Hearts and Darts 1.25.13

Hearts

• True Blood- I'm finally on season 3 of True Blood. Why have I just now noticed that Eric is so hot?! A big thanks to my local cable provider for finally allowing us to use HBOGo. Now I can catch up on all the HBO shows I missed.

• Smiling- A smile goes a long way. Seriously. Don't let someone else's bad mood rub off on you. Just smile at them. Smile at a stranger. Feeling sick? Smile when the doctor walks in the room. It doesn't take that much effort.
• The Blues Brothers- This movie randomly came on the other night while I was, so Steven and watched it. I just love this movie. It's funny and the music is awesome. I'm hoping Steven will agree for us to dress up as the brothers for Halloween.

Darts

• My fur babies- I've had a lot of sinus trouble this week. On Wednesday I stayed home and went to the doctor. Well Mo, one of my inside cats, decided to dart out the back door at 6 am in the morning when I was letting Munch, our dog, out to use the bathroom. After I finally wrestled (yes, wrestled) him in I tried to lay down and get more sleep after being up all not. I guess Munch knew I felt bad because he WOULD NOT leave me alone. He wanted to lick me. Cuddle with me. Lay on me. I love him to death but I needed some space. Is this how parents of small children feel?!
• Being sick- It just sucks. Hopefully the meds the doctor gave me will clear me up. If not I have to go back next week for some antibiotics.

What were your hearts and darts for the week?

Weekend recap. Thrifting failure. Lots of food.

My little sister came to stay with us for the weekend. It's nice when she's here because it means we have an excuse to eat out a lot and Munch (my 65 pound toddler pup) has someone to snuggle with, meaning Steven and I can stretch out on the bed alone.

I had one mission for Saturday: go thrifting and find some awesome things. Did that work out? Not for me. We went to a few places in the East Ridge and St. Elmo areas:

• Salvation Army (East Ridge)
• Thrift Warriors (East Ridge)
• Second Blessing Thrift Store (East Ridge)
• Collective Clothing (St. Elmo)

We started out day at Mean Mug Coffeehouse in the Southside area. Even though it's a short ways from my work I had never eaten there. I ordered a blueberry cinnamon roll and little sister ordered a regular cinnamon roll. Mine was gooey, hot, and delicious. The atmosphere inside is so cozy and Chattanooga. By Chattanooga I mean hipster, vintage chic. I will definitely be back soon. 

Hearts and Darts & What's in my work makeup bag? 1.18.13

Hearts

• Venting- My best friend and I have started emailing every day to either vent, send funny cat pictures, or tell funny work stories. I realized that venting, even if it seems dumb, is pretty helpful. It also helps to put things in perspective. For example, I was telling her about how I went a little overboard on a work assignment and felt stupid. She then responded that at least my boss knows I can do it. I never thought of it that way. I also met with one of my favorite sorority sisters for Mexican and margs (which I couldn't even drink but more of that in darts) and had a good long talk about our lives and where we want them to be in the future. It made me realize that I have to stop sitting around and I need to do something about all my dreams! 2013 is going to be a year of lots of changes.
• Nivea Creme- Ever notice those cute little blue tins of Nivea creme in the skincare section? Pick one up! The thick creme is so moisturizing and dries in minutes, so you don't have to worry about greasy hands. Plus, for .99 a tin it isn't hurting your wallet. I put some on every morning at work and on any dry spots like my elbows.

• Justified- Have you ever watched Justified? It's on its third season on AMC. It's about a US Marshal, named Raylan Givens, and his rough time trying to keep the peace in Lexington and Harlan, Kentucky. I love it for a few reasons. 1. Raylan is a good looking, sweet talking law man. 2. Lots of actions, guns, occasional blood, and intricate plots. 3. Easy to keep up with.

Darts

• Losing my mind- I have been really good lately about keeping track of my debit card, wedding rings, and tennis shoes. I was misplacing these things a few times a month. Well, my good luck ended when I forgot my purse (with all my cards and ID) at work this week. Who does that?! I didn't realize I left it or lost it until I went to eat with my sorority sister. I was set on 2 for 1 margaritas but that didn't happen. Thankfully my coworker texted me the next morning to tell me it was there. 
• Forks weather- It has rained every day this week. I feel like I'm in a Twilight movie. All rain. No sun. I need this Bella Swan depression to go away.
• Discussion board emotions- Two of my grad classes are hybrid classes so we have lots of online discussions. Just like emails and texts, it's hard to figure out how someone is coming across in a discussion board. Are they mocking your statement? Challenging you? Happily agreeing? Is this how online dating feels?!?

I decided to add a quick section to these weekly posts. I tend to wake up so late that I have to do my makeup in my office as soon as I get to work. Here are the products I've kept in my work makeup bag all week long:

• theBalm Time Balm Primer- I'm almost through with this. I love using up products.
• Maybelline Instant Age Rewind  Eraser Treatment Makeup- This foundation is very thin, almost like a gel, but it covers and stays all day long.
• MAC MSFN- My favorite powder.
• Garnier Anti-Dark Circle Roller- This is the gift that keeps on giving. I don't know when this thing is going to run out, but I really like how cool the roller ball feels.
• Revlon Brow Fantasy- I don't use the pencil part, but I love how natural the tinted gel looks.
• Revlon Lash Fantasy- My go-to mascara.
• Maybelline Color Tattoo shadow in Bad to the Bronze- I've hit pan on this shadow. Woo-hoo! I don't wear shadow every day at work, but if I do I layer this up on the lid, put a bit in the crease, and smudge it on my lower lash line, too.
• Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie- I'm almost completely done with this. I will be sad when it goes though because it's a very natural color and moisturizes my lips in this crazy winter weather.

What were your hearts and darts for the week? Have a good one!

2013: A year of no new makeup or new clothing.

Today marks the 17th day in a row I haven't purchased a cosmetic item. I've even passed over free makeup from CVS. Why? One of my New Year's resolutions is to go the entire year without purchasing any new makeup. I need to start an inventory of my collection soon, like Beauty Reductionista does, to see all my products and decide what needs to be used up first. I know I have enough of everything, including mascara and concealer, to last me an entire year. I've never been one to buy something without doing research, even if it's from the drugstore, but the amount of everything I have it just too much for one person. 

I was looking at different sites of people who are participating in the same kind of challenges and stumbled across quite a few websites about people who either didn't buy any type of clothing for a year or only bought secondhand clothing for an entire year. I'm not a big clothes shopper. I would rather spend my money on going on to eat or buying makeup instead. Now that I'm on Weight Watchers and not buying makeup I have been clothes shopping much more than I normally would. I've only purchased two items this year, both for under $10 at Kohl's, but I don't want to feel the need to spend my money. So I think I am going to accept the challenge of only buying secondhand clothing for the entire year of 2013 with the exception of underwear. 

I've loved going to Goodwill since I was in high school. One time I even found the most beautiful green leather Dior luggage bag. It disappeared my freshman year of college. The memory still hurts. However, I still have a brand new black Coach satchel I found. That reminds me to go find that in my closet. It has zero scratches and I even checked to see if it was real and it was. Holllllla.

I am also going to challenge myself to only spend $100 (taxes included) on my clothing budget for 2013. However, I will accept clothing from my mother. She said she would buy me a new piece of clothing for every 10 pounds I lose, so I can't argue with that!

Have you listened to "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore? Makes me want to go to Goodwill and start digging through piles of people's old crap.

Are you a thrifter? I would love to learn your tips 

or hear what your best buy has been!

Graduate Files: Grad School Essentials

I am currently in my second semester of graduate school. I took a year off after undergrad to start my big girl job and decide if I wanted to go back to school or not. I am now earning my master's degree in Public Administration at the same place I earned my undergrad degree. Last semester was a bit rough at times since I was juggling a full-time job and taking classes, but I think this semester will be a lot better even with taking more hours. Currently I work an 8-5 day with night class once a week. One class is pretty much entirely online and the other two classes alternate being in the classroom and being online the same night a week. I plan to be in the library at least three other nights a week. 

Here are things that I use  to ensure that I stay awake during class, manage my time effectively, and have fun while in grad school:

• Sturdy bag- My sister gave me a monogrammed bag for my wedding present earlier this year. It's large enough to fit my laptop, notebook, and folders without being too large that it's hard to carry. It has easy accessible side pockets so I can stuff by phone and keys during class and grab them to make a quick escape as soon as class is over. I prefer a bag over book bag because I can also use it for a work bag, gym bag, or even a grocery bag when needed. I think my sister ordered mine from a thirty-one gift consultant. I can't find my print but here is the bag.

thirtyonegifts.com

Hearts and Darts 1.11.13

Hearts

• Thick, long lashes- I love the look of black lashes that are long and thick. I even like my lashes a little clumpy because I think it makes them look thicker. My favorite mascara combo at the moment is Revlon's Lash Fantasy + Covergirl's Natureluxe mascara layered over each other a few times.

Winter wedding.

One of my beautiful sorority sisters got married on December 29, 2012. The ceremony was absolutely beautiful and I loved all the Christmas decorations that were at the church and reception. Christmas weddings are perfect because the decorations are already in place! Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of myself and the bride alone because she was so busy talking to everyone, but I understand how crazy it is on your wedding day. 

I can't even remember talking to half the people I did!

 Here are some pictures of my makeup, outfit, and pretty friends:)

Sorry for the yellow cast. I can't wait to buy a good camera this year! My lashes were from Forever21 and my red lips are courtesy of L'Oreal's new glossy stain in Endless Red.

Hearts and Darts 1.4.12

Hearts

• Short work week- I love my job but two short work weeks in a row were pretty nice! However, I'm ready to take on 2013.
• A successful New Year's Eve- My husband has the "go big or go home" mentality when it comes to NYE. Unfortunately, his celebrating always led him to go big then pass out at home before 11:00 pm. This year we saw a 90s cover band with friends and had a pretty good night. No throw up. No passing out. Just lots of singing and dancing (mostly me).
• New Year's resolutions- It always feels good to state new resolutions. Check out my previous post to learn what my 2013 resolutions are and my big accomplishments/milestones of 2012.
• Anne Rice- I finally finished the first three books of Rice's The Vampire Chronicles. I'm taking a break from that to read the Mayfair Witches trilogy. I am an abnormally fast reader, but Rice's style of writing forces me to slow down and savour every word. Her writing is so beautiful with the descriptions and visuals she uses. 

Darts

• No time for reading- Now that the holidays are over school starts next week (AJDFHJADSFHJLSAJFDAS=dread) I won't have as much time for my recreational reading. I read 71 books in 2012, hoping for 100 this year.
• Lost items- I am the world's worse at misplacing something and not finding it until months later. My mom is the exact same way. I'm currently looking for my Lilly calendar and camera.
• Girls' decisions when it comes to guys-Thankfully this doesn't apply to any close friends, but I don't understand why girls stick with guys that treat them like crap in front of others. I can only imagine how they treat them behind closed doors. If you wouldn't marry the man then why the hell are you dating him? You are worth so much more than that.

What are your Hearts and Darts from this week?

2012 Recap

2012 was a pretty exciting and life changing year for me. 

Here are a few of my biggest accomplishments and events of 2012 
(in no particular order):

Read 71 books

Tried Pure Barre

2012 Beauty Favorites

2012 has been a crazy year for me. I got married, started graduate school, and celebrated my 1 year anniversary at my big girl job! 2012 has also been a crazy year in the beauty world. So many new products have surfaced during the past 12 months which meant lots of money and time were spent searching for products. Here are my favorites that I discovered or kept using during the past year. 

Drugstore= any product that can be found at Wal-Mart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, etc. 

High end= any product that can be found at the high end section of Ulta, Sephora, or department store counters.