Chic & Pink

Sweet Mandy

2012-01-30T17:47:00.001-08:00

Today my dog Mandy passed away. To write that sentence feels like a nightmare, but I know that it’s reality. She was 9 years young and taken away far too soon. I’m sure God has big plans for her and that’s why she left. It feels like a family member is gone and my house seems empty.

I’ll never forget the day we adopted Mandy for her previous owner. Her last words to Mandy were, “Have a good 2nd half of your life”. I know we’ve given her the best life possible and that Chase was her best buddy. She’s been around since he was only 4 months old and that’s all he’s ever known. We often called her “Princess Mandy”, because we’d never seen a dog that loved being pampered or dressed up as much as her. She loved attention and would go to anyone willing to give it to her. She was a special dog with a loving heart. I’ll never forget our sweet girl.

I’ll leave with my favorite dog quote that says it all..

"A dog has no use for fancy cars or big homes or designer clothes. Status symbol means nothing to him. A waterlogged stick will do just fine. A dog judges others not by their color or creed or class but by who they are inside. A dog doesn't care if you are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his."
― John Grogan

Man Candy Monday – Justin Chatwin

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

It’s been awhile, but I’m linking up with one of my best blogging buddies, Leeann for another edition of Man Candy Monday. There is no better way to start the week than staring at some Hollywood Hotties!

Shameless on Showtime is back in full swing which means I get to see my latest celebrity crush Justin Chatwin, who plays Steve/Jimmy on the show. I don’t know if it’s the scruff or the blue eyes, but he is just so handsome. Let me know if you agree…

Source: buzzreactor.com via Catherine on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Brittney on Pinterest

Name
Justin Chatwin

Born
October 31, 1982

From
Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada

Relationship Status
Unknown – has been linked to Camilla Belle

Interesting Facts
-Studied commerce at the University of British Columbia
-Enjoys camping
-Favorite band of is U2
-After the USA miniseries Traffic, Newsweek magazine labeled Chatwin an "Actor to Watch."

Notable Roles
War of the Worlds
Taking Lives
Traffic
Shameless

The Nail Files – Week 3

2012-01-20T11:22:00.000-08:00

I’m a little late to the party on this one, but glad to be playing along! Nail polish is one of my favorite things and it’s always fun to share what shades I’m loving and to also see what everyone else is wearing.

Tara and Vicki are hosting this. Please visit their blogs and join in on the fun!

We’re expecting snow and it’s been freezing, so I decided to brighten my mood with a light polish. This shade is called Crinoline and comes from the Tracy Reese Fall 2011 Collection for the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure line.

Crinoline

It’s a creamy, opaque whitish pink that covers well with two coats. The first one is a bit streaky, but everything smoothes out with the 2nd. I have to say that I really love this color. It reminds me of a bit of Mod About You from OPI, but it’s lighter. Colors like this always look classy and fit just about any occasion.

As a base, I used Sally Hansen Advanced Hard As Nails and for a top coat, I used INM – Out The Door Super Fast Drying Top Coat. This is my first time using the INM and I have to say that I’m impressed. My nails didn’t dry quite as fast as they do with Seche Vite, but INM doesn’t have the horrible smell and dangerous chemicals that Seche Vite has. They’re just as shiny as when I use Seche Vite and the extra minute or two of drying time was not a problem.

Base, Polish and Top Coat

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Tasty Tuesday: Crescent Chicken

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

Any recipe involving crescent rolls is usually a winner and this one was no exception. I found it while browsing Pinterest (where else?) and made it last night for dinner with scalloped potatoes and corn. It was hearty, filling and the perfect meal to warm up with on a cold winter’s night.

Crescent Chicken

Ingredients:
1 (8 or 6 jumbo count) package refrigerator crescent rolls
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of milk (using soup can)

Directions:
1. Boil chicken and cut/shred into pieces
2. Cook soup with 1 can on milk on stove top
3. Preheat oven to 350
4. Lay out each crescent roll and place 3-4 bite sized pieces of chicken and about 1Tbsp of cheese in the center of each triangle.
5. Roll each one up and gently seal off all edges
6. Place rolls in a 9×13 baking dish and pour soup mixture over top (salt and pepper, if desired).
7. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Golden Globes 2012 - Red Carpet

2012-01-15T16:09:00.000-08:00

This year the red carpet was impressive with the colors of the night being blush and navy. Most of the stars wore gowns that suited them perfectly and this is one of the first times I’ve had trouble narrowing down my favorites.

Here are the best and worst of the night (according to me):

Best Dressed:

Charlize Theron in Dior Couture

This was by far my favorite gown of the night. From the blush color that suits her skin tone perfectly to the fit and style. She was stunning!

Reese Witherspoon in Zac Posen

It's no secret that Reese is one of my favorite celebs. Her style is always on point and she looks beautiful as the lady in red.

Kate Beckinsale in Roberto Cavalli

Kate is always so classy and absolutely gorgeous. My favorite part of this gown is the beautiful chiffon pleat detail at the bottom. Her jewelry and hair also fit the look perfectly.

Zooey Deschanel in Prada

I wouldn’t have liked this dress on anyone else but Zooey. The black and green combo had an almost mod feel to it, which goes so well with Zooey’s overall style. I also had to include a shot of her fantastic Tuxedo nails that she posted on Instagram.

Nicole Richie in Julien Macdonald

Nicole has come a long way with her style and the dress she wore to the awards proves that. The dress shows off her arms and back beautifully and the beading really makes it a standout.

Heidi Klum in Calvin Klein

I couldn’t post this without mentioning Heidi Klum’s turquoise necklace. That’s what I call a statement piece. It made her entire look!

Worst Dressed:

Lea Michele in Marchesa

This looks a figure skating costume gone bad.

Amanda Peet in Marc Jacobs

This dress might make for some cute shabby chic curtains

Piper Perabo in Theyskens’ Theory

This is all wrong from the color to the fact that it's see through

To end on a positive note, I had to include these cuties on the carpet!

Ryan Kwanten

Uggie the dog from "The Artist"

Who were your fashion hits and misses? Please share.

Image source links: Yahoo, MTV

Nashville – Day 3

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

This was our last full day in Nashville and we wanted to do as much as possible. Unfortunately, I was getting over a cold most of the time we were there, so I really didn’t get myself together until late in the afternoon. We headed out at 3:00 and drove around downtown for a bit. We decided to go to the famous Loveless Cafe for dinner and it was worth the trip.

Me outside the Loveless

Loveless is located on the outskirts of Nashville and has been around over 60 years. The food and service was everything you would expect from a small Southern cafe and more. The biscuits are something they’re known for and it was obvious at first bite. I don’t know what they put in them, but they’re delicious and the homemade preserves they serve alongside the biscuits make them that much better. For dinner, I got meatloaf, cheesy grits, fried green tomatoes and macaroni and cheese. It doesn’t get better than that! We completed our visit with a trip to the Ham & Jams Country Store and got some goodies to bring back home. I’ll be dreaming of that place until I’m lucky enough to visit Nashville again. If you go to Nashville, you must visit the Loveless.

Delicious biscuits

Yum!

Loveless Cafe

To end the night, we went back downtown to take one last stroll around the city. We walked down to the Ryman Auditorium. The building dates back to the late 1800’s and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2001. The venue has hosted everyone from famous singers and performers to actors and political figures.

Me outside the Ryman

Broadway was where we started our trip and it was the perfect way to end it. We walked up and down a few blocks before finally heading back to our hotel. We capped off the night with a soak in the hot tub and a dip in the pool. It felt good to be swimming in January.

Nashville Symphony

Geof outside the Bridgestone Area

Me on Broadway

Getting our fortune told by Willie Nelson

The next morning, we packed up and went to Gigi’s for a cupcake. Geof and I have a tradition whenever we travel to always try to find a cute little cupcake shop. He’s so good about it. I got the Birthday Cake cupcake and he had Banana Cream. They were yummy! After our sweet treats, it was time to go so we said goodbye to Nashville until next time.

Cute cupcakes!

Ultimately, Nashville is a beautiful city with plenty to see, even if you don’t love country music. The people are friendly, it’s easy to navigate and the Southern cooking is so good.

Thanks, as always for hanging in there with me during my trip recaps. Some probably find them incredibly boring while others really enjoy them. I honestly love to document each time we travel. These posts are some of my favorite ones to look back on over time.

Nashville – Day 2

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

We got up, grabbed a quick breakfast and headed over to the Opryland Hotel. I heard some positive things about the property and gardens, so we decided to check it out. It was overwhelmingly big and it turns out that it’s the largest non-gambling hotel in the world. We decided to take a Riverboat Tour of the indoor gardens that gave us a great view of all the different plants, flowers and waterfalls. Our guide was great and informed us that when the Delta River was built, the hotel requested water samples from all over the world and from every river in the United States. A “mixing of the waters” ceremony was held when the river opened in 1996.

Waterfall in The Cascades Atrium

One acre skylight in the Conservatory

View from the Riverboat in Delta Island

Christmas may be over, but this is too pretty not to share

From the Opryland Hotel, we headed over to the Grand Ole Opry House to see a little piece of history. I’ve never been a big fan of country music, but the Opry was a must-visit. To see the spot where so many country superstars have performed is impressive. I also can’t believe the venue was partially underwater less than two years ago. You would never know it by the looks of things now.

Us outside the Grand Ole Opry House

I don't think you're supposed to stand up there...whoops!

We headed back downtown for dinner and settled on Sole Mio for some Italian. After dinner, we got ready for the night and went to 12th & Porter to meet-up with Chad & Amy for the SafetySuit CD Release Party. I couldn’t have been more excited to see SafetySuit there since it’s the venue where they were originally signed.

12th & Porter

Us with Chad & Amy ready for the show

The opening acts consisted of Chasing Change and Throwing Gravity. The bands did a great job warming us up for the main event. SafetySuit took the stage and about two songs into their set, it was obvious that something was wrong. Doug (lead singer) wasn’t playing his guitar and just didn’t look well.

Ultimately, he had been battling a stomach virus all day and it took everything in him to come out and perform the 5 songs he was able to make it through. He even tried to give it another go while he used the mic stand to hold him up. He apologized profusely and acknowledged that so many people had come from all over for this event and it’s not his style to cancel a show. You could see the emotion all over his face as he appeared to be even more disappointed than the fans. Personally I can’t imagine making it to the mailbox with a stomach virus, so to see him push through tells me everything I need to know about what kind of band SafetySuit is (not that I didn’t already know).

Doug

The drummer, Tate came on the mic and said they were going to try something different. The rest of the show turned into a sing-along with members from the opening bands coming out to lead the crowd. This speaks volumes about the kind of fans SafetySuit has. While most people would have left after hearing Doug was done for the night, everyone did the exact opposite and showed their allegiance by singing and celebrating what the night was all about: SafetySuit and their new album, These Times. It was bittersweet and I’m glad I was there to be a part of it.

Us with Tate, J and Dave from SafetySuit

Nashville – Day 1

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

We arrived in Nashville early in the afternoon and were raring to go. We got our car, checked in at our hotel and headed right downtown to see Broadway. We made our way over to 2nd Ave. and settled on the Wild Horse Saloon for lunch. It was relatively quiet in the restaurant during the afternoon, but you can tell the place gets packed at night. They have a huge stage and were promoting an upcoming show with Rick Springfield. I don’t know anyone that doesn’t like the song “Jessie’s Girl”!

For lunch, we got fried pickles as an appetizer. Geof told me that since we’re in the South, it was something I had to try at least once. It was decadent and delicious. I hardly touched my salad because I was nibbling away on pickles and stealing some of Geof’s cheesy grits (they were the best I ever had – savory and smoky). We also had to order one of their cocktails just to get a fun cowboy boot glass to take home. After checking out the rest of the restaurant, our friends Chad and Amy picked us up to take us to a more hipster part of town for some coffee at The Frothy Monkey. It’s a great place to people watch and we even spotted Will Anderson (lead singer from Parachute) there.

I heart Nashville!

Fried pickles

Frothy Monkey

The four of us chatted the afternoon away. Being apart from these two makes no difference at all as we always seem to pick up right where we left off. From The Frothy Monkey, we headed to Centennial Park so that we could see the Parthenon. I may never get to Greece, but this was the next best thing as it’s a full-scale replica of the original.

Parthenon in Centennial Park

Later that evening, Geof and I went downtown to have dinner at Big River Grille & Brewing Works. Geof got shrimp and grits, while I went with mac ‘n cheese with chicken. After dinner, we headed out on Broadway to meet some of our friends from NYC (Kristin & Emily) & Boston (Jessica) at Wild Bill’s. The bar is a historic landmark with the basement being part of the Underground Railroad. They have an impressive wine bar on the 2nd floor and the main level is a Cajun café. We stayed in the café/bar area where they were getting karaoke started for the evening. Geof decided he wanted to perform “Humpty Dance” for all of us. It was absolutely hysterical and awesome at the same time.

Broadway at night!

Me on Broadway

Me with Kristin, Jess and Emily

We parted ways with the ladies and headed over to Broadway Brewhouse & Mojo Grill to meet-up with Chad and Amy. We enjoyed a brew or two and made our way back to Wild Bill’s. The guys running karaoke asked Geof to do another performance of “Humpty Dance” and he obliged. What a perfect way to end our first day in Nashville!

Amy and I

Geof with his karaoke buddy, Andy

Out with one of our favorite couples!

Bound for Nashville

2012-01-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

Howdy y’all! I’m headed to Nashville for a long weekend with good friends, good music and lots of fun. It’s my first time visiting the Music City and I couldn’t be more excited.

Work was incredibly busy last week and I didn’t really have much of a New Year’s celebration to tell you about, so these few days away will be just what the doctor ordered.

I’ll fill you in on all my adventures just as soon as I get home.

Source: flickr.com via Kathryn on Pinterest

Source: designsponge.com via Taylor on Pinterest

Source: ashleysbrideguide.com via Annie on Pinterest

Happy Friday and have a wonderful weekend!

Here and gone

2011-12-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

All traces of the holidays have left the building (literally and figuratively). We took down the decorations Monday night and it was back to the grind yesterday. I really can’t complain though, since our time off was well spent with friends, family and a healthy dose of date nights!

Here are some highlights:

Had my first red cup of the season.

Saw Young Adult and loved it. Charlize Theron was perfect for the role.

Discovered a new Pinot Noir that I like.

Went on a beautiful birthday celebration/double date night with Kristen and Sean at Longwood Gardens and Dilworthtown Inn.

Kristen and I at Longwood Gardens. Here is a full recap of the night.

Got 1 mani and painted my nails 2 more times.

Zoya Shay w/Sally Hansen Gem Crush in Big Money as an accent nail
Venique in B-Ceen-B-Gorgeous w/Venique in Twinkling Glitter as an accent nail

Revlon Scene Stealer

Had a fun shopping day in Delaware with my mom and got Red Robin…yum!

Went to WWE Raw with Geof (since he's taken me to see Britney and Lady Gaga). I’d be lying if I said I wasn't a little interested in the storylines. We went to Denny’s afterwards and some of the wrestlers showed up.

Geof and I at the Wells Fargo Center, me with The Miz and Zack Ryder, Geof with Nikki Bella and me with Dolph Ziggler

Watched Elf for the first time ever.

Drove around and looked at pretty Christmas lights.

Saw The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Besides a few differences from the book, I thought the movie was done really well.

Finally saw Love and Other Drugs (first half – good, second half – depressing).

Went down to the city to have lunch at Reading Terminal Market and then went to Macy’s to see the light show. It’s also where the movie Mannequin was filmed!

Baked lots of Christmas goodies.

Spent Christmas Eve at home with my mom and Geof.

Spent Christmas Day at my cousin Bill & Lara’s house with the entire family. I had such a blast with all of my cousins.

Me with two out of the three triplets on Christmas

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and are gearing up for the new year!

A lovely night at Longwood

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

On Saturday night, we celebrated my friend Kristen’s birthday at Longwood Gardens and finished the evening with dinner at the historic Dilworthtown Inn. The night was all about Kristen, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that it brought back memories of the night Geof proposed almost 5 years ago.

Geof and I at Longwood Gardens

Beautiful Christmas Tree

Pretty display inside the conservatory

Longwood Gardens is truly a magical place during the holiday season and photos don’t come close to doing it justice. I remember driving through the area as a child and seeing all of the beautiful lights begging my dad to take me there. As an adult, I enjoy it even more and truly appreciate all the work that goes into making it so special.

Kristen and I

We walked around the outdoor gardens to take in the pretty lights and finally made it to the conservatory to see all of the exhibits. The hybrid tea roses were a real standout and I also really loved the Bonsai display. Most of the trees were over 100 years old or close to it. To end the evening, we caught the fountain show and then headed off to dinner at Dilworthtown.

We went and found the bench where Geof proposed

Tea roses

Fountain Show

Dilworthtown Inn is my favorite place to dine. The history, ambiance, service and food set it apart from any other place I’ve been. The restaurant dates back to the late 1700’s and it’s located off the beaten path. You really feel like you’re away from the rest of the world when you go there. The restaurant has a total of three floors and fifteen different rooms. Every visit is a different experience and I’ve never been in the same room twice. We enjoyed a fabulous meal and it was great to share a new memory with Kristen and Sean.

Dilworthtown Inn

Us at the Inn with Santa (we all thought Santa was playing air guitar)

Happy Birthday, Kristen! I hope you had as much fun as we did.

Winter Wonderland

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

We spent the majority of Saturday night transforming our little house into our own Winter Wonderland. Here are some of our decorations:

2011 Christmas Tree

A few of my favorite ornaments

I love how it looks not in focus with the lights twinkling

Pretty bow topper

You can see the ruffle tree I made in there

Decorations

And more decorations

We're definitely in the Christmas spirit over here and I hope you are too!

Tasty Tuesday: Lasagna Soup

2011-12-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

I don’t know about you guys, but it has all of the sudden become freezing around these parts. What better way to warm up than with a bowl of delicious Lasagna Soup! I originally found the recipe on this blog and thought it would be perfect for a chilly night.

Ingredients:
1/2 Lbs. Fafalle Pasta (cooked about 1/2 way)
1 Jar 26 oz. Garlic Onion Pasta Sauce
1 Lbs. Ground Beef (cooked)
2 C. Beef Broth
2 1/2 C. Water
1 Tbs. Oregano (dry)
1/2 Tbs. Salt
2 Tbs. Italian Seasoning
2 Tbs. Steak Seasoning
7 oz. Ricotta Cheese
1 Tbs. Parsley
1/2 Tsp. Pepper
1 Egg
1/4 C. Parmesan Cheese

Directions:
1. Cook pasta 1/2 way
2. Brown ground beef
3. In a soup pot, add the ground beef, beef broth, pasta, pasta sauce, water and seasonings.
4. Cook over medium high heat for about 20 minutes.
5. While the soup cooks, in another bowl mix together the ricotta, parmesan, parsley, pepper and egg.
6. After the 20 minutes of the soup cooking stir in the ricotta mixture and cook for another 10 minutes, stir to combine the cheese mixture well.
7. Serve this soup along with salad or garlic bread (optional)

This was absolutely delicious and the leftovers were just as good.

Enjoy!

Christmas Tree Cutting 2011

2011-12-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

We ventured out to Linvilla Orchards on Friday for the annual cutting of our Christmas Tree. This is our 4th year keeping with tradition and I’m so happy this is something Geof and I have continued to do together. Linvilla is such a warm and cozy place and we wouldn’t go anywhere else.

Pretty wreaths and centerpieces for sale at Linvilla

Getting ready to look for our tree

We got there late in the afternoon and headed out on the hayride to the tree farm just before sunset. It was absolutely beautiful as we searched high and low for the perfect tree. We found it just in the nick of time before it got too dark out.

Geof has his eye out for the perfect one

Beautiful sunset

This is the one!

Geof sawing away

Timber!

When we got back to the main area, we went over to see the deer, even though it was dark. It’s the first time they all came over to us. I guess they were hungry. I used up all my quarters buying as much corn as I could to feed them. They’re so gentle and sweet.

Deer

After we went to the see the deer, we went down to the Farmers Market and got some of their delicious honey and some cookies from the bakery. We paid for the tree and headed home to decorate it!

Farmers Market

Ruffled Felt Tree {and tutorial}

2011-12-08T04:00:00.000-08:00

There are endless amounts of beautiful craft projects on Pinterest. Picking one to make can be tough, but with Christmas right around the corner, I figured one with a holiday theme would be best.

I went with a Holiday Ruffle Tree and I'm happy with how it turned out!

My Ruffle Tree

What you’ll need:
Styrofoam tree form
Felt
Fabric scissors
Dressmaker pins
Circle template
Decoration of your choosing or glitter (optional)

Directions:

I used a bottle cap as my circle template and folded the felt over so that I was able to cut lots of circles each time.

I did the circles very close together on the tree and probably cut about 350 in total, which made this very time consuming. You can do less and space them further apart.

Take each circle and fold it in half two times to make a rosette shape.

Insert one dressmaker pin as close to the bottom as possible and push it into your tree form starting at the top.

Continue these steps and work your way around until you complete the tree.

Top with glitter or decoration and you’re done!

When I finally decorate for Christmas, this will look nice tied in with all of my other decor.

P.S. The lucky winner of the Julep Nail Polish giveaway is Leslie from Life in its Ordinary Form. Congrats, girl! Email me with your information when you get a chance. Thank you to everyone that entered!

Tasty Tuesday: Sour Cream Chicken

2011-12-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

Here’s another delicious dish that I found browsing around Pinterest. All of my new recipes as of late have come from there and I have yet to find a dud.

This chicken was creamy, tender and 100% delicious. Chicken can get a little boring, so this was a perfect way to change it up.

Ingredients:
2 pounds chicken breasts or tenders
1 1/2 cups of Pepperidge Farm Herbed Stuffing, the crumbles not the cubes
1 cup (approximately) of sour cream
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Garlic powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Lay the chicken close together on a foil lined baking sheet
3. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
4. Coat with a thick layer of sour cream.
5. Top that with the seasoned Pepperidge Farm breadcrumbs and then dot with the butter.
6. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes for chicken tenders or up to an hour for chicken breasts.

Enjoy!

Fun With Our Phones Monday

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

I’m linking up with Savanah for Fun With Our Phones Monday!

I give you Santa in a Snuggie

I saw this is CVS and it completely cracked me up!

Cake Pops

I made these for a girls night a few weeks ago and they were a hit

Me with bangs

At said girls night, my friend brought band extensions and let me have them. I would never get my hair cut with bangs because it’s not thick enough. This is the perfect alternative.

An outtake from our Christmas Card photo session

It was a challenge getting the dogs to behave.

My Wal-Mart Scenty-ish Warmer

I’ve been loving this thing

Chase & Mandy

I had to include some of their cuteness

One of my fun watches with bracelets

Stacking watching or other bracelets together is my new favorite thing

Christmas at the mall

Pretty!

ITS OK Thursday!

2011-12-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

I’m linking up with Neely from A Complete Waste of Makeup and Amber from Brunch with Amber for another edition of “ITS OK Thursday”

For me, ITS OK

That catching up on my stack of magazines involved little reading and lots of ripping out pages that looked appealing.

That I did happen to read one article from an old issue of Glamour about turning 30. At 33, I can say that it was spot on. If you’re in your 30’s or about to be 30…READ IT!

That I’m so behind on my personal life because work has me swamped.

That I spotted a scarf I just had to have but didn’t buy because it wasn’t on sale. I got a coupon, went back for it and it was gone. That’s just the fashion gods telling me I don’t need another scarf.

To find the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center completely magical

That I made chili the other night and added an extra can of diced tomatoes by accident…oopsie. It ended up surprisingly good.

To be dragging out Mockingjay because I don’t want it to end.

And to have gotten as excited as a schoolgirl when I saw the trailer for The Hunger Games on the big screen before Breaking Dawn.

That's all for now!

Julep Nail Polish Review & Giveaway!

2011-11-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

Being the nail polish lover that I am, I was thrilled to be contacted by Julep. The company started out as a boutique nail parlor in the Seattle area and later expanded into offering their own line of nail color, very similar to Rescue Beauty Lounge. The difference with Julep is that they offer a monthly subscription service called Julep Maven where you take a style quiz (I’m Classic with a Twist btw) and for $19.99 a month, you’re sent new nail colors and nail care products fitted to your style type. If you don’t want to subscribe, you can purchase as you wish from their website.

One of the most impressive things about Julep is that they believe in women celebrating other women, which is so important in today’s competitive world. Their mission statement reminds you to take a step back and support one another. They also donate $1 from each bottle of nail polish sold to various women’s charities.

The Girlfriend's Essential Nail Vernis Gift Set

It came packaged neat and sleek!

Julep sent me The Girlfriend's Essential Nail Vernis Gift Set, which includes two nail polishes in the colors Catherine and Jennifer as well as their Essential Cuticle Oil.

Here are my thoughts on each product:

First and foremost, I wanted to mention that all of their polish formulas are 3 Free, which means they do not contain any DBP, toluene, formaldehyde. Hooray for that!

Catherine

I’m not someone that wears red nail polish very often, but after seeing how gorgeous this looked on my nails, I might need to rethink that. Catherine is a warm-toned, classic red that applied like a dream. I’m not exaggerating. I’m always skeptical with any new polish and this made me a believer. It went on smooth, with no pooling at the cuticles or streakiness. The coverage was great and pretty opaque with one coat. I used two for good measure and topped it off with Seche Vite (I also used Sally Hansen as a base). The color is vibrant, shiny and classy looking.

I put this polish to the test and it lasted 5 days with only minor wear at the tips from typing. There were no large chips and the color stayed true.

Jennifer

When I saw this pretty pink in the bottle, it made me smile. Soft, neutral pinks like this are something you can never go wrong with and fitting for any occasion. This is a sheer pink that could easily be worn alone or used to do a French Manicure.

The wear on Jennifer was just as good as Catherine and overall I’m very impressed with the quality of these polishes.

Essential Cuticle Oil
The convenience of this cannot be beat. It rolls on and it’s completely travel friendly. The oil also smells so nice which can be attributed to the lavender, rosewood and ylang-ylang essential oils. It also contains jojoba oil, sweet almond oil and castor oil for moisturizing and vitamin E as an antioxidant. This is also paraben-free.

This does work and made my dry, cracked cuticles smooth and soft, which is so important especially in the dry months of fall and winter.

Onto the fun part…the GIVEAWAY!

One of you lucky ladies has the chance to win The Girlfriend's Essential Nail Vernis Gift Set! This set is the same one that was sent to me for review and is very much Chic & Pink approved. The red shade will be perfect for the upcoming holidays and the pink will work anytime of the year. I also know you’ll love the cuticle oil.

To enter:
Simply leave a comment on this post. Easy as that!

Extra entries:
Follow my blog or let me know you’re already a follower +1
Follow me on Twitter or let me know you’re already one of my Tweeps +1
Tweet about this giveaway – you can use this: Enter to win a Julep Nail Polish Set from @ChicnPink here: http://tinyurl.com/7ne8uge +1
Blog about this giveaway +1

You can leave all your entries in one comment or separate comments. I'll ensure they're all counted.

The giveaway will close on 12/07/11 and the winner will be announced 12/08/11
Due to shipping restrictions, this giveaway is open to US Residents only.
Winner will be chosen via Radom.org.

Good luck!

FTC: This nail polish sent was sent to me by Julep in return for an honest review.

Tasty Tuesday: Bubble Up Enchiladas

2011-11-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

This recipe has been passed around Pinterest, but I was completely sold when I heard Ashley raving about it on Twitter. I was floored to find out that it’s a Weight Watchers recipe, because it’s delicious for being reasonably healthy.

Bubble Up Enchiladas

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 can reduced fat refrigerator biscuits
1 1/2 cups shredded low fat Mexican Cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Brown turkey and drain if needed.
3. Add can of enchilada sauce and can of tomato sauce and stir into meat mixture.
4. Cut the refrigerated biscuits into fourths and stir them in the meat mixture.
5. Grease 9x13 casserole pan add the mixture.
6. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake an additional 10 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Yields 6 servings. WW P+: 8 per serving

File this under easy weeknight meal, because it’s simple and sure to please everyone.

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving recap & blog swap reveal!

2011-11-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! Mine was great. I got to spend time with Geof, my family and even did some Christmas shopping.

Wednesday, Geof and I went out on a date night to see Breaking Dawn and then went to dinner at a newish Mexican place called Dos Gringos. It was perfection!

Ready for date night!

Movie + Mexican = Perfection

Thanksgiving was spent at my aunt & uncle’s with the family and Friday we did some Black Friday shopping in Delaware. We scored some great deals! The rest of the weekend consisted of skating, relaxing, more shopping and a little work.

Thanksgiving at my aunt & uncle's

To keep with the theme of the Plenty To Be THANKful For Challenge, here is Day 9: I’m THANKful For Thanksgiving! (Post a picture of your table… if you have time!)

3 large tables for Thanksgiving this year

Day 10 I’m THANKful for Black Friday and Leftovers!

Doing Black Friday shopping in Delaware was definitely something to be THANKful for since we not only got some things on sale, we didn’t have to pay sales tax!

Last but not least is the Plenty To Be THANKful For Blog Swap Reveal!

Look how pretty she wrapped everything!

Love all my new swap goodies!

I was partnered with Stephanie from Life’s Lyrics and to say she spoiled me would be an understatement. She sensed my love for nail polish right away and even got me a shade that was on my Christmas wish list (Rainbow Connection from OPI). She also sent me some other beauty goodies and a gorgeous Christmas ornament along with a gift card for Starbucks!

We connected right away and it turns out, we have a ton in common from our favorite color to our taste in music. That’s why I love swaps, because it’s always nice to meet other great bloggers. Please pay her blog a visit. She’s wonderful!

Thank you to all the ladies that took the time to organize this challenge and swap. Putting the posts together has been a blast and also given me the opportunity to reflect on the things that I’m most thankful for this season. I’ve also “met” some really nice ladies. I’m thankful for you all!

I'm THANKful for the special people in my life!

2011-11-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

It’s Day 8 of the Plenty To Be Thankful For Blog Challenge & Swap

Today’s topic is the special people in my life

This is an easy topic and I’m sure anyone that knows me can guess my answers. To make it a little more fun, I’m going to give you 5 reasons why I’m so THANKful for each person I’m lucky enough to have in my life.

Geof
1. He lets me warm my cold feet on his legs every night.
2. Gives the best hugs and makes me feel loved.
3. Tells me I’m beautiful at least once a day with or without makeup.
4. Gets me like no one else and always has my back.
5. Makes the best tacos of anyone I know.

Mom
1. One of the best shopping partners out there.
2. Loves Lady Gaga, just like her daughter.
3. Strong, independent and smart.
4. Doesn’t care what others think (if only I could be more like that).
5. Giving. She will drop everything to help her family and friends.

Kristen
1. Can make me laugh on even the worst of days. I’m laughing in my head as I type this at some of the things she comes up with.
2. Doesn’t know how to have a bad time.
3. Will listen to me be ridiculous and tell me I’m being ridiculous.
4. Her dedication. When she says she’s going to do something, she does it.
5. Is as pretty as she is smart and as good a cook as she is crafty.

Colleen
1. Beautiful inside and out. I don’t know anyone that doesn’t like her.
2. One of the hardest working people I know and so intelligent.
3. The best listener on planet earth.
4. One of those friends you can go weeks without talking to and pick up right where you left off.
5. Has never judged me or made me feel like less of a person.

Amy & Chad
1. My favorite couple and as awesome as they come.
2. Made my past few vacations some of the best ever.
3. Their mutual love for good music.
4. They’re adventurous. They will just pick up and GO!
5. The four of us get along like peas and carrots.

YOU!
1. Keep me sane some days.
2. Give me a place to ramble and leave me sweet comments that make me smile.
3. I truly love reading about your happiness and joys in life.
4. You inspire me to do more.
5. Where else would I have learned to cook new things, try a new craft and HAVE to have a new nail polish because someone blogged it?!

There you have it! I believe friendships come in quality and not quantity. I have a few special people in my life that I don’t know what I’d do without. For that, I’m very thankful.

Source: jellybeanjunkyard.wordpress.com via Kimberly on Pinterest

I’m THANKful for Thanksgiving Traditions!

2011-11-22T05:00:00.000-08:00

It’s Day 7 of the Plenty To Be Thankful For Blog Challenge & Swap.

Today’s topic is our favorite Thanksgiving Traditions.

Thanksgiving has always been a favorite holiday of mine because it’s all about family getting together and sharing the love. It’s isn’t about presents and more about presence. With as fast paced as life can be, it’s nice to spend this special holiday together around the table talking about life and catching up with one another.

For as long as I can remember, we’ve gone to my aunt and uncle’s house where the entire family is gathered. The table has changed throughout the years. I remember when my grandparents were still alive and led us in grace before enjoying our delicious feast. Back in those days, I still sat at the kids table with my cousins.

Thanksgiving table - 2008, 2009, 2010

Now, we’re all grown up, my grandparents have passed on and many of my older cousins have kids of their own. My uncle is now the one that says a special prayer before we eat. I also cannot remember a Thanksgiving where less than 15 people have been at the table and wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s also important to me that Geof is a part of everything and my family loves him like one of their own.

My aunt is also pretty amazing. She prepares the meal every year for the entire family and manages to get everything on the table hot and fresh. She’s one of the special people that will always make room for one more and ensure that no one leaves her home hungry.

I consider myself pretty lucky to have a great family to go “home” to every Thanksgiving. I wish and hope that you all have a Happy Thanksgiving and that you’re able to spend it with all the loved ones in your life.

I’m THANKful for My Favorite Thanksgiving Recipe!

2011-11-21T05:00:00.000-08:00

It’s Day 6 of the Plenty To Be Thankful For Blog Challenge & Swap

Today’s topic is our favorite Thanksgiving recipe.

My aunt makes one of the best sides with our Thanksgiving dinner every year. It’s something I’ve never had up until she made it for the first time a few years ago and it’s her Baked Pineapple Casserole.

It’s sweet with a little bit of savory (from the cheese) and a nice little addition to the typical Thanksgiving plate with some turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes.

Source: ezrapoundcake.com via Anne on Pinterest

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients
1 (28-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 1/2 cups Ritz cracker crumbs
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
2 cups (8 ounces) grated cheddar cheese (plus 1/4 cup for topping)

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Pour the crushed pineapple (juice and all) into a small saucepan, and warm it over low heat. Add sugar. Heat until the sugar is dissolved, and then remove from the heat.
3. In a casserole or baking dish, layer the pineapple mixture, cracker crumbs, butter and cheese. Repeat until you have three to four layers. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cheese on top of the casserole.
4. Bake uncovered for about 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown.

Enjoy!

I’m THANKful for the 21st Century

2011-11-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

It’s Day 5 of the Plenty To Be Thankful For Blog Challenge & Swap

iPhone

I honestly don’t know how I lived without my iPhone. I can check my email, Twitter, blogs, weather, Instagram (favorite app), etc. I’m sure a device like this would have been gawked at like something from an alien planet 50 years ago.

Internet

The internet has opened a whole new world of information and connections. You can stay in touch with loved ones via Facebook, blogs and Twitter use Google to find out an answer to just about anything and shop in your PJ’s.

Travel

Between planes, trains and automobiles, it’s much easier to get from A to B, which ranks high on my list since I love to travel. Although when I was a kid, I thought we might have flying cars Jetsons style at this point.

I'm THANKful for the Blogoverse!

2011-11-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

It’s Day 4 of the Plenty To Be Thankful For Blog Challenge & Swap

Today’s topic is the Blogoverse:

The blogoverse is something I’m very THANKful for. I never imagined that so many wonderful women, most of whom I’ve never met in real life could be such a big part of my life. I’m sincere when I say that this is an amazing community and I’m lucky to have made some real friendships because of it.

Besides all the great people are the wonderful ideas and inspiration. I’ve cooked meals based on your recommendations, made crafts from some of the pretty things I’ve seen you create and been motivated to do many things like put together nice outfits, try new things, workout (need to get back to that) and decorate. The list goes on and on.

I try not to get too negative on the blog and keep things pretty upbeat, because I’ve always said this is my happy place. With that said, my life is far from perfect, but I know that the blogoverse will always be here to bring a little sun on a rainy day. For that, I'm thankful, grateful and honored to be part of it.

I'll leave you with this text from by blog friend Gwen:

It really made me giggle. Her daughter is the cutest and the fact that she knows who I am cracks me up!

I'm THANKful for My Hometown!

2011-11-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

It’s Day 3 of the Plenty To Be Thankful For Blog Challenge & Swap.

Today’s topic is My Hometown!

I’ve lived in my hometown, just outside of Philadelphia for most of my life. Living in this area, there is plenty to be THANKful for like…

Sporting and Entertainment Venues

Citizens Bank Park, Lincoln Financial Field and the Wells Fargo Center are so easy to get to for games and concerts. Citizens Bank Park is also a beautiful ballpark and pretty amazing to watch a game in.

Airport

This may sound silly, but it’s very nice living so close to an International Airport

Culture

Philadelphia is such a historic city. Sometimes I take for granted how many opportunities are right in my backyard. I need to start being more of a tourist in my own city

NJ & DE

I can get to either of these states in a jiffy. It’s a nice convenience when looking for a change of scenery. It’s also easy to get to NY & MD if I want (another thing I need to take advantage of).

City/Country Balance

There’s a nice contrast between the city and suburbs. If you’re looking for trendy restaurants, unique stores and eclectic bars – you have the city. If you’re looking small vineyards, mom and pop shops and the great outdoors – there’s the county.

I’m THANKful for YouTube (and other internet fun)!

2011-11-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

It’s Day 2 of the Plenty To Be Thankful For Blog Challenge & Swap!

Today’s topic is YouTube (and other internet fun)!

SafetySuit - Let Go

The best thing about YouTube is being able to find any song or music video at any time. It reminds me of what MTV used to be when I was a kid. With that said, I can watch SafetySuit’s new video for the song “Let Go” whenever I feel like it. For that, I am very THANKful!

Sophia Grace & Rosie on Ellen

The next best thing about YouTube is viral videos. There are so many that guarantee a laugh even when you’re in the worst mood. Sophia Grace and Rosie stole my heart when I saw them on Ellen.

Beauty Gurus

Another great thing about YouTube is the endless amounts of reviews and tutorials to learn to do your hair like this or your makeup like that. One of my favorite girls on YouTube is Michele1218. She’s classy and knows her stuff. I trust her reviews and love her style.

Pinterest

As far as other internet fun goes, I have to say that I’ve been very THANKful for Pinterest. The website has a ton of inspiration and lots of fun. It’s like getting a new virtual magazine every time you log on.

I’m THANKful for My Guilty Pleasures!

2011-11-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

I’m participating in the Plenty To Be Thankful For Blog Challenge & Swap.

Today’s topic is Guilty Pleasures!

Here are some that I’m Thankful for:

Reality TV

We all know that most reality shows kill brain cells, but after a long day of work it’s just the mind numbing thing I need to relax. I love the Real Housewives of just about anywhere and always get hooked on The Bachelor/Bachelorette.

Magazines

Curling up with a good magazine never gets old.

Sleeping in late

Thank goodness for weekends. I love sleeping in late.

Painting my nails

It’s relaxing and pleasurable at the same time.

Fashion Friday – Reese Witherspoon

2011-11-11T05:00:00.000-08:00

I’m linking up with Kori at Blonde Episodes for Fashion Friday. After seeing some photos of Reese Witherspoon at this year’s CMA Awards, I knew I wanted to share how much I adore her fashion sense. From casual to glam, she knows what she’s doing and rarely has a fashion miss.

One of my favorite things about her style is that her day-to-day outfits are very easy to replicate. Whether it be Wayfarers with a scarf or riding boots and denim, she’s effortlessly chic.

Reese presenting at the CMA Awards in Stella McCartney

Channeling Barbie at the Oscars and casual cool with a simple scarf and sunnies

Playing tourist in Sydney and then glam in Zac Posen for the Water for Elephants premiere

Gorgeous dress to meet the Duchess and grabbing takeout in Beverly Hills

Beautiful in Jason Wu at an Avon event and looking pulled together running errands

Leopard Dress & Blazer combo for an event in West Hollywood and looking good in stripes about town

Which celebrity inspires your style?

2 on Tuesday: Christmas Wish List

2011-11-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

Today, I’m linking up with Andrea over at My Chihuahua Bites for 2 on Tuesday. Please pay her blog a visit (if you haven’t already). She’s been one of my blog friends for over 3 years and pretty much rocks.

The question today is…

What’s your Christmas wish list? What do you hope to receive from Santa?

Questions like this are easy to answer. I have a wish list ready and waiting when Geof asks me what I want. Easy for him and easy for me. I usually keep track of things I like either on Pinterest or on Amazon.

If money were no object I’d love to have this

Apple iPad 2

Or this...

Canon EOS Rebel T3i

Since these are extravagant items, I’ll bring it back down to reality with some things I’d love to have that are a little more realistic.

Tarte Limited Edition LipSurgence Collection

Marley Lilly Monogrammed Pashmina in Leopard

Michael Kors Watch MK5263

Witches of East End

Case Mate iPhone 4 Bling Case

OPI Rainbow Connection from The Muppets Collection

What's on your list?

Tasty Tuesday: Crock Pot Mexican Soup

2011-11-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here’s another tasty recipe I found on Pinterest, tried and loved.

This was SO easy and really tasty. Geof was practically licking the bowl! I will say it comes out rather thick more like chowder. It was super filling and full of flavor.

Ingredients:
1 can Rotel
1 can of corn
1 can black beans (drained & rinsed)
2 frozen chicken breasts
8 oz cream cheese
1 packet dry ranch dressing
1 tbls cumin
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp chili powder

Directions:
1. Put all ingredients in crock pot and cook 6-8 hours.
2. Shred chicken

Enjoy!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend was pretty quiet, so I won’t bore you with a recap. We did have a freakish storm come through on Saturday that gave us a bit of snow and lots of freezing rain. Driving to the skating rink on Saturday was real fun…let me tell ya.

I didn’t want the day to pass without wishing all of you a

Happy Halloween!

I’ll be celebrating later with spooky cupcakes and wine.

Isn't this wine glass the cutest?

I love the little ghost marshmallows

Shutterfly Holiday Card Giveaway Winners!

2011-10-28T08:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone that entered my Shutterfly holiday card giveaway! There were a total of 47 entries. I used Random.org and the 3 winners are...

#20 - Kathie @ Like A Box of Chocolates

#37 - Leeann @ Join the Gossip

#4 - Princess Freckles @ Her Highness of Cute

Congrats, ladies! I'll be emailing you shortly.

Happy Friday!

ITS OK Thursday!

2011-10-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

I’m linking up for the first time with Neely from A Complete Waste of Makeup and Amber from Brunch with Amber for “ITS OK Thursday”. These posts are always so fun to read and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s OK with you this week!

For me, ITS OK

That I thoroughly enjoyed Pizza Hut for dinner last night (I’ve seen one too many “any pizza for $10” commercials). I also watched the rerun of Modern Family. That’s one Halloween episode that I think would be hard to surpass.

That lately I have a weird obsession with changing my nail polish every 3-4 days.

That I’ve been under the weather this week and drinking hot tea like it’s my job. I swear tea cures all. My mom was right.

That I pinned a ton of cute ideas for Halloween decorating and did…none. Whoops! There’s always next year.

That we’re taking photos for our Christmas cards this weekend and I still have no clue what to wear.

To have randomly remembered the song “Dead Man’s Party” from Oingo Boingo and will be rocking out to it in celebration of Halloween (It’s a great 80’s song and I realize I’m showing my age on this one). It’s also in the movie Back to School with Rodney Dangerfield. Love it!

Well, that’s about it for this week.

*Fun Oingo Boingo fact: Frontman Danny Elfman is Jenna Elfman’s brother and went from his 80’s pop band to composer for films like Batman. He also did the theme for Desperate Housewives

A little sparkle

2011-10-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

If my Monday shopping trip wasn’t a reminder that the holidays are right around the corner then I don’t know what is. It seems these days we can’t even get through Halloween without seeing an ornament here or a wreath there.

With that in mind, I figured it was time to add a little sparkle to my wardrobe for the season of merriment and cheer!

Burlington Coat Factory is becoming a new favorite for discount shopping. Getting a good deal is important to me these days and I was able to get both of these items for under $20!

Glitter heels

$14.99 – these are very comfortable and I love that the heel isn’t too high. I think they’d be great with an LBD or even leggings and a long cardigan or sweater.

Sparkle Ring

$4.99 – it stretches so I can wear it on any finger and makes a nice little statement piece on the cheap.

Have you scored any great deals lately?

Weekend recap

2011-10-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Friday, we took my mom out to dinner to celebrate her birthday. We gave her a choice and she wanted Don Pablo’s. I’m definitely her daughter because I love that place. We always offer up something fancy, but she goes for nice and easy.

OOTN for dinner with the fam!

My sockbun obsession

Saturday, we had skating and then Geof and I went out to see Paranormal Activity 3. It was really scary and got me the worst of all of them. I’d be lying if I said my mind wasn’t reeling with scary thoughts before I went to sleep that night.

Sunday, we ran some errands and then our friends Kristen and Sean came over. We headed over to Brit and Mike’s house for a delicious spaghetti dinner and some sweet treats (Kristen whipped up the best pumpkin cupcakes). After dinner, we headed out to Bates Motel. We survived the hayride, corn maze and haunted house. I didn’t even freak out when the chainsaw guy came after us (a first for me!). The whole night was a blast with good friends and good times.

Monday I took the day off and did some shopping with my mom. I’ll have to share some of my finds later in the week. I also painted my nails with the shade Cool Couture from Maybelline. It’s a great blue for fall and winter.

Cool Couture from Maybelline

A Shutterfly Holiday & Giveaway

2011-10-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

I was thrilled that Shutterfly contacted me again this year to make my Christmas cards. When I did this for the first time last year, it was so simple and incredibly easy. They have a ton of different designs to choose from. Everything from classy to whimsical. Designing the cards could also not have been any easier. I loved that I had the ability to enhance, crop and customize the color scheme.

The quality of the cards was also impressive and well above my expectations. I have no complaints about the shipping either. The cards arrived quickly after my order was placed and were packed safely so there weren’t any bends or tears.

I’m excited for the opportunity to use Shutterfly again for all of my needs!

My 2010 design! It was a huge hit and I loved this card.

Not only do I get to send beautiful Shutterfly cards this Christmas, but my readers get the opportunity as well. I have 3 codes for 25 Free Cards of your choice. That’s right, there will be three winners!

All you need to do to enter is leave a comment below. If you want, let me know which design you like best (from below) so you can have a say in the design I pick this year!

Extra entries:
Follow my blog or let me know you’re already a follower +1
Follow me on Twitter or let me know you’re already one of my Tweeps +1
Tweet about this giveaway +1
Blog about this giveaway +1

The giveaway will close on 10/27/11 and the winner will be announced 10/28/11.

In addition to holiday cards, Shutterfly also offers:
Greeting cards
Calendars
Photo gifts

The dots are cute and I like the simple design

Initials and monograms are one of my favorite things

This looks so classic and I like the pretty bow

The layout on this one is nice and you can put in many images from throughout the year

Are you a blogger? Want a chance at 25 free cards this holiday season? Register here: http://goo.gl/DDw7Q (that means if you're a blogger and you're one of the giveaway winners, you'll get a total of 50 cards!)

FTC: I was contacted by Shutterfly for this promotion and giveaway. In return, Shutterfly is offering me 50 free Christmas Cards.

Weekend recap

2011-10-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

It has been forever since I’ve written a weekend recap and it feels good to be getting things back to normal around here. I had a pretty fall-tastic weekend with great friends and here’s what we did.

Friday, Geof and I went with some friends to Pennhurst Asylum for some haunts. This was the first time we’ve been there for the Halloween attractions and once we got there, I realized how creepy the place is on it’s own without being all decked out for Halloween. It was an actual mental asylum that operated 75+ years. They had 4 attractions; the Asylum, Tunnel of Terror, Ghost Hunt and Dungeon of Lost Souls. Every one of them was very scary, but the tunnel spooked me the most.

Saturday, I went ice skating and brought my friend Kristen along. It was her first time skating and she did a great job. After skating, Kristen’s husband Sean came down along with our other friends Colleen and Donald for a triple date night. We went to Linvilla Orchards, took a “Harvest Moon” hayride, went to see the animals, Pumpkinland and finally checked out the Farmers Market. We made the visit complete with some of their delicious apple cider donuts! After Linvilla, we went out for pizza and beer at Pinocchio’s.

Date night at Linvilla!

The girls at Linvilla

Sweet little Deer that I got to feed

Colleen and I...the sunset was breathtaking Saturday night

Sunday was spent relaxing after cramming so much in on Friday and Saturday. It was a very lazy day of everything from watching football to Father of the Bride.

Nail files

2011-10-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

I don’t know what’s gotten into me, but this year nail polish has become a big obsession of mine. I’ve actually started to enjoy doing my own nails. Before I used to always go to the salon and nowadays it’s more of a treat (that I appreciate much more than I did before).

I wanted to share some of my new favorite polishes from drugstore to department store brands that I’ve been loving as of late:

Essie's Lady Like is the perfect fall pink because it's more mauve. It has a also has a beautiful creme finish.

Jesse's Girl Stiletto is neutral taupe shade that leans a little grey. From swatches I've seen online, it also looks similar to Particuliere from Chanel at a much cheaper price.

Wet 'N Wild Purple Potion is a deep, dark purple with purple micro glitter. It's extremely cheap and how fun is this little tombstone bottle for Halloween?

Deborah Lippmann Naked is a beautiful, neutral nude shade that works for any occasion. This is such a classic that can be worn year round.

What polishes are you loving lately?

Tasty Tuesday: Cheesy Enchilada Casserole

2011-10-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

Pinterest has been my latest obsession and with that comes a load of recipes I’ve pinned to make at some point. I finally started last night by making something that has been making my mouth water just from looking at the photo and it’s the Cheesy Enchilada Casserole. This dish was voted the #1 Casserole for the year at Taste Of Home. I figured that it had to be a home run (and it was).

Here’s the recipe, originally found here and pinned on my boards on Pinterest here.

Cheesy Enchilada Casserole

Cornbread

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 large onion, chopped or season with Onion powder or minced onion
2 1/2 cups salsa
1 can (15 ounces) black beans or red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup reduced-fat Italian salad dressing
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium taco seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
4-6 flour tortillas (8 inches)
1 small can of drained corn, or about 1 1/4 cups of frozen corn (optional)
3/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 cups (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
1 cup shredded lettuce (I didn’t use lettuce)
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro (I added 1/4 cup of fresh chopped cilantro to the meat mixture instead and added some extra on top for garnishment/added flavor)

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
2. Stir in the salsa, beans, corn, dressing, sour cream, taco seasoning and cumin.
3. Spoon a generous layer of meat mixture on bottom of 2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese.
4. Place a flour or corn tortilla on top of meat mixture. Layer with half of the meat mixture, and cheese. Repeat as many layers as you like.
5. The last & final layer should be a healthy dose of grated cheese.
6. Cover with foil that has been sprayed with Pam or other and bake at 400° for 25 minutes, or until hot & bubbly.
7. Let stand for 5 minutes before topping with tomato and cilantro (and lettuce if you decide to use it).

Yield: 8 servings

I also whipped up some cornbread and that went really well with it. This was a huge hit and something I will make again and again. There were also plenty of leftovers.

Enjoy!

Chicago Trip – Day 3

2011-10-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

This was our last day before we had to fly back to Philly, so we wanted to make it count. We got up bright and early, had breakfast at the hotel and walked over to Millennium Park to see The Bean! It was even bigger and more impressive that I could have imagined. It was also a beautiful day in the city, so you could see all of the buildings and clouds reflecting off of it. We took a ton of pics and then walked around the park for a bit.

The Bean!

Bean shenanigans

Geof and I at The Bean

Millennium Park and the "Face" Fountains

From the park, we caught a cab down to Hot Doug’s in the Chicago suburbs. This is a place I’ve heard many good things about and I loved the name, so we had to go. I knew it had to be good as soon as the cab pulled up because there was a line down the block. The food was worth the wait and it was the best dog I’ve ever eaten.

Hot Doug's

We headed back downtown to Navy Pier. I was freezing (and a little cranky) by this point. Geof was my hero because he got me a hoodie right away from one of the souvenir shops to solve all of my problems (except for the fact that I didn’t bring sneakers or a coat…I’m an idiot). When they call Chicago “The Windy City”, they weren’t joking and I’ll know better next time. The pier was having an Octoberfest event that we checked out and then we just walked down the pier to take in the sights on a gorgeous afternoon. We settled on Margaritaville for some drinks and then started back for our hotel.

Us at Navy Pier

Navy Pier

We got ready and headed went to Lou Malnati’s for dinner so I could have my first taste of a Chicago Deep Dish Pizza. It was everything I expected and more. From dinner, we walked down by Millennium Park and checked out a local pub for some drinks to end the night. I was so glad Amy & Chad were able to meet us and we had an awesome weekend together.

Lou Malnati's

Chicago is a beautiful city with really nice people. I couldn’t believe how friendly everyone was for it being a major metropolitan area. I think I’ve become a little jaded by the Northeast and expect others to behave the same. It was a pleasant surprise and I look forward to visiting again someday!

Chicago trip - Day 2

2011-10-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Friday, we got up bright and early and headed out for some ~~shopping~~ browsing on Michigan Ave. There were many beautiful things, but at almost 10% sales tax and with us trying to save money, I didn’t go crazy. I did get some makeup goodies, but that’s about it. We also took a walk down by Lake Shore Drive because the waves on Lake Michigan were roaring. I even saw a story about it on the local news that morning that some bikers and joggers were wiped out by the waves crashing up over the roads and onto the streets. It was quite a sight to be seen and it looked more like an ocean than a lake.

OOTD!

Huge waves down by Lake Shore Drive

We then visited the Hershey store to warm up with a hot chocolate and then headed to Saks. The incredibly sweet salesgirl starting trying a new blush on me and that turned into her applying mascara, liner…the works. She made me look nice though and I certainly appreciated it since I was on vacation.

Me outside the Hershey store!

For lunch, we went to Su Casa because we were craving Mexican. It’s really the only place we went the entire time that wasn’t on our list and were pleasantly surprised by the good service and inexpensive prices, especially for a restaurant in the heart of downtown. My margarita was downright delicious!

Us at Su Casa

From lunch we headed to Barney’s and then to the Hermes store. I’ve been wanting to try a sample of their Ambre Narguile perfume for a very long time and the girl in the store was more than willing to give me one and offer me another scent of my choosing (I got the Iris Ukiyoe). Both smell fantastic and the Ambre Narguile is a perfect scent for fall, though I’d never pay for my own bottle of this (I believe it’s $195 a bottle!).

From shopping we headed back to The Allerton to collect our bags and cabbed it over to our new hotel right in the heart of the theatre district. We got settled in, took a nap and then I finally got to go to Sprinkles to try my first cupcake from them. It was worth the wait and absolutely delish! We headed back to the hotel to await the arrival of our good friends Amy & Chad. We caught up for a bit and then headed out to dinner at Chicago Pizza Oven Grinder & Co. I really wanted to go to this place because I saw it on the Travel channel as being #1 of the Top 10 Cheesiest Eats in the county for their Pizza Pot Pie. It was really good and a hit with Geof too. I wouldn’t say it’s the best thing I’ve ever had, but it was definitely worth the visit. From dinner, we headed to Miller’s Pub because it was close to our hotel. It was an interesting place and we saw a guy in a suit that looked like he’d been there since happy hour fall flat on the floor off of his bar stool. Yikes.

Sprinkles!

Us with Chad & Amy at Chicago Pizza Oven Grinder & Co.

Pizza Pot Pie

I just have one more Chicago post and then it will be back to business as usual!

Chicago trip – Day 1

2011-10-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

We just got back from Chicago on Sunday and what a whirlwind weekend it was. We were able to visit because Geof received an invite to attend a movie premiere as part of his blog/contest being held. It was pretty last minute and the producers flew us out, put us up for one night at The Allerton and invited us to the premiere of Fancypants where we got to walk the red carpet. It felt pretty cool to have a bunch of shutterbugs flashing cameras in our faces and asking us questions. We also got to sit in between the stars of the film and it felt like something straight out of Hollywood. Geof also had to get up and speak briefly in front of the crowd of 400+ people and he did awesome.

OOTN for the premiere!

Geof and I on the red carpet

The rest of the trip was for relaxation. After the movie, we went back to our hotel, got changed and hopped in a cab bound for Kuma’s Corner. This is a place Geof has raved about for the past few years and has never been able to take me to because he’s only been there when he travels to Chicago for work. Let me just tell you that this place had the BEST Mac ‘n Cheese I have ever had. They also had an awesome beer selection and the most unique burgers I’ve ever seen, all named after heavy metal bands. I got the Pantera Burger complete with Roasted Poblano Pepper, Bacon, Cheddar, Monterey Jack, house made Ranchero Sauce and Tortilla Strips. This place is out in the suburbs of Chicago and definitely a hidden gem. They had a funny joke up on the chalkboard that said “Why did the hipster burn his mouth on pizza?”…”He ate it before it was cool”. That one really had me laughing. I can see why it’s rated #52 out of #3,076 restaurants on TripAdvisor.

Food at Kuma's Corner

After Kuma’s, we went back to our hotel that was right in the heart of the Magnificent Mile on Michigan Ave. We took a late night stroll and stumbled upon The Drake hotel completely by accident. This was on my “must see” list while we were there because one of my favorite movies of all time, My Best Friend’s Wedding was filmed there. The hotel was as beautiful and opulent as I expected and we walked in like we owned the place which afforded me the opportunity to snap some pics like the ridiculous tourist that I am.

Outside The Drake

Beautiful ballroom inside The Drake. I can't imagine how gorgeous a wedding would be in this room.

Geof on Michigan Ave.

I’m baaaaack!

2011-10-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

That’s right everyone. My unofficial blog hiatus is over and I’m glad to be blogging again. Leaving wasn’t planned and there were many times I wanted to come back, but just didn’t have it in me. Between work and life, I lost my mojo. The creative juices weren’t flowing and I didn’t want to just blog for the sake of blogging. For those that are reading this, I sincerely thank you for not deserting me and I hope you’ll continue to stay along for the ride.

Here are some of the highlights and interesting tidbits of the last 2 ½ months!

Chad & Amy (our friends from BCE 1 & BCE 2) came out to visit us and we took them down to the Jersey Shore. Our other friends Tracy and Stephanie came later on in the weekend the whole gang got to sightsee in Philadelphia. We did everything from Reading Terminal Market to the “Rocky Steps” at the Art Museum.

Survived my first and hopefully last Earthquake

Spent as much time as possible at the pool

Read…a lot. I’ve definitely discovered a new hobby (this book was also really good btw).

Made it through Hurricane Irene

Chester Count Restaurant Festival

Lots of dinner and movie dates!

That’s about it. We also just get back from Chicago over the weekend and I cannot wait to share all of our adventures from while we were there!

3 on the 3rd

2011-10-03T19:47:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone! I know I most definitely have some 'splainin' to do and I'll get to that later this week. I've missed you all terribly and I'm glad to finally be back.

With that said, today is a day to celebrate because it's my 3rd Wedding Anniversary! I think this one is extra special because it's 3 years on the 3rd. Would you like to know how we celebrated? With McDonald's for dinner. That's just how we roll sometimes and I'm sure we'll make up for it by doing something fun over the weekend.

Time really flies and it's crazy that on this night 3 years ago, we were saying our "I do's", dancing our first dance, cutting the cake and spending an incredible evening with all of our family and friends.

Geof really is as good as they come and I'm blessed to have him by my side. He's my rock and my best friend. He picks me up everytime I'm down and I honestly believe that we can get through anything as long as we have each other. This past year has really proven that. I love him with all my heart and that will never change. Love you babe!

Weekend recap

2011-07-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

This was easily the best weekend of the summer…so far. Friday, my mom took Geof and I out to The Melting Pot to celebrate our birthdays. We had a great server who really hooked us up on the cheese and chocolate courses. Everything was delicious and we had a really nice time.

Painted my nails with OPI's Flit A Bit

Dinner at The Melting Pot

Saturday, Geof and I got up bright and early and headed to Six Flags Hurricane Harbor. It was in the mid 80’s and perfect water park weather. We went slipping and sliding, jumped waves and floated along the lazy river all day long. Exhaustion set in around 6. We got a quick bite at McDonald’s (which from the heat and running around all day tasted like the best Mickey D’s I ever had in my life) and then made our way back to PA.

Lazy River at Hurricane Harbor

Another pretty summer sunset

Sunday, we spent the afternoon at the pool. The weather was hot and the pool was cool, just how I like it. Later in the night, Geof went out with one of his buddies and my mom and I went to Target.

The Murderer’s Daughters

2011-07-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

This is a book that I bought on a whim while browsing around Target. I saw that it had the Target Book Club seal, so I figured it had to be pretty decent. This is the first book I’ve ever purchased blindly without reading any reviews and I’m going to have to do it more often, because this book was very good and it pleasantly surprised me.

Review from Target:

The Murderer’s Daughters follows two sisters, Merry and Lulu, left on their own after their father murders their mother, and how the tragedy that changed their lives in an instant haunts each of them distinctly and profoundly as they make their way in the world together. Lulu and Merry's childhood was never ideal, but on the day before Lulu's tenth birthday their father drives them into a nightmare. He's always hungered for the love of the girls’ self-obsessed mother; after she throws him out, their troubles turn deadly. Lulu had been warned to never to let her father in, but when he shows up drunk, he's impossible to ignore. He bullies his way past Lulu, who then listens in horror as her parents struggle. She runs for help, but discovers upon her return that he's murdered her mother, stabbed her five-year-old sister, and tried, unsuccessfully, to kill himself. Lulu and Merry are effectively orphaned by their mother’s death and father’s imprisonment, but the girls’ relatives refuse to care for them and abandon them to a terrifying group home. Even as they plot to be taken in by a well-to-do family, they come to learn they’ll never really belong anywhere or to anyone—that all they have to hold onto is each other. For thirty years, the sisters try to make sense of what happened. Their imprisoned father is a specter in both their lives, shadowing every choice they make. One spends her life pretending he's dead, while the other feels compelled, by fear, by duty, to keep him close. Both dread the day his attempts to win parole may meet success. A beautifully written, compulsively readable debut, The Murderer's Daughters is a testament to the power of family and the ties that bind us together and tear us apart.

The book wasn’t one of the happier stories that I’ve read, but it was so honest. The author did a wonderful job of telling the story from Merry and Lulu’s perspectives. It was broken into parts and showed the progression through their lives of coming to terms with the untimely death of their mother and having an incarcerated father.

Book in a nutshell: Great book that makes you appreciate the family you have!

Weekend recap

2011-07-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

Friday was spent at home working most of the night so that I didn’t have to do it later on in the weekend. I watched Dateline and that was about as exciting as it got.

Saturday, Geof and I went down to Delaware and did a little shopping at the Christiana Mall. We had dinner at Don Pablo’s and then headed towards home. We made a stop at a park down by the river to catch the sunset and just stare out at the river for awhile.

Us down by the river

Sunset on the river

Sunday, I slept in gloriously late and we went to the pool for the remainder of the afternoon and early evening. This was the first time we broke out our new beach chairs and they are the best thing since sliced bread. Sometimes it’s the little things that make all the difference. Once we got home, Geof decided to grill indoors on the Foreman and make some delicious burgers. We had those while getting caught up on True Blood.

{mid} Summer Bucket List

2011-07-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

It’s hard to believe that we’re already into July. Summer is flying by and I need to hang on tight before it’s gone. With that said, I wanted to make some goals for myself and fun ones at that. Most of the time we’re always setting goals to better this and improve that (which is great, don’t get me wrong), but sometimes we need to just let go and have a little fun. Isn’t that what summer is all about?

Here is what I intend to do before Labor Day weekend:

Amusement park

Water park

Read more

Watch a sunset or two

Wine tasting

Beach day

I’ll let you know how it all works out!

Is there anything you have your heart set on doing before the end of summer?

Images via weheartit

Coupon Chief Review

2011-07-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

You know that I’m all about saving money these days and when there are deals to be had, I go after them. When it comes to shopping online, the rule is to never make a purchase unless I can find a coupon code for a discount or at least free shipping.

This is where Coupon Chief comes in. It’s a huge database of coupons that can be used for all different kinds of online retailers ranging from clothing to electronics to home goods to even baby products. Another plus that differentiates it from other coupon sites is, that once a coupon expires, it is removed from the site so you aren't left filtering through a bunch of invalid codes. Users are also invited to comment, rate and validate coupons. Coupons can also easily be shared with friends via quick links to social networking outlets, such as Twitter and Facebook, as well as e-mail.

My favorite part of the site is the option to register for their “Pays-2-Share” program, which offers participants monetary incentives to upload coupons and compensate them when they are used. Every time someone uses a coupon you've uploaded, Coupon Chief will give you 2% of the sales, which can be paid out via a check or PayPal. You can’t get any more convenient than that!
For all the latest information, you can stay up to date by “liking” their Facebook page.

FTC: I was compensated to write an honest review regarding www.couponchief.com

Weekend recap

2011-07-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

As you know, Friday was a bad day and I won’t get into that again. Thank you to everyone that left me a sweet comment on my post. It made me feel much better.

Saturday, we worked around the house and ran errands. I had baked cupcakes for Geof’s birthday on Thursday and we celebrated in the evening with those and some homemade tacos. I also managed to paint my nails later in the evening.

Geof's birthday cupcakes!

Wet n Wild's Wave of Enchantment

Sunday, Geof and I had a date day and went to see Transformers 3 in 3D but not before a quick stop at Ulta (I couldn’t resist). The movie was definitely more of dude flick and not for me. I’ll give credit for the special effects, but it was way too long at almost 2.5 hours.

After the movies, we went to McKenzie’s Brew House for dinner. We’d never been there before and it was a great choice because the food was delicious. We had a Fontina Fondue for an appetizer and Geof got one of the McKenzie Wit beers they brew in-house. For dinner, Geof got a deal that couldn’t be beat. He got his beer, a salad, filet mignon crowned with beer battered onion rings and a baked potato for $20. I know what I’m getting next time! I was boring and got meatloaf, but it was so good. Comfort food like that soothes the soul.

Gorgeous summer sunset

McKenzie's Brew House

Monday was spent relaxing around the house and I unfortunately had work that needed to be done, so it was a very quiet 4th. The most excitement was watching Sara Bareilles play at the Philadelphia Welcome America Celebration. As much as I want to go down there and see the talent live each year, it’s not worth it and I’d much rather just watch from my living room in HD.

I hope you all had a fun, long weekend!

Goodbye, my friend

2011-07-01T20:11:00.001-07:00

Today was bittersweet. It was time to say goodbye to my/my mom’s sweet dog, Happy. He was a source of stability in my life for the past 13+ years. No matter how much things had changed, I always knew I could count on him to make me feel better. When I lived at home he was my best buddy and slept in my room every single night. He was the most loving, well-behaved dog and a perfect gentleman.

I’ve lost animals throughout my life but nothing has ever stung this hard. The decision was made late this evening and we all went to the vet together. He was too good of a dog to continue suffering and being in pain. It was a horrible feeling and I don’t think you can ever truly prepare yourself for goodbye. We were all in the room as he slipped away and it’s something I never wanted to face. I looked into his eyes and kept kissing his precious head. I didn’t want him to feel alone for even one second.

I know he’s already running around in doggy heaven and that gives me peace.

Summer shows

2011-06-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

Gone are the days of boring television during the summer. I remember when there was nothing on during the warmer months. Now there are a plethora of shows and here are some of my favorites:

So You Think You Can Dance

So much talent and so many different styles of dance.

Keeping Up with the Kardashians

It’s obviously scripted, but still fun to take a peek into their world

The Bachelorette

Each season I swear that I’m over it and then get sucked right back in. I have to admit that Ashley is uber-annoying and I’m only half paying attention every week.

Real Housewives of New Jersey

Total guilty pleasure, though shows like this and Jersey Shore give the Tri-State area a bad name.

True Blood

Three words: Eric. Bill. Jason

Entourage

The last season. Tear.

What are you watching this summer?

Weekend recap

2011-06-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

I’ve been so busy (hence my lack of blogging) and decided that enough was enough. This was a weekend to relax and get some fun back in my life.

Friday, we made a quick mall run and then hit Arby’s for dinner. We stayed in the rest of the night and relaxed. Just what I needed after a long week.

Saturday, Geof and I went to Spice for dinner and I got my usual Indian dish (Chicken Tikka Masala). It was so good, as always. From dinner we went to the movies to see X-Men: First Class. It was really good and kept my attention the entire film. I’m not into comic books, but have seen all of the other X-Men movies and it was interesting to see the backstory on Professor X and Magneto. Sorry if I sound like a huge nerd right now, but I love superhero-ish movies. Hugh Jackman also made a cameo which was a nice little surprise. Jennifer Lawrence played the young Mystique and I’m realizing more than ever how absolutely gorgeous she is. Kevin Bacon also played a great bad guy. There really aren’t enough good things to say about this movie.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Sunday, our friends Kristen and Dan came over and we headed down to World Café Live in the city to see The Daylights and The Parlotones. We met up with our friends Emily and Jen and all had a really nice time. We first saw The Daylights on the Vh1 Best Cruise Ever and became fans there. It was nice to see them again and they sounded fantastic. The Parlotones are a band from South Africa and they were great as well. It was the last night of their tour together, so both bands played plenty of pranks on one another during their sets.

Geof and I with Ran from The Daylights

The Parlotones

Monday I took the day off and Kristen and I went to the pool. Pure relaxation!

My Wedding, M-Z

2011-06-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for your sweet comments on my last wedding post and here I am wrapping it up! I have to say, it’s been fun taking a walk down memory lane considering that we’re going on 3 years as husband and wife.

Music

The music at our ceremony was traditional and nothing out of the ordinary.

Our wedding party was introduced to Sexy Back by Justin Timberlake and we walked in to Crazy in Love by Beyonce and Jay-Z.

Our first dance was to the song Stolen by Dashboard Confessional.

The DJ company we hired was so good and kept everyone dancing all night long.

First dance

Newlyweds

You bet!

Old, New, Borrowed, Blue

I wasn’t crazy about this tradition, but went along with it anyway.

I did love my monogrammed garter!

Photography

Hiring Cindy Guessford was the best decision we made throughout the whole process. She was incredible to work with and I’m so impressed with what a great job she did shooting our wedding.

I love this picture of our engagement pictures. We used this as our guestbook.

Question Popping

Geof proposed to me at Longwood Gardens two days before Christmas. It was a magical night. The whole proposal story is here.

Fountains at Longwood

Reception

Our reception was held at Drexelbrook. It was a beautiful venue and I loved the ballroom our reception was in. They treated us like royalty

Shoes

I went with an ivory d’orsay pumps from Liz Rene.

Trash The Dress

I was all about doing this and kind of lost interest. I guess I could still do it if I wanted to. I had a whole plan to go to the beach and get in the ocean with my dress.

Unique

Details were very important to me. For favors, we had candy apples to fit in with the whole fall theme from our favorite place, Linvilla Orchards. We also had a candy buffet, which everyone raved about.

Vows

We went with the traditional vows. We both would have been too nervous to recite our own.

Wedding Woes

The Pastor admonishing our photographer in front of everyone was pretty bad, but now we all laugh about it. Full story here.

X-Rated

Eww!

Young Kids

We only had a flower girl (my little cousin). She was the cutest!

Zzzz

Our wedding and reception were on a Friday night and it was more of a party atmosphere in my opinion. Saturday was spent relaxing with our family and then Sunday we left for our honeymoon!

Thank you so much for reading!

Summer Beauty Essentials

2011-06-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

It’s almost summer and about that time to give our beauty routines a facelift. I don’t know about you, but as soon as the warmer temps hit, I’m ready for flip flops with pastel pedis and glowing skin.

Here are some of my beauty besties for summer:

Summer Beauty Besties by Jules7127 on Polyvore.com

MAC Cremesheen Glass in Fashion Scoop – I love the Cremesheen formula from MAC because it’s not sticky and this is the prettiest pale pink that looks good alone or on top of lipstick.

Bobbi Brown Bronzer in Golden Light – This is a great all-around bronzer and the matte finish works really well for me on my lighter skin.

Essie Nail Polish in Turquoise & Caicos – Just about any pink or pastel will do, but I especially love this color from Essie. It’s the prettiest shade of blue and reminds me of a tropical getaway. I love it on my toes.

EOS Lip Balm in Lemon Drop w/SPF 15 – These balms are not only fun because of the shape, but they also work really well at keeping lips soft and protecting against the sun.

Hawaiian Tropic Shimmer Effect After Sun Moisturizer in Coconut Papaya – This lotion is great after a day at the pool or the beach. It hydrates, smells amazing and gives a nice sheen. It looks especially good on your legs with summer dresses.

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunblock, SPF 30 – This is hands down the best SPF I’ve ever used. It doesn’t have that typical sunscreen scent and it applies evenly and lightly.

Garnier Fructis Wonder Waves Wave-Enhancing Spray – Want summer beach waves? This is your new best friend. I love this and have been using it for two years. It gives natural looking waves like you’ve spent a day at the beach.

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Perfume – This seriously smells like summer in a bottle. I can’t even describe it. It’s somewhere between an exotic beach, coconuts and citrus/floral. If you see this in your local department store…smell it. It’s amaze-balls and already sold out online (last time I checked).

Bare Minerals Glimmer Eyeshadow in Nude Beach – Mineral products are great in the summer because they give a sheer wash of color and don’t feel too heavy. This is a beautiful, universally flattering shade for all over your lids. Just throw on some mascara and you’re good to go!

Do you love any of these products as much as me? Are there some that you’d like to add to the list?

My Wedding, A-L

2011-06-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

The fabulous Meghan of My Perfect Compilation Tape (don’t you just love that name?) had this on her blog and I couldn’t help but play along.

For those that don’t know, Geof and I met in April of 2005 through online dating. I had a good run of losers in my life and was ready for a good guy. I honestly feel blessed and so lucky to have a wonderful man like him in my life. I know that’s an incredibly cliché thing to say, but it really is the truth.

We were engaged in December of 2006, bought our house in April of 2007 and were married in October of 2008. Our wedding day was absolutely beautiful and something I’m so proud of. Everything came together exactly as I wanted it to and I married the love of my life!

Attending:

118

Bridesmaids:

I had four bridesmaids, one of which was my cousin and the other 3 are friends.

Cake:

I got carried away with this! We had two cakes. One regular cake and one baby cake that was a replica of the larger cake to display on the sweetheart table. I was so impressed with how this turned out and the cake was delicious.

Big Cake

Baby Cake

Dress:

My dress was an ivory, strapless, A-line dress from Ella Rosa. I loved it and had tried on so many that I never thought I’d find the one. I loved my train and how it bustled. The dress shop I purchased it from could not have been better from the service to the price.

Engagement:

I did a post on my engagement story here. It was seriously like a fairy tale and that day stacks right up there with my wedding day. Seriously. We were engaged for a year and half. It gave me plenty of time to plan.

The night we got engaged right before he popped the question!

Flowers:

My bouquet was pretty traditional and consisted of lots of roses and some stephanotis. I also had some pretty crystals in my bouquet to really make it pop. The bridesmaids had colorful fall bouquets and I love how they turned out.

Groomsmen:

Geof had 4 of his buddies in the weeding party. The pic I’ve posted only has 3. There’s a story behind that here and it's a funny one.

Honeymoon:

We had a pretty traditional Honeymoon and stayed at The Royal in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. We relaxed a ton by the swim-up bar and met some other great couples that were honeymooners too. The highlight of our trip was going to Xcaret for the day. We went snorkeling, then swam with the dolphins and caught the Mayan show that evening.

The view from our balcony. We even had a Hammock out there. I remember reading a little bit of Twilight out there everyday.

Invitations:

I loved everything about our invites. They were custom designed by Allison Barnhill. She created a pretty fall motif and carried it through all of our wedding related paper goods.

Our invitations!

This was at the top of our invites on the inside

Pretty paper goods for the reception

Justice of the Peace:

We were married by Pastor Richard at Saint Matthew.

Keepsakes:

I kept a ton all of the important stuff and sold the rest on The Knot. The Trash to Treasure board is amazing for that!

Ladies Night:

My bachelorette weekend will go down as one of the best times ever! My bridesmaids planned a weekend away in Atlantic City. The main party night consisted of a great dinner with the boys at The Continental, after which we went our separate ways to really get the festivities started. The girls took me to a fun show at Showboat and then we went to Mixx at The Borgata to end the night.

So much fun!

I’ll be doing M-Z soon, so stay tuned for that!

Man Candy Monday – Alexander Skarsgård

2011-06-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

My weekend consisted mainly of work, work and more work. Instead of boring you with a lame recap, I thought I’d play along with Leeann for Man Candy Monday. Looking at gorgeous men is the perfect way to start the week if you ask me.

This week is inspired by the latest cover of GQ. I was checking out some mags when I saw one of my favorite Hollywood hunks gracing the cover, Alexander Skarsgård.

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Birth Name:
Alexander Johan Hjalmar Skarsgård

Date of Birth:
August 25, 1976

From:
Stockholm, Sweden

Known For:
Acting. Best known for his role as vampire Eric Northman on True Blood

Relationship Status:
Dating Kate Bosworth

Are you with me on this one ladies?

NuMe Giveaway Winner!!

2011-06-09T15:31:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone that entered the NuMe Giveaway. NuMe used Random.org to draw the winner and there were a total of 69 entries:

Min: 1
Max: 69
Result: 5

The winner is...

mrs.mfc

Congrats!! Please email me your info.

This week has been insanely busy and I hoped to get back to blogging on a regular basis. That's not going to happen and I will catch you next week.

Happy {almost} Friday and enjoy your weekend!

If You Seek Amy

2011-06-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

I’m delighted to announce that my sweet and incredibly awesome friend Amy has started a blog called Notes From Anywhere But Here. You’ve definitely heard about her before. Geof and I met Amy and her husband, Chad last year on the VH1 Best Cruise Ever and have stayed in touch ever since. We also got to cruise together again this year. She’s my Midwest Sister from another Mister and I promise that she will keep you entertained.

Please head on over and say "Hello". You won’t regret it!

Today is also the last day to enter my NuMe giveaway. It will close at midnight.

Weekend recap

2011-06-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

Friday I took the day off and our friends Stephanie and Tracy from Maryland came up for the evening. We went to happy hour at The Deck for a bit and then headed down to The Mann Center in the city for The Script concert. We got these tickets weeks ago and found out that SafetySuit was recently added to the tour. You all know they’re my favorite band, so to get to see both was an awesome plus. Some of our other friends were at the concert and Dawn and Stacy had extra tickets in better seats so we moved down to be with them. The weather could not have been better for a show at an outdoor venue and seeing both bands took me right back to a few weeks ago when we saw them on the VH1 Best Cruise Ever. After the show we waited around and got to see the guys from The Script. They’re so down to earth and nice, especially for being as popular as they are.

Tracy, Stephanie, Geof and I at The Deck

Us with Danny from The Script

Saturday, Geof and I went to Linvilla Orchards for the Strawberry Festival. The weather was nice and not too hot. We went to feed the deer and then took a hayride out to the strawberry fields to roll up our sleeves and get to picking. We only picked the best and made it a nice afternoon out of it. No matter what season it is, I love spending time at Linvilla.

Strawberry Festival

Sunday, we got my mom and went to the movies to see Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides in 3D. I loved it and it’s probably my favorite movie of the summer season so far. I hope this ignites a new series in the Pirates franchise as the movie certainly left it open for more. I also loved Penelope Cruz as the leading lady.

On Stranger Tides

After the movies, we went to Pinocchio’s and then headed and caught some of the MTV Movie Awards. Every year that I watch, I cringe little more and it makes me feel so old, yet I continue to tune in.

Memorial Day Weekend recap

2011-05-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

Friday, Geof and I both got let out of work early. I went to get a mani and then we headed right for the movies to see The Hangover 2. This place becomes a ghost town on the weekend during the summer months, especially on holiday weekends when everyone heads to the shore. We were able to get to the theater in no time, which is always nice. The sequel was funny, but nowhere near as good as the first one. I did like it though and it’s tough to compare them since the first one is one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen. Zach Galifianakis had me laughing out load at many points and I also didn’t mind staring at Bradley Cooper for 2 hours. It would have been nice to incorporate Doug into the shenanigans this time around.

Essie Borrowed & Blue

The Hangover Part II

After the movie, we headed to Uno for some pizza and then home to get ready to go out for the night. Our friend Dan came over to meet up with us and we went to The Deck for the night. The weather was perfect for being outside on the river and I had a good time with the guys. I also bumped into some people I haven’t seen in awhile, which is always nice.

Saturday, we relaxed around the house most of the day and went out to Media in the evening for a date night. We had another gorgeous evening and it was nice to stroll around town. We settled on dinner at Fellini and it was absolutely delicious. There is nothing like authentic Italian food and it’s B.Y.O.B.

Beautiful sunset

Mozzarella Sticks wrapped in spring roll wrappers

Fellini

Sunday, we went to the pool and it was glorious! It felt like forever since I spent time in the cool water and basked in the sun. This past winter was too long, so I’m more than happy to see that summer is almost here. We got to catch up with our friends from the pool and made it a great day.

Getting ready to head to the pool!

View from my lounge chair at the pool...it looks like the clouds are forming a heart

We got home from the pool and my mom came over to visit. Geof made us bleu cheese stuffed burgers and I made s’mores for dessert. So good. We caught up on So You Think You Can Dance on the DVR and had a relaxing night in.

Monday was pretty laid back. We ran some errands, went to Old Navy (I got some great workout pants thanks to a coupon from sweet Kathie), Bed, Bath & Beyond and then to Chik-Fil-A for lunch. I’m super excited about the zero gravity chairs we got from Bed, Bath & Beyond. I’ll be lounging in one all summer long at the pool.

Once we got home, I ended up organizing and going through some more things to get rid of. We have been on such a mission lately getting the house together and it feels good. In the evening we watched the remaining episodes of Modern Family and Cougar Town on the DVR.

I hope you all had a fantastic Memorial Day Weekend too!

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway!!

The Good Life

2011-05-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

It’s almost time for the long weekend and the unofficial start to summer. I can’t help but be a little giddy with excitement.

Have a look at these images, turn up this song and enjoy!

Good Life – OneRepublic Song Lyrics

OneRepublic - Good Life

Woke up in London yesterday
Found myself in the city near Piccadilly
Don't really know how I got here
I got some pictures on my phone

New names and numbers that I don't know
Address to places like Abbey Road
Day turns to night, night turns to whatever we want
We're young enough to say

Oh this has gotta be the good life
This has gotta be the good life
This could really be a good life, good life

Say oh, got this feeling that you can't fight
Like this city is on fire tonight
This could really be a good life
A good, good life

To my friends in New York, I say hello
My friends in L.A. they don't know
Where I've been for the past few years or so
Paris to China to Colorado

Sometimes there's airplanes I can' t jump out
Sometimes there's bs that don't work now
We are god of stories but please tell me
What there is to complain about

When you're happy like a fool
Let it take you over
When everything is out
You gotta take it in

Oh this has gotta be the good life
This has gotta be the good life
This could really be a good life, good life

Say oh, got this feeling that you can't fight
Like this city is on fire tonight
This could really be a good life
A good, good life

Hopelessly
I feel like there might be something that I'll miss
Hopelessly
I feel like the window closes oh so quick
Hopelessly
I'm taking a mental picture of you now
'Cause hopelessly
The hope is we have so much to feel good about

Oh this has gotta be the good life
This has gotta be the good life
This could really be a good life, good life

Say oh, got this feeling that you can't fight
Like this city is on fire tonight
This could really be a good life
A good, good life, oh, this is

To my friends in New York, I say hello
My friends in L.A. they don't know
Where I've been for the past few years or so
Paris to China to Colorado

Sometimes there's airplanes I can' t jump out
Sometimes there's bs that don't work now
We are god of stories but please tell me
What there is to complain about

Images via we heart it

NuMe Giveaway & Review

2011-05-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

The folks at NuMe Professional Styling Tools were kind enough to send me the NuMe Mini Flat Iron to review. When I first opened the package, I couldn’t get over how small and compact it was, while still having the normal features of a regular sized flat iron. The design is also adorable and I love the cute zebra print. Another surprise is that it works with dual voltage, so it can be used anywhere in the world. If I’m ever whisked away to Europe, this is definitely coming with me!

I used the flat iron to straighten my hair beginning to end and really put it to the test. It took about a half hour, which was to be expected since it’s smaller than a normal sized flat iron. The ceramic plates on the iron are tourmaline-infused to prevent dry and damaged hair. I also noticed how quickly it heated up and was impressed with the fact that I didn’t have to keep going over pieces of hair again and again. Lastly, it comes with a one year warranty so you don’t have to worry about not being covered.

Ultimately, this is something I would use for touch-ups and keep in my purse so that I can take it anywhere when I need my hair to stay straight.

One of you lucky ladies has the opportunity to win the following prize pack valued at $525!

Here’s what’s included:
-Mini Flat Iron
-Vintage Flat Iron
-19mm Curling Wand

To enter:
“Like” NuMe on Facebook and leave a comment on their wall letting them know that you came from Chic & Pink. Leave a comment on my blog letting me know you did this.

Extra entries:
Follow @NuMeProducts on Twitter +1 entry
Be a follower of my blog +1 entry
Follow me on Twitter @ChicnPink +1 entry
Post about this giveaway on Facebook or on your blog +1 entry
Tweet about this giveaway +1 entry (can be done once a day for an entry per day)
You can Tweet this: I just entered a #Giveaway to win @NuMeProducts hair styling products from @ChicnPink here: http://tinyurl.com/3zfxlm7

That’s a chance for 18 extra entries! Please leave each entry as a separate comment below.

Giveaway will be close on Tuesday, June 7th and winner will be announced Wednesday, June 8th.

NuMe is also offering an introductory package discount for Chic & Pink readers here
Coupon Code: CHICNPINK
Effective Until: 6/8/11

Good luck!

Weekend recap

2011-05-23T07:54:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the unexpected blog break. I don’t really have an excuse other than just being busy and not having anything too exciting going on to tell you all about.

Friday, I took a late evening nap which I regretted later because it was impossible to go to bed later that night. When I finally did get up we went out with our friend Dan, his daughter and her friend for some pizza at Pinocchio’s.

Saturday, Geof and I went to Delaware and I finally got some clips for my Pandora bracelet. I couldn’t wear it without them. We also went to the movies and saw Bridesmaids. It was really funny and had many laugh out loud moments. My only complaint was that it was a little long. Overall I would highly recommend it. Kirsten Wiig carried the movie very well and did a great job in the lead role. After the movies we went to Red Robin, Ulta and finally to Target. We finally headed home just in time to catch SNL. The short with Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga and Andy Samberg cracked me up.

Sunday, we worked in the basement most of the day and got rid of another load of stuff. It feels so good to consolidate and condense. The whole downstairs is looking better than it’s probably looked since our wedding. In the evening my mom came over and we watched the finale of Celebrity Apprentice and caught some of the Billboard Music Awards.

Revlon Runway 2011

2011-05-11T06:30:00.000-07:00

I’m a sucker for limited edition beauty products, especially when the price is right and it’s a worthy of being so hard to find. I knew I needed this polish and lipstick for two reasons:

1. The lipstick was featured at the Rag & Bone event during Fashion’s Night Out back in September and is appropriately named ‘Fashion’s Night Pout’. It was released specifically for the event and could be purchased at that time for $50 a tube with the money going to charity and a photo op with Halle Berry.

Gucci Westman, Global Artistic Director for Revlon designed this shade specifically for the event. It was music to my ears when I found out that it was being released as a limited edition product for the rest of the general population to purchase. If you can get your hands on this, please do! It’s supposed to be a universally flattering nude and I can see why. It’s a very neutral nude and doesn’t pull too cool or warm toned.

2. The nail polish was another must-have for me. This shade is named ‘Black with Envy’ and it's being compared to Chanel’s ‘Black Pearl’. I’ve seen swatch comparisons online and I have to say they’re very similar. I’d also much rather pay $5 for a bottle of the Revlon than $20+ for the Chanel. The formula of Revlon polishes is another plus for me. They glide on very smooth and I like the brush.

Do you track down limited edition beauty items?

Late weekend recap

2011-05-10T06:30:00.000-07:00

Friday, we spent the evening in getting caught up on the DVR with everything from Gossip Girl to Friday Night Lights. I made chicken quesadillas for dinner and it was a relaxing night at home.

Saturday, Geof and I went to Subway for lunch and then went to the gym for some much needed cardio post-vacation. We came home and got ready to head out for the night. There was a carnival going on in a neighborhood nearby, so we went there for awhile. It was a blast! We also bumped into some friends from the pool, which is always nice. We rode a few rides like the Himalaya and Fun Slide. The night also wouldn’t have been complete without some yummy funnel cake. It was so much fun!

Ferris wheel!

Geof going down the slide

Sunday was Mother’s Day and we took my mom to brunch at Generations. She really enjoyed herself and it was great to celebrate her for the day. Afterwards, we went to Target and then back to my mom’s for some pics by her azalea bushes. Once we got home, I took a long afternoon nap, did some work in the evening and called it a night.

Pretty!

My mom & I

VH1 Best Cruise Ever 2 - Day 4

2011-05-09T06:30:00.000-07:00

This was the last full day of the cruise and we had to make it count. We started the day off with lunch, met up with Chad & Amy and headed down to the Candlelight Lounge for Pop Culture Trivia. We made it fun, but the questions were pretty ridiculous and it wasn’t what we thought it was going to be. Afterwards, Geof and I decided to head off to the casino for some slots. Note to self: Never gamble on a cruise ship. They’re there to take your money, not make you money. I need to learn to play table games.

There were acoustic shows all day on the Lido Deck and we got out there with just enough time to catch Train’s entire set. It was the first time we saw them on the cruise and they were excellent. We had an early dinner after Train and then headed off to our cabins to get ready for the night.

Enjoying Train on the Lido

The evening started off with a robe party hosted by Lifehouse. There were people all over the ship in their pajamas and robes, including Chad! The first show of the night we wanted to see was Deck of Jack. They drew a large crowd and even got Ben from Lifehouse to come up and play. The song that had me laughing the most was about Jim Shearer’s days working at McDonald’s and when there manager would leave they would make 100’s of nuggets and “blow out the bin”. This was back when all the food was ready made and sat in those bins/boxes. I guess you had to be there, but it had everyone in stitches.

Geof and I ready for the night!

Me with Danny from The Script, Geof & I with the boys from Lifehouse and Geof with some the guys from The Daylights

Later, we went to the Candlelight Lounge to see the rest of Mat Kearny’s set. Like I said in my previous post, he is so talented and I’m really glad I got to see him on the cruise. After Mat, SafetySuit was up to play the last show on the ship. I cannot think of a better way to end vacation then have my favorite band play last. The Candlelight was mobbed and they put on one hell of a show. Things really got pumping once front man Doug Brown made the official announcement of Bin Laden’s death. There was a really camaraderie among the cruisers and we even got a U.S.A. chant going. Doug told us a story about how his father was in one of the towers on 9/11 and thankfully was able to make it out. I can’t imagine what their family went through on that day.

Deck of Jack, Mat Kearney & SafetySuit

The gang!

Amy & I with Doug

The thing that continues to set SafetySuit apart from other bands is their stage presence and energy. It doesn’t matter if it’s a large or small crowd; they always give it their all. I realize I’m a little biased since you all know I’ve seen them one too many times, but I saw many people on Facebook that had never seen them before that said the same thing.

Geof & I with Mat Kearney

We ended the night with our crew up for some late night snacks. I was so dehydrated from all the singing and dancing that all I wanted was water. Lots and lots of water. It was pretty much a pout fest on how much we didn’t want our trip to end.

Best.Time.Ever

Last year was pretty darn hard to top, but I think we did it. I had so much fun this time around and felt even more relaxed. Thank you all for taking this little journey along with me through my recaps!

VH1 Best Cruise Ever 2 - Day 3

2011-05-06T06:30:00.000-07:00

We started the morning bright and early with breakfast and then met up with Tracy & Steph to get to our Cozumel excursion. It was a beautiful day in Mexico and we really couldn’t have asked for better weather the entire cruise.

We went right to the docks to board our catamaran and get the day started. The guys on the crew of our excursion were a blast. There was one named “Nacho” that looked like a Mexican Jack Sparrow. No joke.

Our excursion!

Tracy & Steph with Nacho!

We went out to the reef and jumped in the water for about an hour of snorkeling, seeing lots of colorful fish in what was a great experience. Then it was time for fun in the sun with margaritas when the catamaran took us all to a beautiful beach for some playtime in the ocean. The beach was filled with all kinds of goodies including everything from water slides to trampolines. It was so fun! The slide was the best part, but climbing it was an upper body workout. I did it once and that was enough for me. On the other hand, the water trampoline was awesome. After we got back onto the catamaran, they gave us a ride back to the docks, filled with more drinking and some cheesy line dance music, which was a ton of fun. I’m so glad we did this excursion because it was a blast and worth every penny.

Sun & Fun!

When we headed back to the ship for a quick lunch, we grabbed Chad & Amy and then went back on the island to hang out at Fat Tuesday, where we spent a few hours talking, drinking and laughing. On our way back to the ship, we spotted Jimmy from Train and took a funny picture with him at the bar. After that we saw our buddy Jim Shearer who happened to be filming a segment for the Top 20 Countdown and they ended up putting us in the shot with him, which was really exciting. Hopefully, we should be in the very last segment of the show this weekend when they air the countdown.

Fat Tuesday

The gang with Jimmy from Train

Us with The Inspiration in the background

Getting ready to be on the Top 20 Countdown

Once back onboard, I was feeling pretty worn out from sun, swimming and margaritas. We had took a nap, grabbed some dinner and roamed the ship before getting ready for the night. We headed up to the Paris Lounge to see Mat Kearney and The Script. I can honestly say that I didn’t know much about Mat or his music before the cruise and left vacation a huge fan. He has some great tunes and is a genuinely nice guy. After he went off, it was time for The Script. I’ve been looking forward to seeing these guys for months and they did not disappoint. Danny has an incredible voice and even though they’re considered rock/pop, he has a flow to his singing that almost reminds me of rap/R&B. They really put on a show and Danny’s stage presence kept everyone engaged the entire time.

Me with Jason Wade from Lifehouse

Mat Kearney

The Script

After the show, we headed up to The Candlelight Lounge to find Chad & Amy. We bumped into Ryan Star and chatted with him for a little. He was another very nice, talented artist on the cruise. We caught part of the Civil Twilight show and then went to see the Yacht Rock Revue on the Lido Deck. They were doing covers of U2 songs that night. We stayed for a bit and then went with Tracy and Stephanie to get some late night snacks. The weather was beautiful, so we dined al fresco. It was great to relax and chat awhile with good friends.

Us with Ryan Star

VH1 Best Cruise Ever 2 – Day 2

2011-05-05T06:30:00.000-07:00

We slept in until 11 and headed out of our cabin for a fun day at sea! We started the day off with some lunch and then went down to the Serenity Deck to relax and look at the beautiful ocean for awhile. We also took a walk down the Promenade Deck and ran into Pat Monahan from Train. He was very nice and it was great to chat with him for a bit. From there, we went up to Lido Deck and met up with Tracy and Steph for some sun and fun. The four of tackled the awesome water slide a few times.

Starting the day off with a margarita!

Time to tackle the slides!

Us with Pat Monahan from Train

Deck of Jack was playing on the Promenade Deck at the Violin Bar, so we made sure to get there early for that. Jim Shearer from the Vh1 Top 20 Countdown is the lead singer of the band and they are absolutely hysterical. There are no words to describe how hard they had us all laughing. They sing about everything from Turtle Wax to Apollo Creed. We were there with our “Wolfpack”(me, Geof, Chad, Amy, Steph & Tracy) and had a blast.

Jim Shearer with his band Deck of Jack

From there, we went to plan our land excursion and then had dinner with Steph and Tracy in the Mardi Gras dining room. After dinner, we went to our cabin to get ready for the evening.

We met everyone up in the Paris Lounge for SafetySuit and Lifehouse. Both shows did not disappoint and we all had a blast. From the concerts we went up to the Candlelight Lounge for Karaoke. People sang some really random songs. It was fun to see though.

Geof & Chad ready to rock

The ladies

Jason from Lifehouse

Us at Karaoke

To cap the night off, we all went for a midnight snack at the buffet and ran into John from SafetySuit. He chatted with us for awhile and then J from SafetySuit came along and we said a quick hello to him too. We all hung out for awhile longer enjoying some late night laughs and shenanigans. By the end of the night, I officially lost most of my voice.

This pic says it all!

VH1 Best Cruise Ever 2 – Day 1

2011-05-04T06:30:00.000-07:00

Hello my lovely blog friends! I’m back from vacation, unpacked and ready to relive the memories through some recaps. I’m hoping this doesn’t bore you to tears, but I always like to relive my vacations through my blog. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone back to read old posts and remember the fun times.

On Thursday, we flew to Tampa and were very worried we wouldn’t get out of here due to some nasty weather headed straight for Philadelphia. Once we were in the air, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. We landed safely in Tampa and shared a cab to the port with two fellow cruisers from Boston that we saw several times on the ship. Great guys!

The second we walked on the Inspiration, we were met with smiles from good friends Amy and Chad that we met on the cruise last year. We’ve keep in touch with them ever since and I was super excited to see them.

Us with Chad and Amy

We all went and had some lunch at the buffet and then headed down to our cabins to get settled in. Lifehouse rocked us out to sea on the Lido Deck and we went to check it out with Amy and Chad. After that, we listened to Crowfield for a little bit play in the Atrium.

I missed those towel animals

Lifehouse rocking us out to sea

We went to the Carnivale Dining Room for dinner and loved our server and host. I asked them if they love these types of cruises, since they don’t have to dance around the dining room and they said I just read their minds because they hate that. It made me laugh…a lot. After going on the Vh1 cruises, I could never go back to a regular one.

After dinner, we went back to our cabin to get ready for the night. We met up with Amy, Chad, Tracy and Steph in the Candlelight Lounge for the SafetySuit show. This was one of the best shows on the cruise and we had a blast. We got to hear 4 new songs off of SafetySuit’s upcoming album and the mood in the audience was awesome. We saw Tate, Dave and Chico from SafetySuit after the show and talked to them for a bit.

Amy and I

Tracy, me & Steph

One of our many self-portraits

Doug from SafetySuit

From SafetySuit, we headed up to the Lido Deck to catch the rest of The Script show and ran into our buddy Jim Shearer from the VH1 Top 20 Countdown. He is awesome, but more on that later. We also got to meet Danny from The Script and he was very nice.

Us with Jim Shearer

The Script

Us with Danny from The Script

To cap off the night, we got some late night pizza with Chad and Amy and then headed back to the Candlelight Lounge to see the Yacht Rock Revue. They were awesome and played hits from the 70’s and 80’s. They’re actually pretty talented and never stayed out of their retro characters the entire cruise. We took a late night stroll of the Promenade, hit the club/disco for a bit and called it a night.

Us with the Yacht Rock Revue

Easter weekend recap

2011-04-25T06:30:00.000-07:00

Friday, my mom came over and made a chili dinner for the three of us. We stayed in and watched TV. It was a pretty quiet night. I also was able to start putting some outfits together for vacation.

Saturday, Geof and I headed down to Delaware. He did some shopping at Best Buy, while I was left to browse around Ulta (always dangerous). I picked up some nail polishes and a Smashbox shadow palette. We went to the movies to see Water for Elephants and I loved it. There were some things and characters in the book I was expecting to see in the movie that I didn’t, but all in all they did a nice job telling the story. Uncle Al was a character that was missing that I 100% expected to see.

After the movies, we went to Red Robin for dinner and then decided to go back to the movies to see Scream 4. I went in with low expectations and was glad I did. It wasn’t a great movie, but definitely better than the 2nd and 3rd ones. I don’t think you can ever top the original.

Sunday it was straight up hot out and we took the dogs for a long walk. They were beat. We came home, got ready, picked my mom up and headed over to my aunt and uncle’s house for Easter. It was nice, as always and so fun to see the kids go on a big egg hunt. These kids make out like bandits. Some of my cousins racked up $25+ and candy. I was lucky to find a $1 in an egg in my day (I sound so old right now). I also have a cousin that is like a little 4 year old princess. I think I carried her around for at least a half hour, but you have to love her. I also had some interesting conversations with my triplet cousins who are 13. Two of them are all about school while the other is completely boy crazy. Fun times!

Pretty flowers on our dog walk

I still get an Easter Basket

Calypso St. Barth for Target

2011-04-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Target has done it again!

Calypso St. Barth is teaming up with Target to bring a limited-edition line of affordable fashion, jewelry, accessories, and home goods to the masses on May 1st. This breezy and beautiful collection makes me want to escape to the closest beach. With prices ranging from $1.99-$79.99, it’s incredibly affordable compared to the average $500 price tag for this brand.

Calypso is a favorite among celebrities like Jennifer Aniston and Kate Beckinsale. It’s not wonder I’m a fan considering how much I love their style.

Here are some of my favorites from the new collection:

Turquoise dress - Love everything about this from the color to the easy fit

Maxi Dress & Crochet Vest – Maxi dress…check. Diagonal stripes…check. This look is a winner.

Tunic, Shorts & Tote - Great mix of neutrals with a pop of color in the tote. The tunic is beautiful.

Navy dress, Tote & Wedges - The off-the-shoulder look is flirty without going to far and the scalloped edges are very pretty.

Tie-dye Wedges – The color combo is great and even though no-one would see it, I’m kind of loving the lime green lining.

Natural Wedges – These would go with anything and again, I’m loving the color choices for the lining.

Elephant Necklace – Global chic and I like the length.

Throw Pillows – I’m crushing on this melon & coral design. This would give any piece furniture that perfect summer flare.

Do you like anything you see?

Right now I’m loving…

2011-04-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

Spring flowers

My garden is in full bloom and every time I walk outside it makes me smile.

Vacation - VH1 Best Cruise Ever

I leave for vacation soon and will be cruising the Caribbean with some of my favorite people and bands. The Script, Train, Lifehouse, SafetySuit and many others will be on board rocking the boat. Pun intended.

Water for Elephants

I finished the book the other night and what an amazing story (with the exception of the animal abuse parts). This will go down as one of my favorite books. Not that I’m a huge bookworm, but it really was so good. Now I’m looking forward to seeing the movie.

And how gorgeous does Reese Witherspoon look in the May spread for Vogue?!

My new Michael Kors sunnies

These will be great for vacation and I know I’ll wear them all summer long. I haven’t bought anything for myself in awhile, so this was quite a treat.

What are you loving?

Tasty Tuesday - Beef Taco Bake

2011-04-19T07:30:00.000-07:00

I've been craving Mexican lately and found an easy, but tasty recipe that was another hit in our house. This is one I'll definitely be keeping in the rotation.

Ingredients:
2 cups Original Bisquick® mix
2/3 cup water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 pound ground beef
1 jar (16 oz) Old El Paso® Thick 'n Chunky salsa
1 can (11 oz) Green Giant® Mexicorn® whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained
1 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend
Sour Cream, if desired

Directions:
1. Brown ground beef
2. Heat oven to 450° F. Grease 9x13-inch pan. In medium bowl, mix Bisquick mix, water and cilantro until soft dough forms. Spread in bottom of pan.
3. In large bowl, mix beef, salsa and corn. Spoon beef mixture over dough.
4. Bake uncovered, 22 to 28 minutes or until edges are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately sprinkle with cheese. Let stand 1 to 2minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream.

Enjoy!

Weekend recap

2011-04-18T06:30:00.000-07:00

Friday, I worked pretty late and then Geof and I went to Nifty Fifty’s for dinner where we had the most obnoxious dining experience of our lives. Long story short, there were about 6 kids between the ages of 7-10 and they were screaming and being completely ridiculous. Their parents were at the booth behind them and said nothing. People near them requested to be moved and the whole restaurant was staring. We could not get out of there fast enough.

Saturday, I did some work in the morning and then we got ready to head to Glenside for the SafetySuit concert at Arcadia. A bunch of people we know from other shows came down from Boston, New York and New Jersey to see them. It was a little fan reunion of sorts and nice to catch up with everyone.

Geof & I with SafetySuit

SafetySuit sounded great, as always and their new single for the song “Get Around This” comes out tomorrow and I cannot wait. If you’re interested, here is a link to a clip of it. After the show, we chatted with the guys in the band, got some pics and took off. One of the things about SafetySuit that I love most is their stage presence. There’s never a dull moment and I’ve said it before and will say it again, you could not ask for more down to earth guys. It’s very easy to be a fan and root them on as they climb the ladder of success in the music world.

Doug, Tate, Jeremy & Dave

SafetySuit friends and Geof and I with Doug

Acoustic version of "Get Around This"

Sunday I worked on and off most of the day and got some grocery shopping done. My mom came over for dinner (recipe to come tomorrow) and we watched Celebrity Apprentice.

Weekend recap

2011-04-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

Friday, Geof and I stayed in and it was nice having him home. He was everywhere from Canada to Miami in one week and I missed him like crazy.

Saturday, Kristen and Sean picked us up bright and early to head out to Harrisburg for the PA Flavor Beer & Food Expo. We checked into the hotel, got ready and headed right over. When we first got there we went in the wrong entrance which was clear from the smell as soon as we walked through the doors. It was an Alpaca show and we were out of there faster than you can say rodeo.

PA Flavor

When we finally got to the right area, it was time to get sampling. They gave us a mini glass, probably about 6 ounces and the perfect size to try different beer from over 30 breweries. They had everything from stouts to pale ale. My favorite one of the day was probably the Cherry Chocolate Bock from Sam Adams. I also really liked the Scarlet Lady Ale from Stoudt’s. Hoppy, light and delicious.

Favorite of the day

Geof with the guy from Fegley's

Kristen & I

Stoudt's

Along with the beer, there was plenty of food on hand from area restaurants. I had some fantastic bbq pulled pork with polenta and later some delicious bleu cheese and porcini mushroom meatloaf from Appalachian Brewing Company. We also tried some interesting hot soft pretzels called Hempzels that were made with hemp flour, seed and oil. There was a bread vendor there (perfect for a beer event) and we bought a loaf of cheddar explosion bread. So good.

Pulled Pork & Polenta

Voodoo

Had to get a pic with the cool cap guy

We went back to the hotel and I unfortunately had to work for a couple hours, but it was fine. I got done what I needed to and enjoyed myself after that. We get a hold of our friends Liz & Josh that we met on our cruise last year and they came to pick us up for dinner. We headed across the river to Duke’s and it was so much fun. This is a couple that I wish didn’t live 2 hours away, because I could spend countless hours with them. I ordered a burger and it was a monster. They don’t mess around with portions in the country.

Sunday we grabbed some hotel breakfast, checked out and headed home.

Cherry on Top!

2011-04-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Blog awards can get a little out of control, but every now and then a special one comes along and this falls into that category.

The lovely Leeann at Join the Gossip presented me the Cherry on Top blog award. I urge you all to run over to her blog and say “hello”. She is one of my favorite chicks and I’m not just saying that. We’ve formed a real friendship over the last year and for that, I’m thankful.

List 3 Things You Love About Yourself:
1) I love easily and I’m forgiving. This is something I love about myself because I’m a genuinely nice person. Sometimes this can also be seen as a fault depending on the situation.
2) That I’m good at figure skating and still love doing it even after 20 years. I started when I was 12.
3) Passion. When I like something, I really like it. I think that stirs up an excitement that should always be inside of you.

Post A Picture You Love:

There is nothing in this world like a Hawaiian sunset. This photo is from our last night in Hawaii and it was honestly the best vacation I’ve ever been on. From time spent with Geof, to all our adventures and splashing around in the warm Hawaiian waters. We have so many wonderful memories that I’ll never forget.

Pass on to 5 other blogs that you just adore!
Handbag Obsessed
Love, Lipstick, and Pearls
A Suitcase and Stilettos
Like A Box Of Chocolates
Fashion Meets Food

Weekend recap

2011-04-04T07:13:00.000-07:00

Friday, I took the day off and it was much needed. I did my nails and rushed off to the mall to meet up with Kristen. We had lunch at Panera and then came back to my house to get ready, get Geof and then headed off on a mini road trip to NJ for the SafetySuit concert. The last time we saw these guys was back in August when we went to South Carolina, so it was great to see them again. We got to hear a new song and the guys sounded great, as always. After the concert, we said a quick “hello” and then headed home.

OPI Mod About You - perfect pink for spring!

SafetySuit

Saturday, we relaxed around the house. Later in the evening we watched the Phillies beat the Astros. It was a good weekend for Philly baseball. Geof got to try out some new brew and was loving life.

Sunday was another quiet day and I caught up on the last two episodes of Grey’s. The musical episode was a little painful to watch. My mom came over in the evening, I made dinner and we watched Celebrity Apprentice.

Chic & Cheap - Saving Money Online

2011-03-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to installment number two of my series on how to save some dough.

This week’s topic: Using the Internet to make and save money

The internet is a beautiful thing. Not only can we shop in our PJ’s, but we can also save money and make money. Here are my favorite sites for doing that.

eBates

I’m sure most of you are already familiar with this site and if not, you’re missing out BIG time. I’ll admit, I was as big a skeptic as anyone when I heard that I’d get cash back for shopping online in the form of a check each quarter. I was floored that there really wasn’t a catch and it’s completely legit. The hardest part is actually remembering to go to the site before you do your shopping.

In a nutshell, you go to eBates, search for the store you want to shop at and eBates takes you directly to the site, tracks your purchase and automatically deposits the percentage of cash back into your eBates account. Sometimes they do deals where you get 20% cash back at places like Old Navy. It’s rare, but it happens. You can expect to get rates of 3%-6% cash back at many popular stores. This can add up really add up. eBates automatically sends you a check each quarter with all of your accumulated cash back.

You can sign-up here. Yes, I get a referral bonus of $5 and you get it too after your first purchase. If you have questions about it, please let me know.

Swagbucks

This is a site that took me awhile to jump on the bandwagon. I was concerned about spam and pop-ups, but so far, so good. Basically you get Swagbucks for doing internet searches that can ultimately be cashed in for gift cards to places like Amazon.com, iTunes gift cards and other things. Instead of using Google, I use Swagbucks for my searches. It takes no effort because I’m doing something I would have done regardless. I do search for sites I know how to get to like Facebook, Yahoo and even Blogger just to try and get Swagbucks where I can. I usually earn from 7-11 Swagbucks each time I win them. There are other ways to earn them besides searching, but that is mainly what I use it for.

Deal sites

There seems to be a new one popping up everyday. Living Social and Groupon are my two favorites. Most of the time you can get deals for restaurants, fitness classes, spas, etc. up to half off. They also do deals online. I’m sure some of you remember the pay $10 for a $20 Amazon e-gift certificate. That was one I scooped right up and used to get a book and some nail polish. One was also recently done for Fandango which is great for movie lovers like Geof and I. It was only $9 for two movie tickets. We each bought that deal. One was already used for a date night a few weeks ago and we have another one to look forward to.

There are other sites out there, but these are my top three. I wanted to include one to make money, one to earn gifts/gift cards and one to save money. I hope this was helpful!

Are there other deal sites out there I’m missing out on?

General Mills Giveaway Week 5 Winner

2011-03-30T20:21:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all for participating in the General Mills Retro Cereal Giveaway.

The Week 5 and final winner is...

Mami2jcn

Congrats! Please email me with your information.

This has been a crazy week and I hope to catch up with you all soon!

Weekend recap

2011-03-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

It was a pretty laid back weekend all around. Friday night we stayed in at watched the season finale of Jersey Shore. We ended up having Ramen Noodles (of all things) for dinner and I made it “gourmet” by cooking and seasoning some chicken and adding it in. Talk about a cheap dinner. It was good though.

Saturday we ran errands and grabbed lunch at Nifty Fifty’s. We came home and watched Get Him to the Greek. I was not a fan and it was such a letdown, because I loved Forgetting Sarah Marshall and this movie had some of the same characters.

Sunday, we went to breakfast at The Coffee Station and then came home and took the dogs for a long walk. It was cold, but the sun was shining and it still a beautiful day. My mom came over in the evening and Grease was on so we ended up watching that.

Cake pop from The Coffee Station

Chic & Cheap

2011-03-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

If you are anything like me, you’re trying to save money these days. I’m starting a new series with some of my tips and I’d love to hear any that you have to offer as well. My goal will be to post this as least twice a month.

This week’s topic: Grocery Shopping

The rule of thumb in this household is that we never go shopping without making a list based on the weekly circular or without coupons. There are always the necessities that may not be on sale, but for the most part we do not deviate from the list unless there is a deal of some sort. This also gives us the opportunity to try new things. For instance, there was a Yoplait Splitz yogurt that we had a coupon for. I had never tried it, but we got and love it.

Coupon Crazy!

In the beginning, this process was sort of a pain. I wasn’t a big fan of grocery shopping to begin with. Throw in preparing ahead of time and it made me cranky. This is now something I’ve got down to a science. Here is I handle it:

1. Buy the Sunday paper and clip coupons
2. Go through weekly store circular that comes in the mail from Red Plum and make a list
3. I’m annoyingly organized and make my list by sections of the store. I sort it like this:
-Fresh (Fruit, Vegetables, Bread, Meats)
-Helpers/Meals (Canned Goods, Sides, Pasta, etc.)
-Snacks (Pretzels, Soda, Crackers, Cookies)
-Frozen & Dairy (Frozen Meals, Cheese, Milk, etc.)

This helps me to find everything quickly and get in and out.

We also always use our shopper club card for additional discounts and the grocery store we shop at offers double coupons for anything under $1.

On our latest shopping trip, we saved over $80! I was floored that the bill came to $202 for a heaping cartful of groceries. This is enough for to last us month and we’re eating on about $50 a week (a little over $7/day for both of us). That’s money we would easily spend on one night out to dinner. If you read my weekend recaps, you know we still go out to eat now and then, but not anything close to what we used to. This has really saved us and when we do go out, it’s usually something cheap like pizza.

None of these tips are groundbreaking by any stretch of the imagination, but I’m just trying to demonstrate that using coupons, shopping the circular and being organized can save you big. In our case 30%.

General Mills Retro Cereal Giveaway - Week 5 & Week 4 Winner

2011-03-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

I’m thrilled to be working with General Mills for the third time to host another fantastic giveaway!

General Mills conducted a national survey, which asked consumers to pick their favorite Retro package designs from the 50s, 60s and 80s. The top packages chosen include Cheerios® (1956), Trix® (1968), Honey Nut Cheerios® (1984), Cinnamon Toast Crunch® (1984) and Lucky Charms® (1989). These limited-edition Retro packages will be available now through mid-March in Target stores nationwide. After the packages reach the stores, consumers can go to Grocery Savvy and view cartoons from the past, while enjoying a fun morning with family and friends over breakfast.

This is the last week and you will have one final chance to win the following Prize Pack:
1 Retro box of Cheerios® (1956)
1 Retro box of Trix® (1968)
1 Retro box of Honey Nut Cheerios® (1984)
1 Retro box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch® (1984)
1 Retro box of Lucky Charms® (1989)
$10 Target Gift Card
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Frisbee

Seeing these packages brought back a feeling of nostalgia of days gone by as a kid eating some of my favorite cereals on a Saturday morning watching cartoons. I have to say my favorite was Lucky Charms. I used to try and eat the oats and save the marshmallows for the end. This was a “special occasion” cereal around my house and getting it was a treat. We usually had Cheerios and the like.

For the last week, the spotlight will be on the one final cereal that is part of the promotion: Trix. This package was introduced in 1968 when the original Hawaii 5-O debuted on CBS and eventually became the longest-running crime show in television history until Law & Order overtook it in 2003. ATM First Philadelphia Bank installs the first automated teller machine in the U.S and The musical Hair officially opens on Broadway.

To enter:
Leave a comment on this post

Extra entries:
1. Follow my blog (+1 entry)
2. Follow ChicnPink on Twitter (+1 entry)
3. Send a tweet about this giveaway (+2 entries)
You can send this if you like: Enter to win a General Mills Prize Pack & Target Gift Card from @ChicnPink here: http://tinyurl.com/49h3uvu #Giveaway
4. Post about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post (+2 entries)

That’s a total of 7 possible entries!

Rules:
1. This giveaway is open to US Residents only
2. This giveaway will close on 3/29/11 and the winner will be drawn via Random.org and announced 3/30/11.

Good luck!

Week 3 Winner:

Congrats to JC

FTC: General Mills provided me with the prize pack and information for this giveaway.