what happened in vegas.

As you know, I recently took a trip to Las Vegas. My mom and I made plans to go so that we could see Britney Spears and Celine Dion perform live. Sadly, Celine Dion has cancelled all of her shows....so that didn't happen. But we managed to have a lot of fun despite that. It was actually really great to get away from it all. I didn't have to do a whole lot of work while I was away. So, for the first time in a very long time, I was able to relax. Actually relax. Coming home has been a bit of an adjustment. I am still trying to get caught up on everything and get back into my regular routine. Sigh! But it was certainly fun while it lasted.

What happened during the trip? On the first day, my mom and I were exhausted from the day of travelling. That is why we stuck around our hotel (The Stratosphere) and looked at the shops, grabbed some food, and watched a little TV in our room before calling it a night. The next day was far more eventful! We had booked tickets to take the Pawn Stars tour. It included stops at locations like Counting Cars, Rick's Restorations, Pawn Stars, The Toy Shack, and Tanked. Now, I don't watch all of the shows but I was super excited to visit the site of Rick's Restorations and Pawn Stars.

It was so exciting! I had a lot of fun. Just visiting the locations for real, seeing a few people from the shows, and learning more about the behind-the-scenes. I absolutely loved it. Here are a few of the most memorable pictures from the first couple of days:

The next day was a busy one. During the day, we went to Meadows Mall to do a little bit of shopping. Okay, maybe a lot of shopping. There was a Sears - so I bought a bunch of clothes from the Kardashian clothing line. (What can I say....I love the Kardashians!) We also did some damage at Macy's, Charlotte Russe, and other American stores. It was really fun. Unfortunately, also really costly. Ahh...vacations. After a busy day of shopping, we went back to our hotel to get ready for the Britney Spears concert. As for the Britney concert, that was definitely the highlight of my trip. So, I am saving that for another post!

The day after the Britney concert, my mom and I toured around the Venetian hotel. It was so beautiful! Plus, it had Carlo's Bakery and Buddy V's Restaurant. If you watch Cake Boss, then you probably know why this was so exciting. We ate lunch at Buddy's restaurant and the food was amazing. It was literally the best meal I have ever had. The atmosphere was stunning, the service was fantastic, and the food....my gosh, the food! So good. After that, we went to Carlo's Bakery and waited in line for a half hour just to order. It was an overwhelming but delicious experience.

That night, we went to see Olivia Newton John play at the Flamingo. It was interesting! Parts of the concert were wonderful and other parts? Not so much. But it was nice to see someone I have admired since I was young. Here are a few pictures from these days:

For our last day in Vegas (I know, the trip went by so fast!) my mom and I toured some of the hotels, did some drinking at the Rainforest Cafe and at the Paris hotel, and finished the night off with a bit of gambling. We only gambled a couple of dollars but I actually made $1.22 in the end! Yay! After that, it was back to the hotel to pack up all of our stuff and prepare for the flight the next day.

Overall, it was a really fantastic trip. I had even more fun than I thought I would. It was a much needed getaway from all of the stress of everyday life. Plus, I got to spend some quality time with my mom. This Vegas trip was dramatically different to my last one - but it was fun all the same.

xo Shannon

take me shopping and i'm yours.

Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well. My Vegas pictures and recap are still to come. I apparently took hundreds and hundreds of pictures while I was away. Oops! I am now in the process of sorting through them all. Until then, today's post is going to be a mini shopping haul from before my trip.

There were a few new items that managed to make their way into my wardrobe. They include shoes, accessories, and even some new beauty products. Ready to take a peek? Here goes!

To start with.....remember that review I did of the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel nail polishes? I picked up two new colours. One is a mauve shade and the other is peach. I just love these! I cannot wait to wear them.

A pair of Coach slip on shoes....with a lobster print! Oh my gosh, these are just adorable. I could not resist. 

And while I was at it....a pair of shoes from Fergie's collection. Strappy sandals that are gorgeous and go with everything. 

This floral and sheer top from Target. I love the colour combination and the floral print. It is easy so pretty and easy to wear. 

A studded leather backpack. Why? Apparently my other backpacks were totally worn out. So, I bought a new one to take along with me when I go travelling. 

New sunglasses! Okay, I am putting myself on a total sunglasses ban. These ones were just so....perfect!

And lastly, another coloured Avon mascara (cobalt blue) and a lash primer. Both goodies were gifted to me (thanks mom!) and I am super excited to try them out.

There you have it! That is my mini-haul from recent weeks. As far as I'm concerned, these were all practical items....right? At any rate, I hope to get a lot of use out of everything. Only time will tell. 

What have you bought lately?

xo Shannon

nourishing yourself is attainable. and you are worth the effort.

So, I'm back. At the moment, I am slowly trying to catch up on things and get back into my regular routine. That is proving difficult because the week following my vacation has been equally action packed. The day after I got back, I went to a concert with my fiance - and later this week there is another concert happening. How am I supposed to keep up? I suppose these are good problems to have: too busy having fun to relax!

Speaking of relaxation....I am doing my best to make time for myself. (Yes, despite my hectic schedule.) A little while back, I picked up these face and under eye masks. They are supposed to brighten and tighten the skin and make it look younger. Sounds good to me! They cost $5 for a pack of four masks, so I thought, what the heck. They come in these individually wrapped packages, which you can see below.

What did I like about the masks? They are super quick and easy to use. They come wrapped. That makes it simple to just remove them from the package and apply them to your face. I definitely prefer this type of mask to a full blown scrub or cream. They can be so messy! These were neat, smelled nice, and got the job done. It was just a good way to spend a little time on myself.

The directions recommend using these 2 to 3 times a week. Realistically, I probably won't be all that diligent. (If past experience is anything to go by!) But my goal is to try and do a full face mask once a week and use the Naked Eye mask once a week. Between the two, my skin should be looking great in no time...right? Well, a girl can dream! Here is a closer look at the masks:

Those face masks turned out to be exactly what I needed. Being honest, they were pretty average. I don't know that my skin looked any younger after using them - but they definitely helped with my dull complexion. What I really loved? Taking just fifteen minutes to look after myself. It helped me de-stress and unwind for a little bit. And that is priceless.

When is the last time you pampered yourself?

xo Shannon

there's no place like home.

I'm back! It feels like ages since I last posted on here - and it's only been a week or so. My trip to Vegas was absolutely wonderful.....I just can't believe it ended so fast. There was so much planning, prepping, and packing. Once we actually got there, it seemed like the days zoomed past me. They were jam packed with walking, sightseeing, shopping, and concert seeing. It was fantastic.

The downside to travelling? I missed my fiance the entire time I was gone. That was definitely tough. We are used to talking every single day. So, it was strange to have limited contact. I was not a fan. But on the plus side, it was nice to have someone to come home to.

Now I am trying to get caught up on everything. Friends, family, work.....yikes! It's amazing how much can happen in a week. I hope that you have all been doing well and staying busy. I hope to take a peek at your blogs in the coming days!

What have you been up to lately?

xo Shannon

what happens in vegas.....

I'm heading to Las Vegas! In fact, by the time you are all reading this, I will be on my way to enjoy the sunshine. My mom and I have been planning this trip for a while now. Months and months ago, she surprised me with Celine Dion tickets. Cue shock! (Unfortunately for us....Celine Dion just cancelled all of her shows. So, that is a major disappointment.) From there, we started to plan the rest of our vacation. That includes checking out the Britney Spears concert. I can't wait! The rest of our days will likely be spent sight seeing and shopping - two of my favourite things.

As excited as I am to get away from it all, the days leading up to my trip have been stressful. I've been madly trying to get articles written, do laundry, pack, see friends.....it's enough to do my head in. I am definitely looking forward to letting loose and seeing some amazing performers.

So, this post is just to let you know that things may be a little quiet on my end for the next week or so. I will be off working on my tan! Once I return, it will be business as usual. You can expect a recap of my trip, hauls, and concert photos. But - you will all need to fill me in on the things I miss on while I'm away.

I hope you all have an amazing week!

xo Shannon

there’s nothing as cozy as a piece of candy and a book.

What is it about Hard Candy? I swear, every time I try to stop myself from buying more of their makeup, I wind up with another product to review. Oops! I think it has to do with the affordable prices....but also because they add new things to their collection all the time. As someone who likes to try out tons of different products, that is always nice.

That is how I wound up with another Hard Candy product. This one is the All Glossed Up Lip Crayon. I am always on the lookout for lip products that are easy to wear. I hoped that this would be one of them! The product claimed to be a highly pigmented stain balm that gave your lips tons of gloss and shine. Was it? Well....sort of.

The colour I chose was a deep pink. It ended up looking quite nice. Strong but not too bold. Definitely an easy shade to wear on a night out or if you're heading to dinner. What I like? The colour was nice and had decent pigmentation. I also like the twist up crayon. It reminds me of the Revlon Lip Crayons in that regard.

What I didn't like? The product has this plastic kind of smell to it. Very disappointing! I haven't been wearing it all that often simply because I can't stand the scent. That was such a let down. It is important to note that the colour itself comes off nicely and there is a bit of a stain going on....but the full colour doesn't last. As it looks in the picture below? Maybe for an hour or two. The gloss lasts for a half hour or so and then it disappears.

Take a look at the All Glossed Up Lip Crayon in action:

It wasn't a total flop or anything like that. For me, this was a so-so product. It gave off a nice colour but between the scent and the staying power....I wouldn't exactly run out and add more colours to my makeup collection. In fact, I wouldn't even recommend this lip crayon to anyone that reads this blog. I'm curious - if you've tried it: what were your impressions?

Do you like this lip crayon shade? What do you think of the product?

xo Shannon

song obsession: all about that bass

Have you ever just heard a song and thought - I love this? That happened to me recently. The song? Meghan Trainor's, "All About That Bass." I randomly saw the video posted somewhere and decided to watch it. I'm so glad that I did. The song has this amazing retro flair, a bold hook, and lyrics you can't overlook. One thing I really love? The song manages to take issues related to body image and turn it into a total toe tapper. It is fun, flirty, and empowering.

The music video is just as amazing. The colours are bright and girly, the style is cute and 60s inspired, and the dancing is flawless. All of the amazing visuals added to the fun and flirty vibe of the song. Honestly? The video inspired me so much that I've watched it dozens of times by now! I definitely want to re-create one of her looks! I love the pastel shades, the layering, and of courses, the stunning makeup.

Before I post some of my favourite outfits from the music video, I should probably post the video itself! Take a listen if you haven't already.



Now for the fun stuff! There were a lot of really beautiful outfits from the music video. These are a couple of my favourites......

As you can see from the look above, she is sporting pink and purple pastels with white and turquoise accents. I love the layering of the cardigan and skirt, those cute earrings, and yes - the floral crown. There is something about the floral crown that just makes me giddy. It is so cute, fresh, and fun. I love that this video is all about embracing femininity.

Annnnd  my second favourite look? Thee blue layered dress. I love the idea of throwing a blouse underneath a dress. It created such a cute contrast! Plus, that headscarf is super cute. I just adore the retro feel of this outfit in particular. Meghan (and all of the other girls in the video) look so fresh and cute. I cannot stress enough how obsessed I am with all of it.

So, that is my song obsession of the moment. I can't stop listening to it! The song itself is inspiring, it makes me laugh, and the music video makes me want to totally re-work my wardrobe. I've only heard one song by Meghan Trainor, but I would definitely call myself a fan.

What do you think of this song? Do you love the outfits from the music video?

xo Shannon