Let's Go to Vegas, Baby!

Today is an especially happy Friday because I'm not at work. It's a 4-day weekend for me! On top of that, tomorrow I head to Vegas with Kathrin of Shop.School.Sleep. Double yay! Although it's going to be a zoo in Vegas, we have high hopes that we can find the perfect balance of fun and relaxation.And on that note, I created two outfits for the weekend - one for walking around the strip by day and another for a night out. If only these were the actual looks I was going to be wearing.

Of course, both outfits are from H&M because I'm obsessed with the store. The earrings in the second look are the only thing not from H&M. They're from BaubleBar.

H&M long tank top, $9.49 / H&M shorts, $32 / H&M suede flat, $16 / H&M leather handbag, $40 / H&M earrings / Necklace - from H&M

H&M US Green Sparkly Dress / H&M platform high heels, $39 / H&M genuine leather handbag, $21 / Onyx Glitz Drops Earrings

I HAVE to have this dress. How perfect is it? I could wear it to Vegas, NYE parties, LA fashion shows. The possibilities are endless.

For more fashion, head over to Long Distance Loving! 

A head's up for Monday: due to Labor Day Monday, we're pushing Weekend Update to Tuesday. That'll give you time to enjoy your vacation and not have to think about linking up. Have a wonderful weekend!!

Shop.School.Sleep.

Hi all! Today I am introducing you to my real-life pal, Kathrin! She started her own blog last month called Shop.School.Sleep. You may recognize her from some of my posts since I hang out with her, or from the Weekend Update bloghop I co-host. If you don't know her, now you will!

Kathrin is my longest friend and an incredible person. I can always go to her for anything. And on top of her great life advice, she has an amazing fashion sense. Perfect combo because that's what she blogs about.

As a teacher who is currently in school herself, getting her Masters, she's a busy lady. Despite her hectic schedule she's come up with a weekly outfit plan series on Tuesday's. I promise she'll inspire your wardrobe with her J.Crew obsession. Just check out how cute she is!

And she makes my hair look amazing! She is a sockless sock bun pro and creates a mean fishtail braid!

Now go visit her blog, Shop.School.Sleep. She's happy to meet new people and appreciates everyone that comments/follows

Be sure to check out our posts on September 12 when we do a blog swap. I've already scheduled her post she wrote for me and and it's quite entertaining. So many college pictures of our Delta Zeta sorority days!

The BetrAyal

Who watches Pretty Little Liars? I sure do! One of the best shows on TV right now. Yes it's on ABC Family. And yes, it's categorized as a show for teens. But let's be real. Plenty of adult women love PLL. It's suspenseful and each week you're guessing what will happen next.

Last night's episode (season 3 finale) was no exception. The end provided a shock and a twist AND someone dies. Oh, the drama!

Each week I have a tradition of watching the show with Kate of Nautical By Nature. We've been doing this for the better part of the show's three seasons. We've even been to the Pretty Little Liars set together! Amazing.

Last night Kate hosted a Pretty Little Liars viewing party for Kathrin of Shop.School.Sleep., another friend, and me - it was a blast. We had fruity cocktails and delish food. There's nothing better than some good ol' fashioned girl time!

Did you see last night's episode? What did you think? Were you as shocked as me?



Photos courtesy of: me and Alloy Entertainment

Bright Blue

Announcement: due to Labor Day next Monday we're pushing next week's Weekend Update link up to Tuesday, September 2. Be sure to join us a day later for the blog hop!

Now let's focus on this past weekend for Weekend Update with my co-hosts Dana of five30three and Sami of Sami's Shenanigans. My highlight: getting my hair re-dyed! This time I went a bit darker, added more color, and had my hairdresser throw in some dark purple pieces. I love the way it looks when the colors are fresh and vibrant.

BTW, I don't randomly spend hours taking pictures of myself. I just wanted to get some good shots of my hair :)


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What did you do this weekend? Link up and tell us all about it. We just ask that you follow these rules:

1. Blog about your weekend.

2. Add the badge (above) to your post.

3. Add the blog post link to the linkup below.

Pretty easy right? Once you link up be sure to visit other blogs and make friends. Some pretty awesome people link up each week!

Chambray + Heart Romper = Love

Chambray romper / Flat shoes / Old Navy cross body shoulder bag / Kate Spade sunglasses

This weekend I am going wine tasting with a friend to celebrate our birthdays so I decided to come up with an outfit for the occasion. How cute is that romper? Chambray + hearts? I want it! And it's available online at Delia's right now. I may just have to buy it!

For more fashion posts, head over to Long Distance Loving and check out Friday's Fancies.

Have a wonderful weekend and be sure to come back Monday morning and link up for Weekend Update!

Huntington Dog Beach

Monday I had the day off and decided it was time to finally get to the beach. I mean, I live in Southern California and the coast is less than an hour from me (and only 30minutes if I head to Santa Monica!). Logically I should be there at least once a month, minimum. So I headed to Huntington Dog Beach with my mom and dog for some surf and sand.

Unfortunately there was far more sand than surf during our outing. My dog has only been to the beach three times and hasn't quite embraced the cold Pacific Ocean, and the high tide that day wasn't helping. All in all we spent two hours there and had a fun time. If you live in SoCal (or visit) Huntington Dog Beach is a great place to take your furry friend. There's lots of space to run around and explore. You'll find it just west of Goldenwest.

A Musician Swap with Sami's Shenanigans

Well hello there Join the Gossip lovers!

You might recognize me from our Weekend Update link-up, but just in case you don't..

I'm Sami from Sami's Shenanigans. 

When Leeann brought the idea of a blog swap to my attention I knew I wanted to participate and I knew I wanted to talk about something that we both love.

Insert Man Candy and Music.

While I could have easily picked my main man Gavin all five times, I reached out and found four other good looking gentleman that know how to work a mic.

Without further adieu..

My Top 5 Hottest Musicians

ONE. My one true love, also known as, my future husband

Gavin DeGraw

TWO. The skinny rocker, also known as, the model lover

Adam Levine

THREE. Former boy band star, also known as, the actor that should stick to singing

Justin Timberlake

FOUR. Mr. Womanizer, also known as, he needs a haircut and a shave

John Mayer 

FIVE. The out there guy, also known as, you can rap to me all day long

Scott Mescudi aka Kid Cudi

What do you think?

Who do you think are the hottest musicians?

Make sure you hop on over to my blog, to find out which musicians are Leeann's favorites.

See you soon!

xoxo, Sami

Monogram Kraftshop Love

Last month I was the lucky winner of a Kraftshop monogrammed necklace giveaway hosted by Chris of Chubbette Tales...Life After Spanx!

I wanted to win this giveaway so bad and the competition was fierce (my Weekend Update co-hosts Dana of Five30Three and Sami of Sami's Shenanigans and I were trash talking about who would win...of course ME!) and I pulled through! As a result, I am the proud owner of this gorgeous necklace.

I love my pendant! It's a sterling silver initial 1" and the size is perfect. Not overpowering at all. But if you prefer larger necklaces, the company offers several sizes and metals to choose from. And while my pendant is a single initial, you can also purchase a full, three letter monogram or full names. Want a ring or bracelet? They offer those too at Kraftshop!

In addition to the beautiful necklace, Chris, being the sweetest thing ever, sent me some other items for my birthday! Check out the adorable bangle, wine stoppers, and envelope stickers she got me. Super cute right?

So head over to Chubbette Tales and Kraftshop when you get a chance. You won't be disappointed with either site!



Photos courtesy of: Kraftshop and me

Angels in the Outfield

Happy Monday! And I can actually say and mean that this week because I have today off :) I plan to continue my long weekend with a trip to a local dog beach. But for now let's talk about how awesome my Saturday was.

My big sis from sorority was in town and treated me to an Angels game. The Angels are my favorite team and somehow I hadn't been to a game all season. Needless to say it was a blast! I finally got to wear my new jersey and take in the atmosphere of a game, all with great company. I mean, c'mon, baseball and beer - there's nothing more American!

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What did you do this weekend? Link up and tell us all about it. We just ask that you follow these rules:

1. Blog about your weekend.

2. Add the badge (above) to your post.

3. Add the blog post link to the linkup below.

Pretty easy right? Once you link up be sure to visit other blogs and make friends. Some pretty awesome people link up each week!

Summer Sunset

Before I get to my outfit of the week, I wanted to let you know that I am posting over at The Girl With the Blue Bow today! It's a really fun post called "Rock-tails" - cocktails with rock & roll inspired names! Please be sure to stop by and check it out :)

Today's Friday's Fancies theme is summer sunset - the perfect theme for A SoCal girl like me. While I don't get to the beach nearly enough, I did grow up playing in the ocean at beautiful beaches such as Huntington, Newport, and Laguna. The plan is to go to a local dog beach Monday!

My summer sunset outfit is something I'd wear to a bonfire. And where do you go to fashion yourself for the surf and sand? Tillys! The entire outfit below is currently available on their site.

Rip Curl long sleeve pullover shirt / Denim jean shorts / Leather strap sandals / Roxy tote bag / VonZipper sunglasses / Straw fedora hat / ROXY La Playa Towel

There was a time (junior high and high school) when I only wore surf/skate related clothing. If it was Roxy I had it. When Hurley came out I was the first at my high school to sport one of their shirts. Billabong and Volcom were my go-to brands. As I got older, and began paying for my own clothes, I slowly started shopping for other brands but I will always love the "beach clothes". Now I need to get to Tillys and do some shopping this weekend!

Speaking of, be sure to come back on Monday and tell us all about your weekend! I host a weekly bloghop with Sami of Sami's Shenanigans and Dana from Five30Three called Weekend Update. We'd love to have you!

Summer Beauty VoxBox

A few months back I received a Summer Beauty VoxBox full of great goodies! If you haven't head of VoxBoxes, they are given out via Influenster. They a company describes their services as a "Community of trendsetters invited to share their lifestyles and show off their influence to qualify for personalized product shipments, special rewards and exclusive deals from the brands they love. Members love testing the latest products, giving insightful feedback, and spreading the word on their favorite finds!" If you haven't yet, sign up with them!

Now onto the goods! It took me so long to do this review because I wanted to test each product.

Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Lotion Sunscreen SPF 30: I am the worst at remembering to use sunscreen! When I finally remembered, I put this on and what do ya know? I didn't burn! I used it this weekend and was in the sun for several hours and am happy to report my skin is not red!

Tampax and Always Radiant Collection: We all gotta use these products and we may not talk about them but since they were in my box, let's get to it. I actually enjoyed both products. So much so that I went and bought these products at the drug store. I highly recommend them.

Quaker Soft Bar in Banana Nut Bread: This bar is perfect for those on the go. I took mine to work and heated it up to enjoy it. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of nuts and there were a lot of them on the treat so I didn't enjoy it as much as I would have without them. If you like nuts, try this out. I think you'll like it.

Sally Hansen Nail Color: Was obsessed with this polish upon applying but quickly fell out of love. You apply the polish then use a magnet to create a cool, random design. Totally awesome and 3D-looking. Unfortunately the polish chips quickly and badly.

Sally Hansen Nails and Cuticles Hand Creme: I tried this out, but I have weird issues with not being able to have lotion on my hands. It smells good and made my hands soft but I just can't use hand lotion. I'll probably give it to someone who will be able to enjoy it.

All in all, I really liked this box! I hope I get to participate in the upcoming boxes. It was like the other boxes that you pay for...except free and with better contents! Did you get a Summer VoxBox or have you tried any of these items?

Firmoo Prescription Sunglasses

I was recently contacted by Firmoo.com, a site that sells prescription glasses, and offered a pair in exchange for a review. Boasting affordable prices and the first pair of glasses FREE, I was curious and decided to try out their service. Being a contact/glasses wearer I am all about trying new companies and you can never have too many pairs so I decided to select prescription sunglasses.

Upon deciding on the frames (the style I chose is no longer being produced unfortunately) I provided my prescription info and was sent the frames in about a week's time - which is pretty quick!

I have a hard time with glasses because I have a smaller head. Totally frustrating since I can't pull off very many styles or shapes. Despite that, I decided to be a bit daring since they were free and picked a pair that are larger than what I would normally gravitate toward.

While they are pretty large on my face, the prescription is perfect are they are comfortable to wear. My other prescription sunglasses took some getting used to, maybe because the lenses are a bit curved? These are flat so I think that helps a lot.

What do you think - do I look ridiculous or can I pull off the larger framed Hollywood look?

The only issue I had with ordering/receiving my glasses is that there is a scratch on one of the lenses. However, it's small enough that it's not noticeable and doesn't block my vision. That being said, they do have a policy that if your glasses are wrong or damaged you can get an exchange or refund as long as you contact them within three days.

What I like about Firmo is that the glasses are all so affordable, first pair is free, shipping is quick!

If you're in the market for a new pair of prescription glasses (or even just want glasses for fashion purposes without the prescription) then I highly suggest visiting Firmoo. Go get your free pair now!

Bloggers in the 'Bu

Happy Monday! I'm in a strangely happy mood for it being a Monday. Maybe because I had a great weekend? We'll go with that! 

Saturday I had the pleasure of meeting up with two of my blogging turned in real life friends, Kate of Nautical By Nature and Meg of Henning Love! And if that weren't epic enough I got to meet Lauren of Wayferers and Worksheets who is awesome! 

Lauren, Meg, me, and Kate at the Getty Villa!

Obligatory blog pose ;)

The three of us had a blast together and were meshing like lifelong friends pretty quickly. We first grabbed some lunch at Duke's, a restaurant right on top of the water in Malibu, then headed over to the Getty Villa down the road. The Getty Villa is a museum filled with Greek and Roman artifacts with amazing gardens (pictured below) and views. Naturally we spent a majority of the time outside gabbing and during that we did get in on a free art project the museum was offering - mummy making! Yup, the four of us made mini paper mache mummies and it was so fun!

I can't wait til we all hang out again! Good thing Kate and I have our weekly Pretty Little Liars nights so I can get my blogger fix in each week :)

Your turn! What did YOU do this weekend? Linkup with me and my other co-hosts Dana of Five30Three and Sami of Sami's Shenanigans and let us know! 

Never joined a bloghop before? That's OK, it's easy! Simply blog about your weekend, grab our button below, and add the URL to your post to the list below. And if you ever have any questions, let us know. We're happy to help :)

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Girly Gingham

Happy weekend! With summer coming to a close I feel like I need to start making the most of my days off. And that's just what I'm doing this weekend. I have plans to meet up with the wonderful Meg of Henning Love! We've hung out a few times and she's great so I'm looking forward to spending Saturday with her.

And since this week's Friday's Fancies is all about gingham, I created a look that would be perfect for an afternoon blogger meetup at a local museum.

Don't forget to come back Monday and link up for Weekend Update! 

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Ding, ding, ding went the trolly!

Yup, I know that title was a bit much! But I am a bit much at times ;) Also a bit much, posting four birthday blogs in the last two weeks. There was just so much that I had to split it up. Last post I swear, but it's picture heavy!

There are three things in life I can't quit: Dr. Pepper, Groupon/Living Social deals, and tours. On Saturday it was all about the latter. Since I spent the weekend with my oldest friends in San Diego, Kathrin of Shop.School.Sleep. and Tiffany of Polka Dotted Cats (who lives in SD and hosted us), they let me indulge in one of my favorite activities, a trolly tour!

But before we get to that action, check out my hair! Kathrin did a sock-less sock bun. She literally teased and put it up in like two minutes flat.  Super cute right?!

To kick off the day we headed to Old Town SD for a tour of the Whaley House. I'd been before and loved it so I was excited to go again. OK and I lied, I have four obsessions. The fourth is spooky things. The Whaley House is super creepy and totally haunted.

Tiffany, me, Kathrin

Gaslamps/lanterns are another obsession of mine

Next was the trolly tour provided by Old Town Trolly Tours. At $32 for 11 stops throughout San Diego it was a great deal. We spent the entire day on the go checking out the harbor, Gaslamp Quarter, Coronado Island and more. We chose to not do all of the stops, just the areas we really wanted to see. Here are some of the highlights:

San Diego Harbor

Gaslamp Quarter

Lunch at Bootlegger in the Gaslamp Quarter

Ahi goodness

The beautiful Hotel del Coronado (also haunted ;)

Tiffany, me, ad Kathrin in front of the hotel

Had an overpriced $14 drink at the hotel with a priceless ocean view

After having dinner back in Old Town we went home, relaxed a bit, and opened gifts. Then we decided to go to a few small, local bars. Again, Kathrin did my hair. Not only can the girl do a mean sock bun, but look at that fishtail!

J. Crew bracelet and necklace from Kathrin

Nail polish, Target stackable rings, and a BaubleBar bracelet from Tiffany

It really shows my dip-dye

First drink as a 29-year-old

Tiffany, me, and Kathin...I guess we always line up the same way!

Overall, my 29th birthday in San Diego was perfect! So many fun events with such great friends!!