Dear Blog- I miss you.

This is officially the longest I've ever gone without blogging. Oops. Eh well... let's just avoid the excuses and get right to it...

Warning: This is mostly about the wedding. I can't stop talking about it with just 14 days to go. I can literally turn any conversation into the wedding. It's self-absorbed and it even annoys me. Sorry in advance...and here we go...

1. I've decided I need a new layout and I just want to pay someone to do it. I think I'll come over and play more if I have a new design. That said, I don't have the time to think about mock ups and all that right now so it's going to wait. If you have a good blog designer that isn't insanely expensive (We're paying for a wedding ya know), please recommend! :) This blog doesn't even feature little Winston. And my "about me" section is blank. I have a hell of a lot more about me than a blank page. Lame. I'll fix it b/c I miss it. It's like when you get new workout clothes and it makes you want to work out more...just me? Anyway...

2. This time two weeks from now, Eric and I will be MARRIED and we'll be about to do our grand exit with whoever has indulged in enough adult beverages to feel lively enough to stick around and throw rose petals at us! (They won't allow sparklers...much to my dismay.. First world problems)

3. Speaking of feeling lively, I've kinda started to obsess about everyone having fun at the wedding. For someone who is typically always worried about everyone else having fun, feeling at ease, etc, your own wedding is rather stressful! haha...

4. If you follow me on instagram, you know we booked our honeymoon to Kauai and Oahu! YAY! We're both ready to escape!

So so ready

5. Eric, his parents and I took a dance lesson this morning. Super random but it was quite fun! (Did I tell you I asked his dad to dance with me? I can't remember...Anyway, he said yes and I'm really stoked!) We're all four (Eric/his mom/me/his dad) dancing to the same song at the same time. :) But since we'll look legit for that dance, we wanted to look legit for our dance too, so now we booked another session for us to go this week. :) I mentally just said "this is my dance space...this is your dance space..." (If you haven't seen Dirty Dancing, please stop reading this and watch it immediately. My fav movie ever. :) )

6. Picking a song to dance to was really stressful! (Again, first world problems). I mean.. you want it to be meaningful, but also something that's unique and not cheesy. And our "song" is probably something reggae. Actually, I know it is. It's a song we heard on our first vacay in St. Lucia from a street band. We loved it, shazamed it, bought it and then heard it again in Barbados! But, it's totally not first dance style material. So we just went with a random song. I wanted to do Michael Buble's Everything, but upon hearing it a lot, I realized it might be too fast. I pictured DWTS and Eric and I skipping around the dance floor and mentally cringed. Nixed that. So, I kinda stole a song a friend recommended.

7. Weddings, while amazing and fun and celebratory also kinda draw a line in the sand with some people and I hate that in some ways. For example, remember me telling you about the girl who was really upset I didn't ask her to be in my wedding? Right. She's my cousin and lives in another (far away) state. I haven't seen her in 9 years and we don't speak except for Christmas and the occasional birthday. Anyway, she decided not to come at all. She hasn't told me...her parents told my mom. I think this is going to be a much bigger familial issue than it needs to be. *sigh* It really chaps my hide to be honest...This isn't about her. I could go off, but I won't. It's just sad that some people make things about THEM. And then there are some people who stand out immensely that you never expected anything from, but they really come through. They celebrate, they show up, they offer help, and they are just so genuinely happy for you. And it makes you wonder why on earth you didn't give them more credit before now.

8. Less deep topic...Been obsessing about the Kendra Scott Danielle earrings and I finally just got some to go with my rehearsal dinner dress. Bam.

Well, friends.. I don't even know if I'm still in some of your feeds... I really bailed on the bloggidy for awhile. I might not be back a ton until after the nuptials, but I'll be back (said like the Terminator).

Til then, I'll leave ya with a pic from today's tailgate. Ignore W's crazy eyes. He was happy; I promise. (Also check out my crazy long hair! Everyone thinks I'm using my clip in extensions...nope! It just GREW finally! I attribute it to my awesome stylist and using this stuff all winter/spring long. Best part...I'm probably wearing it up for the wedding...haha.. Eh well. At least it's long now.)

Wedding Wednesday...on a Thursday.

So I started this post yesterday and something came up (seems to be the story of my last month). So posting it a day late.

Well...what have I been up to lately? Hmm..  > wedding planning > lots of work, including a big executive meeting I was in charge of (that went super well- yay!) >  some fun weekend events, including a few bike races for Eric > hired a personal trainer to get my arse in gear (and she's AWESOME, people). I just wish she wasn't too pricey to keep full time! > I got a spray tan and stepped in solution so the bottoms of my feet were burnt orange for like 2 weeks (it was hilarious) > got an intern at work that's fabulous and reports to me (fun!) > shopped more than I should > Eric and I found a house....and then realized it needed so much work it was ridiculous and bailed (no, we're not even looking seriously, just stumbled onto it) > burned/ruined a few dinners I tried to make > planning my best friend's baby shower (!!!) > meeting LOTS of babies this month, including Beth's twins (post from her shower) > and more! So yeah, that was stream of conciousness but gives you an idea of lately! :)

But, on to a wedding Wednesday post for fun! Here goes:

* Eric and I met with our (awesome) caterer yesterday at the venue to discuss where tables will go. I think we're going to do a mix of long and round tables. I love the long tables so much. Meeting with him today created so many questions! (Insert Jackie with a deer-in-headlights look). Do we want chargers for plates? Do we want to do a ceiling draping or gobo lights? What should the linens on our cake table look like? I could go on and on. Glad we had that meeting b/c I'm bad with decisions and have time to think about them now.

* We still haven't booked our honeymoon. We have plenty of time...plenty.. but I'm totally wanting a vacation to daydream about...haha... We have no idea. We want to go somewhere for like 10 days, if possible.

Criteria:

(1) international (b/c we are both on our phones a lot in the states. This honeymoon= no work emails).

(2) tropical/beachy.

(3) with things to do aside from the beach...hiking, surfing, exploring, etc.

(4) BUT not super crazy-industrialized. Places to eat and things to do, but preferably not a Baby Gap on every corner. (Nothing wrong with Gap, just saying).

(5) Decently safe enough to venture around the island without being worried about becoming a Dateline Special.

We have been so lucky and fortunate to get to so some cool places in the past so I think there's some pressure regarding comparisons. Regardless where we go, we'll have a blast. I know that. And we are so lucky to get to go somewhere at all. My parents couldn't even afford a honeymoon when they got married. :(

Anyway, recommendations welcome...

* We have booked one trip, though...my bachelorette party! We're going to my favorite city... CHICAGO! I am so freaking excited! Bleacher seats at the Cubs game, great food, possibly some dancing, Lake Michigan... eek!

* My wedding dress isn't in yet. No I'm not getting alarmed at all. (sarcasm font needed) I have plenty of time, but I ordered that sucker in February!

* Speaking of wedding dresses, I've learned to never google image search your wedding dress. You'll see other girls in it and start critiquing the dress. I had to lock it up and remind myself how much I loved it on MY body, not the random google strangers. (I couldn't take photos at the boutique so it's just left to memory til the sucker comes in).

* Did any of you have a panic where you started to wonder if the reception room will look like you want it to? I mean...not like I've done that at all...yesterday...while meeting with the caterer...No, I didn't do that at all.

* Did you do favors? If so, what did you do?

Okay, so hopefully I'll get my butt back on here soon. Have to admit I love seeing you guys on instagram, though. Keeps me updated. :)

Friday Confessions....

1. I am obsessed with monograms. I want them. On everything. I never really wanted to monogram anything while Eric and I were dating b/c that seemed silly, anticipating that someday we'd get hitched and I'd change my name. In retrospect, I realize that was silly, but whatever. So yeah...recently I've gotten a little cray. I want monograms. On sheets. On towels. On robes. It's a problem. (I haven't purchased a ton of monogrammed stuff, but I've certainly registered for a few things. If you come to a dinner party at my house someday, you might be wiping your mouth with our initials. Whatever. You'll get over it.)

2. I don't watch Law and Order SVU unless it's random late night reruns. But last week, I caught it and assumed it was a re-run. I got HOOKED on the plot and then realized it was the dang season finale. Well hell...now I want to know what happens and have to wait until September. Arg. If you watch it, you'll be with me when I say: How did she not know he'd be in her apartment?! Gah. Duh.

3. I can't decide what to get my bridesmaids. Well wait... I can decide. I have approximately 1,467 ideas and can't commit. That's a better way of putting it. My friend told me to knock stuff like that out as soon as I saw something I really like...just to take it off the checklist later. Well...when you're freaking indecisive like me, you can't help but wonder if you'll like something more LATER. What did you get the lovely ladies who stood beside you on your big day?! ( <--- See...saying it like that adds pressure, people! haha...)

4. Eric and I signed up at a new gym this week AND I just booked a session with a personal trainer next week. Wahoo! Wait.. I guess the real confession is that we had a fitness test at the new gym and um...my arms are sore from the 10 (snaky) pushups I did....two days ago. *head hung in shame*

5. If you saw my instagram, then you already know, but I impulse bought this dress yesterday. Been eyeing it on Banana's site, logged online, saw that everything was 40% off. But no...that's not what sold me. It was seeing that they only had my size left in this dress! That never happens! It was a sign. (It totally wasn't b/c today, they added more sizes), but in that moment, it was a sign. My fingers just click click clicked the keys and a few minutes later, I had an email thanking me for my order. Whoops. Really do like it, though. Hope it fits! I can wear it to bridal showers...or...something... *sigh*

Cheers to the short week that actually felt like a short week! (Sometimes it seems that folks try to cram 5 days of work into 4 days, right?!). Happy weekending!

Randomness...

Hi ya! Look at me.. back after only a week! :) Better than last time!

Some randomness....

Just watched the Healing the Heartland concert and got teared up multiple times. My state is hurting, but also thankfully healing, with help from generous volunteers and donations. It's devastating to see the current state of Moore, OK but also inspiring to hear the heroic and heartwarming stories that have emerged. Moore isn't on national news on a regular basis anymore, but it's on our local news...and on our hearts and minds.

One thing I've read people ask from other areas of the country is why kids were even in school with such a severe weather threat. Those people obviously aren't from around here...and it kind of maddens me a little bit. If we pulled students from school on days there "might" be a tornado, there would be no school held the entirety of April or May in Oklahoma. People say 16 minutes isn't enough warning time. As a native Oklahoman, I can tell you that 16 minutes is an eternity in the land of tornados. It's a hell of a lot more time than those poor people in Joplin had only a few years ago. It's the difference between life and death. Tornadoes can form from a regular spring thunderstorm, touch down, and wipe out an entire neighborhood in a matter of minutes. They're unpredictable and choose their own path of destruction. Sure, they can predict what looks like the makings of a potential tornado...but if they run the sirens for every "might" end up being a tornado, it's a little like crying wolf. And people quit paying attention. I've been one of them, so I can say that's accurate.

As an Oklahoma native, I can't tell you how many times the sirens awaken us with threats of possible devastation. Thank God for those sirens. But, just to give you an idea just how frequently we experience them, friends and I used to play drinking games to the weather reports in college...(wall cloud= one drink, "rotation"= two drinks...and so on...haha). I mean, this is no laughing matter, but I'm just saying...we're no strangers to bad weather. We know the difference between a watch and a warning, a wall cloud and a funnel cloud, flood sirens and tornado sirens, and the safest areas in our homes....or wherever else we could get in a matter of 30 seconds, 5 minutes, or whatever level of warning we have. (Yes, those locations are different for Eric and me. More warning time= safer location). We know that it's supposed to get insanely quiet before it hits. We know that once it does, it allegedly sounds like a freight train. But, most of us have never really been in a beast of a storm like that. We're ready...well...if you can ever really be "ready"...if that moment ever happens...but thankfully...most of those storms pass, leaving behind only a sleep-deprived Okie complaining about the overnight sirens.

That was a rant, but just saying...my heart continues to go out to my fellow Oklahomans (including the displaced animals) just down the highway from me...

So hey.... how about I climb up from the depth I just accidentally went to and mention my Memorial Day weekend... It was stellar, friends!

From pool time to my friend's son's birthday to a visit from Ashley to quality time with Eric, I can't complain one bit. Made it even harder to head back to work on Tuesday...

Jenny, Sarah, Ashley, me (obviously)

Are you in Tulsa? B/c if so, you need to order the (off the menu) ginger roll at In the Raw. Hellllo amazing. And yeah, those are fried pieces of goodness on top of it. Ashley always laughs at the fried rolls we have in Tulsa compared to her current home in LA. Reasons Oklahoma is overweight....haha... 

Hiking Turkey Mountain with this guy! 

I didn't even try this... haha... 

So there's some deep thoughts/soap box courtesy of Jackie with a hard turn to random Memorial Day weekend photos. Sometimes I don't know why you guys follow my randomness...haha...but I really appreciate it. :) Have a great rest of your week, friends.

Few and far between...

My posts just keep getting fewer and less frequent, huh? Sawwy. :( It's not b/c I don't love the blog; it's a cycle where I get behind and then think "eek.... so much to catch up on!" Besides, we all hang on Instagram, right? (Making myself feel better). 

Anyhoo...here I am, so I'm going to make use of it... 

What's been up in the land of Jackie? Let's see...

* Today marks 5 months until our wedding day!! 5 months from this very second, Eric and I will be married! 

* Along those lines, we took some more engagement photos! Remember when we took some in the fall? Our photog was sweet enough to offer that we grab a few more photos in the spring when the days are longer and weather is consistently better. :) I really wanted some in a field and he found the most perfect field for us behind Gilcrease museum. The ticks Eric found on himself the next morning were totally worth it! (Really...haha...oops). 

(We just had 'em last Monday, so I took a screenshot from the computer, but don't have the images yet)

* Work has gotten SO busy. I mean superbusy (all one word). Don't get me wrong...I love it. Things are going really well! But, there's certainly not a lot of down time at the old oficina lately. That said, I'm still walking to my car by 5:30 most nights, so I can't complain...even if it's fast and furious from 8-5:30 or so.

* Speaking of Fast and Furious, Eric and I are stoked (I said stoked..I know...came outta nowhere for me, too) to see Fast 6 this coming weekend. Did I tell you I used to have a obsession thing for Paul Walker? I did.

* Speaking of movies, (look at all these segways I've got going on), Eric and I have seen a movie every Sunday for the past three weeks. Kinda random and fun down time before the busy work week starts. :) We've seen Ironman (awesome), Star Trek (awesome), and Oblivion (not as awesome).

* Kinda digging some websites I just discovered. Might be old to some of you, but new to me! Tory Burch's ex has his own (awesome!) line of stuff...for cheaper? Yes, please. And why hadn't I discovered The Everygirl yet? Or Breakfast at Toast (one of the Everygirls).

* Have a question submitted to the artist about background color, but once she answers, I'm so buying this for my office... Perfect for a communications manager, no? :)

site. 

* Winston no longer freaks out on walks (YAY!) so I've been taking the dogs out to enjoy the beautiful weather before the summer heat bears down on Tulsa...

* Eric and I are starting to talk more "where should we do this honeymoon thing?" :) I want to be gone a long time. Well..I mean...preferably at least 10 days..not including travel time. We've looked at everything from the Philippines to the Virgin Islands to Mexico. Who knows where we'll go. It'll be quiet, relaxing, and beachy...that I know for sure. Oh...and it'll have good food. We like food.

* Bummed that all my fun shows are going off for the summer. Anyone watch The Mindy Project? I really want her and Danny to get together...Just saying. And New Girl...who will Schmidt choose?! I'm glad Pretty Little Liars is back on in a few weeks...

* I've been reading Lean In. Good stuff, people. Good stuff.

* I have 8 friends having babies from June-September! Bananas! Love it, though! I can't wait for some of the little ones to start making their appearances! I'm not ready for babies of my own yet (besides the furry kind), but I sure do love being Aunt Jackie! :)

Yeah, this was a whirlwind of randomness. I'll try to be better about the blogging, but no promises. I CAN promise I'll be on Instagram...likely posting photos of my normal camera subjects, Winston and Gracie dog. :) Happy Sunday, friends! Let's get through this week b/c we have a LONG weekend ahead!

Wedding...Wednesday...er...I mean Saturday.

Sometimes when Eric has something going on and I've had a busy week, my only child comes out in full force. What do I mean? Oh I mean that it's Saturday night and I'm totally content playing on the computer in pjs above pretty much anything else...

The house is clean. The computer is fully charged. The magazines I subscribe to are unread.

Ahhh...perfection.

So, aside from trying ROC Retinol serum tonight (fine lines BE GONE!), I've been wedding planning...er....researching. Thought I'd post some stuff and also ask your thoughts on a few things...

1. We've officially decided on colors! Think champagne, white, green apple + some black. I could explain the whole concept but I'm not wanting to type it all and that will ruin the fun anyway. :) We're going with a modern elegance feel.... (Totally just thought of that phrase as I was typing and now plan to say it all the time.. modern elegance. Boom.)

2. Somewhere between a glass of wine and a bubble bath tonight, I realized I need to get my rear in gear about wedding shoes! I've been so consumed by everything else I forgot an integral part of my wardrobe! Sheez. I have 6 mos, but just saying. So, wanted to ask...what did you do for your wedding shoes? Did you wear heels for the ceremony and flats for reception? Low-ish heels for all? Tough it out in heels the whole darn time? I love me some heels, but I think my feet will be killing me if I go too high. Advice appreciated. I'm currently in love with some that are only 3 inches. I think I'll be able to rock them all night....er....right? hahah.. Who knows.

Gotta love sparkly! :) 

3. Our venue lets us provide our own booze. Hellllllo cost savings. There's lots of blogs out there and ways to figure out how much to buy yada yada... so I'm not worried about that. But wanted to ask you guys.. What did you do? Full bar? Beer/wine? Somewhere in between?

4. With less than six months to go, it's feeling SO CLOSE! I mean, we got engaged in September and I was like "Wow, October of next year is so far!" It's all just so exciting!

Oh and also exciting...we've been talking more seriously about a honeymoon location. :) We used to be very in support of going a couple months after the wedding (right after Christmas and over New Years) but now we're contemplating going right after the wedding...or pretty close. Either way, we'll have a blast so I'm not concerned. But after being in that wedding last weekend and coming home/back to work, I was like "Blech...this would stink...to have all that fun and then have to go back to work the next week? Hmm.." So yeah...re-thinking a bit.

So yeah...that was a heap of rambles. My People Style Watch mag is starting at me. I think it wants attention. Happy weekend, friends!

C&C's wedding weekend (recap) :)

So on Wednesday, I logged in to Delta to check in to my flight to ATL for my friends' wedding (that I was in). I couldn't check in. WTH?! I was on the same flight with all my friends on Thurs afternoon... 

Yeah...no I wasn't. 

Someone (*coughJackiecough*) was doing entirely too many things at once and not paying attn and booked her flight for...Friday. Yeah. Many thanks to my awesomely calm fiancé who helped me not have a meltdown when the only tickets available were over $1500. Twenty-five thousand AA miles later and I was booked on a Thurs flight for a minimal fee. Phew. Needless to say, I don't think I will EVER make that mistake again. I'm always afraid I'll book the wrong flight and well...it's a real fear, people. Sheez. But, glad there was a great (and cheap) resolution. Wahoo to American Airlines! :) There's a reason I keep my miles with them. 

Anyhoo, while everyone else got to ATL then drove to Auburn, I got my butt delayed in Dallas. 

1. Angry people who were WAY more delayed than me thanks to some storms. They were scary, people. And I'm referring to the people, not the storms.  2. Me kicking back and waiting for my shuttle from ATL to Auburn once I (finally) arrived. 

I finally made it to Auburn around 11 p.m. (I left at noon) and was eager to meet up with the group! We channeled our inner college students (hey, we were in a college town after all) and may have stayed out til 4 a.m....and ordered over $100 in Taco Bell. Yeah. If you ever wondered about the cool ranch tacos, they're quite good. Just saying. myFitnesspal didn't get updated this weekend...haha...

 On Friday, we woke up and drove the rest of the way to Alexander City, Alabama, the groom's hometown. We checked in to our lodge and got ready for some rehearsaling (yeah, I made that a verb). :)

At the RD. 1. Kristy and me, 2. Cory and Candice, 3. The bride and her maids. :) Also, I borrowed my dress from my friend and I think she might have to come over and pry it from my hands b/c I love it. So mad I missed it last year at Express. 

Friday night, we all stayed up ENTIRELY too late, Eric finally arrived (wahoo!!!!!) from his work meeting in Denver and we made a Harlem Shake video. And it was awesome. I kinda want to share it but I dunno how people would feel, so I won't...yet. I don't ever mind being embarrassed but others might.


Saturday....

1. We headed to an adorable little B&B to get ready. Since C is a stylist, her whole salon family came down to the wedding. It was awesome to have professionals making our curls look perfect. :) 2. We did some yoga (hey, why not) and then headed to the reception site for some pics. 3. Where was the reception site? A fabulous barn! Check out the chandelier being hung. :)

 I'm already on photo overload, but I can't stop.... Here are some from the big day!

The beautiful bride, her event planner and all of her maids. :) 

Candice surprised Cory by not only having his dad walk her down the aisle, but also changing into a totally different dress before the wedding, a beautiful Vera Wang gown. :)

Eric gets props for this adorable shot. :)

Eric gets more props for this cool shot of the reception site. :) I dig his chili...and his mad photo skills, too. 

Finally! A photo with my favorite guy! :) 

...and another b/c it's my blog and I can. :)

After the wedding and reception, we headed back to our lodge. Even the bride and groom joined us for a bit! I don't know why, but late night yoga sounded like a good idea... This photo is perfect for the whole weekend... Lots of laughs and lots of fun with good friends...also some awesome randomness. hah.. I'll spare you from all the details, but they include: Harlem Shake videos * confetti canons* setting off our lodge's alarm somehow...at 2 a.m. * late night yoga * waking up late and almost missing our flights home * and oh so much more... :)

I'll leave you with this gorgeous one of the bride... We created a hashtag for the wedding and now it REALLY makes me want to have one for ours. It's so cool to see all the pics others have posted!

Things I learned this weekend

(in no particular order)

1. For my deeper set eyes, I should be putting a lighter (pinkish) shade of shadow up on my lid AND slightly above my crease to open my eyes more. Who knew? (Thanks awesome guy at Sephora! I love guy makeup artists. Just saying.) 

2. How to use my new iPad mini that I won! 

 (I won it at the below event for the Philbrook Museum called "The Mix" last weekend where local bartenders all compete for the best drink. It's put on by the "young masters" society of Philbrook...aka the younger peeps.) I never win anything, so I am STOKED!

Bartenders lined the perimeter of the room to serve their signature drink

 3. Winston REALLY likes the window being open and he's too cute up there to make him get down.

4. That I'm a myFitnessPal flunkie. Okay, not really. But, thanks to that little app, I've learned that I need to track my food better b/c I'm eating like a sloth. (I have no idea what sloths eat. It just sounded right. Go with it).

5. I've learned (again thanks to myFitnessPal) that I shouldn't eat whatever Eric is eating b/c he goes on 3 hour bike rides...and I jog....a little...sometimes.

(This is his "I'm about to burn more calories than myfitnesspal says you should be eating in a day" face.) 

 6. I've learned how to connect Instagram to my NEW iPhone 5 that I got after I broke my 4s (below). Seriously... did anyone else lose their MINDS trying to get the 5 to connect to your Instagram? Anyway...I considered it a victory when it started magically working....even though I have no idea how  I did it b/c my settings have been right all along. Oh well. (I got the iPhone 5 last weekend and won the iPad on the same night... technology day for the win!)

 7. Along those lines, I've learned that Apple Care is a fabulous service for those of us clumsy folks. New iPad and new iPhone= both protected. Bam. (Lest we forget the iPad I also broke last year by dropping it sans Apple Care. Blech).

8. Gracie and Winston really like walks. Okay, I already knew this...but I just wanted to post this photo anyway. :)

And that was a much better way to blog about my weekend than just saying "I ran errands and Eric and I enjoyed the gorgeous weather. :) 

Hope you had a good weekend, friends! 

Self tanning for the win

For the record, I was going to call this post "brown skin" like the song, but then thought that might be offensive if that showed up in someone's reader and they don't know me well. So yeah... Anyhoo...moving forward...

This is the time of year where I start my daily affirmations of "Tanning beds are bad. Do not go to the tanning bed."

I'm a recovered tanning bed addict visitor. And now that I'm older and wiser, I want to kick myself for all the time I spent in those cancer beds. :( I visit my derm regularly, wear sunblock (and hats! Very impt!) in the sun, but yeah... I still get the urge to bronze myself a lot. I read somewhere that every time you go "just a few times," you increase your risk of cancer by 2%. Not worth it, friends. Not worth it.

Okay, stepping off my PSA soapbox. Anyway, I've tried several self tanners recently and thought I'd tell you what I think about them. Also I'm trying to get my booty on my blog more, so thought this was a good opportunity to ramble and review all at once.

Buy it here

1. I have always loved (and will continue to love) the Jergen's Natural Glow Express. I mix it with my moisturizer (Olay Quench is my favorite) and as the sun becomes more present (and so do short sleeves), that mixture becomes more tanner/less moisturizer. Usually around 3/4 tanner and the rest my moisturizer. If I need to get tan more quickly, I just skip the moisturizer, but it isn't as subtle on me that way. I prefer the medium to dark even though I'm quite fair b/c I think the darker ones look less orangey. Someone told me that once and it's a great tip and so true. Anyway, I didn't list a ton of pros, but this really is my favorite self tanner lotion out there right now.

Pros
- Works quickly
- Looks natural
- Isn't super pricey
- Everyone carries it- Ulta, Target, drugstores. That's a bonus if you ask me. Easy access...haha...:)
- If you exfoliate first and moisturize, the tan lasts quite awhile for a lotion. I'll apply it like three days in a row and then not apply for the next 4 or 5 days and still have good color.

Cons
- Smells like burnt fritos (that's what I think self tanners smell like)
- Bottle doesn't last a long time

Buy it here

2. Tan Towels. I'd heard good things about these so I picked up a couple at Ulta and gave em a shot. It's definitely more economical to get the pack of 10 than just buy them individually ($5/each), but I didn't want to commit that much. The application was SUPER easy. Not nearly as messy as a lotion. And the smell was fine. I mean, there's a hint of self tanner smell, but not as strong as a lotion I didn't think. After two, I noticed a definite difference. But after one, I didn't really notice a ton. I did get some color though off one towel. I just think two applications is better. :) I really want to buy these on Amazon and give them a solid run b/c they really were that easy.

Pros
- SO EASY
- Not messy at all
- Faint smell
- Good color
- One cloth really does cover your whole body
- Don't get that sticky feel you get from a lotion.

Cons
- Can't really see where it's going on as you wipe it on. Color develops later. (But I should note that it still didn't dry streaky. I just like to see where it's going, that's all).
- Kind of pricey. I mean, at $5/towel for one tan application vs $7.99 or whatever for the Jergens that gives you multiple applications...eh.. But the multipack IS a good deal, especially on Amazon.

Buy it here. 

3. Fake Bake Flawless. Let me start with saying this is my current favorite. I was perusing the interwebs and saw reviews for this, ended up on Amazon...and it ended up in my shopping cart. With Eric out of town some of this week, I thought I might as well give it a go. (In case it totally made a mess of our bathroom, he would never know...haha). As you can see, it's a spray bottle, which concerned me. You spray the tanner on the mitt it comes with and use that to apply the tan all over in circular motions. It's like three-five sprays per leg, three sprays per arm.. Anyway, you get the gist.  I watched a youtube video on how to apply it first and then went for it. I have to say, this is super easy, even though it doesn't seem like it would be. And it gives you an even tan immediately. It smells more tropical than self tanner, but it's still quite strong. I don't mind the tropical scent though. And since you have gloves and a mitt, it's really not that messy! I put a towel down first and I'm glad I did that b/c I'm not that accurate with my sprays apparently. (oops). But even if you get some on the bathroom, it wipes up with a paper towel. Easy peasy.

On my first application, I was hesitant and didn't apply that much. I got in the shower the next day and watched my tan wash down the drain. :( I had color, but I definitely could have applied more. So, that's what I did the next time. It gives you that false color...like when you spray tan...so you think you're tanner than you are. But, then after sleeping overnight and showering or whatever, it looks really natural! On me, it looks kinda like a level one spray tan...or maybe even a tinge darker...but definitely not level two...after two applications. (Remember, my first application was super light b/c I was nervous).

Overall, this one is my favorite for right now and I'm going to stick with it. Plus, I feel like my two applications barely made a DENT in the bottle. This will last a long time! YAY! I will, however, need Eric to spray my back and use the mitt to rub it in. (Oh the joys he gets to deal with living with me). Let me say.. I haven't let this fade yet. So I could come back next week with blotches and craziness and totally take all this back...haha.. But for now, I am totally blown away by how much I like this product. 

Pros
- Cost effective (Even if you buy it at Ulta or somewhere not as cheap as Amazon, I can tell it lasts a long time, so that makes it awesome!)
- Great color!
- No streaking...seriously...even less streaking than with any lotion I've tried.
- Easy as heck.
- Immediate color. Since it gives you that "false" spray tan color while it develops, you could easily spray this and go out for the night with a tan.
- Pleasant smell...compared to the others I've tried that smell like stale or burnt fritos. *blech* And the smell is tropical/strong at first but after your shower, you really can't even smell it. I don't feel that way about the lotions.

Cons
- Is definitely messier than the Tan Towels. I mean...it has a spray bottle, after all. I have to emphasize that this was not ANYWHERE near as messy as I assumed. The spray should go on the mitt and then on your body. Not hard. Unless your challenged like me and accidentally spray the toilet...haha.. :)
- Rubs off a little bit on clothes and sheets before you shower it off...just like a spray tan would.

So, feel free to take my tanning .02 or leave it.... These are what have worked for me and my fair skin. I've used MANY self tanning products, but these are just some of my thoughts on recent products. Be sure to read the web reviews, too, just so you get other opinions. I don't know about you, but I barely read product info anymore. I just read reviews before I purchase things like this... *shrugs*

Yeah.. I just wrote a super long post about tanners. Wow. Eh well... Happy Friday, friends! :)

Knock knock knock - Penny... Knock knock knock-Penny....

...Knock knock knock- Penny (couldn't miss the third time... from Big Bang Theory).

Where have I been?

I dunno! *Shrugs*

Right here?

Yeah... I think so... but I have no idea how this much time has flown since my last post.

Blerg.

Well... if you follow me on instagram, you're more up to speed. (On that note, I think I'm addicted to instagram, but that's for another day..haha). Anyhoo, I think I've just had wedding planning, work, other events, another friend's (destination) wedding in two weeks....all just swirling around in my brain. My free time is mostly spent knocking things out lately...

I feel like April is kind of an integral month in our wedding planning... save the dates have to get ordered and start going out, I have meetings with florists, we found our officiant (YAY!) and we probably should at least start thinking about caterers...

So yeah... first world problems. ;) I have a friend who calls them champagne problems. I love that. I want to start using that.

I think gets challenging b/c so many vendors are only open during business hours. I WORK during business hours, so yeah. Lunches are often spent calling them or meeting them. Evenings are spent looking at centerpiece/bouquet ideas, etc. for the meetings taking place over lunch.

I'm so excited about it all and having fun, so definitely don't think I'm complaining! I just think I didn't realize how much time had flown since I popped over here last. I've been reading YOUR blogs, but mine hasn't felt the love lately...haha...

I think I make some of the wedding stuff more challenging b/c I'm kinda bad with decisions sometimes. Some other lawyer friends of mine are also bad with decisions. I think it's b/c we look at all sides of things...and then look at all sides again... and possibly one more time...just for good measure... haha...Or maybe that's just what I tell myself to feel better. Whatever. So I'm like "What core colors should we go with in the centerpieces? Hmm..." *tilts head in thought* and then I end up talking myself in and out of things approximately 10 times. In short, I'm excited to nail down the florist we want to use and get something on paper b/c I won't change it once we do that.

I blame pinterest for all these fabulous ideas making decisions even harder! :)

Anyhoo, just wanted to pop in with some randomness and say howdy. Hopefully you'll see my face...er...writing...er...whatever...around these parts more often.

Happy Tuesday!

What I'm Loving...Monday.

I know I know; it's not Wednesday, but I wanted to blog and I don't have the energy to download my photos from my friend's bachelorette party in Dallas last weekend. :) People, it was a blast! Although an entire weekend of bacheloretting has left me tired...even today.  (I'm old) So, headed to bed soon...

Okay, anyhoo... I have a few things I've been kind of lusting after lately and thought I'd ramble about them.... 

Hunter boots. Every year, I wish I had a good pair of rain or snow boots. And these are adorable and come up high enough to keep my pants dry, too! (When I was in Venice and it flooded, I realized how important not only waterproof shoes are, but TALL waterproof shoes...haha.. Granted, I doubt I'll be in another Venetian flood anytime soon). Do you have some? Do you like 'em? Worth the cash? 

Hunter Rain Boots 

New sunglasses. I always go Target-cheap b/c I'm afraid I'll break them (and usually do), but I kind of want some nicer sunglasses. If I buy some and break them or lose them, you can say you told me so.

Ray Bans

Jewelry armoire. Or more specifically, a mirrored jewelry armoire. Problem... the only ones I've really found are the Hayworth one (below) for $400 or the Horchow one that is at least double that price. *Gag* I'm all for a cheaper mirrored one, but I can't find any! But, by week's end, my earrings end up tangled or all over my dresser. And I have a place for my necklaces, my bracelets and two places for my earrings. The consolidation that could take place with an armoire would be cuhrazy. (First world problems here....I realize this).

Hayworth jewelry armoire from Pier 1. 

Pumped for tomorrow b/c some of my bridesmaids are coming with me after work to select the bridesmaid dresses! 

Annnnnd that's all she wrote for this Monday evening. G'nite! 

Friday Confessions

These are my confessions (totally wrote that while mentally singing the song).

1. I'm sure everyone in Tulsa is confessing this today, but I am SO happy about the weather today! I want to have cocktails on a patio somewhere. 80 degrees... I'll take it!

2. I've been wanting to try clip in extensions forever, but just never got them. Ideally, I wanted to get them early enough to break in before my wedding in October b/c I wanted to make sure I like them. I have several friends who wear them a lot and they just look SO good. And with my superfine hair, it just seems to get flatter the longer it gets. The more product I put on it so it DOES something, the more it dries out, so I've kinda just been letting it be flat. Anyhoo, I'm in a friend's (who is also my stylist!) wedding next month so thought I might as well break some extensions in now! She went with me to pick out some clip in extensions this week. Last night at my hair appt, she curled them and showed me how to put 'em in! I frekaing love them! Fake hair for the win! Well..it's real hair...but you get it. Here are the ones I got from Sally's beauty. I think I got dark blonde frost and they matched my hair perfectly- no dyeing required! (But since they're real hair- which yes, is a bit creepy-you can totally dye them). Everyone's like "quit talking about it! People can't tell so don't tell them!" But I don't care about telling y'all... I love them!


This is my "I'm in a parking lot and love my extensions" face. I dunno. (I promise I wasn't driving b/c well...that's unsafe and weird. Parking lot photos are totally safe and normalish.)



3. I have toilet paper in my shoes right now. Yes. Right now. I've had to walk a TON today (blogging at lunch) and my feet are rubbing in the shoes and burning. Folded toilet paper helps. Even if it's weird.

4. I don't even think I own anything green to wear this weekend. Not like I'm planning on going anywhere to be pinched, but just saying. Also.. I should comment on the not planning on going anywhere to be pinched. I confess that I'm not in the mood for a crazypants-green-beer-drinking-time. I kinda want to drink a green beer whilst sitting down somewhere comfortable. (When did I get old?)

5. I'm feeling a leetle overwhelmed with wedding planning. I love it, so it's a good overwhelmed, but I also realized it's freaking MARCH and my April is bananas, so I need to get a lot done this month.

6. I have no idea who to send save the dates to. Everyone? Just people who have to travel? Almost everyone? Sheez.

I think that's all I've got. Happy weekending, friends!