7 Questions with Gentri Lee

Mandatory funny pic: The husband and I re-enacting Lady & the Tramp with Arby's fries.  Sorry, we are odd.

One of my favorite bloggy buddies, the beautiful Gentri Lee, posts a link up each week called 7 Questions.  I love it, because it helps me learn more about the people behind the blogs I read! This is my first week participating, so here we go...

1. If you were to start your own business, what would it be?

I used to want to open my own tanning salon, but the whole cancer and wrinkles aspect of the business kind of steered me away from that idea.  I wouldn't mind running a clothing boutique though.

One thing you should know about me is that I get a lot of crazy, random ideas.  I get really obsessed with each one, doing tons of research and learning how to do or make different things (such as hairbows,  jewelry, knitting, etc.)...then I get bored after a while and move on to the next one.  So I don't know that running a business would be a good idea for this girl.

My husband thought this blog was another one of my weird obsessions and he is surprised/proud that I have kept working at it.  I think blogging is perfect for me, because I love to write...and having a blog allows me to document all of my random ideas!

2. You wake up on the wrong side of the bed, do you embrace your grumpiness or try to fight it?

I never wake up on the wrong side of the bed...ok, that is a complete lie.  I ALWAYS wake up a complete grump.  Oscar the Grouch...I think he might be my father (luckily I didn't inherit the green hair, just the bad attitude).  I'm a night owl and that does not work well with the schedule of my little children.  So, I have to embrace my grumpiness and try to make it through the day (which usually requires a Diet Coke).

3. What's the very first memory you have?

I'm not sure which is the earliest, but I do remember going to the circus for my 3rd birthday! And I remember thinking my backyard was a jungle when I was around the same age, because there were a lot of plants.

4. The world is ending, what do you do? Allow yourself to die? Fight? Hide? Etc.

I guess it depends on what was happening.  Are aliens attacking? Is there a zombie apocalypse? I mean...I guess in that case I would put up a good fight! But if there was an asteroid heading straight for the Earth and the end was inevitable I would just want to spend quality time with my family.

5. What is your favorite meal of the day?

Does dessert count as a meal? Cause that is definitely my favorite.  If not, I guess breakfast...as long as there are pancakes or cinnamon rolls.

6. How do you best learn? Visual? Listening? Hands on?

I am a visual and hands on learner.  When I was young I won two school spelling bees (elementary school and middle school) and I think it was because my mom had me write down tons of words over and over again, memorizing their placement.  I was kind of a nerd, I know.   

7. What is your favorite joke?

Most of the jokes I know are ones that I heard from my husband...and let's just say they're probably not appropriate to post here, haha. 
 
Well, there you go! I would love to see your answers to these questions, so if you have a blog you should write up a post and add your link on Gentri's 7 Questions...let me know if you do!

Bloglovin' Blog Hop!

I am super excited to be co-hosting a Bloglovin' Blog Hop with Jenny from The NY Melrose Family, Cari and Courtnee from Two Sasters, Amy from While Wearing Heels and Pamela from Sew Much Class for the month of May. 

What's Bloglovin' you ask?  It is very similar to Google Reader, in that you can see the beginning of the post and the first picture attached to the post.  You can add blogs to different categories, which is nice.  I also love that there is a Bloglovin' app for iPhone and Android devices...it makes it sooo easy to keep up with my favorite blogs!

***These are the instructions for sign up, so skip to the rules if you already have Bloglovin'***

In order to participate in this hop you need to sign up for Bloglovin’.  Go to Bloglovin'.   Hit the green sign up button in the right hand corner.  Next enter an email address and create your password.  You will get a confirmation eamil that you will need to follow a link back to Bloglovin' to continue the process.  Once you click on the link you will be brought to a page where it says to choose blogs to follow.  You don't need to do this.  Click next in the bottom right hand corner.  The next screen let’s you know about the mobile app so just click next again.  This screen will show that you are not following any blogs.  Click on Account in the upper right hand corner and toggle down to widget.  Choose the widget you want displayed on your page.  Put your url into the search query and it should pull up your site.  Click on your site and it will say display this icon.  The next page should bring you to a screen that has you display it into your layout.   Once you hit publish you’re done!  If you view your blog you should see the icon and now your followers can add you to their Bloglovin’ feed.  Seriously, so simple.  

So let’s get to the blog hop.  This is a party, so make sure to have some fun and mingle.

There’s only a couple of rules:

1.       Please follow your host – The NY Melrose Family 
&
Your co-hosts Two Sasters, While Wearing Heels, Modern Modest Beauty and Sew Much Class.

2.      Add Bloglovin' to your blog.
3.      Post our button for the blog hop somewhere on your page to promote the fun.

 <center><a href="http://www.thenymelrosefamily.blogspot.com/"><br /> <img src="http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj590/russej10/bloglovin-1-1-1-1.jpg" border="0"/><br /> </a></center>

  If you're interested in cohosting next month shoot Jenny an email at russej10@gmail.com.  Alright, so let's have some fun and mingle! I would suggest leaving a comment on someones blog if you follow them via Bloglovin' so they will know to follow back :)

Tutorial: No-Sew Extender Slip

A couple months back I had a guest post on Clothed Much where I shared a tutorial for making an extender slip.  I just wanted to share the tutorial here, because now that the weather is warm it's time to start breaking out those dresses and skirts!  I have seen so many cute dresses lately, but most of them are just a bit too short for my liking.  However, all I have to do is put an extender slip underneath and that problem is solved!

I have purchased these wonderful accessories from a local boutique, but I never found any that were exactly what I wanted. Then I thought, "Hey, maybe I could make one." I must say that I have absolutely no sewing skills and my crafting skills are limited, so I decided to make this a "no-sew" project. If you have a sewing machine, feel free to sew on the trim, instead of using the fabric adhesive.

First, apply fabric adhesive to the bottom edge of the slip, in 6 inch sections.  Press the edge of trim firmly against adhesive for 10-15 seconds before proceeding to next 6 inch section.

 Once you reach the end, cut the trim and glue it down.

This is what your slip should look like with one layer of trim.

Add a second layer above the first.  The spacing will depend on the size of your trim.  I chose to leave about an inch between layers.  Make sure your adhesive line is straight!

Once you reach the end of the second layer, cut the trim and glue it down.

Add as many layers as you would like.  Here is my slip with 3 layers!

This project only took about 15 minutes and cost less than $15! If you already have an old slip, it would only cost a few dollars for the trim and a few dollars for the fabric adhesive. Slip extenders are seriously my lifesaver in summer...they make dressing modest super simple!  I hope you will try this and be sure to let me know if you do!

Manicure Monday: NYC Mint Macaroon

Today's nail polish for Manicure Monday is a minty blue-green by NYC New York Color, called Mint Macaroon. 

I am an honest person.  I don't want to tell everyone that I love something, just to have them go out and buy the product...knowing it will end in disappointment.  I had high hopes for this color, I really did.  Mint is very on-trend right now and it's a color I really love, so I was excited about trying this out. 

The color looks nice on the nails, but it's more of an aqua blue than a mint.  The problem was the consistency of the lacquer...it was not quite right.  I'm not sure if it was the brush or the polish itself, but when I put it on it was uneven, clumpy and streaky.  I know this is not the case with other NYC nail color, because I have used many in the past and loved them.  Maybe I just got a weird one, I don't know.  I might try using the polish with a different brush and see if that helps.

So...what's on your nails this week?  Have you found any new nail polishes recently that you would recommend?


This product was provided for review. However, all opinions are my own.

May Group Sponsor Giveaway Winners!

So the sad news is that I got called in to work. So no camping or BBQ's for me on this lovely Memorial Day weekend. But that's ok, because:

a) I was able to see the Grand Canyon on my flight down to Phoenix. I still need to go there and see it up close and personal...the view from the plane isn't the best, but it was still fun!

b) It's time to announce the winners of the May Group Sponsor Giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

One Month Large Ad Space on All Dressed Up goes to Doranda!
Two Months Small Ad Space on Dearest Lou (200x100) goes to Kristen J.!
One Month Large Ad Space on Elise's Pieces (250x250) goes to Katie T.!
Eight Rosette Hair Clips or Pins from Love on a Budget goes to Sophie!
One Item From the MoMoMod Shop goes to Ashley!
Two Mary Kay Lip Glosses from Our Reflection goes to Dani!
One Month Large Ad Space on Potentially Delightful (300x200) goes to Kristy!
One Month Medium Ad Space on Serendipity Handmade (150x150) goes to Kristina!
11x14 Quotable Art Print from Tico and Tina goes to Paige!
Surprise Package from Truly Lovely goes to Angel!

Congratulations if you are a winner and you will be receiving an e-mail shortly! Thank you so much to my amazing sponsors for providing these great prizes!

Also, you still have a couple days left to enter the spa kit giveaway from Our Reflection!

Being On-Call Makes a Grouchy Flight Attendant

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I have received some questions about my job as a flight attendant, so I have decided to start sharing more about it.  It's a big part of my life after all.

Unfortunately, this month I am back on reserve, which in flight attendant lingo means "on call".  When someone can't work their flight, because they are hungover sick, you are the lucky one who gets to work for them.  I had a real schedule for the past year and a half, but my airline lost some flights recently (I work for a regional).   So...it's back to being at the beck and call of crew scheduling.  I am going to tell you a little more about reserve, so you can understand why I hate it. 

Reserve is a little different at each airline, but where I work the reserve flight attendants are usually scheduled 5 reserve days in a row, with 4 of these blocks in a month.  Full-time reserves only get 10 days off each month.  Luckily I am part-time, so I am only scheduled for 2 five-day blocks each month.  Oh...and each of these days you are on call for 12 hours, unless you are assigned a trip.  In that case you are released when the trip is finished.  If you are assigned a 3 day trip, but you have 5 reserve days, you will be placed back on reserve for the remaining 2 days.  Kind of confusing, I know.

You might think "Why is she complaining if she only has to work 10 days in the month?"  Well, here is the problem:  I can make the same amount of money working only 6 days when I'm not on reserve.  It's not too shabby when I get paid to sit at home eating donuts and watching tv, but lately everyone has been getting called out every day.  

Everything in the airline industry is based on seniority.  A flight attendant who has been with the company for 5 months will be assigned a trip before the flight attendant who has been there for 3 years, unless the senior flight attendant prefers to be called first.  I will be one of the most senior FA's on reserve this month, but everyone has been getting called...so it doesn't matter too much.

When on call you can forget about making any plans.   We have 2 hours from the time we get called to the time we need to be checked in at the airport.  It takes me an hour just to get from my house to the airport, park, take the shuttle, go through security and get checked in.  I always have my bag packed the night before, so all I have to do is get dressed, brush my hair/teeth and throw on some makeup!

I absolutely love my job, but I hate being on-call! Hopefully I get my real schedule back soon.  If you have any questions about reserve, ask away!

Also, here is my biggest accomplishment for the week...I caught a fish!

Please excuse my face and its lack of makeup, it was early and I was rushed by the husband.  My favorite part of this picture is my dog's face.  I'm pretty sure he wanted to eat the fish (Don't worry, he didn't...the fish went back to its happy pond home).  Have a great Memorial Day Weekend everyone!

Guest Post & Giveaway: Laura from Our Reflection

Hello! I’m Laura from Our Reflection. I’m super excited about being a guest today. 

A little about me: I’m a full-time working mom of two amazing daughters and an admirable, encouraging husband who are my life. I am, regrettably, a bit addicted to social media. I have a constant connection to Facebook and Twitter wherever I am. I love Starbucks, the colors pink and yellow, mountain biking, and listening to the piano. My new addition seems to be blogging!

When I’m not working my 8-5 or being “mommy”, I’m a lifestyle photographer based out of Monterey, California. In my mind, I am ALWAYS thinking about photography. It never ends. My brain takes snapshots everywhere I go. My photographic passion is people. Couples, families, and children. Nothing brings me more joy than capturing those unforgettable moments that will be treasured for a lifetime. Check out my photography page by clicking here.

Today I wanted to share with you some of my fav's and helpful tips when taking portraits.

1) Time of day. It's all about lighting. The best pictures will be taken the 2 hours after sunrise and the 2 hours prior to sunset. This gives everyone that natural "glow."

2) Don't go crazy buying expensive equipment, but do invest in a DSLR camera. They're not to expensive these days and worth every penny. {I'm a Canon girl myself.}

3) Keep your camera with you at all times. I'm one for spontaneous photos. The ones unplanned are always the best.

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4) What should I wear in my portrait? I get asked this question all the time. The clothes a person wears has a big impact on the end result of the photo. They need to be comfortable. If they feel awkward in their outfit or environment, you won't capture them looking like themselves.

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5) Don't be afraid to experiment. If you're using a digital camera, the cost of errors are free. Go crazy - you might end up with one you really love.

I hope this helps you feel more comfortable with your camera. I love questions or comments so please feel free to drop me an email. 

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Not only is Laura nice enough to share her amazing photo tips with you...she is also giving away a Spa Kit to one lucky reader!!  Who wouldn't want to win one of these? 

Just enter the Rafflecopter widget below.  The giveaway will end on May 29th...good luck and I hope you enjoy Laura's blog as much as I do!
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A Tad Bit Nautical

Striped top: Target, White Pants: LC Lauren Conrad for Kohls, Shoes: Old,
Starfish Bracelet: Ebay, Bag: Nine West

I have seen a lot of nautical-inspired outfits lately, like on the lovely blogs Style With Shannon and Pink Peonies.  Well...I don't have $135 to spend on the J. Crew top they are both wearing, but I do really love the look!  I recently bought a pair of white jeans at Kohls (they were on clearance), so I paired them with a navy blue striped shirt and added a starfish bracelet.  Kind of nautical right? Maybe not, but I liked this outfit anyway!

I also got a great deal on the striped shirt...it was on sale at Target for $6 and I had a coupon for $3 off, so the shirt was only $3!  If you have a smart phone you can sign up to have Target coupons sent to your mobile device.  Sometimes they aren't amazing, but sometimes they have good coupons like this!  When I have these coupons I always check the clearance section first.  I usually find something great for cheap, like the cardigan I also scored for $3. 

Have you found any good deals lately?  Where is your favorite place to shop for sale items?

Don't forget to enter the May Group Sponsor Giveaway!

Manicure Monday: Butter London Jaffa (Yeah, it's Tuesday...Whoops!)

I love corals and tangerine-orange colors.  This nail color by Butter London is no exception!  I think my favorite part was that it only needed one coat...I was really surprised at how opaque it was.  It would probably look a little better with two coats, but I was in a rush so I was very happy the first coat turned out so great! It is a creme lacquer, so it doesn't have any sparkle or shimmer, just a pretty and creamy finish. 

The other thing I love is that Butter London makes what they call "3 Free Nail Lacquer", which means the nail polishes are free of formaldehyde, toluene and DBP.  I don't know about you, but I prefer as few harmful chemicals as possible!

The only downside was the bottle...the lid was confusing to open at first.  Now that I know how to open it that's no problem!

What do you think of this color? What color is on your nails this week?

(This product was sent to me for review.  However, the opinions in this post are my own.)

May Group Sponsor Giveaway

Oh my goodness...you guys, I am SO excited about my first group sponsor giveaway! There are 10 great prizes up for grabs, which means 10 winners!! These ladies are seriously so amazing, so be sure to show them some love and enter using the Rafflecopter widget at the bottom of the post.

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Thank you to my lovely sponsors for providing these awesome prizes! The giveaway will be open until Saturday night...good luck everyone!