Dia & Co. Review!

Ok ya'll.

I don't usually do this stuff, but all the sudden, I've become a direct mail kinda gal.

It started with Young Living Essential Oils.  Got my oils in the mail, 16 months later, I'm still ordering every month.  I do love those oils and they do work!

Then it was Monat hair products.  Um... I do like some of their products. I liked what their shampoo and conditioner did for my hair - wow! But then it was like my scalp hated me and it, so no more of that. I do like their detangler, my  mom loves their hairspray and I like the dry shampoo, but it doesn't go very far.

Then, it was Plexus! I've had it a month and am having to slowly get into it. Detox isn't pretty and it tried to kill me (just kidding, I'm just a whimp) but I'm ok.  I am introducing a little at a time. And a new order ships next week. :)

ALL THIS TO SAY, I ORDERED DIA & CO PLUS SIZED CLOTHING DIRECT MAIL.

Ya'll, for real, I ordered this on FRIDAY and it arrived at work on MONDAY.  Holy smokes, it was on fire getting here so fast! Right from the beginning, I loved the box it came in.  Purple packaging tape and lined in purple inside! I love purple!

But I'm jumping ahead, let me tell you from the beginning.  I chose Dia & Co because I'm a plus sized lady.  I figured if they specialize in my sizes, they would probably have a better chance understanding what would look good on a chunky monkey like me.  So, Dia & Co it is.

Did the survey, answered the question, requested the items I was most interested in. Picked a price range, asked for no yellow clothing, no dresses and no skirts.  What do I like to show off? Ummm.. nothing.  No legs, no belly, no bust, no shoulders - can I have a burlap sack with eye holes please? But, it's all good, I figure they have seen and heard it all before me.

I sent a pic of what I was wearing that day - jeans and a flowy shirt.  Flip flops.  The only measurements they had were my height and bra size (that I can remember). I was determined to be open-minded and try on everything I received.  I figured this was part of the experience, to lean on their expertise and step out of my comfort zone.  I let my coworkers rate my box and gave a show this afternoon in the office. Here is what we thought:

(One day, I'll add pictures.  Not today)

First - I did receive a dress and I was ok with that.  I wasn't surprised, I'd seen too many dresses and skirts in pics advertising Dia & Co.  But it's all good.  I'm glad they included it.

I received:
--a necklace (everyone in the office LOVED it)

--a dress in kelly green and black (they loved the dress. I was OK with the dress, just not a dress person.  But it did make me consider I could wear dresses in the future, should I want to).  It's going back.  April picks this as her TOP PICK.

--A black soft shirt with crochet sleeves.  We all loved this shirt.  I would not have chosen it becasue of the sleeves, but on, I really liked it! It's a keeper!  Sharon and Cyndi pick this as their TOP PICK.

--An interesting blouse with a sheerish looking white back, light blue and white stripes and florals on the front.  Ther eis no way I would have tried that shirt on ever.  April reaaaallllly liked it.  And I did, too, once it was on.  Debating on this one.

--Bright magenta ankle pants - what a FUN color! The fit in the waist, legs all that was really great.  But the crotch wasn't quite right for me.  So I really appreciate they sent them and the color/size but the fit wasn't super right.

Overall - they did a great job picking the right colors fo rme! The right shapes of clothing and they looked good on (according to the work trio).  They said the tops were a different type of fit than what I would normally wear and they were very flattering.  And Dia included tips on what else to wear these pieces with - items most folks would already have in their closet.  So that was helpful, too.

Count me as impressed.  Items were in the price range I chose, which were a little more high end. But this will give me a chance to learn designer names that look good on me, styles and cuts that look good and help me shop for myself later on! :)

A New Beginning, Mid-Year

Today I've made yet another commitment financially and I hope it was a smart move.

I've invested in PLEXUS.  I've never been one to do the shakes, the meal replacement, blah blah.  And the options I have chosen isn't about meal replacements or shakes. But about probiotics, cleanses, and pink drinks before meals to help me eat less.  Looking at what all I ate today, I kinda wish it were already here. 

I want to sleep better - heck, sleep at all!  I want my clear mind back, to be able to remember the small details and have my brain function.  And, no lie, it would be nice to lose some weight.  Maybe an energy boost would help with that...

Regardless, I'll let you know how it goes.  Keep you up-to-date on my progress.  Here's to new adventures!

It's not real.

Whew - I've so much on my mind.  Have wanted to dump it all here for a while, but could never summon the energy to do so.  For a while now, I've been addicted to YouTube for entertainment at night.  It started with Santa bringing me a Kindle Fire, which allows me to lay in bed and watch movies/clips/etc forever.  and ever.  Allllllll night.  I'm not sleeping anyway, why not watch videos?

So my dirty little secret or embarrassing indulgence... Vampire Diaries. I can't find full episodes for free so I try to piece together snippets from each episode, sometimes getting them out of order and missing huge chunks of the story.  I thought I had a clue of the story line, only to find another snippet that put me in a tail spin. Ugh.  I'm getting Netflix and binge watching soon.

Let me tell you, though, what I've learned from watching a show on a tablet all the time:

1. My life is boring. Usually I'm ok with that, but after seeing the glam and excitement of staking out bad vampires and werewolf things, I was getting very disappoint and dissatisfied with my boring self and my boring life. Which I finally wizened up and realized....
2. No one works, cleans, washes the sheets they all roll around in, showers, goes to the bathroom, suffers from allergies, goes clothes shopping, struggles to find a bathing suit that fits, DIES and stays dead, wonders where these high school students are in the middle of the night... or the next day at school, pays the mortgage, scrambles to pay the electric bill, etc etc etc etc etc...
3. Everyone looks perfect, even if they've been stabbed, shot, if they are mad, sleep deprived, sad, lonely, confused - they just look so hot doing it all. Even on my best day, I don't look hot. Well, unless I'm outside sweating, and then I'm not happy that I'm hot. 
4. If you want to look hot, you must pull some of your hair in front of your shoulders. Just something I've noticed. 
5. When they kiss, they never miss. Never crash noses. Or crash teeth. Or accidentally whack foreheads.  Nope. They are just that good. 
6. This crap isn't real in any way shape or form. So why did I let it make me feel dissatisfied with my life? Watch the bloopers, see how often the sneeze, burp, flub the lines, miss the target, get frustrated... it's all crap. You know, in case you didn't realize vampires weren't real? 

How on earth did I get wrapped up in this crap? But now I want to know the storyline... so Netflix, here I come. As soon as I finish True Blood (hahaha!) and I'm not a vampire fan AT ALL.  Not a SciFi fan - is that considered SciFi? I don't even know what all is SciFi but I know I don't usually like it. Unless it's Iron Man because... well, it's Iron Man. 

Ok ya'll, I'm headed home.  :)   to do everyday normal people stuff, like clean up my kitchen. 

Playing It Safe.

I haven't gotten into the Winter Olympics like I normally do, but I'm sitting here watching tonight. Sounds like the cold in Korea is making unique challenges in some sports but one guy summed it up: everyone is trying to play it safe but it's a go big or go home type of situation. I'll be the first to say, I am not a risk taker. Not at all. -- Random thought: how do the skaters spin like that and not wobble around like a drunken monkey?  And is it just evil to watch these Olympians and then a commercial for a bacon, egg and cheese buttered biscuit combo? Just checking.

2017 became the year of vendor events for mom and I and our business, Pressed Clovers. I use the business term lightly, But mom makes girls' hair bows and I sew baby bibs and burp cloths. We tried selling at a tractor show and did great! And then we went full steam ahead. Who knew there were Spring vendor shows? So here we go again... Winding up for round two! Very excited. You can find us online at Pressed Clovers on Facebook and at Pressed Clovers on Etsy. We are on Instagram, too, as Pressed Clovers and I probably post more there as I'm completing items.

I discovered sewing is the only thing that can shut my brain down after a long day at work. If I think about anything, even about what I'm sewing, I will mess up. So I have to clear my mind and just exist for the sewing machine. Some nights it's a struggle. :)

Since I have the Olympics on, let me just say how much I miss Scott Hamilton. I love ice skating but Tara and Johnny are snarky and rude. They have little tact and it's just annoying.

Ok enough of that. I'm switching between the Olympics and Victoria on PBS. If you don't watch PBS, you are missing out on excellent television. Masterpiece Theater is awesome. Independent Lens also brings great programming, too. And I'm loving Ann Curry's show, We Will Meet Again. Good stuff. Tuesday nights - check it out. You'll cry. At least I cry.

So many things make me cry these days. The Apple Iwatch commercial with the letters from users - sniff sniff. Sad movies - sniff sniff. We took Macy to see The Star and when Mary told Joseph something about God never promised an easy life -- SNIFF SNIFF! And I'm sooo tired. I struggle to sleep, struggle to stay asleep, struggle to stay awake at work. It's terrible. If Spring doesn't get here soon and we can leave these snowy, cold, dreary, days behind I'm going to lose my mind.

I'll come back and add more pictures tomorrow. I'm actually doing this from my poor old phone, screen cracked, washed in a load of clothes and then dunked in the tub. Amazing. :) sweet dreams friends!

And 2018 Begins.

Happy New Year!!! Since we are only halfway through the first month, surely I'm not too late. I made my "resolutions" for lack of a better word, and am working on my life. So thankful I am so blessed that resolutions are something I can focus on because I don't have to worry about my basic needs. So thankful.

In the recent cold snap...heck, deep freeze!...I gave thanks for a protective and warm shelter, warm electric blanket, and running water when I woke up in the mornings. I'm hoping I don't have frozen pipes this morning as I forgot to leave a faucet dripping! I have yet to figure out how you people in the north survived crazy cold winters and don't have frozen pipes. Baffled. Beyond my comprehension.

 So what have I been up to, you ask? Because it's obvious it hasn't been blogging. Last year was a tough work year. What should have been our down year, recuperation time, reorganize and get the office back in order year, became one of the busiest years I think I've ever experienced there. Including an election on Halloween!!! And the week of Thanksgiving! But my sweet nieces came to see me at work so I wouldn't miss out. Little Miss trick or treated from desk to desk.

I've spent my downtime exploring many interests, including family history and genealogy. I find this fascinating! This pic, my great grandmother and brother sitting on the porch of the house I live in now.  Wonder if the paw prints were in the concrete at this point or if it was repoured at some point. Anyway, I've hit a roadblock on my great great grandfather that will take some real digging and hopefully that will crack the case.  Although this is a "big" election year, I still think it will be less crazy than last year. So i should be able to find time to take some days off and Visit the historical center. I'll let you know if i figure it out.

Y'all, I started this entry early yesterday morning, having no idea what had happened overnight.  Our police officers were ambushed, four sent to the hospital.  One barely hanging on to life.  I'm not sure why it is settling so heavy on my heart, but it definitely is. I am familiar with two of the officers through my work.  Even if i weren't, the images in my mind of the chaos, fear, adrenaline, grief, anger, confusion...the families at home having no clue anything had happened.  Or maybe listening to it unfold over a scanner, and feeling so totally helpless.  My heart physically hurts for the officers, their family and friends. Please pray for them and especially for officer Doty.

Thanks y'all.

On the road again

Thanks to my work schedule, vacation happened in August instead of June. We feared the temps at the beach in August would be brutal. Instead, this is the best weather I've ever experienced at the beach in summertime! So thankful! Cool temps and low humidity. Yeah! 

That also means I spent more time on the beach than normal so I'm a lobster in places. Complete with water blisters. From day one. The joys of being a pasty white girl. I'll say this, however - the Young Living sunscreen impressed me enough to use it on Macy. Just don't try to apply it to your back without help. 

This child loved the beach! Where we go has a river that dumps into the ocean and the water is so calm on that point. So no breakers, just gentle water. She played and played. When we went walking on the beach, we found some waves for her to hop over. Is she not the cutest thing? 

These painted rocks are popping up everywhere. This came from our beach shopping trip at the grocery store.

This discovery happened in Gaffney, SC, at the Clock restaurant. 

This one at the Schiele Museum in Gastonia, NC. I'll admit, we left the spider. 

I actually love the painted rocks - they are usually linked to Facebook somehow - and it gets people interested in new communities and art activities. 

Both sweet nieces were home last week - so glad they have each other. 10 years between them hasn't been much of an issue yet. Hoping that continues. It's always good to have AH home. As she's become a teenager, her free time disappeared and it's rarer for us to see her.  Her little sister is crazy about her!! 

These cuties!!! I was blessed with three days close together of sweet nephew love. Most of our time together looked just like this - a blur of activity! Those two are so much fun and such blessings to our family! Such sweet boys, blessings from the Lord, most definitely. I like to watch them when they spot their mama or daddy when they've been out-of-sight for awhile. Their entire body lights up with happiness and excitement! 

Another sweetie whom I adore, little Miss Paige! Took advantage of some overtime hours and scheduled a day off to visit friends. And babies. :)  God blessed me with the people who have stayed close to me in life - this girl is one of those people. And watching her family grow has been a huge gift. She's crazy talented and a great mama. 

Heaven help I need to The update some pics. I actually have started

ordering Chatbooks which syhows all my Instagram pics. I really like having those printed in book form to keep!  Check it out.

Pics of the nieces. Their family went to the mountains for vacation where Macy finally caught a fish! AH is so patient with her little sister and I'm so thankful. 

These two adorable cuties are doing well, too. Love them to pieces!

Thanks to my brother for getting a pic of me with both of them. Love snuggling.

And this pic!! Loooove it and have it on my fridge. My parents adore those boys!!

Macy and MawMaw after church.

Sweet niece #1!  She had her wisdom teeth cut out yesterday. Poor thing. She seemed pretty upbeat about it.

I swear Macy adores her big sister!! This is after Macy's birthday party. She's wearing her new frozen dress up dress.

Happy Birthday to this sweet girl!

Her gift from my friend in LA. An HK sun hat! Super cute!!

My awesome amazing super wonderful parents!! So thankful for them. So blessed by God for giving me to them. They are such a support. And now, I can honestly say, they are my friends. Love you Mom and Dad!!

So now that I've dumped a million photos ... The update on my life! 

1- I'm still using my Young Living oils and I love them! De-stressor, chemical free, healthy wellness avenue. And they have makeup now. And I'm going to try it! 

2- Some punk keeps knocking on our doors late at night. Then Katie's furniture in her porch was moved  or, most recently, her grill. My parents had someone knock several nights lately. If they are knocking on my door, I'm sleeping through it. But they have before. And it's annoying. 

3- my work life is calming down and I'm finally getting to take some time off. Spent Friday with Macy and my sister's . This is what I try to remember when I'm putting in the hours. 

Ok I'm falling Sleep - dropping the phone on my face.  Sweet Dreams!