I was a confidence MACHINE this weekend!! ;)

What are some little ways you increase your confidence, even if only temporarily?

These two hats are my mom-in-law's latest creations for my other etsy shop, juniper + clover. I put them on just to take pics for our listings, and WHOA!! Instant confidence! Then I added in the fake glasses, and even more so! (I do sometimes wear my real glasses, but these are faux. The lenses on my faux pairs aren't very clear, so they bug me after a while, but they sure are cute.) I couldn't believe how my mood and perception of myself were instantly transformed just by donning hats! I wanted to head on over into our town square, which is filled with really awesome and funky people who dress way cool and maybe, just maybe, intimidate me a little sometimes unknowingly, and strut down the street with the best of 'em!!! I'm definitely gonna need one of these for myself as a keeper. This is one reason we say 'round here that we celebrate inner and outer beauty. Of course we know which one is the more important one, duh, but when you try to improve upon your outer beauty (within reason), sometimes it will enhance how you feel about yourself, thereby making you feel freer to showcase your inner beauty as well.

When I had funky, bright hair colors, it was like an automatic bravery boost as well! You cannot have bright pink or purple hair and not enjoy the extra looks you get walking down the street. ;) 

No She Didn't pictured

Wearing Lime Crime lipsticks, especially the ones that are not traditional colors (which, thankfully, is most of them!) has the same effect on me. I sometimes hear people say, "It looks great on other people, but I could never wear that color." Somehow, that never crossed my mind. When she first came out with the line, I was so entranced by them that I was determined to have them and ROCK them! And I think I do, not so much because of how I look but the ATTITUDE I have when wearing them...especially this blue one called No She Didn't. Man, I put that on and feel like I can conquer the world!

The candle was a gift from my friend Shybiker. :) Isn't it cute??

I got three free nailpolishes in the mail this weekend from Zoya - they were doing a special where you could get three if you just paid S+H. I got three of the brightest, boldest ones they had to offer!! One of them is called Yummy, this gorgeous, matte sky blue that I think is gonna look great with my No She Didn't. (Plan to do a review on the nailpolishes soon, but I think I can safely say I love 'em so far.)


I really don't wanna make y'all tired of hearing about our bottlecap necklaces, but I truly do just LOVE them even if no one were ever to buy one...I take joy every morning in picking one out to wear, and it may be a reflection of how I'm already feeling that day, or it may be something that prods me to feel how I WANT to feel.

(The rest of my hair is still long; it's in a ponytail here.)

And, finally, I got my bangs yesterday! I have unfortunately not managed to get a good picture of myself with them yet, but as you can see, they don't really look that different from any bangs I've had before...yet they were just what I needed to start propelling me out of the winter blahs! I've had the same stylist for, oh, about 8 years, I think...fate led me to a Hair Cuttery of all places, and it didn't take long for me to realize this girl belonged in her own place. We developed a friendship over the years, and I kept encouraging her to get past her fears and get her own space...and she finally did! I'm so proud of her. She also did my wedding hair, and I PROMISE someday soon I will tell you guys all about our wedding and show pictures! Anyway, when I walked out of her salon, I felt like a million bucks. I walked down the street like I owned it, with a smile on my face. I saw two guys do double-takes out of the corner of my eye. When I met up with my husband where he was waiting for me and then found a mirror, I realized the wind had swept my bangs into chaos, nothing like the perfect way she'd fixed them, and I looked pretty frazzled, actually...and yet they were still looking because I was CONFIDENT. I'm not purposely trying to get other guys to look at me; I'm just making a point. ;)


Getting my nose pierced and my two tattoos, as well as being part of the closet narcissist, naturally boosted my confidence as well. Blogging in here actually boosts me up a little more every time, simply because I'm talking about confidence. You'll naturally soak up whatever you focus on.


None of these things can provide real, lasting confidence in and of themselves until you internalize the confidence and ingrain it into your heart. But they're small steps that help you "fake it til you make it," until it becomes so ingrained in you that you don't "NEED" the funky hair color or certain hat but just WANT them simply because they make you feel even better. Now and then, we all need a little extra boost! And, you know what, sometimes the only thing you need to boost your mood or your confidence is to plaster a big smile on your face even when it's the last thing you feel like doing. It just might work.

On an unrelated note...is it a sign that I'm 30 years old if I am somewhat intrigued by Pajama Jeans?? They don't look bad to me! Am I about to get lost in a world of elastic waistbands that I don't have to unbutton after a large meal? heehee Hmm...not sure if these would boost my confidence or not! ;)


Oh, and I have stayed up all friggin' night long redoing the entire blog layout, from the header to the template to each little facet I'm able to change...I'm happy with it, and I certainly hope y'all are, cuz I'm gonna be paying for this...grooaaannnn.


But back to the original point of this post (sorry, I am getting loopy!):


What are the little things that help boost confidence for you??

Ch-ch-ch-changes! Wall color, hairstyle...how 'bout you?

Lately, I keep having these uncontrollable urges to redecorate things!! KameraWhore and I have MANY things in common, and she'll attest that this is definitely one of them.


It happens every so often with me...when I lived by myself, it seemed to happen about every six months, requiring me to repaint my walls. To my credit, I haven't changed my mind on a paint color in our house in about four or five years! So it's past time for a change!! I think I want to repaint our living room. I posted a pic of my former bedroom before...here is our living room. 

Not as girly as you were expecting, huh!

If I can't have pink, red's the next best thing! :) But in a small room, the red can sometimes seem dark, and with spring hopefully on its way, I think I'd like something fresher, brighter, but without having to change anything else except the wall color. The dining room is pea pod green, and the master bedroom is light cerulean blue, so those two colors are out...but I want the rooms to flow together still. I want to be able to decorate for Christmas in traditional red and green, so even though that's one small part of the year, I wanna keep that in mind. So what I keep going back to is khaki. I usually prefer lots of color to neutrals, but I can still have pops of color around the room in other ways. Hmm. I know this isn't a decorating blog, but I know some of you out there have some talent! What do you think?


I've also been debating for a while whether or not I want to get bangs again. I know, HUGE life decision here... I think I wanna get bangs that I can change up...they could be side-swept, straight across, or Bettie Page depending on how I feel on any given day! Here's a couple pics of me when I had them, as well as one of Kamalama with bangs and one of our fave singers, Langhorne Slim. 

Look at my pretty baby girl!!

Oh, how I want to make a crude joke here about getting "bangs."

In the second one, you can just see hints of color from when the underside of my hair was fuchsia. I've also done hot pink and purple on the underside. My hair has been every "typical" color as well, even blonde! I think I want to stick with brunette for a while longer, though. Oh, and this is my FAVORITE hairstyle Kam has ever had.


I shouldn't give any opinions on the new (to America) show "Skins," because I haven't watched it and probably won't...but at the risk of sounding like a prudish 30-year-OOOLLLLD lady ;), just from what I've seen in the preview, the show would probably scare me out of having a child this day in age! lol Is this really what goes on?! I'm perfectly fine with adults doing "things" on TV, but they're so young. Anyway, the thing that stuck out to me watching the preview (aside from the obvious content of the show, ahem!) was this one girl's HAIR!! I love it! I am getting my hair cut this weekend and am having to talk myself out of getting it all chopped off like this. I've had my hair shorter than that before and loved it. But that length would just end up looking, on me, like that awkward "I'm growing my hair out" stage. I've been there; I know. Don't let me do it!!

http://ncampbelll.tumblr.com/

Ironically, I think I look younger without bangs than with. I'm pretty sure I wanna get the bangs, though. Yes? No? HELP!!!!! Aaaaahhhh!!!


And, finally, I'm considering redoing the layout of the blog. You have NO IDEA how long Kam and I pored over various blog layouts before we finally settled on this one!! I love it and think it's really cute, but for some reason, I just keep thinking I want to change it (which some of you agreed with in our survey - you can still take it here if you like, which we'd appreciate so very much!).


Which reminds me, if you have a Blogger blog and haven't yet set it up for mobile viewers, oooh, please go do that!! It makes viewing and commenting on them on smart phones a lot easier! Go here: http://draft.blogger.com/home - then go to Settings - then click on Email & Mobile - then click Yes for "Show Mobile Template."


Anyway, I'm probably just bored from the winter blahs, but I think some ch-ch-ch-changes will do me some good! :) 


I think this is why I love makeup so much!! It's not permanent, and you can do it totally different every single day to keep you from getting bored.


What are you considering changing as spring approaches? Your hair color? Your city? Your style? The way you perceive yourself?


And what do you think are your reasons behind changing - something deep-seated and profound or just boredom?

Valentine's Day MAKEUP Look + Why I Hate V-Day (not why you'd think)

(Click to enlarge.)

This is my entry for Lime Crime Makeup's Valentine's Day Contest! Pink is obviously the word of the day here! I plan to write out a tutorial for this sometime in the near future, but it's pretty straight-forward, so you can probably figure out how it goes. But of course I will answer any questions you may have in the meantime! I will say the lipstick is a mixture of Lime Crime's Great Pink Planet, Countessa Fluorescent, Centrifuchsia, AND Retrofuturist!


The contest ends tonight, so hurry if you wanna enter! There are some really fantastically done entries. You can enter on their Facebook page.


V-Day is hard for a lot of people. Usually, the reason is a person laments their singleness more on this day. But I have a different reason. So let me just get it over with and say that Valentine's Day is very bittersweet for me. It's the anniversary of my mom's death. This year, it will be six years. I can't even believe it. My poor husband tries so hard to be sensitive to me on this day every year. He always brings me a dozen roses and See's chocolates (my favorites) but allows me to set the pace for how (or if) we'll celebrate it as a holiday or if I'm just too sad and need to be alone with my feelings. I never know how it's going to hit; some years, I have made it through alright, and others, wow, I'm glad they're behind me.  Truthfully, I don't know if I'll feel like posting ANYthing related to V-Day as it gets closer and closer...so I'm going to go ahead and post it early just in case. This is my beautiful mother.

This Valentine's Day, whether you're single or not, make sure to also show lots and lots of love to your family and friends as well. 


And, of course, don't forget to love YOU for V-Day too!! So cliche, I know, but you can't have a truly healthy and fulfilling relationship with someone else until you are a complete and whole person already, in and of yourself! :)


Here's an etsy treasury I put together in honor of self-love!




I almost forgot...here's more of my dress. I got it at Target a couple years ago. Isn't it wonderfully ModCloth-ish??

Foundation: Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet + 

Concealer: Revlon New Complexion compact makeup & e.l.f. Under-Eye Concealer/Highlighter Duo

Powder: e.l.f. Complexion Perfection and Physician's Formula pressed mineral powder

Blush: e.l.f. Natural Radiance Blusher in Glow and Shimmering Facial Whip in Pink Lemonade

Eyes: Sephora eye shadow in Aspen Summit No. 23 (highlighter), e.l.f. mineral shadow in Sweet (pink), e.l.f. Elements shadow in Dusk (silvery black), iridescent sparkle glitter (which sadly didn't show up in the pics), e.l.f. false lashes in Natural, black liner, Benefit Eye Bright on waterline, e.l.f. Mineral Infused mascara

Brows: e.l.f. Eyebrow Kit in Medium

Lips: Lime Crime lipstick in Great Pink Planet, Countessa Fluorescent, Centrifuchsia, AND Retrofuturist, all mixed together!

Hair flowers: Forever 21

Necklace: from our collection - www.theclosetnarcissist.etsy.com

Dress: Target

What's your take on Valentine's Day? Love it/hate it and why?

Magazine Musings...yeah, I'm really no good at titles.

Yesterday evening, I was thumbing through a stack of Woman's World magazines that I acquired from my mother-in-law. I don't know if you've ever looked through one of these, but they are nothing like Cosmo or Glamour. This magazine is written for a real person who lives a regular, real life. Nothing fancy. No articles relating to sexual conquests or mishaps. No celebrity sightings and fashion faux pas. No glossy, beautiful pictures of women who can't possibly be human. The back cover advertises Riders jeans by Lee. Enough said.

What you will find within its economically printed pages ($1.79, heck yeah) are articles and recipes geared towards staying healthy, looking younger, and above all, feeling happy about yourself and boosting your mood! There are of course shopping suggestions as well as book and movie previews. There are even home decorating and organization tips. But what I really enjoy about this budget magazine are several of the regular columns that run. One column, My Guardian Angel, is one in which readers submit experiences in which they swear to have encountered an angel. Whether you believe in angels or not, the stories always involve a stranger helping in a time of need, and they are very uplifting. Similarly, my two other favorite columns are entitled Circle of Kindness and Doing Good, which tell about an individual or group who have made a difference in the world through their kindness and unselfish actions.

Reading articles such as these makes me feel better about the world and inspires me to be a better person. I would say I'm a pretty nice gal, and I really do try to help others whenever I can. When I do something nice for someone, I feel better about myself which makes me feel happy to be me. And we all know that when we feel happy inside, it shows on the outside. Happiness makes your beauty glow! What an ideal natural remedy to the beauty blahs. Be nice. I wish everything were so easy.

So back to the magazine. I'm not saying I don't enjoy the others that are out there. I absolutely love those raunchy and explicit articles about bedroom mishaps and how to be a better lover (umm, not that I need them, ha ha). The make-up tips are great and the fashion is inspiring. But Woman's World, well, it just makes me feel good. It's a good fit for me and doesn't give me that slight feeling of inadequacy that some other magazines often do.

On a side note, I came across a great "assignment" that I would love for us all to work on! Written on the sidebar of a page out of Women's World, was a snippet about ways to help boost one's mood. The author suggested keeping a compliment journal. It is exactly what it sounds like. Keep a running list of all of the compliments that people bestow upon you. Then, whenever you're feeling down in the dumps (or not :}), you just open it up and read about how awesome other people think you are! Isn't it just perfectly narcissistic and wonderful?! I'm so excited to start! So the first thing I'm going to do, and I challenge you to do the same, is to go out and buy a beautiful journal to house the beautiful compliments that we are all going to get! Hmmm...make that a large journal. Maybe two. I need to be prepared... :)

Blog Lovin'

We've added a new way to follow our blog over in the ol' sidebar there...Blog Lovin'! It's a very user-friendly way to keep up with all your favorite blogs. You can also use this link:


Follow our blog with bloglovin


I like Blogger Dashboard a lot for keeping up with blogs, but Google Reader, not so much...I think you'll find Blog Lovin' is easier than Google Reader...and more attractive to look at too. Hmm...attractive and easy...kinda like KameraWhore!! heehee Only kidding, of course (about the "easy" part).


And by the way, it seems that some people were experiencing problemos trying to fill out our 2011 survey from within the blog post, so here is the direct link:


http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/449222/tcnsurvey2011


We hope you'll take a coupla minutes of your time to fill it out...it sure would help us out!!!!! :)