Review: Flower Nail'd It Nail Polish

I was super excited to try these polishes! I love Drew Barrymore, so of course I wanted to try these polishes! I have Gorgeous Gerbera and Thistle or That? and I love them both. They dry pretty quick and only really need one coat. I like to put two coats on, but like I said, you could get away with just one coat. The colors are very vibrant and pigmented. I definitely plan to get this entire collection at some point! You can pick these guys up at Walmart for $5! 

Gorgeous Gerbera

Thistle or That?

What do you think of the Flower Nail'd It Nail Polish?

Which color is your favorite? 

Things I Love: Spring Skirts

I'm obsessed with brightly colored skirts for spring! I love that skirts can be casual or you can dress them up for a romantic date night! All of the skirts I love would be perfect for Easter! 

Which skirt is your favorite?

What color are you loving for spring? 

Splurge and Save

For this splurge and save post, I wanted to give you a simple look that you could wear for Easter! Being that it's spring as well, I wanted to create a look that gave off a fresh vibe! The splurge look costs almost $1000. That is crazy! Granted these looks will work great for Easter, spring, and all summer, but that's just too much! The save look barely tops $100. Now that's much better! 

Splurge: Shorts - $160 Top - $625 Sandals - $198

Save: Shorts - $19 Top - $38 Sandals - $49

Would you splurge or save? 

Get Fit Tip: Surviving the Gym

The dreaded day has come, as I knew it was going to, when I had to join the gym. I have never been a fan of the gym. I feel that the people who I would see at the gym were judgmental, extremely fit, and attractive. When I go to the gym, I look a hot mess. But because of what I'm going through health wise, it was a mutual decision between my doctor and I that I join a gym. For this post, I wanted to share with you guys my tips on surviving the gym! 

What's your best tip for surviving the gym? 

Splurge and Save

With the temperature starting to warm up in down here in SoFla, I'm loving spring style skirts! You all know that mint/teal is my absolute favorite color, and then you add the lace, I'm sold. Just not sold on the splurge outfit. It's spring, it gets hot here, I don't want to spend $2,672 on an outfit that I will sweat in. Gross, I know. Such is life. The shirt in the save outfit is only $10, love it. If I'm going to wear a basic shirt, I don't want to spend much on it. Either way, I love both looks, but I always choose to save. 

Splurge: Top - $1,595 Skirt - $252 Pumps - $825

Save: Top - $10 Skirt - $39 Pumps - $69

Would you splurge or save?

My DIY Project: Custom Photo Mug

For the past couple of years, I've been getting my dad gift cards or store bought gifts. This year I wanted to do something more special and that he would keep close to his heart. I have a, what I call "vintage", photo of my dad and I when we first moved to Florida from Mississippi. Yes, I was born in Mississippi. I'm a legit Floridan though, no accent. I do love grits though. Anyways, I decided that I wanted to create a custom photo mug for my dad to use that would remind him of me every day. 

What You'll Need:

Ceramic or Porcelain Coffee Mug

Waterslide Decal Paper

A Picture 

Krylon Crystal Clear Spray

Quick note: I got the mug for my dad at Target, the Krylon at Walmart, and the decal paper on eBay. I went to Hobby Lobby, Staples, Michaels, and Walmart. No one carried this paper. For 5 sheets, it was $7.75, free shipping, on eBay. Perfect. 

How To Do It

1. Once you've chosen your picture, print it on the waterside decal paper. Try to center the picture on the paper. This will make it easier once you spray and trim the decal. 

2. Let the picture dry for at least 30 minutes.

3. Once the picture is dry, lightly coat the picture with the Krylon Crystal Clear spray. This will seal the ink onto the decal paper. (I had B do this for me. I have a heavy hand, which doesn't like spraying paint. He's a painter, he's got skills.)

4. I let the picture dry for 1 hour before I trimmed it. You can wait longer, but you have to finish the decal before 2 hours after spraying it. 

5. Trim down the decal to the size of the picture. Have your mug cleaned and dry, ready to go. 

6. I used my bathroom sink, but you could use a large bowl or another sink to do this step. Fill up your sink with enough water to submerge the decal completely. 

7. Hold the decal under water for at least 60 seconds. Began to lightly peel the decal off of the backing paper. Once the decal is off of the paper, apply to mug. 

8. Using a paper towel, lightly dab any excess water off of the decal and smooth out any creases or air bubbles. Let dry for at least 1 hour. 

9. This step is optional. I chose to write two quotes about fathers on both sides of the picture. I used a permanent marker. You can write a personal message or anything you want. 

10. Spray the mug with the Krylon Crystal Clear spray again to seal the decal and the writing. I, again, had B do this for me. 

My dad loved this. He decided that he doesn't want to use it, but has it on display in his kitchen. 

This project was very easy to do, just time consuming. 

Have you made a custom mug before?

Let me know any DIY photo projects you've done! 

College: Spring Break - Packing Essentials

When packing for spring break, it's very important that you bring all of the essentials! What are the essentials you may ask? Well, I'm here to tell you! I've made a list of all the essentials to bring on almost any spring break vacation! 

What do you plan on packing for your spring break?

What are your essentials? 

Review: Mark. Juice Gems Lip Gloss

I have to say, I'm not the biggest fan of lip gloss, but I love these! All six glosses are beautiful and smell great. The best part? They aren't as sticky as other glosses! I like to put lip balm underneath these glosses for extra moisture. They are great by themselves or onto of a lipstick or stain. I like to use raspberry framboise on top of red lipstick for an even better classic red lip.  

Colors: Snow Peach, Honeydew Melon, Raspberry Framboise, Pomegranate Grenade, Fig, and Papaya

Swatches:

Which color is your favorite?

Do you use the mark. juice gems lip gloss?

To buy these glosses, check out my mark. store here! 

*I am an independent representative for mark.*

How to Wear: Green Skinny Jeans

Continuing with my St.Patty's Day inspired posts, I've put together three fabulous ways to wear green skinny jeans, all with different shades of green, of course! From causal to date night, I've covered all your options for a night out on St.Patty's Day! Which by the way, can someone please tell me if it's "St. Patty's" or "St.Paddy's" day? Someone tweeted me last night correcting my use of St.Patty's Day. I was raised using that abbreviation, so maybe my childhood was wrong. Oh well.

How would you rock green skinny jeans?

Which look is your favorite? 

Splurge and Save

Less than a week until St. Patty's Day! The theme of this week is going to be just that! Of course it may not be straight forward like, "Hey! Look at my shamrock!", but it will include a lot of green colors! In this weeks splurge and save post, you get to keep  over $1,100 in your bank account by choosing the save look! That could buy you a ticket to Ireland! What ever holiday, occasion, or everyday look it is, there's always a way to save! 

Splurge: Top - $143 Jeans - $387 Pumps - $737

Save: Top - $69 Jeans - $49 Pumps - $40

Would you sludge or save on these St. Patty's Day inspired looks?

What I'm Reading: March 2013

I have to say guys, I've read these books before, in 2006. I've had these books for 7 years now! And yes, I do plan to read them again! I'm sure these books are classified as "young adult fiction" and I'm sure some people will look down on me reading them. I'm almost 23 and I like books with pictures. There, I said it. I believe, no matter what, these books will make you happy. Lisa Barham does an amazing job in making Imogene feel like she's a friend of mine. I relate so well to the characters and am sadden when I finish the book and remember that they aren't real. I highly suggest picking these books up for a good read! 

You can check out more of the books by Lisa Barham here!

And by the way, I just discovered, like right now as I'm writing this, that she came out with a third book in this little series called Accidentally Fabulous! I need this book. Now. 

Pinterest Favorites

With spring break coming up, I've turned to Pinterest as my beach escape! Each of my favorite pins is beach inspired. I love the beach. I'm so lucky to live in a town where the beach is only 5-10 minutes away at all times. Maybe it'll warm up a bit here so I can hit the beach one of these days! With my carefree beach state of mind, here are my favorite pins of the week! 

Dream Destination: Cenote, Mexico

Dream Home: Beach House

Future Closet: Pink and White Bikini

Wedding Ideas: Beach Wedding 

Beauty: Beach Waves

So Funny: Sand Castle Humor

Wisdom: Ocean Therapy 

Decor and Such: Beach Decor 

Random Things I Love: Tanning Puppy

Food: Beach Inspired Food

Health and Fitness: Beach Workouts

Interesting Life Tools: Towel Tote

Vegan/Vegetarian: Vegan Beach Bars

Which pin is your favorite?

Are you using Pinterest as spring break inspiration? 

Saturday Sets

March is all about spring break! I've compiled my five favorite sets from Polyvore this week showing off their best spring break style! From beach wear to casual wear, these sets have got it all! Packing light is a must when heading out for spring break! All of the luggage fees these days are crazy! Spend the week in your bikinis and sundresses! But don't forget to pack your SPF! 

 Coral Dreams by paigeisaballerina

Summer by lolas

Relax and have fun ;) by kate0810

Sperry by iheartbrasilieros

SCB;; Round 3 by rebeccagirl1990

Which set is your favorite?

What do you plan on wearing over spring break?

Don't forget to follow me on Polyvore! 

Things I Love: Bandeau Swimsuits

In terms of swimsuit fashion, there's nothing I love more than a bandeau! I've pulled together my four favorite bandeau swimsuits, in spring time colors of course, just in time for spring break! Swimsuits are an essential item on anyones spring break packing list, and you have to bring plenty! If you need some inspiration for swimsuit season, check out my "Get Fit Recipes" and "Get Fit Workouts" to motivate you into getting swimsuit ready! 

1: Martinique 2: Greece 3: Bow 4: Wonderland

Which swimsuit is your favorite?

Are you ready swimsuit ready for spring break?

Beauty: Let's Talk Eyebrows

There are a few different techniques out there to keep your eyebrows in tip-top shape, but how do you know which to choose? There is an amazing post on LaurenConrad.com that gives you a few pros and cons of each technique. Lauren talks about threading, waxing, and tweezing. I personally prefer threading. I don't like waxing because of three reasons: 1. It hurts 2. I'm allergic to almost all of the waxes and 3. I stay swollen for about 24hrs afterwards, which isn't normal. I shy away from tweezing because it, too, hurts and I don't have the patience for individual brow plucking. 

I love threading. Because I have sensitive skin and little patience, threading has proven to be the best way for me to keep my eyebrows from becoming unruly caterpillars. Threading does hurt, but only a little bit. Disclaimer: Don't be like me and wait almost 3 months to get them done, then it will truly hurt like a very bad word. Lesson learned. All the eyebrow artists, as I call them, uses is a cotton thread. They twist the thread and roll it along the skin, pulling out the hairs. 

After a small waxing accident, my left eyebrow was left slightly disfigured. I had a dip in my arch where a dip should not be. After about 6 months of threading, my eyebrow artist has somehow, with her magic thread, returned my eyebrows to their matching status. After many years of painful waxing and tweezing, I can honestly say that threading has made my eyebrows look the best they've ever been. 

And here is a little extra for you! These are Lauren Conrad's steps to get beautifully shaped eyebrows!

To read the full article, click here! 

How do you manage your eyebrows?

Have you tried threading before? How did you like it?

College: Spring Break - Your Top 5 Destinations

Even though I'll be stuck at home for spring break, doesn't mean you have to be! Only once have I gone somewhere "spring break worthy" before, and that was on a cruise with B during my senior year of high school. While at FSU, I found that coming home for spring break was actually pretty nice. I live in a beach town, and we all go to the beach for spring break anyways, so why go somewhere else? After doing some research I came across an article on U.S. News Travel noting the top 11 spring break destinations. I'm only showing you the top 5, but to read the entire article, click here! 

1. Miami Beach, Florida 

2. South Padre Island, Texas 

3. Cancun, Mexico

4. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico 

5. The Bahamas

If you plan on traveling for spring break, make sure to have all of your travel plans set. Many hotels fill up fast, so it's best to plan early. Scurry over to the various travel sights and book your trip if you haven't already done so! 

Where do you like to travel for spring break? 

Review: Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer

I'm in love with this product. I just picked this up on Saturday at Target and have used it every day since! The formula provides full coverage and is basically weightless. It was as if I wasn't wearing any concealer under my eyes! I don't have "dark" circles under my eyes, but they're definitely tinted, and this covered them. I got the colors radiant and buff. I used radiant to canceler my circles and do my highlighting, and then used buff as a basic contour. I'm not a big fan of bronzing powder, so this was perfect for me. I love the brush applicator, it makes it much easier to apply. It also works well with sensitive skin! I haven't had any problems with my skin becoming irritated from these! I will definitely be repurchasing this product and have become a loyal fan of it! 

Swatches: Radiant and Buff 

I'm just going to go ahead and point out that my hand looks sickly pale. I'm not that pale, I swear. Nor am I deathly sick. Maybe it's because it's almost 62 degrees in my office and I'm refusing to turn the heat on. That's probably it. 

Have you tried the Maybelline Dream Lumi Tough Highlighting Concealer?

What highlighter/concealer do you use?

You can pick up the Maybelline Dream Lumi Tough Highlighting Concealer at your local drugstore, Walmart, Target and even on Amazon. 

Get Fit Workout: Take a Hike!

Going to the gym everyday or working out at home can become boring, even if you switch up your routine. The best thing you can do to get out of this workout funk is to go outside! Wouldn't it be wonderful if we all had gorgeous hills and continuous views of nature to hike around? Yes, yes it would be. But sadly, we all don't have that. I've put together some outdoor workout spots that still work great, even if you don't have lush amounts of nature where you live.  

At a Park

On the Beach

In an Open Field

On the Bridge

What's your favorite place to workout outdoors?

What kind of workout do you do outside?