Fashion Friday: Mix it up

Finally, no fashion haul this week.  I know, shocker, right?!  But I decided to share a photo of an outfit I wore to work this past week.  I got lots of compliments on the day I wore it.   I'm sure it had more to do with my hair than anything.  I actually curled my hair - that rarely happens, so it was a BIG deal (because, lets be honest, my hair was kinda big)

But when I take an unexpected fashion "risk", I usually get a few people that will either comment on it, or give me a compliment.  So I'll take the feedback no matter if it's good or bad.  I love to hear opinions :)

As you can see I love paring unlikely items together...  But it works, right??  Mixing it up is always fun and challenging all at the same time.

I got the fun Fox Sweater from Old Navy in the fall of 2012.  Obviously it's no longer available, but there are lots of fun "critter" style sweaters out there.  It's awesome how popular "Fox" things are becoming.  I think everyone is still curious about what the say ^..^ 

Also I added this playful black and white check gingham button-down shirt for a bit of contrast.  I purchased this from Old Navy in the spring of 2013.  I'm sure you can find lots of different versions of this shirt.  I mainly wear this shirt under sweaters and jackets, so I didn't want to spend a lot of money on it. 

The necklace was a J. Crew find on eBay.  I got it for super cheap on auction in 2011.  It's been my go-to statement necklace.  It always seems to go with everything.  I originally wasn't going to wear the necklace, but the overall look needed a little sparkle!

 

And I almost forgot to mention my new ring!  (okay, I guess one "haul" thing snuck in)  I got this at Forever 21 a few days ago.  I found it in store, and sadly they no longer carry them online - bummer.  But this little guy was way too cute to pass up. 

 



Obviously unlikely parings are the way to go in my book.  As long as the tones of the colors coordinate, it's all fair game.  Fashion is fun, there's no need to take it so seriously.

Do any of you have "Fashion Rules" you like to break?  Leave a comment if you care to share.

Thanks for reading!

New Year's Resolutions: 2014 Edition

So I know it's a little late for New Year's Resolutions, but I figured it was still January so I though I'd give it a go.  I've been thinking over the past month about the change I'd like to see in myself this next year...  I thought writing it down and sharing with you all would make me more accountable for some of these.  Some of these resolutions are pretty personal and some are just fun.  Just a warning, here comes the "over-share", because there's not nearly enough personal information on the internet.  Am I right?!?!  <- insert sarcasm here

Okay, on to the resolutions...

Start a BLOG
Well, if you reading this you know I've done that.  I want to try and post something each day.  For more on me and why I'm doing a blog click here to see my first blog entry.  Also feel free to follow me on Facebook - I host fun giveaways once and a while.

Work out 2-3 times per week
This one's been going pretty well so far.  I've been sticking to my routine and hitting the gym.  I like doing classes because I know when to show up and when to stop.  If I am standing around gym equipment for too long I just get frustrated and leave because I don't know how to properly use any of the machines.  So classes are my thang!

Be more aware of finances
This resolution is just more about keeping myself in check.  I noticed in the fall of last year that I was purchasing things unnecessarily.  I am always attracted to the same types of items, so when I come home from a shopping trip I usually end up regretting the purchase because I already own a similar item.  It's always good to ask yourself if you NEED it or WANT it..

Spend more time with Doyle
Doyle is my funny little dog.  He likes to be super lazy, so I pester him a lot.  I just need to make sure that we are getting in some play time at least once a day.  If you'd like to read more on him, you can read his blog here or follow him on Facebook here.  There are always cute photos of him popping up!

Go to bed on time
I stay up late....  like, really late.  I work a normal 9-5 job and still manage to stay up way past 1am some nights.  Lately I've been having to give myself a bedtime.  I know it's a bit juvenile, but I feel so much better the next day when I'm well rested.  So I've decided that my new bed time is 11pm.  11pm means that I have to start getting ready for bed by that time, no exceptions!  I haven't been following that rule each night, but I'm getting better.  Side note:  Also sleeping the middle of the bed helps me not toss and turn as much...  I have no idea why, but I've always slept on one side of the bed even though I'm single.  I guess I'm just more content in the middle.

Work on my Communication
Let's face it, we can ALL work on our communication skills.  I get extremely frustrated very easily about miscommunication.  It's baffling to me that the first thing we learn to do as humans is COMMUNICATE, but the one thing that each of us struggles with, is the thing we've been doing the longest.  Just mind blowing to me.  Ugh!  I could rant on this subject for days.  But that would be poor communication, so I'm going to stop now.

So I think that my "over share" is done for the day.  I hope you enjoyed reading some of my New Year's Resolutions.  Please post a resolution of your own in the comments, if you care to share.

Thanks for reading!

Bathroom Organization: Wall Storage

I have a passion for organization, among many other things in my life.  I thought I'd kick off this blog style organization with the a little "quick pick-up".  I noticed after my recent Ulta haul (you can read about it here) my bathroom wall storage was looking like a bit of a hot mess.  As I started to put my new products away, but couldn't stand the unorganized mess that was staring me back in the face.  It was go time! 

I decided to dedicate 20 minutes, and clear out the whole thing and put only the things that needed to be in there back in order.  Just for reference I have the Louvre Bath Space Saver, I got it at Bed Bath and Beyond many years ago, and they still have the same style on their website.  I love using these types of furniture pieces, especially in apartments, so you don't have to drill into walls to gain additional storage space.

So during the 20 minutes I cleaned out the entire cabinet and found "homes" for a few items that shouldn't have been living in there in the first place.  So now everything is neat, clean and organized.  I didn't use any special organizers for this project.  Just reused that old container that you see in the "before" photos. I like to group like items with each other so I can find everything easily.  So most of my extra skin care is on the top and then I have some hair care and feminine products on the bottom. 

Do you have any good tips for organizing in the bathroom?  I will be sharing more of my organizing fun soon, so stay tuned.  Leave a comment if you care to share.

Thanks for reading!

Best Hair Ties EVER!

About three years ago I went to a professional hair salon to get my hair cut and colored.  While I was having my consultation my stylist was asking about all the massive breakage that she was seeing.  I had a broken strand "halo" around my entire head.  Imagine the KINK you get when you take your ponytail down...  Yep, it looked just like that.  But only full of broken hair stands.  My hair was a hot mess!

The reason I had so many broken strands was that I was putting my hair up in a bun almost everyday and the hair was breaking off little by little from the hair bands I was using.  At the consultation my stylist suggested fabric hair bands.  I had never seen such a thing...  She didn't have any at her salon, but gave me the Emi Jay name to look up online. 
 

Photo credit: Emi Jay

 
 
So I ordered one package to see how I'd like them, and my love just blossomed from there.  After the first month I noticed a HUGE difference in my hair.  Don't get me wrong, all those broken strands had to grow out, but it looked so much better.  Ever since that day in the salon I have never worn a standard hair band.  I will ALWAYS wear one of these fabric bands.  They are so much better for your hair and they have so many varities or colors and prints.  I sometimes coordinate my hair band with my outfit...  I know, I'm one of those people.  And it secretly makes me feel like I'm in high school again.  Gettin' all matchy-matchy!

Do any of you have great tips or tricks for wearing your hair up?  Let me know in the comments if you care to share.

Thanks for reading!

Makeup Monday: Marc Jacobs Genius Gel Foundation

Hello fellow makeup enthusiasts, and welcome to another installment of Makeup Monday.  I was recently asked by a female client at my office what foundation I was wearing...  I thought it was an odd question coming from someone I had just met.  But then we started talking about our skin types and what works for me, and what may work for her.  She actually wrote down most of the products I was telling her about.  Dang, Sephora should pay me a commission on that sale!  haha 

A little skin history on me.  I have SUPER oily skin, seriously, it looks like I have a "wet face" in the summer if I don't reapply powder during the day.  It's just nasty!  But in the winter I get small dry patches around my nose.  The dry patches probably have something to do with walking the dog for extended periods of time in -40 wind chill conditions.  Any who...  So that's basically what my skin is like.  So powder is my best friend to set all my makeup after I apply my liquid foundation.

So, this client and I got to talking about the new-er foundation brand I was wearing  - she didn't know that Marc Jacobs had released a line of makeup in Sephora.  I had recently picked up the new Marc Jacobs Genius Gel Foundation (I use #14 Ivory Medium).  I had seen a few YouTube beauty gurus talk about how light weight the formula of the foundation was, and it left your skin slightly glowing.  I thought for sure with my oily skin that there was no way I could pull this off...  But one of the female bloggers I follow said that it worked for her very oily skin, so I decided to test it out for myself. 



Photo Credit: Sephora

The bottle retails for $48.00 and I just finished my 1st bottle.  Mind you, I made my purchase in July and I wear makeup everyday.  So this has lasted me a LONG time.  It blends beautifully with my skin tone, no matter if I've gotten a little color from the sun, or now when I'm a little paler.  It just makes my skin look even and flawless with very minimal product.  I always buff this product in with an angled tapered kabuki brush to make sure there are no harsh lines on my face. 

This is now my GO-TO foundation.  If I want more coverage I mix this foundation with a "matte" foundation that I typically wear for special occasions or a night out on the town.  I highly recommend this type of foundation to people of all skin types.  It feels like you're not even wearing a foundation and makes your skin look radiant. 

What are your favorite foundations?  Please leave a comment if you care to share. 

Thanks for reading!

Cleaning out your Closet: Clothes Mentor

Let's talk about cleaning out your closet...  And not in a bad "skeleton" kind of way.  Just a little background on my clothing habits - I tend to clean out my closet about once a quarter.  I make sure to look at each item and make sure I still like & wear it in my current rotation.  I do this for ALL things, including shoes, handbags, accessories, and of course clothing.  I know it sounds kind of tedious, but it works for me. 

I used to take everything to Goodwill until I found my local Clothes Mentor.  They give you cash for all your gently used name brand clothing (they even accept Target brand items).  My local shop in Fargo, ND takes most clothing items as well as jewelry, shoes and handbags.  You can score some awesome deals at places like this in your area, especially high end designer labels.  I've actually found a beautiful blazer and a sequined top on one of my previous selling trips.  I have to browse the racks to see if I NEED anything... 

So my general rule is; take all items to Clothes Mentor first and get some cash for my unloved items.  Then if there is anything they didn't take, I will drive over to Goodwill and donate them.  I don't like lots of "Clothes Clutter" and it drives me nuts to hang on to things I no longer have a purpose for. 

I am planning on doing a closet tour and overhaul soon.  I just got some new and improved hangers...  (squeal with excitement!)  I'm pretty pumped to start this project!  So I will take some photos and post a separate blog on that.  Make sure to stay tuned for that series.  I'm pretty sure I'll have to break it up into sections.  I have lots to say about closet organization.

So do any of you have a great local place to sell your gently used clothing?  Please post a comment if you care to share.

Thanks for reading!

A Blerg Blog... Plus a GIVEAWAY!!!!!

Do you ever have one of those days where you just feel a little off?!  Well that's been the story of my week.  I'm not sick or anything.  I just feel....  blerg - and yes "blerg" is a word.  Well, not really but let's make it happen people!  haha

Okay, so let me paint this picture for you...  It's late on Friday night/Saturday morning (12:47am to be exact) and I still cant get motivated to write a blog post.  Only 25 days into this blog and I'm hitting a wall!  Don't get me wrong, I have TONS to write about.  I'm just not feeling inspired by anything at the moment.  Hopefully this is a temporary thang :/

So, I thought it would be fun to host a fun little giveaway on my Facebook page.  Click the link and it will take you there.  All the rules are posted here so here we go...


-You must "Like" my fan page on Facebook

-You must "Share" my original GIVEAWAY post on your page
-You must "Like" & "Comment" on my original status that says GIVEAWAY - with the coordinating photo below

-In the comment I'd like to know the title of your favorite blog I've written so far  - HINT:  If you like more than one blog entry, make sure to write out a separate comment for an additional blog post.  You will gain more entries if you comment more than once with the specified information - but no duplicate titles for the same user, please

That's it.  Pretty simple, eh?!  Now here are all the goodies that you can win

I have already written in depth about all these items.  Make sure to check out the coordinating blog posts.  Links below...
Makeup Case - Face Powder - Socks

The GIVEAWAY will run until Monday, January 27th at 5pm central standard time.  Once I process all the comments on my Facebook status I will use random.org to generate my winner.  I will email the lucky person with the good news and ship out their prize after that.  If you do not do comply with all the rules and your name is chosen I will have to put all the info into random.org to generate again - trust me I'll check ,because I'm good like that.  So make sure you like the page, like the status, comment on the status, and share the status with all your friends, I don't want you to miss out!

Okay, that is it for now.  Good luck to everyone!

Thanks for reading!

Fashion Friday: Awesome Clearance Haul

I'm back with another installment of Fashion Friday!  I'm hoping that next week I will have some other "fashion-y" things to share besides a haul.  But here we go.... again!  LOL
 
First off, I rarely find great things at Forever 21, but for the past few weeks they've been getting in a ton of "basic" items on their website.  So of course, like any good addict,  I jumped at the chance to purchase them (don't judge).  I usualy tend to go for less color and more function in anything that I wear.  Forever 21 is a place that I can find some more trendy pieces that I wouldn't normally spend a ton of money on. 
 
Also, J Crew Factory was having a "Clear the Clearance" sale...  It sucked me in!  I have been eyeing these wedges for months now, and they finally hit the clearance section a few weeks back.  But I decided to wait for a additional sale, and boy was I glad I waited.  I got free shipping and an additional 40% off the clearance price.  SCORE!  If you remember my 1st Fashion Friday I featured some great shoes from J Crew Factory, and I had already worn and loved the nude pair.  So I had to splurge on the cabernet pair - they are a beautiful brown, cranberry, plum color.  I can't wait to wear them after the ice melts in the frozen tundra I call my life - I don't need to hurt myself!
 
Then I went to Target to purchase a few things for an upcoming GIVEAWAY....  Make sure to like my Facebook Page.  I will be hosting all my giveaways there :)  Anyway, I found myself looking at all the majorly discounted racks of clothes - and boy do they have some great stuff right now.  I found 3 great clearance work tops by Merona, and I had a $5.00 off coupon - even better!
 

 
Here are the coordinating links to all the fun stuff I got.  FYI: Prices can vary from my store to the web link.  

Forever 21 - Cozy Mixed Knit Sweater - Grey
Forever 21 - Night Moves Stiletto Sandals - Grey
Target - Women's Scoop Neck Chiffon Blouse - Navy
Target - Women's Long Sleeve Crepe Blouse - Black Print (I'm wearing this top today)
Target - Women's Long Sleeve Crepe Blouse - Black
J Crew Factory - Sylvia Wedges - Cabernet
Forever 21 - Everyday Baseball Tee - Grey & White
 
So that wraps up another installment of Fashion Friday.  I hope you all enjoyed another peek into my ever expanding closet.  It's so fun sharing with you all.  As you can tell, I love shopping - especially for great deals!
 
Have any of you found any great fashion deals lately?  Leave a comment below if you care to share.

Thanks for reading!

Ipsy Bag: January 2014

Hello internet friends.  I wanted to share a fun subscription bag I get in the mail each month.  It's call the Ipsy Bag.  I've been a member of the Ipsy subscription for about a year now, and I love the concept.  They send five deluxe size samples of makeup or skincare related items.  It's a great way to try new products and experiment all at the same time.  Here is a look inside me January bag - Enjoy

The subscription fee is $10.00 per month (includes shipping).  You always get a cute custom cosmetic pouch and a card from Ipsy with all the brand logos.  Here is what I got this month...

Foundation Sample from Yaby
Makeup Cleansing Tissues from Absolute!
Body Balm from Balanced Guru
The Pore-Fessional Primer from Benefit
Mojito Lip Balm from Malin+Goetz

I am super excited to try out the primer and body balm.  And those makeup wipes are going to be stashed away in my travel kit.  I love small travel sizes for overnight trips. 

So, do you have any great subscription bags or boxes you enjoy?  Please leave a comment if you care to share. 

Thanks for reading!

My First Puppy - Tippie ^..^

After writing about Doyle earlier (post here) I thought I'd tell you all about my very first doggy friend.  Well he wasn't really mine, per say...  This was my grandparents dog, but he was so tiny I thought he was a "my size" dog. 

 

 

As you can see, I would love to sit in his bed.  He probably hated when I came over and took over all his space.  But this is where my love for dogs started.  I blame grandma & grandpa for this...  haha  I've never been a huge cat person, but I like them just fine.  But, I didn't get my first official dog until 2007, I always knew I was a "dog person".

 

 

So do any of you have a cute story about your first animal?  Leave a message in the comments if you care to share.

 

Thank you for reading! 

Pottery Barn Towels

I have a major obsession about Pottery Barn towels...  These PB Classic 820-Gram Towels are legit!  They wick away all the moisture from the bath or shower and the band on the towel never shrinks no matter how much you dry them. 

I will never purchase another brand of towel ever again.  I understand these are kinda spendy ($28 for a bath towel), but when you put in into perspective it's worth the investment.  I have some of these towels from 2007 and they are still holding up after weekly washes - pretty amazing, huh?!

Also Pottery Barn is running a towel special right now.  They range in price from $7 - $22.  Pretty good time to stock up on your favorite color.  I know I'll be ordering a few more hand towels.



Photo source: Pottery Barn

 



White towels are my preferred color choice.  I like to be able to bleach the towels if they need it.  I'm also the same way with my bed sheets.  Sometimes my washcloths need a good cleaning because of all the makeup I take off at night.

I've convinced a few people to purchase these towels in the past, and they've never regretted it.  My mom is now convinced that this is the best bath towel ever.  I don't think she will go back to other towels now that she's experienced these bad boys. 

So do any of you have a HOLD GRAIL brand of towels?   Please leave a comment if you care to share.

Thanks for reading!

Makeup Monday: Ulta Haul 20% off

Welcome to Makeup Monday!  This past Friday I posted on my Facebook page about the Ulta 20% off coupon.  Sadly the promotion is over now, but I thought I'd share with you all what I got.  So, lets get down to business...

O.P.I - Push and Shove polish duet - Ulta - recommendation from Jen

Cover Girl - TruMagic Skin Perfector Mattifier - Ulta - recommendation from Tati

Cover Girl - Outlast Nail Polish #610  Rouge Red (Hunger Games Display) - Ulta

The Body Shop - Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion - Ulta
The Body Shop - Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner - Ulta
(all The Body Shop items were BUY 2 GET 1 FREE)

It Cosmetics - Your Skin but Better CC cream (light) - Ulta - recommendation from Tiffany

All in all, ,I got some great new things to try.  And I stocked up on some of staple skin care.  Did any of you go the 20% off sale this weekend?  If so, let me know what you bought if you care to share.

Thanks for reading!

Doyle the Shiba - Blog

Well hello.  I haven't mentioned my little fur ball yet in this blog, and he's kind of upset about it.  So much so, that he made his own blog out of spite...  Doyle the Shiba 

This is my favorite doggy, Mr Doyle.  Today is his birthday, he is now 7 years old, but he doesn't look a day over 6 if you ask me.  He is a Shiba Inu (related to the Akita), and he's about 20lbs of pure fluffy goodness.  He likes to eat, lay around and go on walks (as long as they topped off with a treat when we get home).  He loves his food incentives!
 
Make sure to check out his new blog for lots of fun Shiba Inu related updates, as well as his Facebook page for daily musings of hilarity.  This dog is cute and funny - who could ask for anything more?!

I will feature Doyle in more posts in the future on this blog.  But if you want to see more of him on a weekly basis.  Check out the links above. 

Do you have a furry friend?  If so, you should post a pic on Doyle's Facebook page ^..^

Thanks for reading!

Birthday Coupon Haul - January 2014

So if you have been reading since I started this blog, you will know two things... 

1.  I love a good deal
2. Shopping is my favorite!

Okay so in my birthday month (January) I typically get a few coupons from places I frequently shop during the year.  A few of these places sent me emails and others sent me a post card in the mail. Either way, I'm happy to go use them.  It's free money, honey!

Here is a breakdown of what I got this year...

DSW - New Balance Socks $5.97 - $5 coupon = $0.97
CVS - Coty Airspun Loose Powder $1.95 each - $3.00 coupon = $0.90
Container Store - Paper pad - FREE! (no purchase necessary)
Henri Bendel - Stiletto Key Fob $38.00 - 20% coupon = $30.40
Express - Earrings $14.90 - $10 coupon = $4.90
Ulta - CK One Mascara - $18.00 - FREE! (with purchase)
Ulta - Rimmel Scandal Eyes Shadow Paint - $4.99 each - $10 coupon =$4.97

So I only paid $42.14 for all this great useful stuff!  If I wouldn't have had any coupons it would have been over $95.00 for everything you see here.  I told you I love a bargain!

Do any of you subscribe to any mailing lists that give out great Birthday coupons?  I'd love to know.  Leave a comment if you care to share.

Thanks for reading!

Fashion Friday: Minneapolis Haul

Hello, my name is Emily and I'm addicted to shopping...  Okay, now that's out of the way I can get to the fun stuff.  A little Fashion Friday haul for y'all! 
 
Last weekend I went back to Minneapolis to visit with friends and hang out with my family.  My mom and I decided to go to Mall of America on Saturday morning for a little shopping, and I had to stop at H&M and Forever 21 - two of my favs.  I found some great things - plus there is NO SALES TAX on clothing in Minnesota, so when in Rome... 

Also on my way back to North Dakota I stopped at Target and found a sweater I have been eying since the fall - it was 50% off clearance!  Score
 

 

The first two tops are from H & M

Black Printed Top - Chiffon Blouse $17.95
White Top - Chiffon Blouse $29.95
 
The bottom two sweaters are from Forever 21 and Target - There is also a small necklace from Forever 21

Oatmeal Sweater - No Fuss Hooded Sweater $22.80
Gold Necklace - Round Pendant Necklace $2.80
Tan Sweater - Merona Women's Crewneck Pullover Sweater - Bird Print $9.98 (in store clearance)

Hope you all enjoyed a look into my closet.  I definitely went for neutrals with this shopping trip.  But I love the texture of the Forever 21 sweater and the two tops from H&M would be great paired with some of my bright blazers for work.  I'm not sure where I'll wear my fun Bird sweater, but I'm sure I'll find a purpose for it.  I can't wait to wear all of my new items soon.

Quick question...  Would you be interested in seeing outfits of the day?  Or how I style my new fashions?  Let me know on my Facebook page or in the comments below.  I appreciate the feedback. 

Thanks for reading!

Gift Wrapping 101 - No Seams

Yesterday was my brothers birthday, so I decided to share with you all how a wrap a seamless gift.  This recycled box had his gift inside and I took a few photos of my process.  If any of you out there have  ever received a gift from me in the past, you know that I am crazy about gift wrapping.  Everything needs to be perfect and matching - that's the OCD in me... 

Here are all the supplies I used...

Gift Wrap - Money Business Wrap from The Container Store
Red Grosgrain Ribbon - Michael's Arts & Crafts
Scotch Tape
Kitchen Scissors
Gift Box - I recycled an old shoe box

 

So now we are on to the fun part, making the box look seamless.  I like to take my wrapping paper and fold it under the last corner.  So it essentially looks seamless.  I also attach a piece of tape to the center (my ribbon with conceal that eye-sore later).  If you wanted to be a super-pro gift wrapper you could always use double stick tape and have NO tape showing.  Unfortunately I was out of that tape when I wrapped up this bad boy.  Oh well...

 

Here's a closer look at what the hidden seam looks like.

 

 

And here's the finished product!  As you can see my ribbon covers where I put my exterior tape so it looks uber fancy.

 

 

Hope you all enjoyed my little gift wrapping post.  Do you have any special tips or tricks for the perfect wrapped gift?  If so, leave a comment if you care to share. 

 

Thanks for reading!





Happy Birthday Baby Bro

So today is my baby brothers birthday.  He turns the big 3-0!  I can't believe that he's turning 30, it seems like yesterday that he was born (yes, I remember that day - I was 3).  So after having a massive scanning session of old photos I had to share a classic photo of the two of us.

I hope you have a great Birthday bro!  Have a great year being 30 - It was fun celebrating with you last weekend :)

You Tube Watch List

Since I mentioned a You Tuber in my post yesterday, I had a question from a friend about what channels I like to watch.  So I thought I'd do a blog post about it.  YouTube has become my reference for most product reviews & seeing new things available in the beauty world.  I watch mostly Beauty & Nail channels with a few other random ones sprinkled in. 

photo credit:  YouTube

Here is a list and links to the people I love to watch...

Tiffany at Makeup By Tiffany D - makeup, fashion, home décor
Tati at Glam Life Guru - makeup, fashion
Ingrid at Miss Glamotazzi - makeup
Jen at Miss Jen Fabulous - nails

I also love to watch Jen at Organized Like Jen - she has great tips and tricks for organizing in and around the home.  She also shares my obsession with the Container Store, so we must be kindred spirits.  She gives me inspiration to make my home neat & organized.

The other random channel I love is Jenna at Jenna Marbles - this is comedy channel and she posts once a week.  She is super inappropriate, and I love it!  This is one of the most watched people on YouTube, and she is hilarious. 

Hope you check out a few of the channels.  So do you have a favorite YouTube channel?  If so , leave a comment if you care to share.

Thanks for reading!

Makeup Monday: Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder

Let's talk about a magical little face powder, shall we?  About six months ago I started watching Tati from Glam Life Guru, she's a beauty guru, on YouTube.  First of all Tati is so beautiful, she seriously looks airbrushed!  She has such an effortless style to all her makeup looks - so of course I wanted to know exactly what she was using.

Photo Credit: CVS

One day I watched a tutorial and she used a loose face power from CVS.  She said it was the best powder she ever tried.  So, like any loyal subscriber I went to CVS immediately to find it.  Amazingly enough, they were on clearance at my local store - a whole $1.99!  Score.

So after I got my power home it was time to play.  I put it on over my makeup I had on all day and noticed a bit of positive difference.  It was almost making my skin "glow" from within.  Don't get me wrong, the product is NOT shiny at all.  I have super oily skin, so powder is my friend.  After I applied fresh makeup with this as my setting powder, it made a huge difference - my fine lines looked airbrushed - it was amazing!

This is definitely a HOLY GRAIL product for me!  I can't live without it.  It makes me look younger and more radiant without making me look shiny.  I can't say enough good things about this product.

Do any of you have a "holy grail" loose face powder?  I would love to know.  Leave a comment if you care to share.

Thanks for reading!

Product Review: Orla Kiely for Target Sweet Pea Organizers

I was traveling this past weekend back to Minneapolis, Minnesota for some Birthday festivities, so I thought I'd do a little review on the newest collection from Orla Kiely for Target - I've been meaning to try these out. 

I am normally not into to "prints" on cases, or anything for that matter - I'm a plain old basic black kinda gal.  But I have to say that these prints are very appealing to me, and orange is one of my favorite colors so they got me - hook, line, and sinker!  I have a Target addiction, so of course, I had to pick up the entire collection... 

Orla Kiely Sweet Pea Medium Hanging Organizer

Orla Kiely Sweet Pea Beauty Organizer

Orla Kiely Sweet Pea Double Train Case

      
Orla Kiely Sweet Pea Pencil Case

 

After using this new case collection this weekend, I am so glad I picked these up.  I am a person who loves to have everything organized and all my stuff fits with these amazing cases.  The outer material is a nice durable nylon -type that makes clean up easy.  That's always a plus, especially when you are packing toiletries and makeup.  Things can get very messy, people!

 

All the cases, except the pencil case, have lots of bonus extra interior pockets.  That always makes my life easier when traveling.  I need a pouch or case for everything.  I hate when things a "roaming free" in my bag - drives me nuts! 

 

I know that Target online is sold out of these amazing cases, but I found all of these at local stores.  I even purchased them online and they were available for pick up in my store at guest services.  It was super easy!  That way I didn't have to run around from store to store looking for the right organizers. 

 

I hope you get a chance to check out these bags at Target.  So, do any of you love these prints as much as I do?  Leave a comment if you care to share.  I'm still amazed that I actually like a print! 

 

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Emotional Attachement: The Stuffed Animal

I wanted to talk a little bit about emotional attachment to material items.  If any of you know me well, you'd know that I'm a "tosser" of things.  I hate keeping items that serve no purpose - it drives me completely crazy.  So the very idea that I would keep an item longer that 10 years that serves no tangible purpose is almost unfathomable. 

However, I have managed to keep one item for as long as I've been alive.  I'll give my parents credit for always keeping this little guy in tip top shape when I was a wee lad.  But after discovering where it came from, I knew I always wanted to keep it.

 

I never fully knew where my little stuffed dog came from until I was in middle school.  When I was a small child I always thought that when you were born the stuffed animal fairy came to you house and dropped off a bunch of various animals for you to play with - seems legit, right???.  It never dawned on me that someone actually gave that to you.

At some family gathering my grandmother ended up in my bedroom with me.  She sat down on my bed and picked up this ratty old stuffed dog, she smiled, and she asked me who I got it from.  I said "I don't know, but I know there's a photo of me when I was born with this dog, so I wanted to keep it".  She chuckled and replied "Well, you were probably too young to remember but I gave that to you when you were first born in the hospital". 

That's the moment I decided to keep this little doggy forever.  My grandmother is no longer living, but I think about her everyday.  Now this little stuffed dog has a place of pride in my guest room on a ledge.  Each time I look at it, it makes me feel good and reminds me of her.  I know it may be juvenile to keep a stuffed dog, but that's my prerogative.  This little furry friend has seen some stuff, no seriously - he's been in my life for 33 years!  

Do any of you have an emotional attachment to items like this?  Let me know in the comments if you care to share

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