Swanky Sweepin' Volume 32

Daily:

Beauty products  Daily winners, ends 5/31

Beach stuffs  300 winners, ends 6/10

Cute stuffs from Teen Vogue   (don't judge me, my inner teen says yes to some of these items), daily prizes, ends 5/31

Serape Nails for Cinco de Mayo

It's that time of the year again... time to drink some tequila. Hopefully I don't fight a giant in a dark alley while in a dress and cute heels. That may or may not have happened to me before.

To celebrate, I decided to paint my nails like a serape! I hope they bring me warmth during the cold night.

Happy Cinco de Mayo! AY AY AY AYYY!

The Texas Handroll: A Party in Your Mouth

It's finally Friday (!!) so I'm going to stick with Vanessa's classy party theme here, ya'll.

New York City's Hill Country Chicken in the Flatiron area is an atomic little heaven of rich Southern fare: fried chicken, biscuits, and homemade pies with names like Whiskey Buttermilk and even an apple pie with a cheddar crust (note to self: need to try this). I've ended up here in the past because I love food but also because of it's proximity to an awesome antiques garage and flea market right down the street. This is dangerous stuff. Rummaging for finds (like this) and then settling down for a hot cafeteria-style lunch at HCC is a pretty decadent and perfect day for a girl like me.

One of my favorite things to get is also probably the weirdest on the menu: The Texas Handroll. Just don't sound right, does it? The Texas Handroll is like if Waylon Jennings had went to Japan and returned with a tasty illegitimate love child. It's wrong but so right. It's fried chicken strips (or deep fried avocado if you go with the vegetarian version) with a mound of coleslaw, sweet red pepper jelly, and sliced almonds all wrapped in a flour tortilla like a sushi handroll. Cute right? This thing is a delicious party in your mouth - a slightly disorienting party where you forget who you are and where you were going. Cool, hot, crispy, creamy, crunchy - there are a lot of textures and sensations going on here and it pretty much rules.

This week, craving one and getting bored with usual dinner options, I decided to experiment with making a healthier version at home using some of my favorite foods and and go-to tricks. Here is how it went down.

Cheap Thrills: Party In Your Pants

I can't believe it took me so long to make a Cheap Thrills in your pants post, I must be slipping in my old age. Pants are my most dreaded clothing item, I have yet to ever wear a pair and feel comfortable in them. I'm not talking about jeans, trousers and jeans are two totally different animals, jeans require their own kind of scientific fit and shopping techniques. I'm talkin' about pantalones, the dressy kind you'd wear to work and the casual ones you'd wear to a picnic if you didn't feel like shaving your legs.

So instead of immediately clicking on the "Dresses" tab of my favorite online shopping destinations, I ventured into new bottom territory. Camel toes are not welcome at this party...

Another Year Older and More Free Stuff

As I do every year, I turned another year older a few days ago. I love my freebies, so of course I signed up with a bunch of companies on Charlotte's post from a few months ago, and anxiously awaited my prezzies. To my surprise, there were a few extras I wasn't expecting!

A few of these are specific to my area, but this made me realize that all of you should look up your fav local eateries and mom and pop stores to see if they have a sign up sheet for an account, rewards program, or mailing list. If they ask for your birthday on the sign up there's a good chance they'll send you something, even if it's just a shopping discount! Hey, I like discounts, too!

Gotta Have It: Rubit Dog Tag Clip

Okay, we know I'm a crazy dog lady, right? I've accepted it, it's cool. As a crazy dog lady, I enjoy changing Oliver's collars every few months, usually with some sort of seasonal theme. One day, after breaking yet another nail, I thought to myself, "wouldn't it be great if there was some way I didn't have to remove and reattach all of these tags to each collar?" BOOM! The internet answered my prayers with Rubit Dog Tag Clips.

Rubit (roo-bit) is a carabiner style clip, which means there's a springy little bit that lets you clip it on or off in the blink of an eye. There's a traditional ring on the clip where you attach each tag (city license, ID tag, microchip tag, etc.), but the whole thing is easily clipped onto a dog collar with a quick snap. That means, you can switch your dog's collars in a couple of seconds - no muss, no fuss. They're super tough, and will stay on securely. Oliver has been using a Rubit clip for about two years and has never lost it.

I know if may sound like a trivial thing, dog tag clips, but if you've ever struggled with one of those stupid ring tag things - breaking nails and pinching fingertips, you'll know how handy the Rubit can be! They come in three sizes: small, medium and large, and start at $6.99 for small - each size goes up by .50 cents. There are oodles of colors, and they now have two new styles, blinged out rhinestone ($12) and heart shaped ($7.99). Oliver is totally getting one of those heart shaped clips, but don't tell him, I want it to be a surprise. Check out their whole selection here!

Rubit: Oliver approved!

Trendy Mommy Tuesdays vol. 7

Inspiration: Christina Aguilera (X-Tina if you're nasty)

Only my best friend knows this secret about me. I, am a fan of Christina Aguilera. Although I only know a few of her newer songs from Back To Basics, and Bionic, I will admit that I know every word of every song off of her album Stripped. Now that that "Dirrty" secret is out, I can continue with my article with a clear conscience.

This year, my poor Christina has been getting a ton of crap in the tabloids, whether it be for the "spray tan incident", the ongoing feud with Kelly Osbourne about her weight gain, her alleged binge drinking or her Diva antics and "lack of manners" (according to The Wanted) on the Voice. No matter what anyone says about her, there is no denying that the girl can sing and IMO, she has a fun sense of style!

Despite the rumours and allegations, not only do I love me some Christina, but I am seriously obsessed with The Voice, a TV singing competition on which Christina is one of the coaches. She definitely has had her questionable outfits on this show, but at least they were always memorable.

Speaking of Christina and her fashion, recently she was spotted shopping in West Hollywood, CA at Fred Segal in a royal blue sweater over a black skull print tube mini with black tights and pumps. Gurl also loves her accessories and made sure to rock some trendy sunglasses and a fedora as well.

This weeks looks are not made to mimic Christina,but rather are inspired by her!