These are a few of my favorite things!

I lust after things I will never wear. Cocktail dresses, evening gowns, sequins, and beads. In my last life I was a debutant. I love the idea of getting dressed up for an evening out, but I never do it. I feel funny when I dress up. Where I'm from, you dress up for two things: Weddings and Funerals (and you're not allowed to wear sequins or beads at either- unless it's tastefully done- which it usually isn't).

Wendy Top by Kate Spade- $695

Love it. I think it would be super cute with a pair of dark jeans, slacks, skirt, almost anything. I would never buy this because in reality I would only wear it once if I were lucky- but I would look at this top everyday and I would love her.

Alice and Olivia Sequin Dress- $495

I actually own a dress by Alice + Olivia. It's not the keyhole dress it's the sequin tank dress in black. I got it off of ebay for $150 bucks. I've never worn it, but I dream of wearing it. I dream of wearing it all the time.

I also lust after this and this... but for some reason Nordstrom's won't allow me to post photos of these two gorgeous dresses.

I have decided I will never buy another cocktail dress again. I only use them once and I never look at them again. I'll also never buy another cocktail/evening dress because I discovered the website Rent the Runway.

Rent the Runway is exactly what it sounds like- you can rent designer dresses for 50+ dollars. If you're like me and a cocktail dress isn't something you wear very often perhaps this would be a good website for you to look into. Some of my faves:

Wedding Guest Attire:



Fancy Navy Event:

Cocktail Party/ Fun Night out:

Questions from readers...

Someone sent me a question about what I do for work. I was surprised and deeply flattered that someone cared to ask, let alone people actually read my blog.

To answer the question:

It's a little complicated. I currently work in the IT field which isn't what I went to college for, but the economy is tough. I manage a chain of car dealerships online inventory and take care of advertising through the internet. I like my job because my boss is my father and I'm allowed to wear sweat pants to work when it's cold (I have to go outside a lot and catalog the inventory). I don't like my job because while I like working for my dad, he sets precedence by underpaying me severely. I'm getting ready to train my replacement- he's getting paid 3 times what I am.

Once Adam is stationed I'm returning to school for a second B.S. degree (I should say BSN) and will probably work part time as a CNA/volunteer- How I got to this point is also has a story behind it, but I won't get into it. I'm at peace with my decisions and needed to do things my way.

Thank you for taking an interest in my world!

Don't forget!!

Ulta is offering 20 percent off your entire purchase with the code 20680!!!!

Anthropologie Update

I wrote a few days ago about my anthropologie purchase. I received a reply yesterday which I was really happy with. The person writing sent a new top, shipping label so I could choose between the two, and is supposedly sending a coupon for anthropologie. Pretty awesome. Since it's getting kind of late and I need to get the kitties fed I'll write more about it tomorrow and will also tell you about my terrible experience shopping with Ruelala. Good night!

New Spring Faves from J Crew

Every seasons I put out a list of my favorite new items. It's always fun to go back and see what I ended up purchasing for my personal collection. Sometime next week I'll do a J Crew winter wardrobe break down and figure out what made it off the list into my closet.

Here are my spring favorites:

Silk Bonfire Dress- $88.00

Ruffles? Does this make me a hypocrite?

Jeweled Celestial Dress- $695

Love the concept. To fully appreciate the dress you must view the back. Very sexy but understated. I likely will not purchase this dress, but if J Crew ever did something a little simpler it would definitely be in my cart!

Pearlized Sequin Dress- $650

Already sold out in all sizes (except 4 and 6) this dress is beautiful, and like the one above needs to be appreciated from the back. If I were getting married this year, I would wear this as my wedding dress.

Silk Camisole- $55.00

At first I was on the fence about this top, but then I started loving the simplicity. Simplicity was the reason I initially fell in love with J Crew. I'll never forget my first purchase: A blue merino crew neck sweater and a canvas pencil skirt with a little bit of eyelet ruffle on the bottom. This top brings me back to that happy place- but it's a happy updated place now.

Unagi Tweed Pencil Skirt- $115

I like the color. I can't help it. It's something different. Over the winter I built up my neutral wadrobe purchasing a lot of gray, black, and brown. This skirt reminds me of Easter.

Rose and Ruby Sale Still going on!!!

Is it time for a coupon code?!

Ulta is offering 20 percent off your entire purchase with the code 20680!!
Enjoy!

Thursday Weigh in...

I've been on Medifast for exactly two weeks... since my last weigh in almost a week and a half ago I've lost another 6 lbs for a total weigt loss of 12 lbs in two weeks. I'm taking into consideration that the first 5-6 lbs was probably water weight because this week I've lost weight much slower- but still there's a substantial amount and I feel goood!

Next Thursday I'd like to be down 3-4 more lbs!

In the works..

Just wanted to let everyone know I'm in the process of writing a post on my recent purchases. Both showed up with major issues (one company shipped the completely wrong items-the other defective).

Writing letters of complaint... (Dear Anthropologie...)

As a customer, I hate complaining about goods and services. If the server screws up my order- I eat what he or she brings me and pay for it leaving a full tip. If I recieve and item I'm not totally satisfied with- I typically keep it as well if I like the concept. Example: Anthropologie Magnoila Dress:

See how large the sequin mangnolias are?

Now here is the actual dress:

(I will insert a photo when my camera starts working)

Big difference.

I was dissapointed, the version I have looks cheaper- but maybe I can pull it off. I can't help but love it. The color and the sparkle. If I had to pick 5 articles of clothing that describe me- this one would be in the mix.

Anyway, today I recieved my Anthropologie Corset Top designed by Anna Sui. It is exquisitley constructed and the material has substance. The textile quality at J. Crew, Anthropologie, and other retailers has gone way down (IMHO) within the past few seasons.

The corset was packed very nicely and in plastic. As I examined the piece I noticed 1. The black straps were missing. Ok. I used to be all about the strapless look, but in recent years I've found I prefer straps. Even thin ones. It makes me feel more covered up, and I associate strapless with a more sexy formal look (I'm just not the sexy formal type. Some women pull off this look well- me? Not so much. Maybe on special occasions. Otherwise I look funny). 2. Deodorant stains on blouse. I paid $79.95 + $10.00 shipping and handling for a piece of clothing that needs to be take to the cleaners.

The deodorant didn't bother me so much. Yeah, it sucks but I can deal. The missing straps? I want those straps. I bought the corset because of those straps. Where are my straps?!?!

As I sat in the car wondering if I missed them in the box and frantically started looking, I decided it was time to contact customer service. I cringed. I work in the automotive industry. The thing about cars is they break. I understand people get upset about their new car breaking, but we take care of it (unless it was their fault). So many people come in with their stories and either don't know how to act or how to stop. They go on and on and on (and on!) about the vehicle. We know. We will fix it. Some people come in and are ready to fight. Why? We want to help! Even after smothering them with kindness they're still dickheads- I don't get it, and I know all customer service represenatatives deal with this behavior because I've encountered it everywhere I work where good or services are exchanged. There is a fine line between standing up for yourself and being an asshole. A very fine line.

So I hopped on my computer and composed a message to the people at Anthropologie. I didn't want to be a jerk, but I also wanted them to know my displeasure.

I'll post an update when I hear back from Anthropologie and will provide you with real life pictures of the corset top which is oh so pretty.

Is it coupon code time?!

I have a couple today!

First is a Bliss coupon: 15% off all Bliss and Remede products. CODE: FEB210
Second is a VS coupon: Take an Extra 20% off clearance items! CODE: EXTRA20



Lastly, Nicole Miller- Save 20% on all sale items! CODE: 20OFF

Happy shopping, and don't forget to use ebates! At VS you'll save an additional 2% and at Bliss/Nicole Miller an additional 4%!

http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=n%2B8HwBpbUw5aHWZ4Zb0rBg%3D%3D

To click or not to click...

I'm not having the best day today. I miss Adam. He's been gone for 3 weeks and won't be home for another 11+ weeks. He's still in holding and suspects he'll be back in the mix within a week if a spot opens up. I have learned is the military is likes to guesstimate and the guesstimate is never correct and will probably change several times.
I don't mind being apart, it's the limited contact. They keep him really busy so he never has time to write. He calls once a week, but I work most of the day so if I'm on the lot away from my phone I miss the call. It's difficult to hear in his voice his homesickness. In our relationship, I'm the tough one. He's says I'm his rock and he wishes he handled things as well as I do. Well, the truth is I don't handle things very well at all (though I'm deeply flattered he feels that way and am happy to hear it makes things easier for him).

I've been feeling a little weak the past few days. Hormones. ugh. And I miss him.

Thanks for listening.

The point of this post was I saw this on J Crew today:

Cashmere Ribbon Pullover- Marked down to $199!!!

So yeah, I know this makes me a hypocrite (ruffles!!!! ahh!!) But I LOVE this sweater. The problem: I ask myself, "is it worth $200?"proceeding to go through all the things I could buy with $200. 1. DVF Red Jersey Dress I've been watching on ebay 2. Staub Braiser I have also been watching on ebay. 3. $200 towards our new Room and Board bedroom set 4. Student Loans 5. Anything practical

I think I'm going to allow the sweater slip away. I made an anthropologie impulse buy this week that I may or may not be happy with. All my credit cards are paid off- I hate to see them blemished with a $200 dollar purchase. Whenever I talk myself out of something I'm reminded of a blog title I saw once: "Life is Short Buy the Shoes"

No, Maureen. You will not buy the sweater. Maybe it will still be around when a 20% code is offered or I'll see it on ebay someday. I'll keep dreaming.

J. Crew (possibly not so) arrivals...

I thought I looked over the new arrivals very thoroughly and was semi-disappointed. I remember a time when I wanted to buy everything J. Crew offered. It just hasn't been the same since the introduction of all these ruffles. It's not that I'm a ruffle hater, I worry ruffles won't be cool next year. It's sort of like men and frosted tips. In 2000 I remember 90 percent of the men I knew had frosted tips. They were hunks. Now? Not so awesome.

It's really nothing like frosted tips.

My ruffle purchase for this year? The falling petals jacket. It's all the ruffle I can handle. And I mostly love it. I am considering another ruffle purchase though. And this purchase consists of the two things I dislike most from J Crew. Ruffles and hammered silk. I'll be honest- I don't like the hammered silk anything. But this:

Whisper Tussah Silk Dress- $225

I can't help but like it. It's the simplicity. You know, the closer I look at this the more it appears to be fabric with a pattern. Hmm.. I think I may have to visit my B&M.

I also love this:

Taryn Gown- $395

If I was getting married again, I would wear this. In this color. I never liked the idea of wearing a white dress, but was pushed into it by my mother. The draping of this dress is so beautiful. J Crew really did something wonderful.

but I also love:

Twyla Tank- $65.00

So pretty. I'm not a pink person, but I may make an exception. It's simple, feminine, soft... what more is there? I'll probably wait for this to go on sale (I've noticed these types of tops never sell out before reaching the sale section) and pick it up in ivory as well. I purchased a shocking pink perfect pencil skirt a few months ago on accident and have been stumped on what to wear with it.

I can't wait for the Spring new arrivals and I hope J Crew adds more to their Top's section. I feel like they've been slipping in that area.

Review: Wii Fit

So I realize this blog doesn't pertain to anything in particular, but this is my world. I've reviewed wedding dresses, J Crew/anthropologie/DVF/ Nanette Lepore/[insert designer here] apparel, pet supplies, chronicled my new diet, and much more. Today I would like to review my new favorite technology item: The Wii Fit.

I wasn't a believer. I purchased the Wii for Adam as a Christmas gift and this came with it. He got home a few days before Christmas from OCS and found it already hooked up. We were sitting on the couch and he looks at the television and says, "What's that?" Next thing I knew he was up turning it on making "happy noises."(My husband makes happy noises when he's very pleased)

He played quite a bit during his two weeks off from OCS. Two weeks ago I decided to try out the Wii Fit for myself and was amazed. A lot of the exercises are a lot of fun- I love the hula hoop aerobics. The object of the exercise is to move your hips in a wide cicle as many times as possible. It sounds silly, but is a lot of fun. Another wonderful aspect of the Fit is it teaches a person with bad posture (like me) better posture and balance.

Cons: Some of the exercise are a little boring. Maybe it's me, but I don't care for most the yoga. Also, the games aren't very difficult. I like the hula hoop game because I can feel the work out.

Overall, it's a great way to keep track of your weight and learn better balance while having some fun. I have a little weight chart with my goals. It's a definite motivator and a great investment.

I guess it's jewelery day here on the bright side!

I found this website a few months ago. Dawes Design. I love love love love love love (REALLY LOVE) the rings and necklaces. Check it out:

Daily Love: Sarah Pelis Jewelry

Dear Husband,

If you ever need to woo me you may consider starting here :)

Love,
Maureen XOXOX

All images from Sarah Perlis

Diet Update:

I've decided in lieu of Monday weigh-in's I'll do Thursday. I started my diet on a Thursday so Wednesday seems appropriate.
This week: 203
Next week: Hoping for 196
Weight loss so far: 7 lbs

I actually gained 1.5 lbs yesterday. It could have been because I weighed myself at a different time (typically I always weigh myself in the morning, today I did it mid-afternoon). But also, a little cheating happened last night. I had a 1/2 cup of chicken pot pie filling I made for my parents. Hey! It needed tasting. Ok. No more cheating.

Starting Monday I have 11 weeks until Adam comes home. Lets get serious!

Monday Funday.. Is it Monday? HA! It's Tuesday...

I forgot it was Tuesday. My days are becoming one. I just got done enjoying a beeeautiful slice of salmon with my brother, Ralph. He was kind enough to pick some up fresh and paired a wonderful green salad with it. Thank you, Ralph.

Anyway- I thought I would share some of my purchases. Once they arrive I will post real photos of them and review. I've never posted real photos of my items before and think I should start. It gives readers more of an idea what it looks like. In fact, I saw someone post a photo of the anthropologie top I purchased today and it compelled me to buy it.

Anthropologie Needlepoint Corset Top- Originally $168 now $79.95

Sort of an impulse buy. Love at first sight. The owner of Anthropologie Addict has a picture of herself in it here. She looks really beautiful- however, after seeing her I am worried it may be a little too short for me. I prefer shirts that are a little longer. But this would be super cute with a black pencil skirt and pumps- perfect for dinners out or an event. It's a classic piece and she looks pretty amazing in it. Love the tatoos.

Puma Simplice Ballet Flats- $35.00
I saw these shoes in DSW months ago for $50. I passed them up but later sought them out on ebay and I've been watching them for months. 46.99 + shipping. I couldn't resist the purchase when I saw them for only $35 bucks and purchased them in both black a gray. These shoes are super comfortable and perfect. Just perfect.

Day 5?

Dear readers, the medifast diet is almost impossible to follow the way medifast intends it to be followed. I can not get down the five portions of their food each day. Seriously. Yesterday I had a salad with white meat turkey and 2 of their meals. Stuffed. However, it has taught me to stop eating when I'm full. I tend to feed my cravings. I think, "Oh this sounds goooood" and fool myself into being hungry.

Today for lunch I had the same white meat turkey salad (it was delicious last night) and one medifast bar- I will drink a shake later but I really don't forsee myself eating more than that for today. I weighed myself this morning and from my last report lost 1.1 lbs. A total weight loss of 7 lbs in five days. I'm pretty impressed.

I've been toying with the idea of posting my true weight. See, a few years ago I was a healthy 5'6 135 lbs. A lot happned and my heaviest has been *cringe* 211 lbs according to the wii fit (which is likely correct). I'm embarassed I also gained 70 lbs. Most of it accumulated within the past year.

I'd like to lose about 60 lbs and change my eating habits permanently. Medifast has been a great start and I will continue with it (but my way- I'm not going to feed myself until I feel sick). I will also do weekly weigh in's on monday if anyone is interested in joining in I would love it!

So.. today my weight is 204 lbs (7lbs lost after 5 days)
Next Monday I would be thrilled to be down to 196. We'll see. My body wants to lose weight. I can feel it thanking me.

Medifast day 3 (and part of day 4)

Hello everyone! I am officially on day four of the medifast plan. I found out last night i had been cheating (!!!) No corn allowed on this diet. oops..

Still, yesterday's weigh in yielded 5.1 lbs of lost weight in 3 days.

Meals Yesterday:

Morning: mint chocolate bar
Evening: Grilled chicken and corn w/ salsa
Night: Tried to drink a cherry pomegranate shake- couldn't. It was beyond gross.
Night: Chocolate shake with crushed ice- almost like a milkshake.

As you can see I skipped a few medifast meals yesterday- I couldn't help it. I wasn't hungry at all.

Today:

Woke up and had the medifast chicken and rice soup though I was not hungry and in a few moments I will be eating some sort of shake. By afternoon another meal of sorts.. and for dinner we're having turkey so I will probably have that and a green. I'm thinking about running out to the store for salad materials. After dinner I will eat one of my mint chocolate bars and that's it. I'm only eating four meals today... but I really don't feel like I can fit anymore.

I'll weigh in later with my progress.

Day 2: Medifast

11 a.m.: Got out of bed late(heeehee) Decided to try the creamy tomato soup. I couldn't eat it. It was orange water with a terrible after taste.

12 p.m.: Chocolate shake. I like these better than the vanilla

2:30 p.m.: Chicken and rice soup- Added some hot sauce and it hit the spot.

5:00- fruit punch shake

7:30: Dinner. Broiled chicken breast and some corn. I probably cheated. I added a little too much bbq sauce and my portions were a little off. I skipped my fifth (? techically I skipped both my fourth and fifth because I couldn't get down the soup)- hoping this balances the equation. I also cheated by eating six nuts and four small pieces of dried kiwi (my dad had it on the table and I couldn't help myself!!!)

We'll see how things look tomorrow.

results: I lost 1.1 lbs today! (I weight myself in the afternoon)

AND another! (20 percent off Nicole Miller final sale!!!)

I like this, this, this, and this.

Time for a sale? I think so!

Today I recieved this in my inbox from Bliss:

I'm tempted to pick up this and this for my clarisonic!

Please vote on my dress colors :)

I'm still undecided on what color dyes to purchase for the dresses in this post and could use some opinions! Thanks everyone!

Medifast Day One

Day One:

(Desk fully stocked!)

I hate day one. Day one is always the hardest of something new. It's almost 11 a.m. and I've consumed one vanilla shake. It's not really a shake. It's a package of dry mix added to 6-8 oz of water. My impressions: The taste is decent. It was compareable to watery, vanilla cake batter- a bit too sweet for my taste. This diet is brainless, but already a little difficult. I crave savory and my stomach is slightly upset. I snacked on some of the chili nacho puffs and it helped the ache.

(Chili puffs in my desk- on top of the pistol manual. It's not mine. Really. I've been using this desk for almost a year and never removed anything from the previous owner)

12p.m.:

Went home and ate a portion of soup. I think it was the chicken and wild rice. Amazingly, it wasn't that bad. Very bland, but it almost tasted good. While making it I was skeptical. Adding a package of powder to 8 0z of cold water wasn't very appetizing. If I were a movie star, I would have someone do it for me.

1 p.m.:

On my way back to work I ate one of the choclate mint bars. I wanted milk so bad. In my opinion the bars are a little large and I find them very sweet (again, I am the anti-sweet person. Most people would find them tasty)

3-5p.m.:
Trying to eat the bag of the chili nacho cheese puffs I started this morning. They're ok- but there's soooooo many.

6 p.m
Fruity drink time. The fruity drink was tolerable, towards the end I actually sort of enjoyed it. It would be better over ice. (still working on the puffs)9:30 p.m.:
Got home late tonight from work- stopped at the grocery store to pick up some egg beaters for my lean and green meal. Since I'm not really prepared the "green" portion was some ice berg lettuce and raw onion :) I added a little hot sauce (I'm allowed!!!) and mustard (also allowed!!) Tomorrow I'll stop at the fancy store to get some frozen fish and chicken.

I got back on the Wii tonight and have lost 1.5 lbs (I should probably mention last night I got on the fit at night and had just eaten 3 left over ribs, a cup of cottage cheese, and two twinkies :) I'll take it!


Day two will be a little more challenging. I have to work at the other store and don't have an office for privacy there. I may have to eat after I finish my work there. We'll see how it goes...

My goal: Lose 50 lbs in 8 weeks.. 1.5 down! 48 to go!

J, Crew Coupon Code!

EXTRA20 = 20 percent off the final sale (it's baaaack).

I picked up the dream shawl cardigan I've been lusting after.

Garment Dying.. Before we begin I could use some color help (Part 1)

I promised a tutorial on dying. When you read the words "dying tutorial" you probably thought I had done it before successfully. Ha! Were you wrong!

For our wedding I attempted to dye some dyeable ballet flats blue- HUGE MISTAKE. At the time I didn't know it, but I should have read a garment dying tutorial. I boiled some water, added the dye, and a little bit of vinegar. WRONG! There are so many other steps, I was so silly.

Remember these? The eco-skin dress and rosette dress I purchased on eBay?

If you haven't already noticed... they are white. If you didn't already know.. I am not good with white.

If I manage not to drop something on a white article of clothing, "pit stains" occur (I laughed writing that. I hate the phrase "pit stain." Ha! I giggled again out of embarrassment. I am now cracking up. Alone. At my desk)... So yeah, Maureen and white are like oil and water.

Luckily, I found a really great site to order dye from. It's actually the same site I ordered my silk shoe dye from, but I neglected to read the tutorials. I thought to myself, "I got this!" But I didn't.

What you need to do before you purchase the materials:

- Find out what sort of material you're working with. Polyester and polyester blends are incredibly difficult to dye because they are essentially plastic. I've read where people use irons to "melt" the dye into the fabric- I don't have the balls to try this method.

For the dresses I will be dying: the eco-skin dress is 66% Bamboo, 28% Tencel, 6% Spandex while the rosette dress is a silk blend.

The website has several different dyes and I was bit confused as which to choose for the eco-skin dress. I emailed Elizabeth at Dharma Trading and this was the response she sent

" Hi Maureen,
We have several dyes that work on natural cellulose fibers such as cotton, hemp, linen and manufactured rayon, also called
Viscose,Modal, Tencel or Lyocell. Our best dye are the professional quality Fiber Reactive Procion Dyes. These dyes are very bright,
deep, wast fast, come in over 100 colors and can be used in a variety of ways. If you are going to be dying something that you want to
last these are the dye you want. Here are a few links to help you get started:
Fiber Reactive Procion Dyes:
http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/3796-AA.shtml?lnav=dyes.html
Fiber Reactive Dye Instructions: http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/3796-AA.shtml?lnav=dyes.html#instructions.
Hope that helps"

After reading Elizabeth's email I started looking into fiber reactive procion dyes which will work for both dresses. The problem with the fiber reactive dyes on this website is there are 50 million colors to choose from. Maybe I'm embellishing, but there are a lot of colors and I'm having a hard time choosing.

The colors I am considering are listed on the top of the page under the poll. Most of the colors are on the chart below:

Or view them better here. Please vote or make suggestions in the comment portion of this post- I am terrible at choosing and with this many choices could use a little help!

Working from home today,,

Posting will probably be light this week. I'm low energy and the snow is really slowing me down (makes my job much harder).

I think Roxanne is having health issues too. This morning I woke up to urine in our bed right on our new down comforter. Ugh.. cats. Gotta love them though!

Next week I'll be adding details on how the medifast diet is going (still haven't received my food), a tutorial on Macaroons (!!!), and possibly a tutorial on garment dying (remember my white rosette dress and the ecoskin dress I bought a few months ago?)

Until then: Today I saw this on calypso.. On sale. I lusted after it months ago and picked it up today.

Bria Dress- $165 (Now $49!!!! eee!!!!!)

Stay tuned...

It's diet time!

I've decided it's time to get serious about this diet thing. I want to get back down to my normal size because that's where I'm the most comfortable. In November, I attempted the Eat to Live diet. It was miserable. Being a vegan is really difficult and I give credit to anyone who does it. I was on it for two and a half weeks and lost eight pounds. It works, but involves a lot of prep and education. After the two weeks was up, I hated most vegetables. A few months later I'm finally getting my taste back for them and fresh fruit. Maybe I'm weak, but I know it wasn't for me. I need something brainless.

After doing some research, I checked into Nutrisystem. It's all over television. After doing some reading I realized this wasn't the diet. I can tolerate processed food (though I'm not fond of it. I tend to cook from scratch), but the program receives terrible reviews(i.e. food showing up moldy). After a little more research I found the Medifast diet. It's one of the only programs I could find scholarly material on, and according to that material it actually works. The diet is called the 5 and 1. You eat five of their meals (if you can call them that) per day and one lean protein and vegetable meal. Pretty brainless I think, and perfect for me because I work so much. I can take their snacks with me. The snacks consist of soups, chilis, cheese puffs, shakes, and bars. I'm pretty sure I'll get sick of these things quickly, but again, it's mindless. This isn't a permanent plan for me. This is to lose the weight I've put on and then go back to my usual eating patterns, but practice portion control. We tend to over eat in my family.

I ordered my supplies last night- a month costs around $300.00. I recieved $50.00 off Jan31C (expires end of January) and earned 10 percent cash back by going through Ebates.com! All and all my month comes out to around $230.00 over $70.00 in savings.

I highly suggest signing up for ebates.com and will continue posting the link to sign up in my posts every so often. I had no idea what it was until I read the Chloe Conspiracy. With the amount of online shopping I do, it's a wonderful tool to save a little money. And you get $5 for referring your friends! So far my mom and sister have both signed up and love it. It's totally free by the way!

If you're interested follow the link below:

http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=n%2B8HwBpbUw5aHWZ4Zb0rBg%3D%3D

Sale on Sale- Free People! (is it just me or are three J Crew models on the free people website?!)

Today I woke and did the usual: Checked my email, visited my usual blogs here, here, here, and here, checked anthropologie's sale section for new updated, and visited J Crew's sale section. I promised Adam some new sweaters and saw J Crew had updated their men's section. I filled up my cart, but before hitting send I decided to wait- I'm not sure why. Perhaps I was hoping for an extra 20 code? I don't know. Tonight when I got home my cart was empty :( *cries*

Anyway, free people shot me an email to brighten my day. A sale on sale- 25 percent off all sale items. My fave's:

Cullen Clutch- 169.95

Leaf Motif Mini Dress- 69.95

Angourie One Shoulder Tunic- 39.95

Suspected J Crew models can be seen here, here, here and maybe even here.

What was J. Crew thinking?

Ok. I get it. J Crew was really into ruffles in 2009. Like really into ruffles. So many of their pieces incorporated ruffles. But this:

Ruffled Carly dress- $98.00

Sorry, I am just not a fan. I wish J Crew would cool it with the ruffles a bit. EVERYTHING has them.

Lela Rose on Ruelala?! Whoopee!

The Good News: I just got a chance to check my email and recieved notification Ruelala.com was having a Lela Rose Sale!!!!

The Bad News: Everything I love is sold out.

Let it snow.. Let it snow.. STOP SNOWING ALREADY (i've gotta move all that puff)

Today the lot was clean. Cold. But still clean. Because I have TERRIBLE luck I had to go back to the other store today to do their outdoor inventory. Unfortunatley, the equipment at the other store broke once I finished EVERYTHING and EVERYTHING WAS LOST. Pfftt. Second day in a row. I hate the other store and the antiques they call technology.

Tomorrow I am looking forward to moving the snow off of 3o some cars. We're supposed to get six more inches.

I love the snow.

A decade in review...

After reading this and this I was inspired to recount my past decades highs and lows year by year. I've come to the conclusion my life is only beginning and has been pretty uneventful :) No news is good news, right? right?

2000- Changed my life through diet and exercise. Began a tumultuous two week first romance. (Hey, I was only a freshmen in High School).

2001- Laid low. No real highs or lows- probably because I can't remember!

2002: Got my first kiss, job, and fell in love. Quit playing the tuba.

2003: Got my heart broken. Got fired. Found a new job. Toughened up. Dated a lot (a lot is an understatement) Started community college. Didn't care. Met Mr. Right.

2004: Changed my academic standing through a lot of hard work. Went on an awesome trip to Chicago and Washington D.C. with Mr. Right. Found my voice. Earned a blackbelt.

2005: Grandmother passed. Began college at a major University. Mr. Right turned into Mr. Sooo Wrong. Moved into dorms. Was kicked out of dorm room for being Caucasian (roommates preferred to be with someone of their own ethnicity). Lived alone. Dated a lot more. Met Adam. Fell in love.

2006: Changed my mind about pharmacy school. Moved in with Adam. Adopted three cats. Fought a lot. Worked through it. Found new job at historic area restaurant. Made new friends. Went out. A lot. Drank. A lot. Doubted myself. Changed degrees.

2007: Worked. A lot. Went to school. A lot. Partied. A lot. Adam and I built a stronger foundation for our relationship. Went skydiving. Managed to drive a stick shift up a hill while Adam was too drunk to direct me.

2008: Got engaged. Decided I wanted to join the military. Adam applied to the Air Force as an officer. Graduated. Got married. Moved from our apartment in Detroit to my parent's garage. Air Force pulled Adam's leg all year. Had huge issues with the in-laws. Doubted my marriage. Was unhappy. Gained a lot of weight.

2009: Air Force dropped Adam's application. Stress. Adam applied to the Navy as an officer. Was accepted. Couldn't find work. Got new job working for my father. Drove all over the northeastern United States. Saw in law's after a year hiatus. Remembered why my marriage was a good thing. Decided together with Adam I should go back to school for nursing in lieu of a military career. Felt good. Lost Soap. Adopted Larry. Adam left for OCS. Adam came back for holiday break. Was happy.

2010: Adam is back in OCS, getting ready for our first military move, and mentally preparing myself to re-enter college as a science major. It's the one thing I am good at. Feeling more positive than ever, thankful Adam and I worked through our problems, planning a volunteer trip to India, and excited to see what happens this year.

Coupon Code: 20 percent off @ Calypso when you join their mailing list!

I love Calypso- the clothing reminds me of a tropical island. Today I was checking their sale section when I noticed at the top of the page "20% off your first order when you join our mailing list" eee!!!! The offer code that goes with that is "NEWFRIEND"

Some of my fave's:
Gatsby Dress: $69.00


Alexis Dress- $49.00