If I Had a Million Dollars...

Okay, I admit it, while I do love a good bargain and shop mostly at lower budget stores like Target, I do have an expensive taste. Yes, I have those dreams of winning the lottery and after I would give some of the money away, pay off bills and all those other great and kind things you can do with copious amounts of money, there are those amazing things I would buy that I can't afford now.

Here are some brands I adore and things I would buy if I had the chance:

I adore Fossil. My friend introduced me to the store when I went with her to fix her watch. While I'm not really into watches, my one fashion obsession is purses and wallets. I love all of their styles! I do have a few wallets from their shop that I love and I am saving up for a purse. The problem is... I can't decide! Here are a few purses I love from Fossil:

Lululemon is all about my two favorite workouts: running and yoga. Their outfits are so expensive so I don't have any but if I was rich, I would definitely stock up on all of their gear for my workouts. They seem really cute yet functional and make your workout more fun. Here are some of their clothes that I desire:

My obsession with purses continues with Coach! I do have one Coach purse that I got as a birthday gift and I love it. There are many other brands I would love to have such as Marc Jacobs and I love Vera Bradley, but there is just something so classic and iconic about Coach purses. I love that they have a couple of outlet stores nearby too. I love the signature style with the logo:

Check out all of my pins of these items on Pinterest! What items or brands would you buy if you won the lottery?

Tunes I'm Lovin' Tuesday!

I love me some Taylor and with all the "Hunger Games" hype these days, this is the perfect jam for the week!

"Safe & Sound" by Taylor Swift and The Civil Wars

I'm Back from Vacation!

Thanks for your patience and I hope you enjoyed the guest posts while I was in Florida last week. It was really nice to get away, enjoy some nice weather and take a break from working and "real life". Here are some photos to describe my experience! Tell me about your vacations. :)

Guest Post: 4 of the Coolest Nail Polish Strips for Spring

If you haven’t already noticed, nail polish strips are becoming all the rage these days. They come in many different brands, and you can buy them at your local drugstore or online in a variety of shades. Some act like stickers with a plastic front and adhesive on the back and other brands are made from real nail polish. The great thing about manicure strips is the fact that they are easy to apply and virtually mess-free. Simply stick them on and file them down to fit your nail. When you’re running late and still want your nails to look fresh, you can apply them and go with absolutely no drying time. Here are some of the coolest shades to rock this spring, so you can try them for yourself A.S.A.P.!

 

1. Fancy Florentine

This paisley-esque, black and silver print nail strips by Donna Bella Nails can be paired perfectly with the bright colors popular this spring. The dark shade also provides an extra nod to the cool weather of winter, so they are great nails to wear while transitioning out of the cold and into warmer months. Check them out here and find out where to buy.

2. Tu Tu Much

This is the perfect pink for spring this year. It is soft, with hints of white and cream, but intense enough to look almost neon. These nails would look great paired with any shade of denim. Try them with a denim body-con dress and some funky wedges, or with your favorite jeans, some shades and a classic white tee. Take a closer look at this Sally Hanson shade here, or simply run to your local drugstore to see if they have this color in stock.

3. Rococo White

Bring out your inner royalty with this white and gold rococo print design. Think album cover of Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch the Throne album if you’re questioning whether or not this design is hot right now. Go wild and pair them with other prints, like a bright green floral dress or a long black and white striped top. From Donna Bella Nails, check them out here.

4. Skully Wag Blue

There is a huge trend this spring towards punk mixed with girly princess. You’ve probably been seeing it all over the magazines, with models and celebrities combining things like girly hair ribbons with studded jewelry, or huge platform Doc Martens with high-waisted feminine shorts. These nail strips from Donna Bella look a little crazy, but the mixture of the skulls and the light blue background actually make them somewhat innocent, and you can have fun playing with the edginess factor. Take a closer look here.

Author Bio:

This is a guest post by Nadia Jones who blogs at online college about education, college, student, teacher, money saving, movie related topics. You can reach her at nadia.jones5@gmail.com.

Guest Post: In Need of Tiaras and Transformations? 5 Girly Movies to Get You through Even Your Worst Days

Hello wonderful friends! I am in sunny Florida for about a week so I am taking a little blog break. I have some wonderful guest posts scheduled for you! Enjoy. :)

You know those days when nothing seems to go right? And the only energy you have left at the end of the day will get you as far as flopping down on the couch and fighting off tears? Never fear, when the going gets tough, the tough get girly! Whenever you need a little extra pep in your step, take a cue from these down and out leading ladies who always manage to come out ahead.

1. Mean Girls

First off, Mean Girls is simply hilarious. Created by comedian Tina Fey, the brains behind 30 Rock and Sarah Palin’s failed attempts at seeing Russia across the ocean on SNL, this is a true comedy for those who love comedies. On top of that, Rachel McAdams is hilarious as Regina George, and this movie’s portrayal of “girl world” is so close to reality that it will have you laughing in no time. Watch as the lowly outcast becomes school’s most popular (and evil) mean girl, and you can’t help but sympathize.

2. The Little Mermaid
Anyone who says they don’t like The Little Mermaid is lying! If nothing else, watch it for the amazing music and have your own private sing along to boost your spirits immediately. The story itself, though, is a great one of wanting a different life than the one you were given, and the ramification of changing who you naturally are.

3. Legally Blonde
If you love the underdog, then there is no reason not to love Ms. Elle Woods of Legally Blonde. Witherspoon herself said she was drawn to the character because she was a woman who everyone underestimated that ended up saving the day, and herself. Little did the haters know, she just happens to be a brilliant law student and stunning in pink. We love you, Elle!

4. The Princess Diaries
Talk about a perfect (and perfectly hilarious) Cinderella story! Anne Hathaway is super adorable in this one, and can’t we all relate to her braces and frizzy hair? Watch her go from crazy awkward to crazy cool as she learns to be a princess and get through high school at the same time.

5. Never Been Kissed
For anyone who has ever loved a high school teacher, this one for you. Plus, Drew Barrymore is adorable and crazy funny (as usual) as the wayward and fashion-challenged journalist who, unable to get out of an undercover assignment, goes back to her worst days ever: high school. As hard as she tries, she can’t help but find herself right back where she was before. Until, that is, her real life brother decides to follow in her footsteps and pretend to be a high schooler as well. Always the popular funny guy, he quickly rises to the top of the social strata and helps his sister nail her assignment and become the most popular girl in school, to boot.

Jemima Lopez is a freelance blogger and writer who writes for Zen College Life, the directory of higher education, distance learning, and best online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email: lopezjemima562@gmail.com.

Stop Bullying!

Bullying is in the news a lot these days. As a kid I was pretty lucky. In elementary school, I always cried. I always remember kids being pretty nice to me and giving me hugs and cards. Middle school was a bit of a different story.

I remember one specific incident in art class. A boy that I had a huge crush on came in with his friend and his friend started saying loudly how I had a crush on the kid and taunting me in front of the whole class. The teacher didn't say a word and I remember a girl coming up to me after saying, "Are you okay? Didn't you hear them making fun of you?" Of course I did but thanks for the reminder! My hands were shaking and it just seemed like a horrible dream. I also remember another mean girl who decided to call me random names.

Luckily though, looking back and realizing I had been bullied at times, I never really thought of it that way at the time. Even though I can be very sensitive, I definitely let it roll off my back. The mean girl I mentioned, she spread rumors that I was a "ho" and I laughed it off, pretending I had no idea what it mean and joked about garden tools.

It saddens me to think about all the kids that aren't able to let it roll off their back. That are teased and tormented much worse than I can even imagine. That take their lives because they feel so lonely and hurt.

So take a moment and do all you can to stop bullying. You may not be able to do much but you can at least stop bullying in your life. Remind yourself to be nice. Don't say or do anything to someone that you wouldn't want someone to say or do to you. Teach any kids you know to stop bullying if they see it. With computers and technology these days, it is easier than ever for kids to tease each other and torment on the Internet. Remember, whatever you put on the Internet is there forever and affects people more than you realize.

Together we can stop bullying and broken hearts.

Tunes I'm Lovin' Tuesday!

Today's tune is a wonderful one! My boy sent this to me not too long ago and I love it. It is so peppy and upbeat and I love this video. Enjoy!

Drive By - Train

Duh, Pinning!

It seems Pinterest is the big thing these days! Naturally, I am pinning! ;) Check out my Pinterest page and follow me if you enjoy my boards. Send me yours to look at too!

Happy pinning!

Don't forget to follow and tweet me on Twitter too!

Do You Eat Ramen?

I am sure some college kids or post grads read this blog. We don't have a lot of money right? I bet you have eaten Ramen at least once or twice. Check out this fun infographic from Hack College!


Created by: Hack College

Happy Birthday Kevin!

Today is a special day! It is my boy's birthday! Today he turns 23 and this will be a big year for him. While he is 23, he will be graduating college and hopefully getting a job he loves. Today we are hanging out and he's getting his gifts and cake and tomorrow we will be going out to dinner and spending time with friends.

To the birthday boy:

I hope you have an amazing birthday. You're a wonderful boyfriend and person and I love you so much! I can't wait to spend the weekend celebrating your birthday and I hope 23 is a great year for you and us! xoxo!

Everyone wish him a happy birthday!

Tunes I'm Lovin' Tuesday!

I've decided to start a new series on my blog (perhaps there will be more to come, but I love sharing music with you all!). Each Tuesday I will share with you a song or two that I've been jamming to lately. Enjoy and let me know what you think in the comments! Or recommend some similar music. :)

The first video is "Cough Syrup" by Young the Giant. I first heard this song performed on "Glee" so I looked up the original version. I just love this guy's voice!


The next video is "Shake it Out" by Florence + The Machines. I heard this one on "How I Met Your Mother" and loved it. She's an amazing singer.

What "The Hills" Taught Me

The other day I decided to watch my DVD of "The Hills: Season 2". This was the season where Lauren and Heidi started having all of their friendship troubles and Lauren also fights with "Jen Bunney". It got me thinking about friendships in your early twenties. I've had my share of friendship troubles and lost a few friends over the past years. Even when everyone and their mother tells me that the friendship breakup wasn't my fault or that I'm better off without that person, a part of me beats myself up. Surely, it was my fault or there was something I could have done or should have done. Even if that other person treated me like crap, maybe I should have tried harder to work it out.

Yet watching "The Hills" again helped me realize that these things happen. People change and friends leave and you can't beat yourself up for it. Watching Lauren, who always seems like she is an amazing friend and a good-hearted person have people treat her badly made me realize I'm not the only one. There are always two sides to every fight and the people in it tend to change the story to make themselves look better.

All you have to do in these situations is realize if the friendship is worth it. Being so young in your twenties, we are all figuring our lives out. People change their priorities all the time and stress can make a bad situation blown way out of proportion. In the end, you have to decide if your friendship with that person is enriching your life and making you happy more of the time or sad and upset more of the time. If it is making you more upset, much like the Lauren/Heidi/Spencer situation, then perhaps it is time to move on.

Do you remember watching "The Hills"? Did it teach you anything or did you hate the show? ;)

My First Booty Shake With Zumba

One of my goals for this year was to try new ways to stay fit and have fun. I’ve always been interested in trying Zumba after hearing so many good things about it. I’ve been reluctant because I’m not that greatest dancer or the most coordinated person in the world. Yet I still wanted to try it and see what it was like. A lady I knew from my church taught Zumba classes there but it is always at times I can’t attend. So when I found out about a Heart2Heart party she was hosting that featured Zumba, yoga, meditation and self-massage, I knew I had to go! I enlisted a friend and we signed up, ready to shake our booties.

Much like yoga, Zumba is all about enjoying your own practice and doing what you are able to do, but with a twist. The music was blaring heart pumping songs and new moves kept coming. I was nervous I wouldn’t be able to catch up or I would do the moves totally wrong, but I quickly realized that it didn’t really matter, as long as you were moving! No one was doing the moves perfectly or “completely correct”. Zumba is all about getting your heart beating and your feet moving towards a healthier body. I had a blast! I didn’t care what I looked like (it was probably very amusing to watch), but it was so much fun to dance around to happy music, clapping my hands and shaking my booty! I definitely hope to start taking Zumba classes because it was such a fun workout!

Next came yoga with a different instructor. It was a shorter session than I am used to, but very relaxing and rewarding nonetheless. Then a massage therapist taught us some self-massage techniques and reminded us to drink, drink, drink water for our health! I learned that the center of our immune system is in the area right between our chest and it helps amp it up to rub it a little bit with small circles. Small circles seemed to be the key – rub your head, face, neck, etc. with your fingers using small circles to ease tension and stress. Also remember, we hunch so much during the day while we walk, type, text and much more, so arch back and open up your chest for a nice stretch. We ended the night with meditation, door prizes and snacks. Proceeds for the event went to help National Heart Month (check your ticker!).

All in all, I’m so glad I went! Not only did I get to spend time with a great friend, I tried something new and loved it. I definitely hope to start taking Zumba classes along with my yoga routine.
Have you ever tried Zumba or gone to an event like this? Tell me about it!


See the original article on ASKinyourface.com. 


Please visit Michelle Haight’s Zumba website.