12.31.2012

I'm only BUZZED




well hello there loves! i know, i know, i've been a little MIA since Christmas - but I believe in taking breaks from blogland & actually living my life so I have been enjoying the holidays & family time. It has been wonderful....& its still not over. I'm still on my blog vacay for just a few more days --- BUT I wanted to touch base with a few things -


- If you recently won a giveaway that I was apart of I will be sending out your winnings/or contacting you about AD space within the next week, don't worry I haven't forgotten


- Giveaways that were hosted on my blog for December, winners will be announced by the end of the week


-January Sponsors I will be emailing you this week to get everything going


- the MINI messy project will be revealed January 16, 2013 


- & today is the LAST day to get $5 off any ad (except for the XS) with the promo code - messynye - PLEASE make note - I manually manage my ads on a monthly basis which means the dates do not update ( passion fruits haven't figured that one out yet ) - so if you are looking to purchase the messy girl of the month package take note the next spot open is June 2013. 





So I am not a big NYE fan, never have been. But for all of you who are & who will be getting piss ass drunk tonight PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT DRINK & DRIVE....& remember BUZZ DRIVING is DRUNK DRIVING.....you're no different from anyone else. Don't think it can't happen to you because trust me it can. Its not worth it. So please try & have a safe NYE....& remember its just another day....you don't have to get blacked out drunk to celebrate the new year. 


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But before I go I have the lovely Amy of The Charming & also my Messy Girl of the Month for December here to ring in the new year! She put together this fabulous post on ways to BETTER YOURSELF with the new year.



BLOGGING
If you want to be a serious blogger, there are a few things you "need."  Of course, every blogger will have their own definition, but the most common criteria include having a voice and having a niche.


If you are absolutely lost or even just in a place that's looking for some new inspiration, I recommend "Blog, Inc.: Blogging for Passion, Profit, and to Create Community" by Joy D. Cho, the blogger behind the fabulous and inspiring Oh Joy!  It really is a great read that covers many bases for bloggers on all levels: newbies to pros.  For only about $11 for a print copy and $8 for a Kindle copy on Amazon, it's quite a great deal if I should say so myself!  Topics include: finding your voice and niche, powering your blog, blogging community etiquette, making your blog a business, monetizing your blog, and the next stage of blog growth.  Joy also features some other blogs who talk about their blogs and businesses and what made them successul.  


As far as ways to do this, I suggest just start with getting organized, jotting down ideas, finding out what you're passionate about, and discovering the ways you most want to share your brain with the world.

BEING ORGANIZED
I am a big advocate of the latest and greatest way to be organized.  I personally am a firm believer in the good ole' fashion pen and paper.  I've tried Google calendars, using the calendar on my phone, and getting a tablet to carry around mainly to get organized.  Nothing works quite like pen (or pencil) and paper for me.  This is why I've decided to dish out the money invest in an Erin Condren notebook with monthly pages.  Why not just get the life planner? Because as a blogger / dreamer I love having blank pages to jot down ideas, to-dos, sponsor information, giveaways I’m participating in, etc all in one place.  
Erin Condren not your thing?  There is PlumPaperDesignsShutterflyMayBooks, and just regular ole’ planners.  In 2012 I just took a completely blank notebook and added in the months and taped in tabs to get organized.  Being organized is purely subjective; you can do whatever you want!  Maybe you are a phone calendar gal!  But whatever you are, figure it out and run with it.  It will help organize your life and help to decrease your stress level.

MIND
For some of us, it might be hard to find intrinsic motivation.  For others, thoughts can really drag them down with feelings of inadequacy.  We need to work on retraining our brain to be our best friend and our biggest cheerleader (in case it's not already).  I know I struggle with this a lot, or I used to before I started working on it.  I would have a difficult time getting myself motivated to do things, I would be hard on myself when I made mistakes that would barely even make a ripple in my life on a grand scale, and I would compare myself to others.  

My husband likes to remind me to "keep things in perspective."   Unless I've made a life-threatening mistake to myself or others, we do have "re-dos" and second chances.  We need to stop beating ourselves up (especially all you fellow OCD-ers!) over the little things.  But most importantly, we need to stop with the negativity.  I'm trying to regain my positivity by starting with not having negative thoughts about anyone and anything.  Just letting in one negative thought just creates a window to let in more negative thoughts.  Of course you can be frustrated at an unfortunate incidence and maybe let out a "crap!" but then let it go and work on a solution.  This helps create a healthier mindset and helps fuel your brainpower to focus on solutions, productivity, and positivity.  Win-win, eh?

BODY
Your body needs certain fuel so it can function at his or her best.  The fuel consists of basics like water, nutrients, calories, and temperature regulation, as well as laughter, love, and dreams.  They all help us keep going each day.  But our bodies also need adequate amounts of sleep, exercise, and proper nutrition.  
A study performed with 80 and 90 year olds in a retirement home showed drastic improvements over just weeks of using weight bearing exercises regularly.  They were able to walk better, think better, and just had a better mood and outlook overall.  There are so many more studies showing essentially the same concept.  It's amazing how easily overlooked proper nutrition, exercise, and sleep can be.  Did you know that your body will deteriorate quicker with sleep deprivation versus starvation or water deprivation?  So make sure you get your recommended 6-8 hours or make it up on the weekends, eat a balanced diet, and once a week take the stairs instead of the elevator or park a little further from the building entrance.

SOUL
It is so important to have "me" time.  An instructor of mine in nursing school once said that her "me" time to get away from the stress and chaos of nursing school was to fold laundry.  She loved it and found that it was her 5-15 minutes of doing something simple, easy, and alone.  Of course, folding laundry doesn't tickle everyone’s fancy, but it's a great example.  

Find your "me" time every day for about 5-15 minutes then maybe for an hour or two on the weekends.  Try deep breathing, praying, getting on Pinterest, getting a cup of your favorite hot or cold beverage, call a friend, or something similar to just “escape” for a few minutes.  Then on the weekends, get some extra Z’s or indulge in your favorite hobbies.  After all, it's the little things, right?

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS...

...have a mini solo pity party for one night and one night only.  Pop in you favorite movie, curl up on the couch with your favorite dessert, and shut off other technology.  Those calories are not going to kill you're entire diet, I promise.  Sometimes, you just need to allow yourself to feel and heal.  If we always ignore our emotions, put them on the back-burner, or suppress them, we kind of lose some of who we are, don't you think?

God gave us emotions, He gave us our personality, and our characteristics.  I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve.  I've had to learn that there is not always a time and a place for some of my emotions so I've had to suppress them and put on a happy face, but every once and a while, it's good to embrace the not so happy emotions and just live your ups and downs.



via


I believe with a new year, comes new changes. 

A new year means starting FRESH....I'm ready to start fresh, are you? 




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12.20.2012

the secrets out!

Ho Ho Ho.....today is the day!!! If you participated in the Secret Santa Gift Swap hosted by myself, Janna & Tabitha then today you get to find out who your Santa was!!!! I know some of you have yet to get your stuff but hold tight its on its way & this linkup will stay active on my blog for a few days! 



First off thank you SO MUCH to my Secret Santa for sending me some fabulous jewelry...I have yet to find out who you are.... 


via

Soooo I got to play Santa to 3 different bloggers which was a lot of fun because they all were so different! So I was Santa to



I hope you girls liked your stuff & have a wonderful Christmas! 

Now it's your turn --- go around to everyone who has linked up so you can find your secret Santa & don't forget to linkup you post so you can be found too! 


 Thank You to everyone who participated! This was the first gift swap linkup I hosted so we really appreciate everyone who played along...& THANK YOU to Janna for being the leader of this linkup & keeping us all on track!!!! love you gf!! 


via

Can you believe Christmas is less than a week away? I am so excited yet so sad because that means December is almost over. Thankfully though I have finished my shopping & don't have to bare the craziness at the mall with all the last minute shoppers. 
Along with the last minute shoppers is a mad rush for the girls to find the perfect New Years Eve outfit.To be honest I am not a fan of NYE....like at all. I never have been. I think its overrated. Sure I've been to my fair share of NYE parties & events, but I just feel like the build up is always bigger & better than the actual day. However, I LOVE dressing up. Any time I can get all fancy makes me happy...& NYE to me is a dress up day!
This NYE the BF & I are going out to a late dinner at this fabulous modern restaurant in our town called Nicks. They have aaamazing steak so that's what my NYE will look like....& I can't wait! Are you all big NYE people or do you agree it's overrated? 
So I know the theme for NYE outfits will most likely be glitter/sparkle enthused. Which I love, but if you're broke after Christmas like most of us & you have to wear that simple black dress you have in your close,t then let me show you a little way to spruce up that simple black dress....& this is 8 day hair no washing #embracethemess





so as you can see it's a typical plain black dress. BUT I added different types of gold bracelets & a big statement ring to add some flare & color to the dress. To top it off I decided to add a headband & wear it like a flapper, because for some reason I feel like a flapper in this dress, plus the flower detail on the headband add another flare to the outfit.



So as you can see just adding some simple gold jewelry & a headband took this plain black dress & gave it some life! So don't be upset if you can't buy a new dress for NYE, just take your black dress to the next level & accessorize like crazy.......I put together a quick little collage of some statement accessories you can add to dress up your outfits. Just remember if you're going to do big earrings, don't do a big necklace. Only one piece should be a big statement & everything else should compliment the statement piece. 
  

All pictures via
Check out December's #TheMessyProject HERE



:::
So le blog is going to be going on a Christmas Break starting today through Xmas so I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas & get everything you asked Santa for! 
& before I go I am offering $5 off ANY ad  (besides the XS) until the end of the year using the promo code 
- messynye - all lowercase. You can check out all the info HERE



Join the Mess for 2013 & start your year off right!! 
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12.19.2012

#TheMessyProject - Winter White

its baaaaaaackkkkkkkk!!!!!! 







Welcome back to Round 6 of #TheMessyProject!!! If you are new around here & have yet to hear about the project, you can check out all the info HERE..... but here's just a quick little intro to help you get more acquainted to the project  ----> 


So for this month again I wanted to do something Holiday Themed....& to me that means sparkle! So I was on the hunt for something sparkly, but not your typical sparkle blouse. The best part of this project is trying something new & wearing something you normally wouldn't wear. So after much searching I decided on this fabulous item ------> 




A winter white vest with a silver sequin collar. I know some people have a hard time wearing white in the winter so I wanted to show you that it can be done with just the right amount of white. Not to mention I love vests. I think they are such a fun accessory to add to an outfit. Plus with this vest you can dress it up or dress it down. I decided to dress it up. Most people would never put a vest with anything other than a tee & pants but I thought why not throw it over a simple black dress. 


So I took just a simple plain black dress with a sweetheart neck & added the vest. The sparkle on the vest gives me the feel of being dressed in diamonds. so because the outfit was still plain I decided to dress it up with lots & lots of diamonds. I added a big sparkly diamond statement necklace along with a few different sizes of diamond bracelets & 2 big diamond rings on each finger. 


Don't you just love my super white leg? Its like a freaking ghost. I must spray tan asap. But besides my ghostly looking leg I decided to add my short booties to give the outfit a more rocker feel & I completed it with a small vintage silver chain purse that matched perfectly with the sequins on the vest.


& of course since it is winter just add a black jacket for those chilly nights, for example a pea-coat  I don't know why but our 'wish' Christmas tree ornament was calling my name when I put this vest on so I decided to add it to the shoot as a prop.....make a wish.  
Soooo how would you have styled the vest? Would you dare to pair it with a black dress? 
Wanna see what the other 4 girls did with the vest!? Check them out....they're all pretty different
Jenna @ Fitness & The City
Tabitha @ My Cliffnotes
Celia @ unSimply Celia
&
Carole @ Pipley Vintage 




Interested in being apart of one of the upcoming Messy Projects? Check out all the info HERE
#TheMessyProject is booked through December 2013. Reserve your spot for December NOW! 
& coming in January The MINI Messy Project!
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12.17.2012

too much hate

First I just wanted to touch on the incident from last week. There is too much hate in this world. Its everywhere. We need to stop with the hate & open our hearts. We need more love & compassion or things are just going to get worse. My heart breaks for all those parents who lost poor little innocent souls that day. I can't even imagine what that must be like. However, when awful stuff like this happens I always try to look at the lesson that God is trying to teach me.

Events like this remind me that no matter what dumb BS I might be dealing with in my everyday life, means complete crap compared to what happened. I need to be more thankful & grow as a person. I'd like to think events like this would help others grow & learn to have more compassion towards each other, but after seeing all the hate on twitter & other places still occurring after what happened, I see some people haven't learned from this at all. But I can assure you, I have.

via #Truth


Okay so moving on to something a little more brighter - CHRISTMAS! Despite what happened, I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Mine consisted of everything Christmas. Shopping, wrapping, decorating....you know the usual. 


Decorating the tree with my sis & the BF....I didn't realize it when the picture was being taken but my sis & I were dying laughing because of the BF holding Rudolph in the back.
Our finish tree! I wish we could have Christmas decorations up all year....it's just so pretty!




& this is what it looks like when I wrap presents ---->

Complete War Zone! 

The finished product!!!


This weekend in SOCAL it finally got cold....& I mean chilly cold. I LOVED it....so I thought it was only appropriate to bring out the plaid.

Plaid: Victoria Secret Leggings: Thrift Boots: MIA


This outfit is really simple to achieve - just get a long plaid shirt, black leggings, add some boots & you're good to go!

In these pictures my hair is on day 7 of no washing or brushing.....it's def in full blown messy. What's your go-to outfit when it's cold out?


:::


& one more thing before I go ----->
(Courtesy of Erin at Living in Yellow)


To the Blog World and Anyone Else who Wants to Help,

Last week tragedy struck so many of us in ways we did not foresee. An elementary school and small town in Connecticut was shattered by a mass shooting. We knew we wanted to help and we came up with this:



On Tuesday, December 18th (Tomorrow), there will be a blogger day of silence. We will post the button and that's it. Please try to not post anything else that day if possible.

 We are also raising money that will go to an organization in the memory of this tragedy. The organization is called The Newtown Family Youth and Family Services. Here is the official description of the support service we are donating to:

"Newtown Youth and Family Services, Inc. is a licensed, non-profit, mental health clinic and youth services bureau dedicated to helping children and families achieve their highest potential. NYFS provides programs, services, activities, counseling, support groups and education throughout the Greater Newtown area.

ANY DONATIONS MADE TO NEWTOWN YOUTH AND FAMILY SERVICES WILL BE DONATED DIRECTLY TO THOSE EFFECTED BY THE SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SHOOTING."

Please visit THIS PAGE to make your donation.

 We can't imagine how they must be feeling, especially this close to the holidays. We would love for you to spread the word on your own blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Let's make a difference and use blogging in a positive way. Thank you in advance for participating.

 Love,
The Blog World

#TheMessyProject ROUND 6 - LIVE this Wednesday! 
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12.14.2012

i don't need to fight to prove I'm right

FIRST who can name the song & band I have used as a title today!?


It's Friday!!! TGIF!!! Who remembers the old school TGIF?! I'm talking Full House, Step by Step TGIF....oooo the 90s. Good times.


So did you know NEXT Wednesday is Round 6 of #TheMessyProject?!?!? As always I am super excited & cannot wait to see what everyone does with their item....& coming in January is the start of the MINI Project!!


So before I introduce you to some of Santa's Secret Helpers...oh yes you heard me....First I'm linking up with Ashley at The Adventures in Newlyweds for Friday Letters! 





dear 12/12/12 Sandy Relief Concert: um OMG you were AMAZING!!!! Seriously the best Rock & Roll bands played to raise money for sandy. Not only was it for a good cause but I got to listen to some true rock & roll all night minus Kayne. Of course my favorite was Paul. I am a Beatles girl forever! However, The Who was beyond fabulous & got me even more excited to see them in January!!! 


dear brandon: i love you so much. you are my everything. can you believe its going to be 6 years in January?!?


dear elf on the shelf: you my friend can be a lot of fun.....


dear blog: I have finally disabled anonymous comments...you're welcome. If you got something to say, then you can show your face. No more of this anonymous mean comment bullshit. 


dear niki: i have really enjoyed our chats this week...you have been beyond supportive & I appreciate it so much....great minds think alike right? :)


dear justice system: SEND LINDSEY LOHAN TO JAIL!! 


& that is all i have to say about that.


So how is everyone's Christmas shopping coming along? I am almost done!! I just have to get one more thing for my mom & then I am done....oh wait I still have to shop for the BF...oops ----> then I am really done. So today I have some of Santa's  SECRET helpers here to help you all finish up your holiday shopping with some fabulous gift cards & products!!! So without further ado meet







Hello, Messy Readers! This is Rima from Bolu By Rima! I'm from Sunny Southern California (blogging from the IE & OC) and currently working Full-Time as a Nurse in a uber busy County Hospital. During my spare time (if any!), I love to be in the kitchen, alas I'm a Part-Time Baker. I'm obsessed about anything teal, cute kawaii Japanese Bunnies,  the kitchen aisle @ Homegoods, Coldplay and my never-ending split ends. Bolu is a place where I express my thoughts & rants (I'm not good expressing them verbally without getting emotional!), show you my appreciation for food, talk about the 2 important men in my life: My Man, Rob (who I refer to as the Pillow or Kuma-San) and my Fur Baby, Chimichanga aka Chimmy (a high demand pomeranian with a killer fart); and reminisce and cherish the moments that happened during the week (which I recap on Mondays). Please stop by at Bolu and say Hi! I would love to get to know ya :)





 Hi friends! My name is Chelsea and I am the blogger (and blog designer) behind Yours Truly. For the most part I blog about everyday real-world girl fashion, none of that high fashion runway shiz that no one actually wears in real life, and sometimes I chatter on about my other passions such as taking photos on Instagram and painting my nails fancy and graphic design. I'd love for you to come say hi!






Hi! I am Erin of Simply Just Lovely, a craftaholic, lover of all things fashion and a new momma to a beautiful baby boy named Aidan.  I blog about personal style, the world of fashion, motherhood and so much more!  Come say hi and join me on my journey as I share with you a glimpse of my life and what inspires me.







Hey y'all! I'm Amy and I blog over at A Glimpse of the Gouglers! I started blogging when my hubby's job took us across the country from Houston, TX to Pittsburgh, PA. Since then we've returned home to H-Town, but I can't stop blogging about my little fam's adventures and the three F's...food, fitness and fashion! I have a passion for running and enjoy a good book and glass of vino. I love girly dresses, the color pink, my hubby and puppy, Christmastime, pretending I'm going to conquer all of my Pinterest pins and so much more! So grab a glass of wine, take a look around and let's be friends!
















Sooooo one lucky Messy reader has the chance to win some pretty fabulous stuff! So you know what to do & if you're new around here I HIGHLY recommend being logged into your email, facebook, twitter, pinterest, bloglovin, esty accounts. It will make your life SO much easier. You can thank me later. GOOD LUCK LOVES!












Feeling Lucky? 

Current Messy.Dirty.Hair Giveaways:
Meet Celebrity Designer That Madonna Girl & enter her giveaway HERE
Amazon Gift card & Ad Space HERE
Target Gift card HERE





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