Badgley Mischka Gown//Oscars Party

This past Sunday I hosted an Oscars viewing party for my birthday...

Behind me is a faux photobooth/backdrop that I made with four pieces of large foamcore which can be purchased at Michaels from the framing department. I covered each piece with gold sequined fabric from Jo-Ann's, and then stuck them to the wall with velcro tape.

Outfit details: Badgley Mischka gown//Forever 21 earrings//Haute Bride bracelet (my wedding bracelet)--similar//

Left: Rose frosted cake made by yours truly. I was worried this cake would turn out to be Cake Wrecks worthy, but I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to frost! Right: One of the special cocktail menus.

I wanted to make an 'Oscar' to have on display at the party, so I found this ken doll at Target and basically scalped him and then painted him gold. 

The result:

Guests filled these ballots out, and at the end of the award's show, the winner got a special prize.

Upon entering, guests were asked to tape one of these cards with actors' names on another's back, and that person had to guess who they were wearing on their back. This was a great ice breaker!

Did you watch the Oscars this year? Who was the best dressed in your opinion?

Mascara Routine & Favorites

1. Tweezerman Rose Gold ProCurl Eyelash Curler: Love this pretty lash curler. It's easy to use, has lasted two years, and is so pretty =)

2. Diorshow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum: I'm spoiled since I started using a lash primer. I won't go without it, as it protects my lashes and gives a smooth base for mascara application.

3. DenTek Bristled Dental Picks:  I personally like the look of spidery, clumpy Elizabeth Taylor-esque lashes, but I use these dental pick brushes to get rid of excess mascara and big clumps.

4. L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara: I discovered this mascara a few weeks ago, and it quickly became a holy grail item for me. The brush and bristles are so small, which is fantastic for getting to the very base of your lashes. 

5. Diorshow Extase Mascara: I have yet to find a better mascara than Extase. It is extremely volumizing and lengthening. The formula is so luxurious. It's seriously worth every penny. 

6. L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Diamonds Mascara: As a self proclaimed lover of everything sparkly, I'm pretty sure I squealed when I saw this mascara at the drugstore. While I couldn't capture its sparkle in a photo, it really does lend some serious sparkle to your lashes. And when you remove your makeup, you'll see a bunch of sparkles wash off.

Yes, I use ALL of these products in one sitting. I am a fan of BIG lashes!

Bare {curled} lashes

Step 1: Apply Dior Lash Primer to upper and lower lashes

Step 2: Apply L'Oreal Telescopic mascara

Step 3: Run a dental pick brush through lashes to help separate.

Steps 4 & 5 : Apply Diorshow Extase Mascara and repeat brushing with dental pick. Apply L'Oreal Voluminous Lashes Diamonds to Lashes to upper and lower lashes (I stupidly forgot to take a photo once I applied mascara to my lower lashes).

Voila!

What are your favorite mascaras and lash products?

Workout Playlist

 

Disclaimer: If curse words are offensive to you, you may hate some of these songs. 

When I work out, I need music that is fast-paced enough to keep my mind off the pain!

1. Start Me Up- Rolling Stones
2. Back In Time- Pitbull
3. Come n Go- Pitbull
4. Domino- Jessie J
5. E.T. Benny Benassi Remix- Katy Perry
6. Tonight I'm F***in' You- Enrique Iglesias feat. Ludacris
7. Uprising- Muse
8. No Church In The Wild- Kanye West
9. Closer To The Edge- 30 Seconds To Mars
10. Don't Stop The Party- Pitbull
11. Where Them Girls At- Nicki Minaj & Flo Rida
12. C'Mon- Ke$ha

13. Diamond Eyes- Shinedown

14. Scream-  Usher

So, tell me...what's on your workout playlist right now?

How To Host A Wine Tasting Party

I recently hosted a blind wine tasting party for my mom's birthday, which was a blast! If you're a wine lover, a blind tasting party is a great way to celebrate a birthday (or just because)!

Organize your blind tasting by deciding what kinds of wine to taste. For example, you may decide to taste one varietal (one grape variety). Another idea is to choose all regional wines, only sweet wines, reds, or whites. For my mom's party, we asked that each guest bring a bottle of red wine (any varietal). This was a great way to find out what each person's favorite red wine was, too. It's always fun to find new favorites!

As The guests arrived, I took their bottle and wrapped it with burlap and wire to cover the label and any other giveaways as to what the wine was. I also labeled each bottle with a number with a sharpie to keep track of which wine was which (on a separate piece of paper to correspond with the bottles), and so guests knew which "number" they were tasting for scoring/guessing purposes.

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Palate cleansers, such as bread, crackers and cheeses help neutralize the taste of one wine before tasting the next. In addition to the simple palate "cleansers", I made brie, strawberry, basil and honey "bruschetta", tuna dip, veggie cups, and a tri-tip sandwich station. To spice up the food labels to fit in with the theme, I used wine corks as the label holders and wrote on cardstock. 

{DIY Chalkboard cheese plate using an old frame from my grandmother}

Each guest got a pencil and a scoring sheet to record their impressions of the wines, as well as to guess what the varietal for each was. 

I also designed this sheet for guests to take home with their own notes:

The prize for the most correct varietals guessed got a nice bottle of wine. 

Hopefully you’ll come away from blind tasting discovering a new favorite. 

Bottoms Up!

Sheer Sleeved Blazers

This Forever 21 blazer is perhaps my favorite purchase of the year so far. I had been lusting over the nearly $600 version from Helmut Lang for a couple months until I saw the Forever 21 version online. I imagine that this blazer will sell out quickly, so snag one fast! 

Turkey Stuffed Squash & New Favorites

I made stuffed acorn squash over the weekend, which was a hit! You can find the recipe here. The only change I made was that I didn't use any paleo breadcrumbs. 

I also wanted to share a couple of my grocery favorites:

Raw Creamy Almond Butter from Trader Joes. I eat a spoonful of this every night with a granny smith apple as my "dessert". I love that it contains only one ingredient: raw almonds. No salt, sugar etc.

Lundberg's Sweet Dreams Brown Rice Syrup is my new favorite food item. I probably got a little too excited when I found it! Brown rice syrup is produced from brown rice that has been ground and cooked, converting the starches to sugars consisting of 45% maltose and 3% glucose. It tastes like butterscotch/caramel. Love! 

What are your healthy favorites right now?

Workout Gear

Lululemon Headband: I love wearing this headband when I go to spin class (AKA when I sweat a lot).

 Femme Fitale Fitness gloves: These fitness gloves are a MUST for weight lifting. They are so comfortable and well made. I avoid sore hands and callouses, and I protect my rings by wearing these every time I use weights. To top off the comfort factor, they are also the most beautiful fitness gloves I have ever seen! I get so many compliments on these subtle swarovski studded gloves. 

Lululemon Lift and Separate Bra: This sports bra is amazing and so very necessary for big chested ladies. I hate the look of squished boobs, and love that this bra literally lifts and separates the girls. 

Lululemon Cool Racerback Tank: I love this tank because it's fitted, comfortable, breathable, and flattering. Nothing is more annoying than baggy clothes getting in the way while exercising. 

Skullcandy Earbuds: These headphones are fantastic for cancelling noise and provide very clear sound. They've lasted me so much longer than all of my iphone headphones!

Lululemon No Limits Tank: I love that this top has a built in bra and a band around the waist to avoid riding up etc. I do wear my lift and separate bra underneath this top because the built in bra isn't enough support for me. I'm jealous of those who can get away without wearing a sports bra underneath!

Old Navy Zip Up Jacket: The quality of Old Navy's fitness jackets are excellent, and I love that they continually come out with flattering styles.

  Lululemon Wunder Under Leggings: These are by far the most comfortable, flattering leggings I've ever tried! Trust me and try them out!

Pssst Dry Shampoo: Very necessary for days when I'm in a rush from going to the gym to meet a friend for dinner etc. This stuff dissolves the grease/sweat and makes my hair bouncy and fresh looking. 

Nike Free Run Shoes: I love the color of these shoes, and love that they're so light and comfortable. 

Sephora "Perfectly Nude" Lipgloss: I use this at the gym (and out of the gym) to keep my lips feeling hydrated. Yes, I could use chapstick but I'm such a lipgloss fanatic.

Asics Gel Blur 33 Shoes: These shoes are cute (in my opinion) and they have excellent arch support. The gel makes these shoes so incredibly comfortable. They are by far my favorite gym shoes!

What are your gym essentials?