Happy Holidays.

Happy Holidays Blogger & Blog-viewing peeps!  I’ll see you soon with a new post.  I'm pretty excited to blog with the new blogger post settings which makes posts much easier to create.  Here's to the new year!  See you in 2013.

What I’ve Learned This Year:

• I now feel like a I am sort of a Disneyland expert with the amount of times I've gone this past year.  
• Congress sucks.  
• Nursing is becoming more of a definite reality.  
• I learned how to guide children and why I like being around them so much.
• I learned the origin of the word, OK (Thank you, Silver Linings Playbook).
• I know the highs and lows of having a kitten after taking care of 3 abandoned ones for a couple of weeks.
• But I learned that even with all the hard work involved, I'm a fully realized cat lover and want to give one a permanent home with me in the near future.
• With the many people who have tragically died this past year, whether in my family or on the news, I truly feel I've gotten the concept of how short life can be and to just enjoy it to the fullest.  Don't sweat the small bullshit and just keep doing you.

NOTD - China Glaze's "Argo" (Hunger Games Capitol Colours Collection)

Today's color is from the Hunger Games Capitol Colour Collection that is called Argo. I've heard that this color is inspired by District 11, which specializes in agriculture.

Argo is a dark, forest-y, olive green with micro shimmer that gives off a metallic finish.
PROS: You only need to apply one layer of this gorgeous green polish to get the same desired results as the photos below.
CONS: The only con I could see with Argo is that the brush strokes can be visible at times, however, but I didn't find it distracting enough to not recommend this nail polish.

This is one of my personal favorites from the collection for sure!
Thanks for stopping by!

Hunger Games Nail Polish Haul + Mini Movie Review

THE NAIL POLISH
I'm in the midst of my Spring Break and I'm back in a big way. With a huge Hunger Games nail polish haul. Above is a photo of the 8 out of 12 Hunger Games nail polishes by China Glaze. I genuinely love this collection. The collection is mostly filled with neutrals and glitters, which I am in love with as you can see, hahaha. I am considering buying one or two more since these China Glaze polishes are on sale at Sallys, making them cheaper than similar colors from Essie or OPI.

L to R: Luxe & Lush, Smoke & Ashes, Stone Cold, Argo

L to R: Well Dressed, Fast Track, Electrify, Riveting

MOVIE REVIEW
I’ve read the first book and am about to start the second, Catching Fire.

Regarding the film, I liked that the romance/sort-of love triangle is played down even more so than in the book. The film could have easily given in to “Twilight tween audience” and given us a played up cheesy romance between Katniss and Peeta but it didn’t, even if it is fake for television. At its heart what this film/book series is is NOT about romance but a commentary on our society. Its a cautionary tale on how “entertainment” like reality television and extreme government control can go too far and make life miserable.

I really liked this movie for being able to have the PG13 rating yet tried to please all audiences and not just the tween demographic that’s usually associated with many subpar, cheesy movies. Those who came into this film not expecting much, like my boyfriend, were pleasantly surprised. And I’m very glad.

As for the “shakey” cam, this honestly did not bother me nor did I even notice until the actual Hunger Games portion of the film. This is probably because we sat in the very last row where the entire screen is easily visible. The only time it got me was during the climactic fight scene unfortunately.

Overall, even with some story changes and the deletion of some scenes from the book, I thought the film did a great job.

Thanks for stopping by!

2012 Oscars Live Blog

Long time no post. School has definitely ruled my life lately but I'm here with my set-aside free time to watch and blog the Oscars like last year....So, here we go!

4:20(ishpm): I'm watching E!'s Live on the RedCarpet and am greeted with Ryan Seacrest being drenched with Kim Jon Il's "ashes" by Sacha Baron Cohen's Dictator character. Nice. As Tina Fey stated, "you were a victim of comedy" and Ryan was a good sport about it.

4:25pm: And now I'm feeling sorry for the poor lad getting yelled at by security to clean the "ashes" up.

4:40pm: I'm switching back and forth between ABC's Red Carpet and E!'s Red Carpet. I'm sticking with E!. More personality and are doing a better job examining the fashion.

4:57pm: Earlier, there was a poll for E! viewers on who should win Best Picture. And of course, The Help came out on top with 34%, but that's only because it's the only film a lot of E! viewers even saw. My money is definitely on The Artist. It's actually a good film guys.

5:03pm: On ABC, Bradley Cooper is being interviewed sporting a thin mustache. Kinda looking like Burt Reynolds. Sexy. AND doing a decent Chris Walker impression haha.

5:27pm: And now it's about to start, I'm jumping with excitement...... yeeeeeaaah, I hoping the Oscars don't become a complete bore-fest like last year *crosses fingers*

5:30pm Oh nice. They are doing the MTV-style bit but with the films all integrated much better and FUNNIER! Thank you!!

5:33pm OHMYGAWH Billy Crystal in blackface as Sammy Davis Junior

5:37pm "We're here at Chapter 11 Theater" Oh poor Kodak, advanced technology has ruined you :(

5:44pm "Hugo" wins Best Cinematography & Art Direction. Completely agree, it's a beautiful looking film.

5:45pm The winners are so cute in their Italian accents.

5:47pm The downside to watching the Oscars on the only HD TV in the house? Having my dad insert his comments, constantly, as you try to enjoy the show.

5:52pm "Your name here" theater. And the Kodak hits keep on coming, ouch.

5:54pm "The Artist" wins Best Costume Design.

5:59pm "The Iron Lady" wins Best Achievement in Makeup. I was rooting for "Albert Nobbs" or "Harry Potter" but "The Iron Lady"? Really? Comeon now.

6:05pm Oh Sandra nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. That dress is so ill-fitting! Thankfully her Chinese presentation makes up for ....No I just can't do it. The dress ruins it. :/

6:09pm Oh yes. Christian Bale is oozing sexiness tonight. Nice trimmed facial hair. Hair length is perfect. Totally my style of man.

6:12pm Octavia Spencer wins Best Supporting Actress! Gosh she's so surprised and frantically trying to get through her speech in the allotted time. She's adorable, good for her.

6:22pm No Billy. Those actors were not funny. Seriously who wrote that skit? I didn't even smile.

6:23pm Thank goodness for Tina and Bradley getting at least a chuckle out of me.

6:24pm "The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo" won Best Editing. Haha those editors really didn't expect to win. They literally had nothing to say but say thank you and babble nonsense for a couple of seconds. Glad to see "TGWTDT" get at least one award this evening.

6:26pm Aww, "Hugo" wins for Best Sound Mixing. I wouldn't mind but that was "Drive"'s one and only Oscar nom. That film deserved so much more from the Academy.

6:29pm "Hugo" wins again! Well its better that it won all these technical awards because it deserves those but that's pretty much it.

6:34pm Yay the Muppets always makes me giddy.

6:35pm LOVE this Cirque De Soleil performance. It was too short though, I want way more of this kind of entertainment in the Oscars.

6:41pm RDJ totally knows how to liven up the few minutes he ever gets on these award shows.

6:45pm Chris Rock's jokes were pretty funny. "Rango" wins Best Animated Film. Wasn't really feeling "Rango". It looked AMAZING but the story was cliche and the characters didn't keep my interest at all. Blaaaahhh.

6:53pm Emma Stone's dress is definitely a nod to Nicole Kidman's dress from a couple years, it's gorgeous. "Hugo" wins for Best Visual Effects. Yea .... it was either Harry or "Hugo" but I personally would have gone for Harry.

6:58pm Melissa Leo's dress looks like she bought it from Ross. Christopher Plumber wins Best Supporting Actor. He was great in "TGWTDT" and great in "The Beginners".

7:11pm One of my favorite section of awards, for music. Original Score award goes to The Artist. Unfortunately, I have not gotten around to listening to "The Artist"'s score so I have no comment. :/

7:16pm Yes! Zach and Will were the funniest BY FAR. And I'm shocked! There were only TWO original song noms! "Man or a Muppet" wins for Best Original Song. Double YES! I couldn't stop singing that song since I bought the soundtrack last year.

7:25pm "The Desendants" wins for Best Adapted Screenplay while "Midnight in Paris" wins for Original Screenplay. Wow I'm glad to "Midnight in Paris" won something.

7:40pm "The Shore" wins for Short Film while "Saving Face" wins for Short Doc. "Saving Face" was so heartbreaking, but great. Gotta give love to the small films. "Fantastic Flying Books" wins for Animated Short which I have to check out because I heard it was fantastic.

7:51pm "The Artist" wins for Best Directing. No surprise here.

7:57pm Montage Montage Montage. Its like when the producers don't know what else to fill the Oscars with, they put in a montage.

8:03pm Wow that rendition of "What A Wonderful World" was absolutely beautiful. *tear*

8:13pm OHHH! No wonder! It was Esperanza Spalding. I had a feeling it was her. That performance proved that she earned that Best New Artist Grammy award.

8:18pm Jean aka the actual Artist wins for Best Actor. The "I love your country" comment was great.

8:27pm Colin Firth's Mamma Mia joke with Meryl was awesome

8:30pm Meryl Streep wins Best Actress. Was rooting for Rooney Mara but Meryl is the veteran. Yeaaaaaa...... great speech though.

8:35pm Yes! "The Artist" wins Best Picture! Much deserved, "The Artist" truly is a wonderful film so check it out for anyone reading this this.

Well that's that! The 84th Acadamy Awards. Overall, the show was better than last year's, way better. However, the show was still a bit on the safe side which made it a bit boring as usual but what can you do. It's the Oscars, where the old white men strive to keep things very traditional as possible.

Thanks for stopping by! I shall return with a new nail post this week.

December 2011 Outings - Disneyland/The Grove + NOTD (pic heavy)

DISNEYLAND

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Let me get this out of the way.... NEVER go to Disneyland on those 5 days after Christmas/ before New Years. You will regret it. Disneyland was packed, which was unfortunate since this was the first time in years that we as a family, the four of us, had gone to Disneyland. These past couple of years, it has usually been my mother and I or my boyfriend and I who have made trips to Disneyland/California Adventure.

First ride of the day, the newly renovated, Star Tours! The last time I visited Disneyland, it was the day after Star Tours reopened. Therefore, I was not able to go on the ride due to the 160 minute wait, and the fast passes had been sold out since early that afternoon. This time around, fast passes had sold out again but there was an 85 minute wait. This was the best we were going to see the line all day so it was the first ride we rode. It was worth it. During the ride, we ran into Darth Vader, invaded the Wookie planet, and almost got eaten by a sea creature. And that is one of the many possible ride experiences you could have as there are 54 different ride experiences.

The Star Tours ship is redesigned with red stripes and no fake damage like before.

3-CPO has been re-polished to blinding perfection.

A new LCD screen that shows the flight statues and video.

Spotted the old pilot robot from the old version of Star Tours.

I thought this was a funny little touch to the bathroom signs in Tomorrowland.

What you see here is a portion of the line to Pirates of the Caribbean ride. I say "portion" because the people in the roped area are in the line while the rest are people passing by, walking around the park. It was bad. Just to put things into perspective, the line for PotC is usually 15 minutes. The wait this day was 45 minutes, but thankfully, it went by pretty fast.

The Christmas tree in Disneyland Main Street.

Disneyland Main Street at night.
The Christmas tree in California Adventure.

View of the California Adventure pier where the World of Color show takes place.

Overall, even though we spent the entire day switching from Disneyland and California Adventure On any normal day, a family with hopper tickets would have time to at least go on every major ride from both parks once. But because of the tremendous amount of people, that was impossible. Some of the rides such as Screamin' and Haunted Mansion closed early while the rides that remained open, such as the Indiana Jones ride, had wait times up to 100 minutes. I'm thinking of getting an annual pass for 2012 for sure.


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THE GROVE
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The next day was our family's visit to The Grove. It's a well known shopping center with some high end and common stores that go in a short loop. In all honesty, it was nothing to write home about. There weren't as many stores as the malls I go to in San Diego or in other parts of LA. It's just mostly the decoration that makes it stand out to me. Also, the movie theater sold matinee tickets for $11 ... that's a deal? I'd suggest going to the Del Amo mall in Torrance, CA or the Fashion Valley mall in San Diego, CA.

Right next to The Grove is the Farmers Market.

Probably one of the only redeeming things about The Grove is that Extra is filmed here where there is always a celebrity guest.

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NOTD - TEENAGE DREAM
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And finally, A NOTD! "Teenage Dream" was what I wore during the December outings. It is apart of the Katy Perry OPI collection. As if I need to go into much detail about this extremely popular nail polish. It's beautiful!

The sparkle on this nail polish is fantastic and I love the actual color of the nail polish which is a pale pink. Having "Teenage Dream" be a pale pink helps to keep the polish from being too loud since that is what the hologram sparkles are there for. "Teenage Dream" is surprisingly wearable and goes with most anything.

The only cons are what is expected for these type of polishes. First off, it is a NIGHTMARE to take off. And second, you will have to shake very well in order to keep the hologram sparkles from settling towards the bottom.

Two coats + One top coat of Seche Vite

Phew! That was one long post! Thank you for bearing with me as I got all my thoughts and experiences out for the last month of 2011 outings. Stay tuned for more.
Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Lovin' - Fall 2011

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Fall 2011 officially ended on December 21, 2011. So it's better late than never to post my Fall 2011 favorites which does not include any Christmas gifts for obvious reasons.

BEAUTY
1 Dove Go Fresh Deodarant in "Rebalance"
3 B&BW Twilight Woods Triple Moisture Lotion
11 B&BW Strawberry Sparkler body lotion
12 B&BW Jingle Bellini body lotion

13 F21 Love & Beauty nail polish in "Bronze"
14 Sally Hansen Xtreme in "Red Carpet"







15 Covergirl lipPerfection in "Sultry"
16 Revlon Lip Butter in "Strawberry Shortcake"
17 Revlon Lip Butter in "Fig Jam"

18 Revlon Lip Butter in "Creme Brulee"

19 Palladio Herbal Eyeshadow quad in "Copper N Chic"
20 Burberry "Body" perfume
21 L'Oreal Project Runway Limited Editon blush in "Sultry Raven"




HOME
2 B&BW Foaming Hand soap in Iced Gingerbread
- This smells exactly like warm gingerbread and the smell lingers on your hands
4 B&BW candle in Autumn
5 B&BW candle in Fresh Balsam
6 B&BW candle in Apple Crumble

STYLE
7 F21 Necklace - Bronze three speared necklace
8 F21 Ring - Silver spiked ring
9 F21 Ring - Bronze ring with amber-like stone
10 F21 Ring - Silver ring with intricate, tribal designs








FILM - I don't have many film favorites since all the good releases came at the start of Winter
The Muppets
Hugo

MUSIC (songs below link to their own OFFICIAL music video on youtube)
White Stripes - Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground
Two Door Cinema Club - What You Know
Richie Spice - Youths A So Cold
LMFAO - Sexy And I Know It
- This song, and especially the music video, is so silly and over the top that I don't know why people take it seriously enough to hate it
Maroon 5 - Moves Like Jagger
Arcade Fire - We Used To Wait
FloRida - Good Feeling
The Cure - Watching Me Fall (Underdog Remix)
Cliff Martinez - Drive Score
Kavinsky & Lovefoxxx - Nightcall
Karen O with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - Immigrant Song

WEBSITE/YOUTUBE
http://nouveaucheap.blogspot.com/
- One of the only blogs that I ALWAYS click on her posts since they are very informative on all the latest makeup deals. And she lives in San Diego, my hometown.
http://www.youtube.com/user/clothesencounters
- A youtube channel run by two girls who have very unique senses of style and beautiful professionally done videos, check them out.
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrArturoTrejo
- Like Shaytards? Well this family is even funnier. "Arturo" is the funniest and his son "JoseLuis" is absolutely adorable.

Two Free Zoya Nail Polishes.

I said I would post about these free Zoya deals so here it goes. Last week, Zoya announced a new code (HERE) to get 2 free of their polishes from their site. All you have to do is pay for shipping. This is a great deal! You're getting $16 worth of nail polish for $6.95. I have yet to decide which polishes I'm getting and am searching through the sea of colors to which I want. I'll definitely do a haul post once they arrive in the mail.