Benefits of Waxing

Some odd months ago, I worked at European Wax Center in Huntersville. During that brief time, I met the most amazing woman alive. Katie Elvington. Katie is absolutely wonderful, and made me feel so welcome, and above all...comfortable. Katie is excellent at what she does. Not only does she listen, but she makes sure that you're expecting what's to come. Being a frequent waxee, I feel that that's important. Getting waxed is painful, but with Katie, it's a walk in the park. Although Katie doesn't have the power to take the pain away, she will walk you through it. Katie provides her services at Dollface Skin & Makeup Lounge.

Isn't the place so cute! It's so Chic, and there are more pictures, as well as the services provided on the website. I don't trust any one else to wax me but Katie. I've noticed a major difference between her and other esthetician's. I don't know what is, but my skin thanks you Katie! Check out the website, set up an appointment, and get something waxed!

I promise you won't regret it, and you'll LOVE Katie!

 



      3 Reason Why You Should Wax:



1. No Ingrown HairsWhen I shave, I get a lot of ingrown hairs. If you don't know, ingrown hairs are painful and ugly. These result into black spots on my skin. Since waxing, the ingrown hairs have subsided, and with the use of Jergens, the black spots are fading.
2. Smooth Skin For LongerWaxing takes longer for the hair to grow back, due to the hair being pulled from the root. The hair also grows back finer, and the more you wax, the slower the hair grows back. Waxing will leave the skin smooth for approximately 3-8 weeks.
3.  Natural Exfoliation
   Not only does wax remove the hair, it exfoliates the skin as well. Getting rid of the dead skin cells is both reviving and wonderful for the skin. Once waxed, you should continue to exfoliate with a body scrub at least once a week to help the new hair growth. 

There are quite a few benefits for waxing versus shaving. Some of you can shave all areas of your body no problem. [I envy you!] Some of us, have sensitive skin, and extremely stubborn hair.



 

Have a great day all!

R&R Birthday Evening

As some of you may know, I just recently [yesterday] had a birthday. Still under the weather, but spent most of the day at work. To me my birthday is a special day, to most, it was just a normal Tuesday. I want to scream at people Hello! It's my birthday you know!  But I held it back, and treated the day like any other. Luckily, my loving boyfriend had planned quite the evening. He cleaned the house and led me [as well as a trail of petals] to our bathroom.

Isn't he handsome! He dressed up and met me at the door.
He's a keeper!

Ignore the mess, I have quite a few projects lounging around the house, waiting to be done. You can barely see in the top corner to the left is "Clyde." Sean's makeshift butler who took my belongings. Clyde was very helpful, although quiet. Sean was very proud of him. Sean had serene music playing, candles lit, and a bubble bath drawn. Also, for entertainment, he wrapped his phone in plastic so I could play a game.

It was so relaxing. Sean brought me wine, and sat with me to talk about my day. Is he not the best? While I soaked a little longer, Sean made me spaghetti. I don't know what happened, but when I walked into the kitchen, most of the meat and sauce was on the oven. He was in such distress with the mess he had made, I couldn't help but laugh. Of course to follow, I set my plate down on the couch, and rose to grab my phone....said plate flips onto the floor. Lovely. Easy fix, but it was so dark I'm almost positive there may be a stain. [fingers crossed the resolve worked]

 

The evening was a success, and I couldn't stop smiling! I couldn't have asked for a better evening.

 

 

Hope you all have a great day!



Feeling sick

I have come down with something ugly. I wasn't able to do anything this weekend, and may be leaving work early. Pray that I get better, because....well...tomorrow's my birthday...and I don't want to be sick on such a grand day! I will hopefully be back on Wednesday.

 

Hope you all have a great day!

It's Friday!

I hate diets. I refuse to be a part of anything that restricts what I can/can't do. If I want a slice of cake...believe me...I'm eating that slice, licking the plate, and maybe even going back for more. I naturally tend to eat healthier options. I think it was embedded in me at a young age. But you will never hear me say no to something, unless I really don't want it. Listen to you're body. Exercise regularly, eat to be healthy, but don't be afraid to indulge every now and again. I'll be heading to my company's cook-out for lunch soon, and then Sean and I are going out for restaurant week.

To much in one day...I think not!

 

Enjoy your weekend, take a walk, eat some cake and don't think twice about it.

Hope you all have a great day!

A Beginners Guide: Dresser to TV Stand

Ok guys, I completed my first large DIY project! I'm not going to lie, I was little scared to get started, yet excited to see what I'm capable of. After searching through garage sale after garage sale, checking in at Goodwill and our local Restore, I found a dresser I could work with.

Quite the beauty isn't she. Sean looked at me like I was crazy when the dresser was delivered. He said he couldn't envision what this was going to look like once I finished. I reassured him that it was going to be great, but I was screaming my doubts on the inside. I am attempting to challenge myself to try new things. I figured...what the hey...it's here...why not try. I went to Home Depot to pick up a few supplies, and I'm almost positive the employees could tell I had no idea what I was looking for. I tried to make it seem like I belonged, but failed when I had to return three times because I forgot a scraping tool and a paint brush. The man at self check out smiled when I approached on my last visit, and asked me if I found everything this time. I'm sure I changed 10 shades of red before nodding, checking out, and practically running out of the store. My advice to you...make a list.

The top of this is extremely hard to get off. Sean and went back and forth until he was able twist it off. The instructions say to push down and twist slowly....ummm....there's no slow in this top. It should say force open anyway you can until you hear air released. [But I digress]

I applied a thin layer to the tops of the drawers. Let me be the one to tell you that will need MORE than a thin layer. There's quite a bit in that can, so don't be afraid to be generous or you'll end up applying multiple coats like I had to. I spent an entire evening trying to scraping and applying repeatedly before going to bed. Also, be sure to wear a mask over your nose and mouth. I inhaled so many fumes, and had a killer headache the rest of the night....my mistake.

The next morning, I decided to see what would happen if I sanded the rest of the paint off. I almost wish I had bought an a small sander from Home Depot, and skipped the stripper step all together. Would have saved me a lot of time, and maybe nixed the headache all together. I sanded the drawers and dresser by hand using 220 Grit sandpaper. I wish I had sanded the drawers a little more before applying stain. But, I am happy to report that Sean and I love the way our new tv stand turned out!

I still have to add the pulls, I can't seem to find any that fit, and think we may have to adjust the holes on each drawer. I'll be sure to show you the updated picture. I measured the inside of each drawer and had a Home Depot employee cut two pieces of wood for me. I told him the wood was for a cabinet and he brought me the wood, asking for measurements. I was happy because I had no idea what kind of wood I needed, and what he provided works perfectly. My measurements were a little off length wise, but I used the bar that the drawers slide on the keep the wood snugly in place. [Lucky for me they were the perfect width!] I used Minwax stain in Special Walnut. I actually bought 3 cans, and ended up returning two cans. There is more than enough, and a little bit of stain goes a long way. I love the rustic feel that it gives to the living room.

 

I don't think I will be able to stop. I already have so many ideas for future DIY projects. A DIY monster may have emerged from this project.

 

Have a great day all! 

 

 

 



 

Business Casual Wear

Every now and again, we are visited by clients and have to dress business casually. I dress up every day, but to ensure that I look somewhat professional, I have a pair of slacks, a blazer, and a handful of nice shirts. I opted not to wear the blaze but did get to put the slacks to use.

 

I love that this shirt has the peek-a-boo sleeves because I get show off my tattoo, while still looking classy. I am the queen of hand-me-downs, so I cannot tell you where this shirt is from. My friend Phi-Phi gave it to me, and the slacks were my moms.

 

If you're interested in a few more business casual ideas, let me know and I'll mash something together for you!

 

 

Have a great day all!

The Capital Grille and Annie at Blumenthal

For my birthday, my mom to asked me to meet her at a parking deck in uptown Charlotte. I was very excited because I had no idea what was planned. I was able to switch with another employee so that I could get out before 6:30 p.m. and meet my mom at 5:00. We walked around the entire block before entering The Capital Grille. I was so excited. Like most, I love surprises!

Isn't she beautiful!

Dinner was delicious, and the staff was so nice! They gave me a card for my birthday celebration, and treated my mom and I with an appetizer and a dessert. My mom also surprised me by taking me to see Annie! I have loved Annie since I was wee-little; watching the movie every night before going to bed. When I was around 8 years old, my mom brought me to see the play Annie. I can honestly tell you that I loved it just as much as I did then. It was the perfect gift. Thank you again mom!

It's a hard knock life

Annie meeting Mr. Warbucks

Ms. Hannigan and Rooster

"The Munch's" [Rooster and his girlfriend] pretending to be
Annie's parents

The cast and Sandy

I couldn't help but sing along, and was grinning to ear to ear the whole time! [cause "your never fully dressed without a smile"] I wanted to cry I was so happy. The entire evening was wonderful and the cast did an excellent job! My mom and I loved Ms. Hannigan, she was hilarious! Of course I did what I could to snag a video.

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas Recipe

When I first started experimenting with recipes that I found online last year, this cheesy chicken enchiladas recipe was a winner. Enjoy them! I hope you like your food spicy!

 

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas:

Printable Recipe

 

Sauce:

2 tbsp Minced Garlic

2 tbsp Chipotle Chili's in Adobe Sauce

1.5 cup Tomato Sauce

1/2 tsp Chili Powder

1/2 tsp Cumin

3/4 cup Chicken Broth

Salt & Pepper

 

Chicken:

1 tsp Vegetable Oil

2 tbsp Minced Garlic

2 Chicken Breasts, cooked or Rotisserie Chicken

Salt

1 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Chili Powder

1/3 cup Chicken Broth

1/2 cup Tomato Sauce

 

8 Tortillas

Mexican Cheese

 

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, spray oil and sauté garlic.

Add chipotle chiles, chili powser, cumin, chicken broth, tomato sauce, salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and simmer 5-10 minutes. Set aside

 

Preheat oven 400 degrees

 

Heat vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat and sauté garlic until soft, about 2-5 minutes.

Add chicken, salt, cumin, oregano, chili powder, tomato sauce, and chicken broth.

Cook 4-5 minutes. Set aside.

Spray a 13x9 inch baking dish with non-stick spray.

Put 1/3 cup chicken mixture into a tortilla and roll.

Place in dish, seam side down. Repeat.

Top with sauce and cheese.

Cover with foil.

Bake 20-25 minutes

 

 

 

 

OOTD and Garage Sale Finds

On Saturday morning, Sean asked me if I wanted to go garage sale shopping. Of course I do! He had a place picked out and everything. I was up by 4 a.m. I was so excited. We took off, Starbucks in hand and a huge smile on our faces. We arrived to the location and found nothing, but that happens. When we returned to the car, I asked him where we were headed next...he was so confused. I died laughing when I realized that he had only this location, and later learned he had never gone garage sale shopping before. I told him there was no way I was waking up at 7 a.m. for one location. Needless to say...we made a morning of it. I was one happy woman.


Fedora: Forever 21//Dress: Unknown 

DIY projects are headed your way! Below are the treasures Sean and I found.

Love these two pieces. See how I use them here.

This 5X7 rug was a steal! $15 and it brings the colors in our living room
perfectly!

Love these! Only $0.50 each!

 

I also bought a dresser [not pictured] that I am trying to get delivered. It is quite the gem. I can't wait to begin using each piece, and finding different ways to bring them back to life. Stay tuned for a few walk through DIY tutorials coming soon!

 

Have a great day all! 

How To: Keep Flowers Fresh Longer

I have never attempted to take care of plants or flowers in the past. I fear they will die and the defeat is too much to bear. [More so I don't want to waste money] But I decided to try anyway. I love the simple beauty that baby's breath provides, and decided to pick up a small bouquet. In order to try something different, I added lemon slices to the vase, in hopes of keeping them fresh longer. I will report back if using lemons works or not.

 

I was able to make three "arrangements," and they look wonderful all around the house. I am keeping two in the kitchen for now until I can finish out nightstands. [DIY Post coming soon!] I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

 

Have a great day all!

 

Starbucks Caramel Iced Coffee

As most people do, I love coffee. I have a cup every day on my way to work, and right now, my obsession is with iced coffee. I have never liked iced coffee, until Lauren introduced me to Starbuck's caramel iced coffee with coconut milk. Can you say, "heaven in a glass?" Although I would love to go to Starbucks for this delicious drink everyday....finances does not allow that. So instead, I bought the Skinny Caramel Macchiato at Target for $5, and SO Delicious Coconut Milk. I found that drinking the caramel iced coffee alone is far too sweet. Be sure to add the coconut milk to even everything out.

add ice...I found 2 cubes is just enough so the straw doesn't get stuck

add iced coffee...I fill the cup about half way because it is so sweet

add coconut milk...I fill the rest of the cup

 

So good, and the Starbuck's iced coffee bottle lasts me about a week before I buy more.

 

Hope you all have a great day!