February 28, 2011

Visiting Harry Potter At Universal Studios

I took a trip to Orlando, FL the other week and visited The Harry Potter Wizarding World at Universal Studios. I've been a HP geek since I was in grade school and know pretty much everything there is to know about Harry Potter.

Don't believe me? I dare you to quiz me.

I'm proud of my HP knowledge. I think Harry Potter was the greatest piece of literature ever written.

It's the second best selling book next to the bible. And I believe that if both books had come out at the same time, that HP would def be in the number one spot.

The movies are pretty cool too but they lack the tiny little details that made the books so special.

That's is why visiting the Wizarding World was so amazing coz it was like bringing the books to life. It was like stepping into the movie. No words could describe the awesomeness. Only a true Harry Potter fan could appreciate it.

Play this music while reading my post for the full Harry Potter experience!!


As I entered Hogsmeade and turned the corner, my jaw literally dropped. All of the perfectly crooked, snow-capped houses, the butter beer stand and the HP music blasting in the air was enough to make me feel twelve again.


Right at the entrance of Hogsmeade stood the Hogwarts Express full steam ahead. The conductor chatted with me with a British accent before taking a pic with me.



As I walked further into Hogsmeade, I could see Hogwarts in the distance. It was stunning. Just like I had imagined.While gazing at it, I began longing to be wizard just like I had done as a child.


Most of the shops in Hogsmeade were actual shops straight out of the book. No crappy Universal gift shops in HP world. Everything was as authentic as could be. A HP geek's fantasy!

While I waited in line to visit Dervish & Banges, the wand shop, I passed by the Quidditch store which displayed a quaffle, a snitch and some Quidditch gear. Nimbus 2000's could be bought inside for $300!! But what do you do with a broom that can't really fly once you get home?


Once in the wand shop we witnessed a little boy get fitted with his wand. It was awesome...just like in the movie!! The first two wands shattered stuff around us and when he put his hands on the third wand, he lit up, air swooshed around him and angels sang.

It was crazy how the shop looked identical to the one in the movie. Thank you Universal for hiring the Harry Potter movie set designer to make the Wizarding World! He done good!


My next stop was Honey Dukes!! They had all types of normal candies and even HP candies such as chocolate frogs, chocolate wands and Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Jelly Beans.

I've been wanting to try the Every Flavor Jelly Beans since I was about 15 so I got a big bag of them.

Now when they say every flavor they really mean EVERY flavor.

A few flavors that I tried were dirt, vomit and soap. They really taste exactly like what they were supposed to!!! Dirt was the grossest and was almost enough to make me lose my breakfast. Other nasty flavors were boogers, earwax and sardines. BLAH

I can't wait to offer my friend some yummy jelly beans when they come over my house. *evil laugh*


Zonko's, the joke shop, was attached to Honeydukes and was filled to the ceiling with jokes and pranks from the HP books. Who can forget extendable ears??


Right next door was Dogweed and Deathcap, the exotic plants store, which had screeching Mandrakes in the window. Am I confusing you Muggles yet??


Next was a clothing store which had Hermione's Yule Ball dress in the window sill. It wasn't an actual store but a fake storefront.


Ron's car was crashed into a tree in one of the lines to a ride!! I was sad to see there was no Whomping Willow. But there was an exact replica of Hagrid's hut!!


One of the things I just had to do before I left the Wizarding World was to try a Butter Beer. And because the line for the outdoor stand was a mile long, we ventured into the Three Broomsticks to get one at the bar.


It was so amazing inside. They even sold British foods like Shepard's pie and umm...other British stuff that I can't remember.

My Butter Beer cost me $4 for a tiny cup and for any other drink I would have been outraged but this was Butter Beer!! Oh Universal..taking advantage of us naive HP freaks.


In the book, Butter Beer is supposed to taste somewhat like butterscotch and it warms you and and makes you feel great. In the real world, it tasted like cream soda with a thick butterscotch foam on top.

And even though I hate cream soda, I drank it all! Because I'm greedy and want to take in everything Harry Potter that I can!!


Ok Muggles, hope you understood all of my Harry Potter lingo. I gotta go pray for J.K. Rowling to make another HP book.

BYEEE

How To Style Your Dog Vlog

February 23, 2011

Blog Milestones - 100 Posts And First Vlog

I have been so distracted lately that I didn't even realize that my last blog post was my 100th post!!

100!! yay!!


It might not seem like a lot a year from now but it sure seems like a lot right now. I really do love blogging so much and hope to do 100 more posts this year! I might be blogging well into my 80's...haha.

I did something else that I never thought I would do. My first Vlog!

For those of you who are saying "Umm....Vlog?", it's a blog done with video. I will be doing a lot more videos in the future because frankly, I like talking much more than I do writing.

LAZY ME.

My new channel on youtube is called Jewelz - Girl Stuff and I'll be doing tons of videos on stuff girls like, do, want, etc.

So if any of you sexy girls have suggestion for my future videos... email me at Jewelzblog@gmail.com!

I will even mention your name/site if I use your idea!!

Ok ok, I won't keep you waiting any longer... here is my very first Vlog. Enjoy!!

February 15, 2011

An At-Home Chemical Peel To Look Younger

I've always had a problem with dead skin on my face to the point where I have considered doing a chemical peel at the doctor's office.

Layers of dead, dry skin can be caused by tanning, insufficient exfoliation and even genetics. My problem is genetics. My dead skin doesn't shed often which causes a backup of rough dry skin on my face and clogged pores. Blah!!

When I got asked to review InstantPeel I was very skeptic on whether it would work or not.

Well Ladies & Gentlemen...

This is the first review that I have done and afterward can happily say that I have become a life long user of this product. InstantPeel is amazing. No lie. The photos below is all the proof you need.


Before using InstantPeel, I needed to steam my face for 5 minutes to soften the skin. I took a hot shower so that my skin would be extra soft. Need to make sure it all comes off!

Once my skin was baby smooth, I applied InstantPeel all over my face in circular motions and it started working right away!!! A thick layer of dead skin started to melt off of my face!!

It sounds gross and looks gross but all of those white clumps on my forehead is dead skin peeling right off!


I thought all of my skin was going to peel off of my face!

But it was amazing how smoothly the dead skin peeled off without irritating healthy skin layers. After the short treatment, my skin felt soft and silky with a radiant complexion.

My skin was so smooth that when I rubbed it with my fingers it made a *squeak* *squeak* noise. That's what I call squeaky clean!!

The procedure needs to be repeated every 2-4 weeks, so no more bothering with daily exfoliations.


The best part about the treatment was how much smaller my pores looked. Not only did my pores look smaller but my complexion evened out as well. No more red blotchy spots yay!

Having a truly clean face feels so invigorating.


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Valentine's Day - Rough Days Can Have Sweet Endings

My life may seem perfect to some people because I mostly don't post about my life problems but like every other normal person out there my life is a roller coaster filled with ups and downs.

Unfortunately, the day before Valentine's Day, I got into a stupid fight with my fiance all due to my lack of communication skills. We didn't even talk until 4pm on V-day.

When we finally had the chance to talk, we discussed our feelings for about an hour and talked about what we could do different in the future.

Ugh...first fight as fiance and fiance. But it did feel good to be completely open with each other.



To get our mind off of all the fighting, E.W. cooked us a beautiful meal consisting of lobster tail, crab legs w/butter, crab salad, crab cakes and some white wine.

OMG it was so effin delicious!!

Let me tell you girls, make sure the man you marry knows how to cook. You will have a wonderful life if you both enjoy cooking for each other.


We ate everything. Not a morsel of food was left. The dogs even licked up all of the leftover crumbs and all.

All Goneeeeeee!!!!


Me: Smiles for the camera everyone!!

London: Cheeeeeeese!!

E.W: I still hungry! I eat you next!


E.W. kept blowing on the dripping candle wax until it formed a long wax icicle that almost reached the table!! It was quite hypnotizing watching the icicle form.


And in spirit of the ups and downs on Valentines Day, here are the ups and downs of the men in my life...

Gucci

Cute stuff -
He snuggles his chubby tush into the palm of my hand, he lets me make funny noises with my mouth on his tummy, it takes one kiss on his neck to make him the happiest dog in this world, he sleeps between E.W. and I every night.

Not so cute stuff - He protects his momma from the world (because everyone is evil and trying to assassinate mommy), he will eat something disgusting just so London can't eat it, his paws smell like fritos.

London


Cute stuff -
he has a snaggletooth, when I lay on my stomach he will take a nap on my back, he sleeps standing up, he does handstands, he loves to kiss and loves to play.

Not so cute stuff - He licks pee off fire hydrants, he swallows tampons, he growls at everything.

E.W.


Cute stuff - He wakes me up every morning with a kiss, he watches girly reality shows with me, he dresses better than most girls, he smells good without cologne, he loves my family, he's hilarious, he is in love with me.

Not so cute stuff - He's a workaholic, we aren't married yet...that's all :)

The good definitely out weighs the bad in all of my men!!!

I hope everyone had a great V-day!!!


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February 10, 2011

Updos With Whirl-a-Style

As a ballerina of 15 years, I can proudly say that the one hairstyle I have worn more than any other has been the bun.

Normally it takes a hair band, tons of bobby pins, and a hair net to make a proper bun. But now there is something new!! Now you only need one product to create the perfect bun.



Whirl-a-Style allows you to create beautiful updo hairstyles in minutes. For this reason, it's very popular with brides and athletes.

Many brides spend hundreds of dollars on their hair and sometimes thousands of dollars on their bridesmaid's hair. Can you imagine how much money you could save if you used the Whirl-a-Style to create different updos for your bridal party?

With all that money saved you could use it on more important things such as your dress or event entertainment :D

It's simple to do too. Follow these four easy steps to make the perfect bun.


Tah-Dah! Perfecto!
I could have totally used this during all those years of ballet and bun making. Best of all, no painful bobby pins sticking in your head and giving you massive headaches.


And don't be afraid to get creative with the Whirl-a-Style!! By simply adding a white flower, I have created an elegant wedding look.

And it cost me zero dollars! :D


To find a store that carries Whirl-a-Style near you - Click Here.

Disclaimer :I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Wedding Ideas Photo Collage

I have been planning different aspects of my wedding for a long time now. In fact, the Wedding Channel is my favorite channel next to the Food Network. Scary I know...

So now that I am officially engaged, I have started creating my wedding idea photo collages. These will be shown to my future wedding planner whoever he or she may be.

E.W. and I have such similar taste in everything so we have been pretty much agreeing on everything except for the budget. I think his budget in mind..should be doubled..and then it will all be perfect :D

We have both agreed on a chic, white, modern wedding. Imagine walking into a completely white space that is flooded with alternating blue, purple and pink lights.

Crystals will be draping and oozing from every corner of the room. Crystals will be dripping off the wedding cake (ala Sex And The City Movie 2), crystals popping out of my bouquet, and sparkling white branch centerpieces with white flowers and crystals hanging off.

Yep...that'll be my wedding :D

And it'll be stunning baby!!

This has got to be the most stunning wedding dress I have ever seen! There is an interesting story behind finding it.

When E.W. and I were in Athens, Greece a couple of months ago, we were strolling down a popular shopping area when I looked up and my eyes locked onto IT....the dress...the dress I was destined to be married in.

Calia Monoyiou is the designer and she works exclusively out of Athens and Cyprus. I'm pretty sure her dresses are in the $15,000 and up price range but I will try my best to get my dream dress one way or another.

I will find it somewhere in the budget...

So my wedding guests might not get 50 different desserts to sample...Maybe I don't need that ice bar and I can always nix the aerial performer.

The day is 50% about me and I deserve to get the dress of my dreams.

As for the bridesmaid's dresses, I love a shimmery champagne color. It's very sexy, demure and blends well with the light cream color in a wedding dress.

For my cake I want an all white cake with white sugar flowers completely covering the cake. I don't even want to see the cake!!! Not one inch. I want the flowers everywhere!

I'm planning on making the white branch and crystal centerpieces myself. I think it would be a fun project for my bridesmaids and I to bond over. Plus it'll save us money for THE DRESS hehe.

If anyone has good suggestions on how to save money at a wedding please let me know!! As a wedding planning newbie, I could really use some help :D


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February 07, 2011

I Got Engaged In Puerto Rico!

We flew to Puerto Rico... We had a beautiful dinner... We had luck gambling... We took a stroll under the stars... We went up to our hotel suite... He knelt on his knee... He reached into his pocket... I cried on his shoulder... I SAID YES! :D

All of my dreams have come true this weekend. We have made our future marriage official and I am engaged to my soul mate and my best friend.

I am so lucky to be accepted into E.W.'s amazing family and my family welcomes him with open arms.

You + Me = A world of possibilities and dreams coming true.


Puerto Rico was a perfect place for E.W. to propose. This is where we first bonded and where we first began to fall in love.

On our first trip to PR we arrived as two people trying to get to know each other and left inseparable.


This particular trip was no different than any other except for E.W. constantly staring off into space for no apparent reason (reason is obvious now).

E.W. caught up on his work by the pool. He's a workaholic but eh... it pays the bills.


I chowed down on fruit and sipped on strawberry mojitos.


Once in a while we would get a cold drink from our favorite bartender Miguel. He is always there every time we visit PR and we love catching up with him. He usually charges us for only half our drinks so can we be considered Puerto Rico pool bar regulars?

A rare moment is when E.W. orders a beer.


An ever rarer moment is when a beer bubble forms inside the beer bottle. Miguel, a bartender of 30 years, has never even seen such a thing.


The pool bar was a nice place to do a spontaneous photo shoot so we took advantage of the beautiful scenery. It didn't hurt that E.W. is an amazing hobby photographer. Always makes me look my best :D


To all of the people that message me saying how much they love my photos, I want you to know that E.W. is responsible for half of them!


After finding out about E.W.'s plans to propose to me, the hotel offered to upgrade us to their one bedroom suite at no charge. I love El San Juan Hotel!!

The room included a bedroom and two full bathrooms...


A living room area and a corner bar for entertaining.


Every morning we woke up and headed straight to the breakfast buffet. It was a little pricey at $53 but had some wonderful options including my favorites - roasted potatoes, french toast, egg white omelets and doughnuts!


Breakfast was outdoors so these little black birds would sit on our chairs and stalkingly stare at our food.

The second we got up to get more food, a whole army of black would swarm over our tables and pluck the leftovers off our plates.


One birdie got too impatient and stole a Splenda, craft-fully opened it, and started gorging on the sugar inside.

Doesn't he know Splenda can cause cancer?


The day after we got engaged was spent mostly tanning at the beach and staring at my ring while tanning at the beach.


Can someone tell me what this green alien dropping is? It looks like a plant of some sort but has the texture of plastic netting. It was all over the beach.


Just making sure it's not alive...


As a tropical shower cleared up in the afternoon, a beautiful rainbow graced the skies. Call me corny but to me, this signified a new beginning and bright things ahead.


I can't wait to officially start planning our wedding and I think I want to add a wedding section to my blog. :D

P.S. Thank you to all of my friends and family that have been showering us with congratulations and happiness. Love you all xoxo


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