Kate Spade’s New Fall Line

For those of you who haven’t seen Miss Spade’s new fall line, you are in for a treat! The colors, the lines, the shapes…it’s so Kate Spade meets Hollywood charm and I love it!

My favorite has to be the Madison Ave. Collection Clayton Dress. Of course I can’t afford it in this lifetime, but it will go on sale eventually!

(Source: Kate Spade)

Speaking of Kate Spade, I was in their store in Melville, NY over the weekend and was offered a job by the manager because my look was “so Kate Spade” and I had such a “bubbly personality”! Too bad I live all the way in Miami 😥

I ended up getting these beautiful Sailor Knot Studs in gold though!

(Source: Kate Spade)

How was your Columbus Day weekend?

Don’t forget to live a little…

-Dee

Ello Gov’nor!

I’ve been gone for a while but I’ve got good news…I FINALLY MOVED!

*cues confetti and marching band*

I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time and I’m so glad I’m finally in and settled. Of course there will be pics of the new place coming, AND there will be pics of our 8-day Caribbean cruise. So many pics!

In the mean time, enjoy this cute puppy hugging a teddy bear! Adorbs!

Source: Buzzfeed

Don’t forget to live a little…

-Dee

The Fault in Our Stars Update

So remember a few weeks ago when I raved about The Fault in Our Stars and vowed to go see the movie as soon as my friend finished the book. Well she did and we finally went to go see it…and it was FABULOUS! I had heard from friends who saw the movie before me that all they could hear in the theater was sniffles. Even the fathers who were stuck on chaperone duty teared up. So of course I went to the movies with the mindset that I would probably be bawling. Luckily, we went to see the movie in the middle of the day and the theater was empty so no one could see me cry. No literally empty!

I’m glad it was empty though cause it allowed us to laugh out loud and openly bawl when appropriate. Now movie versions of books are rarely exactly like the book because as you read you form your own ideas of how the characters and settings look and how a scene should play out, even how characters voices should sound. While this movie wasn’t exactly like the book it came pretty dang close! Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort played the roles of Hazel and Gus so honestly that it didn’t feel like they were playing a role. It felt like they were really the characters.

It was a surprisingly uplifting movie for such a heavy subject, and I loved every bit of it.  If you haven’t been able to go see it, I suggest you go now. Literally, right now. Stop reading and go watch this movie!

Don’t forget to live a little…

-Dee

Pins of the Week…

I’ve caught a bad case of wanderlust, but these pins help a little.

 

Monet’s House in Giverny, France…just look at those tulips.

Lake Braies, Italy…imagine relaxing on that deck with that view! *le sigh*

An underground pool and waterfall in Chichen Itza, Mexico.

I’ve been wanting to go to Greece forever! Pins like this make me want to go right now.

Magical Bridges Park, Ireland. Tell me this isn’t the most magical place you’ve ever seen.

Now to look up some cute passport covers!

Don’t forget to live a little…

-Dee

The Beauty of Infused Water

If you’ll remember, I mentioned in another post that I have been obsessed with infused water lately. I’ve been trying to drink more water lately and completely cut out processed drinks like sodas, and store bought “smoothies” (more like liquid sugar). The problem is, there’s only so much water I can drink before I get bored. I’m the type of person who hates eating leftovers 3 days in a row, so imagine how hard it is for me to drink plain water all the time.

A while back I started “infusing” sparkling water with a little bit natural juices to liven it up, but the bubbles made me bloat so it was back to plain old water. That is until I saw a post about detox waters on Pinterest. I immediately tried out a recipe for lemon, cucumber, and mint and loved it! I found other recipes and some worked while others didn’t, but it didn’t matter. I had found a better way to drink more water AND eat more fruit!

My current favorite concoction is sliced strawberries and peaches. Strawberries have powerful antioxidants known for protecting against certain types of cancer and reducing your risk of heart attack. Peaches are high is vitamin C which can reduce wrinkles! Win!

Infusing water with fruit or herbs doesn’t take much work at all. I currently use an Asobu Pure Flavor 2 Go water bottle, but a regular old cup works just as well. You just slice up your fruit and insert it into the mesh or slotted compartment and screw it back into the cup or lid. Then fill the bottle with filtered water and ice and wait a while for the fruit to infuse with the water. You can also shake the bottle to make the fruit infuse faster. Another option that I do sometimes is to cut up the fruit and put it into a large pitcher. I then fill the pitcher with ice and water and put saran wrap over the top and leave it in the fridge over night. Leaving it overnight allows the fruit to really seep into the water and get all the flavor out.

Have any of you tried infused water? If so what recipes do you like? Also check out my infused water Pinterest board for more recipes.

Don’t forget to live a little…

-Dee

 

Pins of the Week

This week it’s been all about beauty and nails…

Seriously, go and follow her right now! Her makeup is flawless! @ellarie

If only I could get my cateye this perfect *le sigh*

I’m loving the color combo here. Perfect for the summer.

This looks like it could be an easy home DIY

The perfect wedding nails. Or any special event.

This color combo screams Aladdin to me.

I’ve always loved a good color blocking.

 As soon as I figure out who she is I’m going to follow her. Just flawless!

Don’t forget to live a little!

-Dee

Musings…and Sales!

So I’ve been obsessed with flavored water for like the past two weeks. I’ve found a bunch of different recipes online, and I’ve made a few of my own. There will be a post about that coming soon!

I don’t know about you, but these summer sales are going to put me in debt. Every time I turn around there’s another sale, and you know once there’s a sale you HAVE to check it out. It doesn’t help that with the cruise coming up I’ve been using it as an excuse. I’m definitely going to put myself on a budget.

So You Think You Can Dance is back! This is the only competition show I watch from auditions to finale. I already spot some favorites, lets just hope they make it through the next round.

The Bath and Body Works semi-annual sale started last week and I missed all the good stuff! I had it on my calendar for a month and I still forgot to go on the first day. I could kick myself! I still got some good stuff so it wasn’t a total loss. Plus I got to use this coupon I’d had in my wallet for $10 off a $40 purchase. My total came to $40.01! Talk about lucky!

Don’t forget to live a little…

-Dee

P.S. Bath and Body Works still has some amazing deals online! $9 3-wick candles, 50% off Wallflower refills, and 50% home fragrances. Go check it out!

Inexpensive Ways to Glam Up Your Apartment!

In exactly one month I will be moving an hour away into Miami. So naturally I’ve been obsessed with decor! Back in undergrad I didn’t care as much how my dorm or apartment looked cause I was too busy with school. But now it’s all I can think about. My apartment will be fully furnished and I won’t be able to paint walls or drill holes so I need to find creative ways to bring my own style to the place. I know I’m not the only one with this problem, so here are some inexpensive, non-permanent ways to brighten up your apartment or dorm.

Furniture

Source: Pinterest

If you’re not like me, then you can bring your own furniture to your new place. Bright colored furniture is a great way to add color to a room. Try picking a color you like and then swap out throw pillows of various shades and designs. Or maybe paint your side table a funky color. The sky’s the limit!

Bookcases

Source: Pinterest

These days, bookcases are for more than just books. They can serve as extra storage for your knick knacks and as a focus piece of any room. Adding wallpaper to the back of a bookcase can bring dimension to a boring white room without the fear of forfeiting your deposit. If you’re worried about defacing your bookcase, swap out wallpaper for wrapping paper. You get even more options for designs and can change it whenever you feel inspired.

Curtains

Source: Pinterest

Curtains are the ultimate design tool in any interior designers tool belt. They come in so many shades and patterns that you can make any room feel brighter with just two panels.

Design Tip #1: spray paint your curtain rods to add even more color to a plain room.

Design Tip #2: hang your curtains high above the window (i.e. closer to the ceiling) to make the room feel bigger and the ceilings seem taller.

Area Rug

Source: Pinterest

Where curtains can make a room feel bigger, an area rug can make it feel cozier. A funky area rug under a plain couch can add the punch of color you desire in a less dramatic way.

What design tips have you used in decorating an apartment? Talk about it in the comments below!

Don’t forget to live a little…

-Dee

Pins of the Week

I haven’t done that much pinning today but the pins I’m obsessed with are all about FOOD! Here we go!

I need to get more veggies in my diet, and this might be the perfect way to do it.

Source: Pinterest

Mmm, Grilled Fish Tacos! Don’t they look amazing??

Source: Pinterest

Three Cheese Quinoa Skillet Mac and Cheese. I’ve never really been into quinoa or cous cous for that matter, but if it looked like that I would definitely give it a try.

Source: Pinterest

Ramen Burger?! I must try this one day!

Source: Pinterest

One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese…I love mac and cheese and I love chili. Why have I never tried this before?

Source: Pinterest

What’s your favorite recipe? Tell me below!

Don’t forget to live a little…

-Dee

The List

1) Every once in a while a book comes along that makes you want to live. It makes you want to treasure each moment and turn your life in a new direction. It makes you want to call up old friends and family you haven’t spoken to in a while because you realize life is too short to go another minute without speaking to them. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green was that book for me. It has been a long time since a book has made me cry, and this book had me shedding tears. I had heard about the book a long time ago and even had it on my Goodreads “to read” list. But once I saw the preview for it in the theater one day, I knew I had to move it up my list and read it immediately. I can’t wait to see the movie in theaters next week! I’m just waiting for my friend to finish reading it and then off to the movies we go.

2) Have you ever heard of Rue La La? Well if not you should really go and check it out. They offer short sales for high end designers like Christian Louboutin, Tahari, Versace and more. They not only have sales for clothes, but for home decor and furniture as well! I’m obsessed!

3) I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with the rest of my summer. Now that I’m not in school I have all this free time and I’m starting to get a little bored. Well I just discovered lynda.com and I think I’ve found a solution to my problem. Lynda offers video lessons for a variety or topics, like app building and web design, for a monthly membership fee. It’s an easy and convenient way to learn a new skill and ramp up your resume.

4) So I’ve been on somewhat of a health kick since summer has rolled around. I need to get in shape for this cruise I have coming up in July, but I hate working out. I literally loathe it! Literally. That is until I learned about the Vixen Workout. If you live in South Florida, New York, New Jersey, Chicago or Los Angeles then you are in luck. These ladies take sexy to a whole new level. I left the workout feeling rejuvenated, sexy, and healthy. But most of all it is so much fun! I’m taking two of my girlfriends with me to the next class and I know they will love it just as much as I did!

Have you tried any of the things on my list? Tell me what you think about them below!

Don’t forget to live a little…

-Dee