Anjolee Jewelry Review & My Lost Wedding Band

What girl doesn't love diamonds or a keepsake piece of jewelry?

I was contacted by Anjolee.com about reviewing one of their pieces and I accepted because, after browsing their website, I realized they offer really pretty diamond and gemstone pieces that can be customized and designed online. *Online* being the keyword here because, other than groceries, I do about 99% of my shopping online due to convenience and stress-free browsing.

I wish I knew about their website when I was in the market for an engagement ring and wedding band but those days have come and gone. Although they do offer more than just wedding/engagement rings. Diamond/gemstone earrings, necklaces and bracelets are great gifts for momentous occasions such as birthdays or anniversaries (K, are you reading today?) LOL. I'm only kidding. 

What I really like is that all of their pieces can be customized online according to your preferred metal type, carat weight, diamond/gemstone quality, and ring size. You can also add custom engraving and I think their prices are pretty reasonable for the quality and styles they have to offer.

I chose to review this beautiful eternity ring because I sadly lost one of my two wedding bands recently and thought it would help fill that void.

The reason I had two rings in the first place was because K and I essentially had two weddings (a small one with very family/close friends and then a full-blown wedding two years later).

Soon after our first wedding, I decided to solder the first wedding band together with my engagement ring so it stays perfectly lined up (and doesn't get lost, let's be honest). The second wedding band I kept separate because I like wearing just a band for certain occasions like going places that include water and traveling to possibly unsafe destinations.



I also really don't mind rocking a simple wedding band because sometimes less is more.

Ring Pairing:
For the ladies & gents that are in the market looking for an engagement ring or wedding band. 

I think the diamond band I have featured above would look amazing with this engagement ring.  This is entirely my style and not all girls will agree. 

After reading through Anjolee's company policies, I found the complimentary size adjustments on jewelry to be an excellent perk, the 30-day return policy to be very fair and the free FedEx shipping (2-day shipping on orders of $500) to be another added bonus of buying online from their jewelry store especially in rushed situations. 

*I was provided with this ring complimentary from Anjolee.com for testing and reviewing purposes but all opinions expressed above are my true and honest opinion.*

*New Travel Linkup* Wanderlust Wednesdays

Hi everyone! 

Kate, Kerri and I are excited to get our new travel linkup started today. Wanderlust Wednesdays will occur only once a month on the second Wednesday of every month so we hope you will join us in sharing your travel adventures and the destinations on your bucket list. Anything travel related can be linked up, really!

Today, I'm sharing a short trip I took to St, Augustine in north Florida back in 2012. The purpose of this trip was for a good friend's wedding which I was a bridesmaid in but we had an extra day to explore this historic and charming city. I've actually been dying to return this year because it's only a two hour drive so don't be surprised if I do another recap in the near future. 

As soon as we arrived in St. Augustine, we headed to the historic district with a couple friends to explore and find a place to grab lunch. We window shopped and stopped in a few antique and souvenir stores to browse.

My favorite shop was the Pepper Place which sells hot sauces from all around the world and I was even able to find one from Trinidad so I snagged that to add to our collection.

We then stopped in Sangria's Wine & Tapas Bistro to have a glass of sangria and listen to some live music on the upstairs patio overlooking a cute park area (didn't catch the name).

We stopped off at the oldest wood school house in the USA built over 200 years ago.

And then settled at the famous Columbia Restaurant for lunch which didn't disappoint. I can't remember the name of this spanish-style chicken dish we shared but I do remember the Columbia "1905" salad and mojitos were excellent.

After lunch we checked out this public burying ground that was used in 1821 during the yellow fever epidemic. 

We then headed to the Castillo de San Marcos Fort & National Park. The fort was built by a Spanish engineer in 1695. 

We had an amazing day exploring the history, sites and scenes in St Augustine and I highly recommend this city for a quick (or long) getaway. St. Augustine is also known for their Bed & Breakfast accommodations which you kind find located close to all the main monuments and attractions.

There's so much we didn't get to see on this trip which why I would love to return to cover some more ground and also check out St. Augustine beach. 

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Link-up Rules:
1. Follow Kerri, Kate and myself on Bloglovin
2. Link up your favorite travel recaps or travel related posts
3. Grad our Wanderlust Wednesdays button and link back to our blogs
4. Be sure to visit other blogs and build your travel bucket list!

Sweet Potato & Turkey Shepherd's Pie

I stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest while searching for ground turkey recipes and decided it was a must try. Shepherd's Pie is typically a nice warm comfort food but lean ground turkey and sweet potatoes make it just a tad bit healthier and it tasted amazing!

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp flour
2.5 lbs lean ground turkey
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
12 oz. frozen peas
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/4 tsp of paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2.5 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp butter
1 egg, beaten
4 oz. cream cheese
salt and pepper to taste

The recipe requires a lot of ingredients but it's really fairly simple to whip together. 

What To Do:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Boil cubed sweet potatoes in large pot until tender. 

3. While the sweet potatoes are boiling, heat large pan over medium-high heat with olive oil. 

4. Add celery, carrots and onion to the pan and cook until soft.

5. Add ground turkey to the cooked vegetables along with garlic powder, paprika, worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Mix all ingredients will and let turkey cook until golden and crumbly. 

6. Add the tomato, flour and chicken broth. Stir well and let simmer. 

7. Add the frozen peas while it simmers. 

8. Drain the sweet potatoes and return to the pot to cool.

9. Use a potato masher to smash powder until sooth. Add in butter, cream cheese and black pepper (to taste).

10. Beat the egg and add to the sweet potato mixture. Mix all ingredients well with a sturdy spoon or hand mixer. 

11. Grease a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray and pour turkey mix into the dish. 

12. Cover turkey with sweet potato and evenly layer it out with a spatula. 

13. Bake for 35 minutes. 

I've never used cream cheese in mashed sweet potatoes but it makes it taste really good!

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.

Orlando City + New Travel Linkup

Hope everyone had a fun and relaxing weekend! Mine was the perfect mixture of both. 

On Friday night Kerri and I went to the Orlando City vs New England soccer game at the Citrus Bowl which was the first game for the both of us since Orlando City Soccer Club is fairly new. Thousands of people came out that night and it was a cool experience although neither one of us are huge soccer fans.

After the game we headed downtown to meet up with some friends and have a few beverages before heading home. 

Saturday was a relaxing day at home catching up on some blogging, food prepping and stuff around the house. 

On Sunday, K and I headed out to the east coast to finally get our first beach day of the year. The weather was perfect and it was a great day of lounging in the sun.

**Announcement**

Kate, Kerri and I are starting a new travel linkup this week which will run the second Wednesday of every month so get your travel posts ready for our new Wanderlust Wednesdays!! Feel free to link up new and old travel recaps or places on your destination wish list. Looking forward to sharing and reading your wanderlust adventures!

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday lovelies!

I'm looking forward to a fairly low-key weekend and hopefully lots of sleep. This work week was crazy busy so I wasn't able to keep up with reading blogs as much as I usually do BUT the weekend is here and hopefully that will all change...

So let's talk about Cinco de Mayo on Tuesday. Honestly, my days are over for heavy drinking on a work night but I did make it a point to go for lunch with coworkers at one of my favorite hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurants. Their fajitas are to die for and Cinco de Mayo was the perfect excuse for a calorie splurge.

Now on to sharing some of my weekly faves and joining Amanda for Fridays Favorites.

Favorite Spring Nail Color:
These are not my nails but I love this color and would to find out what the name of the color is.

Favorite Purchase:

Is this City Triangles Blouson Dress not perfect for a night out in Vegas?
I'm counting down the days for our trip out there for 4th of July weekend. I don't dress up often (other than for weddings) but I figured I would need one nice "night-out" dress and keep the rest of the trip pretty casual. 

Favorite Recipe:
Found this Pesto Grilled Shrimp recipe on Pinterest and looks like a must try especially since we love cooking with pesto.

Favorite Article:
I definitely condone splurging on special occasions (like I did for Cinco de Mayo) but I like to make my overall eating habits healthy. This article is a good guide to figure out how to create healthy cooking and eating patterns.

Have a fabulous weekend and don't forget to enter our giveaway to win a $125 Amazon gift card!

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Mother's Day Gift Guide

When you think about it, who are the mothers out there? My mom fits one demographic while there are also so many mothers out there around my age (give or take 10+ years). My point is that finding a gift for "Mom" is not a one-size-fits-all deal. This guide is probably more geared toward younger mothers but I know my mom would love a few things on the list so I guess it really depends on her interests. Everything is under $100 and I've also included a few more fun activities and ideas to make your mom feel special. 

Fitbit Flex Wristband // Personalized Expandable Wire Bangle // Philosophy Melon Daiquiri 3-in-1 Shampoo, Bubble Bath and Shower Gel // Jimmy Choo Eau de Parfum by Jimmy Choo // Tervis Mommy's Sippy Cup Wine Goblet // Kindle Fire HD 6 // Women's Satin Wrap Robe (similar Very Sexy Silk Kimono)

Other Fun Ideas for Mother's Day:

~ Shopping/walking around your local Farmer's Market
~ A group painting or cooking class

~ Girls day out for manis & pedis

~ Brunch with the immediate family

~ Gift card for a massage or full day at the spa

~ 1-year subscription to something she loves (Amazon Prime, her favorite magazine, a beauty box)

~ Helping out with a home project while she relaxes

~ Going out for lunch and then a movie of her choice 

~ A box of macaroons or chocolate covered strawberries

Here's to all the fabulous Moms out there and hoping you enjoy your day this coming Sunday! 

$125 Amazon Giftcard Giveaway

Happy hump day! We're half way there ladies and I have to say this week is going so much better than last week.

I've teamed up with an awesome group of ladies to offer you a $125 Amazon gift card to celebrate The Sequin Notebook's 2nd Blogiversary! Enter the Rafflecopter below anytime from now until May 12th for a chance to win some extra Amazon cash!

I have a slight addiction to shopping on Amazon with my Prime membership because the possibilities are endless and well *free 2-day shipping*. Anywho, good luck lovelies!

B & M from The Sequin Notebook // Pamela from A Little Glitter // Marie from Twin Living

Tif from Bright on a Budget // Amanda from Kids & Cabernet // Meghan from Champagne + Suburbs

Carissa from Carissa Jaded // Christina from The New Mrs. // Emily from Martinis and Bikinis

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7-Layer Mexican Dip

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

Kate and I have discontinued our recipe swap on a weekly basis (it will now be every other week) but I had a recipe ready for today's Mexican holiday.

The ladies over at The Sequin Notebook made a similar recipe a while back and I decided to try it out for a party I recently went to. 

Ingredients:

1 8 oz. package cream cheese

1 jar of mild salsa

1 small can mild Rotel diced tomatoes

1.5 lb. lean ground beef

1 tbsp. olive oil

8 oz. Mexican blend cheese

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1 package taco seasoning

1 can refried beans

2 cups of light sour cream

Hot sauce, to taste

What To Do:

1. Mix cream cheese with 1/2 of the package of taco seasoning and layer onto the bottom of a greased baking dish.

2. Sautee onions in olive oil and add ground beef and the remaining of the taco seasoning. Add a dash of hot sauce and then cook well until the meat is no longer pink. Layer the beef mixture on top of the cream cheese layer. 

3. Heat up refried beans in microwave for 2 minutes and then layer beans on top of the beef layer. 

4. Top refried beans with salsa and then layer salsa with sour cream. The final step is to layer sour cream with shredded cheese and then sprinkle diced tomatoes on top of the cheese.

5. Bake on 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until cheese has melted. 

Enjoy!

Weekend Recharge

Thank you everyone for the well wishes on Friday! I really appreciate the sweet messages and positive energy sent my way. Times like this make you realize how amazing the blogging community is. This weekend was the perfect break to relax and recharge. 

K and I went downtown after work to have some patio drinks with a beautiful view of the lake. It was the perfect place to clear my mind and just breathe.  

After hanging out by the lake, we went for dinner at my favorite sushi spot downtown (Shari Sushi Lounge) which has $4.25 rolls everyday from 5-7pm. Dinner consisted of garlic edamame, tuna sashimi and a few different sushi rolls. It was the perfect date night and way to spend Friday night!

On Saturday morning I headed to the hairdresser for some pampering and then did some quick shopping at Petco, Total Wine and a few other errands. 

It was a beautiful, sunny day so we took Lola for a walk around the neighborhood and had a relaxing rest of the day at home. We watched the Kentucky Derby and I got to catch up on some blogging and more importantly R&R after a stressful week. 

On Sunday, we cooked up some brunch at home. On the menu was Eggs Benedict and pineapple mimosas.

Also got to spend lots of QT with my honey who now thinks she's an acrobat.

And then headed to our neighborhood pool to catch some rays and take a dip in the pool.

I feel recharged and I'm ready to take on this new week. Things are looking up! 

How was your weekend?

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.