Before the Weekend...




Today is Friday, can I get an "amen"?!

Even though my week was pretty short, I'm still elated that the weekend is here and the next two days will consist mainly of sleeping in and spending time with S and Ari. And probably copious amounts of Velveeta. We tend to eat our weight in that stuff this time of year, for whatever reason.

Before the weekend, I'd like to leave you with a few thoughts/ideas/ramblings:

1. My girls at Maude Boutique are having yet another amazing sale! Right now, all winter styles are 50-75% off. Next week, almost all necklaces are on a buy two get one free special!

Don't forget, you don't have to live in Northwest Arkansas to get some Maude goodness for yourself. Just visit their FB page and if you see an item you can't live without, just comment on the photo. If they have it in stock, they'll ship it right to your door! Just tell them I sent ya : )

2. Thanks so much for voting on the poll on my right side bar! I really am trying to get a feel for what you girls and guys want to see on here and hopefully make this blog even more appealing to ya. If you haven't voted yet, please do so before next Friday : )

3. I have created a new page for Prayers, which you'll see on my top nav. I'm a firm believer in the power of prayer and what could be more powerful than a big ole group of ladies lifting each other up? If you have a prayer request that you'd like to add to the page, just email it to me at
askblondeambition{at}gmail{dot}com and include a link to your blog. I'll add it right away and provide updates from time to time on each one.

4. I need some opinions, oh stylish friends of mine. I love all of the below purses and cannot make up my mind on which to order. I need a new bag for spring and unfortunately do not have the funds to buy all five, (wedding budgets and whatnot.) Got a fav?

1) Street Level 78325; 2) Melie Bianco Angelica; 3) Melie Bianco Alyssa; 4) Big Buddha Tuxedo Satchel; 5) Melie Bianco Laura bag in Rose

5. ...and while we're on the subject of buying things, which pair of the shoes below do you like best? I want to order these while they're on sale, because I know I'll wear 'em plenty this spring and summer.

1) KensieGirl Taylor shoe in Cocoa; 2) Pierre Dumas Esther-2

6. I have officially jacked up my shoulder. S and I dug our way to the gym on Wednesday and hit the weights and cardio pretty hard. We worked on arms for about 45 minutes and somewhere between the skull crushers and the cable press downs, my shoulder became all wonky. I must say, there's something that makes one feel decidedly cooler for having a workout injury. I mean, I'm fully enjoying saying, "Aw, my shoulder! Did somethin' to it at the gym the other day when I hit the weights. It's killer." : )

Well, I'm off to enjoy my Aleve and coffee : ) Have a great weekend and, wherever you are, stay warm and safe.

Be blessed, lovelies-

So I Says...

Forgive the grammatically incorrect title. The boy and I watched Ben Affleck's The Town last night and some of the characters' Bostonian accents must have rubbed off : )

I won't lie. The last two days of no work and sleeping in have been pure bliss. I could stand some more of this snow and ice, I think. It's probably a good thing we were able to dig out today though, because I think S, Ari and I were all getting a little stir crazy!

As you all know, Thursdays are dedicated to randomness, so here goes:

1. Some pics from the last two days.

My two favorite guys chillaxin' on Tuesday night : )

The Handsome Devil known as Ari

The start of the snow



A healthy pancake and bacon breakfast.



Getting our protein : )

This guy was pretty happy to be out in the snow!

2. We watched all of our Redbox rentals within about 5 hours of the first snow day, so last night, S and I poured ourselves a drink and tuned in for the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills 2 hour reunion special. What can we say? We love crazy. A couple of observations: 1) How much collagen can one have injected into her lips before they explode?; 2) I kind of want to punch Taylor's hubby in the face. A gem, that man.

3. Did y'all notice the poll on my right sidebar? You see, I look at this blog as OURS, not necessarily mine. Therefore, I'd like to put content out there that YOU want to read. If y'all are completely over the fitness/diet stuff or if you can't get enough of the fashion, this is your chance to let me know. Also, I'm taking suggestions for future posts.

If you have a great idea for a future post (any topic but politics, religion and money), I'd love to hear all about it.

Please give your opinion. You won't win any prizes, but you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that "your vote counted"! Please and thank you.

4. I do believe that I've found my wedding hairstyle. I love this low, slightly undone side bun. It's pretty fuss-free and will look good with any dress style. Thoughts, opinions or other suggestions?

5. I need a good, winter moisterizer. I normally use Clinique Moisture Surge, but I really need something a little more, well, moisterizing right now with the dry air. Seriously girls, my skin looks (and feels) parched. Any suggestions for products under $60 (my ceiling for cosmetics)? I've heard Estee Lauder's Hydrationist is excellent. Have any of y'all tried it?

And that, folks, is all I've got.

Be blessed, lovelies-

Trend Watch Wednesday: {Channeling Bianca}

Freja Beha Erichsen Vogue Nippon, August 2010

We all want that vintage vibe in our wardrobe, right? I mean, for all the shag carpeting and heinous floral print couches, the early 70s did produce some pretty sexy style; style that we all want to emulate now; style that had designers like Ferragamo and Elie Tahari buying up all the faux fur, suede and fringe for their spring 2011 collections the textile manufacturers could produce.

But don’t go digging out your mom’s bell bottoms just yet. This reinterpretation of 70s style is less Boho and more chic. The key is to pair each 70s-inspired piece with modern accessories, hair styles and make-up.

Daytime 70s Styling at Chloe

Elie Tahari

There’s definitely an underlying confidence to wearing “the Seventies.” Even a more understated look needs to be carried off with an air of sexuality and a sense of defiant independence. In other words, this isn’t a trend for the faint of heart.

Vintage Bianca Jagger

By day, the 70s look is all about voluminous silhouettes and neutral color palettes:

• Look for high waisted pants with wider legs

• Seek tops with blouson sleeves and neat, bow collars

• Look for shades the size of saucers

70s Evening Glamour at Ferragamo

For night:

• Choose high sheen fabrics with a disco edge; lurex or silk is perfect, or anything with a metallic thread

• Forget silver. True 70s girls love gold, so consider that when accessorizing.

• Long gowns with draping, low necklines and high slits are super sexy and totally Studio 54-worthy.


Ready to channel your inner Bianca Jagger? Proceed, if you dare.

Be blessed, lovelies-

Fierce and Fit: {Saying No to Diet Pills}

Good Morning Bloggers! Hopefully everyone in the Midwest is safe and warm as this crazy storm blows through. A couple of weeks ago, Leslie was kind enough to let me talk to y’all about diet as we all start off the new year with hopes becoming a “healthier you” in 2011. A key follow up to the diet piece is something that I’m extremely passionate about. Leslie can certainly attest to this sentiment of mine: I HATE DIET PILLS!!!

Think about every bit of information that you’ve ever heard about diet pills and the outrageous claims they make. NOW FORGET IT! It’s all a bunch of hooie (as the author of this blog has been known to say). Just like with anything in life, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. We’ve all heard the claims before: “Take this pill once a day and lose 10 pounds a week without exercising and eating whatever you want!” REALLY?!?! Working in a business that competes with these pills, I can tell you that people buy into these products in droves. On a personal level, this makes me throw up in my mouth a little (not literally- and I don’t condone that either). To lose weight in a healthy way, two pounds should be the maximum amount of weight lost in a week. Before you get discouraged, consider this: if you stay diligent for a year, you could lose 104 pounds!

If you knew me personally, we probably would have already had this conversation. I am morally opposed to this method of weight loss. Let me explain why: I consider it to be #1) unhealthy and #2) ineffective long term. I will not deny that you may see weight loss when you start taking these. There are three ways to lose weight: reduce fat, reduce muscle, and reduce water. These pills take advantage of water reduction method. On a scale of 1-10, guess how effective that is long term. I’m going to say it’s a negative three.

The reason that these products do not work is because it does not take a change in lifestyle to “lose” this weight. Successful weight loss takes a complete change in lifestyle- from diet, to exercise, to vitamins, to sleep, to how much water you drink in one day. It is the lack of lifestyle change that causes 90-95% of consumers that use diet pills will gain weight back after they stop taking the pills. Everyone is looking for an easy way or a quick fix. Well, it doesn’t exist—sorry. If you are looking to lose weight, I challenge you to be patient and do it the right way with a healthy diet and commitment to exercise. I can assure you that this way is not a quick fix, but it is more likely to be a permanent fix!

Thank you for listening to my rant. Again, I’m passionate about this for a reason. I LOVE to see people succeed in their fitness goals, but I’m all about hard work and doing things the right way.

Best!

S

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Thanks hun! See you Blonde Ambitioners tomorrow!

Be blessed, lovelies-

Snow Day! (Er, Ice Day)

Oh happy, happy day! The good Lord heard our cries of needing an "off" day from work and today, we shall have one.

I woke up at 4 a.m. to the sound of sleet and our roads are now officially a skating rink. We're supposed to get tons of snow as the day continues, so here's hoping for another snow day tomorrow.

"This is Her Story" will continue next week, but today, we have a special guest post from my fiance "S", better known as the "Muscle Maniac", ha! He was gracious enough to write a super quick post this morning, as I was kind of in a pinch.

He'll be on here within the hour, so stay tuned : )

Be blessed, lovelies-