Mom & Pop

I love Google. How can you not? Google Chrome is my browser of choice. Google is my number 1 most visited page. It's not a search engine, it's a way of life. I fell in love with their clever commercials when I first saw "Parisian Love." Then, a few months ago, I saw this commercial while I was running on the treadmill at the gym.

I can only hope people assumed I was shedding tears over my 5 miler, but in reality Google had blown me away yet again. I know the story resonated with me partly because my parents are restaurateurs, but I still think the message is so great. That last line, "the web is what you make of it." Absolute perfection. Lately the internet has been getting a bad rep: cyber bullying, online predators, etc. Don't get me wrong, these things are real threats, but there is also a lot of good that can come out of the internet too. 


It's what you make of it. 

late nights

I'm sure this comes as no surprise, but I never was much of a party girl in college. Don't get me wrong, I had loads of fun with the best friends a girl could ask for, but I never would consider myself a rager. And I hate putting things off til the last minute, so all-nighters in the library were not an option. 


And yet, there were still nights that turned into mornings, glasses that turned into bottles, and projects that turned into the spawn of Satan took longer than expected. Whether you're forced to stay up late to finish a project, you have to wake up before the sun to catch a flight, or if you're just pulling a total Lindsay Lohan*, these are my 2 tricks for looking refreshed, even when you're running on empty.

1. Water. Whenever I know I'm not going to get my optimal 8 hours of beauty sleep, I drink a minimum of 16.9 oz** of water before hitting the hay. It flushes of the toxins and keeps skin looking healthy, from the inside out. 

2. Moisturizer. I always wash my face before bed, and on particularly late nights I slather on as much lotion as my skin can absorb, and then a little more. It counteracts the gray, dull look skin gets when sleep deprived. I prefer this option from Walmart, because it's not greasy and it's super affordable, so I don't feel indulgent/wasteful when I use a dollop the size of a silver dollar. 


*Totally kiddinggg. You know I would never advocate reckless over-consumption, rightt?


**16.9 because that's how many ounces are in an Aquafina, which I always kept on hand for emergencies, during my my crazy college days [sike.]

bal·ance

When I went to Hawaii in September, I stayed on the Big Island in the small town of Waimea. Upon arrival, I was struck by the perfect balance the place achieved. The dry side of town is rocky and arid, with plentiful sunshine. On the opposite side of town, the wet side, the grass grows tall and the trees are lush and green. It rains almost every day there, and there is certainly no shortage of rainbows. Waimea is tucked in the mountains, but overlooks miles and miles of pristine beach. My days in Hawaii followed this idea of balance, too. Morning runs through the misty town were invariably followed by lazy afternoons soaking up the sun on the beach. We ate dinner at some of Hawaii's finest restaurants, and grabbed breakfast at some of the locals favorite dives. It was perfect. 

ritual

I feel so silly talking about "cold weather," considering tomorrow's forecast here in coastal Carolina is sunny with a high of 60, but I guess that's just the way it goes. Last week we got our first real dose of cold (one day the high was 27!) and I promptly enlisted the help of one of my favorite products... OPI Avoplex. We all know the winter air can be particularly damaging to skin (I'm lookin at you, dry hands and cracked cuticles), but this stuff works wonders.   

I use it year round, but in the winter I do so with religious devotion. First, I dab the Nail and Cuticle Oil on each finger and rub it into my nail beds ["my nail beds suck.*"] Then I massage the High-Intensity Nail and Hand Cream into each hand. It has become a relaxing ritual, and it feels like an indulgent treat at the end of a long day. After all, who couldn't use a little extra pampering this time of year?


*Mean Girls. duh

Psst...

Hi cats, just wanted to let you in on neat little dealio our friends at Zoya have going on. Now through January 9th you can get 2 of their amazing polishes for free! No purchase necessary, just pick your hues* and enter code "ZOYA2012" at checkout. All you do is pay shipping! 

I know I talk about OPI an awful lot, but Zoya polishes are really great and completely natural! My first experience with the brand was at the best spa in Wilmington, and if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me. The only problem? Picking just two!

Cheryl

Ibiza

 Jem

 Salma

I'm trying to resist buying shades similar to ones I already have, but how can I resist my namesake... Caitlin! (spelled correctly!)

Thanks Refinery29 for filling me in on this amazing offer!

*offer excludes polishes from their new True and Fleck collections

alter ego/confessions

I couldn't decide between two different titles for this post, so I decided to go with both. Let's start with confessions... (cue Usher... these are my confessions...anyone?)

Confessions:

1. I may or may not have worn shoes from the kids section on New Years Eve. There's something so strange about sipping adult beverages while wearing kids shoes... and I like it. 

[But I mean hey, they're Michael Kors, gimmeabreak.]

2. As for the jeans... got them for Christmas 2 years ago. Yeah, seriously. And NYE was the second time I wore them. I'm sure you're asking "Why?!? They make your bum look like a mini cupcake and slim your soccer thighs in all the right places?!?" why thank you darling, you're too kind. Well, (here's the "alter ego" part) it took me 2 years to get them hemmed. Seriously. There's no excuse. So, (cue PSA) if you have jeans that are too long hiding in your closet, spend the extra $10 this week and get those puppies hemmed. You'll thank yourself. 

3. So wanna know the first time I wore these jeans? It was Christmas Eve eve. As in December 23, 2011. When I wore the exact same outfit. (aaaand cue Britney... oops I, did it again, to your heaaaart.) Shameless, but I couldn't resist. The top (by Vince Camuto) is the perfect combination of girly (pale pink, blousy bow, etc.) and edgy (gold studs... need I say more?)

winter doldrums

The days are short (but getting longer) the air is cold (but feeling colder) and the light that glimmers at the end of the tunnel seems awfully dim. It happens every year. The holiday season goes out with a bang, and then I find myself lost in the quiet stillness of the days that follow. One minute I'm driven, inspired to do great things, and suddenly I oscillate to feeling unmotivated, tired, and underwhelmed. I'm doing everything I can to fight it. From little things, like extra lattes and bright manicures to the bigger, more important stuff, like pouring myself into a project that I am passionate about and diving deeper into the Love Letters of my Savior. 


Sometimes beating the winter blues means allowing yourself that extra hour of sleep, indulging in a great book and an even better glass of wine, and taking the time to tell people you love and appreciate them. And other times it means rallying, going for that run when you don't feel like it, turning down dessert (on occasion, only because it makes it taste even sweeter the next time) and understanding that you can't do it on your own.