Happy 2nd Birthday Madelyn Joyce!

Happy 2nd birthday Madelyn! We love you very much and we couldn't imagine life without you!

Leopard Print Nails

It's a gloomy Monday here in CNY, but I have a bright mani to share with you! Jeffry and I went to look at rings yesterday so I had to have some flashy nails! 

This was my first try at leopard and it was easier than I thought. There are a ton of tutorials on Pinterest. I'm not sure what the name is of the base coat I used. It came in a multi-pack of mini's that I don't have the box for anymore, but I do know that it was Sally Hansen Insta-Dri, and it might even be a few years old. Here is a similar pick.

Then I used my trusty Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Golden-I to make random sized gold dots. And once the gold was dry, a black nail pen to do some random splotches. I really think the key here is random. Which can be hard, but I love the way they came out!

We also saw Reba last night at the Great New York State Fair. It was awesome!! I have loved her since I was little. She was the only famous redhead I had ever seen when I was a kid! And speaking of the fair, if you are in NY while it is going on, it is a must-visit!! I love going and eating the food, seeing the baby animals and people watching. It's a great way to end the summer. 

I almost forgot to tell you we were 5th row!!! My parents got me the tickets for my birthday. I can't say thank you enough!!

Sunday Social

Well here I am, better late than never! Jeffry had the day off and our schedule was PACKED! Here's the latest Sunday Social:

1. What do you miss most about being a kid? Hands down, no stress!! I miss not caring what day it is, or having a do to list, or bills!

2. Dd you have a nickname growing up? What was it? I had a couple. My aunt always called me Heidikins, and the guys at the firehouse always called me Lil Red, because I got my red hair from my grandfather and his firehouse buddies called him Red.

3. What was your favorite thing to do at recess? Just hang with my friends, or the swings. At my elementary school playground there was also this cool bridge that was a fun place to hang.

4. What did you want to be when you grew up? Doesn't everyone start out wanting to be a teacher?

a rare moment of sisterly love at my sister's kindergarten graduation

5. Did you participate in any school activities? I did drama club and track. And I was no super star at either believe me lol

He's the track star in this family! :)

6. What is the funniest thing you did as a kid that your parents still remind you about? Hmm this ones a toughie! I've always been a slob that's for sure. My mom says I am so much like my aunt, and she used to say that I left my dirty clothes in a pile on the floor just like she used to.

Twins? Not quite! That's my aunt!

Pick-Me-Up Playlist

Monday work was crazyyyy. So the only thing I wanted to do was go home and plop myself on the couch. But as it turns out, a head clearing walk and some happy tunes were all I needed to get out of my fog.

I told Ruby we would just take a short walk around the block, but once we were out, we ended up going farther because it felt so good, and I was rocking out to my music. So I thought I would share my playlist from Monday. I had my iTunes on random and apparently we were in a classic rock mood!

And now for a song that I do NOT like, Redneck Crazy by Tyler Farr. Here are some of the lyrics:

Did you think I'd wish you both the best, endless love and happiness

You know that's just not the kind of man I am

I'm the kind that shows up at your house at 3am

I'm gonna aim my headlights into your bedroom windows

Throw empty beer cans at both of your shadows

I didn't come here to start a fight, but I'm up for anything tonight

Seriously!?! The video also shows him vandalizing this poor girls house. Way to go, condoning domestic violence, and just being a COMPLETE PSYCHOPATH in general. NOT OK! No wonder she dumped his ass...

End rant.... :P

Birthday Nails

I wanted to paint my nails in a fun way for my birthday Sunday, and I have seen cupcake designs all over Pinterest, so I decided to give them a try! Here's how it went down:

The colors above are the colors I used for base coats. On the left is April Showers, a nail polish I picked up for super cheap one day at Aeropostale! I was skeptical but it was so cheap that I couldn't pass it up. And it turns out, I loved it!! The coverage was awesome, as was the color. Who knew! I was pleasantly surprised. I used that darker pink for a few nails, and for the cupcake base (or wrapper.) I used Essie Boom Boom Room for the lighter pink nails, and to do the stripes on the cupcake wrapper and on my ring finger nail. And I used Ivory Skull, my go-to white for the cupcake "frosting". It was a little tricky to get the frosting part to look how I wanted, and it still didn't turn out super perfect but oh well.

after base coats

These colors above are what I used for accents. On the left is It's Chiffon, which I used on my thumb and pinky for a little sparkle. In the center is Heavenly, I used that as "sprinkles" on the cupcake frosting, and Rockstar Pink and the cherry on top. Most of the ones I have seen on Pinterest used a rhinestone but I didn't have any, and this worked great. I just used the brush to make a big dollop on top. Oh, I did use an accent brush to make the stripes and the polka dots, and for the color of the polka dots, I mixed some white with some Boom Boom Room on a piece of aluminum foil.

the finished product! don't mind the mess... 

And since I couldn't possibly have enough nail polishes, check out these ones that I got for my birthday!!

A friend shared this on facebook last night and I really liked it...

A Few Weird Things

I feel like I have been super antisocial lately. I've just been wanting to putz around the house, read blogs and snuggle my fur babies in front of the TV. I even chose to spend my birthday at home, alone, working on some projects around the house. And I cooked my own birthday dinner. By choice. Is that not super weird? I feel like my friends probably think I hate them. Rest assured friends, that is not the case! I still love you all. I'm just a weirdo hermit. 

seriously

Another weird thing is that lately I feel like life has kind of stalled. Do you ever feel that way? I feel like I'm stuck in place, waiting for the plans I have for life to pan out, waiting on that catalyst for change. It gives me serious anxiety. Like I lay awake at night thinking about it. I know this is kind of cryptic but it's not something I have much control over either.... Uhggg I feel so STUCK!

Sorry for the emo-ness today loves. Just how I have been feeling lately.... :-\

Sunday Social

1. When you were little what did you want to be when you grew up? The first thing I ever remember wanting to be was a teacher. I think because, like most kids, its one of the first professions we are exposed to besides that of our parents. 

2. What was your favorite way to kill time as a kid? I loved to play house and school, and Barbies! My sister and I had sooo many Barbies!

3. When did you get your first cell phone? I got my first cell phone as a present from my parents for my high school graduation. It was a sweet LG flip phone! It didn't even have a camera!

^^^This was it! I can't believe I found it.
I also can't believe I found it online for sale. $40 for poor condition! Seriously?

4. What is your favorite magazine to read? I love magazines, and I read a lot of them, but by far my favorite is HGTV Magazine. So many great things in there!!

5. What is the one random object people would be surprised to find in your purse? Hmm I think i have a couple weird things in my purse but maybe one thing that most people don't carry around is Tums. I have a container or a Ziploc baggie of Tums in every single one of my purses lol. Think I have a problem?

Red, Red Wine

Disclaimer: if you don't believe in hunting, you'd better turn away now. Maybe watch this video instead.

Recently I was contacted by BzzAgent, and offered a free bottle of wine to review. Hello, I'm not going to turn down free wine!! The wine was from Concannon Vineyard, and I could choose any variety from their Select or Conservancy tier. I chose the Cabernet Sauvignon from their select tier. I'm a red wine drinker through and through, even in the summer. Yummmm!

This picture makes me want a glass right now. Which made me think of this E-card I saw the other day:

appropriate. right?

This wine is soooo good. A really nice, full bodied flavor. And nice and dry, just like I like it. I don't like my wine to taste too much like juice. 

So that night, while drinking my first glass, I was brainstorming what I wanted to make for dinner to have with it. The flavor is so dark and woodsy, it reminded me of Fall. Sidebar: I have been thinking about Fall an awful lot lately. On one hand, it freaks me out because I don't want summer to be over yet, but on the other hand I am super excited because Fall is my hands-down favorite season! I am so torn!

Anyway, back on track. Thinking about Fall reminded me that we had a freezer full of venison, thanks to this little guy: 

RIP Bambi

I just knew that a yummy venison loin would go so great with the spicy, woodsy Cab Sav. Here's how I made it: This would be a great marinade for beef too, or any other type of game.

Combine in a resealable container such as a Ziploc bag or a Tupperware:

these measurements are really more like guestimates

1/2 cup worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tbsp. honey, molasses or agave

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 cloves minced garlic

onion powder

Salt & pepper

paprika

cayenne pepper

chili powder

lots of rosemary

thyme

I mixed that all up, threw in the venison and let it sit in the fridge for a good 4 hours or so.

Once Jeffry got home, I preheated the broiler and threw that puppy on. This would be really yummy grilled too, but our hose that connects the propane tank to the grill was chewed by something and we have yet to get a new one. So broiling it is. I love broiling meat over pan frying. It's super simple and meat always comes out super juicy and the perfect temp. This loin was on the smaller side, so it was broiled for about 8 minutes on 1 side and 5 on the other.

I mean, c'mon. Check out that perfect medium.
*toot toot*

Once any kind of meat is cooked, but before you slice it, it's got to rest to let the juices redistribute. So while the meat was resting, I steamed some broccoli, and made these potatoes. I will definately be making these again they were perfect! Crispy and buttery on top, and soft yummy potato underneath. I am craving one right now.

And there you have it! Yummy dinner of venison backstrap, complete with Concannon Select Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. Okay, and now I'm hungry.....

Maybelline Color Show Nail Stickers

The subtitle of this post should be:

Or Why Maybelline Should Stick to Cosmetics

For anyone who may not know, I have a love-hate relationship with nail stickers. I love how easy they are to apply, and who doesn't love zero dry time?! However, nail stickers are not without their downsides either. I tend to have issues with the corners peeling up (my number one complaint) and the price is quite a bit higher than a bottle of nail polish also. But since I love to try out new products, I decided to give these Maybelline ones a try. I have also tried Sally Hansen Gel Strips and Kiss Nail Dress Stickers.

I wanted to give these Maybelline stickers a whirl, mainly because I wanted to know if they were any better than the Maybelline Color Show nail polish, which I HATE, to put it mildly. This polish is so watery, I had to apply practically 7 coats to get good coverage. Seriously, steer clear people. Not worth your money.

The Maybellibe stickers apply just like the Sally Hansen and the Kiss ones. One thing I did notice is the Maybelline pack does not contain as many size option and the Sally Hansen and Kiss brands. This is an issue for me because I have small nails. So for a few I actually had to trim them with scissors before they were applied.

I also noticed that like the Sally Hansen strips, the Maybelline ones smell like nail polish, whereas the Kiss ones did not. (Sally Hansen touts their strips as being "real nail polish")

I am happy with the outcome so far, and I do like the design, which is part of the reason I decided to buy them in the first place. We will see how they last, the package says up to 10 days. We'll see about that! As far as how they stack up? The Sally Hansen gel strips require the extra step of the gel topcoat and LED curing, but the shine is to die for! And they lasted a nice long time. The Kiss ones come in fun designs and lasted forever also! In the future I would choose the Sally Hansen or the Kiss designs before I bought the Maybelline again. But you live and learn! And they'll be fun while they last.

Living Life on a Shoestring Budget

Morning everyone! It is a gloomy one here in CNY. Today I want to talk a little about living life when you don't have any money. This post was inspired but the fact that today is pay day, and every. single. cent of my paycheck is going to school loans and rent. Damn you 1st of the Month!! Needless to say I am feeling broke-de-broke right now.

Living life on a shoestring budget is something that I really struggle with. I have a self admitted shopping problem first of all, I love hanging out with my friends (which often involves spending money) and then there are important things like gas & groceries.

It makes me feel a little bit better that this e-card actually existed

I must say that I am very lucky to have someone that helps out with some of these things. There's no way I would be able to afford rent, groceries, life, etc. if I had to pay it all by myself. 

Alas, I was inspired to think of ways to still have a life without going broke in the process. So I give you:

One of the biggest areas I struggle, and one of my biggest expenditures, is hanging out with friends. So instead of going out to eat or to a concert or the like, here are some ideas for spending time with friends:

Movie Night In - Grab a bottle of wine and watch a RedBox or something On Demand! So much cheaper than going to a movie, where tickets are $20 a piece and popcorn is an arm and a leg. Plus you can have wine. Wine makes everything better. Cost: <$10 for wine and $1 movie rental Tip: make sure to bring that RedBox back the next day! It's not quite as cheap when you keep it for 2 weeks at $1/day people.

Exercise - My Bestie and I are doing this one tonight! Grabbing Ruby and heading to a local park. This one is easy on the wallet and good for you too. Bonus: It will wear your dog out so she sleeps later and isn't annoying. Not that that ever happens.... Cost: free!

Check out a Local Festival - Here in CNY there is one almost every weekend in the summer. Greek fest, Italian fest, Oktoberfest, you name it. Not only is it fun to experience another culture for the night, but there is usually free entertainment, and you can try out another cultures food for cheaper that eating out would cost you. Cost: Free for the event, less than $10 each for food 

This guy knows whats up. Leather shorts are so in right now.

Germans: making lederhosen sexy since the 16th century

Craft Day! - My friends and I love doing crafts! For my next project I want to make some kind of a rag rug for our kitchen using fabric scraps. Can we say fun & cheap! Cost: Only that of supplies, which you might already have.

Yeah because that B just made a huge effing mess! -_-

Visit a Local Park - This one is especially fun if you or your friends have kids, but it's still fun even if you don't! Swings are fun for all ages don't even try to say otherwise. And the best part: Cost: f-f-f-FREE!

Come now, wouldn't you rather be doing this??

So there are a few ideas to get you started. (These would all be really fun, cheap date ideas too!) And if anyone is interested, I am accepting donations.