Happy Halloween!

Day #2 of my training (again, 6 hours!). I started my day with a croissant and the.best.hot.chocolate I have ever had. I love me some holiday drinks from Starbuck's. You must try a Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate (think chocolate covered pretzel):I got out and headed to a Christmas Home Interiors shop. Didn't find anything, so I went next door to Bed Bath & Beyond. I got most of my Mom's Christmas taken care of (don't look at that link, Mom!), some brushes for Jevon, and a food server to keep near the chocolate fountain at my jewelry party. They had a neat ice cream scoop, too. I figure I will put it in Jevon's stocking. And I saved close to $55 dollars thanks to the 20% off coupons we get twice a day in the mail.

On to Target. I got $26 worth of cards (birthday, Thanksgiving, etc.) a pair of trouser jeans (on sale for $16), a black shirt with a bubble hem on the sleeves ($17) and something for Jevon for Christmas ($69) ALL for only $39. Can you believe it? Neither can I.

My last stop was Lane Bryant, which happened to be next door to Target. I got some trouser jeans, a black top, and a pair of gray dress pants. Can't find the top online, sorry. And I saved $50 here, too because I had a coupon.

All in all, some successful shopping which didn't cost a whole lot.

Letter To My Love

Dear Honey,

I know we say I love you a whole bunch throughout the day. When we get off the phone, when we are walking past each other, sitting next to one another... But I don't think I express to you as much as I should just how very lucky I am to have you as my husband. As cliche as it sounds, you make me whole. You are the greatest thing that has ever happened to me and I thank God I'm in this world with you by my side. You love me unconditionally, you support me no matter what and you would do anything in your power to ensure I am happy (even if its something you don't want to do). I am so grateful for you and everything you do for me and our marriage. My life is a much happier place with you in it. Just wanted you to know.

I love you always.

Thursday

I sat through a 6 hour training today and decided to get my nails filled and head to TJMaxx right when it was over. I don't think I have ever been in a TJMaxx! I was missing out! The prices were a.m.a.z.i.n.g. I picked up a couple of each of these for stocking stuffers:

And then thought these pillows were too cute to pass up. I think they go great on the futon in the guest bedroom.
And this jacket was regularly $130 (or something like that) and I got it for $50. The picture doesn't quite do it justice. It is really cute and fitted on.
On my way home, I decided to skip dinner and head straight to Sheridan's. Oh how I miss living in Lubbock! It's heaven in a little plastic cup (or in my case-big plastic cup).

Another 6 hour training tomorrow. Boo.

Beautified

I had lunch with my sister in law today. My choices are extremely limited, so Subway it was. We had a nice lunch and are on our way to becoming a little closer (I think).

I got to thinking that it would be a good idea to do a beauty rave list of my current top 20 12 favorite products. Here goes (in no particular order):

#1. Pink Sugar

Stylish and lively, with a distinctive personality, Pink Sugar takes you on a journey through the pleasures and flavors of childhood with a playful blend of vanilla and caramel.

#2. Frederic Fekkai Shampoo & Conditioner (technically 2 things, but they go together, right?)
Shampoo: An ultra-moisturizing shampoo for damaged or color-treated hair. This shampoo is formulated to restore health to the hair by replenishing moisture, while strengthening and protecting each strand. Natural cleansers gently purify the hair and natural conditioners add moisture. Apricot, avocado, calendula, and peach provide extra moisture and softness for the ultimate hydration. Damaged hair will be softer, smoother, and shinier.

Conditioner: An ultra-moisturizing conditioner for damaged or color-treated hair. This specially formulated conditioner is a great follow-up to Technician Shampoo for Dry, Damaged, Color-Treated Hair. It restores softness, silkiness, and shine to damaged hair with Pro Vitamin B5 and silk protein, which smoothes and strengthens the hair while apricot, avocado, and calendula soften it for long-lasting conditioning and shine.

#3. Bare Minerals Foundation

A mineral-based foundation that gives flawless coverage. Made of only pure, crushed minerals from the earth, bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation looks like a powder, feels like a cream, and buffs on like silk, giving skin a natural luminosity while feeling as if you are not wearing any makeup at all. The coverage is complete and is free of preservatives, talc, oil, waxes, fragrances, and other chemicals that can irritate skin and cause breakouts.

#4. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil (in color "Stash")

A dynamic eye pencil, in a rainbow of shades. Glide on color that stays put for the duration of your non-stop, on-the-go day! These cushiony, creamy eye pencils deliver powerful, vibrant color that slides on smooth and stays soft and creamy for blending (about 30 seconds), then dries to a long-lasting finish that won't budge. Line eyes with a hint of color or go for the full artistic, multi-hued effect. Truly inspired, these pencils go all day and all night. Created with 50 percent moisturizing ingredients suspended in a sophisticated waterproof formula, this brilliant collection of eye essentials offers long-lasting color and a dreamy, creamy feel when applied.

#5. Shu Uemura Fiber Xtension Mascara (in color "Black")

A lash lengthening and extending mascara. Instantly extends eye lashes. Fiber Xtension Lengthening Mascara offers a unique fiber technology combines silky-smooth building fibers and long extending fibers to instantly extend and lengthen lashes. Patented triple stroke brush fits perfectly to lash line, delivering formula to each individual lash. Smudgeproof, water-resistant, long-wearing. Available in four shades. #6. Nars Blush (in color "Super Orgasm")
A sheer-pressed powder blush with golden speckles. NARS amps up their legendary NARS Orgasm to bring you Super Orgasm - the universally flattering shimmering peachy pink blush with an extra dose of golden sparkle. The super sexy pink flush gives the effect of an ultimate super,uh hum, afterglow. The blush contains a universally flattering peachy-pink undertone and can be worn alone or layered together for more depth.
#7. Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer (in color "Color Adjust")

Smashbox makeup artists use this product to create a perfect canvas for foundation application. The silky blend of vitamins and antioxidants smoothes and perfects skin, while the unique formula helps to inhibit the destruction of collagen, and fills in fine lines and pores for a flawless finish. Use after moisturizer and before foundation for complexion perfection. This skin-soothing blend of antioxidants, which can be worn alone or under foundation, works overtime to fill in fine lines and even out skin texture.

#8. Benefit It Stick
It's the stick that hides it all. This pencil disguises lines, blemishes, and flaws of any kind giving you a smoother and younger looking appearance. Cease the crease and reclaim your youth. Use it stick to help erase the lines and creases from your nose to your mouth that make you look older and more tired. A few strokes of this ecru colored line diffusing pencil, in just the right places, will help make you look young and cheery in seconds.
#9. Anastasia Brow Gel (in color "Clear)
Put (and keep) unruly brows in their place, without flakiness with this botanical conditioning brow gel.
#10. St. Ives Apricot Scrub
Gently exfoliates dull surface cells to instantly reveal smooth, radiant, healthy skin.
#11. Olay Pore Refining Mousse Cleanser
With Olay Pore Refining Mousse, you can experience deep cleansing without the harshness. The velvety foam deeply cleans and gently exfoliates to minimize pore appearance to leave your skin comfortably refined and visibly clear.
#12. L'Oreal Studio Line Tightly Wound, Curl Boosting Spray Gel
Compose your self and keep your curls under control with Studio Tightly Wound Curl Spray Gel. Tightly Wound combines a holding technology and moisturizing humectant to boost the shape of your curls while adding long-lasting shine. What's more-Tightly Wound also helps to keep frizz under control on even the most humid days.

Raves & Ramblings

Today was a really productive day. I sat through a 2 hour meeting, had lunch with a co-worker, headed back to my office and got to come home early. Any bets on who is going home tonight on Dancing With The Stars? Please let it be Cloris. I'm guessing the folks over at Vote For The Worst have been busy bees!

A new (to me) gadget rave! I've played around with Wordle a few times before. It's addicting, no? I am in the process of making one for Christmas. Since there are going to be a group of us celebrating together (friends and family), I thought giving everyone a little something to remember the trip by would be kinda neat (maybe in a little frame?). Here is a quick example to give you an idea (my master list of words is on my computer at work):

Speaking of Christmas, I would love to give a couple of these posters to people I know. My co-worker had this awesome Demotivator magazine today. I must share a few of these with you. You can order t-shirts, calendars, posters, etc. I laughed out loud at a few:

Funny, huh?

I forgot to mention one of my current favorite things. On our way back from Phoenix, Jevon and I stopped at the El Paso outlet mall (which happens to be really nice by the way) and I got some great smelling stuff from Bath & Body Works. My most favorite thing happens to be from their True Blue Spa collection. I am so glad they picked this line up (among others) because their Country Apple and Plumeria were getting a bit old. So, I got this and this and they smell good enough to eat! Jevon even said it smells good (note to self: stock up on Cashmere stuff before its discontinued). Try it! You won't be disappointed!

Annnd they had a COACH outlet. I have yet to use them, but I did get these 2 bags :)

I'm on the fence about the black one. I still may return it when I head to San Marcos in a couple of weeks.

My need to decorate comes in spurts. I have always really liked these signs and may just break down and get them. I think they are adorable and would go perfect in our guest bedroom. I heart Etsy.

Oh and our tickets for the Nutcracker came in today and I'm so excited to go I can barely stand it! I'm taking some time off at Christmas so that Jevon and I can go to Ruidoso and figured we would catch a show while there. He really is such a trooper and I love him to pieces. He even took me to see Peter Pan when we were in college. Props to my Honey!

And just because I love snapping pictures of him looking at me funny, here is Dash:

Christmas

This may will be a lengthy post, so hang on!

My earlier post this morning talked about Halloween. I forgot to mention that this is now up in our living room:

In my defense, Jevon burned our tree from last year, so we bought a new one a few weeks ago. Since we had company last weekend (aka more muscles), Jevon and Cody went ahead and brought it inside. Its not even Halloween and the tree is up. Lord help me. Next year I will have it up come summertime.

Speaking of Christmas, I am organizing a Secret Santa exchange at work. There is a really neat website that allows people to enter, create wish lists, and then it draws names electronically. It does all the work for you. Neat, huh?

And speaking of wish lists, mine keeps getting longer and longer and longer... I use The Things I Want to keep up with everything. Our families always ask for ideas, so instead of a handwritten list, I give them the website, they click on the picture of the item and then it takes them directly to the item. Genius! A couple of things on my list:

Amazon Kindle (Thanks to Oprah for this recommendation!)

"Stacey! Come on down! You're the next contestant on the Price is Right!"

I think this giant cupcake mold is so cute and I want one.
I almost feel like I need to be burning pumpkin or candy corn scented stuff. But I have to rave about the current scents that are making our house feel oh so cozy.

Both are from Bath & Body Works and smell wonderful. I have the Winter Candy Apple burning upstairs and the Perfect Christmas Winter burning downstairs. The winter one smells almost like oranges and cloves. When I was growing up, my Mom would buy oranges and cloves and then we would sit around and stick the cloves in the oranges to create different designs. We have done it the past couple of years and I enjoy it.

As much as I hope there is a Kindle under the tree, the stockings really are the best part. Here are a few of my favorite websites for stocking stuffers:

MXYPLYZYK

The Spoon Sisters

Perpetual Kid

Kikkerland

Oopstuff

Toss Designs

The Container Store

Uncommon Goods

I know I am getting waaay ahead of myself with all this Christmas talk, but you know there are only 58 days left!

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Oh one last thing! I feel like the kid trying to sleep before going to Disneyworld. I am having a jewelry party the first weekend of December and am so looking forward to it! I'm currently working on a menu and am brainstorming here, but this is what I have so far:

• Chocolate Fountain (dippins'-strawberries, bananas, graham crackers, marshmallow/pretzels, pound cake, Oreos, brownie bites)
• Bellinis
• Bottled water
• Lemonade
• Mini quiches

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I'm a HUGE list maker, so here are upcoming purchases that need to be made/saved up for:

1. Halloween treats for Stephanie & Katie
2. Jody's Birthday
3. Jevon's Birthday
4. Julie's Baby Shower
5. Legally Blonde The Musical Tickets
6. David's Birthday
7. Christmas

That's it for today, I promise!

In Honor of Halloween

Entertainment Weekly has announced the 20 scariest movies:

1. The Shining (1973)
2. The Exorcist (1973)
3. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
4. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
5. Jaws (1975)
6. The Ring (2002)
7. Halloween (1978)
8. Psycho (1960)
9. Seven (1995)
10. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
11. Poltergeist (1982)
12. 28 Days Later (2003)
13. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
14. The Thing (1982)
15. The Evil Dead (1982)
16. Carrie (1976)
17. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
18. The Omen (1976)
19. An American Werewolf in London (1981)
20. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1990)

I can think of some other movies that creep me out, but it looks like these are the classic scary movies. How about Pet Semetary? Saw? Thirteen Ghosts? The Hills Have Eyes?

Weekend Productivity

While in Phoenix, there was a Goodwill store near our hotel. We stopped in and I found this stool for $6.00 and a confused looking husband. (Edit: Jevon reminded me that at some point I was going to put the stool up and he encouraged me to get it, so I would like to thank him for not letting me walk out of Goodwill empty handed :)I assured him that this in fact had potential and to just trust me. I had a gift card to Hobby Lobby and got the tapestry for $10.50. We had the black paint left over from another project. So all in all, my new stool was only $6. I think it turned out pretty darn cute. I can also scratch off #7 on my goals for 2009. My books are now organized by color.

Appointment

I had my appointment today. Everything went great. It was informative and I am glad I got in with this Dr. before she quit taking new patients. She really is awesome. We discussed everything from the past 6 months and she agreed to refer me out so as not to waste anymore time. Sooo, the next appointment will be on Monday, November 3rd. Crossing my fingers for a smooth next few months and hopefully good news.

Weekend Fulla' Firsts

My husband and I drove to Phoenix to pick up his new toy. He suggested making a trip out of it rather than driving straight there and back. Here are some of the highlights:

White Sands National Park:

Cotton in Arizona

Driving through New Mexico

Arizona

Heavenly. Sprinkle's Cupcakes.

I had heard about this place and when I spotted it, figured we needed to at least try it out. It was delicious, however, I think I agree with Jevon--I have had better. Maybe I am missing something?

This deserves 3 pictures because I had an absolute blast. If you ever have the opportunity to ride in a hot air balloon-you must do it! Hot Air Expeditions did not dissappoint.