In Love...

...with these Alexander McQueen shoes! Unfortunately they're $925. A girl can dream, right?

Things I've Done, Haven't Done, and Wish to Do

I got this checklist from MagChunk's blog. The things I've done are in bold. I hope to do many more in my life!


1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyworld/Disneyland

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you were not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community: This is something I REALLY want to do. I am so interested in Amish people!!!

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been laid off from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

Happy Earth Day-Gorgeously Green

I just picked up Gorgeously Green by Sophie Uliano this past weekend and I have learned SO much about toxic ingredients used in everything from makeup to dishwasher detergent.
Here are the "red alert" ingredients used in many beauty and household products (YOU SHOULD TOSS THE ITEMS THAT CONTAIN THESE INGREDIENTS!):

1. Coal Tar: Used in dandruff shampoos and anti-itch creams, coal tar is a known carcinogen. Coal tar-based dyes such as FD&C Blue 1, which are used in toothpastes, and FD&C Green 3, which is used in mouthwash, should be avoided.

2. Fragrance: This ubiquitous term is used to mask hundreds of harmful ingredients, including phthalates, which disrupt the endocrine system and could cause reproductive and developmental harm.

3. Hydroquinone: Commonly found in skin lighteners and facial moisturizers, it is a neurotoxin and is allergenic.

4. Triclosan: This chemical is used in almost all antibacterial products, including soap, toothpaste, and cosmetics. Triclosan is often contaminated with dioxins, which are highly carcinogenic and can also weaken your immune system, decrease fertility, and cause birth defects.

6. P-Phenylenediamine: This is the chemical that has given a bad name to regular hair dye. It can damage your nervous system, cause lung irritation, and can cause severe allergic reactions. It's also listed as 1,4-Benzenediamine; p-Phenyldiamine and 4-Phenylenediamine.

7. Lead and Mercury: Lead could appear in toothpaste as naturally occurring contaminant of hydrated silica. It is a neurotoxin that also appears as lead acetate in men's hair dye. Mercury is found in a cosmetic preservative called thimerosol.

Now here's the good stuff!

I'm not going to list every single product that is "good" and safe from the book, but I will list some of my favorites:

1. Max Green Naked Rescue Cream: This is a fabulous moisturizer for dry skin. It is, of course, unscented.

2. Coral White Toothpaste

3. Mrs. Meyers: Mrs. Meyers carries so many kitchen cleaning products from handsoap to dishwasher detergent, you can buy everything at Target.

I encourage every one of you to buy Gorgeously Green for your health and well being!
Let me know if any of you have found any of the red alert ingredients in your cosmetics.

Click here to buy Gorgeously Green

The Look For Less

L.A.M.B Selene Heel in black: $300 Click here to buy
Forever 21 Zipper Trim Patent Pumps: $28.80 Click here to buy

I just bought myself a pair of the Forever 21 version, however, I REALLY want the L.A.M.B Selene pumps in gunmetal:

A Rose Romance

Look how pretty Mac's new Rose Romance line is! I just bought a ton of mac makeup yesterday, but I'm going to have to go get some makeup from this line, it's just too gorgeous!

Update on my kittens and Spring 2010 Bridal Trends

As of late last week, I started to let Daisy and Nala play un-interrupted. They are getting along great now, although Nala makes some interesting sounds while playing. At first I was concerned that she was being hurt by Daisy, but she makes these noises when she isn't being touched, so I think she's just a weird little girl who is very vocal.
Here are some pictures I took of them over the weekend:








If you didn't know already, I am totally obssesed with weddings--especially the fashion aspect. The Spring 2010 Bridal gown trends include two of my favorite things: bows and flowers!
Here are some dresses with those details:

Behavior Problems

Nala

Daisy
I know this doesn't fit into the "theme" of my blog, but I'm curious to know if anyone has experienced anything similar to this problem. I have an 9 month old kitten, Daisy, whom I love to pieces; I adopted her when she was 12 weeks old. She is very affectionate and sweet only towards a select few: me, C (my love), and my best friend. When anyone else comes over, she watches from a distance. Anyway, I started to feel quite guilty leaving her to go to work, school, etc. so I began looking for a little playmate for her. I adopted Nala two weeks ago today, now a 10 week old kitten as a little sister for Daisy. They have been separated at all times except for a few supervised meetings. For the first 5 days, Daisy would hiss and growl at Nala when I let them "play". Now the roles are reversed and Nala is hissing and growling at Daisy. I'm not sure if they're playing or fighting when they interact. Daisy will chase Nala around the house, and then Nala will hide and jump out and Daisy, then chase her around. Here's the concern: Daisy pins Nala down and bites her; in return Nala bites back. There is never blood, but it results in Nala hissing or growling. I was advised by the vet to keep them separated for two weeks, which is today. Last night was their last "meeting" and nothing has changed in terms of the biting and hissing. Each time Nala hisses or growls, I separate them. The longest time they've spend together in a room is about 5 minutes. I'm hoping they will someday be friends. Has anyone else experienced this or have any advice?

The Look For Less

While browsing shopbop.com, I came across this skirt (by Rory Beca) for $209.00 that looks awfully familiar to a Forever 21 skirt for $17.80. The link to Forever 21 wasn't working, but you can find it at forever21.com under skirts.

Forever 21 version

Rory Beca version

I was also going to post about a new hair cut using an awesome makeover site (taaz.com), but there seems to be a glitch with uploading their hairstyles. I will try again later...

Beauty Blogging

So this last weekend, I got a BAD sunburn, it seems to get worse everyday. I made a vow to myself after this incident that I will start wearing sunscreen on my body. I currently use makeup that contains SPF 15, but after doing some research, today I bought Coppertone Nutra Shield Dual Defense sunscreen for face and body. In addition to the Coppertone sunscreen, I also bought Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral SPF 30 powder thanks to a recommendation from my friend (I am not going say any names of my family and friends on my blog unless I'm authorized to do so).

The January 2009 issue of Allure looks into sunscreen use and free radicals in an article called "Stumbling Blocks" by Laurel Naversen Geraghty. According to a UC Riverside study, certain sunscreens cause more free radicals to form than no sunscreen at all. If the findings are confirmed, the implications will be enormous and sobering, given that women have been told for decades the best way to minimize aging and the risk of skin cancer.
The study, helmed by lead author Kerry Hanson three commonly used, FDA-approved sunscreen filters Octyl Methoxycinnmate, Octocrylene, and benzophenone-3 can boost the number of free radicals over time when they break down and are absorbed into the skin. According to my analysis of the study findings, one hour after a ten minute session of UV exposure, the ingredient benzophenone-3 elevated free radicals, by 64 percent compared to the control, while octocrylene boosted free radicals by 33 percent and 16 percent respectively. To "quench" the free radicals, certain kinds of sunscreens with vitamins C and E and antioxidants can be used to help prevent this problem. The Allure article recommends Coppertone’s NutraShield Sunscreen Lotion with Dual Defense, Murad Oil Free Sunblock, Priori Radical Defense Sunscreen, and Topix’s Citrix Antioxidant Sunscreen.

Click here to buy Coppertone Nutra Shield Dual Defense 70 SPF sunscreen.

Click here to buy Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral SPF powder.

I also bought Yves Saint Laurent Luxurious Mascara For A False Lash Effect in high density black. I tried it as soon as I got it over my cheapy Mabelline mascara and LOVE it. I highly recommend it if you're looking for a new mascara that gives lots of volume. Click here to buy it.

Patio Decor and Cosmetology School

Now that we finally have a patio, I have been looking into buying a patio table/chairs and decorating it. At first I wanted to do a french theme, with a pretty bistro table and chairs surrounded by pastel pink roses, but now I'm leaning towards making it bright and fun with lots of neon/hot colors including hot pinks, reds, and oranges. Here are some photos I've found for inspiration:












On another note, I have decided that I want to go to cosmetology school part time while completing my BA in psychology. There is so much I want to do, and I figure now is the time to do it since once I'm finished with my BA I will be getting my Masters, etc. I have an appointment to take a tour of the campus tomorrow...stay tuned...

Office Ideas

I have been doing lots of research on decorating our office. It is very blah and ugly right now; looks like a bomb went off inside a dark cave. I'm really into the Robbins Egg/Tiffany blue right now and want to incorporate the color into the office. The rest of our place has on Old Hollywood theme, and I'd like the office to have that, too. Here are some ideas so far:

Polyvore Bedroom

I'm going to buy these bedside tables one day...


Bedroom by PrettyInPink87 on Polyvore.com

Polyvore

This is my new obsession! I could waste hours on this thing. Here's one thing I've put together so far:


Romantic Wedding by PrettyInPink87 on Polyvore.com

Wednesday Wants

This Dress from Ann Taylor:














2. Miu Miu Heels:











3. Shopbop Dress:






























4. Shoshanna Dress on Shopbop.com:




















5. True Religion Billy Super T Straight Leg Jeans:





















6. YSL Sandals in Black:














7. Christian Louboutin Pink Heels:
























I want to be able to tag these items so anyone who reads my blog and wants to buy any of these things can access them easily. I will teach myself how to do this before my next post...or if anyone knows how to do it, let me know!!