Merry Christmas!!

Twas the night before Christmas & all through the house the kitties were stirring  wishing they could find a mouse. But alas no mice up in this place. Okay so that was enough of that.


Here I am sitting in my bed with a swollen ankle. I have a nice big bag of frozen cranberries that I have been using as an ice pack. I work retail & was lucky enough to re-twist my ankle last night while rushing an item to a customer & it seems to have confined me to my bed for the time being. I am using this time to reflect on the things that I am most grateful for and trying my darnedest to heal up in time for work on Sunday.


I just wanted to take a moment to thank all the wonderful people I get to share my life with. I am so grateful to be able to have such great family, friends, and coworkers! I am beyond lucky & very blessed to have you all in my life. I hope that each and everyone of you are able to have a beautiful & blessed holiday. I am also praying that you all have a new year filled with lots of love, laughter, and success!

Merry Christmas!!

Sedona Lace 12 Piece Professional Makeup Brush review

Okay so this is my very first youtube upload/review ever so please understand my lack of creativity. Please also understand the lack of fancy lighting (I totally had to do the video in the bathroom). But with all that, this is my review of the Sedona Lace 12 Piece Professional Makeup Brush set in pink & the Contour & Blush Palette. I was amazed by the super customer service at Sedona Lace & will surely be shopping with them in the future. Big shout out to Jason (the guy who helped me after business hours) & I hope everyone at Sedona Lace has a happy holiday (because they are sure going to make someone in my life very happy this year). Anyhoo... sit back & watch me go!

Happy happy holidays!! And if you want to get fancy like me click the link below to order these great products!

12 Piece Professional Makeup Brushes - Pink

Contour & Blush Palette

DIYD: why buy, when you can Do It Yo DAMNself

Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Hoooovvvv...ok so its really Jessica, but theres no Jay-Z songs that start like that. I'm another one of the besties who will grace your computer screen every now and again. Hellur.

Soooo...a little bit about me [I'll make it short and sweet so we can get to the good stuff]. Fashion is my life; I work it and I WERK! it *two snaps*. If I could eat it in forms of delicious cupcakes, I would probably do that too. I'm a rep for a fashion wholesaler by day, clothing/ jewelery designer by night, and a personal shopper on the weekends. And when I say personal shopper I totally mean I personally shop, for myself. I'll be poppin up to bring you tutorials, 'fit pics, and anything else I feel the world must know about.

ok....now...drum roll please!

MY 1ST TUTORIAL!

[insert "ohhhs" and "ahhhs" here]

The Zipper Belt

What you will need:
1. zipper trim, by the yard 2-3+ yrds depending on hip measurement 2. some type of closure. I used a swivel hook/ O ring set found by the purse making supplies in Joann's, but you could use snaps, actual belt buckles, even a frog clasp
3. measuring tape
4. scissors
5. pliers
6. needle and thread or sewing machine and/or hot glue gun
7. fray block
optional: hardware like spikes, studs, chains, to make it even more bad ass or hotfix rhinestones to soften it

Step 1. Measure around your hip (or where you would like the belt to sit). You will need to add about 6 inches to this so that you will have enough at each end to add the closure. Using the measurement you took, cut three equal parts of the zipper trim.

Step 2. Since the trim has only 1 side of teeth and I wanted one piece with teeth on both sides I hot glued 2 of the 3 zipper pieces together. I then went over each side with a simple straight stitch (using my machines zipper foot) to make it more durable. You could skip this if you don't feel like sewing.

my nails are fancy, huh?

Step 3.
Next, using a pair of needle nose pliers, pull about 2-3 inches [or as much as need] of the teeth off the ends of both pieces of trim. This may be a little frustrating at first, but after the first few you will get the groove of it. Just put your back in to it!
This is done so that it is easier to fold the trim back and sew down when adding the closure.

Step 4 Add closure to each end folding back the trim and hot gluing. You may want to add a couple secure hand stitches just to make sure it doesn't fall apart on you while wearing. I never fully trust the good 'ol hot glue gun, as great as it is! Be careful which direction you fold back, paying attention to the way the zipper teeth are facing as well as the closure. Dab a little fray block on the ends to stop them from unraveling. That wouldn't be cute.

and voila!

Cleaning up my act (and other things)

Okay first off I would like to say how excited I am to have my first guest blog from my bestie Greeneyes (Sereane) up in NYC. I was running (okay not really cuz I am not built for crazy active shit like running) to my computer to blog about an AMAZING soap I just got when I got her message about her first guest post. Seems like soap and "cleaning up your act" is a big thing this time of year with resolutions and all. So I just thought it was super cool to finally have a guest post and also one about an amazing soap too. Anyway I would like to welcome Greeneyes & all her fashionista friends to this fancy little blog of mine. 


And . . . now onto the thing I am super excited about. I just got my new soap from iviscents in the mail today. I have been super duper excited because I have seen many many reviews of their products online and have wanted to try them for a while. They are known for making amazing smelling soaps, lotions, and body sugar scrubs with all natural materials. No sulfates or crazy shit up in there. That excited me because I have majorly sensitive skin that freaks out with overly perfumed or chemical filled products. And I am also allergic to lots (and I'm talking LOTS) of plant based products. Almost all AVEDA products give me major rashes and even sinus issues. I should probably live in a bubble to be safe, but I am a rebel and try my hardest not to die everyday in the shower. 


Anyhoo... I was excited yet a little worried at the same time for my first order to arrive. I can't possibly explain how happy I am that I ordered with iviscents!! I ordered 2 types of soap with them to just test it out. I have only opened one soap so far (birthday cake, which is the most popular scent) and am AMAZED at how much it smells just like birthday cake. Not only that but it lathers well with my scrubby gloves, doesn't leave a weird film on my skin like some soaps do, and the topper is that I smell FABULOUS!!! I know I have been using the caps key a lot in this post but it is needed to explain/shout from the roof tops about how much I am loving this soap. I smell good enough to eat (listen up guys). I think I am going to make this my signature soap/scent. I plan on ordering their icing body frosting (lotion/body butter) in the birthday cake scent once the new year hits. They tried to retire their entire icing body frosting line, but people freaked out and ordered so much they are bringing them back for the new year. And you best believe I will be all over that! I plan on using this scent to lure a hot man with an appetite and woo him with my amazing personality and even better lasagna (hey, a girl can dream). I have a link to iviscents on the side of my blog if you are interested in smelling delish with no crazy bad for you stuff involved. I hope you all decide to clean up your act and hope you smell as good going into this new year as I plan to!

Wonderbar Soap does wonders!

Hello fellow fashionistas and beauty lovers. I am Sereane W. Flynn and I am a proud bestie with Leigh-Ann, who created this fantastic blog.

I am blogging out of NYC (Bx borough specifically)...where there is snow on the ground and it is 21 degrees! But on bright side, I have a great product that I picked up from Henri Bendel after much deliberating and decided I would give it a whirl.

The Wonderbar soap is a PH balanced bar of soap made from Clay imported from god knows where, but who cares it works! I started using a week ago and I have very oily skin and acne prone, since I was a teenager. Spent many days at the Derm, waiting for a doctor to prescribe me that right medication that would finally clear my skin. There was no such luck! But after seeing Wonderbar Soap in some blogs and on Dailycandy.com, which by the way is a great website for beauty and fashion tips, that us NYC girls frequent. They claimed it to be a product worth the money and I trust what they say 90% of the time. So I took myself to Henri Bendel on a cold winter night and walked through a million tourists staring at tall buildings and finally made it. Henri Bendel was jammed full of about a 100 plus fabulous attractive women and gay men who were there for their Holiday Kick-off event. I found a lovely gay man with perfectly arched eyebrows (need to find out where he gets them done) and he presented me with the small box of soap, about the size of a hotel soap. The price with tax was $43.55, which is hard to shallow in this tough economy. But Dailycandy.com ain't never lie to me, and were correct to say that it is worth every penny! You use it twice a day like any other cleanser, but you leave on skin for about 3 to 5 minutes. For some people you might get really dry skin and breakouts in the beginning, but that will eventually stop after several weeks, but well worth the wait. My skin less oily, less breakouts and old breakouts are clearing up! Whatever issue you have with your skin, whether be blackheads, wrinkles or uneven skin tone, I truly believe this can help you.

That's whats going on here in the northeast side of the country... Happy Holidays and Happy New Years to all of my peeps!

xoxo,

Sereane

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas...

So today I busted out 'Sir Mix a Lot' (my kitchenaid stand mixer) and started baking for the sweet exchange at work. I usually get together with my besties around this time of year for our annual "all girls cookie baking weekend". This year working retail has put an end to that. I am not getting any full weekends off work to just focus on baking. So I decided to bake in the middle of the week on one of the few off days that I am actually feeling up getting things accomplished. I have previously promised pictures of my mixer in action & here they are (finally). Mind you some of the cookies look a little... well maybe I should call them "over browned", lol. There is always a test batch to get acclimated to the oven & time needed & what not. I am still not used to electric ovens all together & think they are not to be trusted! Anyhow... I hope you enjoy the mess that is my baking life. I will also post the recipe for the delicious quick & easy peanut butter cookies that I am baking below.

Peanut Butter Cookies

- 1 Package Super Moist Yellow or Butter recipe yellow cake mix

- 1/3-cup water

- 1-cup creamy peanut butter

- 2 eggs

- Sugar (to roll cookies into before putting onto an)

- (Hershey Kisses or preserves of your liking)

1.) Heat oven to 375*F. Beat half of the cake mix, the water, peanut butter and eggs in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, or mix with spoon. Stir in remaining cake mix.

2.) Drop dough by rounded tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten in crisscross pattern with fork dipped in sugar. (Or roll balls of the dough into sugar & place on cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Put Hershey kisses in the center of each cookie, or make a dent with your thumb to put preserves into center of cookie 2 minutes before cookies are finished baking)

3.) Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown (or 8 min for cookies with preserves & then the remaining 2-4 minutes until done). Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. 

(*I like to use blackberry or apricot preserves with this recipe & always get great reviews)

Shout out to all my soflo big girls!!

If you are or know any big girls (or curvy chicks), tell them to check out my blog & contact me stat! You have a great chance to get up to 30% off everything (except spanx) at Lane Bryant. That includes intimate apparel & all the super cute clothes for your holiday & new years eve parties. They are holding a "Girls' night out" special event on Wed. December 15th for the coolest chicks in town. You could be one of the lucky few who can get in on the deal. Check it out & let me know if you are in. The event is being held at the Pompano Beach Citi Center location. Holler at me if you wanna look hot for the holidays!

December 1st is World AIDS Day!

World AIDS Day is celebrated on December 1st each year around the world. It has become one of the most recognised international health days and a key opportunity to raise awareness, commemorate those who have passed on, and celebrate victories such as increased access to treatment and prevention services.


Started on 1st December 1988, World AIDS Day is about raising money, increasing awareness, fighting prejudice and improving education. The World AIDS Day theme for 2010 is 'Universal Access and Human Rights'. World AIDS Day is important for reminding people that HIV has not gone away, and that there are many things still to be done.

According to UNAIDS estimates, there are now 33.3 million people living with HIV, including 2.5 million children. During 2009 some 2.6 million people became newly infected with the virus and an estimated 1.8 million people died from AIDS.¹

The vast majority of people with HIV and AIDS live in lower- and middle-income countries. But HIV today is a threat to men, women and children on all continents around the world.

I grew up in Dupont Circle in Washington D.C. in the early 80's and was well aware of the growing epidemic that is now known as HIV & AIDS. My family has known and lost many friends from this disease. There are so many people who have lost loved ones, and many many more who will lose someone close in the future to this. There a few differences now in 2010 than the early 80's when it comes to HIV & AIDS. Now we know what both HIV & AIDS are, how they are contracted, prevented, and we now have treatments for those living with AIDS. Even with all that knowledge HIV is still an epidemic that needs to be controlled! If only we each took the time to go get tested (as often as necessary) so we could know our current status and prevent the unknown spread of it. 

HIV & AIDS can effect ALL of us! HIV and AIDS knows no bounds when it comes to gender, sexual preference, race, country, or neighborhood you may live in. Yes, we have come a long way in the treatment of AIDS over the last 25 years or so, but it is still something that can and should be prevented in every possible way. It is your responsibility to yourself and your loved ones to take charge, get tested, and make sure the person you chose to be sexually active with gets tested as well. When I was growing up in the D.C. area, it was not a big thing to go get tested and keep your status in your wallet. That way you could easily have that important convo and share the proof  with the one you plan on getting "lucky" with. Yes it may seem like an awkward convo at the time. But believe that it is a much easier one than to tell that person that they may need to get tested, because it turns out you weren't as lucky as you thought.

Please take the time this week (or sometime soon) to go get tested! Take your loved ones out & go get tested together to get into the habit. Have date night (get tested & go see a movie). The key is getting tested so you know your status and you can STOP the spread of this disease. 

Click here to find a place to get a free HIV test today

Can you get HIV from... (click here to see how you can & can't get HIV)

Click here to find out more about living with AIDS

I am just hoping that everyone takes the time to try to get as informed as possible and choose to stay informed on the contraction and prevention of this disease. Take time to remember those we have lost to this disease & those who are living with it every day. Celebrate their lives by protecting your own. God bless!

Congrats to Julia & Bryan!!

Okay so I just wanted to share some super exciting news with you all. Well it is most likely just exciting to me, but here goes anyway. My friend Julia just had her first baby girl a little bit ago. She & Bryan (the father) are so sweet together and so cute. He has already posted pics to his facebook page letting everyone get a peek at their beautiful new baby girl Becca. I am so happy for them & wish them all the best! Here is to Julia, Bryan & Becca... may they have a beautiful life filled with lots of love and wonderful memories!!! I just love good news & baby news is some of the best news out there. Happy Monday everyone & happy birthday to baby Becca!

I SURVIVED BLACK FRIDAY!!!

I have officially survived Black Friday & the first winter holiday weekend of the year (woo hoo!!). I know it may seem like something small, but this is the first time in a while that I have worked retail. Mind you I now work for the very best company & don't have to worry about waking up and being at work at the but crack of dawn until the wee hours of the night (Can I get a hallelujah to that? Amen!). My company believes in both it's customers and it's workers. It knows that we (many of us) have families and it tries hard to make sure that we get time with them, especially during the holidays. I do thank God that I work for such a caring company! Years ago I worked for a few different retailers who had crazy CRAZY holiday hours. I remember being open for business from 5am-12pm. Which may seem great for the shoppers, but I worked for Easy Spirit at the time. Most of my customers were... lets just call them older. They were all in bed by 9pm tops & never not once did they come in for a comfort shoe at 5 in the morning. Those days are far behind me now & I am very thankful for that. 


This weekend went by in a bit of a blur. We were super busy on Friday, and quite steady on Saturday. I had many many great customers who were in the holiday state of mind and super duper nice to boot. I love helping people who appreciate the work that we do for them. Yes it is our job, but it is a pleasure when you know how much you are appreciated. We also had a couple of great sales that continue through to Cyber Monday that helped drive our sales. Gotta love a good sale!


Anyhow, I think I am not as scared of the holiday season as I was before. I had a bit of fear going into it due to the fact that I still feel new to the company and have not been here (as an employee) during the busy holiday time. But surprisingly, I have found the higher traffic refreshing. I love interacting with people & helping them find what they need to make there holiday or any occasion just right. I just love being the person with the answers! I also think my father appreciates the higher traffic at my job too. He has always said that I have the "gift of gab" that he somehow is not very excited about being on the receiving end of. Now when I have a lot of customers during the day, I am usually all talked out by the time I come home. He seems to be over the moon about that to say the least, lol. So there seems to be nothing but up sides to this holiday retail rush. It is great for the economy, great for my store, great for our customers, and more importantly great for my father's sanity. Now all I need to do is maybe get a new pair of comfort shoes for myself since I am working many more hours than usual (I know, I know... I am not "older" yet, but I do work on my feet). Please believe that I still will not be in at the store at 5am nor midnight to purchase them.


I wish everyone else in the service industry the best this holiday season. I hope you all get the chance to relax on your time off, and get the appreciation you deserve!

Below are some super sales & savings I have come across that you may or may not want to check out:

Crate&Barrel- is continuing their "Wine & Dine" sale up to 25% off (through Nov. 29th), they are also having an up to 50% off cutlery sale (sale ends Nov. 29th), with free shipping on select items totaling over $100 online & in the catalog. Can't beat that with a stick!! (p.s the knife sale is UNREAL and you should take advantage while you can!!)


BHCosmetics- is having a Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend bundle steal. You can save up to 35%. All my beauty chicks out there check it out. AMAZING DEALS on makeup!!


handbag heaven- is having a 15% of sitewide holiday sale on all their super cute handbags. They also have gift cards available. Great gift idea for all your besties!! 


Charlotte Russe- is having 25-50% off everything sale until midnight tonight (Sunday Nov. 28th). And if you spend $50 or more online you get free shipping. This sale is great for all you skinny girls & anyone who love love loves accessories!


Lane Bryant- is having a buy one get one free mix & match sale online & in the stores with $1.99 shipping on all online orders $75 or more. Great for all my big girls out there!! Fabulous clothes & accessories (shoes now too!!) that are great for work & play.


Sweeter Days Bakeshop- Okay so I don't know if they are having any sales, but they are the best stop for any & all of your holiday sweet treats!! They are the BEST BEST BEST bakeshop in the Fort Lauderdale/South Florida area (you must believe a big girl when she says something tastes good, it's the law!). Please stop by or check out their website for mouth watering deliciousness!

Follow me on twitter

The few readers/followers I have may have noticed that I have made many changes to my blog. As I get a little more into this blogging thing I am figuring out how to make it more "me". I am also figuring out how to link up all my sites together. You can now easily click follow or subscribe to my blog and you can also now click on the side to follow me on twitter. Check me out!! I am figuring this out one step at a time, but it seems to be coming together. Please subscribe or follow any and all of my social media whatevers, lol. I need all the help I can get!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Happy happy thanksgiving! I hope everyone is able to spend time with the people they love and to be able to give thanks for all the blessings life has to offer! ♥

Just a few updates for ya...

Here are a few updates to keep you abreast of what is going on in my life...

1. The cheesecake was a hit!!! Please try the recipe for yourself this holiday season. It adds much needed pizazz to that normal/boring pumpkin pie.
2. I totally forgot to take any pics before I took the cheesecake to work & again have no evidence to prove how awesome I really am.
3. I have added a little bit of advertising to my page (this economy has it's downfalls & me being a sell out seems to be one of them). Please feel free to peruse the selection, as many of the products are some of my personal faves.
4. I have also taken some time to FINALLY figure out how to make a banner and tweak my blog a bit. Sure this is my first-ish try, so lets see if it stays. 
5. I have been in a thankful holiday mood as of late, so you may see many thankful posts & updates. Although times are hard I am beyond thankful of what I have!
6. I am hoping more of you will give me feedback as to what you would like to hear about from me. I am great at talking in length about crap that nobody cares about but me, so please stop the madness and share your thoughts!
7. I am kinda loving making this list.
8. Another request I have of YOU is... what book should I read next? I am in need of a good read to escape into. After all it is the only getaway I can afford to go on at the moment, lol!
9. I am loving work recently!! I have made great friends & my customers are not sucking as much as usual. It is amazing what some great weather & the holidays will do to the feel in the store. (I ♥ it!)
10. I am a bit obsessed with jewel tones. Purple, plum, aqua, and every other jewel tone is catching my eye like nobodies business. I need more jewel tones in my life stat!
11. I am also kinda obsessed with grape nut ice cream. Yup, that's right. I said GRAPE NUT ICE CREAM (it is super yummy with an awesome texture). It is amazing what new things you will taste at the Jerk Festival (the jerk ice cream was NO BUENO!!).
12. I have been jammin' (like you wouldn't believe) to What's my name by Rihanna & Right above it by Lil Wayne in my car at top volume the last few days. Please don't be shocked, I can get a lil gangster now & then. 

So that is about it for now. Just wanted to update you as to what is going on, and of all my new obsessions. I hope you enjoined this as much as I did. Have a great week!!

Getting into the holiday state of mind . . . (shout out to all my coworkers)

We are well into our fall season and getting ready for the holidays. At my place of business we are getting more & more excited to see the new merch hit the floors. In fact every once in a while you can hear a squeal of joy from the stock room as new products are being unpacked.

While living in South Florida is great, we tend to miss out on the best time of year… Autumn. Yes we are blessed to be able to hit the beaches during the winter months while the rest of you are all bundled up and ready to shovel snow, but it’s not what its cracked up to be. While that is a great perk, we do miss out on the cool breezes, the changing color of leaves, and picking apples & pumpkins fresh from the farm. While we miss it in our personal lives, thanks to the products and our amazing designers we don’t have to miss out on  the beautiful rich fall colors that autumn brings all together. We regularly joke around with our customers about how the only season changes you really see in South Florida are inside the stores. We not only appreciate all the beautiful colors and well designed and staged areas around the store, but our customers do as well. Long before I ever worked with C&B I made it a goal of mine to come in each season & take notes. I would use the store as inspiration and then design my home and office around what I learned and saw from the displays. Our company & designers do so many amazing things with the color stories, and they are always thinking outside the box to come up with new and beautiful ways of showcasing products.

So as we gear up and prepare for the holiday season we are taking time to think about what things we are truly thankful for. I am personally thankful for my fellow associates whom are warm, caring, & funny individuals. I am also thankful to work for a company that has designers that take their time to make our store so beautiful and inspirational during the change of seasons. Sometimes we can take things for granted and we need to slow down and remember what makes sets us apart from the rest. My place of business cares about each and every one of its employees along with its customers, and I think it shows in every window display, and every table scape. Thanks for everything C&B and a special thanks to our designers (R, O, & T) and all the great associates I work with day in and day out who make working such a joy! We hope you get the chance to enjoy all that this beautiful season has to offer.

By: LA

Cross your fingers & lets see if it worked...

I decided to try the pumpkin cheesecake recipe yet again (bum bum bummmmm). It is officially out of the oven & cooling/setting up in the fridge. I am bringing it to work tomorrow for our pre-thanksgiving potluck meal. I just hope it actually stays together and is serviceable this go around. It tasted great the last time, but I wouldn't call the last one a cheesecake. It was more of a cheese-blob or slop if you will. It just proves that you kinda need to stick to a recipe ALL THE WAY THROUGH when baking. That's what I get for being an impatient big girl going for it way too early. I have learned my lesson & I guess we will have to wait and see if it worked or not. But at least I know to give it all sorts of fridge time, just in case it decides to cop an attitude with me. I will try to take a pic tomorrow before I bring it in with me to prove that I am not a total cheesecake dunce. Anyhow, please say a little prayer and wish me luck for my second attempt at this dang cheesecake. I will post the recipe below. I hope that you all have a chance to try something new this holiday season & are able to add a new recipe to your go to stash. Enjoy & happy almost Thanksgiving!!!

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Recipe courtesy The Neelys: Gina's Pumpkin Cheesecake (foodtv.com)

Cook Time:1 hr 25 min                                    Level: Easy                                    Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

Crust:           

30 squares gingersnap cookies

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin

5 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Cinnamon Whipped Cream, for serving, recipe follows

Directions

Crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Add the gingersnaps to the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until crumbly. Transfer to a large bowl and add the melted butter. Stir until evenly mixed. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with 3-inch sides. Bake the crust until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely while preparing the filling.

Filling:

Put a teakettle filled with water on the stove top, over medium heat, and bring to a boil.

In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese and sugar and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the pumpkin and beat until incorporated. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, then add the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and vanilla, and beat until blended. Add the flour and beat until incorporated.

Wrap the sides and bottom of the springform pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Pour the filling into the pan and put it in a small roasting pan. Pour the hot water from the teakettle into the roasting pan, filling halfway up the sides of the springform pan, about 1 1/2 inches. Bake until the center of the cheesecake moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Remove the cake from the water bath and let it cool on a wire rack.

Once cooled, use a paring knife to loosen the sides of the cake from the pan. Chill the cheesecake for at least 4 hours before serving. Serve with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Cinnamon Whipped Cream: (or maybe add a dash of bourbon) Yield: 1 1/2 to 2 cups

1 cup heavy cream, chilled

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pour the heavy cream into a large bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until thick and frothy. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon, and beat until medium peaks form.

Happy birthday dad!

Saturday November 20th (today) is my father's birthday. He is turning 55 this year. I wish I was in a better spot to be able to treat him on this most special day, but alas I got bills I gotta pay. So this year I will be treating my father to a lovely day filled with the new Harry Potter movie, and hopefully a yummy home cooked meal (lets see if that last one happens or not). I am very blessed to have such a loving and supportive father in my life. I am beyond proud to be a part of such a great family that gives me positive guidance and the best shoes to fill. I hope that my father is able to look back on his years and smile. Remembering all the good times and cherishing the friendships he has gathered over time. I know that he has worked hard all his life and hope that he is seeing the payoff in the people & lives he has changed. Anyhow. . . this is just a message letting him know that I appreciate and love him & wish him nothing but the best in all the years to come!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Check out Avon for all your holiday gifts!!

Okay so.... I totally don't do the avon thing anymore.

So much to do with so little moolah...

I have been thinking about reorganizing my life. And by life I really mean my bedroom. I am a bit obsessive compulsive with some things. But when I am in a funk or depression-ish place/state of mind, my space gets out of control! I need to take my living space from hot mess to hot damn that's cute! It will take a little work, lots of reorganizing, dusting, and doing lots of laundry. But on top of reorganizing I need to find & create a "home" for some things. I have a list of things that I would love to do to improve the look/feel and functionality of certain spaces.

Someday I need to get a real nightstand with proper storage. How else can I read a bedtime story, drink a glass of water & set my alarm to get up in the morning? Plus I love putting on my peppermint foot lotion then putting on my big fluffy socks before bed to maintain my fancy feet. I need a place to store the lotion/fluffy socks & a nightstand would be perfect. I also like to keep a nice smelling candle in my room (Voluspa Ebony Peach Seasons Candle Tin) to set the mood and put me at ease, but I need it to be close enough to blow it out before I fall asleep. Only because I am not a fan of setting the house on fire while I am having sweet dreams, lol.

I have also been on the hunt for the perfect vanity/makeup/hair care storage situation. I thought I found a lovely option at West Elm (flip top storage with mirror) which is now no longer available online, but could possible still be available through select stores. Although I thought it could be the answer, I am a bit torn. It does match my current headboard, which I got from them (the Moroccan headboard), but it is a little pricey and West Elm is also a competitor. I do work for a fantastic company that sells fabulous furniture (just nothing that will work for my needs in this area at the moment). I also don’t think I can spend almost $400 on makeup storage right now (or EVER, lol) with bills, and the holidays coming up. And I am supposed to be saving up for my fantastic girls trip during my birthday in March. So it looks as if this is just not in the cards now. At the moment I will have to deal with the limited storage in my bathroom. I did however come up with a cute new way to showcase and store my makeup brushes for now. I got a beautiful mini candle hurricane in a great jewel tone from Crate& Barrel (london mini hurricane) and filled it with iridescent glass pebbles. Then I just placed my brushes in to store them all while bringing a bit of color to my counter top. I may do the same thing with the tilt bowl they sell for all of the rest of my brushes, liners, and mascaras as I continue to add to my collection.

For my main bedroom storage (other than my closet) I do have a great low dresser that I got from a friend before she moved up to Atlanta. It was originally a light pine color, but I have transformed it to fit my personal style better. I painted it a bright fuchsia and finished it with a high gloss top coat. It is now the pop of color & focal point in my bedroom. I did recently purchase a super cute & funky lamp from Crate&Barrel (purple hoopla table lamp) to add lighting and it matches the dresser beautifully. I have been thinking of getting some of Crate’s holiday wrapping paper to line my dresser drawers to finish the piece off just right. I have been thinking of using the Marimekko Fandango Purple-Teal Gift Wrap, to give it a little pop of surprise color when I open the drawers.

I have so many ideas for my bedroom and it looks as if it will be a long process to finish this project. I like things to come together over time, in which I can continue to add to the design and make it all well rounded and not to "matchy matchy".  But I must say I could really do a lot with completing the look if I won the powerball or lottery, lol. But until that day I must stay inspired and look into more DIY projects to get it to the point of completion. Ehh... one of these days it will be done.

Blessed

I am blessed with great family & friends that love and support me. Knowing that fact helps keep me strong when I am feeling weak.

And knowing that my mother is always in my heart and watching over me, helps me stay open and ready for all the love the world has to offer.

♥