Christmas 2010

Christmas 2010 by swtcarolinagrl featuring bracelet watch jewelry

As you can see I was a very spoiled girl and got WAY more than I expected!!! New year resolutions and thoughts on the way in the next couple days!

Turkey Weekend Recap

Hello all 5 of yall who are reading this! Every post I write on here starts off with "sorry I've been gone so long..." so I'm just gonna stop saying it and when I can write, I will. But *hopefully* I'll be on here more!

ANYWAYS.....

Thanksgiving weekend came with a VERY welcomed couple days of school. After working Wednesday, my family and I drove up early Thursday morning to Lake Lure, NC where my grandparents are. We only get to see my dad's parents a couple times a year, and with my mom's parents already gone, we always try to include them in the holidays and invite them down for the weekend (we only see my dad's side of the family around Christmas...LONG STORY). So we got to visit with them and of course have a DELICIOUS meal!

Friday we got up, had some breakfast then began heading back to Columbia. Since my dad is VERY gracious and understands the NEED to go shopping on Black Friday, we stopped at the Gaffney outlets for a couple hours. And let me tell ya the deals were GOOD! The outlet mall isn't very big, but it has your typically stores like J.Crew, Coach, Nike, Ralph Lauren etc. Even thought the funds are seriously lacking right now, I managed to snag a pair of matchstick jeans at J.Crew for 40% off and I needed a new black tee because I realized my old staple had a hole in it. This outlet mall also has a Bare Escentuals outlet, which I have never seen anywhere else! And since I use their foundation, I picked up a new foundation brush since mine had seen better days for just $12.50...thats over 50% off! And lastly I got an ADORABLE dress for the SEC Championship (more about that later!) at Ralph Lauren. I would post a pic, but it was a little too long so my mom is hemming it before the big game in Atlanta! So once its finished I'll make sure to post a pic.

Saturday was spent relaxing and preparing for the BIG game that night....CAROLINA VS. CLEMSON!!!! No matter how the seasons are going, this game has a mind of its own, but thankfully our Gamecocks pulled it out!

Now that the weekend's over, I'm down to the last week of classes, which I can't believe this semester is over already!!! I've also got my last tennis match of the season, a work shift, the Junior League Holiday Market, and the SEC Championship game in Atlanta baby!!! Somewhere in there I have a paper to write too ;) But I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving weekend, and if you want a more day to day update on my life, make sure to follow me on twitter @swtcarolinagrl5 :)

Sephora Friends and Family Sale

This Friday, Sephora is having its annual Friends and Family Sale, where everything you purchase is 20% off when you use the code FF2010!!! This is an AWESOME opportunity to grab some high end makeup that you have wanted to try and haven't because its a little pricey, or to stock up on some of your favorite products. Sephora has also just come out with some awesome kits that are amazing deals you can pick up. Over the past couple months I have been a complete makeup junkie, so I am SO excited about this sale! Below are some of the products and kits and I am planning on purchasing on Friday!

Sephora Favorites LashStash Mascara Deluxe Sampler $27

This has been on Sephora's website for a while and I just haven't picked it up. It originally was $39 dollars, and at a $104 value, this is a steal! In this kit there are 10 deluxe size samples of mascara from some awesome brands including Benefit, Laura Mercier, Smashbox, and more. If you are a mascara lover or looking to try a variety of products, pick this up now!

Sephora Smoothing Primer $15

I've gotten a number of different primer samples, and while I do think they help my makeup stay on longer, I really don't want to spend a whole lot of money on a primer. I remember reading somewhere that this primer was comparable to the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer, which is twice the price. So I thought this would be a good thing to pick up at 20% off.

Clinique Quick Corrector $14

This is my absolute favorite go-to concealer. This will be the 3rd tube I have purchased. It has a great consistency, not to liquidy or too thick, and does a great job covering up acne spots and concealing undereye circles. If you need a good concealer, this is a great one!

Benefit Somebody to Love Kit $29

This is a GREAT value if you are a Benefit lover or wanna try some of their products. You get a full size of their CORALista blush (which by itself retails for $29!), full size of Eye Bright instant eye brightener (I've wanted to try this on my inner corner), and 2 deluxe minies of their BadGal mascara and "That Gal" face primer.

NARS Highlighting/Bronzing Blush Duo in Orgasm/Laguna $39

We I went to Sephora up in Charlotte back in July this was the one product I was wanted and they were sold out! I ended up getting the NARS Orgasm Illumintor instead, but I still wanted to try out the infamous Orgasm blush and the oh-so-popular Laguna bronzer. So instead of buying the 2 separately, this is the perfect thing to throw into my makeup bag.

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation $42

This foundation has been super popular on Youtube and among the beauty community. I'm fairly new to the liquid foundation world (I've been using Bare Minerals for a couple years) but recently have been wanted fuller coverage. Right now I'm using Revlon ColorStay Foundation, but with all the rage about this one I can't help but want to try it. At $42 this is WAY more than I usually spend on any kind of makeup, but with the 20% off I wouldn't feel as bad if it did make my skin look amazing.

Sephora Deluxe Frangrance Sampler for Her $50

This is an AMAZING gift if you are a frangrance lover or looking for a new perfume. Not only do you 12 samples of designer perfumes, you also get a refillable rollerball to use with the samples. AND you also get a voucher that you can take to any Sephora store and get a bottle of your favorite perfume from the set...FOR FREE!!! Now the only catch is that the voucher is only redeemable in store, so you can't use it online. That's my only hesitation about this kit. The closest Sephora to me is in Charlotte, about an hour away. But according to a Q&A on the Sephora website, the voucher doesn't have an expiration date. So if you know you'll be around a Sephora at somepoint, this is an awesome deal as these purfumes can cost anywhere from $40-$50.

**Note: There's another kit that I believe is $75 and has more higher-end perfumes if you're interested in that as well**

So those are my soon-to-be purchases. I'll let you guys know for sure what I do end up getting and probably make a video about my likes and/or dislikes. Let me know what you guys are going to purchase or you think I've missed something that I just have to have. Happy Shopping!!

**one more tip: Sephora offers free shipping on orders over $50 or more. So if you know that you're gonna be spending over $100, I would recommend dividing up your order into $50 increments, THAT way you still get free shipping and you get more samples since Sephora offers 3 samples with every purchase!**

Sephora Haul and Review

I also did a review on Herbal Essences 'Tousle Me Softly' haircare line if you would like to check that out on my YouTube channel. Hope everyone is having a great week!! I'm hoping to get up a real post sometime later this week.

"...when the world stopped turnin..."

September 11, 2001 will be a day that I will never forget. If you follow other bloggers, you know that everyone remembers and always will remember where they were when the first heard to news that our nation was under attack. I was in my 7th grade science class and can remember the principal coming to the door of our classroom and pulling my teacher outside to tell him the news. Our teacher then came back and had to look of horror on his face. He told us the news and our immediate reaction was to pray (I went to a Christian school for middle & high school). Initially I don't think we all understood or could comprehend exactly what had happened or the magnitude. I then went to my 4th period Geography class and can remember my teacher was missing. Her husband was in the military and I think she had already realized what was going to happen as a results of the day's events. We went to lunch as usual, where we heard all athletic events had been cancelled for that afternoon and that after lunch we were returning to home room where our parents could pick us up. My dad came and got me somehow got me to my mom (I can't remember exactly how this all played out). My mom and I were waiting in the carpool line at my brother's elementary school and I remember asking her, "Mom, what's gonna happen now?". She got this look on her face, and I can remember her exact words, "We're going to war". I think even at that age I couldn't grasp what exactly that meant. But we went home and just like everyone else around the world we were glued to the tv.

As I've gotten older watching footage from that horrendous day still gives me chills, as I'm sure it always will. As the years go by I've come to understand more that our freedom is not free, and I am so fortunate and blessed that I was born in the United States of America. I've also come to understand that some people have a severe hatred for this great nation and will do anything to see it brought to its knees. I hope this day will not just be seen as a day where we lost thousands of innocent lives, but one that showcased that no matter what attacks us, America will stand together and will do anything to defend this beautiful nation and its beliefs.

May we never forget

OOTD and Ulta videos

I'm back!!! Summer is over, Sorority Rush is finished, and classes have started!!! ahh!!! I'm so sorry I've been ignoring this blog, but I did film 2 videos today when I had some downtime. Hope everyone has been doing well!!!

Beach Essentials

So since I took this entire week off of work, I knew I wanted to make it to the beach at some point since I haven't been all summer! So yesterday morning my friend Erin and I made our way down to Charleston to catch some sun! Our friend Alex was already down there staying with a couple friends so we all met up and headed out to Sullivans Island. And we got so lucky because the weather was GORGEOUS! We heard a few rumbles of thunder later in the afternoon but luckily it all stayed away. But boy did that sun get to me! If you follow me on twitter *which you totally should!* you know that I got REALLY sunburnt yesterday. Today I am still suffering from the after effects. I went to the mall this afternoon to grab a couple things and it hurt just to keep my purse on my shoulder. But hopefully in the next couple days hopefully this will be turning into a nice tan!

Haul: Bath and Body Works, TJ Maxx, and Target

Holiday Weekend Recap

I hope everyone had a good Fourth of July! This was the first time in the last couple years that I wasn't working on the actual fourth, and I enjoyed every minute of it!

Friday: Friday was my first day off in a while so I chose to sleep in! And it was glorious haha That afternoon I went with my parents to see Toy Story 3 and it did not disappoint! I will always and forever be a Disney baby, and Toy Story 3 captured everything that a Disney movie should be. Fun, playful, heartwarming, comedy, and for the entire family. I had heard on twitter that it was making people cry, so of course I was shedding some tears. I definitely recommend it to anyone with children or who grew up with Disney and Toy Story 1 & 2.

Later that night my dad and I decided to go hit some tennis balls. This summer we've been part of a mixed doubles league since I decided to get back into playing tennis again. I haven't really played since high school!

Saturday: Saturday morning my dad and I got up early and went and played a practice doubles match. I wasn't too keen on getting up early on a Saturday, but it did give me a chance to work on my tan! With me working pretty much full time all summer, I am not NEARLY as dark as I would like to be, so anytime I'm gonna be on the tennis court during the day I make sure I'm not just wearing a tshirt! Did that one day and ended up with a VERY noticeable tshirt tan!

After we finished playing we went home to relax and wait for my grandparents to arrive, who were driving down to visit for a weekend. Once they arrived we spent the rest of the afternoon/evening eating delicious barbeque mom made and being lazy.

Sunday: Happy 4th of July!!! After sleeping in, we said goodbye to my grandparents. Never fear though, our house wasn't empty for long! My cousin, his wife, and baby girl were on the lake and stopped by for a little while so we could visit since it had been FOREVER since we had all seen each other! Unfortunately I am awful about remembering to take pictures so I don't have any from this weekend! But Bella Grace just turned 9 months old and is at that age where she is just too cute! We had to keep our dog outside on the screen porch so she wouldn't push her down. And Bella Grade just loved her! She just sat by the glass door and laughed and laughed looking at Glacier! Here's a pic of our baby:

Monday was spent up in Charlotte to go get a car my parents purchased for my baby brother and driving it back down. Today was unfortunately back to the real world :( I had my shortest shift at work this week then was able to grab dinner at Miyos with two of my girlfriends. All this working has made me a very unsociable girl!! I was so glad I was able to catch up and hear all the latest gossip.

Well until next time! I KNOW I am behind on the 3o day blog challenge, but I figured I didn't have to do 3o days in a row, just 30 days! I promise to get back to it, but right now I have to be back at work at 8am tomorrow :(

Day 4 - Favorite Television Program

I am a complete tv junkie. Sit me in front of the television and within 5 minutes I can find something that will keep me entertained for hours. Having said that, here is my current tv fave along with two of my all time favorite shows.

If you've been reading my blog at all the last couple months, you know I would have to include Law and Order: SVU. This used to be a show that I would sit down and watch if I happen to see that it was on. But somehow, one day I was watching and roaming around the internet reading about SVU and quickly fell in love with the characters, storylines, and the brilliant actors. SVU concluded its 11th season this past May, but due to my *fabulous* Netflix subscription, I have been able to watch seasons 1-10 instantly on my computer and was able to fall in love with this show even more. Its not simply a show about perverted sex crimes, but truly intelligent writing that gets you thinking the entire hour its on and the emotions the actors bring to the helm convey all the feelings we are feeling as we are watching. Plus it can only help that the 2 main actors are hot together!! Season 12 begins filming in the beginning of July and I can't wait!!

Friends is one of those shows that I think you can watch over and over and over again and still have tears in your eyes from laughing. I very rarely watched the show while it was actually on, but thanks to the wonderful invention of syndication, I was able to really see how special this series was and why it was so loved. I remember watching the season finale with all the surprises and my best friend and I would call each other during the commercials to quickly discuss the going-ons of the last segment before the commercial break ended. This past Thanksgiving I got VERY lucky and was able to purchase seasons 3-10 on DVD for just $8.99 a piece!! I'll probably have to wait until November again to complete the collection, but being able to watch all the episodes in order is awesome!

I don't think any girls list would be complete without Sex and the City. I was too young to watch it when is originally aired on HBO, but catching all the reruns on TBS I couldn't help but fall in love with the girls. I will always and forever identify myself as a Charlotte, but I feel the show does such a perfect job and showing that 4 completely different women can be the best of friends. Sometimes I'll be thinking that I am so different from my girlfriends that I wonder how we can have anything in common, but I look to Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte and see that their differences are what make their friendships so special. Makes me feel confident in who I am and that the friends I have now are amazing and I couldn't imagine my life without them.