Smell Ya' Later

So, hey.  I'm taking a little break.

I've got a lot going on right now, but don't worry -- all of it's good! The only bad thing is that I feel guilty about not blogging. I know, that sounds egomaniacal because I'm assuming that anyone gives a shit, except that I know a few of you actually do enjoy reading what I write here*.

To you, I say, I appreciate you!  It is you who I am telling that I'm going to be gone for a few months, so please don't file a missing persons report.  In fact, don't worry at all, because Ah'll be back, in some form... like Obi Wan Kanobi or Gandalf or some such shizz.

Allow me to break this mofo down.

The other night as I was looking for a better job, as I do pretty much 24/7, I came across this weird but oddly "helpful" video. It's got a kind of Japanese, animatronic feel, but also with completely incongruous old-timey music. Whatev -- it's very strange. Production value aside, it struck a chord with me.


Freelance Writing : Chapter 25 : Think About Your Online Reputation from Brian Scott on Vimeo.

And they're so perky!

I'm sure you can all see what I'm getting at here. I'm job hunting, yo. So I can't be talking about accidentally getting Brazilian bikini waxes or barfing into my handbag.  And so forth.

Yadda yadda yadda, I might start a new blog; I haven't decided.  I can't see myself not blogging at all, because I love to write and I've made such good friends through it.  I just think the OOBH's day might have come and gone.  I've noticed many of my old blog friends have slowed down with their postings lately too, and I totally get it.  We're all moving on.  We're tired of the same old jokes. Been there/done that.  There are only so many times that one can shout "That's what she said" or "Not that there's anything wrong with that," right?

 
Maybe this is the PMS talking, I don't know.  All I know is that I'm putting on my big girl panties and getting myself a new goddamn job this year, no matter what.   I'm fed up with My Crap Job, my dears.  F-e-d to the U-P.  So I'm taking a Brillo pad to my online reputation, adding a little chlorine to my online writing samples, and I'm taking at least the summer off.

It's not goodbye, it's Smell Ya Later.

I'll be back after I get whatever new job and/or writing venture awaits me, and if you find yourself missing La Bev, feel free to find me on any number of the gazillion places where I still have an online persona, like LinkedIn, Oddee or Facebook.  I'll say yes if you want to be friends, I promise!

PS) The book (which is oddly on sale on Amazon even though it hasn't even been released yet) that I co-wrote is coming out this summer--be sure to scan the credits for your shout-out, my lovely BOOBHs!

* And some of you are just here because you happened to Google "ass bruise" or "Elvira in Spanx" and that's okay too.

Butterfly Collage

Lori designed this butterfly collage using the White Elegance collection. Surprised? You may not recognize it because of all the COLOR! How did Lori do it? By inking the papers. What a simple way to make this collection fit any project.

We love how Lori was inspired to create this project. She says, "Pinterest is my new love and I have come across many quotes that inspire me - and this one spoke to me as soon as I read it! I had my White Elegance 'Glimmering Flutter' Die Cut Accents on my desk and as soon as I read this quote I knew exactly what I wanted to do!!"

What a fitting quote for the process Lori used to transform the White Elegance papers. The quote reads, "If nothing ever changed... There would be no Butterflies."

Update: Back Home & Back to Regular Blogging!

I'm writing a quick post because I've been MIA for a week. Work has been crazy prepping for a big event and then my H and I were out of town for my birthday.

To everyone who bought something in my BLOG SALE, I will be shipping items out this week.  Sorry for the delay!

Miss you all and can't wait to be back to regular blogging!

xoxo,

Veronika..

Salman Khan Ready Wallpapers Pictures

50 State Stereotypes in 2 Minutes

Happy Memorial Day! I thought this cute little video would be a nice tribute to my U.S. friends. How'd he do for your state?

Link Party #9

It's nearly the end of the month! We are so excited to see what you've been creating with SEI product. It can be anything you want... a layout from our sketch challenge, a dimensional project, an iron-on project... Just remember the party will end May 31st at 11:59 pm.

Don't forget to...
1. Add a link to your SEI project on our blog by clicking on the button at the bottom of this post. Your project must use at least one SEI product to participate.
2. Link back to us by adding this button to the bottom of your blog post.

<a href="http://seilifestyle.blogspot.com"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaVcx1vWCR2QlPpn4XsUmfHVklJK6UZxBw7wyBSUAS5rCL3Gbrne9C7pWmdypakbckTPD7S4hpBrwbQMGpqRQQq2VSzZGltJrNTyr1GUgMEz-ntoUZwSpUZhMJRBeWcYsk5XL3J0Cv_TE/s1600/link.jpg" /></a>3. Check each other's projects out & leave comments.

A Fashion Street May 10, 2011

A Fashion Street May 10, 2011
American street style wind ... I wonder America, how the girls are wearing ? At the moment what clothes fashion ? Combine How? The answer to the questions you can think of, share with you the air of the street modavetrendAt.
The weather has warmed in America ... we are still bekliyoruzz orataya summer clothes ....

Zara shoes for men suggested

Spanish clothing brand Zara From the suggestion to you would be a shoe. 2011 Footwear fashion trends that change frequently, while the bet I would bet.
As I said many times before, no longer Onitsuka Tiger-style shoes to wear converse and leave a little small moved towards a more classic style, because even if the new shoe fashions!
Below you see a lot of shoes and the like Zara 2011 season, the model is Zara You can find in stores. I wanted to suggest to you the representation of the model olarka. I think in a very stylish and comfortable shoes ... you can use it with jeans or classic pants.
2011 Season stylish and cool shoes, the models advice for those wishing to appear ...
Shoe model name: Strap Dirver
Price: 149,95


Composition

Upper: 100% COW LEATHER

Lining: 100% COW LEATHER

Base: 100% THERMOPLASTIC RUBBER

Suggestions and Zara 2011 Bikini Bikini Models

This year (2011) Write memelekete has no future! We came to the middle of May the sun still homesick, leave to enter the sea .... Winter could not make out people, let's say hayırlısı .
Summer income, you will undecided in your choice of bikini bikini collections of suggestions that we have Zara. These bikini models are selected from the collections of Zara Zara stores in 2011 is already a burden bulamassınız a bikini model. Prices are taken at the bottom of the bikini models.

Feminine Birthday Card

Lisa always keeps her recipients in mind when designing cards. It's pretty clear the recipient of this card is one special gal.

For an especially feminine card, take notes from Lisa. Choose a soft, color palette including a girly color, like purple. The Couture collection is perfect for this. Add some flowers and butterflies. The delicate details like, buttons, rhinestones, and ribbon are the icing on the cake.

What are your favorite things to use for feminine cards?

Motivation Mondays: Melanie from "I Pink I love You"

Today's Motivation Monday features Melanie, a beautiful girl I went to high school with. Oddly, we weren't friends in high school (not because we didn't like each other, but we had never really had the chance to hang out). When I read the answers to her questions, I swear I had to rub my eyes because we are practically the same person! I couldn't believe how much we had in common and it made me wish we would have gotten to know each other in high school. 

Melanie has her very own blog, "I Pink I Love You," which is awesome. Her blog is fairly new and I hope you'll stop by and check it out!

Name, age, what do you do for a living?
Hey everyone!! My name is Melanie (just "Mel" for short as I'm always getting Melissa...I dont know why, but it's very annoying, so "Mel" is good, especially for people who can't remember the "anie"...lol). I'm 29 years old and I work for two different hospitals doing administrative work in Maternity and in the Operating Room. FYI, I wouldn't wish two part time jobs on anyone, as I work shift work in both places, so I pretty much have no idea what day it is, or what part of the day it is..I bow down to anyone that can handle shift work, because...it's hard!..lol

Who is your beauty/fashion inspiration and why? My all time beauty inspiration, is Victoria Secret model, Miss Marissa Miller. Ummm....girl crush? She is an inspirational beauty in my eyes. This girl just glows with amazing-ness. Her body inspires me to work hard at the gym. I love how her skin is bronzed to perfection and she has the most beautiful 'beachy' blonde hair ever!!! I love love love her make up. It's simple, nothing over the top or clown-ish looking, it's applied so beautifully that it even allows her gorgeous freckles to shine through, which of course is always so beautiful in my eyes..I grew up with freckles and always hated them, but now I find them gorgeous, especially across the nose...so cute!!!

So I actually have 3 fashion inspirations, each with their own unique 'look'. I absolutely LOVE everything about Victoria Beckam's style. This girl screams fashion. She is always up to date, sleek, and well put together. I became a fan of VB when I read her book "That Extra Half an Inch". I absolutely fell in love with her sense of fashion.

I really adore Jennifer Aniston's 'look'. She is another fav. She is ALWAYS...and I mean always put together so beautifully. From her hair to her outfits, to her nails, I love how girlie she is. Either she has an eye for perfect outfits, or her stylist is incredible. Where do I sign up for lessons??? lol..I love her dresses, skirts, business-y look, and even her casual look.. She wears every outfit so comfortably. Love her!!!

Now... I have to admit, I'm a little fan of the rocker-ish look. I really love Audrina Patridge because she can be girlie, but just a little rocker-ish too. I love how she can pair up the most unusual items together..like a beautiful flow-y top, with skinny jeans and grungy boots or a pair of super high strappy heels. I also love how she accesorizes her outfits...she has the best mix of everything!!  P.S Her MTV show "Audrina" is on every Thursday night, so I'm already getting lots of fun ideas from her on-screen outfit choices.

What do you do to stay in shape?

I LOVE to run!! I go to the gym about 3-5 times a week. I don't have an obsession with the gym, but I find when I go for a workout, I feel 100 times better than if I didn't go . I really love yoga and pilates. The best my body has ever been, is when I went to yoga and pilates regularly. I got that really long, lean look without bulk. I'm starting yoga and pilates classes 2-3 times a week as well as lots of cardio and maybe 2 days a week of weight training. I would also love to take up boxing classes. Girls that I know who have incorporated boxing classes into their workout schedule, have the most beautifully toned arms beyond belief!! That jiggly fat under the arms...GONE!!! I also keep my calorie count to about 1500 a day and log all my calories in my iphone app called "My Net Diary" to keep track of what I'm eating. I keep portion sizes small, drink lots of water, lots of green tea with ginseng and having a fat day once a week (eating whatever I want) keeps my cravings to a minimum. I love to indulge in a big mac every once and a while.

Where do you love to shop for clothing? Describe your personal sense of style.
Oh my goodness...I am such a shopaholic that I think buying clothes is my cardio. I love good bargains, and I love clothing that makes me feel super sexy and confident. I have so many different looks. I love super girlie dresses, fun skirts, dangly jewellery, heels, flats, hair accessories etc. I really love being comfortable too. My fav outfit is a pair of jeans with a loose off the shoulder top, a pair of super sexy pumps and a little bling bling in my accessories. I love wearing my tiffany's key necklace and also simple diamond studded earrings because they go with everything!  I try not to be too matchy matchy because I think incorporating fun and different looks together is way more interesting then being a plain jane, even if it's just a crazy colored nail polish... it's good to have some fun with style! My fav places are Forever 21, Guess, Dynamite, Turquoise, Lululemon, Victoria Secret and Abercrombie and Fitch.

What are some of your can't live without em' clothing items?
Definitely my little black dress!! I love how you can create such different looks with one simple dress (as per lauren conrad in her style book). Every girl needs a LBD in her wardrobe.. it's just a neccessity! I also can't live without my lulu lemon pants and hoodie. They are my go-to item on a lazy weekend where I just want to be super comfy, but styled at the same time. Lulu clothes are my heaven. The price is a little high, but the quality is beyond anything that I've ever bought. I also love girlie tees with a cute pair of cut-offs and old navy flip flops that sell for like $2.

What are your top 5-10 makeup products?
In order of LOVE!!

1. NARS "Laguna" bronzer
2. Laura Mercier Silk foundation
3. MAC Studio fix powder foundation
4. LORAC "Desire" blush
5. Smashbox eye lash primer
6. L'Oreal Million Lashes mascara in black
7. MAC "Baby Sparks" lip glass
8. NARS "Tukish Delight" lip gloss
9. NARS "Orgasm" blush
10. Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner in "Graphite Shimmer Ink"

What are your top 5 hair products?
1. Pureology Hydrate Shampoo
2. Macadamia Deep Repair Mask
3. Phyto Botanical Hair Relaxing Balm
4. Morrocan Oil
5. L'Oreal Silver Shampoo (it's a blue-ish shampoo to keep that ashy blonde look)

What are your best beauty tips and/or secrets that you'd like to share with my readers?
Vitamins!! Since I have started taking vitamins I have noticed a difference in my skin, hair, nails etc. You can do whatever you want with the outside of your body, but incorporating those vitamins (like vitamins B, C, D, E, fish oils, calcium etc) everyday are so important for your outside body to make you shine with awesome-ness and feel confident in knowing your are keeping your body in tip top shape!

Also, shampooing only your scalp is much better than putting shampoo on all your hair. The water will cleanse the rest of your hair as it runs down your hair strands. I also helps from drying your ends out. And.. using a sulfate-free shampoo is a huge bonus!! I have noticed such an improvement since I have started using the Pureology line.

Last but not least....self tan!!! Use the highest SPF that you can. Being 29 yrs old, my skin is starting to age. I wish I could have gone back in time and stopped tanning beds and baking in the sun. Victoria Secret "Beach Sexy" Adjustable Self tan with Shimmer is my FAV!!!! It gives the most beautiful bronzed color and you can adjust how light or dark you want to be. No orange-y look at all. Everyone I've introduced this too, loves it!!!
It's the most natural looking tan in a bottle I have experienced yet...try it!!!

What's on your fashion or beauty wish list right now?
I would love to pick up a blush from Smashbox in "flush". It's a beautiful pinky color that is so flattering on all skin tones. I am loving the Origins line right now and I am obsessed with their exfloliator called "Modern Friction". I got a free sample and fell in love. My skin craves it now!! I also want to pick up Yves St.Laurent Touche Eclat. I have heard it is such an amazing highlighter!!! I also want a really fun purple-ly eyeshadow color from MAC. Not sure which one yet, but purple is so in for me this year!!!

Since watching the royal wedding, I am so inspired to pick up some cute hair fasteners!! It's such a pretty and fun look. I have heard etsy sells such adorable ones that I can wear casually or when I'm glammed up and ready for a night on the town. I always try and look for such fun accerssories that will just make my outfits jump with joy :)

I also love LUSH products. I ran out of the Aqua Mirabilis body butter scrub (which I'm obsessed with), so I have to get some of that because it infuses your skin with hydration and softness...love it!!!
 

Which of your accomplishments are you most proud of?
I'm most proud of buying my own house. My BF and I bought it together, but I've never owned my own house before. Having a mortgage and having that responsibility is so comforting to me. I adore my house and I work hard to keep it up and running. I'm so proud that I can have a backyard for my puppy to run around in and being able to decorate how I want. All of these little things have made me realize that I'm so proud I decided to stay on the more positive path throughout my life. Times that I have fallen, I know that I can pick myself up and be an even stronger, more confident woman because "I Can't" is no longer in my vocabulary!!!

Thanks so much Melanie, for motivating us this Monday!  If you have a question for Melanie, please leave a comment below and I will ask her to answer your question!

xoxo,

Veronika.

PS- I have a few more MM's coming up! I was really missing this feature and I'm glad it's back!

Stay gold, Ponyboy!

They say that there is nothing so constant as change, and I believe it.

Then again, some things never change:

That had better just be fruit juice, young lady!

I've changed a lot over the years, but deep down inside, I'm still this person (on the left):

And I always will be.  Who else could I be?

It's natural to grow and change as you get older, and we wouldn't be very interesting people if we didn't learn from our mistakes as we fumble along through this life of ours.  We learn more from our failures than from our victories, so the failures make the victories all the sweeter, right?

Anywho, I'm getting all off-track, but I'm too lazy to edit myself into oblivion today.  I actually came here to write about a different kind of change: the change that people go through when they want to be famous.

I got to thinking about this subject after flipping through the FM dial the other day and realizing that Adele's Rollin' In The Deep was on nearly every channel.  Now, I love Adele, and it's a testament to how great that song is that I am not even sick of it (yet).  What I love most about her, however, is that she looks so normal.

She's a beautiful girl, sure, but she's not your typical pop star.  Not only is she an incredibly talented singer and songwriter, but she doesn't fit into that mold that everyone else seems to cram themselves into.  She's a little chubby, just like the rest of us.  She looks great with her hair and make up done, but she also looks fresh and natural when she's caught by the paparazzi getting coffee, etc.  Her voice is sultry, soulful, and strong, and she looks the part.  In short, I think she's adorable and I hope she never changes.

But I'll bet she will, because nothing gold can stay.

Since when do singers all have to be skinny and drop-dead gorgeous, anyway?  Who decided that the public couldn't (or shouldn't) tolerate fat or ugly people who happen to have talent?  These days, the minute someone makes it really big they go from looking like this:

 To looking like this:

Which, in my opinion, is boring has hell.  Sure, if Jennifer Hudson here is healthier and happier, then good for her!  But I somehow doubt she starved herself went on Weight Watchers to be healthier.  She went on a huge diet because she was sick of feeling like the Goodyear blimp at fittings, and tired of carrying the "Proud Fat Chick" banner for the rest of us.  I'm not blaming her, I'm just saying that with talent like hers, she should be able to look any way she wants.

Isn't that right, Aretha?

That's right, baby!

Anywho, just a friendly reminder from your neighborhood Bev to be kind to yourself.  Love yourself, even if you have a few pounds to lose or have adult acne or massive breasts that are just a little bit terrifying.  There's only one you, and you are awesome.

That is all.

Have a great week!

PS)  Since Frank asked me what the title means, I'm adding this note in case anyone else doesn't get the reference.  "Stay gold, Ponyboy" is a line from the movie, The Outsiders, which is based on the book by S.E. Hinton. The line is referring to this poem by Robert Frost:

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf,
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day
Nothing gold can stay.

*dusting off hands* I think we've all learned something here today. My work here is done!