Bling Bling!

I got my Diamond Candle this week! My mystery ring was right at the top so after burning the candle for three days (I was not going to dig, I was going to wait patiently) here's what I got:

It's far shinier in person and and anddddd-since I bought the cupcake candle, my lovely ring smells delicious too! BONUS!

I'm almost positive the stamp on the inside of the band says "Argentina" so it isn't a $5,000 gem but it's pretty and it fits, who could ask for much more? 

Now granted, not every one will like every ring they get, but check out the website and see if this is something you'd like to try out or buy as a gift for a friend or family member. At $25 bucks a candle, it's really not a bad gift, especially if you know someone that's a real pain to shop for. Can't go wrong with a candle and certainly not a beautiful jarred candle that comes with it's own mystery ring! I'll definitely be ordering these as Christmas gifts and getting another one for me'self!

Cupcakes and bling? I like it!

World Wide Wonders

I follow a lot of different blogs and websites and found a bunch of fabulous gift and craft ideas over the past couple of months I've recently decided to try out.

Today, I spent the entire night trying out this "Tie Shirt" pattern I found:

You can find the tutorial on making your very own here

I went to Goodwill and picked up four neck ties at $3 a piece and when I came home I discovered two of them were from designer labels! I have a Lagerfeld and an Yves Saint Laurent to use! How exciting! 

I don't have a sewing machine so if I was to give this pattern a try, I'd have to do it by hand. So I decided to use one of the non-designer ties and a shirt I no longer wear as a test run to see if I;d be able to pull this off without the aide of an automated helper. Here's what I made:

It's not the prettiest combination of colors but it was a test run and I'm glad I had the extra ties to help figure everything out. The shirt I used had three buttons at the top so I had to cover up the straight button up portion of the collar which is why the tie goes a little wonky at the bottom rather then circling back around like the original picture. I have to find some prettier accent buttons and I'll definitely be using a shirt with a simple, round collar but I'm happy to have given this a try. 

The Lagerfeld tie is very cute and has tiny white leaves covering a light tan background and I think it will look really nice over a green shirt. The Yves Saint Laurent tie is chocolate brown and has tiny periwinkle dots all over it and honestly, I would have out it with the above shirt but again, it's not one I wear anymore and I'd rather pair the designer tie with a shirt that it will lay nicer on. 

A few months ago my friend posted on Facebook a picture of a candle she had just received in the mail. I didn't think much of it until I saw the picture getting a lot of comments. I took a second look and discovered she had ordered a Diamond Candle. What's a Diamond Candle you ask? Well, let me tell you all about it.

Quite frankly, it's an idea I wish I had come up with. Each candle has one "designer" ring stuck inside the wax. The rings are double wrapped in foil and plastic to keep the finish and gems from getting all mucked up or burnt from the melting wax. The rings are valued anywhere for $10 to $10,000. I know you'll find this hard to believe because I certainly did, but my friend on Facebook had ordered three candles and two of her rings, while pretty, weren't worth more then $10 but her third ring had genuine diamond chips in it! I don't know what the total value was but it was appraised and the stones were authenticated as diamond chips. 

If you YouTube Diamond Candles you'll find hundreds of testimonials from women as they unveil their rings. I bought one for Joe's aunt because these kinds of things are right up her alley and I know she had never heard of a Diamond Candle before. 

She absolutely loved it! The ring is a $10 one but it fits and she really likes the shape of the "diamond-like" stone she got. Not a bad gift idea my friends. It's like getting someone a lotto ticket, only with Diamond Candles, you're guaranteed to get something, even if it doesn't "pay off" in the end.  

I bought the Cinnamon Tea scent for Joe's aunt and just ordered the Cupcake scent for myself. I'll let you guys know what kind of ring I get when my candle arrives-hopefully I'll get lucky and, like Joe's aunt, my ring will be at the top of the candle. I'll be patient if it isn't but I really, really hope it's at the top! Oh I just love surprises!

A beautiful, nice smelling jarred candle AND a hidden ring that might come with precious stones?! I like it!

Adventures of Being a Girl Part 3

Days Unemployed: 24
Jobs Applied to: 35
Possible Interviews to Set Up: 2
Interviews Had: 2

Today I did something seriously huge in my quest further into "girlhood"-

I got side bangs!!!

Now I know this shouldn't be a big deal but I haven't had bangs....EVER!!

Sorry about the dumb picture, I know nothing about modeling for facebook photo-ops and there isn't a blank wall in my house I could stand in front of so I just tweaked the image a little so you focus on the hair and not all the junk that makes up my worldly possessions in the background.

Anyways, it was an idea I had been toying with for awhile and when I heard Joe's middle sister Cassie was getting her hair cut I thought I'd tag along and see what her "stylist" suggested I do with my 'do. Turns out, Cassie ended up getting the exact haircut I was looking for and since her hair is as long as mine, I had a real life example of how the cut would look right in front of me. Granted she's a young little stick of a gal so the cut still looks superior on her in comparison but dammit, I have side bangs! Our "stylist", Bonnie, was insanely wonderful and girl, was she quick and extremely affordable! Shout out to Sandy Hook Hair Co. or "Shh..." for hooking me up with my super fabulous look. I am simply in love!

I can't stop looking at myself-your girl looks good up in herrr! Hopefully this isn't a fluke. You know how you get your hair cut and your "stylist" uses that awesome special salon brush and puts a little dab of product over your locks and blow dries your strands to perfection? Yeah, I'm a little nervous that in my completely incapable hands, this hairdo will never look this good ever again but I'll try real hard to keep it as cute as possible.

To be continued ya'll....

It's Over!

Days Unemployed: 12
Jobs Applied to: 25
Possible Interviews to Set Up: 2

Today is the last day of summer!! Or I hope it is at least. Let's make way for my favorite season-Fall! I'm tempted to hang my "Happy Halloween" flag from our door but that would be a little hypocritical considering just yesterday I commented to a friend about how Halloween (and Christmas!) stuff is already in stores while rolling my eyes. I'll be good and wait until October 1st to hang it and then make sure to be a good "Susie Homemaker" and take it off the door on November 1st. I'm going to have to search for more flags because, while I'm not one to go all out decorating the front yard or anything, I do like the way the flag looks on our front door. It's the perfect size and has cute little "monsters" on it that make me think of Mike Wazowski every time I come home.

I am looking forward to carving pumpkins again this year. I've missed out on carving pumpkins for the past few years and Joe and I have just not had the time to go to the local farm and pick pumpkins. Last year I was determined to carve something so I went to the super market and got small pumpkins the night before Halloween and carved up three very cute pumpkins for our walk. See:

The middle one is a Cyclops like Mike

A friend of mine was throwing a Halloween party the same week and asked if I'd come early and help her kids with their pumpkins since neither she nor her husband were any good at slicing and dicing. So I got my carve-on last year and hope to repeat that this year, maybe even a little earlier so I can enjoy my little cut-up creations longer this time around. 

I'll have to purchase new carving tools though because I started using the knives from the starter set I bought for my candle making. I spotted a Star Wars carving booklet last year which I hope to pick up next month. Joe thinks it's silly but deep down I know he would be tickled to have a Storm Trooper or Death Star pumpkin. 

I've always wanted to make one of those "gross" pumpkins but I feel like those pumpkins would start to stink sooner as all of its "innards" will no doubt begin rotting before the rest of it. How do people come up with these things?!

Oh and PS-I don't even like Halloween! I hate dressing up and each year I'm invited to parties I have no desire to attend simply because I have no idea what costume to get. I never plan to dress up so being invited to these parties is that much worse because then I find myself looking last minute when all of the decent stuff is gone. And have you checked out the prices lately?! Why on Earth would I want to shell out 40 bucks for a super thin, nylon costume I only plan to wear once in my life? I just don't get it. 

I'll carve pumpkins all day long though...