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Monday, August 31, 2015

What I bought in August


I got a little overexcited shopping this month.  I was on a spending freeze for almost 2 months so I guess I should have known it was coming, AND I'm really proud of the deals I found.  I have been really obsessed with stripes, so I stocked up on more....because you can never have enough stripes, right?!  Okay, maybe that's just me.  I also tried finding a few more basic pieces.  I only spent full price on one top in that whole collage!  I couldn't help myself.  (I'll let you know which one towards the end)

Everything I bought below was from an online site called ThredUp.


ThredUp is basically an online thrift store.  They buy and sell gently used clothing from top brands.  I love Express clothing but can't really afford to buy it at the full price, so this has been a great option for me.  Every top above is from Express.  The only thing I bought that wasn't from Express was the striped skirt on the bottom left.  

Here is what I paid for 8 tops, 1 jacket, and 1 skirt from ThredUp:
Express camel sweater - $8.49
Express red and navy baseball tee - $7.49
Express b&w dolman top - $12.49
Express blue and black top - $10.49
Express red & white henley -  $7.99
Express berry top - $8.49
Express grey top - $9.49
Apt 9 skirt - $8.99
Express jacket - $18.99
Express b&w striped top - $9.49
Subtotal - $102.40
Free shipping & 20% discount TOTAL: $81.92

If you want to give ThredUp a try, here is my referral link.  Thank you in advance if you use it!


Gap b&w striped top - thrift store - $2.99
Foo Fighters top - $30
Banana Republic pink top - thrift store - $4.99
Loft grey sweater - thrift store - $2.99 - 50% off - $1.50
Charming Charlie tortorise bracelet - $6.99
Forever21 striped top - thrift store - $3.99
Total - $ 50.46

Total spent in August - $132.38

I'm really happy with that total and the amount of stuff I was able to find!  Obviously the Foo Fighters top was the full price item.  It's been a long time since I paid full price for anything, but it was worth it!  I bought my husband tickets to see Foo Fighters for our anniversary, and I have to buy a tee shirt at every concert I go to.  It's tradition!  And also why I have a whole dresser drawer full of band shirts. haha!  Ooops!

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Friday, August 21, 2015

August Ipsy Bag


Here's what I got:

Jessie's Girl Cosmetics - Eye Shadow Primer: 
This was the first time a tried a product like this and I really liked it!  I thought it really helped set the color and kept the eyeshadow from creasing.

Marc Anthony - Nourishing Argan Oil of Morocco Oil Treatment:
This smelled soooo good!  And it really helped smooth down my frizzy hair without weighing it down too much.  It also gave my hair a great shine

Hikari Cosmetics - Lip Gloss in "Merlot":
LOVED this color!  It's a deep red, which I don't own, so I was really excited to try this color out.  I don't wear lipstick on a daily basis but this one would be really pretty for a date night.  I liked that it didn't dry out my lips and the color was very pigmented.

Glamour Dolls - Eyeshadow in "Sorcery":
I thought this color was really pretty and had a nice shimmer to it.  I really like brown eyeshadows on me, but I have gotten 2 other brown eyeshadows from Ipsy already so I think it would be fun to try another color.

Trust Fund Beauty - Nail Polish in "Elegantly Wasted":
I actually already owned a color very similar to this one, so I obviously liked the color.  lol!  I did have to do 3 coats on my nails for it to not be so sheer though so that was a bummer.


So, all in all, I got a great Ipsy bag this month!  I was really happy with the variety of products I got to try.  Good job Ipsy!!  If you would like to try Ipsy, then feel free to click my referral link to get started.  Thank you in advance if you do!

I also cancelled my Birchbox subscription.  I just didn't feel like I was enjoying it as much as the Ipsy, and I also kept getting the same type of products over and over again.  


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Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Insta-lately


 I've been trying to post on Instagram daily.  I post a lot more of my outfits that never make it to the blog for whatever reason, some random shots with my family, and photos out and about.  That last picture is of my August Ipsy bag.  I'm planning a post in a few days to let you know what I think about those products.



 

  





If you want to keep up with my daily adventures on Instagram, you can follow me HERE.





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Friday, August 14, 2015

A Firmoo glasses GIVEAWAY!!!


Last year at the end of the year, I worked with a great company called Firmoo.  They are the world's most popular online eyewear store.  I've been wearing their glasses for almost a year now and I still love them just as much as when I first tried them on.  I was very impressed with the quality of the frames and how comfortable they were.


Firmoo's website is very easy to navigate and you can search by shape, material, size, color, etc.  You also have the option of uploading your own picture instead of the using the stock photos for a virtual “try-on” session. Once your picture is loaded onto the site, every pair of glasses you view will offer the option of showing them on your photograph. This gives you an idea of what the glasses are going to look like. So helpful, because I was really nervous about what they would look like on me since I've never ordered glasses online before.

The checkout process is very straightforward and easy.  Honestly, the hardest part of the process was choosing a pair of frames. There are so many great styles to choose from and I am probably the most indecisive person in the whole world.


I love their glasses so much that I have teamed with them again, but this time they are giving away a FREE set of glasses to one of my lucky readers!  How awesome is that?!  (Entry form below)

About Prize:
One pair of Firmoo glasses with free shipping to US from this page: http://www.firmoo.com/collection-for-bloggers.html

**Glasses include the frames, standard 1.50 index single vision lenses. Upgraded lenses and add-ons will be charged for an extra fee.**

Rules:
Like the Firmoo FB page, Firmoo twitter, Artwork by JM Bloglovin page, and leave a comment about what glasses you would pick.  That's it!  **I will be verifying all entries. **

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

What I've read lately

(Click on the titles of the books for the Goodreads synopsis)

In July I read A TON of romances....that's actually all I read, so in August I might try to mix things up a bit and add in other types of books like; thriller/mysteries, young adult, fantasy etc.  I was just in a "happily ever after" kind of mood, I guess.  

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
This one had me laughing out loud at a few parts and getting frustrated for the characters. I'm a huge sucker for a love story about people who have known each other for ever. I was rooting for them the whole time....while also screaming in my head, "just talk to each other!!" lol!

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
A story about a man that got the worst news a father could ever have and a woman living with her sick mother.  They decide to have a "one night stand" type of agreement but it becomes much more than than for them both.  Then Shae is dealt devastating news that tears them apart.  I liked this one but I do feel like it may have been a bit drawn out in a way.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
I really liked both of these characters a lot and I think their love story felt genuine and not forced. Henrik was such a sweetheart and not what I expected at all. Jacqui was even a really enjoyable character. I read it all in one sitting because I needed to know what was going to happen at the end. I wasn't sure if I was going to end up heartbroken or not!

My rating: 2 out of 5 stars
I was a bit disappointed with this one.  I expected more focus on his hockey career and there wasn't too much talk about it at all.  The main thing that I had a problem with the were the romantic scenes they were just missing something.  I love Auden's character even if she did seem really naive and immature at times.  The love between the two main characters seemed really forced and almost instant.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
LOVED this one! At first I wasn't sure if I was going to like Cameron very much but once he started opening up more and warming up I loved him, almost as much as Millie. I love how positive and upbeat she always tried to be. And it also helps that she loves Disney movies like me. I found myself laughing hysterically at some parts, and wanting to shake some sense into the characters in other parts (in a good way!). I wanted to punch Olivia multiple times too.! Great book that left me smiling!

My rating: 2 out of 5 stars
This was a very short novella (at only 82 pages).  I liked the idea of this one but I was a bit let down.  I feel like the whole relationship progressed really rapidly without any mention.  One minute they are sleeping together for the first time and then she's moving in with him.  It ended up feeling very rushed.  The chemistry between the two of them was great but I feel like that was lost pretty quickly.

My rating: 2 out of 5 stars
I liked the idea behind this one a lot but I was left disappointed.  There was no resolution at all at the end of the story and I think it really needed it.  I didn't realize until I wasn't almost at the end that it was a series so maybe that was part of the problem.  She was a very unlikable character.  I know she had a troubled past but I just couldn't like her for some reason.  I think I just expected more of an absolute type of ending and some love, instead of just the lust.

My rating: 1 out of 5 stars
I couldn't get into this one at all.  At first, I was really liking both lead characters because they both had such strong personalities, but then Nix ended up just coming off across as bitchy.  And he acted like it would absolutely kill him not to say something about her giving him a blowjob in every single conversation.  It got old really fast.

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
I really enjoyed the back and forth bantering between the two of the main characters.  I did think that the ending way a bit rushed though.  I liked the chemistry between the main characters a lot but some of the secondary characters probably didn't need to be there, unless this will become a series.  All in all, a nice love family love story, but I just wanted more out of the ending.

My rating: 2 out of 5 stars
This whole story read a bit awkward for me.  Jared had no backbone at all what-so-ever when it came to his ex.  He was avoiding going to charity events just because she was going to be there.  What full grown man does that?  And his "feelings" made no sense at all.  Meghan was giving me whiplash with her feelings too.  Just not my type of story, I guess.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
I'm such a huge sucker for "friends that become lovers" type of books, so I absolutely loved this one. I enjoyed both of the main characters so much, and the secondary characters were really interesting too.  I'm actually kind of hoping this turns into a series because I would love to read a book on Eve or Justin's brother.  It was a lot of fun to see both of the main characters trying so hard to fight the attraction and failing miserably.

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
I really enjoyed the first one in this series a lot so I was so happy to read the second one.  I'm a big sucker for love stories about people who have known each other forever.  I thought the book ended a little too abruptly though.  I really liked the direction that the book was going but I would have liked just a little bit more.   I did still enjoy the story, just not as much as the first one

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
A romance about a hot hockey player??  Yes, please! I really ended up enjoying this one. Ryker was such a sweetheart and I loved the stronger female character of Gray. I really loved the interactions with his daughters.

My rating: 2 out of 5 stars
This book was incredibly frustrating for me.  Keaton comes back to Jocelyn at the beginning of this book asking for another chance.  Their marriage ended because he was caught cheating on their anniversary with her one enemy and HE has the balls to say she's being unreasonable when she says she doesn't want to take him back.  Definitely not my type of book.  

My ratings: 4 out of 5 stars
Violet is a romance novel addict and Jared is a womanizer who refuses to settle down. Jared's mother doesn't have much time left so in an effort to make his mom happy he blurts out that he has a serious girlfriend and he's bringing her for the big celebration they have every year. He convinces Violet to pretend to be his girlfriend for 2 weeks to make his mother happy. They both try to keep their distance and fail miserably. I had a couple of laughs and even teared up once or twice with this one

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
I felt like this one started out strong then lost some steam somewhere in the middle but finished really strong. I loved the last couple of chapters. It showed a lot of growth on both sides and it was so sweet. It was nice to see such a tough character like Kincaid voice his feelings and be such a sweetheart.

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
A suspenseful romance book was just what I needed to shake things up and it was fun trying to figure out who the bad guy was. I really loved how protective Ethan was of Carly. It was really sweet and also pretty sexy. "She doesn’t like it when strangers touch her, so either get your hand off her, or I will be removing it."

My rating: 3 and a half out of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this one a lot.  This is another friends before love type of story.  I only took one star off because I felt like there was a little bit too much not answered at the end.  Cam was so clueless and he was such a sweetheart.

My rating: 1 out of 5 stars
This one made me want to bang my head against the wall.  I liked the idea behind it but HATED everything else about it.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Gavin was such a sweetheart throughout this whole book.  Jessica was a great character too, both were really likable characters which was nice.  I definitely want to go back through the series and check out the earlier books too.  I loved all of the secondary characters.  The baseball team he played for was a lot of fun with their pranks.

My rating: 2 and a half out of 5 stars
Neve becomes Rory's penpal while he is in Afganistan and they start exchanging sexy letters back and forth.  They have plans to meet up when he gets home to fulfill all of the fantasies they came up with in their letters.  Through a misunderstanding Neve believes he is engaged and runs off.  So a lot of the story is Rory trying to make up for that while struggling with PTSD, and Neve also has a pretty promiscuous past that she is trying to overcome.

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
This was definitely a darker romance than I expected. I am not a huge fan of the topic of rape and a lot of this book was centered around it, so it took some getting used to. While I wasn't a huge fan of that part of the story, their love story was really sweet. They were both very damaged people but they were perfect for each other. They shut the world out but not towards each other. It was nice to see the character growth in them both. I wasn't surprised by the reveal of the killer but I expected that.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
What happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas! This one definitely had me laughing out loud at some parts. I loved how witty they both were, and Mack was definitely swoon-worthy. I've never had a "thing" for cowboys but he may make me start! I loved how sweet he was. There was definitely a lot of sexy parts too. Andie and her life plan made me a little bit crazy at times but I loved seeing her character grow and loosen up as the book went on. I love the Mackenzie family. Very sweet and steamy love story!

My rating: 3 and a half out of 5 stars
Going into this one, I wasn't too sure how I was going to like Candice's character. She seemed so ditsy and high maintenance in the last one that I didn't think I would like her much. It was great to see another side of her in this book. She's still a little ditsy and high maintenance BUT there's a lot more to her than that in this one. I loved Ian almost as much as Mack (from the first book). He's the grump and trouble maker of the family so it fun to see him loosen up with Candace and play around. This was much more of a slow burn type of romance than the first one was. I think overall I enjoyed the first one maybe just a teeny bit more but really liked them both.

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Gavin is a Dr that lives in Dublin and is visiting his sister for a month in New York, where he meets Toni, his sister's best friend.  They instantly feel an attraction and decide to have a summer fling while he is on vacation.  It's supposed to be a no strings attached, just sex kind of relationship but they both start to develop feelings for each other.  I would have liked to see them do more than just eating, drinking, and having sex though.  We didn't really get to see too much of their relationship

My rating: 2 out of 5 stars
I liked how this one started out but then after that it sort of fell apart for me a bit.  It's supposed to be a love story involving Amy and Sean but most of the story is about her job and her friend's wedding/miscarriage.  Sean and Amy hardly spend any real time together before he realizes that he has feelings for her.  It ended up being too unbelievable for me.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this one! It had such a different storyline that I instantly knew I wanted to read this story. I loved Gracie's spunky personality and that she could kick butt if she needed to. Jake was an absolute sweetheart and smooth-talker when he wanted to be but like her, definitely had a temper. I liked that neither one of them were perfect, nothing is worse than an ultimately "perfect" character. It makes it more believable when they have flaws. They both had pasts that they had to move past. I love all of the supporting characters and can't wait to read the next one in the series!

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
I'm such a huge sucker for "friends to lovers" type of stories, and this one didn't disappoint. Riley was the typical womanizing college student but he was so incredibly sweet with Devyn. I loved their friendship and how close they were. The chemistry between the two of them was off the charts too. The way he planned out that whole day to make sure everything was special for Devyn was so sweet. There were definitely times in the story when I wanted to shake or smack one of them upside the head but you'll have that. There were also quite a few laugh out loud moments with Nate.

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Roni is a woman with a traumatic past that has a problem with running when things get intense/difficult. Coleman is a bull-riding cowboy with a 15 year old son and a ton of patience. Roni and Coleman feel an instant strong connection with each other and Coleman wants to give it a chance. Roni tries to run away multiple times but he won't let her and he takes his time with her, gaining her trust. Coleman was so romantic and sweet with her all the time. I loved Roni's "take no crap" attitude too. I'm very glad the author added the "extra" at the end with Coleman's POV. It answered some of the questions I was having about a pretty big reveal towards the end. I will admit that the continued use of the word "shitdizzle" got on my nerves a bit but all in all, I enjoyed this story.


What have you been reading lately?  If you are on Goodreads, we should be friends!


**I received every one of these ebooks for free from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review, so HUGE thanks to them and the publishers.**


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Monday, August 10, 2015

OUTFIT: Date night

(sorry for the strange quality of my photos, my cameras settings must be really off)

We finally got another date night this weekend, well, technically it was a date day since we had to be back by 7pm.  But hey, beggars can't be choosers!  I will take what I can get!

We got to see Ant Man, and I have to say I was surprised at how much I liked it!  I've always loved Paul Rudd but he really surprised me in this role.  He's always such a goof in his movies...well, he still has his goofy moments but they are great!  I also got to go to Express and pick up a few more pieces I've been wanting.  Their clearance is an additional 40% off  right now, so I couldn't resist!  Then we went to PF Changs for dinner. I LOVE their spring rolls!

(I swear, I am not this pale.  My camera makes my skin look WHITE.  Photographer friends, help!!)

We also went biking with our little one over the weekend.  It was the first time we tried Paige in one of those bike carrier/seats and she did great.  She loved it!  But note to self: Next time borrow a friend's bike instead of renting one....  I swear their bike seats are made of cement.  My bum was not pleased. LOL!


What did you do over the weekend?

linked up with: More Pieces of Me and Sincerely Jenna Marie, Pink Sole and Cha Cha the Fashion Genius


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Monday, August 3, 2015

A pretty purple dress from Zaful


I was so excited when Zaful contacted me about reviewing a dress from them.  They have very reasonably priced clothing and a huge selection!  I ended up picking this super cute purple dress, and I love it!  It's so comfortable.  The fabric is really soft and flowy, and I will admit that my inner 5 year old did a few "princess twirls" in it. lol!  Am I the only one that still does that?!


This dress actually came in three colors: blue, purple, and rose.  I have an obsession with the color purple so that the one I ended up going with, but all three colors were pretty.  It's such a great summer dress.  The fabric isn't so thick that I would be too warm, but it's not sheer either which is great!


You can check out some of their other great dresses HERE.  They don't just sell clothing either.  They have some super cute shoes, accessories, and jewelry too!

** I received this dress for free from Zaful for review; however all opinions are my own **

linked up at: More Pieces of Me and Sincerely Jenna Marie, Pink Sole and Cha Cha the Fashion Genius



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