the final cut:

Bumble and Bumble Hair Thickening Spray

Carol's Daughter Body Aches Bath Salts

Benefit They're Real! Mascara

Nars Laguna Bronzer

Fresh Sugar Honey Tinted Lip Treatment with SPF 15

What do you have on your Sephora wish list? Are you planning on stocking up with the F&F Sale or just ordering a few replacements?

Sephora

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Weekend House and Wardrobe Updates

Oh Sunday evening we meet again.. H and I had a relaxing weekend with absolutely nothing planned which was nice considering he has had a case of the sniffles and now I feel like he may be re-gifting it. We did some shopping and I am very happy to report I finally got a full length mirror!

Isn't it purrty? (Ignore the box and supplies in the reflection)

One of our neighbors came over to help H hang it up since the supplies it came with of course didn't work. So they went to Lowes together and got some hanging wire and voila it worked! 

I'm excited because I've needed a full length mirror for what seems like forever. I haven't been able to visualize my entire outfit with my shoes and everything in so long. Plus it'll be nice for OOTD's (outfits of the day) I've never done OOTD posts on here because I didn't want to post my top half and then a shot of my shoes which is what I've been doing for my OOTD posts on the Fashion & Beauty Board on The Nest, and it's just lackluster to say the least. I'm super excited to come down the stairs tomorrow for work and see the full effect of my outfit.. finally! 

I also have been looking for a pair of cognac riding boots, but refuse to pay the $150-$200+ pricetag I've been seeing on most boots that I've liked. H and I are on a stricter budget since we're trying to do a lot of stuff for our new house. And my thing is I want something cheap without it looking too cheap, so I saw some at Old Navy last weekend and thought they were really cheap looking, but then I found some at Target this weekend on sale (double score!)  for $30! They don't look high quality or anything, but they also don't look like something I picked up off the clearance rack at Walmart. So, I picked up a pair and they should get the job done.

You can find the boots here

Not too shabby! :-P

I just really wanted a casual pair of boots that'll look great with everything.. jeans, leggings, blacks, browns, etc.. 

I also was inspired by Pinterest this weekend and decided to do something with my makeup brushes. 

I had already been using this vase for my brushes, but I didn't like that they were always falling over and it was hard to find a certain brush when I needed it. So, after seeing a picture on Pinterest where someone used a vase filler to keep their brushes standing straight up, I was hooked. I realized that's what they use at the Sephora stores to keep the brushes standing upright, but it never occurred to me to use the technique at home. 

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Product Review Overhaul

I realized I haven't reviewed any of my new goodies yet. So, I went up to my bathroom and snapped a bunch of what turned out to be really crappy quality pics.. sorry! I realized how badly I need a new camera. My good camera (my pink one) got sand in it at the beach so I've been using H's camera.

Benefit Eye Bright from Sephora. I bought it after seeing other fellow bloggers using it in the corner of their eyes to brighten them up (I have hereditary dark circles). I must not be applying it right because I'm not a fan. I feel like it looks kind of cakey and it disappears really quick. It definitely doesn't have longevity at all. So, even if I was applying it better, it wouldn't last very long. I don't think it's worth the $20 I paid for it.

Sorry if you can barely make it out, but it's Cover Girl Lash Blast. I had been using Maybelline's Falsies for a while, but decided to switch it up. I'm not really a fan of this either. It didn't give me the volume I get with the Falsies. I'll be switching back ;0)

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer from Sephora. LOVE it! I had been using MAC's Prep & Prime, but thought it was making my skin more oily, so I decided it was time for a switch. So glad I switched! Smashbox's primer goes on wet, but as you blend it in it gets powdery so it doesn't make me feel or look oily. My makeup goes on smooth over it and lasts all day. 

Sephora Collection Nano Eyeliner in Coffee. I had been using MAC's eye pencil, but was looking for a more budget friendly eyeliner that would also last all day. I use Urban Decay's Primer Potion before applying to help it last. It's a great color and for $5 it's a lot cheaper than the MAC version.

Sephora by OPI Break A Leg Warmer nail polish. I was so excited about this color and was so bummed when it started chipping the next day! I reapplied for 5 days in a row, and each day it was chipping more and more. I put down a base coat, 3 coats of the color and a top coat, so I'm not sure what went wrong. When I posted about it before, someone suggested that I return it which I plan on next time I visit Sephora.

Sephora Collection Pro Powder Brush #50 Love love love this brush! It's so soft and it applies foundation and bronzer perfectly and evenly. Can't recommend their brushes enough!

Philosophy Purity face wash. I was on the fence when purchasing this (I got the travel size just in case) and I looove it! I've been having adult acne issues (little bumps all over my forehead and other various spots on my face) since a little before the wedding last year. At first I thought it was the stress from the wedding, but then once the wedding was over and my acne wasn't I realized it was more than stress. I've tried every face wash under the sun... Proactiv, Clean & Clear, Sacylic Acid, Benzoyl Peroxide, Neutrogena, and I even purchased a Clarisonic and experienced the "clarisonic purge" and still didn't get clear skin. This was my last ditch effort before finally going to see a dermatologist. I've been using it with my clarisonic and it leaves my face feeling and smelling so clean. And it seems to actually be working! My face has begun to clear up, still not all the way there, but finally making some progress! Whoo hoo!

Makeup brush cleaner from Sephora. For only $6 this stuff is awesome! It gets the old makeup off my brushes and it smells amazing! I was literally sniffing my brushes after! :-P

Lola by Marc Jacobs... I've loved this perfume since it was released, but wasn't sure if it had all day lasting power. This is one of those perfumes that even after a long work day if I smell my wrists I can still smell it, but it's not over powering. Perfection!

Philosophy Miracle Worker anti-aging cream. I got this as one of my free samples (thanks Sephora!) and I've been using it around my eyes at night and I've noticed a difference in the wrinkles that have started popping up the past few years. I may splurge on the full size jar ;0)

I picked up a sheet of stud earrings at Forever 21 last weekend, they're super cute! 

I also picked up this long strand of peachy colored faux pearls from Forever 21. They look great against a black top for a pop of color. 

Sephora

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