{Glambunctious} Wish List - June 2011

Chantecaille La Baleine Bleue Eyes (Blue Whale Palette)
Chloe Rosebud Eau de Toilette sample
Clinique All About Lips
Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle & UV Damage Corrector (serum)
Laura Mercier Eau de Toilette in Crème de Pistache
Kiehl's Ultra Moisturizing Buffing Cream
Givenchy Le Prisme Blush Powder Blush in It-Girl Purple
Maybelline Kissing Potion in Cherry Smash
Marc Jacobs Biscotti Splash
Moschino Hippy Fizz Eau de Toilette Spray
Philosophy Eye Hope
Philosophy Shower Gel in Pink Frosted Cake
Rachel Perry Lip Lover in Grape Juice
Savannah Bee Company Royal Jelly Body Butter
Tokyo Milk Lip Elixer in Salted Caramel
Waxelene

REVIEW! | Caudalie Grape Water / Eau de Raisin

Product: Caudalie Grape Water AKA Eau de Raisin if you're feeling French!
Category: Toner
Scent: Unscented
Cost: $8.00 for 1.6 fl oz, $13.00 for 3.4 fl oz, or $17.00 for 6.7 fl oz (limited edition size)
Where to Buy: Caudalie, Sephora
Caudalie says:"This 100 percent plant-based water - extracted directly from grapes during the harvests - soothes, refreshes, and hydrates the skin."
Pros: Refreshing, soothing for sensitive skin, highly portable
Cons: None

Review: I LOVE Caudalie Grape Water! Ou, en Français, J'adore Caudalie Eau de Raisin!

According to Caudalie, you are to spray this product on the face at any time of the day to refresh and hydrate the skin, and it can be used as a toner after removing make-up. It is so ridiculously refreshing to spritz it onto your face and neck when you're laying out at the pool or on the beach. It's just as snazzy on a hot day after crossing a 1,000° parking lot to get back to work at high noon! The super fine mist doesn't cause your makeup to run so you're safe to spray away throughout the day! ☺ The secret to an even more amazing spritztravaganza is to pop the can in the fridge (or a cooler if you're heading to a concert, pool, beach, park, outdoor July wedding, etc.) and reap the freshly chilled rewards of feeling unbelievably pleased with yourself for owning such an effervescent product!

As a resident ATLien currently feeling melty in the summer splendor, I cannot recommend this wunderbar spray toner enough to anyone, male or female, who also lives in a hot and/or humid locale!

Would I buy this product again? Yes!

Ingredients: Vitis vinifera (grape) fruit water, vitis vinifera (grape) juice, nitrogen.

3.4 fl oz size of Caudalie Grape Water

Vacation Approved! | Discovery Cove Trip

I knew there would be lots of pictures taken at Discovery Cove and I needed products that could survive heat, humidity, swimming, sweating, possible tears, and encounters with 600 pound sea creatures. The following items outlasted it all!

1. Urban Decay Naked Palette
2. Lancome Definicils Waterproof Mascara
3. Benefit Benetint
4. Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin

All of these lovely products stayed put, refused to melt, smudge, or fade, and lasted all day long! I could not believe the mascara survived it all with absolutely NO running. It's worth the price if you know you're going to be swimming, sweating, or crying! I will most definitely be sporting it on my wedding day.

The proof is in the proverbial pudding; the picture below was taken after our dolphin swim!

{Glambunctious} Inquiring Minds Want To Know

If you know me, you know that I LOVE surveys. You know, those silly little Q&A's containing deep questions such as "What's your favorite ice cream flavor?" and "What color was your prom dress?"; they are a fun and relaxed way to get to know someone. I thought it would be nifty to incorporate a little survey-ness into this blog from time to time since it is one of my favorite things and it's a great way for you lovely readers to share a little something about yourselves, too! In the sage words of Barney, "Sharing means caring" after all. ☺

Today's first question was inspired by the charming and adorable Karen over at Makeup and Beauty Blog (if you aren't following her blog already, you definitely should be)!

1) What was your first MAC product? Viva Glam IV thanks to my always fabulous friend Hilary!
2) What is your ultimate go-to beauty product? Aquaphor as a lip balm. It hydrates my lips better than anything else I've tried and I promise you, I've tried hundreds of balms over the years!
3) What was the last movie you saw? I got completely captivated by "I Am Legend" last night when it came on TV. Even though I'd already seen it, I couldn't stop watching. Will Smith is amazeballs.
4) Name one of your favorite mags? Real Simple.
5) Back in the day, which New Kid On The Block made your heart go pitter-pat? Jordan. I know, LOL!

Copy & paste into the comments section and share your answers!

--✄--✄--✄--✄--✄--✄--✄--✄--✄--✄--✄--✄--✄--✄--
1) What was your first MAC product?
2) What is your ultimate go-to beauty product?
3) What was the last movie you saw?
4) Name one of your favorite mags?
5) Back in the day, which New Kid On The Block made your heart go pitter-pat?

Dolphins & Diamonds: A Wildly Decent Proposal

As most of you know, I'd previously posted that my boyfriend Jason and I were heading off to Florida's dolphin dreamland Discovery Cove last week. Aside from getting to live out my lifelong dream of swimming with dolphins, my wonderful blackberry-cobbler-a-la-mode-of-a-man just happened to plan the whole trip around the most amazing and perfect surprise proposal in ze world!

There I was, thinking "This day could simply NOT get any better!"; the Floridian sun was shining, the cabana he booked was an oasis of relaxation, and I'd just smooched a dolphin named Rose. I felt that my life had very little room for improvement at that moment.


Little did I know, Jason had pre-arranged with secret squirrel stealthy-ness to have Rose the dolphin bring me a very special buoy. As soon as the trainer told me Rose was "bringing me something", I thought, "OHMYGOSH! OHMYGOSH! IS THIS IT?! IS HE PROPOSING RIGHT HERE IN THIS DOLPHIN POOL?!?!?!?!?!". Jason took the buoy from Rose and, grinning from ear to ear, asked...

"Kristen, will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

❤ YES! ❤

After we left the dolphin pool, the Discovery Cove dolls led us back to our cabana. There we found a photographer and videographer, and my engagement ring set up on a pedestal (literally!) surrounded by lush tropical flowers. Jason got down on one knee and asked me to marry him (again, lol)!


It certainly adds a touch of humor to think that I'd never once envisioned myself not wearing pants when my special proposal day finally came along!


Thank you from the bottom of my heart to my now fiancée Jason for giving me the most incredibly special and perfect proposal that I could've ever imaged. The ring he picked out is beyond stunning; it makes me feel giddy and loved beyond my wildest dreams every time I look at it.

I love you Jason Bartholomew, and I can't wait to marry you!

Vacation: Discovery Cove Dolphin Dandies!!!

Today's review post will be the last one for a bit because my boyfriend Jason and I leave for Orlando's Discovery Cove today! Tomorrow we will be swimming with dolphins, and the word "excited" hardly covers it!! I have been dreaming of this my whole life! I almost can't believe that these paws will be touching actual factual dolphins TOMORROW! We are also going to Sea World, where a 7 year old me had pledged to work as a trainer when I grew up, on this trip and neither of us has been there since the 80's. I am literally undulating with excitement! I hope you all have flippertastic weekends!

Commencing...PORPOISEPALOOZA '11!

The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was AMAZING. I wish I'd read this in high school when we were studying the Civil War because it gives you such an incredible insight into the hearts and minds of the people on the battlefield. I really loved a lot of the characters and I cried when the book concluded. I ordered “Gettysburg”, the movie based on this book, from Amazon and can’t wait to watch it. I will definitely be reading Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure; my interest in the Civil War is higher than ever thanks to this spectacular book.

We'll always have Philips...

I've been waiting to post my thoughts about the loss of the Thrashers until I could organize them a little better. I honestly never thought the city of Atlanta could lose it's second NHL franchise to Canada. I don't think non-hockey fans realize how heartbreaking the reality is of our hometown team being sold and relocated. It leaves you feeling completely jarred.

My good friend Bill Tiller AKA Rawhide, Thrashers fan blogger for the AJC, posted an excellent final article asking fans to post their favorite memories. I've copied and pasted my comment below because I wanted to share my feelings with anyone who reads my blog. Sidenote: "Smoothie" is Jason's handle on Bill's blog.

Thank you for this wonderful blog, Bill; you’ve always been so much fun and such a dedicated blogger. Getting to know you, and having the opportunity to meet your family, has been one of the best things this team has brought to me. Reading everyone’s favorite memories has been both enjoyable and bittersweet. I have so many favorite memories of this team. Cheating at Black Jack with Marty “The Party” Reasoner at Casino Night. Meeting my favorite player, Bryan Little, and having him turn out to be just so absurdly kind. The sense of camaraderie among us Thrashers fans. The thrill of jumping up to high-five and sing along to Song 2 whenever a goal was scored by one of our boys in blue. Meeting other fans at games, CNN Center, tailgates, and draft parties. A puck Shea Weber flipped out of play landing smack-dab in Smoothie’s lap at the last Nashville game we attended. Yukking it up with The Blueland Chronicle and Wild Bill Tiller in Section 317. Seeing the young talent at Prospect Camp. Christophe Schubert telling a security guard to step aside to let us into the VIP area at Casino Night. Submitting the “What kind of sandwich would you be?” question to Ask A Thrasher and cracking up when it was asked to every player thereafter. Smoothie’s hysterical Thrashers rap. Running into XLB dining with his family at Feast in Decatur on my second date with Smoothie. Commiserating with “tweeps” on Twitter during heart-stopping 3rd period rallies. Bringing people to their first hockey game and watching them experience the fun and excitement. Cheering for the Kiss Cam Couple at every game I attended. Kane’s KO of Cooke (legendary).

Thank you to Smoothie for awakening my love for hockey, and for being a willing partner in such lunacy as “lucky moose socks” and wearing fluorescent yellow stuffed crabs from IKEA around our necks in support of Joey Crabb. I fell for the Thrashers at the same time I fell for you, and this team will always be extraordinarily special to me for that reason.

Thank you ALL for enhancing the Thrashers experience. I will leave you now with a few lines from Smoothie’s *hit* rap song, “Yo, Check the Thrashers” (surely coming soon to iTunes):

“He’s not very tall but he’ll burn ya with speed, good luck trying to catch this dope sly Swede! Even if ya do he’ll make the right read, cuz Toby is a doctor of sick-ass feeds!

Comin’ down the tracks with a train of pain, numba 9’s on a mission so u ‘memba his name

The name’s Evandah just like The Champ, so don’t ya complain when he lights ya’ lamp!

Yo check da’ Thrashers, a playoff real deal, Pevs droppin’ pills like a waiver wire bank steal

Slates racin’ down da ice like a greasy frittata, he’ll work u in da corner like a dirty lambada!

Wee Freddy P likes to rock da wok, but get him on the ice and he’ll make u lose ya jock!

Todd Whitey White don’t need no Garmin, he gets to da crease to deposit the Charmin!”

Atlanta Thrashers
1999 - 2011

The Sunset Strip Diaries by Amy Asbury

The Sunset Strip Diaries by Amy Asbury

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thought this book was amazing! Even if hair bands aren't your thing, this book is wildly entertaining! At times hilarious, heart-wrenching, and poignant. I devoured it in 2 days and then immediately bought the sequel!

The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels -- A Love Story by Ree Drummond

The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels -- A Love Story by Ree Drummond

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

**This review contains spoilers!**

This book had potential, but it never really…took flight. I was annoyed with the author for spending an absolutely absurd amount of the book reiterating how in love she was with her cowboy, and zero percent of the book explaining why she and her siblings all turned on their mother after she made it known that she was going to divorce their father. All of the grown children seethed and hated their mother for this, but never once was it explained why. The author herself was living at home and wanted nothing to do with the stress of her parents’ crumbling marriage. It just seemed to be a big inconvenience to her; which I do not understand at all. For the author, 25 years old at the time, to wish that they’d hold off the implosion of their marriage at least until after her own wedding day really angered me. The fact that never once did she mention asking her mother or father if there was anything she could do to help alleviate some of the strife just made her seem selfish and self-involved. The author was also completely mortified by things that I thought were no big deal and her lack of self-confidence was evident throughout the book. At times, I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and remind her that she’s allowed to make mistakes and trip on pebbles and not know the proper protocol of what to do during a prairie fire. She comes across as very hard on herself and it was sometimes difficult to read. I did enjoy the humor of her turning from LA vegetarian into Oklahoma red meat lover, and some of the other fish out of water scenarios that come up.