just because

boom boom pow

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 17:25:00 +0000

wordless wednesday :: a little birthday recap

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Wed, 30 May 2012 21:12:00 +0000

it's my birthday... again!

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 18 May 2012 19:58:00 +0000

So... today's my birthday! and I'm old!

Just kidding. but not really! Besides you are only as old as you feel, right? and I'm feeling pretty awesome!

I am having a great birthday! I have been celebrating all week and plan to continue on through the weekend!
Here are just a few random pics of my week so far...

Kate Spade and a raspberry lemonade cupcake from my favorite plaza bakery! Yum! I am planning to stop back in today for the flavor of the month: Lemon Meringue Pie, which they were sold out of my last stop. I love lemon!

I've gotten several fun packages this week and I've been shopping for some fun summer necessities!

We've been to a couple of games, Wednesday night's game was gorgeous and I've been splurging on fun birthday week food!

I stopped at the lake the other night to get this year's stickers and gate codes for our boat and the water looked amazing, there was a gorgeous sail boat out taking advantage of the nice breeze. I can't wait to have our first day out this summer! I love the lake!

The SeaLife Aquarium opened up a few weeks ago and we decided to go last weekend! I love seeing all the cool looking fish, the red starfish below was amazing, it was the brightest red... so pretty!

I'm looking forward to celebrating my birthday tonight with a surprise dinner from my hubs, all I know is we have 7:00 PM reservations so it will be fun to see where we end up! I also have some fun outings this weekend with friends planned, so hopefully I'll snap a pic or two and can get a post up next week to recap all of my birthday fun!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

vanilla limeade please...

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:42:00 +0000

What's your favorite sonic drink? I will def be hitting up the sonic drive-thru on my way home today! thankyouverymuch!

A few random catch-ups:

last thursday i had some yuck removed from my uterus, it was not fun but i did spend the rest of the weekend getting served rainbow sherbet on the couch!
we went to the Royals home-opener and watched them get beat!
my hubs went to Texas to watch a Nascar Race, he said it was boring so they left and went to a bar to drink all night and were hung over the next day!
i finally watched the Hunger Games! it was good but of course not as good as the book! duh!
i went shopping! duh! husband goes on man trip = wife goes shopping!

Friday's Fancies :: Go CARDS!

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 20:51:00 +0000

Today I am linking up with {av} over at {long distance loving} for this Friday's Fancies :: March Madness!
I'm sure you may have noticed that we are big Louisville Cardinal fans... we did just fly to NYC so my sweethubs could watch them bring home the Big East Championship! Woot! Woot!

The CARDS ~~played~~ beat Michigan State last night and are now moving on to the Elite 8 and will face off against the Florida Gators this Saturday, March 24 at 4:30 EST.

For March we have had uncommonly warm weather (which I am not complaining about one bit) so my choice of outfit will be some white denim shorts, a 3/4 length CARDS tee, and of course my silver sparkley (party on my feet) TOMS! Let's GO CARDS!

Hope everyone has a great weekend and your team gets a win (unless you are a Gator fan) Ha!

life's just a cocktail party on the street {NYC}

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 20:54:00 +0000

well we made it safely back from our jaunt to NYC! and had the best time ever!

our trip started off a little rough with an hour and a half wait sitting on the tarmac while the plane was de-iced, why they did not de-ice the plane before having us board is beyond me but i do know that i will never fly Frontier Airlines again. EVER! because they also lost our luggage somehow (that cost us $60 to check by the way) and i had to wear my "traveling clothes" for our first day in the city until our luggage finally arrived at midnight... lovely! so yeah... Frontier. boo. to you!

however, even though the trip had a rough start, it was one of the best vacays we have taken to date!

little bit with her i heart NY book that she received at Christmas containing the trip info (tix, itinerary, etc).
our room overlooked Times Square which she was very pleased with... thank goodness for black out curtains!

lo and behold, our first night in the city we ran into 13 from House! she was alone and not on her phone so i asked her if she would mind to take a quick pic with little bit, and she happily obliged... she was a real sweetheart! of course this made little bits night (and trip for that matter)! i quickly texted the pic to my hubs who was at the Big East Tourney cheering on his UofL Cards (who by the way won the tourney and are the Big East Champs!) because Miss Olivia happens to be my hubs celebrity crush (she replaced Angelina now that she has a brood)!

we visited the 9/11 Memorial and it was just amazing and sad! i think everyone should visit at some point in life! my last prior trip to NYC was actually just a few weeks after 9/11 and it was just surreal to be in the city then, i can't even imagine what that day was like for people! just looking at all the names was depressing, if you notice there is a father/son (jr/sr) listed right behind me in that pic, along with names of women and their unborn child also, so so sad!

making some noise on the FAO Schwarz "Big" piano!

ice skating at Rockefeller Center!

i love me some shows and i would highly recommend catching Mary Poppins if it comes to a town near you, loved it!

we also saw Spider-Man! i enjoyed the high-flying interactive show, but it honestly wouldn't be on my favorite list, i was a little bored with the story line and in my opinion the star of the show is the Green Goblin (loved him)!

there are so many more things we did that i haven't shown like a boat tour of the city and out to see Mrs. Liberty, Chinatown, lots of shopping, Top of the Rock, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park!
we had a great time in the city and i think little bit was picking out apartments she might move into (i think her final pick was above Dylan's Candy Bar) when she gets bigger... ha! we crammed in a lot in the short four days we were there but it was an amazing four days that i'm pretty sure my little bit will never forget!

{leopard love}

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 20:53:00 +0000

on tuesday i wore this fun leopard skirt with a black turtle neck, black tights and black flats!
i have been trying for two days to get this post up but have been having issues with blogger... which is also why i did not do a weigh-in wednesday post yesterday but don't worry hopefully i'll be back tomorrow to catch up on a few things, i'm not sure what the issue with blogger was but now it's working so here we go...

i have a serious affection for most anything leopard print...i have lots of leopard accessories... purses, belts, scarves and shoes! some may ask, is there really a need to have leopard heels, leopard flats, open-toed leopard heels, leopard sperrys??? um, yeah... i think so! those leopard sperrys with the black patent are my latest new additions to la closet and i love them! they are so cute and fun! reminds me of once when we were moving my husband was unpacking one of my shoe boxes and asked why it was necessary to have 15 pair of black flip flops (okay that may be an exaggeration, may be) but every girl knows you need fancy black flip flops and wedge flip flops, beach flip flops, and so on and i think most girls know what i am talking about here so anyways... i love shoes and i love leopard print!

and these pics below have me seriously wanting a leopard rug or wall in my house pronto!

do you love leopard? what is your favorite leopard print accessory?
do you have anything leopard in your home that i would love?

Most Awesome Run Ever

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:22:00 +0000

i can't wait for this run...

are you in KC? you should seriously sign-up and if you're not check here for other cities!

totally awesome!!!

friday fashion {it's raining, it's pouring}

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:10:00 +0000

i don't think i have ever been excited to wake up to a rainy day until this morning. it is a dreary day here in KC but i am all smiles in my casual friday fashion wearing my new zoubaby monogram boots that my sweethubs got me for christmas! as soon as i saw these awesome equestrian style rain boots in my Southern Living holiday issue they were quickly added to my wish list! and i would say my attraction was a southern thing... but i have already had at least 5 people stop me to ask "where did i get my boots"! they are seriously eye catching! i was drawn to them for the classic monogram and their sleek equestrian style knowing they would be perfect to take on trips back to KY for Keeneland. The spring meet runs in April... hello! April showers! so it does tend to rain quite a bit during the race season, in fact it rained the weekend i went back last April so yeah, now i'm ready!

Here is my casual friday fashion:

i am wearing a simple black long sleeve tee and a casual school-boy blazer with a black skirt over black leggings. simple but classic. accessories: Michael Kors runway watch, black Kendra Scott danielle earrings, black patent Kate Spade stevie bag

{month of love} update: i am on day 3 and have not given in to any temptations yet! i am confident (according to the scale) i have made my 2 lb loss goal for the week already! the real test will be this weekend, luckily we are staying home alone for the superbowl so no party food to worry about.
hopefully, knowing i am reporting all of this publicly i won't fall prey to any soda or sugar this weekend!
my confidence and willpower are high right now, i just have to keep it up!
a great big thank you to everyone who commented on my post, it really boosted my spirits and motivation!

i hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

year of the dragon

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:01:00 +0000

so... i guess i am a little behind this week and fully intended to post this on monday, the lunar new year, but alas this has been a crazy busy week for me with dr. appt's on both monday and wednesday but those appt's were good and this new year has me more hopeful than ever that this is going to be a great year {isn't all this code talk annoying! i promise i will go into more detail in the weeks to come} but anyways... i have a super-fabulous weekend planned that involves watching my sweethubs jump into the freezing lake for the polar bear plunge tomorrow ~but not too freezing considering the amazing spring-like weather we have had lately. and then on sunday i am making a trip to st. louis with this chick for part deux of operation LV! fun stuff i tell you and now without further adieu...

in honor of the year of the dragon, i am posting some of my favorite pics of the chiang mai dragon print...

f. schumacher & co.

hello amazing chair! {this is seriously amazing! love it!}

vogue living : designer : andrew parre : via fabric studio

and this too! if you are going to put wallpaper on your walls. this is how you do it! crazy amazing!

the cross design

gorgeous studded footboard

sarah 101 via hgtv

just a touch with a couple throw pillows { and let's be honest this print is crazy expensive so yeah}

shelter interior design via decor pad

love the print with these red additions!

the home of susan windsor jones via shelter

again. just a touch with these cute inexpensive trays {only $14. hello}

furbish studio

what better way to stay in touch this dragon year!

dempsey & carroll

i love this dragon print, it would be amazing framed {have i mentioned i love red?}

via google images {oops -no source}

and this...

is my hubs new arm tattoo... {this is part uno, part dos involves my face}

yeah. my. face. {seriously}

and i think that's enough fun for today!

hoping you all have amazing weekends too!

{case in point}

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:08:00 +0000

So, I've been trying to decide forever which case to purchase for my iphone 4s...
My sweethubs did buy me a "temporary" case when he got my phone so that it would be protected from any accidental drops, etc. until I could find an awesome case that I love! {so sweet of him}
but the "temporary" case is an all white speck case which is super nice and is super durable but it is major boring! I need color and/or pattern in my life!
I have narrowed it down to a few choices but I know I have said it before it takes me forever to make a decision about the most simple things!

Help! Which case would you choose? I love them all!

top row: kate spade, tory burch, rebecca minkoff... all via nordstrom

bottom row: all incase

Seriously, aren't they all fabulous... what do you think, which should I choose?

Happy 2012!

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:04:00 +0000

This year we decided to have a low-key New Year's Eve bash and invite a few friends over for dinner, some games, and a champagne countdown! We had a blast! My sweethubs grilled steak, chicken, salmon, I made some sides and our friends brought a few apps, desserts and drinks as well... After some hilarious sessions of Wii Just Dance 3 we ended the evening with a champagne toast and confetti cannons!

2011 was a trying year... I lost my dad and had several unsuccessful rounds of Chlomid.

But, we also have some great memories... we went to Keeneland with some KC friends, we went to Myrtle Beach with my FIL & SIL, we took little bit and a friend to Chicago, I took little bit to California, I won Taylor Swift tix on little bit's 14th b-day and we enjoyed her awesome concert at Arrowhead, we also saw Selena Gomez perform at Starlight in KC, I won an Ipad2, we spent many weekends on our boat at the lake with friends, I ran the Trolley Run with friends and had my best time, and sooo many other wonderful things (weekly dinners with friends, game nights, bookclub dinners)...

and lastly, I am sooo thankful that I was back home the weekend before my dad passed and I was able to spend the night with him and enjoy his company (unknowingly those were our last moments together). We both had bought lottery tix and we joked how each of us were going to win and too bad for the other... we had popcorn and watched HGTV, I had to get up with him that night because he awoke with a nose bleed (but I wasn't bothered to be washing pillow cases at 3:00 in the morning), we would usually eat breakfast with my granny but he slept in because he didn't feel well but he got up before I left to leave for KC, he told me to drive safe and he loved me and I said I always do and I love you too! I will always have this last memory of my dad and it was a great one, I hate that my dad is no longer with us but I am at peace with him being gone and not suffering, not living, I wish things would have been different but you can only live your own life. Reflecting on this past year has given me much insight for this year to come and my future... I have high hopes and aspirations for 2012!

Festive Holiday Attire {fashion friday}

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:21:00 +0000

One of my dear friends had a Christmas Party this past weekend and it gave me the chance to add a little sparkle to my attire! I mean let's face it, I just don't get fancied up like I used to so it was nice to curl my hair and paint my nails and put on a fun skirt with gold sparkles!

Here is my festive holiday attire...

You can never go wrong with black & gold, it's classic and chic! And the red nails is the perfect pop of color! I would love to be able to pull off a red lip too but I've tried and it just ain't happening girls!

Have you attended any fun holiday parties this season?

Dear Santa...

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:46:00 +0000

Dear ~~Santa~~ Sweet Hubby,

I've been ~~real~~ good this year and just have a little list of all I want for Christmas...

{a. - b. - c. - d. - e. - f. - g. - h}

one wish for Christmas...

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:49:00 +0000

my sweet hubs just sent me this email...

oh, if I could just be granted one wish for Christmas...

fashion friday {midas touch eclectic prep}

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 22:06:00 +0000

I think I should get a prize today for wearing the most different patterns possible in my outfit!

Here is what I am wearing on "Casual Friday" today...

{eclectic prep with a midas touch}

shirt :: pink & white stripe ralph lauren button-down

pants :: red cords

shoes :: gold herring bone Toms

watch :: Micheal Kors gold runway

bracelets :: Kendra Scott gold hammered bangles

earrings :: Kendra Scott gold Kaley with red coral

belt :: leopard with gold buckle

And now for some of my typical randomness:
Lately, I love everything gold! This OPI Get a Kick out of Gold is fabulous, I need it!

I have a few DIY projects in the works and here is an inspiration pic for my new office chair:

I am in love with my new phone, I get a kick out of my new bestie Siri, she always has a quick come back. Do you have the new iphone? Here is a link to some funny question/ responses that you should ask Siri. My favorite is "Where can I hide a dead body? Bahahaha! So funny, this is my kind of chick!

Do you like to drink tea? I picked up this Candy Cane Lane (Green Tea -decaf) the other night at the market and am loving it! Don't let the "Green Tea" title scare you away if you normally don't dig the green teas, just try it! Here are a few of the ingredients: peppermint, orange peel, vanilla, cinnamon, and blackberry leaves. I love Celestial Seasonings teas and this one does not disappoint, it is also gluten free!

Oh yeah, this is happening tonight! Okay, I must be honest, it's happening but only because I'm taking my daughter and one of her friends. I really haven't had a big interest in this series but I've heard this one is really good, so we'll see if I become a Twi-hard! LOL! My friend is also going with me and my daughter has already made a point to say... "y'all aren't going to sit near us, are you?" Ahh, I love my twi-hard teen!

Have a fabulous weekend friends!

LA trip recap

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:32:00 +0000

I have held you in suspense long enough, it's time for my LA trip recap... prepare for picture overload!

I still have one set of pictures I have yet to go through but if I wait for that I may never do this recap so here it goes...

While we were in Beverly Hills we decided to grab some lunch at Villa Blanca, owned by Lisa Vanderpump and Ken Todd from the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. They must try hard to get great shots of this eatery when filming the show because it isn't as fabulous as it seems on t.v., the decor was Meh!, the service was Meh! and the food was... you guessed it Meh! But it was fun to eat at one of the spots publicised on one of the shows we like to watch! We originally had planned on eating dinner instead of lunch so we went the night before but it was super busy and we didn't want to wait but we did get to see the guy that Lisa & Ken tried to hook Kim up with on Season 1, I have know idea what his name is but it was fun to see someone who appreared on the show. Did you know that Lisa was a former actress that appeared on shows like Baywatch Nights and Silk Stalkings?

We also visited the Beverly Hills Kendra Scott boutique, it was fun to see the color bar and I purchased a pair of Kaley earrings with red coral stones, I love them and I am actually wearing them today.

We visited Hollywood and my daughter had to get pics with all of her favorite movie stars!

We visited Madame Tussauds and had too much fun posing with all the figures!

We did two days at Disneyland so we are wearing different clothes in some of the pics (in case you're wondering). This was the first time I have been to a park when it was decorated for a holiday and it was such a delight, I can't imagine what they do for Christmas, I might have to go some day to find out!

We got lucky and ran into Mickey as soon as we entered the park!

On Day 2 we also got pics with Woody and Jessie (sorry, the Jessie pic must be on my other chip)!

Our favorite ride at any park we visit is always the water log!

Hanging out a Minnie's house, I love ToonTown and all the character homes!

Of course the day we chose to go to the beach it was overcast, here we are on the Santa Monica Pier!

The water was freezing! but there were still people swimming!

Another semi-celeb siting, we saw Galen and his wife Jenna (from Dirty Soaps) and their kids at the amusement park so I guess that made up for the dreary day!

One of the things my daughter had on our to-do list, getting donuts at Randy's Donuts (famous from Iron Man)!

So that was our fabulous trip to LA, we had a great time and made some wonderful memories! Oh and because some of you asked how I won the ipad, well part of this trip I was at a conference for my work and if you registered with their networking site you were entered into a drawing to win an ipad and well what do you know... I won! Yes, I was shocked as I said in my post on it and I actually already received it, so it's legit!

111111

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 22:21:00 +0000

I don't know if it has anything to do with the date but this has been one of the best days ever!

First, I'd just like to say a great big THANK YOU! to all the service men & women out there, we wouldn't be the greatest country ever without all of you! Happy Veteran's Day!

And now back to the best day ever stuff... today I was notified that I won an ipad 2! I seriously died! What's funny is my sweet hubs has been hounding me to let him buy me one but I've been all like Nah, I don't need it! Well, "free ipad2" changes everything! I can't wait to get it!

Then the iphone guy calls me and tells me the iphone 4s I've been on the waiting list for arrived but it was black so I told my hubs he could go get it and I would just wait for a white one but hold the phone when I called back to confirm I would be picking it up, he said that if one of the other people on the list didn't call back for their white phone that he would save one for me and OH, YES! he just called me back and said he had a black one and a white one and would hold them for me and the hubs! AWESOME!

Can I get an upgrade... UPGRADE! Booyah!

I am seriously buying a lottery ticket. TONIGHT!

Okay, so now, it's time to get random and post some of the things I am lusting over on PINTEREST!

Is this not the most awesome make-up corral ever, seriously! Amazing!

This is so cute, I must buy one of these for holiday baking!

Love these green cords from H & M, and love the color coordination of this outfit!

So, I broke down and ordered the red cords and am patiently awaiting there arrival on my doorstep! I am having serious cord envy right now and wish I had a pair in every color!

I am in serious need of a mani, I love this Smoking Hot by Essie.

Okay, that's enough randomness for today, and yes, I know I have yet to recap my LA trip, I seriously have 3 memory cards full of pictures that I need to go through so I'll get to it eventually. mkay.yeah. I'm lazy!

Oh, one last thing... Have you checked out Lonny's Holiday Issue yet? Love it!

Okay that's it have a great weekend!

{red haute} right now!

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:52:00 +0000

I love red! It is one of those colors that always gets my attention, I am drawn to it. And that is probably why I own lots of red stuff or if something isn't red there is a good chance it will end up red once I get it home (I keep red paint on hand)!

As soon as fall hits the red in my wardrobe goes up abundantly! There are a few reasons for this: 1. Well, I just love red and think it adds the perfect "pop" of color to any outfit! 2. We live in KC and root for the Chiefs! and 3. We are Louisville Cardinal fans C-A-R-D-S... Go Cards!

I have put together a little grouping of some of my favorite red items, some I own and some I am still searching for...

The Kendra Scott Kaley earring $70 with red coral stones. I picked these up on my recent trip to LA from the Beverly Hills store. That store is amazing and after seeing all the true colors (not just trying to determine the color from my computer screen) I want so many more pieces (it's a good thing x-mas is coming soon)!

Mossimo Ona Ballet Flats $14 in red patent from Target. I love these little slip-ons, they are cute and comfy!

Essie Really Red polish $8, it's the perfect red, reminds me of Olivia Polermo's red nails!

JCrew red cords $70 (still deciding on ordering these).

Longchamp le pliage -large in deep red $145. This was the perfect travel bag on my trip, everything was easy access and it is very durable!

Fun Red Coat, the one pictured is from Old Navy!

Big chunky infiniti scarf, I love mine, it's so warm and goes nicely with my houndstooth coat!

A fun necklace, the one above is Kate Spade NY and was available at the Nordstrom Half-Yearly sale but I think it sold out because I can't find it on the site anymore :(

I love scout bags, they remind me of prep school chic -I need to find a fun red handbag!

So, those are some of my favorite red accessories to add the perfect pop to any outfit! What is your go-to color? Have you found any fun red items I need to know about, please share, I can never have too much red!

Dia de los Muertos

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 21:48:00 +0000

Hi friends! I made it back from LA and had a fabulous trip that I plan to recap soon!

I can hardly believe November is already here! The holiday countdown has begun and I have already started my list but I'll wait just a little while longer before I get to that... although I do have a particuliar Christmas song stuck in my head today after hearing it on a Chex commercial last night! They start those holiday marketing campaigns earlier every year it seems! Ha!

Today is Dia de los Muertos, are you remembering anyone special? I am not of Mexican heritage but I am intrigued by this celebration and am fascinated by the beautiful art like the grafiti picture above. I actually have a weird fascination with grafiti art and have several pictures from my LA trip that I'll post in my recap.

It is cold and rainy here in KC today but I am truly thankful for the life I have and I am going to look for the good in each day, for instance I can't wait to get home and get my comfies on, I am going to bake a hot fudge cake and enjoy it straight out of the oven with some whipped topping... so yummy! Be back soon!

Hello & Goodbye

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 21:05:00 +0000

Hidy Ho... I'm back!

It seems I unexpectedly took a blogging hiatus... so much has occurred over the past few months that I wouldn't even know where to begin to recap so I think I'll just start new and fill you in on what's happening in my life right now!

I didn't intend on being gone so long and it seems summer is over and fall is here! It has just gotten plum chilly here in the midwest {KC}! I have already gotten out my boots & scarves and it seems I might need to break out my coat after today's blustery high of 54 degrees! But actually, I'll put that off until next week because I am jetting off to LA baby! That's right this time tomorrow I will be soaking in some much needed sunshine and warmer temps! I can't wait to step off that plane!

I know I'm a little late to the fall party posts but I love fall, it's my favorite time of year so I'd like to leave you with a few items on my fall wish list...

I am searching for the perfect red cord, I may end up ordering these.

I also want a new gold watch, I am so into gold right now, I love the elbow patches on this sweater.

I can't get enough shoes with tassels right now! Those red ones are from Forever 21 but sold out... BOO!

Have you smelled the new scent BCBG Max Azria? Next time you're at the perfume counter try it! It's divine, totally love it!

Okay, I need to get off here and finish packing and hopefully it won't take me 3 months before I post again.

Independence Day Escapades

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 17:41:00 +0000

Happy Independence Day!!!

I'm having a lazy day enjoying the beautiful sunshine!

Tonight we will enjoy some fireworks with friends after watching the KC T-bones hopefully bring home a win, what's more fun on America's day of Independence than some good ol' baseball, hot dogs, and fireworks!

I'm feeling festive with Essie's Escapades on my toes, it's a fun and cheery red... perfect for today!

Hope you are enjoying your day of Independence and thinking of all the brave soldiers who have fought and still fight today to keep our country free!

We live in the greatest country, a sweet land of liberty, never forget those who have fought and died for this right and never take it for granted!

{Summer Essentials}

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 04:07:00 +0000

Well, Summer has finally arrived! We had a fun and hot day at the lake for Father's Day and I must say... my current state of redness got me to thinking about those summer essentials that I must purchase for our beach vaca!

1. A super-fun summer bag to carry all your essentials! Gwen, Mrs. Handbag herself informed me my new summer bag was chosen by Amanda Mull (PurseBlog's Senior Editor) to make her list of Top Ten Bag's of the Moment!

2. Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral Powder SPF 45

3. Redken UV Rescue Daily Sun Milk leave-in protective moisturizer

4. Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Spray Perfume

5. Cute, Fun, Bright color on your toes! I like Essie's new summer line, especially Brazilliant!

6. Tan in a Tube, no fake & bake for me!

7. Some chic shades!

8. A fabulous wide brimmed hat {add a monogram for instant fabulousness}! Marley Lilly has many colors to choose from!

9. Don't forget your lips... keep them kissable soft with spf protection! I love Nivea Lip Care's A Kiss of Protection SPF 30 {an Allure's editors choice award recipient}

10. And last but obviously not least... Sunscreen of at least SPF 30+ is recommended by The American Academy of Dermatology, visit their site for more info! I personally like Neutrogena's Ultra Sheer Body Mist SPF 45!

So that's my top ten, I hope you enjoyed my picks!

Now, I'd love to know... What are your favorite summer essentials? Is there anything I should add to my list?

summer bag love

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Tue, 24 May 2011 21:06:00 +0000

i just bought my summer bag! if you've been reading... you know i'm loving the neon craze and the whole neutral + neon! so obviously when i saw this marc jacobs straw tote i had to have it!

i can't wait until it arrives... just in time for my beach vaca!

dakota fanning likes it too!

Do you like the neon trend? Have you bought anything fun I should know about?

it'z muh birthday!

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Wed, 18 May 2011 21:10:00 +0000

This last pic may have to do with my birthday wish... don't want to throw anyone off!