Happy holidays to you!

I'm in a bit of a blogging mood... not sure why.  Maybe it's this cold winter snap we got today and I'm all snuggled on the couch with my sweet husband.  We've been super blessed this month!   I started a new job shortly after my last post and I love it!  I am so glad to be back in the corporate world and this company is AMAZING!  We've done a lot of traveling in the last couple of weeks...  2 trips to Mississippi to celebrate Thanksgiving at my mom's gorgeous new home!  My dad, step-mom, brother and sister even joined us at Mom's and we had such a wonderful time!  I seriously have the coolest family ever!!!  With Christmas rapidly approaching, the hubs and I have been on mission budget-crunch....  tightening down on our finances so we can enjoy the holidays.  I know that Christmas is not about the gifts or spending money, but I have always enjoyed giving gifts to friends and family and I am so thankful to have a job for the first Christmas holiday since 2008!!!!! I feel a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders... even my husband, who's usually a bit "bah-humbug" about the holidays is all geared up... he even cleaned and re-arranged our living room for the Christmas tree yesterday!  In an effort to help ease our finances, I've been trying to make little cuts here and there.  I always come home for lunch, can't remember the last time I went shopping, and for the first time in 14 years I removed my acrylic nails - I have to say I'm kind of digging the natural look.... even though my real nails are super brittle, I have pretty navy blue polish on them and I love it!

Well, I'm outta here for now... time to watch Glee and snuggle some more!  Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season!!!!

Life is good....

Wow,  I didn't realize it had been 4 months since I last blogged... talk about slacking!  I can't remember the last time I made a youtube video... some partner I am!  Ha!  Life has been crazy, wonderfully busy lately.  David and I have both been working a lot and when we are home it's domesticated/parental duties.  If you know me at all you know my love of a domesticated life, so things have been going so well!  My husband and I recently celebrated our 1 year anniversary!!!!  I cannot believe that it's been a whole year.... it seems like yesterday I was  dressing in my wedding gown and sneaking a peek out the window to see my handsome groom.  Even harder to believe that I love him more now than I ever thought possible...  he never ceases to amaze me.  That gorgeous man flipped my world upside down when we met, nearly 3 years ago..... but enough of the mushy stuff!  Still working for Estee Lauder, although the hours were somewhat of an issue so we have changed my schedule... so far its ok, just not enough hours... so we will see what the future holds.   Hope all is well for everyone out there!

~Nichole

A break in the monotony!

It would seem that my prayers for guidance have been answered!  I am so happy to report that as of last Thursday I was offered a position with Estee Lauder!!!!!!  

Can you believe it?!  Of course I accepted the position and am so happy!   Not only has God provided me with a job, but doing something that I am so passionate about!   I started on Monday and have loved every minute of it!  My bosses are AMAZING, the job is wonderful, and the knowledge and training that I have been given thus far is priceless!!!  I am so excited to be using their products (a first for this cosmetic lover!) and cannot be more impressed!   I can't help but think how proud my Nanny would be and that maybe she had a little something to do with this... a former model and a lover of cosmetics it was she who taught my mother about makeup and my mother taught me. I used to love sitting and watching my mom get ready in the morning and the happiest day of my year (as a child) was the day of the dance recital!  We would wear awesome costumes and makeup all day! Halloween is also a favorite because you get to dressup.  I digress......  I get compliments daily on my eyeliner - every single day and I have to thank Nanny for that.  She taught me how to do the perfect "cat" eyeliner and also how to shape my brows "they are the frame to your eyes and the highest point of your arch should be just next to the center of your eye".   Daily reminders of how influential she was to my life and I know she is proudly looking down at me fulfilling a dream!  

Go for your dreams! Even if you think you aren't qualified and there is no way you will get the job - go for it!  You never know who is willing to give you a chance!!


and in addition to all of this happiness, my husband is home for a visit!  4 long weeks since we had seen one another and he shows up at 2am to surprise me!   The blessings are so abundant and I am forever grateful for every one of them!   

Jobs, jobs, jobs...

It's no secret that I have been unemployed for nearly 2 years.... and although I have been looking for a job (unsuccessfully) I have been looking more at salary and benefit requirements than job fulfillment.  I have recently been interviewing for several different companies, 1 being the normal "corporate" job and 2 others have been in the field of cosmetics which I absolutely adore.  I interviewed for an awesome opportunity at MAC Cosmetics here, but found out today that they decided to go with another candidate.  I have also had 3 different interviews (2 in person and 1 phone) with Estee Lauder, to which I am still a candidate for. I also spoke with a company today that found my resume on Monster and sounds very promising, to which I successfully scheduled an interview with on Thursday at 1pm.  I don't know if its the economic conditions or just my own insecurities, but it seems like getting a job is so much more difficult than it used to be.  It is absolutely terrifying to interview now, especially when stakes are so high and there are so many people competing for the position.  I had an interview in Atlanta that was a mass interview with 23 people for 1 position, after completing a 3 HOUR assessment and a mock day at work they called and said that I was "placed" second and while they wanted me for the position, their policy would not allow for me to be offered said position unless the first place holder declined (which he did not).  

Seems to be prayers and help from family are the only things getting us through these difficult times and I know that we are not the only ones struggling.... it would just be so wonderful to be able to breathe again, to enjoy a date with my husband (when he's in town from working), to be able to go to the movies or on girls nights....   I miss the days when you didn't fear what would happen if you lost your job because there are no indications when you might get a new one.   To be able to turn on the news without hearing the words UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS, FORECLOSURE, or BUSINESS CLOSINGS.  Makes me wonder if the Great Depression might have been a little easier to deal with because there was no TV, internet, and other media and technological portals that we have now.  

So to anyone else who is struggling to find work, pay bills, or manage their household.... I recommend a good amount of prayer and laughter to get you through.  Also, be open to changes in your field, pursue your dreams and find something you are passionate about.  That's the one thing I have learned in all of my time as an unemployed woman..... being passionate about your job is absolutely necessary.   

Good luck!

Are you lonesome tonight...

Well, my husband has successfully made it to Tennessee... he has been there for a few days and is settled nicely.  He's working hard, learning lots, and is tired a lot.... he even says he misses me a little.  I guess I never truly realized how much I love him... I know absence makes the heart grow fonder but it's almost as if I cannot breathe without him home.   I'm not trying to be a Debbie Downer, but I have just never felt so strongly for ANYONE before and after a couple of years together and nearly a year of marriage I guess I am just now realizing how completely I love him.  So we have a rough couple of months ahead of us... I'm sure that this will make our marriage even stronger, but I don't have to like the idea of the separation.  Let's hope these weeks pass quickly and I can be  back with my honey again soon!  I am super proud of all that he is doing for our little family, and so proud of the wonderful husband he is...  we are so very blessed!  Love truly conquers all!  

Leaving..... on a jet plane!

It's been a while since I blogged so I thought I would take a moment to show a little of my crazy life.  After months and months of praying and struggling, my husband has been offered a FANTASTIC job opportunity!   Say hello to the new Assistant General Manager for Mimi's Cafe!!!!  However, there is a small downside... he will be training for 3 months out of state :(  However, the optimist in me realizes that he'll only be about 4 hours away (by car).  So he is leaving on Thursday morning and won't be returning (other than visits in between) until September!!!  We have a plan worked out already so we don't spend too much time apart and a good note, when he gets back it will be football season again!!!  YAY!!!!   

In the meantime, we have been trying so hard to spend quality time together... we have gone to lots of concerts, recently celebrated my birthday, and have had lots of nights in and with the family.  But I sure will miss him.... he is my rock and in 2.5 years we haven't spent more than 4 nights apart.  We will manage, but it doesn't mean I have to like it!  So, we are excited and nervous, but super thankful for this new blessing.  Enjoy the photos from our latest adventures!!  They go in order: Us with Madam Adam, Us with Halestorm, Us on my birthday at the GoldyLocks show, my birthday crown, and David with GoldyLocks!!!!!

                                 

  

  

New New New!

So as an attempt to try and keep up with all the pro-guru's out there on youtube... like MakeupGeek, KandeeJohnson, Panacea81, etc., I tried to make a new intro for my videos via animoto.com.  Now this is my first attempt, but I was pretty excited... although I haven't done a video in 2 months, due to the craziness that is my life.... I hope to get back to them very soon!   So here's the link to the intro... let me know if you have any suggestions!

Link below:
New Intro for Youtube?

Like sand through the hourglass...

I have been making observations and taking stock of the friends in my life recently. Everyone is busy with weddings, breakups, working, families, etc. The older I get, the more I realize that a lot of people are all about their own "show". I totally understand being consumed by one's world, I am totally engulfed in my own at times... but there seems to be a lot of one-world shows and not enough of a collective show. There's a lot of stuff in other people's worlds that are just as important as your own. I guess it's a new peeve of mine that the self-centered behavior continues well into adulthood, when in all actuality that is when one should become more selfless. There are certain personalities, that no matter what is going on they are more important than anyone else... some folks are just wired that way. I just hope that if my behavior ever gets like that, my friends will call me out and not sit idly as I have done. 

There is always drama ensuing, always some storm brewing, and always going to be scattered pieces after the sky has cleared. I have just come to realize that life is always throwing curve balls, just have to make sure your arm is warmed up enough to catch them. 

A day with Bret Michaels and crew!

So you'd pretty much have to live under a rock to not know of Bret Michaels.  Poison singer, Rock of Love star, Pittsburgh Steelers fan, basically cool dude.  Since moving to Alabama, we have had the pleasure of reconnecting with old friends and making new ones.   One of our "old friends", Caleb DuBerry, is an all-around bad-ass kinda dude and is bff's with our new friend, Chris Rambo - owner of Strange Days venue in Montgomery (some may know him as former owner of Off the Wagon).

                                                             www.strangedayslive.com

Strange Days just opened a few weeks ago and while they are a bar/awesomeness, they are also a concert venue with a huge focus on Live Music.  Caleb knows that neither David or me are gainfully employed at the moment (stupid economy) so he called and asked David for some help last Thursday for a concert they were promoting -  Bret Michaels Band.  He explained that he needed some "loaders" to help un/load equipment and setup and whatnot.  I offered to help too, because that's just how I am, and Caleb said I could be a "runner" assisting with whatever the band needed.  So he said for us to be at the venue by noon and see where they could throw us in to help.

We pull up and the whole place is bustling with activity... the buses are out back, trailers are open and things are getting setup.

So, David immediately begins unloading/snapping photos and I'm told to help with whatever anyone needs.  I meet some cool folks, Tattoo Tony, Chuckie, Bob, Pete... having no idea who anyone is and proceed to get lunch, run to home depot, get drinks, napkins, etc. all while Big Mike, David, and Caleb are running around moving equipment and such. 

So after a little while, Chris Rambo comes up to me and says "How clean is your truck?"   Well in a fortuitous turn of events, David and I had spent 3 hours the night before detailing my truck and I mean this thing is cleaner than when I bought it from the dealer.   So I say, "it's pretty clean, like cleaner than when I bought it, why?"  and Rambo says "I need you to pick up Bret Michaels from the airport, is that cool?"  and I'm all, "You're asking if I have a problem picking up BRET MICHAELS from the airport.... I think I'm good!"  So that was that.... it was decided that I would be picking up BM from the airport later that day.  So I have a minor internal freakout, call my parents, tell my sister and husband, and then I'm cool.    Well my sister tells her bff, who tells our friend Cassie who is a MEGAFAN, who calls me and cusses me out!   But crisis averted all things were fine.  

So after awhile, I go with Tattoo Tony and Pete to pick BM up on the runway at the airport from his private jet... so cool!  He gets in my truck and is the coolest, most down-to-earth person.... totally not what us civilians would expect from a mega-celebrity.  The entire crew was like that though... I hung out with Chuckie, Pete, Tattoo Tony, and Bob all day having no clue that Pete and Chuckie were IN THE BAND and Tattoo Tony is a celebrity/fabulous tattoo artist, and Bob was BM's cousin.  Seriously, they were soooo awesome.  

So everything is setup, the doors open, my hubby is bouncing during the show while I'm still running to get drinks and whatnot for the band... and afterwards we get to hang and take photos with the band and crew.  Tattoo Tony (my new buddy) let me sneak my sister backstage to meet Bret and the crew and take some photos.  After our photo, BM goes and autographs a photo to me that says "Thanks for the kick-ass ride!"  and I was so excited.  Here's some more photos from after the show.. 

So right as the band and crew are about to head out we get one more photo with Tattoo Tony...

and then the coolest thing happens.... Cousin Bob hugs/kisses my cheek upon leaving and says that any show I want to go to call him and we're on the list.   Like I said, coolest guys ever!   

Kittehs

Anyone who knows my little family knows our soft spot for animals.  That being said, we can't necessarily afford to feed a LOT of animals... so why is it that when money is tight, poor little hurt kittehs and doggehs seem to wander up to us.  Maybe it's because we're so bubbly and nearly always outside.  The sweetest little kitten with two hurt legs has made our porch a home.   We made the mistake of feeding it, however it was soooo malnourished and sad that we just couldn't help ourselves.  So for the last week, Porch Kitteh has been chilling out and relaxing with us.  

Porch Kitteh

Last night, we decided to see if Porch Kitteh wanted to come inside... you see she and Baby Kitteh "talk" through the screen door and touch noses and stuff...  so we let her in.  COLOSSAL MISTAKE! 


  

  Alesis (left) and Baby Kitteh

Baby Kitteh kept following Porch Kitteh around, mostly to keep her out of inside kittehs noms.  Alesis didn't really care that much, kind of looked up from a nap like "oh great!  another one... and this one kind of looks like me" and then went back to sleep, however Mackie was LIVID!!    She was snorting and hissing and growling and just MEAN KITTEH!    Now Porch Kitteh held her own for awhile and would meow and hiss back, but after a good 15 minutes of Mackie/Mean Kitteh's antics, Porch Kitteh was sitting by the door, just waiting to go back on the porch where it was calm and peaceful and safe.   

Mackie (sweet and innocent, right?)

So after all this kitteh drama went down we learned a very important lesson..... Mackie is a butthole.   the end. 

There's green everywhere!

Oh the joys of springtime in Alabama...                      

There's green everywhere!!from the growing grass, to the blooming trees, to the pollen all over our cars and porch (haha!)...












  

Too bad there couldn't be a little more green in my WALLET!!









Seriously, this economy has got to give!  We are soooo unbelievable tired of the "waiting game".  You send a BAZILLION resumes/applications out and maybe get 2 phone calls over the next 6 weeks.  You interview with them and pray that all is well while you are told "we have other candidates to meet with but will keep you updated", then you proceed to jump at every noise your phone or computer make in hopes that they are contacting you with an offer, only to be told 3 or 4 weeks later that the position has been filled with either or more-qualified candidate or as I have experienced as of late, you are OVERQUALIFIED.

Seriously?!  I just want a JOB... I don't care if I am over-qualified!   I spoke with my old HR manager this evening that said it is still rough at the company, 18 months after I was downsized they are still facing the same struggles as when I was employed there.  2 years into our new president's term and nothing has improved, other than congress' everyday socialist acts that are seriously starting to freak me out.  When will things improve?  

I think I'm just going to live in a Disney movie... the characters struggle for about 30 minutes and then live happily ever after and all the bad things go away...  who can I speak with that will make this happen?  Any suggestions, ya'll know where to find me!

Cha-Cha-Cha-Chaaaaanges!

Whew... what a whirlwind year it's been and it's only February!  Let's see... well, my hubby found work in Atlanta, however the con's vastly outweighed the pro's.  For starters, his commute had him traveling at least an hour everyday, the pay was minuscule, and the environment was ridiculously depressing.  So in the end of January an opportunity presented itself and we jumped at the chance, therefore uprooting our life and moving to Montgomery, Alabama.  It happened so quickly that we didn't have time to even notify all of our friends.  His interview was on a Monday and by the following Sunday our moving truck was loaded and we were on our way.  We have gotten settled quite nicely here and are so happy to be near extended family and to be making such wonderful new friends.  Although his new job is not exactly what was hoped, we have been blessed with additional opportunities and we are entertaining several of them.  We're hoping that I will be gainfully employed shortly and our financial status will therefore improve dramatically.  Plus, Hailey has been so happy in her new school and has so many new friends that even she is loving it here. 


On to happier news, with our personal lives more stable and even professional opportunities presenting themselves, I have been able to continue my love and passion for all things cosmetic!   Youtube videos are increasing weekly and I love it! :)  I am currently researching quality cosmetics that don't break the bank.  I am in search of highly pigmented eyeshadows, blushes, smoothing lotions and primers, and brushes that are soft to the touch and luxurious.  Here's hoping I find what I am looking for.  


In other news, a big congrats to my bestie Renee Britt and her husband Scott as they have purchased, renovated,  and moved into their new home.  In addition, they recently discovered they are expecting twins in early fall.  SO YAY!! :) 


I suppose that is all for now and I will update with the products I find ASAP!!! :) 


Much love,
Nichole (Rorirose01)