April 2012 Mini Goals Roundup & Special Wedding Post

Happy Monday loves!!!! Hope all of y'all had a wonderful weekend and got some serious rest and relaxation to help get through your Monday!!

Before I get started with my own ramblings I have a wee little surprise for y'all! I know I haven't posted any details about our wedding (I'm actually saving this for the week of our one year anniversary), however, Heart Love Wedding has featured us on their blog today!! So if you have been eager to see some of our details and hear our love story, hop on over and check it out!!! We can't thank Heart Love Weddings and Style by Design enough for all they did to make our wedding come to life on the blog!
Now, on to the update of my April Mini Goals!

At the beginning of April, I did a post here, listing a few goals I'd like to accomplish for the month of April! Here is the end of month update:

1. Make hubby lunch at least 2/3 times a week. EPIC FAIL! I only did this once!

2. Start reading The Girl Who Played With Fire. Done and Done! I've already started the last book of the series, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest. I've really enjoyed the trilogy, but I'm ready to move on to a new story adventure!

3. Write more handwritten notes just because. EPIC FAIL once again! I'm not a person who likes excuses, but I'm blaming a lot of my FAILS on how insanely exhausted I've been. Now that I'm getting better sleep, I shouldn't have a problem doing this for the month of May.

4. Run at least 1 of the 5 mornings that I take Reef for a walk. Semi- accomplished. I figured this would total 4 runs in the month of April, I did 2. Not bad considering I didn't walk our poor guy for one whole week! Jeeze... I'm a horrible momma!

5. Take after dinner walks at least twice a week with Reef and hubby. FAIL FAIL FAIL! We didn't do this once. We didn't even try! I blame this one on the fact that by the time dinner is over with and cleaned up it's 8 p.m. and we go to bed at 9 p.m. and when the hubby has to coach his baseball games it's definitely out of the question!

6. Find window treatments for guest room. 4th out of 7 FAILS... terrible! I looked once, however, I'm contemplating changing the look of the WHOLE room, so I am not even sure if I want the white window treatments anymore! I've got to get my thoughts together and decide what I'm going to do!

7. Clean out 2nd guest room and take everything to Goodwill. WIN WIN WIN! I actually did this on Saturday FINALLY! The room is now empty, well except for our queen size bed taking up space, since we don't know where to put it now that we have upgraded to a king!

Altogether I think I did horribly with achieving these goals, however I did get some items checked off and that's a plus... right? As I said before I'm not one for excuses, but I think my "health" had a lot to do with why some of these didn't get accomplished. Now that I am gaining energy back and feeling more productive and motivated, I think May will be a far better month! Check back tomorrow for my May 2012 Mini Goals!!!

Have a fabulous Monday! And Ill see y'all tomorrow! Can't believe May is here! My golly where is the time going?!?!

XoXo,

Dry Shampoo Review

For those of you who may not realize it, I have thick long naturally curly hair. Of course, like most, we always want what we can't have, so I spend A LOT of time flat ironing it to make it slick straight! This process probably takes about 30 minutes and when you include the time of washing my hair and blow drying it, my “getting ready hair routine” totals about a full hour! That’s a lot of time, which does not include makeup and getting dressed! When all is said in done, it takes about an hour and a half to two hours for me to get ready from start to finish! This being said, I don’t wash my hair everyday. I’ve actually gotten it to the point that I can wash it twice a week! Some may say “Eww gross” others may say “WOW, that’s awesome”, either way, dry shampoo has been a life saver and extends my unwashed hair to day four without looking dirty or greasy!

About a year and a half ago I started hearing and seeing advertisements for Dry Shampoo. I had heard of this in years prior, but it seemed that Salon brands, like Bumble & Bumble were the only lines that sold it. Not to mention I had a hard time hunting it down AND paying $30.00 or more for a small bottle. Then Tresemme came out with a Dry Shampoo line! I immediately hit up my local Wally World {a.k.a. Wal Mart} and bought a can. At $5.99 you really can’t go wrong! If it didn’t work, I wasn’t losing out on it! To much of my surprised it worked super well! It had refreshing smell and kept my hair from looking like I stepped out of The Outsiders movie! It was definitely a time saver {I mean hello, I need all the extra time I can get}.

First Runner Up!

After reading some blog reviews on another brand of dry shampoo, I decided to give it a whirl. In comes, Salon Graffix and it is actually a tad bit cheaper than Tresemme ringing in at a whopping $3.99! However, I was less than impressed with this one! It has a horrible smell and I felt it didn’t give me coverage. At least with Tresemme, I could see the powdery substance settle on my roots before brushing it through. Salon Graffix, not so much! After using it, I decided this was not the dry shampoo for me, and I would be switching back to Tresemme as soon as my SG bottle was empty.

Third Place

Much to my surprise, I have not switched back to Tresemme, because {duhn, duhn, duhn} I found Suave Keratin Infusion Dry Shampoo. Holy heck, I’ve finally found my bowl of “just right porridge” only in dry shampoo form! This one is the cheapest of the three and totals around $3.50 a bottle. I can see the coverage before I brush it through my hair and it smells absolutely amazing!!! I’ve only been using it for a week and a half but I know I won’t be switching back or trying anything else! This is the one for me! Perfect fit!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner! 

If you are looking for a dry shampoo to get you an extra day or two of not having to wash your hair I would definitely recommend Suave and Tresemme! They are both budget friendly and absolutely work! Side Note, if you have darker hair I would stick with Suave as the Tresemme has a white residue that tends to show up more on you brunette beauties! Either way, I don’t think you can go wrong with either of the two!

I wanted to thank Nikki again from The Pink Growl, for stopping by and guest blogging yesterday!! Thank you also to the gorgeous gals who left their sweet comments for Nikki!! Hope you all are having a fabulous Friday!!! Enjoy your weekend and I'll see you on Monday!!!

XoXo,

*** In no way shape or form am I paid or compensated by Suave, Tresemme, Salon Graffix, or Bumble&Bumble for my dry shampoo reviews. This post was based on my own experience and opinion of the products mentioned above. ***

Nikki - The Pink Growl - Guest Blogger!

Without further adieu, here is my guest blogger for today!!! Enjoy!!! And thank you Nikki for stopping by and being a part of my blog!!! Xoxo!


Hi everybody! I’m Nikki and I blog over at The Pink Growl.

I was so excited when Lauran asked me to do a guest post for her. First of all, I absolutely adore the name of her blog. I’m a complete Real Housewives addict! Second, there is nothing that I love more than connecting with new lovely ladies in the bloggy world – especially cute little Southern ladies, like our girl Lauran. She left the floor open to me, so I’m going to shed some light on some classic stereotypes for you – specifically those against Southern folk. Last week I wrote a post poking fun at thestereotypes portrayed on the Real Housewives series, but it kind of got me thinking that I’m probably judged based on some true blue notions that people have about Tennessee. Let’s just go ahead and clear up the fact that I am indeed wearing shoes right now, and I have all my teeth. I did not get married or become a teen mom at the age of 14 – in fact, I’m 27 just recently engaged and no kiddos. Oh yeah, and I am college educated. Does that help you filter through some of those traditional Southern stereotypes? {Obviously, I’m poking fun again and I know that you’re smart enough to know that not all TN people are like that.}

I had a conversation with a friend recently about survival tips that one might need in order to get by on their first trip in the South. I’m a Tennessee girl, born & raised, but these tips would apply to all areas below the Mason-Dixon line. I came up with my Top 5 Southern Survival Tips for you – just in case you even venture down here to pay me a proper visit!

·         Learn Y’all. {If you were an English major, then you should forgive this one because you won’t like it.} You All or You Guys is just a mouth full to say sometimes, right? Y’all is much easier! Everybody says it so you won’t feel foolish. Go ahead and try it, I’ll wait…. See wasn’t that fun? Didn’t you just sound like a regular Southern belle? Rappers say it, Britney Spears says it, I say it – you can say it too.

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·         It’s a Coke – even if it’s a Pepsi. Apparently when you’re up North all drinks are called “sodas” or “pops”. Well I’m not real sure what a pop is, but down here we call it Coke. If you’re thirsty you have two options: sweet iced tea and Coke. Sure, Pepsi products are available, but in conversation every soft drink equals a Coke.

·         After Jesus, Football is God. Football is a way of life where I’m from. Period. Friday nights revolve around high school football & Saturdays we take our trip down to Neyland to watch the boys in orange play. SEC is hands down the best conference in college football. Girls in the South know more about football than some boys in other places. I know this because I have been complimented by several boys on my football IQ. Tailgating is an art form. Game days consist of delicious football food, Jack Daniels, and of course cornhole! (again, with the language barrier, but I believe that sometimes cornhole is also called bags?) I’d be willing to bet you could find more children named Peyton around these parts than anywhere! Same principle still applies if you are a Gator, a Bulldog, a Wildcat, a Gamecock, etc…

·         We don’t talk funny, you talk funny! I did my very first vlog recently, and I will admit that I was a little nervous to put my accent on display. I recorded my video about 5x trying to downplay it, but then I realized who cares! I really can’t change it, and everything sounds sweeter in a Southern dialect so I embrace it. I’ve often been told that “I talk funny” by some of my Pennsylvania relatives. My simple response to them is, “I don’t talk funny, you talk funny”. Booooyah, take that! Basically, we all talk “funny” in a way. There are few areas of this country that do not leave us with the impression of a distinct accent. So I might drag out my vowel sounds a little longer than you, that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends!

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·         Things move a little slower down here – kick back and enjoy it. Small town Southern living is a fairly simple way of life. Yes there are big cities, but even in those areas the pace of life is just different. I live in Knoxville, and it’s the 3^rd largest city in the state. But it’s still small enough for me to see someone I know every time I leave the house. The town I grew up in is still a place where you don’t need to lock your doors at night. We know each other’s families, each other’s business and we protect each other. We like lazy days at the lake or sitting on a nice open porch in the evenings. We work hard and play hard. It’s a blessed life down here in God’s country.

I hope that you enjoyed my handy tips! For more quirky little Southern-isms you can always count on The Pink Growl! If you’re ever down in Knoxville, for a football game or for vacation I would love to meet up with you! J

What I'm Loving Wednesday - Link Up!

I swear, I feel like Wednesdays creep up on me soooo quickly!!! I've linked up for today's WILW with Jamie, over at This Kind of Love. Here is what I'm loving today and this week!!!

1. I have a Guest Blogger set up for tomorrow!! I am so very excited to have Nikki, from The Pink Growl guest posting on my blog Thursday!!! I think y'all are really going to like her!! She's newly engaged, a momma to a furry child, and hails from TN! Make sure you visit the blog tomorrow to check her out and all her Southernness!

2. Photo Shoots! The hubby and I have been asked by the OH-SO- TALENTED, Rebecca Keeling Studios, to model for a photo shoot this evening for my hometown's magazine! I've never actually "modeled" before for a publication, so I am extremely nervous!! I have no doubt the photos will be amazing and I'm excited to see the end product!! I am beyond grateful and flattered that Rebecca has asked us to be a part of it and hope we meet her expectations!

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3. Friends closing on their new home! Our dear friends, The Wards, closed on their very own home yesterday!!! We could not be more happier and excited for them! They are such fun, loving, sweet, and genuine folks, not to mention hard workers! Mr. Ward owns his family's camp ground and Mrs. Ward is a Math teacher in a school district that is about an hour commute from their home! They are also parents to two sweet yellow labs, Shiloh and Sydney, and a dodson, named Pee-Wee! They live about an hour and a half away from us and we hate that we aren't able to spend more time with them, but we couldn't be more excited for this new adventure they are about to experience!!

4. The Real Housewives of New Jersey! I haven't been this excited for a season premier in some time now! I'm thinking this one was due to all the drama that unfolded on the last reunion show! Teresa has obviously upset ALL of the ladies, and while I used to like her, she has put an awful taste in my mouth! Melissa and Kathy are definitely becoming two of my favorites, but I'll always be a die hard Caroline fan! Plus, Caroline has tweeted me twice on twitter! I HAVE to love her for that!! The season premier started with some juicy stuff and I am really looking forward to this season! I wonder if any tables will be flipped??

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5. Grad-School Decisions. While I haven't made the full decision yet, I have seriously been contemplating getting my Masters. I shared last Thursday here, that I am terrified of taking the GREs, but I know I can't let that stop me from continuing my education and getting the career of my dreams. I've looked into several on-line university programs and their requirements. I think I could manage 9 credits a semester on-line but I still have a lot to ponder! Nonetheless, the thoughts actually thrill me that in less than 2 years I could have my MBA in Public Relations! Now if I could just make the decision and do it!!


I hope all of you are having a wonderful and fabulous Wednesday! The weekend will be here before we know it and I couldn't ask for more than that!! Remember to stop by tomorrow to check out the Guest Blogger!!

XoXo,

For my Mommy and ALL you Mommies!

I was browsing around Facebook yesterday evening after work and found this Proctor and Gamble 2012 London Olympics Advertisement! I may not be a mother but it sent me into a sobbing mess! Not to mention it made me sooo grateful for all my own mother did to push me to excel in life!! So I dedicate this to all of our mommies and the new momma's that are gracing the world each and every day! I may not have turned into an Olympian but I hope I still make my momma proud!!

My apologies for such a short blog today, but I felt like this ad spoke 1000 words! No need to fill it up with mumbo jumbo!!!

Hope everyone is having a glorious day!! See y'all tomorrow for What I'm Loving Wednesday!!!

Xoxo,

Our Weekend in Photos!

What a laid back weekend we had! Besides the rain yesterday, Saturday was absolutely gorgeous! It's a shame Sunday had to be so wet and gloomy! Here is our weekend in photos:

Saturday morning, I gave myself a little manicure and pedicure! My go to nail polish is usually OPI because I love the coverage it gives, however I found a cheap ole NYC bottle in my polish stash and decided I needed to have this hot pink color on my toes and fingers ASAP!

After my personal mani and pedi, I went out to find a 1st Birthday gift for our dear friends, the Hill's little sweet baby girl! I knew I wanted to buy her a pearl bracelet, so I went to a children's boutique close by and picked out a sweet pearl and pink beaded bracelet! It is such a keepsake and I wanted her to have something they could pass through the family! I then found a sweet orange ruffled bathing suit with the cutest terry cloth cover-up for the beach! And of course it's not a gift without a book! I try to buy at least one book to include with a child's gift! There is nothing like teaching your child to love reading! I did notice one thing, while shopping, I do hope we have a little girl{in the future}, they really are WAY fun to shop for, which could get me in a lot of trouble!!

This is us on our way to the birthday party!! Hubby can be sooo serious when driving!! At least he is paying attention to the road!

Yesterday was a rainy, yucky, mess of a day! This picture is our backyard and the rain puddles! Those puddles are a sign of A LOT of rain! We braved the down pours and ate breakfast at the Cracker Barrel, headed to PetSmart with Baby Reef to get his nails trimmed, and stopped in TJ Maxx to check out a bed set I have been admiring!

Once we got home we all decided to take a nap! Including Baby Reef!!! We love sleepy Sundays!

Here is our new bedset! The colors in our bedroom are teal, green, tan, and brown and I've been looking for a new comforter that was a bit more mature than the one we had. We also may be upgrading to a King size bed in the near future {like this weekend} so I went ahead and bought the set in a King size! Granted its a bit longer on the sides for a Queen, but it works for now! I love the paisley print and the fun decorative pillows it came with! Now we just have to get King size pillows to fit the pillow shams that were included! The best part of the whole set is that we got it for a GREAT price! $90.00 for a King size comforter, 2 King size shams, 2 boudoir pillows, and 1 sequined pillow! Can't beat that!!! Sleeping last night was a cozy little dream {until I had to wake up this morning}!  

Hope all of ya'll had a wonderful weekend and are getting through this Monday! It's gloomy and FREEZING here! Very much looking forward to sunshine tomorrow!!

Xoxo,

Thrown Off

Monday while at work, the hubby strained a back muscle. Since then, the doctor put him on light duty for the remainder of the week. Meaning, he didn’t have to wake up as early to be at work.

This threw me off for the entire week! As much as I wish we could get up together, share coffee, maybe even breakfast, brush our teeth together and kiss each other goodbye while heading our separate ways, I’ve learned to enjoy my quiet mornings with just the pupster and I. It’s amazing how one different little thing in my morning routine can throw me for a loop!

When the hubby gets up at 3 a.m. to head to work, I immediately roll over, grab his pillow to snuggle, and proceed to spread myself from one corner of the bed to the other. Then when my alarm clock buzzes (and I hit the snooze several times), I sprawl myself out again. Well, that could not be done this week because the hubby was sound asleep literally on top of me! Not that I mind, but when I’m used to that “roll over” every morning, it’s a bummer not to be able too! It is the smallest kink, I know, but it really makes a difference to my morning routine! I am glad, however, that I was able to kiss the hubby goodbye and not be half asleep! I could definitely get used to that!

Do any of y'all get flustered when your routine has a kink in it?! I’d love to hear your stories, whether serious or funny!!!

Hope all of you are having a fabulous Friday and weekend!!! Can’t wait to leave work and enjoy my own weekend!!! See ya’ll Monday!!!


Xoxo,

It's OK Thursday - Link Up

I’m Linking Up today with Brunch with Amber and A Complete Waste of Makeup for “It’s Ok” Thursdays! These link ups are a great way to find new blogs and sweet friends! I’m thinking with both Throw Together Thursday and  “It’s Ok” Thursdays I will be able to stay out of the Thursday rut I always seem to find myself in! Enjoy!

It’s OK...


- to eat kid cereal in your late 20s and enjoy it!

- to spend your whole tax refund on paying off debt

- to voice your opinion on an online newspaper article and apparently get under some readers’ skins

- to want to shake people by the shoulders when they simply can’t do their job

- to feel good about yourself for accomplishing something, even it’s as small as taking the stairs instead of the elevator

- to wish people all the happiness and joy their hearts can hold

- to rid yourself of toxic people who suck the pure life out of you

- to contemplate going back to school for your Masters but being absolutely terrified of the GREs

- to just be quiet sometimes

- to wrap up in a bright pink snuggie in your office chair because it’s freezing in your office

- to not really like Facebook anymore

- to allow yourself a positive outlet, like blogging, working out, and/or crafting to bring you personal satisfaction

- to stand your ground for what you believe in

- to get hungry every time you smell food

- to want a new car even though gas prices and car payments are ridiculous right now



That’s all I’ve got for today!! What is “OK” with yall!? Link up and share with us!


Hope ya’ll are having an “OK” Thursday!! See ya’ll tomorrow!!!

Xoxo,

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

Hello Hello Hello! Feeling much better than I was yesterday and I'm super excited to share what I am loving this week!! Not to mention, for today, I am out of my Blah-sitive funk from yesterday!

1. Finding out our bedroom ceiling fan as a dimmer!!!! We completely found this by accident last night, when Baby Reef jumped on the bed to go to sleep! The remote to the fan was lying under the covers and the pupster laid down on it. We noticed the light dimmed a bit and then grew brighter and then back dim again. After searching around in the bed for the remote I began to play with the light button. If you hold it down gradually it dims! How flipping awesome! All we could do was laugh because we’ve had it for over two and a half years and had NO IDEA! Hellooooo mood lighting!!!


2. The movie Gidget! I’m a sucker for oldies music and movies and even though old movies tend to be cheesy, this is one of my favorites! The hubby and I got caught up in watching it last night! We laughed at the overly dramatic acting and awful unrealistic surf shots! It’s funny to think that years ago in 1959, people actually thought it looked real! Regardless, the movie is adorable and it definitely is what prompted females to take up surfing back then!

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3. Dirty Water, Dirty South. An old classmate, Jill, who I met when I attended George Mason University recently started a blog of her own! As I was checking it out the other afternoon, I found myself caught up in a post about consignment shops! She frequents them often to find key pieces for her wardrobe and has been lucky enough to have snagged a Chanel/Chanel tweed jacket {which is a HUGE deal if you understand what the Chanel/Chanel label is}. It inspired me to start checking out local consignment shops in my area to see what kind of pieces I can add to my own closet! Head on over and check out her blog and while you’re at it, congratulate her! She’s headed down the aisle in 6 months!

4. My doctor visit this morning! I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited to see the doctor! I explained to her some of my worries and she determined that right now, everything going on is related to my lack of solid sleep! She prescribed a sleep aid for me, migraine medicine {thank you Lord} and advised me to increase my exercise level. If I can start to sleep well the other issues and concerns may subside, including my migraines. I wasn’t able to have lab work performed because I drank coffee this morning so I’ll be headed back to the doctor in 2 weeks for that. Then we should be able to see if anything more serious is the issue. I am tired today but I am feeling less anxious about my health! Really looking forward to that sleep tonight!!!

5. My co-worker’s birthday cake! This weekend my work pal celebrated her birthday in her hometown of Chicago! During the planning process she showed me several different birthday cake ideas she wanted. She contacted a local Chicago bakery, Luscious Layers, and they confirmed they would be able to create her vision! Holy Moly did they!!! It turned out gorgeous and just as fabulous as my pal! Isn’t it beautiful!?

I hope ya'll are having an oh so wonderful Wednesday!!! Only a few more days and it'll be the weekend once again!!!

Xoxo,

Positive Blah-sitive!

Yes, I made up the word Blah-sitive! Point blank I am feeling BLAAAAAH about several things right now! I've learned a lot from my sweet husband and our five and a half year relationship. One of those lessons I've learned is how to be more positive and in the last year and a half, I've really put the lesson to use. I'm finding that I am enjoying myself more and the woman I continue to become.

BUT, sometimes, you just have to rant! I feel like many blogs I read as well as Facebook friends seem to create a facade that everything is ALWAYS rainbows, butterflies, sprinkles, and sparkles! Hello, let's be realistic and honest, it's NOT! I appreciate honesty and realness, because that is how I am. I appreciate a new mom who says "Holy crap this is tough business", I appreciate a newlywed who admits that they are having a hard time juggling new responsibilities as a wife, I appreciate someone who can share that they hate their career, not to mention there are a slew of other things I think people are ashamed to talk about, and I haven't figured out why! The normal person, with a sane personality, knows life is not perfect. Life is what you make it, but there will be obstacles and challenges a long the way. How you handle them is what makes the difference but it's never ever picture perfect.

I want you to see my "Blah-sitive" side. I want you readers to know my life isn't always perfect. I want you to know what the heck is irritating the pure living snot out of me right now! I think some are borderline embarrassing, but that is why I'm doing this!

- We have ants! Most anyone in this area will say, this time of year ants seem to show up. Well yes, this may be the case, but it doesn't help the fact that I am grossed out by them and feel like I live in a dump! There is nothing more grotesque then looking down to feed the pup and ants have consumed his bowl! WTF?! There is also nothing more embarrassing {to me} then having to purchase ant traps, which is why I make the hubby get them! I hate the thought of people thinking I live in a dirty home because it is far from the case!

- I am exhausted ALL the time. Luckily, I made a doctor's appointment for tomorrow to get a full over health check and discuss some concerns I have developed as of late. I'd say since the New Year, I've noticed I have been extremely tired AND that I have not been sleeping well through the night. Obviously these go hand in hand. If I am not sleeping well I am obviously going to be tired. I knocked caffeine products out a year or so ago. So I know its not that keeping me from solid sound sleep. It is preventing me from getting a lot done. I have NO motivation what so ever. There are times when I think I'm going to fall asleep at my desk at work. And when I get home in the evening I rarely ever want to cook dinner, I have to make myself do it! I know its normal as a working wife to be tired, but being this tired? No. Something is wrong and I'm eager to get to the doctor tomorrow and hopefully gain some answers.

- I hate my job! There I said it, out loud, to people other than my husband, I HATE MY JOB! Okay, Okay, maybe it's not the actual job. I'm pretty sure it's the actual company. For the sake of breaking any social media policies of my employer I will refrain from telling you what exactly I do and who I work for. I took the job four months after graduating with my B.S. in Communication. What I do is the furthest thing away from the Communication/PR field you can get. When the opening became available, I was so eager to get out of the restaurant industry {where I served for 6 years} that I immediately took it, not thinking that maybe I should wait for something that pertained to my studies. I feel very stuck right now and frustrated more than I think anyone could quite understand. The company has so many double standards and politics. It really is an unfair type of work environment. What also frustrates me is that I paid my way through school, living on my own, working full-time, and schooling full-time and every time I write my student loan check each month, I feel like I'm pissing away money! Excuse my unladylike choice of words, but that's how it makes me feel. I feel like all the years, the time, the stress, the money, was all a waste. I've been looking elsewhere since the New Year and haven't had much luck and I feel like I'm running into dead end after dead end. Something has to give right?!?

- Having a child scares the poo out of me! While everyone around me seems to be drinking the baby water sooner rather than later, I can't help but want to stay as far away from that drinking well as I possibly can. It's not the baby part that scares me. I want nothing more than to be a mother and I've looked forward to that moment for a long time. What scares me to points that I almost hyperventilate, are the finances. I think about EVERYTHING when it comes to having a baby: furnishing a nursery and wardrobe, having all necessities the baby needs, all the medical bills for me giving birth to said baby, medical bills for baby {by the way, did you know circumcisions aren't covered by insurance anymore because it's considered cosmetic, and the price of one is CRAZY}, formula {if I'm not able to breast feed}, daycare, schooling when they reach that age, all the crap teenagers want and need, a car, college,  and so on and so on! I don't just think about the "baby" things, I think about it till the child reaches 18! I've already been told more times than I can count, that "if you wait for your finances to be just right, you'll be waiting your whole life to have a child". While that may be true, if we don't feel comfortable yet, about bringing a baby into this world, our life, and our family, then that is our choice. I want to do it the right way. Eventually, I hope, my worries will subside and we will expand our family when we are ready. For now... I'm not swimming, drinking, or cooling off anywhere near that baby well!

Wheeew! It's kind of nice to be able to share this with my readers! I hope it gives you a little bit more insight into who I am as a person and woman. If one thing, it shows that I'm honest and I don't mind letting my readers know that I have faults and insecurities and worries and stresses! Hopefully this Blah-sitive attitude will change after my doctor's visit tomorrow! I'll keep y'all updated!

For now I hope everyone enjoys this beautiful Tuesday, unfortunately I'm stuck at home sick, but at least I can get snuggles from the pupster!!

Xoxo,

Today, We are all HOKIES!

Today marks five years since the horrific events that put Virginia Tech on everyone’s televisions and in everyone’s prayers. Five Years?! I still remember where I was when the news first hit the air and I will never ever forget the emotions and worry that filled my entire body and heart!

During my college application process {way back in 2003} while in high school, I wanted nothing more than to be a Virginia Tech Hokie. I wanted to rock the maroon and orange, I wanted to jump up and down to "Enter Sandman" at football games, I wanted to be a part of a HUGE but yet close knit University! I wanted every bit of it, however, for reasons unknown, it wasn’t in the plan for my life to attend there. I was devastated! I had the grades and extra curricular activities, but my SAT scores were not the most impressive {my reasoning for not getting that HUGE acceptance package in the mail}. I quickly had to get over my sadness and choose another school, but I always had a special place in my heart for the Hokies. The hubby is also a huge fan and we have a ton of VA Tech memorabilia in our front room office not to mention we have had lots of friends attend there as well!

I was sitting in the Webb Center on Old Dominion University’s campus during my first semester as a transfer student that fateful morning. There were flat screens in the area I was studying, in which immediately caught my attention with the breaking news. I felt my heart sank. There were many people I knew on that campus and all I could think about was if they were safe and out of harms way. I immediately called my hubby (then of course he was my boyfriend). Then I started checking Facebook to see if our friends were leaving statuses of their well being. I don’t think I put my phone down that day until we had heard some kind of communication from our friends. They were all okay physically, but obviously being in that horrible situation you can’t be okay mentally. My heart ached for our friends, for the entire VA Tech student body, and for those who were involved and lost their lives.

Thinking about that terrible event still brings tears to my eyes. I am an emotional person in general, but NO ONE should have to lose their lives in that manner! So many students, teachers, and faculty, so much potential, so much more of their lives to live and it was all cut short in a blink of an eye. Their families were never able to say goodbye. How unfair life can be at times. The student body and their ability to come together in such a crisis and be there for one another was extremely touching to me! People with different backgrounds, beliefs, and views all came together to support one another. It just goes to show that good will always prevail over evil!
I hope for a moment you all can reflect back on those events today. Say a prayer for those families who had to deal with such an incredible loss as they will never ever be the same, no matter how many years go by. Say a prayer for Virginia Tech, for today we are ALL HOKIES.

Xoxo,

My Makeup Routine!

My post is a bit late today, however it's better than never right?!

I've chatted about how during the week my makeup routine is pretty minimal, however when I do get all dolled up I go ALL out! Here is the scoop:

I start out of course, by washing and prepping my face. I've just put Proactive back into my routine which includes, Cleanser, Toner, and Repair lotion. In the morning I add the Oil Free SPF 15 moisturizer to my face.

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Then I prime my skin, with Bare Minerals, Prime Time Oil Control Foundation Primer.

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Next comes my concealer and foundation. I am a huge Bare Mineral's fan so I use their products of course! My concealer color, currently, is Honey Bisque and my foundation is Golden Medium. I have been tanning (I know, I know, super super bad) so I had to go a little darker on the makeup.

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After that I usually color in my eyebrows! I have blonde eyebrows and eyelashes so I have to darken them as to not look completely washed out. I go the cheap route on this and use Wet'N'Wild eyebrow pencils! They are about a buck and last forever!

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Then, I move on to my eyes! I have oily skin so I prime my eyelids first so that my eyeshadow will last throughout the entire day! Bare Mineral's Prime Time Brightening Eyelid Primer saves the day!

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Next comes color! I'm not picky about eye shadows and tend to mostly use samples from Estee Lauder that my Mother-in-law gives me! I have TONS of them in a variety of color palettes so I never get bored! 

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Once again because of my oily skin, I also have difficulty finding eyeliner that doesn't run or smudge, that was, until I tried Bare Minerals Weather Everything Liner Sealer! This stuff is NO JOKE! You can mix it with ANY kind of eyeshadow and it turns into liquid liner! I just use a black shadow from Bare Minerals! I haven't gotten the nerve to try other colors! 

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Once my eyeliner is set, I brush my lashes with whatever mascara I am using at the time! I'm a sucker for those Mascara commercials that promise lots of length and volume so I am always trying new ones. Right now I'm using Loreal's Voluminous False Fiber Lashes and I actually REALLY like it! 

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I then coat my cheeks with a little bit of blush! Back to the Bare Mineral's I go!! I'm honestly not sure what exact color it is, but it looks a lot like this one pictured! 

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My second to last step is sealing it all in with the Bare Mineral's Mineral Veil. This gives my face a very airbrushed and smooth look!

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Lastly, I spray Urban Decay All Night Make Up Setting Spray all over my face to set the makeup! My wedding makeup artist, Sarah Smith from Kiss & Makeup introduced me to this amazing stuff! 

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I of course top it all off with a hint of lip gloss of whatever I have hidden in the depths of my purse or makeup bag! 

I know it seems like a lot, but I can usually apply all within 20 minutes, depending on how detailed I get my my eyes and how much coverage I want! If you have yet to try Bare Minerals I highly suggest you do! Their makeup is great for sensitive skin and I can't get over how much clearer my skin is since I started using it over 2 years ago! 

Hope you all have a wonderful Friday evening and a fabulous weekend!!! See you loves on Monday!!

Xoxo, 

Home Improvements

This August will mark three years that we have been homeowners! We love our little townhouse! It has a yard big enough for the pup but small enough for us to maintain with ease. It totals 1,550 square feet with 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, a formal living room, dinning room, den and galley kitchen. It is perfect for us, but we know it’s not our forever home. If the market improves in the next two years I have no doubt we will begin looking for a new home. In waiting for that moment to arrive, I have been in limbo as to what improvements we should make in our little abode.

We started one by replacing ALL of the carpet on the first floor with wood laminate flooring and replacing ALL of the carpet upstairs with a new neutral colored carpet two years ago. We’ve painted the whole entire house and replaced a few kitchen appliances. Other than that, besides decor, we haven’t performed a WHOLE lot of improvements. Part of this is because I don’t want to make huge renovations as to not out price our home. The other part is that I know we aren’t going to be here for forever so I’m unsure if it is even worth it to us! I don’t want to renovate things and then not be able to actually enjoy them once they are completed! The other reasons include time and money. Renovations aren’t cheap even when doing it yourself and by golly when would we have time to do them ourselves? I barely have time to clean my house, let alone start huge projects! Ohhhh the decisions!

I know one of the first and biggest tasks is to upgrade the kitchen, which we have started, with a new stainless steel dishwasher and stove/oven. This room is the one room that needs the most attention. It is very dated with 80’s style wall-paper boarder, light wood looking laminate counter tops, flat cabinet doors, and the worst looking plastic white cabinet hardware I’ve ever seen! We’ve contemplated just replacing the cabinet fronts but I have a feeling the drawers are going to be a bit more difficult. The hubby thinks, instead, we should add trim to the fronts to give it dimension. This isn’t a bad idea to me, a huge time saver and penny saver too! The wall- paper boarder will be easy to take down, it’s just actually deciding on a color to paint the walls is what I can’t make a decision on! Ugh! Sooo indecisive! As far as the counter tops go, as much as I would love granite, it’s just not smart for our home if we are planning to sell it sooner than later! I’m thinking a granite looking laminate will look just as great! Now if I could just make color decisions, I may actually be able to start working on all of this! Take a look at the photos of our kitchen before we moved in (the last photo is our new stove):

I blame Pinterest for a lot of my indecisiveness! I see new ideas everyday that I love and think would look great and then before I know it I have 12 pins of 12 different kitchens or rooms and they are ALL different! How can I possible narrow it down?! Not to mention I’m terrified of actually implementing the changes and then hating it or wanting to change it later because of something else I’ve seen! I have many faults and being so indecisive is one of my biggest ones! I just want to be able to make a decision 100%, stick with it and LOVE it. Any how, I’ve got to learn to JUST DO IT! Just make the decision to change it and leave it!

For the time being I think small improvements will work best for us and our home! Here’s to working on these improvements and finally making solid decisions! Now… I just need 48 hours in a day instead of 24!

Have a very happy Thursday! Just think, we are one more day closer to the weekend!!!

Xoxo,