Halloween

Happy Halloween everyone!  I really do love Halloween.  This apparently wasn't always the case.  My mom says that when I was little I would get all dressed up in my costume to go trick or treating and then want to go back home after visiting just a few houses.  Too tired and probably too cold, I was a smart girl, lol.  While I've long passed the appropriate age for trick or treating, dressing up and creating a character is my favorite.  Last year for Halloween my husband and I had no real plans until the last minute so we searched through our closets and threw some face paint on.  This year we decided to go to this thing in Columbus called Halloween Highball with a group of friends, so I wanted to go all out.  I was a Mad Hatter and PJ was Beetlejuice. 

We saw so many amazing costumes while we were out!  So many ideas for next year!  Happy Halloween!

       

Fall Fix

Hi Everyone!  I think we've finally hit the fall season.  Let's hope it last more than a few weeks but there's really no telling in Ohio. 

I've been looking at what to expect to see every girl and women to wear for Fall 2012.  Some I love and some not so much.  I don't always try to follow a trend but I'm definitely never above getting sucked into something I really like.  Here are a few things you can keep in mind if your out for your Fall fix.

Corduroy is really big this fall.  But it seems like corduroy pants are always lurking around in most fall/winter season.  I was not immediately charmed by the idea of these but I went and tried them on in navy blue (H&M) and really loved them.  Great fit for shorter girls.  I definitely want to go back for more colors.

Another trend, Metallic Nails.  Of course, there are tons of brands and tons of colors that you can find anywhere BUT I'm always going to suggest Essie because they are just my favorite.  One color that I'm on the hunt for is this coppery (don't think that's a real word but I'm gonna use it) metallic color called, Penny Talk.  LOVE.

Vampy Lips are back!  I love it!  I think these lips look good when your dressed up or dressed down.  I've got a few dark wine color lipsticks in my arsenal already but a few I think are purchase worthy are Black Cherry by Revlon and Hang-Up by MAC

NARS Blush, Sin

Next on the list is a blush that I have been eying for probably over a year now.  Every time I have a chance to go into Sephora I always go over to the NARS section and try to convince myself that buying a $28 blush is totally reasonable!  The texture of these is soft as butter and the colors are so perfect for glowing cheeks.  I'm pretty sure they put some sort of fairy dust in them.

Who would I be if I didn't put a pair of shoes on this list?!  BOOTS, tall boots, ankle boots, wedge boots, lace-up boots, every kind of boots, you definitely need some for the fall.  Some how I never have a sensible boot to wear and by sensible I mean one without a 5 inch heel on it!  Although I would love to stroll around to my classes in platform knee high boots, it's just not practical.  These are right on trend and right up my alley (lulus.com).

1 year and many to go

So something really amazing happened to me a year ago today...I got married!  A year later, I can still remember the way I felt walking down the aisle towards my new future and it still leaves me a little speechless!

I use to think that marriage would be no different from what we already had but it is.  Not in the way that it makes us any different in our relationship but there is a bond between us that's way beyond just PJ and I.

In other words I'm glad we conformed to traditional ways (lol).

I can't wait to see what the future has in store for us.  Happy Anniversary!

Mani Makeover: Dipped in glitter

I have to say that I really never took care of my nails much, in fact I use to bite my nails A LOT.  When I got engaged and had a shiny ring on my finger for display I thought I should probably make sure my finger nails aren't half chewed off (ewww!).

So recently, I've been experimenting with some nail art.  Nothing elaborate because even just painting nails can be a unreasonable task for me sometimes but there are some things that I thought were easy enough to pass along.  I decided that I'm going to do a small series of different nail ideas starting with a relatively easy one!

Some things you'll need:

2 nail colors, 1 base color ( I chose Sand Tropez by Essie) and 1 glitter color (I chose No. 261 Sparkling by Revlon), Clear Top Coat, Nail polish remover, Makeup wedges (these are optional), and a Cue tip.

Step One:  Apply your base color on your nails just as you would paint them normally.  Make sure you let them dry completely!  I learned my lesson the first time around when I did not do this!

I chose a taupe cream color because neutrals are going to be a big Fall nail trend.

Step Two:  Take a wedge and paint a small stripe of your glitter color that will coat the top part of your nails.
 Press the coated wedge on the top 3rd of your nail, just like your stamping something.  Repeat this step until you get the opaqueness you want.  After you have all 10 digits done don't forget to let them dry completely!  Don't worry if you get get the glitter on the outside edges of your nail, you'll clean this up later. 

Step Three:   Coat nails with top clear coat.

Step Four:  Take a cue tip or even a thin paint brush and soak it in nail polish remover.  Wipe clean any edges you went a little glitter happy on. 

Here is what your finished project should look similar to.

Some things are just meant to be.

Finals are over...(for this quarter) and I have a whole two weeks off until I'm back on the grind again!  I have some very big plans....sleeping and lots of leisure reading. I know that sounds so very retired old lady of me BUT these two things keep me happy and sane! 

Instead of rambling on in this post I thought I would give it some meaning.  I came up with some things that I have declared "will not live without EVER" and thought they deserved a shout out, so here they are:

 Josie Maran Argan Oil-  I had read that Argan Oil has some really amazing benefits for your skin so I ran out and bought this despite my initial doubts about putting oil on my already oily face.  I put this on my face at night and in the morning it felt like I had brand new skin.  So soft!  We have not parted ways since.

 La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo-  use this once a day....zits no longer a reoccurring thing, enough said!

Dermalogica Intensive Eye Repair-  An amazing thing that happens to you when you finally start getting comfortable in your own skin...it starts lashing out at you.  Drying out and puffing up, not cute at all.  This is the one thing that makes me feel back to normal on those days.

MAC Select Moisture Cover Concealer-  Girls best friend!

Updates and Vegetarianism.

HI Everyone!  It's been a long time, 4 months exactly, but I have some good excuses.  School work can be mostly to blame.  I've been working so hard to get my last and final prerequisite classes out of the way before I apply to my program in January.  Not only do I need to finish them I actually have to get AMAZING grades in them (lame, I know), which there lies the issue with trying to maintain a blog.  Life consists of far too much studying at the moment.  I think I've officially hit the "wall", and with that I mean I have a lot of moments where I think, "a full time job in something I HATE has to be much better than spending hours and hours a day on studying and homework that I am not getting paid for."  Luckily, I have my husband to talk me off the ledge.

Aside from school not much has changed in the last 4 months, 2 small road trips, another year older, another tattoo, 2 weeks without a cancer stick, and this week I've decided to test the waters of becoming a Vegetarian.

To make a long story short, my husband and I had a long conversation about hunting for hobby, which I don't agree with (just my opinion).  Something about killing an innocent animal as a "fun" past time makes me feel like its sort of messes with a balance of nature or something.  That's right, were getting real here people, lol.  Then he brought up the fact of eating meat that obviously has been slaughter for the sole purpose of consumption.  Although I think this is slightly better than just going out in nature and shooting whatever is in season for just the sake of hunting, it still really gets me upset.  SO, I thought to myself,  if I have such a  negative reaction to it then why am I contributing to it by still eating meat?   Thus my journey of no meat this week.  Wish me luck!

Blueberry Cheesecake...say no more.

Happy Friday Everyone!  So let me start off by saying that it's 7am and I am blogging.  Not my ideal morning but our dog Penny was persistent on getting up at 6:30 this morning (another reason to add to the list of why we should pass on the having children part of a marriage , lol).  Oddly enough one of the first things I thought of in my sleepy stupor is that I have been neglecting this blog so I should get it together and post something. 

One word...CHEESECAKE!  Even better... Blueberry Cheesecake!  Even better than that...its got half the fat as regular cheesecake!  I found this gem in a Cooking Light cook book and it was love at first bite.  Although I ended up with half of it all over my kitchen and it's a process to make (that may be putting it lightly), it's definitely worth a try.  YOUR WELCOME!

• Crust:
• 2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 5 cookie sheets)
• 2/3 cup reduced-fat vanilla wafer crumbs (about 20 cookies)
• 3 tablespoons sugar 
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted 
  
  
• Filling:
• 2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen wild blueberries, thawed 
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 1/2 (8-ounce) blocks fat-free cream cheese, softened 
• 1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened 
• 1 cup sugar 
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 5 large eggs
  
  
• Topping:
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free sour cream 
• 2 tablespoons sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
•  
• Sauce:
• 1/4 cup sugar 
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup fresh or frozen, thawed, wild blueberries 
  
  

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. 2. To prepare crust, combine first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Drizzle with butter; toss with a fork until moist. Firmly press mixture into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325° for 10 minutes; cool on a wire rack.
3. 3. To prepare filling, combine 2 1/2 cups blueberries and 1 tablespoon cornstarch in a food processor, and process until smooth. Place puree in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 6 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Cool slightly. Reserve 1/2 cup blueberry puree for sauce; set remaining 1 cup blueberry puree aside.
4. 4. Place cheeses in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed for 3 minutes or until smooth. Combine 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, and salt. Add sugar mixture to cheese mixture; beat well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour batter over prepared crust. Pour 1 cup blueberry puree over batter; gently swirl with a knife. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until cheesecake center barely moves when pan is touched. Remove cheesecake from oven (do not turn oven off); place cheesecake on a wire rack.
5. 5. To prepare topping, combine sour cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl, stirring well. Spread sour cream mixture evenly over cheesecake. Bake at 325° for 10 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven; run a knife around outside edge. Cool to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 8 hours. Remove sides of springform pan.
6. 6. To prepare sauce, combine reserved 1/2 cup blueberry puree, 1/4 cup sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 8 minutes or until sauce is thick, stirring constantly. Gently fold in 1 cup blueberries. Remove from heat, and cool. Serve sauce with cheesecake.