Rocksbox Love


This is definitely my most favorite box I've received. I was so excited to see the Kendra Scott earrings which is a new line of jewelry Rocksbox has added to their program. I've been wearing the earrings every chance I get and plan to purchase them to keep.


 Kendra Scott Dee Earrings in Cobalt Cat's Eye


Margaret Elizabeth Diamond Bangle in Chrysoprase


Gorjana Chaplin Wrap Necklace in Gold


For those not familiar with Rocksbox, it's a designer jewelry program that sends you a box that includes $200 worth of jewelry based on your style preferences specified in a survey done while signing up. If you love the pieces, you can decide to purchase any or all of the pieces. If you don't love the pieces, you can wear them out as much as you want and then return the box to get a new set of jewelry. 

If you're interested in checking out Rocksbox, here's a link to get 1 month of jewelry for free.

You can also check out what I got in a previous box here

Crockpot Pulled Pork


This was my first time experimenting with pulled pork and I really like this recipe I found online but changed it up a bit. We had leftovers for days which was great to make a quick sandwich for lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:
2-3 pounds of pork butt roast
1 12 oz can or bottle of beer
1/4 cup yellow mustard
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 onion chopped
1/2 cup BBQ sauce


What To Do:
Pour 1/4 of the can of beer into the bottom of crockpot and add pork. 

Mix remainder of beer, mustard, honey, garlic, BBQ sauce, cayenne pepper in a bowl until honey is dissolved. Pour mixture over pork in the crockpot and add chopped onions. 

Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours until pork is tender enough to shred. Turn pork half way through cooking and add water/BBQ sauce mixture if it begins to dry up. Once fully cooked, use two forks to shred and pull the pork apart.


Enjoy!
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Weekend Relaxation, Fun & Pampering

Hope everyone had a great weekend! I had a good one spent in and around town with no major obligations so just going where the wind takes me. Definitely much-needed sometimes!

On Friday, K and I went out for dinner at Tony Roma's to use some free drinks coupons and to check out their new menu. Of course I got a martini and the chopped salad was delish!




On Saturday, I got all my errands done before heading out for lunch at a local oyster shucking place. Just like my obsession with sushi, I crave oysters and try to get my "fix" during oyster season. I know some people either love or hate oysters (possibly due to the texture and appearance) but if you love them like I do, you actually crave them!

After lunch we stopped downtown to meet up with some friends and spend time with a girl friend who was visiting from out of town. We hopped around to a couple bars and then called it a night.



On Sunday, I got to sleep in which felt amazing! LOL It's just one of those little things in life that make it so much better.

I did the usual weekly food prep, laundry, cleaning, blogging and put together this cream cheese chicken chili in the crockpot to cook for dinner. This recipe was featured on Kate's blog a few weeks ago and I just had to try it for myself. So good and easy!

I ended my Sunday afternoon relaxing at the spa and getting a pedi. K won a gift certificate at work and I got to reap the benefits since he has no interest in doing his nails.

Opi's "Warm and Fozzie" is a great color for Fall and has a nice sparkle/shimmer to it. 

Aren't relaxing weekends the best to refresh and recoup for the week ahead?

Joining Biana for Weekending and Leeann for Monday Morning Gossip.  

Welcoming My 2nd Blogiversary


I can't believe it's been two years but wouldn't have it any other way! Having a blog is like having a small child that constantly needs to be nurtured and given attention in order to flourish. It definitely takes dedication and can be time-consuming but I'm so happy I decided to sit down and write my first post 2 years ago.

Blogging has opened up a whole new world for me in terms of meeting fun and interesting people from around the world, sharing tips and advice, and finding inspiration to write from my everyday life. I thank my readers and friends for following my journey and I hope you stick around much longer as I plan to!

Cheers to many more years for Martinis & Bikinis!

Friday Favorites & Weekly Recap

I'm so thankful Friday is here! I probably sound like a broken record but I'm so over this week and in need of some downtime. My 2nd blogiversary is tomorrow and wow has the time flown! I have to tell you though, it's been life-changing with the friendships, advice and support I've received from the blog world. I think I'll stick around a bit longer ;-)

Let me get right into my Friday favorites and weekly recap. As always, joining the lovely Amanda and Lauren for their weekly Friday linkups.

Doesn't this kitty almost look like a fake stuffed cat? (And, no I didn't get a new pet!)
 I ran across this gorgeous stray over the weekend. She was actually inside the bar we went to on Saturday but the bartender says she sleeps on the streets and they feed her during the day. I couldn't believe how pretty she was.

Favorite Finds:
I made these chicken pot pies from Trader Joe's over the weekend for a friend's baby shower. Such an easy and not-so-typical dish to bring to a party.

Favorite Purchases: 
Well this was a major splurge on my end but I need a big purse for work and going out and about to fit all my crap and after browsing for weeks, I decided on this beauty. 
Cute baby clothes for the shower last weekend. I thought it would be boring shopping for a baby boy (compared to girls) but I ended up scoring some cute things and of course some UCF onsies to make sure baby represents our Alma Mater. 


Favorite Recipe: 
Skinny Bang Bang Shrimp from Skinny Taste. I admit I made entirely to much sauce so the shrimp were swimming in sauce but the recipe itself is delicious nonetheless. 

Favorite Funnies:
Ugh, autocorrect will be the death of me!

Have a great weekend!

Not a Morning Person


Happy Thursday everyone!

You can find me over at Just Add Glitter today guest posting about what's like to be a non-morning person.

Are you a morning person?

I'm curious to know how different people deal with early mornings and waking up at the crack of dawn.


$105 Visa Giftcard Giveaway


Myself and these lovely ladies are throwing a giveaway for a $105 Visa Gift Card plus some extra advertising goodies which include:

$10 in advertising credit from The Fitness Blondie
Ad space + featured guest post with Keeping up with Ashley and Cody

Thanks to Lisa from Showered with Design and Katelynn from Xo, Katelyn for hosting the giveaway. It will be running until November 11th, 12am EST so enter now to win some cash for the holidays!

Asian Inspired: Lettuce Wraps + Spicy Edamame


This recipe is easy whip to together although it does call for quite a few ingredients. Trust me, it's worth it and very tasty! I couldn't find bibb/butter lettuce that is traditionally used for lettuce wraps so I used iceberg lettuce which did the trick but the cups were much bigger than your typical lettuce wrap. 


Ingredients:
8-10 lettuce leaves
1 lb. ground turkey
1 tbsp sesame oil
3/4 cup chopped mushrooms
1 yellow onion, diced
4 stems of green onion, diced
1 can diced water chestnuts
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
1 tbsp mined ginger root
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tbsp sriracha or chili sauce (for spice)


---------


Ingredients:
1 pack frozen shelledd soybeans
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp chili sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger 


It was fun cooking up this Asian inspired dinner! The gyoza/dumplings and gyoza sauce are from Trader Joe's along with the shelled edamame beans.

 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.

Halloween Baby Shower & Weekend Fun

Hope everyone enjoyed Halloween weekend! 

I spent Halloween night at home giving out candy to the neighborhood kids with some Vietnamese food takeout for dinner and watched the movie Sex Tape after all the candy was gone.

On Saturday, we went to a friend's Halloween-themed baby shower hosted by Kate. The shower was co-ed so the guys got to experience all that is a baby shower. Kate had tons of great finger food and the cutest pumpkin cake. I brought mini pot pies from Trader Joe's which are a quick and easy appetizer to prep for large groups of people. 

After the shower, a group of us headed to get some drinks and check out a popular German restaurant that everyone raves about. It was such a fun night with great friends, food and super-sized German beers.

Joining Biana for Weekending and Leeann for Monday Morning Gossip.  

Happy Halloween!

How do you plan to spend your Halloween night?

Only a few years ago, I was dressing up in sexy costumes and painting the bar scene red. Now I'm happy to spend it at home equipped with a large bowl of candy for the neighborhood kids, some takeout for dinner and a movie to end the night. 

We did some pumpkin carving/drilling this week. Sooo creative, I know, but it's honestly easier and much safer than tackling a knife. Either way, I usually let K man the project and this is what he came up with. I also have my witch costume and the candy ready to go for tonight!

If you are going to be out and about for Halloween this weekend, I have you covered with a free Uber ride (up to $30)!

If you're not familiar with Uber, it's a mobile app that connects you with a (taxi) driver. You can click on the code below to sign up and get a FREE first ride. (code expires Sunday, 11/2/14 at 11:59pm)
SPOOKY349TD  


Favorite Recipe:
This delicious tortellini soup from Genuinely Lauren.

Favorite Purchases:
I mentioned last week that I won a $100 gift certificate from Drugstore.com. Well I made sure to spend it all in one sitting and scored some fun beauty items plus a few other things. I can't wait to try out the hot roller set since I can't seem to master the art of a curling iron or wand.

And some gifts for a friend's baby shower tomorrow.


Favorite Funnies:
True stories....

Have a safe Halloween weekend!

Joining Amanda and Lauren today for their weekly Friday linkups.