50mm Fun

My new 50 mm rocks my socks, and since my friend's baby makes an awfully cute subject, here are some shots I grabbed this weekend between surprise birthday dinners and outlet shopping.

The Week I Turned 30

What a strange week it has been.

Sunday night my husband's '02 Accent died. Living without my car (he used mine) for a week made me feel like a teen again. You just can't pick up and go somewhere on a whim!

Tuesday was my birthday. Even though my department had cake and a card for me, it didn't FEEL like a birthday because I spent it working. After work hubs picked me up and took me out for a nice dinner.  The big 3-0 wasn't as heartwrenchingly tragic as I suspected. I still don't feel a day over 22. OOTD courtesy of Ross ($12!)

Wednesday we began considering buying a new vehicle --- something that will do us well for a future child and pet. And yesterday we drove home in our new (to us) '07 Chevy Equinox. If anything could make you feel the ultimate in suburban middle-class, this is it.

Also yesterday I got to try out my new 50mm 1.8 Nikon lens on my best friend's baby.

Today I'll be upgrading my iPhone 3GS to the 4. So excited! This and a mani/pedi day were my husband's birthday gifts to me. The lens was my birthday gift to myself. Can it be birthday week EVERY week?!

End of My Twenties Night Out

The end is in sight. The end of my twenties that is. 

Saturday night, I got to celebrate the final weekend of my twenties with friends, including the lovely Vee. I even honored the decade by drinking like I did 9 years ago! 

I'm pretty much dreading having to face the fact that I'll be 30 tomorrow, but then I gain some perspective and reflect on all the people and events that have brought me to this age. I look at my marriage, my home, my friends, my career, and I can't help but think "If this is what my 20s have given me, how much more awesome will it get in the next decade?" 

and a pre-dinner OOTD:

Dress: TJ Maxx, Cardi: Target, Shoes: Target, Flower pin: Burlington Coat Factory

Signing off on my last post in this age bracket. See you on the other side! 

OOTD: The Bittersweet Dress

I happened to stumble upon an old dress in my sweater closet today. The dress was purchased in 2005 at Old Navy.

The Good: Old Navy had vastly different quality garments back then than today. NOTICEABLE. The dress is strapless, blue pinstripes, kind of sheathy-y, zippers up the side and came with a built in fabric belt with cream grossgrain ends. Also, I was happy with how I styled it today. I only may have worn that dress once in 2005, so it was basically like having a brand new dress for free.

The Bad: 2005-2006 were rough years for me, weight-wise. In fact, I was at my highest ever weight in those years. The damn dress from my fat days fits very well now.

Dress: vintage ON, Belt: Rue 21, Cardi: Target, Shoes: Payless

I've never felt so confused wearing a dress before.

Love List: June 2011

Every month I'd like to post a Love List, otherwise known as "Products/Merch I Think You Should Know About." These won't be groundbreaking products, but it may get you to pull the proverbial trigger on something you weren't sure about.

1. Clarisonic

I'm sure most of you own - at the very least know about -- the Clarisonic. In the fall I bought a knock-off, the Pretika. Bad idea. It didn't do anything to my face, but make it feel like I faceplanted a jute rug. I had test-driven a friend's Clarisonic Mia before, so I knew I would most likely love it. And I do. I want to cradle it and sing it lullabies. I want to take it out to eat and braid its hair. I've been using it twice a day, and in just two weeks it's decreased my pores, given me a more even skin tone, and is slowly minimizing the tiny white bumps on my forehead. I'm just mad I didn't get this sooner.

2. Proactiv

While we're on the topic of skin, I need to declare my utter gratitude for this acne system. I started using it around November, and it's done something no other topical has done for me -- totally cleared up my skin! I had horrific breakouts, especially on my cheeks which has caused years of scarring. Now? Maybe a tiny whitehead on my jaw once a month. I'm only using the last step right now nightly, but I seem to be doing well with just that little jolt of benzoyl peroxide to keep me clear.

3. Walmart Smocked Trapeze Dress
Yeah, I know -- a dress from Walmart? I ordered the turqouise last month and fell in love. The neckline is high enough and the hemline is low enough, and the smocked waist is wide enough to be comfortable and create a nice hourglass shape. I liked it so much I ordered it in black too!

4. Greek Yogurt

I was slow to move in on this food trend. I heard raves AND rants about this dairy product. But because I'm trying to get back on the healthy (err... healthier) bandwagon, I gave it a shot. Much to my surprise, it wasn't bad. In fact, it has the thicker consistency of yogurt I favor! So far, I like the Dannon brand more than the Chobani, but I'll be sampling other brands and flavors. Greek yogurt eaters - what's your favorite?

5. Nars Orgasm Blush

I've always been a blush fan. I love the color and vitality it brings to a face. For years I've read about the amazing universal love of Nars Orgasm. And the reviews are not unfounded. It's a great pigment and has just enough shimmer to not be teenybopper. But the best part? It stays on all day -- even with no primer applied! There is definitely something to be said for good quality makeup. The price tag was difficult to swallow for this  girl. But now I can't see every going back to drugstore blush! 

Blank Walls are My Nemesis

We bought our flatscreen last August. And since August, the blank wall above the TV has been a thorn in my side. And since I'm a huge fan of my couch and TV, I've spent many hours staring at it. Oh, and not only was the wall a bit naked, it also sports awesome missing paint chunks. But I just couldn't commit on what to hang. I didn't want to mount the TV, because I can't commit to just one place -- what if I rearrange the room?! I also didn't want anything too distracting -- no mirrors (would reflect our picture window), no photos, and nothing bright to draw the eye away from the action. So it had to be either a series of things or something wide and horizontal. 

But then came TJ Maxx. Our store has an incredible Home Goods side. I want to just furnish my whole house in Home Goods decor. I came across a few of these square, patterned scroll-y things that were the perfect size for the space and also blended in with all of the other wall decor in the room. And they were on clearance! BUT ... they were pale blue. Thankfully that wasn't a dealbreaker for even this non-crafty DIYer! Black spray paint is almost completely dummy-proof.

The hubs helped me hang them, but even with help - they're far from perfectly straight. We couldn't even center them correctly above the TV. So I moved the TV and also moved the lamp to the corner and brought over the two little ottomans to give it a fake media center feel.

It's still not perfect, but it's making me considerably happier from my couch vantage point.

Next up -- figuring out what do with the wall space that's currently rocking that kissing poster and painting the top of the TV stand black.  I'm taking suggestions on the first.