Stella & Dot: Independent Stylist

Hi all,

I have very recently (yesterday) taken on this little journey that I am excited to share with you all...a Stella & Dot Independent Stylist. I fully admit I did it because I loveddd so many of the pieces that the discount was pretty nice but I am kind of looking forward to seeing if I can make it take off into anything...we shall see.

I had heard of Stella & Dot from Cosmo & a few of the other magazines I read but never really looked into it until my sister in law got me a fabulous piece from there for Christmas. They have so many fabulous things it is kind of ridic and they range from $50 to $200 so there is something for everyone! Please check out all the fabulousness at my website: www.stelladot.com/megschicgems.

Below is a pic of one of my favorite necklaces from them right now, I can not wait to get this piece in the mail.

What do you think?

XOXO,

Meg

Clarisonic Skin Cleansing System - Impressed

Hey all,

I am so super excited to tell you about something I have recently purchased & fallen in love with. I had my eye on one of these for some time and even though it had wonderful, amazing reviews they weren't people I personally knew so of course I was skeptical as to whether or not the reviews were legit; but when the gym I go to, Keep It Tight, posted it as one of their Tight Beauty picks I knew their reviews were legit so I purchased it & holy smokes I am so glad I did! It is a bit expensive but it is an investment...or at least thats what I told myself at the time of ordering it & now that I have it and have used it I have no regrets about that $250. They are all not this expensive but I purchased a limited edition one because part of the proceeds went to breast cancer and I wanted the plus model which is a bit more expensive because it has the special body mode & I thought "well if I am getting one I am getting the best one just in case I want the extra features."

So a little about the Clarisonic first before my thoughts...below are a few things from their website.

Clarisonic developed the sonic technology proven to gently yet effectively loosen dirt and oil to clear your pores. The Sonic Skin Cleansing System uses a patented sonic frequency of more than 300 movements per second to clean, soften and smooth your skin. In just 60 seconds a day, the micro-massage action cleans more than twice as effectively as manual cleansing.

Clarisonic Sonic Cleansing Benefits

• Removes 6x more makeup than manual cleansing
• Leaves skin feeling and looking smoother
• Cleanses so well that products absorb better
• Gentle enough for twice daily use
• Helps reduce oily areas, dry skin patches and blemishes
• Helps reduce the appearance of visible pores

The pricing of these start at $149 and can go up to $250 depending on which model you want & basically the main differences in the models are number of speeds & size of the device as the Mia is a smaller, more travel friendly version. As I said I purchased the limited edition plus system & it is beyond what I thought it would do. After I take off my makeup with my Nuetrogena makeup remover wipes I use this & the brush head is sometimes grey after I use it which really grosses me out....to think I was sleeping at night with all that crap on my face & thinking it was clean. Also, I have had some recent acne issues going on....it seems like when I hit 25 the stuff came out of nowhere & I tried so many things to get it under control but just couldn't; however, when I started using this with the refreshing gel cleanser it instantly improved. The Clarisonic is water proof too so one of my favorite things is I can take it in the shower with me in the morning & not even have to worry if it gets wet. I can not say enough times this thing is AMAZING!

There are three cleansers that Clarisonic offers but you can easily use your own cleanser; however, I fell in love with the refreshing gel cleanser. I also tried the gentle hydro cleanser but because it did not lather I felt like it was not cleaning enough...kinda strange I know but I like to have a more foaming type cleanser. The other cleanser they offer is a nourishing care cleanser but I did not try that one just yet.

So to wrap up my very long rant on this amazing product (because I could go on) I guess I just want to say I HIGHLY recommend this product. I feel like my face is tighter, cleaner, and smoother. Below is a picture of the one I purchased & I think I have a few people on my Christmas list whom I would like to purchase one of these for ;)

XOXO,

Meg

Yoga - Just Like A Therapist

Hey all,

Hope you all are enjoying this wonderful weekend...I know I am...we just got home from Florida and the weather is much cooler than before!! WOOHOOO for leggings, Uggs, & hot, instead of iced, white chocolate mocha's...haha I know getting a bit ahead of myself but ahhhh can't wait!

I want to share something with you all that I am now kind of obsessed with....YOGA!! OMG I am in love with it!! I feel like it is going to see a therapist...when I leave that class I am so refreshed and relaxed...it is AMAZING! I typically do not do a whole lot to "relax" and that is just simply because my mind is always running and running & I can never make it stop. My hubs got me a massage once because I had never had one, I knew better than to try one but I humored him & went because it was a sweet gesture, but sadly I could not relax until about 5 min before it was over and then I was just pissed off that the massage was over so needless to say I haven't had one & wasted $$ on one since. (now it could've been that my first massage was from a man & he started massaging my butt ha but that is besides the point because regardless I don't think I could've emptied my mind) Yoga is something that I urge everyone to try AT LEAST ONCE!! For me I find myself emptying my mind for once and I don't know if it is because I am concentrating on the motions & breathing (which is the point) or what it is that allows me to clear my head but either way I LOVE IT!! At the end I must admit that when they are talking about waking up for the second time of the day & the rebirth is a bit odd to me; however, I think that is because by the end of class when we are supposed to be laying and relaxing I am already back in ME mode and can't make my mind stop but I am sure I will get used to that & after a little more background research on Yoga I am sure I will understand all of it. I have only been taking this for about a month but if I could do it everyday I would!! I am curious to try Pilates which I have heard is just like Yoga but works the core more but then I fear that I will loose my "relaxation" so for now I will keep on taking my Yoga & maybe one day try Pilates because I love trying new things!!

haha here is a picture of me in FL, pretending to practice my Yoga while fishing ;)

Have any of you all tried Yoga, Pilates, or both?? What are your thoughts on the differences?!

XOXO,

Meg

Women's Reebok Zig Pulse Shoes

Alright everyone I am back....please don't beat me up about being a bit MIA, it has been a little nuts ;)

I wanted to share with you all how I was feeling about the new Reebok women's Zig Pulse shoes...I loved, loved the way these looked and for me being a girl of course looks are what always draws me in initially...although I must say as I am getting older (ha 26 now) I am more and more into comfort but have no fear I will not be giving up any hot looking pumps just because they kill my feet....I will gladly continue to wear, hurt, and smile about it knowing they look great..

anyhow...

I was in the market for a "workout" shoe...not a running shoe because I am an Asics girl but did you know that it is not good to workout in your running shoes?! I did not know that a running shoe should be strictly just that so when I found this out I started searching for a "workout" shoe and I first started with a pair of Puma Voltaic's (which I will do a review on later) but those cut funny at my ankles so I sold those babies on Ebay (& lost no $ I might add ;)).

I came across the Reebok Zig's thru a commercial I think or in one of my million magazines that my husband wishes I didn't look at so I wouldn't "want" things but either way I got a pair and I am loving them for these reasons; they just look simply bad ass (or I think so), you can custom make on Reebok's site your very own & individual pair so no one else will have them, they are rather sturdy and very comfortable, and the mesh through the whole shoe allows my foot to really breathe...so on to my only negative although I hate the word negative because it's really not "negative" or a deal breaker but rather not a favorite; they are a bit heavy BUT I think I am saying this because I have been spoiled by the lightweight of my Asics running shoes. I wear these for a Bikini Bootcamp class and there is a lot of running/cardio involved & I just feel like they are a bit more heavy on my feet than I would like but as I said it is no deal breaker as I still will keep rocking these & I am probably getting an even better workout with a heavier shoe right?!

One last thing I want to mention that I am a little worried about with these is after reading several reviews about these A LOT of people said that their mesh, which is most of the upper part of the shoe, just started ripping or developing holes...now I have not experienced this yet thank goodness but it does concern me as I am wearing them to Zumba, bootcamp, biking, and out and about so my feet are definitely moving in odd positions and putting them to the test of durability so I will let you know if this happens to me as I have only had them about a month. If this does happen you can call Reebok and they will exchange them although I am not sure I would want the same shoe if it fell apart the first time but I think they have since made the mesh part a little different now than on the original ones so we shall see what happens!

This is a picture of a custom pair I created one night on the website because I couldn't sleep....gotta love pink & green!!!

XOXO,

Meg

Making Changes...STay Tuned!

Hey everyone,

Just a quick update....I know I have not been the "model blogger" but I am trying to make some changes and figure out how to work everything on here. This blog was supposed to be more about my life with a few rants in between but it did not get started that way so I am reinventing it....please stay tuned & if anyone has any help on how to add picture collages to the top of the page or any small helpful hints I would appreciate it because apparently I am not very good at figuring this out....ha easy to use my butt!

XOXO

Meg

ROAD BLOCK...UGH!! Nike Women's Marathon Training!

Hi y'all,

I have been really, really, (did I mention really already?) struggling with my training for the Nike Women's Marathon coming up in October and I just feel as though I have reached this road block I can not push through....HELP! I have mostly been training indoors (which always sucks) because it has been so frickin' hot out but I just feel like even indoors I am struggling even more than normal...ugh I am so frustrated. On top of that it does not help that every time I tell someone I am training for the Nike Women's marathon in San Francisco their eyes grow huge & they say, "WOW with those hills...good luck," ha geeee thanks for making me feel even more like it will be a disaster.....anyways I was looking so forward to this marathon because for one it is in San Fran & I HAVE NEVER BEEN & for two the finishers metal is a Tiffany & Co. custom necklace & for those that know me know that I am a Tiffanyaholic so this sucker was made for me but with all the negative crap going on in my head I don't know how to push forward. I know that they say training is harder than the actual race but crap what do you do when you have two more months of the crazy training? I know I probably sound like a whining baby to most & I don't want to believe me but nothing is working. I have added new music to my Ipod, I get lots of encouragement & pep talks from my hubbs, and nothing seems to work & at the end of the day I start questioning whether I am a runner or should I pick a new sport lol. Have you all ever experienced this? Am I nuts? What do I do about it? Any help is much appreciated!! :)

XOXO,

Meg

Sam Edelman Sutton Over The Knee Boots...HOT, HOT!

So I have to do a quick rant on a new purchase that I have wanted and wanted but NEVER thought I could wear because I have and will always have cheerleader/volleyball legs....anyhow my fabulous husband had gotten me this leopard bag from the Nordstrom anniversary sale (because I had mentioned it) but when I got it in the mail it was poorly made & looked cheap so one night we decided to do a din date & return it. When my hubby ran to the restroom I decided to do a quick inventory of the shoe department, especially since it was SALE time, & I saw these fabulous Sam Edelman Sutton over the knee boots and I thought to myself, "what the hell I am going to try them on & get it out of my system." They were regularly $299.95 and they were on sale for $199.90 which made them all the more appealing before I even put them on. So the guy brought out an 8 & a 9 & I thought for sure I would need the 8.5 that they were sold out of but NO I fit perfectly in the 9's and needless to say they are now nice & snug in my closet. ;) When I put them on & was walking around I heard someone behind me say, "those are interesting, but hot," hehe & it was my love so I knew they were a go in his book but I still was a little unsure as I felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Women. Anyhow, I continued to walk around a bit & got a few awesome comments from some other women shopping so I then felt a little less hookerish & more stylish so I decided they were a must have. These boots are a pull on style with a partial zip closure and the heel height is approx. 3.5 which is actually a fairly comfortable height for me anyway. I didn't think I would be so excited for slightly cooler weather to get here but I am ready to rock these babies out! What do you think, good purchase?! What new trends are you all excited to rock??

XOXO

Meg