on Friday night...

Hi. Hello there. It's Friday. And I'm happy.

So, here's a little story for you. There's a little nail salon/spa literally down the street from my house that I've always driven past. It's pretty much run out of a two story little house, Tiffany's is it's name. I've never been there but recently was recommended by Sebastian's speech therapist. I went today and boy was it the best ever!!! I'm serious. I've been so giddy about it ever since I got home. 

I opened the door and was greeted by many little asian ladies heads peering up from their desk saying Hello. My purse and coat were taken from me and put on my chair and I was seated. I couldn't believe how big it was from the inside! My lady went to work on me. Loved every minute of it. She even did an amazing massage on my hands and arms. Beautiful. After I was through with her painting my nails she escorted me to the station to dry my nails. I was very content with my time. That's when I was startled by something hot touching my back...and then I see a sign sitting in front of me reading 10 minute hot stone massage while your nails dry! WHAT! She started to give me an incredible massage with this huge black stone that was heated. 10 minutes! I was making all kinds of really gross noises but I didn't care if the women next to me thought I was different, It felt goooooood! The best part of it all, and I still have a silly little grin on my face, is that all this just cost me $12 out of my pocket :) Which is what I pay at the place I go to in the mall I work at, and I had such a great experience. I just love finding places like this where you really just can't wait to go back! 

Tonight I made Peppers & Egg Sandwiches. This is something I adapted from Bobby's family. I never ever ate this sort of thing for dinner in my life until I was introduced to the Schuler family. It's something Bobby requested for this week and I decided since I was getting home a little late it was a quick dinner to whip up. Bobby really enjoyed it after eating 3 whole sandwiches...men. 

  The sandwich with the ketchup is mine. Don't judge. 

Remember we have fish now. Well, we only have one. The black goldfish decided to die on us. It was quite tragic. Actually Sebastian didn't even notice and I was okay because the fish I picked out, Calico, was still alive! It was Bobby who was practically in tears over it. Don't tell him I said so. Anyways, RIP Blackie. We still have Calico. Who is quite weird if I might say so. 

He likes to pick up the rocks with is mouth and then spit them out. Have you seen a fish do that? I haven't. Weird I tell you, WEIRD!

 He's still cool though. 

Happy Friday.

♥A.

on what's inside my make-up bag...

I stayed home today. I have felt a little under the weather the last two days. I'm not dying of sickness or anything like that but sometimes I just need to listen to my body and give it a rest. It has been a very nice day just at home however was mostly spent on the couch. I did fold tons of laundry so I don't feel like a complete lazy bum. 

I wanted to show you all what's in my make-up bag. I love make-up. Always have enjoy doing fun things with shadows. The brighter the color and more vibrant the better however I have grown fond of the natural shades lately. Sephora is my best friend and is were I buy a lot of my make-up but I have plenty of make-up bought at the drug store as well. Mascara & eyeliner have been two of the things that I just pick up at Target because I feel like they are all the same on me. My favorite make-up brands have to be Urban Decay & Mac! Love both. Here are just some of my favorites out of my bag...

There's my bag. Very unorganized, thanks Sebastian. He likes to adventure in there :)

Right after I step out of the shower my precious face gets treated kindly by this gem. Aveeno is the best product ever! I love this face moisturizer for it's great hydration yet does not make your face all oily. I've had bad luck with face lotion and once I found this I've stuck with it. It also has a SPF 15 which is nice. 

These are just what I find myself using the most out of my bag. My day to day group of lovies. Down on the bottom right corner is a clear tube of Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. This stuff is amazing. I put that one after my face sucked up my Aveeno lotion. I received a free sample of this stuff once upon a time from Sephora and then rushed out and bought a tube to keep! It is a little pricey but goes a very long way. I've had this tube for over 6 months and haven't even used half of it! You don't need to apply much to get results. It's great for days were you know you will be outside for a while and want your makeup to last.

Before applying any of these colors I first primer my eyelids with the Urban Decay Primer Potion. Urban Decay palettes make me happy. Both were gifted to me by my best friend ever. You'd be surprised by how long these bad boys can last. And after using them all up you know which colors you love best.  

I use Bare Minerals foundation. I've been using it since high school. I have such fair skin it's hard to find anything out there to match my skin tone. It goes on light face yet gives you a sleek finish. I've also heard Mac foundation is great too. I think I might give it a go after I've used my minerals up. 

My current blush is just something I quickly picked up from Target--Maybelline Mineral Powder blush color- true peach. Blush is hit or miss with me but this was a good buy. Then when I want to be bold I use Bare Minerals Warm Radiance bronzer. 

My most prized piece that I have in my bag is Pout simmer. 

 I heart anything that simmers and gives you a sparkle. I randomly bought this gem at Sephora like 3 years ago and had it ever since. I can't find it anywhere anymore and so I've savored it. It make me feel like a fairy :D

As for brushes, I've never spent too much on them. They aren't top of the line or name brand but they do the job. I have no doubt bought brushes that are pieces of crap in the past and as of right now I have a great group of them that have held up for a while. I do eventually like to spend some extra fun money on a nice set. 

Well, that is a glimpse inside my make-up bag. 

Let's see yours :)

♥A

on my always, sometimes & never...

I always...

...watch my shows. I can't miss them or I will be beside myself and might even lose sleep. Don't judge.

...feel better when the sink full of dishes are washed. 

...blow dry and straighten my hair. 

...sit cross legged. On the couch, sitting in a chair or on the floor. It's most comfortable for me. 

...am on top of seeing every new kids movie that comes out. With Sebastian of course. 

...am hot & cold with my relationship with my cat.

I sometimes...

...eat something that is super unhealthy like for example Krispy Kreme Donuts and feel horribly guilty about it.

...wonder what life would be like if we lived in Seattle. 

...share sweets with Sebastian late at night when I know he will get a sugar high before bed just to see him smile ear to ear. 

...just have the urge to fall asleep on the couch with Bobby while watching a movie even though I know we will wake up with kinks in our necks.

...miss my family so much I feel sick to my stomach.

...just sit, watch Sebastian and get teary eyed with joy. 

I never...

...thought I'd have a son & be getting married before 25 :)

...walk past a person without giving them a slight nod of my head or say "hi". 

...turn my cell phone off. 

...like when people tell me what I should do with my life.

...put ice cubes in my drinks.

...truly liked dresses until this year. 

(inspired by wishcake)

♥A.

on the first day of Spring...

Today started out with some Spring cleaning. Last week was a busy yet uneventful one but it felt like my cleaning was put on hold so today was the day to get it all done and over with. It does feels great to get a good 'ol cleaning out of the way. 

No way were we going to have all work and no play so after Sebastian took a little snooze we headed to Pennypack Park which is a huge park with trails all over the place that basically cover a big part of Northeast Philly. It was a bit chilly out but the sun made it bearable. Take a look at our fun time out (photo heavy)...

Can you tell I am a little pigeon toed...oh geez!

Sebastian wanted to stay and watch the little waterfall forever! 

Fiance ♥

He just did not want to look at the camera, too busy watching the duckies swim.

My hair is getting so blonde :)

Action shot 1.

Action shot 2.

Action shot 3. We did this about a dozen times. Boys will be boys :D

Then someone was too lazy to walk back to the car so daddy gave him a ride. 

Best part of my day was discovering a Krispy Kreme Donuts literally 10 minutes away from our house...Whooaaa! When I asked the girl when they opened she said NOVEMBER! What.The.Hell. Where have I been? I haven't ate a KK donut since 2006. They are seriously melt in your mouth and I am in so much trouble!! Baby jesus help me. 

Tonight I will be ending the day next to my beloved fiance with a donut in one hand and a tea in the other while watching Due Date. Pure bliss. Have you seen it? I saw it in the theaters but Bobby hasn't seen it, it's such a funny movie. Must see. 

Happy First Day of Spring. 

Only 62 days until Bobby and I tie the knot :D

♥A.

on weekend highlights...

Saturday starting out with a packed day of plans but in the end we didn't really do much. I told you that we wanted to go see Rango but Sebastian was in a mood and because of it we decided it wasn't a movie theater sort of day. I have learned since being a momma that it's not worth forcing plans when they clearly should not be happening. I am usually content with it. 

We still drove up to the mall to pick up my wedding ring :) And I finally have it safe and sound in our closet ready for the 21st of May! 

Later in the day after we grabbed some grub for lunch we headed to PetsMart. Sebastian loved the huge wall of colorful fish. It was such a fun experience with him. He got very excited when it was time to put our fish in the bag & kept wanting to hold the fish on his own.
We brought them home and set them up.

We got two little guys. Both goldfish. One black & one calico :D 

Love the new addition to our little family.

Sunday as usual was family day. Bobby's girl cousin from Florida flew in with her two kiddies and the mother in law hosted a lunch in her honor. We had yummy panini's with pasta salad and cheesecake for dessert, made by me :) It was a fun yet very crazy day. The house was full of kids. Loud hyper kids. None the less we had a nice time. 

♥A.

on some saturday delights...

(via here)

This morning Sebastian and I woke up to the sun shining in our window and a fresh breeze. I will be doing some tidying up before Bobby gets home so we can start our fun filled day. We will be taking Sebastian to see Rango :) It really does look like a cute movie, I think I am just as excited to see it as Sebastian. I showed him the trailer this morning and told him we are going to see it and he was all smiles. Then a quick trip to pick up my wedding ring ♥ I can't wait to get my hands finger on it. 

Sebastian is at such a fun age and is really starting to want to help out with things. It's so adorable because when ever I am cooking or baking he is pulling up the bar stool in the kitchen and picking up a whisk! So Bobby and I thought it would be fun to get Sebastian a little pet to take care of (with our help of course)!! What better animal than a fish! I will show you all later our little adventure and we'll just see what sort of fishy we come home with :) 

Since I am here why not share some lovies I am swooning over this fine morning...

(via this etsy shop)

I feel in love with this spice rack. How cool is that?! If I had wall space in my cupboard of a kitchen then I would have bought this in a flash but it will just have to wait until we have our dream house. It's like a piece of art work. 

These Great White Plugs from Plug Your Holes. I know, I little gory but I like them :) 

Betsy J. wedges that are just adorable. I think I might be able to walk in these.

This amazing picture of Snoqualmie Falls. SO beautiful and can not believe I will be marrying the love of my life in such a magical place. 

What are you doing this fine Saturday?

Hope it's something fun!

♥A.

on our wedding song...

Take a listen, Both Bobby and I love this song :) Can't wait to have it represent such a sweet moment in our lives ♥

Annnd we had no idea it was in the movie Shrek! I thought that was cute haha.

♥A.

on some new guilty pleasures...

Here are some new guilty pleasures I'd like to share...

1. Lay's Garden Tomato & Basil chips. So yummy, so yummy in my tummy. I was just browsing at the grocery store and eyed this bag of new Lays and thought I needed to try them out. Let's just say the whole bag is almost gone..with Bobby's help of course :) Try them out man. It's like a party in your mouth!

2. Pepsi Lime. I don't drink a whole lot of soda but I wanted to try this out and I do like to indulge in a carbonated beverage once in a while however it is just soda and I wasn't too impressed. 

3. Kraft Chipotle Mayo. Wanted to add some razzle dazzle to sandwiches. Liven Bobby's lunches up. This stuff definitely did the trick. I think I saw some other type of flavors at the grocery store. It's fun to try something new.

4. Kraft Philadelphia Cooking Creme. I saw this on a commercial last week and once I went food shopping I made a point to pick one up. There were four different flavor at my local store; Original, Italian Cheese & Herb, Savory Garlic, Santa Fe Blend. I got the Italian Cheese. Essentially you can add this stuff to

anything to make a dish. It even came with some fun recipes like Creamy Italian Chicken & Orzo Skillet or Easy Tomato-Basic Pizza. Any who, it will be saved for a raining day so to speak.

Have you tried out anything new lately?

Finally I had a pile of new movies from Netflix waiting in the mailbox this afternoon. One of them was The Legend of the Guardians. Sebastian and I have been very eager to get our hands on it and boy it was such a great movie. Full of adventure and beauty. There needs to be more children movies made like this one. Plus the owls were so pretty. It reminds me of the owl I have outside my window, he hoots in the morning as I get ready for work :) 

♥A.

on some yumminess...

Hi. Meet my friend, baby cheesecake.

There it is folks. My first ever cheesecake. Can I get a Woop Woop!!

It's yummy. And there goes my shedding for the wedding...God help me. Anyways, here this is the recipe that I used-- Classic Cheesecake

Tonight I made up some pan seared balsamic Dijon pork chops with couscous. Let me just say. Pitch me. It turned out fabulous. 

I love food. Do you love food? 'Cause I love food. Amen. 

What are you having for dinner?

♥A

on who I am...

I am...

...not quite sure what I am doing in this picture but I thought what the hell. So, I just went for it. Feel free to make fun. 

...starting to take a liking to the veranda style font. Therefore I will be using it from now. Just in case you were wondering. 

...shedding for the wedding. Okay, not nearly as much as those people on the show (no offense). But it's crunch time, literally and some extra sit ups and weights are in my daily schedule. 

...full of pride. First of all I am just plain 'ol proud of myself for not marching over to my grump of a neighbors house on Saturday and shaking him until his old bones rattled! I kept my cool. Secondly I baked my very first cheesecake and it didn't turn out all that bad :)

...tickled pink whenever I get a fun comment from a new blog friend. I get all fuzzy inside. 

...thinking how awesome it would be to do all the things you love all at once. For exampe, I'd like to be a photographer, wedding planner, hair stylist & boutique owner. Hmmmm, you never know!


...excited for Spring being here in 12 days :) Sebastian and I had so much fun the other day playing outside, take a look at our day in photos if you haven't seen it. This Spring/Summer will be a memorable one!


...thankful for my husband to be :) He completes me! Oh, and I think we've decided on our wedding song♥


...overwhelmed with Spring cleaning fever! I have so many projects that have been consuming my mind. My nook still needs re-orginizing and also we want to re-do Sebastian's room. Ugg!


...the girl who makes people laugh without even trying.


...wishing I had a big group of friends to have crazy themed dinner parties with.


...not sure what I would do without music in my life. 


...ridiculously obsessed with the show Glee. 


...wondering when I will be completely comfortable in my own skin. Will the day ever come?!


♥A.

on a day in photos...

7:30 am

 I woke up to Sebastian putting his cowboy boots on in bed.

8:00 am

 Coffee & milk (for Sebastian) with some mini donuts for breakfast.

9:00 am

 Cleaned. While Mr. Cat & Mr. Sebastian stayed out of my way :)

10:00 am

 We got ready for our day.


10:30 am

Bobby came home and handed me this. A notecard he found on my car from my grumpy old neighbor. Got to love old men who can't seem to get any pleasure in life but leave damn notes on our cars. For no reason mind you. 
By the way click on the picture for a bigger view so you can actually read it. You.will.die!

11:00 am

We enjoyed the sunshine.

12:00 pm

 We played. We laughed. We goofed. We loved. We enjoyed the sun some more.

1:00 pm

I had lunch while pumpkin slept.

3:00 pm

 Weather took a turn while it was nap time so we did art!

 Then finger painted. 

Sebastian made this for daddy to take to work.


6:00 pm

 We baked our very first cheesecake. Let you know tomorrow how it turned out!

Now I've got my cup of Earl Gray tea (which I review to be way better than the Bigalow brand k-cup, booyah) and my kindle to do some much needed reading!
What a wonderful day :) 


♥A.