The Top 5 Movies to watch when you break up and get back together and no one cares.......

My boyfriend and I recently broke up. And then got back together. We have been together for 2 years and though our love for each other is strong, we got stuck in a rut. We stopped caring. Stopped trying. And we had a brief, though very painful mini-break up.
While our relationship was sinking further and further into quicksand, it seems that all the people around us were getting married and starting families. I can't open my Facebook these days without seeing someone's wedding announcement or photos of their new baby! There are people getting married that I didn't even know were in a relationship!
Don't get me wrong, I am very happy for my friends and family members who have met "the one". But it seems that if the news isn't marriage, baby, or break up, then no one is interested. When my boyfriend and I broke up we stupidly expressed our feelings via Facebook. My excuse for this is that I felt for that brief moment that I was alone. It was my "cry for help". And it worked! Many people reached out to me expressing their concern. I felt cared for and loved by the FB world.
But when my boyfriend and I decided to try again and revive our love, the response was not as enthusiastic. In fact, it was underwhelming. Did we seem "meant for disaster" more then "meant to be"!? All those times that our friends called us a "perfect" couple, were they just telling us what they thought we wanted to hear? Or was it that the news of our reunion was just not that exciting to them? This keeps me up at night. More so then the laundry list of problems we have in our relationship and the many ways in which to fix them.
And what of our own happy news of marriage, if that is what our future holds? I can see it now! A multitude of FB notifications saying "Yay!! Congrats to you!!" with a very subtle undertone of "I give it 6 months!".

So rather than let these toxic thoughts invade my brain to the point of insanity, I have decided to let them go. Today. Right now. I am sending them out into the universe to dissolve in the promise of tomorrow....or some poetic shit. And I am saying "Kiss off!!!" to all the opinions of our friends and family who think that we should wash our hands of our relationship and part ways. We are not perfect. We have issues, yes. But we also have LOVE! It's that love that has kept us together for these two years and if we want to give it another shot the least you could do is be happy for us!

And now.......my TOP 5 We Broke Up But Got Back Together And No One Cares movies!

1) High Fidelity- Of course it's #1! How could it not be!? They fight. They break up. They sleep with other people. They realize that they are not perfect, but that they are perfect for each other and that's all that matters so f*ck all the rest of it!

2) Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind- If ever there were a more beautifully f*cked up love story to tell us just how unperfect love can be and yet still somehow worth it all!

3) The Last Kiss-This movie is not the greatest. It didn't win any awards (that I know of). If you blinked, then you missed it in the theater. BUT it is a very accurate account of the emotions a couple can feel when their love falls apart. And how love can be rebuilt.

4) Say Anything- John Cusack strikes again! This movie shows us that when the odds are against you, you just have to show those odds who's boss!! Because love CAN work, if you work at it! And romantic shows of emotions and changing "bad habits" can make all the difference.

5) Pretty In Pink- You might be saying "What!? Another 80's chick flick!?" Need I remind you that this is MY list. So get over it! This movie reminds us to forgive, forget, and give love a second chance.

Trying NEW things la la la.....!!

I decided that this is my year to try new trends!! I need to be a little more bold! Here's what I've done so far:

I wore WHITE JEANS!

I wore HAREM PANTS! (Whoa! That's major!)

And.....I tried the BOLD LIPSTICK trend! (Sexy!)

It may not seem that wild to some but to me it's a big deal! If you would have asked me 10 years ago if I felt confident enough to wear white jeans or bold lipstick I would have said "Hell no!". And what's even more surprising is that 10 years ago.....I was 20!! Shocking isn't it!? Yes, I've come a long way! Small steps people! :-)

Check this out!

Working independently can be difficult at times. You have to promote yourself like crazy! So I made a StyleSeat profile as well as a Facebook page for my small business.

Check it out here:

http://www.styleseat.com/kristinnstylist

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kristin-Nawrocki-Hair-Stylist-Make-Up-Artist/379416402100512

Moving BAD! Decorating GOOD!

Moving into a new place can be super stressful. Especially when you are moving in with your boyfriend who's still bitter about you throwing out some of his "bachelor pad" favorites. Wah wah. (If you happened to find a beat up tacky green leather couch on the corner of Hamilton last year and took it home...I'm sorry.)

This is our second move. We found a much nicer apartment with a view of Brooklyn. Nothing is broken. Our landlord and neighbors seem pretty normal. And the walls are freshly painted and ready to be decorated!

For those of you who don't know, Mike and I have different styles. He's punk rock bachelor and I'm earthy eclectic chic. He likes lots of color. I like splashes of color. A trip to Ikea once resulted in an argument about such differences of style. He picked up every brightly colored and very patterned pillow, rug and tapestry he could find and said "This is what I want our apartment to look like!". I said "Hell no! We are not going to live in a CLOWN HOUSE!!" From then on most of what we picked up here and there was very neutral. And now that we are in a new place we thought it would be a good idea to try again to merge our styles.

I am decorating the bedroom. Mike get's the hallway and dining room. And together (God help us!) we are decorating the living room.

I have been collecting some ideas on my Pinterest on my DIY board.
http://pinterest.com/piratesushi/do-you-diy/

Here's are some of the projects I liked.

And here's my take on it!

Fun Fabric Hoops:

I got the embroidery hoops from Michael's and the fabric from Joann's Fabric. The larger hoops I secured to the wall with Command Strips hooks and the smaller hoops are secured by poster putty.

Antique Frame Jewelry Hanger:

The "antique" frame is actually a thin craft wood frame I got from Michael's. I attached the garden wire I got from Home Depot to the back of the frame. I placed small felt pads along the frame to prevent it from scratching the walls. Painted it a funky green color and....viola!

If you decide to try this or a similar idea, feel free to share your photos as well! :-)

Pizza=Romance!!

We got a Trader Joe's on Staten Island recently!!

I love love love LOVE Trader Joe's!!!

My boyfriend and I love to make pizza and TJ's has the best pizza dough! They also have fun gourmet foods that take your pizza from plain to awesome!! 

Pizza making can be a fun and romantic activity for a couple! <3 And if you can't agree on toppings (like my boyfriend and I), you can make more than one pizza! 

We made two.....Mine was prettier, obviously! 

MINE-garlic & herb pizza dough, mozzarella cheese, goat cheese, feta, and balsamic caramelized red onions

HIS-regular pizza dough, spinach, meatballs, and mozzarella cheese

When you make a pizza you can go for a classic or get creative! Anyway you make it, pizza is always a hit! And.....pizza is really good with BEER!

Now we're cookin', bro!

Gift cards are an awesome holiday gift because it means that you can get whateva you want!!!

Mike and I received Barnes & Noble giftcards from my parents this year. Thanks Mom and Dad!! <3

So yesterday I picked up a copy of Nadia G's Cookin' For Trouble! She has the show on the Cooking Channel called Bitchin' Kitchen. If you have not seen it yet, check it out! So fun! 

I can't wait to start cooking some of these awesome recipes! Next week Mike and I are going to make red hot roasted chickpeas and bacon chocolate for a party we are attending!

~Kristin

P.S-Yes, I said bacon chocolate!

Do you DIY!?

I would really like to do more DIY projects!
There are a lot of fun and easy ways to amp up your accessories!
This is a hot look for heels!

Hey good lookin'! What's going on when you're not cookin!?

When I'm not cooking....I'm beautifying myself!
Before cosmetology school I didn't know much about make up. I wore it but I didn't know how to intensify my look. It was boring!
I took some make up classes. Got some books. And I practiced!

A great book to check out is Linda Mason's Eye Candy! Some of the looks are a little....interesting!? But most are fun, wearable, and easy!

Here's an easy and "eye catching" look by me:

What you'll need:

• 4 make up brushes (1edge liner brush, 1 flat liner brush, 1 medium eye shadow brush, and a medium powder brush)
• 4 shades of eye shadow (Choose 1 color, for example Purple! You want three shades of purple-a medium shade as your base color, a light purple as a highlight, and a dark purple as your contour shade. You will also need a brown shade for your eye brows.)
• Gel eye liner and mascara. 
• Start with a freshly cleaned and moisturized face! An eye cream or a primer for your eyes will make the color last longer.

Step 1- Start with your medium eye shadow brush and gently dab your darkest eye shade (contour) into the outer corner of your eye creating a point.
Step 2- Using the same medium brush, gently dab in your base shade, from the outer corner and blend toward the inner corner of your eye.
Step 3-Wipe off excess color from your medium shadow brush with a cloth or tissue. Using the same brush, dab your lightest shade (highlight) above your eye crease. Focus on the area right under the arch of your eyebrow.
Step 4-Use your make up brush to help you control the shape of your design by angling your brush directly under your nose, up toward the outer corner of your eye.
Step 5- Once your shape has been established, use your flat liner brush and more of your contour shade to define the outer corner of the eye.
Step 6-Use your edge liner brush and your brown eye shadow shade to define your eyebrows. Always start in the inner corner and gently brush out toward the outer corner. Remember to choose a shade that is similar in hue to your hair color! Example: A blonde should use a light shade of brown. Not dark brown or black!
Step 7-Gently dab the tip of your flat liner brush into your gel eye liner. Be careful not to grab too much product! Less is more when it comes to gel liner!
Step 8-Gently tug on the outer corner of your eye with your finger. Remember not to tug too firmly! If so your liner will look sloppy and uneven! Start from the middle of your eye and smooth the gel liner towards the outer corner of the eye. Then start again from the inner corner and smooth the liner towards the middle. *This is a good trick I learned in one of those fancy make up classes and I'm giving it to you for free! Starting in the middle gives you more control and allows for a smother line.
Step 9-With your medium powder brush, gently brush fallen eye shadow away from under your eye, being careful not to smudge your masterpiece! A little extra pressed powder or powder foundation may be necessary in tricky situations!
Step 10-Using your mascara wand, careful push down on your lashes one time before moving upward. This ensures that the top of your lashes with get a boost in intensity as well, giving a more polished look!
Step 11- Carefully move the tip of your mascara wand from the outer corner of your lower lash line toward the center and then back again. The slower you move the mascara wand, the less likely you are to get clumps!



Now go show off those sexy eyes!!

I will challenge Paula Deen to a Quiche-Cook Off any day of the week!!! Bring it on sistah!

For those of you who don't know this story....

This past summer I started coupon-ing! And I must say I have become quite good at it! 

My boyfriend, being the great man that he is, tried to "help out" with the grocery shopping a few times. This usually resulted in a half purchased shopping list, missing coupons, and extreme bulk buys that would be more suited for a family of 10...not a couple in a small apartment! 

The most memorable of these extreme purchases was 10 cartons of eggs!!! Yes....10! 

I came home from work, opened the fridge, and screamed!!!! The eggs took up one entire shelf in our small refrigerator! I thought, "What the &%*# am I going to do with all of these eggs!?!?" and then it hit me......QUICHE!!!! 

I started researching some recipes. I made several different kinds of quiche and I was giving then away like puppies!! What I discovered is that quiche is actually very easy to make. And it makes people happy! Show up to any party with a quiche and people will love you! I should know...I did it all summer! 

Here are some of my favorites, as well a review I posted for a Paula Deen recipe that I hijacked and made my own. Enjoy! 

Lobster, Gruyere & Dill Quiche

(Makes 2 quiche)

• 6 eggs
• 1/2 lb. of lobster (fresh Maine lobster, if you can get it!)
• 1 package of fresh dill (from the produce department)
• 1/2 lb. of Gruyere cheese, cut into small cubes
• 1 cup of low fat cottage cheese
• 2 deep dish pie crusts (I use the ones in the frozen section and they work just fine!) 

Preheat oven to 375°

Beat eggs, then combine with cottage cheese and dill.

In crusts place a layer of Gruyere cheese, then lobster, then cheese again.

Add egg, dill and cottage cheese mixture to crusts. 

Bake for 30-40 mins.

Bring to a party! And enjoy!

Ham, Spinach & Swiss Quiche

(Makes 2 quiche)

• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup of unsweetened, unflavored almond milk (or any kind of milk that you would like to use!)
• 1 cup of cottage cheese 
• 1 can of low sodium spinach, drained
• 1/2 lb. of low sodium ham, cut into cubes (You can get this at your local deli!) 
• 1 cup of low fat Swiss cheese, sliced in to small pieces or cubes
• 2 deep dish pie crusts

Preheat oven to 375°

Beat eggs, then combine with cottage cheese, and milk.

Place a layer of Swiss cheese, spinach, ham, and cheese again. 

Add egg and cottage cheese mixture to crusts. 

Bake for 30-40 mins. 

Yum!!!

I'm back!
And this time I am turning this blog into a food and beauty blog for my family, friends, and fellow kitchen beauticians!
Feel free to share your stories and recipes! :-)


~Kristin