My Cyber Monday Faves

Black Friday? Blech... so four years ago. The new fad is Cyber Monday! Shop from your bed in your PJ's and no interrupting your Thanksgiving. Don't pretend like your inbox isn't blowing up with crazy good sales right now. Get on it, girl!

Here are my favorite Cyber Monday sales!

Sigma Beauty

Sigma only does 20% off once, maybe twice a year so use this opportunity to try their brushes. They are OUTSTANDING. I don't know how I lived without them before. I ordered a few things I have been dying to get my hands on, but had to have a sale of course!

Converse

25% off nearly everything! That includes custom designs. You can bet your sweet little tush I designed some radical Chucks at about 6:30 this morning. Can't wait for those bad boys to get here!

Target

Love me some Target furniture. Don't love me the Target shipping prices. Today is the day, my friends, to order whatever you may desire from Target!

American Eagle

I live in American Eagle jeans. Are they worth their on average $45 dollar price? Yes but I like getting things on sale so 40% off is the prime time to buy!

Go get'em ladies!

Confessional Friday

Guess what day it is!?

Confessional Friday!

Yup! My only form of communicating with y'all.

I'm kidding... but seriously.

I'll just confess what has happened in the last month.

// I did a Halloween themed photo shoot like I was talking about here. It was fun to dress up in a costume and not look like that adult trick-or-treating freak with no kids.

// We went to Miami and Key West for nearly two weeks. We were gone away from home for 13 FREAKING DAYS. But I won't bore you with 324,759,323 pictures, I'll just give you this pretty sunset shot.

// And while we were gone our precious Boo Boo got very weak and sick. We got a call five days before we were supposed to be home that he wasn't doing well. We had a friend stay all weekend at the house with him and our vet made multiple home visits to try to make him more comfortable until we got home but he just didn't make it. We had him put to rest on November 9th... just two days before we got home. RIP sweet Boo Boo kitty.

// The weekend after we returned home was Tyson's nephews 3rd birthday party. His sister went all-out with the construction theme so I followed suit! It was so much fun, even for the adults!

// One of my best friends, Justine, delivered her baby. Teagan, has an omphalocele which is a condition where the umbilical cord doesn't close around the baby's belly properly and multiple organs grow outside of the baby's body. I went up on Monday and spent two days with her and Teagan. They are both doing well but they need all the prayers they can get. Teagan is in the NICU and will be staying there for quite some time.

// And finally... today we leave for a little family va-ca to Branson. We did this last year and it was a lot of fun so I'm excited that we are making it a tradition.

I promise I will get in to a better routine around here. I have a lot of great posts I want to share but other things have taken the time from me. That's life, right!?

Confessional Friday

Thank the good Lord that Leslie hosts this great link-up or else I might never talk to you guys.

Meh.
Life. And all your random fly-balls.

// I confess that we are leaving next Wednesday for Miami and Key West. But when I say we are leaving next Wednesday I mean that's the day we thought we were going to leave until the guy that has one of the boats told us that the boat won't be ready to be picked up till Monday. But he told us last week it would be ready this Saturday. So now all our plans for a smooth, non-chaotic departure are GONE. Which basically means I'm going to be a huge ball of stress until we finally do leave... whenever that is.

// I confess that we are going to be gone for TWO WEEKS. Who in the hell leaves their house/family/pets for two weeks!? Me. Why me? Because my boyfriend likes to rip all forms of stability out from underneath me and lock me in a car for long road trips to FL. Oh well. At least our hotel for most of the trip is a 72' Hatteras.

// I confess that I didn't decorate for Halloween and I'm not sad about it. It has been very warm here in SW Missouri for the last few weeks (until yesterday) and I just would not accept that it is "fall". I don't want to wear boots and jeans. I want to wear flip flops and shorts! Good thing I'm going to FL next week!

// I confess that I think the new season of Kendra On Top is all fake. I just find it very odd that they were not in the tabloids for a few years for anything and then BAM, Hank cheats on Kendra with a transgender while she's 8 months pregnant and it's all caught on camera? Uhhh no.

And that's all for today, folks. I will just leave you with this picture of me jumping in a muddy puddle.

Happy Friday!

Confessional Friday

Happy Friday, Ladies! It's been a little while but no worries, nothing exciting happening around here.

So let's confess!

// I confess that I started a new small business! Better Than Bags Gift Wrapping Service. I love wrapping gifts and have been told by numerous people I should offer my service to the community... so I did! I would love any feedback or advice on anything on my website or my Facebook page.

Oh and I forgot to mention I have one employee already! He's not much help as of right now but he's very cute.

// I confess that I went to KC last weekend for my friend Justine's baby shower and found out Ikea was open. I might have went a bit overboard but in all fairness I found a few items that I have been trying to track down for a few months-- a cube system for our entry way and a vanity mirror that is tall enough for this giraffe. Now I can finally do a vanity tour!

// And lastly I confess that we leave for Miami and Key West in less than two weeks and I am excited to get away but sad to leave the kitties behind. Oh the animal lover in me will never cease.

Confessional Friday

Howdy friends! It's Confessional Friday. What better way to catch up with you? Here we go!

// I confess that I finally found a replacement for a bracelet I lost about four years ago. I lost it one night at the lake and I was completely sick about it. My mom had given it to me and I wore it all the time. I had never seen anything like it until last Wednesday. I went to Tyson's doctors appointment with him and one of the ladies that worked there had a necklace on that reminded me of my bracelet. I asked her where she got it and she said Dress Barn. She didn't say when she got it and I didn't ask if they had matching bracelets but GUESS WHAT!? They did!! Some day I will have a jeweler copy this in silver, just like my moms. But this will hold me over til then.

When I told my mom I had found a similar bracelet, I asked her where she got it (since I never really knew). She said my dad had given it to her a few days after their first date. He went to Columbia for a doctors appointment and went in to Dillard's. They were having a fundraiser where some of the profits from certain jewelry pieces went to breast cancer research as it was October and breast cancer awareness month. She said it was 1994. What a coincidence! The doctors appointments, the month (almost to the day) and it being almost exactly 20 years later that I found this bracelet. I don't really believe in coincidences. I believe God speaks to us in ways that make us think. This is a perfect example of that.

// I also confess that I did really good this week and only bought three pairs of shoes.

These moto boots, these rain boots, and these sneaker wedges...

I really dislike ordering shoes online that I've never tried on. I hope the sizes I got work!

// I confess that I really want to dress up like an evil bride or a modern bride of Frankenstein this year. Mostly I just want to rock this hair and makeup and most of all EYES!

I think this looks so pretty/creepy. But those contacts that make your whole eye black are $160 dollars!!

// I confess that I am just now, today, officially, getting in to the fall spirit. I just could not accept that it was fall with our blistering 80 degree Southern Missouri days. Today though--- today it's cold. Like 55 degrees cold and I have pants on cold. Cold like I wore a Carhart today. It's going to be a long winter...

And those are my confessions...

Have a great weekend!

These Boots Were Made For Walkin'

I have wanted a pair of cowboy boots for, oh, about 100 years. Okay just kidding... for a long time. I just never found a pair that were "me". I also had a lot of trouble finding a pair that fit me right. I have a really high arch and wear a size 9 or 10 typically. I love the Corral boots but they are pretty pricey and I guess a blessing in disguise because none of them would fit on my foot. On my birthday I went to Cavender's to see if anything new screamed my name. I tried on damn near every cute boot in that place and none of them fit me. I was ready to give up and found this boot on the end-cap.

I fell in LOVE. They have a taller shaft than most cowboy boots and a partial inside zipper. They also have a riding boot look to them.

I ended up buying them the next day and they have been screaming my name from inside their happy little home box for the last three weeks. I couldn't stand to go another day without wearing them.
They are the Ariat Sahara.

It's 86 degrees outside and I don't give a sh!t. I am wearing my damn boots!

I just threw on some American Eagle cutoff jean shorts, a tank top, and a tunic-tee from Target.

Hair is up in a bun because it's hot and it hasn't been washed today... not gonna lie. Tan legs are by Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs.

If you are in the market for some super comfortable cowboy boots that are stylish but still look like nice boots, get these!

Buy This Not That!

I've been wanting to write this post for quite some time now! Just now getting around to it but that's alright! Let's get to it!

A little back story on this... I LOVE Jaclyn Hill. She is a makeup artist that has a channel on YouTube. She is more than a makeup artist, she is a makeup GENIUS. I have been a huge fan of hers since she started making tutorials on YouTube. I have learned soooo much from this girl. One of the biggest things I have learned from her is how to highlight.

Let's talk about her highlight here... she is GLOWING underneath her eyes. It looks amazing so I bought the powder she uses to set her under-eye concealer... Mac Shaping Powder in "Emphasize". This powder is off-white with very fine pearl.

She uses the Sigma F35 Tapered Highlighter brush to apply this powder. This brush is $24.00 dollars. WHAT!? I am not paying $24.00 for a brush that only does one thing on 1/8th of my face.

Well much to my surprise (not) Jaclyn and Sigma are affiliated and she created her own "expert box" with all of her favorite Sigma brushes... for $90.

I justified purchasing this in that I didn't have any brushes that were similar in shape or use and buying the set saved me a little money instead of buying individuals. And these brushes have great reviews and are very high quality. So I got this set and I love all of the brushes!!

Now with that being said... The F35 is not my favorite brush to set my under-eye concealer. My old ELF Studio Blush Brush is my favorite.

The brush head is a bit larger and the ferrel is pinched so it is flatter on two sides unlike the F35 which has a round ferrel. I feel like the ELF brush sets the powder better because it presses the powder in to the skin thanks to its flatter sides. It also covers a larger area and gets the job done quicker.

Did I mention it's only $3.00 DOLLARS!? I have had the ELF brush for about 3 years and it is still good as new. The quality is great and it has a plastic handle vs the Sigma's wooden handle so it should technically last longer and look new for longer.

One thing the Sigma F35 does well is highlight your cheekbones. But if you are like me and your cheekbones highlight themselves after a few hours, this brush is unnecessary.

All-in-all, get the ELF Blush Brush if you are looking to set under-eye concealer. It's $3.00 and does the job better than the Sigma F35 which is $24.00.

Have you found any products that are less expensive but do the job better? Please share!

Weekly Roundup

Megan over at Style Me Swanky does a weekly roundup pretty regularly and I was inspired. She has a cute picture at the top then writes short little bits of info that come to her mind so I am going to follow suit.

Here goes!

Football season is among us. Mizzou Tigers, baby!

Yesterday I got two "shirt dresses" at Target similar to this one. I got both in a grey color thinking they would look cute with some tall boot socks and my new Ariat's. Unlucky for me I got them both in the wrong size.

I'm anxiously awaiting my Sleek makeup purchase to arrive. I have heard so much about their blushes. I got a 20% off coupon last weekend so I ordered some stuff!

This week has been an interesting transition from Summer for me. Usually I don't even notice when Fall comes around but since school started I have been picking up one of Tim's daughters from school. It's unusual for me to have a specific time of the day that I need to be somewhere. But I like it!

This weekend is one of my favorite poker runs in Lake Cumberland, KY. I was so sad that we couldn't go. (You have to reserve a houseboat and they are booked up for years or stay with a friend.) But then last minute a friend told us to come out and that they had room for us on their boat. I was double-bummed. We are just too busy with work right now.

Speaking of work... I have been completely enthralled with getting our books to-the-cent-perfect. This last week I have been using Quickbooks more than Facebook and I am finally making some progress and learning some new tricks. Funny how that works!

I was interviewed this week by Boating Magazine about my run in the Shootout. I am pretty excited to see how the story turns out. And after a little research it looks like I am the fastest female to run in the Shootout in a boat by herself! Cool!

I got Baby Kitty one of these. It's supposed to simulate the cat's instinct to hunt and prevent over-eating and obesity. Here is a video on a cat using it.

So that's my weekly roundup! I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. Love changing it up.

Happy Friday!

The Last Two Weeks in Photos

Oh hey there! Let's do this really quick so I can get back on track with the regular antics around here.

Baby Kitty is still name-less but he fits in pretty well as my office cat.

 Boo Boo is still truckin' along. His birthday was August 9th and he turned 14 years old.

A few Saturday's back (August 16th) Tyson, Neely, Jefferson, Sam and I went to a German beer festival in Freistat, MO. The food was delish-- bratwurts, sauerkraut, and traditional potato salad. And beer... looooots of beer.

 Turns out carnies are not very good photographers.

Then the next weekend was the Shootout. AKA the greatest week of the whole year.

 The turnout for Supercat Fest was great!

 And yes... this is me actually racing in the Shootout. I did 80mph!

 Pink helmet and pink life jacket, of course!

It was soooo HOT.

But there were a lot of people there!

  The Wednesday after the Shootout was my birthday. I might have done a little shopping... oops. I found this absolutely awesome bright pink/coral top at Cavendar's and

fell.

in.

love.

And I've been dying to get some cute cowboy boots but NONE OF THE CUTE ONES FIT ME. I have a really high arch and wear a size 9 or 10 usually. I literally could not get on a boot that didn't have a side zipper. Then as I was leaving I spotted these and fell in love. They are a riding boot style with the western snip-toe which is sort of unique.

 For my birthday dinner we went to the Japanese steakhouse. It was very yummy!

Birthday outfit!

Like I said... I LOVE that top!

 And my birthday cake was pretty bad ass!

I got some pretty neat prezzies, too!

Neely gave me this awesome anchor bracelet by Kiel Patrick James.

And Tyson got me some cute workout gear!

On Labor Day I went to the Lake to see my mom and my baby boy Bonzai.

And on Saturday I went to Mallory's dads 60th birthday party. It was fun to see so many people from my home town.

And of course I went boating...

 GO MIZZOU!

So that's pretty much what I've been up to. Obviously there was some work in there. Now that our busy season of boating and traveling is over for a little bit, this place should get back to normal. I've got some posts I am excited to do about makeup, hair, and clothes so look out for those soon!

Happy Thursday.