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Thursday, February 5, 2015

How I trick myself into saving money

If you read my last blog post, you know that I've recently been really, really trying to contribute to my savings each month. It's HARD! There are SO MANY other things I'd rather be doing with my money i.e. go to Texas & Colorado every weekend so I can hang out with my best friends, treat myself to a massage every time I'm stressed (aka everyday), buy a million more clothes/shoes/bags to break my closet bar-thing (that happened. twice.) But I know, I know, it's important to save my money. And I know I will thank myself later. 

I really do try to abide by the rule that once I put a dollar in my savings account, that dollar will absolutely NOT come back out unless 1) I am putting it towards a well thought-out investment in my future (like a home! or a ... k prob just a home) or 2) something super dramatic has happened and that dollar is actually critical to my or my loved ones' survival. But because I take not touching my savings account so seriously; I find myself contributing less than I know I could and frankly SHOULD each month. But what if all my shoes get stolen out of my closet and I have to buy new ones!? This is the type of question I ask myself each time I prepare to click the "transfer funds" button. Completely ridiculous? Yes. Does it prevent me from saving less money than I should? 100% people. 

This is where the best thing that has ever happened to me comes in. Ok, well, it's probably a top 30 best thing that has ever happened to me. I'd like to introduce you to DIGIT! It is so so so so SO great you guys. All you do is sign up here. Seriously.. that's it. ​Essentially it analyzes your spending habits (you connect it with your bank account) and it secretly takes a dollar here, a dollar there, and puts it into savings for you. ALL WITHOUT YOU KNOWING! For example, last week I didn't do anything that I wouldn't normally do in terms of spending (dinners, happy hours, grocery shopping, spin classes etc.) and ended up with the same amount of money leftover I typically do after paying bills and such in the first week of any month. I figured Digit just hadn't finished analyzing my spending habits yet, and hadn't kicked in yet. But I decided to text it anyways (that's all you do to see your balance - see my screen shot below!) and it had saved me $30. IN A WEEK. Imagine if it did that for me every week - that would be $1,500 of extra savings for me per year. That I didn't even KNOW I saved. Pretty cool, huh? Anyways.... go check it out for yourself! You can thank me later (: 

Sign up here: https://digit.co/r/WyVhM 


Friday, January 9, 2015

14 Things I learned in 2014

​Wow. 2015. Feels like yesterday we were celebrating the "new millennium" with red and green braces and Lisa Frank t-shirts and lightening jelly roll pens and NOW! 44-48 (obviously). 15 years ago? I still feel like I'm 15. How is it possible that I have 15 YEARS to even look back on... and that doesn't even cover all my years on this earth?! At times this scares the living shit out of me. I'm 5.5 years away from 30? I have a big girl job? I live in the coolest city on the planet? I have a boyfriend of almost 5 years? I pay all my own bills? I don't wake up every morning to my mom tickling my back and singing some super-sweet-but-this-is-way-too-early-for-songs-mom tune in my ear? The sensation of growing up has been weird. And definitely scary at times. But growing INTO MYSELF in parallel? Now that has been awesome. Exciting. Crazy. Surreal. All those "is this really my life?" synonyms put together wouldn't even describe what it feels like. And what's even cooler is I'm not done growing. I'm not done reaching, dreaming, exploring. And that is terrifyingly awesome. 

Every year I feel like I discover new things about myself, the world, love, loss, friendships, faith, doubt.. But this year in particular I really feel like I not only learned a lot; but I retained a lot. It's hard to put into words... but I just feel totally and completely at peace with who I am and where I'm going. Which makes it SO much easier to live in the moment, and, in return, welcome and apply lessons learned into my life with open arms. I'm no where NEAR perfect, and I'm no where NEAR done growing and learning. But I like the things that I've learned this past year, so I want to share 14 things (for 2014, get it?!) with the people I love! Some are super silly, some are kind of deep; but all were super meaningful to me this year in one way or another. I hope you enjoy! xoxo

1. If you're teetering on the verge of doing or not doing, going or not going; ALWAYS do. ALWAYS go. 

2. No matter how much a company is paying you, or what the title is, or how much it accelerates your career; if you're not happy there, it will seep outside the cubicle walls into every aspect of your life. 

3. Make sure the people you love are constantly reminded - with your words, and your actions. Write your grandma a letter saying hello, spend the afternoon watching movies with your mom, tell your siblings you love them, treat your significant other to something. This life is so short, so uncertain. I for one want all of the people I love to know it, every. single. day. 

4. It's ok to tell the spray tan lady that you want her to go super light on your hands and feet. Just take my word on this, k?

5. It's important to remember that your relationship with your significant other is one of a kind. There is no 'right' or 'wrong' timing. YOUR timing is the perfect timing. He is YOUR guy. She is YOUR girl. This is YOUR relationship. Unlike anyone else's in the world. And guess what? No other couple in the WORLD is doing it better than you guys. And that is fucking exciting. 

6. You don't have to waste your time with people you don't really care about, or that don't care about you. There's too many good ones out there to spend even a second chasing someone, and don't be the person that misses out on something with people who love you because you're wasting your time (or someone else's, for that matter). 

7. Don't ever go to bed angry. At friends, at significant others, at family members, over work-stuff. If it means staying up until 2am watching Friends re-runs to cheer yourself up, do it. If it means swallowing your pride and saying you are sorry, do it. Anger never wakes up happy. 

8. It's ok to splurge sometimes. You are an adult. You make good money. If you want that bag, get the frickin bag. 

9. On the other side of #8, it's important to save. Even if it's just 1/8 of your paycheck each month. That's something. And that something will only benefit you in the future. 

10. You have to exercise. I don't care how busy you are, how crazy your work and travel schedule is, how demanding your lifestyle is. You are not too busy to go on a walk, come on. You'll stay healthy. Clears the mind. De-stresses. DO IT. 

11. Get outside more. Go on a walk with your girlfriends, bike to work, spend the afternoon at the park or beach with your significant other. Brunch outside vs in when you can. Sunlight is important. It makes ya happy! And has this funny way of reminding you that all is right in the world. 

12. Take risks. Personally and professionally. When you fall, you can always get back up (even if you need some help). If you never try, you'll never know. There is no worse feeling than watching someone else benefiting from the risk you were too scared to take. It should be you. Go for it. 

13. It's ok to go to bed before 8:30. It's ok to stay in on a Friday night. It's ok to watch the RHONJ marathon with a mud mask on instead of going to that work happy hour. To my #1, if you're teetering, you should go. But if you're not, don't force it. There will always be another happy hour. 

14. Don't be that person who is always complaining about work or finances or relationships or friends or WHATEVER. Again, life is short. We only have 24 hours in a day. And even less waking hours than that. Don't waste anyone's time, or your own energy and mood, complaining about things. Wake up every day ready to take on the world. Choose to be positive. To be happy. ALWAYS choose joy. 

Bring it, 2015! 


Tuesday, September 2, 2014

My Every Day Makeup Routine - 10 minutes, tops!

​Hi friends! Hope you all had a super fun and safe Labor Day weekend! I'm trying to be better about posting frequently so y'all stop teasing me about my random spurts of posts... so today I thought I'd post a lil somethin' somethin' about my every day makeup routine as of late (OK it's more like MOST DAYS guys let's be real)! If you know me you know that I am constantly trying out new products and switching it up and am ALL ABOUT finding cheap CVS products that do their thaaang better than any $50+ designer product ever could. However, MAC has always been a staple in my personal box of beauty faves and so I thought I'd share what I've been doin' to this face of mine lately! Keep in mind although this LOOKS like quite a few products, I swear to fruit snacks it takes me no more than 10 minutes to do this. You know me; I'm not tryna miss out on any extra snoozes just to do some crazy complicated makeup, people!  

P.S. I'm thinking about *MAYBE* doing a video to show you how easy/fast this is slash how exactly I do it, but for now, I'll give you a blog post with an awkward picture of my face with scary lines pointing to everything for ya! :p 




BB/Foundation: Diorskin Nude BB Creme in Medium 003 (or Fair 002 when I'm due for an airbrush) 
Blush: MAC Mineralize Blush in Warm Soul 
Concealer: MAC Studio Finish Concealer  in NW20 
Mascara: Diorshow in Catwalk Black
Top Liner: Maybelline Line Stiletto Ultimate Precision Liquid Eyeliner in Blackest Black
Bottom Liner: MAC Eye Kohl pencil in Fascinating 
Brows: Sigma Brow Powder Duo in Medium 
Lips: MAC Pro Longwear Lip Colour in Clingpeach 
Highlight: NARS Highlighting Blush in Albatross

Monday, August 25, 2014

Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki Brush.. you're welcome.


I'm not joking, this is one of the best beauty/makeup purchases I've ever made. Not only is it reasonably priced (hi, under $30), but I swear to fruit snacks it blends your foundation so well that your skin will look airbrushed and PERFECT. As you know, I airbrush tan, so am constantly in between foundation colors and always am mixing them to get my face's shade-of-the-day (it's hard work being a girl, right?!) and this brush is so dense and soft that it literally blends and covers my face to perfection with zero chance of the awkward hard face:neck foundation line or hideous streaks that I would get with the Bobbi Brown foundation brush (come on, you know we've all been there). And, in my opinion, the F80 Kabuki doesn't absorb/waste nearly as much of your product as the Beautyblender does (I mean the bb is a sponge, let's be honest) and still gives you that dewy, all over coverage that still looks natural and even. Please excuse the semi awkward lighting/selfie this morning, but wanted to show you guys a picture of how even my foundation looks thanks to this gem of a brush! So go getchya self one today!




Thursday, August 21, 2014

I'm a slacker... and I blame Birkenstocks.

Hi friends! Ok so I am a HUGGGEE slacker and haven't posted anything in like... almost a year. My B! Life has been totally cray-zee and I know I could go on and on about what a busy and intriguing life I lead (ok fine not all that intriguing guys, take that part back) but I won't bore you with all that nonsense.  Instead I'll talk about my current likes and dislikes of the moment (seriously, some of them actually apply to only this exact moment) and hope that if anything I bring a lil smile to your cute faces. K? K!  (Mom I'm talking to you duh). 

LIKES:

- MAC Prep + Prime Vibrancy Eye Primer.  I would drink this stuff if I could. I mean if it can smooth out the gnarly concealer creases I get under my eyes on the daily, AND keep my layered going-out eyeshadow lookin' perfect for a ridiculous night of dancing and shenanigans, it can smooth out my whole life, right?! Go getchya self the perfect dewy-soft look with this magic in a bottle. And ok their entire line of primers is really good, but I'm just especially obsessed with this one in specific lately because I've been extra sensitive to any creases/lines/crinkles on my face. 

- Camo jackets. Yep, you heard me right. I just snagged this TopShop thang during the Nordies half yearly sale (and... maybe 87348734 other things, oops!) and couldn't be more in love with it. I think it turns any outfit rugged-chic instantly, and boy do I love me some rugged-chic. Throw on over a grey tee, some skinny jeans, mix-matched bangles and a cute bootie shoe and you've got yourself the outfit I have worn about 5 times in the last month. Not sorry. However I just came across this A+ look so I think I'll be switchin' it up soon guys don't worry. 

Lancome Renergie Lift Multi Action Night Cream. Remember when I said that I've been extra sensitive to any creases/lines/crinkles on my face lately? Well let me re-emphasize that EXTRA SENSITIVE. I know I know I'm young and don't have wrinkles and am youthful blah blah blah. But I think anyone who has seen the first evidence of a small, light, crinkle (yes crinkle) in between their eyeballs has a minor freak out and spends many a nights obsessively rubbing in different night creams on it and tries to open her eyes wider throughout the day so the crinkle doesn't worsen. Oh is that just me? Whatever. But thanks to this stuff, I swear it has lessened!!!! It's super lightweight, smells AH-MAZING, and is gentle enough to put over your whole face and neck. I don't think there's anything wrong with using anti aging cream in your 20's as a preventative measure no matter how silly you think that sounds. So if you don't use anything, and you're on the same page as me, I would highly encourage you to try this glorious stuff! 

- BALI. No but really, that place is AWESOME. I need to remind my sister to help me (and by help me I mean do it for me, obviously) compile a video of all the prime/ridiculous footage we captured throughout our trip. Spoiler alert: we got fish pedicures. Do I even need to say more to get you excited about this footage?! Didn't think so. But on a serious note, Bali was absolutely GORGEOUS. It didn't hurt that I was with some of my favorite people on this planet (aka my sisters and dad) but it truly was the trip of a lifetime and I highly recommend you go if you are looking for your next vacation destination. The people are kind, the shopping is CHEAP, the food is delish, the drinks are strong and the sunsets are phenomenal. 

- My boyfriend. Sorry guys this ones not for purchase! I have been contemplating doing my own version of the surplus number of blog posts I have seen as of late around the ever so popular "TO GET MARRIED (if you don't, you'll probably die alone, and you may or may not become infertile by age 26) OR NOT TO GET MARRIED (if you do, you'll never have fun ever again in your life, ever) IN YOUR 20'S" debate. But until I shower you with my full perspective; I'll just point out the fact that in over 4 years of dating we have never once broken up, have never stopped laughing with (and by with I really mean at) each other, and most importantly (in my opinion), have never stopped enjoying growing up together and pushing each other to be our very best selves both independently, and in our relationship. 


DISLIKES: 

- Music festivals. WHO HAVE I BECOME?! No but seriously. If you know me you know I'm a huge music/concert junkie (case in point: I'm going to 2 concerts in the next 3 days) so let me just emphasize the FESTIVAL portion of this dislike. And, OK OK I should generalize that I hate ALL music festivals because in reality I have only been to one. Ever. And it was reallllly frickin cold, which definitely didn't help. Have you guessed what it was yet? Ok prob not so I'll just go ahead and tell you it was Outside Lands right here in good ole SF a couple weeks ago. While it was cool to experience (and now I can say I've been duh) and there were fun moments; as a 5'3 lil shrimp with a terrible dust allergy and a personality that doesn't do super well just sitting and waiting for things (otherwise known as extremely fu&%!ng impatient. hey I can admit it!) when its about 30 degrees and windy as shet out, it just really wasn't as fabulous as I expected it to be? Damn you guys who post amazing festival Instas and tricked me! And let me tell ya what - drinking for 3 days straight is just a lot harder than it used to be. 

- urBeats. HA! Wouldya look at that! They're on sale now. Wonder why?! Oh let me tell you why. BECAUSE THEY BREAK. And they break easily. Is the sound better than my iPhone headphones? You betchya. Did they last longer than my iPhone headphones? Absolutely not. I'm talking 2+ years with the same pair of apple headphones vs hardly a month with these things before one entire side randomly popped right out of it's lil socket mid elliptical sesh. Ridiculous! And I know most people don't have this experience but as you can see I'm a little bitter. Oopsies! Good news is they do have pretty great customer service, and they're sending me a new pair. Maybe I can move this one into my likes in the next few weeks. I JUST REALLY WANTED TO LOVE THEM GUYS!!! 

- Birkenstocks. Like sorry if you own a pair but WHY ARE WE TRYING TO MAKE THESE HAPPEN? They are NOT CUTE! No matter how you wear them! And yes I'm referring to the T-bar and the weird toe stranglers and the Jesus-style Birks. Every Birk style you can think of: THEY. ARE. NOT. CUTE. No, not even the turquoise ones, mom. Ok maybe on Jesus they would be cute, fine. But in all seriousness, I don't care how comfy they are, they are HID. I can think of a million other shoes you could be wearing if you're going for the comfort factor and paying THAT MUCH MONEY. Hello, have you ever heard of UGG MOCCS, anyone?! Or my fave ever LL Bean Moccs that I may or may not wear to work sometimes?! You're welcome. 

- Bad airbrush tans.  Let me preface this with the fact that I am the BIGGEST advocate for airbrush tanning and literally go every Thursday to get one. Medium clear for me, thanks! (PS If you live in SF, check out Organic Shimmer! Go see Amanda you won't regret it, swear!). Not only has a good airbrush tan kept me out of the tanning beds for 3+ years now can I get a pat on the back here, people?!) but looking like you just spent a couple days in the sun when in reality you do nothing but sit inside at a desk staring at your computer all day does WONDERS for your confidence I tell ya what. And Airbrush isn't the same as a spray tan if ya didn't know - airbrush is where a person literally takes a lil spray gun and essentially paints your body,  vs spray tan where you stand in an automated booth, it sprays your front, then you turn, and it sprays your back. And the whole reason I love airbrush tanning is because it is a PERSON doing it, not a machine, so you can tell them where to go lighter aka hands, feet, knees, face, elbows etc aren't orange and you come out with a super natural, sun kissed look.  HOWEVER, all it takes is ONE bad airbrush to throw a girl off. And let me tell you what, I got one a few weeks ago. Just a lil visual for you: my feet and upper lip were the darkest parts on my body. #help. Thank goodness for loofas! 


That's all for now TATA! xx

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Kat Von D Makeup... Ok fine I love it.



Although I love experimenting with lip shades and eyeshadow, I absolutely DO NOT MESS with my face makeup. And I typically would never think twice about trying out makeup products with the name of a woman with tattoos all over her body on it. But... alas... Kat Von D's makeup line has been on display at Sephora for a couple months now... and I finally gave in. I purchased the Lock-It Tattoo Foundation, concealer, and  Rehab Priming Elixir. HOLY MOLY y'all... I am in love. The primer doesn't feel greasy/heavy at all (pet peeve of silicon based primers), absorbs super quickly, hydrates the sh** out of my skin, and requires very little blending. The concealer actually conceals blemishes well enough that you will forget you had one in the first place! And it truly does last for hours. I also use it under my eyes for those gooorgeous early morning bags and it never creases. And now my favorite product - the foundation! I have been using Chanel foundation for YEARS, and I can now confidently say I will be using KVD's tattoo concealer for years to come. It literally does act as a tattoo on your face. Ok fine, maybe just a temporary tattoo. BUT IT SERIOUSLY NEVER COMES OFF UNTIL YOU DECIDE IT NEEDS TO! Y'all know how rare that is to find in a foundation! I put it on before I leave for work and it seriously has HARDLY faded by the time I'm ready to go to bed. It makes my skin look flawless without looking too full-coverage, which is always the goal. You have no idea how happy that makes me.  I've heard awesome things about her liquid liner too, so that will definitely be in my little basket next time I'm at Sephora.

Sweater Weather!



Words cannot express how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE Christmas! The holiday spirit, the lights, sitting by the fire, warm blankets, cuddling with your loved ones, CHRISTMAS MOVIES ON REPLAY.... YES YES YES! From all the capitalization I'm sure you can see I am very excited it is finally almost here. Which brings up a very important part of my winter wardrobe - sweaters! I love layering over a button down for work, rolling up the sleeves and pairing with a skirt and tights for a date night, or throwing on with a pair of jeans and boots for a mimosa brunch with the girls. I'm not talking about plain jane sweaters from the Gap, either (although I do love me some Gap sweaters occasionally). I'm talkin' subtle but fun embellished, patterned, color block sweaters that make a statement. Here are some fabulous sweaters that you should go buy immediately.

Aqua
360 Sweater 
C&C
Aqua
Graham & Spencer
Aqua
Markus Lupfer
Free People