March: Five Things

Lovelies,

March was a pretty good month on the whole. I discovered a few loves and enjoyed a few new purchases. Here's my top five:

1 | Louis Vuitton Neverfull MM (Pre-Loved). I scored this long-desired beauty on EBay last month with the proceeds of a sale I made to a friend. I have used it everyday since. Best. Day bag. Ever.

2 | Bath & Body Works, Slatkin & Co. Candles. I always thought these were overhyped. Then I bought them in a two for $20.00 deal. So freaking worth it. One candle can literally make your whole house smell amazing. My favorite right now is Peach Bellini.

3 | Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti. Amazing texture, buildable color, moisturizing. Enough said.

4 | Young House Love. This blog ate up a lot of time in March. I found myself getting sucked in, and next thing I knew, it was an hour or so later. Love this couple's design ideas and DIYs.

5 | Burt's Bees Ultra Conditioning Lip Balm with Kokum Butter. Smooth, moisturizing, long-lasting, cheap. It was an impulse buy, but I find myself applying most nights before bed. Love.

 

Chevron walls, business cards, and Nashvegas

So I'm not gonna lie... Lately I've been more than a little obsessed with a few things:

1. Pinterest

2. Chevron prints

3. ...pinterest

The combination of these two obsessions led to my decision to convince my very easy going husband into letting me paint a chevron print accent wall in our new living room. (He also capitulated to horizontal stripes in the bathroom, but that's another story.)

I'm in love with it.

I also be-chevroned my business cards. (Want a similar design? Holla!)

 

What else is new in the great states of TN and MS? Well, as I write,I'm on a bus with my leadership class headed to Nashville. Great group of people, and I'm being paid to spend time with them cutting up and learning! Nothing better than that! I hate our classes are coming to an end.

 

 

I just FEEL smarter...

 Remember my discovery of Coastal.com? Free glasses?

They came in early last week, and they are perfect! The prescription is spot on, and I've been very pleased with the quality. 

A little outlandish,yes. But I love them! 

 I also popped back in to the site to check out some of their other prices, and they have another special going on for Valentines. $50 off of your order when you add a lens upgrade. So considering another pair!

 

 

Undergoing Underwriting

 If you've ever bought a house, you probably still get a little shiver down the spine when somebody says, "Closing."

But do you know what's worse than boogie monsters, prepaids, spiders, and having to come up with a year's worth of home insurance premiums?

Waiting for an underwriter to render judgement upon your mortgage application.

You've probably guessed that we're buying a house...Errr. Attempting to anyway.

Here is my advice for anyone going thru this process:

1.) Get Pre-Approved, NOT Pre-Qualified. Pre-Approval involves having your lender run a credit report, checking your bank accounts, and verifying your debt-to-income ratio, which you should have already done prior to setting up your appointment. Don't let it sneak up on you! Google "debt-to-income ratio" to figure out the math. It's easy!

2.) Set your limit and stick to it. You should have a serious conversation with yourself, your spouse, your partner, etc about what you really do and do not want in a house/neighborhood. This is most often a 30 year committment, and frankly, NOBODY looks at houses without getting a little emotionally involved. Better to have the basics sorted before you start looking at that charming little wreck down the road. You'll also be less likely to bump your budget up, say, $80K...

3.) Get Thee to a Buyer's Agent. Do you know what the Seller's Agent's job is? To get you to buy THAT house. A Buyer's Agent, who also wants to get you to buy A house, is more concerned with getting you into a house that fits your criteria. Look for one with extensive knowledge about the area you want to live in and who will champion on your behalf. Our agent has been an invaluable resource for neighborhood knowledge, places to avoid, houses to avoid, and the information about the process.

4.) Even if it looks perfect, have it inspected. Let's be serious, home inspections aren't cheap...You know what else isn't cheap? Digging your charming little wreck out of a pit after the foundation fails on you. Best to just search the web for a CERTIFIED and LICENSED inspector in your area. And no, your Uncle Handy Manny is probably not the best idea either.

Have I followed my own advice, you say? Yep. Now I'm sitting back and cooling my heels while we wait on appraisal and underwriting. 

Wish us luck, and if anyone wants to commiserate, comment below!

 

January Favorites

 Good evening, my lovelies!

 

While the hubs is at work, I thought I would catch up on my blog a bit. Here is what I LOVED in the month of January:

1: Pinterest - Look, if you're not on Pinterest, don't start now! It is the crack of the social networking world. I curse the day I was introduced to it...As we speak, I'm checking my feed. Crack.

2: NPW Vanilla Nail Polish Remover Pads - I found them in the check out line at Ulta for a buck or two, and they are a treat unto this world. Alcohol and acetone free, they have some sort of cuticle oil built in. I adore them. (www.npw-USA.com)

3: The. Colorblock. Tote. - This is not your mother's grocery sack, ladies. This is the epitome of totes. Thick canvas, leather details...I've had a love affair with this bag this month. Mainly because I can shove a LOT of stuff in it. 

 

 4: Sakroots iPad cover - I'm usually that rebel you see toting a nakey iPad. I know, I know. Terrible. Right? But I found this gem in a TJ Maxx for $16. L.o.v.e.

 That's about it. What did you love this month?

 

Colorado, here I come!

Well, I mean...Not this minute. But in a few days, yeah. Totally there!

Anyway, I'm having a few anxieties about the great trip to Colorado. I'm not scared of flying, per se. I love looking out at the scenery. I think I'm more worried about the process of the airport. It has been several years since I last flew, and I've never done it by myself. Any tips for packing for a two night, three day business trip?

I'm debating on sticking with a carry-on or checking a bag. All those regs about what you can and can't take in your carry-on! I totally support the TSA, but I'm nervous as hell that I'll get there and have to dump half my bag.

So, give 'em up, ladies! How would YOU pack?

Okay. So I'm a bad blogger (And a few favorite products!)

I know. I promised some posts, and I went AWOL. I have no excuses....Other than:

1. I'm working on a few big projects at work. I'm in charge of fundraising for Relay for Life for our plant, and I'm also the new publicity chair for the county's Relay for Life.
2. I'm going to Colorado for training in relation to one of my big projects. I'm doing some work for all four plants, and I have to learn a new software, which is based out of Colorado...What a hardship, right?
3. I'm having some medical problems. Nothing to worry about, I hope, but I'm going to a neurologist in April. I'm taking a medicine for nerve pain in my skin, and it makes me really loopy.

But here is some new info about products I'm OBSESSED with right now:

1. Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure (?) in Thinking of Blue. I may have the name wrong, but this shade is the perfect cream navy blue. The formulation is amazing. Go directly to Walmart, do not pass go. Buy this stuff! It is a top, base, and it has a hardener in it as well, I believe. I use two coats, and they last for days!

2. Tresemme Brunette/Red head shampoo (Brown bottle)- I'm not usually one to rave about shampoos, but this product is perfect. It really removes nasty color-changing deposits from my reddish/brown hair, and it leaves it shiny and soft. It also has a very nice scent as well.

3. Bath & Body Works HandiBac Anti-Bacterial Hand Lotion in Fresh Lemon - I hate lotions. No seriously. I only have three types of hand lotion I'll even consider using, and this is now one of my most favorites. It has surpassed Mary Kay Satin Hands for me!

4. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Pink Whisper - This is the prettiest baby pink gloss ever. Yes, it is kind of sticky, but it is well worth it. It is glittery, but it isn't chunky. Just try it out! I fell in love with this shade, and I went back for the peach as well. They are my staples now.

Also, I'm on day 1 of my Revlon Color Stay Foundation, so I'll keep you posted on that. Does anyone have application tips? I don't use liquid foundation much, so I'm a little out of practice.

Again, I'm sorry I've been all MIA. I have missed the blogging community, and I hope to get back in the swing of things soon. Anybody living in Colorado want to come save me from the big bad airport? :-/

A day in my life and upcoming posts

I have been crazy busy lately. It has been a struggle to get things accomplished at home and do my articles and post here. I've slacked big time on all three.  Here is a little day in my life:

6:20 a.m. - Wake up sluggishly after going to bed at 11+ p.m. Stumble blindly into the bathroom clutching the portable heater from our bedroom. It is 30 degrees here, and we haven't turned on our gas heat yet. That stuff isn't cheap!

6:30 a.m. - Took my shower last night, so I break out the flat iron. Attempt to smooth bed head while shivering in my jammies.

6:45 a.m. - Put on the exact same makeup as day before: Clinique dramatically different moisturizing lotion, Clinique concealer, MAC studio fix powder, L.A. Colors duo blush in blushing pink/mauve (It was $1, but it is GORGEOUS!), brown eyeshadow quad plus ice white shimmer for inner corner, Rimmel Volume The Max mascara, and MAC blankety lipstick.

7:00 a.m. - Throw clothes on in mad dash.

7:15 a.m. - Drive 30 to 45 minutes to work.

8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. - Answer the phone, do paperwork, laugh with hilarious coworkers, work on new project for company, etc etc. Almost non-stop action until closing time, when I turn off my lights, lock up my area, shut down my computer, and clock out.

After that, I drive the 30 to 45 minutes home again and stare blankly at the fridge. Thankfully, my considerate hubby, who gets off an hour before me, usually has a plan. Bless him.

Anyway, I basically LOVE my new job. My title is Human Resources Representative/Receptionist, and I'm working on a new project for all four of our plants, which I am super stoked about. Everyone is exceptionally nice, and I can't think of one thing about what I'm doing that I hate.

Here is what is coming up:
1. B-day/V-day/D-day Haul
2. Review of Sally Hansen Salon Manicure in Thinking of Blue
3. Swatches of Clinique creme eyeshadow in Rock Violet and Different Lipstick in A Different Grape.

I LOVE you all! Happy Valentine's Day!

Stolen: One word answers!

Just stole this from Jennifer at Becoming Briggs. It looked like a lot of fun!

One Word Answers

Your Cell Phone? PDA

Your Hair? Red

Your Mother? Missed

Your Father? Hilarious

Your Favorite Food? Pasta

Your Dream Last Night? Strange

Your Favorite Drink? Coke

Your Dream/Goal? Motherhood

What Room Are You In? Den

Your Hobby? Photography

Your Fear? Fire

Where Do You See Yourself In Six Years? Mommy

Where Were You Last Night? Jackson

Something That You Aren't? Shy

Muffins? Cinnamon

Wish List Item? iPad

Where Did You Grow Up? Noxubee

Last Thing You Did? Makeup

What Are You Wearing? Jammies

Your TV? Hairspray

Your Pets? Many

Friends? Awesome

Your Life? Fun

Your Mood? Bummed

Missing Someone? Davy

Vehicle? Car-olla!

Something You Aren't Wearing? Socks

Your Favorite Store? Marshall's

Your Favorite Color? Pink

When Was The Last Time You Laughed? 5:00

Last Time You Cried? Iono?

Your Best Friend? Rachel

One Place You Go To Over And Over Again? Walmart

Facebook? Addicted

Favorite Place To Eat? Robins!

Dum da da dum....Employed Girl girl girl!

Yes, you heard me right! I got the receptionist / human resources rep. job at the big factory! :) I'm super excited, and I start on Monday! Thanks for all of your support and well wishes. I'm a bit scattered at the moment, so I'll be back to posting regularly soon. Promise!

<3!!

Quick! Think happy thoughts!!

I got called in for a third interview today at the big company for the HR/receptionist position. They read the job description off to me, and it is a lot closer to HR than it is to reception. I would do payroll, events planning, benefits stuff, etc. This could be huge for me! I should hear tomorrow morning!

THINK HAPPY THOUGHTS! I'll keep you posted! :)

Coolest thing ever!

Some of you have been sent products to try or have been in contact with the makers of special products before, but since I am relatively new to "beauty blogging," I haven't ever been approached by a company.

Well, today I got an email from the creator of Curlformers thanking me for my post about them on the 15th. He was very nice, and he even told me that the picture on my post of a girl in Curlformers is his daughter! :) It is a family business based in the UK (I believe), and I was so gratified to receive a thanks on my review. It made my day!

Read my Curlformers review!

Now I am off to do my second interview at the big company! Yes, that is right. I got the second interview! :)

In my opinion...

Customer service is key. Having worked with the public for awhile, I recognize that it is often not your store but YOU that sells the product. If you give great customer service, customers will come back.

That said...I went into a Sally Beauty Supply tonight to try and get a few quotes for a story I'm working on. I know that most retail stores have regulations about giving quotes, but you can usually get approval from an upper manager for generic quotes about products, etc. Not only did I get "shut down," they mistakenly talked about "shutting me down" while I was still in the store...SHOPPING! No joke here. I was courteous in asking my initial questions and introducing myself, and three associates (including the manager) proceeded to talk about "We don't let no news people in here. I shut her down!" They didn't realize I was still there until I turned to tell them, "Thank you for your assistance" before leaving. 

You what you also shut down? Any chance of me returning with my wallet in hand!

I will be finding a Sally's farther from my home but with MUCH better service.

Sorry for that rant! lol

So...You want to see my baby?

Yeah. That's Big Mack. He's grown quite a bit since we got him, hasn't he? *Sigh*

He's just so cute that we have to forgive him for :

1. Peeing on everything.

2. Attempting to pee on everything.

3. Eating the Christmas tree (It's still up. It's a holiday tree. I'm putting hearts on it for V-day. Yeah.)

4. Crying like a baby when he doesn't get his way.

He is pretty sweet though. :)

My favorites courtesy of Ashwini @ Clearly Beautiful

Since I am already working on another story for the Examiner, I'm going to do this fun post. I love these kinds of things. :) Thanks, Ashwini, for suggesting it!

Colour - Hrmmm. Grey and pink. And green...And teal...Lord, help me. 

Animal - Pen'guinz...Yep.

Band - The Beatles. I'm old skool.

Singer - Michael Buble. *drool*
Song - "All You Need Is Love" (my processional AND recessional at the wedding. One instrumental, one original)

Film- That's hard. Uh..."The Care Bears Movie" Care bears...Stare!!!!
Food - Pasta salad.
Drink - Sweet tea.
Restaurant - Reddddd Robin. Mmmmmmmmmmm!
Shop - Marshall's, TJ Maxx, and Ross. I cheat.
Website - YouTube.
Magazine - People Style Watch
Sport - College football.
Team - Hotty Toddy! Ole Miss. Yeah. I'm cliche.
TV Program - Ghost Whisperer
Place - Mississippi University for Women! 'Dubya girls: best in the world!'
Season - Fall
Beauty Product - MAC studio fix powder foundation. Oh, how I love thee. Let me count the ways.
Hair Product - Aussie leave in conditioner
Make Up brand - MAC. Though I, sadly, can't afford it much!

Perfume - Juicy Couture (the original perfume)

Tag: Tattoos

Deanna and I are all about getting people to own up to their ink lately! I was super excited to see her beautiful tattoos, and I'm ready to show you mine too!

Though some people do think tattoos are trashy, to me, they are a way to express myself on my skin. I can keep all of them covered or show a few at a time. I also tend to pick designs that are at least feminine or 'pretty.' And my favorite artist (Cory Hand) usually chooses colors to that "go with" all of my other tattoos.

Here we go:

Triquetra: My 1st tattoo. It is a Celtic knot representing the Holy Trinity. I'm Irish Catholic, so I went for traditional. :)

This tattoo is in memoriam for my mother, who passed away from lung cancer. It is a reminder that when life is hard sometimes all you can do is breathe, and also that my body is a temple. Lungs aren't that easy to replace!

This heart infinity symbol is for my husband. He has an infinity symbol on his arm for me. We got these on our anniversary last year.

I have a skeleton key on my collar bone, to remind me of my childhood. Our house only had skeleton keys, and when I was little I took all of them out of the doors and played with them...We never got them matched back up to their respective locks. All my parents could do was laugh! I loved shiny things. :)

This was my funny tattoo (Several celebrities have it!), but it also has meaning to me. Sometimes I let people walk and talk right over me. Especially in professional settings. I got this at a time when I was feeling disrespected at work by some of the employees, and it helped me to remember that I don't have to sit back and take it! Lindsey Lohan attributed a similar meaning to her's as well.

Okay, that is very hard to see...But it is a star in my ear. My tattoo artist calls it the "baby star tat." I got this on my birthday last year. I just really wanted a little secret tattoo in my ear, lol.

This is a cover up tattoo designed by Cory Hand of By The Book Tattoos in Columbus, MS. He is, without fail, my favorite and most used artist. He designed this for me to cover a bad magnolia tattoo. The meaning of this is "giving love to the world." He "cut a heart-shaped hole" in my back through which my heart bubbles out to everyone. We added "All you need is love" at the bottom, because it is my favorite Beatles song, and it expresses the idea of the tattoo perfectly (to me). This tattoo was featured online by BME News, a body modification website.

I have one more tattoo on the inside of my left pointer finger of a teardrop (Don't have a hand picture). Cory convinced me to do that one, and I must say that when people start whining or when I want to pout, it is VERY useful. It never fails to give people a laugh. I just hold it up under my eye, and they crack up, which is what I'm all about. I love to make people laugh!

Sorry this was so long, but I have a ton of tattoos! lol Hope you enjoyed learning a bit more about me, and I hope you'll fess up too! :) I tag EVERYONE!

A tragic loss

A weird thing happened Saturday night as we pulled out of Birmingham, Alabama after a day of shopping. The traffic was terrible and we were crawling at a snail's pace on the fringes of the city. We began to see blue lights and fire trucks and ambulances, and we assumed there was a wreck up ahead of us. It was a fire. The Days Inn in Hoover had caught fire, and the flames were shooting out of the roof. It was horrible. I think we were all saying a little prayer in case anyone was trapped inside. Me especially, because I'm terrified of fire myself.
Little did we know that, in a roundabout way, my husband and I knew the four students who died in the blaze. We found out today that they were students at our beloved university. We didn't know them personally, but when you go to a campus as small as ours is, it just doesn't matter. The four girls lived in my old dorm. Three of them were pledges in social clubs that I had friends in.
On facebook, I see the statuses popping up amongst all of us alums and our current students affirming that a storm of prayers is going on today. But my heart still hurts for them, and I don't even know what they looked like.

Hold the horses...Reporter? Grant Writer?

So we all know that sometimes good news just snowballs. What I didn't realize was that after months of disappointment on the hospice job front, I would be getting opportunities left and right.

Two days ago, I was offered the position of the Jackson Beauty & Style Examiner on Examiner.com, which is a very reputable online news source. It is a contractor position, and I get paid by page views (or something like that). I'm still in the "background check, W-9 filling out, first story review" process, but all is looking well. (For those of you who don't know, I graduated with a degree in Communication, and I worked in newspapers for awhile.)

Then today, I got a message from my MIL (Who has her doctorate and works for a rather large school district) about another Dr. who is looking for grant writers to work for her. I gave the woman a call, and it looks like I might have another job as a grant writer for literacy. She's reviewing my samples, but she is already talking about my first grant writing project.

Um...I still haven't heard back from my other full time job (receptionist), but I'm starting to wonder how I'm going to manage all of these things...

Any ideas, people?

Help.

One down. One more to go.

Just got home after my first interview of the week. I felt as if everything went well, and the person from Human Resources that came to talk to me after I was done with the panel interview said that I did very well. The job is much more than I realized. The receptionist at this company really gets to do quite a lot in HR, etc.
The panel told me that they are doing several interviews this week for that position, and they would be calling me back if they require a second interview.

Hopefully, I got it! That would be great news!

Job Hunt + Blush

So, I really cranked it into gear this week with my job hunting. I applied at various places including a clothing store, the hospital, and a large company looking for a receptionist. Fortunately, I got two phone calls today (two days after applying and sending my resume), and I have two interviews set up with the clothing store and the large company. I'm pretty stoked, and I'm equally nervous. My resume is good, and I have marketable skills...But I'm always nervous that I won't get back into the workforce. Wish me luck!

In other news,

I recently tried Maybelline's Dream Mousse Blush in Soft Plum...And I'm in love. A lot of Makeup Alley reviews said there was too much glitter, but I didn't find that to be the case. I guess I'm just not noticing it. I really love the texture and the way it goes on my skin, and I adore the color. In fact, I picked up their Dream Mousse Concealer tonight to try as well, since my Clinique is almost out. Have any of you tried these products?

Photos courtesy of Maybelline.com