Ok guys so I FINALLY did it! I finally made another weekly splurge purchase at Sephora!!WHOO HOOO!!

I know, I know- THANK YOU! Please hold your applause for the END of the show!! LOL

In previous blogs I mentioned that I stopped doing my splurge buys at Sephora just $40 short of attaining my 500 point prize. My mind has been wandering to other purchases and my makeup collection is complete for now, so it has been difficult to return to Sephora. I would like to begin working on other projects, but I realize I must finish what I’ve started and get my prize!!

Sephora DID make it easy on me to make this purchase though. Spring is in the air and Summer is close behind. What better way to ring in the new seasons than with a new eyeshadow palette?

But not just ANY palette! One full of bright spring shadows, glimmering bronzer, pale pink blush and an assortment of creamy lip balm colors for only $20?!! Are you SERIOUS?!!

When I saw this online I fell in love!


I like purchasing seasonal makeup palettes b/c it feels like I have the “best of the best” for that season, and I don’t have to spend a lot of money to buy the full sizes. By the end of the season I’m usually over the colors anyways, so it works out well. But usually in a seasonal palette there are some colors you love and some you never touch. The thing I LOVE about THIS palette is that EVERY color is gorgeous and wearable! Also every review I read on this palette gave it FIVE STARS so I was really eager to get my grubby splurging little hands on it! lol

So for 3 days straight I stalked Sephora at Perimeter to get this palette, and each time I got there (at 11:30am in the morning, mind you) they had JUST sold out!!
Are you kidding? The mall JUST opened an hour ago and you are SOLD OUT?!

I started getting antsy about whether or not I would even be able to get the palette, so I just bit the bullet yesterday and purchased online. I have to pay $5 shipping but I figure it evens out in the gas I spent checking in at the mall. But this gives me 22 more points towards my grand prize... $18 more bucks shouldn't be TOO hard to spend!! =)

If you are interested in this product just remember its limited edition! So once it’s gone- it's gone! (And it’s already selling out in stores, so don’t wait too long to get yours!!)

Ladies, I assure you these are all the makeup colors you will need for this season, and even in tough economic times $22 is a deal you can’t pass up for everything included.

This set contains:
- 36 eyeshadows
- 12 lip glosses
- 3 blushes
- bronzer
- 3 applicators

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In other news, phase 2 of my hair color process will commence this week! Even though my hair is no longer BLACK, it is still not quite what I pictured for the season!

I DID take a vote via text with some of my buddies to see if I should go more red or a lighter color… and the votes are in!

I’ll update you guys with a new picture this weekend after it’s complete so you can see the voting results!

Once I get these beauty projects out of the way, it’s time for some mommy projects to begin!

Upcoming Events:

-Easter Theme Birthday & Egg Hunt!
-4 of our kid's birthdays in a 6 week span!
-A "Royal" Birthday Event!
-Mother's Day!
-Sarina and Mimi as flower girls in my cousin's upcoming black & white themed wedding!

Whew, I’m a busy woman!!
Later for now!

Soap Opera Drama

I got an email today from New York & Co. ( my career wear store) that all this month on All My Children, all of the actresses will be wearing clothes from NY&Co.’s new spring collection.

I haven’t watched soap operas in AGES, but I’m thinking about checking it out after work on Soap Network to see how they put the clothes together.



NY&Co. is a great store for work clothes b/c they have lots of button downs, pencil skirts and career pants at WAYYY affordable prices. I haven’t shopped there for anything BUT work clothes b/c some of their clothing is a little “mature” for me. It will be interesting to see how some Hollywood Soap Stars can jazz it up for afternoon primetime!





Reading this email made me realize how long it’s been since I watched the soaps.

My mom has been a faithful fan of Young & the Restless and Bold & the Beautiful since before I was a baby. I remember when I would get off the school bus in elementary school I couldn’t talk to her for like the first 15 minutes I was home b/c General Hospital wasn’t over yet. LOL

After high school I went to college early in the morning, but worked second shift so I was usually home around lunch time. I think that was when I first started watching them faithfully and really got into the story lines.

But once I got my first 8 to 5 job, that kinda ended. We used to have a TV in the breakroom of my old job, but some channel hog was always watching news by the time I got to lunch. I didn’t want to seem trivial and ask someone to turn off CNN b/c “my stories” were on!!

I never got into the "Passions" craze that everyone seemed to be on a few years ago. (REMEMBER THAT?!!! HAHA)

I couldn't watch a soap opera that had a witch AND a midget!
That is just TOO MUCH going on!!
And I had to draw the LINE on that one when some GROWN ASS MEN asked me if I had seen the latest "Passions" episode. ( YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!! puhahah)

I wonder if any of the characters I even remember are still on the soaps?

On Y&R- Is Victor still running the show? Did him and Nikki ever get back together? What about my favorite couple Cricket and Danny? Is Mrs. Chancellor still ALIVE?

On B&B- Is Brooke still trying to lockdown Ridge? Is his mom Stephanie still interfering in their relationship? Did Dr. Taylor come back from death to reunite with Ridge? Hahahahahaha

I’ve never watched All My Children, but I’ll check it out and see what it’s about.

If anybody still keeps up with the stories, give me the scoop on the ppl I listed above!!

Snooze Button...

This is day two of Sarina having her own alarm clock and it’s working well so far.
Now she gets up at 6am on her own, turns on cartoons, wakes up Mimi and makes toothbrushes for both of them. It’s a HUGE help to me and her dad in the mornings!

Our previous routine has been a little INSANE. Trying to rush into the shower to get first dibs on hot water, spending 15 mins trying to get the kids to get out of bed, starting coffee, turning on cartoons & other random tasks. I’m normally so rushed I have to put my makeup on while sitting in bumper to bumper traffic on 285. (I know what you’re thinking!! It’s a BAD habit I’m trying to break!!)

I have about an hour and fifteen minute ride to work on a GOOD DAY, so it’s been kinda hectic trying to get the kids ready and get out the door on time. It’s bad enough that I leave at the crack of dawn and it’s still dark when I get on the highway- the last thing I need to do is RUSH.

So we’ve been working on more efficient ways to get out of the house on weekday mornings.

Another bonus- My Gevalia Coffee Maker arrived!!!
Don’t know if you guys have heard of Gevalia, but if you are a coffee drinker- this stuff is A MUST HAVE!! My mom and grandfather have ordered it for years, I’m not sure why I only thought recently to order it for myself.

I’m a lover of flavored coffees, and they have some delicious choices!!! My first order was Irish Crème and Vanilla Nut, though I want to try Caramel next time! Its high quality coffee too, so you get that perfect caffeine boost without the shakes or a headache (like I get from Foldgers coffee- ugh!) Makes me just want to dance around my kitchen and get my day started. =]

You schedule how often you would like to receive a shipment of the coffee and they mail & bill it to you. When you sign up for the service, they send you a FREE Gevalia Brand coffee maker (It’s NICEEEE too- Stainless Steel & Black!), all you have to pay is the shipping- which totals about $15.




The coffee maker also has an automatic setting on it, which my goal is to figure out tonight. That way I can have my coffee set up the night before, and then precisely at 6am my morning java will start brewing!!

Eventually I want to get to the point where I can have time to make breakfast for everyone, though I don’t know how much earlier I can wake up!! I never figured out how my mom managed to get up at 5am and have her hair curled and bacon cooking by the time me and my brother got out of bed. As a working mom myself now, I can appreciate the little things she did for us like that. I’m lucky if I have time to grab a pop-tart running out the door!

If you guys have any tips or fool-proof methods on how to get going in the mornings (with kids)- I would love to hear them!

Cyber Cravings

So they’ve really tightened things up on internet surfing at work and I’ve been away for awhile. When I get home I’m too busy with the family to spend a lot of time online. We now only have access to Blogger at work, so I guess this will be my weekday connection to the cyberworld!!

It’s funny I used to check my myspace and facebook religiously each day, but now that I’ve gone 3 weeks with limited access, I don’t miss it at all.

Since I’ve “broken up” with f/b and m/s, I’ve picked up on a new internet addiction! I’ve been scourging news websites, learning as much information as I can! (This is probably much better for my brain than myspace anyways. =] )

I don’t mean DRY news, like an “insurgent bombing” in Iraq (frkn Katt Williams!) or more dismal reports on the economy.
That stuff can get depressing after awhile!

I’ve been finding news bits that grab my attention or relate to things I like.
Here are some cool news stories I’ve run across… Hopefully this is good stuff for you too!

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Nintendo is coming out with a DSi on April 5th. This DS will have two cameras (one on the outside, and one facing the user), a voice recorder and music player that allow you to record and play your own music . Plus you get access to games on the go from the DSiWare store. I wish we had known about this before we replaced Sarina’s broken DS a couple of weeks ago! The new DS is only $170, which is about $30 more than the current DS model.
Hmm, I might have to get one for myself now…



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A Sherlock Holmes movie is coming out!
I’ve always been into reading mysteries, as a child Sherlock Holmes was one of my favorite mystery novels. The cast of the movie is incredible, so I think it might be a big hit. It’s set to release Fall 09.

It’s directed by Guy Ritchie (Snatch, Madonna’s Ex), Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) will play Sherlock Holmes, Jude Law will play Watson, and Rachel McAdams will play RDJ’s love interest.

Guy Ritchie says this will be a very contemporary version of the story since Sherlock Holmes is kind of out of touch with today’s world. I love the way he directed Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels- it will be interesting to see how his directing style portrays a Classic Literary Character.



Other upcoming movie remakes that sound pretty cool:

-The Karate Kid (with Jackie Chan as Mr. Miyagi)

-Conan the Barbarian (no word yet on any actors- but WHO can replace ARNOLD??!! haha)

-He-Man (The only buzz so far is that they REFUSE to use a wrestler as He-Man! LOL)
I’m just thinking of Dolph Lungren’s horrible acting skills in the 80s version of this movie! The director said he wants this He-Man to be remade like Batman was in The Dark Knight, and that it will likely be a trilogy!!

-Back to the Future (no buzz yet on the new Marty McFly or Professor)

-The Last Dragon (the buzz is Samuel L. will play the Shogun of Harlem a.k.a. Sho’Nuff and it will be produced by RZA from Wu-Tang Clan!! HOT!!)




-Terminator 4 (with Christian Bale a.k.a. Batman as John Connor!!)



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AT&T is doing a new phone trade-up policy?

For now it’s just a rumor, but it looks like AT&T may be doing a phone trade up deal for current customers, kind of like trading in a video game to get a new one. You will get a cash value for the phone you trade in and be able to apply it to your new phone purchase. This would be an AWESOME alternative to having to renew your contract 2 years if you want a new phone, or having to pay full price for a new phone just b/c you already have service.

If this policy comes to life, it is expected to be effective as early as June of this year!! If I read anything else on this, I'll be sure to let my fellow AT&T ppl know!!