Fashion Friday - A Tribute!

For this week's Fashion Friday I wanted to pay tribute my country since Wednesday is the fourth of July.  Of course I used Polyvore [again] for my creation and I have actually purchased most of these pieces.  I am a big supporter of our military, being that I once was a military wife....a LONG time ago, but we will not revisit that time right now. ;)  I am, however, not a huge fan of the whole "wearing the American flag" thing.  In fact I find it a little disrespectful, but that's just me and I have no problem with others who choose to wear their country's flag. In fact, I am sure they are wearing it b/c they are so proud of their country.  It's just not for me.

I love to take these holidays to mix prints and find ways to incorporate items that have meaning to the specific holiday.  Since the U.S. flag is red, white, & blue, and stars & stripes what better then to find prints that mimic those very things.  I knew I could count on good ol' Old Navy to give me what I needed; I always find exactly what I am looking for there!  Ugh, I love them so much I can't stand it!

This is something I could even wear to the office if I wanted too!  What do you think?  Would you wear it?

Celebrate Stars & Stripes by queennicole01 featuring a button front cardigan

What is your "go to" shop?

P.S. Share with me your fourth of July compilations!

High Five for Friday

Every Friday I thank my lord for getting through another week of work and the other little blessings I had throughout the week.  Each Friday I see Lauren's {From My Grey Desk} High Five for Friday post and think "how awesome!" and "I really want to do that too!"  Then I thought, I already post a theme for Friday and that it's impossible.  Then I stopped listening to my brain [sometimes it tells me I can't do things, when I really can...mean brain!] and decided I am going to write two posts every Friday.  So I have decided to link up with Lauren and give you my High Five for Friday pics.

1.  My new kicks showed up on my little doorstep this week!  Had a $50 Groupon (that I purchased for $25!!!) to spend and with all the "working out" I have been doing lately new sneakers were definitely due! These are the Premier ZigFly Special Edition and so far they are pretty awesome!

2.  I found a new favorite breakfast!  Curves my appetite and is so yummy too! I wish they would make more flavors though...the other flavors include nuts...and well, I'm allergic so that is a no go!

3.  Rebecca Minkoff covered Call Me Maybe in probably one of the best YouTube remake videos I have seen...with the exception of the one my 7 y/o and her friend did earlier this week riding in a jeep! ;)  Everyone else is probably so sick of seeing & [hearing] Call Me Maybe but I just can't get enough!

4.  My Cover Girl lipstick in Temptress!  Oh how I have missed thee!  I found it shoved in to my console of my car! For weeks I have been wondering what I did with it!

5.  Dance is done. Done. DONE. At least for a couple of weeks.  Don't get me wrong I love that my daughter has found her passion at the young age of 7 but, at that young age, we moms do it all!  If I had to put makeup on and fix the hair of one more little girl for competitions, recital, and pictures one more time I was going to SCREAM!  A much needed break!  I'll be refreshed by the beginning of next season...thank goodness competitions don't start until January!  Whew!

How was your week? Did you have a lot of little blessings to be grateful for too? I would love to hear about them and I am sure Lauren would want you to linkup too!

P.S. Here's the full YouTube video just in case you missed it!

Tutorial Tuesday - KICKOFF!

Last week I gave you a little sneak peek in to what the first [of many] Tutorial Tuesday's was going to be and now here it is the finished product!

Yes, I totally turned this Stanley Mobile Work Center that I bought from Home Depot for $30 bucks in to a rolling train (make-up) case.  Here's the quick back story: my daughter is a competitive dancer (sort of like the t.v. series Dance Moms but without the horrid drama...yeah we're cool like that) I became sick of carrying all my daughter's and my make-up and hair items with me every where.  I have wanted a rolling train case for myself for a while but I just can't see spending on the upwards of $150 for it.....so ridic!  Anyway, this thing has made my life so much easier, but it was totally ugly to bring with me everywhere.  So, the stickers came off and new ones went on.  It was super* easy and here is how I did it:

*Disclaimer: the one sticker [see the picture of before I primed it] was a pain in the ass....next one I do, I am going to find an easier way to take this stupid thing off.  Thank you Stanley for making it almost impossible to take your trademark off.  

The top and bottom are connected by latches and if you remember there was a decal on the bottom half of the product that needed to be removed.  If you forgot what it looked like see my post about it here.  Using a blow dryer, tweezers, and a scraper, I removed the decal.  WARNING: this takes a long time FOREVER!!!!!  Once I removed the entire sticker this is what I was left with.

Before Priming

Yuck!  So I then got an abrasive sponge and Goo Gone and started scrubbing away until I got it to look like this.

Much, much better!  I also needed to try to figure out how I was going to paint on plastic and then it occurred to me...they make plastic primer paint!  So I armed myself with painters tape, newspaper, and some plastic primer (I used Rust-Oleum).  Since the primer came in a spray can I felt the need to really cover the whole thing.

Not sure why I am missing paper on the left side but I assure you I added some!

I then sprayed the whole section with a light coat of primer.  Just enough to cover it....you do not want to over do it!

While that dried (it took about 30 minutes), I worked on the decorations to the upper half.  Now please keep in mind that this is for my daughter and although I was the handywoman she ultimately got to have the final say on what goes (I helped steer her in to a better direction).

I found a lot of "bling" like stickers that she loved from the craft store and Wal-Mart and placed them on different areas.  I also found these awesome mirror letters!  They were $.99 at Michaels! 

But the faded in with the black coloring of the case. So I used good ol' puffy paint in hot pink & neon green and outlined them.

You can really see your reflection in them! Isn't it COOL!

By the time I finished all the decorating of the upper half of the work center, the lower half was done.  I used stencils and a hot pink acrylic paint to write out my daughters nickname "Bird."  It took about four coats, but I think that is b/c it was a glow in the dark paint.

I let that dry and then outlined it again with the neon green puffy paint and I was pretty much done. Birdy made some final touches with sparkling stars.  

Here's what it looks like on the inside:

1. Turn-out tray for all hair accessories
2. Mini compartment to hold things like primer and face stuff
3. Pull out tray to hold eye shadows, liners, mascaras, and other face make-up
4. This is what it looks like when it's closed
5. Underneath houses palettes and other items

I'm an idiot and forgot to take a pic of the lower half but that houses all her sponge rollers, blow dryer, and other hair tools.  BTW, not all of the items are my daughters, I have kind of taken it over b/c it is SO COOL! I believe I will be buying the bigger version of this and doing one just for me.  Had I really put some more thought in it, I would have also attached the mirrored letters to the inside!


What do you guys think of the first Tutorial Tuesday?  How about a $30 rolling train case? AWESOME right!?  What else would you like to see?  Leave me comments or send me an email!

Motivational Monday - I Don't Love You?

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Hello Monday!  So nice to see you again!  Thank goodness for these Motivational Monday's because without them I truly do not feel as though I will be motivated to get things done in my life.  The problem with being motivated is that we sometimes forget to relax and realize there are other people around you who may be feeling neglected.  This week I accomplished some of my short term goals including: Getting blog posts ready for publishing, I scheduled my deck removal and fencing...which I will blog about b/c I am helping do this, and I worked out EVERYDAY last week! [can I get a virtual high five!! whoot! whoot!]  I was super busy, in fact I was so busy, that we didn't really have time to do anything special on Wednesday.  Why is Wednesday special?  Well that is because it was my anniversary.  Yep a whopping 3 YEARS!! [hey, it's longer than my first marriage =)]

Most people believe that we are suppose to still be in our "honeymoon" phase however, that would be for regular couples.  Kevin & I however, are not regular couples....we have both been married and we had already had the kids before the whole marriage thing.  Plus, I made him wait about 2 years to actually walk down the aisle.  Basically, we were pros at the whole "living together" thing and we are just so busy that the whole "honeymoon" thing just got skipped over.

Too many times in life we become so busy and overwhelmed that other's in our life may feel neglected and not loved....my kids included.  So this week I am going to make it a point to let them know, that although I am busy it doesn't mean that I don't love them any less than I do when I am less busy.  This week I am motivating myself to show some more love and make my husband realize that just b/c I am busy doesn't mean I don't love him.  He may get on my nerves and I may be ignoring him [not on purpose] b/c I am tired and feel as though I need to accomplish something that week but I still love him just the same as the first night we sat and talked on the picnic table until midnight at the local Jimmie Cone [maybe even more now].

Remember to love somebody this week and tell them: "Just because I'm busy doesn't mean I don't love you."

P.S. It's totally awesome not to be a regular couple....we are much cooler than those regular couples anyway! 

Fashion Friday - A Beachy Confession

It's time for Fashion Friday yet again.  This week the D.C. area (and pretty much everyone below Canada) has hit a HUGE heat wave!  When I say huge I mean HUGE!  99 degrees...and it isn't even JULY people!  Yesterday temperatures raised to a hundred degrees but.... felt more like 106-110 because of the horrible humidity!!!  Dumb D.C. area!  I love you but why must you be so stinkin' humid! [Thank goodness I am traveling to Maine again this summer for a little relief!]

This weather makes me long for the beach.  Dropping my toes in the water and soaking up some much needed sun to give my wintery skin a nice healthy glow (yes, I am aware there is some slight controversy over the sun but I am responsible and only spend time in the sun outside of the danger hours; 10-2).  I just love removing the sand from every crevice my tote bag and cooler!  So annoying!

I have, however, a confession to admit: (*Singing Usher's Confession song as I type...Old Skool BABY!*)

Although I love the beach, I rarely EVER get to go.  And I am never quite comfortable in a bathing suit since, well ever!  It's gotten worse since I had a baby!  Bikini's are a definite "NO GO!"  I haven't worn one since my belly started to show with my daughter over seven years ago.  Mostly, I usually wear Tankini's but they really feel weird lately and I am tired of feeling weird!  So I have been searching for a bathing suit that will be my "go to" suit for the summer and to my surprise I am falling in love with one piece suits.  This is very strange for me since I kind of always had some sort of bathing suit complex since my mom made me do the swim team as a kid.  [DISCLAIMER: There is nothing wrong with "swim team;" it was just wrong that I was "made" to do it and I hated everything about it including the swimwear!]  I digress...

I am loving that one piece suits are making a fierce comeback.  And they are actually cute, not like those ugly Speedo's!  *SHOCKER*  For Fashion Friday I put together another Polyvore creation of what is not only an adorable suit by Kenneth Cole [***ALERT: ON SALE FOR $50 at MACY'S!!!***] but a typical outfit I would show up to the beach with.  P.S. I LOVE Pink & GREEN!

A Beachy Confession by queennicole01 featuring kenneth cole swimwear

Kenneth cole swimwear
$50 - macys.com

Old navy
$30 - oldnavy.gap.com

Qupid flat shoes
$30 - piperlime.gap.com

Straw tote
$35 - target.com

Betsey Johnson BJ 6035M
$60 - zappos.com

Melissa Odabash hat
$112 - stylebop.com

Are you wearing a one piece this season?  I would love to read about your beach confessions!

Tutorial Tuesday's

Next week begins a new theme for Tuesday's....Commencing TUTORIAL TUESDAY'S!  Every Tuesday I will have one brand new tutorial for my followers!  The tutorial's will range from crafts to makeup to hair.  All types!  The tutorials will most likely be photo tutorials, but on occasion I may slip a video in there.  Currently, I am working on a few for you but I have a BIG one to kick off the new theme next week!

Here's a sneak peak:

Don't let it fool you....it is going to be SUPER cool!  Leave comments for tutorial idea's you would like to see!

Motivational Monday - Accomplish Something

It's Motivational Monday - and boy do I need that motivation.  I am proud to announce that I did finally accomplish something VERY BIG in my life over the past couple of months.  

I finished my Master's Degree!  [applauding myself]  Well, I technically finished in April but the University didn't confer my degree until May 31st.  I ACCOMPLISHED my goal of finishing graduate school!  HOORAY for ME!  And among everything else that was going on during that time couldn't have been more happier!  I am proud of myself and my accomplishment.  I did it all by myself and no one can ever take that away from me!

Next up - setting more goals that I can accomplish.  For me I have a few:

1. blogging more (given, I know!)
2. removing my deck and putting up a patio & fence
3. learning a foreign language 
4. working out at least five times per week....this has been difficult since I was so sick for so long

Henry Ford once said "There is no happiness except in the realization that we have accomplished something."  Although, I believe that happiness is not just accomplishing something, [it can be so much more than just that] I believe that he makes a valid point.  Accomplishing something brings you joy and a sense of relief.  So this week let's "Accomplish Something!"

Let me know what you are going to accomplish this week!

Fashion Friday - SUNNIES!!

That's right people it is official SUMMER VACATION (well for my kids anyway).  To bring continue basking in this lovely summer SPRING weather I want to share with everyone my spring/summer obsession; beside bright NEON colors, I love Sunglasses! I love them in all shapes and sizes and mostly I love them when they are inexpensive...Unfortunately I always tend to love the more expensive ones.  Oh well!

Here are my top five shades I LOVE!

Fashion Friday - Sunnies!! by queennicole01 featuring coach sunglasses

Coach sunglasses
$138 - coach.com

Ray-Ban wayfarer sunglasses
$155 - ray-ban.com

Nicole Miller Jaded Oxide | Nicole Miller Sunglasses - Coastal...
$39 - coastal.com

Steve Madden S1091 OX Onyx - Zappos.com Free Shipping BOTH Ways
$40 - zappos.com

Betsey Johnson BJ 6035M Pink - Zappos.com Free Shipping BOTH Ways
$60 - zappos.com






May your day be bright as the SUN!

Let's be honest....

So, I let myself slip with the whole blogging thing lately.  But I have to be brutally honest with everyone, I have a really good excuse at least for me anyway.  I have been fighting an unexplained illness for the past almost two years.  I have seen doctor after doctor and not one of them were every really able to pin point what was wrong with me.  They finally chocked it up to it being "in my head."  Yep, anxiety. Although I didn't feel as though this was the true reason why I was always sick; they had to be right, right?  They are doctor's for gosh-sake and I am a part-time blogger, full time mommy, and many other jobs among everything else what do I know?!?

Well, weeks ago (about the time I feel off the blogosphere AGAIN) I started to loose feeling in the right side of my body.  Well, it happened a lot to my legs all the time and I never really knew why but, I was sick of seeing doctor's because quite frankly I didn't want to hear about me being crazy again.  Loosing feeling in my arms and hands, though, that is a different story!  It really scared me and I was determine to fight my primary doc if she told me it was in my head again.

Let the testing begin....the PAC that I saw at my doctor's office (who I have a new love for! She is almost better than my doctor!) sent me to a Neurologist to have him get to the bottom of the "Skin Sensation Disturbance" I was having.....There I had to have an EMG done....this is how they start testing for MS.  Uggh....it was awful and so very painful!  He also ordered a lot more blood tests as he said he was not "giving up" on those just yet.

For almost two years I have had headaches, horrible vision changes, dizziness, hearing loss, shortness of breath, the shakes, tiredness (sometimes I fall asleep at 7 PM!, digestive issues, muscle loss, stiffness and pain in my joints, increased anxiety, and now the numbness/tingling of my right extremities.  Could it be MS?  NOPE!  Not MS! [enter a sigh of relief!]

LYMES!  My neurologist thinks that I have had lymes this entire time and it what has caused me to be so ill....mind you I had pneumonia in the fall.....I used to be a generally healthy individual and then all of a sudden I have become so ill ALL THE TIME!  Well, it's because this stupid disease has been slowly attacking my nervous system.  What kills me is not one doctor I ever saw thought to test me for this awful disease!  Not one.....and I know for a fact b/c I became one of those neurotic patients that Googled every test they decided to do to me to figure out what they were testing for...bad habit I know.

Anyway, I am now under treatment (almost done) and I have my good days and bad days.  I really want to get blogging again. As many of you have asked about WeightNot and wanted and update....plus believe it or not I have some fashion and make up fans who want to see more (who knew right? I thought I was the only one ever reading this thing!)  I have lots of posts that I have drafted and yet to edit and post that I need to get to, but I need to take my time and rest.

Lesson learned!  Always trust your instinct!  Perfect quote:

I'll be back on the blorse (get it? blog + horse = blorse bahahaha!) soon enough!  Have any of you had lymes?  How did you cope and how long did you suffer before you actually started to feel better?