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).
by Joey | Jan 9, 2014 | beauty, Loves, Throwback
I’m going to do a little something different today. I’ll be honest. Since I work from home, a lot times I’ll shower and then get right back into some form of pajamas or lounge clothes. I see nothing wrong with that. Why bother, right?
And I don’t make any promises that I’ll ever change that. But I do like doing my hair and make up. A lot of times though, I end up throwing my hair into a pony and leaving my face bare. There is nothing wrong with that. I’m all for going au naturale. But the thing is…I like makeup. I like doing my hair. And I actually like looking nice for the hubster. Plus–it does something for morale when I don’t feel like I a hobo all day long. You know what I mean.
So in order to let myself play with my make up and not feel like the effort was a waste: I figured I’d share my face of the day. Gives me a chance to share with you what products I’m loving at the moment and how I use them. It also makes me feel like I didn’t just spend 20 minutes applying makeup for the dog and cat. Humor me 😉
FACE OF THE DAY
eyes
Elf’s Little Black Book: warm edition
I used the gold in the far right bottom corner all over the lid.
I used the light brown (middle of the last column on the left side) in the crease
I used the champagne color (2nd to last column left side, 2nd shade down) as a highlight
I smudged the medium brown (first column right side 3rd shade down) on my lower lashes for definition
mascara: Maybelline full & soft in black
lips
bare minerals lipgloss in sangria
face
foundation: Revlon Color Stay in color 300 golden beige
powder: Rimmel stay matte in translucent
blush: Milani luminoso
bronzer: NYC smooth skin bronzer in sunny
concealers: physicians formula conceal Rx & Covergirl/olay under eye concealer
NAILS OF THE DAY
Sally Hansen: Coral Reef
Essie: On A Silver Platter
I actually had to ask J when he came home for lunch what day it is. Is it me or since this is the first official full week back since all of the holiday madness that everything just seems all out of whack?
Happy Thursday, loves.
Since I actually know now that it is Thursday.
That means tomorrow is Friday. Hip Hip Hooray!
by Joey | Jan 7, 2014 | beauty, Loves
Hi Friends!
As I was putting away my Christmas and “get well soon” nail polish loot, I got to thinking about what some of my favorites were for 2013. You’d think for a girl like me whose collection well exceeds 100 polishes that I’d have a hard time picking favorites. Surprisingly, it wasn’t that hard. What can I say. I know what I like.
I’ll break it down for you. Let’s go.
BEST TOP COAT
Without a doubt, without hesitation. I have purchased and repurchased this so many times over this year. It leaves your nails looking fabulously shiny, but the best part (and the top selling feature for me considering this baby sits at around a $6-$9 price point) is that it dries from top to bottom in approximately 3 minutes. I’m not kidding here, folks. I’ve washed dishes no more than 5 minutes after painting my nails without a single smudge. Just don’t ask me how to say it.
FAVORITE GLITTERS
Pure Ice: Beware
Essie: Beyond Cozy
These were my two most used glitters all year long. I just couldn’t get enough. Whether it was a simple manicure with a basic accent nail or more advanced with actual nail art involved, you can bet your bottom dollar that these two made the cut. Pure Ice as a whole actually has some pretty fantastic, opaque glitters. And their price point is about $1.99. You can’t beat it. While Essie generally runs you about $8 or more, I found this baby on the clearance shelf at Rite Aide for a whopping $3.
FAVORITE OVERALL BRAND
Wet n’ Wild Megalast
I’m sure this will come as no surprise to any of you. This brand just keeps knocking it out of the park with these polishes. The formula is perfect and their color selection is unbeatable. With a price tag of an impressive $1.99, you just can’t say no. If I dare say it because I mean, how can I pick a favorite part of my favorite polishes? It just doesn’t seem right the best feature of these megalast polishes is the wide, dense brush. Between the formula and the unique brush (which is rivaled only by the Nina Ultra-Pro brush) it’s a recipe for a perfect manicure every time.
REDEEMED BRAND OF 2013
essie
I might get shunned for this because I swear this brand has a cult following, but I just didn’t get it. An OPI girl myself, I’d hesitantly pulled the trigger on these $8+ polishes a few times in years past and was left disappointed every time. I found the formula to be an odd combination of goopy and streaky. I mean, how is that even possible? But the new lines (especially the fall and winter collections) just redeemed the brand as a whole for me. I was conflicted because I’d fallen in love with the fall collection online but was hesitant to give another chance to a brand I’d written off completely. I don’t know if they reformulated (I’m thinking yes) or if I’d just had some dud bottles in the past (seems a little unlikely to me) but they’re doing something right now. I wave my white flag and surrender to the craze. Call me an essie lover.
FAVORITE COLOR OF 2013
Essie: Cashmere Bathrobe
I know, I know. Leave it to me to have a polish from a brand that I’d otherwise sworn off win the entire year for me. While this polish wasn’t even released until August, and I didn’t get my hands on it until late October, this polish won the contest for most days worn on my fingernails. I just couldn’t get enough. It’s a soft dark gray with a silver micro-glitter which adds more of a textured look rather than offering an actual sparkle. It’s just, oh I swoon.
FAVORITE MANICURES
While I’m hesitant to even include this category, I feel like it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t. This year was a growing year for me in the nail art department. I tried to get myself out of my “simple mani with a basic accent nail” comfort zone and actually put a little extra effort into my manicures!
Well loves. 2013 sure was a fun year in the nail polish department. Can’t wait to see what 2014 has in store!
by Joey | Jan 6, 2014 | Throwback
Good morning, loves.
I’m blaming the fact that it still looks like nighttime outside for J and I sleeping through our alarms this morning. That or the fact that it’s back to work today for the first time in 16 days.
In case you didn’t notice–the blog got a little makeover yesterday. I have to say, I’m quite proud of myself! Thanks to
Lauren’s help (she explained where exactly to get started and then nudged me in the right direction here and there) I was able to do it by myself! I never thought I’d be able to say that. I guess 2014 really is starting off well with me trying new things and all.
I’m sure if you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you know that my operation went well! For those of you just joining us, I had my gall bladder removed (after much drama the last 6 months) on the 19th. The surgery itself was very quick and they were booting me out of the hospital just over an hour after being under the knife. Talk about wham, bam thank you ma’am! J and I spent the rest of that day over at my parents’ house. He really needed to catch up on some sleep (we had to be at the hospital at 5:45AM, and we didn’t even arrive in Raleigh/to my parents’ house until 1:30AM). It was a quiet day and I actually felt pretty good. Day 2 was another story. Holy pain, batman. J had to help me with every little thing down to helping me adjust in the bed. I was painfully counting down the hours in between each pain med dose just hoping for the best. Luckily, as each day passed I started to feel better and better. I was able to enjoy a visit with my family on the 22nd and by Christmas I was downright almost feeling normal. Well, as normal as a Joey can feel.
And then things got stupid. I thought I could handle the mall on the 26th. Why someone didn’t beat me upside the head and remind me “Uh, Joey. You just had surgery 7 days ago,” I’ll never know. It went okay except I had to take breaks every few minutes. So if you were wandering around Crabtree Valley Mall that day, you probably found J and I sitting on one of the many benches people watching and laughing our heads off. That trip wasn’t a total waste though–I sunk my teeth into my first cheeseburger in 4 months!
On the 28th, J and I traveled the two hours to Washington, NC to spend Christmas with his grandparents and his family. While we were there, I kept complaining that my abdomen was so itchy. By the time we got home that evening, I could hardly stand how itchy I felt. Finally, I lifted my top and found a horrific rash surrounding and over top my incisions. I panicked and about near grabbed my bag to head to the hospital when I remembered I had the Dr.’s number. I called and apparently what was happening while not the norm, wasn’t anything to panic about. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything beyond advising me to take Benadryl that they could do. Oh man, that was an itchy few days. Finally on the second night after watching me writhe on the couch–J ran and grabbed me some calamine lotion. I dabbed it over the parts of the reaction that weren’t over top my incision–it wasn’t 100% relief, but it was at least enough to help me sleep (I was hesitant to use any kind of topical cream with it being so near my incisions but a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do).
Post op on January 3rd went well. The doctor reassured me that even though my abdomen looks like a HOT FREAKING MESS right now, that this should not compromise my internal recovery. The infection and reaction was just topical. He had to do some work (I’ll spare you the gruesome details) but got everything cleaned up and sent me on my way. Lunch that day was my third cheeseburger since my operation. I have some catching up to do.
I am eating just fine. Everything and anything my little heart desires. In moderation, of course. Nothing hurts. Nothing hurts even a little bit. I keep waiting for it. On the 22nd, as I was sitting around the kitchen table with my family eating salami and cheese (the most adventurous I’d gotten at that point) and after a few servings, I was sitting pretty quiet for a few minutes. My SIL leaned over and asked if I was okay. “I can’t believe it doesn’t hurt,” is all I could mutter.
For the most part, aside from the fact that now my incisions are still healing, I feel pretty normal in my day to day. I still haven’t tried real pants yet (my belly button still appreciates leggings), but I barely leave the house anyway. I am reminded at times that I’m not 100% yet like you’ll see in the previous post. I still have to take it easy some, and I definitely get worn out very quickly. After doing some poking around online (wondering WHY I was feeling so overwhelmingly exhausted all of the time–and no, I’m not pregnant), I found that exhaustion is pretty common the first month or two after this operation.
So there you have it. The operation saga. I know this was a long and drawn out post–but I feel like this entire situation has gone on long enough that it deserved some kind of wrap up. I just can’t even believe it’s all over. You all have stuck by my side and offered me so much support, and I just want to say thank you. This is, thank God, the final post in this series. No more wondering. No cancer. No more complaining about not being able to eat. Sayonara, Gall Bladder. You’re not missed even a little bit!
by Joey | Jan 4, 2014 | Throwback
It is January 4th.
This is what my house looks like right now.
I wish you could understand the amount of guilt I felt when I walked away in the middle of taking the tree down to go lay down in bed.
That is just not me.
When I start something, I finish it. Especially when it comes to cleaning my house.
You could come over any day of the week. You could pop in on me at any time.
You would not find dishes piled in the sink or an overflowing hamper.
It’s just not who I am.
As I laid there in bed, I started to feel angry. Angry with myself for not being able to just suck it up and do what I have to do. I felt a burning fury in my heart because my body just said no. It’s been two weeks since my operation. I should be able to do whatever I need to do. Guilt, my friends. It’s a real thing. I blame it on being raised Catholic. 😉
But as I laid there, I got to thinking. It’s okay. It’s okay that my house is a hot mess. It’s okay that I slept until 10AM today. It’s okay that I only got the tree down without putting everything else away. It’s okay that it’s 1:09 PM and I’m still in my pajamas.
Taking care of yourself is one of the hardest things we allow ourselves to do. Why is that? We are so quick to jump and do whatever needs to be done for others, but when it comes to taking care of ourselves we put it on the back burner. We push ourselves until we just can’t anymore. And how is that fair? Are we that committed to everything else that we let ourselves become unimportant?
So I’m admitting this to you. To myself. I just can’t do everything I used to yet. I get tired easily and my body still hurts sometimes. My house is a hot mess and I haven’t showered. And as I lay in bed I can’t help but think of the laundry list of things that need to get done, but I’m going to roll over and let myself rest. Because sometimes you just need to.
Our bodies need time to heal. Our minds need time to reset and rest. We don’t allow ourselves near enough time for these things anymore. Don’t make everything more important than you.
