Weekenders

I hope everyone had an amazing Memorial Day Weekend! We sure did! Memorial Day Weekend is always our first "big" weekend at the Cape. We have a camping trailer that we keep near the Cape Cod Canal. We try to get down there whenever we can and Memorial day is the kick-off to our season of little "weekend getaways".

We so treasure our time at the Cape and simply the fact that we're not at work or at home without those everyday stresses and duties.  As soon as we cross the bridge its nice to just slow down, relax and live carefree for a little while. The main things on my to-do list become a trip to the Christmas Tree shop or a day at the beach, perfection.

Here's a peek into our laid back long weekend:

On Saturday we got some Marylou's and took a walk on Town Neck Beach in Sandwich.  I grew up on the South Shore so Marylou's coffee is my favorite.  They have the best flavored and specialty coffees. There is a shop in Sandwich so we like to stop there before the beach.

It was really windy and cold, so it was a quick walk but the scenery was absolutely gorgeous.  The Jetty is actually where we got engaged so it is a really special spot for us.

The next day we spent some time in Falmouth.  We walked around downtown and stopped at Liam Maguire's for some lunch, complete with a patriotic pom-pom in Mike's sandwich, nice touch!

On the way back we visited the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne.  In honor of Memorial Day, volunteers plant a flag at every gravestone to honor our military veterans.  There are approximately 57,000 flags flying, it is really an amazing sight.

Piper and I spent the rest of the afternoon soaking up some sun in my new Zero Gravity Chair.  Pretty much the best chair ever, an early birthday gift from my in-laws.

Pretty soon it was Monday and time to go home. We stopped in to Marshland on 6A in Sandwich for breakfast before we headed out. Its tiny, popular and packed on the weekends so its best to get there early if you want a booth instead of the counter. 

Hope the long weekend treated you well!

Shop My Stash: Spring Lip Products

With Spring in full swing, I've been in the mood to clean out and refresh things.  I've been meaning to change out the purse I've been carrying all winter to a lighter, more spring appropriate bag. While I haven't committed to the purse change quite yet, I did decide to at least clean out my current bag because it was getting pretty heavy.  The culprit? An abundance of lip products!

I'm guilty of throwing more and more lip products into my bag on my way out the door and never cleaning them out until the little inside zip pocket of my purse is bursting at the seams and/or my purse seems to weigh 100 lbs. This was certainly the case here!

The next step was to fill it back up with Spring Essentials.  I was inspired by Emily at Beauty Broadcast's "Shop My Stash" series where she goes through what she already has and pulls out forgotten items and shows them some love.  While I have my eye on many of the new spring lip products that have come out recently, I was inspired to first go through what I have before I buy any more. Here's what I chose:

Mac Lipstick in Japanese Maple -  This is a soft nude with a Cremesheen finish.  It has a nice shimmer so it doesn't give you that "dead" look when you wear it on its own as some light nudes tend to do to me.  I also like to top it with a light pink or coral gloss.

YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick in #7 Lingerie Pink - This is a creamy baby pink. If you're familiar with the Rouge Volupte formula, this is no exception - thick and fully opaque.  The color is in the pastel family which I thought would be pretty for spring. Not a long lasting lipstick but the color and feel on your lips make it worth it to me.

Maybelline Vivid Lipstick in Pink Pop - This is from the Vivids line, color is a bright blue-based pink. Its a little too intense for me if I apply it fully opaque. I like to lightly blot it on and add a gloss on top to make it more wearable.

Nars Lipstick in Goodbye Emmanuelle - Another blue-based pink thats a bit darker than Pink Pop, more of a coraly pink that has a nice shine.  This was from the Holiday Guy Bourdin collection. Color is more natural on me than Pink Pop, but can be built up.

Lime Crime Lipstick in Centrifuchsia - This is a deep fuchsia lipstick that is nicely pigmented and long-lasting, leaving a stain on the lips. This where shopping my stash came in really handy.  I saw someone on Instagram recently wearing YSL Rouge Volupte in #11 - Rose Culte.  It was so beautiful that I just had to have it!  But, upon browsing my current lipstick collection, I stumbled upon Centrifuchsia which is a great dupe, so I just can't justify spending the money on the YSL.

Maybelline Color Elixir in Radiant Bloom - This is part of the Spring 2014 Dare to Go Nude Collection. This is my current go-to topping gloss.  It is a subtle pale pink gloss that softens and transforms whatever lipstick is underneath it.  I love this for softening some of the more vivid shades to make them more daytime appropriate.  I love the Color Elixirs, they have such a creamy finish It also makes dryer formula lipsticks more comfortable to wear.

Nyx Butter Gloss in Maple Blondie - This is a warm pinky coral gloss.  Buttery soft as the name implies while also providing a semi-opaque wash of color.  I usually use my Butter Glosses as a topper on a lipstick, but they also look great on their own.  They can be worn sheer or built up for a more opaque look.

Maybelline Color Elixir in Hibiscus Haven - Part of the permanent Elixir line, this is a beautiful blue-based pink.  I like to wear this one alone without a lipstick underneath. It is very shiny and has great pigmentation on its own.

I know this might still seem like a lot to be carrying around, but for me its a real time saver.  In the morning, I do my hair and makeup before I leave for work and then I choose and apply my lip color in the car (at a stoplight of course!). Keeping a good stash with me ensues that I'll have all I need for whatever makeup look and outfit I choose. I'm all about anything that can save me time in the morning!

I really enjoyed this!  Its a great way to rediscover some of your past makeup loves! I honestly forgot I had half of these. Have you shopped your stash lately?

Spring Nail Polish Picks

If you follow my instagram you may have gathered that that I'm a complete nail polish addict. Although I do indulge in the occasional mani/pedi at the salon, 99% of the time I do them myself.  I have an embarrassingly extensive nail polish collection and I truly enjoy setting aside some time for myself at least once a week to do my nails.

I love perusing the new nail polish collections each season and also shopping my own stash to find the perfect colors. Here are my picks for spring!

  

(Left Hand)

OPI Can't Find my Czechbook - This is from last spring's Euro Centrale collection. I was psyched to see that this color is still available at Ulta! I loved this collection, so many fun colors! Coverage was great, two coats for opaque coverage.

Sephora by OPI Havana Dreams - This is a beautiful powder blue. Unfortunately this nail polish line has been discontinued, but you can sometimes still find the Sephora by OPI line on Hautelook for dirt cheap! Otherwise, a good alternative Powder Blue Nail Polish is Essie Borrowed and Blue. Although I love this color, this was the streakiest of the bunch and required three coats.

OPI Don't Bossa Nova Me Around - This is part of OPI's new Brazil collection. It is a pink-toned nude.  It is really beautiful and ladylike. I'd describe it as blush-pink. Formula was good, opaque in two coats.

Sally Hansen Lacey Lilac - This is a pale lilac creme.  A beautiful pastel color.  It makes me think of an Easter Basket! Its part of the permanent Xtreme Wear line. The formula was a bit thick but it was opaque in two coats.

Essie Lapis of Luxury - This was part of Essie's 2010 Resort collection but this color is now part of the Essie permanent line. It is a beautiful periwinkle, cornflower blue. I'd describe it as Cape Cod Hydrangea Blue. Opaque in two coats.

(Right Hand)

Zoya Alexa - This was part of the Peter Som for Zoya trio. This is a gorgeous grassy green.  I have a few forest greens in my collection, but this one was a little lighter.  A perfect spring green. The color reminds me of when your grass comes back to life after a long winter.

Essie Fashion Playground - This is part of Essie's Hide and Go Chic collection for Spring 2014.  Essie describes this color as "pistachio shimmer". The shimmer is very subtle, hardly noticeable at all. It reads more green than blue unlike last year's Mint Candy Apple.  As expected, this polish is streaky, another three-coater! I'll forgive the formula issues because this color is just so pretty and minty.

L'oreal Creme Puffs - This was from last year's limited edition Versailles's Romance collection. The color is a soft pastel yellow a slight golden shimmer. Some similar colors are Butter Jasper and Deborah Lippmann Build me up Buttercup. This one takes three thin coats to full opacity.

Zoya Cole - This is also part of the Peter Som collection. It is a pretty soft peach color. It reminds me of orange sherbet, but a little less intense orange.  Its almost a cross between a pastel and a neon, very unique! It was pretty streaky but builded nicely.  Photo is three coats.

Essie Style Hunter - Also part of the Hide and Go Chic collection, it is a really unique red/fuchsia color.  It is pretty bold and a bit unexpected for a spring collection.  I'd call it raspberry red.  Its showing up more red-red in the pictures. Formula was great and required only two coats.

Well there you have it, my ten nail polish picks for spring!

This past weekend marked our first Cape trip of the season, which is the reason for the beachy-themed pictures. We have a seasonal camp site near the Cape Cod Canal where we keep our camping trailer. I am so excited for all things Cape Cod! I just love it there!

What colors are you loving this season?

Spring Blooms & Milk Glass

Spring is here! After such an awful winter I was so ready to embrace all that spring has to offer. For me, nothing gets me in the spring mood more than planting some spring blooms.

This year I had my heart set on planting in vintage Milk Glass.   Until fairly recently I hadn't heard of Milk Glass. I knew that I wanted to do some sort of indoor planting but wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do.  So I headed over to Pinterest and stumbled upon a few beautiful Milk Glass floral arrangements that inspired me to create an arrangement of my own.

First thing to do was to hunt down some of the stuff.  Some good places to look are at thrift stores, antique stores and yard sales. It is very popular and has almost a cult following of collectors from what I gather. 

So one Saturday Afternoon Mike and I went antiquing in search of some Milk Glass.  The hunt for Milk Glass ended up being most of the fun! Its out there, but sometimes you have to dig for it.  Each piece is a little different. Some is totally opaque white while others are softly translucent.  The range in price was about $1 - $15, depending on the maker, size and condition of the piece. My favorite pieces I picked up are a Westmoreland Grape pattern planter and a Fenton hobnail vase.

I decided to on planting Tulips, Daffodils and Hyacinth.  The pictures were taken over a few weeks.  Once planted, all the flowers started shooting up right away.  I was a bit worried since none of the planters had drainage, but all varieties seemed to flourish.  

I love how these pieces came together. They're each unique and beautiful in their own right, but put together with some spring blooms and I'm really loving the brightness they bring into my living room!



Tulips and Daffodils are immediately what I think of when I think of spring flowers and these did not disappoint! But, I think my favorite of the bunch was actually the Hyacinth.  The smell is absolutely amazing!

I really love the way these planters turned out! It never ceases to amaze me how much fresh flowers can liven up a room and put you in a good mood.  I only wish I had known about Milk Glass for my wedding. So many cute ideas! I bought several vases that didn't end up working out for this project but I will definitely be finding uses for them!

Cruising the Keys, Key Largo

After 3 days in Key West we shoved off and headed to our last destination, Key Largo.

The drive on Overseas Highway was just as beautiful as it was coming down.  We stopped off on the side of the road just before getting on the Seven Mile Bridge to get a few pictures.

The last place we stayed was Point of View RV Resort in Key Largo.  We had a beautiful bay side spot overlooking the marina.  During low tide there was a little tide pool right outside our campsite so naturally I made a few starfish friends.  The resort is brand new and very clean. 

The best part about Key Largo was the snorkeling! The last day of the trip we visited John Pennenkamp Coral Reef State Park and went on a snorkeling tour. The tour was 2 ½ hours and visited the Grecian Rocks Coral Reef.

We were able to rent all the equipment right from the park which was convenient. Since it was the winter and water temps were under 70 degrees they were highly suggesting renting a wet suit. I thought under 70! I’m used to water temps in the 50's, maybe 60's in the height of the summer at New England Beaches. I reluctantly listened to their recommendation and in the end I was glad I did. We were in the water for about an hour and a half and it kept me toasty the whole time. I’m not sure I would've lasted as long in the water if I didn't have a wetsuit.

There are several different reefs that the snorkel tours visit. The captain makes the decision which location you go to based on the conditions that day. I was really hoping we would go to Dry Docks Reef so we could see the Christ of the Abyss statue but the captain advised it was too windy to have seen it that day, bummer!

When we got to the reef the first thing you notice is the gorgeous, vibrant color contrast in the water. There are stripes of turquoise and deep blue. The turquoise is a sandy bottom and the deep blue was sea grass.

The coolest thing was how shallow the reefs were! The depths range from 20ft at their deepest to as low as zero in some spots at low tide. It puts you right up close so you get a great view of all the sea life and coral. It does give you the sensation that you can stand up and touch the bottom, which is strongly prohibited. The reefs are protected sanctuaries and you would be potentially killing the life below you if you stood on it. So make sure you keep that in mind. My favorite thing we saw was the schools of colorful Parrot Fish.

Although we only did the snorkeling, the park also offers camping, two beaches, glass bottom boat, scuba tours and boat rentals.



After snorkeling we cleaned up and went to dinner at Sundowners where we enjoyed Key Lime cocktails on the patio and our last sunset on the keys.  We had a great time on the Florida Keys and definately have plans to return!



Cruising the Keys, Key West

After 3 days in Big Pine, we packed up the RV and caravanned to our next location, Key West! We camped at Boyd's Campground.  This time we had a beautiful waterfront spot on the harbor.   

We arrived in Key West early enough that we decided to take a ride on the Conch Train, which takes you on a tour around old Key West.  It was nice because we got an overview of the area, learned some history and were able to decide how we wanted to spend the rest of our time there.

The next day we went to Smathers Beach.  This was another beautiful white sand beach.  There were chairs and umbrellas available for rent along with Hobie Cats. 

After the beach we cleaned up, had dinner and then headed to Mallory Square for the sunset celebration! The sunset celebration was my favorite part of Key West.  Each night about two hours prior to sunset there is a festival on the sea wall behind Mallory Square consisting of street performers, artists, musicians, food and drinks.  It is a gathering place for both tourist and locals to see the most amazing sunset on the keys.  This night was a bit disappointing because it was really cloudy there wasn't a sunset.  We did stay for a drink and watched some of the street performers. 

After that we walked to the famous Duval Street, aka the main drag that contains shops, restaurants and bars.  It is basically pub crawl mecca.  They have a very "relaxed" open container law.  Many of the bars have souvenir to-go cups.  My favorite was Fat Tuesday which had an entire wall of frozen drinks.  Miami Vice, please!

The next day we did the most touristy thing and visited the Southernmost Point! I had always seen people on facebook posting pictures in front of this thing.  When we got there there was literally a line down the street to take a picture with it.  Kind of ridiculous but we did it anyways. One of those pictures you want to have.

Since the previous night was a bust in the sunset department, we went back to Mallory Square for a do-over.  We then encountered the most amazing sunset celebration act, the Key West Cat Man.  He is French and you can hardly understand what he is saying as he tells jokes and his cats are jumping through tambourines and rings of fire but trust me, this is a Key West MUST-SEE!  He is located all the way down at the end of the pier in front of the Westin.

After the cat man performance was the most amazing sunset.  A funny thing about this boat picture.  When we were on our Honeymoon, Mike had taken this beautiful picture of a catamaran in front of the sun as it was setting. There were a few sunset tour boats out in front of us and the woman next to me was complaining the whole time that the boat was in the way of the sun.  I felt like shaking her and saying "Its going to be an amazing picture!" As the sun crept closer and closer to the Gulf it got quiet on the Pier and then when it finally set everyone erupted into cheers and clapping.  Such a cool experience.

Stay tuned for next week when I'll wrap up the series with our experiences in Key Largo!

Cruising the Keys, Fort Lauderdale to Big Pine Key

For the past few years my parents have driven their RV from Massachusetts to Florida and spent a few weeks "Cruising the Keys".  This year they invited Mike and I down to join them.  While our jobs kept us from the cross country RV trip, we flew down to Fort Lauderdale, rented a car and met up with them for a week.  We camped in three different places on the Keys.  Since I took so many pictures and we had such a great time I decided to make a little mini-series about our trip. First up was Big Pine Key.

 

 

The drive from Fort Lauderdale to the Keys was beautiful. Tons and tons of bridges with turquoise water on both sides.  There was so much to look at.  It had been so cold at home, driving with the windows down was pure heaven.

 

 

 

 

The first stop on our trip was Sunshine Key RV Resort (which is technically part of Big Pine Key). 

 

The campground is basically its own island and we had a beach-side site. Mike and I love camping but have only camped in New England. It was really awesome to have a Palm Tree in our camp site!

 

 

One of the things on our Big Pine Key to-do list was to get a glimpse of the Key Deer! Key Deer are an endangered small species of deer that only live on the Keys.  We drove around for a while and were lucky enough to spot this little guy! You can't really tell from the picture but they are probably about half the size of a normal deer. Adorable, mission accomplished.

 

Next up was a visit to Bahia Honda State Park. Home to an incredible beach and the famous Old Bahia Honda Bridge.

 

The Keys aren't particularly known for their beaches, but this one is worth the trip! In fact, it was voted #1 Beach in the US in 1992! Woot! They are very proud of that. But really, I can see why. White sand, warm turquoise water, snorkeling, kayaking. Paradise.

 

 

 

We spent the day at the beach and then took a walk to the bridge. The famous Henry Flagler railroad bridge once ran through the park.  A portion of it was preserved and opened to the public. 

 

 

 

 

From the Bridge you get beautiful views of both sides of the park.  Definitely take the hike up there if you get a chance!

 

Stay tuned for part two of our trip which I'll be posting soon all about our experiences in Key West!