Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy Last Day of 2011!!!

Happy Last Day of 2011!!!

This year was a series of good and bad and ups and downs -- definitely a very memorable year for me.
While I am soooo excited to see what 2012 has in store for all of us, I also want to say a proper goodbye to 2011.

So, thanks 2011 for a year filled with learning, new friendships, and new experiences!

Thank you, my dear blog friends, for another wonderful year here on Blogger!
Here's to another great year for all of us!

Shall we take a little trip for New Year's Eve? ;)

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New York

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Australia

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Hong Kong

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London

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Friday, December 30, 2011

Food Network Friday: Cocktails and Drinks

Happy Last Friday of 2011!!!

One of the big milestones for me this year was my 21st birthday -- most of my friends were/are really excited to turn 21 because they can finally drink (legally, that is, haha!). I, on the other hand, wasn't as excited about that aspect because I don't really like the taste of alcohol, haha. Is that weird?

But anyway, I still drank (okay, more like tasted) tequila at my sister's house, but I haven't had a proper cocktail!
What better reason to enjoy a nice cocktail than New Year's Eve, right?!

So I went to the ever-trusty www.foodnetwork.com to find some cocktail recipes we can all prepare and enjoy while ringing in the New Year:

1. Mexicocoa

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Warm up with this festive hot chocolate spiked with tequila and a pinch of chili powder.

2. Citrus Temptation

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Limoncello gives this vodka-based cocktail some Italian flair.

3. S'Mores Delight

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Go decadent with this very grown-up take on the campfire classic.

4. Pointsettia Cocktail -

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Emeril's drink, made with vodka, Champagne and cranberry juice, is dressed up with strips of orange zest.

5. Cider Punch

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This punch is perfect for a crowd. It's infused with orange peels.

I also want to drink a strawberry margarita -- that is definitely on my list, it's one of the first things I'm gonna do this coming year, haha! ;)

Which of these cocktails would you like to try the most?
What is your favorite cocktail? Any recommendations for me?

Twitter? WhatMimiWrites :)

Thursday, December 29, 2011

New Year's Eve: What Are You Gonna Wear?

Happy Thursday!!!

As Shopbop said, "It's {almost} PARTY TIME!" ;)
It feels weird that yet another year has passed and that we are now just a couple of days away from welcoming 2012. :O


Are you gonna wear something new for New Year's Eve?

Here are some of the Editor's Party Picks from Shopbop:

Nicholas Rebecca Sequined Dress, Parker Sunburst One Sleeve Dress, Parker Cluster Beaded V-Neck Dress, and Odylyne Vireo Tunic Dress

I love the third one!

Parker Open Back Dress, Alice + Olivia Eleanor Metallic Striped Dress, ONE by Stretta Siwa Dress, and Dolan Drop Waist Dress

I want #4!

Which of these eight dresses did you like the most?

While it's nice to wear something new for New Year's Eve, I try to keep in mind that times are tough, and we gotta save when we can, right? ;)

With that thought in mind, I decided that I will look through my closet to find some of my older (and possibly never used) clothes to wear for New Year's. I also made two looks from www.hm.com to help me come up with two outfits: one for New Year's Eve and another for New Year's Day.

New Year's Eve:


My Mom believes in wearing green for New Year's. 
Why? Because money is green, haha!

I know I have a green dress somewhere in my closet.
I have stud earrings, a gold statement necklace, and a gold bracelet.
And I can borrow my Mom's black wedge pumps.

New Year's Day:


Like everyone else, I also like to wear shiny and sparkly stuff for New Year's.
And I love the combination of gold and black!

I have skinny black pants and a sparkly gold top I got way back when I was in high school.
I can borrow my Mom's black blazer with gold buttons.
And I'll finish the look with black pumps, gold earrings, and gold bracelets.

Which of these two outfits are you more likely to wear?
What are you wearing for New Year's?

Twitter? WhatMimiWrites :)

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Wedding Wednesday: My Top 5 Favorite Weddings of the Year

Happy Wedding Wednesday!

I can't believe this is the year's last Wedding Wednesday post! :O

 A couple of weeks ago, I shared with you guys who I thought were the Most Beautiful Brides of 2011... and now, it's time to take a look at my top 5 favorite weddings of the year! :D

2011 was filled with tons of weddings -- from the royals (seven!) to celebrities to fashion royalty.
It was quite difficult to pick favorites, but I managed to trim down my list to five. ;)

Here are my top 5 favorite weddings of 2011 (in chronological order):

1. Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth
When: March 26, 2011
Where: Ojai, California


There weren't very many photos of Reese's big day released for us to see, but judging from the ones they've shared with People, I can tell that Reese is really very happy. 

She looked radiant and beautiful. Her blush-colored Monique Lhuillier gown fit her perfectly.
Her hair and makeup are both so simple -- just like her.

Reading about the details of her wedding -- from the bed of lavender sprigs they stood on for the ceremony, to the food they ate, to the role her kids had -- made me smile and feel happy. 
It's a wedding I would looove to attend -- it was all about love, family, and friends.

Read more about Reese and Jim's wedding here.

2. Prince William and Catherine Middleton
When: April 29, 2011
Where: London, England


It's impossible to talk about 2011 weddings without mentioning the royal wedding.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding is THE wedding of the year (no matter what the Kardashians say... haha!). ;)

People all over the world tuned in as Kate became Her Royal Highness, as Sarah Burton became a household name, and as that bridesmaid dress caused a Pippa phenomenon.

I think this wedding is the complete opposite of Reese's private and quiet wedding, but there is still that sense of sincerity and familiarity present. It is by far the most extravagant and most expensive wedding I've seen -- totally not your average wedding. They will never have a normal life, but I loved how there were definitely small hints of them being just like everyone else -- from them driving off together (granted not everyone's Dad owns an Aston Martin), to cousins stuck in a major fashion disaster, to a photo bomber, haha!

In my opinion, this wedding did not disappoint. ;)

Read more about the Duke and Duchess' wedding here.

3. Dylan Lauren and Paul Arrouet
When: June 11, 2011
Where: Bedford, New York


What a gorgeous wedding!
I love love love Dylan Lauren's wedding!

The bride looks stunning and her groom is dashing and handsome.
Every detail is so well thought-out -- you can definitely see Dylan's personality here.
There's candy everywhere (she is, after all, the queen of candy!), it's fun, it's fabulous.

And those bridesmaids' dresses? The colorful flowers? LOVE!
So beautiful!

See more photos of Dylan and Paul's wedding here.

4. Molly Sims and Scott Stuber -
When: September 24, 2011
Where: Napa Valley, California


While I loved the bright colors of Dylan Lauren's wedding, I am also loving the neutral colors of Molly Sims' big day.

I adore her Marchesa wedding dress, it's really beautiful!
Her updo is the perfect hairstyle -- it's clean and it shows off the details of her dress perfectly.

I've always liked the idea of bridesmaids not wearing the same exact dress even though it may seem quite hard to pull off. Molly's bridesmaids' dresses are perfectly mismatched and they all look fantastic!
I think I'd do it that way too. ;)

5. King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Jetsun Pema -
When: October 13, 2011
Where: Punakha, Bhutan


A colorful wedding and a royal wedding rolled into one? I like that!

King Jigme and Queen Jetsun's wedding is the last royal wedding that the world saw this year.
It is completely different from Britain's royal wedding, but I think that's exactly why I loved it.

It's unique and there wasn't much international fanfare, but it brought the tiny kingdom of Bhutan into the spotlight. 
We were given the chance to learn about and appreciate their beautiful traditions. :)

And I also think that the King and Queen are so cute together!
He's always beaming at her and she smiles shyly back at him = awww!

I read somewhere that he proposed to her when he was 17 years old and she was 7 -- okaaay, that's either really creepy or really cute... I'd go with cute, though, haha! What do you think?

So yup, there we have it, my favorite weddings of the year...
I hope you enjoyed reading this post -- I definitely enjoyed writing it! :)

Which of these five weddings did you like the most?
Which weddings of the year belong in your top 5?

Twitter? WhatMimiWrites :)

Monday, December 26, 2011

Music and Late Gift Wish: ADELE Live At The Royal Albert Hall DVD

Happy Last Week of 2011!!!

It's so crazy to think that we are now on the last week of 2011... and that Christmas has come and gone.
*Sigh* Time just flies by, doesn't it?

Anyways, one of the major newsmakers of the year is non other than the extraordinarily talented and beautiful Adele... and you all probably know by now that I am a huge fan, haha! ;)

I went to go see her live in concert at the Hollywood Bowl back in 2009.
She sounds exactly the same live, if not even better -- and that is something not all singers can say about themselves. Adele is truly one-of-a-kind!

I want to go to one of her concerts again!
I'm not sure if she has any tour dates set at the moment, though... so in the meantime, I would be perfectly happy with ADELE Live At The Royal Albert Hall DVD.
I can't believe I forgot to add this to my Christmas wishlist, haha! ;)

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This DVD features the full 90 minute performance, plus behind the scenes footage shot throughout that day. The package also contains an exclusive live CD of the entire show.

This is the first time fans will be able to hear all of Adele's hits and best loved songs on one CD plus her stunning covers of Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me" and The Steeldrivers "If It Hadn't Been For Love".

Here is the trailer for the DVD:



Doesn't it look amazing?!
I loved the part where everyone started singing along to Someone Like You, and seeing it move Adele to tears is so touching. She really deserves all her success.

Here are two of her performances from the DVD/ The Royal Albert Hall:

Turning Tables -



Set Fire To The Rain



Love it love it love it!

I hope you guys enjoyed listening to both of these songs as much as I did (or still do, I listen to these nonstop!).

I wish all of you a wonderful week!
Let's end the year right! ;)

Twitter? WhatMimiWrites

Sunday, December 25, 2011

MERRY CHRISTMAS and a giveaway winner!

HI! :D

I hope you guys are all having a 


!!!

I just wanted to take some time to announce the winner of my $100 Shopbop gift card giveaway. ;)

Before that though, I want to say a big thank you to Shopbop for giving me the chance to host this giveaway... and to everyone who entered, thank you so much for making it a success!

I had a total of 425 entries, and entry #320 won:


Entry #320 is Olivia.


Congratulations, Olivia!!!

Shopbop and I will be emailing you with details this week. :)

Once again, Merry Christmas, everyone!!! :D

Twitter? WhatMimiWrites

Saturday, December 24, 2011

An early Merry Christmas! :)

Happy Saturday!

I'm sure it's gonna be a busy weekend for everyone because tonight is Christmas Eve!

I wish we had this kind of Christmas here in California...

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But, we gotta love what we have, right? ;)

This is what we have: palm trees and sunshine!

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And, I'm not complaining. ;)

Anyways, gotta get back to what this post is really about... I just wanted to do my holiday greetings now just in case I don't get to go on here or on Twitter later tonight.

Wherever you are in the world, I wish you a wonderful holiday weekend with your family and friends!

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I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!!! :D

Christmas is the happiness that lights our children's eyes.
Christmas is a song of bells ringing through the skies.
Christmas is a time of peace, of contentment deep within,
A time of love and silent hope that years will never dim.
--Sherrill Thompson

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I also just wanted to thank Julie from www.popchampagneblog.com for being such a sweet blogger friend!
She sent me a Christmas card with some goodies inside. Thanks, Julie! :)


One last thing, a big thank you to everyone who joined my $100 Shopbop gift card giveaway!
I will try to sneak in some time tomorrow to announce the winner -- I cannot wait to give this amazing gift to one lucky blogger. :)

Happy Holidays!

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Friday, December 23, 2011

Review: SinfulColors Holiday 2011 Collection

Happy Friday! :)

The other day, I shared with you guys Dr.'s REMEDY®'s Enriched Nail Polish Holiday Collection (here).
Now, it's time to check out SinfulColors' Holiday 2011 Collection: Wish.



Bells are jingling, snow is glistening and merry tunes abound: It's the season of shimmer (aka: the holidays) and glamour, of course. And your nails deserve a little gift and loving too. Welcome the SinfulColors Holiday 2011 Collection, Wish, which delights and excites. The collection takes classic colors - like red, green, silver, and blue - and kicks them up a notch to be fashion-forward and festive to ring in 2012.

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Midnight Blue, Last Chance, Sugar Sugar, Daddy's Girl, and Out of this World

The 2011 Wish Holiday Collection includes five gem-inspired shades:

Midnight Blue - a bold, bright twist on navy
Last Chance - an emerald with depth and allure
Sugar Sugar - a candy cane, red-hot tint
Daddy's Girl - a deep purple with a drizzle of shimmer and glitter
Out of this World - a perfect silver with swirls of glimmer

All these colors are beautiful -- definitely perfect for the holiday season!
My favorites? Daddy's Girl and Last Chance.

SinfulColors offers quality products at an affordable price. The variety of colors and products has caught the attention of the national media, appearing regularly in Glamour, Seventeen, and other national magazines. SinfulColors prides itself in providing the highest quality product at the most competitive price.

SinfulColors is one of my absolute favorite brands for nail polish.
They are affordable ($1.99!), are of excellent quality, and are widely available.
To add to that, they have tons of gorgeous colors to choose from (more than 150!).

With SinfulColors, we can't go wrong. :)

And, there's more...

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Fashionista and Flower Girl

This collection also includes two metallic shades of nail art:

Fashionista - a glitter-laden pewter
Flower Girl - a bronzy gold with tons of sparkle

These are good basic colors to have -- gold and silver are classics!

I've always admired other bloggers who are extremely talented with nail art!
With these, I can finally practice -- I am still on the "stripes" stage, but I'll move past that sooner or later. ;)

SinfulColors is available for $1.99 at major drug and mass-market stores nationwide, by calling 1-800-448-0763, or online at www.walgreens.com.

Which of these colors did you like the most?
What nail polish shade are you sporting right now?

I wish everyone a happy Christmas weekend! :)

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P.S. My $100 Shopbop gift card giveaway ends tonight at 11:59pm PST.
Head on over to join, it's not too late! Enter here.

Twitter? WhatMimiWrites :)

Anastasia of Beverly Hills: Happy Holidays! :D

Happy Friday!!!

Christmas weekend is finally here!

Anastasia of Beverly Hills has a lot of wonderful holiday surprises in store for us. :)

First off, they have three excellent products on sale:

1. All EYE Want Palette Illumin8 Eye Shadow Set ($90, on sale for $32!) - 

All EYE Want Palette

2. Bright EYES, Big City Brow & Eye Collection ($124, on sale for $39!) - 

Bright Eyes, Big City

3. Kisses On My List HydraFull Gloss Set ($126, on sale for $30!) - 

Kisses On My List

Amazing prices, right?!
If these products are something you like and need, I recommend getting them now. :)

Anastasia of Beverly Hills is also excited to announce the upcoming release of their limited edition set "Wish You Were Here", and to kick that off, they are having a huge contest!

One lucky winner will receive a round-trip ticket to Los Angeles and a brow appointment with Anastasia herself!
This contest will begin on December 28th.

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I will be sharing more info about that here on What Mimi Writes (you can also follow me on Twitter!). :D

On a different note, you can check out my Dr.'s REMEDY® Enriched Nail Polish review here.

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And, it's finally December 23rd! One more day to enter my $100 Shopbop gift card giveaway.
To enter, please click here.

Have a wonderful Friday!

Twitter? WhatMimiWrites :)

***I just realized that this is my 400th post!!! :D***

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Review: Dr.'s REMEDY® Enriched Nail Polish

Happy Thursday!

It's almost the weekend and I'm sure holiday parties are now in full swing. ;)

We talked about Christmas outfits on my last post... the next thing on our list: NAILS!

I think it's always nice to have clean and polished nails.
I've always admired my older sister's impeccable mani and pedi -- you don't know how happy I was when I finally learned to paint my own nails! ;)

It's amazing how many different nail polish brands and colors are out there -- there's so many that it's quite hard for me to pick just one favorite... but then again, where's the fun in sticking to just one brand and color, right?

I love trying different brands and colors, and that's why I was so so so happy to receive Dr.'s REMEDY® Enriched Nail Polishes to review! :D

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Jolly & Joy Holiday Collection
(RESOLUTION Red Glitter, REVIVE Ruby Red, PASSION Purple, ESSENTIAL Emerald, and SERENE Silver Glitter)

I received those five gorgeous colors (and they also threw in a nail file!).

Dr.'s REMEDY® is a line of doctor-inspired cosmetics that is dedicated to using clean, hypo-allergenic ingredients. Enriched with naturally occurring antifungal ingredients like tea tree oil, garlic bulb extract, vitamins C and E, and wheat protein, Dr.'s REMEDY® Enriched Nail Polish is free from harsh toxins to promote healthier, stronger nails and the first-ever nail polish on the market approved by the American Podiatric Medical Association.

Dr.'s REMEDY® is the most unique nail polish on the market, created by two doctors who truly care. Once you experience the high quality of this enriched polish, you'll be happy you switched to a healthier alternative.

Use Dr.'s REMEDY® as a healthier alternative to commercial nail polish or if you suffer from:
- nail fungus
- brittle, discolored nails
- have an allergy to chemicals in commercial nail polish

This is also great for pregnant women as these nail polishes do not contain toxins such as DBP, Toluene, and Formaldehyde.

Here are the five colors featured in their holiday collection:

1. PASSION Purple - A bombshell-boysenberry with subtle silver meshed throughout.

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This was the first color I tried, and I was really very impressed by it.
I can tell just from the first coat that it's really healthy for my nails.
It went on smoothly, it's shiny, and I didn't even have to put top coat over it.
I did put on three coats to show the richness of the color, though.

2. SERENE Silver Glitter - A seasonal sizzler like no other; shine, chic, totally unique in the metallic scene.

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I think this one is perfect for New Year's -- it's silver, it's sparkly, it's metallic, it's fun!
And there's still a hint of Christmas from the little red and green sparkles.

Two coats are enough -- if you put more than that, it's gonna be too thick, it won't dry right away, and it will peel off easily.

3. REVIVE Ruby Red - A shimmer-infused, Wizard of Oz-inspired shade of crimson.

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This is a beautiful ruby red color!
Like PASSION Purple, this went on ever so smoothly.
Two coats. No top coat.

The brush for this one is too thin, though. And that made it difficult to distribute the nail polish evenly on my nails, but that is probably just with the particular one I got.

4. RESOLUTION Red Glitter - A red-meets-copper spin that's sequin-look-alike laden with high-shine and sparkle.

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I really loved this one!
If I don't have much time, but I want some sort of nail polish on my nails, this is the one I'm always gonna turn to.
One coat will give your nails a sheer and nude-ish look. Two coats will give you a nice, solid color.

This is also perfect for New Year's (I think the name pretty much explains why, haha!).
I loved how it kind of changes color -- it goes from silver to copper to red.

5. ESSENTIAL Emerald - A take on the classic tree-and-plant-inspired gem of a shade, with delicate glimmer and unparalleled amounts of glamour.

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This isn't exactly the shade you would expect to see when you hear "Emerald", but I still think it's a really beautiful color.

Again, it goes on smoothly. Two coats. No top coat.
If you want a more "Emerald" shade, I think putting on more than two coats would do the trick.

This is a fun color that I will use for spring and for summer as well.


The colors are all so beautiful, and it's hard to pick a favorite. But if you were to ask me which of these shades I will probably use the most, I would say RESOLUTION Red Glitter and ESSENTIAL Emerald.

I can honestly say that it was such a pleasure to use Dr.'s REMEDY® nail polishes.
They are of really excellent quality and they are healthy for our nails.
They have a wide selection of gorgeous colors to choose from.
They are so smooth and so shiny -- I didn't use top coat at all!
And they dry incredibly fast!!!

They last for about the same length of time as other nail polishes last for me: about a week or so.
(The sparkly ones do chip faster, though.)

Dr.'s REMEDY® is available for $17 (a bit expensive compared to other brands, but so worth it!) at www.remedynails.com. You can also call 1-877-323-NAIL.


Find out more about Dr.'s REMEDY® Enriched Nail Polish by visiting www.remedynails.com.
You can also like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Have you tried Dr.'s REMEDY® Enriched Nail Polishes? Is this a brand that you would like to try? 
Which of the shades above did you like the most?

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P.S. One more day left to join my $100 Shopbop gift card giveaway.
To enter, please click here.

Twitter? WhatMimiWrites :)