Thankful Thursday: Everyday is a Gift

Take a few minutes to think of all the great things you get to experience every day.

This week I am ever so thankful for:

• Talks with best friends

• Green tea & Honey

• The amazing costume styling on AHS: Coven

• Having running water

• The nice handy man who came and fixed our heater that all of a sudden would not turn off

• CHOCOLATE

• Upworthy.com it will make you smile or cry or both

• Being able to bar-tend with my Dad to make some extra dough

• Footy Pajamas

• Getting to spend time with good kids that respect others and have a pretty cute smile

• Old co-workers & friends still looking out for me

• Good interviews

• Working out my body & getting stronger!

• Re-visiting old dreams

• My health! 

Life is about the journey,


<3 Sab

Operation Organization: Makeup & Vanity

OK. So, I have a confession to make. 

My name is Sabrina and ....I. AM. A. MAKEUP. JUNKIE.

Ah, it felt nice to get that one off of my chest. 

But really.... I have caboodles, bags, and boxes of makeup. And of course I tend to use the same thing everyday which is just a fat waste of product and space! So in honor of utilizing what I have and getting organized in 2014  I decided to figure out a way that I can display everything I have with a lot more order and visual appeal. This is how it looks after a few hours of organizing. :)

Instagram Pic @fabsabagram

Thanks to my best friend's awesome bargaining skills I got this vanity a couple years ago at a thrift store for just 15 bucks! Its a little scratched, is missing a drawer and probably once belonged to a nine year old but I love it! She also made the sweet chair.

Here are some quick tips I used to keep it all together and accessible:

1)  Clean & Dust! Make sure everything is so fresh and so clean, clean before you go ahead covering your space with containers and products you put on your face everyday!

2) Make your brushes, eyeliners and lip liners accessible. Get some containers. I got some at Target and I had some glass ones left over from a previous project that I wasn't using. I organized them by category;  glosses, liners, brushes and foundations. I also found an old soap tray that I used for bigger awkward items like lotion, deodorant, creams etc. YAY for utilizing more stuff that I already own! I happened to have these white rocks laying around so I went ahead and filled the containers with them. It helped raise up my smaller makeup brushes so they are easier to see and it looks nice!

I also saw a great version using sand, if you have the space and don't have a cat that can potentially knock it over. Why do they always have to jump on stuff?

Pink sand! YES please.

If you don't want to spend any money, or very little which I am all for, there are some easy things you can find around the house or save after using. Save those jelly or mason jars, get some cute cups on sale at Target or even at the dollar store, re-use aluminum soup cans (peel the labels off and make em' pretty). There are plenty of things you can use that you already own if you just think about them in a new way!

These glittered-up mason jars are adorable. I  might have to make some in the future...

3) Place all your lipsticks in color groups. Reds, Nudes, Pinks. That way you can see what you own (always buying the same shade of pink perhaps?) and its easier to grab. I used a three-section plastic container from Target. I also added a section for chap-stick and balms because I use those every day.

4) Create your own makeup "tray". I use mineral makeup and lets face it, it gets all over. I needed something that I could place it on that would be easy to clean, instead of it dropping onto the wood surface of my vanity. I thought I could get an old vanity mirror but I wanted instant gratification so instead I went searching through my cupboards for something to use. I ended up finding some old picture frames that were not being used. I figured I could do some type of collage inside but instead I found a scrap of old fabric that made it look pretty! It was pretty simple I just wrapped the cardboard that came in the frame with the fabric I had and glued it down. Then I slid the cardboard back into the frame and voila! Instant, printed, makeup tray. :)

5) Get your hair tools all in one place. If you don't put your tools in your bathroom you can consider storing them in a pretty box, or those plastic rolling containers. I got this handy rolling cart from the Container Store. It holds all of my irons, hair brushes, and blow dryer and I also added my makeup pallets on top. It fits in small spaces easily too!

This isn't a bad idea for makeup pallets either! Organize them by using pot lid holders!

There is also this magnetic makeup board which I will be making in the future! Perhaps I can do a DIY post!

I hope my tips have helped you! What are your makeup & beauty organization tricks?




No longer wondering where "that-one-lipstick" is,


<3 Sab

Something Wonderful

Everyday you wake up you have something to be thankful for (even on Mondays, eww). Your bright eyes open, you are alive, breathing, you have a warm bed to get out of and hot water to shower with. You have lights so you are able to see into your refrigerator, that is full of your favorite food, and your closet full of fabulous clothes. Those fabulous clothes keep you warm and hopefully stylish during your day at your wonderful job that pays for all those fabulous clothes, hot water, electricity, dinners out with friends, and toys for your precious pet. As if those things that we take advantage of by the minute, if not daily, are not enough to be thankful for, somewhere along your day something even more wonderful happens in your life. You may not even see it if you are not paying attention.

It could come in the form of getting an extra discount on that already discounted sweater you have been eyeing. The perfect apartment could suddenly become available. A company recruits you on LinkedIn. The show you were dieing to watch last week but didn't have time for repeats on TV one night when you are available to park your butt on the couch. A dear family member or old friend calls that you haven't talked to in a while. You & your boyfriend get off work early- thus creating an unexpected date night! A new awesome movie becomes available on Netflix (thank you!). An incredibly nice phone operator decides to grant you a break on that bill you paid late, or those loans that are past due. You happen to get the BEST parking spot at the store or near your building. You happened to stop at the store on your way home and just happened to avoid the traffic from an accident on the freeway, and you got some yummy food for your lunch tomorrow- double win! The list can go on and on.

I do not believe in coincidence. I believe that everything happens for a reason and those reasons start to stack up and surround you until you start to build a wonderful life. So when life hands you lemons remember all the wonder that you encounter each and every day. When you start to pay attention.... what you see might just blow your mind. :)


Miracles do happen,

<3 Sab

5 Goals for 2014!

2013 was not too shabby. I experienced joy, sadness, love, loneliness, accomplishment, and times where I felt I could have done better. Great memories were made with friends both new and old. I moved back to the beautiful Bay Area, am closer to family, and I even started writing this blog!

So 2014 is awaiting full of greatness for me. I can feel it. Things are only going to get better. Another year older another year wiser.

These are my goals for 2014:

1. Get Organized!! I used to be Mrs. Post-its, highlighters and planners then somewhere along the line (college and afterwards) that all dropped off and I became a little scattered. The truth is I love organization. I love color-coding, labeling, creating a space for everything and of course coordinating it all so there is a cohesive design, but for some reason I stopped doing it. So this year I am getting back on the organization band wagon. My room, my wardrobe, car, and life in general will be getting it together! I also will be using these helpful tips from this article 26 Resolutions to Keep you Organized in 2014 on Buzzfeed. Organization not perfection. I like a little disheveledness in my world. ;)

2. Live every day to be Inspired, Motivated, Loved, Impactful, Abundant and Free. Thanks to my girl Danielle LaPorte for giving me a new way to look at my goals, and how I live my day to day life. Danielle is the author of an amazing goal setting book called the Firestarter Sessions: A Soulful + Practical Guide to Creating Success on Your Own Terms. It is a refreshing no holds bar look at wanting what you want and going after it. She says "Getting clear on how you want to feel in your life + work is more important than setting goals. It’s the most potent form of clarity that you can have, and it’s what leads to true fulfillment." I believe this statement to be true. How can you get clear on what you want if you don't focus on how it's going to make you feel? With Danielle's book as a guide I did some exercises to find out how I really want to feel and those five feelings: Inspired, Motivated, Loved, Impactful, Abundant and Free, are what I aim for everyday. These specific feelings bring joy to my day and make me my best self. Check out her book, its a refreshing in your face read.

3. Travel. I was fortunate enough to do some little trips this year but in 2014 I want to visit my friends more! For some reason I have developed a little fear of flying long distances. Don't know why but I need to suck it up! Everyone is in a different place and sometimes life gets in the way but I really want to make an effort to go visit the people I love. My uncle lives in Texas and I need to make a trip out to see him too! I also want to go meet my half sister for the first time this year in Tennessee! Really the East Coast (still have never been to NYC)  and the South ( New'ohhhlins) are calling my name this year, and as for International travel a trip to Italy or Ireland would never hurt!

4. Fall In Love. New guy (the love of my life perhaps), new city, new friend, new favorite ice-cream, new decor, or a new perspective - whatever the case I want to fall for it. Completely head over heels, openhearted, vulnerable to a fault LOVE. As another year passes there is more heart-break, more violence in the media, more disappointment. Sometimes we need to take a fresh new look at the world. There is still a LOT of good in it. I want that little- kid anything-is-possible-and-everything-is-great feeling again. I want to be Ariel when she sees a fork for the first time. "Look at this thing! Isn't is great!?" Could you imagine being THAT excited to see a fork? Yeah- exactly. We need more of that.

5. Healthy Mind, Body & Soul. Clear skin, shiny hair, good sleep, flexible bod, strong arms, happy heart, light & energized, and healthy diet. Mom and I are already starting to eat clean by getting plenty of fruits, veggies, drinking lots of water and kicking the boxed and high sugar foods. We definitely are going to watch what we put into our bodies but wine will always be there, lets just be honest.

Cheers to reaching your goals and having a prosperous 2014!


Getting the champagne ready,


<3 Sab

Easy Snowflake Nails

Easy Snowflake Nails by fab-sab featuring Sephora Collection

It's time to get some snowy holiday cheer on those nails!

1. Prep your nails and hands. Lotion up, remove nasty cuticles and file those babies down to a shape of your choice!

2. Paint your nails with a base coat. I used Sally Hansen's Double Duty which is a base coat and a top coat! I love me some two for one's!

2. After your base dries paint your nails with a striking silver color. Something shiny! This is the holiday's people! Or if you dislike silver or don't have it in your nail arsenal then go ahead and use whatever color you'd like. I wont judge if you use fluorescent orange! Whichever color you chose make sure you get two good coats on.

3. $#!% Start cussing because you accidentally took a chunk out of your polish. UGH. Remove and redo. While your at it go ahead and get your hand dandy cotton swabs dipped in polish remover and clean up all the excess polish you got all over your skin. We are not perfect.

3. Next chose where on your nails you would like your snowflakes. Get your striper brush and a nice white polish and start making X's and then cross through those X's. Kind of make a jack shape. As in the game Jacks. Better yet just watch this video from CutePolish on youtube. She does it best!

4. After you have your snowflake shapes go ahead and get your dotting tool (you can even use an old ball point pen if you don't have a dotter) and make dots at the end of the X shapes. Also make some dots to look like snow on the rest of your nail bed.

5. Fan your hands around, blow on those nails, do a little dance until they are dry.

6. Finish with a top coat!

That's it! Go forth with your snow dusted nails! You are ready to be admired at a holiday party or open presents!

Add me on Instagram @fabsabagram

Not a nail technician but I try,


<3 Sab

Shopping in My Closet & a Hatred for Cardigans

Last night, way into the early morning, I sat up til my eyes bled going through my favorite fashion blogs, clicking on affiliate links oogling and ogling a bunch of cute stuff that I want! Sexy studded pleather shorts, over-sized sweaters, long sleeve crops, velvet leggings, kitten heels and more. Now you have to understand I am a very weird person when it comes to shopping online because I will look and look and put items in my cart but when it comes to actual purchasing I never make it through the checkout. I know, strange right? I don't think I have ever purchased anything online yet- like, ever. I think it has something to do with the added shipping cost. Yes-only $35 bucks! SWEET! *Clicks continue*...OH man...another $15 for shipping. Do I really need a $55 dress, that may not even fit, that I will probably just return?*Clicks out*

If being a weird almost-shopper was not enough reason for me to close down the computer and go to sleep then being broke definitely IS. Why am I up perusing the internet as if I am a millionaire!? Those 50% All Outerwear! and FREE shipping on orders over $30! blinking banners are reason enough for me to keep clicking through almost every category on a shops page. However, not having an expendable income right now and seeing all the stuff I can not buy even though there is a mega-deal makes me feel pretty awful. Note to self: Lets just stop this now.

So here I am online at god knows what hour wanting more STUFF. But I have no money to be shopping and I honestly don't have much more space in my closet, drawers and walls. I begin to look around my room at all the stuff I already own and realize that I own some pretty awesome things. Pretty makeup, a closet full of clothes- including awesome vintage and unique thrift finds, a vintage hat box full of fun accessories, TWO trees, one billboard AND a tray of jewelry, and TONS of shoes that I never wear (there's four pairs alone in my car- I mean come on!). I have a bunch of cool stuff! I have come to the realization that I have this huge varied wardrobe to chose from and I don't NEED anymore stuff (at least not right now) and for this I am thankful.

I then started going through the memory banks of whats in my closet- realizing that I already HAVE majority of the trendiest stuff out there online or at least SOME version of it. I started thinking of the women back in the day- like BACK in the day - where you would have been lucky enough to own two dresses. Two nice dresses- one for day, the other for special occasions, and those babies were something you saved for, not something you just happened to pick up because it was there and you though it was cute and you didn't have this style dress in red yet- only black, navy and cream. *Cough* CONSUMERISM* Cough cough*

So here is my point. I have a lot of great stuff in my wardrobe and I can't shop right now (nor do I need to) so the best thing I can do is start shopping in my closet. It's time to rediscover whats in there. I obviously bought it all so I must have liked it right? Well I am going to find out.

I have decided to shop my closet for the rest of the year. I bet I can make hundreds of outfits with what I already own. I managed to already make one, with a bunch of stuff I forgot I had!

Cardigan: H&M- Old, similar here

Leopard Top: Thrifted

Necklace: Avon, Gift

Tank: JCPenny

Belt: Express- Old, similar here

Jeans: TJMax, F21,Old

Heels: Missoni for Target

I totally forgot about these oh-so-comfy boyfriend jeans I owned! Probably because my mom stole them and was wearing them as regular jeans, which is probably why I had to add a belt! I also don't wear the ever awesome chevron suede Missoni for Target shoes I got when the collection came out. They are so neutral they literally can go with anything AND I got them on sale. Hello beauties.

I also have a little confession to make. I pretty much HATE cardigans. I hate them but I own a few. Now don't get me wrong I like some versions- like give me an oversized grandpa cardi and I will rock it with a short dress and a belt, no prob! Its these little dinky ones that barely button that I have the problem with. I just don't like these little flimsy pieces of fabric on my body who's only real purpose is to cover my shoulders. Its all too Sandra Dee.

Anyhow, enter old red simple cardigan. This one I haven't worn in daaaaaaaaaaays.It was in the back of my closet probably because of the aforementioned hate I have for them. But it looks cute layered over this sheer leopard button up I have (which I just realized is a freakin' sheer cardigan! Ugh I might have to admit I like cardigans #firstworldproblems).Throw on a simple black tank, my favorite necklace and a shiny gold belt and I was perfectly outfitted for a casual day of running errands.

Lets see where this journey takes us shall we? Heck, you can even play along. All for one and one for all in the name of outfit making. I hope to have some more of these closet mix matching experiments up on the blog. Until then here is an extra pic of me trying to get my cat to participate in my makeshift photo shoot - I swear I'm not strangling him.

Digging to the way, way back.

<3 Sab

A Cozy & Kissy Xmas Party

My favorite part of the holidays (besides family, boot-weather, and Christmas trees) are of course the parties! I was fortunate enough to be invited to a friend's holiday ornament exchange party last night. It was a kick-back house party so I didn't go all glam-o-rama, although I definitely could have. Everyone else ended up wearing sparkles! Sparkles, for a holiday party - I should have known....  But I am always cold and its freakin' cold outside so I just wanted to be cozy! I decided on a purple turtleneck and leggings combo with my fuzzy cream extra long vest and vintage suede boots topped with some shiny larger than life glam earrings. Add in some lose curls and that's holiday party enough for me!

Arriving in comfy style we were greeted by an adorable, chubby, snow flocked Christmas tree (with extra glitter)! The thing was packed with cutesy ornaments and topped with a crown. Definitely my type of Christmas tree! :) The host has the cutest house ever! Everything looks like its straight out of Pinterest! Girls got style.

She also has the cutest little side room that is now a dedicated photo booth! A bunch of props were laid out for us to use - beards, hats, antlers, lips, bows and stunner shades! SO CUTE! We all put on tons of props and went crazy making social media moments- a little TOO many. You can see gangsta-santa-Sab on my Facebook page. Haha.

We had a blast drinking, eating and chatting. We drank this pretty refreshing cocktail that tasted like red licorice. I can't find it online but its just Marshmellow vodka and pineapple juice! She also made these amazing fig jam and cream cheese bread thingys, a lasagna and served an amazing salad! OMG it was too good! And of course there were Christmas cookies, and cupcakes for desert! YUM!

After a few too many cocktails the ornament exchange ended up just being a "take an ornament and if you don't like it swap with someone else" kinda thing but I ended up getting the perfect addition for my pink tree, a multicolored pinata! All in all it was a great night!

Hope you all get to experience a fun holiday party this year and if not there is always New Years!



Feliz Navidad,

<3 Sab