Another birchbox

*sorry my birchbox posts are out of order, I'm an idiot and uploaded a more recent one before the posts I had previously written. But I wrote them and I'm posting them anyway. 

Are you ready for review number 2? I hope you read that in your head and were delightfully surprised when it rhymed! Hey, it's the little things. Now, where were we?

Ah, January's birchbox!

This one had a few more things I enjoyed but still none that I would purchase the full-size of. 

This is the Jouer Body Butter which I absolutely love! It's smells fabulous and and is so moisturizing. This was the first product I thought about actually purchasing until I went to buy it and found out that it was $32 for a 3 oz bottle. Once again, $32 isn't much in the grand scheme of things, but for lotion? I don't think so. Not with my lack of high paying job. I'll enjoy my sample, sparingly, for now and then in the future maybe reconsider.

This is Juicy Couture's Viva La Juicy perfume. I'm sure I know girls who wear this but I wasn't familiar with it. I liked the smell of it and will wear it in the future but haven't yet. Smells good though!

Next up, we have a Larabar. I know lots of girls who eat these and I thought it was pretty good but I usually go for a luna bar if I'm going to have a snack bar in the middle of the day. I find the luna has more nutrients and less wasted calories. Overall, it tasted good though. 

This is stila's Smudge Stick Waterproof eyeliner in peacock. I don't usually use colored eyeliner but I have used this once. On St. Patrick's Day! It went well with the look I was going for and Amelia told me it looked good, but I don't know how to incorporate it into everyday makeup. Maybe just stick to using it for nights? How do you use colored eyeliner? 

So this box was a close winner, and I was delightfully surprised at what was in it but I still haven't bought anything yet... 

I have a problem...

A puppy problem! Which if you think about it, is actually a pretty adorable problem to have. Except the problem is that I don't actually have a puppy. Hmpf. This is a BIG hole in my life. I think about getting a dog daily. I  may or may not have an entire pinterest board dedicated to reasons I need a puppy which I tend to forward to Dt on a regular basis. What? You don't do this? You and your bf are missing out! Some of my favorites include

all pics via Pinterest

The thing is, I'm a firm believer in being 100% ready before adopting a dog. It is one of my biggest pet peeves (no pun intended, haha!) when people get pets without thinking it through. A dog is a commitment for the rest of that dog's lifetime. They are not just for entertainment, distractions, or to love until they pee on your carpet. Dog owners need to practice unconditional love, have extreme amounts of patience when training them (and they ALL need to be trained), and have the time to dedicate to walking, playing, and taking care of them as long as they need it. While I have a serious yearning for a dog, I want to be sure I have the time and financial means to support a dog. 

One of the blogs I read, All in my Twenties, recently talked about how some people get rid of their dogs when they have babies. I'm not talking about people who need to keep their baby safe because the dog is aggressive, but the people who feel like now that they have a real baby they can get rid of their dog-baby. This is absolutely unacceptable and a dog is not a part-time, temporary thing. Kristen's blog post definitely hit home for me because I know how common it is for people to not treat their pets like they should and I think it is disgusting.

To me, a dog is a part of the family. I believe dogs have feelings and it breaks their heart to be away from their owners. I also believe putting a dog in cage for 7 hours a day, taking it three feet outside your door to pee then bringing it back in for the rest of the night is the worst thing a person can do. That's animal cruelty!!! Yes, if a dog was dropped on my doorstep I know I would be the best pet owner I could be but when I decide to bring a dog into my life, it will be because I think we will be able to make each others lives better in every way. 

People who can't follow these commandments don't deserve a dog! 

So Dt and I will get a dog eventually (probably sooner rather than later) but I know we need to be fully prepared and until then, I will just yearn for puppy breath, puppy butts, and puppy snuggles. *Stepping down from my soap box.

If you are still reading, I would like to get to the reason I'm writing this post about puppies. It is because this week I read a book that spoke to my heart in ways a non dog-lover could never understand. 

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Usually, I'm not big on book reviews. I read a lot of books so I just put them on my book list up there on the "50 in 2012" tab where you can see them. But this one I had to share. This is a memoir about Trixie Koontz, the famous author Dean Koontz's golden retriever. The book follows Trixie's life and chronicles all of the amazing things dogs are capable of. The best thing about this book is that it reminded me of my Halley-dog who we lost a little over two years ago. Halley shared many of the unique traits that Trixie had and reading all the funny stories made me miss her in the best way possible. We lost Halley in a similar way to how Dean and his wife lost Trixie (it's a memoir, I didn't spoil anything!) It also reminded me that certain people are just dog-people. We understand that dogs have personalities, thoughts, feelings, and a sense of humor. My family has always been dog-people and I can't wait until I have my own dog but this book is an amazing story about an amazing dog and I recommend it to anyone who is a dog-person. Loved it!

And for your enjoyment, an awkward Christmas picture of my siblings and our Halley as a puppy. Can you believe my mom sent this to all of our family and friends? Kill me!

RIP Halley-girl, we love you!

Do you have any puppy/dog pictures/stories you would like to share with me? I can live vicariously through you until I get one of my own!

Should the name of this post been "I'm a crazy dog person?" Because I 100% am and I fully accept it. I also don't mean to offend anyone who is not a dog person, as long as they don't get a dog. If you aren't a dog person, who got a dog anyway, then I fully mean to offend you. Sorry I'm not sorry. 

It's ok Thursday

One of the blogs I read does an "It's ok Thursday" link up but since I can't remember who it is, I'm going to do it and not link up. Get it? Onward.

... it's ok to have a male client kill a spider in your office in the middle of a session

... it's ok to eat leftover pizza for dinner because your bf is hanging out with a friend

... it's ok to still be unsure of what dress you're going to wear to the wedding your attending on saturday

... it's ok to buy cake mix and create cookies out of it so it looks like you put in effort for the office party tomorrow

... it's ok to leave the dishes from said cookies in the sink to "soak"

... it's ok to be jealous of my little sister for having the option to work at Yellowstone for the summer

... it's ok to be stressed out for other people's future endeavors

... it's ok to still grab a handful of jelly beans every time you walk by the easter baskets on your counter

... it's ok to covet decorations for your new office instead of focusing on your house

... it's ok to accidentally upload your most recent birchbox post before uploading the ones you previously wrote...

... it's ok to google possible cars you can't afford

... it's ok to eat Pirate Booty right out the bag because you're too lazy to put it in a ziploc for lunch

... it's ok to think I love my job because my supervisor gave me a meaningful compliment

... it's ok to be ridiculously excited to see your BFF this weekend (love you steph!)

... it's ok that this list is kinda long, super random, and probably a waste of time

Tomorrow is Friday people!!! I'll be MIA this weekend because I'm heading to ATL to stay with this beautiful lady

and see this beautiful lady get married!

Bahaha, she'd probably kill me for this picture so here's a better one 

She's going to make a beautiful bride and I can't wait to see her!

11 Facts About Me!

There is a question game going around the bloggies lately and I thought it would be fun to participate since I'm still fairly new to blogging I figured anyone who reads this blog might like learn more about me. Or I'm completely off and no one cares. Either way, I'm doing it! Thanks to Carolyn for supplying the questions!!!

Do you have a nickname? Explain what it is and why.

I have tons of nicknames depending on who you ask. Most common is Em (obviously) but my parents call me Emmer (another Emily variation, who knows how they came up with that...) Mom calls me Emily Grace (even though that is not my middle name) because that's what she initially wanted it to be but my grandmother didn't want my initials to be EGG. Smart woman, I love my monogram! And finally, Dt usually calls me monkey which is weird and I have no idea where it came from. 

You're stranded on a desert island. What 3 things do you bring with you?

I would bring Dt first of all. Cheesy but he is the only person I can spend time with constantly and still love at the end of the day. I'd also bring a nook chock full of a library full of books. I love to read and I think I'd eventually bore of laying out and eating coconuts. Or not. Either way, good to be prepared! Finally, I'd have to bring something sensible which would have to be some sort of big knife. 

Take me away.

Would you rather eat sweet or salty food? What's your favorite food in that category?

I would rather eat sweet food any day of the week. It's my weakness. My favorite sweet would be cupcakes! Well, technically just cake in general but I enjoy cupcakes because they're like baby cakes which is cute. They also keep me from eating too much cake (and believe me, there is such a thing!)

Mmm, cake.

Are you a heels or a flats type of girl? 
As much as I wish I was a heel girl, I'm all about the flats. I'm 5'7 so if you put me in heels, I'm easily the tallest girl in the room and def taller than my date. That is not a good look. So I rock the flats most often but envy short girls who live in heels.  

                                                   

                                                     If I wore heels, these would be them!

Describe your perfect day. What does it entail?

My perfect day would take place either in Italy (just about anywhere), Paris, or London. I loved these three places when I visited them and I'm dying to go back. I would be surrounded by my friends and family. We would walk around and enjoy the sights and eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at three different popular restaurants. The day would also consist of a lovely afternoon nap and dessert after every meal!

What's your worst habit you'd like to break? 

In case you haven't noticed by a couple of the answers on this page, I really like to eat. I like to eat too much. I think my worst habits are my eating habits and I wish I didn't love food as much as I do. My body would appreciate it too ;)

What's your favorite animal?

This is another hard one. My favorite attainable animal is definitely a dog. I'm a huuuuuge dog lover and the fact that there isn't a dog at my front door to greet me every day when I get home is one of the saddest things about my life at the moment. My favorite zoo animal would be a tie between monkeys and penguins. And my favorite "imaginary animal" would be a miniature elephant. Like a house-sized elephant that never got big. Come on, that would be awesome!!!!

Awwwww!

What's your favorite type of accessory? Earrings? Shoes? Scarves? and why.

You will rarely see me without earrings on. If I'm not wearing big, dangly, decorative ones, I always have my diamond studs in. I think earrings are the perfect addition to any outfit, plain or fabulous!

If you were famous, would you rather be a movie star, a singer, or a reality TV star?

I would rather be a movie star because I think you get all the perks of being famous but you also have a respectable reason for being so and people can admire your work. It also doesn't have the pressure of having to perform without making a mistake that a singer would have. 

What made you start your blog?

It was kind of a random decision. I started following a lot of random blogs and Dt thought I should start my own (he also thinks I should write novels that crazy boy). I ultimately started it because I wanted to document my life and have a way to look back on everything in one place. 

What's one thing that we should know about you?

I think the thing people should realize about me first is that I'm extremely sarcastic and I have a weird sense of humor. Sometimes I worry people don't realize I'm joking and may be offended which would be absolutely horrible. So I want everyone to know to take everything I say with a grain of salt and that I can be really weird at times. :)

 

Well I hope you enjoyed learning new things about me. If anyone is interested in playing this game, let me know and I'll come up with questions for you!

Birchbox+teen vogue= huge success!!!

Oh Birchbox, you've reminded me why I spend $10 on your samples every month. Unfortunately, it may only be because you teemed up with teen vogue to do it. I loved this month's box and I hope they continue in this fashion more than February's. 

Where shall I start? I think with my favorite first!

This is Annick Goutal's Petite Cherie. I love this perfume and I've never smelled it before. It's very fresh, fruity, and musky all at the same time. The full size bottle is $85 which is expensive but not any more so than my usual perfumes so I may put this on my wish list! 

Next we have tarte LipSurgence lip tint. I actually got the orange one which was a little off-putting by looking at it but looks great on. It's a mix of a pinky-red and not orange at all. This is great because one swipe gives you great color but you can layer for a deeper color depending on which you prefer. It is also super moisturizing which is great! It looks like a big crayon and will last a long time. The full sized price is $24 and I may buy this one in a different color in the future. Definitely recommend!

This is another one of my favorites! It's essie's Luxeffects Nail Polish in Set in Stone. It's fabulous! It's essesntially silver sparkles. It looks great on top of just about any color and I've been using it lately for the one-nail-a-different-color trend that's really big right now. Honestly, birchbox could send me a new essie nail polish every month and I'd be happy. I'm easy.

twistband hair ties

The last thing in the box I could easily live without. It's essenitally an elastic band tied at the end. How did someone make money off of this? Whatever, I can always use another hair thing. 

So this month gave me a reason to continue my subscription which had up to this point been questionable. But it puts April's box up against high expectations. You better deliver (get it?!?) Ha, and I'll leave you with that!

Birchbox

Ok, I've been promising a birchbox review since I started this blog and have yet to deliver. Well, lucky for you, I've finally gotten on the ball!

Birchbox

Before I go on, I should probably cover all my bases and explain what exactly this is. Birchbox is a company that sends out 5-6 samples of all sorts of beauty products to subscribers each month. Every month there are different products and you can buy the full sized products on the website. It's only $10 a month and a great idea if you are looking for new products to try. It's really quite genius if you think about it...

So I've been getting these boxes-o-fun since December and let me tell you when you open your mailbox and that beautiful little pink box is looking back at you, it will make your day! Even if its a box full of crap you'll never actually use which were the first few boxes for me unfortunately.

Ok. So my first box was fun only because it was new and exciting but  other than that, there wasn't actually much in it I was going to use. Sadsies. 

The first one, the crazy hot pink lip gloss, is actually not as crazy as it looks. This is the Jouer Moisturizing Lip Gloss.  It goes on as a very subtle pink. Moisturizing? I don't know about that but it doesn't dry your lips out and it's not sticky which is always nice. Like I said, these are samples so they are very small but this lip gloss will fit well in a wristlet if you don't want to take a huge purse and still want to touch up while you are out. You can buy the full size here. 

The second product is the L'Oreal Professional Mythic Oil. I actually liked this product a lot and use it pretty regularly to calm all my fly-aways my head is full of. I apply it to my damp hair and it does a great job of taming. It also smells good which is always a plus. The downside is that the full sized bottle available on the website is a whopping $32 which is too much for a 4 oz bottle when my Paul Mitchell product just as good of a job and smells even better. Oh well. I will use this sample up though!

Other than that, my December box was kinda a bust. The rest of the products were double stick tape (which I'm sure I'll use at one point), a fragrance that didn't do anything for me, a facial cleanser, and some water flavoring. If I use these things in the future and they surprise me, I will definitely let you know!

Since I'm a couple boxes behind, I'm only going to touch on the ones I actually like and then maybe I'll keep up with this idea and do it once every month. That's the plan at least, who knows where it will actually go! Until I catch up though I'm just going to put a review up every week with some of the products I like. Don't worry, the boxes have gotten better! 

Do you get birchbox? Which products do you love/hate? Any I'm missing out on?

Happy Saturday!

Well hello lovelies! I hope your Saturday is as beautiful as mine. Here in SC it is sunny and warm but not so warm that you can't breathe (which is where our weather will be in about a week). Since Dt has left me at home to go to the spring game in this beautiful place

I'll have to find ways to entertain myself. Why am I not in God's country with him you ask? Oh because it's a "boys only" orange and white game. Which means I'm being punished for having a vagina. Jerks. But I digress. 

I will be spending my day enjoying the weather before it becomes unbearable by soaking up some sun on my porch

A good read, my sunnies, and some DC. Hopefully Aveeno will prevent me from getting the sunburn I got last week when I enjoyed the sun... oops. Here's to prevention!

Then my evening will consist of a handful of girly movies that Dt would never watch with me, touching up my mani, and maybe a skinny girl marg. Or two.

Orrrrr, I get my rear in gear and go out to get crazy with this crazy betch.

 Either option sounds good to me so we will see. 

You may or may not notice that my pics look a little different today. That's because instagram has finally come to us losers without iPhones (which was by choice thank you very much!) so now you should allow find me so I can find you. My username is Emilyknap and I'm still learning so bear with me. 

Enjoy your Saturday and since my boys will be on the field today, I can officially say Go Tigers!

Girl crush

So I've admitted my love for Selena Gomez and her friends. But it doesn't end there. Oh, no. I have a girl crush. And true to my South Carolinian roots, its a country singer.

Let me present to you, my girl, Miranda Lambert. 

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I don't know what it is, but I've been on serious Miranda kick lately. Like listening to her new album Four the Record on repeat on my way to work everyday kick. It's ok, I'm admitting I have a problem.

Not only do I love her music, but I think she is gorgeous and I love that she is so genuine! She is country to the core and admits all of her faults but stands up for what she believes in. I love it!

My favorite song on her new album is Mama's Broken Heart. I rock out to this song and I believe some girls need have some class during their breakups. Preach it Miranda.

Another thing I love about Miranda is her husband, Blake Shelton. Swoon. He is just as country as she is and cracks me up! I think they're adorable together and they should invite me over to get drunk with them and Kelly Clarkson ASAP.

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So, you may or may not have watched the ACMs but Miranda KILLED her new single Over You. This is another one of my favorite songs and the emotion behind it gets me every time. If you didn't know, Blake and Miranda wrote this song together about Blake's brother who died when he was young. Miranda offered to sing it because Blake didn't think he'd be able to sing it on stage every night. I loved this performance because you can see the emotion involved in this song and it's heartbreaking.

Love Miranda! Do you have a girl crush or share mine?

What's my age again?

So, sometimes I act like a teeny bopper. Yes, it's true. And while I don't have the Bieber fever, I think the kid is adorable and has major "swagger" potential if he would tap into his rapping roots and stop with the juvenile songs like "Boyfriend." That song kills me. I mean he sings about fondue, Buzz Lightyear, and says things like "I'mma make you shine bright like you're laying in the snow, burrr." You've got to be kidding me. But then I watch something like this and realize the kid has talent if he'd just tap into it!

So I see his potential, but he needs make his transition from teeny-bopper-heartthrob to mature artist which could be hard for him. On the other hand, I absolutely love his gf Selena Gomez! I think the girl is gorgeous and they are an adorable couple. She may be a few years younger than me, but I'm pretty sure we should be best friends. In a completely non-creepy way.

A couple weeks ago I stumbled on this video on another blog I read and I just LOVED it! Partly because I think the Selena/Justin relationship is cute but I also think it's fun these kids with such an abnormal life style still do goofy things like make up dances with their friends. I also think Ashley Tisdale has BFF potential and girlfriend has serious dance moves. So jealous! Tell me this song doesn't get stuck in your head for weeks.

Anyone else agree this is just adorable?

Happy Monday!

Happy Easter, Y'all!!!

 I hope you are having a blessed day! I don't talk about my religion very much on this blog but I am a Christian which means I believe God made the ultimate sacrifice and gave his only son for the forgiveness of all of our sins. I also believe that He is risen which is what this day is all about! I hope you enjoyed a day full of bunnies, candy, family, and most of all giving thanks for what He died for.

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Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3

So sorry!

Hello my blogging bebes! I'm so sorry I have been the worst blogger on the face of this earth! This whole, get a job, 8:30-5 thing is exhausting! Who knew?

Between working all day, trying to fit in some QT with my boyfriend and getting enough sleep so I can function, my blog has fallen by the wayside. But don't worry, I will try to do better. Promise! Here's a little review of what I have been doing with my life...

A little bit of this

Baby sister came to visit for St. Patty's. R to L, Summer, Amelia, and Jennie

Dt was there too!

Also some of this

I went home to watch Tucker's senior night lacrosse game

Giving flowers to his Mama 

Proud daddy

Going in for the shot

Score! Like a boss.

Celebrating with his teammate and partner in crime. These two are a dangerous combo!

Last one.

Fit some of this in while getting ready in the morning

And then lots and lots of this

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Lots of work with a little bit of fun throw in there every once and while. Sounds like a pretty good life to me... Oh and I finally got paid!!!!!! Turns out being rich is not in my near future, who woulda thunk? Whatever, I'm marrying a doctor! I keed, I keed. Kinda. 

I hope my followers haven't given up on me because of my absence. I promise I will try harder to get this ish under control!!! Love!