Melting tan. And Friday facts.

After spin this morning, the girl on the bike next me says, “You have brown stuff all over your chest.”


I totally forgot that the bronzer that is part of my spray tan would rinse off in the shower. Obviously sweat is the same as a shower.

Yesterday, I got a spray tan Toddlers and Tiaras style. I’ve always done the Mystic Tan, but I had someone spray me and it was fantastic. The wash off bronzer is awesome because you instantly have a tan while the spray tan “activates.” I just highly recommend taking a shower before getting sweaty. I probably freaked some people out with my discolored, melting skin.

Friday Facts

• I love Fridays, but I really love this Friday because this weekend is going to be fabulous. I get to see my parents, grandparents, some friends and go to the horse races in Hot Springs. It doesn’t get much better, folks.
• I forgot how happy working out in the early a.m. makes me. I’m so positive and energetic this morning.
• I paid 50 cents for a banana this morning. One banana. Aren’t bananas much cheaper in the store?
• I dyed my hair myself Thursday at 2 a.m.
• Wednesday, I opted for the purple nails since no one voted. I might look like a 12 year. I also might love it.



I love the way you can take pictures of yourself with the iPhone 4.

• Adam and I did something genius last night. You see, I tend to always order too much food at restaurants. Or I order the wrong thing. Especially when we have an appetizer like cheese dip. Well, last night, we had cheese dip, so we decided to share a meal. Genius, I tell you.
• I might have bought these sunglasses last night with part of my tax refund.
  
  
  

• I would be 100 percent embarrassed if my boss walked over and saw me taking these photos of myself. Or anyone else for that matter.

Happy Friday!

ABCs of Alli

I saw this on pbfingers.com, so I decided to copy!

A. Age: 26

B. Bed size: I personally own a queen-size bed, and the boy has a king.

C. Chore you hate: Sweeping. I prefer to vacuum it all up!

D. Dogs: I love them! I can’t wait until I am able to get one, but as busy as I am now, it would be mean to the poor dog.

E. Essential start to your day: Coffee and The Today Show!

I started my 26th birthday back in September with a nonfat pumpkin spice latte.

I even drink coffee while washing windows in Chicago.

F. Favorite color: To wear—black and red; that makes me happy—pink

Celebrating Colleen's 26th birthday back in December in red.

 Razorback folks love red!

G. Gold or silver: I wear more silver, but I like gold accessories. I remember being in junior high and high school and thinking I would NEVER wear gold jewelry.

Barely noticeable, but I'm wearing gold earrings. And my belt has gold on it.

H. Height: 5’8”

I. Instruments you can play: I can play “Lean on Me” and “Mary Had a Little Lamb” on the piano. That’s all, folks.

J. Job title: Assistant manager of corporate communication

K. Kids: None, but I would love to have two one day (a boy and a girl or two girls … but my mom and sister joke that I’m definitely going to only have boys) .

L. Live: Fayetteville/Springdale, Arkansas—basically northwest Arkansas. Di d you know this is where Walmart headquarters are located? Guess what tons of people around here do? I’m not one of them. We have two other GIANT companies as well.

M. Mom’s name: LouAnn

N. Nicknames: Butthead (thanks, Dad!), Alli

O. Overnight hospital stays: None that I can recall. Although, I’ve had to go to the ER in the middle of the night before.

P. Pet peeve: I have two that stand out. When people use “loose” but really mean to use “lose.” When people in the break room take their food from the microwave and leave cooking time remaining. Just clear it, people!

Q. Quote from a movie: “Do you ever put your arms out and just spin and spin and spin? Well, that’s what love is like. Everything inside of you tells you to stop before you fall, but you just keep going.” Practical Magic

R. Righty or Lefty: Righty. But in gymnastics and dance, I was always better at left things: left turns, left leaps, left cartwheels, etc.

S. Siblings: Younger sister, Kristin.

T. Time you wake up: Depends. Usually around 6:30 a.m.

U. Underwear: As long as it stays in place while I work out, I’m sold.

V. Vegetables you dislike: I’m a huge veggie fan. But I don’t really like canned peas. I love peas on salad, though.

W. What makes you run late: I don’t like to leave things in a mess (thanks, Mom!), so I spend time organizing, hanging up, etc. in the morning. Not smart.

X. X-rays you’ve had: Don’t you get them on your mouth at the dentist? Other than that, none I can think of. I’ve never broken a bone (and toes and fingers don’t count).

Y. Yummy food you make: I am a great recipe follower. Adam loves my chili. And I like to bake cookies.

This was a great recipe I made for Kitchen Queens. Paula Deen's ooey gooey butter cake.

Z. Zoo animal favorite: The monkeys!

OK, this isn't at the zoo. But pigs are cute, too!

I'm curious. How tall are you???

Banana walnut oatmeal and Train.

I watched the Train “Marry Me” video this morning while eating the best breakfast I’ve had in a long time.

First, let’s talk about the breakfast.

I love oatmeal, but I tend to stick with the familiar. Plain with cinnamon on top or maple and brown sugar (the lower sugar version).

But today was different. A while back, I bought a box of Quaker’s new instant flavor—banana walnut. It was the best oatmeal. Ever. The walnuts added texture that is often missing from oatmeal, and if you like bananas, you will love the banana flavor (and pieces!).

Delicious and nutritious!

And now on to Train. Like most girls in the world, I love the Marry Me song by Train (did you see when they performed it on The Bachelor???). The video is better than the song. It’s so sweet. In the beginning, it has all different types of couples talking about their love for each other and how they met. WATCH IT NOW!

I’m wearing yellow today because I really want it to be spring. Like really, really don’t want it snow again.

It's really hard to take a normal picture of yourself.

Tomorrow’s Friday, ya’ll!

My private cabana.

I’ve finally dug myself out of the two feet of snow and am ready to face the world again! It’s in the 60s here this week. Crazy? Yes.

I feel bulleted updates are the best way to share what’s been going on.

•  My bruised nail (from an August vacation incident) finally grew out enough for me to get my nails painted something besides You Don’t Know Jacque or Chinchilly. Don’t get me wrong—I love gray. But hello, My Private Cabana! You’re a sight for sore eyes. If you’re looking for a great spring color, I highly recommend any of the Essie pinks. I heart them. 

Essie: My Private Cabana and a V-Day gift from my fantastic parents! It's a beautiful pink ring.

• I got some lovely Valentine’s gifts from my parents and the boy. I heart them, too.

They were supposed to be hot pink. Maybe next time.

• Friday night, I got to spend some time with two fabulous ladies that I don’t see enough! I promptly got a spray tan Saturday after taking photos this night.

Katie, Scarlet, Allison.

• We went to see Mamma Mia Saturday night. So good.

I totally cut off the bottom because it was bad.
I made Mr. A take a picture like this, too. I will spare him this time.

• I’m still doing the weight loss challenge at work. The two weeks of BAD weather was … um …. a slight set back. I weighed today (the last time I weighed in was Jan. 26), and I only lost .2 pounds. So my total percentage is 3.56.
• I'm going to back to blogging every day. I promise.

Happy Wednesday!

Thankful Friday.

On this Friday before Thanksgiving, I would like to tell you a few material things I’m thankful for. In reality, this stuff doesn’t matter. But it’s still stuff I love that makes me happy. The list does not include the big stuff I would always choose over anything else (you know family, friends, faith, etc…I’ve done that post before).

• My cell phone.
• Caramel macchiato creamer.
• Luna bars.
• A great pair of running shoes.
• My eyelash curler.
• Magazines.
• Google.
• My j.o.b.
• Spray tans.
• Greek yogurt.

And for your enjoyment: Me scouting a photo location at work this a.m.
 

 

Makeup love.

Warning: girly post ahead
Remember when I said I haven’t really shopped in months? I was even talking about makeup. But Friday I realized there were a few things I just couldn’t go without anymore. One of those things was powder and one of those things was moisturizer.

I also couldn’t go another day with my face being a different color than my neck because my makeup didn’t match my skin color. Bye bye summer tan, see you next year.

I headed over to Ulta, which is pretty new to Fayetteville. It’s similar to Sephora, but it also has drugstore brands (like Revlon, etc.).

I normally don’t love cosmetics. I’ve tried a million different items, and the only things I’ve ever really LOVED have been Chanel makeup. But at more than $50 for powder, I just can’t rationalize that anymore.

 I decided to go to Ulta for two reasons:

1.  I had a coupon for $3.50 off a $10 purchase.
2. It was buy one get one free on all Ulta products. Yes, please!

I was in a hurry, so I immediately headed to the powder section. Powder and foundation are two items I think you have to spend money on. The cheap stuff just isn’t the same, and believe me, I’ve tried it all. I wish it worked for me, but it doesn’t.

I tried a couple of things and settled on Pur 4-in-1 pressed mineral makeup.

It’s amazing.

Sometimes trying something new pays off.

I’ve never even heard of the brand, but I love it. A big reason for this is the sponge/brush thing that comes with it. I think that makes a huge difference in how makeup looks on your face.

The second thing I bought was moisturizer (Ulta brand so I could get something free). The moisturizer is fine. It’s the kind with self tanner in it. I don’t love it, but it works.

But what I do love is the Ulta lip gloss that I got for free. Lip gloss is difficult. It can be sticky, and I don’t like it so sparkly that I look like a three year old.

I also hate that with most lip gloss, I still have to carry around chap stick because it does nothing for my winter lips.

I introduce you to Ulta Minerals Nourishing Lip Color.

Just enough nourishment to leave the Carmex at home.

I chose blush crystal, and it’s the perfect color for me. In winter, I wear a lot of red, but I don’t really like red lips. But obviously hot pink lips would look ridiculous with a bright red jacket, so this is a great compromise. And I’ve tried the red. No matter what, I think it makes me look like a hooker.

And in case you’re wondering, Because I want to tell you, here a few makeup items I can’t live without:

My favorite. Ever.

• Smashbox photo finish bronzing primer
• Eyelash curler (For nights out, I use my blow dryer to heat it up. This works WAY better than those stupid heated lash curlers. Random fact: I had the same eyelash curler for over 10 years! Don't get me wrong...I tried others in between, but nothing ever compared. It finally broke this year. How I never lost it...who knows?)



Just try heating it up with your blow dryer once.
Test with your hand to make sure it's cool
enough so you don't burn your face off.

• Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation
• Lancome Hypnose Drama Instant Full Body Volume Mascara

It's magical.

 

All asses were not created equal. And other things I like.

On Monday, I read a bunch of oldish magazines and found a bunch of newish things I like.

• For example, I love this tote from L.L Bean, which I found in the November issue of Lucky. OK, that was the only magazine that wasn’t older. And by old I mean last month. Isn’t it lovely? It was on a page titled American Classic, and I completely agree. My grandmother instilled in me my love of L.L. Bean, and I thank her for that.

• I love hairspray. Seriously. And I love the Big Sexy Hair line, but I usually stick with the $3 a pop Tresemme. But I think I need to try this: Healthy Sexy Hair firm hold hairspray. If it’s not firm hold, what’s the point? I also saw this in Lucky.

• Essie’s Hot Coco fall color. Love it. I found this in People.

The new Levi’s ad campaign. Lucky again.

The ad I saw even tells you this girl is wearing a size 25. I’m pretty sure that’s the size of my calf. I guess that’s the point: All asses were not created equal.

Fun with friends.

My weekend was rather uneventful, but Saturday was a long fun day with friends. And definitely eventful. I think the pics speak for themselves.

Ragan's hat was a hit with Adam.

Who doesn't love a bar that brings your beer out in a random koozie?

She's probably keeping an eye out to make sure Mr.. A doesn't
steal her headgear.

You. Yeah you. Stop taking pictures of us!

I love the Margaritaville theme of Just Mondays.

I started the day off with a 4 mile run, which is a great way to start the weekend in my opinion.

I’m putting my Garmin 305 to great use.

What's going on this week, you ask? The boy is in Oregon until Saturday, so I'm flying solo this week.

Tuesday: Junior League meeting.
Wednesday: I'm finally going to try hot yoga. And fix my nails. They've been dark gray for three weeks now, and I haven't touched them up. You can imagine what that looks like.
Thursday: Kitchen Queens!
Friday: Celebrate Sarah's birthday.
Saturday: Going to visit my fam!

Facts of Life.

Facts of Life.

Birthday cake from co-workers.

Liz at La Huerta.

Today is my 26th birthday, and it’s off to a great start. I will tell you about my weekend tomorrow, but today’s all about my birthday! I’m a kid when it comes to holidays. I think I always will be.



Ragan and Steven at La Huerta.



Colleen at La Huerta.

• My wonderful boyfriend and friends surprised me with a dinner last night. I love them. Ragan even got me one of the items on my birthday list: a subscription to Runner’s World. You should read her blog, Pistol in Pumps. She’s pretty fab. 



Adam and Alli at La Huerta.



Birthday cube!



Birthday desk confetti!

•  My wonderful co-workers decorated my cube and got me a sweet card and cake.
•  My wonderful boss, who knows me oh so well, got me a Starbucks gift card.

This is the Starbucks where I got my birthday coffee. Just a little peek into my daily life.





For my family who won't get to see me today, here I am on my birthday!
And check out my nail polish. It's the first time I've ever gone dark, and I like it.


• The boy is also bringing my favorite salad for lunch. It’s a fresh berry salad from the famous Rick’s Bakery. If you’ve never had it, go get one. Today. You even get free dessert!
• I had my teeth cleaned this morning. My birthday started out cavity free! (I just need to floss in the back more…it’s so hard!)
• For dinner, I’m going to Bonefish with the boy.
• I’ve already gotten tons of sweet messages on Facebook from my family and friends. I love them.
• This morning, I got the best phone call from my dad, who played me a birthday song. He always brings a smile to my face.
• As an early birthday activity, we saw The Town. Ben Affleck does a stellar job. You should definitely go see the movie.
• I accidently bought 19 ounces of gummy bears at Walgreen’s yesterday. Not the best idea as a movie snack. Good thing I have big purse to shove giant bags of gummies in. I had to buy the big bag, though. It was $3 for 19 ounces or $1.50 for 5 ounces. Duh. 
• It’s a beautiful day today. I can’t remember it ever raining on my birthday. I love the early fall weather.
• I love birthday cake, and I’ve had some awesome cakes in the past. One year, Ragan got me a princess cake that was very tasty. Sarah, Colleen and Liz got me a cake last year that had the most delicious strawberry filling. But the best cake I’ve ever had, hands down, was when I turned 5 or 6, and my grandma made me a Wizard of Oz cake. It even had cake people on top. One day, I will find a picture to show you how awesome it was. She’s a fantastic baker.

Happy Monday!

THE birthday list.

It’s six days until my birthday, and I’m just now getting around to making my wish list. I posted a while back about the watch (Garmin 305) I want, but there are a few more things on my list.  ☺

And even though I don’t actually get these things for my birthday, it’s still fun to make the list!

• I’ve been carrying the same purse for about two years now. I know…that’s a long time. I need this one:

It’s new for fall: the MIA EMBOSSED OP ART LEATHER TOTE

• The boy would probably hate these boots, but I love them. And so does Rachel Zoe. He just doesn't understand boots over jeans...I could definitely find a few items in my closet to pair with them, and I love that you could wear brown or black with them. Oh, and I love the wedge heel.

Beautiful boots!

• While we’re on the shoe train, I think these would be perfect for work this fall, and they’re blue! I don’t have any shoes similar to this color.

Don't I look ready for work?

• I’ve been reading a lot of this magazine lately, so a subscription would be nice.

• 
  
  And I’m usually not a gift card person, but I’ve been on a shopping ban lately, so it would be nice to pick out some new clothes!
• 
  
  I got a Clarisonic face thing for Christmas, and I need some of the replacement heads. Not very exciting...I know.

 

• 
  
  I'm completely out of all things Philosophy, and the Amazing Grace lotion and perfume are my favorite.



You can't wear this stuff without getting compliments.



Happy Tuesday to everyone!