Yesterday was probably one of the hardest days I’ve ever had to make it through. I mentioned last week about the personal situation a friend is going through and yesterday was the day we all faced the truth.

Today I woke up ready for something better and am just being plagued with issues at work. I haven’t left my computer since 7AM this morning and have been going nonstop fielding emails and having one conference call after the other regarding the Getting Gorgeous event I’m throwing this August with Audrey McClelland. It’s coming down to the wire and everything needs to be finalized. It was all very easy until this last week or so.

But even through these insanely stressful moments, I find myself remembering that whatever it is I am dealing with isn’t that bad compared to what other people are dealing with today. After all, being busy means good things are happening right? That means the business is doing great and my partner and I are succeeding.  That is the right way to look at it – despite that need I’m feeling to shut down and ignore the massive amount of emails that keep coming in.

My aunt told me a quote yesterday that I actually loved. I wish I remembered it word for word but it’s something like this:

The deeper and darker the cave the more appreciative we are of the light.

That one sentence speaks volumes to me. And while today is NOTHING but nonsense in the grand scheme of things, it does give me a nice perspective on negative events that have occurred in my life. Just wanted to share that quote with you all tell you that today is what you make of it.

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Reader request! A reader recently asked where to get Carrie Underwood’s nude peep-toe flats. Truth be told, the flats are actually the Melissa + Campana Clear Sparkle Jelly Flats, but because you can see Carrie’s foot through them they actually look nude. Because of this, I have put together a find consisting of both shoes similar to Carrie’s jelly ones, as well as nude peep flats like the reader originally requested. All are priced under $100!

More Chinese Laundry…

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Man! I am so dramatic.

Many moons ago I attended a Pantene event where I drilled my hair stylist for hours about every beauty question I ever wanted answered. The two takeaways that I have to share today are both about tools.  Apparently, my cheap hair dryer was doing damage to the ends of my hair. I also was using the wrong brush for straightening.

It only took me a month to actually act on this news. Yes, I’m fast like a viper.

A new store opened up by my house a few months ago and I thought I’d swing by to see if they had the T3 – the blow dryer my stylist recommended. I couldn’t believe the selection! The people in the store must have thought I was crazy taking pictures, but I couldn’t resist.

It was a little pricey. Ok, a lot pricey. Over $100!  {Editor’s note: I paid more in the store than the above link to Amazon. I should have checked online before making the purchase.} I’ve had my old blow dryer since college, so I gave in and made the purchase anyway.

This puppy is HOT. SUPER HOT. And my hair looked like I used a flat iron. It was wonderful! What a difference a tool can make. If you are using an old hair dryer, consider switching to one of the newer lines. There is truth to what I’m saying here. I LOVED the way my hair came out.

The Pantene stylist also told me to get a brush that had two different types of bristles – hair and plastic. I’ve being using this over-sized round brush and he said it wasn’t the right choice. I upgraded and am so happy I did.

Do you have a hair dryer that you use and love? Share your link in the comments section below.

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(does the shirt look familiar? LOL)

As I was riding into last night’s event with Chef Duff from ‘Ace of Cakes’, I kept imagining all these beautiful creations I would be whipping out. Oh the talent I saw!! Yeah – not so much.

The cake started out like this.

And ended up like this!! No, I’m just kidding. That was a sample cake they had on hand. Brace yourself… the next image is my actual cake.

….sigh. Well, I tried and truth be told Duff’s new cake decorating line is really cool. I just needed more time to play around and think about what it is I was actually trying to do.

So, let’s talk about what Duff is selling right now – all of which is VERY VERY COOL.

• Cake tattoos, graffiti, gels, texture tiles and wire
• Cake pans, icing, spatulas and mixes
• Fondant, fondant cutters and smoothers
• Decorating tips, sprinkles and pouches

So cool! Everything is available online and at Michael’s. My favorite were the cake tattoos. They are the easiest way to add a little funk to your cake without a lot of effort. You just wet them and press onto your creation.

I was joined by several of my blogging buddies and we got busy getting crafty. Have you ever used fondant before? It’s really not that bad. You microwave it for 10 seconds at a time and just roll it out smooth. Duff’s version really tastes good too. Apparently, typical fondant isn’t so good.

(Mommas Gone City, Mom in the City, New York Chica)

LOL! This picture has a funny back story to it. After I took my picture with him, I asked if he made a funny face and Duff said no. So I said that wasn’t good enough and I needed more from him. I grabbed my friends and we all followed suit.

Click on the continue reading link  below for a TON of pictures – including some of my family enjoying the treat.

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