Money Savvy!

Let's face it, we all have our own beliefs about why and how this country is deteriorating financially by the second. Regardless of the reason, and the ideas/ conspiricies that have been spreading lately, one thing is for certain: There never seems to be enough money to go around ( you know, unless you're Oprah). The PROBLEM is that now as prices are ever rising and money is becoming harder to come by, we haven't re-evaluated our spending habits.

Instead of goin tanning once a week, or getting our nails done every two weeks, why don't we just try to NOT? Do you even know how much you throw away on pointless luxuries such as these? TOO MUCH!!!

If you "absolutely" have to be tan, try being like my best friend, Barbara. She already has naturally tan skin, so I don't really see the point in tanning more for her, however she feels the need to be the next Snooki ( We always tease each other like this, so don't worry, I'm not insulting her :p ). To achieve her perfect tan she buys tanning lotions at Wal-Mart. You don't have to wait a week before sessions, and you can control how light or dark you want to be. Another GREAT thing to remember is that underage girls can legally use these lotions too, where as in Utah it is now illegal for minors to tan in the tanning beds.
[ L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Lotion, 6.7 fl oz = $9.47 ]


If you NEED your nails done all the time, buy an at-home acrylic kit. They're really fun, I used to have "nail parties" with these. They can also be found at Wal-Mart and can last up to six months, depending on how often you fill your nails.

[Nailene Acrylic Sculpture Kit = $7.97 ]

You don't need to splurge to get great results!

Try couponing more or try some fun DIY projects for items around the house. Did you know that if you have enough coupons and you understand how the coupon policy in your store works, you can even get paid to take home merchandise instead of you paying the store!!?? Crazy, yes? And you'll save SO much!

Google, or check Pinterest, for DIY'ers. There's SO many great things you can find that will save you money, instead of going to a furniture store or some department store.

You don't need to spend out your WHAZOO to get great results in any aspect of your life.

Also I've decided that I'm going to be releasing a new forum that will be posted every Sunday, hosting a new DIY project. So watch for some fun ideas!

Is SEXY really sexy?

" I find the whole concept of being ‘sexy’ embarrassing and confusing. If I do an interview with photographs people desperately want to change me - dye my hair blonder, pluck my eyebrows, give me a fringe. Then there’s the choice of clothes. I know everyone wants a picture of me in a mini-skirt. But that’s not me. I feel uncomfortable. I’d never go out in a mini-skirt. It’s nothing to do with protecting the Hermione image. I wouldn’t do that. Personally, I don’t actually think it’s even that sexy. What’s sexy about saying, ‘I’m here with my boobs out and a short skirt, have a look at everything I’ve got?’ My idea of sexy is that less is more. The less you reveal the more people can wonder." - Emma Watson

The other day while at a Halloween Dance I noticed a few scantily dressed LITTLE girls. They couldn't have been more than 14 or 15 years old. Watching them dance and try to gain attention from the older boys was so heart renching as I realized that my own sister was their same age. What if she was out there with those girls, or girls like these before me? I'd probably grab her by the arm and lead her home to show her to my parents. No doubt, I'd be furious.

Another thought came to me as I then noticed all of the older boys reactions to these little girls. I was suddenly SO afraid for them. What if they walked home and ran into some "bad people" ... if you get what I mean. Or what if they decided to leave with one of these hungry eyed monsters (the older boys) ?!

Dressing skanky isnt sexy... it is what it is.... SKANKY. It invites unwanted attention. If it is by chance the attention you want, then I suggest you attend a prison, a brothel, or a teen mother's clinic and see where it can really get you.

I'm not harsh, I'm real. This is a serious issue not only for little girls but for women too. Women: be a good example to the little girls, and girls: be realistic in the results of how you portray yourself. Remember, you can choose your actions, but you CAN'T choose the consequences of those actions.

The very least thing that can happen is you will have a bad reputation for the rest of your life. Most of you are all "Oh it's just a reputation, it's not what's true about me" but the thing is, that's not how the rest of the world will view you, and you won't even understand the gravity of it until it bites you in the butt and you're feeling more hurt and beat down emotionally than you ever have before.

It can take it's tole on you. If you're not careful, you may even end up being the person that people already think that you are because of how you show yourself off and how you dress.

Show that you have some worth and dignity. Have poise and wisdom. Don't settle. Don't dress "SEXY" ........... because quite frankly, it ISN'T sexy.

DO YOU WANT TO BE A WHALE OR A MERMAID?

A while back, at the entrance of a gym, there was a picture of a very thin and beautiful woman. The caption was “This summer, do you want to be a mermaid or a whale?” The story goes, a woman (of clothing size unknown) answered the following way: “Dear people, whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, seals, curious humans), they are sexually active and raise their children with great tenderness. They entertain like crazy with dolphins and eat lots of prawns. They swim all day and travel to fantastic places like Patagonia, the Barents Sea or the coral reefs of Polynesia. They sing incredibly well and sometimes they are even recorded on CDs. They are impressive and dearly loved animals that everyone defends and admires. Mermaids do not exist. But if they did exist, Mermaids would line up to see a psychologist because of a problem of split personality: Am I woman or am I fish? They would have no sex life and could not bear children. Yes, they would be lovely but they'd also be lonely and sad. And, who wants a girl that smells like fish by his side? Without a doubt, I’d rather be a whale. At a time when the media tells us that only thin is beautiful, I prefer to eat ice cream with my kids, to have dinner with my husband, to eat and drink and have fun with my friends. We women, we gain weight because we accumulate so much wisdom and knowledge that there isn’t enough space in our heads, and it spreads all over our bodies. We are not fat, we are greatly cultivated. Every time I see my curves in the mirror, I tell myself: 'How amazing am I ?!' " End Quote.



I believe this is a tough issue for most of us. The thing is.....it shouldn't be! Rememer that you are Beautiful and Unique and Smart and Talented. We all need to reconize our true worth and stop stressing over how much we weigh. I can tell you that one thing is for sure, you're NEVER EVER going to be too "big" to be loved, and you're never too much for this world. Don't let those insecurities hold you back from anything in this life. Because it's all yours! The sky is the limit! It's yours for the taking, it's up to you to take it.

You ARE loved. You ARE smart. You ARE special.

But you don't me to tell you that ;)



!!!CHALLENGE!!!
**If you're brave enough and you're ready to let go of your insecurities, write a message like this (just an example, write one the pertains to you) on your bathroom scale and send me a picture of it!

Winter 2011

I've noticed around my moderately sized town that this is what's "in" right now. I've also added my own little spin on things and I really hope they work out for you.

Here is a list of items to add to your wardroe this season:



An "Ugly" sweater. They happen to be some of the warmest sweaters around, and we definitely need that in Utah.



Boots, Boots, and more Boots. Brown ones. Black ones. Knee high. Ankle. Studded. Heeled. BUT, they have to be fitted... and leather. If you don't want to splurge on real leather, then don't even worry about it. The cheaper knock-offs may only last you through one season, but how can that be a bad thing when they may not even be "Hip" next time around?



Sweater Tights. SO CUTE! They come thick like a sweater too, so you can still wear your skirts without regret.

Also, Dark colors are always "chic" in the winter. Blacks, Greys, and all of those emo colors in between are so damn depressing!! Try this year to travel a different path of the darks? Look for Burnt Oranges, Deep Maroons, and different shades of Brown.

P.S. Tribal patterns and prints have been HUGE this year. Why not carry that over into winter with a matching scarf and glove set? If you're not into the tribal trend, go with the classic floral approach. Try a khaki color with rich pink flowers.

FYI

Fact: No one likes to be told that they are fashion challenged.

No one here is going to do that, however I do want to strongly suggest that you take advantage of the many tips and quirks (sometimes they may be "only cool to me" things, but just let me have my fun :p) you will find throughout this blog for years to come. I love everything I find and post to show it off. If I didn't have that sort of passion, it wouldn't be fun for ANYONE.

If anythin I say is completely over my head, feel free email or post your malfunction on here to warn me and others. Also, feel free to give me and the rest of the readers things you like to do or ideas to try.

Music = Fashion?

http://pinterest.com/kenzirenee/clothes/



Go here. This is my fashion sense. I LOVE anything that is inspired by the vintage. Especially from the 40's or 50's. MMM!

It's funny because even my music taste is inspired by this fashion.

Maybe that's why I dig Mumford and Sons and The Avett Brothers so much. Or possibly their music is what's inspiring my fashion. Whichever the case, this music fuels my soul and these clothes are SO B.E.A.U.Tiful. :)



I love the pale pink with the black. SO adorable.



Every girl, no matter how old or young, NEEDS a flowery hair bow.



This is a great DIY. Heart patched elbows on a cardigan.

HELLO OUT THERE

So I've decided that I'm going to make the cutest, girliest blog there has ever been! :) I hope you love it as much as I already do. Have fun!