Glamorous Hustle

Blogger Challenge!

2012-01-29T16:09:00.001-05:00

So here’s a little funfor this Sunday Funday! I took a week off (minus 1 post) from blogging toregroup myself and focus on real life. It was fun but I’m ready to get back toyou guys! I know you missed me, or at least I hope you did. Good news – there area lot of great posts coming up this week!

One of my dear bloggerfriends and name twin, Megan from Diary of This Girl, tagged me in a bloggergame! What better way to kick off my reappearance than a little fun?

The Rules:

1. You must post therules (and link up with who tagged you)

2. Post eleven funfacts about yourself on the blog post

3. Answer thequestions the tagger set for you in their post, then create eleven newquestions to ask the people you've tagged

4. Tag 11 people andlink them on your post

5. Let them knowyou've tagged them!

11 facts about me:

1. Inever leave my house without my nails painted.

2. My niece helps mepick out my outfit and accessories every morning. I have a 3-year-old stylist.

3. I love thunder/lightningstorms and summer rain.

4. I have a blackthumb; every plant I’ve ever had has died.

5. From May toSeptember I could eat ice cream every day; and usually do.

6. Vacuuming is myfavorite chore.

7. The tops of my earsdon’t curl.

8. I’m horrible withremembering names but I never forget a face.

9. I’m spoiled andlike expensive things, but I spoil myself so I don’t think it’s a fault.

10. I went to 4different schools and changed my major 4 times before figuring out what Iwanted to do with the rest of my life.

11. I hate odd numbers.

So I added an extraone!

12. I could not livewithout my mom’s homemade chicken pot pie and it’s a mission of mine to masterthe recipe.

Questions from Megan at Diary of This Girl:

1. what is yourbiggest pet peeve? Spelling and grammar mistakes

2. what tv show areyou embarrassed to admit that you watch? Teen Mom

3. what is yourfavorite childhood memory? I had a poem published!

4. three words thatdescribe you? Organized, Driven, Emotional

5. hamburger or hotdog? CHEESEburger

6. what book did youlast read? Currently reading “Made to Stick”

7. what is yourbiggest accomplishment to date? Graduating college; one of the first in myfamily to do so.

8. do you keep ajournal? I keep a blog! That’s kind of like a journal, right?

9. what picture ofyourself is your favorite/the funniest? I have 2.

The first is this one; thefirst time I met my niece.

And the second is this one; my beautiful sisters andI showing off our personalities at

my baby sister’s sweet 16 in 2007? 2008?

10. where would youmost like to travel? The beach. I don’t travel often though.

11. stripes or polkadots? Polka dots

My questions to thebloggers:

1. Favorite color?

2. One food you couldn’tlive without?

3. One life goal?

4. Favorite season?

5. One quote you swearby?

6. If you could changeone trait about yourself (personality or physical) what would it be?

7. How you met yourbest friend?

8. One beauty productyou swear by (this is a selfish question, I love new products)?

9. If you weren’t inthe career you’re in now, what would you prefer to have grown up to be?

10. What song,regardless of where you are at the time, when it comes on the radio you have tostart dancing?

11. Why did you startblogging?

People I’m tagging (some of my favorite bloggers):

Taylor from Miss. Taylor Cast

Jessica from Not What I Ordered

Sara at little love

Jessica at Get Jessed Up

Tam at Hello, Framboise!

Linda at NomNomBlingBling

Katie at Running on Happiness

Caitlin at Style Within Reach

Taylor Morgan at Taylor Morgan Design

Kat from With Love From, Kat

Have fun gals!

Red Lips, Coach vs Gucci, and Credit Cards Killed

2012-01-27T11:25:00.002-05:00

I know I said I was going to take a break from blogging this week but Ijust had to share a few things that happened and I’m feeling a little motivatedto write today … and it’s my blog so I do what I want.

I’m rockin’ red lipstick today, a color I saw a fellow blogger (Gal Meets Glam) wear and immediately went out to purchase. I’ve gotten so manycompliments on it that I might actually make it a staple.
Made a “large” purchase yesterday from the Coach outlet store (online)and saved $434 dollars by purchasing 4 items. I don’t feel bad because thedeals I got would make your jaw drop and I needed a large white bag.
I haven’t parted with Gucci yet but am considering it after seeing thegreat deals on the Coach bags I found. I just need a large black one and I canpart with the over-priced beauty which currently resides on my work desk.
I paid off a full credit card on Tuesday/Wednesday, bringing the totaldown to 4 with balances.
I did my taxes last night and my refund check is going to take care of1 ½ credit card balances, one of which is my second highest balance. And mysecond paycheck next month will be able to take care of the other half of thatbaby. Which means I’ll be down to 2 credit cards to pay off!
I’m rethinking Operation Leave the House and may wait until thebeginning of 2013 – sorry Mom! If I can pay off all of my debt and my car bysummer of this year (which MAY be a possibility) I can start putting some moneyaway and get myself into a better situation than just peacing out so fast.
If you haven’t noticed, Glamorous Hustle changed colors (again). I’vegot to admit, I missed the pink!
My gal pal is OFFICIALLY guest blogging on Thursdays. Although I maynot be able to call her a Guest Blogger since she is going to be a regular. Butshe’s got a signature and everything!
I printed out a 2-week pass for one of the local gyms and am going totry it out on Saturday. Looking at myself in the mirror before/after my morningshowers is just not a pretty site anymore so I’m going to do something aboutit. Having the elliptical next to my bed is doing nothing but giving my nieceanother reason to come play in Aunt Meg’s room.
Next week, you guys are in for a treat! I am already working on a listof posts for each day. Back to regular blogging on Monday!

An Announcement

2012-01-24T14:22:00.000-05:00

I interrupt the usual “Theme Week” for a very special announcement:

I’m not in the mood to blog. I haven’t been for the last few days. I’menjoying real life too much and I’m not sorry for that.

I’ve opened numerous Word documents each day for the last 4 days andhave closed them after typing a few sentences because I didn’t like it. Muchlike I did to this post earlier today.

I’m distracted lately. I’m dating again (yeah I know, I said I wasn’tgoing to but I am). I had an epiphany on the way to work one day and it justhit me that I’m over “the ex” and ready to get back out there. So I am. And I’mloving it. And have met some really great people!

And I’m working on the finance thing. And doing a good job with itactually. I paid off the rest of one credit card today and am anxiously waitingmy tax return to take care of some more debt. The excel document I made reallyput things into perspective and I’m more determined as ever to get rid of thenumbers on that sheet!

My grad class is really making me delve deep into myself and my missionin life. It’s more therapeutic than I was anticipating but so worth themegabucks I had to pay to take it.

And every morning I start my day with my niece. She helps me pick myoutfit, my shoes, and my jewelry.

I think I’ve caught on to how all of the blogger’s I follow manage toget a new post up first thing in the morning.

They prepare!

So forgive me as I take this week off from my usual rants and raves. I’mgoing to enjoy real life for the rest of the week and get back to blogging nextweek. I promise to be prepared!

Are you motivated?

2012-01-23T16:24:00.007-05:00

Dear lord, I apologize for being so MIA over the last few days but Iwas too busy enjoying life and my real job.

Let’s start with Friday. My company was recently named Agency of theYear for 2012 by Medical Marketing & Media, so what better way to celebrateregally? We had a KickOff Party at a chateau nearby for a brunch celebrationand then my company rented out a bar in a neighboring town for us to continuethe celebration!

Seriously. I work for the best company ever.

Late night Friday continued when the girls and I headed to a nearby barthat just opened for happy hour where I drank more water than a fish out ofwater.

Saturday morning I awoke to a phone yelling at me that it needed to becharged. While on the charger. The Verizon guy told me there was a defect withthe charging port and I’d receive a new phone in the mail by Friday.

Yes, almost a full week without a phone. So I overnighted the packageand it arrived today at work. I spent most of the morning getting things backto the way they were on the “old phone.”

Sunday I woke myself up at 7 am sans alarm clock and got so much stuffdone. Showered, finished my grad school work, cleaned, finished laundry, andthen put my match profile back up. Let’s face it; I can focus on me all I wantbut in reality, I’m looking for someone to share how amazing my life is rightnow. So, I’m going to find him.

I was hesitant to start the work week again because 1) I’m not feelingso well this week and 2) the weather in NJ is anything but pleasant BUT 1) I’vegotten a ton of compliments on my outfit and look today and 2) I saw thisquote:

"Every great work, every bigaccomplishment, has been brought into manifestation through holding to thevision, and often just before the big achievement, comes apparent failure anddiscouragement."

Getting ready to make thisweek a great one. How are you guys going to celebrate?

Crappy Weather, a Zebra Skirt, and a Press Release

2012-01-23T14:46:00.001-05:00

It’s disgusting weather in New Jersey today – freezing rain,slushy mess – but we finally got snow this weekend.
I got about half of the items on my “to-do list” done thisweekend and don’t foresee the others getting done until at least next weekend.
I’m wearing my new zebra-print skirt from Ann Taylor today and havegotten so many compliments on it; I feel like a million bucks.
I have a guaranteed guest blogger every Thursday from nowon. Stay tuned!
I’m sick of hearing about the Giants and football.
I had the most disgusting salad for lunch today but thepeanut butter M&M’s I had shortly after helped. As will the delicious sushiI plan on having at dinner tonight.
New phone wasn’t supposed to be here until Tuesday but itshowed up at work today. Bonus!
I’m getting sick and am doing everything in my power frommaking it get any worse than it has today. I hate stuffy/runny noses!
I’m obsessed with my new camera – check out one of thepictures I took of my niece/nephew this weekend below. Right?
I wrote my first press release at work and I couldn’t bemore excited. Oh, the little things.

Snow, a Life Story, Lame Flirting, and a Verizon Fail

2012-01-22T08:17:00.002-05:00

I haven’t blogged in 3 or 4 days and I feel terrible aboutthat.
I may have a guest blogger on Thursdays for drink recipesand nail polish. Cross your fingers and make sure you leave comments so sheknows how much you want her to do it!
We FINALLY got snow over the weekend in NJ and I couldn’t behappier! Pictures to come, thanks to Daisy.
I woke up at 7am on my own but was stirring for at least 20minutes before that. Crazy productive already this morning.
This week’s grad school assignment is due at midnighttonight, and I have to write a 2-page paper on my life story. EASY!
I miss country music. Makes me think of summer.
My phone crapped out yesterday. It won’t hold a charge. AndI paid extra $$ to have it overnighted. It’ll be here Tuesday. Saturday-Tuesdayis apparently the new overnight shipping. FAIL Verizon, FAIL!!!!
Met a cute guy at the bar on Friday night and spent approximately2 hours chatting it up with him. Until he told me he was divorced with 3 kids.I thought he was kidding, but I was wrong. He then tried to make out with me inthe middle of the bar 3 drinks later (I switched to water). Seriously? This iswhat single girls have to look forward to now?
I discovered shoedazzle.com the other day and think I may bein trouble. $40 a month for a new pair of heels each month. BUDGET, BUDGET,BUDGET!! Ok, the temptation is gone.
I get to do my first piece of writing this week at work. Icouldn’t be more excited!

I'm Breaking Up with Gucci

2012-01-18T15:04:00.001-05:00

Operation Leave the Nest. I’m having a love/hate relationship with it.I love it because it means I’m growing up and I hate it because New York & Company has such a cute spring line that will never make it into my closet.

I’ve been trying really hard not to spend any money the last few days.Sunday I spent $0. Monday I spent 75 cents on a soda that I thought would actas a pick-me-up at work but instead was caffeine free. And today, I spent $6.90on lunch and am debating on getting a bottle of wine on the way home. Why?

Oh I’lltell you why!

The 6pm.com order I placed a few weeks ago is being sent back. Theshipping has already been purchased. That’s $60 something that’s going back intomy wallet (or the credit card, I forget which one I used).

The tripod I purchased for my camera is broken so I contacted theseller and he’s going to refund my money but let me keep the product (hmm ..might be a scam but w/e, I have it in writing so he better sent that doughback!).

And lastly, my beloved Gucci bag may be departing El Closet deMegasaurus.

*Disclaimer: The white dots are not defects. They are orbs of the ghost that is in our house. Seriously*

It’s a sad sad day. But, it’s a scuffle in the right direction, right?

My dear friend Jess (who you may recall from the random Sushi Loungedate) put it into perspective for me. Our conversation went exactly like this:

Jess: well ... do you need the money or the bag?

Me: the money

Jess: How attached are you? Has any other site offered more? Did you tryebay to see what other bags are going for that are yours or similar?

Me: i tried ebay twice and noone bought it

Jess: ok, then at this point, i would say go for it

Meg: i love it but i'd give it up

Jess: Then it's time to breakup. Your literally breaking up with thehandbag. yeah, you are. legit... can't believe you didn't see that. stepoutside the box. your letting go. you love it, but you'd give it up. its gonnabe hard, youve had so many fun times together, but its time to move on

Me: so depressing

Jess: It's going to be, yes. But you'll move on. There are plenty offish in the sea.... I mean, purses in the store....

I’m breaking up with Gucci. Ending our relationship because it’s holdingme back from doing what I want to do (cough, much like a romantic relationshipthat just ended, cough). The amount of money I spent on this bag would’vecovered Chloe’s most recent trip to the auto shop. That’s sick.

Let’s recap here. I purchased this bag was purchased 12/21/10 frombluefly.com for $636, which if you know Gucci is about 30% off the total price.I also had a $40 coupon which brought the entire total to $598 (there was $2s/h). When it arrived, there was a defect with the snap, so they took an extra15% off the price, bringing it down to about $508.

That’s just over 50% off retail value. Hello bargain shopper!

After 2 failed attempts at selling this handbag on eBay and 1 failedattempt on Craigslist, I turned to a site called ShopBellaBag.com. I admit, Ioriginally went to this site to shop, but I put in an inquiry and they areoffering me $400 for my bag.

The real question is, should I sell it? Seriously though, need your help!

And one last thing, this shout-out is NOT because he begged and pleadedme too (insert a tad of sarcasm here), please wish a very Happy 25^thBirthday to this piece of man meat, Aaron.

He’s the G-chat buddy I mentioned ina post the other day.

480, PIPA and SOPA, Personal Branding, and a 5K

2012-01-18T12:17:00.000-05:00

We received 480 hits yesterday. That’s only 20 less than my goal for2012! How exciting?
I’m in REALLY high heels (for work) today and kind of not loving it. Imiss my flats.
The order I placed from 6pm.com, amazon.com, and New York & Companyall have to go back. Why? The jeans NY&Co were in a petite when I ordered a tall, the tripodfrom amazon is broken, and the shoes from 6pm don’t fit. Boo!
I'm kind of questioning if this Operation Leave the Nest thing is going to happen this year.
It’s only noon and I’m already sick of hearing about PIPA and SOPA.
I’m not in a blogging mood today. I think I need to take a vacation.
My salad buddy isn’t at work today and I’m nervous to go next door tothe café by myself. I’m a loser.
My personal branding class is kicking butt so far! The exercises myprofessor has me doing are so motivating. I may post a few for you guys to tryout!
I forgot Mob Wives was on TV last night and instead watched Kim &Kourtney take New York … I’m REALLY sad about that. But seriously, really sad.
I made a ton of realizations this morning on the way to work; the 5Kthing is happening whether I’m prepared or not, I’m over the ex, I’m happybeing single, and I really need to stop looking so angry when I’m driving.

PIPA & SOPA - I'm NOT Blacking Out

2012-01-18T11:07:00.001-05:00

This morning was not unlike any other. I laid in bed from 5:45-7:30 AM,hitting the snooze every 10 minutes to go back to a different dream. Then Ilaid in bed with one eye opened checking my Facebook, E-mail, Horoscope, andTwitter feed.

I got myself ready for the day and sat down to enjoy my espresso shotand some Wiggles with Bean when I pulled up my Twitter feed.

In the 40 minutes it took me to get ready for my day, Twitter friends wentfrom talking about how tired they were, cold they were, and what they were wearingfor the day to talking about SOPA and PIPA.

“Uh, SOPA? PIPA? I can’t wait to get to work and figure out what thehell everyone is talking about.”

I figured it out fast. Well, the gist of it anyway. The government islooking at 2 bills to censor information on the Internet.

Twitter went nuts with bloggers blacking out their site in protest andbeing the easily persuaded individual I am, I went to work looking for a codeto do the same.

And then something clicked. Isn’t that exactly what this bill is tryingto do? Trying to censor what you put out on the Internet? Why would you pullyour blog down for the day in protest to the government because they don’t wantyou to publish your own thoughts? Seems like these bloggers are doing what thegovernment wants voluntarily.

So here we go. I’m not going to stop blogging. In fact, I’ll probablypublish more than usual today just because I can!

Google is raising awareness today on their site.

Wikipedia’s English section is raising awareness on their site.

Craigslist is raising awareness on their site.

Some of my favorite blogs are raising awareness on their sites.

And after reading this article in the Daily News, I’m even more convinced that the USA is becoming a Big Brother country.

What are you takes on this whole thing? Have you found any other sitesthat are blacking out today?

A Guest Blogger's Recap of the 2012 Golden Globes

2012-01-17T13:10:00.002-05:00

"Hey everyone! I'm super excited about my first ever Guest Blogger, Laura! Take it away girl!"

Thank you, Meg! Hi, everyone. I'm Laura, and I'm super excited to be a Guest Blogger here on Glamorous Hustle. I've tried to keep up my own blog several times, but to no avail. I admire Meg's tenacity! I knew we'd get along as soon as she recognized my then-new Michael Kors handbag by both name and designer. A little about me: I'm a Copy Editor at OK! Magazine, and while I get to do a little writing once in a while, I'm not usually allowed to be as honest as I'd like! I think movies are ok, but I mainly watch award shows for the, well, glamorous hustle. Did you guys watch the Golden Globes Sunday night? Well here are my best dressed, worst dressed, and some who I just could not decide where to place. Let me know if you agree (or if you don't!).

Before we begin, I want to call out some of the looks that I wasn't sure where to place. You might expect to see some of these on the best or worst list, but I was torn over them. You're probably expecting to see these at the top:

Sofia Vergara...Confession: I hate Sofia Vergara. I hate how cheesy she is. I hate how much lipstick she wears. I hate her stupid Pepsi commercial that played over and over and OVER during the telecast. I like this dress mainly because of the different textures, but I’m tired of her always wearing the same silhouette! And the color is blah. God. Dianna Agron: Great dress, but she's too young for it. Angelina Jolie: Something about this just didn’t gel for me. I think Angelina could have benefitted from some Jergens Natural Glow. This dress looks practically transclusent, and her skin looks sallow against it. I did love the pop of red, and the abstract shape of the neckline. And I loved that there was a pop red that wasn’t involved with black. I despise red and black. Claire Danes: Love the back, hate the the front. The waist detail actually looks like a filmstrip. Is that supposed to be funny or something?

And you're probably expecting to see these at the bottom:

Zooey Deschanel...Jesus Christ, Zooey Deschanel. We get it. You’re cute. I’m not denying that. In fact, I’m digging the bodice of this dress quite a bit. I like the graphic element. I even like lime green (and I’m one of the few). I don’t, however, like your weird sideburns or nerdy tuxedo manicure. Everyone looking at you knows you could 10 trillion times better. Fail. Sarah Michelle Gellar: I want to really like this. I really like SMG. I really like the boldness of the dress. I really like how fun it is. I really like that she let her daughter pick it out. I really like that she took a risk. I just…don’t really like the ponytail. And I don’t really like puffy dresses. And I know that SMG is like 5’1’’, or something, and this must have been a whole lotta dress for such a little person. Julianna Marguelis...It's not that bad. But! I had a shirt that looked like this dress, when I was in the 7th grade. I got it at G+G. Jessica Lange: I don’t think it really fit well, but she looks like she was just making out with someone in a broom closet in every single picture. And hey, I dig that.

OK! (Shameless plug) Here we go.

Worst:

6) Emma Stone in Lanvin

It hurt me to do it, but it had to be done. Emma Stone, your dress is boring and I hate your belt. That eagle belt is probably the most unnecessary thing I have ever seen on the red carpet aside from Ryan Seacrest. The professor plum color isn’t doing anything for her, and the fuscia down the sides isn’t anywhere near as surprising as the designer probably hoped for.

5) Jessica Biel in Elie Saab

This dress is so bad. And because of modern technology, I can’t say anything original about it. Grandma’s curtains. Grandma’s tablecloth. Grandma’s wedding dress (out of which she made her curtains and tablecloth. Hard times.) Jessica Biel, do us a favor: next time, if you can’t find anything interesting and beautiful to show us, just send Justin Timberlake in your place. Did anyone notice there was no engagement ring? Is there still hope?

4) Rooney Mara in Nina Ricci

In The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Lisbeth Salander’s look is dark and hard-edge and, well, off-putting. Although there’s nothing really wrong with this dress, it would have been fun and interesting if Ms. Mara had chosen to go in a completely different direction this evening, like the one shown next to her Golden Globes look, from the premiere of Youth in Revolt.

3) Nicole Kidman in Versace

I can picture this entire dress in denim.

2) Lea Michele in Nancy Kerrigan

Confession: This dress is actually by Marchesa. Another confession: I loathe Lea Michele. Though she looks like an ice skater and I genuinely do not like this dress, I probably wouldn't have it put it at number 2 on my Worst Dressed list if someone less revolting was wearing it. Did anyone catch E!s pre-show? Her attitude made this whole look supremely ugly, from her super-fake cheeriness and false wonderment with Ryan Seacrest to her always-despicable over-posing on the red carpet. As I told a friend last night, she looks like a teenager in her bedroom, pretending to catch flashbulbs in a Cover Girl commercial.

And the number 1 worst-dressed person at the Golden Globes was...

Madonna! In Reem Acra

Somewhere right now, a 15-year-old girl is sitting on Madonna's skirt while she watches The Bachelor. The ruffles! And so shiny! And what a steal with the 30% off coupon from Kohl's! Did anyone else cringe in pain while looking at the bodice? Between the gothic glam style of the dress and the super-sparkly shackles bracelets, Madge looked like she was being held prisoner in a tower somewhere--and from the state of her roots, it looks like she's been there for a very long time. I hesitate to mention the glove. I honestly don't know if this is a poor accessory choice or if the Material Girl is recovering from carpal tunnel surgery.

Also, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Piper Perabo. Her dress was so ugly that I don't even want to include a picture of it. I'll just use this likeness of it instead.

Ok. That was painful, but it's over. On to the best!

6) Giuilana Rancic

Yes! Modern Victorian. This has the antiquity that perhaps Jessica Biel was going for, without being, well, gross. I love the shredded details and the high neckline! The details give this otherwise soft look an edge, and finally, it's great to see Giuliana on the carpet after all she went through in 2011.

5) Stacy Keibler

I'm just a sucker for this look. I never get tired of a red dress done right, and this is it. I dare you to find anything wrong with this.

4) Maria Menounos in Blumarine

Ok, wait. I too have issues with the prom hair. I really, really wish she didn't have prom hair. But this dress made me happy just by looking at it. I guarantee it would be impossible to not have a fabulous night in a fun dress like this.

3) Sarah Hyland in Dolce & Gabbana

Fantastic! I love how the black breaks up the nude, and I love the peekaboo effect in the sash. I am dying to see this dress in person. I wish she didn’t have highlights, but that’s ok. The understated accessories are perfect, perfect. I frequently love this girl. I wish I looked like this when I was however old she is. Or, now. Or in the future.

2) TIE! Shailene Woodley in Marchesa and Jessica Alba in Gucci

Both ladies have effortless elegance, and in similar shimmery, lilac-colored gowns. My life would be better if I had the opportunity to wear either one of these dresses. On Shailene…I just appreciate it so much when a young person in Hollywood just looks classy and stylish and isn’t trying so damn hard to be sexy. Well done. On Jessica, I have to admit, I’m not sure why she was there, but she looked beautiful, and I have a newfound appreciation for her because of her recent candor when asked about how she stays in tip-top shape: “I’m starving, it sucks,” she said. Thank you, Jessica! It helps knowing she suffers to look this good.

1) TIE! AGAIN! Charlize Theron in Dior and Reese Witherspoon in Zac Posen

Be still, my heart. I'm sorry, I couldn't choose. Each lady is doing one of my favorite things — Charlize's headband in particular is Roaring '20s glamorous and Reese is doing structured sexiness but in a soft way. On Charlize, all the colors are just working in harmony here. The creamy peach color of the gown, the softness of the hair, a perfect tan, that train...I'm sorry, I become much less eloquent when I get really excited. On Reese, I wish I could find a picture of her without her hands on her hips — one of the coolest parts of this dress was the rough seams in the sides. She also made me appreciate the sweetheart neckline, which isn't one of my favorite things. I love that she kept her hair loose and playful, otherwise the overall effect might have been too stiff. Perfection. Finally, she looked so. Damn. Happy. And that looks great on everyone!

Some honorable mentions: Jessica Chastain in Givenchy, Michelle Williams in Jason Wu and Jodie Foster.

I wish Jessica Chastain had fixed her hair. Eek. She's landing on a lot of worst-dressed lists, but I quite like the dress, and the color on her. It's just that hair. Michelle Wiliams looks lovely, and she was so cute during her acceptance speech for My Week With Marilyn. I'm just not sure about the length of that sleeve. Finally, I loved Jodie Foster getting a little glitzy, and I loved this color on her. Her hair makeup were also perfect with the look. The top could have fit a little better, though.

That pretty much does it! I'm sorry the post is so long-winded, but it really was a great carpet this year! So much to discuss!

Neon Green, Fingers in Your Ear, and EBing a Mommy

2012-01-17T10:29:00.001-05:00

I painted my nails grey and neon green last night and wound up wearinggrey and neon green in my outfit today, completely unplanned.
We had an ice storm in NJ last night and the weather man said tempstoday will be upwards of 50 degrees. Yes, you read that correctly. Ice storm +50 degree temps = pneumonia. Everyone is going to get sick from this bipolarweather.
I’m obsessed with my new camera and started looking up photographyblogs on Pinterest and Bloglovin.
My hair is super soft today and I’m going to attempt to curl ittonight; I need a little hair revamp.
I was watching the Bachelor with my niece last night when I felt somethingin my ear. It was her sticking her finger in it super slow to see if I wouldnotice. Yes, she’s weird but I love her.
I’m so excited my sister showed me a great way to update my iPod. Now Ijust have to clean off all the stuff my ex put on it and thought I’d like. Mencan be so silly sometimes.
I may or may not have a date tomorrow night and I’m kind of excitedabout it.
I took my vitamins this morning. Something I haven’t done in a longtime! But I feel more tired than usual. Hmm …
I really need to start putting my outfits together the night beforebecause I have no motivation to dress cute in the morning. I do, however, liketo look at outfits on Pinterest!
I read news Web sites every morning and read an article about a womanwho’s son died in her arms after battling a severe skin disorder called EB. Shewrites a blog beautifully but I only managed to read a few posts. It was reallydifficult. I encourage you to visit “EB”ing a Mommy and leave her your love andprayers to get through such a difficult time.

And I Shall Call Her Daisy

2012-01-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

So I’m doing the happy dance. You may not be able to see it but youbetter believe it. As soon as the UPS guy hit the brakes in front of my house Istalked him through the window until he reached my front door.

*Just want you all to know, when I google searched for an image I put "stalking the UPS guy in the window" and the first image I saw was a DSLR camera. Funny?*

No, it’s not because he’s a stud. In fact, I didn’t even see his face.I only saw the package in his hands. Oh Mylanta, that came out wrong …. Or …. Nevermind.

But seriously. My new DSLR camera is here! And her name is Daisy.

In honor of Top 10 Tuesday, I’m sharing with you 10 photos taken withmy camera (so far). I was just playing around with the different settings,zoom, and flash. I promise to post better photos when I get to know Daisybetter. We all know how awkward first dates can be.

*My computer*

*Some of my shoes*

*Daisy's home*

*Some dresser decorations*

*Remember this little guy?*

*A Birthstone Bear on my shelf*

*Couldn't have said it better!*

*A photo I have on my wall. Perfection!*

*Mom's African Violets*

*And my first self portrait. Messy hair, freckles, and all!*

And then a big thanks to Mom for letting me take a photo of her and a big shame on your booty to Bean (my niece) for refusing to show her face. I photoshopped and played around on Picnik.com to make it all pretty for ya Momma Dukes.

A Guest Blogger, a Zebra Pencil Skirt, and No More Dating

2012-01-16T17:01:00.001-05:00

A girlfriend of mine is a real estate agent and showed me a fewlistings in my budget that are for sale last night. One I fell in love with butit was a rude awakening how much I need to front in order to get the keys tothe unfurnished apartment. Oy freaking vey!
I spent $0 yesterday and was only going to spend money on lunch todayuntil I found a zebra print pencil skirt originally $98 on sale for $11.99. Nobrainer. It’s on its way to my house in 8 days. LAST thing I purchase – I promise!
I have a guest blogger coming up this evening with a fashion recap onthe Golden Globes. Stay tuned; I can’t wait to see what she has to say!
This cold weather is making me pick my nose more than usual, which isalready a lot. But I’m not ashamed to admit it. If you got a boogie, you got aboogie!
My new camera is “In Transit” to my house at the moment and I mayactually skip tanning tonight so I can go home and play. Eek!
I canceled my online dating profile subscriptions today. I’m officiallyremoved from the dating world. At first I was afraid, I was petrified; keptthinking I could never live without [it] by my side. And then a handsome Gchatfriend reminded me that I’m a fabulous catch and I felt better.
It’s MLK Day for MOST of my area so I hit zero traffic on my way towork. Was I happy? Negative. That meant I couldn’t listen to as many fun songsand I got to work 20 minutes early.
I received so many lovely comments on my blog over the last few days(both virtual and verbal) and it makes me so proud to have such great readers.
I’ve been so busy at work today that the day went by superfast. Am Icomplaining? Hell no! I LOVE it when I’m swamped at work!
I want snow. A lot of it. To the point where I’m stranded wherever I amwhen the snow starts; especially if the company is good looking and male. Andthen I want to wake up the next day and it be gone.

Dear Megan

2012-01-16T10:49:00.002-05:00

Last night I finally got a chance to relax. I blogged twice, cleaned upthe mess of a room I acquired this weekend, and sat on the couch with MommaDukes to watch TV and read my magazines. One of the magazines I was readingsaid to write a letter to yourself.

I know what you’re thinking. Psycho! But actually it makes sense. Whenyou receive a compliment from someone else, it’s flattering. You get excitedand you become a little more proud of what you’re all about.

So why not tell yourself you’re proud?

Today’s Motivational Monday, I challenge you to write yourself aletter. I Double-Dog dare you in fact. I already accepted the challenge:

Dear Megan-

You should be proud of yourself. You have accomplished most of thethings on your list of life goals and you are only 26. You are one of the firstin your family to graduate high school, the first to graduate college, and theonly one (that you know of) to work on a Master’s degree. Bravo!

You are a positive role model to your sisters and your niece. They lookup to you for guidance and even if they sometimes resent you for it, they aregrateful for the huge footsteps you have made for them to follow. One day they’lllook back on these difficult years and thank you for pushing them as hard asyou do.

Do not dwell on the failed relationships of your love life. It’s theirloss. You know you’re a catch and you know you have a lot of love to give.Those men just realized that they don’t deserve all that you are. Be gratefulabout it, not resentful. Those men coming back to you would mean you’ve stoopeddown to their level and let’s face it, that’s just not a glamorous thing to do.

The goals you have set forth for yourself in 2012 are ones that you aregoing to accomplish. Don’t be bettered by temptation. The minute you turn yourkeys to your very first place in your super fashionable outfit with some greatphotographs (thanks to your new found obsession with photography) you will knowyou’ve made your parents proud.

And the budget thing? Come on girl; you got this! Shopping for overlyexpensive items that you probably won’t fit into in 3 months because yourweight fluctuates so insanely is just silly. Admit it. The only items that areworth the outrageous prices are handbags (shoes get ruined, clothes lose styleand fit) and you already promised yourself that you’re not going to buyanymore. And the vino; your waistline will thank you for not drinking itanymore.

Haters will hate. Rumors will be spread. Friends will become memoriesand family will become more important. You’re going to laugh, you’re going tocry, and you’re going to be super frustrated. But that’s life, and it’s soworth it.

Stop being so scared and just live your life; the way you want to, notthe way others expect.

Ever so glamorously,

*Got to admit, I smiled just a little bit bigger when writing this. It’ssuper motivating to write yourself a letter.

The Budget Thing is Really Happening

2012-01-15T15:44:00.000-05:00

Budget. The word used to scare the crap out of me but after theresearch I did yesterday, it’s my new favorite obsession. Last night I spentthe night getting serious. And when I say serious, I mean wine-inducedconcentration.

The night consisted of 1) learning how to use Excel (which is actuallya pretty neat skill to have), 2) realizing how much money I spent on retardedthings (not to say that a new red coat is retarded but I mean come on, how manytimes do I need to shop in 1 month?), and 3) apartment hunting on padmapper.com(big thanks to my friend Gail for introducing me to that site).

Let’s get serious here.

I made an Excel document that shows How much money I make each month,the balance and monthly payments on all of my credit cards (the number is lessthan last year but still embarrassing with how many cards I have), and my “musts”(my car, my cell, my insurance).

And what a shocker. I need to figure out where 67% of my income goes,because it’s not to any of my bills!

So good news, I make more than I spend on bills every month; whichmeans I make enough to move out of my house and into my own place. But, thatmeans that I don’t watch my money as well as I should.

So, I turned to mint.com to figure it out. If you haven’t discoveredthis site yet, you should. I blogged about it once before and don’t keep upwith it as much as I should but that’s all about to change. This is a pie chartshowing where I spend my money. Keep in mind, I’m showing you the actualnumbers because I have no shame; but I’d like to get some shame from you guysso I stop spending so silly.

Moral of the story? I have a shopping problem.

What did I do the rest of the night?

Finished my bottle of wine, went screen-shopping (because you can’tcall it window shopping if you’re on the computer) in the “Free Stuff” categoryon Craigslist and bookmarked apartments in my budget.

Then I went on Pinterest to get some inspiration on decorating my firstapartment and realized I can make jewelry to sell on Etsy for some extra cashon the side!

Seriously, I become the jack-of-all-trades when I have some booze in mysystem. But hey, it may work out the way it did in my head and that would befabulous!

Mom is pretty proud of me I think. Today she asked that I do thegrocery shopping for the house. It was partially because she and my step-dadare hung up with a nasty stomach bug but I also think it was to open my eyes onjust what I’m getting myself into.

What I learned on my shopping trip:

Old men walk very slow, especially when they are with their wives, soyou have to be extra careful not to run over their ankles (I actually did thistoday and felt super bad. I apologized 4 times).
The cold cut aisle and the vegetable aisle are the 2 places you couldmeet your potential husband. I used to not believe in the “you’ll meet him inthe post office or grocery store” thing but I got a wink and “how are you”between the carrots and red peppers and every guy behind the deli counter askedif I was being helped.
When putting things into your car at the end of your trip, make sureyour cart is rested securely against your car or put your foot on it. When youturn around, the cart will book it down the hill. The guy walking past me foundthis visual pretty humorous, but was impressed with my cat-like reflexes totame the runaway cart.
Look at prices. Instead of purchasing the chicken that was on sale for$1.99 a lb I purchased the chicken that was close to $6 a pound. Thank godShopRite takes returns.

Operation Leave the Nest is in full effect here people. FULL EFFECT! Imean come on, do you make Excel documents for fun?

A Wand, Freezing Temps, a Canceled Date, and a Happy Dance

2012-01-15T14:45:00.001-05:00

Friday night’s “I’m staying in to budget” turned into a Happy Hour withmy coworkers where I drank more than I was charged (thanks to the super cutebartender I used to know when I was a bar fly).
I bought a curling iron/wand Saturday to attempt to curl my hair and Iwas not blessed with the wand skills. I’ll stick to straight hair.
My date made other plans and canceled on me tonight. Ouch!
I spent the night last night budgeting – SERIOUS budgeting. Anotherpost will be up with more details on that one.
The only reason I’d hop on the elliptical machine right now is to warmup. Its 17 degrees in NJ right now. Kind of wishing for snow; it usually helpstake the chill away (although that sounds odd).
I stumbled upon a Glee marathon yesterday and am kind of obsessed.Listening to the Pandora station now.
I went grocery shopping today for the first time ever; not to pick upice cream and big cheez-its, an actual trip where I had to go down every aisle.That’s huge for me! (again, there will be another post up with more details).
My orchid is finally growing again. I'm hoping to get some flowers!
I’m a bi-polar dater; sometimes I want to date and have fun, othertimes I want to be single and do me.
My new camera is coming in tomorrow and I’m going to be doing the “make-work-go-by-faster-because-im-super-exciteddance” all day.

Operation Leave the Nest

2012-01-13T16:22:00.001-05:00

I’m not doing a fashion Friday post because my outfit is anything butexciting today. And, I’m waiting for my new camera to come on Monday! I’vewanted a DSLR camera for a few months now and made it a goal of mine to getinvolved in photography this year. So, let’s hope that I love it as much as thedescription and reviews! Plus, I got an amazing deal on it … can’t go wrong!

*Disclaimer: Although the link above takes you to the camera I purchased, I got it for about 1/4 of that price off amazon.com with gift cards that I traded in points from the Wachovia Debit Card system (that is no longer active but the points can still be used). BARGAIN SHOPPER!

But, I am asking for your help.

I’ve done the whole Pinterest thing for inspiration on a budget todecorate my first place. I think I’ve got that covered. Now, just need to findsomewhere to put it all!

One of my goals this year is to finally move out on my own (with thehopes of not getting lonely and moving back home shortly after). Withoccupation changes for myself (making more money than I was last year) and myfamily (step-dad retired; sister moved in with her baby, adding 2 extra mouthsto feed and more electricity to use) I think it’s time I fend for myself.

I have a hunger for shopping that has been easily fed since the only billsI have to pay are my credit cards and necessities (car and cell phone). Budget?Bah … I have no idea what that means.

I’ve tried it before in the past. Easing up on the shopping, sellingthe high-end goods I’ve acquired, and putting more into savings than I’mspending every month and it got me nowhere.

But I’m doing it this year. I am moving out on my own.

So tonight, rather than going to Happy Hour with my coworkers tocelebrate the completion of another work week, I will be purchasing a bottle ofwine (easy there killer, the big bottle I usually get retails at $5.99 – I’m acheap date) and figuring out the finances.

Hopefully, by tomorrow morning, I will have a “6-months or less” planon how to go from mooching off the parentals to living like the ever glamorousCarrie Bradshaw.

I have no shame in studio apartments and a fridge filled with carrotsand hummus or a cabinet filled with Ramen noodles. In fact, the last time Imoved out on my own, I reached my lowest weight since high school!

But, where do I look? Do you guys have any Web sites that you use? Anyclues to look for while looking? I need all the advice I can get!

^^ PS - What do you think of the new signature? :)

Grey Day, Speed Dating, Big Move, and a Short Workout

2012-01-13T10:48:00.000-05:00

Most of the people in my office today are wearing grey; one of my galpals and I at work are wearing the same EXACT outfit (minus the shoes) – Hi Nicole!
The blog got a new logo (again) last night; I’m very indecisive.
The girls and I may be trying speed dating soon. It sounds like fun andwe really have nothing to lose.
I emailed the ex-boyfriend last night with an article I found aboutStaten Island men and have regretted it ever since. I was doing so well withnot contact him (just under a full month). Bleh, no bueno.
I tried to switch from Blogger to WordPress yesterday and it’s more ofa headache than I anticipated.
I already have a few outfits planned for next week and most of them aredresses. Looking forward to looking chic and being comfortable!
I went apartment hunting last night on Craigslist and found a bunch ofstudio and 1BR apartments in a better area than I originally found and cheapertoo. This moving out thing may actually happen!
Pink lip gloss has become a staple in my everyday outfit lately and Ilove it. But a few fashion bloggers have introduced me to lipstick colors thatI’ve been trying to match. Thank you for that!
I made another purchase from New York & Company last night butwound up not getting half the items that were in my bag in the morning becauselast night they had sold out. I’m mad about that but found a few substitutesthat are super cute.
I went on the elliptical machine last night to watch the show I fellasleep through on Wednesday night. Picture this: My computer, plugged into thewall next to the machine, resting not-so-steadily on the handlebars with metrying to figure out how to work the resistance and make sure my computer doesn’tfall (which I narrowly saved a few closed calls). I lasted 2.5 minutes and thenlounged on my bed. Fail? Or Success since I did actually do SOME work?

Death in the Afternoon

2012-01-12T16:33:00.002-05:00

I’m still super bummed about the situation this morning with Google buteven more frustrated at 1) how difficult it is to move my blogger content towordpress and 2) how difficult wordpress is to maneuver.

It looks like this transition is going to take longer than anticipated,if at all happen.

I’m embarrassed to say that this drink post has not been posted untilthis late because of my anxiety attack from this morning so I figured thisdrink is super fitting. And a big thanks to my Twitter friend Miss Taylor Cast for supplying itto me!

Death in the Afternoon

Ingredients

1 1/2 ounces absinthe
4 ounces champagne

Instructions

Pour absinthe (or substitute, such as Pernod) into a champagneflute and add iced champagne.

Hmmm absinthe? Sounds like a death wish if you ask me. I think I’llstick to my vino for this evening. But if you guys try this one, let me knowhow it is!

*Photo and recipe from Cocktalia

Google's Fail, Word Press, New York & Company, and a Dream

2012-01-12T11:36:00.000-05:00

I was suspended from my Google account this morning for whatever reasonand they took my blog down. Shame on you Google!
The blog will be switching to WordPress this weekend because I’m nottaking a chance like that again.
I walked into the living room this morning to ask my niece if she likedmy outfit (kind of a ritual lately, which she normally responds with “no, that’sugly”) and she said “oo I LOVE it!” and then proceeded to tell her Mother thatshe wanted to dress like Aunt Meg this morning. BUT wouldn’t take a picturewith me to prove it.
When you take my blog away from me, I shake like an alcoholic on theirfirst day of recovery. Seriously, I was going nuts.
I now have 2 stalkers. Which I find fabulous because 2 is my favoritenumber (I hate odd numbers) and I’m flattered that my life is that interestingto some people.
I’m forcing myself to stay in tonight and be productive. I’ve been outand about every day since last Thursday and I’m exhausted. I have a ton to dotonight.
New York & Company has an AMAZING deal on this red coat I’ve beeneyeing and I may be making ANOTHER purchase today.
Mom found an apartment in my budget but not in my location preferenceand instead of thanking her I got defensive. Maybe I’m not ready to leave thenest yet? Oy vey.
I had a dream last night that I wish had the slightest possibility ofcoming true but ex-boyfriends have a way of ruining their ex-girlfriends livesand it doesn’t look like that’ll happen.
My blog has received over 300 hits each day this week and I could NOTbe happier!

Excuses Excuses

2012-01-11T12:49:00.000-05:00

It’s work-out Wednesday and guess what? I’m embarrassed.

That elliptical machine that I rearranged my room for so I could put itnext to my bed and hop on it in the morning has yet to be used. Unless youcount me trying it out to make sure the back part didn’t hit the wall.

I’m going to give you a few ~~reasons~~ excuses why I haven’t used it.

I’m ~~exhausted in the morning because my bed is so comfortable.~~ lazy.
I’ve been ~~a social butterfly the last few weeks so I don’t get homeuntil later; I go out after work.~~ lazy.
I ~~don’t have cute workout gear.~~ am lazy.
I wish I ~~had a tv in room.~~ wasn't lazy.

Duh. All excuses are lame. I’m going to finish out the week being recklessand get started this weekend. NO EXCUSES!

First, I’m going to stop drinking this:

So I can look like this:

Happy Hump Day!

Magic Tricks, Safaris, and Exclamation Points

2012-01-11T10:20:00.004-05:00

Completely random nights are usually the most fun nights.
The new pick-up line men use: “Hey, want to see a card trick?” And it’susually followed by super impressive card skills and me yelling “Oh Mylanta!How did you do that!?”
I showered and got my hair/face ready in 33 minutes flat this morning.That’s a new record and opens up a world of opportunities for my morning.Seriously, this is BIG!
Today I look like I’m going on an African safari. I purchased a shirtfrom New York & Company a few weeks ago and have yet to wear it, but havewatched all of the fashion bloggers I follow wear it gorgeously. It’s pairedwith my new heels. Thoughts?
It’s not about how many friends you have, it’s about the quality andthe way they enhance your happiness.
I forgot to buy tights last night and wound up in a different outfitthan I planned.
I use exclamation marks too often when I leave comments on other people’sblogs.
It just took me 3 tries to figure out what the word for this symbol is:!
These “random rambling” posts are going to be a semi-daily thing. Ilove it and you guys do too. Right?
I want a DSLR camera. Pronto. And a tripod.

Lessons from Dating Online

2012-01-10T12:11:00.000-05:00

It’s no secret that I’ve been in and out of the dating field many timesover the last 3 years. When I revamped this blog I vowed to not talk about mydating life any more than is appropriate but today’s post is going to take alittle bit of a different route.

I went out last night with a guy who actually reads and compliments myblog (Hi Mike!). When I told him about the journey that the blog has taken andits’ new theme days, he gave me the topic for today’s Top 10 Tuesday post.

10 Things I’ve Learned From Dating Online:

That list of “must-haves” that you bring to the table, he has one too.You should take the advice of every married person you meet and be more lenientwith the items on your list; you may be pleasantly surprised with what you endup with when you look past 1 or 2 must-haves.
If you don’t know the man beforehand, don’t accept his offer (if heactually offers) to pick you up at your place. Although this is tempting(saving gas, don’t need to worry about how much you drink, won’t get lost,etc), it can make for an awkward way to end the date (and possibly a stalker).
But if you DO know the man beforehand (and are interested), cross yourfingers he offers and cross them even harder that the end-of-the-night kiss isas amazing as you’re hoping it will be.
If he “makes” you go to his neck of the woods on the first date,chances are you’re going to have to do it every date. If you’re cool with it,good for you.
If his online profile says he’s 5’8”, there is a 75% chance he’sactually 5’6” or 5’7”.
If his profile says “I’ll tell you later” for any of these categories –job, salary, kids, wants kid, drinks, smokes, degree – chances are he’s eithera) a jobless, broke, baby daddy to 1+ kids who lives with his parents and isgoing to county college or b) a wealthy, independent, “my parents gave meeverything I wanted” kind of guy who is probably looking to “find a girl tohave fun with”.
If he asks for your number and only texts until you show up at therestaurant and he calls to see if you’re there, he’s not taking this thingseriously. I admit I get nervous when a new person calls, but it’s really thechivalrous thing to do – men CALL women on the PHONE.
If you went out on 1 or 2 dates with him and you really weren’tinterested, you won’t be a year from now when he reaches out to you again (oryou reach out to him when you’re drunk because “he was such a nice guy”).Accept the fact that it was a nice date with a nice guy who is not your guy andget back out there!
If you’re the one putting all the effort into the date and/or therelationship, get out – fast! You are a fabulous find and not everyone is goingto appreciate the rarity that you are. So find someone who will. If he’sseriously looking and truly interested, he’ll plan a date you’ll enjoy.
If you are interested on the first date, make plans for the seconddate. Don’t leave it up in the air as “we’ll see if he calls!” Let it be knownthat you want to see each other again; why waste time by playing the 3-dayrule?

I could truly make a list that has 100 items on it. Which is why I’vebeen seriously considering a book. But, for the sake of time, I’ll leave youwith 10. Hope you enjoyed my life lessons!

Grey Pants, Wiz Khalifa, a Purple Cup, and a Good Date

2012-01-10T10:28:00.002-05:00

I’m wearing grey dress pants for the first time in about 4 years and mymale coworker and I are wearing the same outfit (grey pants, black sweater).
I broke one of my fashion vows already by wearing my hair up and wet. Iwas up later than anticipated last night.
I fully believe that the music you listen to on the ride into work willmake or break your mood of the day. I no longer listen to talk radio in the AM,I listen to Wiz Khalifa (mwahaha inside joke but totally serious).
I feel naked and not put together if I leave my house without nailpolish and actually sat down to throw some color on 10 minutes before I left myhouse this morning. Thank you Seche Vite Top Coat – And I just realized how much cheaper I can get it on Amazon!
Every time I bring a lunch to work I end up wanting somethingdifferent. Like today – my leftovers will be left for tomorrow and my coworkerand I just made plans to try the cafeteria’s salad bar.
Grad school started this week and I’m super excited about that. I’m anerd at heart; a good looking nerd but still a nerd.
The cup my sister bought me for Christmas is making me drink more waterthroughout the day. It may be because of the straw or the fact that it’sdeceiving how much water I’m drinking, but hopefully it helps flush out someunnecessary lbs.
My alarm clock went over every 10 minutes from 5:45 am until 7:10 amthis morning and every time I hit the snooze button I fell asleep to adifferent dream. It was actually a lot of fun.
Last night’s date was a reassurance that there are really good men outthere and I have a lot to offer. I thank him for that.
I have to purchase tights after work tomorrow and not forget againbecause I have an outfit idea for tomorrow’s networking Happy Hour. This is measking you to remind me.

Completely Random Ramblings

2012-01-09T10:08:00.001-05:00

I can’t just have one glass of wine … like ever. Unless they are $12 aglass and I’m on a budget.
Girls Night In is NEVER just Girls Night In. It always ends up as GirlsNight Out until the sun comes up.
I’m wearing a tucked in shirt today and feel like I look like alibrarian. But I’ve gotten a ton of compliments so BAM!
My shows last night completely blew my mind.
I have a date tonight but will not tell you guys how it went. Sorry J.
Chloe the Cobalt got new shoes (brakes) this weekend and it cost me$450. I’m happy she drives like she’s new again but I’m sad because that could’vebeen a really nice handbag.
I’m kind of obsessed with the products I received from BirchBox thisweekend.
My red lipstick experiment was an epic fail. The boldest I’ll go ispink gloss.
The motivational post from this morning really hit home. I’ve beenslacking at work because there isn’t much to do instead of pushing myself tolearn more about the different departments and grow. That’s got to change thisweek.
Not that he isn’t absolutely delish, completely gorgeous,mouth-watering handsome, but Tebow looks like an ostrich. Just look at thephotos below.

Win the Prize

2012-01-09T08:24:00.002-05:00

Happy Monday! I hope you all are wakingup well rested from a great weekend. The weather in New Jersey this weekend wasabsolutely gorgeous and hopefully a hint that Spring is closer than thecalendar claims.

I spent the weekend with my lovely girlfriendsand cleaning/organizing my bedroom. My elliptical machine is resting nicelynext to my bed and will hopefully be a motivator to get up early and work out.

Although it didn’t happen this morning.Sundays are my night to watch all of my shows (there are 5 from 8-10 pm; 2 ofwhich I DVR and watch after the Live ones are done) and wine is always present.That’s a habit that should probably stop soon.

I’m starting this morning with a pop ofbright coral in my outfit. I attempted to take a picture for you guys but itjust wasn’t happening. I still need to learn all of the features on my camerafor good photos to come out.

A random thoughts post will be up laterthis morning with a special appearance from Tebow. Not to rub it in but he kindof kicked the Steelers butts last night lol. I wouldn’t know, I was too busylooking at his butt to realize what was going on in the game but that’s justwhat I heard.

And as always, I leave you with thisquote. I read it over the weekend and it really hit home with me. I’ve beengiving less than I should at work and this quote really motivated me to step upand push myself. That’s what I’ll be doing this week!

"Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work onefinishes nothing. The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson, you know him as a transcendental man!

Start your Monday off with a smile lovies!

Disclaimer: All quotes are “borrowed” from TheDaily Love e-mail. Click here to sign up!

January BirchBox

2012-01-08T13:05:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was spent cleaning andreorganizing/decluttering/simplifying my room and my life. And then the mailmancame and made me the happiest girl in the world. My first BirchBox wasdelivered!

They offer a service where for $10 a month, a box of about 5 trial size products will be delivered to your door! You get to try the products (and keep them) and decide if you want to purchase a full-size version. It's a great way to trial and error items you may or may not want to use.

I purchased subscriptions for my sisters for Christmas as well. So far, they've failed to report anything they've loved or hated. Shame on them!

The box came with a little motivational message and adescription of each product, what they do, and how much the full-sized versionwould cost.

In my box I received:

Juicy Couture fragrance – to smell pretty.
Miracle Skin™ Transformer – to conceal and treat yuckinesson the face.
VMV Hypoallergenics – Eye Serum to get rid of dark circles.
Zoya Nail Polish in Megan – Because duh, why wouldn’t thisbe in my first box? How fitting?!
Witchcraft Granola – A little sample to kick start thehealthy Meg.

After finishing up the cleaning fiasco I went right to thenailpolish. It looks a little messy (thanks to the vino I also treated myselftoo last night) but how do you like it?

I’ll let you guys know how the rest of the products are onceI give them a try. I’m so excited!

5 Out of 10 Ain't Bad!

2012-01-06T12:10:00.001-05:00

It’sFriday! Are you guys as excited as I am? I was happy to come back to work so Icould dress again (instead of sporting the leggings and cute shirt thing),extra excited it was a short work week, but now I need a break.

Thegirls and I are headed out for dinner again tonight and possibly some drinks ata nearby bar. I didn’t put much effort into today’s look; just jeans, heels,and a ¾ sleeve black shirt. BUT, I did rock the turquoise jewelry.

I’m kindof proud of myself this week in the fashion department. Although I didn’t takeas many risks as I wanted to, I still accomplished a few of my fashion vows for 2012.

I woreheels a majority of the week.
I worea piece of jewelry I haven’t worn in a while (turquoise necklace).
I worecolor (a peach/coral colored shirt my first day back in the office).
I didn’twear my hair up once this week!
I worelipstick (pink at that)!

I’d say that accomplishing 5 of my 10 vows in 1 week is apretty big accomplishment. Wouldn’t you?

I already have at least 3 outfits picked out for next weekas well. Not bad for a newbie!

A Dragon, Some Sushi, and a Lounge I Adore

2012-01-05T20:50:00.001-05:00

G-chat during work is probably my favorite thing to do. I’m stillproductive enough to get work done but get to keep up with my guy and girlfriends.

Most of the time it’s my friend Allie and I raving about shoes andother shopping sprees but yesterday was spent debating whether or not we shouldgo for sushi and half priced martinis at Sushi Lounge.

What a silly question, right?

So 4 of us gals ventured into the bitter freezing cold for some rawfish and booze-infused drinks (see below: Allie, Me, Katie, and Jess -- Big Kudos to Jess who ate her entire roll, she's not much of a fish person). It washonestly the best idea we’ve had in a while.

I won’t tell you how amazing my food was to save you from drooling overmy words and wishing you lived closer to one of the Sushi Lounge locations, butI will tell you that if I could eat a Bird of Paradise roll every day for therest of my life I would die a happy girl.

As long as it’s accompanied by my new favorite drink, PomegranateDragon martini.

Picture a combination of a cherry and watermelon Jolly Rancher with thetingling sensation of pop rocks (although that’s not an ingredient, just thesweetness makes you tingle), accompanied by ice cubes and some flavorfuldecoration in a glass.

Honestly, delicious.

And since it’s Thirsty Thursday, I went through the efforts ofcontacting Sushi Lounge through Twitter to get the recipe for you guys!

I just want to point out that the recipe below calls for Van Gogh Vodkaand although you could technically substitute it with a different vodka, whywould you? You don’t mess with perfection … seriously, don’t.

Ingredients:

2oz of Van Gogh Pomegranate Vodka

1oz PAMA pomegranate liqueur

splash of sour mix

garnish with an oba leaf

Directions:

Mix it all together in a shaker withice and pour it in a glass. Seriously, it’s a martini, not a Picasso.

Or you can just join the gals and I on Tuesday for Ladies Night.

Happy sipping!

Disclaimer: I was not paid or reimbursed by Sushi Lounge or Van Gogh Vodka for this post. It really was THAT delicious that I had to share.

Playing in the Mud

2012-01-05T13:31:00.001-05:00

I’m a big fan of all things chocolate and even more excited wheremarshmallows are involved. One of my girlfriends sends me drink recipesreligiously (Thanks Allie!) for my blog and this one made my mouth water assoon as I opened it.

I’m not sure this could be a martini you could drink all night; unlessyou’re channeling your inner Willy Wonka but it’s probably delicious as anafter dinner drink!

Ingredients

4tablespoons Pinnacle Marshmallow Vodka
3tablespoons Godiva Chocolate liqueur
3tablespoons milk or cream
2tablespoons nut liqueur such as Nocello or a pecan liqueur
2teaspoons Hershey’s chocolate syrup
Chocolatewhipped cream (such as Reddi-wip)
Chocolateshavings or curls

Instructions

Mixmarshmallow vodka, chocolate liqueur, milk/cream, nut liqueur, and chocolatesyrup
in ashaker with ice. Shake for about 30 seconds.
Straindrink into glass. Top drink with whipped cream and chocolate as desired.

Recipe borrowed from Snappy Gourmet. Cheers!

Random Thoughts on a Thursday

2012-01-05T10:14:00.002-05:00

A few random thoughts this beautiful Thursday morning:

I updated some songs to my iPod last night and danced in my car on theway to work.
I finally purchased the Tahari heels I’ve been dreaming about all weekbut didn’t wear them to work today.
I’m kind of obsessed with bloglovin.com and you should be too. Clickhere to follow me on the site!
I updated the comments section for my blog last night to make it easierfor you people to show me love. So do it. Please and thank you!
Super random sushi dinner with the girls last night was oh so fabulousand needs to happen more often.
I decided to keep the green Michael Kors bag I bought at TJ Maxx theother day and am currently rocking it today. Here’s a pic of it resting on mydesk at work. Ironically, the color of my company is green too. I’m so cliché.
If I can get 200 people to like my Facebook fan page for Glamorous Hustle I will do a giveaway! So invite your friends and family to like the pageand read the posts. Please and thank you (again)!
When I wear wedge heels I feel more secure when I walk so I walkdifferently; kind of mean/powerful/confident. Must purchase more wedge heels.
But did make another purchase on 6pm.com last night. What do you thinkof these 3 choices?
And lastly, New York & Company just sent me another e-mail with asale and coupon. They are KILLING me! But it’s a secret sale; if you want in,let me know!

Totally didn’t mean to do a “top 10” list but I have a few randomthoughts and didn’t know how to work it into a full blown blog post withoutboring you guys.

Kind of excited about how much interaction I had yesterday on Twitterand my blog. So, I’ll most likely be posting a lot more often; like more than 1post in a day.

Which is great because it’s THIRSTY THURSDAY! What are you guys sippingon tonight? I’ll put up a drink later today!

Green Tea and a Goal

2012-01-04T12:08:00.003-05:00

Myoffice is normally 5,000˚ in my office by 10 am when everyone isofficially “in.” Today, it’s about 30˚ because it’s near freezingoutside.

How do I warm up? TEA! I’mofficially obsessed with tea. My desk hosts 3 boxes of varieties ranging fromEnglish Breakfast to Blueberry.

Right now I’m sipping onsome Green Tea. Mostly because of the warm that the cup is radiating but alsobecause of all the great health benefits it comes with!

Check it out:

As for the goal -- Once I get my iPod updated with some music that makes me want to move my dancing feet, this chick is going to go for a walk/run in the mornings followed by Pilates in the evenings. At least that's the idea I came up with today. We'll see how it goes!

The Princess Has a Meltdown

2012-01-04T09:39:00.000-05:00

I interrupt the expected “theme day” for a special announcement.

I had a meltdown last night. Not the worst I’ve ever had butdefinitely up there. But, I’m good at hiding things so no one could tell.

I love my life, I truly do. I think I’m blessed with what I’ve beengiven and what I’ve worked for and am truly thankful for everything and everyonein my life.

But, there is still one too many things in my life right now that Ihave to work on. The only thing holding me back: motivation.

My work revolves around the computer. Whether it’s researching, factchecking, writing, or editing, I’m on the computer a majority of my time awake.

I look at fashion blogs and get motivated to become more fashionable;and then look in my closet and put on the go-to comfy sweater.

I read dating blogs and get motivated to get myself back into thedating world; and then remember that my heart is still in Staten Island with aman who didn’t deserve me.

I read fitness blogs and look at photos on Pinterest and get motivatedto start eating healthy and exercising; and then I get home and it’s cold anddark outside, and it’s so much easier to buy something off the dollar menu atWendy’s than it is to make and pack a lunch for work.

So here is my first (of many I’m sure) attempt to get motivated.

I passed up the “assortment of pastries” brought in for breakfast by aco-worker and turned to my Mango Chobani Greek Yogurt this morning. I put onpink/red lipstick this morning and dried my hair (even though I woke up later thanI wanted to). I packed a salad for lunch, as well as an apple, veggies, andhummus.

As for the dating thing, men are on the bottom of my priority list. I’mdone being the pursuer; I want to be pursued.

And lastly, this blog is really going to gain a lot of attention. Oneof my goals for 2012 is to increase the traffic on here. And so far, it’salready improved since last year.

Step 1: Bloglovin’.com

**Click the image to follow my blog on bloglovin'**

This site is GENIUS for anyone who reads blogs religiously (as I do).You “follow” the blogs through this site and it shows all of the new posts inone master list. You can leave comments easily and keep up-to-date with everyone’snew entries. It’s amazing.

In the next few weeks I also plan on revamping the layout and logo ofGlamorous Hustle. If I’m going to focus more on what I look like, this thingneeds to as well!

Ok, enough with the rant. Who needs some workout motivation? Staytuned!

Tuesday's Reflection on 2011

2012-01-03T13:07:00.004-05:00

I don’t know about you guys but I’m STOKED to be back at work! I canfinally wear all of the work clothes I purchased over my break from work. Itfeels great to be in dress pants and heels, seriously.

Since I do some writing at work, I’ve finally started writing Januaryand 2012. Felt kind of weird but really good at the same time.

Work started with a welcome back breakfast sponsored by our “mothership.” My company is a branch of the big guy, kind of similar to how CondéNast has a bunch of magazines under their name. We also had a really bigannouncement!

My company is named agency of the year by MM&M! You can read thearticle here.

2012 already showed me that this year is going to be the best. Buttoday I want to reflect on the positives of 2011.

I graduated college.
I started a new job that I LOVE with a company that sought me.
My nephew turned 1 and my niece turned 3.
2 friends had their babies; both boys and both stunningly handsome.
I fell in love (still working on the falling out part).
I ventured out of my comfort zone and into Staten Island for the firsttime ever.
I paid off 3 credit cards.
I revamped the blog and started blogging again; I really missed it whenI took it down and got too busy.
I started grad school.
I learned who my true friends are.

Next year’s list is bound to have a lot more tangible experiences onthere. I’m looking forward to it!

Now back to what’s important, lunch!

Enjoy your Tuesday Glam-o’s!

Brunch, Browns, and a Match Maker Priest

2012-01-02T19:28:00.002-05:00

Oh my goodness! It’s Monday, after 7 pm, and I’m JUST getting to writingmy Motivational Monday post!

Why you ask?

I spent the day doing everything I was supposed to do all week! In theoutfit pictured here! Super comfy leggings, oversized sweater from H&M, ascarf, some boots, and lots of jewelry.

I spent the morning brunching at the new house of the family I used tobabysit for. They purchased a historic home in a nearby town and modernizedsome of it while restoring the rest of it. It’s to die for! Absolutely gorgeousand I’m absolutely obsessed. Yet another goal of mine to put on the list:purchase a house just like theirs.

It was kind of interesting there though. The Father from their churchcame by to bless the food, the house, and all their guests. He also said he hasa friend he wants to set me up with and I should come by for one of theirsocial events. Apparently this church has pub crawls and reading sessions accompaniedby wine and beer.

Uh, how am I JUST learning that churches like this exist!?

I then got my headlight fixed, spent my gift card from TJ Maxx, andreturned the camera I bought last night.

It was busy!

But alas, I am home. And super excited to get back to work tomorrow soI can stop wasting cute outfits on lazy days.

I hope you’re all basking in the new glow of the New Year. 2012 has bigthings planned for each of us and remember that every day.

So, I’ll leave you with this:

"If you do follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind oftrack that has been there all the while waiting for you, and the life you oughtto be living is the one you are living. When you can see that, you begin tomeet people who are in the field of your bliss, and they open the doors to you.I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where youdidn't know they were going to be. If you follow your bliss, doors will openfor you that wouldn't have opened for anyone else."

- Joseph Campbell, was an Americanmythologist, writer and lecturer.

Hello 2012

2012-01-01T17:06:00.001-05:00

Oh hello world and welcome to 2012! Are you loving it so far? I am!

New Year’s is one of my least favorite holidays – right up there withValentine’s Day – but last night was probably one of my favorite nights.

I went to a super awkward party way overdressed with some of my mostfun gal pals. Thanks to the free drinks and open bar we had a blast. Woke upthis morning with a pounding headache and a phone call asking for a quickrescue and headed to breakfast with my loves.

But I was in a great mood all day. The weather is gorgeous today, I’mexcited to get back to work on Tuesday, and I’m ready for all that 2012 has instore for me.

I spent the day paying bills, cleaning out my e-mail, and gettingcaught up on some Twitter and Blog friends. But more importantly, I startedlooking at cameras to fulfill one of my resolutions; getting more interested inphotography.

I’m not the professional when it comes to cameras or camera buying so Itook to Twitter and got some help.

I currently have this one in my virtual shopping bag as a possibility (stickershock hit me too when I saw the price tag but the reviews seem legit). We’llsee!

How did you guys bring in 2012?

Goodbye 2011

2011-12-31T16:48:00.004-05:00

As I’ve mentioned a few times in recent blog posts over the last fewdays, 2011 was interesting for me. I tackled a full-time job with a school andinternship schedule, fell in love with a man I thought I was going to marry, lostfriends and then rekindled a relationship with others, got my heart broken, andhave been tried and tested in so many situations it’s not even funny.

I can’t say I’m not sad to see 2011 go, because although there weremany things that may not have been ideal, there were also many that reallyhelped me become a better person for 2012.

I landed an amazing new job with coworkers I absolutely adore. I becamea better person after my ex than I was before him. I started a Master’s programto further myself professionally. And I realized who my true friends are.

2012 is going to be a selfish one. I have big things to do for myselfand I won’t let anything get in the way of that. I’ve been told by more thanone person that you can’t find someone to love you until you love yourself.

So that’s my goal this year. I’m going to love myself. I’m going tomake myself happy and focus on what I want out of life.

The drama will be left to the reality shows; single Meg is back and hasa few things to take care of.

I hope you all have a blast on this last night of 2011, enjoy the firstfew hours of 2012, and most importantly stay safe.

And for fun, here are a few photos from last year’s NYE with a specialappearance from …. BK!!! (for those who remember the posts)

It's the Princess' Birthday

2011-12-30T10:36:00.003-05:00

I'm alive! I apologize for my absence over the last few days; I've gotten a few requests for a new post and a "did your blog close" comment as well.

We are back in business!

I was hung up with a nasty stomach bug that my family, friends, and friends' children all had. I was destined to catch it and am just glad it happened on my week off from work so i didn't have to use vacation days.

I'm breaking the theme week to bring you very special message.

Today is my niece's 3rd birthday. HOLY MOLY!!!

I remember the day she was born as if it were yesterday. Right down to what I was wearing. But, I won't bore you with the details. I'll just leave you with this super fun collage I put together of pictures of she and I.

Aunt Meg loves you Beanie Baby!!!

My 10 Resolutions for 2012

2011-12-27T10:45:00.001-05:00

We are nearing the end of yet another holiday season. The Christmaspresents have been opened, the dreidels have been spun, and we are gearing upfor a brand new year.

Are you ready?

If you had asked me a few weeks ago, the answer to that would have beena big fat “OH HELL NO!”

2011 was trying for me.

I ran myself ragged working full-time, being a full-time student,editor-in-chief of my campus newspaper and working an internship.
Booked and canceled a trip (that I had to actually PAY not to take)with a guy I attempted to date 3 times. Fourth times a charm, no?
Got bored doing just the full-time job thing so I picked up a boyfriend(not the one I booked the trip with).
Spent all summer indoors because it was so hot and I was used to theair conditioned office; weekends were not spent at the beach but rather an airconditioned house in Staten Island.
Lost the boyfriend and gained a new job that I LOVE.
Put 2 grad school classes under my belt; you know, because I’m anoverachiever and all.
And gained about 15 lbs – of pure love meat (I don’t like to call itfat).

So as I close up the box that is 2011, attempt to put it on the shelfthat stores the rest of my memories, and put on the new fashionable face that Iwant to meet 2012 with, I begin to think of what kind of resolutions I’d liketo accomplish in the New Year.

I’m sure everyone else is going to say the same; lose weight, be closerwith my friends and family, save money, pay off debt, etc.

All really good goals and a few that may or may not grace my list.

But as I sit here writing this post, I’m getting excited. I am puttingthings on my list that I KNOW I’m going to accomplish, not things that I HOPEto accomplish.

Pay off my car. I have about 6 months left if I pay 100 more than I’m“supposed to” each month.
Pay off 3 out of the 5 Visa/Master/Discover cards I have.
Move into a 1-BR or Studio apartment.
Run a 5K.
Paint something that makes me say, “Oh my god, you MADE that? That’sawesome!”
Use the same handbag for 365 consecutive days.
Get my blog to have 500 views at least once (bonus if it’s closer to1,000 and double bonus if it happens consecutively).
Complete every one of my Fashion Vows for 2012.
Master the art of hot rollers.
~~Purchase a “fancy” camera~~ and get more interested in photography.

What are your resolutions for the new year?

Christmas Pics From Me to You

2011-12-26T16:33:00.000-05:00

I had such a great Christmas this year. There was nothingthat I needed that I couldn’t give to myself so I focused more on my friendsand family; enjoying their health and wellness. Instead of giving materialgifts that they may WANT, I focused on gifts from the heart that I knew they’dneed.

More importantly, I took a stab at a few DIY gifts! I gotthe ideas from Pinterest. Everyone loved everything they got and kept callingme the artist. My uncle even suggested I take orders and try to sell some things!Who knows, I may have a new calling! Lol.

Here are a few pics from the holiday weekend. A post will beup this week with a review of the wine.com customer service (or actually are-review since the first one may have been posted a little too soon) and areview of the wine I received.

Happy Monday loves!

Mom and Step-Dad's name frame

Nan's key holder

Bottle cork from my Aunt

Sisters and i on Christmas Eve

Back scratcher. Probably my favorite gift!

Aside from the one that said we're going to see Wicked!!!

The pups were exhausted.

And I got a Naughty/Nice wine glass :)

The Countdown to 2012 Begins

2011-12-26T11:45:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to reality fellow Glams! It’s difficult to post on theweekends but extra difficult when the weekend involves after-work Happy Hoursand a Holiday with 5 rounds of family!

I’m pretty sure I ate and drank my body weight in vino and side dishes.Plus, Santa delivered an abundance amount of chocolate and peanut buttercombinations, making it extra difficult to button most of my jeans and breathein most of my yoga pants.

But, nothing compares to some great home cooking.

It’s Monday, the start of another week. But there are also only 5 fulldays left in 2011. I couldn’t be happier about both!

As we wind down on 2011, reflect on the pros and cons of the year.Every single situation, person, experience, etc has helped to get us to wherewe are today.

Be thankful.

2012 will be the year that you accomplish everything you put off in2011. It will be the year that your days start with a smile and positiveoutlook, and end with a reflection on how great your life is.

So, as I gear myself for a busy Monday of helping my Nana move somefurniture, laundry, cleaning, picking out outfits for a few NYC trips, andputting up a few blog posts throughout the week, I leave you with this quote Icame across today.

“Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters.”~Buddha

Dressed Down in the Man's Shirt

2011-12-23T16:02:00.002-05:00

The other day I finished my Christmas shopping and for every one gift Ibought for someone else, I bought 2-3 for myself. I thought I told you guysthat but let’s just reiterate the fact that I have a shopping problem.

One of my purchases was this men’s button-up shirt. It’s white withblue stripes (although looks kind of swirly in this pic) and is supercomfortable. I think I need to shrink it a few times though to fix the shoulderpart; or just use my seamstress skills and fix it myself a bit.

*Side Note-How tiny do my feet look in this pic?!

This is my “I had too much fun at my double happy hour last night anddidn’t feel like putting any effort into my look” look. Button-up shirt,leggings, and double tank top. If you need me, I’ll be snuggled on the couch!

I don’t know about the rest of you gals but I love wearing my boyfriend’sclothing. My ex gave me an extra jumbo baseball shirt when we were dating thatI slept in all the time; seriously so comfy and I was so upset when I gave itback to him after the break-up.

Plus, all guys I talk to say a woman wearing their button up shirt isthe sexiest thing to them. So we’re comfy and they are turned on; double win.

But the stories from that evening are for a later date – or for mygirlfriends over a glass of wine this evening.

Merry Christmas Eve-Eve! XO

Reindeer Tracks in My Martini Glass

2011-12-22T11:42:00.001-05:00

Christmas is so close! If you guys are hosting a holiday party or sitting in front of the fire with your snuggle-bunny -- or sitting at your computer table by yourself on Pinterest like I usually am -- this drink is super cute and super yummy.

Add chocolate to anything and you've melted my heart. If you add peanut butter into the mix as well then I'm yours ... seriously.

Today's Thirsty Thursday post is Reindeer Tracks! Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

2 oz Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate Vodka
1 oz Hazelnut Liqueur
1/2 oz Crème de Cacao
Splash of Cream

2 Chocolate cookie wafers

Directions:

Rim a martini glass with crushed up chocolate cookie crumbs and set aside. Shake Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate Vodka, hazelnut liqueur, Crème de Cacao and cream over ice and pour into the martini glass. Dust top with more chocolate cookie crumbs.

Happy sipping!

A Button Down and Some Bling

2011-12-22T09:43:00.000-05:00

It’s … ummm … like spring time in New Jersey, and it’s DECEMBER! Whatis up with that? But seriously, I’m not complaining. I probably could’ve cometo work this morning with no jacket on and still been fine.

I opted for a light jacket instead, just in case. My parents alwaystold me to bring a jacket with me just in case I get stuck on the side of theroad and it gets cold. Twisted thought, maybe, but it stuck with me.

I’m in such a good mood this morning. I got all of my Christmaswrapping done (check out the LaLaLoopsy box for my niece that I wrappedPERFECTLY. Seriously, can’t touch this) and I feel like a million bucks.

I drove to work this morning with my windows cracked, letting in somefresh air, and dancing in my seat. Yes dancing. With the music turned way up.Not caring if people were looking at me.

Why?

Because I’m in new clothes, new accessories, my favorite jeans, andhaving a great hair day.

Speaking of hair … I got it cut last night. My hair is naturally thick but myhairdresser, my dear friend Gina, threw in some layers and made it feel so muchthinner. I owe her my life … not many people have mastered that skill with myhair.

What do you guys think of the new ‘do?

And here’s my outfit today. Running a few errands after work and thenHappy Hour with some great people tonight.

You really can’t go wrong with acrisp button up. I even layered on the bracelets and wore a HUGE jewel ring; mybest friend told me it was ridiculous but for $3, I couldn’t say no.

Side note: New York & Company just sent me an e-mail that their entire store is now 80% off. Guess who is going to probably buy more things? Oy Vey!

Happy Thursday loves!

From the Couch to the Couch

2011-12-21T10:33:00.000-05:00

Happy Wednesday! Technically it’s my Thursday, as I’m sure it is foryou as well.

I can’t believe Christmas is this weekend! Actually, it’s not all thatshocking. The holiday always sneaks up on me, much like the weight that hasbeen so kind to set up camp on my waistline.

I went shopping yesterday with my best friend for some Christmas stuff.Everyone is DONE and my closet is fuller than it was last week.

I think I purchased 2-3 items for myself for each gift I purchased forsomeone else. And I shopped for 5 people last night – you do the math.

What I did learn, however, is my butt and chest has gotten larger thanthey were the last time I went shopping; about 2 weeks ago. I honestly didn’tthink that was possible, but I am living proof.

Thanksgiving dinner and I are no longer friends.

I have off from work all next week so I will have tons of time to getmy act together; no excuses!

Not only will I be trying the Britney Spears work-out and Victoria’sSecret work-out I posted, but I will GO TO THE GYM and start my 5K training.

My goal is to run a 5K for my birthday in April and this booty is notgoing to do it by sitting on the couch.

But speaking of the couch, this week’s work-out can be done in yourliving room!

Check it out!

Men: Don't do this.

2011-12-20T12:44:00.001-05:00

Order 1 of 2 from New York & Company was delivered yesterday. Iwalked in the house and my niece said: “Aunt Meg! You have a sapwise on youbed!” and proceeded to rip everything open like it was Christmas and Santadropped off all her gifts.

The first think she noticed was my furvest. She ripped open the packaging and said “Aww, its so cuuuuuuute. Can Iwhered it,” put it on, and proceeded to jump on my bed feeling the softness ofthe fur.

Love. Absolutely Love.

Everything fits, the polka dot shirt isnicely decorated on my torso this AM, and package number 2 should be deliveredtoday! Bam!

Today is Top 10 Tuesday. But, no one gaveme a topic on our Facebook page! So, in chatting with a guy friend of mine (whowill hopefully fulfill his offer of writing a rebuttal), I’m going to offer the“Top 10 things that men do that annoy women.”

*Disclaimer: I’m not saying ALL men dothis, but most of the men I’ve dated have.

Leave the toilet seat up when they arefinished. Women sit down to use the restroom, obviously. Men do half of the time. So, women leave thetoilet seat down ALL the time just in case you need to have a seat. Ha!
Come home from work, remove your clothing(or some of them), and leave them in a pile that stays there until we pick themup. Clothes are inanimate objects; they will not move themselves to the laundrybasket so we can wash them, fold them, and put them away for you. If you wantthem clean and you want us happy, take 2 steps to the right and put them in thebasket.
Check out other girls while we are outtogether. I get it, men can’t help it. I’m fine if you look because I know you’recoming home with me. But you have to learn how to be discreet. If you can checkout my rack on our first date without me noticing you should be able to checkout the girl passing by just as easily. And if not, give me something shiny todistract me.
Fart. This is not acceptable no matter howlong we have been dating. If you feel something coming on, excuse yourself toanother room and take care of business. I am courteous enough to do the samefor you!
Use the restroom while leaving the dooropen. Again, no length of time makes this acceptable. And it’s even worse if I’min the shower and you come in to use the toilet. Not cute. In fact, it makesyour sexy factor much lower. You know those video games where you get hit andlose some of your power, and then it takes forever to get back to full? Yeah,that’s kind of what it’s like for your sexy factor when you do things likethis.
Send text messages with “k, ok, yeah, yup,lol, haha” or any other words that represent “fillers.” If you don’t feel liketexting me something long, call me …. Phones are still capable of dialing out.But don’t ignore my text; that’s way worse and will most likely cause a fight –ya know, ‘cause girls are retarded like that.
Say you will do something and then not doit. This goes for anything. If you say you’re going to wash the dishes, washthe dishes. If you say you’re going to call me after work, call me after work.Because when you tell a girl you’re going to do something, we remember it … andthen we wait for it … and then we get really mad when you don’t do it – ya know,because you said you would!
Make us sit quietly through their team’sfootball/basketball/baseball/soccer/etc game but constantly annoy us during theseason finale of Grey’s, Kardashian’s, or Gossip Girl. Really, how is that atall fair? We allow you to have your friends over. We clean the couches andfloor so you can drop the crumbs of all the delicious food we made for you on aspotless rug. We sit with our girlfriends in the kitchen so you guys can berowdy and loud on comfortable sitting furniture … for HOURS. All we ask for is30-60 minutes of interrupted quiet time while we find out if Meredith andDerrick can keep their baby and if Christina is ready to be a mom. You be goodand we will reward you later.
Can’t read our minds. In the future, whensomeone asks you what super power you would want if you could have one, youmust answer with “read the mind of my girlfriend.” It would save you from somany unnecessary arguments. Ok, I know this isn’t possible, but it would be somuch easier. Sometimes we want you to plan the date we conjured up in our mind.Or remember it’s the first time we ever held hands while listening to our songwhen we ask you “Oh sweetie, do you know what today is?” It does frustrate usthough when we can give our best friend “the look” and they know exactly whatwe are thinking but when we give you “the look” you ask us if we areconstipated.
Lie, sometimes. If you’re at a bar and wedon’t want you to be but we can tell you are, tell us the truth and spare usthe art of going bat-shit crazy. If we look fat in our new dress but ask youropinion, lie. If you show up an hour late to dinner because of any reason(other than you were cheating on me) don’t make up an elaborate story becausewe will find out the truth … we ALWAYS find out the truth. If my first try atmaking your mom’s infamous pasta dish is a complete and utter fail, lie – it’llcome out better the next time.

This list was hard! What do you think?Anything I missed on the list?

Or are you a guy who wants to write-up arebuttal? Let me know! You can be my first guest blogger!

Make 2012 a Year About You

2011-12-19T10:22:00.002-05:00

Every morning I read my horoscope. Today’s horoscope said I’d have abad hair day, get yelled at at work, and have a messy love life situation. Iwarmed my car up for 15 minutes this morning before getting into it and 10minutes into my 15 minute commute it finally warmed up.

What a way to start a Monday.

I got to work and my boss left me a $25 gift-card to my favorite store(TJ Maxx) and another co-worker gave me a giant Hershey kiss. So, that helped ….A little.

Since my boyfriend and I broke up in October I’ve seen it all. Half ofthe guys I dated over the last 2 years re-friended me on Facebook, I’ve beenhit on by men who are physically or emotionally unavailable, went on a datewith a guy who complained the whole time that he was going to lose his job, andbeen yelled at on match.com by a guy who said I took too long to respond to hiswink.

Yes … all of the above is true.

This weekend, some Facebook friends started a new relationship, somegot engaged, and some broke up. It’s life. Bad things fall apart so good thingscan come together … blah blah blah.

But, I had an epiphany. And then my favorite e-mail, “The Daily Love,”came in and helped a ton.

"The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectlythemselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love onlythe reflection of ourselves we find in them." - ThomasMerton, a 20th century American Catholic writer.

So today’s “Motivational Monday” is a reflection of relationships.

If you’ve recently ended one, I’m sorry. It’s a time that hurts likehell, is super confusing, and super lonely. But remember, it was a learningexperience. And you’re a better person now because of the things you learnedfrom that person, and your next person will be thankful for that.

If you’ve recently started one, congratulations! But make sure you arethat person’s cheerleader, #1 fan, and favorite motivator. Don’t nit-pick thethings that you can’t stand about them, but figure out if those little thingsare deal breakers or things you can look past; after all, they will never goaway and never become “cute” to you.

And don’t rush to be in one because you miss it. Your ex is your ex fora reason, remember that. Your perfect person will not show up on your doorstepuntil you’re ready. And if he or she isn’t here now, you’re not ready. You can’tmold an ex into what you’re looking for, you shouldn’t need to make accommodationsfor them to want you back, and time won’t make them acquire the traits theywere lacking in the first place.

I canceled my match.com membership. I’m cleaning off my Facebook listand phone contacts to rid myself of men who make things confusing. I’m focusingon myself, my vows for 2012, and my New Year’s Resolutions.

Are you going to make 2012 a year about yourself, or a year to dwell onwhat you don’t have? It’s your choice.

Sunday Wrap-Up and Wine.com

2011-12-18T12:01:00.003-05:00

I guess I’ve proven that I’m not a very good blogger on the weekends! I apologize for my absence once 5 pm on Friday comes but …. actually …. I take that back!

I spend all week on the computer so the last thing I want to do is spend all weekend on it!

I spent my Saturday getting caught up on my magazine stack (still not finished with the stack actually), snuggling with my niece and nephew, and decorating cookies with some great friends.

But one thing that I did do productively was track down my Wine.com package! Remember a few months ago when I talked about Big Brother and the power of Twitter? I take some of it back.

Social media can be beneficial as well!

I purchased a Groupon a few weeks ago for Wine.com. The Web site started as Vineyard.com in 1998 and purchased the domain Wine.com in 2001. Their Web site boasts that they have grown into the #1 online wine store!

I was super excited because I love wine ... uh, duh!

When I tweeted that I had purchased the deal, the company tweeted to me offering suggestions based on what I like to drink now. They were super helpful in helping me find a brand near identical to my absolutely favorite, Satellite Sauvignon Blanc.

When I had an issue with putting my order together (I didn’t realize the shipping/handling and tax was not included in the minimum purchase for the Groupon promo and the shopping cart automatically included it), the Customer Service e-mail took 2 days to get back to me so I turned to Twitter.

Within 30 minutes I had a response from the Twitter account and the problem was fixed.

Kudos!

So, when the package that was said to be delivered December 15 was still not on my doorstep by December 16, I took to Twitter and asked if they could check what the hold-up was.

Not only did I have a response in 30 minutes saying that the matter was sent to the customer service department, but 2 hours later I had ANOTHER email that said 2 of the wines I ordered were out of stock at the moment and in order to speed up my order, they were going to UPGRADE my wines and deliver the package on the day I specified (a 21+ year person needs to be there to sign for it).

This story is not to knock their Customer Service department and the rate at which they respond to queries. This is to applaud the use of Twitter and gaining respect from company’s consumers.

I’ve got to admit, when I purchased and used the Groupon for Wine.com, I hadn’t planned on purchasing from the site again. But, after what happened with this order, how responsive they were through Twitter, and the fact that they really cared about my order despite the fact that I got it for half off (even more if you consider my upgrade), there is no way I wouldn’t purchase from them again.

My order will be here Friday. Who’s excited? My liver!

Jokes!

But you guys better be. I’m going to be posting a review of each of the wines I receive so you guys can get some insight into what to purchase when you check out that great site!

Happy Sunday dolls!

Just Hold the Door

2011-12-16T10:02:00.002-05:00

Happy Friday! We made it through another week and are one step closerto ending the stressors from the holiday season! Pat yourself on the back, youdeserve it.

I haven’t posted any of my outfits this week because I refuse tobroadcast myself when I’m not feeling cute. It’s not you, it’s me … seriously.But hopefully after my big order from NY&Co comes in, I’ll be moremotivated to share some things with you guys.

But here’s a little taste of what’s going on up in here. White and pinkstriped sweater from H&M (sooo super comfy), old navy “skinny jeans”(although they don’t make me any skinnier), and nude patent leather Steve Maddenflats.

Enough about my comfy clothes, I want to share a little giggle with youguys today.

I went to Happy Hour last night with some co-workers after our bigholiday celebration. The bar was super packed (probably because all the otheroffices had the same idea) and I met a few people from our sister company.

A few people wanted to go outside for a minute and I was overheatingfrom all the bodies squished in one area, so I replenished 2 drinks (one forme, one for a gal pal) and headed out the door.

I wound up getting “stuck” behind a guy on his cell phone walking outthe door. He tried to open the door from the wrong side so I went to help himout. He figured out the issue before I could, but I figured he had seen myreflection in the window of the door since A) I was wearing a bright whitecardigan in a room full of dark colors and B) I was standing so close I couldsee the dandruff on the collar of his blazer.

But no. I guess he didn’t.

Instead of holding the door open for the gal in heels holding a beerglass and a wine glass, he wiggled through a sliver of an open door and let itslam in my face.

I’m not one to cause an issue, but I was livid. And as I maneuvered myway into opening the door without spilling anything, I walked out the door andgraciously said, “Well THAT guy is obviously not a gentleman.”

Not realizing that the patio was filled with hardly anyone and I wasspeaking louder than I expected.

He turned and said “I’m THAT guy. I’m SO sorry. I didn’t see you!” andproceeded to chat my gal pal and I up.

It was a fun little giggle. I felt bad, he felt worse, and he ended upsending us each a drink. Super cute lawyer from NYC, living in a town about 10 minutes from me. Hmm ... thinking back, maybe I should've given him my card lol.

I'm working on my game.

Moral of the story? Calling out guys onbeing oblivious will land you a convo with a cute guy and probably a few drink,but guys, hold the door.

Happy Friday!

A Toast ....

2011-12-15T17:13:00.002-05:00

As most of you know, I started with a new company in November. We had our office potluck luncheon this afternoon and it made me even more in love with the atmosphere I call work.

Each person gave a toast to another person in the office. Since I'm new, not many people know me on a personal level yet. But, the individual who pulled my name gave me the sweetest toast. See below!

A toast…

To someone who is

Sweet as candy canes

Warm as a cup of hot chocolate, with marshmallows

As fun as a snowball fight

So nice that Santa didn’t have to check his list twice

Who has a smile as bright as Christmas lights

Who is truly a gift from Santa to our Trio family

Cheers to Megan Muller