VS Fashion Show 2011

Last night was full of glitter, million dollar bras, and billion dollar panties at the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. The stars were even out with Maroon 5, Jay-Z, Kanye, and Nicki Minaj all hitting the stage. God bless the model that got to be serenaded by Adam Levine, lucky girl! The show had some hits and some misses but I have to say I was very impressed as I am every year. Watching all those girls is definitely motivation to hit the gym!

I can't imagine all the planning and work that goes into putting on this show but I know one thing, I wouldn't mind being a part of it! Amber Burns, PR coordinator for Victoria's Secret Inc. Sounds good right?!

Amber's Workout Plan

Kanye's got nothing on an ambitious girl with some serious weight loss goals! I don't take this military girlfriend business lightly, having MJ go off for basic training really inspired me to hit the gym harder than ever. When he gets back for Christmas exit, his training doesn't stop and I want to be able to at least pretend like I'm keeping up!

With work, school, and maintaining something that resembles a social life, getting to the gym every single day is just unrealistic. Love it in theory, but it would probably kill me in practice. So I'm aiming to go at least 3-4 times a week, which isn't bad at all! In lieu of becoming a gym rat, I've been looking up other things that lead to weight loss and a healthier me, here's the plan:

1. All Water Everything- Yes, that even means that I, confessed coffee addict, am trading in that precious morning cup. All in the name of fitness.

2. 30 minutes of daily cardio- Just because I'm in not in the gym doesn't mean I can't get my cardio on from the comforts of my dorm. Walking to classes and meetings count for something too!

3. No Pasta or White Bread- I love bread; I come from a bread loving family. I doubt we are sitting down without some kind of fresh baked break on the table. And whenever we have pasta, it's accompanied by bread. This has to go!

4. No junk food- Trading in the chips that come with my greek wrap for carrot sticks shouldn't be that bad. But I'm bracing myself just in case!

Fitness isn't just a quick fad for quick results, it's a lifestyle! I have some short term goals that this plan is bound to help me complete; but my long term goals (overall health and positive well-being) require a lot less of the extremities. After I reach these short term goals, I still want to keep up the cardio, limit the junk food intake, and keep water as my beverage of choice. My number one goal is a happier, healthier me!

Blow Out The Candles With PRIDE!

This blog goes out to a friend of mine, Ty who will be turning 19 in a few short days! He's dreading hitting another year older for whatever reason even though he shouldn't be!

A month or two ago I posted an entry about the hundreds of millions of dreams we have every night. Our dreams show us the things we long for the most. The things we desire to do, but haven't been put into position to do yet. How many times did you dream of your dream job when you were only 5 years old? Or go over the mental picture of that perfect someone in your mind, before you were even of dating age? Exactly, we all long to do and have so many things, we need all the time in the world to manifest them.

Each birthday is your being awarded another year to inspire and be inspired by greatness. Each candle represents some trademark, big or small, that you have left of on the world, on someone, on something. Bravo to you! Celebrate your accomplishments, and relish in the fact that there are more candles to come. Throw yourself a party, and blow out your candles with pride. Happy Birthday.

#MotivationMondays: Mind Over Matter

I'll be sure to keep this in mind when I trade in my daily morning coffee in for a water bottle. All part of a new 3 week (intense) fitness regimen I'm embarking on. More deets to follow!

Also, I'm resisting the temptation to shop on cyber Monday. That's the thing about being a broke college kid: the second you get cash, your hand starts itching!

Spread the motivation and tweet me @AmberSB_ with the hashtag #motivationmondays!

Thanksgiving Wrap-Up

While any holiday with my family is never uneventful, I did enjoy being home, drama and all. I could type out all of the good (and some of the bad), but it's easier to just post the pictures and let you all fill in the blanks.

It's always been a tradition to get "done up" every holiday in my family. I don't know, I guess I tried. This was Thanksgiving day.

The little sister and I on Thanksgiving day

Little Reminders: Just Keep Pushing

Today, I refuse to give up, give in, or give out. I will finish what I started, I will succeed, I will just keep pushing.

Despite my 4 hours of sleep, stuffy nose, and sore throat, I will keep pushing.

I never stop.

There Are No Sick Days In College

Somewhere between my ton of homework assignments, unwritten papers, and that fourth cup of coffee, I managed to get sick. I literally felt great on Thursday and woke up half dead on Friday. This is unfortunate because being sick has no place in my planner or my non-stop lifestyle! As much as my body is telling me to slow down, my mind cannot seem to process this concept. Yesterday, I knew I needed to spend the day in bed to give my body a chance to rest. Somehow the crazy over achiever in me took this as "get into bed and bring your to-do list and homework with you." So that's exactly what I did: sat in bed with my laptop and my books, finishing up a paper and filling out paper work for my internship.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I never stop!

Needless to say, the upcoming Thanksgiving break is much needed and highly anticipated! I'll be leaving campus early Wednesday afternoon, and soaking up family time and great food Thursday evening. I cannot wait!

All of my friends are either home from school already or on their way back. I can't wait to see everyone... well not everyone! My best friend and I go to schools that are states apart. Both of our schedules are so different we hardly get to talk. I can only imagine what our reunion is going to be like!

Well, I'm going to spend the rest of my Sunday (in bed) finishing up assignments and packing for my weekend at home.

Enjoy your Sunday!

It's The Little, Annoying Thing You Miss The Most

Before you roll your eyes and vow to never read my blog again, I promise this is not a lamenting, whiny, army girlfriend misses boyfriend kind of post. I'm not there yet! It's just that I've noticed that since he's been gone, the things I love about him I miss, but his little annoying quirks are what I LONG for!

I used to hate those same 8 songs he played every time we were in the car. Now, I have an entire playlist devoted to those songs.

I miss the corny jokes that he would constantly tell that irked me because I never found them funny. Now, when something reminds me of one of those jokes I find myself laughing to myself, looking crazy, of course.

I miss that text he used to send me between 6:50-7:00am when he knew I was sleeping, that would always wake me up from a much needed peaceful sleep. Now, I wake up around 6:50-7:00 naturally.

It really is the little annoying things that I miss the most about him. 29 days!

#Knowthyself: MY Color Purple

I am a huge believer that everyone on this planet was born for a purpose, with a purpose. Now the trick is, how do you figure out what that purpose is? Well, it has everything to do with getting to know your creator and getting to know yourself! Nothing that you possess inside is in you by accident. So in between my classes the other day, I researched a few things about me, and boy was a blown away!

Since the dawn of time, my favorite color has been purple. I thought and confessed that I love purple because I wanted to stray away from every other pink obsessed girl, but after a little research, I discovered purple may have actually chosen me!

Purple embodies the balance of red's stimulation and blue's calm. This dichotomy can cause unrest or uneasiness unless the undertone is clearly defined, at which point the purple takes on the characteristics of its undertone. With a sense of mystic and royal qualities, purple is a color often well liked by very creative or eccentric types and is the favorite color of adolescent girls.

HOW THE COLOR PURPLE AFFECTS US PHYSICALLY

» Uplifts, Calms the mind and nerves, Offers a sense of spirituality, Encourages creativity

So all this time I've been making up reasons why I love purple, but really, purple is built into my make up! It's all about knowing and understanding yourself. Tapping into sides of yourself that you never even knew existed! If you learn something new everyday, why not make that thing something about YOU?


Learn all about your favorite colors here.

In All Things, Give Thanks

As Thanksgiving (and Thanksgiving break) approaches, I can't help but think of all the things I'm thankful for. With all of my to-do lists and weekly happenings, it is so easy to focus on the mountain of things in front of me, without thinking of the mountain of blessings I have as well. How many times a day so we really stop and just meditate on how fortunate we are? Not nearly as much as we should, thats for sure.

I want this Thanksgiving to be different for me, and I have a feeling it will be. I want to break the mentality of focusing on what I have not, and place heavier emphasis on what I have. If we constantly mediate on the things we lost or wish we had, we lose precious time to pursue the things we are destined to obtain! Venting can be an awesome release, but there comes a time when you need to vent less and speak out more. The more you speak about and meditate on a thing, the more likely you are to make it happen.

One thing I am especially thankful for this holiday season is time. I am thankful for this time I have had to be to myself, discover who I am, and understand myself. I am thankful for the time I have had to talk with wonderful, uplifting, and encouraging people. People who have been willing to invest their time and words of wisdom in me, who took the time to see something in me worth becoming a part of. I am thankful for the time I wasted, because I often work better when I know I have less time to work with. But most importantly, I am thankful for the times to come. Everything that I have learned and done has only been the tip of the iceberg. The things that are to come are the things that keep me excited and motivated, they are worth all the time in the world.

Learn about your favorite colors here.

4 Stories: Coffee & Tea

I got the idea for the Four Stories Series from LA's blog Freckled Nest. Here's how it works: each month there is a theme. The theme for November is going to be Coffee and Tea. For each theme, I'm going to blog four stories or memories or thoughts that are triggered by that theme. Feel free to keep this going and use it on your blogs, tumblrs, or whatever!

1.The Kool Aid Coffee Mug

I remember living in our cozy (no not small, very cozy) apartment in North Jersey. I loved living there, back in my only child days! On weekend mornings, we would all usually be in the kitchen eating breakfast. My mom and grandma would have hot tea and my dad would make a strong cup of black coffee. I had this pink kool aid mug right out of the comercial, and every saturday my dad would fill the cup with milk, then add a splash of coffee to it. I wish I still had that mug, but I'm glad I still have the memories.

2.Backwards Granny

Before we moved, a trip to South Jersey always meant a trip to my granny's (mother's mother) house. I always thought it was weird that she drank hot tea in the mornings to wake up and be energized, then drank coffee at night to put herself to sleep. I remember asking her once why she did it backwards, she just told me that she did what worked for her. That stuck with me.

3. "If You Really Like Coffee, You Drink It Black - No Milk, and No Sugar"

One of my favorite parts of drinking coffee is adding the flavored creamers to it! It just takes things to a new level. Whenever my dad sees me mixing up creamy concoctions of french vanilla and hazelnut delight, he always says this to me. It's a quote that his aunt used to say to him, when they had coffee but no milk or sugar in the house to use for it.

4.Depends On How I'm Feeling

I don't have a typical drink order, it depends on how I'm feeling.Slow moving mornings usually call for a hot cup of earl grey tea, or a chai tea latte. Hectic days usually bring me to a large Americano or something with a shot of expresso. Busy days with no breaks between classes, a medium coffee with french vanilla and cinnamon creamers. It really just depends.

I Need To Explore: Wanderlust

There are so many cities and countries in this planet and I have an insatiable desire to see and experience them all. For a long time, I thought I just wanted to see a few major cities, just to see what the hype was about. But now, my ears are always ready to pick up on a chance to go international. 

I had a study abroad plan, which basically outlined everything I needed to do to ensure I could spend my fall 2013 semester in London. While that plan is still in effect, I'm thinking why stop at London? When am I ever going to have to chance to visit foreign places and try new things? Why wait until after college to see the world if I can do both at the same time! If I can spend a semester in London, a summer in Paris, and another summer in South Africa, then why not?

Sometimes I think I plan too big. I have so many desires to do so many things, and I want to do them all NOW. But on the other hand, I'm probably not even thinking big compared to what I am destined to do!

Little Reminders: No One Trips Over Mountains

Nobody trips over mountains.  It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble.  Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain.  ~Author Unknown

Everything Will Be Okay In The End, If It's Not Okay, It's Not The End.

Today was a terrible day, but I refuse to be defeated. I'm determined to spend the rest of this night being productive. Nothing positive can come from sitting and sulking and wallowing in my own self pity. I will rise above everything that tries to hinder me. I cannot be defeated. Maybe I just needed to remind myself of this. Remind myself that everything always works out in my favor.

I woke up this morning thinking that things would work out simply because I deserved for them to work out. When things went wrong, I was outraged because I thought I deserved them to go right. But now, I realize it has nothing to do with what I deserve. It has everything to do with what I am destined to become. And for that reason, everything is going to work out for me. It has to.

#Lovethyself: Relax, Relate, Release.

This Saturday, I took a much needed mental health break. I forbade myself from picking up a textbook, unglued myself from my email, and cozied up in a warm pair of pajamas for the day. I have to admit, it was lovely! I spend so much time running from this meeting to that meeting, typing this paper and print that paper, that I rarely get to take a moment and just breathe. I can't even lie, at certain points during the day, it was hard for me to just chill. I felt guilty for taking some time to myself to just relax and let my mind wander. I felt like I was wasting hours in the day. I never thought taking a breather would become challenging for me.

My struggle to relax just helped me realize how much more I need to relax. I always take that extra few minutes to make sure my papers are perfect. Always reread an email eight times before I send it. I color code any and everything that can be color coded; and always tripple check assignments before even walking towards a classroom. So what stops me from taking 20 minutes of of my day to just woo-sah, and make sure I'm okay. No matter how much my obsessive compulsiveness drives me towards perfection, if I'm having a daily mental breakdown in the process.

As important as it is for me to have all of my affairs in order, it's just as important that I keep myself in order. If I slip, all my hard work falls down with me, and that's a fact.

From now on, I'm challenging me and everyone else to #lovethyself. Do a little something for you daily, nothing is to little or to big. Read a magazine, watch TV, turn off your email notifications, ANYTHING. Just take a little time to keep your star player at 100%.

Love And Relationship Ethos: J'ai amour, l'amour

J'ai amour, l'amour: (French) I love, love.


It's true, I am the definition of a hopeless romantic. I always have been, and God willing, I always will be. 

Girl, Put Your Records On

This week has been one thing after another, after another. I definitely need a mental health day. Sometimes, we focus so much on tasks and goals that we forget to take care of ourselves; especially in college. This weekend, I am going to have some much needed "me time".

In the meantime, relax to this tune.

Put Your Records On - Corinne Bailey Rae

Love And Relationship Ethos: Making Our Hearts Fonder

Thanks to my mild case of OCD that wouldn't let me blog until I redesigned the site, my crazy schedule, and my boyfriend leaving for Basic Training for the army, I've been pretty much a no show around here; my bad. Sometimes, even I let life get in the way of what I love. And this blog is definitely something I love. But I promise, I'm back.... I think!

I spent this entire weekend with my boyfriend any his family, seeing him off when he left for military training. I've been sad before, but this is the weirdest saddness I've ever felt. It's a sense of sadness combined with joy and happiness, and even a little excitement. I am just so optimistic that this is going to be good for him, and that when he comes back there are going to be so many positive changes in him. But at the same time, the longest I think I've ever gone without talking to him in the last 3 years has been maybe two weeks, two and a half weeks tops! So this is a really big adjustment for me, for both of us I'm sure. At least the saying goes: absence makes the heart grown fonder.


I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss him like crazy already. He's gotten to call me twice since he's been on base, and both times you would've thought I hit the lottery when I saw his name on the caller ID. I keep replaying the last things we said to each other over and over. I don't know what to expect during the time that we're apart, so I'm trying to prepare myself for any and everything. Luckily, I am very close to his family, so I'm not going through this transition to military girlfriend status alone, which is a major bonus.

The addition of military girlfriend to the chapters of the book of my life is sure to make for an interesting twist to the story.