Snow Days and Sugar Bugs

Trench: Marshalls, Shirt and Skirt: Target, Shoes and Purse: Aldo, Multi-Colored Necklace: a gift from a LOTUS buying trip (thanks, Krista), Watch: Michael Kors, Bracelet: CeleneStones (celenestones@gmail.com for inquires... 15% off if you mention you saw them here)

Since these pictures were taken Charlotte has experienced a real deal, legit snow storm. A slip on the ice, fall and bust yo' face (and ass) kind of storm. I have not gotten in my car to leave the house in 2 full days. Nothing is open and the roads leaving my neighborhood are terrible. I thought being cooped up for days on end would be miserable, but it has been kind of awesome actually.

Yesterday my brother and sissy-in-law braved the elements and came over (we only live 10 minutes from one another). We cooked all sorts of food, had a few beverages, and hung out in our sweats. It was great. Something about the whole city being closed down gives you permission to slllllllooooow all the way down. When you are confined to your house brushing your teeth may still be mandatory (as long as it's done by 3pm, you're straight) but showers are completely optional. Sweat shirts and stretch pants are highly encouraged, and makeup is completely unnecessary. Movies, Pinterest, and marathons of House Hunters are considered productive activities. As is eating. Eating food with no concept of "meal time" is the norm and cracking open a drink at 5pm on the dot (if like me, you are still working during the snow storm) is a must. I mean, if you don't have a bit of a wine buzz by 6pm, you've kind of wasted the day. Agreed? Agh... snow days.  Beautiful, beautiful snow days.

AnyWHO... I wore this outfit last week... before the snow. I wore it into the office and to assist the ol' Manfriend at a free dental clinic he held at a rural elementary school. What's cuter than that??? Nothing. That is why I included a few pictures. He saw about 6-7 classes of 2nd and 3rd graders and checked them for cavities (or "sugar bugs" as kids call them down south... learn something new everyday). The kids looked at him like he was a mythical creature. He was this big, tall, muscular, black dude in a 99% white school in the STICKS... it was REAL country out there. Real... Country!!! The kids were cranking their necks up to look at him and just staring like he was a rock star. As we walked the halls we heard 5-10 kids whisper to their friends... "Hey... I know HIM!!!!"... "That's my dentist!"... "Wow... my teeth guy is in MY school!" "Hey... are you THE dentist????!!" < MIND* BLOWN> And... all the teachers looked at him like he was a gravy-smothered pork chop. I had to keep my cool, but inside I was all like... "Biiiiitch... you betta step back! HA. Just kidding. Kind of.

It was adorable to see him in his element like that. He asked every class if they had been brushing every morning before school and every night before bed. Most of them exclaimed... Yeeeeees!!... but some of them looked down at their feet like, "OH SHIT"!?!?! It's all over. This guy is gonna KILL me.

Last little dude on the far left was pouting. He did NOT like the way the rubber gloves tasted in his mouth. He was not pleased. Oh, and the little cutie-patootie in the boots in the gray long-sleeved T in the front row... she came up to me all shy and as I bent down to talk to her she grabbed my necklaces and said in her cute little country accent... "Miss... I HAVE to HAVE those. OMG... I love them! I just love them!!"

Youth is Wasted on the Young

Coat: Marshalls, Shirt: Ann Taylor LOFT, Skirt: Target, Watch: Michael Kors, Necklace: Aldo Accessories

I wore this yesterday. It is a pretty standard work outfit for me. Blouse... pencil skirt... black tights... and heels. Check.

However, sooooomething about the lace on the shirt, and the pearls (in the ears and around the neck) made it feel especially feminine. A bit too girly, if you will. Even for my taste. So... I layered this Army green jacket over it to give it some "balls". It's not the most practical choice. It's pretty clear from the second to last photo that I am freezing my fool ass off, but it is cute and sometimes, cute beats practical. Okay... 95% of the time... cute wins.

Whatever, life is short and soon enough we will all be in orthopedic shoes, and pants with elastic waistbands (but we will be old, so we will refer to them as "slacks"). Oh, and accessorizing? Earrings will be swapped out for hearing aids and statement necklaces will be ditched in favor of Life Alert lanyards. You may laugh, but it's true. Life goes A LOT faster the older you get.

My Grandpa (Papa) Maglier always used to say... "Youth is wasted on the young!".

I never understood that when I was a kid, but now that I am a grown ass woman I completely get it. When you are young you are vibrant... full of energy. Maybe you're beautiful with flawless skin? Many don't have to worry about their weight/blood pressure/cholesterol/etc. There are no bills... no debt... no 401K or benefits enrollment deadlines to worry about. There is very little drama. You play, laugh, and live out loud. But... you're dumb. You make stupid decisions. You don't pay attention in school, maybe you pick on other people (kids are mean, Man). You date the wrong guy/girl.. you don't listen to your parents, in fact... you rebel. You don't pay attention in college, you don't "apply yourself" hell... maybe you didn't go to college. You didn't think you needed to. Maybe you regret that now? You drink/ do drugs/ get pregnant too young... the list goes on. THEN... you get older... you learn... you make smarter decisions... you grow, change, mature. You are a better person than you were. You give a shit about stuff that matters and you find yourself not only realizing that your parents aren't idiots... that they knew EXACTLY what they were talking about. But, by then maybe you're tired? You have to commute, and work 10 hour days. You have to go on "diets" and "work out" to lose weight. Pay bills. Loans. Mortgages. You're pre-diabetic because you ate like shit for 20 (or 30... or 40) years. You have a budget and a savings account (that is empty). There is a kid screaming on a monitor that stares at you and no matter how much you want to run outside and play, you can't leave that child alone in it's room crying with a wet diaper. Plus... now your knees are bad so you can't run even if you wanted to. Oh, and then, when you are old enough to be truly "wise"... no one will listen to you because you are old. You complain. About everything... the weather, and your aches and pains, "kids these days", and you say things like, "back in my day". You send food back at restaurants and embarrass everyone. Maybe you are a burden. Now YOU have to be taken care of.

What the F@#K kind of cruel joke is this?????

Youth IS wasted on the young. 

THIS... is my Papa and Grandma Maglier (my Mom's parents) "back in the day". 

My Papa has been gone for almost 15 years. He passed the summer after my freshman year at college. The summer of 1999. THAT was the single worst summer of my life. I was 19. Ironically... I was about the same age that he is in this photograph. My Grandma Maglier (who was a STRAIGHT UP FOX, right?!?!?! ) was about 17 and Papa was about 19.

You were right, Papa. About that, and A LOT of other things. XOXO

Harry Potter's Mittens

Blazer: Ralph Lauren, Skirt: Target, Tank: Lotus, Shoes: Jessica Simpson, Bag: Target, Watch: Michael Kors, Ring: LeVian, Gloves: Gift, Scarf: Asos

1. First things first. I look like Harry Potter. I know.

I didn't plan it that way, but it happened nonetheless. Blazer with the gold emblem... plaid scarf... glasses. Nailed it.

Sidebar: Wanna see something adorable? My niece, Kelsea, and nephew, Canaden, as Harry Potter characters for Halloween. Canden is playing his part with the ice grill. Awesomeness runs in the family. Obviously. 

2.  These are my new glasses. They came in yesterday. They look kind of like the little fake ones I have sported before, but these ones have a legit prescription in them and everything. From far away they look black, but they have a brown, tortoise shell look up close. I'm supposed to wear them all of the time. We shall see about that. If history repeats itself, chances are strong that I will accidentally sit on them and break them within a month. Okay... week. Within one week.

3. Did you notice my gloves? They are my new favorite things. They were a gift from my BFF. I love them. I can use my phone, camera, turn up my radio without slipping, find things in my purse, punch in my debit card info at the gas pump... ahhh... the possibilities are endless. Plus... if my fingers get cold, I just curl them into my palms and tuck them in. They are dope and I love them. I want to put one REALLY long string connecting them so I can put them through the sleeves of my coats to prevent from losing them. Old school style. 

Anyone remember THESE? Or is this not a real thing and just something my Grandma Hess knitted for me and then tried to convince me that other kids wore them this way too??? I could only find like one picture of them on all the interwebs. I bet my grandma uploaded it.

You'll laugh about this... some day.

Scarf: Target, Shirt: Old Navy, Skirt: Lotus, Bag: ShoeDazzle, Earrings: Stella & Dot, Watch: Michael Kors

Have you ever done something that makes you cringe with embarrassment throughout the work day, and then kind of laugh when you tell your friends about it, and REALLY laugh (years) later when you think about it again?

I've done a lot of ridiculous things over the course of my career. For example...

• At the start of my career I wore a brand new pair of pants to work, with the tags still visibly on them. Like, it was hanging out the back near my belt loop,  AND the long sticker that they usually stick on the thigh area.. yup... still there. Then, when a guy I worked with asked if they were new "Hey... new pants?" (I had no idea the tags were on them) for some reason I was all like... "Nah, not really?". THEN he pointed out my tags. I was mortified. Not because I forgot to pull off a few tags, OR because I may or may not have told a little white lie, but because I was walking around all morning advertising my effing PANTS SIZE. What a dip shit I am.
• Or... the time when I pulled my black heels out of my downstairs closet and put them on right before I walked out the door, only to realize (in the middle of a big meeting) that I had in fact pulled one 3" navy heel and one  4" black heel out. I thought something felt off when I was walking to my meeting (and my back started to bother me after a couple of blocks), but it wasn't until I was sitting down at the conference table that I looked more closely. Yup... two completely different shoes. Different colors, different heel sizes, one a round toe, the other a pointed toe. Whaaaaat... thhhheeeee... helllllllll. Moron. Capital "M". 
• How about the time I was getting ready for work and forgot to rinse the conditioner out of my hair? What if I blow-dried said hair and it looked like a stringy, greasy, pile of dog shit?  I looked homeless. Fo' Real. All day.

All of those are my stories, but today. I heard a "doozy" and I am STILL laughing about it.  My girlfriend at work pings me (it's like Instant Messaging) and says... "Do you want to hear something funny". Naaaaturally I said, "yes please".

She proceeds to tell me that this morning before work (probably in the 7 AM hour, on what happened to be the single coldest morning in years) she was trying on bathing suits. Weird, right? She and her hubby are going to Mexico in 2 months, but weird nonetheless.... and... wait for it... she forgot to take her bikini bottom off and just put her pants (fitted) on over the top of them. WHAT???? Yup, there she was, sitting at work, looking all normal to the untrained eye, when underneath it all... she was in HELL. I mean, she must have been!?!?! Have you ever worn a bikini bottom? They are uncomfortable enough without a pair of slim-fit trousers layered over them. She had to sit in them for 8 hours. Sweet LAWD. I was dying. I laughed out loud when she told me, and then under my breath every time I saw her. Poor thing. Hilarious. I am so glad she shared though.

OH... and they were the kind with the side ties... THE WORST. 

Oh, and this is what I wore today. Tags off, matching shoes, AND clean hair. BOOM!

Jay Z

Boots: ALDO, Shirt: LOTUS, Vest: Target, Necklace: Lily Wang, Cuff: a gift, Watch: Michael Kors

 YO YO YOU!!! I am writing this right now HIGH...  AS...  HELL. Not off of a controlled substance, mind you, but still riding the  EUPHORIA from last night.

I took my little brother to his first real concert... a Jay-Z show. Anyone who knows Josh (and me) knows that WE.LOVE.MUSIC, especially hip-hop... and that Jay-Z is HANDS DOWN, my FAVORITE rapper of all time. From his first album in 1996 to now.

Yup... I'm that chick with blonde hair, high heels, and red lipstick who knows every.single.word to every one of Jay's albums, has read the autobiography, watched the documentaries, and studies the lyrics like a scholar. The obsession IS real. Don't let a Jay song come on in my presence. I will stop what I am doing, get in my zone, and spit every lyric out with precision. I'm sure it looks absolutely effing ridiculous, but whatever.

I wasn't sure what to wear to the show. It was cold, I was going to be on my feet for HOURS on end, and I wanted to be comfortable. SO... I opted for leggings, boots, a flowy shirt (with sequins trim), and a military vest to "toughen" it all up a bit. It felt a little "Plain Jane" until I accessorized with this gargantuan necklace (which I will now refer to as my "Jay-Z necklace) and my new tiger cuff (thanks, Kimber!!!). Apparently the outfit choice was acceptable, because when Joshua and I were in line for a drink, a girl in front of us turns around, looks me up and down and says... " I wasn't sure what a white girl would wear to this concert, but you NAILED it!" Hahahaha.... WHAT?!?!? Josh and I just looked at each other and then busted out laughing. My perfectly crafted, witty response (accompanied by a blank stare) was... "Ummmmm... Thaaaanks?!?!?!??".

I think she was drunk. Dear God, I hope... that she was drunk.

We had a BLAST at the show. You couldn't wipe the smiles off of our faces if you tried. At one point, Josh looked at me and shouted over the crowd... "AGHHHH... I WANT TO LIVE HERE". I couldn't have agreed more. I wanted to live in that energy, that show, with that music, with all of those deliriously happy people. We were inspired. It was incredible. Best show of my life.

Here are a few Instagram pics from the night. 1. Jay-Z.. and who you ask is that behind him, none other than Timbaland. Yup. Ridiculous. 2.  Josh showed up in an all black, fitted, Yankees cap, so I had him give me his best impression of the cover of THE BLACK ALBUM. Ummmm... NAILED IT! 3. Josh and me, insanely excited when we realized how absurdly dope our seats were.

Bargain Booties and a Bonus Beauty Post

Poncho and Jeans: Old Navy, Shoes: Target, Scarf: Lotus, Watch: Michael Kors, Ring: Lotus

1. This is my casual, day after New Years Eve outfit. Hair back, over-sized sweater, and comfortable shoes. I didn't have a hangover after the festivities, but I was beat, and boy did my feet hurt! Shit. 

2. It looks as if I only have one arm in the first photo, but I assure you that I still have two. It was oddly tucked into my poncho. It's cold outside and I hate wearing coats, so I always put my arms inside of my sleeves like a small child and end up looking like am amputee.

3. Yes... those are zippers on my jeans. No... it is not 1988. I never thought I'd see the day that zippers made a come back, but here we are. Welcome back, ankle zippers.Welcome... back.

4. These adorable booties are not TOMS, although they look a lot like them. They are knock offs from Target. I like the TOMS (and I really love the concept of buy one, give one), but the TOMS didn't have a high enough wedge for my taste. Also... and the real deciding factor... these bad boys cost $35 as opposed to $90. Whoop Whoop!

Bonus Beauty Post: 

5. I have written about how I use olive/castor oil on my face before and I got a lot of feedback from that post. A lot of people were intrigued, but kind of turned off by the thought of "oil". SO... I thought I'd share this little gem of a find with you all.  It's a starter kit for those of you who are curious about using oil for face, hair, and nails, but don't want to give up your fun, delicious-smelling "products". It's all Argan Oil based from Josie Maran's line (which is AWESOME).

This set contains:

• Argan Cleansing Oil (55ml)
• Argan Infinity Intensive Creamy Oil (15ml)
• Argan Oil Hair Serum(15ml)
• 100% Pure Argan Oil (15ml)
• Whipped Argan Oil Intensive Hand Cream in Vanilla Apricot (30ml)
• Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter in Vanilla Apricot (59ml)

The Products:

Whipped Argan Oil Intensive Hand Cream (30ml) - Full Size (70ml) $26

"An ultrahydrating, never-greasy hand cream infused with 100 percent pure argan oil and shea butter, and lightly scented with a natural vanilla apricot fragrance."

 

Argan Infinity Cream Intensive Creamy Oil (15ml) - Full Size (65ml) $34

"An innovative 99%-natural creamy oil with an infinite number of uses such as hydrating skin, conditioning lips, and illuminating complexion." 

100% Pure Argan Oil (15ml) - Full Size (15ml) $18

"A lightweight oil that can be used as a daily moisturizer or treatment for skin, hair, and nails." 

 

  Argan Oil Hair Serum (15ml) - Full Size (15ml) $16
"An anti-frizz treatment that creates exceptional shine."

 

Argan Cleansing Oil (55ml) - Full Size (55ml) $12
"A gentle, all-natural cleanser with nourishing argan oil."

Whipped Argan Oil Ultra Hydrating Body Butter Vanilla Apricot (59ml) - Full Size (240ml) $42

"A velvety, hydrating body butter that's whipped to perfection."

 So... after I wrote this post I went online to try to find the kit for $39 bucks (the price I paid) and I couldn't. It's a holiday kit and the holidays are technically over, I guess. It's sold out online at Sephora, BUT, if you live near a Sephora I'd call them to see if they have it and ask them to hold it for you.

If you REALLY want all of the products and are cool with paying full price, I found it HERE. If you're wondering which products are the absolute must-haves out of the bunch, my personal picks would be  the 100% Argan Oil and/or the Argan Oil Hair Serum. The line is NOT cheap, but it is ridiculously amazing AND here's a note from Josie Maran, whiiiiiich makes me love it that much more...

"I was introduced to Argan Oil by a woman I met in the South of France -- she was 70, and looked 40 -- and when I saw what pure, organic Argan Oil did for my skin and hair, I knew I'd found the liquid gold that could help me realize my dream.

In 2007 I started Josie Maran Cosmetics, with 100% Pure Argan Oil as my signature ingredient. Today, JMC is a global brand with the motto, "Luxury With a Conscience." We use pure, Fair Trade Argan Oil, grown and harvested responsibly by co-ops of Moroccan women who earn a living wage. We partner with earth-loving, women-empowering organizations, use eco-friendly packaging, and we never stop striving to improve our products and our impact on the world."