High Five for Friday!

Hey Friends! Happy Friday! I haven't done a High Five for Friday in a couple weeks and I have a lot to be thankful for so it's time! (as always, in NO particular order)

1) This week was filled with time with great friends. Since I am not working as much, I am soaking in every second I can. It's still new to me to just "hang" and doing it with friends is nice. Saturday, Vicky needed some time away from her boyfriend and asked to tag along with me on my errands and we ended up having an amazing time. I just love hanging with people I am comfortable with and that I can be 100% myself and they love me for it. It's good for my soul. Sunday, Britney and I saw a matinee with Zac Efron (uh YUM!!) and we had a blast drooling over that perfect specimen. Sunday night my parents came over for dinner and I made some great food and had fun connecting with my parents. Monday I went on a walk with my neighbor Kirsten and Wednesday I went to my friend Karen's kiddos soccer practice. I try and surround myself with people who inspire me, make me laugh, I can just talk to, and know me in and out and I am so thankful for those people. 

2) My earring project! I just love all the pictures the beautiful women are posting and my album is so precious to me! If you haven't read about my project, here is a link to the album: album

It's amazing how much I have enjoyed wearing my simple earrings! I used to be a total jewelry snob when I started working in a jewelry store and now I'm over it, I love it all. Especially pieces with meaning - like the earrings.

3) I have been working super hard eating cleanly and walking everyday to get off some of the weight I gained while being romanced earlier this year and I WANT IT GONE! I want to start FRESH! I hate feeling self conscious. I have really committed to this. This week I lost .8 which is great for me. I get a to eat a lot on my plan so the weight comes off slowly but it stays off and I get to lead a somewhat normal life. I was able to slip on a dress which two weeks ago I couldn't zip! Wearing this tomorrow at the Kentucky Derby party downtown: 

4) I had a fun photo session with my beloved  English Bulldog Audry which I sent the pictures to have art work made for my house. I am giving my place a slow mini makeover and loving it. I am painting next and getting my guest room done but starting with new pictures in my living room and bedroom. Here are a few of my favorites from the shoot. I am obsessed with her face in the last one! 

5) I am loving the old school rap mix I made to cruise to work listening to. It really gets me going in the morning! It's fun to pull up at a light and be belting out, "Grab your dicks if you love hip hop" or be testifying about how I came out of the hood...a blonde white girl in a white Porsche. It's pretty funny.  People are like, "WTF?"

What are you thankful for? 

Have an amazing Friday Lovers.

xoxo

Rachel

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." -Roger Caras

Monday Reminder

All of us have had times in our lives where we have thought, “I’m not smart enough or pretty enough or strong enough or exciting enough to do _____.”

 

Give yourself a chance instead of forming limiting beliefs.

 Love, 

Rachel

Blankety

I have never been a lipstick girl. My entire life I have always had big lips and it wasn't until I grew up that I realized this was a good thing and realized all the botox, lip plumping, etc money I would save. My makeup routine has always revolved around the eyes. I have always been a shadow junkie. I love playing up my eyes and doing more of a natural/nude/sheer lip. I have never been a lipstick girl. I always felt dated and never really thought I pulled it off. I tried my first lipstick that I LOVED a couple years ago when wandering MAC stocking up on my favorite eyeshadows. I will dedicate a whole blog on the eyeshadows because it's taken me many hits and misses over the years to find the best shades. I have been using MAC eyeshadows and bronzers for years. They stay on all day. I mean all day - in college I did broadcast television and people would write me asking what brand me makeup was. It's really about the application and a good product but the product really does help. When I used to teach Confirmation at my church, I had clinics with the girls at the end of the year teaching them makeup techniques and sending them off into the world armed with all my secrets.

I choose MAC for eyes and bronzer. Their products may seem expensive but for what you get and how long they last, it's not. The eyeshadows are $15.00 each but one that I wear even everyday will last me 6 months whereas a cheaper brand that clumps and falls apart and needs more application will run out in 2-3. 

Anyway, at MAC, you get a free lipstick for every 6 empty eyeshadow cases you turn in. It's about a $25.00 value. It's so fun and I always look forward to my free incentive. Last night, my friend Vicky and I went to the mall and I presented my 6 empty cases for my favorite lipstick!

Drum-roll please.......

BLANKETY!

For me, Blankety is the perfect lipstick. It's a nude but not a super nude that makes you look dead. It has some pink in it so it has some color. It also smells like vanilla and is super creamy. It doesn't get dry and gross on your lips. It's from their creme line so it's super moist. I don't use liners because my lips are already so pronounced.

Before applying any lipstick, put on a base to hydrate your lips. I use Burts Bees. I put on Blankety and if I am feeling super spunky, I will put a gloss on top of it like MAC's Cremesheen in Over Indulgence.

If you have never tried a nude lip but always wanted to, I just saved you a lot of grief. This looks good on everyone. I have super white skin...and this is also Kim Kardashian's favorite nude - and she is basically the opposite skin tone from me.

This kind of lip looks especially awesome with heavier eyes but it's an all purpose color - or even if you just want some color when you are running errands.

Remember, turn in your empty eyeshadow cases for your free lipstick!

xoxo
Rachel

Fun Jewelry Displays!

So lately I have been getting into statement necklaces and earrings. I have gone through my jewelry archives and pulled out the super fun pieces I used to own before starting working at John Atencio. I have a lot of GREAT things that I totally forgot I had! I find that if it's not visible and easily accessible, I could go years without using a great piece of jewelry! Here are some of my favorite DIY's for jewelry display!

This lace idea is AWESOME! Get a distressed frame at a antique store and some lace from the fabric store (or use a dress from a thrift store!) and viola! Shabby chic! Obsessed. 

This branch is available at TJ Maxx right now. My friend Kate blogged about it. How cool is this? 

How fun is this idea? Use a vintage or antique woven pillow, a rolled up fashion mag, and these mannequin hands to show off your fashion rings!

This is a double - use your jewelry for storage AND wall art! 

I love the color and versatility of this DIY display. Color is perfect!

Do you have cool ideas for jewelry display?

If It Was Good Enough for Audrey and Jackie, It's Good Enough for Me!

Hey Guys! My friend Vicky came over last night and we talked about purses pretty much the whole time and it was really fun. I have a fun collection that I enjoy. So most of you know that I am a Louis Vuitton purse girl - I have a couple that aren't - but I have to REALLY love them to stray away from LV. I have been an LV girl since the first day I bought one when I was 16. I slipped that magical bag on my arm and walked out of that store light as air and I was completely hooked. This is my first Louis Vuitton. The Ellipse PM. This is a GREAT bag.

Over the years, I have bought and sold tons of bags. Probably over a hundred. I get them new but have also bought them from consignment shops. Mostly I buy them new. I would recommend staying AWAY from eBay because there are amazing fakes out there. I have even bought a couple fakes - wasting hundreds of dollars. I learned my lessons though. There are a couple of decent sellers on eBay which I will put links to their stores on the bottom of the page but as you will notice, their bags are really high prices and in most cases, I am of the opinion it's just worth it to buy it new. I like having a "fresh" bag. No spots from anyone but me, you don't have to worry about its authenticity and you get the whole "experience" of buying it, (if the store employee is a bitch, go to a different store - she/he doesn't deserve the commission) and carrying the shopping bag around the mall and having other women shoot you dirty looks, and unwrapping it when you get home. To save tax, order them from Louis Vuitton's website - you only have to pay shipping.  Check out the website! 

One of the other things that  also is good about buying your bag new is that when you go to sell it, having the original receipt, box, trimmings, etc will ALWAYS fetch you a higher price. I generally keep my bags 3+ years and in that time, they have had a few price increases and I can get close to what I paid and got my investment in enjoying it. I sell them when they get dark. Like - not light honey patina but past that. I don't like dark Louis Vuitton leather. Some people LOVE it. I hate it. I sell them on eBay. Goodbye!

I could make this post miles long. There is so much in the world of Louis Vuitton. This one is a starter.  My next several posts will be about maintaining, cleaning, and storing your bag. 

If you have never bought a LV bag, I recommend going with the Speedy. This is just my opinion. I like top handle bags. Some people hate the Speedy so if it's not for you, I can name another recommendation depending on your needs. Email me anytime with questions - even to know if where you are thinking of  buying is legit.

They are affordable (well, for a Louis Vuitton) and super stylish. In the world of designer bags, you get a lot of bang with your buck with this purse. For under a grand, you get an iconic bag. The only other iconic bag out there is the Hermes Birkin but those are 10k - 100k depending on the bag.

Another awesome thing about the Speedy is there is so much variety in the styles and sizes.

The Speedy was Louis Vuitton's first handbag for women. It's iconic, you can fit ALL your crap in it, and you can really abuse it and it holds up. I use them when I travel or just don't want to worry about my purse. Speedys come in many sizes - I recommend either the 25, 30, or 35. I buy the 35 for myself but I love large bags. 

Here are my favorite Speedys. 

Classic Monogram  Speedy - LV's first purse for women. Just a scaled down duffel bag essentially. I got mine fresh in the box from a doll trade in the doll store. Awesome! I have had three over the years and sell them when they get icky.

LOVE the Azure Damier line. This bag is great for summer. 

The EPI line is sort of a textured leather line and is understated and really classy if you don't want to be one of those "hey, look at me, I spent a thousand dollars on this purse" women but still be one. I have this bag but want orange or blue. This is a classy purse.

Below is the denim Speedy!

They came out with a denim Speedy. I had it in blue and pink but sold them. They are kind of small and the denim wears out quickly. I still super like them though!

However, I have always thought the green is ugly but as of late, it has kind of grown on me like mold - like the color of the bag!

Louis Vuitton came out with a "Miroir" gold and silver line. I freakin' LOVE them but my friend Danielle got one and this material cracks! They stopped the line. Still it's out of control cool. 

They came out with a Graffiti line several years ago and aesthetically, this thing is a piece of art. It's for a true collector. I didn't have the cash laying around to buy one at the time - plus they were sold out on the wait-list in Denver immediately. They were super limited and sell for thousands in good condition.

This is the ultimate Speedy - the multicolor. I got this when I was 17 and I still love it.  It's super gawdy and totally blinged out with the gold corners. SO much fun!

Moral of the story? If it was good enough for Audrey Hepburn and Jackie O, it's good enough for me!

Have fun, Bag Ladies! 


XOXO, 
Rachel 

My Gorgeous Earring Project

This last week I secured a huge collection of hand made, natural (not imitation) turquoise earrings. They are simple earrings without HUGE stones so they won't weigh down your ears and can be worn dressed up or down! They are so cute and the color is amazing for spring/summer. I am in love with turquoise right now. Since they are natural, each pair is unique. I thought they were so cool and I was planning on putting them on eBay and turning a huge profit and then I got to thinking. I am going to give them away as my own project! I am going to give them to amazing women. I am going to give them to my BFF's, friends I talk to on Facebook, people I work with, ladies at the post office, people I have lost touch with but still think about, a great lady that helped me at King Soopers, my neighbor, my Mother, and even a couple random women that I feel might need a pick me up. Some of my most profound memories have come from the kindness of a stranger.

Why would I do this? Because you're gorgeous. That's right. You. Are. Gorgeous.

It's my version of "Operation Beautiful". You can read more about the project here. The goal of the Operation Beautiful is to end negative self-talk to ourselves and to encourage and remind others just how AWESOME we are. If this project only does one productive thing, I hope it helps readers realize how truly toxic negative self-talk is - it hurts you emotionally, spiritually, and physically. After my break up with Mr. Big, I went through a few weeks of negative self-talk. I was in a major funk. It was awful and I wanted to stop it. It took some time, but I did. I am choosing to be positive. Part of this was the positivity I received from the people I confided in. I am eternally grateful for this.

Eckhart Tolle says in his book The Power of Now, ”Nothing ever happened in the past; it happened in the Now. Nothing will ever happen in the future; it will happen in the Now…Life is now. There was never a time when your life was not now, nor will there ever be.”

What we concentrate on grows. I am choosing to be thankful for where I am and what I have.

I love, love, love this! I recently posted it on Facebook.

We can start by encouraging, most importantly, ourselves. We’ve got to have love for ourselves before we are able to give it to another. We need to take care of ourselves ladies! One of the ways I have helped myself is keeping positive affirmations in my phone to refer to when I need encouragement. I also have a note in my phone that is pages long now that I started with little positive thoughts and things I need to remember. They are the sweetest things in life - often times the little things. (like a pair of simple earrings!)

I love these!

The goal of Operation Beautiful is random or anonymous acts of kindness. I guess mine isn't really anonymous because I had to ask for your address but I hope it was random for you =] I also hope that something simple as a little pair of earrings in the mail (or if I gave them to you in person) reminds you that you are awesome. The world is a better place because you are here. 

Every time I start to think negatively I pull myself back. Get yourself back to reality, don’t try to predict the future or relive the past, it’s impossible and trying to do so will not only drive you mad but further down funk road.

If I didn't email you directly, shoot me an email here. I would be glad to send you a pair of "gorgeous" earrings. Here is my awesome friend Michelle in hers! I also realized I didn't put return address on my letters so if yours don't arrive within a week, let me know!

I think these earrings are super fun because they are natural turquoise which is the only way to go. Like I said, every single pair is different which is awesome. Wear em' with pride ladies and remember, "you're gorgeous!" I am going to wear mine everyday as a reminder. Show me yours!

Love Always, 
Rachel