Top 3 Instagrams of the Month: June 2014

Happy July, readers!

As I said yesterday in My Monday Musts, it seems as if this summer is flying by. However, I was able to capture some of my favorite memories and most important days on my Instagram account.

June not only had a lot of memories made, but was a month for me to revisit past memories. Check out this month’s Instagram pictures with the most likes.

June 4th is one of the biggest dates in my life – it is the anniversary of my father passing away. One of the ways that I grieve is by posting an image of my father and I and writing a little caption about him. This year marked four years since he passed away from brain cancer. I honestly had the greatest daddy a little girl could ask for. Though it is super hard without having him here, as I said in the caption, I am thankful that he is no longer suffering.

Another reason June holds a lot of memories is not just the anniversary of my father’s death, but there is Father’s Day. I found a quote that I absolutely loved and couldn’t help to share it with my followers as I posted a tribute to my father on the holiday. The quote stated, “A girl is lucky to find a Prince Charming, but she’s even luckier when her father is her king.” I may still be searching for that Prince Charming to come along, but my father is – and always will be – the most important man in my life. He loved me, protected me, and was my King. He always will be.

Though this summer seems to be revolving around my summer job and blogging, I still make sure to relax and spend time with my best friend, Julia! We love tanning, so we spent one of our full days off by her pool. We got iced coffee, put “Timeflies” Pandora station on full blast, and laughed the day away. Julia’s sister, Jenna, captured this candid photo of us laughing – which was just so perfect! Julia and I base our friendship around the classic Sex and the City soul mate quote. When it was referenced in Greek, I jotted it down for just the right Instagram picture – and this was it.

I can’t wait to see what July has in store for me! It’s my last full month home before heading back to college, so I can’t wait to make this month truly count. Don’t worry, I’ll be sharing these adventures not only on the blog, but on my Instagram. So, follow me to stay updated! Plus, check out my top Instagrams from January, February, March, April, and May!

21Apr2014

My Monday Musts

by sparkleandshinesami

Happy Monday, readers!

For those of you who celebrated Easter, hope you had an amazing holiday. I also hope the Easter Bunny was as good to you as he was to me – he clearly knows me very well, seeing as my basket was filled with Victoria’s Secret, Clinique, peanut butter cups, and a new pair of sneakers. Can’t wait to break them in later at the gym!

Being home for a few days for Easter allowed me to de-stress and prepare myself for the long-haul of the next three weeks of classes, tests, and ultimately – finals week.

My biggest recommendation is make your phone’s lock screen an inspirational quote that you really love to help you power through. I scoured my Pinterest‘s “Words to Live By” board until I found the perfect one. Here it is:

To help you stay calm through your possible stressful week, take a quick break, and check out this week’s Monday Musts –

1. Cookie Dough Iced Coffee from Dunkin Donuts

I spent my Friday home in New Jersey from school getting my nails done and shopping. No day of manicures and shopping would be complete without either a Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks run. So, after hearing rave reviews about Dunkin’s newest iced coffee – Cookie Dough flavored, Julia and I decided to get it. It was DELICIOUS! I’m a recent iced coffee addict and this new flavor from Dunkin was so good. The Baskin Robins inspired flavored coffee is a MUST TRY for any iced coffee addict – so head on over to Dunkin immediately. You won’t regret it!

2. Modern Family

Besides iced coffee, manicures, and shopping, my few days at home for Easter also included vegging out on the couch catching up on some of my favorite television shows, such as “Criminal Minds” and “The Millers.” I’ve heard a lot of positive reviews about the ABC show, especially how funny it is. I decided to watch it – and became HOOKED. Before I knew it, I was watching every episode that was on demand and am now quickly looking into other ways to catch up on all the seasons (if anyone knows – let me know – since it’s not on Netflix). I love all the characters, the family dynamic, how the show is set up, and just everything about it. I hope my future daughter is as sassy as Lilly.

3. The Makeup Show NYC

Being a member of the Seventeen Social Club as brought so many incredible opportunities (stay tuned for a post from one of the products they sent me this week!). One of the most recent opportunities that I am super excited about is attending The Makeup Show in NYC with my little diamond, Amber, as press. On May 4, Amber and I will be traveling into the City to hear from some of the best in the industry regarding different makeup tips and tricks for all occasions. I’ll be sharing about it on Twitter and Instagram, then doing a blog post all about it. Words can’t express my excitement or how thankful I am for all the opportunities “Sparkle and Shine” has given me.

Also, remember I can help YOU get famous – just go HERE.

If you change your lock screen to an inspirational quote, comment below and tell me what one it is – or even link it to the photo on your Pinterest board. I LOVE finding new quotes to pin.

Have a great week, readers! Keep sparkling!

13Nov2013

DIY Sharpie Mug

by sparkleandshinesami

To make my best friends birthday gift, I let my sorority girl/Pinterest addicted self shine through by crafting a DIY sharpie mug with our favorite “Sex and the City” friendship quote – “Maybe our best friends are our soul mates, and boys are just to have fun with.”

The quick craft came out absolutely beautiful & better than I could have ever expected. More importantly, my coffee chugging bestie, Julia, loved it!! With the holiday season now here, a DIY Sharpie mug is a great gift to make and give to any coffee or tea lover in your life.

The make the mug, the steps are:

1. First, you need to get the supplies you need! They’re all very cheap and easy to get – Sharpie markers and a mug! Most mugs can even be found at the dollar store if you are trying to keep yourself on a budget.

2. Decide what you want to write on it. As I said, Julia and I always tell each other that we are soul mates because of the SaTC quote, so it was perfect! You can write any quote you want, draw a design, or even write a note if you would like! You have complete creative freedom!

3. Once you know what you want to do, start designing! Take your time, remember you can’t undo it once you start, so do not rush.

4. Once it is finished, place it in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. This allows the Sharpie to not come off after washing it and multiple uses. Once it bakes, let it cool.