Five on Friday...a Good Friday

one :: It's Good Friday! Which means Easter is Sunday! I love me some Easter. Good Family. Good food. Good God.

two :: I am working from home today! Waahhooo! It's such a nice treat to get to work in my PJs every once in awhile. Hopefully someday it will be more than once : )

three :: Spin Class! I have been pretty obsessed lately! I have always loved the class but it's so hard to get to after work. I don't get off the train until 6pm the earliest and some days class starts at 6pm. Lame sauce!

four :: This someecard speaks for itself. Enough said.

five :: It's hockey playoff season!!!!!! My favorite boys NY Rangers are in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and I could not be more excited. We won YES WE our first game last night and we were on fire! Crossing my fingers, toes and nose hairs we stay hot!!

Happy Easter Weekend!!! Sending you lots of love and chocolate bunny ears!!

Be The Change

A few weeks ago I was waiting in the train station in Hoboken, NJ on my way home from work late one night. If you have ever been to any of the train stations in the a big city, you will sadly know it is not the happiest place to frequent after nightfall. The strain on our country's economy is more than evident at the train stations as they are the home to too many less fortunate people in the area. In no way does this justify the situation, but living near New York City all of my life I have become pretty accustomed to seeing people sleeping on benches, in train stations and on subway platforms. No matter how often I see it though, it doesn't make the goosebumps lessen or the chills disappear. I truly wish I could help each and every person in need that I see, but that is just not a realistic option.

 

As I am sitting there trying to warm up from the cold walk out of the subway, a gentleman walks in with a car FULL of water bottles, containers filled with take-out food and sandwiches. It was definitely not the first time this man had showed up to take care of the less fortunate people in the station, because as I look up from my phone I hear the mumbles "The food guy is here! The food guy came back tonight!" Heartbroken...doesn't even begin to describe my feeling at this moment. As I look around the station I see everyone start to stand up and walk to the back stairwell and line up in a perfectly formalized line. No yelling, no pushing just patience as they waited their turn. Others who never realized were awoken by this man and others in the station so they were not left out on their first meal in who knows how long.

 

Amazing. Truly amazing. Before the items were distributed, they prayed to God and thanked him for the meals before them and to guide them in their struggles. Again, amazing. They all took their food and water back to their designated areas of the station and sat quietly like nothing ever happened.

 

I was in awe. In awe that this man makes this is routine to help. In awe that these people, as hungry and tired as they were, had more patience than anyone I work with, travel with on the train or see on their streets during a normal day. I was in awe of the kindness shown not only by the man bringing food, but the people receiving it. I have spoke about kindness before on this blog of mine and I stick to my guns that people need to more kindness in their lives. It was a moment like this that reminded me that there are still good people out there amongst all the chaos and cruelty.

 

 

 

 

 

Be the change. Show kindness no matter how small the act may be. Doing something, anything for someone you know or don't know. You never know when you will be making someones day a 100 times better.

 

 

 

 



 

Love It or Hate It: Chapter 2

When I used to have my long hair, it was sort of a pain to constantly straighten it. When I straighten my hair I am an obsessive perfectionist. So perfectly straight long hair, in the summer was a no go. It was time consuming and stressful! I had thought of getting a curling iron for the longest time, but if you have been here for awhile you will know that I'm not one for spending hours getting ready, especially for work or running errands. I decided to take the plunge and buy a cheap but decent curling iron from Harmon. It took me a while to get the hang of the dang thing, but most days the curls were just bleh and would never hold long. By the end of the day my hair was straight and you would never guess for a second I had spent time curling it that morning. There is nothing I hate more than waking up early to get dolled up...except when it doesn't even look like I put any effort in. Hate that more! I would have good days, bad days and then days I said screw this! I used to be able to curl my hair with a straightener and have NO problem! But a dang curling iron won't hold. WASTE!

 

 

Then I kept hearing about the curling wand! I refused to give in because of my failed curling iron experience. Long story short..I gave in! But thank goodness I did! I heard about the NuMe Curling Products a few times and I heard nothing but great things. They are a little pricey and that totally turned me off. Don't let it!! They are always having crazy sales and there are so many coupons out there on the internet. Plus after I bought mine I saw a few bloggers with special discount codes on their blogs for RIDICULOUS discounts. Like almost 75% off!!

 

It took me a few tries to master the curling wand, a lot of burns and a few f-bombs but I love it!! First of all, it takes about 39.87 seconds to heat up - perfect time saver! Once you get the hang of how you want it styled and how big or small you want the curls you just jump right into it. Holding the hair around the wand takes about another 22.28 seconds and release. The curl looks amazing and once my whole head is done I shake it out and that's it! 

 

I used to have to hair spray every piece before I curled it with the curling iron and then spray my whole head after and then put my fingers through it and spray it again. I use about a half a spritz of hairspray using the curling wand and nothing more. It takes me about 15 minutes to do my whole head before work and that's the same amount of time it took me with straightening. Easy peasy! And the best part is that my curls stay for days! Some days I need to do a quick touch up around my face but it lasts. Makes my mornings so much easier, plus when your hair is curly, messy makes it better and I don't have to be a perfectionist anymore!

I bought the NuMe Magic Wand and like I said, I love it. I didn't have to spend $169 so keep your eyes out for sales and coupons! It is totally worth it! I wish I could have gotten the Lustrum or the Tri-fect because of the variety of different sizes but I am more than happy with my wand.

If you are contemplating getting a wand or an iron, go with the wand! It is worth the learning time and the curls are timeless!

 

 

 

Liebster Award!

Last week, I'm a little behind..just go with it the sweetest blogger Leslie at Marin Manifesto had send me an email that she had nominated me for the Liebster Award! Too sweet she is! Now, for those of you that don't know what this is don't you fret! I hadn't a clue either. It's pretty simple you see ... it's an award that is given to newer bloggers that you absolutely love and want everyone else to love too! Sweet right?

Rules are easy, and I love me some easy!

1. Acknowledge your nominating blogger. I know I bragged about Leslie! She is amazing, her blog is amazing and she is the sweetest little Texan ever! Stalk her out!!
2. Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger has listed for you.
3. List 11 random facts about yourself. 
4. Nominate up to 11 small blogs {fewer than 200 followers} that you follow and believe in promoting.
5. Post 11 questions for the bloggers you've nominated. 

Let's get it! These are my answers to Leslie's questions for me!

  1. Why did you start your blog?

I started my blog because I wanted to keep a journal of the days, the months the years. I wanted to have some place where I could look back and see where I had been, the adventures I took and even thr struggles that knocked me down and I overcame!

2. What is the most rewarding aspect of blogging? the most challenging?

The most rewarding aspect of blogging is meeting such wonderful ladies. (Corney I know) But it's true. Living and working in New York is rough and people around here aren't always the nicest people but meeting blog friends has really showed me that outside of this crazy city there are so many wonderful, non-judgemental people in the world and I am so lucky to have met them through blogging. The most challenging, would be that I get down on myself when I don't post consistantly. Some days just get the best of me and I am always super busy, so when I realize it's been days since I have posted anything I think to myself stop making excuses and just post!

3. Of all the blog posts you've written, which is your ultimate favorite and why?

My favorite blog posts would have to be my recipies! I LOVE to cook and I cook all the time! I love getting to share things I am making with everyone, and I love when I receive feedback from anyone who has pointers or tricks to that recipe. I really need to start posting more of them again!

4. What is your "must have" beauty/hair product?
Must have beauty product is facewash! I know, not your typical response but I hate when my face feels dirty or greasy! Wouldn't be able to live without facewash! My favorite, Mary Kay Time-Wise Cleanser. Found here.

5. What is the best gift you've ever been given?
The best gift I have ever been given was my college graduation present from the rents. When I was in high school getting my permit my dad promised me that if I accepted a "decent" car in high school which cost them nothing but insurance that when I graduated college I could have any car I wanted. He kept his promise!

6. What is the highest priority on your bucket list?
Yesh this is a tough one! I sort of combined my bucket list and my 30 before 30 to make it a little more challenging to complete I'm behind schedule but I guess at the moment my the most important thing to be is being the healthiest I've been in my life. But to make it more fun, traveling to all 50 states is a close number one.

7. Who is your style icon?
I don't really have a true style icon, but if I had to choose one person it would be Jessica Alba. Is she even a style icon in fashion?? I just know she always looks great and she can pull off any style out there. I wish I could pull off every style like that girl. Plus after two kids...mama looks fabulous!

8. What is your guilty pleasure?
Online shopping! I know it is terrible, but if I didn't have a full time job and a bunch of other things going on in the rest of my spare time I could spend my entire day online shopping. It's pretty bad. At my old job we had a lot of down time, and let's just say my bank account was pretty down alright!

9. What is the best advice you ever received?
"This too shall pass" I like to think of myself as a very "go with the flow" type of person, most of the time but with some things I stress and I stress HARD. Everyone has their struggles and one thing my mom always tells me when times get touch and I am stressing myself to death, This too shall pass. And it always does.

10. If all jobs paid the same and you had the education/skills to do ANYTHING you wanted, What would you do for a living?
I would love to own a restaurant. Ever since I could remember I always wanted to have a place where people could come and enjoy good food and have a great time! I may the the Italian in me but I love Sunday dinners and I love to entertain. I know it's a lot of work but I have always wanted one! One day!

11. Which U.S. city is your favorite to visit? 
Nashville!!! Gaahh!!! It was at the top of my list of places to visit and last year, 4th of July weekend, the boy surprised me with a trip to Nashville for the weekend. It had to have been one of the best weekends in my life, and if I hadn't started a new job 2 weeks before we went, I am 100% sure I would have looked for jobs there and moved my life out of NY and into Nashville!!

11 Random Facts about this crazy lady!

1. I have a magic power. When I am going out to party for a special occasion I will never get as drunk as I expect myself to. But grabbing a quick drink for happy hour almost always turns into a late drunk night in the city, unexpected of course. Never fails...like magic!
2. I have lived in the same house my entire 25.5 years of existence. 
3. I am such a travel nerd. When it comes to planning a trip someplace I love looking up every possible place to visit, secret restaurant whatever it is, I'm on it!
4. I secretly want about 10 tattoos..for now. 
5. I refuse to get any tattoos until after my wedding. 
6. I LOVE hearing people's stories. I could sit and listen to someone talk about their life and where they have been for days and days. 
7. I would love to be a teacher, but I hate public speaking, and children are the biggest critics. 
8. I only like chocolate with strawberries or covering almonds. 
9. I used to be able to rap every single Lil Wayne song in college. Skills. 
10. I never fell into the belly button piercing faze. 
11. I have see Wicked on Broadway 3 times, going on 4! 

Next up...my questions for my lovely nominees! 

1. How would you describe your blog using 5 words or less? 
2. What is your favorite blogging topic?
3. If you could live anywhere is the world, where would it be?
4. Where do you see yourself in 3 years? 
5. What is your favorite thing to cook? 
6. If you could date one celebrity who would it be? 
7. If you could be any animal which would you be and why?
8. What is your favorite blog you can't go without reading?
9. If you one a million dollars what is the first thing you would buy?
10. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? 
11. What is one item in your closet that you can't live without? 

And finally....my nominees for this fabulous award!

Jessica @ 5 Hearts One Family
Krista @ Classy, Sassy, Mrs. 
Jenn @ Live in the Sunshine
Jessica @ Twin Giraffe Antique
Kayla @ Mississippi Mrs.

Go check out the fabulous blog ladies!! And THANK YOU THANK YOU to Leslie for nominating BSRB for the Liebster Award!! 


 

Five on Friday!

Happy Friday!! Of course I have to start it off with a wonder 5 on Friday count!

 

 

 

one :: First I need to give an amazingly deserved shout out to my bloggy friend Leslie! She so kindly nominated me for the Liebster Award! If you don't know what that is you can read all about on my blog Monday!! Thank you again sweet friend!
 

 

two :: I am excited to be heading out to the Hamptons this weekend for another fabulous bachelorette party! To sum this trip up in one word...WINERIES. Oh yes! We will be off galavanting in through grape trees drinking lots-o-wine and being chauferred to the next one via limo driver. I can't wait! I haven't really been drinking...a lot...as much as I usually do so I am excited to get a little wine wasted with some of my favorite ladies.

 

 



three :: I have been working on some serious vacation planning this week. I had originally wanted to travel out of the country this year, but unfortunately that isn't going to be happening. BUT I am starting to line up some trips in the States which is something I also have been planning to do. Visit all 50 states...we are definately working on it!

 

four :: Speaking of vacations, can someone please explain to me how it is already APRIL 11!! What the heck is going on here in 2014! This year seems to be flying past me and I can't seem to get a grip on it. Slow down life...for reals!

 

five :: As part of my new years resolutions and a part of this fabulous list, I have been working on a better ME. While doing that I have been working out in the gym consistantly and working on eating healthier. And as the new workout fad goes these days, I'm working on making it a lifestyle not a diet. Well, I have been working pretty darn hard and results are not appearing as quickly as I'd like to see them, but I have started a new journey this week that I am hoping will give me the extra motivation I need. I hope it is a positive experience, this way I won't be too upset and will want to share it with you! Prayers needed!  

 

 

And, because you wouldn't be able to start your weekend without this shaggy face...your welcome!

 





DIY: Gel Polish Manicure

I am your typical girly girl and I LOVE being pampered. Who doesn't? However I have a love/hate relationship with getting my nails done. I love the whole being pampered part, the massage when your drying, the moisturizing of the hands, clean cuticles. I love it all. Except for the price ... and the time it takes to sit in that chair ... and the price. Don't get me wrong it cost me $25 + tip for a shellac gel manicure. I thought this was great deal! Nail salons around me were way more expensive than that so I thought this was great. On top of that they lasted me THREE WEEKS! I didn't have to worry about chipping, which is important since I type on a computer all day and normal polish would only last a few days before chipping. So 3 weeks, $25 and a clean salon that I loved the woman who did them. I was on top of the pampered nails world.

Then my world kind of crashed for a moment when Emily posted about her DIY Gel Manicure and I was in awe! Complete awe at how easy she made it look at how inexpensive the material were. My biggest issue with doing my own nails from home was the waiting for it to try part. No matter how long I waited and didn't touch a thing, I still managed to always scratch or smudge at least one nail. That is also the reason I fell in love with the shellac gel. It drys in like 90 seconds and  you are done! Walk out touching everything like a kid in a toy store! Anyway, so right before Christmas my brother had asked me what I wanted and for once in my life I knew exactly what to ask for!

So I received a whole entire nail kit for Christmas. I had never been more excited to do my own nails! When he ordered the kit I, obviously, helped him find exactly what to purchase and I got to pick a few colors to get me started. I didn't want too many colors, in case I hated the way I did them. It took me about 3 times to get it PERFECT and I must say I am quite proud of myself and happy with the result. Here is my little DIY tutorial for a Gel Polish Manicure! P.S. Did I mention I will be saving about $700 by doing my own nails! Take that in for a moment :)

Step One:

If you already have on a gel polish you need to remove it! First, lightly file the tops of your nail so the color is now roughed up. Then soak in nail polish remover. I used this one here.

Step Two:

While nails are soaking, scrap off polish with finger nails as it becomes soft. This should be very easy. If the polish is not scraping off easily then you need to soak longer.

Step Three:

Once polish is removed, cut and file nails to desired length. I like my a little shorter. Also, file the entire nail bed. This will help remove and excess polish that didn't scrape off (clear is always left behind) and helps to smooth out the surface of the nail. I use a rough file that I picked up at Harmon for like $1. After filing your nails should look like this.

At this point, you want to keep the nails as clean as possible. If any oils get on the nails, the polish will not sit as nicely so try not to touch anything with that hand starting.. now!

Step Four:

Next, I apply the pH Bond which comes in your nail kit here.  This will dehydrate the nail of any remaining oils or moisture. You want the nail as clean and dry as possible. This dries instantly and you won't even realize you put any on - but you must!

Step Five:

Apply Foundation coat. Here you need to be very careful. Don't apply too much, but don't apply too little. Also make sure you do not allow any clear to run into the cuticle because that will cause the polish to peel off easily, and we want these babies to stay for 3 weeks! Once you apply one coat you can stick in the UV nail dryer for 90 seconds.

Step Six:

After the light turns off you are ready for your first coat of color! Apply the same way you did the foundation - carefully and with a thin layer. Hint: more thin layers is better than one thick layer. Let it sit under the light and repeat for a second coat. You should only need two coats. Then bake!

Step Seven:

Once you apply two coats of your color, apply the Top coat. Here you don't need to be as careful. I wouldn't just glob on the clear top coat, but you can put a generous amount just watch the cuticles! The you can stick in the UV nail dryer again. I usually do the top coat a little longer, like 240 seconds just to be sure it dries.

Step Eight:

Now everything is nice and dry we need to brighten up those cuticles! I use the 'Nourish' and brush it around my cuticles on each nail. Then, I take a small piece of a paper towel with a little nail polish remover and quickly rub the oil off the tops of my nails. Wash your hands with soap and water and smile a big smile at your new found talent! 

 

And that's pretty much all there is to it! It actually seems like a lot now that I am typing it all out here, but if you really give it a try it doesn't take much time at all. Instead of sitting in the salon for an hour or more, I can get this finished in about 30 minutes..even on a Friday before I go out for the night!! If anyone has any questions please let me know! Or if you have any tips or tricks I'm all about that too!!  

 

However, this little lady thinks doing your nails is a tiring job...don't you agree?







Love It or Hate It: Chapter 1

One of my favorite things to purchase is perfume! Very, very rarely do I but the same perfume more than once -  I have only done it with 2 other perfumes. To me, certain perfumes remind me of certain moments in my life, certain memories and as I run out of one bottle and go looking for the next, I always try to get something new for the new chapter in my life I'm about to begin. My last bottle I had bought a little before Christmas and finished it about a week ago. So off to the mall I go to find something new. Some sort of Spring, clean, fresh smelling scent that I can wear hopefully into summer.

 

Now, let me just tell you how much I really love having a new perfume, but hate shopping for them. First of all, smelling 20 different types of perfume, more often than not, gives me a bloddy nose. On top of the intesnse perfume section of the store, for some reason my nose just gets sick after awhile and just quits on me. So I have to move fast! Plus, I can never make up my mind which one I like the best. It always comes down to 2 and I just never know which one I will enjoy more. This doesn't work well with the nose sitch.

 

So I went into the store with the idea I wanted something fresh and Spring like. I also decided I was going to get something that I normally would never wear. Also with my new chapter theme, it just seemed like a good idea to step outside of my normal smelling box and do something crazy! I chose the Michael Kors Original.

 

 

So do I love it or hate it?! LOVE!! This perfume is very floral-ish which is not me at all but it smells so much like Spring and it smells clean! Exactly what I was looking for. You can find it here.

 



Poshmark

Let's be honest here...as much as we hate to admit or at least I hate to admit we probably have way too much clothing! I have WAY too much clothing but for some reason I can never find anything to wear....ever. I have donated bags and bags over the years and some of it still has tags on it! I know it's sickening to think that I just threw money into a bag like it was nothing. I also used to sell clothing in consignment shops around where I live, but a lot of them have closed down. My guess is because we have 6 malls within 20 minutes of my house! SIX! And that's not counting little shopping centers with stores in them. That's just 6 big ol' malls filled with plenty of stores! -- Understanding the shopping addiction now?!

So since I was having trouble selling my good condition clothing, I would just throw them in a bad and donate. Until, my cousin introduced me to Poshmark. If you haven't heard of Poshmark it is an app on your phone that you can download for free and then sell your clothes or buy new stuff at crazy discounted prices! You just use the app to take pictures of the items you want to post give them a price, a name brand if necessary and that's it!! It's actually very easy and very fun! As I cleaned out part of my closet, I would take something out, hang it up outside the closet, take a quick pic and voila! You just created your virtual closet. After that I just folded it up in a nice pile in a basket at the bottom of my closet for easy access if anyone wants to purchase anything. It is so much fun getting invited to "parties" and seeing all the things you can find on there.

      

I highly recommend checking out Poshmark! If you do, check out My Closet here. I plan on adding a lot more things in there so check it out! And if you do join follow me so I can follow you back and check out your closet!!