Friday Favorites: The Sweet Life

It is some times hard to sift through all the blogs on the internet to find one that is worthy of your very precious time.  But I absolutely adore Jessica over at How Sweet It Is because of her blog.  In life I appreciate sarcasm, wit, beautiful pictures and a good drink. Plus I always appreciate Pittsburghers over all others.  Jessica is all of those things.

I've been following her blog for awhile now (after going back and looking at her archives even) and I must say it is one of the blogs I have followed the longest.  Not many people could incorporate cute babies (both human and furry) and adorable heels into a food blog, but Jessica sure does.

I think what draws me back is while some food bloggers seem pretentious like they never have a recipe attempt go bad or their kitchen is always immaculate Jessica is down to Earth.

I promise you will not be disappointed.  If you need a happy hour drink or a football  watching recipe pop on over to her blog today and you will be set for a happy weekend.  

I know my weekend will be happy - Shopping trip to Grove City (well happy until I take a look at my bank account Monday).

Enjoy :)  & If you have any great blogs I should check out feel free to email them over to me.

Friday Favorites

I know, I know.  There was such an uproar about Netflix that I almost don't want to mention that I still use their services for fear of being tarred and feathered by those who vehemently despised the increase of prices, but my $$ my choice right? Right.  Well todays Friday Favorite is Law and Order: SVU. This past weekend I finished watching all 12 seasons that Netflix has on instant stream.  Trust me this wasn't an easy task.  First of all it is time consuming to say the least, but it is even more so time consuming when you have to take in account you can only watch so many of those episodes at once because they can be rather depressing, morbid, etc.  

While there are cheesy one-liners and a lack of a plot that carries through this is a show that along with the original Law and Order is such a part of our pop culture.

It is even more important because as my sister and I were just talking about part of our memory of our childhood visit to my grandmother's consisted of hearing the credits of Law and Order.  even to this day when I visit I can be certain Law and Order will be on.  So I kinda feel like watching all of these episodes is a homage to my grandmother and those childhood memories.  

Is there a show that you have seen every episode of?

It looks like this weekend will be a great weekend to stay bundled up inside.

Happy Friday!

Friday Favorites

I had an event tonight and baked these to take:

with some self-dyed orange icing a la Halloween

While listening to some

Happy Friday.

Friday Favorites of the Week

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Bath & Body Works

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Starbucks.com

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Friday Favorite

There is a little website, Pinterest.  Seems simple enough, innocent enough, but that is misleading.  Pinterest  is addictive. On this piece of internet fun you can "pin" all of your favorite things.  You can also "repin" other people's favorite things.  Life is good on Pinterest, well until you realize time has slipped by.  It is a good time killer though.  You can pin things like:

How glorious.  Do you pin?  -if so-  What do you pin?  If you don't pin already you can request an invite from them or email me and Ill send you one.  

Pin away.

Happy Friday

Friday Favorites: Happy First Day of Fall

Growing up if you would have asked me my favorite season without hesitation I would have said SUMMER. But as we grow up there are less summer days spent basking in the sun or spending the whole ENTIRE day in the pool.  While  Spring brings renewal and flowers I am not a fan of the rain.  Maybe if I lived elsewhere I would love winter, but minus a few days out of the year the snow and ice cause more headaches than a winterwonderland fairytale.  I still love getting swept up in the excitement of the first snow and the holiday seasons, but I think fall has moved into first place.  Fall to me is also about new beginnings and anticipation.  Until I get my Ph. D I am going to have many more first day of classes.  And with every leaf that falls you know the holidays are that much closer.

So since the first day of Fall fell on a Friday it was apropos that I tell you my Favorite Things About Fall.  This is not an all inclusive list so feel free to post or email me some of your favorites.

Drinks to warm you up: Coffee, Pumpkin Coffee, Apple Cider, Hot Chocolate (Even better spiking any of those drinks)

Colorful Leaves especially on tree lined roads

Football

Hoodies and leggings while lounging at home

Scarves for fashion not necessity

Little kids on Halloween

The comfort in the fact ABC Family will play the same exact movies as they have the past decade

Leaves crunching

Cuddling under furry, soft blankets

Pumpkin Patches

Homecomings

Haunted Houses

Cute boot

Happy Fall.  Enjoy some of your favorite things today!

It's Friday.

If I could I would make a calendar without the date September 16.  Unfortunately the reality is I can't.  Today it has been 11 years since my dad died.  While it was hard losing him I do try to realize I was lucky to survive the car accident.  I try to live everyday in a manner that would make him proud and do try to live a happy life.  I do however give myself this day to just let my emotions be whatever they may be. Needless to say I'm not really in a Friday Favorites sort of mood.  I promise next week I will have the regularly scheduled Friday Favorites.

Here though are a few of my favorite father/daughter things/memories in no particular order:

My dad and I took a trip to Florida/Disney when I was in second grade.  I had a perpetually bad hair day the whole week, according to my dad he say Disney one outside of a women's restroom at a time, Space Mountain was "out of order" according to my afraid of heights dad (the Tower of Terror was just a plain "no"), and we followed a tour bus down a road only to be stopped by a gun-wielding security guard.  Despite all of this it was one of the best weeks of my life.  I will forever be thankful for that time.

Going to sporting events with my dad.  That's where my love of sports developed.

Ironically enough, some of my best memories were in a car driving aimlessly with my dad.  Any time he had to run an errand I would tag along.  Beings that I wasn't even a teenager I am sure many of the conversations were trivial, but I could talk to my dad about anything.

A minute before my dad died he told me he loved me.  That moment has more importance than I would have ever imagined.

These are just a few of my favorite things.  Every moment was special because it was one moment that we had together.  While they say time heals they are only half right.  As you get older it gets harder realizing all of the things that a person you loved will miss.

Hug the ones you love a little bit extra tight tonight.

Happy Friday & Have a great weekend!

Friday Favorite: (Online) Shopping Addict

I love shopping.  I love online shopping.  If I had a disposable income I would shop everyday.  Until my bank account catches up to me though I need to make my shopping as meaningful as possible.  While I do alternate between online & "real" shopping there are certain things I like to buy on or offline.  For example for clothes and shoes I love to go to "real" stores.  Part of the fun is feeling the material, mixing and matching outfits, and trying on clothes that cost more than a small country.  Other things such as make up and beauty supplies I like to shop for online.

I like to research these products before I buy them.  I also buy such a wide variety of products there isn't one store I could go into for all of the needs - sometimes a girl needs $5 lipstick and $40 bronzer (don't judge just an example).

Thats why I am dedicating my Friday Favorite to www.bloom.com.  It is a website I stumbled onto awhile back.  I will admit I almost gave up because they had some technological problems that made it a bit of a hassle, but they have since cleared all of that up.  They also have great customer service, I e-mailed them about a product I was wondering if they carried and I got a response within a 24 hour period.

What is great about this site is it is the illegitimate child of makeup and social media.  What I mean by this is I can go on there, enter some information and see what girlies just like me are using.  Yes, friends are perfect for swapping advice on products, but sometimes you need someone who is the same as you.  You could trust your best friend 100%, but if she has an oily complexion and dry hair she isn't going to be much help for you little Ms. dry skin & greasy hair (hypothetical of course - you are gorgeous!)

I also always try products & cannot remember if I tried the product.  This way I can review it and keep track myself which means no more buying products that have failed me in the past.

Plus Bloom also gives you money back on your purchase as well as free samples.  Who wouldn't like that.  I love that I get to try new products in terms of their free samples, but also can justify splurging or experimenting since I'm saving money.  I have told all of my girlfriends about this site and felt that I should also tell all of my blog-girlfriends.

So there you have it.  What's better than a Friday Favorite post about  good make up?  A Friday Favorite post about getting good make up for a great deal.

Happy Friday!

Friday Favorites: Into the Sun

One of my favorite things in the world are sunrises and sunsets.  I love to take pictures of these beautiful skies as well.  One night before I moved out of Charlotte I took my phone up to the roof and took these pics.  So for today's friday favorite I figured I'd share these pictures.  Enjoy!

Happy Friday!! Have a great weekend....off to sleep soon, up early for a yard sale.

What do you like to take pictures of?  Which do you like better sunrises or sunsets?

oxox

Friday Favorites: Shoe Obsession

My week has consisted of trying to fit in every last moment of Charlotte as possible.  It has also consisted of me sitting on a balencing ball because I sold my couch a few weeks ago and then sleeping on my floor because I sold my bed a few days ago.  All of it being done while surrounded by half packed boxes.  Soooo I need something special to make up for the lack of bed/sleep, and normal use of my apartment.  That means shoes.

Who needs a couch?

Thanks to a WONDERFUL friend I own these shoes.  They have had their fair share of use and were perfect for Vegas as well as any going out night.


For the price tag Rihanna's S & M should play when you walk into a room with these on.  A girl can dream about these shoes.

If you have a bigger bank account than me you
can buy these Manolo Blahnik's at
Neiman Marcus

Thanks to a WONDERFUL friend I own these shoes.  They have had their fair share of use and were perfect for Vegas as well as any going out night.

Romantic Soles (they have a hear on the bottom)
You can buy them on Zappos.

Thanks to Jessica over at how Sweet it is I am in love with the following shoes.  I do realize that I would probably injure myself if I wore them - trust me, I injure myself daily - so we are going to justify me not breaking into my childhood piggy bank to buy them (tho there is probably only $18.40 in that little pink pig anyways).  Full disclosure, they are my background of my computer.  I stare at them regularly. It is love.

If you want to buy these Chiquita Spike Shoes  Gasoline Glamour

I also love these Marco Santi Booties.  I actually ordered them, but sadly they are the wrong size.  I need to get on selling them on Ebay.  Still love.

As I mentioned on my inaugural Friday Favorite I mentioned how much I love Liliana shoes as I showcased one of my newer pairs of heels.  One of my all time favorite shoes I have ever owned is my Liliana Adi Croc Print Peep Toe Pumps.

You can click here to buy them Overstock.com

Today my sister and I were in Burlington Coat Factory because she was invited to an Ugly T-shirt Party and we were looking for some ugly shirts.  I of course looked at shoes. I saw this lovely pair of booties.  Not sure if I would have the nerve to wear them, butttt they were one of those shoes you just have to talk about. One side was cut out the other not.

The lining of the shoes is different, but if you like them  

I found them on: Urbanog.com.  They are by Wild Rose.

I also love Badgley Mischka.  I browse their shoes all the time.  I think they make PERFECT shoes for weddings.  Im a fan of these:

I found these on Zappos Couture.

What are some of your favorite shoe brands or shoes or places to shop for shoes?  Feel free to send links.  Have a HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

Friday Favorites: Things Around my Apartment

Sorry for the delay posting this...packing & enjoying my last days in Charlotte is consuming my life.  Here is the updated Friday Favorites:

Since I'm moving I have gotten rid of some of these things, but here are some of my favorite things that I have gotten to appreciated all year long.  There are a few other favorites I had but these are the best of the best.

Call me a typical girl, but I lovvvvve pictures.

Awhile ago I bought these picture frames by Butch & Harold from ideeli

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Worked out perfectly for me.  Love that they are low maintenance to pack

Bless my Grandmothers heart she made me two different inspirational frames.  Love her & love them.  Quite possibly two of my favorite things.

Sometimes iPhones do take good pictures & these are three of my favorites.  While I do have a few "pieces of art" I like using my own, lets me remember memories & counts as decoration. Done & Done.

Again you can call me a typical girl, but I lovvvvve candles.  Have way to many and too many favorites, but these two candle holders make even plain candles great.

 

Something else I love.  Wine.  Wine to me is practical.  It doubles a decor because a full wine rack is decorative as is some of the nicer bottles once they are empty.

Another ideeli purchase was this wine chiller.  I use purchase loosely because I was able to score for free or nearly free because of a credit I had on the website.

Going along with the cheap wine items was this Ikea wine rack.

Quite possibly one of my favorite things I purchased was this couch from Ikea.  It tripled as a couch, bed, and storage unit.  Super comfy and the perfect place for out of town visitors or friends who didn't live in Uptown to crash after a fun night.




I've started to collect crosses.  I am Catholic, but that's not why I collect them.  I do it because I love how many different styles are out there.  

The one on the left was in my bathroom.  It is heavy cast iron and gorgeous.  The center is one I've had my whole life &  is more than just decor.  The one on the right is actually larger than this picture portrays. It hung above my bed lets just say a few times my wall was bumped and it shook & I thought it was going to fall.



Some items are more practical and not just for decoration, like my drapes.  

On the left are my black out black drapes.  Nothing glamorous, but having high windows means it took awhile to find.  It is always bright outside my window 24/7 so these were a Godsend.  I've had numerous guests not realize what time it was because of how dark my apartment was.  I also had these tie backs.  They added a bit of glamour.  The drapes were from Target and hold backs from Walmart.  Hey, if its cute I don't care where its from.



I have a weak spot for ZGallerie.  I mean did I really need a magnetic dartboard.  (Obviously I answered yes).  While I haven't played it as often as I should it did double as decoration.  Andddd it was perfect because when us girls go out it sometimes take a bit longer to get ready, so it did entertain the guys for a bit.

These two items are just two random items around my apartment.

 

Another Ideeli find was this punching bag.  Yeah, it took away from the "prettiness" of my apartment & also creeped me out a few times at night in the dark when it looked like a person and not a harmless thing that I beat on.

What kind of apartment would I have if I didn't have something Steelers in it.  Don't worry, I had two terrible towels a Steelers blanket and this sign:

Another great find was this Kensington teapot set.  Now I don't make tea using this teapot ever, but it made my kitchen a bit nicer and the cups were practical.  Even better I got it from Gilt for just a few dollars.

I hope you enjoyed me sharing these with you.  What are some of your favorite items in your apartment?  Do you have any favorite websites/stores for shopping for decorative items?

If you never have checked out Zgallerie, Gilt, or Ideeli I highly recommend all of them.  Gilt and Ideeli are daily deal websites that have designer items for reasonable prices.  I know at least ideeli is invite only so feel free to use my links if you want to do some shopping.

You can join gilt by clicking here and ideeli by clicking here.

Hope you had a happy Friday!