Birchbox & A {miracle} Product

Hey y'all! So I promised a little blog post about some of my favorites from this past month's Birchbox and then a miracle product I recently picked up. If you don't know what a Birchbox is, check it out here! 10$ for fun little makeup and cosmetic samples :)
So first thing up is another full-size bottle of Zoya polish. It's a beautiful bright pink, a holiday color with a little zest to change it up from the traditional red, green or gold. I love Zoya polish because they are harmful-chemical free and they are very good quality polishes. Plus, they are basically almost the price of the monthly Birchbox which makes them totally worth it! (To buy in stores you can get it from Ulta or Whole Foods)

My next favorite thing was this beautiful lotion, called LaRocca Champagne and Shimmer. It's so sweet/citrusy smelling and has just enough sheen without being over-the-top-glittery. I am REALLY tempted to buy the full-size!!!

And last but not least, is a miracle product (at least I think so) and I just can't believe I didn't start using this sooner. I picked up some Maybelline Instant Age Rewind under eye treatment concealer. Oh.my.goodness. It brightens and fills in lines (yes I have them at 26, with my fair-sun-damaged skin) and makes the skin under my eyes so bright and even-toned. In a word (or few), I love it. I use the lightest shade, and when I blend it matches perfectly. You only need a little bit! Another plus: it comes with the built-in applicator sponge, so you dont have to use your finger or a brush! More love!

There's my favorites for today! Let me know if you try any!

Tis the season to be slacking...

Sorry guys... lack of blogging is super lame and for that I apologize! I WILL update tomorrow with a couple of birchbox product reviews AND a review of a new miracle product I bought...at a DRUGSTORE. Yup, so you'll definitely want to come read about those! :) See ya soon.....

Kitty Khronicles

Hello all! Sorry about the delay in posting. It has been CRAZY these last few days with school winding down (more like up) here before Thanksgiving break...BUT I have some exciting news! Hubby and I expanded our family this past weekend by adopting a cat. A CAT!
We've been wanting one for a long time, and we decided to rescue one from a shelter. She's 6 years old, but very small-- actually the size of about a 5 to 7 month old kitten (read: VERY CUTE). The only thing is that she has had a very traumatic last couple of months after losing her owner (apparently to brain cancer) then being abandoned in a parking lot, being picked up by the shelter, spayed, getting teeth removed and then entering the stressful shelter environment. Needless to say, she's a little skeptical of her new home and environment. Basically she's been under the couch for the last 48 hours. However, we HAVE made progress in that I have gotten her to eat a couple of times and this morning when I woke up I realized she had ventured out from under the couch in the middle of the night to finish off her dry food. All the articles I've read online say to literally leave them totally alone and just go about your daily business just making sure they have food, water and litter. So that's what I'm doing (even though I just want to grab her and make her love me!!!) It's so nice and exciting to have a companion while hubby is gone. Here are some pictures of our new family member; more updates to come! Also, in the next post, my Birchbox review for this month!

Will add more photos when kitty comes out of hiding :)

An Outfit and Some Favorites

Hello blog world! Alright well I'm definitely putting myself out there with this, but I wanted to share an outfit with you that I came up with for my father-in-law's retirement banquet. I am usually not this creative nor do I think that my outfits are worth sharing really at all, but I got excited. I didn't really have anything to wear (a couple of my dresses have gotten um...a little too small, working on that!) so I improvised. I put this slightly oversized short-sleeved black sweater over this nice lacey dress that I have literally had for about 6 years. Put that with some beige shoes and hoop earrings and bam- a new outfit!

You never know what you have lurking around in your closet!

Now here's a possible future outfit that may make it to the blog-- I got this dress shopping with a friend and I paid 14$ for it. Originally it was 44$! I love a bargain!

And now for something that is just a favorite. It's a Tyler Candle Company candle that has the Birthday Cake scent. I loooove anything that smells like cake or cookies. The Tyler Candle Company has great candles and lots of scents so check them out. Plus the packaging is cute too, and I'm a sucker for cute presentation. You can buy them at Sample House in the DFW area! I am already enjoying it!

Sparkle and Salmon {Favorites}

What do sparkle and salmon have to do with each other!??! Read on...
One thing that becomes more rare as time goes on (at least in my experience) is good customer service. Everyone (including myself a lot of times) has times where they seem to just being going through the motions and trying to do so as quickly as possible without giving their business OR the people that are doing business with them a second thought. But I have had TWO experiences this week where good customer service is making me want to go give more business to those places!

First, I got my rings cleaned. Oooooh how I love my rings. And I never take it off. You can tell because up until yesterday it was dull as dull can be, covered in the daily grime of every day life (and I'm pretty sure some sour cream when it got accidentally dunked in some one night). Since my hubby got my rings from Blue Nile online, there aren't any shops that I can take it to- and they wanted me to ship my rings (and pay for it) which would leave me ringless and sad for days. I didn't want to just go anywhere because I have heard of some shady things going on with diamond swaps at seedy places! But I decided to go to a local family owned business that my mom has been going to since about 1990. I walked in, talked to a sweet lady and told her that I needed the prongs checked and the rings cleaned. She did just that and in 5 minutes I had a beautiful sparkling new-feeling set of rings! The thing is, when I asked her how much I owed, she replied "Oh nothing!" Now, I realize it was 5 minutes and it's easy to clean. But I didn't get my ring from that place. I'd never even bought anything and she didn't know my mom had been going there. You can rest assured that I will be taking my business back to them in the future!

Pretty.shiny.sparkly.love.

Then, tonight I went to peruse Central Market (lovelovelove) and I wanted to get some fresh salmon to cook this weekend. At the seafood counter, I picked out the cheapest, best-looking salmon I saw and asked the seafood guy for help. He mentioned that I should really get the "New Zealand King Salmon" that was on sale and neeeevvveerr is...and I was like "well don't get me hooked on something I can't keep buying because it's expensive!" He proceeded to tell me that he was so sure I'd love it that he'd give me a pound but only charge me for .8 of a pound-- saving me 3$! Not only that, he proceeded to give me a simple recipe including a spice rub for the salmon. He asked me to come back and tell him if I like it, and you know what I think I will!

Beautiful weekend dinner!

My encouragement is to take the time to appreciate those who take that extra step for you and make sure to extend that grace to someone else. I know it's made me think about it and appreciate it so much!

Sequin Me!

I really want to know how it is that some people are able to get their driver's license and peruse the streets of our towns. I almost got side-swiped AT LEAST 3 times today, saw about 3 other people almost get side-swiped and got cut off by a bus. Some days I just feel like everyone got the "drive crazy" memo but me!

Anyways, onto the topic of today. I saw this via Glamour Fashion's twitter- a way to wear sequins in the DAY!! Fabulous for me because, well, I love sequins (who doesn't love some sparkle) but often don't really have anything glamorous enough to wear sequins to. This look would be a little daring and would probably get you some attention but I think I might try it and just wear it with confidence!  It would be a really fun fall weekend look. I think darker sequins would be better to keep it understated- of course you could go bright if you wanted to! If I try this outfit (er...WHEN I try this outfit) I'll be sure to post pics! If you love sequins you should give it a try too. ;-)

image via Glamour

We've Moved!...and We're here.

Hey guys, thanks for following me over here. I wanted to re-name my blog to help me define the direction I wanted to go in with it...which ironically, is kind of NOT a direction at all! I'm a self-proclaimed randomhead, and I decided that THAT would be my blog's purpose. To bring you all of what goes in my brain, what I like, what I watch, what I do, what I copy others doing.....this is where I get my joy in life, so maybe out of the randomness you will find a diamond in the rough! Nothing too much will change, I'm just going to be incorporating lots of things into one place- my makeup faves, reality tv show rants, pictures, etc. I hope you enjoy it! I hope you'll subscribe and visit often, and follow "Jill" on twitter, since you know, now I'm the "Jill" of all trades...Yes, it's undeniably nerdy and thus, undeniably me. =)

October FUN

Again, the time...it just gets away from me. But October has been an exciting month! Take a look.

here's my beloved husband and I having lunch before he goes to training, realizing his dream of becoming a commercial airline pilot!

these are some friends that he left behind to keep me company while he's away. sweet hubby, he knows i love halloween and skeletons... me = weirdo

my teacher friend and i had a picnic on the floor, seeking a brief reprieve from the kidlets...whom we love so dearly, but sometimes you gotta eat your lunch!

from floor food to table food, meeting up with fun friends Clayton and Rachel (head over this way for their sweet blog) for some delicious and different food at Neighborhood Services Tavern. They went to see the Avett Brothers in concert while we prepared for their arrival at our apartment for the night. We laughed a lot, especially at the "Overheards" from the A&M campus.

Hubby has his badge and is looking handsome as ever. So blessed that he has pursued his dream with ambition and is providing for our family!

Ready to go to SYTYCD tour (which was INCREDIBLE). This made me think of a "Pinterest" outfit...I was proud. Shirt & skinny jeans, Old Navy. Shoes, Steve Madden (they were my wedding shoes!) I'll finish with a couple of my favorite things!!! :

Cold, rainy nights sing the song of my soul. Seriously.

And finally, LAYNE'S in College Station, TX. I got to go eat there with my brother this weekend on a little adventure. Fried chicken, crispy fries and double sauce...perfection.

Back in Business

Work has been CRAZY for the last couple of months! August through October is the busiest time of year, in my personal opinion. Here are a couple of things I have been up to in the time of my absence...

Hubby and I celebrated our ONE YEAR marriage anniversary by going to a sweet B&B on Broken Bow Lake in Oklahoma.

I got a re-make of my wedding bouquet (I was obsessed with it but it molded while we were on our honeymoon so I had to throw it out!)

I celebrated my 26th birthday. This was a cookie cake brought to me by one of my students :)

Gas dipped below the 3$ mark and I was really excited! (of course it's back up now)

I did some home decorating :)

AND I got to watch the SOONERS kindasorta DESTORY the Texas Longhorns!! Other points of interest- I started boot camp (yes the exercise kind) and I go 3 times a week from 5 to 6 AM....I LOVE it and I NEVER thought I'd do something like that because I am sooo not a morning person!I helped move my mom from a 3 bedroom house to a (SWEET) loft apartment....which made me want to get rid of pretty much every paper and random thing I keep for keepsakes because there was WAY too much stuff to get rid of...and finally, I am preparing to begin my life as a pilot's wife. Exciting and scary all at the same time! Thanks for bearing with the long post! I am going to try to update more frequently...especially now that I am going to have some time to fill. Chau!

Confession: Obsession

Hey y'all...it's been a little while but the move has proven to be more difficult than previously thought. Now, everything is here, we're working on getting it unpacked and life can continue!

So, I'm a little obsessed with something at the moment...


image via sincerelyyourdesigns.blogspot.com

Lauren Conrad had teal, light pink, and dark pink tips for a while! I would LOVE to do this to my hair. It is such a cool look, and actually very subtle. Unfortunately, I don't know that they'd be very happy about rainbow tips at work, so I'm going to have to put it off until next summer. But you can bet I'm already planning on doing it! Let hair grow back out COMMENCE!

Too much...

Lately there has been too much of a couple of things:

Too much PACKING...

and too much HEAT...

thus the lack of blogging! As things get settled in I will continue to update :)

On a more serious note, one of the coaches and teachers at my place of employment passed away today. It was very sudden and unexpected, though he was a strong believer and has undoubtedly gone home to be with Jesus. It hurts my heart to lose such a wonderful man who helped strengthen my faith in a dark time. My prayers are with his family, and if you think about it, I hope you will lift them up as well.

Make-up Fave

I just got back into using eyeliner again after seeing all of the beautiful pictures of smokey eyes on Pinterest. The problem I've had in the past is that eyeliner won't stay on my big 'ol eyes!
Recently I was in Sephora, where my brother works, and he clued me in to what I needed for certain things.
Here's what I learned: If you want to rim the INNER parts of your lashes, you definitely have to go with a water-PROOF formula...not water-RESISTANT (and yes, there are both!) Seems logical right? But I really didn't even know!
I ended up purchasing this eyeliner in Deep Black.

The formula is so soft and creamy and believe me when I say it stays put! Yet, it also comes off easy when you ARE ready to take it off. I would definitely recommend it as a great eyeliner. I think I will get some more of the fun colors to try! Not sure when I would ever wear them but maybe one day I'll be feeling bold ;-)

Life Update

We're moving! Not far...just closer to both hubby's job and mine. I can't wait to quit commuting! However...the worst part about moving...is PACKING.


While I have made progress...it just all seems like it's going so slowly! AND, there's so much still left. Hoping the next few days go by slowly so I can get it all done!

Monday, Back to Reality: After the Final Rose

Blog friends! It has just been wayyyy too long. I had a great time on my week off though, touring the country's capitol with some ambitious 8th graders!

Anyway, let's get to the GOOD stuff...and sadly, our final episode of this season of the Bachelor. I have to say that I think this was one of the best seasons of this show (until the After the Final Rose show but we'll get to that) because it went the way it was supposed to. Of course if Brad and Emily end up breaking up, I'll definitely wish it would have been Chantal so that it wouldn't have been quite as sad when they ended up calling it quits.
Rumors aside, I think we all could tell that Emily was going to be chosen, especially after what he said to her last episode. This could not have been more clear after seeing Brad interact with Chantal and his family. He wasn't animated, he was somewhat closed off, and hardly touched her. Chantal was great with his family of course because she really does actually have a great personality, but yeah...it just wasn't the fireworks you might have thought.

He got real excited for Emily to come. Plus she brought them flowers. Southern hospitality, y'all. She of course is more reserved (or I like the way that they put it: Poised) but she still managed to win their hearts. I like that the sister-in-laws were excited about her being a mother already so that she would "understand their world". That's all important!!!

The real blow to Chantal was her last date. When she gave him the sweet little map and note, she should have read it all over his face and in his response..."Thanks, this is really great!"...he was being genuine, don't get me wrong, but he was being genuinely NICE, not lovey-dovey. Poor Chantal. She didn't even see it coming. Also, side note, the wet suit zipped down...was that really necessary??? I guess it's like my grandmother always says..."If you've got 'em, flaunt 'em!" Seriously. She says that.

I got a little nervous on Emily's date as well. Brad was trying to be SO reassuring about the fact that he was ready to be a father to Ricky and a husband to Emily. I mean y'all, he basically stopped short of giving her the final rose right then and there. And her insecurities got the best of her. Instead of just taking his word (and honestly, I believe every bit of it) she was like "are you SURE? It's not gonna be fun all the time"...and after the 6th time she said that I was like EMILY! Girl. You gotta stop...

I really did feel bad for Chantal when he had to tell her she wasn't the one. That cannot be easy for any party involved. She held it together, I mean, while crying, and was pretty classy actually. I will say though that the black feather dress was a little much for daytime.

The proposal for Emily was sweet and heartfelt, and I really do think Brad is head over heels for her. He really is. On the other hand...I think Emily is going to leave him. I just don't think she has really taken down her walls and is confident in who she is. But who can blame her? What a roller coaster life she's had. Still, Brad is 100% in it, 110% even, and she's at about 43%. It was slightly disheartening watching the After the Final Rose, and I think Emily divulged maybe a little too much information about their personal lives that maybe they should have talked about on their own. I really, really, hope they make it, but only if they really, really are in love.

And there we have it blog friends. A match made in reality heaven, for our pure entertainment and enjoyment. Rumor has it that Ashley H is the next bachelorette......STAY TUNED! :)

Sadly...

image via firsttube.com

Sadly, I will not be able to blog about tomorrow night's Women Tell All show! I know, I know, it's okay, I made bunny cry too....

But here are some things for you, blog friends, to look forward to on this show and then you can comment here on this post and let ME know what happened (I will be chaperoning about 100 8th graders on a very cultural Washington DC trip... :) )!!

Ashley's return should be exciting, and dramatic, unless she had a chance to look back on her silly behavior and come around to a better place. But my guess is she is going to be a juuuust a little cold!!
And what do you think Michelle will act like?? I mean, how would YOU react if you saw how you acted on television if you acted like a maniacal crazy-pants?? She'll either be in top form or she'll pull a "herself" by not saying anything at all like she did when she was voted off.
Remember those two girls who were fighting in the beginning episodes? Obviously they got voted off early because I don't even remember their names...but it was a brown headed girl and that really skinny blondie- they were just drama lovers! It will be so great to have them all back as one nice big happy family.

I'm just glad I'm not missing the finale. There would be some serious issues if I did!!! We're getting so close!! But seriously y'all- write me some comments and let me in on what happens!! Thanks in advance :) See ya soon!

Monday, Back to Reality

Ok y'all, this is gettin' good. I mean wow. I took a turn in so many directions on my opinions on Monday, it's just unreal!!!

Again, South Africa, really??? They are legitimately trying to turn vacation jealousy into a raging inferno. I want to go there so bad and stay in that tree house in the middle of the grasslands!!! OH MAN! Way too cool.

Okay, date by date break down of the night:

Chantal: I liked her better this episode, but not enough. She says "like" WAYYYY too much. Although I will say that she was way less emotional and seemed really laid back and happy to be there. I just feel like when I am watching their conversations, it's like those nasty water bugs that just float along the surface. They never go deeper than that and the small talk is getting annoying. I just don't know that she's lived enough of the "hard" life to have really gone through anything major- of course we can't really know that from reality tv. Still, I found her date kinda boring honestly. It was like yeah okay that happened let's get to the good stuff!!!

Emily: How can you not be in love with this girl? I LOVE her. Seriously. She always looks amazing, she talks slow and sweet, she has beautiful (although it borders on too much SOMETIMES) make-up, her hair is a gorgeous shade of blonde and she is a single mom. There is something to be said about that!! She was so open and honest with Brad, and I know that had to be scary for her. BUT- the most shocking thing about this date??? What Brad said back. When he told her he was breaking the rules to tell her that he's falling in love with her, he looked so much more dead serious than I have seen him at any other point. There's only been DEEP issues with Emily- no over-emotional-needy-tears, just honest-to-goodness let's figure this thing out talk. We all decided that Brad is at a point in his life where he actually is done "having fun". Yeah, any guy is going to get after that on a show like the Bachelor, because they are guys what can you expect- but at the end of the day, I think he really wants a family. He wants to be serious. He wants to grow something real and permanent. Oh Lord, listen at me talk about Brad that way. I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit...

Ashley: Boy was this date drama-central. It started off well I thought and Ashley was her usual bubbly self. But man, did she dig her own grave or what??? I mean DUH GIRL, COME ON, at this stage in the game, if you can't tell the Bachelor that you would move to wherever he is, then you just bought yourself a one way ticket outta there. Now, don't get me wrong- if that's NOT what you want to do, then you for sure you better be honest about it! BUT: Don't act SURPRISED and turn stone-cold when he tells you that he's trying to figure out a future and if you fit together. I mean literally, she just stopped talking. And started making really bratty, put-off faces. Then tried to say that she was confused and didn't understand. What I didn't understand was how she could NOT understand what Brad was asking- poor thing, saying he must be communicating poorly. Uh WHAT?? No. Ashley was just being dumb or ignorant. It showed her true, young colors.

SPOILER ALERT: So Brad takes Ashely off to the side at the rose ceremony to talk with her. I mean mentally, she's left already. She didn't even give her own self a chance to get the rose. She didn't try to work it out, she just flat out gave him the cold shoulder and made some really unattractive faces. Maybe she realized that Brad really didn't fit in her life, and just acted like that to save face. Whatever it was, she looked kinda ridiculous and could have taken it all a lot more gracefully.

So that leaves us with Chantal and Emily. I think we all know who we WANT to win. But thanks to some confusing editing AND conflicting reports of who he actually ends up with, I think we are in for a VERY exciting finale show. I hope the NEWEST rumors I'm hearing are true!!

As for next week, it is the Women Tell All show. Just as I hoped Michelle will be there!!! And Ashley will be back...with hopefully a new attitude.

Blog friends, hang in there, just 2 weeks (said in Chris Harrison voice) "til the exciting conclusion of.....THE BACHELOR!!!

As promised: BIRCHBOX :)

Alright blog friends...let me just start by saying subscribing to Birchbox was one of the best decisions ever. I mean it's 10$. It's make-up. And yeah they're sample size...but they are GOOD sample size. Plus, to me, that almost adds MORE fun because I love things that are mini!!

So let's peek in to February's box...







First we have "Befine", an exfoliating cleanser with brown sugar and oats. First of all...SOUNDS like you could eat it. And smells like it too. The texture of this exfoliator is so lovely...it doesn't feel like its going to scrub your face off! Full size retails for 25$.

Next, NARS Illuminator in a pretty-peachy-bronze. It is just enough to highlight those cheekbones, browbones, and the bridge of your nose giving you a light glow with a nice sheen in the sun. LOVE the way it feels too- weightless. Retails for 29$ full size.

Pomega5 Green Tea Moisturizer...Green tea is just good for you. This doesn't smell strongly of tea but it's definitely soothing. This stuff is the real deal...it retails for 58$ full size!

Bare Escentuals volumizing mascara! I haven't gotten to try this yet because I didn't want to open it and then let it go to waste since I am in the middle of a tube of mascara at the moment...but the stuff they make is usually great and I am REALLY excited to try it. Retails for 18$ full size.

Finally, they included what they call a "Birchbox treat" which was perfect just in time for Valentine's day. They are called "Sweetriot Chocolate Covered Sweet-nibs." I mean literally, little bits of rich decadent heaven. Plus, the tin that it comes in is SO CUTE and made from recycled materials! Lovelove!!

So, there you have it folks.


A sweet delivery with so much fun inside! Don't you want to get one?? ;-) For those of you that I know have signed up--- the March box is coming up soon! Ships usually between the 7th and 10th of the month. Can't wait for you to enjoy it too :)

Monday, Back to Reality

Time for my favorite post of the week.......BACHELOR.

And y'all, this is one of the best parts of the Bachelor too-- HOMETOWN DATES. You can learn SO MUCH about someone from watching how they interact with their family.

One quick interesting side note before we get started breaking down the dates: There wasn't as much jaw-dropping drama since Michelle was sent packing last week...I know I am turning into a reality TV fan when I start MISSING her because of the antics she brought to the show. All I can say is I *hope* she comes to the "Women Tell All" little show they will inevitably have the week before the finale....

OK. So.
Chantal O.; every week this girl gets more and more on my nerves. I am sure, deep down, that she is sweet and all...but to me, she just looks and acts like she grew up getting everything she wanted if she just pouted those big ol' lips of hers. Oh wait...pan to a shot of her parents' house and our suspicions are confirmed. Now, listen, I don't have anything against wealthy peeps...in fact, I like to look at and drool over their beautiful homes and divine interiors, so without them I'd have a lot less to entertain myself with. But in the context of the show it was just kind of like...ACK...she's got money..and she works for daddy...meh. The whole date was kind of lame, even though her parents did seem nice enough. There just wasn't a whole lot going on. Besides mom's botox.

Ashley; Contrary to Chantal, Ashley is growing on me every week. She acts a little neurotic sometimes, but she's cute and has a really natural spunk. She takes Brad to her dreamy little town where they still use the "honor system" to pay for fruits at a roadside stand. Presh. Also, she treated him to gravy-and-cheese covered fries and Maine lobster. MY KIND OF GIRL. This date was by far my favorite. Her and her family were just awesome. I would want to hang out with them. And I'm not normally a fan of tons of tattoos, but Ashley's sister had somethin' good goin on. She was just a sight. All of their personalities were FABULOUS. I think Ashley has her head on straight and I can see why- a great family makes a big difference.

Shawntel N...oh Shawntel. I really like you. I think you're one of the most naturally pretty, sweet girls that may have ever been on the Bachelor. And honestly, it's wasn't the taking Brad to the funeral home that really did him in...it was the fact that he was going to have to be "the one who stole you away from the family business causing a huge familial rift". That's a lot of pressure for anyone to bear. But girl, you held it together when you got eliminated which made me like you even more.
Yeah, her job is weird. But you know what? It takes a really special person to face what she does every day and be positive and helpful and kind. For that, I respect her.

Emily; You just can't not love Emily. Like literally...it's not possible. She looked so dang good in her blue dress at the cocktail party it just wasn't fair. But back to the date. Did the producers or did they not lead us to believe that her date was a disaster because Ricky wouldn't talk to Brad and was being shy and mean??? EDITING. Gets you every time. No, in fact, Ricky warmed very well up to Brad for a 5 year old, I think, and he didn't want to leave "weird" because HE didn't want to disrespect Emily by kissing her but she definitely wanted him to. Who'd have thunk it!? I am now thinking she may make it into the top two...but I don't know. Us girls were having an argument about whether he's ready to be a dad....

Kudos:
-Ashley's family. Cuz they're awesome.
-Shawntel, for leaving with grace.
-Chantal's dad's purple shirt...what?? Purple is my favorite color and it was a nice shirt. But he also gets a "K,what?" for trying to look to young.
-Emily for letting Brad meet Ricky. That's a big deal, but I think it was the right choice in this context.

K,What?:
-Shawntel, for making Brad lie down on the embalming table. That's just weird.
-Chantal, for the ridiculous haircut her dog had.

We're closing in on the answer, blog friends. It's only a matter of time...
Thanks for reading. :) COMING UP THURSDAY: Birchbox Show and Tell!!

Quickie Update

Guys, I have been slacking on the blog! NO BUENO!

This is what I have planned for the week:

Tonight's Back to Reality post, of course. HOMETOWN DATES!!!

A review and photo shoot from my FIRST Birchbox!! It was sooo fun! I can't wait to show it off.

Another installment of "things we like".

And whatever else pops into my lil old head!

Lookin forward to it, blog friends! :)

Monday, Back to Reality

Well, loves, yet again we were not disappointed with the Bachelor. This show just gets WORSE and WORSE (by which of course I mean BETTER and BETTER). First of all, 3 out of 4 of us had not ever heard of Anguilla. Antigua, yes, the Antilles, yes, but Anguilla? Well, no matter because it was freakin' beautiful and now we all want to go there. I'm just sayin, if I ever do, I'm totally going to go to a concert by that Reggae band! That was cool.

Let's get right to the most important part of this blog post: WARNING SPOILER AHEAD.
Micheeeeeeeeelllleeeeee is goooooooneeee and we can all be happyyyyyy!!!....wait except....now, the crazy is gone! This positive may actually be a negative in terms of the drama-meter. Hmmm...nah, we've still got Chantal O. who is plenty dramatic herself (but in a much less evil-stalker way).
But here is something special for you blog readers. It has been pointed out for the last couple of weeks that our dear Michelle resembles a certain character from an old Disney animated classic....feast your eyes.

The first picture, is of course, our dear Michelle. But doesn't she resemble the snake from Jungle Book a little bit!?? Kaa was hypnotic, manipulative and evil....we had quite a laugh over this one.
Wasn't it strange and ironic that the girl who said the most couldn't say one word when she was eliminated? SO WEIRD.

Now I will address the other moments in the show in the weekly "Kudos&K,what?"
KUDOS:
-Emily, for really trimming down the number of times she mentions her background...of course, that's partly a kudos for the production peeps because they're the ones who repeat it all the time. We already like her, so we don't need anymore of the heartbreak!
-Ashley, for saying how she felt to Brad- that she really wanted to be chosen, but that ultimately if she wasn't she would be OK. Good girl!
-Britt, for taking her awkward date/send off rather well. That was a tough one.
-Brad, for not dragging things out with Britt. He realized that it was not gonna work, so he did something about it. Yeah, it hurt, but I guarantee you Britt will be happier in the long run. AND for FINALLY WAKING UP TO MICHELLE!!!
Shawntel- for being the most natural, every-day kinda girl on the show right now. She's got none of the hyperactive neediness and lots of natural charm!

K,WHAT?
-Chantal and Ashley- you should know better than to take your top off for anyone that asks!
-Chantal, for crying for the 6,000 time...and that ATTITUDE. sheesh.
-Chantal (you're on a roll girl) for the swimsuit that was just too much and too little all at the same time.
-Ashley for calling Brad "babe" constantly. Too soon, Ash.
-Brad, for telling Ashley that what she said about being okay eventually if she wasn't chosen was not what he wanted to hear/asking "why would you say that?" How conceited do you have to be to not understand her position???
-The producers, for the creepy stand with the girls' pictures before the rose ceremony. The wind and the stones and all that stuff in the windy darkness made it look like someone was going to be executed or something!!

Well there you have it folks. Next week, it's the hometown dates...in my opinion, some of the best!! Although editing made it look like two things: Emily's daughter does NOT relate at all to Brad, and that Shawntel goes WAY overboard discussing and showing her career....but as usual, we shall have to see if what they show is really how it goes! Stay tuned, blog friends. We're not out of the Bachelor woods yet!!

Monday, Back to Reality

I am terribly sorry that this is coming a day late...I watch the Bachelor with my mom and some woman-friends and we were just having too much fun last night and I got home way late!!!

This week's ep on The Bachelor was definitely not without its drama! As the pool of women gets smaller, the drama just seems to get bigger- add an insane manipulator to the bunch and you've got yourself a drama-bomb! Hmm, I think I just created a new term.

So let's see here...*warning, spoiler ahead!* I just KNEW, once Brad was down to Michelle and Jackie, that he was going to pick Michelle even though she has got some serious mental disorder tendencies. She's got him with the sex appeal, and I mean come on, that's like dangling a carrot on a stick in front of a starving rabbit. He's gonna take the bait! It was truly sad to see Jackie go because I thought she had a lot of class.

Side note: WHO WANTS TO GO TO COSTA RICA? Everyone should be raising their hands. It looks so unbelievably awesome there (while also looking extremely humid). I would have repelled down that waterfall in a heartbeat and went down that zipline as fast as they could get me hooked in.

Okay, so back to the drama. I was thinking last night...I wonder if the producers/people who work on the show feed little whispers into the bachelorettes' ears in between takes? Some of the things they "latch onto" like all of the "deep thinking sleuthing" Chantal O. was doing was a little far fetched to me. I'm kind of like...are they really that observant and deductive to figure out such things as they did with the whole Michelle-giving-Brad-grief issue? My best guess is that yes, the little drama queens are spurned and churned into "critical thinking."

Alright, time for this week's "Kudos&K,what?"!!!
KUDOS:
-Emily, of course, for being so cute in that maxi dress she was wearing on the cocktail party night. She is just so freakin' adorable! Who can stand it!??
-Jackie, for not throwing herself a sob 'n snot party when she got sent home. She was respectfully upset, and still classy.
-Britt, for hangin' in there man. She hardly gets any time, but she lays low and you gotta love that. Looks like from the previews that she gets some date time next week!
-Costa Rica, for being beautiful and awesome.
-Shawntel, for pulling that sneaky little "quiet game" move...it was actually pretty cute!!

K,what?
-Michelle. Again. For everything. But especially for contradicting herself about everything she says..."I'm telling you to make this decision." "I didn't tell you to make the decision...I said make it on your own." "I'm not trying to give names." "SEND CHANTAL HOME!"
-Ali, for throwing that glass with admirable force when coming within 5 feet of a beetle about 3/4 of an inch long. She is REALLY afraid of bugs.
-Ali, again, on her date, for responding to the question "Do you think you'd ever live in a big city?" with, essentially, "Oh no, people in big cities think they're all that and they are totally not. Big cities are stupid." Do you even know ANYTHING about Brad? Have you ever HEARD of Austin, TX?
-The cameramen, for your awkward close ups of big 'ol tongue kisses. Gag me.

There you have it, folks. Another week closer to the big day. Who will Brad choose?!??! And does anyone really care??? We all know that the drama-filled-journey is better than the anti-climactic destination!

Til next time, blog friends.

Sunday {Style}

Look at these shoes.
First of all, you'll notice that they're FABULOUS and SPARKLY.
Then you might notice that they are very tall.
Which might lead you to believe that they are not very comfortable to haul yourself around in. And you would be right.

HOWEVER, I happened to stumble upon some little cuties called "Foot Petals". They actually come in a variety of shapes to fit your needs, but for me, it's always the ball of my foot. By the end of 1 hour, my feet have slid forward, toes crammed in the front, all my weight going to the balls of poor skinny lil feet.


This product, which I tried out last night on the pictured Steve Madden's, helped so much with all pain and discomfort that I may actually start wearing pumps on a more frequent basis! It solved all the problems I previously listed. If you love heels but are afraid to wear them because of the agony you face...try these out!! I found mine at Dillard's, but I bet you can find them in other shoe-selling shops.

Happy Heel Wearing, blog friends!

things we like, iced in edition

We are on a HISTORIC day 3 of snow days (well, technically, ice days) here in Plano, TX. Seriously, this is unheard of. Then again, the ice is pretty bad- and here down in the good ol' south, we don't know how to handle that!!
I have had a few days to sit around and think about all these great things I've discovered recently, so I wanted to share it.
A neighbor and I trekked over to the JCPenney by our house and spent some time wandering around...there is a Sephora in there and I am so excited about something I found there:
The PERFECT lip gloss!
Benefit just introduced some new colors in their line of lip glosses called "Ultra Shine Lip Gloss"; if you're familiar at all with Benefit cosmetics, you know how fabulous they are. So naturally, I shouldn't have been surprised by this find BUT- I love sparkle, and I love color, two things that you can't necessarily wear as a teacher. They found a way to make a color that is both glam-sparkly and beautifully colored while still being understated enough for a conservative job! Mine is coming soon, and while I wait YOU should check it out! (The color I'm getting is So Frisk Me...haha)
Next, and I am SO EXCITED about this one too...

I have discovered BirchBox. What is it, you ask? Well, for 10$ a month, you get sent this CUTE box of deluxe samples of high-end cosmetic brands (like Benefit, but including Nars, Kiehl's, Cargo and more). It's basically like a present every month! They have two sign-up options; a full year (discounted so its basically like getting a free month) or month-to-month. The February box sign-up has already passed, but you can definitely go ahead and sign up for March box! I will let everybody know how the box is when I get it :)
Beauty, beauty, beauty...love it!
I will throw in one more thing we like...READING!
Right now, I am reading The Uglies by Scott Westerfield. I love non-reality books! I'm only about 15 pages in, but I can tell it's gonna be a good one! Also, I love series because you can really get into the characters :)

Happy discovering, blog friends!

Monday, Back to Reality

Alright people, it's that time of the week...Bachelor time.
And, WOW, was this week a doozy. WHERE to BEGIN??

Hmm, let's start with the obvious emotional-set-up-for-Emily group date. A race track? REALLY?? Brad shouldn't have been the one feeling like a jerk. No, that would be the job of the producers for deliberately pulling on Emily's vulnerable heart-strings. Brad didn't have any idea, no. But the producers DEFINITELY did.
This leads me into the next point...Alli had some bad form in hating on the fact that Brad kept pulling Emily aside and talking to her. I mean really? You know the story, girl. He's just trying to figure out what to do with all of the information. By the way, I predict Emily is being sent home in the next two episodes.
What else?? Michelle. I mean, can there be a more awkward, venomous person? She inspires that sicky feeling you get after eating some bad take out. And Brad gets harder to read around here all the time. He looks scared, but then he makes out with her face like it's the last make-out sesh he's ever going to have. Confusing much? (or....producer placement...?)
Poor Ashley S. being sent home on the 2 on 1 date was so sad. The poor girl still has some grief issues to work through from her losing her dad. She's a perfectly lovely girl who WILL find someone who thinks she's precious, but her poor confidence has taken a beating after her leading man was taken from her life.

Now it's time for the "Kudos&K,what?" of the week.
KUDOS:
-Shawntel, for having the, uh, guts to tell Brad about her profession- and for her being 100% confident about it. Hey, it takes a special person to work in a funeral setting, and besides that detail she seems pretty normal!
-Emily, for driving the racecar anyway.
-The other girls (besides Michelle) for cheering for Emily when she drove the car anyway.
-The Aria Hotel in Vegas, for having a SPLENDID looking hotel room with absolutely amazing flowers and a stunning view. Seriously, I really want to go there.
-Britt and her really flattering red dress. I'm loving red lately, apparently.

K,WHAT?:
-Chantal, you get a couple tonight: 1) being so annoying and pushy and cry-y with Brad every time you get to see him? STOP WASTING TIME because he'd probably like you if you didn't act so needy. 2) Your dress at the cocktail party- really, them mesh with the cleavage was NOT flattering and looking more....shall I say...street walkerish. 3)"I didn't expect to have feelings like this..." REALLY? This is always my favorite line on the Bachelor. You went on a show...looking for love...and didn't expect to feel...LOVE!?
-Emily....your teeth. They are SO white, and..so..vivid...just a little too much of both. But you're still cute.
-Michelle. For everything. Everything you do I'm like WHAT in the WORLD!?
-Brad, for acting scared yet giving Michelle a rose, STILL.

Well that about wraps it up. Next week we head to Costa Rica...a dream destination of mine. Happy reading, blog friends and if your anywhere in the Midwest or Northeast, bundle up, it's gonna be a chilly one!

Try This At Home

So I'm thinking maybe this will be a feature of my blog- trying things out and then passing them on when you should try it out too!

Today's "Try This At Home" was inspired by a long sick day on the couch browsing the internet. Then I remembered that I had just gotten my Mac software update and now had this program called "the MAC APP store"; similar to the APP Store for iTunes, but different in the way that it's for your Mac computer.
Anyway, they have a limited amount of stuff at the moment because it just launched recently, but one APP (FREE) caught my eye...
"Ringer".
It is in app that allows you to make ringtones out of ANY of your songs in your iTunes library. And it's REALLY easy to use. Once you download it, it has a menu that looks just like your iTunes...once you download the program, it should automatically have all of your songs from your library in the program.

The blue section on the song is what you are choosing to include in your ringtone- you can move it along any part of the song and adjust it to your liking! You can replay just certain sections of the song, making sure you've started and ended where you wanted by moving the arrow along the top. When you are done, you just click "Create" and it will send it straight to the "Ringtones" folder on your iTunes.

I thought it was really fun!

Happy ringtone-making!

Illness

photo from revsarah.blogspot.com
Well blog friends, I had the greatest of intentions to update the blog this week, but unfortunately illness has gotten in the way. With upper respiratory and sinus symptoms I find that it severely limits my abilities to think or be creative! I am going to see the doc tomorrow, so hopefully some meds and sleep will speed the recovery and I'll be back to building my blog in no time. Thanks for being patient!

Monday, Back to Reality

Alright, Bachelor fans. Let's chat about this week's episode.
First of all, was anyone disappointed that Michelle's black eye turned out to be nothing but a burst blood vessel? Gotta love the teasers, y'all...

So here's a little section that I'm going to call "Kudos&K,what?" where we go over the good moments and the not so good moments.
Let's start with the "Kudos"...
-to Britt. Besides looking exactly like Brittany from Glee, she also really put herself out there and doesn't seem quite as fake as some girls. Although I don't think she'll end up with Brad, she was a breath of fresh air this ep.
-Chantal O. She is surprisingly growing on me (though she really needs to tone down the blush). I really liked how she and Brad seemed to hang out, not do all this uptight small talk business.
- Lindsay (home girl representin' Plano!) and her confident smile instead of a sad pity party when she was let go. She also happens to look just like Miss Texas from Miss Congeniality!
- EMILY'S SHOES...and her dress...okay, just Emily in particular. But seriously. her SHOES!? They were tall, glittery, fabulous-ness for the feet. If I find a picture posted online, I'll be sure to share it.

Now to the "K, what?"
-The Dr. Drew date...how was that fun for anyone?? Is he even a real doctor? Makes me think of those Dr. Pepper commercials...
-Brad to Michelle: "You're a mature woman...."; the dramatic irony in this show kills me. Does he have any idea what this girl says in her interviews and to other women? OF course not. Because then we wouldn't enjoy reality TV for what it is.
-Meghan's dresses...all of them. Remember the first night she showed up? In her foot-tall pink clunky platforms? For a fashion designer, hate to say, she had some pretty bad taste in what she wore. Her dresses were all too short and didn't flatter her figure at all! Look good in what fits you ladies!

The previews for next week look spicy!
Be sure to vote on the poll for who you'd like to see go next week!

We made it over Monday y'all!

-

Monday, Back to Reality

Monday nights have become my reality TV night- the focal show of choice is, of course, the Bachelor. I know tons of you out there watch it too, so stay tuned for a re-cap of sorts, a poll and some "kudos&k,what?". Happy Bachelor watching!

*I know we're all secretly rooting for Michelle to go home!!

Sunday {Style}

Flower pins!

I went shopping at Nordstrom's yesterday and noticed that they had an abundance of flower pins. What I like about them is that most of them come with a pin for putting on clothing AND a clip for putting into hair- I love things that double in function! The truth is though, that this could more than double in function. Clip them on clothes, and hair, yes, but you could also put it on your purse or work bag, or use as a cute gift-topper (which can then double as a gift). They come in all sizes, colors, jewels, fabrics...you could spice up so many things! Who can resist a cute flower anywhere?

Real-looking flowers

Huge selection of hand-crafted flower pins

My favorites are those that have a little bit of feathers, or sparkle to spice things up.


photo from tsjphotography

Love the lime green!! Bright colors are a definite yes!

things we like

Tom's shoes
I finally got some! Hubby got me some gold sparkle ones for Christmas, but they didn't fit (10's were too small, 11's too big) but the material in these is different- a little more flexible, so they work!!


SELF magazine this month: it looks like there are some really good tips and recipes, and I am getting more interested in cooking. Not to mention there is always a different set of exercises each month!