My Bridal Shower

May 8, 201423 Comments

Hey Rumplestilskens!

Such a scary little man, Mr. Stilsken. But whatevs, it’s fun to say!

Last weekend was my first ever wedding shower. And what a shower it was. Sister Meg and my mom hit it outta the mothereffin ball-park. The affair was SO completely perfect and wonderful, that I didn’t want it to end. Seriously. Which is probably why at least 50% of the guests left half way through me opening presents…oops.

Anywho! On to the fun.

I got into the Tri and immediately went to a nail place so they could saw off my dead skin and polish my toes. I walked in and there were like 7,432 people there so I said “how long for a pedicure?” “Five miiih!” said the woman. “You pick color!”

I chose Flip-Flop Fantasy from China Glaze (duh) and settled into the chair. 25 minutes later, someone started my pedi. 5 miiih later my ASS. Oh well. I paid and tipped like a good person and then went home to start the agonizing process of getting myself ready.

1.75 hours later and I had my extensions clipped in, crazy eyelashes on and waaaay too high of wedges strapped to my feet.

Could you just DIE over how well these ‘stensions match my hurr?

Then I went upstairs and GASPED.

IT. WAS. BEEEEEEEEAUTIFUL.

First, we sat down to the most adorable “tea” luncheon ever in existence. I say tea with air quotes because while there were mis-matched teacups adorning the table, no actual tea was served. We Danielsons like to stick purely to our Crystal Lights and alcoholic bevs. Finger sandwiches, caprese bites, my aunt’s famous boyos and delicious mini-quiches were among the delicacies beautifully displayed on delicate tea stands. The cuteness was overwhelmingly faultless.

Knowing it was all for me was tough. I tried to quell any sarcastic or self-deprecating comments which usually escape my mouth when I feel awkward or un-deserving of something. It just felt so funny to have this beautiful party…for me. Like, it’s me. The girl who gets lost going to QFC and has dirty feet. The girl who ATTENDS these parties, not the one who is celebrated.

After eating, we played games. And SHUT UP if you hate games at showers. Games are the best part, especially the poopy diaper game at baby showers, that one’s the best. First we played a trivia game all about marriage, I scored a 3/15 so basically- sh*t, I’m doomed. Next, we played the “guess the celebrity couple game” – where we stared at large pictures of our fave celebs (faces blacked-out) and tried to guess their identities.

There were some REAL throwbacks, like Jessica Simps and Nick Lachey. Man, those were the days amiright!?

After that, Megan read off some questions that she had emailed Bryan and I had to guess his answer. For every wrong answer I had to chew a piece of gum. It started out great and I was NAILING IT. Then the tougher questions came and the wad grew larger and larger. I drooled. I did.

Then we had dessert! My sister Ray-Ray made the cupcakes and per usual, they were completely delectable and perfect. I mean, just feast your eyes.

There were also jelly beans, jordan almonds, petite-fours, coconut macarons, mini berry tarts, dutch mints AND these raspberry swirl sugar-coated things. I had everything, obvs.

Then we opened gifts which is really the only thing I was looking forward to (I KID. I kid) I got the best things ever in the world and everyone is too nice to me and I just felt like getting down and washing everyone’s feet like Jesus. I was that grateful.

After that, sister Amy PTFO and went into her room and locked the door to take a nap and I didn’t see her for 16 hours.

Then my good friend Graham came over and he brought wine and we caught up on tour jetés (he’s a real live dancer. like classically trained and sh*t) and talked about high school.

Then we went to dinner at Bookwalter with Bryan’s parents and I had flatbread. It was amazing food and wine and I LOVE that our parents get along so well. I wish we were all next door neighbors (no, I really do).

And that was that!

Liebster Madness

May 6, 20144 Comments

Another ~~day~~ Liebster, another dollar.

I have been nominated a few more times for this honorable award from the adorable Abby, of Hundred Acre Beauty, the amazing mommybeauty and Treana (fellow bride to be) of Treana’s Transitions. Thanks girrrls!

Since I have been nominated before (here and here) I’ll keep it short and just answer a few questions, promise 🙂

11 Random Facts About Me

I just started wearing contacts regularly and I HATE putting them in.
When I was in 5th grade, I was the Tin Man in our school’s production of the Wizard of Oz. I was on the news and behaved like a regular asshat.
I am passionate about LGBT rights.
Cereal might be my favorite food. (Who wants a Top 5 cereal post!?)
I can play the first few measures of Vanessa Carlton’s 1000 Miles on the piano.
I HAVE never and WILL never eat a banana. I DESPISE them.
I believe Edith Bouvier Beale to be one of the best humans ever.
Debra Messing bugs me.
I have an obsession with serial killers.
One of my lifelong dreams is to sing in a gospel choir and be the only white person.
I have Bill Crystal’s autograph.

Questions for Me

1. What is your favourite food/meal to have on a special occasion?

Crab cakes, birthday cake w/rainbow chip frosting, ice cream cake. Various cakes.

2. Your favourite hobby?

Blogging! Writing! I also like reading, singing and dancing around the house and baking cupcakes. Also, makeup. Shopping for it, applying it, organizing it, etc. AND I enjoy playing volleyball and running (downhill) when I can.

3. Dream job?

PR for a theater or ballet company. Makeup artist. Product development/marketing for a high-end cosmetics company. I’d also take Rick Steve’s job.

4. Favourite brand of makeup?

If price were no object, Nars or Chanel. Brand I use most? L’Oreal or MAC.

5. What is your guilty pleasure?

Lifetime Movies, Shows like Greek and Make it or Break It, Tricky Sticks from the Pipeline (OMG). Swedish fish.

6. What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?

Even though I looove me some makeup and hurr curr – I am also kindof a major ragamuffin. I have perpetual bedhead and smudged mascara.

7. When I ask what makes you happy? What is the first thing that pops into your head?

VACATION. Christmas time. Sun.

8. Greatest accomplishment?

I gotta say volleyball. It was MY WHOLE LIFE for a good, oh, 10 years or so. Firstly, I am not coordinated. I am also clumsy and kind of a walking disaster BUT – I worked my ass of for a good while. And it paid off – both teams I played for in college won the league. I received awards and broke some school records. My senior year I was even awarded first team all-american and was MVP of the league! For the gangly, B-team, awkwardness that I was – I think I ended up doing pretty well for myself. *plz note I played at a community college and a Div. 3 college – I’m not Misty May or anything CLOSE.

9. What is on your agenda today?

TONS.

Buy falsies and new tanning mitt
Pack boxes for move
Try to work out (probs not happening)
Self-tan
Watch 8-10 YouTube videos
Do a mask
Try to get Bry to slow dance with me in the kitchen
Curl my ‘stensions
Paint nails pastel pink

BOOM-shakalaka!

Let’s keep up.

April Favorites

May 1, 201411 Comments

It’s that time again! Here are my favorite things from the month of April.

Makeup

Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer by It Cosmetics

This stuff is srsly life-changing and dare I say it, I may like it better than my beloved Mac Pro-long wear. I received a sample with a recent Ulta order in the shade medium. The color works for my undereyes but ideally I’d like to have the light shade for maximum brightening. The formula is thick, but quickly thins out once the heat from my finger loosens it up. The anti-ageing and waterproof properties in this stuff are SERIOUS and it does. not. crease. Guys, I’m in love I’m in love and I don’t care who knows it!

Maybelline Color Elixir in Breathtaking Apricot

To anyone that has not tried this lipgloss formula from Maybelline, I beseech you. As Kool and the Gang would say – get down on it. The pigmentation is reminiscent of something you might find at Sephora (for 3X the price, mind you) and the consistency is vury nice. Wear it on it’s own. Throw ‘er over a stain. You can’t lose.

Lancome Gloss in Love in Color 146 Peach Snow

My wonderful pal (and cousin-in-law) gave me this lipgloss and, as the name suggests, I am in love. First of all, the packaging is SO cute and quite inventive. Instead of screwing the wand back into the tube (TWSS?) it clicks into place. The color is soooo pretty and really comfortable on the lips.

Mac Pigment in Vanilla

This is one of those items where I “shopped my stash” and re-discovered my love for this staple pigment by Mac. It sheers out lovely and looks smashing swept all over the lid, or as a highlight in the inner corners. Why I don’t use this more, I don’t know.

Beauty

Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs

Welp. The can I have of this product is SO OLD. Spring Break 2005 old. Luckily, this stuff is still being sold in both spray and lotion form in drugstores everywhere. I am very interested in the lotion form, as I do tend to incorporate a lotion into the spray when I use it. I cannot explain how awesome this stuff is – leg makeup doesn’t begin to convey it’s splendor. I currently rock 3 bruises in various shades of purple, sprays of spider veins (sexy) and a general paleness that can only be rivaled by Voldemort. This stuff hides all my imperfections with ease, stays put throughout the day and washes off fairly easy with a bit of body wash. Airbrush legs for the win!

Urban Decay All-Nighter Setting Spray

I have already praised this product, but I thought it deserved another quick mention as we round the corner into summer. If you have troubles with your foundation moving around, blush disappearing or eye shadow falling, just use a few sprays of this stuff right after you apply your makeup. While I can’t guarantee it’s going to protect yer mug in the event of a tropical monsoon, it will help keep the makeup where it should be.

CND Solar Oil

I have a sample sized bottle of this stuff and (when I remember) it just gives my at-home manicures that little somethin’-somethin’ extra. It moisturizes my cuticles so incredibly well – I may just spring for the full-sized bottle once I run out.

Misc.

Pink Sands by Yankee Candle

While searching for a Starbucks napkin in the ol’ glove compartment the other day (sidenote – they make THE BEST face blotters), I randomly found a car jar by Yankee in Pink Sands. I have owned the candle in this scent before and once I ripped open the package, I remembered why. The smell is just intoxicating to me. I can’t describe the scent without sounding like a damn fool, so here’s what Yankee says about it:

Treat yourself to an exotic island escape with the beautiful mix of bright citrus, sweet florals and spicy vanilla in this scented candle. The perfect scent for escaping the winter blues or setting just the right mood any time of the year. The beautifully blended scents of the islands will captivate you and bring memories of favorite vacations rushing back.

Tyler Oakley’s Blog

You all know I love me a sassy gay man and Ty-Ty is just HILARIOUS. I frequent his tumblr for my daily lols and am never left unsatisfied. Here is one of my all-time fave sayings from his blog.

hahahahaaaa

And lastly, this. Because, duh. (Thanks to Ray-Ray for sending it to me!)

Happenings

April 29, 20146 Comments

On the job front – I got my first John Deere letter the other day. It was short, polite and for whatever reason, made my heart hurt. Not that it was the job of my dreams or anything – but getting denied in any fashion is never fun.

Next, I have taken a liking to the show, Scandal, starring Kerry Washington (or Chenille, from Save the Last Dance). Here are my thoughts in order of importance: I want her wardrobe, being a “fixer” would be among my least attractive job list and I kinda want her and the Prez to just be together, already. So there’s that.

I returned my Bellami extensions because the color was simply too dark. I purchased a new set at Sally Beauty Supply and have done one test-run (<- full review to come) and so far, I like them! They match my hair pretty much perfectly and are easy to put in. I have yet to curl, treat or do anything with them but am pumped I found some that actually match my hurr.

Please excuse the sports bra circa 8th grade

I finished Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum and really loved it. I should be doing another book review soon because I am reading another Jodi Picoult right now.

I am going to pick up my wedding dress is just a few short hours! And while I am pumped to try ‘er on, I must admit that I feel a twinge of uneasiness. I’m sure it will fit and be just lovely. But, I am sure any other married ladies out there can sympathize with me on this–after you choose a dress, did you ever see something else and wish you had kept looking? GASP!

I know it’s a cardinal rule to STOP LOOKING at wedding dresses when you find “The One”. But, come on. I mean, HELLO, I have a Pinterest. I can’t help it if the Wedding Suite at Nordstrom is right next to the bathroom. It’s kinda like when you see a picture of Miley’s side crotch. You know you shouldn’t look, but you just have to.

So then you see other gorgeous dresses and think, “crap, I should have waited/tried on more/upped my budget!”…sigh…

Like this dress, which is my all-time, drop dead, “Shut it down” as-Rach-Zoe-would-say dress.

Photo Cred: Ali Walker

It’s the Reem Acra Angel Hair dress. It’s also about $7,000. But – CAN I GET AN AMEN? it’s perf.

Ultimately, I know the dress I chose is right. The silhoutte is en pointe, the material is perfect, and the price was reasonable. But if you’re like me, there is always the, “what if?” factor.

And that’s it, my friends. What’s happening in your neck of the woods?

Moving: A How To

April 27, 201415 Comments

hahahaaaaaahahah just kidding! I don’t know how to do this.

Let’s get one thing straight here – selling our house and moving to a brand new city is NO BUENO. There are so many moving parts. Endless “what ifs”. And certainly large amounts of blind faith.

This is my blind faith face.

Allow me to first address the fun that is living in a house which you are trying to sell. Or should I say museum? How many times, I have stuffed my pj’s, laptop charger and box of Wheat Thins into a random bathroom drawer before dashing to my car for work, I don’t know. See below for our ~~home~~ museum pics (courtesy of our amazing Realtors):

My life is stuffed in those drawers

If you have ever sold a home, you know the routine.

Everything has to look pristine at a moments notice. Which in my case, means cooking, messy projects and even bathing have become scarce. I prefer to think of it as being “prepared”, rather than what it really is (laziness). So what, if I would rather forego a shower because I don’t want to have to lug out the 13 products I need from the back of the cupboard? As Britney reminds us, it’s my prerogative.

#2 would have to be the absolute pleasure we have of, yet again, packing up all our sh*t and shoving ourselves back into an apartment. Fiddle dee dee!

Here’s us moving in a mere 6 months ago

It is not completely hopeless, thanks to Bryan’s job. We are able hire help for everything in terms of the move. At first I felt weird about letting a complete stranger from a moving company handle my unmentionables. But when I think of packing up my belongings for the seemingly thousandth time, having a potential weirdo touch my undies is really the least of my worries.

So Hans, go ahead and grab fistfuls of my knickers with your callused hands. All that matters is that I’m not doing it.

Procuring said apartment in a brand new-to-us city is also quite dandy. There’s the lack of knowledge about good neighborhoods, wondering if “charming and cozy” really translates to old and small and relying solely on the WWW for reviews. Like who knows if ads like this are just a bunch of malarkey?

And on top of the selling of the home, the packing, the relocation – we also have great fun of locating a storage unit for my tap shoe collection (kidding), me finding employment and having nobody to call friends but each other…

luckily we kinda like each other…

But you know the funny thing??

I’M SO EXCITED.

(and I just can’t hide it)

A new routine, a new city, new people and no sales tax. New restaurants, bars and yes- FOOD TRUCKS! A change of pace, a shorter commute. Hopefully spending loads more time together.

These are all reasons why (despite my complaints) I am so very, very excited for this change.

So, bring it on Hans! Bring it on tired forearm muscles! Bring it on Portland.

Mini Portland Trip

April 25, 2014Leave a comment

That’s right!

Last weekend, we paid a little visit to the city we will soon call home.

Source

And yeah, I WISH it was where Bry and I were going to retire, as the song on Portlandia playfully suggests. But no.

In fact, we ventured down to the state of Oregon last weekend so that Bryan and I could get a sneak peak of this brand new-to-us city and he could see his new digs at work.

We arrived in Portland around 8 am on Good Friday and quickly grabbed a coffee before Bryan had an 8:30 am meeting. Without even thinking about it, we sought out a Starbucks. SO funny you guys. I love me some local coffee shops but if you’re like us, Starbucks kinda feels like home. Anytime Bry and I are in a strange city, we always end up at Starbucks. To pee. To send a quick email. Maybe a chonga bagel, I don’t know.

After Bry gulped down a misto, he headed into the office while I (barely awake at this point) ho-hummed around the city, waiting for things to open. I stumbled upon an urban T.J Maxx and was elated when I discovered they were open at 8:30 in the mornin! The inside was pristine and all the staffers said hi to me. Like when do the people at T.J Maxx EVER say hi to you?

When I got back to the car, I realized we were totally out of gas so I pulled into a 76 and leaned over to the passenger seat to grab my credit card. When I turned back around there was a middle aged man standing right in front of my window.

OH YEAH. They pump your gas for you in Oregon. I rolled down my window and tried to share an “oops-Washingtonian over here” moment with the guy – but realized I wasn’t gettin’ an inch. So he and his deadpan proceeded to fill ‘er up without an iota of humor.

Well SAAAAHHH-RREY.

After that, I checked into our hotel and changed for a quick work out. Yes, I am working out regularly. These thighs aren’t going to gap themselves.

After working out and a quick shower, it was time for lunch with Bryan and his boss. We went to a really cool restaurant called Grüner where I acted like a regular asshat and spilled an entire glass of wine on my lap.

After lunch, I had 2 blissful hours of shopping sans Bryan. Surprisingly, I didn’t get anything exciting. I think it was the tax-free pressure (does this happen to anyone else?). After Bryan got off work, we walked over to the townhouse we are thinking of renting (pictured on the water, below):

Source

The operative word here, is WALK. And oh, how excited we are!

portland-mid-rise-flats-with-controlled-access-parking

Here’s a shot of the area

Our current his and hers commutes, upwards of 40 minutes each way, are gettin’ darn annoying. We are relishing the fact that it looks like we will be renting this townhouse and it is WALKING DISTANCE to the city.

You heard me right. I will be walking distance to Nordstrom Rack and the cool, urban T.J Maxx. Heart palpitations FO’ REAL.

After we saw the townhouse, we unknowingly started our own little “pub crawl”. We kicked it off at our hotel, The Heathman, sharing a cheese plate, wine and a cocktail. We then headed to Red Star Tavern and had bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers. I literally felt them jiggle down my gullet and rest softly on my thighs, they were that fattening.

After that, we decided to check out this restaurant and rooftop bar we heard about called Departure. It was kickin and I felt like I was redeeming myself from lunch because clearly, this is where the cool kids were hanging out.

We had an awesome dinner at Portland City Grill – appetizers, crab cakes, molten lava cake THE WORKS. We then shuffled back to the hotel in the brisk cold and fell asleep with our food babies.

The next morning we decided that we should probably go ahead and eat another large meal. So, we walked over to Mother’s Bistro (which is like, so adorbs) and had a belgian waffle and crunchy french toast <- brioche coated in batter and dipped in crushed corn flakes. It was stupid good and filling. We waddled (haha, waddled) back to the car and 3 hours later, were back home!

And if that wasn’t enough gluttony for one trip, we definitely made pizza that night for dinner.

So much for my thigh gap.

Bargains at Ulta and Macy’s

April 23, 201410 Comments

Something about the word bargain gets me excited. As do the words, “additional 90% off”.

The other weekend before I hopped on the plane at GEG (with a dream and my cardigan), we made a pit-stop at one of Spokane’s finest establishments – Macy’s Clearance Center. Not many know about this place, accessed only by rickety elevator at the store’s downtown Spokane location. The air up on the 8th floor is thick and hot. The floors creak under dated carpet and clothing racks from the late 80’s. But if you can see past all that, you can truly find some treasures…marked down to $5.99.

The day we wandered in was (lucky for us) the first day of a massive sale. 90% off original prices. NO JOKE. And since I had to catch a flight back to Seattle, we had only 30 minutes. We were a circus. Veritable lions, tigers and bears among the racks, on the prowl. There were GOOD Macy’s headlining brands like Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, Splendid and tons of others, marked down to just dollars.

I ended up with only two dresses, which I happily paid $18 for both. The first is a Tommy Hilfiger shift, which I promptly wore on the first sunny day after I got it.

With Lou!

It’s a little short on me (surprise surprise) but I don’t currr. The print is too fresh.

The other dress is by Rachel Roy and I thought was something I could wear to work. Also black and white is totes on trend.

rachel-rachel-roy-black-dress-sleeveless-highneck-colorblocked-aline-product-1-13765685-733309387_large_flex

This isn’t the exact one, but it’s darn close

On to the Ulta stuff!

Sorry if anyone is sick of me bragging about the bargains I find at Ulta. I can’t help it. SO —

Recently Ulta had Revlon, Maybelline, Physicians Formula and a few other brands on sale for 40% off. Which is huge. Usually they do a BOGO on these brands so 40% on anything is a real treat. Additionally in my last Ulta online order, I was given a $5 off any $15 purchase coupon. On top of that, I have been clipping coupons from weekly Redplum ads.

As a result, I was able to get these three products for stupid cheap.

Physicians Formula Mineral Glow Pearls in Translucent Pearl $13.95

Kandee Johnson used this in an old tutorial and it looked so lovely on her. I wasn’t about to pay full price for it, so when it went on sale – I grabbed it.

Revlon Parfumerie Nail Polish in Pink Pineapple

I mean. The bottle is enough to make me want the entire line. I decided to get this light pastel pink because the color has become such a staple for me. I would even go so far as to say it’s my signature color. Unfortunately the color is pretty sheer and I needed three coats to get it opaque.

Maybelline Color Elixir in Breathtaking Apricot

I am fully on board the orange/coral lip trend for this spring. And if you haven’t tried one of these color elixirs from Maybelline, you are srsly missing out. They are beyond amazing and almost feel like gel on the lips. Smooth, rich and really pigmented – the apricot color adds the perfect pop of color to my face. I love wearing it with a dewy, bronzed look.

The original total for all three of these products would be roughly $30 (inc. tax).

On sale, the total came to about $18 (inc tax).

With my $5 off coupon AND $1 Maybelline coupon – I was outta there for about $12 (less than the original price of the powder alone). The girl at Ulta was even like, “Wow, you got a really good deal.”

WORD to yer mother.