pre vacation.

pre-vacation is my favorite part of the whole process. I love getting excited about packing and thinking about every single detail:

pack enough clothes for about 15 outfits, though I'll only wear 6.


pack lots of board games 


create a long reading list for the pool.


check movie times for weekend


pack tons of vitamin C and cold remedies!


cellphone charger


toothbrush


lots of tanning oils.


a good attitude. 




I think I'm ready for a staycation!!!

Praying these last bits of my sickness will vanish right away before tomorrow night..

xox

Guest Post: The View

The View: Still Pointless, but Entertaining Occasionally

Guest post of the week by Val Flores

When the snow has piled up, school is canceled and it is impossible to get to work. I may turn on daytimeDirect.TV. The early morning talk shows do not normally hold my interest, but some times I like to see multiple viewpoints, even when all of the viewpoints are usually wrong. Such is usually the case when I turn on the television on snowy days and watch The View on satellite television.

Barbara Walters, the oldest and reasonable member, may not stir up as much controversy, although her political leanings are as far to the left as the rest of her cast in most circumstances. My favorite part of the show is guessing which member will be the voice of reason and which person will storm off the set in disgust. The displays are even more entertaining when a conservative pundit such from Fox Newscauses this.

The View has stayed on the air longer than I expected it would. In all honesty, when I first saw the commercials for it, I was sure it would not last a season. Its staying power has proven me wrong. I can sit down and watch it for a little bit and then turn it to a House marathon on some other channel.

What I'm Loving Wednesday:

I'm loving hot tea and lots of medicine. I've had horrible flu like symptoms since Sunday and actually had a fever this morning. Hilariously enough, my vacation is supposed to begin tomorrow. Just my luck. I'm taking vitamin C like every other hour and pouring the liquids down. I'm praying that I will be well enough to go to work tomorrow and enjoy the tiny vacation planned!

Buddy fruits are amazing! I really don't care if they are made for kids. I buy the chewable ones (only 1.00) and they are perfect for on-the-go healthy snacking.

I'm loving this new top from Love Culture. It looks so cute and summery! 

I love the bow detail on this dress as well. 

What a cute idea for a tea coaster. I could see my fiance spending hours watching with his orange juice swirl around and around.

a closet of hanging teas. I seriously think this was created just for me. I have quite the hot tea wardrobe ;). 

I'm loving this idea for frozen s'mores! What a great summer treat. These would be perfect for birthday parties or even Fourth of July celebrations!

I'm loving these cute Apple notecards. My guy would get such a kick out of them! 

Hope you are having a happy, healthy week! I'm still downing the fruits & hot tea. I also got my dosage of Vitamin D today by sunlight. 

xox

Inspirational DIY projects.

I've never really been a DIY girl, but all these designs are really inspiring me!!

this earring holder.

this amazing chandelier.

ways to fold a napkin fancy like.

pom pom necklace. ( really going to try this one!)

possibly the coolest lamp ever. ( I really want to make  one for our apartment!)

Such neat ideas. I'm totally uncrafty, but hopefully I can pick up a few skills! These artists inspire me so very much.

Silent Runs

Normally when I go for a run outdoors I bring along my ipod. Today, my iPod battery was dead so I headed out without it. Best. mistake. ever. I loved running without noise! I thought that it would be a dry, sulky experience. It actually made pacing myself easier because I could hear myself breathing and could sync my steps faster. I really love quiet time, but I like to stay busy. Running is perfect thinking time for me :). How do you cope with stress/ how do you stay fit? I used to be a major yogi but lately I've been taking up running and swimming. Switching things up is always an instant motivator for me. 

Surprise Party!

Last week I threw a surprise party for my sister's eighteenth birthday. She was utterly surprised. Our night consisted of eating delish BBQ, dancing crazy, and laughing a ton.

birthday girl!

she really enjoyed herself!

um how do you do the hustle again?

dancing to Just the Way You Are

opening many cooking gifts

whew! lot of work!

What I'm loving Wednesday:

I'm loving the coupon I just bought for $25 for an hour long massage! I can't wait to go have these kinks worked out of my back. 

I'm loving that my sister, Grace, celebrated her 18th birthday! I threw her a surprise party and it was crazy fun:). Posts to come.

I'm loving Yorkies. I think they are the cutest dogs ever. I can't wait to adopt one some day in the future ( probably distant :/).

Weekend:

This weekend is slightly more low-key than my usual ones. Last night, Bart & I went to see the latest Pirates movie. It was decently entertaining, but I'm not a die-hard Pirates fan to begin with, and we were both pretty exhausted from working during the week. If you've seen the others and liked them then I'd recommend going to see this one also. 

Tonight I got out of work reasonably early, so I've used this time to plan wedding details and try to map out my latest workout agenda. Yep, another one. This is the specific one I'm working on. Crossing my fingers it works. Perhaps I should have starting working out more than 1 week before vacation, but hey, it's alright. 

I'm really looking forward to working on my tan tomorrow and enjoying the sun out on the lake. I went out for a few minutes today but not long enough to really tell any difference. 

I'm still really curious about the Step exercise videos I bought ( off itunes). I've never done step before & while it looks like fun, I don't want to go out and buy a block if it's not a very effective workout. Looks like there is yet some more research in my future.

Hope you are having a fabulous Saturday evening!

xo

Summer Outfits (1)

Summer Outfits (1) by Kathryn Elise featuring long sleeve tops

Miss Selfridge sleeveless ruffle dress
34 GBP - missselfridge.com

Paul Smith long sleeve top
139 GBP - paulsmith.co.uk

Dorothy Perkins gray pants
28 GBP - dorothyperkins.com

Zara shoes
$100 - zara.com

Flat shoes
$56 - topshop.com

Cluster jewelry
$15 - topshop.com

NARS Lip Lacquer
$32 - asos.com

stila cosmetics - long wear liquid lip color
stilacosmetics.com

Dior Vernis 'Rock Your Nails' Nail Lacquer (Nordstrom Exclusive)
$21 - nordstrom.com

What I'm Loving Wednesday:

I'm loving Smoothie King smoothies. They are so delicious and healthy! My favorite is either the peanut butter & chocolate or Angel Food ( strawberries + bananas). I love that Smoothie King only uses fresh ingredients- natural ingredients! I often use smoothies as meal replacements when I'm in a hurry. They are so rich and tasty.

I finally broke down and ordered the ruffly swim top I've been debating about. My budget allowed for it, and I needed a good backup to alternate for the Summer. I can't wait to see how it looks on.

I also snagged this cute top for only $4.99! I think it will be perfect for layering and wearing alone.

I'm loving Nivea Sun-Kissed Radiant Skin lotion. I just picked it up as a replacement for my Jergen's natural glow ( which I've totally emptied). I like that the scent is very subtle and the color wasn't too prominent. We will see as it darkens each day. . 

I'm loving that my mommy, bff, and I are going wedding dress shopping tomorrow! I'm so excited to see what this new store has to offer.:)

I'm loving these new floral headpieces from bando! I'm not sure if I could do the whole indian style- wrap around the head, but I think a flowery/ feathery headband would be cute!

Hope you are having a wonderful week!

After-gym routine.

What do you do as soon as you finish your workout? Hit the showers or head straight home? For those times that you can't find time to get a quick shower after your workout, I would totally recommend these new wipes!

Playtex Sport Body Wipes are perfect for giving your sweaty skin a quick cleanse, and leaves you with a fresh scent. These will be a permanent addition to my gym bag- so should try them too!

Meet Belle.

Meet Belle, my new best friend:

isn't she sweet? Unfortunately she's only visiting- but I'd love to adopt her. 

Hawaiian Tropic Shimmering Soiree!

I was beyond thrilled to host my Hawaiian Tropic Shimmering Soiree last night via Crowdtap . We had such a blast! They supplied all the products and freebies , ( I added a few "door prizes"), and everyone met up at yummy dunkin' donuts. I truly haven't had that much fun in a really, really long time! 

Thanks to everyone who came! 

I'm a Cheese Freak.

I'm all the time running in the grocery store to grab a quick dinner on the go. Since I am gluten free, on-the-go meals are pretty hard to come by, so I typically just grab a salad and one full sized item to stick in the fridge. Last week, I was sorting through the fridge and literally laughed out loud at how much cheese I had accumulated throughout the week. At least 4 different varieties for one person! Here is all the gossip on my absolute favorite cheeses so far!

Havarti. I love the texture and taste of this cheese! It's semi soft and full of flavor without being too stinky. It's excellent with crackers (nut-thins) or even tossed in with some sauteed veggies.

Brie. Of course, I adore my brie! It has such a nice, melty texture that tastes so good with really dry, crisp foods like toasted breads or crackers. Brie is very difficult to eat alone; it tastes a little slimy by itself. I really like it best with grapes and crackers.

Provolone. I think Provolone is absolutely exquisite. It's one of those cheeses that can be incorporated easily into other dishes because it's taste is very subtle and yummy. It's not very stinky at all, and I love throwing it in just about everything I cook. Over asparagus, in with my salads, over my meat, by itself; the possibilities are almost endless.

Mozzerela. I really love how rich this cheese is. It is so perfect when melted. Melt it with some tomatoes and put it over fresh pasta and you have a delicious dish. Mozzerela is also insanely good as a pizza layer or casserole topper. 

Gouda. I am very new to Gouda cheese. I'd been slightly afraid of buying a whole package, since I wasn't sure what it tasted like, but I took a chance and bought some. I am in love with it. It's so good! It has a slightly harder texture, so it's pretty sturdy for tossing in salads and medleys. The taste is definitely there, but not too overbearing. Absolutely worth giving it a try.

So far, I've only met a few cheeses I don't especially like. Feta is too dry and chalky for me. I don't really like Bleu Cheese either... a little too much of a punch for me. 

that's all for now. I'll keep exploring the cheese world :)