With Love, Bridgette: August 2012

August 19, 2012

DIY Glitter shoes

I've been wanting to try this DIY project forever and finally had the opportunity this weekend. I found an old pair of heels and decided to give it a go! Had a blast doing this project and it was super easy. If you need to dress up a old pair of shoes for a special occasion---I think this is the trick. Thinking next time, I'm going to try gold glitter.

These are the 4 products you'll need.
Fine Glitter
Sponge Brush
Mod Podge
Acrylic sealant spray paint

Old pair of heels

Mixed the glitter and mod podge in a bowl and paint the shoe.
I did about 2-3 coats of paint.

Make sure you spray with the sealant once the shoe has dried for a few hours.

Back heel

Blair's Hot Sauce

My sister-in-law, Nicole text me this picture today..... BLAIR HOT SAUCE! I wonder if it's any good?

I always knew we were a SPICY family!

*nice nails Nicole!

Summertime

Summer is coming to an end....well I'm at least hoping because I'm tired of humidity and HOT HOT days!

I heard this song on the radio on my drive home today...it's been stuck in my head all day.

Such a fun & catchy song!

Dinner with the In-laws

Very blessed to have some great people in my life. This past weekend, I enjoyed the company of my in-laws and their new home. I was amazed at how much they have accomplished in 7 weeks since they moved. Makes me want to start decorating our house again.

Something Blue: Wedding Shoes

A few days ago, I had a request from a bride to blog about blue wedding shoes. She's getting married next year and wants her "something blue" to be her shoes. I think having blue shoes is a fabulous idea and super cute. Finding the right shoe sometimes could be a daunting task because you want to find the PERFECT shoe, comfort, and of course STYLE.

My wedding shoes, Badgley Mischka

When I chose my shoe, I made my decision based on style only! My feet were killing me the day of the wedding and by the end of the night those bad boys were OFF!

Me and the girls!

Here's my shoes in BLUE but I don't think they sell this style anymore.

Weddings are expensive so sticking to a budget is key! The shoes featured in this blog will be $300 or less.

TOMS, $54, http://bit.ly/Nzukym

Nina, $69.99, http://bit.ly/NdALl0

Caparros Chante, $79.00, http://bit.ly/NUIDMd

Caparros, $79.00, http://bit.ly/NzsaP9

Nina, $78.95, http://bit.ly/SbWcJJ
*This also comes in a navy blue*

RSVP, $70.99, http://bit.ly/Ori0gG

Nina West, $78.95, http://bit.ly/NapQhS

Ivanka Trump, $150, http://bit.ly/NUoBy5

Badgley Mischka, $215, http://bit.ly/PwWoRh

Badgley Mischka, $245, http://bit.ly/NQvBgN

THE SPLURGE!!

Manolo Blahnik, $945, http://bit.ly/ONNW1M

Sex in the City made these shoes famous!

August 16, 2012

Saving money on Energy! #Nest

As many of you know, my husband is a "techy" "gadget" "av" nerd! I swear he presents me with a different tool or idea every other week and proves to me how it would change our lives.

Last Christmas, he had asked for a "Nest". I thought to myself....what is a Nest??? Bird's nest?!!? He informed me that it was a high-tech thermostat. He showed me the specs and all the benefits of having it but.....welllll...yeah..... I wasn't going to give my husband a thermostat for our first Christmas as husband and wife. I would have felt like a total DORK!

Now it's summer time and that means CRAZY ENERGY BILLS here in Arizona. In late May, the start of the summer, Ryan bought the "Nest" and I have to admit I wasn't happy about the $200 purchase. I thought to myself, why do we need to spend this much for a THERMOSTAT!? You know you've reached adulthood when you're blogging about a thermostat.

Shortly after our purchase, the "Nest" was featured in Yahoo news and referred to as the Mercedes-Benz of thermostats. I think I laughed out loud when I read that!

Really?? Benz = Thermostat

Then this happened.......

Our bill came in for June and to my amazement it was significantly lower than last year.
I started to get excited to show people my new app on my phone
I started telling people everywhere (including strangers) about the amazing features of the "Nest" such as

It's super smart
Easy to program locally or from ios device
It knows when we're home and when we're leaving the house
It's memorizes our schedules
I can control from my phone
It's has a snappy look and looks like a toy on our wall
Ohh...much much more

I saw a special this past Sunday on CBS Sunday Morning News. Did anyone watch that?

Anyways, point being.....my husband was right! He's turned me into this "techy" nerd that shows people the benefits of this nifty device.

I received my energy bill today. I was in disbelief. This is typically the most expensive bill of the whole year. It was SIGNIFICANTLY lower than last year and last month!!

If you want to save some money on energy I would highly suggest this product. No, the "Nest" didn't pay me for this blog. I'm writing this with sincerity and truth.

I can't wait for the next bill to see more savings!

Check out this "Nest" video

Inner Beauty!

Channeling my inner nerd this morning.

In life, we are our worst critic! I know I complain about my "fro" and other things. What woman doesn't have an issue with some aspect of their body or physical feature? I know I'm not perfect but I try to focus on my love for others. How do you want to be remembered? I want to be remembered for the things I've done for others <------that's my life goal. Remember... true beauty lies in the heart.

“The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It's the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows & the beauty of a woman only grows with passing years.”
― Audrey Hepburn

August 15, 2012

Skyping with loved ones

Skype/FaceTime/Google chat are some of my favorite technology tools because it allows me to see and interact with my friends and family. Don't you love it! I thoroughly enjoy getting a call from a love one and seeing their smiling face beaming back at me. When skyping, I have a tendency to carry the camera a little too close at times. Makes for some good laughs.

I've realized as I've had a couple of video sessions lately....that my hair is OUT OF CONTROL! Note to self- must wear hats during Skype sessions. Don't laugh too hard when you see the photos. This summer is killing me with the heat, humidity, and HABOOBS (<----google that word).

My Skyping TREND these days are babies!!

Google chat with my BABY sister!

Yes, I'm kind of driving but she's sitting on the dashboard.
Don't worry... our session ended after this picture was taken.
As you can see, Suzette was a little scared...hahaha

Skyping with BABY E, Momma Carey, and Suzette

I'm loving BABY E's Big Pink bow!

BABY L (Look at that hair), and Momma Kelly.

FaceTime with Baby M aka Baby Giggles.

Look at that laugh! So adorable.
I think I told her a really good joke about Mary and her little lamb.

August 14, 2012

Spice Girls 1996 to 2012

Did anyone watching the closing ceremony of the Olympics? It was a fun filled night of British performers and a reflection of all the GOLD that occurred at the summer Olympics 2012. As I watched the program, I waited patiently for anticipated performance of "The Spice Girls." Which of course was towards the end of the program but it was totally worth it and it brought me back to 1996. Wow.. isn't it crazy how life has changed since then even for the Spice Girls. Posh Spice has 4 kids! Actually all the ladies are now mommas.

Now the Olympics are over.....what am I'm going to watch? Downton Abbey? ;-)

This song has been stuck in my head since Sunday!

August 10, 2012

Stress relievers?

Life has it's ups and downs and sometimes you just have to roll with the punches. Also, life is full of stressors and it seems the older you get the more stress is added to your life. With that being said, how does one relieve stress? I asked my fellow Facebookers to help me with this question. Read some of the responses below. I think I'm going to try a little bit of everything. I hope some of these suggestions help you as well.

1. Talk with a good friend