Travel Diary: Pine, AZ

Ever hear of Pine, AZ?  No?  Don’t worry – I hadn’t either.

A few weeks ago my dad had the idea of going on a family getaway up to northern Arizona.  It’s been super hot (110 degrees plus) in Scottsdale, so we rented a cabin to escape the heat.  I knew nothing about Pine, and was honestly pretty nervous to go, but I’m so glad I did!

Pine is absolutely beautiful!  It’s very close to the more well-known city (town?) of Payson, but definitely has more small-town charm.  I had planned on reading a new book being the most exciting part of the weekend, but I was pleasantly surprised with the local activities!

The highlight for me was going to Tonto Natural Bridge.  I was kind of tricked into hiking, but it was completely worth it.  It’s a gorgeous area that you can’t get tired of looking at.  It is just what you think a natural bridge would be, but much larger.  I was not expecting its size!

Besides this, I visited lots of little shops (most of which had family pets hanging around!) and hung out with my family.  It was a great detox weekend that I needed, and it also partially fulfilled one of my goals of visiting 5 new locations in AZ this summer!  I’m looking forward to my next travel destination, to be decided soon! 🙂

Book Review: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)

  

Hello!

Did I already break my goal of posting twice a week? Oops! 😳 at least I’m still going strong with my reading goal!

So I just finished up Mindy Kaling’s book, which I have wanted to read forever. I think she’s so hilarious, and I honestly love everything she’s worked on. Clearly, I had some very high expectations…that were not quite met. 

Some parts of the book were so so funny, relatable, everything you would expect. But there were quite a few chapters I had to push myself through, as I just found them kinda boring. Nothing was boring for too long though, as Mindy would always have a great one liner at least every other page. 

Overall it wasn’t my favorite, but was still an enjoyable read, so I’ll give it 3.5/5 stars. Anyone else read it? Am I being harsh?

I’d also love any book recommendations! I’m going pseudo-camping this weekend and definitely need them. Have a great week!

(Gel) Mani Monday!

Hey guys!  So I got my first gel mani in 5 years (!) this past week.  So far so good!  I went with a neutral purpley color and absolutely love the way it looks.  The last time I got a gel mani, the reason I didn’t like it was because how it left my nails when I got it off, so hopefully it’ll be better this time.

Have a good week! 🙂

Summer Bucket List

Hello again!

I know I’ve said this previously, but I’m actually coming back to blogging now!  My life just hasn’t seemed to slow down at all, but I miss writing for fun and as a part of my Summer Bucket List, I’m going to make sure I do it often 😉

So to encourage myself to write more, I’m not going to make my blogs solely about beauty/skin care anymore.  This is basically going to be where I document that stuff, in addition to fun plans and trips, work stuff, lifestyle stuff, you name it.  And I thought this list would be a good place to start.  These are all things that I think will make me happier in general, so here we go!

1. Read 6 books.
Pretty self-explanatory.  I love to read and I haven’t been doing it nearly as often as I want to!

2. Start volunteering somewhere.
I’ve been wanting to give back in someway, so I’m going to try to start a volunteering schedule.  Maybe with animals, maybe with kids…I’m not sure yet!

3. Go to 5 new places in Arizona.
I live in such a beautiful place, and I love to travel, so why not see more of my home?!

4. Join a gym and actually go.
Again, self-explanatory.  I’m not too great at sticking to fitness plans…

5. Actually do my hair every day for a week.
#LazyGirlProblems.  Brushing my hair is usually the extent I go to to make it look presentable, but I think I’ll feel more polished (and pretty proud of myself) if I actually learn a few go-to styles.

6. Go a week without social media.
Yikes.  Going to be tough, but hoping it will help cut back on the habit of checking it all the time!

7. Write two blogs a week.
There it is!  I’m committing to making myself blog.

8. Make a new friend.
When I first moved to Scottsdale I was making new friends all the time, but lately I haven’t been meeting new people.  It’s time to put myself out there again!

9. Go to a beach.
I don’t currently have plans to, but I love the ocean more than anything.  #Pisces

10. Make side money somehow.
Again, not sure how.  But I want a little side hustle (might help out with the next one).

11. Take myself out for a treat every other week (at least).
From a movie that none of my friends want to see, to getting my nails done, to buying that bag I really want.  Treat yo self.

12. Learn a new marketing skill.
Gotta throw a work-related one in there.  I kinda miss learning new things all the time like I did in school, so I want to take a course on PhotoShop/InDesign/AdWords/something helpful this summer.

And that’s it!  Nothing too lofty, but still things I’m going to have to set my mind to.  Anyone else make goals for different seasons?  I’ll be sure that some of my blogs are updates on how I’m doing.

Happy Summer!

Mani Monday #4

hello!

 

This mani is a little different than usual!

By now most of you have probably heard of Jamberry. My sister recently started selling, so of course I made a big order to try some out 🙂 

I wasn’t the neatest in putting these on, but I still love the way they look and feel! 

Here is the link to this style at my sister’s store. Have any of you tried Jamberry?

Have a good week!

so it’s been a while… 2015 so far

Eeek I can’t believe I haven’t blogged since December!  It has been an insanely busy 4 months, and I’m writing this post mostly for myself to get back in the blogging mood and document what’s happened so far.

January – After a fun New Year’s Eve, January was a complete whirlwind.  It started out great, going out quite a bit and having a ton of fun.  I even went on my first business trip to San Diego, which was absolutely gorgeous!  Toward the end one of my good friends (and now roommate) was hit by a car while running and this completely flipped things around.  She’s doing well now, but it was definitely a wake up call.

February – It felt like I was in Las Vegas for pretty much all of February!  The company I work for held a conference there, so I was there for planning and then the actual conference.  It was my first time in the city and it was a great experience, even though it was so so busy.  I’m excited to go back on my own time!  Besides going to Vegas, I also went to Disneyland for a couple days with Jen!  It felt so great to be back at Disney, and literally nothing makes me happier than seeing friends who live far away and enjoying the parks.

March – The first month I was actually home!  March 1st I moved into a new house with my friend Jessi, and it’s been great, especially since my commute is now 10 minutes instead of 45.  I’ve been spending a ton of time with my friends and really learning about the area, which has been great!  And I turned 23!  My birthday weekend was super fun, even though I’m feeling kinda old

April – And that brings us to now!  April has probably been the calmest month so far, which is why I feel like I have time to blog.  Next month I’ll be going on more business trips and stuff, but April has been a lot of relaxing and enjoying the Scottsdale the weather 🙂

So now here are just a bunch of pics from that time!  I am promising myself that I will get back to beauty blogging at least once a week!  I’ve actually tried a bunch of new products that I love and really want to talk about.  I’ll be back with a real blog soon!

-Staci

BYOB: Birchbox Store Adventures!

So as I mentioned in my last blog post, while in NYC we went to the Birchbox Store in SoHo!  I’m actually not a Birchbox subscriber (blasphemy, I know), but I still had to check it out!  I was very excited to try out the Build Your Own Birchbox option, and is was so much fun!  I loved getting to pick out the samples I wanted.  Here’s what I got!

Whish Shave Cream

Coastal Scents Revealed Palette Sampler in Ballerina

Dr. Brandt Pores No More

Ellovi Butter in Vanilla

Amika Nourishing Mask

I honestly haven’t had the chance to try any of these since I’ve gotten back, but I’m super excited for all of them!

Home for the HAULidays!

Happy December!

After a busy few days in New York and Pennsylvania, I am back in Arizona in the welcome warmer weather.  I had such a fun trip, and got to see a lot of friends!  I thought I would do a little haul of the things I got while I was there.  There will be another post soon about our adventure in the Birchbox store, but here’s part one of the trip 🙂

All of these items were amazing gifts, mostly from my bestie Jen, also known as sparkleandchampagne.  Thank you again, princess!

The Body Shop Hand Cream in Moringa– Love!  I definitely need hand cream with the changing weather, and this one is great.  Not greasy, and a light fresh scent.

The Body Shop Body Butter in Wild Argan Oil– Again, wonderful.  A lighter scent but with strong moisturizing power.  I guess Jen knows my favorite stores 🙂

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Too Faced La Belle Carousel (Blush/Bronzer)– Not going to lie, I had almost bought this entire set for myself!  Haha here are the swatches for the colors I got.  This is shockingly my first product from Too Faced (?!) so I am excited to try it out!

Benefit Lollibalm and Lollitint– Again, another I was dying to try!  I love Benefit and I’ve been loving bolder lips, so this was a great combination for me 🙂

Demeter Pixie Dust Roll On– This one was a second-hand steal from Jen, as she got it in an Ipsy recently.  It smells suuuuper sweet, honestly like there’s candy right in front of you.  Good in moderation!

As for the last two in the picture, I can’t find links but the midi ring is from itsybitsy at Kohl’s, and the necklace/card is from Francesca’s!  I wanted to include them anyway because they’re so cute ❤

And as a bonus, here are some pictures from my trip!

November Ipsy!

Happy November! I’m struggling to get in the holiday season with it being around 80 degrees everyday, but it’s here! This bag was festive and I love it!

The products I got:

Marc Anthony Oil of Morocco Hairspray – Haven’t used this yet, but I like that it’s healthy for hair, and I hope it will keep it shiny!

SeaRX Birchsap Moisturizing Lotion – Again, haven’t used this but I’m always up for a new moisturizer.

StarLooks Gem Pencil in Ultra Olive – Very sparkly!!! Like warning, can be very difficult to get off haha.  I was covered in glitter for about 24 hours no matter what I did, but it was pretty and smooth when applied!

J.Cat Wonder Lip Paint in Mad Splatter – Beautiful color!  It can look a little weird on dry lips, but I think if I exfoliate more it will look really nice.

IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye in Neutral Medium – Saved the best for last- LOVE IT.  It’s the perfect color for me, and is thick, but light, meaning it covers up me looking undead, but doesn’t feel too sticky.  I didn’t even have a problem with it settling in creases!  Probably one I’ll buy soon!

What did everyone else get?  I love the products this month!

Beauty Advent Calendars 2014!

So it may only be November 11th, but I’ve already made a pretty big dent in my Christmas shopping, and I’m really looking forward to the holiday season!  I’ve started looking at beauty advent calendars and other Christmas-themed beauty packages, and here are some of the most promising ones I’ve found so far!

Benefit Cosmetics Advent Calendar– I love Benefit and I would love to try out some more of their products!  Some of the goodies seem a little lame (doodle pad, paper clips, etc.), but it may be worth it to get a good sampling of their products I haven’t tried!

The Body Shop Beauty Advent Calendar– I love The Body Shop, but I’m a little disappointed in the scents.  There’s a lot of cranberry and other fruity scents, while I prefer more of the cocoa butter/nutty smells.  And it’s a tad expensive.  But still worth a mention!

Petite Treats 12 Days of Tarte– Another I’m really interested in!  Since it’s only 12 days, there’s no filler prizes, so it’s all legitimate samples of products.  Plus, they’re all pretty universal products that anyone can use!

Ciate Mini Mani Manor– I actually don’t know this brand, but this looks so great!!  I honestly never end up using a nail polish more than 2 or 3 times, so mini bottles really appeal to me, and these look like some great colors!

Lush 12 Days of Christmas– Last, but certainly not least, the one I’m lusting most after!  I love Lush products and this just seems so great.  Sitting and wishing it will magically reduce in price </3

Has anyone seen others that they’re hoping for this December?

❤