Exploring

I spent the day yesterday exploring my new home with my cousin, Alexis. I have a bunch of pictures, but until I can get them uploaded (having difficulties) I only have a few that I stole from Lex.

It feels like it's been forever since I've explored, it was so refreshing to get out and just wander around.

The scenery here is beautiful and I can't wait to have more opportunities like this!

We even walked through some of the narrows... I thought I was going to get stuck and die, for sure.

I hope you all had a LOVELY weekend! What did you do??

Oh!

and don't forget to vote for me (or your favorite blog) in the Blogscars!

Best Blogtress (equivalent to best actress)

Best Blogture (equivalent to best picture)

Blogger of the Week: Mus·ing(s)

Hey lovelies!
Today we have the guest post from this week's "Blog of the Week"! This week is Lena from Mus·ing(s). She's new to this blogging scene and already blogs like a pro! We only found each other's blogs around the beginning of this month and she's already one of my favorites. Plus she goes on THE best adventures (seriously, she's traveled more in one year than I could ever hope to travel in my lifetime) and posts THE most beautiful photos! So read her guest post then pop on over to her blog and give her some love!

***
Hey there ... you wonderful and amazing readers of one of my most favorite blogs! I'm so excited to be a guest of Gentri Lee's.

I'm Lena. The mountain loving, rainbow sprinkle covered ice cream eating, and sometimes crazy writer of Mus·ing(s).

I like this guy a lot. Which is why I married him. I've loved him since the fourth grade. He likes Swedish Fish and skiing a lot faster than me and is my very favorite.

On an average day you'll usually find me sipping a hot cup of tea, educating myself [be it school or elsewhere], exploring the outdoors, or dreaming of my next big adventure.

My blog is where you'll find my thoughts, ideas, excitement, and adoration for this little thing called living.

You see, I've been captivated by life's joy. Whether it's the bliss of falling in love, dreams of exploring a faraway land, or simply enjoying a spoonful of Nutella ... delight is everywhere.

I intend to celebrate it. And I'm inviting you to come and join the celebration.

-Lena

***

SEE?! She's got this blogging thing down! You HAVE to go check out her blog. I know you'll love her as much as I do.

Esthetician or Aesthetician?

*NOTE*
this post contains things I've been learning in class. It may be boring to some of you. But if you're at all interested in skin care, beauty, and or history, this post may interest you! :)

Well, today is the last day of my first week in my Esthetics course. Long way to go still but I feel like I've already learned so much! My classes are 5 days a week from 8am-5pm. That's a full time job! I am tired, already, but I'm loving what I'm learning. Suuuuure, there are and will be those things that won't be too fun, but so far? It's a blast! Here are some things I've learned...

-Esthetician and Aesthetician are both correct. Aesthetician is more often used in the medical realm and is in reference to the original Greek word aesthetikos. While Esthetician relates more to the newer spa culture and is a more modern term. Sorry if that was boring to you. It was something I had wondered so I was happy when I finally learned the difference.

-I can't quite get over some of the beauty rituals from the Renaissance. They used to shave their eyebrows and pluck their hairline to give themselves a larger forehead. They thought it gave them a greater look of intelligence... YIKES! I seriously have to touch my hairline every time I think about this to make sure it's still where it's supposed to be. It hurts to think about. haha!

-When Queen Elizabeth I was... well, queen, men and women would adorn themselves with lead and arsenic powder... because it was the trend. I'm SO glad we don't have trends like that these days... do we? I guess tanning could fall into that "dangerously trendy" category. But lead and arsenic powder right on your skin? Can't be good, right?

-During Marie Antoinette's time, women would use small silk patches to conceal blemishes. We didn't really expound on this in class and I really wanted to, so I looked it up. Thanks to Wikipedia my questions were answered: "Tiny pieces of fabric, known as patches, in the shapes of dots, hearts, stars, etc. were applied to the face with adhesive. The fashion is thought to have originated as a way of disguising pox scars and other blemishes, but gradually developed coded meanings. A patch near the mouth signified flirtatiousness; one on the right cheek denoted marriage; one on the left cheek announced engagement; one at the corner of the eye signified a mistress."

and thanks to ANTM I think I've found the closest thing I can to an example. So glad I remember things like this... haha!

-I've learned how to give a bunch of treatments so far and have already learned how to tint eyebrows and eyelashes! We have to receive every treatment we learn to give, so that means I've had my brows and lashes tinted too. My eyes didn't like the lash tinting so much... But I'm sure I'll be doing it again and just have to deal with it. haha!

-I've had a facial basically every day this week and can already see the evidence. You would THINK that getting a bunch of facials would help your skin... well it does... but it also either stimulates your skin and/ or brings all of the gross stuff underneath to the surface. Apparently we're supposed to just expect major breakouts... awesome.

Well, I hope this wasn't too boring for you. I just wanted to share things that I find super interesting in hopes that some of you may too. It's also a good way for me to share that info with my family without having to try sharing it over the phone only to have them say "ya, not that interested". haha!

Have a great Saturday!

P.S. If you would like to sponsor Gentri Lee, you can find more info HERE! 

First Week Down!

Hey Guys!
Just popping in real quick to say a couple of things.

First...

I haven't had a ton of time for anything other than school (and watching my aunts dog). But now that my first week is out of the way (almost) things will calm down and I'll get a rhythm going. :) More fun blog posts to come, I promise! In the mean time, these are the only photos I've been able to snap since I've been here (besides a few "january photo a day" photos).


1. A piece of the beautiful scenery that now surrounds me. I feel like I'm living in "Roswell"! :D
2. A school where I get daily facials, pedicures, and massages= my kind of school! LOVING it!
3. (I know this one is awkward. I only took it so I could show my sister how I'm wearing one of the necklaces she gave me for Christmas. haha!) We have a dress code of black, brown, tan, cream, and white + no blue jeans. I'm pretty sure that my closet only provides enough outfits to get me through one week (if I stick to this dress code). haha! Kinda worried... I'll have to keep being really creative... Thank goodness blogging has already taught me that! :)

In other news:

If you would like to sponsor Gentri Lee you can find my info HERE (or click on my "Sponsor" banner- look to your right and scroll up.) and email me at gentrileeblog(at)gmail(dot)com. :D

and last item of business...

Don't forget to vote for me (or whichever blog you prefer) in the BLOGSCARS!! :D

The Poll for the Best Blogture
(equivalent to best picture)

The Poll for the Best Blogtress
(equivalent to best actress)

And the Nominees are...

GUYS!

The sweet and lovely Janette of Janette the Jongleur is hosting the "Blogscars" (blogging oscars. How fun, right?!) and I've been Nominated for Best Blogtress (equivalent to best Actress) and Best Blogture (equivalent to Best Picture)!

GAH! I am honored and amazed! The other nominees are practically perfect and indeed some stiff competition. I love them all so much and have been a loyal follower to each of them for a long time. I can't even put into words my love for these ladies! They have some of the most beautiful and inspiring blogs around!

So, if you think I deserve to win either or both of these categories I'd love for you to pop on over and vote for Gentri Lee! Eeep!

VOTE HERE

Thank you all for being so wonderful to me. I really don't feel like I deserve it and I couldn't ask for a better blogging experience. :) I think Megan said it wonderfully in her post yesterday. My favorite quote was "In our sorrow, joy, and top buns... we've found friendship.". How perfect is that?! Blogging is seriously the best thing that has happened to me in a really long time and I love knowing that I will know someone practically anywhere I travel to. Haha!

So again, thank you for all of the love and support you've given me. I hope you feel like I've been able to give that back to you, even if it's only a small fraction of what you've given out. You are all amazing, incredible, kind, caring, understanding... Ok ok. I'll stop. :) But seriously... LOVE YOU GUYS! *groupbloghug*

So for whatever reason the best blogtress poll won't show up on janettes blog so she sent us all the code so we could post it. :) you can now vote right here!

Best Blogtress in a Leading Role » make web polls
Tags : blog

And the poll for best blogture

BEST BLOG for 2012 Blogscars » poll maker
Tags : blog

First Day of School!

Well, I survived my first day of classes! Ah! Not that the first day is ever hard. It was all just talking and orientation. They did give us our school t-shirts though, that was exciting...

(don't mind my boring bathroom and bad quality photos...)

We were also asked to make Dream Boards. (if you've seen "The Secret" you'll know what I'm talking about.) They gave us some colored paper, glue sticks, scissors, and old magazines (I'm talking 2005)...

(this picture doesn't even deserve to be full size. That's how much I dislike it. Yuck)  Well, I don't know about you bloggers, but that did not cut it for me (pun inteded). So I made one... to pass the time and stay on task,

But as soon as I got home I made one the blogger in me would be proud of...

Better??

I think so.

In other news, my car problems were minimal (knock on wood. I'm a big believer of knocking on wood), thank goodness. Apparently one of the fuses came loose and kept disconnecting. But it's all fixed now. Whew! The toilet is still clogged, but my nose has, for the moment, stopped bleeding. SO that's a plus. haha!

I think that this will be a great place for me at this time in my life. Obviously someone (points to Heaven) wanted me here at this time and I'm excited to see what is in store. I do miss home of course. The scenery is different here. Still mountainous... just a different kind of mountain. Definitely one I love, I've just never LIVED around it. I can't wait until I have a chance to go out and snap some pictures for you all! It is a very beautiful place. :)

I also guess I should stop being so cryptic and tell you what type of classes I'm taking. haha! Sorry about that. I never like to share too much until it's set. And you never know who's reading... creepy. Anyways, I'm taking some Esthetician classes and I'm super excited about it. I've always been the makeup artist of my friends, health and beauty have always fascinated me, so why not make it a career, right?? :)

I hope you are all having a lovely week and I can't wait until I have a chance to catch up on your blogs!! Thank you all for the SWEETEST comments ever! I love knowing I always have my blog friends. :) You guys sure know how to make a girl feel loved!

I Made It!

Happy Tuesday every one!
So I've made it safe and sound to my new home, I'm all settled in, and today I start my classes (so nervous!). I was so lucky to have my family and friends help me move and take care of me. I'm so grateful for all they've done for me. I cried all weekend.


1. I'm going to miss that view back home.
2. and that view
3. The mountain that looks like a volcano... but isn't.
4. Sun rays
5. Driving
6. Holding a baby snake!
7. Eating Frozen Custard as requested by Stephanie. SO GOOD! Seriously the creamiest thing I've ever eaten.
8. Sister's mountainous french toast!
9. My ginormous crepes! I didn't realize there were half and full orders, and no one said even just a half order would be the size of my face. So when my FULL order AND side of scrambled eggs came out... I died.
10. Two cousins, Aunt's BF, Aunt
11. My friend Sierra and I
12. Friend Sierra, Sister McKenna, Mom, Grandma

So my road trip had a few interesting events. Nothing crazy, but a couple of things that made us laugh...

My car was so stuffed (my dad sure is good at packing) that my mom and I barely had room in the front seats and looked pretty silly. We came to a light that was about to turn yellow so I so stupidly sped up to make it in time, only to realize a little to late that I would be going over some railroad tracks followed by a sharp dip in the road... Well, that led to us flying and bouncing through that intersection like a... something... picture two ladies stuffed in the front seat of a small SUV that is overflowing (literally) with items bouncing through an intersection... you'll laugh.

When we brought my mattress up to my new room I noticed a burn on it. I know for a fact that wasn't there before. I couldn't think of anything that could possibly burn my mattress! As we all debated this mystery, my cousin, being the 15 year old genius that he is, suggested that the light on the ceiling of my car had burned it...

oooooooooh...

So when you move, and there is so much stuff that you have to leave your back window open, make sure you turn your light off... or it could burn your mattress...

I'm lucky my battery didn't die since it sat that way for two nights, or that a fire didn't start. Wow.

I will be back tomorrow to let you know how my first day of classes went!

Have a great day!!

*UPDATE*
So I am having car trouble... awesome. Last night two different lights came on but I don't have a manual so I don't know what they mean, and my car started seizing up. I was luck to get over to the side of the road. After I put it in park it was ok and the lights went off. I was also able to make it home... but I have strict instructions not to drive it until I get it checked out... Thank goodness for great roommates who will take me to my first day of school and an aunt who's house I can walk to afterwards. :P

It's funny because as I was talking to my dad on the phone about it I was laying on my bed with a nose bleed... and my toilet is clogged (TMI? We're all friends here, right?). Bad things come in 3's right (unless you count my mattress... then it's 4's)? I should be good from here on out... RIGHT?!!

Blogger of the Week: Little Somethings by Little Lo Hood

Hey guys! Just a quick update- I made it to my destination and am just getting settled. :) I will be back with regular posts probably by tomorrow. Taking over for me today would be this week's Blogger of the Week- Lo. She blogs over at Little Somethings by Little Lo Hood. I have loved her blog for a while now and am so excited to finally have her as blog of the week! She's super talented and is always sharing amazing DIY's. You'll love her, I just know it!

***

Hi lovely Gentri Lee readers! I'm Lo of Little Somethings by Little Lo Hood

I blog about some of my hobbies like crafting..

I love finding new purposes for old things and blog about green DIY's, like this appliqué dress...

I also blog a bit about my Etsy shop, Printed Peaks...

I love nature and am inspired by it daily

I also love taking pictures using my DSLR, toy camera, polaroid, Diana, or iphone with instagram...there's just something magical about it

Thanks for visiting with me today and to Gentri for featuring me! How sweet of her! Come check out the blog and leave a comment if you'd like, I love meeting new people and finding new blogs! :)

-Lo

***

See?? Love her! Now go check out her blog and give her some love! She deserves it and you won't regret it. :D

January Photo a Day Pt. 2!

Happy Saturday everyone! I will be spending all day moving into my new apartment (fingers crossed!!! Wouldn't hurt if you crossed yours too. And maybe some toes...) so I'm going to leave you with the second set of my January Photo a Day Instagram shots!


1. Childhood- I still remember this moment so well. It was pre-school picture day and I was NOT ok with that rubber chicken. My friends, teacher, and the photographer tried everything they could think of to get me to smile... nothing.
2. Where You Sleep- Well, this is were I used to sleep. By tonight (are you still crossing your fingers??) I will have a new bedroom! I don't think it'll be near this cute though. I will miss that room.
3. Close-Up- I was loving my new shirt, new hair, and my favorite lipstick.
4. In Your Bag- First of all, I am so in love with my bag it's not even funny. Thanks again Chablis (my sister)! I like to keep my bags small because a. I'm not a purse person and b. It keeps me from stuffing it full of junk.
5. Something You're Reading- I didn't read much that day. I did however read class information. I'm so excited aaaaaaaaaand super nervous!
6. Happiness- On Sunday night, anytime I had to get from one spot to another I did it by sliding there in my socks. So fun. :)
7. Morning- It was a cold and gloomy Monday morning. Blech. :P
8. Water- It's basically the only thing I drink and THIS water bottle is THE best! Not kidding. Buy yourself ten.
9. Something You Bought- The last thing I bought was this fabric for a project (which became two, sorta) I am working on. :D I can't wait to share it with you! (it's a lot more tangerine than orange. I'll have to take better pictures.)

Have a great weekend everyone! Keep your phalanges crossed for me, please!

Moving Day

Today is the day! Ah!

Today I will be taking the next step in my life and I am very excited! If you missed it, I'm moving to the southern part of my state to take some classes I've been wanting to take for a very long time. 

I was so swept up in the quickness of this decision and making things happen that I didn't let my emotions take over... that is until last night. Yup. I had a slight breakdown. haha! (ashley- you are a brave woman for always being able to move like you do!) But I'm feeling much better now and I know it'll work out how it's supposed to.

Photos c/o Ashley Eliza Photography (more to come! Sorry the first one's blurry, I had to steal it from her site)

Cape c/o Minimalist Knitter (seriously wear this all the time. and the quality= amazing!)

I hope you all have a LOVELY weekend! I will be spending all day tomorrow moving in (Please keep your fingers crossed that it all goes well and I can actually move in!) but I've got a post lined up. I'll hopefully be back with a full report on Sunday! If not then I'll be back on Tuesday... Well, I'm not going to give you an exact day... It'll be a surprise. haha! (for me too)

P.S. The winners of the January Group Giveaway were announced HERE! Be sure to email me if you've won!

January Group Giveaway...

The Winner of their choice of a VWB Single Rosette Necklace iiiiss...
Alynne Leigh from her blog
Pink Lemonade!!

The Winner of the Large Sponsor Spot for The Curious Pug iiiiiss...
Felicity from her blog
Pursuit of Felicity!!

The Winner of the Glitter Necklace from The Owl's Den iiiiiss...
Stephanie from her blog
Stephanie and Such!!

The Winner of the Featured Sponsor Spot with Awesomely Awkward iiiiiss...
Megan from her blog
and here's to you, Mrs. Robinson!!

The Winner of the Vintage Tea Cup and Saucer from Our Favorite Things iiiiss...
Drew from her blog
Open Ended!!

The Winner of the Blog Makeover from Every Day is a New Adventure iiiiiss...
Amy Lynn from her blog
Life As I Know It!!


The Winner of the Baby Blanket from Bearing Fruit iiiiss...
Shalyn from her blog
Laugh Until Your Cheeks Hurt!!
(this is perfect since she's expecting a little one soon!)

The Winner of the XL Sponsor Spot from Sea of Blooming Dreams iiiiss...
Eryka from her blog
ABCDE

The Winner of the Headband in their choice of 4 colors from Sprightly So iiiiss...
Gina from her blog
All The Pretty Things!!

The Winner of the Sponsor Spot from Boyish Chic iiiiss...
Chelsea from her blog
Sunny With a Chance of Sprinkles!!

The Winner of the Clinique Lip Set from Amanda K. By the Bay iiiiss...
Meg from her blog
The Happy Hour!!

The Winner of the Feature Sponsor Spot from Hollie Takes Notes iiiiss...
Elizabeth from her blog
Until Only Love Remains!!

The Winner of the Handmade Wallet and Two Pairs of Earrings from Katie Sews It All iiiiss...
Brooke from her blog
Intelligent Ramblings!!

Congrats winners!
Email me ASAP to claim your prize!

Vintage Wanna Bee

Hey guys!

I hope you're all having a good start to your week. :) Today I'm going to share with you some amazing products. These beauties were sent to me by the lovely Nichelle of Vintage Wanna Bee. Not only are they oh so pretty but the quality is superb!

I've worn this twice already and received multiple compliments each time. I think this one's my favorite. :)

These necklaces are SO cute! I haven't worn them yet, but I'm super excited to!

PLUS

Look how cute they are on the back!

This flower is absolutely beautiful! It's perfect, really.

and last but not least,

the headband. But not only will I be wearing this as a headband, but also as a collar of sorts.

I suggest you all check out her SHOP immediately and take 25% off your order using the code "GENTRI"!!

Oh! Speaking of shops...

You may have noticed that new little button on my left sidebar. Well, I've got some things I finally decided to part with up for sale. Some are really nice pieces and some are not as exciting. But they're all for sale! So check it out if you have a second!

Blogger of the Week: Mrs. DTF

Hey guys! Today we have the guest post from this week's Blog of the Week. This week is Mrs. DTF. She's super cute and I love her blog and style. Don't ask her what DTF stands for, cause she won't tell ya. Although she gave some pretty good hints HERE. haha! Read and enjoy her post then go tell her hello!


***


hi there.
i'm mrs. dtf & i blog over here.

i met mr. dtf in art class last fall...
i bought black vans to match him,

& we totally fell in love.

we got married 8.5.11...

our hipster wedding bands even say so on the inside.

i blog about fashion.

& wife-like stuff.

& becoming a teacher.

& all things hipster.

you know, bikes & glasses & the like.

oh ya!

& i blog about being young & in love.

come say hello.

i think i'm pretty funny.

& gentri thought i was cool enough to be blog of the week...

or ran out of blogs to choose from... either way! ha!

love,

mrs. dtf

p.s. mr. dtf says hi too.


***


WHAT?! I don't think I could EVER run out of blogs to chose from- first of all. haha! Second of all- She totally deserves to be Blog of the Week! Don't you agree? :) Now, go give her some love!

The Weekend

I hope you all had a great weekend! I was able to see a few of my favorite bloggers including Megan from and here's to you, Mrs. Robinson. On Thursday I went over to her apartment and spent the evening with her and her family. We made (she made) BBQ Pizza, which was delicious!

Then on Friday, one of the studios I used to teach for was having their concert. So Megan and I went to that which was so fun. I LOOOOOVED catching up with all of my old dancers. Miss them more than I can even say and they all did such a great job! The show was Mary Poppins which was very fun. :)

As wonderful as all of the dancers were, there was one moment that completely stole the show and had Megan and I in tears. One of the little 3-4 year old dancers (maybe 5??) had cerebral palsy and was still able to do her dances with the help of her walker and her teacher. You could tell that she absolutely LOVED every minute of it and she knew the dance probably better than the other students! Aw, I still get emotional thinking about it. Stephanie, the owner of the studio, is always so good about including those dancers who may not have had the opportunity otherwise.

After the concert we headed to Yogurtland and sat and talked for hours. It was so fun and I love being able to talk "blog" with someone who understands and doesn't get sick of it. haha!


1. The BBQ Pizza! SO good!
2. Hanging out in the car and talking talking talking.
3. Best photo I could get of the show with my phone. :P
4. The girl behind the teacher is the one I talked about. :') You can see her walker.
5. Yummy yogurt with strawberries and bananas.


Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday!

P.S. Don't forget to enter the January Group Giveaway!! It ends in a few days!

P.P.S. I guest posted over at Life as Twiggy yesterday. Check it out!

Weekly Favorites #3

Hey guys! I hope you are all excited and ready to have an awesome weekend. :) First- start the weekend off right by entering my January Group Giveaway! It's a good one!

Now, on to some of my favorite things I've seen around Blogland this week. Ok, this post should really be titled "favorites of the past 24 hrs" because that's all I could remember! This week has been so crazy (if you read yesterday's post you'll know why) and I've been so busy that I can't remember anything before yesterday... haha! But there were some beautiful things just within the past 24 hrs, you won't be disappointed!

This T-Shirt makeover by Renee is AMAZING! I had seen it all over Pinterest and hadn't realized it was her until I visited her blog!

I am absolutely LOVING this outfit by Maria Elyse! Really, all of her outfits are amazing.

Kara has been writing her and her husband's love story in little bits and pieces on her blog for the past while and I know my life will not be complete until I hear the end! We've been graced with THAAAREEEEE parts just this week!

I loved the Accent Vlog that Megan tricked her Irish BF into doing the other day. Hilarious. :)

Ariel just moved to England and I'm literally ooooozing jealousy! And she's only posted about it once so far!

Ashley and her hubby recently (and suddenly) moved across the country to Beverly Hills. I love hearing all of the crazy stories she's already shared! (and I'm super jealous of the gym she gets to use- pic below)

I love this picture of Ashley!! That is all. :)

I love the way Gaby spent her Birthday (which also happens to be Christmas). She lives in New Zealand where it's Summer right now. Makes me feel warm even though I know it's only 10 degrees outside.

I've always loved Brooke's puppies- Molly and Fynn. They're adorable and get me longing for a puppy every time I see them!

I'd love if you shared some of your favorites with me!!