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.

i'm diggin.

Hola, mi amigos! Como estan?
I hope the answer to that is super duper bueno. (Why, yes, I do speak Spanglish, thanks for asking!)

My brain is fried (or frita) due to writing lots and lots at work, along with doing all my other job stuff. Sometimes I feel like the only things I've paid attention to all day are if I'm wearing pants, and the CNN Newsfeed.

So, I thought I'd share with you some of the things helping me get through my days lately:

gettin through by notlobs featuring wrap tops

1. I love this sweater. Mine actually doesn't have the Fair Isle pattern, just gray and black stripes, but I did get it for $8 at Old Navy and, well, I'll love just about anything for 8 bucks.
2. Fold Over Yoga Pants, also from Old Navy, are a blessing. Like manna from heaven. They're so comfy and just the perfect solution for my end of day not wanting to wear real clothes attitude.
3. I know, I know. I hated them, and then I bought a pair and now I have 2. And I love them. They're so comfy and warm for my still-air-conditioned office.
4. The Kindle Fire. Um, best invention ever. I love it. I almost don't use my regular computer when I'm at home. I can read, watch videos, listen to music, tweet, use the internet. It's awesome.
5. Ah, my phone, my insight to the outside world.
6. Okay, have y'all discovered this show yet? It's like a 2012 Friends, plus their characters are so well developed you really end up loving all of them for their individual quirks.
7. Um, yogurt is the food of the gods. And my favorite recent foray into breakfast.
8. Sierra Mist. My medium between water (blech) and Diet Coke (because I'm still trying to avoid drinking loads of it).
9. Best.headbands.ever. Don't slide much, hold my hair back without giving me a headache, and are cheap. YES.
10. Best winter lotion in the world. Trust me. Spend the $4 (better per ounce than any fancy lotion), and give it 2 days applying it twice a day and you will notice the difference.
11. Um, so I've also become a Maybelline believer. This stuff is so good, so natural, and it doesn't feel like I'm wearing anything. Plus on days when I don't wear makeup, that mascara makes all the difference. Falsies, I believe in your ability to make my non-lashes look stellar.

So, what are you guys diggin lately?
xoxo.

i want:

I've been nursing a really heinous head cold for most of this week.

(still worth kissing the sick boyfriend.)

Ew. I sound a little like a man, a little like Fran Drescher.

So sitting here sick on my couch, all I really want is: 

 my snuggly trailblazers blanket 

my even snugglier boyfriend 

a steamed apple cider from starbucks 

to be snuggled up somewhere like this: 

with a good book
and my super snuggly boyfriend

my favorite sweatpants 

a really comfy worn-in boyfriend-y sweater 

some french toast 

and hashbrowns smothered in cheese

oh, and did i mention, my super snuggly boyfriend? 

him, too. 

(being sick has left both of us mucho under-snuggled) 

(scary...or sicky...)

xoxox.

my stylin sister

My little sister is the cutest.

Seriously. It's no contest.

See? 'Aint she adorable?!!

Well this cute little girl lives 3,000 miles away from me.

And she has for a little more than 6 years now.

Still, we talk to each other every night before she goes to bed. 

And in a real display of sweetness -- she babysat for a whole day, saved her money and bought me this shirt:
 

because she knows how much I love Diet coke. 

Cutest little sister EVER.

xoxox.

puppy dog eyes...

I walked outside Best Buy today to find these little guys gazing at me: 

Anyone know what kind of dogs they are? 

They look like miniature huskies.

I'm kinda in love.

xoxo.

ruler for a day my something corporate soulmate

I've known Kristie for YEARS. Since she was 12, I think. She is one funny, crazy, lovely, creative, smart lady -- and she has great taste in music.

Kristie says:

Awesomeness. The 10 reasons I rule:
1. I have a fun, eclectic style.
2. I know all of the words to every Something Corporate song ever. Haha.
3. I'm funny! I never knew until my manfriend (a comedian) told me so!
4. I'm a stickler for spelling and grammar. My friends call me webster.
5. I have a fair Swedish complexion but my Italian genes help me to get super tan when I want to.
6. I'm a good writer. I have talent. It's taken a long time for me to be able to say that.
7. I have a chocolate addiction. I used to consider it a weakness. Now I think of it as a trait I have inherited from my amazing mother. :)
8. I make gorgeous wrapping paper out of beautiful magazine images. I give the prettiest presents on the block.
9. Sometimes when I'm tired, a little Boston accent comes out on accident.
10. I'm more than a Sales and Service Associate. I'm more than a student. I'm a lover, a survivor, and an artist, just to name a few.

Thanks for allowing me to do this. I really needed to realize how awesome I am again. Sometimes it's easy to forget.


If you wanna tell me why YOU RULE, I'll do it til everyone realizes how awesome they are. Just click on the cute little bear!

xoxox.

awesomespice.

So I've sat here staring at this screen for several minutes ... not knowing what to say at all.

First, I cannot figure out why I'm still awake when I have to be up at 8:30 and got only 3 hours of sleep last night and worked and stayed up late, AGAIN.

My brain seriously needs to calm down and shut down.

It's still zip zip zipping.  

A LOT. 

Second, even though my brain is all aflutter .... my body is exhausted.

{I promise this won't all be about sleep.}

I keep yawning like a loon. A still awake loon.

My body says "Hey crazy lady, we're trying to tell you you're tired. NOW LISTEN."

Third, I need inspiration for how to cut my hair.

I'm officially getting it cut on Saturday {the first time in a YEAR}.

Now I'm trying to figure out if/how much of it to cut off and what shape I want.

Also, we all know I love blog giveaways done by my loving friends.

I think they're just completely great.

But I'm starting to believe I should only enter ones that have to do with hair products/accessories -- because they're the only ones I win.

And that's okay with me, I'm SO not complaining.

I DEFINITELY didn't complain when I won this little beauty:

"Pinkspice" made by Miss Lauren over at Busy Bee Lauren {check out her headband shop}.

Fifth -- I needed some more work wear {i.e. skirts} and I'm pretty IN LOVE with Old Navy's $15 skirt sale right now. But I accidentally returned the wrong one today (I needed to change some sizes like on the GIANT cardigan I bought) so I'm gonna have to go back and get that one. Yay for cute work clothes.

Sixth, I want spring/summer. NOW. I'm sick of gray skies and rain. I want pretty Oregon again.

Lastly, please please PLEASE check out this AMAZING video my friend Natalie's little sister posted on her Facebook this week. Makes me SO happy. It's epic.

sigh. oh disney princesses. oh mean girls. oh GENIUS.

Happy Friday! Happy Weekend!
{Happy My Haircut, Room Clean, Crafting, Happiness weekend!!}
xoxo.

Tuesday Toesies

Once again it's Tuesday Toesies or Feetsy Fotos (as I like to call it).

So join on in! And make sure you post your link over at My Teacups In Peony, to share with everyone!

This comes from the summer Dani and I went to Denver together and saw a Bronco's game. 

These are my summer feet at Bronco stadium with bright orange nail polish. 

{And the requisite cup of diet coke.}

I love this picture because in it, I can FEEL summer. 

Still.

xoxo.

I Want Wednesday

I'M IN A REALLY BAD MOOD.

So I'm doing this to make me happy.

{in any small way it can}

Lately I'm craving BETTER storage in my room for some of my clothes and odds and ends.

I can't seem to find exactly what I'm looking for though.

Here's the basic concept:

But I'd prefer if the shelves were black or white.

With these kinds of bins:

Both from Pottery Barn Teen.

{bins 1 and bins 2}

I found these here. I LOVE them. 

Puzzle Pieces have a very very special meaning in my life -- so I've kind of become a connoisseur of puzzle piece paraphernalia. 

PLUS you can make a giant sandwich of a whole bunch of other ones!

And these shoes. I have a thing for Vans laceups lately. And I love love love love love those slip on flats at the bottom. And apparently I love the same colors for everything. Except the green and yellow ones -- totally belong to my growing duck pride.

Also, I need more cardigans.

I have a bunch of long ones -- I need some waist length ones, too.

I'm having a hard time finding ones I like.  Here are a few:

granted, the last one is a jacket ... but i LOVE it. 

three sweaters -- old navy. jacket -- shade clothing.

What do you want this Wednesday? 

xoxo.

winner, winner, blog friends should come to dinner!

So...I have 51 followers!

How/when did that happen!?!

It's AWESOME. 

And only a portion of you know me in real life ... and for that I am sorry!

{I keed ... I keed.}

I'm actually sorry I don't know you all of you in real life.

You seem are awesome.

I can tell.

So, because we don't get to see each other all the time ... I'm gonna do something fun. 

ASK ME ANYTHING.

Seriously. Anything.

{within reason -- no social security #s my friends, sorry.} 

And I will answer it.

All you non-commenters and lurkers -- come on out. 

I wanna get to know you!

And I want you got get to know me!
But friends, don't be shy, feel free to ask away, too! 

So, ask away my dears.

And I will answer!

xoxox.

nothing tastes as good as john mayer feels ...

I suck at Twitter.

I mostly use it for minor celeb stalking following (when I actually remember I even have a Twitter).

Anyway ... one of my favorite celebs to read updates from is none other than

John Mayer. (@johncmayer)

I really enjoy John's music ... but beyond his incredible musical and lyrical (seriously, GO GET BATTLE STUDIES. NOW.) talents the man is FREAKING HILARIOUS.

Seriously.

Here are a few of my recent favorites -- you'll see, he's a funny guy.

@SkyMall I gave my lawyer the painting of the wolves with inspiring mantra on Leadership. Framed. Cause I'm fancy.

Nobody seems to think a gift certificate for catalogs.com is strange? You might as well say "I"m sure that I know nothing about you."

@taylorswift13 let's bedazzle something!

If you're shocked that Britney was lip-syncing at her concert and want your money back, life may continue to be hard for you.

This is the part in a line of interviews where I want to start making answers up. So if you read that I breed alpacas, go with it.

I'm in Australia on Halloween. It's like turning out your porch light times a billion.

If you want to go out and buy an entire case of AA batteries, I say more power to you.

This unfortunate media display involving balloon boy undermines the hundreds of boys and girls actually lost to balloon flight every year.

All cookies are sugar cookies.

Dove bar soap is 1/4 moisturizer. That's why Dove bar soap is allowed to make moisturizer jokes and you're not.

See?! And seriously. Get Battle Studies. It's GORGEOUS. This song makes my heart smile.

Now I'm going to leave you with one of my favorite Mayer moments.

Mmmmmmmmmm. I think I like it better than the original.

xoxoxo.

show a little love...

I have some beef with Sonic.
I LOVE the Sonic. I want to crawl in their tator tot fryer and live there.
But I have gone twice in the past two days -- and they were closed!
I went at 1 in the afternoon, and 9 at night!
They're supposed to be open. Ugh. I'm craving a strawberry limeade like none other. 

Anyway. Let's look over some things I'm currently totally swooning over.

The 160 GB iPod. It's like a dream.

40,000 songs?! YES. PLEASE.

I mostly started looking at these because my iPod is starting to die...and I only have half a gig free space on it.

And my alma mater's bookstore has the 120 GB ones for just a little less.

And you have to have an iTrip to go with it -- I'm sobbing without mine.

EVERY.DAY. 

I love this necklace. It's hand stamped...with a phrase from my favorite poem.

I think it's adorable. And sweet.

I like this Etsy seller. She has a sand dollar necklace (I LOVE sand dollars) and tons of other cool jewelry.

 This CTR ring. (CTR stands for Choose the Right.) My current one is getting a little small on my hand. And this one is pretty.

 I FREAKING LOVE PLAID. 

And this matches my pink comforter...and the color scheme of my room.

{I LOVE bright happy colors for bedrooms. They're happy places!}

I also love this bedspread, this duvet and sheet set, this bedroom set, and this bed in a bag set.

This is why I have to stay out of the home goods sections of stores.

I LOVE these things. They're old WWII propaganda posters from England to let everyone know that all would be well. Definitely like the British--keep a stiff upper lip. And I love it in the honey color. I think it's gorgeous. It's the color my room was as a teenager.

{They have it in more colors.}

My Life Is Average.

It's pretty much one of my favorite things that got my through my sick days ... and my normal days, lately.

It's HYSTERICAL. They're all stories people send in from their every day lives.

Like one of my favorites from Halloween: 

Today, I was handing out candy for Halloween and someone rang the doorbell. I opened the door, but no one was there so I was about to close the door when I saw two people dressed as hands running toward each other down the sidewalk. They proceeded to collide midair: they were a high five. I gave them extra candy for their awesomeness. MLIA

I want to be friends with a LOT of these people. If you want a good chuckle, or even a smile, check it out.

And speaking of MLIA, I recommended it to one of my very favorite bloggers, Gabby @ Gabby She Wrote, and she mentioned me in her blog! It was a HUGE moment for me. I basically idolize this girl. 

Mental-Floss is definitely, 100%, certifiably for nerds like me. I love this stuff!

And I'm Etsying my life away trying to find a super cute, reasonably priced beanie, or two, for winter. It's getting chilly here.

What are you guys loving? I'd love to know!

Well, off to write more sweeps stuff. Yay for ratings periods! (Someone shoot me.)

Catcha on the flip side.
xoxo.

i want wednesday ... on friday...

news. is. exhausting.
mentally, physically, emotionally.
i am spent.

so here comes a random and mindless post (i'll have to dredge up old stuff sometime soon so there's something substantial on here).

I WANT:


This dress ... with any of these shoes:

This outfit was front and center in a dream I had the other night that I had to go to a ball and couldn't find an outfit and then magically my mom mailed it to me (in the box were the red shoes). It was very strange {as most of my dreams have been lately}.
p.s. did anyone else hear that louboutin thinks barbie has cankles?!


This CD. I love this song. It's ADORABLE.


New England fall. I miss it. It's SO gorgeous.
There's a red tree right outside my office window and it speaks to my soul.
I LOVE fall.

Speaking of that, I want my momma. She's radddd.
Look at her latest post: here. and the woman is already like the most charitable person I know.
(p.s. I do love rain because of her.)


This on canvas for my bathroom. So fun. And SO true. SO SO true.


A {certain} boy to feel this way about me. For a long time.

xoxo.

wishful wednesday

Kelsey ... the adorable front girl over at The Seattle Smiths does this awesome thing called Wishful Wednesdays.
And since I seriously LOVE Kelsey (she and I would SO be friends in real life, down to our love of scarves AND Seattle) ... I decided to indulge! (You should join me!)

'I wish' .... I could be ________!

(Name that TV star!! Post a picture and tell us why)

Okay. I have 2. And it took a LOT of thinking prior to deciding. Seriously. I watch some TV...but very little with characters, or on a routine basis.

First I picked a real person:

Erin Andrews.
{I almost went with Holly Rowe because she and I are BUDS (for real) and I love her.}
This girl is LEGIT. Not only is she gorgeous and has legs to die for ... but this girl knows her stuff. I seriously want her shift. She gets to cover both College Football AND Major League Baseball. Um, hi?! Yes. Getting paid to be at and watch my favorite sports!!?! That's definitely the job I want. I should probably look into that...

Second I picked a character:

Lorelai Gilmore.

So this lady is witty, quirky, and gorgeous. She's like the Gisel Bundchen of A.D.D. Who doesn't want to be gorgeous enough to get away with being a completely sarcastic crazy? I definitely do.

So head on over, visit Kelsey, and join on in!