NOLA 2014

Back in September my sister, cousin and I took an impromptu trip to New Orleans. We all had never been plus we had heard the city had renowned food spots, booze happy streets, and a rich history that the residents took pride in. I mostly took pictures with my iPhone as tugging around a DSLR around became tiresome and there was so much to soak in, but here is what I have to share about my time there.

The place we stayed at was Hotel Villa Convento which I highly recommend. It was within walking distance of a lot of areas we planned to see and the staff was really helpful and accommodating. The room we stayed in was really clean and nice at a really affordable price.

We were told we had to try the Hand Grenade drink at Tropical Isle. It apparently is considered a dangerous drink as people will consume a lot of it without noticing it contains a lot of alcohol since it has no lingering after taste. I can vouch for the latter, but we practiced self control and didn't order many.

I loved the old buildings with their intricate wrought iron balconies with bushy greenery to spruce up the scene. And almost all the shutters around were painted in fun colors. Such a nice sight to see.

How could we turn down something listed as The Seafood Tower on a menu? Impossible. We picked that out at Pier 424 Seafood Market which felt a little "chain-like" so it definitely isn't a must try if you are in town. We also tried out Imperial Woodpecker Snoballs which was refreshing and not too shabby to look at. But again, not necessarily a MUST TRY unless you are a huge shaved ice fan.

I definitely recommend checking out Carousel Bar; it revolves as you sit! It was very neat. It spins slowly so you don't really notice it until you've been chatting up for a while and suddenly you are on the other side of the room. We had our first Sazeracs here, wowza that's a strong drink. If you like stiff drinks be sure to try it out. I personally needed to chase every sip with some water.

French Market was a couple streets away from our hotel so we stopped by to check it out. It was fun to see all the different seasonings, sauces, and other fares they had to offer. We walked away with some Cajun spices to take home.

Royal Street had a lot of street entertainment during the day. It also is the location of Cafe Beignet. We had some beignets and a muffaletta for the first time. The beignets were okay, I'm not a huge fan of the massive amount of powdered sugar. I did enjoy the muffaletta, though I have a sneaking suspicion that if you don't like olives (I love olives) you won't enjoy this NOLA sandwich. We didn't bother making it to the infamous Cafe du Monde this trip since we had our fill of fried dough.

So far, New Orleans has had the freshest seafood I have ever tried. The shrimp were always succulent, huge, and sweet. The bottom picture is Mr. B's Barbeque Shrimp at Mr. B's Bistro and it is by far the best shrimp I have ever had the pleasure of eating in my life. I was skeptical as this dish was heavily raved about in my food research but the hype is so real you guys.

A few thoughts on NOLA:

+ The weather is the strangest thing. It is hot and humid but it would also be stormy and rainy randomly for brief periods before clearing up and being sunny like nothing happened. And I thought the Midwest had wonky weather!
+ Everywhere you go there is ice cold AC blasting even if their doors/windows were open. I think they do this to entice you inside their business as the heat was pretty intense.
+ We didn't get to visit a lot of areas that I wanted to make it to. I definitely plan to go back to visit the Garden District, check out some jazz clubs, and to get a tour of the cemeteries.
+ If you are a seafood fan, make sure you plan to visit during NOLA's crawfish season. I didn't even know crawfish season was a thing, but it is and we missed it and were very bummed.
+ Bourbon street was not really our scene at night time. It would have been when I was in college, but I'm a bit of a grandma these days and it felt too "frat like" for my taste. We visited all the Bourbon street places during the day when we had most of the place to ourselves.

007 what I'm eating/fitness routine

As a fellow foodie, I am always fascinated by what other people choose to consume and what recipes others find worth sharing. I'm that person who does NOT find it annoying when when people post pictures of their meal, I truly enjoy creeping on their chow. If you feel the same way, these posts are for you. It's time for another installment of what I've been eating. I also wanted to briefly cover my fitness routine for some insight.

BREAKFAST

When I wake up I am rarely ever hungry and I hate forcing myself to eat any type of meal. I try to stick to something light to get some nutrition in my body since I do my workouts in the morning. Working out on an empty stomach is no bueno for me, I get light headed and feel nauseous when I do so. I usually opt for a protein shake, something I REALLY had to adjust to. I used to be very sensitive to the taste of the protein powder and despised it but now I can't even taste it.

If you feel the same way about protein, I suggest gradually adding protein powder to your shakes. For example, when I first started out I started with only half a scoop. I continued this for about two weeks and then moved on to 3/4 of a scoop and so on and so forth. Also, bananas are your best friends. They cover up the protein taste and thicken up the shake. For my shakes I add a mix of almond milk and water, a heaping scoop of mint chocolate protein powder, half of a very ripe frozen banana, ground flax seed, wheat germ, psyllium husk, and a little pro-biotic powder. Flax seed and wheat germ should be easy to find at health stores or places like Vitamin Shoppe or GNC if you want convenience but if you want more bang for your buck suggest looking for a bulk retailer online. Psyllium husk can be found anywhere, I get mine at Walmart for cheap. It looks like THIS.

As for actual food, to be honest I rarely eat in the mornings. Like I said, my body is still processing being up so the last thing I want to do is to eat. If I am up for a while and don't have places to be, I will eat steel cut oatmeal that has been soaked in almond milk overnight. I'll add honey, cinnamon, and some walnuts to make it tasty. This is the only way I will eat oatmeal! I hated oatmeal before I did this combination. There is also my favorite snack of greek yogurt with fruit, honey, and some kind of granola.

LUNCH

Lunch is when I first start feeling hungry. I bulk up on vegetables, incorporate a lean meat or seafood to feel fully satisfied, and I always like to finish off with some kind of fruit. Any salad with chicken is a common choice with me. Lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and feta with balsamic is my go to and fail safe choice. Sometimes I'll switch it up and bulk up on vegetables a different way, such as shrimp ceviche. Soups I'll do now and again, pictured here is Ina Garten's roasted tomato basil which I highly recommend trying out. I'll also meet up with friends for lunch and do pho. Sandwiches I'll do on occasion depending on my mood and how quick I want to throw something together. Pictured is a turkey bacon BLT I made up (wheat bread, red onion, tomato, turkey bacon, avocado to replace mayo) which I extremely enjoy. I thought I was going to hate turkey bacon but it has the same flavor as bacon! It does not have the satisfying crumbly fat texture though.

DINNER

Dinner I stick to the same philosophy of bulking up on vegetables and having some kind of lean meat. I am also a firm advocate of carbs as I feel like they give me energy and keep me full longer. My favorites are sweet potato, quinoa, and brown rice. I tried out THIS recipe for a creamy avocado spaghetti squash dish which is pictured in the middle and I would not recommend it. It just made me want to eat guacamole and I don't think it complimented the squash well. I won't strictly stick to healthy choices, if I crave pasta I'll whip up the classic one pot pasta or if I feel like white rice I'll make it and eat it with a stir fry or boiled meat and vegetable dish.

INDULGENCES

My body is to the point where if I go overboard with anything unhealthy I feel sick which is surprising to me since I never thought I would get on that level. Even so, weekends I tend to indulge and not hold back on anything within reason. I drink beer, I try out restaurants in my area, etc.

FITNESS

This is about a 4.5 month time gap. I started out the first two months doing 1 hour gym sessions but I found that was too hard on my body and I was constantly sore/in pain so the last two months I switched to 30-45 minute workouts. I run and do weights about 4-5 times a week. My current workout starts off with a 15 minute run which usually ends up being 1.5-2 miles depending on my mood. After that warm up I do weights, I switch off between arms and legs every other day. I just use the weight machines provided at my gym.

I'm not a health expert and everyone is different but this is what has been working for me. I do have a pretty decent metabolism, which I am very thankful for, so keep that in mind. I think what helped me most was jump-starting my physical activity as I was never, EVER, EVER physically active before. Getting my ass up and around was a tremendous lifestyle change. Diet of course is a big factor but I don't like focusing on it and I don't like depriving myself since food brings me great joy. I still eat chips, pizza, burgers, pork belly etc just not as often as I used to. I would say I also eat less than I did before which was very hard for me in the beginning but my body adjusted with time. Had a few hangry moments in the beginning!

I also think shakes or some kind of supplement is a defining factor in my change as I don't believe the food we have access to has the proper and full nutritional value our bodies need. I don't see the protein shakes as meal replacements, I see them as a boost in covering all the nutrient holes I have in my diet.

If you have any questions about anything, feel free to ask. I'm pretty open about everything so don't be shy!

tag: 30 random things about me

I was tagged by Kar Yi to do the "30 Random Things About Me" post. I debated whether or not I was going to do this as I didn't know if you all would find a post about myself hopelessly boring. Then I remembered my post from almost a year ago where I stated I wanted to inject more of myself into my blog. I didn't do much of that last year! But there is still time for me to rectify this and what better way than to do this tag. Enough blabbing, here are 30 facts about me:

1. I value honesty above all other traits. I can not stand liars and deceivers or shady people. This is most likely the reason behind why I do not keep up with politics.

2. I sucked my thumb until I was 7. I think this has contributed to the crookedness of my teeth and wish it was a habit that never came into fruition.

3. I believe food is one of the greatest joys in life and will try almost anything once. I have always liked most foods and was not a picky eater as a child. My dream job would be a traveling food blogger/critic.

The struggle is real

4. I had very disfiguring, cystic acne when I was about 16 years old. I went on a generic form of Accutane for it which helped immensely. It didn't bother me much when I was going through it (I wasn't depressed or shy about it) but I don't like looking at pictures of myself during that time. I still have the marks of the severe scarring on my face. I don't feel self conscious or uncomfortable talking about it if someone asks or points it out.

5. I have one older sister (whom I live with), 1 younger brother, and 1 younger sister. Hands up to all my middle children out there! Our parents got the hang of that "parenting" thing by the time they had us and we don't get babied. We are clearly the best ;)

6. I am right handed. Sitting in left handed desks gives me headaches.

source

what nightmares are made of

7. Most of my measurements are US averages. I wear a size 7 shoe and am about 5'4 in height. The good news is a majority of businesses cater to this bracket. The bad news is my size is usually the first to be sold out and never to be found in clearance racks.

8. One of the most attractive qualities of a man to me is a prominent clenched jaw muscle. Oddly sexy.

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stare all you want, Tom's here all day

9. I despise sappy terms of endearment. Babe, baby, boo, honey, sweetie etc. They all make me cringe. I don't mind "love" though.

10. Hilary Duff was my pre-teen idol. I mimicked her style and attempted her all her hair-dos from Lizzie McGuire, a show that I worshiped. The hair attempts I made always ended disastrously and disappointing since I have unruly, naturally curly hair.

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team crazy Andie, we all just want to be like Lizzie

11. I am a very direct person so passive aggressiveness really irks me. I find it incredibly immature. Why post a status, tweet, or leave notes when you can just directly communicate what is bothering you with who is involved? Especially if it is someone you are close with. If it is about a stranger, that's a different story.

12. I love pizza. I could easily eat it more than once a week and never get sick of it.

13. I've never gotten a speeding ticket (knock on wood?)

14. I absolutely despise milk as a beverage. Yes, even chocolate milk and the milk dregs of sugary cereal. I have never liked it, even when I was a child. My mother used to force me to drink it because she wanted me to be tall. I'd always have to have a food chaser and hold my breath for each sip. I don't mind when milk is incorporated in recipes to add creaminess but if the overall taste isn't disguised I can't do it. I love lattes though!

15. I was a huge reader as a child. My mom took me to the public library every week and I read almost everything in my school library. Anyone remember the Ramona series, How to Eat Fried Worms, The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Bunnicula, The Secret Garden, Encyclopedia Brown, The Indian in the Cupboard, Laura Ingalls Wilder books, anything by Roald Dahl, Wayside School series, the Boxcar Children, the Babysitter's Club, Goosebumps, and my favorite story ever, The Rat's of Nimh.

16. I'm a huge Pott Head. But who isn't, really? Shun the non-believers! I read and watch the series a few times a year and never tire of it. My little sister is the only one close to me that is on the same obsessive level with the series as me and will go in great depth to have discussions about various aspects of the series and characters. We always play a game of "would you rather" with the stakes always being Hogwarts being real versus a seemingly desirable option. Ex: Would you rather go to Rome or have Hogwarts be real? Spoiler alert, Hogwarts always wins.

17. I don't care for cake. I think it is a waste of calories and always skip out on it at birthday parties. Unless it is cheesecake or ice cream cake. I find cupcakes to be even more overrated. I do appreciate their aesthetic though!

18. I used to hate Taylor Swift but then one night I had a dream we were the best of friends and spent a really delightful day together. After waking up the next day, I couldn't bring myself to hate her and now actually like her. Weird tricks the mind has.

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19. I hate talking on the phone. I rely on facial expressions and body language in communication and the phone completely eliminates that. The only person I talk on the phone with on a regular basis is my mother and boyfriend, both who love talking on the phone. The things I do for the people I love ;)

20. When I was in middle school I used to paint my nails a new color every day to match my outfit. Dedication or just plain crazy? You pick.

21. I had my first kiss when I was 19. I consider that to be an older age than average. I was the girl that was waiting to save her first kiss for someone I had true feelings for. I got impatient as I got older and ended up having a rather disappointing first kiss with someone I didn't even like.

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Mary Katherine Gallagher and I had so much in common

22. If I saw someone's diary sitting open on a desk and knew I wouldn't get caught reading it, I still wouldn't touch it. I value privacy and trust.

23. I love musicals, in film and Broadway/performance. I haven't seen many but the ones I have I almost always enjoy. Truly beautiful voices/harmonies always give me goosebumps.

24. I don't like sports. I find them utterly boring and not very fun to play. Probably because I am not a competitive person and am not the most coordinated.

(source)

25. I don't mind driving by myself and am grateful I have the ability but I hate being the driver if others are tagging along. I avoid it and always make someone else be the driver. Funnily enough I don't particularly like public transportation.

26. My idea of a perfect day is spending the whole day boating, swimming, and relaxing in the sun. The smell of freshwater and sun kissed skin is very comforting to me.

27. I have a high spice tolerance. Nothing in restaurants or stores has ever felt truly spicy to me besides the rare few Thai places and Hmong pepper dishes. Sriracha is basically a tastier ketchup to me.

28. When I was little I was extremely frightened by thunderstorms but as an adult I find them beautiful and comforting. Despite this, I wouldn't want to live in a perpetual rainy area. Sunshine is happiness.

29. No animal strikes disgust in me besides the caterpillar. The most vile being the sneaky tiny green ones that hang from trees. I don't know what it is about them since I don't mind worms, centipedes, spiders and any other squiggly unpopular creature. Maybe it is the strange way they move or just the fact they hang from freaking trees, like they think they are acrobats or something. Nice try, squirmy one, acrobat you are not.

ABSOLUTELY NOT.

30. I find animals to be hilarious and extremely entertaining on the internet but I would never own any myself. I don't do pets, they are hard to take care of and their overall odor is not something I am willing to tolerate.

Do you feel like you know me now? Am I the only one that thinks this was a very challenging tag? It took me two months to scrounge up semi-interesting facts. I tag anyone reading this, make sure you comment if you do so for me to read!

my festival/hot weather face & bonnaroo experience

Two weeks ago I flew off down South to Manchester, Tennessee to attend the Bonnaroo Music Festival. I had never heard of this festival until my cousin urged for me and my sister to go with her. I'm always down for an adventure that deals with sun, entertainment, and food so naturally I agreed.

So what did I bring for my makeup? Well I knew ahead of time a few things before we headed off: 1. We were camping in tents 2. Southern heat can be brutal and 3. Running water would be difficult to get to. I initially had plans to wear a bit of eye shadow, mascara, and a little eyeliner smudged in my lash line. After the first sweltering day I ditched eye makeup completely for the rest of the trip and stuck to only the face makeup and balm you see pictured above, mostly for the SPF protection and added coverage of the makeup.

For my base I applied the Shiseido Sun Protection Liquid Foundation SPF 42 with my fingers. I bought this right before my trip because I heard great things about its SPF coverage and lasting power during the heat. I plan to continue testing this out during the summer weather so I will do a full review soon, don't fret. For powder I buffed on Maybelline Dream Matte Powder with my Eco Tools Powder Brush as it is cheap and takes away shine sufficiently. I finished off with a swirl of the Estee Lauder Sea Star Bronzing Blush with my very battered MAC 109 as it worked as a bronzer and blush all at once. I finished off with a quick curl of my lashes with the Shu Uemura Curlers and a swipe of Fresh Sugar Rose Balm for a nice rosy SPF filled tint.

As for the event itself, I took some pictures to share with you all!

OPI Cajun Shrimp + OPI Glitzerland & Sephora Only Gold For Me mani // Cousin & me on the shuttle to the festival.

Food truck area. I didn't try anything!

The popular Spicy Pizza // Clever Dad? graffiti

F21 hat and sunnies that saved my life // Only a glimpse of the crowd

Citrusy brews // Mushroom fountain that also saved our lives

Morning yoga!

Strange paper mâché butt holding men

Bonnaroo arch at night

A FEW THOUGHTS:

+ There are a LOT of people that go to this festival. I believe I read there were around 80,000 people per day on the grounds. Be prepared to wait in long lines and not have any space to yourself.
+ The people that attend are very open and nice. There is an unspoken rule of don't steal/be shady and if you have things to share, share it!
+ There is also an unspoken rule of no judging/be a free spirit. I saw a lot of topless girls, people acting bananas, etc
+ Southern heat is no joke. We all rigorously applied sunblock with a high SPF but we still got burned. Luckily my face was well protected with my Shiseido, floppy hat, and sunglasses!
+ The food was mediocre at best. I heard raves about the spicy pizza and the grilled cheese. I only tried the pizza since PIZZA IS MY SOUL and it was just ok. Nothing I would tell you to go rush out and try, if you could.
+ The mushroom fountain was such a relief from the heat. Glad it was there for people to enjoy all day!

All in all I had a good time but I won't be returning. It was too crowded, too hot, and I hate tent camping with no facilities. I saw some great artists, my favorites being Porter Robinson, Paul McCartney, and Pretty Lights. There were other performances I wanted to see like Of Monsters and Men, The Lumineers, and The XX but it was too crowded for me to even see the stage. I'm also disappointed that I fell asleep from sun exhaustion for Jack Johnson! I got to hear him do sound check at least and he sounded amazing.

I recommend this festival if you are a die hard fan of the music (I am not, at least not for this genre), like peaceful and giving people, and don't mind roughing it for the weekend. I got a bit cranky with the "down with mainstream" and "I've heard of this band way before you" attitude towards the end but it was nothing that ruined my entire trip. Just different minds all in the same place.

eating clean: my not so thrilling endeavor

I consider my overall diet pretty well balanced; I eat plenty of vegetables/fruits and like all types of meats & seafood. I don't eat out too often nor do I rely on processed foods. I don't drink soda and I don't care much for desserts or sweets. My biggest concern is that my meals are too large and I am not physically active. I also drink alcohol quite often. So as a challenge I decided to change up my eating habits by "eating clean". Cut out alcohol, carbs, fried foods, and red/fatty meats. I'm still eating cheese but limited amounts.

I know, so trendy and obnoxious of a decision, but I really wanted to push myself to do something I consider REALLY difficult since I am such a huge food enthusiast. I planned to do this for the month of June to see what sort of impact it has on my body. So how have I been doing so far?

BREAKFAST/LUNCH

For breakfast I'll scramble one egg with onion, tomato, and a handful of spinach. I also cut up half a zucchini into slices and rub some Good Seasons Italian Seasoning and EVOO onto them and grill them. Those seasoning packets are the BEST. I have been using them for salads and rubbed onto vegetables for years and haven't found anything that is nearly as tasty.

For lunch I'll usually do some sort of salad with chicken breast. The body of my salads usually comprise of romaine, spinach, tomato, cucumber, and feta. I have two dressings that I alternate between. One is lemon juice, crushed garlic, with salt and pepper. My personal favorite though is balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and a sprinkle of the Good Seasons packet. I could drink balsamic vinegar by itself, so tasty! My favorite brand is pictured above.

SNACK

I crave fruits pretty often so I like to have a different type on hand each week. I especially love tossing it with nonfat Greek yogurt (I like Fage), silvered almonds, and honey. My favorite is with pineapple but strawberry also tastes good. I find the Greek yogurt makes me feel pretty full even if it is only one dollop. I also like eating unripened mango slices with dried pepper flakes.

EXPERIMENTS & EATING OUT

I don't mind raw carrots but I don't care for cooked carrots at all. I saw a recipe for roasted balsamic carrots and was intrigued. I tried it out and they tasted a bit like sweet potatoes. I'm not sure if it is something I would make again but it certainly wasn't unpleasant.

While visiting family I went to a gathering and picked out healthier options to eat like Papaya Salad and Chicken Larb (pronounced "lahp"). Both are lean and full of flavor due to the seasonings and herbs mixed in.

NOT CLEAN!

Well I am only human, I did slip up and eat a piece of pork and chicken with some purple stick rice. I can't be near purple sticky rice without indulging since I rarely get to have it! That shit is my crack, glutinous and satisfying. I felt bad at first but the surge of carbs actually helped with prolonging my endurance for my jogs.

Overall I have been eating pretty decent. The first week was BRUTAL. My stomach felt empty since I was eating MUCH less than my body has been used to and I wasn't filling it with the normal amount of meat I consume. I had lots of hungry unsatisfying days. The second week and beyond has been much easier. My stomach finally got used to the amount of nutrition I was providing it and now I don't get the hunger pangs. I drink plenty of water and hot tea to help fill up my stomach.

I also have been averaging about 5-6 miles of running per week. It isn't much but I do feel myself getting stronger and creating a higher endurance each time. I incorporate sets of lunges and burpees into my routine as well.

I have lost around 7 pounds so far from these changes. I'll update again at the end of June to reflect on the challenge and voice my thoughts and plans for maintaining. Now I'm off to dream of pizza and burgers...

01 the book challenge

I have always been a reader, even as a child (remember Beverly Cleary and Roald Dahl?) As I have gotten older, the internet has wooed me into fading away that reading self in me. I miss reading actual books, you know? While I still do read books now and again, I haven't read nearly as much as I used to and as I'd like to. So I am challenging myself to read all of the novels in TIME's 100 top novels list. This challenge is inspired by Jessica over at the Belle Lumiere. Her blog is awesome, if you haven't heard of her check her out. She gives to the point reviews, sets inspiring goals for herself, and her 'thoughts of the week' posts are something I look forward to.

BOOK CHALLENGE ROUND ONE PICKS
So how will this challenge work? I'll pick ten books at a time (my first picks for this round are pictured above) and update you of my progress and my brief thoughts on each book. I looked over the list and have read a handful of the books already but I will reread them again. I also will probably throw in a few books that aren't on the list that I have been curious about. Feel free to join me on this challenge if you want! Or even recommend some of your favorite reads since I love getting insight. Challenge on!

shopping with me: forever 21 april picks

Am I slightly creepy if I say that I enjoy when people post about their shopping process? Oh it is flat out creepy you say? Well, I guess I am a self admitting creep then because I'm not going to deny it. I love shopping posts. I felt like spending money on clothes (actual clothes! Not makeup, shocker) this past weekend. My mind was set on finding breezy summer tops and flouncy dresses. Sadly no dresses caught my eye but I found a fistful of shirts at Forever 21 that caught my eye. Wallet friendly and great finds. Ready to shop with me?

MINT

I really liked the left minty top because it had interesting beading with strategic patterns. However I didn't buy it because the material felt cheap and it cost $30 and while that isn't expensive I knew I wasn't going to get much wear out of it before it 1. shrunk 2. fell apart. I did pick up the right top, the material was silky and the cut was basic. I didn't like it nearly as much as the first mint top but I knew it would look good with white shorts in the summer time and that it was a piece my sister would want to borrow from me.

BLACK & WHITE

I always have to restrain myself from buying only all black or all white clothing. The color palette of my wardrobe is pretty boring! But I wear everything to death. Practical! The polka dot shirt I actually saw someone wear so I had my mindset on finding it. Very comfortable material and adorable pattern. As for the tank, I am a sucker for black and white stripes, adding buttons just made it a done deal. I bought both of these.

COLLARED TANK

The collared sleeveless button up seems to be the trendy piece right now since I saw so many different styles of it. I loved both of my picks. The left reminds me of a tuxedo and it has black lace paneling on the sides. The right is a nautical piece, you can't tell from my shoddy picture but it has sailboats printed all over it. I do wish they were anchors instead, but I still thought it was a nice summer piece.

PATTERNED WHITES

I bought the whimsy floral top on the left but did not buy the eyelet double material top on the right. I wish the eyelet/jean top had a better fit because I loved the idea and design of it. It was too boxy on me, it made my body look not proportional.

What do you think? Do you like shopping posts? Has any cute summer dresses caught your eye? I think I will have to shop online for those, nothing in the stores tickled my fancy.

what's in my bathroom cabinet?

I admit, I am a nosy person when it comes to knowing people's beauty routines. I love seeing what is in your travel bags, your skincare routines, and what your nighttime and morning regimens are. Today's post is dedicated to my fellow nosy beauty bloggers that feel the same way. Here's a little peep into part of my beauty routine: my bathroom cabinet. Since my cabinet is quite small and I share the space with my sister, whatever I keep in here is what I use on a daily basis (or what I am trying to force myself to use up!)

TOP SHELF

Not nearly as interesting as my bottom shelf, but still chocked full of nice things.

HAIR
First up we have my Moroccan Oil and my sister's Josie Maran Aragan Oil. I prefer the Moroccan while my sister prefers Josie. For me, Josie leaves my hair too greasy. I also tried using it once on my face during my parched skin phase and THAT WAS A MISTAKE. It broke me out so I advise you to be wary when trying it out on the face. My sister loves this oil though, she has a pretty oily scalp compared to me and she likes to use it for flyaways and shine. She does not like the Moroccan oil, it makes her feel greasy although she does like the scent. Moroccan oil is the winner for me. It smells good, controls frizz, and it makes my hair dry faster and look healthier.

LIPS
My favorite balms. My sister also loves these. I use the Blistex Lip Medex at night before I go to bed or when I feel like giving my lips intensive treatment. I use the Nuxe Reve de Miel in the morning or whenever I feel like using a balm with no menthol in it. Both are HG to me and I don't want to be without them. They soothe, soften, and nourish my lips. I did a lip care post before featuring these products, you can read that HERE.

TOOLS & NECESSITIES
I keep my Clarasonic Mia here, out of the way. I like this product but don't think it is a MUST HAVE. It is more a luxury and if you can afford it and have been eying it I say go for it. I think it is excellent at cleaning the face of every spot of grime. I also keep cotton rounds here, the brand doesn't matter to me. I never used to use cotton rounds to remove eye makeup (I used to use toilet paper *cringe) but once I made the switch it was life changing. Nothing removes better than cotton. Also on this shelf is my Secret Clinical Strength Deodorant. Boring but a necessity.

SAMPLES
I put a few samples here in order to force myself to use them up. Obviously my genius plan isn't working since the samples I have kept here are untouched still. I'm not giving up, I WILL try to use them. At the moment I have Giorgio Armani Regenessence Eye Serum, Lancome Genifique Creme Serum, Soap & Glory 3-In-1 Daily Detox Vitamin C Facial Wash, REN Resurfacing AHA Concentrate, and Marula Omega Rich-Anti Aging Facial Oil, which is the item I am most curious about. If you have tried any of these products, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

BOTTOM SHELF

This shelf houses the fun products, or so I think.

TREATMENT
Since I have oily and acne prone skin, I need to have spot treatment products in my arsenal at all times. Two of my favorites are Mario Badescu Drying Lotion and La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo. I have talked about both products multiple times before on my blog so I won't ramble too much. I have sung my praises for La Roche Posay's Effaclar Duo before so a basic run down: HG, can't live without it or else my skin goes berserk. As for Mario Badescu's Drying Lotion, I only use this on more cystic spots and I try to limit its usage or else my skin adapts to it and it isn't as effective. When used right, it is very effective at shrinking blemishes.

REMOVERS
I use a remover to take off pesky eye makeup and then I use an oil cleanser to remove face makeup. My favorite drugstore remover is Neutrogena's Eye Makeup Remover. It does the best job at removing makeup and it is a joint favorite of my sister and I. I also recently picked up Bioderma in Toronto which I debuted in my last post. It removes decently and doesn't leave any oily residue behind but I think Neutrogena does a better job at removal. My current oil cleanser is Boscia's Makeup Break-up Cool Cleansing Oil which I really enjoy. I have talked about my love for cleansing oils before and I think every one should incorporate one into their routine, especially those with oily skin.

CLEANSER & MASKS
My cleanser of choice at the moment is Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser with Cottonseed. It cleanses very thoroughly, lasts a long time and smells very pleasant. I use it with my Clarasonic and without and it performs well both ways. As for masks, I have been rotating between REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask and Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal Mask. Both are relatively new to me but so far have been great to my skin. I was afraid the Origins mask would be too drying but so far my skin has reacted positively towards it.

TONER & SERUM
Two categories I am trying to delve into more. For toner I have been using LUSH Tea Tree Toner. It is great; it doesn't sting or irritate my skin and I feel like it helps purge my skin. For serum I am using Ole Henriksen Enlighten Me which I did a full review on HERE. It is a good serum for preventing scarring and lightening current blemishes but doesn't have much of an effect on past scarring.

Reflecting on back on this post I feel like I have so many products in my cabinet! I do use them all and have been for the most part enjoying each one. This doesn't even cover what products I have in my bathroom closet, which houses unopened skincare items that are waiting to take over once I use up what is in my cabinet. Tell me I am not the only one that hoards new items away like that?!

What do you keep in your bathroom cabinet? Do tell, satiate a fellow nosy beauty blogger's curiosity? :)

my travels: toronto, canada

This past weekend I tagged along a spontaneous trip to Toronto Canada with some friends. It was a short and sweet vacation with good company. Here are a few photos from my travels.

1. rooftop view of Toronto at Sky Dragon Chinese Restaurant 2. night time view from the CN Tower 3. CN tower 4. sister and me inside the CN tower 5. looking downward and through the glass floor in the CN tower 6. no spiderman allowed in the CN tower

1. pretty Canadian money 2. Chinatown cuttlefish and duck 3. fresh greens in Chinatown's market 4. unknown and beautifully colored root in the market 5. pipe dragon inside Tea Shop 168 6. Chinatown wares

1. dumpling making ladies in Chinatown 2. duck, wonton, noodle soup from King's Noodle 3. roommate, sister, myself ready for a night out 4. crispy pork, greens and rice from King's Noodle 5. seafood, wonton, noodle soup from King's Noodle 6. hot and sour soup from King's Noodle

1. inside the Guvernment club 2. the lucky bridge inside Pacific Mall 3. my sister in the air puff security sensor in the CN tower 4. arcade fruit ninja inside Pacific Mall's arcade 5. wanda's Belgian waffles with ice cream and chocolate syrup 6. wanda's nutella strawberry crepe, we liked her waffles more!

1. Chako korean bbq 2. bland mango salad at Com Tam Pho 168 3. com suon at Com Tam Pho 168 4. surprisingly tasty pho at Com Tam Pho 168 5. fish ball and tripe stick snacks from Pacific Mall 6. my first time trying Tiger beer. decent!

A FEW THOUGHTS:

+ I noticed a trend with Toronto beggars, they all have pets! And they use their dogs/cats to attract attention. I have never seen this tactic before and I was perplexed.

+ The people I traveled with only wanted to check out the Asian cuisine and scene. I wish I could have tried a variety of other foods and scenes! There's always next time :)

+ The CN Tower was very touristy but we just couldn't resist. It isn't very expensive for admission like other tall buildings (*cough Empire State Building) and the view at night is very pretty. Their security air puff machine was neat, it blew puffs of air along the length of your body.

+ Chinatown in Toronto was bigger than I expected. I wonder what they marinate their cuttlefish in to make it such a magnificent shade of fluorescent orange? I didn't think any of the food there was spectacular. But I was very jealous of their markets. Tons of variety of fresh produce, dried roots and seafood, and much more.

+ The Guvernment was a neat place if you are into going out. They mainly play house music but I believe there are other levels that open up with other music depending on the night.

Thanks for the good time Toronto. I'll be sure to be back, this time to hunt out your other foods beside Asian.

my world: injecting personailty into the vain

I realized something. My favorite blogs that I thoroughly and genuinely enjoy reading not only write about beauty products, but also about THEMSELVES. I love the little snippets they share about their lifestyle, it makes me enjoy their content and look forward to reading more. It isn't just a site that churns out reviews and swatches. It's like getting to know someone and soaking in their personality, you know?

I think for the most part I have made it a point for my blog to be mostly about beauty and leave the lifestyle shenanigans out. The reason being...I lead a boring life! Despite still thinking this, I have decided to inject more personality into my blog. Every now and then I will incorporate what what I've been up to/my life. I want to show snippets of my world (I have made a label for this in my label cloud on the right column of this blog).

Of course the main focus of my blog will still be beauty (with a little travel and food thrown in the mix) so don't run away screaming yet. What you can expect to see is my attempt to sprinkle a little bit of me every now and then; my interests, my activities, etc. I will start the title of these posts with My World so that can be your cue to opt out on clicking and reading if you are simply not interested.

BINGO
I recently went to visit family & friends in Detroit where we went to Drag Queen Bingo. I'm sure you are asking yourself, "What the heck is it?!" Basically you play Bingo with a drag queen being the person reading off the letters/numbers while cracking jokes. Think a comedy show with Bingo mixed in.

The audience was very responsive to this show. I personally thought it was shit. Lots of repeating the same jokes that just weren't funny. I certainly wasn't offended by the show but ALL the jokes were meant to humiliate at the expense of others and that can get very stale quickly. I think it is super popular because it heavily involves the audience. I wouldn't go back or recommend it.

One of the people I went with bought boxed water and I thought it was the strangest thing. It was definitely a novelty item since it literally is just water in a box. My sister got a chocolate cherry coffee drink which tasted exactly like its name.

EAT YOUR GREENS
I love salads (as sides or for in-between meals) and I have been really loving THIS kale salad. I usually get sick of the same meals everyday (I am the queen of variety) but I ate this everyday last week and did not tire of it. I add chicken to my recipe since I am a carnivore but you can add whatever you like.

INFINITY
I have been obsessed with this infinity striped scarf from GAP. It is a lengthy bundle in a neutral color while being super cozy and soft. I pretty much wear this everyday. Easy to throw on and go. I bought it recently so perhaps it is still floating around in stores?

COOKIE MONSTER
I am not someone that has a sweet tooth or who craves sweets but I have been craving freshly baked chocolate chip cookies like mad lately. The best recipe I have tried is THIS ONE which is what I used for the (overcooked but still amazing tasting) cookie above. I have tried both methods of baking immediately without refrigeration and waiting until the next day to bake. There is a MAJOR difference. I mean both are good (who can say no to a gooey warm cookie?) but leaving the dough in the refrigerator adds this caramelizing flavor that is out of this world. Oh, and I use THESE chocolate chips. Makes a difference using quality chips, trust me!

DARKNESS
My manicure of choice: Essie Bobbing for Baubles. While I do like bright colors and neutrals, I am truly a dark polish lover at heart. This shade is a wonderfully rich navy-gray and applies very nicely. One coat was opaque enough but I did two out of habit.

SUPERNATURAL
So confession, I love the show The Vampire Diaries. And when I say love, I mean I am absolutely crazy about it. I admit when I first was encouraged by a friend to watch it I scoffed and thought, another Twilight wannabe (fun fact, TVD is based off a book series and was written before Twilight. Oh & the books are a bit terrible). But one boring Sunday I noticed it was on Netflix so I sat down, said what the hell, and watched it. And the obsession began. I admit the beginning is a bit slow and a few scenes are very cringe worthy but once you get past the introduction of the characters and murky "are you a vampire" beginnings it is really great. The writers are very talented, they manage to make you ride a roller coaster of emotions that you never want off of. It is primarily aimed at a younger audience but I know plenty of adults who really enjoy the story lines and character complexities.

If you watch TVD too...so like, this scene last night pretty much?

Enough about me, what is new with you guys? What have you been up to? Do you watch the Vampire Diaries? If so which team are you on, Damon or Stefan? :)

room snippets & makeup organization

I am not a very organized person. I wouldn't go as far to say that I am a full out slob, but I am definitely not OCD and don't mind a little mess every once in a while. Late last year I was determined to change my non organizing ways so I wanted to revamp the storage of my things since they were mostly shoved away in a sorry little stack of plastic drawers. It was not aesthetically pleasing at all. It took lots of patience and searching for my vision but here is where I am at today:

The white table is from IKEA, it is the MALM Dressing Table. It took me a lifetime to find this. It is exactly what I wanted. Simple square design, one drawer with no handle, glass top for easy wiping, white in color, decently priced. Assembly wasn't too bad, it took me about 1.5 hours to put together. The mirror is from Lowe's, it is a beveled 48x36 mirror and 1/8in thick. This was the hardest part of the setup! I hate mirror mounting.

To keep all my perfume samples in one place, I use my Urban Outfitters Helping Hands Dish. I love the look of this and it is very affordable. The white floral letter holder that is holding my palettes is from a regional store near me. The little oriental looking hexagon dish holds bobby pins and it was a gift.

The rectangle glass with the beads (holds my sister's brushes) and the green sea glass cup (my brushes) are from Michael's. My glass skull holder is from TJ Maxx, it was around $5. It holds Q-tips and my eyelash curler. The perforated metal cup holds my eyeliners and mascara. It is actually a tea candle holder from Urban Outfitters. The mirrored jewelry box is from Urban as well. The straightener holder I believe is from Sally's, I received it as a gift.

This is just my cheek/blush collection. All my makeup plus my sister's makeup (which is a much smaller collection than mine by a mile!) fits into the one drawer this desk has. I am not entirely happy with the setup inside this drawer which is why I am not showing you what my lip and eye shadow setup looks like. I need better separators. As of right now I am using old boxes and plastic drawer inserts. What do you guys suggest? I am looking for something sturdy and either clear, black, or white.

So that is a little peak into my room/makeup setup. I just need to find a nice bench and tweak a few other things and I will be satisfied. How do you store your collection?

the challenge: box of neglect

So I have this box. I call it the "put an item in it and if you forget about it after time you don't need it" box, or the Box of Neglect for short. A few lucky souls make it out alive when its memory lingers back to my mind. As for the rest? Forgotten and unused. The poor items in this box. They are the abandoned and rejected. Not that they are bad products. Mostly it is because I just didn't like them enough. They weren't impressionable and they were very much replaceable.

Since I do tentatively plan to try and attempt a blog sale this year, these are the products that would be put into it. But before I make the final decision and salute them off to new homes, I had an idea. I believe in second chances, so I will give this box of orphaned items just that. This will be my Box of Neglect Challenge for myself. I will do a series of posts on my progress for you all to go along with me to see my final decision for each product: to the box or drawer? Only time will tell...

I plan to use more than one item at a time (do you see the sheer amount of things I have in this?!) as I think it is the best tactic of choice. Let the challenge begin!

BTW, I don't plan to use the very rare Muppets palette by theBalm. I am definitely selling that. Or giving it away? I haven't decided. But I know for sure I am not using it myself. It is untouched!

lasik surgery, my experience

Today's post isn't about beauty. I had a few readers who wanted to hear about my recent LASIK surgery experience so I thought I would do a post for those interested in getting the procedure or for anyone who is just curious. Hopefully this is helpful.

Before I dive into it, just keep in mind you should always make informed decisions by speaking with an ophthalmologist and expert in this area, both of which I am not. With that out of the way, onto the details!

ARE YOU A CANDIDATE?
The first step was to see if I was even a candidate for the surgery. I had a battery of tests done (vision, pressure, dilation, size of eye, etc) so they could get an idea of the overall health of my eyes. Some reasons for not being a candidate would be not having fully developed eyes (they recommend 21+ of age), a history of disease, etc.

PREPARATION FOR SURGERY
After being confirmed as a candidate, it was time to pick a surgery date and prepare. You cannot wear contacts for 1-2 weeks. I wore my glasses for a few months beforehand because I ran out of contacts and knew I was having the procedure done. I also started a prescribed antibiotic eye drop therapy the day before surgery. Four drops a day, easy and painless.

SURGERY DAY
The day of surgery you don't need to fast and you come makeup free. I went in early in the morning, wore a cap over my hair and gown over my clothes, sat in the operation chair and let the ophthalmologist do his work. It takes less than 20 minutes and you are fully conscious for the operation. He applied numbing eye drops and a contraption that would keep my eyelids open so I couldn't blink. There were two machines, one to cut the flap in my eyes, the other being the laser that would do the correction.

DOES IT HURT?
I wouldn't classify the feeling as pain nor as sensation free. The flap cutting was the most uncomfortable since the machine must apply quite a lot of pressure to the eye to cut accurately. The laser didn't hurt but it can be a bit of a psychological trip (the doctor IS slicing/burning your eyes). Also during the laser cutting, I could slightly smell my eyes burning. That was probably the craziest part of the operation for me.

I was offered anti-anxiety medication prior to surgery but refused them as I am not prone to panic attacks. If you are prone to panic attacks, have high anxiety, are so nervous you can't sit still, etc I definitely recommend you consider this option.

POST-OP
After the surgery, I was led out to change and for the doctor to check his work with a microscope. My vision was blurry but better than my normal vision, I would guess this part varies for everyone since my vision was pretty terrible (in the -8 range). I felt the most uncomfortable at this point. It felt as though I had a bunch of eyelashes stuck in my eye and also felt a burning sensation. I was sent home to sleep as you aren't allowed to read, look at your phone, watch tv, etc for 12 hours. I had to come back later that same day for the doctor to check his work again. So I went home, wore a special pair of goggles so that I didn't rub my eyes during my sleep, and took a nap. I woke up and could already see clearer and I no longer felt any discomfort. After seeing my doctor, I went home and was so bored! I wasn't allowed to do anything that would strain my eyes so I just conversed with my sister, listened to music, painted my nails, and went to sleep.

RECOVERY
I am a bit over a month post op. Recovery for this surgery is amazingly fast. I could see clearer the same day as my surgery (after my nap). The next day it was even clearer. It was spectacular. There were a few instructions that I had to follow:

1. No eye makeup for 1-2 weeks.
2. No water was allowed near my eyes for a month (I had to be careful with showers, washing my face, etc).
3. I had to apply two kinds of eye drop medications in my eye four times a day. One was an antibiotic so no opportunistic bacteria would grow, the other a steroid so my own repair tissue didn't scar over and cause growths.

I also was instructed to refresh my eyes with lubricated drops once every hour to keep my eyes moist. The medicated drops lasted me around 3-4 weeks. Once I finished the bottle I didn't have to apply them anymore or renew my prescription.

SIDE EFFECTS
The side effects I noticed for me were bloodshot eyes, dry eyes, and sensitivity during the night while driving. Right after surgery, your eyes will be very bloodshot. Due to the high pressure from the machine, the blood vessels burst. It will be like this for at least a month. I looked like a vampire! I looked terrifyingly awesome. Unfortunately I didn't capture a good pictures of my eyes when they were at their worst. But around the 2 week mark, my eyes looked like this:

NEW YEARS EVE
Not the best picture, but you can see some of the bursting around my irises.

Currently my eyes look normal far away but still have some slight redness. Eventually my eyes WILL be back to their normal white selves. Here is a picture from today:

MY EYES AS OF TODAY
You can still see some slight bursting but it doesn't look too noticeable far away. I just gave you all a close up to see the fading.

The first month after surgery, my eyes got dry very easily, especially after a night of sleep. I always had a bottle of lubricated drops near my bed so I could relieve my eyes immediately after waking up. This feeling goes away after a month. Currently my eyes feel normal and I only add eye drops out of habit and because my doctor recommended for me to keep using them. As for the night vision, I can still see but some bright lights make me wince. My older sister had this procedure done around 2 years ago and she shares the same side effect of being sensitive to night vision during driving.

FINAL THOUGHTS
I highly recommend LASIK if you have been considering it and have very poor vision. It has been one of the best decisions I have ever made! I have been wearing contacts for over 10 years and the costs plus the upkeep always annoyed me. I never have to worry about taking anything out before I sleep, I can go swimming without worrying, I don't need to buy expensive contacts or contact solution. It takes out all the hassle!

I just had my one month check up appointment the other week and my vision is at about 20/25. This is expected since my vision was so terrible to begin with and it will take longer to level out to 20/20. I have another appointment set up at the 6 month mark where it should be stabilized. If not he will make the appropriate corrections for free. Even with my vision being at 20/25, I have not seen this crisp and clear in years! It sounds silly but I am still amazed at how great my vision is and what things I notice now.

If you guys have any more questions, feel free to comment below or email me at kellyyesblog@gmail.com. I'm happy to share anything else you want to know.