Makeup Review: L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara!

 

Things I love: 

• The packaging--its a nice shiny gold, so pretty :) haha
• The way it separates my lashes IMMENSELY
• The wand type, its the perfect size, not too big or small 
• The little spoolies shape, not sure if you can tell in the pic above, but its like a propeller shape.  Add this with TONS of bristles and you are bound for the "millions of lashes" look!
• How black it is, I believe mine is "blackest black" -or something like that. 

**I absolutely LOVE L'Oreal Mascaras, they have always been my favorites even after branching out to try other brands, I don't know what they're doing, but I hope they keep it up. I decided to give this one a whirl because just the name in itself sounded promising, especially from a very reputable brand.  I was pleasantly surprised with the results, and this has become my new favorite mascara.  I have pretty long lashes to begin with, but I can definitely attest to the fact that this mascara separates each and every lash because of the brush and it also does not get clumpy (which is obviously a plus!) I cannot think of anything that really bothered me to mention, so I will leave it at this and say that I definitely recommend trying this! :)

To gals batting their beautiful lashes everywhere,

xox 


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ENERGY 2 - UNIT 6 - FOCUS 3 - THE WEATHER

GRAMMAR AUCTION: REVISION OF WILL/WON'T

1- He'll be here tomorrow night.

2- I think I come tonigh.

3- Will you to come by car?

4- I hope they'll not arrive late.

5- She won't come to the party because she's ill.

6- We'll see you probably on Saturday.

7- He thinks he will be a famous pop star.

8- What time will they arrive?

SONG: www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqBuj0TU9xc&feature=related

Those Who Conquered Breast Cancer Series : M's Story

This week, I would like to start off with my very first feature for this October Breast Cancer Survivor Spotlight Series on my blog.  I think it is something that can spread hope, love and encouragement, and I strongly suggest reading one of these when you feel like you are maybe having a bad day, you are not alone in the "having a bad day" department, and as long as you have hope, your faith in a brighter tomorrow will push you through I promise! I hope that the stories that these women have offered, touch your hearts, and instill in you a sense of dedication to your emotional and physical health, and not only that, but also a sense of pride in being a woman/man who can make it through anything! Lets begin:

*The person sharing this story will be referred to as "M".


How did this person come about the idea that maybe something was wrong? 

M  came across what appeared to be a small lump in her left breast while in the shower during a normal body wash.  Having had a mammogram just three months earlier, she thought it was almost impossible for it to be anything serious.


How did this person go about getting checked out to see what could be wrong? 

She scheduled an appointment to have this lump checked out with her General Practitioner the next morning, he scheduled her for another mammogram and ultrasound right after he too noticed the lump.  After reading the ultrasound and being told by the Doctor that it was a mere cyst, although a bit relieved, she was still not at ease. It was told to her that they would try and go about draining the cyst as soon as possible.

After multiple failed attempts to try and drain the cyst, doctors told her that they would try again in 3 months time because they feared puncturing her lung (being that this was close to where the cyst was).  M was nervous to wait that long, and rightfully so. M opted to get another opinion after not feeling that it was just a "cyst", after all, it had been 3 months and it had not gotten any smaller!

Finally the proper testing was done and a biopsy was put in place, unfortunately the news was delivered later that evening that she indeed did have a tumor, measuring 2.5 cm. at that!

How was the breast cancer treated? 

M decided to have a mastectomy, it was not an easy decision, but one that had to be made rather quickly as her life was on the line.  After having the mastectomy, a temporary implant was inserted and chemotherapy ensued.

What made this a success story? 

After 6 rounds of chemotherapy, spread over 18 weeks, the cancer was gone! April of this year (2012) will mark 9 years since her last treatment!

What type of support system got them through this hard time? 

Having a wonderful husband/wife is always something positive, sometimes the person you choose to be with during sickness and health is the same one who gets you through sickness into health and that's the honest truth.  In this story I saw a lot of different outlets for M, and I think she was super lucky to have friends and family by her side until the end of this terrible journey, that is what drives a person for sure.  M also had her work family behind her 100%, allowing her to work from home part time and giving her all the time she needed to mentally and physically recuperate.   It is with the loving guidance of those that you love around you that gives you hope, if they believe in you, so should you.  M credits having so much to live for as her reason for "fighting like a girl" and conquering cancer!

Next part in this series will be up some time the week of 10/17.

To Fighting Like A Girl Always,

xox

Good Eats: Banana Cream Pie!

Yummm, as I type this blog post, I am craving yet another slice of this bad boy! So rich and delicious, who wouldn't love this recipe?! Lets get started: 

Ingredients: 

1 Medium Orange (I used a large one and found that it was super orangey so if you like this use a large one! I didn't mind :) 

1 Pre-made Nilla Wafer Crust (can be found in the baking aisle of your super market, if not use a graham cracker one!)

3 Bananas
3/4 Cups Granulated Sugar
1 Box Mini Nilla Wafers
1/2 Tsp. Vanilla extract
1.1/4 Cup Whipped Cream (you may use light or fat free as well, tastes just as good!)
2 Tbsp. ROOM TEMPERATURE butter (I used organic, you can use regular if you wish--non salted!)
3/4 Cup Heavy Cream
1/4 Cup Light Corn Syrup (can be found in baking aisle as well)
1/2 Cup water
1/4 Tsp. Salt (to bring out all of the wonderful flavors in this pie :)
5 Egg Yolks (I used Organic Brown Eggs, feel free to use whatever you prefer)
1/2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract (yes a separate 1/2 tsp--this is for the pastry cream filling)
1.1/2 Cups Scalded Milk
1 Tsp. Unsalted Butter (yes a separate 1 Tsp. this will be used for the filling as well)
2.1/2 Tbsp of Cornstarch
1/2 Cup Granulated sugar and a pinch more to your personal liking :) (this is another additional measurement)

Cooking Tools You Will Need: 

Whisk
Rubber Spatula
Wooden Spoon
Medium pot
Medium Bowl
Zester
Liquid and Dry Measuring Utensils

• First you want to mix together all of the egg yolks and the 3/4 Cups of sugar. Add in the cornstarch and keep whisking until everything is a pale yellow color.
• In the meantime, bring the milk to an almost boil and when it has reached this point, add it to your bowl slowly while also continuously mixing the egg yolk and sugar mixture. 
• Pour this mixture in your medium saucepan and put the flame on low heat. While this mixture is warming, be sure to continuously whisk it until you realize it is thickened well. 

• Once your mixture is thickened, remove it from the heat and add the orange zest (this adds such a delightful taste!) and the 1 Tsp. of Butter.  Mix well and place everything in a bowl being sure to cover the top with plastic wrap. You want to place the plastic wrap right on top of the mixture instead of on top of the bowl, this assures that the pastry cream filling doesn't form a film at the top. Leave in the fridge until everything is cooled. 
• Next we are going to work on our homemade caramel! :) Begin by placing the water and light corn syrup into another medium sauce pan. 
• Add the second listing of sugar (1/2 cup) and be sure to NOT mix it all together, just let it sit there in a white mound on the bottom of the pan--I have OCD tendencies so this was SO hard to do haha
• Put this over medium low heat until you can't see anymore of the white sugar and you are confident it has dissolved.  
• After you see this, pipe up the heat to high and bring it to a vigorous boil, remember not to stir! This process will take about 10-13 mins, but be patient, you want to wait until it reaches a nice amber like color :)

• Once the mixture in your medium saucepan has turned an amber color,  turn the flame back down to low and add in your room temperature heavy cream. BE SURE TO DO THIS VERY SLOWLY! 
• Continue to whisk this heavy cream in pretty fast, you don't want to go too slow or the caramel will form a clump on your whisk, believe me, I've done that before! (your mixture is going to look pretty out of control once you begin adding the heavy cream, but take control of it and don't let it control you! lol whisk whisk whisk and you MAKE it come together! :)
• After everything is combined and you have what looks like caramel, add 3/4 of this in with your sliced bananas in a bowl and coat them evenly. (I say 3/4 of the caramel because you may want to use some of the leftover caramel as a drizzle for decoration before serving)

• Place this banana caramel mixture as the first layer in your pie, smoothing it our over the bottom. 
• Place your mini Nilla Wafers as a thin second layer right over the banana mixture. 
• Remove your heavy cream from the fridge (hopefully fully cooled at this point) and spread a layer of that over your Nilla Wafers being sure to smooth everything out evenly. 

• Lastly, take out your whipped cream and spread this as the final layer. I am going to warn you now, some of the caramel may ooze out of the sides depending on how thick you have made your layers, but have no fear, this can easily be wiped up and your pie will not suffer in flavor because of this :) 
• Don't worry yourself about being perfect while spreading your whipped cream, the "homemade" look is what we are going for anyway right?!
• Leave this pie in your fridge for at least 4 hours (I left mine over night because after 4 hours it still wasn't "set" all the way and not everything had congealed together as I would have liked it to at that point. 
• Place a piece of aluminum foil under your pie so that if any of that yummy filling leaks out, your fridge will be saved! 

There you have it! When you slice into this, you will have a little slice of heaven. You taste everything from the caramel to that sweet pasty filling and even the lovely orange--zest is pretty strong!

This recipe was a hit with everyone who had the pleasure of trying a piece, its truly a piece of comfort, and I LOVE bananas and anything banana so this is for sure one of my favorite pies to make :)

3 Bananas and some Caramel,

xox

Narrow Calves and Fall Boots!

I find that many stores carry boots that my poor little calf just swims in--and I don't think I have particularly narrow calves either--it can be quite frustrating.  If you fall into that category, the category of ladies like myself who will try on gorgeous boots and then realize the diameter is just way too large, this post is for you :)

There are a few tips to searching for boots that will more comfortably fit you.  They are simple, and if you shop only those kinds of boots, you will be sure to almost never be disappointed by trying on a boot that is just simply too large.  Here are my personal tips:

1. Search for boots that have things like buckles and lace ups. These will ensure that YOU will be able to control the size of the diameter of the shaft of the boot. I often find myself going for these sorts of boots :)

2. When shopping online, be sure to always look at the more info section and search for the part where they list the inches of the diameter of the boot.  Anything 6.5' + is an almost no go in my book. If I am really set on them, however, I will make it a point to go try them on in the actual store to assure that the measurements aren't just off.

There will be times that a boot is just a "smidge" too large and not to the point where it looks awkward.  With these sorts of boots, I like to sport the "fashion knee socks under the boots" look.  This can actually be SUPER cute! I love doing this with argyle patterns, plaid patterns, and even just solid colors. The knee socks can really add a pop of something fun to your look.  That tiny peek one may get into your boot will be a surprise  :)

Here are some boots ranging from $29.99-$100.00, so there is something for everyone! These boots came from either Macy*s or Target :)

 

You can pair leggings or skinny jeans with any of the above pictured boots comfortably.  Who doesn't love a good skinny jean and fashion boot? :) I don't want you guys to feel limited to the ones I have shown you above, I just wanted to give you some ideas as to what to look for and what stores carry these types of "non wide calf boots".  Remember, look for adjustable buckles, diameter of the shaft size LESS than 7' and lace up boots or booties. 

To skinny calves everywhere, 

xox

Ladies, Take Care of Your Lady Lumps!

It's almost that time of the year, Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October). For a lot of people, the only time you get educated or involved in becoming proactive in the prevention of Breast Cancer is during this month. It's hard to escape right? All the pink ribbons everywhere, the town walks raising money for Breast Cancer Research--and the occasional story told about someone who lost a loved one to the viscous disease. Being completely honest, I myself haven't been the most concerned with doing the mammogram tests (they hurt!) or doing a self breast exam in the shower following one of those cards that you hang on your shower head. In fact, I have been pretty bad when it comes to things like this, and for this I am truly disappointed in myself. I am going to attempt to redeem myself, however, by getting checked this month and being consistent with eating healthy, something I have been doing a lot lately thank goodness :)

As I mentioned above, eating healthy is key when trying to protect your body from ANY disease, Breast Cancer included. Now I am not stating that if you eat 100% Organic healthy foods, you are 100% safe from this disease, but it's certainly a start and a good one at that.

Eating healthy is simpler than you think--don't get discouraged by the common misconception that you have to eat tons of vegetables and fruits ONLY.

Breastcancer.org states that:

"Diet is thought to be partly responsible for about 30% to 40% of all cancers. Some foods can make your body the healthiest it can be, boost your immune system, and help keep your risk for breast cancer as low as possible. Research has shown that getting the nutrients you need from a variety of foods, especially fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, can make you feel your best and give your body the energy it needs. Eating food grown without pesticides may protect against unhealthy cell changes associated with pesticide use in animal studies."

 

 You can start by doing a few simple things to up your "health factor" as far as diet:

1. Opt for skim or low fat milk as opposed to whole milk
2. Be sure if consuming meat to trim all of the excess fat and avoid processed meats as much as possible!
3. Bake or Broil foods instead of frying.
4. Only buy healthy snacks, you will only be able to eat what's on hand, remember that! :)
5. Whenever possible- BUY ORGANIC! (I know this may be more $, but remember its a small investment for your health!)

Breastcancer.org states again on the note of eating organic that:

"There's a real concern that chemicals used to grow food may cause health problems, including an increase in breast cancer risk. To reduce your exposure to pesticides, you might want to buy organically grown food or organically produced dairy products."

 Eating organic can be super yummy and fun--don't think any different ladies and gents! Below is a link for an AMAZING Banana Split Parfait using organic products--its SUPER SIMPLE too! This and more recipes can be found on the Breast Cancer Org. Website at : www.breastcancer.org .

Banana Split Parfait Recipe: http://www.breastcancer.org/risk/organic_living/recipes/banana_parfait.jsp

I would like to end on a bright note and say that early detection saves lives every single day. Don't put something so important on the back burner. I hope that you take the opportunity at least once this coming October month to do something proactive to help prevent yourself from becoming a victim to Breast Cancer, even if it is just eating healthier :)

Wishing you all healthy "bubbies" ,

xox


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Colors of the City

I love making these sets on Polyvore.com :) There are endless possibilities and when you let your imagination run with it, you can create a real masterpiece! I did this one above in less than 10 mins so it is quite simple, but it still holds much truth to what I was trying to achieve.  When I think of NYC fashion, the things above run pretty close to home.  Lots of reds, blacks and whites, clean colors and clean lines.  I love the gold accents that are shown above in the Tory Burch Flats and the Chanel bag.  If I were to make one for London, my vision would be completely different! Perhaps I will do that another day :)

You should all give this set making a try, you would be surprised how much fun it is! Check it out by clicking here : Polyvore


What is your favorite city that inspires you for fashion? Let me know in the comments below :)

Fashionably Yours,

xox

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