november recap

i made a promise to have november to remember

and i think i did a good job at that!

here's a quick recap of what i was up to...

by photo of course ;-)

took a little afternoon and had lunch by myself and did some quality planning

not very rare i take myself out to eat!

my phone was off and it was delightful (minus the photo)

on a typical target run, i breezed through the shoes...

saw these (alone the only pair) i said those will never be my size.

well they were a 7.5 AND they were $10 dollars!

you know i love a good road trip and a great photo op

told ya, sucker for photos

YES! this happened. 

(more on this later)

purchased a little lucky bamboo when i was at ikea

just so happens mine and my good friends bamboo 

were attached <3

full meaning of sunday funday!

goblets of champs on the couch on a sunday afternoon

i'll take it!

some family time, is always a good time

oh and dessert isn't so bad either

the coziest little space 

where i've had the pleasure of working a few times

the struggle of having perfectly naturally straight hair 

and wanting lush fab curls

after an adventure in beacon one lovely afternoon...

i found where the sidewalk ends!

give thanks...

i am thankful for so much

even though i have lost, there are gains and things that have remained the same.

there are things i know never take for granted.

for life, for the people i get to experience it with, for the love we show one another.

for the laughs we share, whether they are meant to lift spirits 

or just because we're plain ol' hilarious.

for the things i've accomplished

and the things i've acquired, not material things.

for lessons, blessings, missteps, passes.

and more then anything...

i am beyond grateful for time. 

for the 23 years i had with my brother and all our endless memories together.

you see this thanksgiving, i'm not in the right frame of mind. 

i can't claim to be on top of it all the time

people keep reminding me how much the holidays will be hard for my family.

and i get that, i do.

but what i can't grasp, is how fast time is moving

watching minutes turn to hours and hours to days

it makes it all too easy to realize that time waits for no man.

and i need to appreciate that, first and foremost.

must i always remind myself to stop focusing on how stressed i am

and realize how blessed i am.

certainly a work in progress, but a true statement!

i hope you enjoy the holiday with those you hold near and dear

and of course, eat til your hearts content!

thank you for being apart of this special journey with me <3

Gift Guide : Tweens

you might remember that as a tween ourselves, 

we were constantly begging our moms to take us to the mall

we always "needed" something...

much has changed since then, hasn't it ladies!? ;-)

goodness, how many hours of my life did i waste in the limited and in icing?!

(dating myself, 100% right there)

while i have a tween that i keep very near and dear to my wallet errr, my heart!

(c'mon what are big sisters for?!)

i thought this was an awesome category for the gift guide this year

so here are just a few fabulous finds any tween

 would be happy to unwrap this holiday season ;-)

(remember all sites are linked as description of items)

1. $16.00 (each letter) from pottery barn

a great piece for any bedroom wall or desk space!

just get an initial, spell out her name or a word!

2. $40.00 from lockwood shop

cell wallet & purse ~ just pick her favorite color and she's off

even can hold a small gloss and all those giftcards for her trips to the mall

kinda have to be honest, i think i need this for myself!

3. $14.00 from elf cosmetics

a great mix of shimmers, bolds and glittery colors

every little diva needs her own set of polishes

just don't forget to give her with a basket of mani essentials and tools too

4. $9.00 - $14.00 from francesca's 

just blinging out 

it's super hard for these little ladies to rock any kind of jewelry at school 
because ofgym class and the fear of losing them 
but they can show off these cute little studs with ease

5. $24.00 perfume sampler set from sephora

every little lady likes her indivuality so what better way for her to not only smell lovely 
but also pick out a scent she loves! 

there is a mixture of some classic scents included
 as well as a voucher for another roller

and whatever she doesn't like, well she can share!

6. $14.95 - $30.95 from h&m

 share your inner fashionista goodness with the little lady

 i've recently been killing it at h&m

and um, how could i not when it's THIS affordable!

make her chic and savvy!

*helpful reminder :

this is the moodiest, most fickle bunch you'll buy for - def get a gift receipt!

happy shopping for the tweentastic gals in your life!

 <3

playing elf...

if you are a long time reader of this lovely blog

 you know that every holiday season

i bring you simply the best in holiday gift guides

i promise we won't crash right into the gingerbread house just yet, 

however i am very excited to share with you!

this year we'll be doing things just a wee bit different

so here's the order of operations.

starting this thursday 11/20/14

we will have 5 continuous thursdays of gift guides 

leading right up until the week of hanukkah and the week before christmas!

this year will cover:

 the ladies, the men, the group, the DIY, under $50 and more

and you can always refer back to the classics for a little bit of inspo if needed ;-)

2013 . 2012 (part 1 & part 2) . 2011 

stay tuned for recipe remixes 

from the traditional thanksgiving fare this week on pinterest!

Mani-ecessities

I very very rarely will go out for a manicure...

I find them more of a nuisance! I hate the waiting, I hate the panic of smudging 

and I hate being uncomfortable in that damn chair!

I do however indulge in pedicures, which obvs. I enjoy much much more! 

Hell, even a microderm is relaxing for me.

But my manis are my favorite "me activitiy".

I find so much joy in heading to the drug store or beauty supply for a good ol' haul!

I take my time picking out new products and the essentials...

Those always include a new :

A file, mani sticks (the wood ones), my fave ORLY products & a top coat if I'm running low

AND of course, 2 -3 new polishes!

Each manicure haul happens roughly, every other month and costs under $20 dollars!

Now this isn't a matter of being cheap, because yes I can very easily go get a manicure for the same amount but I get so much more out of a mani when I do it myself...

*plus the polish is mine to keep!

Like I mentioned, it is my favorite way to indulge in "me"...

A little like, MEditating ;-)

I need a solid 30 minutes of drying time once polished, so what do I do?

I catch up with the DVR, maybe the many books just sitting unfinished on my Kindle, 

or flip through a magazine that is stacked waiting for me! 

So while there is not much rocket science behind painting your nails, 

yes we have all seen the pins and been practicing for years

my TOP secret is this...

Start with a light scrub to exfoliate the skin I love soft hands, 

especially as it gets colder!

A good soak will go a long way and get off the stains from a darker hue of mani past!

I use aquaphor (like a lotion) all over my hands (sometimes I keep it on awhile)

 and around my nail on the cuticles. I trim and push my cuticles back, 

each and every time I do my nails.

It's great for treating them and keeping them soft 

and also in case I get a little sloppy while painting!

The dried polish will wipe right off - you can try the same with vaseline!

So here are my mani-ecessities, ya know like the bare necessities!

Cuticle Oil

Primer/Basecoat

Top Coat (of choice for now)

Ointment for Hands 

H.O.P.E

what do you do when you need it all to work out.

what is your game plan for good luck?

are you superstitious?

are you a praying person?

do you leave it all to chance,

with the confidence of  "i dotted all my i's and crossed my t's

so what is meant to be, will be"...

i am all of the above and i believe it weighs heavy on me.

i try to juggle confidence and the security of my talents and my faith.

and let me tell you, it ain't easy!

however lately, i've been struggling with the anxiety of choices 

and the waiting game that comes...

that was until i stumbled upon this beautiful quote

i shall call it a glimmer of light,  in so many ways.

from what i've always known it's meaning to be

 "a feeling and desire for a certain thing to happen."

to this...

 

can't even begin to imagine the amount of wonderful and amazing things

 that can come from seeing the word hope in a completely different context... 

maybe it can help. 

maybe it is the first step to seeing things just a little differently.

and maybe for the better! <3

november to remember

mass at 9am, on a SUNDAY is something I DO NOT DO.

i never have! 

of course, i groaned but knowing it was for my brother made it all different.

i was hesitant and swaying back and forth with emotion all morning when getting ready.

 it was as cold yesterday as it was that day in january, 

the last time most of these people were gathered in the same place.

it was making me more upset. i'm at the place now where i don't want to cry all the time.

(more on that later)

i remember looking around during mass

 mouthing things to my friends in the pews around me, (tsk tsk i know)

 having "eye conversations" with my sister - who was sitting a few people down from me

and just like that,  i started feeling really rejoiced, happy and awkwardly comfortable.

 after mass and visiting my brothers grave

 my parents hosted a brunch-eon for everyone to enjoy.

 as incredibly bittersweet these gatherings tend to be
i have to relish in the love that comes with it! 
it is so heartwarming to be surrounded by all that love, the laughing and yes the food! 

i remember checking out for a minute or two yesterday

 and just admiring the scene...

it was in sorts, a sunday funday! 50 people spread all over the house.

i was jumping from family to friends, to helping out 
then making my to making my way into the purple palace 
that always becomes refuge from the crowds for my crew...

and i couldn't LOVE it anymore!

espn was on until actual football started in the big living room, the kids were running around in the yard and the house playing games,  there were people sitting on the floor, sitting on the couches, sitting at tables eating and chatting away
 (it reminded me how it used to look in the cafeteria in high school)
 chaos in the kitchens, helping make room for more platters, 
telling stories, having morning cocktails, taking their shoes off just being "at home".

that's when it hit me... 

the love and the amazing-ness of it all.

i told myself, i will never forget this day. 
it wasn't anything major.

but it changed my heart, a lot.

i thought this is the perfect way to start the new month!

and i started recall a little something called :  November to Remember <3

~~~

many many moons ago (november of 2011) 

i proposed we try out the idea of a "november to remember".

1) because before all the holiday hoopla begins...

why can't we just sit back, relax and unwind a little with the simple things 

and splendor of the season to come.

the weather is getting crisper, the days are getting shorter, 

people are coming into town for the holiday s

so why not just enjoy their company?!

2) because ONCE the holiday hoopla comes in -ev eryone starts to lose it.

you know what i'm talking about... 
fighting for parking, budgeting, overwhelmed with DIYs, 
holiday prep and shopping for the best deals

 these ALL sound familiar, i know!

& 

3) you can start to feel lost in all of this hustle and bustle...

so why not take a day or two out of each week and secure some YOU time!

giving in to this request is not selfish in the slightest. trust me! 

we are going to work on this one TOGETHER!

~~~

so here we are... monday november 3, 2014

27 days

 to take it easy

to indulge

to smile

to reflect

and to learn the things you forgot you loved

and in turn, make this a november to remember!

so excited to be making this an awesome month, with you!