Daniel and Chris April 12, 2010
I have begun my spring cleaning ritual. The week of Easter, I usually get to open my windows due to the beautiful weather, which then makes me get in the mood to start cleaning my house. I have also started trying to use less chemicals that harm the environment and using more Eco-friendly ways of getting my home spotless. Here are two websites I found with some great ideas on How to Go Green with your spring cleaning and How to save money with Homemade Cleaning Products. My grandmother would always say, "Cleanliness is next to Godliness" and it certainly does give me peace to know my home is clean! Happy Spring Cleaning everyone!
I guess my biological clock is ticking and I can hear it louder these days. I am 28 years old and I find myself thinking about babies lately. I giggle over to the baby clothes while I'm in Target (especially since there are Easter dresses out right now) and I just coo with glee. My husband rolls his eyes and smiles at me, because he and I have agreed that we will not plan on having babies for at least 5 years. I have been trying to shorten that number somewhat as the years go by though.While I was in Target, I stopped by the baby washes and lotions. Johnson's has this Vanilla Oatmeal Baby Wash and the lotion to match that I just had to have. I love it! My skin feels so soft and the oatmeal has calmed my skin's dryness problems. I love smelling like a baby too. The vanilla is soft and subtle, but my husband loves it too. I even bought baby shampoo! Don't laugh, because it has helped my sensitive dry scalp too. I am just a big baby, I guess. Well if I cannot have a baby yet, then I will just pamper myself instead...no pampers needed though lol.
In honor of St. Patty's Week, I would like to comment on this awesome website I came across: GreenIsSexy.org. It is a website devoted to changing the planet with tiny changes that make a big impact. I was reading In Style Magazine this week and read about Rachel McAdams creating this website, so I went online to check it out. Now I am hooked! I am all about helping the planet in eco-friendly ways. So far, I finally bought re-usable bags for the market and I have started unplugging unused appliances whenever I can. By the way, I also have started buying these awesome eco-friendly shirts from Threads 4 Thought. They are made from premium organic cotton and they feel so awesome. Anytime I find one, no matter the color, I buy it. Be sure to check them out and do what you can to make green as sexy as possible!
A Thread 4 Thought shirt. They are so comfy and I love the length of them!
Rachel McAdams, actress, creator of greenissexy.org. I love your website! Way to go, Rachel!
Kevin and I in November 2009
My husband is home! He has allowed me to write his name on my blog so he will no longer be known as just C, but as Christopher. I am so happy he is back. I had the same lady who made our wedding cake make him a "welcome home" cake (pictured above). It is really tasty and so is life right now! Welcome Home, my love!
Vera Farmiga was my top pick for worst dressed at the Oscars. I loved the color of this weird manifesto of ruffles, but it looked like the designer went overboard (which can happen often) with the "pizazz" of the gown. The gown is by designer Marchesa which is, ironically, the same designer of my top pick for Best Dressed: Sandra Bullock. The irony of it!
Zoe Saldana in Givenchy is the epitome of indecisive design work. It either should have been an simple A-line cut with that lovely color of lavender, or made the top portion of the dress match with the bouffant of the lower. At least Zoe manages to keep smiling in her purple-poofy mess of a gown.
Mariah Carey in Valentino was just an over-all bad choice for her figure. It makes her look so top-heavy and her platform nude shoes are just all wrong. Mariah, you need to fire whoever is dressing you!
The Hurt Locker killed most of Avatar's hopes: winning Best Picture and scoring first female Director win. They took home six oscars in total! I have not seen this Award winning film yet, but when my husband comes home it will be one of the first we see together. The Hurt Locker definitely blew out Hollywood's biggest evening! 
I was so proud of my two picks for the evening: Sandra Bullock for her performance in The Blind Side and Christoph Waltz for his performance in Inglorious Basterds. I really hoped they would win and they didn't disappoint. Christoph Waltz's performance was so incredible as the Nazi "Jew hunter" and I have never seen an actor deserve to win more brilliantly (even though I hated his character with a passion)!
My first job in Hollywood was as an extra on Miss Congeniality 2 and I remember Sandra Bullock coming up and saying hello to all the extras (me being one of them). She was so friendly and professional. I am so happy she took home a much deserved and long awaited win. 
My favorite dress of the evening was worn by Sandra Bullock. She graced an old Hollywood look with a Marchesa lace and metallic sheath. It was very elegant and a perfect compliment next to her Oscar.
I also loved Cameron Diaz in this brilliantly dazzling Oscar de la Renta gown! She looked so glamorous and elegant. Simply beautiful, Cameron!
Jake Gyllenhaal made my heart skip a beat showing up in a custom-tailored Burberry Tuxedo. I don't think it was just the tux that made my heart stop though. Woe, this guy is seriously handsome!
All together a great night at the Oscars!
image credits: redcarpetfashionreportcard.com
Hooray!! C got his third and last needed signature to be Honorable discharged from the Air Force. He is officially an Air Force Veteran and I am so excited for him to be coming home! Life is good.
2-28-2010 Dana and me saying good bye.
St. Ives Apricot Scrub has been around for years and I never tried it, because when I worked for Clinique I was told bad things about it. My good friend Maegan told me she used this Apricot scrub every day and loved it! I still didn't get any of it though until this past week; I finally got some to try. I have recently been having blackhead and blemish problems, so I wanted to get a scrub with components to fight these issues of mine. Well I saw St. Ives Apricot Scrub: Blemish & Blackhead Control in the store and decided to finally try it. I loved it! It really is amazing! Very gentle on my sensitive skin and really works. Thank you, Maegan, for recommending it so long ago. Better late than never that I finally tried it. Really great product!
Since C has been gone, I have not really had a normal full time job. I have been selling stuff on Ebay and making money that way, but I have had so much time for myself to figure what I want out of life. I have worked a normal job since I was 17 and I must say NOT working is so awesome! I know that sounds really lazy, but its not like I don't want to work. I just want to invest in my life and not in someone else's life (working for someone else vs working for me). I want to be more independent and to make my own schedule. I wonder if that is how everyone feels? No matter, I realized that since I have been on my own schedule, I have been stressed less and much happier. Time and experiences is what I live for. Why would I waste anymore time on a job that I don't like? Why should any of us?
This reminded me of when I was younger and there was a boy who I was crazy over. I did rotate my life around him, but he never returned the love. It makes me realize what Valentine's Day is all about: Returning the love to the people who love us! There are many times in our life that we look back on and wonder why we let that pass us by or wonder why we didn't tell that person we loved them? Life is so precious and Valentine's Day is a day where we can express ourselves and have that chance to say what we want to say. Everyday should be like that, but at least we have an "excuse" to do it on this day! So don't let the moment pass you by, tell everyone who is special to you that you love them. I am so happy I found a man who did let me "catch" him... C, I love you! Happy Valentine's Day!
I watched Academy Award Nominated Documentary: Food Inc. If you have not already seen this extraordinary film, please watch it. I was so angered by this and disgusted that I became overwhelmed with frustration. I pledged to do what I could as a consumer to stop this from happening. What has our Nation become? Where are we headed if this is how we allow our animals to be treated and companies to be ran? Why are we so blind to not see what is happening around us? It's like we are all on the conveyor belt being led into one direction and not even ask ourselves, "where are we going? why are we on this? how did we get on this thing?" It's as if these "powerhouse" companies have branded us (consumers) all like cattle and we trust so ignorantly that we are going to be taken care of and treated with respect/ loyalty without knowing that we have been in the dark about everything. I refuse to be controlled and I hope you do too. Please watch this film, it will change your life and open your eyes to see a very ugly truth.
Image credits: flickr.com
Every year, Little Debbie (God Bless her) puts out their seasonal Valentine Heart Cakes and I cannot help but buy a couple of boxes to indulge myself. Since my husband is gone, sugar is my company. I feel like my workouts are for nothing because I come home and eat these little cakes like they are going out of business. Well I kind of feel like that though. They are only in stores for January and February and then they disappear until the next Valentine Season. I sure do love them while there here though! Yummy little pink hearts of cake.
Guitar lesson #2 was tonight and I learned how to strum! I also learned the theme song from "The Wonder Years"! I'm actually playing music now! It is the greatest feeling when all that practice, fingers hurting and frustration turns into a melody. It is one of the most awesome feelings! Thank the Lord for my patient guitar instructor, Mr. R!
On a sad note, C was injured in Basic training and mainly hurt his left knee. He has stress fractures in both knees and his left knee has some other injuries to his MCL. We were hoping he would recover and be able to rejoin his Basic Training Flight, but it does not look so promising. It looks like he will be medically discharged and will have to remain in the medical unit for another 2 and half months! Ugh, I cannot imagine one more day without him much less months! I keep looking up though, because I know God has a plan for us.
I have learned a great deal from this whole experience; in which I am forever grateful! It is so important to be with those that we love and make sure they know we love them everyday. Life is too short to be apart or hold grudges! I love my husband and I pray he comes home to me safe and as soon as possible! I am just thankful I will not have to worry about C going to Iraq or Afghanistan. I now have a new found respect for all the wives and husbands left behind.
My cousin, Julie Cottrell did my photography as a wedding gift to C and me. She is amazing and I love her collages of my beautiful day in the sun! Be sure to check out her blog!
My bridesmaids: (from left to right) Natalie and Jenny.
I love these two of me waiting to walk down the aisle.
Me getting ready. The makeup artist was the coolest chick I have ever met!
My new Ibanez Acoustic Guitar
