A Couple Things...

Here are a few things that have to do with the fall season...in Martha Stewart's words, here are some "good things."

First up, pumpkins. I love the look of them for fall decorating purposes, plus the taste of them in just about every form. What I don't like, however, is the way they are adored and eaten by squirrels. I have more squirrels in my neighborhood than I'm pretty sure populate the rest of the nation. And those squirrels are on my pumpkins like Kid Rock at Waffle House. Take a look...

I've tried mixing cayenne pepper with hot water and pouring it on them, I sprayed them with Pam and sprinkled cayenne on them and it rained all last night so it washed it away. While they were still wet from rain, right after this picture was taken, I sprinkled more pepper on them. I hope it works. Little bastards. They're a dumb animal too. I would never run over one on purpose but they run in front of cars and look around. Do they have no sense of sound or sight? I don't get it...

Enough for my rant on squirrels...another thing I've been loving is this eye look I created for a family Oktoberfest I went to last weekend.

I used Wet n Wild Nutty on the lid with Bare Escentuals Celestine over top, followed by MAC Satin Taupe in the crease with a little bit of Lorac Garnet in the outer v. I put MAC Shroom as an inner corner highlight, MAC Vanilla as a brow highlight and for liner I used Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer in Noir smudged on the upper lash line and Rimmel Special Eyes Precision Eye Liner Pencil in Black Magic on the waterline. I smudged the same colors from the lid on the lower lash line and topped it off with L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara on top and bottom lashes. I really like how this turned out, I think the warm tone of Garnet really helped bring out the blue in my eyes.

Another thing that is meaningless but one of those little things that just makes me happy is this pillow:

 I got it from Ikea, about a week or so ago so they probably still have them. It was only about $14 and I love that it looks like a cozy sweater. I had to change out my Liberty of London pillows anyway and this one is just too cute. My only wish would be more color options, as far as I know, the cream color is the only one available.

Thanks for being here!

-Liz

Day 5: Six Songs You're Addicted to

This is going to be hard, because I already went on the record saying every song on the radio sucks.

But I do have a few that I enjoy from time to time ;)

1. Definitely Like a G6 by Far East Movement




I'm not sure what it is...I think I just really like the beat. Who knows, I'm always down for a little car dancing music. Especially to a song that embarrasses the boyfriend.

2. Has got to be Boys of Fall by Kenny Chesney. I absolutely adore this song. It is so meaningful yet fun at the same time. It makes something that otherwise is just a sport, football, seem like the world revolves around it. (And really, shouldn't it?)



3. Another song I love is Love Like Crazy by Lee Brice. I love his voice, the melody and especially the lyrics. "Never get too old to call her "Baby" is such a good line :)

4. A song that isn't new at all but one that I will never, ever get sick of is Sweet Dreams by Beyonce. That song has the best beat, tune and most of all music video ever. Beyonce can move! It's impossible not to dance when that song comes on.

Gosh, this is really hard for me...I normally listen to really old songs (I know, lame right?) from a burned cd in my car. Today I was listening to Bush, Soul Asylum and old school Mariah Carey (which were her best years, IMO.)

Let's see...I'm going to try to stick to songs that are relatively and/or still on the radio...

5. I sort of enjoy Little White Church  by Little Big Town. Catchy song with cute lyrics. I won't turn the station if it comes on...

6. Trailerhood by Toby Keith is a really funny (and mostly true to life) song...


Phew, that was the hardest list so far! Hopefully tomorrow's is easier. Night Night!

Day 4: Seven fears/phobias

Ehh, 11:38 is close enough to tomorrow, right? Here we go...

1. Dentist. Even if I'm just getting a cleaning, I can't stand it. I don't really know what it is about it. The smell, the sharp objects, the waiting. Eck the whole thing.

2. Spiders. I'm not, by any stretch, a girly-girl but spiders do freak me out. I'll smack a bee out my face, flick aunts away, even pick up a toad or snake but I cannot stand spiders. Especially the brownish clear house ones. Disgusting. Oh and centipedes too. Absolutely nasty. Eww all those little legs...

3. Heights. These are starting to sound rather dull and ordinay but being really high up freaks me out. Like I'll never be able to get down.

4. Swings. I can't even push little kids on swings. It makes my stomach turn like nothing else in this world. I have no idea why...it's something to do with how I'm afraid they'll never slow down, which leads me to...

5. Fans. Well, not all fans, only ceiling fans. Same thing with swings, I'm afraid they'll never stop moving. But really, who cares if they stop moving? I guess I do...

6. People knowing something I don't. I'm always afraid my mom or my friends know something about me or my job or house or literally anything about me that I don't know and are keeping it from me. I don't know why. I'm weird. When people say they "need to talk to me" or "call me later, it's important" that is like the worst thing ever. Tell me now! I physically can't wait until "later."

7. Not being able to pay our bills...which is an everyday fear. I hate not being sure of your employment status or if you'll have enough to cover your bills and food and everything like that.

Day 3: Eight things that annoy you.


Really? I can only list 8? Well, I guess I'll just list the first 8 that come to mind.


1. When a car is driving really slow in front of you, on a main road that is supposed to be 45 mph. They're going about 30, blinker on, blinker off, looking around, I think I might have to turn soon, I don't know...and when they finally turn...THERE'S NO ONE IN FRONT OF THEM! It was just them, on there own. No traffic jam, no accident...nothing!


2. When every song that's currently on the Top 40 radio stations sucks. Like now.


3. When people think we all owe them something. Like some people at my work, when we have to set up specific rooms specific ways. We can suggest to them all day that another room would be easier, is already set up the way they want, etc...but they don't want to move it "just because." And they all think we are there to serve them.


4. When I can't think of an actor's name or what movie they played in before the one I'm watching. Thank goodness for Google.


5. When people are "driving" on a tv show and they turn the wheel back and forth super fast. Where are they going? How are they still alive?


6. When internet is slow. Be it on a laptop, an office computer or my phone, I absolutely hate waiting for a page to load especially when I scroll down and since it was slow, it scrolls all the way down to the bottom by the time it loads. Ugh!


7. When parents don't watch their kids. Like in a store, they are screaming and touching everything and running around and the parents couldn't care less.


8. When people stand in the aisle at a store and block it. Hello, do you not have that magic 6th sense that lets us know someone is behind us trying to get through? It's rude! Move!

Day 2: Nine Things I do Everyday

1. check facebook/twitter/youtube/email
2. laugh
3. brush my teeth
4. put on eye cream
5. text
6. kiss my boyfriend
7. eat
8. watch tv
9. put my hair in a ponytail

10 Day Challenge

So instead of starting out with the big ole 30 Day Challenge, I just found the 10 Day one and it looks like an easier way to go, for now. The questions are all different from the 30 Day so I can do both.

Here are the questions for the 10 Day Challenge:


Day One: Ten random facts about yourself.

Day Two: Nine things you do every day.

Day Three: Eight things that annoy you.

Day Four: Seven fears/phobias.

Day Five: Six songs that you’re addicted to.

Day Six: Five things you can’t live without.

Day Seven: Four memories you won’t forget.

Day Eight: Three words you can’t go a day without using.

Day Nine: Two things you wish you could do.

Day Ten: One person you can trust.



Okay, Day 1. Ten Random Facts about yourself.



1. I love cheese. If I could only have one food forever, it would be cheese. Everything is better with cheese, if I had some cheese, I'd ask for cheese on top, etc.



2. I have OCD. No, not the "I'm trying to be cool, I like my dvds organized I'm like OCD about it!" First of all, that doesn't even make sense. OCD is something you have not become. Plus, it's not cool to have it, it's annoying and it makes for a loooong day. An example: I no longer enjoy reading magazines since I have to finish reading every article I start even if I have no interest in it. I'll keep flipping back through the pages to make sure I read every word and it's almost not worth it to look at anymore.


3. I'm not creative. Which is weird, I've always been into art, I loved to draw when I was younger, I was a Graphic Design major when I started college and I've worked at both Michael's and Hobby Lobby. I just need some examples or I won't know where to start. I used to scrapbook but I'd have to get a scrapbook magazine or look at other people's pages online to get inspiration. I don't have a problem making my work look like my own, I just need ideas to begin. I can't just jump in, although, I wish I could.



4. I'm obsessed with Tim Tebow. I didn't find out about him until late last year but I've become obsessed rather quickly. He is one of the most attractive guys I've ever seen and he's a great ball player. I know some things when it comes to football and I know he's used to playing college but I think he'll make it in the pros. But it's come to the point where I get legit mad when people say something bad about him. That's sad. Note to self: he doesn't know you exist, Liz.


5. I hate when people don't believe you when you tell them something about someone from Hollywood. Here's what I mean: when I see an actor and I say "Oh, they're from insert movie title here" And someone disagrees. I wouldn't say it unless I was 100% sure. Then I have to take more time out of my day to look it up and prove it to them. Just believe me ok, I'm right. :)



6. I absolutely hate loud, unexpected noises. For example: one loud 'yip' bark from a dog, when someone sneezes and I'm not expecting it, when the fire alarm goes off by mistake at work when I'm standing right next to one. Those types of things bother me for a good 5 minutes after they occur.



7. I think I have two cavities. I hate despise the dentist. I'm terrified to even get a cleaning. It's uncomfortable, it tastes bad, I can't swallow for a long time, there's nothing good about it. I have an appointment coming up in October and I don't want my teeth to get worse so I'm just going to have to tough it out.



8. It's really starting to get on my nerves how every tv show tries to put down people who work for maintenance. I used to not even pay attention but since I work for the maintenance department at my work, even though it's not my dream job, it's hard work. Everyone depends on you, yet most of them treat you like dirt. Without the maintenance staff, a lot of things wouldn't get accomplished. We work hard and our work often goes unnoticed. Someone needs to do maintenance; I don't understand why every single show that features some type of janitor makes fun of them and acts like they're too stupid to find a "real job". Some of the smartest, funniest, best people I know work right along with me. I don't know if they want kids to reach higher than cleaning up after people for a living or what but every job is important somehow. I'd like to see a workplace without maintenance for a week and see how it holds up. Ah, okay end rant.



9. I love candles. I have different scents in every room. My favorite brand is WoodWick. Since I don't have a fireplace, I light these throughout the house and it's as loud as an actual fire would be. The one in Amber Woods is my favorite, it smells amazing. I always try to pick fall scented candles, no matter what time of year it is.



10. I love the rain. It makes the day harder because all you want to do is curl up and watch a movie but I just like a change. That's why I never get bored because in Michigan it's completely unpredictable. Being a weatherman here would be the easiest job, all you have to say is "it might rain." No one can be mad at you because there's no way to foresee what's coming. I've even heard comedians talk about how they don't know how to pack when visiting Detroit. Last Friday it was 92 degrees and super windy. The next morning it was 48. I could never live in Philadelphia California where it's always sunny. I need variety, I need 4 seasons.



Alright, Day 1 is completed. Phew. I hope they're not all that long. This will also be cool to look back on in a year or so to see what's changed and what's stayed the same.



Until tomorrow...





Liz

What's New?

So I'm sitting in bed, Full House is on in the background and I'm wide awake. It's 8:02am, I don't have to be to work until 12:30. The worst part is that it's raining so it feels like it's 4am and it's one of those days where you just want to stay in bed with your sweats on (especially with this cramp I'm currently experiencing) and do exactly as I'm doing...watch Full House re-runs. No, strike that. The worst part about today is that I know when I get to work, I have so many big tasks to complete. I hate going to work and knowing that I'm going to get sweaty and disgusting and there's nothing I can do to prevent it. I'm also going to my mom's house straight from work to celebrate my sister's birthday so no shower for me until later! I really am just waiting for Friday. This weekend is going to be great because it's one of those weekends where we have nothing planned. The boyfriend and I are going to get some hay bales, corn stalks and pumpkins to put out and we'll probably go to Dixboro for some cider and home decorating ideas. This is the most exciting time of the year, we've planted our mums,  I have my autumn leave door mat out and a scarecrow on the door. Yes, I wish I was Martha Stewart.

Anyway September has been like a month of new beginnings for me. I started Weight Watchers on Tuesday. It's a lot easier than I'd thought it would be. It's all about choices now. I used to eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted it. That's not the way eating is supposed to be. I'm changing myself so that I'll eat what's good for me most of the time and treat myself on special occasions. Now I can choose, do I want 1 cookie or a whole bowl of salad with chicken? I'm proud of myself so far because I haven't given up or cheated. I've been tempted...believe me! But I want to be healthy and thinner more than I want some french fries. I have about 93 pounds to lose so I have a long road ahead of me. Hopefully by this time next year I'll feel comfortable going to holiday parties and looking good at them. My only regret is that I wish I started this sooner. I'm not going to beat myself up about it, though because you have to be completely commited and motivated to start such a big journey like this, or else you won't be successful. I'm finally ready.

Along with Weight Watchers, I've been exercising. I know I'd lose weight just following my points alone but I want to speed it up and also gain some strength. I used to run, in fact, I ran every weekday morning for over 8 weeks. But my shins were killing me, I thought over time they wouldn't hurt so bad but they do. I have shin splints and I don't want to hurt them even more so I decided to get exercise in other ways. Yesterday I started Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. She used to annoy me really bad. I know she's a tough trainer but I just hate how cheesy she is on commercials. I designed my website for you *points at the camera* but I trust her because she used to be big. I know some personal trainers probably have good advice but how do they know what will work for me if they've grown up skinny little kids that decided to lift weights? Anyway I kept hearing how hard it was but I thought "No way is an at-home workout dvd going to be hard for me." I was wrong. I was so wrong. I did Level 1 of the dvd last night, on the easiest level and I worked up a sweat more than I did running in 90 degree weather. I'm definitely going to be sore later. But I'm gonna keep at it. I'm going to make myself do it for thirty days straight. I plan to do Level 1 for two weeks, Level 2 for one week and Level 3 for one week as well. I hope I'm more toned when I'm done. I should notice a change, after eating my points for a month while doing the shred...I hope.

Another challenge I decided to do (I don't have enough on my plate mind right now, right) is the 10 day blog challenge. This challenge will be, well, challenging for me because I don't write in this blog as much as I should, let alone every single day. But I will. I feel empowered so there's no better time to start this than now. My next post will be about the 10 Day Challenge so keep an eye out for that.

Wow, I managed to write a whole post without one mention of makeup? I'm going to have to change the name of my blog! Most beauty related posts to come as well...in fact, I think that after the 10 day challenge, I'm going to attempt the 30 Day Challenge and then after that, the beauty edition. Talk at you guys later! Thanks for reading :)

What are some of your biggest goals?

-Liz