Monday, January 31, 2011

Weekend recap

Last week was pretty horrible (if I’m being honest). The latter part was spent working 15 hour days and we got blasted with another 15 inches of snow. The weekend wasn’t much better. There were some issues for work that had to be addressed and I did what needed to be done. Let’s hope next weekend is better from that perspective.

Enough whining and onto the fun part of the weekend. I had to squeeze some in!


Reading Terminal Market

Saturday we did get to enjoy the afternoon. Geof and I took the train and headed down to the city. I wish I’d realized how convenient this was before and I never would have driven down only to deal with major traffic and sky high parking. Once we got to Philly, we headed straight for Reading Terminal Market. The place is amazing, but crowded. We walked around to smell the delicious food from the various eateries and see the sights. We settled on lunch at Beck’s Cajun Cafe and I was glad we did. It brought me right back to New Orleans with their Cajun style cuisine. They even serve beignets a few days a week. Geof and I both had a Train Wreck Po Boy and it was decadent. It had andouille sausage, steak and salami with cheese and onions. So bad for you, but tasted so good. As if that wasn’t enough, we then went to Flying Monkey for a sweet treat. Geof had a whoopie pie and I settled on an orange cremesicle cupcake.


Beck's


Train Wreck Po Boy


Flying Monkey


Orange Cremesicle Cupcake

You can find just about any kind of food you’re looking for at the market and even do your grocery shopping. They have a wide selection on fruits, veggies, meats and cheeses. They also have Amish specialties, a beer garden and a cool spice shop. It’s kind of like a farmers market on steroids. There are also a lot of cute little shops that sell jewelry and handcrafted items. If you ever visit Philly, the Reading Terminal Market is a must see.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

XOXO Valentine's Day craft idea

I’ve admired Jen and her blog, Tatertots & Jello for a long time. How she balances being a mom and an amazing crafter boggles my mind. She posted this adorable idea for Valentine’s Day last year and I knew I had to try it.



What you’ll need:
4 frames (I got mine at Dollar Tree)
2 Sheets of scrapbook paper
Floral marbles
E-6000 Glue (found at Michael’s)
Ruler



Directions:

Cut paper down to size to fit the frames (in my case, 4x6)

Found a cup the right size to trace my O’s and then found the middle of the paper and used a ruler to make my X’s.



Take the E-6000 Glue and put it on the X’s and O’s that you made. Immediately begin adding the marbles to the glue one by one until it’s all filled up. Leave it out overnight to dry.



Add completed X’s and O’s to the frames. The glass that comes with the frames I put behind the paper with the marbles on it. That way, it keeps everything together to use for other projects or for framing photos after Valentine’s Day.



Enjoy!

Monday, January 24, 2011

Weekend recap

Friday, I grabbed Geof from the airport after his business trip to Toronto. He was gone a few days and I was so happy for him to be home. We stayed in while I did some work and then watched Jersey Shore. Ronnie’s doppelganger cracked me up!

Saturday, we headed down to Philadelphia and went to The Bourse. We wanted to walk around the city since we found such great parking, but it was freezing cold so we went to The Piazza at Schmidts in Northern Liberties to try a new place for dinner, PYT. It’s a tasty new burger joint and we were looking forward to going there. The food was awesome, the service not so much. Hopefully we can go back and we’ll have better luck. Geof got their special Krispy Kreme burger, complete with chocolate covered bacon. Let’s just say that is something to enjoy once a year at most. I got their signature PYT burger and it was delish. They also had some great beer on tap. I tried the Ithaca Apricot Wheat. I’ll be on the lookout for this at our local beer place, because it hit the spot! The other positive was the music and atmosphere. It was nice to have dinner listening to some old school Prince and Michael Jackson. After dinner, we headed home and had a nice night in.


Us at PYT


PYT


Geof's Krispy Kreme Burger


Ithaca Apricot Wheat

Sunday, I got my mom and we went to Marshalls and T.J. Maxx. I really didn’t find anything, but it was nice to browse. Those places are always hit or miss. I came home, watched some football with Geof and made two pearl bracelets.


My pearl bracelets!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Dreaming…

Of anywhere but here



It is too cold and I’m in need of some sun and fun in my life. This little inspiration board I made will have to suffice until then.

Looking at this makes me smile.

What's making you smile today?

Images via weheartit

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Cheer for my Pom Pom Necklace {and tutorial}

I’ve admired many crafts and beautiful creations since I started blogging and always watched from afar thinking, I could never do that. This year I made a promise to myself to make at least 3 crafts and I surprised myself by making two in one weekend. Wow!

I saw this last week on Little Miss Momma’s blog and decided I was going to make it. Her instructions were so simple even for a newbie like me. This necklace completely reminds me of something I’d pay mucho dinero for at Anthropologie and I made it for about $10!



What you’ll need:
Cotton fabric remnant
1 Square Foot Felt
Chain/necklace
Glue gunFabric scissors



Directions:
Cut out 5 – 1 inch felt circles



Cut out bunches of fabric circles the same size as the felt circle. I used one of the 5 felt circles as a template and folded the fabric so that by cutting one circle, it would make 8 circles at time. This was a huge time savings.



Once you have your fabric circles, you’re ready to make the pom poms. Take one fabric circle at a time and scrunch it. The technique I used was grabbing it in the middle and making a cone shape so that each circle had a point. I used the hot glue gun to put a dot of glue on each point of the circle and then affixed it to the felt circle by pushing down and starting in the middle. Keep doing this until you like the overall shape and fluffiness of the circle and continue until you have all 5 felt circles completed.





Place pom poms on top of the remaining felt in the shape that you want your necklace in.
Glue down each pom pom with the exception of the top two and then glue the ends of the chain down to the remaining pom poms and then glue those down to the felt along with the others.





All pom poms will be attached to the felt at this point. Finally, trim the felt around the pom poms until you’re left with your beautiful necklace!



Let me know if you try this!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Weekend recap & Golden Globes Fashion

Friday, Geof and I had a quiet night in and got caught up on the DVR with some good old Jersey Shore. I also did a top to bottom cleaning of the house and Geof helped with laundry. We were so productive.

Saturday we had a ton of errands to run and got some grocery shopping done too. I made a quick trip to Michael’s and Jo-Ann Fabrics to get supplies for not one, but two craft projects. We came home and I got to crafting. I’ll have to share how they turned out later in the week.

Sunday we watched football on and off while I put the finishing touches on my projects. My mom came over in the evening and I made grilled cheese and tomato soup for everyone. We watched the globes and had a cozy night in.

As I do every year, here are my favorite fashion picks from the night. This year it was all about the black dress, ruffles and sparkle. I also noticed a lot of ladies rocking emerald green. Overall, I think there were more hits than misses. Here are my picks for best dressed:

Olivia Wilde

This was my favorite of the night. She sparkled in Marchesa. Her hair and makeup was also flawless.

Claire Danes

She looked simple and elegant in that Calvin Klein Collection gown. Her body is also incredible.

Carrie Underwood

Always at the top of my list for best dressed. Her Badgley Mischka gown was glistening and absolutely gorgeous.

Natalie Portman

She was glowing in Viktor & Rolf. The pink and red combination was pretty and I thought this was a perfect gown for her growing baby bump.

Eva Longoria

Pure Hollywood glamour. Eva looked fantastic in that black Zac Posen gown. From the cap sleeve to the sparkling brooch...fashion perfection.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

What’s your sign, babe?

Tonight on the news, I heard something a little surprising. All these years I thought I was a Cancer and according to new research, I may in fact be a Gemini. Several astronomers have stated that Earth is in a different position in relation to the Sun than it was 3,000 years ago when the study of astrology began and signs were assigned to different periods in the year. Scientists have known about these changes since 500 B.C. and the horoscope calendar never changed. I say if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.



I’m not super into psychic readings and what the stars have in store, but if you look at the characteristics for a Cancer, that is me. Emotional, trustworthy, loving, protective and moody at times. It might as well say “Jules” under the description. I couldn’t imagine switching signs and I don’t intend to. I thought it was interesting and worth sharing.

For fun, here is the new zodiac calendar:

Capricorn: Jan. 20 - Feb. 16
Aquarius: Feb. 16 - March 11
Pisces: March 11- April 18
Aries: April 18- May 13
Taurus: May 13- June 21
Gemini: June 21- July 20
Cancer: July 20- Aug. 10
Leo: Aug. 10- Sept. 16
Virgo: Sept. 16- Oct. 30
Libra: Oct. 30- Nov. 23
Scorpio: Nov. 23- Nov. 29
Ophiuchus: Nov. 29- Dec. 17
Sagittarius: Dec. 17- Jan. 20

What is your sign and do you relate to the characteristics under your sign?

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Wordless Wednesday - Snow Dogs







Stay warm, my friends!

Monday, January 10, 2011

Weekend recap

Friday, Geof and I went over to my cousins’ house for game night. My aunt & uncle were there and one of my other cousins came by later on. All games were ladies against the men. My cousin made some delicious margaritas and we got down to business with some Trivial Pursuit. We played the 80’s edition and then the regular edition. The ladies won the 80’s and the men the regular edition. Finally, we played a game called Rodeo Ball. It was a card/board game and pretty fun. I can’t wait to do it again!


Family game night!

Saturday, Geof and I met up with one of his co-workers and his girlfriend for dinner in West Chester at Mas. We went there once before and it is yummy. My Pink Cadillac margarita was tasty and we had an awesome queso as an appetizer that came out flaming (literally). Unfortunately I wasn’t a fan of my carne asada burrito. The meat was a little too fatty for my liking and tasted like roast beef. At least I know not to get that again. We had a really great night overall and it was nice to finally meet Geof’s friends.


Mas


Pink Cadillac Margarita


Queso


Us at dinner

Sunday was spent relaxing around the house. We watched the Eagles game, had dinner, watched Desperate Housewives, and called it an early night.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Best Drugstore Beauty Products

This year I’ve been more into makeup than ever before. For that reason, I thought I’d share some of my favorites that can be found right at your local drugstore that work just as well, if not better than higher end brands for a much lower price point.

NYC Individual Eyes Custom Compact in Bryant Park (for blue eyes)


I purchased this on a whim being that it was under $6 and I’d heard some positive reviews on it. Once I tried it out, I realized that I’d hit the eyeshadow jackpot. The colors are gorgeous, pigmented and it also comes with a primer and illuminator. The illuminator is great not just for eyes, but also to highlight cheekbones and use on Cupid’s bow. It’s also the perfect size for travel. They make these in different shades for different eye colors and the colors in this palette are very flattering for blue eyes. They definitely got it right.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick/Lipgloss


It’s no secret that I have a lipstick/gloss obsession and I’m very picky when it comes to this category. I’ve come to love Revlon’s lip products. They’re Super Lustrous Lipstick is creamy, doesn’t dry out my lips and they have a ton of shades to chose from. You can usually find these for about $5. My favorite shades are Luminous Pink and Silver City Pink. I usually wear it with a pinky nude lipgloss on top for the perfect color.

The Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss is another favorite of mine in the shade Peach Petal. It’s a peachy nude and it also has an SPF 15, which makes it very nice for spring and summer. You can usually find these under $7 and I find them very similar to higher end glosses like Chanel’s Glossimers that are over $20.



Revlon also makes another formula of lipstick called Revlon Colorburst and there is a shade called Soft Nude that’s great. It’s very similar to MAC’s Crème d’Nude for half the price.

Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse Foundation


This was another one I bought thinking nothing of it and has become my go to foundation. I don’t think I’ve used one from a drugstore since I was a teenager, but I find myself reaching for this more and more. It’s very creamy and almost melts into your skin. I wouldn’t recommend this for ladies with oily skin, but for normal to dry skin, it works really well. It provides decent coverage and evens out my complexion. For around $8, it is a beauty bargain.

NYC Blushable Crème Stick


Yes, another NYC Product, but this is just as good as the first. These crème sticks are no more that $4 and are comparable to the NARS Multiple that costs more than $30. The NYC sticks come in a variety of shades. Some can be used as a blush while others are better as a bronzer. I have this in the shade Pink Flash and it adds the perfect amount of natural looking flush to my cheeks. Another great shade is Plaza Pink. It’s a more toned down shade of Pink Flash and is a light peachy pink. They’re very easy to blend out with a blush brush and are my favorite drugstore find this year.

Milani Liquif'Eye Metallic Eye Liner Pencils


These pencils from Milani glide on like a dream are comparable to Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils. The Milani pencils are less than $7, while the Urban Decay pencils cost about $17. Because the Milani pencils are metallic, they’re not safe for use on the waterline, however, these are great for the upper lashline. I only wish they came in more shades.

Essence XXXL Lipgloss in Rising Star


The only place I’ve found these glosses is Ulta, but it’s worth the trip. They are only $1.99!! It deserves two exclamation points because they’re that unbelievable. Rising Star is a beautiful milky pink shade with a slight iridescence. It can be worn on its own or over lipstick. It has a pleasant scent that isn’t overpowering and they’re not at all sticky.

I hope some of these recommendations were helpful!

What are some of your favorites?

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Cleaning out my closet

Before I list everything on eBay, I wanted to offer it to my my blog friends first.

Shipping will be a flat rate of $5.
I will ship via USPS Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation.
I accept Paypal only.

Kate Spade Messenger Bag $55used only once or twice. This would be great for school, work or even a baby bag. Comes with the original dust bag. Measures 11.5”H x 14”W with an adjustable strap.


SOLD - Kate Spade Nylon Sam Purse $15 – used and has a small spot under the Kate Spade tag. Shows some signs of wear. Measures 5.5”H x 8”W Strap: 4”


Furla Leather Bow Handbag $75 – brand new from Neiman Marcus and still has the tag. Comes with the original dust bag. Measures 6.75”H x 12.5”W Strap: 10”




SOLD - Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Ring $20 – used with scratches on the bottom. It looks good on top. Size 8. Comes in original box with pouch and care card.


SOLD - Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Ring $20 – used with scratches on the bottom. It looks good on top. Size 8. Comes in original box with pouch and care card.




SOLD - Tiffany & Co. Donut Link Bracelet $40 – used and in great condition. 7.25 inches long. Comes in original box with pouch and care card.


SOLD - Burberry Brit Eau De Toilette $20 - brand new in box and sealed. 1 FL.OZ