Here We Go Again

Well, this blog has obviously been neglected lately. I was updating a different blog for a while, but things got hectic with my new career and both blogs fell by the wayside.

I feel like I'm in a pretty good place now, career-wise and personally. This past summer was very difficult for me. I'm glad to put that all behind me, though, and make a fresh start this Fall.

This time of year, I get very reminiscent. I think of apple orchards and pumpkin pie. Fall always makes me a little homesick. Even though there is very little back in Detroit for me to go back to, I still consider it home. It is still the place where most of my memories were formed.

This is also the time of year I start gearing up for NaNoWriMo. National Novel Writing Month is November, and I fully intend to win this year by starting and finishing a 50,000 word novel during the month.

To train my brain and stretch my writing muscles, I'll be updating this blog more regularly. My goal is to write something every day. I need to come up with a genre, decide on the story I want to write, and come up with some kind of an outline. Text messages don't count, unless I can find a way to work them into the plot. ; )

I'll be sure to keep you (and this blog) updated!

*SJ*

Word Count: 238

Wordless Wednesday: Happiness Is...

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Small Make Up Haul

I've been watching a TON of nail videos on YouTube lately, and I had no idea there were such cool trends out there. Big trends right now are stamping (also called Konad, which I'm pretty sure is the brand that started the trend), crackle, and the ombre mani.

I am so adventurous that the only manicure I've had for the last 10 years is a French mani! I spend WAY too much money every few weeks to have my nails done at the salon. Granted, sometimes they do different colors on the tips, but nothing so bold as what I've found online.

Since I had planned to stop by Sally Beauty the other day, I thought I'd check out the nail polish aisle. Lucky for me, they were having a sale on nail polish - buy 2, get 1 free. I chose 3 colors by Finger Paints, a favorite of some of the gurus. They have really fun colors, and the names of each go along with the "finger paint" title. The colors I got are "Art You Blue?" "Tapestry in Taupe" and "Easel Come, Easel Go!"

I also bought the obligatory bottle of Seche Vite, a quick dry/top coat. It's the one that's recommended by all the gurus. It's not cheap, but hopefully worth the splurge. My bottle was $5.99, on sale from $7.99. While I was there, I picked up a new set of toe separators, a 4-way buffer (I couldn't find a regular size, so hopefully the mini will work), and a huge cuticle stick.

Non-nail supplies I bought were the mineral eye shadow and the makeup sponges. The eye shadow shade is called "downtown brown" and it's by femme couture, which I think is the Sally brand. I don't actually use the red sponges as makeup sponges. They are slightly rough-textured on one side, so I use them to wash my face. I replace them at the first of each month, so I was due for a new pack. They're less expensive than at Wal-Mart even, at $2.99 for a 5 pack of sponges.

I'm excited to try out my new nail colors. I'm hoping I'll be able to save some money by doing my manicures/pedicures myself instead of paying someone to do them every few weeks. What makeup and nail trends are you seeing now?

*SJ*

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Free Stuff!

I just love to get stuff in the mail that isn't bills. I don't do a lot of shopping online, so I was pleasantly surprised a few days ago when this sample set arrived in my mailbox. I had taken a survey online a while back on target.com in order to have this sent to me. Here's what's in the kit:

• Revlon Colorburst Lip Gloss in "Hot Pink"


• Fekkai Shea Butter Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner


• Pantene Color Preserve Shine Shampoo


• Nivea Express Hydration Daily Lotion


• Neutrogena naturals Lip Balm


• a really cute Sonia Kashuk makeup bag

So far, the only thing I've tried is the Neutrogena lip balm and the Nivea lotion. The lip balm is a little greasy, but I actually like it a lot. It is somewhat reminiscent of Burt's Bees, without the minty flavor. Burt's Bees, by the way, is my Holy Grail lip balm. I have a couple of tubes in use at all times. I like that it's a natural product, plus I really do love the flavor.

The Nivea Express Hydration Daily Lotion is probably fine, as far as lotions go. I have extremely dry skin, and have patches of eczema on my hands and legs. It takes a lot for a lotion to really "WOW" me, and this one is just average to me.

One other thing that came in the beauty kit was a huge pack of coupons. According to the label, there are $25 worth of savings included. Everything from hair color to shampoo to cosmetics is included. I'm looking forward to trying some new products with the coupons inside.

What new cosmetics have you tried recently? Do you have any old favorites I should try? I'm always open to suggestions - please share!

*SJ*

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Back in Business

I'm super excited to share this post today. I've had something in the works now for quite a while, and I've finally gotten the motivation to do it.

I'M STARTING UP THE CANDLE BUSINESS AGAIN!!!!!

Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! I am super excited to be starting up again. I've been absent from it for about a year and a half, while I went through my separation and divorce. I'm starting over again, and that means starting fresh with a lot of things.

I've missed my little business so much over the last several months. I made a lot of friends, and had so many loyal customers from the different venues where we would show. I can't guarantee that I will be at every single event, but I'll make it to as many as I can. It'll be just me for now, but I'm coming back in a big way

I have to repurchase the domain name and set up shop online. Besides the independent site, I'll also start posting on Etsy again. For now, the easiest way to reach me is to email me at sjcandleshoppe@gmail.com or find me on Twitter (@TXshoppegirl) if you want some info, to place an order, or just wish me luck!

*SJ*

Back in the Saddle Again

Well, we made it back safely from Waco. It was a nerve-wrackimg, somewhat dangerous drive, but we made it.

Of course, we both ended up sick and feeling like crap by the time we got home. To be fair, I'm pretty sure he was coming down with the flu before we even left. I, however, managed to come back slightly more congested & sneezing more than when we left.

Tomorrow I plan to update with a Thirsty Thursday post. For now, I'm going to make friends with a bottle of Nyquil. I hardly slept at all last night, and it's catching up with me.

*SJ*

Starting Over

So, I guess I pretty much sucked at the whole "blogging every day" thing in January. I'm giving it a go again starting today, so here's my first one!

I am blogging today from a hotel in Waco, Texas. I am tagging along on a business trip with my beloved. I was joking around with a girlfriend today about our little adventure. I said, "Our first out-of-town trip somewhere, and it's to Waco!" In case you're not familiar with it, Waco is not exactly the biggest or most exciting destination in Texas. I am, however, thrilled to be here with the Love of My Life.

We had a fantastic dinner tonight at a steakhouse here in town. Well, I had a fantastic dinner. Poor thing, he is feeling pretty sick (probably the flu) and didn't have much of an appetite. After dinner we found the Coldstone Creamery. Did I mention it is 17 degrees here today? Umm, yeah, we were the only ones eating ice cream in the freezing cold!

Tomorrow he is taking me to visit his two new properties. We should head back to Fort Worth by late morning, early afternoon. I really hope the roads have cleared by then; we had an interesting ride down with all the ice on the roads!

In the month since I last updated here, I've been cooking and baking a lot. I will be updating with recipes and reviews in the coming days. I also have a new career path to look forward to, and will be returning to school (again!) in May. Whew! I'm going to be busy!

*SJ*

Recipes and Resolutions

Today I made Butterscotch Chocolate Chunk Muffins. As I post this, I am waiting for them to cool. The recipe was modified, as always, from something I found. I used the 'Epicurious On the Go' app on my Droid phone, and searched "Chocolate Chip Muffins." What I found was a recipe for Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins. Since I wanted to use the last of the butterscotch chips, I made a few substitutions. Here's how I made them:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks
• 1 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350. I always spray my muffin pan with Bakers Joy before I insert the cupcake liners.

Mix flour, sugar, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Mix egg, melted butter and milk in a medium bowl. While mixing, I also added 1/2 cup of applesauce. The original recipe called for bananas, and I was afraid the mixture would be too dry without something as a substitute.

Stir wet mixture into dry ingredients, just until blended (do not overmix). Stir in chocolate chunks and butterscotch chips.

Bake about 32 minutes, until pale golden in color.

NOW on to my resolutions....

• Be on time, all the time.
• Be healthier.
• Spend more time with family.
• Find a job that allows me a better quality of life.
• Stop wasting time and money on things that don't matter.
• Worry less, enjoy more.

What are your resolutions? What do you hope to accomplish in the new year? Happy New Year!

*SJ*

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