Tick Tock

The other day I was horrified when I noticed that some of the gold plating has rubbed off my favorite Michael Kors watch. I'm taking it as a sign that I need to add a new watch into the rotation (the only logical choice right? I think so).  While my pre-law school budget probably isn't going to allow me to treat myself to any of these a girl can still shop. 

These are a few of my favorites. All very different styles, so let me know which one y'all like best so I can find a knock off ASAP. 

MARC BY MARC JACOBS Blade Leather

I love the clean face and the leather. A little casual but very classy. 

The Gramercy Grand by Kate Spade

Obviously I love anything Kate Spade, but this one has been on my wish list for quite a while now. My main trepidation is how similar it is to my michael kors. I feel like I should branch out a bit, right?

Michael Kors Runway Slim Rose Leather Strap 

I love any and every Michael Kors watch, and this one is no exception. Again with the clean face, but I adore the skinny strap with the big face. 

La Mer Disco with Gold Chains

This one is a totally different look. Square face, leather, chains, etc. It's more of a bracelet than a watch, but I still think it's really fun. Plus since I'll be back in a school environment in three short months I can accessorize a little more casually right?

GUESS Peach Glitter Watch

Now this one... I LOVE the sparkle and the patten leather and the diamonds and the color and did I mention the sparkle? So pretty, but is it a little much. I mean I know it's a lot, but is it too much for everyday life? On the plus side, it's the most affordable of these options. 

Hmm. Decisions decisions. What do y'all think?

April Birchbox

I know it's already May, but I wanted to finally share my April Birchbox with y'all. I know, I know... what took me so long? Forgive me please. 

Juice Beauty Stem Cellular CC Cream

CC Creams seem to be dominating my makeup routine lately. While I'm a big fan of juice beauty, this product was a bit of a miss for me. I didn't love the smell and the coverage was minimal, but I will say that my skin looked noticeably more radiant after a few days of use. If you don't need much coverage I would say go for it, but this was a miss for me.  

Beauty Protector Protect and Detangle 

I mentioned this product in my april favorites, but I need to talk about it more. I will never be without this spray ever again. I can't even tell you what a change I've seen in recent weeks. The spray smells AMAZING, and my hair looks so healthy. My ends aren't as dry, no frizziness even as the humidity increases around here. 

Caudalie SOS Morning Eye Rescue

I really really wanted to love this product, but I don't. It smells great and goes on so smooth, but as someone who definitely suffers from morning eye puffiness I saw little to no reduction beyond the aid of a cup of coffee and a splash of cold water on my face. Plus for the cost... there's no way.

Yes to Grapefruit Daily Facial Scrub

I'm a big fan of "Yes to..." products, and this one is no exception. I absolutely loved then scent and the scrub was effective, but not overly rough. I like the idea of exfoliating my face everyday, but you definitely need a gentle scrub, this one fits the bill.

Yes To Carrots Lip Butter

This has been one of my go to lip balms for years. I've strayed a bit for my love of EOS products. I have the mint and the berry. Super moisturizing, long lasting and they smell so good.

My favorite view in all of DC

The weather in DC has been so fabulous lately. So one day last week I grabbed my camera and ran outside during lunch to try and capture a small piece of the majestic capitol building. I'm so lucky, because I get to enjoy a view of this beautiful building every time I go to work. I know that I might never get that chance again, so I'm trying my best not to take it for granted. 

I mean come on, how gorgeous does this look with the perfectly green trees and the bluest of blue skies?

The monuments are all amazing, and I don't take as much time as I'd like to enjoy them but the capitol building will always be my favorite sight in this city. 

Someone once told me that when the sight of the dome stops taking your breath away, it's time to leave this town. For some reason that little antidote has stuck with me for years. I see the dome driving to and from work, walking around the office, or any time I leave for a meeting. But I try to take a moment each day to appreciate how lucky I am to be here. Working in DC and on capitol hill for the last three years has really been a dream come true, one that I will not soon forget. As frantic and stressful as life can be at times, I really appreciate having such a beautiful view to remind me just how lucky I am.  

*All images are original to Blue Dog Belle. 

Cocktail Hour: Strawberry Lime-arita

To celebrate Cinco de Mayo and the perfect weather in DC this weekend I decided to whip up a fun frozen cocktail to enjoy. I'm not a huge fan of super syrupy frozen drinks, so I made my own frozen margarita of sorts. Really, it's more of a daiquiri, but I used tequila (you have to celebrate 5/5 right?). This was pretty easy to whip up, and I just threw everything in the old magic bullet. Hope y'all enjoy

Strawberry Lime-arita 

Ingredients

• 1 cup frozen strawberries (I threw in some very ripe fresh ones too)
• 3 oz Tequila
• Juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1 1/5 TBSP simple syrup

Directions

Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend. Add ice or additional syrup until you reach your desired consistency/sweetness.  Enjoy.

Now I will tell you this is tangy and delicious, and it creates a pretty big margarita so you could easily share it with a friend.  I garnished with a slice of kiwi because it was pretty. Hope y'all enjoy!

All images are original to Blue Dog Belle unless otherwise noted.