Damn you, Pinterest!!!

Oh My Goodness!!! It's a slight sickness. My hubby looks at me like I have lost my mind. And I kinda have. Pinterest. For those of you who know this site all too well, then you already know the addictive powers it possesses. For those who haven't been properly introduced, you wouldn't understand. Hours, upon hours, upon hours ... I can't get enough. Mindless browsing, endless dreaming, crafty ideas that stick in my brain even when the computer has been turned off.

This weekend, I decided to get all crafty for a minute and go on a little DIY project. I searched high and low at several stores for a spice rack. Not the carousel style, but one that can hang on a wall. What for, you may ask?

Nail polish.

My nail polish collection that I keep in a shoe box.

No such luck on finding this said spice rack that I saw a DIY pin for, that was all painted up and looking cute and fancy. Sigh.

One last stop at a Ross store, and walking up and down each aisle (because you know nothing is ever put where it belongs), I came across a shower caddy. Shelves and hooks ... an idea popped into my temporarily crafty little mind!

Nail polishes and accessories!!

How great is this?!? I added some pretty cardstock into the bottom of the shelves so the polishes sat up better on the wires. Eventually I will spray paint this in a fabulous teal color, but for now, and for $9.99, I have a great little storage area to display my polishes and jewelry. What do you think, peeps?

Excited for Thursday!!!

Miss Kim ... liking the two tones hereNot such a fab pic of my girl, Mila, but focus on the hair ...

Little bit of the Ombre trend ...
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Alright girls - here's where I need ya the most!! The first step I need to take before chopping off my locks in April is creating some dimension in my hair. I dye my hair every 6 weeks or so BLACK. Not a lot of contrast, I know. I have to start incorporating some highlights so when I do cut my hair short, you will be able to see that it is a cute, fun and flirty style, rather than a straight, blunt, gothic-looking mess. I have done the purple and blue highlights ... I ADORED them, however I am slightly over that fun stage in my life and am looking for a little more of a big girl look. {GASP!! I know, we can talk about that later.}
So the above looks are colors I think would mesh well with my black hair. What do y'all think? Do you think I can pull it off ... caramel-y brown highlights? Should I go more red? More blonde? My official salon appointment is on Thursday, so speak up now or forever hold your peace! I need honest opinions, pictures, web links, etc ... Don't be shy girls!!
Thanks for the support, chicas!! Happy Monday!!

Linking up ... it's all about the shoes!!

I am linking up with Terri over at PeaceLoveApplesauce today - she has an awesome blog and if you haven't checked her out yet, do so (after you check out this post, of course)!!

I am usually not into wearing flats - don't know why, just not a fan. I got a new job working for a real estate company, and some days I just don't feel like rockin' boots or Uggs. These are perfect for the office and pretty darn comfy. Wanna know where they came from?

Walmart ... $14.98

Yep. Cute, huh?

'dem Jersey Girls

Nicole "Snooki" PolizziSammi "Sweethart" GiancolaJenni "JWoww" Farley

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Not too shabby! I think the Jersey Shore girls look amazing without all the make-up caked on! They clean up quite nicely!

Apparently, Miss Deena hasn't been caught by the paparazzi au natural yet. I couldn't find any pics of her without her mask on, but we have all seen the show.

Post work-out yumminess!!

I am not a protein bar kinda gal. I have yet to find a bar that isn't chalky or dry or just plain artificial tasting. Hubby and I are hittin' up the gym each night to get in some cardio - go resolutions, go!! After last night's session, we popped into the grocery store to get a couple things we needed, and browsed through the supplements aisle. I was griping to Tim that I haven't found any yummy protein bars to munch on, and the flavors that I found to even remotely sound appetizing, are all loaded with carbs (which I am trying to avoid). After a mini lesson from my man about the importance of some carbs in my diet and yada yada yada, I scoped the KIND Fruit and Nut bar. Almonds and coconut - that was really all the wrapper needed to say to get me hooked. There aren't a lot of grams of protein (only 4), and the carbs are up at 19 grams with 10 grams of sugar and 210 calories per bar (wait - should these be considered a health bar??), BUT they are SO YUMMY!! Reminded me of an Almond Joy without the chocolate, which is perfect being I don't like chocolate in solid form. I ate the whole bar, which cost $1.49 on sale, and my hunger was satisfied, although I did drink 24 ounces of water with it as well. Probably not the best choice, but I definitely did a little dance while eating it!
What about you? Do you have a favorite protein bar you love to snack on? Please share!!

It will happen ...

I will cut my hair this year. I really will. I know y'all don't believe me. I have only talked about it (and chickened out) multiple times the last couple years, but I swear that this is the year! In fact, I will be chopping it off on my birthday, April 25th. Here are some cuts I am loving at the moment ... This one may be too short for my liking (or my hubby's for that matter), but I am loving the purple! If y'all remember last year, I got purple extensions added to black hair for my 30th birthday. I adored them!

Browsing on Pinterest (oh.my.gosh. that site is addicting!!), I found this cut ... love the layers and the lengths. Just not sure if my hair would be thick enough to pull off such amazing volume.

I heart ... I heart a lot!!

I may be too scared to go this short, but this looks so cute on Kristen. It would be fun for spring/summer.
Opinions??

Letting ya'll in on my New Year goals ...

Oh 2012 ... what shall my goals be this year? I didn't make any last year. Didn't want to give in to the hype of setting those resolutions, only to forget about 'em 3 weeks later. It's always sad to me when those goals fizzle so quickly and my motivation for the rest of the year hinges on those failed attempts. Sigh.

This year, I am setting goals, but first and foremost, there will be no time limit or pressure to accomplish them by. This way, I am not stressed at an approaching date and psyching myself out, jeopardizing the goal I am trying to reach. That is one weakness I have - too much pressure on myself. It is so much easier to fail when you are telling yourself you aren't going to make it!

Now ... onto my 2012 resolutions!!!

The last part of 2011 was a stressful time. Lots of changes in our family occurred, more financial than anything more serious, but stressful enough for some tears, anxiety, sleepless nights, eye twitches, and a full body rash that came about with all the worry. I had to step back and take look at what really mattered in life ... my husband and I are more in love and stronger now than ever in our 13 years of being together, we have 2 happy and healthy boys, we are not in need of anything. Life is such a blessing and I need to always keep this in the front of my mind. Job changes and financial woes are a part of life. I want to make sure that I don't dwell on these issues and keep a positive and happy spirit in life. I am blessed and I don't want anyone to ever think that I am not grateful for that.

This year, the only drama I wanna see is on reality TV. I got caught up in friend drama this last year ... gossip, fights, and nonsense that didn't concern me. I entertained the trash talking amongst others and found myself not only with a migraine, but even being blamed in some of the rumors being spread about. My bad for being a part of the conversations in the first place, but even a bigger bad to put myself in a situation where blame could have been shifted on me. Not cool and lesson learned. How 'bout them Housewives? Let's see what kind of drama they stir up in 2012!!

And, of course, like so many others ... the 'Get In Shape' resolution!! I gained an unwanted 15 pounds in 2011. I want those pounds to disappear. Unfortunately, I need to learn to enjoy eating right and working out. That would be my first baby step to accomplishing this one. But hey - no pressure, right? Do it at a steady pace, no rushing, no deadlines, just learning to like a healthier lifestyle.

So there ya have it ... nothing major, just learning to take better care of myself in all aspects. What about you? How did last year's resolutions go, and what are the new ones you set for 2012?

Hello Lovelies ...

Happy 2012!! I have been contemplating whether or not to come back to the blogging world. Seems like life is uber cray cray these days (yep, just quoted Whitney - anyone lovin' her show?) . I have taken on a new job (which I l.o.v.e.), switched the stay-at-home role with my hubby for a bit, and have been trying to get used to new schedules. Seems like there is not enough time or brain power left at the end of my days to focus.

I have come to the conclusion though that my blogging days are definitely not over yet. There are too many times throughout each day that I use a product and wanna share a review, or dress myself up and wanna take pics to post on Fashion Fridays. Movies, books, recipes, celeb gossip, wish lists and so on ... all things a girl loves to chat about with her bloggy friends. I definitely need to squeeze in some quality time with y'all here on dot...dot...dot...! ♥