My First Birchbox!!!

I'm obviously late to this party, but I wanted to post about my very first Birchbox before February was over. Birchbox is a monthly beauty box subscription that sends you four to five deluxe samples every month for $10 based on a beauty profile that you complete on their website. You don't know what you will be receiving, so it's kind of like Christmas every month. :) Here is what I received in my February box...

A welcome card explaining Birchbox

I'm a sucker for great packaging & loved how it felt like I was unwrapping a gift!

 The loot!

The two things that I have tried so far I really, really liked. I had been wanting to try the Viva La Juicy perfume, but never did and I love it! Birchbox describes this scent as,  "Top notes of wild berries and sweet mandarin flirt with lady-like middle notes of honeysuckle, jasmine, and gardenia. Warm base notes of caramel, amber, vanilla, sandalwood, and praline hover beneath it all." I'm thinking this could be my signature Spring/Summer scent. Jose loved this perfume so much on me that he requested I wear it - love that!

The other thing I tried was the Jouer Moisturizing Lipgloss in Birchbox Pink. I love. love. love. lipglosses, but when I opened the box my heart kind of sank because this color looked soooo bright. But when I put it on, it was perfect. It gave my lips a sheer wash of pink, but I definitely could have built up the color if I was going for a more intense look.

Things in my box that I received but haven't tried are a pack of stick on eyeliners, a sample of Colorscience foundation, & Showstoppers fashion tape in nude & black.  I thought the adhesive eyeliner was a little weird, but this would be something I would try for a fun night out, but I couldn't really see myself repurchasing. I haven't gotten around to trying the foundation, not sure if it's really even a match for me or not. The fashion tape could come in handy, but obviously I would need to be wearing something that I would need to use it with. My first thought was something a la J Lo at the Oscars, but the Birchbox website recommended using it for bra straps that may slip which is a good use I hadn't thought about before.  

All in all, I thought my Birchbox was pretty good for a first time. Granted, I have only used two things, but they were two things I could see myself purchasing in the future. I hope they keep getting better, next time I would love to see some more things along the lines of bath and body(lotion, etc.)

Do you subscribe to Birchbox? What was your fave thing in your February box?

Oh, How Pinteresting!!!

I'm linking up with Michelle today at The Vintage Apple for Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesday! Faith is a huge part of my life and I make no apologies for it. I thank God every day for the many blessings He has given me. Here are a few pins from my "spiritual" board....

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And The Oscar for Best Dressed Goes To.....

Last night was the first time I have ever watched the Academy Awards from beginning to end. I'm one of those people who likes movies, but for some reason just never gets around to watching too many. Case in point, I haven't even seen Bridesmaids yet - but I can't wait because it looks hilarious! As much as I liked adding to my list of "must watch" movies, I liked watching what some of Hollywood's hottest wore even more. Here are some of my faves in no particular order...

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Yes, Angelina's leg stole the show.

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I loved how the red worked with her skin tone & hair, but I loved the bow even more!

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I thought Navy was a great choice here & I learned what a peplum is, which I loved!

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Despite her wardrobe malfunction, I thought Ms. Lopez looked amazing.

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Simple, elegant, & classy!

Also, I'd like to thank the Academy for my own Oscar.....sorry, couldn't resist...

He couldn't be bothered to make sure both of his ears were right side out.

Oh, How Pinteresting!!!

It's that time again! I'm linking up with Michelle at The Vintage Apple for Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesday. I think we could all use a little humor this week...

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Jose came home early from work today because he wasn't feeling well. He wanted to go to bed early tonight so he said to me, "Come to bed & bring your laptop and you can pin all night. I just want you to be with me." Be still my heart. :)

BEST.VALENTINES. EVER.

Valentines Day has always been my second favorite holiday of the year next to Christmas  & yesterday was the best Valentines Day I have ever had! But first let me back up a little. When I left work Monday night I had a few errands that I needed to get done for Valentine's Day. I texted Jose that I would be late coming home & he said he would be doing the same. When he finally got home he came in the house holding his neck & told me that someone had rear ended him. He then asked me to come outside to look at his car. And this was outside....




2008 Lexus RX400H

 We had been looking at getting me another car & this is the one I really wanted. We went on Saturday & looked at it and he surprised me with it on Monday (he told me Monday afternoon that the financing fell through and it was a no go to throw me off)! I was sooooo excited & surprised!

Then on Tuesday, Jose already had the day off so I took the day off as well so we could spend it together. We went to Union Station (where he proposed) and walked around the shops. I had never been inside before so it was really fun to see everything there. Jose got me these....

Yummy!

Then we went here....

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Jose got the Salted Caramel cupcake & I got the Apple Cobbler cupcake. Mine is still in the fridge waiting to be eaten, but I tasted his and it was delicious! Then we went to the mall & walked around for awhile and went to Outback for dinner. Jose wanted to go to Dean & Deluca's to pick up some groceries so he could cook me dinner, but I didn't want him spending all day in the kitchen so I opted to go out instead. After dinner we came home & passed out on the couch. :) It was the perfect romantic & relaxing day.

Also, when Makenna woke up for school Tuesday morning this was waiting for her....




Jose's Kit Kats & Reeses on the L
Makenna V-Day Gift on the R

As a child growing up, my parents always gave me a gift on V-Day and that memory is still very special to me so I wanted to continue the tradition with Kenna. I filled her bag with little goodies like lipgloss (which she loves, she takes after her mama on that one), body spray, chocolate, etc. I also got her an adorable stuffed Dachshund that looks just like Oscar. :)

I'm so blessed to have been with two of the people (and my two furbabies) that I love more than anything in this world on V-Day & that's what really made the day extra special for me. I hope that you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day as well & spent it with those who mean the most to you.



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Oh, How Pinteresting!!!

We're halfway to Friday!! Hope everyone is having a great week! Today I'm linking up with Michelle at The Vintage Apple for Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesday.

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XLVI

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We are supporting the Giants by default today since Jose was born in NY. I hope everyone is enjoying a fun & safe Superbowl Sunday!

Simple Pleasure Saturday & What I'm Reading

Makenna is in the 4th grade & has been playing basketball since last month. She has played other sports in the past, but hasn't showed real interest in any until now. Every Wednesday afternoon 4 teams made up of 4th & 5th grade girls from Makenna's school play against each other in the school gym. I try my best to be at all of her games, but if I can't because of what I may have going on at work that week her grandma stands in for me. :) I really look forward to these games each week. I have to say, these girls play way better than I expected. I thought there would be girls afraid of the ball or confusion over whose hoop is whose, but not at all. I love sitting in the bleachers and cheering for Kenna, telling her, "GET THOSE ARMS UP!! DEFENSE!" The week before last the Wildcats won their first game!! 16-9! I was so proud!  Last week when I told Makenna I wasn't going to be able to make it to her game, she told me, "Awww.....I think you're my good luck charm. We win when you're there." Love that kid. I'll be there this week. :)

So, it's time for the big reveal of what I'm reading now & what you could possibly win after I'm done! I'm currently reading, I Do, Now What?: Secrets, Stories, and Advice from a Madly-in-Love Couple by Bill & Giuliana Rancic.

I've loved this couple & their show for awhile now. Giuliana's recent battle with breast cancer made me admire them & their relationship even more after I saw with what class, dignity, & love they handled it. Review coming soon! Hope y'all are having a fabulous weekend!



Dewey. Dewey Decimal.

My love of reading started in Kindergarten. First, let me start with a little background. Growing up, my mom was a stay at home mom so the first time I was actually seperated from her for any length of time was when I started Kindergarten. I was 5 years old at the time and the adjustment was really, really hard for me.  One of the hardest times for me was nap time at school. I didn't want any part of it. My teacher (Ms. Wade, BEST. TEACHER. EVER.) would wait for the other children to fall asleep and then she would let me sit in the reading corner and read books until nap time was over. My love of reading was born and I haven't looked back since. I may or may not pay for a storage unit every month for all the books I own because I can't fit them all in my apartment and actually live there too - don't judge me. I also have passed my passion on to my 9 year old daughter, Makenna, considering I have to bribe her with new books to clean off the bookshelf in her room every now and then. Unfortunately though, my reading has taken a backseat lately to my love of reality t.v. and blogs. But, no more. I'm going to make time to read more books. So, what I'm going to do is share here what I will be reading before I start it and then review it for you all after I'm done. Also, since I never read a book twice (well very rarely anyway) I'm going to give away the book after I'm done, but you guys are getting first dibs!! The way it will work is this: after I finish reading the book and post the review, the first follower of my blog to leave a comment requesting the book will get it! I will mail it to you free of charge as my little thank you for following my blog. If you have a blog, it would be great if you could post a review as well, but not required. :) It may be the nerdy side of me, but I'm really excited about this...lol...I've always loved enjoying a book and then passing it along to others to give them the chance to enjoy it as well. Stay tuned to see what I'm reading next. Hint: it has something to do with my reality t.v. addiction! Also, because I like posts with pictures, here are some reading related pins from Pinterest that I like :)

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Source: flickr.com via Lynn on Pinterest

You May See Me on A&E

I've heard and seen lots of things about Pinterest since I've been reading other people's blogs. I thought that it was a pretty cool concept, but never really gave it a second thought until I came across this article. Let's just say now I'm in need of an intervention. I'm pinning at red lights people! So I figured what better way to embrace my newest addiction than joining in on Oh, How Pinteresting with Michelle at The Vintage Apple .

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This would be a great right hand ring. I'm searching for more silver and/or white gold jewelry to match my white gold engagement ring.

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A football stadium made of cold cuts? There are no words.

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I'm a complete bookworm (more to come on that in future posts)! I can imagine myself here with a cozy blanket, a lit candle, and a great book.

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Amen!








  

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