Unboxing the USPS Style Box of Joy!!

Late September the USPS gave out 5,000 of these elusive Style Boxes of Joy. Had no idea what was going to be in them, didn’t know if we’d even get them.

Then Sunday I got an email alerting me that mine as ready for shipping  

Let the joyus news be spread, I got my Style Box of Joy today- a whole TWO days early!  

So! I share with you the unboxing!

Here it is, fresh from opening!

OOooooooOoO I am already excited!

First up is this awesome SoHo makeup bag.

Inside it has a pretty good sized mirror, a larger bag for loose makeup and also has holders for brushes and a nice little flappy thing to cover the bristles.

I got two “trial” size Rembrandt Intense Stain Toothpastes. Which if these are actual “trial” size, I would hate to see the full size.

Cause these be about the size of regular toothpastes.

I also got Rembrandt Intense Stain Dissolving Whitening Strips. 56 teeth whitening strips.

Which I promptly had to use and take pictures of… I’m going to be doing a review at the end of using these to show how much they whitened my teeth. I drink coffee and smoke, so my teeth are pretty stained. Enough that regular whitening toothpastes don’t really touch them. It’ll be nice to see how well these work.

Day 1 of whitening. You get to laugh at my bespectacled self LOL

I also got two Neutrogena Moisture Shine Glosses in Plum. They look pretty good when swatched on my hand, so we’ll see what they look like on. One will probably go in my goodie stash for giveaways and/or grab bags.

Got a sample of ROC Retinol Correxion Sensitive Night Cream. Anti-Aging for Retinol-Sensitive skin. Dunno if I have retinol sensitive skin, but I’ll give it a shot. Also got a sample of some Nivea stuff, but it’s already missing. Pfft.

I also got two 20% off coupons from Tracy Reese. Which if any of you want to use them, please feel free. That stuff is a little too rich for my blood . Use the code TRJOY20.

Got a CD too. Has tracks from Blue October, Pam Tillis & Lorie Morgan and some other people I don’t know. Gonna listen to that later.

Got a book about Fashion too……. Dunno how useful this will be to me, so if anyone wants it, just holler!

And a small Priority Mail Flat Rate Box. Which will come in handy!

Not too shabby for free stuff, huh?!

I want to see if all boxes vary or if everyone got the same. So leave me a comment telling me what you got, or if you blogged it like me, send me a link!

Nail Art Tutorial: Fall Leaves

The last in the Fall series, I bring you Fall Leaves! This tutorial is super simple and quick to do!

Supplies Needed: A base coat, I used Strawberry Ice Cream Soma by Literary Lacquer because… Well… It’s freaking awesome. You’ll need at least three colors for you leaves. I used Am I Ginger? by LynBDesigns, Wicked by Perception Nail Lacquer and Lake of Shining Waters by Literary Lacquer. You’ll also need a black or brown acrylic paint, a nail art brush, a dotting tool and a pallet.

Step One: After you apply your basecoat, let it dry completely. On your pallet, add a bit of black and water it down a tad so it glides on smoothly.

Step Two: With a gentle hand, draw on your branches. They don’t have to be perfect, no stick or twig is .

Do the same on all nails until you have all your “twigs”

Step three: With your dotting tool, begin putting the “leaves” on the twigs. Do them sparingly with each color because with three colors, it will eventually become a lot of leaves. Repeat until you’ve used the three colors, or you have an abundance of leaves.

Once you’re finished, apply the topcoat of our choice and you’re done!

This is a quick, cute and simple fall mani! If you do one of my manis, please post it to my Facebook page!

Recipe Corner: Oh So Good Pie

This recipe was given to my mom a few years ago and has since became a quick family favorite. It’s quick, easy and as the title says: Oh So Good!

In a metal mixing bowl, beat your egg whites until they turn foamy.

After they turn foamy, add your sugar and mix until stiff peaks form.

Looks kinda like this.

Add your vanilla and mix a bit more.

Then add your Ritz crackers (yes, I said Ritz!) and fold in gently. Don’t stir like normal, you don’t want to beat out all the air in the meringue.

Then fold in your pecans. Yummmmm

Pour into an ungreased pie plate and put into the oven.

Lick the spoon, you know you want to.

This is what it looks like when it comes out of the oven. Top with cool whip and a sprinkling of pecans if you’d like.

And voila! A wonderfully sweet and salty holiday snack!

 

Oh So Good Pie

3 egg whites

3/4 c sugar

24 Ritz (a tube) crushed with a rolling pin until crushed fine

3/4 c pecans

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 carton Cool Whip for later.

Beat egg whites until stiff.

Add sugar and baking powder a little at a time while the mixer is going. Add your vanilla.

Fold in cracker crumbs and pecans. Heap into center of pie pan, it will spread out as it bakes.

Bake at 325 for 25 minutes and let pie cool completely. Add cool whip to top and sprinkle with pecans.

If any is left over, store it in the fridge.

Nail Art Tutorial: Topsy Turvey Turkeys

A couple of years ago, when I first started out in the nail art world, I made a great set of fakeys with the cutest turkeys on them. So I decided to pull out my experience and do an even better take on them. And I bring you… Topsy-Turvey Turkeys!

Supplies: Yesss, there are a ton of polishes in this mani. You don’t necessarily have to use so many, but I wanted to lol. You’ll need a base color, I used Zoya Stacy and a topper to go over that (or you can forego the topper and just go for the base color) and I used the AWESOME Alexandrite by LynBDesigns. Then I used Am I Ginger? by LynBDesigns, Strawberry Ice Cream Soma, Lake of Shining Waters, Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster and Old Man and the Sea by Literary Lacquer; Heart’s Desire by Kawaii Lacquer, Wicked by Perception Nail Lacquer and Grape Ape by My-Stash Lacquer for wing colors. You’ll also need either a tan polish or white and brown acrylic paint for the body and either white and black polish or black and white acrylic paint for the eyeballs. You’ll also need to have an orange for the beak and a red for the waddle. You also need a pallet, a nail art brush and a dotting tool.

Step One: Prep your nails with your base coat and a shimmery topcoat.

Step Two: Get your pallet and your wing colors ready. Using your nail art brush and a little bit of nail polish, make a wing like shape out of your first color.

I alternated nails, two right side up, the other two upside down.

Now, repeat the process with the upside down nails. I put these a little off center so it would look like they’re popping up over the side of the nail.

Step Three:

Using your acrylic paint, mix together a nice tanish color.

Do a better job than me of putting the turkey bodies in place. Not too bad, but eh. LOL

Step Four: Using your dotting tool, pick up a bit of white and place eyeballs on the turkeys heads. Make em look all wobbly and wonky.

Step Five: Add your beaks with a bit of orange.

Then add the blacks for the eyeballs.

Step Six: Then add the waddle. Make sure the upside down ones kinda hang there looking funny since they ARE upside down.

Step Seven: Topcoat and you’re done!!!

Hope y’all have a great Turkey Day!!!!