MYO Trail Mix

MYO?

Make Your Own!

I love the concept of trail mixes. Sweet, mixed in the savory, all in one big bite - YUM!

Problem is, I have not found a mix that has EVERYTHING that I like! Some, I love the nuts, but I don't like the generic chocolate M&Ms, or I don't like the nuts, but love the dried fruit.

So what happens when you can't find something you like? You MYO!

And that's what I did when I made a quick trip to Trader Joes. For my first attempt, I bought:

Dry Roasted & Salted Almonds
Dry Roasted & Salted Pistachio Nutmeats
Super Cranberry and Pomegranate Blend (with raspberries, cherries and black currants)
Dried Cranberry

and the bonus item?

Cadbury Mini Eggs (that I bought around Easter)


Oh.Emm.Gee.

How can this go wrong? All my faves? I'm in heaven!

MYO - and tell me what you would use! :o)

xo

my *go to* lipgloss duo

I, along with many of my fellow beauty loving lovelies, LOVE lipgloss. We just can't get enough of it. Right now, as I am sitting at my desk, within my line of sight, I can count 7 lipglosses of all varieties. Sheesh, was that outloud?

Well, I'm here to share my newest and greatest lipgloss combo to you today. The first is Lush Flush Lip and Cheek Stain in Rose. It is a very light frosted stain, the pink shows up just enough, without looking too 'blah' against my skin tone. I also love it because it has a very cool sensation when I put it on. Not tingly, just cool. I like to let it dry, or at least, it will feel like it's drying, king of like how paint dries. Remember, it's a stain, so you don't need to layer it on too thick.


In the picture, I did put it on pretty thick though, because it was on my hand and I couldn't gauge what it would look like. When it's on your lips, you can start light, and then build.

If you're not a fan of the gloss, you can also wipe some off, like in the picture below. As you can see, there is still quite a bit of color that becomes embedded. Good to know that this color will stay and give my lips a healthy pink tone, even after my lipgloss has been eaten off!


Next, I apply Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lipgloss in Midnight Cowboy for the gloss look. This is where you get the tingly sensation, kind of like a lip plumper, but it's not advertised as so. I love using this alone too - it tastes and smells sensational! Hard to explain and believe, but it's definitely one of my faves of all time.


Here they are, so happy together :o)

Thanks to my lovely F6, I was able to get pampered with a mani/pedi before her big day! It was then that I had my first GELLISH nail color experience. I wished I took pics of it when I first got it, but considering that this pic was taken 2 weeks the initial application, this is ultimately the picture worth posting!

I did love it, it didn't take much longer than a regular finger painting session and was only an $10. A few things I'd do differently:

1. Have the nail technician apply at least 3 coats. Otherwise, mine ended up chipping and I'm a picker, and peeled the whole thing right off! This will actually end up striping ur natural nails, as opposed to doing it the correct way - soaking it in acetone.
2. Pick a color that you don't mind living with, for TWO weeks! Luckily, I did get sick of this gorgeous dark eggplant color, but it is a pretty big commitment to ONE color!
3. They are pretty resilient, but try not to pick at them!! You'll do more harm and not worth the fun. My nails feel a little bit thinner, but I'm not sure if it's because of the chemicals, or because I peeled off the polish. Either way, don't pick!

I had a similar color, in the Essie brand, on my toes. They didn't last nearly as long and already started to fade and chip after a few days. GELLISH definitely killed the competition!

Btw, this is coming to you from my first mobile blog! Whoohoo!

xoxo

dry skin remedy - Vitamin E Oil

you don't have to live in Chicago to know/hear how awful the winters are.

my face has suffered the most when it comes to dryness. i tried applying double moisturizer, and use facial scrubs to help get rid of dead skin cells, but i still have that pesky flakiness, especially after I'm done putting my powder and foundation on.

FINALLY, i found something that works wonders for me! Vitamin E Oil! it's not rocket science, but i have a mix of dry and oily skin, so i've always been a little aprehensive. but let me tell you, this stuff is perfect for the winters.

you can find this at any store, but I found mine at the $.99 store when i was home in California over the holidays. i'm not sure if they have it at DollarTree, just keep your eye out for it! you can also use those Vitamin E caplets and poke a small hole. it's probably not the most ideal, but it does the trick.

my Brushguards are here!

and i've never been more excited to clean my brushes!

i'll take pics and share my journey, of course! i'll be following Michelle Phan's tutorial - cleaning them with a combo olive oil/dishwashing detergent and then use my new Brushguards to dry them.

did you can keep them on, while you're using the brushes too? this will help me NOT lose them! but you have to be careful to not pull it the wrong way - take it all the way off and pull it through, as you would be try them. just stop before it touches the bristles.

i'm thinking about cutting them in half so I can double my brushguard inventory. we'll see if my thrifty plans work :o)

here's another review by Wayne - super excited!!!

sweet, yummy....BEER?

oh yes, my friends. it DOES exist, and you will love it!



it's called Lindeman's and received an A grade! It's also considered a Lambic, which is a distinctive type of beer brewed only in the Pajottenland region of Belgium. It's unusual fermentation process gives the beer its distinctive flavour: dry, vinous, and cidery, with a slightly sour aftertaste.


they come in the following flavors:

* Peach
* Apple
* Black Cherry
* Raspberry

you can find these, usually the Raspberry and the Peach, at Trader Joe's, CostPlus World Market, BevMo, Binny's and even at smaller liquor stores.

while they are a little on the expensive side ($8.99 - $9.99) for 25.4 ounces, it's sooo worth it!
when you order from restaurants, they usually sell them for the same exact price, but in the little baby bottles.

if you live in Chicago, Piece has it on tap for $5 a glass! it's not a full size beer glass, but still hits the spot. i usually get two :o) fabulous pizza, Piece brewed beer for my guy and Lindeman's Framboise (raspberry) can you say, happy place?

thank you to my F5, who first introduced me to this, back at her first Cali home in Pomona!!

hi, my name is marii, and i am a water snob.

my favorites are either Evian or Fiji.
my least favorites are Dasani and Aquafina.

i swear, i can taste the difference! but in all honesty, if the water is cold, then i can't really taste the difference. but, i'll still make a 'yucky-face' @ Dasani or Aquafina, even when it's cold! :oP

because i hate to have my water (in a cup/water bottle) get to room temperature too quickly, i like to put some ice cubes to make it last longer. i try not to use too many water bottles and my cups are too small sometimes.

VOILA, i found the perfect solution!

check out these glass water bottles from Precidio! how stinkin' cute are they? the ones that i bought are different than the ones that are available on this site - but seriously, they are all adorable! i actually bought mine from Marshalls, very randomly, for $7.99! and luckily, Precidio has a tiny little logo, which i then used to hunt them down for this blog. this site sells them for $9.99.

i love it because the mouth is big enough that i can put regular ice cubes in it. also, it rarely 'sweats'. i've had it do so on occasion, but as i'm typing this, my waterbottle sits comfortably without a coaster.

the lid/lip is also very interesting. it's got the lid that you screw, but there is an additional screw in the middle where you can turn it to control the water flow. i don't know why i'm such a klutz, but on several occasions, i've spilled all over myself. so now, i drink with the lid completely off. the lid is magnificent though because i've traveled with it on occasions and it has not ever leaked!

Love Love Love.

you will too! Be green and drink cold water :o)