Heart of Darkness Margarita AND A Giveaway!

You know, I don't know why I thought I would be recovered enough from my vacation to handle a Tuesday. So while I'm nursing a sunburn + dealing with a book hangover (you know the feeling after you finish a good book? you're like bummed it's over + not ready to move on to a new one? that's me.) I'll be sharing that book this weeeeeek! Plus a zillion sunset pictures. Plus a lot of other fun things. but I COULDN'T miss Cinco, where else would you get a margarita recipe?! we're giving away these adorable Kate Spade desk accessories!

SO, when I stopped at TJ's for the wine for last week's sangria, I thought "oh, I can totally grab margarita mix here!" I was wrong. Then I saw that this mango passionfruit juice was called "heart of darkness" so I was pretty sold. Anyways, this is about as easy as my tequila sunrise. I have to be honest, I didn't think that this was going to be as delicious as it was so this is the only picture I took. Hashtag bad blogger. Anyways. It's easy! Fill your glass with ice, pour in your desired amount of tequila, fill the rest up with heart of darkness mango passionfruit juice (no sugar! real juice! it's good for you, duh!) mix it in one of your many stadium cups on hand, splash of grand marnier (let's be honest, I only have that at my bar because my dad needed room in his bar + had a full bottle. so any orange liqueur is perfect, I know you have it because you're making my regular margaritas.) Mix a little more + enjoy!

Okay, now that you're enjoying your tasty margarita, it's time to start entering to win these adorable accessories for your desk!

Your workspace should always inspire and these dreamy, rose gold supplies and notepad definitely do the trick. Enjoy the stapler and tape dispenser (with fun idioms) to dress up any desk place. And use your cute pad for any kind of note.These ladies joined me to giveaway these great Kate Spade items!Amanda | Suz | Liz | Brooke | Kerri Kristyn| Kasey | Daisy | Faith | Nina

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Outfield Wall Rockstar : Bourbon, Lipstick, and Stilettos!

Y'all. Do I have a treat for you today, or what? After being such a good sport because I didn't have my act together last week, I am so excited to turn it over to Lindsay from Bourbon, Lipstick, and Stilettos! As my first ever home run sponsor, obviously I can't say enough nice things about her. Some of my favorites from her include insights on what #LillyForTarget says about our generation, a handy guide for your Derby party this weekend, and how it's okay to say no. Without further ado, I bring you Lindsay!

I don't subscribe to the belief that you must have it "all" figured out by a certain age. Who needs that pressure?

I only have about three weeks left in my twenties; apparently you start making lots of lists when you're entering a new decade. A huge chunk of my year has been spent working on the below tasks. 

In no particular order: 

How to own your style. Don't wear trends because a magazine says you should. Wear what looks good on your body and makes you feel comfortable and sexy. And sometimes that's sweatpants.  

How to order a drink. Whether at Starbucks or at the bar, don't be that lady who doesn't know what she wants. Or how to order it. 

How to stand on your own two feet. Having a support system is crucial to development- but you can't let it be a crutch. 

How to say you're sorry. Saying "I'm sorry you feel that way" is a bullshit non-apology. Own what you did and offer sincere remorse. No excuses.

How to ask for what you want. You want a raise? Your relationship to move forward? The meal you ordered? Ask for it. You may not love the answer, but it's important to ask it. 

How to stand up for yourself. Some people will take advantage of you if you allow it. Don't. And keep in mind- standing up for yourself doesn't give you the right to be an asshole. 

How to coexist. Did you know that everyone has the right to be in the coffee aisle at the grocery store at the same time as you? I'm still working on that one... 

How to support other women. If you're still a "mean girl" as an adult, you might want to consider seeking help from a professional. It's unhealthy behavior. 

How to take care of your home. Living in filth might be funny during college or your early twenties (shudder) but continuing that lifestyle into adulthood is lazy. If you don't have time and have the means, hire someone to do it for you. 

How to cook... something. One can unfortunately not survive on pizza and wine alone. 

How to listen to your body. Know when you need a break or when something isn't right. Learn to trust it. 

How to be financially responsible. This is tough, but, you need a system of saving or investing in place. Bills must be paid. Kids must be fed. The fun stuff may be put on the back burner. 

What would you add to the list?  

Comments have been turned off! Go check out Lindsay! also don't forget to find her on instagram + twitter! 

What I Carry On

I received Neutrogena® Naturals Purifying Makeup Remover Cleansing Wipes from influenster in return for my review, but all opinions are completely my own. 

So, I'm making this weekend a long one. I'm actually at the beach while you're reading this. I live less than 6 hours from a beach, have access to my parents beach house, but I haven't been to the beach since TWO THOUSAND AND EIGHT. So I earned it. Anyways, we're headed down to Naples, FL, so we're flying. This title might be misleading, because most times I refuse to check a bag at all, but I want to tell you what I gotta have in my purse/backpack/carry on that's not stored above my head. They're two very different bags, obviously. 

Here's a quick rundown: a bag with all of my necessities (deodorant, toothbrush, face wipes, sunscreen, dry shampoo, sunscreen, headphones, you name it, it's probably in that cute little bag from when TOMS worked with Target + no one had a meltdown.) Minus the bear, books (at least 3, because I have a problem. Even though they're heavier than an e-reader, the batteries don't die...) snacks, sunglasses, Spark (PS Jen gave me those cute Spark samples, keep an eye out for a full post about them next week!!), and a reusable water bottle (because I will die of dehydration before I pay airport prices for a bottle of water)! *not pictured: iPhone because guess what was used to take these pictures?*

The jury is still out on whether or not I'll get that apple sauce through airport security though. I mean, I guess you'll already know since I'm sure I'll be tweeting about it. Anyways, when I got the influenster vox box e-mail about those Neutrogena® Naturals Purifying Makeup Remover Cleansing Wipes, I was pretty pumped. First of all, I am super lazy when it comes to face washing, so anything I can do to take a step out of the process, I'm totally on board with. Second of all, they're raising awareness about how much water you can save by using the face wipes instead of running your sink (spoiler alert, it's in the GALLONS.) I did the whole #WipeForWater challenge, starting with three days of only using the wipes -- they're so much better than washing my face in the sink, since I always make a mess I'm saving water washing my face + cleaning up after washing my face. 

Minus the bear is my partner in crime, in case you didn't already know that about me. He goes everywhere with me + combined with a grown up beverage helps me deal with my flight related anxiety. Plus, check out how cool he is. So, that's it! That's what I gots ta have within reach when I'm on a plane, what's in your carry on? Have you tried the Neutrogena® Naturals Purifying Makeup Remover Cleansing Wipes?