the little things.

How awesome are these earrings???

A closeup.

I scored these on a random trip to my local Urban Outfitters... The best part? They were $5!! ♥

Happy [MLK Jr.] Monday everyone!

A

the little things.

 [My tiny tattoo and deflating birthday balloons from last month]

[A lovely polaroid of me and my grandparents]

[A yummy (and healthy!) dinner]



A few of the random things this week that have brought me joy...  :)

♥

model behavior... (kinda)

Me and my brother showing off our fierceness, haha!

Enjoy!

[Kisses]

A

peek.a.boo!

A bit of playtime before an afternoon nap...

...well, that, and a sneak peek of my new short hair!!

♥

A

chocolate break!

Everyone needs a little sweetness in their life! Just thought I'd share...

Have you had a bit of sweetness today??

:)

A

let this be our little secret...

Hello everyone.

There was a small project I had been working on for a little while. I am finally finished!!!

Meet B:

My beautiful, funny and talented sister.

Isn't she gorgeous???! [Not that I need a response to know the answer already.]

Well this past weekend I persuaded her to let me do a mini photo shoot with her as my lovely model. [Actually, it didn't take much persistance; she was all too happy to jump in front of the lens... I guess classic cases of narcissism runs in the family, eh??]

[Does this pose look familiar? It should!]

Anyways, other family members have been no stranger to my blog so why should my sister be any different? She asked my style opinon on an outfit one day and I about lost my mind! From then on, I have insisted that I throw my "expertise" into damn near each outfit she decides to wear. Lol. [If only I were kidding.]

Check out more of  my handywork below...

[You all will be pleased to know each item was inexpensive, which is the point of this blog!]

I wanted everyone to see her as I do, a beautiful person from the inside out and one of my daily inspirations!

Now, tell me that big sis doesn't know best! ♥

All items hauled from F21, Charlotte Russe, Target, JCPenney and our very own closets.... :)

what do say to taking chances...?

Happy Thursday!

...well, the day's almost over. I can't help it if i'm a night owl, though! :)

All I can say is... thank goodness it's Friday tomorrow! Me being "ready" for this week to be over would definitely be an understatement.

Anyways, moving on to the good stuff.

I have been on this whole "50s kick" lately and been playing around with my makeup and hair. You know, beehives, red lipstick, and swingy skirts... all of that. Today, I kept it pretty simple. I had been messing around with this bright pink lipstick that CoverGirl's colormatching assessment has sworn I could pull off and thought I do a little bit of hairplay too! Check me out below...

Cute, no?

I can't even remember what I was thinking here... maybe I was trying to look alluring??? Idk, but I don't think it was working, lol. Here go a few more...

What do y'all think about this pink lipstick, though? Can I rock this??? Maybe you need to see something a little bit closer...

                                                     

[Hahaha... my lips are so freakin huge!]

Now what do you think???

Have a good night every one! ♥

                                                       

... just in case you were wondering, that's my skeptical face above!  :P

duh!

Yesterday, I had an 'aha' moment...

You know what I'm talking about, right??

That moment when the lightbulb finally flashes on and you go, 'A-HA!' The point when something finally clicks.

I have been feeling all out of sorts and just not myself. I wish I could say that it's this funk I've been in for a few days, but it's been more like months! I have been disappointed in myself because I have allowed another person to dictate my happiness and self-worth. I was always one of those people who coud've cared less about what someone else thought, until it was the person I loved and desperately wanted approval from. Once I realized this person did not care the way I wanted them to, I was CRUSHED!

My whole world seemed to change and collapse in on itself. I forgot about that confidence and felt lost without this person by my side. I didn't believe time would heal me and just felt like I would be miserable forever!

Then, yesterday it clicked.

Why am I the one moping around??? This person couldn't care less about me and yet I am still wasting energy even thinking about them... That doesn't even make any sense!

I knew who I was before they came into my life and now that this person is gone, it gives me a chance to be even better than before.

It's so cliche to tell you all that I realized I'm too good for this person and how they weren't worth my time to begin with, but it's true!

It took me a moment to get there, and I had to be reminded a few times as well. Still, to not being doing the things I love [like blogging!], getting out of my house and spending time with people who actually care because I'm crying over someone else is nuts and I refuse to do so [anymore]!

It helps to log in and see I still have you all reading my blog [eventhough there has been a lack of content].

As my 'blogaversary' approaches it feels so good to be back to my former self; the girl who was confident and happy and excited to be starting something so important to me [this blog, of course!]... If that isn't fabulosity, I don't know what is!

It fills me with pride and pleasure to be able to say to myself, 'Hello, old friend. I've missed you so.'

enough is enough is enough!

(I do not own this image.)

Okay...

I have been checking out tons of other blogs lately and I have been truly inspired by the outfits and fresh faces being posted up! I think it's high time that I joined them, right???!! Unfortunately, at my job we have this utterly icky dress code that only consists of the colors red, white and black.... and POLO SHIRTS! Do you all even know how mundane this can be??? So, like my title has already told you, enough is enough! I am embarking on a style challenge of my own to break out of this rut I'm in and to spark up my creativity. I only spend a portion of time at work and it shouldn't rule my chic-ness at home!

The challenge: To incorporate life and color into my makeup and outfits for the next 14 days.

I'm planning to post pictures and maybe you all can give me some feedback on how I do. By the end of this I think my need to express myself will be satisfied in addition to the creative stimulation to better hone some style skills!

Has there ever been something you wanted to challenge yourself to do? Maybe now's the time to give it a try? ;)


btw... that picture of the puppy was totally unnecessary, but it totally describes how I feel; completely exasperated, yet still cute at the same time. Lol.

make a wish...

...then blow out those candles!

Today is my mommy's birthday!

Her age???! That's for her to know and the rest of us never to find out, lol. I just wanted to take the time to wish her the best day ever!


Is anyone else out there celebrating their special day today???  ;)

gimmie a head with hair!

Just dropping by to say hi!

So.... HI!!

I hope everyone had a great time over their holidays and enjoyed ringing in the new year. Me? I fell asleep and woke up 15 MINUTES after the ball dropped!!!! Total fail.... Still, I did look cute doing it. I will be back soon to share some stuff, but until then enjoy these pics of my fabulous hair! (It decided to cooperate, so I decided to commemorate the moment.)

Thanks for stopping by! ;)

liar, liar. pants on fire...

(This picture is not my personal property.)

Umm... is it just me, or does this FTC mandate make us sound more and more like liars everyday???

I understand that the angle is to make sure you aren't just positively endorsing products you get for free... The public wants and need honest reviews!

Still, with that being said, for me to have to announce that "this my honest opinion", even if I got something for free, seems like we're trying too hard to come off as honest in the first place, no? How do you really know I'm telling the truth?

I guess we go off the assumption that most beauty bloggers giving their reviews on a product treat their word as their bond, and typing an honest review means more than free gifts...

Alas, what can you do when the government has spoken???

sibling "rivalry"

I discovered 'the "blog" of "unnecessary" quotes' today. Hilarious.


The title of my post is tribute to that... because these photos obviously depict something other than rivalry!


I ♥ my brother!

Just look at all that love.

Do you all love your brothers and sisters like I love mine? ;)

Happy Thursday!

check out these flyers!

I was messing around on the internet and stumbled across these cute Disney artworks by Mike Kungl...

They were way too neat not to share! Take a look:

They have a cool 'old school' flair about them, no?

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Tuesday! ♥

i couldn't have said it better.

Glamour vamps with voluptuous vixens.

Now, that we have the alliteration out of the way....

Has anyone heard about this??!

I think it is the coolest thing! Glamour Magazine is taking a step into the "real world" and wants to start featuring more true-to-life models on their pages...

It all started with last month's issue, on page 194 and a 21-yr old girl by the name of Lizzie Miller. Apparently she was featured in all her stripped down glory with a "normal, pudgy tummy". What I happen to love about this, is that others are starting to take notice of the fact all shapes, sizes, heights and colors can be beautiful! I personally read this magazine, and while I would never stop reading due to the lack of images that mirror my own, I can't help but to be excited for more models that do. Inspiration for outfits and beauty tips will be a little more pleasurable when the model is wearing something that suits her body shape or skin tone, which look like mine.

One controversial topic this is stirring up is whether or not showing "plus-size" (if you can really call them that!) models will promote obesity and unhealthy habits among readers. My thought? No way! Showing people how to dress or care for themselves in their current state while working towards a better one, couldn't possibly be a bad idea (IMHO)! And sometimes, that pudge just isn't going anywhere, dammit!

Finally, I wanted to leave an excerpt from the original article. Cindi Leive, Glamour's Editor-in-Chief also took the time to point out that the magazine isn't transitioning from completely one body-type to the other. However, she makes it apparent that from now on, Glamour will be celebrating us all!

"To be clear, I'm not on the "real women have curves" bandwagon here, arguing that only bodies like Lizzie's are "real"---and that slender women are all unreal waifs who should just eat a cheeseburger and get over themselves. Turning the tables so we can bash one type instead of another isn't the answer. Celebrating the fact that we're all born different is. Think about it: In real life, women of all shapes and sizes have crazy sex appeal and killer confidence. Why should our own pages look any different?"

Check out the full article, complete with a picture of the models and a link to Lizzie's topic provoking story, and don't forget to pick up a copy of the November issue of Glamour, featuring their newest representation! Maybe a few will be similar to you? ;)

aren't we all?

I thought this photo summed it up for us recessionistas...

...need I say anymore? ♥

...more randomness!

Here are a couple shots of the day! Don't I look so cute??! ♥

Happy Hump Day!

A

randomness

Okay, I had a rough day and just thought i'd share some silliness... maybe a few of these pictures will be the impetus behind a smile. ♥

...happy hump day! ;)

woo-hoo for besties!

Bestie: 1.) your best friend, 2.) the one who knows just what you need before you do!

Okay, so this is a little random seeing as it happened a couple of months ago, but who cares?! I thought this was a little story worth sharing. Some time ago, me and my girl went on a little shopping trip. I don’t know why we always end up in a store, but we always find a deal too. This wasn’t long after New Year’s when the holiday stuff went on sale. My bestie called me and suggested we go get into some fun (or trouble, if that’s what you want to call it…). She told me she wanted to take me someplace she knew I would like, but couldn’t remember the name of the store. Whatever though, cause I was down for the ride anyways. Lo and behold! When we got there I found out that she meant ULTA! Only this one was at the new Hamilton Towne shopping center! I was just too pleased… Not only did she unveil a new Ulta location, she also introduced me to way better stock! While in there, we both decided to purchase the Ulta holiday shadow box set. This has got to be one of the coolest things ever! The set is like one large palette …only in a box. It houses 56 mini shadow rounds (pearl, matte, shimmer), 15 lip gloss shades (sheer and opaque), 4 small blushers, applicators, two eye/lip liner combos and 3 application brushes. The best thing though? The little magnetic palette… you can interchange or customize it however you want. And for all you MACaholics, you might even be able to find some dupes for your favorite shadows or the ones you don’t have yet in something like this! For these pretty, pigmented colors I’d say a $10 well spent! Still, don’t take my word for it, see for yourself!

…now you know why she’s my BFF! ♥