A Year in Review: 2013!

Hello everyone! I hope you all had an amazing holiday! This year is coming to an end so I thought I would do little review in pictures of 2013! I had such an amazing year this year, 2014 has some big shoes to fill. I got to travel a lot, go home and see my family, and I finally built up the courage and confidence in myself to start a blog! The experience of starting this blog has been truly amazing. As I am starting to gain followers it really warms my heart and makes me so excited to see what this next year has in store! 

So here are some pictures from 2013! 

The first picture of 2013. Bringing in the New Year with my handsome husband! 

In February we went to Chamonix, France for a week vacation. It was so amazing!

In March we went to Venice, Italy for our ONE year wedding Anniversary! Such a romantic and wonderful trip!

In May my wonderful and amazing parents came to stay with us in Italy! Here are some pictures of us in Rome at the Fontana di Trevi!

In the beginning of October we went to Barcelona, Spain. Such an amazing, beautiful city! (Check out my blogpost for more about our vacation in Barcelona!)

Halloween! I was a zombie! I did my makeup myself and then got the "wound" done by a lady at work! Loved it.

In November we got to go home to San Diego to see our family for the first time in almost 2 years! 

In December we decorated our first Christmas tree! 

And finally, In December my husband and I took a little spontaneous trip about an hour away to Sorrento for the night. So beautiful!

And now I will end it with that! Like I said earlier, 2013 has been an amazing year and I can't wait to see what 2014 has to bring! I am so thankful for everyone who reads this blog, it really is becoming a dream come true! Thank you so much!!

Until next time,

XOXO

Kassi

Winter essentials!

Like I have said before, winter time is my favorite time of the year. I love winter clothes, cold weather, Christmas, and snowboarding. One thing about winter that might not be the greatest is how the cold weather makes your skin feel dry and flakey.

So here are a few of my winter beauty essentials!
Now one thing that I have been loving this winter (that is not pictured) is my sugar cookie lip scrub. (In my Christmas DIY post). My lips have been quite chapped this winter and it's not the cutest when you put lipstick over your chapped lips. The sugar scrub seriously gets all the the dry flakey skin off of your lips and makes them so soft!

After using the sugar scrub I always put on some chapstick. I am obsessed and maybe have an addiction to my EOS balls. I have almost every flavor and I love them. They are all over my house and they are just simply amazing. My favorite flavors are the green one, which is a melon flavor, and the purple one which is like a passion fruit flavor. They are by far the best chapstick probably ever.

One thing that always happens to me during winter time is dry skin. I especially get it really bad on my hands, because I constantly wash them. The lotion that I am loving right now is by Soap&Glory and it is the Righteous Body Butter. It is just amazing. It really helps with dry skin and my skin just soaks it up. You can get this from Sephora in the small container which I have for $5 and the biggest one is $35. Trust me, it is worth it!

I have had an obsession with True Religion perfume for awhile now. I have repurchased them for the longest time. One that is perfect for winter time is the Love Hope Denim scent. It is a warm vanilla with fruity notes... Does that make sense? I find it very difficult to describe scents. But just trust me, it is amazing!

Something that is new for me is wearing "adventurous" colors on my lips. I have really always worn just baby pinks and nudes on my lips, but this winter it has changed! I have been obsessed with dark red lipsticks, and I believe I have found some of the best colors, that are also really affordable. The Rimmell by Kate Moss lipstick collection is amazing. I own 3 different colors and I love them. I love the formula, and the smell of them. The formula is awesome and not drying at all. The ones that I love the most are number 107 in the red packaging, and number 01 in the black packaging. They are simply amazing!


Now for my fashion winter essentials! Like I said cozy sweaters are one of my favorite things to wear. If I could wear them all year long I would. My 2 favorites so far this year are this navy blue with white polka dots, and the aztechy print chunky cardigan. They are both so comfy, so cute, and so easy to wear!

The boots that I have been wearing pretty much everyday this year are these Madden Girl combat boots. I love them. They are comfortable and you can wear them with everything. My favorite thing to do it wear then with skinny jeans and cute long socks sticking out of them so you can see the socks. I got these at Macys when I was back in the States on black friday. I believe they are normally around $40 or $50, but with them being on sale and a $10 off coupon I got them for $20! What a deal.

I hope you all enjoyed my winter essentials & I'd like to hear what your winter essentials are! Let me know down in the comments!
XOXO
Kassi

Gift guide for men.

Now if your husband (or boyfriend) is anything like mine, he is extremely hard to shop for. Buying gifts for women if it's for you mom, sister, or best friend, always seems to be one million times easier than shopping for a man. So I am going to try and make it easier for you this holiday season with some tips that I have acquired throughout my holiday shopping.

Tip number 1. Buy something that they actually need. Now I know this may be hard for some (including myself) but trust me. Most guys won't appreciate the cute little things us women find it hard to pass up whilst shopping.
Tip number 2.  Always keep in mind your mans sense of style. My husband typically gravitates towards more surf and skate style brands like Quiksilver, Volcom, and Billabong. So if your hubby is like mine, he probably won't be too fond of that nice cashmere sweater or that Ralph Lauren polo you find adorable.
Tip number 3. Just because he is a man doesn't mean he needs another screwdriver or toolset thingy. I'm sure he probably has plenty of those manly things and probably won't catch on to the hint your trying to give him.. ;)

So, if you follow those tips I think you will be in the right direction to finding the perfect gift for your husband or boyfriend!

Just incase you still feel lost and don't know what to get here are a few things my husband has gotten in the past the he loves. I know these things may sound childish but I know my husband has loved them. They are; a sophisticated Nerf gun, and a helicopter thing that he can fly around the house. It's little things like that that can make your guy smile and be a kid again.

Now I know every man is different but in some way they are all the same. Just like all women would probably love a new perfume for Christmas, some may want Chanel Number 5 and some may want Dolce & Gabbana light blue. It's all about what they love the most.

XOXO
Kassi

D.I.Y Christmas Gifts

One of my favorite things about Christmas is giving gifts. Now as much as I do love shopping, I think I like to save money almost just as much. So here are some do it yourself Christmas gifts for you budget savvy people out there!

The good thing about these DIY gifts is that you can give them to someone as is, or in a gift basket type thing. Now i'm not going to pretend these did take a little bit of time to complete, but they're very simple to do. So here we go! Gift numero uno!

Cookies in a jar! I just freaking love this idea. I think it is so adorable and versatile. You could literally do any type of recipe with dry ingredients. While searching the web i've found Pancake mix in a jar, lentil soup in a jar, and tons and tons of recipes for all types of cookies in a jar. 

This DIY Christmas gift is super simple. I got this jar from Ikea for around 3 euro. I love this jar (for this project) more than a mason jar because it is the perfect size and I love the clasp thingy. For the dry ingredients you will need: 

1 wide-mouth jar

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup M&M's

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 tsp. baking powder

Mix the flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl. Once it's mixed throughly put it in your jar. Add your M&M's but beware if you carelessly drop them on top of the four, they will sink down a little bit. I used a spoon to gently put the M&M's down. Then layer your brown sugar, and top it off with your sugar. Because the lids on the jars I got are clear I also added a few extra M&M's on the top layer just to add some color. And there you go!

 Next just make sure to somehow attach the remaining instructions to your jar. There are tons of websites that have free printable labels that you could use, or you can make your own. I just made mine on Pages (on my MacBook). I typed out all the instructions, printed it, cut it, and then glued it on to some cute wrapping paper. Attach it to your jar and there ya go! Here are the remaining instructions you need to include on your tag:

Empty contents of jar into mixing bowl; blend throughly.

Add 1/2 cup butter or margarine softened, 1 beaten egg, and 1 tsp. vanilla.

Mix until blended.

Roll into 1-inch balls, and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 fahrenheit until edges are lightly browned, about 12-14 min. 

*** UPDATE: Okay guys so it is December 21st when I am writing this and I need to give you an update about these cookies! I didn't make up this recipe, I got it off of Google and then tweaked it a little. I just made one of the jars into cookies and found out that 1/2 cup of butter is not enough! I had to add about 1/4 cup more of butter and I had to add some salt. They turned out good though with more butter. If you made these then PLEASE PLEASE update your card to at least 3/4 cup butter or margarine. I'm sorry if you already made these and can't fix them. :( ***

Next up we have Hot Cocoa in a jar with some chocolate covered spoons! This is perfect for that someone who loves hot chocolate... and a little more chocolate ;) This DIY Christmas gift is super easy. All you need is:

Any type of jar

Hot chocolate mix ( I used 6 packets in this jar)

Milk chocolate chips

White chocolate chips

Marshmallows

And some fancy spoons. I used the plastic fancy ones that look like real silver wear. You could use whatever you would like. I saw a lot of pictures with wooden spoons and it looked really cute. But I couldn't find any so this will have to do!

First I needed to figure out how much powder is in one packet. I measured it out and in one packet was 2 1/2 Tablespoons of powder. Empty all of your packets into the jar. Layer some chocolate chips and some marshmallows and you're good to go! For the spoons I just melted some milk chocolate in a double boiler, dipped the spoons in and set them on some wax paper. After it cools melt some white chocolate and then drizzle it over the spoons. Wrap them in cellophane and finish it off with a cute little bow.

For the tag just put whatever instructions are on your packet. My tag reads:

Measure 2 1/2 Tablespoons of hot chocolate mixture.

Pour into cup.

Mix in 3/4 cup hot water or milk.

Drop a few marshmallows in the cup and stir with chocolate spoon. 

Enjoy!

Last but certainly not least, Sugar cookie lip scrub! I am obsessed with these little gems. They make your lips feel absolutely amazing and they are so easy to make! I got these jars from Ikea. They came in a 4 pack, and I believe they are made to be used for spices. I just thought they were the perfect size, so I had to get them.

To make these all you need is:

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1/4 cup Coconut oil

Dash of vanilla extract

Put all of your ingredients into a bowl and mix. Be sure not to over mix so the mixture turns into a soupy mess. To use this just wet your lips, get the mixture on your finger, and work it onto your lips in a circular motion for a minute or so. Wash it off or eat it because it is so delicious and your lips will be as smooth as a babies bottom! 

So that is all. 3 DIY gifts you can make for your loved ones this Christmas. Remember if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask! 

Until next time

XOXO

Kassi

Our trip home to San Diego!

Hello everyone! I am going to start off by apologizing for not making a post in so long! My husband and I went home to San Diego for the first time in almost 2 years! It was so amazing going home and seeing all of our family and friends. We were home for almost 3 weeks and we got to do some fun things! We went to Universal Studios and of course we got to be home for Thanksgiving which was so nice. My mom and I also went Black Friday shopping which was amazing. We got so many good deals on so much good stuff! We also had a family photo shoot which turned out amazing!
I am going to start posting a lot more often now that we are home. I promise! I have loads of things I want to post about and I am excited to get everything started. Here are some pictures from our trip. I hope you enjoy!

 

                                     































XOXO
Kassi

Living in Naples Italy

Moving to Naples has been the best experience of my life. Although it did take a while for me to get used to I now LOVE living here. Getting to travel all around Europe is amazing and I wouldn't change anything.
There are many different kinds of things all over the internet about Naples. Some good and some bad. To me if you look past all the trash you're good to go. It really is a beautiful city and the food is amazinggggg! (yes those extra g's are needed) Naples or Napoli is where the oh so famous pizza was invented. One of my favorite pizzeria's to eat at is L' Antica Pizzeria da Michele. It is quite the famous place, the movie Eat Pray Love with Julia Roberts has a few scenes in the restaurant and there are a lot of famous people that have visited it. The wait is always at least an hour long but it is so worth it.

There are also a few surrounding places that I love! My favorites are The island of Capri which is amazing, as well as the Amalfi Coast. They are so beautiful, the pictures speak for themselves. The first 2 pictures are of Capri and the panorama is our favorite little secret spot on the Amalfi Coast.

Living in Naples has been a dream come true. My husband and I have had so many opportunities that many people will never get to experience, and we are extremely grateful. We have gotten the opportunity to live in an amazing city with so much to offer, and we have been able to travel all over Europe. 

Always remember if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask!

Until next time!

XOXO

Kassi 

Fall Fashion Favorites

It is finally time! Fall is one my favorite times of the year! It means that were getting closer to Christmas (my favorite Holiday) and we are going to get some cooler weather! I love wearing boots, darker colors, and of course sweaters! I picked out 3 outfits that are my favorite for this time of year!

Okay so I love this outfit! I think it looks so cute and comfy and casual, I am obsessed. I think it would also look super cute with a sock bun instead of straight hair, but either way it's still cute! The sweater is American Rag and is a thick knit in a light pink color. It's so comfy and warm! The white tank under it is Kensie. I also have this tank in black and I love them! They are seriously the softest material and they just fit perfectly. The leggings are also American Rag and they are so cute and thick! They have a piping down the middle of the leg, and some more little details down at the ankle. I love them, they look like leggings but they fit more like jeans and they are so comfy! The boots are from a local market here in Naples and they don't have a brand... But I do love them. Some chestnut colored boot would also look really cute, or maybe some little ankle boots!

This scarf. OMG. Obsessed. It is my favorite color right now like a burgundy maroon color. I just love it. It is so soft and so light I love it. It is an infinity scarf, which I really love. Last year I bought a infinity scarf and it was so chunky and bulky it was hard to wear with any type of jacket or anything, which I hated. But this one is so perfect and isn't bulky at all. The brand is Capelli and I paid $15. What a bargain! You could seriously wear this with anything. I wore it with a long sleeve white Lucky Brand shirt, with some Lucky Brand dark jeans, and chestnut colored over the knee boots from Alloy.

As you may know from one of my recent blog posts I talked about the color Army green. Obsessed! This jacket is amazeballs. I just love it. It is from Kohls and I believe I got it on sale for like $30. It is a very light jacket, so perfect for those fall days when it's not too color or to hot... You know what I mean. Anyways, I paired it with just a plain white tank from Forever 21 and the same American Rag leggings and just a pair or boots. The jacket has some super cute lace detailing on the shoulders, a draw string around the middle so you can pull it tighter or looser whatever you prefer. You could also wear this with your hair in a sock bun and then when its cold out with a scarf. Love it!









I hope you enjoyed reading about some of my fall fashion favorites, and hopefully you get some ideas for some cute outfits! If you have any questions about the clothes or anything else feel free to ask!
XOXO
Kassi

All time beauty favorites!

So today I decided to do a post on some of my beauty favorites! 

Okay, so these are some of my beauty favorites and things that I use literally everyday. (Besides the nail polish, it is just my favorite color for fall and winter (: ) 

The first thing I want to talk about is the Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil. I ordered this in a little gift set about 2 maybe 3 months ago. Now I'm not really a big fan of moisturizing my face every night, I know it's bad and I should, but sometimes I get a little lazy or just forget. Oh well. This Argan oil is so amazing though, I love it! Before I go to bed I put a few drops on my hands and then massage it into my skin. It does feel a little oily when you put it on, but it is an oil soo..... But on a serious note, when you wake up the next morning your face will feel amazing! I can also really notice a difference on my lips when I wake up after applying this at night. They also feel amazing!

Product numero 2: Milani Baked Blush in 01 Dolce Pink. I freaking loveeeee this blush! I literally use it everyday, and I am obsessed. The color is amazing, there isn't too much shimmer and it goes on nicely. I seriously don't have one bad thing to say about this product! You can find it at most drugstores and I think it's less than $5! What a deal. Love it!

My 3rd and 4th favorite are both by Loreal, the Power Volume Collagen Mascara in the color 676 Black, and the Voluminous Original in Blackest Black. Both of these can be purchased at the drugstore and are under $8 (at most stores). Okay so I'm going to start of by saying that I have used the Voluminous mascara forever and I seriously seriously love it. It's kind of a big deal for me to stick to one product for a long time. I like a variety and I love to try new products. This mascara I have repurchased probably 10 times. It makes my lashes long and beautiful, and it isn't clumpy or gross at all. I just love it :). Now the power Volume I also love. It is my first time buying it and I have nothing bad to say about it. I usually put a few coats of this one on first, then follow up with the Voluminous Original. The brush on the Power Volume is a lot bigger and I think it gives them a nice coat before I put the original on. I love them together and I well for sure repurchase them. 

Okay number 5! The Little Black Beauty Book Day Edition by E.L.F.

I freaking LOVE this pallet. I use this everyday. It has pretty much every color that I personally love to wear on my eyes. It also has some great colors for highlighting under the brow. I particularly love that it has shadows with shimmer and matte shadows. It has so many great colors I just love it. The quality of the shadows are really nice. Some colors are a little chalky but not all of them. It is so worth the money I love it. It was only $6 on the E.L.F website. Like whaaaaaaat. That is crazy. GO BUY IT! :)

The next favorite is also and E.L.F product, and it is the Eyebrow Kit in Medium. I love this. The colors are awesome and match my eyebrows perfectly. Nothing bad to say about this product. Love it :) You can find it on the E.L.F website for $3. Crazy. I loveeee their prices!

Now for my last 2 favorites! The Revlon Colorstay Whipped foundation in 240 Natural Beige. I love this stuff. This is my 3rd jar and I love it. It goes on nicely, it is so easy to blend in and I love the way it feels on my skin. Which is weird because I usually don't like the way foundation feels. I would say it is medium coverage, but for me that is perfect. I have normal skin and it is perfect on my skin. If you're a bit oily you might have to set it with some powder but no biggie. Love this stuff. It is a must buy! 

The last is a nail polish that I love for fall and winter. I just think it is the prettiest color, I just love it! It is the Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail color in 210 Flirt. Love it.

Well I hope you guys liked this post, and maybe it inspired you to go out and try something new! If you have any questions about any of the products mentioned feel free to ask. :)

XOXO 

Kassi