so, for xmas (e:hodown) wanted some phyto product, and they were having a sale. i am basically a sucker for any type of beauty product, lately products especially that promises great results.

in addition to the sista's weird fancy scalp treatment stuff, i ordered a few types of conditioner.

i can honestly say, that the drugstore stuff i was using before is 100% better. and i spent about $50 on two conditioners, whereas i could have stockpiled for almost of year with the other stuff.

my hair is so dry, two inches must come off at the salon tomorrow. the only thing worse than dry skin is dry hair, or vice versa.

they really are some products worth splurging on, but my all tie favorite conditioner would have to be neutrogena triple moisture, and pantene pro v restoratives(the one for super dry hair). i have a whole system in the shower that yeild maximum conditioning results.




i am just disappointed by the high end stuff lately. maybe it is my recession voice speaking, but i really feel like so many costly things are such a rip-off when you can find just as good or better items for so much less.

keratase hair products for example, are supposed to be so great and i think they suck. frederic fekkai, same thing.

there is this really great goldwell product, but actually all of their stuff is great, but expensive... i wish i was in beauty school again and i could just color my hair everyday for free, those were the days!

anyway, the lesson to be learned is this: don't be fooled by all of the fancy packages ladies and gents- it's what inside that counts!

my next mission is finding stellar skincare for a bargain; wish me luck!

i just finished reading, The Devil in The White City by Erik Larson. So, I think it is maybe one of the most well written books I have ever read. I think it sat on my bookshelf for almost two years; my bad. I think I maybe started it once and deemed it boring, but I was so very wrong.




You need to read this book, if you like historical fiction, the city of Chicago, crime novels, architecture, stories of struggle, triumph and heartbreak...



So really all people need to read this book. It kinda makes me want to go to Chicago now and see the where the World's Fair took place in 1893, even though the building aren't there, but, there is a museum that has a ton of artifacts and info about the fair.

I especially loved the way the book was written. The language was so descriptive and beautiful, but simply put... I really can't stand too much flowery language when I read and the author did an amazing job of retelling such a complex story in a way that the reader sort of slips into the past.

Ok, I am not good at all at book reviews, but I would like to give a shout out to (e:hodown), as I believe this may be her book, or at least I know she read it forever ago, and told me to read it, but I clearly did not listen.

Now, for my next read, I would like something fun and light... suggestions?

i just went to see slumdog millionaire. really good movie. also so disturbing.

i am also currently reading "the devil in the white city". great book. also extremely disturbing.

and i received a book for xmas about the holocaust, also good but disturbing.

i see a theme here, and intend to put an end to it now.

i definitely think people need to read about and see awful things that happen in the world, because turning a blind eye is ignorant. however, i need at least a month of feel-good books and movies, because my anxiety level is at a high, and i have been having awful nightmares the past few weeks.

i begin to wonder, am i just a huge baby, or are other people really bothered by violence, death, murder, sexual abuse, and other such things in books movies to the point that it gives them a stomach ache??

anyway, i am going to drink some water now and think happy thoughts before bed!

so, for a while i was having photo uploading issues. and it seems to have worked this time! below are mostly pics of family stuff, including the incredible trifle(made by moi!), pics of my fab cougar mom(raaaar), my fab well-read non tv watching sis, my more silent, but still very cute brother and other randoms of a very tan me of course! also, some havalina in the yard...enjoy! you will also take note of the 4th of july sidecars made by moi, they pretty much killed my mom, and i did not post the after shots of her, but it was a fun 4th! i'm too lazy to name my photos and comment after each one...













































i'll post some from my new years trip in the am...

so this job i have been wanting turns out to seem not so great, and i kinda missed out on some fun in blo because of it. anyway, i still have the interview on friday, but i feel like it will be just to go and in case i want a job with that hospital in the future, i won't look bad.

it doesn't pay much, and seems like super hard work. pays less than both job i have right now, and turns out they only pay for those going to school to pursue nursing. anyway, maybe it is better than i think.

i may be able to pick up extra hours with the agency i work for, and there are clients i could work with here in town, which would be so nice not to have to drive 35 minutes to work.

i feel like i really just need to make school more important even if it means i will be broke. i was making decent money for a while there, but i can just cut back and it shouldn't be an issue.

taking a full time job is a lot of responsibility when i have another job and school full time.

it's nice to be home!

on the way back i got bumped in exchange for a voucher, so my next blo trip will be free...woohoo!