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Archive for the 'Girly Girl' Category

July Favorites

~July Favorites~

I’m stealing this idea from my sister’s blog: www.einthepink.com

I am gigantically preggy, due in just 8 days (but praying little man decides to emancipate himself from his snug watery quarters NOW).  I’m hot.  I’m crampy.  I’m uncomfortable.  And definitely ready to have this baby.

Anyhoose – here is my quicky for this week:

On this lovely summer day, I thought it would be appropriate to share some of my July Favorites to end the week!
Flower:
My all-time favorites are stargazer lilies.  A) their scent is just divine – sweet and feminine.  LOVE IT!  B) hello – they’re PINK!
Band/Song:
Most of my musical selections in he car now involve kid’s channels for my almost 2-year old, but when I get a few minutes to myself I’ve been blasting Edwin McCain’s greatest hits & Cowboy Mouth.  I’ve also been cranking up the volume for Hey, Soul Sister – my current happy song, California Gurls (don’t know why I like that one), and Your Love is My Drug.  The last 2 may not be awesomely deep songs, but they make me happy, so who cares?
Movie:
I have not seen a lot of movies this summer – hell, I haven’t seen a lot of movies since my son was born!  But the hubby and I went to see Toy Story 3 on our adult weekend away in June and I loved it!  I love the first two as well, but this one was cute and fun, and it gave me the satisfying ending I needed.
Beverage:
Since I can’t drink right now, I don’t have any froufy drinks to name, but sweet tea is a year-round southern staple.  It tastes even better when it’s a jillion degrees outside!  And Chic-Fil-A lemonade – one word: YUM.
Book:
I have made time for some pleasure reading lately, and I’ve gone through a few good ones.  Rebel Debutante by Anna Fields, Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger, I See You Everywhere by Julia Glass and My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares.

Scent:
I have not been wearing or smelling perfumes lately, a lot of scents I just can’t handle right now.  But I love the smell of my son’s Johnson & Johnson lavender bubble bath that we use religiously.  I love the way he smells after a bath just before bedtime.

Indulgence:
hmm…..summer indulgences have changed drastically since having children, but I still make time for a monthly pedicure.  It’s been a treat to myself every month for the past 8 years.  I gotta say it’s a definite fave – especially right now.  Having your feet and legs rubbed and feeling the cool tingle of the peppermint lotion before a perfect application of bright polish is so lovely!

Nail Polish Color:
It’s a retired OPI color, but I tracked down a few bottles online after our nail salon ran out – “Strawberry Fields”.  It’s bright, hot pink with some shimmer.  I’ve been on the hunt for a replacement shade, and I think Orly’s “Oh Cabana Boy” is as close as I can get!

Food:
May be cliche, but being 9 months pregnant in the middle of July, ice cream is an obsession.  Frozen yogurt, milkshakes, ice cream – whatever.  Add some M&M’s to it and I’m deliriously happy.

Dessert:
Well…I guess see above.  Ice cream in combo with the heat is really a perfect fit!!
Have a lovely weekend, guys!  Hopefully the next post will be announcing the arrival of babykins!
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Closet Exhibition…ism

Closet Exhibition…..ism

So I’m backing up a few weeks ~ I’ve been in and out of town, trying to enjoy the last few weeks of freedom before I’m “grounded” due to the imminent arrival of baby #2.

I spent my little sister’s birthday weekend with her in Atlanta.  Just the two of us – the kind of trip that hasn’t happened in years due to school, family, kids.  The last trip we took alone was a Caribbean cruise in March of ‘08 – it was her senior year spring break and I was pregnant with my first son.   She is a whole decade younger than me, just turning 20!  But we’ve been inseparable since her birth.  Our relationship has been a variety of things…sister/sister, mother/daughter, babysitter/babysittee, therapist/client, fashion coordinator/client (the last two have gone both ways)…

So, needless to say, we were both quite excited about this rendez-vous!  Shopping, neat little restaurants, just planning our days as we went and not having to worry about the precious toddler I usually have with me when I’m visiting her in Hot-lanta.

Now another bit of background for you – and I’ll try to keep this short.  I’m an art major, and I did a few strange projects while in my major…some were more like social experiments and I altered my behavior to elicit certain reactions, some were more personally risque – using my entire body as a paint brush and wallowing on a 9′x13′ canvas, which I did do in the privacy of my own school studio, but then showed my technique by wrapping my naked painted self in bubble wrap for my walk from my studio (in a campus dorm) to the art building.  And not that this had to do with my classes, but senior year I enjoyed a near-weekly Friday night outing to see and participate in the Rocky Horror Picture Show at a local movie theater.  It was such an odd thrill to dress up in lingerie, gaudy (but impeccably applied) make-up and the tallest hooker shoes I could find that I was still able to walk in – and present myself to others like me who not only enjoyed the movie, but the act of preparing for it as well.  My mom asked my favorite professor at some point if he could “put me back in my box, just a little”.

Well, the last live Rocky Horror show I went to was the night before my college graduation in May of 2002.  I’ve thought fondly of those shows often, but not having a nearby local group that presents the live part made me figure it was pretty much a thing of my youth.  Until I realized where my sister & I would be – in ATLANTA – and that I would be toddler-less!  And as a bonus, it was not only her birthday weekend, but it would be her first live viewing!  And I’d heard great things about some of the Atlanta rocky troupes…so after a brief internet search, and a few phone calls just to confirm information, I decided that our Friday night activity would be Rocky Horror live!

I know, seems weird to do something like that with your little sister, but she seemed to like the idea very much, and we spent part of our shopping time looking for the perfect debut outfit for her.  She is taller than me by a few inches, extremely slender and fair, and with something like Rocky – the sluttier the better, but we were sure to pick “tasteful” whore clothing – she was fully covered, but looked HOT in her black corset, ruffle boy shorts & fishnets.  Her hot pink wig and matching boa, added to our amazing make-up work made it all just perfect.

Being humongously pregnant didn’t stop me from dressing up, it just stopped me from wearing lingerie as none of my former Rocky outfits fit right now.  We sliced up a black tank top of mine and found iron on rhinestone lettering to insinuate that I was carrying Frankenfurter’s baby, which in itself amused the crap out of me.  And after procuring an awesome lavender colored wig for myself, and a fabulous little top hat and purple boa to accompany it, we were set.  We began make-up application at 10 pm, and with our effortless & time-saving wigs (thank you Craig at Junkman’s Daughter!!) , we were out the door at 11:15 to make it to our movie date!

It was a full theater that evening, and my little “birthday virgin” looked smashing.  She and two other birthday viewers had the audience sing to them before the naughty pre-movie games and prizes.  We Time Warped with everyone in the aisles, shouted obscenities at the screen, while trying to take in the cast & crew’s fairly awesome props and costumes, and we thanked the cast as we left for such an elating, bizarre, fabulous experience!  for Elizabeth’s “first time” I wouldn’t have changed a thing!  We had a ball.  A weird ball, slutting it up together for a Rocky Whore-er evening.

Now I just sigh and count the years until I can do it again….

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Pedicures – a monthly must have!!!

Pedicures – a monthly must have!!!

With warm weather already upon us, I feel it necessary to write about a must-have for women everywhere: pedicures! I have been a pedicure addict since I graduated from college, before that point it was just an occasional thing – if I felt like it, if there was a special event, etc.  But ohhhh – the combination of nail care and foot/leg rubbing is too much to pass up.

Sure, I can do it myself, and if I need an emergency heel buffing or polish touch-up, I do.  But for under $30 a month, why not treat myself and go to a nail salon?!  I’ve been going monthly with my little sister and my brother’s wife (before she was his wife!) for almost 8 years now to a local nail place.  We’ve gotten to know the people that work there ~ we’ve watched their business grow, learned about their family overseas, watched their adorable son grow up, and experimented with almost every color polish ever made and had funky designs added to our big toes just for fun at certain holidays (snowflakes for winter, snowmen at Christmas, Ace of spades when we went to Vegas, and happy little flowers with crystal centers for spring and summer).

But it is an unbreakable warm weather rule for me ~ do NOT wear sandals of any kind unless you have your toes done!  It doesn’t matter if you sand those heels down yourself and slap on some clear coat, or hit up a frou frou salon.  Whatever your preference, just get the job done before sandal season!!!  It is completely heartbreaking to see a killer pair of wedge sandals on someone and then see her crusty feet and unkempt, too-long nails sticking out of them.  Be kind to your feet ladies, and be kind to the people that are admiring what’s on them!

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Product Rave ~ Random

Product Rave ~ Random…

I’ve been a fan of mineral make-up for a few years now, but strayed from my brand the other day and wanted to give a good review to the Maybelline brand Mineral Makeup, specifically the “Mineral Power” Foundation.  I had a few coupons for the drug store and being fully stocked on my shampoo, deodorant, contact liquid, sunscreen (and likewise for the hubby’s stash) I bought a mineral powder/brush set instead ~ hey, with the coupon, it was a complete steal!

I’ve used it for a few days now, testing it’s application and durability, and with this muggy, humid southern heat I am pleased to say it has held up like a champ and I give it an “A” for several reasons.

1) Price – it’s under $10 – very affordable, and you can find it anywhere!  CVS, Walgreens, Rite-Aid, Wal-Mart, Target…

2) It comes with its own little brush in case you don’t have one.  While the small kabuki style brush is a bit firmer than the big one I already have, it gets the job done, and I feel it will travel well because of the stiffer bristles.

3) Colors – there are 8 colors, and because it’s a loose foundation powder, you can find a complimentary skin shade and build up your coverage from just a dusting to erase shine, to full-face matte finish.

4) There is sunscreen in it!  Enough said.  Every little thing like this that helps protect skin from sun damage is fabulous.

5) It doesn’t feel heavy or caked on like I was half-expecting of a drug store brand, and it doesn’t “settle” over the course of the day into the lines I admit I’m starting to get around my eyes and on my forehead.

6) I’ll repeat that the last few days in my part of the Carolinas have been sunny, hot & humid PLUS I’m almost 8 months pregnant so my skin has multiple personalities right now.  I’m usually a combo girl with slightly oilier areas on my chin, nose and center forehead.  However, with both pregnancies I’ve turned into oil-slick city, having to change my whole skincare routine to suit this temporary hormone shift.  This make up has carried me through 3 entire days now of moderate to heavy activity, being outside a fair amount, and sweating more profusely than normal (due to both the heat and the pregnancy).  I’ve gotten to my nighttime face washings and noticed that my face – WITHOUT a single touch-up or oil blotting sheet – still looks as good as when I first put the powder on in the morning.  That’s impressive to me.  Hell, I even spent this evening at the pool with my husband, son and sister and was on the receiving end of some minor splashing, and it’s nearly midnight now and my face still is shine free and nearly flawless!

So – if you need something to leave in your purse, in your car perhaps, in your desk at work, at a vacation home, or just need something to travel with that’s inexpensive and reliable – this is a good one to try out.

I’m attempting to put the link to Maybelline’s product page for you for other information: http://www.maybelline.com/Product/Face/Foundation/Mineral-Power-Natural-Perfecting-Powder-Foundation.htm

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Macaroni & Cheese go to the beach

Macaroni & Cheese go to the beach

My sister-in-law & I dubbed ourselves Macaroni & Cheese after seeing “Juno” in theaters and hearing the line that went something like, “you are the cheese to my macaroni.”  If we could have a long lost twin sister, we’d have each other.  Our taste in everything is freakishly similar (translate: exactly the same).  We have the same clothes, shoes, jewelry, silverware, furniture, lamps, paint colors in the houses, we’ve seen the same hair stylist for years now, have artwork by the same artists, and for several years we had the same car (2004 mini-coopers ~ hers blue, mine silver) until I traded mine in for a more practical baby-mobile.  And the kind of scary part is that half of the stuff we do and have the same of, we aren’t even together when we pick it out!  We have joked that we should just build one giant house with two master wings, so we could save ourselves some money and just buy ONE of everything and share the living space instead of buying two of everything for our separate households.

Flashback: I met Tiffany in the summer of 1998 through my brother’s summer job (coincidentally also where I met my husband for the first time).  Tiff and my bro started dating in early 1999, and were married 6 months before my hubby and I took our own vows in 2004.  We’ve been kind of a “4 Muskateers” deal since we all met,  but more so after Matt & I started dating in fall of 2002….trips all over the country and the world, movies, get-togethers, game nights, it’s a pretty awesome little group.  And Tiffany and I have been basically inseparable since the first year we met.

Life is so much easier and awesomer (yes, that’s a word I use) when you like your sibling’s spouse!  So, this weekend – TODAY will be our first girly adventure to the Carolina coastline since all our babies were born.  The last trip I remember was a week or so we spent together in June 2008, a few months before my son arrived.

I’m skipping around, I know, I do that…but here’s a brief timeline for you of the last couple years so perhaps you can see why we are so ecstatic about this barely 48 hour escape…

February 2008 – I find out about being preggo with Evan

September 2008 – Tiffany finds out about being preggo

October-ish 2008 – Tiffany & my brother discover they are expecting TWINS

October 2008 – I deliver my precious redheaded son, Evan

November 2008 – Tiffany gets placed on bed rest due to some minor complications with “Baby A”

And from November-early May 2009, I chauffeur her to most all of her doctor appointments and we hang around the house making use of our Netflix subscriptions and enjoying the lazy days of having a newborn who just eats and sleeps all day (sigh….kinda miss those days now!)

May 2009 – Twin boys are delivered safely into the world, and the chaos hasn’t stopped since!

It’s a zoo around here, and I thought being a new mom to one was hard – I don’t even know how Tiffany and her husband have made it through the last year without their hair falling out and admitting themselves to the looney bin!

So, it’s been two years since Tiff and I were able to abscond together and go somewhere other than just a dinner out, or a monthly pedicure.  And I am fairly sure this will be the least exciting beach trip we’ve ever taken – we both predict lots of SLEEPING, a few of our fave restaurants, some trashy tv, and some more sleep.  But we’re looking forward to it!  We’ve been to the beach a thousand times and been to all the shops and gallivanted down the coastline to Pawley’s Island and Charelston, and I know we’ll go a thousand more times and do the same…so this one time we’re allowed a bum weekend.

It feels odd leaving the kids at home.  We’ve each made several beach trips with our respective mothers and sons, just not together (there isn’t enough room at the condo for all adults and all babies at the same time), and this is the first time for each of us to leave our kiddos for more than a few hours.  We’re not freaking out about it, and we’re confidant in the husbands’ parenting abilities…it just feels kind of weird to take a couple days to ourselves…not to have to get a child (or two) in and out of the car, not to do middle of the night diaper changes, not to have to consciously think of a child friendly place to eat, hell – it’ll be weird not having the car stuffed to the brim with high chairs, pack & plays, strollers, diapers, kid movies and toys ALONG with our stuff!!!

Baby #4 (between the two of us) is due in 11 weeks and counting, and the chaos will continue I’m sure….

This is the first time IN a long time, and the last time FOR a long time so we better enjoy it! 

Macaroni & Cheese ride again!


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Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day

Just a few minutes ago I read an article about the founder of Mother’s Day, and how once the day was nationally recognized, she spent most of the rest of her life fighting against the commercialization of what was meant to be an intimate and sacred recognition of each family’s mother and everything she does for them on a daily basis.

So, I learned something new and I cannot say I disagree with her seemingly conflicting actions.  I’ve never been a huge fan of Valentine’s Day, I think if you love someone, you love them every day of the year so why make such a hubbub over this one day?  I can’t stand the commercials pushing flowers and diamonds around that time of year (and around Mother’s Day) – you really shouldn’t need to buy your partner’s or mother’s affections once a year or spend wads of cash trying to prove something.  And Christmas has unfortunately become that way, too.  I love Christmas not for the exchanging of gifts, but for the sparkly lights all over town…the festive music…the abundance of delicious cooking (and sharing) between friends and neighbors…that special feeling in the air…the constant gathering of friends and family just to be together and celebrate the joy of having one another in our lives.

And Mother’s Day…I think a card is appropriate, but not nearly as good as a *GASP* handwritten letter, a visit (if possible) or a phone call…but again, these are things that can be done throughout the year ~little reminders that you love your family, appreciate your mom, and just want to check in and say “hello”.

Being a new mother myself, I think it’s pretty freaking awesome in itself just to have kids!  I adore my little one, and I’m counting the weeks until our second is to make his debut.  The way he says “mama”, the fun things we do together during the day, the way he falls asleep on me at night in the rocking chair – it’s enough for me.  Let’s just spend the day together!  Make muffins for breakfast, stay in your pj’s a little longer and watch cartoons in the playroom, take a family nap, go to the playground, play with bubbles on the back deck….that’s my idea of a perfect Mother’s Day and none of it costs a cent!

So, Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there.  You are all amazing and wonderful and without you – we wouldn’t be here!!!

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O.P.I. Axxium Gel Polish – tried it, love it, gotta do it again!

O.P.I. Axxium Gel Polish

O.P.I. Axxium Gel Nail Polish – Tried it, Loved it, gotta do it again!!!

Alright ladies -

I had my nails done a few days before Easter with this new OPI Axxium gel stuff my mom and sister found, and I LOVE IT! It is awesome to have this long-lasting option for vacations and special events. Me + regular manicures usually don’t go together…it lasts all of 2 days before chipping and looking crappy.

Late last week (2 weeks to date from the first gel polish application) I went to Bliss & Co. Salon in High Point, about 20 minutes from home to get a re-do ~

Thing 1)
I loooooved the nail tech, Ashley, super easy to talk to and let me play with different scrubs and polishes and yummy smelly things.

Thing 2)
I soaked the gels polish off from two weeks before in a glass bowl of acetone – NO DAMAGE to my nails whatsoever! Once the polish was off, she applied my new color choice and dried each hand between coats in the uber OPI light box thing.

Thing 4)
They look amazing, she did a really superb job with the application – cost is $40 for a soak and new “set”, but for first time clients they have a half price special (I don’t know if it’s a temporary deal or just how they do it always).

Thing 5)
The salon itself is gorgeous, and though in High Point, is quite easy to get to! It made me want to walk around and look at everything, and book lots of fancy appointments for hair, body and skin.

Thing 6)
I would definitely go back again for the “fun” nails as a special treat or pre-vacation or special event (especially since you could soak them off at home in 15 minutes or so when their wear is up).

It was truly a pampering experience in a lovely place. Complimentary water, soda, tea and wine is offered, and the ambiance as well as the staff made the drive from Winston well worth it.

Bliss & Co. Salon has my approval & gets an A+/gold star all around!

Can’t wait to plan another girly excursion! And I would definitely vote for the OPI Axxium gels nail polish. Besides the new growth of my fingernails (which is probably in hyperdrive right now anyway due to pregnancy hormones) my polish still looks fresh and immaculate! AMAZING and without the damaging effects of acrylics. LOOOVE this new stuff!

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