So it's that time of year again ... to focus on all the "bad" and wage war against it.  

About 45% of adults make a new year's resolution and only about 75% of those adults make it past the first week.  The six month mark drops to 46%.

At this time of the year, I try to stay away from the obvious cliche resolutions...blah blah blah.  (UNLESS YOURS IS TO QUIT SMOKING!!!  DO THAT PUH-LEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)  I do try to think of something that I need to work on ...I mean it is a resolution.  

For example, one year I made a resolution to wear my seat belt.  In my early 20s I never did (plus it was BEFORE cars beeped until you put it on) and I was actually proud when the seat belt man light burned out on my car.  I know I know...Shia is much too wise to not wear one now.  This is my point, I was doing something reckless and dangerous to myself EVERY time I drove so I resolved to fix it and I did. 

So this year, I think my new year's resolutions will be.....

to style my hair more often...seriously it has been a hot mess for like FOREVER now and grown to like 24 inches long...I got a hair cut and I've been rocking the K-Dash hair.  I also figured out a way of curling it faster than using a curling iron (cuz I gots LOTS of hair...lol) ... ROLLERS!!

Conair Rollers - I got them at Wal-Mart  for like $20.  I use the black rollers for the middle section of my head for volume and the purple ones for the sides. They only take about 10 mins to put in and I can wear them while I'm getting dressed and putting on my makeup and by the time I am ready to go...take them out and TADA...fab K-Dash hair without using the curling iron for an hour!

to get "good" at painting my own nails...you saw the blue and glittery nails...I did a pretty decent job just think of how awesome I can be if I just did it more often!!!

to embrace things that make me happy (blogging, writing and family) and give less emotion to the things that don't (work)...this is my one "cliche" resolution but it is seriously something that I need to work on.   I spend WAY to much energy complaining and hating my work life that it envelopes my entire life.  I realize that the economy is poor and there are tons of people in the US that currently don't have jobs...that's precisely why I haven't quit.  I know I need my job that is why it controls me but I don't need to be emotionally attached to my job.  I can come to work ~ do my job and leave.  It might be hard to explain to others...hell Paul doesn't even get it...but as long as I know what I need to do to fix it is key.  As for blogging, writing and family, I really want to embrace these things more.  I am so grateful that my blog has gotten so much attention in the past couple of months.  Every one of you reading and commenting have a special place in my heart.  I love you all!!  While blogging is great, I need to write more.  I have a couple of opportunities to write outside of my blog and I need to focus more on it (here's where the stressing about work needs to subside so I have the energy to do it).  Also, I need to have faith that I can write outside of my blog.  It's like I'm too scared if it's somewhere other than here ... like it's "not perfect".  GET OVER IT SHIA!!  Last and finally not least is family, I adore my nieces so much as you all know but my sisters and I always have an up and down relationship.  Nicole (Marissa & Leah's mommy) and I have been pretty close for many years now but my sister, Debra (Kaelyn's mommy), haven't until recently.  Debra and I have a great relationship at the moment.  I practically see her every weekend and we haven't argued in forever.  I want it to stay that way!!!  Also, complaining and feeling less stress from work will make my daily life with Paul so much better...I know he has to be tried of all the complaining....I AM!!

So there you have it....my new year's resolutions.  Please don't attack me over the job stuff I am QUITE aware of the people that don't have jobs.  I do have a very stressful job and I'm really trying to just make it just a job.

My challenge to you to think outside of the box when it comes to resolutions.  I found this website with 101 New Year's Resolutions (click HERE).  So what's your new year's resolution??

Feast or Famine?

The NY Times states that the 7 to 10 pound weight gain over the holidays is an exaggeration.  Some surveys even state that on average people gain about 5 pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  However, new studies show that most people only gain one pound over the holiday season but the kicker is that they never lose that one pound.

I'm not a big fan of holiday food.  I don't care that much about turkey or ham...I don't eat mashed potatoes, casseroles, etc.  I can pretty much do without any holiday food.  HOWEVER, give me some holiday desserts and I surrender to the temptation.  I think I ate about 4 cookies last night alone...sigh.  I did turn down pie...lol.  So I do have SOME self control.

So how much food did you eat over the holidays?

What's your holiday weakness?

"Bad" Gifts?

So we all seem to get things that are less than desirable.

What should we do with it?

1) Return it ~ if you can return it for something useful...go for it!

Stores are less likely to ask for a receipt right after the holidays, 

so you'll probably get store credit to swap for something else

sometimes you can get a gift card but it's still store credit.

2) Re-gift it?  This is a slippery slope...if it's truly a "bad"

gift why do that to someone else?  But if it is just something

that you don't personally like but someone else might...go for it!

Just be careful of who you re-gift it to...you wouldn't want the 

original gift giver to find out and their feelings get hurt.

3) Give to Charity!  Don't throw it away!  Give it to charity.

Sometimes I think this is also a slippery slope ~ what

just because you have nothing you should get something 

crappy?  Something better than nothing?  Sigh!  I guess

it's better than going to a landfill and maybe it will 

make someone happy to have it.

4) Swap!  Kinda like re-gifting but more fun!

Did you get something you don't like and you can't

return it?  Let me know and maybe we can do a swap!

What's the worst Christmas present you received?

Yes yes...all gifts are given from the heart...blah blah blah.

But you all know that sometimes you get something that's 

just not right.  So I want to hear your funny story!

Merry Christmas to All...

and to All a Good Night!

I hope you all are having a very Merry Christmas!

December Birchbox

Here's my December Birchbox...

Do any of you want the Benefit Porefessionl and/or

the ShowStoppers Designer Fashion Tape??

I'm not going to use it...let me know and I'll mail it to you!

I really like the perfume in this sample...it's very

light and refreshing!  I agree that it has a youthful

scent without smelling like teenager perfume!

Why does it cost $98!!!

For info on Birchbox...click HERE!

Let me know if you want to sign up so I can refer you ;)

TADA!

I painted my own nails and...they look good okay decent!!

Plus matches they my ring...LOL

This is my attempt at holiday wear...

some how it always manages to be

blue white & silver....

hmmm....wonder why?

"Sugar Free" Choc Chip Cookies

So Paul had us on this new kick awhile back…making chocolate chip cookies…sounds yummy right….well….here’s the snag…like every ingredient is switched with something “healthier”. The first batch was seriously disappointing…I mean it looked like a cookie yet didn’t really taste like a cookie. Well I’ve been doing some tweaking each time to this “healthy” recipe and I finally think I have gotten it to a point that these cookies are good. Well maybe I am just getting used to them but since it's the holidays I thought I would make some more and share ~ here’s the recipe for you to try them out.

1 cup of whole wheat flour

3/4 cup of oats

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of salt

(mix dry together)

1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup of canola oil

1/3 cup of Splenda (I add just a tad more)

1/3 cup of Splenda Brown Sugar 

1 egg

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

(mix together and slowly add dry ingredients)

1 cup of dark chocolate chips (we like Ghirardelli and found them at the supermarket cheaper than Hershey's Dark Chocolate Chips...which we also tried)

1 - 1 ½ cups of walnuts (optional and depends on how much you like walnuts…we love them hence the 1 ½ cups)

Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 -12 mins Makes roughly 24 cookies

FYI these cookies do not bake like traditional chocolate chip cookies…they will not fall into nice little disc shapes so pat them down a little before putting in the oven. It's really hard to tell if they are fully cooked so I'd lean more to the 12 min mark because they are very chunky cookies. Also, in my opinion they taste better after they have cooled. Let me know if you make them and what you think about the taste.

Let me know if you try them and what ya think!

Blog Secret Santa ~ My Gift

So this morning when I left my townhouse, 

I noticed that my neighbor had a box in 

front of their door.  The box said LUSH on it....

I thought, "how unfair...it's like a 45 yr old man 

and his 18 yr old son...how do they get LUSH stuff?!?

So I thought...hmmm...I wonder where they got it from...

I snooped and looked at the box and....

IT WAS ADDRESSED TO ME!!??!!

Thank you Blog Secret Santa!!!

I love how it comes wrapped in newspaper like

gifts from your Grandma!

Here's what was underneath the newspaper..

2 soaps, a card AND a surprise....

Two bath bombs!!  I can't wait to soak in the tub with this stuff!!

BTW...I opened this at work and my office

smells HEAVENLY from this stuff!!!  I love it!!!

Lovely note from my Blog Secret Santa!

Thank you soooo much Samantha you totally made

my day with the Lush stuff!!  I'm super excited to use it!

Check out her blog HERE!

Blog Secret Santa

So here's what I sent my Blog Secret Santa...

I found this cute box with a magnetic closure.

Then I filled it with goodies...kinda like a Birchbox.

~Calendar - super cute!!

~Baby Lips by Maybelline - love this stuff!!

~ ELF eyeshadow ~ glittery set

~Bedazzled bobby pins

~Bedazzled Mirror

~JR Watkins - lotion - this stuff works soooo good!!

~Zum Body - a friend turned me on to this stuff...it's soooo good!

~My Blog Card - well I hope she likes it...

I haven't heard from her yet!

Here's Kitty "helping me" ~ she is totally me reincarnated as a cat!

She loves paper, pens, anything that looks crafty...

she always hangs out and watches or steals ribbon.

I haven't received my Secret Santa gift yet...hopefully soon!!

Can't wait!

Batteries Not Included

So as you all know from my previous post, I bought this CD player for Marissa (my 5 year old niece) for Christmas!  Well today on my lunch break I went and bought batteries for it!  I just remember when I was little and I had a little boom box I carried everywhere...I'm pretty sure the neighbors called the cops once but the cop just sat there watching me and my stepsister do our "dance routine" to Tiffany's "I Think We're Alone Now" (kinda pedo now that I think about it...lol).  

So instead of going out and buying a 5 year old a bunch of CDs that will inevitable get lost or scratched,  I downloaded her some tunes and burned her a CD...which I can make over and over again.

So here's her mix....

"Calling All the Monsters" ~ China Anne McClain

"Love You Like a Love Song" ~ Selena Gomez

"Lovesick" ~ Emily Osment

"Your Love is My Drug" ~ Ke$ha

"Raise Your Glass" ~ Pink

"If I Die Young" ~ The Perry Band Tribute

"Tik Tok" ~ Ke$ha

"Falling Down" Selena Gomez

"Party in the USA" ~ Miley Cyrus

"Blah Blah Blah" (Clean) ~ Ke$ha

"Love Story" ~ Taylor Swift

"Baby" ~ Justin Bieber

"Hoedown Throwdown" ~ Miley Cyrus

"Tell Me Something I Don't Know" ~ Selena Gomez

"Whip My Hair" ~ Willow

"The One That Got Away" ~ Katy Perry

"Super Bass" (Clean) ~ Nicki Minaj

"Blow" ~ Ke$ha

"Sparks Fly" ~ Taylor Swift

"You Make Me Feel..." ~ Cobra Starship

I think she is going to go INSANE!  She gets so excited when some of these songs come on the radio. 

How sad is it that I've been jamming out to this mix in my car!?!?

Happy Friday!

I made it!  This has felt like the longest week of my life!  Work was EXTREMELY busy, traffic was horrible everyday, then Wednesday we had our Christmas party and then it was only Thursday so I am seriously feeling TGIF this week!

Here's my weekend To Do List:

Tomorrow I am meeting up with my sister, Debra, and my niece, Kaelyn, to pick up Kaelyn's Christmas pictures!  Then a little last minute shopping.

Then Sunday ~ I'm blogging my entire week!  So stay tuned for...Guest Post from one of my fab followers, Christmas cards I made, my Blog Secret Santa's gift (and maybe mine if I get it this weekend) and my December Birchbox!  So exciting stuff to come!

How excited are you that it is finally Friday?  What are your plans?  

J'Adore

Emma Watson!

December 8 ~ Look of the Day ~ InStyle 

WHAT SHE WORE

In Hong Kong, Emma Watson enchanted the crowd in a tulle Elie Saab confection and silverJimmy Choo sandals.

WHY WE LOVE IT

The face of Lancome did the label proud by amping up her airy design with high wattage lips.

I love love LOVE this dress!!  Emma looks fabulous!  Don't you just love her!  

11 Days to Go!

We can all do math to know today is the 14th and Christmas is on the 25th and figure out the days we have left...but when I looked on the calendar I thought...OMG...it's next weekend!!  No wonder this week has been super crazy!  

Last night I was up until 4 am making Christmas cards...pics to come!  I'm proud to announce that my Secret Santa gift has been sent...pics to come!  I hope she likes it!!

So what holiday craziness are you up to this week?  Did you have a craft malfunction you need to get off your chest...post to come...lol.

Monday...bleh!

So my Monday was off to a pretty bad start...

it raining so the drive to work was EXTRA long.

So by the time I got here...I was in a "I'm so over this" mood!

However, instead of making the day miserable I tried and succeeded to get rid of this horribleness I was feeling!

Here are the ways I got over my case of the Mondays...

1) I checked my email....and realized I have new followers =)  I just love when new people find my blog and appreciate the randomness...it's like getting a gold star =)

2) I remembered I have one more thing to pick up and then I can mail my Secret Santa stuff...I'll take pics and I'm requesting that she take pics to send me of her opening it or post about it and I can link it.

3) I remembered how much I got done over the weekend!  Seriously my blog stuff, closet, makeup, under the sink ... ALL ORGANIZED...this is huge!  I am notorious for letting my personal stuff just pile up while I focus more on work.

4) On the drive to work, realizing it is only 13 more days until Christmas...I can't wait for my nieces to open all their presents....I will post pics...all of Marissa's stuff is Hello Kitty!

5) Speaking of Hello Kitty...the Avon lady emailed me to say that she'll be dropping off Marissa's necklace and ring today at noon!!  It made it on time!!  It was on back order!!

6) Finally, decided to do a blog link up!  So make my Monday and LINK UP!!

So what turned your horrible Monday around?

Shellac Update

So recently I posted about my first Shellac manicure (which was French) and have now tried color THREE times...I thought I would give an update.

When I had the first manicure removed...I had to soak my fingers in acetone for like 15 mins.  After that my nails looked HORRIBLE.  To me this was a huge problem, for the sake of my blog I decided to try a color once and then I was done.  I don't like acrylic nails because they destroy your nail bed...I'm not destroying them over nail polish.  So between the soaking and the UV light I was already on the fence.

Then within 3 days the color shellac nail polish started to just peel off.  I had to go back in and have them redone....more soaking...more UV light.

Also, the color I picked was light and neutral and the main thing I didn't like about it is that you could see my nail through the nail polish.

Then last weekend, I thought why not try a darker color one last time...I mean my nail bed is already destroyed...so I went to a nail salon close to home (the other place was near where I work).

So instead of soaking in acetone for like 15 mins, they had a different technique....

They soak a small piece of cotton ball with acetone

stick it on your nail and then wrap it up in aluminum foil.

Plus I only sat like this for about 2 mins!

My nails were fine afterwards...actually smooth!

Also, this salon had better UV lights.  I only had to have my hand

under it for 30 secs plus they do your fingers and thumb separate

so it minimizing the amount of UV light on your hand.

The other salon I was sitting whole hand under the UV light 

for 5 minute periods of time.  Totally not good for you!!

So am I completely won over by Shellac now?  Yes and no.

It might be hard to see in this small pic 

{so click on the pic to make it bigger}

but you can still see through the color and see 

my actual nail....I think a color is a waste.  The nail

tech told me...the darker the color the harder it is to dry 

and some dark colors NEVER dry

...so I think if I get this again it will be French.  

What about you ... have you tried this and have 

had the same problems (or different problems)?

Get those Creative Juices Flowing....

I saw this list over on one of my favorite blogs...

.Belle-ista.

What I love about this is that ... you can see how much you already have accomplished to stay creative and then you can see a few more new ways of getting creative.  Like me, I am sure you can put a check mark next to quite a few of these.  Which ones stands out as completed?  For me it is #1  #2 and #30, I recently bought a journal which I carry EVERYWHERE now...there are blog ideas, to do lists (blog related & personal) and it's just so much easier now that everything is in one place and not scattered through out 100,000 notebooks.  I call my creative side my madness because it's constantly swirling around in my head and sometimes there's just too much of it so brilliance gets hidden in the whirlpool.  So now I have it all organized here....

Were you expecting something non-damask...lol

Now anytime I am inspired about anything...I can write it down right then.  I used to have like 5 ideas at once and then forget them 5 minutes later so when I went to blog about it I would be like I know I had like 5 awesome posts swirling around in my mind....where did they go??

So what sticks out to me that I want to try or do more of?  #25!  To be a writer...I need to make it happen and when writing opportunities arise I need to stop shooting myself in the foot!  I can write...I am good at what I do!  Stop second guessing it!

Which ones stand out to you and why?

It's okay Thursday #4

Link up with Amber!!

It's okay....

1) To hate Adobe....I am trying to load a free trial 

of Photoshop and it is taking FOREVER!!

2) To put so much time and effort into making 

Christmas cards when it's faster and probably

cheaper just to buy them premade!

3) To keep saying "Is it Friday YET?!?"  I mean hello

three day week totally through off the balance of

making it a full 5 days at work without complaining.

4) To look at your bank account and yell HOLLA! when 

you realize you got your Christmas bonus today!!

5) To have not participated in Black Friday or Cyber Monday.

6) To not be able to think of another entry.....

so help me out....what's okay today with you??

Don't forget to link up with Amber!!

November Birchbox Update

So I've received Birchbox and I've tried all the samples so I thought I would share my thoughts.

Before I start, for those of you who have never heard of Birchbox, it's a monthly subscription, for $10 you receive 4 to 5 deluxe designer products.  You can sign up monthly (which is how I signed up) or pay for the year in advance for $110 (one month free) {I might go the year route at some point if I continue to like the samples.}  Also you gain Birchbox points {10 for every box and more when buying items ~ to be cashed it for money off}

So here's my November Birchbox....

1) Anastasia Beverly Hills HydraFull Gloss in Sugar Pink

TOO STICKY!!  Great color though but it's TOO STICKY!!

2) Borghese Fango Brillante Brightening Mud 

Works well ~ I don't really need it but if you

are looking for a brightener definitely try this one!

3) Guerlian Shalimar Parfum Initial

If you love Christian Dior Miss Cherie like me TRY THIS!

I love the way it smells.

{The one in my Birchbox was detective/empty...I emailed

them and they sent me another sample!!!}

4) JR Watkins Foot Repair Salve

Okay ~ I haven't tried this on my feet...

I've been using it on my sandpaper elbows...

which now are SUPER SMOOTH thanks

to Mr. Watkins here!  Out of all the items...

this is the one I want to purchase ~ which is out

of stock on Birchbox and JR Watkin's website!

Treat ~ {You always get your samples plus a treat}

This month I got these cute Coasters!

I love them...I have them on my desk at work!!

Did you get Birchbox?  Did you like your items?

Have I convinced you to sign up?  If so, email me

so I can refer you!!

Also....drumroll...I have been featured on ....

Only A Flight Away

stop by and see!!!!  Thanks Melina!!!

Maybelline Great Lash ~ Lots of Lashes

I hate this mascara!  I've been wearing it for about a week and today I stopped and my eyes feel sooooo much better.  

The mascara gets crumbly throughout the day so if you rub your eye for any reason it feels like you have dirt in your eye all day.

I totally hate the new plastic applicators...in my opinion they just don't work as well as the old school ones.  Also, the cone shaped applicator is pointless it just causes more work...you have to angle it this way then that way, etc.  

So in my opinion stick with....

The original!  

Great Lash has own tons of awards

and I've seen it as a best pick in many magazines. 

I've also used...

Great Lash BIG

and....

Great Lash with the Curved Brush

All of these worked great!

So it was really disappointing when I tried Lots of Lashes ~

it just doesn't live up to the Great Lash standards.

What do you think?  Have you tried Lots of Lashes?

Outtakes from Boldt Castle

This massive ship went by!

Lil Lighthouse

Okay my fall vacation...duh obsessed with fall!!

Leaves and Light

Stone lock?

Even though it was fall...still some pretty flowers.

More fall foliage!

Weird fountain

ah so pretty

more pretty

I just want to let you know I sat on this porch

for like an hour...imagining how it would have been

back then...how peaceful and how inspiring.

I could have written a million blog posts

on this porch...well you know the equivalent

to a blog post in 1904.

Now for the hilarious....

They had a continuous video playing about the history of the house.

Since Paul and his mom watched it while I was out on the porch

I went in after and was the only one in the room.  While

I was waiting for the movie to restart I thought I would

do some Ghost Hunter photo tests.

I mean all this love and heart break it just HAS to be haunted.

Right?

These pics were taken in complete darkness...

nope just my knee

nope ~ no one joining me to watch the movie

no one over there

or beside me

or on the other side

or in the front row on the other side

Let me just say...that this was creepy 

and hilarious all at the same time.

I literally would have peed my pants had something actually

shown up on the camera.  Afterwards, I told Paul and he 

was cracking up....he said...you're going to blog about it I know it!

Okay so with all the love in the air and 

all the light and all the million photo opts....

I thought I would try to catch on photo 

when my center diamond glows blue.

Okay and maybe just take pic 

number 1,000,000,000,000 of my ring!

If you haven't seen the post about Boldt Castle click here