luxe box...

Lately, I've been on a make up and beauty kick that is just plain harmful for my wallet.  Between Sephora, Bath and Body Works (x2), Well.ca, Nail Polish Canada, NYX Cosmetics, MAC and now Luxe Box, I realize that I am losing my damn mind and need a serious intervention.  I guess I'm making up for the passed 30 years where I had zero interest at all in make up/beauty products.  Now I'm all about the prettiness.  I guess it's about time that I get a little girly.

Craziness aside, I'm super excited to have discovered Luxe Box last night.  If you are familiar for Birchbox, it's basically the same idea.  Each month, for 12$ and free shipping, you receive a deluxe luxury sized box of goodies (4-5 samples) in a chic box that have been hand selected by beauty experts.  The samples can be anything from make up, skin care, hair care, fragrances, etc.  I looked at some you tube videos where a full sized bottle of Essie was included, at 12$ a pop in stores, that makes the whole subscription amount totally worth it! 

Another perk is that if you can get three friends to sign up also, you can get one month for free!  I'm not telling you to sign up, but I think it's a pretty exciting box to receive each month!!

Sign up here!!!

xo,

melissa

my bestie turns 30...

belated bd post about my bestie's thirtieth birthday (which we celebrated twice).
welcome to the dark side j beans...muhahahahahaa!!

for my thirtieth, jana (as awesome as she is) wanted to get me something special, which she did by getting me this beautiful tiffany bracelet that i absolutely love and cherish. it was a total surprise, and all of my birthday pics are pretty bad because my jaw in hanging open in shock for most of them.

for jana, i wanted to get her something special as well.  i couldn't just get her some regulatory old tiffany item since she already has a few tiffany pieces. i wanted to find something special and unique, just like jana herself!

one day she mentioned how she'd love to have a cameo and i knew that was it.  i had to find one for her, luckily Etsy makes things so easy these days to find great vintage pieces! after some scouring i came across this beautiful 1940's 12k gold cameo pendant and chain.  i was drawn to it right away and the girl in the cameo actually reminds me of jana.  perfect piece for her...and luckily, she loves it just as much as i had hoped!

for the eleventh time...happy birthday jana!
love ya!

xo,

melissa

my new twenties

30th bd gift from my bf jana

*heart*

after a month of sickness, work schedules and snow storms a few of my closets friends/family were able to go out to dinner to celebrate my thirtieth birthday.

after all of my reflections about getting OLDER and all that superficial jazz it was nice to sit down, relax and not actually think about that fact that i'm 30.

i got to think about how much i love to see my friends, and drink, and eat (and not count calories) and celebrate...to laugh and giggle and be crazy.

to act like we are 20 or laugh about when we were 20 and how we are glad we are not 20 anymore...

it was fun...and definitely time that this mama got to have a little social life (even if i didn't get to shake my booty on the dance floor)

to top it off i got way spoiled with gifts....i mean WAY SPOILED.

gift highlights include, well the gift at the top of this post. a bracelet i showed jana in passing when we were looking online one day. one that i would surely never purchase for herself.

but something she remembered and new how special it was.

thank you jana.

i'm so in love...i can't stop staring at it.

other highlights include: this ruche jacket (thanks ash!!)

a gift card to get my nails done (thanks dale!)

100$ gift card @ ruche (thanks j beats!)

50$ spa gift certificate (thanks jess!)

lululemon hoodie (thanks mama!!)

i'm telling you: spoiled

blessed

undeserving...but oh so happy that everyone thought of me, and wanted to celebrate with me...and just how lucky i really am.

i love my friends!!

thanks for EVERYTHING!!

xo, melissa

on keeping a record...

this being one of the most personally stressful weeks i've had in a long time,

my head is spinning and spinning.

most of it focused on just life right now, on the brink of my 30th year

and what that means to me.

some of focused on things that just run loops in my head....

i'm having a hard time slowing down and concentrating.

really focusing and zeroing in on what matters now, who am i and who i want to be.

i feel like i want to write it all down, yet my blog isn't the right place for it all.

today's post from elise was just what i needed.

a place for my thoughts.

like a twelve year old with a diary again.

on today's post about her custom book design, elise posted a link to her custom birthday books she started making a few years ago.

perfect.

a birthday book for my biggest birthday yet.

i could use it to write down 30 goals for my 30th year, or just my whole decade of 30's in general.

something that i want to accomplish, or something that i am proud of right now.

am i crazy? i have just being doing so much reflection lately, it's almost scary.

And having it all jumbled in my head is even more so.

am i happy with life right now? if yes, why?

am i unhappy with life right now? if no, why?

this is the year for me, guys and gals.

as much as i'm scared to tuesday to come: i can't freaking wait.

i hope it brings good things.

and it will all be recorded in my book....

xo, melissa