One Nightstand Confession

What do you have on your nightstand? Is it the latest fashion magazine or newest book club read? Some flowers to brighten up your room? Is it meaningful, simply just stylish decor, or both?

I was looking at my nightstand the other day, and was thinking about the meaning of the items that are next to my bedside.  I have a picture of my dad and I as a baby, eucalyptus spearmint lotion, a cute jewelry plate, and a lamp.  I guess I would have to say that I have a combination of items that are practical and sentimental.  For example, every night before I go to bed, I like to smooth on some of my Bath & Body Stress Relief lotion.  It helps me relax, so I can be able to have a good night’s rest.  I also like to have a jewelry holder for any staple pieces that I put on when I wake up in the morning, like my wedding ring set or diamond stud earrings my mom gave me.  On the other hand, instead of some flowers, I chose a special picture of my dad and I to adorn my bedside table as a sentimental token of remembrance that he is always with me.

I would love to know what are the items you keep beside your nightstand!  Please share and let me know!

You & Me & 5 Bucks

One of my all time favorite movies is Reality Bites with Winona Ryder & Ethan Hawke, and one of many quotable scenes is the “You and me and five bucks“.  Of course, in that scene, the characters were referring to being able to have a good time on a coffee & cigarette budget.  Granted nowadays a coffee may run you 5 bucks, but in fashion there can be such a thing as having a good time and looking great on a budget. So just because (like me) you can’t buy those $400 Miu Miu sunglasses doesn’t mean that there aren’t some affordable knock-offs to be had.

On my recent family visit to San Diego, I found this hole-in-the-wall shop at the mall with quite reasonable prices, including a pair of sunglasses for only 5 bucks, that are ringers for the brand name ones I’ve been eyeing lately.  I was super ecstatic, nabbed them right away, and walked away feeling like true fashionista winner, hahaha.

  

So remember just because you can’t drop down big cash on a pair of sunglasses, doesn’t meant that you can’t look and feel like a million bucks.  Shop your local boutique shop or go to downtown, and you will find that $5 treasure, I promise!

  

You and Me and 5 Bucks, Baby!

Easy Peasy Spring Into Summer Refresher

Summer is fast approaching, and I am always looking for creative ways to keep me hydrated and make my drink look pretty!

I’ve seen pretty drinks with flowers or herbs, but I wanted something much simpler than that!

Cue: Colored Ice Cubes…

There are a ton of variations on this drink, but I stuck with just using Sprite or 7Up and some Kool Aid to make this Spring Into Summer Refresher.

What You Will Need

-1 Pink & 1 Yellow Kool Aid Packs

-Sprite or 7Up

-2 Ice Cube Trays

Directions: Pour Pink Kool Aid packet into some water, mix, and pour into ice cube tray, and freeze for about 1hr (repeat same process w/ yellow packet).  Once ice cubes are set, place 2 cubes of each color into glass and fill glass with Sprite or 7Up.  Put a dainty straw inside, sip, and get ready to feel refreshed!

Of course you can always add a splash of vodka for some cocktail fun if you’d like 🙂

Enjoy!

My Secret Nail Weapon

  
I don’t know about you, but one thing I hate when I’m doing my own nails is waiting for the polish to dry. I’m so impatient. I just want to apply my coats and go. Que fab find…

About a month, I was randomly perusing the beauty aisles at my local Walmart and low and behold I see this hairspray like can that says “Professional Nail Dryer” by Onyxprofessional.  At first, I was kinda skeptical because it looked too good to be true especially since my last attempt to purchase something to dry my nails was a big fail (Essie quick-e), but after reading the directions on the back and looking over some googled reviews, 8 decided to give it a try.

Let me tell you, I was very impressed!! I followed the simple direction of holding the can 6-8 inches away from my nails and gave a quick spray to each nail. Then, I let about 5 minutes pass by and gently touched each of my nails to see if they were dry, and guess what? THEY WERE!!! Wootwoot!! [Confetti thrown in the air] I’ve used this product about 5x in the last month and it never fails. There has been some times I’ve had to do a second round of spray just to be on the safe side, but it hasn’t let me down yet! Oh, wait, did I forget to mention it was only $2.48? Yes, yes it was for a whole 8.5oz. That’s like cheaper than my hairspray bottle!!  

Pocketful of Sunshine

The other day I was feeling kind of down in the dumps.  I was home, It was cold, and I started to feel a little sorry for myself which is not good so I decided to go out to the yard and cut some fresh roses. I placed them in this small tiny silver pot that I had found while I was organizing the cupboards about three weeks ago.  As I smelled the roses and placed them on my desk, I smiled and thought, “wow, i’m so glad we have flowers. they are so beautiful and uplifting!”

This small simple act really made me reflect on having an attitude of gratitude towards everything that is around me.  Sometimes it’s just easier to just fall into a slump trap and not want to see any of the good things that we do have.  It’s much easier to pull the covers over our heads, ignore the beauty, and close ourselves off to those who love us.

That is why I am making it my goal this month to find a pocketful of sunshine everyday!  Even when I think my day might be going down that hill, I am determined to find something to appreciate.  You’ll be surprised how fast your day will turn around once your attitude turns to gratitude!

Motivational Mondays

Motivational Mondays

#motivationalmondays

DIY: Halloween Cards

I’m a big Halloween freak! I anticipate it’s approach all year, and can’t wait to finally be able to play my Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack the whole month.  Yes, I’m a big dork, but it’s okay, hehe.

 I thought it would be nice to make my very own handmade hallmarks to some friends & family,  So with Ol’ Hallow’s Eve fast approaching, I needed to dust off my crafting supplies and make some cards.   With the help of Martha Stewart Crafts & Marshalls stationary isle finds, I made a total of 12 unique ones that were soon ready to be stamped and sent off.  Now all I need are some treats!

Motivational Mondays

#motivationalmondays

Haute Haute Haute

I was super thrilled last week to finally be able to cash in my Haute Cash rewards at Torrid.  I had been waiting patiently for almost a month, so when I got a call from them to come into the store to redeem, I was super stoked!

My mind was set on what I was going to purchase, which is a rarity for me cause I love browsing!.  Since I love Halloween and Torrid had sent me an email advertising clothing inspired by the movie The Book of Life (Day of the Dead themed animated movie), I couldn’t pass up the chance to use my discount on those items.  Of course, they did not have it in-store, but the wonderful sales girls, ordered my two items online with free shipping to the store.  In the end, I did succumb to some impulse buys that included a beautiful fringe front kimono that inspired me to start my fashion homage to looking like Stevie Nicks, and an Ariel sweatshirt for my Disney Halloween night!

Thank Goodness for Torrid Haute Cash!!!

Find it here:

Aerial Sweatshirt, Velvet Floral Kimono, The Book of Life Tulle Skirt