Books: Is Gone Girl Worth Reading?

I had the pleasure of reading four different books on my vacation, which I call a win. However, I read all of those books within the first week because we literally did nothing but wait for the rest of our people to arrive so that we didn't experience anything without them. 

In hindsight this was a bad plan.

However, much reading ensued. 

I picked up Gone Girl because I read a quick review by The Hollywood Housewife about it and was intrigued enough to give it a go.

I will follow her lead and tell you absolutely nothing about the book itself because it truly is best to not know one single thing about it before you go into reading it.

What I will talk about is how it made me feel.

I got into the book very quickly. I couldn't put it down. I was reading it everywhere. Any time I could sneak in a few clicks of my Nook it was on. I was obsessed. I had to know what. happened. next. 

Outside of that, I was pissed about it. About it all. The characters were so good that I didn't like any of them. Not a one. They were all so flawed. There was no hero. It was painful and uncomfortable at times in the best way. I'd get SO MAD at the characters that I would stomp away from my Nook and then be back minutes later, because I couldn't stop.

Then, once I got to the end, I was just.......in awe. I sat back and told Bryan that I hated the book. I did. I hated how the book ended but there was absolutely no way for it to end any differently. A different ending would have ruined the entire thing.

If you've read it.. what did you think? If you haven't, pick it up. It's good.



Do you have a Nook? Let's lend each other books. Email me at crazyembrace at gmail dot com. 

PSA: Real Techniques Brushes 50% off!

Hi! Real Techniques doesn't know me, but I know them! I love their affordable make-up brushes, and while stalking Reddit, I saw that someone posted a discount code for 50% off! Use Phame50 to stock up on brushes! Spend $50 and get free shipping. 

If you are new to Real Techniques but need new brushes, I can recommend the Core Collection and the Starter Set. I have both of these sets and I love them! The Core Collection includes a detailer brush, pointed foundation brush, buffing brush and contour brush and the Starter Set includes a base shadow brush, deluxe crease brush, accent brush, fine liner brush and the brow brush. 

With this sale, I picked up two of the Real Techniques miracle complexion sponge (which I have heard amazing things about) the blush brush, lash-brow groomer (I got this because of the metal bristles, I really want to try out Wayne Goss' tip for applying mascara) a kabuki brush, another starter set, a foundation brush, a powder brush, two shading brushes and another core collection set. 

A lot of my brushes are the E.L.F. brushes which are totally acceptable, but most of them are really old, and I'm ready to invest a little bit more into my collection so this is a great place to start! 

I'm sure MANY of you have some old brushes hanging about - now is a good time to trade up! 

Enjoy!

Follow Me: To Dinner in Waikiki!

Aloha, Internet! I've been away on vacation in Hawaii and it's been a whirlwind for sure. We leave next Wednesday and I've taken loads of pictures and even did a Follow Me: To Dinner in Waikiki video! I'd like to incorporate a bit more video into the ol' blog, so I thought this would be a cool way to do it. I'm definitely a novice so we'll see how it goes.

Enjoy!

Jillian Michaels is a Crazy Chick

I mentioned yesterday that I did 15 minutes of one of Jillian Michael's workouts. I wanted to elaborate on that.

I incorrectly stated that I did 15 minutes of a 45 minute workout when I actually did 15 minutes of a 40 minute workout. So instead of only doing one-third of a workout I completed almost half.

I want credit for that, Internet.

Anyways, so today, I could not walk. I literally was so sore. FROM 15 MINUTES. Ya'll. I'm that weird fat girl that when I bend down to pick up my child or something of the floor, or even just to sit and YES, even when I got to the bathroom, I moan and I start panicking, screaming in my head "Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, I'm going to fall! My legs are going to give out! AHHHHHH."

I've come to the conclusion that Jillian Michaels is a heinous torturous beast.

I've also come to the conclusion that that is what I get for getting fat.

Bring it on, Jillian. Do your worst. Cause I ain't afraid to turn yo' video off after 15 minutes. What.

Since I literally could not move today, I'm going to try to make it to 20 minutes tomorrow.

Or at least 16.

PS. I stream this off of Amazon Prime but it's older so if you are looking for a quick workout that is going to rip your body apart, get this. It's cheap. kthanksbye.

Things I Accomplished Today

1. Got out of bed (Yes. It's an accomplishment.)
2. Remembered to take my Fitbit off the charger and put it on my wrist.
3. Did hair and makeup
4. Got to work on time
5. Worked a busy, eight hour day.
6. Ate the lunch I packed for myself the night before (that I forgot at home and Bryan brought for me....Whoops.)
7. Got home and rested.
8. Got up and did 15 minutes of a Jillian Michaels workout... 15 minutes of a 45 minute work out.
9. Laid on the floor and thought I was going to die.
10. Didn't die.
11. Made dinner for Shepherd.
12. Had 1/3 cup of plain cheerios with milk for dinner.
13. Pondered my existence.
14. Calculated how many calories a peanut butter and jelly sandwich has.
15. Calculated how many calories an ice cream drumstick has.
16. Decided not to eat peanut butter sandwich or an ice cream drumstick
17. Cried inside.
18. Gave Shepherd a bath, lotioned him up and gave him a little massage. (He loved it.)
19. Put Shepherd to bed after many, many kisses.
20. Wrote this blog.

Whew. I'm tired.

PS - My husband Bryan and his band will be on KMPH Fox 26 tomorrow morning at 7:30AM if you're local, tune in and check them out!

21. Plugged husband on blog. ;)

Fitbit Group for Hanford/Lemoore Area

I did it.

Yup. I've been thinking about it for a while so I started a group on the Fitbit site for the Hanford and Lemoore area!

If you have a Fitbit, join the discussion, encourage other people to be active and get encouragement from others.

Hanford and Lemoore California Fitbit Group

Make it happen, Captain.

Styling Denise

I am by no means a style expert. I would actually say that I am the exact opposite. I do not "style" my clothing. I throw on whatever happens to be available, I rarely match but it works for me. I guess that is my style. Lately though, I've been thinking more about it. With Bryan's album coming out soon and my journey with weightloss, I've been trying to figure out what to wear and how to wear it. I also have to reconcile the fact that sometimes what I love, fashion wise, is not exactly something I can wear. It doesn't "fit" me as a person or my personality in general.

Denise, from The Lovely Bohemian, and I were chatting about this exact topic and she came up with a brilliant idea! She suggested we do a collaborative blog post styling each other. I loved the idea (as intimidating as it is!) and we jumped on in.

We settled on doing three detailed looks.

Denise's Style

This category is to show an outfit that I think Denise would pick out herself and wear. I chose this dress from Free People. Denise is really into the gypsy, bohemian style of clothing and the first place I went to was Free People. They have so many different dresses I could have chosen that I think Denise would wear, but this one really grabbed my attention. I love the high neckline with that drop in the back. It's slightly tailored which fits Denise's frame. It's comfortable and perfect for a day at the beach or to go thrifting in. I also love that it would show off her shoulder tattoo - it's of birds and says 'It is well with my soul.' It's so pretty!

This outfit doesn't need much to be styled. I could see Denise putting her hair in a side pony tail with really natural make up, just like this look from Elizabeth Olsen. Really effortless but totally gorgeous. 

As for accessories, I kept it simple with these shoes from Free People and these earrings from Etsy for a subtle pop of color. I thought this ring, also from Etsy, provided a nice touch to the whole look..  

Since we are being uber detailed, I thought using these NCLA nail wraps in Summer of Love would just tie everything together really nicely:

Denise's Natural Look

This was tough for me. I feel like you can interpret Denise's natural look a few ways. She definitely is a big sweetie-pie. We all know that there is the Girl Next Door type, but I think she falls into more of the Guy's Best Friend category. She'll talk and be friends with pretty much anyone. She loves to laugh and joke around. She's just the right mix of girly and tomboy. I decided to go with a really casual outfit.  

A nice printed t-shirt from gypsywarrior.com, Express skinny cropped pants and a comfortable pair of sandals from Rockport that are bright blue! Denise loves colorful things, so pairing this outfit with bright accessories was the way to go. That's why I chose these three pieces from Forever 21. I skipped a necklace in favor of a handchain, then added a ring and earrings to complement the whole look. 

She typically doesn't wear anything on the wrists, but I think the subtle femininity of a handchain would suit her and overall, this look is comfortable and effortless. It could take her anywhere. Adding curled hair and natural makeup (like on the Express model below) would complete the look and would be perfect for a casual coffee date or shopping in Venice! 

For the manicure, keeping it simple and clean would be perfect. Like this but with gold accents: 

Megan's Choice

This category is all about ME! What I think would look good on Denise, maybe that would push her outside her comfort zones - literally! Denise is all about comfort and going with the flow. I wanted to create a look that was a little bit more glam and a lot more retro girly.

So I chose the 1950s housewife. Think Madmen. 

This is WAY outside of Denise's comfort zone, but I totally think she could pull it off. 

I started with this Green dress from Modcloth. With this dress, I definitely see her hair up, which is perfect because she'd have to wear these gold earrings, also from Modcloth, to set off that dress. For shoes, I decided to stick with Modcloth and grab these gold, sparkly heels. Keeping hair simple and makeup fresh and a tad smokey like Jennifer Lawrence, the look would be completed.

Oops, I lied. I like to think that every prim and proper 1950s housewife had a little wild-side that was saved only for the husband. I believe these because the 1950s were all about undergarments, so I had to include one. Embarrassing for Denise, but I wouldn't be true to myself if I didn't include it. Can't have a 50s outfit without it. This one is from agentprovocateur.com.

For the manicure, I would try to do a little bit of contrast or maybe incorporate all the colors? This nail art is so pretty! 

That's all folks! Let me know what you think about my outfits. Be kind...remember, I've never done this before! Did I get anything really wrong? Then head over to Denise's blog to read about the outfits she picked for me!