Workout Motivation & A New Baby

One of my very best friends had her baby yesterday!! This is her 2nd kiddo, so she's basically an old pro now. She found out she was pregnant within a 2 weeks of conception so we feel like this girl has been with child FORVER! They are like family to us and I can't wait to be a special part of this baby's life. If he's half as fun and cute as his older brother then he'll fit right in. He has my heart already! There's nothing like the feeling of holding a precious little new born baby.

I already told Skye that I will probably get baby fever for a couple of weeks...scary, I know.

Gunner Gaines 7 lbs. 6oz. 19.5 inches long born 7/16/12

I'm sure you will see all kinds of cute little baby pictures of Gunner in the days to come.

And moving right along...I told you yesterday about my renewed workout efforts that are taking place. I wanted to share with you some of my updated running playlist. I'm the kind of girl who has to have very fast paced rap-style music to run to. I need something with a fast beat to keep me going when I'm running. (If I'm just doing strength training then I can listen to just about anything that's semi-fast paced). So here's what I am listening to currently when I run:

 

 And of course I have to end it with Like A Boss because that's just how I roll! haha

Just as a side note here too, some of these songs have offensive lyrics, I don't mind because I'm pretty gangsta like that, but if you don't like cussing, etc. then some of these just won't work for you. Just had to warn you! Music is a huge part of keeping me going when I run, so I hope that this helps you if you're struggling with some motivational music.

I need a new pair of running shoes too, and I want these! Love the hot pink. Does anybody actually own these and run in them - do you love them? Usually I'm not a Nike girl when it comes to running shoes, I stick more with Asics. But for these cuties, I might make an exception.

Pinterest Source: melissa ochoa via theskinnyconfidential.com



 Also, if you want more of mini updates about my day-to-day progress with eating healthy & working out then you can find that on my Twitter.

12 Summer Must Haves {Sponsor Spotlight}

Since today is officially the first day of Summer, I thought I would put together a little Summer Must Have list for you! I asked all my June Sponsors if they would help me out and give me their #1 must have summer item this year. This is an amazing group of fashionistas (excluding myself) so I think we should all run out and get these products. This is not a sponsored post by any of these brands, just the things that we love!

1. Brie from Recipe for a Beautiful Life - My favorite summer product is the Tan Towel. It's a towelette with self tanner built right in! It's so easy to apply, goes on streak free, smells great and dries quickly! The color is awesome and so natural! 

2. Kelly from Messy.Dirty.Hair -  Hi loves! I'm Kelly & I blog over at Messy.Dirty.Hair, a fashion & lifestyle blog! Nikki is one of my favorite bloggers so of course I wanted to sponsor her fabulous blog! So today I am just touching on my favorite must have summer product! One of my favorite products to use during the summer is The Body Shops Vitamin C Skin Boost - it creates instant smoothing radiance with a silky smooth finish. It's an ideal skin pick-me-up to enhance your glow. It is not a lotion. It's more of a serum. It's really great when you have a nice tan on your face because it adds such a pretty shine. I highly suggest going & checking out all their Vitamin C Skin products this summer! Hope to see you around Messy.Dirty.Hair.

3. Laura from Fancy This - Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towelettes - I like them because if I have a late night {barbecuing or just spending time with friends} and I don't feel like doing my whole nighttime routine when I get home, I can just give my face a swipe with one of these little guys and it leaves my skin feeling clean, soft, and refreshed. there's no residue left behind at all, and they're hypoallergenic {for realz. I have super-sensitive skin and I don't have any issues with them!} so you know you're not leaving lots of harsh chemicals and whatnot on your face. win-win!

4. Brie from Sophistifunk - Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolor in Fuchsia Fever - i think her picture speaks for itself in saying how cute this color is on her. Perfect pop of color for the summer time!

5. Sarah from Notice the Dirt - My must-have summer product is Frederic Fekkai Summer Hair Beach Waves Spray.  I have the kind of hair that poofs up and kinks into the kind of random waves that actually look like hat head if you even mention the word "humidity".  Basically I look like a ridiculous poodle whether I'm sitting by the pool or walking along the beach or just walking outside in my southeastern U.S. climate.  And forget spending time on a boat without both a hat AND a pony tail!  Then I met Beach Waves spray.  I keep this spray with  me when I'm going to be outside - a couple of spritzes and a comb and my hair will settle into some nice beach-y waves.  Bonus:  the spray smells so nice and summery, it's bound to improve your mood!

6. Lauren from Our Hiding Place - My MUST HAVE piece of summer clothing is colored skinny jeans! They are a great way to add a pop of color to your wardrobe, especially paired with a neutral top!  I've been posting pictures of them all over Instagram (@lpmcbride) because I'm OBSESSED with my pale pink and pale yellow pair from American Eagle. Every girl should own a pair this summer! :)

7. The Pink Growl (me!) - My must have product this summer is the Garnier Fructis Wonder Waves Spray. I'm a girl with semi-wavy hair, but it's really not cute to wear like that daily. You all know I spend all my free time at the lake so when I'm up there I can just spray this in my hair and scrunch. Easy as that! It smells great and makes very cute waves. This is a lake bag must have for me!

8. Sami from Sami's Shenanigans - My favorite summer must have product is a cute cover-up for the pool/beach! I love this Tory Burch one from ShopBop.

9. Suzanne from The Wineabe - Here is my favorite...Benefit Ultra Shines lip gloss in {So Frisk Me} It is just the right combo of shine and color {and a little sparkle} for the summer!  AND...it is not sticky!  {I hate sticky lip gloss}

10. Taylor from Goings On In Texas - My go to product for summer (and really all year round) is City Block Sheer SPF 25 by Clinique. It's a great tinted face protector that can be used by itself or as a makeup primer. I love it!! I don't wear foundation so this is a perfect primer for me. :) And it's got SPF to protect my face. It also comes in a 40 SPF.

11. Nikki from My Life My Way - my Maui Jim sunglasses because skin cancer runs ramped in my family. I do not go out of the house without these things EVER!

12. Sarah from Simply Sarah - My all time favorite summer product would have to be this True Blue Foaming Body Buff from Bath & Body works. I put this on after I wash my body and it makes my skin really soft. I hate using lotion and I never have to when I exfoliate with this stuff. It's amazing and I always get compliments on how smooth my skin is. (Ps- totally works even better if you apply it with exfoliating gloves or a loofah)

Now you know what we love! What's your favorite from the list??

Oh, How Pinteresting!

I see everyone's posts when they link up every Wednesday with The Vintage Apple, and lately I've been a Pinterest beast just trying to gather my thoughts for wedding ideas. (Sorry if you follow me and you're annoyed with all the wedding crap!) I've never linked up for this one before, but I thought this would be the perfect time to show you some of my ideas. I can't say enough that wedding planning is so fun! Aside from the whole choosing the venue part, which so far I have been unable to do. I just can't decide!

Our colors are going to be bright purple & grey-

Love these for favors!
Source: curls-pearlsandasoutherngirl.tumblr.com via Brittani Hale

ahhh the life of a cop's wife!
Source: uploaded by user via Christa Penson

I pretty much love everything about this - our guys will even have similar attire with the grey suits. I have looked at a couple venues that even look similar.
Soure: weddingchicks.com via Mica Ramos

HILARIOUS! I can totally see Skye and his friends doing this to make fun of us girls!
Source: soundtracktoido.com via Mallory Painter

Idea for reception tables to have pictures of us at that age of the table numbers. so sweet!
Source: weddingwindow.com via Mallory Painter

Gorgeous! I adore the look of outdoor lights like this!
Source: elizabethannedesigns.com via Jennifer Leggett Reynolds

{InstaLOVE} Weekend Recap

Hi loves! I hope everyone had a fab Easter Sunday! My love had to work, but I did get to spend time with my brother, dad and step-mom (which that relationship is improving over time so that's good). I truly love 3 day weekends. This girl could really get used to working only 4 days week. It just feels so much shorter, right?

So, I have a few updates for you! First, you will notice that I am swapping buttons with some wonderful bloggers over on my right sidebar under Blog Swap Buttons. This is something new that I am trying out to see if my blog can support paid sponsorship. I don't think I'm quite there yet, but this will help me get there. If you want to swap buttons for free, let me know so we can help each other! Please take a minute to check out my Blog Swap buddies! Also, I'm working on a new header for The Pink Growl so I can finally update my look. I'm doing all this design myself so fingers crossed that it turns out presentable.

Next, I am quite sad to inform you that this awesome dress I showed you that I had ordered last week from Forever21 did not work out in my favor. Somehow, I happened to overlook the fact that it was a young GIRL'S dress, and did not even come close to fitting me. I took a picture of me wearing it just to give you a giggle - see the bottom picture. BOO!

Here's a peek at the rest of my weekend, in pictures. If you follow me on Twitter (@nikkib918) or Instagram (nikkib918), then you might have already seen these...

I spend my free time wedding planning these days, I love dreaming up these fabulous ideas!

I went and looked at my first potential wedding venue Saturday, this was one piece of it. AH-MA-ZINGly beautiful, rustic, and so perfect for a small town girl like me. Plus, it's in my hometown.

AND they have peacocks there!

my new phone cover - bling bling!

I went to Spirited Art Saturday night with some girlfriends. I'm not exactly the artiste! We had so much fun though.

My new polish from Pretty Blogger Swap! Zoya - kelly - love it!

And sadly, my new "dress" from F21, turned out to be a kid's dress. BOO! (please excuse my messy closet)



Thursday Things to Love - Spring Things Edition!

I am still trying to makeover my wardrobe with clothes that actually fit me. Spring is a really fun time for a newly reformed chubby girl to get new items! Pants are my biggest issue - I typically need shorter lengths in pants (both jeans and work pants) so that makes it a little tricky sometimes to find the perfect fit. Plus, I'm a bargain girl. I rarely ever pay full price for anything! I just can't really bring myself to do it. That's why places like Forever21 are right up my alley!



I just placed a spring order from F21 the other day, and I can't wait for my new clothes to come in. Again when I look back at this order I totally should have worked in more pants/skirts, but for some reason I always more drawn to the tops. Oh well, at least it's a start!

Take a look at what I'm getting -

Classic Dotted Dress - Forever21 - $10

Beaded Layered Necklace - $8.80

Abstract Leopard Top - $7.99

Abstract Floral Print Blazer - $11.99



Graduated Stripes Cardigan - $14.90

Spring Must Haves

Now that 70-80 degree weather seems to be the norm, I'm ready to get a spring tan! The transition from winter to spring always takes a lot of prepping for us girls. We must get some color on our legs before we can show them off, get pedicures on our hidden winter toes, and getting our bodies all buffed & polished to be able to handle less clothing that warm weather brings. And of course go out and buy the cute new springy clothes.

Here are some of my beauty products that are spring prep must haves!

Fresh Brown Sugar Scrub – Sephora

I cannot say enough good things about this sugar scrub! I was looking for a really good leg exfoliation treatment for summer. I envy the look of slightly oily smooth tan legs! This girl has pasty white ashy legs right about now. So in order to get me in gear for summer legs, I’m using this. If you are one of those people who does not like a slightly oily feel to your legs then this is not the product for you. So far it’s proving be an excellent exfoliater, plus it has some natural oils in it so it leaves a little bit of a sheen on your legs (or where ever you use it). That way you don’t have to use as much lotion. My main motive here was my legs.

Softsoap – Coconut Scrub Body Butter Body Wash

Since apparently, I’m obsessed with being scrubbed clean of all my dead skin… I’ve also been using this as a body wash. It’s very creamy, smells great and actually does a pretty good job exfoliating your body. I like to mix it up with the body wash every now and then, but I'd never tried this kind before. I actually bought it while grocery shopping a couple weeks ago and so far I like it.

CHI – 44 Iron Guard – Thermal Heat Spray

I’ve been using this stuff since the last time I had my hair done and I can actually notice less breakages than usual. Which makes me beyond thrilled! This was recommended to me by my wonderful stylist as one of her personal favorite protecting sprays for heat products, like curling irons and flat irons. You just spray it on after your dry hair before you heat style, and brush through. It leaves a very silky looking effect, without being greasy looking or feeling. It’s very light weight, which I need because my hair is so fine. The awesome thing is, you can buy this at Target!

Rimmel Soft Kohl Eyeliner Pencil in Pure White
I love the dewy and bright eyed look that a white eyeliner pencil can offer. If you have brown eyes, like me, then you can really tell a difference if you eyes are tired looking. And based on the pictures that I've seen, it works just as well on blue & green eyes. It's a very fresh look and it's super easy to apply to your inner corners of the eye or on your lower lash line.

Inner corners of eyes



lower lash line



What are your spring ready must haves??

All That Glitters

I know that you guys have been missing me....right?!?!?!?

Well it's been almost one week since my last post...and I'm happy to say that's because I had a lovely snowboarding mini-vacay! We didn't quite make it to West Virginia like we had planned because we found out we had to be back in town by yesterday for Skye's work. It just wasn't worth it to drive for 7 hours one way for 2 days on the slopes. So we just hit up our favorite spots in Boone/Banner Elk, NC. That's only about a 2.5 hour drive from us. I absolutely love it there and I wish I could move there tomorrow. The snow was decent, but we had a blast. It was a much needed break from reality! Now I'm facing a 2 day work week then a weekend. A girl could get used to a work schedule like that!

I wasn't very good at taking pictures while we were gone so I don't really have much to show you...so sorry!

Luckily, I do have something to brag about today.
I'm feeling fancy because I'm blinged out with gold! I'm talking nails, eyeshadow and accessories. Check it out -

not really a great picture, but the gold is pretty!

You know I LOVE my Coach Nailpolish!

One of my fav necklaces that Skye got me a from PacSun

Hope you guys are having a great week and I can't wait to get caught up reading all my fav blogs!


PS - Do I need a tan or what??

Thursday Things to Love

Hi - remember me? Yeah I know I've been a bad little blogger this week, but I promise you I have a good excuse. Work has been kicking my ass, and while it's definitely good to be busy but I've been coming in early and working late and it has really interfered with my posting. So sorry - sometimes I have to put work first because it pays the bills and all. I will get around to catching up on my blog readings and commenting very soon.

Here we go with Thursday Things to Love this week...beauty edition.

• Moroccan Miracle Oil for my hair - have y'all ever used this? If you haven't, you need to rush out today and buy some because it's AM-AZ-ING! I've had this bottle for about 3 1/2 years, and since you only need a little drop each time it's really lasted me. A little pricey - I think this bottle was $45, but like I said I've had it for a while. I don't use it everyday, but I 100% notice a difference in the smoothness of my hair when I do use it. My hair is super fine, and lately I've been experiencing lots of breakage - remember I told ya all about that? I highly recommend it. Plus, it has a really nice smell. But remember you only need a little bit, not even dime size amount. If you have fine/oily hair like I do, then using more than you need will make you look like you didn't shower.

• Olay - Night of Olay Firming Cream - My aunt swears by this stuff, and even though it's not the super expensive brand, I have to believe it's working for her because she's 43 and looks fabulous. I haven't been using it long enough yet to see results, but I definitely don't want my age to ever show in my face so I took my aunt's advice and got some. I have a hard time remembering to dab the cream vs. smear it, but I'm sure the dabbing pays off. Do you use any night creams? I'm really starting to get into a preventative beauty regimen so I need advice!

• Estee Lauder - Idealist Skin Refresher. I love love love this product - cannot say enough good things about it. Again, my age conscious aunt got me turned onto this maybe 4-5 years ago. Like my hair, my face tends to get oily (especially in the T-zone) so I'm constantly searching for a moisturizer that is oil-free and keeps me looking fresh all day without too many powder touch ups. BINGO - found it here! Again, it's pricey but well worth it. It doesn't take much for your entire face/neck area, and it leave my face feeling smooth and silky but never greasy.

• Lastly, not beauty related at all, but I'm so excited that the temperature is supposed to get to actual winter norms this weekend! We are hoping to make a quick trip to NC to go snowboarding hopefully Saturday. Plus, Skye is all off all weekend - our first weekend off together in 3 weeks- so we are doing our Valentine's day celebrations over the weekend.

So tell me about your daily/nightly preventative beauty routines. I want to know what works for you and what doesn't, and what products you absolutely couldn't live without.

Do You Gel When You Blush?

A couple weeks ago I placed a fabulous order with Sephora – and I told y’all all about it here. I’m still giddy over all my goodies and I spent some time this weekend re-organizing my make up to make room for my new stuff.

Check out this hot mess that I was working with in my medicine cabinet – yikes! It looks a little better now, but still not quite organized enough for my liking. Hence, why I don't yet have an "after" picture for you.

Before - looks like a bomb went off and just threw stuff anywhere/everywhere

One of things I ordered was a Clinique set – kind of like the ones you get when you spend X amount of dollars that includes a lip something, mascara, an eyeshadow, etc. Except this one wasn’t trial size. I know that you are probably thinking right about now that Clinique is for your 16 year old face and maybe not your 27 year old face. BUT I really like their products. Their eye makeup remover is a favorite of mine, and their products don’t break my skin out. I have sensitive skin so that’s super important to me with makeup and products.

This is what I got

One of the nifty little gems included in this set was a gel blush. I wear blush everyday, but I’ve never really ventured outside the normal powdery kind. I was overly excited to try this gel blush, even though the color seemed WAY too dark for my pale winter skin. I tried this gel blush on Saturday and I loved it! It took me a couple tries to get the right amount of gel to look good, but I think I finally got it down.

Not gonna lie, I was a little apprehensive of "black honey" that doesn't sound like a match with pale winter skin.

.

Then it actually looked black...

Not the best coloring picture, but you can see the final result - not too dark at all. Much more pinkish than I expected.

I really like it! So tell me, do you gel when you blush? Or am I (like usual) the last person catching onto this awesome thing?