Hello! I hope your week is going amazingly! I have some exciting things for you. Yes YOU! So I’m super excited to announce that I’ll be hosting another Twitter Party ahhhh!!! Yes I’m a pro now at this Twitter Live thing! This time I’m bringing on some friends to host with me! My amazingly hilarious and talented friends Nikki Limo and Sean Klitzner will both be joining me and we’re so excited to get to chat with you all!
So the prizes given will be:
(1) Samsung Galaxy S5 phone
(1) Samsung Galaxy Note 4
(1) Miroir portable projector
(1) Portable Speakers
(1) $500 AT&T Gift card
(1) Portable phone charger
The Twitter party will take place next Wednesday, November 19th at 5pm PST (two games are on this day and we’ll get a chance to talk about it!) So mark your calendars! We’ll talk about the game, tailgating, and of course #Techgating and how you’re implementing tech into your game day! I mean I did share all of my hostess secrets with you all in my last video (click here if you haven’t seen it). I really want everyone to partake in our party so I’m so happy to announce that we have SIX amazing prizes to give to you all during the event, all courtesy of our sponsors @AT&T @FanForAll! Yes you’re correct, that is another form of love. Gifts=love. Makes sense.
I mean whoa! Pretty awesome right?! So all you have to do to enter for a chance to win one of these rad prizes is sign up for our Twitter Party in the form I’ve provided below. You’ll list your ‘name’ as your Twitter handle (i.e. @jess_lizama) and your URL as your Twitter web address (i.e. http://twitter.com/jess_lizama). Leave us a comment after you’ve signed up I love responding to comments.
You’ll have to be RSVP’d to the Twitter Party in order to be eligible to win, and at the end of the party we’ll DM all of the winners for their information. You’re going to want to participate in our party where we’ll be asking you some fun questions, challenging you to participate in some fun interactive games, and testing your DIY skills! Just kidding, no but really what are you making for your game day? Perhaps a recipe from my #Techgating party? (hint hint). The games will be a lot of fun, you’ll be sharing with us your game day parties, how you’re techgating and implementing tech into your game day, all while entering for a chance to win these amazing prizes listed above.
Be sure to use our hashtag #Techgating so we can see all of your responses. Be sure to follow myself, Nikki (@NikkiLimo), Sean (@SeanKlitzner) and AT&T Fan For All (@FanForAll) so you’re sure to be included in all of our conversations. I’ll be passing some questions and games over to them during the party so you won’t want to miss out!
I really can’t wait to chat with you all, check out all of your photos from your game day, see your game faces (literally), and give you some cool prizes that we teamed up with @FanForAll to send you home with! So please RSVP below, follow us all on Twitter, and use that hashtag! Easy like 1, 2, 3!!!! Ready set go! 😀 Cheers and I can’t wait to chat with you all LIVE! All the hugs, Jess
Why yes, my title would make an amazing hashtag! Sooo if you know me personally then you KNOW I’ll take any reason to get dressed up and host a shindig of my own! The football season is upon us and I may be THE walking definition of a ‘footbal noob’, but I still throw the best darn football party anyone’s ever seen! I even made a video about it, 2 of them! I’m so excited to share that I’ve teamed up with AT&T for their #TechGating campaign, which takes tailgating, technology, and social media, and marries them all together to bring you the most interactive and fun social experience, while enjoying the game! Below is a still from our shoot, it’s a sketch I wrote for my YouTube channel where I show you how to throw your very own #techgating party, while giving you all the things you’ll see and experience at every.single.tailgating.party. Ever.
I mean look at those faces. I love them, I literally have the most awesome friends who also just so happen to be L.A.’s best actors! So we filmed 2 videos in 2 days and they’re so fun! Check out my video blog here, I invited all of these lovely people back the day after we filmed my sketch and we watched the game and did some techgating of our own. Check out the video! My sketch will be out next week and I can’t wait for you to see it!!!! In the mean time, I’ll share with you some of the goodies I made for them..and you..and the video, of which you’ll see in my video blog up on my channel 😀
So techgating is tailgating, just integrating your technology- which we already do with Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook -updates and statuses. So tailgating and techgating is being brought to you in the most ultimate way- the Fan Zone Tour Truck, which will be traveling the nation, bringing fans the game while giving them awesome swag, and featuring interactive ‘stations’! Stations like the t-shirt canon, pre-gaming paparazzi, and mobile DJ! So what did I do? I recreated these fun stations in my own home (umm can you say DIY queen over here?! lol) and we filmed the party on day 1 and then we had a party of our own- watching the game on day 2 (click here to see the video on my channel). Win win!!! I love hosting parties but I really love winning and lets just say I totally won that day. Go team go! <—- I’m also a cheerleader!
Here are a few of the stations I set up in preparation of our big party!
I know what you’re thinking, ‘Jess, how did you make these awesome stations!?’. Well admittedly I am not the most enthusiastic DIY- do it yourself-er. I mean I get hot glue just everywhere. But these were all so easy to put together that I was so excited to complete them! And get this…..I didn’t glue any of my fingers together y’all! So some features you’ll find on the Fan Zone Tour truck that you can totally recreate for your own techgating party with friends among other things?
Well, I created a really fun and colorful photobooth similar to the ‘pre-gaming paparazzi’ you’ll find on the trucks. My ‘charge-ing station’ (see what I did there? Charge-ing….charge….football?…you get it) I made out of a shoe box and got really crafty with making a ‘football field’ and cutting out a place for all of the chargers to be installed, and my ‘mobile DJ’ features my phone and a speaker in a box to give you a literal DJ box! I know….so cauuutte! I’m so stinkin’ proud of these, but wait there’s more (I’m like that infomercial you can’t peel your eyes away from at 3am lol) I also made some signature foods and goodies for our party! 1st thing though, lets go over how fun you can make your photobooth!
I haven’t been to one party or event where a photobooth wasn’t present. I mean, if you don’t take a picture than it didn’t happen right?! So set up a fun photobooth and create your own hashtag so that photos from your party can be easily found! My hashtags were #LizamaPartyRama, #Jessknowsbest, and #TechGating. Why yes I do love hashtags! lol Check out those photos under the hashtags btw when you get a chance..we are ridiculous and fun! So my photobooth was a wall of metallic fringe and the most fun props evarrrrr (see below for the proof).
My charge-ing station was made out of a shoe box and I mod podg-ed (word?) some textured color paper onto it, took a wooden post and cut them into equal parts and painted them yellow to be the ‘goal posts’, and drew the lines in place onto the football field. If you cut out a small square in the front of the box, the cable can be fed through the front to charge the phone, and the charging unit itself can be hidden in the box and then plugged into the wall via the other square hole you cut into the back of the box. Now all of the wires are hidden and you have the world’s cutest charging station. Every party is in need of some jams so I created a special Fantasy Football playlist for my party and plugged it into the DJ Box which is a jewelry box from Michael’s actually, and I spray painted the outside silver, like a helmet, and then hot glued some festive stickers onto the outside. Just like most people aren’t allowed into the DJ booth at parties, no one was allowed to change my music in my DJ box! lol We had a dance party and that WILL be in the video so stay tuned. Awkward dancing is alive and well people! Here’s a closer look at the charging station I made. You have to try this! It’s so much easier than it looks!
So now that you’ve seen my awesome stations….there is one station that isn’t tangible..it’s the ‘Fight Song’ which you’ll see and oh Lordy, HEAR me perform in the video. Haha prepare your ears! Now on to the foodssss!!!
I may or may not have a passion for feeding people. I’m a mom, it’s what I do! I decked out my entire apartment to be the most fun football themed lady’s apartment you can imagine, and this is just 1/4 of the food that was waiting for my guests. Complete with finger foods, sugary goodness, traditional favorites like chicken wings, and cotton candy, and then there were some special treats I made to bump up the WOW factor…like my very own techgating signature beverage! The Lizama-party-rama fruity and fun drink, it had equal parts of coconut, pineapple, and orange juices. It was very refreshing, tropical, and totally me!
I got this chalk label at Target and it made the perfect accessory to this perfect party punch! But wait there’s more…I told you I went all out! I also made these football shortcake minis! The perfect game day dessert! It’s sweet but not too sweet, the guys loved that they didn’t need a plate to eat it haha and the ladies loved that it’s a childhood favorite! I was winning them all over, t’was the best!
These were SO yummy that it was hard to believe that it was under 5 ingredients! I took the guys favorite: the pound cake much like the taste palette of a lady finger cake, combined it with the ladies favorite- the strawberry, and macerated the berries in a mixture of 1/4 cup coconut sugar, 1 tablespoon finely chopped mint leaves, 1 cup heavy whipping cream, and the fresh juice of half a lemon. I topped them with fresh whipped cream and BAM! Best dessert ever! (see below for the full recipes)
I have to say, I don’t mean to toot my own horn but ‘Toot toot!’ lol we had such an amazing time filming for my channel and then enjoying some game time on game day. Two days with friends isn’t a bad way to spend the weekend I tell ya! Try making these recipes and DIY #techgating stations at your next party, and please let me know in the comments- what about throwing a #techgating party of your own do you think you can most easily recreate? And what do you most look forward to this football season?!
The Fan Zone Tour truck will feature all of the stations I created, so be sure to check out the site here for the schedule to see where the trucks will be at a school near you! Then you can stop on in and take some pre-gaming paparazzi photos and tag me!!!! The hashtag is #LizamaPartyRama and I’m going to pick my favorites by Thanksgiving week and send you some fun prizes! Also hashtag #Techgating so I can easily find you and others using the hashtag can share in the fun with you also!
I saved the best for last, if you want a chance to win a trip to the 2015 College Football NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP game, simply share your #TechGating photos, videos, or tips on Twitter and check out the site here for more information <3 I can’t wait to see all of your parties, your posts, and your game day recipes!
Thank you for sharing part of your day with me and I’ll see you right back here very soon!
Hello beautiful people! Mark your calendars my fellow U.S. Twitter users and be sure to follow me because this Wednesday, October 29th at 6pm PST, I’m hosting a Twitter party for the new movie Blood Ransom!!! It features Anne Curtis, Alexander Dreymon, and Caleb Hunt! You’ll get to ask all the questions and have them answered by lead actress Anne Curtis, and myself, LIVE this Wednesday! Be sure to use our hashtag #BloodRansomMovie so we can see you! Participate by signing up for the Twitter party below and all U.S. prize winners will be announced at the end of the Twitter party so sign up for your chance! Can’t wait to chat with you all!
If you haven’t yet seen the trailer to the film, I’ll link you here – it has all the things you want in a movie….love, action, drama, and vampires. Vampires…..enough said. I can’t get enough of vampire drama, I don’t know if it’s their nocturnal habits, smokey eyes, or their love of wearing black- but I can relate to all of these things! Pretty sure I’m secretly a vampire. Hence I’ll never age. That and I’m Asian and you know what they say….Asian don’t raisin- I’m totally putting that on a tee shirt!
So please be sure to follow me on Twitter before the party starts, to be a part of the conversation and catch all the action, I’m @Jess_Lizama and follow Anne too, @AnneCurtisSmith, she’s an amazing actress and the woman is just stunning! I’m totally prepared to take a ton of photos with her this week at the premiere….ahem for YOU of course… because I’m a good friend…of course!
You can sign up for the Twitter party with the form I’ve provided below so that you’re able to participate. Our hashtag for the party is #BloodRansomMovie so be sure to use it during the party 😀 We’re going to be giving out a ton of awesome swag, not to mention it’s a time for us just to hang out and chat…LIVE you guys, like whoa! And you can see the film in theatres across the U.S on Halloween! I’ll link the site for the film or you can go to http://www.bloodransommovie.com/ to see the trailer, read up on the plot and characters, and to check out theatre listings. You can RSVP for the event by simply filling out the form below, clicking Enter, and please leave us a comment! Oh and list your ‘name’ as your Twitter handle (i.e. @jess_lizama) and your URL as your Twitter web address (i.e. http://twitter.com/jess_lizama). I can’t wait to chat with you all! xoxoxo- Jess
Wear it! With everything am I right?! <—- I should totally do stand up! So style watch… here we go, let’s do this Fall style! *Still doing that Fall evoking thing over here in L.A.* Today I’m going to show you how you can wear one pair of shoes, three different ways this season, and yes with open toe heels! I took my current favorite pair of pumps, these Calvin Klein Vivian patent snake print sandals, and styled them three different ways. And even though it’s getting cooler out, there are a ton of ways you can still get away with wearing your open toed pumps this Fall season!
Take this look out to a brunch meeting or just to a night out with the girls, I call this the ‘casual ballerina’ look.Taking casual to another level here with this JustFab Mandy jumpsuit, which is comfortable and cute with it’s zip up front (and back), and front pockets. I wore this out with my Calvin Klein’s, and even though it’s getting cooler out, the jumper and jacket keep me warm enough. These heels are 4″ leather heels with the daintiest of pronounced platforms, are covered in a sleek snake print, and have a strap that wraps around your ankle. To top the look off I wore this faux leather Easy Jacket also by JF, and to keep the whole ‘ballerina’ thing going, I did the ‘off duty ballerina’ top knot accessorized with this beautiful beaded Free People headpiece. The makeup featured is the ‘line dance’ makeup look, and to see how I did it, head on over to my beauty channel here and watch the tutorial! It took all of five minutes to do! I hope you like it!
Prance around an event in this ensemble or just around – out on your next date night, I call this the ‘sporty chic’ …. and yes I am wearing sparkly ankle socks with these heels! Open toed heels worn with socks are all the rage this coming season! Hey Beyonce did it, so we can totalllyyyy pull it off! I really like how the ankle socks add a bit of edge to the look (and keep my toesies warm), and I kept it girly with this checkered scuba skirt and lace top. If it were a bit colder out, I’d just top this look off with a nice denim jacket and bam ready to dance the night away!
And this look…. which we’ll call the ‘business girl gone bad’ ….because one, I like naming things and two, because I feel like it’s something I’d wear to the office and then run off to an event in! Also take note of this pose, it’s apparently my most favorite pose to do ever. Not sure what it is I’m doing with my arms but we’ll go with it.
So even though it’s windy out, I can still wear my heels so long as I wear these sheer floral tights….and a warm jacket. I’m a bit obsessed with printed tights these days! But for good reason! They’re just so cute with my sandals, and in this JF dress I’m feelin foxy!!! Foxy is still a thing kids say these days right? Well I was feeling foxy and fabulous! I accessorized the look with black chandelier earrings and since the dress has front slits in it I decided no necklace was neccessary. Instead, I slipped on a chunky ring and off I went!
So three fun looks, for three different occasions, styled with one pair of sexy heels. Gotta love how creative us ladies can get when the season changes! Beyond all of the recipes I can cook up that include pumpkin puree, I also love my layers. I’m telling you, Fall season tis the best season! What do you love most about the Fall? About the change in weather? P.S. I say there are no rules in fashion, wear what makes you feel confident! Unless they’re flip flops…..I would say to stay away from socks and flip flops whenever possible 😉
Thanks for sharing in my themed fashion tour today, and I’ll see you soon with another look combining a hairstyle and makeup look you’ll see this Fall! Click here to check out the latest in my series and happy pumpkin spicing!
Ever since I had my daughter – at 16 – I hear all the time, ‘oh don’t let yourself go’, or I hear people talk about how someone else has ‘let themselves go’. What’s that supposed to do to our confidence and to our thought process subconsciously? Ah yes, tell us not to go up for that second plate of food, that it’s not ok to leave the house without any makeup on, and to not wear sweat pants out to run errands in. What?!?! I love wearing sweat pants and I REALLY love not wearing makeup.
Why is it ok to tell young girls and women that they shouldn’t let themselves go, that they should always put their best foot…and face forward? It’s not. I say let go, let it all go. Go a few days without washing your hair, the natural oils will rehydrate your scalp anyways. Go a few days without looking in the mirror, you’ll find you really appreciate everything about your face when you finally look again, and go a few days without wearing makeup! Your skin will breathe, you’ll save some time in the morning, and you’ll remember what you look like when you’re not all ‘done’ up and that is a beautiful thing.
With wild abandonment I think you should let yourself go. Not only with hair and makeup but with adventure and creativity. Makeup isn’t everything and neither is working 24-7-365. There isn’t one woman I know who doesn’t look beautiful without her makeup on. Yes it enhances your features, but also your features don’t need any enhancing. I suffer from this sometimes myself where I think I HAVE to have makeup on, and I post those moments (see above) and I make fun of them because it really is silly to think that you…that we….that I …am any less glamorous without my winged eyeliner. I do love that darn winged eyeliner look though.
I also need to take my own advice on this sometimes, but I do truly believe that in life everything is about balance. Having that second plate of food because your cooking is bomb, and then working out and staying active…balance. Getting dolled up for work or for a night out and crimping our hair and primping and spraying and teasing…and then taking a few days to go makeup free and let your skin and hair breathe a bit….balance. It’s all balance and I think you should totally let yourself go to balance out this world of air brushing and size 00 runway models. This is what our daughters and sons see.
Take it from a lady who has to get dolled up most days because she’s in front of a camera, and who’s perpetually eating ‘clean’ and living a healthy lifestyle, not only for health but also because she’s going out on auditions against girls 12 years her junior and to casting agent that kind of thing matters. Take it from me, YOU are allowed to let it all go and you’re beautiful. We need to hear that not only as girls and women and mothers, but as humans, and if this be your Monday Mantra than I’m glad you stopped in for a quick read. ‘Be-You-Tiful”.
Dessert for breakfast…psshh how many times have you heard that and then the recipe calls for flax seed (which I don’t like) and gross protein or raw egg whites. No thank you, I’d rather have ice cream for breakfast, a real dessert. There are many ways I can actually justify having ice cream for breakfast but instead I’ll share with you my recipe for proats (protein oats) that is delicious, nutritious, and takes all of 60 seconds to prep! Bam, you wake up with breakfast already made and ready to go!
I usually make 5 or 6 of these jars so that I can have enough for the week or enough for Joe and Corrine. Both my boyfriend and my 16 year old daughter love these proats and eat mine if I don’t make enough. You can add whatever variation you choose, or how ever you decide to portion out your oats but I portion out these amounts so that it fits my personal meal plan.
So in a mason jar, or jug, or sealable container, drop in your rolled oats, I just use old fashioned oats about 1/4 cup for myself and 1/2 cup for Joe since he’s a man and loves to eat both his and my proats if I don’t make enough. Then I put in half of a scoop of protein powder, this is a whey protein we got at whole foods and it’s flavorless- my favorite kind, and I only use half since I don’t feel the need to over do it on protein. Then I add in 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of chia seeds, 1 teaspoon of PB2 (powdered peanut butter- more protein but I do it for the yummy flavor), and then lastly I pour in enough almond milk to saturate and cover the mixture. I place the top on the jar and shake it up a good 8, 9 times and then pop it in the fridge over night.
I don’t pour in the milk unless I know it will get eaten in the morning since it’s all dry ingredients if I don’t use it then I will just store it for the week until I’m ready to pour in the milk and have it for breakfast. This is an awesome on the go breakfast, protein packed to jump start your day and/or your morning workout, tastes like Christmas, and for me is so much better than warm oatmeal. Though that is a staple for warm weather!
I even sometimes use coconut milk whatever I have in the refrigerator, a drizzle of agave if I’m craving the sweet, and when I’m feeling crazyyyy I’ll throw in a dash of nutmeg and a tablespoon of dried unsweetened coconut flakes! Omg can you say amazing! This really is the most delicious meal prepping I’ve ever done, with the consistency of a parfait, and the nutritional benefits of a hearty breakfast. Try it out and let me know what you think and what alterations you make to the recipe!
Fall season is upon us so I’ll be adding in pumpkin flavored everything soon!
Happy Monday to you and I hope the week treats you amazing!
Hello! Welcome back for part 2 of 6 of our #StayingOnTrend&StickingToABudget Fall inspired look book! Each week I’m taking one makeup trend and one hairstyle trend that you’ll see this Fall and putting them together with a full look! Today is a sleek and simple look, taking the top knot and the smokey eye and pairing them together for a casual business meeting.
The ‘line dance’ makeup look is just like your everyday liner look, which ever you choose as your go to- it’s just a bit heavier and more consistent in form, with pencil on top pencil on bottom, or liquid on top liquid on bottom. Whether you wing it out, make the line thin or thick, it’s all about the liner and less about the rest of the face. I opted to go with my pencil kohl liner on both top and bottom, and per the usual I would wing it out a bit at the ends but this time I didn’t. Instead I smudged it with a slanted brush and swept a golden brown color under my bottom lashes, kept my lips pretty neutral, and also unlike me, I PUT MY HAIR UP! Like what?!
Yes I totally put my hair up today! I’m a hair down kinda girl….everyday. But this ‘off duty ballerina’ is just a top knot, clean version of a bun. More sleek, less loose pieces, more spray! It took me about 30 seconds to achieve this top bun and about 30 pounds of hairspray 😉 I used my fingers to comb through my hair pulling it all up in a pony tail and then by method of ‘twist, turn, tuck’ I achieved the look you see here 😀 Then I popped on my Free People head piece and my hair and makeup was done! For my outfit to go with this hair and makeup look, I kept it casual and comfortable with my JustFab jumper and jacket, and my Calvin Klein snake print pumps. Best day look and in under ten minutes from head to toe, I think I’ve accomplished the impossible! For the tutorial on this look, head on over to my beauty channel here where I show you step by five minute step just how to get this look, and all under $20! I used all drug store brand makeup with the exception of my eye liner which is from Makeup Forever. For the life of me I couldn’t find my Revlon one bah! Makeup items for this look: Sonia Kashuk Luminous foundation in Buff Chamois Pro Conceal concealer in light Makeup Forever eyeliner pencil in Zero Physicians Formula Shimmer Palette Loreal Voluminous black mascara by Miss Manga ELF contouring blush and bronzing powder duo EOS lip balm Dove hairspray Thank you for sharing part of your afternoon with me! Happy Fall makeup happenings and I’ll see you next week for ‘Bare Minimum’ and the ‘Gym Sleek’, oh yes….the gym sleek. Let’s do this! Bear hugs, Jess
So I’ve been evoking Fall weather to come around sooner than later with my wishful thinking and playing ‘layered dress up’ in this L.A. heat!!! There are just so many things I love about the Fall season beyond pumpkin spiced EVERYTHING, cooler weather, and the holidays of course. I love Fall fashion…I love layering, I love finding my own style among all of the styles that come out that’s unique to my personality. I am in no means a professional stylist, I won’t even claim to know what I’m doing, but I do know what I like and I know I like to stay on trend and on a budget!
I researched forever, the new styles in both fashion and beauty that we can expect to see this Fall season. Taking it from “the runway to the hallway” as I like to call it, I got SO inspired to combine them, two at a time and show you using all drug store brand makeup products. You can use whatever brand or product you have or love, but I just want to show that you can totally stay on trend and stick to a budget. Thank you Glamour, Cosmo and the umpteen other places I googled and searched to find these for you all. I was a research machine! The Metallic Touch makeup look will be everywhere this Fall season, it’s just adding a touch of shimmer to your look. Whether it be to your eyelids, the inner corner of your eyes, or even your lips which I did here. You choose how you want to glimmer and so I chose all three! And the New Wave hairstyle, another popular one for this Fall season is a spin on classic bohemian wave look, but with a bit more polish to it. If you want to see how I did this look head on over to my channel here and watch how I combine both looks to bring you this!
I had an event to go to this day so I wore this hair and makeup look with a very classy sophisticated dress that I’ve had for a while but didn’t know what do to with. It’s this blue chiffon, sleeveless, A-line dress that features this high neck ribbon tied back. I belted it with this beaded belt from Francheska’s boutique, wore navy blue tights underneath, and for my shoes I wore my daughter’s Oxfords from Aldo’s in Ox Blood (she’s the coolest). It’s a very sophisticated and chic look, I pinned my hair back for a different look than I’m used to and headed out the door!
For my makeup: The Metallic Touch
Maybelline Fit Me Foundation stick in 220
Maybelline concealer in Buff Chamois
Revlon ColorStay eyeliner in Cocoa
Loreal Miss Manga voluminous mascara
NYX eyeshadow pot in Top Notch
Rimmel Glam Eyes liquid eyeliner
Physicians Formula shimmer strips palette in Warm Nude
Maybelline Fit Me blush in Medium Pink
NYX lip liner in Natural #810
EOS lipbalm
For my hair: The ‘New’ Wave
Dove pure care dry hair oil
Dove hair therapy hair spray
Con Air 1 inch barrel curling iron
For specifics on who when where why and how, head on over to my channel, it’s a quick 5 minute look that you can do to feel beautiful, stay on trend, and stick to that budget! That’s a triple threat if I ever did see one! I hope you enjoy this look, this is look ONE of SIX. So next will be the ‘Off duty ballerina’ paired with the ‘Line Dance’ makeup look, the ‘lashes out’ and the ‘braids and twists’, the ‘glow getter’ and the ‘pony tails rule’, the ‘bare minimum’ and the ‘center stage’, ‘color theory’ and the ‘gym sleek’, and the ’60’s Inspired’ paired with the ‘Mod Squad’ makeup look. I cannot wait to show you these looks and my spin on them. I’m also pairing each tutorial with an outfit so you can see how I wear the look out and about, what my Fall fashion will look like when I do these looks, and how easily you can do them too!
I’m really excited for this series and to share them with you, so thank you so much for reading, and happy Fall season to youuuu! *me evoking Fall again*
Ah girls night! A time for us ladies to get together with our closest girlfriends, crowd around good food, good music, and catch up! I really love any reason to get together with my friends, but I especially can’t wait to see them when I’ve had one of those ‘longest days weeks ever’ kind of moments. It’s definitely the busy season…it’s the summer season, wedding season, and baby shower season (am I right?!), so I’ve been traveling a ton. An awesome girls night with amazing girls was definitely in order…from left to right, this is Karissa, myself, Sarah, and Whitney. Alexandra is here too, but behind the camera.
I called up my good friend Sarah…I can always count on her. I can also count on her to be organized when I’m feeling flustered so we put together a quick menu, a list of fun things to do for our girls night, and reached out to some friends! We invited Whitney who is a colleague of Sarah’s and whom I’d met many times before and adored. She is sweet and savvy, the girl just knows how to make you smile. We also invited Karissa, who is the girlfriend of one of our mutual friends (who’s just as awesome) and she is the kind of girl you always want to be around because she’s just an amazing energy. And we also reached out to Alexandra, Sarah’s neighbor who is a SUPER talented photographer (all of the photos you’ll see today are works of her). She is the neighbor you wish you had because she bakes home made cookies for everyone in the building AND shares her basil plant with anyone who wishes to take some from her porch! I mean I’ve never even met my neighbors after three years yet alone share a love fern with them. Just an incredible group of girls and our night was set!
www.alexandrabrandlphotography.com
Arrived late having come from a meeting down town, having fought traffic….having moved my life square a bagillion times that day, it was SUCH a moment to arrive to smiling faces and a yummy spread of food! On the menu (and already set up on the table may I add): two kinds of red wines, hummus and chips, peppermint bark, home made pico de gallo, home made chocolate chip brownies, home made crusted zucchini rounds, and my STORE bought cheese platter…womp womp . Note to self: Blue cheese does NOT taste like GOAT cheese, nor does it even sound the same I don’t know how that even happened to me.
We sat around the best food, had the best conversations, and then moved the party into the living room where we popped on some tunes and got lost in girly things. They say that when women get together that all they do is polish their nails, braid one another’s hair, and talk about boys. Well they’d be right ……except for the braid part. Next time. Besides the smelly feet cheese and rosemary crackers… I also brought along with me the new… no light needed Sally Hansen® Miracle Gel™ polishes, and I brought along three colors; Pink Cadillaquer, Hydro Electric, and Purplexed. We sat around the table, dove into the colors and here is what we did!
The photo above is our model pose…how we would pose if we were hand models…which I mean, we totally could be! Posing, pampering, and giggelfests…I had so much fun with these ladies and I can’t thank Alexandra enough for capturing these moments. You won’t see her in any of the photos because she was the magic behind them!
So I’ve been a long time lover of salon gel manicures. Being so busy, I don’t have time to fuss over my nails, to have them chip or peel on me, or to even deal with the fuss of purchasing a UV light for home so that I could potentially do them myself. However this is a great way to get that salon look, at home, and the polishes were awesome not at all fussy. I’d suggest applying 2-3 nice thick, even coats of your chosen color onto your nail, wait a few minutes and then apply the top coat. The polishes dry pretty quickly, as we learned by doing the ‘test’, where you touch your nails together and if they don’t stick they’re ready. And they were ‘ready’ quicker than I’d expected them to be.
The brush has got to be my favorite thing about the polishes aside from the vibrant colors. It’s not too thick or thin, or too square (you know what I mean here, totally important), it takes the shape of your nail bed quickly, and applies the color evenly. If you choose a more transparent color like Pink Cadillaquer, I’d suggest making a ‘double lined’ kind of pattern on your nail with the color, to be sure that you cover your entire nail and that the polish is distributed evenly. On Sarah is Purplexed, a deep purple, and Karissa is wearing Pink Cadillaquer, an all around favorite- a pastel pink rich in color.
Whitney and Alexandra have Hydro Electric on, a gorgeous hue of blue, and I used both Pink Cadillaquer and Purplexed to recreate my favorite cupcake pattern on my nails but of course! My reason….”sometimes you want to say hi with one color, and goodbye with another color!”. I crack myself up! It’s been a few days now since our pampering party/girls night and my nails have held up really nicely AND I get to say hello with one color and goodbye with another.
I highly recommend spending an evening with your friends, catching up, slowing down, having fun, and just remembering that the world may be moving quickly but we have people around us to keep us grounded. Amen for that! If you want to enter for a chance to win your very own set of these awesome polishes (I suggest you do, I mean..girls night!) simply enter the #PerfectPairSweeps <—- this is the hash tag you’re going to want to use when you submit a photo of YOUR own #MiracleMani to enter to win, and you can submit that here.
Please TAG me also when you enter so that I can see all of your pampering parties, what your nails look like, and can live vicariously through your girls night! I’m @Jess_Lizama on both Twitter and Instagram. I’ve also included all of our yummy recipes below so you can try them out at your next girls night or get together and let me know how it turns out!
Thus my goal for the rest of the year is to each month set aside time for myself, time with my friends, and time to reflect. We all need that sometimes and shouldn’t feel guilty or unproductive when you do. I promise you’ll tackle life so much more refreshed and relaxed the next day when you take a day to yourself. Big hugs to my Sarah, Whitney, Karissa, and Alexandra for spending the evening with me, talking all things life and love… like girls do, and let’s do more of this ladies!
Please check out more of Alexandra’s work here,she is a fantastic photographer and amazing at capturing moments.
Have a great weekend and I hope you get a lil you time in really soon!
xoxo-
Jess
The noms:
Chipotle Brownies (thanks to Sarah!): 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon chipotle powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces 2 ounces peanut butter chocolate chips 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped 3 eggs 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/3 cup sour cream 2/3 cup chocolate chunks Heat oven to 325 degrees, butter and flour an 8×8 inch baking pan. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon, chipotle powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. In a medium saucepan bring 1 inch of water to a simmer. Add butter, peanut butter and semisweet chocolates to a metal bowl large enough to sit on top of the saucepan. Melt ingredients, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir until smooth. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Whisk on high until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the melted chocolate mixture and whisk on medium for 30 seconds. Add the flour mixture and whisk on low for 30 seconds. Add sour cream and whisk on medium for 30 seconds. Stir in chocolate chunks by hand. Bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. *best ever- Zucchini Parmesan Crisps (thanks to Karissa): 2-3 medium zucchini olive oil or coconut oil 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan 1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray or line with wax paper. Slice the zucchini into 1/4 inch thick rounds. In a medium bowl, toss the zucchini into the oil and in a smaller bowl combine the cheese, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. Dip each zucchini round into the cheese mixture, coating it evenly on both sides of it, and then press the coating onto the rounds for the mixture to stick. Place the rounds in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until browned and crisp. Enjoy!
Sally Hansen® Miracle Gel™ At Last! Gel without the light!
Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Sally Hansen® via Mode Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Sally Hansen®.
