Aliexpress is it a scam??

If you know me you know I am always on the lookout for a good deal.  I discovered aliexpress in college and was a little skeptical as to the quality of the items and also if I was going to even receive my items.  The prices are crazy good, they are from China so prices can be lower.  The downside is waiting for shipping.  I have placed a couple orders through the years and thought I would share my most recent purchases:

Quote Bracelets .99 cents!  These bracelets caught my eye and for less than $1 I thought it was worth it t give it a try.  I was pleasantly surprised.  They are flexible so they fit to your wrist, I have a small wrist so this was really nice.  They are really dainty and perfect for layering.    

Cat Eye Sunnies .99 cents.  These sunglasses were another random find that I picked up for less than $1.  They are really cute but the quality is just so so.  They are plastic and super light.  I am still going to give them a try.  Honestly I'm thinking they might be good for Disney because they are so light.  You can hardly feel them so they won't hurt your ears or your face.  

Kendra Scott inspired necklace $2.00.  This necklace I have been wearing on repeat since I got it.  It is beautiful!  The quality is great and it definitely looks like a Kendra Scott.  I'm not sure about the long time quality but for less than $2 I think I can deal.

Have you tried Aliexpress?  What has been the best thing you have picked up?  

Weekend Adventures

New thing starting here, I want to share our weekend adventures with you.  Now we don't always have super exciting weekends so I may not always share but maybe this will push us to do fun tings more often...

So this past weekend Kyle and I decided to make a drive and go to the Ave Maria Grotto.  I randomly found it on Groupon and thought it looked interesting.  We were also celebrating our three year wedding anniversary, also how has it been three years??

We decided to make a day of it and started out at a new donut shop in town.  They specialize in cold brew so we got that, two donuts (blueberry cake for me and Boston creme for Kyle) and a breakfast sandwich.    

It was really cute inside, not a lot of seating but the atmosphere was nice and relaxed.

Cold brew was not my favorite, it was pretty bitter even with cream and sugar but I needed the caffeine.

I think the breakfast sandwich was the winner, obviously see how much he is enjoying it.

We then went to the Ave Maria Grotto.  The Grotto is a four acre park on the grounds of St. Bernard Abbey with 125 handmade miniature reproductions of  some of the most famous religious structures in the world.  It is known as "Jerusalem in Miniature".

It was a cool thing to see, the handiwork was really neat.

Since we drove quite a ways and were passing through Birmingham we decided to go ahead and stop in and shop around.  We walked around the mall and you can't not stop in the Forever21.  They pretty much always have a sale going on.  I hunted around for a while in their clearance and ended up finding this faux leather jacket that I LOVE!!

It is the prettiest baby blue color and has all these studs.  I love the details.  It makes me think of a BlankNYC jacket that I was obsessed with.

It was originally $50 but it was marked down and then was on sale for another 50% off.  I ended up getting this jacket for around $12!!  Such a steal!

We also went out for a nice dinner at LongHorn.  We had a really great time exploring around and spending time together. 

Let me know what y'all have been doing over the weekend!

Five Things Friday

Adidas Superstars: These shoes have been super trendy for a while but I didn't want to get the same ones that everyone else had.  I saw a girl with holographic ones at Disney World and went to searching for different options.  I found these metallic snakeskin ones and fell in love!  I love how they look plain black in some lights and in other light the sparkle metallic shows.  I found them online but they were sold out for months then randomly found them in my local Foot Locker.  They are a kid's size but are just like the adult version, I got a 4.5 for reference.  Oh and they are back in stock online so run don't walk!

Ebates: I had heard about this website for awhile but never took the plunge.  A friend was talking it up and sharing all the rebates she was getting for shopping.  I figured it wouldn't hurt to check it out.  Y'all this is the easiest way to make a little money.  I installed it on my browser so if a website has an ebates rebate it will alert you to turn it on, and you have to search hard to find a website that isn't supported.  After that all you do is shop like normal and you earn a percentage back.  I have only been using it for a few months and already got my first check in the mail.  You're not going to get rich with ebates but getting a little money back on purchases you are already making is pretty sweet.

e.l.f. Everyday Smoky Eyeshadow Palette: I recently uncovered this palette from my makeup pile and decided to give it a go.  I got it at Target months ago and hadn't really used it.  I have too much makeup.  I have been using it everyday.  It is pretty pigmented and the colors blend really nice.  It says the smokey eye palette but I have been using it to do everyday neutral looks.  For less than $10 I definitely recommend it.

Bible Verse Bracelet: I discovered the shop Dear Lisa on etsy and fell in love with the designs.  They are so rustic and fun.  I contacted her about a custom design and absolutely fell in love with her idea.  Ecclesiastes 4:12 is a special verse to me and my husband.  For our wedding we braided a cord to symbolize "a cord of three strands is not easily broken".  I mentioned this to Lisa and she came up with the sweetest design.  It is a spoon bracelet with the bible verse engraved as well as our wedding date.  I absolutely love it.  Check out her Instagram for more of her designs.

a.n.a. Torrence Hobo Bag: Y'all I have been searching for a new bag for while now and just happened to stumble on this one on clearance at JCPenny.  I loved the design and for less than $20 I figured I would give it a try.  I have been using this bag nonstop for a month and it has held up really well.  It holds a lot of stuff, which I love.  I also really like that it is crossbody and it can also be worn on my shoulder like a hobo bag.  It has lots of pockets, even one on the front which is perfect for stashing my phone.  It also looks pretty similar to the Marc Jacobs hobo bags, but for so so much cheaper.  

What have you been loving this week?  

What I Read in July

Over You by Emma McLaughlin: This was my least favorite book from the month.  It is by the women who wrote The Nanny Diaries.  The story line follows a young girl who suffered a bad breakup and then proceeds to make a company helping girls get over a breakup.  The idea was interesting but I just felt like the book was very young and I got bored.
 
Summer by Karen Kingsbury: Another book following the Baxter family.  This one continues with Dayne and Katy and how their relationship is faring in the Hollywood world. It also switches over to Ashley being pregnant but there are some issues with the pregnancy.  The book was surprisingly good.  I was really interested in Ashley and the things she was going through.  I also enjoyed seeing a little bit into the other characters in the Baxter's life that I have read about in other books.  Mrs. Kingsbury's books are always inspirational and on track with Christian beliefs.    

The Next Always by Nora Roberts: This is my second Nora Roberts book and it was just ok.  Set in Boonsboro, Maryland it follows the Montgomery family who are working to refinish the Boonsboro Inn.  Clare owns the bookstore across the street and she and Beckett Montgomery develop a relationship.  I felt like there was a lot going on in this book: relationship, refinishing, a ghost, and a stalker.  I didn't feel a big connection to the characters and the building of the relationship felt a little thrown together.  Quick read but just ok.    

After You by Jojo Moyes: The sequel to Me Before You continues with Louisa and how she is dealing with life after Will.  She is struggling to say the least.  She joins a grief counseling meeting, has an accident, and a secret from Will's past changes her life.  I really enjoyed getting to step back into Louisa's life and see how she is dealing with her grief.

What have you been reading this month?