five things friday!

5 things currently making me happy this week... simple, but amazing!

Starbucks light ice Passion tea with 2 Splenda

Egg over easy on Multigrain toast

Hair masks!

Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Loose Powder

Judas - Lada Gaga!

belly-slimming trick!

Easiest diet advice ever and it involves a lemon & hot water:



After you roll out of bed in the morning, make yourself a mug of hot water with half a squeezed lemon. (Yes, before you fire up the coffeemaker.) What makes lemon water such a good way to start the day? Research shows that lemon juice can promote fat burning. “It also revs up your metabolism for the day and helps with digestion,” says New York City nutritionist Marissa Lippert, R.D. And the better things are able to move through your system, the better your jeans are going to fit when you go to zip them postshower. Cheers!

Article: Glamour - Health & Fitness

start your morning off right...

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and it helps that this is also my favorite type of food to eat! Nothing is better than a delicious egg white omelet with some sauteed veggies!

Browsing the Free People blog, I found the most amazing and light breakfast meal called Morning Glory Toast .. below is the recipe!

Ingredients:
-1 slice of Multigrain Bread
-1 Egg
-1/4 Avocado
-3 half slices of Tomato
-Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Grease skillet and crack an egg into it. Cook the egg sunny-side-up style. Salt & pepper egg while in pan.
2. While the egg is cooking, place bread in toaster, slice tomato, and cut up avocado.
3. Once toast is ready, spread avocado, place tomato slices on top of avocado, and then top it all off with the sunny-side-up egg.

*Slice the bread in half so that the yoke breaks and you can dip your bread in the yoke as you eat! Delish!

**If you do not like tomato (such as myself, it makes everything soggy) exchange for turkey bacon!

ENJOY!

Article: Free People Blog

do it yourself wednesday!

The latest trend for hair has been the Ombre look (which I am currently rockin) and feather extensions. Now I don't use the grizzly long skinny feathers, but I use actual feathers from fly shops. I love the fluffy look of them when a couple of the feathers are bunched together and woven throughout my hair. A lot of people ask me how I put them in and where to buy them, so I decided I would do this tutorial. I have yet to try the long skinny feather extensions, so I decided that I would order some a give them a try.

To be honest, some people go a bit heavy when it comes to wearing feather hair extensions. I like the more subtle look .. where you can barely see them, but with a tilt of the head, they shine through just a little bit. I am also a fan of the more neutral feather extension colors like browns, off-whites, blacks, and light yellows.

What You Need:
-Feather Hair Extensions (you can find at your local fly shop or here)
-Pliers 
-Hair Extension beads (you can find at your local beauty supply store)
-Hair Extension Pulling Hook Tool (you can find at your local beauty supply store)

*You can by the tool kit here if you don't want to go to multiple places

Here is a video showing you a step-by-step process on how to put in the extensions. They are generally supposed to last 2-3 months, but I find they last around 1 month:

jewelry.. the best accessory

A little piece of jewelry can completely change an outfit. Heck, you can even wear the same outfit twice and not feel guilty about it by simply adding an accessory.


Pamela Love creates such amazing pieces of jewelry. Here are some pieces from her new Spring 2011 collection mixed with some of her Classics .. stunning.

Pamela Love Howlite Skull Pendant Necklace

Pamela Love Crow Necklace & Pamela Love Rope Cross Necklace 

Pamela Love Cross Ring & Pamela Love Arrowhead Double Ring

Needless to say, I want everything... Pamela Love is brilliant.

all pink everything

Alright, I am usually not a fan of pink, and love black nails, but I have come across 2 polishes that look amazing together! This look is great coming into Spring time...


First, take Essie's nail polish in "Lovie Dovie" and paint your nails... 

It should look something like this...

Then take O.P.I.'s "Teenage Dream" from the Katy Perry collection and paint over the top of your nails.

the perfect clutch

Tired of lugging around a huge purse? This American Apparel clutch is perfect for both day and night. I am a huge fan of a little pop of color with a simple outfit and these clutches do just the trick. 

Photos: If You Seek Style, Atlantic-Pacific, Fashion Squad

Product Rave!!

Living in a dry city such as Spokane, it is super important to find a lip balm that consistently works and I believe I have found one. 

Origins sells this conditioning lip balm and might I say, it is amazing. Although the packaging is quite odd (the lip balm is shaped like a football), this lip balm goes on so smoothly. The product practically melts into your lips. If you do not like the smell of ginger, this is not the lip balm for you (I suggest you stick with my other favorite, Burt's Bees). If I were to choose between Origins and Burt's, I would probably choose Origins. Believe me, I never thought I would see the day being that I have been obsessed with Burt's forever. The Dr. Weil for Origins Conditioning Lip Balm with Turmeric claims to "seriously help heal dryness and rapidly restore softness and smooth overly parched lips" and let me tell you, it does just that. Somewhat expensive (I believe I got it for like $16), but totally worth it, in my opinion. 

April Faves!

Alright, a look into what I have been loving in the month of April. All of these products have become staples in my makeup kit.

1. Laura Mercier Loose Setting Power - Translucent
2. NARS Cheek Highlighter - Copacabana
3. MAC Fix+ Skin Refresher/Finisher
4. MAC Penultimate Eye Liner
5. MAC Dazzleglass - Baby Sparks
6. Chanel Vitalumiere Fluid Foundation

tunesday

This past weekend, I have been loving Brit's new album "Femme Fatale" .. check out this jam... her voice reminds me of old Britney!

long hair, dont care

There is nothing more glamorous than a head of beautiful long locks...

These girls are STUNNING

Photos: Little Plastic Horses

five things friday (on thursday)

I usually do my 5 things post on Friday but being that I will be traveling on Friday, I thought that I would post today, on Thursday. So the 5 things that are currently making me happy this week are:


1. MAC Harmony contour powder (for the perfect cheek bones)

2. My recently purchased Fashiontoast Trinity ear cuff!

3. The infamous Clarisonic (obsessed.. ladies, the price is worth it)

4. Easter flight home! (Elk Grove, CA)

5. Late afternoon naps.. my savior

Get this Spring Look! - Romantic Aesthetics

This year's Spring trend is effortless beauty. Makeup should consist of subtle washes of pink on the eyes, cheeks, and lips, with a gently tousled look for the hair. Below are some tips that Fashion Salade provides to achieve this season's look...


Step 1: Go Soft & Dewy - A fresh-faced look starts with a perfectly moisturized face, so get your skin glowing by restoring suppleness and radiance. Start by gently tapping Laura Mercier’s superhydrating ‘Flawless Skin’ Mega Moisturizer SPF 15 into your skin, making sure it’s fully absorbed. To help create that perfect canvas, next apply Smashbox’s beloved ‘Photo Finish’ Foundation Primer. This colorless primer fills in fine lines and pores and helps skin appear softer with a smooth velvet finish.


Step 2: Get Cheeky - Once your skin is primed, twist your hair up in a knot (you’ll see the results in Step 5!), and grab Chanel’s Vitalumière Aqua Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Makeup. Using only the tiniest drop, gently apply this ultra-lightweight hybrid fluid to your skin with either a brush or your fingertips, making sure there are no tell-tale lines around the jawline. Finish off the glow by using Yves Saint Laurent’s ‘Touche Éclat’ Radiant Touch highlighting pen to add a touch of light to the eye area, the hollow of the chin, the contour of the lips and the sides of the nose. Add a light brushing of Giorgio Armani Sheer Blush for an added flush.


Step 3: All Eyes On You - Your eyes are the focal point of this look so make sure your's pop. Use an intensely pigmented eyeshadow such as Estée Lauder’s ‘Pure Color’ to add vibrancy, and don’t be afraid to wing the shadow out beyond the corners of your eye. It’ll add some mystery and modernity to the look. Gently line the inside and inner corner of your eye with a shimmery white or light blue eyeliner (we swear by Lancome’s Le Stylo Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliner) to really bring out the color, and then finish off the look with a subtle coat of mascara—this is not the time to break out the super-lush lashes— try Clinique’s High Lengths Mascara.

Step 4: A Kissable Pout - Your lips need some attention! Keep them natural and kissable with just a slight flush of color and shine. Lightly dab a soft pink pencil such as Nars’ Velvet Gloss into the lips, being sure not to go heavy-handed. Just a light burst of color is needed. Top it off with Dior’s straight-from-the-runway Addict Ultra-Gloss for an uber-shiny and shimmering effect.

Step 5: A Wave Of Hair - Now that your face is all sweet and sassy, create an effortless hairstyle will perfect the look. Take your hair out of the bun and it should have a touch of wave to it. Tame frizzy or rebellious hair by running some shine serum such as Kiehl’s Silk Groom through your locks, but be sure to use sparingly—too much and you’ll end up looking greasy. Finish it off with a quick burst of Fekkai’s Coiff Océanique Touseled Wave Spray to create that coveted wavy look. Voila! Now you’ve become that coveted fresh-faced girl.

Article & Photos taken from Fashion Salade

do it yourself wednesday!

Browsing blogs, the usual, I came across an amazing DIY project! Courtesy of fellow blogger "Honestly... WTF?!" I have discovered the ultimate friendship bracelet, inspired by Aurelie Bidermann's "Do Brazil" bracelets. 

You'll need:

-a curb link bracelet

-embroidery thread

-2 bobby pins

-a pair of scissors

Cut 2 sets of 15 strands of embroidery thread, with each strand measuring four times the length of the bracelet. Knot all the threads at the top, leaving about 2 inches of slack. Sandwich each set between a bobby pin – this will help you easily weave the threads through the links of the bracelet. Lay the threads to the left of the bracelet. Pull the first color (coral) from under the first link and over the top of the left side.

Lay the second color (blue) over the first color (coral). Pull the second color (blue) from under the same link and over the top left again. Repeat the steps, moving onto a new link: put the first color (coral) on top of the second color (blue) and pull it out from under the 2nd link and over the top left. Lay the second color (blue) on top of the first color (peach) and pull it out from under the 2nd link and over the top left again. Because the links of this particular bracelet are large, threads are woven through twice on each link. 

Repeat the steps until you reach the end of the bracelet. Finish it with a knot and trim the ends.

DIY Compliments of: HonestlyWTF

a play on tunesday

I realize that "Tunesday Tuesday" is usually a blog post about a current track that I am crushing on, but today, I felt rather inspired by a video. As many of you know, soccer was my life (prior to my college career ending). I have played since I was 4 years old, competitively since I was 10, at the state level since I was 15, and at the college level since I was 18. Needless to say, I love the sport and wish it was still physically a part of my life. Luckily, my boyfriend plays professionally so it is still somewhat very much a part of my life. This video is the best inspirational video I have watched regarding soccer. This 8 minute video captures, what I believe is, a great display of the world's love for the game. Please click here to watch ... (YouTube would not allow me to embed the video)

the perfect nude lip

I have been searching around for awhile to find a great nude lip color. After many dollars spent on useless items, I finally believe I have found a lipstick/lipgloss combo that I love. These 2 products give a perfect nude lip with a little touch of light pink...

 MAC Products: Dazzleglass in "Baby Sparks" & Lipstick in "Playing Koi"

collin harrison .. officially a member of capital city fc

Contract signed, Collin has been in Canada for about 2 weeks now! His team finally released his signing... you can read the article here. Again, so proud of him!

Collin in front of Parliament

just another manic monday in spokane...

Dear Lord .. once again, Spokane never ceases to amaze me .. there is snow falling in mid-April. Easter cannot come more sooner! I am going home for easter this weekend and there better be a sunshine there to greet me! I am so excited to finally be reunited with my family (it has been 4 long months!!!) .. especially with my little sister and best friend Jenna .. I miss her so much!