{Simply Joy}

Sea Salt

2011-12-10T09:04:00.000-06:00

As you guys know, I've been having horrible skin issues this year.

so, I'm browsing around youtube, before they destroyed it w/that awful upgrade :-( and I see a video by andreaschoice about a DIY way of helping your acne. I'm like, "Hey! I have seas salt, why not?"

So, I did 3 of her suggestions and I loved it!

I did the honey sea salt mask and if you decide to do it, I strongly, STRONGLY encourage you to be gentle, lol.

that ish can hurt.

I will say that mask got rid of my blackheads and Ive always had issue w/them, but always forgot to get tthose nose thingies. To make this mask is very simple! mix honey and sea salt together, then gently exfoliate your face. the stickiness of the honey picks up everything! my face looked so refreshed and felt so soft.

Another method she talked about was soaking in a warm or hot bath with sea salt poured in it. I sometimes suffer from bacne and I have embarrassing scars back there. Even now, my back will break out for no reason :'-( b/c of that, i rarely show my back...that and b/c of my gained weight, lol. Anyway, since my face is pretty much clear, my back is my next focus.

Anyway, I soaked in there for about an hour. After I got out my skin felt so good and my back felt very smooth. When I soaked I did have a under the skin pimple on my back that hurt and would not come up. the bath helped so much and it went down to practically nothing.

Lastly, sea salt toner....this basically is sea salt dissolved in warm water and stored in a spray bottle.

I'm going to integrate this in my skin regimen and see what happens,lol.

Mainly, I'm gonna focus on my back by doing sea salt soaks, using the toner when I dont soak, use my benzoyl peroxide after the toner is absorbed. Afterwards, I'll apply the AHA+, let it dry then apply some of that skin bleach stuff to the area with the darkest marks.

I know, I know....black ppl feel some kinda way about black ppl using using skin bleaching product, but I dont care. I want these horrible scars gone. When I get them faded enough, I'll post before and after pictures so you all can see why, lol.

Skin Care

2011-11-28T22:33:00.001-06:00

So,

In this post here: http://simplyjjoy.blogspot.com/2011/08/my-skin.html

I had talked about how horrible my skin was due to stress and I have to say, my skin has come a long way. :-p

I've been sticking to my routine (which I switched up) and I mainly drink water.

I stopped using the black soap and the microdermabrasion cloths and I now just use my scrub brush or my hands(of course I wash then first). I bought the Acne.org kit and I LOVE IT!!!!!

of course on that site, he lists alternatives you can buy at Walmart or whatever and he has a routine for you to follow.

I use either the Acne. org cleanser, Clean & Clear daily cleanser (its clear), or my Olay facial cleanser in the pump bottle.

After that, I gentle dry my face w/a paper towel and wait for it to dry all the way. After that, I apply the 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide, let it dry and apply the AHA+ instead of the moisturizer. I'm not out in the sun that much and the AHA doesnt leave me dry so I mainly use that.

The Benzoyl dries out my existing pimples, and helps to prevent future ones, while the AHA helps to even out my skintone, calm my breakouts, and fade the dark marks. Along with those items I use that fade cream to help w/fading my acne scars and it works beautifully. I definitely wanna speed up fading those marks, especially on my forehead. Those suckers are hard to fade >:-(

I'm extremely happy w/how my skin is now and if you guys look at my old post and see that pic of my cheek covered in pimples, you'll see the difference in these pics.

Of course, my skin isn't perfect and you see 1 new pimple on each of my cheeks. That was b/c I was lazy today and laid in bed all day, lol. thats what happens if I slack off. :-p

Ignore my crazy faces, I suck at taking pics

I Know, I Know

2011-11-27T23:42:00.000-06:00

.........lol.

I swear I'm always doing an I'm sowy post on here more than an actual post :-p
Things have been very hectic lately. School is almost over an exams are coming up. Its kinda hard to believe this semester has gone by so quickly and I'll be taking one final on the 6th, another the 13th, and I'm already finished w/one class.

All I know is, this has been the worst year of my entire life(no, i'm not being overly dramatic) and I'm ready to make some changes and start fresh.
That makes me wonder....why do we always want to start fresh at the new year?

lol, we try to act like the previous year never happened and this year we're going to magically be the fabulous person we've always wanted to be. Then we start our workout routines and going hard in class just to burn out a couple weeks later. :-\

I never really made resolutions, but a tradition we did in my family was to write a letter to ourselves and open it the next new years. All the letters I've ever written to myself are usually the same. the only thing different is the various hurts of that year I was working to get over. I remember one year I wrote about losing weight and my silly butt only weighed 135, LMFAO!!!

Jesus, what was thinking??!!! I have a lot of things to catch up on, in regards to blogging.

stay tuned,

Sometimes I just Can't help it.

2011-10-18T23:27:00.001-05:00

“Envy comes from people’s ignorance of, or lack of belief in, their own gifts.” – Jean Vanier

It's the story of my life :-/

Envy is a double edge sword. You see what others have and it can motivate you to work harder or it can hurt you and cause you to doubt yourself. I've never been the kind of person to "hate" on anyone, but I would always wonder "what if?"
While the "what ifs?" and daydreams are harmless in the beginning they eventually turn into "Why not me? Why am I over looked? Why is it I can never succeed? My life is nothing, I have nothing."

All of those why, hows, and whats eventually tear you up and change you into something you never intended to be. Its always good to look to people for inspiration and to get that "I can do it also." mentality, but when you start feeling like shit and less than because you aren't where you want to be like yesterday, remove yourself from what causes you pain.

I have a nasty habit of comparing myself to other people I know and catch myself wondering, "We are the same frickin age and they have X,Y,and Z and I only have shitty B,C,and D. whats wrong with what I'm doing?"
Its hard, and I need to work on it, but I have to remind myself that we all didn't grow up the same. We all didn't have the same support system, same friends, same opportunities, experiences, life lessons, or money.
Sometimes my husband has to check me and remind me where I came from. While I can be a complete and total bitch to him and not want to admit he's right, he usually is :-/

Life never stops, but it sure as hell can slow down :'-(
When it does try not to let the anxiety, fear, doubts, and envy rule you when you are feeling weak.

I'll be the first to admit that I recently have be bending alot, but I'm proud to say I'm not broken.

Group Work

2011-10-11T19:12:00.000-05:00

One thing I have truly disliked in regards to school is group work. All of my life I have always ended up in a group full of slackers, dummies, or ppl who never come to class. I'm not sure if its just my destiny to always have to pick up the slack or is if its just rotten luck.

In my merchandising class we have to create a display window and my group isnt really trying. I had us meet today to try and form something and for everyone to bring at least one idea. One girl gave me an idea I told her several weeks earlier :-/ the only guy in our group had nothing, one girl didnt even show up, and the other suggested using sticky notes like in the post it commercials or using clocks like in the sex and the city 2 scene. The clock idea has potential, but I'd feel like we were ripping off that window. I have to reflect on how to alter it.

I put thought into the proj and even sketched ideas and i cant draw for beans. Now they say they dont want to do clothes, but something else and I honestly dont want to display handbags, maybe shoes.....
but I truly want to do clothes, b/c their are 4 girls, so we have lots of options when selecting our outfits.

They didnt really pay attention to what I said and I didnt show my sketches b/c I was pissed. I ended up telling them if they dont care, I wont either. Fuck that shit. I'll pass anyway.

till later

Weave or Leave Tag!!!

2011-10-01T20:27:00.000-05:00

I was watching YT guru txcutie75 and she created this interesting tag I have to answer.

Here is a link to the actual vid, Blogger wont let me add it to my post......annoying
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn5jENInwp0&feature=feedu

Here are the questions:
1.When you met your significant other were you wearing a weave and did they know?
No, I did not get involved with weaves and wigs until......late 2009.

2. How does the person you are dating/seeing feel about weave?
At first it was kind of weird to him, but he saw that it was becoming something I was really into and he supported it.

3. Does the person you are involved with support your weave habit?
Yes!! He does! When I'm on the hair boards he will sit with me b/c hes really into it. He likes learning about the different things so he will always be in the hair loop with me.

4. Has the person you are seeing ever seen your real hair?
Yup

5. Has the person you are seeing ever previously dated anyone who wears weaves?
He says no, but I know for a fact a girl he use to date in school wore micrbraids and such...its so annoying when ppl talk mess about weaves and wigs, but say braid extensions dont count. he doesnt, but damn....does that kanekalon and marly hair not count??!!!

6. Did you/have you weave trained your mate?
In a way. We learned together :-D

7. How does your mate feel about you tying up your hair?
I did that even with my natural hair. Hes fine with it and if my silk scarf or bonnet comes off in the middle of the night, he will tell me or put it back on my head.

8. If you had to choose your weave or your mate, which would you choose?

I dont even have to answer this one, because this will never be an issue. :-p

Tag you're it

Platinum Lace Wigs Part 2!

2011-09-29T18:04:00.000-05:00

Here are the pics like I promised.
Not the best, but hey........

you get the idea. ;-) If I thinned it anymore on the side....the wig wouldve been bald, lol. Maybe a good hard flat iron could help, I havent flat ironed this hair in a while, but I'm about to retire it anyway...

Platinum Lace Wigs

2011-09-27T17:14:00.000-05:00

Soft Yaki Bangs pw7531s01

That is the wig I ordered from Platinum Lace wigs a while ago. The hair is suppose to be a yaki texture to mimic black peoples hair. I'm not going to concentrate on the packing b/c it was whatever to me. I believe I bought it in 12 inches, I cant remember if its 12 or 14 because it wasnt listed on my invoice. I bought the wig for 171 in late August and got it in mid September. I don't understand why shipping took so long, especially when I know they mass produce this wig, since it seems to be one their most popular.

The wig does not look how it does in the picture and how youtube Gurus get them. I guess the YT gurus get the best and we get.....everything else. The hair felt like fabric and smelled like fabric. Its most likely the fabric dye used to dye the hair, I have it in a 1B. along with the smell, it had random pieces of red thread in it.

I've worn this hair for about 2 weeks. I had to really fool with it to get it to look decent. I thought since the hair was pre-styled it could be a slap on and go wig, but I'm learning its rare to find that kind of wig.

The density was too thick for me at the hairline, but since I dont adhere wigs, I dont show my hairline often, so that was ok. The hair on the right side of the part falls kind of awkwardly to me and is way too thick so I thinned that area with my thinning shears. When I first got it, I did wash it in hopes of the style coming out, but it didnt. I put it in flexi rods to get the bang to fall nicely and to give the hair some body. I dont expect this wig to last long, b/c it is thin in the back and at the crown. Along with that, it sheds :-/

I took the flexi rods out after 2 days and didnt care for the curl, so I flat ironed it a bit to loosen the curl, but it died. That hairs reaction to a flat iron is weird. It doesnt curl to well with the flat iron and when I lightly flat ironed the curls, they instantly died. I did use a heat protectant...so

Overall, I would not buy this hair again and probably not from the company. I think the hair is over priced even for an AV (american vendor) and overrated (YT hype). Shipping sucked and it didnt look how it was suppose to IMO. I didnt contact the seller b/c it wasnt worth it. other ppl have mentioned it doesnt look how it does in the pic.

i think you'd do better to go somewhere else.

I'll post pics of me wearing the hair a little later.

Ya'll come back now ;-*

Ruth's Beauty Yaki Premium Part 2

2011-09-13T17:13:00.000-05:00

So that sexy beast you see down below....my ombred Yaki :-D

she will be fixed!
The owner contacted me and at first I thought she wanted me to remove my BHM post
http://forum.blackhairmedia.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=321468&PID=8720054

But, she talked with me for a while because she felt we didn't communicate clearly. I'm happy to see this business owner has wonderful customer service. We talked and no one was angry, hostile, or defensive. I pretty much accepted the fact my wig would just be in my closet and I wasn't angry with the company, just sad b/c I didn't get to wear the unit yet.

The cost of the repairs is only going to cost me shipping. I thought it was gonna cost an arm and a leg, but she said the repairs aren't severe.

Just because that issue was fixed doesnt mean I'm gonna buy anymore lace fronts:-p All lace fronts have this issue....Or everyone I've ever owned. I feel those units are more for in between transitioning from a full laces and weaves.

She did say that the coarse yaki and kinky straight do have this issue and it probably is because of the processing. I can believe that because those hair strands feel very fragile even though they are suppose to mimic our hair. She did say she working on that so we'll see sometime in the future.

I'm just happy this was resolved in an peaceful manner.

full laces from now on :-D

Ruth's Beauty Yaki Premium

2011-09-13T09:00:00.001-05:00

Yep....shes a beaute alright.
Ruth's Beauty Premium Coarse Yaki Demi-Lacefront. 18 inches of pure sexiness. I dyed it a dark brown and bleached the ends to get that beautiful ombre effect.

After dying the knots to perfection, cutting the lace perfectly with my pinking shears, and sewing in my elastic band to make the front lay extremely flat,I flat ironed it.

After flat ironing it and admiring the realistic African American hair texture, I realized IT WAS UNWEARABLE!!! that frickin unit died before I could wear it. I only owned it for 11 days and the tracks were showing because the crown was thin. it doesnt matter how i combed it, you can still see the tracks!!!! I have another Ruth's unit and everything I did to this one, I did to the other and I've been wearing that unit for almost 4 weeks straight...everyday...

I called them and they said b/c I altered it, they would not exchange it, but if I sent it in they could repair it, but at my expense of course. I expected this, but I still called b/c I hoped they would surprise me.

They didn't :-p

Come to find out, Ruth's units shed like crazy! Wish I knew that before, but my other unit was doing so well. I assumed they were all good. Whats crazy is I sealed the wefts (not any easy task) and I sealed the knots...with three coats.

The hair is still so sexy, so I'm not sure if I'm going to get it wefted or what.

Lace fronts have this issue anyway. So I'm starting to leave lace fronts alone. From what I read on the hair boards the full lace units shed too...

So with that said...No more Ruth's Beauty..no matter how gorgeous they look. Also, no more lace fronts...I want my wig collection to last for a long time.

I may try to ventilate hair to cover the track, but I'm not sure how thats gonna work.

down below is my fotki and more pics of the sexy beast above if you're interested. More units to come..

http://public.fotki.com/njsmmons/bailey/

BAD JOY!!! BAD JOY!!!!

2011-09-11T16:31:00.000-05:00

hiyah ;-*

I am officially slapping myself on the wrist, lol.

School starting has really been....whoa. I have 3 projects that I had to do and I have 1 1/2 left. I'm halfway done with one. Being a pseudo single parent IS HARD!!!!! Big ups to all the single parents. Theres so much I want to write about and share with you all...especially with HAIR!!!

So all that weight I gained when Gino came here for leave has been gone for a while. My weight fluctuates between 164-165. I'm still too lazy to kick start my work out regimen again. :-p
bad joy...bad joy!

I have been the hair master lately. I've been dyeing and thinning and cutting up a storm! I'm addicted to dyeing hair!!! I dyed one wig dark brown w/red highlights. One dark brown with deep purple highlights, I ombred one, but that wig cant be worn, b/c it is defective. I'll do a post about that wig....I wish it wasn't defective and I hope the company fixes the issue b/c I've only had the unit for 12 days and haven't even worn it. Thats 235 down the toilet if they don't. I love how the ombre looks on it, and the fit is so great, especially after making it my own. If they refuse to...I'm gonna buy that same kind of hair from them in wefts and frickin ventilate between the tracks!!!

Because of that unit doing that, it makes me want to stay away from lace fronts from now on. I loved lace fronts. They were my start and I learned so much with them, but I know sometimes I looked like a flippin jack ass wearing some of those synthetic things :-) I hate that all the hair can be perfectly fine, but if the top gets thinner, which it will b/c of washes, you will see the tracks no matter how small or thin they are. Seeing tracks are never cute.LMFAO.

Shoot...that pic of me up top is wearing either my Anita or Meagan synthetic lace front and I'm not ashamed. Its a learning process and I'm learning something serious.

So in some posts to come I'll be reviewing some of the wigs I have...keep in mind a majority of them will be initial reviews. As time goes on I'll do updates. I hate when people do reviews on hair and its like..."OMG!!! I LOVE IT!!! I've been wearing it for an hour and its soft and manageable and the greatest of all time!!! BUY THIS WIG!!! don't forget to use my promo code :-D"

-_- yea.... The very first wig I will review is the Ruths Beauty Pearl Kinky straight.
I'm gonna stop here, before I do write a review :-p

I'm trying to do better with my posts. I cant wait to share all the hair I've been working on!!

kisses

How You Doin??!!

2011-09-02T11:58:00.000-05:00

The semester has started and WOW!!!! I'm tired already. Mainly because I have to get the crazy baby ready in the morning. Shes so funny! I spend half my time chasing her silly butt and the other half trying to look decent. in the end we get it together...except for the time when We're out the door and I'm about to strap her in and shes missing a sock :-/

My classes are great and its going to be a great semester. An online class I'm taking is so funny. I've been posting my answers to assignments first and ppl play off my answers! how original.

Gee Willikers, Batman!!

2011-08-27T03:18:00.000-05:00

School starts on Monday!

I'm pumped, I'm amp'ed, and I'm ready to get started!
Crazy, huh?
Out of school for one semester and it felt weird and boring :-p

Hopefully I graduate fall of 2013. Thats only if I go hard like I use to. That could be a challenge b/c of Char, but Gino will be back January so I'll have consistent help.

Not much going on. Update with Glam Remy business...I have a video I made as evidence for paypal and the FTC when needed. Though you all may want to see. The hair is alright so far. The smell has faded, but it sheds like a mofo. I am sealing the wefts and making a wig with it so we will see.

I have lots of other wigs coming my way I'll share. I have one I actually just got and put some work in it. Looks great, but its shedding like crazy after washing it several times. too bad you cant seal the wefts on those Ruth Beauty's Demi wigs.

Got some makeup and clothes. I dont really do swatches, but I may...I have when I search the interweb for swatches of foundation and CAN'T FIND MY SHADE!!!!! lol.

...........Thats all I got.

*in vid I said August 4th and I meant August 14th

peace in the middle east

Murphy's Law Like A Mofo

2011-08-19T18:06:00.000-05:00

With all that Glam Remy mess you would think that would be all, right?

Wrong! I had custom ordered a wig from Double leaf and it was a hot mess. I asked if they could duplicate my hairline(I have a widows peak) this is what they did

Trying to make me look like eddie munster. I would've been suffering from male pattern baldness!!!

So, they said they would fix it, which was great, but they did this.

Despite the hairline being wrong, so was the density. Along with that I had ordered a stock from them the exact same cap size as my custom and it didnt fit!!!! I'm like if this stock can't fit how will my custom???!!!! So, I canceled the order and I'm sad because I really wanted a Mongolian Italian Yaki for school next week :'-(

They got the baby hair specs right :-p

My Ruth's Beauty Kinky Straight is beautiful so..............

I ordered from ebonyline and when I opened my box part of my order was missing! I called them and they said they would check their cameras, b/c(of course) the people who packed it said they did b/c their is no such thing as human error, right Glam?

So she said they would check Monday and in the mean time I opened a dispute b/c I don't want to get fucked again. I'm worried that what if the cameras only see certain areas. If they only see certain areas what if something was wrong with my item and they had put it in, but took it out or some bs like that. Figures this would happen.

So I hope Ebonyline does right by me b/c I dont want to add them to my list. I already reported Glam Remy to paypal, FTC, and consumer complaint board of TN. If that doesnt go how I want it I'm going to contact my JAG lawyer and consult with him about my options. I've never sued anyone, but I almost had to sue a company here in Memphis for selling me defective furniture and not wanting to take it back and give me a refund.

These companies think they go around screwing people over and I'm tired of it. From now on with online purchases (which I'm gonna lay off of) I'm gonna record myself getting my package from the delivery guy and opening it. Its sad as hell it has to come to this....

UGH!!!!

2011-08-17T22:16:00.000-05:00

Theres nothing worse then horrible customer service.

Like I said in a previous post. You can sell magic weave that changes its texture and curl pattern whenever you wish, but if the owner selling it has a shitty attitude its not worth it. Glam Remy was wrong for the false advertisement, admitting they were misleading, and shady for changing it when they did to make me seem wrong. I was not wrong in the least.

I said what she was doing was fucked up and it was. I did not call her a bitch (I did say trick on the forum after seeing her tweets :-p ) when we were on the phone. I said that the deception was fucked up and I tell it like it is. You spend a nice amount of money on something and you expect it to be exactly what the person says it is, just like with youtube Muffinismylovers and her Swarovski Vendor.

True customer service is dying and integrity means nothing now. Eventually all corrupt companies end and I'm sure that will happen to Glam Remy. Next time, I'll go with Jadore hair. Chanel Diane is extremely honest and cares. Don't believe me, go to her youtube...http://www.youtube.com/user/LadyBlendMUA

Whats even more funny is how Glam remy tracked down my blog to leave that mess. After I said my piece on twitter responding to her trying to discredit my credibility and reading skills, I left it alone. I'm never on twitter and I wasn't going back to see her nonsense. I left my story on a complaint board, BHM, and here. Hopefully this will help someone. I wish I did get a screen shot of the misleading description she put.

It would've been nice to see the proof up here for all to see.

With all that said, I'm off to watch Cold Case and Glam Remy....

Get off my nuts, m'kay?

Glamremyspot.com Can Suck A Big One

2011-08-17T19:38:00.002-05:00

I'm a great customer. If you treat me the way I deserve to be treated, I will be loyal to you always. Generally, I'm able to keep my cool when a company has done me wrong, but glam remy spot pissed me the fuck off.

I ordered The 12-14inch virgin Indian deep wave package from glam remy spot. Under the packages section it says the packages come with closures.

I got my order today and it did not have one in there. I called and left a message and tweeted them. She called me saying this package did not include a closure and clicking on that package the details say so.

I said, if this "package" did not include a closure why is it listed under the package tab that has the description packages come with closures? At that time it did not say some packages come with closures, it said packages come with closures.

she said sorry its misleading.

I paused for a min and I was pissed b/c I felt like that description was very misleading. I said wow, that was fucked up.

she said are you cussing at me?

I said that was fucked up, I tried to give you guys the benefit of the doubt despite MissChriss youtube review, but I see whats up.

After I said that she started saying something, but I wasnt listing. I was extremely pissed and just hung up, I didnt want to her "logic" or whatever for that BS. I knew I should have left that company alone when I saw her malaysian wefts were listed under the Indian remy tab and I asked which was it, Indian Remy or Malaysian......

they knowingly mislead consumers and simply do not care. she now changed the description of the packages tab shortly after I complained, but dont be fooled. she screwed me and didnt care.

here is a link on a hair forum I go to discussing their shady ways and people confirming I was not crazy and she did change the description

http://forum.blackhairmedia.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=319011&PID=8612952#8612952

if at anytime the link has stopped working or is access denied, then the hair forum owner shut it down because it effected it money coming in.

want to see her tweets explaining herself and how she conducts business? :-p go right ahead
http://twitter.com/#!/glamremy

Over it, subject is done and my vent is over. time to wash this foul smelling hair again and I'll buy a closure from a more reputable and honest vendor

Lover Ear Candy Collection

2011-08-15T18:40:00.000-05:00

FINALLY!!!!! The last pair of earrings, lol.

To go off on a tangent...I had to change my fun font b/c my ! looked like l :-( I loved that font...it was the essence of joy :-)

I bought these earrings from youtube guru April aka muffinismylovers (http://www.manyfacesofbeauties.com/?page_id=383). I bought these August 10th and I got them August 13th. One was 37 and the other was 43 which is a bargain b/c they are advertised as real Swarovski crystals. Shipping was 3.50 each.

These are another pair of BBall wives inspired earrings. Unfortunately, I can't rave about both earrings like I wanted. I bought two pairs, one is called Thorn Bush and the other is Eye Catcher. I was so excited about getting these I ripped open the cute little gift bag it came in and I forgot to take pics. What I do love is how both earrings have those plastic backings on top of the crystal spacers to hold them in place. I love that so much! They are pretty light and barely graze my shoulder. April suggested I change the hoop size for the Eye Catchers and I'm glad she did. Those suckers would've been too big!

Now! on to the individual reviews.

Eye catcher is a very appropriate name for that pair. The blues and gold are very vibrant and eye catching. They have a wonderful sparkle and the gold looks very beautiful. When touching this pair, they feel very solid and they look like I paid a nice amount for them. I was attracted to this pair because they seemed so Arabian to me. Like a belly dancer would wear them or even princess Jasmine, lol. Those earrings I love.

Thorn Bush....I hate them, lol. They look so much better in the pics she took. In person they are very dull and look extremely cheap. That caught me off guard b/c if they are made of genuine Swarovski Crystals they would have a brilliant sparkle even without the sunlight.Based off the pic of the earrings posted below I assumed all the clear crystals were clear. some of those are rainbow like (not sure how to describe that color) I hate those rainbow crystals...I've always hated how that stuff looks. Their color is the exact same color as the clear stripper shoes, strippers and prostitutes wear.

I'm not bashing April or her hard work. I love the Eye Catchers, but the Thorn Bush earrings would've been a hit or miss b/c they are extremely unique and out there. I just kinda wished in the description it was a little more thorough with the crystal colors. I was skeptical about the authenticity of the crystals so I went to my local mall and asked a sell rep at the Swarovski boutique to confirm if these were real or not and I also compared them to my Ear Candy Couture Hoops b/c April's earrings do not sparkle like those do. The rep said the crystals cut is extremely jagged and seemed like they might have been chipped off or something. She said there may be Swarovski in it, but she highly doubts it is real because Swarovski is famous for its cut and the cut is what gives the crystal its brilliant sparkle.

The rep also said how the earrings price point is not reflective of if the jewelry is made with the real deal. When buying these crystals the person selling them must have the Swarovski logo to prove they are are a reputable vendor because they are copied so much. If someone is faking they can't use the logo because they would be sued and lose horribly :-p

Along with that, the crystals have a weird texture to them. I feel slight bumps, which you can see in the pics. Comparing those to the ear candy couture ones you'll notice the couture ones do not have any bumps.

When April talked about her collection in her vid she did imply she bought these crystals from china, b/c she did buy them in large quantities and it makes more sense to outsource when doing something like that.

Again, this isn't starting drama. I voiced my concern to April before I wrote this post b/c While I do love her designs and creativity, this could hurt her credibility. That wouldn't be fair because its the scammer vendor lying, not her. Along with that, I'd be highly upset if I bought something that was advertised as one thing and it ended up not being b/c the person I bought it from did not have integrity (not April, her vendor).

People get scammed trying to buy Swarovski all the time. I almost bought some off Amazon to start a shoes strassing project and many on there were fake as hell. If I do buy anymore from April, I'm gonna steer clear of the clear crystals, lol. I'm just gonna buy the earrings with the beautiful rich colors. I do want to get Lucky Clover and Emerald City next.

down below are the pics and a mini vid

^ These sparkle quite a bit. Thorn Bush barely has a shine to it. Eye Catcher is beautiful in person.

The stopper holding the spacers

Ugly stripper shoe colored crystals

^Ear Candy Couture earrings on left

I Hate Clothes Shopping!!!!!!

2011-08-15T03:42:00.000-05:00

If you were to ever come to my home you would find a closet full of shoes and wigs, lol. :-)
You would also find on my dresser more jewelry and makeup then clothes. I've always had trouble when it came to buying clothes. I believe it all stems from my upbringing. I have 4 other siblings, so things got expensive. We always had a limit on how much we each could get and then whenever someone grew out of something it was handed down.

That never really bothered me too much. In high school of course it did, b/c I wanted to dress like the "cool girls" but thats just high school mumbo jumbo.

Now whenever I shop I'm so indecisive. For one, I gained all this weight I want to lose and I don't want to buy anything new till I'm where I want to be. Two....EVERYTHING IS EXPENSIVE!!!!! :-p

So, I'll go to the Forever 21's, Charlotte Russes, and what not, but I die a little inside every time I go. This is what I think>>>> "24.50 fu@#ing dollars for a thin @ss shirt??!!"
"19 flippin dollars for a pair of uncomfy heels??!!!"
"50 frickin dollars for a poorly made blazer!!!"

ugh..... :'-( We always got quality over quantity when we were younger. I feel so cheap :-p I'll go to Macy's and I'm overwhelmed by not only the prices, but I find alot of Macy's stuff unattractive. I'm also stuck in the "Do I shop in Women's or Juniors Dept?" I feel a little too old for Juniors, but too young for Womens. I'm sure there is a happy medium and all I have to do is be patient and use my imagination, but shopping for accessories is much easier. To bad they can't fully cover my body so wearing them alone wasn't illegal, lol.

Some stores I do love is Jcpenny and Express. Jcpenny isn't all around like it use to be...Macy's took over. Express..I love Express. When I worked there it was so hard not to spend my check there! I only shopped there once while I worked, but I did a number and got to use my 50% off employee coupon. I love their jeans and camis. Since I have a very large chest it is a requirement I have good quality camis in a variety of colors.

I own over 7.

These stores rarely attract my eye. What also drives me away is POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!! You have no idea how much that irks me. When I worked at Express I loved interacting with the customers, even though I am a shy person. I love helping people find what they need. When people came in looking for something if we had it I let them know, if we didn't I suggested somewhere that would.

One time this woman came in wanting something fancy to wear to a cocktail party on a cruise and she chose sequin shorts (damn you Rihanna!) even though I honestly told her something like that is not appropriate for a cocktail party....It is Memphis...so......LMFAO! One woman said a man was taking her on a very elegant date to a wonderful restaurant. I asked what restaurant b/c different restaurants have different tones. You'll never in a millions years guess.........

I'm going to bed now :-p

ETbyET Etsy

2011-08-14T17:44:00.000-05:00

I finally got another order I made. I bought these August 10th and got them yesterday, August 13th. The lightening bolts came from another etsy seller ETbyET(http://www.etsy.com/transaction/55556395).

The bolts cost $20 and all together I bought $85 dollars worth...4 pairs. When I bought the green ones I asked if she had more b/c there was only one listing. She immediately reached out to me to see what other colors I wanted. I ended up getting yellow, pink, and blue. She sent my order out that day(August 10th) and upped the shipping to priority. Gotta that and the customer service.

I love how they look. Unlike the other ones I've seen that are similar to the ones Cassie wore, these are mirrored. I think their look is a lot more neater and sharper (You could hurt someone with these if you really wanted) then the other ones made of plastic, clay, or acrylic. When putting them on...it was easy. they are very light weight and I expected them to be heavier and larger. They are smaller then I anticipated.

Cassies earrings

They came in their own box laying on a bed of cotton.

You can see my cam in the earrings. I love the reflection!

Jacqueline Dawn Enterprises Etsy

2011-08-12T19:00:00.001-05:00

http://www.etsy.com/shop/JacquelineDawnEnt

So, to piggy back off my last post, I just received another pair of earrings I bought. Both were $6 dollars and shipping was free. I bought my earrings August 10th and got them today, August 12th. It didn't take long to get here :-)

These earrings are also another BBall wives inspired look( Hey, I like the earrings, but I've never seen the show). They are gold hoops with wooden beads on them. One is called Almond Cherry with red, cream, and gold beads. The other is named Chocolate Caramel Orange Delight with orange, gold, light and dark brown beads.

They came in a bubble wrap envelope and were in a cute gift bag. The earrings were wrapped in tissue paper that was tied with a gold ribbon with her card attached. It looked very nice. I also got a free pencil with her web address on it :-)

I love how these hoops look. The color is very vibrant, which surprised me alot. I know this is another big trend now b/c of BBall wives, but I wanted something like this for tribal and animal print items I have. I dont really mess with gold or wooden items I mainly own silver pieces, but I gotta expand.

So, When putting them on they are really light. lighter then the crystal earrings in my last post. The backing of the earrings are very easy to open and at first I liked it, but I realized it would have been better if it was more solid. The backing flung off when I opened it (gently of course). It surprised me. That sucked, but they did only cost $6 dollars so... I put that baby back on, lol. If it ever comes off again, I'll probably just break the thing that connects it off and use the rubber backing that came along with it. No big deal.

What I do find annoying is that the beads are kinda everywhere. When I put them on I gotta make sure I hold the beads down so I can get them on without them sliding off. I wish she would have put one of these tiny clear backings above the beads so they would stay put and it wouldn't seem a hassle to put them on.

So...on to the pics :-)

^The backing I had to pop back on

Mademoiselle CafeAuLait Etsy

2011-08-11T20:42:00.002-05:00

I have several posts coming up on statement jewelry pieces I've bought recently, but I'm going to start with the first to arrive here. I bought these beautiful BBall wives earrings from the youtube guru MlleCaufeAuLait (http://www.etsy.com/transaction/55480039).

They were $35 w/$3.50 for shipping, so 38.50 total. She shipped my order out the afternoon I bought them (tuesday August 9th), which is beast, lol. I got these today August, 11th so.....very fast shipping. The earrings arrived safely and they are soooooooo BEAUTIFUL!!! The pics do not do them justice. I love the denim and royal blue coloring and the sparkle is brilliant. Her packaging is adorable, personable, and it definitely makes me wanna go back and buy more. The earrings came in a plastic sleeve and in the plastic sleeve each earring is wrapped individually in a plastic sleeve. It all comes together in a cute and simple satin bag. It also came with a cute postcard w/her logo, a personalized thank you card, a business card, and instructions on how to handle and care for the earrings. I love great customer service, nothing compares to it.

So the earrings feel very sturdy. I don't think they would break easily, but i wouldn't risk it :-p. You should be very gentle when putting them on or taking them off because the added weight of the beads to the hoop does effect it a bit. When the earrings are on....they are on! they will not easily fall off b/c the backing of the hoop is very.....solid and a bit resistant. So be very gentle when pulling it back b/c if you are too forceful you can break it.

They aren't heavy at all. Comparing these to some earrings I bought from ear candy couture
(shown here http://earcandycouture.com/wp-content/themes/ecc/timthumb.php?src=http://earcandycouture.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/GOLDEN-GLAM-BAMS.jpg&h=261&w=261&zc=1)

These earrings are significantly lighter and wouldn't bother me. They only pull a bit so you know they are on, but it isn't irritating or nothing. Just don't go around whipping your neck and stuff, LMFAO!

Here are some pics. I tried not to make it too pic heavy.

Go check her out!

New Design

2011-08-11T00:20:00.002-05:00

As you can see, I revamped the blog!!! loves it!!

I almost moved to wordpress, but I thought...i can make blogger work. I love how it looks, ~~but the only thing bothering me is how I cant get my header image to center. I'm dying inside because of that. My brain is screaming "WRONG!!!"~~ Fixed!!! I figured it out, now my blog is perfection, lol.

Welp, I do have a new post coming of some beautiful statement jewelry pieces i bought and I'm excited to put you all on them.

MY SKIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-08-09T08:55:00.001-05:00

this is after my regimen. trust me...my face was significantly worse. I don't have before pics b/c my skin looked AWFUL!!

The pink is what you're suppose to use once a week and the beige one is what you use daily. The brush is the sephora face one. <3 it

Like I mentioned before... this past year Jan -June I was going through a lot. It all went down hill around May and got really bad in June. I'm the kinda person that'll hold in my feelings, so all that time I'm holding in worry, stress, angry, sadness, and pain. I was trying to keep it together and not show anyone I'm actually human.

The problem with holding it all in was my body turned on me and my face and back broke the flip out!
I've always been blessed w/clear skin and if I ever broke out I would drink water and it was all good. Well, drinking water did not help this time.

So, I searched youtube for help and adopted borderhammers regimen (more or less) i bought some microdermbrasion wash clothes that use with circular motions on my face with the provided black soap. If i dont use the cloths I use the sephora mini face brush and use either the black soap or whatever face wash i have.It did leave my skin brighter. I loved the soap! After doing that i would either use my ambi or clean and clear face lotion or coconut oil. I always alternate. At least once a week i use a clay mask and leave it on till i can't stand it.

After using my face lotion I would use ambi fade cream and it worked, but after a while i would develop new pimples so i stopped using it. Now i use nadinola and it seems to be working. My cheeks were covered in pimples and dark spot! so they have faded significantly. Thank you baby jesus! I've been doing this a little over a 2 months and I'm a lot more confident in my skin. Which i need b/c i did a BC!! and its all face, lol. no hair to hide behind.

Weightloss/Weight Gain

2011-08-07T18:13:00.003-05:00

Me at my heaviest :'-(

Le Sigh!!!!

back in mid June i started the liquid diet like the impatientdieter on youtube (http://www.easywayshow.com/) and it worked!!! i loved it b/c it was easy to keep up with, wasnt nasty, it fit my life and schedule, and i dislike cooking, lol.

So! I was going hard, working out @least 5 days a week to my workout dvds, walking, doing the treadmill, and i lost 15 pds! i would lose a little bit everyday...sometimes even a pound.
Unfortunately, life never takes a break from teaching us lessons and a lot of stuff was going on in my life around that month and i stopped working out. i didn't gain and i continued to lose weight, but at a slower rate.

Fast foward to 1st week of July, my hubby comes home on leave and I go all off my diet b/c hes craving food he can't get in Kuwait. while I had a great time with him...i gained 5 pds :'- (

yea....so i gotta get back on it. i want to lose all this weight before Gino gets home in Jan as a surprise. he already lost 30 pds!!! (i'm jelly :-p) not only do i want to surprise him, i want to prove to myself i can do it and i'm not a failure. I never in a million years thought i could lose 15, but now that i know i can it gives me hope. I've been lagging something serious though. last time i saw the doctor my iron was severely low, which explained why i was more tired than usual. so i take iron pills and vitamin C. i just got to get my motivation back. i can fit in all my clothes now! You would think that would be great motivation to push on now that i can fit my clothes. Sometimes we set ourselves up b/c oddly enough we are afraid. Afraid of what you may ask?

success?
failure?
It depends on the person's personality and their way of thinking. I for one know I'm afraid of success. Always have been.

I'm changing that now. Slowly, but surely

:-D

Falling Behind

2011-08-05T20:11:00.001-05:00

I'm only 21, but i'm already going through a quarter life crisis. No new sport car here, lol. I wish....
I've always had this issue of overanalyzing things and always being impatient with myself whenever it came to what I was doing. Again, I'm only 21, but i feel like I should and could be doing more with my life then I am. I know its not a good idea, but sometimes I do compare myself and my life to others and I wonder..."What am I doing wrong?"

Sometimes it can be very hard to be grateful for what you have when your constantly looking at what you don't have.

Happy MAMAS day :-)

2011-05-08T19:47:00.001-05:00

Never let life beat you down

2011-05-06T23:57:00.001-05:00

May 4, 2011 an old classmate of mine jumped to her death. i had logged on facebook and saw a bunch of R.I.Ps and her name. At first i thought it was a sick joke or she was hacked or something. when i went to her page every single person on her friends list posted a message to her, lamenting why she killed herself. what could have destroyed her so badly that she felt she had to jump off a building and leave her 11-month old son behind.

I couldn't sleep. i woke up char and cuddled with her and kissed her till she fell asleep in my arms. all night i watched her sleep and wonder if she used to cuddle with her son. i wondered did someone she love break her heart or if all her past pains force their way into her mind. i wondered if the hardship of being a single mom cause her grief or did she think her life was over when it truly was just beginning. i wondered if she left a note for her son to read when he was older so he would know how much she loved him and explaining why she did it 15 days before his first birthday. i also wondered what was her last thought.

i'm not going to say her name out of respect for her family and also b/c i was not close with her. when we were at the same high school we hung around the same ppl, but i never got to know her like that. she was bubbly and very high energy always the center of attention. i'm a low energy kind of person and our personalities didnt mesh.

i wish she would have called someone. out of the 722 "friends" on her facebook she didnt feel she could turn to one or call anyone.

all night the last two posts she made on her wall churned in my mind "father god i been betrayed." and "freeing myself from this nightmare i live in"

i tried to find a double meaning. but nothing came to me.

what scared me the most is the fact that...it could have been me. there have been times in my life when i felt like my life didn't matter and when i genuinely had no one to talk to. it was just me all alone. the silence was loud and my thoughts were hurtful. i thought no one would notice and honestly if i ever finished some of the things i started...no one would have. @ least not for a while.

im not sure when...but along my life path i found a tiny light that made me what to shape the life i wanted. i'm still working on it and while i have great obstacles that have arisen this past year. i tell myself that everything will work out at the perfect time.

when i feel depressed and bitter and heartbroken about my past and sometimes my present i tell myself that today doesnt last forever. everything has to move forward and that today has already happened and it is actually the past. time is an illusion and that helps me be optimistic about the future.

everything isnt going to be rainbows and butterflies. but fear, vulnerability, and change is what helps us become stronger.

on that note.

Coco...while we werent close my heart literally broke. i wish you had the strength to carry on and i wish you would have had the courage to face your fears, heartbreaks, disappointments, and the uncertainty of life. i wish you would have had the strength to call or text anyone, b/c people loved you. you left your imprint on everyone you met and these past years you have always crossed my mind. i know wishing wont bring you back. i also know it wont help your son. may you rest in peace. may your son grow up into a thoughtful, caring, kind, respectable and strong man you were raising him to be.

your in my heart.

Sometimes what we want is not what we need

2011-05-05T20:40:00.001-05:00

I know my blogging has always been sporadic, but when i did it i loved it. so much has happened to me and so much is going to happen to me. i've been learning life lessons left and right and honestly, while i love learning i'm kinda tired of it. Life can be beautiful, but it can also be cruel, cold, and disheartening. i've been going through so much, but i'm trying not to shut myself down and isolate myself. The latter is a bit hard to do b/c char (my energetic 10-month old) is crazy. so i have to get out or i will go insane.

i have been exercising and dieting. while ive lost so many inches off my waist and a few other place. ive lost only 11 pds. i can see my legs sculpting and my upper abs are coming around. my midsection is tough. im 170 and i want to be between 125-135. which ever feels good to me. for the past few weeks i've been kinda down and binge eating ( :'-( go away pain) so my weight has been going from 167-170 for a while now.

i'm struggling with myself. i'm having a hard time letting someone go when i know i need to, but change is a frighting thing. the uncertainty of it all and losing that safety net. along with fear, my heart just doesnt want to let go.

thats what growing up is about, right? learning to let go when you should and having the strength to carry on even if it hurts like hell.

it kinda sucks, b/c sometimes i find myself thinking i dont want to grow up, i just want to go back.