Neon

Neon is very trendy right now.  I'm going to be honest.  I'm a little scared of neon.  I don't necessarily like to draw a lot of attention to myself.  I mean, I like to look nice and put together but to me, neon kind of has these little screaming bursts to it.  I've also noticed that navy is kind of my safety go-to color.  So, if I'm going to experiment with this trend, then why not pair it with my safety color.

Top: Zara // Clutch: BCBG // Skirt: J.Crew // Flat: Piperlime

Random Friday

1. I work in a semi high-rise building.  Window washers scare the crap out of me with their loud suction shoes.  Also, it is the most awkward feeling ever when they appear out of nowhere and your blinds are still open.

2. I'm wearing maroon pants (in the spring?) with red fingernail polish.  Epic fail.  How do I even have a blog?

3. I made a cake for the husband this weekend (because he wanted one), cookies for a co-worker's birthday and my boss brought in a cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes.  I also had Cheetos yesterday for lunch.  I'm not sure how my pants fastened this morning.

4. W. opened his library.  I watched part of the ceremony, it was lovely.  Traffic on the other hand, was not.

5.

Lola updating her Facebook status

Have a great weekend.

Security

I like to listen to classical music while I'm at work.  I work with numbers all day, so if I listen to a station with a lot of words, I get hella distracted.  Well they also air the city hall meetings on the same station.  Out of laziness, I never change the station and since those meetings are the most boring things ever, I don't get distracted.  It's like background noise.  White noise.  Until now.  There I am, crunching numbers and minding my own business when profanities start flying from the radio speakers.  This is not cool in the type of business I work in.  I immediately reach for the volume button to turn it down.  Of course I put my ear right up to the speakers to hear what is going on.  I hear some guy talking, a woman trying to interrupt him and then a yelled, "Security".  Some guy just got kicked out of the City Hall meeting.  Of course that was the highlight of my day.  Also, I ate a bag of Cheetos for lunch.  That's bad, right?

Netflix Series

Via

Netflix kind of took off with a brave idea, to create their own series.  The idea was to create this series and only make it available to Netflix subscribers.  This would kind of make the leap into Netflix being sort of like a network.  It was very risky.  Netflix had already pissed off a lot of its customers by splitting up the instant viewing and DVD subscriptions and thus by raising their prices.  The series, House of Cards, was set up under the instant viewing subscription.  The entire first season was released at once, so the viewer could watch the season at any desired pace.  So far the risk was worth it.  The husband and I are almost all the way through the first season.  There are some great pros to this idea.  We can watch as many episodes at a time that we so wish.  Plus, since it's not on at a 'set' time, less people are ruining the ending via social media outlets.  That 'set' time aspect can be see as a con, too.  It doesn't show on a regular schedule, so viewers may forget to watch it.  However, the series is fabulous.  Kevin Spacey is truly a wonderful actor and the husband and I were hooked after one episode.  Our TV viewing conversations now consist of, "What's on the DVR?" and "Or we can watch House of Cards."  Obviously I recommend you checking it out.  Netflix also announced a second series, Hemlock Grove.  We will definitely be checking it out.

*Disclaimer: I thought this would be a fun post to throw in the mix.  I was not compensated for this post.  Netflix only knows me through my bank account, which sends them money each month for the subscriptions.

Random Friday

It's been quite a solemn week, yes?  My heart goes out to those affected by the events in Boston and West, TX.

Randoms:

1. I have mentioned being a bzzagent before.  It's a WOM type of deal where they send me a product and I test it out give feedback.  There are some things that I test and I think to myself, I don't know if I should blog this.  I mean, will anyone really care?  I thought that when I signed up for the latest product: Lysol Foam Hand Wash.  I know, I know.  It's just hand soap, after all.  This is true, it is indeed hand soap.  It also happens to smell wonderful (I got the creamy vanilla orchid scent) and even my husband likes it (shh, don't tell him I told you).  Plus, it makes my hands sooo soft.  Seriously.  I will be purchasing this again in the future.

*I did receive a free product to test, but the opinions are solely my own.

2. If you didn't have enough reasons to love Julep, let me add that their customer service is pretty amaze.  Particularly one representative named India (pretty, yes?).  Remember when I told you here that my Julep box was lost?  Well I let them know that, too.  They went ahead and sent me another box.  My other box is still in the wind somewhere... lost in system.  My new box arrived yesterday and I am already loving the colors and can't wait until I have a free moment to paint my nails.

*If you click the Julep link and sign up, I will receive credit for it.

3.  The husband and I went to the Dallas Farmer's Market not too long ago.  If you live in the area, you should really check it out.  They have a beautiful nursery type area with the most beautiful blooms.  They also have an indoor area where you can purchase food (as in a meal to eat there), olive oil, pickled vegetables, honey, etc.  The outdoor area is full of locally grown fruit, vegetables and meat.  It's fabulous.

4. I finally cut my hair.  Sadly, I don't have a picture of it down so you can see the length, but I do have a picture of it thrown up in a bun.

I think it's holding up pretty well for the end of the (work) day.

5.  Have a great weekend! (Not so random, I know).

April Birchbox

I actually meant to cancel my Birchbox subscription for this month.  However, procrastination got the best of me (and my wallet).  As soon as I realized my mistake, I cancelled.  So, this is my last box.

Mirenesse / Glossy Kiss Lipstick
Description: A user-friendly lip pencil that is a goof-proof way to score a high-impact pout.
Full-size: $26.55
Review: This pencil is really easy to use and the color is very vibrant.  Unfortunately the color I received was more of an orange, so I gave it to my MIL.  (who loved it).  It can also be used as a cheek tint.  I didn't try it out for that purpose, though.

Oribe / Shampoo & Conditioner for Beautiful Color
Description: Protective honey-infused formula
Full-size: $37 - $39
Review: I'm going to be honest and say I have yet to try this out.  I hate the packaging on these types of samples, so I really just haven't bothered with it, yet.

Skin&Co Roma / Cleansing Body Gel
Description: Freshly scented, antioxidant packed shower gel from Rome.
Full-size: $17.50
Review: It's scented, so I could not use it.  I gave it to my MIL.

Supergoop! / Advanced SPF 40 Anti-aging Eye Cream
Description: An eye cream with serious sun protection, and the innovative formula has oat peptide complex to firm skin.
Full-size: $45
Review: I like it for the most part.  It's easy to use and doesn't irritate my skin.  I haven't noticed any major changes, though.

Kusmi Tea Paris / Wellness Essentials
Description: Mood-enhancing whole-leaf brews.
Full-size: $23.95
Review: I love tea.  I drink several cups of it a day.  These were very nice and refreshing.  I really enjoyed these 'lifestyle extras' that Birchbox throws in.

Extra: Women's Health Magazine
I also received a year subscription to Women's Health, which I'm pretty excited about.

Intrigued?  Learn more here.  (I won't get credit if you use this link, because I no longer subscribe to this box.)

Laid Back Style

Maxi dress: Old Navy // Chambray Top: J. Crew Outlet // Necklace: Stella & Dot // Bracelets: Banana Republic (old) & Shashi // Sandals: Target (these are cute) // Sunglasses: Fossil (similar)

We had really nice weather this weekend.  The husband and I had several errands to run, so I threw on this maxi dress and we started on our list.  I bought this dress last week at Old Navy.  My MIL and I were shopping and this lady came up to us and asked us if we would like her coupons.  They expired that day and she did not find anything she wanted to purchase.  How incredibly nice!  So, I used one of the coupons she gave us to buy this dress.  As we left the store I gave the other coupon to another shopper.  Pay it forward, yes?  Yes.

It was way too bright

You can't really see it very well, but the Shashi bracelet is from my Popsugar Musthave Box.  More on that later.

Linking up with Molly.  Have a great week.

Lots of Blooms

Top: Gap (similar), (similar) // Cami: Loft (similar) // Skirt: J.Crew Factory // Sperry's: Nordstrom Rack (similar) // Crossbody Bag: Gift

We had beautiful weather here in Dallas over the weekend.  My mother-in-law is visiting us, so we had a very busy weekend planned.  On Sunday we took her to the Arboretum.  The blooms are beautiful.

I love tulips, they are one of my favorite flowers.

The Arboretum was packed, but we had a great time.  There were so many people there taking family photos, bridal photos...  One of the gardens was set up for wedding.  It was all so beautiful.

Linking up with Molly.  Have a great week.

Friday Randoms

1. I purchased a polish add-on with my last Julep box (which is missing, by the way).  I actually used my Jules points, so technically I didn't even purchase it.  It's a grape glaze.  I love it.  It's a thin layer of color that requires little accuracy in applying.  Plus, my nails grow fast.  I don't mind having long nails, but I don't really like my longer nails polished.  It's weird, I know.  So, I usually trim my nails very short when I polish them.  With this glaze, having longer nails does not bother me.

2.  As I said above, my Julep box is missing.  The tracking information says it has been delivered, but it's not in my apartment's office.  I am going to the post office today to see if it's there. The add-on above was shipped separately, in case you're wondering how I received it and not my regular Julep box.  Has your Julep box ever gone missing?

3. If you live in Dallas, this is the last weekend for Dallas Blooms at the Arboretum.  My mother-in-law is in town, so we plan on taking her to see all the beautiful tulips.  Fingers crossed that the weather is beautiful.

4. Did you know they (they? who are they?) make a purse now that charges your cell phone?  The purses are a tad on the pricey side (of course), but what a neat idea.  They also have some really cute bags to choose from.  I'm not saying run out and by one (you can't anyway, you have to pre-order), I'm just saying it sounds like a really cool idea.

Source

5. What are you doing exercise wise to get ready for warmer temperatures?  I ordered the Jillian Michaels - 30 day shred DVD.  I have no idea if I will like it or how well it works.  It did get good reviews on Amazon. So, I guess we'll see.  By the way I'm not trying to lose 20 pounds in 30 days (or at all), I just want to wear a swimsuit without feeling terribly uncomfortable.

How's that for random?  Have a great weekend!

Beauty Faves

I subscribe to several beauty boxes and I read a ton of magazines and blogs, so I come across a lot of beauty products.  I'm kind of a beauty product junkie.  So, I thought I would share a few products that I just love.

Rosebud Salve: I love this product.  I carry it with me at all times.  It's great on chapped lips, dry cuticles, rough heels, etc.  I mainly use it for my chapped lips.  My lips used to be really awful.  So awful, that I couldn't even really wear lipstick without it looking very caked on and cracked.  Now, my lips are hydrated and soft.  Also, this product won't break the bank.

It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product: This is a leave in conditioner that I swear by.  It keeps my hair soft and healthy.  I also don't have as many split ends.  I use a few sprays only on my ends, so it doesn't make my hair greasy.  If you are worried about it weighing down your hair, they also make a lite version.  I stopped using this for a few months, because it's not cheap.  I could really tell a huge difference in my hair.  So, I sucked it up and bought another bottle.  In my opinion, it's worth the splurge.

Peter Thomas Roth Anti-Shine Mattifying Gel:  I'm going to be completely honest, this is $35 for that tiny, little bottle.  I have oily/combo skin that is more oily than combo once the humid summers roll around.  My face gets very shiny come mid day.  It doesn't even help to use blotting papers.  I have to blot every hour or so.  I got a sample of this product in my Birchbox and I was immediately hooked.  A little goes a very long way.  This little bottle will probably last six months or so.  I used my Birchbox points to buy it, so I only spent $10 out of pocket.  It's a must have for me and I will continue to purchase it in the future.

Clinique Chubby Stick for eyes:  I've only recently started using these chubby sticks.  I have a few of them for lips and I love them, so I picked one up for eyes during the last 'bonus' time.  It is awesome.  In a rush you can apply this to your eyelids and then blend and go, you can layer it with other eye shadows, and you can use it as an eyeliner.  There are several colors to choose from.  As I said before, I have oily (combo) skin so I usually steer clear of all creamy types of beauty products.  But, it's weightless, so it doesn't feel thick and it doesn't crease.  It also has a little shimmer to it.

Do you have a few 'must-haves' in your beauty regimen?

Peach Moon

I came across this idea on Pinterest (follow me!).  However, I can't really cite a source, because the link didn't lead back to any type of recipe or anything.  Isn't that annoying?  That actually happens to me a lot.  I see something that looks so delicious or the I find the cutest outfit and I can't find a source or recipe or anything.  Anyway, so I saw this on Pinterest and decided to do some investigating of my own.

This is what you need: Blue Moon beer, Peach Schnapps, Orange Juice

Peach Moon:
1 shot of Peach Schnapps
a splash of Orange Juice
1 Blue Moon

You can add more Peach Schnapps to your liking.  This seems like such a great drink for a hot afternoon.

Enjoy!

**Please drink responsibly.**