Julep Maven

I love getting manicures - if not for the perfectly polished hands I leave the salon with, but also for the pamper time involved. But sometimes a girl has to do her own nails. I don't have a large collection of polishes by any means - I probably have about a handful of go-to nail colors when I am in a crunch and don't have time to run to the salon. So when I heard of Julep Maven while reading I am Style-Ish, I thought this would be great to try out!

So basically it's like a membership club in which you take a quiz based on your beauty preferences and Julep comes up with nail shades picked for you based on your quiz results! Each month, you receive nail polishes and other beauty picks for just $19.99, which is great because each nail polish retails for $14!

So my first box was for the month of December and I received the "It Girl" set:

From left to right:

Nail Therapy

Trina

Christina

Kim

Samples of their hand cream & hand brightener

The only polish I have used from my December box is Christina (along with the Nail Therapy as a base coat). The golden-orange color was on my hands all month into Christmas and it was so pretty! It did chip fairly quickly on me, but with that said most polishes do. My nails don't hold color very well for some reason, no matter the brand.

 For January, I received the "Bombshell" set:

From top, clock-wise:

Pomegranate body scrub

Megan

Carrie

Nail Therapy

Carrie

Megan

This box was also supposed to contain a shade called Gayle (which I totally cannot remember what color it was) but it apparently sold out, so Julep sent me a card to redeem for a free polish. I thought that was really spectacular - some companies just have an "Oh well, you missed out " attitude, so this was a nice surprise!

Overall, I am really happy with Julep and the products I have received thus far. The colors are prettier in person and really pigmented. I do think they last well, despite that I had to re-polish Christina often, but I think that it because I didn't give myself a complete mani. I just polished my nails quickly so I think if I had the time to manicure my nails as a professional would, then it would have lasted just as long as normal manis do.

Another perk that I like with being a Julep Maven is that they email you a sneak peek of what your monthly box will bring and if you aren't liking what they have selected for you, you are free to choose another set from the ones they have put together! This is just what I did for January's box - the original set wasn't made of colors I would pick myself, so I swapped that set for the "Bombshell" box. Easy-peasy!

I hope you give Julep Maven a try! I think it is really worth it especially if you are one to give yourself manicures. Polishes alone can add up and for under $20 you get a set personalized to your beauty style that retails for over $40!

You can sign up to be a Julep Maven here!!

BDIB: Sequins

So in place of what would be today's "Friday's Five" posting, I am sharing my submission post of Bloggers Do It Better: Sequins hosted by Pretty Shiny Sparkly!

What is Bloggers Do It Better? It's founder, Kristina of Pretty Shiny Sparkly describes it as this - Bloggers Do It Better is a movement. An initiative to showcase real girls, with real style, wearing real trends.Think of it as inspiration from the girl next door.

I checked my closet and had several sequined items to use for this link up but the choice was easy. I wore my brand new GLITTERATI by Pretty Shiny Sparkly blouse designed by Kristina herself! It was PERFECT for the first BDIB theme of 2012!

How GORGEOUS is this blouse?! 100% silk...sequins...covered buttons...I love it!

Outfit Details

Blouse: GLITTERATI by Pretty Shiny Sparkly

Jeans: Gap

Shoes & Clutch: JustFabulous

Watch: Guess

Sweetheart ring & Gold bracelets: JewelMint

Ivory cuff bracelet: BaubleBar

Check out the other bloggers who participated!

I'm also linked up with Blonde Episodes today!

Style Crush: Sarah Jessica Parker

I decided to begin a series called "Style Crush" where I will feature a celebrity whose style I am crushing on (duh, right?). There are countless celebs who have impeccable taste when it comes to fashion and my first choice was Sarah Jessica Parker.

It's no surprise that I am a major fan of Sarah Jessica Parker. Who didn't fall in love with her as Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City? I love her quirkiness, her insanely curly hair (which somehow still looks amazing even with frizz!) and of course, her style. She somehow manages to pull off looks that many would deem as crazy or loud but on her, they seem just right. It's no wonder she has become a fashion icon in the eyes of many, including myself.

Here are some of her red carpet looks that I just l.o.v.e.

Nina Ricci

Marchesa

L'Wren Scott

Valentino Couture

Alexander McQueen

I think SJP pulls off her casual style quite effortlessly as well. She still maintains her level of chic while running errands or after her small children.



(I am so recreating this look!)

So there you have it - my first official "Style Crush" feature. SJP has a gazillion more looks that I love but this would have become a photo album instead of a blog post!

Do you agree? Are you a fan of Sarah Jessica Parker's style?

(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)

Resolutions

I'll be honest - I hate making a list of resolutions for the new year because it ends being a waste of time. Who really holds onto that list all year long and makes the concentrated effort to accomplish each one? I never did. I would make the (mental) list, forget about the list and then recall it months later only to realize that nothing had yet to be checked off. But something in me this year felt compelled to put it down on paper (or on the web) because maybe if I see it on a regular basis and have some accountability, I might be able to cross things off for once. So here is just a small part of my list...I probably could have filled up a notebook with my to-do's! And maybe every once in awhile, you'll check on my progress!

1 - Become healthier. Most people have "lose weight" on their resolution list and while that is included in this for myself, there is more to it than just dropping pounds. I'm not too good at keeping up with regular checkups with my doctors or taking vitamins every single day (like this morning, I left them on my kitchen counter!) so those are aspects of being healthier that I want to include. I also want to make an effort to cook healthier meals, eat out less, drink more water and find a way to make exercise a regular part of my personal routine. I found Zumba last year and loved it, so I want to do that a few times a week if possible. I know I can't rely on anyone else by myself for my health. I know this one will be hard on me but I am hoping that it becomes a habit (even if it starts slowly).

2 - Learn something new. The Hubs & I had a good long talk a few months back about wanting to learn something new. Sometimes education stops after people leave high school & college, but I kinda miss learning in that whole classroom/book sense. Now I don't necessarily mean I will sign up for school & all that, but I want to challenge my brain a bit. It doesn't have to be anything major but just something new. I do want to take a cooking class for sure. Maybe even photography? Who knows! As long as I am learning something new and making my mind work.

3 - Shop for classics. A few months back I was cleaning out my closet and going through the inventory of my clothes, shoes, handbags and accessories (boy, did that take awhile!) and I realized something - I had more trendier fashion items than I did classic, never-go-out-of-style items. And right then and there, I made a list of those classic items that I was lacking. And I was surprised with some of them. For instance, I don't own ONE button down white shirt. But I have like ten purple blouses. Ha! So from now on, my purchases need to be classic-based and less of items that will only work for specific occasions. Oh and all those trendier items that I decided not to keep? Stay tuned... ;)

4 - Get back to couponing. I was led into the world of couponing by a friend of mine who clearly had it mastered. She had stockpiled tons of items and even helped me set up my own coupon binder. I was super excited to save money and I took off. Now I wasn't on Extreme Couponing levels, but I had a decent stockpile set up and we saved a lot of money every time we went grocery/household shopping. And then it died off. I would clip coupons here and there, but I wasn't devoting the time as I did before. Well no more. I am promising myself to take the time to get back on the coupon train, save money and stock up on items.

5 - Organize, organize, organize. Now this one is not going to be so difficult because by nature, I like things in order and organize the most mundane things, but when it comes to bigger projects, I don't always have the same enthusiasm. So for instance, our desk area needs a MAJOR overhaul. Our desk has literally become the "toss it there" station and it's a mess. I also need to get onto other areas in our home to spruce them up. These won't take very long - it's just a matter of setting the time aside and getting it organized! I love me some labels and bins, so I am looking forward to this one. :)

So that's just a few things on my resolution list for 2012. Some will be easy to accomplish, while others will take more of a push but I am hoping that by December, I can look back and see that I actually got them done. I'm sure the results will be worth the efforts!

What resolutions do you have for this year? I'd love to hear all about them!

And don't forget to take advantage of the 50% discount for your first JewelMint purchase, courtesy of the MBA Seattle team! Details can be found HERE.

Ringing in the New Year

(Times Square madness at midnight)



So here we are into 2012! Hope you all had a lovely weekend ringing in the New Year & enjoying some time off. I definitely made the most of my three day weekend by taking some time off from blogging & taking in some movies, meals & relaxation. It was nice although it wasn't long enough..but is it ever!?

The Hubs & I decided not to venture out on NYE & instead hosted a little get-together with some friends at our home. It was a great time recalling our memories of 2011 & coming up with plans for 2012. Music was playing, food was devoured & there was plenty of laughter while we counted down the hours till midnight. Quality time with our friends is something we can never have enough of!

(some tabletop decor, snacks & a random flip flop!?)

(taking a pic before the party begins)

(OPI's Eiffel for this Color + bow ring)

(I love how agreeable he was to wear his hot pink polo to coordinate with my lipstick. HA!)

(Another "HA!" moment - the feather tiaras I bought matched our outfits just right)

(2.0.1.2. sayeth the boys. Weird light thingy in the pic, but cute nonetheless!)

(Another shot of us)

It was so nice to be home for the celebration & share it with our little crew. I hope you enjoyed your NYE as much as I did! What did you do? I'd love to hear all about it!