The MINI Project

 

The Deal

1 Accessory

4 Girls

4 Different Styles

1 Major Blog Day

 

 

 

The fabulous Kelly over at MessyDirtyHair hosts this popular little project each month, and I have been waiting patiently for my turn to participate. This month, Kelly picked out these fun sunnies to enjoy in the final days of summer.

 

I decided to pair mine up with a black and white ensemble ... this teal color is meant to pop, and with basic black leggings and cotton skirt (both from H&M), and a tie-dye black and white top (from Express), the shades do just that.

 

How could you not have fun with these? They remind me a little bit of the 60's era with a funky-fresh twist of the 90's.

What do you think? Would you rock these spunky shades?

 

Head on over and check out the other girls who represented The MINI Project this month and see what looks they put together:

 

Kelly @ MessyDirtyHair

Vanniee @ Girly & Pretty

Tranea @ Becoming Famous

Emily @ Designs by Emily

 

 

 

 

 

BluePrint Cleanse

I made it! Three whole days without eating solid foods ... oy, what a week! I did my normal 2-day detox (details found here), then did one day of the raw juice cleanse by BluePrint Cleanse. Here's the low-down ...

Sunday night, we got back from camping. Of course, spending a night out in the wild already makes you come home feeling dirty, but I was inspired to clean up inside and out!

At about 5pm, I started to prep for my 3-day cleanse. I drank a whole bottle of Citrate Magnesium, found at my local Rite Aid, to flush everything out of my system. Gross detail, but I keep it real here, folks. This process in itself probably was a good enough "cleanse", but I was on a mission ...

Monday and Tuesday, I did the 2-day detox. No food at all for 48 hours. Day one is always the hardest. Extreme hunger, headaches, hard to focus, and no patience for anyone or anything. My family is thoroughly warned before I go through these detoxes, so they are great about leaving me be. Day two is easier - the hunger isn't as bad, although my energy levels are pretty low. There were no bathroom issues, being I got rid of everything on Sunday. The BluePrint Cleanse arrived on Tuesday morning, and I immediately stored it in the refrigerator to use on Wednesday.

The BluePrint Cleanse website is amazing at helping you decide which cleanse is right for you. Lots of information, ingredients, and details to help you choose what the best juice program is going to help you see the best results. Plus, they are fantastic with customer support, so any questions you have, they encourage you to contact them.

I went with the Excavation Cleanse, being I am pretty skilled in the cleansing department. BluePrint offers 3 different levels of juices to choose from - a newbie, a middle of the roader, and an experienced juicer. The Excavation Cleanse uses the most of the green juice over the fruit juices, and promises to really rid the body of the stuff it's been hanging on to for years. Instructions are simple ... drink each of the 6 bottles, in their numbered order, finishing all bottles by the end of the day (2 hours before bedtime is suggested to end consumption). I started at 8am, drinking a bottle every 2 hours, having the last bottle at 6pm.

Let's start with the taste ... the green juice is made up of green veggies such as kale, celery, and romaine. Unless you like the taste of grass, I would chug these bottles as fast as you can. I am used to drinking whole leaf teas, matcha, and even wheat grass, so while this taste is never desirable, I can tolerate it. The spicy lemonade wasn't too bad, although the habanero stuck to my throat a bit. I am not a lemonade kinda gal, but it was a nice change from the 3 bottles of green juice I drank before this bottle. The cashew milk was surprisingly sweet and reminded me of a vanilla chai. It was pretty chalky in my book, but a nice finish to the cleanse.

Here's my one warning with the BluePrint Cleanse ... stick close to a bathroom. I flushed and fasted before taking this raw juice cleanse on, and there were a couple times (starting after bottle 3) where I needed to get to the restroom asap. Nothing major ... just the leftovers that the juices are collecting on their way out, but enough to cause a little panic to make it to a toilet in time.

Overall results ... I lost 8 pounds in 3 days. My carb cravings are currently non-existent. My family ate pizza last night and the smell wasn't even appetizing! I am eating light today, as to not upset my stomach from having zero solids the last 3 days. The menu suggested for today by BluePrint is watermelon for breakfast, leafy greens for lunch, and low-sodium broth with another leafy green salad for dinner. I have already shopped and stocked my refrigerator with lots of yummy and healthy foods, including fish and veggies. My plan is to eat clean from here on out, packing my meals where healthy foods are not an option, and staying focused on what I am feeding my body. Eventually I will start hittin' the gym ... maybe take up Zumba again or find a fun cardio class that I can be excited to go to.

While eating fast food and filling up on carbs may taste amazing, the toll it takes on my mind and body are just not worth it anymore. Eating healthy takes a lot of time and preparation, but the clean feeling is always awesome and makes me feel so much better.

 

 

** Please note:  I did not receive any products or discounts from BluePrint Cleanse for this blog post. I paid what you see on their website and have had no contact from this company outside of regular customer support. **

 

 

Hump Day Humor ... GEICO Camel

This guy makes me laugh every time I watch this. Happy Wednesday!

 

 

Jump-Start Monday

Our camping trip was another success this weekend. Blue skies, warm weather, and family time. Our view from our campsite of the reservoir was just gorgeous! This was what we saw right outside of our tent! No snakes were encountered (thank you, Jesus!!) and we are already planning another trip in September.

 

Today I am kicking off a 3-day detox and cleanse. I will be doing 2 days of my normal detox, then completing day three with a round of the BluePrint Cleanse. Sarah Jessica Parker and Blake Lively are among many celebs who rave about this raw juice cleanse, so I am going to give it a shot. More details to come on my experience and results!

 

 

I hope everyone has a great week!

Pop back in on Friday, where I will be participating in MessyDirtyHair's MINI Project.

Oh ... and find me now through Bloglovin ... cuz all the cool kids are doing it!

 

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Weekend Plans

I am going camping with my boys this weekend, folks! Last year's trip was a success (see here and here). I know what to pack for this time around, so hopefully we will be better prepared for any weather changes that may or may not occur here in Oregon. We will be staying a night out in Prineville off of the reservoir ... praying to Jesus that I don't encounter any snakes!!

Have a great weekend, peeps! Anyone doing anything fun?

Hump Day Humor ... Tatted Up

I am all about tattoos ... my man has several, and I always encourage more. I have none, although I want a tiny heart on my wrist. Simple, nothing fancy, just a small little heart. The hubs isn't so hot on the idea of his wifey getting inked, so I refrain from getting one. No caveman comments, please. I am old-school. If my hubby truly feels strongly about something, that matters to me. I respect him and adore him, so no tattoo for me.

I occasionally get wrapped up in the TV shows that showcase tattoo artists and their shops ... some people's choice of artwork represents who they are, some make me tear up for the story they tell, and others are just plain silly. I mean, really?!? Are you going to love that cartoon character or The Jonas Brothers for the rest of your life? Either way, I don't judge. To each his own ... we only live once, right?

 

 I wonder if this was intentional? Spelling error on a permanent tattoo = no regrets?

 

 Team Cullen ... I proudly admit I am a Saga fan, but umm ... not this devoted.

 

 

 

What about you? Do you have any tattoos? Any that you regret?

 

 

Love, Yellow

I just signed up for the September theme with Erin over at Living In Yellow! Wanna join us?

Check out all the adorable details ... this looks like so much fun!

 

Happy Monday!

Cheers to the Weekend!

 

Have a great weekend!!

 

 

Cantaloupe Martini

Serves 2

 

* 1 cup frozen cantaloupe

* 3 ounces watermelon pucker

* 2 ounces vodka

* 1 ounce Cointreau

* Skewered cantaloupe scoops for garnish

 

Blend all ingredients in a blender (I like my Magic Bullet), and serve in martini glasses.

 

Enjoy!!

It's On ... August Plank Challenge

 

Found on Pinterest ... Challenge Accepted.

Anyone wanna join me?

She Bangs ... Faking It

I debate on getting bangs at least a couple times a year ... you know, when a fave celebrity changes up their 'do. I always think that bangs look so cute on others, if they are cut right, but I usually always chicken out in the salon chair when it comes to my turn. My hubby doesn't help in this decision process either, as he doesn't like the look of bangs.

 

 Lovin' Kourtney's new look ...

 Ashley looks hot ... simply gorgeous!

 

Emma Stone is always a fave ... so soft and cute!

 

Browsing on Pinterest, as I normally do every.single.day, I came across this pin:

 

This looked do-able. And without any cutting, this is a great way to see if I like the look without having to chop at my hair.

I got up for work this morning, and whipped this out in about 10 minutes. SUPER simple to do, although I modified a bit, being I was pressed for time.

I threw my hair up in a ponytail on top of my head. Portioned out the thickness of hair I wanted for my "bangs". Took the rest of the ponytail and secured it with another rubber band into a messy bun. I then used my flat iron to curl up the bangs a bit, added a headband with a chiffon flower to hide the hair that I pulled down from the ponytail, and sprayed my bangs with some hairspray to hold in place.

Voila!

Fake bangs at their finest!

Now the big question ........ do I like them?

 I usually don't wear my hair up on a day-to-day basis, so I would love to see if I can rock bangs with my hair down. However, I am just not in love with this look on me. It was definitely fun to try out, especially without the pressure of commitment, but I will leave this look to the others that sport it so much better!  

 

Fall Shopping in July

I am always on the lookout for great deals ... Fall wardrobe shopping in the heat of summer may seem crazy to some, but I have been snagging some really great deals on my shoe collection.

 

6pm.com ... only $20.99!!

 

Overstock.com ... got these in black!

 

Zulily.com ... only $14.99!!

 

I am determined to not live in Uggs this season. They are super-comfy and keep my toes nice and warm, but wedges are going to look so cute with leggings and sweaters!!

 

Have you snagged any good buys for your fall closet yet?

 

Hope y'all are still enjoying the gorgeous summer sunshine!!



Ta Ta For Now ...

 

It's time. Time to re-focus. Time to re-energize. Time to de-clutter and organize priorities. Time to de-stress and take the pressure off.

While I am sad that I have had zero time to make dot...dot...dot... all that I want it to be, I am happy to be taking a break away for a bit. I am hoping to come back refreshed and excited; full of new ideas and inspiration.

Until then, you can find me on Facebook and Pinterest (links to the right). I am on Instagram (aprilbaker23), but haven't quite jumped on board fully. I plan on doing that soon.

And be sure to check out the fabulous blogs in my sidebar. I will always be checking in on them ... my daily dose of blog love!

 

I hope everyone has a great summer enjoying friends and family, vacations and weekends at home, warm sunshine, and happiness!!

 

See you in the Fall, peeps!

Little Blue Olive Giveaway Winners!!

 

Molly

&

Nichole

 

You girls are the lucky winners of a $10 gift credit to Little Blue Olive!!

 

Congrats!!

♥

 

Please send me the email address that you would like your credit code sent to.

 

Thank you to all who participated in this event. I am all about supporting local companies and spreading the word on their fabulousness!

And don't forget ... Little Blue Olive is offering all my blog fans a 20% discount in their shop for a limited time! Use the promo code DOTDOTDOT when you checkout. 

Little Blue Olive ... Review & Giveaway!

 

 

So ... Monday got away from me. It happens. What are ya gonna do? The first day of the work week is never fun.

It's Tuesday now ... one more day closer to Friday - holla - and GIVEAWAY TIME!!

 

Little Blue Olive is a cute little hair accessory shop on Etsy, offering handmade hair bling for gals of all ages. They sponsored a giveaway in my big holiday event in December, and recently sent me some goodies to try out on my own hair.

I was given the opportunity to select 3 items of my choice, so I picked the Double Chiffon Flower Headband in black, the Patina Brass Feather clips, and a Set of Felt Bows in peach and grey.

My package arrived rather quickly (although it didn't have to travel far, being the shop is located within a couple cities from where I live), and each item was individually wrapped up in cute paper and themed labels. Immediately I thought that Little Blue Olive was going to be a perfect shop to send gifts from, knowing such care would be taken in the presentation right out of the envelope!

I started playing around with the headband first, but quickly realized that I should have chosen a color that didn't match my hair. Whoops! Unless you were up close, you really couldn't see the cute details of the flowers, or that I was even wearing a headband. I had to get creative ... so I wrapped the stretchy band around my ponytail and covered my rubber band with the flowers ... LOVE!!!!

Next up, I used the felt bows to pull the front of my hair back. These little clips have super clamping power and kept my hair in place - no slipping! I love the little bit of girly flair they add to a simple style.

The feather bobby pins are a gorgeous blue color with the brass color that peeks through. They have a sweet antique look to them, and stood out beautifully in my messy updo. These are really sturdy and can pin back chunky pieces.

You girls will LOVE the accessories at Little Blue Olive. Even though I received these hair goodies at no charge for review, it doesn't mean I will lie to kick it and steer y'all to buy some cheap products. If the 100% feedback rating of over 350 customers doesn't do it for you, then I will personally back this review up. I am treating 2 lucky dot...dot...dot... followers to a $10 gift certificate to Little Blue Olive!! Entering to win is simple ... head on over to the shop and peek around, then come back here and leave a comment as to what you have your eyes on! I will announce the 2 lucky winners next Tuesday!

And here is some great news for all you girls who would like to purchase your hair accessories this week ....

Little Blue Olive is offering all my readers a 20% discount on your orders for the rest of this week! Just enter DOTDOTDOT at checkout!

 

I hope everyone is having a great week!!

xoxo

Cheers to the weekend ...

 

Another busy week here in Crazy Town ... so looking forward to the weekend!!

A highlight of my week though was receiving a package of hair goodies in the mail for review. Y'all will definitely want to pop back in on Monday to check out

!!

There may be a giveaway or two ... just sayin.

 

Have a wonderful weekend, peeps!!

 

 

 

The Fresh Prince of Bel Air Reunion

I love, love, LOVE Will Smith!!

 

Dear Vegas ...

 

The sunshine and desert heat was incredible. Thank you for the glowing tan, and for keeping the pools clean.

The shopping was not so hot. We didn't make it out to the outlets due to the long-ass taxi cab lines. That's okay though. My kiddos enjoyed their souvenirs we brought back.

The food was incredible ... Olives at the Bellagio, N9NE Steakhouse at the Palms, Sugar Factory for our late night desserts ... all so very yummy!!

Our stay at the Bellagio was wonderful. Seeing Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick at our pool was a nice surprise. I hope Scott enjoyed celebrating his birthday!

It would be nice if all the casinos in Sin City were smoke free, but my sinuses will recover.

The Bank at Bellagio was fun for the little bit of dancing we got to do, and my legs are definitely sore from all the cardio I got in while droppin' it low. If your house deejay played a better mix, I would have stuck around to see SkyBlu of LMFAO, who obviously had better things to do that kept him from showing up on time.

Chris Tucker ... now that was a fun show! He really is a funny dude! He kinda disappeared after the Rush Hour movies, but I liked his part in Silver Linings Playbook. It was a shame that the Palms is so dirty now. We would have loved to have stayed after the show to party with Chris Brown, Wiz Khalifa, and T.I. who were all making their appearances. It's all good though ... the Cosmopolitan was good to us on the slots.

All in all though, you showed us a great time. You never seem to disappoint, even with the mad-crazy mob of people that decided to celebrate the long weekend with you. The break away was much-needed! Unfortunately, hubby and I realized that we just can't keep up with you anymore. As we move more into our thirties, we have come to appreciate extra sleep and hangover-free days. We are exhausted, dehydrated, and my feet will need a week to recover from those sexy heels I spent 11 hours in on Saturday night. Thanks so much for the great time, but we need to break-up now. It's not you ... it's me! I'll send you postcards from my new destinations of choice ... Palm Desert, Maui, Victoria, B.C. - places where bedtimes are accepted, dress codes are casual, and relaxation is required.

♥

Hugs and Kisses,

April

What's Up Wednesday

So sorry that I have been M.I.A.

Work has been a beast lately. Thanking Jesus we hired another transaction coordinator to help with the 100+ transactions I have been maintaining. The real estate market here in the Portland area has been picking up quickly, and the company that I am so blessed to be a part of is growing just as fast! For those of you who are friends with me on Facebook, y'all have seen what my email inbox looks like on a weekly basis. Insanity, I tell ya!

 

 

Now I know I said "no diets" this year, but I did a 48-hour detox a few weeks ago. Homegirl needed it! Stress got the best of me, and my stomach issue was out-of-control. Lots of swelling, plus I just wasn't digesting anything right. I was super tired, and fog-headed. It was time. My body was screaming for a detox!

In 48-hours, I lost 6 pounds. Since then, I have been eating really clean, cutting out the processed foods and bad carbs. I have lost 4 more pounds! Needless to say, being 10 pounds lighter has been fantastic, and my once-a-week cheat meals are absolute heaven!! 

 

Memorial weekend is upon us ... I am so excited for a 3-day weekend!!

I am getting a spray tan tomorrow night - this Italian girl is pretty pale right now.

 

 

Saturday morning, my hubby and I are going with a couple friends to VEGAS!!!

This trip is so very needed right now. I just need to get away for a couple days, soak up some sun (90+ degree heat - holla!!), and take a mental break!

 

 

We are staying at Bellagio, going to Chris Tucker's show, shopping, laying out by the pool, dancing, gambling ... oh Vegas, how I have missed you! 

 

I will be sure to post pics when I get back ... I am hoping things balance a bit better at work, and I will find more time to blog more.

Have a great weekend ... anything fun planned for your holiday?

Happy Momma's Day!!

 Maddox (age 9) and Sean (age 6 1/2)

 

 

These two boys are the reason why I get to embrace the title of Mom. I am truly blessed.

I hope all you mommas out there have a wonderful day!

xoxo

It's my party ...

 

Tomorrow is my birthday ... holla!!

I will wake up a 32-year-old ... woot woot!!

Every year (knock on wood) I am blessed with warm, sunny weather.

This year is no different ... 75 degrees is expected!

{Doing a happy dance!}

 

 My birthday month always brings a bit of stress to the checking account. It's the time of year when I update my spring/summer wardrobe. My hubby has learned to be a good sport about the dip in funds that the month of April brings.

 

 

I am blessed with amazing friends and family who all make me feel so special and loved! Lunch dates, pedicures, shopping trips, and even a home-cooked Italian feast ... this girl is definitely spoiled!

 

Have a fruity martini on your lunch break tomorrow, listen to a little 90's hip hop (throw in some Britney, too), and soak up some sunshine ....

it's my birthday!!

xoxo ♥ xoxo