girl meets life.

the recipe for a perfect morning.

I’ve mentioned before how important it is to me to start off my days with a certain type of morning. The older I get, the more I realize how much my mornings can transform what my entire day, week, and even life looks like! So when Folgers asked me to describe a little bit more of how important mornings were to me, I was happy to share.

Starting the morning off on the right foot is the key to me having a productive day. But even more than that, it’s important that I get my mind and heart in the right place before embarking on whatever crazy, stressful, or exciting things lie ahead. That’s why I’ve made it a point to spend at least the first 30-60 minutes of my day aiming to have “the perfect morning.” And that looks a little bit like…

1) journaling
2) listening to music
3) drinking coffee

…simple enough, right?

Coffee has been a part of my mornings for as long as I can remember. It’s not even so much about the caffeine for me, but the comfort and memories that coffee bring me. The smell of coffee actually reminds me of my mom. I remember waking up every morning as a child to the smell of coffee, and it gave me comfort knowing that my mom was already awake. As I got older, I began enjoying the coffee too.

Over the past year or so, music has become another important addition to my morning routine. In the past I would be quick to turn on the television, but that wasn’t exactly the perfect way to ease into the day with a clear mind. Music, though, is perfect for getting me to wake up a little bit faster while also leaving me feeling inspired and excited for the day ahead. Now I have tons of music lined up on my iPad to listen to every morning while I journal. It’s just not a good morning without the addition of my favorite songs!

Listening to the right songs in the morning can really change my entire day. When life throws you a curveball it’s nice to be able to turn your mind to inspiring lyrics, or even a song that just gives you a sense of joy. I’ve said before how important valuing creativity is, and sometimes there’s no better way to do that than through music! That’s why I love how Folgers is supporting musical creativity in the lives of young people. Check out the annual Folgers Jingle Contest, which supports aspiring musicians.

Vote for the best Top 10 Finalist in Folgers’ Jingle Contest! Meet the Top 10! Take a look at Folgers® Jingle Contest Finalists, and listen to the tracks that earned them a spot in The Top 10. Cast your vote once every day through June 19th. You could win exciting prizes, like free Folgers Coffee, iTunes® gift cards, signed CDs from Gavin DeGraw, and even a $10,000 Grand Prize just for voting! Before you vote, follow the Road to the Jingle on Facebook to see how they traveled the U.S. to track down the Top 10 contestants! Remember, you can vote once a day through June 19th! Click here for official rules.

What’s your recipe for the perfect morning?

5.21.13 | summer on my mind.

{all images found via Pinterest and Tumblr}

What about summer are you most looking forward to?

scenes from the weekend.

Floral duty.

Mandatory selfie.

All set up.

Off she goes!

Who smiles anymore?

The beautiful newlyweds.

Sunday brunch, first course.

…second course.

Brunch buddies.

“We can only give what we have received.”

Tell me the best part of your weekend!

lots of girliness.

…is the perfect way to describe the past few days. And I loved every minute of it!

On Wednesday I had a (long overdue) day date with the lovely Monica. She just moved around the corner from me, and I couldn’t be more excited about it!

She showed me her new place and then we had a very girly date of walking to the park and eating a like, really healthy Whole Foods lunch.

Later that evening one of my roommates had organized a little Mary Kay demonstration, so I sat in on that for a bit. Being pampered in my living room? Don’t mind if I do.

Then there were plans for a fun night out. I don’t go out on the weeknights as much as I used to – and even then you’d usually find me in a beanie and t-shirt – so I took the opportunity to get all girlied up for a change.

And then there was last night, which was probably the girliest of them all – Janelle’s bachelorette party!

She had just flown in from London and is getting married on Saturday (tomorrow!), so it was the perfect girls’ night before her big day. We had an amazing dinner at Vinatta Project, along with the typical bachelorette shenanigans.

What was the highlight of your week so far?
What’s the girliest things you’ve done lately?

almay makeup review & giveaway.

Around this time of year in the spring and summer seasons, I like to always reevaluate my daily makeup routine and go-to products. Things like the weather and sun exposure can make a huge difference when it comes to not only the condition of my skin, but also the type of makeup look I go for. In the fall and winter there’s more freedom to be experimental with bold colors and more dramatic makeup, but in the spring and summer I like to tone it down and have a more natural look.

To me, keeping makeup natural is all about having the right products. It’s about using makeup that enhances your face – skin, eyes, lips, etc. – rather than just covering it up. One of my favorite brands for natural-looking makeup products has always been Almay, so I was excited when I was asked to do a review of their Almay smart shade™ mousse makeup and Almay intense i-color bold nudes™ kit.

First up – the Almay smart shade™ mousse makeup. I’ve mentioned in the past that I’m really picky when it comes to any sort of face makeup. I can’t stand it when my face feels like it’s being weighed down with cakey makeup. I also have trouble finding face makeup that matches the shade of my skin, which is why I was really impressed with the Almay smart shade mousse.

It instantly transformed into the ideal shade for my fair skin. It also applies great – it’s incredibly smooth and provides just enough coverage for a smooth, even look.

Next is the Almay intense i-color bold nudes™ kit. I’ve never been incredibly experimental with eye shadows because I’m never sure if they’ll look good and be the most flattering to my eye color. That’s why I love how Almay has made it so simple with their intense i-color bold nudes™ kit.

It’s so easy to choose because the eye shadow sets come formulated for your eye color. Not only that, but there’s an eye shaped palette right on the kit that tells you where to put each shade. It doesn’t get much easier than that! I also really like how the eye shadow shades have nude tones but still have a great flash of color to give a great natural yet intensified look to my eyes.

For more information, visit Almay’s website, and don’t forget to like Almay on Facebook!

And now for the giveaway….

What’s your go-to date night look?

Answer this question below, and each comment will automatically be entered to win a $100 Visa gift card!

Rules:
No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 5/16/13-6/16/13.

Be sure to visit the Almay brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

ULTA Beauty love your hair event | reviews + giveaway!

Do you love your hair?

No, really. Do you love your hair?

My guess is that most of you don’t mind your hair. You may even like it. But if you’re anything like me, there’s probably a thing or two (or three) about your hair that you don’t necessarily love or would like

the best and worst things about living in nyc.

About nine out of ten of the emails I receive from readers ask me about life in New York – the pros, cons, and how I’ve balanced the two. Up until recently, I viewed NYC with rose-colored glasses through and through. There was next to nothing about this city that I wasn’t head over heels

short and sweet.

Sometimes there’s a gap in between blog posts where way too many things happen, and it’s easier to just keep the words short let the photos speak for themselves.

This is one of those times. Sound good?

Thursday night was an impromptu dinner at Alta, which turned out to be one of the most amazing

joy unspeakable.

About this time last year, I got a new tattoo.

The reason I didn’t share it here is because I hadn’t told my parents yet (hi, mom and dad!). They’re old and set in their ways so I didn’t want to unnecessarily upset them

Joy unspeakable is from one of my favorite Bible

11 things.

1) Silver Linings Playbook. OMG.

2) Speaking of movies…two days until Great Gatsby! I can’t wait to see it. Also, Carey Mulligan has been a favorite actress of mine for years, so I feel a weird sense of pride for her with this role.

3) I want another tattoo.

4) I’m not usually

etc.