Fashion Friday ... Pop of Coral

Yay for Sunshine! I will take it, even if it is still freezing here in Oregon!

I am loving the coral color right now. I have added a few pieces to my Spring wardrobe this year, and I adore all the comments I get when I wear this fresh and bright color.

 

 Cream Blazer with Gray Trim ... Kohl's

Coral and Cream Striped Tank ... Kohl's

 

 Jeans ... had 'em for years ... Seven For All Mankind

Shoes ... Payless Shoes

 

Feather and Chain Earrings ... Target

Gettin' Crafty Wit' It

Pinterest teaches me great things, people. Check out my mad headband-making skills!

Just jokin.

This was my attempt at thinking I could master this and open up an Etsy shop in what little spare time I have. Ha. Not too shabby though for a 45-minute project, being lazy on the couch on a rainy afternoon.

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Un-Official Headband How-To

 

 Have an old sweater or top that has a hole or stain that you can't fix?

Cut it up into strips.

I tried to keep with the stripes in the shirt, but my scissors weren't the greatest with this fabric.

{Who am I kidding? I didn't have the patience to cut perfect straight lines.}

I kinda just measured on my head how long I would need the strips to be to fit, leaving them a bit shorter to allow for the elastic band.

 Knot the strips together at one end. Fasten to the couch somehow so you can braid the pieces together.

 {I tried scotch tape, but that didn't work.}



Knot the other end when you get to the bottom.

If you have a sewing machine handy, I recommend using it for this final step. If not, just wing it like I did and stitch both of the ends to a piece of elastic. Good ol' needle and thread ... holla!

Get one of those thumb cushion thingy's though. You really gotta work on punching the needle through all those layers.



 No need to be perfect on the stitching ... your hair will hide it.

 

Check it out, peeps!

Total cost was crazy cheap ... I only had to buy the elastic, which was like $5 at the fabric store. It came in a roll, and you can see how small of a piece was needed. I have plenty more for when I get that itch again to open an Etsy shop.

{Never Going To Happen. I'd rather pay double and get something cuter.}

What's In Your Crockpot?

I do not measure when I cook. It's the Italian in me.

Throw in as much or as little as you and your family need.

When I make this dish, I use 14 frozen chicken tenders, one jar of salsa, a half of package of shredded cheese, a small can of green chiles, and 2 blocks of cream cheese.

This feeds my family of 4.

With no left-overs.

 

Easy Cheesy Chicken

 

Chicken Tenders

Jar of Salsa

Cream Cheese

Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese

Diced Chiles

 

Throw it all in a crock pot, cook on high for 4 hours.

 

That's it.

 

Serve with tortillas, rice and refried beans.

Garnish with diced tomatoes, black olives, sour cream and guacamole.

Mani of the Week ... Hard Candy



Being a blogger definitely has it's perks! I absolutely love each opportunity that comes my way for product reviews! Of course, I tell it like it is ... I don't sugar-coat my reviews. Freebie or not, this Italian girl can't be bought.

~

Hard Candy sent this package to try out their latest line of polishes. I was so excited, being I didn't have anything from this brand in my collection yet. Chromes, glitters, fun, bright colors ... loved the initial impression right outta the box!

These collections, boasting 9 shades in each, are so vibrant with gorgeous pigments! Alone, the tones are beautiful, but adding a clear topcoat makes these hues pop even more! The formulas cover wonderfully ... the chromes can stand up to one coat if you are in a hurry. You can get them at Walmart for under $4 a bottle! Fabulous polish on the cheap ... lovin' Hard Candy even more! I am not a huge fan of the greens, but only because I don't think they mesh well with my skin tone, but Crush on Ivy was fun for St. Patty's Day.

I would absolutely recommend checking these out! You will fall in love with them in person ... they sparkle like the stars in the sky! What girl doesn't love that?!?

 

{ Outdoor ~ No sunshine, but bright }

 

{ Little Hottie with Celebrate Sequins accent ~ indoors w/ flash }

 

{ l to r, indoor w/ flash: Sweet Tooth .. Crush On Raisin .. Crush On Ivy .. Celebrate Sequins .. Jelly Bean Blue .. Little Hottie .. Jubilee .. Mermaid Magic .. Pinch of Spice .. Glamour Girl }

 

 { Crush On Raisin with Crush On Ivy accent ~ indoors w/ no flash }

 

 Crushed Chromes

 

 Candy Sprinkles

 

 Crystal Confetti

 

 Glitteratzi

 

 Itsy Glitzy

 

Hump Day Humor ... History of Rap 4

By far, my favorite one ... Jimmy Kimmel and JT | History of Rap 4  

Fashion Friday ... On A Monday!

 

Better late than never, right?

Here's my outfit from Friday ... yay for that day being over with (such a hectic day!), but bummin' that it is Monday again. Sigh.

Have a great week, peeps!

♥

 

White Skinnies ... Love Culture ... $19.80

Black top ... Target ... $14.00

Blue Blazer ... Kohl's ... $24.99

Shoes ... Charlotte Russe ... $15.50

Earrings (silver hoops with cobalt blue accent) ... Target ... $4.00

Bracelet ... Forever 21 ... $4.50

Hump Day Humor ... Goats Like Humans

If y'all haven't seen this yet, it's worth the 2 minutes of your time. Happy Wednesday!  

Mani of the Week ... Champagne Kisses

China Glaze has been sending me some fabulous colors to add to my collection and share with you all. This one, Champagne Kisses, was sent to me back in November. I am sooo behind in my product reviews!

I absolutely adore this pretty gold polish!

 

Outdoors ... no sun. Welcome to Oregon.

I painted on 2 coats and added a topcoat for extra shine. This polish is a fine glitter, and is easier to remove than the chunky glitters.

 

 Brief moment of sunshine ... quick - snap a pic!

 

 

 Check out all the different colors that reflect in this glitter!

 

China Glaze is always my number one go-to in the mani/pedi world. I love the wear-ability and gorgeous pigments in their colors.

Do you have a favorite?

 

 

Next week's Mani of the Week ... Hard Candy! Samples were sent for my review, and I am in ♥ !!

T.G.I.F.

 

Promotional portraits have just been released for the next movie in The Hunger Games Trilogy, Catching Fire. Jennifer Lawrence and the rest of the crew are currently filming in Hawaii. The release date is set for November 22, 2013.

I am so excited to start reading this book! I've decided to read each book right before the movie hits theaters. And since my book-a-month reading goal has yet to take off, it will be nice to eventually sit down and dive in to this saga again!

Any fans out there?
 

Have a great weekend, peeps!

Just Snackin'

These are the snacks that I munch on throughout the week ... my current faves! What are you snackin' on?

 

  Chicken, Veggies, Pita, and Hummus Pack from Starbucks

 

 Crunchy Oats 'n Honey bar dipped in my coffee ... try it, love it, you're welcome.

 

Evolution Fresh Pineapple Coconut Water ... hydration and yumminess all bottled in one!

Hump Day Humor ... with Mila Kunis

She is the reason I dyed my hair ombre last year ... she is absolutely gorgeous ... she is down-to-earth ... she is funny ... and she's a sweetheart (or so I think)! Check out how cool this chick-a-dee is in her latest interview ... that Ashton is one lucky guy!

 

Anyone else excited to see the new Wizard of Oz? It is in theaters this Friday, March 8th!

Office Attire

This year has been full of blessings, and one at the top of the list is my new job at a leading real estate company as their Transaction Coordinator. I manage one of their offices that is within 5 minutes from my house, and I am settling into my new position quite well. Working for a husband-wife real estate company last year was a wonderful opportunity, and the skills I learned there helped me obtain this position. I could not be happier with the great team that I get to work with every day.

Within the first week though, I realized that I needed a wardrobe upgrade. Blazers, slacks, blouses, and pencil skirts were going to be a necessity, and I owned no such pieces in my closet.

I still like to shop on a budget though, so it has been a challenge to find cute office clothes on the cheap. I find inspiration on Pinterest, then try to find similar pieces at places such as Target and Kohl's. Here are some looks I am loving ...

 

 

Does your job require a professional/business dress code? Where are your favorite places to shop for such a wardrobe?

Mani of the Week ... Finger Paints

Finger Paints Polish in Spun Sugar and nail caviar in Candy Drops

 

This is the first polish and caviar set that I have used, and my first time using the Finger Paints brand. The polish went out great and lasted a few days before chipping. The caviar beads were pretty easy to apply ... you simply add them to wet polish, then coat in 2-3 layers of a clear top coat. I dipped my wet nail directly in the pot, then used a toothpick to separate a bit. I didn't think the beads would stay on very long, being they are pretty chunky, but these tough little balls stayed on longer than I liked! Like removing glitter, caviar needs to be soaked in acetone for a while before it will come off.

Have you used nail caviar yet?