Low-Key Valentine's Day

Low-Key Valentine's Day

For some, valentine's day is a day to proclaim your love for your significant other to the entire world. But for others, it's just a day that you just kinda 'chill' together. Chris and I had one of those 'chill' Valentines days this year and it was totally awesome.

Okay so originally our plan was to not 'chill' but to go to the Miami Seaquarium (I bought us tickets for our birthdays) and that was going to be our day. But alas the Miami boat show was this past weekend and if you know anything about the Boat show in general down here - it's that you avoid that area like the plague! So instead we did the exact opposite - and at the end of the day we were both content.

This is honestly the only photo I have of our Valentine's day this year. We went out to lunch at Red Robin and I took this photo of him signing up for the rewards program. 

We went home from lunch and decided a basic bitch Sunday was in order, so we invited one of my sisters over and we headed to Target. About an hour (and at least one cup of starbucks later) we were rollin' out and heading back home. 

We all ended up taking a nap once we got home and by the time we got up it was almost time for dinner. We were just going to order something - but Chris asked if I wanted to head out to dinner and we spontaneously decided to head out again. We didn't get dressed up, we wore the same jeans and shirts we had been wearing all day, and we had NO idea where we were going.

We spontaneously ended up at this small mom & pop sushi spot in a strip mall that we went to for his birthday and sat at the sushi bar. We ordered our favorite sushi and chowed down. When we left we decided to hit up Cherry Smash, which is a local ice cream parlor.

After ice cream, we went home. And that was it - we really had a fun but low-key Valentine's day. But at the end of the day we both looked at each other and said "I had a good day today, with you. I feel happy" and really - that's all we needed.

How was your v-day? Do anything fun?
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Temporex Detomaso Adrenaline Junkie*

Temporex Detomaso Adrenaline Junkie*

My fiance has been eyeballing new watches for quite a while now. His old leather watch just completely broke and his arm is feeling a little empty as of recently. He is pretty specific about what he likes/doesn't like, and it has to be pretty rugged because he works in a warehouse all day.

After a bit of hunting I managed to narrow it down to a few styles that I thought he would like, which upon prompting him didn't like ANY I had chosen! So it was back to the drawing board. I was going to give Chris a watch for Christmas - but I settled for his birthday instead (which is why you're seeing this now).

For his birthday I managed to procure a Temporex Detomaso Adrenaline Junkie watch. And it is GLORIOUS. It manages to tick all of the marks while still being attractive AND accurate.

The watch itself is gorgeous with a thick black silicon band with this awesome treading (like a tire) that holds the watch in place on your arm so it doesn't twirl around your wrist all day. Chris's old leather band watch had a tendency to twist around his wrist in the end and the face was too big to wear comfortably when it did that.

The watch face is both pretty to look and easy to read. It has a sporty/sleek design that was comfortable and wasn't bulky on his arm at all. Men's watches have a tendency to get bulky quite fast but this one was the perfect balance and looks so good on his arm. Color-wise it's the perfect blend of black, red, and silver (stainless steel) & all Chris's favorite colors. The case is stainless steel and the glass on top is sapphire coated which helps it resist shocks and bumps from everyday wear. The face is a gorgeous black and red with hands that look like fangs (I think they look that way anyway). It gives it a very sleek and sharp look which both Chris and I appreciate.

Overall, this was an absolutely great gift and he is so satisfied and happy with it so I know it'll be a great watch for him in the years to come. This was the perfect birthday gift and I kinda wish maybe I had held off until Valentine's day - because now I don't know how I'll outdo my own self!

You can buy this watch on Amazon here & the official page for it is here. They have some gorgeous mens watches that are perfectly priced for Valentines/Birthdays!

Detomaso Offical FB: https://www.facebook.com/DetomasoWatchesInternational

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*This is a sponsored post, thanks!

Labor Day Weekend

Labor Day Weekend

I totally forgot that yesterday was Tuesday - I kept thinking that is was Monday all day. That aside, this past weekend was Labor Day here in the States and that means a three day weekend! Woohoo! So here's my weekend in a set of photos.

My long weekend started out with a terribad rainstorm.

But it pretty quickly picked up as soon as Chris & I made it to our destination. Also, $10 beach umbrellas.

The rain never seemed to want to leave - and this bird was enjoying the temp drop.

To be fair though, sunsets after a rainstorm always seem to make for the best pictures.

What did you do over Labor Day Weekend?

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May Instagram Round-Up

May Instagram Round-Up

I love seeing these posts pop up every once in awhile - esp for people who post to Instagram a lot more than I do! But May seemed to be a month where a lot of exciting stuff happened so I guess I instagrammed a little more than I thought I did! Most of these pictures are of my fiance or my dog - because this is my little lion pride and they are the central focus in my life. I also spent quite a few days at the beach this month and therefore have a few (pretty awesome) beach pictures. Three of these are actually screenshots from the videos that I took so you should totally watch the videos on my instagram. I promise most of them are funny (and of the dog jumping in the pool).

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Florida Lifestyle: Paddlesports

Florida Lifestyle: Paddleboarding & Kayaking on the Gulf of Mexico

This past Memorial Day weekend I spend the weekend doing things I never would've thought I've done. Both Chris and I managed to attempt a new paddlesport! It was a big feat for both of us because I had never paddleboarded before and he had never been in a kayak before.

The ocean was very calm and was great for first timers like us. Paddleboarding was so easy to pick up and was SO much fun! Standing on the board in the water is a lot harder than it looks, but it is still fun. I spent most of my time sitting on the board and paddling around. Chris got a chance to finally try kayaking - and he loved it! Chris isn't the most comfortable in the water, and its been nice to see him open up to try more things and kayaking was the thing that stepped him out of his comfort zone the most.

Overall, it was a fun experience and we've talked about doing this again! We've even talked about possibly purchasing some equipment of our own in the future.

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New Recipe: Classic Chicken Parmesan

New Recipe: Classic Chicken Parmesan

This is a new recipe I'm going to be trying sometime this month! My fiance has been asking for some chicken parm for quite some time, so when I ran across this recipe at my local Publix I figured I'd give it a try.

My grocery store has a ton of these recipes in little stands all over the store - and they are almost always delicious. I picked one up for Jalapeno turkey burgers and that recipe has practically become a staple in my house. We eat it at least once every two weeks! If you'd like to try it here is the link: Southwest-style Turkey Burgers (so good - I promise!)

Either way, I saw this recipe and just decided to pick it up right on the spot. Chris is excited to give it a go and I think it will be delicious! (ya know, if I can cook it correctly)

The recipe itself looks pretty easy - and I probably won't be making the honey cheese rolls. If I want to make some rolls I'll make those Red Lobster cheesy biscuits.

I found the link to this recipe online as well: Classic Chicken Parmesan & Honey Cheese Rolls.

As always - if I cook this I promise to take lots of pictures of me struggling in the kitchen and the end result. The last time I tried a recipe from Facebook it turned out really good. Maybe I'll make this New Recipe a monthly thing where I try and cook new stuff every month!

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Hello Wench in 60 seconds

Hello Wench in 60 seconds!

Alright so I got a little over ambitious and its over 60 seconds. Whoops!

So anyway, after some poking and prodding from my Fiance I finally caved and made this vlog type thing where I literally dragged you through my life and some of the things I do everyday. I'm sorry its not better quality but I just filmed it on my phone!

If you like these vlog things & would like to see more of my face and hear more of my ridiculousness let me know. You guys are awesome and thank you for giving me this opportunity to share a bit of my life with you!

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Fun Questions Tag

The Fun Questions Tag

I'm doing something brand new on Friday so in preparation for Friday's post I've decided to keep today's post pretty simple. It's nothing too deep or heart wrenching just something new that my fiance has been poking and prodding me to do to step out of my comfort zone.

Either way - I was poking around the internet looking for a fun little tag to do and I stumbled upon 'The Fun Questions Tag'. Well if that practically doesn't describe what I was looking for I don't know what would. 

1. When is your birthday?

January 29th! I was born on Super Bowl Sunday. For those of you who don't know what it is: Its when us Americans watch 2 teams of very large men in lots of padding tackle each other for a ball. Yay sports! Do the thing win the points!

2. What are 3 of your favorite colors?

Plum, Maroon, and black. Does black count as a color?

3. What are your 3 favorite quotes?

"I am not afraid; I was born to do this." - Joan of Arc

"No one is going to hand me success. I must go out and get it myself. That's why I'm here. To dominate. To conquer. Both the world, and myself." - Unknown

“I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best.” ― Marilyn Monroe

4. Are you addicted to Youtube?

Absolutely. I don't even have cable I just watch youtube and Netflix now.

5. What are 3 of your favorite shows on TV or YouTube or both?

Recently I've been addicted to Ghost Whisperer and Venture Brothers (just finished all seasons) on Netflix. I also love Scooby Doo. As for YouTube I really like to watch Grav3YardGirl, Seananners & DashieXP, and JennaMarbles. Wait, thats 4. Eh... Oh well!

6. What are 3 qualities you like in a best friend?

Uhm... For their name to be Christina, for them to be my FFB, and for them to always be there for me, judge me, and be honest to god truthful with me. (girl you best be reading this, SHOUTOUT!)

7. Do you like your name?

Sure?

8. If you have the choice to pick your own name, what will it be?

Ahhaha! You always have this choice on the internet. I was called Quinn for a very long time online, and sometimes I still am. 

9. What is your fantasy dream?

I would love to be able to travel for the rest of my life and see everything I possibly can.

10. Do you wear makeup?

Oh yes - almost everyday unless I'm giving my face and skin a rest.

I'm 25 and if I wanna build a fort I will

#responsibleadulting

I mean really, who doesn't wanna eat dinner and watch 3 episodes of Ghost Whisperer on Netflix while sitting in the fort that you and your Fiance built on a whim while dinner was cooking?

No seriously - that was my Friday night. Chris and I made a delicious dinner of baked chicken breasts in some delicious spices his Mom sent home with him the last time he went home. I also made some peas and some loaded mashed potatoes. And by "I made" I mean I bought it and put it in the microwave. Same thing?

We ate our dinner the the sanctity of our fort and afterwards he was so sleepy that he almost fell asleep! Our little butt Buster was a mainstay in the fort - but he was never in any of the pictures because he ran off as soon as I would get up to take them.

Our fort was simple in design - two spare sheets from the bed and all the pillows from the couch, living room, and a couple from the bedroom! We had a very squishy and comfortable fort. We also had to pretty much rearrange our living room to be able to build this thing and hanging sheets off your ceiling fan isn't exactly the most genius idea. But it doesn't matter - it stayed up for 3 hours and was definitely worth every minute!

This may have been one of the best Fridays in a very long time - and it didn't involve much except Netflix, my pup, and my best friend. I'm happy. Happier than I ever thought I'd be.

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Valentines Day 2015

Valentines Day Weekend

I was going to write a beauty and fashion post about what I did for valentines day and the lovely makeup and outfit I wore - but reality set in quickly.

Chris is supposed to be leaving on Sunday morning to go to NYC to see his family again after moving down here. Which is very exciting - but it meant we had to turn our house inside out to get him packed for winter in NYC and get a suitcase ready for him. (which he didn't do until last minute) So on Friday we packed him up for NYC, packed up a bag for myself for the weekend at my parents/grandparents, and packed the dog up with us. We had a delicious dinner that my brother cooked for us (with my Moms help) and spent the night with them. The boys (Chris and my brother) played Magic: The Gathering until past 1AM. At which point I was exhausted and made them vacate the bedroom so I could catch some much needed sleep.

Life is crazy sometimes...

Lifes course can change in one moment

So this isn't going to be a happy-go-lucky feel good post. I had a "What's in my school bag - last semester" queued up - but I felt like this was a much more important topic to post about. You'll get the other post on Tuesday though - no worries.

So yesterday (and yes Alex - if you're reading, I'm talking about this) my friend and A.O.E. (Axis of Evil) sister had her biological sister get into a car accident. Around 2pm my time I get a call and its her saying "----- got into an accident. I... don't know what to do...?"

The thing is - what do you tell someone in that instance? I feel so terrible for the person who had to call my Mom and tell her that I had been hit by a car. It also brings everything - mortality especially - into a serious focus. I've driven/rode across that road so many times in my life - and its all gone by without consequence.

The headlines were the worst of everything - One Dead, Three injured in Alligator Alley Crash

Yeah - someone died in this accident. And she was probably doing nothing but coming home from a good vacation at the beach. In the process - she changed the lives of three individuals forever. Two of whom may never have the same mobility they had before the crash. 

My point is - cherish each moment you have. When I got home I hugged my pup a little tighter, and when I picked Chris up I kissed him for a few seconds longer. When we got home - we cuddled on the couch for a little bit longer than usual. After chatting about it with him we realized that everything can be gone in a moment, and that while we are glad it wasn't us, it could've easily been.

So when you go home today - whether you're alone or with someone else - hug them a little bit longer before you sleep. Tell them you love them just one more time. Even if you're hugging your cat/dog/pet/fish tank. I know I did.

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The rest is under a cut because an image of the accident is attached. If you don't want to see, thats okay.

New Recipe: Easy Roast Chicken

Recipe: Easy Roast Chicken

I found this recipe on facebook while I was scrolling one day: Recipe

It looks absolutely delicious! I've really been enjoying cooking lately - and since I just got a new slow cooker I've been digging through the internet (mainly pinterest) for recipes to use with it. This isn't one of them but those will be next.

Photo By: AlwaysButter.com

As of recently I've really been looking into different recipes for chicken that I can bake vs. fry or stir fry. The boys and I have been eating so much of the same thing that I want to change things up a bit. Baked chicken isn't much of a change - but the flavors and the recipe are something different that definitely need to be tried.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 whole free-range or corn fed chicken, broken down into 8 pieces (aka a value pack of chicken at the grocery store - skin on and bone-in)

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp light brown sugar

2 tbsp red wing vinegar

3 tbsp olive oil

4 green onions, chopped

2 gloves of garlic, minced

Fresh parsley

Salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 (or 475 in my case because my oven is 50 degrees off)

2. In a large baking dish - combine marinade and toss with chicken. Season it well.

3. Place chicken pieces skin side up and roast for 30 minutes until it begins to brown. Then remove and baste with marinade. Flip pieces and bake a remaining 10mins or until chicken is cooked.

4. Garnish with lots of fresh parsley.

Picture updates when this is baked!

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Q&A (20 Questions) Tag

20 Questions Tag

Today I thought I'd do something a little different today and do the 20 Questions tag!

I also didn't come up with these questions because lets be honest I'm not that original to come up with a tag & questions of my own.

1. What is the one thing you cannot leave the house without?

I can't leave my house without my wallet. I can leave my phone, purse, house keys, car keys etc. at home, but my wallet always has to go with me. Sometimes I even take it with me when I take the dog for a walk.

2. Favorite brand of makeup?

Right now I'm loving e.l.f. & NYX products! But for products that are not drugstore I love Tarte and Urban Decay.

3. Favorite Flower?

I love chrysanthemum and lotus flowers. 

4. Favorite Clothing Store?

To be honest, I really like JCPenny and Bealls. Its pretty affordable and good for my everyday wear clothing!

5. Favorite Perfume?

Burberry Summer. Its my everyday perfume.

6. Heels or flats?

Flats for sure. I love how heels make me look but if I had to choose one or the other, I'd choose flats. Plus they make some really cute flats now.

7. Do you make good grades?

I try! I mean, last semester I made all A's and B's.

8. Favorite colors?

Deep purple, dark red, and black.

New Years Eve 2015 Recovery

The Day After...

FOTN on my Insta!

So, normally I don't drink much. I don't know what came over me this year, but I ended up drinking wayyyy more than I intended. And I'm going to be honest, the only pictures that came out good are the ones that I took while I was still sober. So I'm going to quash any drunken memories and just wish you all a very happy New Year! 

I've been thinking about my resolution these past 2 days and I think I've finally figured it out:

I want to spend 2015 happy.

Not that fake happy where you pretend everything is alright and you put your head down and hustle. I'm talking about the happy where you get to enjoy life, eat the food you want, have the friends you want, and spend your time (outside of work) how you want. I want to spend more time with my family and friends. I want to smile, laugh, and cry more. And I'm gonna try my damnedest to complete this. And also losing 10lbs wouldn't be too bad either.

Either way, its the 2nd of January and this is what I did today:

I'm gonna be honest with you, my fiance and my dog can't swim very well. So we did what every Floridian does, we went swimming on the second day of the year! We wanted to teach Buster where the steps were in the pool so that if he ever fell in I wouldn't have to dive in and save him... Again. So Buster got a swimming lesson that turned into a fun learning playtime with him and his Daddy. Once we got home my makeup brushes got a good cleaning and Buster is continuing to sleep the day away. Overall it was a day that I enjoyed more than anything, I laughed lots, got to spend time with my family, and had the most amaaazing dinner cooked by my Grandma. Ugh, I love pork and sauerkraut. Delicious. 

It was a good day.

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Holiday Decorating & Cookie Baking

Holiday Decorating & Cookie Baking

Lets be honest, the Holidays are expensive enough with all the gifts your buying and whatnot. I want my house to look festive and expensive without actually being expensive!

Since I just moved into my apartment this past year, I had NO holiday decorations. So of course the first thing I did once December rolled around was figure out what I was going to do for Christmas decorations! The first thing that needed to be picked up was a Christmas tree. I've never had a real tree before, and honestly my apartment is wayyy too small for a 6ft Christmas tree. So I opted for the fake 4ft tall kind that you can buy from Target on sale for $75. Next: Baubles. I opted for the classic red and gold theme for the tree, although I really wanted to do an all white theme. $1 store, here we come. I bought all of our tree baubles AND the star for the tree at our local Dollar store. And honestly, I think it turned out pretty nice.

 

I have to admit though, some of the ornaments were not from the dollar store. My Grandma loves the Christmas store, and when she went there she bought a ton of absolutely adorable ornaments. And she even got one to commemorate our first Christmas actually living together.

Get Ready With Me - Drugstore Edition

This post is picture heavy - so the full post is hidden under this break.

My First Subscription Box!

On Saturday I got my first Subscription box...

Loot Crate!

Truthfully, I never understood what all the hype was about subscription boxes/bags every month. I've been eyeing an ipsy subscription for awhile, but I never got around to buying it. Especially with money about to be tight in my household with Black Friday around the corner and our bills seeming to get larger and larger.

I finally caved though on this month's Loot Crate though - it was Battle themed and Chris and I were watering at the mouth to see what was in it. If you don't know what Loot Crate is: It's a monthly subscription box for under $20 filled to the brim with stuff for geeks and gamers.

We caved and ordered this months, and it finally arrived on Saturday 11/22.
The box itself is awesome looking, sleek black and pretty sturdy. Protecting all the geeky goodness inside. The box is actually a diorama and you can play with/display it if you want!

We opened the box and the first thing we noticed was the street fighter headband. And of course Megaman.
Ya know, because Megaman.

Halloween costume ideas

Costume Ideas for Halloween

So, as Halloween approaches I've done enough googling for Halloween costumes for about 3 people. So I'm going to show you some of the costumes that I seriously considered!

I like costumes that are a little more conservative, and usually had a male pairing because Chris and I are finally able to do a couples costume this year!

Costume #1: Broken Doll

I came across an amazing makeup tutorial on how to do a broken doll makeup. I spent a very long time looking for the proper costume to compliment the makeup I was planning on doing, and eventually settled on this dress shown on the left. My favorite color is purple and I had amazing ideas on how to style this.

I hate ordering costumes and clothing online sometimes, because I can't touch the fabric. But the reviews online for the dress were amazing.

If you like this costume I found it on Spirit Halloweens website.

I didn't end up picking this one though because Chris didn't want to be a doll or a puppeteer. Plus I had to think about its wearability throughout the night while I was hosting a party, so I eventually decided against this.

After a week long break

I'm baaaaaack!

And I pretty pretty promise it was for a good reason!

Over this past week Chris and I have been talking about expanding our family. So, after doing a lot of talking and number crunching we've decided its time to expand our little family. This comes as a bit of a shock to some because I'm definitely not one to move fast on serious decisions like this, but after talking it out with the boo I realized it was something I definitely wanted.

So, I'd like to introduce the new member of our little family:

Please Welcome Buster!

Wedding Plans...?

The more comfortable I get in my everyday life makes me realize that marriage is no longer something that a couple needs to do to validate their relationship.

Ones relationship is just as valid as any others with or without the churches approval or a legal binding. This legal binding does however, protect and give your loved ones rights and protects them.

Which is why, after two years of engagement to my lovely fiance I've decided one thing:

I want to start planning my wedding.

I want to be legally bound to him, as he will be to me.