At-home facial.

Hello lovelies!

My most sincere apologies for the long vacation from blogging.  With the holidays and a busy work week, my free time has been a little sparse.  With that in mind, I thought I'd start off today with a relaxing and refreshing facial.  As much as I would love to head to the nearest high-end salon and leave it to the professionals though, low funds have led me to figure out a cost-effective way to do it myself.  It takes about 20 minutes and makes all the difference in your skin!

1.  Remove makeup.

2.  Steam that pretty face of yours.  There are a couple of different ways to do this.  You can use a washcloth and hot water, or, my preference is to heat some water on the stove and use a towl over your head to catch the steam.  Five minutes should do the trick!  Be careful not to burn yourself!

3.  Exfoliate.  There are billions of different scrubs and exfoliating skin care products on the market, but I find putting a tablespoon of sugar (brown or white) into your facial cleanser (I use Yes to Cucumbers) can work just as well and save some money.

4.  Rinse.

5.  Mask.  Mix two egg whites with a tablespoon of organic greek yogurt and smother the concoction all over your face and neck.  Wait for about three minutes and wash thoroughly with warm water and a washcloth.

6.  Moisturize.

7.  Smile.  Your skin will look so rejuvinated and fresh.  :)

Home: Chores.

Hello lovely!  I hope your day is fabulous as ever.  Today I really wanted to talk about keeping a neat, tidy home.  The way your house looks can seriously have a major effect on your mood as well as the perception others have of you.  Think of every fabulous person that you know.  What does their place look like?  Come on, I know we've all seen at least one episode of MTV's Cribs.  Always imacculately clean, everything decorated in a very detailed and carefully-placed fashion, stylish, modern, and organized.  Now, I realize that not many of us have a lot of funds to work with.  I am in the same boat, but there are so many ways to decorate your home on a budget.  Pinterest has a ton of wonderful ideas.  The most important thing is to work with what you have.  As long as you keep your home tidy and organized, people will feel comfortable in your home.  You'll be able to find things so much easier.  You won't wake up in a stressed-out mood.  Good chi will flow.  One of my favorite books about living the fab life, "How to Walk in High Heels," by Camilla Morton describes the ultimate chore list.  It's a short enough list to run through every morning and it really covers all the bases.  I would love to share it with you.

"Once a day

 

Bed:  Make it.

Phone:  Charge it.

Laundry:  Dirty--wash/ launder; clean-- put it away.

Windows and curtains:  Open and air room.

Cushions:  Plump.

Write 'to do' list:  Do you need to go to the grocery store, get fresh milk or tea?

Tissues, clutter, junk mail:  Take to garbage or recycling, and empty.

Kitchen garbage:  Empty.

Washing up:  Load and empty dishwasher or, if not part of twenty-first centurey, ensure washing up is done daily, if not after each meal, to avoid build-up and growth of mold.

Wipe down:  Worktops, the kitchen table, and any frequently used surfaces.

Sweep room:  If time, or dustpan and brush.

Water plants:  Indoors and outside, and check shelf life of cut flowers.

 

Once a week

 

Duvet covers and pillows:  Change them.  Note: pillowcases and duvets must always be part of a matching set.

Carpets and rugs:  vacuum.

Get your mop out and take it for a spin, particularly in the kitchen and bathroom, and on any linoleum flooring.

Toilets:  Disinfect. 

Washerwoman:  Get your laundry up to date.

 

Once a month

 

Wipe, dust, and polish:  Your lair from top to toe.  Yes, this does include windows and windowsills.  For wooden furniture use beeswax polish; not only is the smell heavenly, but the furniture will repay you for your care and attention.

Vacuum or sweep:  (Flooring dependent) under the sofas and beds.

Fridge:  Ruthlessly eliminate any foods that are past their sell-by date.  Apply this to magazines and old papers; will you really want them in three years?  If yes, file; if not, relegate to recycling bin.

Stove inspection:  Have you used it?  If so, clean it, and the same applies to your microwave: give it a wipedown inside and out.

Dance around:  with a feather duster, and midroutine try to get corners and ceilings and any cobwebs that are being spun.

Feeling energetic?  Flip the mattress on your bed.

 

Once a year

 

Outing:  Manuals and well-groomed housewives recommend an annual trip to the cleaners for duvets, quilts, and rugs.

Curtains and blinds:  Take down for annual spring clean.

Dust: Attack the tops and bottoms of all the nooks and crannies that you neglect in a weekly or montly blitz.

Investigate: Exactly what you have stored under the stairs.

 

 

 

All of these wonderful tips should really keep your place in tip-top shape.  Thank you Ms. Morton!  Happy cleaning day, beautiful!  :)

 



Wish list

If dreams really do come true, and I hit the lottery...

Gucci derby canvas shoulder bag with black trim.
Here's where to find it.

Tiffany and Co. infinity ring in platinum with diamonds.

Where to find it.

 

 

 

Burberry floral tile print scarf in dark mustard.

Here it is!

 

 

 

Molo heels designed by the god himself, Manolo Blahnik.

Dream shoes.

 





 

Marc Jacobs off-the-shoulder satin dress.

And many other gorgeous dresses...

Beauty: Nails- DIY

Good morning, gorgeous friends.  I would like to begin by saying I have two dollars in my workout tip jar.  Hooray!  That means two days of working out complete.  I couldn't believe my positive, flowing energy yesterday after a good night's sleep, no drinking the night before, and working out in the morning.  I felt amazing.  Today will hopefully be the same.  I must admit, date night got a little rowdy last night.  I drank a bit more than I really should have.  I was a little slower at waking up this morning.  It's ok to do that once in a while, though.  As long as I am not wasting my day away, crying over a headache from too much champagne, it's good to have a little fun.  My workout this morning is the same as yesterday's, but done twice instead of just once.  The only things I really struggle with are the pushups and plank.  Looks like I'm going to have to work that upper body a little more.

On another note, today I really want to focus on making myself a little more high-maintenance.  If there's one thing I always notice about fabulous women, it's that they always have perfect-looking nails.  As a waitress, I've never really put a lot of effort into keeping them up.  I tend to keep my nails short and naked.  I feel like stepping it up a notch, however will be a stepping stone towards positive self-image and perception.  If I had my way, I'd go to the salon once a week for a manicure.  However, on the budget I have to set for myself right now, it looks like I'm going to have to attempt the same thing myself, at home.  Here are my tips for a great DIY manicure.

1. Remove polish.

2.  Trim and file.  The trendy thing to do would be to file them into a square tip.  Round tip, as long as they're short, always looks very nice as well.

3.  Soak nails for 5 minutes in warm water.

4.  Push back cuticles with an orange stick.  Trim any hangnails or dead skin from the sides.

5.  Exfoliate the hands with a sugar scrub.

6.  Buff the nails to make them even.

7.  Paint a layer of primer.

8.  Two coats of polish (Try to stray from exotic colors, unless you're really trying to be trendy.  Clear, French, pinks, reds, and dark purples always look classy.  I try to stay within that color scheme.)

9.  Paint a clear top coat to protect and shine.

10.  Thoroughly let them dry.  I know this can be a process, but it's worth it not to have any chips.

11.  Deeply moisturize with a good hand lotion.

Trust me, people will notice and you'll feel great about yourself.  Cheers to a pretty mani that you can really be proud of.  Plus, you did it yourself and not a single soul has to know.  Have a wonderful day!  More fabulous posts to come soon!  xoxo

Health: morning workout routine.

Good morning, Fabulous!  It's a beautiful day.  Well, if you take into consideration the fact that it's below zero degrees outside, you may disagree with me.  However, today is day one of a new beginning.  When thinking about where to start fresh in this journey, the first thing that pops into my mind is confidence.  You must own the fact that you are fabulous if you want others to perceive you that way as well.  I am a fairly confident person as it is, but I'd love to really feel good about myself all the time.  What makes me self-conscious?  What makes me uncomfortable?  How can I change those things so that when I walk into a room, nothing is holding me back.  Despite the fact that I've lost a ridiculous amount of weight this year, being a curvy girl has always held me back a little bit.  I have about 20 more pounds to lose before I'm at my goal weight.  Don't get me wrong, big is beautiful as well.  I've just had a lot of personal struggle with being overweight my entire life.  With losing my last 20 pounds, I will have proven that I can meet a goal.  I will feel good about what I look like.  I'll be able to finally purchase that new wardrobe I've been dreaming of.  I'll feel sexier in front of my boyfriend.  I really feel like my confidence will boost.  Oh, and New Year's Eve is in a few days and I'm probably going to want to rock a hot sequined cocktail dress.  How am I ever going to lose this last bit of weight?  Well, it can't be that difficult, can it?  I've already lost over 60 pounds!  Yes, 60!  20 more is nothin'!  Here is my plan.

I leave for work at 10:40 in the morning.  If I wake up at 8:30 AM:

• Drink three tall glasses of water before work.

• Do the following workout before I shower (I found this on Pinterest http://pinterest.com/pin/281543698562690/):

Before you shower:
50 jumping jacks
5 pushups
20 crunches
20 mountain climbers
30 second plank

I feel like this is a good place to start.  The workout is quick and simple, but will still challenge my weak muscles.  I really want to focus on getting into a morning routine, not overwhelming myself with a challenge I know I won't be able to keep up with.  As a reward, each day I do my workout, I will put $1.00 in a little tip jar.  As soon as I reach $100.00, I get to buy something special for myself, whether it be a new outfit, dinner with the boy, or a massage.  Now that's motivation!

• Have an organic vegan protein smoothie (I buy these at my local natural foods store), piece of fruit, or homemade juice for breakfast and chart it.  I really don't need to be eating cinnamon rolls, cookies, leftover cold pizza, or anthing of that nature for breakfast if I want to lose weight.  Making sure that my diet is in check will only assist me in my weight loss goal.

I'll keep you all posted on how everything is going.  If you have any tips or good workouts, please feel free to comment.  I'd love to hear your feedback.  Have a wonderful day.  I'll see you all in the fab lane.

Where to begin?

In comparing my life as it is now with where I imagine it going, it's hard to really think about where to begin.  There are so many areas that need work and if I tackle everything at once, which I tend to try and do, I feel like I might get overwhelmed and fail.  Baby steps is key.  That's why I've decided to organize my life into categories and work on each small thing at a time until everything is, well, fabulous.

Categories:

Health
Beauty
Money
Fashion
Love
Friendship
Career
Home
Family
Networking
Spirit

Each post is going to relate to a category and from there, I'll share stories, pictures, tips, and what-not-to-attempts.  Life in the fab lane is about to begin.  Grab your heels, ladies, it's time to glamourize.

Introduction

Ahhh, to be young; living every day in the moment, not having a care in the world, working ridiculous amounts of hours every day just to have money for the bars, concerts, big meals, and (let's not kid ourselves here) more booze, of course.  It's a swell life.  Until your bills come.  Or you get a speeding ticket.  Or worse yet, your car runs out of gas and all you can think about is, "damn it.  Why did I buy that last pack of cigarettes?  I didn't even need them."  I just turned 25 years old and I'm finally reaching the epiphany that I'm tired of living "paycheck to paycheck."  Sure, I have a lot of fun right now, but I want to have money.  Lots of it.  I desire to be fabulous-- well off, well dressed, and worry free.  It can't be that difficult.  People are successful every day.  Welcome to my new blog, where I, Christina, am seeking life in the fab lane.  This is my journey, full of the quirks that will throw me back and the miracles that will set me forward.  I've always been a believer in, "if you want something, go for it.  Get it.  You deserve it."  Now, it's time to take action.  It's time to transform from drab to fab and I hope you'll come along for the ride.  I appreciate any feedback to kick-start my way.  Now is the opportune time.  I'm ready to get what I want.