TGIF with New Art, New Books, & New Manicures!

I Confess...
I've been a lot better and not buying nail polish the last few weeks.  I guess a $900 car repair bill will do that to you.  So my nail pal Alee over at Happy in Holos created a facebook group as a support system for those of us trying not to blow our money on nail polish.  She challenged us to try 3 of our untrieds this week.  While I wont be trying 3 since I really only change my polish once a week-I did get two out of the way.  Below is Scotch Queen of Scots with piCture pOlish Mardi Gras over the top.  So pretty!  The Scotch polish is a little different because it's water based-so it's kind of like watercolor, but the color is vibrant.  The glitter from piCture pOlish is amazing.

I Confess...

Some days I think my job is killing me.  Well, I know that it's taking years off of my life due to stress and some days it doesn't seem worth it at all.  But I make pretty good money for someone without a college degree (I know, I know-I need to go back to school it's just so expensive!)  Tuesday was so stressful I actually made myself sick and had to call in on Wednesday.  Luckily for me taking Wednesday off was incredibly relaxing and I sat around and made art all day.  I really wish I could afford to quit my day job and just make art.  These will be coming to the shop soon!

I Confess...
Mr. Bingo has been in town this week and we had plans to get together Tuesday for a date.  The plans had to be changed (not really my story to tell) so he had to bring his 12 year old son along for the date.  At first I was pretty upset-I don't do well with plan changes and disappointments, but I rally quickly and actually had a really good time.  We went to dinner and then they stayed at my place for a little bit to play Crokinole and Gloom.  His kid is a really good kid-smart and funny and totally obsessed with Doctor Who so he was happy to geek out over it with me.

I Confess...
I got my signed first-edition of The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman this week and was super excited!  I can't wait to read it, and then put it on my shelf where it will be really safe!

I Confess...
There are so many awesome giveaways going on around here this week.  You can enter to win amazing (and expensive) bath and body products in the Beauty Expression by Luchessa Giveaway, or hilarious and adorable art and cards in the Budugalee Cards Giveaway.  Also don't forget the Datevitation $200 Cash Giveaway is going on and the Le Chateau des Fleurs Summer Giveaway ending tomorrow.  Also coming up (I'm posting tonight) is the Le Chateau des Fleurs Sephora Giveaway (which you can enter now on her blog) and starting Monday is the Le Chateau des Fleurs Urban Decay NAKED Palette Giveaway so come on back and enter!

I Confess...
When I get thin, I want this exact outfit.  I am so going to rock the summer wild-child hippie look!

Summer's Here! by mysocalledchaos featuring h&m

Happies This Week	Crappies This Week
So many awesome giveaways here on the blog!	Work may be giving me ulcers.
A whole day of art and crafting and not work!	Stuck in traffic yesterday for an hour!
Getting to see Mr. Bingo.	Change of plans, no alone time with him.
Still having a good time even with plan changes.	Him not having time to see me again.
My Signed first-edition Neil Gaiman book!	Shark Week! Eek!

Linking up with:

Go Home Uterus, You're Drunk (& other stuff)

I Confess...
It was one of those weeks at work where I'm pretty sure it gave me an ulcer, especially yesterday.  There were a few points of the day so stressful that I though "Screw this I quit" which of course I'd never do... But still, it's sad when that becomes a "nice thought" simply because you need a reprieve.  However, I am grateful for my job-just not the sour stomach.

I Confess...
I'm so not feeling well today, but I wasn't about to call in sick for work today of all days-my work is paying me to go to Superman this afternoon!  I'm getting paid time while I'm there, and they bought the ticket.  My job can be totally awesome sometimes.

I Confess...
It's my own fault I'm sick... I went to Pho with friends last night, and then after we stayed up late watching movies and eating junk food... Wine (Lambrusco), donuts, cheetos, and more (OH MY) do not make my stomach (or waistline) happy.  When will I learn?  My body woke me up a half hour before my alarm this morning because it was not happy.

I Confess...
I'm starting to feel super ditched by some of our friends... I am trying to let go gracefully since that's life-people move in and out of your life and when they go they go-but it's hard.  It's mostly the coupled up friends-somehow all they want to do is hang out with other coupled up people.   The roommate looked at me the other day and said "I'm starting to feel like you're my only friend." and I understood.  Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for them... I just don't understand how you disappear on all your friends who've been there for you because I'm not that way-I'm not someone who gets lost in relationships. But c'est la vie, right?

I Confess...

I screwed up my birth control, and now my body wants to start (TMI-but oh well) but I'm trying to fight it off by catching up on my BC... Mr. Bingo will be here next week and I don't want to be horribly crampy when I get to see him!  NO.  GO HOME UTERUS YOU'RE DRUNK.

On another note... Here's my mani for the week.  Color Club Angel Kiss.  Not as in love with it as I was with Halo-Graphic, but it's still a pretty holo.  Here are different lighting photos-with flash, without flash, and sunlight. 

Happies this week:	Crappies this week:
PLL Marathon. WHO IS A?	Still nothing from Julep support. They suck.
Birchbox Customer Service is amazing!	Stupid uterus and forgetting BC.
Half day work day & Superman!	Eating poorly and feeling sick.
Getting to see Ortie!	Coming to terms with letting some friends go.

Linking up with:

For Courtney & Kristina + Other Business

I Confess...
My utterly gorgeous honorary niece Courtney is graduating today!  I can't believe how fast she grew up.  She was only 13 or 14 when I first met her.  At the time I was dating her uncle and was welcomed into the family with open arms.  While I no longer see/speak to her uncle, I am lucky enough to be best friends with her aunt and other uncle-so I've been blessed to know her as she's grown into an amazing woman.  Woman. Wow, I really can't believe she's all grown up and on her way to college!

She had a bit of a rough start in her education due to family issues that were outside of her control, but I am so grateful she was able to go live with Kristina (her aunt and my best friend) because Kristina and her family have done remarkable things.  Kristinga has helped raise her as a responsible and caring individual, and pushed her to her true potential.  Courtney is so extremely smart-she just needed someone to help her realize it and support her as she went after what she wanted.

Dear Courtney,
You are truly one of my favorite people and I love you so much!  I am SO PROUD of you, I can't even express it truly in words.  I'm so sorry I couldn't be there to help you celebrate today (stupid work) but I'm there in spirit!  You are amazing and the whole world is in front of you!  Go for it!

Dear Kristina,
I'm super sorry I wasn't able to make it up last night and I'm so sad about it!  I wish I could be there today to not only celebrate Courtney's success, but yours as well.  It was an incredibly selfless thing you did taking her in all those years ago, and it's amazing how you've been the most incredible person for her.  You have taught her honesty and responsibility, you have pushed her to be the girl you always knew she could be, and most of all you have loved her like she'd never been before, and provided the support and stability she needed to become this incredible adult she is today.  You are such an amazing mother, and my example of not only how a marriage should work, but how children should be raised.  Congratulations and I love you!

I Confess...
I heard this song again for the first time in a long time a while back, and wanted to share it as my Back That Azz Up Song for Courtney's Graduation!  Totally not saying she's done all this stuff, but I LOVE this song-and she basically told all that crap in her life to Eff-off and she made her own way.

I Confess...
I get to take a road trip to Seattle next month with those two incredible ladies!  I'm so excited about it!  We figure we'll drop the teenagers off at a hostel/hotel in the city and then go on to see Gayvid and Jerremy!

On another note, I Confess...
My nail polish this week is making me so happy.  Prettiest color ever-I need more Color Club holos in my life.

Happies This Week:	Crappies This Week:
Courtney graduating! She's come so far!	Not being able to be there for it! Work boo!
Beautiful new nail polishes to cheer me.	Having to cancel on Kristina last night.
Game of Thrones, Sparticus, Bates Motel.	Super crappy service from Julep!
Pretty sunshiney weather!	Not sleeping hardly at all.
The snake is healing nicely with a little help!	The snake burned herself again.
BBQ at Angel's house tonight!	How did I spend my whole paycheck?
Mr.Bingo is coming to visit this month!!!	My hair appointment was pushed clear to the 23rd!

Don't forget my giveaway this week!

Linking up with:

This Week Was Awesome

I Confess...
On Wednesday I was able to meet one of my absolute favorite musicians ever-and I'm still not quite down from that high yet.  Part of me is still all "Oh my god oh my god I got to see, talk to, take pictures with, and hug Eric Himan!" Hahaha!  Not only was he amazing to see perform live, but he is so down-to-earth and kind-hearted.  He told us stories of what some of his songs are about, and he told everyone how much he liked my blog.  Seriously.  He kept talking me up-I may never come down from that high.  I'm going to write more about it for Music Mondays and even post a video.  :)

If you're in the Denver Area he'll be playing there tonight for the last stop on his West Coast tour!  Don't miss out, he's wonderful!  7pm at The DNOTE.

Josh took this photo with Eric's phone, and Eric posted it on his Instagram talking about me! #totalfangirl

I Confess...

My stylist Jaime is amazing.  Seriously. She did a color and cut last night and it looks sooooo good! The color is a nice rich copper, and I sooo wish I could get my hair to curl like hers.  I need to buy a new curling iron-she recommended Hot Tools-any of my beauty blogger friends know where I can find those?

I Confess...

While I was waiting for my color to set I was sifting through a gossip rag they had at the salon.  Luckily it wasn't a super hatey one (seriously-I don't really care about Kim Kardashian but she's pregnant, of course shes going to be a bit heftier and she looks great with curves, leave her alone!) but I came across this little tidbit... Seriously, were you all as in love with JTT as I was in the 4th grade?

Um yeah, he's still hot.

I Confess...

I received my hello box goody from Kim over at Slice of Life.  Hellobox is a fun and inexpensive swap hosted by Pink on the Cheek (I totally missed sign ups this month) that is more focused on getting to know each other than the actual mail-you just send them something small and under $10 to let them know you are thinking of them throughout the month.  I had so much fun getting to know Kim, she is sooo sweet, and such a great and fun person to know!  Plus, she sent me this GORGEOUS Chloe vs. Tank bracelet which I love!

Left is my photo, right is the photo from Chloe vs. Tank.  Love it!

I Confess...
The multiple posts per day is going to end soon lol.  I have just had so much to write about these last two weeks!

I Confess... 
I know some people get annoyed with blog giveaways.  (I don't, I love them-both hosting and entering) but honestly-it's so worth it when someone writes you back that just won a hefty gift card and tells you how much it means to them as a single mother putting herself through school and supporting her baby.  She's using it to buy diapers and a few toys-totally selfless and the response was so heartwarming I nearly cried.  Eric Himan even mentioned that (he'd seen my facebook status) and how much it touched him too!  Warms my heart!

Happies this week

♥ My birthday is in 13 days

♥ I booked my trip to Oregon, & leave in 19 days

♥ I met Eric Himan!!!! SO HAPPY! Loooove!

♥ Amazing haircut and color, it always makes me feel good.

♥ Sephora emailed me and told me I get a free gift for my birthday.

♥ My Chloe vs. Tank bracelet.  Sooo dainty and pretty.

♥ Giveaway winners who really needed the prize they won! Yay!
♥ I am feeling less rolly in my belly area-WW is working I think!

Crappies this week
~ Spammer emails with blogger drama

Some Venting & Some Nail Polish/Swap Addiction

I Confess...
I have some grievances this week... I try not to complain and to be positive on here, but sometimes a girl just needs to vent!  I have one from last week too, but I was busy and didn't get to confess last week.  Also, this is true:

I Confess...
I'm super annoyed with the admins at work.  These are the administrative assistants that really don't do the actual company related stuff.  They do stuff like handle mail, answer phones, run errands, etc. Nothing wrong with that. One of their jobs is to clean out the shared fridges in the break room (Yes, it's sad that they have to and that people wont clean up after themselves!) and the schedule is that they do it every Friday at 3pm.

They hadn't done it in three weeks when I stuck my lunch in there Monday morning around 8am.  It was nasty.  However, that doesn't excuse what they did... I left work sick at 1pm on Monday.  Work was super busy, and I was actually supposed to leave at noon but got stuck at my desk working, so I was never able to make it into the break room all day.  When I left, I forgot my lunch-but since they're not supposed to clean it out til Friday, I figured I could eat it the next day.

Apparently sometime after I put my lunch in there they posted a piece of paper on the fridge saying they were going to clean it out that afternoon.  No email was sent, the only notification was a posted paper that was up for only a few hours before they threw everything out.

OK, so it hadn't been cleaned out in 3 weeks, I get that it was nasty.  But A: it was their job to clean it out and they should have kept up with it, and B: we deserved some kind of actual notification if they weren't going to stick with the schedule.  It's so much BULL and I was so upset to loose good tupperware and my lunch I had planned on eating. +Crappy

I Confess...
I complained to management who agreed that it was a bad call and said they'd say something about it. Fine.  I'm getting over it, it's just a few dollars and an inconvenience, but life goes on.  Until I come into work Thursday to find a posted note on the fridge saying something to the effect of "You need to be courteous to your coworkers and not leave nasty food in the fridge. We don't care if it's your grandma's good china-we're throwing it out if it's been in there too long!"  RUDE.  And Oh I'm sorry-yes, people should clean up after themselves but I didn't realize that 6-8 hours (less than a full shift at work) was too long, so sorry I used the fridge reasonably and you haven't been doing your job.  UGH. +Crappy

I Confess...
Every two weeks work brings in food for the office.  Usually it's pizza, which gets old, but once in a while they bring in something exciting. Generally it's at 12:30pm in time for the meetings.  This week they brought in Kneaders (which I love) but the admins brought it in an hour early and didn't tell anyone it was there, so by the time we figured it out there was nothing left.  It was all eaten by the engineering team-the same team that complains that our team is hoarding breakroom food scarfed it all down with their plates piled high.  Fail. Fail. Fail.  On both the admins (I really miss the old admin Kristin who left boo) and on the engineering teams hypocritical parts. +Crappy

I Confess...
One more complaint... I got an email a few weeks back from a girl who won a company sponsored giveaway from me.  It basically accused me of keeping the card for myself and blah blah blah because she'd never received it.  I sent it clear back in January.  I tried to make it up to her and explained that I did send it but would be happy to send her some paypal cash or something, and she said it was ok and she didn't want me to pay out of my pocket.  I replied again and asked her if she was sure, or if I could send her something from my shop. She graciously said it really was ok and declined even with further promptly.

An hour later I got a scathing email ripping into me saying I should have gotten tracking and that she changed her mind and wasn't going to let it go and proceeded to scream at me saying how if I didn't send her an amazon gift card for the full amount+some then she would go and report me to the companies it came from.  I was shocked-I get that you're disappointed about this-but A: this is something for FREE.  You didn't have to pay for anything to get it.  B: I am not required to get tracking, I'm sorry the USPS lost it-file a claim! C: I offered TWICE to make it up to you, so why come back yelling at me like I hadn't?  Why be so rude when I'd already tried to go out of my way to make it better?

It dawned on me after I had already sent her the gift card that she could have gotten it and lied about receiving it.  I shouldn't have sent her the money, especially with the way she treated me.  I'm going to make sure that all of my terms and conditions in my giveaways are more clear now that I'm not liable for postal loss and a lot of other things! I'll always try to make it better when I can, and I've never been a dishonest person-I don't deserve that kind of treatment. +Crappy

OK, I'm done with complaining...

I Confess...
I'm actually going to spend $50 on the whole Julep box to give them another try... It's so pretty, look at tall the bright colors! It's my birthday next month, that's how I"m justifying the expense. lol +Happy, I think. Ha!

I Confess...

I joined a nail polish swap group on Facebook... OMG.  I have a problem guys.  Both with swaps and polish now, but mostly swaps... It's fun though, you can swap out colors you've been gifted but don't like, or bottles you've tried once but want something else for colors you like from other people.  It's called Julep Swaps (but they swap a little of everything, even other beauty products) and was recommended to me by @JulesLovesBooks on Twitter.  Amazing. +Happy!

I Confess...
Like some others in the group, I made a pinterest board of polish I want and one for polish/beauty products I have for sale/trade. +Happy

I Confess...
I was pretty excited when I went to Ross (at the recommendation of a girl in the swap group) and found the entire Fiesta Collection by Color Club (which is my fave brand right now) for only $7.99.  It's $48 on their website!   Score! +Happy!

Don't forget to enter our awesome giveaway!  Seriously, it's amazing-$330 in gift card/cash prizes!