Summer 2011 Faves

I know what you're thinking...OMG ANOTHER post..so soon!???? Well actually, I've just been really behind in blogging, I've been more in to "vlogging" lately (video-blogging), and will keep you poster on those. Anyways, onto my topic of today...My summer 2011 faves! As anyone who knows me, knows I LOVE clothes..fashion...anything to do with Keith's visa and a shopping mall makes me CARAZZZIIIIEEEEEE!!!!! Anyways, i know I did a winter favorites, and its the reason for the season...which is summer!!! And don't let this ridiculous wind discourage you form buying those cute summer dresses, because before you know it, we'll be so damn hott, we'll be begging for this breeze, well maybe not THIS much, but you get the idea.

So I've been doing my research, and by research I mean spending money, on torrid.com, Old Navy, Winners, Addition-elle, etc. and Have some up with some very cute things I plan on obtaining in my summer closet! Here goes..

Ahhh cute summer dresses!  I am SO in love with all of these!!! The first 2, look so effortless and chic! I could wear either of these to work or to do some casual weekend shopping! They can be dressed up or down with accessories! The 3rd one, is MY LOVE!! I love the pin-up inspired shape of it and the cherries are so cute! I'd wear this on a hot summer night on the town, or I'd ad a longer light sweater to it and wear it to work! In case you're wondering, I do work in an office, but we do not have a strict "office" policy as far as clothes...as long as you don't wear jeans and look professional and neat, its all good, and in summer we get a bit more casual!

 YES, I am still obsessed with tights/leggings, but as the weather warms up, I find it less necessary to wear leggings with dresses! BUT, I do however still plan on wearing sheer/Lacey tights with short skirts or dresses. The first and last pair I'd wear with a skirt or dress and some flats, again very work appropriate or weekend appropriate. The Middle ones, i feel completely in love with because they are LEOPARD LEGGINGS, my two favorite loves! I am undecided what I'd wear them with tho...might save them for fall and wear it with a short black skirt and some boots, as such a bold print might make people think i am a chubby cheetah haha!

 Cute summer denim!!! I love those skinny ankle jeans w/ a zipper!! So cute! Wear these for a date night with the Cami/cardigan on the right! I also LOVE denim Bermuda shorts..for the lake or the city! If you can find a pair of dressy Bermudas for work, that's great too!!! Wear with a cute breezy top..love it!

 Obviously these aren't to be paired together, but i didn't wanna to 2 separate posts for just these! The first one is a sexy nightie, and just because its hot outside doesn't mean it has to be in the bedroom! Slip this on and the weather outside won't be the only thing to make him sweat!  The sandals, I thought, were so nice! lots of sweet detail and they can be paired with o many things, from jeans to dresses and even shorts!!! There are SOOOO many different types of sandals for this year, but I have had my eye on these for a while!!

Anyways, that's all for today...I'll keep ya posted with more fresh summer buys!! Thanks so Reading :)

Love, Laura xoxox

QUESTION: Whats your favorite summer "must have"??????

A letter to me...

Good day good lookin'! I realize I have no blogged in a while, but give a girl a break! Life gets busy, and to be honest I have had this idea for a couple weeks now, and seriously, every day I'm like "i gotta do that blog..".."gotta get that blog done...", etc. SO HERE IT IS!!!! It is a letter I am writing to myself...my 16 year old self. Given that, that doesn't need an explanation, here goes...

"It takes courage to grow up and be who we really are" ~ E.E Cummings.

Dear 16-year-old Me,

       I wish I could've gotten this letter to you sooner, but you and I both know we're procrastinators. Speaking of procrastinating, maybe we should put that term into real life. As in, START procrastinating this whole "growing up" thing. You have SO much time to see the world and fall in love!  Sleep in, eat junk food (well maybe eat less..lol) and laugh with friends until you cannot breath, and take TOO many pictures, which thankfully you already do!. Because let me tell you...TIME FLIES! Cherish all those moments, only the good ones, and forget the bad!

      Also, don't take high school too seriously, these moments will not sum up your entire life, and to people who think it will, aren't worth a moment more of your time. I know that you think this is what life REALLY is on the outside, but trust me when I say it isn't. trust me when I say, that when you finally graduate (which you will..successfully!) and leave this small town, you'll learn a lot more than you ever thought possible....and just to warn you, skinned knees are a lot easier to heal than broken hearts, which, being the girl I know best, you'll manage with impeccable comedic sarcasm.

     There will be plenty of bumps in the road, and a few..well okay, A LOT of great times...some you'll remember and some..you may not (you'll realize what I'm talking about in a couple years). Bottom line is that, these "bumps" will shape you into the most amazing and strong, genuine person you are today, i should know, I know her quite well. Also, stop caring SO much about what people think about you. It really doesn't matter in the end! And i forgot to mention, through all the broken hearts and crash n burn loves...you WILL meet someone amazing! He will be everything you asked for and more.

    Bottom line, stay up late, spend frivolously, gossip about that person in class, STUDY more, and just LIVE.  You have so much to see and do, you have no idea how truly beautiful your life will become and how happy you will be!

Love always,
    your 25-year-old self xoxo

"Cooking is like love; it should be entered into with abandon or not at all."

My blog today will NOT feature love/men/beauty/strippers....it is about food, oddly enough! I was given the chance to be extremely inspired while watching a movie this morning. Which movie you ask? well, I have watched this movie about 5-6 times by now and I STILL smile throughout the entire thing. Its funny, romantic, and has a killer soundtrack! The movie is.....*Drumrooooolllllll*... 'Its Complicated'!!! Its with Meryl streep and Alec Baldwin and its about a 10 years divorced couple who both seem to be going through midlife cris's and end up having an affair with eachother. Fortunately, that's not the part that inspires me every time i watch this movie! Meryl streep plays this amazing mother, who owns this perfect bakery/bistro with amazing treats and goodies. In the movie she creates lavender ice cream (when she cannot sleep), scones, and also what I MUST try, Croque Monsieur! BUT, my true inspiration lies, when she is on a date, and after a party they attend they go back into her shop and bake up..wait for it...CHOCOLATE CROISSANTS! Ugh...EVERYTIME i watch this scene I die a little inside b/c i want one SO bad...they look SO delicious!

"The best way to execute French cooking is to get good and loaded and whack the hell out of a chicken. Bon appétit. "

-Julia Childs

SO, this brings me to my next point. FINALLY having a completely free Saturday with no day/evening plans, i decided to go and do sum casual shopping. I went and visited "Queen of Tarts" Bakery downtown, bought some sinful goodies and then Sobeys is right there and I thought to myself...IAM MAKING THOSE CROISSANTS!!!!!!! Sorry for the CAPS, but that is honestly what i thought haha. I bought my goodies and long story short...they turned out even BETTER than i had hoped!!! (there is a picture of them on my facebook!)

"Learn to cook--try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!" 

- Julia Childs

This brings us to my REAL point..I am going to try and master different recipes! It will be a new project! I will not be focusing on one certain cookbook and recipes, but just ones i find interesting and a little difficult. Today i have mastered, chocolate croissants and I also making BBQ pulled pork for supper, which is currently tenderizing in the oven..mmm. I even made homemade beef n barley soup last weekend!! and it was SOOOOOO good! Also here are somethings I plan on making..:

• Bacon n' Egg Quiche or any quiche for that matter
• Cake Pops
• Whoopie cakes
• some type of fancy cheese ball
• Borscht (without calling Faye 600 times)
• Perfect apple pie
• Beer Can chicken
• Perfect BBQ Chicken (not a charred piece of leather)
• Big delicious red velvet cake
• ...anything else that i come across

To some, these may seem simple. And don't get me wrong, I know how to cook! I have been doing it for a long time and I truly learned from the best! But i suppose someday I will need to cook for my own family, and I'll need to perfect my own dishes, and give my own fun spins on them! and in the words of Julia Childs "Cooking is like love; it should be entered into with abandon or not at all." 


- Love, Laura xoxo


Question: Do you have anything you have mastered??? Or maybe something I should add to my list that you have tried and loved!???

...Shellac?? Gelish??...Gelish?? Shellac??...

Why hello!!!! I have decided to do something a lil different tonight...I have recently gotten rid of my artificial nails and began getting manicures...because who likes to look at gross hands??? NOT ME! Going down this manicured path, I have discovered a whole new world of polish-gel hybrids. They claim to go on like a polish..yet have the staying power of a gel! And the staying power is anywhere from 2-3 weeks! Of course will have some growth (as with artificial nails), but if your the typical work-a-holic home-maker, you are free to wash your hands, clothes and your dog, all without needing to re-polish or fear chips in the nails.

SO, I have tried two different lines so far, one is called "shellac" by CDN and the other is called "Gelish" by Harmony. They both have a wide range of colors, base and top coat and need to be cured under a lamp. NOW, based on my personal experiences I will explain why I love one more than the other..here goes:

Shellac by CDN

I received this delightful manicure at Eveline Charles and the cost was a steep $65 for the full Shellac Manicure (which actually wasn't much of a manicure, much to my disappointment..more of a "light clean up"..not even a soak). It all started out fine and well, but it seemed to be taking a long time to dry! It took about 10mins PER COAT (base, 2 color, top) which was kind of annoying, and after she had my hands curing under the UV for 10mins with the top coat, it STILL was tacky. So we did it a couple more times and she claimed it would dry over time, as I shopped. So I tipped her well and off I went shopping. After  about 30 mins i checked how my nails were doing and much to my surprise all of my nails were COVERED in little fuzzies from the sweater i was wearing!!! Yuck! So i attempted to wipe if off, with not luck, so I sat down at Starbucks, and began scraping off the top layer. After i managed to get that off, it look OK...a bit streaky and a few marks, and considering i got hot red, i wasn't pleased. Now, i know i should've gone back and asked why or what is going on, but I didn't. I made another appointment for 2 weeks later to get it taken off and re polished (by this time it had chipped a bit and grown out some) and thinking maybe it was just beginners bad luck. Well, alas, it was not...it happened and this time i had some creases in it too....LONG STORY short...i kind of feel it was a waste of my time AND money.

Gelish by Harmony

I received this AMAZING manicure at Studio J spa downtown, and the cost was $45 for the Gelish manicure. AND this was the FULL manicure!! So right from the start i was excited! I also noticed they had the ACTUAL Harmony lamp that speed dries/cures the gelish. It took 10 seconds for the base coat, 30 seconds for each polish coat (I had 2 colors, and one glitter on top..at NO extra charge) and then another 10 seconds for the top coat. SO once again..i was HAPPY!! My esthetician (Breanne) was amazing and so nice..and chatty..but not to chatty, just perfect! She did a great job on my manicure (as I am quite picky seeing as i was once in the industry). At the end of the manicure she actually REMOVED the tacky layer, and added cuticle oil...and my nails were literally perfect!!! I could have polished rocks as soon as I stepped out of the spa and they wouldn't have gotten wrecked! All in all, I WILL defiantly be recommending the gelish manicure at Studio J downtown....it looks perfect and will last for over 2 weeks, and without fuzzies or creases AND the price is CHEAPER than what i paid at EC and this was a much better job!!!

Anyways, I just wanted to update ya'll on this one. I have been HARDLY waiting to do this review!!! Perhaps I will check out the Gelish pedicure next...as summer tootsies can come out form hiding pretty soon! Hope you enjoyed!!

- Love, Laura xoxo

QUESTION: Have you gotten either of these mani's done??? Or do you have any certain products you've tried and compared??? speak ya peace!!

We accept the Love we THINK we deserve...

The song is by the most amazing singer, Adele. She doesn't have a real video for this, but the song is amazing..enjoy!

Ah the ol Monday night ritual. CRAP wrestling is on and I am free to do what I need to do...tonight features laundry and blogging...I truly live a life of glamour. SO.."we accept the love we think we deserve"..what does it all mean?? is this true?..lets find out my inquisitive reader.

My knight in shinning armour arrived to pick me up after work, and after random "how was your day" small talk, he told me about a friend of his who has gone back to his ex for the THIRD time now. Now, its not my place to tell their story, but I will tell you it involves a lot of emotional abuse and ridiculous drama...but yet he continues to go back. And as my main man told him.."If you want that kind of pain, how bout we go out back, I take your wallet and kick you in the balls?" 

This really got me thinking..people are funny about love. Look around. Look at your friends, co-workers, random strangers...that guy creeping in your window. The love they have in their life is there because THAT'S what they feel they deserve. And I'm not just talking about romantic relationships, its also the type of friends you keep and they way you let your family/strangers treat you.  Lets take a battered gf/wife as a fine example, Most likely (unfortunately) she has VERY low self esteem (the constant emotional/mental abuse doesn't help) and that type of man is all she feels she deserves, why do you think she keeps making excuses for him?? "oh hes stressed at work"..yet his stress is all over YOUR face. Also, why do men/women STAY with people who are cheaters?? Lets all take our Rosie sunglasses off for a moment and speak the truth. You know. You always know..you just don't WANT to believe that this person could do this. Stop lying to yourself...grow a set and leave that douchbaggery. Go strut yourself with someone who would rather kiss your face rather than break it.

You REALLY accept the love you honestly think you deserve. If you think your unworthy of love, your gonna keep shitty company. If you really think your worth something (WHICH you are!) you will find great love..and forget the rest of the scumbags. People will talk all over you if you let them, because that's ALL you think your worth. Remember kids "Don't complain about things you can change". And no, it won't happen over night. You won't wake up one morning and think...."god damn i'm friggen amazing and this guy has punched his last woman". It will take time..and effort, trust me.

On this last note...it can take years before you realize your true worth. And ladies, NO man is worth your tears...and the ones who are, won't make you cry. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this one...i enjoyed writing it.

- Love, Laura xoxox

Question: Do you KNOW what your worth?? Have you ever let someone make you feel less than that?

Stressed...is "Desserts" Spelled backwards..?

WHY HELLO!!!!!!!! Obviously I needed CAPS on to emphasize my excitement! My greatest apologies for NOT blogging in SO long. Work has been a nuthouse and I've been tired and uninspired, and didn't want to come up with a half assed blog every week...about whatever I was feeling passionate about that week.  This week I am feeling passionate about STRESS. Although i may be mistaking passion for murderous rage...they are similar aren't they?

I won't divulge into exactly WHAT is making me stressed, because frankly, I don't feel like being negative like that, but its concerning me that I am letting little work things get to me in such a huge way! Considering people who know me, know I am not a stress-case. I'm pretty calm and laid back usually, but these days I'm tense and irritated. Which leads me to my point: Why do we let little things bother us? Especially at the end of the day, does it really matter? The world won't end if I don't finish that one info package or call that one grocery manager.

I have always worked hard at making sure work didn't become my life. All I thought about even when I'm not at work...its bad enough I think about work AT WORK! I'm quite private at work, regarding my personal life...and at home, I don't really like talking about work...but somehow, the two are being mixed up...mixed up like my dad's plate at thanksgiving.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the people I work with. I've never worked at someplace where everyone is so close, and every single day, since I started (a year ago) there has been laughter...and not just "hehe-haha" laughing...its more of a CACKLE! HOWEVER...these days, the cackling hens aren't doing it for me...as stress relievers anyways.

SO, WHAT in fact do I do to relieve this work-like stress?? I've been trying a few things lately...some good, others not so good. Working out kind of helps...the sweat burning my eyes and gasping for breath helps take away the thought of work, but only for a few minutes. Usually sleep helps, but that's few and far between these days...as i toss and turn THINKING about how much work i have to do the next day. A recent ritual I've brought back into play seems to be working the best..: Changing out of work clothes as soon as I get in the house..and possibly showering. Now, I'm not showering b/c I had an exhausting bus ride home, but b/c it seems to LITERALLY wash my negativity and BULLSHIT form the day. I tested this theory out a few times last week and it seemed to really relax me! I work with a few co-workers who are a bit high strung and anxious all the time, and I've always been one to pick up peoples energies so a shower seems to be the answer, as I stated before..it washes away the day...ahhhhhh.

Anyways...whatever stress relief you have, use it..and often! Theres a lot of scientific evidence proving that stress is one of the leading causes of cancer...ekk! Thus the reason I will take drastic measures to be calm. At the end of the day, most things are not THAT big of a deal. The world isn't going to end b/c you didn't do something. You must learn to life a stress free life...b/c nobody likes seeing their co-worker go into work with a saw'd-off shot gun "admin assistant" style and taking everyone out...including the purolator guy....that is all.

Love, Laura xoxoxox

QUESTION: What are your favorite "home made" stress-relievers that work for you?

Tell me lies..Tell me sweet little Lies

This is just a little heart-break music...enjoy!

So here we are again… a quiet evening, well not so quiet..as there is Wrestling on TV in the background (not my personal choice, but its HIS one show he’s allowed to watch one day a week..and I get to do whatever I need to do without distraction for a few hours!) So now I get to blog…about what you ask?? Well I’ve been thinking a lot about relationships/singles/boys/men..in general lately. And because I am such a true believer in the book “He’s just Not that Into You”, I wanted to divulge into this a little bit…so watch out…I can get pretty passionate..I might spit, I’m sorry in advance.

Where to begin…Well lets start a list of “He Just not into you If’s..”

He’s Just NOT that Into You If:

·         Your still in the “friends” zone…after 2 years…

·         He doesn’t want to be intimate/sexual/kinky with you.

·         He’s married

·         He’s “Separated”

·         He “is pretty sure we’re gonna get a divorce..” for the last 3 years.

·         He has a girlfriend

·         ..They live together

·         He can’t “commit”

·         He hasn’t told anyone about you..

·         He isn’t asking you out, no matter how many “Signs” YOU think he’s given

·         He hasn’t called

Well I could literally go on and on and on and perhaps..ON with more ways that men are blatantly telling you he’s NOT interested. It makes me VERY angry how women are about men. Always thinking they are so complicated…when the reality? WE are the complicated ones. We are always making excuses for them…from why they haven’t called- oh he must be out of town…! WHERE!??? AFGHANISTAN???  To even why he can’t supposedly “commit”. Oh he has commitment issues…or he was hurt bad in the past. I call BULLSHIT. He just wont commit to YOU! And if he was hurt bad in the past? Then that’s HIS daemons…and why the hell would you want to be with someone who has THAT much baggage in the first place???? As my sister once put it “He is damaged goods..and I am not a repair-man”.

Onto my next point. Married men. Enough said..right? Wrong. I won’t divulge much into my own past, but I will say this: UNLESS HE IS CERTIFIABLY D-I-V-O-R-C-E-D..HE AIN’T GOING ANYWHERE. That being said, I am sure there are a small 1% of couples who have indeed met this way, which is fine..and dandy..for them! But I can assure you, nothing good will come of this. No matter how many times he lays on that thick blanket of “I love you mores..” and “we are getting a divorce” (for the 100^th time) they aren’t going anywhere, and your going to end up alone with your tears and a bucket of ice cream. Don’t you think that sleazy men like that know how to play the game??? C’mon…get your damn head outta the clouds. And even if he, dare I say, finally gets that divorce and you end up together..how could you ever trust him KNOWING that’s at one time YOU were “the other women” and he most likely has another one working it on the side. At this point, I’d say its best to take off the rose colored sunglasses…

Another of the points I am fond of hearing about is that "he won't have sex with me". Ahh that old chestnut. Question: WHAT MAN DOESN'T WANT TO HAVE SEX? I mean really..riddle me that!!!! Most likely he doesn't want to tell you the real truth, in that he isn't attracted to you in that way..or your a bad lay. Either way, STOP creating excuses for him.."he doesn't like sex.."..He's tired all the time"..or whatever sweet little lie your telling yourself at the time. When the raw deal is" HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU. 

In conclusion my loves…men are NOT complicated. They are just to cowardly to say it out loud, but listen to me when I say, actions speak LOUDER than words, especially theirs. Stop fantasizing about him coming onto you and confessing his undying love to you, because he most likely won’t by now. A quote i really love: "If a guy is treating you like he doesn't give a shit..then he genuinely doesn't give a shit!"  Move on for the amazing bachelor who ACTUALLY wants to take time loving on you…I know I didJ

On a completely unrelated topic…I apologize about not blogging for a while, but I’ve been outta that game for a bit. ALSO I have officially decided My blog will now have a MAIN FOCUS, which will be Love and Relationships..and I was thinking about doing just a once a week blog..focusing on what i learned about love during the week..good or bad!. I will keep you posted!

-Love, Laura

xoxoxo