Glitter & Ink

Much Better

2012-02-08T15:48:00.001-06:00

It's not 100% but it will have to do for now. Bah! I hate when I hit things I'm not supposed to!

Crap!

2012-02-08T12:47:00.003-06:00

I messed up. My blog is a mess right now and I'm trying really hard to fix it. Bear with me as it might be hard to read my blog with some of the changes that I'm going to be making. Pray that I can fix this fast!

Does it Work Wednesday

2012-02-08T10:34:00.001-06:00

Yes, I realize that the local news station has a does it work Wednesday but gosh darn it has a ring to it.
Today I'm going to tell you all about BareMinerals Blemish Therapy. I have been using it for a little over month now and I'm seriously LOVING it.

BareMinerals Blemish Therapy retails for $18. I bought mine at Concepts in Cape.
BareMinerals website says "Conceal and prevent future breakouts with this targeted remedy and brush. The exfoliating properties of our 100% pure ActiveSoil Complex along with the blemish fighting benefits of natural sulfur effectively address blemishes while helping to prevent future breakouts from forming. This non-irritating formula also helps to minimize the appearance of pores, neutralize redness and diffuse imperfections."

So, first thought when I got this was "wow this smells horrible!" It's made with natural sulfur so it smells...well...like sulfur. Don't let that detract from this though. I started using mine the week before "Aunt Flow" was supposed to come visit. This is when I get my breakouts the worst. I get those really deep zits that don't easily pop. They hurt and are really sore too. As soon as I felt or saw where an ugly zit was going to rear it's head I put some of the Blemish Therapy on it. The next day I could tell a huge difference. It wasn't as big or red after a day of having the therapy on. I did this over the next couple weeks and surprisingly I didn't get a really bad sit this entire month! This for me is a win in my book. I always feel like I have a scab or a red spot from hormonal zits every month on my chin. Of course they take forever to heal so by the time one is gone another one rears it's ugly head. Blemish Therapy has really helped with making my chin look a whole heck of a lot better along with the creases around my nose and also the area between my eyebrows.

I love this product and HIGHLY recommend it if you are having issues with zits. This product is a face saver!

Happy Birthday G-Dub

2012-02-07T11:02:00.001-06:00

Today is my brother-in-law Garrett's birthday!

Hope you have a wonderful day G-Dub!

First Ever Tasty Tuesday

2012-02-07T10:52:00.002-06:00

Fried Egg Sandwich and Garlic Couscous

This recipe is seriously SO easy and it is perfect for:
1. Small meals
2. Serving for 2
3. Smaller kids that are picky

All you need is:
-bread
-eggs
-a white bowl (yes it has to be white or a really light color not pink though)
-garlic powder or garlic salt
-olive oil
-couscous
-vegetable oil

I put on the couscous first. It's super easy to make. You put 2 cups of water in a pot and then throw it in for 5 minuets and stir it a few times. After 5 min, take it off the stove and add seasoning. I added dried onion flakes, garlic powder and a little bit of olive oil. Yumm! Not to mention it reheats really easy and tastes just as good the 2nd or 3rd time around.

Next I fried my egg. Put the skillet on medium and put in some vegetable oil. (You can really use any oil. I just prefer vegetable). If you don't know how to fry an egg I would recommend checking out some videos on YouTube. They really do taste better than scrambled. The eggs that I used are super fresh. Meaning I got them from my friend Erica who's parent's have their own chickens in their back yard. They are delicious! A tip for making farm fresh eggs: break the egg into a white bowl before putting them in the black skillet. Some farm fresh eggs can be bloody. I know sounds delish right? Just toss that one out and get a new one.

Toast some bread, throw some garlic salt on your eggs, smother in butter if you wish and then DIG IN! Doesn't that look tasty? The fried egg on top is without the yolk busted. If you don't like the runny middle, pop the yolk while frying and you don't have the runny center. The one on the bottom isn't runny.

Enjoy!

Themed Days

2012-02-07T10:31:00.000-06:00

So I'm going to start doing themes for each day. I think it will help me have something to blog about. Don't get me wrong, I'm still going to do my picture dumps, family posts, and all those lovely random thoughts. No worries there. I just think if I have some themes for the day you all will know what to expect and will have something to look forward to. I have one disclaimer though. I can't promise I will post everyday about the speicific topic. It's just a guildline not a rule. I hope you all can enjoy some structure though. Enjoy!

So here is the game plan.

Monday
Made Up Mondays
I figure this will be a good way to start to week. I will either give tips, show new makeup reviews, try some new makeup and show you all how to use it, show different outfits, hair tutorials, nail polish reviews, etc. Anything fashion related will go. I figure this is a good time to answer questions too about makeup, clothes, hair, and more.

Tuesday
Tasty Tuesday
Tuesdays are all about food! I would like to share and receive recipes on these days. Everything from the uber-healthy to the down right fat goes straight to your butt recipes. There are no limitations here. I'm all for starting new things and cooking is one of those things. Haha. My husband is going to love this!

Wednesday
Does it Work Wednesday
Wednesdays are all about product reviews. Makeup, household products, you name it, I'll try it. I have one stipulation thought. NO Wrecking Balm Tattoo Remover. If you have a product you have been dying to try but are worried it won't work, look no further. Just ask me! I will try anything at least once. Twice if I like it.

Thursday
Thrifty Thursday
Thursdays are all about saving some green. Tips and tricks for saving a buck or two. This includes local coupons available, good finds for cheap prices, and even some really great shopping finds that I got while shopping at local antique stores.

Friday
Friday Confessions
I love my Friday Confessions. I have to confess that it is a little litberaiting to be able to spill me guts to you all. The good, the bad, and the ugly. You accept me for everything that I am and I love you all for that.

So what do you all think? Does this make your blog reading ears perk? If you have ANY suggestions or ideas for posts that you would like to see let me know!

Just a side note: My coworker Jet from Sri Lanka is singing Taylor Swift and it's making me giggle.

Tuesday Confessions

2012-02-07T09:27:00.002-06:00

Where did this week go? Life has been flying by lately and I can't get a handle on it to make it slow down. We had a great weekend doing a whole lot of nothing. I did homework while Derek and Stratton had some quality time together. We went to Derek's dad's house for Super Bowl and then got a kid free night last night so I enjoyed a glass of cheap wine while I watched Oddities.

I hope you all had a great weekend, enjoy my Friday Confessions a few days late.

I confess I cry every time I see a welcome home video of a solider to his family. It gets me every time!

I confess I have a weird habit... I keep boxes. Not big boxes but boxes from makeup, perfume, phones, etc. I know it's a weird habit and I'm a little puzzled as to why I get such gratification from saving these boxes. haha. I think it makes the thing I bought seem new again when I put it back in the box. It's weird I know. Just one of my many quirks.

Here are just a few of the many boxes I hold on to for some reason.

I confess I accidentally killed my aloe plant. It's still half alive but it looks REALLY bad. I just can't keep plants. I think I have a black thumb.

I confess I have been drinking A LOT lately. Not alcohol. I've been waking up and drinking a glass of water, then once I get to work I drink a bottle of grape juice, then a bottle of apple juice and then another 32oz of water until I get off work. I've just been REALLY thirsty lately.

I confess I love sleeping on our couch. Derek snores horribly so it's kind of nice to be able to sleep in silence in the living room every now and then.

I confess I am really really looking forward to going to Annie Lauries Antiques this week! I will be sure to share my finds with you all!

Hope you all are having a great week!

Pen Mention

2012-01-30T12:26:00.000-06:00

I was mentioned on a Pen Addict website!
Check it out!
http://www.penaddict.com/2012/01/ink-links-2.html

Thanks Pen Addict for the shout out about my pen addiction as well.

I'm running...

2012-01-30T12:14:00.000-06:00

from all the nasty germs that are out there right now. Wreaking havoc on almost all the kids in Stratton's day care and now Stratton. We had a fun filled weekend until Saturday night. Lysol, Emergen-C and bleach are my closest friends right about now.

Friday was an average day at the Williams' household. Nothing out of the ordinary. Saturday morning we all woke up. Stratton came in Derek's in my bed at around 6:30 to cuddle for a few hours. We woke up around 10am (yes that's right my 3 year old slept for 13 hours that night which is not uncommon) and Stratton greeted Derek and I with a "good morning daddy. good morning mommy." It was seriously the cutest thing ever. Saturday around noon I went and got my hair done at Concepts by Amanda. She is awesome! I highly highly recommend her. She has seriously saved my hair when it was on the brink of disaster. No more color out of a box for me anymore! Anyway, I got my hair done, went to Target and ran a few errands and then made my way back home so Derek could go get a new tattoo.

The nun is the newest addition to his arm of horrors. Haha. To be honest I'm just happy it's not another skull. He got this done all day Saturday while Stratton and I hung out at the house for a little bit with my friend Sarah who is in town from Washington State. Sarah and I have been best friends since the first day we met. Ironically we started talking to each other because we happen to sport the same ear piercing. Sarah and I have convinced each other to make lots of stupid decisions but all of them have been fun and we will never forget. She is seriously my best friend. We don't get to see each other very much anymore but we talk on the phone when we can and we video chat as much as we can. Right when we see each other it's like no time has passed since the last time we talked. I'm so happy Sarah came to visit. (She's actually bringing me lunch today too!) She especially loved getting to see Stratton and Groucho while she was here.

Grocho loved Sarah, he just went up and curled up right on her lap and started purring. It was adorable. A little after Sarah got to our house, Dale and Lisa (Derek's dad and step mom) came by and got Stratton. Around 5:30ish Sarah headed back to Cape and I made my way to Josh and Ashley's house (Derek's step brother and his wife) for Ashley's birthday party and my brother-in-law Seth's "Congratulations you got into med school" party. Stratton was sweating when I got there from playing with two other boys that were there. Around 7 Stratton and I left to go to John Hazelwood's 3rd Birthday party. My friend (and fellow blogger) Leslie had the cutest Art themed party for John. Not more than an hour after being there Stratton didn't look like he felt very well. Sure enough, I turned around as he said mom and he threw up all down the front of himself and then again on the way to the bathroom. Poor little guy was so embarrassed. Leslie was such a great help and gave us some new clothes, a towel, and bucket for the ride home.

Yea, the red line is the drive home. The the best road for a little guy that is sick to his stomach anyway. We made it home and he only threw up once in the truck. (in the bucket thank the Lord) I got him home and set him up in the bathroom with some pillows, a stool, and the iPad so he could watch Tom & Jerry. His favorite.

He threw up 5 times all together and only made a mess while we were at Leslie's house (sorry Les! I still owe you a towell and a new pitcher). He acted pretty normal in between throw ups but was SUPER tired. We all wound up sleeping in the living room because I washed all of the sheet on our beds. Derek slept on the couch with Stratton for a little bit and then Derek snored so bad that Stratton climbed up in the Lazy Boy with me. Then Stratton kicked me out of the Lazy Boy and I wound up on the floor with two tiny couch pillows. Sunday Stratton was back to his normal self. We kept giving him pedialite just in case he was dehydrated. Keep Derek and I in all of your prayers that we don't get this nasty bug that is going around.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend or at least one that was better than ours. ;)

Friday Confessions

2012-01-27T13:11:00.000-06:00

I confess I kept Stratton away from the baby sitter on Tuesday and Wednesday because I was scared he would get sick from one of the other kids there.

I confess I am STILL paranoid of getting sick and throwing up. I can do diarrhea and I can do stuffy nose with a cough. Throwing up is a no go in my book. I can't do it.

I confess I would rather sit in the fetal position and writhe in pain for hours on end than throw up just once.

I confess I have been doing shots of Emergen-c like a sorority girl at a lady's night.

I confess Lysol is my best friend right now. As well as antibacterial wipes, bleach, hand sanitizer, and if I could I would wear a medical mask around.

I confess I got some awesome new products this morning that I am SO eager to share with you all.

I confess I made a stop motion animation film over the week this week and it actually turned out pretty neat!

I confess I am SO ready for the weekend so Derek and I can get some relaxation time with the little man.

I confess I am ready for shirts and t-shirt weather again even though it's only the end of January.

I confess I think my birth control is making me crazy. Well the fact that it works is awesome but the fact that (this may be TMI so if you don't want to read about periods then stop NOW and go to the next confession) this month I was 12 days late, the month before I was 7 days late and the month before that I was 6 days late is driving me insane. It's super frustrating.

I confess I am getting my hair done this weekend and I can not wait! I love getting my hair done.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I'll have fun new exciting pictures on Monday.

Five Question Friday

2012-01-27T12:50:00.000-06:00

1. Do you swim in the winter?

I like to take Stratton up to the college and swim every now and then but I haven't yet this year. It's just too dang cold outside.

2. Do you love or hate winter?

I have a love/hate relationship with the winter. I love that it gets cold and I love snow. But, living in SE Missouri, all we ever get it ice. Not to mention the road out to when I work is never cleared so it is horrible to drive in. So, mostly no I do not like the winter but it has it's perks.

3. Do you put makeup/actual clothes on when you know you're going to be home all day with just family?

No way! Why waste makeup and a cute outfit on hanging around the house. Not to mention I want to be comfortable and not have to worry about smudging my mascara down my face while I'm crying over teen mom or Dear John. Haha.

4. How old were you when you had your first alcoholic beverage?

Oh good golly. Well the first time I ever tried a beer was when I was in 7th grade. My friend Ali and I snuck one out of the fridge at the barn and tried it. Needless to say we wound up pouring most of it out. The first time I drank socially was when I was 17 or 18. It was Boones Farm strawberry wine. It was delicious going down. Coming up was not as good.

5. How many ill calls in a 12 month period do you think are acceptable?

I'm guessing this is referring to sick days. This is a tough one. I think each person is different. I get 80 hours of vacation time and 40 hours of non-paid personal time. I think I use more of the vacation time on being home with Stratton when he is sick. So, I guess the 120 hours or 15 days that I get is pretty reasonable.

Kat Von D Clothing Line

2012-01-20T16:46:00.000-06:00

Most of you know that I love Kat Von D, not in a stalker kind of way but just that I really look up to her as a person. I know she has a bad reputation because of the whole dating Jessie James thing but seriously, I love that she stays true to herself and loves whole heatedly. She is passionate and romantic and I just love that. Her personality is truly reflected through her clothing and I would love to own just one piece.

Check it out! Here are a few from the Kat Von D Los Angeles White Line

Beethoven Jacket $359

Napoleon Coat $442

Parlour Jacket $265

Quill Sweater $338

Peacock Sweater $145

Slash Sweater $114

Here are a few from the KvD Red Line

Cross Dress $60

Front

Back
Anna Top $65

Front

Back
Faye Top $60

These shoes aren't by Kat Von D but she sells them in her Wonderland Gallery. I think they are just the cutest things out there that you can put on your feet.

Red Rhinestone Ribbon Tie Platform Shoe $180 (that's a 5 3/4" heel on that puppy)

She also carries this beautiful Reliquary Skull & Heart Love Poem Locket for $57
I might ask for this for my anniversary.

What are some of your favorite designers? Do you secretly save up to get something you know is ridiculously expensive? Another designer I love is Alexander McQueen (God rest his soul). His clothing was so beautiful. He was another passionate romantic. One of my favorite dresses that he made was actually worn by my friend Ali Turner. She is so lucky.

I am hoping to finally put some Christmas pictures up next week. Only a month late. Haha.

pictures via & via

Friday Confessions

2012-01-20T16:08:00.002-06:00

I confess I sing myself to sleep on nights when Derek isn't home. It keeps my mind off of the "scary's" that make me lose sleep.

I confess although I don't like that Stratton sleeps in our bed, it's kind of nice having him in there with me when Derek isn't home.

I confess I usually get really stressed out about starting a new semester but this semester I wasn't even the slightest bit nervous.

I confess I actually surprised myself when I stepped on the scale last night. I don't own a scale because I don't think it's healthy to obsess about you weight. But, I actually weighed less that I thought I did. I have been trying to eat better and eat more tiny meals throughout the day. Looks like my dedication is paying off. :)*

I confess I bought pleather pants and I love them!

I confess that I treated myself to getting my nails shellacked after class today. What's another hour of personal time used at work when you have the satisfaction of knowing your nails look AWESOME!

I confess that I bought a new wedding band for myself a few weeks ago. I love my original wedding band and engagement ring but going to class and working with my hands so much around the house makes me worry that I'm going to mess it up. I got this one so I can go to class, clean my house, and play in the dirt and not worry.

I confess I have never been as excited about a silk scarf as I was when Kat Von D showed her new scarf that she is including in her upcoming clothing line. YES!

Seriously, who wouldn't want to have that tied around their neck? I know I do!

I confess I have been saving up money so I can actually get something off of Kat Von D's clothing line. It's so expensive but it is so romantic and classy looking. I'll post all about that soon!

I confess I bought a 32oz sweet tea yesterday and only drank about 2 ounces of it. :(

I confess I am so excited for the weekend so I can clean my house! Hahaha.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! If any of you would like to go get a coffee or something with me let me know. I have Stratton all to myself this weekend so getting him out of the house is a good thing...not only for the sake of keeping my house clean but also for the sake of using up some of that 3 year old energy. Haha.

*Note: I know I am by no means fat but I used to not eat healthy and not care about what I ingested. This is about merely getting healthier not skinnier.

Pens

2012-01-18T12:48:00.003-06:00

I have to admit. Being 25 years old and still taking college classes sucks. I mean royally sucks. For one I'm always the oldest student. For two, I have to spend money on classes teaching me things that I already know. For three, I have to spend more and more time away from Stratton. It sucks! The only pleasure I get out of starting a new semester is treating myself to the one thing I buy every quarter....a new set of pens.

I know it sounds really dumb that THAT is what gets me excited to start the semester but I mean think about it. What do I have at school to make me happy anymore? Nothing. I'm too old to hang out with my classmates and I spend SO much money on art supplies that I feel like in a few years I won't be able to do any of it anymore because I have given up both of my arms and both of my legs.

The pens I got were a little expensive but I love them. I bought two sets of pens last night at Walmart with Stratton. One is a plain blue set that is Uni-ball brand in bold 0.8mm. They write beautifully. The other set I got was also Uni-ball, but it was the Signo brand. I got a blue, green, orange, and pink in that pack. I'm not going to lie, I felt like a 1st grader all over again getting my school supplies and being excited about it.

What are your little pleasures that keep you going?

January 2012 Birch Box!

2012-01-17T12:35:00.001-06:00

I love when my Birch Box comes in the mail! It's like Christmas every month! This month was no different. I practically chewed the box open I was so anxious to see what was in it. Here are the wonderful goodies I got this month! I usually take pictures myself of these but for some reason I can't find the pictures I took.
(via)

stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Blue Ribbon

Retails for: $20.00 a pencil.

This awesome silky eyeliner is perfect for changing up your black eyeliner. This comes in three different beautiful colors. I got the Blue Ribbon which is like a blueish gray (cerulean). Beautiful! It also comes in Moray which is a golden olive, Peacock which is a shimmery azure and also Lionfish which is a chestnut brown. The best part is that these beauties are waterproof so they stay vibrant and beautiful all day long.

How to use:

Trace your upper lashline, gently sweeping it up towards your temple to create a cat-eye affet. You can also use a smudge utensil like a smudge stick or cotton swab to make a sexy smoky eye effect.

Larabar Mini Bar

Retails for: $14.95 for a box of 12

This little nugget of yum is the perfect treat to stuff in your purse when you're on the run. It is an all natural snack bar that not only is super yummy but it's also REALLY good for you. It's made with no preservative or fillers and it comes in lots of delish flavors. There are Blueberry Muffin, Carrot Cake, Peanut Butter Cookie and my favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. YUM!

Juicy Couture - Juicy Couture Perfume

Retails for: $89.00 for a 3.4oz bottle

This fragrance is light and fresh on the skin. It's subtle but draws you in to take a nice sniff. It's a blend of fruity and floral and is designed to make you not only smell fabulous but feel fabulous as well. There are top notes of watermelon, passion fruit, and mandarin combined with marigold and also green apple. There are undertones of rose, vanilla and caramel to get the rich warmness of the perfume. I love it. It smells divine!

Clark's Botanicals Smoothing Marine Cream

Retails for: $115.00 for a 1.7fl oz tub

This product is made to battle dullness, fine lines, and dry skin. It also does wonders for your complexion with some really powerful moisturizer. Clark's is a runway best seller that transforms your skin with a potent blend of exfoliating natural acids and energizing algae extracts. It has very much so become a cult favorite.

How it Works:

All Clark's Botanicals' skincare products use Jasmine Absolute to rebalance troubled skin. Culled from nocturnally blooming jasmine flowers, the precious oil has anti-inflammatory and immuno-boosting properties. In addition, this moisturizer features a gentle does of glycolic acid to slough away dead skin cells, plus marine algae extracts to soften skin.

Archipelago Pomegranate Body Soap

Retails for: $12.50 for a 6.9oz bar

This triple milled formula pairs a pure vegetable oil base with rich mango seed and shea butters to make one heck over a soap. This is not your momma's drugstore bar soap. White tea and cranberry extracts provide an antioxidant boost but the main star is pomegranate. It has both benefits on the skin and the psyche.

Stay tuned tonight when I do a beakdown of the products. I haven't gotten to try all of them out but I'm going to try to do a vlog post on how they all work!

Home Cooking for 1 and a 1/2

2012-01-17T11:56:00.000-06:00

This week Derek will be gone to California for business. I love to do meal plans for the week but it is so hard when you only have to cook for two people (one of them being a wiggly toddler). Meal planning seems to help with getting groceries and saves me from spending a TON of money on food that we won't eat for the week. Here is my meal plan for this week for just Stratton and I. For those of you out there that have a husband that isn't home a lot a you have a little one at home...this one is for you.

Monday Meal:

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Tomato Soup
Apple Sauce
Cottage Cheese

Grill Cheese Sandwiches are super easy to make and I seriously don't know anyone who doesn't like them. The best part about making grilled cheese and soup is that you can dip the sandwich in the soup! I don't know about your kids but unless it can be dipped my son won't eat it. Apple sauce is the little bit of sweet that is good your meal and the cottage cheese is something I have always eaten with tomato soup.

Grocery List so far:
bread
2 cans soup
apple sauce
cottage cheese

Tuesday Meal:

Shake and Bake Chicken Strips
Mac n Cheese
Green Beans

This meal has been my go to meal lately. Shake and Bake chicken is SO easy to make and it's super cheap. Not to mention your little guy can help you shake the bag when you're getting everything ready. I like the regular Shake and Bake because it's not too spicy. I dip my chicken in a 3/4 ranch and 1/4 water mixture to get the crumbs to stick to it a little better. Mac and Cheese goes with ANYTHING seriously. Green beans are your vegetable what are a must for a growing little one.

Grocery List so far:
bread
cheese slices
2 cans soup
apple sauce
cottage cheese
shake and bake
raw chicken breast
ranch dressing
mac and cheese
milk
butter
steam-able or canned green beans

Wednesday Meal:

Bagel Pizzas
Corn
Cheesy Bread

I used to make these with my parents all the time when I was little. They are so easy and they are so much fun to make because it's like you get to make your own pizza to taste! You take the bagel, plop on as much sauce as you want, cheese, and whatever toppings you would like. I like pepperoni! The corn is a good veggie to make with these because it's super easy and I think it tastes good with it. As for the cheesy bread, I just take regular bread, slap some butter on it, put some parm on top and pop it in the oven and broil it until it looks just right! Easy peasy!

Grocery List so far:

bread
cheese slices
2 cans soup
apple sauce
cottage cheese
shake and bake
raw chicken breast
ranch dressing
mac and cheese
milk
butter
steam-able or canned green beans
bagels (plain)
pizza sauce
shredded cheese
pepperoni slices
steam-able or canned corn

Thursday Meal:
Thursday nights are usually our eat out night. Panera is a favorite for us. Stratton loves the soup there and I love the bread bowls. Not to mention I can pick up the bread for Spaghetti night on Friday! If you have a night where you like to eat out, you should check your local restaurants and see who has a kids night. McAlisters has kids nights and all kids eat FREE!

Friday Meal:

Spaghetti
Corn
Asiago Cheese Bread
Salad

This is a great meal because you can make as much or as little as needed for you and your little one. Stratton loves corn so making that a side is always a hit. Not to mention he would eat the whole loaf of bread if I would let him. Surprisingly Stratton will eat salad too. If your kiddo isn't much on salad, try cutting up some smaller tomatoes and letting them dip it in ranch. That was always a hit with me when I was little. You could also try cucumbers or carrots too.

Grocery List for the Week:

white bread
america cheese slices
2 cans soup (either tomato or chicken noodle)
apple sauce
cottage cheese
shake and bake original
raw chicken breast (1-2lbs)
ranch dressing
mac and cheese
milk (2% or skim)
butter
steam-able or canned green beans
bagels (plain)

pizza sauce
shredded cheese
pepperoni slices
steam-able or canned corn
spaghetti noodles
spaghetti sauce
salad

There it is, my grocery list for the week. I try to pick up some extra bread as well as some deli meat for lunches at work and a few extra cans of soup. Something light and easy. I also pick up LOTS of fresh fruit. Stratton loves oranges and they are really great this time of year because of all of the vitamin C in it. Fruit is also a great snack because, well lets face it, it's better than eating junk food like chips or ice cream. Hope you all have a wonderful week! I know I will!

Friday Confessions

2012-01-13T13:09:00.001-06:00

I confess I cry when I get mad, hurt, and scared. I get pissed if you make me feel any of the three.

I confess I have to quit pinning about food on Pinterest. I just ate 1/4 of a jar of Skippy Natural Peanut Butter with honey because I am so hungry.

I confess that I have grown more in the last year than I have the last 25 years.

I confess that it is more important to me to have 2-3 really great friends than 10-15 acquaintances.

I confess I hate that Stratton is going to Iowa with my mom and dad. But I know it's going to be so much fun for him, my parents and Aunt Cece and Uncle Al. Not to mention I will be able to get my house CLEAN!!

I confess I have been so scared at night for no freaking reason. I have been having the worst nightmares lately and they have seriously been causing me to lose A LOT of sleep.

I confess I have adopted two plants in the last month. There is Agnes the Ivy and Alford the Aloe. Haha. I think if I give them names and get sentimental with them I won't forget about them and let them die. Here is Agnes.

She hangs out on my desk and watches over my little clay friends.

I confess I had a good laugh last night with Derek and Stratton. Stratton was showing Derek how to do summer salts. He even got Derek to do one!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Keep your eyes peeled for my January Birch Box post! It's a good one!

First Ever Does it Work Wednesday!

2012-01-11T14:30:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone! Now that I have all of that out of my system I want to show you what I did over the weekend. I whitened my teeth!

I used 1 Hour White by Luster. It retails for about $40 but I got it on sale at Walmart for $34.

On one of the review websites I found for this product they said
"Luster One Hour white is a new over-the-counter whitening product from Dentovations. Unlike other take home products that rely on trays or strips, the Luster light system uses a paint-on gel and activating light. The product is advertised often in New Beauty Magazine and can be purchased at most drug stores

The makers of this product claim Luster 1 hour white can whiten up to 6 shades in 1 hour without causing tooth sensitivity. They also claim the technology is similar to that of dentist light treatments."

This seemed like a pretty promising product to me! I've tried the Crest White Strips before but they make my teeth SO sensitive and I always seem to want to whiten my teeth in the winter for some reason (which makes my teeth hurt really bad when I go out in the cold). So, I set up shop in my bathroom equipped with Derek's iPad and the HBOgo app. Which just so happens to have all 6 seasons of Sex and the City.

First step: read the freakin directions. If I have learned one thing from my husband it is to always read the directions. Lesson was learned after we moved into our house and the boys decided they would put our entertainment center together without directions. I now have the ugliest entertainment center ever! The pieces didn't fit right so instead of checking the directions they just drilled holes through it and made it "fit together." Yea, I always read the directions now.

Second Step: Figure out what shade my teeth are.

The guide was a little hard to read. So I guessed I was around the top of the chart since my teeth don't look entirely like corn kernels.

Third Step: Rinse mouth out with the Premium White Lushter Mouth Wash.

I'm not gonna lie. I hate the taste of MOST minty flavors. There are a select few that I actually enjoy. I put the rinse in my mouth (10cc's to be exact) and I swished it around a little. The first second was completely tasteless and then the mint kicked in. Surprisingly it was a really great mint taste. Not like mouthwash with the nasty alcohol taste to it at all. I swished that around for exactly 10 seconds and then moved on to step four.

Forth Step: Apply the whitening gel.

It kind of looked like fingernail polish to be quite frank. You take the cap off, coat your teeth with the brush making sure to dip it back in the bottle between each tooth. And let it dry for 20 seconds. Easy peasy.

Fifth step: Light it up!

Your mouth that is. It comes with this awesome little mouth light thingy. Stratton through I looked spooky. I don't disagree. You hold it in front of your teeth for two minuets. The best part is if you're ADD like me or just have a nasty habit of not paying attention, it shuts itself off after 2 min!!! I thought that was the best part of all!!

Once you've lit up your face you rinse your mouth and repeat steps 3 though 5 for a maximum of 20 times in a 24 hour period. I only did it 15 times.

Here are the results!

Overall I'm pretty pleased with the results. I'm sure if I do it again in a month or so and switch to a whitening toothpaste it will help keep them white and pearly.

My Grade for the 1 Hour White by Luster:
A

I loved the product FAR more than I did the Crest White Strips. It wasn't bad tasting, I didn't drool all over myself, and it actually showed results in an hour. Not to mention my favorite part is that it whitened without leaving my teeth sensitive.

I'm BAAAAaaaaack!

2012-01-11T10:23:00.000-06:00

Ok, I'm done with this stupid pity party hiatus that I've taken for the last few weeks. I moped, I cried, I felt sorry for myself, I even had some crazy moments but I'm over it! The exciting news that I was waiting so impatiently for was a flop! I applied for another job and as much as I told myself I wasn't going to get my hopes up for it...I did. I thought about all the possibilities I would have with this new job and how much this would help Derek and I financially and I just didn't get the job. The worst part was that I went in for one job and didn't get that one, so she said she would consider me for another job and I didn't get that one either. Damn.

But, I'm a big girl. I've been thrown off the horse before, I've learned how to dust my big girl britches off and get back on the horse and kick its ass because it pissed me off. I just have to work hard and get what I want by doing my work and doing it the best I can. God has big plans for me and getting a new job just isn't one of them right now. As for change, there's not going to be a whole lot of change in my life, but as far as my blog, I want to make some big changes. There's going to be more new posts about fun new things. I'm going to be doing more girly posts about how to do your makeup and how to paint your nails and maybe even a few hair tutorials. I'm also going to be doing recipes that I am actually going to TRY to cook at home. Hopefully Derek will appreciate my trying new food instead of making spaghetti every night. I'm also going to be doing a few Does It Work Wednesday posts. I love trying random products like you see on TV just to see if they really do work. I'm going to be doing some posts about local businesses around Cape and Jackson that seem to be forgotten. Last but not least I'm going to try this whole Vlog thing (Video Blog?). I'll try to make some tutorials that are videos instead of just pictures. I hope you all can bear with me with all these new changes and I hope you all will enjoy every post!

Hope everyone had a great Holiday season. I know I did. I'll post a picture dump VERY soon. I promise. I just have a boatload of pictures to go through and edit.

It's all about your face...

2012-01-04T09:17:00.002-06:00

I found this on another makeup website and I thought it was a really fun questionnaire. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed filling it out. If you all have any questions about any of the makeup I talk about please ask me about it. I love talking makeup!

Skincare

1)How many times doyou wash your face daily?
Once if any. I don’treally like washing my face in the morning for some reason, but I always washit when I take off my makeup after coming home or at the very least, I use a facewipe.

2)What skin type doyou have?
My skin is beingreally random at the moment, I have dry patches on my cheeks and my chin and between my eyebrows is broken out. But usually it's pretty normal.

3)What is yourcurrent facial wash?
I love the Bare Minerals facial wash with the daily moisturizing lotion that came with it. It's super gentle and I love that it doesn't leave my face super dry and itchy.

4)Do you exfoliate?
The wipes I use to get my makeup off in between actual face washes is as much exfoliating as I can handle. My skin doesn't do will with exfoliates.

5)What brand do youuse?
I don't have a certain brand.

6)What moisturizerdo you use?
I love the Bare Minerals one. It's probably my favorite. I also use an Aveno one as well.

7)Do you havefreckles?
Yes, especially inthe summer. I love them though. They're kind of cute. I think they make me look young.

8)Do you use eyecream?
Sometimes, I have a Garnier Fruitise roller eye cream that I like to use in the mornings to wake my eyes up so to speak.

9)Do you or did youhave acne prone skin?
Thankfully no, I get a big one or two about a week before "Aunt Flow" comes to visit but that's about it. I get black heads every now and then too.

10)Did you ever haveto use Pro-Activ?
No. But one of my friends used it and she has mixed feelings about it. She said the first two weeks are horrible and your skin is dry and ashy and then it gets better.

Make-up

11)What foundationdo you use?
I use Bare Minerals Matt Powder Foundation with SPF 15. I love it. I've used it ever since I started wearing makeup.

12)How aboutconcealer?
I just use a concealer brush and the Bare Minerals powder. If I'm having particular trouble with a certain spot I use a tiny tiny dab of Mary Kay concealer.

13)Do you know yourundertone colour?
I always get matchedto different undertones and rarely find the right shade so I think I’m aneutral. Iusually mix foundations together to get the right shade.

14)What do you thinkof fake eyelashes?
I have only used fake eyelashes on halloween and they were meant to look FAKE! I think if they are applied correctly they can look beautiful but I don't think I would wear them on a regular basis unless I had them professionally put on.

15)Did you know youwere supposed to change your mascara every 3 months?
Yes, I rotate my mascara a lot to try to get more bang for my buck but I'm horrible about throwing them away after three months. I keep them for like 6-10 months usually and then get a new one.

16)What brand ofmascara do you use?
All of them! Hahacurrently I’m using Benefit “They’re Real” and Too Faced "Lash Injection." I've been using the Too Faced since I was in High School and I love it. This new "They're Real" is pretty awesome too. I'm loving it more and more every time I use it.

17)Sephora or Mac?
Sephora, I've never shopped at a Mac so I can't really compare the two. But I love the Sephora that is in St Louis. Our store is pretty good but there's not a whole lot of variety.

18)Do you have a MacPro card?
No.

19)What makeup toolsdo you use in makeup application?
I have a pretty big collection of brushes. I try to avoid using my fingers as much as possible because your hands are oily and can make your skin break out. So I stick to Sephora Professional grade brushes.

20)Do you use makeupbase/primer for the eyes?
Yes. I have long days and the last thing I want to do is have to touch up my makeup or have to fix the dreadful "crease" from wearing makeup all day. I love my eye primer. I use Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. I have both the clear and the golden "Sin" coloe. I also use the Bare Minerals Prime Time in the Brightening color. I love that one too. It can be worn as a primer or as a color itself. It's really pretty!

21)For the face?
I use the Bare Minerals Prime Time Foundation Primer in both clear and also the Brightening. I love how the Brightening makes your skin a little sparkly.

22)What is yourfavourite eyeshadow?colour or shade?
Oh my gosh. This is a tough one. I have so many different shades that I love. I love almost all of Kat Von D's eye shadows. They go on super smooth and they are so sparkly! I also like a lot of different shades by Bare Minerals. Their colors are really easy to blend and stay on a long time.

23)Do you use pencilor liquid liner?
Both! I use a pencil on my bottom lids. I hardly use eye liner on my bottom though. It just looks to dark on my pale skin. I tend to stick to using liner only on my top lid. I use liquid liner on top though. I feel like I can get a better line with the liquid liner. I use Sephora liquid liner for the top and Kat Von D Autograph Pencil on bottom.

24)How often do youpoke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil?
I've only done it once with the liquid liner. I'm A LOT more careful now. Haha. It only takes once.

25)What do you thinkof pigment eyeshadows?
I think they're really pretty. I love using them. They're a little messy but they're definitely pretty.

26)Do you usemineral makeup?
Yep, that's all I use. I love it. Bare Minerals.

27)What is yourfavourite lipstick?
I love Kat Von D's lipstick. She has some really beautiful shades of reds and pinks.

28?How aboutlip gloss?
I just recently became addicted to Buxom lip gloss. It makes your lips tingle when you first put it on and it makes your lips more full. I love it! They have a bunch of different shades too.

29)What is yourfavourite blush to use?
I usually don't use blush. I use warmth by Bare Minerals. I also use Healthy Radiance and Clear Radiance by Bare Minerals as well. They are more like bronzers but that's all I need.

30)Do you buy yourmakeup on Ebay?
I never have andprobably won’t, I would be a bit scared of getting fakes and I don’t needanything that I can’t get in store.

31)Do you likedrugstore makeup?
Sometimes, I'm more of a high end kind of girl myself but some of the drugstore makeup can actually be really great. I like Maybelline and Cover Girl mascaras.

32)Do you go toCCO's?Cosmetic Company Outlet?
I don't even know if there are any close to where I live, but I would love to check one out.

33)Did you everconsider taking makeup classes?
Not really, I thinkit would be fun though.

34)Are you clumsy inputting on makeup?
Not at all. I use powder makeup and eyeshadow so I'm super careful to not spill any on myself or get too much on the brush when I'm doing my eyes so I don't get any on my cheeks.

35)Name a makeupcrime that you hate?

I hate when girls wear foundation that is too dark for their face and they have the huge line on their neck. I also hate when girls put their mascara on before their eyeshadow and wind up getting the color all over their lashes. It just looks clumsy.
36)Do you likecolorful shades of makeup (lipstick or eyeshadow) or neutral ones?
I'm a very neutral kind of a girl. I love my browns and golds but I'm not afraid to jump out of the box from time to time with a blue or a green.

37)Which celebrityalways has great makeup?
I will always and forever love the way the Kat Von D wears her makeup. She is stunning.

38)If you couldleave the house using just ONE makeup item, what would you use?
Foundation. I'm really self conscious about my skin so if I can just cover that up it would be great.

39)Could you leavethe house without any makeup on?
Yeah, of course! I don't wear makeup everyday. I like to give my skin a rest from time to time. I don't look horrible without makeup so it's not a huge deal to me.

40)Do you think youlook good even without any makeup on?
I’m pretty confidenteven without makeup. I think it helps to enhance my features but I’m not selfconscious without it except for the little spot on the end of my nose.

41)In your opinionwhat is the BEST makeup line?
Well for face I would definitely have to say Bare Minerals

For Eye Shadows I would have to say Kat Von D or Bare Minerals

For Mascara I would have to say either Too Faced or Benefit.

42)What do you thinkof makeup?

I love it. I used to not be a makeup kind of a girl but I have now seen the light and have been changed. I love using different makeup and trying new things to see how they change my face. It's like getting to have a new look everyday.

New Year - New View

2012-01-03T12:56:00.002-06:00

I have officially fallen off the face of the Earth. Haha. I have not gone this long without blogging in a LONG time. It has been kind of hectic around the William's house and I'm not gonna lie...I have NOT felt like blogging lately. I have some pretty big changes coming your way very very soon. New blog look, officially changing the blog name from Emily, Derek, and Stratton to Glitter&Ink, among a few life changes coming my way.

I will explain more once I get a new look to the blog up and going.

Just keep me and my family in your prayers. No I'm not expecting mother. I will be able to explain in a lot more detail in the next coming weeks.

And the winner is...

2011-12-22T08:53:00.001-06:00

Ok so I've been really under the weather for the last week so...
I'm picking a winner today. I will be having LOTS of family time tomorrow (which I didn't exactly expect) and lots of family time over the weekend too (which I was expecting) so I'm going to announce the winner now.

I put all the names in a can and shook it up really well and had my coworker pick a name for me.
The lucky winner is...

Leslie Hazelwood!

Congratulations Leslie and thank you to everyone who came by and signed up for the Christmas Giveaway. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. I will try my hardest to post pictures from this weekend asap.

I'm alive...

2011-12-20T12:03:00.002-06:00

Hey everyone. I hope you all are having a good week so far. I'm under the weather and have been for the last few days. Sorry about being skimpy on the posts, but my mind is cloudy from the meds that I'm on. Hope you all have a wonderful week. Keep your eyes peeled on Friday when I announce the winner of the Christmas Giveaway!

Birchbox is HERE!

2011-12-16T13:37:00.001-06:00

I finally got my Birchbox in the mail yesterday!

(I say finally but really it's only been a month since the last one. hah!) If you haven't heard of Birch Box you should definitely head over to their website and check out what they have to offer. I love it because it's samples of high end products that I wouldn't normally get to try out first hand. This month was no exception to some really great goodies. Even better is that this holiday season, they are working with Baby Buggy, a non-profit that supplies needy families in the United States with essential goods for their children. The entire month of December, Birchbox will donate 100% of the profits from full-sized

Look at all the samples!

Up first we have...

Harvey Prince's Yogini: retails for $26 for a 8.8ml bottle
"Take a deep breath and relax with this calming scent. Notes of sandalwood, Egyptian myrrh, and grapefruit will help you feel as good as you smell."

I will say this scent reminds me of something that I would smell on my more "nature friendly" friends. Haha. It's not a bad scent, just not something I would normally wear. It's very natural smelling.

Jouer Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Birchbox Pink: retails for $20 for a .21oz tube
"We teamed up with one of our favorite brands to create this custom fuchia shade. Apply one coat for semi-sheer pigment, or build it for a hot pink pout."

I actually REALLY like this lip gloss. It's really long lasting. I put it on as soon as I opened the box when I got home yesterday and it lasted several hours without getting that weird clumpy feeling on my lips. I highly recommend this product.

L'Oreal Professional Mythic: retails for $30 for a 4.2oz bottle
"Bring home the salon with this lightweight oil, which boosts shine and beats frizz before or after styling."

I haven't gotten to try this oil out yet but if it is anything like the Moroccan oil that I normally use I'm sure it will be right up my alley.

This is the Moroccan Oil that I normally use. If you would like to support some local business, head over to Concepts. They are locally owned and operated and sell this product along with some other really great products. My favorite hair stylist Amanda works there so if you are in need of a trim or some color go to her! She's REALLY good. She has saved my hair when it was on the brink of disaster. They also sell some really great products that go to charities all over the world.

Next on the list...

Befine Gentle Cleanser: retails for $25 for 3.4 fl oz
"A moisturizing face cleanser made with sugar, rice, and oat extracts to hydrate and restore winter-dry skin."

I don't wash my face on a daily basis, but when I do I usually use Bare Minerals face cleanser and moisturizing face lotion. This sample seems like it is specifically made for that horrible winter dry skin that plagues me every winter. This might be added to my nightly routine.

Prep ShowStoppers Designer Fashion Tape: retails for $9.99 for 24 strips
"Celeb stylists swear by these double-sided tape strips, which will ensure that your party dress stays perfectly in place."

This will definitely be tried out this New Years if we make any plans to go out for a night on the town. I'm always pulling and tugging at my dresses when they are strapless. (this is partially from my lack of cleavage to hold the dress up. haha) We will see how these work out in the future for me. I'll keep you all updated.

Last but not least...

Recharge eBoost Orange Natural Energy Booster: retails for $28 for 20 packets
"Bounce back post-party with this tangy citrus energy booster, packed with a mega-dose of nutrients."

I'm not sure that I'll be partaking in this product because of warning label on the back. "Warning: Consult a physician before use if you have high blood pressure, heart problems, are taking prescription drugs, or are pregnant, nursing, or contemplating becoming pregnant." Because of my heart problem I can't eat or drink anything with the "energy boosters" in them. I'll give it to my husband none the less and let him try out this sample for me.

Hope you all enjoyed this months Birchbox!

Product Review of the Day

2011-12-16T08:53:00.000-06:00

I would like to start out by saying that I have not been this happy about it being Friday in months!
Finals are over and I couldn't be more excited to see this weekend. No more teachers no more books! I'm even more excited because not only did Derek and I get our Christmas bonuses at work, but I actually got to get out and do a little shopping with my two favorite men and have supper going at home while we shopped. Score! P.S. I need to give a little shout out to my girl Leslie for the awesome Chili Recipe! If you don't know it already, she's also having an awesome giveaway for the 12 days of Christmas. Check it out!

You all are so lucky today. You're getting THREE posts!
Product Review

Fist up is a new mascara that I'm trying out. I got it at Sephora last night on my Christmas Bonus shopping spree. The name of the product is by the company Beyond Mascara and the type is called They're Real!

The second product that I got last night was an eyelash curler. It's not your momma's curler though. It's heated! Yep you read right. Heated!

I took pictures from no having makeup at all to all decked out in eye coverage. Here's how it the process looked. I started out with just using my face primer all over my face and eyelids and then did my Bare Minerals matte foundation.

Next I put on my eyeshadow.

Here's what eyeshadows I used to get this look.

A. Sugar Skull by Kat Von D. It's a translucent green color. It's perfect for high lights.
B. Pussy Cat by Bare Minerals. It's a goldish brown color. I love it for the smokey daytime look.
C. Oasis by Bare Minerals. This was another splurge that I bought myself yesterday. It's a really pretty gold/green color. It's bold but not too dramatic.
D. True Gold by Bare Minerals. This is a beautiful gold color. I usually use this as the middle color for a more brown/gold eye but I thought it would look pretty as a little darker highlight on the inside of my eye.

Once I had my eye shadow on and blended neatly I moved on to my mascara. Now, normally I wouldn't move right on to mascara. I take this time to put on my eyeliner. I think it's easier to put on eyeliner when you don't have to fight with your eyelashes. But for the sake of showing off more of the mascara and not my eye lining skills, I skimped out on the eyeliner today.

There's a pretty big difference between not having any mascara on at all and using this new mascara. It was really easy to put on and the picture above is only after one coat! I like to put at least two on just to make sure I get the dramatic look I like to go for but the second coat wasn't needed in this instance.

Last was the new heated curler! I'm not gonna lie. I hate curling my eyelashes. HATE IT! I always wound up smashing them and they look like a mess. Either that or I would wind up pinching the inside of my eye because of the crimper thing. So, when I saw this heated eyelash curler it kind of made me a little bit giddy to try it out since it's a wand instead of a torture device.

All you do is put in the AAA battery (which is included) and flip on the switch. There's a little orange indicator light that shows that it's on. Next, you wait 15-30 seconds for it to warm up (I waited a whole minuet just to be on the safe side). Then you brush it over your mascara. This produce was designed specifically to be used over mascara because it gently warms the waxes in the mascara. This apparently causes your mascara to be stronger and longer lasting! Check and check!
Here is the after result for the Heated Eyelash Curler.

I was a pretty impressed by it's curling abilities. I liked it MUCH better than the crimper version too.
Here's the beginning to end process so you can see it a little better. The only down side I saw was that even thought it curled them I had to apply a little bit more mascara after it was curled because it did take off a little bit of it. But overall I like it!

Hope this helps you all out at least a little bit, especially those you like me that hate to curl your lashes.

Why Are There 12 Days of Christmas?

2011-12-14T08:29:00.001-06:00

So, I got to thinking yesterday about 12 days of Christmas. Why do we have 12 days of Christmas? What are the 12 days of Christmas, etc..
via
The twelve days of Christmas is the period stretching from December 25 to January 6, culminating in the feast of the Epiphany which commemortates the visit of the "magi" to the Christ child in Bethlehem. Epiphany is the only holiday in the Christian year which you can tell a whole lot about merely by considering its name.

"Epiphany" is, of course, a word in current usage with a positive meaning: "an intuitive grasp of reality usually through something simple and striking, an illuminating discovery, a revealing scene of moment." It is also, with Christmas and Easter, one of the three oldest festival days of the Christian Church. It commemorates, according to tradition, "the first manifestation of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles."

Translation: those strange visitors, called magi in the biblical, birth narratives, "three kings" in Christmas carols and artwork, were the first non-Jews to recognize that the child born in Bethlehem was in fact the Savior of the world. In the churches of the Eastern Orthodox tradition, the recognition of Christ's divinity occurs first at his baptism by John in the Jordan River. For these churches this was the breakthrough moment, the occasion on which it was recognized that this man was in fact the Son of God.

In churches of the West the evening preceding Epiphany is called Twelfth Night. Hence, the twelve days of Christmas. Personally, I like the idea that Christmas is actually a season which stretches out from December 25 all the way through to the New Year, culminating in Epiphany.

This simple fact allows one to separate the secular and commercial Christmas from the more reflective period in which the actual significance of Jesus Christ can be contemplated. A period of twelve days allows an appropriate amount of time in which to probe to a deeper level of understanding.

Thus, Epiphany may redeem Christmas, and this time of the year can indeed be an occasion for illumination and discovery, a breakthrough moment in which those things that are most real (and thus most divine) in human life come shining through.

Holiday Giveaways

2011-12-13T14:27:00.002-06:00

Hey everyone! There's only 12 days until Christmas!

You know what that means?

Me either.

Well, I would like to point out some GREAT giveaways that are going on right now.

First is my friend Leslie at Life Told by Leslie.

She is having a 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!

Starting tomorrow she will be giving away a gift a day until Christmas!

She's giving away some really great LOCAL gifts for this holiday season.

Next up on my list is Kate at The Small Things Blog.

Kate is giving away an awesome Cutting Edge Stencil (up to $50.00)

The winner will be chosen at 7:30am EST on Friday December 16th via random.org. The winner will be notified via e-mail. So hurry over for your chance to win!

Dave Ramsey (my new favorite debt free teacher) is having a Giveaway a Day!
All you have to do is head over to his website and register daily for his prize of the day.
Today he's giving away $10,000! Wouldn't that be nice for Christmas?

Last but not least...ME!
I'm doing a giveaway on this very blog!!
Exciting right?!
So here's what you could win, you have a choice of one prize. I realize not everyone that follows my blog lives near me so that's why I'm giving options.

1. A total blog makeover
this includes:
-background
-header
-title bars
-any pages needed
-gadgets as needed

2. A photo shoot done by yours truly
this includes:
-2 different outfits
-up to 4 people
-location anywhere in Cape Girardeau or Jackson
(preferably outside)
-CD of images

3. One Stationary item of choice
this includes:
-up to 30 stationary cards
-up to 30 envelopes
-all made to your order
-This item could be anything from a birthday invitation, birth announcement, thank you cards, you name it.

For your 1st chance to win:
All you have to do is tell me what item you would like to win the most and why. Leave your name and e-mail address so I can contact you if you win.
i.e. "I would like to win a photo shoot! My name is Emily Williams my address is joeschmoe@hotmail.com"

For your 2nd chance to win:
Tell your friends and or family member to follow my blog and leave a comment saying that you sent them here. You both will be entered to win one item. They MUST follow my blog and leave a message for both of you to be signed up.
i.e. "Sandy Smith sent me here and I'm now following your blog. My name is Emily Williams my address is joeschmoe@hotmail.com"

Winner will be announced Friday the 23rd of December at noon!
So let me know what you want to win and don't forget to tell your family and friends.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

2011-12-13T11:12:00.000-06:00

As some of you might have remembered we did our 3rd Annual Jingle Bell Walk/Run this past weekend! It was our 2nd year doing it with 4 generations of walkers!

Stratton was seriously SO excited for this day to come. I told him that if he ran he could win a prize!

I love how all walks of life come to run and walk for a good cause!

We put jingle bells on our shoes. It's something fun to do and Stratton enjoys hearing his feet jingle while he walks.

He looks like such a big boy with his running number on!

He wanted me to make sure I got a picture of him covering his mouth while he coughs. He's been really good about it lately.

One more big cheesy smile before we go up to start walking.

Three generations of walkers. Stratton didn't like Santa so he kept looking at him to make sure he stayed away. Haha.

This little guy RAN the whole mile!

My sister Casey, my Grandma Marge, and step-Grandpa John. Enjoying the one mile walk.

Stratton ran the ENTIRE time!

We had to make a few pit stops so he could wave to the lifeguard on duty.

Grandma Kathie finally showed up after getting home at 3am from working. Glad she made it though.

Sisters! Nothing like a wonderful picture with bed hair and no makeup.

This little girl was so stinking cute too. She's only a few months younger than but she's so petite! It's adorable!

Every time Stratton got close she had to make sure she started running again.

Her little bow and outfit were so dang cute.

Grandma Kathie and Stratton were having so much fun.

After the one mile walk Stratton did the Tot Trot.

This was how far they ran. It was a good 100 yard dash.

Stratton came in 1st!

He looks SO grown up with his little metal!

He thought that it was so cool that he came in first.

Trying to show that he came in first.

There we go!

Great Grandpa John, Great Grandma Marge, Aunt Casey, Grandma Kathie, Stratton, and me!

Here was her outfit from the front. She ran with us last year too.

Sunday night we had the pleasure of eating all together with a young man that was granted the scholarship that is in memory of my Uncle Mark. My Uncle Mark passed away at a young age due to a virus that settle in his heart. It was nice to get to see the scholarship go to such a good guy. His name was Michael, he was very nice to talk to and he seems to have a good head on his shoulders. I'm glad that my Uncles Scholarship can help him with his studies.

Welcome Baby Jackson!!!

2011-12-12T09:23:00.002-06:00

Welcome to the Family Baby Jackson!

Born: 12/11/11
Weight: 7lbs 10oz
Congratulations Ashley and Justin! You all made a BEAUTIFUL baby boy!

Proverbs 31

2011-12-12T09:11:00.001-06:00

A couple weeks ago the Victoria's Secret Runway Show 2011 was on T.V.
I recorded it and watched it the next day because I've been going to bed SUPER early lately. (it was on at like 9:00pm and I didn't want to stay up until 10. Yes, I know I'm turning into an old hag as my coworker likes to call me). Hah. Anyway, I was oohing and ahhing over all the super skinny, uber sexy, awesomely good looking models and the super cute bra's and panties they were wearing...

and then I started to feel bad about myself. I started comparing myself to these women, one of which had a child 4 months prior (yep that's her in the picture) and STILL looked better than I do post pregnancy by 3 years! I'm not gonna lie, it kind of bummed me out. It took all the fun out of enjoying the cute bra's and panties and made me self conscious. Now let me just say that I know by no means am I overweight. I started to pray about God either helping me have the time/energy to change the way I looked and felt about myself or give me the serenity to accept the fact that I have had a baby and my body is good enough for my husband. (which he tells me all the time I look beautiful and that I don't need to go on any diets).

Well this morning God answered my prayers.

I stumbled on this this morning on Pinterest.

Wow...

God really knows how to answer prayers doesn't he...

Proverbs 31

¹The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.
²What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?
³Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
⁴It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:
⁵Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.
⁶Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.
⁷Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
⁸Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
⁹Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.
¹⁰Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
¹¹The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
¹²She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
¹³She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
¹⁴She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
¹⁵She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
¹⁶She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
¹⁷She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
¹⁸She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
¹⁹She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
²⁰She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
²¹She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
²²She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
²³Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
²⁴She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
²⁵Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
²⁶She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
²⁷She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
²⁸Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
²⁹Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
³⁰Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
³¹Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Friday Confessions

2011-12-09T13:57:00.001-06:00

I confess that it was WAY more fun than I thought surprising everyone yesterday with our expecting news. Haha

I confess I am SO ready for Christmas. I just need to wrap everyone's presents. I found a really cool way to wrap presents and now I can't wait to try it out!

I confess I am really more excited about seeing all my family then I am getting presents. (They mean more to me at least)

I confess I bought a plant yesterday and I'm already scared I'm going to kill it.

I confess I am VERY ready for the weekend at this point. We have so many fun plans. I can't wait!

I confess I can't wait to show you all my pottery from this semester. It actually turned out pretty good!

I confess I wish I had a kiln at home so I could make my own pottery.

I confess I can't wait to spend some time with my dad tonight. We're going to go look at dryers! Yay!

I confess I've hated doing laundry lately because it takes three cycles to dry one load of laundry. It's a never ending battle.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

I have some great news!!!!

2011-12-08T14:54:00.001-06:00

I'm expecting!!!

Expecting to be debt free in 1 year or less that is.

We have 5 credit cards and one of them is already paid off!

From least to greatest we have:
Victoria's Secret - 0 balance
Macy's - $100.00
Cabelas - $300
Best Buy - $1500
Discover - $4000
(the numbers aren't really what our cards are at but just for explanation purposes they are close enough)

Recently Derek and I have been at each others throats because of "money issues."
I hate it. I've been listening to a lot of Dave Ramsey lately and Derek and I have come up with a plan for how to get out of debt. We're working with the "Snowball Method." That is where you pay off your smallest debit card or loan first. Ours happens to be our Macy's card. We will pay that one off this month and then be DONE with the Macy's card. (I might keep it so I can use the coupons.) But I will definitely not use it unless I can turn right around and pay it off at the counter.

Next on our list after that is our Cabelas card. We will take what we were paying on the Macy's card and add it to the Cabela's card. That will then be paid off in about 2 months. Next on our list is the Best Buy card. We will take what we paid on both the Cabelas card and the Macy's card and pay off the best buy card in about 5 months. All the while we are paying the minimum (plus a little because I just like to make sure if we have a little extra it's going on there) on the Discover card (the ugly red headed step child that lurks in our wallet).

I'm projecting to be debt free in 7-9 months! Isn't that awesome!

I'm really hoping that we can stick to this and be debt free so we can start saving for things like:
a car for Stratton when he turns 16
college for Stratton after he graduates high school
home improvements
a new dryer
a new fridge
retirement
stocks

I'm really excited about this and if anyone has any helpful hints as to other ways to save please let me know. I've already gotten on the band wagon for the budgeting and having the money saving envelopes. Derek and I are working on the whole budget thing now. The blow money and the months bills are what is so hard right now. We will get this down pact though! I have confidence.

Elf on the Shelf

2011-12-08T09:44:00.001-06:00

Oh the Elf on the Shelf. Stratton's newest enemy.
Most kids that are introduced to the Elf love him and his magical ways. Not my kid. He's terrified of him. I sat him down and read him the book about how the elf.

We asked him what he wanted to name his new magical friend and all he could say was "Elf." Derek and I made him at least put a -y on the end of it so he is now known as "Elfy." He was seriously terrified that this thing was now going to be living in our house and watching him. We put him on the tree and every time Stratton would walk by the tree he would stare at it like it was going to jump off the tree and bite him.

The next day we moved him like the book says to do and we hid him in the kitchen. The morning went by and Stratton was too tired to notice that he had moved but when we got home he remember and finally found him. Right before bedtime came around I told Stratton he had to take a bath. Not a good thing because recently he's hated getting in the bathtub. He loves it once he's in there but he hates the initial "lets get in the bath right now." I told him that "Elfy was watching him and Santa wouldn't bring him the skateboard play set that he's been wanting if he didn't listen to Mommy." Immediately he broke down in tears and said he didn't need another skateboard set because he already had one and he didn't need two. This seriously broke my heart. I don't have the heart to tell him lies like that. He's getting the skateboard set. I already have it bought. He's so scared of the dang thing that we put him back in his box and put him in the closet. See ya later Elfy. I'm hoping that just telling him that Santa is watching him is good enough. Poor kid is already scared of monsters and ghosts. We don't need to throw another creepy elf into the mixture.

Keep your eyes peeled tomorrow! I have TWO crafts to post about AND Friday Confessions!

Good intentions...

2011-12-07T09:40:00.001-06:00

I have seriously had good intentions to post all the fun new exciting things that we have been doing lately but I have seriously been swamped! Finals are next week and I have a HUGE project that is due on Wednesday. I fully intend to put all the awesome pictures and fun things that I have been doing lately up...sooner or later.

Here is some pictures from last weekend. My sister-in-law Steph and my nephew Payne let me and Stratton join them for some fun at the Christmas Tree Farm! It was so much fun. It was a little windy which made it kind of chilly but it was still really fun. I know Stratton really enjoyed his time there.

This here friends, is the epitome of a horrible picture. Haha. Steph has her eyes closed, Payne is crying and Stratton isn't even looking at the camera. Good job all! Awkward Family Photos here we come!

They had sheep! We passed by them on the way up to see all the pretty trees.

Aren't those little ones just the cutest? I think next year we might have to get a real tree...maybe.

We just missed getting to ride on the wagon that was being pulled by mules. I just think they are so pretty.

Aren't the just so neat? I love their color.

Payne and Stratton were enjoying goldfish on the way up to see all the trees.

Stratton was having so much fun on the wagon ride. Payne had to be bribed with goldfish before he could really enjoy it. Poor little guy. He had fun after he got used to it.

This picture is for my dad. It looks like something he would take a picture of and post as his profile picture on facebook.

Payne loved the horses. They were so good!

Stratton liked them too but he hated getting his picture taken.

Not once did he look at the camera.

I love the little thank you sign painted on the back side of the barn.

Finally a good picture of Stratton. This is so cool. Hopefully we can come back for years to come and see how he's grown.

Stay tuned for our ever so creepy new family tradition of "Elf on the Shelf." No wonder my kid won't sleep in his bed anymore. He's scared this thing is watching him.

It very well may be the first and last year of this lovely family tradition.

Lily White. Designs Dress

2011-12-01T15:41:00.001-06:00

As some of you know I've been working with this amazing Christian clothing company called Lily White. Designs. They make some of the cutest dresses, shirts, necklaces, headbands, and kids clothes around. The two girls that make the clothing are so incredibly kind and such great Christian role models. They are so giving too. After I did their photo shoot for a few weeks ago, they let me have one of the dresses from the shoot! I picked out this one.

Let me know what you think!

forty-two roads: Close Your Clothes!

2011-12-01T14:04:00.000-06:00

I stumbled on this today and I thought this was seriously the cutest thing you could do with baby clothes other than put them on your kid.

forty-two roads: Close Your Clothes!: I made this activity book for Lara's birthday. It's made out of old clothes and some Freecycled fabric, and has pages of clothes-fastener ac...

Thanksgiving Picture Dump

2011-11-30T16:34:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving was so great this year. We didn't stress about going to a million places we just went where we needed to go and ate when we got there. It was so nice getting to see the family and getting to spend time with the people we love the most. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Enjoy pictures from our day.

The beloved kids table.

The ever cherished adult table.

Stratton loves playing with the blocks when we go to Great Grandma Marge's house.

Stratton is so good at stacking these blocks. Way better then I ever was and still am.

Look at that face. This is by far the most adorable thing in my world.

My beautiful sister, my beautiful Grandma Marge and myself.

Grandma B and I having a serious conversation...about something.

Showing Grandma B my smart phone. She's never really seen one before so I explained to her what all it did and showed her how you can play games and movies on it. She was amazed.

I finally got my dang sweet potatoes!

My beautiful sister, my other beautiful Grandma B and myself.

Love my sis!

Love my kid!

He loves when I wear my hear down so he can run his fingers through it. Last night I work it down in bed while we were laying down and he kept running his fingers through it. It was so sweet.

I love my Grandma Marges kitchen and all of her fiesta ware. I'm hoping maybe this year I might get my first set. Fingers crossed. I haven't told anyone I wanted them yet but I'm kind of hoping I might start to collect them.

Love my husband!

Oh yea! There's a good one!

My beautiful Grandma B

Great Grandma B and Stratton.

He's so dreamy.

My sister's dog Sage begging for food. It's so funny. She will put her paw out for you to shake it but as soon as you touch her paw she draws it in and won't let you grab it.

Four Generations (Great Grandma Marge, myself, Stratton, Grandma Kathie, and Casey.

The whole famn damily.

Thanksgiving 2011

Thanksgiving at Dale and Lisa's

Aunt Stephie, Payne and Uncle Garrett on their way out to go to STL.

Cobie with Grandma Lisa.

Little Miss Cobie. Isn't she the cutest.

Stratton and JD were having so much fun playing with Papa Dale's iPad.

They were seriously enthralled.

More movie watching by the boys.

They even got comfy on the couch and snuggled up next to each other.

That afternoon we put up the Christmas tree. It's our family tradition to do it on Thanksgiving as a way to kind of wind down from the day.

Gosh I love getting my picture taken....not.

Stratton was such a big helper.

He brought me all the different sized branches by the color tags that are on the bottom of them. He is getting so good at knowing all the different colors.

He was fast too. He handed them to me before I was ready.

Me and my little man.

He's the best.

Me and our Charlie Brown tree.

The finished product.

I know this is going to spoil some surprises for Christmas for a few of my readers but I just thought this was such a cool idea that I had to share it with everyone. I made ornaments!

I took loose glitter, clear glass ball ornaments, and pledge floor shine.
You first pour some floor shine into the ornaments (after you take the tops off of them) and swirl it around to coat the inside of the ornament. Then you take a funnel and pour glitter into the inside of the ball. Swish it around to cover the whole inside and bazinga! You have sparkly Christmas Balls!

I thought they were pretty and all but they needed a little something extra. SO, I made Stratton get his hands dirty and we put his cute little hand print on the outside of them! They turned out AWESOME! Stratton hated having his hands dirty though. He's so funny about that kind of stuff. It was cool for about a minuet then after that it was torture.

He thought it was so cool that he could see his hand print on the bulbs.

What the heck is this stuff on my hands?

He hated it.

He wanted to touch EVERYTHING!

Cheese!

We wound up doing 5 ornaments that night. We still have like 9-10 more to go. I'm hoping he will last longer with the paint on his hands the next time.

I had him hold his hand out and then grab the ornament. It worked really well that way.

I didn't really think it through very well as to how to dry these things. I wound up hanging them from some ribbon I got for gift wrapping. I had to keep in mind the cat too because he wanted to play with them.

I'll post the final product closer to Christmas.

Where has my mind gone?

2011-11-29T09:55:00.001-06:00

I think this cold weather is doing something to my brain.

I went to Wal-Mart with my sister and her boyfriend Marcus on Sunday to get ingredients to make a pot roast. I got my carrots, red potatoes, mushroom soup, and a few other small odds and ends that we needed. Got home and realized...I forgot to buy the roast. Seriously? Who does that?

I had to drop off some movies that we rented over the weekend and I took Stratton with my to return the movies and to finally get the roast. I got the roast right off the bat plus some paint and paint pens for Christmas presents that Stratton and I are making! (pics of those coming soon!) Side note: I don't carry a purse. I am one of the weird women that don't. I carry my wallet and my phone and my keys all in my pockets. This soon will have to change. I got checked out and took my three bags and 25lb box of kitty litter out to the truck, in the rain and cold. Stratton got buckled in and I heard something fall on the ground. I looked down and saw that my glasses case fell into the parking lot. I picked it up, wiped it off, got back in the truck and drove home.

About an hour later I got a call from my dad on Derek's phone asking where my phone was (this is a pretty common occurrence because I always to turn my phone off silent after I get out of class. I told him I wasn't really sure to be honest and he told me it was at Wal-Mart. Someone had picked it up out of the parking lot soaking wet and turned it in! Thank the Lord! I was busy with getting the kid and the cat bathed so he went and picked it up for me. Isn't he the best dad ever?!

I am so thankful that there are still some good people out there that would turn in a phone instead of thinking to keep it for themselves. I am also thankful that I have such an awesome dad that would go to the store at 10 o'clock at night when it's cold and rainy because his little girl would lose her butt if it wasn't attached.

Monday Confessions

2011-11-28T10:58:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend! I know I did!
I skipped posting over the holiday and had family time! It was much needed and was so much fun!

I confess I went Black Friday shopping and LOVED it! My husband says I'm one of the crazies that goes out and gets the deals. He loves it though.

I confess I made a 100 yard dash so I could be one of the first in line at Old Navy on Black Friday.

I confess I bought 40 scarves at Old Navy! Haha. They aren't all for me I promise. They're going to Africa with a good friend of mine for her mission trip.

I confess I actually ate a proportionate amount of food on Thanksgiving and didn't get uncomfortably full from eating. I think that is an absolute first for me.

I confess I was SO excited about getting my Christmas decorations up on my blog that I made them on Wednesday so I could post them first thing today. Haha.

I confess I already have almost all of my Christmas shopping done and ALL of my decorations up!

I confess I can not wait for the next 4 weeks to go by! I can't wait to see all my family members again that don't get come into town very often. Not to mention in the next few weeks Derek's cousin Ashley will be having her sweet little bundle of joy Jackson come into the world! We can not wait to meet him!

I confess I only gained 1lb over the weekend thanks to resisting the urge to smash my face into the pumpkin pie that my grandma makes every year. That was the HARDEST part of this weekend.

Hope you all have a wonderful day and try to enjoy this lovely cold weather.

Fun Thanksgiving Facts!

2011-11-24T14:30:00.000-06:00

Hey Everyone! I hope you are enjoying your Turkey/Thanksgiving Day!
I know I am. My belly is already full and I'm loving all this family time. If you get a minuet with the family and have nothing to talk about. Here are some really awesome fun Thanksgiving facts! Enjoy!
via

Fun Facts about the First Thanksgiving

The Plymouth Pilgrims were the first to celebrate the Thanksgiving.

The Pilgrims sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to reach North America.

They sailed on the ship, which was known by the name of 'Mayflower'.

They celebrated the first Thanksgiving Day at Plymouth, Massachusetts.

The Wampanoag Indians were the people who taught the Pilgrims how to cultivate the land.

The Pilgrim leader, Governor William Bradford, had organized the first Thanksgiving feast in 1621. He invited the neighboring Wampanoag Indians to the feast.

The first Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days.

Mashed potatoes, pumpkin pies, popcorn, milk, corn on the cob, and cranberries were not foods present on the first Thanksgiving's feast table.

Lobster, rabbit, chicken, fish, squashes, beans, chestnuts, hickory nuts, onions, leeks, dried fruits, maple syrup and honey, radishes, cabbage, carrots, eggs, and goat cheese are thought to have made up the first Thanksgiving feast.

The pilgrims didn't use forks; they ate with spoons, knives, and their fingers.

Thanksgiving Facts throughout History

Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of the United States.

Sarah Josepha Hale, an American magazine editor, persuaded Abraham Lincoln to declare Thanksgiving a national holiday. She is also the author of the popular nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb"

Abraham Lincoln issued a 'Thanksgiving Proclamation' on third October 1863 and officially set aside the last Thursday of November as the national day for Thanksgiving.

The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade tradition began in the 1920's.

In 1939, President Roosevelt proclaimed that Thanksgiving would take place on November 23rd, not November 30th, as a way to spur economic growth and extend the Christmas shopping season.

Congress to passed a law on December 26, 1941, ensuring that all Americans would celebrate a unified Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November every year.

Since 1947, the National Turkey Federation has presented a live turkey and two dressed turkeys to the President. The President does not eat the live turkey. He "pardons" it and allows it to live out its days on a historical farm.

Fun Facts about Thanksgiving Today

In the US, about 280 million turkeys are sold for the Thanksgiving celebrations.

Each year, the average American eats somewhere between 16 - 18 pounds of turkey.

Californians are the largest consumers of turkey in the United States.

Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States.

Although, Thanksgiving is widely considered an American holiday, it is also celebrated on the second Monday in October in Canada.

Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States, where it is the beginning of the traditional Christmas shopping season.

Fun Turkey Facts

The average weight of a turkey purchased at Thanksgiving is 15 pounds.

The heaviest turkey ever raised was 86 pounds, about the size of a large dog.

A 15 pound turkey usually has about 70 percent white meat and 30 percent dark meat.

The five most popular ways to serve leftover turkey is as a sandwich, in stew, chili or soup, casseroles and as a burger.

Turkey has more protein than chicken or beef.

Turkeys will have 3,500 feathers at maturity.

Male turkeys gobble. Hens do not. They make a clucking noise.

Commercially raised turkeys cannot fly.

Turkeys have heart attacks. The United States Air Force was doing test runs and breaking the sound barrier. Nearby turkeys dropped dead with heart attacks.

A large group of turkeys is called a flock.

Turkeys have poor night vision.

It takes 75-80 pounds of feed to raise a 30 pound tom turkey.

A 16-week-old turkey is called a fryer. A five to seven month old turkey is called a young roaster.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T09:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Giving Thanks

2011-11-23T08:55:00.001-06:00

Wow, where has this year gone? I literally seems like yesterday we were celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year has gone by in the blink of an eye! It is so hard to slow down when life is coming at you so fast. But, I'd like to take these next few minuets to just slow down and really think about what I have been thankful for since last year.

I am thankful for:
-a car the runs and takes me place to place
-the ability to afford the gas that it takes to get me there
-car insurance
-a good job
-a good job with benefits
-health insurance
-being healthy
-having a healthy son
-having a healthy husband
-healthcare
-a house over my head
-money in the bank
-clothes on my back
-shoes and socks on my feet
-food in my belly
-food in my fridge
-food in my cabinets
-blankets on my bed
-a heater when it's cold and an a.c. when it's hot
-a coat, gloves, and a scarf for when it's cold
-my sister
-my parents
-my grandparents
-my sister-in-laws (well most of them)
-my brother-in-laws (most of them)
-my parent-in-laws
-my grandparent-in-laws
-my whole family
-my cell phone
-my computer that helps me make money
-my schooling
-my Erin Condren planner
-my awesome friends
-Benefit Runs that help me give back to those in need
-Jesus
-Christmas music
-Halloween music
-Pandora for bringing all my favorite music together
-makeup (because lets face it I need it from time to time)
-lotion (both face and body)
-good recipes
-scented candles
-Christmas ornaments
-snow
-fall leaves
-a good summer breeze
-thunderstorms
-sunny days
-hammocks
-bonfires
-camping
-a camper to sleep in
-fishing -going floating with friends and family
-geocaching
-a good GPS
-photoshop and illustrator
-HTML guide books
-the W3 school website
-patience that God has granted me so I can do my job
-hot tea
-sweet potatoes
-sweet moments with Stratton
-Stratton being potty trained!
-Stratton

I am thankful for so much! I think this list is a good start. I read something yesterday that made me really think about how thankful we should be. It said "how much would you have if you only got what you thanked God for yesterday?"

2011-11-18T11:04:00.001-06:00

I confess that I can not wait for the next 5 hours to go by so I can go see Breaking Dawn Part 1!!!

I confess I have had that date written in my planner since last year.

I confess it took me over 30 minuets to get dressed this morning because nothing seemed to fit right. I wound up putting on a baggy t-shirt and tying one of Derek's flannel shirt around me.

I confess I have put myself in a food coma three times in the last 2 days. It is definitely Thanksgiving time.

I confess I have been looking into firearms. Not just buying but safety and shooting ranges and what not. I think it would be a fun hobby that Derek and I could get into together. (plus, I'm pretty sure I would be a much better shot than Derek)

I confess there is one item that is on my Christmas list that I don't think anyone else would want on theirs. I want this book.

I confess the only reason why I am ready for the weekend is so I can clean my house and do my laundry!

Hope everyone had a wonderful week and hope you have a wonderful weekend!

LilyWhite. Designs

2011-11-17T16:13:00.001-06:00

Hey everyone! Holy Moly it has been a WHILE since I have blogged! Yuck! I hate the feeling. I really wanted to blog but I have been a) way too busy to do anything other than work or school and b) I haven't really had anything important to write about!

Tuesday of this week I had the opportunity to take some amazing pictures of some really great people. I have been working directly with a Christian clothing company called LilyWhite. Designs. Check out their facebook page here. Their blog website here. And Lastly their website here. I am working with them on making their website new and better. This week we did the photo shoot to take pictures of their clothing and some of their accessories. Enjoy the pictures I took and if you need a good Christmas present please look to them for it. They are amazing and I love their clothing. My friend Leslie has a dress from them as well that is absolutely adorable. Check out here blog post about her dress here.

Anyway, back to the photo shoot...please enjoy the pictures that I took and please go to their blog or website and give them some love. Abbie and Jordan are such God loving women and it is so nice to get to work with them. They truly are beautiful both inside and out.

Guest Blogger!

2011-11-17T16:07:00.001-06:00

Hey All! I know it has been FOR-EV-ER since I have posted anything but today I was the guest blogger for my friend Leslie! Please head over to her blog here and check out today's post that I wrote about my
FIRST BIRCHBOX OPEN!

Thankfulness

2011-11-11T14:48:00.000-06:00

This video is one of the reasons why people now a days should never take anything for granted and always be thankful not just around Thanksgiving but all year long. If there is one thing that I have learned it's to always make sure the people around you know they are loved.I appreciate my family so very much and I hope they knows that I am SO thankful for them.

My mother has taught me so many things just by being who she is. She is one of the hardest working women that I know as she burns her candle at both ends. She is so selfless and is always willing to go that extra mile even when it's only a few feet that those people deserve. She has taught me how to love even when it's really hard not to hate. She has been such a great friend and teacher to me and my sister and I'm tankful every day for her.

My dad has also been a beacon of light in my life. I have been a daddy's girl ever since I can remember. He taught me how to be like one of the guys when it came to hunting and fishing. He taught me that even though you still may be mad it's ok to say I'm sorry. He also taught me when it was better to keep your tongue between your teeth instead of saying what you felt. I will always be a daddy's girl now matter how old I get.

My sister is now one of my best friends and I'm so very thankful for that. When we were younger we did NOT get along. I think it was because we were such complete opposites. She is very much so a Type A personality while I am very much so a Type B personality. She has to have everything orderly and in it's place. I on the other hand live in a constant world of "lost" objects and "small messes." She truly is one of my best friends not though and I'm glad we could finally see past how different we are from each other and really appreciate each other for the person they really are. I love her to death and I'm so glad she is and forever will be in my life.

My sister in law Steph. She is another one of my best friends. She is such a wonderful and loving person that anyone could learn something from her. She doesn't judge and she is always willing to help in anyway that she can. She is a great mother and an awesome aunt to Stratton. She has taught me how to be a better person when it comes to forgiving and forgetting. Especially when we were having the family issues with our other sister-in-law and brother-in-law. She was the last to judge and the first to forgive.

My Grandma Marge is the woman in my life that I have truly learned the most from. She has loved and lost and still maintained her faith and love for Jesus. She lost both my Aunt Linda and my Uncle Mark within a few years of each other but from that loss she has stayed strong and kept her faith. I have learned to never take anything for granted because of her. She is such a giving person and I have learned to be gracious because of her being such a wonderful roll model. If there is anyone in my life that I would like to be most like, it would be my Grandma Marge. I am so lucky to have her as a grandma.

My wonderful husband Derek. He has taught me more in the last 4 years than I could have ever learned in a lifetime without him. He has taught me how to be patient in even the most stressful situations. He has taught me how to forgive even when I'm still mad. He has taught me that it's ok to be mad but it's not ok to not say "I Love You" before we go to bed. He has also taught me how to look past the "little" things in life that make me mad and appreciate the good things. He taught me that it's ok to jump in head first because sometimes the water is deeper than you thought and if you have a little faith you'll always be able to come to the top for air.

My little man Stratton. I would have never appreciated the love I have for my mom if I had never had him. He has taught me how to truly love unconditionally. In my eyes he is the definition of heaven on Earth. He is my whole world and I am so thankful for him because he truly made my life complete. I'm so thankful for him too because I wouldn't have the relationship that I have with my family now without him. He has brought my entire family together and I'm so thankful for that.

What are you thankful for and why are you thankful for it?

Friday Confessions

2011-11-11T09:11:00.001-06:00

I confess I have been in a bit of a writing/attitude slump. I just have not had anything to talk about and I don't want to just get on here and bitch for the sake of bitching.

I confess I am thankful though. I'm thankful for everyday that I get to wake up next to my best friend, be greeted at 5:30 in the morning by the cutest most snuggly little man ever and getting my face laid on by my loving and adorable hairless wonder.

I confess that all though I have been in a bit of a slumpy attitude, I'm trying and succeeding in being grateful.

I confess I love this time of year (but really who doesn't). I love that I get to celebrate my and Stratton's birthday, then weeks later Halloween, then weeks after that Thanksgiving, then a few weeks after that Christmas then a week after that New Years! It's like the best most awesome time of the year!

I confess I like the holidays the most because I get to see my family. As much as Derek complains about my "family time" that I have with my family...I wouldn't give it up for the world. I love my sister and Marcus, Mom and Dad, Grandparents, Steph and Garret, Dale and Lisa, and I cherish every time that I get to spend another day with them.

I confess that I bit a gigantic chunk out of my bottom lip and it has been causing me to be cranky for the last week. It just will NOT go away.

I confess I am SO happy for my friends Lauren and Alex. Not only are they expecting a little bundle of joy but they moved into their new house this week! Derek and I are SO blessed to have such great friends like them and we are so happy that they have a new and beautiful home.

I confess I am more than excited to go to Breaking Dawn Pt. 1 next week with my sister-in-laws and Lauren. I have been having dreams about Edward Cullen and Jacob Black.

I confess I'm almost finished with my Christmas shopping and it feels SO good to almost have it done!

Being Thankful

2011-11-07T12:51:00.000-06:00

This morning I was given some news about a girl that I worked with at one of my favorite jobs. Her name was Brittney Seabaugh. We worked together as cashiers at Buchheits. She was always a sweet girl and always super nice.

She passed away this morning.

If you could take just a minuet today send a prayer up for her family. I know they are hurting really bad right now. Also be thankful for the family and friends that you have. You never know when it might be your last day with them.

Rants in my Pants

2011-11-02T16:47:00.001-05:00

I haven't done this in a while and I am in dire need of a little ranting.

-Today I was told that because I was of the female persuasion that I would not be able compete with the male web developers out there because women aren't as good at mathematical equations like men are. I should probably just stick to design and not try to actually code the beautiful websites I design.

How's this for not being able to code? Actual screen shot from yours truly thank you very much!

-I was pulled out in front of by a woman on her cell phone today while her son was in the front seat turned COMPLETELY around in his seat! I could have killed him if we would have actually gotten into an accident!

GET OFF YOUR CELL PHONE AND DRIVE!! Not to mention put your kids butt IN their seat with their seat belts ON!

I'll keep this Rants in my Pants short today.
I just had to get that off of my chest.
Thank you for reading.
This now concludes today's Rants in my Pants.

2011-11-01T16:20:00.000-05:00

~~Stratton~~ Iron Man was talking to his Aunt Casey on the phone about how we were getting ready to go Trick or Treating! He loves talking on the phone now a days.

He looks like such a big boy!

First stop with mom and dad was Grandma Marge's house. He walked in the door and the first thing he wanted to do was play with his blocks.

Of course he HAD to ring the doorbell too. Dad helped a little with this one.

He also knocked.

...then he said "Trick or Treat!"

He was loving all the attention but he DID NOT like being called Iron Man. We would say "Hi Iron Man!" and he would come right back with "I'm NOT Iron Man, I'm Stratton!"

He liked showing his muscles though.

Family Photo! Derek as a Gwar Fan (not really), Stratton as Iron Man, and me as Minnie Mouse.

John, Grandma Marge and Stratton for a family picture. Love them so much.

Making our way to Aunt Casey's house for more Trick or Treating. Sage didn't like my ears. She barked at me until I got close to the door and started talking to her.

He was SO excited to see Aunt Casey and Uncle Marcus.

Aunt Casey had "shark" teeth in. (He thinks I'm saying shark instead of sharp. I don't have the nerve to correct him just yet)

First tantrum of the night. He didn't want his picture taken. I totally understand though. I would rather have candy then a good picture any old day too.

Still pouting and wouldn't look at me for the picture.

Aunt Casey and Uncle Marcus with their "shark" teeth and Uncle Marcus with his Warrior hat!

Don't bite! That's not nice!

Aunt Casey and Uncle Marcus with their favorite nephew Stratton (also their only nephew ;) )

Sisters on Halloween with the pretty tree in the background.

Happy Halloween from the Brennan sisters!

Stratton refused to wear his mask so Aunt Casey was showing him how cool it was.

..and then Uncle Marcus showed him too. It was to no avail though.

Sage the attack dog.

Cousin Payne as Plex and Uncle Garrett as DJ Lance Rock.

He could not run fast enough to the front door to see Grandma Mona.

He LOVES his Grandma Mona.

She gave him a goody bag filled with candy.

I love this picture.

This one too.

a little editing.

This cute little guy came to the door dressed as a werewolf and Stratton really wanted to give him candy...until he saw his mask. He just kept his hand reached out with the candy in it and he kept backing away from the door. He was so scared of him. Haha. We walked by him later on while we were out Trick or Treating and he saw him and got scared again and asked me to carry him.

Uncle Garrett, cousin Payne, and Aunt Stephie on Halloween!

Uncle Seth as Fred Flintstone

All the dressed up ones for Halloween.

I'm sad we didn't get to stop and see my parents on Halloween. Next year we decided we are going to have a Halloween party at our house and then after the party we're going to go Trick or Treat. Mark your calendars family! Hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween. Keep your eyes peels the next couple of days for another blog look change. :)

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T09:02:00.002-05:00

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

A Day of Pondering

2011-10-26T11:05:00.002-05:00

So, for a while now, Derek and I have been "talking." It's been a roller coaster of a week this week though, especially when it comes to emotions. There has been tears, there has been anger, there has been joy, there has been disappointment, but most of all there has been a lot of fear.

I talk about having baby fever pretty often. I like the idea of having two kids, another big pregnant belly, all the happy times that come with pregnancy and a growing family. But at the same time I also have to think about everything it takes to have the baby, the bills from the hospital, the dr visits, the baby sitter cost, the diapers, the clothes, the formula (if you don't breast feed), the bottles, the tough nights, the lack of sleep, the fighting from being tired. But one thing that I think I would have to give up on for a little while is....school.

As of right now I'm considered a junior in college. I've been in school for 6 years now and I'm barely seeing the end of the tunnel. I would love to be able to quit my job and go back to school full time but I just don't see that happening. Even if I did go back to school full time I wouldn't see Stratton or Derek as much as I do now. Not to mention I still have a few years of school left before I can get all my classes finished. Derek won't give me a few years to wait to have another baby. Derek wants our children to only be a few years apart (when he does actually agree to have 2 kids) and Stratton is 3. The closest I can shoot for at least is 4 years apart.

So, the trouble I have now is making a decision. A very very hard decision. Which if I know my mother she will be the first to answer this for me.

Option 1: Quit school, make my family bigger and work full time, finish school later.

Option 2: Keep going to school, work part time, and make my family bigger.

Option 3: Keep going to school, work full time, make my family bigger.

Option 4: Go to school part time, work full time, no growth in family.

Option 5: Go to school full time, work part time, no growth in family.

Any of the options are going to be hard either mentally, financially, emotionally, or physically. Option 4 seems to be the road I'm on right now and I'm ready for a fork. I have got to move onto the next stage in my life whatever it may be.

Friday Confessions

2011-10-21T09:38:00.000-05:00

I confess I went out last night...with some of my professors. It was kind of cool and kind of weird all at the same time. They're actually really cool people outside of class.

I confess I have truly forgotten how much my life used to revolve around art and how far I've strayed from that lifestyle. I'm thinking it is about time to start getting back into the passion I once adored more often.

I confess I feel like I got run over by a Mac truck this morning. Haha. I am so not used to this whole going out and staying up late thing anymore.

I confess it's depressing only getting like 20 minuets of sunlight a day. I hate getting off work when it's already dark.

I confess I am STILL loving my Erin Condren planner that I finally got in the mail last week. :)

I confess I have been on a roll lately with my homework and keeping up with classes. It really makes me question why students younger than me don't get their work done. Oh wait...I remember now. It's called beer.

I confess I bought a new scarf the other day and it's simply amazing. Keep your eyes peeled next week for a post ALL ABOUT IT! You're seriously going to run to Bloom Studio and Gifts to get one.

I confess I am going to STL for the weekend and I can not wait to get out of town!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

My Makeup Collection

2011-10-19T19:19:00.001-05:00

I'm not a girly girl. So, for me to wear makeup and/or do my hair is a big deal especially because 1. I'm not a morning person 2. I have a 3 year old and 3. I am NOT a morning person. These things pretty well keep me from looking like the average 25 year old who actually looks in the mirror before going to work. That being said, I've been working hard to not only get up earlier and do my makeup but I've been doing my hair and actually picking out cute outfits everyday. GASP! I know I should have been doing this a LONG time ago but for me I have to look at it as better late than never right? SO, as of lately I've been trying to increase my makeup collection piece by piece. Here is what I have to date.

1. Sephora Liquid Eyeliner

I love this eyeliner...sometimes. Like every other eye makeup each one has it's place and time. This eyeliner is no different. I use it for a thicker/bolder line above my top eyelashes to get a thick line.
Tip: Make sure there is a lot of liquid eyeliner on the foam brush before applying because you won't get an even line if you don't.

2. Kat Von D Tattoo Eyeliner color: Trooper

This eyeliner I will have to say is my favorite eyeliner to date. It's super easy to put on. You shake it before you open it and it's good to go. The tip is really fine so it's easy to make really pretty cat eyes at the corners of your eyes. They don't look so Amy Winehouse but soft and pretty. Love this liner!
Tip: If it seems a little dry while putting it on, dip the end in a tiny drop of water to get it moist again. Then it should be good to go.

3. Too Faced Lash Injection Mascara

This was the first "high quality" mascara I ever bought...5 years ago. I still use it to this day if that tells you how much I like it. It's a great mascara to get thick full eyelashes. Not to mention they give you a lot of length!
Tip: When applying this mascara instead of just going from base of eyelash to tip of eyelash with one swipe, wiggle the brush as you pull it away from your eye. It puts more on your lashes and encases the lash in the mascara.

4. Maybelline One by One Volum Express Mascara

I like to use this mascara when I don't want very dramatic looking eyes for the day. I use this on days that my makeup is more light and natural looking. It gives you A LOT of length but not a lot of volume. Hence the name One by One.
Tip: Always always always put two to three coats of this on. Put the first one on, let it dry, and repeat.

5. Maybelline The Colossal Volum Express Mascara

-This mascara is really great if you want really thick lashes. I like to use this on top of #3 the Too Faced Lash Injection Mascara. It's very dramatic and beautiful paired with a thick black eyeliner and a natural palette of eye colors.
Tip: Just like Too Faced Lash Injection Mascara, wiggle the brush as you pull it away from your eye so it puts more mascara on your lashes and encases the lash.

6. Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion color:Sin

This is one of the few eye primers that I use. I like to use this colored eye primer when I do a brown/gold palette on my eyes. It gives it a slight glimmer when putting it on and it holds my eyeshadow on all day long. Not to mention when using eye primers they make the color of your eyeshadow bolder and brighter.
Tip: Use the applicator and put the primer on your entire eyelid. Don't worry about getting every single inch of you eyelid covered just make sure there is enough on your eye that you can smooth it out with your finger or a concealer brush. Make sure to get it bumped up to your top lashes. If you choose to put some on your lower lid be sure to use the nude primer and not this primer.

7. Cover Girl Lash Blast

-I have to admit that I only use this mascara for one reason and one reason only. To get mascara on my lower lashes. It's perfect for lower lashes thought! The bristles on the brush head are really short and further apart than regular bristles. It makes for the perfect brush because I'm not as worried about poking myself in the eye with it.
Tip: When applying this mascara tilt your chin down and look up into the mirror. This causes your lashes to move up from the skin below your eye and you're less likely to get mascara below your eyes. Another tip for lower lash mascara application is to put some loose powder under your eyes. It make it easier to wipe off if you do get any on your skin.

8. Cover Girl Volume Exact

This mascara is great for long thin eyelashes. I have so many different mascaras but I really do use them all for different applications of makeup. I like this mascara if I just want to not put any makeup on for the day as far as eyeshadow. It's great to just make your lashes look naturally long and still make you look at least a little made up.
Tip: I always use two or three applications of this mascara when I put it on. It gives you the length that you want but not the nasty spider leg looking clumps.

9. Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

I like to use this clear eye primer when I do any other color than brown or gold. It holds the makeup on your eye all day without that weird crease that you sometimes get with cream eyeshadow. Not to mention when using eye primers they make the color of your eyeshadow bolder and brighter.
Tip: Use the applicator and put the primer on your entire eyelid. Don't worry about getting every single inch of you eyelid covered just make sure there is enough on your eye that you can smooth it out with your finger or a concealer brush. Make sure to get it bumped up to your top lashes. If you choose to put some on your lower lid be sure to use the this primer and not shimmery primer.

10. Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Anti Puff Eye Roller

There are not enough words in the English language to describe how much I love this product. I roll it on under my eyes as soon as I wake up every morning. I do it after I wash my face and put on my face lotion (with SPF 15 in it). I just roll it on and it makes my eyes instantly feel less sleepy. I love this because they also make it with some color in it for those dark circle. I tend to like this clear version better because the color doesn't match my skin and winds up making me look like I have dark skin under my eyes anyway.
Tip: Use this as often as you feel like you need it.

11. EOS Chap-stick

This is one of the best tasting chap-sticks I have found in a while. It was from Wal-Mart and was fairly inexpensive. I like it because it tastes good and it's really easy to apply. It doesn't go on super thick which is nice too.
Tip: Put this on before applying lipstick and it will mix with the lipstick and keep your lips from drying out.

12. Kat Von D Foiled Lipstick color: Beranice

This is by far my favorite color lipstick. I love that when you put it on it really does make your lips look like a red foil. It's so pretty. Kat Von D really does make some of the best makeup products out there that are reasonably priced.
Tip: Top off this beautiful color with a little bit of lip gloss to keep it fresh looking and your lips moisturized. (She makes a clear gloss too!)

13. Kat Von D Painted Love Lipstick color: Coral Castle

I love this color for not-so-dramatic lips. I usually tend to pair this lipstick with a natural eye color palette. It's perfect for everyday use because it's not bright red like the Beranice but is just enough color to look classy.
Tip: Put a little bit of chap-stick on before applying and it will make your lips stay moisturized.

14. Kat Von D Painted Love Lipstick color: Underage Red

This is such a fun color if you really want to go bold. It is a RED red lipstick that goes on really super smooth. I have the underage red lip gloss as well that really makes this color POP! I like to wear this with dramatic silver eyes and a simple outfit.
Tip: Use the underage red lip gloss over it because it doesn't tone the red down like a clear gloss would or a chap stick would.

15. Burt's Bees Chapstick

I am in love with Burt's Bees. I love the way it makes your lips tingle and not to mention it's a little minty so if your breath is not as good as it should be just lick your lip and it helps a little. I use this year round because it is such a great chapstick.
Tip: Invest in some Burt's Bees shares because I will forever buy this brand of chapstick until they go out of business and stop selling it.

16. Benefit Cosmetics Full Finish Lipstick color=Shy

I have to admit...this was the first ever lipstick that I have EVER bought...and I got it like 6 months ago. I went for something that was not TOO over the top and this was what I decided on. It's perfect too for everyday use because it's not very bold and it matches my light skin tone. I love wearing it with a dark eye color or even a light eye color. It works with everything.
Tip: Put some chapstick on before you put this one on and mix the two so that the color is still bold and your lips stay hydrated.

17.Aerie Soft Gloss Lip Gloss

I got this as a sample from America Eagle a long time ago and I just love it. It's tiny so if you have lipstick on and would like to keep it looking fresh without taking your whole makeup bag with you, you can tuck this in your pocket and use it throughout the night. It's perfect for the "Shy" color lipstick above. It goes over it very nicely and still looks so pretty.
Tip: Apply in a dabbing motion instead of a wiping motion when putting over lipstick. This keeps your lipstick in place and makes it so you don't have to apply more later.

18. City Garden Lip Balm

This is almost the exact same color as the Aerie Soft Gloss Lip Gloss. I use it just like it too. It's a soft pink color with a little bit of a sweet flavor to it.
Tip: Use it just like the Aerie Soft Glass Lip Gloss dab on instead of swiping.

19. Bare Escentuals Max Coverage Concealer Brush

This brush is perfect for those bigger areas that you need to put powder concealer on. I like to use this for under my eyes and on my chin. It's perfect for the larger areas that need a little extra TLC.
Tip: I like to pat this brush on my trouble area instead of swiping it across the area. I lay it flat on it's side and make sure there is enough power on the brush. Once I have enough on there I use my Sephora Airbrush Concealer Brush to smooth it out and give it an airbrushed look to it.

20.Sephora Shadow and Smudge Brush

This little brush is awesome for eye shadows. I like to use the smaller brush to smudge my lower lid and give a smokey eye effect. I put a little black or dark brown eyeshadow right under my lower eyelashes and use this brush to smudge it and give it a more blended look.
Tip: Use more eyeshadow than what you think you will need. After you smudge it it won't be as dark.
Put on a little more than what you think the "right" color should be and then smudge it down to the preferred color.

21. Sephora Airbrush Concealer Brush

I just recently purchased this brush from Sephora's Professional line of brushes. It it a little better quality bristles than the regular black handled brushes in the Sephora line. I love this brush because it is perfect for that "airbrushed" look. I use it all over my face even though it is such a small brush. I like to use it more heavily on my trouble areas like under my eyes and around my chin area.
Tip: Swirl the brush in the powder foundation and tap the excess power then go to town. You can't really mess up while using this brush. Just make sure you put it on evenly throughout your face.

22. Clinique Blush Brush

I use this brush for one reason and one reason alone. To apply bareMinerals Mineral Veil. It's PERFECT for it. It goes on really soft and it doesn't mess up what you've already put on. I love this brush because of how soft it is. It works awesome for bronzer too but I don't use it for that reason.
Tip: You can't really go wrong with this brush when you use it for applying Mineral Veil just make sure you put it all over your face evenly.

23. Mary Kay Eye Definer and Eye Crease Brush

I seriously use this brush ALL the time for my eye shadows. I use the eye definer to put on my all over shade and also get right into the corners of my eyes. I use the crease side for...well the crease of my eye.
Tip: Make sure you wipe off your brush in between colors. If you use a dark color right before you use a light color you will have that dark color still mixed in with your brush and you might not want that.

24. Sephora Concealer Brush

This smaller concealer brush is great for those tiny areas that you need to get concealer on. I like to use if for the dark circles that I get under my eyes or smaller "tough areas." I like this brush because the bristles are soft and it makes the makeup go on a lot smoother.
Tip: Clean this brush regularly. Clean all your brushes regularly but make sure that you really clean this one good. You tend to use this brush on zits or pimples and black heads so this brush is absorbing all those nasty germs that are in those areas. Make sure you rinse your brush or spritz it with alcohol to clean and sanitize against those nasty germs.

25. bareMinerals Feather Light Brush

I love this brush for putting on bronzer. Like the name says, it's feather light. It holds makeup really well so you don't have to use a lot of product to get that nice glow. I love that it is really soft because it's easy on your skin as well.
Tip: Put a very small amount of bronzer in the brush before applying it to your face. It's better to start of really light and go darker than it is to get too much in your bush and have to wipe it off and waste product.

26.bareMinerals Flawless Face Brush

This brush is one that I first started using when I got bareMinerals for the first time. The name on the brush actually says Bare Escentuals which was their name before they switched to bareMinerals. Anyway, I love to use this brush for their bronzer. It holds just enough bronzer to get that nice summer glow but not too much where you need to wipe it off. It's super soft too which is nice for the face.
Tip: I recommend washing this brush monthly. It is a thick brush so it holds a lot of product. Use the bareMinerals brush wash and dry it flat or standing up on the wooden end and let dry overnight. As far as putting product on, make sure you start off with a small amount of bronzer and work more onto your skin. Don't start with a huge pile of bronzer and work it into your brush and try to apply. You will waste product and wind up looking straight out of the 80's

27.Base Minerals Full Flawless Face Brush

This was my first ever makeup brush. I fell in love with bareMinerals (Escentuals) when I was in high school and this was the first "real" makeup that I had ever bought with my own hard earned money. Thirty dollars when you're in high school is a lot, especially when you weren't really a fan of putting on makeup in the first place. Anyway, this brush is super soft and just like it's cohort the Flawless Face Brush you have to wash it pretty often because of the buildup of product. Not to mention you rub it all over your face everyday. It's nice to get some of that gunk out of your brush. Again, use the bareMinerals brush shampoo on your brushes and rinse with water. Let dry over night and you're good to go the next day.
Tip: You really can't go wrong when using this brush to put on foundation. I love that you can just load up your brush and go at it. It's super easy and definitely dummy friendly. If you like your makeup to stay on longer use bareMinerals Prime Time before applying your powder foundation and it will last MUCH longer.

28. bareMinerals Warmth Bronzer

This bronzer has been my best friend since I realized I can use another color other than PINK on my cheeks to add some color to my ivory skin. This is just the right shade of brown that it doesn't look unnatural like some of the other bronzers out there on the market. I like to use a tiny bit on the cherries of my cheeks and a whatever is left over I like to use on my forehead.
Tip: Start off with a small amount of powder in the lid of your container and swirl your brush into the product. Tap your brush on the side of the lid with the bristles over the lid to get off any excess powder then swirl the brush on your cheeks and forehead wherever you are wanting that warm glow.

29. bareMinerals Fairly Light Original SPF 15 Foundation

The Fairly Light color is the one on the bottom. I wanted to put them next to each other so you all could see the difference in color.

Fairly light is the color that I use for my foundation in the summer time. It's got more of a yellowish tint to it so using it in the summer with your pink cheeks will make you look a little darker than what you really are. I don't use this in the winter because my skin does not hold sun very well. I like this foundation a lot. This too was the first color of mineral powder that I ever bough in high school.
Tip: Make sure you try different colors before you settle on just one. You can even mix some of the shades of foundation powder together if you can't find the one that is just right for you. Start off with a small amount of powder in the lid of your container and swirl your brush into the product. Tap your brush on the side of the lid with the bristles over the lid to get off any excess powder then swirl the brush on your face wherever you are wanting coverage.

30. Mary Kay Ivory 200 Medium Coverage Concealer

I love this makeup for those stupid zits that pop up every month right before it's time for me to bless my husband with a nice case of PMS. I have this awful little red dot that has been on my nose since I was in high school that I absolutely HATE. This concealer works wonders on making it temporarily go away.
Tip: I like to use a foundation brush to put on my liquid concealer. Not the same brush that I use for my powder concealer of course. But putting it on with a brush is better looking not to mention you don't get the oils from your fingers on your face that cause MORE ZITS!

31. bareMinerals Fair Matte SPF 15 Foundation

The Fair is the one on top. See the difference? The one on bottom is way more yellow.

I was kind of skeptical about the Matte part of this foundation. I like to have a little bit of sparkle to my cheeks. Once I actually started using it I fell in love with it. The coverage is a little better than the Original Foundation. I like to use the Full Flawless Bush with this because it goes on so much smoother for all over coverage. For the smaller areas I like to use the Sephora Airbrush Concealer Brush.
Tip: Just like the other bareMinerals powder foundation, make sure you try all their different colors before you settle on just one. Also, start off with a small amount of powder in the lid of your container and swirl your brush into the product. Tap your brush on the side of the lid with the bristles over the lid to get off any excess powder then swirl the brush on your face wherever you are wanting coverage.

32. bareMinerals Healty Radiance Bronzer

You can kind of see the sparkle to it in the lid.

I can't say enough good things about this bronzer. The only down side....they don't sell it individually. You have buy the Facial Wash and Lotion set to get this bronzer and I'm not sure that they sell the kit anymore. I'm really sad that that's the only way you can get this bronzer because I seriously love it. It has a little bit of sparkle to it so it gives you a little bit extra glow.
Tip: Use the bareMinerals Feather Light Brush when putting this bronzer on. You don't need a whole lot so the Feather Light is perfect for application. When applying, again, start off with a small amount of powder in the lid of your container and swirl your brush into the product. Tap your brush on the side of the lid with the bristles over the lid to get off any excess powder then swirl the brush on your face wherever you are wanting coverage.

33. Clinique In-A-Rush Blush #4

I like this blush but I wouldn't go so far as to say that I love it. It's convenient design was initially got me hooked to this product. The makeup for the blush is actually tucked up in the top of the lid so when you twist the brush up into it the blush goes onto the brush. I'm not a huge fan of the brush because I don't think it's large enough for blush but that's just me. I like the color of this blush though. It's a really pretty color pink that you can easily smooth into your skin.
Tip: I would recommend using the brush included to get the blush from the lid to your face but I would suggest using a blush brush or the bareMinerals Flawless Face Brush to blend it into your cheeks.

34. Kat Von D Ludwig Pallette

This by far is my absolute favorite eye makeup. I have a huge girl crush on Kat Von D in the first place but her makeup line is actually full of some really great quality products. The colors are from left to right:
Lucifer- black,
Orbi- dark olive green,
Dimebag- electric green,
Tequila- yellow,
Clay-light tan with gold sparkles,
Downtown- light sparkly gold/brown,
Baroque-darker shiny brown,
Leather-flat dark brown.
This is my one of my favorite pallettes of hers. The colors are just like what I use on a daily basis.
Tip: Blend, blend, blend. The best way to make your eye makeup look good is to make sure you blend your colors. Pick colors that you like, not what match your clothes. Most of all, have fun when you're putting on your makeup. It makes you feel better as the end result.

35. Kat Von D True Love Pallette

This was the second pallette of eye makeup that I got form Kat's eye makeup line. The colors are a little bolder and it took me a little bit to get used to putting on the different colors. This pallette was my first experience with cream eyeshadow. I'm still learning how to apply it without getting those weird crease marks. The colors are from left to right:
Peanut- light gold
Benji (cream)- gold
Rebekah- brown with gold glitter
Lucifer- black
Cholita- dark plum
Skiba- medium purple with silver glitter
Babe- iridescent purple
Missy- white with iridescent purple
This was the first pallette that I got that made me really have to think outside of my comfort zone to apply them.
Tip: Practice putting on makeup as much as you can. Keep trying to do different things and see what works and what doesn't work. Also, invest in some cotton cloths and eye makeup remover because you'll need it.

36. Kat Von D Truth Pallette

This is the pallette that has scared me to use. Haha. I've been dabbling into it's purple colors but I haven't even tried the greens yet. I'm nervous they'll make me look ... weird. But, part of getting makeup is trying it out and seeing if you like it. If you happen to not like it, save it for Halloween! I'm eventually going to have to break down and try the greens out. The colors in this pallette are from left to right:
Sugar Skull- white with iridescent green
Long Distance-metallic green with gold sparkles
Snake Eyes- light green
Finland (cream)- teal cream
Prague- dark purple
Galeano- sparkly purple
Rehab- metallic pink
Sister- light pink
I like using the purple colors in this pallette. They blend really smooth and they look really great together.
Tip: Don't be a chicken like me, bust into that green color and rock it!

37. Beauty Control Havana Nights Eye Shadow Duo

This little duo is great for if you don't want to go all out with your makeup. I like to use it as just a little extra color on my eyelids for when I don't want to put a bunch of time or effort into my makeup. I like these colors because they are great for allover color.
Tip: use a foam tip eyeshadow brush to apply and then use a smudge brush to blend around the edges.

38. bareMinerals High Shine Eye Color color: Moonshine

I love this makeup! It's perfect for, as the name says, high shine eye color. I like to use this purple color with some of the colors from the Kat Von D Pallettes. I like to use is at the corner of my eye right below my crease. The high shine blended with the darker purples makes for a really pretty color.
Tip: Use the foam brush that is attached to the lid to apply it on your eyelid, then use a eyeshadow brush to blend it in with the surrounding eyeshadow.

39. bareMinerals High Shine Eye Color color: Frost

I loving this silver with dark gray and black shades. It makes a really pretty smoky eye color. The silver goes great with purples and blues to make a really dramatic look too. This is such a great all around color to use with pretty much anything. If you're looking for a good silver to use go for this color.
Tip: Just like the Moonshine color apply with the the foam brush that is attached to the lid to apply it on your eyelid, then use a eyeshadow brush to blend it in with the surrounding eyeshadow.

40. bareMinerals Glimmer Grace Eyeshadow

This was the first bareMinerals powder eyeshadow I ever bought. This was back when I only used one color for eyeshadow and knew absolutely nothing about blending or using more than one color. The color is really like and very metallic. I like to use it on my inner eye and right below my eyebrows. It looks really good over the Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion with the gold in it.
Tip: Use a very loose brush when applying the powder makeup. Also put some extra foundation under your eyes so if you drop any below your eye it easily wipes off.

41. bareMinerals True Gold Eye Color

I love this color! I like to use this color in the middle of my eye between a really dark color on the outside of my eye and a really light color on the inside of my eye. It's a great blending color because it's so sparkly you can get some over either side and it looks sparkly and nice.
Tip: I like to apply this with my Mary Kay Eye Definer & Eye Crease Brush the bristles of the brush are light and loose so you can apply it easy and blend really well too.

42. bareMinerals Pussycat Eye Color

I like to use this color with the browns and golds that I usually wear. I like to use it over a black color or a dark brown color because it's dark but has the gold shimmer to it that makes it really pop even when the color is super dark.
Tip: Like the other bareMinerals eye colors. I like to use the Mary Kay brush to apply it. I use the crease side to use it on the crease of my eye. It is a great way to give your eye some depth.

43. bareMinerals Desert Bronze Eye Color

To be honest I can't remember the last time I used this color. haha. I like it because it's a dark gold. I guess I always forget about it so I don't use it as often. It would be good to use on for a crease color or an all over color because it isn't too dark.
Tip: Use the Mary Kay brush and go for it!

New Blog Feature!

2011-10-19T08:19:00.000-05:00

Hey guys. I'm still working on the make-up post. It's a LONG post. In the mean time I added an awesome new feature to my blog that you might enjoy. If you notice at the end of this post there is a "You Might Also Like" bar with past posts that you well...might also like. Haha.

Enjoy the new feature and tell me what you think.

Happy Wednesday!

Celebrating Baby Jackson

2011-10-17T13:49:00.000-05:00

Derek's cousin Ashley Hoskins is expecting a little bundle of joy in December so to celebrate him we (my sister in laws Stephanie and Ashley) had a baby shower for here this past weekend. Her and her husband live in Tennessee so we don't get to see her very often but when we do we always enjoy getting to spend time with her.

She is seriously the most beautiful pregnant woman I have seen in quite some time. She makes pregnancy look so good. The shower was so much fun and it was so nice getting to spend the day in such beautiful weather.

Enjoy!

The Belly of Honor: Ashley and her mom Cindy.

All the yummy food!

Stephanie's friend Alexis made this cake. It was SO yummy!

My nephew Payne.

The party goers sun bathing in the wonderful weather that we had.

Stephanie!

More party goers enjoying the company and good weather.

Mrs Bonnie measuring our her toilet paper for the game.

Ashley and Mona playing the TP game

Ashley's Grandma Lynch and Ashley

Ashley and her momma. She got it almost dead on. She was 1/2 of a square over.

She definitely knows her grandbaby belly

Showing off her victory.

Mrs Bonnie measuring her TP

She was off by a lot haha.

Judy measuring up her belly.

Cristy taking a turn.

Ashley's cousin Lindsey taking her turn.

Grandma Cindy and her baby measuring won the game.

Me and Derek's Aunt Cindy.

Me, Ashley and Stephanie

Payne again.

Cobie was so sleepy.

Gift opening now

A rattle and spoon for baby Jackson

and a matching cup

and a bear piggy bank

Cindy was so proud of the burp cloth that she made. It's really cute. I love owls.

Four generations.

Another shot of the beautiful cake.

Ashley with Grandma Mona

Aunt Cindy and Ashley

I made her hold her dress so we could see the beautiful belly.

Mrs Bonnie and Grandma Mona.

Lindsey and Ashley

Ashley, Steph, Ashley and Me

Me and Ashely. I wish we lived closer together so we could see each other more.

Erin Condren

2011-10-17T10:37:00.000-05:00

Hi, my name is Emily and I have the worst memory ever.
There I said it.

I HAVE to write down everything that I do or have done or else I forget it. I have one planner that I have in my purse at all times and a desk calendar that I make for myself each month. I write down literally everything. If I ate with someone, I write down when and where I ate. If I have an appointment I write when it is, where it is, the contact number, EVERYTHING.

So, for me to get a different planner outside of my usual B&N planners that I have bought for the last 7 years it's a big deal.

Some of my friends have been getting on the Erin Condren band wagon and I was kind of skeptical at first. My friend Ashley (who by the way has some really exciting posts coming up about her adoption as they are bringing their son home THIS WEEK!) had a coupon for $25 off a planner or something from the store. I decided that was sign enough for me to get one. The $50 price tag was a little steep for me since I only but the $10-$12 planners from B&N usually.

I found a color and design that I liked and placed my order, two weeks later. This is what arrived on my door step.

I'm still getting used to the way it's laid out and finding all sorts of new cool things in it that my other planner didn't have. I'm not going to lie though, I will be keeping my B&N planner close by as a back up. Just in case. It's always nice to have backup.
Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I will have a post of my weekend up very shortly.

Friday Confessions

2011-10-14T12:03:00.000-05:00

I confess this morning has been kind of rough. It started off with bad news of a fellow coworker passing away from a major heart attack this morning.

I confess it was hard to see how much everyone else was saddened by this news. It's hard to watch so many people mourn over a loss. He was such a great person.

I confess on a little bit of a happier note that I finally got a subscription to Birchbox. If you aren't sure what Birchbox is please go to their website and check it out. It's pretty nifty.

I confess I have been checking my e-mail hourly to see if there are any updates as to when my Erin Condren planner will come in. I'm am impatiently waiting.

I confess I am SO ready for the weekend so I can see Derek's cousin Ashley and her belly! We are throwing her a baby shower this weekend and I can't wait to see everyone and celebrate baby Jackson.

I confess I have baby fever really bad lately. I'm hoping maybe Derek will catch the bug soon too.

I confess I am so excited for my friend Lauren and her husband Alex! They are expecting!! I can't wait to throw her a baby shower too! They aren't finding out what they are having which I think is so cool!

I confess I have been splurging with my birthday money on makeup lately and a few things to treat myself. That post will come soon though.

I confess that I am ready to go camping tomorrow night with my mom and dad out at Trail of Tears. We probably won't stay the night but I love sitting around a camp fire. Especially with this beautiful fall weather that we've been having.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend full of fun and adventures!
P.S. Please keep the family of Larry Street in your prayers.

Beggs Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-13T17:34:00.001-05:00

Last weekend my dad, Stratton, and I went to Beggs to pick pumpkins! We has such a blast. It was beautiful weather out there and Stratton had SO much fun getting to do all the different activities. For $10/person it was well worth it. We didn't get anything but a few drinks because we were there for so long but man it was such a good time.

The huge chair right inside the door is definitely a must do as far as picture opportunities.

This is looking up into the gigantic slide that they have there. It's actually REALLY fun to go down it!

My dad the jackass...I mean...donkey.

These things were so cool! They were for duck races. You pump the well pump and it makes the little ducks float across to the other side. Pretty nifty.

Next up was the piggy races. it's a little hard to see but it was kind of cute to watch the little pigs run as fast as they could around the track.

Stratton is turning into such a big boy. He was wearing his Grandpa Calvin's hat because the sun was in his eyes.

This big thing was called a blob hopper I think. I could be making that up. But it was basically a huge jumpy thing that was surrounded by sand. Not the best idea for the padding around it but I guess it works. Stratton loved it.

There were lots of tires to play in and on and Stratton of course liked to crawl through all of them.

The sand pits were a huge hit with him too. He loved digging in the sand.

I took this picture for my friend Sarah who lives in Washington state and has her own chickens. I thought these were super cute.

I just love how he sticks his little tongue out.

Stratton was too occupied to look up for the picture.

Ok so I kind of got a smile out of him even though he looks drunk.

ok there we go. A good picture of him smiling!

Next up with the animal train that was pulled by a 4 wheeler. I of course had to ride with him. Yes, I looked like a dork and yes I fit. BUT no, I didn't mind riding with him either because it was actually pretty fun.

Stratton kept telling me that he was riding in the cow and I was riding in the horse.

He was having SO much fun on this thing.

Stratton in his cow.

Me in my horse. Giddy UP!!!

These things were SO cool! I really want to get a few of them for the parking lot behind our house. You sit on them and then wiggle the front part of it. It can be a completely flat surface but you actually move! It's so cool!

Stratton liked it once he figured out how to do it.

The tire horse he didn't so much care for.

But he loved the tether ball!

We played for a good 10 minuets.

Then it was off to go pick pumpkins. He told me this one was dead. :(

He found a "cute little pumpkin" as he kept calling it.

It was definitely HIS pumpkin. He loved his pumpkin.

The we found the old wooden car and tractor and had to drive that for a little while.

Oh, we had to get a soda to drink too.

Our favorite thing again! The Piggy Races!!!

Go piggy GO!!

More soda. Let it be known I don't usually let him have soda but since Grandpa was there he got it.

Stratton got chose to stand up next to the numbers that represented a piggy. If his piggy won he got a prize.

His piggy won!

He was so excited the the pink number 4 piggy won!

He waited so patiently while the man gave the other kids their prizes.

There they go again!

More soda.

He did karate while he waited.

This was the piggy race announcer.

Then we played in the corn crib

This was actually pretty cool.

Some great texture shots for anyone who needs a corn background.

Someone even put their little baby in the corn.

Overall we had such a great trip and I really glad my dad got to go with us. We will definitely be going back next year. Hope you all are enjoying this lovely fall weather!

Concert!!!

2011-10-10T10:17:00.002-05:00

So a few weekends ago Derek and I went to a concert for a band that he and I have liked for quite some time now. The band is called Down and they're from New Orleans, Louisiana. We saw them a few years ago when we first started dating. It was our second concert together that we had gone too. This time when they came back through we have an almost 3 year old, are married, and both had full time jobs. Quite a change from just a few years ago when they were here.

Anywho, this time round I got Derek and I the VIP tickets. Which were a little bit more expensive than if we just got the regular concert tickets but it was SO worth the extra money for the experience that we had.

Before the show started we got to watch them do sound check. Which was pretty much like a mini concert to get their sound equipment ready for the show. It was all of about 15-20 min. But it was pretty neat to watch them get ready for the show.

Jimmy Bowers drum set. It was his birthday a few days after the concert so everyone sang him happy birthday. It was pretty neat.

Kirk Windstein coming in for sound check.

Kirk again with the new bass player Pat Bruders.

The one and only Philip H Anselmo...barefoot.

Pepper Keenan and Kirk Windstein sound checking.

Phil and Pepper

Pepper got off stage and disappeared. Turned out he was standing RIGHT behind me. Haha.

Phil again screaming his lungs out. I had to wear ear plugs while they did sound check. It was SO loud!

After the sound check we got to actually meet the band and get a picture with them. Derek and I kept laughing because they kept calling me sweet heart. Not to mention Phil laughed at Derek because they look so much alike. They look like twinkies.
Left to right: Phil Anselmo, Derek, Kirk Windstein, Pat Bruders, Pepper Keenan, Me and Jimmy Bower.

I didn't take any pictures during the show because they never come out and I was scared I was going to drop my phone off the balcony that we were sitting on. We met some really great people during the show and had such a great time. I cant wait to go to another one SOON!

Friday Confessions

2011-10-07T12:02:00.000-05:00

I'm bbbAAAAAaaaaak!

I confess I am SO excited about Halloween that I have been planning our Halloween costumes for the last 3 months. Haha.

I confess I ordered The Nightmare Before Christmas a few months ago so we could watch it for Halloween.

I confess this whole getting cold and then getting hot again weather is starting to get old. I just wish it would stay right around 72 degrees all day long and then get cold at night.

I confess I am going to have a bonfire this weekend even if I have to sit around it by myself.

I confess it was nice to have an awesome birthday party for Stratton but I'm glad that it is done and over with. That is too much stress for me!

I confess I went shopping last night with my sister-in-law and tried on like 20 shirts and only found 1 that I really liked. Fail...

I confess I wish I had like 6 eyes so I could wear different eye makeup on each set of eyes. Haha. I got new makeup and I've been loving putting all the different new colors on my eyes.

I confess that I put my music back on auto play just because I love all the Halloween music that I have and I love to let everyone else bear it with me. :)

I confess that I seriously love this time of year. It's depressing when this time of year passes.

I confess Halloween is my favorite Holiday next to Christmas and Thanksgiving.

I confess that I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! I have big plans for this weekend! Pictures coming soon!