28 September 2014

Sunday Social # 21

1. What is your favorite magazine to read?
I don't like magazines. I got some free ones when I changed my mailing address and it seems like 80% of them are ads for things I cannot afford/am not interested in. The other 20% are perfume samples that I rip out immediately before they can make my head hurt.

2. What is the best thing you've seen online lately?
I was one of the ones following the Daquan Imgur Saga, I must admit.



3. What is your favorite celebrity to follow on Instagram or Twitter?
Neil Patrick Harris on Instagram. Twitter - Ricky Gervais, Barney Stinson, Emma Waston. John Green (author) is an avid Tumblr-er and worth your follow.

4. Is there one article of clothing no matter what the season you can’t help but love?
I wear capris all the time. Mostly because I'm short but mainly because they're awesome.

5. Do you prefer email or snail mail?
I love email for its quickness and efficiency but there is nothing more awesome than getting packages in the mail!

26 September 2014

Essie Sleek Stick Nail Wraps



I am a constant nail-biter. It's a bad habit that unfortunately every knows about as soon as they shake my hand because my nails are always uneven, short, and usually chipped.

I try to keep them polished because I think they look better that way. I've tried all kinds of polishes, top coats, base coats, quick-dry, everything - nothing ever stays on my nails for longer than a day. I'll go and do dishes and when I'm done I'll see all kinds of chips in the polish. I've wanted to try gel polish but can't bring myself to spring for the entire kit just yet.

Well, you can probably imagine how excited I was to be shopping at Dollar Tree when I found these essie sleek stick nail wraps!

You can find more designs and buy them at Target (here).


They only had these two designs but I bought one of each because for a dollar I just couldn't pass them up!

I've always been interested in nail wraps but have never bought them before so I was excited to be able to try them out.

The kit comes with a set of 18 nail wraps, 1 mini nail file, 1 cuticle stick, and instructions.

The mirror paper is just an added bonus. 

Obviously you have to start on clean nails. I used nail polish remover to take off all traces of my previous polish and then washed my nails with soap and water and dried them REALLY well.

You can see that my nails are stained from ALWAYS being polished. 

After your nails are clean you gently push back your cuticles with the provided stick.

It can be awkward working with your non-dominate hand. 
Putting the wraps on is pretty easy. Just place, press down, and file.




I was left with some pretty awesome looking nails that I would never have been able to achieve otherwise.





These nail wraps were pretty awesome. They didn't take long to put on at all. But I definitely suggest you open them outside or in a well-ventilated area because they reek! Whatever the appliques are made of have a very strong odor. The smell goes away eventually but I wish I would have opened them somewhere else and let them air out before I put them on.

Also, unlike the plastic nails, these don't have that many sizes which means some are going to be too big and some too small for your nail. I found that it's better to size down or else the bigger wrap will end up unsticking and will catch on things and fall off. From far you can't see that the applique doesn't exactly fit your nail either.

Hands are weird! I think my fingers are wrinkly & weird looking. 


Another cool thing about them is that they're fool-proof. You can see that I didn't get them completely wrinkle free but from far you can't tell.

They're also pretty hardy. I've washed dishes, showered, typed, and done other daily activities and not one has fallen off yet. Some, like the pointer fingers, are a bit haggard at the tips but still nothing horrendous enough that I have to take them off.

The prices range from 9.99 - 10.99 at Target, which I think is a bit expensive for everyday wear but I would definitely splurge on them for a special occasion.

But since I found them for a dollar! I think I'm going to buy more and hoard them.


23 September 2014

Another Addition to our Family!

John and I have been loving our Boyboy since we adopted him on April Fools.

This is what he looks like when he hogs the bed. 

He's super chill, literally plopping himself down onto the floor whenever he gets tired or bored. He barks like mad at the postlady, any big truck like UPS or FedEx, and completely ignores the annoying kids who lives next door whenever they call him to play.

He's basically my hero.

He's about 6 years old and though technically over-the-hill he loves going on walks and running around chasing squirrels and small cats. (He doesn't chase big cats.)


I try to walk him every morning before it gets too hot out. We leave around 9 and make our way home about an hour later. Even at this time of morning the sun beats down, so Boyboy has found a way to cool himself before heading back to the car.



Though John and I work at different times and different days we felt bad about leaving Boyboy alone at home.

So last week we decided to visit our Humane Society and take a look around at the dogs. And wouldn't you know it, we fell in love.

Go check out their dogs for adoption! 

We walked through their dog kennels to see if we could find one we liked. At first we found this huge, super nice German Sherpard but when we introduced him to Boyboy, he tried to be all dominate and manly, snapping and growling.

So next we came across Maribelle.


When we saw her, she was sitting straight up looking out into the window as we pressed our faces against it. Her ears were perking up and drooping as we moved and we could tell she was just really happy and active.

We took her out and brought Boyboy along to make sure that they would get along. Since Boyboy is so cool and not at all aggressive we were able to see that they would get along right off. She started giving him kisses and trying to get him to play. He seemed a bit annoyed with her effusiveness at first but then they went off to scamper.

So we decided to bring her home.

I know I cut off John's head but she just wouldn't stay still! 

She's still getting used to the way things work at our house. She's not very good on a leash and she's young so she's very active. She was found on the street and since it took us twenty minutes to show her how to get into the house we think it's safe to say she's never been an indoor dog.  But she's definitely adjusting to her lavish lifestyle.


She's so cute even if she does drool on the bed. 

She's grown on Boyboy who's showed her where to poop, how to get into the house, and how to jump onto the bed. We'll catch them playing in the yard with toys or running around trying to catch each other.




They are perfect and awesome and we love them!

22 September 2014

Banned Book Week


Have you ever read any of these books?














If you have then you've read (at least) one of the top 10 most challenged books for young adults last year. 


This week, September 21 - 27, is Banned Book Week where libraries, bookstores, schools, and the American Library Association (ALA) promote and educate people on the harm of censorship. 

Some of the most common reasons for censoring books have to do with "sexually explicit" content, "offensive language," and "homosexuality". 

Censoring books does not keep children or teens from learning these things. I'm pretty sure they already talk about all these things on a daily basis. But the problem does come when perhaps they read something a bit mature and are not given an outlet for discussing the situations within. 

Reading has been shown to improve empathy. It also teaches readers (children and adults) how other people live their life, make their decisions, and solve their problems enabling readers to delve into other worlds without having to actually live them. 

This means that reading a book like Go Ask Alice or Tweak will not automatically make you a drug addict. They do however provide a glimpse into the lives of those who may be portrayed within the book. Though fiction, the stories you read can be as real if not more so than any PSA out there. 


“A thing may happen and be a total lie; another thing may not happen and be truer than the truth.”
― Tim O'Brien, The Things They Carried


I've been a reader my entire life and I would hate to think that I could have missed out on some great books simply because someone else thought I was not mature enough to handle it. 

The problem with censoring books is that it is our right to read whatever we want to read. We are able to decide for ourselves which books we feel good enough to read.  

You may argue that in schools censoring can be a good thing. But even then, when it comes to completely banning a book - you're going the wrong way about it. 

Completely disregarding a topic does not mean that the problems go away. Sometimes, things need to be said in certain terms to better get the idea across. Sometimes people have sex (gasp) and sometimes people have gay sex (double gasp). By challenging these ideas and topics, we are actually teaching our children that they are somehow taboo. We are telling them that they are bad and therefore shouldn't be talked about in a mature, inquisitive, educational manner. 

In The Perks of Being A Wallflower themes of sexual abuse are told within. But did you know that according to The National Child Traumatic Stress Network as many as 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will have been sexually abused in some way before their 18th birthday? That is definitely not a small percentage! That means that these things happen and sometimes in order for others to come forward they have to find someone else who's been in the same situation. Sometimes that person doesn't have to be real for the victim to find strength.

Instead of being afraid that our children will go about re-enacting the things they see in books, we should be actively engaged with them about their reading. We should encourage them to read for fun as well for education. 

Banning books should not be the answer to any question. I mean, if you want some proof look no further than...




If you want to support the ALA and would like to donate 10$ to their endeavour you may do so HERE

If you'd like to see the top ten most frequently challenged books from 2001 - 2013 you may do so on the ALA website HERE

If you'd like to sport an I READ BANNED BOOKS banner on your Twitter or Facebook pages visit the Banned Book Week's website HERE


And lastly, tell me what banned books you've read or would love to read in the future. 




21 September 2014

Sunday Social # 20

1. What is your favorite part of Fall? 
I love the sweaters, tights, and overall cooler weather. Being able to walk outside without sweating is great.


2. Do you have anything special planned for Fall? 
Nothing really. My birthday is in fall...but I didn't plan that.




3. What is Fall like in your area? 
It is short (lasting about late October to about December) and I guess the average temperature is like 60 degrees.


4. What is your favorite Football team to cheer for(college or professional)? 
NO! I hate football. It's sooooooo slow.



5. Do you decorate for Fall? Show us pics!!!
We JUST bought some awesome (read cute) owl & fall magnets for our kitchen as well as a huge brown felt owl that I just wanted and have no idea where I'll actually put it. We also want to buy some awesome Dia de los Muertos knickknacks. It may or may not stay up in our living room...forever!




19 September 2014

Skin Care with Hawaiian Tropic





So depending on where you live, you may be unaware of this gigantic burning ball of gas in the sky that heats the inside of your car to 120 degrees, makes you sweat buckets when you walk outside to check your mail, and forces you to buy blackout curtains so you can actually see your TV.  

This crazy round orb is called the sun and sometimes it feels great but most of the time it makes you way too sweaty to function in a pleasant manner and can cause your skin to turn red and burn. 



I usually just avoid the thing all together. Now, I know there is this magic cream that you put on and supposedly staves off the harmful UV rays and keeps your skin from tanning or burning but I never use it on a daily basis.

Until now that is.

One of the samples I got in my Caliente VoxBox was Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch Ultra Radiance Lotion Sunscreen. 



This has basically changed my life. 

I never wore sunscreen everyday (even though you should! Yes, even in the winter. Yes, even when it's cloudy out) because it smells like sunscreen. I also didn't want it to ruin some of my nicer clothes or leave my arms and legs looking like I've just rubbed a stick of butter on them. 


Sunscreens are meant to keep your body safe from UV rays and some of the harmful cancer-causing stuff the sun produces so it probably wasn't top priority to make it smell pretty, look good, be non-greasy and still do its job. 

But then Hawaiian Tropic came along and was like "we think it should." And so they did.



This sunscreen really is like lotion. It's non-greasy so you won't look like you've just jumped into a vat of oil. It's so great that I have no problem using this on my face as well. I usually use a special sunscreen for my face because it can get a bit oily in the summer and I don't need my face to look like it's actually melting. But this goes on smooth, leaves no shine, and adds golden shimmer to make my face look brighter. 

The ultra radiance refers to that golden shimmer, giving you a youthful glow in sunlight. It's not crazy stripper-glitter, just a sheer touch as the name implies. 

What is just the icing on the cake is the smell. The lotion doesn't smell overwhelmingly like sunscreen. It smells mostly of coconuts and sand with just a faint, faint scent of sunscreen beneath. 

I've found that the scent wears off after a while but that the sunscreen itself doesn't under normal conditions. Things like washing your hands or excessive sweating may cause you to reapply it but that's typical of all sunscreens. 

If you're like me and you've just avoided using sunscreen on a daily basis because you're worried about how you look in it, give this one a shot. I'm pretty sure it'll change your mind about it. And if you're still iffy about the whole UV rays and why wearing sunscreen on a daily basis is so important just watch this video about the unseen damage your skin may already have. 









*I received this product complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. But all opinions are my own.*


17 September 2014

Did It Hurt?

Even now at the age of 25 I'm not that comfortable in my own skin. I trip over my own feet at least once a day, I am constantly misjudging the distance between my flailing limbs and the nearest glass of water, and I've given John more injuries than presents.



The few things I do love about my body are things that weren't there originally - my tattoos.

I got my first tattoo at a parlor in Utah during my first year in college. I was 18 and reluctant to step inside. I wasn't wavering in my decision but I didn't feel the least bit cool enough to walk in there.

When the day finally arrived I showed up with shallow breath and sweaty hands. They prepped me, told me what they were going to be doing, laid me down, and put the needle to my skin. No turning back now.


Two hours later I had gotten my first tattoo.


Now, some six years later I have nine tattoos all together. And I'm not done yet.

Sometimes there is this stigma with people who have tattoos. Maybe they're mean, or rough around the edges, maybe they are angry at their parents. But I find that people come up to me more now that I have them than ever before.

They ask a lot of the same questions: Where did you get it? Did it hurt? What is it? What are you going to do when you're older? 

Most of the time I try to answer them as best as I can. All except the last one because really?



Sometimes I get the impression that people think I'm cooler than I am because of them. Or that I have a shit job because who is going to let you work with tattoos on your arms?!



Well, let me tell you: I'm not that cool. I got them because I like them and they mean something to me. I'm not an artist, a biker, or barista.

Annnd to those who ask about my job: When I first arrived at the job I'm at now, no one even knew I had them. You put on a sweater and no one even knows they're there. When I finally got comfortable enough and took the sweaters off, people were flabbergasted that I even had any.

My mum was pretty pissed/disappointed/annoyed when I got the first ones on my arm. I guess as my mother she had to be all motherly and "Why Valerie, why?" and "You better buy a bunch of sweaters because no one will ever hire you now," and the most hilarious "What if your boyfriend doesn't like girls with tattoo?"

Which is hilarious because John is in the process of getting his sleeve finished too.

To this day, I never talk about my future tattoo plans in front of my mother. And it kills me whenever any of my cousins broach the subject because I can feel Mum's judgmental eyes boring into the back of my skull as I stutter incoherent syllables.

I've also never regretted getting them. Six years in and still regret-free! My decisions as to what to get, where to get it, and who was going to do them weren't taken lightly. I didn't go in, point at some flash and pay up. I thought about it. I wanted things not many other people have but things that also mean something to me. So, no. I don't regret them. And I hate that people assume I will.

So here are answers to some of the most asked questions.

My most painful tattoo was the one on the top of my foot. And no, it's not a rabbit, a bear, or a cat. It's a Totoro.



The quickest one was the one on my ankle. It took less than 30 minutes.


The one I get the most comments on is the robot on my forearm.
Some nerd guys go crazy for it when they assume it's a female C3PO. They try to talk to me about Darth and Luke and who knows what else while trying to put the moves on me. It's hilarious because C3PO was actually based off the robot on my arm (not the other way around) and I've never seen Star Wars in my life. I have no inclination to. Boooooring.

Getting them, I learned something new about my pain tolerance and my body.  The process and the way your skin reacts to it are different for everyone. Though the process isn't pain-free it's not unbearable. But I learned that I cannot go in without eating anything. Technically speaking no one should go in without eating something. And you should never go drunk because it makes your blood thinner or something.

I also learned that I cannot be tattooed for more than 3 hours. My skin not only gets really red, but starts to bleed and plasma-ed everywhere like crazy. It also doesn't take the ink as well, which means more work and more pain.

Whatever body part is getting tattooed also swells up. I don't know if you can see it on the rose below but my arm is super huge. It gets very tender and sensitive. But all of that goes away in a few days.

Needless to say, I love them.










No matter what your feelings on tattoos are they have been a form of expression, art, and a rite of passage for over thousands of years.




16 September 2014

Literary Junkies # 7


1. What are you reading right now? Tell us about it.
I am actually on book hiatus at the moment. Haven't been to the library in a while but I'll probably go later on in the week. I have a lot of books on my TBR list that I need to get through. 

2. There are a ton of movies coming out soon that were based off of books. Are there any you're particularly excited to see?
I was super excited to see The Giver and was thoroughly disappointed. I actually watched The Fault in Our Stars prior to reading the book and loved them both equally. I'm excited for Mockingjay Part 1 because they've done really well turning the books into movies. 






3. With fall finally here for some of us, are there any books that you're particularly looking forward to reading in the season of big sweaters, blankets and hot chocolate? 
I don't read books by season. Everything is just whenever I feel like reading it. 

4. We only have 3.5 months left of 2014. Did you participate in any reading challenges? How are you doing?
I wanted to read at least 25 books this year because last year I didn't read as much as usual. I'm happy to say that I have reached my goal!

We can be friends on Goodreads



5. What has been the best book you've read so far this year?
Young Adult was probably TFiOS and for adult fiction it was probably The Green Mile.

Fuck Fate
Via Tumblr


15 September 2014

Shrimp Scampi





Our local grocery store is called HEB. We have a few other smaller grocery stores but HEB is the go-to and they are everywhere.

HEB Plus
This is my parent's. Via


Well, they have this special (read more expensive) one called Central Market (also known as Gucci-B).

Central Market San Antonio
Via The Fab Spot

They have things like purple snow peas, 20 different kinds of tomatoes, and organic ev.ery.thing.

Purple Snow peas
Via Cole Canyon Farms

We usually don't head over there unless I'm craving dark chocolate. But this weekend they had a great sale!

Jumbo shrimp were half off! So we braved the Sunday-shoppers, ate every free sample there was, and bought two pounds of never-frozen, headless, jumbo shrimp.

I decided to make Shrimp Scampi to really taste and revel in the awesomeness that is the crustacean. Shrimp Scampi is really easy to make and it tastes light, summery, and bright with tons of lemon thrown in.




Shrimp Scampi over Whole Wheat Linguine
Shrimp Scampi over whole wheat linguine
Prep time: 10 minutes prep & 30 minutes to marinade
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: About 50 minutes


Ingredients
  • 1 package whole wheat linguine
  • 1 lb shrimp - deveined, peeled but you can leave the tails on
  • 3 tbsp parsley
  • 1 -3 tbsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 lemons (juice & zest)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • cheese for topping
Cooking Directions
  1. You'll want to marinate the shrimp for at least 30 minutes. So take a bowl and mix the olive oil, red pepper (I added about 3 tbsp but you might want to start off with just one), the lemon juice, the lemon zest, parsley, salt and pepper. Give it a little stir and dump it onto the shrimp. Make sure that both sides of each shrimp gets coated. Put it in the fridge.
  2. When you're ready to start cooking - make the pasta according to the package instructions.
  3. While that's going - take a pan and put your burner on medium heat. When the pan is nice and hot take your shrimp and put them down. I used tongs and remembered what order I put them down so I knew where to start when it came time to turn them. I also dumped all the rest of the marinade into the pan. Shrimp cooks really fast so you don't want to leave them and do laundry or whatever. As soon as they turn opaque they can be turned. Mine took about 2-3 minutes on each side. By this time my pasta was done, so I drained it and added it to the pan and gave everything a good little swirl to get some of that marinade on the pasta.
  4. Plate it up, add some fresh parsley on top, and some cheese - then dig in! 

14 September 2014

Sunday Social # 19

Another week come and gone. Soooo let's start this week off with another Sunday Social. 


1. Favorite scent
I love the smell of vanilla. Cinnamon and apples are great. We live by this big bakery and when the wind blows just right it smells like apple pie! I also love the smell of rain on dry earth which is called....petrichor! 
girl in rain cubagallery
Via CubaGallery 


2. Favorite food
Cereal. Always. I'm on a cereal diet because I eat it way too much and my favorite kinds are the super delicious sugary ones. But I will always love cereal. 
Via Women's Health


3. Favorite sound
I don't know what my favorite sound would be. I think I'm actually getting tinnitus from all the white noise I work in. But I like music...and uh...rain hitting the roof. 



4. Favorite picture currently on your phone
Of my furbaby of course! 
Taken with my Samsung Galaxy S5! 

5. Best memory of the year so far
Oh man. There are way too many to name. But going to San Diego was pretty rad.