Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Obsessed: Gold Sparkles

I have always been one to wear sterling silver jewelry. The thought of yellow gold never crossed my mind, and any jewelry that I received that was not silver, I handed straight to my Mama. Recently, yellow gold (and more importantly, sparkles) has caught my eye. I received a gold monogram necklace for Christmas, and haven't taken it off since.

It seems as though every store I walk into has something with gold accents in it. Kate Spade is full, so is C. Wonder, and J. Crew! I have already picked up this adorable gold & white chevron iPhone case at Target, but these are the other items currently on my gold sparkly wishlist!




What gold sparkly things are you obsessed with!?

Monday, January 27, 2014

The Bachelor Bracket.



Another Monday, another exciting night watching Juan Pablo awkwardly make-out with weird girls and then cook them breakfast (I'm still not understanding why I don't find him in my kitchen cooking me breakfast...)


So by week 4, I definitely have my favorites already. There aren't too many people that I dislike (although, previews for this episode make me believe that may change). The only woman who he needs to get rid of is Sharleen. Do we even ned to go into their kiss last week? My stomach is still churning from watching it.

The front runners for me?

I have a major girl crush on Nikki. She seems like the type to stay out of the drama, and keep her nose clean. She also really reminds me of the former Bachelorette, Ali.

Anyone else picture Renee jumping right in and assuming the Momma role for Camilla? Maybe it's the fact that she has a son of her own, but she just seems so darn REAL. 

I still don't feel as though I know every single girl, so my bracket is filled out haphazardly, butttttttttt...


Want to get in on the action!? 
First, Click here to download your very own Bachelor Bracket!
Follow your hosts;

                                          Bloglovin'                                         Bloglovin'

Post your bracket BEFORE 8pm tonight! Be sure to link back to Jacky or myself to share your predictions! 


Thursday, January 23, 2014

26 in 26.

I hate New Year's Resolutions, but I do love lists.
I had made a list of 25 things that I wanted to complete in my 25th year, and wanted to create a whole new list in honor of my 26th birthday.


Pay it forward.
Read 26 books.
Go to a concert.
Leave a 100% tip.
Donate to a charity.
See 12 new movies.
Visit my alma mater.
Travel to a new state.
Visit Popop in Florida.
Visit an amusement park.
Complete a half marathon.
Redesign/rebrand my blog.
Set a budget, and stick to it.
Visit my best friends in DC.
Take a girls' weekend road trip.
Move out of my parents' house.
Send little brother a care package.
Take a 24 hour social media detox.
De-clutter my bedroom and bathroom.
Bring in surprise treats for my co-workers.
Watch the sunrise and sunset in the same day.
Try 26 new recipes (and share them with you!).
Learn to give myself a decent at-home manicure.
Start and finish a television series in one weekend.
Visit little brother at his school for a siblings weekend.
Take a photography class (or other creative class) just for fun.

What do you want to complete before your next birthday!?

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

#leatherandlacepartyoftwo

My birthday celebrations tend to be low-key. This year, Mom and I are celebrating with our trip to Florida this week, I did get the opportunity to spend a weekend in December with my best friend. Our birthdays are 3 weeks apart, and since she moved back to VA, we knew that we needed to do something big. We planned a super fabulous special weekend in NYC, and it was perfect.

After working a ridiculous shift on Friday, I flew home to start my weekend. We headed to pick up our latest foster dog, Maddie (who has already been adopted!!!).


We freshened up, and headed out with my Mama for margaritas at a local Mexican restaurant. It was so nice to spend some time with two of my favorite ladies, drink some amazing margaritas, and share table-made guacamole. Maybe a few too many margaritas had been consumed, because after dinner, there may have been a little bit of playtime in a manger.



Clearly we were in bed early, and up ready to start our celebrations on Saturday. We spent the morning running errands, and searching for the perfect pair of heels for my dress (would you believe that until Saturday morning, I did not own a single pair of heels? Yeah, I know)! I lucked out with a $17 pair of nude Tahari heels. They were perfect.

Anyway...
We booked hair appointments at drybar, packed our bags, and headed into the city.


We stayed at Park South Hotel on 28th between Park and Lex. It was located on the same block as the 6 train, so it was more than convenient. We had booked a King room, but were immediately upgraded to a Junior King Suite upon check-in. What a great way to kick off the evening! After picking up some sustenance and coffee, we headed down to Union Square for our drybar appointments. I hate blow-drying my hair, so this place was right up my alley. I looked through the "menu" and decided on the "Mai Tai." About 45 minutes later, my hair was perfectly beachy and I was so excited to begin the rest of our night!


We left drybar and kept pushing back our dinner reservations because we were just having too much fun playing around, enjoying our hotel room, and getting all pretty. We got all dolled up and grabbed a cab uptown (to some restaurant that I honestly cannot even remember the name of...). The food was delicious, but I still just keep thinking of the awkward couples that were dining close enough to us that we could listen to every.single.word that they said.


When we finished dinner, we headed back downtown for drinks at Beauty and Essex. This place had an amazing atmosphere, and the drink menu was something out of the ordinary! Next time we have a weekend in the city, we will definitely be making it a priority to get dinner reservations there. I have absolutely zero pictures from the rest of the weekend, because all of them were taken on SnapChat and are sadly gone forever. I wish that someone had screenshotted half of what I sent them, because they were absurd. After Beauty and Essex we headed to a bar that I can only describe as a Bulgarian club with the weirdest decor ever. Naked women all over the walls, and I mean pictures and sculptures.

On our way back to the hotel, we made friends with some random guys and shared a bag of goldfish. Our hotel happened to be right next to McDonalds (convenient, right?). The night ended with happy meals in our king sized bed watching reruns of TV. I don't know if I was more proud of myself for making it back to the hotel with all of my belongings, or for staying up until 4am. Either way, the night was a blast.

It was only fitting that on Sunday morning when we woke up it was pouring down rain. After trekking too many blocks to a bagel shop, we were soaking wet, a little hungover, and ready for a nap. I made it the whole way back to Grand Central and fell asleep on the train ride home. Sunday was certainly a day of recovery, and just another reminder that I am not, in fact, still in college.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Happy Birthday to Me!


Even though I might be freaking out that I turn 26 today, I just love everything about birthdays. Even moreso than the new year, I think of birthdays as a fresh start. New goals, new outlook, etc.

I've already celebrated my birthday for the entire month (well, actually since the 27th of December...), but the celebrations will continue this weekend in Florida!

Here's to a day full of presents, sweet treats, and being the birthday girl!

Monday, January 20, 2014

1 Giveaway. 20 Bloggers. 30,000+ Follower Reach!


Are you ready for this? 
I don't think you are...


In honor of Keep Calm Blog On's First Blogiversary, I've gathered TWENTY of my favorite blogging ladies to host the giveaway of a lifetime. All blogs have to get their start somewhere and connecting with other bloggers is a great way to get some more exposure.  The winner of this giveaway will get ad space on the sidebar of all 20 blogs for the month of February! This means that your ad could reach a potential of 30,000 followers (including our blog and social media followers).  Oh. Hot. Damn. This is an awesome opportunity for a new blogger, small business or a blogger who wants to get some more exposure (really, what blogger doesn't??).  Be sure to enter the Rafflecopter below and visit all of the fabulous ladies participating in the giveaway!





a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Bachelor Bracket {linkup}

I'm going to start off by letting y'all know that we are nearing the end of my relationship with Blogger. 3rd post in a row that has not been published when scheduled. And I still can't reply to comments.

Anyway. Down to real business.

Today is Monday. While it has already kicked me in the ass, the one thing I have to look forward to is at 8pm tonight when Juan-uary commences for my favorite 2 hour block of the week! I can't wait for the most dramatic rose ceremony yet, naturally.

As of last week, we were left with 13 women vying for Juan Pablo's heart. I predict a whole lot of drama (obviously) the following lucky ladies receiving a rose;


Since Momma bear doesn't have a blog, here are her choices for the 13 lucky ladies continuing on the journey for love...


Who do y'all think will be getting a rose at tonight's ceremony!?
Be sure to link up with me and Jacky to share your bracket!