There she is....

I had the pleasure of meeting Miss America 2013 yesterday. She is a terrific and very gracious woman.

If you tune into the pageant next Sunday, you will see clips of the contestants giving an interview. For example, when they are presenting their evening gowns, ABC will show a clip of the girls describing their gowns. Our team did the makeup for these interviews, and I did all the touch ups on their hair and makeup! 

Also, if you'd like to win a R.E.I.G.N. beauty gift bag (signed my Miss America!!!), you can enter by "liking" their Facebook page at facebook/reignbeauty.

Good luck!

Miss America Adventures

I am on my way to Atlantic City! My BFF, Joey is the head makeup artist for Reign, the official cosmetics of the Miss America Pageant. He has been training me, and we are heading west for two weeks. We will be doing the makeup for the contestants and working at the Reign store. I'm so excited! Stay tuned for photos and links to Joey's YouTube tutorials!

New House!

Here are the latest photos! We close next week. I can't believe it. 

Above you see the almost finished exterior. Below my kitchen counters and cabinets.

The built ins in the living room. 

Check out the ceiling!

Restroom.

I adore the lights we chose!

The rest of the pics are pretty boring unless its your house. Haha! I'm sure ill have lots more to share as we move in next week!

Happy Mother's Day! 💐

A small celebrity

While I was in NYC last month, I met this little cutie from the AT&T commercials!

I told her what a fan my husband and I are, and she graciously agreed to a photo with me! Several other people also wanted photos once they noticed us. Poor thing, can't go anywhere without being bothered! 😁

Her dad was a riot and I so enjoyed meeting them! Kids in NY are so mature. That's something I really noticed as the week progressed. I met some very cool people!

Spring Photos

Finally! The earth is blooming and I couldn't help but take a few photos to share! Michigan can be rough, really rough every Winter, but that just makes Spring all the more welcome!

Have a great weekend!

Oh the places I've been!

The last several months have been i.n.s.a.n.e.! I've been traveling for Honda, rented my condo, moved in to my father in laws basement, built a new house (we close on that next month), began training to be a Pilates instructor and will quit the Library (insert sad face here) on May 15th! Phew!

I should have been taking this time to blog up a storm and share all my adventures, but alas, I did not. Instead I just really experienced them. But there were some funny stories and crazy people and I will fill you in. I also hope to start blogging and getting some advice as I move into my new blue house and start the decorating process. Luckily, I chose the entire interior, so that is a great start!

I also just stumbled across this blog, and I'm in love with this girl! We even own the same sailor skirt from The Limited (darling Spring items if you were wondering. That store is so hit or miss, but this season, it's a hit!). You must also check out her etsy store! There's a link on the blog.

Until we meet again, hopefully pretty soon!

xoxo

Satisfaction and Scarves

Something wonderful and unexpected has happened to me. I can't put my finger on when, but over the last several months I have been overcome by...well, contentment. It feels like I am finally enjoying a moment of satisfaction. I am working harder than ever and feeling very financially and emotionally secure. Ironically, all the money I'm earning is going untouched, because at the same time, it seems, I'm satisfied in other areas also. I literally have done little to no shopping all Summer and Fall. This was not a choice, just sort of a "moment". A moment where I have everything I need. AND, I'm not "wanting" for anything either! Contentment....ahhh, exhale and enjoy......

However, I have have been diligently using my Saks Fifth Avenue Mastercard for most purchases this year, and I'd earned quite a nice Gift Card with my points. In case you don't know, the Mastercard earns points on all purchases, not just those at Saks. It earns 3 points to the dollar at salons and spas. My blonde hair is not God given (shed tear...), so all those appointments earn me 3 points to the dollar. Even manicures!

Anyway, I'm off topic. So I have had this lovely gift card for months! And, sure, there are things I can buy, but nothing made me feel like I just had to have it. :) Contentment.... again, this is a first for me so I am going to really try to keep it up forever. Last night, my husband and I were laughing at the fact that this card is still unspent. I mentioned I've always wanted a Burberry Scarf, but they seem so expensive, and really it's just a scarf.

His eyes lit up. He said, "You've always wanted one of those and you'd have it forever (this is true, I take really good care of my things, so it will last forever). Plus, you earned this card, so buy something for yourself. Something a little over the top."

So I did:

And it should be on my porch in under a week. Plus, the Friends and Family sale is on, so I saved 20%. This scarf is beautiful. It'll be cozy and stylish. It's a classic. It's my taste. But it's more. It will always be the scarf that will remind me of this moment. This perfect moment of complete satisfaction. And if I start to lose this new found mentality, I will let the scarf be my reminder. I can no longer "wish my life away", because contentment is so much sweeter than I could have imagined. And my husband is right, gift cards earned by religiously buying practical items with your credit card and paying it each month and not going over board (which could be a temptation during Saks Double Days...) deserves to be spent on something a little over the top. A bonus item, not a necessity.

Cheers to my husband for helping me out on this one, and for contributing to this beautiful, satisfying life we are so blessed to lead.

My Trip to "LA"

I traveled to Torrance, CA to train with Honda last month. I was only there four days, but it felt like four weeks with all the information I absorbed! We spent the first two days learning all about the different car models, the company, what is expected of us as product specialists and narrators, and some specifics about engines. On the third day, we got to test drive the cars. This was particully fun because the routes we drove took us through some beautiful areas near LA, specially Rancho Palos Verdes and Palace Verdes Estates. We saw one of Trump's golf clubs, several libraries and some stunning views...all while driving some cars and testing out the new technology!

We made one neat stop at the Wayferers Chapel, which was one the route. It was simply stunning....

Below is a photo of me at the park where we met. Could you imagine playing a soccer game with such a view?

My trip overall was great, and as it turns out the three shows I'm working in 2012 are all in CA! Just call me California Girl!

Honda and Auto Show Time

It's official, I will be working for Honda this Fall and Winter! I head to CA in a week and a half for my training. The next 10 days are going to be nuts! I have a total of 17 online training modules to complete (I've done 5 so far, so that isn't too terrible), a three page script to memorize, and some other training materials to look over before I leave! I am feeling pretty stressed, but also excited and nervous! I've wanted this for some time, and I'm proud of myself. I'm just nervous because it's all new, blah blah blah.

I'm learning all about the cars and it's really pretty interesting. I finally understand what makes an engine fuel efficient or powerful, or both! I've got to plan my wardrobe for training as well. They require a more business look. No open toed shoes, ect.

I'm also looking forward to the traveling I'll be doing. I've been working so much this year, my blog has suffered. I have the time to post, but not much to share! Do you really want to read all about how much I work and sleep? I think it'll be fun to share my experiences working the circuit, the people I meet, the places I can explore! I will know my schedule after CA. Who knows? maybe I'll be heading to a city near you!

LASIK

So I'm a little over month out from my LASIK Surgery, and I am thrilled with the result! I feel like Superman. I wake up and I can see. A small miracle.

The entire surgery took about 20 minutes. There are two steps. First, the surgeon uses a laser to cut a flap in your eye. This part sucks. I won't lie. The nurse counts you down...."35 seconds....30 seconds...25 seconds, ect." By the time we were at 15 seconds, I had to start telling myself, "You hold a plank for almost 2 minutes in Pilates, you can handle this, lady!" I also did some visualizations of the beach and my cat. Calming images.

It isn't exactly painful, but if I were told I'd have to do it again next year, I'd rather not. :) While it doesn't hurt, it's more like a feeling of extreme pressure and it's not really great. After that is done to both eyes, you're moved to a second laser which does the actual "vision correction" part of the program. This doesn't hurt, but you can hear the laser and it smells a little. Personally, I found this portion to be a breeze after the first part. All you need to do is stare at a red dot and do not move no matter what. It's weird at first because you can't see (due to the flap), but as soon as the red dot is turned on, you can see only that.

After the surgery, my eyes were very very dry. I used prescription drops and am still using "tears". I only really need the tears in the morning (my eyes are so dry first thing in the morning, I reach for the tears before I do anything) and then as evening approaches and my eyes start getting tired. I don't know how long the dryness will last, but it's not that big of a deal. I've added flaxseed oil pills to my routine. My husband read that these help with the healing and dryness. All in all, I'd say if you are considering LASIK, you should go for it! Luckily, you only have to do it once, so i figure I can pretty much handle any surgery once.

In other news, I've been hired by Honda to work the Auto Show circuit. I'm thrilled! training is next month in LA, and I should know my schedule after. I thin it'll be a great experience and I look forward to exploring some new cities, blogging about the adventures and meeting new people. Hopefully, I can even meet some of you!