Decorating for Thanksgiving

My work week begins tonight, so I spent last night doing crafty things and decorating for fall. Yes, fall. I guess really more like Thanksgiving, if you want to get technical. I have many friends who have already decorated for Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas. But I feel like the time between asking strangers for candy and telling Santa about all the things you want is quite overlooked. 

And there's so much to be thankful for… Friends & family. Football is in full swing (although I wish my Sooners would play). NBA is revving up. Starbucks has red cups. I got to go to Zumba last night. And then tried out some Ballet Beautiful. Edy's has there slow churned egg nog ice cream out. It's appropriate to wear sweaters, boots & scarves. And I know there are many, many other things…but I've been awake since 11 AM yesterday… 

So, decorating for Thanksgiving. I obviously hit up Pinterest for some inspiration. I checked out Hobby Lobby, but they literally have like 1/2 an aisle for fall. The rest is Christmas. I knew I wanted to get a couple candlestick things to set little pumpkins on. There were a couple I liked at Hobby Lobby, but even 1/2 off, they were $15-$20/each. I found these at a thrift store for $2:

Ugly as all get out, but paint can do a lot of things.

And, of course, there were no little pumpkins left at Hobby Lobby. I found these at home. Apples & pears are fall-ish fruits, right? I got some supplies to make a banner for the mantel. I already had paint & twine at home!

Ta-da! I would like to possibly add some colorful ribbon between the letters, but this will do for this year. I made a template in Pages and traced around it on the burlap. Cut out the pieces. Stenciled on the letters. Hot glued the twine on back. It's really handy having a reclaimed piano thingy as a mantel because it has these knobs that made it super easy to attach the banner. 

I don't really know how I feel about scarecrows, but this guy was another $2 thrift store find…so, why not?

Here's the whole picture. I'd like to add something to the wreath (next year). The milk can at the bottom is a family heirloom, filled with wheat from the family farm. Score. 

And then there's, Tom. I grabbed him for under $9 during Scentsy's Monster Monday Sale. You can grab yourself one by clicking here! 

Now, I should really go sleep before heading into work this evening. Hope everyone has a Happy Hump Day!

Light It Up! Scentsy Convention

I have been exited about this year's Scentsy convention since it was announced last year!  The excitement wasn't so much about Vegas itself--I don't gamble or stay up very late--it was the fact that Celine Dion is back performing at Caesar's Palace (I think just until sometime this month).  So I flew in to Vegas on Wednesday of last week, made some new friends, and hit up the opening session and parties for convention.  Thursday started off great with Donnie & Marie Osmond, and got better and better with the announcements about all the new Scentsy Fragrance products, not to mention a whole NEW BRAND: Grace Adele.  That evening, I went to the strip with some people and we walked around and watched the water show at Bellagio.  That's pretty cool.  (What's not cool is the large blister I got on the bottom of my foot that now appears to have a pus pocket.  Yeah, grosses me out too.)  During Friday's sessions, we heard a couple of pretty great speakers: The Barefoot Executive and Dewitt Jones.  Scentsy wrapped things up at awards night with comedian Mac King and a Colbie Caillat concert.  Saturday, I got to sleep in a little.  Then I moved my stuff from the Riviera across the street to Circus Circus, walked to the monorail station at LVH and went to the strip.  It's very different there during the day!  I wanted to go back and grab lunch for my mom (she flew in around noon on Saturday) and me from Pink's World Famous Hotdog Stand.  Apparently, it's been on the Travel Channel and such...I just wanted to go because it's called "Pink's."  By the time I got back to Circus Circus I had walked about 4 miles and was starving.  My mom had just gotten there, so we ate and then it was time to check-in.  I was very glad when we got up to the room and I was able to take my shoes off.  That didn't last very long though because my mom wanted to go to the Adventure Dome.  Seriously.  Then she decided we were going to ride the roller coaster.  Adrenaline junkie.  At last, it was time to get ready for the CELINE DION CONCERT!!!  I have been a fan since 2nd grade.  Mom was generous enough to get me tickets for my birthday in January and fly up to see the concert with me.  IT. WAS. AMAZING.  Celine actually sounds better live than recorded.  Incredible.  I'm so glad I got to experience her concert!  Enough chit chat.  Here are the pictures:

NEW PRODUCTS (I'll just share my favorites!)

Thursday night on the Strip

Colbie Caillat concert at awards night

The BIG event of the week!

It was lots and lots of fun!  My one travel tip would be to plan on a bus pass, unless your hotel actually has a monorail stop.  Also, you should see Celine.  That is all.

Couponing for Hope!

One of my Scentsy sisters recently contacted me and asked if I would feature a special fundraiser on my blog.  Obviously, I said, "Yes!" because here I am, blogging.  (I must take time for a quick side note to highlight one of the reasons I love Scentsy: we help each other out!  I'm very thankful for my Scentsy family and the way everyone is so willing to provide support to one another, whether or not it has anything to do with Scentsy.)  Okay, back to the point.  I would like to invite you to attend the "Couponing for Hope" event in Broken Arrow, OK on August 7, 2012.  This is why you should go:

"Have you ever wondered why those people carry those crazy binders into stores?

Do people really get stuff for FREE by using coupons?

Are there really coupons for stuff I use?

Come learn the answers to these questions and more!  Learn how to cut your grocery bill DRAMATICALLY following a few simple tips.

ALL PROCEEDS from this event will go directly to a mission trip that will be supporting Giving Hope Haiti and Room for Grace.  These Haitian missions support terminally ill children and adoptable orphans in Montrious, Haiti."

This is a really great cause!  I would encourage you to go, if possible.  It will benefit you and many people in Haiti.  If you cannot go, you can still donate!  Just send your donation through PayPal to "iluvkiddos@hotmail.com".  I know that your thoughts and prayers for this effort would also be appreciated! 

     

Spring Sprint 2012

Last Saturday, I go to enjoy a day of Scentsy training and product reveals at Spring Sprint.  It was very exciting, as I got some free product and got a look (and sniff) of what's to come in the Spring/Summer catalog.  I took a few pictures to share with you:

The new plug-ins: Bumblebee, Damsel, Lacewing (The Wings Collection), and Fizz (matches one of Scentsy's full-size warmers).  I like Fizz, but the others aren't my favorite.  They're very cute and playful, but I generally do not like bug-type things.

Baby Scentsy Buddies! These are SO cute.  Totally adorable.  They are 7" tall when seated, as opposed to the original Scentsy Buddies that are 9" tall when seated.  They will be $20 (includes one Scent Pak).

Three of the fondue warmers that will be a part of the Velata brand, due to launch May 1st.  There will be four premium Belgium chocolates: white, milk, dark, and milk-caramel.   

Five of the new full-size warmers (from left-to-right, top-to-bottom): Claremont, Montauk, Barista, Windsor, and Bride.  I absolutely love how simple, yet sophisticated these are...especially Barista and Bride (they're my favorites!).  They're all very neutral in color too, except for Montauk.  Great additions!

How great are these new mid-size warmers?!  Daphne is very chic, and makes me wish I had something green that it would go with.  Tiara is PINK with little rhinestones--love it.  Contenta is very neutral with a crackle design.

More new full-size warmers.  I REALLY like the blue one in the back-left, Armerina.  Unfortunately, it goes with NOTHING at my place.  Ashbury (center) is, I guess, eclectic...I like it.  Citron (lower-left) is a pretty antiqued-yellow (the picture makes it look a little brighter then I think it really is).  Verdigris (back-right) is kind of a bluish-greenish-greyish color.  Flutterby (lower-right) is a pretty green, but I find butterflies to be extremely annoying.  Flutterby also happens to be the "warmer of the month" for February; it's available now for $31.50 (10% off).

On the left is January's warmer of the month, Valentine.  I'm not a fan, but I'm not a cutesy Valentine's day kind of person.  It's available to order now for $31.50 (10% off).  On the right is the new charitable cause warmer, Heartfelt.  This, I like.  It's a very pretty deep red with hearts on all sides.  For every Heartfelt warmer sold, $5 will be donated to the American Heart Association.

The new Silhouette collection!  The warmer with one wrap will be $40.  Additional wraps are only $12!  From left-to-right: Linden, Lili, and Loom.  These are very neutral, simple, yet styling!

 

 

Along with these new products, some great new scents will be coming out! My favorites are in bold:

• Lonicera (honeysuckle nectar, amber & patchouli)
• Simply Strawberry (strawberry with hints of green vine & tart seeds)
• Tingelo (tangelo, lemon, apricot & lychee berry)
• Two Harbors (Meyer lemon, lime, vanilla & amber)
• Yuzu Dragon (guava, honeyed nectarine, dragon fruit & yuzu)
• Lemon Coconut Chiffon (lemon custard, butter cake, toasted coconut)
• Zeppelin (citrus, sage, sandalwood & vetiver)
• RU N2 Me (pink pepper, deep woods & bright cassis)
• Awakening (white peach, vanilla, pineapple & amber)
• Enliven (wild orchid, currant, soft fruits & coconut milk)

Returning Spring/Summer scents are Beach, Cherry Limeade, Honey, Do!, Jumpin' Jelly Bean, Lilacs & Violets, Lush Gardenia, Mums & Marigolds, Red Candy Apple, Sugar, and Surfer Chick.  Midnight Fig, Linger, and Pixie will also be continued through the Spring/Summer catalog season.

Scentsy has well expanded their Scent Pak line, so now you have 44 to choose from (15 new)!  In addition, the Fragrance Foam line has added 8 scents.  Don't forget!  Sincerely Scent AND Layers by Scentsy will also be available March 1st.  March will be a great month for parties and fundraisers, so holler at me!  Also, if you'd like to receive the NEW Spring/Summer 2012 catalog, message me your address at chicscentsibility@gmail.com.

{NEW} 2012

Somewhere along the road, someone decided that January 1st would be like a reset button--a chance to start over, try something new, be better, etc.  (Yeah, I know it's the 20th, but I didn't have resolutions on the 1st.  Also, blogging is way better than writing care plans.)  Generally, I've made it a point not to make New Year's Resolutions.  Maybe it's because I don't generally like cliches, or because most "resolutions" are never kept.  With that said, I think I will just call them goals.  I like goals.  I believe that to achieve goals, you have to be very specific.  It's great to have a goal, but how are you going to get there and what's your time frame?  

For example, say you want to start working out to be in better shape.  

• What workout are you planning to do?  
• When will you workout?  
• How fast do you want to see results? (within reason, of course)
• Why do you want to be fit? (motivation is key)

For your sake, I will save you the details on how I plan to reach my goals.  (Okay, I may not have thought these ALL the way through...yet.)  Here's my list (in no particular order):

• Spend more quiet time with God.  This is a big one for me.  It's kind of sad that I will religiously dedicate 30 minutes to Jillian Michaels or an hour plus to Tony Horton EVERYDAY, but I can't be still enough to even just spend 5 minutes alone with Him.
• Spend more time with my friends.  Sounds simple, right?  You should see my schedule.
• Keep up the exercising and also try to eat better.  I mean, I don't eat terribly, but I have a weak spot for baked goods.
• Continue to pass my classes.  Maybe actually study for real.
• Do something crazy--unexpected.
• SCENTSY...more parties, more recruits, more customers, more fundraisers... I love the opportunity I have with Scentsy to meet new people and have fun selling products that I'm a fan of.  Really, I have gotten to know several great ladies that I wouldn't have known otherwise!
• Stop hating my alarm clock...everyday is a NEW DAY, a fresh start, a second chance.
• Be more consistent with blogging!

I think that pretty much sums it up.  And now it's on my blog...so I better do it!  I hope you all enjoyed reading something a little different from me.  I'm going to try to work in more reflection-type posts among the recipes, Scentsy, and workouts.  Make sure to come back tomorrow for a sneak peek at some pretty fabulous Scentsy news!      

Insider Scentsy Tip

For quite some time, Scentsy has been trying to avoid a price increase on their warmers.  However, the cost of materials and manufacturing have gone up too much.  Scentsy is addressing the issue in a fair way: warmers that cost more to manufacture will cost more than those that are more easily produced.  Starting September 1st, Scentsy will introduce a "premium" warmer line for full-size and mid-size warmers that take extra time, materials, and care to produce.  The adorable, first three-piece warmer, "Cupcake" will be upgraded to a premium warmer.  This month, it is $22.50, but it will go up to $30.  If you have been thinking about getting a warmer, now is definitely the time to do it...especially if it's going to be in the new premium line!  Here is a complete list:

Mid-size warmers: ABCs, Cupcake, and the Nursery Collection


Full-size warmers: The Imperial Collection, Baby's Breath, Bamboo Trail, Casbah, Celtic Love Knot, Cherry Blossom, Dotty, Fossil Fern, Heavenly, Heirloom, Margot, Nature's Heaven, Paws, Pinecone, Star Spangled, Wrangler, and Yukon

All of these warmers, plus some NEW ones will be $5 more than a standard mid-size or full-size warmer.  However, they are 10% OFF this month (as is most everything else)!  Please feel free to holler at me if you're interested or have questions about the new pricing.   www.catchic.scentsy.us

Oh, I KNOW you were wondering about this...just kidding.  I have discovered that our dog Teddy is a Scentsy fan too.  How do I know this?  I let her sniff my samples with me.  Her favorite is Happy Birthday.  She doesn't like Just Breathe at all, and she's intrigued by Vanilla Cream.  Also, she really likes "Penny the Pig," one of the buddies.  It's pretty entertaining to see her reacting to all the scents!  So begins my campaign to sell Scentsy to dogs...just kidding. 

I think I'm going to check-out for the night because I need to get to grouting bright and early in the morning.  What are you doing this weekend?  

Chicken & Asparagus Crepes

Today I made Bobby's Lighter Chicken and Asparagus Crepes--a little something I found on Paul Deen's website.  I cooked the chicken in the skillet ahead of time because I knew things would be a little crazy this evening.  I used a little salt, pepper, oregano, sage, and garlic for flavor because, you know, I don't like "chicken" taste.  It was a milestone for me to cook chunks of chicken, though I made them very small...(I prefer it shredded...something about eating chunks of meat grosses me out.)  Anyways, with that done, everything came together quite simply.  The recipe says to steam fresh asparagus, but I took the liberty of using the Pictsweet frozen steam-in-a-bag asparagus because it's quicker.  WARNING before you look at the picture: I couldn't get it to come out of the baking dish in "crepe form" so it's more like a pile.  Yes, I sprayed the baking dish, but crepes are very thin...very thin.  It was still totally delicious!

Sorry for the posting delay...we even had dinner early tonight!  However, I hurried along to meet up with a great friend who is thinking about joining my Scentsy team!  Exciting stuff!  Seriously, I just got back because we were having so much fun talking about it and smelling testers.  Right now is a really cool time to sign-up too!  There's no monthly sales requirement, you get fall/winter AND spring/summer catalogs and testers, and you have lots of time to rack up points for a trip to the Dominican Republic!  Does it take a lot of work?  That depends on your goals.  Is it fun?  Obviously!  

Okay, that's my Scentsy soapbox for the day... I've got a crazy day tomorrow...well, like everyday, but maybe especially tomorrow.  Have a good night! 

STAMPEDE!

After a few very exciting (and exhausting) days, I am back from "Stampede," Scentsy's 2011 Convention.  Oh. My. Goodness.  I have so much exciting news, I don't even know where to begin!  We spent the first evening hanging out at the Stockyards, and enjoyed concerts by Gloriana and Clint Black (okay, country is not my thing, but Gloriana was decent).  The second day, we got to here Connie Podesta speak; she is great.  We also got a bunch of FREEBIES!  On Friday, we heard speeches from John C. Maxwell (good speech, not my favorite presentation), Shawn Achor (reminds me of Ryan P. on the "Bachelorette"), and three Scentsy consultants.  Friday evening was awards night, and we found out where the incentive trip and next year's convention will be....THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC and VEGAS, respectively.  Now, how about some pictures?

This group, "Vocal Trash," provided entertainment between speeches on Friday.

Orville & Heidi Thompson, the wonderful CEO and President of Scentsy.  Really, you NEED to hear their story!

Comedian Anita Renfroe at the Awards Ceremony.  Hilarious.

Does your executive team look like this?  I didn't think so! I love Scentsy :)

Three of the new warmers that will be released on September 1, 2011.

The special "Stampede" warmer along with a bar of the new "Weathered Leather."

Returning and NEW scents for the Fall/Winter 2011 Catalog.

Two NEW Scentsy Buddies AND a charitable cause Buddy.

The NEW "Heroes" line! Thanks to our fire fighters and police officers!

A couple new unique warmers, "Flint" and "Shale"

Now it's easier to see if your favorite scent is available in a Travel Tin, Fragrance Foam, or Scent Pak.

NEW Scentsy solid perfume!  It's amazing!

It is a very exciting time as a Scentsy consultant!  Scentsy is a dynamic company with three important values: authenticity, generosity, and simplicity.  Scentsy believes in giving back more than you take.  I feel blessed to be a part of such a company!  Now is a great time to join, too.  No, I'm not just saying that.  I'm serious.  Seriously.  For just $99 (wonderful start-up kit included) you can have your own business and work on YOUR terms.  Whatever the reason may be... Maybe you're in college, like me, and can't have a "normal" job because of classes.  Perhaps, you want to be a stay-at-home mom.  Maybe you are a stay at home mom, but want some extra cash.  My favorite reason?  You want to be able to give back more!  Joining now will get you off to a great start with the busiest season right around the corner!  Plus, you will have plenty of time to earn an all-inclusive trip to the Dominican Republic.  Best of all, Orville and Heidi announced at convention that it's going to be easier than ever before to remain an active consultant!  Also, you know you want to be livin' it up in VEGAS next year!  Seriously, contact me if you are interested at all!  I'd love to talk with you!    

Don't forget that most of Scentsy's Spring/Summer 2011 catalog is 10% OFF this month!  Who doesn't love a SALE?  Make sure to stock up on retiring favorites before they're gone too!  Go online or holler at me!   

Well, I need to workout and get tomorrow's lunch in the crock-pot!  Have a great night!