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Friday + a few of my favorite things

I wanted to share with my lovely readers a few of the little things in my life right now that are making it just that much sweeter.

Vitatops — A BIG shoutout to Hungry Girl for this find and my next one. (If you don’t know who HG is, check her out.) These are 100 calorie muffin tops that are absolutely delicious! They come in tons of flavors including Deep Chocolate, Banana Nut and Pumpkin Spice. You could only order them online at vitalicious.com for a long time, but just recently they’ve come to Target and I’m so excited! You can find them in the freezer section.

Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk — Okay, I know this sounds weird, but hear me out. I kept seeing HG rave about this in emails and I was very suspicious until one day I was out of milk and my spontaneous shopper alter ego showed up. I. will. never. go. back. to. milk. I don’t drink milk, so I rarely use it, but this stuff adds a little vanilla sweetness to cereal and coffee. How does that not sound good? And it’s healthy! All natural, 50% more Calcium than milk and only 40 calories a cup. OH and it lasts way longer than milk! I’m a huge fan, if you can’t tell.

Phytoclear moisturizer — I got this moisturizer in Dallas and I don’t know how I’m ever going to use anything else. It’s literally one of those “keep for life” products. The moisturizer is lightweight and sinks right into your skin so you don’t have to wait a while before putting on your make up. It even smells great!

Spray Tans — This has been my latest addiction (yes, it is definitely an addiction and no, I do NOT look like Snooki.) I was very skeptical of spray tans at first, but it was almost spring and all I wanted was to be tan. So to keep me out of the tanning bed I decided to try a spray tan. To be safe I went to a spa and had it done by a professional spray tanner, rather than a machine at a tanning bed place. Though it’s kind of pricey, it looks wonderful and you don’t have to risk your health tanning!

Essie, 5th Avenue — I know I blogged about coral nail polish as a spring must-have, but now that I’ve actually worn it I’m way more on board. I’ve always been a dark or neutral colored nail polish gal, but this is busting me out of my rut. It took me a few days to get use to, but now I absolutely love the burst of color! I always recommend Essie nail polish, and this color is a great coral.

Editor’s Note: I apologize for the salesperson who wrote this blog. I have not been endorsed by any company. These are my real feelings about these products. 

Posted by  |  April 15, 2011 | Categories: Beauty, Health, Recipes | 3 Comments

Wednesday was:

A disheartening wake-up call  (My dog of 15 years died)

Much-needed cry + lay in bed time

Strengthening my salesperson/pushiness skills

Sweating, on street corners

Feeling the love of friends

Bubble bath + Bon Iver + Vogue + Red wine

Hump day — a reminder that tomorrow will be a brighter day

Posted by  |  April 13, 2011 | Categories: Life | 2 Comments

{words to live by}

Posted by  |  April 11, 2011 | Categories: Happiness, Inspiration | 2 Comments

Spring Fashion Must-Haves

With the beautiful weather we’ve been having all I can think about is spring fashion. These are a few of the things currently on my wish list.

 

{I love white pants, and this white suit is stunning for the spring}

{I found this image and couldn’t resist. Yes, men can pull off white jeans and this is exactly how. Absolutely ADORE this look}

{I’ve been wanting a biker jacket all winter and never got one. This is a beautifully updated version for spring from J. Crew}

{As is this one from Rag & Bone, except, minus the pants. Don’t you just love the zebra detailed lining?}

{I’ve never been a huge fan of maxi dresses, but this one from Cavalli is fabulous. I’m hoping to find one similar for my Aruba honeymoon!}

{Nail polish of the season? Coral. Thank you Tay for demonstrating it so elegantly}

{Must have shoes: neutral wedges. These from Aldo will go with anything and everything}

{As much as I try, I’m not one for wearing bright colors. Thus, for spring it’s time for bold accessories like this eccentric Balenciaga watch}

Posted by  |  April 7, 2011 | Categories: Fashion, Spring | 2 Comments

Happy Friday

It’s been a long, cold, rainy, depressing week.

And then came along Friday (I’m refraining from singing the song here, you’re welcome.) The sun’s out, the windows are rolled down and everyone remembers what spring feels like again.

For some of us, though the beautiful day beckons there is still so much work to be done and we’ll hold out until summer to really feel the warm release.

So for those of you stuck inside today, here’s some video entertainment. Hope you enjoy.

 

{Watch the whole thing, or at least get about halfway through to the rap part. Trust me, it’s worth it.}

Taylor Swift ft. T-Pain – Thug Story from Antoine Pham on Vimeo.

{Hopefully you’ve all seen this, but if you haven’t, it’s probably the No. 1 reason why Taylor Swift is my all-time favorite.}

{We saw Donald Glover, on the right, on campus last night and his stand-up was hilarious. He also did some of his rapping for us, which was awesome. To hear his raps, check out my story on the UATrav website.}

Also, check out my new quote of the week on the top right of the home page.

XOXO

Posted by  |  April 1, 2011 | Categories: Happiness, Music | 2 Comments

Today

Posted by  |  March 29, 2011 | Categories: Life | 1 Comment

Sunday Night Inspiration


Posted by  |  March 27, 2011 | Categories: Beauty, Fashion, Inspiration | Leave a comment

Note to Self

I reached a breaking point today.

I realized how much work I have ahead of me in the last month of school. I realized I’m almost done with school forever. No more summer breaks. No more month-long Christmas breaks. No more spring breaks. I’ll be in the real world with a real job. And then there’s just that, a job, which I don’t have. Terrifying.

I think I’m making myself physically sick.

So instead of more rambling about my stress that will only make me more stressed, I wanted to stop and focus on the wonderful things in my life right now, because somehow I keep forgetting about them. Even though I’m pretty sure I’ve blogged this exact same post before, I need reassurance and reminders over and over and over and this is my way to de-stress. And again as much as I want you to read this and get something out of it, this blog is really for me.

*

What I’m thankful for right now…

I have a roof over my head, food to eat and clean water to drink.

and if I didn’t have those things, I would have plenty of people to provide them for me.

I have people in my life who really care about me. I have someone I can call or text or drop by to see at any time — to complain to, to share good news with, to cry with, to laugh with, to simply be with.

As much as I forget it, not everyone has that.

I’m getting married in less than 70 days.

Though the rest of my future is uncertain, that’s the one thing I know I have, and goodness, that makes things so much easier.

I’m healthy.

Yes, I get headaches more often than I wish. And some days I feel nauseous or my stomach hurts or my feet hurt, but I don’t have to live with a disease that affects my life. I can do anything I want without even thinking about it.

I’m blessed financially.

I’m not living from one paycheck to another. I’m not worrying about how I’m going to feed myself. I’m not worrying about the bills getting paid on time.

*

The most important thing to remember about being blessed with all these things is how I use them.

Do I give back financially like I could? Do I complain too much about my aches and pains? Do I show how thankful I am to the people around me and tell them how much they mean to me? Do I groan at having to drink tap water when some people have no water?

Looking at everything I have and everyone I have in my life, my life seems almost perfect. Why complain about a silly old thesis when the death toll is rising in Japan and people can’t find their families or have nowhere to go with no food to eat?

Yes, we all know this already. But another reminder can never hurt.

 

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” -Luke 12:48

 

Posted by  |  March 25, 2011 | Categories: College, Faith, Family & Friends, Happiness | 1 Comment

A Word a Day Keeps the Teacher at Bay

It seems the past week or so my vocabulary has been expanding. I love learning new words, but only seem to remember them if I learn them some way other than mindless memory from a dictionary. I’ve tried several times to memorize Dictionary.com’s Word of the Day and it just doesn’t work out.

So, here are my new words to share with you, and hopefully you’ll remember them.

*

Trousseau (troo so): a woman’s possessions such as clothing, lingerie and linens that accompany her into marriage. The origin of Trousseau is taken from the French trousse, meaning a small bundle.

Threading: An ancient method of hair removal using cotton thread rolled over hairlines, plucking the hair at the follicle level. Unlike tweezing where a single hair is pulled out each time, threading can remove an entire row of hair, resulting in a straighter line. It is popular in Arabic culture, as well as Indian and Persian culture.

Bracketology: the process of predicting the field of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, named as such because it is commonly used to fill in tournament brackets for the postseason. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi is the inventor of the term “bracketology”, starting first as the owner and editor of the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook and ending up as the resident bracketologist on ESPN.

Onus: used to refer to something that is one’s duty or responsibility; a burden; an obligation

Biophilia: innate, instinctive love of nature.

Posted by  |  March 24, 2011 | Categories: College | Leave a comment

Life on Wisteria Lane

I’ve never been one to feel like I have to explain my decisions publicly, and despite what it looks like that’s not what this post is about.

Everyone has a way to relax after a long day, whether it be reading, watching movies, playing video games, etc. and ever since I’ve gotten Netflix mine has been watching tv shows by the season and my latest obsession is one that has gotten a lot of groans — Desperate Housewives.

Though on the surface DH is about neighborhood gossip and drama, I’ve actually learned quite a lot from this show. I spoke to this idea that tv can teach us things in my post about my Christmas break obsession Veronica Mars.

So, to all you Desperate Housewives naysayers out there, this post is for you.

1. It is very important to have a group of girlfriends you can trust.

2. You never know what happens behind closed doors.

3. If you want to test your marriage, open a restaurant.

4. Children need spankings.

5. Everyone has a secret they are willing to protect in some way or another.

6. A smile does not mean a person is happy.

7. If a husband and wife are committed to one another, there is never a fight they can’t overcome.

8. Always introduce yourself to your neighbors, baked goods in hand.

9. Stick by your significant other even if he or she is in a coma.

10. You never know what someone could be hiding in a basement.

11. Truly decide what it is that you want in life before you go after all of the wrong things.

12. Forgive and forget. Don’t let something major happens before you realize who is important in your life.

13. Always be bold and stick up for what you believe in. No matter what anyone else says.

14. Nobody’s perfect.

15. A plumber is never just a plumber and a pharmacist is never just a pharmacist.

 

Editor’s Note: I am only finished with the third season. No spoilers please.

Posted by  |  March 11, 2011 | Categories: Inspiration, Television | Tags: , | 4 Comments