Please help me out!!

I recently entered a contest for my favorite brand of makeup, Bobbi Brown. She's looking for her next "Pretty Powerful" face for her next ad campaign...

Here's what happens..

There will be one winner (with the most votes) from each state. Those semi finalists will win a $100 gift card and also are the semi finalists that Bobbi Brown herself will select the winner from.

I'm currently in the lead for my state of Nebraska and would really love your vote! The contest ends on November 11 and you only have to vote once, and there's no signing up for anything. When you click on the link, you just have to hit vote.

I really would appreciate your vote (and one from any computer, ipad, phone etc!) All you have to do is hit VOTE!

http://prettypowerful.bobbibrowncosmetics.com/contestants?per_page=30&search=state&sort_by=votes&word=nebraska#contestant_leader=2671

That's the link...thanks so much. You have no idea how much I appreciate it!

Awesome Giveaway from Just Another Preppy Shopaholic...

One of my favorite sites is Marley Lilly. And one of the blogs I follow is having a giveaway for a fabulous scarf from them! Check out Just Another Preppy Shopaholic for details on the giveaway!

Drugstore Beauty

As much as I love make-up, I don't want to spend a ton of money on it these days because although I'm a pageant girl, I really dislike putting on tons of make-up each day. I like to just put on some foundation, mascara, a little blush and lip gloss and be done. I'll be honest I never really gave many of the products at    Walgreen's a second look till I started watching YouTube videos and learning how much all makeup products are alike; it doesn't really matter the name brand on it. So, I decided to give these a try...

Wet n Wild 3 Color Palettes

I saw this on a Youtube channel I love to watch called Beauty Broadcast. She has this in one of her videos as a dupe to three MAC eyeshadows. MAC eyeshadows are currently my favorite. Out of all the eyeshadows I've ever used, MAC seems to have the best staying power for me. This Wet n Wild palette was a great find for me. I paid around $3 for it and I love that it tells you where each shade should go. I'm pretty bad at figuring out what colors to use for my crease and lid. This palette has a nice natural finish to it and it has a hint of shimmer. Overall, I really liked these shadows. They had a staying power similar to MAC.

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick

I saw these as well on Beauty Broadcast, and I believe she had it as a dupe for the MAC Viva Glam. I recently discovered Viva Glam and absolutely love it (more to come on that in another post). This drugstore alternative is a favorite of mine now too. It was very creamy which I like in a lip gloss and they had a nice variety of nude and pinky nude shades which are my favorite. I think I paid around $5 for this one. 

I've found some other new beauty and makeup channels to watch on YouTube and I have a loooooong list of other drugstore products I want to try! Any suggestions on any great drugstore finds I should try?

Half Marathon finish time update...Workout Wednesday

Well they finally posted the results and...

my official time was...

2:29:56...yay for being under my 2:30 goal!

I ran my first 10k in 1:05. Those darn hills on the second half slowed me down!

Sunday night and Monday my legs hurt sooooo bad. I felt like an 80 year old woman when I tried to walk. By Tuesday, my hips were the only sore spot. Last night I did realize/notice that my toe nails are bruised though :(

Today my legs felt fine so I did a half hour on the elliptical. I felt fine during my workout, but once I got off, I noticed my legs are still a bit sore. Nothing a little stretching won't fix.

I'm taking the rest of the week off from running. I'm still not sure how to deal with these bruised toe nails once I hit the pavement again next week. B and I are doing a 5k together on Sunday...I think it'll be a combination of a walk/run though since B hasn't gone running in awhile.

Omaha Half Marathon...

Well I did it...I ran my first half marathon. WOW-What an experience it was and I'm so proud of myself that I did it.

I signed up to do the half as a way to challenge myself. I often get stuck in the same old workout routine that gets boring. I'll be honest...I really tried to stay true to my half marathon training schedule. But, it did get hard since I spend most of the summer traveling. That means when I get home, it takes me a week to get back into my daily habits.

During my training, the farthest I ran was 7.5 miles...wasn't quite sure how I was going to run 13 today. I originally had a goal time in mind, but that changed once I slacked on the training. My only goal for today was to finish, and be happy and proud of myself for doing something I never would have imagined doing. I really wanted to finish under 2:30 too. While I normally run a 10 minute mile on the treadmill, I'm significantly slower outside, and with the hot/humid Nebraska weather we have, it makes it hard to run outside too...so needless to say I wasn't sure how this whole half marathon was going to turn out today...

When I was walking to the start line this morning, I really thought about turning back and not doing it. The thought of running 13 miles in 43 degree weather was not very appealing at 6 a.m. when I got there this morning....

But, I faced my fears and we were off. I really am a walk/run type of girl so I told myself to walk whenever I felt like I needed it. Surprisingly, I ran most of the first 6.5 miles. I told myself to go slow and save my energy and I did end up taking a walking break after each mile for a few seconds. I really didn't feel I was going all that fast but my running app said I was pacing around 10:20...ok, I'll take it!

Halfway mark hit and it was a bit down hill from there.

Mile 7-couldn't feel my butt
Mile 7.5-stomach was growling. Being up since 4:30 made me a hungry girl
Mile 8-cobblestone streets and hills did not make me a happy girl
Mile 8.5-legs started cramping so I listened to my body and walked till I felt I could run
Mile 9-largest hill ever came up and my poor legs killed walking up it
Mile 10-legs felt like they were going to fall off and were cramping so bad. I kept telling myself (outloud nonetheless) that it'd all be over in a half hour or less
Mile 11-ran/walked
Mile 12-ran/walked till the last 2 blocks, then I sprinted as fast as I could to that finish line. I wanted that medal!

I looked up at the time and it said 2:31... however I started my timer on my phone when I crossed the start line this morning and that time was 2:30:05....I'd like to think of that as more of my official time and I'll take it!

It was a great feeling running down that runner's finishing shoot. At this race, Marines presented you with the medal after crossing the finish line and I've really never been more proud of myself. All the awards I've won over the years through pageants, dance and ice skating really don't compare to this one.

I was so relieved to see B with miss Giavanna right at the finish line. It's nice to see your favorite person (and dog) after a long run. My legs were hurting horribly afterwards..the walk back to my car and ride home were painful. Most of the pain has gone away, but my hips and knees hurt like I'm a 90 year old woman. I'm sure it'll be a sore/rough few days...

I think I'll be completing at least one half marathon each year now...it's quite the rush. But over the next two and half weeks I have two 5k's (which I'll be doing both with M) and one 8k. 

I know I'll never be the fastest or come in first place in these races..maybe one day I can run a 5k and come in first in my age group...who knows. All I know is it's nice to get out of the same old workout rut and really challenge myself...

New Favorite Snackies...

I am always on the hunt in the grocery store for new snacks to eat. It's easy to get tired of eating the same ole snacks all the time. Here are some of my newest finds that I can't stop munching on!

These are small star vanilla cookies with a yogurt coating. It has three flavors; blueberry, strawberry and vanilla. It first reminded me of a frosted animal cookie, but after you finish chewing, you have a tart after taste of yogurt. It's a nice healthier alternative to the frosted animal crackers we always have around the house.

This looked like the perfect sweet and salty mix. It has pretzels, animal crackers, M & M's, yogurt covered pretzel balls and raisins. I ate almost this whole tub by myself in only a few days...oops! I found myself digging for the yogurt covered pretzel balls. This was the first time I had ever tried anything covered in yogurt too...it's gotten me hooked now!

While at Trader Joe's, I was hunting for the yogurt pretzels in my snack mix above but this was the closest I could find something to it. These taste exactly like a white chocolate covered raisin!

Ever since I moved to Nebraska, I have been on the hunt for pretzel rolls. There's a few places back in Wisconsin where you can get them and I absolutely love them. I've found pretzel loafs here but nothing like the rolls that I like using for my daily turkey sandwich lunch. When I found these at Trader Joe's I was over the moon excited! Especially since I've been really getting tired of my same ole turkey sandwich on wheat bread. This was absolutely amazing...thank goodness Trader Joe's is close to my house!

Workout Wednesday-Half Marathon Training

Well, I bit the bullet and finally signed up for a half marathon. It's the Omaha half marathon at the end of September. I have about 7 weeks until the big day. EEK!

So far it's been nice having a training schedule to follow..and having a goal of reaching towards as well. Some days I have great runs; other days I want to quit after 2 miles. I know it's only going to get harder from here but I'm ready for the challenge!

So far I've been following Hal Higdon's novice half marathon training. Granted I've only been following it for two weeks now but so far so good. I normally only run 3 miles when I'm working out so this has been a great way to transition to longer runs. However, the Hal Higdon schedule only works in one day of strength training when I am used to doing it 4 days a week. I decided to add in my arm and leg days on my schedule; I didn't want to completely give it all up.

So far this week goes...

Monday-2 miles & legs
Tuesday-4 miles
Wednesday-2 miles & arms
Thursday-4 miles & legs
Friday-rest
Saturday-40 mins cross training & arms
Sunday-6 miles

I've never run more than 5 miles in my life so it'll be interesting to see how my long run turns out to be this week!

While I'm excited for the big day to be here, I'm a bit apprehensive too. I'm not a fan of running outside-I'd much rather be on a treadmill watching one of my favorite shows to help pass the time. So when the big day comes, I'm not sure how I'll do with all the hills, wind etc. I know I've got to get outside to run some more, but with all this heat lately it's been impossible!

I'll update y'all next Wednesday on how the training is going so far...

but a question for all my running pals....any tips on nutrition and what to eat/avoid while training?

Royal Wedding Recap...

I absolutely love weddings so there's no way I was going to miss watching the Royal Wedding. I did contemplate just waking up at my normal hour and watching it on DVR, but this is one of those once in a lifetime moments..one day I'm sure my kids will ask me where I was when it happened and I rather not say I slept in that day.


Here are some of my favorite moments of the royal occasion...

She looked so regal and fabulous in that dress. It fit her to a perfect tee. And Miss Pippa, va va voom in that dress! She looked fabulous in that MOH dress.

I loved her evening dress as well. Glad she put some sparkle on that second dress. 

And Pippa's evening dress-where can I get it?! In love with it...

This commoner knows how to roll..looking classy on her way to the ceremony. 

I loved how Kate kept waving to the people..she's going to be a fabulous princess.

When William told her she looked beautiful-ahhh, took my breath away.

I really want Harry and Pippa to hook up. Harry's love, Chelsea Davy, looked a bit of a hot mess when she arrived to the ceremony. 

Here she is again looking back...I think she was trying to make sure it wasn't a fairytale and that it was really happening!

Such a surprise when they left the luncheon-such a fun idea!

Ummmm, did they really think they looked good with those hats on? Trying to channel their inner Sarah Jessica Parker doens't look like it's working ladies...

I think they might be the hottest couple on the planet...and I adore Posh's hat!

Work out Wednesday

I've seen lots of people do different types of themes for different days of the week on their blogs.

Wordless Wednesday..Thankful Thursday...Follow Friday..

Well, I decided I wanted to jump on the bandwagon. Therefore, welcome to Work Out Wednesday! Each Wednesday, I'll focus on different aspects of working out. Group exercise class reviews, types of weight training/cardio, eating right etc.

**NOTE: By no means am I am expert on this subject. I've been doing weight training and cardio for the past 7 years and I've learned a lot from the personal trainers I've had-just want to share some of my knowledge with all of you.

To start out, I wanted to share with you a few tips this week.

• The best way to lose weight or maintain your current weight is not only with a healthy diet but exercise also. I've been taught to eat 6 meals a day with a protein, carb and fruit/veggie with it. Gotta keep that metabolism up all day!
• The best thing for your body after a work out, besides stretching of course, is proper nutrition also. The ideal snack is to be eaten within 30-45 minutes post workout and should be a protein and carb.
• I'm not a huge fan of weighing myself. I'm hard on myself like most people and my weight always fluctuates. Instead, I go off of how I feel. If I feel energetic and my clothes fit nicely, then I'm doing a good job. If I start to feel lousy and my pants are getting tight, then I know I need to lay off the cupcakes and work out a bit more.

And last, I wanted to leave you with the type of work out I do. Everyday my cardio changes from elliptical to running; it always depends on how my body feels. ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! If you're sore or sick, take it a little bit easier, or better yet, give your body a day off! Your body needs days off because that's when the muscles start to repair themselves=aka building muscle!

Sunday: yoga, legs/shoulders/biceps, cardio 30-45 mins

Monday: off

Tuesday: arms,  cardio 30-45 mins

Wednesday: legs/shoulders/biceps,  cardio 30-45 mins

Thursday: arms,  cardio 30-45 mins

Friday: off

Saturday: cardio only: sometimes weights depending on if I missed a day

Next week, I'll post a sample of some of the leg and arm workouts that I do. 

Gimme head with hair long beautiful hair..

I have hair envy.

I wish that I could blow dry my hair and be done with it each day. But I can't. Doing my hair is an hour long process.

This is pretty much what my natural hair looks like. My dad has very thick straight hair and my mom has curly hair. I got the combination of the two...and I'm not a fan of it. I know almost every woman hates their hair for some reason or another. I do like that I have very thick hair that I can do a lot with, however I think of how much time I spend on doing my hair everyday and I've probably lost days of my life while dealing with this mane of hair. (P.S. I also envy girls who can go for a few days without washing their hair. Since I work out almost everyday and sweat like a 15 year old boy, there's no getting around not washing my hair.)

I don't leave my hair curly too often. The only time I will is if it's supposed to rain or be humid, aka summer in Nebraska. Most days, I straighten it and am done with it.

I've heard about this phenomenon called a "Dry bar." They've popped up in larger cities around the US over the past few months. They don't do cuts or colors there, just hair blowouts. I've tried for years to master this blow out technique and can't do it. I can't twist my arms to work well with both a brush and blowdryer.

The other day I found out that there's a Dry Bar across the street from the hotel I'm staying at in Scottsdale this summer. I'll be there for our Arizona NAM pageant in July (Yes, it's the hottest month of the year and is also monsoon season there-doesn't get any better than that). A few days after Arizona, we have our next pageant in Utah, so the bf and I are staying in Arizona a few extra days rather than driving back home and immediately leaving again.

I decided I'm going to try out this Dry Bar since it's right by our hotel. Paying someone $35 to wash and dry my hair in a half hour is totally worth it. I've already made my appointment and am so looking forward to it. Their goal is to one day have a Dry Bar in every city..when it comes here, I will definitely be in investing in a monthly membership to it! Below is their menu..what blowout should I get?

Organization...

I'm the queen of notepads, pens and anything office-y related. Don't ask me why, but there's something so cute about an adorable pad of paper and a fun hot pink pen!

When I graduated from college, one of the presents I got was a fabulous Kate Spade organizer. In the world of electronic calendars, I'm still a pad and pen kind of girl.

A couple of weeks ago, I won a giveaway from Running in High Heels blog. I won a MyAgenda! First off, I never win anything so I was so excited to finally win something! Thanks Brittney :) Anywhos, I got my Myagenda in the mail a few days ago and am in love with it! It has everything I need in one place-there's even a spot for planning my weekly dinner menu, and workouts as well as my vacation planning and address book in the back.

Yes, now I have TWO organizers for the remainder of 2011. I feel that at the end of the year I'll have to pick just one to get for the next year and I know it'll be hard :( I feel like I'm pushing kate aside! 

The future mom who shops the best...

If there were ever an award for worst chocolate chip cookies ever, I'd most likely win it. 

These are from my latest baking adventure. When I was growing up, my grandma watched my sister and I everyday. We would go to her house after school and  every weekday in the summer; she would watch us while mom and dad were at work. It's no wonder my sister and I both love to bake; we'd watch grandma bake goodies everyday for my grandpa.

I am a pretty good cook but I am horrible in the baking department. Recently I made cake pops that turned out pretty good; but as far as brownies and cookies from the box or bag, I need serious help. They always end up burned or flat or not done enough.

I follow directions and make sure I never miss a step. I ensure that every ingredient is always measured out perfectly. I've tried putting them on different baking racks, using different baking pans..you name it I've tried it. I'm come to accept it- when I have kids I will never be that mom that bakes the world's best chocolate chip cookies... instead I'm sure I'll be the mom who takes her kids and their friends on the world's best shopping trips for shoes.

Can anyone give me a little help here or some other recipes to try? I've tried a variety of recipes from the back of the chocolate chip bags to Nestle Toll House to the famous Neiman Marcus recipe. My cookies always turn out flat, burned around the edges and the bottom. And within about an hour, they're hard as a rock.

I love my cookies to be crisp around the edges and soft and gooey in the middle-kind of like Mrs. Field's cookies. The bf likes hard cookies and with white chocolate chips. Any recipes or help for either would be great..

Summer in the City...

The next installment of the Carrie Diaries comes out on Tuesday April 26! I'm so excited to get this new book entitled, Summer in the City. It comes out about a week before the beau and I head off to Mexico for vacation-this will definitely be my beach read!

Domesti-Pups

Allow me to introduce to you my dog-ter...

Giavanna Dora Rich Spingola

She's the apple of her daddy's eye and has mom wrapped around her finger. Yes, my dog is like my own child and I don't know what I'd do without her.

When I first moved here in the summer of 2008, Brandon promised me he would buy me a dog at some point. My parents have always had at least two dogs ever since I was little, so being without one was going to be an adjustment for me. So, our agreement was that within a year or so, I could get a dog and I was ok with that.

Two days of living in Nebraska, and I came across this lil pumpkin's face. She was born the day I moved  here and took it as a sign that she needed to be mine. She was a maltipoo, a dog I've wanted forever, and was the only white female; another must have for me. I begged Brandon for a few days to go look at her....after many no's, he gave in. A month later we visited her, fell in love and couldn't say no. On September 8, 2008, I brought her home and can't imagine life without my lil furball of a princess.

Giavanna, or Gia as we like to call her (her daddy picked her name), is the most loveable lil dog ever. At just 5 lbs, she fits perfectly in your lap and is quite the snuggle bear. We bring Gia with us when we travel to pageants and all the lil girls love to come see our lil pageant mascot. She doesn't have a mean bone in her body. 

Because Gia is so sweet and loves to be petted and be around everyone, it got me to thinking that she would be the perfect therapy dog. Late fall last year, I found a local organization called Domesti-Pups that trains owners and dogs to become therapy dogs and handlers. 

Back in January we began our classes. 14 weeks of classes with a test that we must pass at the end (the canine good citizen test)...then 3 months of "training" visits at nursing homes, hospitals etc followed by our graduation.

We are about three weeks away from our test...let's just say Gia will be doing some "cramming" before it. She can be a bit stubborn when we work on commands with her but we're both confident she'll pass with flying colors. We're really counting on her having my looks but Brandon's brains :) 

Until then...cross your paws for us! 

Sparkle and shine

As a pageant girl, I love my rhinestones and sparkles. And as a girly girl, I love me some shoes and purses. I have a whole closet dedicated to my purses and totes. B says I have WAY too many; he cringes every time I get a new one. I just like to have options for different outfits. Same goes for my shoes..I'm a proud owner of 125ish of them. 

Like many materialistic women out there, I lust after name brands...specifically ones I can only dream of having. I'll admit, I do have a pair of Burberry heels that I begged my dad to get me for Christmas a few years ago. Despite how fashionable they are, they're probably the most uncomfortable pair of shoes I have!

For the longest time ever, I've wanted a pair of Christian Louboutins. There's something about the red sole of the shoe that gets to me. One pair in particular recently caught my eye...

Sparkles, sparkle and more sparkles. Not just any regular ole crystal rhinestone..but Swarovski AB crystals. Ahhhhh..so in love with them. If only it weren't for that $3500 price tag on these....despite the price, I'm still determined to get a pair one day!

Mary Poppins the Musical

For the past 5 years that the beau and I have been dating, one of our favorite date nights has been going to see musicals. I'm very lucky to have a guy that likes being cultured and attending such events. We try to go see every musical that comes to town. We've seen a multitude over the past handful of years. Up until now, my top three included Wicked, Legally Blonde and Avenue Q. Last week we had a "date night" and saw Mary Poppins...and now another has made it into the top spots in my mind.

Whenever we see a musical, I try not to look up anything about it because I like the surprise factor. I wasn't sure what we'd see from this musical, considering it only has two songs that most people know. I was pleasantly surprised by how captivated I was by the production only a few minutes into it.

The stage, sets and props are absolutely incredible. Things pop up and come out of nowhere so you're always wondering what will happen next. The cast was amazing..I really believed that they were the actual, original characters from the movie.

My favorite part of the show was when they sang "Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious" (ummm, did i spell that right?) This was such a fun number...and as a dancer I must say, this was the BEST dancing I've ever seen in a theatrical production. I really want to learn how to do this dance...

If it comes to your town, it's a must see!

Getting back on the blog bandwagon...

I swear I'm going to stick to one of my New Year's resolutions of getting back to blogging..

I know I'm a few days..almost 12 to be exact..behind but hey, better late than never...

So, starting tomorrow, I'm back in action in blogland..woop woop!