Pour Some Sugar On Me!

Sugaring is an ancient (like, Cleopatra ancient) method of hair removal that a lot of people mistakenly call sugar waxing.  It is not waxing at all, but a paste that is applied by hand.  It is made of the most natural ingredients you can think of, like sugar, lemon juice, and water.

I smooth it on in the opposite direction the hair grows, then flip my hand and pull the hair out in the same direction it grows - kind of like tweezing, but lots of hairs are pulled out at a time instead of just one.  Because I pull it in the same direction as the hair grows, the natural way to take hair out of the skin, you know that all of the hair has been removed by the root, so your skin stays smooth for as long as it possibly can.  It's got to produce an entirely new hair underneath before anything can poke up at the surface!

Because of what is in it, the sugar soaks into your skin, softening the pore and the follicle and making the removal of the hair root much less painful.  And after you are sugared every four to six weeks regularly, you will see a difference in the way your hair grows back - softer, finer, and sparcer, you may even have spots that have just given up on the regrowing process.  This makes your subsequent visits faster and less painful!  Always a plus, right?  I can grab hair with the sugar that is less than 1/8 of an inch long (so you don't have to grow it out but for a couple of days, although for your first appointment, I always recommend 2 weeks just to make sure ALL of the hair is above the skin), and it helps with ingrown hairs because it exfoliates that top dead layer of skin.  Speaking of skin, the sugar is applied at room temperature, so you will never get burned, and the sugar paste only attaches to the hair and dead skin (NEVER the live skin), so you get an amazing exfoliation along with a perfectly hairfree feeling.  Sugaring is safe for even the most sensitive of skin types, and for all areas of the body, brows to bikini!  And it is such a fascinating process you will want to watch while you are having your service done.

Now, why should you choose sugaring over waxing?

Remember all that good stuff I just told you about sugaring?  Well, now I'm going to tell you some things you may not know about waxing.  I am not bashing the waxing process, but I am going to let you know why it is worth the small difference in price to have yourself sugared instead of waxed.  Since I began the process of getting my Esthetics license, I've waxed many people, and although I was always extremely careful, I heard a lot of horror stories when a client was in my chair.  Burns, ripped skin, bumps that lasted for weeks, soreness and sensitivity, irritation and infections, double-dipping, bald patches on the eyebrows, half of an eyebrow gone, fast regrowth, ingrowns, and and so much more.  I mean, no wonder my clients were edgy when they sat down with me for the first time.  I understood though, because I have also had some awful experiences.

When I was first exposed to sugaring, it finally occurred to me that there was a solution to all the torture we go through to have our hair removed so I immediately found a class to get myself certified.  That's one thing you should know - anyone who has been to beauty school can pick up a wax stick and rip the hair out (even some that aren't licensed Cosmetologists or Estheticians can and will do it - nail salons, anybody?), but sugaring is a very special technique you have an extra certification on top of your license to even order the products.  Basically, all the terrible things that can and do happen with waxing are impossible with sugaring.

Burns - applied at room temperature.

Ripped skin - sugar only attaches to the hair and dead skin, never live skin.

Bumps - it is all natural (even the pre- and post-sugaring products) so irritation is at a minimum.

Soreness and sensitivity - only pulls out hair, not any layers of live skin, so any soreness goes away quickly.

Infection and double dipping - absolutely impossible with sugaring because it will never rip the skin, and is applied by gloved hand, so the glob of sugar I use is yours and only yours until it is full of hair, then the glove and the glob are thrown away and a new glove is used to dip into more sugar.  Sanitation is a huge deal!

Fast regrowth - waxing, because it is pulled in the opposite direction of the hair growth, has a tendency to break hairs off at the top of the skin, instead of actually pulling them out by the root, making the regrowth time very quick because the hair wasn't removed in the first place.  If you are going to deal with something painful, wouldn't you want it to be extremely effective?

Ingrowns - waxing can cause ingrowns because it irritates the follicle by pulling in the opposite direction of growth, while sugaring removes the hair naturally in the direction of the growth and exfoliates dead skin to allow that ingrown hair to finally poke through the surface and be removed.

Now, the natural ingredients in sugar are a huge point because wax contains resins and man-made chemicals, and what you put on your body is definitely absorbed to some degree.  Not only that but because of what the sugar paste is made of, it dissolves in water.  Have you ever left a waxing service feeling sticky and having to scrub or dig your fingernails into the already sensitive area to remove the residue because it just wouldn't come off?  The sugar is very easy to remove, because as fast as a cup of sugar dissolves in a gallon of hot tea is as fast as the sugar dissolves under a warm wet wash cloth.
 
So, if you aren't completely convinced, or you have any questions, definitely feel free to comment or give me a call.  Y'all, I am terrible at trying to sell things because I never want to seem pushy, so when I put this much effort into getting the word out about what I do, it is because I believe in it with all my heart.  This process is amazing, and I am so excited to be certified so I can show everyone the huge difference sugaring makes.  I work at 30 Volume Salon in Statesboro, (912)489-0030.

And how fun would a Sugar Party be?  Get all of your friends together at the salon or at your house with snacks and drinks, and prepare for bikini season together!

What I Do & Why I Love It

As an esthetician at 30 Volume Salon in Statesboro, Georgia, I have been advised that one of the best ways to get the word out about what I do is...surprise, surprise...writing a blog about it!  Something I love to do anyway, but I have been so busy trying to let people know that I am here with flyers, business cards, and specials, I have overlooked the obvious.  So here goes - a blog about my job and what makes it so special.

I decided to become an esthetician after four years of fashion school.  I adore fashion, but began to see myself as more of a behind the scenes contributor.  I've always loved makeup and been obsessed with my skin care regimen, and with the blessing of my husband (who dealt with the craziness of five years of school - thank you, darlin') and the support of my cosmetologist sister, I switched schools to pursue my real passion.

The year flew and dragged by at the same time, and winning a state competition got me national recognition, but getting that license in my hand gave me the accreditation to look for my first grown-up job.  The salon I work at is perfect - beautifully decorated, owned by two amazing women (the best bosses I've ever had, and I've had a few crazies), with a booming clientele base.  I was starting from scratch building my own clientele, but I had a very important piece of paper, the skills (pretty mad skills, according to my clients and guinea pigs alike), and the proper backup to succeed.

In addition to my esthetics license, I became certified in sugaring, a way to remove hair from every area of your body without the irritation of wax.  And did I mention it is less painful?  Anyway, another blog for another day.  Sugaring has quickly become my newest passion because not only does it beautify in a very subtle way, it offers a solution to my clients for the aggravation that is hair removal.

Sugaring removes hair, yes, but there's a million other benefits.  Fuzzy face?  Sugaring exfoliates like a mini-facial, making makeup glide on like butter.  Fuzzy legs?  Sugaring will make a spray tan last longer because it removes the dead skin and the need to shave (which we all know takes that expensive bronze color right off).  Fuzzy bikini?  Sugaring eventually eliminates ingrown hairs, very common in this area and caused by shaving and waxing.  And these are just to name a few of the awesome things that keep clients swearing against waxing or shaving ever again.

We are one of the very few salons in the southeast that offer sugaring.  (Remember what I said about having the proper backup?  Only the best salons offer it because in order to start up, an amazing salon owner is required, and I am one of the lucky few to have this support.)  When we work this hard to convince people to come try a service or a product, it's only because we are completely in love with it.  It has offered a solution for my very sensitive skin, and it continues to amaze my clients.  If you try it, I know you are going love it too!

Not much has changed.

I found this cleaning up my Facebook tonight, and I thought it was cute!  Me two and a half years ago.

Early Thanksgiving :)

by Jessica Mock on Saturday, October 17, 2009 at 11:06pm

I'M THANKFUL FOR:
A... ankle boots
B... Brody (on The Hills), being blonde, Baby Mama, bread, Barbie, bridesmaids
C... crazy relatives, chai lattes at Starbucks, couscous, cosmopolitans, Coraline
D... Dolce, Diet Coke, dark chocolate, DiorShow mascara, daddy
E... exercise, eating, Egyptian cotton, elliptical machines
F... fashion, facebook, my fiance, family
G... the gym, girls' nights, Gracie
H... How I Met Your Mother, The Hills, ho-hos
I... in-laws :)
J... Jared, Jordan, Janet, Joel, Juicy Couture
K... kissing, Kansas
L... love, Louis Vuitton (oh, I can dream!)
M... music, mom, make-up
N... netflix, Nordstrom
O... Oprah, oysters
P... presents, pictures, pink, pillows
Q... quiet
R... running, Red Bull
S... my sister, sushi, sewing machines
T... texting, trident
U... UPS, Uggs
V... vodka (for my cosmos), Victoria's Secret
W... wedding planning
X... xs (when I go to a store whose sizes are off and I get to buy something with a tag that says "xs")
Y... yogurt, youtube
Z... zig-zag stitches, zen

Career Barbie?

I might have just made a huge career move.  I'm shaking in my stilettos.  But more to come on that later.  I can't jump the gun.

Wish me luck, dolls.  I just need all (four) of you sweet followers to cross your fingers for me and pray I'm not making the wrong decision.

XOXO

Worth the ouch.

As I write this, I am shedding layers of skin like a snake.  I did a glycolic peel on myself a couple hours ago and am now feeling the effects of burning a layer of skin off with acid.  Why should my clients have all the fun?

It's my responsibility to look good.  My career would go nowhere if I didn't.  (At least that's what I tell my husband when he shakes his head at my list of clothing and beauty requirements.)

I guess I decided to punish myself with the most painful parts of my upkeep today, as a bikini wax touchup and a facial peel were in order.  Hey, go big or go home.  At least I am certified to do all these things myself.  So I don't have to pay someone to hurt me.

Speaking of pain, I've killed myself at the gym this week, and the scale showed it.  Two pounds down, nine to go.  My goal is always to do an hour of cardio by myself, but usually and shamefully, I hit snooze for half an hour before I even get out of bed.  (A strategy I read a couple days ago:  Put your alarm away from the bed, so you have to stand up and walk to shut it off.  I am definitely trying this next week.)  Therefore, I do half an hour on the elliptical machine on the Weight Loss setting, a series of intervals.  Then I do an hour long class, which varies depending on the day of the week and the gym schedule.  I'm in love with a class called Butts and Guts, and I've also been doing Step Aerobics, Body Pump, R.I.P.P.E.D., and anything else they offer at 8:30 in the morning.  I am going to attempt Spin next week, because that is the alternative to Zumba on Tuesdays, and I despise Zumba.  I also despise Spin.  Something about being on a crotch-sized seat for any extended amount of time with sweat pouring down my body and an instructor screaming at me the entire time to stand up, sit down, adjust my speed, adjust the pedaling difficulty, move my ass, just doesn't appeal to me.  Call me crazy.  Crazy calorie burning machine.

I get a break from all the ouch tomorrow, though, because my sister, my mother, and I will be wedding dress shopping.  Can I just tell you how insanely giddy this makes me?

Love you, dolls!  XOXO

Pathetic.

My sad little blog.  One of 2012's resolutions is to maintain it diligently.

So here goes:

An update on life, it seems, is in order.  I have joined the twitterverse, and I am obsessed.  You mean I don't have to see all the annoying status updates, self-taken photoshoots, and spam shares of obnoxious people I kind-of-sort-of know and don't really care too much for?  Facebook has gotten so tedious lately - I've been looking at it like I used to look at homework for a while now, and finally made up my mind last week that I would be using it primarily for business and designating Twitter as my fun social media site of choice.  Follow me @GABarbieDoll.  :)

I also found my real grownup job.  I am officially an esthetician at a precious little spa, and I love it.  The stylists I work with are funny and sweet (a rarity in this superficial field), and we are quickly growing out of our tiny shop because of our expanding clientele.  I couldn't have gotten luckier.  I get to make people beautiful all day!

Because of the craziness of the past couple months, the gym was placed on the back-burner (and woops, hello ten pounds of added curviness - thank you, holidays), but I am back at it with a vengeance.  My sister got engaged on Christmas, and as we flipped through my own wedding albums, I was reminded how amazingly, beautifully skinny I was on my big day.  And I vow to be that again.  I am fourteen pounds over what I was, but I'd be happy losing eleven.  With my career, the gym is a tax write-off.  (I'm pretty sure...still have to research that one, but I've been told anything appearance related is.)  Oh yeah!

Did I mention my sister got ENGAGED?!  And how much that makes my entire year?  I have another wedding to help plan, I get to throw the bridal shower and bachelorette party, and I will finally be a bridesmaid ("matron"-of honor?)!  Not to mention the dress shopping and the spreadsheets!  I am in heaven.

So, my resolutions are to lose weight (cliche), build a better clientele, take my vitamins, set more goals, expand my wardrobe with more classic quality pieces, own a pair of Christian Louboutins by the end of this year, and start a little savings account.  Wish me luck!

XOXO

Save the drama for your...Barbie?

Hey y'all!  It's been a crazy couple of weeks.  To start, I need a round of applause for this doll right here, because I quit smoking again.  (So did Jennifer Aniston.)  It's been a week, I feel great, a little concerned about the inevitable weight gain of a couple pounds, and I plan to start running again soon.  Not that I've really been taking a break from working out - I finally found a gym that I love that is not outrageously pricey, and I am currently having trouble standing up, sitting down, and walking in general because of one particularly difficult class I took yesterday.  Barbies and weights don't get along, but we are learning to be around each other without "one of us" stomping off in a fit of anger and exhaustion.  I plan on attempting it again tomorrow, along with a yoga class taught by a friend from my esthetics classes.  I am also not a yoga person.  I'm guessing you can tell by now that if I'm not bouncing around, I'm not happy.  And that applies to my life too.  My new job as a receptionist at a salon is going fantastically - plenty of bouncing around.

We've also been getting ready for Halloween around here - the original plan was to be characters from the Wizard of Oz, but as that plan has fallen through, we are officially dressing up as a lion and a ringmaster.  My ringmaster costume came in the mail, and surprise, surprise, the teeny tiny polyester skirt covers, well, just about half of my disproportionately perky ass.  Luckily, I was able to find black tutus yesterday at Wal-Mart, but only in kid's sizes.  I bought two, just in case some sewing was required, because at $5 apiece, and with two nieces, I had nothing to lose, but to my shock, they fit (given, I snapped a few threads in the elastic putting them on), and layered strategically, the length is much more appropriate than the skintight black number that came with my costume.  So, since that ordeal has been dealt with, I am moving on to planning our makeup, my favorite part.

On another note, a picture of the new Tokidoki Barbie doll.

I think she is adorable, but she has caused quite a bit of controversy.  Barbies were made to encourage little girls' imaginations pertaining to their own futures, therefore they are made to look like different versions of "grown-ups".  If parents think this doll is an inappropriate role model for their children, the purchase is up to them.  If Mattel takes this doll off the shelves because of the controversy, what is next?  Wash-off tattoos?  (I secretly get a kick out of the spiky puppy's name - Bastardino.  Is it too late to rename my two-year-old pomeranian?)  I also kind of want her outfit.  Next year's Halloween costume?  I've always needed an excuse for a pink wig.

What a week.

Hey dolls!  So sorry for being M.I.A. but seriously, I'm going to put my excuses in list format because they are many and legit.

1.  Monday:  A hair appointment, a fabulous run (almost 5 miles in 45 minutes, a first for me), and the news that I'd already found a new job as a receptionist at a salon were followed by a heinous migraine resulting in bed rest until the following morning.

2.  Tuesday:  Anyone who has had a migraine can probably relate to the "hangover" the next day.  Unfortunately this hangover occurred on the first day of my new job, which also lasted around ten hours.  However, as bad as I felt, I absolutely LOVE it, but was thoroughly exhausted by the time I arrived home.  I slept better than I have in months, though.

3.  Wednesday:  Ken drove me to the doctor an hour and a half away to have an I.U.D. inserted.  (I hope that's not too much information because it is necessary to this particular excuse.)  We were in a pretty big city, so we had a really fun afternoon planned after my appointment, but all that was ruined because I was in horrible pain despite the Valium the very thoughtful nurses gave me.  I have a newfound respect for women who have babies, because that is as close to contractions as I can even imagine getting.  Luckily for me and Ken, we now have up to five years before we have to worry about babies because of this day of cramps.  I spent the afternoon sleeping off the pain.

4.  Thursday:  Day two of my job went even better than the first, thanks to the agony of the migraine and the I.U.D. both being gone, but it was yet another ten hour workday (please understand dolls, I have never really worked, so ten hours is a long day for me) so I was asleep almost before I got home.

Poor Barbie in the real world.

So, except for Monday, I haven't run all week and I've definitely eaten myself silly (because Ben & Jerry's Half Baked goes really well with that poor little ol' me attitude), but I've taken today to whip myself back into shape.  Well, I didn't run because after taking a few days off, it's awfully hard to get back into it, but I will Monday, promise.  Not only did I clean my house, I gave myself a facial and a manicure and pedicure with O.P.I.'s Suzi Skis in the Pyrenees Suede (a gorgeous matte-finish shimmering charcoal), did my brows, whitened my teeth, exfoliated, shaved, deep conditioned and blew out my hair, fake baked, and moisturized, all to my own relief, not to mention my husband, who has stood by me, bless his heart, throughout this horrible and simultaneously wonderful week.

Here's to an amazing weekend and an even better week.

XOXO

Bittersweet.

I was let go from my job of two and a half years today.  I've worked in a little Vietnamese-run nail and tanning shop for what seems like a lifetime, and I am pretty heartbroken.  It was time, inevitable really, because a bigger nail shop came to our little town and stole all of our customers.  "My people" have become like family to me, so even though I knew it was coming, I cried a little.

However, I am two weeks away from having my Esthetician license and being on the hunt for my first real job.  I am allowing myself tonight to feel sorry for myself, drink vodka tonics, pig out, and do some online window shopping, before I start thinking of this as a mini-vacation prior to beginning my life as an adult.  The next couple of weeks are going to be all about preparation for my career as a professional beautify-er.

Bring on the research, cover letters, and resumes.  And I might even do something to my hair.  Because I can multitask like that.

I run, I eat, I shop.

I am a makeup artist and soon-to-be licensed esthetician living in possibly the second smallest town in the southeastern United States, in love with and very opinionated about all things makeup and fashion.  I am an intense perfectionist hellbent on throwing myself through rings of fire for the sake of beauty.  As you can probably already tell, I am just a little bit vain, which I promise is what will make this blog interesting - vanity leads to a lot of funny stories.  I am a blonde, inside and (most of the time) out.

I take care of my version of Ken, our darling little pomeranian, Dolce, and our teeny white trailer we live in while we save for our Dream House.  In order to help speed this process along, I am on the hunt for my first real grownup job.  I am a runner, but only because I am an eater.  I adore food, especially sushi, bread, and wine.

So dolls, in summary, here is what you have to look forward to:  entertaining anecdotes about my blonde vanity, makeup reviews, shopping hauls, and bitching about my runs followed by detailed descriptions of whatever I stuff my face with that day, all told in a sweet Southern accent (or at least that's what I hear).  Enjoy!

Mrs. Barbie

I am officially married and back on the blogging scene.  My husband is thrilled that it's all finally over with, and I've been trying to throw subtle hints at my sister's boyfriend to propose already because I'm ready to plan another wedding!!
A quick update:  I made a huge life decision and have decided to go to esthetician school instead of finishing my fashion degree.  So get ready for lots of posts on make-up, waxings, and making people purteeeeeeee!!
Because Barbie is back.  With a gazillion thank you notes to write.  Oh gosh, I'm really going to do my best not to abandon y'all again!!

Oh, Karma!!

"America is very blessed - yes, we have our own issues, & yes, we should do more to make those issues better, but we did not just lose 200,000 residents due to an earthquake. We SHOULD be helping those countries less fortunate than us. Someday we may need this type of assistance. Regardless of the problems in your own family, you'd try to help another hurting family. THAT is what America is doing with Haiti."

(I typed everything I felt, and then Facebook told me it was almost double the characters allowed for a status, so that was definitely an abbreviated version of my feelings.)


I HATE politics!!  I try to avoid at all costs two things:  conflict, and talking about politics.  (Both make me want to cry.)


Unfortunately or fortunately, I have some really strong feelings about being nice.  Nice is such a general word, boring maybe, and in writing, much too vague of a word to use, well, really ever, but that's what I am and what I believe in.

Karma is so real - what goes around, comes around.  I help you, you help me, we become BFF's, we love each other until we are chasing each other around in our wheelchairs at the nursing home.  Or something like that.


The world is becoming more and more like a single country every day.  We are more united than we have ever been thanks to technology.  What happens in another country concerns and affects us, and what happens in America concerns and affects every other nation in the world.  

So why is helping people who have been affected by a horrific natural disaster any different than one family in a neighborhood helping the other?  Every family has their own problems, but we are well past the time when we could just be concerned with our own.  The world is nothing but families separated by water, and if I've learned one thing from living in the South, it's that every family is related way back.  If the United States were devastated by an earthquake, any natural disaster, or a terrorist attack (9/11?), so many of the same people who are frustrated with America's providing help to Haiti would be appalled that other countries in the world did not rush to our aid.  I'm sure everyone remembers how angry people were when France did not support our "war on terrorism" after September 11th.  

How can we possibly expect others to help us if we throw our noses in the air and turn our backs on other places in need?  How can we even be taken seriously as a country?


Seeing what has happened in Haiti has broken my heart, and although everyone is entitled to their own opinion, karma is a bitch.  


So, this Barbie doll has had her fill of politics AND conflict for the year now.  Expect nothing but pink and shopping and fun from now on!!

Breaking Up With Mr. Cig

Mr. Cig and I were together for a long time.  Two years at least, off and on.  He was usually right there when I needed him, and if not, all I had to do was jump in my car and drive about half a mile down the road - he was always waiting for me.  Besides his constant availability, Mr. Cig was filthy smoking hot!!

Our relationship was getting expensive though, and I knew that deep down, Mr. Cig was a bad boy.  He never missed a party, stayed at the bars until closing time, and I swear I saw him in the backseat of a friend's car.  There was even a rumor going around that he was a murderer, but I never saw that side of him.  He was what shortened a long day at work, calmed me down when I was stressed, and brightened my mornings.  His only downside - he kind of smelled.

I ended things with Mr. Cig on Sunday night pretty abruptly.  New year, new me, right?  And he was bad for me, and I felt strong, and just like that, we were done!!

I see him everywhere now!!  It's driving me crazy - and he looks even sexier now than he ever did while we were together.  I feel like maybe we didn't have a proper good-bye, like maybe we should try it again and this time I could really just savor our last minutes together.  Like Sunday wasn't the best day for a breakup.

My therapist, Mr. Nick Patch, has suggested daily appointments for about two months.  Four days down.

Raw veggies with a side of intense cardio?? Maybe I'll start that NEXT Monday.

Dear Holidays,
Thank you for the extra 5 - 10 pounds.  I think I am set as far as extra padding (you know, for warmth and hibernation and all that).  Damn you, comfort food.  The dressing room in Victoria's Secret doesn't lie.
Faithfully yours,
Growing Girl

Diet was set to start yesterday, as was the cigarette abstinence program.  Jumpy as hell, I tripped over the dog's bone in the living room, fell down, and immediately burst into tears.  I cried for half an hour or better as Ken asked me over and over what was wrong.  I didn't know but couldn't stop the waterworks, so he offered to take me out for Mexican before I went to work.  And the day had gotten off to such a good start - I even took a vitamin!  I even poured the rest of the milk in my Kashi cereal down the drain to avoid the extra calories.  But how was I going to say no to cheese and salsa covered fried stuff when I couldn't smother my pointless tears in a cloud of smoke??  How??

Needless to say, diet starts next Monday.  Which will give me exactly two months to tone my mashed-potato-and-gravy-with-a-side-of-mac-and-cheese-and-maybe-some-pumpkin-pie-too ass up!!  Which is just as well, because I start school on Monday.  I can hear the doors of the gym now..."What HAPPENED, Barbie??  It's only been a MONTH!!"

Can't wait.

Why didn't I do all this last year??

(I'm not even going to acknowledge the fact that I've been MIA for three months or more.  It never happened.  Seriously, I don't even know what you're talking about.)

I'm an obsessive list maker, so here is my list of resolutions for 2010.  (Because I will conveniently forget them if they are not written down.)

Wash my face every night.  I get a huge case of the lazies right before bed, which often results in wearing my make-up to bed.  I'm getting married in two and a half months, and I can't afford any ugly breakouts!!

Quit smoking.  For good.  I am dreading this one.  I've tried to quit so many times.  I know that I can do it - I just can't pretend that I am able to be only a "social smoker".  I just signed up at http://www.becomeanex.org, and it promises to help you rethink the situations that make you smoke.  I'm also doing the nicotine patches, because I know they work.  I just have to stay strong.

Hire a trainer.  To help me not become a fat ass when I do quit smoking.  (Not that holiday food hasn't already done it's part in "helping" me gain a few.)  Also to help me get in perfect shape for my wedding...and the honeymoon.  Dress code on a cruise ship?  Can anyone say, bikini??  (Can my trainer say "Delusional!!"  I always imagine him having this ridiculous French accent saying, "What??  You geev me two months to work with 'zis??"  Yeah, maybe I should have made an appointment about six months ago.

Learn how to live in the moment.  Or at least in the day.  I've always lived for what's happening next.  I never just enjoy what is happening now.  And as cliche as that sounds, I want to learn how to quit wishing my life away.  Time is going by faster and faster every year and I want to appreciate it.

Do not use my credit card.  I am keeping that evil little money sucker in the safe FOR EMERGENCIES!!  REAL emergencies - not the "oh my God I need those shoes!" emergencies.  I paid it off this month, and I plan on keeping it that way.


Blog more consistently, at least once a week.  Hey, y'all!!  I am resolving not to abandon you again!!

Stepford Barbie?

I noticed this weekend that apparently, wearing heels to the grocery store causes me to spend approximately three times more than I would otherwise.  There seemed to be something just so right about tossing miscellaneous items into my shopping cart while I pranced around about five inches taller than natural. 

Something very...Stepford wife-ish. 

It was exhilarating, until I realized the buggy was nearly overflowing (I could barely move it, it was so heavy) and remembered that I had been supplied with limited funds.  So a marched up to around four or five random shoppers and employees to ask them if they believed I had stayed under my limit.  (Obviously, overconfidence is also a side-effect of shopping in high heels.) 

When I finally made it to the check-out counter and discovered that I was, indeed, under my limit, I actually felt upset and cheated, like I needed to go back and buy more food.  Ooooh, very bad, Barbie. 

Therefore, I will be wearing flats to the grocery store from now on.  Boo-hoo.

Sex, love, and...shoes??

My obsession with shoes has taken a new turn.  My first love was strappy stilettos.  We broke up, and I started stalking wedges.  When that didn't work out, I met the classic pump, and as that relationship grew boring, I am now pursuing a winter fling with boots.  (Confession:  I still have occasional one-night-stands with my former lovers.)

But oh, my boots.  My old go-to cowboy boots, my classic brown leather Jessica Simpson knee-highs, the Calvin Klein black ankle boots, my leopard print rain boots...my list of conquests would shock you!  But I wanted needed, something more.

Then I discovered, thanks to my InStyle magazine subscription, over-the-knee boots.  Lust at first sight.

And I never lust after something for long!

(Forgive the grainy photo - I was literally panting trying to get a good picture of these by myself, while they were on myself's feet!!)

Aren't. They. GORGEOUS.

(Rhetorical question, darlings.)

Black Nine West over-the-knee boots.  I squealed when I found them.  Yes, in the store.  In front of people.  We are in the newlywed phase and I refuse to be ashamed for squealing.  I hugged them all the way to the register.

These boots are going to make beautiful babies with tights and mini-dresses.  Sigh. 

So dudes, I'm gonna get a tattoo that says ITALY...across my belly!!

The Hills actually made me a little nauseous last night - Justin Bobby's belly tattoo...

And the always classy Spencer's cowboy hat...

And Brody's asshole attitude about his girlfriend not wanting to go to his ex-girlfriend's party (yeah, Brody, I was in love with you before this little pissy hissy fit you threw!)...

And Kristin's devastated surprise that Justin Bobby stood her up.  Really, really?  You were surprised?  If his trailer park name doesn't tell you anything, his hair should!  Oh, Kristin.  If you are not invincible, I don't think I can have a girl crush on you anymore...

Oh, and I definitely think I saw Spencer at my gym today.  Yeah, I almost walked up to him and asked him what was up with the cowboy hats and insulting a six-year-old.  (I have a feeling though, that this guy probably doesn't even watch The Hills and would have thought I was just a teensey bit crazy!)

Don't you just love the fun, ridiculousness of "scripted-reality" t.v.?

My name is Barbie, and yes, I'm a color-holic!

Anyone who knows me can tell you that since I've learned that one can change her hair color, I've experimented with every color of the rainbow.  The hair rainbow, though.  I like to keep it natural - my personality just doesn't suit pink highlights.

I quickly decided that my favorite color of the hair rainbow was blonde, but I could never decide which shade of blonde I liked best.  When I wanted low maintenance, I would change to dark blonde.  When I decided to forget low maintenance and go with my heart's true desire, I went platinum.  When I just wanted a change, I got highlights or lowlights, and when I got a wild hair up my ass (a lovely Georgia phrase I've picked up!!), I regret to say that I turned my back on blonde and went brunette.  Shudder.  Brunette just never felt like me.

Because I hardly ever use any heat styling on my hair (due to my exciting "commuting + school + working out = ponytail" routine), I have never understood why my hair has always been so dry and damaged and impossible to work with.  I kept searching for the lastest, greatest hair miracle out there, and readers, it has taken me years to understand that color can ruin pretty hair.  I mean, as in up until today it never really, truly occurred to me. 

Pretty blonde of me, huh?  (God, I'm just so clever!)

Today, I let my sister smash my dream of having gloriously long hair on my wedding day and cut the damaged ends off.  And it was a lot of ends.  There's still more damage left to get rid of, but she removed about ninety percent of the splits and melties.  (And okay, I'm exaggerating about her smashing my dreams, as my hair's been refusing to grow any longer for a few months now because of the damage.)

My new cut shows off my natural curl in a BIG way.  I feel very Marilyn, but without the platinum.  Which I promise to stay away from for a long, long time.

(Horrible picture.  Uh-mazing haircut!!)

My sister is amazing at what she does!!  If you want her information, tweet or facebook me, because my hair looks absolutely fabulous, and yours should, too!!

Woopsies

So, the lyrics of "Confessions" by Usher are stuck in my head right now because, you, my readers, are the ones I confess to when I have put my credit card in places it doesn't belong.  Or does belong but shouldn't go.  Or something.

It started out innocently enough.  My mom needed my help picking out something to wear on her birthday.  After class, we met at a little Japanese restaurant for some lunch, and off we went to find her outfit.  But my sneaky little card, which had been locked in the safe at my house (to keep me from using it), had found its way back into my wallet yesterday to buy some fabric for my sewing class (a lovely leopard print which will soon become a chic skirt).

Here are my woopsies.

I've been wanting a vest for years!!  This picture is terrible, but it's a little black cheapie from Maurice's whose buttons will have to be re-sewn, but it's so prescious and very versatile, plus it was on sale for almost nothing!!

A Michael Kors belt that I am now in love with.  I will be able to wear it around my waist with a belt, or through the belt loops of jeans.  Also very versatile!!

"These are my confessions!!"  And now hubby is home...dun dun dunnnnn!!  :)