Leave Them D's at the Bar

I'm pretty sure it is in a girl's nature to want to please the opposite sex, but c'mon ladies, you have to not only be able to spot the D-bags, you have to resist the temptation to please them. Our campuses, our sidewalks, our bars have all been infiltrated by men who believe it is their God-given right to 'play' women and act superior to everyone. These specific men have been around forever and have been portrayed in every teen movie growing up, so you know how to identify them - there is no excuse. If you are fooled once, you should not be fooled twice. Plain and simple.

Leave your blinders behind, open your eyes and see past the body, the hair, or whatever it is that draws you to these men. Try to avoid the Steve Stifflers and look for the Christopher 'Oz' Ostreichers (post the Casenova pick-up line incident :: cringe :: ). Believe me, it is very rare for the Stifflers to grow out of their womanizing, narcissistic ways, so it is best to just completely ignore them and avoid any type of contact (because obviously we learned everything we know from American Pie).

If you're reading this and thinking you are the kind of girl who has the skills to change a Stiffler into an Oz, then you are delusional. Been there, tried that - it does not work. Once a D, always a D. However, it is quite possible the guy you have your eye on is a D by association, which is highly unfortunate for him and the women he could actually have a stellar relationship with, but he chose to surround himself with D-bag friends. So, perhaps wait a few years for him to ditch his friends? Who are we kidding, you're not going to wait. You are going to pursue this kid because well, it is kind of fun to have a challenge. But WARNING YOU - don't let him fool you - if he is a dick to you, you best be outta there. It is easy to get roped in by a challenge or an attraction, which is what D's plan on happening, but think about how great love should be - relationships are supposed to be fun and make you happy - no girl (or guy in the case of a girl D) should be treated poorly. Leave them D's at the bar and look for the one who makes you laugh and treats u like a prince(ss).

xoxo

Music Monday

I'm obsessed with this.




"Kings and Queens" by 30 Seconds to Mars

(Also the preview song for "My Generation" which I plan to check out this Thursday)

xoxo

Music Monday

This should have been posted yesterday, but since yesterday was Labor Day honoring workers - there was no computer action in my house :)



Delicious Suprise by Beth Hart

This is one of my favorite songs - Definitely the song I will hands down always singalong with and maybe pop a dance move to. ENJOY

xoxo

Spotlight Thursday

 David Bromstad


My new TV show addiction is HGTV's Colorsplash with David Bromstad. The show has been on the air since 2007 and is now in the first season of their spinoff Colorsplash: Miami. David Bromstad was the season one winner of HGTV Design Star, which allotted him the chance to host and design on his own television show.

This man is genius when it comes to anything creative - his room designs shine before  you with such freshness, whether it is your style or not, you'll love it. He has an incredible amount of energy, which makes him such a pleasure for the homeowners to work with and it makes him an amazing television personality.



If you don't fall in love with this man, there is probably something wrong with you. He is gorgeous, creative, bubbly, and extremely talented! Every episode, he adds a personal painting or sculpted piece of some sort to the room and I always hope to own it some day.

He gathers little tidbits of personal information from each homeowner and tries to incorporate their personalities into the room he is re-designing. The homeowners try to pick a color scheme of sorts or give David some inspiration whether it is a picture or a blanket - he hits it out of the park every time!

The wife's favorite store is Anthropologie and the couple wanted to incorporate the outdoors - SUCCESS

Gorgeous and very inviting! I'd love for this to be my bedroom.

This room is a lot more traditional with some spice - Love it!

David is a real creative inspiration and I can't wait to redecorate my bedroom! Hope you guys all tune in to his television show on HGTV everyday at 3:30pm. Enjoy.

Photos: Bromstad.com

xoxo

Glamtime at the Emmys

I usually wouldn't write twice about an awards show, but I have to include images of these three women because they look extraordinary. My choices for best dressed...

Lea Michele (Glee) wearing Oscar de la Renta

Lea Michele is one of my favorite new actresses and her voice cannot even be explained. This gown looks simply magnificent on her and has won best dressed in my book - she looks breathtaking.

Claire Danes wearing Armani Prive

My runner-up for best dressed is definitely Claire Danes in Armani Prive. Her dress makes her look very elegant and her makeup/hair is a natural, non-fussy, easy look. Incredible. Claire is a pro when it comes to the Red Carpet.

Nina Dobrev (The Vampire Diaries) wearing Zuhair Murad

Nina looks gorgeous!! I may be a little bias because I love her on The Vampire Diaries, but this one-shouldered gown makes her look fashionable and trendy without over-doing it. It was a great choice to wear her hair up - it does not take away from her dress, instead it enhances the beauty. She looks very womanly and I think we'll be seeing her in a lot more films in the future - I think we should keep an eye out for her.

Photos: MTV.com


xoxo

A Glee-Nation

I am a Glee ADDICT. I'm not even kidding, if anyone ever disturbs me while watching Glee, I will bite your head off. It is a drama, a musical, a comedy - it is THE BEST TV SHOW. You cannot deny it - you love it too.

The Emmy Awards were this weekend - hosted by Jimmy Fallon - I sadly did not get a chance to watch it, but I did hear about the introduction! GLEE!



Jimmy Fallon arrives to see Lea Michele (Glee - Rachel), Chris Colfer (Glee - Kurt), Cory Monteith (Glee - Finn), and Amber Riley (Glee - Mercedes) waiting outside the Emmys because they do not have enough money to get into the show. Enter Regionals! The five are then joined by Tina Fey, Nina Dobrev (Vampire Diaries), the hilarious Jane Lynch (Glee - Sue Sylvester), Joel McHale (Community), Jorge Garcia (Lost), and more, to sing and perform Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" on stage.

Guest appearances by Kate Gosselin, the amazing Betty White, and Project Runway's Tim Gunn.

Hilarious. Entertaining. Perfect.

Glee's intro to The Emmy Awards show only supports the fact that every single person - whether they admit it or not - LOVES Glee. ;-)

xoxo

Bakety, bake, bake

Yesterday was a miserably rainy day and I decided to make a mess in the kitchen. Whenever I bake, I seem to make a trail of ingredients all over the kitchen - flour, cocoa powder, salt - I'm totally the girl you see with flour on her face while stirring and mixing. Go ahead, make fun. 

Anyways, in an attempt to be healthy with my food intake, I recently bought Jillian Michaels' cookbook - The Master Your Metabolism Cookbook - and in it is a recipe for Fudge Brownies - How can these be healthy, right? The strangest (in my mind) ingredients: unsweetened applesauce and pure honey. I thought baking with these types of ingredients would be extremely difficult and hard to judge considering I've never used them in a recipe (that I can recall) and I was really nervous that the brownies wouldn't taste good and I'd be yelled at by the men in my house for making a horrible dessert. While mixing everything together, I have to be honest, it kind of had a funky smell, which made me even more nervous. Anyways, the result... HEAVENLY.

I'd say the total time you need for this recipe is 35-40 minutes (10-15 prep, 25 bake). Definitely make sure you have 2 mixing bowls (one large, one medium) and one glass measuring cup.

Ingredients:
Olive Oil spray for the pan
2/3 cup mild honey, such as clover or orange blossom
1/3 cup natural, unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large egg, at room temp
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract


1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square pan with olive oil. Set aside.

2. Place the honey in a large glass measuring cup. Microwave on high power until the honey is runny and just bubbling, 45 to 60 seconds (I tried 47 seconds and it was perfect). Add the cocoa and stir with a fork until well combined. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.

3. In a small bowl, place the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until well combined.

4. In a large bowl, combine the applesauce, oil, egg, and vanilla. Whisk together until well blended. Add the honey-cocoa mixture (pictured below) and whisk until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture and stir until no traces of flour remain. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

5. Bake until the surface looks dry around the edges of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it, about 25 minutes. Do not overbake. Place the pan on a cooling rack and let cool completely before slicing into 16 squares.

Make sure you have a spatula handy to get all of the honey/cocoa mixture out!

Fits perfectly in the 8x8 square pan!

Bakes for 25 minutes - Make sure edges are dry and toothpick test has moist crumbs

Right out of the oven - Edges are dry (correctly done) and separated from pan

 Cuts into 16 wonderful pieces (not all pictured - someone decided to taste test!)

The best thing about these brownies are how light and fluffy they are - normal brownies usually leave me feeling a little sick because of how rich they are... these are perfect for that quick sweetness craving!

xoxo

Summer Clothing Crunch

I have an obsession with clothes and shopping, but since I had to you know, go to college and all, I have annoying student loans to keep in mind - thus, I can't buy many new things. So since I do not have new outfits to work with, I have to get really creative with my looks and what I already own - which is really difficult for me because I wore a uniform for most of my life and in college, you could get away with wearing whatever the hell you wanted.

So, one of my favorite things to do is take the beach to the office. Now before you think I'm crazy and inappropriate for suggesting such a thing, follow me for a second. All of those beach dresses and bathing suit cover-ups you bought this summer can totally work to spice up an office outfit. I like to take those 'dresses' and tuck them into my jeans (I'm lucky and get to wear jeans to work) and blouse them. Add a cute skinny belt and maybe a cardigan depending on the weather, and you got yourself a brand new outfit without spending money on a blouse.

Have fun rummaging through your closets!

xoxo

Chef Moi

ALL about the cooking lately. Cooking. Baking. Mixing. It's my new thing. I honestly cannot wait (well, I don't want to get old but...) until I'm older and cooking for tons of people. Running around the kitchen, manning the oven and stove at the same time, cutting and slicing - it is an experience. A powerful experience. It is similar to a pop quiz; you pick ingredients based on your prior knowledge of their taste and texture, then you guess or use instinct to add a few more pieces, and you pray to God that you make the grade!

I cooked dinner for my family using a family friend's recipe. This recipe was legitamately made on a rainy day by throwing random ingredients into a pan and hoping it taste good - it does. It is one of my favorite dishes ever.

Stirrin' it all up!

I do not remember all the ingredients by heart, but I will be sure to do a follow up at some point with the exact recipe - Main: chicken (sliced up) and about 2 or 3 peppers (sliced up). Yeah, I know, I should remember more than that - what good am I without a cheat sheet? Hah.

It's gettin' hotter in there ;-)

Wow, this is making me hungry as I post pictures - I can't even verbalize the glorious smell that fills up the kitchen! I will definitely get this recipe to you because it is just too good not to share.

Add a little penne and parmesean cheese and devour!

xoxo

Owl Obsession

I have an owl obsession. If you are a friend of mine, then you know this. Pretty sure that if I were gifted jewelry, pillows, art... anything that has an owl on it - I'd be in love. There is something so unique, mysterious, and old about them - I feel as though they are one of those creatures that is more or less underrated and forgotten. Owls are creatures of the night and in many cases have been deemed as creatures with psychic powers. I've read that many spiritual traditions of Native Americans believe the owl to represent vision, insight, and wisdom. For some reason, I feel that if I came across an actual owl, he/she would somehow know exactly what I was thinking - it's the eyes; they pierce right through you.

Anyways, I found some adorable owl pieces, that I would totally purchase if I had a new room to decorate, but I don't... sad face. (Although, I'm really considering the print!)

Available at Urban Outfitters

Available at Urban Outfitters

Available on Etsy.com

Stud Earrings Available at ShopBop

 

 

Available at Barney's New York

xoxo

Haunting Memories

I'm pretty sure every single person experiences those certain days when you somehow step outside your body and look at your life from a bird's eye view. Most times, these outer-body experiences are when you are feeling a little down and out about yourself or let's say having a quarter-life crisis of some sort. I find it incredibly peculiar that on these days, I hear music I used to listen to when I was a teenager and thought I had some kind of tortured soul (whether it be crying over a guy or fighting with friends... teenage woes - cry me a river, blah blah blah).

Even though I believe my life is pretty awesome right now, the rainy and dark weather seems to be putting a damper on my mood and dragging my mind into the sadness gutter; it's forcing me to feel the need to slow down and scrutinize/criticize my life plan in all aspects. I know that once I escape this day and this mood, I will be completely back to normal and loving life. However, every single song that pops up on my IPod's shuffle is from either late 90s or early 00s (is that how we abbreviate the 2000s? hah); music that I used to blast in my bedroom when I was upset. Hearing these songs again makes me remember the situations I was in when I would have them on constant replay. Taking my mind and heart back to middle and high school is so crazy. I feel like I tried so hard to forget a lot of the stupid things in order to focus on my present life and my future, that I just blocked a lot of emotions.

Suddenly, I find myself questioning certain relationships and friendships that I seem to have let go of in order to move on. It's weird, but I think at this age, I know who and what is good for me. I know that I cut off certain ties with people in order to be a happier version of myself. I think you have to leave some people behind for you to be able to truly prosper and to be open to new people, friendships, and relationships - I truly do believe that. But still, there comes those times when you wish you still had some type of relationship with certain people so that you could check up on them and see how they are doing, because at one point in your life you did really care about them and their well-being. You just have to remember that you ended a relationship or friendship for a reason; you have to remind yourself that you have moved on and you have changed and you have done it for the better.

I am very blessed to have the people in my life right now and I do not think I would be the same person without these people. I just think it is so crazy how old music or smells or something insignificant, can bring back a rush of memories of basically a different life with different people. It really makes you realize how much you have grown and evolved into the person you are today. I hope you like it.

You either completely understand what I just said, or you think I am crazy and that's fine - just a ramble.

xoxo

Fly Solo

In ancient times, boys and girls were considered adults at the young age of 13. They were directed to go hunt and kill their own dinner or marry an older man and start a family. This wasn't strange to anyone; this was just tradition. It was the way things were done; there was no argument. However, nowadays, when can a child be considered an adult? Do they have to purchase their own home? Their own car? Get married? Get a job? The law says that a child becomes an adult at the age of 18. On the other hand, certain religions still believe young teenagers should be considered adults. So really, how are we to know when we become adults?

I may not phrase this right, but whether a child receives "permission" to be an individual or not differs in every family. There are certain parents who raise a child to know how to take care of themselves because they need to know how to be an independent person to survive and the parents understand that their child will one day be without them; they are preparing their child to live life. There are also parents who coddle their children and never let them stray far from home base. In these two instances, I'm talking about how parents raise their children to be an adult, but what about the child. Shouldn't the child decide when he/she is ready to be an adult and make decisions? Obviously, children make mistakes and are not always right, but a lot of the time, I find that younger people are the ones who remind me the value of life; they make it simple again. Many parents believe that just because they are old, they are wise or maybe wiser; that is not always the case. Times change; people evolve. I believe that today more than ever, children are forced to enter adulthood at a younger age than our parents. There is so much corruption in the world today that it is difficult to steer clear of it. So what can we do? We have to teach people younger than us how to deal with it on their own; make them know what is right and what is wrong based on their instincts. Therefore parents need to accept the fact that their children are ultimately going to be considered an adult at some point... so what if it is earlier than expected?

Parents... let your children fly solo for a little while; let them experience the life you experienced and they will be forever grateful for it.

Youngsters... fight for that freedom or you'll regret it.


xoxo

Masquerade

My teenage years involved many different skin regimens because sadly I was not one of the lucky few who was blessed with baby-smooth skin. I pretty much have tried every single type of acne treatment in my life and I had to take it to the extreme to clear up my skin (oral medication... boo.) Anyways, now that I am a couple years into my twenties (when acne is generally supposed to go away - thank God for me, it did... finally a lucky one?), I am still incredibly crazy and diligent about taking care of my skin. Excluding the obvious facial washes (morning + night), I like to occasionally use an absorbing masque. For the longest time, I used some rare masque I found at a small boutique... to be honest, I don't even know the name of the product I was using. So I have been in the market for a new one and my friend recommended Clinique's Turnaround Instant Facial Masque. Most likely I will try this some time in my life - perhaps when I am uber rich, but can we check out the price?! I refuse to pay anything over $25 for a facial product.

In this economy and as a recent student, I cannot afford to be tossing out $50-$70 on a face masque; it is just not smart. So my mission: this weekend, I plan on hitting up some drugstores and scouring the shelves for SOMETHING that will fill my masquerading needs and I will provide you with my findings asap :)

If you have some suggestions out there, PLEASE let me know.

xoxo

Warning - Get help.

I've been slacking on my tweeting lately, but I was just catching up on some quick headlines and @ENewsNow just informed me of Lindsay Lohan's upcoming 90 (consecutive) day jail sentencing. Watching this video of Lohan crying about her punishment really irks me for the reason that SHE WAS WARNED. How many times can a person be warned that they will go to jail and face punishment if they do not fix and/or control their behavior. She had every opportunity in the world not to screw up. She claims she tried to balance work etc., but even if I were a starlet, I would get help. Even if I did not want the help, I would do it for the sole reason NOT to go to jail. People have the potential to be incredibly stupid and let this be a lesson that even famous people will be punished. I hope other young stars realize they are not invincible when it comes to the law.

Watch this and let me know if you agree with my rant.

Rubberband Jewelry

Apparently all we need to do to be trendy is steal silly rubber bands from our kid cousins! Silly Bandz are sweeping the nation as the newest summer accessory trend. At first, children were trading all these silly bandz during school like they were baseball cards and teachers were getting angry because the students were highly distracted by their entertaining exchanging. Now all ages are wearing these bands - and I find it hilarious! I had never heard of these bands until last weekend when my friend gave me three for fun! Next thing you know, celebrities are wearing them, teenagers around town are wearing them, college students are wearing them - they are everywhere!

The bands come in all different colors, as well as shapes. Each package is themed - farm animals, jungle animals, zoo animals, sea animals; alphabet, summer, beach. They are a super cute addition to the millions of bracelets people are stacking this summer.

I'm currently wearing a red elephant, a yellow hippo, and an orange kangaroo! I want a green one next :)

Follow on Twitter @sillybandz or Follow them on Facebook SillyBandz

Have fun accessorizing!!

xoxo

Puppy Can't Get Up!

How cute is this? The puppy can't get up! I could watch this all day! Just wanted to share some cuteness with you all!

xoxo

Happy Dad's Day!

My brothers and I have been very lucky to be blessed with a genuinely loving, caring, and strong father. Every single day, I am taught something new by my incredibly intelligent dad and I am so grateful for him and his stories. As seen above, we have the same humor :) and that is awesome. I am very lucky.

Special Father's Day wishes to one of my older brothers - who is the first out of us four kids to have their own kid! My beautiful baby nephew is very lucky to have such a wonderful father! Happy 1st Father's Day to my amazing brother.

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there!

xoxo

Quick Shake

With the hot summer days here, I have been making fruit shakes every morning for breakfast. They are cool and refreshing on a steamy day, as well as healthy. It helps me down the necessary fruits and keeps me energized for morning work.


Incredibly easy to make (no exact measurements, I eyeball it):

• Couple spoon scrapes of Non-Fat Organic French Vanilla or Plain Yogurt
• A little bit of Organic Milk (make sure you have enough to make the shake liquid consistency)
• Ice
• A few drops of Vanilla Extract
• Fruit of choice (Banana Shake pictured above; I alternate with strawberries, peaches, blueberries, etc.)

Put it all in the blender and mix!

I'm going to try to get even more creative with some shakes; I'll keep you posted!

xoxo

Hot Hat

I am crazy about hats. I always have been. Unfortunately, I have an abnormally large head (sad face), so hats don't ALWAYS fit me, but I've done a lot of research through much shopping and I've found that the larger your head is, the better you look in a hat (I mean, if that hat actually fits your head). Woo! Good things for me.

With Summer '10 pretty much already here, beach hats are popping up everywhere and I've been on a hunt for an incredibly cute fedora! Check out some of these awesome options:




1.

2.

3.

4.

These fedoras are all great choices to don on the beach or just shopping around town (especially if you're one of the lucky people jumping from house to house in The Hamptons)!

1. Available at Nordstrom for $38 - I especially love this hat for the black, knotted grosgrain ribbon. It gives it an extra bit of pizazz.

2. Rag & Bone: Available at Saks Fifth Ave for $140 - If you feel like splurging on a hat, this one is adorable - the blue ribbon wrapped around is a super cute addition to a classic fedora!

3. American Eagle - $14.95 - If you like a little more detail in your hats, this one is very affordable!

4. American Eagle - $11.95 - Classic and neutral... can't go wrong! (It's on sale too)


TIP: Rummage through your father or grandfather's closet - I'm sure you can find a fedora of some sort in there that they used to wear back in the day. Also, men have larger heads, so if you're in my situation, a man's hat may be the answer.

There are many many many options out there and I can't wait to see everyone's choices this summer!

xoxo

"Wild" Time

Ready for some creepy hand pictures?? I know, I know. Hand pictures are incredibly strange, however, I needed to show off my summer-y nail polish. I chose to steer clear of the standard light pinks and whites because they just bore me to death - Wild Violet was the winner this week!

The nail color trends are showing a lot of blue and purples lately and I love it. The pop of fun color is so festive and refreshing! Have fun with your nails! Experiment! In the summer, you can get away with anything crazy on the nails... stripes perhaps?? Go for it!!

xoxo

The Bag Says It All.

I GOT A NEW SUMMER PURSE! One of my favorite purse brands is Elliott Lucca. I crave basically every single design - it does not help my addiction to subscribe to their email updates, but I can't help myself. Anyways, I've had my eye on a couple specific EL purses (really between the Granada satchel and the Aruba tote) and I finally made my decision!

Introducing my new best friend - My Elliott Lucca Aruba Medium Drawstring purse in Linen

I plan on toting this lovely gal around town for a long time! Linen was the perfect color choice for summer - not only weather appropriate, but will go with any outfit in my closet!

What summer purses catch your eye? Leave a comment!

xoxo

For the Love of Coffee

Is this not heavenly? I just happened to stumble upon these wonderful barrels of coffee beans from multiple countries when I was at Fairway Market in Pelham Manor, NY. The aroma escaped it's little designated corner and pulled me from the other side of the store. To an avid coffee drinker, like myself, this is like a toy store. I was so overwhelmed by the possibilities that I had to ask for help - but seriously, I'm sure they are all absolutely amazing. I ended up going with an Ethiopian bean and might I say, it was WONDERFUL. I cannot wait to stalk down those barrels the next time I go to the Market.

xoxo

"Za-Za-Zoo"

"Za-Za-Zoo." I heard this term used to describe crazy and amazing love on a... ya know, very girly, usually made fun of television show of which I will not name because then I will be mocked. And now I'm sure everyone knows what I am talking about so that was pointless. Well anyways, it made me start to think of how it is usually very difficult to let go of your past. Even when it comes to the littlest things that you shouldn't really care about, you somehow create a life or death panic around the idea of losing it. For example, we all keep mementos from special occasions in our life such as, a playbill, a movie stub, a bouquet of roses (dried out of course), or anything that would remind us ten years later of that special occasion. But more specifically, if we are in a relationship, we will create boxes dedicated to that relationship. That way, when you are going through a rough patch with your partner, you can easily look through the items in that box and remember the "za-za-zoo" if you will. It is our memory of those great experiences that will put us at ease and give us perspective on a situation. So when the possibility of losing those memories comes around, how could you be content with throwing them away? I guess this concept is the reason why people place the relationship boxes in the way back of their closet... so that one day they can open the box again and remember the exciting and passionate feelings they once held for a certain person.

My current problem: I got a new phone and obviously not everything could be transferred over from my old phone... like saved text messages. There are messages on there from years ago that I just don't want to get rid of because I like to look back on them and smile and remember that feeling I had when I first received that text. It is really difficult to let go of those text messages because I like to remember that initial feeling. In a way I kind of hate that in today's technology-driven lifestyle, love letters are now sent via text message. You can't keep those "letters" forever. It breaks my heart to, in essence, lose beginning parts of my relationship just because I have a new phone. Wtf. Fml. I'm sad now.

I may just be crazy in my thinking and rambling (very likely), but it is still sad that I want to preserve my earlier "za-za-zoo" days for future reminders, and cannot do so.

Oh well. I'll figure it out. Ta-ta for now!

xoxo

Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day! Today is the day to give thanks and remember every person who has served and given their life to protect our country. We are so privileged to live freely in our country and we owe a heck of a lot to our soldiers, so I hope you are somehow honoring them today. Even if it is a simple "Thank you" in a drink cheers or walking in your town's Memorial Day Parade, I still hope you realize how thankful you should be for where you live.

A little patriotism from 1994 :)

Enjoy the rest of this beautiful day with some family and friends time! I'm off to BBQ!!

xoxo

Tad Bit of Sweet

Happy Memorial Day Eve! I hope everyone is spending their time outside and not wasting this gorgeous day inside (I'm outside writing this!). One of the things I love most about holidays that take a couple of days to fully celebrate is food. Without any doubt, there are always unlimited amounts of food being served day after day of the holiday weekend. While I was visiting my brother and sister-in-law this weekend, there were trays worth of food, but I especially had my eye on these tiny cupcakes! I am all about being healthy and dieting (especially during the summer - as I previously described my workouts), but I "allow" myself to indulge a little bit for the holidays!

These cupcakes were not only adorable, but perfect for a little diet-cheat because of how small they were. It's all about the moderation and with these cute cupcakes, you can feel festive, satisfy a sugar-tooth, and still control your diet. Enjoy the festivities!

xoxo

Sublime Said It Best...

Bathing suits. Beaches. Tanks tops and short shorts. Summertime is here and the livin' is easy... easy peesy. Right? May comes quick around the corner and all of a sudden the ladies and the gents are scramblin to the gym and ditching the greasy pizza in order to look stunning in their summer attire. With all of the stores advertising their amazing summer sales, I find it incredibly difficult to simply walk past the store and keep the wallet closed in the purse. I am dying to spend the money that I don't have on beautiful summer dresses and rompers and most importantly shoes! (Even though, shoes aren't very necessary in the summer. I am kind of content walking around barefoot in the heat, yet a girl always needs new shoes). Anyways, these whole workout programs and dieting schedules... they become a huge part of the daily routine during the summer and let's face it, we like it. There is something unique about the summer air that just makes you want to feel healthy and strong and lively. I feel as though our adventurous side takes over and all of a sudden we WANT to go hiking or biking or running.

I hope you all agree with me and schedule these outside activities into your daily/weekly routines!! There is something so cathartic with working out and bonding with nature that I can't even put it into words. However, if you do not get the chance to workout outside, there are always training videos you can use in your spare time to work off those margaritas and funnel cakes! A few weeks ago, I started a workout program called P90X, which was introduced to me by a bunch of my friends. I really do love this workout because it is all about muscle confusion and you do not get bored with the routines because it is a different one every day of the week. I feel so much stronger after just a few weeks and it is entertaining to boot. So if you're not one of the lucky few who actually get to exercise outside and hike through the woods or walk along the beach, I highly recommend looking into some type of training video that will keep you on track and looking fit in your bikini!

Another amazing part of the season... smoothies. I am obsessed with fruit smoothies in the summer! I am so excited for it to get really hot outside so I can start whipping up delectable fruit drinks for my friends and family! Show me the blender! There are many types of smoothies that you can make and maintain your healthy diet. There are low-fat smoothies, breakfast smoothies, protein smoothies, etc. I'm game for any recipe and I can't wait to start mixin'.

Hope you're all enjoying the Memorial Day Weekend!

xoxo

Boy, swear not by the moon.

I've always been a big fan of Shakespeare. There are people who understand Shakespeare's words, and there are those who have no idea what the heck he is talking about. For me, I've always admired the way men would speak to women in his stories. The mere physical descriptions of the women were worthy enough for anyone to literally go weak at the knees. It is really amazing to even begin to think about the cultural and societal changes in history that have left women today with a lack of Shakespearean loving. It's not to say that we are not loved by today's man, but I know there is some part of every woman that melts when watching Romeo and Juliet, wishing that she lived in an era when men did not show up late to a dinner date or forget to call her when he promised he would talk to her about what was bothering her; but he actually showered her with romantic words strung together in a poetic serenade or just, alone, professed his undying love for her... and that was enough. I wonder what has changed so drastically in the world that people no longer follow the once-common rules of courting, but instead create a very casual relationship? Was it feminism? Was it war? Did every person become so tolerant of world's injustice and unfairness, that they were willing to set aside the hopeful and romantic part of life? Where did these 'love games' originate? I'm not saying there is a problem with the way relationships are conducted today, but I wonder, do people ever crave the romance? I have no idea, but I will leave you with this... while I was watching Leonardo DiCaprio (swoon) proclaim his love to Claire Danes, I couldn't help but wish men still spoke the Shakespearean language today.

Romeo
Lady, by yonder blessed moon I swear
That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops --

Juliet
O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon,
That monthly changes in her circled orb,
Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.

Romeo
What shall I swear by?

Juliet
Do not swear at all;
Or, if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self,
Which is the god of my idolatry,
And I'll believe thee.


xoxo

hello HELLO

So, I am back from my blogging hiatus!! I intend on blogging almost every day from now on! I'm going to be talking about life, questions, and basically anything that strikes my fancy. I hope you all enjoy and actually read my posts because it would mean the world to me if people were really reading my thoughts and opinions. Please feel free to comment or follow me on twitter!

xoxo