*NOTE: This budget is for shopping/food/gas only, or expense that I can control fully. I’m not including fixed expenses (mortgage, utilities, medical bills) because they’re fixed and honestly pretty boring to talk about. My TOTAL spending is not reflected in this budget. “Food & Dining” = Eating Out + Groceries *

Blown Budgets:

1. Food & Dining  (this category is eating out PLUS groceries together)

2. Groceries

We’re drinking a at least 1 green veggie smoothie every day now so we’re constantly buying produce.  We stocked up at Fresh and Easy, Trader Joe’s, and Costco this month.

3. Clothing

• Forever 21 haul - $45.35
• Urban Outfitters studded sweatshirt, pleated faux leather skirt & a geometric top – $32.58
• A long sleeved, light weight workout top for mosquito coverage at night in Fiji, from TJMaxx – $18.48
• Brandy Melville Eve Silk shorts from Ebay (and NEW with tags! yay) – $7.75
• Brandy Melville Monet top from Ebay – $24
• Brandy Melville LA Bones top from Ebay – $19.99

4. Shoes & Accessories

• Vintage Chanel purse circa 1997, Ebay (and I got it authenticated just in case, phew.) – $1,534.09

Overall budget:

-$1909

The Verdict?

GUESS what item tipped the scale from bad to worse! lol.

Next months plans:

• We cleaned up the garage and we’re getting ready to empty out the kitchen for the kitchen reno while we are gone on vacation
• We’re leaving on Saturday!!!! omgomgomg!
• HAH last month I hoped that I wouldn’t go crazy with pre-vacation spending…..and that definitely happened.  Oh well.  
• Aside from Fiji/NZ/Sydney I’m going to Michelle Phan’s Generation Beauty Event!  I recently got a free invite and luckily I was able to bring Serena along with me…. GIRLS WEEKEND VACAYYY!!! So excited for that as well! May is going to be AWESOME. 

♥ E&I

Nail water decals: (The rose design is DESIGN #9)

http://www.bornprettystore.com/butterfly-rose-flower-skull-water-decals-nail-stickers-p-5310.html

For 10% OFF use COUPON CODE ELLW10

Other Materials:
Pink pointer & pinky nail: OPI Mod About You http://amzn.to/1745o7I
Dotting tool (for glitter dots): http://amzn.to/17pdMjf
White middle nail: Sinful Colors Snow Me White
Ring finger glitte & glitter dots: Revlon Sparklicious
Topcoat: http://amzn.to/Yb1697

We’re finally off to Fiji this Saturday. FINALLY! I feel like I haven’t had a vacation in ages.

Originally we were just going to go to Fiji and back, but every time United screwed up I was able to make lemonade out of lemons and add another country to our trip itinerary.

The agenda:
1 night in Auckland, New Zealand
8 nights in Fiji
4 nights in Sydney, Australia

The total flight cost: 140,000 United points and $235/pp out of pocket (cheaper than a Hawaii flight from Northern California)
The hotel cost: $100 USD for Auckland, $60/night and 4,000 SPG points/night for Fiji, and in Sydney we’re staying at Justin’s cousin’s place for free.

I really could not have done it without the help of miles and points bloggers like The Points Guy and Million Mile Secrets.

Once the trip is over, I will be documenting it in the “MY VACATIONS” page on the blog, with lots of photos and tips if you ever happen to visit one day.

We will also be completing our diving certification there. I’m a little nervous to be honest. I’m nervous about finally scuba diving in the ocean (I did it when I was little and in my late teens but it has been a while) and I’m nervous about going to a new country!

The flight to Sydney for our first layover will be about 14 hours O__O

Do you have any plane-sleeping tips for me?

❤E&I

Something sweet

Materials:
Essie Van D’Go
Sinful Colors Unicorn
The Face Shop GR505
Sinful Colors Sugar Rush
Sinful Colors Sweet Tooth
Zoya Danielle
Zoya Trixie http://amzn.to/10K6Wja
Fine Nail Art Brush http://amzn.to/14Ojlt5
Dotting Tool http://amzn.to/17pdMjf
Silver sequin stars
CND Stickey Base Coat http://amzn.to/XBrttP
Seche Vite Topcoat http://amzn.to/Yb1697

Materials:
Zoya Zuza http://amzn.to/15gjNPS
Revlon Minted http://amzn.to/11wSmx8
Kleancolor Neon Lime http://amzn.to/XqszGt
Kleancolor Neon Orange http://amzn.to/XqszGt
Essie Blanc http://amzn.to/ZfweEx
Zoya Trixie http://amzn.to/10K6Wja
Sinful Queen of Beauty http://amzn.to/14FCH3v
QA15 Plate http://www.meliney.com/cat-image-plate-qa15/
Konad Black Polish http://amzn.to/12G4LyE
CND Stickey Base Coat http://amzn.to/XBrttP
Seche Vite Topcoat http://amzn.to/Yb1697
(Freehand nail art polish) Milani Nail Art Nail Lacquer, Black Sketch 703 http://amzn.to/Xquz1p
Konad Stamper & Scraper Set http://amzn.to/ZfspiC
Zoya Remove http://amzn.to/14UI6me
Synthetic Brush http://amzn.to/XXrHf4

Tribal print is very on trend for sunny spring and summer weather. The look can be a bit much sometimes, so I added a glitter accent nail to cleanse the palette a bit. I also included a few other colorways in case you want something a little different.

I think Kate Spade’s colorways are perfect for Spring & Summer… here’s a bright look using pink and orange. I included some other color palettes at the end so you can change it up a little

❤ Materials:
Julep Niecy (Pink)
Revlon Mad About Mango (Orange) http://amzn.to/173Xqvv
Essie Blanc http://amzn.to/ZfweEx
China Glaze Passion (Metallic Gold) http://amzn.to/12FVTsX
Julep Oscar (Gold Glitter)
Milani Nail Art Polish, Art of Gold http://amzn.to/XAJg1S
Gold Studs http://amzn.to/YGfzyd
Dotting Tool http://amzn.to/17pdMjf
Striping Brush http://amzn.to/ZUEZmE
CND Stickey Base Coat http://amzn.to/XBrttP
Seche Vite Topcoat http://amzn.to/Yb1697
Scotch Tape

❤E&I

The majority of my of YouTube viewers are under the age of 20.  And female.  I was surprised to find most of them are so young (I’m 27).  Maybe I should have expected that

I guess most of it is negative.  :T  YouTube is an entirely different beast compared to the other social networks I am used to.  I now notice (more than ever) a lot of the negativity on popular YouTube channels. I strongly feel that if you put yourself out there, in anything you do… be it performing, dancing, singing, presenting, public speaking, creating art, creating music, or expressing yourself….  It deserves respect.

I don’t believe in putting someone down (to their face or otherwise) just to express my opinion of them.  I believe in free speech, but I also believe in civility and respect.

♥ E&I

And I just read this blog post that I think would be beneficial to anyone who is a social network junkie like me.

Pressures of social media

I’ll be working on filming another nail tutorial tomorrow morning, then going to Justin’s Portugese club picnic, then another family gathering for dinner. Sunday will be mostly hanging out with my parents and driving over our old fridge to them since they wanted another one in the garage.

I just recently bought a vintage 1997 Chanel flap. It’s coming to me in the mail soon….That’s definitely a personal finance-blogger fail right there. I’m excited to get it but I do honestly feel a bit guilty.

And I’m nervous that tomorrow’s filming will not go well.. most times I get lucky and everything turns out peachy… but sometimes not. I’m scared that since I don’t have a lot of filming time that maybe I won’t be able to squeeze in time this weekend.

I also was told today that if I want more [YouTube] “subscribers, show some personality.” Ouch. Am I really that boring?

Anyhoo. Happy Friday. I’m trying not to let that last comment get to me.

Do you have any weekend plans?

♥ E&I

❤ Materials:
Zoya Danielle (Pale Pink)
Essie Blanc (White)
The Balm Pink or Swim (Hot Pink)
Konad White Stamping Polish
Revlon Sparklicious (Dense Glitter)
Small Dotting tool (Find on Ebay)

Konad Stamper & Scraper set (find on Ebay or Amazon for under $10)
Konad m31 plate:

For Non Konad Stamping Flowers:
Essie French Affair (Light Pink)
Large Dotting tool (Find on Ebay)

♥ E&I

Hellooo  If you are interested, please enter my giveaway!  It is open to anyone in the world.

This is really turning into a nails blog huh.  I’ve been losing a lot of PF steam lately because my finances are already automated, I’m just trying to save money where I can and not spend much, and YouTube has taken up a LOT of my time.

I really had a lot of fun editing this one.  Enjoy! And if you decide to enter, best of luck to you

♥ E&I