Seven Deadly Sins Link Up!

Happy All Hallow's Eve, everyone! Today I'm doing a little something different and linking up with the Seven Deadly Sins tag!

All you need to do is copy & paste this list, link-up, and have fun finding out others' guilty pleasures.  

seven great things in your life.

1. The opportunity to find out what I love doing
2. A job I love
3. Theater
4. Two very awesome best friends
5. Very supportive parents (financially and otherwise)
6. Starting to be financially independent
7. A new guy who really likes me

seven things you lack and covet.

1. Enough money
2. No student loan debt
3. My own place
4. Stability
5. A great body
6. Something fuzzy to cuddle with
7. A closer relationship with my family

seven things that make you angry.

1. People who feel entitled
2. Having my routine interrupted
3. People who still call things 'gay' as an insult
4. People who don't know how to drive
5. Arrogance
6. Stupidity
7. Pretension

seven things that you neglect to do.

1. Exercise
2. Pluck my eyebrows on a regular basis
3. Shave on a regular basis
4. Call my parents
5. Keep in touch with my friends
6. Wash my dishes in a timely manner
7. Clean my room

seven worldly material desires.

1. A fuzzy something (cat or dog)
2. A newer iPhone
3. A fancier car
4. My own place
5. All. the. handbags.
6. New books
7. New make ups
 

seven guilty pleasures.

1. Nail polish
2. The Vampire Diaries
3. Bad pop songs
4. Make up (especially eyeshadow)
5. Crime/macabre documentaries
6. Snapchat
7. Sobe Energy Drinks

seven things you love about love.

1. Good morning texts
2. Cuddling and watching movies
3. Being best friends
4. Comfortable silences
5. Massages
6. Waking up next to someone
7. Always having someone there

This was harder than I thought! Hope you guys enjoyed it! I'll be posting my awesome Halloween manicure on Friday, so stay tuned and have a happy Halloween!

 

October Favorites

Well, another month has almost passed us by! How crazy is it that on Friday it'll be November!? My little blog will be turning 6 months old! I'm impressed that I've had enough things to write about! So let's get into it and see what I've been loving as the leaves turn.

1. Earth Therapeutics Tea Tree Oil Foot Repair Balm

I've been using this before bed on my feet and my hands, and I wake up with the softest skin! It smells a little minty, and that was a little off-putting for me at first, but I got used to it. I have a little travel size I bought from Ulta (Damn you cash register displays!) and while it took me a little while to start using it, I'm really glad I did. Awesome lotion is a must for winter!

2. OPI Nail Envy for Peeling and Sensitive Nails

I've been dealing with my nails peeling like crazy since I started wearing nail polish more, and nothing I did seemed to help. I finally went to one of my nail swapping groups on Facebook and asked for advice. Someone recommended the Nail Envy line to me, so I picked some up when I last went to Ulta. It's pretty pricey for nail stuff, but wow! I put it on underneath my polish, and by the time I took the polish off at the end of the week, my nails already looked better. Hopefully this trend continues!

3. Sweaters

I've never been a huge sweater person, but living in Maine has definitely changed that. I just bought another one last week, and I really love having something a little bit dressier than my beloved hoodies to wear to the office. I definitely need more work appropriate clothes, though. The one pictured here I got from Anthropologie last winter. I love it's little tail and what you can't see is the cute flower trim on the inside!

4. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Book 45 of my 50 book challenge, and I would highly recommend this one! If you haven't read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, it is definitely her best book, but this and Sharp Objects (which I'm reading now) are worth a read as well. She tends to write darker themed novels which is right up my alley!

5. Green Mountain Coffee Pumpkin Spice K-Cups

I actually wasn't the biggest fan of these when I first bought them, but the more I drink it the more I like it. The pumpkin flavor was a little overpowering and way spicier than anything I'm used to, but now it's comforting in the morning. I'm glad I picked this up for the month of October, but I'm excited to go back to my regular K-Cups next month.

That's everything! I've been slacking on the trying new products thing lately. I need to get better at that! What products have you guys been loving this month?

Baby, I'm about to have me some fun!

Happy Saturday everyone! It's been a good, productive week!

I spent Monday through Wednesday hard at work on our new website. It's coming along, and I'm really proud of the things I've learned to do, and the ease with which I can make some of the changes I'm asked to make. Not that it hasn't come with some huge frustrations, but hey, for someone who's never really done this before, I think I'm doing pretty well.

Yesterday I got to take a break from the website to work on This Wonderful Life stuff. We finalized the press release, some group sales stuff, and I sent out some feelers about ad space. I also created the poster which I sent off to the printer around noon only to have them tell us it would be ready after two! Speedy Gonzalez, Albison's Printing, Speedy Gonzalez! Dawn went out to lunch, so I didn't really get a break, so she sent me to pick up the posters and leave early.

After picking them up, I stopped by Walmart and Target to pick up some things. New beauty products and clothing (no matter how necessary it is) make me happy!

This weekend I'm in New Hampshire visiting my school and seeing their production of Les Miserables. That'll be tonight, and I'm super excited! I'm staying with my friend Sarah who I lived with my last semester, so I get to spend time with my favorite kitties, and enjoy Plymouth for a minute. I'll hopefully get to see my TD and some of my other friends. I didn't tell anyone in the show I was coming - surprise!

And, for a little bit of fangirling, this happened today:

Melissa runs Lulu and Sweet Pea which I've mentioned before and it's one of my favorite blogs! I read her every day! So this was definitely a highlight of my day! Maybe people actually do read my blog...

Enjoy the rest of your weekends!

Five Products I've Emptied

It's time for another empties post! For a while it felt like I wasn't finishing anything. Now I'm finishing everything at once! Not good for my wallet, but definitely good for my soul.

1. Simple Moisturizer

I wasn't blown away by this moisturizer, but I did like it. I realized after a while that it made my skin really greasy in the morning, and it was a little thicker than I would've liked, but overall not a bad product. I won't repurchase it, but only because it's just not for me.

2. Softsoap Limited Edition Summer Scent in Maui Coconut Splash

I've loved this the entire time I've been using it. And while I'm ready for a more fall scent, I can't help but be a little sad that this is gone. It's really moisturizing and smells great. I love Softsoap, and this was no exception.


3. Michael Todd Jojoba Charcoal Scrub

'

This little sample from my September Ipsy didn't last long, but man did I love it. The fact that it was black (I know - it's charcoal) was a little off-putting, but it made my skin so soft. I definitely will consider repurchasing in the future, but right now I need my skincare to have a little more acne fighting properties, so this one might go on the back burner. 

4. Korres Pomegranate Mattifying Treatment

This may very well be my holy grail primer, and I'm devastated that it's gone. It lasted me almost a year before it finally ran out. I love how light this stuff is but how well it mattifies. I love the light, pomegranate scent. I love the packaging. The only thing I don't love is the price. That's the one downside. And unfortunately, right now, ain't nobody got dimes for that. So I'll have to do without. Stay tuned, though, I've been using a new primer, and I'm really liking it!

5. Victoria Secret Pink! Fresh & Clean Body Mist

I finished my second travel sized bottle of this, and I'm on to my full size! I love this scent. It's a little muskier, a little less feminine than most, but that's what I like about it. I'm not a flowery girl, and this is perfect for me. I might try to expand my scent horizons once I finish my giant bottle, but that won't happen for a while!

What products have you guys used up lately? Anything you're absolutely repurchasing? Anything you're absolutely not?

We'll be counting stars

Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend. I sure did, even if I didn't get that much sleep!

I know I said I was going to lay off talking about it, but I've now gone on four dates with this guy, so I may be past the "counting my chickens" phase at this point.

We hung out again Tuesday night and saw Insidious 2 which I didn't hate as much as the first one, but it still wasn't great. Then on Friday I met up with him and we went to his house, watched Child's Play 2 (also bad) and played drinking games with his roommates. On Saturday night I met up with him again to get dinner and then I got major points by finding a live stream of the Boston-Detroit game, so we watched that.

I spent most of Sunday reading, and I finished my 46th book last night! I forgot how ridiculously accomplished it makes me feel to finish a book.

Yesterday I spent all day working on the website. I had one major breakthrough and one really frustrating issue (that I still don't know if I can fix) and I fixed a bunch of small things. I still have serious work to do on the production history, but at least there are other, less tedious things on my plate now. We also have two sets of postcards to label and send out, a poster that needs creating, and various other projects I have to work on. I like being busy, but I have a feeling it's about to get crazy.

The thing I'm most pumped about this week? Pretty Little Liars comes back tonight!

I can't get over this show. Nor do I want to!

What are you guys excited about this week?

October 2013 Ipsy Bag

It's my favorite time of the month! Ipsy time! I'm actually really excited about my bag this month, so let's check out what I got!

The theme is month is "The Art of Beauty" and I think the bag is really cute!  Let's dive into the products!

Zoya in Giovanna

I probably need more nail polish like I need another hole in my head, but I think this is gorgeous! Kind of green, kind of blue, and shimmery! I'm very excited to try this out!


Big Sexy Hair Blow Dry Volumizing Gel

This one I'm not too excited about. I'd love to try out more hair products, and I could use more volume, but I don't even remember the last time I touched a blowdryer. Natural and curly is my go-to. I'm working on swapping this away.

Nourish Organic Coconut & Argan Body Lotion

I recently rediscovered using lotion before bed, so I'm excited about this! I have a travel sized one I'm using (and loving!) right now, but this will definitely be second in line!

La Fresh Oil-Free Cleansing Wipes

I love cleansing wipes, and I'm about out of my beloved Forever 21 ones, so I'm looking forward to trying these out. It's cool that they're 100% biodegradable and they're not /that/ expensive. Though, the closest store that carries them to me is in Connecticut, so I probably won't be purchasing these, even if I love them.

Buxom Lip Polish in Dolly

This seems to be the item that everyone is most excited about this month, but I'm actually trading mine away. I already own this polish (I have no idea where it came from) and I'm not a huge fan. My mom might have it now, actually. It's has that whole "lip plumping" thing going on which I don't like, and I'm just not big on lip glosses in the first place. Hopefully I'll be able to trade it for another Ipsy item which I really want.

So that's everything! I think my bag is pretty kickass this month, even with the two products I want to swap. Look for my September-October Ipsy reviews coming soon!

Hope everyone's had a great weekend!

The calm before the storm

It's actually been a pretty quiet week at the office.

I had Monday off, and I spent it trying to catch up on things. I actually ended up at the theater to do laundry (my hosts don't have an electric dryer - not a fan) but other than that I relaxed most of the day. Slept in, watched some of my shows, and just generally lounged around. I also went on a date to Gritty's in Auburn, and that was loads of fun.

Dawn was still out on Tuesday because she was taking her son on a college visit this weekend, so I was alone for the whole day. I decided to jump into the new production history for the new website. I've been working on it for four days now, and I'm almost done with the past decade. It's tedious and mind numbing, and I think I've spent far too long staring at the computer.

I also started to do some other stuff yesterday, including donation requests, donation thank you letters, and 2014 Page to Stage stuff. I also got another longer term project that I have to finish before we furlough. That's going to come up sooner than I know!

I've been lusting after a bunch of new beauty products lately. I may have to do some shopping soon!

Hope you guys have had a good week! Happy Friday!

Fall is here, fall is here

Guys, I love fall.

One of my favorite nail art blogs, Ashley is Polish Addicted has been posting some seriously BEAUTIFUL fall manicures lately, and since I'm a little behind on my blog, I'll share some of those with you.

She does some awesome stuff, and I love seeing it, even if I'm completely incapable of doing anything close.

I have decided, however, that I need to branch out. I did a little research on water decals, and I think they look pretty easy, so I ordered these from Etsy.

I'm super excited to layer them over an orangey-coral polish that I have. Hopefully they turn out pretty well! I'll be showing you either way!

O, had I but followed the arts!

I feel like I'm always saying this, but it was a crazy week!

Beyond all the normal crazy that happens during the week, on Wednesday, I was asked to run sound for the public performances of Twelfth Night this weekend. That meant that starting Wednesday night, I was in the office during the day and running shows at night. Needless to say, I did not see a lot of my house this week.

The weekend went really well, though. We had small but appreciate houses for the public performances and two school matinees on Thursday. On Sunday, Dawn was gone taking her eldest son on a college visit, so I got to pull triple duty as box office manager, house manager, and sound board op. I also had to do the curtain speech.

Thankfully, I have today off, so I'm trying to get caught up on all my internet things and my life in general. I'm currently at the theater doing laundry and watching all my TV from this week. My hosts don't have an electric dryer, so even on my day off I end up here!

I also have a date tonight, but I've decided not to elaborate too much on the boy situation for a little while. It changes too frequently for it to not be the most confusing ever.

I hope you guys had a good weekend and are having a good start to your week. I'm looking forward to having a short week and some more time to relax. I need to get some serious reading done if I'm going to finish my 50 book challenge!

New eyeshadow from Coastal Scents

Hey guys!

I have some super exciting stuff to share with you today! A while back someone posted in one of my groups on Facebook that Coastal Scents was having a 99 cent hot pot deal. I'd been looking for some more really good neutral shadows, so I hopped on that quick! I spent less than $9 and got a magnetic palette and four eye shadow hot pots. I also received a Nyx shadow that they sent in replacement of the one I got in my Ipsy bag last month.

Magnetic palette

Starting top left and moving clockwise: New Penny, Sunset Gold, Timeless Taupe, Amber Bronze

Nyx in Walnut

 And now for some swatches!

L-R: Timeless Taupe, Amber Bronze, Sunset Gold, New Penny, Walnut

 Coastal Scents also included this cute little mini palette with my order.

What a pretty little mermaid-y palette!

L-R: Arctic Breeze, Laguna Green, Appletini, Indigo

I am really loving the Coastal Scents shadows a lot. I used them for the first time yesterday, and they're crazily pigmented, especially with a primer and a base. All my swatches are without primer or base, so just imagine how crazy they are with them!

I also really like the magnetic palette. I've been toying with getting a Z palette or something similar and depotting a lot of my makeup for a while.

Do any of these swatches look interesting to you? Have you ever tried Coastal Scents? What did you think?

The situation is bleeding me..

I'm exhausted.

Yesterday was pretty emotional. I got a lot of things put on my plate and was dealing with some personal stuff. I agreed to run sound for the public performances of Twelfth Night on top of working the box office before the show and putting in a full day with marketing stuff. Dawn and I also sat down and looked at the website, so I now have a bunch of work to do on that before we launch it next week. Basically, I'm insane and want to die. If ever there was a week when I needed a weekend, it's this one. But alas, I don't get one. Instead I get to sell tickets and sit in the booth for 90 minutes. 

I feel like I'm spreading myself too thin, and I'm definitely not getting paid enough for this. Also, for the amount of work I'm doing, I should definitely be considered more than an intern. We'll see what Dawn would like to do contract-wise in the spring. I need to be making more money for sure. 

I'm not in the best place right now. I need more time, sleep, money, relaxation. Something. I don't feel like I have time for my life anymore. I'm glad that once this weekend is over, I'll have a good amount of time where I'm not working a show. It just is too much for one person. I don't know how Dawn does it. 

I am really thankful for Dawn, though. She's very perceptive, and I think she knows when I'm having a hard time. She can't always do anything about it, but she does what she can, and I really appreciate that. 

Hope you guys are having a better week than I am!

Boots No 7 Beautifully Matte Review

Sorry this is a little bit later than normal. I was planning on this post to be about some new eyeshadow, but it JUST arrived today, so that'll be for next time.

Instead, here's a little review of Boots No 7 Beautifully Matte primer.

Now, I probably haven't raved about it enough for you to know this, but I have found my holy grail primer. For months now I've been using the Korres Pomegranate Mattifying Treatment from Sephora, and it is truly amazing. It's not technically a primer, but the woman at the store said that people use it like one so often Korres actually discontinued their real primer. That apparently isn't true because I found it on their website, but regardless, it works fantastically as a primer.

So when I ran out of it the other day, I knew I had to replace it fast. Since I hopped on the primer train, I can't live without it. I've already decided that once I ran out of my Korres I'd try the Boots No 7 one since it seemed like it had pretty good reviews (and the Korres is really just too expensive for me to justify right now). I picked it up at Target on Thursday and was totally excited about using it the next day.

Truth is, though, I hate it. Hate may be a strong word for a primer I've tried less than 10 times, but you guys, it's awful. It's lotion-like in it's consistency, but it dries almost immediately when it hits your skin. You have almost no time to spread it at all. The first time, I probably used more than I should've. And I got these weird patches of product build-up that were really noticeable on my face. Especially on the tip of my nose.

The next time I tried to use it, I applied it twice before I gave up and looked for instructions. I found a YouTube video that said to use a damp makeup wedge to blend it, since it keeps the product from drying so fast. I tried that, I ended up with the same result. I tried working in smaller sections on my face. I had the same result. No matter what, I couldn't stop the weird patches of build up. Not to mention that even in non-build up sections, my makeup didn't look natural. It say heavily on top of the primer instead of blending in flawlessly (as a product called Nearly Naked should do).

I was so fed up I forwent the primer today (something I NEVER do - the oil is taking over!) and I'm really disappointed. After work it's off to Rite Aid to find something better. I found a review on the Black Radiance Shine Free primer which I might try. It's one of my favorite blogs, and I absolutely love the BR mascara I got with one of the 8-pan palettes. I know it's supposed to be for women with dark skin, but if it works, it works, right?

Have any of you tried the Boots No 7 Beautifully Matte primer? Did you like it or did you have the same problem I did? Any tips for application?

I'm still into you

Another crazy week at the theater!

Honestly, I only worked four days, but it felt like I had worked for seven by the time I got home on Friday!

I've been working hard on end of the year stuff. Mostly this week consisted of stuffing donation letters and sealing the envelopes. I spent two full days doing that along with Bob, a volunteer. It was mindless and it felt really good to get it all done by the end of the week. Bob is a one-man envelope stuffing machine!

All 3,500 envelopes. Stuffed, sealed, and ready to go!

I also worked on finishing the Twelfth Night press release and drafts of the This Wonderful Life post card and the Twelfth Night program. I'm also trying to figure out some stuff for the new website and starting to get group sales letters ready for This Wonderful Life. Thankfully, Dawn and I finally got some time to sit down and look at my expectations and talk about what I'm learning and doing. I've officially been at TAM a month last Thursday, and that's a good feeling. I feel like I've got my feet under me now, and I'm looking forward to getting some of these things checked off of my list!

In even more personal news, boy world is going fantastically. To make a long story short, when I was in New Hampshire, I started talking to this guy who I really liked. Unfortunately, he had some personal things going on, and it didn't work out between us. I won't lie, I spent a lot of time thinking about him, though. Well, probably about a week and a half ago, I saw that he had viewed my profile on OKCupid, so I sent him a message. We've been reconnecting ever since, and he's coming to visit tonight! He'll be here until Tuesday morning, and I'm really excited. I really liked him, and he really liked me. Just a case of bad timing and life getting in the way.

Next week will be a long one. We open the show on Friday, so I'll be working all week. Hopefully it's not too stressful!