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Sep 30, 2015

Cheap Sun Glasses ..Oh yeah!

Happy Fall, y'all! Oh wait, it is still over 100 degrees everyday here so Fall is definitely on my back burner, as are pumpkin spice lattes, until I get a hint of cool air. So lucky for me I am not in the mood to write a post about scarves, furry boots or hoodies. I wanna talk accessories. Sunglasses to be exact. I have been known to hoard sunglasses. I can't help myself. I can usually be found toting at least three pairs in my purse and probably an extra two pair in the car just in case. The sunglasses have to fit right, look right and suit the outfit and the mood. For me, they used to just be a hair accessory but since my move to the land of the unforgiving sun I have stepped up my sunglass game. Let's all give a welcome to my newest obsession, GlassesShop.com.

GlassesShop not only offer stylish and cheap sunglasses but they also offer a great selection of prescription eyeglasses! Now for me, this site is a dream come true to satisfy the inner accessory queen that I have. What is even better is anyone can participate in the First Pair Free campaign that is running. If you are a new customer, you can hit up the site and pick out your first pair of either sunglasses or eyeglasses for free. The only charge you have is shipping and handling!

Here are the sunglasses that I am loving from GlassesShop.com





My review of my sunglasses is I definitely need to get a few more pair because they are extremely durable, much heavier weight than I anticipated and they block out the sun to protect my super sensitive eyes. I find that they are comfortable on my face and have no annoying glare on the lenses which is definitely a deal breaker for me when it comes to sunglasses. I highly recommend my readers to check out the GlassesShop.com to pick a style that suits you. How about using my handy, dandy coupon code GSHOT50 on your order that will get you 50% off your order of sunglasses and eyeglasses with free lenses (sales frames excluded).




Sep 20, 2015

Guilty Pleasures

Blog-tember day 20 Guilty Pleasures.

The things that we love secretly but usually bring judgement from other people. I know that I have several that definitely make me seem materialistic but hey, it is a guilty pleasure. #JudgemeIDC

++Purses. I love them all, Big name, no names. All of them. I need them all. Not that I can carry more than one but that is completely not the point of purses.
++Sunglasses. Obsessed with them, even more so now that I am living with this unforgivable Abu Dhabi sun. Brand doesn't matter as long as they are cute, comfortable and keep the sun out of my peepers.
++i-anything. I am a proud Apple fan. I love all of the gadget that they come out with. ++Tervis Tumblers. Best cups in the world. I have a good collection going here since I left almost all of mine in my storage back home.
++Reality T.V. I know it is pointless and mindless but really there isn't much other reason to watch T.V. at least that is how I justify it.
++Haribo Gummy bears. Enough said. I can eat them by the bags.
++Pens. I would be a big fat liar if I didn't put it on here. I love writing pens. I used to have boxes of them but not anymore. Allegedly..
++Make up. Eyeshadows in particular. MAC is my preference because I love the pigmentation. Although I really like it all.
++Coffee. I miss regular coffee as we have instant and nescafe but I will make due. I also have only been to Starbucks a handful of times since moving here because they are not as convenient. I can drink coffee all day, every day. No matter the temperature.
++Brunches. Abu Dhabi brunches in particular. There is nothing like them.

Brave Love Blog


Sep 17, 2015

Make-up Obsessions for September

As I mentioned earlier this week in my mood board post, the make up obsession is back and in full force. I was so happy to go home over the summer to buy all the hot and now make up that I see my favorites on YouTube talking about at reasonable prices. Yes, I can buy almost every piece of make up here in Abu Dhabi but the prices are outrageous. So imagine my excitement, and my debit cards hatred, of my almost month home with my girls Sephora and Ulta. These are my current loves and I highly recommend them to my fellow make up fans.


+++The Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar eye shadow palette. Not only are the colors beautiful and a nice mix of shimmer and matte, but the smell = HEAVEN!! I can't wear make up that smells funky so the bonus of this palette smelling like chocolate is a definite win.

+++Tartelette eye shadow palette. I am normally not a palette girl but I am loving the colors in this palette for a quick, fresh face that keeps getting ready to go and quick. I do like that it has all complementary colors so it will be great for travel. 

+++Two-Faced 'Born this way' foundation. I cannot praise this foundation enough. The coverage is semi-full coverage but feels light so you don't feel all cake face. It has a dewey finish which is great for me since I have dry skin and I live in an unforgiving environment. I love the finish because it makes my skin look absolutely flawless. Go buy this foundation. 

+++Bare Minerals 'Loud & Clear Lip Shear' in Amped Pink. My lips hate all lip color. I found this one in Ulta and I decided that I would give it a whirl. I am so glad that I tried it because I love it! My lips are handling the lip color well and I am loving the color. It is just like a clear coat on my lips that isn't gooey (HATE!!) and it gives just a hint of natural pink color. It also has a really nice scent.

+++Benefits 'Gimme Brow' gel. I don't know how to really do my eyebrows because I get them waxed/threaded maybe twice a year since they don't grow much. This gel was a nice find to help keep the shape of my brows without the crazy filling-in trend. The thick, super-filled in brows are not for me but I needed something to keep them in shape. This does a nice job and is virtually fool proof. 

+++Last, but never least, Beccas 'Champagne Pop' highlighter by Jaclyn Hill. This will totally not be a fangirl review (I LOVE Jaclyn Hill!!!) but this highlighter is the business. I stalked Sephora when I went home over the summer and made a special trip when the delivery came to the store. My Sephora here in AD doesn't carry Becca (the horror!!) so I knew I had to grab this while I was home. I may have bought two. This highlighter is creamy, goes on smooth, and has little to zero fall out. It makes you look extremely sun-kissed and catches the light beautifully. I can't recommend it enough!


I'll be reviewing some new products over the next few weeks and I'd love to know what products you are loving. Clearly, I need more make up to try! Make sure to comment with your must haves.


Sep 16, 2015

Online me vs. Real Life me




I love to blog. I love to write and document my life and the fun stuff I get to experience. Yet, with my job I do have to censor myself a good amount with what I post and share. It is funny that this post is in the Blog-tember line up because I honestly think about this quite a bit when I am blogging or even posting on social media. A sad reminder of why I have to watch myself online so much was last year. Someone I work with printed my blog and gave it to a co-worker in an effort to get me in trouble. For what, I am not sure since it was about trips, and just general things I had been doing like shopping. I am unsure why this was done because my writing is pretty low key but it definitely made me rethink the online me versus the real life me. I am smart enough to never write names or give specifics when posting and this blog is about no one but me in all reality. I mean, lets get real. I live in a country where online slander is a huge no no, as in illegal (as is printing out peoples blogs or pictures and using them for defamation purposes) so you just use your head. As my mom used to always tell me, if you don't want people to know it, don't write it. So everything here is information I am comfortable sharing.

So the on-line me I guess is a good amount more reserved. I take care with what I write and what content I use. The real life, face to face Mistie is much more upfront, direct, no fluff, and sometimes a little harsh. I believe in being a straight shooter and not pretending that I like certain things or people. If I don't care for you, that is it. I am not going to be fake or go out of my way to interact with people that I don't prefer. That is just me. I learned a long time ago that I don't need to waste time on people that I don't want in my circle. That is just who I am.

Of course, online I don't have to worry about being around people I don't care for because it is a virtual interaction. I definitely voice my opinions when I want but I am more careful of the wordage I use. Tone is funny thing on the internet so I recognize you do have to be mindful of that. I guess online I definitely pick my words much more carefully and I am able to retract what I 'say' if I give myself the second thought of 'oh that sounded bad' or it might come off wrong. In person no one has that luxury.

I guess you could say I am similar both in real life and on line I am just able to catch myself online when I am articulating thoughts. Whereas in person, sometimes I forget my filter.


Brave Love Blog

Sep 14, 2015

I need another weekend

Well another weekend has come and gone. Although my work week technically started yesterday, I play along and wait until Monday because most of my friends are on the Monday-friday grind. This past weekend we didn't do a great deal but we also didn't just hang around the house, which is a first within the last three weeks. Point blank, I have been tired and lazy, and tired.

Thursday I couldn't get out of work fast enough. I am never like that so I knew it had been a long week. My hubby had the ride because the dogs were at the vet getting neutered (they still love me) so we headed to pick them up. They were not happy and they were donning the cone of shame AKA the leg slicer 3000.

He is pathetic, I know.  Weezy wasn't having one single picture taken of him so you only get pathetic Princeton.

On the way home from the vet, I got the email I had been dreading telling us that we can renew our fabulous apartment for the bargain price of AED 50,000 more than our previous lease. 
Yes, I knew that a rent increase was coming. Yes, I knew that it would probably be a little bit more than the usual 3-5% but damn! I was being overly optimistic that it wouldn't happen. So that was the topping of a craptastic week. Normally this wouldn't be a huge big deal (other than moving sucks) but our lease ends on December 29, paperwork takes forever, and oh, did I mention we are scheduled to be out of the country?! Arg.... So all this fun lead to us trying out a new Moscato and it was amazing. Or the week had been really long. Or it was just amazing. I finished about 3/4 of this glass and completely fell asleep. How sad. 


Friday we decided to drive around to get a feel for different areas outside of our extremely westernized apartment complex. It is way outside the comfort zone but I think that if the negotiations don't work out with the property management company it will be for the best. The villas are huge and they offer private yards and some even have private pools. Here are a few of the beauties we looked at, attempted to find or drove past. 


 


I guess it could be worse, right? 

So in our adventures, we 'had' to go by Starbucks and I was kind of surprised that the PSL has made its way to AD. However, who can even think of drinking this at a balmy 105 degrees? I am waiting until I get a hint of a chill. It may be November. 


Saturday we held to hanging out on the couch for the most part. Lots of TV and movies to wind out the weekend. A friends called to meet for dinner and we tried out a new place that is pretty close to the house, Stars and Bars. Seeing as it was September 11 I figured it was quite the appropriate venue. 


The food was excellent! It was a true taste of home and I am a fan of 'bar' food like nachos, wings, potato skins, etc. I ended up having a Philly and it was out of this world good! The ambiance of he place is nice. Our table was a football table with glass over the top that is a playable which was a hit. They have billiards and lots of TV's to watch sports. They are also holding down a pretty large bar that serves alcohol. I know many people think 'Duh, of course it serves alcohol' but not many bars serve alcohol here. They serve mocktails which are quite deceiving as they always look like the real thing. I am looking forward to heading back to Stars and Bars when we are sans kiddos and I am in the actual mood to hang out and enjoy the place. At about 8:30 the atmosphere completely changed and went from family restaurant to sloppy bar with girls stumbling around that had consumed way too much and had on way too little. I forgot how much I dislike this scene since moving here. It is ironic how desensitized you are to certain things when around it all the time and now its almost hyper-sensitive. I couldn't get out of there quick enough!!

I do love the area of the Viceroy hotel during the day and at night. It is beautiful and so different than anything else I've ever seen. So another lovely weekend comes to a close; I can only hope that this week shows some mercy!





Bella And The City


Sep 13, 2015

Season Mood Board

In my recent hops through some different blogs I came across the Blog-tember Challenge.


Brave Love Blog

I do love these challenges for a few reasons, one being that it encourages me to blog on a semi-regular basis and two it really helps me find great blogs to read and keep up with. I think that is part of the inspiration I need. I am so saddened that many of the bloggers that I followed (religiously) have stopped blogging all together. I can name four right off the top of my head and it is really a downer because I loved to read their adventures, their insight into blogging and honestly they just seemed like super cool girls that I would definitely do a happy hour with. Maybe they still read and they will come back to blog land. Until then, I have to find some new content to read and inspire me. Enter Blog-tember. So far I have clicked through several of the links that are linked up and I am steadily adding them on Bloglovin or Google because I am digging what they have. 




So today the prompt is A mood board for the season. Not necessarily the season, like Summer, but more of a season of your life. Thank goodness it is not weather related because it would be just sand, sweat, and humidity. Interesting, right?



My mood board makes me laugh because as per usual, it is completely random and has no theme or logic. I think Abu Dhabi is rubbing off on me. 

+++ Venti. Venti Everything. And keep them coming. Work has been kicking my butt lately but I enjoy being super busy.

+++Crazy doesn't even begin to cover it. I guess that could be accurate for me at any given time. I feel like I have been a complete loon the last few weeks because it has just been so overwhelming and fast paced. That, and I have never been through opening of school here. Safe to say - NOTHING like I am used too. 

+++Make-up. The obsession with make-up is back with a vengeance. 

+++Patience...I'm sorry, what is that? I'm working on it. 

+++That beautiful picture of Autumn where the leaves turn and it gets that fantastic crisp to the air. I fear that I will not have that experience this year. Granted, I never had that experience really back home in Florida either but a girl can dream, right?

+++House Hunting. Yeah, this craziness is starting again because they increased the rent to my apartment by 25%. TWENTY-FIVE!! Completely ludicrous. I have started negotiating with the leasing company but I am thinking that we will be moving to a villa. There are a lot of great options but I am being a diva and pouting because I 1. hate moving 2. don't want to move at Christmas time and 3. hate moving.


Stay tuned for the moving adventures (or lack thereof, hopefully!)



Sep 5, 2015

So Fresh

YAY!!!!!!!!

I am pretty pumped about the much anticipated blog make over that is going on here. I searched high and low and never could find a designer that either could make my vision a reality or would return my emails. It is quite ironic that some people publish they are available for design but won't return emails or commit to a start date for a project. Yet, it doesn't matter now because I found a wonderful designer in Erin! If you are looking for a make over - please give her consideration because she works fast, stays in constant contact and can make your vision come to life. I.AM.IN.LOVE. Thank you Erin!!

This weekend hasn't been anything over the top exciting, or even exciting really. We haven't left the house actually. Yesterday was a gross day {side eye to the sorta sandstorm} so we stayed in and today I am working on some work things that I just cannot seem to get finished while actually at work. Speaking of work - totally kicked my butt this week. The first week of school was insane busy. Thank goodness my tea girls kept me stocked on coffee and cappuccinos because I may have fallen asleep at my desk, several times. I love coffee and it loves me, as depicted by the heart that appeared in my 54th cappuccino.



I am now so thankful for the back to school time back home before the teachers arrive. Here we have everyone come back on the same day and it is a sprint to get things done and put out fires that arise during the first few weeks of reopening a school. Either way, things are starting to slow down and get into the groove but I like to try to be ahead a little so here I am watching some smut T.V. show on Hulu (Mistresses) and writing out my to-do list for work this week.

Cheers to the weekend!



Sep 3, 2015

35 #ThanksButNoThanks

So you wake up one morning and your suddenly in your mid-30's. How does this happen exactly? I mean, I am pretty sure that it was just last week that I was slinging beverages, planning where my night was going to shut down because I was never home before 2a.m. and life was so busy.  I knew that I was inevitably going to grow up or at least succumb to the ways of a grown person: Not blowing all my money on make up and purses, getting out of bed before noon, holding a real job, paying bills, and just ticking off the boxes on the 'grow up, get your stuff together' check list.  I wanted to get married, buy a house with an open floor plan and a huge closet, really put some roots down in my suburbia haven, have a kid {maybe} and lots of dogs. I figured I would live in the same neighborhood as my Bestie, remain in the same town that I really grew up in and just live a normal life. I had plans, goals, and dreams. I was prepared and I was ready. No birthday surprises as I would see each one of them coming and be welcoming of every passing year.

So I woke up Tuesday and here I am, 35 years old.

No roots, no suburban life, no kids. I did get married, and of course I have dogs. I also have never given up on the MAC make up spending and don't even think for a second that I won't buy that expensive purse that I am drooling over in the store window. Unless it is a Fendi bag because I never knew how pricey they were - that post is for another time. I look at my life right now and I think 'wow'. My life was so planned out and here I am living an even better, yet opposite, version of what I had planned. I still have to scratch my head and wonder exactly how 35 happened to me. I don't feel 35, hell I barely feel 25. I almost believe I haven't grown up because I don't really see myself of old, or even older. I never pictured my life at 35 to be taking place in a different country and so far from off of my plan. Actually, I never saw 35 coming. In fact, I think it is pretty rude as to how it just snuck up on me. No call, no text. Just BAM! Like being t-boned by a semi-truck. 35. I am 35, I am half way to 70. Ok, let me stop.

I am currently refusing to think about what the next 10 years will bring because the thought of being 45 makes me feel sick. Literally, my stomach turns into knots and I feel like I cannot breath. 45... 5 years from 50. This is how my mind works, like a damn circus. Loops and surprises and not a lot of rhyme or reason.  It automatically goes into overdrive so I can panic a full 15 years ahead of schedule. Alas, this is my life. This is how 35 snuck up and bit me. I get so focused on planning for future, thinking about how this is going to work, how is this going to impact this or that, I forget that I am living right now. I need to be present in the moment, my right now. This way I will see 40, 45, and that other number coming. And those I will be looking dead in the face because I will be ready.

35, well played. You got me.