I absolutely adore succulents. I think they are so elegant and can give a modern feel to any decor. That’s why when I saw this absolutely adorable DIY on Oh, Hello Friend, my heart melted. It’s so easy and perfect for summer. I also loved her idea to gift them to friends. How sweet would that be?
I’ve had such good memories at Comic Con the past two years.
I think that’s why it makes me so sad that I will not be in attendance this year.
I can’t mourn my loss for too long though. The only reason I am not
going is because we are going to Europe in November, so complaining just
feels a little silly. However, that doesn’t mean that I can’t reminiscence about all the
good times I did have. Here are some of my most favorite moments from SDCC
2009 and 2010. Looking forward to 2012!
Can anyone answer this question: when did this happen to Neville Longbottom?
Whether it was caps, removing a fat suit or just the most fabulous puberty session ever – none of us little Harry Potter fangirls are complaining. Go on with your bad self, Neville Matthew!
I have to say, I was pretty nervous come Sunday night. It was time for my first roller derby practice to be part of the Miami Vice City Rollers, and aside from skating around my house (literally, up and down my hallways) and briefly around my neighborhood (I really need outdoor wheels), I had not been unleashed in the open so to speak. Due to inclement weather, practice was moved from an outdoor roller hockey rink to a local skate rink, Super Wheels (a site that hosted many of my childhood birthday parties). Because of the change in venue, practice took a very different feel and instead of doing drills, we were told it would be more of a “dodging” practice.
And dodge we did. There were several children’s birthday parties occurring and just an influx of people that clearly had never seen a roller skate in their life, much less put a pair on their feet. I kind of felt like I was in a video game – there were small children colliding and face planting all around me, and I did my absolute best to avoid plowing through each and every one of them. One of the lovely girls on the team helped me begin my journey towards crossover turning (never learned as a kid), and I did my best working slowly towards sliding one foot in front of the other. By the end of the free skate, I’m pretty sure I had improved somewhat, but was still terrified to attempt to lift off fully (probably because of the pint-sized hazards).
I didn’t fall once (squee!), and was able to chat with a few of the girls – all of which are super sweet and supportive. I honestly cannot wait until next week’s proper practice, although I must say I am extremely overwhelmed with this new world and its lingo/science. Bearings, bushings, toe guards. What? Slow down, crazy. I also really need to build up my endurance: skating around for 2 hours had me seriously beat. Good news? Since the team is openly recruiting, we did not have to try out. We are all part of the team and will work up to be bout ready by December.
Guys, I’m a derby girl!
Here’s to keeping all my body parts and teeth in tact.
On Saturday, my hubby told me to get ready, bring a bikini and a big appetite. I was taken to breakfast at Palacio de los Jugos, an extremely popular Cuban market/juice bar in Miami, which was absolutely delicious and such a treat (we don’t have one nearby). Afterwards, the blindfold was presented and from that point forward, I had no idea where I was going or what was happening. To my total surprise, when the blindfold was removed, I was in front of some of my closest friends at one of their homes surrounded by the cutest party favors/supplies and gluten free snacks! I was blown away. I couldn’t even believe how quickly the time slipped by – I had such a good time. I feel so thankful that I have such amazing people in my life. So a huge thank you to everyone that made it possible – it was a very special day. 
Nirvana tank; H&M
Maxi skirt; H&M
Sandals; GAP outlet
Earrings; Old Navy
Bracelets; gifted
Tote; Rachel G.
Today’s Lovable Friday is a little more…lovable. Today marks the premiere of the last installation of Harry Potter films. Today, it’s over. It’s all over. After all the years of amazing storytelling, and equally amazing movies, it feels like the end of an era. After all, it is. Although all us Potter fans know how the story finally ends, there is still something so nerve wracking about sitting down to watch it replay before our eyes. I am so upset to say that I will not be watching it tonight (tickets went on sale for our local 21+ theater when I was a million feet above air), but rather Monday, so I hope not to hear too many spoiling reviews (ha, who am I kidding?). It is also the first time I see a Potter flick without a group of faithful Muggles. It will just be the hubs and I, which usually would be OK, except I am fairly certain I will be bawling my eyes out hysterically in a theater full of strangers. Better bring my own pack of tissues then and start practicing blaming a steady stream of tears on environmental allergies!
Thank you for sharing such a beautiful world with us, Ms. Rowling. You have brought a little piece of magic to each and every one of our lives.
I’m a sucker for personalized pencils. Add Potter-ness to that, and I’m sold. Unfortunately, I don’t know if these are real, or if the image was photoshopped. Either way, it’s a wonderful idea for a themed Potter party or a fabulous gift idea for the Potterphile in your life.
I gave you all a sneak peek of my outfit earlier this week, and here’s the official post! I had a fun dinner scheduled with my boss and new coworkers Sunday evening at Balans on Biscayne. I had a good time getting to know everyone (there are 17 of us!), laughing, eating and refraining from drinking. Yeah, you heard right. I had to turn down glass after glass of champagne because I was on antibiotics – major fail. But at least I looked cute! Now that I know the entire team, I’m definitely looking forward to future get-togethers with this fun group. I hear something about a party bus next time? 
Sheer dress; H&M
Cami; Gap body
Jeggings; Nordstrom Rack
Belt; Etsy
Pumps; ??
Cuff; gifted
Earrings; Forever 21
Fox necklace; Grrfeisty
Also, this was a great opportunity to show off our cute little terrace! Don’t you just love it? It makes me happy every time I sit out there. Especially when there are drinks and books involved. Just sayin’.
This mister was another recommendation (thanks for all the tips, ladies!), and although I am not a huge fan of The Borgias (it’s a little too slow moving for me), I can totally appreciate a little Francois Arnaud, who plays Cesare Borgia. Unfortunately, he looks pretty ridiculous in what seems like a wig (?) on the show, and this paired with the ornate period wardrobe can really be a hump day downer. Thankfully, the Tumblrs pulled through with the following magnificent pictures. Adorable shaggy hair, current clothing, smoldering poses: downer no more, ladies!
Remember my 2-year anniversary pretty nifty photoshoot giveaway? Well, Roxy was one of the two winners and we were finally able to coordinate a session a couple of weeks ago. She is just the cutest little thing with tons of spunk and sass (two of my favorite qualities). She wanted a mixture of pin up and roller derby, as she is fresh meat on her Houston league back home. The ideas sounded great to us – my hubs had never shot anything in these styles so he was more than psyched to give it a go. I have to say that we had the best time with Ms. GrrFeisty – she even inspired me to give derby a go (I’m looking at you, Vice City Rollers)!
Although my weekend wasn’t the best: I got struck by some wicked, vile string of death that included a fever of 102, body aches, sore throat and generally poopiness, there were some highlights. First being that my lovely friend, Lori, stopped by to drop off a zpak for me (forever thankful) – the rest are compiled below in Instagram form:
Friday evening, I got my new Riedell roller skates! They were an early birthday gift from my awesome hubby, after I expressed interest in joining a roller derby league. Once I fully recover, I hope to start practicing around the neighborhood (I’ve just been rolling around my house for now) and plan on joining open practice either this weekend or next! Exciting stuff! Eat my dust, thirty.