KINSEY MICHAELS: June 2010

8 Fabulous Lifestyle Bloggers

Being a part of the blogging community has introduced me to so many outrageously awesome people. I find myself drawn to a variety of different blogs - fashion, travel, etc., but I love the lifestyle genre. The 8 fabulous ladies below have an innate way of capturing their lives through the written word, and with colorful, fun pictures. Be sure to give them all a visit!

Nicole at La Mia Vita

Why you'll love her: You can easily live vicariously through her pretty photos depicting adventures in Northern California.

Caitlin at Candyfloss & Persie

Why you'll love her: She's sassy, opinionated, creative with fashion, and blogs on a lot of unique topics.

Mara at M Loves M

Why you'll love her: Mara has an amazing sense of style and she's so easy to relate to. In addition to fashion, she also blogs about food, DIY projects, and her cute puppy.

Jenny May at The Swede Records

Why you'll love her: You'll fall in love with her love story (especially the proposal!) and enjoy reading about these two very new newlyweds!

Sarah at Sarah and the City

Why you'll love her: Sarah blogs about fashion, home decor, her life experiences, and ideas for her upcoming wedding.

Kim at My Little Photographs

Why you'll love her: She moved to LA almost a year ago. Her gorgeous photographs showcasing her life in California will instantly catch your eye.

Lacey at Mille Baisers

Why you'll love her: Bride-to-be Lacey clearly lives life to the fullest in Texas, as evidenced by her fun photos.

Allison at Smart and Sassy With Sprinkles

Why you'll love her: Not only is she a wonderful writer, but she has great taste in clothes and just moved to a new city (Chicago).

Do you have any favorite lifestyle blogs? Please share!

{all images used belong to respective blog owners}

Mohegan Sun Casino

As you all know, I love Vegas. Unfortunately, the glitzy party city is a 40 hour drive from the Boston area, or an expensive plane ticket away. Luckily, there are some refreshingly fun alternatives!

Enter Mohegan Sun. A casino destination in southern Connecticut with everything you could ask for - dozens of restaurants and bars, 364,000 sq ft of gaming space, an arena and cabaret theater, and a mini-mall lined with cute shops.

{Don't ask me why - but I love the penny slots. Total $ lost? $10.00}

{I wore a one-shoulder Forever 21 dress with studded Steve Madden platform pumps. Fortunately, I packed flip flops in my purse when the heels got to be a little much!}

{A frozen strawberry margarita was the perfect accompanyment with dinner at the Sol Toro Tequila Grill}

{Before we hit up the Cabaret Theater for a comedy show, we sat at the waterfall bar for a drink}

{Me and the boy}

{We love the bunny}

{The chic martini bar was the perfect place to try a new drink: the Grape Snow Cone}

Overall, it was a fun couples weekend away!

Short and Sweet

Yesterday was the official beginning of summer, a season I wish lasted a little longer here in New England. I look forward to filling up my weekends with endless barbecques, the beach, and free-spirited, unplanned day trips as much as possible. Here's a little glimpse into what I've been up to lately!

I can't get enough of delightfully sweet $12 tank tops from Marshalls. There's nothing wrong with bargain shopping! I also can't help but adore essie's "Resort" collection. Shown is "Lapis of Luxury."

Sitting on the patio of a french restaurant while sipping on a watermelon vodka infused martini. It was fun to people-watch and engage in some girl talk with my friends!

Saying goodbye to a close friend last weekend was bittersweet. I will miss her dearly. On the plus side, she's moving to California!

Spontaneity. I always get the itch to go somewhere, and more often than not, it's out of town! An impulsive getaway this Saturday night with my boyfriend and our good friends will be out of control fun.

I hope you all had wonderful weekends!

Boozy Boston Bloggers

My second venture merging the blogosphere with real life turned out to be a pretty fun time! The lovely and absolutely hilarious LiLu hosted a TweetUp for fellow Boston area bloggers at a cozy bar in the city.

I felt the slightest pangs of nervousness beforehand that almost immediately disappeared once I began mingling and introducing myself to people. It was an eclectic and fun gathering. I made many new Twitter friends and discovered lots of great blogs to read!

{The bar had their own signature raspberry vodka}

{LiLu of LivItLuvIt, Katy of Tangerine Hearts, and I}

Don't forget to read about my very first blogger meetup from this past April! Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Long Island Celebration

Road trip. Unlimited vodka punch. Classic drinking games. Good friends. I traveled to Long Island over the weekend for Katy's engagement party. The backyard-style party was so much fun. We munched on yummy italian food on the porch while sipping on delicious drinks. At one moment, a funny but unsuspecting gust of wind knocked over my drink and flipped my entire plate of food over!

Katy and I dressed for the festivities in casual, summery frocks. I wore a Free People dress with Two Lips brown wedges and some colorful jewelry.

The celebration went well into the night and got a little crazier as the hours passed. The sun went down and the ambiance of paper lanterns cast a dim light through the trees.

Long Island was so beautiful and quaint. We spent the following morning walking around the harbor glimpsing at multimillion dollar luxury yachts and indulging in a little gelato. It was the perfect end to a fun weekend!

One Dress, Two Ways

Sometimes all it takes is a little creativity. I bought a dress at Marshalls earlier this week for $16.99. It was one of those impulsive purchases where my argument for buying it was because it "looked cute" and I was certain I'd find an occasion to wear it. I had such a blast exploring the different ways this dress could be worn!

Look #1: Casual Bohemian Chic

The gladiator style studded sandals and druzzy necklace on a long gold chain adds an unexpected flare to this casual look.

Look #2: Black & Silver

Styling it with platform heels and a belt would be perfect for after-work cocktails or a dinner date.

Tell me, which look is your favorite?

White Hot Party

Cruising the open sea can be a dream come true, and it's even better when you're wearing all white. I've blogged a little bit about last year's trip - my off-roading experience in the Dominican Republic, and an afternoon on an island that closely resembled paradise - but never about the fun on the ship itself.

The hit of the White Hot Party was not only the music and the dancing and the array of white outfits, but these festive flashing drink cups. My friends were smart enough to take theirs home as souveneirs!

I wore a knee-length cotton dress from American Eagle with a pretty crochet back. I threw in a fun splash of color with a turquoise headband from Forever 21.

The delights of being on such a large ship was the chance to sit in a VIP-like area, without having to pay for bottle service. We danced at random intervals and even took a picture with the enthusiastic Cruise Director.

Watch the light-up drink in action!

My Glamorous Life List

I'm sure I'm not alone in saying this, but I love to make lists. No dream is ever too big or too impossible in my eyes. Of course I'd love to learn a foreign language, try my hand at tennis, and sing my heart out at a karaoke bar, but if I had to pick 5 things, these would be it:

#1: Have a drink {or two!} in an ice bar.

#2: Learn how to bake and cook well. {My unfortunate attempt at white chocolate chip cookies earlier this year}.

#3: Attend a party at the Playboy Mansion.

#4: Live in California again! The west coast is the only place in the world I have ever truly felt "in my element."

#5: Take a romantic vacation floating above water, like in the tropical paradise of Bora Bora.

Leave a comment and tell me something that's on your life list!

Bonjour, Montreal!

I spent the long weekend on a 6-hour roadtrip to Montreal, a city famous for their nightlife, festivals, and eclectic culture. The trip was a delightful bonding experience for myself and my two younger sisters, and it was refreshing to take in the atmosphere of a place I had never set foot in before.