Monday Mood

Good Morning!!

I suppose its almost afternoon and I'm not going to lie it feels like it! I haven't been sleeping well the last few nights and this morning I got up at 5:30am with Jason's alarm and couldn't get back to sleep. It wasn't a huge deal on account that GE was suppose to be here between 8am and 12pm to fix the dryer but its 11:20am and they still haven't shown up. Go figure. (The literally knocked just after I typed that).

I had intended to post about our new truck and truthfully our old truck today but I am just not into it. I have the whole post planned out which would lead you to believe it would be easy to write but sadly I'm just not into it. Maybe I am still a little emotional about getting rid of our old truck, except the new one is pretty epic! This week, I promise!

I feel like the next few weeks around here the posts are going to be pretty sporadic so I really wanted to make an effort to get here this week and post regularly because the two weeks that follow I'm not sure how much I will be around but honestly I don't feel like I have anything to say or post about.. which I suppose happens.

I feel like with settling into the apartment, getting things we need, the new truck, installations (you read that we've already tried two internet/cable providers), maintenance issues and so on we have been pretty busy almost every day! Not that I'm complaining about that on account that I am looking forward to going home and the time we've been here has been flying but also because lets be honest it is always good to be busy!

Our weekend was really good, Friday we had our cable installation for Comcast which went great and we couldn't be happier with the service. This is exactly what we had in New Jersey and we definitely prefer it, so although I am pissed at Verizon Fios for their crap customer service I am happy that we made the switch because we are much happier.

Saturday we did a bunch of running around in the morning and then got together at Dave and Lindsey's for a pizza making party which was fantastic! Dave made homemade pizza dough and cooked them directly on the grill and I was so impressed with how they turned out! We all crafted our own which I love and after they were done Blanca turned me on to topping my pizza with arugula and balsamic vinaigrette, it was amazing!! We had a great night!

Yesterday was laid back, we were both up early so I got the apartment cleaned early and then we headed out to run some errands and get grocery shopping done for the week. Its been SO HOT out this last week so we spent the afternoon at the pool before coming home for dinner. I am all about summer weather but for some reason the unrelenting heat is getting to me just a little, I was so happy to wake up to thunder this morning and I wont lie I hoped it was going to stay gloomy and stormy all day but the sun is really trying to peak out!

Overall we had a great weekend, its so strange that Jason is home so much on this job but I really love it! We get a ton of stuff ton and so much time together and its been great!

Anyways because I've been up since really early I thought I would share some interesting articles I've read this morning with you all, I haven't done a post on articles I've been reading lately but I should.. maybe this week!

• How scary is THIS????

• THIS is so terribly sad, regardless of the fact that we had an idea it was coming its absolutely heartbreaking. 22 years old is far too young to leave this world, I really hope they find answers to what lead to her demise. Read more HERE. 

• I read THIS article this morning and had to wonder why two 14 year old boys were even out in a boat alone in the ocean, is this allowed? I thought you had to be driving age (16-17) with a boating license. 

• I am dying to read THIS book and see the movie. Have you guys read it? If so, what did you think?

• I will take all the help I can get, read HERE for 10 superfoods that will help you sleep. 

• THIS cracks me up, you have to love Blake's sense of humor.. but can I just say I am entirely SHOCKED still by their sudden divorce. 

• If you don't follow The Daily Tay, you really should! She is HILARIOUS! Check out today's post HERE. 

• One of the bloggers I have followed for years recently started her own boutique and she has some amazing stuff, if you are a clothes lover like myself I highly recommend checking out the Ollie Marie Boutique HERE. 

So that's it for today guys! I hope you had a wonderful weekend and are soaking up all of this summer weather we are having! Thank you as always for stopping in! 

Have a great day!! 

NYC & The Union Square Christmas Market

Good Morning,

How is everyone holding up after the Nor'easter yesterday? We got a ton of rain and wind and had a coastal flood advisory that I believe is still in effect but hey it could have been snow and that would have been way worse. Its funny though I really thought living in the North we would have definitely seen snow by now but a few flakes here and there, not enough for me to consider that we have had a real 'first snow'. I will tell you as much as I am relieved Jason is beyond upset about it, he was so looking forward to getting a ton of snow here this year as last year really didn't work out to well for him last year and no dice. Oh well.

Anyways Monday Tanya and I ventured into the city I was on the hunt for a last minute Christmas gift and Tanya really wanted to check out the Union Square Market! I woke up in the morning and wasn't totally excited to go as it was absolutely freezing out but was excited for a change of scenery and the opportunity to say all my Christmas shopping was completely finished. We toured around the city a little and checked out stores that we don't have around here and then hit up the one store I was really looking for that last gift at. Turned out to be a bust and then I didn't know what the hell I was going to do, I had a back up plan of sorts but I was really hoping not to resort to it.. but in the end it worked out.

We totally did freeze while walking around, I swear mid day we started going into stores not because we actually cared to shop at them but more so because we were freezing and looking for any excuse to warm up for a minutes, thankfully New York is full or stores worth warming up in!

We eventually made it to the Union Square Market and let me tell you the Christmas part was fantastic! The market is at East 14th St and Union Square West, you cant miss it.. just look for all the little stands with the candy cane striped roofs!! They had a great mixtures of photos, hand crafted goods, food stations, etc. Surrounding the market was also a farmers market with fresh vegetables, breads, cheeses, etc.

I only purchased something from The Filling Station which was the best decision ever, to be honest I regret not buying more. Have you ever heard of the Oil & Vinegar? They have them all over the US and Canada and they are absolutely AMAZING! We had one in Alaska of all places and I absolutely loved it, this is basically a local Oil & Vinegar where you can buy infused oils and vinegar's and they are absolutely amazing! I purchased the garlic infused oil and Tanya got the Tuscan herb oil, lemongrass and mint white balsamic which all on its own would be absolutely INCREDIBLE on salad and I believe the white truffle salt! Their stuff is just incredible, they have a few locations around the city but will be at the market until Christmas Eve... I might have to go back.

They had a ton of cute little shops! If we weren't absolutely FROZEN to the point of fearing finger loss we may have walked around longer. We are however planning on heading back. 

This is Spices & Tease... this places smelled absolutely INCREDIBLE!

We debated what to have for lunch and ended up deciding on empanadas.. because, obviously! Honestly they were INCREDIBLE.. I wish I would have got a million to go! They were from La Sonrisa Empanadas and they were freshly cooked there and super reasonably priced. I was so excited to eat these bad boys! They have a few locations in the city therefore I'm sure I will run into them again! 

See this guy above? He was quite a brazen little bugger! After getting our empanadas we decided to sit on a bench to eat before planning our next move. WELL. We sat down and were immediately attacked by this guy! I kid you not, if I didn't jump up and proceed to run he would have been on my lap, he nearly was on Tanya's!!!! He's that fat for a reason, clearly people feed him all the time and he didn't see why we should be any different. Well buy your own empanadas fat guy, because I wasn't sharing. He was picky too, a guy a few benches down who was enjoying watching this little jerk harass us tried to give him a piece of his broccoli and he basically scoffed and trotted off! He eventually grabbed a napkin someone had dropped, stuffed the entire thing in his mouth and took off to take it to his nest! Unreal! 

After leaving the market we toured back into Soho and went to the Birch Box store and Benefit Cosmetics store, then home! It was a really long day but really great! I was so happy to get home and warm up though, it really was absolutely freezing out! 

If you have a chance and are in New York city between now and Christmas Eve I highly recommend checking out the market, its a great place to purchase unique Christmas gifts or New York souvenirs! 

As I said yesterday was absolutely miserable and so there is not much to report! I hope everyone is keeping warm and not stuck without power or in their homes because of the bad weather from yesterday!! I suppose it is winter, however you wouldn't know it hear just yet. Again though, I'm not complaining, you can keep the cold because I want no part of it! Bring on a green Christmas baby!!

Birch Box Store Soho New York

Good Monday Morning!

I thought I would start off this week by telling y'all about last week when Tanya and I visited the Birch Box store in Soho! I will warn you now, I will most likely rave about this for weeks or months to come!

I will back track a little and tell you that my first experience with Birch Box was last Christmas when Tanya bought me a three month Subscription. It was the most fabulous gift, and if you are not aware exactly what it is, you can read back on my blog or visit their website. I really truly felt it was such a smart idea as products are really expensive, make up and otherwise and the idea of being able to try new products from a variety of price ranges was great. I looked so forward to getting my box in the mail every month and discovered some really great products that I most likely otherwise wouldn't have.

So fast forward to this month for my birthday and Jason got me a subscription and Tanya said we would go to the Birch Box store and I could make my own box, how lucky am I right? I can't say I go into the city all that much but I was really looking forward to a change of scenery and getting into the city! For some reason I thought it would be a pain to get there from Jersey but it was so easy and we were there before I knew it.

(Photo courtesy of Tanya)

We got off the Subway at the Christopher Street stop and wandered toward the Birch Box store taking in all the beauty the city has to offer. I'm not going to lie, I forgot how beautiful the city is!

(Photo courtesy of Tanya)

We decided to have coffee at Starbucks before going over, because.. obviously! I think we were both a little anxious to get there and see what the store had to offer. I want to say Tanya had been there before.. I don't quote me on that because I'm drawing a blank but I definitely had not and couldn't wait! 

(Photo courtesy of Tanya)

The outside was absolutely no indication of what was awaiting us inside. 

BYOB - BUILD YOUR OWN BOX!

Instantly it was just overwhelming! The place was extremely clean and all of the associates were all so knowledgeable and friendly. They didn't bother us or pressure us but made sure we knew they were there and ready to help if we needed it! We really explored the store and checked out everything that we could before going on and building out boxes! 

When you go in you can pick from three box colors and then you can choose 5 products from 5 different sections. Each section has 3-5 products to choose from, they are laid out for you to view, read about and try. I actually didn't have a hard time choosing my five products at all and was so excited for what I received. Keep in mind these are the products offered in the store and they do change each month.

I'm sorry for some reason this picture wont flip! 

I have five products in here that I chose and one little sample I received because I bought a full size product with my purchase, I'm sorry I meant to take that out. 

The products I chose in my box are:

1. Supergoop Forever Young Hand cream: This berrylicious hydrator plumps skin and blocks UV rays. (Body & Nails Section)

2. Caudalie Make-up Remover Cleansing Water: Botanical formula that gently removes dirt, oil, and makeup. (Skincare)

3. Harvey Prince Ageless Perfume: Grapefruit- sandalwood blend that leaves skin smelling youthful. (Fragrance Section)

4. Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk Natural Tint: Brunette friendly dry shampoo for instant texture and volume. (Hair Section)

5. ModelCo Powerlash High Impact Black Mascara: Inky-black formula for luxurious long, thick lashs. (Makeup section)

I felt they had a great selection to choose from, there was definitely something for everyone in each section which I believe is a hard task to accomplish but they definitely do so and well. 

After building our boxes we went back out into the store to choose any other products we would like to purchase and let me tell you this was the hardest part. I decided quickly on the Smashbox Try it Kit, it had multiple products I was interested in trying and it was a great deal! 

Again.. I don't know why I cant flip the picture! 

So as you can tell the box was $19.00 but a retail value of $52.00.. crazy right? It contained the following products:

1. Photo Finish Foundation Primer: Smooth the appearance of fine lines and pores while creating a flawless canvas. 

2. Photo Finish Lid Primer: Instantly smooth and perfect lids with this ultra luxurious formula to help keep shadow last all day. 

3. Full Exposure Mascara: Expose your longest, fullest lashes, no clumps or flakes just maximum impact, scene stealing lashes! 

4. Limitless Eye Liner in Onyx: Get bold definition with this waterproof, long wearing eye liner that wont smudge or budge for up to 8 hours. 

5. Lip Enhancing Gloss in Illume: Drench your lips in color and shine with this luxe gloss in a best selling shade. 

Too good right? I cannot wait to try all of these products and will let you all know what I think about them when I have! 

After the Birch Box store we toured around the city a little, making another stop at Aritzia and let me tell you I couldn't have been more excited to be there. I have loved Aritzia for years but in the States they are really hard to come by, so the fact that they have one in New York is amazing. I could spend a fortune there but right now I was mostly in the need of some new tights and that's exactly what I got! 

All in all the day was a huge hit and I think we are planning to head back this week to take in some more, so stay tuned! 

If you get the chance to visit the Birch Box store I highly recommend it and if not try out a box, you don't have to commit to a year or even three months, you can purchase one box or even just a specialty box they come out with here and there. They have plenty of options and its a great way to try different products. 

I also purchased a full size bottle of Amika Bombshell Blowout Spray which I will be posting a full review on later this week! 

The second box here is the one I got for my birthday from Jason. 

Thanks for popping in, I hope you have a great day!!

Fashion Trends I Can't get on Board with...

Good Morning,

Fashion trends are forever changing and truthfully I love that, however it can be hard to keep up with. I love seeing what people are wearing, how they are using certain pieces in different ways, dressing things up and down. Pinterest is a great way to keep up with what people are doing with clothes, what they are loving, changing and making their own. My Pinterest board dedicated to clothing which you can view HERE is ever changing. I got through it every month or two and delete some things and add new things, because fashion is ever changing and so is what I like.

Sadly there are some trends I just cannot get on board with, I see people sporting them and cant help but wonder if they looked in a mirror before they left the house. I mean, what are they thinking?

1. The Crop Top

<source>

First of all I cannot sport a crop top I do not have the body with it and I am OK with that so that is not why I don't like them. I will admit in certain circumstances people can really pull them off and I think they actually look cute, but most often they do not. The crops tops that don't actually show a lot of skin, or are worn with high waisted pants for skirts often come across looking a little better. I honestly just personally don't feel the need to show so much skin and that leads me to the bigger problem of crop tops. Everyone wears them. I am a huge believer and supporter in loving your body and embracing it but can we not do it in a crop top? I am envious of girls who love their bodies so much and wear whatever they want and don't care what people think, you go girl.. but please, not in a crop top! 

I remember being younger and my older cousins who were tiny wearing them and thinking they were so cool and I wanted to wear them when I was older. Then they went away for ten years or at least weren't nearly as popular, now every time I go to a store they are everywhere and I want to hide them under stuff so people spare themselves the humiliation of wearing them. Too much of an opinion? I'm sorry but its true. I really wish we could do away with the crop top!

2. Acid Washed Jeans

<source>

All bad. Every shape size, wash.. just bad. Honestly Tanya and I have joked about these forever.. we seem some that we are like.. "you think? Maybe?" like they might actually be cute but I have absolutely never bought a pair and honestly don't think I will. Don't get me wrong they were good in their time, they were.. people wore them in all their glory and loved them but today I just cant see it. I don't know why they came back but I truly feel like they should go back in the vault. 

If you wear them and love them, all the power to you!! I honestly don't judge people I see wearing them, people wear all kinds of different things, its the great thing about fashion, people make it their own. Having said that no where in the near future, or ever probably will I be wearing acid washed jeans. 

3. Socks with Sandals. 

<source>

Just stop it. Seriously. Stop it. 

4. Barefoot Sport Shoes

<source>

I am aware this is not a fashion trend and my real issue with these shoes are they just plain creep me out. I never liked toe socks, they are weird and feel strange and I want to rip them off and let me tell you these are no different. These are meant to be worn for certain sports and I am all for that but people wear them to the grocery store! I mean they aren't technically wearing out shoes.. not to the grocery store or the mall at least. Wear them for the sports of your choice, then put some Lysol in them and put them in the closet, put your real shoes on and go to dinner. Ok? Ok!

5. Hats with Bling

<source>

I guess I just don't get it. I am not really a blingy kind of girl and I feel like people with bedazzle anything, but I just don't get it. I am all on board with a hat but why does it have to have jewels on it? Again if you wear one I wont judge you or anything, to each their own but I just wont be sporting one anytime soon. 

I am also not loving:

Turtle necks

Sequins (when you put those in the washer they are ruined)

All things transparent

Wedged Sneakers (I'm on the fence but leaning away from them)

Skirts that your ass hangs out of

Body Suits

Dickies

Need I go on?

What are some fashion trends that you aren't big on? Am I alone in these ones? Come on don't leave me hanging! 

My Outlook on Shopping for Me

Good Morning,

I got some sleep last night and am feeling much better today! Let me tell you it STORMED here last night, from about 8:00pm until midnight we had sporadic thunder and lightening, rain on and off but at about 10:00pm or so it RAINED! I mean it rained harder than I had ever heard it rain, the thunder shook the house and the lightening lit up the bedroom, it was amazing! I love nothing more than a good storm and we just haven't been graced with all that many in New Jersey so boy was I excited to lay there and listen to it!

They tore apart our front porch yesterday to replace the natural stone around the columns and I am very happy with how that turned out, we are still without banisters but I assume once it all dries they will be put back. The painters arrived at 9:00am, (MIRACLE) and said that their instructions for the day were to make me happy, how I love hearing those words! So they are working away as we speak and if all goes well everything should be done by the end of the day. Naturally we are having troubles getting another of our original colors so I won't necessarily assume everything will be done by the end of the day but we'll see!

I thought I would stop in today though and talk about something other than house stuff. It has been awhile since I have talked about what is going on with us and the house which at one point completely dominated my blog content but I don't want to bore you all; so today we are going to switch it up a bit and talk about my outlook on shopping for myself and where I tend to purchase most of my clothes.

Its funny how in the last few years where I shop and what I am willing to spend money on has completely changed, having said that one thing hasn't changed and that is my love of new stuff. I absolutely love to shop, I like new things and it doesn't even have to be anything big.. I get excited over a new lip gloss, hair ties even. I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE new stuff. As you can tell I'm extremely hard to please! Ha!

My closet has always been expansive and although I love a good deal I use to be a lot more willing to spend any amount of money on something if I wanted it. You are talking to the girl who owns 9.. yes I said 9 Lululemon Scuba hoodies that go for $108.00 a pop! No shame here, none what so ever; those babies are comfortable and warm! I actually also have a special addition one that is my favorite that was $160.00 but I got it brand new with tags on ebay for $94.00.. SCORE! I don't regret these buys because one I absolutely love them, although 9 may seem excessive and with Lulu you know that you are paying for quality.

Can we be real here for a minute though? I find more in more in my shopping and perusing quality is dwindling in most places but the prices sure as hell aren't. Its really unbelievable to me how much people are willing to charge for the quality of the items they are providing, but I guess if people are willing to pay it.. I'm honestly not. I started to notice it first with American Eagle, in high school I shopped there all the time and don't get me wrong I still find things there but their quality just isn't the same anymore. Jason used to live in their Tshirts but now they are so flimsy and don't last there is really not point in spending the money because you know they wont last. You can buy a much better quality Tee at Hollister for the same price and have it for years.

I like quality stuff obviously but where do we draw the limit as to what is actually worth it and what isn't? I suppose part of the change in why I am not willing to spend a fortune on a sweater or whatever is because we have other priorities now, we have a mortgage and bills and that seems more important than spending $100 on a sweater (although everyone splurges occasionally). I love stores like Anthropolgie, they have GORGEOUS things but I would never pay the prices. I'm sorry I can spend $54.00 on a tshirt there or $3.00 on a Tshirt at Forever 21 and let me tell you its the same quality. A Tshirt is a Tshirt lets be real here!

Here's the thing. I like to have options so therefore I would rather spend less money on each item and have more things to choose from then spend lots of money on one item and have less to choose from. Most often new trends arise and people charge a fortune for them and we wear them a few times over the season and the next year the trend is completely different, so it it worth is to spend the money on something that most likely you wont love as much the following year?

I agree that some things are worth it, jeans... I am a jean snob! Let me tell you once you wear Silver jeans or BKE jeans you will never again wear American Eagle jeans. Having said that jeans last me FOREVER! I'm not hard on clothes really which is a perk of having so many they last forever because their rotation of wear is less frequent. So if I spend $100 on jeans I will have them for years and years because unless they don't fit me (like most of my jeans now sadly) they stay in good shape forever.

If I really love something but wont spend the money while its full price which is honestly the case with most things now I wait for sales, I wait for big sales like Labor Day weekend that just passed or until they go one sale to make room for newer merchandise. I'm not going to lie it sucks, when I want something I want it but when I get it on sale for significantly less than it was originally priced I feel great about it.

To each their own really, if you spend a fortune on clothes that's awesome! If money was no object I would fill my closet with everything on my Pinterest board  and have zero regrets. Jason gets so irritated with me when he asks what I would like for my birthday or Christmas and I always say, clothes. Don't be fooled though my husband has a TON of clothes and is pretty particular about what he wears!

I have favorite stores, the Gap being one of them (do you even believe that they don't have one in New Jersey, I feel like that is absolutely ludicrous!!) I feel like the Gap's clothing is well priced for the quality they are providing, I love all of their clothing and trends they follow. I would say if I had to have only one clothing store that may just be it.

I do like Hollister I wont lie but I recently got quite a reality check. When we got home I was packing for what to take back for fall and winter and decided it was time to part with things and honestly I never feel like that. Basically I was making room for new stuff but I really had to get rid of a few things. I made a huge bag of clothes and decided that I would take them over to Plato's Closet before donating them to see if there was anything they would purchase. If you have never heard of Plato's closet it is basically a consignment store where they buy your used clothes and resell them. Well I had a lot of Hollister hoodies amongst other things and when I went back to see what they had decided to buy they said they were not taking the Hollister hoodies because they were junior items. Really? haha! I will admit the ones that I was trying to sell were from years ago but there was nothing wrong with them I just have a ton of hoodies and if I was going to make more room those were the ones I chose to get rid of. I would still buy a Hollister hoodie but that fact that they are considered juniors kind of make me chuckle and think maybe I need to rethink where I choose to shop for certain items.

Truthfully this summer I actually purchased a lot of items at Target! Their tank tops that I cant seem to find online but I know are now on clearance in store for $7.00 (originally $10.00) are my favorite! They are super comfortable and I absolutely love the fit, they had a great variety of colors and I purchased quite a few of them and plan to use them throughout fall and winter for layering as well. I purchased a maxi skirt which is not something I generally wear as I already have a lot of junk in the trunk and they tend to draw more attention to that than I care for, but I saw a black on at Target one day with a white Aztec print and for some reason decided to try it on and I couldn't love it anymore! Right now all of their maxi skirts are one sale online for $12.00 or under! Target truly had great fashion for women and as I said before a tshirt is a tshirt, when they are on at Target for $9.00 I get a few. I generally only wear tshirts to layer in the fall and winter otherwise all summer I sport tank tops therefore I am even more uninclined to spend a small fortune one them.

I don't feel that because I choose to be a little thriftier that I look sloppy or cant pull together a look, I truly think that you can find outfits just as good for less if you really try.

One thing I plan to do for fall and winter is to really start checking out more little privately owned boutiques because they carry a lot of unique and gorgeous pieces. There are a ton in Hoboken that Tanya and I venture to on occasion and there are a lot online. To stay up to date on what they offer and when sales are happening you can follow them on Instagram as well.

A few shops that I follow are:

• Kiki La Rue (not going to lie I had to unfollow them on Instagram because I wanted to buy everything.)

• Sugar Love Boutique (Right now use code "yellow" for 20% off your order thank you to Erin @ Living in Yellow

• The Tickled Pink Boutique

• Shop Miss Chic

• Ruby & Jenna 

• Postchure Boutique

Just to name a few!

<source>

Alright y'all this has taken me hours for some reason and I'm not even sure if its going to make sense or come across like I wanted it to but here it is. I truly believe its not where you buy your clothes its how you feel in them. If you can find a pair of jeans at Target for $20.00 and they make you feel like a million bucks, run with it! 

I am off to see what the painters are up to, they should be done today hopefully (everything but the front door) and then I can spend my weekend cleaning up all the messes that have been made, I didn't bother going after them every night because lets be honest what was the point!

I hope you all have a great weekend, although it is humid as all hell here I plan to enjoy the weekend and hope the rain holds off!! 

HAPPY FIRST OFFICIAL WEEKEND OF REGULAR SEASON FOOTBALL!!

<source>