Happenings as of late [via Instagram]

For starters, I got my Internet installed in my apartment last Wednesday. Cue the angels. This will hopefully make blogging a little more convenient.

 

I couldn't stop laughing when I got this text from my mother who was traveling for work and just boarded a plane. I seriously laughed by myself for a good 5 minutes just picturing this.

I spent a Saturday evening on the couch watching The Vow, lusting over the sexiest man alive and crying for a good hour. Have y'all seen this movie? Feel free to judge me.

My obsession with the Robertsons has continued to grow and I'm very upset there isn't a single brother left who isn't wifed up. Even Si has a lady friend. FML. Oh and please excuse my ghetto current living room setup. I am on the hunt for a new TV stand, so my coffee table is sufficing as one for now. Yep.

I spent the first part of my Sunday at my now favorite coffee shop oohing and awing over the latte art. This week I got a tulip. Oh, and that is a Lorraine quiche that was melt in your mouth good in case you were wondering.

Last but not least, I had a special blogger visitor this weekend, which I'll post about ASAP. I'm not making any concrete promises on when because clearly since moving to Vegas, I've been completely lackadaisical with my blog.

At this point there is no sense in even wasting my time apologizing about being MIA. I'm just really busy during the week so my blog has unfortunately had to take a back burner and that is all there is to it. Lets hope I can't get it together soon.

And one last thing for my fellow reality TV lovers ... I loved the movie Catfish so naturally i am obsessing over the TV version that premiered on MTV last Monday. However, can we talk about last night's episode? The dude's name was Scorpio. Really, mam? If the name "scorpio" isn't a red flag, I don't know what is. And don't get me started on Sunny from last week. D.U.M.B.

But more about TV talk later. For now, it's bed time for this west coast girl. It's still so bizarre being in this time zone. Bargain Blonde outie.

Link-up: Friday Favorites!

So we meet again! What a week it has been. Work has been busy for me and as I type that I am reminded of a link-up idea I have been tossing around in my head so I think now is as good of time as any to bounce my idea off of y'all.

While bloggers typically blog about anything and everything under the sun, we rarely talk about what we do to to fund our lavish lifestyles.  In my case, I'm clearly joking about the "lavish" part.

What do we think about a "How I make my money honey" linkup? And I'm not talking about disclosing company names or addresses. I'm certainly not trying to get fired or worse, assaulted in my work parking lot by a wanna be Ted Bundy. But we could totally talk about our line of work without revealing any incriminating or potentially dangerous information.

Let me know if the comments if this is something that would interest you and I'll host a link-up.  I for one would LOVE to know what everyone does for their "real job" because I can probably count on one hand the number of bloggers I actually know what they do for a living.  Plus, I'm nosy.

Without further adieu, here are my Friday Faves for the week!

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I mentioned this Garnier Nutritioniste Ultra Lift Anti-Wrinkle Eye Roller when I blogged about the 3 hair products I can't believe I ever lived without.  I said I'd tell you about at a later date and today is that day.  I have been using this at night under my eyes before putting a serum all-over my face and it's phenom.  My favorite thing about it is the cooling sensation you get from the metal roller ball, which is super relaxing for the end of your day. 
I'm deathly afraid of wrinkles on my face especially around the eye area so I love that this protects the most sensitive part of your face with pro-retinol.  I bought mine at Target and it was around $11. 

Champneys is a U.K. spa that launched their luxury spa line in March 2012 at Target stores in the U.S.  I had never heard of Champneys so I checked their line out while at Target recently.  I smelled this bubble bath and I had to have it.



This "Exotic Retreat Bubble Heaven" is just that — heavenly. Not only does it smell delicious, but is so thick and moisturizing.  All of the Champneys products range from $7.99 to $12.99 and you can find them at Target.  They have several products, but what I want to try next is their Shimmering Body Oil, which is a dry body oil that claims to condition your skin and leave you with a subtle gold shimmer. Yes, please.  Hopefully it will bring all the boys to the yard.  

Some of you know this about me and some of you don't, but Big Brother is my favorite TV show in the history of ever.  I anxiously countdown until it's return every Summer and yesterday all of the new houseguests' pics and interviews were released.  Next Thursday, season 14 premieres and I could pee my pants with excitement already.  I've already bought my live feeds, so it's go time people. 



If you are a BB fanatic like me, then check out all the new houseguest info here on BBDish! (my favorite and the ONLY Big Brother blog I'll read).  Also, if you want the live feeds, buy them through the link at the top of her blog! 

Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Latte, where have you been all my life?  Cinnamon, butter and brown sugar flavors. Need I say more?  I've always stuck to my usual vanilla latte at Starbucks but I've seriously been missing out.  I just tried the Cinnamon Dolce Latte for the first time yesterday and it's love at first sip.  Just order it non fat and skip out on the whip cream/sugar topping to save cals. 

This week on The Bachelorette we saw Emily visit her boys in their hometowns.  While in Dallas (holl-er!) at Sean's parents, Emily was wearing the Rebel Pendent Necklace by Stella & Dot.  



Click HERE to purchase your own celebrity coveted Stella and Dot style from your personal stylist a.k.a. me. The rebel pendent has also been spotted on Tiffani Theissan, Kelly Clarkson and Selena Gomez. I lurve it. 
P.S. The Fall Stella and Dot line DEBUTS TODAY!!! So excited!!! Get a sneak peek here! 
P.P.S. I'll be posting pics of the new line as they become available on my Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.  Make sure you follow me!


Grab my button at the top of this post and link-up to share your favorites from the week!  And if you're interested in the link-up I mentioned at the beginning of this post, let me know in the comments.  TGIF. 

My Weekend via Instagram (Baked Veggie Egg White Recipe included)

I honestly don't ever use my real camera anymore. The only photos I take are on my iPhone and then 99% of the time, they get Instagramed. BTW - I have over 1,000 Instagram followers. How did this happen?  I have no Earthly idea, but it excites me.

Friday night I saw the magical Magic Mike movie.  It was everything I dreamed about and more.  Our theater was so crazy. We were slow clapping, cheering and screaming. I loved it and felt like I was back at Thunder From Down Under.  If you haven't seen it yet, grab your besties and go immed.

The theater now sells booze and I'm not complaining. 

My BFF Liz and my gubby came with!  And my bros gf but she missed the photo sesh before the movie started.

Saturday morning my college gf Amber hosted a Stella and Dot party for me.  She has the cutest studio apartment I've ever seen. I wish I could take y'all for a tour.

Saturday evening I went to HomeGoods (exciting life) and got a new centerpiece for my dining room table. It was a Cynthia Rowley vase I found on clearance for only $10. The arrangement I put in it was also on clearance for only $10.  All in all, I thought my $20 centerpiece looked pretty good.

Then Sunday morning, Bear did this:

Y'all. I was so mad I could have killed him. I took him by the collar and put him outside for punishment.  He knew he was in trouble!  I swear I am living the real life Marley and Me with this dog.  He is so wild.

After my anger subsided, I took him to the pool with me and let him swim while I drank my coffee and caught up on my mags.

Saturday before I went shopping, I stopped at Which Wich for dinner.  To my surprise, they now have bowls aka salads and I got the Mediterranean Turkey Bowl.  It was so good. Yes, the lady went overkill on my pepper.  I love pepper though so I didn't mind.  And can we talk about banana peppers?  They may be my new favorite thing.

I loved it so much, I made my own version of a Greek salad for lunch Sunday. Spring lettuce, cucumbers (how cute are my flower cucumbers?), grape tomatoes, turkey, Kalamata olives (I die), a little bit of crumbled Feta and Parmesan garlic dressing.

I also made this deelish egg white bake on Sunday for breakfast.  I loved it so much that I'm sharing the recipe. I paired it with a toasted piece of 45 cal Sara Lee 100% whole wheat bread and 1/2 C of watermelon. Now that's what I call brunch.

I adapted a recipe I found on SkinnyTaste and here is how I made it.  It's super easy.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Chop about 1/8 C of green and white onion. Spray a small skillet with non-fat cooking spray and heat the onions over med-low heat for a few minutes.

3. Add 1/2 C of baby spinach (large stems removed) to skillet and cook until the spinach wilts. 

4. Spray a small glass baking dish or a skillet with non-fat cooking spray (my preference is the olive oil version) and put the spinach/onion mixture on the bottom.  Next crack 3 eggs whites on top of the spinach and onion.  Add a few tomatoes to the top and salt and pepper.  


5. Bake for 17 minutes and you are done!  A  clean, all-natural and delicious breakfast. Vegetarian friendly, too!

P.S. I'm linking up with S, D and L!

Catch-up with me! The last few weeks/weekends in photos.

Get ready for a ridiculous photo dump to come your way right meow.  Today I'm playing catch-up all the way back to Cinco de Mayo.  Shout out to Instagram for helping me document my life. Don't know what I did before ya.

And that about sums up what I've been doing with my life.  I'm looking forward to a fun-filled full week of blogging every day since I slacked so bad last week.

Up tomorrow: Raspberry Champagne Spritzer Recipe

Friday Favorites!

And the worst blogger award goes to ....


me.


Snooki waaaah!  I sucked this week at blogging.  I don't know what to tell ya, though.  Some weeks you're on your game, some weeks you're not.  This week was not my week.  However, I do think I have a pretty good Friday Faves coming atcha right now.  Maybe this will make-up for my sub-par blogging this week?  And that announcement?  It's coming THIS MONDAY.  I swear on all that is holy.  

Favorite Coffee Mug

Homegrown Monogram Mug - $8, Anthropologie

I did a little in-store Anthro browsing on Monday, and this mug caught my eye so I snapped a pic. I didn't buy it, but I've been dreaming about it ever since.  It's my mission to purchase it today and I've also decided I'm going to start collecting coffee mugs.  That is going to be "my thing".  I collect nothing and I'm obsessed with cute coffee mug, so coffee mug collection it is.  Anyone out there wanna support this new habit of mine and send me some to die for mugs??  I will not object.  

Favorite Beauty Buy

Sephora's Sun Safety Kit, $30 (out of stock online)

I'm a HUGE advocate for safe sun practices, so when a Sephora e-mail arrived in my inbox last weekend advertising this 17-piece collection of SPF essentials and safe self-tanners for only $30, I knew I had to have it.  And have it I do!  I called my local Sephora on Monday to see if they had any left, and to my delight they had 9!  I promptly asked them to put one on hold for me and I immediately took my badonk up to Sephora to purchase this sun safety goodness.  Review to follow.  

Favorite Wine(s)

Loredona Riesling [5 Stars in Restaurant Wine Magazine]
 and 
HandCraft Chardonnay [89 pts and Gold in Consumer Choice Awards]

One of my BFF's hubs works for the winery that distributes these wines, so he recently sent me home with two bottles to try.  BTW, distributing wine = dream job.  They have so much wine in their house, it is not fair.  

So last night I had a glass of the Handcraft Chardonnay (citrus, peach, honey, pear and creamy marshmallow flavors), and I had a glass of the Loredona Monterey Riesling (nectarine, lime, honeydew melon and candied orange peel flavors).  It's officia!  These are going to be my staple summer wines.  The fruity flavors are so smooth and the wines are not TOO sweet, which I hate.  One word: DEE-LISH.  And by the way, when I say glass I mean glasses.  Duh. 

Favorite Non-Reality TV Show

GCB on ABC Sunday's night @ 9 p.m. CST 

I've got to tell you ladies, I did not want to like this show because I was convinced it was going to make Dallas look absolutely ridiculous and po-dunk like 99.9% of the shows out there.  While this show is certainly over-the-top, I find it to be hysterical and can't get enough.  

GCB is based on the "semi-autobiographical" novel Good Christian Bitches by Kim Gatlin, and the series centers on Amanda Vaughn, a recently widowed woman, who moves her family back to the upscale Dallas neighborhood where she grew up.  Go here to read more about the premise of GCB.  

Oh and did I mention this fine specimen is on the show?  Easy on the eyes in an understatement.  Hello Eric Winter!  I am not happy you are married and with child.  Le sigh.

Favorite Reality TV Show

Yes, these two sisters voluntarily wore these elegant ensembles as bridesmaid dresses. 

Season 2 of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, TLC

I realize this is not normal, but I'm fascinated with gypsies.  I blogged about them last year when the series first came out and have been obsessed ever since.  Ask anyone who knows me IRL.  If you get me started on the topic of gypsies, I will spout out facts like I'm a walking wikipedia.  Like the fact that the second largest U.S. population of gypsies is in White Settlement, TX, which is relatively close to where I live. 


Mark my words: I will meet a gypsy and I will die a happy lady.  Oh um, and My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding (a spin off of the original series) started last week.  Jesus loves me.  

Favorite Necklace

J Crew Bubble Necklace dupe, ebay $14.50 (shipping included)

The iconic J Crew bubble necklace retails for $150 and I'm sure you have seen it ALL OVER the blog-o-sphere.  It seriously is a sensation.  Well, what's even more sensational is the fact that there is a ebay seller in Hong Kong who sells an identical dupe for only $14.50.  Yah, I said Hong Kong.  Stay with me now because this seller is legit.  I ordered one and it arrived this week and I got SO many compliments on it within the first 5 minutes after stepping into the office.  EVEN FROM MEN.  Like, what?  Anywho, I ordered another one in red so I can wear it with black for Texas Tech games.  

I was skeptical about a seller in Hong Kong sending me a "dupe" (aka knock-off) but the quality is amazing. I highly recommend you order one. I'm tempted to order even more. Tell me no! Click here for the seller, just be prepared to wait a few weeks (to a month) to get it.  Patience is a virtue ladies.  I promise, it is worth the wait.  

Favorite Movie Trailer 

Anddddd ... you. are. welcome. Is it hot in here or is just me? Raise your hand if you'll be there opening night.  *HAND RAISED*

Five Friday Faves

Hidey Ho Neighbors (Home Improvement flashback anyone?)! Only a few more hours until we can bust out of our places of employment (unless you are a SAHM in which case your work never ends) and relish the freedom that only comes from the glory that is the weekend.  Amen.

Before I get into some Friday Faves, I want to thank every one who voted for Beth and Mandy to win the free trip to Europe that I posted about last Friday.  Unfortunately, they did not win, but they did come in third place, which isn't too shabby. Regardless, so many of my readers voted for them and they (and I) appreciate the time y'all took to support them!  I've said it before and I'll say it again, my readers are the BEST and thank you so much!

Moving right along ...

I have a random list of faves today, but nonetheless, I am sharing.

My favorite grocery store find of the week is cooking star Giada de Laurentiis' pasta sauce available at Target.

Giada de Laurentiis Pasta Sauce - prices vary by Target store

I bought the roasted garlic flavor and used it over pasta this week.  It was the best canned sauce I've ever used.  In fact, recently out of more than two-dozen A-lister food products (including products from of Emeril Lagasse and Mario Batali), her Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce took home the prize for pasta sauce “Best Buy”.

My favorite nail polish of the week is e.l.f. essential nail polish in Lilac for only $2.

My favorite UPS delivery of the week? The Conair Xtreme Instant Heat Hot Rollers I ordered on Amazon for $29.97.  I can't wait to try these out this weekend and tell y'all what I think.  These are the same ones that hair goddess and Real Housewives of Orange County star Gretchen Rossi uses.   Tell me she doesn't have the best hair ever.

via

My newest favorite coffee creamer is  International Delight Cinnabon flavor.  Coffee that tastes like a warm cinnamon roll?  I mean ... yes.  Just yes.  

And last but not least, my favorite online deal are these Kendra Scott earrings from Gilt for only $28!  If you haven't signed up for Gilt, you need to.  Just go to their site by clicking here and sign-up for your free account. Once you sign up, you get instant insider access to today’s top designer labels at up to 60% off retail.  It really is that easy!  Today they have a wedding shop going on, so all you soon-to-be wed ladies should check it out.

The end.  Have a fabulous weekend!