These are 10 items that I carry in my purse that I just couldn’t live without!

1. Umbrella – You never know what the weather’s going to be like around here. Going in it could be sunny and warm, coming out it could be rainy and cold. I always carry my travel umbrella in my purse, not only is it compact, but the cute colorful polka-dots make it perfect. 

2. ChapStick True Shimmer Berry - So this one’s pretty much a given, but honestly I couldn’t live without it. I’m addicted to chapstick, and the True Shimmer collection is excellent because you don’t need to wear any lipgloss with it. It just adds a nice sparkle to your lips while smelling great and moisturizing!

3. Tide 2 Go - I bought this one day on a whim, after getting some ink on my work uniform. I was thrilled with the results it really does do an excellent job to clean up stains. I now carry it everywhere as I am a bit danger prone to put it lightly.

4. iPod Touch - Simply put I love my iPod. I never thought I’d need one, but now that I have it I can’t live without it. From keeping my schedule organized with the calendar, to checking the weather, keeping track of contacts, playing games when I’m bored, checking my Facebook when I feel the need to, or hey just listening to music this little beauty can do it all!

5. Cell Phone - Everything my Touch can’t do my cell phone can. This basically makes me very technology dependent, but hey I’m ok with that! My phone is cheap, and simple, I can text, I can make calls, and I can check the time. Beyond that it’s useless, which is fine by me. It means a cheap bill, and if I break the phone (which I’m bound to do eventually) it won’t be a great financial loss. Plus it’s got a great battery life, I can use it regularly and only have to charge it once a week. I love my little cell phone!

6. Covergirl Lash Blast Mascara - My makeup always wears off as the day moves on, and I don’t always have time to stop and spruce. So I keep my number one with me at all times, my Lash Blast. It makes my lashes stand out enough that I don’t have to worry about adding a fresh coat of eyeliner, it’s simple but still makes a statement. Plus it’s quick to reapply when I’m rushing around, and can’t worry about redoing my entire face. Best of all it doesn’t clump!

7. Wallet - Now ok this is kind of a cheat as my wallet plays host to a multitude of items which includes my license, a $20 bill a dollar in quarters, my Target employee discount, and a multitude of various point cards and gift cards for a variety of stores. If I had to pick one thing out of the wallet though it’d definitely be the $20 bill. Emergency cash is a must, not just for those great deals during the after holiday sales, but just in case something tragic happens. Like your car breaks down and your cell phone stops working, or you need to buy an emergency pack of band-aids, which brings me to my next item…

8. Band-Aids - I always carry at least 3 Band-Aids in my purse. Just for those random hangnails, paper cuts or various other little scrapes and bumps. You can never be to prepared and I can honestly say I use these at least a few times a month when I’m out and about. I’ve even run into complete strangers who need one and were grateful for the fact that I carried them on me.

9. Marc Jacobs Daisy Travel Bottle - I have a tiny bottle of Marc Jacobs Daisy which I won from the website a long time ago. I always carry it with me as Daisy is my signature scent. It wears off roughly quickly so being able to refresh it with my little bottle is an excellent thing!

10. Bottled water - I always have a bottled water in my purse. Not just to drink, it’s great for other things. Like rinsing after a meal, or pouring on your hands when you don’t have any sanitizer and can’t get to a sink to wash them, or in case you can’t find the Tide pen.

That was pretty difficult, narrowing down my 10 favorite things out of the million or so I carry. Thanks for reading though and check back soon for more posts!

Since my last post in June I’ve been through the hoops and jumps of two jobs.

I started in my regular nanny position which I partake in every Summer. This consumed a lot of my time, and once it ended I started school, and another job. Yes folks I landed a job, it was seasonal, however they kept me afterwards. Since then my time has been consumed working for Target. Yep that big red bullseye is where I reside. I can’t say I don’t love it either, sure the people who don’t like that you can’t return their filthy used merchandise that they just didn’t like aren’t the nicest. My coworkers though are the people who make the job for me. Everyone for the most part is just upbeat and nice, and really fun to work with. I hear horror stories of other Targets and have experienced some myself shopping at others or even calling them for a guest. My Target isn’t one of those though, the management are respectful and really stretch themselves to give good guest service. They also don’t put up with employees who have attitudes.

I’ll leave you guys with this for now and will update as often as possible from here on out.

Coming soon:

• 5 Non-Beauty Products I Can’t Live Without
• What’s In My Purse
• 5 Cliche Gifts That Can Be Special
• A contest!

Being that I love fashion, but always have other financial priorities dishing out for name brand beauties is a rare treat for me. This is why I’m always on the look out for a nice knock off. While browsing Charlotte Russe’s site today I came across a dress that immediately struck me with familiarity. The very cute, black, ruffle chiffon dress(right) for only $34.99 is 100% polyester and aside from the price and material is nearly identical to the adorable Chelsea Flower dress (left) found on Bluefly. The Chelsea Flower retails at $330.00 but you can purchase it from Bluefly for $198.00, and it is made from 100% silk.

Now I know knock offs don’t always offer the best of quality, however I can say from experience Charlotte Russe for the most part offers top notch quality. When it comes to everyday clothes I would rather spend the lesser on something just in case it were to rip or get a stain. At least I can rest easy knowing I didn’t spend nearly $200 on something I probably won’t wear again.

BACK! For all you addicts. I know I haven’t been around at all in the past few months but times are changing. I’m seriously driven to dedicate more to this blog. I already get an amazing amount of hits, now I’ve just got to make things more interesting. I’ve got a lot of time this Summer and I’m making the most of it.

First off new topics! Now I know as it is I discuss fashion and cosmetics specifically the ad campaigns, but I want to do more. I want to add some more goodies like “Get the Look” where I will try to find paycheck friend alternatives to some of the trendy outfits out favorite celebs are wearing. I will also continue to post about all things fabulously feminine, and musically inspiring, but I will be cutting back on the video games, but still keep stylish technology in the mix. Movies and product reviews will definitely help to round things off. If you’ve got anything in mind let me know! Any celeb looks you’re interested in finding alternatives too, as well as any products you’re interested in me reviewing let me know!

This may be old news to some but I can’t just skip over it as I love it to much. The new face of Covergirl is none other than Drew Barrymore! And can I just say I’m loving the ad, take a look.

She looks fabulous, I think Covergirl made a great decision. Drew was also the co-creator of the ads. This is her first venture into the world of modeling and commercials and if I say so myself I think she’s doing an awesome job!

The other day I saw a Target ad for a new designer who is bringing a line there. The ads reminded me A LOT of the Alice in Wonderland themed ads we saw for Vera Wang’s Simply Vera collection at Kohls. While searching Youtube for it I came across this ad. I found it to be quite wonderful and thought I’d share it. If anyone knows of the designer or ad I’m talking about let me know cause I’m currently drawing a blank, and I can’t find anything under Target’s press section. I thought perhaps it was the Go. International Flights of Fashion campaign but this was the only ad I could find for it.

• I recently posted on a diamond iphone, now check out the fabulous gold iphone.
• A Hello Kitty Slider Smartphone is available in the US. How cute is that!
• Check out how Jessica Simpson gets her figure in shape.
• Ever wonder how many calories you’ve burned after a workout? Check out the Calorie Calculator!
• Want to loose weight? Let iVillage help!

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Sorry this was short and boring. I haven’t been up to blogging lately, I have been busy looking for a job, and trying to get out. Also to top that off a friend of mine is having problems with her marriage that I’ve been trying to help her through. I think she should leave him because he’s abusive towards her but she doesn’t want to. It’s getting on my last nerve, first she does then she doesn’t. I’m about ready to give up and let her do it on her own because I feel I’ve done all I can and apparently my opinion isn’t really that valuable.

Oh and I recommend the iVillage thing to anyone on a diet I’m trying it now and it’s extremely helpful, it gives you menus and food suggestions as well as helping you to schedule a healthy exercise routine. Today is my yoga/Pilates day so I’m going to check out youtube later for some videos!

Well I haven’t posted to much in the past few days because I’ve been busy and distracted. Distracted by what? Well I’m a freak for computer games and one that I’ve always liked is Diner Dash, and the other day I found a free fun alternative to Diner Dash! Game House offers us Delicious 2 Deluxe! It’s considered a trial, but there is no time limit to how much you can play and you only have to deal with a little 15 second or so ad everything other level. The ad is always the same telling you that if you purchase the “full version” you won’t get ads. It’s worth it if you like games like Diner Dash but don’t want to fork out the $20 or for the game.

Now this next part is mainly directed towards males. Ever wondered what to get the females in your life for those gift giving occasion? Do you often find yourself stumped when shopping for them? Well worry no more Gift Girl is here to the rescue offering you suggestions and giving you the ins and outs of what women typically like! They show you how to avoid getting her a gift she won’t use or won’t like and help you to shop safely. So take a look!

And in the world of music Skye Sweetnam is back on the scene with a more electrically charged album Sound Solider! Unfortunately her US label Capitol dropped her so you can only get it in Canada, or through Amazon. Here is a look at two of her videos. Human, which I like, except I feel the softer parts seem out of place in the song. The video itself is kinda odd, but I like the song. The song was written for a friend of hers who is or was dealing with anorexia. It’s about not following the crowd and being yourself.

And this one called Music is My Boyfriend which has become an addiction for me. ^^

~♥~Rachel

When I hear something was made from “recycled” something else the first thing that pops into my head isn’t always that pretty. However these are EXACTLY the opposite! There’s a corner shop in our mall that always seems to be changing hands, first it was a chocolate shop, then an imports store, then a cookie shop, then a kite shop, then a jewelry store, and after that came a few other things, currently I believe it’s a combo, imports/lawn and garden/kite shop, and no that’s not a joke. Back when it was an imports store though I went in once upon a time and came across some hand bags I liked there were a few clutches made of candy wrappers, a tote made from kool-aid packets, and a handbag made of Capri Sun packs. I’d never seen anything like them before and wanted one badly, however the $250 price tag was way to steep for me so I passed. I hadn’t seen anything like them since, that is until now!

Ecoist offers a wide variety of recycled bags! Much like the ones I’d seen years ago from clutches made of barcodes, to bracelets made from candy wrappers. They also use gum wrappers, newspapers, pop tabs, energy bar wrappers, and movie billboards among other things to make their goodies. While some of them still hold close to a $200 price tag, there are others that are within an affordable and low range.

Source: Chip Chick

Just because it’s over doesn’t mean it has to be!

October may have been the official Breast Cancer Awareness month, but just because it’s over doesn’t mean you should stop caring! You can still donate to cause to help find a cure! Before you do though take a look at Think Before You Pink a site dedicated to showing you the truth behind companies joining in the pink campaign. Women, you may thing twice before you put on that pink Estee Lauder lipstick or eat that Yoplait yogurt so you can send in your lid.

Cause I’m cheap!

I’ve come across a great shop in my searches, as I’m sure some of you who’ve read my blog can gather I haven’t got the fattest pockets… actually I’ve probably got the flattest pocket currently consisting of a good fist full of change. 15 Dollar Store is great for just such things, I haven’t bought anything off of it just yet as I just found it and only have said fist full of change. However the site contains expensive name brand clothes marked down for only $15! I’m generally a pretty cheap person when it comes to shopping, I don’t like to spend to much on my clothes, but I still want something quality that will last me for years to come. I think this site meets my needs perfectly. I alway ask myself 3 questions before I purchase something:

1. Is it really worth the price? Will I be able to go to another store and get the same item or something similar for less?
2. Will I wear it more than 3 times? Unless it’s for a very special occasion  such as my prom dress was. I usually won’t buy it if I can’t think of 3 instances in which I’d wear it or in the case of a gadget use it.
3. Do I need it right now or can I wait for an upcoming holiday and ask for it as a gift?

Asking those questions has saved me quite a bit of money believe it or not. There have been a lot of things in the past that I’ve picked up and thought “oh I want this.” Then I’d walk around the store for a bit and think about it and realize as much as I wanted it I really didn’t need it. So I put it back, and honestly I can’t remember anything off the top of my head that I regret putting back, which shows you just how important the items really were to me.

Also don’t forgot guys my giveaway for the $10 Target card is still running! To those who said “how can you have that still lying around!?” Well there’s only one Target close to me and I rarely go to it, and when I do I can never seem to find anything that I feel I need.

Also the old banner is back up now that Halloween is over! I’ll be working on a Christmas one for December so keep your eyes peeled.

Oh and if anyone was out partying like me last night and missed ANTM don’t worry I think it was a recap.

~♥~Rachel

First off 329 unique views today! That’s a record (previous record was 70), thanks to everyone who came to my blog and entered my giveaway! Second, I’m so excited I’m #9 on the top 100 suddenly popular blogs list on WordPress woohoo! And 3rd I’m fully dedicating this blog to my fashion, celebrities, beauty and health. Previously it was a blend of everything from fashion to my life, I’ll still pop up with personal things from time to time that will be related to the above mentioned. However my ranting and random pointless rambling will get it’s own new blog so I can stay organized because I really really love writing about fashion, celebs, beauty, and health. At this point in time I’m keeping them combined temporarily just to see how things go however if it should be that I’m blogging more about my life than about fashion, beauty, etc. I’ll make a separate blog that way I’m more motivated to write here. So yippee! Oh and sadly Holly Golightly fell through I decided at the last minute to wear this masquerade masque that I’d purchased from a flea market and some blue faerie wings, but at least it was easy to remove also I’m going to get to dog sit on Thanksgiving for my aunt. I’ll have her whole gigantic place all to myself for a week and I get paid! I love her dog too how fun! ^^

Oh and here is the blazer I bought, it’s actually Herringbone I thought it was corduroy  >.< Mines in black though.

~Rachel

Happy Halloween everyone!

First off Kohls is having some great 50% off sales so last night I went with my sister while she splurged her gift cards. When I was there I found an adorable black corduroy waist coat, it was marked half off (only $17) and since my dad knew I didn’t have a fall coat he bought it for me ^^ Yay for daddies, I’d post a pic but Kohls site has been down all day. :/ I’m applying for a job there though, they’re hiring for the season. Oh and my initial reason for going there was to find a black dress for my costume tonight, however they didn’t have ANY black dresses in the entire store. I was so disappointed. I’m still going to be Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) though I’ll just wear my black jacket with a black shirt and a skirt.

Oh and last week I turned in two assignments on discs to my prof and I was freaking out that they’d turn out wrong. One was decoding a website that he gave us, the other was creating our own. It was easy, but the discs were misbehaving. I got my grades back today though and I got 100% on both! He even said he loved my personal page and “got a kick out of the Simpson”. See I was going to use a picture of myself but I didn’t have any I liked so instead I used that Simpsonize thing and did a Simpson of myself. I figured it was a 50/50 chance he’d either love or hate it and score he loved it!

I know from personal experience scars can be really embarrassing. I was a wild child when I was younger, constantly in shorts and constantly roughing around outside. I got A LOT of bumps and bruises on my legs and now that I’m older the left over scars are embarrassing. They always seem to draw attention when I wear a skirt and people have to ask me how I got them. I’m tired of explaining so I’ve started doing something about it.

Here are some methods I’ve found and been practicing and they seem to be working.

* Burt’s Bees Thoroughly Therapeutic Honey and Orange Wax Body Lotion is excellent. You can get it at most any pharmacy or department stores. I paid about $12 for mine and it goes a long way. It’s a little sticky at first so use it sparingly. Scars need moisture and this stuff is great for just that.

* Mederma works decently for small and already light scars as long as you follow the instructions on the package.

* When applying lotion or creams make sure to press and rub in circular motions over the scar tissue. This will help to break up the collegian that is creating the scars.

Doing these things a few times a day will make a noticeable difference in time. Within just a week mine were noticeably lighter!

Here’s the buzz on the latest interesting tid bits I’ve found for you all.

• First up Glamour.com is doing a 30 Day Makeover that gives you a new tip each day for feeling and looking great. I just signed up and already have learned how to achieve perfect posture. Take a look it’s free and fun, they even have a handy checklist! You can also swap ideas with other on the program and keep notes on their site. Oh and here’s the best part, every time you check off a tip or mark a favorite, you are entered to win a spa getaway at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, including treatments from Equinox Solstice, or a treadmill from Life Fitness. How great is that!? As much as I love spas I’ve wanted a treadmill for a while, and it’d be great especially with those winter months coming up plus it lasts a lot longer than a day at the spa does.

• Here is a great article on some of our fav starlets actual sizes! Suddenly I don’t feel so bad knowing I’m the same size as Raven, but I’d like to achieve more of a Mandy Moore or Kate Winslet.

• Want this bag? Click here for a chance to win it!

• Naturally Curly is a great site dedicated to helping girls like myself tame those wild curly manes.

• 50 Beautiful Things You Can Do With Vaseline! Who knew?

• The iPhone was just the beginning, a Diamond iPhone has been unveiled, but it’s only for those who truly feel you can’t put a price tag on style.

• If the Diamond iPhone is a little to high how about a $23,000 diamond encrusted mouse? MouseEnvy has a unique collection of mice for your computer. I’m personally loving the Platinum Cherry Blossom.

~♥~Rachel