Fashion Hits & Misses- 2013 Billboard Music Awards

Hi Friends!

I have to take a second to talk about Oklahoma. That wonderful state that I was blessed enough to spend 3.5 awesome years of my life in. I owe so much to OSU and Oklahoma for helping mold the person that I am today. Watching the news coverage yesterday and this morning just breaks my heart into itty bitty pieces. Tornadoes are scary and awful things and I'm still grateful I never experienced one while I was there. Sending so many good thoughts to those affected and I have no doubt that Moore will come back even stronger!
PS. Mama Laughlin posted an awesome list of ways you can help! Check it out here.

Now to lighten the mood, I've got some snark up my sleeve to discuss the Billboard Music Awards that aired on Sunday night. I tortured myself by watching all 3 hours, because let's face it this time of the year there is nothing else on. You'll notice that it turned out to be battle of young vs. old in the hit and miss categories. The young girls know how to dress their age, and the old ladies are still pretending to be way younger than they are. Le sigh.

HITS

Taylor Swift in Zuhair Murad
Miss Taylor is just knocking it out of the park lately. Keep it up girl! I'm a huge fan of blue on blondes and this color looks gorgeous on her. It's young, fun, and sparkly which are all of the things that Swifty should be rocking right now. I'm still wishing she would lose the bangs, but I love that she wore the hair up to really show off the dress.

Miley Cyrus in Balmain
Would you believe me if I said that her hair is finally growing on me? She's really rocking it lately and let me tell you, confidence can carry any look. She's been a huge fan of the jumpsuit lately and I love this one. She is showing off her amazing figure and this is an event where something fun like this totally fits in. She is really styled flawlessly down to the pop of red lip plus she has the engagement ring on. Miley and Liam 4EVER.

Emmy Rossum in Zuhair Murad
While I'm not really sure why she's even at the awards show, she looks pretty flawless. My only complaint is that it's Spring and if you're gonna wear black, make it sleeveless or cap sleeve. This look just sort of screams Winter. Besides that, I love the curves it gives her and the polka dots are so fun! Stunning.

Selena Gomez in Versace Atelier
I have to admit this one sort of grew on me. I didn't love it at first but it's young and fun and perfect for Selena. I really liked the dress she wore when she was in the audience but I can't find any good pictures of it. I'm not loving the hair or the shoes, something is a little off with the styling there. Overall, she is being sexy without being overly showy so it works.

Hayden Panettiere in Halston Heritage
This dress runs the risk of being just a bit too stuffy for a fun event like a music awards show, but it's styled in a way that works. I love the metallic accessories and she even had some sparkly gold accents in her hair which I also loved. The gown fits her perfectly and had a low back to reveal some skin.

MISSES

Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad
I am so sick of calling JLo out for not dressing her age. I mean come on! Yes she has a great body, but there are ways to show it off without wearing a shimmering, see through dress. For once I would love it if she gave us something just a little different. I also hate the shoes and the makeup. Too much shimmer and gold. Do not even get me started on her performance outfit. I thought maybe she was going for Elmo attire.

Madonna in Givenchy Haute Couture
Well well well, it looks like Madonna has given up pants. Maybe it's a new religion? This is the second appearance where she thinks that wearing a jacket and tights means you can skip the pants. Um no. Again, great body but this is not the best or the only way to show it off. Also, she wore sunglasses while accepting her award which is just rude.

Jenny McCarthy in Tom Ford
I'm sorry, did you get in a fight with your cat before you left the house? This is in no way an acceptable outfit for the grocery store, let alone an awards show. Jenny, girl you are 40. Act and dress your age! There is nothing about this I understand. It legit looks like her sparkly dress got ripped so threw on a tank top and left the house.

Jennifer Nettle in Georges Chakra
I'm having bad prom flashbacks. Not only is this not a good color on her and has awkward sparkle panels, but it doesn't even fit. It looks uncomfortably tight and I'm sitting here thinking it's going to split up the back any second. She's a pretty lady, but this does absolutely nothing for her.

Jennifer Morrison in Kristian Aadnevik
So this is one of two things, either she forgot to wear her slip under the skirt.. or she's trying to be a fancy super hero. Neither is working for her. Like okay fine wear a corset top, but balance it out with something classy on the bottom. You look ridiculous in this get up. Embarrassing.

And although I'm sure you've all seen it, the best GIF from the night goes to Miss Swift. Homegirl clearly doesn't approve of the on/off again relationship between Selena and Justin. High five Taylor!

Oh and clearly Miley isn't a Bieber fan either as she didn't enjoy announcing him as the winner of an award..

Did you watch the 2013 Billboard Music Awards? Who were your Best and Worst dressed picks?

It's Time for Weekend Shenanigans!

Hi Lovelies!

It's time for Weekend Shenanigans.. a mutual place to share our weekends, catch up on other people's weekends, and find new blogs.

Here's how it works:
- Post about your weekend
- Grab the button
- Link-up on Monday at 5am MST
- Click around and meet new friends!

**My only rule is that you post something about your weekend, and post the button or link back to me!**

Let's get to it and have some fun!

<a border="0" href="http://www.samisshenanigans.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/bN3GboQ.png"/></a> <br>

  one. Just my usual Friday Starbucks outfit post! {Top- Piko Shoes- Sam Edelman} two. The best salad ever from ModMarket in Denver. Thai Coconut Chicken with shredded sweet potatoes! Going to try and recreate it asap. three. Kicked my Friday workout's butt so that I could have some Sauvignon Blanc when I got home! four. Fitz's first trip to the dog park. He loved every second of it. He's also very good at playing fetch. five. Treated myself to a trip to the Movie Tavern to see Iron Man 3. Love me some Robert Downey Jr. so hard. George Clooney who? six. If you ask Lily it's her bed and she will take up as much space as she sees fit. seven. Sunday Workout! HIIT Elliptical and Yoga. eight. Sunday night dinner- Turkey and Veg Sloppy Joes, Greek Yogurt Coleslaw, and Sweet Potato fries. The best kind of meals are the healthy ones that don't taste like it! nine. So Delicious is a perfect description. Treating myself and pretending it's cool because it's dairy free. This weekend was super low key. I relaxed, burned close over 3000 calories at the gym, and just had some me time. There is nothing better! What did you do this weekend? Link-up and share your shenanigans!     PS. Since next Monday is Memorial Day, we will wait and do the link-up on Tuesday May 28th. Same time, same place! Be there or be a loser square.   

Tweet This, Tweet That.. A Weekly Twitter Recap

Hi Love Muffins!

Thank god for Friday! I was beginning to feel like this may be the week that never actually ends. I have exactly zero plans this weekend and I can't wait. I'm thinking about starting a new series on Netflix.. I know I lead such an exciting life. Any suggestions though?

In case you're new around here or missed out earlier, every week I round up my favorite things from Twitter land and post them for all of you along with my commentary.

If you click on the Tweet This, Tweet That logo above it takes you to my Twitter page. Throughout the week I favorite tweets I think should make the recap and on Fridays I narrow it down to fifteen.. believe me it's not an easy task. Check out my favorites list on Twitter to see all of the runners up!

Tweets by @SamiShenanigans
Tweet this, Tweet that is now interactive so you can see my timeline above and can Reply, Favorite, or Retweet any of the tweets below. One of my goals is for people to have fun with it, and to find new accounts to follow so that your Twitter timelines can be as much fun as mine!

Time for the tweets..

This is kind of my childhood in a tweet. Okay just kidding, but not really.

If I had a dollar for every time someone told me I was pretty I would have exactly one dollar thanks mom
— Not Grumpy Cat (@VeryGrumpyCat) May 11, 2013

If a guy uses any sort of abbrev then I'm pretty sure you should question his sexuality.

If you are a guy and your tweet includes "perf," methinks you are gay.
— kaitlyn lisella (@kaitlynlisella) May 12, 2013

That's like so weird. Except it's not because I'm guilty and you're guilty and you know it.

It's weird how sometimes "I'm so happy for you" means "I'm so happy for you" but sometimes it means "I'm jealous and I secretly hate you"
— Sam Lansky (@samlansky) May 12, 2013

Okay but really, when was the last time that Leo didn't have an accent in a movie? Or slicked back hair? Or had to wear a suit? Leo likes to be fancy.

What if Leonardo DiCaprio just did a nice romcom instead of having to play someone with a terrible accent in his next movie?
— Greg Bennett (@GreggyBennett) May 13, 2013

This is why you shouldn't name a diet something ridiculous like "The Caveman Diet". Also, I'm easily amused.

9th day on the caveman diet. Lost 2 pounds. Starting to get sick of eating cavemen.
— David Walton (@davidbwaltonII) May 13, 2013

This one just made my giggle but I don't really think Minnesota is terrible. Don't be mad at me Carolyn, Kelly, or Kristen! :)

Delaware and now Minnesota. At this rate, I believe one day gay people will be able to marry in a state they actually find appealing.
— Damien Fahey (@DamienFahey) May 13, 2013

One of the greatest facts in celebrity relationship history and I always forget it. They also wore vials of each others blood. Guys, Angelina Jolie is WEIRD.

If you ever feel bad about yourself, just remember Brad Pitt has Billy Bob Thornton's sloppy seconds.
— Jenny Johnson (@JennyJohnsonHi5) May 13, 2013

Ya that's basically Sophie's choice right there. Except who am I kidding.. JT always.

I can't decide which dream scenario is better: A sex dream with JT or a dream where Amanda Bynes and I are best friends.
— Jaclyn Swartz (@JaclynSwartz) May 14, 2013

And this is why she's my BFF. Good thing there is a lot of ice leftover in my Starbucks iced coffee.

Some days, the only water I drink is the melted ice in my diet cokes.
— Helene (@heleneinbetween) May 15, 2013

I mean he has a point. They should probably reword that title!

Maxim's Hot 100 List is bogus. Some of those girls look WAY younger than 100.
— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) May 15, 2013

I think this is what you might call my diary. 
Dear Diary, my dogs are being so rude today. I don't think they love me anymore. Love, Sami

i've decided to start my own burn book. but like i'm just going to talk shit about my dogs.
— shannon (@itgotweird) May 15, 2013

I said I was sick of people talking about Angelina Jolie and then I have two tweets about her. Damn. This was too good not to use though.

"Don't worry that 1 in 4 people will die from heart disease each year; you have to have a heart to qualify," Jennwhispered to Angelina.
— Shannon (@thenshelostit) May 16, 2013

Can't say no to a good pun.

"You're a little late, I'm already torn." is how I assume tickets feel when you bend them on the perforations.
— erin mallory long (@erinmallorylong) May 16, 2013

Can I just make a confession? I've never actually seen David Beckham play a single second of soccer. As long as he keeps doing those underwear commercials we are good!

Now who we supposed to bend it like?
— Amy Schumer (@amyschumer) May 16, 2013

People at work take their out-of-office replies so seriously and it would make my life if I could respond to them like this.

If I reply to "I am currently out of the office" emails with "you are currently fucking dead to me" will they get it or no
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) May 16, 2013

I feel like this was one of the least funny weeks of Twitter and that makes me sad. Step it up people! Actually maybe I need to step it up, I feel like I missed many hours of my timeline throughout the week. That's why you guys have to send me suggestions. I need backup!

Time for my #backdatazzup jam..

So when I used the Google machine to find this song I read on the most reliable source ever Wikipedia, that the band is back together and touring in Europe right now. Who knew? PS. I totally saw them on the Nickelodeon tour with 98 Degrees back in 1998 the day. I know you're jealous!

Have a great weekend and see you on Monday for Weekend Shenanigans! 

Right Now I Am..

Hi Loves!

I'm having a bit of blogger brain block lately. What else is new? So today you get a whole bunch of stuff that I've been meaning to tell you all rolled into one post. You're welcome.

Right now I am swooning.. over the Honestly.. WTF and Bauble Bar collaboration. Everything is so good that I still haven't bought anything because I can't decide which piece I want. I have $50 off in Vault points so maybe two pieces are in my near future? I think yes.

Right now I am loving.. this 300 calorie BBQ Chicken "Pizza". Buy these 100 calorie tortillas, spread a low sugar/calorie bbq sauce like this one on, top with grilled chicken, red onions, and low fat mozzarella cheese. Put it on a baking sheet or piece of foil and pop into a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Take out of the oven, sprinkle with cilantro, then devour. Holy yum.

Right now I am wearing.. my pink skinny jeans. These babies were in hiatus for a little bit while my booty was all big and stuff. Now my booty is definitely smaller so I can wear them again with my favorite leopard sandals and all is right in the world.

Right now I am eating.. watermelon. This one could be a touch crisper, but it will do. The baby ones without seeds are the best and there are very few calories in watermelon. My kind of snack!

Right now I am thinking.. about joining Tone It Up. I have been seeing it everywhere and it seems like a big huge support group of girls who want to be healthy. I've heard the recipes are awesome too. It's $150 so I think I will press pause until my sessions with my trainer are over but I think it's in my future. PS. Did you know these girls are gonna have a on Bravo soon?

Right now I am excited.. because Staci and Taylor are coming to Denver NEXT WEEKEND. Yep, those little wedding models up there. They are moving here soon and they are coming to scope out places to live. I can't wait to meet them and they better love me.. or else. But really. Staci and I are gonna be BFF and it's gonna be awesome.

Right now I am counting.. down the days until I get to go to Dallas and play with Helene and Max! In about a month I get to go to one of my favorite cities and have a girls weekend with two of my blogging besties. The best part is that I've already met them so there is no chance of a Catfish going down. Whoop!

Right now I am laughing.. at this GIF I sent Alexa last night. We both share a love of cute things, and this one is the cutest. Gimme that kitty. Except not really because two dogs are more than enough pet for me to handle.

What are you doing right now? Hopefully getting excited for Tweet This, Tweet That tomorrow!

Working It Out

Hi Bunnies!

As many of you know, I recently started changing my lifestyle in an effort to be a skinnier healthier Sami. If you're curious, you can catch up here. Well, I've been tracking my eating and my exercising on My Fitness Pal and Instagram and I've received some questions on what I do at the gym. Here is a breakdown of what I've been doing. Please note that this works for me and may not work for you. Everyone is different and I'm happy to share my journey if it might help someone else!

Personal Training

Right now I am training with a personal trainer either twice or three times a week. They are 50 minute sessions that start with cardio and then move into weight training. Cardio with her typically consists of the elliptical with a weighted ball, StairMaster, kettle bells, or plyometrics. Everyday we do something different which I love. For weight training we switch off days doing lower body, upper body pull (back and shoulders), upper body push (chest and biceps), or full body. When I started I told her I wanted to learn as much as I could in our time together, so we are constantly learning new exercises and new machines. I hope to have a pretty decent knowledge to go at it on my own where we are done with our 25 sessions.

Cardio

One of the other things my trainer put together for me is a calendar of my workouts. Since I have been working out six days a week, three of those days are on my own and she tells me what I should do. That is not to say that I actually follow it though. The reason being is that she will have me go over things we did together, by myself. I am not yet completely comfortable going into the weight area by myself. Eventually I am going to have to force myself, but I'm just not there yet. Because of this, the three days I workout by myself I tend to stick to purely cardio as it's something I'm totally comfortable with.

One of the things my trainer has taught me, is the importance of changing up the speed and resistance during your workout. When you switch up the levels, it keeps your body guessing and helps burn more calories. She refers to it as the HIIT Ratio. My favorite machine to do this one if the one above. It's called an AMT or Adaptive Motion Trainer and it's kind of an elliptical and StairMaster in one. I have changed my levels as I've increased my stamina but I always do a 3:2 ratio. For example, when I started I did 3 minutes of level 5 and then 2 minutes of level 8. Now I do 3 minutes of level 12 and 2 minutes of level 15. I will typically do for about 50 minutes, which typically burns around 700 calories. That is what I love about this workout, it's quick but effective. Some people watch TV to make the time go by faster, but I find that if I have good music it really pushes me through it.

Now that I have my Polar heart rate monitor, I plan to try out some of the classes at my gym too. I've heard BodyPump and TurboKick are good ones, and I've always loved Zumba.

Like I said, this is what is working for me right now and I thought I'd share in case it could help someone else. I'm sure that my plan will change as I continue to workout and kick some butt!

PS. I can't thank you guys enough for all of the encouraging texts, tweets, and emails! It definitely helps push me to keep going even when I don't feel like it. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to throw them at me!

If It Makes You Happy..

Hey Girls Hey!

I was at the Dentist this morning for like two hours and that just sort of threw off all of the plans I had today. I was going to write an awesome post about my workouts but you'll just have to wait until tomorrow for that! Sorry Charlie.

Today I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon today and share 10 Things That Make Me Happy (Right Now)..

ONE. Getting a paycheck. I love the feeling of having money and being able to pay my bills and buy things that I want. However, after I do those things I am usually poor and then I am sad.

TWO. Clothes being too big. I am all too familiar with trying something on and it being too small and then me crying in a dressing room. Normal occurrence. So it's amazing to try something on and it be too big! It's kind of an amazing feeling.

THREE. Puppies that behave. Don't get me wrong I love my doggies all day everyday, but when they are being good and they want to snuggle and give me love.. that puts a big huge smile on my face.

FOUR. Getting daily texts from my loves. Doesn't matter where I am or what I'm doing, I love getting texts from friends even if it's something simple or silly. It's a nice feeling to know that people are thinking about you.

FIVE. Concerts. Just one of my all-time favorite things. I love the feeling, the atmosphere, all of it. Knowing I have tickets to three concerts in the near-ish future is awesome!

SIX. Scandal. Oh my gah I die. This show has bumped everything else out of the top category. It is so good and I encourage everyone to start watching immediately. I plan to re-watch both seasons this Summer when it's off the air.

SEVEN. Sitting outside in the Springtime. I haven't been able to do this one recently, but with the 80 degree weather we have this week I see me and the pups hanging on the front porch with my Kindle and a beer very soon. Heaven.

EIGHT. Clean sheets. Is there anything better than getting into a freshly made and clean bed? No there is not. Especially if it's warm out and you have the window open and the fan going. Perfection.

NINE. Macaroni and Cheese. I haven't actually had any Macaroni and Cheese in a few months, but I look forward to the day when I get to eat it again. It is really one of the best foods there ever was.

TEN. Pictures. I love looking at pictures and reminiscing about good times with good people!

So that's what makes ME happy, what makes YOU happy?

It's Time for Weekend Shenanigans!

Hi Lovelies!

It's time for Weekend Shenanigans.. a mutual place to share our weekends, catch up on other people's weekends, and find new blogs.

Here's how it works:
- Post about your weekend
- Grab the button
- Link-up on Monday at 5am MST
- Click around and meet new friends!

**My only rule is that you post something about your weekend, and post the button or link back to me!**

Let's get to it and have some fun!

<a border="0" href="http://www.samisshenanigans.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/bN3GboQ.png"/></a>

one. My newest Deux Lux purchase from HauteLook. Obsessed! two. This is what happens when I take selfies. Ridiculous faces. three. Ombre lettuce! four. Where Sami goes, Fitzy goes. No puppy left behind. five. Friday is coffee day, which means it's a good day! six. Got my nails did! China Glaze- For Audrey seven. I'm officially addicted to Turkey Lettucewhiches from Which Wich. Nomz. eight. My new pink Polar FT4. I couldn't wait to use it! nine. My first workout using my heart rate monitor. Fabulous motivation.

one. Saturday night was Grandma's 80th Birthday celebration! two. Selfies in the bathroom! {Dress- H&M Belt- Forever21} three. Oh just a 6 year-old who doesn't want to smile or take pictures! four. My uncle put together an amazing book of pictures from Grandma's life. So special. five. Fitz says "Happy Mother's Day!" six. Mom and I at Mother's Day Brunch at the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. seven. Both of the kids celebrating our Mom. eight. Three generations together on Mother's Day!  nine. Grams and Fitzy are best friends.
What kind of shenanigans did you get into this weekend? Link-up and tell us!