Friday, January 30, 2015

I Didn't Come Here To Make Friends....

This week Sean Lowe released his new book and I briefly considered downloading it to my Kindle...then I saw the price on Amazon and decided I would wait it out till the price drops a little bit.  In the section that shows what customers also bought was a book written by Bachelor's biggest villain....


I Didn't Come Here to Make Friends by Courtney Robertson was a tell-all, don't hold back book! When I watched Ben's season of the Bachelor I hated Courtney. I found her obnoxious and wanted her to get sent home every week and was very upset when she was the winner of the season. I decided to read this book to gain some behind the seasons info and learn what happens when the cameras turn off on the show. Courtney didn't disappoint!

Courtney shares in this book how even though she was responsible for the comments she made towards the other girls but she was made into a much bigger villain then she ever actually was. Courtney may have not gotten along with the other contestants and may have made some terrible decisions but it appears that the other girls were just as nasty- they just weren't caught on film. She also shares information about her relationship with Ben after the show ended- someone who should probably never be in a relationship. Ever.

I really enjoyed this book and finished it quickly. It was not very well written, but I was intrigued the whole time. I loved hearing the gossip and was excited to learn about what the Bachelor is truly like behind the scenes.

Do you watch The Bachelor?

This season I am loving the show so far. I was a little disappointed when Ashley I got sent home on Monday because she was crazy and definitely added some dramatic craziness each week! As for real contenders I am currently liking Jade, Whitney and Becca!

Who's your favorite so far?

Monday, January 26, 2015

American Sniper and An A+ Workout

I hope you are all having a great start to your week! We are expecting a huge snowstorm here in Rhode Island- so much so that my work has closed for tomorrow. I'm excited to have a quiet day around the house to read, relax and get a few things done because this past weekend was super busy.

On Friday night I had a basketball game for the dance team I coach followed by my work Christmas party! I had a great time hanging out with my co-workers in a setting other then the office. I love getting to know all the new people I work with, they are a fun bunch!

Saturday I ended up doing a killer workout with my friend Laura that really worked our legs!

Here's what we did:

15 Leg Presses
15 Situps on incline
15 Stepups onto bench (each leg)
15 squats with weight
15 lunges with weights (each leg)
15 calf raises on bench

We combined this with a few arm exercises and some cardio to have a spectacular workout! The next day we met up to attend a Pilates class which wasn't the best class I ever took-but my legs were still shaking from the previous day.

Sunday night I met up with Rachel and Ant to see a fantastic movie....



American Sniper is a movie I've wanted to see for some time now. I am a huge Bradley Cooper fan but went into the movie knowing very little about the plot line. I left completely fascinated and in awe of Chris Kyle's story. Chris was a hero and his love and dedication to his country were unmatched. I am so glad I went to see this movie and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to see a great movie!

There are a ton of great movies coming out in the next few months so I quickly jotted down a few I will be trying to see in theatre soon.


  • The Longest Ride (Nicholas Sparks anyone??)
  • 50 Shades of Grey (Oh yes, I will be there)
  • The Age of Adeline (I love Blake Lively-this looks so good!)
  • The Avengers (I'm anywhere Thor is!)
What movies are you excited to see?!

Have a great day everybody!


Thursday, January 22, 2015

Kitchen Reno!

When we first moved into our current home- everything was a complete disaster. It was a fixer-upper in practically every room. The kitchen was manageable but something that was placed on the "to update" list.

Here are some before...




Ugly cabinets, old appliances and laminate countertops- all things that needed to be updated.

Over the course of December appliances arrived, cabinets were ripped out, and countertops were replaced. Heres the almost finished kitchen.












Even with the low-quality cell phone pictures I'm sure you can see a huge difference. Replacing the laminate countertops with granite made the whole room look clean and refreshed. The new stainless steel appliances look richer then the old white ones and the new cabinets are gorgeous. 

The floor still needs to be replaced which will happen in the spring-but it's looking great so far!

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

January Birchbox!

My January Birchbox came in super early! I've had it for over a week now- but I'm just now getting around to posting about it...



The theme for this months box is Let's Do This! That's how I feel about this year. This year I'm focusing on myself- making sure I get to the gym, stay healthy, and enjoying time with friends and family while also having enough downtime.



My favorite item in this months Birchbox is the Catherine Cosmetics Everyday Eyeliner. I was thrilled to receive a brown eyeliner and have been using it every day!


Here is a swatch of how dark this eyeliner is... I really like it so far!



This Key West Aloe Gentle Aloe Facial Cleanser is something I wouldn't normally try on my own which is why Birchbox is so fabulous- it allows me to try things I normally wouldn't!



Sweet Science Invisible Daily Tint I will be using instead of my typical foundation. It looks a little dark but I will have to test it out!


I'm interested to try this REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask. I have been playing with different masks lately and this is a new one to try out!


I love lotion and I have used Tocca lotions in the past and loved them! This one smells great and I'm excited to rotate it into my lotion line-up!

What samples did you receive this month?!

Monday, January 19, 2015

The Frames Are Filled!

For months the walls of my new bedroom have been empty... it was pretty depressing! Then one day I  decided to hang up some frames- but I hadn't filled them with pictures yet....even more depressing!

I finally placed an order for photo prints from Shutterfly and when I received them in the mail I managed to get my frames filled!


This three picture frame I decided to fill with photos of the beach.


Although the lighting in this photo is pretty bad you can see how serene this frame and pictures are. I love this!


I have two frames on my big wall, one is a bigger frame with a photo from my trip to France.


I love this picture!



My final frame holds four pictures which are filled with friends and family! I love having pictures of my loved ones around. It's nice to have reminders of good times!

What is on your bedroom walls?

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

A Little Nightstand Update

For Christmas I received this little blue vase from my parents. It is something I picked out at a local shop where artists can sell their products and I fell in love with the light blue color.


Since Christmas it has been sitting on my nightstand like this.


While in Walmart this weekend I picked some fake white carnations, trimmed them down and placed them inside!


I think this little vase and fake flowers is a nice change in decor for my nightstand and I'm really enjoying it! =)

Have you made any small decor changes that you are loving lately?

Monday, January 12, 2015

Winter Beauty and Fashion Haul

I have been doing a little bit of shopping this month- despite my budget. There were such great after-Christmas sales and I couldn't resist getting a few new items for my wardrobe and some new beauty products as well!


At Victoria's Secret I purchased two new bras that were on super sale. Then I decided to purchase my favorite scent from Victoria's Secret PINK Warm and Cozy. I used an entire spray a couple of years ago and knew that someday I would be repurchasing it and when I saw this small size I knew that even though I have more perfumes and body sprays then I could ever finish- I wanted this scent back in my life!


I picked up a few items at the Bath and Body Works semi-annual sale. I knew this was the perfect time to grab a few items I had been eyeing...at 75% off how could I not?!

I picked up a full size lotion in Vanilla Coconut as well as a full size body spray in the same scent. I also picked up two small body sprays in the scents Amber Blush and Oahu Coconut Sunset.
I also picked up a small Love shower gel and a medium sized candle in South Beach Sun.

I know I have an abundance of beauty products- but I can't wait to try these out!



I stopped quickly at CVS and grabbed two Burts Bees chapsticks, NYX Le Chik Flik mascara (to replace the one I just finished) and a Kardashian nail polish.


I've been dying to try out the Kardashian nail polish and makeup products since I saw them. So within a few hours my nails looked like this...



I have to say that I wasn't impressed. The formula wasn't great and it was a very watery nail polish. Once I managed to get my nails painted I had to clean them up which was frustrating. I do have to say that the nail polish stayed in place for a few days without chipping, but I don't think that it was truly worth it for the mess it made on my nails while painting them.



The two clothing items I picked up are a new workout shirt and a sweater. The workout shirt was something I've been eyeing for some time and when I saw this version in JCPenney's knew I needed it! I love the movie Beauty and the Beast so I am excited to wear this to the gym!

The sweater is a simple black open sweater in the front, but the back has a really cool design and will look awesome with different color tank tops underneath. Since clothes are a bit difficult to photograph when they are off the body- I will make sure I share pictures in the future when I'm wearing these items!

That's all I've picked up this month...

Have you done any shopping lately? Did you pick up any new beauty products or clothes?

Thursday, January 8, 2015

You Curl 400*F Tourmaline Ceramic Wand

I have a confession...I find doing my hair pretty enjoyable. I love to straighten it, curl it, brush it, braid it- whatever! I have to be in the mood but when I am I love doing my hair. So for some time I've been considering getting a curling wand and when I saw one in Target last week I decided that for $29.99 I would pick up the Conair You Curl Ceramic Wand.

Photo: YOU Curl 400°F Tourmaline Ceramic™ Wand

This wand gets super hot and curls my hair beautifully. Instead of having a clamp on the end you physically curl your hair around the wand which keeps the ends from looking weird. I have been loving the way the wand starts off smaller on the end and gets bigger towards the base- it really makes your curls look natural. 

The You Curl wand also comes with a glove to wear so you don't burn your fingers while wrapping your hair around which works great! (Except for the one time I didn't use it and touched the wand with my finger...not smart!)





I think the curls look very natural and I'm absolutely loving my new purchase! I think it will motivate me to curl my hair more often since I straighten it most of the time.

Do you own a curling wand?

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

I Joined A Gym.....Pure Barre

So one of my New Years Resolutions was to create a balance of health and fitness. This is something I constantly struggle with. I have been a dancer all my life- taking and teaching dance classes for six plus hours six days a week. Since I've changed jobs and am now sitting in a chair eight hours every day- I have a tough time keeping myself in shape. So last night...I joined a gym.

I have never been a "gym member" I have always simply danced my heart out and never needed to workout regularly. I have done workout DVDs and taken a few Zumba classes- I have run on a regular basis and then on a not-so-regular basis but nothing has worked for me. I have a free membership with the gym at work so I thought maybe that would motivate me- it didn't.

I need classes- I need dance cardio. I need to motivate myself by committing myself to attending classes. So I joined and went to my first class last night- something I've been dying to try ever since Julie over at PB Fingers mentioned her love for it! Pure Barre.

I pictured plies, grande battemas and tendues at the barre. That wasn't quite what we did- but it was definitely a muscle workout.

We started with a warm-up that included quite a bit of arm work. We worked out our arms, legs, gluttes, and abs. I liked the concept of working the same section for an entire song; however each section of my body were quickly exhausted. We used weights to work our arms and a ball for numerous exercises- although I found the ball to be more irritating then anything else since I couldn't keep it where I wanted it to stay and it kept rolling away!

My favorite part of the class was when we actually went to the barre and worked on plies. It was the easiest part of class for me and I found it to be the most enjoyable- gotta love a good leg workout =)

I think I will try this class again the future- It was a very crowded class since it was the first night of it- but I think I will get a better idea of what the class is when there is more room at the barre. We spent most of the class time in the center on mats which I've heard is not typical so hopefully next time there will be more barre work!

I am planning on heading back to the gym a few more times this week and trying some different classes- I can't wait!

Have you ever tried Pure Barre? What do you think of it?

Monday, January 5, 2015

Project Life

I have struggled with the decision of what to do about my scrapbooking hobby for quite some time now. I have gone back and forth because while I absolutely love the creativity of scrapbooking- the time it takes is something I have not been enjoying. As of January 1st I was officially two years behind with my scrapbooking- 2013 and 2014- two years of scrapbooking to do. I also at some point would like to scrapbook everything from 2008 and earlier that I have in simple photo albums. I also would like to be caught up and scrapbook as I go.

Enter Project Life.

If you haven't heard of Project Life it's a simplified version of scrapbooking where you slip photos and memories into slots (scrapbooking when you have time) and easy to maintain. So I went out on New Years Day to Michaels and purchased my supplies.




I purchased a Project Life Starter kit...




A Project Life Album..


And of course Project Life scrapbooking pages.


I have started using them a little bit- but I will be sharing my Project Life journey as I get used to this new scrapbooking system and keep you updated on how I feel about it. So far, I like it and it takes significantly less time then traditional scrapbooking. I also plan on sharing some scrapbooking layouts and showing you how I am using the system!

Do you use Project Life?