February Obsessions 2012

I haven't done an "obsessions" post for a very, very long time. So I thought it was about time I posted a new one. And seeing as how my February Photo Challenge didn't really work out, I thought I should try and do something to make-up for it.

1.

If you don't have a Pinterest yet, you are deprived and severely missing out.

Pinterest is basically a website where you have boards with different categories, things like: travel, clothes, hairstyles, make-up, exercise, wedding ideas, recipes, DIY projects, etc.

When you see something you like, you pin it to whichever board you want it so you can find it later.

This website is highly addicting and very fun.

(This picture will link you to my pinterest page, follow my boards!!)

Sometimes I pin things and think to myself, "When am I ever going to actually do this project or make this recipe?". So to help motivate me into actually trying the DIY projects, recipes and hairstyles I find on Pinterest, I made a "Completed Pins" board so I can keep track of all the fun things I've tried! I highly recommend doing the same. It gives you a great sense of accomplishment when you try something new.

2.

I have ALWAYS loved the Jazz. Growing up, my Grandpa worked at the Delta Center and got us into games for free all the time. I even went to a team dinner when Stockton and Malone were still playing! Ever since my Granpda retired, I've been to a game here and there, but never as often as I used to. 

But this season, thanks to my boy (I guess I can call him that?), I've been to 3 home games so far this season! And we've won every single one! 

Last week we went to the Lakers game, and oh boy was it a riot! I think Kobe Bryant is a dirt bag, so booing him every time he touched the ball was fun. The Lakers head coach got ejected from the game during the 4th quarter for harassing a ref. It was basically a 3-point game the entire time, so it was very exciting. And did I mention that we won by 9 points?? So fun. I love the Jazz!

3. Neutrogena Triple Moisture Hair Care

This stuff is amazing. Ever since I put blonde highlights in my hair, it's felt really stiff and dry. I had tried all different sorts of shampoos and conditioners trying to nurse my hair back to it's former self, but came up empty. But then one day I was at Walmart when I stumbled upon this brand. My hair is in even better shape than before I got highlights. It smells really good too :)

Just make sure if you try it to make extra certain you wash all of the conditioner out, it likes to stick in your hair and can make it kind of greasy-feeling if you don't rinse it all out.

4. The Perfect Bucket List

This blog is really neat. People from all over submit things they have listed on their bucket list. The author of the blog makes each one into it's own picture. It's really fun looking through them all and finding things that are on your bucket list too.

I even have a board on Pinterest dedicated for the things on this website that I want to cross off my list. And when I do them, I move them over to my "Completed Pins" board :)

5. New Music

Here are some songs from a few bands I just can't get enough of.

Skrillex

M83

Fun.

Gotye

the "Hottie Wall"

So there is this wall in my room that has been really bare for, well, many moons. So last week I was online looking for inspiration when I found these über hot pictures of celebs on Pinterest (if you don't have a Pinterest you are waaaay behind the times). I've been printing them out and sticking them to my "Hottie Wall" one by one ever since. You're welcome ;]

Johnny Depp

Alex O'Loughlin 

Orlando Bloom

Gerard Butler

Matt Bomer

Ryan Reynolds

Alex Pettyfer

Jake Gyllenhaal

Anyways... these are just a few of my favorites. What can I say? I'm a nerd who digs brunettes.

If you have any suggestions of hotties I need to add to my "Hottie Wall", please speak up!

Summer 2011 Obsessions

1. Instagram

If you haven't tried the Instagram app, you should. 

It has 16 different settings to make your photos look vintage. So fun!

2. iwastesomuchtime.com

A lifesaver when you're in class, bored, or wish to avoid responsibilities. 

(Warning: After clicking the images below, you will NOT be able to unglue your eyes from the screen for at least 2+ hours.)

I laughed so hard I cried when I found this... the real fun starts at 4:02.

3. Caramel Swirled Marshmallows

Hard to believe, but smore's just became a bigilloin times better. 

They also have chocolate, cinnamon, toasted coconut, strawberry and mint!

4. Big Band

I am addicted to the sounds of swing. And I feel like I was born in the wrong time period. I listen to it in the car, while cleaning, while working, while sleeping... Try out the Swing station on Pandora and tell me you agree. My favorites are Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey (my great-uncle Dale played the trumpet in his band!) and Frank Sinatra of course. 

5. Bali Mango

I've probably spent half my life savings at Bath and Body Works, but it is all totally worth it! Bali Mango is my current favorite, and to make matters even more amazing, it's half off online right now! It's a sister fragrance to the Fiji Passionfruit flavor that I blogged about back in February. They smell AMAZING mixed! So if you would like to take an "exotic getaway of juicy mango, sugar cane, pink passionflower and luscious nectarine", give Bali Mango a try!

Never gunna grow up...

Theme song for this summer? I think yes. 

Jake Owen is SO hot! Who agrees?

March '11 Obsessions

1.

I bought my very first pair of TOMS shoes earlier this month and now I want a pair in every style! Not only are they cute and comfortable, every pair bought has a match somewhere in the world belonging to a child in need. So not only are you buying yourself a very nice pair of shoes, you are also buying a pair for a child who doesn't even have shoes. It's one purchase you won't feel guilty about buying.

You can buy your own pair of TOMS online at http://www.toms.com/, or at a store near you! 

2. Funky Jewelry

While I was at the mall buying TOMS, I stumbled upon another new obsession. Long necklaces with funky charms, and big chunky rings!

So far in the necklace department I have an elephant, an antique telephone, a fish that can wiggle, a little book that has real pages, an antique key that Catherine gave me for my b-day, and a dreamcatcher. They are really fun to collect!

In the ring department I have a tiger, a huge turquoise stone, a hibiscus flower, a fake diamond ring that is HUGE, a "soccer ball",  vines, and then my favorite ring made out of petrified wood that was my great-grandfather's. 

I bought the majority of the jewelry from Forever 21 and everything was under $8! 

3. New Music!

Here are a few songs I just can't get enough of this month...

'Boy With a Coin' by Iron & Wine

This song makes me want to dance around a campfire. The lyrics are beautiful and I love the flamenco dancers in the video! I can't wait to see the real thing next summer in Spain! (Thanks RayCray for introducing me to this band!)

'The Cave' by Mumford & Sons

Brilliant... just brilliant! 'Little Lion Man' is also just as wonderful.

'Alligator Sky' by Owl City featuring Shawn Chyrstopher

Let's just admit it, everything Owl City makes is amazing.

4. Pretty Little Liars

This show is SO addicting and intense! The first season just ended this week :[ But good news is that the second season is starting up this June! If you haven't seen this show, go watch it now!

5. EF College Break

Next summer I am going to Europe through EF College Break! Their prices are insanely cheap and they plan all of the nitty-gritty stuff for you so you don't have to worry! Every tour group has about 40 college kids from all over the US that you will meet and become friends with. If you have ever wanted to see the world, EF College Break is the way to go!

Febuary '11 Obsessions & GiVeAWaY!!

For those of us located on the Northern Hemisphere, February can be quite possibly one of the most dreary and depressing months of the year. I know it can sometimes be that way for me because I tend to catch Spring Fever the day after Christmas. But alas, February is here to stay for a while, so finding things that make you happy is a great way to beat the February Blues. Here are some things I love right now.

1. Bath and Body Works' Fiji Passionfruit Body Lotion

I like to call this "Summer Candy in a Lime Green Bottle" and all I can say is YUM! Seriously, you want a break from the cold and snow? Just take a whiff of this stuff and you'll practically transport yourself to a picture perfect beach in Fiji. According to the people at B&BW, Fiji Passionfruit is a "tropical escape of passionfruit, mandarin orange, apricot nectar and lime zest." And it honestly smells just like you'd imagine. 

But wait! There's more! All Signature B&BW Body Care products are buy 2 get 1 free, or buy 3 get 2 free right now, online and in-store! So just take my word for it and buy some of this stuff! You won't regret it.

2. OPI Nail Polish

Before I found OPI, I hated painting my nails. Every time I did I felt like I couldn't do anything with them because I was afraid they would chip prematurely and then I'd have to either fix them, or just take it off. What's so amazing about this brand is that it lasts FOREVER. I have a job that demands a lot out of my hands, so I bet they would last even longer if I didn't abuse them so much. 

I've been obsessed with this stuff for a few months now, I honestly can't get enough. Every time I'm near a salon or at the mall I always stop to buy a new color. They have every color you could ever imagine, all sorts of sparkles, mattes and suede's. 

I use Chip Skip (which dries your nail and gets rid of any oils or lotions hiding in the creases around your nail so that your polish doesn't chip for a long while), then the base coat, 2 coats of color, and then a top coat. 

Right now I am wearing 'Ate Berries in the Canneries' and I'm loving it.

3. Burt's Bees Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil

I'm just loving beauty products lately I suppose, but this stuff is really great. 

My lips are very temperamental, and before I found this lip balm I could only use Carmex because it was the only product that kept my lips from getting dry! Carmex is great, but to be completely honest, it stinks and doesn't taste too good. I had used Burt's Bees regular peppermint lip balm before, but I felt like it kind of just sat on top of my lips and didn't do any good. One day, during my pomegranate obsession last winter, I was at the grocery store and I stumbled upon this kind and thought I'd give it a try. It's all I've been using ever since. It tastes really yummy and has a light... the only word coming to mind is "comfy"... scent. 

4. 'TRON Legacy', 'The King's Speech' and 'Beauty and the Beast'

If you haven't seen this movie yet, please do. It will change your life. Okay, maybe that was a bit dramatic, but it definitely gets your mind going! I would highly recommend seeing it in IMAX 3D. 

If you can't do that, then try seeing it in just regular 3D. The soundtrack to TRON is also amazing. Try listening to it while doing homework, exercising, or driving and you will feel like a machine. 

I saw 'The King's Speech' tonight with RayCray and I now know why it is nominated for the Academy Awards Best Motion Picture of the year. Who ever knew a movie revolving around someone with a stutter could be so completely captivating and intense. I'd dare to say it was more intense than the majority of action movies out there. Now I just need to figure out why 'The Fighter' would even be considered to be in the same category as 'The King's Speech'. That movie was dreadful, please don't go see it. 

Oh dear, I became a little teary eyed while watching that. 

As all of you know, I love Disney. Love love love love love love love!!!! And I own nearly every Disney animated movie ever made because I'm a nerd like that. The only problem is that the only VCR in the house broke a couple of months ago, and all my Disney movies are on VHS :'[ I was actually watching 'Aladdin' when it broke and it ate my tape :[ But I suppose this is not a bad thing, because I need to buy them all on DVD/BluRay to keep up with the times. 'Beauty and the Beast' (my second favorite right behind 'Aladdin') came out in the DVD/BluRay combo pack a few months ago so I decided it would be a good start to my new DVD/BluRay collection. Now I just have to wait for the next movie to be released from the Disney Vault... which might take a while, but I'll just keep watching 'Beauty and the Beast' in the meantime. I've already gotten quite a bit of use out of it already.

5. Paper Beads

I had to go to a "Staff Development Day" this past week and in one of the classes I took, I learned how to make paper beads! It was taught by refugees who fled from some pretty scary situations in their homeland's and are now living here in Utah for a fresh start on life. The woman who taught me was a very sweet lady from Iraq who came to the US about two years ago. 

Making paper beads is very relaxing and a lot of fun. I love using paper from magazines or newsprint because you never know what the bead will end up looking like! For instructions, go here.

*GiVeAWaY!*

In honor of my turning 20 in a few days, I am giving away a few of my favorite things from this month to give to one of my readers! This month's prize will include Burt's Bees Pomegranate Lip Balm, a bottle of OPI nail lacquer, and a paper bead bracelet made by yours truly! 

* The only requirement is that you must be a follower of my blog to win. *

* To enter, leave me a comment on this post telling me what your favorite color is, something you are really loving this month, and your email address (if I don't know you in person) so that I can let you know you've won! *

The winner will be chosen randomly and announced on 

February 13th.

GOOD LUCK!! 

January '11 Obsessions

Last semester nearly killed me, and on top of almost killing me, it took away my time to update the blog regularly. But lucky for me, I only have classes on Monday and Wednesday this semester! WOOHOO! And that means I'll have loads more time to do more posts like this one! Which I've really missed doing, by the way.

1. Nordstrom's Beauty Counter

While I was in California, the girls and I made a stop at the Nordstrom's Beauty Counter to get the little sister a make-over. We ended up buying what the esthetician put on her, and I LOVE it!

The thing I love about these cosmetics is that they are natural and really good for your skin, but at the same time have amazing coverage and blend in a way that makes it look like you aren't actually wearing make-up! You use the brush to apply the liquid foundation, and then use the pressed powder with the same brush! Easy-peasy!

The angled brush is designed to round out the cheeks, and at the same time is great for creating shadows in your cheekbones! I'm obsessed.

When you're done putting on all your make-up, you spritz your face with MAC Fix+ to set it. It contains vitamins, minerals, cucumber, green tea, chamomile, etc. to make your skin soft, soothed, and fresh! It makes your skin look radiant and soft.

After a week, you clean all your brushes with the MAC brush cleanser. Not only does it clean and disinfect your brushes, but it moisturizes the bristles to help make your brushes last longer! Plus, they dry super fast.

2. Procrastination Websites...

The first one is great for a good laugh...

This website is HILARIOUS! 'Dear blank, please blank.' is a lot like FML and MLIA, but a million times better. I could seriously spend hours reading all the funny notes people come up with. You can also submit your own notes! I had one published once! It was an awesome feeling :] 

Some of my favorites are...

 "Dear death, Bring it bitch. Sincerely, Grandma."

"Dear Doritos, what are these chips doing in my bag of air? Sincerely, Anonymous." and...

"Dear math, Do us all a favor, divide yourself by zero and cease to exists. Sincerely, math students."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This website may not be very funny to those who have never worked at a library, but seeing as how I do, I find it highly entertaining and surprisingly very true...

They have been publishing comic strips 5 days a week since 2002, so there's a ton to sort through! So far my favorite is this one... because it happens to me almost everyday haha!

The funny thing is that I can relate to nearly all of the comics I've read so far! So every time something funny happens at work, I'm going to post one of these that relates to the situation. 

3. Dexter

Last semester I took a literature class that had the central theme of murder. Weird, I know, but it ended up being the best class I've taken so far at the U! The hot guy in my discussion group probably played a big part of why I liked the class so much, but anywho! 

So after reading everything from 'Beowulf' to the 'Lovely Bones', we ended the semester by watching an episode of Dexter. 

RayCray tried getting me to like the show a few months before the assignment in my class, and I hated it. It is super gorey and pretty crude. When my professor informed us that we would be watching it, I wasn't a happy camper. But after watching the episode we were assigned (Season 1, Episode 3), I was confused about the plot, so I ended up watching the two episodes before... and then all of season 1 and 2! 

The blood and gore still bug me, but the characters and plot lines are SO amazing! Man, I just can't even explain how well developed the characters are and how intense and complex the story is! The show is based off a series of novels by Jeff Lindsay and currently just finished it's 5th season. I have yet to watch seasons 3-5, but I can't wait to watch them! You should go watch them too! The first 2 seasons are on Netflix Instant Queue!

4. Big 5 React Gum

Yum! This is my favorite gum! It has a super intense mint flavor and lasts for hours! The best part is that the gum itself is black, which is very different and cool! Buy some, you'll like it!

If you're interested in any of these products, just click on the pictures!