We all have and gather tons of stuff that we try and don't end up using for whatever reason.  Next time you clean out your drawers or under your sink gather up your stuff (at least half full) and throw a party.  Maybe your cast offs will work better for one of your friends and vice versa.  Products and Cocktails...Oh My!

"Future" Screened In Patio

Do you think I could convince Paul that we should

decorate our future screened in patio like this?

http://www.housetohome.co.uk/

I just love everything about this!  I really like the purples and greens!

Baby Shia!

My mom sent me this pic today of me at 3 months old =)

I still have those cheeks!

Organization with a side of Crafty please...

So before blog posts become posts, they start off usually as a list of ideas, possibly a rough draft I hand wrote when I was feeling inspired but not sitting in front of my computer, possibly an idea from an article from a magazine that I felt like I wanted to add my own spin to, etc.  Needless to say, I have notepads, articles, drafts, lists, etc all over the place.  Until now!  With the help of a file folder I snagged from work my blog stuff has become EXTREMELY organized.  Here comes the crafty part...I took this ugly blue folder which screams...WORK...and transformed it into a masterpiece.  I know what you are thinking...damask damask damask...hold onto your seats folks...I stepped outside of the box!

Here is what the folder originally looked like....

Now here is the front...

Marissa helped me pick out the paper =)

There are quiet a few separating sections ... here is the first one...

To the left are some drafts of an article I am writing for a magazine contest and to the right is my blog list, which is basically a chart where I have separated my topics by category so I can be more random with my posts.

The next section....

To the left are tabs with the categories and the materials needed for each blog post.  To the right is a food journal I am keeping.  On top of using an app for my computer to count calories, I am keeping track of cravings I have and things I eat or want to eat and don't from cravings.  I'm looking for patterns and also reminding myself how I felt after I ate it and etc.  

The next section...(told you there were a lot)

To the left is where I am keeping up with wedding stuff since I need to get cracking on all of that and to the right is scratch paper for lists, drafts, etc before they make it to their proper place in the folder.

Finally...the back...

So grand total to jazz up this office folder was $2.  

The paper was on sale at Michael's for 4/$1.  

The joy I feel when looking at it...PRICELESS!

And yes I have been concentrating so much on getting this just right that I haven't blogged much but now it is complete so let the blogging begin!

Odeur de Misi

So since you all know I am a big fan of the library, I have a trick for you for getting that musty smell out of library books....Dryer Sheets!!

The musty smell is eliminated and no worries the book isn't then overpowered with the smell of the dryer sheet.  Initially, you might smell the dryer sheet but after a few days the book is pretty much left smelling like nothing.  Cut the dryer sheets at the folds and you have enough for three books from one sheet.  

They work great at bookmarks too!

Lovely Laura Street

So since I was chased by a homeless man asking for money I decided to look for an alternative route to the library and I found Laura Street...it has been revamped and it looks great!  I can't believe all this beauty is one street over.  So here are some pics of my lovely walk to the library at lunch.

Slate sidewalk and beautiful trees

Great architecture.

I love this church!

Across the street from the library is Hemming Plaza.  A lot of bums hang out over here all day and I used to walk along side it on the way to the library.  Police normally hang out near here so it's somewhat safe but now I don't have to go anywhere near it!

Here's the downtown library!!  I love this library...this is the one part of Jacksonville I will miss when we move!

So this is the old route - see how ugly!

That upper level is the tram that basically goes no where and again...too many bums!

This looks like the same pic as above right...nope further down the street...the ugly just all looks the same.

We used to have trees in front of our building...but alas they cut them down =(

We can do it!

So the sink in the master bathroom was draining slowly...so I knew it was probably clogged with tons of my hair.  So I decided that I would take apart the sink...clean out the clog...and put it back together.  And....I did it.  Believe me it wasn't a pretty experience and in the end I thought I was never going to get the pieces back together...which way do they go?  I even googled...how to put your bathroom sink back together...didn't find much that was really helpful and I thought screw this...I don't need google.  I can figure this out and TAH-DAH!!!  Sink is totally fixed!  

Let me just say that if I would have told Paul the sink wasn't draining very well ... he would have insisted that HE fix it and then would have just complained about WHY the sink was clogged.  So my fellow women of the world, just know that you can do stuff yourself.  If you are a single girl...which I was for A LONG TIME...you learn to take care of yourself.  Sure the first couple of times you run into snags you are going to freak out but the more experience you have fixing your problems the more empowered you feel when you do fix them.  

I guess guys just want to feel like our protector or "the man".  Paul often tells me that he doesn't want me going to some part of town without him (might I add a section of Jacksonville that I actually lived in when I first moved here) and insists on doing certain things for me i.e. talking to mechanics, physical labor of any sort, etc. I know it's a guy thing. He is now my "protector" and "Mr. Fix It". But sometimes I often think...doesn't he realize that I totally took care of my self for 11 years before him? Okay for example let's take car issues as an example. Before Paul I drove around my Honda Civic for like 10 or 11 years hence...there were car problems that occurred over it's life span. Brakes, tires, radiator, etc. So recently when I needed brakes Paul insisted that I was wrong. Like no silly that's not what is wrong, etc. Well who was right? This girl! I often think HELLO I'm not a moron. Is it that he thinks my chick mind can't handle certain things or is it just a guy thing? Like I said earlier the protector and Mr. know it all oops I meant Mr. Fix It.

I think you just need to pick your battles.  Don't be entirely self sufficient and don't be a total lump on a log.  For example, the other morning I had to put air in my tires and I stopped on the way to work.  After, dealing with all of that and getting my hands all dirty I thought...maybe letting Paul do this wouldn't be so bad.  Let him crouch down and get all dirty.  He feels needed and I don't ruin my nails.  Win win...lol.

It's time...

that I start thinking seriously about finding a wedding dress. I am thinking the same cut that I showed on here before but adding lace and a little more detail.  Paul and I looked through the dresses (I know ...gasp!) I had saved earlier and we both agree they are quite plain.  So here is one that we both like so far.

However I'm not 100% sold on those ruffles.  Also, I am thinking a light blue with a light gray lace...I have a picture from a magazine with a dress like that but it's like $10,000 so it won't be THAT exact dress but perhaps something similar.  I'll post it soon.  I think I am ALMOST to the point where I am going to start going to bridal shops. It's time to get this show on the road!

Suddlenly Tragic!

So I'm doing a bit of blog research and I come across this article on Lucky Magazine's website.  Seems great right?  The answer to all of our prayers?  Online shopping for...H&M?  Could it be?  NO!  The website they are advertising only services the Northeastern part of the US.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  So again pointless!  H&M RIP!!!! Read my comment on the article on lucky's website as "girllovesherpurses"!  

My comment:  "I saw this on your website and immediately went to H&M to buy something and womp womp wommmmmp...this isn't available. I went in thinking FINALLY my H&M woes are solved. But again H&M is the biggest tease. You can buy stuff online BUT not if you live in the US. You can go to a store but NOT if you don't live in the area of a store. Yet every magazine advertises H&M pieces as great pieces to buy. So I read this and thought FINALLY! I go to this website...set it all up...and then when I go to my shopping bag only then to be told...ONLY IN THE NORTHEAST!!! Seriously? This has to be the biggest let down EVER! Is there some reason that magazines can't think outside of Manhattan? There are more people reading your magazines than just the ones in a tri-state area of your office building. Do some research before getting our hopes up!"

Finally I vented on my number one pet peeve of magazines.  Also, had to use girllovesherpurses...Shia can't be slamming any doors to the magazine world for ticking them off for calling them out.  However, if by chance a door is opened to me one day....I will NEVER recommend a reader to buy ANYTHING from H&M.....EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Take a Fake?

So I read recently three tips on knowing if you are buying a fake designer handbag.  Well chances are if you are buying it off the street in NYC or from your local flea market it is indeed a fake.  Would you buy a fake?  Before you rush off and say no....what if you are getting a fake bag that looks real for under $20.  I'm not stating to purchase something for $100 that you indeed know is fake, but what if it was cheap and fake.  Would you care?  

If you go to NYC, you will get hit up from countless people trying to get you to buy a purse from them.  I bought a purse from a guy near Battery Park.  It was a black coach bag and had the actual store tags on it. I doubted it was fake...five finger discount maybe...or maybe it was fake, but for $15...who cares!  Plus, I now have a funny NYC street story to tell.  Also, if it is so horrible to have these bags on the market, why are there tons of them on sale on the streets of NYC, Fashion Capital and Capital for Fakes?

Also, my sister Debra told me about these Chanel totes being sold at a flea market here in Jacksonville.  I drove clear across town (which in Jacksonville is like 30 to 40 miles) to go to this ghetto flea market to get a Chanel tote for $10!  Honestly, this bag has held up longer than some Nine West bags I bought from an actual Nine West store for probably three times as much.

So real or fake?  My thoughts are .... cheap is best.  =)

Bulletin

Here are some new pics that I have hung up at work.

I still have more to come from Leah's 1 yr pics and Marissa's recital!

I think I am going to need a bigger board! 

Recycling on the Go!

PepsiCo Dream Machine

So I noticed one of these machines at the Landing (our downtown poor excuse for a mall) and looked it up online.  Apparently, Pepsi is stepping it up in malls across the country, instead of throwing away your bottles or cans, you can recycle them and earn reward points which in turn yield merchandise for you.  Also, money they save from the recycling goes to support disabled veterans. Triple score so RECYCLE!!!!  Way to go Pepsi....start stepping it up Coca Cola!!! 

No Love Lost

No Love Lost by worldaccordingtoshia featuring h&m dresses

So I finally got to experience H&M in person.  I found out that there are two in Orlando.  So I went expecting greatness and left thinking...eh!  I like the idea more than the actual stuff.  I went in looking for that white and multicolored striped dress because I saw it in a magazine and thought ... hey this is cute and cheap.  It wasn't as cute in person.  I tried the other dresses on and thought...okay cute but they are $40.  What happened to cheap?  Basically their cheap stuff...is precisely that...cheap.  It consists of thin cotton which you can see your hand through and when the quality steps up so does the price.  I don't want to compare them to Old Navy because they aren't THAT bad.  I mean I would have bought three out of the four dresses above but I didn't want to spend $40 per dress or even $40 on one dress.  (I know I am cheap but seriously I didn't want to buy something to just prove a point.  Just going to the store was enough proof.)  Sometimes good on glossy paper (in magazines) is just good on glossy paper.  

HOWEVER, they do have MAD clearance deals.  That is where you can get a steal.  They had tons of cardigans on sale and I would have bought some but I already had a bunch that looked similar from Ann Taylor Loft and Banana Republic.  

Let me know if you like H&M.  Maybe I am just being too tough on them because for forever I have been teased by fashion magazines so I just had my hopes set too high and maybe this Orlando store wasn't all that perhaps there are bigger and better H&Ms.  I would go again and would like to go to one in the UK (they can order stuff online...US cannot) and perhaps next time I will find something I just can't live without.