A Notably Notable Christmas!

Hello,

It's me.

WOW. Where has the time gone? When did we all get so busy? 

It is not a Thursday, but I just watched Zoella's "A Very YouTube Christmas" tag, and I thought it would be fun to answer the questions as if we were having a NotablyNotable Christmas Party!

Here's the video for anyone interested:

Questions -

Who would bring the best dessert?
Monica! She's the Pinterest Queen <3

Who would carve the turkey? 
I'm going to go with Jayme, lol. Would we have turkey, though? Probably not.

Who would take the best photos?
Brian, hands down. Have you seen http://instagram.com/unicornhairflips ? Oh look, a shameless plug.

Who would look the most glam?
Our own little Beauty Guru, Sharmaine.

Who would have the tackiest Christmas jumper?
People would get on my case if I didn't say myself for this one.

Who would make the worst Christmas jokes?
I think I'm the winner for this one as well. Worst jokes in general.

Who would fall asleep first?
No contest. It would be Jayme.

Who would be the last one dancing?
Sharmaine. She's the youths.

Who would bring the worst gift?
I would bring the worst gift on purpose.

Who would be in charge of Christmas music?
I'm going to delegate this task to Monica. She picks all the jams.

Who would be in charge of Christmas dinner?
If it wasn't me initially, it would probably end up being me. 

Who would make the best snowman?
It doesn't snow here, but I'll give it to the boys.

Who would win at all the games?
Not Jayme! lol. I don't want to jinx it, but I have a history of winning party games.

Who is most likely to knock over the Christmas tree?
Sharmaine, if she's had one too many drinks lol

Who would be the best Santa impersonator?
I want to say me just because I think I am the one with a Santa jumper, but it would have to be one of the guys. 

We promise to be up and running again in 2016! I hope you enjoyed this quick, cheeky little post. We hope you have a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year! 

Look out for a Motivational Monday post on January 4, 2016 :)

Trendy Tuesday || Let's Talk About Lips

Hi friends! Long time no chat. Silly life, getting in the way. But we are back and ready to get the ball rolling again.

Today I just wanted to have a chat because you know, it's been awhile. And now that the weather is changing and the leaves are falling, fall fashion and beauty is in full effect. Needless to say, I'm having a great time. I am living! Fall fashion is my favorite, hands down. But that is a different story for a different day.

I want to talk about lips. No, not like the Kylie Jenner lip plumping business. But lip products! Lipsticks, lip glosses, lip stains, lip pencils. Because I think I've found my staple lip combination for the fall and I am very excited about it.

I want to throw it back a year. I remember 19 year old me, just really starting to get into makeup. My lipstick collection grew leaps and bounds in a short period of time. I like to think that I was different - in the sense that instead of gravitating towards the subtle nudes, I chose every bold lip color in the book. I was into the vampy, almost black lip, the hot neon pink... You name whatever bold color you may be thinking, I was probably willing to try it. Besides orange. I'm still not a fan of orange, but I'm warming up to coral!

Anyways. Fast forward to present day and I've completely changed my lipstick preferences. Lately I haven't gravitated towards the berry lip, or any matte lip of sorts. During the summer I was into the "your lips but better" color with gloss on top. So I've been confused about how I want to deal with the transition between summer and fall when it comes to what types of lips I want to rock... Until yesterday morning!

I was just going about my usual morning routine, getting ready for class and applying my makeup, until I reached the end of my makeup routine and had to choose what lipstick I wanted to wear. I started out with Spice lipliner by Mac. Too pink, I thought. So I grabbed Whirl lipstick by Mac and began dabbing it onto my lips. I took a step back, looked in the mirror and thought, "whoa, that is too dark, that is too much." Finally, I took Velvet Teddy lipstick by Mac (lol, I don't know whether to be embarrassed or ashamed for using all Mac lip products... Yolo I guess!) and applied it to my lips and boom. Magic. I discovered my staple lip combination for this season.

I appreciate the combination because it is slightly vampy thanks to Whirl, but it's still subtle and fall appropriate because of Spice and Velvet Teddy. I know I will be wearing this combination well into the next few months!

So, I hope you enjoyed my ramble about lipsticks! It felt nice to just sit and type out my excitement. If you stuck around and are currently reading this, thank you. I appreciate it!

See you guys on some Tuesday in the future to talk more about all things fashion and beauty! Xx.

Trendy Tuesday || Sharmaine's Guide To Back To School Fashion

So if you're anything like me, you take your outfit for the first day of school seriously. "I have no clothes," you say. That is a lie. You have plenty of pieces you could put together to create something fabulous. These are my suggestions for how to shop for back to school and outfit ideas for the first day!

SHOPPING SUGGESTIONS

• Go into it with an idea of what you want to buy. This is a no brainer, people are aware of their style and people like what they like. If you have a dress code, just follow it. Once you get into college or out of high school, dress codes are no longer a thing. Just be patient, we've all had to go through our dress code days.
• I would suggest sticking to simple pieces because that is more my personal style, but I also think simple pieces can be styled in so many different ways and accented with different accessories, etc. You could create a bunch of different outfits with the same black shirt! This isn't to say you shouldn't add trendy pieces into your back to school wardrobe. I encourage being you and being different! It's just nice to fall back on simple pieces to create multiple outfits.
• Get a couple pairs of new shoes. Treat yoself! Honestly, shoes complete a look. Get a new cute pair of boots for fall, or those cute sneakers you've been seeing all over Tumblr. If you're anything like me, shoes are an addiction, so you already know you'll be completing this step anyways.
• Be bold, but don't forget to set a budget and limit yourself. You'll be okay without those $80 jeans unless you absolutely need a new pair of jeans. Go to Value Village or Goodwill and be thrifty! You can find the best pieces for your wardrobe at thrift stores. It will be different and one of a kind and it's always fun to go thrifting if you have the patience for it.
• If your parents are the ones who will be spending money on you for back to school shopping, don't forget to thank them, okay? They work hard for their money, to put a roof over your head and make sure you're fed, happy and healthy. This is an extra step they're taking to make sure you're taken care of and to remind you that you're loved. Do what you can in return for the sacrifices they make for you on the daily.

OUTFIT IDEAS

• So, I'm in college. There is no dress code and you can get away wearing whatever you want. But since I'm so simple, the perfect outfit for me would be a nice pair of jeans, a cute flowy top and flats, or some sort of variation of this. Modest is hottest in my opinion! Add a statement or long chained necklace to jazz it up, or a different pair of shoes and you'll have my perfect back to school outfit!
• If it's a little chillier outside, I love wearing a pair of riding boots and then revolving an outfit around them. A pair of jeans, maybe some knee high socks or leg warmers peeking out at the top, a sweater and a trench coat or a rain jacket. You'll look very put together in this outfit, I promise!
• And for those days where it's warm outside, which it never is here in Washington, I would fancy the combination of a dress and a pair of booties. I've been into the paisley prints and the long sleeve dresses with the dainty stitching lately, so I would gravitate towards something of the sort. Throw on your favorite pair of booties for an instant boost, tying the entire outfit together. I would also put on a cardigan or a leather jacket just in case!

So there you have it! My suggestions and outfit ideas for back to school. Now I know everyone is different and I'm not saying you have to follow anything I've said. I just wanted to put my ideas out there to help anyone who needs some inspiration! 

With school coming back around, I hope you all have an amazing school year! Join clubs, meet new people, stay on top of your schoolwork and study hard! In the end all of your hard work will pay off. 

Cheers to a new school year!

Tinker Thursday || How-To: Sort Your Closet

I’m so so sorry I missed last Tinker Thursday! I don’t know if it was because I just could not get adjusted to being back at work, or if the first week of summer session #2 completely caught me off guard… but a post never happened… and I truly apologize.

That being said, I am back with a fun little post. I recently went online shopping and figured I should take a look at my closet to see what I can rid of. Curse you Fall Fashion! My favorite fashion season… hence the new clothing. ANYWAY. On to the meat of my post: How-To Sort Your Closet! 

Disclaimer: I am not a closet-cleaning expert. I am sharing a few tips and tricks that work for me and my cleaning/purging style. Some of these may not work well for you. 

1. Make it a recurring theme - Sure, “Spring Cleaning” works for some people, but for me, spring is the busiest time of year (work and school-wise). I find it easier to handle when I look through my closet periodically. We usually do two balikbayan send-offs per year, and I find this the perfect opportunity to send some clothes to my family in the Philippines.
2. On that note: Have a destination for your unwanted clothing - I think it’s easier to get rid of something when you know it will end up somewhere it is really appreciated. Sending my unwanted clothes to the Philippines not only gives my relatives “new” clothing to wear, but they are so incredibly thankful for anything I send. It warms my heart to know that I can give them things that make them happy; simple things like clothing. Whether it be handing down articles of clothing to relatives, donating to a local shelter, or selling them online to buy new clothing - having an endgame is a great motivator. 
3. Take everything out - Yes, you heard me! Take everything out of your closet and place it on the bed. It doesn’t matter if you do it all at once or by sections, physically removing clothing from your closet makes you more conscious of what you put back into it. I remove sections at a time and sort things out on my bed.
4. Make different piles - Whenever I clean out my closet, I sort things into “Definitely Keep”, “Maybe/Maybe Not”, and “Definitely Not Keep”. There are times when I’m doing a random sort through that everything remains in the “Definitely Keep” pile, but hey, at least you had the intention of sorting things out, right?
5. Be honest with yourself - Are you really going to wear that article of clothing again? If you’re like me, you hold on to a lot of things because they’re attached to some sort of memory. I’ve gotten better at letting go of pieces of clothing. If you can’t remember the memory without the clothing as a trigger, was it really that memorable? 
6. Rearrange your clothing the way you see fits best - I go through phases where I want everything arranged by color, then switch it up to type of clothing, then back to color. I usually place batches back into the closet and then inter-arrange (is that a term?) newer batches into the initial set.
7. Here’s a little trick I learned from YouTube: Flip your hanger hooks so they’re hooked on from the inside of your closet. Whenever you take an article of clothing out, you can place it back into the closet with the hanger placed “normally”. When it comes time to do your periodic closet sort, pull out the articles of clothing whose hangers weren’t flipped over first. You obviously did not wear them for a reason. Don’t put any of these in your “Definitely Keep” pile. Sort them into your “Maybe” and “Do Not Keep Piles”.

As with any advice, there are exceptions to a rule. Of course you’re not going to wear your wedding gown within 6 months to a year. Of course that’s a memorable article of clothing. I am the queen of sass, so do not attempt to sass me on this. =P As previously mentioned, these are just a few tips that work for me and my lifestyle.

Let me know if you have any tips on cleaning out your closet! I know I probably missed some crucial steps, but I think this is generally how I go about sorting through mine. Hope this post was somewhat helpful! I’ll be back in two weeks with something new!

xo, rox

Wildcard Wednesday || The Dawn of Phase 3 (and Justice)

Greetings everyone and thank you for stopping by for another edition of Wildcard Wednesday! A lot has happened between my last post on July 8th; most of it coming from San Diego Comic-Con 2015 with trailers galore for the ultimate DC and Marvel fans. For this week's blog, I would just like to go over what we can expect from our favorite superheroes next year and I am also going to give a little recap about Ant-Man and my thoughts about the film.

2016 is anticipated to bust the block throughout the year with a whopping 7 scheduled releases from DC and Marvel:

• February 12: Deadpool (Fox)
• March 25: Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice
• May 6: Captain America: Civil War
• May 27: X-Men: Apocalypse (Fox)
• August 5: Suicide Squad
• October 7: Gambit (Fox)
• November 4: Doctor Strange

(Sinister Six was scheduled to release in 2016 prior to the recent news of Marvel and Sony co-producing a rebooted Spider-Man film, so that is currently pending)

I know that Star Wars isn't within the Marvel or DC universe, but since it's being released in the middle of December, it will technically be a 2016 film. Star Wars is arguably one of the biggest franchises is movie history. Given the fan-base has been waiting for a sequel like this to come we can expect huge numbers from Episode VII, setting a bar for Batman v Superman to inevitably beat. I mean c'mon...Batman and Superman are obviously the most popular superheroes ever. This is the first time they will be featured in a live-action film, they've got to beat the record by a landslide right?

Deadpool is a relatively new character. Although he was introduced in 1991, his unique personality and connection to the comic-book readers has created a huge cult; convincing Marvel to have his own film. That preview from Comic-Con brings a lot to the table. The origin story and his crowd-pleasing personality already has me excited to watch his movie.

For the X-Men franchise, Bryan Singer has done an amazing job cleaning up the mess made from X-Men: The Last Stand and essentially rebooting everything with Days of Future Past. Now that all the X-Men are back, their ultimate super villain Apocalypse is lurking around the corner. He is an ancient mutant known to be the first to carry the mutant X-gene. He has the power to control molecules, which allows him to change his form, enhance his strength and size, regenerate limbs, and he has the capability of virtually all physical superhuman powers.  If you're a Dragonball Z fan, imagine Apocalypse being like Cell. That's what the X-Men have to face. However, it's not like Wolverine can just kick Apocalypse in the stomach, he spits out an android, and then he is powered down a level. It ain't gonna happen like that.

I'll be honest with you, I don't follow DC as much as I know about Marvel, but the Suicide Squad looked pretty interesting as well. Since I'm being honest, I'm mostly curious to see Jared Leto play the Joker. I'm assuming that's why they inserted his piece last in the Comic-Con trailer. He looked pretty awesome. Similar to how he looks in Arkham Asylum. I believe we also saw a glimpse of Batman intruding with the Squad's plans so we'll see how the Batman v Superman aftermath keys into the story there.

We haven't gotten a lot of news about Gambit and Doctor Strange, but there's obviously still a lot of time in between for a little teaser to be released.

Now...two huge storylines from DC and Marvel's franchises come to the big screen. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will loosely follow Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns and their meet-up in Gotham. On the other side, we have the famous Marvel Civil War storyline where the U.S. Government passes a Superhuman Registration Act. Those who oppose the act are led by Captain America and those who support the act are led by Iron Man. A major component in the story is Spider-Man/Peter Parker. As far as the box office goes, I think Batman v Superman will blow away the records previously set by the first Avengers film and Age of Ultron. Sorry, Cap...you've got enough on your plate to worry about box office numbers with your Civil War and all...

Alrighty. Last thing I wanna talk about is Ant-Man. Where do I start...I really enjoyed the film. I would give it a B+ with its solid character development and including important origin stories that fill in the background of the original Ant-Man, Hank Pym and the passing of the torch to Scott Lang. You might hear from people that they didn't like Ant-Man because it was slow and there wasn't a lot of action. These are the kinds of people who are spoiled with action-packed films and don't enjoy filling in plot points and character development. You cannot come into this film expecting it start off fast like how Age of Ultron did. It's a new character. An original Avenger...that shrinks down to an ant-sized man. What more can you expect?

That is all that I have for you this week. Lots of trailers. Lots of speculation. Lots of anticipation. 2016 will be about the beginning of Marvel's Phase 3 in the MCU vs. DC's start of the Justice League. Even though they are 8 years behind, I believe DC can easily make up ground if and only if the rest of the League can shine in their stand-alone films. I'm excite. Are you?!

Trendy Tuesday || Get Ready With Me - One Direction Concert! (And a cheeky little Summer Lookbook)

HI GUYS! I'm so sorry for missing last week, but I'm here today to make it up to you! The reason why I missed last week is because I was in Seattle for the One Direction concert at CenturyLink Field! Tuesday was a crazy day for me, as I was out and about and at a hotel with not the best wifi... Excuses aside, I wanted this post to be about how I got ready for the concert, so let's get started!

MAKEUP

Primer: Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer 

• For events like these, we want our makeup to stay on our face all day long. Also, I'm pretty sure this is my new holy grail primer - I've fallen in love with it.

Base: BareMinerals Complexion Rescue - Spice

• This tinted moisturizer is perfect for color correcting and it's not as heavy as foundation! I used my beauty blender for application.

Concealer: NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer - Ginger

• I applied this generously using my beauty blender underneath my eyes, the center of my forehead, the bridge of my nose and my cupid's bow for a brightening effect. I went back in with a concealer brush afterwards to get anything my beauty blender didn't.

Powder: MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation - C5

• To make sure my concealer stays in place, I set with this powder using a Real Techniques powder brush. This powder is a winner in my book because it locks my makeup in place while adding more coverage.

At this point I sprayed Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray to ensure my base wouldn't budge throughout the day.

Bronzer: Too Faced Dark Chocolate Soleil Bronzer

• My favorite! Using a Real Techniques blush brush, I applied this all over my face to warm my skin because bronze goddess = goals. Ya feel me?

Contour: Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit - Medium/Tan

• Using the Real Techniques Bold Metals Flat Contour Brush I mixed Macchiato and Nutmeg and placed the product in the hollows of my cheeks to give the illusion of a slimmer face.

Highlight: BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfecter - Opal

• My other favorite! Using a Sonia Kashuk fan brush, I applied product to the tops of my cheekbones, the center of my forehead, the bridge of my nose, my cupid's bow and my chin to give my skin that sun-kissed, dewy look.

Eyebrows: Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade - Medium Brown

• You know the drill with eyebrows. Using the spooly/angled brush made specifically for Dip Brow, I filled in the brows and set them in place using Elf clear eyebrow gel.

Eyeshadow: Lorac Pro Palette

• Literally the easiest eyeshadow look ever and I was so happy with the end result! Taking "Cream" on a fluffy brush I placed it all over my eyelid and then using a crease brush I put "Mauve" in my crease, adding more product to the crease until I was satisfied with the depth of the color, and that's it!

Lashes: Maybelline Lash Sensational & Ardell Lashes - Demi Whispies

• Since I'm fancy like that, I decided to put on fake lashes and after I applied them I added mascara to blend the two together.

Eyeliner: L'oreal The Super Slim Infallible Liquid Eyerliner

• I applied this over the lash band to hide any eyelash glue that didn't dry clear.

Lips: MAC Lip Liner - Spice & L'oreal Collection Exclusive 610 - Eva's Nude

• Seriously the BEST lip combo ever. Lined and filled my lips with Spice and put Eva's nude on top and honestly I've found my new favorite nude lip combo. And it lasted all day long!

Add a few more sprays of the setting spray and that's the makeup done!

HAIR

Suuuper easy, I just massaged Not Your Mother's Dry Shampoo & Lush No Drought Dry Shampoo into my roots and straightened my hair using a Chi Flat Iron. In the end I chucked on a hat from Urban Outfitters to add more to my look.

OUTFIT

Top & Skirt: Topshop

Boots: H&M

Hat: Urban Outfitters

My outfit!

 Makeup!

 Rhonda & I being silly before the show!

The completed look featuring my posters :)

Thank you guys for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed this blog post! I'll see you guys next week!

XO

PS - I recently uploaded a summer lookbook on my YouTube and it would be amazing if you went on over and checked it out :) (youtube.com/sharmainemiranda)

Motivational Monday || The travel bug

"We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment" -Hilaire Belloc

Greetings to you from Portland, Oregon! I am in the middle of a week-long road trip with my very good friend, Shelley, and we are visiting the beautiful Pacific Northwest! So it may come as no surprise when I say that today's post is inspired by my current vacation! 

Have you ever noticed that you act just slightly different when you travel?! You may find yourself smiling more, being a little more chatty, patient, adventurous, etc. Well I definitely notice that I am  a slightly different person when I travel. There is something about breaking out of our monotonous lives for a getaway, that breaks me out of a shell I didn't know I had! Prior to this roadtrip, I found myself in something of a rut. I wasn't miserable per se, but I was definitely having feelings of boredom and dissatisfaction in my daily life. Work was just there, I had my daily routine  and just basically going on "auto pilot". I always recall this quote from the Tyler Perry movie "The house that preys", where one of the characters poses the question, "are you living? Or are you existing?" Well at this point, I was definitely just existing. By the way, I have this quote up on a quote board in my room and it's great to check in with from time to time. When I want to be a little more reflective, I will read this quote and do a sort of check-in with myself to see where I'm at and gauge my satisfaction level with life.  

Anyway back to this travel thing. So Shelley and I have been great friends since grad school (about 5 years ago), and we decided we both needed a getaway. Rather than spend money flying somewhere, we decided to drive up to Portland since neither of us had been (I had gone for a conference back in college but didn't remember anything about the city since I was stuck inside most of the time). 

Since being on the road, and making our various stops, I've noticed these feelings of happiness and joy come over me. Seeing the beautiful (and not so beautiful sights), has filled me with awe and satisfaction. When we do stop, I'm finding that I am cheerful and less hesitant to chat with locals (something I seldom do at home). And more than anything, I am enjoying the time I am spending with a dear friend. Times like these are precious and it makes me wish I could bottle this stuff up for those days when life just doesn't seem all that exciting.

Is it a coincidence that I am feeling all of these positive feelings and experiences?! Absolutely not! For one, I do not believe in coincidences, and secondly, many will attest to the wonderful effects that travel can have on a person! It isn't just about getting out of the monotony of our lives that makes travel so important (and truly necessary). It is the opening of our eyes to a world outside of our own that makes travel truly special, unique, and so beautiful. Even though I am traveling within the U.S., I have been exposed and connected to different environments, different people, and a different culture. And THAT is what travel is all about. 

Next time, you get the opportunity to travel, even if it is for a weekend trip to the neighboring city, or a new place in a different part of town you've never been to, I highly encourage you to consider the many wonderful benefits (and fulfillment) it may bring to your life! 

For now, here is a pic that was snapped today, from Netarts Bay, Oregon as we closed the book on an awesome day in the beautiful Pacific Northwest! 

Until next time!  

Monica :)

FURY Friday || #Truth

Hey kids. Today I’m dropping a little truth bomb on you. I know all the fitness gurus you see on the IG and the Facebook and all the other Social Medias talk about consistency, talk about that healthy lifestyle, talk about being fit in general. The biggest problem I see with that is this: they make their LIVINGS off being healthy. Day in and day out, they see clients, they train, they compete, and it’s their LIFE. Of course they can be about that lifestyle. 

But what do you do if you don’t have that life. It can be difficult to manage sometimes. Even 30 min. Even the 8 min I asked for last week. And you know what, it’s OK. 

The biggest realization we need to come to is that we need to make sure that where ever we left off, we have the determination to get back on the damn horse and ride that shit till it bucks us off again. Because really, life’s gonna do that shit. Because it’s not that fair.

To put it in perspective, I’ve fallen off the horse. Yes I like to be healthy. I like to be strong. I like to give the people in my life a beautiful person to see everyday. But sometimes life doesn’t give you that break. Or it tests your metal.

Recently, at work I’ve begun to feel a whole lot more exhausted than usual. It’s a psychological problem. I stopped going to the gym about a month and a half ago. My strength has been declining. I’ve been busy with side projects. I haven’t had time to count my macros. I’m up almost 10 lbs. My commute got longer. I don’t see my friends anymore. My reasons for being at work are slowly leaving. Holy shit. Where did the time go. Where did my energy go. 

This is a real problem, because if I feel like this, there must be 10, 20, 100, 1000, more people that feel the same way. It’s mental fatigue. Mental exhaustion. You aren’t tired because you’re physically tired. You are emotionally tired. Your psyche is tired of dealing with all the bullshit that’s around you.

The thing that sucks is that my advice is some that I haven’t been able to fulfill yet: MAKE A CHANGE. All the fitness gurus in the world would say the same thing, but it’s always easier said than done. You’ll be doing your damnedest to make the change and you won’t feel the weight off your shoulders until it’s done, but you won’t have the energy to do so because you haven’t made the change yet. Double edged sword, right?

So I’m sorry. You may say I’ve been putting up a facade to you. But I’m trying to be honest with you here. The way I see it, I’m in a setback. Now, in all cases, I need to bust my ass to get back to where I was and better. I know for sure I want my health back, but I also know I need to make some big changes for my soul to be rejuvinated.

I promise to make the change. Do you?

#truth

(mainly because I like cheese)

-FURY

Wildcard Wednesday || Fireworks in NBA Free Agency

Greetings everyone and thanks for stopping by for another edition of Wildcard Wednesday! Fans of the major sports like myself are currently in limbo...unless you're a die-hard baseball fan. No offense to you all who are fans of America's pastime sport, but it's just not my cup of tea. This past week was newsworthy just from the NBA, but we can't forget what the United States Women's National Soccer Team did by avenging their 2011 World Cup loss and putting on a clinic against Japan within the first 15 minutes of play. Oh my!

I don't know what it is about NBA Free Agency, but it's always exciting to hear rumors and people arguing if it's true. Stories are made up as players fly around to meet with GM's and see their presentations. I'll be honest. As a Lakers fan, I almost thought that Mitch was going to get it done and sign Lamarcus Aldridge after getting a second shot at it. Then when he (Aldridge) tweeted on July 4th that he was going to San Antonio, I was like...

But you know what? It wasn't the end of the world, because I believe in Mitch. The Lakers didn't need the homer right off the bat. Additions of Roy Hibbert, Lou Williams, and Brandon Bass provide some size and bench play. Are they automatically in playoff contention? Probably not, but it's a start. The problem with our sports society is that we set our expectations high so early. We put grades on drafts before players even set foot on the field or on the court. Players move in and out and we put in the books the next champion before training camps even begin. Whatever happened to setting a foundation and waiting 3-4 years? Rebuilding requires patience!

Big contracts for Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, Kevin Love, Dwyane Wade, Paul Millsap, Brook Lopez, Draymond Green, Goran Dragic, Kawhi Leonard, and Jimmy Butler all signing with their current teams on huge deals are kind of boring. It's nice, but we always look forward to those big free agents signing with other teams and making big splashes like Lamarcus Aldridge and David West going to the Spurs and DeAndre Jordan to the Mavericks DeAndre Jordan changing his mind after his buddies convince him to stay in LA....WOW. I wouldn't say that Paul Pierce reuniting with his former Celtics head coach as a Clipper is a huge splash just because he is old. But hey, he made it work playing with the young tandem of John Wall and Bradley Beal in Washington. In my opinion, the loss of DeAndre in the middle will severely hurt the Clippers. Apparently there has been chemistry issues with DJ and CP3, hence the move to Dallas. So we'll see if Griffin and Paul can carry the Clippers on their shoulders without DeAndrre clogging the paint and grabbing 15+ rebounds per game. I still can't believe that CP3 and Blake Griffin just begged their almost ex-teammate to come back to LA. I'm just wow...I was going to publish this post earlier in the morning, but then I heard the news that something was happening between the Clippers teammates. I didn't think it was true. I thought it was some kind of joke. Some story to attract media attention, but ultimately DJ would end up still signing with the Mavericks despite their antics. Geez...I'm just amazed...

My early playoff predictions?

Western Conference:

1. Spurs
2. Warriors
3. Thunder
4. Mavericks Clippers
5. Grizzlies
6. Rockets
7. Pelicans
8. Suns/Lakers

Eastern Conference:

1. Cavaliers
2. Bulls
3. Hawks
4. Raptors
5. Heat
6. Wizards
7. 76ers
8. Timberwolves

With Portland losing a lot of its key players outside of Lillard, I see them falling out of playoff contention and probably opening that last spot for either the Suns or the Lakers. As for the East, after the first top 6 teams it's any team's opportunity who can win at least 40 games to get those last 2 spots. Draft additions from the 76er's and Timberwolves make them young and give them a good enough foundation to get into the playoffs. I'm not going to predict who will get into the Finals, because that's just dumb. You can't predict who will win when you don't know about injuries. We all saw how injuries played a huge role from this past NBA season.

That will be it for this edition of Wildcard Wednesday! NBA Free Agency is a moving stream. With the big names off the board, role-players will continue to get calls from teams throughout the off-season. Let's just remember that whatever we see on paper at the beginning of this new season will not always be what we see at the beginning of May in 2016. Injuries and trades can and will happen. I'm hoping Kobe and the Lakers can make an impact in this competitive Western Conference. As they always say, time will tell!

Catch ya later!

Tinker Thursday || Patriotic Mason Jars

Hello friends! It's time for another Tinker Thursday! This week, I decided to try my luck at a fun little 4th of July project I found on Pinterest. I made it a little more fun by not actually reading the instructions and just winging it based on the final photos.

I had a big pack of Mason Jars I bought at Costco a while back just chillin in my cabinet, so I figured painting over two of them wouldn't be too heartbreaking. I went to Michael's to grab the material I needed, and went to town.

You will need

Mason Jars

Acrylic paint (for glass surfaces)

Paint brushes or paint sponges

Painter's Tape 

Optional

Star stickers

Decorative flowers

A lot of the 4th of July decor was 60% off at my local Michael's, so I decided to take advantage of the deal and purchased a few extra things :)

I actually completed the blue mason jar first to see if this project would even be feasible, given my skill level. I think it turned out ok, not amazing, but pretty acceptable for a first try :) 

For the blue mason jar, all you have to do is stick star stickers (say that five times fast) all over the jar, and paint over it with blue paint. An alternative method could be to paint the entire jar blue and add white stars after via a star-shaped sponge. The great thing about this particular project is that instructions are only a suggestion for how things can be done. You have the artistic freedom to create whatever you want with your mason jars. I did a basic Stars and Stripes pattern, but if you're able to paint a bald eagle, why not? Mount Rushmore? Go for it! Do you want your jar to be clear with red, white, and blue hearts? No one is going to stop you :) 

The striped jar takes a little more time and effort than the blue stars jar, but it's still relatively simple. As you can see, I've already painted the jar white. This is about two thin coats, but paint however many layers your heart desires. I was going for a bit of a rustic, imperfect feel.

After that completely dries, go ahead and mark off where you want your red paint to go with some painters tape. Make sure there are no bubbles or wonky edges, but if there are, it's ok! Makes it more authentic (I know I definitely messed this step up).

Once your jars are dry, go ahead and decorate it however you want. Below are different suggestions, but again, this project is exclusively yours. I tried flowers, twinkle lights, and even candles. They all look great, in my opinion! 

Level of Difficulty: 2.5/10. I think the most difficult part of this project is figuring out what to do with them after they're done! I personally prefer having flowers in the blue stars one, and a candle or twinkle lights in the sriped jar.

What Would I do Different Next Time? I would definitely look for paint that is specifically for glass. I purchased standard acrylic paint and while it did work, I found it difficult to apply additional layers, even when the first layer was already dry.

Would I do this project again? Definitely! There are different holidays you can do this for. I even saw a halloween one where they made the mason jars Jack-o-Lanterns. Less mess! :)

I hope you enjoyed this quick little DIY inspired by Pinterest! Let me know what you'd like to see next!

As for the future of Tinker Thursday, let me just say, that this blog day is starting to get a little expensive, haha! I think I'm going to have to re-evaluate how I want to go about Tinker Thursday. I definitely want to continue re-creating DIYs, but I might cut it down to a big DIY project once every two months. I have other ideas for the additional days I have to post, such as "Plan With Me" Planner Decorating posts, Dress-it-Yourself fashion-type posts (without stepping into Sharmaine's territory and expertise, of course), and a lot more. I'll see you in two weeks with a new post!

xoxo, Rox