Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Some of my Favorite Things: Products



I had completely given up on paining my own nails and was spending far too much money on manicures until, one day, a friend introduced me to Seche Vite fast dry top coat. That day changed my life {this is not an exaggeration}. This top coat completely dries your polish within minutes {this is also not an exaggeration} and keeps your manicure chip free and glossy for days. I honestly don't know what I would do without it. Don't let the price scare you either, it is a must-have!

Monday, January 9, 2012


Unless it's mad, passionate, extraordinary love, it's a waste of your time. There are too many mediocre things in life, love shouldn't be one of them.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Pizza and Arugula


David is an amazing cook and when we are not together I sometimes struggle being creative with what to make for dinner. One of my recent staples has been pizza and arugula.

I completely took the easy way out tonight and cooked a pre-made Trader Joe's Pizza but I do sometimes make my own, honest. I cooked the pizza and added arugula and parmesan cheese. Its really almost too easy.



And, if you know me, you know I love sauce. I basically plan my meals around sauce. Tonight called for a spicy ranch sauce. Ranch, hot sauce and lemon pepper. Perfection.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Some of my Favorite Things: For the Home


My friend and I found bowls like these on Pinterest the other day and both fell in love. Not only were they retailing for $85 each but they were sold out so we decided to try making them on our own. I would call it a success. These bowls were easy and cheap to make, they instantly became the perfect solution for my jewelry organization issues.


We purchased the white ceramic bowls at a Crate and Barrel outlet store for less than $5 each, they have plenty of shapes and sizes to choose from. We found gold liquid leaf from Michaels that worked great on the smooth surface. 


After taping off the desired amount from the top of the bowl, we simply painted the liquid leaf onto the remainder of the inside. Once the liquid leaf dried, we took off the tape and applied a sealer. It was that easy.


They now live here, on my dresser, filled with my favorite jewelry pieces of the moment. On a side note - while we were at the outlets I made an impromptu stop at Coach...20 minutes later I was out the door with a new bag and wallet for a deal that was too good to pass up {to be fair, I was most definitely in the market for a new bag, it had to be done}. 

Friday, January 6, 2012

This picture was taken today by my fiancé, David, during his road trip down the California coast.

"The trick is to enjoy life. Don't wish away your days waiting for better ones ahead."  -Marjorie Pay Hinckly

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Some of my Favorite Things: For the Home


My fiancé and I just recently made this candle centerpiece. I think candles are essential and always have at least one lit at night but this piece is special and something we will have in our home forever. The shells in it are a collection from different places we have been; Alaska, Seattle, Costa Rica and beaches from home in San Diego. Each one has a little piece of our history. 

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Missing You



I had to say "see you later" to my fiancé yesterday, after spending an amazing holiday together, and it never gets easier. I hate these times we must spend apart of which are becoming all too familiar, at least this time should only last a couple of weeks. I can't wait to be with you again, love. xo

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

New Year



I was so lucky to have been able to spend new years with my love. 

I have truly always loved the idea of setting resolutions for each new year yet, sadly, I have never actually done it. I have decided to change that this year...can I count this as already completing a resolution?! I think so. I like the idea of actually writing down your resolutions somewhere to look back on throughout the year, to visualize and maybe even add some new ones along the way as each year becomes influential in many unpredictable ways. So, here is my first attempt at documenting my new years resolutions. 2012 will, no doubt, be an amazing and exciting year for me in many ways.

2012 Resolutions

Document my New Years Resolutions

Save Money: Self explanatory and very necessary. 

Buy Only What I LOVE: Some may think that this should be a sub-category of "Save Money" but, you see, this is a problem of its own. The excitement I get from a new item of clothing is abnormal and I, therefore, buy clothes just to simply have something new. While I have gotten much wiser throughout the years, my impulse to buy clothes without absolutely loving the item is much too strong. 

Be Thankful: I feel so blessed for many reasons and I hope to never live a moment of which takes these  many blessings for granted. I know at times I need to slow down and reflect {literally, in my head} on everything I have to be thankful for and all that I have to look forward to. I find myself doing this more each day and it simply makes me smile and creates a feeling of being so truly content with the moment, knowing I need nothing more. 

Expect Nothing, Live Frugally on Surprise: This is a quote that I found a few years ago and it has stuck with me throughout my minor obsession with inspirational quotations. To me, it is a simple, strong and clear message. This year, I aim to actually begin living this notion without thought. 

Be Productive: I am currently working on my masters degree of which will be completed in May and, while I am already a bit OCD when it comes to school, I feel that I could still manage my time in a more productive manner. This also includes less time stressing out about the little things and more time enjoying the journey of being a student again.

Be Healthy: I am a very active person but sometimes use that as an excuse to make some poor decisions with my food. While there are still some things I am not willing to compromise on {coffee creamer, a glass of wine at night and the occasional burger and fries :)} I know I need to improve in small ways. Lunch is a must this year, no skipping meals! I will also work on having small, healthy snacks on hand throughout the day. 

Be Creative: This blog will step in as one of my most important creative outlets this year. I hope to purchase a new camera so that I can take higher quality pictures of the many moments I wish to document on here. One post per day.