Hello there friends!
How are your weeks going?

I thought today we'd talk about beauty blogs. My friends, I love beauty blogs/products/chatter, which is mildly ironic because I don't really wear much makeup and have super super super thick hair making a lot of hair tips kind of moot points for me.

But, my friends, I don't have the budget to love all the things many beauty bloggers love. Lemme tell you, I big puffy heart MAC and Sephora (confession: I would own Bare Minerals whole collection if I could, best foundation I've ever used, if you can afford it--do it.) but it's just not realistic for me.

So if you're in my cheapo boat, I thought I'd share some of my favorite penny-pinching pretty-fiers.

1. Frizz-Ease Mousse: I love this mousse for when I want a more defined wave to my hair. Scrunches like NONE OTHER. My go-to curly hair product and has been for 5+ years now.
2. Dove Dry Shampoo: This is a recent find and it's incredible. The smell is awesome and not overwhelming, it doesn't leave that weird white film in your hair, it makes your hair feel cleaner, and it's less than $5, so if it gets clogged (like all my dry shampoos are prone to do) I'm not weeping that I "spent so much money" on it, because I didn't.
3. Shimmer Strips: These were shown to me by the lovely Liz, and I love it. It's the less expensive version of a blush/bronzer combo like my old Nars one and make you look just as pretty. I love just the little bit of natural looking I've-just-been-in-the-sun-picnicing color it gives you.
4. Falsies Flared: This is my favorite drugstore mascara, but it has to be the "Flared" version. Adds length and volume to my poor nubbin lashes. It also doesn't make my lashes fall out, which cheap mascara is wont to do.
5. Dream Curls: This is the best soft curls spray I've found yet. It lets my hair stay wavy, but soft and un-crunchified (remember gel-ed curls of the 90s/early-00s? sad hair time for moi). And all it takes is some spritzing, some scrunching and if you'd like a little blowdry. I personally just let mine air dry.
6. Moroccan Oil Conditioner: BEST. CONDITIONER. EVER. Makes my hair so soft, silky and NOT greasy I'm still amazed it hasn't become mandatory for women everywhere. It makes my hair so easy to run your hands through, and two days without washing is not even remote grease-ville. (I don't wash my hair everyday ever. It makes it like hay.)
7. Silicone Headbands: Comfy, cute, and so easy to reposition throughout the day. Plus I got a pack of 4 for $5.00, unheard of.
8. Dream Mousse Foundation: Great coverage, doesn't feel like your wearing makeup, and looks natural because it's a mousse not a powder or complete liquid. I've also bought the kind in the little pot before and I really like that one, too.
9. Polish Strips: AWESOME. AWESOME. AWESOME. AWESOME. Easy to use, fun to wear, and dude they stay on for like 2 weeks no prob (especially the glitter ones) which is way longer than what I'm used to polish-wise.
10. Fresh Vanillas Body Spray: Found this just last week and it smells AMAZING. In fact, I'm ready to convert all my friends and family ... well at least the ladies, to this scent. Light, fresh, and doesn't give you a fragrance-headache during allergy season and that, my friends, is a huge WIN.

Got any beauty buys you love?
I'd love to share them with everyone! (With credit, of course.)

xoxo.

Crazy Things You Probably Never Needed to Know About Me

This thing has been going around everywhere. And I got tagged by the lovely Kristie -- who I've known SO long now, it seems nuts. (It's been like 8 years. Whoa.) She and I love some of the same bands, many of the same shows, lots of the same fashion, and definitely big puffy heart our mutual Massachusetts home. Plus, she's just awesome. So, here goes.


because why not, right?
via

There are six rules.
1. Post these rules.
2. Post 11 random things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post (i.e., Kristie's for me).
4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.
5. Go to their blog and tell them you've tagged them.
6. No saying, "If you are reading this, you're tagged."

11 random things about me.
1. I'm currently not wearing shoes, in my office. I'm off the clock, don't worry, but still. Honestly, I'd love to be barefoot like 99% of the time. The other 1% is when my feet are in hot lava.
2. I love listening to TV. I'm not always great at watching it, but I'm totally fascinated listening to a show happen as I do other things. It keeps my mind going (like while driving) but doesn't require me to sit still, a skill I seriously fail at. I blame this on long road trips to my grandparents' house when I was little and listening to movies mom had recorded on tape.
3. Cheese, potatoes and french toast are my favorite foods. I know they're not super sophisticated but, dude, they make me freaking EXCITED.
4. My little sister's texts are some of the things I most look forward to in my week. She is a 14-year-old comedienne, I tell you.
5. I'm still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.
6. I have a terribly difficult time keeping my fingernails painted. As soon as they chip, I'm over it. I can't get the polish off quick enough.
7. I'm addicted to hand sanitizer because I will.not.get.pneumonia.again.
8. I've always wanted to be a redhead. My whole life. When I was little I was so sad I had to have "silly blonde hair" and not "gorgeous red hair." I blame The Little Mermaid.
9. It's taking me SO LONG to read Bossypants. I love Tina Fey, and the book is funny, I just can't figure out why it's not as quick a read as I thought it would be.
10. My new car's name is Eva because she looks like the white robot in Wall-E and because it's on my license plate.
11. I could drink lemonade non-stop. If I let myself buy a bottle it I go through it in about a day. I actually have to mentally ration it.

Kristie's questions for me.
1. Do you have any pets? If so, what kind and what are they're names? I have a cat that still lives with my parents. His name is Dakota and he's a massive tabby cat. My family also has a dog named Sherlock Holmes.  
2. What is your favorite dessert of all time? Of all time? Oh dear. I have a nearly insatiable sweet tooth, so this is a hard question. My very favorite has to be a good ole chocolate chip cookie with some milk. 
3. Are you an Oxford Comma user? Professionally, no, because it's not AP style. Personally, for the most part. Every so often my professional lack of comma seeps into my life, but generally I am.
4. What's the best field trip you ever went on? Hands down my week-long field trip to Washington, D.C. when I was in 8th grade. If you're talking normal field trip, I was always a huge fan of the St. Louis Science Center and Magic House excursions. 
5. If you had a time machine and could travel to any time in history, what would it be? Any time in history, oh this is kind of tough. I'm a closet history nerd (seriously, favorite books: historical fiction) so it would be between the '40s, the Civil War, or Revolutionary War period, but if I had to pick just one it'd be the 40s; gorgeous fashion, American Solidarity, a cherishing of life that many of us now take for granted. I understand that it's a hard time and that things weren't hunky dory all the time, but I also think that people valued life more than many of us do nowadays. 
6. Who is the most influential teacher you ever had? Why? It's hands down my 4th grade teacher Ms. Nikodem. Ms. Nikodem embraced me for the quirky, awkward, reading-voracious kid I was. She taught me so many things and truly engaged my little 9-year-old brain in so many ways. I still remember her teaching us about Native Americans and totem poles, Johnny Tremain and the Revolutionary War, reading Shiloh to us aloud and not being angry when I'd read ahead and already knew what happened, and always furnishing me with extra books to read because I'd gotten my work done quicker than everyone else. She encouraged me to read and would let me stay behind at recess to talk about them with her. I don't know what teacher would willingly give up their recess free-time for a book discussion with a little kid, but she did. She was an incredible woman; never mean, always smiling, and ever-encouraging. (And she taught me that loving reading wasn't a bad thing. A thought many of my teachers encouraged and enabled over the years. Also kudos goes out to my 6th grade English teacher, whose name I currently can't remember, who formed an after-school book club with 3 nerdy girls and gave us free-reign of the literature closet. She was awesome.)
7. What is your favorite makeup product? Mascara. Hands down makes a HUGE difference on my face. And my current love is Maybelline's Falsies Flared. It is AWESOME.
8. What's better? Clean sheets or new pillows? Oh Kristie, this is a hard one. Hmmm. I'm gonna have to go with clean sheets only because the reward is immediate whereas I always feel like I have to break in a new pillow so it takes a couple days for it to feel right.
9. What is your favorite poem? I'm not a poetry person, for the most part, actually. Despite my love of the written word. But I have two favorites: Emily Dickinson's Hope and e.e. cummings' i carry your heart with me.  
10. What is your secret to happiness? Gratitude. If you understand and appreciate what you have and continue to love it and really enjoy it, you'll be happy. It's also helps you understand what else you want in life and make goals toward it. 
 11. What's your favorite movie of all time? Oh this one's hard, too. I think it's got to be Hercules. I'm never sad I'm watching it.

My questions for the friends I tag.
1. What's your favorite way to spend any "me time" you have?
2. If you could live any place in the world for six months, where would it be?
3. What's the best advice your mom and/or dad ever gave you?
4. What's your favorite book? Why?
5. Do you want a pet? What's your ideal pet?
6. If you could buy any one item regardless of cost, what would it be?
7. What do you hope your legacy will be?
8. Who's your hero?
9. How would you classify your personal style?
10. What do you consider your best personality trait?
11. Do you have a favorite sports team?

I tag:
Jenna, Jessica, Ruth, Heather, Lacey, and Gabby

fact check. fact? check!

I'm still alive.

My home computer is broken (again)...but I don't have internet in my apartment yet, anyway...so yeah.

I'm in my new place -- and I'm so grateful to be out of that awful situation.

Also, how about that Super Bowl? I'm kinda shocked the Packers came back and won it all ... but good for them! They needed a Favre-free title for sure.

I also have a bit of a Case of the Mondays...so I'm stealing Lacey's {/Leigh Ashley's supposed-to-be-Wednesday} writing prompt to get my creative juices flowing.

So I present: 

Things You Probably Never Needed to Know About Me But Now Will

{one} what was your favorite sitcom growing up?

Favorite? Oh man, I'm not sure I can pick just one. I was a HUGE fan of the TGIF lineup -- Full House, Step By Step, Family Matters...I also LOVED Saved By The Bell (Zach Morris...be still my heart).

{two} what song always makes you happy when you hear it?

The Beatles--Here Comes the Sun

{three} do you still have your wisdom teeth?

Thankfully, no. Those things were a huge pain in my...mouth. Actually they were so impacted that when they started doing my x-rays they realized that they were much worse than they'd thought and that they'd have to break parts (yes multiple parts) of my lower jaw to get the bottom two out. It was one of the most unpleasant things I've ever endured.

{four} what is your go to way to relax?

Sometimes a bubble bath. But usually some music, a magazine, my sweats, and the blazer blanket.

{five} do you play any instruments?

Two. Piano and the flute. Though I remember very little of the flute.

{six} nude beaches: yes or no?

Um. If you'd like to be on a nude beach goforit. But for me--nah.

{seven} do you chew your pens/pencils?

Mostly clicky pens. Weird, right? I click them on, and then chew on the loose top. I'm a nutcase, I know.

{eight} can you change the oil in your car?

I can do a lot of things car-maintenance-y...but changing my own oil isn't one of them.

{nine} can you curl your tongue?

Yep! I can fold it into a clover, too.

{ten} can you knit or crochet?

I can knit...but I can't crochet to save my freaking life.
I'm a pro at knitted potholders...but that's about it.

{eleven} have you ever been on tv?

Um, several times. I was a Broadcast Journalism student and work in TV.
But here, my friend, I have a present for you.
From my VERY FIRST STORY EVER...as a mere 19-year-old college student.


(This is stuff I never show ANYONE.)
But yes, it aired on LIVE Television...as did all my other stuff. Woot.

{twelve} what was the best movie you saw last year?

Um, I'm not quite sure. I think I saw 4 movies in the theater in all of last year. But I'd have to say Salt. A lot of people didn't like it, but I LOVED it. (And I don't usually like Angelina Jolie.) I thought it was intriguing and contained a lot of plot twists that I, truly, didn't expect.

{thirteen} do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out?

I don’t sleep with a top sheet. I always end up getting tangled in it at night and kicking and thrashing until it's off me...and, subsequently, off the bed.

{fourteen} do you cut coupons?

I'm starting. I'm looking to save money and stick more to a budget (my resolution/a necessity)...so I'm starting to.

{fifteen} do you ever count your steps when you walk?

Sometimes. But more often I have to get in the same cadence as the people walking closest to me in order to be in the same rhythm. Again, I know I'm a nutjob.

{sixteen} what sauce do you dip your chicken nuggets in?

Ranch and/or BBQ. Always and forever.

{seventeen} do you have any magazine subscriptions?

Actually, yes. I have a subscription to Glamour. It's just about the only girly magazine I consistently like. I used to have one to Newsweek, but didn't renew it.

{eighteen} when was the last time you wrote a letter on paper?

Last week! Shockingly, enough.

{nineteen} what’s your favorite fruit pie?

Razzleberry or Apple. I'm a HUGE pie person. I always have Birthday pie, not cake. 

{twenty} black olives or green olives?

Black. And the jumbo ones, preferably.

Happy Monday, friends.

xoxo.

i'm going private

I'm going private.

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