Upcoming Projects

I admit, I have been super lazy recently. It probably doesn't look like I do anything and, recently, that's been true. I've gotten extremely busy at work and when I come home, I want nothing more than to lay on the couch and read or watch tv, especially with all the rain that has been going on lately...

This weekend, I will be keeping busy on several projects:

The flower beds in our front yard have been overtaken by weeds (laziness), so I've decided to take out the little ones and replace them with bushier plants that will keep weeds at bay. As far at the crape myrtle is concerned, it didn't bloom this year and has a bit of fungus so I have to weed it and apply a fungicide.

The herb garden in the back grew but some of the herbs are done for the season. I have to take out the old cilantro and basil and place some butterfly bushes instead. The rest of the herbs are still producing and I need to cook more with them.

I decided to throw a Fourth of July party on Monday and who better to supply some festive decorations than Carmen at Pom Flair, who will also be attending. She is making some of these great garlands as well as pomettes and the fringe picks for drinks. I will be putting my overgrown mint plant to work by making some festive mojitos :) I think it will turn out quite nice!

I have an exciting idea that I can't wait to announce, but I have to take some pictures before I do so look forward to this announcement in the upcoming week. I hope you guys will participate :)

Tonight, I am going to see Florence + the Machine, which I'm excited about. I hope everyone has a great day!

Birchbox

I was flipping through People.com to keep up with the latest scoop and saw a story about Cynthia Rowley teaming up with Birchbox. My first question was "What is Birchbox?" When I investigated further and found out, my next question was "How do I sign up??"

Birchbox is a monthly subscription service that sends you 4-6 deluxe samples in the mail. The samples range from skincare, makeup, fragrance, and more and are top of the line companies like Nars, Bvlgari, Benefit, Kerastase, Perricone MD, and more. The best part? It's only $10 a month!

For the month of July, Birchbox is sending out deluxe samples that are favorites of Cynthia Rowley and will come in a neatly designed box. Want to sign up to get this great deal? Head on over to their site and get in on this action! Or give it as a gift... you know your friends would love this!

Now to wait patiently by the mailbox for my first Birchbox.... :)

Rainy Days

If you've been to Florida, you know that summertime also means rainy season. Well, we have been in a drought for the past couple of months now and have been desperately praying for rain. The weekend I decide to go out and do some yard work? It rains... all weekend.

I'm not complaining... not only did I not have to do yard work, but we got much needed rain to water everything. The hubs and I played some board games we recently bought and rain didn't stop me from buying some new shoes :)

How was your weekend?

Pom Flair Giveaway Winner!

 Thanks to everyone who entered the Fourth of July Pom Flair Giveaway! The winner is....

Krysten at After I Do!

Congrats Krysten! I will be emailing you later today! Thanks again and I hope you have a great weekend :)

Last Day to Enter Pom Flair Giveaway!

It's the last day to enter Pom Flair's Fourth of July Giveaway! Head on over to the giveaway page and enter before midnight tonight. One lucky winner will get this beautifully festive garland and set of 12 tassel picks to use at a 4th of July party! Good luck!

Summer Recipes

The summer has been in Florida for months and I've been preparing more summer dishes that feature delicious summertime ingredients and flavors. Even if summer isn't in your state yet, trying these dishes out might just get summer to show up a little faster! All of these recipes have been featured on the blog before, but with all the new followers, they bear repeating :)

Watermelon Feta Salad

Provencale Chicken

Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Pesto

Blueberry Mojitos

Enjoy!

Do You Judge a Book by it's Cover (or Spine)?

 When I was in college, and essentially buying my own books to read, I had the tendency to only buy books with bright-colored spines. I'm sure I'm not the only one, but it was a horrible way to choose a book. I was mostly attracted to pink and, of course, most books with pink spines are chick-lit books about finding "the one" or spending too much money shopping.

In college, that was all fine and good, but as I got older, I had to rely more on reviews than on covers. When you're spending your hard earned money, you hope the book you choose is good, otherwise it feels like a waste.

Take these two books for example:

If you knew nothing about either of these books, which one would you pick up in the store? One of them has a beautiful picture and an attractive font, while the other displays one lightbulb with a witty way to display the title. You would have no idea that both of these books are fantastic, each in their own different way.

My point is, if you love chick-lit, the pink books are a great place to start. However, if you're looking for a fantastic read, sometimes a good review will point you in the right direction to a boring-looking book with great potential.

Here are some beautiful book covers of books coming out soon for those that want to judge :) :

Pom Flair Fourth of July Giveaway!

I am excited to announce this giveaway, as it's from my talented friend Carmen from Pom Flair! She has been busy making poms for weddings and parties, but she took some time out to create this gorgeous tassel garland for the 4th of July. It's 6 feet long and contains 9 patriotic tassels.

She also designed these adorable fringe party picks (as seen in the picture with blueberries) that would add pizazz to any drink!

Hosting a Fourth of July party? Here is a chance to win the tassel garland and the set of 12 fringe party picks!

To enter:

• Visit Pom Flair on Etsy and tell me what other pom product you like

For extra entries:

• Follow my blog
• Like Pom Flair on Facebook
• Follow me on Twitter 
• Blog about the giveaway and leave a comment with the link
• Tweet about the giveaway and leave a comment with the link
• Post the giveaway on Facebook and leave a comment with the link

The giveaway closes at midnight on June 24, so good luck!

What's Going On In My World

• It is sooo super hot in Florida right now! The humidity is making it unbearable and our air conditioning bill is going to be through the roof. 
• We've had two bottles of the wine we brought back from California and they were delicious! We had the Murphy and Goode Chardonnay with a Moroccan Chicken dish last week and the Hop Kiln Pinot Grigio with a 3 bean salad I made earlier this week. 
• My car's check engine light came on 2 days ago and, yesterday, it wouldn't start for me after work. Luckily, a Good Samaritan jumped my car. It turned out that her husband was a Red Sox fan (I was going to the game against the Rays last night) and I think that was a good omen as the Red Sox won :)
• I am working a lot more and have lost my days off, going back to five 8 hour days in preparation for a manager job that I'm interviewing for.
• I am anxiously awaiting said manager job to be posted so I can apply and interview, and my good friend BJ is going to help me revamp my resume.
• I purchased my first Coach bag at an outlet in California. It's the Soho leather pleated tote bag and I got an amazing deal on it. 
• Since I no longer have Wednesdays off, I can longer participate in my old lady book club at the library. I did, however, join a book club with girls my age and we are reading Room and discussing it early next month. Anyone read it yet?

Tomorrow, I am announcing a Fourth of July themed giveaway that anyone throwing a party would definitely want, so stay tuned!

Travel Journal: Yosemite Day 2

Here is our last adventure in California, and the most breathtaking.

On Friday morning, we took an hour car ride to get to Glacier Point, which has an amazing view of Half Dome, North Dome, and the valley below.

 

There was also a lot of snow up there, as the road to Glacier Point had just opened up a week before we got there.

After taking in the view, we headed down on our way to Yosemite Valley and took probably the most iconic picture of Yosemite.

The view was absolutely gorgeous! Once we got to the valley, we explored Bridalveil Falls and I got up close and personal for a photo.

We rented some bikes and biked to Mirror Lake and Half Dome, taking pictures as we went.

Before we left the valley, we walked out onto the meadow across from El Capitan and watched the climbers on the face. A guy let us use his telescope so we could get a closer look and I took one last photo of the famous rock before we said goodbye.

We had such a great time in Yosemite, and California in general. I can't wait to go back!

Travel Journal: Yosemite Day 1

On Thursday, we headed off on our 3 hour trip to Yosemite. We saw some amazing scenery on the way and the mountains were snow-capped and majestic! Our first stop in Yosemite was Mariposa Grove, home to the big Sequoia trees.

We walked through the grove and saw all the popular trees, such as the Grizzly Giant, the Clothespin tree, and the Faithful Couple.

After our tour of the trees, we headed to our hotel, Tenaya Lodge, and got dressed up for our fancy dinner at the Ahwahnee hotel. The Ahwahnee is the nicest, and most expensive, hotel in Yosemite Valley, and the dining room is absolutely gorgeous.

Before dinner, we had drinks in the meadow outside and took some pictures.

At dinner, Jason ordered a bottle of 2007 Chateau Montelena Cabernet. If you aren't familiar with Chateau Montelena, it is the vineyard that won the 1976 Judgment in Paris tasting, a feat no other California winery had ever done. It is told about in a movie called "Bottle Shock", which I highly recommend if you like wine.

The wine was absolutely the best I had ever had and the food was unbelievable as well. I ordered fava bean crusted lamb and a delicious assortment of gelatos for dessert.

Once we were done with dinner, and our wallets were empty, we headed back to the hotel and hung out in the hot tub before ending our day.

Later today, I will end my travel journal with our second, and picture-heavy, day at Yosemite. Hope you enjoy!