Rain Rain Go Away

I feel like it's been awhile since I blogged...and the truth is...I have nothing to say! haha It's been a pretty boring week around here. I feel like all I get done anymore is working at the golf course (cleaning/training) and attending meetings (Mary Kay and Golf League). I can't believe that this upcoming weekend is EASTER! Holy smokes! Where has the time gone? March has been a blur. I guess that's a good thing. It means I was busy. Looking back it doesn't feel like I accomplished much, but I suppose I did.

Hope you are all enjoying the rainy day at home! Mom and I had breakfast at the Napoleon Firemen's Breakfast...yum...pancakes, sausage, biscuits and gravy, eggs, and of course some orange juice! ha It's pretty much the place to be when it's going on. ;) Gotta love small towns!

Star Power

Friday and Saturday I attended a Mary Kay Career Conference in Covington, KY. As always it was AMAZING! Probably didn't hurt that my National Sales Director Linda Toupin was the #1 NSD hosting the event! ;) haha

Here are a few pics to recap the jam packed event!

me, Emily, Karen, Diane

Kim & Vonda during a "dance party!"

Top 4 Sales Directors - AMAZING trainers!
Stacy, Rebecca, Liz, Julie

DeVota won a purse during the prize patrol

our fabulous NSD Linda Toupin giving her speech

An Important Allergy Lesson

Note to self: It's always important NOT to underestimate your own allergies. That being said, one of the two pictures I'm posting is a little gross, you may not wanna look at it! ha

As you've all read by now...last Thursday I got my first tattoo. I have been applying A+D Ointment (baby diaper rash gel/paste) to it per Joost's orders several times a day. Now, normally this would not be a big deal except I committed a cardinal sin of a person with allergies....I did not check the label!

The past few days I have had a rash spread all over my wrist and this morning when I woke up, it was literally starting to encroach on my tattoo...I started to worry more. We thought it was the adhesive on the tape I was using to loosely hold down a sterile gauze pad over it at night. (You really aren't supposed to cover tattoos, but have you ever tested A+D? It is greasy and messy and difficult to wash off!) I've had issues with adhesives from bandaids and athletic tape before, but even after not sticking it to my skin, I was still developing the rash.

This morning I had an epiphany while I was washing my hair in the shower...haha...kinda funny how you think of things at weird times like that. So, after I got out of the shower I picked up the ointment tube to read the ingredients....right there at the top of the list (the main two are listed bigger than anything else with the percentage of item)....LANOLIN. Ugh. There's my culprit!

Now for those of you who know me well....know that our family has bred & raised sheep for several years. Where does lanolin come from? Sheep's wool. hahahaha Okay, I found out about my lanolin allergy several years before we started raising sheep, but it was never really that bad. I just stopped using lotions with lanolin. Easy enough. When I worked with the sheep, I had to shower right after (or hose myself off in the barnyard..haha) to avoid getting itchy and having splotchy rashes all over my arms and legs.

You would think after all these years, I would know better than to use a new product on my skin without checking the label. Even when Mary Kay comes out with a new lotion, I check the ingredients list. I guess I thought that because it wasn't a lotion, but rather a gel-like paste, that it wouldn't hurt me. THINK AGAIN. :(

The first picture is how my arm looked this morning on my way to CVS to pick up another Joost approved item to put on my tattoo. It was pretty gross!



The second picture is how my arm looks tonight after using only Lubriderm 100% Fragrance-Dye-and Lanolin- Free lotion. :) I am quite pleased!


Now if only I'd thought of this 2 days ago....hahaha...*sigh* Lesson learned.

Spring is Near

I know we've had warm spells here and there....and the official first day of spring is close (also happens to be the day of my cousin Monica's birthday)...but there is a way I really know spring is close................


Yep, you guessed it! Golf course season! (this pic was taken yesterday when it was still gray and drizzly)

I'm not real sure how I feel about it yet. haha Um, let me rephrase that. :p I enjoy working at the golf course, but it seems to take up more and more of my time each year. This year the owner wants to cut back on number of employees and thinks he will be there more (yeah, right)...so I guess once again, I'll have healthy paychecks. Unfortunately, as much as I love the pay and the ability to travel from said paychecks, I am also trying to rebuild my Mary Kay business. This month our team is focusing on finishing 1st month of car production...so I need to be busy doing that!! :) I'm going to have to find a balance this year. I think we'll manage, somehow we always do, but it's going to be tough! I've had to "lay down the law" already about times of the week that I absolutely cannot work due to MK obligations.

The course is not officially open yet, but we will be soon. I started cleaning clubhouse today! I have a little more to do tomorrow since it's supposed to be so nice. Then it sounds like another crummy IN spring rainy weekend....then it's a day by day guess of when we're open or not. haha Ah, I just love it. NOT. ;)

Stay tuned for my Adventures in Managing (much like the movie Adventures in Babysitting!). hahahahaha Seriously. I laugh, but it's not too far from the mark!

Revealed part 2

Okay, so the wrap has been off for about 2 hours now....I must say, I still love it! haha

The final result (day 1)...


I'll try to remember to post pictures as/after it heals. But I'm happy with it. :) The shading will fade quite a bit and be more of a shadow, but everything else is pretty well as it should be.

- - -
So why I got what I got....haha....

Dream - anyone who knows me knows I'm a dreamer, not just in that I have lots of goals/dreams, but that I literally have dreams and they often come true! I have dreamt speeches and woke up and typed the entire thing out word for word. I have have dreams about how an event would happen and it's happened that way exactly. I did get it to remind me to keep dreaming big and working hard for what I want in life!

3 Stars - of course they stand for mom, Jenna, and I...blue for mom, orange for Jen, and green for me. We've been through a lot together and will always be there for each other. :)
- - -

I always said I wouldn't be the type to get addicted to tattoos, but I have to admit, I really like it and may eventually get the other one I narrowed it down to. Time will tell.

Revealed

Are ya ready? Do you have any guesses?

Today I did something that I've been wanting to do since I was 17...however, back then I was too young without parental consent. haha

For those of you who guessed a TATTOO, you'd be correct! Today I got my very first tattoo. One of my friend's husband, Joost (pronounced Yo-st), has been doing tattoos for quite awhile and has recently done several for our other friends. He really does stellar work! If anyone is interested, let me know and I'll forward you his info. Actually, I may take a pic of his business card and post it later!

So, I know you all want to see it....

hahahahaha

I know, I know...that's cruel! Unfortunately, I ended up getting it done by myself (my friend Jaime had her 3rd one done right before me but had to split), so I forgot to take a picture before he saran-wrapped it. I still would have taken a pic but as you can see, he taped over it. :p So after I am allowed to take off the wrap, I will snap a picture and post it!

I love it. And will explain why and it's meaning later! ;)

Happy News

This weekend my cousin, Sara, and her hubby announced they will be adding on to their family! We are all pretty excited and happy for them. :) This was the picture we all got via email. Callie is going to be a Big Sister!

Sara is due September 21...so I asked her if she was going to hold off a few days and let Baby #2 be Andy's (her husband) birthday gift. She replied quickly with a NO! ha Mom talked to her last night and said if she'd like to go a few weeks early, Aunt Joanie wouldn't mind sharing her birthday with the new baby on September 1st. haha So I guess we'll see when Baby Comer decides to make his/her appearance!



And no...this wasn't the big news of the week...tomorrow it will be revealed. Hopefully you're not all disappointed. haha ;)

Playlist

I tend to listen to a lot of artists the general populous doesn't know or won't know for another year or two (because they aren't on a big label yet). Some examples are Colbie Caillat...I was listening to her for a year before her first song hit the radio airwaves. Loved her then, still love listening to her music now. :) I'm going to share my most recent "favorites" playlist. Not all of these artists are unknown, although it really depends on how much music and what genre you listen to! haha

My favorite genre has been indie/folk/acoustic for the past 2-3 years. I still love pop, rock, and oldies. haha Some of the songs below may surprise...I have a pretty eclectic taste and a few of the songs are older, but they are repeatedly in my most played songs list. ;)

Erin's Faves Playlist:
-Bad Boys by Alexandra Burke (featuring Flo-Rida)
-Wakin Up to Love by Shanna Crooks
-Naturally by Selena Gomez
-Who I Am by Nick Jonas & the Administration
-Set the World on Fire by Britt Nicole
-Caught in the Crowd by Kate Miller-Heidke
-The Words I Would Say by Sidewalk Prophets
-I Still Believe by Danny Gokey
-Replay by Iyaz
-Evacuate the Dancefloor by Cascada
-My Best Days are Ahead of Me by Danny Gokey
-Do You Remember by Jay Sean (featuring Sean Paul)
-Blame It on the Girls by Mika
-Need You Now by Lady Antebellum
-Hey, Soul Sister by Train
-According to You by Orianthi
-Like it Like That by Guy Sebastian
-Indiana by Jon McLaughlin (<--Indiana boy)
-When Love Takes Over by David Guetta (featuring Kelly Rowland)
-Chicken Fried by Zac Brown Band
-Just for Today by India Arie
-They Ain't Far Behind by Nathan Angelo
-Dream Like New York by Tyrone Wells
-A Cautionary Tale by 650 North (<--hometown band)
-Lipgloss by Lil Mama (and yes its one of the ring tones on my phone...ha)
-Perfect by Jon McLaughlin
-Fallin For You by Colbie Caillat

Stay Tuned...

Thursday an important update will be posted!!!

Are you in suspense? hahaha ;)

Stay tuned!

Curious and Curiouser

If you haven't seen the movie, you may not know the title of my blog post! Tonight Jenna and I went to see this movie...



It was pretty good...definitely not the happy Disney version most people are used to. It is twisted, but fun. I would suggest seeing it if you've ever read the book or watched the cartoon version. If you're a fan of Tim Burton's other movies, that is reason enough to watch this one. :)

It's been a fun evening in Indy!

Jammin' to iTunes

I find that I am much more productive when music is playing. I've always been that way. I know every word to every song...and all I have to hear is the first few notes and already know which song it is, even when my iTunes is set on randomize. haha

The other night on American Idol (yes, I watch...I'm addicted, have picked winner every year) Danny Gokey was on singing a song from his new album. I was surprised that he had "gone Country" but the fact remains that he can still sing...doesn't matter what genre. Today I had to download a couple of his new songs.

Enjoy :)

Things That Make Me Smile

Kayla's friend, Angie, whom I met at a Mary Kay party posted things that make her smile (her smile generators) in a blog post. It was a cute idea and on my myspace page, I have a slideshow that used to play and the caption with it read, "On days when I forget to laugh, I'll look back on these times and smile..." So in honor of Angie asking what everyone else's smile generators are, here are mine!

-coming home with Toby bouncing around waiting to see me
-hugs from my little buddy Ethan
-talking about life with Monica at her kitchen table
-having random conversations with Zach (& no one else being able to follow along!)
-trips with Jenna
-dinners with Mom at the Grub
-singing along to my favorite songs on the radio with the windows rolled down (summertime, of course! ha)
-sitting around a bonfire with good friends, telling stories and drinking a cold one
-spending time with my Mary Kay friends at retreats
-new Mary Kay products :)
-emails and random chats with college friends & sorority sisters
-pictures of my FFA brothers & sisters and their families
-clean sheets on the bed
-warm pajamas straight out of the dryer
-blackberry pie
-walking up and down our road at sunrise or sunset for exercise
-curling up on the couch with a good book
-being debt free!
-a good hair day on a day when I am working (not just sitting at home...ha)
-checking things off my To Do list

Hope to see everyone else post their lists on their blogs! ;)

MK in the USA

This weekend I attended the Toupin National Area Red Jacket Retreat. We spent the weekend at General Butler State Park in Carrolton, KY. This was my second time attending and I LOVED it! You cannot replace the energy or strategies created at an event like this...it was spectacular. I am feeling very blessed to be a Mary Kay Beauty Consultant. :)

There's lots and lots to tell about the weekend, so many memories were made; however, if you are not in MK, you probably would be bored with most of it. haha Not necessarily, but I'll reveal some of it as the weeks pass because it will require my family and friends support as I continue building my business! ;)

Anyway, here are some pictures of me with some of my favorite MK ladies. They are truly powerful and wonderful women! I have amazing friends and mentors!!!! (I am in all the pics, thanks to my fabulous Sales Director Vonda, so I'll leave myself out of photo comments.)

with my SD, recruiter, & friend - Vonda Miller

with my friend from Top 5 Wknd - Rhonda Bingham

with Senior SD Christy George - she's such a great encourager!

amazing soon to be Queen of Sales of Diamond Division - Barbara Henney
and friend from Top 5 Wknd - SD Misty Lakes

one of my fave people, SD Ashley :)

got to finally meet SD Shelly Martinez
(she's part of the group I have grown up with in MK)

my friend Senior SD Terri Jessup

2 of my lifetime friends & mentors - SD Kim Schwering & SD Vonda Miller
(also my roomies for the weekend and boy did we have fun! ha)

got to know SD Patricia Vogt this wknd (she trained Vonda & Kim when they came into MK)

our stunning National Sales Director Linda Toupin

with Vonda after "graduation"