Skirt.. Jeans...... JEGGINGS?!?!

***Picture Heavy Post***

New shirt......

New shirt with work appropriate attire.......

Outfit Deets:
Shirt - F21 $17.50
Skirt - Maurice's $20ish
Shoes - F21 $20.50

Outfit Deets:
Shirt - samesies
Jeggings - Target $12ish
Shoes - samesies

Outfit Deets:
Shirt - samesies
Skinnies - F21 $19
Shoes - samesies

Soooooo my plan for today was........... to take this new shirt that I bought from F21 (which I love) and make it from day to night. So that's what I did.... The first pic is a close up of the beading on the shirt. It's a pretty sweet shirt. Then I paired it with the shoes in the pic above, and a skirt from Maurice's. I loved it. Then I tried my jeggings with it...... and I felt a little too 80's flashdance................. (which can be a good thing at times, but not so much here) and so I settled for the last set of photos with the jeans. I felt it was a much better fit with this shirt.

Where was I going you ask? Well............ the grocery store. I am an avid lover of the grocery store! Like. For. Serious. I love it probably because it's a mix of 2 things that I adore........ shopping...... and food.......... Chello!? Anywho, so I'm also an avid believer in strutting your stuff at the grocery store. Don't ask me why..... I really don't know. I just feel like the grocery story is one of the places that you can wear whatever you want.... because noone knows where you're coming from or where you're going. And sometimes they'd really like to know! :)



Ciao bellas!!!!!!!! Have a Happy and Safe New Year!!!

I like to SPARKLE!

Outfit Deets:
Sweater dress with belt - Christmas gift (I think it was actually from Boscov's)
Tights - F21 $3ish
Shoes - DSW $40 **FAVORITE** :)

Sooooo..... how is everyone doing today?? I was rockin' this outfit on Sunday. I glittered. I sparkled. I shimmered. I loved. :) When I first pulled this sweater out of the box on Christmas Eve, I wasn't exactly sure if I would like it.... but I was wrong. I do like it! I like it alot! I feel sparkley in it. I like feeling sparkley! haha..... Those shoes are always a keeper too. I am so glad that I invested in them! Anywhoozle, I went to Maggiano's last night with my ladies (after DSW of course, in which I purchased another pair of fabulous shoes that I can't wait to show you!!)! Have any of you had the pleasure of going to a Maggiano's?? IT. IS. DELISH! Try it! You can get family style meals at a decent price and go home with leftovers!


Ciao Bellas!!!

DSW! DSW! DSW! DSW!

Picture of my tatas......... for the purpose of showing the dress. lolFabulous tights and shoe combo!

Outfit Deets:
Dress - Marshalls $19.99
Tights - Target $5ish?
Shoes - DSW $40

So in regards to the title of this post..... It's actually a lovely chant! I'm going to DSW with some of my lovelies tonight... so I'm pretty pumped! Anywho, in regards to my outfit post.... I'm kind of in love with this dress/outfit. I'm diggin' the leapord tights and dress combo. I found this little number at Marshalls for only $19.99......... Chelloooooo!?!?!? Obviously, I scooped it up and purchased before anyone else could steal it. Did I mention that I also purchased this while I was supposed to be shopping for Christmas presents for "other people".............. Oh well!!! :)

I really want oneeeee thing for Christmas this year that I don't have currently..... I really am blessed beyond any measure. I have an amazing family... and awesome friends... and a great life. If I can be selfish for a moment though, there is just one thing (a.k.a Person......) that I'd really like back in my life......... It's a dream.... a wish..... a hope... a prayer....... Welp..... I guess Patience really will have to be my middle name for a while.


Ciao bellas!!

Miracle on Mulberry Street!

Outfit Deets:
Dress - Vicky's $20ish
Tights - F21 $3
Belt - I stole off of some shirt from Charlotte Russe
Zebra shoes - Charlotte Russe $14

I figured out a way around the whole card reader thing!! I just popped my lil' card in my printer at work and it uploaded the pics right to my computer..... fabulous! This is actually what I wore one day last week. I ordered this dress on Victoria's Secret!! I'm torn on whether I like it or not.... as you can see it doesn't give much shape..... Thoughts? Keep or not?


Ciao bellas!

Merry Christmas Friends!!!

Hello all of you lovely ladies!! :) Merry Christmas!! Sooo sorry for the lack of posts during this holiday!! I've been hanging out with the family, and chilling with the parentals. I have many outfit posts to update you all on.... and many a Christmas gift to show you!! However.... I may be semi-retarded.... because I tried to put my bosses' camera card into my card reader on my laptop. However, it was the wrong size... Sooooo.... long story short, my genius friend had to disassemble my computer completely and force the card out. Because of that shenanigans, I can't use the card reader in my laptop anymore..... So I need to go buy an external card reader that I can plug into my computer.

Does anyone have any ideas where I could purchase one of those at a decent rate???? Hmmmm??? Let me know lovelies!!


Thankssssss! Ciao bellas!!!!

Outfit deets:
Black dress: Ross ?
Black zebra tights: Ross or Marshalls cheap
Gray argyle tights: Target$7 for 2 pair
Riding boots: Charlotte Russe $22.5o
Gray awesome sweater: F21 $21

This is my outfit today. It's cozy.... and warm.... and awesome. I got this sweater yesterday from F21 when I was supposed to be "Christmas shopping" for other people.... This shows how well that went. I kind of dig this outfit though. :)


Ciao bellas!!

A Beautiful Blogger!?!?!?!? You're tooooo kind. :)

I was given this prestigious award by the fabulous Nina of Ballerina'sclosetobsession! How lovely of you Nina!!! Thanks!! Get on over and check out her blog! It's fabuloussss! So in keepings with this "Beautiful Blogger Award", here are 7 'interesting' (or not so interesting) things about Yours Truly!!!

1. I graduated high school in a class of 10... and that included me. No, I'm not some weirdo. Yes, I did graduate from a private school. And yes, of course, I ruled the school....... of like 60. haha

2. I believe that I have an addiction to Starbucks. 5 days a week I go there every morning and get the EXACT same thing...... a tall javachip lite frappucino with no whip cream, add powdered cinnamon. It's delectable!

3. I'm rarely ever angry in real life..... The only thing that can REALLY tick me off is driving..... I may have a bit of road rage..... or I just can't stand stupidity while driving. And of course, I'm the best driver EVER....... so I would NEVER do anything reckless or stupid. :)

4. Favorite shows are: Law & Order SVU, Scrubs, Psych, Monk, and House.

5. My favorite food in the whole wide world is Chips & Salsa........ but it has to be really amazing salsa because I'm super picky about it! :)

6. I absolutely LOVEEEEEE to shop. I love finding something new and awesome, and especially for a great price. I'm a real bargain shopper. I love finding sale items and figuring out a way to wear it! :) I have like a million pieces of clothing, shoes, accessories, and just pure shenanigans. It's spewing out all over my floor, my room, my closet, my dresser, my bookcase, my large stand up thingy from Ikea, etc.....

7. I absolutely LOVE to cook.... but I hate to cook just for myself. I love cooking for me and other people. It's just different somehow. I love when other people enjoy what I do.


So yeah, there you have it. Some uninteresting facts about myself for your enjoyment and pleasure. :) You're welcome...... haha

And thanks again to the beautiful Nina for the Beautiful Blogger award! I'm gonna pass the love on to these beautiful bloggers.......

Bekah @ Boo Shares News
The lovely The Owl's Closet
Kyla @ Blue Collar Catwalk
Amy @ Bargain Hunter Extraordinare

Ciao bellassssssss

Let's Hear it For New Yorkkkkkk

Last Saturday, me and 4 of my friends went to NYC for the day.......

Me and this lovely gentleman in the Garment District had a moment.....

Please disregard my retardedness......... haha

All of us in NYC.

Outfit deets:
Gray coat - H&M $40
Hat - H&M $7 for 2
Scarf - Cheap?
Skinnies - $12 F21
Riding boots - Charlotte Russe $22

Sorry for the lack of posts since Thursday! I have been at the PIAA Football Championships all weekend in over a foot of snow.... It was crazy cold.... my outfit consisted of 5,023,399 layers, 8 pairs of socks, hat, gloves, scarf, etc. Anywho, for those of us here in PA, we got about a foot and a half of snow! White Christmas.... I think so! How lovely! :) I braved the weather and the people to do a little Christmas shopping. I finished some people up...... but I still have some others to finish up. ....................

What are some of your awesome Christmas ideas that you're getting for the special people in your life?


Ciao bellas!

Holiday schmanglings

Outfit Deets:
Cream pea coat: Azure Boutique - on sale $30
Black v-neck sweater: F21 $7ish
Gray skirt: ??
Black tights: F21 $3
Gray booties: Marshalls $20
Sunnys: Mall kiosk... $10 :)

This was how I did my hair...... I was bored, so I figured I'd take a pic of that too. haha.....

Anywhoooozle, I did make a bunch of goodies last night.... however, because it ended up taking me the whole evening even with the help of Zelda, I did not take any pictures. Here's a rundown though of what I made: Mint chocolate truffles with peppermint patties crushed in them, Chocolate raspberry truffles drizzled with white chocolate, Chocolate coconut truffles with almond joys in them, Chocolate peanut butter truffles covered in powdered sugar, No bake peanut butter cornflake "cookies", and Chocolate peanut butter oat bar. There you have it.... I become somewhat more domesticated. I love to cook, but baking has always been more of a challenge. I'm trying to conquer that. :)

What are ya'll making for the holiday season??


Ciao bellas................... :)

Tuesday Shoe Day!

Outfit Deets:
Gray v-neck sweater dress: ? Cheap.....
Black strapless dress worn as skirt: Bonton $9
Black belt: F21 cheap
Black tights: F21 $3
Gray booties! See deets below

Shoe Deets:
Gray fold-over booties: Marshall's $19.99

I'm not quite sure why my shoes wouldn't show up in the pictures I was taking. Weirdddddd! Anywho, thanks for the comments on the last fitness post. Like I said, uninspired Fridays bring Fitness Fridays. Maybe that'll be a new post!!! :) Tuesday Shoe Day........ Fitness Friday...... oh man, new ideas, new possibilities! I love it! haha....

New Fitness Friday will now consist of some sort of Healthy food option, workout tip, workout outfit, etc. Also, I agree with those of you that commented that said that wearing something that makes you feel good about yourself can oftentimes motivate you to feel better after working out and maybe workout harder/longer etc. :)

P.s. Tomorrow night I'm making homemade chocolate truffles and chocolate peanut butter bars (for "gifts" for my bosses/coworkers/etc.) and I'll try to post pics of that as well along with some recipes! Enjoy!!!!!


Ciao bellas!

To work out or not to work out..... that's the question

Soooooooo... These pics below are because I was bored.... hahaha... On Friday, my outfit for work was uninspired. So, I decided to post a little fitnesseeee thing. Below are What I Wore to the gym on Friday. Please hold your laughter at my ridiculous faces until the end.... hehe

Outfit deets:
Yellow racerback tank: Walmart $7
Black workout pants: Nike $9
Sneaks: Nike Free from job

So I figured I'd post a bit about workout routines and what I think about them. If you don't care about fitness (which is perfectly fine!) or you don't feel like reading... you should probably stop...... Now. :) Anywho, I've been involved in sports my.entire.life. It's pretty much one of my passions. I love playing sports!! Yes, it is possible to be a complete tomboy and into sports and also LOVEEEE to dress up and try your best to be "fashionable". It's totally legit. I believe some sort of fitness is important for everyone.... not because of "weight" persay or being "fat" or "skinny" or "weighing a certain #". Fitness is not about weighing 100 lbs. or 200 lbs. Fitness is about feeling good, being healthy, and being "in shape". I work out because at the end of the day, I feel better after working out (as opposed to laying on the couch eating chips & salsa and watching my fav. shows on tv).... or let's just say... when I get home from working out, I feel better about laying on the couch eating chips & salsa and watching my fav. shows.... hahaha. I think it's important to "reward" yourself with good food that you love. I am, by no means, a HEALTHY FOOD NAZI!!! No way Jose..... I loveeeeeeeeee food. I especially loveeeee the extra fattening food (see Chips & Salsa, French Fries, Pizza, Stromboli, Pasta..... you get the picture). However, I can definitely notice when I get into the "I'm gonna house every waking french fry on this plate, even though I'm not hungry anymore" mode... that my body obviously answers back. But I digress..........

Workout routine.... for those of you that care. :)
Cardio portion - Interval training (a.k.a. a better way to run). I do 15 mins usually. The way to do it is..... I run at a 5.2 for 5 mins to warm up. Then I sprint for 30 seconds at a 7.2. Then run again 1:30 at 5.3. Sprint again for 30 seconds at a 7.3. Run 1:30 at 5.4. Sprint 30 secs at 7.4. ** continue the same pattern increasing .1 in speed for each thing until you decide you wanna stop.** I really feel that Interval running is much better for you, and easier to do. Instead of just mindlessly running for who knows how long, you're paying attention more to the time and it makes the time pass quicker. Also, it's good for your heart rate to have that burst of sprinting every once in a while.
Arms - I use free weights. Usually (2) 10 lb. weights. I do alot of different exercises that are hard to explain, but not hard to do. I do 12 reps usually 2 or 3 times... rotating 2 different exercises back and forth in between sets.
Legs and booty - For legs and butt I usually stick with the machines. Leg press, leg curl, calf raises, the glute machine? (the one where you lay down and extend out each leg).
Abs - Abs are something that ALL WOMEN struggle with. I try to vary the exercises when it comes to abs. One of the self-proclaimed "hardest ab workouts to do" sometimes makes it's way into my routine. Here is how to do it...... Get into push up position. Hands on the floor and feet on a giant workout ball. So basically your body is parallel to the ground with your hands outstretched perpendicular to you. Your back should be flat, and your toes should be pointed on the ball. Using your feet, bring the ball as far into your chest as you can without bending your legs. It's crazy, it hurts, and it works. :)
Stretching - YOU MUST STRETCH. If you don't, you'll probably be so sore after starting a routine that you may never want to do it again. DO IT! STRETCH! As long as you want... as much as you want. The more, the better.

I try to vary the days that I work on things. Sometimes I like to throw in just one day of all cardio... so I'll interval train, bike, elliptical, etc. The key is to differ your workouts. You don't want to get bored, because that's why you stop going to the gym. You don't want to be affected by other people either. Never be afraid to go into the weightroom where usually only the boys hang out. Lies. You do whatever makes you feel good!! You work those butt cheeks, thighs, quads, etc. as much as you want!!! Slap on that Ipod and don't think twice about anyone else in the gym. :)

I know this is a random post, and may not even be necessary but I felt like I should put it out there. Feel free to comment or email me with more questions!! alwayssmilin04 (at) yahoo.com


Ciao bellasssssss!

Here's what I do know.......

So can I make an honest and yet kind of shallow revelation about myself??... Yes, I can because it's my blog and I'll do what I want. :) Sooooo.... the last post that I did was one of my fav. "chill" outfits. When I took the picture (and posted them) I thought to myself, "I wonder what all the beautiful ladies will think of them!" It may be vain and shallow..... but I can't help it dang it! Anywho, my comments obviously usually get sent to my email, so I check randomly to see if anyone had thoughts or whatever. So I got 0, zilch, nada, nun, diddly squat emails in reference to comments on the last post..... And I thought to myself, maybe people didn't like this outfit as much as I did? :P Oh well.................... boo...... sad face. sad face. haha. However, I get on today to make this exact post (minus this little rant), and come to find out that I actually had 5 lovely comments on my post and 2 on the one before that. Never. Got. The. Email! So thank you all of you lovely ladies out there that commented on the last 2 posts! I'm clearly a shallow person that longs to hear what you think!!! :) I do wanna welcome the newbies too! Stick around. You may or may not be disappointed.

On to the real reason for this post............... I stumbed across this blog today. It's called Project 320... These awesome people are trying to Build. A. Well. They're doing it! And it's awesome, and I think in this holiday season when we're looking to give all of ourselves to everyone around us.... It's important to remember why we're here in the first place. We're on earth to serve others, whether through our gifts (be it fashion, writing, blogging, speaking, listening...) or through our finances, or through our prayers. So, I donated. You clearly don't have to. But I think it's a nice thing to kinda send out there. Check out the site, and if you feel that you wanna support them in some way.... then by all means do it. :)

Here are a couple of photos of my favorite things/people in life. *Outfit post later*

Me and my ADORABLE NEPHEWS!!! Noah and Landon

Noah....... :)

Landon :)

Me and Noah

Some of my lovely BF's.

More to come lovelies!


Ciao bellas!!!!! <3

Jumpin' and Jivin'

Outfit deets:
Black v-neck sweater: F21 $7ish
Jeans: F21 $22
Shoes: DSW $40
Necklace: Charlotte Russe gift

This is actually what I wore on Saturday night. I went with a couple friends to go SWING DANCING! It was sooo much fun! I was surprised at how fun it was! Everybody dances with everybody, and I just let everyone know I was a "beginner" of sorts. However, I love to dance.... so when they were whipping me around and spinning me all over the place it was like heaven! Again... fun. :) Saturday it also snowed! So it was wet and cold.... and although in most instances I love wearing dresses, this time I just couldn't bring myself to brave the weather to dance in a dress. So this is what I wore. I'm kind of in love with this outfit. Nothing too crazy.... just subtle things that I love.


Ciao bellas!