DIY Glitter Champagne Bottles

One of my best friends is getting married in August (eek!) and this weekend we are celebrating in the Hamtpons for her bachelorette party. Woo! I found some pinspiration to jazz up champagne bottles and I thought to myself, "I'm obviously bringing champagne, so why not cover up the ever so fancy André and Korbel labels with a little glitter?"

This was definitely a simple DIY and didn't end up a Pinterest fail- score! Check out the steps and tips below!

*Here's what you'll need:

• Spray adhesive
• Glitter
• Bottles
• Old cardboard box

(Seriously, that's it.)

I picked up the spray glue and glitter from Michaels. These items can easily be bought at any craft store and I know that hardware stores also carry the spray glue. The bottle can be any kind...wine, champagne, big, mini, etc. It's up to you! 

Step 1:

There are usually a few labels on bottles. One around the neck at the bottom of the foil, and one or two on the main part of the bottle. I peeled some of the labeling off of the main part, but left most of it on. I made sure all of the label around the neck came off (the neck label comes off a lot easier than the main part). I then wiped it down with a damp paper towel and then dried it, making sure it was completely dry.

TIP: I sprayed and glitterized all of mine in a matter of 30 minutes or less. If you have more time, I suggest taking all of the labeling off and just leaving the foil wrap on the top. The easiest way to get labels off is to soak in warm water and use dish soap with some wet paper towels. I didn't want to risk getting soapy residue on the bottle and not having the glue stick. Again, if you have a whole day for it to be properly cleaned and dried, you can definitely take all of the labeling off, and start the glue/glitter process (step 2) the following day or two.

Step 2:

Spray entire bottle with glue. This is where you will utilize that cardboard box. I spray the bottle while holding it inside so it wouldn't get on anything else (I also did this outside). 

TIP: Instead of constantly holding down the spray nozzle and turning the bottle (this will cause bubbles as I found out), spray in swipes. Hold down nozzle, spray up and down once, then stop. Repeat over entire bottle using this same motion.

Step 3:

Sprinkle glitter (and lots of it) over bottle. I used fine glitter but you can use a mixture of big glitter and even a different color on the bottom to give an ombré effect. I did 4 bottles and used 1 and a half containers of the glitter-- I loaded the glitter on and didn't try to use it sparingly at all...oops.

TIP: When it is tacky or dry, you can go over with glue again to cover any bare spots or make the glitter more intense. 

Step 4:

Let dry and voilà! You're dunzo!

SUP Yoga

Stand up paddle board yoga -- Yoga. On the ocean. What could be better?

Thanks Endless SUP Company for introducing me to this rad form of yoga.

Stockton Lake - Manasquan, NJ

Seashells & Anchors

seashells and anchors make for one rad combo

inquire for other custom designs

Top 5 Beauty Secret Weapons

I've found that when searching for new products - whether it be makeup, hair care, or skin care - there are always the same 10-15 items that are mentioned everywhere. Maybe it's because they really are that good..or maybe it's actually because they've got a great public relations team. Whatever the case, I find it to be frustrating. I realized that I have a lot of favorites in my makeup bag or products I use in my daily/nightly routine that I NEVER hear beauty gurus, bloggers, and youtubers talk about. So how is the regular, everyday person, who just wants to find something new or better than their current products, ever going to get true advise? I decided, I'd help get my favorites out there! I refer to them as my 'secret weapons' because again, I rarely see any talk about it...

...so here they are!

Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle Eye Roller in light/medium. I started using this about a half a year ago and it's still going strong! I use it almost everyday as just a quick under eye brightener - helps brighten without looking like I'm really wearing makeup - score! The roller has a cooling affect to also combat puffy eyes and it feels so refreshing first thing in the morning, puffy eyes or not. I got mine at Ulta but you can get them at Target, Walmart, and any drugstore.

Dior Diorshow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum. Let's face it. Some eyelashes need an extra little push...mine especially. Curling and using mascara just doesn't cut it when I really want to amp up my eyelashes without falsies. This stuff is my holy grail. It's considered a serum, but I have honestly never put it on over night to act as a serum...I simply use it as my primer. Curl, prime, mascara and voila! Perfectly curled, 'volumized', long lashes.

Clinique High Impact Mascara. I've tried A TON of mascaras in my life. Free sample sizes are my favorite so I can try them out without having to shell out money on mascaras that claim to be amazing but don't really work. This stuff works. I use this in combination with my Dior primer and it's like a match made in heaven.

Burt's bees lip balm. Plain and simple. I've tried a bunch of others including the ever popular eos egg lipbalm and I hate it...it actually makes my lips peel every time I use it. Burts bees is my tried and true, go to chap stick, forever and always.

Dove Soap. Yes, seriously. Why do we feel the need to spend so much money on 'high end' soap for our body and face?? Dove is proven to be clean and natural, leaving no residue behind. Trust me, I've gotten so many soaps from dermatologists that cost a fortune, and Dove is better. I use it every morning and night. At night after the gym, I will sometimes follow up my dove soap with Neutrogena Grapefruit Cleanser (which I will admit is a favorite of mine). Once or twice a week I will exfoliate with Delecor Life Radiance. 

I of course have several other products I use and love but these are some hidden gems. Have any secret weapons you'd like to share? Let me know!  

Bikini Shopping Tips and Tricks

It's no surprise I love bikinis. It's also no surprise that bikini shopping can be difficult, for various reasons. For me, it's difficult because none of the bikini companies I'd like to own are sold in stores around where I live. Most are in Hawaii, Australia, and maybe LA. One of the difficulties that stems from that, is how in the world am I supposed to figure out which size will be best for me. The size charts rarely reveal what the size really is like-- and if they only sell cheeky bottoms, how cheeky will they really be?! [I've learned, very cheeky...like Anastasia Ashley cheeky] 

So how does one who chooses to shop online get it right?

1. There are a lot of bikini selling companies out there. Most are great and very helpful with sizing. If you're really not sure about sizing, email them! See what the measurements are in inches. Tell them YOUR size and see what they recommend. Make sure you let them know if you want more coverage or less coverage. I promise, they will be helpful...and if they aren't, why would you want to give them your money? Move on to a better shop.
2. The cost of some bikinis can be very expensive. Remember that high quality suits are an investment. I've found that cheap suits only last me one summer. If I buy two or more new, but cheap, suits each summer and they literally only last two months, what's the point of that? To me, $80 and up is an investment. Keep these little tricks in mind when you are purchasing expensive swimwear:

• If I am purchasing a bikini [or anything online for that matter] I will do my best to not pay shipping. Find the shops that always offer free shipping [Zappos is amazing with that] or shops that offer free shipping if you spend a certain amount of money. 
• I also highly recommend free shipping for exchanging/return purposes. When it comes to online shopping, you have to come to terms that not everything will fit like you hoped. Free shipping makes it all better.
• Wait for sales. There's a sale for anything these days. First day of spring, Memorial Day Weekend, Groundhog Day..literally anything. So never settle for paying full price. When there are sales, be prepared to shop right away..sizes will run out.

My latest purchase is like my new baby. Mostly because I've been eyeing it for over a year or so, but also because I make the emoji heart eyed face every time I look at it. My new Mikoh Maui top in 'tropical' is the perfect addition to my collection [yes, I wanted to sound like Ariel there]. I ordered through Bikini.com and I will order from there again whenever I possibly can. Free shipping over $50, so basically any bikini I'd want. When it arrived, I've never seen such a beautifully colored package...they even sent it along with a hand-written thank you note. Something small, but so personal, makes all the difference. So thank you Bikini.com and to everyone else, make sure to check 'em out.

Mikoh Maui top in Tropical

Where is your favorite place to shop for bikinis??

Summer's on my mind

I've been loving practicing my calligraphy lately. It's uber relaxing and I feel such an accomplishment when I can write any word in any font [in the three that I've learned]! It may not seem like much, but having no knowledge whatsoever prior to this, it's a big leap.

So this weekend, on a very rainy Saturday, I started playing around with watercolor lettering. I love the almost ombré effect you can create while using watercolors..and then I started using different colors, and then I used blue and it reminded me of the ocean...and then I couldn't get summer [or the idea of salt water on my skin] out of my head.

So here's to constant waves, warm water, sunny days, and soul in waves.

Lauren Bogosian Originals | Steve Burgos Music quote

Snowga

When snowboarding and skiing, most people go down the mountain at different paces, so you can easily lose the group you're with. Since that can happen, my family and friends often ride for a bit and then stop at an area to all wait for everyone and make sure we know which trails we will take. While boarding in Killington, Vermont this past week, a couple of us were waiting and I decided to see if I could do some push-ups while still being strapped into my board. I could. So I continued to see what else I could do...and that's when snowga ensued. The way my brain worked--"look it's yoga in the snow...snowga!" I thought I was being creative, but then I was quickly told snowga was already a thing. [drats!] Anyway, my brother joined in and we attempted crow pose simultaneously -- which is a lot more difficult with the weight of the board pushing down your feet. We have never even done yoga together before so it was so fun trying to do yoga with a snowboard on while also trying to balance at the same time [for a picture of course]. Sibling bonding at its finest. So here we were...doing warrior poses, crow, and push-ups while people were passing us -- probably thinking we were out of our minds but I'd like to think they really wanted to join in. 

Rome board | Men's Burton jacket (old) | Men's Burton pants (old) | Electric goggles

Burton Feel Good board | Burton pants (old) | Burton Radiant jacket