Feeling like a mom

Over the past 4 years I have gotten many laughs from my older sister's tales of motherhood (semidesperatehousewife.blogspot.com) and today I felt like I was living one of those stories. Logan, my 4 yr old stepson always gets up at 6-7 and sits at the end of our bed to watch cartoons until we get up and make breakfast. Today however.....I woke up at 4:30 to him jumping on the bed and shaking me saying "Turn on my shooooowwwwss!!!" over and over until I finally realized I wasn't dreaming and turned on cartoons. I then attempted to go back to sleep but every time I started to he would randomly jump on my stomach (did I mention I also started my period last night so I had HORRENDOUS cramps at the time?) I never did go back to sleep, so when Clint got up to shower I tried to sleep because I figured he would let the dog out etc. (The dog always sleeps under the covers with us so you actually have to pull him out to get him to go outside in the mornings) At 7:15 I hear "Umm Rachel the puppy peed and pooped and daddy's in the shower!! BAD DOGGY!" Apparently Clint figured the dog could wait until I got up to go out but as soon as he got in the shower the dog crawled out and used the basement floor as a restroom. Does anyone else have a minpin that does this?? He hates going outside even when it's nice and sneaks off to corners in the house and goes to the bathroom as soon as we take our eyes off of him.

In other "parenting" news, I have found a way to not lose my mind watching endless hours of cartoons. Since I work from home most of the time and am always on my computer I simply plug in my headphones to the computer and either turn on Pandora.com (which is an awesome radio online that plays only songs and genres you like with no commercials.) or my iPod playlist. This way I can keep an eye on Logan, do my work, enjoy some good music, and not want to break the tv just so I don't have to watch Little Einstein's big adventure one more freaking time!

Changes to the Wedding Plan

Because my fiance is amazing....he offered to have the wedding in my hometown so that everyone wouldn't have to travel so far, etc. We still want to have it outside so we moved the date up about 4 months too. This means...now I have bridesmaids, and a reception menu to plan, and a dj to hire, and florists, and photographers....wow. Luckily, the Hilton has an amazing wedding package! At $55 a head (which is expensive but we're having like 50 guests so it isn't that bad) we get the wedding ceremony outside (very pretty location) with a room just in case it rains, a ceremony with a gourmet meal (2 appetizers, 2 salads, 2 entrees, 2 sides - all of your choice) , the wedding cake (anything you want...literally), an open bar for 4 hours, all the reception decor, tables and furniture, servers, etc. , plus the honeymoon suite complete with champaigne and chocolate covered strawberries in our room after the wedding and breakfast in bed the morning after. Pretty freakin sweet. I'm excited!

Get kids to drink their veggies!

Seeing as I'm new to parenting most of you may already know this. If so, ignore how excited it makes me. I feel like I've accomplished something here! Logan, my 4yr old soon-to-be-step-son does not like veggies. The only fruit he will eat is golden apples- no skin of course. I love fruits and veggies but don't always have time to have them so for years I've been drinking V8 Fusion, Peach Mango flavor. The Fusion (as opposed to the splash or Fusion Light) has a full serving of fruit AND a full serving of veggies in each 8 oz serving. And it actually tastes good! It doesn't taste like most veggie juice. I only drink the Peach Mango but their are 3 other flavors.

But I digress.... Anyways, when I moved in and started experiencing the diet preferences of a 4yr old I thought I would see if he'd drink the V8, that way I wouldn't feel bad about his diet of meat, eggs, and more meat. Turns out, he loves it! Now it's the only juice we keep in the house and he drinks 3-4 glasses a day. Mission accomplished! Now he gets all the fruit and veggies he needs and doesn't even know it!

VOTE NOW!!

If anyone else is confused as to why Heidi and Spencer are even considered "famous" please go to this website and vote! E! News is asking viewers to vote whether or not to make E! Speidi free. I saw this on Chelsea Lately last night and almost cried from happiness. VOTE NOW!

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b129655_Should_E_Be_a_Speidi-Free_Zone_You_Make_the_Call.html

At Home Spa

In light of the ever-worsening economy and the fact that every spare cent is going to home renovations (I'll post pics soon!) .......I have given up on my massages and manicures. (Not that I got them that often before)

So I thought I would post some great at home spa treatments for those of us looking to save money and pamper ourselves.

(All treatments should be accompanied by a glass of wine or martini and Sex and The City.)

*** All of these treatments were found at http://www.spaindex.com/HomeSpa/HomeSpa.htm

COFFEE BODY SCRUB
2 cups of coarsely ground coffee 1/2 cup raw sugar or sea salt 2-3 T massage oil
Mix all ingredients together. Take a hot shower to moisten your skin and open your pores. Using wide, circular motions, rub the coffee exfoliant onto your skin with strong, even pressure. Shower off, pat skin dry, and apply a thin layer of your favorite body lotion.

AVOCADO DRY SKIN MASQUE

Beat the yolk of an egg until it is light and frothy, then add the mashed pulp of a half avocado, blending it well (you may use a blender at this point). Cleanse your face thoroughly before using this masque (or any masque). Spread the avocado mixture over the face and neck evenly; relax on a slant board or bed for about 20 minutes. Remove with clear tepid water and a face cloth, followed by a rinse of cold water or a mild skin lotion. The result should be a marked improvement in skin texture, and all-around revitalizing.

AVOCADO OILY SKIN MASQUE

Put the white of an egg, a teaspoon of lemon juice, and the mashed pulp of a half avocado into a blender. In seconds, you should have a lovely green mixture. Wash your face and neck thoroughly, then apply masque evenly on those areas. Relax for 20 minutes; remove with tepid water and a face cloth. Follow with cold astringent or skin tonic.

CHOCOLATE FACIAL MASK

This decadent mask is actually an excellent moisturizer -- it leaves your skin baby soft. Recommended for normal skin.1/3 cup cocoa powder3 tbsp. heavy cream 2 tsp. cottage cheese ¼ cup honey 3 tsp. oatmeal Mix all ingredients together (a bullet blender is ideal) and smooth onto face. Relax for ten 10 minutes, then wash off with warm water.

SAVORY CRANBERRY FACIAL WASH (MY FAVORITE!)
Did you know the acidity in cranberries works as a mild astringent and toner? Did you know that the Greeks originally considered Savory to be an aphrodisiac? Cranberry and Savory posses antiseptic properties similar to those found in oregano and thyme, and help cleanse the skin of excess oils.1 tablespoon dried savory leaves, crushed
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cranberries
Steep the dried savory in boiling water in a small bowl, for fifteen minutes. Strain the liquid and set it aside. Puree the cranberries in a blender, and strain the fruit from the liquid. Discard the fruit, and save the juice. Combine the savory water and the cranberry juice, soak into cotton pads, or a fine textured washcloth, and press against your face for fifteen minutes, avoiding the eye area. Remove pads or cloth and rinse with warm water.

HAIR REMOVER - BODY SUGARING (I haven't tried this one yet..)
Juice of 1/2 a lemon 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup honey cornstarchclean cloth cotton stripswooden stick or spreader.Dust the area to be waxed, with cornstarch. Combine the first three ingredients in a clean glass bowl, and microwave for two minutes. Stop and stir your sugar mixture every 20-30 seconds. Let it cool to a comfortable warmth, and, using a wooden stick, spread a very thin layer onto your clean skin. Immediately cover the mixture with a strip of cotton fabric. Briskly stroke the strip several times in the direction of the hair growth, and then, pull the skin taut, and quickly rip away the cotton strip, against the direction of hair growth. As you proceed, you may need to reheat your sugar mixture in the microwave to keep it warm. Do not boil it or overheat as you could easily burn your skin.

Wedding Ideas....need opinions!!

This is my wedding jewelry...I think. I got them on ebay and haven't received the necklace yet so I'm not sure if the colors will match. Oh well....they cost $5 : ) I wanted to do something that would be different and add some color to go with the beachy sunset theme. (These are amber set in white gold)


These are some of the choices for beach "decor". Since it will be at sunset I will have candles no matter what. I'm just not sure if I like the setup with tables surrounding the couple. Thoughts?
These are my favorite hairstyles. I'm torn between doing a veil or doing just flowers in my hair....keep in mind I have thick dark hair that will be fairly long by the wedding.

I'm a horrid slacker...I know

At the nagging of my mother.....I found time to blog, although I've probably lost all my readers by now~sorry!

Let me tell you why I haven't blogged in a almost a month......

1. I moved in with Clint a few weeks ago and now have an HOUR long commute
2. I started working at Victoria's Secret and they love me and have been dumping almost 30 hours a week on me (good for my wallet, not good for free time)
3. We've been re-doing the entire house, because let's face it ladies.....bachelor's houses need A LOT of work. Such as:
4. painting the entire upstairs
5. redecorating the entire upstairs
6. oh yeah...working my regular job at which I'm constantly working on documents that are freaking POINTLESS and time consuming
7. ripping up all flooring in the upstairs
8. laying down laminate flooring in the upstairs
9. helping take care of a 4 year old 3 days a week
10. getting the house baby-ready so we can have his 3 month old at the house finally!
11. reading up on how to be a good step-mom (any tips? thankfully my mother was a great stepmom to my halfsis so I had a good role model)
12. sleeping..when I can
13. visiting my parents for Memorial Day weekend (26 hours total roundtrip driving time, not fun!)

Am I forgiven? I'll try to be better about blogging when I have time........

I got my wedding dress!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was planning on doing a custom made dress since I'm so picking but I found the perfect dress!!!! On Friday I went to David's Bridal just to see how the different styles looked on me to get ideas for my custom dress. Within 20 minutes I had found my dress...... I love it!! It has every element I wanted. Its light and comfortable, the material is perfect for travel, it fits my body perfectly, and IT WAS ON SALE! : ) The picture shows it in white but I got it in ivory. It looks even better up close. You can zoom in if you go to Davidsbridal.com and search for style number T9845 I plan on wearing my hair down and curly with a flower in it, no veil, flip flops, just casual beach style. Let me know what you think! : )

8 Things Post

Jess tagged me in the 8 things post....so here are my answers.


8 Things I'm Looking Forward To:

1) My wedding!!!

2) Meeting my future step-son tomorrow night

3) Introducing my fiance to my family Memorial day weekend

4) Going to sleep tonight ; )

5) SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

6) Finishing physical therapy so my knees stop hurting

7) Losing 10 lbs (ok...15 lol)

8) Buying a house!!

8 Things I Did Yesterday:

1) Went to work

2) Ate wings with my man

3) Slept in until 10....yay

4) Watched Enemy at the Gates with Clint

5) Got a migraine

6) Took a shower

7) Cuddled

8) Went to sleep

8 Things I Wish I Could Do:

1) Lose 10-20 lbs

2) Sell more cash registers : )

3) Take a vacation

4) Have a stress free wedding

5) Win the lottery

6) Find more time in the day to get things done

7) Be a better person

8) Help out more at the women's shelter (having more time would help)

8 Shows I Watch:

1) Chelsea Lately

2) Law and Order SVU

3) Law and Order Criminal Intent

4) Scrubs

5) Sex and the City

6) Friends

7) Project Runway

8) Top Chef

Now I'm supposed to tag 8 people:
I tag....anyone who wants to join! I love all your blogs so I want to read your 8 things

Wedding Day Detox

Well, in my usual OCD manor, I have overstressed myself with trying to mentally plan a wedding, find a new job, find a dog for Clint, etc. all in like two weeks. After spending a wonderful weekend with my family (most of which I had a migraine) I got home, tonight, and went to workout. I forgot how good it feels to just workout and let your mind wander to nothing. I realized that I need to calm down and not overexert myself. I have over a year to plan a very simple wedding, lose 20 lbs, find a house, etc. I just got a nice raise at my job, although if the economy doesnt pick up it wont actually do me any good as half my total pay is commission, but I digress. My point it that I have so much to be thankful for and I need to stop constantly stressing myself out by trying to make it what I think it should be. Does my job irritate me? Of course! But I HAVE A JOB. I have no reason to complain especially in this economy. So my plan is to focus on kicking ass at my job and if a better job comes along, so be it. I'm going to focus on being healthy and stress free and most of all THANKFUL. Hope everyone has a wonderful evening and rememebers that it's the little things in life that make it beautiful.

On the prowl

Soooo in other non-relationship related news....

I have decided to start looking for a new job (full time that is). Due to various frustrations that are about to push me over the edge at work, I am job hunting. Anyone know of any jobs in Minneapolis? I'm looking for something related to: marketing, planning, coordinating, designing, etc. I don't want to work in a huge corporation anymore and I'm getting sick of sales bull**** that I have to deal with on a daily basis. I have a few interviews this week so we shall see!! Hope you all are having a lovely week!

Romance is not lost!

I have the sweetest fiance ever. Yesterday was my last day at the jewelry store, and my first day at Victoria's Secret. This meant I had to work from 9:30am-10:00pm. Needless to say, I was so exhausted when I got out of work. Clint was supposed to work all night but he left early and said he'd have dinner waiting when I got home. I thought that was sweet but figured we'd have a low-key meal and that was all. When I got home I walked in the door and saw that the whole house was lit with candles...there were roses on the table. (He also got me roses two nights ago when he made us dinner. Twice in three days, how sweet is that??) He had made an amazing meal for us too, with tons my favorite foods and had an Easter basket for me on the table.
The other night I was talking about how much I loved cheese and crackers with hot peppers so he got my two favorite cheeses, plus bri, banana peppers and jalapenos, and two kinds of crackers.

He also made pork tenderloin, potato salad, fruit salad, garlic cheese bread, and chocolate covered strawberries.
Seriously.......what guys do stuff like that anymore? And when I asked what the occasion was, he said "no reason, I just wanted to do this for you." Wow. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world : ) I love you babe!

The Proposal

Well...we actually decided to get married about a week ago while watching movies. We were sitting on the couch having a glass of wine and watching a movie. Somehow we got to talking about how we both thought over the top huge weddings were a waste of money and were joking around that "if" we ever got married it would be on a beach in Mexico with no fuss no muss. Then I asked where the honeymoon would be, and said "Well when are we getting married?" I told him next fall worked for me and we started laughing then he said he was serious and that he realized a couple months ago (before I even knew he had feelings for me!) that he wanted to marry me. So we started laughing and I said yes.

A few days later we were out to dinner and as we were leaving we noticed a jewelry store next to us and decided to go in just for fun. Since he manages a jewelry store we weren't planning on getting a ring anywhere else. While we were in the store trying on rings and being silly we also decided to have a little fun with the salesman and told him that Clint was a stockboy at Bestboy which caused our snooty little salesman to sigh because he probably figured we were just messing with him. Then I tried a mounting that made us both stop laughing...it was perfect. We both looked at each other and smiled. He asked me to come outside with him and asked if I was sure because now it was for sure if we got a ring. I said yes.

He took the mounting with him and ordered in a few stones at our jewelry store to have mounted. They were taking too long to come in so he ended up buying a stone that was already in the store that we liked. Monday night, I knew he would be coming over to propose. He asked if I were prefer a surprise romantic proposal....but I wanted my ring and told him that I had already said yes when he asked me last week and to me that was a romantic proposal.

So I lit come candles and turned on Oasis, one of our favorite bands, and he came up and we laid down and talked about how crazy this was, but how sure we were and then he knelt down beside my bed and asked me to marry him. I said yes.

Then we celebrated by playing Wii bowling and having a few beers. It was perfect.

I'M ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is my ring mounting except the side stones are marquise cut instead of trillion cut like in the picture.And the center stone is a princess cut and not a marquise cut.





Yes ladies....it's true. This single girl is off the market! I know it's crazy and fast but when you know, you know. We're getting married in fall of 2010 in Mexico on the beach.

Pics of the house!!

The wall will be bright blue in the stairwell, I hung up the shelf and pictures already though.
The kitchen. Nothing too exciting

The living room....it will be painted a light green. The curtains still aren't hung-I'm waiting on the curtain rod to be delivered.
My bathroom. Done in my favorite color combo



The pictures are from Target
My bed...with the puppies trying to get in the shot : )

I got the job!

YAY! I got the job at Victoria's Secret!!!!! I start Wednesday, which means that I was able to quit Kays today and we can now tell everyone we're together!!

picture time

Well ladies......here he is. Playing guitar hero, and looking extremely intense haha. I swear my room has been taken over. Wii, Guitar Hero, clothes, shoes, shaving kits, DVDs, etc. I would show you a picture but it's too shameful for a neat freak like me to ever show to the public. We've become "one of those couples" the ones that can't spend a moment apart. It's rather disgusting, but I love it. And I'm neglecting my blogger, I'm sorry. There's no excuse. Last night I was going to blog....but let Clint show me how to play Wii bowling instead - and fyi I totally kicked his ass at it.

Please don't judge me.....I'll blog more I promise!

April Fools!

No...I don't have any good jokes or pranks today. I tried to think of some but it's too cold and snowing. I would rather just sit and catch up on my blogging! I've been so busy with finishing the move, working, and being with my new man. Yes, I know it's pathetic but we're together everyday except when he has his son. I'll get some pics of me and him together and post soon I promise! In related news, I think I'll be working part-time at Victoria's Secret now instead of the jewelry store so we can finally tell everyone we work with! It's been kind of fun keeping it a secret.....but I'm ready for them to know. They been telling us to date for months so they'll be happy that we finally are.

I am so happy it's kind of ridiculous : ) There's none of the drama, none of the anxiety that I usually get the first couple weeks in a relationship. I'm just happy. He and I have worked together for almost 6 months, we've seen every side of each other, we know all of each others stories, we work well together. We make a good team. It just works, it's natural, it's easy... that's only way I can explain it.

I have been in love several times, I've been engaged, I've lived with someone.....but no matter how happy I was, I always second guess everything and constantly analyze. You all know this....you've read my stories where I over analyze men and relationships. This feels different. And yes I know it's only been like a week and a half, but that's how I feel.

life is crazy

I have a story for you ladies......

5 months ago we got a new manager at my part-time job. There was instant chemistry between us and we had a great time joking around at work and having fun. He had a long-distance girlfriend up until 2 weeks ago........

two weeks ago we were closing the store together and started talking about things like how we could never date because he's my boss, etc. Then somehow we ended up kissing in the backroom. We went out to dinner afterward and talked for a couple hours about what we were going to do...which led to more kissing. The next day he broke things off with his girlfriend and came over to make me dinner. Over the next couple of days we've spent almost every moment together talking and learning more about each other. He's been divorced for the past 2 years, and has an almost 4 year old son. He'll be 30 in April, and wants to go to Mexico this summer with me : )

The only way I can describe things is that it feels right. He and I are both pretty big commitment phobes and yet we both feel that this is just right. More to come..................

It's good to be back

I didn't realize how much I missed blogging! I have literally had no free time in the past two weeks....I have so much reading to catch up on!! I'll give you some updates on my life the past two weeks.....

#1. The whole Paul thing is kinda done. It was weird, he was sick so he didn't want to get together then I was too busy to call him. Then last weekend he was supposed to help move my bed because it's really heaving and big and I never heard from him. Lucky for me, my roommate's brother came to visit and helped me move it. He also asked me out, but he just wasn't my type. So then last night I get a text from Paul saying that he's sorry he blew me off and would like to explain. He said there were a lot of thoughts and things going on in his head that he needed to work out. I still don't know what that means and don't really care. Sorry Paul.

#2. Things at work are good!!! I actually got a meeting to pitch a new product and Trent, my account partner, is on vacation so I'm running the whole meeting myself! And to top it off, the people at Target are bringing like 15 people to the meeting and my team is bringing in about 5 people. That's a big freaking sales meeting. So if I close the deal........promotion? If not.....layoff? We shall see!!

#3. My room is almost done so I can post pictures soon!!!!

#4. I've learned to get by on like 5 hours of sleep per night, however my body is hating me for it.

Other than that, nothing too exciting........ I'm off to give myself and much needed mani-pedi I seriously have missed you all so much!!!! : )

Moving......

Ok, it's official...I have too much stuff. No matter how many "spring cleanings" I do I still feel like I have too much. Or maybe it's just that my room and bathroom are small. Regardless, I'm sick of moving. I'm sick of my body aching, and not sleeping, and having bruises all over from carrying big awkward pieces of furniture that bump into my legs, I'm sick of not having a moment of rest.

Ok enough complaining. At least I'm almost done then I can relax a little. Hope all of you are having a relaxing weekend!!

I've missed you all

Sorry it's been so long ladies! I moved finally and had some major issues with internet that I'll explain later.....to much to do this week! I'll be back to my regular schedule soon I promise!

BBBBRRRRRRR

OH FOR THE LOVE OF PETE.........WHY IS THIS STATE SO COLD??!?!?!?!?!??!!

I'm serious, winds blowing at up to 40mph, wind chill of -15 degrees, snow, ice. What a lovely day. At least there's sunshine....although it's not helping to warm me up. Thankfully the only reason I had to leave the house today was to get an MRI on my knees. Here's hoping they can do something to help my poor little knees. This moving crap has done a number on them.
****Ok it's now Friday, I was interrupted and never posted this yesterday. I ventured out with my roomy last night to meet her blind date. Good times. Poor guy didn't know he was getting 2 for 1! We had a good time, and somehow I wound up on the phone with Miranda's brother and he and I are going out Friday night. Other than that I'm working 24/7 the rest of the weekend and when I have free time (haha yeah right) I'll be moving the rest of my stuff into Miranda's. So basically I won't have time to sleep. Awesome! I'll be back to blogging next week though. Have a great weekend everyone!

Game Playing

I was recently talking with a friend of mine about game playing and why we hate it. *Luke* is an internet friend that I met through Myspace. He writes a blog about dating, relationships, etc. and while he and I have some very different views on things we always have interesting debates. The one thing we can agree on is how much we hate fake people and how we wish everyone would just show their cards right away.

I find that so many people are desperate for love that they give off an image of what they think the other person wants to see. As *Luke* so eloquently put it, "If I went on a date wearing a Matthew McConaughey mask the woman I'm with would love the way I look, but it wouldn't be the real me."

The same goes for our personalities, our likes and dislikes. I've always been a very up front person. If someone doesn't like me, oh well. I don't want to ever feel like I have to put on an act to get someone to like me. The only friends and lovers I want are people who will love me for me and not want me to be anything other than what I am.

I am strong, I am independent, I am a closet romantic, I am sarcastic, I am sometimes a bitch, I am a go-getter, I am a hard worker, I am a lover, I am a fighter, I am a daughter, sister, aunt, friend, lover, I am me and that's something no one else can be.

Why is it that people are willing to change who they are to make someone love them? If that's what you're doing, then that person doesn't really love you. They love the you that you are portraying. It's sad, but it happens everyday. I think it's one of the biggest reasons for divorce. Ever heard the saying, "We grew apart. We had different interests than we did when we got married. I fell out of love with him/her." The thing is, that while everyone does change somewhat throughout their life, they don't really change that drastically. Could it be that what's really going on is that they stop putting on their mask everyday and eventually the real them comes out?

Have you ever worn a mask to make someone love you?

Skin Care for Oily Skin

In highschool I had some major oily-skin problems. I didn't have the giant red sore type of acne but I had super oily skin which caused hundreds of tiny bumps and pimples all over my face. Back then my solution was make-up to cover it and a few facial products that didn't help much.

Now that I'm older my skin has calmed down quite a bit and I've found a simple routine that works wonders. The girl that does my microderms always gushes about how she loves my skin. Not that my skin is perfect by any means, I still get a few breakouts but my complexion is now very even and I no longer have oil problems.

Now I know my older sister and few others are probably cringing at the Dial soap but trust me....it works!


In the morning I clean my face, neck, shoulders, and back with Biore Tripe Action Astringent. It doesn't burn or dry out my skin and it gets so much oil and dirt off.


After that, I wash my face with just a bit of Dial Gold liquid soap. It's important not to use anything but the Gold. It's antibacterial and moisturizing and has no fragrances in it that I'm aware of. The other kinds can be really irritating. Washing with this helps get anything out of my pores that the astringent missed and also washes away a few litte fuzzies that the cotton balls leave behind after using astringent.

At the end of the day instead of using soap after astringent I use Olay Total Affects Face Wash. I use the 7 Signs kind that treats acne and is anti-aging. Not sure if it really doesn anything for anti-aging but it can't hurt right? This face wash has little crystals in it that scrub your face gently. It's like a mini-microderm every night. It's great for getting make-up off. (Dial soap is also gentle enough to get eye makeup off fyi)



After the above steps are done I use Clean and Clear Dual Action Moisturizer. It treats acne without over drying. I only put it on at night every other day so it doesn't clog my pores. In the summer I never use it at night. I always use it before I put on my makeup though.


Does anyone have an unconventional product (like Dial) that they use for their skin?

Imaginary Shopping Trip

I'm tired, and bored on this conference call so I'm going on an imaginary shopping trip. These are items I can't afford and probably wouldn't spend the money on even if I could afford them.

Michael Kors = sexy dressesJimmy Choo these shoes are yummy. And look so hot with the Michael Kors dress above.Diane Von Furstenberg knows classy style. This is my new favorite dress. It's sexy without being over the top, girly and fun with the classic DVF detailing.

Miu Miu I love the bow on the front and the pink detail on the inside of the heel. So flirty and sexy and they look adorable with the DVF dress above.
Catherine Malendrino I love this flowy summer dress and the color would look great with a dark tan and black hair (my favorite look in the summer)Jimmy Choo........I love (almost) all of their shoes. These hot little numbers hurt my feet just looking at them but I still love them so.

Is it March already??

I seriously didn't even realize until today that it was March already. Me thinks I've been too busy lately. I have been painting until about midnight every night (after I get done working a full day at my regular job then work a few hours at my part time job.) What fun!!! Not to mention all of the climbing up and down to do the edging on the walls by the ceiling has been doing some fun things to my knees. I finally called my doctor to set up an MRI for my legs. I really don't want to hear how jacked up my knees really are and have her tell me to get knee replacement, however I need to do something. It was tons of fun when I called and she never ordered one or put any notes in my chart about it, so the nurse refused to schedule it and kept saying "Are you suuuuure she said you needed on??" Umm, no I just made it up. I have great respect for people in the medical field but I seem to always find the nastiest nurses who insist on treating patients like they're just pretending to be sick for the hell of it.

On a lighter note, I'm making some headway with the new house and I should be able to move in next week. Then I'll have roughly a month and a half to get my old place primed and painted, all my addresses changed to the new one, get a MN driver's license, etc.

And yes mom, I am going to come home to visit soon! : )

Busy Week

Do you know what's depressing? Having your Performance Evaluation with your boss to find out that if your company didn't cancel all raises this year you would have gotten an $11,000 raise. Seriously!! I could have paid off my car with that raise. Or my student loan. I am so freaking annoyed.

In other news, I've been sick for the past week but worked through it and got Miranda's room all done so now I can begin work on my room! Once the house is done I'll post pictures! (If any of you live in the Twin Cities you're invited to our housewarming party - which will happen in the next month or so)

Paul brought me lunch yesterday since I still wasn't feeling well. He's such a sweety. He's in Tampa on business all week which is actually a good thing because I'm crazy busy with work and painting.

I hope all of you are having a lovely week so far. Sorry my posts have been a bit boring the past couple times, I promise when I'm not so busy I'll think of some juicy dating stories from my past to entertain you all.

Quick Recap

I'm beyond tired but wanted to give you a quick update because I won't have time to blog tomorrow.

Ok it's hard to see because of my crappy camera, but I have a scab on my chin because Paul's whiskers gave me something akin to rug-burn. (a.k.a. I finally got lots of kisses lol) And we're probably going to have dinner tomorrow : ) He also brought up the R word last night. "Relationship" as in.... he said "I want to take this relationship slow so we don't mess it up." I'll admit, that's a little fast for the R word but I guess we have been friends for almost a year now. I can't believe I thought we didn't have chemistry and thought he was a bad kisser. He is awesome! And we have amazing chemistry. Interesting. Also a very random fact, Paul's dad and stepmom have worked for Laura's (Miranda's cousin) parents for like 20 years so she knew Paul! Such a small world! Leave it to me to move to a state where I don't know anyone, then the few people I meet randomly know each other. Also, Laura's friend Amy is from the same hometown I'm from! I haven't met her yet but I'm sure we'll have lots of fun stories to share about the small town we're from. Such a random day.

Miranda and I have been painting all freaking day only to discover that the "trainee" at Wal-Mart mixed the paint wrong so we did 3 coats of paint only to realize they were two different shades of blue. Needless to say, tomorrow I will be turning on the bitch switch and getting some free stuff from Wal-Mart

Hi, my name is Rachel and I am a decorating addict.

This morning I decided to start hunting for decorations on Ebay. For the stairwell, this Greek statue that will sit on the white shelf I bought....


And this other Greek statue to go on the shelf in the stairway...

This lovely vintage purse (and the other two below will be hung on the wall in the bathroom to go with the French/couture theme. I'm also painting the phrase "Voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir" around the wall as a border.

These Nicole Millers (that just happen to be my size) we like $7 with shipping!!! they will sit on a black shelf on the bathroom wall.
I'm going to frame this print and hang it in the bathroom.
This is one panel of a set that I'm using as curtains in the living room.
All of these pillows will be going on the couches. I didn't want them to be matchy because I wanted it to look authentic and colorful and eclectic. (All of these pillows, and the curtains were handmade in Indian and the details are beautiful!! And they were cheaper than buying Pier 1 pillows!!)