Author Archives: lolliesandlattes

The Evolution of Halloween from Childhood to Adulthood

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Halloween is quite literally my favorite holiday of the year.  Are you surprised?  Probably not.  What’s not to like?  First of all, candy.  It is a fun holiday that you celebrate with your friends without having to buy presents.  You get to pretend to be something you are not.  You spend hours scraping the gunk out of a gourd and then carve things into it.  And let’s face it… Halloween movies are the best movies.

Your Halloween celebration preferences change drastically over the course of the first 30 years of your life.  When you are a kid, it’s all about the candy.  You go around to people’s houses and expect them to hand you tasty treats.  I was fortunate enough to grow up on a street with a TON of kids, so we never had to go far at all to have a fun trick-or-treating experience.  You also couldn’t care less what costume your parents slapped on your since you had a McDonald’s candy bucket and knew how to say “trick-or-treat”.

Collected many a Tootsie Roll in these bad boys

By the time you are a teenager, you start to care a little more about the costume and secretly still care the same amount about the trick-or-treating.  My favorite costume I ever went trick-or-treating in had to be the Anna Nicole Smith costume I wore my sophomore year of high school.  I would give anything to have a photo of this lying around somewhere.  It involved a wig, halter top, balloons, and an annoying voice.  This was during the height of the Anna Nicole Show. I maintain that this was one of the best shows to ever grace my television screen. I went trick-or-treating my senior year of high school.  I got a lot of flack from the people who had been handing me candy for the previous 10 years.

In college, you begin wearing inappropriate versions of what would ordinarily be considered traditional costumes.  Leg Avenue adds a certain level of “my parents can’t see this” to normal Halloween costumes.  Throughout my time in college, I went as the Queen of Hearts, a Lion, a Pirate, and a Bumble Bee.  I think I went as Snooki at some point too.  I plan on wearing none of these costumes at any point in my life moving forward.

After the age of about 25, having a costume you feel pretty in starts to matter less to you.  The excitement of eating/receiving candy remains constant throughout your life, but you really are too old to go trick-or-treating now.  Unless your friends have kids, in which case you can probably just tag along.  Last year, my boyfriend and I went as Zack & Kelly.  The sad thing is that we realized we are now getting too old for the bars and a lot of the patrons did not know who we were/what Saved By the Bell was.  However, I did have a ton of fun with the costume and I happen to think my boyfriend looks adorable in this silly wig.

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Zack + Kelly = 4ever

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Sadly, I already owned that giant cell phone

Tonight we met up with our friends at the Halloween Yappy Hour at Whole Foods. Olive shined in her bumble bee costume, figuratively and literally. We walked there from my apartment, so her costume was also a great reflector in the dark.

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I think we have a winner for her new winter coat 🙂

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Sittin’ around being witchy and casting spells

After we all tired of the brews, boos, and barks, my boyfriend and I ventured to the costume store to purchase our costumes for the weekend. It is evident that today is the Black Friday of Halloween. It was like the Hunger Games in Party City, y’all. I am still not certain how we will make these costumes work this weekend, so I will be sure to report how it turns out in a future post.

Everyone have a fun and safe Halloween! Thanks for stopping by! See y’all next time…

Marissa

My Feeble Attempt at Crafting

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Last year I had a hankering to do some fall crafting, so I decided to make a Texas Tech wreath.

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I made a similar (read: the same, but with a different word) wreath for my Arkansas Razorback friend.

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Since the first two wreaths were a success, I thought that a super appropriate wedding gift for my friend would be to make her a house divided wreath. She went to Alabama, he went to Boise State, and they are both die hard College Football fans.

I thought it would be a breeze and a half to make this thing. Wrong.

First of all, Austin does not carry Alabama anything, let alone Boise State anything. After purchasing ribbon from four different Etsy stores, wooden states from another, and a few trips to Hob Lob, I had everything I needed.

One of these trips to Hob Lob resulted in the shadiest exchange transaction I have every been involved in.  I found a very nice associate and asked if I could exchange some unused spray paint.  Like the responsible adult that I am, I realized that I did not have a receipt and I had forgotten my wallet at home.  He suggested I just place the spray paint I wanted to exchange back into the cabinet and grab the one I need.  I didn’t know if it would be worse to walk past the registers and out the door or hastily place it in my purse and let the cameras assume I was stealing it.  The nice gentleman actually walked me to the door in case there was trouble.  Thank you, wonderful hippie man at Hob Lob.

Also, I would just like to say how awkward I was purchasing the spray paint in the first place.  I felt like I was doing something illegal or wrong and was afraid to get carded (even though my intention was to spray paint a wooden Idaho and I am 28 years old).

I began by placing the red mesh on one half and the blue mesh on the other.  It was supposed to be 50/50, but it was about a 60/40.  I had to make the appropriate adjustments.  Next, I strategically placed all of the ribbon throughout the wreath. I spent the next few days obsessively fluffing the ribbon since it kept getting smushed by the mesh.

Next was the dreaded state spray painting saga. Since Texans are often ignorant to the geography of all the other states we share this beautiful country with, I had to Google the orientation of both Alabama and Idaho. It’s not that I didn’t ace Geography my freshman year of high school. It’s just that I live in a state where it takes an entire day to drive out of it. So that’s my excuse.

If we’re being honest here, I had to look up Arkansas on a map after I already accepted a job and agreed to move there. I did not know that it even touched Texas. This was a relief.

But I digress.  Everything was fine until I decided to touch the Idaho about 20 minutes after I gobbed paint on it to see if it was dry.  I was really grateful that Boise was actually in that region of Idaho (also something I had to Google).  I would be able to cover that area up with something festive.  “Roll Tide” calligraphy was out of the question because who are we kidding.  I decided to add some football stickers where Boise and Tuscaloosa are within the states.  I went back to Hobby Lobby and paid for them appropriately. I slapped them on, wrapped the present, and prayed that the bride and groom would enjoy it.

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The Finished Product

I learned many important life lessons about crafting during this process:

  • Think you have enough newspaper laid down? Well, ya don’t.
  • Whenever you think you have enough hot glue on there, you don’t.
  • Think you can affix wood directly onto mesh? Ha, KEEP DREAMING.
  • How does one keep the mesh from squishing the other ribbon down?  Please tell me.  I am dying to know.

Their beautiful, stunning, and perfect wedding was this past weekend and I think the happy couple liked the wreath.  In order to save myself from potential embarrassment, next time I will probably buy a toaster and call it a day.

Thanks for stopping by!  See y’all next time…

Marissa

Confessions of a Basic Girl

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Basically, just me doing basic things

While tailgating with my girlfriends this past weekend, we were discussing the concept of being “basic”.  I’ve seen a lot of things floating around the internet making fun of “basic” girls and the “basic” things they do.

I’m pretty sure I am one of those girls.  Is being basic such a bad thing?

I do pretty basic things.  First of all, I have a Chihuahua and she is my child.  She has an assortment of different shirts, sweaters, and costumes. She sleeps in the bed with me and has her own blanket. She has embarrassing nicknames. I probably have a million photos of her in my phone. My boyfriend and I speak to her in baby talk. Her crate remains buckled into the back seat of my car like a car seat and she often goes to visit her grandparents. I become chopped liver when she doesn’t come with me.

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On Wednesdays, we wear pink/mom’s nightgown

I enjoy fall and look forward to the first day Pumpkin Spice Lattes are available.  Last year I called a Starbucks at 7am on a hot September day to see if they were selling them yet.  I dream about leaves falling and being able to wear boots and scarves on a day that actually falls within the Autumn season (no thanks to Texas).  I want to jump in these leaves with my boots and my Chihuahua all while downing a Pumpkin Spice Latte.

I made an October calendar filled with Halloween/spooky things for my boyfriend and I to do every day this month.  It is filled with horrible Sharpie artwork and one may assume that I asked a toddler to illustrate it.  It is almost the end of the month and we have done approximately 3 of these things.  But I still have it.  And it is cute.  And yes, it’s from a Fall Bucket List I pinned on Pinterest.

I like Pinterest.  I pin oodles of DIY projects I would never actually do because they require a lot of time and sometime tools.  I’m not so good with things that require me to have any creativity or a handy bone anywhere in my body.  I pin Crock Pot recipes, cute fall outfits, and different ways to layer my bed.

I make my boyfriend watch The Real Housewives with me (bless his heart, he is the best).  I binge watched Orange is the New Black the weekend it came out and yes, I use the OITNB acronym.  Girls is probably my favorite show and I re-watch every season before the new one comes out each year.  I read tabloids while getting my hair done.  I skim Southern Living while waiting in doctor’s offices. The only book I’ve started and finished recently is “I Didn’t Come Here to Make Friends” by the girl who won Ben’s season of the Bachelor. It’s a tell-all and it’s compelling.

I still have Ugg boots and sometimes wear them with leggings and oversized sweaters.  I wear scarves with short sleeve shirts because it is still too dang hot out. I Snapchat ugly faces to my girlfriends. I love college football and do themed Gameday makeup.  I wish my entire life was a Pottery Barn catalogue.  OK?

My point is that everyone has some basic tendencies.  I maintain that being basic is not a bad thing at all.  If you are a basic girl then own it! Besides, Starbucks would be nothing without us.  Thanks for stopping by!  See y’all next time…

Marissa

October Birchbox Review

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Getting my Birchbox in the mail every month is one of the things I look forward to most. My friend purchased a six month subscription for my birthday a couple of years ago and I have been hooked ever since. I don’t know whether to thank her or blame her for this.

I look forward to my $10 pink box of tiny, fun-sized luxuries every month. Plus they always give you a sassy nickname on your shipping label!

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The Beauty Profile you fill out on Birchbox is fairly detailed and they do a great job of sending you samples that really cater to your beauty interests. Sometimes they will send you something you don’t love (my mom gladly takes them off my hands). You can purchase full-sized versions all the things you do love on their website.

Every once in a while you get stuck falling in love with a perfume sample that in reality will cost you $90 to purchase. Fret not, my friends. Birchbox often sends out emails with codes for 20% off of your ENTIRE ORDER. Now I could live and die in a Sephora, but I can’t really see them delving those out anytime soon.

You can also rack up Birchbox points by purchasing full-sized products and/or writing reviews on the samples you receive in your box. 100 Points = $10. FO FREE.

I know I sound like a Birchbox ad, but I am not. I just wanted to get the word out in case you haven’t heard too much about them! So without further adieu, here are my thoughts on the products I received this month.

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Number 4 Reconstructing Masque

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$58 in the Birchbox Shop

With all the coloring, heat styling, and keratin-ing I do to my hair, it gets thirsty and begs for a deep conditioner every once in a while. This conditioning mask left my hair feeling soft without feeling weighed down (as some deep conditioners do).  It also has kind of a cologne-y smell that is delightful.  However, the hefty $58 price tag will probably keep me from splurging on this anytime soon!

(4/5 would buy)

Number 4 Clarifying Shampoo

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$32 in the Birchbox Shop

I typically stay away from clarifying shampoos because I have to be super careful about not using anything with sulfates.  I am so afraid of using something that will strip my keratin treatment.  I was relieved to see that this would be safe on my hair.  This shampoo is UH-mazing and boy did my hair need some clarifying!  The scent is not super strong and it leaves your hair feeling super light and clean!

(5/5 would buy)

clariSEA Rapid Detox Charcoal Exfoliant: Face

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$18 in the Birchbox Shop

I was surprised to open this to find that it is actually just a tiny jar of sand.  Yes sand… salty and all.  Since it is not bound together by any sort of cleanser, it would be hard to just apply to your face alone.  I mixed some in with my regular face cleanser and actually really liked it!  It is gentle and doesn’t dry your face out like other exfoliates.

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(4/5 would buy)

Perlier Body Cream

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$28.45 in the Birchbox Shop

If there is one kind of product I wish Birchbox would send me less of, it’s lotion!  The good news is that the samples are decently sized and they last a while.  The bad news is that I have lotion samples for days.  This lotion smells pretty nice, but it does leave a greasy/sticky feel on your skin even hours later.  Bonus points for pretty packaging though.

(1/5 would buy)

Lord & Berry Paillettes Eye Pencil

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$18 in the Birchbox Shop

I chose this eyeliner from a selection of optional samples I could receive in my box this month.  I suppose I didn’t notice that it is sparkly!  I tried to put this on by itself, but it is a bit chalky and didn’t make a nice, thick black line.  I put on my regular liquid liner and put the sparkly liner on top of it.  I loved it!  A little bit of pop without being overdramatic.

(4/5 would buy)

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Jouer Matte Moisture Tint

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$38 in the Birchbox Shop

I thought this would be the same sheer consistency as a tinted moisturizer, but I was pleasantly surprised!  It is actually thick like a full coverage foundation.  I applied it with my BeautyBlender and thought it gave a nice matte look with good coverage.  My only complaint is that it is SPF 15.  My pasty, Wednesday Addams skin needs a little more protection from the Texas sun than that (aka SPF 5000).

(4/5 would buy)

If you’re interested in trying out trying out Birchbox, then give it a try for a month!  Thanks for stopping by!  See y’all next time…

Marissa

Secrets of Becoming An At-Home Barista

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The name of this blog encompasses my two favorite things, Lollie (my pup) and lattes (my vice).  During grad school, I worked as a Barista at the Café in the Barnes & Noble on my college campus.  I spent my days balancing sleep, group projects, and my super awesome job. I typically worked the morning shift which was comprised of our regular professors and a zombie parade of sleepy students.  My favorite thing to do was make the drinks.

I want to share some facts about Starbucks drinks that people may not know:

  • A hot Grande drink has the same number of espresso shots as a Venti.  No, bigger does not mean more caffeine.
  • You can ask for a specific number of pumps if you would like to customize your drink.  Flavored drinks have the following syrup amounts:
    • Tall = 3 pumps
    • Grande = 4 pumps
    • Venti = 5 pumps
  • Ways to lighten up your drink if you are looking to save calories:
    • Get fat free milk
    • Ask for fewer pumps of syrup/sauce
    • Get a smaller size drink and add an extra shot or two (for the coffee taste-loving, adventurous types)
    • Nix the whipped cream
      • If you lift the lid on a hot drink about 2 minutes after you get it, that perfectly fluffy, delicious mountain of delightful whipped cream that once resided on top of your drink will be gone.  It just melts and disappears right into your drink.
    • For Frappuccinos, ask them to use 2% or fat free milk.  This is the only type of drink that uses whole milk unless you specify otherwise.

If you’re not looking to save the cals, then don’t worry about it.  The full fat, full sugar Pumpkin Spice Lattes are delicious, you know.

As we all know, a Starbucks addiction is EXPENSIVE.  I faced this difficult reality once I was not working at the Café anymore.  I was used to either getting a discount or just drinking the mistake drinks where the orders had been lost in translation. My bank account decided it could no longer take the madness and I had to take matters into my own hands.  I now make mine at home.  With the exception of some Friday mornings.  And Saturdays.  And sometimes Sunday too.

My friends are probably completely weirded out that they can come over and casually say, “a Pumpkin Spice Latte sounds so good right now!” and I whip one right up.  You TOO can be this weird!  I received a CBTL (made by The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf) machine for my birthday about 2 1/2 years ago and have never looked back.

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$149 on the Coffee Bean Website

I also received this milk frother because the other key ingredient to lattes is milk, of course!

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$59 on the Coffee Bean Website

You can also purchase the machine and milk frother at Bed Bath & Beyond. I believe they are the same prices as the Coffee Bean website, but you can use your 20% off coupons on them!

Once you have your tools, you will need the essence of your latte experience: espresso pods.  CBTL machines can only use their own pods.  One might say, “why would I ever do that when I can purchase Keurig pods everywhere?!”  The answer: Keurigs cannot make espresso.  And no, combining a K-cup of coffee with a K-cup of Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa in your office Keurig machine does not count as a Mocha.

If you have a local Coffee Bean store, then purchase the pods there (they’re $6/box).  You can also purchase them online and of course, Bed Bath & Beyond (quick, take inventory of your coupons).

If you like a little bit of flavor and flair in your lattes, you can make them taste just like Starbucks or Coffee Bean!  You may not know that you can walk right into a Starbucks and ask for a bottle of syrup.  Unfortunately, they will not sell you any of their sauces (White Mocha, Pumpkin Spice, etc.).  Sometimes a nice Starbucks will give you pumps.  If not, you can buy them online.  Coffee Bean uses mostly powders and they sell those as well.  If you MUST have White Mocha or Pumpkin Spice, Torani makes sauces you can purchase online.

So.  Now you’ve spent all of your paycheck on all of these things and now you’re ready to make a latte!

  1. Froth that milk
  2. Pump some syrup into your mug of choice
  3. Drop that pod into the machine
  4. Press that button
  5. Watch that beautiful espresso fill up your cup like it came out of a $90k Starbucks machine
  6. Pour that foamy milk on top

And Voila!  You’re now an official Barista!  I promise that an investment in these things will save you a ton of money in the long run.  Happy latte making!

Oy With the Poodles Already!

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First blog posts always seem to carry the obligation of being profound, so I am just going to discuss what all “basic” girls love, Fall.

Fall is definitely my favorite season of the year. Unfortunately for us Austinites, fall is not something we experience until February-ish. Even then, it only lasts a couple of weeks before the summer temperatures come creeping back in (I kid, I kid… sort of).

I am the kind of girl who purchased Torani Pumpkin Pie Syrup from Amazon on August 1st.  I have had to distance myself from it for a few weeks so I do not get sick of the flavor before fall ends.  I have transitioned to my Starbucks Gingerbread syrup, which I will also have to stop using so I do not burn out on it before the holidays.  I just can’t win with the seasonal flavors here.

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Yes, I bought the big one. Thank you, Amazon.

Everyone knows that the month of August is considered “pre-fall”. I am also guilty of busting out the boots and scarves the second the temperatures drop below 75 degrees. Here in the South, that is considered frigid.

I have weird fall-ish rituals that I must do in the fall. And no, I am not just talking about Pumpkin Spice everything (because that is a given).

First of all, Halloween doesn’t even seem real to me unless I have carved a pumpkin. My impatience for actually producing a fully carved pumpkin stems way back from my childhood. I had an extensive collection of coloring books with halfway colored pictures. I would pick the easy ones, color half of them, and move onto anything number related  (aka connect the dots).   My affinity for playing cash register absolutely translates to the fact that I ended up working in the financial industry.  Creativity does not run through these veins.  Anyhoo, I always pick the easiest stencil to use and it is a miracle if I get past the digging out mushy, gooey, pumpkin gunk with my bare hands stage.

I also always feel the need to spend a chilly, cloudy day sitting down and watching Gone with the Wind. By tradition, I always have to have something in the Crock Pot simmering first. Typically, the Crock Pot concoction is done before the movie itself since Gone with the Wind is possibly the longest movie in existence.  It is a classic, so if you have not seen it, please carefully follow my steps for a perfect Gone with the Wind experience:

1. Get on Pinterest and find the most scrumptious looking Crock Pot recipe you can find.

2. Get your Crock Pot brewing with that comfort food-y goodness.

3. Start the movie.

4. Salivate and listen to your stomach growl while you torturously smell your food cooking.

5. Enjoy that bowl of whatever it is you made and gawk at how dramatic and ridiculous Scarlett O’Hara is.

6. Thank your lucky stars that you, nor anyone you know, is as bad at dating/keeping men around as Scarlett is.

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Whatever you have in that Crock Pot smells DELISH, Scarlett.

Finally, I have to watch at least SOME episodes of Gilmore Girls.  Every couple of years I have to binge watch the entire series.   A few years ago, I gave up hope that this show would ever grace Netflix with its presence and purchased every season (again, thank you Amazon). Gilmore Girls is one of my all time favs.

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Where you leeeead, I will folloooow…

I wish I could uproot my life to move to Stars Hollow to live their seemingly perfect and charming small-town lives. I want to eat at Luke’s Diner, shop at Doose’s, attend Kirk’s movie nights, go to every festival, and stay at the Dragonfly Inn. Most importantly, I want to experience their magical, Connecticut fall season. Plus I want to have a bottle or two of wine with Lorelai, because who wouldn’t. Even though I cannot stand that theme song and fast forward through it whenever possible, it makes me want to live in Stars Hollow.  I will always associate my love for the Gilmore clan with my love for fall.  I really could go on and on about how much I love fall, Crock Pots, and Stars Hollow, but I won’t bore you today.  Thanks for stopping by!  See y’all next time…

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