Funny Vintage

I am not feeling particularly inspirational today, so I turned to some pictures that made me laugh.











Enjoy! :)

Andi B. Goode Giveaway!

Andi B. Goode is having a giveaway to celebrate getting 100 followers. Her giveaway is for this beautiful set of earrings and surfboard pin.

If you'd like to enter, you can visit her blog here: http://c-o-l-a-cola.blogspot.com/2009/08/andi-b-goodes-debut-giveaway.html

The Unattainable Shoe

I am an only child, which means that I am used to getting what I want. Since college, I have been what I consider an "impulsive buyer". If I see something I want and I know I have the money for it, I'll get it. Clothes, shoes, purses, makeup... whatever I think I need. I have enough shoes and purses for a small neighborhood but I always feel like I'm missing something. This week, I feel like I am missing a tan high heel, preferably in a slingback. Then I came across this:

It's so pretty! It's actually on sale for $40, which is amazing and affordable. Unfortunately, my husband recently lost his job and the extra money that I use to buy random things like this now has to go towards bills and helping out. It's very hard for me to not instantly buy things like this but I'm really trying to be the responsible and selfless wife.

So for now, I have to say farewell to the shoes. If I can find them on Ebay, I might ask for them for Christmas. Economy, you've won again!

A Great Starter

I was invited to a "Wine-Down Wednesday" at a friend's house and she has asked everyone to bring a bottle of wine and a light snack. My wine of choice was a $5 bottle of Sutter Home Cabernet Sauvignon (money is tight these days) and I decided I was going to make one of my favorite appetizers; Asparagus Bruschetta. This is such a great twist to the traditional starter and the asparagus adds a nice touch of color and taste.

Asparagus Bruschetta

Ingredients:

• 3 cups water
• 1/2 pound fresh asparagus trimmed and cut into 1/2 in. pieces
  
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 2 grape tomatoes
• 1/4 cup minced fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime peel
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 12 slices French baguette, toasted
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (optional)

1. In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add the asparagus; cover and boil for 2-4 minutes. Drain and immediately place asparagus in ice water. Drain and pat dry.
2. In a bowl, combine all ingredients except cheese. Using a slotted spoon, spoon mixture onto bread. Sprinkle with blue cheese.

Try this starter at your next party and your friends will be impressed!

And The Winner Is...

Congratulations to..... Rae!

You're the winner of my first giveaway! Please email your address to butterflychk500@yahoo.com and I will send your beauty gift set asap! Thanks to all the ladies for entering and thanks to my new followers!

"Oh Mommy!" PR EP 2

***Spoiler Alert*** My reviews tell the loser and winner, so watch before you read, unless you don't care :)


Sorry this is a little late but I had to settle for watching Project Runway on YouTube at work since I couldn't wait. Let's get to it!

We find out the challenge is to create a maternity outfit for the beautiful Rebecca Romijn, who was pregnant with her twins at the time. The designers come back to the workroom to find fake pregnancy bellies to use with the models and they get to work. Louise starts hand-dying lace, which makes her stand out as a very involved designer. Mitchell confesses he is going to play it safe and not send another nude model down the runway. Malvin, clearly the weirdest one left, starts talking about a hen and an egg and that his dress will model fertility. Mitchell tells Ra'mon that his dress looks like a bowling bag (it kind of did).

They are ready for the runway and we are introduced to the judges. Monique Lhullier was replacing Michael Kors and Rebecca Romijn was there to see the designers looks. All of the judges were used because they've been pregnant before, which helps with judging.

The Bottom Three: Ra'mon is chastised for accentuating the belly and his bad execution. Mitchell is told that even though it's cute and casual, Heidi could have sewn that herself and it's a mess. Malvin's mother hen concept doesn't get very far and nobody likes the "sling" look.

The Top Three: Everyone loves Althea's dress, which really accentuates the pregnant woman curves. Louise is told that her dress looks like a nightie but Rebecca still liked it. Shirin is told she has exquisite taste and great use of detail.

The Winner: Shirin wins and is given immunity for the next challenge. Here is her dress:

The Loser: Mitchell and Malvin are left and.... Malvin is told he is "out". Here is his losing look:

I loved the concept behind this challenge, no doubt stemmed from Heidi's own pregnancy. Rebecca Romijn is beautiful and a good sport for letting the designers make her an outfit. I totally agree with the decisions as Malvin was clearly a wacko. I have a feeling this will not be the last win for Shirin because she seems to have a lot of talent. My favorite dress was actually Althea's because I love the shape and color:

Obviously, it's a little revealing but you should feel sexy when you're pregnant and it definitely shows that. I give this episode an A-.

Last Chance to Enter!

Last night, my best friend came over to watch a movie. She brought a 2 liter bottle of White Zinfandel and Red Vines while I supplied the cupcakes. We watched "Sunshine Cleaning" and it was great. I love indie movies and I especially love Amy Adams and Emily Blunt. I highly recommend it to everyone!

Unfortunately, I got carried away showing her my old yearbook pictures (which she happily laughed at) and didn't get to watch Project Runway. But don't worry, I will try my hardest to watch it tonight and write a review by tomorrow!

Today is bill paying day, which is the worst 2 days of the month, and I know as soon as I transfer that money, I am officially poor. So no cute vintage buys for me for the next two weeks :( I guess I got enough when I bought a gazillion earrings off of Ebay.

Good news! My beauty giveaway ends today! This is your last chance to enter it here My First Giveaway. I will be choosing a winner at 4pm Eastern Time so you have until then to enter. Make sure to post it in your blog for a double chance of winning!

Yummy Cupcakes!

I decided to bake cupcakes because I love to bake and cupcakes are delicious! My husband and I had them for dessert after our breakfast for dinner. I admit, I used boxed cake mix, but right now I can't afford to make them from scratch.

We didn't eat all of them, my husband took some to work today. However, I made sure to keep a good amount here in case I had a craving :)

I actually have a dream of, one day, opening my own cupcake shop. Even though I know I can't used boxed mix, I know that I would have a fantastic shop with a variety of cupcakes. It's obviously still a dream but maybe one day it can be a reality!

So enjoy these pictures, you won't get any calories from looking :)

Real Simple Magazine

I have to gush about my favorite magazine: Real Simple!


For those of you who have not been introduced, this magazine is everything in one! Fashion, beauty, gardening, recipes, home decor... all in one affordable magazine!

I was introduced to Real Simple by my mother-in-law a couple of years ago when she gave me a one year subscription for Christmas. I had never heard of the magazine before but I was getting 12 issues free so I couldn't wait to start reading.

This magazine has been a life saver for so many reasons. One section I love is the "New Uses for Old Things". In each issue they give you 4 or 5 different things around your home: post-it notes, rubber bands, salt etc. and give you another way to use the item that is extremely helpful. They include them online here New Uses for Old Things.

They also have issues that really focus on particular events; in the spring, they came out with a "How to spring clean naturally" issue that gave you all the cleaning you needed to do and what household product could be used. In winter, they've come out with a comfort food issue to make while it's cold outside.

If you're not crazy about subscribing to magazines, you don't need to. Real Simple's website is as informative and helpful as the magazine. Just go to www.realsimple.com and prepare to have your life changed!

Beauty Giveaway Ends Soon!

My husband won a family portrait session and I couldn't be more excited. I haven't mentioned my husband's hate of cameras and photographs, which led to us not having engagement pictures done. I've always regretted that because all my friend's engagement photos are so nice and they get to frame them and put them up in their house. All we have is our wedding photos, which are more posed than carefree.

So I told my husband that I was going to ask for a family photo session for Christmas (even though it's just him and I), to which he said "Yeah, that will happen". Needless to say, his winning this session not only makes me extremely happy but saves him money. We are doing it through Cason Photography in Tampa and it will be shot at River Hills park by the Hillsborough River. We also get a free 11x14 canvas portrait, which is fantastic. I think we scheduled it for next weekend so I can't wait!

Reminder that my beauty giveaway ends on Friday so please enter to win a nice set of beauty essentials. The post can be viewed here: My First Giveaway

New Earrings!

So in my quest to find vintage earrings on Ebay, I came across a lot of 9 pairs of earrings. Some of them were handmade and not really my style but some in the set were really nice so I figured it was worth bidding for. I ended up getting the whole set for $3.


These are my favorite from the entire set:


I'm giving some of them away to friends but I'm happy to have new earrings to show off sometime. I also bid on a pair of actual vintage earrings that I will be getting this week. The seller said they needed to be restored but I'm not sure how to do that without destroying the integrity.


Nothing like new jewelry to make you feel fabulous!

How to Make a Homemade Hair Mask

Ladies, the summer can be hard on our hair. If you've been swimming, applying products to keep humidity away, or simply staying outside, your hair has taken a beating! Nothing can be better to help rejuvenate your hair than an all natural hair mask, made from products in your own kitchen! Here is a simple recipe for a mask that will moisturize and leave your hair shiny.

Olive Oil and Honey Hair Mask

* 2 tablespoons of honey
* 3 tablespoons of olive oil
* Small bowl
* Plastic Wrap

1. Take out a small bowl and mix 2 tablespoons of honey with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. If you have long hair, increase the amount until you have enough to cover all of your hair.

2. Apply the mixture throughout your hair, making sure it is fully saturated. Cover your hair with a shower cap or plastic wrap and leave for 15 minutes.

3. Once it has soaked for 15 minutes, shampoo the mixture out and rinse. It is up to you if you want to apply a conditioner. Once your hair is dry, you'll notice how soft and shiny it is!

4. Try to use this mask once a week or once every two weeks to deeply moisturize and bring back shine.

My First Giveaway!

** GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!***

To say "Thank You" to everyone who has read my blog, I've decided to have a beauty giveaway! This set of beauty essentials includes:

* 2 samples of Aveeno Continuous Protection Sunblock in SPF 55 (it's still summer, gotta protect your skin!)

* Sephora Vanilla Cupcake Bath and Shower Bubbles

*Victoria's Secret Dream Angels Desire lotion

*Bath and Body Works Aromatherapy lotion in Lavender Vanilla

The giveaway is open to everyone! All you have to do to enter is comment on this post. If you would like to put your name in twice, please post a link of this giveaway in your blog and make sure to comment with the link. I will draw a name on Friday August 28th so good luck!

Let It Rain

It's another rainy day here in Florida and I couldn't be happier. I never cared about rain until I bought a house and now I want it to rain (almost) everyday. A dying lawn makes my house look like a mess. See how nice it is with a green lawn?

I decided to spend part of my Saturday getting some Netflix movies out of the way. While I wait for "Love in the Time of Cholera" to show up in my mailbox, I wanted to use the Instant watch feature. Thankfully, some of the classic movies I want to see can be watched on the computer. Today, I watched "Gilda" starring Rita Hayworth.


This is the first movie I've ever seen with Rita Hayworth and wow! She was amazing! Not only was she gorgeous, but she had an aura on screen that just pulls you in. She sang beautifully and was confident in everything she did. I was also introduced to Glenn Ford, who was extremely attractive and great in this movie.

I'm not sure what I'll do for the rest of the day, but it's nice to have those weekends where you have nothing planned so anything goes. I can't wait to get the earrings I won on Ebay but I will talk about those more when I get them. Maybe I'll have a giveaway!

"I Can See Through That Dress!" PR EP 1

***Spoiler Alert*** If you have not seen the episode, you might get spoiled :)


The first episode of Project Runway premiered last night. We are introduced to a wide range of designers from very different backgrounds. They are welcomed by Heidi and Tim and are told that their first challenge is to create a red carpet dress to showcase their style. They are taken to Mood and pick out their fabrics.


At the very beginning, Johnny, who is a recovering meth addict, is having problems sticking with his sketch and breaks down when he thinks he can't continue with the challenge or the show. Tim gives him some inspirational words and he goes back to work. Mitchell starts designing a Victorian style dress that has Tim worried, but Mitchell gets an unexpected surprise when he realizes the model measurements he got were 5 inches less than what the model really is. He rushes to finish a dress he has to start completely over with.

The show then focuses on Ari, who is definitely the most eccentric designer of the group. She likes to use fabric to make her own textures and starts creating a dress that follows a soccer ball design, which has her fellow designers a little worried that her look might be too out there.

It's time for the runway, so the designers dress their models and head out to show their first outfit. They are introduced to the judges and the guest judge, who is Lindsay Lohan. The runway show begins and 10 of the designers are taken off the runway for their looks being just enough to pass them to the next round. The designers left are Christopher, Johnny, Ari, Mitchell, Ra'mon, and Qristyl.

The judges love Christopher's sweet yet edgy dress, compliment Johnny on his interesting dress design (saying it would be better in black) and told Ra'mon his dress is closest to red carpet ready, despite being a safe color. For the 3 worst looks, the judges criticize Qristyl on her craftsmanship and execution. They can't believe Mitchell's dress and the fact that it is entirely see-through and ultimately unwearable. They also don't like Ari's dress, saying it is not red carpet or good at all.

The Loser and the See-Through: Ari's Dress (left) and Mitchell's Dress (right)


The winner of the challenge is Christopher. They say they loved his dress the best, even Heidi would wear it. He has immunity for the next challenge. It comes down to Mitchell and Ari. The decision was made and Ari was told "auf wiedersehen".

The Winner: Christopher's Dress

I thought this was a great first episode and introduction to the new designers. I already have a couple that I'm going to keep my eye on but I agreed with the winner (that dress is fabulous!) and the loser (no one should make a dress look like a soccer ball!). I really hope the rest of the season is this good! My grade is a B+

Project Runway All-Star Challenge

Last night was pure bliss as Project Runway fans got treated to 3 hours (4 including the model show) of brand new PR awesomeness. The first 2 hours was the one time only All-Star challenge that brought back either former contestants for a chance at $100,000.

***Spoiler Alert*** If you have not watched this episode, please do not read on!


The show starts with the designers finding out who the competition is and telling everyone what they've been up to. Most designers are now selling their lines in small boutiques and online, with Chris still working with costumes, and Korto having moved on to jewelry and handbags. Of course, Santino was the last to arrive and had everyone groaning about him being there.

Tim and Heidi welcome them back and tell them that their challenge is to create a mini-collection with 3 looks, one that has to be red carpet ready. They go to Mood, get their fabric, and are on their way. Then, Tim springs on them that the red carpet look will be for Nicole Kidman to wear at the premiere of her movie "Nine". Everyone freaks out and starts rushing to get things done.

In true PR fashion, Tim springs another surprise on them; they are going out to dinner to celebrate, regardless of how much work they have left. At the restaurant, he tells them that they have to make a 4th look, which he gives them an extra day to do. However, the 4th look has to use material from the restaurant, like previous PR challenges have done. All the designers stress out and fight over every piece in the entire restaurant until the whole place is gutted.

The designers rush to create all their looks and are finally ready for the runway show. We are introduced to the usual judges and the guest judge is none other than Diane Von Furstenberg. Everyone shows their collections and comment on how proud they are of their finished products. Mychael, Jeffrey, Santino, and Uli were told that though their designs were good (for the most part), they would not be winning the challenge and were told "auf wiedersehen" by Heidi.

The designers left are Sweet P, Korto, Daniel, and Chris. The judges tell Chris they are surprised and pleased with his collection that used plaid fabrics to create a dressy fall line, saying it strays far from his costume past. They love that Korto stays true to her style of creating beautiful dresses that fit the woman perfectly. They were pleased with Sweet P's romantic dresses in pale colors and say that their is a market for her style. They love that Daniel used sportswear with feminine pieces to create a new look and rave at his red carpet dress. After the chat, they narrow it down to Korto and Daniel. The winner of the All-Star Challenge was...... Daniel Vosovic. They loved his unique collection the best and thought the red carpet dress would look great on Nicole Kidman. He won $100,000 and redemption for being runner-up in Season 2.

I loved this episode and the idea of creating a mini-collection. I was surprised that some of the stronger designers did not do as well but pleased that the underdogs seem to rise to the challenge. I probably loved Uli's collection the best because it was different but gorgeous but Daniel's red carpet dress was an absolute knockout. For being a special 2 hour episode, I give it an A!

Who's Ready For Project Runway??

I am so excited that Project Runway is premiering tonight on Lifetime. I have been waiting so long to hear those words "You're either in or you're out" and "auf wiedersehen". New season, new collection of 16 designers, and a special treat.

For the first and only time, Project Runway is doing an All-Star Challenge. Starting at 8pm tonight, it's a 2 hour special that brings back 8 former competitors for a chance at $100,000. Here are the designers:

Daniel Vosovic (Season 2), Santino Rice (Season 2), Jeffrey Sebelia (Season 3), Uli Herzner (Season 3), Mychael Knight (Season 3), Chris March (Season 4), Sweet P (Season 4), Korto Momolu (Season 5)

I am excited to see what the challenge is and how the designers will get along. Some of my favorites are in there (Mychael, Uli, and Korto were great in my opinion) and the one designer I hate (Jeffrey, I am talking to you!).

Then, at 10pm, the new season of Project Runaway begins. The new setting is Los Angeles, which is fitting given their new network home, and the contestants are varied. Among the contestants is a self-taught designer, a 50-year old, and a former meth addict. Should make for some interesting tv.

I'll be reviewing each episode after they've aired to give my opinion on the challenge, the designers, and the outcome. Please feel free to watch along and put in your two cents as well. This is a season you don't want to miss!

Signature Scents

I truly believe every woman should have a signature scent. Whether it's a fragrant shampoo, a fruity body spray, or a floral perfume, a woman should have a scent that relates to her. It's amazing how I can forget about ex-boyfriends for years and then have one sniff of the cologne he wore and all those memories come back. We relate so many things to scent, so why not have someone relate a scent to you.

I own about 3 small perfumes. I used to buy perfume but my problem is that I always forget to wear it. So my big bottles would go bad in no time and I was out $40. I started getting small perfume bottles instead and now I have 3 tucked in my medicine cabinet. I still can't remember to put them on but I really want to start. What I need to do is find a truly signature perfume that I absolutely love.

My favorite right now is VS's Dream Angels Heavenly. It's got a great floral scent to it and it's just right for all day wear.I also own a small bottle of Estee Lauder Pure White Linen. It has more of an older woman smell to it so I don't wear it as often. I basically have it because I got it free in a gift set. I should give it away. Finally, I have another Victoria's Secret perfum called Basic Instinct. It comes in a nice purple bottle and it has a musky scent that is perfect for evenings out.

What I would love to get is a beatiful perfume bottle to put it in, like these:






















What perfume do you ladies use?

Day Off Semi-Vintage

It's my day off today and even though I only had one place to go, I decided to experiment some more with the few vintage pieces I have. So, I put together a semi-vintage look.



I decided to pair an easy tank top (cause it is as hot as Hades in Florida right now!) with my DIY denim capris, cork wedges, vintage earrings and headband.



Here's a closer look at my earrings, which I love cause they are blue and sparkly!



And a closeup of my brown wedges:


The look is very subdued in vintage but I always believe in slowly transitioning into a new look. I will slowly incorporate items until I'm comfortable in my style. A little vintage goes a long way!

An Affair to Remember

In my quest to watch more classic movies, I've started taking advantage of my Turner Classic Movies channel since my Netflix is going too slow. I love how they showcase one particular actor or actress each day and show several of their movies. I've started going ahead and setting movies to record up to a week in advance. I love saving money!

The other day was Deborah Kerr day and of course, "An Affair to Remember" was on. I knew that it was considered one of the most romantic movies of all time and is an exact replica of "Love Story", so I couldn't wait to sit down and watch it.

Oh, that Cary Grant! What a charmer! He's easily becoming one of my favorite classic actors. Look at that face!


I thought the movie was beautiful and I was thoroughly impressed with Deborah Kerr since I had never seen a movie with her in it. She was beautiful in this movie and her style was simple and elegant. It immediately had me looking to find a gold metal vanity case like the one she was carrying on the ship.

The end definitely had me tearing up but overall, I agree with the critics that it is a beautifully, romantic story. Now I can see the parallels between this movie and so many made since then.

The Glamorous Housewife Giveaway!

If you love vintage jewelry, The Glamorous Housewife is giving away this gorgeous set of turquoise earrings on Friday:
To enter, simply go to her blog and comment on the giveaway! Glamorous Housewife's First Giveaway!

Website Recommendation: Swaptree.com

About 4 months ago, my husband and I had to move in with my grandparents in the transition period between our apartment lease being over and us closing on our new house. We lived with them for a month (which was a month too long) but it saved us a good amount of money and we were grateful that they offered us their home to stay in. The guest room where we lived had no tv and we were use to watching tv in our bedroom before we go to sleep. So, instead of tv, we decided to read before bed. I owned a bunch of books but never got around to reading them so I did.

Once I was done reading them, there were some that I liked but not enough to keep. Then I found out about book swapping sites online. I started researching and found Swaptree. It seemed a little different than the other ones I looked at. For one, it was a lot more popular (which helps when you want particular books) and two, it was the least expensive as far as shipping goes.

The format of Swaptree is that you list all the books you want to trade and then list all the books you want. If there is a match, they let you know and you send your book to them. You get the book you want and only pay $3 for shipping... that's it! Because of that site, I've traded over 10 books so far, with only one problem (someone didn't send a book they were supposed to and Swaptree is still trying to solve the problem).

So if you have a stack of books you've already read and have a list of books you still want to read, I highly recommend using this site to do your trading. You can even friend me on there, my user name is Covergrl1124. Also, if you have any books you recommend for reading, please list them in comments. I'm always intrigued to hear what people read.

Swaptree - trade books, CDs, DVDs, and video games for free

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Go see (500) Days of Summer!

My husband decided to take me on a little Sunday afternoon date, so we went and saw (500)Days of Summer. I was excited when I first saw the trailer for this movie because I adore Zooey Deschanel. Plus, indie movies usually have amazing music in them so I was happy my husband took me to see it.

It was a great movie. It's not a love story, which they warn you about from the very beginning, but it's refreshing to see a movie that doesn't end with happily ever after. It focuses a lot on coincidence and chance, which comes into play when you think about love. One person thinks that their soulmate is out there waiting for them and the other is content with being alone and independent, thinking love is simply fantasy.

Zooey's outfits in the movie are fantastic! They are very much like her personal style: old-fashioned, vintage, and girly. I wanted to go right through the screen and raid her closet!
I was surprised at how good Joseph Gordon-Leavitt was, since I haven't seen him act in a long time. I definitely recommend it!

My Saturday Evening...

...was spent doing this:


Watching the wonderful Miss Audrey Hepburn in "Roman Holiday" and drinking beer out of a FSU beer mug designed by Gail Pittman. I think I'm doing it all wrong. The movie is set in Italy so I should be drinking Italian wine or champagne, but given that money is tight, I'll have to suffice with cheap beer.

My day earlier was just as nice. I got to show one of my good friends my new house, which she loved, and I went to Barnes and Noble to buy a book ("The Scenic Route", I hope it's good). I was bad and decided to buy some makeup while I was out. A girl always has an excuse for new makeup. Mine was that all my purple eyeshadows were too blah, so I needed to buy a brighter one. I decided to get purple liquid liner too, since apparently purple brings out hazel eyes, and I finished it off by buying teal nail polish (my favorite color).


Nail Polish: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Teal Takeoff
Eyeshadow: Maybelline Expert Wear in Amethyst
Liquid Eyeliner: Wet n Wild Mega Liner in Plum