What is a Compliment Journal?

You and I both know that you are fabulous....but let's face it, you don't always FEEL fabulous.  Or sometimes you forget just how freakin' fabulous you are.  And you might not believe it coming just from me.

So here is a really cool thing (I'm pretty sure I invented it) to help you get in touch with your fabulous-ness.

Be sure to comment below if you find this useful.  Now get to it, your confidence awaits!  ~~Kirin

Why I Won't Waste Your Time Talking About the Latest Trends

Hello Beautiful!

So you want to know what everyone will be wearing this upcoming season?  Or do you want to know what is the "must-have" article of clothing you HAVE to buy?

To bad.  I'm NOT going to tell you.  As a matter of fact, I REFUSE to share that information with you......Why?  Because it's a big waste of your time and your budget.

Obviously I don't want you to go out wearing your grandmother's 70's polyester (when polyester was a bad word...and a bad fabric) dress.  But at the same time if you spend your money on the latest and greatest trends, chances are you are 1) spending too much 2) buying something you can't wear longer than a year anyway, and 3) are ultimately going to look like crap because you are choosing popularity over what actually makes you look pretty.

I remember going to the mall one time and having an ice cream with my girlfriends.  We are sitting there and  one of THE most beautiful teens I've ever seen walks by.  She was not a rail thin girl, she had some serious (and totally gorgeous) curves.  Simply stunning.......except you couldn't see her.  What I mean by that is the poor thing was so trendy in the latest fashion (which happened to be the worst possible color and shape for curvy girls to wear) that she looked like a giant pink bunny.  And she wasn't trying to look like a giant pink bunny.  (If you are going to look like a giant pink bunny, do it in your pajamas like my daughter and I in this photo).  EVERY single thing she had on was THE hottest style hands down!  But it made her look like crap.  The poor thing.

One thing I want you to understand is that no matter how trendy and how much you love something, if it doesn't make YOU look good, then chances are you are going to hate it in a month anyway.

So your assignment?  Spend a day going through your closet.  Try on EVERY SINGLE piece of clothing you have.  EVERYTHING!  If it doesn't make your skin look better, your boobs look bigger (or smaller whichever is the look for you), your tummy look good, your butt look cuter, etc......then donate it.  Bless someone else who's body it would flatter.  There are women struggling to get back to work.  Your boobilicious dress (paired with a fabulous camisole) may be just the thing that flat chested new high school grad needs to look professional so she can work her way through college.

Have you had any things that look terrible on you?  Or have you worn something so trendy that just looking at a photo of it makes you cringe?  Go ahead, share your story below!  We'll commiserate with you.  You certainty aren't alone.  But let's make a pact that it will be your last time, okay?  Who's with me?!

To Fake it or Not to Fake it....

For my Birthday in June, I treated myself to a kid-free day at the spa and it was A-ma-zing! .... until I discovered my wedding ring was missing.  It fell off while I was in the jacuzzi.  Luckily a woman found it.  Unfortunately for me, after asking the woman next to her in the jacuzzi if it was her ring, she chose to keep it.  A diamond wedding ring.....at least it was her lucky day.  * sarcasm*

However here it is, MONTHS later, and I still can't get over it.  I really want my ring back.  I search e-bay almost daily in the hopes that she'll sell it.  Isn't it sad that I would totally pay someone to get it back?

Oh, and the really fun part.....insurance only covered a teeny part of it.  So here I am, a happily married mom with no wedding ring, and no insurance money to buy anything comparable.  Please understand, I'm a very content girl.  I don't need a ginormous diamond (and after this I'll hesitate to get anything I really love either). But I do enjoy something that easily identifies my marital status and holds some meaning for me.  So what's a girl to do?

I made the decision to go FAKE!  Yes-sir-ee, I got the BIGGEST -3- karat cubic zirconium money could buy ($200 thank you very much)!  :)  But there's a little bit of guilt going on.  On the one hand, it's practical, economical, durable, and totally appeals to my environmental side.  On the other hand, it's not from my husband, it doesn't carry any meaning for me, and it has some interesting feelings tangled up in it every time it catches my eye.

So the question is, is it okay to fake it?  Or do you think it's better to get something more meaningful?  (And we all know it's human nature to give even more meaning to something that was harder to obtain....cost more....or has a sentiment attached to it.)  Do you have an interesting ring story to share?

Would love to hear your thoughts!

Wishing you (and your wedding ring) a safe and happy day.

Warmly,

Kirin