Glitter and Gloss

Group Giveaway Day

2013-05-16T05:30:00.000-07:00

Hey friends!

On this day in 1983 I was born, making me the big 3-0 today!

It's my birthday, but YOU get the presents!

I am so excited about this month's Group Giveaway, because it's birthday-themed, and my awesome sponsors have really offered up some amazing goodies!

I asked each of them the best birthday present they've ever given or received, and really loved their answers - you will too!

River and Bridge

River and Bridge is an amazing shop filled with some of the most beautiful stationery, party invitations and various paper goods out there. Heather, the designer/owner of River & Bridge is insanely talented, and also happens to be the fabulous lady behind this blog's new look (which I'm obsessed with!) River and Bridge is giving one lucky winner a Bridge Box!

Heather: "For my 26th birthday, my husband gave me diamond earrings, instructed me to put on a dress, and surprised me with a fancy dinner out with a few of our closest friends. The food, drinks and company were amazing, and I felt so special knowing that my husband went to such lengths to plan a memorable evening for me."

You can find River & Bridge here:

facebook * etsy * instagram

Can Can Cleanse

The Can Can Cleanse is awesome, and I cannot say enough good things about it! They are generously offering one lucky winner a 3-Day CAN CAN Cleanse (value, $185)

(Bay Area only, delivery not included, feel free to pick up at their awesome San Francisco location!)

From Teresa, owner of CAN CAN: "The best present I've ever given was the trip for my mom (for her 60th b-day) to the island of Hvar (Croatia) to see the home of her grandmother. It was the most special moment watching how childlike my mom became as we walked the dirt roads and stood in front of the stone house where her grandmother grew up. A magical experience for both of us!"

You can find CAN CAN here:

CAN CAN Cleanse * facebook * pinterest

Pen & Paint

My friend Lindsay of Pen & Paint is so freaking talented it's ridiculous. I am lucky enough to own several of her prints and have them all throughout myself. One lucky winner will get to add some P & P art to their home too, thanks to a $30 shop credit to Lindsay's fabulous store!

Lindsay: "My favorite birthday gift was a special beach get-away with my husband last year to celebrate my 30th birthday. It was the first beach trip we had taken alone since having little ones, and it was so nice to enjoy the sun and the sand together!"

You can Pen & Paint here:

shop * twitter * facebook

CUPPOW!

Cuppow is one of Glitter and Gloss's newest sponsors, and I adore these guys! You can tell that they are completely passionate about what they do, and it shows through in their fantastic products!

Cuppow is giving one lucky winner one of each cuppows (clear regular mouth, clear wide mouth, blue and orange!)

Aaron of Cuppow: "My best birthday gift ever received: A surprise birthday kidnapping dinner party at an Ethiopian restaurant! Surprising people who hate surprises is the best! I'm a major foodie and had dropped hints about wanting to go- so Josh and co. caught me by surprise and I didn't expect a thing!"

You can find Cuppow here:

shop * facebook * pinterest

Michelle Dwight Designs

You guys, the pillows by Michelle Dwight Designs are SO incredible awesome! I've featured them on the blog several times, and it's because they're just the coolest around. I'm SUPER jealous, because one of you is going to win the coveted "Hustling" pillow in lavender. Feel free to send it my way, mmkay?

Andrea of Michelle Dwight Designs: "This may sound totally cheesy, but I think the birthday "gift" I remember the most (both giving and receiving) is time spent with my amazing friends. Thinking back on past birthdays that's what comes to mind first. I mean, friends and birthday cake? Doesn't get any better than that!"

You can find Michelle Dwight Designs here:

FACEBOOK * TWITTER * SHOP

THE PRINTED PALETTE

The Printed Palette is an awesome shop owned and ran by my friend Alissa - I'm pretty sure you've seen her awesome designs everywhere!! I wear her stuff all the time, and I can barely open up my instagram account without seeing someone in her awesome stuff! It's THAT good! One of you lucky ducks will be winning the "Wayward Boyfriend" (inspired by Glitter & Gloss!!) tee:

Alissa of TPP: "The best birthday gift I've ever recieved was my very own life size play house my Dad built me when I was one. It was the size of a small apartment in New York. I used to pretend I had my own boutique growing up. Look at me now- still doing what I love! "

You can find The Printed Palette here:

INSTAGRAM * PINTEREST * FACEBOOK

One winner takes ALL of this awesomeness (valued over $300) All you have to do is use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Enter as many or as few times as you wish. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Glimpses of Mother's Day

2013-05-15T06:30:00.001-07:00

Mother's Day has truly become one of my favorite celebrations.

It took becoming a mama myself to really understand how truly selfless and amazing my own mom is.

I'm under no illusions that I'm anywhere near as good of a mom that she is, but I can only hope and pray that some of her amazingness will rub off on me!

This year's Mother's Day was especially meaningful. My mom is bravely fighting uterine cancer like an absolute champ! I don't think I've heard her complain ONCE about any pain or discomfort, and her attitude throughout this whole thing is just admirable.

This year I wanted her to take it easy on Mother's Day, and to come over for a brunch that incorporated a few things she loves!

Her favorite color is purple, so I went out and bought a purple serving dish to serve a yummy cinnamon pecan french toast bake in:

Keeping with the purple - lavender lemonade. Served in (my favorite) mason jars, wrapped with lace, and a purple paper straw and a sprig of lavender from our own yard:

Cute, little sucre shop spoons made a thrown-together coconut milk yogurt parfait look festive:

An adorable crochet heart bunting, and a mama's day chalkboard kept with the theme:

{{No pictures during the brunch itself - I was busy, enjoying the company!}}

Later in the day, my little family took me to one of my favorite local restaurants, Sauced. I'm not one who needs a fancy restaurant to feel loved, and this place serves their drinks in mason jars. What's not to love!

Coco was busy playing photographer, and I snapped a pic of her snapping a pic ;)

She took this one (and I edited it) The girl who made me a mama!

We ended the night with a walk downtown. It was perfection.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas, aunties, sisters, cousins, grandmas, mamas to furbabies, and mamas at heart.

makin' a statement (necklace, that is)

2013-05-14T06:30:00.000-07:00

Friends - can we all just take a second to gaze at this stunning statement necklace created by the wonderfully talented Jen Hoodenpyle?

Le sigh. Amazing, right? I am lucky enough to own one of Jen's incredible pieces, and I wear it often. I treasure it, have it sitting proudly on it's own bust, and will one day pass it on to my daughters.

I am also crushing on these lookers: 1 * 2 * 3 I mean.... My birthday is on Thursday - think it's too late for Tony to order? ;)

Which is your favorite piece?

Mani Monday

2013-05-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Mani Monday, beauties!! I hope you're enjoying some fabulous spring weather wherever you are! It's been in the high seventies/low eighties (and even reached 90 once!) and I'm loving it! The warmth has me craving more bright colors (everywhere!) so this week I am rocking "Trout Pout" by Butter London:

Just a day after getting my nails done, though one of them chipped. No biggie - washi tape and Martha glitter to the rescue!

What were you wearing this week?? Are you craving more summery colors like me?? Link your pretties on up - Emily and I can't wait to see!!

Three Things

2013-05-10T06:30:00.000-07:00

1. These limited edition mason jar forks by Sucre Shop. They're amazing. (And limited edition, so hurry over and snatch them up if you love 'em!)

2. My new $4 thrift store pillow. One word: obsessed.

3. The director's cut video of "Cup" by Anna Kendrick, from "Pitch Perfect." Love the movie, love the song, love the video:

What are YOUR three things this week?? Be sure to let me know, and leave links so I can check them out too!!

Pinterest love

2013-05-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, fess up. Who else is OBSESSED with Pinterest? I try not to be on it when the girls are awake, because man, I could get sucked in for hours and hours. But, when they're asleep (and especially when Tony's working) that's when you can find me pinning my heart out!

I love pinning ideas for parties, holidays, things I want and so much more!

I also have a handful of people who I absolutely adore following:

Kate Daisy:

Kelly of Fabulous K:

Mique of 30 Days Blog:

Are you a pinning fool like me? What are your favorite things to pin? Who are your favorite people to follow?

Be sure to let me know in the comments section!

Mani Monday

2013-05-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first Mani Monday in May!!! (Dang, that was a tongue twister!)

This week I wore three different colors by Pams & Kin - Audrey, Start the Revolution, Winter Song and This One's For the Girls:

I loved all of last week's link ups, especially Glitter in the Quarter's awesome chevron mani:

Did YOU take some time out to rock some fun nails?? Link them on up, Emily and I would love to check them out! After you link up, make sure to check out some of the other link-ups!

Have a great week, everyone!!

Three Things

2013-05-03T06:30:00.000-07:00

1. The Save the Sharks palette by Chantecaille. This palette combines two of my favorite things - sharks and makeup. It is gorgeous and part of the proceeds go to a cause for sharks. I can't justify that price, but man is it pretty!

2. My SNAP! roommates, Caroline, Carrie, Alissa and Alissa. I am already missing these girls like crazy. So sad we're not neighbors so we can get into shenanigans more often!

3. These metallic moccasins. Swoon!!! Coco needs them, right? I love everything by Freshly Picked!

What are YOUR three things?? Let me know in the comments so I can check them out!

Early Birthday Celebration (thanks to a $5 birthday bundle!)

2013-05-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

You guys.....my birthday is rapidly approaching. And it's not just any birthday, it's a biggie. On May 16 I will turn the big 3-0. Yeesh! That doesn't seem right - sometimes I still feel like I should be in high school - how can I already be thirty?

Anyways, my girls and hubby are throwing me a birthday party this year, and Leila (who likes to tell Tony that SHE's in charge of the party) wanted to practice making cake before the big day. (Little does she know we'll actually be ordering one.) Anyways, Safeway, Vons and Pavillion stores are offering an amazing deal from right now to May 21. You can get 2 liters of 7UP brand sodas, a box of Betty Crocker Cake Mix, Betty Crocker frosting + 24 rainbow candles for only $5! You need to use your club card to take advantage of this sweet deal, so if you don't have one, make sure you sign up for one. They're free and save you TONS of money!

So, knowing that this awesome deal was going on I told Leila we could do a "practice cake"

We headed to Safeway, got the $5 birthday bundle and headed home.

Since soda was part of the deal, I decided to teach Leila how to do a super easy "dump" cake!

I grabbed some cherry pie filling I already had on-hand and we got to work.

Look at these cute little helpers!!

A simple cake like this is awesome to do with littles - it's hard to mess up, and they get a sense of pride out of doing it themselves!

We baked it in a normal baking tray, but served them up in little mason jars - everyone got their own, and hello? Way cuter! Just add a dollop of that yummy frosting on top and you are good to go!

Here's a "pin-able" recipe card for you!

For only $5 we got: a two-liter of 7-UP, a Betty Crocker cake mix, a Betty Crocker frosting, and a 24-pack of rainbow candles (had to practice blowing those out too, you know!) but more importantly we got a fun family treat of baking a little goodness up! That, my friends is priceless!

“This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and SAFEWAY but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #BirthdayBundle http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO.”

Women I Admire: Kelly Crispen of Elizabeth Street Cosmetics + A Giveaway!

2013-05-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

Today I'm excited to introduce you to Kelly Crispen of Elizabeth Street Cosmetics (ESC) I've mentioned my adoration of ESC before, and I equally adore the woman behind the fabulous company, Kelly. Her and I have quite a bit in common - a background in the makeup industry, a firefighter husband, and two kiddos (though hers are boys)

Read on to learn more...

(Glitter and Gloss)How did you decide that you wanted to start your own company?

(Kelly Crispen, ESC) It was actually at the urging of some of my best customers while working for MAC and Bobbi Brown. Lips have always been my number one makeup love and they would watch me mix colors all the time to get the perfect shade. That is when I started to dream about designing my own collection.

Why lip products?

Lip colors are interchangeable accessories. Coral one day and pink the next. It's an inexpensive way to update your wardrobe and feel great about yourself.

I love how you name your products after streets in San Francisco - does the city give you inspiration? What are some of your favorite things about living and working in one of the greatest cities in the world?

The City is so inspiring. My husband is a native so I've had the best tour guide for almost twenty years! My favorite thing about San Francisco are the neighborhoods, the people, the food and coffee. Each one has a distinct personality just like my lip colors. I get to meet clients all over the place and I love walking or taking MUNI to get there.

I know this will be hard, but what is your favorite shade of street stick? What about street gloss? Ok that is hard. I'd have to say 24th St gloss for everyday and Rosemont lipstick because it offers the perfect pop of sheer fuchsia.

As the wife of a firefighter (hello, crazy hours!) and mom of two, busy active boys, how do you find the time to run a successful business?

It's not easy. You can relate. My boys are both in school during the day so I try to pack my mornings and early afternoons with work. I often do trunk shows on the weekends where I have to miss some of their games. They seem to understand but I feel badly sometimes.

Any plans to brand out into different cosmetics? No plans at all. As you can tell I really love lips.

What's next for ESC? Any sneak peeks you can show us? :)

I've got two Pre Summer lipsticks in the works. A pastel lilac and a sheer coral pink along with a new creamy vanilla gloss… Stay tuned.

Kelly is giving one lucky winner one of her amazing street balms - a super moisturizing, mint-infused, paraben free gloss! Um - can I enter??

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Coco's Mermaid Party

2013-04-30T06:30:00.000-07:00

Better late than never, right? We threw this fun, little mermaid party in the beginning of March but I am just now getting around to posting about it. (Apologies.)

First - the pretty pictures, taken by my super talented friend:

....and now my less-than-awesome pics:

Spotted this awesome blowfish fruit kabob on Pinterest and knew we had to do one. I totally wanted this shark, but watermelons weren't in season yet. Womp womp. (HERE is my entire mermaid party inspiration board if you're interested!)

The dessert table is always one of my favorite parts of throwing a party. Lizzy D Minis made the most delicious (and beautiful) mini cupcakes and mermaid cakepops, with the sweetest little handmade mermaid toppers!! I also picked up some chocolate and vanilla macarons from Trade Joe's and dusted them with some edible pearl sugar to make them a bit prettier. I got seashell and seahorse-shaped truffles from Marshalls and handmade turquoise and seafoam green meringues at a local craft fair. My mom also made these super cute jello aquariums. Somehow I only managed to snap a quick phone picture of the dessert table, d'oh!

Mermaid drink markers from Cost Plus hung over the side of the jello aquariums while gummi sharks swam inside. A little bit of turquoise twine + a sucre shop spoon on the outside made them the perfectly portable dessert for kids and adults! Party favors were super simple - a sand bucket, some sand toys, an under the sea book (on clearance from Joann's for a .10 - seriously, only a dime!!) and a z-bar. Kid-friendly and easy.

The food was EASY but delicious - seashell mac and cheese (Marie Callendar's frozen shells with vermont white cheddar), my "famous" paninis, under the sea pasta salad (the pasta salad I make for every party with THESE noodles), crustacean crackers (white cheddar goldfish, orange cheddar whales from the Target dollar spot and sour cream and onion starfish from Safeway, all mixed up) and then good ol' chips and salsa.

This piñata had THE creepiest face. Fortunately the kids didn't seem to mind.

Glitter tattoos have become a staple at our kid-friendly parties. They're an inexpensive and fun way to really impress the little ones. Tony is also quite good at it. If this whole firefighting thing doesn't work out, he totally has another career option ;)

We had such a great time celebrating our sweet, little Coco!

Vendors: Party Printables and treat cups - TomKat Studio, Cutlery - Sucre Shop, Leila and Coco's Custom Dresses - Oh, Cecilia!, Cupcakes and Cake Pops - Lizzy D Mini's, Assorted Under the Sea Decor - Oriental Trading, Tassel above dessert table - Everly Lane Designs, Photos: Tara Marie Photography Starfish Bows and Necklaces - Glitter and Gloss

Enjoy this post? Please feel free to PIN it!

Mani Monday

2013-04-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Mani Monday, everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend - it's bright and sunny here in the Bay Area, and it totally feels like ~~Spring~~ Summer has sprung! Welp, I have no new nails to show you since I'm still rocking my awesome gel mani.

Last week's manis were awesome, and I especially loved Kelly's Earth Day mani:

What are YOU sporting on your nails (or toes) this week??? Link your pretties on up!

Three Things

2013-04-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

1. The Wayward Boyfriend Tee (inspired by Glitter and Gloss!) by The Printed Palette. Alissa was sweet enough to give me this shirt last week, and I may or may not have worn it three times already (um, hello glitter ink!) It is the most comfortable, super soft amazing shirt. I could pretty much live in all things by The Printed Palette! Currently these bad boys are on my PP wishlist (1, 2, 3) I've also seen a couple things that Alissa has coming up and they're amazing. If you haven't bookmarked her site yet, get on it!

2. "Hello" pillow by Michelle Dwight Designs. I've mentioned this awesome shop before, but have to show off their latest creation. Adorable, right? I'm also crushing on THIS one. Make sure to enter code "MOMDAY" at checkout for 10% off through May 6.

3. My Nume Reverse Curling Wand. I'm kind of obsessed with it. Somehow my hair holds curls from this thing WAY better than it does with curls from any other curling iron or wand. My hair was curled/wavy the entire time I was away last week, and I only did it twice. Your curls/waves hold up beautifully thanks to this wand, which not only gives you great looking hair for multiple days in a row, but it saves you time washing and styling it. Worth the investment, trust me.

What are YOUR three things?? Let me know in the comments section so I can check them out!

SNAP style!

2013-04-25T06:30:00.000-07:00

Hey friends! I am back from the wonderful Snap Conference, and have a couple outfits to share. I get requests all the time to bring back Real Mama, Real Style, but truth is - I don't have anyone to take my pics! Tony's not the best photographer (hello, BLURRY pictures!) and I don't have a timer or tripod. Womp, womp.

Luckily, though my pal Alissa snapped some for me last week (thanks, girl!) so here they are! (Oh, and FYI, due to new FTC regulations this post contains some affiliate links)

Thursday's Outfit:

Jacket - American Rag at Macy's (can't find online) similar, top INC at Macy's (can't find online) similar, necklace (c/o), jeans

Cross bracelet, pave link bracelet

Rings, Phone Case, Nails ;)

Friday's outfit:

Jacket H&M - not available online, similar, shirt (c/o) - 10% off with code GLOSS10,

....and this is me on Friday, about 14 hours after I woke up, to show you how well the makeup I borrowed from Alissa held up! More on that later....

Saturday's outfit was cute too, but no pics to prove it. I wore a turquoise silk shirt with a black and white striped peplum blazer. Sunday's travel outfit also wasn't too shabby - pink ombre sweatshirt and comfy jeans! You'll just have to trust me on those ;)

Happy Thursday, everyone!

CUPPOW! giveaway

2013-04-24T03:52:00.000-07:00

Have you guys heard of CUPPOW!?? If not, let me enlighten you....in a nushell, they turn your mason jar into a travel cup. They are smart. They are eco-friendly. They are adorable. They are amazing.

We have a handful (thanks, Cuppow!!) and all four of us use them regularly.

A bit about Cuppow, in their own words:

"The development of Cuppow was uniquely tied to Fringe Union in Somerville, MA. Fringe is a 7500 sq ft creative business incubator and coworking space and it continues to serve as our headquarters. The

contributions included a video by Paper Fortress, recycled packaging printed (and currently being printed as I type!) by Repeat Press, design by Natalya Zahn, our photos, web site, and more! It's a really cool story that worked off of a homegrown collaboration that took advantage of all the opportunities and amazing talents that Fringe has to offer

Additionally, our dedication lies in producing a product that is easy on the environment and safe for users of all ages. We use BPA, and phthalate-free plastic that is even free of BPS (a common BPA replacement with many of the same negative traits).

Our entire supply chain is in Massachusetts which keeps our transportation impact as low as possible. We are also allowed a level of quality control that just doesn't exist for companies like ours when producing a product overseas. We're really, genuinely, committed to making the most environmentally friendly product we possibly can!"

Pretty cool, right? Well, I'm super stoked that Cuppow is giving one lucky winner one of each size and color Cuppows (for a total of four!)

To enter, just use the rafflecopter below. Good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can find Cuppow here:

SHOP * FACEBOOK * INSTAGRAM * TWITTER * PINTEREST

Mani Monday

2013-04-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Mani Monday everyone!! I am just back from the amazing Snap Conference (and exhausted!) so this post will be short and sweet - the awesome Leith McKenzie came over and rocked out some awesome gel nails for me - I'm in love!

There were SO many fab link ups last week that I just couldn't choose a favorite - you are ALL nail rockstars!

I can't wait to see what you creative chickadees have come up with this week. Don't forget that you can link up HERE or on Emily's blog (woo-hoo!!)

Have a great week, and cheers to pretty nails!

Three Things

2013-04-19T03:26:00.000-07:00

Hey friends! Nicole of Radiant Cosmetics is back sharing her three things for the week!

1. Noonday Collection – Olivia Necklace

I haven’t met a piece of Noonday jewelry that I haven’t loved, not to mention that their mission is awesome, they work with artisans around the world to empower the poor and create meaningful work and a better future. I love hearing the story behind each piece and most of sharing it with people when they compliment my jewelry. This is my current favorite from their newest collection!

2. Half The Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

If you haven’t read this book run to the bookstore and pick it up now! This is an incredible book focusing on the moral challenge of our time, the fight to end the oppression of women and girls worldwide. It covers topics affecting women such as, sex trafficking, gender-based violence, maternal mortality and more around the world. The book has been made into a documentary and most of all a movement working to amplify the book’s impact. Highly recommend every woman read this and be a part of this movement for change.

3. Better Life Bags – Brynnda Bag

Another social business favorite, I discover Better Life Bags on Twitter about a year ago and have been in touch with Rebecca, the owner of Better Life Bags and can’t say enough incredible things about her and her heart to enrich the lives of others. Not only can you get a customized bag, but also you can help employ women who otherwise could not work. On top of that 10% of monthly gross income is given to low-income entrepreneurs in developing countries through Kiva. I have a Better Life Bad iPad cover and have been eyeing this bag for a while!

What are YOUR three things? Be sure to let us know in the comments section, and feel free to leave links so we can check them out!

Spring makeup tutorial with Radiant Cosmetics

2013-04-17T06:30:00.000-07:00

Friends! I'm so excited to have Nicole of Radiant Cosmetics take over my blog for a few days while I'm away at Snap! Today she has an awesome Spring makeup tutorial for us. Enjoy!

Springtime is always the time of year I get experimental with my makeup. The gorgeous weather inspires me to try something new before the heat of the summer kicks in and wearing a lot of makeup just doesn’t feel good.

I’ve been a huge fan of the pastel colored pants everywhere and who doesn’t love a floral for Spring? What I love most of all, is mixing a soft and feminine outfit with something a bit edgier and ‘messy’ with my makeup. Bronze Eye Shadow is always a go to in my book. It looks great on everyone, so there are no excuses not to give it a go. I also love bronze because the shadow is darker than I normally go so I can get away without eyeliner but still feel like my eyes are defined, and I don’t have to spend extra time perfectly blending my eye shadow. I find that often times when I apply it in a hurry and it’s a bit messy, it looks the best.

You can wear a sheer wash of bronze or really pack it on to amp up the volume. If you want to take it from day to night, add a dark brown to the outer corners of the eye, or swipe on some eyeliner (again, you can get away with a little mess here) an d you’re ready for a night out.

Here is a super easy and quick tutorial on how to rock a bronze eye shadow. Picture how great this would look with a topknot, just like our model is rocking, and the bronze shadow and a super girly outfit.

Would love to see some Glitter + Gloss ladies try this bronze shadow tutorial and Tweet or Instagram it and tag us (@radiantcosmetic). We’d love to see you and what outfit you’d pair it with too!

30th birthday wishlist

2013-04-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

My thirtieth birthday is rapidly approaching (May 16, to be exact!) and for some reason that number is freaking me out a bit. I know "30 is the new 20" and I'm still super young, but something about the big 3-0 makes me feel like a full-on grown up. (Apparently the husband, the kids and the house weren't enough.)

Anyways, Tony and I aren't big gift-givers, but I think I deserve something pretty for my thirtieth, right? This is the list I'll be emailing him. (Click on any product, or the small pictures below to be taken directly to their links.)

30th Birthday Wishlist by glitterandglossblog

How do you celebrate birthdays? Do you still get presents? Is there anything you're especially hoping for (or may have already gotten?) this year? Let me know, and feel free to leave links so I can check it out too!

Mani Monday

2013-04-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

Happy (MANI) Monday, everyone!! I am SOOOOOOOOOOO excited to introduce you to Mani Monday's new co-host, Emily of the Anna Delores blog!

A little bit about Emily: "I'm a Southern California native.
I'm semi-addicted to Dr. Pepper and very addicted to coffee.
My cousins make fun of my extensive collection of awesome shoes.
I LOVE shopping. It gets me in trouble.
I LOVE food. It also gets me in trouble.
I LOVE taking pictures. That only gets me in trouble on rare occasions.
I'm not married or engaged, but I adore all things related to weddings.
My favorite city in the world is Paris. I do not speak French.
I have way too many headbands.
My favorite drink is a pineapple mimosa or a really good pumpkin ale.
Autumn is my favorite season.
I love to take naps. Like, at least once a day.
I'm a dog person." She is also quite the nail art aficionado and I couldn't be more excited to have her as Mani Monday's new permanent co-host!

To make things super special for Emily's first week with Mani Monday, a bunch of wonderful bloggers are offering this amazing nail polish giveaway worth over $300! To enter just use the rafflecopter below, the mani link up!

This is a "winner takes all" giveaway, and the goodies virtually guarantee that you'll be set for manicure awesomeness for the rest of 2013. Here's what's at stake:

From left to right:

Zoya "Electra" holographic glitter polish
Color Club "Put A Pin In It" metallic bronze polish
Julep iridescent glitter pot
Julep "Dakota" metallic copper polish
Julep "O Canada" multicolored glitter polish
Illamasqua "Speckle" lavender with glitter polish
Julep "Simone" metallic lavender polish
Illamasqua "Purity" peach creme polish
American Apparel "Crescent Heights" neon lime green polish
Julep "Daphne" turquoise teal creme polish
Julep "Abbie" bright yellow creme polish
OPI "Can't Let Go" Liquid Sand in royal purple
Julep "Sally" beige creme polish
Julep Mighty Nail & Cuticle Serum
Julep "Mackenzie" metallic spring green polish
butter LONDON "Scuppered" metallic bronze with green glitter polish
Julep "Glenn" metallic cranberry red polish
Julep "Shenae" metallic mint green polish
Julep "Ingrid" burnt orange creme polish
Julep Freedom Top Coat
Julep "Poppy" coral creme lip gloss
Sephora nail file

All told, we've got 16 nail polishes and four manicure accessories. The winner of this giveaway is going to make out like a bandit! The total prize value is over $300, people!

Please, please, PLEASE be sure to visit the lovely ladies who co-sponsored this giveaway with me (just click on their images to be taken to their blogs)! I am so happy to have them on board and you'll not regret a visit to their blogs.

Use Rafflecopter below to enter, and GOOD LUCK!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Three Things

2013-04-12T04:30:00.000-07:00

1. These were done a few weeks ago, but I still can't stop looking at the amazing Prabal Gurng for Target-inspired nails, by my girls Pams & Kin:

Those girls are SO dang talented, and CONGRATS to Parris (Pams) on her new baby boy, Greyson!!! (Make sure to follow @pamsandkin on Instagram! Nail art for dayyyyyyys)

2. Desserts in Jars. The publishing company of this sweet, little cookbook sent me this last week (c/o) and I've almost read it cover to cover (weird, I know!) There are tons of great recipes that I can't wait to try. (And Tony wonders why we have so many different sized of mason jars. Pssht! So I can make little desserts in them, obviously!)

Here's little taste of what the book has to offer:

3. And speaking of my well-known mason jars obsession, I am smitten with my new 100th anniversary edition blue mason jars. Neeeeeeeeeeeed moooooooooooooooooore!!

What are YOUR three things? Let me know in the comments section, and feel free to leave links so I can check them out too!

diy blingy phone case

2013-04-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

First off, I apologize for the lack of pictures. When I was doing this little project I didn't have a blog post in mind for it, but so many people have been asking exactly how I did it after posting a picture on Instagram, that I thought I'd write it all out.

You will need:

logo phone case
an assortment of flat back cabochons (mine were ones I'd already had, but search "flower" cabochons, "heart cabochons", "pearl cabochons", etc. on etsy and you will find a ton!)
e-6000 glue
craft tweezers (or any old tweezers you don't use for actual hair tweezing)
PATIENCE

This is so, so simple but really all you do is lay a thin layer of glue on your phone and start placing your cabochons (using the tweezers) wherever you want them. I laid the bigger cabochons (bow, and hearts) first and worked around them.

I put my flat back pearls on in a totally random pattern, and I like how it turned out. Don't forget to go around the edges!

It took me just about an hour to lay everything down. The e-6000 takes about 24 hours to completely set.

And that is it!

It isn't perfect, but I'm pretty happy with how it came out for a cheap and easy project. I wish I hadn't squished my logo so much, but again - for a first try I'm pleased with it.

What do you think??

live life anchored // my favorite tee

2013-04-10T03:15:00.000-07:00

A while ago I was sent this great baseball tee by The Printed Palette. I love that it's crazy cute, crazy comfortable and hello - the sleeves are hot pink! But I especially love what it says. "Live Life Anchored." I try to live my life anchored, especially when times get tough or I feel like I'm in over my head.

When I feel like things are spiraling out of control I take a deep breath and think about my many blessings.

I am so lucky to have an incredible family, and the most amazing little girls in the world. To me, living life anchored means having an unshakable faith, appreciating all that I have, and staying true to myself.

What do YOU feel it is to "live life anchored?"

PS - use the code GLOSS10 to get 10% off your entire order from The Printed Palette!

Mani Monday

2013-04-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

Happy, happy Mani Monday beautiful people!

Has Spring sprung where you live? It's on it's way to springing here.....a little bit of rain, but hey - April showers bring May flowers, right?

This week I am rocking a (literally) five minute manicure. I have a bunch nail strips, so I decided to finally wear one. I have on Sally Hansen's "Come Fly with Me" strips and I think that they're pretty darn cute!

So, did YOU rock some cute nails?? Or maybe you've gotten some nail inspiration from Pinterest that you'd like to show off? Link it on up!

I can't wait to introduce you to Mani Monday's new co-host next week. Make sure you come back to meet her!

$400 beach + bikini giveaway!!

2013-04-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Spring is finally here, and you know what that means - SUMMER will be here before you know it!!
To help you kick off the warm weather season, some blogger friends and I would like to give you a head start on planning for your next beach getaway and new bikini.

21 Amazing Bloggers 1 Winner: $300 Travelocity Hotel Gift Card + $100 Victoria's Secret Gift Card 1 Mandatory Entry + lots of bonus entries
There is just one mandatory entry and that is to leave a comment below telling me "where you would go on your beach vacay". The rest are bonus entries and totally up to you!

Dreaming of Dimples | So Shay | This Won't Hurt A Bit

Saturated Canary | Glitter and Gloss | KV's Confessions

Jessica Who? | Gentri Lee | Her Late Night Cravings

For Lauren & Lauren | Meg O. on the Go | Hey, Hollywood

The Life of Bon | Ramblings of a Southern Belle | The Sunshine Diary

Lipgloss and Crayons | House of Rose | the Anna Delores blog

The Vanilla Tulip | Choose to be Happy | The Vintage Modern Wife

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck!

*Note: Victoria's Secret gift card is only valid in US. Winning entry will be verified.