Rants. Raves, & UV Damage to Eyes

Hey you! How was your weekend? Mine was short and busy. I want a redo! 
I haven't given a life update in a few weeks, so I knew it was time for one. The theme this week is "accomplishment" as I've been tackling my To-Do list! See what else has been going on:

Rants:

• The past couple of weeks haven't been great, but I know I'm so lucky compared to others, so I feel silly mentioning the bad. Stomach ulcers--no fun, but I'm finally better.
• Lots of money has been spent last/this month, thanks to doctor bills, car stuff, and other unexpected expenses. This month is my big beach trip, so I was hoping to spend my daved money on that, but no. Isn't life a funny thing?

Raves:

• I finally saw Frozen! I've been knocking out movies in my Netflix queue over the past month, like Wolf of Wall Street (way too long), Philomena, Celeste & Jesse Forever, Don Jon, The Punk Singer, and more that I can't remember. I kinda feel a sense of accomplishment!
• I am great at doing laundry, but awful at putting away my clothes in the closet. It takes a day or two, but I made myself do it right then. Hopefully this habit will stick.
• Lots of shopping for clothes for the beach (and taking stuff back). You gotta look cute at night when you go out or are out for dinner, right?
• Turning down sponsored posts--this kinda hurts since I could use the extra money, but I don't want to post about random things on here that don't fit, just to make money. I made the mistake of adding it all up if I had chosen those campaigns, but I just don't feel comfortable sharing a new ceiling fan and asking you to click links on it, just to make a buck.
• Getting off of work early last week--I love my job, but yay for getting home earlier.
• Surprise mug in the mail from sweet LaNae--thank you!! It made me so happy.

Randoms:

• My car hit 100,000 miles and then the air went out, but it's all good now!
• I went on a deleting spree--only deleting those on social media that had unfollowed me. My feed is less cluttered now, yay! And if I accidentally deleted you, please let me know.
• The purging continued, with me getting rid of tons of magazines, and my monthly makeup shakeup.
• Mentions on Twitter from Mally Cosmetics and Covergirl made a bad week better! Also, thanks to MollieMakes for the shoutout!

Since most of you skip to the end, I wanted to put this here so everyone would notice it. Last week I was diagnosed with several eye problems, but the one I want to mention here is UV Damage. I have UV damage to my eyes, and I want to save you from getting it. I don't fit the criteria, since I always wear sunglasses, I'm not a skier/snowboarder or welder. I don't get into tanning beds. I apply sunscreen (or it's in my makeup products) and wear sunglasses and thought I was covered. But I wasn't. I don't own any fancy pairs of sunnies. They're all cheap ones since I am prone to losing them or damaging them. I ended up damaging my eyes instead.  Now, I'm not saying all cheap sunglasses are bad. I urge you to check your sunglasses before buying a new pair to make sure they are labeled for UV protection, regardless of what price point/design you choose. I hope this saves more eyes!

GIVEAWAYS:

• $75 Sephora Gift Card + 2 more prizes--ends WEDNESDAY, May 14
• Win a pair of Reebok Skyscape shoes--pick the color!--ends SUNDAY, May 18
• All-Day Beauty Tools from NEUTROGENA--ends SUNDAY, May 18
• $100 Target Giftcard from Sonia Kashuk for Target--ends 6-30

joining the Monday Morning Gossip linkup!

Rants, Raves, & Randoms

Taking a sick day, so this post will be short & sweet!

Rants

• This never-ending sinus infection thingy. I pushed myself a little too much and am feeling it today. Wish I had the day off.

Raves

• I'm filming my monthly Chit Chat video, and I'm including my annual Q&A. If there's something you'd love to know about me, please leave it in the comments below.
• Last minute trip to Charleston! I'm sick, and wasn't planning on going, but decided to go anyway and I'm so glad I did! A good dose of seeing old friends, some awesome live music, and a quick stop at the beach certainly was worth it. Congrats to Courtney and Chris. For pictures, please check out my Instagram.
• Today is my youngest sister's 19th birthday! Tears, sniff, sniff. 

Randoms

• I have 4 amazing giveaways going on right now. I do these as a way to say thank you for reading, so please consider entering them. Thanks!
• $500 C. Wonder--ends May 9
• Win a pair of Reebok Skyscape shoes--pick the color!--ends May 18
• $75 Sephora Gift Card + 2 more prizes--ends May 14
• All-Day Beauty Tools from NEUTROGENA--ends May 18

Rants, Raves, & 90 Facts About Me!

Happy Easter! To celebrate the end of my Blogiversary Week (hey, I'm dragging this sucker out as long as possible) I'm sharing a video giving you 90 FACTS ABOUT ME! You want a personal post about me? Here ya go! But first, a quick recap of life lately:

Rants

• My neighbors have a domestic disturbance that started about 2:30 this morning and then proceeded to go on and off for 8 hours. I called and reported it, but nothing happened. They finally settled down.
• Having a sinus infection and not being able to visit blogs--my apologies for not coming by. I'm working on that. 

Raves

• My blog is 4, Charlie is 4, and my Youtube channel turns 1! Things just keep getting better with age around here. I've got an awesome giveaway you'll want to check out. See at the end. Thank you for supporting ElleSees.
• I spent way too much at Target--doesn't this happen to everyone? One of my best purchases would be Bubble Blaster--totally a kid at heart.
• I bought an at-home laser hair removal system. I'll be sharing updates, if there are any!
• I celebrated Rex Manning Day--tell me you love Empire Records as much as I do!

• In honor of my 4th Blogiversary, I did a video of 90 Facts--I thought I had 50 until I counted!! I hope you watch and learn a bit more about me. Enjoy.

Can't see the video? Click here.

THREE GIVEAWAYS!
$75 Sephora Gift Card + 2 more prizes

• Gift basket full of RIMMEL makeup!
• All-Day Beauty Tools from NEUTROGENA
• And another giveaway Monday at 9am!

PS: For this month's Chit Chat video, I'm doing a Q&A. I only do these annually, so if there's a question you have about me, ask away. And you'll get a shout out in the video!!

Chai & Chit Chat Vlog Plus Rants and Raves (Video)

Raves:
Hey you! I'm doing things a bit differently today, and sharing my weekly plus monthly updates together! I'm pretty delirious as I type this. First, I finally got my taxes done! It takes twice as long since I have all the blog paperwork. Taxes should be a "rant" but since they're done, I'm adding them to the "rave" pile!

One of my dear friends flew in for the weekend to celebrate her birthday, so we were all out pretty late, and then I got up early and drove 5 hours to my hometown to celebrate my Grandmother's 75th birthday (click to see my Instagram). I got to see my adorable niece and one of my handsome nephews. And then I drove right back the next day. So a whirlwind weekend for me! I'm exhausted.

Rants:
Google+! I've been driving myself crazy for a couple of months wondering why certain pictures of mine would come out really dark once I uploaded them. I tried everything. I finally figured out it was Google+. Apparently Google+ automatically "fixes" your photos and this was turning them dark. Boo. But at least now all is well. :)

Chai & Chit Chat:
I cannot believe March is ovah! Every month I make a video just for YOU sharing the highs and lows of the month. Yes! I have a Youtube channel (subscribe if you'd like) It gives you a chance to get to know me better, see my personality in action, hear my Southern accent (okay, not a highlight but still!), and most importantly, to see the World's Cutest Dog:

I mean, would you look at that cutie?? Find out what happened in March, my Drink of the Month, Blog News, Post of the Month, my favorite and not-so-favorite beauty products, and more--in fewer than 5 minutes. So without further ado, here's March in review (rhyme!):

Can't see the video? Click here.

PS: Got wrinkles? Got stretch marks? Wanna see 'em disappear? Enter to win a tube of Strivectin SD Advanced.

Rants, Raves, and Randoms

Hey you! Happy St. Pats!! Are you wearing green? Today I'm sharing my Rants, Raves, and Randoms, instead of its normal Sunday night posting. It gives you a peek into my week. Enjoy.

Rants--
The weekend wasn't long enough! ;)

Raves--

• Look who followed me on Instagram! What!

• I received a free month of Movie Pass and have been loving it! Final review coming soon. :)
• I spent the weekend in the mountains. It was such a nice break from everything, including technology, since I was in the middle of nowhere, hehe. Charlie had a blast too.
• I finally got a Facebook fanpage for the blog. Click here to "like" and thank you!
• I'm a blog ambassador for Neutrogena! I'm so excited about the fun things I get to share with you!

• My NEW BLOG DESIGN!! What do you think? I'm in LOVE with it. It's in honor of my upcoming blogiversary (next month). I've been wanting a change for so long, but never found the right designer. I spotted Melissa Rose Design on Instagram, and just knew it was right. She is awesome, crazy talented, and was so fun to work with! Some fun features:
• I have the most popular/fave blog topics at the top
• I FINALLY have all of my social media linked. For example, I've had a YouTube account for almost a year but never had it linked. I've also added a Facebook page, too.

Randoms--

• There has been an unexpected event at work, so my original plans for this week have changed. I'm hoping to post tomorrow, but if not, there are so many posts you might have missed, such as:
• Loving Lately: (Almost Spring Faves)
• StyleSpotter--an awesome app for shopping! Go look!
• New Dolce&Gabbana Spring Makeup
• Charleston Fashion Week is THIS WEEK!
• ULTA's 21 Days of Beauty is HERE!
• Beauty DIY: Shamrock Shake Facial Masque

• Enter to win Strivectin SD Advanced--see my before/after if you need more convincing!

Rants, Raves, and Randoms

Hey you! How was your week? I'm sharing mine below in my Rants, Raves, and Randoms. Enjoy.

Rants

• None :)

Raves & Randoms

• I had two good friends come up for my friend's birthday and we had such an awesome time.
• Did you catch the Oscars? I'm not just a movie fanatic, I love seeing the red carpet, too.
• We've had some amazing days here and there of spring-like temps and Charlie and I have enjoyed them thoroughly.
• New sheets! It's the little things. :)
• I got a Keurig! I've been a devoted French press user for years, but man do I love the convenience. And all of the choices of K-Cups! 
• Today is my Mama's birthday!

Share with me your week!

Rants, Raves, & Randoms

I'm back! It's been a wild ride these past two weeks, so let's get into it:

Rants

• Having a Blogger Breakdown--I've been super stressed, and had to accomplish double the work in half the time. I kinda had a meltdown and cried on my vacation. I've thought about maybe writing more about it, but don't want to sound like I'm complaining. I'm still two days and hundreds of emails behind, but I'm getting there. edit: post on this at 8am
• I had a bad cold during my Disney World trip. I had visions of lying on the ground and sleeping as kids walked over me, their Churro dust raining on me. I'm sure being sick added to the Blogger Breakdown, hehe.

Raves

• Unless you missed the 249053 pics on my Instagram, I went to Walt Disney World in Florida for a few days! It was rainy and cold, which was fine with me because there were fewer people at the park. I'm truly a kid at heart, and could spend hours talking to you about all of the secrets of the parks. A highlight of the year!
• I came home to an ice storm, so I had a couple of days off from work, giving me time to attempt getting caught up on blog stuff. I know it looks like my posts take 5 minutes to do, but everything takes hours!
• Pink glittery nails--I've been rocking the dark nails for winter, but now the lighter colors are coming! That coupled with the warm weather towards the end of my Orlando vacation had me craving summer. Bring on the beach!

Randoms

• I had a great Valentine's Day! I got my hair done, which is one of my most favorite things ever, poured some cranberry juice in a martini glass (had cluster headaches that day so no bubbly for me), had a little chocolate, and watched House of Cards. Are you into that show?
• I do these weekly roundups, but have started doing monthly personal posts and monthly vlogs, so for those of you into that.
• I'm going to turn this into a Link Up, since so many of you do this on your own blogs, very soon!
• I'm also debating doing Blog of the Week (1) or Blogs of the Month (4). Thoughts?

Posts You Missed:

• Easy Valentine's Day Hair, Makeup, Nails (looks great any time of year)
• DIY Beauty with Roses
• DIY Recipes with Vaseline

GIVEAWAY TIME!

• $1000 giftcard giveaway from Suave (ends 2-28)
• $1000 Target giftcard giveaway (ends 2-28)
• ONE FREE YEAR to MoviePass (ENDS 2-27)

*I'm featured on PopSugar for a Valentine's Day look ft. the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette. Stop by.

*One of you lovely people nominated my post on My Everyday Makeup Routine for Best Blogging Tip. I'd be tickled if you voted for it here.

Rants, Raves, and Randoms

Every week I share the highs and lows of the week. Enjoy.

Rants:

• I love the snow. And that's because I don't get to see it too often in Atlanta. But I'm sure you heard the cluster of what happened here. I was only stuck in traffic for 3 hours, which is pretty lucky compared to many. It was not fun!

Raves:

• The snow! Charlie wasn't a big fan (he was scared of snowmen) but I loved played in it, plus I had a couple days off from work.
• I was lucky to attend the grand opening of the Dermalogica store in Atlanta. Afterwards, a few of us had dinner with the owner and creator of Dermalogica, Jane Wurwund. She was amazing, full of knowledge, and not in the slightest bit intimidating. She was so down to earth. I kept pinching myself because she was seated next to me! One of the highlights of my blogging career.

Random:

• I forgot to mention this week, but I came home to find a movie being filmed behind my house! It'ss a Stephen King movie with Samuel L. Jackson and John Cusack. No celeb spotting, but I still thought it was kinda neat.
• I'm headed to Disney this week and next, so I will still be posting, but won't have a R,R, and R post next week. I hope you continue to stop by! Keep up with me on Instagram.

Blog of the Week:

• Scarberian Fashion Lover--she's awesome because she always has the most positive things to say and comments on all of my posts. She's always the first to stop by and is one of my biggest supporters. Just adore her and her style. Now go follow her blog :)

Programming Notes:

• This week I will have two sponsored posts. The same goes for next week. I am very blessed to have those opportunities. The posts will occur on two consecutive days each week. I do not have control over the days when these post, as the publishing companies and brands assign those. The dates often change, and in this case, they are now going to be posted back-to-back. In a perfect world, they would be spread out a bit more, but I don't get to decide that. But what I can offer are products I love and think you will too as well as some awesome giveaway prizes. I love your support of this blog and thank you for supporting those posts. You're amazing!

What were your Rants, Raves, and Randoms of the week?

Share below or on your blog (just let me know so I can stop by!)

Rants, Raves, & Randoms

Weekly I share the highs and lows of my week. Enjoy.

Rants:

• My external drive officially couldn't be salvaged. All of my pictures and videos for the blog (past, present, future) and gone. It was not fun figuring out what I was going to take pics of again and what videos I was going to refilm. Some products I had already used up and discarded. Grr. Pour one out for my homey. ;)

Raves:

• I had an 8 year old ask me if I was from England because of my AMAZING English accent. I have this habit of randomly busting out into it. I mean if it fooled an 8 year old...Hollywood, here I come.
• I went to Atlantic Station and got to play around with the Road to Sochi events, including meeting gold medalist Sarah Hughes. So fun and a nice break from all the stress lately.

Randoms:

• I have this rule that I can't get a new candle unless 3 have been burned up, so my apartment has been smelling amazing, plus I have some yellow tulips to brighten things up.
• I watched the Shaun White feature, The Road to Russia (something like that), and really liked it. I don't really follow sports and only know of him through pop culture, but was in awe of the dedication and struggle.
• I've got some awesome opportunities coming up, and I just wanted to thank you for your continued support.

BLOG OF THE WEEK:
NYC Talon--Check out her awesome beauty blog! She's just as great as her blog is.

Share your rants, raves, and randoms below or on your blog (let me know so I can visit!)

PS: $75 Victoria's Secret giveaway!

Rants + Raves

This wasn't my best week, so allow me to vent a little below.

Next week will be better, so feel free to scroll down for better posts.

This Week I...

• finally took down my Christmas decorations
• found out I had comments I had no idea existed, and most were a couple of months old. Thanks for nothing, Google+!
• got a blog shout out  from Put On Your Big Girl Lipstick and it made me happy
• got hit in the eye with a branch despite wearing glasses. Only me. ;)
• had mean comments but fought back
• learned my external drive was fried. All of my blog pictures and videos, especially those for upcoming Jan-March posts are in it. I'm headed to Best Buy to see if they can recover anything.
• cried and threw my remote over said external drive. I needed a moment, k?
• got to work 30 minutes late because I had my start time messed up
• painted my nails twice, no, three times.
• bought some beauty things to cheer me up. They did.
• had the cutest pup tap me on the face three times to wake me up. Instant smiles.
• didn't wash my hair for 9 days. I was working that blow out until the end.
• experienced some really cold weather--I'm talking -15 wind chill, followed by a week of rain, sleet, flooding, tornado watches, and ending with 60 degrees on Sunday.
• learned not to talk about how cold it is because everyone feels the need to point out that 2 degrees and -15 windchill is not cold. It's usually 50 here in the winter, so yes, that is cold for me.
• was thankful for my parents buying me a new tire!
• had more crappy things happen, but feel I've shared enough!
• burned through a couple of candles because I can't buy more of them unless I've burned through several. I'm trying to convince myself that this is saving me money somehow. ;)
• am positive this week will be better! And the fact you stopped by today made it better already.

Share your Rants+Raves below!

Rants + Raves

Weekly I share a recap of the week. This time I'm sharing the past 2 weeks! Enjoy.

Rants:

Personal Blogs--I believe that my blog caters to more than the beauty-obsessed, and I've worked actively on growing my readership. I've tried to sincerely befriend a number of personal blogs, but it's like pulling teeth to get them to stop by. I usually just get an email response to my visits. While appreciated, I'd love for them to stop by too. What's the secret, bloggers?

Technical Difficulties--I stayed up til midnight editing my Happy Holidays tag. It was at 99% and then crashed! It took three times! Luckily, Santa brought me an external hard drive and that has helped some.

Christmas Story-- This is my favorite Christmas movie and I was overruled this year as Elf won out to be the movie of the day. It was my first Christmas in forever that I didn't get to watch it!

Argh--Disclaimer: This was totally written with PMS-attitude last week, but in an effort to be real, I'm keeping it in. I can't stand when people can't figure things out for themselves--I'm talking problems that are easy. Take a second to think about how to solve the problem yourself. Google is an amazing thing. Your brain is too. (Ooh, I was cranky last week! Onto the Raves!)

Raves:

Where'd You Go, Bernadette? Read this book in a few hours and loved it. I'm looking for new books!

Movie fests: The Great Gatsby (liked it, but it was ok), Meet The Millers (or whatever it's called...meh), Now You See Me (it was ok), and Dallas Buyer's Club (really good)

Christmas around the world, on Instagram--I absolutely LOVED Christmas Around the World projects as a kid. And as an adult, I get to see how you celebrate (or didn't) on Instagram. I loved it!

Blogging break--My original plan was to blog every day this month, but I made myself take a break, and you know what? It was fine. I still have thousands of ideas I wanna make/do/film/write, but they'll have to wait until next year. Is there something you'd like to see?

Naked 3 Palette--I got it, hooray!! I've been wearing it every day.

YOU for every time you read, comment, like, subscribe my blog and social media--Thank you!

Random: 
Christmas this year was different. It didn't feel the same. It was a great Christmas, just different. Christmas Eve it was myself and the parents--all the siblings were busy. Traditionally, we'd wake up and open gifts together. This year, it was done in shifts, as different family members came by at different times. I miss everyone opening gifts at once. How is it at your house?

GIVEAWAYS:

• NAKED 3 PALETTE
• Neutrogena in the New Year (3 prizes, 4 winners)

What are your Rants and Raves (or even Randoms) lately? Share below!

Rants + Raves

Hey you! I can't believe it's only 10 days until Christmas. The panic is starting to set in. Before I get back to wrapping presents, I thought I'd take a quick moment to share my weekly Rants + Raves.

Rants:

• Food poisoning--This happened Thursday night, and while it was a mild case, I'm still recovering. Ugh. The Christmas party at my apartment complex was catered by Moe's BBQ, and I'm certain that's what made me sick. Boo!
• Unfollowers & Never Followers--I know. Such a silly thing. It only upsets me when it's people I considered my blog/online friends. People move on. But I work so hard on this blog and everything behind the scenes (like social media), so it stings when they leave. Plus, there is an Atl blogger I see at events and we've made introductions. I follow her sites, leave comments, etc. She won't follow me back or anything. At a restaurant recently she was seated at the table next to me (I swear Atl can feel like such a small town sometimes). Despite eye contact, and comments to her dining companion about Atlanta bloggers (I'm trying to be vague here), she still ignored me. I happen to think I'm a catch--blog-wise, with all of the beauty knowledge I have. As you all kindly said: their loss!
• IG Hacker--Someone tried to hack into my Instagram. Argh!

Raves:

• American Hustle--I got to attend a private screening of this! It wasn't as great as I had built it up (a little long) but it's a solid 4 out of 5 stars. It was good and I'd recommend it. Great performances from everyone, and of course, Jennifer Lawrence is a standout. She was hilarious and reminded me a little of Jennifer Coolidge.
• Candles--I had to replenish my supply, and at $8 each, I couldn't help myself.
• Christmas Party--Every year my apt complex throws a Christmas party, complete with karaoke and prizes. I won $25 Target gift card for trivia and $50 off my rent for my rousing rendition of "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey. It didn't quite fit the demographic of the residents, but they obliged and got into it. The group that won had choreography. Seriously? I gotta step up my game! ;)
• If there's anything I've learned in blogging, it's that there's no magic formula for what will be a "hit" on the blog. Some posts I've worked days on aren't liked, and some posts I do in 30 minutes are huge. So I was surprised to see the support and notice on my post on getting older. I feel ageism in the blogging community, and while I've never denied my age, I never talk about it. I want to thank you for being so kind with your words. Ya made this old lady smile!
• YOU--I posted a pic on Instagram about the unfollower situation, and was surprised at the love I received with your sweet comments. I didn't mean to come across as not thankful for the readers I so have, not at all. That's why I do so many giveaways--to give back to YOU for taking the time out of your day to spend it here. Thank you so much.

Random:

• Finally getting back into making videos. Expect some very soon!
• Whew! I've been a posting machine--I've done lots of reviews for those of you that like those sorts of things. I encourage you to check them out. Just scroll down if you'd like.

What Rants + Raves did you have this week? Share on your blog or leave them below.

PS: Giveaways

• $50 Gift Card--ends 12-18!!
• Pulsaderm Cleaning Brush

Rants + Raves, The 52 Project: November

Hope you're ready for a big post! My posting schedule got out of whack last week, so I was unable to post this then. Enjoy.

Every week in 2013, I'm attempting a new resolution. I call it The 52 Project.

November's 52:

• no caffeine--I didn't drink any, but did have chocolate without thinking about it.
• saying NO--I have a hard time with this, as I such a people-pleaser. I managed to really do this--one of my big accomplishments this year.
• more confidence, less insecurity---I worked on this and felt I made some big strides.
• thankful--This was too easy, as I am a thankful person daily. I used to do the 30 Days of Thankful, but felt silly doing it since it's how I start my day.

This month's resolutions will be those that I failed to do during the year. I can't believe I'm almost done with this project!

Rants

• So I have recently lost 40 lbs, and only my mom noticed! Maybe everyone else noticed and chose not to say anything? We'll see at Christmas. Did you see my Slimfession about losing weight?
• Driving. I'm over it. Yes, it was so, so worth it, and I'd do it all over again, but I'm tired of the commute and gas money! I hope that doesn't come across as I'm a bad person.
• Drowning in email and my ever-growing list of things to do. I took my computer this weekend to get work done, but it just didn't happen. I was too busy holding a baby! :)

Raves

• Thanksgiving with family--always worth raving about!
• Thank YOU for reading and commenting!
• I got everything decorated for Christmas! I especially love my ornaments from my travels around the world. 
• I finally saw Catching Fire! Loved it.
• I got to meet my 15 month-old niece, Maddy! I don't get to see my other brother that often, so it was a treat. She was a cutie.
• My new baby niece Stella is here! Totally worth the 5 am, 5-hour drive to get all the kisses I wanted. Her middle name is after my beloved, late great-granny and she was born on the 6th, just like our Sugar. Stella has a temporary Angel's Kiss mark on her eyelid, which I'm convinced is a kiss from our granny. She was famous for leaving her lipstick on your face when she kissed you.

Random

• I got stuck in a Christmas parade route--this is the 2nd time this has happened in my life (the first being in Willacoochee, Georgia years ago)! I cranked up the Christmas tunes, threw pennies out the window since I didn't have candy, and I waved. I'm so weird.
• Since I spent most of my time at the hospital, I really got to see snippets of life. A talented baseball player leave before his child was born (I'm not sharing his name here). A young new mother leave to smoke just hours after having her baby and then leaving every 2 hours to continue her habit. It just made me even more thankful that my baby niece won't have to start off life with so many obstacles but yet feel hopeless that I can't help those others babies. Such is life.
• I think I may have lost my small-town country girl card. I had an awful time driving on wet dirt roads and in the dark. I guess that officially makes me a city girl?

Giveaways

• $50 Gift Card
• Pulsaderm Cleaning Brush

Rants + Raves

Hey you! How was your weekend? Mine was too fast, as always! Check out my week in review with my Rants + Raves:

Rants:

• Ok, these aren't really rants, just minor annoyances. My car's Check Engine (aka Start Panicking) light came on. Since I have a huge drive ahead of me, I need a working car. I couldn't find a place to change my oil or check my car that was open on a Sunday. I'll be heading there at 8am before work.
• Gas is so expensive that I couldn't justify driving back home for my nephew's bday and then coming back three days later for Thanksgiving. But I'll get to see him this week!
• So I made this huge list of everything to get done--there's a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff that goes into this blog. Lost said list. Grr!

Raves:

• I had Friday off! Still didn't complete everything on my list, but I made a huge dent.
• Getting my hair done is just about the best thing ever. I always feel brand new.
• I had some great events I attended this week, like the opening of the new Lacoste store in Atlanta, and a fashion event to raise thyroid awareness. I'll be recapping the Lacoste one soon, but both are on my Instagram. I got to meet more bloggers as well! Everyone is so much prettier in person.
• I was sent some of the most beautiful makeup from Dolce & Gabbana. That sounds like a silly thing to make me happy, but it does! I'll share it soon, too.
• While cleaning my makeup brushes, cleaning out makeup, etc, I watched Madonna's Truth or Dare documentary on Netflix. I'd never seen it! It was made in 1990, but has held up very well. Still provocative. 
• My little sis was named a Wendy's Ambassador! I'm so proud of her!
• This is random, but I feel like customer service lately is just awful. The employees sit around and talk to each other, and aren't doing their job, or helping the customer. The Target by my house is an example of that. I can't stand it. But I randomly went to one in Druid Hills, and everyone was so helpful and nice!

Share your Rants+Raves below!

PS: More links you might have missed:

--$100 Giftcard--ends 12-1

--$50 Giftcard--ends 12-18

--GE Reveal Lightbulbs Giveaway--ends 12-1

--I finally joined the rest of the world and started a Facebook for the blog. Add me if you like.

Rants + Raves (Plus GE Reveal Light Bulbs Giveaway)

Every Sunday I share the highs and lows of my week in a recap I call Rants + Raves. Enjoy.

Rants

• I'm not a sports fan at all, minus college football a few months out of the year. UGA is my team. GA lost. They came back in the 4th quarter, were ahead by 1, and then a lucky catch ended that.
• This maintenance man at my apartment in a jerk! The story is too long and boring to tell here, but he's just not nice. He hasn't bothered me and Charlie for months, as we've managed to avoid each other, but not lately. He gives me bad vibes and makes Charlie, who is such a sweetheart, bark like a maniac.
• Drowning in email...argh, I feel like I can never get ahead.
• A guy I had known since he was little passed away unexpectedly, and at a young age...It made me mad and sad. It makes me want to save everyone who's hurting, but I know I can't.

Raves

• I went to my first Blogger Meet up on Thursday. I've been to several events where bloggers were there, but not one specifically for bloggers. It was great to meet the faces behind the blogs. I often feel left out since most bloggers already know each other or are style bloggers and it's hard to get into that circle. I get a little bummed hearing them making plans and knowing I'm not invited. I've followed their blogs, their social media, and now I'm waiting, hoping they might find me interesting enough to do the same!
• Making plans for Thanksgiving--I haven't been home in months.
• I have a huge haul coming! Lots of new beauty products to play with!
• Fire, hot cocoa, and a snoring pup in my lap--perfect way to spend an evening

GE Reveal Giveaway:
Thinking about giving a room in your house a quick makeover? One easy way to do that is with light bulbs. It seriously makes such a HUGE difference. I'm serious! I can use my bathroom now to take blog pictures. And if the light bulbs aren't for you, consider entering for someone you love. An elderly relative would love these. GE Reveal is offering to give one lucky reader a package of light bulbs. I originally blogged about them here. I'm not getting paid to mention these--I'm just a huge fan and wanted to share the love!

Leave a comment below with a way to contact you. That's it. Giveaway ends 12-01-2013.

PS: 
$100 gift card giveaway ends TOMORROW!

New post from Revlon at noon on Monday!

Share your Rants + Raves below!

Rants + Raves

Hey you! How was your weekend? I finally have a second to sit down and write! Let's get into this week's Rants + Raves:

RANTS:

• I got a notice that I owed some additional taxes from 2009. I still don't see how this is possible, and totally started off the weekend in a crappy way.
• I had an awesome event that I was really late to, thanks to Atlanta traffic. It took me 45 minutes to get there and then 7 minutes to get home! No exaggeration. Yeah, I can't do anything about traffic, but this is a rant because I can't stand being late. Ever. Instead of first row, I got seventh, which is no big deal, but I was doing press (sharing that on Tuesday!) and wanted to do a good job for them.

RAVES:

• Getting there was a rant, but the event was great! I got to meet Clinton Kelly and see him in action. He gave great advice and was just as hilarious as I'd hoped. If you have no idea who he is, be sure to stop by the blog on Tuesday.
• So that was Friday, and Saturday I spent just doing mostly nothing. It was great. Sometimes you just need that, and after being so sick a few months ago, I've allowed myself to recognize when I need to slow down.
• Saturday night I couldn't sleep, probably from being a slacker all day, so I started cleaning the closet. I resumed Sunday and was really productive. I like ticking things off my list and that one had been there for a while.
• I love that autumn actually exists in Atlanta. I love the colors, the leaves falling, and the slight chill in the air. 
• I spent October on a shopping ban, and broke it Friday at Sephora. I got some goodies, including a LE Nars palette. Did you catch it on Instagram? I also purchased some much-needed jeans.

What were your Rants + Raves of the week?

PS: How would you like to win $200?

• Giveaway $100 gift card
• Another $100 gift card

The 52 Project: October AND Rants + Raves

Weekly, I attempt a resolution. I share it monthly here. 

I call it The 52 Project.

Last month was my BIRTHDAY MONTH, so I had high hopes for completing resolutions. Let's see how I did:

Week 1: No Beauty Buy October--Ok, this was more of a monthly resolution than a weekly one, but I DID IT!

Week 2: No TV--I didn't watch TV, but I did watch movies, tv shows via On Demand, and all of that was on my TV. Fail.

Week 3: 7 Acts of Kindness--This was around the time of my birthday and to celebrate, I planned on doing 7 RAKs. I made it to 4, and when my birthday came that Friday, days 5-7 went out the window. I want to do this again in December.

Week 4: Do Something Fun Every Day--I'll be elaborating more on this in an upcoming post with Folgers, but I did do something fun, no matter how silly, for an entire week. I've been trying to do it daily ever since.  

Every Sunday (or today in this case) I share my highs and lows of the week. 

Add yours below!

RANTS:

• Fulton County car tag phone system--ugh!! I cannot stand incompetent and rude people.
• The weather! It was in the 80s last week. Where was autumn? Nice and chilly today though :)
• I had a slew of unfollowers on Instagram. Too many Charlie pics? Nope. Never enough!
• Horrible PMS, which explains why the rants above bothered me more than usual. I'm pretty mellow most of the time.

RAVES:

• It was great hanging out with friends all weekend, but I still have that nagging Blogger's Guilt that I can't let go of (like returning emails, visiting blogs, editing pics, etc). I really worked on leaving the phone on the table and out of my hands.
• FINALLY finished a movie from Netflix that had been sitting there since August. Yup.
• FINALLY watched Portlandia. Sure, I'd seen some of the skits, but never watched any of the eps. Love the theme song by Washed Out (he's from GA!). Here I was thinking I was all cool a couple of years ago when I first heard W.O. I had no idea everyone else already knew this song, thanks to Portlandia. Anyway, funny show.
• A couple of docs I watched and liked: The Stories We Tell and Dreams of a Life.
• UGA beat FL! Barely, but we won! Did you catch my post on the party?
• I just wanted to thank YOU for being so supportive with my sponsored posts I've had lately. I do not decide when those get posted, so I apologize if it seems that all of my content lately seems sponsored. I am blessed to have these posts, as I've desired to have a successful blog that earns a little something to help with my beauty habit. ;) And when you comment on my posts, it helps me fulfill that dream. Again, thank you.

*Please come back at 5pm, as I have a video hair tutorial for you!!

This week's giveaways (please enter):

• $100 Giftcard via Almay
• Another $100 Giftcard from Almay ENDS 11-15
• Win the Ultimate Party with Tiziano! ENDS FRIDAY

Rants + Raves

This week, even the whole month has flown by! Here's a recap of the week:

Rants:

• No Halloween parties for me this year, as I had to work over the weekend, to make up for taking off early for my birthday.

Raves:

• I admit I try to avoid the black hole that is YouTube, but this time of year I love watching tutorials of gory or really just impressive Halloween makeup. I don't like being scared, I just love the artistry and creativity. Little known fact: My 8th grade boyfriend's little bro didn't like me at first. I won him over by showing him how to do fake bruises and scars!

• I was so productive this weekend and got a lot of the behind-the-scenes blog stuff done. I don't have everything on my to-do list crossed off, but I made a huge dent!

• The weather! It may have been too chilly for some around here, but I've been pleased as peaches. Is that even a saying? Yes, it is. Anyway, I've been wearing scarves and boots and couldn't be happier!

What are YOUR Rants + Raves of the week?

PS: This week's giveaways that I'd love for you to enter:

Monster headphones (these are REALLY good and are valued at $150. Ends Friday)

$100 Visa Giftcard from ALMAY(Christmas is only 8 weeks away, so this would help when purchasing gifts! Ends 11-15)

Rants+ Raves

Rants:

• I didn't pay my car tag on time. I thought I had the whole month, so late fees it is. Lesson permanently learned.
• I apparently had a virus on my blog for a few weeks. Thanks to everyone who emailed and contacted me to let me know! So frustrating, but completely remedied.

Raves:

• IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY FRIDAY!! Usually everyone forgets my birthday, but luckily I have Instagram to remind everyone! Haha. I am still feeling all the love from everyone. Thank you so much! You know how to make an old girl feel special.
• It was Charlie's 3rd anniversary of being rescued! I'll be sharing the full story later this week. Love that little guy.
• I have lived in Atlanta for a few years, but there are so many tourist places I've never visited. I decided I would do that for my birthday weekend. Did you see my Instagram pics of Atlanta?
• A few times a year, I have this blogging crisis, where I think everyone hates the blog and that I should just throw in the towel. Am I really helping anyone? How do I prove that I'm truly knowledgeable about all things beauty and that can help if just given the chance? But the next morning, I had random emails from strangers saying this or that post helped them and that my blog is helpful. It was serendipitous. And all the confirmation I needed.

How was your weekend?? 

Share you rants and raves in the comments, if you'd like!

PS: Two awesome giveaways I'm hosting:

• 16 gb Mini Tablet, from Citi Simplicty
• Monster headphones (valued $150)

Rants+ Raves

Hey you! How was your weekend? Mine was so busy--I'm exhausted typing this and it's only 7pm! I hope you enjoy this week's Rants + Raves:

RANTS:

• This week's Glee episode--for some reason, there was a narrator who announced everything that was happening, leaving me not being able to catch most of the dialogue. Belle said maybe it was for the vision impaired? It was so distracting. I just wanted to watch the ep and sob, and couldn't. This didn't seem to happen for anyone else. Oh, and the same channel is currently announcing NFL in Spanish. Hm.
• I had a lot of friends in town this weekend, and fell off the eating well and no Diet Coke wagon. You know how some people drink or smoke socially? Me, I'm a social DC drinker. I'll be back to eating right and drinking more water tomorrow.
• Being a slacker when it comes to blogging--this isn't like me at all!
• UGA lost. Here's to next week!
• It seems like all of my new followers lately on Instagram are selling wraps, skin stuff, shakeology, jewelry, their closet, whatever the latest "thing" is...I understand we're all trying to make money, but where are the real people? ;) 

RAVES:

• Seeing a bunch of friends I've not seen in ages for a pre-bday celebration--so much fun. I'm so tired! 
• Having a couple of unexpected days off--yay!
• Having an extremely clean house--it just feels better
• Getting my hair done--I swear that can make a bad day better.
• Feeling completely at peace with myself and the way I look...for one day. I get so dang self-conscious posting pictures of myself, especially on Instagram, but for that one day, I wasn't. It was great!

What are your Rants+Raves of the week?