Let's Get Started

I am in LOVE with Anderson Cooper! I've always liked him and thought he had more integrity then any other reporter on television today.

I've been watching his new show, Anderson, since it aired about a month ago and now I am full-on obsessed with him! Everyday watching his show I learn more incredible, amazing things about him that make him more of a "real person" then a "tv personality". He and I have a lot of things in common too.

He loves reality shows to the point where he even Googles the pets featured on shows such as "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" and the like.

There is a myriad of foods he's never tried. The man hates coffee and doesn't understand the concept of a waffle. To Anderson, he doesn't feel there is a need for hot beverages and thinks a pancake is good enough, why put nooks and crannies in it? He's never eaten spinach and, even though he's a New Yorker, has never had roasted nuts from a street vendor.

He actually did an entire episode on his show about strange eating habits because his office staff started teasing him about the foods he eats and doesn't eat. In that episode, he discovered the reason he doesn't care too much for food was because he has fewer taste buds then the average person and therefore experiences food completely differently then most people. He even admitted he doesn't care for food or see the need for it. He said he only eats because he knows he's suppose to. He doesn't cook and even gave his audience a glimpse into his fridge at home. The man only had turkey hot dogs and beverages and condiments. He would rather not eat if he physically didn't have to simply because he finds eating to be more of a chore then a pleasurable experience.

I'm positively fascinated by him!

He's very good friends with Kathy Griffin and she and Anderson's mother actually talk on the phone all of the time.

He doesn't like being touched and he said that when he went on vacation to South America, he bathed in this volcanic mud and said the only time he had a problem with it, was when one of the workers that brought him to the mud pool, kept massaging the mud on his back. At one point he looked at the camera and said "I really wish this guy would stop touching me" 

He had made some not-so-nice comments about Snooki and when he realized his quotes came off a little less then kind he called her up and invited her on his show. Well our Jersey girl got Anderson to go tanning! Check out this pale, pale man's tan line!

Paula Abdul was on his show this week and he revealed he loves it when she says things that make absolutely no sense. So at one point she looked at him and said something along the lines of "Anderson, you are a tidal wave crashing over a candy covered mountain...." You would have thought this man just met Santa Claus! He had a look of sheer delight and joy on his face and then when she was done with this strange-ass sound bite, he fell of his chair as if he was overcome with the holy spirit! 

I just can't get enough! Anderson Cooper is my Oprah! I really hope I can get tickets to his show, I would love to actually see him in person :)

Check out his show if you can, it's fun and informative. Check out his news reports too-he's just great!

A grown man with social integrity AND an adorable giggle? I LOVE it!

There Outta Be a Law....

Against making things like this:

How mean does a person have to be to purchase this? Just evil!

Now I would think anyone in this neck of the woods would know right away that the Tarantula coming at them is a fake as they aren't native in this part of the country but still, you'd pee just a little before figuring it out wouldn't you?

I never used to have a problem with spiders. Used to be I come across one and either leave it alone or introduce it to the bottom of my shoe. Now I see one and I jump and get enraged that the eight legged bugger dared enter my sanctum. Then I introduce it to my boot. Yes, I've been known to take off my shoe in the middle of a room, one foot exposed to the elements, just so I could crush an eight legged invader. I'm that serious about keeping my place spider-free. The problem with spiders though, is you're never free of them. They like to hide and only show their faces (or million eyes/fangs-covered heads) when they think no one is around; they find a corner seemingly undisturbed and set up shop. Well no thank you! You wanna live in peace and harmony? Do it outdoors and please let me be! Blah! I just don't like 'em!

Then I see this sucker on LikeCool.com today and I can just imagine the horror a person could unleash on unsuspecting friends and family with that remote-controlled monstrosity. Yuck yuck yuck!

Granted I've been that jerk in the past too. My aunt and uncle used to have this rubber rat in their apartment in Flushing, NY that I used to love to hold up to my sister and squeak at her. The thing really freaked her out and I of course would always be scolded for terrorizing her but darnit, it was such a rush! 

This is what it looked like, red eyes and all. The tail was so long it would wave back and forth as if it really were alive and the rat itself was quite large (or seemed to be when I was 7) so I can see why it freaked my 3 year old sister out. But it's a rite of passage as an older sibling isn't it? We all go through that one moment in which we find sheer delight in making our brothers or sisters run away or hide behind the couch to avoid facing the "creepy" things we'd throw at them. 

My brother did it to me too so don't think I'm a bad kid. Actually, my sister loves Halloween and watches any scary movie you put in front of her now so obviously I didn't cause her any permanent danger. I just hope she doesn't get wind of ole spidey and look for some little sister revenge....

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...

Adventures in Being a Girl (continued)

Day Unemployed: 2
Jobs Applied To: 10


So I'm still trying to work through this whole "being a girl" business and while we were on vacation, I was informed that I am not properly washing my face. The lovely woman who took care of me at the Spa told me my face washing methods was 100% incorrect. Who knew something like washing your face could be such a big deal?! I thought I was doing the right thing, I use an Aveeno scrub in the shower each morning, I blot with oil absorbing sheets throughout the day if I feel a little greasy and then at night I wash the day's dirt off my face with an unscented Dove bar.

I had heard years ago that the unscented Dove bar was the greatest product to use when washing your face and that it was even recommended by dermatologists. How could I go wrong? Well when I broke down my facial cleansing routine to Karin (spelled with an "i" like my cousin) from South Africa, she, in a very sweet accented voice, asked me why on Earth I would use soap on my face? She then went on to explain that soap is soap no matter what kind of moisturizers the manufacturer puts in each bar. I was further informed that exfoliating my face should only be done one to two times per week rather then daily like I had been doing.

Now I don't tamper with a lot of "products" especially when it comes to my face. I moisturize in the morning after my shower and aside from the daily Aveeno scrub and the Dove bar at night, I don't use anything else on my face. Well, at the advice of my South African pampering guru, I have now added a soothing Deep Cleanser and Alcohol-Free Toner to my daily routine.

I've had blackheads on either side of my nose that I just haven't been able to get rid of and I didn't understand what the deal was. I mean I wash and exfoliate everyday, what more can be done? Karin explained that using the facial cleanser at night followed by the toner, would remove all access dirt accumulated throughout the day and make my pores smaller, decreasing my chances of getting blackheads. She said that the toner was the greatest product for this because even after washing, your face still has access dirt that the toner washes out.

Granted after our session she tried to get me to buy each of these products at the Spa store for a whopping $30 bucks a pop to which I kindly turned down, opting instead to put that money towards her tip (which I think is a nicer investment don't you agree?) Instead I went out and found nice name brand products in the store for a more fiscally responsible $6 dollars a pop. Here's what I got:

Now, L'Oreal has a variety of deep cleansers but this one is exfoliant-free and specially formulated for sensitive skin. Given my recent sunburn, I figured this would be a good product to try out. It even comes with this super cute handheld facial scrubber tool that sticks to the shower wall when not in use. It's squishy and very soft and makes washing your face a very nice experience. Now, I washed my face after taking a shower and was shocked to discover Karin was completely right. I used the toner a sure enough, access dirt was on the cotton ball and my pores were, for the first time, completely clear! Hello?!  I showered and washed my face and there was STILL dirt in my pores?! How rude! 

Boy am I glad I treated myself to a morning at the Spa, I learned so much! Hopefully my skin will start to improve and my pores will no longer be plagued with blackheads. 

Here's the fabulous toner I picked up:

This stuff is great! It's really refreshing on your skin and doesn't sting because it's alcohol-free. I have used other toners before and after feeling stinging and irritation on my skin, was completely turned off from the product but this stuff has totally made a believer out of me.

So the new routine, moisturize after showering in the morning; deep cleanse and then tone at night. Exfoliate one to two times per week. I think I'll designate Fridays and Sundays as my official exfoliating days. Those are the days I usually shave my legs so why not round off the weekly upkeep with a good facial scrubbing? Sounds like a plan. 

Having clear skin that makes me look my age? I like it!