TBB Asks: Shopping

TBB Asks day is always one of my faves...and that fact that today's topic is Shopping has me really excited! Even though I was supposed to be on a shopping halt...lol...I made it one whole month!!  Here are my answers...link up with us over at TBB so I can read yours or let me know them in the comments below.

1. Top 3 Shops
Amazon, Nordstrom...and probably these days,  my hometown boutique, Say More!

2. Where is most of your shopping done?
Most definitely ONLINE!!

3. Favorite thing to shop for?
CLOTHES!!  Do I need more clothes? Probably not...but I love to shop for them!!

4. What do you hate shopping for?
Honestly...groceries!!  Nothing I need is ever on sale when I need it and food is so friggin' expensive!

5. Most favorite thing you've ever bought?
That's so tough!!  I have no idea!

6. Do you prefer shopping alone or with others?
Well since the majority of my shopping is done online and alone, when I actually get out to shop I prefer to do it with friends.  It's fun and they always have an opinion!!

7. Best Bargain? 
Hmmmm....another tough one!!  I never buy anything if it's not on sale, so I always try to get the bargains!!

8. Thrift store shopping...yes of no?
Well the only thing I've ever gone thrift store shopping for books for my classroom library.  But I am not opposed to it for clothes.  I have a friend from work who thrifts all the time and she had the best clothes!  And tells me all the time she finds things with TAGS on them.  When I ask her where she gets something she's wearing, more often then not she'll tell me Sal Boutique...you may know it as The Salvation Army!  HA!!

9. Best Cities for Shopping?
This is tough one because I don't travel much.  I found great stuff in Toronto when we were there for our TBB trip last year.  I like that they had different stores than I have at home!

10. Fashion icon?
I like to try to keep up with the trends, but I wouldn't say I have one style icon.  I like the classic looks and like scooping out new clothes via blogs and websites!!



Thanks for stopping by today!!  All this shopping talk makes me wanna go do a lil online shopping!!  HA!  Have a great Monday!!

An attitude of Gratitdue!

Since any day is a great day to count my blessings, I'm sharing my TBB Asks posts today!  This time around it's the Thanks and Giving Edition!  I kind of can't believe Thanksgiving is already around the corner.  And I get so mad when one day it's Halloween and then poof...it's Chrsitmas!!  Thanksgiving get totally forgotten in the crush.  (In all honesty though, I am totally on the Hallmark Christmas movie train!! HA!)

But back to the issue at hand...Giving thanks!!  Here are my answers to this month's questions!!

1. Have you ever kept a gratitude journal? 
I have actually...and really wished that I kept up with it. At night before bed I listed 5 things about the day I was grateful for.   I never keep up with journals or diaries....maybe I'll get back into it.

2. Hosting Thanksgiving?  I am not hosting Thanksgiving, have never and probably will never.  My sister hosts our family Thanksgiving and always does a great job.  This year though, I am once again hosting FRIENDSGIVING!  I'm glad to be bringing it back with a different group of friends then in my previous years!!  It's this Sunday and I'm really looking forward to it (but kinda wish the besties and I kept up with the tradition ourselves! Read about our very first Friendsgiving here!) And when I say hosting, I really just mean, we are using my house!!  HA!  As long as I don't cook the turkey, anyone is welcome to the use of my kitchen!

3.  Favorite food from the Thanksgiving meal?
Is it wrong to say my own Green Bean Casserole??  That is the ONE thing I make (for Thanksgiving AND CHRISTMAS) and just love!!  I really enjoy all the side dishes...more so than the turkey itself!!

4. One thing is Nature I am most grateful for...most definitely THE SUNSHINE!  It's beautiful in the sky ALL THE TIME!!  When it rises in the morning, when it sets in the evening and when I'm enjoying it all day long during those hot summer days, getting my tan on.  But all year long, I'm just a happier person when the sun is shining!

5. Pumpkin Pie?  Heck YES!!  And I really like the Costco Pumpkin Pie...go get you some!!

6. Traditional Cookbook?  Not really sure about this one! But I'll attempt to answer!  I don't really cook but when I do, most of the time, it's from this family cookbook that we girls created for our Mom on Shutterfly for her birthday a few years ago.  We all contributed recipes from it, and got our own copies.  Other than that, I'll just look online, even though, oddly enough, I have a whole shelf of cookbooks!!

7. Oven Baked or Deep Fried Turkey?
I've had both.  Lots of times we have the deep fried turkey as an appetizer and the sauce my brother in law makes for it is totally delish.  The deep friend turkey is so delish.  Maybe that why I'm more of a side dish girl!  Perhaps I fill up too much on that!

8.  Leftovers?  YES!  I enjoy leftovers!!  Often times I take the turkey, cook it in gravy and make an open face turkey sandwich/soup kinda combo!!  SO YUMMY!!

9. What is one household product you are most grateful for?
Ummmm....that would have to be my electric wine opener!!  NOT Kidding!

10. Most grateful for home cooked meals or restaurant meals?  I like this question!!
Well, I eat out most often so I am most grateful for a home cooked meal.  I enjoy eating meals that others cook, and because I didn't cook it and they are offering it to me and welcoming me into their homes to it it, I am that much more grateful for it.  My family cooks some awesome meals!!





So fun!!  Heading over to link up with TBB for TBB Asks and check out all the fabulous Thanksgiving fashion ideas from today's Fall Fashion Frenzy!  Link up too, here!!  Thanks for stopping by the blog today...I'm grateful for you!! 

TBB Asks: March Beauty Edition!

Wow!  March!!  I just can't believe it's already here!!  January seemed to drag on forever and ever and February just FLEW by!!  But I'm excited for March to be here...we are that much closer to Spring.

The first Monday of the month means it's TBB Asks Day with The Blended Blog!!  And it's a super fun topic...we're talking Beauty!!

1- Eyelash Curler?
YES!!  Most definitely!!  Everyday!!

2-Favorite Nail Shade? 

It's very rare that I have my nails done in the winter, but when I do do them, it's an Essie color.  Devil's Advocate is dark but I love it.  I'm partial to the darks.

3- Favorite Lipstick Shade? 
Right now, I'm wearing LipSense!  A fave color is Praline Rose!  Or Praline Rose with Bella.

Three Layers of Praline Rose!

4- Blow Dry or Air Dry? 
Always blow dry dry my hair! Even in summer.  I just like the way it looks and feels when I do.  If I let it air dry, it's kinda a hot mess.

5- Artificial Nails?
Nope!

6- Foundation?
Yes, everyday.  In summer it's a tinted moisturizer!

7- Hair Up or Hair Down?
It totally depends on the day!  I personally like my hair up best...the pull of the pony makes my face look thinner!  And most day's by the end of the day, it gets thrown up anyway!

And it usually is just thrown up and in a mess like this!  

(And I'm not even sure why this is the only photo I had of my actual full head with my hair up! HA!!)

Sorry for all the selfies but...solitary life and all!!

8- Bar Soap or Body Wash?
Body Wash...hands down.  I really like Caress Evenly Gorgeous.  It cleans and exfoliates...and is super affordable!  A little on my pouf goes a long way!!

9- Bath or Shower?
Showers on the daily!  But I love, love, love baths!  I wish I had time to soak in the tub more.

10- Favorite Body Lotion?
I am loving Kopari lately.  I have a number of their products and love them all.  I use the Coconut Body Milk everyday.  It's fab and smells amazing!!!

11- Favorite perfume?
Right now I'm wearing Victoria's Secret Scandalous, sad it's been discontinued and I won't be able to get more!!

12- Do you shave your legs everyday?
In the Winter? HELL NO!  Summer...yup!!  Yup!!  Grrrrrr....

13- Favorite Lip Balm?
I recently started using Rodan + Fields Lip Renewing Serum...it comes in capsules.  And it's another one of those things that a little goes a long way!  I open one capsule before bed, then use the rest of that one before putting on my LipSense in the morning.

14- When did I first start wearing make-up?
Honestly, I have no idea.  Maybe 7th or 8th grade for real?  But when I was little my mom was a Mary Kay lady for a short time so we were always into it.  LOL

Now it's your turn!!  Link up your post with us or share your answers on social.  And don't forget to come back and join us every Monday this month for more beauty fabulousness!!

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TBB Asks: New Year, New You!

We are 8 days into the new year, and I can already say New Year...same ME!!  LOL
But I'm going to have lots of fun with today's TBB Asks! Linking up with the ladies of The Blended Blog today for this month's round of  telling questions!  These are always such fun, easy posts and I love getting to know more about everyone!!  Answer the following questions on your blog or social media account and play along with us!!

1- No resolutions!
I try and I try and I always break them.  This is what 38 years of me is...Always changing and growing, yes, but I don't need to set resolutions that I know I'll break!

2-No Snow!
I'm a summer girl through and through!!

3- Austin, Texas
I don't think it's in the cards, but I'd love to be able to travel to Austin this year!  I've never been there and have always wanted to go...for the great music and food!

4- Hair Cut or Color?   BOTH
It's not often that I get my hair done, so each time, I get both a cut and color.  And right now, I am way overdue!!  Thanks goodness it's hat season and I can stick a hat on my head to cover these roots.

5-Something I'd love to do for Myself this year.... Spa Days!
When I had a Spa Day for my sister's 40th Birthday back in November, my sisters mentioned that maybe a monthly spa day is something I need.  So it got me thinking!  I'm not sure I could swing a monthly Spa Day for myself, but maybe seasonal??  I'm gonna give it a try!!

6- Least favorite thing about January...the COLD!
Hands Down!!  The cold! And it has seriously been beyond cold these last few weeks...below zero temps!!  Gross!!

I might look happy here, all bundled up for the cold, but I'm NOT!!

7- Favorite thing about January
Nothing really...lol...maybe just the newness of it all.  A fresh planner?!?


8- When do you take down Christmas Decorations?
Usually Little Christmas, January 6th.  This year though, because we had two snow days this week, I started taking them down then.  Everything is down now, except the tree, which I am dreading taking down.  Maybe next weekend!!

My Nativity, always the first thing up and the last thing I take down on Little Christmas, January 6th!

9- Diet?
Hahahahaha....nope!  Should I? Perhaps...but nah!!  My winter sweaters will cover the extra 3 to 5 pounds I might gain!

10- What area of the home do you organize the most?
Definitely the Great Room area because it's the most visible when I have guests.  So I'm always tidying up and changing out decorations!

11- Favorite Winter Comfort Food
Soup!  Nice and easy and just totally warms my bones!  If I have oyster crackers to put in it, even better!!

12- Favorite Guilty Pleasure
Is hibernating in the winter a guilty pleasure!!!???? If leaving the house in this bloody cold weather is not absolutely necessary, I'd really rather not!! I'd much prefer being wrapped in a blanket with a book!

#TBB Asks: The Holiday Edition!

It's that time again!  It's the TBB Asks link up!  This time we're talking all things holiday!!

Grab the graphic and play along!!

1. Real or Fake Tree?
Mine's fake, simply for the fact that I like to keep it up!  And maybe I'm not the type to go cut one down...

2. Favorite Christmas Cookies:
Can I say all of them? Who doesn't like cookies!?!

3. Home on Christmas Morning or Travel?
It's just me, so I'm home before I have to go to my sister's in the afternoon!  I will say being on my own on Christmas morning is very different but I've created my own tradition.  I spend the morning sipping mimosas while watching Love Actually and wrapping the rest of my gifts!

4. Clear or Colored Lights?
Definitely clear on my tree but I do enjoy seeing colored lights on displays!

5. Send Christmas Cards?
YES!  Although this year I am not 100% sure I'll be getting any out. I try to be creative each year, and to be honest, this year nothing's coming to me yet!

6. Favorite Christmas Present Received?
So hard!!  From when I was little? I'd have to say my Humphrey Peter Cabbage Patch in Christmas 83 or 84!  I still have him.  My parents were part of the Cabbage Patch Crazy back then and I'm not even sure how they pulled off 4 dolls for four girls.  And we still have them all!!

7. Favorite Christmas Present Given?  Ugh...I have no idea!  I am not a creative buyer.  It's so much easier to buy things for myself! I used to make my mom things for Christmas when I was younger, which she still has, so that's always fun to see!

8.  Stockings?
Definitely...3 actually!  My original from the year I was born in 1980.  It was completely different from my three sisters, who all have the same nice embroidered ones...mine was probably bought all the mall but it's original fuzzy stocking, with my name in glitter!!  So there!
I also have a stocking from Pottery Barn from my sister and one to match the tree skirt my mom made for me, when I got my own place.Click here to see them all!

9. Christmas PJs?
YES!!  A few years back my family started the new tradition to wear PJ's to Christmas all day!!  Finding new Christmas themed PJs each year is always fun. Already got mine for this year and can't wait to wear them!!

Christmas 2014...this first year we started wearing our PJs I think!

10. Favorite Christmas Carol?
The Christmas Cannon by the Transiberian Orchestra.  A less traditional Christmas song I love is by an Irish band populkar her in New York called Shilelagh Law.  It was written the Christmas after September 11th, 2001 and it's just really beautiful!!

11. Favorite Christmas Tradition...

Aside from Christmas PJs, I'd have to say Cookies and Cocktails with my sister each year...that's really turned into a whole family thing.

12. Early Shopper or Last Minute?

I always think I'm a good shopper and then at the last minute, it seems that I scramble.  So I guess it's a toss up!!

13. Favorite Christmas Movie or Show?

I love Love Actually, obviously (see above!)  But Elf is great too and The Holiday is just the cutest!

14. Favorite Holiday beverage?

Anything!  Hahahaha..just kidding!  I enjoy a peppermint mocha at least once during the holidays.

15. Cookies and Milk for Santa?

But of course!

How fun was that?!? Head on over to The Blended Blog and link up too!!

Wishing you all the best that this holiday season has to offer!  Have a Merry Merry Monday!!

TBB Asks: The Back-to-School Edition! {Link UP!}

After a wonderful vacation in the Outer Banks of North Carolina with my family last week where there wasn't much sun (like at all!) but where my sister was MARRIED!, I'm back to blogging!

These monthly posts with The Blended Blog have been so much fun.  I am really getting to know so many bloggers better. September for many is Back-to-School, so we thought it be the perfect time to share some school memories!  I'm writing this post through tears because, I'll be back at school tomorrow myself!!  Hehe!

1.  Love school or hate it?

Definitely depended on the year (or the day!)  but overall I think I loved both elementary school, high school and college.

2. We always started school here after Labor Day!  As a teacher ,I still do.  My nieces and nephews don't go back to school until the Thursday after Labor Day this year, which I think is really late!

3.  Wake up: Eager Beaver or Slow Poke?  Definitely a SLOW POKE for sure...then and now!

4.  Favorite breakfast?  As a kid...Pop Tarts

5.  Favorite Cereal: Peanut Butter Cap' Crunch...but mostly as a dry snack in a baggie.  I still buy it today and have been made fun of for it on numerous occasions!

6.  School uniforms my entire life...I went to catholic school thru 12th grade.

7.  New outfit for the first day of school?  {See above} But now that I'm the teacher, I treat myself to a new outfit for the first day every year.

8.  Rode the bus!  Since I went to Catholic school, it required travel!  But I was always jealous of the kids that walked.

9.  I was always a backpack girl.  I had one of those L.L. Bean one's with my name on it back in the day, when they were popular.  Glad to see they still are!

10.  School lunch or bring from home?  That really depended.  In elementary school, I feel like the options for lunch were limited, but in high school I bought more often because there was a plethora!

11.  Chocolate milk!  But usually just a thermos or juice box as a kid!

12.  LUNCH BOX!!  Always!  Starting with my Get Along Gang lunch box in Pre-K. Pound puppies, hugga-bunch I had them all through the years.  I loved that they came with that thermos with that big brown flip up!

13.  Favorite thing to do at recess:  I know this is weird but when I was in fifth grade my friends and I used to play a dice game called CELLO...with quarters!  YES..I gambled on the playground in elementary school!! LOL (We didn't have a typical "playground"...just blacktop!)

14. Favorite School Supply: This is a hard one...I always liked getting a new planner in high school.  In elementary school, I think it was crayola crayons...the smell of those new pack of crayons!  And it always had to be Crayola!  Still does!

15.  Chalkboards forever! {this coming from the tech teacher...}

16.  I prefer mechanical pencils, nice and thin and clean!  No smudges!!

17.  Homework right after school!

18.  Favorite after school snack: I don't remember eating much after school, to be honest!

19.  Favorite after school show: DEFINITELY the all new Mickey Mouse Club or MMC as it was called!!  EVERYDAY!! The new version of the show was so fun and in the later years had Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Keri Russel, Ryan Gosling...just to name a few!  

via

In the early nineties there was also this super cheesy show on called Swan's Crossing.  It starred a teen Sarah Michelle Geller.  It was on everyday but it only lasted 13 weeks.  My sister and best friend loved it though.  And good god was it beyond super cheesy!!

20.  Favorite Subject: ELA and American History 

21. Least Favorite Subject:  MATH....100% YUCK!!

22.  Best Friends in High School: Melanie and Kerri

Mel and I have been best friends since we were 2.  We lived around the corner from one another.  I went to our town catholic school for Pre-k through 8th grade.  Mel went to an all-girls catholic school for girls pre-K through grade 12.  So when I graduated 8th grade, I went to 'Mel's School' for high school.  She always used to say, "I can't believe you go to my school!"  Kerri went there starting in ninth grade as well.  We are all still friends today!

23.  We were a small all girls high school, so we really didn't have a mascot.

24.  ACT or SAT? We HAD to take both! #thumbsdown

25.  Favorite Year:  No idea....most would say Senior Year right?  But that's not mine!  I know that for sure!  I really liked 1st, 2nd and third grade a lot!

26.  I totally wore my class ring!  In both high school and college!

27.  I love a good party, so I go to the reunions!  From high school at least.  Went too and helped plan the 10 reunion and next year we'll celebrate 20!  EEEEEKKKKK.

Talk about memory lane!  Whew!  That was fun!  Answer there questions and link up with us too!!  Hope everyone has a great back to school! 

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