Have a laugh.

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Have a good Saturday!

Things I Like Thursday

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1. I finally got an apartment for when I move later in July for my job! It was looking like there was nothing in the area, but I found something a nice 30 mile commute away! I'm so happy to start apartment furniture shopping!

2. Cleaned out my room after it got a fresh coat of paint. I was able to get rid of a ton of stuff and now I have a good idea of what to take with me when I move out. Felt good to get rid of some trash.

3. Bees make me really happy. No real reason. I just love watching them buzz around.

4. I'm going to a summer concert tonight! It's Jimmy Buffett, which normally isn't my style but it's something different and I'm going with a good friend. Plus we're tailgating for about 5 hours. YAY!

What are you loving this Thursday?

tunes for your tuesday: Maroon 5

Can you believe that it has been 10 years since Maroon 5's Songs About Jane album made them huge? I remember working on homework to their album!

Even though their lyrics might seem a bit provocative sometimes, Adam Levine's voice completely hooked me to their music.

How great is it that after all these years this band still has wonderful music to share with all of us?

I hope they don't stop making music for a loooooong time. :)

What are y'all listening to?

Weekend Update! v.2

Friday: I was supposed to go to the NHL Draft party in downtown Pittsburgh, but my father wasn't feeling well so I decided to stay with him and watch from home. Some surprises for Pittsburgh, but I think we got some good picks! Then I baked brownies as a treat for the whole family, because I have no will power for diets.

Saturday: My mom, brother, and I went downtown to go on the Monongahela incline. My parents have lived in this area for about 8 years and they've never been on Mt. Washington! My dad was still under the weather, so he wasn't able to go with us this time. The view was breathtaking, the heat wasn't bad, it wasn't crowded, and I got to drink a delicious iced chai tea latte. :) Such a wonderful day in the fresh air!

Sunday: Cleaned, did some laundry, and rented 50/50! I loved this movie, it reminded me of my wonderful relationship with my best friend. Overall, it was a good and relaxing weekend!

How was your weekend?

Inspiration

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Have a great weekend!

Beauty Haul - face edition

everything!

Some days, I like to treat myself with make-up.

butter LONDON nail polish in Fairy Lights; Pureology shampoo & conditioner samples; benefit BADgal lash mascara

But alas, this was not just a "treat myself" shopping trip, even though I got some stuff that I had been looking at for a while. I came in for a specific purpose to stop some blemishes on my face that had been popping up recently.

After looking at reviews and talking to some people at the store, I decided to get benefit boo boo zap! acne treatment.

I had read on the internet that purity made simple by philosophy was a good facial cleanser, so I bought a small bottle to try.

I washed my face last night and put the spot treatment on before bed. I am here to testify -- the spot treatment was AMAZING. I had a small blemish on my chin and a couple on my forehead; after I applied it I woke up and they were GONE. The face cleanser made my skin super soft this morning, too.


I highly recommend the spot treatment for the issues. I have never had anything that worked so well. Just be careful, because they really dry the area out. The instructions also say to apply up to three times a day, but once was enough for me. You can also wear this under make-up, but just remember to put moisturizer on.


What are some of your favorite blemish-fighting products?

Things I Like Thursday.

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1. This warm weather is awesome. It's just perfect enough to hang out outside all day and read!

2. I got my diploma in the mail the other day! I was starting to panic thinking that it was lost in the mail, but it got here with not one bend or rip. :) I was so happy!!

3. There's a ton of string left over from my friendship bracelet-making days, so I decided to make a new one and send it to my best friend in Georgia! It was nice making something like that again, it's been so long.

4. True Blood is getting really good and it's only the second episode. I love this show so much!

What are you loving this Thursday?

Weekend Update! v.1

Decided to do this Weekend Update blog hop! Come join in! :)

Thursday: Went to Lake Erie and spent the whole day there!! It is simply gorgeous. When my mom got off work she met me at Sunset Beach and we spent the evening watching -- what else -- the sunset!

Friday: Spent the morning shopping; I got a new outfit and a wedding gift for my friend! I then had lunch with my mom and left early to go back home before her.

  

Saturday: My Saturday was boring; I watched t.v. for the morning and cleaned the rest of the day. Daisy helped by keeping me company and looking cute!

Sunday: Another boring day, but it sure was relaxing. I spent the whole day in the family room with my parents, reading the paper, reading my book, and drinking coffee. After coffee we moved to wine & beer, but I got a little (ahem) incapacitated so I forgot to take pictures! We had a lovely Father's Day dinner of steak and potatoes and cheesecake for dessert. It all was delicious!

What did y'all do this weekend?

Father's Day

Baby me and my Pops!

Dear Pops,

It's a day to celebrate you, everything you've done as a Dad, and a day that we all get to eat barbecue because it's your favorite. But really, I want to thank you for everything you've done for me.

You've gone through a lot of hardships that I've only started to learn about. You've stopped a cycle of abuse in your family and rose above what the "norm" was for your time. I am so proud of you.

You've stood by me and helped me with anything from friend problems to math problems. You were there to tell me to be tough, stand up for myself, and to not take any crap from anyone. You have been there to be my shoulder to cry on, even if you hate seeing me cry and get really awkward about it. Even though you try to put on this 'tough guy' persona, I know deep down you're just a sensitive and caring guy.

We have great laughs and great talks. You brushed and braided my hair in elementary school and always had cookies after soccer practice. You've always been there for me and I know that it will continue even after I move 1,000 miles away.

I just want to thank you for being a great Dad. Love you.

Love, Your Daughter

Hope y'all have a great Father's Day with your Father figures! :)

Things To Do: Phipps Conservatory

If you ever find yourself in the Pittsburgh area, you need to go see the Phipps. This place is full of beautiful arrangements and rooms that transport you to a whole new world.

I went to the conservatory when they were having several exhibits, like the butterfly room and Summer Flower Show: Fountains of Youth. Everything is beautiful and fun to walk around in. 

I especially loved the Fountains of Youth exhibit because they had fun little health tidbits on the majority of fruits and flowers around the rooms. They even had some recipes for everyone to try!

from my favorite room: the orchid room!

When you come to Pittsburgh this place is one of the best of the city. I love everything about the place and always try to make a trip (or two!) to the building! I'm hoping their history-making Center for Sustainable Landscapes will be open soon!

Hope everyone will have a great weekend!

What are y'all doing for this weekend?

Things I Like Thursday

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1. Watching NHL history being made by the LA Kings winning the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals was awesome! I cannot express how impressed I was with the Kings' performance!! They finally have Lord Stanley after 45 years in the league! Fun fact: Kings are the FIRST number 8 seed in either conference to win the Stanley Cup!

2. Still slightly related to #1, but I got my dad this sweet hat for Father's Day. :)

3. I've been reading like crazy this summer, and getting a ton of books from the library is just something small but great.

4. I love watching Tosh.0 and this week's episode was pure gold.

What are some of y'all loving this Thursday?

My best haircut

I have always had long hair.

a better picture of my hair with my best friend Marilyn!

The first major haircut I got was when I was 10 year's old and I got over a foot of my hair cut off. Weird? Hell yes. I donated my hair to a charity that makes wigs for children with medical hair loss and it was awesome. Still, my hair was well below my shoulders. 

After I graduated college, I decided to cut my hair again. This time it was 11 inches and I got my hair cut into a long bob! It was a pretty freaky experience for me! I had never had my hair that short and even though it was just hair, I had such an emotional attachment that I started doubting myself. Would I look good with short hair? What can I do with it? Will I even still look like a girl?! Honestly my hairdresser Meagan did a GREAT job! I couldn't be more happy with it.

Once I cut my hair, I again donated my hair to charity through Locks of Love. I decided to share this story for all the people out there scared to cut their hair short... DO IT!! I love having short hair and being able to walk outside and not have my neck feel on fire. Yeah, thick and long hair can be a pain in the ass around summer time.

I'm here to tell y'all though -- cut your hair short and flaunt it this summer! Hair will always grow back and the satisfaction of helping people with a donation is so awesome. 

Have you ever done something with your hair you never thought you would?

The river is everywhere

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Normally I don't do book reviews, mainly because I end up just saying words like AWESOME, COOL, TUBULAR (haha no), & GREAT a bunch without conveying why I liked a book so much. For Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse though, I felt like I needed to say something about it.

I started reading the book because one of my musical idols, Andrew McMahon, has a tattoo related to the book and mentions it a lot in interviews. Siddhartha is also heralded as a classic, with many people stating that they've walked away from the book with a richer understanding of life. I felt like I was missing out on something by not reading the book.

The whole story is about the life of Siddhartha and how he goes along a personal journey to truly understand the Self and life. Honestly, the starting of the book was slow for me. I had to get about 30 pages in to really get into the main character and what he was doing. The very end of the book is my favorite though, because to me it was the most thought-provoking. It made me sit back and think about how I can be a more peaceful person in my life.

"Wisdom cannot be imparted. Wisdom that a wise man attempts to impart always sounds like foolishness to someone else. Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, do wonders through it, but one cannot communicate and teach it." ~ Siddhartha

The book was definitely worth the read and I can see why there is so much hype around it. I recommend this book to anyone but beware -- this is not exactly a light read. Personally, I had to put the book down several times and just think. Maybe I'm dramatic, but to me this book just makes you think a ton!

Have you read Siddhartha? What are some of your favorite classical reads?

cats & fun facts

Need a pick-me-up for this Monday? Let my cat Ginger guide you through!

Cats hate the smell of citrus.

"Is that an orange I smell?! Gross!"

Cats do not have taste buds for sweet things.

"No ice cream for me? Oh well."

Cats are true carnivores.

"I'll have a steak, hold the vegetables"

Have a great start to your week!