2014 Family Update

So, I got home from work today at 4:15 PM or so.. It is 5:15, and Carter is still napping. I know he's due to wake up any time now, so I'm tip-toeing around the house, hoping Carter will stay asleep a little bit longer..

Anyways, I've been posting about some superficial things lately, like makeup, shopping, wedding gifts, etc, and I haven't really blogged about the more real things in my life. (But can I mention one more thing--the MAC makeup lady at the counter introduced me to this product called Prep+Prime Skin Enhancer in Neutralize, and it is amazing. As many of you know, or don't know, I was blessed with very good skin. It's a family thing. We may not be thin, but we have awesome skin. Anyways, even though I have good skin, I don't usually go makeup free because my skin's color is a little uneven. Without wearing a heavy foundation, which is cakeface gross to me and would totally cover up my freckles, I couldn't seem to improve the uneven skin tone. So yeah, this product totally evens out my red cheeks and makes me look like I hardly even need makeup. It is my new dream product!)

2014 has started out a little rocky. As I've said and hinted at, I've had some major stress and drama from work that has spilled over into my personal life. It's been giving me some major anxiety. I stopped eating for like a week, and I even got down to my lowest weight since Graham and I separated. It's been rough, to say the least. I hate that I can't share more, but it's pretty personal. I know what you're thinking--what the hell, Sherri. You blogged about your separation.. what's the big deal? But, because this is the Internet with all kinds of people reading my blog, I never know who or where this story could reach. Plus, I didn't share many details of my separation. Anyways, this has made life kind of miserable at the moment.. and I can't even resolve it now.

Despite this drama, however, I haven't been this happy at home in a LOOOOOONG time. Honestly, like a year and a half long time. When Graham moved back home, it was a little strange because we had both been living "single" lives and were only accountable to ourselves at night. It's like, I wanted to watch YouTube makeup tutorials and put on makeup before I went to bed without anyone judging me (*cough cough* Graham). He was going to school, working, etc, only coming home to be a husband and dad on the weekends. He didn't want me judging his routines or activities either. So, we needed to adjust to life together again. It was weird. I just can't describe it. Almost like being newly married again. So, the first few weeks, including Christmas vacation, required an attitude adjustment from both of us.

Now, we are finally getting into a groove. Graham got a real job (he was working full-time as a taxi driver at nights until he found a real one) as an attendant/assistant at a group home for mentally disabled handicapped adolescents. It will be a challenging job for sure, but it allows him to work 3-10 PM. I will be working early, from 6 AM - 2:30 PM. Ugh.. but it's all for our good. We'll finally be able to pay off debts. AND, we're still saving money on daycare! So, with all of this going well, and with true honesty and transparency in our home between the both of us, we are getting to a good spot in our relationship. We have our challenging moments (like today when Graham was hangry and responded rudely when I bugged him about his school), but overall, things are great between us. I am happy. There, I said it. It's hard to believe where we've ended up.. and I couldn't be more grateful to everyone who has supported us along the way.

Oh, and now here comes Carter.. at 5:45. Good timing!

Favorites

So, I'm a little bored, and I figured I'd blog about something random.

Anyways, I was thinking about this the other day when I got out my waffle maker on Saturday morning.. We've had it for over 6 years now, and we use it frequently, and it's still going strong. It is one of my favorite appliances, and one of my favorite wedding gifts.. So, I got to thinking about what my favorite wedding gifts were...

Favorites:
Hotel Collection bath towels from Macy's
Wusthof knives from Macy's
My Waterford china (just because it's so pretty)
Swarovski picture frame
Villaware waffle maker (which they no longer make)

Least Favorites:
Quesadilla maker (this went right back to the store)
Rice cooker (mushy, nasty rice)
Ebelskiver pan (seriously, who has the patience to make these?)

Some of my most favorite things this month:
Chocolate Chip Cheeseball from Mel's Kitchen Cafe with Nilla Wafers
Diet Dr. Pepper (always)
MAC's Prep+prime products (finally got rid of my undereye circles!)
Spigen iPhone case
My Banana Republic Sloan slim fit pants for work (I have them in a maroon color, teal, royal blue and pink, as well as tan, black and a textured navy blue. They are THE perfect fit for someone like me with no waist and no hips.)
Pride and Prejudice DVD (always a relaxing, happy movie in our house.. at least for me)
The new perfume I got (Balenciaga Rosabotanica). It is my new fave.
And, finally, the new lipstick/lipliner combo I got from Urban Decay in Native (so creamy, and such a beautiful color)

Hope you all are having a good month. So far, 2014 isn't starting off so great, but it only can get better from here, right?

Honesty

For obvious reasons, honesty is very important to me.. Honesty with God, honesty with yourself, and honesty with others.

Although I do value honesty, it isn't always my best quality. I've struggled with it in all three areas.

Owning up to my choices and having to live with the consequence can affect me in lots of different ways. For example, am I always telling my husband when I buy something that I probably don't need? Am I telling my co-workers or manager when I've made a mistake at work? Am I honest with myself about my actions and feelings?

Honesty with myself is something I've been thinking a lot about lately. It is something we are all guilty of, though.. Why are you avoiding wearing certain items of clothing--is it because you don't "feel" like wearing them, or have you gained a couple of pounds? I am often found guilty of this. What is your motivation to help people? Is it because you truly want to help make their life better? Or is it because you want them to think you're an awesome person? If someone accidentally takes a picture where you look "fat", do you immediately delete it? Or does your face look ugly? (Has anyone ever seen that quote on Pinterest that says, "there are no ugly pictures--that's just the way your face looks sometimes.") Deleting "fat pictures" is a form of dishonesty with yourself, as it may just be a bad angle or bad lighting, but it just may be the "true" vision of you at the time.

I, for one, tend to delete most photos where I look gross. So, that is why I have almost NO photos with me in them from pregnancy until Carter was almost two years old. In the spirit of honesty, here is a picture of me with Carter when he is about 11 months old that is particularly unflattering during my post-partum fat days.

And, to make myself feel a little bit better after that, here's a more recent one. Thanks goodness I started working out!

I don't know why I'm writing this, really. I have some serious drama and stuff going on at work that I've been trying to get through. I can't really give many details, but it does involve honesty.

Stress Shopping

Does anybody else do this? Some people binge eat, some people exercise like crazy, others drink themselves into oblivion..

But, no.. I stress shop. I can't divulge how much money I spent on stuff when Graham was gone, but it wasn't wise of me to do so. However, try telling my nerves that I don't need a pair of teal pants for work from Banana...

Anyways, Santa got me a gift card from Sephora that I just so happened to use today.. I bought an Urban Decay lipstick  in Native (because I need more makeup right?), matching lipliner, and a new perfume to try (yeah, good idea, right, since I work in a perfume-free workplace..?). With the gift card, the damage wasn't that bad, fortunately. I'll round out the night with a good workout and some fudge-covered Ritz crackers.

20 Looks Using Urban Decay Naked 3

So, I compiled a list of 20 different looks using Urban Decay's Naked 3 palette, using my initial list of my favorite tutorials. I've written down every eyeshadow they use, where (and sometimes how) they apply the eyeshadow, and the type and color of eyeliner they have used. I've also credited each YouTube beauty guru with the looks. I printed this out, and I keep it out on my desk for everyday use. I also have these 20-look sheets for all three Naked palettes.

If you would like a copy of these, please leave me a comment below or e-mail me at shewi128 (at) hotmail (dot) com. I'll be sure to check my spam mail more often just in case!