My Week in Review ~ 3.31.13

Happy Easter, lovelies!  I hope you had an amazing weekend!  I wanted to share some of my week with you.  Yesterday I went to a Colorado Avalanche (hockey) game with my bf, his daughter, and his mom.  So here's a pic of the 3 of us together at the game :)  This was my first hockey game since I used to go see the Providence Bruins when I was in high school.

I *finally* made some of my past 2 WhimseyBox projects, and they're so useful for keeping me sane and organized.  Plus they're fun to look at, too!  If you haven't looked into WhimseyBox yet, I highly suggest you do so!  It's a craft box (like the beauty ones!) that comes monthly, and I'm obsessed!  Plus, use my referral link and get $5 off your first box!  (They run $15 a month, and come with a project and all the necessary supplies!)

The kiddos were on Spring Break this week, and I've tried to keep things on the inexpensive side.  So we took a trip to the thrift store the other day.  I hit the gold mine with books, these were all under $5 a piece, most were only $3!  So far I've finished The Carrie Diaries, and am starting Four Blondes next.  It's reasons like this I refuse to pay full price for things, I got 12 books for the price of 2 of them!

Friday I took the kiddos to Chuck e Cheese to play some skee ball (and other games).  It was so fun, I love arcade games!  The kids had a blast, and I did too!  Plus, Bella shared her 'winnings' with JT, which made my day.  Sometimes just a small gesture like that reminds me how lucky I am.

I've been doing tons of spring cleaning, and I wanted to share a quick tip that worked pretty well for me.  I put a measuring cup with 1 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water in the microwave and set the time for 10 minutes.  Now it completely boiled over and made a mess and leaked out, (should have put a wooden stirrer in!) but it steam cleaned the entire microwave, and I just wiped all the mess out with a damp cloth.  So easy, it's ridiculous.

I won this Mario Badescu Hyaluronic Eye Cream from Amber of Real Girl Glam and LOVE it!  It gets rid of puffiness well, and I'm hoping that with continued use it works on the darn bags and circles!  PS ~ If you're not familiar with Amber's blog, you should check it out!  

What were some of the highlights of your past week?

xx

Lia

Kate Spade Jewelry Dupes at Target!

Hey lovelies!  Like everyone, I love Target.  I mean, I loooove Target.  They continue to step up their game season after season. So imagine my surprise when perusing some of their accessories, and I immediately thought they looked eerily familiar.  While they aren't spot-on dupes, there's definitely some Kate Spade inspiration in Target's jewelry.

The necklaces above are definitely similar, though not exact.  While the Kate Spade 'Field Day' Bib Necklace will set you back $278, the Target Sculptured Beaded Flower Bib necklace only costs $16.99.  Now I can't speak for everyone, but on a trendy piece like this, I'd rather save $250 (or put that towards my student loans!) and pick up the 'cousin' necklace from Target.

The earrings are also 'cousins' (see what I did there? lol), but at $8 a pop, you can get both for less than the cost of one pair of the originals by Kate Spade.  Besides, once they're on no one will be able to tell the difference!

Have you spotted any similarly inspired pieces in stores lately?  Would you rather the designer pieces (and prices!) or the bargain ones?

xx
Lia

Springy Dresses Under $50!

Happy Friday, lovelies!  Ahhh springtime!  It's finally starting to feel a bit like spring, hopefully it lasts!  It's inspiring me to go through my closet (spring cleaning!) and start pulling out all those fun springtime dresses.  For some reason, spring dresses are much more fun and have more styling options than those for summer.  So here's a quick roundup of some I'm looking to add into my closet... best part?  All are under $50!

Top row, L-R:
Old Navy Eyelet Dress, $27.50 (extra 30% off online with code THANKYOU)
Old Navy Shirtdress, $20 (extra 30% off online with code THANKYOU)
Target Color Blocked Dress, $19
Target Labworks Neoprene Dress, $28

Bottom row, L-R:
Target Hi-Low Hem Dress, $25
JC Penney 9 & Co Dress, $40
Kohl's LC Lauren Conrad Dress, $44.99
Kohl's Simply Vera Vera Wang Dress, $47.60

Which is your favorite?  How would you style it?

xx
Lia

BaubleBar's Spring Cleaning Sale

Hi lovelies!  With spring upon us (or so they say!) I am so excited about BaubleBar's Spring Cleaning sale!  If you've never heard of / ordered from BaubleBar before, they work with leading jewelry designers, the same ones who supply high-end retail stores, and curate a collection of on-trend, affordable pieces.  There's no commitment, no monthly charges, just buy what you want when you want.  The best part?  You'll get $10 off your first order when you sign up!  So click here and sign up!

Now, they're having this incredible Spring Cleaning sale, with pieces up to 60% off!  Here's some of my favorites.  At these prices, they all are affordable!


from L-R, top row:
Noir Spike Strand, $24
Bubblegum Bauble Bib, $24
Violet Triad Collar, $24

from L-R, bottom row:
Jumbo Amethyst Studs, $16
Popeye Sailor Studs, $16
Starfish Ring, $36
Glacier Ring, $74

Any pieces you've got your eye on?

xx
Lia

Review ~ My March GlossyBox Unwrapped

Hi lovelies!  I know you love seeing what everyone gets in their monthly boxes, so here's March's Spring Fling GlossyBox.  I did share the unboxing on Vine, check it out!

Here's all the goodies!  All in all, some great products and a fun box!  {Click to keep reading }

DIY ~ Pastel 'Enamel' Bangle Bracelets

Hey lovelies!  I keep seeing such adorable pastel enamel bracelets in stores, and they are just so fun!  But given my nearly nonexistent budget now, I can't afford to spend.  I'm okay with this, because I just get more creative!  Given my recent pastel painted baubles, like the bobby pins or the necklace and earrings, I decided to raid my jewelry and found some plain bangles that would be perfect for a makeover.  {Click to read more!}

My Fave Lipsticks ~ Reds and Fuschias

Hi lovelies!  I have an obsession with lipstick, and having just one brand/shade of a color is certainly not enough for me.  So I thought I'd share and swatch some of my faves with you - at all price points!  Above are some of my favorite reds.  As you can see, there's everything from New York Color to Dior and in between.  The best part?  When on, you can't tell which is which!  {Click to keep reading!}