Follow the trip here

Walgreens Deal Alert

Sale at Walgreens:

Sally Hansen Salon Manicure on Sale Two for $10 (usually $6.99 each at Walmart). I chose Color 250 Mudslide and Color 230 Royal Blush.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick on sale for $6.99, but get a coupon at the register for $5 off next purchase. I bought Color 423, Pink Velvet.

 In other news...

It is miserable hot.

sweet and sour meatballs

 

Its no secret I'm a big fan of cooking a big batch or something every weekend for the freezer to make week night meals easier.

I love to make meatballs!  and I think the easiest way to eat them is my favorite!  Meatballs with the sweet and sour sauce from this recipe Tyler gave me with no variations from me, because it is perfect.

Brown sugar, packed 1 1/3 cups

All-purpose flour 3 tbs

Water 2/3 cups

White vinegar ½ cup

Ketchup 1 tbsp

Low-sodium soy sauce 1 tbsp.



Mix brown sugar and flour well in medium saucepan. Stir in water, vinegar, ketchup, and soy sauce. Heat and stir until boiling and thickened. Makes about 2 cups sauce.


Add meatballs. Simmer until heated through. (Or, toss in a crock-pot to simmer throughout the day – this works well when the meatballs are frozen. Or, toss in a casserole dish and put in the oven at 350 until warmed through – 30 min when thawed, 2 hours from frozen.)

Beauty haul (I've been shopping...)

Macy's is having a free 7 piece gift with purchase at Estee Lauder. I would have preferred the different gift with purchase that Dillard's was doing last week but I wasn't quick enough (I was on vacation and not even thinking about it).  The gift: lip gloss, lipstick, mascara, tanning lotion and day cream with a Lilly Pulitzer small coin purse and matching tote bag. I'm looking forward to trying everything.

I am on a J. R. Watkins kick. I discovered it at  Cracker Barrel  (of all places!) and now can't get enough of their products. I love that this is made in the USA, has been around for 150 years and started as a family business. The peppermint foot lotion makes my feet tingle! and its 98% natural ingredients.

Mirabella Lipstick was in my May Birchbox. I thought it was too bright and it took me a whole month before I even tried it. I cant believe how pretty it is. Its sheer and it brightens my whole face. I use it every morning, now and it fakes a well-rested look.

The teal nail polish was an impulse buy at Target and has been making an appearance on my toes only. Honestly. I don't like it. We have a "beauty ministry" at church that gives makeovers and cosmetics to underprivileged teens. They accept gently used cosmetics. It makes buying something just to try a lot less painful, because I know the teens will put it to use.

This is what I bought at Macy's to get my free gift, Stay Flawless All Day makeup kit, with foundation, concealer, primer and a makeup brush.  I heard from Emily at Beauty Broadcast that this is her favorite high end foundation, and this is what my sister in law uses.  I have never used Estee Lauder and wanted to try it. (thus far, I love it!) Gift time is the perfect time for testing out so many things. I love a gift with purchase. (On a side note... I remember being a little girl and going to the makeup counter with one of my aunts when she got a gift with purchase. They gave me a free sample of something or other. I thought it was so glamorous.)

One of the things I love about ordering from Ulta. Free samples with every order and you can pick if you want skincare, makeup or fragrance. I picked the fragrance samples this time and three promptly arrived with my order.

This was my Ulta order. On vacation, the hotel provided Peter Thomas Roth products and I loved them all, especially the shampoo and conditioner (I'm kicking myself for not attempting to smuggle some out). I liked it so much I immediately ordered full sizes  when I got home.

Did you see this article  and this one and this one about L'oreal Wet Shine Stains (about $8) being the exact same thing as YSL Glossy Stains (about $34). They are made by the same parent company. Even though I don't like lip gloss, it convinced me to give it a try. Verdict? I love it. Its not sticky or too shiny, all the things I don't like about lip gloss, and its a real stain that last quite a while. I'm on the hunt for more colors.

Zoya nail polish

My first Zoya polish.

A full size sample was in the May Ipsy bag (!) I wasn't wild about the color,  Julie, a light lilac, but I like the polish a lot, and it wears like iron with little chips. It is a little difficult to get off, though.  

I'm now on the hunt for other colors.

week in photos

 

Its shocking that this Hydrangea is doing so well. Its from my maw-maw's house, dug up 15 years ago (by my boyfriend on one of our first dates who is now my husband) and moved/replanted three times. Its also survived two snow falls in this house, and countless abuse by non-care from me. Its pretty impressive its alive, much less thriving. 

 

The only way I was getting through this week. I had to bribe myself with a reward for getting out of bed and driving to work.  I look a little bit too happy with that ice coffee.

 

Anniversary dinner at Monjouini's Café. I got baked Ziti with meat sauce, husband got breaded eggplant and pasta 

Seriously?? Its the first week of June. How can it be 94 already?! I'm not ready for this.

An unexpected trip in the middle of my week. A long drive to the little city of Opelousas.

I started wearing my Law School class ring again. I can look down and be reminded that no matter what challenges come, I've got a track record of big accomplishments.

The view from my upstairs window. Its shocking how big this Crepe Myrtle tree has gotten just in the five years we've lived here. I put my desk in front of the window thinking I would enjoy the shade and the birds and I have not been disappointed.

I love J.R. Watkins. Love that it started in the 1860s by one man making it in his home. Love that it was sold by door to door salesmen for more than 100 years. Loved that it is still made in the USA. Love that it is made with natural ingredients and no toxins. Love that it was on sale this week at Target for $3.49 each.

Look what I got- Payday Pretty- from See Jane Work

 

 

I was actually trying to buy this little business card case.

But, somehow got confused when I sat down later to buy it and I made my first purchase from See Jane Work instead.

and it was $16! Which is line with Allison's Payday Pretty rules (spending $20 to buy something for yourself that makes you feel pretty every payday). 

and what makes me feel pretty? Stashing my business cards in purple leather from Italy for $16.



Im linked with Penniless Socialite here

Im linked with overworked supermom here

the perfect rose bouquet by Pinterest

A new trick from Pinterest. I'm happy to report it worked with my anniversary roses. I made a grid with tape on top of the vase, and it held the roses in the perfect place. Another tip I've learned... Roses love cold water. I always throw a few ice cubes in the vase too. 

And ..... how impressed am I with the husband?! Did a good job with the roses, picked such a beautiful color. There not a true red, more of a dark pink, but with a little orange.

Cafe Mocha for when you just cant drive to Starbucks

Good things found in the food section of the paper....

Sometimes its a lot easier for me to make a Café Mocha at home than it is to go out to Starbucks, especially on Saturday  afternoon when I don't want to get out of my PJs. This is thus far, the best recipe I have found to make it at home. And its substitution friendly. I didn't have chocolate syrup so one piece of a Hershey's candy bar crumbled on the top remedied the situation. Worked perfectly. It also taste better when served in my new vacation souvenir mug.

Legally Blogging

The Legally Blogging idea was dreamed up by three ladies who all met in blog-land and instantly clicked. You could say it was love at first sight. The immediate connection stemmed from the one thing they had in common: Law. Obviously, as time went on, they discovered they had much more in common than just law, but that was a great starting point.

Here they are!

They decided to join forces and start a blogging series, to show that lawyers aren't always what you'd expect. The main goal of the series is to connect with other legal ladies out there and meet some great new people. Every week, the hope is to showcase a new person in the series.

Series so far:

Catherine - Part 1
Allison - Part 2
Jackie - Part 3
Jackie (City Girl...) - Part 4
Erica (To The Sea) - Part 5
Crystal (29 Rue House) - Part 6
Bridy (Brid's Journey) - Part 7
Josie (Straight No Chase) - Part 8
Jennifer (Come Rain or Come Shine) - Part 9
Katies (KTJ Weighing In) - Part 10

If you're interested in participating in the Legally Blogging Series, just send an email to Jackie: jjstoughton [AT] gmail [DOT] com.

We'd love to have you on board!

Hi. My name is Bobbie, and I blog at 40 Shades of Pink 

I'm so excited to be Part 11 of this series!!


 
First a little about me:
After growing up in a very small town with my grandma, I was looking for excitement and the big city life.  I moved to Las Vegas and waited tables for 12 years while attending UNLV.  After the smog, crime and traffic of big city life lost its appeal, I returned home, started dating my husband, and entered Law School when I was 30 years old (when almost everyone else in my class was 22). 

I've been  practicing mainly insurance defense law for the past 10 years. I am currently the head of the insurance defense litigation department in my firm and happily married for 8 years (my anniversary was yesterday!)

Do people in real life know about the blog?

I've told a few of my friends about it, but mostly they don't read it.  I find that not many of the people I come in daily contact with know about the blog. I also don't blog much about my work or my work days.



So what do you blog about (a lot of house renovations)?

Wanting to capture the excitement of being newly married and fixing up our first house, which was in pitiful shape when we got it.  Over the last five years, we have replaced the flooring in all but two rooms in the house (the dining room has original wood floors and the upstairs above the garage has no floor!), we have  gutted two bathrooms, and partially gutted the other one, painted every room in the house (some rooms twice), replaced all the appliances, gutted the laundry room, built a kitchen island and my husband made a concrete countertop, fenced the back yard, replaced all the doors and most of the windows,  replaced all three A/C units,  built a closet under the stairs, and a partridge in a pear tree.

We're still not finished with the house, but work has slowed drastically.  In addition to the house, I blog about what I cook and bake, what I read and wear, and my (pitiful attempts at) gardening.

What do you do when not blogging?

I  take care of a husband, house and dog. I teach high school girls Sunday School class at my church. I  make a lot of to-do lists.  I like to cook and bake and read food magazines. I attempt to garden (just planted two Hibiscus I got on vacation in Florida). I go to Starbucks a lot. I love to read blogs, and watch You-Tube (especially organizational and makeup videos). I am irrationally interested in other people's daily lives. 


I'm in two different "book clubs", each consisting of only one other person. One to read non-fiction business books only (we are now reading Start)  and one to read anything, but usually non-fiction (now reading an Invisible Thread). I participate in Women's Bible Study at my church (currently doing Brave).   I have a secret desire to be a housewife as my favorite thing to do is putter around the house getting things cleaned and organized. I never have the time, money and energy (all at the same time) to get the projects I want to accomplish actually accomplished.


What do you think is the biggest misconception about lawyers?

So many misconceptions!

One misconceptions is that we are all Ally McBeal, arriving at 10:00a in a short skirt to find a secretary at the elevator holding out our coffee and paper, have a long lunch, and leave to meet everyone we work with in the bar downstairs at 4p. (This is simply a fantasy.)

Another misconception is that our everyday life is an episode of The Good Wife where dramatic unknown facts suddenly come to light at the very last minute, which requires an assistant to race through the court room doors to hand me some information when I'm in the middle of questioning a witness. (Reality is: about 90% of my days are spent in my office reading a huge file to find those facts, which are never that dramatic, and writing persuasively to apply those facts, which again, is never that dramatic.)

A few of my days of what I wore to work:

 
 
 I find most people have no real idea of what I do each day. I usually explain it by reference to this commerical: Its a pretty accurate description. Everyday, I'm invited into the middle of someone else's battles, do a little fancy foot work, soothe over the situation and leave it behind me better than I found it.

On a bad day, my work looks more like this.

What is the favorite vacation you've been on?

I love vacations!! 

Every vacation is my favorite!



















Vacations are serious at our house. We have a pretty neat set-up worked out where we take one big vacation a year and we take turns picking where we are going. St. Augustine was my husband's choice. We've also been to Seattle, Washington; Ashville, North Carolina; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Depoe Bay, Oregon; San Diego, California;  and San Antonio, Texas.

I actually have a vacation hangover right now. I just got back from  a week in St. Augustine, Florida and then a few days at Pensacola Beach, Florida. St. Augustine has so much history and so much to visit (I drank from the Fountain of Youth!), then a few days at the beach was so relaxing and restful.

Next year, its my turn again.... I'm thinking  upper Michigan  or South Dakota or Cape Cod.... so many to pick from....


My advice for younger lawyers

If you haven't gone to law school: think long and hard about this. Its not something to do because you graduated from a 4 year college and don't know what else to do. Its not glamorous. Talk to other lawyers (a lot of other lawyers) and take what they say seriously. Its a difficult profession in every sense of the word.  Its rare to find someone who says they really love the job and would do it all again. Its a lot of responsibility.

Find a small area or subject and master it. Become very knowledgeable about one very small area and stick to that area. Sometimes my lawyer friends ask me if I get bored doing the same type of cases day after day, without variety,  I always answer, "I can run laps around anybody on a very small track."

Find a mentor. Keep your eyes open for someone who is doing what you want to do the way you want to do it and try to learn from them. Most people are willing to help you if you approach them respectfully and seriously. I credit one specific person for making me the attorney I am today.

Thanks again for allowing me to be Number 11 in the Legally Blogging Series!

See you later, Litigators!