On my Radar

I have really loved reading "on my radar" posts by some of my favorite bloggers, so I thought I would give it a try. Lately, there have been three things that have been on my radar. Two of these things I have just recently found and made the big purchase. While one lonesome item has stayed on the list for now.

1. Summer Concert Tickets!--if you follow my blog you should know by now that I have now been to see two of my favorite artists this summer (Chris Young and Dave Matthews Band) and have purchased my ticket to see Gavin DeGraw tomorrow night. I can't express how big a part music is in my life and concerts are the epitome of summer for me.

 2. Nikes- I have been coveting a new pair of running shoes for quite some time now and I came across these beauties and almost died. How gorgeous are they!? My family is also getting ready to leave for a packed adventure vacation in the mountains and I decided its now or never. I will be hiking and biking a lot and will need some new tennies.

 Off to Kohl's I went to see if I could get a good deal on some Nikes and sure enough I found these babies on sale for $67.00 so I went ahead and caved.

3. Alex and Ani Autism Bracelet-- Some of you may know that I am my masters year away from being a special educator, and for those of you who know my inspiration for my career choice you know that Autism if my passion in life. My best friend and very talented blogger Makeshift Munch made sure to send me a picture of the stunning autism bracelet that Alex and Ani carries and I can not wait to get my hands on it!

mask mania

I have recently been searching for a new mud mask and have been extremely intrigued by the idea of charcoal masks. Although I went in search of the Biore self-heating charcoal mask I ended up saving a few bucks and finding something that made me perfectly happy. 

Freeman "Feeling Beautiful" Facial Polishing Mask (Charcoal & Black Sugar)

**notice: allure beauty stamp of approval

I decided on this bottle a little prematurely because I saw that it said charcoal and got overwhelmingly excited in the CVS isle due to how inexpensive it was. Once I got home and was ready to relax and enjoy my new mask my reading skills came back and I realized that it includes black sugar scrub. Oh well... Guess I should try it anyway... 

WOW! I absolutely love this mask/scrub. My hard to clean blackheads were gone and it felt like it removed about two weeks of yucky off my face!

Simply cake the crystallized mask on your face and let it sit for 5-7 minutes.

Now go back to the bathroom and gently massage it around for a minute and then wash off.

VOILA! 

What mask do you use?

P.S. since I picked up two masks for the price of the Biore mask I was originally looking for I will be doing a review on the second mask I got as well, stay tuned!

casual work outfit

This morning was just one of those mornings that I laid in bed and thought, "this is going to be a long day...". Since this was how I felt from the get-go I went ahead and threw on a pretty casual outfit for work. Once I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes another positive popped into my sleepy morning brain... It's tax free weekend! 

Normally that would be exciting enough, but the ladies and I at the boutique where I work are trying something new for this weekend of fun. We decided that we would all go "make-up free" for tax free weekend to show off the true beauty of shopping tax free.

Here is my outfit and make-up free face.

 what i'm wearing:

-shirt: charlotte russe

-jeans: old navy

-shoes: palms (shhh... its a secret, they look very real)

-purse: thrift store from home

-necklace: stella & dot

what is business casual for you?

xoxo

Spaghetti with Garlic Shrimp and Broccoli in Italian Dressing

By now everyone should know how much I love quick and easy meals, so here is yet another. 

(I got two thumbs up from the family tonight!) 

Here's what you'll need:

-1 pound of shrimp (cooked or uncooked, deveined)

-4 cups of broccoli florets

-1/2 pound spaghetti 

-1/2 cup of KRAFT Tuscan House Italian Dressing

-1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese  

-2 minced cloves of garlic (1 tsp of minced garlic)

How You Do It:

1. Defrost your shrimp by lightly running cool water them.

2. Simply twist off the tails to make sure you do not take off any meat with the tail.

 3. I got fresh broccoli for this recipe, just cut and wash the florets.

4. I like to go ahead and measure out all of the rest of my ingredients ahead of time.

5. Cook the spaghetti just like the box says but don't add any salt. 

At the same time in a large sauce pan heat your 1/2 cup of dressing and garlic on medium high heat. 

6. During the last two minutes of cooking your pasta add in your broccoli and stir. Also at this point add your shrimp to the sauce and toss that in the dressing.

7. Take the spaghetti and broccoli off the heat and drain it and put it back in the pot, add the shrimp and dressing mixture AND your Parmesan cheese!
8. Mix everything lightly!

9. ENJOY!

morning munchies

Within the past few weeks my morning have been getting progressively busier. I seem to only have time for a quick breakfast in hand while either opening up the boutique where I work or running errands of some sort. So I thought I would share with you what my "morning munchies" have been and ask for some recommendations on breakfasts on-the-go. 

Latest obsession: Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch Clif Bars 

and, of course, I need a large coffee with extra creamer, isn't the saying on the cup just so perfect.                 (I love sheetz Columbian brew)

I have to admit I have been counting calories using my all too wonderful fitness pal app and this breakfast tends to be quick and easy and relatively low on my calorie count with a great energy boost for my busy mornings. This particular Clif bar is so incredibly yummy for those of you who like peanut butter and chocolate combo. Plus, it has 10g of protien... you can't beat that! 

"Show the morning who's boss"

xoxo

going bananas (peppers, that is)

Some of you may think i'm quite the nerd for this, but who doesn't like fresh produce from a friend's (sister's) garden. My older sister and her hubby have planted an incredible garden this year and I have been reaping the benefits ever since. I absolutely love banana peppers, but I have a tendency to lean towards pickled ones more than regular. Since I have been craving some pickled banana peppers I decided I needed to learn how to pickle them myself. So if this interests you at all... grab a jar and get ready for some "fun". 

what you'll need:
-banana peppers (I had 5 peppers)
-jar/with lid (I grabbed one my mom had just emptied of relish)
-1 1/3 tsp. pickling salt (I used regular mortons)
-1/2 cup white vinegar
-1/2 cup water

here's how it works:

1. Grab your fresh banana peppers and cut them into whatever size rings you prefer.
2. Put all of your beautiful rings into the jar of your choice.

3. Add together the salt, vinegar, and water into a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

4. Once you've come to a boil, take the pan off the heat and pour contents into your pepper jar.

5. Use a knife to swish the peppers around a bit to remove any air bubbles.
6. Put the lid to the jar on and let the jar sit out on the counter for 24 hours.
7. REFRIGERATE! (for up to 2 weeks)

I loved how easy this was to do and now I get to enjoy one of my favorite snacks!   

Enjoy!

Chris Young Concert Attire!

Concerts are absolutely one of my favorite ways to enjoy the summer. The atmosphere of a good country concert is something that is truly irreplaceable. I finally got to ring in the summer (a little late due to summer courses) with one of my favorite artists, Chris Young! As I know I have said before, any excuse for me to break out my cowboy boots is an excellent idea to me. Here is what I wore for my fun night out with friends.

One of my best friends, syd, being a goofball

Unfortunately, we did not get a long enough picture to show off my boots. 

What I'm Wearing:

Dress: american eagle 

Boots: rack room

Necklace: gift from a friend