New Years Planning!

Hi blog readers!!

How are you??

Long time no talk!

How was your holiday season..wait..the holidays aren't over!! Nope!

New Years is less than a week away!!

And guess who's hosting New Years with her awesome roomie!?!?

ME!! Yay, my inner party planner is super stoked!

So over the next few days as I get stuff ready for New Years I will be posting either videos or blog posts, deal!?!? 

Any suggestions would be awesome. And hearing about your cool plans will be fun too!! 

Can't wait!

The ladies two years ago!

Make 2015 the best year ever!!

-M.

Five Days of Faces!

Happy Tuesday!!

Hey guys!! Long time no type!

So last week, we had a full week of school and since I have a ginormous (to me anyway) makeup collection I figured I would try wearing makeup for all five days! Separate looks of course. Then I got my roomie to choose which look she liked the best. Now this experiment didn't go quite as planned as I wore glasses for three of the pics and that threw her off. So I'm going to try and do it again! Yay!!

Here are the looks for your judgement!

Monday Makeup

Tuesday Makeup

Wednesday Makeup

Thursday Makeup

Friday Makeup

So which one was your favorite??

Next time I do this, I'll film the winning look!! 

Thanks guys!!

-Marie.

Awesome Giveaway Opportunity!!

Hey guys!!

So I was cruising the blogs that I regularly look at and noticed that one of them had a cool giveaway. I entered and thought that was that!

Then I got an email about the giveaway and noticed that they were looking for blogs to help them as well. So I looked into it, chose a polish for myself to contribute and now here's the blog post about it :).

So the polish I chose was OPI's Lincoln Park After Dark. 

I love this polish, it is a perfect Fall colour! 

My mani that needs a bit of work ;).

This giveaway is super awesome. It's through NailPolishCanada.com! They are giving away up to 200 nail polishes!! That's amazing!

So if you'd like to enter through my blog, here is the Rafflecopter giveaway link :).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I really hope you all enter and enjoy!!

-M.

Body Confidence Song :)

Happy Tuesday!!

So yesterday I was browsing my Facebook feed when I stumbled upon an Edmonton radio station talking about a new single that had just been released. 

It was by a female singer named Meghan Trainor, I'd never heard of her before so I was intrigued what her sound was. 

The single was called "All About That Bass" and the link led me to the music video. 

The song starts with a very 50's style beat and a close-up of Meghan. A few seconds into the video you get a glimpse of a full figured guy shaking his booty (loves it). 

As I listened to the lyrics I started to realize what this song was about: BODY CONFIDENCE! 

Meghan shares that she's not a size 2 and her mama taught her that she's beautiful 'from the bottom to the top'. 

I freakin' love the message of this song!! Makes me want to shake my fanny lol.

It's very catchy but for a lyric junkie like me, I was hooked!!

I want to expose all the women in my life to this song and for them to understand it and take it to heart like I did. It's just so empowering!! 

I really hope you guys take a listen and genuinely listen to the lyrics and apply them to your own lives, because I know that I will. 

Listen to the song...listen to it ;).

-M.

Back to Blogging

Hey Guys!!

Well it's Monday and I've gotten inspired to start blogging once again! 

Yay :).

So this is the first summer since I was 16 that I haven't worked (started my job in Forestry when I was 17!) and I'm really enjoying it...not really knowing what to do with it, but enjoying it nonetheless!

I've gone camping, saw Wicked again (was awesome the second time), and spent a bucketload of time with my family, which will hopefully tide them over when I go away for a while back to work! 

This blog post isn't gonna be too informational or teach you anything unless it teaches you to revel in the moment, live for the day and just surrender yourself to whatever is in front of you at the moment. 

I actually got a fishing licence! I actually chose to go on a quad ride! I actually really wanted to chat to older relatives! I've had a lot of experiences this summer but it's because I've allowed myself to experience them! 

I'm really trying to say YES to a lot more. I really want to go the whole month of August saying yes to opportunities..if they are in the budget..but that's a whole other blog post! ;). 

So anywho, I'll sign off now but I do want you guys to try new things! 

Cuz you never know when you'll find your happy! 

That's my main goal...is for YOU to find YOUR happy! 

See ya later!

-M.

P.S. - The text kinda looks like a heart <3.

Influenster imPress Manicure VoxBox!!

Hey Guys!!

So I'm headed out for the night but I figured I would knock out this quick but awesome blog post about something I just got in the mail!

I got my second VoxBox from Influenster!!

Free stuff that I get to review for free and talk to you about!!

Yay free!!

So this time I got two sets of press on nails, both from the company Broadway Nails!

They are super cute designs, both of them. 

One is a brown flower type pattern and the other set looks like they are flamingo nails!! Awesome for summer right??

These nail designs are super easy to use and put on!!

They only take like 10 minutes to put on and last a really long time, no chipping!!

Super awesome for someone like me who doesn't like to waste time applying nail polish only for it to chip like two days later!!

Can't wait to try these and take dozens of nail pics for Instagram..kidding...right?!?!

Anywho!! I figured I'd let you guys know so that you could sign up and possibly get your own free VoxBox one day!!

My awesome box of nail goodies!!

Have an awesome day guys!!

-M.

Luke BRYAN!! - Concert Review!!

So last night my friend Trish and I went to the the Luke Bryan, Lee Brice and Cole Swindell concert.

My beautiful date and I

It was awesome!! My throat still hurts from screaming and singing so much!!

To start off with I didn't know much about Cole. 

He is a really genuine guy and can definitely work a crowd. He has an awesome voice and great stage presence. 

I love his song 'Hey Y'all' but unfortunately we were running late so we missed it :(. 

After Cole, it was Lee Brice's turn to entertain us.

He seems like a party kind of guy and a lot of fun! 

He was very intense for his performance and was very energetic!

I love his song 'I Don't Dance' and it was very sweet to know that it was his song for his wife on their wedding day!

After an amazing performance of 'Parking Lot Party', the crowd was ready for the main star.

I, of course, had to get beverages in order to satiate myself after drooling all over Mr. Bryan. 

He started his show in flaming fashion coming up on top of a black truck surrounded by flames! The games were on from there and the crowd overtook him at points with their renditions of his classics. 

Hearing all of the 15,000 people singing to 'Crash My Party' and 'Drink a Beer' was amazing. It's concerts like these that I live for.

As I looked around the arena I noted that I had pretty much grown up in Rexall Place. From my first concert when I was 11 and saw Cher to now being 25 and seeing Luke Bryan, Edmonton will always be a great place for me to see live shows!

Ending with 'Country Girl' Luke turned down the lights and home we went.

Great show and amazing atmosphere! 

Loved it and would recommend him to anyone wanting to see an amazing energetic show!!

-M.

Change is in The Air...

...I can smell it!

So it's been a while since I've blogged, and I have good reason, I promise!!

But I'm back to say changes are a coming. 

My current job ends at the end of June and then I don't know where I'm going as of yet. 

That's been a common theme in my life but I'm starting to get a bit sick of it. 

I kind of want to be an adult, ya dig?

This constant change, no permanency, this denial of adulthood is frustrating and makes me question my validity as a person. 

I question whether I'm 'good enough' or if I need to make drastic changes because what I'm doing now ain't working! (I know ain't ain't a word but work with me here ;)).

This constant questioning I'm told is common in your mid-twenties but frankly it's getting a little old...like me ;).

So here's me praying and hoping for some kind of sign, some sort of direction.

A great friend sent me a saying today that said go with your passion. 

Wise words :).

I believe that but then again I'm questioning, what passion do I choose??

Ah late night Tuesday thoughts, aren't they fun?

This blog doesn't end in finality, it ends like An Eternal Affliction...

-M.

P.S. - You rock if you got the reference ;).

Mantras

You can do anything if you let it happen.

That's the message I took away from the Mary Poppins show I watched yesterday.

The wise roomie and I :).

I also took away Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, but that's a whole other blog entry!!

I believe that the messages that we send ourselves ultimately show what we are capable of achieving. 

Because if you don't think yourself that you can accomplish it, then how can you?

That's where personal mantras come in.

As I started this blog I wasn't sure exactly what I would write about. 

Then my roommate started saying the same six words over and over.

This was her mantra for the moment and the words that were going to set her up for success.

Ultimately mantras can be either positive or negative for your life. 

I try my hardest to make sure that mine are positive, but sometimes they aren't

Sometimes the words 'hate my life' unfortunately come into play, but I try my hardest to counteract that by the end of the day and start stating that I love my life, I just may be frustrated where it currently is, but I try to find the steps in order to get it out of that zone. 

What I'm trying to say with this blog post is that you set up your hour, your day, your life with the words that you say to yourself. 

Negativity is contagious and overbearing. 

Overpower it with positive words and mantras.

Live your happy. Live what you love. 

And know that life always changes. It's never the same. In two days things can be drastically different than today. You aren't stagnant, you aren't stuck. 

In the words of one of my favourite motivational pictures:

YOU AREN'T A TREE!!

Let that be your mantra!

-M.

Back At It!!

Yay semi consistent blogging!!

I was talking to an awesome friend this past Friday and she had mentioned that she was excited that I was back to blogging and you know what?? So am I!!

I love using this outlet as a vent session for my life. 

So let's vent!

Spring Break is over :(

I've got the sniffles :(

I've reunited with the best roomie! :D

Back to work tomorrow. I'm very interested to see how the little ones are and how animated and excited they are going to be. 

I really hope I get enough sleep tonight in order to be peppy and fresh for them tomorrow!

P.S. - I have a semi new closet!! My Mom bought me a clothing rack that I have six hangers for!! Yay!! Hanging my clothes and seeing it so I can make cuter outfits. 

Anywho, back to Cora (Coronation Street for all you noobs ;))

-M.

Back To School - Grease 2

My Spring 2014 Loose Button Luxe Box!

Good morning!!

So I forgot my super awesome T3i camera back home so I'm going to have to do this unboxing via my blog, not on YouTube :( (oh well!!) 

So this is the spring edition of the Loose Button Luxe Box. (It's also my last Luxe Box :( couldn't justify the price, but I really enjoyed it and may resubscribe later on).

Let's get started with the mystery bag!! (The box is back home as well and it was just a typical Luxe Box box (?).

The mystery bag of products ;).

First things first!!

SOAP!! by Jane's Pick www.janespick.com (@janes_pick)

To start off, you can totally tell this is handmade, IT'S SUPER SOFT!! And there are big chunks of stuff in the soap. I'm not exactly sure which soap this is because there is no real distinct scent right out of the package but I might do a follow up sink test and see if there is a smell from there. So far so good with the spring theme. I like little soap samples like this. They are fun and something I probably wouldn't purchase for myself. 

Next!!

LIPGLOSS!! by teeez cosmetics www.teeez.eu

Love the packaging on this lipgloss!! Super cute, girly and kind of retro!! The 'Sheer Gold' lipgloss has a peach smell to it which is nice and sweet. There is definitely some lip-plumping technology in this one. It's a little sticky and not as smooth as I would like but the smell makes me really enjoy it. Seeing that it is paraben free is really awesome as well. :). Can't get over how cute the packaging is!!

Third!! and Fourth!!

SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER!! by Fekkai www.fekkai.com

I'm going to be honest, when I first saw these in my box, I immediately thought of Makeupandmeg. I think I watched a favourites video she did (? correct me if I'm wrong Meghan) and she stated that she loved Fekkai hair products. I was so excited to get them and they are Brilliant Glossing with Olive Oil ones so that made me more excited!! I just got my hair styled so I'm excited to have glossing hair products :). Good sizes as well with enough product for a good sample.

Fifth!!

NAIL POLISH!! by teeez cosmetics www.teeez.eu

Nail polish junkie right over here! Super cute colour too, like who doesn't like salmon or coral?? Hello! One thing that I noticed and I actually did a side by side comparison was how much this packaging looks like the Julep polish as well. Oh well. I guess it'll fit in with those ones in my collection. This colour is called 'Cadmium Rush', interesting name, I like it! I'm planning on getting a manicure today with a friend so I didn't paint all of my nails with this polish. I think it's super cute how it's called Head Over Heels Nail Lacquer. This colour will look really good with a tan too :) Yay summer :).

Sixth!!

EAU DE TOILETTE!! by L'Occitane www.loccitane.com

Very floral scent, light and semi carbonated feel on the nose. I think the packaging is super cute and I appreciate that the cap screws off and on rather that just popping off which can sometimes cause users like me to lose some perfume onto the carpet (lol). I also think this is a really generous perfume sample for someone like me who has a lot of samples, and a few full size perfumes, that I need to use up. I think it's perfect for spring and can smell the flowers in bloom. This one is called Pivoine Flora.

Last but not least!!

MOISTURIZING LOTION!! by Aveeno www.aveeno.ca

Yay another brand I know!! I feel like this product is such a staple product to have that I was super happy to have a sample of it. Popping it straight into my purse for on the go when my friends ask if anyone has lotion, because I never do! Just a great base product to end on. It's like one of those products that never goes out of style and it is a brand that almost everyone knows so that's nice as well. :). 

Final thoughts!!

Super happy with the variety and plethora of products that I've received. I would definitely recommend this subscription service to people who love beauty and love getting seasonal boxes with nice sized samples. It is a quarterly service and would be an awesome box to give as a gift :).

www.loosebutton.com

Thanks for reading :).

-M.

Listening to the Country Morning playlist on Songza.

Small Victories are Fun!!

I have not gotten out of my pajamas all day...

I REPEAT!!

I HAVE NOT CHANGED OUT OF MY PAJAMAS ALL DAY!!!

Thus the title of small victories ;).

Yes tomorrow I have things planned and I'll put on big girl pants, but today I'm revelling in wearing comfy clothes, spending hours playing a game with my brother, and waking up at 7:30 am to have tea and muffins with my mama. 

It's moments, and days, like these that get me through the hard days. The stress. The fear of failure. 

It's the reassurance that these folks, and many others, have my back. 

No matter if I fail 100 times, they'll pick me up 101 times. 

So tomorrow I'm planning on trimming/styling my hair/maybe getting bangs. 

Kinda nervous because I don't want to lose the length I've waited almost a year for but I need a little update. 

There is also the promise of Deep Fried Oreos tomorrow as well...recipe to follow if they work...and heck how can you mess up deep fried sandwich amazing cookies??

Anywho, other than a bout of stomach flu on Saturday night, my Spring Break 2014 has been exactly what I wanted. Relaxing, family filled, and just plain chill.

Hope you all are having a great start to your week as well!!

Song I'm Loving - Ricky Ricardo - KAPTN and Hanging On - Ellie Goulding feat. Tinie Tempah (from Divergent!!)

-M.

Taking a Moment...

It's Sunday evening.

I have school work to do, meals to prep, makeup to wash off and a room to clean...

but I'm gonna sneak in this blog post first ;).

Why?

Because I've missed it!!

I've missed this personal journal, this outlet for me to express how I feel with my life. 

Psst...I know some others missed it too ;).

I just wanted to take a moment to say hi, reconnect over virtual coffee, give you an over the airwaves hug and say it's gonna be ok. 

I need to say that for me especially. 

Life has been interesting this last month. My brain feels so undecided on a lot of things but I'm rolling with it. 

I feel like since 2010 that I've been floating through my life. I've been trying different things, getting bored or anxious and needing to move on, heck I still kinda feel like that is still happening.

I don't know how to process this. All my life I've imagined that everything is gonna go smoothly all the time and the fact that it hasn't freaks me out. I'm a worrywart as it is and this 'floating' just compounds my already worrying tendencies. 

Ugh super sad blog post. 

I knew I'd have one of these sooner or later. 

Tomorrow will be better, right? :)

-M.

Quick Update with more to come!!

Evening guys!!

So just a quick update.

Got a new teaching job (yay!!)

I'm single again (boo?)

I moved (hmm lol)

I'll be updating more often! Yay!!

Hope you guys can stick with me as I make this transition :).

-M.

ModCloth Design Contest - sponsored!!

ModCloth Make The Cut Contest: 'Prints Charming' Have you always dreamed of becoming a fashion designer? Well now that dream can come true! The ModClothMake The Cut program is a recurring design contest that invites the ModCloth Community to design garments, graphics, or fabric prints. Its main purpose is to further their mission of democratizing fashion by producing clothing designed by community members. YOU can become a designer at ModCloth!

How does the contest work?Entrants will design a new print for a private label dress silhouette that is already being produced! Contestants have two weeks to submit designs. After the submission period, the ModCloth Creative Team will narrow down the submissions to 20, which will be sent to the guest judge, Amanda Needham, Costume Designer for Portlandia. After Amanda has chosen the 10 finalists, they will be posted on the Be The Buyer page for voting. There will be a week for the Community to vote, then ModCloth will contact the winner and update the contest announcement with the big news!

• Contest is Live Now!
• End of Submission Period: Friday 02/14/14
• Launch voting on Be The Buyer: Monday 03/03/14
• End voting on Be The Buyer: Monday 03/10/14
• Winner announced on ModCloth Blog (winner will be contacted personally): Wednesday 3/12/14

Send your entry in now and good luck!

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

-M.

Key of Marie presents Dessert!!

Hi Guys!!

So I've been off the blog for a bit, and here's the triumphant return!

To catch up, I'm going to share a recipe, a yummy picture and a link to an awesome song!!

Yay!!

Recipe First!

Dirt Cake!

1 - 20 oz. package of Oreo Cookies (600g)

1 - 8 oz. package cream cheese (250g)

1/4 cup butter or margarine (50mL)

1 cup icing sugar (250mL)

1 - 12 oz. container Cool-Whip (500mL)

2 - 3-1/2 oz. pkg instant vanilla pudding (2 small packs)

3 cups milk (750mL)

1 tsp vanilla (5mL)

1. Crush cookies in food processor. Set aside.

2. Mix cream cheese, butter or margarine and icing sugar. In a separate bowl, mix together pudding, milk and vanilla. Fold in Cool-Whip. Stir mixtures together. Using a clean flower pot, or plastic bucket, put a piece of plastic wrap on the bottom to clog any holes. You might also tape a penny in place to block the hole as well.

3. Place layer of cookie crumbs on the bottom. Following that alternate layers of pudding with layers of cookie crumbs, ending with cookie crumbs on the top. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to have everything set up properly :).

4. I also added gummy worms before every layer of pudding. I also saved a few until the end in order to stick them into the top of the dirt as if they were crawling out. 

5. If you include fake flowers in this dessert, remember to wrap the ends of the flowers in either aluminum foil or plastic wrap as to not contaminate your dessert with dust or other bugs. 

6. Enjoy!!

Listen to this while you make the dessert :)

-M.

ModCloth Valentine's Sale!! - sponsored

Get ready for Valentine's Day today! ModCloth just launched their Most Loved Sale. You can get 20% off their most loved dresses, accessories, tops and more! Here are a few of my favorite pieces,they also have some really cute plus size clothes too, so go shop your little heart out, you're worth it!

Raspberry Iced Tea Dress from ModCloth

I especially love the Raspberry Iced Tea Dress :).

Barcelona Balcony Dress from ModCloth	Aisle Be There Dress in Rose from ModCloth	The Evening Unfolds Dress in Red from ModCloth

175th Post...Um What??

How have I written 175 different blog posts??

That's unreal for me! 

(I'm still in denial that I'm any kind of writer ;))

I love how therapeutic blogging is. I've said it before and I'll say it again, everyone should blog, in one way or another!!

Write in a journal, voice record yourself, talk to people. As long as you get your feelings, your stories, your life out there, you will feel better.

It's never healthy to keep it all bottled up inside. And do you know how freeing it is to be able to say whatever you want to say. 

When you have your own blog, you can do that!!

Freedom of speech at it's best. 

Not every blog post has to change the world, heck this one is just me rambling because it's what I feel like doing :). 

But I'm super happy and feel honoured that I have a place that is my own. It's like my little nook on the Interweb. 

Thanks for reading this if you have, and thanks for stopping by. 

I am always remodelling and changing things but then again who keeps their home or their heart the same year after year? 

Listening to?? - NONONO - Pumpin Blood

Have a great day guys. I truly mean that from my ever-changing heart!

-M.

Sunday Funday! Craftsy.com Review :).

Happy Sunday Everyone!!

This is the bag that I made, along with a festive bow for gift-giving :).

So a while back I chose to include Craftsy.com as an affiliate on my blog (which means that I'm able to show their ads for a touch of profit). With this inclusion on my blog, they offered one free class to me as long as it was under $49.95. I thought that was super cool and really nice! 

So I popped over to their website, which is super cute and easy to access. I searched their course list and saw one that said 'Design Your Own Handbag'...um yes!! This seemed like such a cool idea. Like who doesn't love handbags and who wouldn't wanna create their own unique one???

A couple other class options :).

So because Christmas was coming up, I figured that I wanted to make a handbag for someone. That someone turned out to be my bestie, Alyssa :). We had decided that we were gonna do homemade gifts and I'm not sure how much more homemade this could be. 

I was inspired when I was walking through Wal-Mart and I saw this duo of fabric that was yellow and grey, it just spoke to me. It was like 'hey, I'm cute and edgy and slightly alternative' which is Alyssa ;).

So I purchased the fabric, some thread and a zipper (which, alas, was too small). The class was really easy to follow and super in depth. I would suggest that you watch the entire class of a session before you try and complete a project. I made that mistake and was stressed because I kept having to switch through the lessons to follow the steps. 

A benefit to these classes?? They provide you with print outs of how you should cut your fabric to make the four 'base' bags that they offer. It's really helpful and makes the entire process that much simpler to follow.

All of the lessons are on video and you can pause, fast forward, or replay any section as many times as you want. Also, when you buy a class, it's yours for life online in your file! :).

Overall I think this class is awesome! It's very easy to follow, no really crazy items you needed to purchase and the instructor makes handbags for a living so she gives you little tips about hardware and stitching and such.

See the bag I made above :).

After this class, I'm super interested in seeing what else they offer and what other classes are like. If they are anything like this one they will be informative, interactive, and just overall great online courses!!

If you guys are interested, Craftsy has a bunch of free mini-classes to try out!! Check the link!! :)

Craftsy Free Classes

Thanks for reading!

-M.

I Go Back - Pt. 1!

Now Playing - I Go Back - Kenny Chesney (haven't done one of these in a while, eh? ;))

Hi Guys!!

So a while back I did a post about songs that bring up memories of my friends (here it is :)). Now on that same stream of consciousness I wanted to do a post about when songs bring me back to moments in my life. 

This post started thinking about one special moment and others followed shortly after that :).

The defining moment?

Kyle and Tracey's wedding. (There have been a couple of blog posts about this day already ;)).

I cannot for the life of me hear 'Ho Hey' by The Lumineers and not think of this magical day. It was a perfect day with amazing people, great dancing and a beautiful couple that show me every time I see them what true love is. I reminisce whenever I hear it and wish I could go back and redo it all over again :).

Another moment?

My first musical sacrifice for a boy.

I downloaded a Coldplay song. Yep I said it. Coldplay. Not a huge fan of their music but when I went on my second date with a boy I downloaded 'Yellow' because he really liked it. I also downloaded 'Photograph' by Nickelback so you can guess where that dating ended up. It's funny how whenever I hear that song I immediately change it now..well not funny, just instinct ;).

Moving forward!

When I found my favourite all-time band.

Cruising in Slave Lake. Going down the dirt road that is now paved. Stopping at the train tracks with my bestie by my side choosing to play her 'alternative' station on my Sirius radio and what do I hear? The smooth yet rough, sultry yet kick-ass, mature yet youthful voice of one Hayley Williams. At first I don't give it a real second thought but when the 'Misery Business' chorus hits and the power that is Paramore is unleashed, I get hooked. This powerful female presence is dominating and strong. I want to be this girl. Come later to find out she's younger than me, but heck you can admire those younger in age than you. I fell in love, and am still crushing hard on that orange haired rock star. She is one of my idols.

A musical memory with my Dad.

Now I don't have a ton of music based memories with my Dad but here's one. It was winter. We were driving uptown to get Chinese food in my Dad's Ford F-150 in red. My Dad had the Bif Naked album in his CD changer (my Dad literally rocks ;)). And the song 'I Love Myself Today' comes on. Right out of the bat a great rockin' song. Of course my Dad cranks it because, well, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree on that one ;). The lyric 'look at you all puffed up in your bed red truck' flows from the speakers and I can't believe this moment because I. AM. IN. A. BIG. RED. TRUCK!!! Memory solidified in my mind and my Dad and I are badasses forever. Fin. :).

Thanks for reading. More to come in future :).

-M.