February Cara Box Reveal

This month I participated in the Cara Box exchange hosted by Wifessionals for the very first time. Cara Box is a way to connect with other bloggers, learn a little about them, and give them a box full of gifts that will fulfill the theme of the month. February's theme was "Club Sexy" for Valentine's Day of course. I was paired with two other bloggers from Maryland, Colleen of Colleen Samantha and Tracy of Living the Dream and really felt I got to know these two pretty well. I got to make Colleen a box and her link to her box will be posted here soon. And I recieved this wonderful box from Tracy filled with wonderful goodies that truly made me smile.

Tracy made sure to include two notes in the box, the first being a list numbered from 1-8 of all the things included in the box and why she included them. The second being a really thoughtful card that really motivated me through this long distance relationship with my fiance and made me feel good. Here's the lowdown of my box:

1. Essie nail polish in Beach Bum Blue: for me to wear on my toes while I'm at my brother's beach wedding.

2. Dangly earrings: to dress up my ears for Skype dates

3. Nail Stickies: to play up my nail polish

4. Cards: to write to Gerred with.

5. 3 Mini Notebooks: for journaling, wedding planning, and I'm using the last one for blog ideas.

6. Hangman sheets: to play with Gerred when we Skype.

7. Shamrock Candle: "Just something cute because I guessed you may be Irish by your blog name." Oh I laughed when I read this. My family is Irish (ancestrally) and I just spent the last few months in Ireland, so yes this was perfect for me.

8. A wonderful encouraging letter!

I really got lucky with my partners and I'm glad I got to share in this experience and cannot wait to continue this new box sharing in March. Thank you to Tracy for the lovely box and to both her and Colleen for being some great new blogger friends.

Shannon

Dun Aengus

While on the island of Inis Mor, my friends and I were told by the locals to visit the Dun Aengus Fort. We all agreed we'd have a look so we hiked up the misty hills. On the way to the top I kept stopping to take pictures of the wind as it blew in gusts over the long grass and rocks.

Everything was peaceful, until we reached the fort and I took in the size of it all. The towering stone walls had been built in the Iron Age and formed a semi-circle on the edge of a cliff. A cliff with a 100 meter drop.

I could barely look over the edge of the cliff. It was a very windy day and there were no rails and it was just the three of us standing there on the cliff's edge. I had it in my mind that I would lose my balance and fall off the cliff. My mom had warned me of that the last time I was in Ireland and her words stuck with me. So here I am trying to get close to the edge, but turning and running with fear. I did this more times than I'd like to count.

Luckily, Sam was able to capture what the drop looked like. A drop I couldn't even bear to look at, at first. But sure enough, I wielded the courage to stand closer and pose for pictures. But don't for a second think that I was actually cool this.

Though I may have been freaking most of time we were on that cliff. I did take a second to say to myself, "Wow I'm standing here on this cliff in Ireland, taking a big risk, and loving it." I started to think that the adventures I was having really did mean something and I was glad I got to travel out to the Aran Islands and all throughout Ireland.

Shannon

November 2012 Birchbox

I've had a series of "boxes" come in lately like the Julep, Sweetheart Vox Box, Birchboxes, and the Cara Box. So bare with me as I share with you all these boxes one after one, to start I'm back to catching up with Birchboxes of months passed, like November's box.

1. ModelCo // SHINE Ultra Lip Gloss //  The Shine Lip Gloss is my go-to lipgloss when I'm going out. It has a perfect red punchy color that really makes a statement.

2. John Varvatos // Artisan // This is part of the "give" Thanksgiving theme, and as this is a mans cologne you're meant to give it to a man. I think this was a good way to introduce Birchbox Man. And by the way this cologne is great and Gerred and my Dad both like it.

3. Oscar Blandi // Pronto Texture & Volume Spray // Great for getting that lift, just add this to dry hair and it gives some spring to your do.

4. Caldrea // Hand Soap // I got samples of Sea Salt Neroli and Vanilla Quice Santal and they smelled fantastic and made my skin feel smooth and soft.

5. One Love Organics // Aromatic Body Serum // This scent is a bit too syrupy sweet and not to my liking, so I did wind up passing this along to another.

Happy Birchboxing!

Shannon

Winter Blues

Guys, I'm finally back from the Dominican Republic. My brother and new sister-in-law had a truly perfect wedding on the beautiful island. There were plenty of joyful tears from everyone in attendance and a wonderful reception full of dancing, photo booth antics, and fire dancing. Honestly, it was something straight out of wedding magazine or tv show. When the official pictures do come in I'll have to update you all with them. For now, I'm back in Maryland's cold winter. Well, not too cold, but a lot colder than it was in the very tropical DR. And right now I'm thinking blue.

ModCloth // Lady in Rad Boot in Navy

Dior // Navy Crayon Eyeliner

Kate Spade // Willa Glasses

Kristen Blake // Single Breasted Ponte Walking Coat

Anthropologie // Aerophone Silk Maxi Skirt

J.Crew // Drake's ZigZag Scarf

What sort of blue are you adding to your week?

Red + Pink {Friday's Fancies}

While leaving early on my flight for the DR I'm linking up with {av} of Long Distance Loving again to do Friday's Fancies. This weeks theme is Pink + Red for Valentines Day...which was yesterday. I've never been daring enough to go all out with pink and red, but if I had the chance (and by chance I mean $$$) I'd definitely wear something like this. 

J.Crew Factory // Pleated Colorblock Skirt

Modcloth// We're Young at Heart Sweater

J.Crew // Cece Suede Ballet Flat 

Anthropologie // Lily Mineral Necklace 

J.Crew Factory // Neon Stone Stud Earrings

What did you wear for Valentines Day?

Shannon

Bee My Valentine

Hello everyone and Happy Valentines Day! I'll be spending this February 14 (as I have for the past 3 years) far from Gerred. But, that's fine by us since relationships have changed a lot with all the technology out there. We can Skype, text, call and feel like we're there together for our dates. We'll be skyping and watching a movie simultaneously. A perfect long distance date.

Oh and here is a little Valentine graphic I made. It's a free printable so go ahead and give it to a friend today.

Shannon

What I'm Loving in February

Each month I always tend to gravitate to one eyeshadow in particular or a certain iPhone app and then when the month rolls around I try to find that new thing that I'm instantly attracted to. It's not just make-up, I've been attracted to social media, organization, and health lately so I'd like to share a few of the things that have caught my eye in February. Because remember you can always crush on things and foods as well as people.

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Pinterest Recently I've rekindled a flame with Pinterest and started a ginormous fire. I think I have too many boards by this point on weddings, homes, crafts, and anything else I saw fit to repin. I also need to take Katelyn Brooke's advice and use Pinterest the right way.

My Fitness Pal App For Lent I've decided not to give up anything, but rather to just work out and eat healthy. I'm not setting any strict goals of I must lose this much weight or anything. All I want to do is be positive and healthy for Lent and well life. So I've been tracking my calorie intake and exercise with this free app and it's been really helpful so far. I think I may need to start a detox to begin.

To-Do Lists I've got 3 different to-do lists I update. I've got the large one on my fridge of all my classes, clubs, internship, and blog as well an agenda and about 8 post-it to do lists tacked onto my desk. I love completing the tasks and being able to cross them out and so far I'm on task.

Vitamins Everyday I've decided to be good and take three different vitamins/supplements, gummy multi-vitamins, calcium chews, and fish oil gummy vitamins. Does anyone else take fish oil? Apparently it's good for your skin, but I'm not sure.

Nails So far I've painted my nails twice this month. I've been playing with deeper colors like Essie's A-List and Color Pop's Status Update. I even used the bright green of Tweet Me as an accent over Status Update.

Greek Yogurt I never really got what the big deal was with Greek yogurt. I remember going to a friend's house once in high school and his mother encouraging us all to eat greek yogurt and us well hiding it. Well Chobani has fruit mixed in and that's changed my whole view on Greek Yogurt. Now I have it as my breakfast everyday. The pineapple flavor is my favorite.

Videos If you're in need of a pep talk just watch this one from a Kid President. Don't give up on your dreams. Watch this guy's creative process crash and fail multiple times before he found his niche. Smell's like school spirit for Washington College with the baseball team's Harlem Shake and George Washington getting ready for Birthday Ball.

What have you been crushing on this month?

Shannon

Lilly Pulitzer Spring '13

Lilly Pulitzer's Spring 2013 new arrivals are in and I am jumping for joy. I love Lilly, but most of the dresses in the past have been shift dresses. The kind of dresses a busty girl should avoid at all costs. So when I started to see more a-line and scoop neck dresses I was like "ah get in my cart!" On Friday I'm flying down to the Dominican Republic so the beach and Lilly Pulitzer have been on my brain. I would easily wear any one of these dresses to my brother's beach wedding.

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Dresses from left to right: Kerry Dress, Marta Dress, Posey Dress, Alfa Top, Joslin Dress, and Mimosa Skirt

What are you liking from the Spring Lilly collection?

Shannon

Inis Mor

After our time spent in Galway, Karyn, Sam, and I hopped a ferry to the largest Aran Island, Inis Mor. The boat ride was a lot calmer than the first one I took to Inisheer and as soon as we got off I could not stop myself from saying "Wow, how beautiful is this?" every couple minutes. We kept walking when we found a bus driver who took us around to see some highlighted sights, so we wouldn't be pelted by the rain, before we reached Dun Aengus.

When the bus driver let us off at the Aran Sweater shop and headed home we all rushed into the store, knowing how cool the Aran Sweaters are. I knew it would be great to bring my family back some sweaters for Christmas-Birthday.

Then we had lunch in this beautiful little shop. I had arán donn (brown bread) with bradán (salmon) on top. Look at that I did learn something in Irish language class--food. Of course I would.

The walk back from Dun Aengus was long, there was rain and an intense fog. But the sky looked so beautiful in all the different colors of light that it wasn't that bad. Luckily, a police officer picked us up and drove us back to town in time to catch the ferry.

Innis Mor was one of my favorite places in Ireland. The trip was peaceful and eye opening and I was so glad I went. Stay tuned for the rest of the Inis Mor day trip to Dun Aengus.

Shannon

Sunday Social {Week 36}

I think I may have caught the Sunday Social bug so I'm back to answer a few more questions from Ashley and Neely .

1. What was your first car?

A 1997 Honda Accord passed down to me by my Grandpa. It's named "Old Man" and it is too sexy for most of the cars on the road so it won't start at the moment.

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2. Who was your favorite childhood teacher?

My favorite teacher in elementary school was my second grade teacher, Madame Ireland. This was back in French Immersion. She was the best because she would have us stretch in the middle of class and dance to Ricky Martin in conga lines by the end of each day while we waited for our buses. In high school my favorite teachers were Mrs. Sears, Mrs. Boothby, and Ms. T.

3. Were you involved in any sports/extracurricular activities? Share pictures if you can!

I tried out all sorts of sports growing up like softball, basketball, swimming, soccer...Nothing really took, but I did happen to like Field Hockey and Lacrosse a lot. I played up until high school and then chose to go the Volleyball route. As for extra curriculars, I did Destination Imagination from 5th-12th grade, and in high school Literary Magazine and It's Academic.

(This is Destination Imagination. It's essentially a problem-solving creative thinking performance group. We do improv sometimes.)

4. What was your favorite birthday party?

The Jersey Shore party Katie and I threw for our 18th Birthday. It was super fun and everybody dressed up. I even met my fiance there for the first time, so hey, that birthday can never be topped.

5. Who was your teen celebrity crush?

I'm pretty sure during my freshman year of high school I secretly harbored a crush on Joe Jonas. Not sure what the appeal was now.

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6. What show/movie did your parents not allow you to watch?

Really anything scary or violent. I rememember Looney Toons was something I couldn't watch since everyone chased each other in order to kill them.

And there you have it, a little bit more insight into my childhood I guess.

Shannon

Saturday's Instagram Recap {Week 6}

I'm back again with Sara's Saturday Instagram Recap and even though there's no real recap to link-up with this week I'd still like to share with you all the things that have happened.

Saturday // I got glasses and they aren't half bad. I finally understand the meaning of HD and can read things in class.

Sunday // I made a sweet betting chart for the superbowl and guess who won, The Ravens!

Tuesday // My OOTD was gym clothes and really has been only gym clothes this whole week (minus Friday) because I've been getting myself to the gym. This is not really January resolution madness, this is just oh hey I'm getting married I should probably do some cardio and shape up my arms so I look good by the time I get a dress madness.

Wednesday // My mailbox was happy as I received cards and letters from Virginia, North Carolina, Finland, Germany, and Ukraine. One of those letters was from Life with rMe and it really made my day, she'll need to expect one in return pretty soon. Also, for the February challenge I had to pick my favorite song and I had a hard time with that. I saw Katie chose Got Your Money by Say Anything and I thought hmmm what do I like to sing at the top of my lungs? Weezer. Specifically, Buddy Holly. "Oooeeeoooo I look just like Buddy Holly, oh oh, and you're Mary Tyler Moore. I don't care what they say about us anyway. I don't care about that."

Thursday // By this point in the week I'd already joined two new clubs, Global Mentors and Peer Wellness Educators, to sort of get back involved at WAC. And headed to the gym for my second time so I've been really trying to eat healthy and log it all on the MyFitnessPal app. Healthy Choice is my friend as it is my main dining partner. Oh and I finally hooked up the beautiful camera strap from Broward Patch Gerred got me for Christmas to my camera. 

Friday // I took a trip to the International Re-Entry Conference at UPenn. It was one of the best conferences I've attended. We talked about marketing study abroad experience in resumes and interviews, how to work globally in the US, and digging deeper and reflecting on our time abroad and the changes it has made in our lives. It really got me to reconsider what I plan to do with my life and career into the sense that now I feel like I want to do a million different things. Afterwards we headed to Pod, a super cool Asian restaurant that I kept oohing and ahhing over almost every few minutes.

Follow me on instagram. I'm Shenanigansrose, just like I am on here and everything else.

Shannon

Lovely Layers {Friday's Fancies}

I've been a long time follower of {av} at Long Distance Loving. I even got to meet her at Blogger Blitz in DC back in June. I have loved seeing her Friday's Fancies along with all of the other bloggers that link-up with her and have decided that I'm finally going to try the craze and show what I would wear for the theme of "Lovely Layers" this week.

Madewell // Perfect Chambray Ex-boyfriend Shirt 

Modcloth // Heart Will Go On Dress

JCREW // Crewneck Antique Floral Cardigan

Madewell // The Biker Boot

I wish I would take the time to wear something cute like this in real life. For now I will only make inspirational fancies like this.

Shannon

October 2012 Birchbox

So I'm catching up with all the Birchbox's that I missed while away in Ireland with October's Birchbox. In October Birchbox teamed up with goop, an online source for everything lifestyle. Goop handchose these products to sample from and here are.

1. LUNA // LemonZest // I've always been a fan of LUNA bars and lemon zest in particular. They are basically cliff energy bars for women that taste delicious.

2. Embryolisse // Lait-Creme Concente -24 Hour Miracle Cream // This moisturizer feels very soft, non-oily, and smells fantastic. This is one of the better moisturizers I've tried.

3. Naked Princess // Naked Shine Luscious Lip Gloss // This lip gloss did not do much for me, it was pale and forgettable.

4. Lulu Organics // Lavender + Clary Sage Hair Powder // I've received this before in my Birchbox and loved it the first time. Now, I'm glad to receive it again because I put baby powder in my hair almost daily and I love the lavender-sagey smell of this.

5. Karuna // Hydrating Treatment Masks // I tried this on with my suitemates present. I definitely scared them a little too much. The whole process of wearing the scary mask is distracting rather than relaxing as is described. My skin did feel super hydrated afterwards though so I am glad I used it.

Happy Birchboxing!

Shannon

Galway

In December fellow Washington College student Sam from A Diary of Travel came to visit me in Ireland. The first thing we did was catch up as we walked around Cork at night. I showed her St. Finbarrs, the Cork Christmas Market, and all the Christmas lights. The next day we headed out for a long bus ride to Galway.

We explored the beautiful streets of Galway and all the little shops in between including Claddagh Gold. Galway is the birthplace of the Claddagh ring and Claddagh Gold had a little museum of the rings orgins in the back. I got my ring in Kilkenny four years now and have been wearing it every day since.

The guy at the hostel told us to run down to the water in time to see the sunset. When we got therewe saw the Spanish Archways in honor of Sam's abroad experience. I didn't know that Spain had a trading port in Galway back in the day.

We explored the beach, found a boat named Aoife (beautiful in Irish), and got to see the sunset the hostel guy talked up. It was definitely worth it to rush out here in time.

Sam and I then met up with Karyn and posed by Oscar Wilde before we headed over to the Galway Christmas Market. We all picked up some delicious macaroons which I have since declared my favorite "fancy" treat.

Saving the trip to Galway for last was worth it. The town was beautiful and the three of us had a great time before heading to Inishmore. I'll update you all soon with that adventure.

Shannon

Toy Show

One of the traditions I was let in on while abroad was the Toy Show. The Christmas Special of The Late Late Show. I'd never heard of it, but it somehow was the Irish equivalent of the Superbowl. I mean that in the amount of viewers that gather around their tv sets with their friends and watch as a man-child, Tubridy, hosts a show where kids mess around with toys and things get crazy. The show is filled musical acts and Tubridy's wierd antics, needless to say a drinking game was involved in the watching of the show. It was a killer game.

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Some of the highlights include the Little hustlers, a mixture of old school and new school dance, as a group of kids dance to hip hop and step dancing. As well as a 5-year old boy on a tractor speaking "an Gaeilge" before riding off stage.

Watching the Toy Show was quite the experience. I'll have to tune in next year to see what happens because I've already decided to make it a tradition.

Shannon

Gerred's 23rd Birthday

Today is February 4th and that means it is Gerred's 23rd Birthday! I won't be able to spend this year's birthday with him, so I'm wishing him a happy birthday over the phone at midnight, letters, cards, facebook, texts, gchat, and of course on here. That's how a long distance birthday is done, blog birthday wishes with silly photos.

One of Gerred's favorite things about having his birthday on the first week of February is that every year he gets to watch the Super Bowl around birthday week. He's a big football fan (like most guys.) College football, particularly Navy Football, is his main passion. I'm not sure if he has a NFL team. If my Dad had it his way he would be a Redskins fan and if his Sister had it her way he'd be a Cowboys fan. That aside he was ready to watch with excitement for this years Super Bowl with the Ravens vs. The 49ers. We both rooted for the Ravens since Maryland is the state where we met/ I live. And they won, which was a perfect way to start his birthday.

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Anyhow, just thought I'd share some extra birthday love over here for my fiance. Love you and hope you have a great night tonight and that you enjoy API when this week ends.

Happy Birthday Gerred

Shannon