Vacation

As I'm sure you can see, my last post was on August 8th.  I promise there's a good excuse!  My family decided to host a high school aged girl (16) from Okinawa for about 10 days.  This meant that we were busy all week showing her around Maui and trying to get to know her as much as possible, despite the language block.  

We have been hosting girls from Japan & Okinawa for years now, I think we've hosted at least 6 or 7 times since my sister's and I were little.  Besides having the experience of having them here on Maui my middle sister and I have both had the homestay experience in Japan.

It was a great experience and one that I am very grateful for, it really makes you realize how different some cultures are and teaches you that you can interact and get to know a person without speaking the same language that they do.  

Long story short, I am back to blogging after a bit of a vacation and have lots of posts coming your way!  

Sephora by OPI: On Stage

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I'm thinking that this was part of the dance collection but I'm not sure, it could very well be wishful thinking on my part but doesn't the name 'On Stage' just fit?  To be honest I didn't keep this color on my nails for very long (maybe 2 days?) but I do think that it is one that I would love when fall comes around.  

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'On Stage' can be described as a blush toned mauve cream polish.  In my opinion it went onto my nails a little darker than it looked in the bottle, but these pictures show the accurate color.  Two coats and the color was opaque without flaw.  

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*natural sunlight, 2 coats, Canon T3.  

Wishful Monday

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I know, I know I already have a Michael Kors gold watch that looks exactly like this.  But can a girl really ever have enough accessories?  Plus, I've had my Michael Kors one for over a year and I wear it every single day so it's starting to show a few light signs of wear.  This is around the same price range ($200) but it could be a good alternative!

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When I was in Macy's a few days ago I saw a Free People blouse that looked exactly like this (only in black & cream) but I didn't want to fork over the $80+ that it cost.  How cute is this top?? And it's only a fraction of the price plus the mint color is something a little more unexpected than the black one that I was eyeing earlier.  

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The black flats that I bought from Target last fall finally gave out a few months ago (I'm surprised at how long they lasted!) but since it's summer I haven't bothered to replace them.  So I found these at 6pm.com and they are Nine West which will hopefully indicate good quality but the best part is they're under $40!  I don't quite remember but I think my Target ones were around $15 so in comparison it's not a bad price.  

Recipe: Lasagna & Breadsticks

This dinner is literally so easy to make!  It is a little time consuming (I'd allow 2 hours or so) but it's all super easy work.  I used this recipe for the lasagna and this recipe for the breadsticks.  Instead of browned turkey I use beef, I add a few pinches more of the seasonings, and I use 1 and a half times the amount of the ricotta mixture.

When I made this dinner the first time I used a different breadstick recipe that came out a little too crispy for my liking but these breadsticks are honestly some of the best I've ever had and they don't take any thought to make!  My entire family loves them, which is great since I like to make them.

Let me know if you try those recipes out and how you like them :)

Revlon: Provence

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Pale lavender polish, you've got me again!  'Provence' by Revlon is part of their new Colorstay collection (which I'm loving!).  I reviewed 'Buttercup' here and I've been using the top coat for a few months now.  Trust me, I will love practically any pastel colored polish and this one is no exception I wore it for about a week straight with no chipping and minimal signs of wear.  

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'Provence' went on nicely giving off a great creamy finish with just 2 coats.  I saw this polish the same time that I saw 'Pilates Hottie' by Essie and they look very similar but I haven't tried out the Essie one yet so I'm not sure how similar they will be on the nails, but this could be a very good alternative!  

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*natural sunlight, 2 coats, Canon T3.