What I Love About Sunday

I have to be honest: it feels a little strange being home and work free, when the rest of the world is not. It's the first actual day of this staycation though, and I'm sure I'll get used to it. The weekend involved happy hours, football games, roller coasters and ice cream; I'd say I'm off to a great start.

 

 

 

Friday Favorite

I think it goes without saying that my favorite thing this week is this new design I have going on here. Pretty spiffy, huh?

I went to the last concert at the harbor for the summer last night; although I wasn't a huge fan of the performer, I had a good time and noticed something more than ever.
How cool our city is.

 

 

 

and if you don't agree, that's fine because

 

 

 



 

The Josephine Files - Part 1

Every once in a while I have an incredible experience with my 85 year-old grandmother, who (unintentionally) cracks me up each time I see her. I think it's this reward that comes with old age - this ability to speak without a filter. No one can really stay mad at them, and everything thing they say is obviously the truth. You've earned your right to free and unfiltered speech. You've lived 85 years on this Earth and have dealt with more than someone my age can imagine (but believe me, I hear about it).

So I thought it would only be necessary to introduce you to Josephine, and hopefully you will get as much joy from these stories as I did experiencing them.

Last Christmas, we took a little family picture after dinner. Nice, right? What was even nicer, was when my Aunt thought to blow that picture up and frame it for my grandmother for her birthday in February. What a nice gift.

[fast foward to June] I'm visiting my grandmother, taking advantage of her homemade meatballs and sauce when I decided to wander around; looking at pictures, her old jewelry, perfumes - and that's when I saw it.

 

I guess she just did not like how she looked in this picture. Her picture was covered with a larger, 8x10 photo that she looked "much better" in. Taped over the frame, and cut precisely around her shoulders and head so you wouldn't even notice something was changed.

 

My first reaction was shock - I didn't even think something like this would occur to her. Or that she would care - this picture was on her bedroom wall. My second reaction was pure laughter. I had to ask her what her thoughts were that led to this.

 

She explained that her eyes were squinty; she didn't look well, in fact, she looked like some kind of "addict". Hmm.

 

This is why I've decided to start "The Josephine Files". These may not be weekly posts; sometimes she's off of her game and doesn't contribute her humor to our conversations. When they do happen, it's worth every minute.

 



While I'm Out

During this staycation of mine, I figured this is as good of a time as any to actually put those home decor pins to work. I don't know about you; but I always pin things and think they are the greatest idea ever, then totally forget about them. I recently went through my boards and cleaned them up a bit. While doing that, I thought "hey, you should probably start to do some of these".
Here's what I'm thinking, we'll start small:

 



Give Me Some Lip



When I'm running late in the morning (which happens more than I'd like to admit), there are some processes that I eliminate to cut back on time. One that I more than often resort to, is throwing a little product in my hair and letting it air dry: just saved 20 minutes. Another is skipping the eyeliner, loading up on the mascara and adding a bold pink lip: saved another 10 minutes, and I'm out of the door just in time!

What do you do to save time in the morning?

CoverGirl Temptress and Smashbox Aura lipgloss

What I Love About Sunday

The weekends have been busier and busier lately; but I can't complain. This week is the last week of work before I go on vacation. Where, you ask? Nowhere at all - I'm taking a staycation. Just a week off of work to complete projects around our apartment that I've been putting off, relaxation, reading and some me time. I've been making a list of things that I need to do with this time off, and hopefully you'll get a few good posts from it too. :)

sunday morning routine - coffee & grocery list

decided he's done with his walk

some things just never get old: popcorn at the movies

2nd fair trip: corndogs. yes, it was delicious.



Friday Favorite

Last night, I went to the Salt n Pepa concert at the Buffalo Harbor with a couple of friends. The concert was great, but let me tell you one thing; the people watching was half of the fun (it was a free concert).

Although I was disappointed by the ladies deciding not to sing "None Of Your Business", they redeemed themselves by performing "Whatta Man" and "Shoop". Fine by me. I knew all of the words (to my friends surprise), and got my dose of 90's music and poorly dressed, toothless, oversize women wearing body suits.

Shoop.

In celebration of tonight's festivities, it's only necessary to start my day off with a little Salt-N-Pepa. These ladies are coming to town tonight, and it will surely be entertaining (to say the least).

Miley?

Is that you, Miley?

I have to say - I've been liking the fact that Miley Cyrus has been a little under the radar; dressing a tad more appropriately and not coming out with horrible catchy songs (i.e. Party in the USA - you just started singing it, didn't you?). She did just recently release a picture of her new 'do - bleach blond and pixie cut. I love the color on her, actually. The cut works with the shape of her face, I'm just still not fully in love with it. What are your thoughts? Do you like the before or after Miley?

What I Love About Sunday

Two words: bottomless mimosas. Price: $5.00

Why has this ever not been apart of my Sunday posts? I have no idea - but you should expect to see these more often. My friend Nicole and I went out to brunch on Sunday, and when we heard Cecelia's had $5 endless mimosas, well there wasn't any debate on where we'd go. The brunch was delicious - but to be honest, I forgot to take a picture of it because of those said mimosas.
We'd thought there was some sort of catch, but after $50 worth and only seeing $10 total on the bill - our suspicions were proven wrong.
Day drinking on a Sunday - highly recommended.
What a great day.

Friday Favorite

My favorite thing this Friday is good old fashion thank you notes. I swear by them, and believe some things are better left hand written. It's so much more personal; there is much more thought put into a card (versus an email), and stationary has come so far that it's fun to choose a design for the person it's intended for.
Yesterday was one of our interns last day - and his momma raised him right. Not only did he give us pretty cool thank you notes, but he also brought in amazing miniature cupcakes (with Bailey's in the frosting - double bonus). It was a delicious little treat to start the day with - okay, and maybe a treat after lunch, and at 3pm when I saw there were still a few left.

Fair Days

Each year when the fair comes to town, it really means two things: 1) My inner 500 pound woman comes out, and I surrender to the classic "fair food" that I patiently wait all year long for. 2) Summer is starting to come to an end. It's actually bittersweet; celebrating and saying goodbye to Summer at the same time.
It's kind of a tradition that my Dad and I go each year, and this year I made him try the ultimate dessert I indulged in last year - deep fried oreos. Say what you will, but these are absolutely delicious, and definitely worth whatever calorie count they are (I'm assuming enough for a week).

Compliments to the Chef

Let me just say, I've become quite the chef (not really). But I have become creative with what I have left in my fridge. The other night, when pondering "what should I make for dinner, I'm starving and it has to be quick!", I remembered I had pizza crust left. And vegetables, cheese and tomatoes. A Veggie Pizza it is! The prep work took most of the time, but after that it was just 10 minutes in the oven. Delicious - and I've had the left overs for lunch for the past 2 days :)

Blue Collar

When I went back to the store to retrieve the dress that got away, I was instantly disappointed in myself when I found that my size was gone. Of course - I tried a size smaller, a size larger; but it just wasn't the same. Just when I thought my trip to the mall was a waste; I turned around to find this perfect summer top, with a lace collar detail that I fell in love with. I'm not sure where this obsession with collar detail came from, but something about a crisp collar and front pockets has totally won me over. And I didn't even hesitate to buy it.

What I Love About Sunday

Happy Monday :)Monday's are always the worst, so I'm trying to be a little more on the optimistic side.
Well - it happened again. I was left alone and bored on Friday, and decided it was necessary to make a quick trip to Walgreens. Why? Because there wasn't anything else to do while waiting for the Olympics to come on.
I purchased Rimmel's Stay Matte powder, Scandaleyes mascara and a beauty blender (a less expensive version). If you aren't familiar with the Beauty Blender, it is about $20 and is a little steep when comparing to other makeup sponges. When I found that there was a less expensive version, I had to try it. Not disappointed at all - love it, and it was only $4.99. Steal!
Saturday included a night of martinis and wine for a friends birthday, which totally eliminated my plans of going for a run on Sunday morning. I'm completely fine with that - the rain made it that much easier to stay in bed and be lazy.

drugstore beauty grabs

Friday Favorite

I have a secret to admit; I received one of those make up boxes for Christmas this past year - you know, they come with a million eye shadows, blushes and lip gloss? Well, I was admittedly being a huge snob when it came to this gift - refused to use it. After all, what make up box ever ends up being useful and actually contains good product?

Uh, this one! I decided to use it for the first time this week - and I'm in love! It's from Ulta (which has it's own good brand, so I guess I just have a grudge against make up boxes), and the eye shadows are great! I feel like I just went out and spent $500 on new make up (and that is the best feeling in the world, without the guilt).

So naturally, this had to be my Friday Favorite.

an array of eye shadows

The Skinny on B.B.

B.B. cream has been everywhere lately, and naturally, I had to try it out for myself. When researching this product, I've seen a few definitions of what B.B. stands for. Blemish Balm and Beauty Balm were the most common. I'd consider this a Beauty Balm, as it's not just for blemishes- this product is supposed to be a do-all product. This multi-function cream acts as a primer, foundation and corrector. It claims to smooth skins texture, hide imperfections, moisturize and even out your skin tone. What more good a girl want from one single product?!
I personally tried L'oreal's BB Cream - Magic Skin Beautifier. It promises to 'prime, perfect, hydrate and correct', and transform to your own perfect shade. This cream has Beautifying Beads, that are condensed pigments infused with antioxidants, Vitamin C &E. Here are my thoughts-
Pros: lightweight, like a tinted moisturizer.
          does the job of a foundation, without the heaviness.
          does in fact prime - i can honestly say i see a difference, compared to not using a primer.

Cons: texture. the beads in this cream can be an issue if you have a texture complex. it can feel like an exfoliate, and made me feel as though i should be washing it off. took a couple of uses to get used to.
          isn't a true BB cream based on what BB should stand for. Loreal's BB stands for Beautifying Beads; not Beauty Balm or Blemish Balm.

Overall, I'm happy with the product. Many higher end lines also have this product, and I'd be interested to find out if there is a major difference. Let me know your thoughts if you've tried another version! :)
         

L'oreal BB Cream

From application to blended.