Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Christmas time!

So I make a lot of excuses for not posting as much as a I should, etc. etc. Well here we go. No more excuses. I'm going to be back and correctly tend this blog!

So let's recap this past weekend. It was Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Thanksgiving was nice. It usually is though. I've never had a "bad one" and this year was no exception. I love my family and friends dearly and love an excuse to dress nicer than usual and eat and see them.

The more surprising occurrence this weekend was how everyone in the tri-county area decided to go out and spend spend spend. Don't get me wrong. I work in retail and people spending money is great job security for me, but this was unlike anything I've ever seen before. I will also say that all of the displays, sales and Christmas music is certainly getting me in the holiday spirit. Furthermore, there is even snow already. How can you fight the Christmas spirit with all that going on? I can't wait for Christmas. Never mind that I become like a little kid about Christmas, I can't wait! The whole month of December is always the most enjoyable whirlwind of a month. It doesn't get better. Now all I need is for Rudolph to come onto TV and I'm set.

Further putting me in the holiday spirit is that I get a whole Saturday off next week (see retail jobs consuming souls in December for further explanation). On my wonderful day off, I'm lucky enough to be going downtown to Love Park in Philadelphia to see the Christmas Village. Life is good. Hopefully I'll have some wonderful pictures of Christmas all around to share.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Influenster Site Makeover!!

Check it out here: Influenster

This is a great site to be a part of. You get sent VoxBoxes and are able to review the products and let people know what you really think of the items! Not only that, but Influenster now lets you review everything! It's a great way to spread the word about things and companies you love. It's also now a wonderful forum where you can ask questions or share your knowledge with other people!

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

I'm glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.

"I'm glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." - L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Truer words have never been said. Although October is apparently one of the busiest months of the year for me, I love every second of it. It is just refreshing to feel the weather cool down and the leaves change color. It's a beautiful time of year here. It really is.

I adore all events of the fall as well. I've been lucky enough to go apple picking for the first time ever this year and I also did a haunted hayride, etc. It's been good. Baking in the fall is also my favorite. It's an excuse to slip pumpkin into as many foods as possible..and I LOVE it. In fact, not only have I been baking all sorts of muffins, I even tried my hand at ones shaped like pumpkins:

Not only this, but there are tons of birthdays to celebrate with some of my favorite people this month. Between all of these wonderful people and Halloween, this month is by far one of the most fun and memorable ones of the year for me. Stayed tunes for pictures of costumes, baked goods and happy people to follow.

Friday, October 12, 2012

working girl...strikes back

working girl...strikes back by manda553 featuring a cable knit cardigan

Clare Tough cable knit cardigan
$455 - net-a-porter.com

SEXY STRETCH BRA CAMI
express.com

Ripped jeans
quizclothing.co.uk

Impo stretch boots
dsw.com

Effy Collection freshwater pearl necklace
lordandtaylor.com

SCOOP-NECK TANK at Express
express.com

Welikefashion.com Tanktop Beauty
$45 - welikefashion.com

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

I'm engaged!

As I've been writing about how well I am doing with things and how pleased I have been regarding my resolutions, etc. some more great happenings came my way. My wonderful boyfriend, who I have mentioned once or twice before, proposed. Now he's my wonderful fiance! I couldn't be happier or feel luckier.

Stay posted since now wedding ideas and all of those lovely things will be popping up!

Monday, September 24, 2012

Fall Nails

Last week, I did something that I rarely do. I actually took a step back from my life and surveyed how I was doing with my New Years resolutions. Self reflection...crazy concept right? I realized that I was doing pretty well on almost all fronts. I have been working diligently to pay off my bills and use down the stashes of make-up, body lotion, perfume and candles I have. Yes, these are my hoards...I like things that smell nice. So sue me. I had also lost weight. I had stuck with another resolution, which rarely yields results. The one I had been failing miserably at, however, was "stop biting my nails." So in a last stitch effort to keep my resolutions I had created for myself, I took a trip to the nail salon and I got a set of acrylic tips put on. These physically prohibit me from biting my nails...perfect.

I opted for a fall color and rather than go choose one from the salon that I may or may not be enthralled with, I brought my own color. It turned out the be the perfect color for fall. Spinning Again by Essie from their Fall 2012 collection is perfect for this time of year.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Unofficially Fall

Well folks, it's past Labor Day. Summer is over. And while I will certainly miss it, I'm ready for fall. I've already had a pumpkin spice latte and it was bliss. I've got an arsenal of "thin girl" clothes that I am ready to wear along with loads of other fall wear including cardigans, boots and jackets...oh my.

This weekend was also the most lovely that I can recall. I was lucky enough to have 2 days of absolutely no real plans. Plus a bonus day, today, Monday(even though I had work in the evening). I was lucky enough to spend lots of time with my lovely boyfriend, as well as some time with family and friends. I'm gearing up for more fall activities and I'm beyond excited. The first I'll be partaking in is the Mushroom Festival; and while it may sound weird, I love it and think it's incredibly fun. Find out more about it here: Kennett Square Mushroom Festival!

That aside, I've also got this incredibly relaxed and peaceful feeling going into this fall. This is the first fall since I was a toddler that I will not be facing school. It's a wonderful feeling. I'm even planning to enjoy my free time. This is a whole new feeling for me; entirely new. I've never really had free time in the fall before. On another "big-girl" note, I'm also feeling incredibly accomplished. My credit cards are almost all completely paid off. The reason they are so high from the get-go is thanks to college, but thankfully I'm almost done paying for that.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Revived Outlook

Well, life got the better of me yet again. During my last post, I was fortunate enough to be sitting in the lovely town of Duck, North Carolina and basking in the southern sun. Upon coming back home, I think life just became crazier than I would have ever anticipated and I'm just now beginning to settle back into things. As always, pockets of my life remain something of a disaster zone, while I've been conquering other small areas of my life.

Maybe it's because of the seasons changing soon and the anticipation of fall and all of the things I love about it, but I'm feeling optimistic about life in general. Most importantly, I cannot wait to wear fall clothes! I love everything about all that fall allows me to wear. Boots, coats, sweaters, leggings, leather. All of it just brings sheer joy to me. Other things I cannot wait to wear (though these are more of a winter item) are my new boats I just ordered. They're the first pair of Uggs that I have ever bought. I figure go big or go home.

Ugg Heirloom Lace Up in apricot

Either way, I think the fall has a lot to offer and I'm feeling quite inspired by it. Stay tuned. I feel this fall will be full of DIY and photographic evidence.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Southern Living

So I'm writing this post with the most lovely change of scenery possible. I'm currently sitting in the Ship's watch of our house in the Outer Banks and looking at both the sound and the ocean. Life doesn't get any better than this. As I'm sitting here with my coffee and thinking of what to write, I just want to ramble on and on about how gorgeous it is down here, but no one really cares about that without pictures...and I forgot my camera.

Life is good though, I'm working a bit from down here, which I don't even mind given the views from my "office" and my tan is steadily getting darker. I've bought some lovely new things that I didn't really need, but that's also okay. A splurge here and there never killed anyone, did it?

Regardless, life down here IS lovely and far less stressful than anything else I know. Today's planned activities include going out to lunch and then one or two wine tastings in the afternoon and maybe some beach or pool time. I'm sure I'll have more to write later, but til then, enjoy your day!

Monday, July 2, 2012

So close.

All I can say is that this summer has been shaping up to be nothing short of wonderful. I've been lucky enough to see my great friends and family and enjoy this summer to the fullest that I can. Do I work a bit more than I would like to? Sure, but that's life. Isn't it?

I finally feel relaxed and somewhat on the track I feel I am supposed to be on. Everything is slowly getting accomplished. I also know these posts may seem repetitive, but I need to keep writing them to reinforce to myself that I am in fact on track. I feel like my never-ending struggle to get things organized is slowly starting to come to an end. The final organization is near. Thank god. This past week, I managed to conquer both of my closets and the tip of the laundry iceberg. I even found a home for all of my shoes. I just need to move them into it. It's scary...the thought of being organized. I'm afraid I won't know what to do with myself once I don't have that goal looming over my head.

That being said, I cannot wait to get free time back. I have all of these incredibly dorky things that I would love to occupy myself with. I miss reading. I miss scrapbooking. I want to try about 1 million things I've found on Pinterest. Amazingly enough, I have a sneaking suspicion that I will be able to do some of this before the end of the summer too! Updates to come. I swear someday, you'll get pictures of everything...once it's fabulous.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Routine Change

So as I woke up this morning, I came to a conclusion. I don't know that my current routine is working for me. I'm not talking about the wonderful people in my life, or the things I do with my time, but rather how I spend my time. I feel like if I woke up early in the day and had a more relaxed morning instead of the hectic ones that I currently have, life would generally run in a much smoother fashion. I've never been a morning person, but I would love to work on making myself more of one. I definitely think it could improve my mood in the morning and I just feel like it might be good to give a try.

This is my endeavor for the rest of the summer...to become a morning person (and of course get my life organized or close to it). By the end of the summer, I want to be closer to living a normal life for a 25-year old woman. I feel like right now, I am not, but I would love to change this..so that is my mission.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Nostalgia of Summers Past

Do you ever wake up and think, "Oh my god, what happened to me?" From time to time, I think that, but this is an occurrence saved solely for the summer. I think of what my summers used to be when I was younger and it was amazing. I used to wake up and play outside, whether it be from rope swings hanging from trees at the top of my grandparents' hill or just going to the local swim club. Life was good.

This whole sense of nostalgia was brought on by a couple of pictures of me feeding a horse at Linvilla Orchards and my old Shark Watch and swimmer's badge to use the high dive at the swim club. These few choice items summed up years and years of happiness and fun under the summer sun.

Not only was I lucky enough to have a great day-to-day life during the summer, but I was also lucky enough to go on vacation to the Outer Banks in north Carolina for a week or two each summer.

Now, each weekend, I struggle to get to the pool for an hour or two in the late afternoon after work. Life is very different, but I feel like soon, it will have to pay off. I love my life now and am incredibly happy with it. The only pitfall I seem to be able to find is my lack of free time during the daylight hours. Hopefully soon, I'll be getting a bit of that too. Happy Summer.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Craigslist Mogul

Well, the title pretty much says it all today. I have officially sold something on Craig's List and it feels extremely gratifying. I recently was given a new bedroom set and was daunted with the task of deciding what to do with the old one. Simple. Sell it. Get rid of something you don't need and get some money in the process. I didn't even want the money at first, I just wanted to give my old bedroom set a loving home. (My mom had bought it for me while I was in high school, so I just wanted to turn the money over to her since she was the original purchaser.)

The end result is that my old bedroom set has new owner as of tomorrow in all of its teenage-girl glory. It's white wicker....it has two possible homes - a beach house or a teenage girl's room. I'm glad it found its destiny. Even better yet, when I told my mom I was giving the money back to her, she insisted on giving me half of it. So now I can attempt to get things back to normal and I have some extra money this month. Not too bad.

I'll admit, I'll miss the bedroom set, but, the new one I have makes it much easier to say goodbye. Once life is back to normal, you can see the new digs. Til then, say goodbye to the old. (Also, those pictures where you attempt to sell your furniture and make it seem as impersonal as possible are incredibly depressing. Wouldn't you agree?)

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Girl Down

So just hours after I posted that last picture of my freshly manicured feet, I may or may not have sprained my ankle. (Spoiler alert: I may HAVE.) So, my hot pink toes had a cankle to accompany them. I may sound like a wuss, but an ankle sprain hurts apparently. Who would have thought? I tried toughing it out, but then to be safe, went to a doctor and had some x-rays done. It was a sprain and I am now the proud owner of a air cast and a new gel ice pack.

Otherwise, life has been full of small victories. I have officially cleaned out and organized my office area. I have a desk and bookcase that are all in order and properly decorated. It's a good feeling. I even was able to include a touch of decor and personal style. Pictures will follow at a later date. Now to tackle the rest of my life. I think the goal may be to complete the bedroom followed by the closet. I think I have a sickness though. No one should have this many clothes (and still always think he/she needs more). Pictures of my life once it's assembled will occur and you will be shocked it's someplace I inhabit.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Positive Outlook

Throughout the past year, a lot of things have just been rough to put it simply. I feel like I'm constantly struggling to balance work and personal life, and struggling with time management at large. Suddenly, I am beginning to feel more optimistic about life, however. I am determined to get my room painted, master the art of gardening, lay on the beach and at large..enjoy the summer ahead of me. I'm not sure why this sudden feeling of resolve has come over me, but I think it's definitely for the better. It may have something to do with my new haircut and the fact that I did a little at-home pedicure this morning. Little things like that make life more tolerable.

All that considered, I really think I am getting control of my life. It's only by a modest amount, but I'm getting ahead on all of my bills and barring my student loan debt, I should be in the clear by the end of the year if not sooner. I'm also seriously streamlining my life. I will always have an abundance of pretty things and clothes because as materialistic as it may be, I just enjoy life more that way. This is what interests me. Fashion, collectibles, jewelry. I will always be a consumer. I still am giving away huge amounts to Purple Heart, however, and also selling some things at a garage sale. I'm just attempting to buy more carefully now. I'm much more critical of things before I make a purchase now. Just because something is a good deal, doesn't mean I need to have it.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Dr. Scholl's For Her Ball of Foot Cushions Review

The review: This is a great product. As a girl who frequently wears heels, I loved seeing that I got to try out this product. And they worked so well! I wear heels all the time and sometimes, it's a bit hard on my feet. After slipping these into my shoes, they felt great though! It made my shoes so much more comfortable. I'm definitely going to grab a few more sets of these for my other shoes too.

The website: http://www.drscholls.com/drscholls/products/ForHerBallofFootCushions.jspa

Product Info:

Dr. Scholl's^® For HerBall of Foot Cushions

Created uniquely for women's shoes, the slim design of Dr. Scholl's^®For Her Ball of Foot Cushions prevents your feet from sliding forward, so you avoid “toe scrunch”. Plus, they fit comfortably and discreetly in both open- and closed-toe shoes.

Andddd if you go to their website, there's even a $2 coupon for you!

Also worth mentioning is that I was lucky enough to receive this product complimentary to test through Influenster's VoxBox program!

Sally Hansen Salon Effects

The Review: This is a great product if you don't have the time or funds to go to the salon! This give s you effects like you were just at the salon, but for a fraction of the price! Not only that, but this product provides a variety of styles even more impressive than if you went to a salon. Some of the patterns/designs offered are simply awesome!

The website: http://www.sallyhansen.com/

The Product Info:

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips

Don't Get Stuck With a Sticker!

Nothing feels or wears like real nail polish. Now Sally makes it easy to get Salon Effects anytime, any place using real nail polish – with no dry time! Don’t settle for plastic imitations that peel off. We’re the real thing. Just peel, apply & file! Learn more at www.sallyhansen.com

No dry time

Lasts up to 10 days
Removes easily with nail polish remover

40 must-have styles

Where to Buy

Available at chain drug stores, food stores and mass merchandisers nationally.

Suggested Retail Price: $9.99

Also worth Mentioning: I was lucky enough to receive this product complimentary to test through Influenster's VoxBox program!

Sheer Cover Duo Concealer

The review: This is a fabulous concealer duo that I recently got to try out! I am not one of the lucky ones who was blessed with a great complexion, but with a little help from Sheer Cover Duo Concealer, no one else has to see that now. This product provides great coverage and is super light-weight and does not have any of that caked on feeling you sometimes get with make-up. This provides a lightweight, clean feeling coverage and minimizes most skin imperfections! I love it!

website: http://www.sheercover.com

Also worth mentioning is that I was lucky enough to receive this product complimentary to test through Influenster's VoxBox Program!

Bath & Body Works Fine Fragrance Mist

The review: I absolutely love this product! I was lucky enough to get the Bath and Body Works Fine Fragrance Mist in Japanese Cherry Blossom, which happens to be one pf my favorite fragrances. I love how it is a light airy fragrance that is noticeable, while not being overpowering. I travel around a lot for work, so I keep mine in my handbag or briefcase so I can always just give myself a few extra sprays to freshen up on the go.

The website: http://www.bathandbodyworks.com

Product Info:

Bath and Body Works Fragrance Mist

NEW Fine Fragrance Mist Collection!

Fine fragrance in a mist as light as air. Discover a better, more delicate fragrance experience in over 20 Signature fragrances. It’s love at first mist! Exclusively at Bath & Body Works.

The Fine Fragrance Mist Collection:
-          Be Enchanted™
-          White Citrus
-          Cherry Blossom
-          Coconut Lime Breeze
-          Into The Wild™
-          Dark Kiss™
-          Black Amethyst™
-          Sensual Amber™
-          Midnight Pomegranate®
-          Carried Away™
-          Forever Sunshine™
-          Secret Wonderland™
-          Black Raspberry Vanilla
-          Pink Chiffon
-          Paris Amour
-          Twilight Woods™
-          Sweet Pea®
-          Moonlight Path®
-          Japanese Cherry Blossom
-          Country Chic™
-          Warm Vanilla Sugar®
-          Sea Island Cotton®

Where to Buy:

You can find Bath and Body Works products at a registered retail store near you!

Suggest retail price of the Fine Fragrance Mists: $14.00

Also to be noted: I was lucky enough to receive this product complimentary to test through Influenster's VoXVob program!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Spring Beauty VoxBox has arrived!!

So my long-awaited Spring Beauty VoxBox has come. It's also chock-full-o-goodies that I will be reviewing as I use them. (I haven't had a chance to just yet.) Some of the goodies inside include Bath and Body Works fragrance mist in their Japanese Cherry Blossom fragrance, Dr. Scholl's ball of foot cushions, Sally Hanson Salon Effects, Sheer Cover concealer, Chapstick Lipshield 365, Aveeno Naturals bodywash and a Soy Joy bar in Strawberry.

I'm super excited to try all my products and can't wait to let all of you know how much I love them. Also worth mentioning here is that all of these products I received complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. So thanks!

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Quarter Life Crisis....or Something Like That

So I'm now coming to terms with being 25. My birthday passed on May 5 and I'm another year older. My birthday was fantastic this year. Arguably one of the best I've had in a long time. My boyfriend, Ben, is a wonderful person and threw me a Kentucky Derby themed party since for the first time that I can recall my birthday and the Derby were the same day. Not only did he throw me a great party and do it right (100s of puff pastries and delicious, homemade mint juleps being some of the highlights), but everyone else really floored me too. A few of my friends even went as far as to travel from out of state for my birthday. I was genuinely touched and taken aback by how much people did for me and as trite as it may seem, I really and truly appreciated. The fact that I have such wonderful people in my life who are willing to do so much for me means more to me than I can really express. So thanks again to everyone for being so awesome.

In addition to that, I'm also realizing that 25 is a busy year for me apparently. I'm still feeling positive about it, regardless of that. I'm determined that it's going to be a good year. If nothing else, 24 had so many rough patches, I'm not sure it could get much worse. So I'm keeping busy and it's a chaotic mix of work and pleasure, but it's working for me. That being said, I'm feeling positive about a lot of things. I'm sticking with the my diet and am creeping up on 30 pounds lost, which is pretty huge. In addition to that, I'm escaping everything and leaving for North Carolina this weekend. I'm beyond excited for this.

I'll admit two places where I am failing miserably, however. The first one being posting in this blog. I've gone from almost daily entries to almost monthly entries. Eek. The second area of my life where I fail miserably is laundry. I have so much of it that needs to be done. Someone help me. Please.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Distracted.

The title of this blog embodies my life lately. From the aspect that I've been forgetting about the blog well to every other aspect of my life as well. I admit I am getting things accomplished; however, the sequencing and follow-through are both seriously lacking. A key example of this is lack of focus is that I have been trying to create this post since Friday and we're now at Monday, technically Tuesday. I'm now trying to gain some aim back. Here's hoping tonight will slow me down and make me a bit less frantic.

Despite my frenetic pace, life is pretty good right now and if I must say, I'm loving spring and all that awaits. I always claim I dislike spring, but the bottom line is that is a bit of a lie. I love gardening and flowers and well all of that "super-girly stuff" that is associated with the season. That being said, I'm excited for my garden this year. I already have a full-blown arugala forest growing since unbeknownst to me, it comes back in more than full-force annually. I just started some seedlings for pumpkins which will hopefully take much better than last year's. I'm also trying my hand at some new things like garlic and asparagus along with all of the old stand-by's. I'm also trying my hand at two of those upside-down tomato planters and a raised flower bed. There will be my lovely herb garden that I plan to use to its fullest this year as well. Go me. Pictures to follow.

In addition to the outside getting its annual spring overhaul, the inside is getting a total make-over as well. All of the furniture is being re-arranged and there is paint going on the walls. Finally. I'm actually extremely horrified with myself. The color paint that spoke to me most in the store was called "Practical Beige." To its credit, I think it's a very nice color, however, the name is absolutely cringe-worthy. It's the epitome of plain and the color is actually not that bad. Regardless, I felt like a geriatric buying the paint. Also worth noting is that it was 40% off, so it only ran me $24 to repaint my whole bedroom. Score.

I also admit that I need to find a way to jazz up my blog, or at least the posts. I think this will come with time, I'm not totally new at this, but my time-devotion has been lacking. I promise folks, these WILL get better. My posts have to.

Friday, April 6, 2012

almost easter.

almost easter. by manda553 featuring a lace tank

Bailey 44 lace tank
$93 - stylebop.com

Cardigan
$28 - kohls.com

Slim fit jeans
$52 - lordandtaylor.com

Aldo Brue leather ballet flat
$150 - yoox.com

Effy Collection cultured freshwater pearl necklace
$225 - lordandtaylor.com

Flower ring
$39 - jcpenney.com

Dorothy Perkins brooch
$2 - dorothyperkins.com

Hair accessory
£1.99 - attitudeclothing.co.uk

Antiques on Old Plank Road - Stunning Original Paint Antique French 4...
antiquesonoldplankroad.1stdibs.com

Heart Herz Weide offen z.H. ca.25x21cm
depot-online.com

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Feeling Hopeful

So as I frequently write, I'm stressing out about things and grabbing for any small victory I can find. Today, as I'm writing, I actually have a victory or two to relay. The first is that I have officially lost 21 pounds. That's right! This is huge for me, not to mention incredibly gratifying. I feel in control of my weight and I can truly say that my whole way of eating has altered. Now, I just need to muster up some way of getting myself to exercise and I feel I could really start losing weight. Eating better will only get me so far and I completely realize this. In addition to succeeding with weight loss, I am also reclaiming large portions of my wardrobe. This is super exciting.

getting warm again

getting warm again by manda553 featuring a cuff bangle

Joseph slimming pants
$220 - stylebop.com

Kate Spade pearl chain necklace
$448 - couture.zappos.com

Philippe Audibert cuff bangle
£184 - farfetch.com

Rose ring
$39 - jcpenney.com

Dorothy Perkins brooch
$2 - dorothyperkins.com

Hair accessory
£1.99 - attitudeclothing.co.uk

Antiques on Old Plank Road - Stunning Original Paint Antique French 4...
antiquesonoldplankroad.1stdibs.com

Heart Herz Weide offen z.H. ca.25x21cm
depot-online.com

Monday, March 26, 2012

Neglectful

So despite what it may appear, I do remember I have this blog, even if I rarely post on it. I admit I've been completely preoccupied with my life and the fact that warm weather WAS rolling in. I was totally immersed in Spring Fever and then bam...slapped in the face with 40 degree weather. What is this craziness? All the flowers are in bloom and I was completely ready to wear only floral prints and bright neons and pastels. I even had cracked out my sandals and had a water ice. All this taken away from me and replaced with the threat of a frost. I'm not coping well. Dangling the promise of warm weather in front of me and then just taking it right away from me is simply cruel. The end.
That being said, I am beyond ecstatic with the promise of warm weather on the horizon. I'm totally on board for shedding all the extra layers of clothing and getting into spring and summer wear. I love clothes for all seasons, don't get me wrong, but I love the feel of the warm sun on my skin the most and let's be honest. You don't get that in the winter. This summer has one more thing on the horizon that I am looking forward to and that's a swimming pool. This summer, I'll actually be able to use one for both tanning and exercise and this idea thrills me. I love pools and have not had lots of encounters in recent years. A whole summer with access to one will be blissful. Not only that, but with the weight loss that's been going on....well it just makes it all a lot more enjoyable. I'm not totally dreading my bathing suit. I'm only mildly terrified now. It's a step in the right direction. Really.