Link Love: 5.17.13

Happy Friday! This was a long week for me. I hadn't been feeling so great early on, but I was thinking it was just allergies until BAM... I'm sick. Blahhhh.

If I can muster up some energy, I plan on doing some yardwork this weekend - getting rid of some dead bushes and plants and hopefully adding some curb appeal to our new home. I have to say, the previous homeowners did a lot of work planting flowers and trees and I feel so lucky! We have a cherry blossom tree, a couple of gorgeous hydrangea bushes (white hydrangeas with a little bit of pink speckle - so pretty!),  a sprinkling of little purple lilies (I think???) and yellow and red tulips, among other things! If we just trim down a few plants and get rid of the dead ones, I think we can make our yard pretty great!

The Hubs and I have been talking about signing up for a Home Depot workshop to learn how to revamp our deck and patio, and keep our plants in tip top shape. Have any of you ever done one of the workshops with Home Depot? I'd love to know what you thought of it!

And now for this week's link love!

~ Graduating? Check out this style guide for the big day!

~ A yummy dessert made into a drink. I can definitely get behind this.

~ This would be so much fun to make for a birthday party... or a cookout... or just because. :)

~ I love the look of braided hair, especially in the summer, so I'm always on the hunt for great new looks to try!

~ A few reminders to keep your skin looking beautiful.

~ I am starving now after seeing this perfect warm-weather dinner recipe.

~ And finally, I am participating in a fun style collab next Friday, May 24th! And you're welcome to join, too!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Workout Essentials (And A Giveaway)

I created a list of workout essentials to help myself get my butt back in gear. Especially now that my office building has a gym in it (and it's free). Not to mention the fact that the weather is finally getting nice and I live in a quiet neighborhood that's perfect for runs or walks with the dogs. Seriously, at this point, I have no more excuses.

 Sports Bra / iPod Shuffle / Sneakers / Gym Bag / Water Bottle / Headband

I think it's more fun to think about working out when I have cool stuff to look forward to using. That, and I get to go shopping for cool stuff to look forward to using. Win-win.

What are your workout essentials???

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Today I'd like you to meet Jessica! Jessica blogs over at Love and Loyally, and she's been a long time blog friend of mine! Jessica is generously giving away a $20 Target Gift Card!

Blog / Bloglovin / Instagram / Twitter

Love & Loyally is a blog about life, style, & southern charm. You'll find outfit inspirations, beauty favorites, and tidbits about my life. There's also a good chance you'll see pictures of my adorable dogs. So come visit me; I'd just love to have you!

Enter to win via the Rafflecopter widget below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Origami Owl Giveaway

I am in love with my necklace from Origami Owl!

(If you follow me on Instagram, you may have already seen the photo above!)

Vanessa Klotz, an Independent Designer for the company, recently contacted me and offered to send me a necklace and living locket of my choosing to review. I checked out her website and was thrilled at the selection of metals (silver, gold and rose gold - my current favorite) and charms. I chose a long, rose-gold chain and the "Faith" plates for my living locket; and to offset the rose gold, I went with a silver locket that included crystals. You know I love to sparkle! For charms, I chose my first initial ("N") and of course, a dog bone.

Are you shocked? Really??

The necklace came in a Chinese-food take-out-like container with the Origami Owl logo and owl. It was too cute! Inside the container were separate bags containing each of the items that went along with my necklace, along with an little keepsake box.

I have been wearing this necklace every single day since I took it out of the package, and I am not just saying that because the company sent it to me. My boss and every one of my coworkers can vouch for this.  And that's a lot to say, because I love jewelry and rarely wear the same necklace twice in a row, rather than every day for a week! I love it!!!

And one lucky reader will win a living locket from Vanessa! Your locket will be customized to your preferences and will include the following:

~ Silver ball station chain ~

~ Large silver locket with crystals ~

~ 4 charms of the winner's choice ~

~ One dangle ~

Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What would your story be???

Every jewelry creation serves as a reminder of who you are, where you have been, where you are going and the dreams you carry in your heart. So, look inside yourself to create fun, fashionable, meaningful jewelry that is as unique as you are.

Legal Stuff:

Giveaway is open to U.S. Residents only. Each entry will be verified and all entries for an individual will be void if any one of the entries is non-complaint. Glossy Blonde is not responsible for the delivery or execution of prizes. This giveaway is void where prohibited.

Good luck!

Peanut Butter And Jelly Cookies

I made these peanut butter and jelly cookies a couple of years ago, inspired by a visit to Stonewall Kitchen. My husband is a huge peanut butter and jelly fan, and has since requested that I make them every birthday for the rest of his life. This year, his birthday fell soon after our move into our new house and at a time when we were in the middle of construction in the kitchen. Since I didn't get the chance to make the cookies for his birthday, I jumped at the opportunity the moment the construction was completed and our kitchen was (finally) unpacked.

Ingredients
(adapted from Stonewall Kitchen)

3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 jar jam or fruit preserves (I used Stonewall Kitchen Strawberry Jam)

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl and set aside.

3. Beat together the peanut butter and butter until blended and fluffy.

4. Add 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar, and cream until smooth.

5. Beat in the egg and vanilla.

6. Sift the flour mixture slowly into the peanut butter mixture and combine until the mixture is completely blended and smooth.

7. Roll small pieces of dough into 1-inch balls and place on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet approximately 2 inches apart.

8. Make an indentation on each cookie with the back of a teaspoon and fill the indentation with approximately 1/4 teaspoon of the jam or preserves.

9. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown on the edges. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to let cool completely.

Enjoy!

Safe Sun: Tan Towel Self-Tanning Towelettes

As the statistics (and my own personal fear) for skin cancer are on the rise, now is a better time than ever to start self-tanning. After a slew of bad experiences (streaking, missed spots, glow-in-the-dark orange skin...), I vowed never to self-tan again. I tried Mystic Tan a few years after I got over the initial terror, since it seemed pretty fool proof, but it didn't live up to my high expectations.

Enter Tan Towel.

Tan Towels are thin, cloth-like towelettes (somewhat like your typical Wet Wipes) that are pre-moistened with self-tanner. They come in two sizes: Full Body (9" x 12" sheet) and Half Body (9" by 7" sheet); and two formulas: Classic (for fair-to-medium skin tones) and Plus (for medium-to-dark skin tones).

Tan Towel offers numerous other products as well, such as exfoliator towelettes, moisturizer, bronzer, and various kits. However, I am only going to focus on the actual Tan Towel today, as this is the only item I purchased from the brand.

(via)

I purchased the Classic Tan Towel in the Full Body size. So, prior to applying, I showered and exfoliated with a scrub specifically purposed for prepping for a self-tan (Tan Towel recommends that you avoid washing with any soaps or body washes that contain oils or creams, as they can inhibit the development of the color on your skin). I exfoliated my entire body, focusing on areas that can become a bit more dry - elbows, knees, etc.

Post-shower, I dried off completely and opened the  package. The first time I did this, I was surprised at the size of the towelette and unfolded the entire thing right away. It was a little awkward to apply completely unfolded - it kept bunching up, and towards the end, much of the self-tanner that was left was around the edges. So, I recommend you keep the towelette folded, and focus on one area at a time, applying the self-tanner in circular motions, then re-folding the towelette to a more moistened area as needed. This way worked much better for me.

I also recommend you take enough time to ensure each area is completely covered, but still move quickly enough to ensure that the towelette does not dry out.

I was happy to see that the formula dried very quickly - almost right away. There was no awkward waiting in the bathroom, afraid to move a certain way and risk botching the process.

The instructions recommended that I follow with Tan Towel's "On The Glow" moisturizer. I didn't buy this, but I did follow with my own moisturizer (this is one of the best, and SO inexpensive!) since it is always a good idea to keep your skin moisturized when self-tanning. Well-hydrated skin helps to keep the color even, and will extend the life of your tan.

The great thing about Tan Towel is that you can never apply too much self-tanner with this product. You can go over an area a million times and it will not become a million times darker than another area. As long as you hit every area of your body with the self-tanner, you will be left with a completely even tan. It's great, especially for those who fear self-tanning as much as I do did.

After just 2 hours, I looked like I just got back from the beach! And I was pretty freaking pale prior to using these. I started to notice fading after about 5 days, which is really great, considering the length of many self-tanning products is only a few days (Note: I did moisturize every single day!). I could have waited a full week before re-applying, but I wanted to keep the color consistent so I re-applied on the 5-day mark.

So, end result, I am thrilled with Tan Towel. My tan is tan (not orange), even (not streaky), and most importantly, I'm not damaging my skin or my health.

Tan Towel gets the Glossy Blonde Stamp Of Approval!

I highly recommend it!

*I bought my Tan Towels with my own money, and was in no way contacted or compensated by Tan Towel to write this post.