World According to Shia

Originally Posted on July 12, 2011 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 s...

Originally Posted on March 12, 2011 So I am the queen of knowing what products work.  I've tried practically everything and if there's a convincing ad - I'll try it at least once.  My sisters and friends have received many of my cast offs.  The bathroom used to be a nightmare - there was just so much under the sink and most of it was I never used.  So I pick through it - throw away the absolute crap and then give the rest away.  Things still get a little out of hand but now everything under the sink is actual stuff I use.  I've really narrowed down the products I use and now I rarely buy something new to try because what I use REALLY works.  However, occasionally there will be a new product bought.  The other morning I was getting ready for work and there was a pretty deep line on my face near my eye.  The first thing I thought was OMG I need botox which I literally found hilarious because I disapprove of any sort of plastic surgery but ...

Originally Posted on March 31, 2011 Have you ever thought about snooping?  You have a shady boyfriend and you want to look through all of his stuff the second he leaves you alone in his house.  Think before you snoop because you might find that dreaded something you're looking for. Also, why are you snooping?  If he's keeping something from you and you have a gut feeling....that is enough to go on.  You don't need validation for a couple of reasons.  First, he'll flip the script on you...you're now the guilty party for snooping and second, if you find something there's no way you can forget it and move on without telling him you snooped. Good relationships are built on trust.  If you ask yourself...can I trust him and the answer is no...then this is not a good relationship.  Sure we all lie to ourselves and try to make that not so special guy "the one" but sometimes you just need to realize...he's not "the one" and move o...

Originally Posted on June 12, 2011 New Redken Products I Am Using.... A) Curl wise - This works great on styling naturally curly hair.  Just apply and let it dry naturally it has a little bit of hold so the curls stay put. B) Thickening Lotion ~ This works great when blow drying.  It adds volume. C) Shine Flash ~ I love love LOVE this stuff.  It is basically shine serum in a spray.  I normally hate any kind of shine serum because I just think it makes my hair look greasy in one spot and that it doesn't move well through my hair so it ends up clumping to my roots and making my hair look greasy.  This stuff is great because you can evenly cover your hair with shine without the build up in one spot. D) Glass ~ Okay so I know I just said that I hate shine serum...however I just received a tip from a hairstylist to try it in wet hair.  Since I bought this and never use it because of what I posted above I thought I would give it a try. ...

Originally Posted on March 26, 2011 So I think like most chicks I am obsessed with my hair.  Currently my hair is at the longest it has been for a decade and I want to get a trim but live in fear of any length being cut off.  So instead I am obsessed with taking care of it and of course making it look good.  So here are some products I use and they really work.     1) Redken Quick Dry 18 Hairspray - Before trying this hairspray...I thought hairspray was hairspray no difference. Not only does this hairspray live up to it's name but it doesn't get stiff yet it holds great. I use this when I curl my hair with the curling iron. I'll curl my hair, style it and then spray it and tada....Kardashian Hair! When you first spray it on it seems like oh no stiff but within seconds it's the slight stiffness disappears. {Price - I only buy Redken products from Ulta when they run Buy 2 Get One Free - 14.95; if you don't have an Ulta - check y...

Originally posted March 22, 2011 So recently I had a friend laugh when she reached in my bag to grab my car key for me.  She teased and said that I was like a little girl playing grown-up because my huge bag had three things in it...key, wallet and phone.  It is true that day I pulled out a bag from my closet and tossed in my cell and wallet and headed out of the house.  I will say that at the time I wasn't carrying a purse everyday.  I was just lugging my damask gym bag to work.  I recently got a new bag and I've been working on my blog at lunch so no need for the damask gym bag at the moment.  So here's what is currently in my bag.... 1) This notebook contains my blogs in the works.  Basically it is a title with a brief outline of what direction I am looking for and then when I blog I just fine tune it. 2) My Ipod - I actually wore it all day at work - it really helped tuning out loud co-workers.  I also have some earplugs in my purse...I gu...

Originally posted 10/28/09 Okay I have no clue who this chick in the picture is but you will understand why I googled and found this picture. I once read in Seventeen magazine how to cut your own bangs. The instructions were comb down your bangs and then gather them and twist (just like my assistant over here on the left ... thank you whomever you are and check out her how to instructions ) then cut. Viola "straight" bangs. Well honestly this trick really did work but I have curly hair so any imperfections might have been hidden by the curl. Anyway it seemed to work. Well now (as you can see from my profile pic) I sport the side bang with my straight hairdo so will the Seventeen trick work now?  Well I have been letting my hair grow out so I have refrained from going to get a trim for fear that the stylist would cut off all the new growth (which seemed to be happening every time I got a trim no matter how much I pleaded for the lenght not to be touched). So the ...

Originally posted 10/3/10 So it finally seems like fall is right around the corner. As another year begins to wind down I would like to stop for a second and just enjoy the moment. Every year there seems to be highs and lows. The holidays wrap up and start the new year fresh. What's to stop us from just pausing for a moment and enjoying it now?  When I think of fall, I think of cooler weather, cozy weekends and comfort foods. It's such a pleasant thought isn't it? I think Floridians really don't grasp the true essence of fall. Sure it's 80 out with a nice breeze and it doesn't feel like 150 when you go outside but I seriously miss those northern things that make you think of fall. The trees turning brilliant colors of yellow, orange and red. Apple cider being sold at the stores or on the road side. Man I miss the North! So since we're in a cozy place think about what the last 9 months have brought. If you're someone (like me) who thinks i...

ME?!?  I received two lovely blog awards from two of my lovely followers... from Ace Stace Beauty AND from Only A Flight Away Thank you two so much for thinking of me. As for my 7 facts... 1) I am so incredibly happy that my blog is getting noticed ~ seriously I get all emotional when I get a new follower. 2) I want to be a writer and every time I read a comment I think ~ I CAN DO IT!  PEOPLE LIKE IT!!! 3) If you need advice, I got answers!  I recently joked with some of my friends that I need a booth like Lucy from the Peanuts.  Seriously...any problem...any topic...I have your solution! 3) I still look at my fiance and think...wow...I really found you!  Okay maybe not when he is screaming at the tv during a football game...but you know what I mean =) 4) I really do love my family despite how much they get on my nerves!  No mom ... I can't fix your scanner over the phone! 5) I will not have and do not want children b...

So in case I haven't mentioned it enough...I'm going on vacation!  I leave tomorrow for upstate NY and Canada where I get to FINALLY enjoy some fall foliage!!  I've missed fall ever since I moved to Florida.  So I've decided that my daily posts will be a montage of some of my old posts that I love.  I hope you enjoy them too.  I'll try to log on while I am away to check and respond to your comments and of course check out your blogs.  Our vacation is action packed so bare with me if I miss a day.  I'll miss you guys!!  Again, I hope you enjoy the blog montage!  Cue the 80s music =) ♥ Shia

So I went to lunch with my friend and we stopped in at the mall to go to Charming Charlie so she could get a purse with a gift certificate someone gave her (click here for locations near you).  This store is AMAZING!  They have tons of accessories (scarves, purses, wallets, hats, jewelry, AND TONS MORE) and a few dresses/blouses and even shoes in every shade imaginable and they are price reasonably.  The pic above is some cute stuff I found on their website.   We walked around for awhile and I still left the store feeling as if I didn't see everything they had.  My friend grabbed a super cute bag.  The price tag said it was $40 and it rang up $21!  So their super low prices get EVEN LOWER!!!  All of the items were made well...great linings on the inside of the purses, etc.   Have you ever been to a Charming Charlie?

There are SOOOO many great Jack Lemmon movies but these three are my absolute faves!   The Apartment (1960) I've seen this movie 100 times.  I love it.  Jack Lammon plays a single man who's apartment is used by all of the executives of his company to court their office flings but of course complications and romance arise. Some Like it Hot (1959) I just recently saw this for the first time.  I had never seen anything with Marilyn Monroe before watching this.  She is a main character but definitely outshined by Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis.  Hilarious movie with gangsters, cross dressing and romance.   It Should Happen to You (1954) I just saw this movie recently on TCM.  Basically this girl moves to NYC to make a name for herself and she buys a billboard space and puts her name on it.  She instantly becomes famous.  It's a sweet romantic story of small town girl meets NYC. If you haven't seen these movies ~ run ...

I don't normally watch network tv shows but have you seen this new show on Fox?  I watched it on Hulu and even though I LOVE Zooey Deschanel...I had mixed thoughts.  I think I'll check out the new episode this week to see if it was just off on a rocky start.  What did you think?  Love it or hate it?

So last Sunday was the season finale of True Blood.  So if you watch the show, you're more than familiar with how naked the characters get on a show to show basis.  If not, look above.  Paul teases me and asks ~ who do you think is hot?  I have to say hands down Alcide is the hottest character also his character is shirtless A LOT.  So what do you think?  Who do you think is hot?   Do you watch True Blood?  Have you read the books?  If so, what do you think? I have conflicting thoughts because I've listened to all of the books on CD (well not the newest one) on my long commute to work.  It's not the most believable and intriguing story line in the world but I definitely think the books are way better than the show.  I know that is so cliche to say but they really are.  I really think that books with multiple story lines and characters work better in your mind because you can have several things going on ...

{sorry for the horrible pic - took a pic of the magazine page} So apparently sweatshirts are back in.  However, they're a little prettier than a regular old Hanes sweatshirt. a) Dolan, $148, freepeople.com ~ Found it on the website and it was the price stated in Cosmo b) KUT From the Kloth, $68, funkychic.com ~ Couldn't find it on the website c) Costa Blanca, $41, costablanca.ca ~ Couldn't find it on the website d) Wildfox Couture, $99, wildfoxcouture.com ~ Found it on the website and it was the price stated in Cosmo e) Simdog, $66, shopsimdog.com ~ Found it on the website and it was the price stated in Cosmo f) MK2K, $143, diamondsandpearl.com ~ Couldn't find it on the website g) American Eagle Outfitters, $44.50, ae.com ~ Found it on the website and it was the price stated in Cosmo h) DKNY Jeans, $49, macy.com ~Sort of found it ~ it was only in plus size and it was $69 i) Woodleigh, $92, boutiquetoyou.com ~ Couldn't ...

So the UK has fought to ban overly airbrushed ads that give unrealistic images of perfect skin.  So what do you think?  I was actually thinking of giving Julia Roberts props to not letting them airbrush her freckle near her eye out entirely.  Should the US jump on this ban wagon?   I personally don't see it as unrealistic images to live up to.  I just see it as false advertisement.  Let's face it the products they are advertising are expensive and you knee jerk to think...man this really works but then the airbrushing makes you wonder...does it really?  Should I really spend all this money to find out that it doesn't? My tip ~ if you see a commercial and you wonder...does it really work?  Instead of running out and buying it ~ look it up online.  You can find reviews at Ulta, Sephora and even the product's actual website at times (I know Clinque has reviews) and if LOTS of people say it doesn't work ~ it doesn't work and NO you a...

1) That we (women - okay some men) still read  Cosmo Confessions and think they are real! 2) That we look at mascara ads and think..wow that  really works - when it's actually false eyelashes! 3) That we (women) think of fall as a change in wardrobe and men think it's time for football. But we both say FINALLY!! 4) That you & your work bestie can think something is  hilarious and when you tell someone else...crickets! 5) When anti-aging products or skincare products use 16 year  olds in their ads and commercials...really 16 and no wrinkles,  even skin tone and illuminating skin....REALLY who'da thunk it?!? {more on this sort of subject tomorrow} What do you find funny or amusing?

DOODLE!!  It boosts your memory by 30%.  Basically it is thought to be effective because the act of drawing stops you from daydreaming or zoning out during lectures or meetings.  You are more likely to absorb what you hear.   I think I doodle daisies a lot or the unoriginal 3D cube.  Do you doodle?  What's your favorite doodle? 

So Marissa (my niece) has started kindergarten.  Last weekend I sat down with her to practice writing.  I pulled out this pen for her to use out of my purse and she was memorized by it.  She just thought it was the coolest thing ever! Shia & Rissa love post-its...we are the same!  If you are unaware of my post-it obsession click here .  I just love when I find more and more things that we have in common! Do you have children/or nieces/nephews that have similarities to you?  Don't you just love it? So at work, I am getting a new office.  While packing some stuff up, I found this pen that a co-worker had given me from their vacation because he figured if anyone would appreciate a pen...it would be me.  So I'm going to give it to Marissa...I am sure she will absolutely love it. When you write with it...it lights up! What do you think...do you think a 5 yr old would like this?

So last week I posted a great pic of Madonna - well this week I stumbled upon this ad in Cosmo and thought I would share. Kelly Osbourne for Material Girl @ Macy's I love that Madonna picked Kelly as the model! Doesn't she look great?!?  She's lost some weight and even when I tried to google her name to find this ad google suggested KO weight loss?  There has just been so much negative stuff said about her since she has lost weight.  I say you go girl...you are rocking it and looking great and haters will just be haters! Check out Fashion Police on E.  She's a panelist and she always looks so polished and beautiful.  She seems like such a sweetheart too!  She was recently in Self magazine sharing her tips on her weight loss...believe me google it and you'll find TONS of information. What do you think of her new look?  How do you feel when celebrities are bashed for their weight loss or gain?  Do you secretly want to go out and bu...

I just spent three hours updating my blog.  It looks a lot like my old set up but with a little more jazz.  I put up a list of all the blogs that I am currently following and reading.  If you're on the list and haven't followed me...pretty please with sugar on top....FOLLOW ME!!!  If you're on the list and you don't want to be...hey that's okay...just let me know and down you come.  If you want to make the list...because it's just super cool and fun over here at the world according to Shia...then follow me or comment or BOTH =) and I'll return the favor and post a link.  Sadly, it is 1:30 in the morning and I need to get up at 7 am...so off to bed I go.   My goal at the moment is to reach 50 followers...right now something about that number just makes me feel special and yes I am currently obsessed with checking every couple of mins to see if I have a new follower... my fiance, Paul, would just LOVE to hear the update so won't you help me brigh...

So the other day I checked the mail (this is not a regular occurrence at my house because we only get magazines and junk mail...estatements is where it is at snail mail) and looked in the latest ad from Ulta which contained the following perfume/cologne samples. I thought this one smelled pretty good. A very light musk.  It was $52 for 3.4 oz at Sephora so not too bad on the price.  {It's cheaper at Sephora - Ulta wants $65 for 1.7 oz} It definitely smells like flowers... but that is all...there's no added scent. On the Coach's website they mention "notes of citrus" I went back and smelled the card...I didn't smell any notes of citrus. So I say no on this one.  $65 for 1.7 oz at Ulta. {same price as Coach.com} I hate to say...old lady perfume... but that is what I immediately thought when I  smelt it.  Sorry but it does =( $70 for 2.9 oz at Sephora and Ulta...are you kidding me? It is more expensive than the Este...

So I found an unique way of figuring out if your conditioner really moisturizes as great as it claims to.  So I was in the shower one day and I had ran out of my normal shaving lotion (I normally use Veet Hair Remover and/or a similar product I found at the Dollar Tree with a razor and end up with silky smooth legs) and decided instead of getting out of the shower...dripping everywhere to hunt under the sink I would just use some conditioner.  I grabbed the Bed Head urban anti-dotes shown above and ta-da...my legs were silky smooth and nick free.   So the next time I went to take a shower, I hunted under the sink for more of my shaving lotion and found this White Rain conditioner shown above which I was using when I went to the pool (click here to see the post) for my hair while in the pool.  I thought...why not use this.  It will work just as well and I'll have a nice coconut smell.  THE WORST IDEA EVER!!!!!!!!!!!  I felt like I had tried...

So the Birkin Bag...it is the holy grail of handbags...every woman wants one?...but can you really get one? and why do celebrities have so many? Well we've all heard of the 6 year waiting list and I just saw an article on the Huffington Post stating that there is a 2 year waiting period.  So which one is it?   Well according to Michael Tonello, who wrote a tell all book " Bringing Home the Birkin " says that he found the secret.  Apparently if you walk off the street into Hermes and ask to buy a Birkin, you are going to be told...I'm sorry..there's a waiting list...blah blah blah.  BUT if you walk in wearing a Hermes scarf, Hermes jewelry and carrying a Hermes tote and then you decide to buy more of their smaller items...chances are you are walking out with a Birkin.  Tonello said that he would see salespeople walk up to customers that were purchasing multiple items and tell them that they had an extra on site...someone was on the wait...

This was Instyle's Look of the Day!   Madonna WHAT SHE WORE Madonna  struck a pose at the Venice Film Festival in a silk satin  Vionnet  fishtail gown. WHY WE LOVE IT Butterflies were a fitting choice for the ever-changing star. The  W.E.  director's beaded design also paid homage to her film, which includes costumes based on the Madeleine Vionnet archive. (I know I know...I already did this but I couldn't resist!) She looks absolutely lovely and elegant in this dress! It just proves...she is STILL the Material Girl!! Yes Mom...I still love her =) What do you think?  Were you ever as obsessed as me?

Click here for the article I normally only catch America's Next Top Model on repeats...you know where they run an entire season in one day on Oxygen or similar channels.  I have literally wasted an entire Saturday or Sunday watching ANTM.  But this new season has me intrigued.  They are bringing back former contestants for a second try.  I often wonder what happens to them after the show and get excited when I see them on tv shows like Project Runway or in ads in magazines or even in commercials.  My two faves from the girls brought back are in the middle of the two bottom rows.  I would have to say I want the model with the red paint on her face to win.  I love her unique features.  Her pale skin and soft blonde hair and blue eyes reminds me of my sister Nicole.   But good luck girls and congrats on your second try!  At least this time you know what to expect! Who do you like and/or want to see win?

So I was wondering what have you done with your class ring?  Mine currently lives in my jewelry box.  I have no intentions of ever wearing it again, so what do I do with it now? This ring meant a lot to me back in high school.  I got it for Christmas from my parents and my Mom did a great job picking all the stuff out.  The ring totally represents my high school years - white gold, garnet birthstone and all the markings represent the activities I was involved in back then.  I loved it! Should I just hold onto it forever?  Or should I give it to one of my nieces?  Should I give it to my Mom?  High school was just SO LONG ago now....I just think that this ring only means something to me.