My Birthday Haul

Hey Everyone, 

I know, I know, another birthday related post. Even I'm getting sick of them. Well, don't worry, after this one, I promise you won't be seeing another birthday related post until next month, when I start counting down to my 31st (I'm joking!). As I mentioned in my other posts, I had a fabulous 30th birthday, and was so happy to be able to celebrate with close family and friends. I was absolutely spoiled (seriously) this year and wanted to share my birthday 'haul' with all of you. 

My childhood best fried, Jenny and I reconnected recently and it has been great catching up. One of my favourite things about Jenny is that she and I have very similar taste when it comes to fashion and beauty. Jenny spoiled me with the following: 

Bath and Body Works Candle in 'Drenched Apple Flower': I can't even describe to you how great this candle smells. It's very light and fresh, with a hint of both flowers and apples (hence the name). Amazing!

Bath and Body Works Candle in 'Mango Beach Wood': This light beachy sent is perfect for summer. With a combination of mango, pineapple, mandarin and sandalwood, this candle reminds me of a tropical fruit smoothie. Yummy!

Aveeno Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturizer: Jenny swears by this tinted moisturizer (which seems to have fairly full coverage), and I can't wait to try it. 

H&M Scarf: This blue, coral, yellow and purple spring-like scarf looks gorgeous with a variety of outfits. Jenny bought this scarf for herself as well (see, we do have similar taste), so now, it is known as the friendship scarf (friendship rings, bracelets, etc. are so 2011). 

Aldo Neon Necklace: I am absolutely obsessed with neon at the moment, and literally squealed when I saw this necklace from Aldo. I love that it has three different coloured chains, including the gold, which acts as more of a neutral. Trust me when I say that you will see this necklace in a bunch of Summer OOTD posts. 

While in NYC for IMATS, I got the chance to hang out with Camille from Never Naked Blog, one of my closest blogging friends (she was one of the first bloggers I met). Camille is so sweet, and picked out three jewelry pieces I absolutely love.

Posh Couture Silver Cowboy Boot Necklace: Knowing how much I love country music, and that I am heading to Nashville very soon, Camille gave me a super cute cowboy boot necklace to wear on my trip. I am actually thinking of getting a cowboy boot tattoo while I am away, so this will definitely serve as great inspiration.

Pier One Imports Ring and Bracelets: I didn't even know that Pier One made jewelry, but these gunmetal and diamond accessories are just my style. 

I was so happy that my two favourite plus size models (and good friends) Karyn and Melissa of Killer Kurves were able to come down (it's a 2+ hour drive) and help me celebrate my Birthday. Surprisingly, Melissa and I had never actually met in person (we talk over BBM and Facebook a lot), but it felt like we had been friends forever. The Killer Kurves ladies completely spoiled me.  

Stella and Dot Pearl Bracelet:  This pearl and sparkly silver beaded bracelet mixes classic feminine with edgy rocker for a perfectly chic accessory. Love it. 

Gift Certificates From Sephora and Gussied Up: I love to shop so gift certificates are the perfect present for me. With gift certificates to one of my favourite beauty stores (Sephora) and one of my favourite plus size clothing stores (Gussied Up), I will be in shopping heaven. 

My sisters and I are pretty bad when it comes to surprising each other with gifts. Usually we pick out what we would like, and then ask the other person to buy it. Yes, it loses the element of surprise, but we are sure to always get something we really want.  I have been longing after some HRH Collection jewelry pieces for a while now, but honestly, find them too expensive to justify. Luckily, I came across an etsy store called Chi Chi Love that sells almost identical 'HRH' pieces, but at a lower price. I mentioned the site to my sisters who gave me the following: 

Chi Chi Love Large Metal Chain Necklace: This piece is pretty much identical to the one I wanted from HRH Collection. I love the mix of chunky metals, and can see myself wearing this with a variety of outfits. While I am usually more of a gold jewelry kind of girl (they do sell this in gold on the Chi Chi Love site), I think this particular necklace looks better in silver. 

Thin Gunmetal and Silver Chain Necklace: I absolutely love this necklace. I am a big fan of mixing metals and think the silver and gunmetal chains look amazing together. I also really like the small rose gold skull that sits close to the neck, and the fact that the chains are various lengths. This is probably my favourite piece from Chi Chi Love, and I have already been wearing it a lot. 

My friend Lisa and her daughter Richmond (who I nanny for) absolutely spoiled me. After seeing a couple of my facebook statuses and youtube videos, Lisa kept a mental note, and surprised me with some of the items on my makeup wish list. 

Anastasia Brow Kit, Brow Fix and Brow Enhancing Serum: To be honest, I wasn't really the type who did my eyebrows before I received this kit. Now, I can't stop. This set, which includes numerous brow stencils, brow powder, tweezers, Anastasia's famous brow gel and more, has everything a person needs in order to get the perfect brows. I have been using this daily and highly recommend it. 

YSL Ombres 5 Lumieres No. 13 Palette: Having only tried one lipgloss from the brand, I was dying to get my hands on some  pieces from the of the YSL Spring 2012 collection, including this eyeshadow palette. With five gorgeous, pastel shades, this spring palette is almost too gorgeous to use (almost..). 

YSL Voile de Blush in 'Pink Veil': I love a good cream blush and thought that the new YSL Voile de Blushes looked interesting. Falling somewhere between a gel and a cream, these blushes make for a sheer finish that can be built up for more colour. 

My friend Kerri is amazing when it comes to making jewelry, and so I asked her to make me a pair of earrings similar to ones I had seen on the HRH Collection website. Unfortunately the beads we ordered online have yet to make their way here so, I am still waiting on those earrings. What we have picked out so far (the earring chain, clasp, etc.) is amazing, and I can't wait to show them to you. Not expecting anything else, Kerri surprised me with two of my favourite things. 

Handmade Turquoise Necklace: I remember when Kerri first made this necklace (last summer I believe), I spent a good hour trying to convince her to let me have it (or buy it off her). She wasn't willing to give it up at the time, but surprised me with it for my birthday. I love turquoise and gold together and think this will be the perfect summer accessory. 

LUSH Gift Certificate: I am a LUSH fanatic and was so happy to see a LUSH gift certificate, as I needed to stock up on some of my LUSH essentials. I used the card yesterday and bought myself  the 'Almond and Coconut Shower Smoothie', a super moisturizing shower cream that I use to shave my legs. 

To fuel my shopping habit even more, I was grateful to receive several gift certificates from my friends Ashlen, Alice, Amanda, and from my cousins. I bought a pair of retro sunglasses and rose gold earrings from old, and plan to use the rest of the gift certificates very soon. 

Last October when I went to LA, I had the opportunity to meet up with one my favourite bloggers (and the sweetest person ever), Arlene. We have been in touch ever since, and I was excited to receive a super cute package from her in the mail. 

Hello Kitty Mon Amour Compact Mirror and Nail Files: How cute are these items from the latest Hello Kitty collection at Sephora? The nail files are too pretty to use, so for now they are sitting out on my makeup desk. The mirror, which is too cute for words, stays in my purse for daily touch ups. Love!

Cannon Rebel T3i: I have been wanting a new camera for about a year now and was super excited to receive the Cannon Rebel T3i from my parents. I have absolutely no idea how to use it (I tried reading some of the manual but got completely confused), but luckily found someone who is willing to teach me. I hope this camera will help further my blogging 'career', and make my site look a little more professional. 

I can't say it enough, I had a fabulous birthday month (let's be honest, it wasn't a day). I am so thankful to everyone who helped me celebrate it. Thank you again for all of the well wishes!

Do you own/have you tried any of the items mentioned above? What's on your birthday wish list? Be sure to let me know in the comment section below.

xx

Alicia