My Shoe Experiment

I have a dirty little secret! My shoes don't match my outfit. In fact, my shoes have not matched my outfit in about a week. I'm a self-confessed shoe-aholic, but this week there has only been one pair of shoes on my feet. These babies............


I purchased a pair of Reebok EasyTone shoes (in lime green because I couldn't find the pink), and I have been wearing them to work everyday this week. Of course, I do bring along my dress shoes that match my outfit for when I have meetings or someone decides to stop by to visit. However, when I am in office and doing my own thing I am wearing my new spiffy sneakers.

Most of my coworkers know about my special shoes and their magical qualities, but I still get a few funny looks. For those who give me the funny looks, I simply explain to them that I am toning my legs and butt. Yes, I do realize that I look like a dork in my cute work outfit and sneakers, but it is all in the name of science and a firmer tush!

I will let you know how my Reebok EasyTone experiment goes. My observations so far for week one are that the shoes are comfortable, and they definitely make your workout a little harder. I also swear my butt feels a little firmer, but that could be wishful thinking! :)

My Favorite Things

Happy Monday! I hope all of you have had a great start to your week! I must apologize for my absence during the majority of last week. Last week was my birthday week, and while it was very wonderful it was also very busy! I look forward to catching up with you all this week!

It's no secret that I have a love for all things cute and inexpensive. That is why my favorite thing this week is the dollar bins at Michael's (the arts and crafts store)! Michael's has the cutest dollar items! During my most recent trip, I spotted precious note pads, coasters, luggage tags, menu planners, and more! They had such a variety of items from elegant to preppy. They even had a line of products with a hipster look.

One of my favorite line of dollar bin products was the "Queen of the Kitchen" products. They were all so cute. I purchased these disposable coasters. I thought they would be fun the next time the girls come over for a night of kitchen fun!


The dollar bins contained a lot of kitchen related products. I fell in love with all the cute recipe cards they had. I purchased five sets of recipe cards. I plan to put them in my gift closet. I thought they would make a precious gift combined with a cute apron and some wooden spoons all tied up together with a pretty ribbon or maybe given in combination with a cookbook or other kitchen accessories! The possibilities are endless! Here's one of my favorite sets. I love the little lemons!

However, my favorite purchase has to be these precious lanterns.


The lanterns are designed to hold a battery operated tea-light. I purchased several pink ones to use at a baby shower I am hosting in the Spring. I couldn't resist buying the other colors. I plan to use them as fun decorations on our back porch this summer and even use them at the luau we are hosting in May.

One of my favorite blog friends, Miss Fancy Pants, also loves the dollar bins. Click here to see all the cute things she found!

Like I said, I love the dollar bins at Michael's. I always find small items that are perfect for adding that special touch to gifts, or I find something cute to make a coworker or friend smile when they are having a hard day! Oh, and I can always find something fun for myself! The next time you stop in to stock up on craft supplies make sure you take time to check what goodies the dollar bins have to offer!

My Favorite Things

Wow! This week has been so super busy, but it's been a great week! Guess what this week is!! It' s my birthday week! Hooray! I turn the big 31 on Friday or you could say it's my third annual 29th birthday! :)

Okay enough birthday foolishness, on to my favorite things! A few weeks ago while browsing through Target I found a display of wonderful notepads. The notepads are by Jean Chatzky for Franklin Covey. Jean Chatzky is a financial guru-kind of like Suze Orman. I found the line of products to not only be helpful but super cute!

I purchased a Needs and Wants To Buy List. I love that it has separate columns for needs and wants. It also has a place to write your budget and the amount you actually spent. This little note pad has really helped me cut out a lot of my unnecessary spending. It makes me think before I buy.

I also purchased the meal planning pad. It helps you plan your week of meals and compile your shopping list!


The last little treasure I found was the Worth Noting pad. It is great for multi-tasking! Here's what the Franklin Covey web-site had to say about it.

"Juggling multiple projects? Keep track of them all with this innovative notebook. This small twin wire notebook has four stair-stepped sections (one for each project) that can help you keep your tasks together and get more done. Use each section to organize notes, projects, Family members, and more."

All the notepads are reasonably priced. They are available at Target or on-line at Franklin Covey. The line also offers other products to help with financial matters.

The Winner!!

Thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway sponsored by Perricone. I also want to thank Perricone for sponsoring this giveaway for all my wonderful readers!

The winner of Perricone's Cold Plasma is Ann from The House of Fowler! Congratulations Ann! Please e-mail me with your info when you get a chance!

If you are bummed that you didn't win, remember that you can always purchase Perricone products. Check the Perricone blog for specials and discounts!

I Pity the Fool...

...who doesn't enter my giveaway! Don't forget to enter! You have until Jan. 17th! I apologize for the silly reminder! I just couldn't help myself. I am in such a silly mood today!

P.S.-I have a life-size cardboard cut-out of Mr. T at my house, but that is a story for another day! :)

New Goals for A New Year

Image found here.

It’s January 13^th, and I am just now getting around to my resolutions post. I’m nothing if not a

procrastinator!

This year I decided to do a little something different with my resolutions. I have always viewed my resolutions as just resolutions-when in reality they are goals, so this year I am treating my resolutions as goals. The big difference being that I am setting mini goals on my way to obtaining my larger goal/resolution. I am still working on my mini goals, but here is what I have so far.

My 2010 Resolutions:

1) Continue to grow in my relationship with the Lord.

This has always been a very important resolution for me. This year to make sure that I really do grow as a Christian I have subscribed to a daily devotional e-mail. I have also committed becoming more involved in our church.

2) Volunteer.

I used to love to volunteer when I was younger. As a high school student, I gladly spent my afternoons visiting with elderly patients in the nursing home. As I grew older, the everyday hustle of life took over, and I find myself rarely giving back to my community. This year I want to become involved in at least one steady volunteer activity. I am currently looking in to being a mentor.

3) Continue to lose weight and become a healthier me.

I have currently lost 20 pounds, but I have more than a few pounds to go. My first mini goal is to lose 5 more pounds by my birthday.

4) Be more organized.

To accomplish this resolution, I have assigned each month of the year an organization project. Busier months have smaller projects while larger projects are set for slower months. This month’s organization project is the garage.

5) Manage my finances better.

My goal is to decrease my spending and decrease my debt. I am currently working on my mini financial goals which include how much debt I want to pay off this year and how much money I want to try to put into savings.

6) To Live Simpler.

God has blessed me with so much, and instead of appreciating the wonderful things that I have I find myself wishing for and wanting more. My goal this year is to learn to live a simpler life. I want to be happy and content with the things that I have and learn to cut back on my need for material possessions.

My Bedroom Make-Over Inspiration

This is the poster that started my crazy master bedroom make-over. It is from the movie Because of You starring Loretta Young and Jeff Chandler. There are several styles of movie posters for this particular movie, but this is the one I am in love with. However, I can't find this poster anywhere. Have you seen it? Please let me know if you see this movie poster on the internet or in a store. It can be an original or a reprint. If I can't find this particular poster, there are several movie posters from the 1950s that will do the job. However, I am hoping beyond hope that I can find this one.

I hope that you have a very wonderful weekend. I will actually be away from blog land on Monday and Tuesday. I am headed to market in Atlanta with my mom and sisters to help out with buying for their gift shop. If you are going to be in the area, feel free to e-mail me and maybe we can get together! Also, while I am away don't forget to enter my giveaway! Happy Weekend!!

Master Bedroom Make-Over

Wow! This week has flown by! Sorry for my lack of posts! I have been consumed by a new vision for my bedroom decor. Here's how it all started.

On Monday, Michael and I went on a date to a local Italian restaurant. While having a very yummy meal, I noticed a framed movie poster. I immediately fell in love with the poster. I thought it was sexy without being slutty, and I thought it was perfect for our bedroom. Our bedroom definitely needs help. It's not sexy or slutty or even remotely attractive-it's beige.

I didn't even finish dinner that night. I pulled my notepad out of my purse and began scribbling notes. My plan for my bedroom is to transform it into a room that is both stylish and romantic. My vision includes painting an accent wall (the wall our bed is on), adding a new comforter (beige with gold undertones), accenting the comforter with a couple of colorful pillows (red), and of course the framed movie posters (posters will be hung on the longest wall in my bedroom not the accent wall).

I have searched the internet and local stores this week to find the perfect new pieces at the best prices for my bedroom transformation. So far, I have completed the bedding. Here are a couple of pictures below. Sorry for the junky nightstand. I should have cleaned it off before I took the pictures.


I am painting the wall directly behind the headboard. What color do you think I should paint the accent wall? I am thinking about painting it the same color as the red/burgundy pillow, but I am not sure about painting a wall in our bedroom red. I need your help! What do you think?

Coming Soon: New Year Resolutions and more bedroom make-over

Giveaway: Perricone Code

This is the most popular time of the year to make new resolutions or set new goals for yourself. Many of our resolutions revolve around improving our physical appearance-whether we want to live healthier, lose a little weight, exercise more or follow a better skin care regimen.

While all of these goals are at the top of my resolution list, I am excited to announce that Perricone has offered to sponsor a giveaway relating to skin care. One lucky reader will win Perricone's Cold Plasma and be on their way to transforming their skin care routine!

While I have never tried Perricone products, I am so excited by what I have read about this product line! I look forward to trying out their products and adding them to my beauty routine. Make sure to check out Perricone Codes for discounts on your favorite Perricone products.


To Enter:
*You must be a resident of the U.S. (Sorry to my friends across the pond)
*Just leave me a comment! You can tell me if you have ever tried a Perricone product or you can tell me about your New Year Resolutions or you can tell me your favorite character on Sesame Street. It doesn't matter what you comment (as long as the comment is nice)!
*You can gain an extra entries by 1) being a follower and 2) by posting this giveaway on your blog or by tweeting about it. Just be sure to let me know which of these things you did.
*The giveaway is open from Monday, January 4th until Sunday, January 17th at 11:59 pm (EST).

Disclaimer: (Because I don't want to get in trouble and be fined): Perricone did not pay me to host this giveaway. They, however, have agreed to supply the product (free of charge) to the winner of the giveaway.