Tiffany Kadin

Christmas at Biltmore

2020-02-23T09:07:00.000-06:00

If you have seen Downton Abbey and live in the Southeast USA, then I am sure you have heard of Biltmore. Heck, you probably knew of Biltmore before, however I did not. I found out about the Biltmore Estate when I heard they were holding a Downton Abbey exhibit there. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. My love for everything antique and historical was made greater by visiting this elaborate "castle" as my kids called it. It was even more beautiful during the Christmas time. It was freezing, and packed of course, but it did not deter us. I thought I would share a few of the hundreds of photos I took.

Biltmore House, constructed in 1889 by George Vanderbilt, took six years to complete. This "castle" has over 250 rooms and is certainly a maze to say the least. The main floor has a breakfast room, dining room, library, music room, sitting room, etc. The basement has the servant rooms, kitchen (which even to day would be a dream to cook in for me), bowling alley, swimming pool, gym, etc. There is even an entire floor dedicated to guests where they have their own bathrooms of course, as well as sitting area which I can say without a doubt has more square footage than my entire house.

Later, they built a dairy and winery. There are blacksmith shops as well.

During WWII, this estate housed many works of art from the National Gallery of art in Washington D.C.

Later in the 21st century, the hotel was put in as well as the Antler Hill Village where visitors can shop, and the Village Inn.

Originally, this entire Estate covered 125,000 acres.

Google Image of Biltmore

Biltmore at Night. There were about 11+ Christmas trees lit up which gave us the light for this photo

The dining room at Biltmore and three of the 65 fireplaces.

My favorite room! Lady Edith Vanderbilt's bedroom.

Napoleon Bonaparte chess set.

Another favorite room, the Library.

If you haven't had the pleasure of visiting regardless of it being during the holidays or not, I would suggest going. If you're a history nerd like me, you won't be disappointed. You may even leave with a better appreciation of it.

College Baseball Hall of Fame

2020-02-07T15:04:00.000-06:00

One thing you may not know about my sweet husband is that he has played baseball his entire life. From the time he could hold a ball and bat, still in diapers, he was playing. He played baseball at a junior college before transferring to a four year to finish up his bachelors and play ball there. He played ball at Belmont Abbey in North Carolina. Back in September I want to say, he received a letter in the mail saying he was going to be recognized along with the other ball players on his team that year and they were going to be inducted into the baseball hall of fame. The expression on his face was priceless. If I were to describe it, it is comparable to someone getting a scam letter or phone call saying they won a lot of money. After a few facebook messages to long-lost fellow teammates, it was legit and he was ecstatic. It was a well deserved moment of excitement. October came and we were on the road to North Carolina. He showed us the building he stayed in, the hill he almost fell down when he was on crutches after knee surgery, and the cages he had batting practice in. He even got a few swings in in the same exact spot he did in college. That was a big moment for him. I was so proud of him for this moment. I took a candid photo of him during the ceremony and he wasn't hiding the pure joy he had of being there. Like a kid in a candy store for the first time. He would kill me if I posted it. HAHAHA! Food, fun, and fellowship, followed the rest of the night and I am elated he was able to catch up with friends he hadn't seen or talked to in years.

The team. Way to go boys!

Same handsome man, same old cages.

My only hope is that it doesn't take something like this for him to see his buddies again and we keep in mind how important friendship is, no matter how far apart we are in distance.

The Day I fell in Love With a City.

2020-01-30T12:22:00.000-06:00

You guys, it has always been on my bucket list to go ice skating at THE Rockefeller Center. You see, I grew up in a two red-light town (maybe there were three.. let me count..) and was the child of two people that knew everyone. When I say everyone, I mean when people saw me, they always asked how my parents were doing. Going to the corner store, "how's your mom, Tiffany?" pumping gas, "Hey Tiff, tell your dad I said hello!" Seriously.

I digress.

Park Lane Hotel

View from the room at night

Justin surprised me with the absolute BEST Christmas present. He took me to New York! *side thought* Am I the only one that automatically thinks NYC when I hear or see New York? No? Just me? Figures. Moving on. Justin's job is a bit hectic at times so we only had a few days to spend there. I fully believe that you cannot see NYC in two days. If you see that little picture to the left here of Tiffany and Co. you'll notice its obviously a stock photo. However the one below is MINE! EEEK! I am still in shock that me, a small town girl, finally made it to the big city! I was also able to scratch off that bucket list and go skating at Rockefeller.

That's me looking all touristy.

Isn't he gorgeous?!

We stayed at the Park Lane Hotel right at Central Park. It was absolutely incredible with a fantastic view. We left the curtains open the entire stay because the view was just to amazing during the day as well as at night. I envy people who live in the city.

We had brunch at Sarabeth's which was next door to the hotel. The food was nice, but the service, well.... again, its NYC so we can't expect too much hospitality. Speaking on that, the entire time we were there we met ONE New Yorker who was the nicest, most generous person. He happened to be our cab driver from the Airport. He even took us to breakfast one morning and to be honest, kinda worried us at first because honestly, who in NY is THAT nice? Anyway, he told us about this little bakery in Brooklyn called the Peter Pan Bakery. The donuts were absolutely amazing. I am never surprised to find the smallest places have the best food.

Brunch at Sarabeth's

This place has the best atmosphere!

We also went to see Chicago on Broadway! Our amazing cab driver told us before hand not to buy them offline or for full price because there was a little booth we could go to in Times Square at a certain time of day that sold them at a discounted price. We braved the 19 degree weather and waited in line with some other "out-of-towners" for tickets. The tickets were also in a fantastic location. I think we were maybe five rows from the stage. We also saw the run that had Cuba Gooding Jr. in it and he was fantastic.

The rest of the time was spent exploring the Times Square and Central Park surrounding areas. I can't wait to go back before they take down the tree at Rockefeller and all the lights because from what I hear (and see on Hallmark) Christmas in New York can't be beat.

Hello 2020!

2020-01-29T15:13:00.000-06:00

It's been ~~almost~~ over two years since my last post. In my defense, I have mentioned many times that I am not very good at keeping up with blogs. There hasn't been much happen in this 'existential meltdown' life of mine. We moved to Georgia not long after my last post. If I can say one thing, military life is never short of busy. Since we have moved here, I lost my motivation to workout and all love of the gym. I don't know what it was about this place specifically that "ruined me" but I know it was this place. I got a job at a gym when I first arrived. Saying that I loved my job was an absolutely understatement. I have never had a job that I loved as much as this one. I was there for six months. Six months is what it took to be taken advantage of and be unappreciated. Let me back up a bit. When I was hired on, I was basically hired to 'maintain' the gym, which included cleaning, putting up weights, checking credentials, etc. I liked to stay busy so I was constantly cleaning something. From wiping every square inch on every piece of equipment in that gym to scrubbing showers full of pubes and man-pee, I did it. Being a personal trainer, I also helped patrons when they needed it. It wasn't until a certain someone was hired on that I began to lose my love for my job and respect for my boss. You see, this person was supposed to have been hired on earlier but "there were some shady sexual assault things on his background that he needed to get worked out before he could start". The sad part was it didn't stop after he was hired. Having patrons come up to me complaining and then me taking it to my boss did nothing but cause a rift between me and everyone else that worked there. I know they say "if you continuously have a problem, the problem is you" but that wasn't the case here. I had individuals who witnessed these situations as baffled as I when nothing was done. Picking favorites much? I wouldn't last much longer at the job I loved much longer and apparently neither did he. He quit less than a month after me. Had I known, I would've stayed, but it wasn't like they were fighting hard to "keep one of the best employees they've ever had".

Moving forward, I finally graduated college! It only took three years going year round to do so, but I am not done yet. Let me tell you, that was a shit-show. I have never heard of anyone needing three years to get an AS in pre-nursing but when you have schools that are only wanting money, that happens. I think I finished with 92 credits. I have now applied to ~~two~~ one nursing school in Georgia (because the other can't seem to get their shit straight) and I hope I hear something back soon.

We are set to move again this April. My gorgeous, amazing husband has advanced in his career and I couldn't be prouder of him. Ya'll, let me tell you, I have been with this man for 9 (NINE) years and almost married for 8 and it feels like we just got married this weekend. I fall more in love with him everyday. Sure, we can drive each other bonkers sometimes but that is few and far between. I honestly do not know what I would do without him. He saved me and if you have been following along with me this entire time (I don't know why you would HAHA) you know he saved me.

My gorgeous man and I going home for Thanksgiving.

We went down to visit family for Thanksgiving this year. It was so nice being able to see family that we hadn't seen in months. I don't think I had seen my mom since August, briefly, and then before that....... goodness, I think it was last year.

Well, that is all I have for now. See ya'll in two years.

Current Makeup Favorites

2018-01-13T13:25:00.001-06:00

I mentioned in a previous post that I would list my current makeup favorites. Well, as I sit here watching Pinocchio, I shall do just that.

These are the current Makeup products I used to create the very simple look above. I am not very talented when it comes to contouring and highlighting or even eyebrows for that mater because let's face it, I am in the gym 5 days a week and I do not wear makeup there. When I do go out, this is usually my day face. I will also link everything below .

Primer: Smashbox photo finish pore minimizing

Foundation: Smashbox Studio Skin 15 hour (1.2)

Forgot to add my concealer but it is It Cosmetics Bye Bye undereye in Light

Bronzer: Tarte Tartiest Pro Glow to Go

Highlighter: Also Tarte but also used Too Faced Sweet Peach

Blush: Too Faced Papa don't Peach

Eye shadow primer: Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Eyeshadow: Lorac Champagne Dreams

Eyebrows: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz (medium brown)

Eyeliner: Stila Stay all Day (intense black)

Mascara: Lancome Hypnose Drama (excessive black) MY FAVORITE!

Lipstick: Dior Dior Addict lipglow in pink ( I used over the Tarte Lipstick which the color is Rum punch)

Primer

Foundation

IT cosmetics concealer

Tarte Bronzer

Too Faced Sweet Peach Glow

Too Faced Papa Don't Peach

Too Faced Eyeshadow Primer

It's The New Year

2018-01-07T07:41:00.001-06:00

New Years came and went. I am trying to stick to my resolution, are you? We had a little "shindig" if you will, here at our house on New Years Day as sort of a NYE party as well as an Alabama game party (ROLL TIDE YA'LL!) ~~Tonight~~ ~~is the night~~ Tomorrow we are going to see what our boys are really about. I have found over the last few weeks why I have such a hard time keeping up with a blog and it's really because I do not do much that is interesting. I go to the gym everyday. I MAY go out shopping on the weekend but here lately in Virginia with this 10 degree weather, this Alabama native would rather stay in hibernation. Yesterday, we ventured out to TJMAXX. God love that store. I always find something in there that I "can't live without". I saw a meme a while back that said "You don't go to TJMAXX to get what you need, you go to TJMAXX for TJMAXX to tell you what you need." That couldn't me more true. I ended up just getting a couple of things because shopping with two children is close to impossible.

My gorgeous man and I at our NY Day shindig

My first thing I bought was the charcoal toothpaste. Yes, I jumped on the bandwagon because I wanted to see what the fuss was all about. So far, all I see is mess. Have any of you ever tried it? What do you think about it? This was the one I got.

I also grabbed some of this. When i got my hair done for my competition, my stylist used the whole Sugarshine system on my hair and I swear it smells so good. Literally, sugar.

So, of course I am also trying to slowly redecorate my house because when we lived in Germany, as newlyweds, everything was Ikea and now with kids, its all broken Ikea. So I bought this cute pitcher. *I'm currently laughing at myself right now because I realize how silly this sounds* I loved the detail and tried to weight the pros and cons and "do I really need it?" thing and the answer was "yes". I really needed it.

I totally get that it's not the "Rustic Farmhouse" look I am going for, but like I said, I couldn't pass it up.

I currently received a lot in the mail with more makeup products and I will definitely blog those next! But for now, coffee and church. Love you!

Oh, hi.

2017-12-31T16:25:00.000-06:00

So it has been a year since I have posted. If I can say one thing about myself it is this, I cannot stick to a blog to save my life. However, as today is New Years Eve, my resolution is not to join a gym, get fit, eat healthier or anything along those lines (and I will fill you in on why a little later) but ONE of my resolutions will be to actually stick to a blog. At least ~~twi~~...once a week.. at least. Now to fill you in on my year skipping all the boring details.

1. I competed in a bikini competition. Came in 2nd. Qualified me for nationals and currently on "Offseason" prep for my next show July 2018. The reason why my resolutions aren't to eat healthy and get fit is because well.... self explanatory.

2. I went back to school. Super proud about this one.

3. My family and I joined a church. Also really proud about this.

4. We found out were moving soon! Georgia, here we come!!

5. We added another member to the family. Her name is Harper.

6. Annual trip to Disney.

That pretty much sums up our year. Like I said, I left out the boring details.

Finally Training Again.. jiggidy jig

2016-09-15T20:38:00.001-05:00

Back in June I applied at a very well known fitness facility for a position as a personal trainer. Upon hiring as well as during my interview (it was the same time), I informed my employer that the main reason I was applying there was for the use of the daycare center seeing as how I have two (yes, two) kids and would love to actually make a profit from working instead of working to pay for daycare outside of my job. *insert eye rolling emoji here because daycare is stupid expensive and daycare owners know they make bank* *insert another eye rolling emoji* Moving on. The employer informed me BEFORE officially offering me the job that I would be able to use the daycare facility there with no problem. So we got that out of the way. I went on to complete my "test" which was just a short training session to see if I knew what I was doing (well, duh). So afterwards I was officially offered the job. I accepted. I started the next day. Long story short, work was awesome.... for two weeks. I loved the other trainers, the clients, the facility, everything... except one person I guess didn't love me. Two weeks after I started working there, the operations manager (different than the manager who hired me yet still saw me everyday) told me I couldn't bring my kids to the daycare anymore. Apparently it was against policy? I then found out that with me being a trainer, we have different "policies". Also, apparently it's ok for other employees to bring their kids to the facility while they work, just not me... true story. So I turned in my 5 minute notice and left. It's been a couple months, but I am back to training (independently this time) and making more than $6 a session *insert shocked emoji face* ~~im worth more than that!~~ Highway robbery.

Progress is progress

2016-09-08T07:40:00.000-05:00

I took this from my Instagram page: Tiffanybaxley_fit

Let the caption speak for itself

Told you I wasn't good at this..

2016-09-07T20:00:00.000-05:00

I've decided..

to share what's going on in this gourd I call a head. To hit all the high points from the latest post, baby J was born and is now a year and a half (yikes, it's been a while). We moved to Virginia, I became a personal trainer (no one was expecting that right?) took the kids to Disney for the first time (I am Snow whites twinsie and totally a princess myself) and I am still horrible at keeping up with a blog. I also still have my tumblr that I am *trying* to keep up with as well. I also decided that instead of creating a new *fitness* blog here on blogger, I will combine this one and sort of tweak it a bit. I personally enjoy the old posts and how my life has changed and I think that's important for someone else who is trying to get started with fitness. Everyone starts somewhere and no one is just born with a chiseled bod and non sweaty gym workouts do not exist and my blog will prove that. I mean, you guys who have followed me for the past 6 years know that. *Insert embarrassing blushed face emoji dude thing here* Moving on... I am going to set a goal to write in my blog ~~everyday~~ at least three times a week. That should be doable... my life isn't really THAT crazy.. *side eye emoji face guy* where are the emojis when ya need them?

Rambling on once more..

2015-04-06T22:19:00.000-05:00

Last month, my dad and I traveled to the big city of Atlanta to pick up one of my three babies. My car finally arrived off the boat and was in my hands again.

Meet Ruby (yes, I know she isnt ruby)

I was beyond excited, I can't even being to explain. It felt good to have something that belonged to me in my grasp. Especially since we're living with family until June and all of our belongings are in a different state. It's difficult to live 3 months out of a suitcase. We currently have 18 days left before sweet baby J's arrival and that too is making me super anxious. I keep going through his bag putting stuff in and taking stuff out. It's a tough life. *sarcasm*

On another, completely unrelated topic, I have been doing very well with my little ribbon loveys and burp cloth sets I have been making. I have a facebook page as well as etsy page and I am trying so hard to get them out there. I have gotten nothing but good news about the loveys I have sold so far. The babies love them, Thank God! Last thing I want is to sale someone a product they aren't happy with. This 9 month pregnant momma can't handle the stress of knowing someone is unsatisfied! Anywho, I will link my page here and here if you would like to see what I am referring to, or if you know of someone who might be interested! Think baby shower gift!

Secondly, I realize as I am typing this that I juggle many things at once. I try to stay busy hats for sure. I have been watching many makeup tutorials on the tube of you *haha* trying to learn a few things. I am an instagram and youtube addict and would like to be a personal trainer/makeup artist/ awesome baby stuff maker/(__I'll think of something else to go here. Don't worry__) kinda person. I want to wear many hats so to speak. Anywho, I will probably (probably not since I am awful at keeping this blog updated) try to post a video showing my semi- not so bad makeup talents on this page... probably while doing a short advertisement for another hat I will want to wear when that time comes. Who knows, I may want to be a professional equestrian although I haven't ridden a horse in 10 years...

This is me (obviously) on Easter. "HI!"

Here's to my many hats! Wish me luck!
Countdown to baby J-18 days.

We Moved!

2015-03-11T10:31:00.000-05:00

Home again, Home again, Jiggidy Jig!

We have finally made it back stateside! We found out early January that we were leaving Germany and we were leaving rather quickly. We had 3 weeks to schedule our household stuff to be moved, get airline tickets, clean and ship our car, and pretty much de-register from everywhere under the sun. Once we got back home, it took us a little while to adjust and get settled in here before J had to leave out again.

Little J is growing perfectly and should be meeting him in less than 2 months! I am in the stage of misery. Everything is uncomfortable. Everything. It's uncomfortable to sit on the couch.

I have recently started making baby things. I can't get a job and I so dearly want one. I hate sitting at home all the time. I have volunteered at my sons school just to pass the time. I started making baby blankets and burp clothes and such. It definitely makes the day go by and with me missing J so much, I need something so keep me distracted for the next few months. I am a horrible photographer. By that, I mean that I don't do well remembering to take photos. I do have a few of these loveys made. I also sell them on Etsy. Just type in TiffanyBsews and my shop will come up. =)

I went shopping!

2015-01-02T15:06:00.003-06:00

Today for the first time in a long time, I went shopping. I honestly can't say that I have bought any makeup within the last 9 months or so. Well, technically, it isn't much makeup, or really much at all. Anywho, this is what I bought. I have been watching a lot of youtube videos lately and heard good things about this Too Faced mascara that I had to try it. I usually use Smashbox, but I figured I was due for a change. I also use falsies but I ran out of glue and the store didn't have any glue in stock so I just bought a starter kit. Glue and newer lashes? Why not? Of course you have heard about the beauty blender. I walked past this little beauty and thought I may need a new one so I grabbed it whilst walking to get concealer. The concealer is from Revlon. It's the colorstay concealer. I Love the Revlon brand and have been using the foundation and powder for years now. I have tried others but this one works best for me. It's just like Mac but half the price. I may just write a follow-up post with a review of the concealer and mascara considering I haven't used these products before.

Ringin' in 2015

2014-12-31T11:32:00.003-06:00

It's New Years Eve. Our last here in Germany. Like Christmas, it's bittersweet. Usually my husband and I stand at our front window and watch the fireworks from there. They usually last over an hour. It's fun to reminisce over the past years and make new resolutions even if they do get broken sometimes. I think my resolution for this coming year will be to be more creative. My resolution last year was to be happier and stress less. I like to think overall, I did good. It can be very stressful living so far away from family and people who care most about you. Which brings me to my next point; things I have learned from this past year.

I learned not to trust so easily. People can be so conniving and they will stab you in the back first chance they get. That doesn't go for everyone. Finding new friends that you can trust is a blessing. They don't come by often. If you do have friends that you can trust, hold on to them. If they are basically family, then you're one of the lucky ones. I also learned that stressing over things that can't be changed is pointless. I know, I know, it's hard to take something out of your control and NOT stress about it. Trust me. I know. The thing is, take a step back, look at the situation, count your blessings, and tell yourself that it will work out. Not because it should, but because it has to. It really helps me to think that way. It makes problems seem smaller. Another thing is hold close to your family. When no one else is there, they are. Next, do things worth while. Don't go through life saying "what if". Grow old saying "I shouldn't have done that", rather than saying "I wish I would have". Be the center of your own story. Be happy, read books, live your life. Be safe and love yourself and the ones you care about most.

Winter Wonderland

2014-12-27T11:25:00.001-06:00

We didn't have a white Christmas here in Germany, but we did wake up to the over excited screech of "Mommy! Daddy! Its snowing!" from our little one. It hasn't snowed like this in two years and then it decides to dump a good 8 inches on us within one day. We bundled up in our warmest, waterproof gear and headed outside. It continued to snow all day, and is still currently snowing. Coming from the south, we don't see snow.. and I am ok with that.

the boys took the sled to the little hill in our backyard. Then decided to make a snowman and have snowball fights. I managed to get blindsided in the side of the head by the little one. Very cold.

view from my window

I hope you guys continue to be safe wherever you may be!

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

2014-12-25T07:58:00.000-06:00

It's our last Christmas here in Germany. It's bittersweet. It's been a long three years here, but getting to travel has made most of it fly by. Now it's time to move on to bigger and better things.

They say that Christmas is always fun when you're a kid, but it's even better when you have kids. I couldn't agree more. Seeing his face on Christmas morning brings tears to my eyes... or maybe it's because I'm pregnant and emotional. HA! Either way, it's more fun. Next year, it will be twice as fun!

His Ninja Turtle and Power Ranger obsession is filled.

Merry Christmas!

Schwartzwald- The Black Forest

2014-12-22T03:54:00.000-06:00

We recently took a trip to the Black Forest here in Germany.

Worlds Larest cookoo clock. It really works.

put 1 euro into the wall and it plays.

On our way back home, we stumbled upon this little beauty of a ride.

And the Video. Please excuse the deep southern accent and the occasional shriek. I was holding onto the camera instead of the cart and it literally felt like it was coming off the rails.

A few of my favorite modeling shots

2014-12-20T12:11:00.000-06:00

Over the past year or so, I have been doing a little modeling. Well, trying to anyway. I wanted to share a few of my favorite shots. Obviously not all of them, but if you wanted to see more, feel free to check out my facebook page here.

These three were done by an amazing photographer and a great friend of mine. You should check out her website to see more. Renee Marchelle Photography.

Ahhh, the one that made it to Vogue. How exciting!

Labor Day in Prague

2014-12-20T11:41:00.001-06:00

Copied from my facebook page:

Prague. Beautiful Prague. One of my favorite cities so far. The people were nice, the city was clean, and the food was amazing. They even have a TGI Fridays, a treat I have certainly missed. We stayed in a really clean apartment just outside of town and rode the trolly in to see the sights. One of the main attractions was Prague’s oldest bridge, and one of its most iconic structures, is Charles Bridge, which connects Old Town with Malá Strana. Dating to 1357, it was originally called the Stone Bridge, or Prague Bridge, before being named Charles Bridge in 1870, after its founder King Charles IV. Just off the side of the bridge was a little medieval setup where they made some of the Czechs finest dishes. We chose to get the cabbage, bacon, and potato dish. It was amazing!

Charles Bridge

Flanking the entrance to Charles Bridge on the Vltava’s left bank, the Malá Strana Bridge Towers form an important part of the Lesser Town’s landscape. The towers were built about 200 years apart, and they served quite different purposes. Today, both are accessible to the public, and their uppermost levels offer good views of Charles Bridge and Malá Strana.

Statues on the Charles Bridge. There were so many different ones all down each side of the bridge. Amazing detail.

Popular Czech dish.

Then came the most gorgeous Church I have ever seen. It was called "Knights of the Cross". Inside had the most beautiful detailed sculptures and paintings.

Right around the corner from that was the iconic John Lennon wall. "After his murder on 8 December 1980 John Lennon became a pacifist hero for many young Czechs. An image of Lennon was painted on a wall in a secluded square opposite the French Embassy (there is a niche on the wall that looks like a tombstone), along with political graffiti and Beatles lyrics.Despite repeated coats of whitewash, the secret police never managed to keep it clean for long, and the Lennon Wall became a political focus for Prague youth (most Western pop music was banned by the communists, and some Czech musicians were even jailed for playing it).Post-1989 weathering and lightweight graffiti ate away at the political messages and images, until little remained of Lennon but his eyes, but visiting tourists began making their own contributions. The wall is the property of the Knights of Malta, and they have repainted it several times, but it soon gets covered with more Lennon images, peace messages and inconsequential tourist graffiti. In recent years the Knights have bowed to the inevitable and now don’t bother to whitewash it any more."

After sightseeing, we went to eat dinner at TGI and then hopped on the trolly back to the apartment. The view at night was even more gorgeous with everything lit up. It truly was one of the best trips we have had here. Adding this to the list of places I'd like to see again!

Birthday in Paris

2014-12-18T12:47:00.000-06:00

I spent my 26th birthday in sweet, Paris. However, unlike Italy, this city could've been better. Most of it was dirty and downright scary. Unless you stay by the Seine. Then it's beautiful and amazing. Thats where most of the attractions are. We went on to booking.com to reserve our hotel room. From the photos, it wasn't a 5 star, but looked quaint and comfortable. Upon arriving, we had to walk through the literal ghetto, past homeless people, beggers, and people trying to sell wigs from a box. I am sure they could smell my fear from a mile away. The hotel was down this awful alley and had a reception area of 5x5 ft. After traveling the 4 flights of spiral stairs, we found our room. A twin smoking room when I paid for a triple non smoking room. The window didn't open of course and there was a blood stain the size of my 5 year old on the comforter. There was mold on the walls and well as the bed. After freaking out, i regained my composer and demanded a refund. He told me I checked the "no refund" option and I stated that I didn't get the room I paid for anyway so I expected my refund. Needless to say, after a few choice English words, we left with no refund. I didn't lose hope, I contacted booking and my bank to try to file a fraud report. We paid $700 for that room, I wanted my money back. As we walked a few blocks in the rain around the ghetto of paris, we found a Best Western. We explained our situation and the manager offered us his best private room for half off a night what it should've went for. He even tried to help us get our money back from the other hotel. The room there was amazing. I actually felt comfortable breathing the air in there.

Notre Dame Catherdral. The line for this was hours long. No way we were waiting with a 5 year old.

The Arc de Triomphe and the view from the very top!

We added our lock to the love lock bridge. This thing was loaded with lots of love!

This is the City Hall. And a big screen going up for the World Cup game!

We happened to visit Paris the exact weekend they played Germany in the World Cup. It was interesting to be in the resteraunt and root for Germany (since we live here) and be around all the Parisians! They are serious about their futball!

This one needs no introduction. Humongous.

We all know this lady. And for those of you who haven't been to the Louvre, This is literally like an 8x10 photo. It was much smaller than I expected, but still, how many can say they've seen the Mona Lisa at the Louvre? Score!

Louvre. You go into the pyramid, go down escalators under ground, and it branches off into four separate wings from there. Which have their own separate wings and so on and so forth. We went two days in a row and still didn't see everything!

Jarden de Tuilleries. One big gorgeous park!

By the end of the trip, I had a great time! The first part was a little difficult with the hotel, but the trip was amazing. Again, if you go to Paris, stay close to the Seine!

Two Years and Counting.

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This past May, Justin and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary. We celebrated with a trip to Pisa, Italy. He had a softball tournament that weekend so we hit two birds with one stone. Pisa is beautiful.

Ben D'iddio's. The tiniest hole in the wall resteraunt but the best meal I have had my entire stay in Europe! It's literally right around the corner from the tower of Pisa so if you go, PLEASE go here! Our waiter who was also the owner, was the nicest and most sincere person. A true Italian.

appetizer platter. to die for.

A few Italian officers we stopped on their moped ride by. They too, were the absolute nicest. We are true tourists here! HAHA!

Mediterranean Sea. One thing I wasn't accustomed too, nude beaches and men in speedos.

The Field of Miracles. The Baptistery of San Giovanni, Duomo, and Leaning Tower.

The Baptistery of San Giovanni

After our walk on the beaches of the Mediterranean, we found this little Pizzaria beachside. Now this is a calzone! He and I are not shy when it comes to food. My pizza was twice this size and we ate every bit of both!

Italy was perfect. The best Anniversary present and a hard one to top ;). Everything I had dreamed it would be .

Where have I been?

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In my last blog post (a year ago), I stated that I had a youtube channel. Come to think of it, I haven't even posted on that in God knows how long. I am terrible at starting things and not finishing them. I would say that is my biggest flaw ever. For those of you who do not know me, let me introduce myself:

Hi, my name is Tiffany and I am a procrastinator. My husband, son and I live in Germany and have been here for a few years. Living here has given us the chance to travel. We have seen places most people just dream about. We have been to Paris, Italy, Prague, Amsterdam, and places here around Germany. We just recently found out we were going to have another baby (well, 20 weeks ago) and couldn't be happier.

I started this blog years ago. I can't recall how many to be exact. The initial reason was to vent, laugh, cry, and talk about whatever I wanted to talk about. Then, I thought I wanted to be a "fashion blogger". Yea, that didn't last long. I am a very simple, down to earth, sweat pants kinda gal. What would I do with fashion writing when I didn't go shopping enough to even have things to talk about? Then, I decided I wanted to be a "fitness blogger". Now, this, I will commend myself on. I stayed with the fitness for a very long time. I spent most of my days at the gym followed by meal preps and helping others with their fitness journey. I didn't blog about this on here, but did blog about it on my tumblr page when I found the time. When I first found out I was pregnant, the morning sickness and exhaustion took over my drive for the gym and I fell out of that for a while. I then started volunteering at my son's school which is now where I spend my days. I still workout at the gym when I find the time, otherwise, it's home workouts for me and not very long ones at that. Atleast I do something, right?

Here's to a fourth chance at this thing. Maybe it'll work this time!

Ciao.

Just Joined YouTube!

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I am slowly starting to enter the full world of social networking. I just created a twitter AND YouTube account! Go me! I have my very first video up talking about a few of my favorite makeup products I use on a daily basis! Still not very good at keeping my blog, but I am working on it! Check it out!

YouTube: Tiffanybax323

Need Casual Summer Outfit Ideas?

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These are just a few ideas I found along the web. Notice the similarities between them? No, of course not, because I try my best to make each outfit different. Who wants to wear the same thing everyday?

Mint and sherbet orange are perfect for summer. Doesn't this remind you of ice cream?!

Imagine being on a boat on the lake late in the evening. This is probably the outfit I would wear. It's casual and cool. Keep in mind it get's chilly even on the summer evenings!

This outfit is perfect for a brunch with the girls outside a beachfront diner. Yes, you're thinking beach!

Coral is definitely in for spring/summer. The sleeves on this shirt give this outfit the right amount of "skin". You know the rule, either you're showing your arms or your legs but both is too much with these cutoff shorts AND heels!

Don't you just love ruffles!?

Again, MINT! I cannot get enough of mint and pairing these mint shorts with this sheer white shirt is perfect together!

Cannot have summer without summer DRESSES!

Maxi, Maxi, MAXI! Yes, Yes, YES!! Love Maxi's. Chevron is certainly in as well! This is gorgeous!

Do you have any summer outfit ideas?!

Summer in Germany.

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Seriously can't get enough of this church. It's absolutely beautiful. My last post was of it in the snow and now the summer. My blogging skills are lacking!

Wilhelmstrasse festival this past weekend! I'm really starting to LOVE Germany! Guess it takes some getting used to...

This and the next few will just be random buildings.. Hopefully the owners of these apartments don't see this ;)

Beautiful, 16:30 at night.. It stays light out until 22:00 this time of year.