Its been nice knowing you!!

My trip to Costa Rica is just a week away. I'm so excited to leave and get the hell out of here, but at the same time... deep down, I'm a little terrified.

I've never been the kind to be scared, if anything I'm the one that wants to jump off an airplane on a sunny afternoon and then go swimming with sharks (like i did in Belize).

I love adventure.

With that being said, I also dont like ALLLLL of the adventure that comes with it.

If you know me, you know that i am terrified of scary movies. The last scary movie i saw was 'Paranormal' activity. I know many of you laughed it off and thought it was completely cheesy, BUT I DIDN'T!!!! I couldn't sleep for weeks. I wanted to get someone to do a 'Limpiesa'. I dont want to be killed in a hostel! I'm so scared i will :/

So for Costa Rica, since we are on a budget, we are going to stay in Hostels. (FML) Call me a hotel brat, i don't care! I have Fillet Mignon taste on a McDonald's $.99 cent budget. Okay i get it. I like 5 star resorts. And can you blame me? Who doesn't like 700 thread count Egyptian cotton linens, turn down service with cookies and milk, a welcome amenity delivered to your room with a bottle of wine and cheese and a note from the general manager that says; "Welcome! Ms. Plascencia"? I do! I LOOOVEE ALL OF IT. I love it when i call room service and they say: "Good morning Ms Plascencia, how may i assist you this morning?" <--- I love it. It makes me smile every time. Okay- i understand I'm a broke LA girl, but i know what i like,and how i like it.

Which is why I'm a little scared for my 'adventure' in Costa Rica. I feel like I'm going to look at the person running the hostel and I'm going to ask: "Ummm excuse me, i didn't see any La Prairie bath amenities in the room, can you have housekeeping deliver some?" and they're just going to look at me and laugh :/

Please pray for me & my friend. If we don't come back... its been nice knowing you!!

Heels & kisses,

Nadia

p.s.

I would like to be cremated, dumped in Ambergris Caye, and everyone to come to my Party of 'Life', and no one is allowed to wear black and cry. Bring yo dancing shoes, there will be lots of music! See you from heaven! ;)

Ultimate Summer shoe

(Venice drum circle)

I can go on and on about how much i love summer. The sun is my cocaine. It makes me feel high, beautiful, & amazing ALLLLL AT THE SAME TIME!

So what shoe will complement my high on life?

The perfect summer shoe! Sperry's!



Awesome shoes and only $55 bucks!

http://www.sperrytopsider.com/

Heels & kisses,

Nadia

Unique LA Summer Show!

This weekend, July 30th & 31st will be Unique LA's first ever Summer show! If past Unique LA shows are anything to go by, this summer's show at the Santa Monica Barker Hangar will be off the hook!  Advance tickets are still available until this Friday, July 29th until midnight. Tix are $8 in advance, and 10% of your ticket purchase goes to HEAL THE BAY!  How is that for awesome? (Hint: VERY).

Here are some samples from the some of the artists who are featured in the Unique LA Summer Preview Catalog:

This print is by artist Annie Galvin of 3 Fish Studios

LA Love necklace by artist MNKR - original wall art featured in the catalog

Immaculate Confections (yum)

If these little previews weren't enough to get you interested, here are some more cool things about Unique LA:

• Pre-sale ticket holders each get a free ticket to the OC Fair (worth $11)!

• The first 350 in the door both days get a tote bag 

• Refreshing, free drinks (Black Star Beer, Perrier, IZZE, Honest Tea, Dry Soda!)

• Eat at our big 'Truck Stop' featuring LA's best food trucks like The Grilled Cheese Truck & Flying Pig! 

• Unlimited re-entry for both days and access to giveaways all weekend long

• Free workshops & DIY crafts with the Craft and Folk Art Museum and the Urban Craft Center

Yep, I'd say this is the place to be this weekend!  Maybe I'll see you there Sunday! I love exclamation points!!!

XO,
Janea

Summer Lovin'

So far- Its been an AMAZING SUMMER! Except for a few minor bumps on the road... BUT- i am super ecstatic about my Beach day i am putting together in Huntington Beach!

Volleyball, Rollerblades, Potluck, Bon Fire, & An amazing group of friends!

So... what should i wear to this thing?





I absolutely love love this sweater! Its super cute and i cant wait to buy it! Its by Hips & Hair. Here is their website http://www.hipsandhair.com/ A must!

Heels & Kisses,

Nadia

How To: look like a Super model, on a BUDGET!

I received soooo many compliments on my dress i wore for my birthday party.

I honestly felt like a super model. I wanted to wear a dress that was a 'wow' factor.

But how could i do that on a budget? Janea then suggested: ''What about rent the runway?"

A light bulb went off in my head and i thought to myself, "WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THIS SOONER??"

Rent the runway is a website that pretty much lends you designer dresses for 10% of the cost. Example: Dolce Gabana dress $2500.... cost... $250 to rent. Lets be realistic here. I wear dresses once, maybe twice. I don't like to be photographed more than twice with the same dress on. I don't know why most women are like this. So this was perfect. The original dress i wanted was $450. I cant afford that right now, especially because I'm going to be broke after Costa Rica. So i went online and i was a bit hesitant to do it, but i pulled the trigger once i saw the dress. I don't regret it one bit and the service is great and efficient. I would do it again! Here is the dress i wore.

Here is the website

http://www.renttherunway.com/

You order the dress you want. When you want it delivered. The desired dress size and one extra dress size just in case your original dress size doesn't fit. I'm a size small, but i ordered a size medium as my back up. It comes delivered in a really nice package with a return USPS paid envelope to return it in. They dry clean it, they do everything. I seriously love this website! I have no idea why no one thought about it sooner. I will do this again if i ever have to to go a wedding and i cant afford a $2,000 dress to wear. My only suggestion would be to know your body and know what will fit great on you.

I hope you find this as useful as i did! :)

Heels & kisses,

Nadia

How To: decorate on a budget

Apologies to our two readers for not posting sooner! Its been a very busy last few weeks. Janea & I have been swamped with life. I recently threw a little Pre-birthday get together that turned out better than i expected which made me super happy.

I wanted to decorate my apartment with tissue pom poms. I was going to order them on Etsy but deep inside me it bothered me that i would be paying $20 bucks for something i could do myself for $6 dollars. So i bought a total of 16 tissue colored packets and i made my own pom poms! It turned out soooo cute that i wanted to share with everyone as to how i made them. Here is the link that helped me!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9u1PA_FI79U

I hope your party turns out as great as mine <3

Heels & Kisses,

Nadia

It's About to Go DIYown!

Get it? No? Maybe just stretching but anyway...

I am in the planning/executing phase for my upcoming birthday party and have just a few projects I am working on. BF & I finally got a dining room table, which is actually more like a "breakfast bar" but I still really love it. We are also getting some shelves donated to us by a really good friend who loves us lol so now our shoes won't be in a mess all around the front door anymore.  Anyway I am getting away from the point of this post.

I've been doing some shopping at the 99c store and Dollar Tree for party decorations. I found some white unscented taper candles at the 99c store:

package of 4 for 99c

I also found some pearl(ish) white heart garlands that I might use. But my best finds were at Dollar Tree!  I was so excited when I saw that they had the same short plastic cups as Party City, but I didn't have to buy 100 of them in one sitting. They also have the same plastic cutlery but for $1 (obviously).  I found some white paper lanterns that come 2 in a pack, and I got a few of those. I might go back and get some more because they were so cheap. I also found 2 silver trays that I can use for food or for the cutlery - not sure quite what I want to do with them yet. I tried taking pictures of them but the glare makes it impossible to see the toile etching and the patterned edges. They look pretty elegant for only costing a dollar!

My favorite Dollar Tree find were these glass taper candlestick holders.  I was hoping they would have different sizes, but they're all the same height. I debated whether I would paint them silver or black.  Once I got home I put on my rubber gloves, painting smock, and rubber shoes.  I went into our "backyard" and went at it:

I took the pictures on my piece of sh** iPhone 3G, so you can't really get a good idea of how fabulous they actually look. I got 6 of these, and I wish I would have bought more lol but these are good enough for now. Perhaps I can just look for candles in different sizes.  The paint I used is Rustoleum Lacquer spray paint. It's really shiny on the glass. I've decided to go for black since I don't want them to look like "gray plastic" lol.  ♥

Since I already have so many "hosting" dishes (platters, bowls, pitchers, etc) from my last birthday party, I really don't have to spend much on this one. So far I think I've only spent about $30 or $40 (not including food/drinks). Since my friends are graciously offering to bring food and drinks, my out of pocket this time around will be much more palatable. Hooray for broke girl parties! ♥♥

XO
Janea

Wash the Blues Away!

I have been waiting a couple of seasons now for colored jeans to come flooding back into stores.  I wanted a pair of purple jeans SO BADLY from Forever 21 when they had them a couple years ago, but I could never make it to go try some on.

So color me surprised when I got the email from Urban Outfitters saying they had them now back in stock! Here are some that I am just in *LOVE* with right now:

BDG Twill Cigarette High-Rise Pant- $29 (online only) - Rose

BDG Twill Ankle Cigarette Pant - $49 - Coral

BDG Twill Grazer Mid-Rise Pant - $29 (Online  only) - Turquoise

I read all of the reviews and for the most part these jeans run on the "bigger" size, so if you do order them I would suggest ordering down a size. I think I am going to go for the rose-colored jeans, because I need some  more pink in my life!  If I do, I'll definitely post a review.

XO

Janea

I'M GETTING MARRIED!!! :D

(My dream ring! Yes, i realize its Cartier and its worth more than my life)

:/ Eh, not really. But it sounded nice just saying it. I will most likely never get married so i have to live vicariously through my sister.

I spent all of Friday night watching the show "Say Yes to the Dress!" with my sister. I must say that all of the dresses i loved were well over $8,000 (FML). If you're anything like me, you understand the importance of taking the breath away from the person you will marry & also being a beautiful bride! (if that day ever comes).

So- with that being said, i found this fabulous website that sells used designer wedding dresses for more than 40% off the regular price! Granted, i realize that the dresses are still thousands of dollars & are used... but only you can rock that dress when you walk down that aisle!! http://www.preownedweddingdresses.com/

If i were getting married, these would be my picks!

Sottero $4500

Vera Wang $4800


Kenneth Pool $4000
Plus don't forget shoes to match!

If you've been lucky enough to have been proposed to, or you're with someone that adores you... that would be more than enough. I'm sure he/she will look at you on that day and think: "I must be be the luckiest person alive!" No dress will change that thought <3 You will look stunning no matter what you wear!

Heels & kisses,
 Nadia

Summer Goals

Inspired by Charlie's post over at Polka Dots are Love (Paisley is Forever) I have decided to share a couple of my goals for this summer! --by the way if you have never read this blog you should; it's totally cute and inspirational :)

Here we go:

01.  Stop being such a couch potato!  Get some sun -- go for a walk on the beach, a bicycle ride, or a stroll through the park.  It seems like every day when I come home from school I am so tired either from homework or staying up late or just from a long lecture that all I want to do is veg out. No bueno!

02.  Stop procrastinating.  Yes, I know everyone does it and everyone says they are the worst offenders. I am undeniably guilty of writing research papers and exam responses at the last minute, even printing off essays from the professor's office because I would have been late if I waited for my printer to warm up at home. Yikes.

03. Write more, for funsies.  Yes, I will say this - I think I am a good writer. I may not be a fabulous blogger, but I know I have the chops for this writing shtuff here. I just need to push myself to actually WANT it, rather than only waiting when it is expected of me.

04. Have fun!  I am actually looking forward to my birthday because I plan on having the best time ever. I can be a bit of a control freak, but when I let go I am pretty awesome ;)

05. De-clutter  Ok here is a concrete goal - I want to get a hard drive and rip my whole DVD/CD collection and sell my DVDs and CDs either online or to Amoeba or something. I am tired of having this in my living room:

See that behind me? It's a big lug of a "DVD storage" thingy. WANT IT OUT, NOW!

Among a million other things I *want* to do, these are manageable goals I can tackle before the end of the summer. I mean, if not now then when?  And what about you??  Best of all, these things are all FREE and I get to use my brain and not my wallet :p

XO
Janea

Now accepting applications for a Prince Charming: Do you have what it takes?

Are you adventurous? Spontaneous? A bit crazy when drunk? Will you steal a vegetable for me?

Will you show up at my door with peonies? Will you look at me as if i am the only girl in the entire room?
Do you have a glass slipper for me? **cough cough** aka: Christian Louboutin shoes shown below?
Will you bake me a birthday cake? And last but not least.... Will you chase me if the clock strikes midnight and I'm running away?

The answer will most likely be: NO!

So here's to having an amazing birthday without Prince Charming!

Heels & Kisses,

Nadia