Who's that feller??

Well the overwhelming question from yesterdays post was cracking me up. You all wanna know more about thiiiis guy. 

Clay and I go WAAAAAY back. I hate to disappoint, but no, we are not dating. We were friends in high school and throughout college. One time the two of us took an epic two day trip to Florida, by van. We have also accompanied each other on many-a-spring-breaks. The dirt we know on each other is far too extensive, which is why I will be brief. 

Clay is a looker, no? 

Yes ladies, he is charming. 

Not only is he handsome, but his numerous dateable qualities include, but are not limited to: 

Appreciating UK sports...

Being a fabulous uncle... 

Volunteering for Susan G. Komen... 

Having an ADPi sister (so that is cool)...

And last but not least, impersonating a wicked 70's adult film star. 

Every time I see this pic, I do have to ask myself why we aren't dating. 

I kid I kid, Clay, I love ya!

He is going to KILL me for this post!!! 

xoxo

Hola chicas.

Thought I would pop in for a quick update!! Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving!! Over the Holiday weekend I had my TEN YEAR High School reunion... AHHHHHH. 

I know. It's frightening. However, it was really fun! I just wish I had remembered to charge my camera and gotten more than two pics. 

Things on the home front are going well. I can hang clothes now, yay! 

I also played with the babies recently. Babies like extensions too ya know...

In my family, Holidays mean pug reunions, duh. 

Well we've now taken it to a whole new level... and apparently found the only pug to be knocked up by a shi-tzu, and bought it's baby. 

I give you Oscar, the pug-tzu. 

It's like Sadie with a beard... 

Mom... PLEASE tell me that guy is NOT my cousin? 

DAFUQ?!

;) 

xoxo

Take it away, Kait!

Still working on returning to my normal self. In the meantime... I give you this little cutie!! 

*

So there I am, sitting at my desk on Tuesday afternoon after the holiday weekend casually chatting stress rashes and whole room closets with PLL herself..and that's when it happened.

She asked me to guest post on her blog...and that's when Santa Claus may have existed again. Angels sang, and the Whos down in Whoville "Fahoo Foray"-ed. But really though...

Way back when my blog sucked was a baby, I found PLL and I said "Self, someday we are going to be like her." Self seemed pretty okay with it, but we got a Lab instead. Looks like things turned out pretty well.

Dogs in tutus, what more could you want?

Except there's just a couple things we haven't mastered yet...

1. The hair. There's a couple reasons for this. I have no idea how to use a velcro roller. Like none. They fall out and tangle my hair and before I know it, I've indulged in an entire bottle of wine before the hair curling even commences. I also fail so good at the teasing of the mane. I'm a lover of a good tease thanks to my new Spornette brush and Sarah. She knows the way to my heart. What I'm not so good at is recognizing when to stop teasing and start styling. Before I know it, my hair is teased from here to Texas and I look more like Simba's ugly sister than I'd appreciate.

2. The makeup. Now, I'm far more advanced in this category than the hair. I own all the goods, have mastered concealing blemishes, and creating a clean "palette" to work with. The problem lies in the eyes. Specifically smokey eyes. It just ain't happenin' over here--unless of course you like the Rocky Balboa look. Then, I'm your gal. Simply Flawless, I am not.

Let's also talk shiny, perfectly pouty lips. Do you not ever take drinks of Diet Coke? 'Cause let's get one thing straight...I can apply my favorite shade of Buxom and the moment I take that DC can to the face and gloss-be-gone. 

For these reasons (among many others), I think a trip to Kentucky needs to be planned. Whatcha thinking, PLL? I'll bring the scary hair, you bring the hairspray and bobby pins. 

Maddie says she'll bring the wine.

Thanks for filling in Kait! I owe ya! You bring Maddie and your sassy self down to the KY and I'll fix that poofing problem real fast. ;) 

xoxo

to whom it may concern...

real talk. get ready. 

I sent this to a sweet girl yesterday, and thought maybe, just maybe, it could help someone else. Whether an engagement ending, a breakup, a divorce-whatever, heartbreak is heartbreak. Now I don't have all the answers...but here are my two cents, for what their worth:

Dear heartbroken,

My heart goes out to you. I know all too well what you are going through. It is SO hard going through an engagement ending. It has been almost three years now since I called off the wedding, and I swear just in this past year did I finally start to feel normal again. It takes some time, but it does happen. 

I am not sure of the circumstances for why yours ended, so I will try and tell you what I DO know about how to deal, and how to move forward.

I found so much comfort in strength through leaning on my family and friends. I couldn't have done it without them. Cling to the ones close to you, they will be there for you. Do NOT I repeat DO NOT look at this facebook, it is just better that way. You can hide him from your news feed too so you don't see his stuff popping up all the time. it just helps you to not get upset over silly little things, and keeps your mind from wondering...

I felt like I was drowning. nearly everyday. I questioned myself a lot, but I STILL had this overwhelming feeling of relief if that makes sense, like I had made the right decision. I did the whole cry in bed and eat ice cream and watch the notebook, but I promise that makes you feel worse after the first day or so. ;) I recommend taking care of yourself. work out, eat right, take care of your skin, get yourself ready and be productive. It helps you just feel more on top of things, and more put together, even when you feel like you are falling apart. Those are the things you can control right now, and the things you can pat yourself on the back for at the end of the day. 

I had a really hard time with losing his family. They were my family. And the thought of them not being my family anymore was devastating. That is totally normal. They will always love you, and continue to be there for you, I promise. And once enough time passes and life calms down, you may even still see them.

I promise you, it does get better. with each day that passes you will feel a little more like yourself, and it won't hurt as much. I am not sure how old you are, but I promise you, you are young, and you have all the time in the world to find someone else, who is the RIGHT one for you, and you will be like OOOOH this is why that didn't work, and you will be so so thankful for it. I was  25 when I called off the wedding, and thought "OMG, I am NEVER gonna find someone else" but honey, 25 is so young. There is no need to rush into anything before it is RIGHT.

You won't forget him, or forget the memories you made with him. And that is ok. Those things shape who we are. But you will forget what it is like to have feelings for him, and when that day comes, you will genuinely be able to be happy for him, and be happy that you both made this choice. I promise, promise it will be ok, and it will get better, even though it doesn't feel like it now. 

Have you heard this song? It really hit home for me, and hopefully you can find some comfort in the words. Of course, Miss Underwood ;) 

And also, one more thing. Life is funny... and he may have a way of coming back into your heart and life, and THAT is ok too. Just listen to your heart, and pray about it. God has a plan for you, so hold tight to that truth. Also, please remember, that the only people that can say if the relationship is right or wrong are the two of you living it, so try and tune out others opinions. At the end of the day it is YOUR life and YOUR decision of what is right and wrong for you. So be strong.

You will be ok. 

I hope I was able to help in some small way. 

xoxo

Stress in the 90's

Hey there PLL land, I'm Whitney and today I'm going to fill in for our resident blogging queen while she is off doing grown up things and perfecting her PLL Palace.

If you are wondering who I am or where I came from, my space (not to be confused with MySpace) of the interwebz world is called I Wore Yoga Pants to Work. Feel free to stop by and say hi!

I don't know about you all but after seeing all of the stress our girl is going through with her new digs and grown up life, I couldn't help but think how stressful life in the 90's was like. Even before we were forced to pretend to be grown ups.

From what I can gather, PLL has been getting a little bit of slack in the internetz department for not being the post master she once was. Well, aside from doing big girl, grown up things - let's not forget, if this was the days of Xanga she might not be posting as much because someone is on the phone, hogging all of the internet connection.

Cut a girl some slack... Aint nobody got time for that!

Who remembers the days when perfecting our AIM away messages were our biggest stressors?

The days when having an away message that resembled this one made you really cool, but it sure was stressful figuring out how to make it look that way.

I mean, Google was just a small twinkle in our eyes and there was no way you could just go ask Jenny how she made hers look so nifty. Nope, you were going to be cool all on your own - no matter how stressful it might have been.

Or maybe that was just me. All I know is that I lost some serious sleep over the infamous fading away message.

Then our girl found a SPIDER with legs longer than Sadie's up in her Palace. Can you imagine the stress that caused? I don't even want to think about it but I have a feeling if it were the 90's it would be comparable to waking up to your Furby talking to you in the middle of the night. 

The similarities between the two stressors are uncanny.

Waking up to those big, plastic eyes staring at you while he insists you tickle his tummy is just horrifying.

Once again, more sleep lost.

And then poor PLL's new sink made a huge mess in her new Palace. HORRIBLE.

You know what this would be equivalent to in the 90's?

GETTING SLIMED.

Getting slimed was a reoccurring nightmare for me.

I mean, all of that green goo in my (not even fake, at the time) blonde hair? Talk about horrifying.

The good news about all of this?

Now days, we can reach for the box of wine instead of the box of Hi-C Ecto Cooler.

Way more effective, if you ask me. 

PLL, keep your head up sister friend. Your pretty Palace is going to be full of sparkles and faucets that don't leak in no time. In the mean time, pass around the Chardonnay and be thankful you don't have to wait for your mom to get off the phone with her BFF so you can post a new meme to your Xanga account!

Celebrate Your Age and Live a Meaningful Life!

Alright ladies, let's talk about age here.

I recently had a birthday, and birthday's are always such a time for reflection for me. It is a chance to stop and take a minute to think about where you are, where you were a year ago, and to look forward to where you hope to be in a year. Age is so much more than a number, and as mine creeps closer and closer to 30, I realize how much more these numbers are really just milestones to document all our life experiences. LIVING, and not worrying about those pesky numbers, is really what gets you from one birthday to the next.

I was going through drawers last night, and found the birthday book my mom made for me when I was little. Each birthday she would write me a poem, a song (she is a songwriter!), a letter - or whatever, to document that year and the experiences that went with it. The last entry was for my 21st birthday. It made me stop, and of course tear up. How super sweet is this?

I love my mom. She has always encouraged us to live meaningful lives, and I am doing just that. Since these 21 wishes that my mom gave to me SEVEN years ago, yes that would make me 28 now, I have experienced way more than I ever thought possible.

So where do I find myself now? How do I define myself as a 28 year old? Well, let's see,

I graduated college, and learned that finding out what you want to do is not always easy. I got my first "big girl" job, which I am still loving five years later. I got engaged. I got unengaged. I went completely crazy and started this blog ;). I lost my Aunt unexpectedly and felt sadness I didn't know was possible. I stood by and supported over 20 of my best friends as they got married, and celebrated many of their first (and second!) babies' birthdays. I have traveled, I have laughed, I have cried and held hands of friends who have had their worlds fall apart. I bought my first car, and am in the process of buying my first house as we speak ;) but basically I have LIVED. These are all the stories that make up who I am at 28 years YOUNG. We should celebrate our age. With each and every birthday comes a year of experiences, love, laughter, sadness, and rebuilding- and these are the things that make you YOU!

No matter what life has thrown at me, I choose to age with grace. I have talked many times before
about how much I love Olay, and with their 60^th anniversary this year, I thought it was only fitting to help celebrate! Olay continues to empower woman to challenge what is possible, and be PROUD of their age. I am so proud of who I am at 28, and I can honestly say I am happier now than I have ever been. Life is NEVER perfect, but learning to love yourself, and learning to live your life, taking the good and the bad, and celebrating your years, is what it is all about.

Ladies, let's be proud of our age! Leave me a comment shouting your age, or maybe how you chose to live a meaningful life. Each comment will be entered to win a $100 VISA gift card courtesy of Olay.

Thanks so much for reading, and I can't wait to see what this NEXT year has in store for me!

Rules:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: ""#SweepstakesEntry""; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post"

c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 11/13 to 12/13

Be sure to visit the Olay 60th Anniversary brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

You want a personal life update? YOU GOT IT.

So it's no secret I have been a little distracted. If you know me in real life you are well aware that I am one stop away from looney town. 

I had a proverbial bag of flaming poo left on my blog door step recently. You are requesting more life updates, and less endorsements, which I completely understand, so first things first, let's address a few things:

1. I am aware there have been several reviews recently. I agree to product reviews months in advance, and they just all happened to fall right now, so sorry about that, it definitely wasn't my plan. I tried my best to break them up with other content.

and 2. I get TONS of emails requesting reviews, endorsements etc... and I only say yes to ones I really actually use, like, and feel like promoting. :)

So now that that is dealt with... let's move on, k? 

This isn't exactly how I had planned this post... but here goes nothing! 

Yup. I bought a house. 

Well, I kinda bought a house... I say 'kinda' because we haven't closed yet...but I am living in the house... 

Say what?

VERY fortunately I know the seller, and he remodeled the entire thing for me, and we are just waiting on some final paperwork. And let me tell you... whoever said buying a house is fun, is LYING to you. 

It is the most stressful process I have ever been through in my LIFE! Remodeling takes longer than expected, banks take longer than expected. I am not sure why they need a blood and hair sample (I kid I kid) but they really do... fun stuff right??

So, my lack of witty, quality life updates is mostly due to the fact that most days I am so stressed out I hardly make it till noon without a glass of wine, and partly because I have no idea where my computer is.

Once this is all said and done, I will be so so happy with my brand new PLL princess pad... it is just getting it finished that seems like a never ending process!

 It is an older home, that has been 100% completely remodeled. Everything is new... and I maaaaaay have turned a bedroom into a closet. 

YUP. sure did. 

However my closet currently looks like this... because it is not finished and I cannot hang anything. haha ;) 

It is a wonder I make it to work dressed in the mornings, because the dryer I bought isn't working... so I can't do laundry. 

I found a leak under my brand new beautiful under mounted sink... so that was really exciting.

I ran into an uninvited house guest with longer legs than Sadie and nearly hyperventilated.

And to make matter worse, I constantly feel guilty about my poor, sweet roommates who have joined me living in said squalor. Chrissy is sleeping on the ground because her box springs won't fit upstairs (awesome!) 

Nicole seems to be the only one in the house who slightly has it together thus far... 

At least we have copious amounts of wine? Glass half full people. 

We also put the Christmas tree up this past weekend in attempts to make it feel more homey while we are in this funky transition phase. Now I have something pretty to look at besides my gorgeous wood floors while I sit in the living room without cable, and polish off the second bottle of pinot grigio, willing the bank to call me with a closing date.

Not ONE word about this tree being up so early... not.one.word. 

Work is also crazy... it is my busy time, so my office looks like this:

And I am pretty sure I am developing some sort of stress rash on my neck... 

Leeeee sigh. 

I really am NOT complaining... it is straight comical at this point. I just want you all to know what the heck has been going on, so maybe it makes a little more sense why i haven't exactly been myself lately.

cut me some slack, yo?!? 

Squatting in a new house that isn't officially signed sealed delivered mine for the past two weeks hasn't exactly been the ritz.  I will be one very happy girl when this is all said and done, and my crazy town life is returned to it's somewhat normal state of blog posts filled with poofs and pugs. 

Thank you for those of you who have stuck around, I love ya. Can't wait to do a video tour, 

Cribs style. 

xoxo

My new favorite candle: Hours Luminaires!

Fall is definitely here, and that means it is time for candle talk! 

I discovered these awesome new soy candles and I knew I had to share with you. 

The company is called Hours Luminaires, and besides from having bomb.com candles, their owner Leanne also donates proceeds from each purchase to animal rescue!! 

Hello soft spot in my heart! 

She specifically donates to a place in New Jersey, called Tabby's Place, that helps rescue cats from hopeless situations. Warms my heart knowing there are other people out there with compassionate animal-loving hearts! 

The candle I got is apple pie, and I LOOOOOVE it. Not only does it smell awesome, but it has one of those wood wicks that makes noise when it burns. It is not overwhelming, but just the right amount of make-your-house-smell-awesome....ness  ;)

Here it is in it's little spot on my counter... so cute, love the bow of twine! 

Don't you judge my wine corks. In the words of my favorite new wine- "being fabulous is exhausting!"

But that is neither here nor there... 

Thinking ahead to Christmas, wouldn't these make fabulous gifts? And you would be contributing to help our fury little friends :) 

Now doesn't that just make you happy? ;) 

Check out their facebook page here to stay up to date on scents and promos!