The Creative Blogger Award

I want to say a huge THANK YOU to 2 bloggers who’ve nominated me for the Creative Blogger award:

Paardje of Of Fitness, Books and Vanities

and

Dominique of Style Domination

Thank you, ladies! I love visiting your blogs and seeing the new and creative content you post. I am so happy to have began this blogging journey and “met” so many awesome blogging buddies. I appreciate all of you for taking time out of your day to visit my blog and add your input. I love reading your comments and thoughts.

Here are the rules for the award:

1. Thank and post the link of the blog that nominated you.

2. Share five facts about yourself to your readers.

3. Nominate 10 other blogs and post their links.

4. Notify all nominees via their social media/blogs.

5. Pass these rules on to them.

FIVE FACTS ABOUT ME

1. I was a music major in high school (I played the clarinet) and got my university degree in mass communications/mass media, with a minor in theater

2. I am a huge travel enthusiast and my favorite place I’ve visited so far is Italy

3. I love shoes and bags more than I should

4. I once attended a week-long silence retreat

5. I am a middle child

Nominees

Zlatka Kramaric

Chey Chey From The Bay

She’s So NC

Nazneen Zainal

Styled With Joy

My Pink Champagne Life

Perfect Twenty

Princess Without the Tutu

By Emily

Rad Kitty

Please visit these other creative bloggers because they have amazing content to share. Ladies, if you’ve been nominated before or do not do awards, no worries. This is all meant to be fun 🙂 Thanks again, Paardje and Dominique for nominating me 🙂

Movie Review: Furious 7

Judging from the box office numbers (read: $$$$$), I am the last person to see this movie. I saw it last weekend and it was everything and more than I expected. I’ve had my share of celebrity crushes with the latest being Paul Walker. When I heard about his death, I was really saddened. It seemed unreal. So, it was really hard for me to see this latest film of the Fast & Furious franchise knowing it was his last. I’m so glad I finally did see Furious 7 because I feel like the cast and crew did a great job with finishing the movie for Paul.

I have been a fan of the Fast & Furious franchise since the beginning. I love the cast and the action. Most of the regular members are in Furious 7 and they did not disappoint. There is racing (obvi), flying cars and lots of ass-kicking. There is drama, comedy and all-around furious action. Basically, there is a bit of everything for everyone in this film. Including tears. Oh, there were tears. I knew they would come and pretty intensely.

Here’s the thing, we all know how Paul’s life ends. I will not be spoiling it for anyone, but I think the ending for Brian was appropriate. You can tell there was a lot of love between the real-life actors and their film alter egos (Vin Diesel named his daughter after Paul). If you are a fan of the Furious franchise, you will not disappointed. If this is your first Furious movie, you will not be disappointed if your intent is to be entertained. Overall, I really enjoyed the movie and look forward to the next installment.

Are you a Fast & Furious fan? Have you seen the movie? What did you think of it?

Here are all the movies in the franchise if you feel like binge-watching:

{The Fast & the Furious – 2001}

{2 Fast 2 Furious – 2003}

{The Fast & the Furious: Tokyo Drift – 2006}

{Fast & Furious – 2009}

{Fast Five – 2011}

{Fast & Furious 6 – 2013}

{Furious 7 – 2015}

{All photos via IMDB}

10 Home, Sweet Home Signs

{Little Emma’s Flowers}

When I got married, Etsy was an invaluable resource for me. They have an alchemy section where you can include your request and people will place bids to do the work (hint: cheaper does not always equal better). I think it is a great resource and marketplace. Most recently, I was looking for a “Home, Sweet Home” sign and came across so many lovely designs. Here are my top ten.

Do you shop or sell on Etsy? What has been your Etsy experience? Do you have a Home, Sweet Home sign?

{Only Printable Arts}

{Stitchrovia}

{Seven Simon Lane Words}

{Printable Wall Story}

{The Honaker Homemaker}

{Panton Printables}

{The Lion and the Lark}

{Cinder and Honey}

{Coco and James Home}

My Spring To Do List

It’s been about a month now since spring has started. You wouldn’t know it if you lived in my city. Save for a day or two of nice weather, it still feels like winter. There are about 60 more days until summer and I don’t want this season to pass me up, so I’ve created a to-do list of sorts.

1. Spring Cleaning & Organizing – So this one is kind of obvious, but I’ve started it and I still cannot believe the amount of things I accumulate! I try to get rid of 1 or 2 things for every 1 thing I buy, but it still seems like that’s not accomplishing much by way of minimizing my things.

2. Meal Planning and Cooking Schedule – I plan to master this one day, but for now, I’ve yet to get a schedule together. Practice makes perfect, so I will be very intentional about this. If you have any tips, it would be much appreciated!

3. Read The Girl on The Train by Paula Hawkins – I admit, with my busy schedule, I haven’t managed to find a lot of time to read just for the fun of it (a hobby I enjoy immensely). I’ve heard a lot of good things about this book and look forward to devouring it.

4. Volunteer – I’ve made plans to participate in a company wide volunteer day this May. One day is not nearly enough time, but time is not really on my side these days.

5. Take a road trip – I love road tripping and used to do it on the whim a lot. This one will be scheduled and we won’t venture too far out (about 3 hours outside of home), but I’m looking forward to it and hopefully discovering some new things.

6. Complete the Couch to 5K – I’ve talked about this long enough already. It’s time for some action.

So, there you have it. My spring to-do list. How’s the spring weather in your part of the world? Are you a to-do list maker also? What are you hoping to accomplish this spring?

{photo via here}

10 Shoes to Update Your Spring Wardrobe

Admittedly, I am that person who will buy a pair of shoes and then figure out how to fit it into my wardrobe later. My fascination with shoes goes way, way back. One time, in high school, I bought a pair of rust orange Mary Janes for $10 because A.), they were MJ’s, B.) They cost $10 and C.) I’d never owned a pair of shoes in that color. I had no idea what I was going to wear them with, but surprisingly enough,   they looked amazing with so many things in my closet and everyone loved them. They were, undoubtedly, one of the best purchases I’d ever made. Unfortunately, I don’t know what happened to them (believe it or not, they were still in great shape considering the wear and cost). I suspect they must have been traded by one of my sisters and never returned.

I’ll still typically buy shoes on the whim, but more often than not, I usually update my wardrobe by season. There are lots of tried and true pairs that I swear by for life (Sam Edelman’s Gigi sandals and Converse come to mind), but each season brings in new colors and different twists so you can feel classically modern.

Are you a shoe addict? How do you typically shop for shoes? Are shoes an afterthought to your clothes? What are shoes you associate with the spring season?

Sam Edleman Gigi Sandals

Ancient Greek Sandals Alethea Slingback

Stuart Weitzman Nudist Sandal

Swedish Hasbeens Sky High Pump

Frye Regina Flat

Birkenstock Monterey Leather Slide

Cynthia Vincent Franky Gladiator Sandal

Minnetonka Tramper fringed Suede Ankle Bootie

Converse Chuck Taylor Shoreline Sneaker

Ash Impuls Croc Embossed Leather Slip-on

* All shoes found via nordstrom.com *

Traveling Far, Far, Far, Away

Ever want to just get as far away as you possible can (without going to the moon or space)? There is a website called furthestcity.com which does exactly just that, help you find the farthest city on earth from anywhere else. Here are a few samples below.

What is the farthest you’ve traveled from where you are? What is the farthest you’d like to travel?

From Chicago, IL – Perth, Australia

From Los Angeles, CA – Saint-Paul (La Reunion), France

 

From Ottawa, Canada – Perth, Australia

 

From Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Uruma, Japan

From London, United Kingdom – Dunedin, New Zealand

From Manila, Philippines – Varzea Grande, Brazil

 

From Sydney, Australia – San Cristobal De La Laguna, Spain

From Rome, Italy – Lower Hutt, New Zealand

From New Delhi, India – Talcahuano, Chile

From Bulawayo, Zimbabwe – Honolulu, Hawaii

Spotlight on Lovestar : Unique Home Decor Items

I love coming across brands that offer unique and quirky, yet stylish items. So I was absolutely delighted to find Lovestar, the creator behind these cheerful and amazing home goods. According to her About page, “Helena Bailey launched Lovestar in December 2012 and it was born out of her love for flowers, nature, fashion and the arts and is a direct reflection of her personal sense of style.” Each vase is hand-made! I can’t help but smile when I see these creations. While I haven’t purchased anything from the line yet, I hope to do so soon. I’ve got my eye on the Frida Khalo-inspired Iconic (no. 1) vase (above) as well as the Cray Cray striped bag (below). How adorable would that bag be for summer? You can take it to the beach, the market, music festivals, or just about anywhere. I am also loving the valentine candy heart vase and the clear turquoise one. These beauties are all so delightful!

Are you familiar with Lovestar? Where do you typically shop for home goods / decor?

Tuesday Treasures: New Beauty Buys

Here are some new beauty buys I’ve been loving lately / can’t wait to try out. Do you or have you used any of them before? What are some of your recent favorite finds?

Thayer’s Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner – Admittedly, I used this in high school before switching to the Clinique 3-step system. After moving on from that system, I stopped using toner all together. Lately though, my skin has been feeling so blah and I came across this at Whole Foods and decided to give it another go. A week in and I’m seeing some improvement so I’ll continue using it. It feels quite refreshing.

SuperNail Cuticle Oil – I’m not the best at caring for my nails. I would love to have pretty painted nails all the time, but I’ve never been in the habit to maintain them (save for the occasional trimming and nail salon visit). Particularly my cuticles. I found this on Amazon and it had superb reviews. I didn’t purchase it until I walked into a Sally Beauty Supply. It’s a large bottle and was relatively cheap so I’m looking forward to using it on a daily basis.

Super Pointy Cotton Swabs – These are perfect for those hard to reach places or to clean up excess nail polish.

Dry Skin Brush – For years now, I’ve read about the numerous benefits dry skin brushing has to offer, but have been admittedly too lazy to try it out. Well, here’s my brush. I’m halfway there.

Why I Am Never Eating Chik Fil A Ever Again

It started out innocently enough. It was a Thursday night and we hadn’t planned on anything for dinner. I volunteered to pick something up. Biggest mistake ever. HUGE! I live in the middle of every conceivable restaurant / grocery store you can imagine and of all the places, I chose Chik Fil A.

I know I’ve discussed many times my road to health and wellness and how important it is for me to eat well, yada, yada, yada. Forgive me, I’m human and I’ve erred. Again. This time it cost me big time. I placed my order at the counter: 2 chicken sandwiches and 1 fry (Ugh! I know. I know!). I head home and dear hubby was as surprised as can be. We both unwrapped our sandwiches, shared the fries (dipped in their sauce, of course) and watched a movie.

Then came Friday. I work from home on Fridays, so I woke up as usual (still haven’t put my morning routine into practice yet) and was getting ready for the day, when the most awful pain hit me in the stomach. Let’s skip over a few sentences that don’t need t to be written and now I’m at my desk. I get a text from a work friend about some big company news. I open my work laptop and check my emails. I start emailing and pinging people. Meanwhile, I’m still plagued with the worst stomach pains ever and I’m shivering despite the temperature being 70+ F in my home. This news is HUGE.

Lots of meetings ensued that day, I took off a little earlier than usual and was bedridden for the next 3 days. At first, I thought I had caught something, but it dawned on me that it was food poisoning because I had not eaten a thing on Friday, but my stomach pains (amongst other symptoms) would not let up. My husband confirmed the same. I’ve never experienced this before, so it was not something I was prepared for. Hence my lack of postings and responses on the blog. I’m not kidding when I tell you I was left immobile for 2 and a half days.

Of course, Monday came and I’m still not feeling 100% plus I’m still digesting the company news. (Oh, the irony in all of this.) I haven’t decided if I should go to Chik Fil A and tell them my story. I didn’t keep any evidence and I didn’t go to the doctor (save for Dr. Google). We’ll see. As for my company news, I think over time it will prove to be a serendipitous event. There is always a silver lining to everything. I’ve missed writing and reading and communicating with my blogging buddies so I’m so glad I’m able to do so again.

Have I finally learned my lesson to stick to eating whole and fresh foods? I sure hope so.

Have you ever had food poisoning? How did you handle it?

P.S. The clip above is from Bridesmaids and if you haven’t seen it, then you need to check it out asap because it is seriously funny!

Movie Review: The Skeleton Twins

I watched The Skeleton Twins recently and would really recommend it. It stars Kristin Wiig and Bill Heder, who each did a wonderful job with their characters. The movie touches on a subject that I feel we are still not open about (at least here in the US), mental illness and particularly, depression. There is a certain sense of shame and guilt that comes with this subject which I hope will change in the future.

If you didn’t know, Bill and Kristin are Saturday Night Live alums, so there are definitely moments of uproarious laughter. However, the subject matter is very serious and the actors play their roles with much depth and compassion. Because of this, it is easy to empathize with them.

There are many plots throughout (ranging from extra-marital affairs, unrequited love, sexual orientation and a dog named Marley ;)) and the payoffs come at the end. Bill and Kristin’s characters evolve and change throughout the movie. They realize that, after being apart for 10 years, they really do need each other and learn to face their problems outside of trying to end their lives. Their relationship is strengthened by helping each other through their weaknesses. It was a very touching movie with great performances.

Have you seen The Skeleton Twins? What did you think of it? Are you from a different country? If so, is there a stigma where you come from when it comes to mental illness or is it openly discussed?

*Photo via IMDB*