i love friday!

it's ok that i'll be spending all day inside nursing the sick because the weekend is near, peeps! 

ahh, that is such a refreshing feeling.

enjoy the day.

music makes me high

this morning i ran across this fact on twitter and loved it, as i am obsessed with music. i highly dislike silence and have music on wherever i am, specifically dance & electronic.  it puts me in the best mood and always lifts my spirits.  anyway, the phrase read:

listening to music causes the brain to release dopamine, the same chemical responsible for the pleasures of food, drugs, and sex. 

i can totally relate.  this past weekend i downloaded a bunch of songs because i had an itunes gift card burning a hole in my pocket.  i listen to these songs over and over and over because of the feeling they give me.  

Allein - Eric Prydz

 Teenage Crime - Adrian Lux

 City of Dreams - Alesso & Dirty South

not sure what it is about trance, but i have loved it since i was a teen.   think about some of the music you listen to.  does it not give you a pleasurable feeling?  well, let's see....i can honestly say that when i listen to country, heavy metal, or rap, i'm not left with a pleasant feeling, but instead either a depressive, agitated, or sometimes offended {which is hard to do} sensation.  they just aren't my thing.

what is your favorite genre of music?  i find that not many people are into trance.  just give it a try, people. you will love it!  i know that helene is about the only other trancer blogger i know.

enjoy the rest of your day - i'll be listening to these song because it's gorgeous outside and i'm enjoying my last day off!

pretty polish for a wedding. ♥

today one of my best friends from nursing school is getting married.  it's going to be a beautiful outdoor setting at a countryside winery. 

i figured i needed to spruce up my hands a bit and give them a coat of polish.  if you remember this post, i have way too much polish, but as i was sifting through it this morning, i found a polish buried at the bottom that i bought almost 10 years ago i would say.  the paint job itself doesn't look so spectacular, but the color sure is.

the color is so pretty, somewhat like a dark pinkish-red. i used to buy mac's polishes on occasion and always loved this one.  even after almost 10 years, it was like brand new.  there was no gooeyness and i only had to apply one coat. 

i'm sure i'll be using this one a few times over the course of the spring and summer, but i'm still planning on keeping my toes sans polish!

fresh creative ideas on a stormy day.

 

source.

it seems like every day i have a new goal in mind or a new dream to chase.  i'll give you an example of what today's ideas were.

the day has been full of thunderstorms, flooding, and chilly temps.  not the best day to have a positive attitude because this weather brings me down a bit, but as i was sitting here i was a little bored.  the cleaning got monotonous and facebook was pretty boring, as usual.

i was really, really itching for a craft to do but i had nothing on hand except a blank canvas.  i didn't feel like getting in the car to drive and i was bummed.  no craft today then.

but that doesn't mean i can't do one tomorrow or over the weekend, or even on one of my days off next week.  i love to be creative and i want my house to be styled in lots of my own personal work.  ha! well, i don't really have too many yet, but there are endless possibilities with paint and a canvas, or all of the beads i have collected for jewelry making.

each week, i want to create at least one handmade piece, whether it's a painted canvas, a new necklace or bracelet, a pair of earrings, a bouquet of flowers, or some sort of painted bottle, flower pot, or piece of wood.

i don't let my creative side show enough and i know one day i'm going to regret that.  act now while there's still time and i'm actually able to.

i am really excited to get started because i have a few ideas in mind already that i'll share when i'm done.  i love brainstorming new projects and things to do.

                               ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
what has inspired you lately that has turned into new goals and dreams?

tortellini shrimp caesar salad

the grocery store that we shop at has a cooking school, and every now and then they give out a little magazine loaded with recipes. this particular one was filled with amazing things like to die for chocolate cake, greek desserts, hearty soups, and the little gem below.  hubby made this about a week before easter and it was so good that we decided it was the dish we would take to my aunt's house.

being so simple to throw together makes it taste better, in my opinion.  quick and easy meals are normally better than having to slave away for hours. {ok, i know that's not true, but pretend it is for this (;} plus, i had a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer that i really didn't know what i was going to do with.  luckily, it worked perfectly for this.

we ate this as a main meal paired with french bread, but it could definitely be used as a small side dish as well.  you pick!

ingredients 

1 pkg (20 oz) frozen cheese tortellini
1 pound cooked, peeled shrimp (about 25-30) - cut in half
1 pkg (5-6 oz) baby spinach
3 tomatoes, diced
3/4 cup feta cheese crumbles
1/2 cup caesar dressing
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves


directions

<> heat large covered saucepot of water to boiling over high heat.  add tortellini and cook as label directs; drain.

<> meanwhile, in large salad bowl, toss shrimp with spinach, tomatoes, cheese and dressing until well combined.  add warm tortellini and toss until mixture is coated in dressing.  sprinkle salad with basil to serve.  makes about 12 cups.

- this or that - beauty tag.

the cute and lovely izzie tagged me in this fun beauty questionnaire. i love filling out these types of things and it was a lot of fun to do while i waited out the tornadoes this evening.

enjoy (:

Makeup:

• Blush or Bronzer? both, but i prefer bronzer. i must have 4 different ones right now.
• Lipgloss or Lipstick? it seems i wear lipgloss or even chapstick a lot more these days.
• Liner or Mascara? both. mascara is my #1 beauty product i couldn't live without, but i wear liner daily. without mascara, i look dead.
• Foundation or Concealer? foundation.  i use concealer quite a bit for my dark circles, but foundation is something i use more.
• Neutral Eyeshadow or Colour? all colors.  yesterday i wore bright pink & today i have on smokey browns. it varies every day.
• Pressed or loose eyeshadow? definitely pressed. there is way too much fall out with loose. eww.

Nails and body: 

• OPI or China Glaze?  china glaze. i like both, but china glaze is where it's at.
• Long or Short Nails? i'm a short girl. i have never been a fan of long nails.
• Acrylic or Natural? natural. i had acrylic when i was like 13 and i'll never get them again.
• Brights or Darks?  it totally depends on my mood. if i were to paint them today, it would probably be a light color.
• Flower or No Flower? plain.
• Perfume or Body Splash? the patchouli i wear is actually an oil, but i wear perfume sometimes as well.
• Lotion or Body Butter?  body butter. my skin is too dry to use a watery lotion.
• Body Wash or Soap?  i prefer soap. body wash can make my skin feel sticky and dry.
• Lush or other bath company?  the body shop is my all time favorite.

Fashion:

• Jeans or Sweat Pants?  i don't even own a pair of sweats.
• Long Sleeve or Short Sleeve?  i prefer tanks. i would wear them year round if i could.
• Dresses or skirts? neither really. i have two upcoming events where i have to wear a dress and i know i'll feel uncomfortable in it.
• Stripes or Plaid?  stripes.
• Flip Flops or Sandals?  both. it depends on where i'm going.
• Scarves or Hats?  i don't really wear either. i know, i know.
• Studs or Dangly Earrings? dangly, although most of mine right now are small hoops.
• Heels or Flats? i like some heels, especially wedges, but flats suit me better because i can't walk to well in heels, plus i don't like being super tall.
• Cowboy Boots or Riding Boots? i have had my cowboy boots for like 10 years and they're my favorite shoes.
• Jacket or Hoodie?  i have tons of fleece and cotton jackets that i have with me everywhere i go. never know when you're going to get cold.
• Forever 21 or Charlotte Russe? i used to love charlotte russe, but it seems they've changed their line to ugly now and forever is so damn congested i don't have the patience to look through everything, although the clothes are super cute and cheap.
• Abercrombie or Hollister? a little too preppy for my liking.

Hair:

• Curly or Straight?  it's straight 95% of the time.
• Bun or Ponytail?  both, if i can get the bun to stay in.
• Bobby Pins or Butterfly Clips? pins.
• Hair Spray or Gel?  definitely spray. i never used to use it, but the last couple years i've been using it more often.
• Long or Short?  well right now i have an insatiable urge to chop it all off!
• Light or Dark?  the lighter, the better.
• Side Sweep or Full Bangs? i can't do bangs. good ol' cowlick.
• Up or Down?  i wear it up and down equally.

Random:

• Rain or Shine?  rain is good sometimes, but it makes me depressed usually.
• Summer or Winter?  i am a summer girl.
• Fall or Spring?  i am not a fan of fall at all. you know cold and cloudy is on the way for the next 6 months.
• Chocolate or Vanilla?  vanilla ice cream, but chocolate anything else.
• East coast or west coast?  west coast. california is heavenly gorgeous!  

 

let me know in the comments below if you guys post one of these. i would love to see your answers.

life lately, thru photos.

it's been a pretty nice last week, or so.  i had a mini-vacation, where i just stayed around here, but i had a lot of fun. 

there were a couple celebrated birthdays, book club gatherings, hockey games, concrete cake, movies, having fun, walking, and nice weather.

here is some of what was captured.

 

 

my week's favorite things.

thank god it's friday, although i've been off since wednesday and don't have to go back to work until monday so i've had a mini-vacation, but still.  fridays are always a good thing!  here are some of my favorite highlights from this past week. enjoy!

1.  today is the mr.'s birthday.  good ol' ripe age of 42, but sure doesn't look it, does he?  i can't believe this is the seventh birthday i've spent with him.  holy hell, where has time gone?!

2.  so, to celebrate his birthday, we are going to the blues game tonite.  hockey is one of our favorite things and what better what to celebrate his birthday.  can't wait!

3.  i've been sooooo addicted to these arbonne smoothies.  i mix the powder with water and then add a variety of fruit and spinach.  so far my favorite is the mixed berries with a frozen banana.  heaven. plus they keep me full for hours!

4.  making jewelry has been keeping me super busy.  here is one of my latest creations that i made for my grandma's birthday.

5.  we took dutch to a doggy easter egg hunt.  it was so much fun and he was such a hit there.  he collected the most eggs, which were filled with treats and gift certificates.  we won a BOGO day at doggy day care.  it's the cutest place!

HOPE YOU HAVE A HAPPY WEEKEND!

MAC painterly paint pot {review}

if you've never tried any of MAC's paint pots, i highly suggest you do.  they are definitely in my top 5 favorite beauty products of all time, especially painterly, as it's my favorite.

i remember when i bought it, the girl at the counter kind of look at me all snotty and said, 'you're not going to use that as a base, are you?'  well, yes and no.

painterly is actually a creamy eyeshadow that a lot of people use as a base. i use it both ways because it's perfect for both.  when i want a quick and easy look without much effort, i just slap some of it on and go, and when i use eyeshadow, it's my go-to base.  it goes on smooth, but has a little bit of stick when it dries so that shadows stick well to it and do not crease.

the main thing i love about painterly is that it goes well with my skin color.  it's kind of a skin color, beige that covers all my little purple veiny and red areas so my lids look flawless. it makes my face look like i have nothing on m eyes so it's very natural.  i have more of a pink undertone to my skin so it works really well for me.

i have had mine for over a year and have a ton of it left.  over time it does tend to dry out a bit because it is a cream, but i haven't noticed it too much and it still works fine for me.  i think soon i am actually going to be trying out soft ochre to see how it compares, because it has more of a yellow tone to it.  these run about $18, so they are a bit pricey, but for as long as they last, the price really isn't too bad.

go check this out because you will fall in love.

hope this helps and if you have any questions, let me know!

xo.

such a happy time.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT SPRING

1.  sandals
2.  an extra hour of sunlight
3.  the smell of bbq grills
4.  blooms & buds
5.  thunderstorms
6.  open windows
7.  spring cleaning
8.  flower pots
9.  tank tops
10.  chirping birds
11.  sun on the skin
12.  improved moods
13.  sunnies
14.  spring sales
15.  green grass

besides the obvious like warmer weather & getting out of winter - what are some of your favorite things about spring?? i know there are more than what i have listed!