Talent Lists

Friday through Sunday of this past weekend was devoted to meeting up with some of my girl friends. We voyaged to Denver and got in some serious QT. In typical gathering style, we purchased a few bottles of wine, Oreos, chips and ice cream for our first evening together. Our spread looked like we were suffering from one giant, collective break up.  Which, by the way, we are not.

Side note: Who do I need to contact to get Blue bell ice-cream in Omaha/Lincoln? Or am I missing it somewhere? HELP.

Anyways, while we were chowing down, one of my friends mentioned her “talent list.” Wait… what? I don’t have a talent list. Also, what is that?

Apparently a couple of the ladies had previously done this. In short, a talent list is pretty self explanatory. It’s a list of things you are talented at. And it’s supposed to be specific.

As in…

Giving= unacceptable talent list material

Thoughtful gift giver= acceptable talent list material

… or something. I think. So, we started making our own talent lists. Some talents are funny. Some are random based off of past events. Some are obvious.

Even so, it is so much more difficult than it sounds. A million things begin to run through my mind. Mainly, what am I good at, anyways? I don’t know! I can’t think of anything. I am certainly not athletic. I have taken the strengths finder…  are those talents? Nope… too vague.  Panic was setting in as I realized I actually didn’t have any talents. Well, this is upsetting. I am not good at being put on the spot, I know that much. We will call that an anti-talent.

The activity ended up turning into something that I am quite certain a group of guys would never partake in: essentially going around and identifying what we thought each individual was talented at. And let me tell you… this is an activity that you should do with your people. (It is better fueled with wine and sugar, but do as you please).

I am sure you are all dying to know what my talent list ended up looking like. Unfortunately, it’s written on a paper towel and is not in my possession. And it’s certainly not my point. My point is somewhere along the lines of “how we see ourselves is so much more negative than how the people who love and care about us, see us.” See,  I was literally incapable of thinking of more than a few things that I knew I was “talented at”. But these women, who have known me for (some) shorter periods and (others) a long time, had no trouble identifying my talents.

Que: so many warm and fuzzy feelings. And I swear it wasn't (just) the wine.

As an activity (if you aren't hurting for a little free time), jot down a few things that you believe yourself to be good at. If you are familiar with your talents, by all means, continue on! But if you, like many of us, struggle to come up with more than a few, ask a close friend or family member to identify a few of your "talents." You will most likely be surprised to see how you are perceived by the people who know you best.

Let this be a reminder to us to never forget to tell the people we love what we really think is great about them. We all have less than pretty qualities. But for most of us, the good qualities outweigh the bad. Find the good in others… and focus on those things.

  

The Motherboard

I believe this has been my longest blog hiatus, ever. About two months ago, my computer decided to pull the ultimate prank and refuse to turn back on. It started doing this frightening beeping sound when I tried to charge it.   Though I know nothing about computer repair, something told me this was not good.  I hesitated to google the symptoms. Everyone knows how that goes… one minute you have a sore throat, and the next you are dying of a rare disease. Same for computers. So… I did it anyways because I like to get the facts up front. It didn’t sound good, and I was scared.

Like any normal person would do, I went into denial and put my computer in the closet, hoping it would rest up and turn on in a few days.  Well, fast forward a few weeks, and my computer wasn’t making the healthy recovery I had hoped for. I caved and took her in. A week went by before I got the official diagnosis… the motherboard. I am sure my blank stare encouraged the computer repairman to dumb down his spiel and say “We need to send it away to get repaired or replace it. It’s shot.” Wait, what?! I have only had this MacBook for about 3 years. Don’t these things have like, lifetime warranties? Aren’t they indestructible? Am I making these things up?  I saved my temper tantrum and instead told him to do what he needs to do… what do I know anyways?

Well gang, my computer is finally healthy. Coincidentally, I still haven’t picked her up. Blogging from my phone is tricky, but I like the challenge. And I didn’t want to leave anyone hanging any longer. That is, of course, making the assumption that anyone is “hanging.”

 

Anywho, it is Fall! Over at my apartment, I am bathing in pumpkin scented everything. Literally. Have you guys tried Pumpkin Latte and Marshmallow from Bath and Body Works? I was like a kid in a candy shop when I saw the fall scents were out. I smell like pumpkins, my apartment smells like pumpkins, I am ingesting pumpkin flavored goodies…. It’s chaos around here. If you go and buy anything pumpkin scented (to wear) this Fall, I would make it THIS. Yum.

 

 

So, I am going to keep this short and sweet because typing for an extended period of time on my IPhone screen makes me want to gouge my eyes out with a spoon.  

 

XOXO

What Not To Watch: Movie Edition

Today we are switchin' it up... don't worry, I have a lot to say about lipstick and hair mousse, but today we are going to discuss a little issue I am having.

I LOVE  a good movie. Love it. Going to movies is one of my favorite things to do. I enjoy arriving right on time so that I can see every preview, smuggling in various food items (I've managed several difficult feats including Valentino's and frozen yogurt), and the overall atmosphere and excitement of what is to come.

Unfortunately, I can't recall the last time I walked out of a theater just THRILLED and excited and amazed by a great movie. What is going on? Am I becoming a harsh critic or have the recent movie releases just really, really....sucked?

Sunday evening equaled date night in my little world and we browsed the movie selection prior, carefully critiquing and viewing several different trailers. I am typically up for a comedy and on this particular night, we chose Tammy (starring Melissa McCarthy) expecting her to deliver something hilarious (I am thinking Bridesmaids style).

Well gang, (as my Dad would say) let's just cut to the chase: don't waste your time. If you saw the previews, commercials and movie trailers, turns out you saw everything funny about the movie. There were a few parts (seen in the previews) that I genuinely laughed out loud at, but for the other 80% of the movie I was just wishing it would get over with. The movie takes several weird turns for the serious side as well. Whatever happened to your good, old fashioned, straight up comedy? A few parts of the movie became so serious that I started drifting off into a candy coma. Just kidding, I didn't even smuggle candy in...AKA horrible decision. I couldn't even eat my sorrow away with this one. 

Anywho, long story short, save yourself the money and time and make a better selection than we did. 

This is an I'm-bored-on-a-Friday night-and-am-going-to-hit-the-Redbox selection...maybe. Honestly, you could probably do better. 

The Covert Affair

I am a die hard Naked 1 & 2 palette fan. I don’t have 3, or else I would probably rave about that, too. I love them and encourage everyone I know to purchase them.

I say all of this because I think I am feeling a little guilty about my recent betrayal. I haven’t purchased an eye shadow (aside from when I bought #2 last year) in several years. I just haven’t felt the need…

So,  I was in Bare Escentuals getting a routine color match on my foundation, and the next thing I know the sales associate is doing my eyes, lips and a full face of makeup. I wasn’t really complaining of course, but she thought it would be a fun idea to try purple eye shadow. I told her to go for it because I had plans to work out and I knew it wouldn’t matter if I looked like a toddler who got into the makeup drawer afterwards.

I’m sure you can guess what happened… I’ll save you the long drawn out story… I really liked the purple. It is a Bare Escentuals palate called “The Covert Affair” featuring Air (a satin taupe) and Catch Me If… (a rich mauve shade). 

 

Since I felt bad about not purchasing the foundation ( I already had the one she matched me with at home) I felt some sort of obligation to make a purchase after all of her hard work. After leaving I was very annoyed with myself for spending $20 on two little colors that I probably would never wear. In an effort to make myself feel better, I decided I WOULD wear it. All the time. And I just have to say...this stuff is pretty awesome! I usually wear it to work, and so I don’t bother with a primer, and I am FULLY impressed with its stay power! At the end of a work day, I rarely have any creasing and its still looking nice and shimmery. I would say that’s quite a feat when its 100 degrees with 90% humidity in Nebraska these days.

So… bottom line, big fan! If you are looking for some fun new colors, venture out and have them sample a few shades until you find one you like. They are pretty good at picking a flattering shade particular to you!  And what better way to wrap up a Monday after a holiday weekend than a new eye shadow? That’s what I thought….

Favorites (june) Edition

Oh no... a month has gone by and I've neglected this little corner of my world.

So much has been going on and it's been hard to keep up with normal life, however, I'm finally settling down and excited to share a few (random) things I am currently loving. 

1. Wet brush

Looks like a normal brush, right? Wrong. Look for that little "the Wet brush" logo. 

So when I went to Lark for my Blowout, the stylist used a Wet brush to comb my hair out post wash. If you have long hair, I feel like it's Hair 101 to know that combing it out with a brush is often a disaster. Maybe I am speaking for myself, but it creates more tangles and much more time. For that reason, when I saw her coming at me with a brush, I assumed disaster. Imagine my surprise when she effortlessly detangled my hair with this magical "Wet brush" device. I bought one shortly after and am still (confused) and amazed at how well it works. I have almost completely ditched my hair pick at this point. I don't know what their secret is.. it looks like a normal brush...but I'm telling you. I see these everywhere... I got mine at Beauty First. I've also seen them at Sally and they are on Amazon for a few dollars cheaper. Try it!

2. Batiste

I know I have already mentioned Batiste dry shampoo (and yes, it is still my current favorite) but last week I ventured out of my comfort zone and bought the "blonde" edition. As you can see, they have several shades to accommodate different hair colors. I am LOVING the blonde type, even more so than the original. It smells really good and it's nice to not worry about any white powder traces in your hair. 

I snapped this at Beauty First so you can see the options

3. Banhwich Cafe

AHHH. Sometimes it seems like if I am not talking about products, I am talking about food. And maybe it seems that way because it is that way. Guys, you have to go here. HAVE TO. If you haven't already. It is a north Lincoln spot that opened a few years ago. I went a couple times at random, and then quickly became addicted. Then I kind of forgot about it, then I went back and became re addicted to the point that I can hardly drive by without going there. This isn't a great review for the overall cafe because I always get the same thing... this delightfully spicy and full of flavor chicken sandwich. And bubble tea. Ohhh bubble tea. So much going on while drinking that stuff. It's just overwhelmingly great. My standard Banhwich meal featured below. And now my mouth is watering. 

Strawberry Bubble Tea 

4. Concerts

Easily one of my favorite parts about Summer is  the massive increase in outdoor concerts. It's overwhelming to the point that I have a concert listed nearly every weekend until September. Whether I will actually attend all of these is somewhat up in the air.. but I want to. The combination of country music and a Summer night is so hard to beat. 

David Nail 

Zac Brown Band 

Alright, thus ends just (a few) of my current favorites. We'll chat again soon!

Love, 

simply(FIT)

Hi everybody!

Just a quick post for my Lincoln people (or if you want to travel!) ... simply(FIT) is offering FREE Pilates classes this week. Yes, FREE. I don't think that happens too often!!

For those of you that missed "Winelates" last week.... it's just that. You missed out! Look how much fun we had..

This week will be just as wonderful, sans wine. Pilates is a phenomenal core workout and Roxanne is an excellent instructor. If you haven't tried Pilates and have always been curious, this is the perfect opportunity.

The location will be different this week and the schedule is below! You have nothing to lose....

And, while you're at it, check out simply(FIT) blog for fun exercise tips and good reads in general! 

Happy Monday,

eShakti

I've been sitting on this post for a couple months now, so I am super excited to share!

eShakti.com contacted Sweet & Modern back in March. Prior to that, I had no idea what eShakti.com was, so I'm going to do my readers a favor and assume none of you do either. So, to get you up to speed.... this is an excerpt from their website:

A fresh concept in fashion - customization

eShakti believes that all women have the right to wear affordable fashion that is made for them and makes them look their absolute best.

Our Story: eShakti began as a small website offering basic cottons and modestly embellished pieces. As we grew, we were tasked with providing design and fit solutions to meet our customers' needs. Today, we are an international fashion design company making custom clothing. Offering both style and fit customization for women size 0 through 36 is the heart of our business.

How do we stack up?
To simply put it, custom clothing does not have to be expensive. By keeping up with technology as it is advancing, we are able to provide customization at a modest cost. Our design teams are based in New York, California and India which gives us a diverse fashion perspective. Our clothing is made in India in our own factories and in local factories that produce some of the leading brands at retail. We do not stock any sizes. Since each style - whether standard sized, custom styled or custom sized - is cut to order, we do not have to warehouse our merchandise. Therefore, you will notice that every style requires your height measurement, whether you are customizing or not. This ensures you a "truer" fit. We ship directly to you. That helps us to keep our fashion affordable.

Our Customer Service teams are based on both the east and west coasts in the US. You can reach us between 8 AM and 4 PM PST, Monday through Friday, by calling our toll free number 1-855-374-2584 (1-855-ESH-AKTI). If our lines are busy, kindly leave a message and we will return your call within a day.

Your opinion matters to us
When a customer writes to tell us that she is unhappy, we take it seriously, and we set the processes in motion so that it does not happen again. Some things can be fixed quickly while others require more time. You can be certain that we address every concern.

eShakti.com so generously gave me the opportunity to preview some of their items to share with all of you! The cool thing about eShakti.com is the customizable clothing option. If you check out their website, you will notice each piece (upon ordering) can be customized to your height, size and style. I love that! 

Anyways, I picked this cute, classic-looking red dress from the website and it arrived within 14 days. Unfortunately, I didn't actually measure myself, so it didn't quite fit me how I would prefer. eShakti.com's customer service was AWESOME and was willing to accommodate the return and have a new item sent. However, in the meantime, my gorgeous and model-like cousin tried the dress on, and it fit her perfectly. And, coincidentally, she had an event that week that she could wear it to! 

Here she is, so sweetly (and stunningly) modeling the dress for me!

And again, at her event!

Granted, she does any piece of clothing she wears a favor, however, this dress is SO cute. I'm a little obsessed! And that's why I'm SUPER excited to tell all of you that eShakti is offering all of my readers a discount!

Head over to eShakti.com and customize a piece today! When you check out, enter "sweetgines" to receive 10% off of your order, valid 5-7-14 through 6-7-14. 

Thanks for reading!