The Nail Files - keeping it simple this weekend

I know I teased y'all with the fun tools I got last week. But I really wasn't feeling going all out this time around. So I kept it simple:

You're looking at two Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure: All Fired Up and Wedding Glitters.

All Fired Up is a little more red than orange...the picture doesn't really do it justice. I probably doesn't help that I only have one coat on, too. I was just not feeling it this week.

But, I'm still linking up to share!  :)

He would have been 33...

Today my family-in-law remembers the one we lost last year.

Christopher Marc Ring. 3/29/1980 - 7/16/2012

I took this at the LA Auto Show in November of 2011.

I don't know what today will hold. Mr S and I are both off. We're taking LB and LS to lunch. Then Mr S and LB are going to a "boys" movie, possibly with DiL. And LS and I are either going to a different movie (more appropriate for a 9 y/o) or to Painted Earth (paint your own pottery).

Then we're all having dinner at the in-laws house. One of Chris's favorites:  Rolled Tacos. It's a family recipe that EVERYONE in the family LOVES. There are stories of uncles hoarding/hiding them in rooms when they were younger just to be sure they got some the next day...IF there were any leftover to begin with. Chris and Mr S used to compete to see who ate the most. I'm talking a dozen each, or more. And let's not forget that LB was catching up with the numbers he'd eat. And then there's DiL, who the boys get their hollow right leg and insatiable appetite, from. He'd eat just as many. And then there's me, LS, and SMiL. While we don't reach the double digits, we still eat our fair share. And that's just when it was seven of us. Heaven forbid you make these for a family function. You'd be cooking all day and STILL NOT HAVE ENOUGH. This stuff is CRACK for my in-law family!

Today will be a day of memories. Chris was great with kids. He worked at one of our local Boys and Girls Clubs. And he loved his LB and LS...and his big Bro, Mr S. He and Mr S were close. And I'm sure there will be sad moments. We finally have the funds for his grave stone. I think that will be a rough decision that will be made today.  

(If you're not already aware, dying isn't cheap. Do your family a favor and have this stuff planned and paid for, if you can.)

It's been a bit of an emotional 8 months. The first year is almost over. I don't know if it will get better the second year or not. We've all had our moments and our issues this year. We've all had our ways of dealing with them.

Chris is the reason for this week's nail colors:  Red and Gold for his favorite team - Kansas City Chiefs.

So, when you read this, I ask that you just say a quick prayer or send loving thoughts our way (whatever is your preferred method).  It's greatly appreciated.

FYI - abbreviations, for those wanting to know:  LB - Little Brother; LS - Little Sister; DiL - Dad in Law; SMil - Stepmom in Law.

So What Wednesday!

This week, I'm saying So What if...

* We still have clean clothes from Sunday to put away. They're all mushed up in the laundry basket by the dresser.

* I finally took the jeans/pants out of the dryer yesterday. They were the only load to get put away from Sunday's laundry adventure.

* I had three servings of Angelfood Pineapple cake yesterday. They're only 2 points each. That stuff is GOOD!!

* I still haven't brought in my small suitcase from my trip last week. It's only been sitting in my trunk since Friday afternoon. It has no clothes/makeup/toiletries, so I'm not worried. It's just work stuff that I won't need for another 3 weeks!

* I have lost the motivation to edit pictures lately. Not like I have portraits or anything. But I know I have some pretty great scenery shots that could use some touch ups. I'm just not feeling it lately.

* I need to organize my work area and all the boxes lining the walls in the spare room, but don't want to. I have way too much stored in here and it's taking up way too much room. But I have no desire to do anything about it. So I'll just keep moving stuff around when I need to get some where. I have a path cleared from my door to the desk and to the printer. What more do I need?

* I kind of want to go to Blissdom next year. But I don't think I have enough followers to qualify as a "blogger". Nor do I do any of the other exciting posts that a lot of the participants do. And after hearing about the mean girls this year, maybe I'll just say "no thanks!"

* All I want to do this week after work is sit on the couch and watch TV and either read or crochet. I kind of want to do that when I'm supposed to be working, too. This is the downside to working at home...too many distractions!

So what are you saying "So What" to this week? Come join up with the rest of us:



Happy Hump Day!! 

Weekly Weigh In - Week 12 (I Think)

Last week was HORRIBLE!!
But I guess we all have those weeks when we're trying to lose weight and make a change to our eating and exercising habits.

Today's weight, however:  234.5!!

I seriously have not idea how that happened. After the week I had, where I only worked out one day and when over my daily points at least two days in a row, I basically gave up on the weekend (cause those are the days that I, typically, don't pay close attention to my points anyway).

Maybe the work out with the hubby yesterday helped more than the homemade Alfredo sauce hurt.

No idea what happened, but I'm glad it did!

I head back to Alabama for a week of training in two weeks. My little goal is to be 5 pounds less by then (which should be interesting with being in Anaheim this weekend for Wonder-Con). But I am planning to work out more this week. I've even asked my husband to, gently, remind me that I need to do so...even if it's just dancing with the Xbox (something I haven't done in MONTHS!).

Weekly Goals:
1.  Back on track with tracking food/points.
2.  Activity points!! (I'm sure you've noticed a theme here)
3.  Shop for the weekend in Anaheim (snacks I can take with me that are low points so I don't waste my valuable points during the day).

Happy Monday, y'all. I'm gonna hunt down some coffee...

Bloglovin

Testing this new thing out!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

To my new followers and commentors...

(Did I spell that right? Is that even a word:  commentors?)

Anyway,,,

I just wanted to say welcome!!

And let you know a couple things...

1.  I see your comments. Unfortunately, I don't always reply back. I don't know if you get notification that your comment has been replied to. But if you do, that's why you don't always see a reply from me:  I don't always do it.

2.  Is it customary to reply to comments? I have not idea! I've been doing this for over two years and I still don't know. I try to look at other, more popular, blogs for some idea. And I get mixed answers: some do, some don't.

3.  I am in no way consistent in the blogging world. I'm sure you've noticed that already, though.

4.  Rules:  be nice, play well with others, and give credit where credit is due. Other than that, I value any input you have to my various topics. I'd love to hear your ideas if I have a dilemma. Not that I've had a problem with this, ever! But I figured I'd just put it out there.

5.  I may not follow you back if you follow me. Please don't take it personally. Mostly it's because I just forget to hit follow when I go check out your blog. Sorry...

So there you have it. Not really sure why I felt the need to post this. But I just wanted everyone to be aware of what you're getting yourself into!

Happy Saturday!

PS...I am so officially thrilled it is finally the weekend!!!

Nail Files

I didn't do my nails this week.

GASP!!!

Ok, actually I did...but I did the Julep Oxygen Nail Treatment polish. Which is a sheer pink, basically. So no pictures, of that anyway.

I did, however, make a discovery. The new Walmart in Elk Grove has some pretty spiffy nail art...stuff. Look what I got:

Kiss Nail Art in black, white, and silver glitter. And Fing'rs Edge Art box - containing a dotting tool (YEAH!), nail art brush, angled edge brush, and some stencils. (I'm most excited about the dotting tool).

Here's a better look at the stencils (some also came with the Kiss Nail Art) and brushes:

And, of course, I played with the art "paints" a bit. Just to get an idea of how well they went on and such.

Even though I didn't do my nails, I'm still linking up to show off my finds with the lovely ladies:  Tara and Vicki!



Next Friday, the 29th, will be a bit of a blur. I'm off for Good Friday. But it will also have been Chris's 33rd birthday (my brother in law who passed last summer). So the day will be a mega emotional whirlwind.

Followed by Mr S and I whisking away to Anaheim for Wonder-Con on Saturday and Sunday.

All that to say, I don't know that I'll get a post in on Friday. If I do, it'll be my nails from the beginning of the week. We'll see though. Maybe I'll do KC Chief's colors in honor of Chris.

Well, now that I've added a somber mood to the day...
Happy Friday, y'all!

Weekly Weigh In - a day late

So yesterday's weigh in was a little rough.

235.9

I gained almost a pound and a half! Not happy!

But, on the flip side, I was kind of expecting it. My work out plans didn't happen. And I had two days where I was just so hungry that I really didn't care about points...I just ate. Even on those days, as I was eating, I could hear this voice in my head trying to warn me. I just refused to listen. So I paid the consequences with gaining a pound.

Even writing this I'm annoyed with myself. I've come a long way. 15 pounds may not seem like much to some of you. But for me, it's quite a bit. The most I've EVER lost was 20 and that was about 6 years ago. And last time I did weight watchers, I hoverd at the 10 pound mark before gaining back 5 and hovering again before stopping and gaining it back, plus some more. So 15 pounds is a big deal for me!

This week I'm out of town. Thankfully my hotel has a mini-fridge and a microwave. I can buy fruit and yogurt for snacks and some WW brand microwave meals for lunches. That way dinner can be my bigger meal, if needed. There is also a fitness center: Treadmill, eliptical, stationary bike, and bench for sit ups. It's not much, but it's more than some places have. I actually made use of it last night for about 20 minutes. It was actually kind of nice. Now if I can just carry that feeling with me when I head back home and use the center at the apartment complex!

So my goals for this week are the usual:
1.  Healthy choices for food while I'm out of town
2.  Activity points

Since I'm not at home on my computer, I have no nifty little encouragement picture for you. However, last night was the season finale of The Biggest Loser. While I'm not an avid watcher of the show, one contenstant caught my eye and I was cheering her on for the times I did watch: Danni Allen. Size wise, I kind of feel like I could relate to her. She went in weighing a little more than I did when I started this journey. And she reminds me a bit of me in build and coloring. Well, I'm happy to say, for those who don't watch or don't know, Danni won last night!!

*I am not endorsing the methods or views of the show. I realize that this an EXTREME case of weight loss because they are around doctors, nutritionists, and trainers the whole time they are at the ranch. This is not a realistic setting for everyone/anyone looking to lose weight.

* I am not looking to lose as much weight as she did either.

Proud of her!! And pround of the rest of the contestants who worked their butts off (literally) for the show!

And I'm pround of the rest of us who fight this fight on a daily basis with no trainer screaming in our ear. We can do this!!

Hugs...

Nail Files - lots to do in Naillandia

Naillandia...Like that? Thanks! I came up with it on my own! Don't ask...I think there may have been lack of caffeine flowing through my system combined with not much sleep.

Okay. On to more "serious" stuff. I titled it the way I did because of three reasons:
1.  I forgot to tell you about my Cupid's Mystery Box from Julep in February
2.  I organized my polishes (BIG WOOHOO!!)
3.  And, of course, this week's nails.

First things first, a look back to February. I didn't do my normal Maven box at the end last month (for March) because I ordered the Cupid Mystery box. Here's what I got:

Rose is a duplicate for me, but it's okay cause I like the shade. Lynn is a peachy shimmer. Niecy is a vibrant pink. And I haven't tried Molly yet, so I got nothin! Camellia, however, is horrendous!! It's actually a lip gloss, but it is so pale a pink on me it looks horrible! Other than that, I like what I got. And, because I didn't do this last month, I had to search other blogs to figure out if these were actually the colors I got (with the exception of Lynn and Niecy and Camellia). Doing my "research" showed me that some ladies got quite a bit in their mystery boxes and others got the same as me. One blog I found ordered two mystery boxes. She got what I got in her second box. In her first she got about four polishes and five or six other products from the past (SPF lotion, grapefruit body stuff, etc). It was a pretty cool read. Good to know that there truly are different boxes going to each of us (I always wonder about these things).

Second...I FINALLY organized my polishes. I was cruising pinterest the other day and found a pin about how various items from the dollar store can be used to organize your whole house. One of the links led me to this site. So I thought I'd give it a try. The only problem I ran into is the Dollar Tree, where I went, didn't have one of the jewelry organizers. However, I did find one at TJ Maxx for $10.

Testing the idea out

Organized by color (front). The first two pockets up top are various bottom and top coats.

Organized by color - back. The first two rows are actually organized. The rest are all my glitter polishes that need another color under them. 

It's not a clear picture of all my colors, but just know there are over 125 polishes.

My biggest concern with this is that all these polishes are very heavy on the single hanger holding this up. Thankfully the hanger inside is a wooden one, so it's a little more sturdy than normal. But I need to find a way to reinforce it. I may have to rip the seams at the top and insert another one and pin it back (like the blogger from whom I borrowed this idea did). I'll give it a day or two before I do that and see how it holds up. But that is all my polishes (except for the top and bottom coat I keep in my travel bag).

Unfortunately there are many more colors I would like to posses. This gives me a better idea of what I have, though. I'm considering keeping the pictures on my phone (or taking better ones) for when I'm eying a polish. That way I'll have a reference to see if I already have something similar...because I already have about three or four duplicate colors going on. They may be a shade or two off, but they're duplicates, for the most part.

And on to the real reason you're here today:


Here is this weeks' manicure:

Ulta Howl At The Moon and Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Wedding Glitters on the accent nail. *please excuse the chips...taken a day post polish application with no top coat*

Aside from white and coral colors, I've been trying to find a good color to go with this lovely shade of navy blue from Ulta. I think I have my winner! I really like the formula. This is one coat with no other color beneath it, which is exactly what I was looking for!! And I really like the brushes with this line of Sally Hansen. Don't know what it is about them, but they seem to be perfect for my nails.

Now it's your turn. Come show off your nails to the rest of the world.

Happy Friday!

Jury Duty Is Supposed To Be Business Casual

I've been on stand by all week for Jury Duty. For those who live in Riverside County, California, you know how this works. You get your summons a month out. Then the week of, beginning Sunday night, you either call in or log onto the website to see if your Juror Badge Number has been pulled for the next day. To those who live in other counties in California, or other states besides Florida and California (cause those are the only two I have lived in when at the age to be summoned), you'll have to tell me how things are done where you are.

To be honest, this method is major annoying! In Escambia County, Florida, if you were summoned (and didn't get excused) you reported to the parking lot on Monday and rode the trolley to either the County Court House or the State Court House (Pensacola was the location for the Northern District of Florida). And then you waited. You waited in a room with about 150-200 others until your name was called. If your name was never called, you got to go home and you were done (I think...this didn't happen to me). If your name was called, like mine was, you were then pulled into a court room with about 50 others and would go through the selection process. Question after question about if you know the lawyers, the accused, the judge, the sheriff officers in the room that would be assigned to the case, or the other potential jurors. You were asked questions about you or anyone in your family going through an experience similar to what was going to be on trial - murder, rape, DUI, etc. At the end of it all, fourteen people are chosen - twelve jurors and two alternates (but you don't know who the alternates are until the end of the trial). The rest are dismissed (that also didn't happen to me).

The one, and only, time I was summoned for jury duty in Pensacola, I was chosen as a jury member for a murder trial. The selection process was on Monday and the trial started on Tuesday. Thankfully it was fairly quick and we finished Tuesday night with a verdict. But it made for two very long days.

I have lived in Riverside County for just over four years. And I have received summons twice already. I lived in Florida the majority of my life. I turned 18 as an Florida resident, moved to Alabama for two years, and then was back in Florida until I moved to California. Age 21-39 I lived in Escambia County, Florida, and I only received Jury Summons one time! I really don't know how to interpret that!

Last night I logged into the courts website and was told to report this morning. Attire was to be Business Casual. I've worked in a college/university environment for the past 10 years, with retail and office experience prior to that. To me, this is Business Casual:

*for me personally, less skirts, more dress pants*

But apparently not everyone's mommas/bosses/HR Departments taught them the way mine did. There were a lot of people in jeans (which, had I known, I would have been too as they would have been MUCH more comfortable). There were a couple guys in baggy jeans and oversized hoodies. And, my personal favorite, the girl who looked like she rolled out of bed, realized she didn't check her status the night before so she checked it at 7:30 this morning only to realize she had to report at 8 and threw this ensemble on:

Flip flops for shoes and her hair looking like this (the give away that she didn't have time to devote to getting ready):

Now, I have no problem with the messy bun look or the hoodie (except that it's not Business Casual, as was expected for today). In fact, most of the time my hair is in a messy bun. And when it's cold out, you'll find me mostly in hoodies. However, I despise jeans that are this holey that are worn in public as fashion. You look like you don't care about yourself. Why anyone would pay money for jeans that look like they won't last one wash is beyond me. You can achieve the same look by falling on your face on the concrete with a razor blade.

Aside from the fact that the Jury Summons said business casual, as did the online information when you were told you had to report for jury duty, you are going to a court house! That, more than anything else, should be cause for respect.

And while I'm on the topic of business casual, do the kids that roam the malls in jeans and tanks/t-shirts snagging applications actually get hired by these stores? I'm just curious. Cause my momma ALWAYS made me dress nice (read as business casual) when I went job hunting....even if was just K-Mart.

Hugs...

So What Wednesday

This week I'm joining in again:


So what if:

* I have about 20 books laying around that I've recently purchased (some resale price, a few regular price) and still haven't read them. Instead, I went to the library and got four more books to read on a deadline.

* I'm trying to figure out the financial logistics of going back to school. I really want to, but I'm kind of academic probation. That translates to not so much discount as full price for tuition (I work for the school I'd be educating myself through). It's the main reason I haven't already started back.

* My goal is to pay off one of the credit cards before I start paying tuition. Then I might actually feel like I've made progress on the debt? Not really, but maybe if I keep telling myself that it will sink in.

* I went through a crochet like a maniac phase last week. I only got one project finished and another started before I kind of fizzled out. Now I have all this yarn and half a scarf.

* When we buy a house next year, I want a room designed specifically for all my unfinished crafts...that I will finish...someday!

* I'm trying not to go all domestic decorating diva on our apartment. The plan is a house next year. More stuff here equals more stuff to move later.

* I painted my nails yesterday but they're not Spring enough for me and I'm considering redoing them today. Good think I don't really have the time for it, or I would.

* I'm a little bummed I've not been called for jury duty yet this week. (In my county in CA you have to check in the night before for a whole week.) But, I'm also happy I don't have to sit though the process as it is a little boring.

What are you saying "So what" to this week? Come join up and vent with the rest of us!

Two more days till the weekend!!

Weekly Weigh In - Week 10

I passed another milestone this week: 15 pounds lost!

234.5 was the weigh in this morning.

To reach my March goal (20 pounds lost), I have three weeks to knock off the final 5 pounds. I can totally do this!

What I really need to do is step up the exercise, though. And that, for me, is the hardest part. I hate working out alone. And I get super bored on the treadmill, eliptical, and stationary bike. I've even taken my iPad and watched TV while using those to work out. Still nothing but boredom.

It may be time to break out the Jillian Michaels 30-day Shred again. That woman is a beast and the work out KILLS. But it's an amazing work out. And I NEED to do something besides just watching what I eat.

I do, however, feel like the weight is coming off, finally. My dress pants aren't as tight when they're first out of the dryer. Same with my jeans. Which is so nice! I'm not going to buy any new clothes until I have to, though. Money isn't really there, for starters, and if I'm going to keep losing there is no point in buying every time something gets loose. Besides, I actually have 3 pairs of pants in the closet, along with about 8 work shirts (thanks to a double order by mistake...theirs, not mine) that I can't wear right now but should be able to when I reach that 20 pound mark. So I'm really okay on the clothes front until I get more along the 40-50 pounds lost (which is my ultimate goal).

For those who don't know my full details, I'll fill you in. I'm 5'8" and started this journey weighing almost 250 pounds. That is 95 pounds more than when I graduated high school in 1997. The funny thing is I thought I was fat then, too! I really wasn't, though. I was the average weight for my height and bone structure. I just wasn't fit. When I started to work out in Junior College, I never lost weight, but I toned my muscle and looked more healthy than flabby. I loved it!! But somewhere over the years of living on my own and not really caring, I gained 95 pounds. Admittedly, I gained the last 25 in the last two years.

My goal is not to be the 155 pound girl from High School again. I don't think that would be a healthy look for me anymore. My ultimate goal is 175, which is 75 pounds less from when I started this journey. But I have little "big" goals along the way. The first is 20 pounds. And I'm so close I can feel my motivation kicking back in. Next will be the "I weigh 200 pounds" mark. After all, that's what my driver's license says! That would be the weight I was when I moved and when I met my husband. From there my final goal will be that last 25 pounds. I honestly believe I can do that before the end of the year.

So my goals for this week are:
1.  Activity!! I believe I'm at the point where just eating my daily points isn't going to really help anymore. I need to get active. Either in the work out room here at the complex, or by using a video/game in the apartment. But I need to focus on getting about 30 minutes of work out in 3 or more times this week.
2.  Develop a plan for next week. I'm on the road again next week. This time, though, I'll be way out of town...Sacramento area. So I need to figure out where I can and can't eat. And make sure my hotel has a fridge so I can shop for food to eat at the hotel!

Thanks for hanging in there with me. I know it's not the most exciting of topics, but putting this out there is more for me than you. Sorry, but you had to know that. This is my way of keeping track of what I'm doing. And if it helps someone else out there along the way, well, that's pretty fantastic too!

Happy Monday, y'all!

The Nail Files

So....I added two more polishes to my collection yesterday. Seriously, I have no more room for polishes. I need to do something, and soon!!

Anyway, I got these two lovelies yesterday on my lunch:

Sinful Colors: Frenzy & Cream Pink (which really looks more purple in the bottle than this picture show...but it is a shimmer darker pink on my nail).

I did the Cream Pink on all nails and accented my ring finger with a coat of Frenzy

Just trying to bring spring to the rainy day.

Come join up and share your mainure for the weekend with the rest of us!



Happy Friday!!

Weekly Weigh In - Week 9

It was bound to happen. Thankfully there wasn't much.

236.1

Yeah...I'm talking about that 0.1. I know, it's only an ounce. And I know what I ate last week (especially yesterday's Banana Split). But I also know how much walking I got in yesterday, Friday, Thursday. I guess it just wasn't quite enough.

On the flip side - it was enough to keep me from gaining more than an ounce. So something went right somewhere!

I'm out and about this week. Thankfully I'm home every night, so no eating out for every meal. I just need to figure out what the week is going to hold for regular meals. I didn't do a very good job meal planning for this week.

My goal for March is to knock off those six pounds. I'd really like to make it a 7 pound drop. That would put me at 20 pounds lost.

I got three pairs of capri pants today for cheap from an exchange I'm a part of in my town. They're a size 16. A little snug in the middle, which is my widest section, apart from my boobs. But they are my goal for March as well. I have an ab work out I'm going to get back to doing and work on getting a flat tummy again. I had one...a long time ago...in a world far away (cue Star Wars intro). No, really, it was a world far away - when I lived in Alabama...which is a world far away from Sunny SoCal!

So my goals are:
1. Keep my dinners as close to points friendly as possible
2. Keep up the Activity Points
3. Drink more water!

Happy Monday!

The Nail Files

I went into the week with lovely nails with a pink and gold/rose glitter I didn't think I would like...but loved once I put it on (the picture doesn't do it justice - note to self:  work on nail files picture quality).

* I had not cleaned my edges, so forgive the roughness here *

Spoiled: My Silicon Popped; Nicole by OPI:  A Gold Winter's Night (long gold & teal flecks and small rose colored flecks)

But they didn't stay that way. I had to clean the slate on Tuesday. And, since I was in work mode, they stayed clear despite my desire to change that.

So until next week, darlings....

Oh, and as always, I'm joining with the lovely Tara and Vicki for this week's:



Have a fabulous weekend, y'all!