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Friday, December 21, 2012

The Nail Files

Linking up today for The Nail Files.
This will *most likely* be my last Nail Files of 2012. 
Seriously, where did the year go? 

Today, I'm wearing Essie Marshmallow with glittery ring fingers :)
I really wanted to use red but can you believe that all 3 of my red nail polishes were not up to par to take on the job. Looks like I need to go red nail polish shopping. I'm obsessed with the red from the 2010 OPI Christmas Collection. I can't remember the name of it right now, but whatever it was, I need that. I'll check at home and get back to you on that.

Doing anything fun with your nails this holiday season?
Link up with us and share :)

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Photo Dump

I've been busy. Really busy. 
So I decided to catch you up with some photos.

I've either been babysitting...
Having fun with friends at the Magic game..
Painting my new office at work, going to dinner for friends birthdays...
FYI: If you let me pick my wall color, I'm obvi going to pick pink ;)
At my office Christmas party, or my boyfriends work Christmas party..

OR 

Saying goodbye to my longtime favorite neighborhood bar that officially closed down last night :(
Here is a few snap shots of our new office. 
I love all the artwork that they did, but I'm still getting used to my individual office.
I'm directly next to a conference room that has had a lot of traffic the past few days. 
Since I have a floor to ceiling glass window directly to my right, I'm basically a window model for the people in the conference room. Trying to get used to that :(
And that's all :)

Hopefully I'll be back to regular posting soon!

Thursday, December 13, 2012

IPSY: Glam Bag

This is the 3rd month of my IPSY subscriptions and they have yet to fail me.
Check out what they sent me this month:
 Now let's break down all the goodies I got :)
1. Cute understated bag - exactly my style.
2. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil ($19) - The color is called 'Zero' but it's jet black. My favorite thing about IPSY is that they give me colors that I would actually use. Unlike Birch Box who gave me purple eyeliner. Sure, it would be great if I go to an 80's party but I'm looking for everyday products. 
3. NYX Loose Pearl Shadow ($3) - The color I received was called 'Pearl' which is a pale pearly pink. While I would have preferred the gorgeous gold that some people received, I can always purchase it if I like the application.
4. Mai Couture Highlighter Papier ($28) - This highlighting paper adds a glow to your skin wherever you apply it. I'm really excited to see if these work. What a great alternative to bronzer.
5. Be a Bombshell Lip Gloss ($14) - The color is called 'Hot Mess'. I think it's going to be the perfect color for the holiday season. Can you imagine how adorable red lips and nails will be for a holiday party? 
6. Mirabella Prime for Face and Eyes ($29) - I'm almost out of my Primer so this couldn't have come at a better time. This product contains Vitamin E that works as an antioxidant to smooth our lines as it moisturizes and protects your skin. Plus, it helps keep your makeup in place. Count me in.

This month they sent me all full sized products resulting in a grand total of $93. 
Did I mention I only paid $10 TOTAL?
Seriously, if you haven't signed up for IPSY yet, I don't know what you're waiting for.
This just might be the best decision I've ever made. 

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Farewell Dallas!


..from the great state of Texas - Dallas, to be exact.

For the sake of time, I'm going to give you a short but sweet update of my trip.

This was my first plane ride in over 8 years, and my first trip to Texas ever.
I must say it was much different than I expected.
I didn't see one cowboy hat, pair of boots, perfectly teased hair AND I didn't hear a southern accent once.
Either I was hiding in a ditch or the stereotypes are simply not true.

When I arrived Friday night, we went to Sfuzzi's to chat and grab some drinks. 
We wanted to pace ourselves. After all, we had 4 days.
We ended the night with a candlelight dinner of Wendy's. Just my style ;)
Saturday we hit up Galleria, a mall in Dallas.
I was IN LOVE with that Christmas tree and the rush of Christmas shoppers.
It truly put me in the holiday spirit.
We ate lunch rink side at a delicious mexican restaurant.
If you know me, you know I love me some enchiladas, beans and rice. 
I'm a woman of extreme class, what can I say ;)
 After probably 5 episodes of Law & Order SVU, we forced ourselves to get ready, have a few pregaming shots and hit downtown. 
We went to Del Frisco's Grille, Frankie's Sports Bar & Stoneleigh P before heading to Steak n Shake for a late night bite. 
Frankie's had the most AMAZING popcorn chicken & fries. 
Not to mention, they had my favorite liquors on a chilled tap.
Note: If you have Fireball, Absolut & Tuaca on tap, I'll fall in love.
We woke up early Sunday and watched a few more episodes of SVU before ending up at Nick & Sam's Grill for brunch.
Could you believe that we each ordered a Mimosa and they brought us an entire wine decanter each filled with delicious Mimosa's. The best part, they were only $6 a pop. My mouth about dropped to the floor. 
After brunch we went to Concrete Cowboy to continue the fun and then ended up back at Frankie's Sports Bar for more popcorn chicken and fries.. & fireball :)
We woke up Monday morning to find snow on her car. It dropped from 60 to 25 degrees all in a matter of a few hours.

I can't say that my fear of planes has subsided, but I definitely had a fun trip!

Friday, December 7, 2012

Dallas, here I come!

Tonight, I'll be flying under the stars to the great state of Texas. 
I've never been to Texas so I'm excited to see what all the hype is about.
My friend moved to Dallas about 6 months ago.
I've been really excited to go visit so I booked a ticket about a month ago and, 
although I have a horrible fear of flying, I'm putting my big girl pants on and not looking back.
I'm sure my mind will by put at ease when I see this beautiful skyline.
We literally have no firm plans for the weekend. 
Just going with the wind, if you will.
That's why I figured why not throw it you guys to see if you have any suggestions.

We were hoping to get in a Dallas Cowboy game while I was there.
 Unfortunately, the Cowboys have an away game this weekend.
I would have loved to see my favorite cheerleaders!
One of my co-workers told me about Fort Worth Stock Yards
& Water Gardens Galore
Breathtaking. 

Those are definitely two possibilities. 
I want to eat, drink, somewhat sightsee and just have fun.
I'd love to hear your suggestions!

The Nail Files

Since I'm going to visit one of my pink loving girlfriends in Dallas this weekend, 
I figured I had to paint my nails appropriately. 

I give you Essie, off the shoulder.
This color is the perfect 'Barbie Pink'.
I love it.
When I get home, I have to remove the extra polish on my middle finger that this photo just pointed out to me.

What color are you flashin' on your nails today?
Link up with us and share!

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Recipe & a thank you!

Hey guys! 
I thought I'd share with you a super easy delicious meal I made the other night. 
For lack of a more creative name, I'll call it:
Creamy Broccoli Chicken & Rice. 

What you'll need:
1. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: I get the thin sliced to make it easier.
Plus, it helps ensure that the chicken is cooked entirely through.
2. One Fresh Lemon
3. Rice - you can choose whichever rice you want.
4. Italian Bread Crumbs
5. Black Pepper
6. 1/2 cup of Milk *optional*
7. Campbell's Cream of Broccoli Soup
8. Broccoli
9. Olive Oil *optional*
Instructions:
1. I started by putting the rice in my rice cooker because that takes about 25 minutes to cook. 
2. *Optional* Coat the chicken in vegetable or olive oil (you can always squeeze some of the lemon in the oil) & then dipped it in the breadcrumbs. You can use egg, water or whatever kind of seasoning you'd like.
3. Then, I cooked it in a pan of oil on medium heat, 7 minutes each side. Since every stove and piece of chicken is different, use your judgement to make sure the chicken is completely cooked.
*You can always cook it in the oven if that's your preference. From my personal experience, I think it tastes better on the stove and it keeps the chicken from getting dry.
4. Steamfresh is amazing because you just pop it in the microwave for about 6 minutes and voila amazing broccoli. 
5. In a separate pot, I mixed the cream of broccoli, 1/2 cup of milk (optional - just wanted to make it creamy), squeeze of the lemon and black pepper and brought it all to a boil.

All that's left is putting it on a plate! I layered mine because I love the taste of it all mixed together.
Enjoy!

My dinner last night was not quite as fun.

Unfortunately, a cold decided to pay me a visit so I was passed out by 8:30.
Here's to kicking this annoying cold before my trip this weekend!

You might remember that I did a guest post for Kristen over at Life's a Beach.
My Momma dropped off some of my mail last night. 
Imagine my surprise when I found a gift card to Starbucks from sweet Kristen for simply doing that post. 
How sweet is she? That definitely made my night. 
Thank YOU, Kristen. It was my pleasure :)

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Weekend Update

Weekend update post is up late, as per usual.

On Friday, I picked up my super sweet Nephew from daycare and went to Chick Fila
so he could play and, more importantly, Aunt Stephy could eat ;)
Saturday I went Christmas shopping. Crossed my lil man off the list!
I spent the rest of the day watching The Newlywed Game & Family Feud. 
Who knew that the update version of The Newlywed Game was so dirty?
After a mediocre attempt of Smore's at my Mom's house, Justin and I went to my new found 
favorite restaurant, Bahamas Breeze, for dinner. I'm seriously obsessed with their Sangria, Coconut Shrimp 
& Wood Grilled Chicken Breast with yellow rice & broccoli. To.die.for. 
Then we headed to meet up with Justin's friends from work at Prato on Park Ave. 
We ended up taking the party to a local irish bar for car bombs before heading back to his friends house that 
resulted in drunk skateboarding while being pulled by a dog. 
Needless to say, there were a lot of laughs :)
We both woke up feeling less than superb. 
We spent lunch with Justin's parents and then I went to see my Nephew.
He wanted to go on a bike ride to 7/11 & since I can't say no to that sweet face, I agreed. 
Let's just say, I about died after I returned.
Note to self: Don't go biking while hungover. 

Justin and I spent the rest of the night eating pizza on the couch watching movies.
Tip: If you haven't seen Catch Me If You Can. Do it, now.
It's an incredible movie!

That's all she wrote!