Warrior Ride 2015 & Welcoming Autumn

Now that the 2015 Warrior Ride is over and Autumn has officially arrived I'm hoping to get back on schedule with everything.

Like anyone in the mid-west, I love the summer to fall transition and last weekend I dedicated Saturday and Sunday sprucing up our house for the season.

Labor Day Weekend

I am feeling on top of the world for a couple of reasons this morning.

1. It's the start of a (much needed) 3 day weekend. 

2. I have plans to do a little shopping today and Monday.

3. Yesterday I finished my first month of Insanity!

Now, I've done Insanity in the past, and what I love about it most is that it's hard, it remains interesting/motivating, and it WORKS.  I've done workout videos in the past (I'm not a gym person) and they've been just okay, but Insanity is a winner in my opinion. 

For the next week I'm on schedule to do a recovery video to get myself ready for the (even harder) second month which consists of 1 hour long intense interval circuit training videos. But since I own the deluxe version, I can swap my Core Cardio and Balance video with the Max Interval Sports Training video if I choose to do so (and I think I will, at least on and off to keep things interesting and more challenging).

All you need is (and what I use)

Back to Basics

Last weekend I made a pit stop into one of my favorite stores: Express. I really didn't have anything in mind when I went in, but they were having a sale so I decided to take a look around.

Something you need to know about me is that I'm the type of person who will buy the same item in multiple colors if I like it well enough.. and that's what I did.

I love Express' Portofino button down shirts. Their quality is fantastic, they never go out of style, and depending on the pattern/color one buys, they basically can be worn year round. They can very easily be worn with blue jeans, skirts, or dress pants at the office.

They also happened to be having  a sale that day (buy 1, get 1 50% off) and they had several back on their sale rack. I picked out four:






The top two were on sale and the bottom two were full price.

I've worn two already (top two). I paired the snake skin shirt with a pair of black dress pants and heels and the navy, red, and white striped top with a pair of flared blue jeans and classic Sperry boat shoes.

I'm thinking white skinnies with the blue stripey one and perhaps a deep denim with the red.

Have a great weekend!
XO-ANGELLE

Ulta's Free Gift with Purchase : What to Expect

Thursday morning, I opened my vanity drawer to discover that I only had one more application of my NYX retractable black eyeliner remaining, so a trip to Ulta was on the agenda as soon as I got out of work. 

I haven't been in Ulta for a while. I've been trying to be good and not buy so much makeup, except necessities, so I figured I'd take a look around. 

After wandering around for 45 minutes swatching all the lovely products I strolled over to the drugstore section to discover that if you spent, I believe it was $20 or more, on any Ulta brand product(s), then you would receive a free gift. 

I picked out two of their brushes, a buffing brush and a large eye shadow brush, and was told at the register that I could pick one of the three different colored bags on this large table near the entrance. They offered, gold, silver, and a pretty plum. I'm also not sure if all of the contents are the same in all the bags, or if they give you different colors depending on the bag you picked but here's what was in mine, and what you can generally expect if you decide to take advantage/stumble across this offer. 

3 eyeshadow quads. (Ulta brand eyeshadows are actually pretty good quality. I actually wore the blue, green, and cream already and they weren't terrible) 

2 duo eyeshadows. (1 is matte, the other has a glitter top coat that isn't quite my cup of tea) 

1 lip stick 

1 lip gloss

1 mini nail polish (The color is "Bittersweet" which is a deep oxblood)

1 double ended eye liner (black and brown) 

1 full sized mascarra (which I also tried

. Wand is nice, formula is milky)

1 liquid eyebrow filler (not my shade, will be thrown out, unfortunately) 

3 brushes (1 for shadow, one for blush (so it says, but I use it for highlight since it's slightly flat), 1 flat shadow brush, (which I like for paint pots and cream shadows)) 

1 top zip cosmetic bag with tassel

Following is a closer look at some of the products:

August Update

Greetings from this very rainy Saturday morning!

I just finished working out, I lit a candle, and have settled in with a nice hot cup of salted caramel flavored coffee.

Last week my husband and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary!  Every year we take a small trip to get away and celebrate. This year, we visited some family I have in Cincinnati and then from there went and visited some family I have in Pennsylvania.

“Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.”

Summer is my favorite time of year. I love how it stays light well after nine o'clock and when I wake up at 4:30 in the morning to grab the blankets the sun is just starting to rise. I feel like I really do have an entire day to do whatever I want, and I always want to make the most of it.

I feel guilty and gutted if I spend my afternoon or evening sitting on the couch reading a book when the weather is absolutely breathtaking.  That doesn't mean I have to give up reading though. Now, I'll put my book in a small back pack and bike over to a park or sit outside of the library and do some reading there.

 Sometimes it's fun to pack a blanket and a snack and soak up some rays. Being outside is enough to put a smile on my face. It makes me happy.

My current read is The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, who sets different goals every month of the year to make her life happier. So far it's been a good read, and it's a nice change to my otherwise first choice of fiction novels.

With that in mind, I think I'm ready to take the plunge and join a class. I've been really giving yoga some thought to help me relax and be around other people who are interested in the same activities as I am. I start my new job on Monday, and I want to go in with a new state of mind. It'll be great to finally have the opportunity to pursue ideas and activities that have been bouncing around in my brain for months now.

Not only was this 4th of July weekend, but it was also a weekend to celebrate my new beginning.

I'm excited for what's to come in the next few months, and I hope that I'm able to make the absolute best out of it.  I think it's important not to take life for granted. Today I even hopped on the treadmill after a few weeks off due to an injured foot, and it felt amazing!

Remember to do what makes you happy. And if you find something you like, do it, and do it often. I hope you guys had a great weekend and a lovely holiday. 

“They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.” 
― Tom Bodett

XO-Angelle

Recap of the week

Let the 3 day weekend begin! This week has been crazy, but with the holiday up ahead there is plenty of relaxation in store... I hope.

Here's a round up of what the week has been like:

MONDAY