Life Reminders

A recent article assignment led me to meet some Lafayette-enthusiasts. On this particular day, it was a dreary morning and my lovely cup of coffee just wasn't doing the trick. All I could think was, 'if I was in Florida right now, I would be waking up to sunshine and way happier about it.' Lucky for me, I was on my way out the door to chat with a few women who promote Lafayette to the masses.

It was a Monday morning, which is typical to find people less-than-chipper. But when I walked into this particular establishment, I felt nothing but excitement for the week ahead. Every one of the ladies I talked to (5 in total) was happy to talk to me and gush about our little corner of the world. They reminded me of the quaint, yet busy, downtown that's booming with activities every weekend. They reminded me of the outdoor recreation we have thanks to parks, trails, and festivals. They reminded me that the university provides decent sporting events at the right price. All in all, it was a great reminder of why I moved home.

I've wanted to live in downtown Chicago since I can remember, and that dream hasn't gone away. But that doesn't mean that I shouldn't buck-up and appreciate where I live and the fact that I have great friends and family nearby. And the beauty of living closer to family and friends means I can spend my future vacations visiting those warmer places instead of coming home.

Would it have been fun to go to Indy or Chicago to go out with friends? Sure. But instead, I spent this weekend taking my dogs to one of the parks and strolling around the outdoor Pre-Thanksgiving Market. And after 5 days of rain, it was the perfect way to enjoy a gorgeous November weekend.

Isn't funny how life sends you friendly reminders about why you're where you are?

Get Your Glow On

All Aveda products are 80-95% natural, from the packaging to the fabulous product in the bottle. I've heard from people that Aveda changes you. Any hair or skin issues are rectified with the use of Aveda. So, I figured, while I work for a salon/spa, maybe I'll check out what these people are talking about. I've come to find out it's true.

I've tried many a face cleanser in my day, and come winter, my skin is drying out (which is incredible since I have oily skin, go figure). One of the estheticians pointed out to me that my skin is sensitive if I'm suffering from breakouts. This makes sense because that's how your skin reacts to what you're doing to it. Some folks are lucky enough to have skin that's a bit more mello. For me, I needed a gentle cleanser that doesn't completely strip my skin of it's natural oil. And, I needed a moisturizer that would keep breakouts at bay, but also keep my skin feeling good. So, I tried the Outer Peace Foaming Cleanser, Acne Relief Lotion, and the Tourmaline Charged Protecting Lotion.

The Foaming Cleanser gently cleans out your pores without harsh chemicals to kill the dirt and bacteria. It doesn't leave your face feeling tight and dry. With 2 pumps of product and some gentle scrubbing, your skin feels healthy and clean. Here in Lafayette, you can get it for $25 off the shelf. I know, a little much for those of us watching our pennies, but I purchased the travel size version and that lasted me about six weeks. My guess is that this larger bottle will last a solid 3 months at least.

I use the Acne Relief Lotion at night. It has salycylic acid, which kills the bacteria lingering in your skin. Personally, I've had back reactions to this type of acid, but the kind Aveda uses is derived naturally from a plant. The man-made stuff is what irritates my skin. In the morning, my skin looks and feels refreshed and ready to combat whatever the world wants to throw at it for the day. The lotion is a bit on the pricey side, too, but you use a finger's-worth once a day: it's worth it and it'll last you awhile.

For daytime, I use the Tourmaline Protecting Lotion. My fair skin needs SPF, even in the Midwest (I already have sun-damage according to a recent facial, so you should probably be using SPF too!). And this moisturizer isn't heavy or greasy. It's just the right amount of love to keep your skin feeling great. This bottle is about $40 I believe, and a finger's-worth is all you need.

Your skin is your biggest body organ, and one of the most important. It protects us from damage from the everyday elements. So why not protect it while it's protecting us? Many cleansers are advertised to "scrub away dirt" and "attack bacteria". Instead of attacking our skin, let's show it some healthy love to give us a glow.

What's Your Occasion?

In my travels and experiences since graduating in May 2008, I, like many other 20-somethings (and human beings in general), am trying to find my place. I find myself dabbling in different interests. I'm figuring out my life's balance, though I feel like it won't really be balanced for some time. Still, I'm taking steps to figure out who I am and who I'm not.

I've figured out that I'm currently exploring my purpose. While working for JA, I figured out my purpose pretty quickly. I don't mean my general job duties, I mean the thing that makes me get up and go every day. My purpose was to help the kids in Osceola County, Florida to become better citizens. I still have a passion for helping kids, but my desire to learn more about the fashion industry led me to my current job with the Aveda salon. My general job duties are outlined, of course, but I'm still figuring out my overall purpose. I'm exploring some opportunities within the business that will be supplementary to my daily routine. It sounds like these opportunities will be helping the business put on events to benefit our community. I like my job, don't get me wrong. But this extra piece of it, the piece that I'm volunteering to do, I think will end up being my purpose here. Not only will I be helping to coordinate the daily workings of a top salon, I'll also be promoting our salon via community outreach as we try to help some of the nonprofit organizations in town. This aspect of my job at JA was my favorite part - getting out there and showing the people what we were made of (and helping people in the process).

So, even though I'm in a completely different position/work environment, maybe this is another sign pointing me toward where I'm supposed to go. At least I feel like I'm on the path.

This quote inspired today's post:

"Your life is an occasion. Rise to it." ~Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium

I'm figuring out what occasion I'm rising to, one day at a time.

Mer-Tested

Young women like myself are always looking for the next best thing. This season's shoes, bags, sweaters, etc, are within many women's comfort zones. One would think that hair and makeup would fall into this category, too. I beg to differ.

I feel like as a woman, or maybe just being a human being, we want to find something that works for us. Whether it's the perfect pair of jeans or hairstyle, when we find these things, we don't want to let them go. For example, I had a pair of GLO jeans purchased from Kohl's many moons ago. These were the MOST comfortable pair of jeans I'd ever put on. I'm pretty sure I wore them from age 16 to 20. While there are certain staples that are difficult to part with (though I've found some lovely denim from Old Navy that compares nicely), when it comes to hair and makeup, trends are always changing. Brands are coming up with all kinds of products to keep us interested. Yet, many of us find that "perfect" eye shadow and can't part with it for ages because of its alleged level of perfection.

I am this girl. I've been wearing the same eye shadow for over a year now. Not only is this unhealthy (you really should replace makeup more often than just annually), but seasons and trends have changed. It can be a hard industry to keep up with. That's where my new job comes in.

As a guest coordinator for an Aveda salon, I now have new products to try on a daily basis. As an employee, it would benefit me to at least try all the products I can so I can better inform the masses of our earth-friendly skin care, hair care, and makeup. I'm happy to do so and can't wait for my discount to start!

This has brought on a new idea: a weekly segment dedicated to product-testing. It may be primarily Aveda (what can I say, I'm there 40 hours a week), but I'm open for suggestions. If you see or hear something about an up-and-coming product, but are nervous to step outside the box, let me do the stepping for you. Trust me to keep it real enough to give you an idea of how the product works. I'll even post some pics so you can see the results.

Comments and questions are welcome, and I will get to all of them as best as I can. Here's to us trying something new, together.

Premiere Week

Some of you may know that I didn't subscribe to television when I lived in Orlando. I had internet, so I watched things online. Now that I'm living at home, my television habits are back in full swing and there is a whole line-up of shows back in action this week. Let's break it down:

Monday: How I Met Your Mother

If you're not watching this show, you need to start. Following the lives of early-30-somethings in NYC, HIMYM is one of the funniest shows I've found on television. It has a silliness that everyone's witnessed in their respective night-out-situations while Ted narrates the story to his children. With each episode, the viewer comes closer to finding out the age-old question, how I met your mother. Dear Jason Segel: I've loved you on this show, but after I Love You, Man, I love you even more. Each episode brings a smile to my face.

Tuesday: The Good Wife

Mr. Big is back as a political figure who gets caught in the usual sex scandal. But this time, we get a glimpse into what may happen once the cameras are turned off. Julianna Margulies plays the wife of Chris Noth's character. Seeing her playing it cool during a press conference, then proceeding to slapping her husband in the face once they're alone has this girl wanting to know more.

Wednesday: Mercy

The commercial got me hooked on this new series, too. After returning from Iraq as a military nurse, Veronica uses her instincts to save lives in a U.S. hospital. She uses a straw to save a man in a car accident. What's not to love about medical improvisation?

Thursday: Grey's Anatomy

Last season's finale left me so stressed out, I'm already nervous. We left George on an operating table after being hit by a truck and Izzy was suffering complications from her surgery. We see them both in the after-life at the hospital, but it looks like one or both of them will be returning to Seattle Grace to continue their life. Who will it be? I'm on the edge of my seat, ready to find out!

In addition to a great week in TV, I also have the day off tomorrow. Don't get too jealous, I'll be working Tuesday through Saturday. But, having a three-day weekend this weekend is nothing to complain about!

And, check out my Examiner.com column for some snippets of Emmy fashion! Enjoy: http://www.examiner.com/x-14742-Indianapolis-Fashion-and-Style-Examiner

Just be nice.

Alright, folks, here's a Miss Manners reminder:

When someone is talking, it's rude to interrupt. If you'd like to share your thoughts with the person speaking, wait until they're finished, then wait for the appropriate time and place to make your thoughts known. This goes for presidential addresses in Congress, award-winner speeches, and everyday folks like us just trying to share stories with each other. Being courteous of others isn't difficult. Respect is something everyone deserves, whether or not you agree with the person who has the floor. You are entitled to your own opinion, but that doesn't mean you should steal someone else's spotlight just because you think your opinion is better.

*Stepping down from soap box*

En Vogue

It's been awhile since I've written anything that's not my blog. I purchased the September issue of Vogue when it came out, which is a great research tool (what a great business expense!). While flipping through more of the 500+ pages of Prada, Fendi, and other high-end designers' artwork, I came across an ad that made me look twice. It was an ad for K-Mart.

A smartly-dressed female donning a brilliant plaid overcoat and chic black ruffle dress is standing proud with the words "smart statements" making their own bold statement across her stylish bag. It made me look twice because it wasn't obvious where the outfit came from until I saw the words "Shop online now at kmart.com/fall."

For those who don't me, I'm going to be honest with you and tell you I'm a snob when it comes to shopping. My uncle and I just bonded this weekend over our shared fear of garage sales and flea markets (don't even mention Goodwill). I found a fabulous coffee table at a garage sale, but I would have never stopped had my Tampa love not been with me in the car. In addition to garage sales, I get uncomfortable thinking about serious shopping at the likes of places like Wal-Mart and K-Mart. Wal-Mart is great for cheap necessities and food items (some, not all), but never would I even try to find clothing I would feel good buying. However: with my job-change and living situation, maybe the time has come to look past the stigmas of these feared establishments. And given their most recent ad, I think K-Mart is positioning itself smartly in today's economy where people want to be stylish, but are sticking to a budget (something I need to work on).

Good job, K-Mart. You might have convinced this girl to peruse your latest fashion offerings. I don't make any promises, though.