I will be the first to admit that I cannot resist trying new makeup brands especially celebrity founded ones. When Sassy by Savannah Cosmetics by Savannah Chrisley first launched last fall, I was one of the first people to buy one of everything before it sold out… the first time! At first I wasn’t sure what to expect, nonetheless I loved the branding right away. The price point is very reasonable and in my opinion way cheaper than I was expecting for a celebrity founded cosmetic company. Lately, I’ve been grabbing the Sassy Cosmetics eyeliner and mascara a lot lately. It’s great for everyday and lasts all day which I need for the long hot summer days. The collection also has a full face palette which I love to play with because it comes with 15 eyeshadows, two bronzers, two blushes and two highlighters. A lot of great products for only $22! NO wonder this item keeps selling out! The brand is small and items are often coming in and out of stock, and still I cannot wait to see what product comes next! I’ve used the bronzer that is included in the face palette and I’m excited to see now that it is now for sale on its own. Be sure to add a makeup brush kit (under $20) to your cart before you check out. I love to have a brush kit in my travel makeup bag so I don’t forget anything. For years, we have heard the hype about lip kits and I personally found them a bit overpriced for a product I wasn’t sure I would even like. I purchased a few while I was checking out because they were very inexpensive. Sassy by Savannah lip kits come with an eyeliner, lipstick and lipgloss for $12. At that price I bought a few to try out and new shades will be added because they are so popular. Another plus besides the high quality and affordable price point? All products are vegan, cruelty free, paraben free and phthalate free.
I’m the type of person who feels most confident while wearing foundation. A good foundation can even skin tone, hide any imperfections and most importantly, get glowing skin. There are so many foundations out there that work so well and lately I have been loving the Lancome Idôle Ultra Wear Foundation Stick because of its convenience. The foundation is creamy and easy to blend leaving a nice matte finish. If I want more of a glow, I will dab a bit of bronzer and highlighter on my cheeks since they blend nicely. The best part is that it comes with a built-in kabuki brush making it easy to apply on the go or in a hurry. The Lancome Idôle Ultra Wear Foundation Stick has been my go-to lately because it lasts all day and works well with my oily skin looking like I just applied my makeup. I often go back and forth between drugstore and higher end foundations and I always come back to Lancome because the quality is always amazing.
I love to sit down and write up my Friday Favorite posts because it reminds me of what I loved about the week. My weekends lately have been getting busier and busier and I don’t see them slowing down anytime soon. On Friday, I went to browse shoes at Nordstrom Rack and came home with my hands full! Last weekend was supposed to be a slow weekend and then one errand turned into a long day of errands on Saturday. We went to Costco to get three things and walked out with a VERY full cart. This weekend I have my bag packed and I’m heading to visit my parents in North Carolina for a quick trip. In todays post I am sharing a new makeup product that I am loving, a good deal on shoes, and an easy yummy dinner idea. Hope everyone has a good weekend!
Lately, I have been sharing what I’ve been watching on my Instagram stories and my Blonde Rosie Facebook page. This week I binge watched Bethenny Frankel’s HBO Maxshow The Big Shot which is like a way better version the The Apprentice in my opinion. For some reason it took me so long to watch Jenna Lyons, head of J Crew for 27 years, Stylish show also on HBO Max.
With a busier schedule I’m wearing makeup more often. I have been loving the of the Lancome Teint Idôle Ultra Wear Foundation Stick. It lasts all day and works best with oily skin which is what I’m struggling with now with of the heat, bonus points because is easy to apply.
With the deals so good at Nordstrom Rack I got the Steve Madden slides that everyone seems to have and a pair of gold Steve Madden slides that will be a nice neutral for any outfit. But I am most excited about finding these block heels that are SO comfortable!
So happy I ordered a few bright dresses from Target for our cruise next month. My suitcase is packed and I’m so ready to spend a week on a beach with a drink in my hand. Target has so many great pieces for $25 right now that it’s hard not to buy everything!
Ordered a new phone case and I am o b s e s s e d! Fell in love with it when I watched Emily in Paris and finally got around to ordering it.
Since I’m out of town this weekend I didn’t go to the grocery store this week so I’ve been making a lot of Trader Joes meals since they are so easy. Can’t go wrong with the orange chicken and the soup dumplings are so easy to make for a quick dinner. I did make pasta with a homemade sauce that did turn out really good! So good there were no leftovers!
Easy Sauce
tomato paste
diced tomates
chopped onion
garlic
fresh basil and oregano
spinach
splash of heavy cream
Parmesan cheese
I think it’s because I missed my dad last week but I subscribed to a newspaper and I love waking up every morning and picking it up from the doorstep.
I love working on a crossword puzzle from the newspaper in pen. Never finish them but it’s so much fun to do every day.
Trying to be healthy by having hot water with lemon every morning before I have my coffee. It helps me start drinking water in the day and then I continue to fill up my mug throughout the day.
Clean sheets this week felt even better with a new Berkshire blanket I picked up at Costco last weekend. I found this brand at Homegoods years ago and now I need to buy one in every single pattern because they are the softest blankets and hold up so well wash after wash.
This week I’ve been doing some journaling in my daily planner to be intentional about writing down three things that brought me joy that day. It takes just a minute and helps me reflect on the day on a positive note. My weekends are getting busier making my weeks busier as I make time to get work done, run errands and then the usual to-do list for the day. After a year and a half of taking it slow, I am getting an adrenaline rush as my weeks and weekends get busier because it’s when I thrive best. Last weekend we spent all day Saturday in Old City in museums and had lunch on the rooftop at Liberty View at the Independence Visitor Center. I shared more about our day in a blog post here where I share a ton of free things to do in the historic district. On Sunday, Jake had signed us up to work a charity event at the Philadelphia Zoo. It was fun to volunteer and then spend the afternoon at the zoo. It was like 103 degrees so we were excited to get home and spend the rest of our night in our living room with the AC on blast!
If you have a Disney+ account, great! If you don’t have an account, you should sign up now because there is so much included on the streaming platform not just cartoons. This week, we watched the new Disney+ movie Luca and to be honest, I sat down to watch expecting it to be kind of childish and not the best. Just a few minutes in and loved it! Cute story line and loved the whole thing from start to finish. We also started watching Monsters at Work, the Monsters Inc spinoff show. While catching up on the Real Housewives franchises, I wanted something to watch in the background while I got some work done. Started to watch the reality tv show Family Karmaon Bravo and wow, where has this show been?? Not sure why it took me so long to watch but it’s everything that makes reality tv good. I made Jake watch the first episode of the Gossip Girl reboot with me because he doesn’t understand the concept since he never watched the original. He kept asking if this was supposed to be about high school kids because it’s not like the kind of school he went to! This fall I am going to do a rewatch of the original Gossip Girl with Jake because it’s been too long since I’ve watched it and Jake is missing out ha! Since my days are getting busier, I am setting a goal for myself to wake up earlier so I have more time in the day. I also want to continue eating healthy and drinking more water. Little life style changes that make a big impact on my day can make a big difference. Almost done with re-watching Dexter and need a new show for Jake and I to watch. Overwhelmed with so many options!
Wearing Essie Virgin Snow nail polish this week because I want a subtle pop of color. The Essie Gel Top Coat is my favorite top coat because it protects my nails all week from chips.
Using St Tropez Self Tan Classic Bronzing Lotion this week to get a little tan without laying out in the sun. With one application, I wake up the next morning with the perfect shade of tan.
Ordered this jewelry cleaner after I went to wear bracelets last weekend and couldn’t because they were so dirty!
This is my third time ordering these storage bags for our linens.
A friend recommended Flo Vitamins for helping with wacky hormones and I am excited to see if they work. Even if they just do half of the things they claim to do, I will be a very happy person!
Happy Nordstrom Sale! Shared the booties that I thought are worth purchasing on Facebook. Wanted to be intentional with my purchases this year because I already have so much stuff so I just ordered pink Ugg slippers and another set of comfy pajamas in navy blue.
Took a bit longer than I’d like, but finally finished reading The Virgin Queen by Philippa Gregory. This week I started to read The Pink Suit by Nicole Mary Kelby about the famous pink suit that Jackie wore when JFK was shot. The book is about how the suit came to be, the dressmaker and how it became famous.
Did a biiiiiiggg grocery run this week at a grocery store in the suburbs and then Trader Joe’s. The car was packed with groceries and I was exhausted when I got home. I didn’t take any photos this week but I made a quick dinner with yellow rice, shrimp and sweet potatoes. For nights when I don’t want to spend too much time cooking, I love cutting up a lemon, sprinkling Mrs Dash and rosemary on everything and throw it in the oven.
Trying to be on a strict diet since our cruise is only a few weeks away. EEK! Stocked up on salad kits for lunches. To get my protein, I got popcorn chicken to heat up in the microwave and chop it up into my salads. The salads are filling and a healthy lunch so I don’t snack until dinnertime .
Lot’s of things I’m loving this week! These new Friends magnets for my fridge.
The “Edith” Podcast by Crooked Media. It’s even better what I imagined it would be.
I have been working out every single day. Sounds boring but I have been loving @Kirastokesfit on Instagram for fun workout inspiration. It’s challenging but it gets the work done and makes me see results with a daily 20 minute workout.
These mini ice cream cones are the perfect sweet treat that allows me to indulge but only like 100 calories.
Oui oui! I’ve been loving the Duolingo app lately as I brush up on my French skills. At night in bed I spend a few minutes going over lessons and it’s an easy way to learn a language. Not ready to go to Paris yet but it’s fun to be able to pass the challenges and think to myself, it’s not that hard!
Got some fresh flowers at Trader Joe’s on Monday for the living room.
I love to listen to french music at night while I get ready for bed. I just tell Alexa to play french music and it’s so relaxing while I wind down for the night.
Getting better at making time to read before bed. Even if it’s just 10 pages, it helps me fall asleep faster and get better sleep.
Needed a new nail file and grabbed this Olive and June set at Target and loving it! Very affordable and hope they add more to their collection.
Best view of the city at the Independence Visitor Center!
One of the reasons I love Philly is because you have a busy, bustling city and then a few streets over, you have so much history. After living here for three years, I have gone to the city bars, dined at fancy restaurants and walked up and down the city streets a hundred times to do errands and explore. One of my goals PC (post-covid) is to explore different neighborhoods. Philly can seem like such a small city compared to New York but there is so much to do and so little time to see it all.
Enjoying a cocktail at the Terrace on Top.
Right now there is a ton of fun and free things to do in Philadelphia’s Historic District. For 4th of July weekend, we thought it would be fun to walk around and do some touristy things we haven’t been able to do together. For some history we saw the Liberty Bell and walked past Independence Hall. While most buildings and museums are free right now, tickets quickly sell out so be sure to plan in advance. The Liberty View at Independence Visitor Center has a pop up right now called Terrace on Top. We made reservations a week in advance for a table and got a cocktail and some appetizers for lunch. Anything touristy, we expect high prices and small portions, right? Not at Terrace on Top because everything was priced right and had large portions.
Independence HallThe Liberty Bell
There are so many great museums in the area and some of them are free. The Portrait Gallery in the Second Bank is a small portrait gallery with so much history. The American Revolution Museum is full of history and a great place to visit for a refresh on American History 101. The exhibits are family friendly and fun for adults too!
Portrait Gallery in the Second BankMuseum of the American Revolution
My favorite is walking around Old City and looking at all of the rich history and old homes. The area has been so well preserved it’s hard to remember that there is a busy city just a few streets over. You can’t visit the Historic District without walking down Elfreth’s Alley. End a long day of walking around and sightseeing and head to a great outdoor spot, Spruce Street Harbor Park. It’s one of my favorites to hang out, enjoy the food trucks and it’s even more magical at night with the string lights.
Elfreth’s Alley
Here’s a list of some fun and free things to do…
Start off at Independence Visitor Center
See the famous Liberty Bell
You’ll recognize Independence Hall if you have watched the movie National Treasure.
Carpenters’ Hall
The Portrait Gallery at Second Bank
Elfreth’s Alley
Spruce Street Harbor Park
Franklin Square is a pretty park with a Philadelphia themed mini golf attraction.
Still finding ways to get a break from this heat wave that is here to stay in Philadelphia. Luckily we got a nice break last weekend and got to enjoy the holiday weekend. While on our way to Old City last Saturday we had to cut our walk short when an unexpected thunderstorm made us seek shelter so we went to brunch at Lou Bird’s. On Sunday, we made our way to Old City again to do some touristy things for the 4th of July. Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and Elfreth’s Alley – all of the classic touristy things which I haven’t done in forever! Couldn’t let the holiday weekend end without a trip to the beach. Spent Monday at Long Beach Island and it was the perfect beach day. I think after last summer when we were inside all day everyday, we have been doing a lot of planning ahead when it comes to weekend plans.
I had a lot of expectations when it came to the Gossip Girl reboot and sat down to watch it waiting to be disappointed. After one episode I was happy to see what direction they are going in and paying tribute to the OG characters.
Loved watching this weeks Real Housewives of New York because it was filmed in Philly.
Retinol is a very important step in your skincare system and the trick is learning how much to use. Especially with my extra time in the sun lately, I need a Retinol that can work for me. Every other night I have been using my Olay Retinol cream that has been a favorite for a long time. I talked more about it in a blog post here. I love that it is effective, easy to use morning and night, and most importantly it’s very affordable.
Made some delicious purchases this week 🙂 Went to the grocery store while hungry and that is never a good idea! Picked up lots of fresh fruit and veggies. I’ve been trying to eat healthy so I stocked up on salad kits for lunches which have been an easy and healthy lunch every day this week. When I need a light snack I’ve been having sliced peaches and blueberries and it’s the perfect summer snack.
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