But for real though, when I was 10, I thought I was a soul skater, just like Brink. I remember digging out my blades and strapping them on in the morning to go to school. And when my mom would tell me I couldn't rollerblade to school, I'd respond with "When you woke up this morning, did you say 'today, I'm gonna talk' or 'today, I'm gonna skate'"? And yes, I got grounded for that. But it didn't matter, I was a soul skater.

About a two weeks ago ago, I completely fangirled over Stephanie's post over on her blog, Not Entirely Perfect, because I felt like I was instantly transported right back to 1996-ish. Granted, I was only 8 in 96, but the memories, oh the memories! That post inspired me to do two things: (1) watch Brink! immediately, and (2) look up where Erik Von Detten and all of my childhood friends idols ended up. We all know what happened to well-known kids like Ryan Gosling, Amanda Bynes, MaryKate and Ashley Olsen, Justin Timberlake, Hilarie Duff, Leo DiCaprio, Claire Danes and the like. But what about those kids that were on the covers of Teen Beat but never graduated to Teen Vogue?

Bug Hall -- Who doesn't remember the Alfalfa and Little Rascals? I seriously still quote this movie as an adult that's how much it's ingrained in my brain. Don't give me a dollar if you don't want me to sing. Besides guest starring on shows like Charmed, CSI and Cold Case, he's got quite a few movies coming out in 2014. Oh, and he's grown out of that awkward stage and is pretty cute now. Google him.

Ben Savage -- I wrote a post months ago about how I wanted to be Topanga from Boy Meets World so bad because my 8 year old self was pretty much in love with Cory Matthews (and because she was is stunning!). He was legit my first crush evar. Let's be real, he was a bit of a nerd, but he was also hilarious and pretty much the perfect boyfriend to Topanga. And now? Well, he's the perfect husband to Topanga in the BMW spin-off, Girl Meets World premiering this year.

Anna Chlumsky -- I probably watched My Girl over a dozen times as a kid. I loved it. And when I watch it back as an adult, I realize that Anna Chlumsky had acting chops for real. To be able to do those tough, more adult scenes like Thomas J's funeral and her crush on her teacher at that age, well, damn. With all that talent it's too bad she gave up acting in 1999. She's realized acting is her calling since then (duh, girl!), and has starred in 30 Rock, Law & Order, Covert Affairs and Veep, a role for which she was nominated for an Emmy in 2013.

Shari Lewis (Lamb Chop) -- I had to include Shari Lewis, because although she wasn't a kid star, she was freaking Lamb Chop! As a child, I was obsessed with Lamb Chop's Play-Along. When my dad gets to reminiscing down memory lane, this is usually his first stop. Judging from it's multiple Emmy wins (I'm talking every year it was broadcasted), I wasn't the only kid who loved the show. Sadly, Lewis passed in 1998, but we still have "this is the song that never ends, yes it goes on and on my friend". How fitting :)

Erik Von Detten -- Besides being the inspiration for this post basically, this skater boy stole my heart in Brink! (sorry, Cory) and I continued to buy every magazine he was in and watch anything I could with him in it, like Escape to Witch Mountain and So Weird. It's understandable though. I mean look at that hair and those crystal blue eyes. *Swoon* Detten's most recent credit is the voice of Vic in Toy Story 3.

Raven-Symone -- As the cutest addition to The Cosby Show in 1989, little Olivia stole everyone's hearts. And she was a little comedian even back then! Have you seen those Olivia Boss Chick memes on Instagram? Click here to laugh your ass off. After roles in her own show, That's So Raven, and the Cheetah Girls movie series, Raven-Symone continued to act in episodes of other shows as well as playing the role of Deloris in the Broadway musical Sister Act in 2012.

Lee Thompson Young -- Who could possibly forget the Famous Jett Jackson? He was so cute, and he was famous but still normal, or at least as normal as a famous person could be. Say hello to my third crush :) After the show ended in 2001, Lee Thompson Young continued to get good roles, including numerous Disney channel movies and the movie Friday Night Lights. He had one of the lead roles in Rizzoli & Isles, a TNT series, when he passed away late summer of last year. Some stories have very sad endings :(

Larisa Oleynik -- Alex Mack from The Secret Life of Alex Mack was my twin. Except I had no super powers and falling into a vat of chemicals couldn't explain my weirdness. Although overshadowed by bigger stars like Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger, Larisa Oleynik continued her career with a supporting role in 10 Things I Hate About You in 1999, and she's scored multiple movie and television roles since then, including a few episodes of Mad Men and Pretty Little Liars in the past 2 years.

Shawna Waldron -- You may not remember her by name but most of us 90s kids know exactly who you are talking about as soon as you say "Icebox" from Little Giants. She was the only girl on the football team and she kicked ass on the field. Waldron's credit list is decently long and she's still acting, mostly as a thriller actress, but she'll always be the girl who taught me it was okay to be tougher than the boys.

Mackenzie Rosman -- Little Ruthie, the youngest of the Camden family on 7th Heaven, isn't so little anymore. It seems that she took a few years off between the show and her current movie/show credits in 2011, to grow up. And grow up, she did, posing for Maxim magazine in July 2013.

Kirsten Storms -- When I catch Zenon, Girl of the 21st Century on the Disney channel, I freak out a little bit. Zenon made it completely okay to rock bright pink, purple, blue and silver in one outfit with super-high pigtails to top it off, because it was the future. Ready for the crazy part? The movie was set in the year 2049, which seemed so far in the future when I was 11, but most of us will totally be alive then. Creepy. Since playing and reprising the role of Zenon for two more movies, Kirsten went on to voice an animated character in the Kim Possible movie and star in General Hospital.

Emmy Rossum -- In 1999, she made being the smart girl in school totally cool in the Disney channel movie, Genius. And when I recognized her in the film adaptation of my favorite broadway musical, Phantom of the Opera, it was like opening my eyes to a new, adult, gorgeous, opera-singing Emmy Rossum. She's amazing. Now she stars in the show Shameless, which I hear is great.

Christy Carlson Romano -- We all know what happened to her Even Steven's costar, Shia LaBeouf (he became super hot, albeit a little weird. end of story), but what about his older, smarter and slightly annoying sister Ren? Christy voiced the lead animated character of Kim Possible for the Disney channel show of the same name, and she also acted the lead role in ABC Family's Cutting Edge. Oh, and apparently Christy was just as much of a brainiac as Ren was. She met her now-husband while studying at Columbia University.

Tahj Mowry -- Tia and Tamara were cool and all, but I loved Tahj and his show Smart Guy. I tuned in every week to see what new challenges this super smart 12-year-old faced in high school where his sister, brother and family friend also attended. It was dramatic and funny, and I still sing the theme song when I think about it. Tahj turned out to be quite the singer as well. Although he starred in a multitude of Disney channel shows and movies as well as the ABC Family show Baby Daddy, you can check out his covers on YouTube to hear him sing.

Ben Foster -- Alongside Jewel Staite, Ben Foster starred in Flash Forward as Tuck and I ate it all up. A relatively overlooked actor, Ben really is quite phenomenal. He's like a chameleon, taking on character after character and making it believable. I loved him as Trevor Adams in Bang, Bang You're Dead, a movie that tackles the topic of school shootings in masterfully, but he's also had great roles in X-Men:The Last Stand, Alpha Dog, and 3:10 to Yuma.

Sometimes, it's just fun to see how these kid stars grew up right along with us. This is just a list of stars I remembered to look up from the shows I loved in the 90s and early 00s. I'm sure I'm missing tons of people. Shout 'em out in the comments below!

1, 2, 3; 4, 5, 6; 7, 8, 9; 10, 11, 12; 13, 14, 15. 

How I Ended Up at Madison Square Garden Twice in 48 Hours

I can only remember going to MSG once in my whole existence of living in this wonderful city. That sounds really bizarre but, honestly, most New Yorkers don't visit the typical tourist-y hotspots. So when I found myself at MSG twice in just as many days, it was almost comical. And it ended up being the best days I've had in a while.

As long as I've known him, Mr. Big & Tall's talked about his biggest birthday dream: to see Kobe Bryant play at the Garden. Strangely enough, it always worked out that the LA Lakers played the Knicks either on or near his birthday. This past December, I decided I wanted to make that happen. And I kind of succeeded. It wasn't the Lakers (Kobe's hurt and isn't playing this season anyway), but the Sacramento Kings came to New York, and being the most amazing girlfriend ever, I got tickets!

But, of course, I couldn't just hand the tickets over unceremoniously. (How boring would that be?) So I sent him on a scavenger hunt around the city. You read that right - a scavenger hunt. And the poor baby didn't even know what awaited him at the end of it all, but he accepted the challenge anyway.

I purchased bold colored envelopes from Paper Presentation (my new favorite store!) to use for the clues because they had to be noticeable enough. And this 'antique gold' color was calling out to me from the shelves because of how metallic yet muted they were. I wrote clues on each card stock and placed them within the envelopes. The most difficult part was creating the riddles that would lead him from one clue to the next.

Of course, not everything went according to plan. Nothing ever does. He ended up going in the complete wrong direction at one point, I got multiple phone calls of confusion and we were a late to the game. But nothing can take away from the spectacular moment when he realized that we weren't just meeting at MSG - we were going inside. I wish I could've captured the look on his face; the childish grin from ear-to-ear that he wore from the moment he saw the tickets until the first timeout was priceless.

After researching for days, I finally decided on these tickets in Section 109. I literally spent hours on virtual tour type websites to make sure I knew exactly the view I was getting. And I was pleasantly surprised as we were way closer than I expected. In pictures, it looks really far, but we could see the details of the sneakers each player wore. That's really freaking close!

I was sure that it couldn't get any better - and then it did. We had decided to have a pretty chill Valentine's Day. In the past, like our first Valentine's Day, we took trips to resorts and did all the over-the-top things newly-in-love couples do. But over time, we've just used the day to eat lots of chocolate and watch movies. And that's what I thought was in store for me this past Friday. I woke up to 2 dozen roses and chocolates, which was a bit of a surprise but still pretty relaxed. At around 7:30pm, I got a text to take a taxi to 33rd and 7th. And there, he handed me a card with two tickets to see the band I love (second only to 30 Seconds to Mars & maaaybeee Imagine Dragons) in concert: Kings of Leon!

And even with the scent of sweat and smoke in the air, we danced, and drank beer, and sang screamed along with the songs. And I loved every moment of it ❤ 

Simple Valentine's Day Makeup

I love a simple makeup look, especially for Valentine's Day as guys (not to say it's all about them) usually prefer a more natural look. At least that what my boyfriend says. I've also been loving the softer, bronzed look to a strong contour lately. Here's the look I'll most likely be wearing this friday. It's not nearly as complicated as this picture makes it seem - I promise!

Items pictured are ones I use; Items written beside them are alternatives.

ONE: PERFECT

I don't usually use a primer as I find it doesn't to much for me (unless I'm not wearing makeup), but if you do, apply it first. Using a face brush like the amazing Sigma F80 flat top kabuki, apply a single pump or two of the foundation (YSL Le Teint Touché Eclat) to your entire face. Avoid using too much product. Remember, we want to keep this look natural and luminous.

TWO: SHADE 
Prime your eyelids if necessary. Dip a flat brush into both 'Sin' and 'Naked' (Urban Decay Naked Palette) eyeshadows and pat the color onto your lid. Using a blending brush, place 'Buck' into your crease and blend upwards.

THREE: LINE
Apply a thin line of eyeliner (Benefit's Kohl liner in Onyx) on your lid close to your lashes and wig it out slightly at the end. Use the opposite end of the liner (or improvise with a q-tip!) to smudge the liner out in upwards motions. The aim is to fade the black so it's not as harsh. In a 'v' shape, blend 'Handwritten' (MAC) almost on top of the liner from the outer corner towards the middle of the eye. Then use that same color and a pencil brush to blend under the eye.

FOUR: FLUTTER
Coat your upper lashes with mascara (L'Oreal Voluminous) before applying your falsies (House of Lashes Bombshell).

FIVE: DEFINE
Brush through your eyebrows with a spoolie and, if needed, apply a brow wax to keep them in place. Alternating between the brow pencil (Anastasia Brow Wiz) and the spoolie (to brush through the brows for a more natural look), fill in your eyebrows. Aim for defined and full, but not too strong.

SIX: CONCEAL
Next, apply a concealer (MAC Prolongwear) that matches your skin tone and doesn't crease under your eyes in an upside-down triangle shape. If you want, take that same concealer down the bridge of your nose, onto your chin and at the center of your forehead between your eyebrows.

Don't forget to apply mascara to your bottom lashes now that you've applied concealer!

SEVEN: SET
Now, to set all that hard work! Dust a thin layer of banana powder (Ben Nye) on the parts that you concealed. This gives a highlighted effect. Use a setting powder (MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural) that matches your foundation color for the rest of your face. (Note: you can use a setting spray after your done as well if you feel like you need it).

EIGHT: BRONZE
I like to contour my face, but for this look, just use a bit of bronzer for a softer look. With a powder brush, place a bronzer (CoverGirl Queen Collection in Bronze) that is at least 2 shades darker than your skin into the hollows of your cheeks, along your hairline and your jawline. Blend mercilessly to eliminate any lines. Blush (NYX Cinnamon) for this look is optional, but if you use it, choose a color that gives you a gentle flush to keep the look natural.

NINE: HIGHLIGHT
Highlighting is my favorite part! Place the highlighter (Dior Amber Diamond) right above your cheekbones and on your cupid's bow. You can use your highlighter or a shimmery eyeshadow like UD's 'Virgin' for beneath the brow bone and in the inner corner of your eye.

TEN: POUT
Line your lips with muted pink lip liner (Jordana Baby Berry) and fill them in totally. Apply a  pink lipgloss (NARS Angelika) on top.

Valentine's Day is usually pretty low key for the boyfriend and I. His birthday is on the 12th (today!) so I usually put all my creative energy into that. And as the lovely day is wedged between his day of birth and mine (all 3 happen within a month), we just like to enjoy each other's company.

Happy Valentine's Day <3

No Dessert (Til Brooklyn)!

So remember back when I told you about my Sweat For Summer challenge? There's one small thing that I left out because I wasn't sure if I was really gonna do it or if I even could do it. For the entire month of January, I skipped dessert. That's right for 30 days I said "no, thank you" to what has always been my favorite part of eating. I have a major sweet tooth and can eat pretty much anything with lots of sugar. I'm sure I don't have to go into detail about how bad that is for a fitness journey, and, you know, for life and all.

It all started when I bought 2 glazed doughnuts from 7eleven and gleefully brought them home. After warming them up in the microwave for a few seconds, I blissfully enjoyed these sugary gems. And then I repeated the cycle again, oh and again and again. This is a pretty embarrassing story but you get the picture. Homegirl was throwing doughnuts back quicker and more frequently than she did vodka shots in college at a frat party that only served beer but where knowing one of the brothers there always hooked you up with the good shit in the back pantry while no one was looking. That sounds like an illegal substance, but I'm just talking about the rubbing alcohol in a bottle that is Vladimir vodka, which probably should be illegal. And just like the freshman 15, those little doughnuts had me feeling heavier and sluggish than ever. And so began the idea, "What if I just give these up?" Simple enough. But then I decided it wasn't enough because I'd just eat cookie after cookie, mumbling about how 'it's not a doughnut!' Giving up desserts entirely was my only option. Now seeing as I pretty much subsist on sugar, I didn't abstain from sugar or sweet things in general. By desserts, I mean those yummy bakery things and other treats we loved as children and grudgingly ate our vegetables in the hopes of: cakes, cookies, cupcakes, doughnuts (!), ice cream, and the like. Which means candy and other sweet things were still technically on the table, but, hey, gotta start somewhere.

So what do you eat when you can't have all the cookies, cupcakes and cakes? Here are a few of the treats I enjoyed during the month of January, and I'm still reaching for quite a few of these.

Strawberries & Whipped Cream

Caramel Rice Cakes

Iced Coffee 

Note: I know that it's full of sugar, but it's not a doughnut! :) And it tests my willpower, as Dunkin Donuts is full of yummy doughnut-y options to bypass.

Banana Brown Sugar Vanilla Smoothie 

Recipe here.

100 Calorie Popcorn

½ Grapefruit with teaspoon of sugar

Strawberry Banana Creams 

Recipe here. 

Granola & Dried Cranberry Mix

Peppermint Tea (or any tea for that matter)

It's a small victory, but I'm proud of myself for sticking to it (except for that random golden oreo I ate accidentally :\). Got any recipes for a sweet snack? Leave a comment below, and Happy Monday!

Monday Morning Motivation

Take that leap of faith.

I Been Drinking, I Been Drinking

So after venting on yesterday's super-late post, I'm showing up today much more relaxed. That's probably because I spent my Thursday night (and a maybe a few nights before), sipping Chambord Kir Royales and binge watching January Favorites videos on YouTube. Honestly, I can't think of too many things better than a raspberry drank and lots of beauty talk right about now.

Chambord Kir Royales are beyond delicious, and I've recently learned from Karena&Katrina that they are low in calories. Win, win, win! (The 3rd 'win' being that tingly, warm feeling after the first glass). Oh, and they are the simplest to pour. If you're looking for a new, tasty, somewhat guilt-free drink, check out my sad awesome recipe illustration thingy below!

1,; 2,; 3; Edited by me.

Although I'm both cleansing out my makeup collection and trying not to buy too many unnecessary products, I'm addicted to YouTube videos in general and I'm always on the lookout for that raved-about product. So I've been loving these favorites videos and these YouTubers.

 

Everything Nicole Guerriero recommends ends up being the bomb.com, which 
reminds me I need to repurchase Christian Dior Creme de Rose Lip Balm.

As if I need any more light pink polish, I want Tanya Burr's Nail Polish in Mini Marshmellows!
And it's sold out :(

Not only is NitraaB hilarious in this video (& every video!), but she always has 

the discount codes that make me want to buy everything. Everything.

That Sally Hansen Topcoat might have to be mine soon.

Topcoat that dries in 30 seconds? Yes, please!

Happy Weekend!

The Biggest Loser That Lost Too Much

Blogging is for venting, right? At least once in a while, no? Well, I'm going to vent. Yes, that's what I'm going to do today. I hope you don't mind, but I'll give you time to get out while you can... 

Still here? Now, I'm not the type to write reaction blogs habitually, and I don't plan on it (not that I'm devaluing that; it's just not my thing). But on Tuesday, I tuned into the finale of the Biggest Loser, and pretty much reacted just like this along with trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels to the winner's reveal. 

What were they reacting to? Well, as the final hour of the finale drew to a close, fan favorite, Rachel Frederickson had her big reveal, walking through the double doors with a picture of her former self projected onto it. From far away on my television screen, she looked thin, but it didn't shock me at first in the same way that Bob and Jillian were clearly shocked. I thought "Oh wow, she's tiny, almost too small but okay I guess." When she stood next to her overweight hologram the difference was astounding and no one could deny it.

It's when Rachel stepped on the scale for her final weigh-in that I realized the magnitude of the weight she'd lost, and why the trainers reacted in the way they did. Rachel lost almost 60% of her initial 260 pounds, leaving her a shell of her former self. And not a particularly healthy shell either. 

And then... they zoomed in on her face and she looked about 40. Oh, by the way, she's only 24! 

Her trainer, Dolvett Quince, came to her defense (at least that's how news articles are putting it) on Wednesday morning stating in part "please try not to look at one slice of Rachel's journey and come to broad conclusions. Rachel's health is and always has been my main concern and her journey to good health has not yet ended!" If you ask me, Dolvett's statement is also loaded with concern for her health, and almost seems to expose his belief that she looks unhealthy. And the fact that both Bob and Jillian have opted not to comment yet were so clearly disturbed during the finale, just solidifies it for me.

Let me be clear, I am not passing judgment in any way. I know too well about the trials of striving for fitness. As a gymnast, the pressure to be lighter and stronger to ensure you'd be faster and better was overwhelming at times. A few years ago, in the midst of my fitness journey, I struggled against the temptation to skip meals or go to bed hungry because of the frustration of feeling like I wasn't seeing my handwork pay off on the scale. I remember what it was like rationalizing that it wasn't hunger but a craving panging at me telling me to eat something. I know what it's like to struggle with disordered eating because you feel you'd rather starve than go back to the unfit person you use to be. And I know what it's like to find yourself back here again, contemplating all of the ways to drop a few pounds quickly. It's troubling, to say the least. 

What's even more troubling is that, in reading the comments on some of these articles, I saw that a lot of people were defending Rachel's weight loss because it was for $250K, because some pro athletes and runners are the same size, and because weight loss like that could be attained healthily over that period of time. Now, my personal beliefs conflict with all of those reasons for a variety of different reasons, including the fact that I've never seen a NYC marathon runner in that kind of shape, and I doubt Rachel could run a marathon right now. Homegirl tripped up the steps. But it was the assertion that she was far healthier at underweight than she was overweight. Now whether that's true or not is up for debate, I suppose (she was about 15 pounds under and previously 130 pounds overweight). But the statement infuriated me! In my opinion, the mentality that being underweight with all the disorders that can bring is better than being overweight is the breeding ground for the unhealthy body images that lead many, especially young girls, to anorexia and bulimia and like disorders in the first place. And what I found even more astounding was that most of those claiming this was non-issue were men. *Stamps feet and slams doors* I cannot even go into what that all means, but I'll just leave it hanging here as an interesting observation. 

Of course, I really hope Rachel gets whatever help she needs to be the beautiful, athletic, confident woman she's always wanted to be while also maintaining her health. And now, that I write this all, I realize I'm more disturbed by the some of the reactions than anything else. One thing that definitely didn't disturb me one bit Tuesday night? At-home winner Tumi's transformation! 

  

Girlfriend weighed in at 175 pounds, shedding 188 of them and revealing this smokin' bod. 

1; 2; 3; 4