Thursday, May 31, 2012

Trending Thursday's With Vicki

Vacation Hot Spots

I never thought I'd see the day where I'd be saying I'm writing my blog post on a library computer...but today people... is that day. Unfortunetly, my laptop has seen better days, and currently is out of commission. I'm pumped though that the town library is literally walking distance from my apartment. Yay for free public libraries!

In other news...Jen Boo and I just went to Long Island, NY this past weekend to visit her cousin Christina who lives in Long Beach. And I must say after visiting this town...I think I fell in love. Tons of bars, shops, restaurants, and the beach all just walking distance from her house!!! Yup, pretty sure I know where I'll be getting my vacation home one day. Jen and I  met tons of new people, lounged out on the beach all weekend, and danced all night at the bars.

googleimages.com
The Beach at Long Beach

Now that I'm on the vacation topic, I'm trying to think back to all the different places I've gone on vacation. Sadly, I've never been to a tropical Island but I have been to both England, and France. Guess I can't REALLY complain :)  And I've also made my way around the East Coast a little bit. Even though some of the places I have gone to may not be the #1 hot spots, I think just being with close friends and family can really MAKE a vacation!!!

Here are just a few of the places I've visited:

Wildwood, NJ

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Atlantic City




New York City




London, England




Paris, France


These are just a few of my favorite vacation spots I've traveled to but my list of places I would love to visit is endless!!!

What are your fave vacation spots?!

Happy Thursday!






Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Wacky Wednesdays with Jenbiff

More nails!

As I've mentioned in a past post (seen here) I've found really fun designs for my nails on Pinterest. I don't wait very long before taking my nail polish off so I can try a new design. Here is another simple design that I've tried recently:

The colors, base coat and top coat

Finished product



 It took me every finger to try and get it to look right so unfortunately I didn't get any step by step pictures, but it's pretty easy. The way I did it was first paint the base color (the dark purple on my nails). I always do two coats. After waiting for the second coat dry, make a "v" shape. Start half way up your finger and go towards the tip. then on the other side of the same nail, do the same thing. Go slow. I thought this was a little harder than some of the other ones I've done, but I don't think it came out too bad!

Have you tried any fun designs recently??

Quote of the Week: "Caught up in the in-crowd, now you're in style
Anna Wintour gets cold, in Vogue with your skin out"
Last Weeks Answer: The Incredibles 

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

KM Explains it All!

When Books Come to Life!


Fantastic Mr. Fox
Click here for Barnes&Noble synopsis (photo taken from google.com)
This was one of my favorite books when I was little so to see it come to life was a bit odd for me.  I had read this book I don't even know how many times and I'm pretty sure I wrote a book report on it at some point.  The movie I wasn't so impressed with.  I liked how they did it as in not a cartoon because it was something different but the story seemed wrong to me.  Maybe it's because I haven't read it in a while but there were certain things that were just off for me.  In the movie Mr. Fox had his signature whistle that he did which they made more a big deal about and it really wasn't anything.  I think they tried to add that in for a little extra comedic relief but it just didn't work in my opinion.  The story is supposed to be about him stealing from these three farmers but they added in extra sub stories that I thought were unnecessary and I really wish they had left my favorite childhood book alone.


Water For Elephants
Click here for Barnes&Noble synopsis (photo taken from google.com)
This is one of those books that I picked up knowing that it was going to be made into a movie, had to read it first, and loved it.  I wasn't aware of who the cast was going to be at the time so when I found out who was playing who I was happy and disappointed at the same time.  I did not like the idea of Reese Witherspoon as Marlena.  I pictured someone younger especially since she was going to be paired with Rob Patinson, which I didn't mind at all as Jacob.  I thought he could capture all the emotions of the character and fit the age requirement as well.  When it came to the role of August I was absolutely IN LOVE with the idea of Christoph Waltz (huge fan of him in Inglorious Basterds).  After seeing the movie I was happier with the casting choices because Reese is such a great actress that she pulled off an amazing performance.  I was overall pleased with the adaptation and thought that it stuck very close to the book and there were certain scenes that I was eager to see that I thought came out amazingly.


The Great Gatsby
Click here for Barnes&Noble synopsis

I read this book in high school and it was one that I actually really enjoyed reading.  I love the whole era that it takes place in.  The fashion, music, cars, everything seemed so extravagant back then.  Since this movie has not come out yet I'm very eager to see it.  I like the casting choice especially Carey Mulligan as Daisy.  She just seems so right for the role and I'm one of those girls who use to swoon over Leonardo DiCaprio when I was a teen so I have no problem with him as Gatsby.  I can't wait to update you on my thoughts about this adaptation once I see it.  The Great Gatsby hits theaters Christmas 2012!  


What books are you excited to see come to life?  Let me know!

Monday, May 28, 2012

Outfit Outtakes by Jen Bou

Belted Dress

When I first got this dress it had a loose fit but I loved the color and shape of it that I had to get it anyways. By adding a belt, I was able to give the dress some shape and make it wearable. I love how accessories can completely change the look of an outfit!

The Limited Dress | Wetseal Belt | Mia Shoes (TJ Maxx) | Francesca's Collection Watch



These shoes have easily become my favorite wedges. I love the color-weaved heel!

Hope everyone enjoys their Memorial Day! Have a good week :-)

Friday, May 25, 2012

The Gossip Corner with Stine

Season Finales Part Two!


So last week's post was all about the Dramas that were ending for the season, now it's time to chat about the Comedies! PS: SPOLIER ALERTS are in store


Glee:
This season's finale was a total tear jerker with the seniors graduating and moving on to bigger things :( I mean we all knew this day would come eventually but, personally, I just didn't think it would end the way it did. The non-graduating Gleeks serenaded the seniors with some heartfelt tunes and thank yous, while the seniors took their final bows and handed the reins over to the juniors. For those of you who don't remember the graduating seniors are: Rachel, Finn, Kurt, Puck, Santana, Quinn, Mercedes, and Mike Chang. There are some great opportunities on the horizon for these eight including: Mercedes is going to LA to be a backup singer, Quinn is going to Yale, Puck is opening a pool cleaning business (I think), Mike has the chance to dance in Chicago, IL (again I think they didn't go into much detail), and Santana turned down her full-ride to college to go to NYC. Finnchel (Finn & Rachel) and Kurt all got letters from New York, unfortunately Rachel was the only one who got in, she wanted to defer a year but Finn had other plans. HE LET HER GO! I know right?! I couldn't believe it either! He wanted her to not give up on her dreams because of him, and in doing so he enlisted in the army!!! It was the only place she couldn't follow him, and with that he took her to the train station (instead of getting married) and told her to be a star. While it was super sad-and yes I balled my eyes out!- it was even more precious watching Finn run alongside the train as it pulled away, aww!!! Can't wait to see what next season has in store!
Promo from Youtube
Modern Family:
Cam and Mitchell are getting a baby! Or are they? Again this season finale was an emotional roller coaster! I thought that comedies were supposed to end on a light and happy note. Anywho, so Cam and Mitchell get a call from the woman who chose them to adopt her baby the only problem is she only speaks Spanish so they have to bring Gloria with them, while leaving Lily with Grandpa Jay and Manny. Alex is going to prom instead of Hailey which is kinda weird but Hailey has plans of her own aka moving in with Dylan since she didn't get into any colleges. Lily has her dance recital but is too nervous to perform so Grandpa Jay has to help out by dancing with her on stage. Phil relives his prom night just as Hailey and Dylan announce their move-in plans only to find out Hailey got into college yay!! Somewhere south of the border a real-life telenovela is happening as Cam and Mitchell figure out that they probably won't be taking a baby home-such a bummer! Although it looks like there will be a new addition to this Modern Family because wait for it....Gloria finds out she's PREGNANT!! I wonder how Jay is going to feel about this?
Promo from Youtube
So what were some of your favorite Comedy season finales? Are there any new summer shows you are just dying to see? Let me know! Have a great Memorial Day weekend everyone!!!

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Trending Thursday's With Vicki

Summer's Right Around The Corner...

Ever since I graduated college, I started understanding how my life would change over the summer months. No longer would I be working a part-time job for a short 3-4 months, but now I'd be working a big girl job, all year around. But even though my life has changed quite drastically over the past year (maybe even over the past month), there's still a few things I always look forward to during the summer months...

The Beach



Cute Summer Clothes





My Birthday


And of course...Summer Drinks!!!

Just this past weekend, Jen Boo and I joined our friend Joel and his friend's for Harpoonfest in Boston! 

Harpoonfest is a two-day event where you get an opportunity to enjoy Harpoon Brewery's outside venue in Boston, tasting different styles of fresh beer from Harpoon and UFO while listening to Boston band's and DJ's perform.  



It costs $20 to get into the event which includes a souvenir cup and 1 drink ticket. All beers cost $5 a pint and you can choose from the following:



Jen and I were actually very lucky and one of the guys we were with, was able to get us into the event for free!!! Talk about a fun but cheap night :) 

Our fave beer was the UFO Raspberry Hefewiezen!

dipity.com


Check out Harpoon's Website to learn more about Harpoonfest as well as other upcoming events! I'm hoping to catch Octoberfest this upcoming fall!



Have A Great Memorial Day Weekend! 

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Wacky Wednesdays with Jenbiff

Portland, Maine

So last weekend as you know it was Ben and my four year anniversary. For our anniversary we went to Portland, Maine for the weekend. We arrived around Saturday afternoon and didn't realize how big the city is until we were walking around! By the time we got settled in we were ready for some dinner. Before I get into our wonderful meal I just want to let you know that we basically ate our way through the city, so there is going to be a lot about food! Anywhosers, Our first stop was at a restaurant called Nosh. They have been featured on Man vs Food and are known for their Bacon Dusted French Fries. Yup...Bacon Dusted Fries!! And they really are as good as they sound. Ben got their pork and beef mixed hamburger with bacon, pork belly and foie gras. And I got what seemed like a simple hamburger (which again was beef and pork mixed). Major YUM! It was def a great way to start off the weekend!

Ben's burger and the bacon dusted fries

My burger and some sauce for the fries
On Sunday we were lucky to find some things open. The first stop we made was to the International Cryptozoology Museum. It was a small, two room museum with everything from Big Foot to the Yeti. It was really interesting to see the photos, videos and research done to prove each thing's existence. We even got our picture with Big Foot!

International Cryptozoology Museum
Ben, Big Foot and I
Fur Bearing Trout
After the Cryptozoology Museum we realized that most of the other things that we really wanted to do weren't open, so we decided to go to the Portland Head Light Lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth. Despite being a New Englander for my whole life, I've never been to a light house. Weird right? Don't worry I've had my fair share of Clam Chowda and Lobster though! But this was the first time I've seen a light house in person. And I must say it was absolutely amazballs! Ben's mom had called as we were driving up to the light house overlooking the ocean, which made me completely forget that she was talking to me!  Not to sound too cheesy but it literally took my breath away. But I'll let the pictures do the explaining:






After walking around Heaven --I mean the Portland Head Light we went over the Maine Meed Works. This is the first time I've ever tried mead, so I was a little nervous that I wasn't going to like it. We tried four of their main meads and two specialty meads. I honestly really enjoyed most of them, so much that we ended up buying two bottles!


Once we had tried our share of mead, it was def time to put more food in our bellies so we headed over to a place called Duck Fat. Here they have French Fries fried in...you guessed it: duck fat. It sounds kinda gross, but it really was amazing! I got a oven roasted turkey sandwich and all you need to know about this sandwich is bacon jam. The sandwich was amazing, but I think it was the bacon jam that really put it over the edge! To be honest I was so amazed by my sandwich I really don't even know what Ben had! Sorry dear! Later that evening we went out for drinks at a bar called The Great Lost Bear. I suggest going here just to check out all of the random things that have to decorate the bar and restaurant areas. Not to mention the food was also delich! *(Side note: The first three pics are from Duck Fat and the last three are from the Great Lost Bear)

These are the fries!
The brownish stuff on the bottom is the bacon jam. Be jealous.




 Monday was our last day in Portland and there were still so much we wanted to do. After a filling breakfast at a little cafe called Mornings in Paris (where they serve Nutella lattes!) we drove around one last time, then headed over to Allagash Brewery for a tour. For those of you who have been on brewery tours, you know that there more than likely is a tasting of at least a few beers. At Allagash we were able to sample four of their beers before the tour: White, Victoria, Victor, and Curieux. And for those of you who know me...beer is NOT my thing, but I tried each one! They gave us a little tour which ended in the rooms where they are aging some beers to get different flavors from the original concoction.

The mug with the wiped cream on top is the Nutella Latte.
I couldn't hold the mug with one hand. Ben thought it was funny.

Isn't he just so cute??
The beers we tasted
The beers being aged.
Again.
The last stop that we absolutely had to make before leaving was to the Maine Historical Society.  I do like my fair share of history and museums, but they had an exhibit that really caught my eye. It was called Dressing Up, Standing Out, Fitting In: Adornment & Identity in Maine1750-1950. The title really explains it all.  The exhibit was all about different things that one would wear to a wedding, to have one's portrait painted, head pieces one could wear and many other things. Not only did they have these things on display, but they tied it back in to their home because all of the things on display were either worn by someone who lived in Maine at one point, or gave it to someone who was from Maine.




*These four pictures are from http://www.mainehistory.org/
What a busy weekend it was, but it was everything we could have hoped for. Have you been anywhere recently?

Quote of the Week: "Dash: Are we there yet?
Bob: We'll get there when we get there!"
Last Weeks Answer: The Best Is Yet to Come by Frank Sinatra

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

KM Explains it All!

Tuesday Ten!

All of the girls that write this blog aside from myself were fashion majors in school.  Usually I leave the fashion to them but today I decided to be different and share some of my personal favorite fashions.  Now, I may not know fashion but I know what I like!

1.  Rings!
(photo taken from Pinterest.com)
This shouldn't come as too much of a surprise since I've mentioned my addiction to accessories before but I literally can not go out for the night without a ring on.  Currently I've been working on getting more dainty ones so that I can wear more than one amazing ring when I go out.

2.  Neon
(photo taken from Pinterest.com)
I love love love bright colors.  This bright mint is one that's been appearing in my wardrobe more recently and I've also become fond of pink which I've never really liked before.  Now I'll wear anything that's neon or electric.

3.  Sunnies!
(photo taken from forever21.com)
Again this shouldn't come as a surprise but besides rings sunnies are my favorite accessory.  I just purchased the pair above and reminisced about similar flip-up sunnies I had when I was a kid.  Note the neon yellow color.

4.  Leopard
(photo taken from Pinterest.com)
Again, not something that I used to be that into but animal print has become one of my favorites.  I recently purchased a pair of leopard print loafers and am in love with them.  I'm currently on the hunt for a this exact outfit because I think it looks fabulous.

5.  Polka Dots!
(photo taken from Pinterest.com)
This is a pattern that I've always liked and I love the look above because of the bright, high-waist shorts paired with the polka dot shirt.

6.  Color Blocking
(photo taken from Pinterest.com)
 Jen Bou has mentioned this look a lot and I think that she's pulled it off perfectly on more than a few occasions.  I'm want to try this look out but haven't found the right pieces yet.

7.  Colored Shorts!
(photo taken from Pinterest.com)
I was told by all the girls that colored denim is very in and I'm glad that it's carried to the summer because I'm loving the colored shorts.

8.  Aztec
(photo taken from Pinterest.com)
This pattern became popular last summer I think and I've been rocking it ever since.  I hope that it never goes out of style.

9.  Lace and Leather!
(photo taken from Pinterest.com)
Lace is so dainty while leather is very edgy and I love how the two combined look.

10.  Wedges
(photo taken from Pinterest.com)
I am not graceful by any means and wedges are hands down the easiest heels to walk in and I wear them whenever possible.

What are you favorite styles to rock?  Let me know!