Sneak Preview

Okay guys, I just got back but here's a preview of more to come from Alaska. It's the pics I took with my phone.

Here's the start of our trip. You can see our cruising companions in the background.


Here's an example of breakfast. Many more meal pics to come.

Is that Guy Fieri?


I got to see the market in Seattle as I was killing time before my hotel check in. Cool surprise.



I'll post more soon.

Baby Bump

This is for my friend Robin in OKC....and so my son doesn't think he's adopted because I never took any pictures pregnant. :) 20 weeks, halfway there!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Birthday Flowers! Thanks, Mom & Dad!


Yes, that is a flower cupcake! :)

Dollar Daze

I was so glad I looked at the Mansfield paper this week, because there was a notice that the Methodist Thrift Store was having a Labor Day Sale. If you buy at least 10 items, then everything is a dollar. Sometimes I go and I can barely find anything I like. Sometimes I go and it seems like they were waiting for me. Today was one of those days. I even found several things for Tony, and he liked them. I'm not posting pictures of those, though. I made some "dummies" and took pictures. I'll explain as I show you.

The blouse is silk, it's wrap around and that is how short it is. I don't know if it will be too short, but maybe it's okay. I paired it with this Talbots skirt that I bought at the Thrift Store last year. It's white with black trim. I've had problems figuring out what to wear with to show off the piping. Maybe this is going to be a good combination.

I really liked these capris. They're kind of dressy. I have another black blouse that is a thrift store find. With some black sandals and cute jewelry - pretty nice.

Now I'm getting to the good stuff. I love these capris, although they're more skirt-y. They're brown and shown with a bohemian-style shirt that came from the thrift store (I think.)They have some really nice details like buttons on the flap pockets and a tie belt. The pants are Harolds. Probably cost the originial owner more than a dollar.

These brown trousers don't look like anything special, but they are from Talbots Collection, which must be their dressier line because they're nicer than just pants. They'll go with so many things, but this pink jacket might be a good choice with a brown camisole underneath.

Another pair of pants from Talbots Collection. Somebody did some closet cleaning! Anyway, I wish you could see these up close and touch them. They have texture, not really brocade, but not your basic patterned pants. And they are fully-lined. I doubt I'll ever wear these to school. They're definitely good enough for going out to a fine restaurant or the symphony. (Our anniversary is coming up.) I've had this sweater forever. Bought it at Kohls for next to nothing. I love the feminine finishes and there's some sequins on it too. That's a brown cami underneath it.

I bought the coral blouse today. The sleeves are 3/4 length, which is my favorite length because it covers up my wrinkled elbows. I got the skirt at a previous Dollar Daze. I don't think it was Talbots, but resembles their skirts. I'll probably wear the blouse on the outside because I don't look good with tucked in things. I also have a cardigan that is the same color that might look better than the blouse. I'll have to try them both and see.

I've had this skirt for a while (yes, fron the thrift store), but it hasn't fit me. I think it does now. I love the crisp pattern and the combination of tan and black. I'll try it with both of my black shirts, but I think I'm going to like the longer one better. I have some black heels and some slip on sandals that have a wedged heel that will really dress this up.

I went over to the sweater rack and almost picked up a really cute vest with a Halloween motif and a sweater with fall decorations, but I know I'd hear groans from Katy, Riverside and upstairs, so I passed them up. Instead, I picked up this sweater. It's more of a jacket. Black wool with jeweled tone flecks. It has one big button near the top and the sleeves don't come all the way down. The skirt of it is a little flared. Remember I told you that emerald and sapphire are the colors for fall? Well, I hope to find a thin shirt in those colors to wear underneath. It will be cute with some skinny jeans. (Did I just say that?)

And last but not least. I like to wear a bathrobe when I color my hair. You can tell that the bathrobe on the left was definitely past its usefulness. So I was thrilled to find a replacement.

That's it, but I am definitely a satisfied customer.

Discard or Repurchase?

Okay, I'm keeping track of the beauty products I use up to justify all the new ones I buy. That makes sense, right? Although, right now, my purchase rate is exceeding my 'use up' rate by a factor of 'xxxx' (censored due to spending embarrasment). Anyway, I'd thought I could share what I thought of these products. Comment below and feel free to ask questions. I'll try and go through them from left to right.

1. Spackle: Under Make-Up Primer by Laura Geller
---This bottle is 2 oz and it took me forever to use it up. I think Kristen gave it to me for Christmas 3 years ago? It feels really good on your face as a primer. I think it's silicone based, so it feels creamy like it's filling in all your fine lines. I could not really tell a huge difference. For $25 at Ulta, I've moved on to try other products. Not a repurchase.

2. Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation
---LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! This is my current favorite foundation. It's full coverage and can really get you that 'flawless' look. It dries pretty matte, too. May be an issue if you have dry skin. The color I had was Medium Ivory. I've already repurchased it but in Rose Ivory. The only downside is the cost of this product. $42 at Sephora. I alternate using this and another drug store foundation to make it last longer. This first tube lasted me 6 months. (1.18 oz)

3. Rimmel London Sexy Curves Full Volume & Curve Mascara.
---The curvy brush is supposed to curl your lashes. Actually, the brush made it difficult to apply. I got this mascara on sale but would not buy again. $7.50 at Ulta (also Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens)

4. Anastasia Brow Wiz eyebrow pencil
---Another product I have already repurchased. This is a very fine point eyebrow pencil with a retractable tip (don't need to sharpen over and over). Makes it easier to fill in eyebrows precisely. I've gotten the more compliments on my eyebrows since I've started defining and filling them with this pencil in Brunette. $20 at Ulta.

5. Peace Love & Juicy Couture perfume rollerball.
---I liked this scent. It was very easy to apply with the rollerball applicator. I like it better that the spray. It seems to last longer on my skin. This size was 0.25 oz. I might buy it again it I could get a deal. I will definately look for more perfumes with the rollerball options. Description: "meyer lemon tree blossom, wild hyacinth, sweet apple accord, black currant bud absolute, sambac jasmine absolute, star magnolia, malibu poppy, honeysuckle, linden blossom, orris extract, sheer patchouli flower, and enveloping musks"
$19 at Ulta

6. L'Oreal Paris Telescopic Clean Deginition mascara.
---I liked this a lot. It has a slimmer applicator brush that really lets you define your lashes and coat without clumping. I have bought this twice already and would again but now I want to try other L'Oreal mascaras. $8.99 at Ulta (also Walmart, Target, CVS, etc.) There are also plenty of coupons available for L'Oreal products.

7. Mary Kay Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover
---This is a very good eye makeup remover. I use a cotton pad and it takes off everything. It did not dry out my eyes either. I'm trying the Sonia Kashuk eye makeup remover right now ($9.99 at Target) but may purchase this again from my Mary Kay friend. ($15)

8. Aveda Hand Relief lotion
---My hands were very moisturized. It helped when they were very dried out in New Mexico. I didn't care for the scent, though, and will look for something else.

Clipping the Weekend's Coupons

I want to share how I organize my coupons. Maybe you can use these tips or suggest some in the comments below. They will be much appreciated. I started out trying to do categories but as I started following other couponing blogs, it was difficult to find coupons I had once I collected a significant amount. So I attempted to simplify. I used an expandable letter-size file folder and envelopes.

Basically, each weekend, I buy a paper for the coupon inserts. I'll clip the coupons I want (trying to be more selective) and put them in their own envelope. Then, I write down the names and brands of the coupons that I have in there on the outside along with the amount of coupons.

Writing this down definitely helps me remember which coupons I have. I then file them in my expandable folder with the most recent envelopes at the front. When I use a coupon, I cross it off the envelope. Since most of the time I'm focusing on cosmetics, I pull all of those into their own envelope. I use almost all of those.

The upside is that this does fit in my purse. Most of the time I just leave it in my car. However, sometimes it takes a minute to find the exact coupon you need when you think you have a good deal on the spot and you think you've got a coupon for it. Another thing I do is typically 'clean out' every weekend. I pull expired and about to expired coupons out of each envelope. This reminds me which coupons I have and let's me see if I really want to use a particular one before it expires. Anyway, do you have any tips? Please share!

YouTube anyone?

I was just catching up on my YouTube subscriptions and thought I'd share all the channels I am following. It's kind of like following a blog, but instead it's a vlog!

AllThatGlitters21
EllesGlitterGossip
juicystar07
otherjuicystar07
bubzbeauty
MakeupByTiffanyD
kandeejohnson
DulceCandy87
MichellePhan
MakeupGeekTV
Katersoneseven
DudeLikeHella
MediocreFilms
mediocrefilms2
wrandehouston

Wow, I did not realize how many I follow until I started listing them. Also, below are a couple blog pages I like to keep up with as well.

copycatchic.com
hip2save.com
manmadediy.com
designsponge.com
elliott.org