Shopping Archives – Tastebud Travels

Keepin’ it Small on Cyber Monday

Tiffani — Mon, 30 Nov 2015 16:59:00 +0000

In no way whatsoever do I mean for anyone to shop in small quantities this Cyber Monday- what fun would that be? Seeing as how Black Friday and Small Business Saturday just passed, I thought it’d be fun keep the shopping small trend going. I have a few small style shops that I seriously love that are running some AWESOME Cyber Monday deals!

Courtney & Courtnie Bangles These ladies make some beautiful jewelry! They started with gorgeous bangles and expanded to rings and earrings recently! In their shop, you’ll find bangles of all different colors and stones, they even have some college themed pieces. Did I mention all of their product are hand made? That’s my kinda jewelry. I have my eye on their Rainbow Druzy Round Stud Earrings. They are running 30% off orders of $60 or more with code GIFTS30 AND 20% off all orders with code SHOPSMALL20

Love and Print This little shop ROCKS! They have some of the most adorable Christmas printable as well as super cute tops for the little tykes in your life. While their Christmas section is amazing, the rest of Love and Print’s products do not disappoint! They are running 20% off today with code CYBERYALL

Morph Speakers These are the coolest speakers I have ever seen! I recently found this brand on instagram and have seriously fallen in love with their rugged, hand made speakers. These are perfect for the man in your life, or to keep just about anywhere you need a little beat in your life! Morph is running 20% off all orders with code CyberWood

Texas Humor is every Texan’s favorite little shop. Between Thomas and I, we have over 2/3 of their products, and I love every single one of them. Not from Texas? Not a problem! They do have a few non-Texan items! I’m loving their new Merry Christmas Y’all Sweater! They are running 25% off their entire shop with code SANTAYALL

Oliver & Otis This shop is headed by two sister who love Texas, Coffee and Jesus! They have shirts for the wine lover, shirts for the die-hard Texans, every possible holiday, game day, and much much more! I NEED their Don’t Believe me Just Watch t-shirt, it’s adorable! Oliver & Otis is running 15% off your purchase with code CYBER15

Cassidy’s Monograms Literally outing one of my favorite-secret shops that I love. I started following Cassidy’s Monograms on Instagram @Personalize_It . She is so responsive on personalized orders, does incredible work, and is always running great deals! She is the only place I’ll ever buy vinyl decals and monogram decals! Cassidy’s Monograms is running $5 off of $20 with code CYBERMONDAY and still have some left over black Friday deals in her shop!

Of course, I’m skimming through all of the big retailers because I can never pass up a good deal. Where are you finding the best deals at today?

Don’t forget to enter the #BloggersDeckTheHalls Ornament Exchange! Click HERE to find the form!

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Spreading Cheer For All to Hear

Tiffani — Fri, 27 Nov 2015 13:58:00 +0000

As Christmas time ~~quickly approaches~~ is already here, it’s easy to get lost in buying the most popular gifts that are readily accessible and easy to obtain. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always mean friends and family are getting the most thoughtful gift. In order to give the best gift possible this Christmas season, I’ve put together a few ideas on how you can be on top of the gift giving this season.

Skim/stalk their social media! This is probably the easiest option! Head over to your friends’ Twitter, check out the things they’ve been retweeting or liking! Especially this time of year, people are promoting their products like crazy on social media, and so many of us take that as the perfect opportunity to drop a few, subtle hints with the *heart eye* emoji!

Plan ahead! I try my best to do this every year, but planning ahead is the best way to stay on top of anything. Make little notes throughout the year as they mention things!

Pinterest! While it is a form of social media, it’s quite different from Twitter or Facebook. Girls especially “pin” pretty much anything that could even possible be of the slightest bit of interested. Scan the different boards that your gal pal has created and you’ll quickly be filled with inspiration.

Similar interests. More times than not, friends will have similar interests. Think of the things you love for your favorite hiking adventure or drawing time, and pick that up for your friend. This may be one of the easiest ideas for inspiration because if it’s a shared interest, you already have a really good idea of some useful gifts.

Listen to them! If they’ve told you they love a pair of your earrings, or think your personalized planner is the best, pick one up for them. Paying close attention to detail isn’t only a part of being a good friend, it’s apart of being a bomb gift giver!

Ask their family! Normally someones family knows them pretty darn well, especially if they are close. Just ask!

Last, but not least, Sneak in to their bedroom, read their diary and have all the inspiration you could ever need. Kidding. Sort of.

Bloggers: Exchange a simple treasure this holiday season

Cristina of Cristina on Campus and I are hosting a holiday ornament exchange that we’re calling #BloggersDeckTheHalls! If you would like to get to know other bloggers as well as receive and send a cute ornament, fill out the form below! All the information (guidelines, dates, and contact info) are all included in the document. We are so excited and can’t wait to have you join in on this exchange!

#BloggersDeckTheHalls Form

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10 Things I Can’t Say NO To!

Tiffani — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 12:54:00 +0000

We all have those few things we just can’t say no to… Whether it be an item at the store, or a choice in dining, there are just some things you can not say no to! Here are mine:

1. Cute spiral notebooks! Seriously, I may be one of those weirdos who is constant scanning dollar bins for adorable spirals, nut I have no shame. You can never have too many cute little spirals.

2. Chocolate covered sea salt caramels. My love for these little sweet treats continue to grow! Thomas’ mom continues to find the BEST ones all across the country! So far, my favorite high end ones are from a little chocolatier in Vegas and my favorite affordable ones are the Dove brand ones!

3. Delicious Cabernet. For the longest time I was terrified of wine because the tannins in the wine always triggered migraines, but not anymore! Cabs seem to be my safe place as far as wines and migraines go- and that’s just fine with me! Simi and H3 are my two favorites… for now! Have I mentioned it goes impeccably well with sea salt chocolate caramels?

4. Acrylic tumblers. Not only are they eco-friendly, they can save you money at places like Starbucks, AND they come in oodles of cute patterns, colors and designs! I love all the ones Starbucks continues to produce, and the ones that are found in the $1 sections of places like Michael’s and Target are just as awesome and I don’t feel as bad when I break them because of how cheap they are!

5. Starbucks iced green tea! What better to go in to all of those tumblers than some delicious tea? Starbucks secretly sprinkles crack in to their green tea to get everyone addicted to it! Totally kidding, but if you’ve had it, you may have thought the same thing before!

6. Mexican food. Maybe it’s because I’m from Texas, the home of the greatest Tex-Mex food on the planet, maybe it’s because I’m Hispanic, I really don’t know. What I do know is that I could NEVER turn down Mexican food!

7. Target $1 section! Really. If you have the strength to go to Target and not pick up something from the $1 section, you deserve an award!
8. Fresh Flowers. They just make everything seem so much more beautiful. I currently have a big bushel of sunflowers paired with tons of smaller, purple flowers, and I just love it!
9. Pedicures. I don’t know about you, but I love a good pedicure. Fresh, clean feet, paired by an hour of relaxation and a fun color of polish on your toes? I just love it!
10. Sushi. I can never say no to sushi. Sushi for lunch? SURE! Sushi for dinner? Heck yeah!

Do you just love any of my must haves? What are some things you just can’t say no to?

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National Thrift Store Day!

Tiffani — Tue, 18 Aug 2015 14:15:00 +0000

Did you know National Thrift Store day was August 17th? No? Well neither did I, until last week! I know, I know, today is the 18th, but life happens right? I shared recently that I had joined a #ThriftStoreSwap group. My “swap” items arrived last week from Maureen @ The Fox & Bear Homestead, and I am loving them.

This swap’s theme is Fall, and I am seeing so many Fall possibilities with these items. I have a mini wooden serving tray, a ceramic charger and a swan vase. The purpose of the swap is to be gifted with a few items from your patterns favorite thrift store, and change them into something totally different. Do you have any good makeover ideas for these three items?

Check out some of my other swap-mates items!

Five Kids, A Dog, & A Blog

Happily Ever After, Etc.

Sequins In The South

Small Stuff Counts

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Thrifty Thursday Finds!

Tiffani — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 14:05:00 +0000

Yesterday, I did something I had not done in a LONG time! I went to the thrift store. Like everyone, my life has been crazy lately, and I have gotten away from doing the simple things I love! Call me crazy, but my local thrift store is one of my favorite places to be. Maybe its because I know I can always find something to upcycle, or maybe its because it smells like old people, kidding, totally kidding. But I love it! Part of the reason I made a special trip in to the thrift store was to find a swap item for my Thrift Store Swap group! Regardless of the reason, I was happy to be there.

I found those cute little quatrefoil-type wall hangings for $2, the blank canvas for $1, the Authentic Louisville Slugger for $4, the plaque with hooks for $3 and a GIANT bundle of rafia for 50 cents! Is that a score or what? I also found a few other items to be included in my Thrift Store Swap, but I want them to be a surprise for my partner!

This Saturday, I have no plans, no work, and no school assignments that need to be done. Which leaves me with a full day to craft and re-do our gallery wall! All of this stuff really stuck out to me in one way or another. Although I could leave all items as-is, but what would be the fun in that? They’re going to be transformed in to greatness. It will all be featured in our updated gallery wall, and I can’t wait to show you how it all turns out.

Have a great Friday Y’all!

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Chocolates, and Lipstick, and Self Tanners- Oh My!

Tiffani — Tue, 12 May 2015 15:29:00 +0000

A few weeks back, I was chosen to receive the Influenster Bella VoxBox.

I waited patiently for 2 weeks, until it FINALLY arrived.

Since I had watched the sneak peek video, I already knew about the products I would be receiving.

The first thing I opened was the Dove dark chocolate covered blueberries- yum! I love chocolate covered fruit, and these were perfect. I love having them with my wine at the end of the day.

Next up was the Not Your Mother’s Deja Vu Do Style Extending serum. Unfortunately, I wasn’t very impressed with this. I applied it as directed, but my hair got just as dirty, just as fast as if I had not used it. Sorta a bummer, but at least it smells good!

Another little letdown was the Kate Moss Scandal Eyes mascara. Maybe its because I have some awesome freaking mascara, but this one did not blow me away. It was good, but not great.

As for the EcoTools mattifying finish brush, I really enjoyed it. It’s so nice to open a new makeup brush and feel the super soft bristles when applying my powder. I was a little unsure of the “mattifying” effect because I have overly oily skin this time of year, and I considering how all of my makeup is matte, I didn’t see much difference. But I really loved how the brush felt on my skin- definitely a win!

The Kate Moss lipstick in Rosetto was exactly the color I was looking for last summer! Its a true red! For under $6, what’s not to love?!

Last but certainly not least is the Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs lotion. Clearly I didn’t read the bottle, because this is not a gradual self tanner… It is exactly what it says on the bottle! An airbrush tanner. Literally, I put the lotion on, and instantly had tanned airbrushed legs. They looked so smooth and added the perfect amount of color! I will definitely be buying a full sized bottle of this stuff for the summer nights when I need a little extra color!

Thanks Influenster for all of these awesome products!

Although all opinions are my own, I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

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Thrifty Thursday Finds!

Tiffani — Thu, 05 Mar 2015 22:33:00 +0000

It’s no secret that I love a good deal. I’m going to try and step up my Thrifty Thursday Finds game the next few weeks and do a new post each Thursday, fingers crossed I can keep it up! My two most recent finds really blew me away.

My first find was this chest of drawers. As you can see, it is already on the drop cloth, and I have begun its transformation, which will be up on the blog by next week! It may not look spectacular now, but when it’s finished, it will blow your mind! I scored this one for….. FREE! It was just sitting out on the sidewalk by our apartment with a note that said “Free! Take It!” So, that I did!

My second find was this amazing mirror. I’ve been wanting an ornate-type mirror to go in our living room, and when I saw this on a local online auction, I couldn’t resist. It was previously from an estate sale, and the tag from that sale said $250… Obviously this would not be a thrifty Thursday find if I paid that much. I paid a whopping $21.50 for this beauty! It doesn’t get much better than that!

Do you have any go to places that you find awesome deals at? I’m always looking for new places to find awesome deals on great pieces!

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Giving Benefit a Chance {Makeup Review}

Tiffani — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 17:26:00 +0000

It’s no secret, I am no makeup connoisseur, so when I opened my birthday present from my BFF, I was so excited to see a ton of new makeup products for me to try out! There was also a dozen mini alcohol bottles, but we won’t talk about those. I was so intimidated by all the new makeup I shoved it in a drawer, and didn’t touch any of it for almost a month!

Blending Sponge // Benetint // The Porefessional // Posietint //High beam // BADgal lash Mascara (not pictured)

After some time had passed, a watched a few YouTube videos on each of the products and decided it was time to give them a try. I normally stuck to my primer, foundation/powder and mascara and eyeliner, but these products have really opened my eyes to even more awesome makeup!
I’ll start with The Porefessional. I almost always use my Mary Kay primer, which I thought was the greatest thing ever… Until I used this. It has a very slight creme tint, but still has the normal pearl like feel of a primer. I feel as though the tint helps to cover even more. My pores seemed to vanish once applied. I will definitely be buying a lot more of this!

After the primer I added the High beam just atop my cheek bone and around my outer eye. It gave me a big of extra shine, but I wasn’t overly impressed with this.

Next, I applied the Benetint by dabbing three drops on each of my cheeks. The wand is somewhat of a nail polish applicator type thing, which I had never seen or used before. You have to rub it in quickly, as it dries fast. It does not put off an overbearing color as I thought it would. In addition to using it on my cheeks, I also used it on my lips. It gave me a great color. I love this product!

Once the Benetint had set, I added just a smidgen of Posietint to my cheeks. This product, much like the Benetint, came from a want type applicator. It was more of a gel like liquid, so I could see it better and it did not dry nearly as fast as the Benetint, which made it easier to work with! I also added it to the center and inner edge of my bottom lip, which really helped them pop.

As for the BADgal lash Mascara, I’m not sure how I feel about this mascara. I have used so many great mascaras, and this one just seemed average. It didn’t make my lashes look fuller, but it did make them seems longer. I’m going to continue to use this mascara and see how it works for me.

I still applied my normal mineral powder over these products, but they were all still very visible and looked great! I am really impressed with all of these products and will definitely be buying more of these products!
I’d love to find more awesome products that I can use every day, let me know your favorites!

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A Day in Canton!

Tiffani — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 14:00:00 +0000

As many Texans know, First Monday Trade Days in Canton is possibly one of the greatest aspects in Texas. The first weekend of each month, the massive flea market/marketplace opens up and fills with thousands of people. I’ve been one of those thousands of people since before I could walk! I’m sure, somewhere, my mom has tons of pictures of me, sitting in my little red wagon along with all of the stuff we’d find that weekend. I have some really awesome memories from my childhood in Canton. And this Saturday, for the first time in probably 12 years, my mom and I went back together.

Thomas couldn’t join us on Saturday, so he left me this sweet note the night before, along with some extra spending money! I am definitely a lucky girl!

Isn’t my mom cute? She was on the hunt for a sweater for my sister’s pup- a Teacup Pomeranian, who only weight 4lbs! She definitely needs that sweater for the chilly mornings ahead!

If there is one thing in the world my mom can’t pass up, its Kettle Corn! We grabbed the extra large bag!

As anyone who goes to Canton does, we stopped to take a peak at the puppies! My oh my, this one did a number on my heart. My mom ALMOST got her, mainly because Thomas told me no, and he and I both know we don’t have the room or time for another dog, much less a puppy! I gave her one last hug, and put her back in her pen *sigh*

Soooo, my main goal of this entire trip, was to 1-get some Christmas shopping done, and 2-to find a reclaimed window. And both goals were accomplished. I kept striking out when it came to the windows, one pane would be broken, one would be really overpriced, and so on and so forth, but FINALLY, just as I was about to give up, I found it! A reclaimed window shadow box! JACKPOT!

Now, Canton isn’t exactly the easiest place to navigate, and parking is… well, just awful. The booth that I purchased the shadow box was about two miles from where we were parked, and considering the traffic, I was NOT going to drive my car to pick it up. So I carried it, and carried it some more, and continued carrying it… All 30lbs of it!

Overall, our day in Canton was a total success! I got some awesome leggings, tons of bows for the girls, cheap deco mesh, and some awesome decor items for my apartment! All of it for UNDER $100- that’s what I’m talking about!

After a long day away, My Saturday night was filled with lots of cuddles with my pup!

Have a great first week of November Y’all!

XoXo-Tiffani

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Adventures in Boston {Day 2}

Tiffani — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 21:12:00 +0000

Day two? Already? Just kidding. The entire time we were in Boston, it felt like we had been there months! There was always so much stuff to do, we never felt as if we had hit that vacation plateau. We went for donuts for breakfast, mainly because they claimed to be the best donuts in Boston, but, sadly, they were no where near that.

For lunch we decided to hang out with Marky Mark and Donnie at their family burger restaurant, Whalburgers, in Hingham, Mass. But sadly, there were no sightings of the two, only their older brother Paul, who runs the restaurants. The burgers were amazing, along with everything else we got!

The ceiling lights had all of the movies Mark Whalburg had been in. Super cool!

I ordered a Big Papi, which was a mouthful of deliciousness as well as the fries that came on the side. I can’t remember what Thomas got, but his tatortots may have been the best I ever had.

Alma Nove is the Whalburg’s other restaurant. More about there when we visit on day 3!

Both of their dining establishments sit right on the water, that gave for the perfect views for lunch and provided a nice afternoon activity.

It was pretty warm this day, and luckily there was an Old Navy close by. My first shirt, pictures at the top of this post is more of a fall shirt- by that I mean I was hot as hell. So I bought a new one, and changed.

After our time in Hingham, we knew just the place we should head next.

HARVARD!

We were both in serious awe of how well kept the buildings were and how beautiful the campus was.

While at Harvard, we happened to stumble upon the Worlds ONLY Curious George Store! Although not as big and curious as I expected, it was still pretty awesome! We were both sweaty, sleepy and hot at this point, and knew we needed to head home. After a few hours of rest, some showers and a cat nap, we were ready to hit the town again!

D’Amelio’s Off the Boat Italian was on the menu for dinner! We made reservations almost two weeks in advance and there were only a few spots open when we called. Once we arrived, we figured out why, the restaurant was tiny! But it only added to the romantic ambiance.

The wait staff here was so sweet, and welcoming, and offered great recommendations.

I had the Lobster Guiseppe. Spicy seafood? I’m in! Thomas had the Penne Cantante- which I don’t think he realized was super spicy. Unlike me, he ~~can’t handle the heat~~ enjoys his food less spicy. Regardless, both of our meals were amazing. We also added in a cup of clam chowder, which was to die for!

We were unsure about dessert at this point, because we were both stuffed to the max, but we went for it anyways. They were out of the “Chocolate Bomba” which was chocolate ice cream dipped in a chocolate shell, so we went with the “Exotic Bomba,” which was raspberry and mango sherbet dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with powdered sugar. I really can’t put in to words how amazing this was. It sounded not so great, and ended up being the highlight of our meal!

Overall, this restaurant was perfect. It had an amazing atmosphere, with an amazing staff, and some of the most divine food we had ever tasted. We will definitely be back on our return trips to Boston!

In case you were wondering, yes, we really do always match.

By the end of day 2 (which was technically day 3) we were exhausted, and I still had online homework due. So we headed back to our brownstone and called it a night. Day 3 was our final full day in Boston, but it was nothing short of amazing! Check back later this week to hear all about it.

XoXo-Tiffani

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