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Fashion, Health & Beauty, Reviews, Uncategorized

FabFitFun Box: Summer 2015

July 13, 2015December 9, 2015by StephLeave a Comment

Summer time and the living is easy! The snow and cold are officially gone from Denver and it is time for warmth and fun!

This box was AWESOME! Check out the goods below:

Wren 14Kt Gold and Black Sapphire Necklace- $100

I. Am. In. Love. With. This. Necklace! It is so simple and delicate, which makes it a great daily staple piece. My favorite item from this box!

The Everyday Wireless Speaker by FabFitFun- $29.99

After getting a speaker for my shower, I found myself wanting to get another one that I could take with me to the lake and beach- and presto- FabFitFun had me covered! Great accessory for all of your summer-time activities.

Inkling Scents Sultry Roll-On Oil Perfume- $25

This is the first oil perfume I’ve ever tried and I am quite impressed. The scent is really alluring and musky (my favorite type of scent), but light. The oil takes a bit to getting used to, but overall I like it.

Gorge “I’ll Make You Look Amazing” Daily Spray- $24.95

Silky. Smooth. Conditioned. Shiny. Soft. If any of those words are how you want your hair to be described as, you need to adopt this daily spray now. This product has completely replaced my serums, oils, and leave-in conditioners. Holy Grail for Hair!

Tarte LipSurgence Lip Gloss- $19

I was a little apprehensive with this product- I’m really picky with glosses, since anything with a sticky consistency goes directly in the garbage. This gloss was different, though. It instantly made my lips look SO moisturized and SO plump. It has more of a tacky feeling, which I can definitely deal with given the results.

Pros: The color is gorgeous and makes your lips look SO moisturized!

Cons: Get a bit tacky- it’s not sticky, but it does feel thick.

FabFitFun x CosmoBody Jump Rope- $14

I bought a jump rope earlier this year that was just too long to use, so this is a nice addition.

Scratch Nail Wraps- $12

I’m not totally crazy about the color/print that I recieved in this box, but I’m now open to the idea of the stick on nail wraps. They’re easy and quick to use

Headspace 3-Month Subscription- $38.85

I really like the concept behind Headspace. They offer exercises all focused on working-out your mind through meditation and mindfulness techniques. Head to the Headspace website for a free trial.

Hello Konjac Cleansing Sponge- $12

I actually already use a similar product (which I love), so I know this product is the bomb!

Vaseline Intensive Care Aloe Soothe Spray Moisturizer- $7.99

I am all about the spray moisturizers now! This product is just so convenient to use and smells so incredibly refreshing. Five stars!

Grand Total: 275.79

For $10 your first box: http://xo.fff.me/c8MAL

Opening the box!

Summer-time essentials 🙂

Close-up of all the products. Notice the dainty WREN necklace I’m obsessed with!

With Love,

Steph

Travel, Uncategorized

True Life: I’m Traveling Internationally for the First Time!

June 25, 2015December 8, 2015by StephLeave a Comment

In one month, it turned from a random and wild idea to actually stepping foot onto the plane for a 12-day adventure throughout Singapore and Thailand!

I have never truly traveled international (my cruises to the Bahamas don’t count), so I am just so ecstatic and excited to have this opportunity to travel to the complete other side of the world to experience a different culture, eat new foods, and try my hand at navigating in a place where I don’t speak the language. I’ll be making stops in Singapore, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, and the Phi Phi Islands.

Stay posted for updates on my travels. Time to take-off!

With Love,

Steph

About to board!

Love this tank from Arsenic and Lace. Gilmore Girls for Life!

Find my Gilmore Girls tank from Arsenic and Lace

Find my Longchamp ‘Le Pliage’ Travel Bag at Nordstrom

Fashion, Health & Beauty, Reviews, Uncategorized

FabFitFun Box: Spring 2015

May 4, 2015December 9, 2015by StephLeave a Comment

Spring-time, spring-cleaning, spring-break. Spring is associated with a lot of different things, but mostly it is change.

This year, I decided I wanted to make a change and try out some cool new things…and that is when I discovered the FabFitFun box!

The Spring 2015 box is my first box and I am SO happy with the quality of the products in the box and the overall value of the box.

What I received in the box:

Jules Smith Scarf- $42

Cute colors, soft, and very spring time appropriate! Made of lightweight cotton viscose.

Palmetto Derma Collagen Booster and Restoration Serum- $48

I love serums and my skin seems to be loving this one. Perfect addition to my beauty routine!

Merrithew 3 DVD Set “Intense Body Blast” & $25 Gift Card- $61

Work out videos are the best way to get my butt off the couch and live an active lifestyle. This DVD mixes HIIT with Pilates for a balanced session. Very cool that it came with a gift card so I could invest in a new yoga mat.

ORLY Nail BB Creme- $15

Never knew BB creme for nail existed, but here it is! I’m not sure about the smoothing, moisturizing, and brightening claims, but it sure does look pretty.

ORLY Nail Polish “Cake Pop”- $8.50

Nice neutral polish perfect for springtime.

Yasi Metallic Flash Tattoos – $36

I’m not really into the flash tattoo, so I’ll probably end up handing these over to my little sister.

Rifle Paper Co. Cities Coaster Set – $16

Adorable coaster set featuring New York, London, Tokyo, and Paris! Love it!

OFRA Cosmetics Eyeshadow Brush Duo (#11 and #20) – $45.90

These brushes could not be more welcomed, as I was in desperate need for more brushes as my makeup collection has grown! Super soft.

Sprout It App Card & Miracle Grow Gro-able Seed Pod – $1.49

This was such a cute item. I’ve been wanting to grow a little herb garden and I received a basil pod. So excited for this to grow and incorporate fresh basil into my meals.

Cosmos Creations Premium Puffed Corn -$1.49

Interesting item- I got the caramel coated popcorn, and while it was very tasty, it was just to much on the sweet side for me to really enjoy.

Vow To Be Chic Gift Card: One free dress rental (up to $125) with the rental or purchase of another dress

I don’t have an occasion coming up that I would need a dress for, so this will probably go to the wayside.

Hello Fresh Gift Card: $40 Off First Week of Delivery Service

HelloFresh is a weekly meal-kit delivery services that provides fresh ingredients and recipe cards to make meals at home. I like the idea of this and may try it out! If I do, I’ll share my thoughts 🙂

Grand Total: $273.89

For $10 off your first box: http://xo.fff.me/c8MAL

Opening the box!

All of this in just one box! (FYI: Please ignore the open bag of popcorn-I just couldn’t wait!)

With Love,

Steph

Uncategorized

Cheers to 23!

April 2, 2015August 4, 2015by StephLeave a Comment

I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling 23! Wait, you mean that’s not how the song goes?

I’ve officially retired the unofficial Taylor Swift anthem for all 22-year-olds and joined the “cheers to 23” club. Another year has passed and I can’t believe how much I’ve done. During my 22nd year, I graduated from college, moved to St. Louis, moved back to Orlando, then moved to Denver, CO. I’ve traveled to San Francisco for the first time and then again 8 month later. Some pretty epic road trips across most of the country we’re also apart of the mix. I finally got to check out the new Diagon Alley expansion of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Orlando. I was even able to be an advisor to a chapter of my sorority, Alpha Xi Delta, in Missouri! I moved away from friends and family, but this adventure I’ve been on has been so amazing- and it helps that I’ve had Vishal by my side! Really, so much has happened and this is just a little snapshot. I have no doubt 23 will bring even more fun and adventure throughout the year.

To celebrate, Vishal took me out to the most adorable little wine bar-type place on 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver. It is called Crú Food and Wine Bar and it was delicious! We each enjoyed a wine flight, snacked on an incredible cheese plate, and I enjoyed the most delicious filet mignon I’ve had in a long time, while Vishal enjoyed a great mini stone-fired pizza.

Cheers!

With Love,

Steph

Travel

#TBT : California Summer

February 5, 2015May 19, 2015by StephLeave a Comment

With the weather teetering between 20 and 50 degrees and tons of snow here in Denver, I thought it be nice to throw it back to the my much warmer trip to northern California over the summer. It was my first time visiting the state, not to mention the my first time to the west coast, and I was instantly in awe by San Francisco, the scenic views, Pacific Coast Highway, and WHALES! I still can’t believe I saw whales just out in ocean roaming freely and giving me (and the hoard of other people stopped in amazement) a nice little show.

From the moment we flew into the city (on my favorite airline, Southwest, obviously) I couldn’t believe where we actually were. We did so much throughout our trip and all in just four days! We made San Jose our home base during the stay, which made traveling between San Francisco and down Pacific Coast Highway super easy. On our first day, we took a drive down PCH to travel down the “17-Mile Drive” and check out the most picturesque little town of Carmel. It was probably my favorite part of the trip. We saw whales, sea lions, and admired the views from the stops along the drive. (Weird thing we noticed: all of the squirrels we encountered were extremely fat. Like, they were mutant squirrels. See picture below for reference)

Over the next few days, we saw the red woods, walked on the Golden Gate Bridge after hiking through the park to it, walked throughout the city, experienced all the quintessential touristy things to do, and took a day trip out to Napa Valley for some awesome wine, We also visited Alcatraz, which was SO cool! I highly suggest doing the audio tour when you go there. The narration makes the experience seem that much more real. Another highlight of our trip was taking the hike to the park that over looks the Golden Gate Bridge. We did it with friends who live there and met up with more to end our hike with a picnic. We had drinks, tons of food, music, good company and all with the GGB as our backdrop. It was the best last day in San Francisco I could ever imagine.

I was seriously in amazement the entire time we were there and, basically, the only adequate way to describe my trip is “a travelers’ paradise”!

Check out below for pics from my travels!

With love,

Steph

Life

It’s 2015!

January 1, 2015May 19, 2015by StephLeave a Comment

Happy New Year, everybody!

It is so crazy how fast this year has gone by. It feels like I was just in Phoenix, AZ watching my UCF Knights beat Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl to start 2014 and, since then, so many wonderful things have happened. This year I celebrated 3 years with my man, turned 22, became an Alpha Xi Delta alum, graduated from UCF with my Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management AND with honors, moved to St. Louis, became an advisor for the Alpha Xi Delta chapter at UMSL, moved back to Florida, and ended this year beginning our road trip out to our new home: Denver!

As you can see, I have a lot to be thankful for this past year and I just know 2015 will bring more adventure and happiness.

I will leave you with some pictures of my NYE celebration this year and a favorite picture I stumbled upon from NYE 2011.

Happy New Year!

With Love,

Steph

New Year’s Eve 2011 in Times Square. Our first NYE together and we stood in the same spot with thousands of other people for 13 hours. It was one of the best experiences of my life.

Fashion

A New Crave: Sword & Plough

December 30, 2014May 19, 2015by Steph1 Comment

Discovering something new and wonderful when you least expect it, especially when no one you know has discovered it yet, is pretty exciting. It’s like you’re in the front of the curve. It’s like you’ve found some buried treasure without even getting the shovel. It’s like…Okay, commentary done.

While watching my guilty pleasure, HGTV, a commercial for a new retail company unknown to me came on. At first glance, hand-crafted bags being toted by attractive models flashed on the screen, but on second take I realized there was more. Beside focusing solely on their products, they told a story. An inspiring story on how Sword & Plough came to be and how the military fits into it. Instantly, I was pulled in and I’m now completely obsessed.

Here’s there story:

Founded in 2012, Sword & Plough was created by two sisters from a military family as a way to bridge the gap between civilians and military. They sought out to create beautiful and “peaceful” civilian products out of military technologies and materials. As described in an excerpt from their website:

“The Nunez sisters wanted to create something that would emotionally and physically touch civilians in their everyday lives and remind them, in a beautiful way, of the challenges our country and servicemen face, and the power that every person has to help.”

We live in a word where just one person can make a difference, and these two people have done it with style. Pun intended.

Sword & Plough bags and accessories don’t only look great, they help the community. Their products are mostly made from recycled and repurposed military gear, which reduces wastes, and the company supports veteran workers by partnering with companies and non-profit organizations that employ veterans as sewers and manufacturers. It’s fashion with a cause.

So, if you’re in the market for a new bag, check out Sword & Plough for ones with the unique style you crave and a giving story you never expected. Check out my favorites below.

With Love,

Steph

Reviews, Travel

The Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club

December 24, 2014May 19, 2015by StephLeave a Comment

Before my move to St. Louis, I had a “last hurrah for Florida” trip to a place I knew I would miss and wouldn’t be able to enjoy while in landlocked Missouri: the beach!

My boyfriend and I, along with my family, set out for The Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club in Naples, FL.

From the moment I parked the car, I was immediately relaxed and in vacation mode. I was greeted with citrus-infused water to get things started and made my way through the beautifully decorated lobby.

This place truly is a beachfront hotel with a sprawling layout, on 125 acres on the Gulf of Mexico. The hotel offers onsite golf, tennis, and spa. They have four onsite retail shops, an amazing pool complex (featuring a tiki bar, two different pools and two hot tubs), multiple dining venues and options, and 34,000 sq. ft of meeting/event space. You really never have to leave the resort, since anything you could want to do on vacation is just steps away in this resort.

We had two guest rooms and one suite, that boasted beautiful beach-front views. All of the rooms were absolutely amazing. The best were so comfortable, the bathrooms were impressive, and the rooms all came with a wet bar area with a sink and mini fridge, which was very convenient. My mothers suite featured two rooms connected by an in-between-room door, one room with a king size bed and the next room set up as a living/dining area and two bathrooms. The living area included a pull out bed for extra sleeping space. My biggest pet-peeve are hotel rooms that aren’t clean when I check-in, and these rooms were spotless. I was extremely happy with the rooms.

Our vacation at The Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club was simply wonderful and we were graced with equally wonderful weather. We spent our time relaxing at the pool complex and beach (with their incredible concierge-type food and drink service), eating at all of their different venues (their Blue Crab Salad was the absolute best), and taking in the breath-taking sights. The staff was so attentive and courteous, they really made our stay that much better.

Check out the pics from my stay below and be sure to check out the hotel website at naplesbeachhotel.com.

With Love,

Steph

Unfortunately, the pictures on took on my Canon were somehow deleted while uploading, so sorry for the lack of room and property pics 😦

Life, Travel

Exploring my new city: St. Louis

December 24, 2014May 19, 2015by StephLeave a Comment

After driving 17-hours straight from Orlando to St. Louis, we arrived. We settled into our temporary hotel-home and Vishal prepared for his first day of work. I began the apartment search, something I urge you all to secure BEFORE you move, and explored my new city.

I am still so impressed by everything St. Louis offers. There are so many (free) things to do and all within a 5-minute walk to 15-minute drive. I live downtown and I am literally steps from the Edward Jones Dome, where the Rams play, a few blocks from Ballpark Village (which is amazing!) and Busch Stadium, where the Cardinals play. I can walk to a multitude of restaurants and bars all around me, including my favorites: Pi Pizzeria, Rooster, Sauce on the Side, and Bridges Tap House and Wine Bar. The unbelievably expansive Forest Park is a short 10 minute drive and offers golf courses, one of the best (and free) zoos in the country, museums, boat rentals, and so much more. St. Louis is also home to Anheuser Busch, a full production factory that offers free daily tours, beer school, a chance to see their Clydesdales and Biergarten. Truly awesome. I’ve done it all over five times already. A bit out of the city limits, but well worth the drive, is Lone Elk Park. It is a drive along trail where you find bison and elk roaming the grounds. Pack a picnic to eat by the lake and be sure to bring a camera for awesome close-up shots!

St. Louis really is an awesome place to visit and live. I’ve become a cardinals fan, took the journey to the top of the Arch, and eaten some AMAZING food. This is a place you must experience and try out some of the places I’ve pointed out if you find yourself in this wonderful city.

With love,

Steph

Pictures and info captions below! I was even able to sneak in a piece of famous, St. Louis gooey butter cake and a few shots of Simba 🙂

Lone Elk Park

I am obsessed with Bridges Tap House and Wine Bar

Ballpark Village

St. Louis Cardinals game

The Biergarten

Anheuser Busch

Anheuser Busch Clydesdales

Ridiculously good calzones that I swear is the best thing to ever happen to my taste buds- Sauce on the Side

St. Louis Cardinals games and Ballpark Village

Anheuser Busch Beer School

Anheuser Busch Clydesdales

Sqwires for awesome lunch

St. Louis Cardinals game

Amazing breakfast- Rooster

DELICIOUS crepe at Rooster

Trip up the Arch with family for some great views of the city

The BEST roasted garlic bread and pizza- Pi Pizzeria

When you go to St. Louis, you have to make a stop at Ted Drewes Frozen Custard. It’s an official Route 66 landmark

Trip up the Arch with family for some great views of the city

Uncategorized

Miami City Ballet: The Nutcracker

December 22, 2014June 8, 2015by StephLeave a Comment

I don’t know how I had never been to a ballet before seeing The Nutcracker at the Miami City Ballet. It was a great night of getting dressed up and feeling fancy. I swear, you would think you were going to a lavish fashion show and not a ballet, but hey, it is Miami after all! I wore my favorite Express high waist full midi skirt, top from Nordstrom and nude pumps from Steve Madden.

The show was a wonderful combination of enchanting music and graceful choreography. The dancers were absolutely impressive and by the end, I finally understood why this classic ballet is favorited by all.

The show is definitely one to see!

With Love,

Steph