It's Friday! I'm linking up with the lovely Lauren at From My Grey Desk to shine the spotlight on why every week rocks my face off (even when it sometimes is a little sucky).

This week's top 5:

1. I find it so hard to focus when my days aren't planned out, therefore I've become Listy McListerson to get through my days. Always so satisfying to cross something off the list.

2. My tv table project is coming along but I find myself taking my time (since I have some) - I've primed and painted. Next up...stenciling!



3. 6 year celebration with the boyfriend. We went to Maggiano's and had nothing short of a feast on Saturday. It was delish.



4. The boyfriend is getting a new J-O-B! Thank goodness! I'm pretty sure that we were both going to lose our minds with his current situation but within the next month he will be back to working days, making a little more money, and hopefully be much happier. Good riddance Walmart!

5. I made it another 5 days in a row to the gimnasio! And boy do I feel good! Something you might not know about me is that I have rheumatoid arthritis and have to receive monthly IV treatments. Usually I make it about three weeks before I feel like crapola again - I didn't even realize it was time to get my IV because I hardly felt any pain at all. It truly is awesome!

Have a great weekend!

This past weekend a couple of blocks surrounding my house had a huge garage sale. I was so pumped to get up Saturday morning and see what I could find but lo and behold the boyfriend kept me out 'til 3:15 in the AM for some party time and me needs my beauty rest so unfortunately I did not actually make it to said garage sale.

Luckily my next door neighbor was participating and he started putting things out Friday afternoon. Me being the nosey curious neighbor I am went to check out his wares. I was so excited to find these babies...


The boyfriend and I are those people who do eat/do everything in front of the television at our coffee table which involved pulling it closer to the couch...we noticed that the carpet was starting to wear down and we got a scratch on the underside of the table so these lovely, wood, buck a piece tables seemed just the right fit!

I've got plans to paint them this week and I'm feeling a little chevron action happening - I even made my own stencil - NERD ALERT! Hopefully I will be back later this week with pretty results. Did you make it to any garage sales this weekend? What did you find? Tell me about it!

Is it me or are the weeks of my vacation going by way too quickly? Did anyone realize it's the 3rd week of June? Slow your roll summer. (Even though summer doesn't officially begin until the 20th, it's summer in my book).

Anywho, as always on Friday I like to link up with Lauren over at From My Grey Desk

Here are my top five things about this week:

1. I've made it to the gym 5 days in a row which is a first for this girl. I don't know where the motivation came from but I pulled myself from my warm bed every morning this week to work on just about every muscle group in my body. All I'm saying is my weekend better be jumping jack free or I may lose it. #feeltheburn.

2. Chris and I are about half way through completing Financial Peace University with Dave Ramsey and it is really starting to make a difference in the way we spend and think about money. I've always been the budget conscious "nerd" while "budget" was a naughty word to my other half. Finally it seems like we are starting to get on the same page when it comes to defining goals, spending our money, and paying debt. Hallelujah!

3. Speaking of my other half - our SIX year anniversary is on Sunday. What the what?! Were going out to din din (Italian! Thank jebus I went to the gym everyday so I can binge on fettuccine alfredo, bread, and wine!) and seeing a movie Saturday night to celebrate.



4. My crafty space has seen some life this week. I finally got my butt in gear and moved my desk upstairs (more on that later) I've been all over Pinterest trying to find some thrifty ways to add some interesting decor to the space.



5.  My dad. He is just the most wonderful dad a gal could ask for and I'm so thankful for him and all he has taught me.


Have a great weekend!

It's Birchbox time!

This month I was really hoping for Birchbox to redeem itself after I was a little disappointed in last month's box and I'm happy to say that this month was much better with a mix of products I will enjoy trying out.


This month I received:

• Ada Cosmetics Bronzer
• Likewise Facial Moisturizer 
• Masqueology Brightening Mask
• theBalm Cosmetics Stainiac in Beauty Queen
• Cynthia Rowley Dress Up Band- Aids

How adorable are those Band - Aids? Is it bad I kinda wish I had a scrape so I could wear one? Maybe I could bring back the Band Aid on the cheek look Nelly sported a while back...no? Alright then when I finally do get an ouchie I will be styling it up with one of these cute little guys.

I've already used the mask and while I did take a pic of me wearing it I'm too embarrassed to actually post it here...let's just say I do not look like the lady on the package. I look more like my skin is hanging off my face because the mask is so big but besides that it was refreshing and made my skin feel soft.

I've never used a lip/cheek stain before and I was pleasantly surprised with the rosy pink tint that the product gave me, nice and natural.

Haven't tried the other two products yet.

All in all, way to TOTALLY REDEEM YOURSELF Birchbox! Looking forward to July already! If you get a Birchbox how did yours compare this month? Leave me a comment and tell me all about it!

P.S. Don't forget to review your products on the Birchbox website for points that you can use for a discount on full size products.

It's Wednesday and I wanted to show off some of my latest pins and link up with The Vintage Apple.

I am on a total house decorating kick, well at least looking for things to decorate my house with. Unfortunately I didn't hit the Powerball again so I can't afford to buy everything at once, damn the luck.

Young House Love did a window shopping post yesterday from World Market and I love this frame idea for my jewelry.


I haven't been to Kohl's in ages and we stopped in this week and I was shocked at some of the great finds like this flower-y metal mirror.


And this gorgeous Vera Wang bedding. Get on my bed now!



Speaking of get on my bed...Mr. Grey?






Love these stenciled grey walls.



This just makes me laugh...oh Condy.

Happy Friday!

I'm linking up with Lauren over at From My Grey Desk to celebrate this glorious day with her High Five for Friday party.



My top 5 for this week:

1.I stayed up til 2am and  I slept til 10:30am Monday - Wednesday (most reading this). Love my summer sleep schedule.

2. My statement nail.

I poured straight craft glitter over clear nail polish for a bold effect. It will probably take a three day soak in acetone to remove but it looks cool!

3. My go to hairstyle this summer has been this twisty-braid ponytail number. I've been growing my hairs out just so I can braid it this summer. I fully intend on chopping it off in August, but for now in the St. Louis heat my hair goes straight in to this style right after a shower and as I soon as I wake up.


4.  The third straight week of cooking at home with the exception of ONE meal. We had Chinese food - something I'm not willing to replicate at home.

5. The return of my favorite summer tv shows!

Franklin and Bash is hilarious and I love me some MPG...that's Mark Paul Gosselar to the lay person.

IMDB

And True Blood! So pumped for Sunday!

Credit

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

My first real week of vacation has awakened my summer time habit of reading my little heart out. The only time I feel I can really read something other than textbooks is during the summer so I started this week with the 50 Shades trilogy by E.L. James.

Credit: Classy Southern Wife

My review in a nutshell: Oh. My. God.

I honestly had no intention of reading these despite all the buzz surrounding them but I was at my parent's house on Saturday and my sister had her copy laying on the kitchen counter so I started reading...45 minutes and 100 pages later I couldn't put it down. I will say that they love story throughout the three books is what kept me reading not the graphic sex scenes.

Overall I really liked the stories but did it need to be three books? Heavens no! The author could have easily made this one book had she not been so repetitive both in language and with the overly indulgent sex scenes.

Would I read them again? Maybe. I liked 50 Shades of Grey and 50 Shades Darker but I loved 50 Shades Freed because it was more fast paced and had more action (besides the raunchy kind.)

I was curious to see what others thought about the book so before purchasing the second I started reading some reviews on Amazon, they may have been more entertaining than some parts of the trilogy, especially this one and this one. I like my "literary crack" thankyouverymuch!

Did I mention I read all three books in four days? Yeah, when I read, I binge. But now I have a thirst for more. Here's what I'm thinking of reading:

• Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

• Joan Rivers - I Hate Everyone - Starting With Me

• Most Talkative - by Andy Cohen (STL native!)

• Something Borrowed - Emily Giffin

• Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris (bought this after reading "When You're Engulfed in Flames" and then never read it...oops)

 So what have you been reading? Did you pick up 50 Shades, what did you think? Leave me a comment with some suggestions for reading!

It's Friday?

On summer vacation the days just seem to melt together so color me happy that it is the best of all days of the week, Friday! I'm linking up with Lauren over at From My Grey Desk for her High Five for Friday party.

My top 5 favorites from this past week:

1. I'm feeling motivated. I attended some amazing professional development this week that really makes me wish it was August already so I can implement some of the new learning that took place this week. Crazy right? I just spent four weeks counting down until summer and now here I am wishing I was at school. Dork!

2. So far I have cooked every meal at home this week. This is a personal victory as I don't think I have ever not ate out even just once in a week. And I'm on track to continue this trend...amazing what a little planning can do.

Pesto Seared Salmon with Lemon Couscous ...fancy!

3. Cheesecake stuffed strawberries rocked my world this week. Another Pinterest inspired recipe that definitely lives up to the amount of times I've seen it repinned.

4. Pedicures with my mom and sisters.



5. Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Flea walked across the stage on his hands!

Hope you had a great week and an even better weekend!