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10/21/09
Yesterday was crazy busy and I was up to my eyes in emails until the minute I left. Thankfully today at work has been pretty slow. This has given me some free time and I’ve spent most of the afternoon browsing through my first blog. That’s right folks, there was a blog before this one! And to be honest, I think it was better. For most of that blog, I was in the middle of wedding planning so there were lots of wedding planning posts. There were also lots of rants too! Nothing gets a girl worked up like wedding (and non wedding) related drama!
Anyway, so I started looking and I’ve been blogging for almost 5 years, 10-29-09? Um WOW! That’s crazy. What’s crazier is I still probably only have like 5 followers. HAHA! Blogging has never been about being the most popular blog on the web. I’ll be the first to say just how boring I am but I do like to write (though again, I feel like my writing was better back then too!) I was much better about blogging daily through the week on the old blog too. Basically it was just better and I shared my boredom much more freely and often. I might repost a few things from that blog in the coming weeks. Unfortunately we weren’t able to move those posts when I started this blog. I think it was more of our problem and not an actual limitation of the blog itself. Regardless, it’s still fun to go back and read about the past. Maybe I’ll try to step up my game on this blog in the coming weeks! 😉
Happy Friday!
~k
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Oh hey Spring! Come back!
Yesterday was an absolutely beautiful day in North Carolina. Mid 60’s and gorgeous. Today, temps are falling and they are predicting freezing rain and sleet! Umm, gross! After the last snow, I was officially OVER Winter! Bring on sunshine and shorts!
Matt and I took full advantage of the beautiful weather yesterday and headed downtown for lunch. We ended up at Trophy Brewing Co. for pizza and beer. The food and drinks were really good. The only downside was, they were pretty busy so we ended up sitting at the bar and not outside. After lunch, we drove around downtown for a few minutes before heading out to find some ice cream. I’d been craving ice cream all weekend and nothing says Spring like ice cream.
There is a really good local ice cream place called Fresh on Glenwood, near our house. Matt suggested we stop there before heading over to Walmart. We both got cookies and cream ice cream. It was pretty busy when we first arrived but once we got our cones the place had cleared out. We found a nice picnic table to sit and eat and enjoy the day.
After ice cream we headed out to Briar Creek to run to Walmart. Mom told me about some face cream that was a must but said the Walmart brand was better than the name brand. I was looking for the Equate Face & Neck Cream Advanced Firming but I ended up with the Equate Beauty Age Control Day Cream for Mature Skin. Of course Walmart was a disaster and I couldn’t find the Face & Neck Cream. I used the Beauty Age Control last night and this morning and it feels and smells wonderful. It is also pretty thick and hydrating. I used it under my foundation this morning and my skin had a nice dewy glow. Score! I’m going to try it out for a few more days and see how it does but based on first impressions, I like it!
~k
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Lovey dovey
Sometimes you just need to write a lovey, dovey post about your honey!
Matt is such a wonderful husband and I try to tell him this as much as I can. I hope he knows just how much I love and appreciate everything he does for me! We’ve been through ups and downs and good times and bad times in the almost 3 years we’ve been married. Some of which, other couples might not would have made it through but I feel like our marriage is so much stronger having gone through the good and bad together. I know that he is always here for me whether it’s helping me clean the house or offering a much needed hug after a bad day. Sometimes it’s just sitting on the couch cuddling while watching TV.
He is kind and compassionate. He is not petty or catty. He doesn’t argue over stupid stuff, nor does he treat me poorly or disrespect me. I couldn’t have asked for a better husband and partner!
I love you Matte!
~k
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I went to the MAC counter
God help us all, or really just Matt’s check book! 😉
I’ve had a lot of makeup posts lately and it’s because I have recently become obsessed with makeup tutorials on youtube. I’ll list a few of my fave channels at the bottom. Anyway, they’ve sparked this new found interest/obsession with all things makeup. Mostly though, I’m still looking for “the” foundation. My Stila is still doing okay but my skin has changed and I no longer find I am super oily like I was even a year or so ago. My skin has turned more to a combination to dry skin instead of combination to oily. Maybe age is finally catching up to me but I can’t seem to get enough moisture in my skin. I slather it with thick, heavy creams at night but nothing seems to help. I mentioned I bought a Mary Kay moisturizer a few weeks ago and I do like it under my makeup but I’ve since added Pore Filler primer by NYX. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the way this stuff makes your skin feel. It literally feels like silk once you apply it. It also does a pretty good job of filling the pore across my nose and cheeks. It doesn’t help as much for some of the larger pores on my chin though. Overall, I give it 2 thumbs up. I will be purchasing it again.
Okay, so now on to what I really was going to write about, my MAC experience. My new love of youtube has lead to my need for a concealer. Almost all the girls I watch on youtube use MAC’s Pro Longwear Concealer. They rave about how it won’t crease under your eyes. Well guess what, that’s what I NEED! I’ve always had fine lines/wrinkles under my eyes, even a kid I remember having them. I guess it’s just in my genes. So on Saturday I got dressed and ran to the mall. The MAC store was pretty busy so I walked down to Belk to the MAC counter. I found a nice girl who informed me the pro longwear concealer was NOT what I needed and she recommended the mineralize concealer. She also recommended the mineralize foundation since I’d said I’d like a sample or two to test out.
She took me to a chair and went to grab a few items. When she came back she wiped off my current concealer and showed me how to apply the mineralize concealer. Then she decided to apply some strobe cream and foundation. The strobe cream was very moisturizing and had some luminosity to help brighten my skin under the foundation. She wiped off the rest of my makeup on one side and showed me how to apply it. Next she let me do the other half of my face, with her guidance. Looking at everything in their light looked really good. A tad heavier than what I’d normally wear but I felt like I looked pretty. She added some blush, grabbed a foundation sample, and I paid for the concealer.
As the afternoon wore on, I noticed the foundation had started settle a little in my pores but a light wiping with some tissue helped to smooth it over. I knew the real test would be the next day when I applied everything as I normally would. Yesterday after I got ready, I noticed the MAC was still settling into my pores especially across my cheeks near my nose. This is exactly what I was trying to avoid, and what everything else is currently doing. This morning I did my normal makeup routine but I used my fingers to apply my foundation instead of a brush with the same results! UGH! So far, I’ve gone back and forth as to whether I really like this foundation or not. In some lights it looks okay but in others it just makes my skin look dull and gross. Though I should mention the color is pretty spot on. The one thing I LOVE about my Stila foundation is the color. It’s more on the neutral/yellow side and it really helps to neutralize the redness of my complexation and also brightens up my skin. Granted I think it’s a shade too light but still I think it looks pretty good overall.
I should probably mention that so far I do actually like the concealer. It does still settle in my fine lines but it’s not terrible. It could also be I’m not setting it correctly?
For now I guess the foundation hunt is still on. If you have dry skin please let me know what you are using. I’d love a foundation that gives you a nice dewy/glowly look without feeling heavy or greasy.
Here are my youtube faves:
Jaclyn Hill http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6jgzx2g3nlbaYkd8EMweKA
Lauren Curtis http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXbQzhqSvgVZTUyi1T4AU3w
Shaaanxo http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMpOz2KEfkSdd5JeIJh_fxw
Happy Monday!
~k
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Sledding!
Okay so I couldn’t post that I went sledding and there is video and not upload the video! Enjoy!
Happy Friday!
~k
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Snow day part deux (365 challenge)
Work has been crazy busy the last week or so and I haven’t had a chance to write about the snowstorm that hit Raleigh last week. Predictions were 4-8″ and I would say we definitely got 4″ plus a little more.
The snow was due to start around lunch on Wed so Matt decided to ride in to work with me and work from the Hunt Library on campus. It is about 2 blocks from my office and he hadn’t been there yet. A little before noon he walked back to my office and waited for me to get out of a meeting. I didn’t really take the snow seriously and about 12:15 he texted me and told me we had to leave that the snow had started. At this point my meeting was running long anyway so I grabbed my things and left.
By the time we got out the door the snow was already starting to stick to the ground. We hopped in the car and headed home. We got to Western Blvd and sat through the light a few times before I encouraged Matt to hop the curb and go a different way. Traffic was already starting to suck and the snow was sticking more and more. Within 15 mins or so of the start the roads were covered. We finally got off campus only to get stuck about 8 miles from the house. A drive that normally takes me about 5 minutes took us almost 45! Not to mention I was starving at this point. We finally got past all traffic but the roads were getting worse. About an hour and a half after we left the office, we finally got home. We only had one instance of sliding, like really sliding while trying to stop.
The snow continued into the night before turning to sleet and freezing rain and by the time we went to bed we had about 4″ of snow with ice piling on top. Clearly we worked from home on Thursday and Friday. I even managed to go sledding Thursday afternoon. Matt was a snow humbug and wouldn’t sled but he did take a few videos of me sledding. 🙂 It was fun!
By Saturday the roads were back to normal and I made Matt get me out of the house. At this point I am DONE praying for snow! 😉 I’ve gotten my “several inches” and I am ready for spring.
Now for the photo overload! Enjoy!
Happy Thursday!
~k
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Oh Mary Kay
Two weeks ago I went on a little MK shopping spree. I bought eye cream, moisturizer, and a microderm kit. My old skin care routine just wasn’t cutting it so when someone on IG mentioned they were using MK products I decided to give them another try. A long time ago, when I was still living in AL, my mom and I started using MK products. We both really liked them, but at the time, it was a little difficult to find local MK dealers. Eventually we stopped and switched to who knows what.
With it back in my mind, I decided to search Amazon and ending up finding the products I was looking for for almost half the price of the MK site. I immediately placed my orders and waited. The eye cream was the first thing I purchased and it actually took the longest to receive. It just arrived on Wednesday. I had to email the seller ask where my order was. Turns out they bought the label but didn’t ship my order until I contacted them. Needless to say I will be writing a review and I won’t use that seller again.
I’ve been using both the moisturizer and microderm kit for close to a week now and so far so good. The moisturizer seems to hydrate my skin without feeling too heavy or greasy. It also isn’t so light my skin dries out. When you put it on it actually seems to feel little powdery. It’s odd but nice. The microderm kit I’ve been using on alternating days. I really like this kit so far. It doesn’t seem to dry my skin out and after it feels soft and smooth. With the microderm kit, I wash my face as usual, blot with a towel but not to the point of drying it, and then use Step 1. It’s really gritty but it’s not uncomfortable. Once I’ve given my face a good scrub, I wash off the product, dry, and add Step 2. I have no clue what Step 2 is or does for that matter but it feels nice. I then add my moisturizer and go to bed.
I feel like my skin tone is slowing improving. The dry spot on my cheek is still there. I’m not sure if it’s getting better or what but the skin is starting to flake off. I’m hoping this is a good sign that new skin is being generated.
I know this isn’t a great product review but if you’re looking for a change, check out Mary Kay. You might be surprised with the results. If I have any drastic results from the eye cream I’ll def post another review.
~k
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Snow Day – 365 Challenge Week 5
I’m totally cheating and using some of the snow pics from last week for my challenge. 🙂
Last week the news started calling for snow on Tuesday and into Wednesday morning. I got to work and waited for the flurries to start. By 4:00 pm there was still no snow in the Triangle. I waited another half hour and decided to head home anyway. Matt and I laid on the couch around 5 and I told him it would be snowing when we woke up. Sure enough around 6 it was snowing. It snowed for most of the night however when we woke up on Wednesday we only managed to get about 1.5 inches. Since there was snow on the ground, there was no way I was going in to work. I emailed my manager to let him know I’d be working from home. I threw on some clothes and headed outside to take a few pics before the snow was ruined!
Matt is a snow fuddy duddy and wouldn’t go out and play with me but around 10:30 he decided to de-snow my car and clear off the driveway with his new snow shovel! Hehe. I bought him a snow shovel for Christmas. 🙂 Anyway, I decided to go out and help him but boy was it cold. At this point it was only in the teens out. I helped clear off some of my car and then took a few more pics. It was a gorgeous day but it was so cold out. I finally headed back inside to do more work and to warm up.
Thursday I went back to work, though I went in a little late since the roads were still a little icy. Even this weekend we still had some snow in our yard. It didn’t really all melt till the rain started last night. And while I do love me some snow, it was very very cold. I’m glad the temps rose some over the weekend.
~k
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365 Challenge – Week 4
I know I’m a few days late but I haven’t had a chance to edit at work. 😉 Here are my pics from last week. I’m currently working from home today since it’s a SNOW DAY but I’ll blog about that tomorrow! (and include some pics!)
Random view of the sidewalk in front of the office. 
I love this tree. It is down the street from my office. One day last week when school was cancelled I stopped on my way to work to snap a quick pic. 
The Hunt Library on campus. 
The lake down the street from the office. 
My little yard frog. He’s seen better days for sure. We had a light dusting of snow. 
A random left on the sidewalk. 
A guy Matt knows said this cute little guy was scaring his kids and he was going to have to get rid of it. I told Matt to tell him we’d take it. Now I just need an Auburn one. -
Microderm – A recap
Saturday I woke up, showered and threw on some tinted moisturizer. Matt asked if I really needed to wear makeup since I was to get my face scraped off but there was no way I was leaving the house without a little something on. I got to Ulta a few minutes before my appt and waited for the girl to come get me. She took me to this little free standing circular divider. I filled out a survey about my skin and then she got started.
I have no idea what all she did because she didn’t do a great job of telling me what was going on. There was lots of slathering and wiping off. Finally she asked for my wrist and asked what it felt like. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to be feeling but it felt pretty light. She turned it up, I guess, and tried again. By this point I’d figured out it was the microderm machine and she made a point of telling me it cost $3400.00. Anywoo, the microderm didn’t feel bad on my face at all. A few spots were a little tender but overall I thought it felt fine. She finished my face, which seemed really quick since I’d read it normally takes about 20-30 minutes, and slathered some more stuff on. Then she put a mask on. I sat for a few more minutes and then she started to remove it. She said it was quite difficult to remove and I still had spots from the mask when I got home. When she was done, she handed me a mirror. I told her it looked good but in all honestly I couldn’t see any difference. The one spot I was most concerned with, a dry spot on my cheek, was still there in all it’s glory. She slathered some tinted moisturizer on and sent me on my way.
While she was working on my face I asked her how long she’d been doing microderm and she told me two weeks. Literally she just started at Ulta, probably for this special. She was nice but I can’t say I was super impressed with the results. Maybe I expected too much or maybe she didn’t do a good job. Who knows. But as promised I did take a few pics . I forgot to take one of my skin before I went so I have some tinted moisturizer on but you can kind of see what my skin looked like before.
Before:
After: (also with a little tinted moisturizer and without)
Later that night with makeup
I decided to order the Mary Kay Microderm set after talking to a few people about their experiences with microderm. I was told this was a great “at home” kit. I found it on Amazon for almost half the price it was listed for on MaryKay.com. All in all I’m kind of disappointed. I feel like I got a decent facial but I feel a little jipped on the microderm itself. Maybe it is super quick but I think the red spot on my cheek should have seen more/better results. (Not to mention my lips are super sensitive and now I have a cold sore!)
I’ll do a product review of the MK products I receive over the next few weeks. I have eye cream arriving tomorrow and I ordered moisturizer and the microderm kit today.
~k
