Yay! My Summer Vox Box is Here!

Grandma, Auntie & Me

Oh dear Lord... its been hot as all hell here up and down the east coast! But its been all good just the same. The 4th of July feels like it just came and went with the quickness, but I am happy to say I got to spend time with my two special ladies during the early part of July 4th by going out to lunch with my aunt and grandma. It was a really nice time for just us gals to talk, enjoy a good meal and have a few laughs at a place that could potentially be one of our new favorite restaurants in Delco.

Me & my cousins

In the latter part of the day I was able to beat the heat and to get into some fun by starting in center city for some drinks a bite to eat and making my way into yonder for a little 4th of July excitement with old and new friends along the way to the boardwalk. Hope everyone had safe and fun holiday and kept cool in this massive heat wave. And speaking of heat waves, we lived to speak another day after our 2nd annual family BBQ that took place over the weekend. Supposedly this was reported as the hottest day on record this year. Maybe it was just the heat talking but it didn't feel like 100 degrees out there, however we were able to gather without incident. An occasional stroll over to the pool area for a walk through the sprinklers, a refreshing water ice and a sit under the tent was needed but nontheless we had a good time, good food and we were actually able to enjoy a slight breeze in the park too that day.

Summer Vox Box

Additionally, I was very pleased to see that my Summer Vox Box from Influenster had arrived! (Claps hands and jumps up and down) I was selected once again to participate in reviewing summer products that they've bundled together ever so nicely into my box. I've already began to try a few of the items and I can say for sure I am loving them and will definitely be reviewing them all.
Once again, if you are interested in becoming a product tester for Influenster, you may do so by visiting www.Influenster.com and creating a free account.

My Influenser Box has Arrived!

Tired as ever but happy to receive my Vox Box!

Coming home on this Tuesday I was so tired, hungry and just ready to unwind but I was happy to see that my Vox Box from Influenster.com had arrived! When I came home from a long day at work it was sitting there waiting ever so patiently for me.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Influenster, it is a completely free website that selects people who have joined their site to test out, review and give feedback on products. The reviews are mostly posted by Youtubers, Bloggers, or by going onto Influenster's website.
*Here is a previous post that I've done explaining a little about Influenster:
http://thechocolaterepresentative.blogspot.com/2012/03/im-lovin-it-this-friday-try.html
I signed up for Influenster in about mid March and found out in mid April that I had been selected to test their "2012 Spring Beauty Vox Box", which contains beauty items to be reviewed. The Spring Beauty Vox Box is said to be valued at over $60.00 worth of products.
The "Vox Boxes" are all themed. Because it is now spring they've sent items that you would find useful for this season.
I have seen that past reviewers have received a Mother's day box for Mother's day, a Valentines day box around the month of February or a Holiday box full of goodies around the Christmas holiday.
In the next few days I'll test out each item and give a thorough review on each product and will keep you posted!
In the photos below is everything that was included in my Vox Box.
  

The Vox Box Spring Card (Front)

The Vox Box Spring Card (Back)

The open box (Packaged)

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Polis Strips

Sally Hansen Card

SoyJoy Bar

Dr Scholl's Ball of Foot Pads

Aveeno Body Wash

ChapStick Lip Shield 365

Wrapped Bath & Body Works Paris Fragrence Mist

Unwrapped Bath & Body Works Paris Fragrence Mist

Sheer Cover Concealer in Deep Dark

Meeting In My Bedroom ..... With Spring Colors

Spring is definitely in the air here in PA .... of course despite the weird weather which seems like it can go from being a lovely day in the upper 70's to a rainy day but still humid day in the 50's in the blink of an eye. With all this Spring energy bouncing about I  am eventually looking to spruce up my bedroom scene. Spring is usually associated with beautiful vibrant, playful colors like oranges, green, yellows, various shades of aqua, pastels and pinks and a great way to incorporate these colors is to transfer them to your room.
Me, I 'm still sorting out which room colors I love the most. Playing around with different textures, swatches, layers and color combinations has been so much fun. In my younger days I shied away from color for fear of my wardrobe or room looking clownish but now I see that you can put colors together so tastefully so I now invite and embrace color with open arms!

Adding color to one's room can also be a mood booster. It is said that the colors that you most gravitate to say a lot about you and your personality. I tend to lean towards greens, oranges and black which is odd because the explanation of what it says about my personality is somewhat conflicting but... I guess that sounds a little like me lol Here is the article that I found regarding colors http://www.care2.com/greenliving/favorite-color-personality.html

Orange: This color of luxury and pleasure appeals to the flamboyant and fun-loving person who likes a lively social round. Orange people may be inclined to dramatize a bit, and people notice them, but they are generally good-natured and popular. They can be a little fickle and vacillating, but on the whole they try hard to be agreeable. Orange is the color of youth, strength, fearlessness, curiosity and restlessness.


Green: The color of harmony and balance, Green symbolizes hope, renewal and peace, and is usually liked by the gentle and sincere. Greens are generally frank, community-minded people, fairly sociable but preferring peace at any price. Green people can be too self-effacing, modest and patient, so they may get exploited by others. They are usually refined, civilized and reputable.


Black: Dignified and impressive without being showy, Black people want to give the appearance of mystery, but their preference may also indicate a suppression of desires and worldly aims, suggesting hidden depths and inner longings.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/favorite-color-personality.html#ixzz1tupoOSTv

Bedroom Mood Board

Right now my bedroom is colorless and boring with a white platform bed frame, white dresser and side table and a white lamp. I have't taken the time to focus on it. But it will be receiving my full attention from now until the time I finish sprucing it up.
I love the thought of orange perhaps paired with another color (perhaps a darker or another lighter color) combined in with a few modern decorations. Heres a few ideas, inspirations and examples I've stumbled upon while online:

Lemon, Turquoise and Gray. These are demure but flirty fun colors together

Orange and Gray

Has a calming Pottery Barn feel to it. I like it

Pink, Green, White and Black Moroccan Colors pulled together beautifully

Ikea Orange Bedroom give a more serious look to color
with Black/White Pillows

Looks like a screen shot from the Sims but nonetheless it blends
orange, red and pink together nicely

Fun, bright and modern

I love this! This definitely says "Spring" 

You dont always have to jump head first into color.
Here is a white Bedroom with a few pops of Aqua. 

Very modern take on color with a hint of green to
uplift the room's mood

Excited about Eyes Lips and Face.com!

Beautiful day in Philly! Although its Thursday, to me this is actually considered a Friday because of the Easter holiday weekend. And woo hoo!
My package from Elf has arrived!!

My Happy Face

So I've been on my make up venture to see what brands, shades and styles I like the most. I'm not really big on purchasing online makeup because it limits your ability to get a good idea of how it will look on you but I recently went out on a limb and purchased a mini haul of Elf products. Those of you that are familiar with (Eyes Lips & Face) Elf make up knows that it is a pretty standard, inexpensive makeup brand. 

Those of you who aren't very familiar with it, please give Elf a try if you are just starting out using make up, looking to expand your make up collection or just want a few good products by this brand. In my most recent Elf purchase I got 4 blushes, 1 bottle of brush cleaner (which works like a charm), 1 kabuki face brush, an eyelash kit (which comes with a set of lashes & glue) 2 lip tints and 5 lip sticks in summer/spring colors. 

I have had a chance to use some of the products. I've found the lip sticks to last pretty long through out the day without too much reapplying. The kabuki face brush is one of Elf's best sellers and is great to use with a bronzer or powder. Its really soft and has gotten a lot of good reviews. A really nice thing about Elf is they always have a deal going on, whether it be free shipping, discounted products, half off certain items or very low priced offers. They always send reminders to your email address and announcements about their deals. I think its pretty safe to say that they've earned my business and I'll be a returning customer. Give Elf a try! You won't be disappointed!

Elf Brushes

My Elf Products

Lipsticks

Im lovin It this Friday: Try Influenster.com

Yesssss! Another work week has been completed. (I can now breath a sigh of relief) This Friday is going to lead way into a weekend full of some good times. St Patty's day is this Saturday! And you know what that means.... green everything! Green attire, green decor and most importantly.. green beverages!!
Im am not sure if they still do Shamrock Shakes at McDonalds but I would really like to try one just for the hell of it lol Its been such a long time since I've had one! 

Anywho,  I would like to share with you one of my most recent findings online. While cruising around on the web I happen to come across this fun little site thats completely free. The web is crawling full of so many fun, little unconventional ways to make a little extra money get free products and try different companies. The fun part is seeking them out. I've come across Influenster.com. 

This site encourages people to try out products. What you first do when after you've created your log in and profile, is to take a few short surveys about your life style (Don't worry they won't get too personal with the questions). They review this information after you've completed the surveys they randomly select people to review certain products. You can also earn "badges" which certifies you to be selected for other items to review. Influenster will send you something called a "VoxBox" through the mail. A VoxBox usually contains common products that you can find in stores like Wal Mart, Target or perhaps Rite Aid and Walgreens. Once you've tried the products you can do a review on them by writing it, doing a video about it or either blogging about it. Influenster is a fun way to try something new and receive some cool things. Heres a really good video that explains the how it works and what she received in her VoxBox.

I Lovin It this Friday

I am thanking ALL of my lucky stars that is it is finally Friday! For some reason this week seemed sooooo very long and now that its over its time to slip out of work mode into weekend mode. "Weekend Mode" means that I have time to do some of the things I love. This week definitely find myself loving a few of these small delights.

1.) Freebies! Ahh yes. Its the small things in life that can really make you happy. Okay, first it started out with me trying my hand at extreme couponing. That didn't work out as well so I moved on to a new love, freebies. During my web surfing I've stumbled upon a great freebie website that actually works and you can get a lot of cool things from it, for free! www.shop4freebies.com

2.) The Shark Tank on ABC. I can't begin to tell you the last time Iv'e been so excited and into a television show. I absolutely love this show so much! It has a individuals that present a product, idea or company to group of self made millionares that may have an interest in investing. Its educational, entertaining, and it keeps me on the edge of my seat in every episode. Shark tank is pretty inspiring to watch because it shows people with these interesting ideas and a dream to put it out there and make it become a reality. It comes on Fridays at 8:00 pm EST.



 
3.) Liplicious Bubble Gum Lip Gloss. This lip gloss has to be at the top of my list when it comes to glosses. It smells great. You're never too old to appreciate the sweet smell of bubble gum. It also stays on very long so you don't have to worry about reapplying it so often. I like to wear this lip gloss over my Revlon lip stain color. They make a winning team because it has a little shimmer to it and that makes your lip color pop! For $8.00 at Bath & Body Works you can find this little gem.

Happy Valentines Day to You!

Take a deep breath and let it resonate that love is in the air! Let Valentines Day wisk you and your sweet heart away to a magical place where love is all you need! The days are short and the nights are long and full of passion..... Okay now get a freaking grip and get back to reality!! 

Valentines Day is pretty much another day with oversold "1 day is all its good for" goodies, endless commercials of who went to Jared's, much knee bending, bear buying, high priced dinner and one "interesting" night having day!

But if you really look past all of the hoopla and hype you realize that the most important thing is being with the one(s) you truly love. It definitely takes more than one day a year to show your appreciation for who matters most in your life. Remind your boyfriend, girlfriend, friends and family how much you love them every time you get a chance. Happy Valentines Day.

My doughnut from Dunkin Donuts (It didn't look like this on the commercial)

A Tearful Farewell to Another Great One

A tearful farewell goes to Whitney Houston. She was a household name and many of us grew up on her music. I can think back to the times when I would be in the mirror holding the hair brush, mimicking her dances and singing to I Want to Dance with Somebody, desperately wishing my voice could be as soulful and precise as hers. I used to want to be like her with a passion. In her earlier days she was beautiful, graceful, strong, stylish and best of all she was respectable. When you grow up on music that's so influential like Whitney's its hard to hear unfortunate news such as this, because you wish for the best for talented artist like her and hope that one day they will make a strong comeback that will blow you away. She may be gone, but her music will never be forgotten.

Happy New Years!!

Hope your New Years was beautiful, safe, and fun!!

Year End Recap

Ahh yes, the Christmas holiday is now over and 2011 is almost out the door. We will be ushering in a brand new year that will be full of new ventures. Let's all take a deep breath and exhale! We've made it to the end of this year!! I can honestly say for myself that this year has been full of fun, good friends and family, travel and a few pleasant surprises. I can only hope that 2012 will be just as great if not greater for us all. It will be be an opportunity to start anew. You can make new years resolutions for a new diet, drop a bad habit, start a new hobby, attend a cooking, pole or pottery class... basically, whatever your desires are for the new year! What are your goals for 2012? And what are some of your most treasured memories from 2011?

Here are some of my most memorable moments in 2011!

Started my B-Day off with a bang! Radio City in New York with my good friend Colie and my sister was great!

I was sent to the windy city of  Chicago with my job for a weekend conference. Our hotel where we stayed, The Allerton was a historical gem. It was very modern and hospitable. After our conference was over, we went on a quest to find the perfect place to eat. One of our board members suggested a place called Indian Garden. This restaurant was very warm and inviting. Not to mention it had great service, food, and beautifully hand painted walls.



I love flowers, so a friend and I visited the US National Arboretum in DC. On our way out I stopped to admire some really creative sculptures in our hotel lobby. Isn't it great? We did a little sight seeing and spent a moment appreciating the Crystal City Park Waterfall in VA. We then feasted on mussels, shrimp and a dreamy, creamy drink creation that our bartender whipped up at the Sea Catch restaurant in Georgetown, MD.

Cinco de Mayo at my place was a real good time! Tequila, music, margaritas, friends, ice cold Coronas, salsa and ... more tequila!

Went to a Bone Thugs N Harmony concert and had a great time!! Very nice, cool, talented guys that put on an insane show! (Yes, I love old school rap and these guys have always been a favorite of mine!)

Somehow I found myself back in Chicago, this time for fun! I rolled solo to the Shedd Aquarium. I then met with my friend for dinner at Devons Seafood Grill. 

(Yes, I know, I ate fish after just seeing them swimming happily. *Hangs head in shame*)

We did a little boat watching while strolling along the Riverwalk and later in the evening we admired the 4th of July fireworks from the pier and on to a late nightcap at a nearby cafe.

Off to  Springmaid Beach Resort in Myrtle Beach with the family for our reunion.  Everyone thought us to be crazy but we went during Hurricane Irene! (the reunion was planned months in advance) We arrived safely but got loads of rain the first day we were there. The worst of the storm pretty much skipped us and we had sunshine the whole weekend.

For the last hurrah of the summer, the girls and I kissed Philly goodbye for the day and hit the bridge to Atlantic City for fun in the sun, funnel cakes, ice cream, hot dogs, some boardwalk shopping and a little good luck on the slot machines.

*Sighs* It's one of the hardest things that I've ever had to do but I had to give my sweet Baby up. I've had her for 6 years and got her when she was a tiny kitten. My allergies got way too severe to keep her. She now lives with a good friend of mine. I really miss her but I know she's with someone that loves her just as much as I did.

On a more uplifting note to wrap things up, I've finally moved!!! After  about 7 years at my old place I've moved on to a new place! City living is cool but I must say, I have quickly gotten use to scenic living. My old place was full of memories and good times however, the sun has set on an old chapter of my life and risen in another and I couldn't be happier! This has been a blessed year!

My Old Place