Scaredy Cat

This post is vaguely similar to day 11 - something you hate. Well I hate snakes and am afraid of them!  So I'm going to cheat a bit and post that I'm scared of them too! [I can't even post a photo of them bc I really dislike them that much].

Day 28: A picture of something you're afraid of

Snakes.  

Not sure if you've heard about the baby Egyptian cobra that got lose at the Bronx Zoo late last week. Well, this would completely freak me out if I lived in NYC!! Anyways, someone has begun tweeting as if they're the snake and the tweets are hilarious. I would follow them, but their little profile pic of of an Egyptian snake so I can't! Lame, I know. [You can follow them however @Bronxzooscobra]I frequently just check their tweets and cover up the picture with my hand, but its not the same. I know, I'm LAME. Will you all still be my friends?!

Chobani

Finally got on the bandwagon that EVERYONE has been on and tried Chobani greek yogurt! I thought it was going to be so amazing and be bursting with flavors once it hit my tastes buds. But then I remembered its fat free so you kinda have to 'jazz it up' with fruit and/or granola. I tried the vanilla with blueberries and it was good! I was kinda depressed that my grocery store didn't have a large varieties of flavors. So I'm on the hunt!

I made a trip to the newly renovated Target to see how fabulous it was and they surprised me! Target had an amazing variety of Chobani flavors AND they were $0.40 cheaper!!! That's a crazy good deal! So I picked up a few more and can't wait to try them. The most intriguing one is pineapple which I'm ecstatic about because I looooove pineapple!

This is a horrible late night photo, but it shows the new toaster we bought in the back! Its got all these fancy gadgets and everything! Can't wait to use it for my thin bagel tomorrow morning :)

Familia

I come from a small family. Its just me and my parents. I am closer with 2nd and 3rd cousins than my first. Weird, I know. For this post I wanted to show pictures of family other than my parents. 

Day 27: A picture of yourself and a family member

Brandon, me, Maury & Bryan

My favorite cousins and I about 3 Christmas' ago. Along with their cat, Maury. Maury is such a love-bug I can hardly get him off me whenever I leave. I grew up camping almost every weekend in the summer with these boys and it amazes me how much they've grown up! Bryan is 5 years younger than me and Brandon is 7 but still - I watched them grow up! We used to get into so much trouble. But my best memories are with them. And I don't nearly see them as often as I'd like :( That sorta thing just happens when you grow up.

Britney!!

I have always LOVED Britney Spears! Ever since Baby Hit Me One More Time way back in the 90's to her latest album Femme Fatale. She is an icon. And I wish she was brilliant in real life as she is in her music. I'm not saying she's not an awesome person, but she's had some up hill battles that shes over come and I hope she continues to stay out of the tabloids and lives a fabulous life. 

 image borrowed

The 2 songs pre-released from this album Till The World Ends & Hold It Against Me are both amazing work out/getting ready jams! Cannot wait to hear what the rest of the album has to offer! I'm expecting it to be on repeat for the next few weeks! Haha

Boring Life

My days lately have been boring which is why it was hard to come up with something for this post.  I don't do much so here's what ya get:

Day 25: A picture of your day

Working out at Gold's Gym - preferably in the Cardio Cinema! 

 Reading Harry Potter
Currently on the second book HP & the Chamber of Secrets

image borrowed

Cooking yummy food!

I've been trying to work on myself - lose some weight, tone up, and eat healthier. So this is really what my day's have been looking like - boring I know! But reading your blogs with all your health tips and work out routines is sooooo motivating. Knowing others out there were in my position and wanted a change and succeeded is so awesome. And I'm happy I started this journey to share my ideas and read all of yours!

Ch Ch Ch Changes

Change is the only constant thing in the world. 

Changes happen all the time - whether you like them or not. There are several things I would change if I could. But nothing stands out like this - and its putting myself really out there because I'm not sure if this person reads my blog or not. But, all of you do so I'll proceed.

Day 24: A picture of something you wish you could change

My friendship with one of my girlfriends - or the lack thereof. We have been were friends for a long time, hanging out in the same circle because our bfs were bffs [much like how Rosi and I became besties]. Anyways, we have since both broken up from those boyfriends but all of us girls have remained close. That is, until I broke us and now our friendship will never be the same. I risked our friendship for a guy and in the long run, it didn't work out. I'm left without my friend, and the guy - which I guess I deserve.

I wish I could go back in time and change it - make a different decisions and still be friends. Because I miss her. A lot. She is someone who is a great listener, a sweetheart, determined, and someone I don't even know anymore because of what I did. And carrying this guilt is exhausting.

 Fierce Foursome

We called ourselves the Fierce Foursome. But we haven't been all together since last November and its my fault and I desperately wish I could change it.

Favorite Book

Reading is something I love to do - except when it was for school, then it was boring. As I said last week, I'm currently reading Harry Potter and am loving every minute of it! I'm almost done with the first book! There's so much I forgot about the wizarding world that its sorta like reading it for the first time! I know, I probably sound like a huge dork but reading is a GREAT thing!! I wish kids these days read more. 

I don't have a huge library like my parents, my library consists of books whose stories I fell in love with. I must say though, Emily Giffin's  latest book did not do her justice. She is probably my favorite author and Heart of the Matter was not like her other uplifting books. I asked for it for Christmas and read it in about a week and I was highly disappointed. I do not recommend that book, but her others especially Something Borrowed and Something Blue are great, easy reads that you'll love. They tie into one another nicely too.

Surprisingly, my favorite book that I've read numerous times is not an Emily Giffin book. 

Day 23: A picture of your favorite book

 

Girl With A Pearl Earring is a great story about a servant living in 1600 Delft. Griet is a maid in a painters house, who has 5 children [with 1 on the way], a wife, and mother-in-law who can't stand her. She over comes all the crap that they throw at her with a twist. It was made into a movie with Scarlett Johansson starring, but I haven't seen it. I don't really care for Scarlett so that's probably why I haven't seen it. I would highly recommend the book if you're looking for something different.  

**********************

As a goal to myself to try and read more, I thought I would try something new and do a New Book Sunday post with a new book I've read with a review. I'd rather read a book with someones personal take on it, rather than reading reviews on Amazon [even though I'm a huge Amazon fan!]. This could be a new kind of book club blog style!

photo borrowed  

And there goes my bracket..

I was very excited for March Madness.. this is until Wisconsin lost on Thursday. & Marquette lost yesterday. & Kentucky beat Ohio State! 

Last night the girls and I were out for a couple drinks and watching the games. It was all a great time until I almost spilled my double vodka Redbull when the buzzer sounded & the Wildcats beat the Buckeyes by 2 points. Well, there goes my bracket! I had Duke, Ohio, Pittsburgh & Kansas in my final 4 & only 1 is left. So Kansas, lets it it together tomorrow for my brackets sake!

Congrats seed 4 Kentucky. Here's to your Cinderella story.

photo borrowed

The Arts

They say art is subjective. That it can be anything really. My taste in art is, well, eclectic. I like all different kinds of art & certainly wouldn't define myself as someone who really knows art at all.  I like browsing through museums and exhibits and picking out things I like simply because I like them, not because of who the artist is.

Day 22: A picture of something you wish you were better at

I wish I was better at art. I don't mean choosing a great piece or having an eye for the next Picasso, but actually having talent to do something. I don't have an artistic bone in my body but really wish I did. I have many teachers who are teachers and they are so creative and have such a good knack for making things look artsy without even trying. I wanna do something like that without even trying. But as much as I try I don't get the results I want - that's why we have wishes right?!

Friday's Fancies

1. Ray Ban Aviator Sunglasses    - $190

2. Floral Tube Dress by Rare  - $100

3. Della High Heeled Pump In Patent Nude  - $32

4. CZ Heart Stud earrings  - $42

5. Ivory Chiffon Shrug  - $66

6.Cluster Facet Ring    - $20

This outfit is super cute! & put together from this website Polyvore. Its kinda addictive! 


Happy Friday lovelies!

 
Spring Fling by arose5 featuring ray ban sunglasses

Forgetful Lucy

A favorite movie of mine is 50 First Dates with Drew Barrymore & Adam Sandler.  I'm sure all of you have seen it so I won't bore you the details. Its sad how Lucy has to re-start and re-learn every day because her mind resets itself. First off, that would be annoying to go through, and it would be annoying to remind the person about day to day things every morning. 

There are some things I regret and wish I could forget when they happen, but after time passes, it doesn't seem as dramatic or bad as it did when it first happened. I tried really hard to think about something super specific that if I could really forget it - almost erase it - it wouldn't have changed anything else that came from it.

Day 21: A picture of something you wish you could forget

I changed my major 2 years into college. I came to school thinking I wanted to be a Communicative Disorders major with the goal of working with kids with speech impediments. Well, the program was hard and the professors weren't very supportive. It was kinda like, either you were meant for it or you weren't, and I felt like I was constantly being told I wasn't fit for it. So I switched majors to Social Work and immediately fell in love with the program and everything it had to offer. Every once and awhile I think back to my Com Dis days and wish I had stuck with it, at least one more semester just to be sure. I think about going back to school to get a graduate degree in it, but I don't know if I want to go back to school for 2 more years. Granted, I'm not really doing anything with the degree I graduated with and all the girls who stayed in the program that I still talk with on Facebook don't have jobs in a related field either so its discouraging. I think the economy is just bad.

So, I wish I could just forget I was ever a different major so I could stop obsessing about choosing the right major. I stuck with Social Work for a reason, and even though it hasn't worked out in my professional career to pursue it, I always have that bachelor's degree to fall back on, regardless of what its for.

******************************************************************

Now that I'm finished on that post [it took me like 3hrs] 

I can focus on the basketball games at hand and 

cheer for WISCONSIN! 

Hello Champagne Pearls!

Last night while trying to sleep, my insomnia kept me up and my mind was racing. I came up with a few new names for the blog because 'Bellarose' just wasn't cutting it for me. After much consideration and a few other suggestions, I came up with the new name: Champagne Pearls! 

I love champagne & pearls and thought it was unique and cute. As you can also see I'm trying to get a new fancy header and change up the fonts. Suggestions & comments are welcome. I'm hoping the new name sticks and I don't have 'buyer's remorse' and change it!

What's In a Name?

I'm thinking of changing my blog name. I've seen so many other cute and unique names out there that I feel like mine is so plain. It's a name I came up with a long time ago. I've got a few ideas, but would also like some input. Anything you might find unique or different that you haven't heard would be greatly appreciated!

Harry Potter

With all this free time on my hands recently, I've decided that its time to get back to reading. I love reading and frequently buy the top rated books off Amazon.com. I'll admit, I should go to the library more often than I hit up Amazon, so that's another thing to put on my to-do list. 

Over the weekend there was a Harry Potter marathon which was pretty exciting since I haven't seen hardly any of the movies. I have read all the books, but that was so long ago. So, I'm going to read them again - back to back. I'm already 100+ pages into the first one and there's so many details I forgot! I was trying to think about how long its been since I read it and the first book was published in 1998!! That's unbelievable! They were captivating books that I loved reading because you used your imagination so much. J.K. Rowling did a great descriptive job of all the characters, but there were still little things that you could make up in your head. Such amazing books I can't wait to divulge into again!

So as I sip some pumpkin juice
and get taken back to Hogwarts
as a first year Gryffindor,
I say good-bye to the Muggle world
& hello to the world of magic :)

Ciao Bella!

Today has been an exceptionally dreary day here in Milwaukee. All over Wisconsin the weather has been different, from 10in. of snow in the north, to hail/sleet in the middle, to rain/sleet in the south. It didn't make me wanna get out of bed, much less go to my work out class this afternoon. Instead, it made me think about why I'm not on spring break with my friends working on my tan.

Day 20: A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel

I've traveled a lot in my young age, but have only been to Europe once. A trip to Europe and travel around to several countries would be awesome. But mostly,  I would LOVE to go to Italy!! The gorgeous scenery, delicious food, amazing history. It all sounds so beautiful - much like the language. 

Recently while my parents were on a trip to Germany tracing my mothers family lineage, we found out my great-grandfather's father was Italian! 

So not only would it be cool to see all the rich history Italy has, but also trace my family ancestry! That would be amazing. 

& a trip to Italy would sure cure any "spring blues" I got from all this ridiculous weather. I'm hoping Mother Nature gets the memo soon that spring was 2 days ago already...

Thats So High School

Once this post is finished I am all up-to-date with the 30 Day Blog Challenge & am very happy!! I am sincerely sorry for being MIA. I missed you all and missed reading everyone else's posts from the challenge. 

Today's challenge happened to have perfect timing because I actually found some letters/notes from high school. My parents recently moved and the old house is not on the market yet so we're (really them, I'm not much help!) still cleaning it and getting it 'fixed up' for the new owners. Anyways, I found a box full of notes from high school. Wow, they are hilarious. Some are cute, some are cheesy and some are just ridiculous. They are mostly from the freshmen and sophomore years which is a different group of friends that I hung out with as opposed to who I still talk to today so its fun to reminisce over old friends and stuff you thought meant the end of the world that really wasn't.

Day 19: A picture and a letter

 Here is a picture of one of my high school boyfriends. This is from Homecoming, circa 2002 so my apologies for how out dated this looks. Yeesh!
This is one of the only pictures of us I could find that's electronic. I didn't have the luxury of Facebook and all my memories being in the cyber world during high school. 

And here's one of the letters I found in the box. If he  knew now that I kept this and am putting this on the net, he'd probably kill me. But, it was a very cute letter talking about Homecoming and where we were going for dinner. What a sweetheart <3

I can't remember that last time I even got a letter. I receive post cards every now and then from friends who are traveling. And the only exciting mail I get now-a-days are Save the Dates for my friends' weddings - which don't count as letters. Thankfully, I found a box full of letters that I can read and laugh at :) Definitely put me in a great mood!

Epic Fail

Day 18: A picture of your biggest insecurity

I guess I'm feeling a little Debbie Downer lately with my bad luck so it only goes to show that my biggest insecurtiy would be that I'm a failure. I know I'm not - I have a bachelor's degree, a family that loves me, friends who support me and I have no real problems (addiction, debt, bad health, etc). I am just feeling like I'm not going to find the right job and will be forced to take whatever because I don't want to live off unemployment forever. PS. I picked this photo because I thought it was funny, but its really rather depressing. I promise not all my posts will be this drab, I just want to vent a bit. Thanks for still following me guys! xoxo

Working Class

Day 17: A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently

I suppose I can't ignore it any more, but my fear is that if I say it aloud it will really be true and not just a nightmare I'm going to wake up from soon. I lost my job last week. And I've been devastated the past couple days trying to get my resume on track and fill out endless applications, praying after every submit button that this is the golden ticket. 

Besides the fact that I was absolutely in love with my job and it was a total shocker they were down-sizing & I was on the chopping block, its just humiliating trying to find a job in this economy. On the upside, there are a lot of positions out there fitting my exact criteria and a HUGE plus - the pay is way higher than I expected and more than what I was making! So, I am trying to be positive in all the mess. Something great is going to come and I'm going to love that job more than I loved the last one. My niche is going to be found - I just know it!

Inspiration

My apologies for being MIA the past couple days. The latter part of last week brought some horrible news my way so I have stayed away from my computer and tried to rationalize through it all. I am also 3 days behind on the 30 day blog challenge so my plan today is to get caught up.

Day 16: A picture of someone who inspires you

My dad inspires me on a daily basis. He is always there, always has a smile on his face and is always willing to help me in whatever mess I've gotten myself into. We are very much alike and that is why we butt heads on a near monthly basis. My mother always reminds me "You are your fathers child". He's the best dad and I feel so lucky to have him in my life.

The Land Down Under

Today's 30 day blog challenge post is - 

Day 15: A picture of something you want to do before you die

I NEED to go to Australia before I die!! It is something I've dreamed about for as long as I can remember and would be very disappointed if I never traveled there. I've got a savings account that specifically for Australia that I put some money into every once and awhile but I have no idea how much is actually in there. Ideally, it would be fabulous to go to Australia when I had a comfortable amount of money to spend so I could get the most out of it. I mean, Australia is not a place you travel to several times - its kinda a once in a lifetime trip I think. 

The Land Down Under is calling my name, in that cute Australian accent! :)

Few of My Favorite Things

Cait over at Fit, Fierce and Fabulous tagged me in her recent post of Favorite Things so here is my list:

 

{1} food. PASTA! & sushi

{2} color. Pink

{3} animal. Dogs

{4} sports team. Brewers!

{5} dessert. Red velvet cake

{6} artist/singer/band. Carrie Underwood; Britney

{7} pair of shoes. Heels See post.

{8} outfit. jeans & a cute top.

{9} store. Express as of lately; Francesca's Collections

{10} brand. Coach/Express

{11} perfume. Daisy by Marc Jacobs

{12} accessory. Any of the 50 Coach wristlets I have

{13} city. Boston

{14} hobby. blogging &shopping

{15} beauty product. mascara

{16} snack. popcorn

{17} holiday. Christmas

{18} movie. All time or currently?? All time: Titanic; Currently: Couples Retreat

{19} song. Hold It Against Me - Britney

 

{20} guilty pleasure.  fake baking. 

So Different

Today's post has me feeling a bit nostalgic. Someone I couldn't imagine my life without... Its a toughy. I have so many great people on my life now, but I can't help but think of people I thought would be there forever and are not. You pick up the pieces of the broken relationship and you move on. Most of the other girls who are doing the 30 Day Challenge wrote about their boyfriends. Well, I am a single gal making the most out of what life is throwing at me so this post is going to be about one of my best friends. 

Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without

 Mary Rose, MRB, Rosi aka my bestie. 

I've blogged about her before, but our friendship is unique. We went to high school together, but were not very fond of one another. When I started dating my ex, he was besties with her bf (fiance now) so we just got thrown together and had to deal with it. Well, it was a blessing in disguise. There are so many memories from the past several years that include her, I don't know how I would have ever survived without her. She is amazing, and I am so honored to be apart of her wedding day. She is the definition of a friend and I truly know she will be there always. One of the best things to come out of my break up, was the friendship I have with her. Love you MRB!

March Madness

March Madnesssss!!

So excited for March Madness! I will admit, I've only watched a handful of games this season (depressing) but I have my bracket ready to go! My girlfriends and I just do a fun tournament with each other. 

I've got Ohio winning it all. I'm usually an underdog fan, but this year I'm just trying to get some bragging rights. Hopefully Ohio can pull through & win it all! I've got my home teams (Wisconsin & Marquette) winning 2 games each at least, but we'll see. I'm not sure either of them will get far, but you never know! Some teams can surprise you so watch out for those upsets!

Just a Dream

I would imagine that when you first step into stardom, it feels like a dream. Its a whirlwind of paparazzi, magazine covers, red carpets, and fabulous fashion. For someone like Carrie Underwood, she became a star over night. Winning season 4 of American Idol, she woke up to being America's sweetheart and a country singing sensation. 

Day 13 of the 30 Day Blog Challenge is a picture of your favorite band or artist

 

I was a fan of Carrie's while she was on American Idol, but fell in love when Jesus Take the Wheel came out. I love her songs and most of her top singles are ultimate favorites of mine. I have unfortunately never seen her in concert! :( Sad I know, but I'm hoping she will be in Milwaukee this summer so I can finally see her!

 I love her hair in this picture and am actually hoping I can have a similar hairstyle for my bestie's wedding this summer. I'll leave you with one of my favorite lyrics of hers:

"Cause sometimes that mountain you've been climbing is just a grain of sand
What you've been up there searching for
forever is in your hands
When you figure out love is all that matters after all
It sure makes everything else
seem so small." 

Have a great Tuesday!

Culinary Skills

This has been a rough morning for sure because my Smart Phone decided to be dumb and set itself back this morning so I woke up at 6:48 [usually leave the house at 6:45] and was out the door at 7:11 - IMPRESSIVE!! I thankfully got to the office on time and am now enjoying delicious fat-ridden muffins someone brought in. Don't these people know I have to look stunning in a bridesmaid dress in 3 months?? 

Since we're talking about food, I love to cook. Its something that I wish I had a boyfriend to cook for all the time so they would try my recipes no matter what and then tell me if they're good or bad. Like I've said previously, my roommates and I try and cook together, but it doesn't always work out. Plus, making something that's worth it, makes several portions so I'm stuck with leftovers for days if its just me. In any case, I still cook and usually bring in my baked goods to the office to try on my guinea pigs there :) haha

 

Day 12:  A picture of something you love

 Food Network is addictive. I watch several different shows and subscribe to Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine. Rachel's magazine has a lot of helpful tips in general about food as well as 50+ recipes per issue I feel like. Whats even better than watching Food Network is their gadgets you can buy for your own kitchen. I have a few and they're awesome. A few of my faves from the network include:

Giada De Laurentiis

Grill Master Bobby Flay

Paula Deen

Rachael Ray

 All of them are different and bring their own ideas which is why I like them. I've made several dishes from each of them and they all turned out pretty good. Food network is a lifesaver sometimes!

All images courtesy of Food Network 

Spring Ahead

Today is daylight savings which means I lost an hour of sleep last night :( 
It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't like to sleep, but I do - especially on the weekends. I like to get my beauty sleep! 

Overall, I didn't notice the hour I lost being gone because I still got a lot of stuff done this weekend and got to sleep in this morning. I just can't believe its Sunday night already. How does that happen?? The week is always so long and the weekends too short. 

In any case, I hope you all set your clocks ahead and have a great rest of your weekend!

Ewwww...

Day 11: A picture of something you hate

I HATE snakes!! They are so gross and I can't even post a picture of them because I detest them so much. Instead I found a cute picture of a cartoon worm that will have to do. I can't watch if they're on the TV or in movie (I look away). Its such a childish thing, but if I see them I'll have nightmares and that's horrible.  I could hardly finish the first Harry Potter book when Voldermort turns into this huge serpent and swims through the pipes at the school. Ugh, they are just so gross and slimy. Ok, enough about them before I have nightmares! 

Ikea!

A few weeks ago I made my first trip to Ikea! I know crazy, huh? How could I have not gone to store that has literally everything for your home at an incredibly cheap price. Well I finally got my Ikea virginity taken and it was awesome.

I found so many things like these really cool pasta bowls for the kitchen (pics to come) and towel rack for my bathroom and a coffee table (which was the real reason I wanted to go).

Today I finally put the coffee table together and it was so easy. Took me all of 10 minutes, while watching Home Alone, to assemble & PRESTO! Amazing coffee table put together :)

Looks pretty great if you ask me! I love the bottom shelf for mags and remotes when you want them out of the way. Perfect size and height. And the price was awesome too - $19.99! Awesomeness!

College

Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most f'ed up things with

The person I've done the most f'ed up things with would have to be my friend and fellow sorority sister, Amy. Her and I got into a lot of trouble our junior year and it was the most fun ever! I have sooo many good memories from hanging out with her but unfortunately don't have most of them on film. Needless to say, we've had some great times. She lives in northern Wisconsin so we don't see each other nearly enough but our times together were priceless.

So here's to staying out til 5am, Taco Bells late night menu, Culvers hungover the next morning  & drinking way too many beers while hanging out at the Rhino!

30 Day Blog Challenge - Day 9

Day 9: A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most

I have so many wonderful people in my life that its hard to just pick one who has gotten me through the most. But when I think of someone who would be there no matter what, regardless of circumstances, 2 people come to mind: Rosi & Madeline.

I've mentioned them several times already, but these 2 are seriously always there for me. From a bad day at work, to getting some great sale items while shopping or being stuck in IL for something completely ridiculous. I feel so lucky to have such great ladies in my life. 

Happy Friday friends!