by Joey | Jan 20, 2014 | Throwback
No?
Oh, well it’s my little secret then.
It’s not that I meant to keep it a secret. I really only
have to wear
eyeglasses while driving and watching TV. A lot of times that actually means that I’m squinting and giving myself a headache until the husband yells “well, where the heck are your glasses?” Oh. Those.
Can I admit something? I absolutely
hate shopping for glasses. I usually hurry through the process because 1) I’m usually alone and 2) I’m so embarrassed. The only real way to tell if a pair looks good on you is to well…
try them on. And so that means trying on some duds that might make you look a little silly out in public. And that’s just not my thing. But I’ve always been hesitant to shop for
eyeglasses online because well…
how do I know they’d look good on me?
Their website has a really cool virtual mirror that allows you to see how the glasses will actually look on your face! The coolest part is that there aren’t a whole lot of steps. You simply upload your picture and place the crosses over your eyes and then BOOM! You can browse every pair of glasses on the site on your face!
I had so much fun browsing the site and picking out new frames!
And I know the hubs will be happy because their prices are so stinkin’ affordable;
I am actually excited to
buy glasses–something I usually dread!
But you know what? The good people over at GlassesUSA have been kind enough to offer my readers 15% off your entire order (orders over $50) plus free shipping! Use Code: FS15
Also, use code: Blog10 for 10% off any order of prescription glasses!
**This is a sponsored post. I was compensated to share my experience with the website. All opinions are my own.
by Joey | Jan 20, 2014 | Throwback
If I wasn’t here, I’d be there. In another life.
I would have packed up only exactly what I needed. My computer and my dreams. And maybe a pair of gloves. I hear it gets pretty cold there.
I would have been scared and dirt poor. I would have begged the man who owned the bar beneath my roach infested apartment to give me a shot as a waitress. I won’t let you down, I would have promised.
I would have met all kinds of different people. And I would write about them as the nights gave way into dawns. I hear that sleep never happens there. And I would be okay with that.
I would have walked the streets when the words got backed up in my mind. I would find the stories there as the sun burned my shoulders and my hair stuck to my neck. The Italian ice would be sweet on my tongue.
But that’s a dream for another life.
by Joey | Jan 16, 2014 | Throwback
It was 2011. And we had hit rock bottom. All of the plans we had in place fell through. Both of our cars had broken down and our bank account was at zero. We were to be out of our apartment at the end of the month–we’d overzealously put in our notice with the faith all our plans would work out.
We had no where to go.
We had no jobs.
We sat across from each other and laughed. “This is it,” we joked. “This is rock bottom. This is as bad as it gets.” And the thing is, I had him and he had me. And despite the fact that everything, and I mean everything was not okay, we were okay.
That was our first big low as a married couple. Since then, we’ve had a few more. Some bigger than others. I would be lying to you if I said we weren’t in the middle of one right now. Not a big one, but we’re in one. One of those moments when you just have to look at your life and think “something good will come of this.”
I’m here to tell you the same secret I told my best friend today as we stood in the same Starbucks’ parking lot we wrote in each other’s yearbooks all those years ago. Enjoy the lows. I know that sounds crazy, but the lows are those moments when you’re on the brink of something wonderful. Something is about to change.
There is always an upswing. Each time we’ve been in a low, we look at each other almost in excitement and say “are you ready for this?” Life usually takes us in some direction we never saw coming, and it’s always wonderful. It’s always better than whatever we could plan or dream up. While the lows are scary as hell–they’re meaningful. We’ve never been let down. Every low has it’s own high, and they do come. Every time. You just have to be open to whatever comes your way and have faith that it is what’s right.
[two crazy kids way back when]
by Joey | Jan 13, 2014 | Throwback
Hi Lovelies.
Goodness! This weekend wasn’t without its drama.
J and I were heading into Raleigh on Saturday just after he got off work when I got a call from my Mr. Weatherman brother (okay, he’s not actually a weatherman but he might as well be)! He had reports of tornado warnings for just 15 minutes shy of my parents’ house and in the areas that we were about to drive into.
Per his orders, the hubs and I took shelter in a handy dandy Waffle House and waited out the storm. Those extra twenty minutes that we hung tight made all the difference. As we headed down the highway there were countless vehicles facing the wrong way on the shoulders from apparent spin outs. Sheesh. We (all four of us–my Mom called just before we left and told me to bring the cat in case there was bad weather while I was in town. She didn’t want him left behind. He made himself right at home)!
In other, more tragic, news–there was a crazy news report that struck a little too close to home–quite literally. A young man in his twenties set a house on fire in the neighborhood connected to the one I grew up in (where my parents still live). Just after he set the house on fire, he drove about 10 minutes down the road to the church I grew up in (where my mom is still a member). He drove his SUV into the front doors of the church, went inside and started a fire in the sanctuary, then shot and killed himself in the parking lot. They haven’t released the full story behind it all yet, but here is the
news report.
On a much, much lighter note, I had a really nice visit with my parents. Bailey and Campbell were in their glory. They sure know how to relax to the max!
I actually did my hair and makeup on Saturday–so I thought I’d document the occasion again!
We had friends over for dinner and then we all went on a cookout milkshake run which
JUST miiiiiiiiight be my favorite! Mint Chocolate Chip, please!
Products Used:
Foundation: covergirl outlast stay fabulous 3in1
Concealers: physicians formula conceal Rx & Covergirl/Olay simply ageless under eye
Powder: Rimmel Stay Matte
Blush: W&W pearlescent pink
Bronzer: NYC smooth skin bronzer in sunny
Mascara: Maybelline full & soft non-waterproof in black
Eyeliner: top- mary kay bottom- darkest brown from naked basics smudged in with a liner brush
Eyeshadow primer: Urban Decay primer potion
Eyeshadow: Naked Basics Pallette
Lips: Jordana twist & shine balm stain in Terracotta
This is a manicure from a few weeks ago, but I realized I never shared it on the blog.
And it might go in the archives of “favorite and most fun manis ever”
so of course I had to share it!
Essie: Mod Square
Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear: Strobe Flash
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Click here to do so or the fancy little plus sign social media icon up in the side bar that I worked so hard on!
by Joey | Jan 10, 2014 | Throwback
Oh, gosh. Hi Hi!
Let’s hop on in to our 5 for Friday.
1. Remember when I mentioned that I was hinting painfully to the husband what I wanted for Christmas? And I said I would elaborate if he did it? Well, he did. I am now the proud owner obsessor of a new iPad! Woot Woot! Best Christmas gift ever, right?
2. The floor by the vanity in my office is very slick. I mean like, ice skating rink slick. It’s been that way since like day 2 here because of the leave in conditioner I use (spray conditioner, wood floors. Not an awesome combo). I basically don’t let anyone walk over by that part of my office because I don’t want a lawsuit on my hands. And I know to be extra special careful. Sunday night I went to put my computer back on my desk (I had been working on the blog design from bed). Normally, I wouldn’t walk by the vanity for that–but when I was done I noticed a couple of Bailey’s toys on her blanket and thought I would bring them to her (why exactly I felt the need to do that is beyond me considering she was already passed out in bed). Well. I fell. Badly. As it was happening life went into slow motion and I was like “oh, great. This will be fun.” I smacked my left knee into the hardwood, somehow also bruised my right knee and…pulled my incisions. Well, crap. Leave it to me. Just call me grace.
3. I’ve been watching Gossip Girl. I watched season 1 & 2 (and maybe part of season 3?) way back in the day. I finished the series about a week ago and was SO DANG SHELLSHOCKED at who Gossip Girl was (I’ll spare you the spoilers) that I started back from the beginning immediately. I just finished season 1 and didn’t remember one second of it. I don’t even know how that’s possible. But at least it serves for good entertainment! Have you watched GG? Don’t spoil it in the comments but I’d LOVE to discuss it with you via email. You better believe the first thing I did when I finished the series was text
Tara!
4. I read Orange is The New Black. While I’m interested in watching the series (and have faith that I’ll truly enjoy it), I wasn’t a fan of the book. I was interested in the content and curious about her story, but the book was just hard to follow. Or maybe that’s not an accurate way to explain it. It was just hard to get in to. The writing style was all over the place and nothing was ever developed enough for me to really care. I had a hard time keeping up with who everyone was and what exactly was going on. I never pushed through the surface into the actual heart of the book. The ending was incredibly abrupt which seemed odd to me considering she obviously knew when she would be getting out of prison. It also left me asking a lot of questions. Despite all of that, I’m eager to start the series on Netflix. I’m sure the problems I had with the book are mostly due to how it was written and not with the actual story itself.
5. I went grocery shopping on Tuesday, finally. Remind me never to go a month between shopping trips again. It was the coldest day of the year (well, considering it was only the 6th day of the year, it’s probably better if I said it was the coldest day of the winter), and I needed everything. EVERYTHING. I typically shop during the week in order to miss the crowds. Please explain to me how at 11AM on a Tuesday the store was pack and most every mom in there had a gazillion school aged kids in tow? Didn’t they have school? Oh gosh, I’ve turned into my father. Regardless–Aldi is definitely a frustrating store to shop in when there are a lot of people doing the same thing. Because the store follows a very specific flow (there aren’t so much aisles as there is a “start” and a “finish”). I am the quickest shopper because with Aldi I don’t even need a list–it’s all muscle memory because of the layout. Those moms and their obnoxious kids didn’t even see me coming. Okay, not really. I just politely moved passed them as I approached them (and their screaming 8 year olds).
