The Epic Tale of Harriet the Hippo

I use the word 'epic' loosely. 

"Mom.... I need $40."

"why?" She asked hesitantly. 

"I found this hippo. I have to have it."

"Addison, what on earth?"

"Mom, you don't understand. It's the coolest Hippo you've ever seen!"

and we didn't really understand until a 50lbs hippo was sitting on our front porch.

Yep. A concrete hippo.

 Long story short, my brother, who works at Homegoods, saw this hippo at work and wanted it.

For whatever reason, the boy wanted a hippo.

He purchased it with his discount and excitedly ran home so she could find her new home.

He was so happy to be able to help decorate the patio.


Of course, the natural thing to do is give her a name.

I call her Harriet.

Harriet greets all of our guests.

She's always smiling, always watching

and she is always bringing a smile to anyone who passes by.

Harriet the Hippo.

Shop My Closet: My Online Store

Yesterday, on my facebook page I said that I would be announcing something huge today and I am keeping my promise!

You guys know that I love to shop right!?! 

(I can see my dear Aunt Denise rolling her eyes, she hates it!)

and to me, there is nothing better than shopping for another person...

There is something so exciting about shopping for a different size, a different shape, different styles than you.

It's so much fun!

So, I've decided I am going to do just that.

I am going to go 'shopping' for you!

In other words, I am opening up an online shop!

Introducing...

Shop My Closet!

I will be your own personal shopper!

It will be a place for all different sizes, shapes and styles for both men and women to find cute clothes, shoes and accessories at wonderful prices.

Everything from size 00 to 4X

There is something for the classic, the prep, the boho, the hipster.
Some is new with tags and some is gently worn.

Anything and everything under the sun!


Here are a few of my favorite things for sale right now:

Micheal Kors Metallic Sequin Sweater

Red Poppy Maxi Dress

Lane Bryant Blue Striped Embellished T-Shirt

Forever 21 Purple Pleated and Lace Dress

which I actually wore Here:

Chicos 3/4 Sleeve Blue and White Top

and there literally is hundreds more!

The great thing is that I am always adding new items to the shop, so make sure you check back often. 

I've also added a button over to the right and a tab at the top so you can easily find my store if you forget.

Oh, and since I love you guys... I am offering all my blog readers a 10% discount off your entire purchase
All you have to do is send me a personal message on eBay and tell me you read my blog, and I will apply the discount to your order!

So, hop on over and look around...
I promise there is something for everybody!

First Stop on My Room Tour: The Bathroom

This may be really weird but I have to say, I love my bathroom. The colors just make me happy.
Too weird?
Ok.

Anyways, today I am showing you my bathroom.

This is the first stop on my room tour. Coming soon is my closet, jewelry storage, and last but not least, my bedroom. 

Without further ado, Welcome to my Bathroom:

Pardon the yellow light, there is no natural light in my bathroom.

I am a very lucky girl in that for the first time, I don't have to share a bathroom with my brothers. This is quite a luxury because as I'm sure you can guess, boys are messy and yucky. I am also lucky that it is right off my bedroom, which is really nice. 

Here is what you see when you walk in through my bedroom:

My style is what I like to call electic. I like shabby chic, but I wanted my bathroom to have brighter colors. 

I don't like to obsess about everything being overly matchy-matchy.

It's just not me. I like color and I don't really care if they are all the same shade or not. 

You'll notice this a lot throughout my tours. 

The thing that grabs your eye first is the shower curtain. 

I had been lusting after this one from anthropologie for quite some time. So imagine my surprise when I found this one at TJmaxx for $19.99. This was my inspiration for the entire space. 

It's quite possibly my most favorite thing ever. 

Above is my linen closet

and also where I stash my beauty cart

That door you see leads to my closet, which you will see soon. 

Do a complete 180* and this is what you see:

 I live in an apartment with my mom, and it came with the granite and modern fixtures. Totally not complaining at all, I mean I have granite for goodness sakes, but modern is not completely my thing.

 It is what it is and I try and make it work. 

towel hook from pier one for $5

 my perfume collection

Jars from Goodwill to hold the necessities. 

Apothecary jar came from a garage sale for $1 and I filled it with coordinating loofahs. 

Little cork jars are Martha Stewart that I got on clearance for $2 that hold my hair ties and bobby pins.

Next to my sink is my loo. 

yes, I just said loo.

The branch above was from Goodwill and the Stained Glass piece was from Garden ridge years ago.

 See what I mean about not being matchy-matchy?

These yellow towels don't really match the pale yellow on my shower curtain, but I like them, so here they are. 

They came from Neiman Marcus (my mom works there and she got them at a sample sale for $5 each.)

and the last little detail:

my super soft rug from tjmaxx.

It sheds those little cotton strands like crazy, so I might need to replace it sometime in the future. 

That's my bathroom!

Stay tuned for my closet tour...

My All Time Favorite Fragrances

I have to say, I'm really picky when it comes to perfume. I pretty much can't stand any men's cologne, and the majority of women's fragrances are way too strong for me. You see, scents are a major trigger for my migraines and perfumes generally just add to the problem. 

After many trials and errors (hello Britney spears "fantasy" anyone???)

I've found some scents that I can actually wear without getting headaches.

Funny thing is that all but one are from the same brand... I like what I like, what can I say?!?!?

Oh, and I should say that all of these perfumes were either free from rewards points at ulta, or given to me as gifts. I almost always have a perfume on my wish list since they all are kinda pricey. (right now this one is on my list... I bet you can guess why!)

Anywho, lets get started going from left to right:

1. Dot by Marc Jacobs

This is my newest addition. I loooove it. It's verging on the strong side for me, but it's perfect for those days when I feel like I can handle it. It's a very fresh and energetic scent, if that makes sense. 

2. Daisy Eau So Fresh by Marc Jacobs

I kinda have an obsession with the "daisy" line. Partly because they are one of my favorite flowers, but also because they aren't too overpowering but I can still tell I am wearing a perfume. I would describe all the Daisy perfumes as classic and feminine. This one in particular is more fruity and lively. I love this one for summer!

3. Unconditional Love by Philosophy

This one is the lightest fragrance I own. It wears very sheer which I like a lot. I was actually talking with the Philosophy Sales Lady and she told me that all the Philosophy scents are made to be only smelt when you are up close.  This one certainly isn't overpowering, but it's a warmer fragrance. Dare I say Vanilla-y? I spray this one on my hair brush and brush it through my hair. It's just lovely. 

4. Daisy by Marc Jacobs

Can you tell I really like Marc Jacobs??

I guess his scents just work well with my PH. 

This one was my first 'big girl' fragrance purchase. In fact, my family calls it my signature scent. I kinda like knowing that whenever they smell it, they think of me ;)

This is a classic in my book. It's warm, but fruity and floral in a way. If you haven't smelt this before, you're missing out!

Oh, and doesn't Marc Jacobs make the cutest bottles?

I swear once they are used up, I'll never be able to throw them out.

I might just use them to decorate.

no, I'm not joking. 

I guess I should throw in my favorite body splashes for good measure.

I always keep a body splash either in my purse or my backpack just because I can't stand smelling bad. (I mean who would?)

Body splashes are my best friend. They add just enough, but not too much. I love that they don't linger all day because sometimes I find that makes me sorta sick. (am I the only one?)

These are my current favorites

1. Victoria's Secret Vanilla Lace

This is such a yummy scent. I mean, the title explains it all. Very Vanilla and delicious. 

I love spraying this after a shower. 

2.Pink Chiffon by Bath and Body Works

Okay, I know I've been saying I love everything, but it's true. 

This one is 100% girl in my book. It's light, flirty and floral. 

 3. Victoria's Secret Love Spell

Ahh, the smell of high school.

Whenever I smell this scent it brings me back to those awful high school days. 

hehe, just kidding :)

but in all seriousness, this is my all time favorite smell. 

Its Über fruity and delicious. I lurrrrv it. 

This is the one I carry in my purse, at all times. Hence, the travel sized version. 

I even found a scentsy wax that smells just like it for my room... I'm a little obsessed. 

April Favorites

Ahh! I can't believe I'm so late, seeing that we are already almost a week into May!

Nevertheless, here were my favorite beauty products for the month of April:

1. Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

I have been using this brush for applying my liquid foundation. After years of using a flat brush, I just got sick of seeing so many streaks. I did some research but I didn't want to spend over $18 for this brush. I was wondering around Ulta and I picked this one up. It is amazing! I will never go back to my old ways.

Plus, it's on sale right now!

2. Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Fruitti

I adore this color for spring. It appears like a bright orange, but it goes on much more sheer on the lips. You guys know how much I love the lip butters, and this is the shade I have been gravitating towards more recently. 

3. Z Palette Pro Size

If you don't already know what this is, I plan on doing a full post on this soon to explain a bit more. I ordered mine off ebay for over half the price (I think I paid $13), and have been in love with it ever since I got it in the mail. It saves so much space and I end up using my products so much more now that I am able to see them all. 

4. Wet N Wild Blush in Pearlescent Pink

Ok, so I don't know about you, but for the longest time I thought Wet N Wild was that super cheap brand at the drugstore and it was all a bunch of junk. 

Boy, was I wrong. Not only are their eyeshadows completely amazing, but their blushes are just as awesome.

I adore this shade. It works well with my pale skin and gives me that natural looking glow. Not to mention the pigmentation on all of the blushes are awesome. I barely tap my brush on the product and I am set. 

5. ELF Studio High Definition Powder in Translucent

For the longest time, I had been setting my foundation with revlon's nearly naked powder. I liked it, but I found that sometimes I just wanted to set my makeup without adding anymore color. I apply this after I completely finish my face. It really helps to set everything to make it last all day. It has the coolest texture and leaves my face matte, but with no white caste like some powders have. 

Just a warning, the only negative to this is that this is really really messy. I have to open it over my sink just because so much product comes out. 

That's it for this month.

What were your favorite products last month?

April Update and May Goals

 January's Goals

February's Goals

March's Goals

Now that I'm back to regular scheduled programming, and the fact that its already May(!!!) it's time for an update!

Here were my goals for the month:

Aprils Goals:

1. Finish organizing my closet.-

done! Expect a blog post soon!

2. Finally switch my closet over from winter to spring/summer. Also purge clothes I no longer wear.- 

Ahh, this felt so good to complete. Not only did I switch my closet over, but I purged so many clothes to sell in my shop. Oh, I didn't tell you about that? Expect that soon, too. 

3. Listen to Joel Osteen's Podcasts at least once a week.- 

Despite his many critics, I adore Joel Osteen. To this day he is the only pastor whose sermon I can follow all the way through. That, and because I always feel like he's preaching to me directly. It's like he always knows what I am thinking! Plus, his podcast's are free on itunes! I really enjoyed this this month, and I will continue with it!

4. Finish my current Book and start a new one

If you can believe it, I am still reading The Paris Wife. I know. but with finals and essays and just life in general, I haven't been devoting much time to reading. About 3/4s done, though!

5. Work on my Summer Plans

(This is my main source of stress. How can I fit it all in?)

Well, I've got a sort of/ but not really tentative plan. It's a good one!

I'm just firming up dates :)

2013 Bucket List:

-Cut out processed foods-this has been hard, but worth it! I have been trying to only by foods with ingredients with 5 or less and ones I can pronounce :)

-buy local produce/go to local farmer's market more

-volunteer somewhere

-have my first giveaway on my blog-COMING SOON! Very soon! I promise!!!

-figure out my college plan-I'm pretty sure I've decided which school I am transfering to! yay! I keep switching back and forth, but I've narrowed it down to two!

-save my money up for something big (don't have a clue what that will be...yet   I have a few ideas of what I want to save for, now just to narrow it down) (Hopefully for a plane ticket for this summer and a nice camera!(!!!!!))

-bake a blackberry cobbler from scratch

-eat better and be active-working on this! I've been eating my "green" smoothies, and obviously walking everyday has helped! (well, Easter hasn't been great on my diet....ok, chocolate hasn't been great for my diet. but I have been running with my dog a couple times a week!)

-make new friends-yay! I've met a couple new people this semester in school that I really like! 

-work on my scrapbook- it took me a while to figure out where I put it, but I found it and even finished it! I am now working on my next one!  Started some new pages!!!

-go on a road trip (one is in the works)
-write a letter to myself to open in 10 years
-go camping
-read at least 8 books- 2 down, 6 to go :)
-teach myself how to sew

and now for....

May's Goals:

1. Try not to over pack (this will be tough)

2. Continue on with the Joel Osteen Podcasts.

3. Keep my "Shop" successful this month!

(again, I will share details tomorrow!)

4. RELAX and enjoy my summer!

That's it for me! What are your goals this month? 

A Few of My Favorite Things

I had a brilliant idea the other day. 

Okay, I know I have those a lot ;)

 but this time, it was really good. 

I was thinking about my board on pinterest

It's called L.O.V.E.

(click the link to see it)

and basically, it's a combination of a whole bunch of pictures that make my heart flutter. 

Things I love.

Things like Paris

and Boys

and Shoes 

and Dogs 

and Books.

Every time I pull up this board, I get lost in the pictures for hours. I always enjoy looking at these pictures that, well, I love. 

So, I was thinking

Wouldn't it be cool if I had a scrapbook of sorts to look at all these images I like so much? 

Like one I can hold in my hand, and that's not just on a computer screen.

I knew making an actual scrapbook would take a lot of time, and to be honest, I didn't want to waste all   the ink in my printer.

So, I came up with the next best thing:

A Photobook

I would save all the pictures to my computer, upload them to a book, and I would have them forever!

It pretty much sealed the deal when I saw that they were running a 50% off sale, plus I had a $10 coupon. 

So, I got busy decorating each page and adding all my pictures. It was so much fun! And so much cleaner than actual scrapbooking (I always make a huge mess with all the supplies)

If you're interested, you can see my book here:

I titled it 

"A few of my favorite things..."

    Click here to view this photo book larger 

because that's just what it is. A few of my favorite things. 

So, I ended up paying $26.00 after shipping for my book. I didn't really have the money, but I knew it was worth it to me. Every time I will see it, I will be instantly happy, because it will be filled with my most favorite things in the world. 

I am so excited to see how it turns out!