why i've been M.I.A. (long!)

It's been a month since I've last posted- how horrible. I've just been so busy with visitors!

First came Christian, on our first ever solo camping trip!








Then my cousins came from the Czech Republic. With my family wanting to show them as much of California as possible (in 2 weeks!) I was nonstop busy. These photos are from everywhere from LA, to San Fransisco, to Halfmoon Bay!







I almost drowned in Malibu... hahaha... here my brother and cousins are trying to pull me out



If you made it this far, I salute you.
I'm currently swatching through 20 of my most unique polishes in my collection. I should have that up soon!

And in really, really bad news... Christian is deploying to Afghanistan soon. He'll be on leave from next Tuesday to after Labor Day. I really don't know how I'm going to handle it.

Anyways, thanks for reading. I love you guys!

vacation photos

Hi all! Hope you had a great month of June!
My family and I just got back from a week long vacation at Colorado Springs, Colorado. My family has always been an active, more of an outdoorsy type family- no Hawaii or Disneyland here!

Here are some photos I thought were worth sharing. I hope you enjoy :)

PS- new tutorial coming soon! Neutrals for hazel eyes :)

Our resort was located right next to the Cheyenne Mountains.

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Petting giraffes at the zoo








Overlook of Colorado Springs

Apothica.com giveaway!

I was recently contacted by Apothica, with them offering me the opportunity to be sponsored! Along with their name website, Apothica.com, they also introduced me to SkinCareRx.com (my mom loves Vivite products!) and SkinBotanica.com.

How could I possibly not take advantage of that? They even offered to host a giveaway for my followers! And I will take any opportunity to give back to my followers! I'm still in shock that so many people follow my blog- I highly doubt it's possible that all of you read my ramblings.

Anyways, Apothica is kindly giving away a $25 gift card for use at either Apothica.com, SkinCareRx.com, or SkinBotanica.com.
And some of my recommendations for the lucky winner...
Deborah Lippmann nail polish in Across the Universe
This polish is amazing- it looks like a galaxy on your nails. Definitely one of my favorites!

Stila Brush #9
This is my favorite brush in my collection. If you wonder how I blend my eyeshadow so well- it's because of this brush! It works wonders!

Essie nail polish in French Affair
You can see me talking about this nail polish in my Paradisco video tutorial. This color is adorable and flattering, as a mani or a pedi!

Barielle Ultra Speed Day Manicure Extender
Super shiny and makes my polish last long! I put this on my pedicure if I'm going camping- it keeps my toes chip free even after long, foot-abusing hikes.


To enter, you have three different options....
Option 1: Facebook
1. Visit Apothica.com
2. Write on Apothica’s Facebook wall about what you think of Apothica
Bonus: Opt in to Apothica’s Newsletter

Option 2: Twitter
1. Visit Apothica.com
2. Tweet about Apothica on your own Twitter Account
Bonus: Retweet Apothica’s tweet about this giveaway

Option 3: Blog
1. Visit Apothica.com
2. Write something on your blog about what you think of Apothica
Bonus: Write about the brand I highlighted and link it to Apothica


In the comments section, post your name, email, and proof of your entry(ies)! The more options you complete, the more entries you get!


What the Winner of the Apothica Giveaway Needs to Know
1) Apothica will contact the winner to verify information is correct
2) After verification, Apothica will email the a code for the gift card to be used at SkinCareRx.com, Apothica.com, and SkinBotanica.com
3) The contest is open internationally, but Apothica does not ship to all countries

Also, please save SkinCareRx as a contact in their email box so that they don't go to the Spam/Junk Mail folder!

I will be accepting entries until July 2!

Once again, a big thank you to Apothica.com!

update

Am I a horrible blogger or what? No need to answer... I have just been so busy with school coming to a close and work!

But I have some great news!
By popular demand, I have decided to make a Youtube channel for video tutorials! I should have it up and running within the next couple of weeks. Any recommendations for my first tutorial? :)

So this post isn't completely meaningless, here are some old (2 of them are from last year!) NOTDs.

Starting with my new favorite summer color!

Essie Splash of Grenadine3 coats. Delicious formula. Second picture I'm holding my new favorite lotion! I bought it at Walmart for about $4. Go get it!

All my flowers all doing so wonderful! If you didn't already know, I have a HUGE green thumb. I love to garden. These are my hanging fuschias.

From last year:
China Glaze Jolly Holly


Orly Space Cadet
over Orly Matte Vinyl

If you want some more frequent updates, follow me on Twitter! I post my NOTDs and FOTDs that usually don't make it to my blog. Feel free to leave your Twitter in the comments section- I'd love to follow you guys!


Thanks for looking!!