Showing posts with label Linkup. Show all posts

Spread the Love Gift Exchange


Hope everyone had a great weekend! I recently participated in The Blended Blog's Spread the Love Gift Exchange and was paired with Amy. I love the gifts she sent my way for Valentine's Day! She did a great job of picking out some cute things that are exactly my style.

Share The Love: Kat's Selfie Tips

I love the idea of Pamela's new Share The Love linkup so I wanted join her today and feature another blogger's post that I enjoyed reading. Kerri from Cheshire Kat is not only a great artist but also writes really fun and creative posts and is an in real life friend of mine who's a blast to hang out with and enjoy some laughs & drinks.

A Little Glitter

She recently posted some Selfie tips that I thought were super helpful so go check out her post and learn a thing or two. Selfies are one thing I still haven't mastered and rarely post on my blog or social media. I mean, I have posted them before say right after a hair appointment when I was having one of those "I feel beautiful" moments but overall I suck at taking selfies. Or maybe I just don't like photos taken so close up to my face? Anyways, I think Kerri convinced me to give it another shot and maybe just maybe I'll post more selfies in the future.


Here's the link if you want to check out her Art Shop.


Happy Tuesday!

Thursty Thursday Dirty Martinis

Hey everyone! Today I'm joining Kristin as the co-host for her Thursty Thursday linkup. 

Of course, my signature drink recipe is my all time favorite...Dirty martinis with blue cheese stuffed olives

Serving size: 2 Martinis

Ingredients:
5 shots vodka
1 shot dry vermouth
1 shot olive juice (for extra dirty)
Blue cheese stuffed olives

 What To Do:
 Shake ingredients in a shaker with ice and serve chilled.
 
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1. Follow Hopelessly Ever After and Martinis & Bikinis via GFC or Bloglovin'.
2. Write about your favorite DRANK (alcoholic beverage).
3. Grab a button from below or Kristin's sidebar and put it in your post.
4. Come back here and link up!!!
5. Get some new recipes or drink ideas for the weekend and make a new friend!!
6. Send a tweet with #ThurstyThursday and include @leggs532 and @TriniEmz  so we can see it!!

Anyone interested in co-hosting next week email Kristin at: hopelessly_ever_after@yahoo.com

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Hopelessly Ever After

Friday's Flashback

Happy Friday!

I have no big plans for the weekend and I'm pretty damn excited about it. After a busy week at work, sometimes you need the weekend to recoup and relax. I do welcome some fun with friends but I prefer to run on a non-schedule.

I was excited to participate in Helene's Blog Auction yesterday and think it went pretty well. Thank you for those that placed a bid on my large ad space to advertise for 4 months straight on Martinis & Bikinis. I'm excited to find out who will be featured on my blog for the next several months :-)

This was me on Monday. I did some workouts at home over the weekend and never knew I was capable of kicking my own ass. I was sore and in pain all week but Monday and Tuesday were pretty bad. 
 

The ladies met up after work on Tuesday at a new spot in town called The Porch for some happy hour cocktails and appetizers. It was fun catching and planning a girls trips we want to do next year.

Another Ebates check arrived in the mail. I think it's pretty fabulous getting paid to shop. I signed up earlier this year and have already racked up about $115 in cash back.

Some goodies I scored from the Kate Spade sale last week. I had my eye on a few items and finally decided on a crossover purse (perfect for traveling) and the silver huggie earrings, which look so much better in person.

Lastly, this is so me specifically in the wine department.

Have a relaxing and fun weekend everyone!

Joining Amanda and Lauren today for their weekly Friday linkups.


Recipe Swap: Chicken Quesadillas




Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 green pepper, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 oz. shredded Mexican blend cheese
4 flour tortillas
1 packet fajita seasoning

Optional:
Sour cream
Salsa/chopped tomatoes
Shredded lettuce
Black beans
Avocado/guacamole

Makes: 2 large quesadillas 

What To Do:

1. In a between pan, saute chopped up chicken, with 1 tbsp olive oil and diced garlic until chicken is no longer pink. Add in fajita seasoning and cook according to directions on the packet.

2. In a separate pan, saute chopped onions and peppers with 1 tbsp olive oil for about 8-10 minutes on medium heat.

3. Place one flour tortilla on greased baking sheet. Top generously with cooked chicken, onions and peppers.

4. Layer with cheese and secure a 2nd flour tortilla over the mixture.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes on 350 degrees until the top starts to become golden brown.

6. Use a pizza cutter to cut into 4 large pieces or 8 small pieces.

Serve with sour cream and other condiments of your choice. I suggested a few above.

Enjoy!

Martinis & Bikinis 
 1. Follow Kate and myself via GFC and Bloglovin

2. Link up your favorite recipes or food-related posts.

3. Grab our Recipe Swap button and link back to our blogs.

#TotalSocial: There's a First for Everything

I'm excited to join Helene and Sarah today for their new #TotalSocial linkup and since there's a first time for (almost) everything that's what I'll be sharing today.
Helene in Between

One thing I wasn't blessed with is a good memory so remembering exact dates/ages is a hit or miss but I'll attempt to give it a go!

First car:
 Hyundai accent, manual transmission.
Couldn't drive it off the lot by the way. Took another couple weeks to figure out how to shift the gears *die*

First sports: 
Swimming & ballet. Those are sports right?

First time shaving:
10 yo without permission from my parents.

First pet:
A pomeranian named Rosie. He was a male pup btw.

First paying job: 
Around 14 yo working in the mall at a home decor store.

First car accident:
Ran into the back of another car while trying to merge only 3 weeks after getting my license. Dad was in the passenger seat so he dealt with the other driver and insurance etc cause lawd knows I wouldn't know what to do.

First concert:
Journey & some other bands. The concert got rained out and I was knee-high in mud by the end. A sight for sore eyes when I finally returned home to my parents.

First regrettable hair style:
That hideous boy cut I got when I was 8 or 9. Remind me to burn all the evidence!

First time purchasing a home:
Three years ago in March 2011

First tweets:

(Awkward...I've never been especially good at Twitter)


First Martinis & Bikinis blog post:
November 8th, 2012


What's some of your memorable firsts?


April is Here & Sports Fanatics Giveaway!

Can you believe it's April already? I'm definitely excited about the sunnier days and more beach trips ahead.

#1: Did you know that April is Autism Awareness month?  My company encouraged us to wear blue on April 2nd for "Light it Up Blue" to support World Autism Awareness day and they served blueberry bagels, muffins & my favorite yogurt for breakfast.

#2: My first Ebates check came in the mail. Thanks Jordan for introducing me to this rewards program. I have to say it's pretty sweet getting paid to shop!
 

#3: I got this save the date email from work. They're taking us on a 3 night vacation to St Pete beach, FL! How sweet is that? Might I add, St Pete is one of my favorite beaches!

#5: Healthy home cooked dinners this week:
~ Baked pesto salmon & asparagus
~ Chicken fajitas
~ Baked tilapia & steamed broccoli
~ Chicken & broccoli casserole (recipe here)


#5: For the sports fans out there, these lovely ladies and myself are throwing a giveaway for a chance to win a $75 giftcard for Fanatics.com. The winner will be announced on Friday April 11th and will be notified by Kristin @ Hopelessly Ever After.


Joining Lauren for H54F and April for Five on Friday.

Have a great weekend everyone!
  

Tuesday's Recipe Swap: Baked Pesto Salmon

I love this recipe because it's healthy and takes less than 20 minutes to prepare & cook so it's perfect for a weeknight dinner.

Ingredients:
1 lb. salmon (cut into 2 fillets)
2 tbsp pesto
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp olive oil

What to do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray Pam/cooking spray on baking sheet.

Rinse salmon under cold water and place on baking sheet. Mix olive oil, garlic and pesto in a small bowl. Use basting brush to coat salmon with pesto/garlic/oil mixture.

Bake 16-18 minutes.

I usually serve with steamed broccoli, asparagus, or a vegetable medley.

Enjoy!

Join us every Tuesday for our new Recipe Swap Linkup!

Martinis & Bikinis 
  
Rules:

1. Follow Kate and myself via GFC and Bloglovin.

2. Link up your favorite recipes or food-related posts.

3. Grab our Recipe Swap button and link back to both of our blogs.

4. Be sure to visit other blogs and find new recipes!

H54F: Hello Warm(er) Weather!

Happy Friday everyone!
I'm excited that the weather in Florida is finally warm enough to go to the beach. So we're doing exactly that this weekend ;-)

Joining Lauren today for High Five For Friday.

1. Last weekend I went to VS to buy a new swimsuit and I left with this very bright but FREE umbrella.

2. Drinking on a budget. Franzia box wine is not too shabby for $11.99. It has 3 liters of wine so it's equivalent to about 4 small bottles of wine. Sweet deal!

3. Carrot cake from Publix is to die for. I usually try to avoid the bakery section but I picked this up for our Easter dinner last weekend and we had lots leftover.

4. Our money tree is growing out of control...but where's the money at? Seriously. Hoping this is a sign from the Gods.

5. Got a new shipment of Body Shop's Tea Tree collection this week. I'm really liking how this works for my skin and helps with blemishes. I use the Tea Tree Face Wash, Clearing Toner, Pore Minizer and Blemish Gel.

Since I had a $10 off coupon I also added in a Vitamin C Microdermabrasion moisturizer which I am yet to use. I'll def do a review on this product.
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I hope you all have a fabulous and fun weekend!

Monday Mingling: Weekend Fun

The Monday after the daylight savings time change is always a rough one. Waking up "earlier" for work is not my idea of fun...but cheers to another fun weekend!

On Friday night, we went out for dinner and a much needed dirty martini. The perfect way to wind down after a busy work week.

After dinner, K and I thought it would be fun to take a trip to the liquor store and stock up for the week. You would have thought a hurricane was coming through but no, this was simply out of boredom.

On Saturday I picked up some sushi for lunch and went to get my nails done to match my outfit for a party later that evening.

I'm love how the turquoise looks on my nails!

On Saturday night we met up for a girl friend's birthday dinner.

After dinner, a group of us went out for a couple drinks. With the time change happening that night, we were able to get an extra hour of drinking since bars usually close at 2am.

Linking up today with Sami for Weekend Shenanigans Linkup and Logan and Tarole for Monday Mingling.

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Enjoy the rest of your week!

High Five For *Fantastic* Friday

Fridays are always fantastic, right? I definitely live my life for the weekend - no alarm clock, no traffic & no crazy set of "rules", also known as a job.

Joining Lauren for High Five for Friday.

1. To make the week a little more interesting, I snuggled up on the couch after work and enjoyed some white wine goodness.
2. My favorite coffees and teas that help me get through the week.
3. My "exciting" 9 to 5 view. Explains why I need the coffee/tea and wine to get by?
4. Excited to see my girlfriends tomorrow to celebrate a birthday and catch up over dinner and drinks.
5. K and I experimented making Chicken Marsala for dinner this week and it came out super yummy! It goes well with either pasta or mashed potatoes.

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

There's No Such Thing As a Free Lunch

Well that proved to be slightly wrong today. A new Italian restaurant called "Italio" opened in the neighborhood and gave away a free meal to everyone that visited today. 

I'm joining Jamie today for the What I'm Loving Wednesday Link up.

With that said, I'm loving that I didn't pay a penny to get this Italian bowl of goodness for lunch today with my work buddies!
 
I'm absolutely loving all my new blog followers and can't wait to get to know all of you better! The blogging world has really welcomed me with open arms and I'm officially hooked! I'm so glad that my friend Kate @ Green Fashionista convinced to start blogging :-)

I'm loving these dream-catcher earrings.

And this coral Kate Spade purse.

I'm so excited that we booked our anniversary trip to go explore NYC this summer. (Thank you again my lovely bloggy ladies for all the advice!)

Finally, I'm always loving my hubby.

I hope YOU have a fantastic week!