My Week in Review ~ 3.31.13

Happy Easter, lovelies!  I hope you had an amazing weekend!  I wanted to share some of my week with you.  Yesterday I went to a Colorado Avalanche (hockey) game with my bf, his daughter, and his mom.  So here's a pic of the 3 of us together at the game :)  This was my first hockey game since I used to go see the Providence Bruins when I was in high school.

I *finally* made some of my past 2 WhimseyBox projects, and they're so useful for keeping me sane and organized.  Plus they're fun to look at, too!  If you haven't looked into WhimseyBox yet, I highly suggest you do so!  It's a craft box (like the beauty ones!) that comes monthly, and I'm obsessed!  Plus, use my referral link and get $5 off your first box!  (They run $15 a month, and come with a project and all the necessary supplies!)

The kiddos were on Spring Break this week, and I've tried to keep things on the inexpensive side.  So we took a trip to the thrift store the other day.  I hit the gold mine with books, these were all under $5 a piece, most were only $3!  So far I've finished The Carrie Diaries, and am starting Four Blondes next.  It's reasons like this I refuse to pay full price for things, I got 12 books for the price of 2 of them!

Friday I took the kiddos to Chuck e Cheese to play some skee ball (and other games).  It was so fun, I love arcade games!  The kids had a blast, and I did too!  Plus, Bella shared her 'winnings' with JT, which made my day.  Sometimes just a small gesture like that reminds me how lucky I am.

I've been doing tons of spring cleaning, and I wanted to share a quick tip that worked pretty well for me.  I put a measuring cup with 1 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water in the microwave and set the time for 10 minutes.  Now it completely boiled over and made a mess and leaked out, (should have put a wooden stirrer in!) but it steam cleaned the entire microwave, and I just wiped all the mess out with a damp cloth.  So easy, it's ridiculous.

I won this Mario Badescu Hyaluronic Eye Cream from Amber of Real Girl Glam and LOVE it!  It gets rid of puffiness well, and I'm hoping that with continued use it works on the darn bags and circles!  PS ~ If you're not familiar with Amber's blog, you should check it out!  

What were some of the highlights of your past week?

xx

Lia

Kate Spade Jewelry Dupes at Target!

Hey lovelies!  Like everyone, I love Target.  I mean, I loooove Target.  They continue to step up their game season after season. So imagine my surprise when perusing some of their accessories, and I immediately thought they looked eerily familiar.  While they aren't spot-on dupes, there's definitely some Kate Spade inspiration in Target's jewelry.

The necklaces above are definitely similar, though not exact.  While the Kate Spade 'Field Day' Bib Necklace will set you back $278, the Target Sculptured Beaded Flower Bib necklace only costs $16.99.  Now I can't speak for everyone, but on a trendy piece like this, I'd rather save $250 (or put that towards my student loans!) and pick up the 'cousin' necklace from Target.

The earrings are also 'cousins' (see what I did there? lol), but at $8 a pop, you can get both for less than the cost of one pair of the originals by Kate Spade.  Besides, once they're on no one will be able to tell the difference!

Have you spotted any similarly inspired pieces in stores lately?  Would you rather the designer pieces (and prices!) or the bargain ones?

xx
Lia

Springy Dresses Under $50!

Happy Friday, lovelies!  Ahhh springtime!  It's finally starting to feel a bit like spring, hopefully it lasts!  It's inspiring me to go through my closet (spring cleaning!) and start pulling out all those fun springtime dresses.  For some reason, spring dresses are much more fun and have more styling options than those for summer.  So here's a quick roundup of some I'm looking to add into my closet... best part?  All are under $50!

Top row, L-R:
Old Navy Eyelet Dress, $27.50 (extra 30% off online with code THANKYOU)
Old Navy Shirtdress, $20 (extra 30% off online with code THANKYOU)
Target Color Blocked Dress, $19
Target Labworks Neoprene Dress, $28

Bottom row, L-R:
Target Hi-Low Hem Dress, $25
JC Penney 9 & Co Dress, $40
Kohl's LC Lauren Conrad Dress, $44.99
Kohl's Simply Vera Vera Wang Dress, $47.60

Which is your favorite?  How would you style it?

xx
Lia

BaubleBar's Spring Cleaning Sale

Hi lovelies!  With spring upon us (or so they say!) I am so excited about BaubleBar's Spring Cleaning sale!  If you've never heard of / ordered from BaubleBar before, they work with leading jewelry designers, the same ones who supply high-end retail stores, and curate a collection of on-trend, affordable pieces.  There's no commitment, no monthly charges, just buy what you want when you want.  The best part?  You'll get $10 off your first order when you sign up!  So click here and sign up!

Now, they're having this incredible Spring Cleaning sale, with pieces up to 60% off!  Here's some of my favorites.  At these prices, they all are affordable!


from L-R, top row:
Noir Spike Strand, $24
Bubblegum Bauble Bib, $24
Violet Triad Collar, $24

from L-R, bottom row:
Jumbo Amethyst Studs, $16
Popeye Sailor Studs, $16
Starfish Ring, $36
Glacier Ring, $74

Any pieces you've got your eye on?

xx
Lia

Review ~ My March GlossyBox Unwrapped

Hi lovelies!  I know you love seeing what everyone gets in their monthly boxes, so here's March's Spring Fling GlossyBox.  I did share the unboxing on Vine, check it out!

Here's all the goodies!  All in all, some great products and a fun box!  {Click to keep reading }

DIY ~ Pastel 'Enamel' Bangle Bracelets

Hey lovelies!  I keep seeing such adorable pastel enamel bracelets in stores, and they are just so fun!  But given my nearly nonexistent budget now, I can't afford to spend.  I'm okay with this, because I just get more creative!  Given my recent pastel painted baubles, like the bobby pins or the necklace and earrings, I decided to raid my jewelry and found some plain bangles that would be perfect for a makeover.  {Click to read more!}

My Fave Lipsticks ~ Reds and Fuschias

Hi lovelies!  I have an obsession with lipstick, and having just one brand/shade of a color is certainly not enough for me.  So I thought I'd share and swatch some of my faves with you - at all price points!  Above are some of my favorite reds.  As you can see, there's everything from New York Color to Dior and in between.  The best part?  When on, you can't tell which is which!  {Click to keep reading!}

How to Update Your Spring Wardrobe ~ 5 Pieces, 10 Looks!

Hi lovelies!  I wanted to start a new series, and see how you all like it!  I find that each season, my biggest wardrobe issue is wanting everything I see, yet only wearing things once or only one way.  With that, I'm left with an overflowing closet that I constantly stare into, muttering how I've nothing to wear.  So here I'm going to show you that without spending a small fortune, you can buy a few key items and stretch them into more than a week's worth of outfits!  {Click to read more!}

My Mani ~ Easter-y Chocolate Speckled Eggs

Hi lovelies!  I wanted to do my nails something kind of Easter-y this weekend, and just started playing around and came up with this!  The chocolate-brown hue of this Illamasqua polish was the perfect canvas for some fun pastel speckles.  {Click to keep reading!}

Some of My Favorite Things

Happy Friday, lovelies!  I've been running errands and hanging out with my bf's mom the last couple days, and just enjoying relaxing.  I suppose there are bright sides to being laid off work; you have more time to do things and relax!  Anyhow, I wanted to share some of my recent favorite things with you!  {Click to keep reading!}

April Julep Maven Window Is Open!

Hi lovelies!  Ahhh yesterday was March 20, meaning the Julep Maven monthly window opens, where you can view the month's collection, see what's in your profile box and switch profiles or skip the month and not be charged.  (Brilliant, really, isn't it?)  Otherwise, you'll pay $19.99 for about $40+ worth of product!

This month's theme is 'Turn on the Brights' and the full sized beauty product we're receiving is this rad nail and cuticle serum pen, along with the polish colors (this totally depends on your profile).  There's also a Dry Clean dry shampoo, available as an add on or in the Modern Beauty box.  Here's the hard part: what do I order?  I'm a boho glam, so my colors this month are Kaylen and Lena (see all the colors, above).  I really love the colors, and think I'll be sticking with them.

What profile are you?  Which box are you getting?

Don't forget, sign up here and get your first box for FREE with code FREEBOX!

xx
Lia

How to Reduce Under Eye Puffiness ~ Masqueology Eye Gel Review

Hi lovelies! I usually struggle with under-eye issues (puffiness, bags, etc.) and have tried so many different products, but to no avail.  While concealer helps with the bags, there's not really much I can do with the puffiness usually.  I've tried the roller-balls, and while they feel amazing I wasn't able to see any difference.  I received these eye-patches in a Birchbox, and I didn't think much of them at first.  I decided to try them out the other day, and really found them to work amazingly!

So when you open up the foil pouch, these slimy, mesh covered in gel thingies are stuck to a thin piece of plastic.  Then you peel them off and wriggle with the sliminess and think of how weird they feel, but you decide to just do it and stick it on under your eye.  It took a little fidgeting around to get them in place and to stay in place, but then I just laid down and relaxed, leaving these on for about 20 minutes.  The slimy goopy feel of them turned into cooling and soothing and it felt amazing.  After peeling them off, you don't wash anything off - you instead pat any remaining gel into your under-eye area.

I was most shocked at how the puffiness was gone!  I mean, it disappeared!  Now the bags/discoloration kinda stuff was still there.  But that's manageable (I do love my MUFE Hi-Definition Concealer!).  I seriously had no puffiness for two days and have never seen my eyes like that before.  If you have troublesome puffy-eyes like I do, I highly recommend you try the Masqueology Revitalizing Eye Gel Mask.  It's one of the few (if not the only) products advertising to reduce puffiness that actually does!  I can't attest to the brightening/revitalizing because I think that the lack of puff actually brightened and revitalized.  I think that with regular uses, there could be more of a difference.  The only issue is with the price.  Now at $24 for three sets, they are costly.  But if you make those last a month (do it every 10 days!) then it's not so bad.  It's a way of treating / pampering yourself!

xx
Lia

Wedding DIY ~ Rhinestone Shoe Clips

Hi lovelies!  With wedding season approaching, I am sharing wedding-appropriate DIYs for the bride that wants to save a bit and not go into debt over her big day!  There certainly are times to splurge, but there are many, many more areas in wedding preparations where you can save big time.  I don't know about you, but I'd rather save wherever possible!  Today we are talking wedding shoes.  While I don't really have any 'bride' shoes in my closet, I decided to demonstrate on a pair of lavender platform sandals (which I personally would absolutely wear if I got married again (went traditional first time, I'd definitely go unconventional round two!)

I was inspired by these peep toe shoes I spied in a wedding magazine, and realized that why splurge on a pair of shoes you'll only wear once?  {Click below for the how-to}

Today's Steals & Deals ~ Hanky Panky 3 pair for $23!

Hi lovelies!  I was watching The Today Show, and the Deals and Steals segment came on, which I half-paid attention to.  Until they mentioned Hanky Panky thongs.... a pack of 3 pair for only $23!  (a $65 value!)  Hurry to www.hankypanky.com/steals and enter your email and the code TODAY23, then you can choose which color trio you want!  Shipping is an additional $6, but you're still getting 3 pair for less than $30!  

Go now, before they sell out!  (I got the second set on the second row!)

xx

Lia

Review ~ My March Birchbox Unwrapped

Hi lovelies!  I just received my March Birchbox the other day and I couldn't wait to share it with you!  I was pretty stoked with everything I received, and plan on buying some full sizes of these samples.  If you're not familiar with Birchbox, $10 a month gets you a box with hand-picked (high-end) beauty and lifestyle samples, delivered!  I've been a subscriber for two years now, and LOVE it! {More after the jump}

DIY ~ Pastel Statement Necklace & Earrings

Hi lovelies!  As I mentioned yesterday, I picked up an adorable clear crystal necklace and earrings on super clearance at Target and had a DIY for you using them!  I'm a bit obsessed with pastels right now, so I decided to give them the same treatment I gave my bobby pins last week.  {How to after the jump}

My Mini Target Clearance Haul

Hi lovelies!  I hope you all had a fabulous weekend.  I unplugged and helped the bf redo his sitting room/office/man cave and sewed some curtains for his odd-length windows.  So while I wasn't too productive on the blogging end, I thought I would quickly share with you some steals I picked up at Target on clearance!  {More after the jump}

March Popsugar Must Have Box Unwrapped

Hiya lovelies!  I recently got my new PopSugar Must Have box in, and couldn't wait to share with you all what I got!  As I've shared previously, the Must Have box costs $35 a month and you get an assortment of must haves all picked by PopSugar's editors.  The value of the contents always far exceeds the amount paid, and I always enjoy getting surprise goodies every month!  {Click for more below}

My Mani ~ DIY Tracy Reese NYFW Manicure

Hey lovelies!  After seeing the beautiful manicure Sally Hansen created for the Tracy Reese NYFW F/W 2013 show (similar to the silver/fuschia Chanel Spring mani), I knew I needed to recreate it.  I pretty much followed the tutorials for the aforementioned Chanel mani by Love Maegan, The Budget Babe, and Fab Fatale.  {Click below for the full post}

Birchbloggers Review ~ Jouer Perfume and Body Butter

Hi lovelies!  I recently received these amazing Jouer products from Birchbox to review and I have been LOVING them so much!  I was initially introduced to the Jouer brand through my monthly Birchbox subscription, and am absolutely obsessed.  Their lip enhancer and luminizing moisture tint are daily must-use products for me.  So when the opportunity to review their perfume oil and body butter as a Birchblogger presented itself, I squealed with delight! {Click below to read more!}

DIY ~ Pastel Bobby Pins (+ a Creative Way to Present Your Business Card!)

Hi lovelies!  Today I have a fun, springy DIY for you!  It's pretty simple and self explanatory, but with a fun pastel twist.  Pastels are HUGE for spring, and here's a way to be on-trend while using items you already have on hand!  {How to after the jump}

Birchbox vs. GlossyBox: February Edition

Hi lovelies!  Sorry this month's Birchbox vs. GlossyBox is late, but my February GlossyBox came in last week, literally!  So without further ado, here's Birchbox vs. GlossyBox: February Edition  {More after the jump}

DIY ~ Joomi Lim Inspired Spiked Necklace

Happy Tuesday, lovelies!  Today's DIY is inspired by this gorgeous Joomi Lim spiked necklace.  It's stunning, isn't it?  But it's a bit too expensive for my liking. So, I raided my supplies and found I had a similar chain to use, and ordered the studs from M&J Trimming.  {How to after the jump}

My March Julep Maven Review

Hi lovelies!  Last month I posted my February box review about a day before I got my March box, so I thought this time I'd be a bit more proactive.  So most of you have heard of the amazing Julep Maven monthly boxes, where for $19.99 a month, you get nail polish (and beauty products!) from the higher end Julep brand (sold at Sephora), with a retail value of at least $60 (the polishes alone retail for $14 each!)  If you haven't, click on one of my links and sign up!  And right now, sign up and enter promo code FREEBOX and just pay $3.99 shipping!  The best part is that they show you what you'll be getting that month, so you can either switch to a different profile box (there's 5!) or skip the month altogether and not be charged.  {More after the jump}

How to Fix Ripped Jeans Without Sewing

Happy Friday, lovelies!  I hope you've all had a fabulous week and are ready for the weekend.  We're supposed to get upwards of a foot of snow tomorrow in Denver, so I'm planning on doing some early spring cleaning, and maybe some crafting too.  Now this is a great project to tackle this weekend; best thing is, it only takes a few minutes yet saves you hundreds of dollars a year.  No joke.  I'm talking about the holes in your kids (or yours!) jeans.  I spend $15-20 a pair, times 5 pairs each kid, and within a month or two I've got to throw them out.  Such a waste of money, especially as a single mom with two kids!  One day it occurred to me I'd only need to sacrifice the outgrown pairs I'd ordinarily throw away and could save the rest of the jeans.  Did I mention with no sewing?!  In the year I've been doing this, I no longer have to replace worn out jeans; I only buy new ones when they've outgrown their old! {How to after the jump}

My Outfit ~ Cat Eyed

Hi lovelies!  Do you find yourself gravitating toward certain sunglasses shapes?  I love some form or another of a cat eye, I think the style suits my long / oval shaped face well.  When Sunglasses Shop reached out and offered me a pair from the SXUC collection they carry, I was instantly drawn to this pretty rhinestone accented tortoise cat-eye, aren't they perfect?  {More after the jump}

Wedding DIY ~ Table Number Lighted Centerpiece

Hi lovelies!  With wedding season approaching, most brides are hurriedly trying to get 3 trillion things done at once, all while trying to stay way under an already way too low budget.  What's a woman to do?  Well, with the amazing DIY supplies from David Tutera Bridal, she can cut costs while still not sacrificing chic.  In the first of many to come, I present to you my DIY Table Number Lighted Centerpiece.  {How to after the jump}

My Mani ~ DIY Kate Spade F/W 2013 NYFW Studded Manicure

Hi lovelies!  I've shared some sneak peeks on Instagram of this manicure, I'm soooo excited for it!  (You are following me on Instagram, right?)  I loved this Deborah Lippmann mani when I saw all the pics of it from Kate Spade's show at fashion week; The Budget Babe posted some incredible pics and I knew I had to recreate it!  (Loving my chic Cynthia Rowley band-aid?)  {Get the how to after the jump}

My February Julep Maven Box

Hi lovelies!  I'm sure by now most of you have heard of the amazing Julep Maven monthly boxes, where for $19.99 a month, you get nail polish (and beauty products!) from the higher end Julep brand (sold at Sephora), with a retail value of at least $60 (the polishes alone retail for $14 each!)  The best part is that they show you what you'll be getting that month, you can either switch to a different profile box (there's 5!) or skip the month altogether and not be charged.  {More after the jump}