Movin on up!

Hi Friends! I’m home from my vacation and hitting the ground running with changes for Steph’s Spot. I’ve made the decision to move from wordpress.com to wordpress.org, to gain additional functionalities to make this more user friendly.  This has no immediate impact on what you see here, but in the future it will make giveaways and the facelift I have planned much easier!

Secondly, if you follow me on Facebook, you probably saw this coming but I’ve made the switch to my very own domain http://StephsSpot.com I feel so professional now that I’ve got my own domain.  To make the move as seamless as possible, I’ve redirected this wordpress.com domain to my new one for the next year, and contacted Bloglovin to move my followers so you shouldn’t {fingers crossed} need to do much to continue to follow along.. unless you get to my blog from a bookmark you’ve saved, in which case you’ll want to update the URL.  If you have questions, or need help shoot me an email, or leave a comment.

I’m happy to help as best I can! With these changes, I’m still working out a few kinks.  I know some of my links to my own content are working a little funky and my categories and sidebar are also a work in progress- please bear with me! I’m very excited for all that the next few weeks have in store.

Hope you are having a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, and taking time to remember all of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in serving our country.

Bon Voyage

Remember all of those things I wrote about on Monday that I wanted to get done this week?  Yep, I basically got none of them done! It’s been a crazy week with lots of changes coming up (more to come).  I’ve been doing a lot of living life, and not a lot of blogging.

Friday, after work Logan and I hopped on a plane and headed down to Florida for our cruise! We are heading to Haiti, Jamaica, and Mexico for a week of fun in the Caribbean sun!  If you’ve been reading here for more than a nanosecond, you probably know that this week will generally encompass all of my favorite things- the sun, the ocean, drinking, and relaxing. We had an awesome time yesterday, and are packing up to head over to port today.  So I’ll probably be MIA (again) for another week, but when I return I’m sure I’ll have tons of fun photos to share, and stories to tell!

For now, I’ll leave you with three of my favorite photos from yesterday.

Peacocks in Ft. Lauderdale

Logan and I on Hollywood Beach

Oasis of the Seas the sister ship to the one we’re sailing on, Allure of the Seas.

 

Hope you all have an amazing week! 

Weekend Recap 5.12.14

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I spent a lot of time over at my parents, with my mom.  It was a great weekend, that naturally ended too soon!

Saturday I was up super early for Weight Watchers, and had a GREAT weigh in.. what an awesome way to start the weekend!  Then my mom and I had some breakfast, did a little plant shopping, and walked to the gym to workout.  When we got home I helped her vacuum the pool (that was still much too cold to swim in) and we laid by it for a little enjoying the nice weather. It was in the 80’s and sunny.. let me tell you this Chicagoian has been waiting for months for 80 degree weather.. and the SUN!!   I headed home around 5 and spent some time organizing the house a bit while G cooked some awesome chicken kabobs!  After dinner we got a sweet treat, and took a drive.   Totally laid back, and casual. It was a great way to spend a a Saturday.

Then Sunday, Mothers Day I headed back over to my parents.  I delivered my mom’s gifts (some LUSH bath products, and a nice display of Orchids for her kitchen) they were a big hit!  My dad and brother were at work, so I breakfast for my mom and my sister who was from Madison to visit for the day.  Then we hung out, went for a walk, and basically just spent time together. I was probably a little lamer than usual, because I was feeling a little under the weather.  I think (fingers crossed) it’s allergies, but I just so lethargic kind of a bummer.  After my dad and brother got home, we had an awesome dinner that everyone helped to make and of course some dessert.  Ah, I ate so bad I was feeling a little guilty (and totally gross) as I drove home.  When I got home I started packing for the cruise, and doing some laundry.  It made me so happy to go to bed last night with our windows open, and a  nice breeze! I think this week is the first week we’ve been able to sleep with the windows open… finally!

This is going to be a big week for me as well.. I have LOTS to do before I leave for my cruise with Logan on Friday!  My list includes packing, typing up loose ends at work, some calls for my volunteer role, and naturally blogging!  I have so many things I want to write about.  This week, I’m planning to share my comparison of the Jawbone UP24 and Fitbit Flex, I also want to share about my weight loss journey, and do another bridesmaid look of the day post.  I also have an exciting collaboration with one of my sorority sisters to share, so my plan is to have all the posts (and hopefully a few other smaller ones) live before I leave.  I’m also going to try and schedule a few other posts for while I’m out of town!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend, I have a feeling this is going to be another GREAT week!!

May Candle of the Month

My Candle of the month posts have been lacking lately.  This is partially because I’ve been busy, but mores because I really haven’t been burning candles lately.  However, I’m back this month with a real winner. Persian Lime by Henri Bendel.

A few days ago, I got together with one of my friends downtown, we had lunch and did some shopping at WaterTower place.  When I saw the Henri Bendel store, I knew I needed to stop in. Partially because my good friend Logan, you know from Sage & Serendipity had just blogged about some great jewelry pieces she saw from his line, but also because of the candles.  As I type this, I realize it might sound weird buying candles in a store that sells jewelry and purses, but I promise you these candles are amazeballs.

Nerdy Me Tag

Betsy over at Betsy’s Random Assortment of Thoughts had this fun tag on her blog, since I’m a total nerd at heart, I thought it would be fun to join in…

 

1.) If your house was burning down and you could only grab one book, which book would it be and why?  I honestly, wouldn’t grab any books.  I’m totally weird in that I don’t like to re-read things I’ve already read (or re-watch movies I’ve seen.)  However, I would grab my laptop which is a macbook.. see what I did there? 

2.) When you get stuck into a really good book how long will it take you to read it? When I’m into a book, I finish it as soon as possible. I can’t put it down! There have been many books that I’ve stayed up way too late reading, just because I couldn’t wait. Conversely, if I’m not feeling a book it will take me a long time to read.. ahem… ‘Eye of the World‘ 

3.) Have you ever become totally obsessed with a book or a series of books before? Yes- Harry Potter, Twilight, Divergent, 50 Shades of Gray 

Free Mascara at Nordstrom

I’m sure this will come as a shock to no one, but I love Nordstrom…  I also love a good sale… oh and I love Dior mascara… which some of you may remember was one of my favorite beauty products of 2013. This post contains all three of those things, so you know it’s going to be good!

May 24th Nordstrom is having their annual Mascara Madness promotion where if you buy two mascaras, you can get the third for FREE! I love, love, love this promotion and look forward to it every year! Here’s the best part, you can mix and match between some of the very best brands they carry:  Armani, YSL, Dior, Chanel, Smashbox, Bobbi Brown, Nars, MAC, Laura Mercier, Clinique, Lancôme, Estée Lauder, Guerlain, Chantecaille, Clarins, Shisheido, and Kevin Aqucoin!

Since I’ll be out of town on May 24th, I panicked slightly when I found out the date.  Luckily, all it took was a call to my local Dior counter and I was able to let them know what I wanted, and they promised to make sure to ring me up for them on the 24th and ship them to me – I could have picked them up when I got back, but I’m lazy so I figured I’d just let them ship them!  Seriously, Nordstrom has the best customer service ever – just one of the reasons I love to shop there. 

If you don’t already have a favorite mascara, my personal favorites are Diorshow Black Out & Diorshow Iconic Overcurl but
you really can’t go wrong!  I did notice that Iconic Overcurl now comes in a waterproof version, which some of you waterproof fans might like.  Personally, I prefer a non-waterproof mascara because I think they’re easier to remove and less of a hassle in the long run.

Anyway, this post was in no way sponsored and Nordstrom and Dior don’t know me from Adam but I really love this promo and the product and wanted to be sure to share it with you all so you could take advantage if you’re a fan like me!

PS: In case you need an excuse to go shopping, the general rule of thumb is to replace your mascara every four to six months

Happy Tuesday- Hope you’re having a great week!

Steph’s Top Spring 2014 Songs

The ninth post for our #2014BloggerChallenge is all about music.  At the end of summer I recapped by Top 5 Songs of Summer 2013 it was such a fun post, so I thought I’d do something similar for this spring. In fact, I’m kind of in denial it’s already May!?! {Where in the world did March and April go?}Here are my top 5 favorite songs right now…

5. Happy by Pharrell Williams – I’m on the fence about this song.  I like it, it puts me in a good mood every time I hear it.  My biggest gripe is that it’s just so overplayed!  Overplaying songs totally ruins them for me.

4. Merry Go ‘Round by Kacey Musgraves– My list always has one anomaly, and this is it for this list.  I think it’s the only country song I’m listening to right now (but I do have a few favorite country songs stockpiled for when I’m in the mood; let me warn you it’s an eclectic collection) Anyway, I like this song! I heard it for the first time while watching the Grammys.  Man, Kacey caught a bunch of flak on the internet for her outfit, but I absolutely loved the entire thing.  Downloaded the song that night and have been listening to it ever since!

3. Sing by Ed Sheeran – This song is different, and I think that’s what I like about it. It doesn’t sound like everything else that’s playing right now.  Ed Sheeran has a really unique voice and the lyrics are quirky both of which make this a fun song.  I’ve noticed it’s been playing a lot lately on the radio, I’m worried this one might quickly get overplayed, and subsequently old.  For now, I’ll enjoy it though!

2. Ain’t it Fun by Paramore– I’m so into this song right now.  It is my jam.. I love the beat, I love the lyrics, I love to turn it up and sing along.  The biggest surprise to me is that I’m not usually a Paramore fan.  In fact, I can’t think of another one of their songs that I like, but this one just may have won me over!

2014 Blogger Challenge: week 8 – My Favorite Springtime Clothing Picks

The eighth post for our #2014BloggerChallenge is all about clothes.  I wanted to do something a little different and showcase a few of my favorite pieces that I’m adding to my wardrobe this spring.

1. Pleione Mixed Media Roll Sleeve – I read Pinterest Told Me To and Sheaffer was raving about this shirt a few weeks ago.  After reading the rave reviews, I headed to Nordstrom to try it on. I fell in loveeeee this shirt is great! It’s so comfortable, and can be dressed up or down depending on your mood.  In true Stephanie fashion, I bought it in three colors navy, black, and a nice peachy pink immediately.  {someone please tell me I’m not the only person who does this when they find something they love?}

2. Asymmetrical Wrap Cardigan by Bobeau-  I know I professed my love for open front cardigans a few months ago and this wrap by Bobeau is one of my favorite designs.  I noticed the fabric on this one is more lightweight than the ones I highlighted over the winter.  Working indoors, most of the time I need something with sleeves to keep me from freezing and this looks just perfect.  I can’t wait to get it!

Loyalty

Loyalty is something that’s been on my mind a lot lately. We can be loyal in many ways: to people, causes, and even brands.  By nature, I’d say I’m a pretty loyal person and usually this loyalty works out pretty well for me.  With that, I will admit, I am pretty selective with who and what I’m loyal to.

Recently though, I’ve been noticing more and more situations where my loyalty isn’t benefiting me, but rather hindering me.  Really though, who am I kidding? I’ve known this was going on for awhile, but I’ve been in a semi state of denial.  You know that feeling when it’s easier to keep going along, doing what you’ve been doing than making a change, or standing up for yourself.  I’ve struggled a lot with this realization, because typically we start with good reasons for being loyal to something. Usually, something has happened to get you emotionally invested, and tied in a way to that person, place, or thing.   Maybe it’s a store with great loyalty perks, excellent customer service or even a friend who was there for you during a rough time…  but  people, products, and companies change.  I’m a firm believer that change is a part of evolution, and we as people are constantly evolving.  Change doesn’t have to be a bad thing, but it’s true sometimes changes are for the worse.

I’ve decided this spring, I’m going to shake things up. I’m sick of letting my emotions (particularly guilt) keep me tied and loyal to certain  people, places, and things.  It’s time for a fresh start, new beginnings, and a clean slate.

 

A Small Milestone & Giveaway

Today marks a small milestone for me, finally reaching 100 bloglovin’ followers! I know this might sound lame to some of you, but I’m proud and thankful that I even have one person who reads Steph’s Spot Blog!  To commemorate the occasion and thank you for following along I wanted to do a simple giveaway…

To enter: Just leave a comment telling me what you’re looking forward to most about the month of May 

I’ll pick two winners on Saturday* to each receive a $15 gift card from Starbucks, Amazon, iTunes, or Nordstrom (winners choice)

 

* To determine winners, I’ll count how many comments we have Friday at 11:59 and use a random number generator to pick the winner(s) 

 

PS: If you haven’t heard of Bloglovin’ or don’t use it you might want to check out the post I wrote in February that highlights six reasons why I can’t live without bloglovin‘ and of course, follow along!

Thank you!

Update 5/5:  

Congrats to the winners MrsTee & Kirsten your comments were selected by the random number generator.  I’ve emailed you for details on how to get your gift card!