What's Your Season?

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Have you ever been asked what season you are? When I was told that I was spring, my first thought was "Well......I was born in the spring, but how would you know that?" My favorite season is summer, but I'm not talking about them like that. Your skin tone determines what season you are. Once you find that out, you can find out what colors look best for your skin tone and what ones don't. Here is a quick run down of who is classified under what season, what colors to avoid, and what colors are flattering.

WINTER

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People who have a winter complexion usually have a pale to olive skin tone. They have darker features such as their eyes and hair. For example, a woman with black hair, dark brown eyes, and fair skin would have a winter complexion. African Americans and Asians also fall under this category.

Flattering Colors:

-White

-Bright pink

-Dark neutral colors

-Deep saturated colors

-Cool pastels

-Jewel tones

Colors to Avoid:

-Beige

-Orange

-Brown

-Other colors in the same family

SUMMER

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People with summer complexions have cool skin tones with pink hues. They have brown or blonde hair and have lighter colored eyes. Often times, they are able to tan easily.

Flattering Colors:

-Pastels

-Light colors

-Neutrals

Colors to Avoid:

-Black

-Orange

-Other drastic colors

AUTUMN

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Autumn complexions are mainly redheads or brunettes with golden/warm hues to their skin and have darker colored eyes. Sometimes, they have honey colored hair or even golden colored hair with blue/gray eyes. 

Flattering Colors:

- Earth tones

-Burnt orange

-Dark reds

Colors to Avoid:

-Cool shades

-Pink

-Black

-White

SPRING

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People who have spring skin tones have creamy white skin with gold undertones. Their hair is either blonde or red, they usually have freckles, and their eyes are either blue or green.

Flattering Colors:

-Pastels

-Peach

-Red

-Aqua

-Green

Colors to Avoid:

-Black

-Navy blue

-White

-Dark colors

Hopefully that sheds a little light on things. You can use this scale to find flattering colors for clothing, but it's not just for what you wear. You can also get a good idea of what hair colors you can try out and what makeup more than likely looks good. Also, this isn't set in stone. I can almost guarantee that you will find exceptions to the rule, but it gives you a good starting point. So, what season are you?

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Look-A-Like: Selena Gomez

Look like a celebrity on a not-so-celebrity budget!

I love Selena Gomez. She is such a beautiful girl who has a lot of talent, but still keeps herself grounded. I also LOVE her style. She dresses like an adult, but still keeps that funky edge to keep her looking young.

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This outfit works well for going out for a day of errands or a night with the girls. I like how she is neutral except for the pop of color from her shirt.

So, what would you say if I told you that you can duplicate this outfit for under $130? Don't believe me? Check it out.....

JACKET: Forever 21 $27.80

TOP: Wet Seal $16.50 

BRACELET: Forever 21 $6.80

PURSE: Charlotte Russe $22.50

JEANS: Old Navy $19.50

SHOES: Charlotte Russe $28.00

Grand Total: $121.10

That is such a great price for an entire outfit. I am a big fan of all of the stores that the items came from. I decided to use the tiered shirt because I like how it adds more texture into the outfit. However, if you like the more stream-lined look, you can get a shirt exactly like the one Selena chose. If you choose to buy this outfit, send my a pic. I would love to see you in it!

And The Countdown Begins

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Just thought I would stop by and let you know what's going on in my little piece of the world.

Zach is coming home a week from tomorrow!! Super excited! Although, the impending wrath of a woman aka Hurricane Irene might threaten that. I am hoping that he gets to come home on time though. Wouldn't you know the time he is supposed to be coming home there would be a major hurricane on its way. There hasn't been a hurricane that has come up this way the whole season and one would pick this week to visit us. But, enough of my ranting! Simply put, I can't wait until the hubby comes home.

I have really enjoyed spending this past month with my parents. My mom and I checked out a new flea market in town and they had some really great prices! I found a trunk and a tv stand that I want to get for our living room. Those two pieces were a total of $140. The tv stand was from the 1970's and it looked brand new! I hope they will still be there when we come back to visit. My mom found 2 end tables for a total of $25 for her guest room. I will put up before and after pictures of those when she refurbishes them. I will probably feature her whole re-do of the guest room because I think it's going to look very nice!

I am very excited to see my sister and her family. They are coming into town in a couple of days. We are going to have a busy week. I am looking forward to going to the first home football game of the high school that my dad teaches at. It's going to be fun watching my little nephew run around the house. It will be funny to see how Cadence handles being around him again. She is an absolute diva so I hope she doesn't ignore him.

I have a lot of things planned for this week so I am hoping that it will go by fast. Have a great week everyone!

What I'm Loving: Toms



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I just bought my first pair of Toms about a week ago and I absolutely love them They are very comfortable and cute! If you click on the picture above, it will take you to their website where you can buy them. They have a design for pretty much every style. They are designed after the traditional Argentina alpargata shoes. I got the black glitters:

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I usually wouldn't feature a shoe that I have only had for a week and have only worn maybe three times. So, why am I doing it with this one? Glad you asked! This company was founded by Blake Mycoskie. He visited Argentina and noticed that all the children there weren't wearing shoes. He saw how they were susceptible to diseases just because of that simple fact. They have a charity called One for One that, for every pair of shoes bought, they give one to a person in need. As a matter of fact, as of September 2010, they have given over 1,000,000 pairs of shoes to people in need.

They also have campus clubs that brings students together to help change the world. You can find out more about these clubs and how to join one HERE.

So, to answer the question, I decided to feature these shoes so shortly after I got them for a few reasons. Several of my friends have these and I have heard nothing but good things about them. Also, how many chances do you get to change someone elses life by buying something for yourself? Not a lot. Every time I wear these shoes I think of how lucky I am to have shoes and about the child that I helped get a pair of their own. We take shoes for granted and often don't realize how much better off we are with them. Shoes are more than just another accessory to our outfit. They help protect us from many things, including diseases. How about the next time you want to buy shoes, buy some that will change a child's life.

Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund

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Just a reminder for you guys. If you click on the small link under the picture, or the picture itself, in all of my book reviews. You will be lead to a website where you can buy the book.

Link from: Books A Million

Price: Club price: $8.10 Online Price: $9.00

Amy Haskel is a junior at Eli University. This is the year where juniors are tapped by secret societys throughout the campus. Amy thinks she is a shoe-in for the Quill & Ink society, but later gets a surprise when she finds out that she is tapped into a more powerful and prestigious society.  Oh, and did I mention that the society was all male? While she is still recovering from the surprise of getting to join this society and the new friends it comes with, she has to deal with a scandal that could quite possibly ruin her life.

Overall, I liked this book. It kept me interested and doesn't have an obvious ending like most books do. It takes you by surprise by the twist and turns that the plot makes. But, I do have a couple of problems with it, too. First, it has a good bit of language in it. I honestly don't understand why people feel they have to include that in books. If you are looking for a book where the language can just be overlooked, this isn't it. Second, it talks about drinking, going to bars, and Amy sleeps around quite a bit. Although, the good thing is that it doesn't go into detail about those "encounters". If you can get past those things, then you will probably enjoy this book. If not, I would recommend not even picking it up.

Also, this is the first book in a series. This is the only one in this series I have read, but I can pretty much assume the writing style is more of the same. Bottom line: Read at your own risk.

Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcakes

I recently made these for a JROTC parent meeting and they were an absolute hit! They are very good and very easy to make! I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

- One pack of oreos
- 4 packages (8 oz each) of cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, melted, cooled slightly
 (You will need a little bit more if you want to put some on top)
- 4 eggs
- Powdered sugar (optional)
- TIN cupcake foils

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees, put the tin foils into the cupcake pan and put one oreo in the bottom of each. You have to use tin foils because if you use the paper ones, the cheesecake will stick to them.
2. Beat cream cheese, sugar, flour, and vanilla with mixer until well blended.
3. Add melted chocolate and mix well.
4. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until well blended.
5. Put batter into each cupcake foil until it's about 1/2-3/4 full
6. Bake 30-35 minutes
7. Let cool
8. (Optional) I sprinkled powdered sugar over the top of each cupcake and put 3 semi-sweet chocolate chips on top. It made for a nice touch. :)

You can also use this recipe for a regular sized cheesecake. Here's how you do it.

You need 9-inch springform pan, 18 oreos, crushed and 2 tbsp butter,melted in addition to the items listed above. (You only need the 18 oreos though, not 18 + 1 pack) After you preheat the oven and before the first step above, mix the cookie crumbs and butter and press onto the bottom of your springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Continue with steps 2-4. Pour batter into your springform pan and bake for 55 mins-1 hour or until the center is almost set. Run a knife around the rim of the pan to loosen cake. Cool before removing rim. Refrigerate for four hours. You can also top this with powdered sugar. You can add chocolate chips, blueberries, strawberries, etc. on top as well.

I haven't made the regular sized cheesecake yet, so if you do, let me know how it turns out! Enjoy!

Thanks to Our Military!



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I have to be honest, when I first started writing this post it was on a topic totally different. I was going to share my thoughts about why I thought Obama should not go on vacation and help this country's economy. But, then I thought, what would that prove? Why not give attention to those who deserve it? Which lead me to this post.

I want to take the time to thank each and every person who serves, or has served, in the military. No, it's not independence day or memorial day or even veteran's day. It's just a Monday. But, I feel like you guys should be thanked every day of the week. You sacrifice time with your family, you move every few years to a place where you don't know anyone and you basically have to keep starting over. Every time a scare comes up that you might not get paid, you keep working anyway. You deploy for months at a time to defend your country. At times, you even give your life for us.

You do all this, yet you don't ask to be thanked. You don't put yourself in the spotlight and act like you are entitled to something. I hear about families raising cane when one of their loved ones who died didn't get on the news. But you know what, I doubt that soldier would've even cared about that. If they could, they would tell them to stop. They would say "I didn't die for fame." When our soldiers raise their right hands, they are not thinking that it will make them famous, or rich, or powerful. They are thinking about the country they love and how they get to defend her.

I also want to add something specifically for the men and women of the Coast Guard. (Yes, I'm partial) Some people don't even count the Coast Guard as a branch of the military. I can't even tell you how many things I have seen that list the branches and you guys are left out. I even read a book that was written by a guy in the army reserves. He said that there are four branches of the military. The Coast Guard wasn't mentioned. I really don't think people realize just how much you do. You save lives everyday and, most of the time, you don't even get your name in the paper. But, like I said in the paragraph above. You don't do it for that and there are not many people who do something that isn't for selfish reasons.

So.....

-Spencer    -Mitchell     -Pears             -Emfinger   -Cappella    -Flavin      -Blaney     -Bethea

-Atkins      -Parker        -Oropeza        -Holley        -Hebert       -Schmerl   -Schadt     -Eisenhard

-Pippins     -Lockhart    -Keller           -Hendrix      -Smith        -Benton     -Scott        -Russo

-Capp         -Tuss          -Thornton       -Nave          -Wadkins    -Hamlin    -Hartman  -Holtzback

-Giovino    -Policastro  -Broderick      -Hibberd     -Girdner      -Ruff         -McDorr   -Arzola

-Godwin    -Anderson   -Coulthard     -Moberly     -Katz    -Clements    -Dibiase    -Sypniewski

-Thompson     -Gainey      -Preston      -Gingras      -Kanter       -Everyone at Sta Cape Charles

-Everyone at MSST Saint Marys

.....anyone else I have forgotten that is or has served in any branch of our military and all of the spouses...... I have had each of you on my mind as I have been writing this post and from the bottom of my heart I want to thank you for everything you do. If I have somehow forgotten to put your name on here, please let me know so I can update it. I don't want to leave anyone out.

For the record, I am not doing this simply because I am a military spouse or daughter. It's because I truely want to thank you all because you don't get it enough. I mean every single word that I say. Words can't even express how much I respect you guys.