Without it, my life would be over.

Lez be foreal...I am definitely no beauty queen. When it comes to buying the best makeup or how to apply the perfect highlighter to your cheekbones (I think that's where that stuff goes...), I'm definitely not your go-to girl. (Please refer to Bargain Blond or PinkLouLou for the perfect make-up tutorials.)

I really know nothing about makeup. 

I just know that without it, my life would be over. 

(Wow. Vein much?)

I [thought] I got over the whole grocery store makeup line back in 10th grade but, alas, I find myself there again these days.

Don't get me wrong...I love my new MAC foundation and powder that I've recently invested in and am so glad I made the switch from Bare Minerals but when it comes to the rest of my face, I don't really have any one particular product I'm married to.

[Insert Elf product line]

I've actually had several Elf eyeshadow brushes that were given to me by an old roommate back in college and have literally used the crap out of them for the past 5 years. Needless to say, they still look and work like new. Far better than any of the Bare Minerals brushes, to say the least.

I've thought the Elf line was dead in the water this entire time. 

(Well, up until about 3 months ago.)

As I've said before, I'm a firm believer that price IS a proxy for premium but I'll be damned if Elf hasn't proved me wrong. Most Tar-jay's carry the line and their most expensive product is like 6 dollhairs.

I mean, what do you have to lose? Really???

My most recent Elf "investments":

Brow brush ($3) & foundation brush ($1)

 

Golden Bronzer ($3)

(l.o.v.e. this stuff)

 

Shimmering Facial Whip ($1) 

(Compare to Benefit's High Beam)

 

Lengthening & Volumnizing Mascara ($3)

(I am a mascara snob and overall, I like this stuff! Granted the tube is kind of small so I foresee myself going through it rather quickly but still, not bad.)

[Enter the Stipple Brushes]

...I knew I should have shopped around before taking out a loan for that stupid Mac brush...don't make the same mistake I did. Save yourself $39 and try Elf's...

ELF ($3) vs. MAC ($42)

According to Katie, Elf's primer and tinted moisturizer are where it's at. I have yet to try either but homegirl knows her tinted moisturizer!
 ***
As the wife of a financial advisor, I can't help but be proud of myself for saving a pretty penny. Now if I could just get out of the mind set that "Well, I saved $30 on makeup so I can go spend that $30 on something else..." I'd be in good shape...

I'd love to know what Elf products you have tried! .

I'm dying to know if the foundation, powder or eyeliner is worth my dollar...

Something About San Antonio...

This past weekend we were in San Antonio for, wait for it... another wedding. (We have another one this weekend, too. Needless to say, my packing skills have been refined and I am becoming quite the pro...)

There's something about being in San Antonio that makes me feel extremely proud to be a Texan. It's just old and historic and there's so much Texas history right there smack dab in the middle of the city that you're heart is just filled with good ol' Southern love.

I've become quite the paparazzi/tourist these days so without further adieu, welcome to 

SAN ANTONIO , TX

Leave it to my husband to purposely pack his "Remember the Alamo" t-shirt...

My goal is to one day
A) learn how to use PhotoShop and
B) also learn more about my camera
so until then, you just get the amateur shots. :)

***

Beau & I before the wedding <3
(iPhone pic)

And because we're all ooey-gooey hopeless romantics, a shot of the ceremony via iPhone.

 Beautiful.
Just beautiful...

An Important Day

In case you didn't know, Willie Nelson's birthday is in exactly 36 days. This also just so happens to be the same day George Washington was inaugurated...in 1889, of course. Aaaand...according to this calender...in exactly 36 days it's also "National Spank Out" day. (Thank God. I've been waiting all year for that.)

Ok really...you're probably wondering why hell I know all these random facts. (And for the record, yes, I did in fact already  know these. No Google search was involved.)

Well...in just thirtySIX short days it will be April 30th and even though I'm sure it's already marked off on your calendars, I just want to make sure you know that I'll be turning twentySIX. 

So guess what? You're in luck because you still have time to get me a gift! I went ahead and saved you from searching high and low for THE perfect gift and if there's anything that needs to be ordered and/or shipped, you have plenty of time. (I know. I am such a thoughtful gift receiver. You can thank me later...)

I bring you...my Pinterest-inspired birthday wish list:

JEWELRY MIRROR/ARMOIR

This is a necessity. My daily F*bombs will become minimal thanks to something like this. You see, my jewelry currently falls out of my current jewelry box multiple times throughout the day. I have cussed that stupid thing out more than any one thing I know. It pisses me off just thinking about it...

 ***

MONOGRAM FILIGREE NECKLACE

 (My initials should look like so: "sHn"...in case you forgot.)

  ***

DIAMOND BOW RING

 ...because a bow on my wedding dress and a Beau at home just aren't enough. ;) 

 ***

BURBERRY (THE ORIGINAL)

...so I can stop stealing spritzes of my mother-in-law's 

 ***

BRIGHT, SUMMERY NAIL POLISH

:need I explain?

***

Again...no explanation needed....

***

 Last and MOST importantly...Southwest Airlines gift cards to get me to 

Ohio to see this girl for HER birthday.

And if all else fails, Target, Homegoods 

and Dillard's gift cards, anything personalized or even a photography lesson will be accepted. ;)

Happy shopping! :)

The Newlywed Game

I'm not typically a link-up kinda girl but when I read about The Newlywed Game going on with Megan @ Mackey Madness, I was all over it like white. on. rice.

I immediately emailed Beau the required questions to 
which I got an immediate response of: "These are hard..."

1) What do you think my best quality is?
2) What would be your ideal date with me?

3) What was your first impression of me? 

4) What is your favorite memory of us?

5) What do you see for us in the future?

Pssssh. Whatevs.

I gave him a WEEKS notice so really, he had NO excuse but to come up with legitimate answers.

And for the record, we didn't know each others' responses until we filmed this. 

He does all of his own tricks, what can I say?! 

Sidenote: can I tell you how hard it is to be completely silent when you're filming a video??

Dream Jobs

Following up on yesterday's post, while I do love my job, I can't help but think of a few other jobs out there that would be just downright the shizznit.

Let's talk dream jobs.

Dream jobs (or other people's jobs) that probably you, nor I, really ever thought of.

Chris Harrison

I don't know what his title is or really even what his "job" is but whatever it is, it's LA-GIT. (I know it's spelled "legit" but I wanted an emphasis on "LAAAAA".)

If I had to put money on it, I'd say his job description looks a little something like so:

Job Title: TV "Host" for ABC's "The Bachelor/ette/pad"

Job duties:

• One skill:
• Ability to say: "Ladies, this is the final rose." Once per episode. That's it.

Job Qualifications:

• Non-sexual predator
• Social skills
• Healthy, functioning liver
• Not afraid of heights, flying or being around 25 women at one time
• Enjoys wearing makeup and suits
• Okay with traveling the whole-freaking-world with a group of 20-something dramatic kids

Salary: $15.5 million (I don't know if this is forreal but Google said so.)

I rest my case. Most amazing job EVVVVA, right?!

***

Rob Dyrdek

You know who he is...owner of DC shoes, star of Rob & Big, Ridiculousness AND Fantasy Factory. Not that I would want to be the owner of a shoe company (& definitely not DC shoes) but have you SEEN his "office"?

It's like it's OWN city!

Don't get me wrong, I could do without the skate ramps so just imagine pools & sexy Brazilian cabana boys in their place.

He has a miniature pony, two English bulldogs (Meaty & Beefy) and get this...a freakin' foam pit within 100 yards of his desk. Umm hello, Santa?! I've been a good girl!

***

Last and definitely the most random dream job of all...

OPI Nail Polish Name Thinker Upper

Have you ever thought about the fact that someone out there is lounged back in their lush corner office making the big bucks all because they sit around naming nail polish colors after some defining moment in their life?? Because someone does...

That same someone also travels the world for "inspiration".
Tough job? Puh-lease. Throw me a friggin' bone.

Examples:

"Call My Cell-ery" - who doesn't want the 0 calorie food at their finger tips?

"Cancun Fiesta" - which probably brings back his/her college memories of a one-night-stand in Mexico.

"Cabana Banana" - Oh heyyy, Chiquita.

 "Cozu-melted in the Sun" - yet another Mexican adventure. 

(I'm starting to think said "coordinator" is of the Hispanic dissent.)

I'd have to say some of my all-time faves are from the Texas line (duh):

"Y'all come back, ya hear!"

"Big Hair. Big Nails."

"San Tan-tonio"

"Do you think I'm Tex-y?"

By the way, if you're wondering where this stroke-of-genius blog post came from...

Lunch time mani...Strawberry Margarita by OPI

(Somebody take me to the beach!)

Thaz all she wrote. BYE.

We're talking work

It's not often I talk about my job here on this blog because, well, it's "work-related" and I've always wondered who would actually want to read about how I spend 40+ hours a week but today, friends, whether you like it or not...we're talking work.

And by "work", I mean "my place of work".

(And I promise there's good reason for this. Just you wait.)

Health, wellness and fitness have always been a big part of my life.
Scratch that...it's a passion.

I've played sports since I was old enough to throw a ball, I've always been a work out fanatic, I eat healthy (although I'm no vegetarian) and overall, I live a pretty healthy-lifestyle. I also went to college for health promotion and health education.

You only have one body...you might as well make it the best damn body possible, right? Right.

When I graduated college, my first job was in Business Development for a staffing agency. While I loved my boss and co-workers, I was not the industry for me so I started seeking other options. 

Enter the place I work now: a health & wellness center.

But not just any health and wellness center; we're a natural health and wellness center where we literally, help people get their lives back. From bio-identical hormones, allergy treatment, diet and nutrition...this is what we do.

I started out in sales for the vitamin and supplement store and although I loved working with the patients every single day, after about a year and a half, it felt a little redundant to me. I wanted more responsibility. I was looking for more growth within my company, and more importantly, within myself, but felt like there was really no where for me to go "up".

I started interviewing elsewhere, even though I knew health & wellness was where I needed to be. I got a job offer at what I would consider to be the Ritz Carlton of car dealerships here in Houston and even though I semi-accepted the position, something inside me just told me that I had absolutely no business changing careers from health to cars. (Cars? Really, Stephanie??)

Against every cell in my body, I took my "little dilemma" to the president of my company before accepting the final offer. I explained that I was looking for "more". I told her I had been interviewing and was considering taking the job. From there, I basically begged her to tell me that this was the right place for me. I was going places with this company and that it would be asinine for me to even consider doing anything else. We shared a few tears, a couple laughs and even a hug at the end. (God love that woman!) 

The day ended with a promotion (Assistant Director in the hizzouse) and a raise, which was all great and wonderful and was well worth celebrating, but what I didn't know at the time is that it would ultimately end up to be my dream job, with a Saint of a boss and an amazing sales team that I support.

I've been in the same position for a little over a year now and honestly, could not see myself anywhere else. (Funny how things work out, isn't it?) For now, I have found the right seat on the bus. :)

Though I do more of the marketing, product development, inventory and purchasing these days, which is definitely little more challenging and demanding and I don't get to work with the patients as much, I still get to see and hear about many of our patients who are doing so well on our program. The patients who came in here 60 pounds overweight, with no life left in them and already one foot in the grave are now happy and healthy and have an entire no lease on life.

 While my career doesn't "define" me as a person and I'll never be one of those "career women who doesn't ever want kids", it does have a big, err-HUGE thing to do with my internal satisfaction and I can't even imagine myself anywhere else.

Someone on our program put this together and I couldn't help but share it because the first time I watched it, my eyes welled up with tears. If you don't have time to watch the entire video, at least try to watch it from 2:55 til the end.

This is what solidifies what I do on a daily basis.

This is what makes waking up at 5:30am every morning worth it.

This is why Monday mornings aren't the worst day of the week anymore.

This is why checking my work emails on the weekend isn't considered a "hassle".

***

So I challenge you.

***

Whether you're an insurance agent, a marketing coordinator, a teacher, a loving housewife turned pro-blogger/photographer or a busy stay-at-home momma...

Are YOU in the right seat on the bus?

Do you wake up excited to go to work each week or do you find yourself watching the clock tick?

Are you challenged on a daily basis?

Do you often find yourself in a rut?
What will you do about it? 
 ***

Photo of my team at dinner

 L to R: Andrew, David, Cody, Moi, Kristin, Cathleen, Monica (el Presidente)

(P.S.-Sorry for all the seriousness today. I just wanted you to know more about little ol' me. :)

Beachy Keen

Spring has definitely "sprung" here in the Lonestar State! (And by "spring", I mean "85 degree temps"). You know me...the second that temperature gauge gets above 75 I'm in a swimsuit.

Fortunately, for moi, I've already been able to hit up the beach twice this year to get mahself a little sunkissed for the upcoming swimsuit season.

Last weekend @ Clearwater Beach

Seriously, y'all, if I could get paid for being a beach bum, I'd be really, really successful. Most likely a 25-year old retiree. Just saying...

This weekend at the pool.

With that being said, I can't help but get excited about new swimmy suits. I am all about swimsuits. Not exaggerating. I'd rather spend twice as much on a swimsuit as I do a pair of shoes or a new purse. It's just my thang...

And when you live in the Sahara Dessert (aka: TEXAS) and your summers last a near 8 months, it's "okay" to drop a few hunskies on an article of clothing that barely covers your lady parts. (Beau-just pretend you didn't read that part...)

I do, however, have a few rules when it comes to purchasing said article of clothing:

[ONE] Price IS a proxy for premium. Don't forget that ladies. I have spent a pretty penny on many, many swimsuits and you know what...it's damn worth it. They don't fall apart, the colors don't fade, the butt doesn't sag halfway through the season and they tend to not snag as easily. Not just that but as with any higher-end article of clothing, it just plain fits better. My butt cheeks stay in place, the padding doesn't get all funky inside and my muffin-top "magically" disappears...

Don't get me wrong...I'm all about Tarjay's swimsuits because their pricetag is rather persuading but I prepare myself with the fact that [1] every other girl and her dog will probably have it on and [2] it probably won't last me until the end of summer.

While I may not be a swimsuit expert, I do have my"regulations" when it comes to swimsuit shopping:

***

ABSOLUTELY NO:

[2] SOLIDS: 

I hate solid swimsuits. SO BORING!!!! This is the ONE thing you can go crazy with. Why waste your money on something so lame? {Gag. No thanks.}

[3] MISMATCHING:

This drives me absolutely nuts. It's not cute. It DOESN'T match! Really...this so-called "trend" will never make sense to me.

[4] TRIANGLE TOPS:

Sure I have a few of these laying around but they're really not for me anymore. First of all, they flatten me out like a pancake. Scratch that...they make my ta-tas look concaved and, well, that's just not cute...I don't care who you are. Second, the idea of my back fat rolling over the thin little string on the sides makes me want to vom. Not attractive ladies. (And yes-I have back fat...)

[5] TIES ON HIPS:

I don't know the technical word for this but it's the bottoms that have, well, a tie on the hips. Again, I have my fair share of these from previous years but here lately, I feel like they put me back in my braces, awkward, no-hips, teenage years. Plus-they emphasize el-hippos...an area I don't need help with. Thanks but no thanks.

 YES:

[6] RUFFLES/BOWS:

Seriously...the girlier the better. Beau can't STAND it and often times, deems me to the kiddie pool but what does he know?? I say: ruffle it up, ladies!

[7] BRIGHTS:

I have never been a dark/dull colored swimsuit person. Sure-I've had my fair share of dark swimsuits but they always pack a hot pink or lime green punch to 'em. It's summertime! Be LOUD for Pete's sake!

[8] STRAPLESS:

I'm okay with tanlines, really, but if I have the option, I'd rather not have those obnoxious lines that show when I wear a strapless dress. Bandau tops are my frands.

[9] UNIQUE:

If there's one thing I can't stand it's having the same swimsuit as someone else...especially if that someone else is a string-bean and they look ten times better in it than I do. I'm all for being original when it comes to your bikini. That's all there is to it.

***

A few beauties I'm currently lusting over:

(The swimsuits, people. Not the actual "beauties")

A

via

via

via

Now if I could just have this girl's "upper half", I'd be a happy girl!
via

via

via

via

Who else is SO ready to spend every Saturday and Sunday under the sun??!!