Giveaway Time! Custom Stickers!

Sometimes I think the world is one step ahead of my train of thought. Just the other day I was contemplating how I would decorate goody bags for everyone staying at the hotel for B & A's wedding. Then I received an email promoting a sticker giveaway. Coincidence?!

If you're interested in getting 250 CUSTOM stickers, this is your giveaway!

Prize Details:
250 Stickers for One (1) Winner
2" x 3.5"
70lb Label Matte, Front Only Printing, 4 Business Days Turnaround (hello, fast!)

Restriction: Limited to US residents 18 years old and above only.

To Enter just leave a comment with your name and email address!

Want additional entries?
1 additional entry if you like UPrinting on Facebook
1 additional entry if you follow them on Twitter!

Giveaway ends Wednesday, July 6, 2011 at 11:59 CST. Enter now!

You could win these Sheet Stickers

Need help designing a sticker? No problem! UPrinting even has FREE label templates! Check out their Standard Label Templates

This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given and I will receive stickers Check out standard label templates on UPrinting.com.

the many faces of mason jars DIY

I love mason jars. They look cute with just about anything in them!

I wanted a very natural, rustic vibe for B & A's shower. I decided to use mason jars as candle holders and for some flowers on the table.

I wanted to decorate the jars with twine so I headed out to Hobby Lobby to get some supplies. All you need are mason jars, twine and hot glue.

I messed around with a couple different designs and am really happy with the outcome. I can't wait to see how it all comes together on the table.

Supplies


Dab of hot glue holds the twine in place


Thin & Random

Figure 8

Small & Large Jars

recent purchase reviews

the other week i blogged about jcrew's fantastic sales & free shipping offer.

i just got my two packages in the mail and i'm happy to report i'm a fan of it all!

this belt will be around a lot this summer!

as will the hat! perfect structure and light-weight.

I think the necklace is adorable too.

I don't know if I should keep it bc I have so many necklaces!

Yay for free shipping! I recommend all of these products from JCrew. I'm super happy with both the quality and price!

weekend round-up

Sunday my Dad and I went for lunch at one of our favorite neighborhood joints. I opted for a corn dog and wow, I forgot how good they are!




Also on the agenda this weekend was a stop at Green City Market. K and I walked in the sun, ate homemade donut holes, K had some blue cheese pizza and I had a fresh sorbet popsicle. It was a perfect city day.


I picked up this amazing dip and could eat jars of it. You can also mix it with cream cheese. Yum!



While walking around with my friend J we saw a wedding being set up in the park by the Newberry Library (the library in The Time Traveler's Wife for all you readers out there) .It ended up being beautiful but I only grabbed a picture before the flowers were done.



How was your weekend?

simple & delicious

I am a huge brunch person. It's funny to me that about 10 years ago I couldn't stand breakfast food (besides my dad's homemade biscuits & gravy)

One of my favorite treats is Eggs Benedict. Unfortunately it's not that good for you. Hmpf. So I figured why not try to make something somewhat similar?

I found that by subbing the hollandaise sauce with a creamy laughing cow cheese that I got the creamy taste of a sauce/cheese without the heaviness of hollandaise sauce.

Sure, it's not gourmet. And you might not like laughing cow cheese. But if you're craving an eggs benedict without the need for an hour in the gym, give it a shot! I swear, it's tasty!

Simply toast an english muffin.

Spread your laughing cow cheese of choice (this time it was swiss)



Layer a slice of deli ham....I'm a sucker for black forest ham.

Add a poached egg, or sunny side up, or whatever you want.

(I have a weakness for fried eggs!)

Enjoy!

deals & steals: jcrew

JCrew is having a great sale right now and the best part? Free Shipping no matter how much or how little you spend! Just use the code FREESHIP




Summer hat $24.99

Adorable Bucket Bag $99.99

Darling Pearl Necklace $29.99

Obsessed! Cut-out Wedges $99.99




The easy Summer staple dress: $29.99

Belt it up $16.99

I have made a couple separate orders this AM because why not? It's free!

all images via jcrew.com

sweet treat

in the summer i'm all about fruit & sweets.

Normally I'd like to eat every ice cream out there, but I realize that my clothes don't appreciate this and in return like to tighten up around my hips....

so I try to eat a ton of fruit to get my sweet kick. here is quite possibly the easiest fruit dip to make. It's sweet, you can pick your favorite yogurt to flavor it up, and it's low fat. works for me!

so grab some cool whip and a yogurt and get mixing.

see? i told you it was ridiculously simple!

Do you have any summer dessert recipes?

simple & chic

i don't normally wear black to a wedding shower but i fell in love with the idea of a statement necklace and then just let the black dress win.

saturday was b & a's first wedding shower. the food was delicious, the got a ridiculous amount of swag and they were so happy it was borderline disgusting!


i wore a simple black sheath with an exposed zipper. nude patent wedges. and one heck of a statement necklace.

necklace: jcrew
dress: gap
shoes: stuart weitzman

Clinique Summer Products & a Bonus!

As a product junkie I have a lot of brands I stick with and Clinique is one of those brands.

As I wrote about in this post, I didn't love the moisture surge tinted moisturizer. I still needed to find something that had SPF and some color. I opted to just try Clinique's Super City Block. It doesn't have much color in it but we'll see how it goes.

I am also trying their Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder. I'm hoping the oil-free powder will keep me shine free during the Summer months.




The best part of this purchase? The bonus at Nordstrom! It came with an adorable Trina Turk make-up bag and TONS of goodies! I'm in love with the lip stick (perfect shade for Summer, 'A Different Grape') and really looking forward to trying the Redness Solutions Instant Relief Mineral Powder.



sorry for the blurry phone pic

Marcie posted a great review of Clinique's dark spot corrector. Has anyone else used this and liked the results? I'm incredibly fair skinned so if I get a blemish (which I do, believe me) it will leave a red mark for a couple of weeks even after it's gone. It's frustrating and annoying. So please let me know if you've used this product for that and loved it!

A Girl's Guide to Summer

It's official.
It is hotter than hell in Chicago!

As the Summer starts, wardrobes change, sunscreen is in full force, and anything cold is a friend of mine.

Here's what you'll find me sporting this Summer in Chicago

Cute Totes
Grab a light-weight tote for farmer's markets, impromptu beach & pool visits, and festival galore.

via Target

Headbands
Cute headbands take a ponytail from blah to chic. They also make the 'just out of the water' look pretty darn adorable.

Via Anthropologie


Via Anthropologie

Wear the right shorts.
You can have Cameron Diaz's legs but please, have some taste.
No one needs to see alllll of you.

via JCrew

SPF. SPF. SPF.
I can't stress it enough. As an alabaster Irish/Norwegian girl, I swear by daily SPF. Don't hurt your skin!

via drugstore.com


Cotton maxi dress.
The saving grace of summer. Wear it to your neighborhood street fest, throw on a cute necklace, and boom! you're ready for a night on the town. Super versatile and incredibly comfortable.

via JCrew

What's on your list to surviving the Summer?

Easy Tilapia

When I think of Summer grub I think of all things fresh and light. Fish is a definite part of my summer diet because it's filling without weighing you down.



This tilapia recipe is so easy it can't be called a recipe. Seriously.




I took 4 ounces of tilapia...shook some lemon & herb seasoning on the fish...squeezed some fresh lemon on top and wa-lah. Done.



You can grill, bake or pan fry the tilapia.



What's your go-to grub in the Summer?

the good & bad.

The bad

I wanted to love these sandals so much. They ended up being incredibly narrow and the bottoms were SO stiff and uncomfortable.

Oy. Why did I buy this? Terrible shampoo & conditioner. No lather. Left my hair feeling gross and looking filthy withing 1/2 a day. Pass.

The good.

Statement necklace to brighten up a simple sheath for Wedding Shower #1

Via JCrew 'Crystal Wildfire Necklace' $78

Scoring sandals on major sale for $57 from $115



The unsure

Can I pull this look off? I'm wondering if it's too hipster for me.

thoughts?

lately

Took a bit of time off of the blog because I was feeling incredibly uninspired.

Hoping that changes soon.

In the meantime, here's what's been going on lately.

Oprah finale party with the girls wouldn't be complete without some Sugar Bliss

Nothing like some creepy fog-filled baseball games.

Apples & Laughing Cow snacks. Deelish. Deelish.

Here's to getting back on track and inspired soon!