Instagram + VINE Blog Hop [COHOST]

Welcome to the Instagram + Vine Blog Hop! If you're new here, the Instagram + Vine Blog Hop is a party where you link up your Instagram and/or Vine accounts, find and follow new friends, and be continually inspired by what you see in your feeds! No need to have a blog, just an Instagram and/or Vine account!

Now on to the HOP! How to PLAY:

1. Follow your HOSTS:

Kimberly | Instagram: @anightowlblog | Vine: anightowlblog 

Emily | Instagram: @mrsemshhh | Vine: emily emshwiller 

Angie | Instagram: @blogali | Vine: Little Inspiration

2. Follow your CO-HOSTS:

Lauren | Instagram: @fizzandfrosting

You can find Lauren here: 

Blog :: Facebook :: Twitter :: Pinterest

Amanda | Instagram: @geekyfashionista

 You can find Amanda here: 

Blog :: Facebook :: Twitter :: Pinterest

3. Link up your Instagram Web Profile:

Just link up your new Instagram Web Profile (http://instagram.com/username) -OR- your web viewer of choice in the linky below!

Note: this URL will not let you choose a profile pic from your feed, so be sure you have a picture you can upload from your computer if you use it! If you get a "Error: The requested URL returned error: 500" error that just means it can't find a picture to use NOT that your link is bad. Just click on "Direct Image URL" if you have one or "Upload from Computer". If you still have trouble, try sticking with Followgram or Webstagram to upload your profile.

4. NEW! Link up your Vine Username and/or Video!

Add your Vine username (so folks can find you) to the list below! Or link up a Vine video so we can see your cinematography at work! This is new, so there aren't web profiles just yet, but hopefully they'll be out soon! How do you find your video link? If you post your video on Facebook or Twitter, you will be given a URL that looks like this: "http://vine.co/v/bJegq22datT." Just link that up below with your username so we can find you! If you don't have a URL to one of your videos, simply link up your blog URL, but make sure the title is your Vine username so we can find you!

5. Check out and follow a few fellow Instagram or Vine friends.

Tell folks you follow that you found them through the Hop!

6. Spread the word!

Tweet about it, share it on Facebook or post about it on Instagram!

Tweet

Now let's link up!

Sunday Social: Childhood Memories

This week's Sunday Social is all about childhood memories:

1. Did you sleepwalk as a child? Nope, but I've been told I gnash my teeth - yikes!

2. Did you ever try to run away or sneak out of your house? I often thought about running away because I didn't have the best relationship with mom. I think I only ever managed to leave the house once though. I wandered around the neighborhood for a bit (which I remember being pretty scared) and then came back because I was hungry haha.

3. Did you have any imaginary friends? I think I tried a couple times, but could never keep it up. I always had my sister there to play with anyway so there really wasn't a need to have one.

4. Did you ever go toilet papering? Not as a child...

5. Did you ever sneak tv shows you weren't allowed to watch? Nope. I was more strict on myself than my parents. No PG-13 movies for me until I was actually 13 (Jurassic Park being the exception).

What are some of your childhood memories?

March & April Favorites

Because of my whole laptop incident, I'm a little behind making videos so I decided to go ahead and combine my favorites from both the months of March and April into one video because I'm just crazy like that! Sorry for the funky lighting and my childhood lisp that apparently hasn't completely disappeared xD

PRODUCTS MENTIONED

Kiehls Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser - I left my Aveeno cleanser at home so I've been using this since my New York move. What I really love about it is that not only does it leave my skin feeling so clean and soft after use but it also gradually reduces pores (and I have MASSIVE pores).

Clean and Clear Acne Spot Treatment - I cannot stress this enough - MIRACLE in a tube!! I've been using this little lifesaver since highschool and SWEAR by it!! Put this on your zit, pimple, big ol' acne spots three times and day and watch that baby disappear!

Elizabeth Arden 8-Hour Cream - This was one of the very first department store "high-end" beauty products I ever bought. I forgot how old I was - maybe 16 when I bought it - and I did so because I remember I kept seeing it being mentioned by various celebrities as one of their "must have" items so I wanted to see what all the hype was about. I've probably gone through about 6 tubes of these things since then and this month my appreciation for this wonderful product was renewed. With the cold, severely drying New York weather that I was desperately not prepared for, this product has been another life saver!

L'Oreal Linear Intense in Carbon Black - I originally was not a fan of this eyeliner because I prefer a felt tip at the end and this has a brush which isn't as easy to control. However, I've been practicing a bit now with it and I've come to really love it. It's much blacker than my other liquid eyeliners and is perfect if for doing a dramatic winged eyeliner look (which I've been really into lately).

Benefit They're Real Mascara - I got a sample of this mascara in one of my ipsy bags and now I finally understand the hype! It's a great all around mascara with little bristles that's great for coating every lash without getting clumpy - win!

China Glaze "Refresh Mint" - One of my all-time favorites, I'm so happy it's finally spring so I can start wearing it again! I have several mint polishes but this is the one I always end up coming back to because it's DA BEST.

Essie "Lilacism" - Another all-time favorite I like to break out in the spring, this polish is simply the perfect lavender color.

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat - Such an amazing top coat!! It dries SUPER fast and leaves such a nice, glossy finish! I paired this baby with my Essie Lilacism and I didn't chip my nails for one WEEK - you read that right, ONE WEEK. Call me impressed.

Nike Free Run 5.0 sneakers - The best running sneakers ever (and I am picky about my running shoes)! Super cute and super light!! Makes it feel like you are running with no shoes on! 

Toki Doki Marvel shirt - This shirt of various Marvel characters in Toki Doki style is probably one of the cutest things I have EVER seen. Just precious.

House of Cards - Finally jumped on board and gave this show a try and I'm hooked! Still have a couple episodes left but I'm sure I'll zoom through them in no time! This Netflix Original Series is produced by David Fincher (Fight Club, The Social Network) and definitely reflects his tone and aesthetic and touts an impressive cast who all give powerful performances. Watch it.

Silver Linings Playbook and Argo - The only two movies I saw...pretty much the entire time I've been in NYC, but hey if you''re only going to see two movies - I'm glad it was these two pretty freakin' fantastic movies. JLaw was superb and flawless. BCoop - I just made that up - was fantastic and beautiful - yes, beautiful. I was super invested in the characters and storylines of both films and can totally see why they were both nominated (and won) so many awards. If you haven't seen both of these films yet, I highly recommend you do so now.

DailyGrace - Oh, Grace, how I love thee. My latest Youtube obsession, Grace is hilarious, random, and awesome and makes videos FIVE times a week. I don't think I've ever laughed harder than when I watched her "What I Think of the Presidents" video. I've probably seen it a dozen times now and I still laugh EVERY SINGLE TIME.

That's all for this month! What were your March and April favorites?

NYC VLOG: Reunited With My Laptop

Okay, so I basically already had a whole blog post dedicated to this topic but I also did a vlog that day! I know I'm a total vlogging newbie - still trying to feel comfortable walking around in public talking to my phone - but I figure the more I do it, the more comfortable I'll get so I'm trying to vlog once a week. My life's not the most exciting, but it's still New York xD

Weekend in Westchester

This weekend was my little nephew Kendyl's birthday which brought several of my family members including my mom to upstate New York to celebrate.

After getting off work on Friday, I went home and packed for my weekend upstate in Westchester. My cousin, David, and I arrived around 9ish after our hour long train ride and were greeted at my cousin Kim's GORGEOUS mansion with my mother's amazingggg homemade pho which is probably my favorite food in the whole world. After my stomach was more than satisfied, I took a shower and quickly fell asleep in one of the many spacious guest rooms.

Saturday was the big day of festivities. After some mother/daughter time, everyone packed into two cars to head out to the birthday venue at Chelsea Piers in Connecticut. Suffice to say, the place was incredible. It's a HUGE sports center with an Olympic sized pool, batting cages, a running track, indoor beach volleyball, rock climbing, a sundeck, and so much more it was ridiculous. There was also an area that was just trampolines...like the walls were trampolines - I feel like I could be entertained in that room alone for more hours than I'm proud to admit. All the kids in the birthday party went to this mini water park within the center - again, insane - while the older folks like me hung out upstairs in the birthday room eating pizzas and mini cheeseburgers xD Then the kids came back and there was chaos as there is whenever you have 20+ 8 year olds in one contained space. 

After singing happy birthday and eating birthday cake, it was time to go back to Westchester for the after party. My cousin bought TONS of food for guests and while the adults mingled, the kids got to play among themselves. I took this time to film a new video and take a much-needed nap (does that make me old if I get tired watching children exert themselves?). Later that night, my cousin David, my mom and I all headed back into Manhattan where my mother got to experience my six floor walk-up apartment first hand. Despite her doubts, she made it up and got to meet my two roommates. She inspected my apartment with utter disbelief and shock over how tiny it was wondering how we all live in such a small space. I was still very tired but wanted to take my mother out to at least one place before she met up with David to stay the night at his place. Since it was a Saturday, most places were quite crowded but we ended up in small bar and split an order of catfish and wine between the two of us. When my cousin met up with us, we parted ways and I went home to fall asleep.

Sunday, I started off with a lovely brunch with my mom at a cute little cafe near my apartment. I had Eggs Benedict for the first time and it was delicious. Afterwards, my mom and I went back up to Westchester to spend more time together and eat more pho. Sounds like a good end to a good weekend to me :)

How was your weekend?

2013 MTV Movie Awards: Best Dressed

Yes, the MTV Movie Awards were last week so this post is a little late but I couldn't help putting together a little best dressed list of my favorite looks from the crazy and unpredictable night.

Kylie Jenner

LOVE LOVE LOVE!! Kylie here manages to look youthful, chic, and sophisticated. I am totally loving the two-piece crop top look and can't wait to give this trend a try once it warms up a bit here in NYC. I also loved how she accessorized the outfit with a gold chunky necklace, simple bracelets, and nude pumps. Perfection.

Selena Gomez - Julien Macdonald

Selena channeled J-Lo in a stunning gold fringed Julien Macdonald mini dress. I like that she tried to change things up a bit with an edgy do' but I can't say I loved it with this look. I would've preferred her usual perfect loose waves, but props for taking a risk.

Emma Watson - Maxine Simoen

The recipient of the "Trailblazer" award stuck to her tried-and-true printed mini dress with black heels  formula, but I can't complain because it's so cute, fun, and flirty.

Holland Roden - Donna Karan

This dress might seem a lot more demure in comparison to a lot of the other crazy and colorful looks on the red carpet, but I love it! It's deceptively simple - but with it's A-line skirt, deep v-neck, and organza paneling, it's fun and young. Combine that with her sleek pushed back hair, fresh-faced makeup, and black and white color-block peeptoes and you've got a killer look!

Karlie Kloss - Cushnie Et Ochs

Again, with the two-piece crop top and pencil skirt look - and, again, I LOVE it!! Like Kylie, Karlie looks oh so chic while showing off her killer body and that top fits her so well it's like a second skin.

Nicole "Snookie" Polizzi - Snooki Couture

I can't believe I wrote that, but it's true - the new mom pulled it together and showed off her post-baby body in a gown from her own collection. Yes, you read that right - Snooki has her own clothing line. 

JWoww

Really, another Jersey Shore member? What are you on, Amanda? Alas, while JWoww does seem to be spilling out of the top of her dress, I adore the gown itself. Just stunning.

What did you guys think?

Sunday Social

Sunday Social time! Here's this week's bunch of questions:

1. What is your shopping weakness? I've actually been so proud of myself. Since coming up to NYC, I've really resisted the temptation to shop. The only times I've bought anything that wasn't food, was usually at a boutique sale or a consignment store so I guess you could say I have a shopping weakness for good deals haha xD

2. What is your food weakness? I have a HUGE weakness for food truck food and bubble tea. If it's on the menu at whatever restaurant I'm at, I WILL order it. I just love those tapioca balls.

3. What is your go-to movie to watch when nothing is on? Hmmm... I don't really have a go-to movie, but if there's absolutely nothing on, I know I can always count on an old Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode (you can't go wrong with Joss Whedon).

4. What is your go-to breakfast food? My go-to breakfast consists of a cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese, banana, and orange juice.

5. Do you drink coffee? If so, how do you take it? I prefer tea, but I do enjoy a good iced coffee from time to time.

Can you believe tomorrow is Monday already?