As most of my few readers know, bonus time is my favorite time of year. Well, there is another favorite time of year that actually surpasses bonus time. ...HOLIDAY SETS & GIFTS!

The tree is decorated, the lights are twinkling, and I am on Sephora shopping the holiday value sets. There are truly the best bang for buck when you are looking to branch off and try new things from multiple lines. Or when you are like me, purchase to add to your vast pile of makeup . When I am looking to try some different things, I always look in the value sets areas at Ulta and Sephora.  Heck....even when it is drugstore makeup, try to find stuff in sets. Many lines do this sort of thing now. I've seen many sets from Wet 'n' Wild, ELF, Maybelline,  and Sonia Kashuk.

I recently attended a customer appreciation party at my beloved Spa Roma near my home. It was fantastic. Gift bags with great samples, the Bare Minerals rep to color match, jewelries,  and the new holiday sets from various brands. Oh.....and a discount! Woo freaking hoo! I am all about the discounts and coupons. I had my eyes on the party set from Bare Minerals. It is a double set of eyeliners, blush, lipgloss, and eyeshadows. One box side is for the daytime and the other is for night. You could break them apart and give as 2 gifts or give 1 as a gift, or as in my case, keep them both! The colors are gorgeous. The eyeliners stay all day. And the lippies are pigmented and make your pouter feel marvelous.

The other holiday set that I have had my eyes on is the Bon Voyage set from Tarte. I caved. I bought it. Big surprise. Well, I can't help myself when Sephora keeps sending me coupons. First one was 20% off and the latest was $20 off $50 or more. Guess what? In my case it was....more.

Thank. You. Sephora. You feed my addiction with beautiful, pigmented, feel good about myself beauty items. Anywho.....I love me some Tarte products. I used the eyeshadow palette tonight for the time. Great pigment, creamy, little to no fallout, and blends like a freakin dream. It was all that I hoped for. I also attempted to compliment the gorgeous shadows with winged eyeliner. Why can't I do this thing? It is not even or going in the same direction, which does not go well with my OCD.  I have practiced and watched numerous tutorials on YouTube.  Still, no dice.

The moral of the above story is.....buy Holiday gift sets. They are heavenly. And, no winged eyeliner. Hehe. In reality, I did not too badly with the eyeliner. No one would probably notice unless I pointed it out or you are a picky girl like me! Below is the finished look!

Happy Holidays!

Fever, chills, body aches, nausea, and vomiting. We have all done it. We all know we are guilty of this. Nurses, doctors, or healthcare workers going to work when we shouldn't. We take care of the sick, the frail, and the elderly, but what happens when we are sick....not a damne thing. We drag our sickly asses into work when we know we should be at home in bed and get everyone around us sick. We are expected to suck it up. Which, the majority of the time, we do go to work for various reasons.... Someone is always sicker than someone else, your peers/supervisors just don't give a shit, or you are just bullheaded and do not miss work. Most of us would just like to call off sick and lounge around the house when work is making us lose our minds just  for that mental health day, but we dont. When we are actually sick-I-want-to-die-sick, we freaking go to work! There are all kinds of reasons; no one else to work your shift, your boss will be upset, you need the money, and on and on and on. In reality, we can actually give whatever this shit is to our coworkers and patients and make our patients feel worse!

Our patients know it, too. They know when we don't feel well, when we are pissed off about something or another, and when we are over the job we are currently working. We are as happy. We aren't as friendly. We take out crap on the coworkers we work with the most. In reality, we would just like to have the balls to tell that supervisor/ boss to go get screwed and walk out the door. We don't. I won't. I have way too much devotion and take too much pride in my particular area of nursing to do that to a boss. Not to mention, the repurcussions from the nursing board when you get reported. You know you will. People just dont give a shit anymore about someone else's well being. Dont get me wrong,I am extremely thankful to have the job that I have and love what I do. But.......

Where do we draw the line? When we are admitted to the hospital....nope. On a side note, I was admitted to the hospital once and almost had to sign out AMA because I couldn't find someone to open my clinic. My patients wouldn't have received their treatment. I was more worried about them and the job than I was about my own issues for being admitted. Very freaking sad. OK, enough of my side note.  When we can't walk from one side of the room to the other without wanting to pass out....nope. When we are throwing up.....nope. When our patients shake their head because they know you came to work like you have the plague....nope. My big point with this very long rant is....we need to draw that line and stay the hell home when we are sick!

As my 4th anniversary to my amazing husband approaches, I can't help but wonder if he knew what he was getting into by marrying a nurse. All the freak outs about certain viruses or diseases (Ebola), all the nonchalant talk about poop and puke, and all the stuff in between that he has no knowledge of what so ever!

My nursing/healthcare friends and family get it. The weird conversations about that patient or family from hell,  the crazy complaint of the way stool smells when a patient has a GI bleed, to the laughter of something your elderly man patient does and asks you to marry him on a daily basis. Yes, that has happened. ALL OF IT!

On the flipside, my non-medical family and friends don't always get it. I get calls, texts, messages about everything asking for advise to asking about diagnosis or if they really need to see their doctor. Or my nursing shorthand. It is strange, the shorthand I mean. In the medical world there is a term or shorthand for almost every little thing, symptom, to every little bone or muscle. Except, the bag of water that surrounds a fetus inutero. It is called " bag of water". Really? That sounds oh so fancy. Just my opinion.

We are taught so many different things in as little as 2 years to as long as 4 years depending on your degree. Also, learning "a specialty" in your nursing area of choice takes dedication and a want to learn. My example. I didn't pay as much attention as I should have to Obstetrics. I had no interest in having children at the time. There is a reason in have kept my OB books. I now want children more than ever. My cousins have a mass amount of children collectively and those books have come in very, very handy. My specialty, Dialysis, is different from another's specialty in Oncology.  We all learn on a daily basis. I do and will continue to do so. If you are in the nursing field,  we all know that nurse that thinks he or she knows everything. Dangerous with a capital D!  Disclaimer.....don't be one of those nurses. I am not. I will be the first one to tell you...I have no idea, let me do some research or ask a friend.

I can talk on the phone, message someone, or freak out over something new or old in the medical world to my husband and he looks at me like a deer in headlights. I'm sure many do the same. At least, I hope they do. When my husband gets sick, he comes to and says something to the effect of.....this and that is wrong....what is wrong with me? Most days, it is something simple like a cold or sore throat. Other days, it may be strep throat to which I proceed to get a spoon and flashlight to look at his throat and stimulate his gag reflex to almost make him throw up. And to which, I laugh. Is that wrong? Or if I ask him to me some Tylenol. He goes to look in my medicine cart (yes, a cart, not a cabinet) and says all I can find is acetaminophen.  Lord. He is not medical, he doesn't know and I have to teach him. After I finish laughing.

My husband is a computer nerd. I heart nerds. When he talks to me about something in the computer world, I return the same look of a deer in headlights to him. Marrying a nurse or medical professional should include a disclaimer.  One that I can not come up with that is quirky and accurate. We work 100s of hours, we work holidays, we normally don't leave when we are supposed to and often love to hear every strange, gross, and crazy story out there regarding the medical field. To all the husbands and wives out there married to nurses, I salute you. We are strange, love what we do, don't have all the patience we should with you,  and love you for being the non- medical you.

Oh, and we watch all kinds of medical dramas and point out everything they have done wrong or that doesn't make sense.

If you have been following my blog, you are aware that I had gastric bypass on May 27th of this year. The sole purpose of this surgery is to lose weight. Fast. It restricts your intake to 4-6 ounces of foods and liquids at any given time. You can try to eat more, but I guarantee your tummy will strongly object.

I have been documenting my progress by taking full body and face pictures. The results are amazing for me and most people. I could tell right away in my face. Most people can. I have posted a side by side face picture on my Facebook and will post it below so you may see. No full body yet. Not that brave. Things are very saggy. Need to tone.

With all the weight loss (54lbs in 9 weeks), I am updating or have updated my profile picture on here. I love the picture. I'm glowing. I will also continue to do this as my weight comes off and I may get brave in a few months and post a full body. I am also going to be blogging about the journey this surgery is taking me on.

PS..... If you are someone that thinks this is an easy way out, then kindly do not follow these threads and keep your uninformed opinion to yourself! Thanks!

Hi. My name is Sarah and I'm addicted to buying purses. All kinds. Totes, handbags, bowlers, crossbody, you name the style; I probably have one. Ya know those big plastic totes that you can put a Christmas tree in???? Ya....mine is completely full, will barely close, and has purses on top of it. Lord.

This little addiction began after high school. It used to be just different styles or colors. Now it is different brands, styles or colors.From Vera Bradley to Louis Vuitton. Purse party purses to good imitations. I have them all.

Most purchased, most loved, and most used are Coach.  I have 3. All under $150. If you know Coach, you know this is a great deal. They are stylish, classic, and durable. Luckily, I live not too far from a Tanger Outlet that has a Coach store, so I get quite the deal on those. To my husband and wallet's dismay, a Michael Kors just opened 3 days ago. Lord help me.  I have had imitations for years, but when we moved to West Virginia it was game on. I was put in a restriction by my husband the first time we walked through the doors. 1 new purse once a year. Pppfftttt. That didn't last long. Oh....they often send out coupons for the outlet. Save more!

I discovered Vera Bradley when I moved to West Virginia. Many people do not like them because of the different patterns. I don't care, I love them! There are a number of different styles and a number of different patterns. They are lightweight, durable, and easily washable. The best....range from $25 to $100. And, go on sale frequently. The VB customer service is outstanding! One of the best I have ever dealt with. When you sign up on their website, you get sale information, a gift card for your birthday for so much off, and can follow their blog. When new patterns come out, they give away different bags on the blog.

My old favorites are my Dooney & Bourke bags. My sisters knew of my obsession with these bags and I received one as a present one year for Christmas from them. I was ecstatic. Almost fainted. I screached like a teenager in the 90s at a N'Sync concert. The house could have blown up around me and I wouldn't have cared. I had a Dooney. Black and grey. Classic over the shoulder style. Extremely durable. Beautiful. Still have this purse and cherish it. My husband then fueled this fire and purchased #2 for me. He is awesome. And yes, he knows he is aweaome. I recently purchased a new one from Hautelook. Great deal, fast shipping. If you don't know what Hautelook is, please check it out. I paid $89 for a $200 or more bag. If you would like the link for Hautelook, please leave your email in the comments and I will send it to you.

The deal with my obsession is that I like nice things and will work my butt off to pay the price. Some people could care less about what they carry. Good for them. That is just not me. Ask my mother. I work hard as a nurse and have earned the right to purchase what I want within reason.  Don't get me wrong, I have purses from Target, Gordmans, Walmart or have knock offs and am not a snob. An eyebrow snob...yes. But purse snob.....no. I like what I like. Does not matter where it comes from. I do tend to use the shit out of my higher end purses and take damne good care of them. 

I never pay full price for a purse. Ever. I shop at TJ Maxx, Coach outlets, online. There are ways to get these at a lot less of a price than the retail price. Ya know, the ones that take your breath away because you can't believe how expensive something they are. I recently had this experience with Miss Me and Rock Revival jeans. I almost died of shock. For real. Holy shit. They. Are. Pricey. Search for online coupon codes. Wait for after the holiday sales. End of season sales. Sale. Sale. Sale. That is my rule. I recently purchased a Michael Kors tote from Macy's. I placed the order with the bag on sale. I watched the sale for a few days and behold....there was a coupon code to knock another $30/off the price. Easy fix. I emailed Macy's customer service about this and viola....they credited me the difference!!!

This sounds very braggy. Sorry. I want you guys to realize that you do not ever have to pay full price for things! There are always sales and coupon codes. Use them to your advantage.

Dialysis nurse

I have been in the wonderful world of dialysis for a little over 5 years. If you dont know what dialysis is.....when your kidneys do not work due to high blood pressure or diabetes (most common), you have to have some way to get rid of all the crap that you would usually urinate. We take care of that. Kind of an oil change for your blood. Google it.

I didn't set out to be in the specialty, it just kind of....happened. I was a RN in a nursing home for a number of years. I started out as a CNA and worked my way up. In the nursing home where I worked, we had a dialysis unit attached.  I had some knowledge of the specialty, but nothing prepared me for the the ringing, the alarms going off, the patients complaints, the sickness, or just the number of phone calls that I deal with on a daily basis.

My day starts out with hurdling out of bed at 4am, getting ready for work (perfected at less than 15 minutes), and putting the pedal to the metal to get my butt to my clinic 40 miles away by 5 am.  During this intense 40 mile drive, I am going over the daily agenda in my head. This agenda consists of daily calls, patient run times, who works what times, what doctor is rounding. And the constant worry about how my day is going to go.

I really love being a nurse and what I do, but it is hard on a person. Hard on me physically and mentally. Oh, can't forget, hard on the heart, too.  Healthcare in general is a hard field. In dialysis, your days can be long to extremely long. My short shifts are 8-9 hours. My long shifts are 14-17 hours.  I am a perfectionist in the majority of things I do (ask my coworkers) and this rolls heavily into dialysis nursing. Especially, if I'm in charge of something; like a vaccination program. Your team has to be a TEAM. It doesn't work if you can't work with someone. There are many days where i could pull my hair out and many where we have good, productive, and fun days.

Yes, I said fun! Imagine sitting in a recliner ( not a comfortable one) for 3.5-4.5 hours 3 days a week and feeling like poop majority of days. We have to be fun and have a sense of humor. Our patients need it. We need it.

By the end of the day, usually 9 pm, I'm completely exhausted, but still have a 40 minute drive home. I usually call my momma to pass the time, but am often worrying about what I didn't get done, if I missed something, if i made the right deciaion about something, did i do everything right, or if one of my patients in the hospital is doing ok. By the time I get home, I can barely scrape myself out of car. I'm mostly melting out of the car the way a slinky goes down the steps. Maybe. Strange analogy? Best one I can think of.  Then trying to go to sleep is a challenge at times. My mind is going, my legs are going, and I often think....well, I'm wide awake....what else can I get done today. Crazy huh?

I have a big heart and genuinely care for my patients. This can also be a downfall. We take things to heart and  wear that heart on our sleeves. The slightest thing can set me off and just plain piss me off for a few hours. At times, people (in general) drive me batshit crazy. I drive myself batshit cray cray.

Our patients pick up on more than you would think. What would you do for 4 hours being hooked up to a machine? They know when we are angry when we are annoyed with another staff member, or if we are having a good or bad day. I think in nursing we all have the days where we question why we decideded to become nurses.  Especially after a particularly shitty day. I do it often. Although, I don't know what I would do without it in my  life. 

Overall, I enjoy what I do. It challenges me. It drains me. It keeps me moving. I makes my heart happy.

Well, it is done and there is no going back now.  I had gastric bypass last week.

I worked 15 hours on Memorial Day and was completely exhausted. We checked in at 5 am the next day, had surgery, and was to my room by 8:45 am. I was the first surgery of the day and the easiest by his report. All I remember is laughing at the adorable anesthesiologist and getting centered on the very small surgical table. Seriously though, itty bitty surgical table...bypass on large people....bad idea.  Hubby also reported that I was trying to grab the walls as they were wheeling me from post-op to my room. Strange. I vaguely remember that little bit.

When I actually could think clearly, I began to question myself. Why me? Why in the hell did I do this? Does everyone hurt this bad? Did something go wrong? None of the above. I was in some nasty horrible pain and just having regrets. Everything went great and I was experiencing the normal amount of pain. A good friend of mine said the pain was worse than labor! I didnt really have anything to compare it to except for a sinus surgery. It was not incisional pain, but stomach muscle and pain with the drain coming out of my right side. And gas pain! Lord, I have never had gas pain....holy crap! I thought I was having a heart attack. No amount of simethicone (gas drops) could fix that pain. I had to walk, walk, and walk and take the meds as soon as I could have them.

I actually only had 1 legit breakdown. I honestly expected more. It was awful. I called for pain meds so I could get up and walk around and prayed that the meds would help. Well, I waited, waited, and waited. 2 hours. I was not a happy camper. I understand the nurses on the floor that I was on, have a number of patients. But, really....2 hours?!?!? So, when my nurse comes in and asks about my pain, I just lose it. Bad. Lost it for a good 20 minutes while he was standing there watching me. Very irritating. But, probably making sure my crazy ass doesn't hyperventilate because I  was on my way to hyperventilation.

Anywho, I was discharged after 2 days. Home was nice. My bed, not so nice. I never realized how much I use my stomach muscles to get out of bed. Ouch! It was tricky; trying not to cry getting out of bed, taking a much needed shower, picking up my cell phone charger that I dropped on the floor. I survived. I survived, because I have an amazing hubby that does anything I ask. Almost anything.

Now that I am roughly 10 days post-op, I am getting more comfortable, figuring out what foods I can and can not tolerate, and realizing that the weight comes off faster than I would ever believe. As of Wednesday, I am down 20lbs and my blood pressure was normal without any medications! Yoh see that....normal! And, 20lbs! Holy crap! It worked! I'm on my way!

Just a little disclaimer for you little readers, when you are bigger your whole life you begin to question if anything will work. It did. I'm alive. I'm very happy that I have started my journey. My life is beginning once again!

Hi. My name is Sarah and I'm addicted to Blush.

Rouge, blush, blusher. Love. Them. All. You can even include bronzers and highlighters in the mix. If you a pasty of Irish and German decent girly like me, blush can be your new bestie. Or, your worst enemy.

Blush has been in use since ancient times by women and men. Ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, the Victorian Age. It has been around longer than the majority of us were mere thoughts in our parent's minds. It had been made of various substances also. Red beets, mulberries, crushed strawberries, and different talc powders.

If you have naturally curly hair....EMBRACE IT...don't fight it. I repeat, DO NOT FIGHT THE CURLY HAIR!

You will soon find out that I LOVE my curly hair.I did not realize that I had naturally curly hair until about 2004....I was in my 20s. Ridiculous, I KNOW.  I thought I just had a little wave and that my perms....yes....perms....lasted a long time. Hey, don't judge me. I grew up in the 80s and 90s.  Big hair, Elenett and Rave hairspray, side ponies...we rocked that shit!

I was in nursing school and a friends mom started cutting my hair. She thought i was crazy because i didnt realize what my hair could be. She made me realize how curly my hair is. She started teaching me how to style and take care of it. I LOVE my Jane! And suddenly, the mane was"born". 

I see so many women (or men)straighten, blow out their would be so beautiful curly hair, or just simply do not take care it..... and I just cringe.  There is no need to blow that shit out all the time. Give you hair some much needed rest and let it out of the cage! Yes, your hair will be frizzy and somewhat crazy at first, but once you learn some Curly Girl Rules, your mane will also be born. The following rules are what I have learned over the years.

Curly hair rules that I live by:

Condition, condition, condition.
Do not wash everyday. ( I know it may seem gross, but it helps)
Do not blow dry without a diffuser.
Do not go crazy towel drying with a regular towel. Use a terry cloth towel or one of those head wrap thingys. I purchased mine at CVS.
Find a stylist that knows what the hell they are doing with curly hair.The wrong cut will scar you for life and make you hate your curls.
Experiment with different products. I use many different ones to achieve what I want. (Sometimes it is a beast on to its own, though). Just accept it and move on.
Try not to bleach, because it will get even dryer. 
Deep condition at least once a week.
Do not "play" with your hair. The more you touch it, the more you will look like Animal from the Muppets. (I have been know to look and act like this at times)

I get on blogs, and read how tos and what not. Read all you can....something may not work for one person, but may work for you.

Here are some products that have worked wonders for me. Some are higher end and some are drugstore. There is also a picture below of some of them. 

Ouidad climate control gel
Ouidad moisture shampoo and conditioner
Moroccan oil light serum
L'Oreal curling mousse
L'Oreal curling cream
Biolage Gelee
Biolage hydration shampoo and conditioner
Garnier anti-frizz serum (great product if you are balling on a budget like me)
Moroccan oil hair mask
Prive conditioning hair treatment

I have made a decision. A decision to make my life better. A decision that will hopefully bring me much happiness. A decision that will help me become healthier. A decision that will influence the rest of my life.

I have decided to get a gastric bypass.

I have struggled with being overweight my entire life. I have high blood pressure, sleep apnea, acid reflux,  pcos, and often a case of...I'm too fat to do that shit today.  I'm at the point in my life where I want to have children, be healthier, be able to play and run around with them, and want to be confident in myself.

My health is my main concern. If I want to have babies, I have to be healthier. I have quit smoking, watch what i eat, and have recently gone gluten free. I've messed up a bit, with being gluten free, here and there and then feel like crap for a few days, but hop right back on that GF wagon.  I have tried every diet known to man and have cried myself to sleep many nights wondering why this fat won't  budge and leave! I have overeaten, I've been embarrassed to eat out or at family functions, and have gone days without eating thinking maybe it will magically disappear. Clearly, I'm a wee bit delusional. At times, I envy the "skinny" people. In contrast, at times I don't give a crap.

I love (eyerolls),the skinny people that say "just work out", "don't eat so much", blah, blah, freakin blah. Few tidbits for the "friends" that think that....you can work out 7 days a week for hours at a time and you will lose the weight.  I could starve myself and still be overweight. I could do everything right, and still not lose a pound. I could do this or that and still be the big girl with fabulous hair.  The stereotypes that certain people give to other certain people are insulting, degradating, disrespectful, and just full of shit. If you are the bully or bullies that have walked past a happy big girl with fabulous hair  and have called that said big girl a "fat bitch"...

Shame. On. You. You don't know her story, you don't know what has happened to her, mind your own dang business and bully your other bully friends you jerk! If this has happened to you, you know what I'm talking about. It stings.  Hard. It is enraging. It is embarrassing. It is hard on the heart. And, just makes you want to cry. Then you have these wonderful friends that say "Who? What did they say? Which ones? We will beat them up". Great. That may make me all giddy inside for a few minutes, but not change the ignorance that these bullies possess. I could go on and on about all the assholes that I have encountered in my 35 years on this Earth. I remember every single one of them. Really, I do.

Many of my friends know that my surgical date is fastly approaching. I'm excited. I'm scared. I'm giddy. I'm worried. Every single emotion you can think of is flooding my soon to be scrambled up insides. Im sure it will only get worse as the date gets closer. I know the risks. I know the rewards. I want kids and this is what I'm doing to get there.

I have been thinking a bit about the differences in generation and how people conduct themselves.

I was born in 1979. I don't remember a lot about the 80s, but the 90s....was my jam.  I had a cellphone that was size of my head, I  listened to Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Silverchair, and I was high school student that worked 2 jobs. My parents taught me a great lesson that I will hopefully pass on to my future little monsters.....you don't get anywhere in life unless you work for it.

If you have read my earlier posts, you will know that I am the oldest of 4 girls. My parents worked their butts off to give us everything. My dad worked for the County roads department and farmed. My mom went to college, tried to keep us girls in line, and worked other jobs. I credit my multitasking ability to that woman! I don't really know how she handled college, 4 girls, a farmer husband, and an outside job. They did what the needed to to provide for us. All four of us girls worked when we were in high school. That is what we were expected to do.

I saw a young lady on the news this morning and her story made my blood boil. The young lady is suing her parents for tuition and living expenses. She moved out because she mad. When this child didn't follow their rules and lived under their roof. Really? I mean most of us disobeyed our parents here or there, but sue them? Come on. Get a job, apply for student loans, and act like an adult since you so obviously don't want to be a teenager. I would never think about doing that to my parents. It is ridiculous. I really hope that I am not the only person thinking these things.

I also can't handle Teen Mom. Ugh. I've tried to watch it a few times to see what all the fuss was about. In the few episodes that I saw, there was a lot of yelling at parents or being angry with them for not helping raise their children that they made. I am not a mother and I do have friends that were teen moms, so dont take the following wrong....take responsibility for what you made and patent/take care of your child. Yes, people need help and there is nothing wrong with asking for it or giving that help.  But to be pissed at your parents, because they won't watch your children. Come on.

I get so aggrevated with situations like the above. I don't know why. It is not like I can actually do something about it. What I can do is pass along my morals, my values, and my work ethics to my future children.

Other than inner beauty, skin care is the most important part of being beautiful. You may the most beautiful modelesque woman and have the most horrible skin under all the face paste. Taking care of your face should  be more important than the makeup you buy.

You only have one face, so take care of it.

I didn't start out taking as good of care of my face as I should have. I have dry, combo, acne prone skin. Big thank you to the family genes and being a woman. I have used the cheapest, the cutesiest, and most popular TV brands. Most are crap products or not the right products for what I really needed. I grew up using Clearasil, Clean & Clear, ProActive, Neutrogena, Avon, and any other drugstore brand you can think of. I have also seen a dermatologistand that was a big mistake.  Everything dried out may face and made me a wee bit scaley.

Fast foward a few years.....I finally saw an Esthetician.

About 6 months before I got married, my skin went bezerk! We had just moved (1200 miles) to another state, started new jobs, and I was just plain stressed out all the time. I was using my dermatologist prescribed products that seems to suck every bit of moisture out of my skin. Big mistake. She (lovely esthetician whom is married to a Nebraska man) told me that my skin was very dry and needed some serious hydration. So, like any other junkie, I spent a crap load of money on a few ounces of products. Decleor. Beautiful and lovely smelling skin care products that come with a hefty price. They performed very well and I still use the oil. Yes, I said oil. Oils are good for your skin. No, not canola or 5W-30. Legit, skin oils. Like, Decleor, Josie Maran, or Garnier.  In reality, they were great products and worked well for my skin. And again, like any other junkie, I just decided to try other new things. 

I tend to spend a bit of money on skin care.

I never buy a product without doing the research on it. In part, this comes from the musings of my husband. He is a nerd. He researches everything before he buys it and has instilled this very important quality in me. I am grateful for this quality. I could have wasted thousands of dollars on crap products that are just hyped up. I read blogs, read reviews,  read complete product descriptions, and YouTube all of it. The later is my favorite. A blogger that I absolutely live is Caroline Hirons. I caught her on the Pixiwoo blog. She is a skin guru from the UK. She is funny, very informative, and knows her stuff. Pixiwoo.....my favorite makeup artists, also from the UK.

Oh, most importantly, i sample the products first, if I can.

I have a 3 drawer organizer that has a dedicated 2 drawers to samples. One of those is skin care samples that i have received from purchases at Sephora, Ulta, or any department store that I frequent. The other is new makeup stuffs. If you are thinking about a new skin care product that is available through a makeup counter, ask for a sample. Any great sales person will gladly give you a sample that tailors to what you need and a generous enough sample to give it a thorough go.

Keep your receipts.

This goes with any beauty related purchase. I keep them for skin care, hair care, and makeup. Why keep a product when it breaks you out, doesn't perform the way it claims, or is simply doesn't work for you?

Below is a picture of my current and favorite skin care products. This is on my sink in the bathroom. The gorgeous mirror is an antique from one of my grandmothers. I have everything right there, so I can not have an excuse to not use them!

Miss Presley......

I felt that I need to give a little background/explain my profile picture a bit. I did mention in my "Intro to my life" blog post that there are "no little Sarahs running around yet", but my picture has this beautiful little girl in it. That gorgeous little curly-haired thing is Presley Jo. She is the daughter of my goddaughter. And, Yes, that makes me feel old.

Anywho, I call her Miss Presley because this child is a little diva-to-be in her own right. Big sparkling blue eyes, gorgeous curly blond hair, and a fun little attitude!  This little thing knows who she is already and is barely six months old.  She has everyone she meets wrapped around those tiny fingers, not to mention her grammy and papa.

My husband and I went to Nebraska the week before Christmas for some holiday time. This is when I finally got to meet her. It seemed like I waited forever. All I could think about was seeing my family and getting to play with gorgeous child. In hindsight, I think we timed it just right. She is sitting up in her own, recognizes people,  and knows how to get what she likes. Not to mention....she is the kind of child that you want to pinch her cheeks like an old lady because she is so beautiful!

We got to spend some quality time with the little diva and I loved every single minute of it.

While talking with my sisters, via conference call, I was inspired for this blog entry.  Sorry Rachel....tried calling. FYI....I have 3 sisters and I am the lucky one that is the oldest. We are like The Golden girls. Well, almost. We fight, laugh, cry, and have been known to throw a few punches at each other.Hence, the Demon part of this post.

We are your typical farm girls. We all know how to drive a tractor, we live through harvest, we  know what it means when Dad comes rolling in the driveway honking the horn ( he needs some sort of help with something), and know how to run cattle. Well, back in the cattle lot anyway. We walked beans every summer, played softball, worked summer jobs, and did everything we could get out of mowing the lawn when we wanted to hang out with our friends.

We fight. Not your typical argue and slam door fight. We throw punches, find things to hit each with, have stabbed each other with various objects, and have run into each other with vehicles. We were taught how to fight at an early age, better yet, to stand our ground and stand up for ourselves or each other. No matter what the issue, we always, stand beside or up for one another. You don't mess with one of us, because you will likely feel wrath of all four of us. The Fabulous Four Farrens Sisters. We are each other's best friends, worst enemies, and each other's most loved family. We complete each other.

I can't imagine my life without every single one of them! Needless to say, we are each others Angels.

Pictures of my Clinique bags. The left grouping is from Belk. The right grouping is from Elder-Beerman.

Elder-Beerman knocks it out of the park on this one. The colors are gorgeous! Hopefully, I can arrange the #20 jammin eye shadow duo (purple & pink) on my eyelids in a cutesy way as to not look like I was beat up.

If you want more detail on the products or on Clinique in general, please visit their website or each stores websites.

It is Clinique Bonus days at Elder-Beerman (Younkers-like for you Midwesterners) and Belk. Notice...there is an AND.....yes, I had to go to 2 different stores to get my makeup fix today.

For those of you that do not know what Bonus days are, I will explain. It is a certain time of the year that if you spend $27, you get this cutesy bag with 5-7 deluxe sized samples from the brand to test out. Other than Christmas, Bonus days, is my favorite time of the year....I just sang that in my head like a Christmas song!!! I bet you just did, too. Anyway, it is like getting a gift with purchase from Lancome, Estee Lauder, or perfumey thingys that you can buy that come with free bags/ totes. As I have mentioned, I LOVE bonus days.

I was chatting today with my local Clinique person/sales woman/all around fun gal and told her I am starting to blog. She had to have known that I would be blogging about Clinique and the fantastic service I receive at Elder-Beerman. Then, this happened. One of the newer sales persons introduced herself to me and says "It is so nice to meet you, we have heard a lot about you". At that moment, I realized that I spend more time at my local Clinique counter than I do in my own basement washing clothes. I. Have. A. Problem. Like any other junkie, I sat in the parking lot opening up the new products, smelling them, and trying them on. Imagine that...clown face in the parking lot of a shopping mall weirdly sniffing her cosmetics. This is part of the nurse in me...we smell everything. Is is strange to smell your cosmetics???

Hey there! Welcome to my blog! 

My name is Sarah.  I am a Registered Nurse living in Wild & Wonderful West Virginia and am married to the most awesome computer nerd, Bruce. 

I am starting this blog for an outlet for the the things I love, things I hate, things I am obsessed with, things to ramble about, and products/things to review.  Oh, by the way, I am a makeup, skin care, and hair care junkie!!!! Consider yourself warned.....
My husband and I moved to West Virginia about 4 years ago from Nebraska. We live in a college town, yay.  And ,yes,  I said Nebraska.  I am a Nebraska girl through and through..... I love my Huskers, eat steak every chance I get, can drive a tractor, grew up on a farm, and have the greatest family in my world. 

I chose to become a nurse about 10 years ago and I am so proud of myself for doing so. It has been the greatest accomplishment of my life, so far. No little Sarahs running around yet. 

And last, but certainly not least, my husband, Bruce. He is a computer nerd.  I heart nerds. He has this "meh" (his favorite answer to any question) outlook on life, the best baker, the most loving, hilarious and the messiest ex-military man I know!

See ya,

Sarah