Pinterest Made Me Do It!

 On the low I'm a serious DIYer. When I get an idea in my head about a craft or a way to style a room or party I obsess over it until I get the chance to put it together.

*a little secret: I already have my baby shower planned if ever I had a little girl and Chunks's last birthday party and his next (whenever that will be) has been in my mind for a while now!*

Pinterest

So just like so many I fell in love with Pinterest! No idea for dinner, I got a board for that! Wardrobe ideas for fall? I got one for that! When I dream of my dream home, I have real live pictures to go with it! Crafts and home ideas too!

I'm a bit book obsessed and sharing space with a book/cars/trucks and train obsessed toddler makes floor space a hot commodity. I saw my solution on Pinterest headed to Lowes and make it all come together.

Source: Uploaded by user via Candace on Pinterest

The shelves are actually planks of wood that I sanded a bit and got my dad to round the edges of the side pieces. I found a clearance can of white paint that matches the trim in the room for $7 and gave each two coats.



For now my text books and some albums fill the top shelf and our DVDs and bottom holds some of my favorite reads. I'm still working on the styling but decided to go color coded for now.




Here are some more of my bookcase pin-spirations:

Source: ruemag.com via Candace on Pinterest

Source: designspongeonline.com via Lindsay on Pinterest

Are you a pinner? Have you tried anything on your boards? Fashion or Craft?

Youtube Me Pretty

So we made it out of Sandy's beating unscathed, thanks to everyone who checked in on us. The city's still not 100% our subways are down since most tunnels were flooded and 3 person carpools are a rule to get in and out of the city. I'm grateful it wasn't so bad for us but many of my friends are stuck in Staten Island or hunting for gas in NJ but thankfully we never lost power only Internet access for a bit but we're fine...ok on to the real post!

When I first got into makeup it was the basics, concealer for my sleepy lids, foundation to even it all out, and eyeliner when the first two didn't wake me up enough and that was it. In my "new self" I've been playing more and more in the make up world and learned some great tips from some of my fave Beauty Bloggers like Danielle who has the first beauty blog I was hooked on and she's really so sweet IRL and Temptalia who KNOWS makeup and gives a great dupe list so you don't always have to buy the high-end product. If you're like me that's a plus because just "trying" something out for $7.00 is MUCH better that $45!

I followed these blogs, loved their style and look but still didn't think I could do until I turned to YouTube and everything changed! I feel like I HAVE to share my go-to-tutors with you because they really are THAT great.


1. Micaela- BBeautyMark

The one that got me into YouTube tutorials. She's the real deal makeup artist so her tips are coming straight from the studio chair and I love the way she explains what she's doing and why she uses the products she does. You feel like you're right with her getting the deets.

2. Danyelle- Ms.Danti1

If you pin, instagram, or tumblr then you probably already know Ms. Danti. This beauty lover has such a sweet spirit and a crazy eye for style. She KNOWS colors, techniques, and trends and was recently featured on Essence.com as one of their Digital Divas. She's also a naturalista and taught me my go-to protective two strand style when I wear my transition out. I'm not a huge lipstick girl so her lip pencil/gloss combos work perfect for me!

3. NITRA!!- NitraaB

You can't say her name without being really HYPE! She is SO much fun and you immediately get drawn into her but her makeup skills are on point and she's not afraid to try bright colors, which is still intimidating to me but if there is a bold color out there she'll try it and give tips on how to rock it yourself. I learned the whole eyebrow shaping skill on her sight. Her hauls are great too. She recently got engaged so CONGRATS to her, the Mr. and her piglet.

4. Stephanie- Beauty By Lee

When I say BAD! This girlie has the chicest looks and teaches so that anyone can get it! All products are listed on her blog, which is cute too. Her looks are always to the limit yet clean. Some of her looks are for the brave of face but if you're not afraid of color, she will have you BEAT. She taught me the importance of getting the right brushes for the job AND she's an NYC girl. She's also pretty major on YouTube and was also featured on Essence.com's digital diva spotlight. Probably one of the better teachers on there. Really how HOT are her eyes!

5. Alex- MUA Alex

Beat To The Gods! This woman DOES that! Catch her on instagram and you'll see why! Her before and after pics of her clients are proof that this woman KNOWS what's she's doing. Her personality is Makeup-Artist/Home-girl/Get-It-Together Big Sis-ish. Her teaching style is what got me (before I saw pics) because she explains the differences in products she uses and it's easy to follow. She also offers traveling beauty classes to spread her knowledge follow her on any of her social media connects and get hooked.

Ok, so these would have to be my Top 5 Beauty girls, in no particular order. If you follow any goodies on YouTube do feel free to share below.

Weekend Wrap-Sandy and Shoes

We're bracing for Hurricane Sandy over here along with the rest of the East Coast, as I type the wind is CRAZY but we still haven't faced the worst of it. Schools are cancelled today and tomorrow, hospitals are only calling in "essentials" (RNs and MDs), and our MTA has been shut down since 7p last night. Honestly, I didn't take the Sandy scare too serious until Mayor Bloomberg said the trains would shut down, NY DOES NOT SHUT DOWN!! so yea I guess it's serious.

We've been in the house pretty much all weekend, trying not to go crazy! We've built forts, built stations, played trains, practiced letters, colored and painted LORD!

During "down time" I managed to do some online shopping/browsing and managed to get some AMAZING deals!! First, if you know me you know I have a shoe obsession! Boots are a fall staple and some how I managed to get through last year with only 2 pairs! (don't know how I did it) I had a pair of Hunter rain boots but gave them to my little cousin because EVERYONE had them! I can't! So the commercial for JustFab came on and what do you do when you're stuck in doors with internet access???

I found 2 pairs that we're cute and with the "new member" first pair for under $20 I had to! Until I found another pair I immediately put an outfit together for only issue? I have a budget :-( In steps RetailMeNot and I found a $20 off promo code. So 2 pairs of boots for the price of 1 with FREE shipping!!! HAPPY DANCE!!! The first will be my everyday boot and the second is so sexy-tough! I can see my leggings and skinnies lasting well into Fall chills.

Sandy reminded that I didn't have any rain boots! Tragedy! Then I remembered, Bloomies is having a SALE! So off I went and found these!

I had pinned these a week or so ago so to find them on sale was destiny, right?

I'm going to try my best to just browse and not buy for now but I think my wallet can forgive me for these and yet I can't help but feel like I need color. SMH

Single Mama Dating Drama

So it's been over a year and I've been quiet, reflective, and doing regular self checks and now I'm ready to get back out into the dating scene, I think... I've never been a "dater", if we talk on a regular and go out a few times we're together lol just the way it's lined up for me. I do think that was my main issue, I would settle down with whoever was  around and shut down whoever came next, not really getting the feel I should've been getting in my 20s, feel me? Lol seriously, right now I'm at a stage where I don't want anything serious or draining I just want to have FUN! Go to a movie, dinner, concerts,laugh, hang out-you know the easy stuff.

So far, I've met a few really nice guys, some popping up from the past and some new friends but oddly enough, when I'm at a point where I just want to chill THEY want to settle down!!! 0_O Just my luck! Let's talk about 3 that stand out in my dilemma:

The first, we'll call him Too Cool. I met Too Cool maybe a week after the Wasband left, on the Q and I noticed his shoulders first (my weakness) and some how before we crossed the Manhattan Bridge he ended up getting a seat right next to me. We end up smiling at each other, a silly conversation starts up, in the end we end up getting off at the same stop. FATE right?? We exchanged numbers and he's been the only guy I've talked to ever since. He was talking moving in together just a few months in, he wanted to meet Chunks and everything. PAUSE buddy!!! Here I faced Single Mama Dating Drama (SMDD) #1 : Protecting My Guy. Any one who knows me knows how psycho protective I can become when it comes to Chunks so having some new guy meet my little guy was a biggie. Maybe 7 months into talking, we got our kids together for a play-date and it was smooth and it's been smooth. He's really great, a GREAT father, loving son, hard worker, ambitious, and so so loving! I can't sing his praises enough, and mention of the M word (marriage) has started to come up, but for some reason, my heart's not connecting and I can't put my finger on just why that is...

Then there's PopUp, PopUp is an ex that as his name suggests pops up from time to time. I KNOW PopUp isn't the ONE, I've known that since forever but there's something about him that won't let me totally shut the door and lock it. He wants what I ultimately wants and he says he knows he would want that life with me, he just never got to the part of life that slows down. No matter what relationship either of us were in through the years, if we happened to pop up in each other's lives, well...And now he's back. Since I'm in my Cyndi Lauper mode right now he should be perfect right? WRONG while we can laugh ALL night, we always get too serious with each other, even  though we're not serious. I shouldn't have to "argue" with the fun guy smh!! Even though he's a father, he can't get that my time is shared AFTER my time with Chunks. YES! YOU COME 2nd!! and NO I'm NOT looking for his father's replacement!

Oh did I mention BOTH Too Cool and PopUp are Scorpios? Supposed to be my perfect match ::sigh::

Lastly, there's Mr.Carter, everything about him is so Brooklyn! His swag, his smart mouth, his work ethic, his ball game! Ugh I love it! He's fairly new and the oldest of the bunch but slowly creeping his way in. He's, so far the only one that gets that I'm a mom and can't hang out all the time and I love how great a dad he is to his. We've had a few lunch dates here and there and it's been fun, I think what makes this easier is I know this ain't IT so it's all light weight, until it's not...I've "known" (meaning I've seen him around, said hi and bye a few times) for a year or so but he finally got the courage to ask for my number maybe a month ago and already asking to meet Chunks. NO! Why would you need that? I don't even know if I'm keeping you around for me so WHY would I bring the best part of me around you? ::sigh::

All these guys are great guys and have things that I swoon for about them, I just wished they were, you know, like "regular" guys who just want to chill and have fun. LOL I know I know, women complain about men not wanting to settle down and here I am complaining. I'm sorry, I'm not there yet. Stayed tuned for more of the SMDD saga ::cue soap opera music::

Live Blogging at The Katie Show!!!

Good Morning Readers, guess where I am as you're reading?? The Katie Show!!

Today's guest: writer, director, actor, AND superhero- TYLER PERRY!! He's in NYC promoting his new action thriller Alex Cross and stopped by the show to tell viewers more about the man behind Madea and the movie.

Some things you might not have known about Oprah's BFF:

-His real name isn't Tyler, it's actually his father's name Emmet. Negative ties to his father caused him to make it up
-He was either a good student or a bad student. Anger because of his home life caused him to lash out
-He once told a teacher he wanted to be a business manager and he told him "You're black, you're poor, you'll never be anything"
-He was however, the highest paid male actor of 2011!!
-THE GRACE OF GOD is the driving force that pushes him past all the "You won't make it" "You can't". He says this normally gets cut out of interviews but "it takes God to line things up for you to make things like this happen".
-A used car salesman, shoe shiner, bill collector, he works like a Jamaican lol
-He's always doing something to protect the little boy in him and uses that when he rights, that little boy is talking to his mother, telling her "She can be strong" "She can make it"

Katie had a surprise for Tyler, when he's not writing, directing, or acting Mr. Perry is a true philanthropist. The Katie Show reached out to some of the people and organizations that he has helped like the family whose mother's home was destroyed by a fallen tree. Tyler heard the story and stepped in to pay for the repairs, their mother passed during the renovations and Tyler paid for the funeral costs. Each guest called him their "angel", very touching moment. Who knew he was doing so much??

The Katie Show is doing something new and different that I seriously see growing wings and other shows picking up on. During each taping, the show invites 2 bloggers to sit in the audience and live blog/tweet about the episode and the show in general. I had a great time on set and getting to meet Katie and her crew and see a bit of behind the scene, tv magic. Highlight of my day? Tyler Perry asked me what I was doing!!! Talk about hype lol ok super fan moment over and of course meeting Ms. Katie Couric.

If you're in the NYC area definitely check out a taping and order tickets here. If you're a blogger definitely let them know, they're still working out the logistics on how they'll work bloggers into it and behind scenes info, they're looking to include bloggers into more and more program so stay tuned. Bloggers are the new journalist.

 

Feeling Like A Million

I am NOT a morning person! FACT: I actually have 4 different alarms set on the iPhone to wake me up after I've slammed my alarm clock off or else I'd never make it to work on time but yesterday Chunks made my whole week! I normally get up first and lay both our clothes out for the day then make my way to the bathroom to start my routine. This morning  Chunks woke up a bit early and came in to the bathroom with a book that had Cinderella on the back. In his cute morning voice and not so awake eyes he asked "Mommy she's a princess?" to which I answered, not really paying attention, "Yeah, that's Cinderella." "Cinderella's a princess? Just like you Mommy!"

MAN!! My heart melted right then and there I smiled and hugged my little prince and thanked him.

You might remember me telling you all that this kid is NOT affectionate at all but the older he gets the more and more loving he's getting and I couldn't be happier. I am a hugger so it wasn't going to work for us anyway lol. No one has seen me at a rawest like poor Chunks, the mornings are ROUGH some days and this morning wasn't any different and he still saw Mommy as pretty as Cinderella. SENT ME TO THE CLOUDS!

What's the sweet thing your little one does to brighten up your day?

Budget First

A few times I've posted about tightening up my purse strings to get a handle on my finances and while I'm proud of the progress I've made, I still have a ways to go. I left undergrad with a huge amount of debt, sometimes when I think of the total number I want to scream and curse the day I stepped foot in Drexel University (a little dramatic moment for ya) but such is life, can't do anything but roll with it.

My major focus when it comes to my finances is to tackle that debt first and set aside a saving plan. I'm happy to announce since seriously tending to this since my move back to Brooklyn I've paid off 2 of my private loans and on my $35,000 federal loan I only have $12,000 left to pay!!! Who rejoices over $12,000 debt? ME! Once I'm done with this I will feel more confident taking on the expense for med/grad school.

Some things I've found to help me out in this whole process:

• Mint.com- it's an app that keeps track of my spending and sets up budgets and alerts for my overall goal. It's been a bit hard sticking to that $20 restaurant limit but I'm working on it. Whenever you go over your set budget it sends an alert to your phone, I always read it "Hey You! You don't have money for that!!!" but it's much nicer than that. It's also very clear to see how much you make verses how much you spend in a month. (Note: that is clearly NOT a screenshot of my account but wouldn't that be sweet!)



• Credit Karma- since the ultimate goal is to abuy a home for Chunks and I this is a major focus. I've made great progress with my number since tackling my loans and adding a credit card. I was that only undergrad who refused to get those million credit cards and ruin my credit and still managed to do so anyway ::sigh:: Anyway, back to Credit Karma it also sends you alerts about changes to your report an score and also gives you tips on the next moves to make to increase your score.

Any of you have any budget buddies that help you keep a handle on your purse strings? Have you tackled your own debt/finances?

Weekend Wrap-Close to Home

Well it's Monday-AGAIN. Wish I could tell you all that my weekend was jam packed crazy with a bunch of fun to report but nope. It was chill. The kind of chill I really needed to get my house in order and study some, January is right around the corner.
I finally got to the Apple store to get my computer checked and Thank God nothing was wrong and they were able to replace my charger that broke off in the side for FREE! Made my day! I just knew I was going to spend $100. Then we has one of those "Whose kid is that" moments when Mr Chunks decided to do cartwheels in the middle of the store, smh.

We were supposed to go to the pumpkin patch but that never happened, there's always next weekend. Sunday night my brother and I headed back to the Barclays Center for the King's Men concert. Ever since it came to Brooklyn we've been there almost every weekend it seems but the concert was amazing. It was the Barclay Baptist Center Church of God in Christ Holy Sanctuary last night! The headliners were Kirk Franklin, Donnie McClurkin, Israel Haughton, and Marvin Sapp with some star power backup singers including Sunday's Best winner Amber Bullock, and each showcased their hits but that little man Kirk Franklin! I don't know how he has the energy to do it every night! He had all the moves, left the stage, walked around the whole arena getting church started. He even had Salt from Salt and Pepper close the show out with his classic Stomp. We had a great time and now it's back to the regular program praying this energy stays with me this week.

Anything fun happen this weekend on your end?

Target Gets the Books Back in Class

*Disclaimer: This post is a bit late since poor Mac was in the shop*

Did you know that a child that cannot read proficiently by the end of the 3rd grade will more than likely not finish with their education?

Shortly after I accepted the fact that I was having Chunks I got nervous thinking about the fact that I hadn't finished school and would soon have another tuition to think about. I remember looking up 403b accounts and wanting to set up savings accounts before I even knew what I was having. Needless to say, I'm pretty neurotic on the education topic. As a mom you want your child to have the best and a head start at the best, the deeper we get into the Kindergarten search here the more it becomes real that the competition starts very early.

The folks over at our beloved Target get this too and have begun an initiative to get books and libraries into schools who may miss out. I was impressed to learn that through their Target School Library Makeover Program they have built up school libraries donating thousands of books, hardware, software, and technology and giving $15,000 in reading grants. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Target's Director of Community Relations, Reba Dominski who is just as passionate about turning around the education gap in America as we are.

:Source:

Back in June they began a new program giving up to $5,000 more to K-12 programs and are on track to donating $1 billion just for education by 2015. Check out our interview below and be sure to check if a new library could be coming to your child's town!


*GIVEAWAY* Target was generous enough to donate a backpack full of school supplies for one NYStateofMom's lucky reader. All you  have to do to enter is leave a comment telling me what steps you make at home to get your little one in love with reading. 

*This interview opportunity was sponsored by Target, I was not compensated for this post but did receive a backpack for review.*

Randoms

Going out is good for the mom-soul and I'm just now getting it smh.

While I know things happen and life happens I really wish I was a lot further on in my life plan than I am.

I feel hopeful about my path (when I'm not thinking about the previous random).

When I think about the ex I really don't have any bad thoughts or feelings. I think about our good times and fun times and smile, like that day he picked me up from work for a horse and carriage ride through the city just because it was Wednesday.

My prayer life has really picked up and it's rubbing off on Chunks, gotta find a home church.

Don't you hate those people whose home you could just stop by any given day unannounced and their place is spotless and organized?? Who are they paying!?

Should Financial Aid and Kindergarten go hand in hand? Only in NYC

Marian of HauteTravels reminded me how much I want to tour Europe...have to make that happen.

I jot these random ramblings in my My Wonderful Life app, since joining Team iPhone apps are my lifelines.

Who didn't think Uncle Joe (Biden) was going to spank Lying Ryan last night in the VP debates? Twitter is the best place during these events, the commentary is HILARIOUS!
Does anyone else have this many random thoughts on their mind or am I the only one with so many lol?

Weekend Wrap-Barclay Edition

Whew! It was a crazy busy weekend on our end and we're now settling back to our normal routine. It all began for me on Friday, I left Chunks with good ol' PopPop Daycare and my brother and I hoped on the Q to check out Jay and our new Barclays Center. This was my 3rd Jay Z concert and I was still hype more so because it was in our borough and I knew he'd put on a SHOW just because and I thought it was the best way to open up our new stadium. The show was great he really has a roster that could go all night but pulled out his best and Brooklyn hits. We sent it into overtime and I had no voice the next day. Signs of a good night!

The next morning we loaded up the car and got on the road on our way to Boston. Our family out there is huge so every time we get together it's a party! Good food, good music, laughs for days, and catching up. Chunks was in cousin overload and they had a great time. My cousin and I were pregnant at the same time so it was great to get our fellas together and they clicked so well (even throwing fits together).

Sunday it was back on the road for us and back to Brooklyn for us to check out the Harlem Globetrotter's game back at the Barclay. There was a pretty crazy mix up with ticket printing at the box office and some people were left out in line for a while but I chalk it up to a baby stadium working out its kinks everything should be fine by the first Nets game.

We pregamed in the 40/40 Club and got to meet some players while the kids snacked on pretzels. When we finally got our seats The Globetrotters put on a great show and got every one involved. I've never seen them live before but would definitely see them again when Chunks is older.

It was a great weekend for all of us and now well at least I'm back to my regular schedule. Looking forward to a quick week (yea already). Hope you all had a great weekend!

Randoms

So Chunks someone dropped my MacBook! ::heavy sighs:: and after my heart attack I checked and it's still fine but the charger broke off in the side so I'm without a computer until I can make it to the Apple store. But I've found the Blogger app and now I can post on the go! Don't know how I could've missed it. There really is an app for everything.

This week is one of those "I don't want to be here" weeks (here being work) I think my mind is going through beach withdrawal. We've been road tripping all summer but I haven't been away away on vaca since Chunks was a baby. When you're used to going twice a year and then nothing it's a crash.

Did you see the debate last night? I tried but I think it's clear who the brighter one is of the two and he's a little long winded sometimes but my vote is still the same. Bet on Black!

Hey Brooklyn, we got ourselves a new team AND stadium!!! You can feel the pride in our borough right now and Jay Z's been doing his thing since opening night! See you tomorrow!!

Speaking of the Barclay Center the Harlem Globetrotters are christening the court this Sunday. It's still time to get your little ones down to the game and save $7. Use promo code NYSMOM at checkout. Once the Bk Nets take over, those prices will never be the same.

How's everyone's week going? Have you ever been through vaca withdrawal or am I bugging?