VLOGGED: The Shop-A-Holic Tag

New video is up! Are YOU a Shop-A-Holic??!!

Enjoy and thanks for watching! Subscribe so you don't miss a thing.....and make sure to answer the questions in the comments below OR do your own video response!

Xo
Erin~

"DIY"-A Statement Necklace out of....

Ta Da!

BOBBY PINS!! Uh huh that's right kids....this project is so easy, and I know this because I can do it! (Not really crafty...)

You will need:

**Plain Bobby Pins (or hair grips for you UK'ers) in varying sizes
**Nail Polish in at least 2 colors (I chose Mint and Black) (Pictured: Zoya Neeley and Sally Hansen Black Out)
**A necklace chain in either silver or gold (I chose silver)
** Paper bag to work on top of

Step One:

Paint your bobby pins (or hair grips..). I painted the smaller ones black and the larger ones mint. The trick here is to paint them one at a time. While a pain in the ass, it really does come out better!

Tip: Place the BP's on the paper bag for easier painting AND drying!

Mint is so HOT this season..AGAIN!

Step Two:

Wait a good hour to allow the paint to dry completely. (Better safe than sorry I say!). Then, start placing the bobby pins on your chain. I alternated (5 small, than 5 large), but you do YOU!

Tip: Don't do a DIY with a fresh mani, ruined my Revlon Buttercup!

 Step Three:

Wear that beauty!

Skylar "modeling" it for you.

You can go as crazy as you want with this kittens! You can use ANY colors you want or none at all. Just do YOU!

I have another one I made that has 100 bobby pins(in varying shades of metallic) on it and it is AMAZEBALLS! I get so many compliments on these so I thought I would share. Hell, if all else fails you have a spare bobby pin for a "hair catastrophe"!!! Just sayin...


Xo
Erin~

"Fashion Plate"-Spring Break

I wish!

Its that time of year when heading outdoors is bearable again. Spring is perfect... not too hot, not too cold...prime conditions for a little eaten, outdoorsy style.

This is just a quick little idea I thought I'd share with ya for some inspiration. Here's what the hubs and I brought along.



Chicken Pesto Sandwiches: (You will need...)

1 Rotisserie chicken (snagged mine at Wally World for about 5 bucks!)
2 Ciabatta  Rolls from the bakery (or any other crusty type vessel)
1 tub of pesto (I like the the Classico brand, but whatever suits ya!)
Sliced Mozzerella Cheese
Baby greens or Arugula
1 Roma Tomatoe

First, I sliced the rolls...

Easy enough...

Then I spread a little of the pesto (make sure and give it a good whirl around with a knife first) on one side of the ciabatta . I placed a coupe of slices of the mozzarella on the other side.

Then I sliced up the rotisserie chicken and placed on the side with the pesto (helps it all stick together)

 













Top that all off with some of your greens and tomatoes.

You end up with this gem! Doesn't that look delish!? (Trust me, it was damn good!). I love this sandwich for picnics because you don't use mayo, so it won't turn bad on ya if its out a while before you get to the eatin! You can leave off the cheese too! (Yep, still delish!).

I wrap it up in parchment paper with a little twine and serve it up with some pasta salad (Betty Crocker makes a great one OR make your own!)



The beverage:

This one is so easy, I surprised myself!  I'm OBSESSED with Pelligrino Limonata so I always have a couple in the fridge. Such a nice alternative to plain ol flat lemonade and better than soda!

So brought a couple along with some fresh strawberries. I mean how bad could THAT combo be, right!? When we were ready, I poured the cold Pelligrinos into a mason jar (with some ice) then plopped in some strawberries and kind of muddled it with a fork. Topped it off with some mint and et viola!

Yea, it was friggin delish too!

Not bad for a gal who just threw this puppy together....easy, simple, and oh so good! My advice on these things is, take the help where you can get it. Buy the rotisserie chicken, and pesto unless Martha Stewart is your mom, then maybe you should bake your own bread, raise your own chickens, etc, etc!) Why not swap the time you'd be slaving over all this, for spending it with your honey!

Enjoy!

Erin~

'Link Love"-Links and People I like

This is a feature I'm tryin out! I read so many articles, tweets, and status updates everyday and come across some really cool, interesting people in the process (from the serious to the downright frivolous). You could say this is my version of "Follow Friday"!

Articles:

From a baby boomer to millennials-An apology

Here is a powerful excerpt from the article:  "As you get older you will find out that self-examination is one of the hardest things to do so forgive me for having put it off so long. You have been unfairly labeled as the entitlement generation by your elders, in particular the Baby Boomers, who seem to have forgotten that they were once labeled the entitled generation."

Patrick Dorinson is a political commentator, radio talk show host, author, and veteran of politics having worked on both sides of the aisle. Check him out on his Website, Twitter and Facebook. I like him because he has a common sense approach to some of the county's worst problems. AND he has a great sense of humor too!

(Total transparency: The author is a dear friend of mine, but I still wanted to share this with my readers as I think it warrants it. This is a big step for a baby boomer to say "I'm Sorry".)

Blogs/You Tube Channels:

I am a fan of the easy, breezy type of blogs and videos and this girl has it locked up! Mare's Place is a fun blog run by, yep you guessed it, a sweet girl named Mare. She talks beauty, kids, marriage, family, you name it.  She is absolutely adorable and so fun. Mare and I have a lot in common...we both love makeup, shopping and work in radio. Check her out!


Websites:

Ya'll know I love me some baubles and lately the only fishing for baubles I have been doing is over at Luxe Craving . Most of the pieces are BIG, CHUNKY sons of guns that really add a pop of color to ANY outfit! AND so far I haven't been able to find anything over 40 bucks! Score! Go check out Luxe Craving for some to die for statement jewels.

Twitter:

@CowboySense

@EmilieClarke (Another Radio friend)

@NotEdelweiss (hilarious lady!)

and of course, don't forget to follow moi on Twitter, You Tube, or Instagram!

Tell me in the comments, who you are following these days!

XO
Erin~

"Playlist"-What's on my ipod this week

A lot of good tunes this week to share. Some you might already be loving, others you might just discover here. Have fun....

 The Pistol Annie's are a kick-ass county girl group that was founded by a HUGE star in her own right, Miranda Lambert. I've ALWAYS loved country music, but these chicks make it EVEN cooler! This song is kind of haunting in its vibe, but you totally hear the badass-ness that these girls bring to the music. Check out my fav single, Hell on Heels.

Speaking of country music and Miranda Lambert, this song has been on repeat. The song is SO true but you can totally see her sense of humor. Miranda gets the joke....Mama's Broken Heart.

Never really listened to Demi Lovato that much. Truth be told, I thought I was a bit old to dig her stuff but I was wrong, I love it and I don't care. She was an AMAZING judge on X Factor and I think she really gets music. Her newest song is killer, pun intended. Here is Heart Attack.

This guy is just good! Amazing producer, writer and composer, and he collabs with some of the best in this business. David Guetta is on the top of his game right now, and we get to reap the bennies. This is my fav right now. Titanium feat. Sia.

IF you haven't read this book yet, do yourself a favor and do it! I'll make it easy: The Great Gatsby . Then go out and watch this dang movie! Its amazeballs....The soundtrack is also, amazeballs. A cool, modern take on the 1920's music scene featuring Beyonce, Lana Del Rey, and Emilie Sande'. Hear it here: Sountrack.


So there is the ol playlist this week kids! Hope you enjoy... and tell me in the comments below what you are singing in the shower these days!

Xo
Erin~

As always make sure to follow me on Twitter, You Tube, and Instagram! 

"This&That"- How to turn clip earrings into posts

What you will need!

Since I have been doing a lot of thrifty shopping lately, and there seems to be a boatload of jewelry that screams to come home with me, I thought I would share a little DIY, or should I say GIY (Glam it yourself!).





I have found so many cute earrings that are the old style clip on and since we all know those hurt like a mother effer, I learned how to turn clips into posts. I can't take full credit here, I did learn how to do this from Selena over at Ms Pink Fabulous.

Here is what you will need:
Wire Snips
Sand Paper OR a dremel tool
Adhesive (I like E-6000 and I bought it at Michael's)
Newspaper or brown paper grocery bag to work on top of
earring posts (I also got these from Michael's)
The clip on earrings you want to change over


Step one: Take your wire snips and cut off the old clip from the back of the earring. Snip as close to the base of the earring as you can.

Step two: Use your Dremel or a piece of heavy grit sand paper to smooth out the remaining little "nub" that you couldn't get off. This doesn't have to be perfect, but as close to makes it easier.  (Pictured at top of post, and those man hands don't belong to me!)

Step three: Take a tiny drop of adhesive on the now flat surface on the back of the earring. The E-6000 doesn't set SUPER quick but you should move at a faster pace so it doesn't dry on ya.

E-6000 adhesive in Clear

Step four: Take one of your earring posts and place it right on top of your glue glob. Hold it there for about 30 seconds and set it aside, somewhere safe so that it can set up.

Earring Posts

One down, one to go!

Pretty simple right!? Only 4 steps to adorable-ness! You can't beat that.....tell me if you try it and how it went in the comments below.

Xo
Erin~

"Ask Erin"-How to overcome nervousness

Did someone say "Free"?!

So a few weeks ago I asked you on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram what kind of advice you wanted. I was STUNNED at the outpouring of questions you all had. From dating advice, to tips and tricks for makeup, to "my husband is a tool, help me!" Ummm, ok I'll see what I can do with that one.

So let's give this a whirl.....

The question that stood out this round was from markskyguy, but to save him some embarrassment  let's call him Bob. 

We have a puker...

So Mark, er uh, Bob, has an issue with nervousness on dates, clearly. Nervousness is tricky because everyone is different, BUT here is my advice for Bob....Embrace your nerves! (stick with me kids!)

Instead of feeling like crap, embarrassed and panicky (ya, know the sweaty palms, racing heart, and queasy belly or in Bob's case full on yackin!), I say bring it! Embrace it! Being terrified is a good thing so don’t fight it. Some famous dude said, “Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom.” Nervous yet? Good! It’s a sign that you’re living life. It means you have a frigging pulse! If you let your nerves take over, you will ALWAYS live in fear and NEVER do anything you really want to, like date, go for that big job or whatever else you want out of life.

Nervousness is the prerequisite to living your life to the fullest! Now for our friend Bob and tossing his cookies. Bob, most girls understand nervousness. I bet if you asked all of the dates you have been on they would all say the same thing....they were nervous (if they told the truth!) too! If the chick your hanging with is "bothered" by your anxiety, then I say screw her, she's not worth your valuable time anyway.  I would be flattered if someone puked because of me...or something like that.

Now go out and get 'em Tiger!

Xo
Erin~
P.S Mark/Bob is a friend and was not harmed in this making of this blog post!