Jewelry Favorites: Rings

Hello Everyone!

Forgive me for not getting this up on Friday!  I had a super busy day followed by an amazing date night with Jon, so I hope this post finds you well on Saturday morning.  As we all know, today is the closing post of my jewelry favorites segment, so let us get onto the rings!

Pearl Ring
This was a Christmas present from my mom either 4 or 5 years ago, and I cannot express enough how much I adore this ring.  It is perfection!

Olive Leaf Ring
I treated myself to this little lady last September for getting a new job.  I think this is so dainty and it pairs nicely with all of my other silver rings.

Black Pearl Ring
This was a surprise Christmas gift from Jon this past year.  Have I mentioned that man has incredible taste in jewelry?!  This was such an amazing piece to receive, as it is both unique and gorgeous.

Onyx Ring
Did I mention the onyx set lives on?  This ring I actually purchased for myself because it is insanely hard to find a woman's onyx ring that isn't humongous.  I found this on Amazon for around $30.00 and it has been a great addition to the rest of the onyx bling.

Claddagh Ring
Being Irish, I think this is a staple piece to have and I love that it is gold.  I do not wear gold too often, but when I do, I love having this ring to pair with the rest of jewelry.

Evil Eye Chain Ring
I bought this little ring about a month ago on Etsy for $6.00!  I thought it was so cute and fun to pair with some of my other rings.  Plus I am really loving the evil eye trend right now ;)

Thank you all so much for sticking around for this entire week of jewels and bling!  I really enjoyed doing this week long post theme and look to do more in the future (hopefully I pick less hectic work weeks to do them on!).  Please leave any suggestions in the comment below, as I would love to talk about things we both love :)

Have an amazing weekend!

- Courtney 

Jewelry Favorites: Watches

Hello Everyone!

Today's jewelry focus is watches!  Working in the corporate world, I really enjoy the fact that wearing a watch comes with the territory.  I love that watches can be so simple or can be a bit more wild and fun, but all have the same function.  Below are some of my favorite watches (mind you 4/6 are from Fossil...sorry to be so lame and unoriginal).  I am not partial to Fossil, but they do have a great variety for an even greater price!

Silver and Gold Toned Watch
I really like the concept of a watch having both silver and gold metal.  It allows you a bit more freedom with other jewelry choices, which is always a plus!  I just love the size of this watch, too!

Black Leather Watch
This watch has become a staple in my work week, due to it being black and also incredibly sleek.

Silver Bedazzled Watch
This is the first watch I ever purchased, and I am so pleased with how well it has kept up over the past 6 years.  It still looks great and is in style...what more can you ask for?!

Cheetah Print Watch
Betsey Johnson sure does know how to make fun jewelry.  I love how teeny tiny this is! :)

White Watch
This watch was a high school graduation present and was super on trend back in the day.  I am glad it still is in style because it looks really nice to bring out extra white in an outfit.

Gnome Watch
I am only putting this in here to piss Jon off.  I think this watch is hilarious and adorable.  I bought it on Etsy, and Jon tried to talk to me out of it....but as you can see I did not listen.  I have only worn this once.....to the Festival of Gnomes (how fitting!), but it just makes me happy to own, so if that's the only time it graces my wrist with its presence, than I can sleep easy tonight :P

Any watch lovers out there?  Have any of the above, or similar styles?  Let me know down below :)

- Courtney

Jewelry Favorites: Bracelets

Hello Everyone!

We are halfway through my jewelry favs!  Thanks for stopping back to check out the bracelets that I cannot get enough of!  Bracelets have recently become a big obsession for me (arm party status some days), so I have hopped on some fun trends and really enjoy adding new pieces to my arm!

Tiffany's Infinity Bracelet

Starting with my most prized bracelet, it should come to no surprise to you that this was a gift from Jon!  He gave this to me for my 23rd birthday and I have never taken it off my wrist since!  (Aside from polishing it up every once in awhile...and this photo!)  I love how simple, yet meaningful this bracelet is, and that it is a constant reminder of how special (and infinite!) my relationship with Jon is.  (AWWWWWWWW....*gag*)

Tiffany's Bead, Heart, and Tennis Bracelets

I am going to combine these next three bracelets since they are not too different and again all Tiffany's.  I have a pretty sick obsession with Tiffany's, but it really is beautiful jewelry and lasts forever.  These bracelets are so great to have as they go with anything and everything, and they all pair very nicely together. 

Pandora Bracelet
I bought this my junior year of college while traveling on the East coast.  They were not all the rage back then, but I had to have one!  This bracelet has been so much fun to own and collect charms.  My favorite way to collect charms is to buy one while I am on vacation to remind me of the trip.  So far I have picked up: Statue of Liberty (New York), Di (Vegas), and Snowflake (Colorado).

Alex and Ani Bangle
You may remember from my birthday post, that my friend, Lauren, gave me this as a birthday present.  I love how understated, yet personal this bangle is.  I am not big on tattoos, so wearing this "J" is my way of keeping Jon close to me.

Onyx Bracelet
Low and behold, the final edition of the Onyx Collection.  This was the first onyx piece that Jon bought for me and per usual, I lourve it :)  

Tiffany's Pearl Bracelet
I may have saved the best for last here.  This beauty was a major investment on my part, but I think having a pearl bracelet is staple in a women's jewelry collection.  I wore this for my best friend's wedding and plan to wear it at my own.  I foresee many a special time whilst wearing this gem.  The other main reason I love this bracelet, is the toggle.  I think it makes the bracelet even more elegant and unique...not your average boring pearl bracelet, eh?

Thanks for sticking around for Day 3 of my jewelry collection.  Do you have any bracelets you just cannot stop wearing?  Let me know below and make time tomorrow for my favorite watches ;)

- Courtney

Jewelry Favorites: Necklaces

Hello Everyone!

I won't bore you with a long intro today, since we all get the point of the next four posts this week.  Today we will take a look into the wonderful world of my necklace collection.  I know it's such a huge deal and you all cannot wait to read on and see what's in store!

Sarcasm aside... Here are mis collares preferidos!
 

Angel Wing Necklace
This necklace is extremely sentimental to me, as it was the first piece of jewelry I ever received from Jon.  He got this for me for our first Valentine's Day together, and I was so impressed that he knew my taste so well!  I do not get to wear this necklace as much as I wish, but when I do it always makes me smile.



Onyx Pendant
This was yet another gift from Jon, and if you remember from the earrings yesterday, it was the second piece in the Onyx trend. I absolutely love this necklace, as it is both elegant and simple, so it can be worn at all occasions.
 

Tiffany Bow Necklace
Again, if you remember the bow earrings my mom gave me this past Christmas, you will notice this necklace is part of that set. I bought this necklace myself, because: A) I LOVEEEEE the bow earrings and thought this would look great with them, and B) I really wanted a dainty silver necklace that hit at my collarbone. (Basically I did not need this necklace.....but how could anyone resist?!)
 

Pearl Pendant
This necklace has an interesting history, but like the onyx pendant, I love its simplicity, yet it is so beautiful. If you have not noticed yet, I enjoy having full sets involving different stones, so once again like the onyx necklace, this piece looks amazing with the rest of my pearls.

Do any of you love collecting specific pieces to create a set?  What are you working on completing or already have, and love!? 

- Courtney

Jewelry Favorites: Earrings

Hello Everyone!

This week I thought I would feature my favorite pieces of jewelry from my personal collection, since I am a bit of an addict when it comes to jewels and bling.  I also really enjoy seeing other women's pieces and how they style them into their everyday attire to their evening wear.  I should probably stop enjoying this as I may go bankrupt from jewelry purchase alone!! ..... NOT POSSIBLE, so instead I am embracing this obsession and going to share with you my most prized: earrings, necklaces, bracelets, watches, and rings.  I will advise some (let's be honest...most) of my collection tends to be a bit pricier, but that does not mean you cannot find more reasonable alternatives.  As I mentioned before I really love, and I mean REALLY LOVE, jewelry and building a nice collection in hopes to pass it along during my life to important people.  I love sentimental anything, but jewelry is something you can have on you as a constant reminder of someone, something, or somewhere.   This being said, I do have a fairly classic jewelry style.  Don't get me wrong, I love the statement necklace trend and costume jewelry, I just find I cannot wear it as well as all the other stylish ladies out there.  I guess I am just destined to be envious of them for the rest of time.

On to the bling bling!  Today's focus is all on earrings, so here we go :)

Dangly Star Disc Earrings
I received these as a graduation gift from my aunt, and I cannot find enough outfits to pair them with.  She had these made for me, so they are extremely sentimental and GORGEOUS!

Turquoise Stone Earrings
These pretty little rocks were a gift with purchase when I ordered a necklace (very similar to the earrings) from Etsy.  I am so grateful that the shop sent them, as I wear them more than the necklace because I feel they go with more.

Tiffany Onyx Drop Earrings
You may remember these beauties from my birthday blog.  They were a gift from Jonny, and I wear these a ton.  He has started an onyx trend, so you will see the other pieces later on this week ;)

Feather Earrings
I bought these at a boutique on my college campus.  I quite like these because they secure into your ear like a stud, yet still dangle.  I have insanely tiny ears, and my lobes are connected, so these work great to dress up an outfit.

Tiffany Bow Earrings
It doesn't get much girlier than bows!  These were a Christmas present from my mom and have been enjoyed greatly.  Simple, elegant studs are amazing to have on hand, as they can go with casual looks or be paired with a dressier option, but they will not take away from the look.

 

Hope you enjoyed my favorite earrings from my collection.  Do you have anything similar to the above?  Any favorite earrings you would like to share?  Let me know down below :)

- Courtney

Fitting Fitness into Everyday Activities

Hello Everyone!

Physical activity is extremely important for everyone to partake in and get the adequate amount of, BUT life can get busy and excuses can pile up.  I, along with most others find many "reasons" to skip workouts, which leads to skipping more workouts, then BAM you haven't worked out in over two weeks.  This is where I am right now and it has taken a tole on me.  I am more fatigued, making bad food choices, irritable, and feeling pretty gross in my own skin.  I am making it a point to get back on track with my weekly workouts (linked here), but I also thought I would share some other ways to squeeze fitness into your everyday activities, so when you do skip a workout, or eat a really delicious cheeseburger from Red Robin along with ALL of the French fries (guilty as charged!), you do not have to feel like you did not accomplish any exercise!

The American Council of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends adults get 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise, 5 times a week.  You can break this 30 minutes up and dedicate three 10 minute sessions a day to exercise or however you choose to divide your time (as long as you do at least 10 minute intervals).  So let's say maybe you only have 20 minutes to lift or get in some cardio.... Push to make those 20 minutes as vigorous as possible, then add at least 10 minutes of other fitness activities into your normal day.

Here are some ways I fit fitness in during the day:

Brush your teeth while working your legs!

Laugh all you want at this photo, I guarantee you try this :P

We are all supposed to brush our teeth for 2 minutes, twice a day....SO why not take advantage of having free legs for 4 minutes daily.  I incorporate squats and calf raises into my teeth brushing routine.  You can do any type of lower body exercise, those are just the two I prefer (and can manage to do whilst brushing).

Take stairs whenever you have the option!

New orange Nikes totally compliment my work ensemble ;)

I am a big fan of taking the stairs when you have other options like an elevator or escalator, so I make a big effort to choose stairs daily over the latter choices.  I use the stairs coming and going at the train station and hike up the stairwell in my building all 7 floors to my office.  I understand some time we are not equipped to take the stairs (bad shoes, too many bags, or an injury), but try adding more climbs little by little.
 

Walk places or while you're working!

Our workstation treadmills

Walking is such an important activity to partake in daily since we live in such a sedentary world these days.  I walk daily from the train to my office, which is about a mile each way.  I know not everyone has the opportunity to walk this far to work, but little changes like parking in the farthest parking spot can be a method of walking more.  Since I work for a health and well-being company we have treadmill workstations in our office, so I try to put in at least an hour when I am in the office.  Again, many people do not have this luxury, but take the long way to the washroom, have walking meetings/phone calls, and make sure to get up and moving once every hour!

Do you sneak exercise into your daily life?  If so, what activities to you incorporate?  If not, I hope some of my suggestions can help inspire you to add more fitness in!

- Courtney

Aztec Secret: Indian Healing Clay

Hello Everyone!

As someone who has experienced pretty troubled skin in my adult life, I am on a never ending quest to find products that help heal and improve my skin.  In the past year, I have become somewhat addicted to doing face masks.  I had used some different masks from Lush, GlamGlow, and Origins, but none seemed to be REALLY benefiting my skin.

This all changed in April, when a coworker gave me a new face mask as a birthday gift!  We tend to discuss all things beauty whilst at work, so I was so excited when she gave me such a thoughtful and exciting gift.  I have been using this once to twice a week since and have seen actual results.

Product Label
Health & Beauty
"World's Most Powerful Facial"
Deep Pore Cleaning!
100% Natural Calcium Bentonite Clay
Feel Your Face Pulsate!
Facials, acne, body wraps, clay baths, foot soaks, chilled clay for knee packs and insect bites!
Enjoy the benefits of clay in your own home.
Beautify & Refresh
Men love it, too.

Directions

Mix Aztec Secret Indian healing clay with equal parts of apple cider vinegar or water.  I find the mask works best with apple cider vinegar!


Stir the mixture until is a smooth paste-add more clay or liquid as needed. Apply a layer of clay to the face or other areas and let it dry. Drying times vary, but times are generally 5 minutes of delicate skin and 15-20 minutes for normal skin.  I leave mine on for 20-30 minutes!

Feels like a science experiment when you mix the two together

Super sexy selfie.  Doesn't get much hotter than this ;)

You will feel a pulling and tightening sensation, deep pore cleansing!

This is the lovely dried lizard skin end result. 

Remove clay by washing with warm water. A slight redness may appear after removing the clay. This is normal and will disappear in approximately 30 minutes.

I have seen such great results with this mask since I have started using it.  You can find it at Whole Foods or order online.  I recommend picking up your own, as this is such a nice treat for your face :)

- Courtney

Mother's Day Antiquing

Hello Everyone!

For the past few years on Mother's Day, I have taken my mom antiquing to our favorite stores!  This has become such a wonderful tradition and I look forward to it each May!  I thought I would share with you my finds of the day, as I was pretty pleased with my purchases.

White Floral Mirror
Not sure where I am going to hang this yet, but I am in love with it :)

Gold Statement Necklace
This picture does not do it justice, but it's a gorgeous gold spiked necklace with a bit of diamonds above.  Beautiful!  Cannot wait to wear this.

Glass Candy Dish
I love glassware like this as it is so versatile.  You can use this dish in the dining area to hold candy/snacks, OR use it to store jewelry!



Yellow Flower Pot
I have been getting really into vases and flower pots lately, so I loved that this pot could work both indoors and outdoors.  I'm thinking of getting some plants this weekend and finally put my vases/pots to use!  Look out for something soon on this ;)

Flower Plate
This screams Alice in Wonderland (the pansies) when I saw it.  I love all things related to that movie, so it was natural for me to pick up this plate.  Not sure if I will use this to store makeup or jewelry on, but  may find a candle and place it on this.  We shall see!

Do any of you have any fun Mother's Day traditions?  Or do you enjoy antiquing or second hand shops?  If so, let me know in the comments below :)

- Courtney

Floridian Vacation

Hello Everyone!

Long time no blog!  My reasoning for being gone for a bit was my lovely vacation to Florida.  Instead of boring you with everything we did, I figured I would post my favorite pictures from the trip.  We started out in Sarasota, for my best friend's wedding, which was AMAZING!  After the weekend wedding festivities, me and Jon rented a car and drove over to West Palm Beach to stay with my grandparents.  It was so relaxing spending time with family, chilling out by the pool, fishing, napping, and eating :)


Someone is realy excited for vacation!

Beach walk to rehersal

Almost married!

Pretties

This guy

<3

Ladies

Getting beautimous ;)



Ready to rock!

First kiss!

Some of the bridesmaids

Mr. and Mrs!!

Cuties

So beautiful

Congrats!

Post wedding pool session

Deep sea fishing!

Nice sleeves...not :P

Katie Bug and Jonny feeding the duckies!

Hope you enjoyed these photos from my trip.  Wasn't the bride a beauty!  I had such an amazing trip and am so thankful to have spent it with family and friends :)

- Courtney