It's HERE! Carrie's Diaries!

As many of you may (or may not) know...

I LOVEEEEEEEEE Sex and the City

-the book

-the TV series

-the movie (soon to be movies)

-the clothes

-the characters

-the men:o)

-and now...the book that started it all..."The Carrie Diaries"

I was so excited that this was being released today, I watched the View to see Candace Bushnell talk about why she wrote it. I searched high and low for a copy that I could snag and take home to read (only because I was stubborn and didn't pre-order it through Barnes and Noble...I was hoping I could get it on Kindle...but I could not. grr.) FINALLY, I got it. I had my head in the book all afternoon.

Now, if you love Sex and the City as much as I do and you're really curious as to how Carrie came to "be", then go get a copy! You're gonna LOVE it!

*Be sure to also check out Chris Noth (aka Mr. Big) on the front cover of Cigar Afficionado magazine, he looks SO sexy!*

OH, and while we're on the subject...Sex and the City 2 comes to theaters in ONE month!

HELLLLLOOOOOOOO Aiden!

Top 2 Tuesday...Favs About Summer!

 Top 2 Favorite Things About Summer:1. Warm Sunny Sunshine at the Beach 

Through and through, I am a beach girl.

There is no where I'd rather be than a place where my feet are in the sand or walking on the coast in the saltwater, sun on my face (anyone ready to go!?) and great warm weather (actually, for me, the hotter the better)

Gosh, life is just plain GREAT at the beach!!

2. "Not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand, life is good today,"-Zac Brown Band

You know, I could go on and on about my favorite things in the summer.

I think most people would agree with me that summer just slows everyone down a little bit.

Maybe that's why I love the South so much. No one is in a rush to go anywhere, and they're happy about it! (Oh lord my trip to NC can't come soon enough!)

Maybe its the hot weather, maybe its the fact that school is out, maybe you're sipping on a great drink and listening to some great music (Bob Marley, Kenny Chesney, Jimmy Buffett), maybe you're just enjoying the summertime! Either way, it puts a smile on your face and I know for me, there's no better time during the year than June, July and August (basically the top three reasons on my list of why I want to be a teacher).

Happy Tuesday everyone! To join in the Top 2 Tuesday fun, check out Taylor's blog!

Post-It Fun:o)

Happy Wednesday friends!!

Top 2 Tuesday

 You gotta give her credit! Taylor has been doing some really fun Tuesday posts!This one really made me think...it was tough! Visit her blog to join in! Top 2 TuesdayFav Items under $15 1. Glow and Steady Gradual Self Tanner/Moisturizer 

I SWEAR by this stuff. It is a regular body moisturizer that has a bit of self tanner mixed in with it. PLUS it has SPF 15 (even though I wear sunscreen all day everyday-no wrinkles here!!).

It doesn't get that funky awful smell that most self tanners usually leave you with and you notice color within 2-3 days. For me, I tan pretty easily so I noticed some color the following morning.

Keys to perfection:

1) ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS exfoliate before you use this

2) Use right after you get out of the shower

3) Use liberally-don't skimp or you won't see much color

4) Wash your hands after use then go back and put some on the tops of your hands

5) Voila!! You will look great!

You can buy it here.

2. Cover Girl Waterproof Great Lash Mascara

I'd be lying if I said I never used anything besides this classic lifesaver. HOWEVER, everytime I tried something different (and usually more expensive), I would always go back and start using this stuff again.

I'm one of those girls who hates going out in public without makeup on but I never ever leave the house without lip gloss and mascara on.

Cover Girl has completely mastered this mascara and thankfully, made it waterproof.

The famous pink and green bottle (which are also my favorite colors!!) will never steer you wrong.

You can buy it at any drugstore or beauty supply store such as Ulta.

Happy Tuesday friends:o)

Fill in the Blanks Friday

Lauren does a fun fill in the blank post every Friday, to join in visit her blog!

1. The first thing I do in the morning is hit the snooze button...twice...maybe 3 times.

2. Every night before bed I put lotion on. Either Johnson & Johnson's Bedtime Lotion (seriously, the stuff works wonders, try it!) or coconut.

3. My favorite thing to do when I'm having a bad day is go for a walk and listen to music. I feel like certain songs say everything that I can't at times.

4. Something that makes me cringe is when girls are so insecure that they have to put up a front and talk about other people's flaws instead of working on their own.

5. Social situations make me happy. I love being around people. Weddings, parties, family gatherings, dinners, it all makes me happy.

6. I like to collect things from every place I travel to. I collect train tickets, pictures, postcards, business cards, etc. They all go into a scrapbook that I keep instead of a junky photo album. It makes it more of a conversation piece.

7. Weekends are for working hard and playing harder. I am finishing up my degree for teaching and that basically consumes all of my time. I help my Dad run his local restaurant and I work when I can during the week but weekends are when I'm there the most. My motto has always been "work hard, play harder" because I believe that everyone deserves a break once in awhile:o)

Happy Friday Friends!

Enjoy your weekend!!!

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful for Starbucks giving out free brew today, I will be stopping there several times today to get my fix. You gotta love that they are keeping a conscience effort of recycling and asking everyone to bring in a reusable mug!

I'm thankful for the sunshine and warmer weather that has been showing up in my little corner of the Earth almost everyday. Thank you Mother Nature!

I am thankful for the incredible surprise I got from Nick. It was COMPLETELY unexpected and took my breath away. He asked me to get a bag out of his bookbag for him so when I opened it up, there was a Tiffany bag inside. I froze, not knowing what he was up to. I opened up the little blue box and this was inside

It's simple.

It's perfect.

...it's Tiffanys:o) 

(what girl doesn't love that!?)

He wrote this beautiful card that I'm keeping to myself. The quote was so awesome, he's so good with words!

I'm thankful that the Phillies AND the Flyers are doing well this week.

Flyers are in the NHL Playoffs and won game 1 last night.

Phillies are just fabulous and hold a special place in my heart, we WILL be at the World Series AGAIN this year, just you wait and see:o)

I'm not so thankful that I have to work closing shifts tonight, tomorrow and Saturday BUT that allows me to have off ALL next weekend so I can go visit Nick down in DC!! Woohoo!

What are you thankful for today??

Happy Thursday, go get your free coffee at Starbucks:o)

Wishful Wednesday*)

Kelsey has an awesome Wishful Wednesday topic today, I was so excited to do this with her:

'I wish' I had never-ending funds to donate to a charity and it would be...

Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund

The Work Continues

Diana has always been my idol for as long as I can remember.

I've admired her for her strong will to go against her role as royalty and use her power for the benefit of others.

She did what she believed was right.

As a humanitarian, she broke down barriers that no other Princess, or member of the Royal Family has done (to this day, her sons remain the only other people to have done so).

She was a huge advocate for the National AIDS Trust and the Leprosy Mission.

She visited the HALO Trust de-mining organization in Angola, walking on grounds that no Princess should have been. She insisted on wearing a face mask and the proper gear that the employees wore on site. She rolled up her sleeves and got to work, showing no worry towards the fear of losing a limb or her life.

She visited Mother Teresa and shortly thereafter, passed away from a tragic car accident.

She will always be remembered for her love of children.

She made everyone feel loved and welcome when she was in their presence.

She wasn't scared to touch or hug someone with AIDS.

She wasn't afraid to walk on dangerous grounds filled with landmines.

She was courageous and brave.

Her legacy still lives on through this foundation which was set up by her brother, Earl Spencer.

To learn more about Diana's Fund, visit the memorial fund site.

The Work Continues.

Top 2 Tuesday...Beauty Secrets:o)

 Top 2 Tuesday: Beauty Secrets!! 1. Makeup Optional Kit by Philosophy

Ladies, if the topic today wasn't beauty secrets, I would NOT be sharing this with you (sorry!)

I am not kidding in any way shape or form when I say that this kit is amazing, and yet somehow magical too.

All of my face products are from Philosophy, I swear by them.

When they came out with this kit, I gave it a shot and I will never use anything else.

Steps to looking beautiful:

1) Start by using Purity facial cleanser

2) Next use the Microdelivery Face Peel by smearing the Vitamin C/resurfacing Peptide crystals all over your face in a circular motion for 30 seconds then leave on your skin for 1-3 minutes. Finally, apply a thin layer of the salicylic acid activator gel. You will see the process working, the crystals will foam and your face will get warm (not hot but warm-this means it's working). Leave on for one minute then rinse (I use a washcloth to make sure I get all of it off). YOU WILL SEE THE DIFFERENCE RIGHT AWAY!

3) Apply When Hope is Not Enough facial serum to make your skin hydrated and smooth.

4) Use Hope in a Jar facial moisturizer (another thing I cannot live without), I use it everyday all year round.

5) Lastly, pat Hope in a Tube eye cream lightly around your eyes.

*You will see that your skin is glowing (nooooooo exaggeration, its really nice to see!) and you will NOT need to wear makeup when you're done!*

You can buy it at Sephora

2. Bare Escentuals Mineral Makeup

If you do not use this makeup already, go to a Sephora or Ulta store and try it out!

The year I started working as a waitress is when I started using this makeup and thank goodness I did!

You buff it into your skin so its not just sitting on top, caked on.

It has crushed up minerals in it which makes your skin glow.

They have a HUGE selections of colors that are guaranteed to match your skin.

If you are outside a lot, it has SPF 15 (sometimes 30) in it.

It is all natural so you can literally sleep in it without damaging your skin, plus its oil free.

It will not run off your face like most foundations because it is not liquid, even when you sweat (so you can wear it to the gym or on the beach!!)

Best of all, my makeup routine in the morning is now 10 minutes (start to finish) instead of almost 25! YESSSSSSSSSS!

To join in the Top 2 Tuesday fun and share your beauty secrets, visit Taylor's blog!

Happy Tuesday!

Preppy Mafia!

I was so excited to see that I was tagged for this!

I was a busy bee this weekend, I even made it to the beach with my man! xo

He took some AMAZING pictures of me and my fam; we even got some good ones of the two of us so stay tuned...I'll post them soon!

Now for the preppy questions...

1. Who is your style icon?

No one other than the late Jackie-O, of course!

She was so beautiful and always looked so put together.

Pearls, tweed skirts, pillbox hats, and the infamous oversized sunglasses, she rocked it all!

"A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous"-Coco Chanel

...and she was, she really was.

2. What is your favorite socialite lit book?

I LOVED this book. This is the bridge from trashy to classy in Nicole Richie's life.
It's all about how she overcame many obstacles including drugs and eating disorders to becoming a respectable lady. Hollywood is only a lifestyle if you allow it to be.

3. Favorite Party Theme:

(picture from Google)

College football season, to me, is a way of life.

Great food and drinks

Great fans, who happen to be great friends  (unless you're rivals!)

Great games!

I prefer college football over professional and the Georgia Bulldogs over the Florida Gators.

I really and truly believe that once a Bulldog fan, always a Bulldog fan.

(and in my case, this has really proven to be true)

4. Go To Halloween Costume

I've really never been into Halloween, even though I had some awesome costumes growing up (my Mom-Mom made them ALL!)

One of my best friends passed away on Halloween so I didn't celebrate it for a few years.

BUT, if I needed a "go-to" costume, I would def go for a witch style!

When I think of Halloween, witches are the first thing to come to mind!

5. Extravagance That I Can't Live Without:

Absolutely positively cannot live without it.

A Pike Place Brew could get me through any time of the day. Guaranteed.

Can we sayyyyyy...addicted? Hmm:o)

6. Living Person You Admire The Most:

My Mom-Mom.

She's the complete definition of a woman/wife/mother.

She can cook ANYTHING and she does it VERY well.

She never lets a single birthday pass without it being a huge celebration (and I mean over-the-top)

She gives the best advice.

She believes in true love.

She gives the best hugs.

She makes everyone feel like family.

7. Greatest Fear:

Snakes. Dying. Not being able to have kids someday. Losing my Dad.

Kinda morbid so I won't go any further.

8. Trait That You Deplore About Yourself:

I bite my nails. Not all the time but I do and I hate it.

The only thing that gets me to stop is knowing I can get really cute manicures:o)

9. Talent I Wish I Had:

The ability to sing like Carrie Underwood.

But then again...who doesn't want that amount of talent??

She's amazing!

10. Greatest Achievement?

Being able to put myself through college, on my own.

Following my dream of becoming a teacher.

Overcoming a 7 year heartbreak and finding a dream come true, the love my my life.

Happy Monday:o)

Thursday 5

1. I'm Thankful

...for all the warm spring sunshine that we've had this week.

There is nothing I love more than wearing a sundress, flip flops and sunglasses, driving around with my windows down and listening to Bob Marley. Life is good:o)

2. I'm Grateful

...for my wonderful family. I go to a lunch date with my Aunt Karen every Thursday, just to catch up. I don't know what I'd do without each and every one of my family members. I just love them. I am so grateful that we are as close as we are.

3. I'm Appreciative

...of my amazing boyfriend. There are no words to describe how great he is. We had a little heart-to-heart last night (from California to Pennsylvania) and it meant the world to me. There are nothing but good things to come with us:o)

4. I'm Happy:o)

...because today is my little brother's 17th birthday!!! Oh my goodness, where did time go!? I remember waiting for him to be born in the waiting room. Now, 17 years later, he towers over me and is my best friend. Happy Birthday Brendan! I love you<3

5. I'm Dedicated

...to my Philadelphia sports teams, the Philadelphia Phillies, in particular. It was opening week for our Phantastic Phillies and they are on a ROLLLLLLLL! Trust me when I say we WILL be back at the World Series this year!

                                    To join in the Thursday 5 fun, visit the Mannland 5

Trust Me On the SUNSCREEN!

(As told by Baz Luhrmann)

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99:

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be

it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by

scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable

than my own meandering

experience…I will dispense this advice now.

 

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not

understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.

But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and

recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before

you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you

imagine.

 

Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as

effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing

bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that

never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm

on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing everyday that scares you.

Sing.

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with

people who are reckless with yours.

 

Floss.

 

Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes

you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with

yourself.

 

Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you

succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

 

Stretch.

 

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your

life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they

wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year

olds I know still don’t.

 

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.

 

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe

you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky

chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t

congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your

choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body,

use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people

think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever

own..

 

Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

 

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

 

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

 

Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for

good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the

people most likely to stick with you in the future.

 

Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you

should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and

lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you

knew when you were young.

 

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live

in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

 

Travel.

 

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will

philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize

that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were

noble and children respected their elders.

 

Respect your elders.

 

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund,

maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one

might run out.

 

Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will

look 85.

 

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who

supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of

fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the

ugly parts and recycling it for more than

it’s worth.

 

But trust me on the sunscreen…

Top 2 Tuesday...Magazines!

As you all know, I LOVE Taylor's blog. Hop on over to join in the Top 2 Tuesday fun and follow her! Top 2 Favorite Magazines(hmm this was tough!!)1. VogueI've had a subscription to Vogue since I was 16 years old. It was sort of my "bridge into the adult fashion world" if you will. I love all the articles in it but my favorite part of the magazine? The incredible, artsy photographs that these talented photographers take. They make ANY woman look beautiful!
2. In Style

 

Apart from Glamour, this magazine is always on my nightstand. I always get excited when I see it in my mailbox!!

"Not-Me"...Tuesday!!

I did not fly to Michigan this weekend to visit some family for Easter. I was not freaking out when 3 of my family members got really sick from the flu. I am not extremely grateful for Airborne, it was a lifesaver. I am not glad to be home and healthy.

I did not successfully make an ENTIRE Easter dinner for my family while I was visiting (no way, not me!!) I was not really proud of myself for mastering my Mom-Mom's mac and cheese and shocking my whole family. There is nothing better than hearing everyone say "mmmm Ang this is SO good you did a great job!" I am SO not ready to start cooking more!

I was not wishing for the plane to fly faster so I could hurry up and get home to see my boyfriend. He did not surprise me with a vase filled with the most beautiful yellow daisies and an Easter card that made it hard for me not to cry. Gosh I love him<3

I did not take Nick to Ritas so he could FINALLY taste the Swedish Fish water ice that is not my absolute FAVORITE!

*Side note...why is it Swedish Fish? Just curious...*

I did not meet Nick's Dad's side of the family, they do not remind me of my family at Sunday dinner. Too funny!

I did not get a huge knot in my stomach when I got a text from Nick saying that SoCal was hit with a 7.5 earthquake Sunday night (Nick flew out Monday morning to San Diego for work). I did not wish that he could get in the car and come home but I know that work is very important. I am not hoping that he'll be safe out there.

I am not going for a jog outside today because the weather is not beautiful!!! Enjoy the sun!

How was your weekend? What did you do for Easter??

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful that this week flew by and tomorrow morning I will be flying to Michigan to visit my Aunt, her twin babies and some of my fam for Easter.

I am thankful that the sun is shining and the weather is beautiful here in my little corner of the Earth.

I am thankful that I've managed to keep my room organized and clean enough that all I have to do this week is vacuum and pack before I leave tomorrow.

I am thankful that Nick and I will be booking our plane tickets to head down to Wilmington, North Carolina to visit my Mom's parents in June. As I've mentioned before, it's my Heaven on Earth and I seriously can't wait to go!

What are you thankful for today? What are you doing this Easter weekend?