blogging

February 12, 2019

The Reason You Are So Unique

Hey you!  Did you know? Our bodies are freakishly DIFFERENT.  There’s no better time to bring up homo sapien’s than the launch of my new website, right?? For any new visitors, and previous ones, this will be an excellent reminder & something to keep in your back pocket when reading any post I write.

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December 6, 2018

The Perks Of Social Media

One thing I don’t understand? Mean people on social media.  The entire act of saying something horrible through a social media outlet, especially to someone you don’t know, is one of my biggest mysteries.  If only I could meet someone who does that & figure them out…

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June 12, 2018

Sunscreen & Spray Tans

If you follow my Instagram Stories you may be wondering why I never touched the topic of my extremely dark spray tan I got for a wedding a few weeks ago.  Eeeeeeek.  When I say I have no fear w a fake tan I mean it.  Here’s a little update on sunscreens & spray tans, because – SUMMER.

Let’s start with something we can all agree on: Sun Protection.

I think it’s pretty obvious that using some kind of sunscreen is important.  It’s 2018.  We’re smart.  We know.  Whether it be for your face, your entire body, every day, at the pool, or everywhere – sunscreen is happening.  I also think we’re learning what types of sunscreens we should be wearing & when.

I choose to wear sunscreen often, but not all the time.  I don’t know if any product is safe enough to wear all over our bodies, every single minute, of every day.  But I try to be conscious & cautious by picking out better sunscreens & knowing when to wear them.

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May 29, 2018

Why Hello Lovely Charlottesville Virginia

Charlottesville, Virginia started out as something I booked for a wedding, but it turned into a place that I can’t wait to go back & visit.  Similar to my thoughts on Washington DC, I think I hit it at the right time – the spring weather had everything lush & colorful.

When we were on our drive to the hotel we kept staring at the bushes & trees that were so full of color they looked fake.  The blonde in me wanted to wait for Wafiq to ask: “Is that real?”.  Ha!  Thank God he actually did ask, because I literally didn’t believe some of the bushes & trees were real w how pigmented the colors were!  It looked like spray painted plants.  I was relieved to know I wasn’t the only one.

{I’m originally from Minnesota, & I feel like people that visit at the right time would say the same thing about Minnesota.  These beautiful states that go through 4 seasons have their sweet spots & if you visit at just the right time, you’ll want to go back year after year. But this ain’t about MN}

The rolling green hills, the lush & colorful plants + trees, the cute places to shop, the delicate dining options – I was all about it.  Wafiq & felt so relaxed & just happy.  We quickly noticed the slogan Virginia is For Lovers & it’s no wonder as to why.  So chill, pretty, lovely, + unexpected.

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March 22, 2018

A Peek At My “Allergy Attack”

If you follow my Instagram account you’ll know I experienced an allergy attack (aka Anaphylactic Shock) a week & a half ago.  I don’t use that horrible technical term because I WILL FREAK OUT –  so I’ve been calling this incident an allergy attack & I’m sticking to it.

I was eating at a restaurant downtown.  My first meal of the day, & on the way back to the car we stopped in a little boutique shop.  I started feeling my stomach cramp, ran outside, my ears started itching, decided to go home to get an allergy medicine, but on the way to the car noticed my throat hurt & I started coughing.  When I got to the car my eyes, tongue, and face were swelling fast.   Then my feet started itching & full body hives.  I knew that was bad & different from my regular allergies. We rushed to the urgent room – 4 min away according to the GPS.  And I was injected with EpiPen.    From the first symptom to the EpiPen, was probably 10 minutes.  So that’s fucking scary.

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February 14, 2018

Valentine’s Day When You’re in a Relationship

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

This is my favorite holiday because it’s all about LOVE & being kind.  Take the extra step to be thoughtful to everyone around you, ultimately that’s what Valentines Day should be about.

I tend to support single people during Valentines Day, because I think they bitch the most?  Like, I’ll stay in with my bottle of wine & The Notebook & cry myself to sleep style.  BUT this time I’m coming after people in a relationship.  Because, when you’re in a relationship for a long time, little gestures can get lost & Valentines Day can end up feeling dumb?  Single people – you’re GOOD on Valentines Day. The possibilities are endless, I used to love this holiday when I was single, read this post: HERE.

You know the CRAZY part about being in a relationship?  The amount of time you’re choosing to give someone besides yourself.  When you spend every day with someone, sleeping next to them, waking up next to them, making decisions with them, creating a family with them, living with them – in a way, you’re choosing to dedicate your life to them.  Think about it.  Because if you recall, we only have ONE life.  How intense is that?

I started thinking about this because I often hear people bitch about their significant other.  Often times joking, sometimes serious.  This typically happens after a few years together, right?  The fucking dishes, the annoying friend, the job.  At my age, it’s typically deciding about taking the step to marriage, or once in a marriage it’s about the pile of other conflicting situations that come up. But at the end of the day, we have one life.  When we’re in a long relationship,  we’re choosing to lay down next to the same person every day, for years & years.  We’re giving our lives to each other.  I can’t think of anything more significant than that, in our entire lives.  Or anyone more important to get along with.   Your kids will come, but they’ll also go create a family.  Your own family will do the same.  Your friends will come & go… But damn, that one “person” you lay down next to every night will be laying down next to you forever.  They’ll be there when people come, and they’ll be there next to you when everyone goes.

What a commitment. And what a journey.

That makes me realize bitching & moaning about little things is pointless.  Worrying about small annoyances shouldn’t matter.  Let it go, let it go.  We should be gentle with our partners, we’re giving them a humongous part of our one life. You know what I mean?

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February 9, 2018

Furniture Shopping & 5 Tips To Stay Out Of Debt While Doing It

Let’s not pretend furniture shopping is affordable.  I was fooled into believing I could go buy unique furniture pieces that I loved for reasonable prices due to the fairytale that is: INSTAGRAM.   On my last move I knew it was time to be an adult & purchase my own furniture.  It appears as though everyone else can easily make their home pristine so I should be able to too!  Well well well, little did I know you had to be a multi-millionaire to purchase new, quality, unique furniture that you actually liked.

I don’t know how it works across the world, but that’s how it works in America.

Who would have thought 1 single, basic dinning chair would be $500?  Not me.  I have a new appreciation for fully furnished homes, & Ikea.

Needless to say, I’m glad most of my major furniture shopping is done because it was a fucking gut punch & took a lot of time.  I’m here to help, even if you didn’t know you needed it, you do.  The new furniture experience will hit you someday too.

The perk to badass new furniture?  How your home will make you feel.  The energy can change dramatically when you have furniture that you love – trust me.  After redoing my bedroom, I realized everything else had to change as well.  As painful as furniture shopping is, it’s worth it.

5 Tips For {Affordable} Furniture Shopping

1.  Look For Sales
Yes, furniture goes on sale.  And even then, it’ll be sickening to pay for, but a sale can make it manageable.  I have a Pottery Barn Outlet close to my house & I went OFTEN.  One lucky day that I stopped in the store, all sale pieces happened to be an additional 40% off.  I ended up getting one of my comfy, white sofas for $100!  That’s fucking insane pricing btw.  Try shopping for a badass sofa & you’ll feel me.  So pay attention to sales & outlet furniture stores, that was as close to finding a gold mine as I can imagine.

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February 2, 2018

10 Favorite Things From 2017

Better late then never sharing all my favorite things of 2017.  We shall call this a mix up, because why limit ourselves to one category of favorites?  These products were not all created in 2017, rather things I used through 2017.   Weird but true, I typically don’t like something right when I get it.  I put it down.  Stare at it.  And on one random day pick it up & use it consistently after that… or throw it out.

CHANEL Soleil Tan De Chanel

The obvious.  Bronze anything will make my list, just be happy I’m not talking about my at home spray tan.  I try not to wear a lot of makeup most days & bronzer is one of the few products I need daily.  I ditched powder bronzer most of the year for this cream bronzer.  I take a medium sized brush & blend it on my cheekbones to look alive everyday.  Because it’s creamy I don’t feel like it drys me out & I like how it blends into my skin.  I’ve had this one jar of bronzer for 45 years, used it every single day & am just now at the point where I need to repurchase.

ColourPop Echo Park Satin Lip

I’ve had this lip color for a long time & used it almost every day in 2017.  I realized using a natural color on your lips, even without anything else on your face, makes you look like you’re trying.  It’s such a cheat to looking ready, that or a nice lip gloss.  (My fav: here)  This one in particular keeps my lips super moisturized which is hard to do, and doesn’t rub off in 1 mili second.  I put the smallest amount on my lips in the morning after I apply chapstick, and then use my finger to smudge it around.  Au naturel.

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January 25, 2018

The ONLY Knives You’ll Ever Need

Well here’s a little known fact about myself to chipper you up on your Thursday – I prefer/can only write a blog post when I’m listening to the Kygo station on Pandora.  It has that perfect mix of vocals & instrumentals, inspiring me to get my deepest words out to the world!  It can also take a turn for the worst & get me too emo, when I go back & read posts I can always tell. Ha!

TODAY is one of the best days for you guys because I’m forcing you to listen to me rave about these fucking incredible knives that I’ve ONLY cut my fingers on ONE time.  And that may or may not been because I was under the influence.. of something other than wine.

ALL HAIL IKEA $2 KNIVES!

I’ve tried other knife sets & knives from different companies that claim they have the baddest, bestest, sharpest knives in the world!  Not because I’ve owned many of them, but because I’ve gone to other homes & asked to use their knives.  And as predicted, they fucking suck!  They either have to be sharpened, be polished, or go through some other bull shit procedure in order to cut a tomato… BUT THESE IKEA BEAUTIES REQUIRE NOTHING BUT LOVE.  And they slice through a tomato like butter!  Are they the prettiest knives with their bright yellow & red handles?  Depends if you like ketchup & mustard.  I have no shame, I proudly set them at the table, especially with guests over.  I’ve thrown out the other prettier knives Wafiq inherited, no more pretending Ikea knives aren’t the only things in our kitchen that matter.

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January 16, 2018

Missbassmaster Favorite Posts of 2017

For anyone that hasn’t had a chance to read my old posts, below are a few of my favorites from 2017!  Enjoy!
Dating A Muslim Immigrant… During The “Muslim Ban”
Tis a sign of the times…  I love this post because, Wafiq.  What an interesting time it was.  We happened to just be finishing our own immigration journey during this time & learned TONS of immigration info we never knew before.  Which I think is why we were super comfortable.  Even though people were freaking out.  I remember we were happy, lucky & together 🙂

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January 15, 2018

DUBAI! Top 5 Pieces to Pack.

There are 3 questions I get asked all the time: how I was treated as a woman in the middle east, did I feel safe AND “did you have to cover up the whole time”.

I hope I’ve done a good job clarifying, go to this post to see my answers to all 3 of those questions if you haven’t already.  (We went to the public beach on this trip & there were girls in thong bikinis & topless tanning, so I think people are comfortable doing whatever they please.)

For me, I wanted to fit in.  I wanted to act like I’ve been there before & I know what the fuck I’m doing.  There’s something powerful in that.  Also, for any destination, isn’t it fun to fit in?  Wear what they wear.  I think it makes you appear well traveled, like you know what you’re doing in you life.  So that was my goal this trip.  I stuck to coverage.  When I was living there, I pushed this boundary w my cut off shorts & dresses all the time, because I was bored of being covered & it was HOT AF.  Being that I was just visiting, I had a different approach this time.

The theme:  BLACK BLACK BLACK.  If this is the color of your wardrobe, you’re in luck!  I like bright colors, florals, sparkles, drama – so I had to go shopping.  An abaya & burka are black, so that’s the colors you’ll see a lot of when you’re out.  I asked someone why black?  Why not beautiful colors + design on the abaya?  I was told the original purpose of the abaya was to avoid attention.  Bright florals & colors will do the opposite, drawing attention to the people wearing them.  So black is the theme!

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January 11, 2018

Two Years Later – Visiting Dubai!

The saying “time flies when you’re having fun” is terrible & true isn’t it?  I remember miserable days/years in different jobs, & man did time drag.  But, of course, when you’re having fun & enjoying all the parts of your life, time goes quick!  So, would you rather a boring yet long life or short yet exciting life? Ha!  Nothing like that awful question to wake you up on a Thursday morning.

I’m back from Dubai! Long story short, it was fun & it went fast.  Which in this case is better than the alternative.

Everyone that followed along on my Instagram Stories, thank you! That was fun to create.  If you missed it, I left a lot of the stories in my “highlights” section.  Click on my Instagram profile & right below the bio you’ll see the circle for Dubai & Bahrain with the stories while I was there.

If you’ve been reading for awhile you likely know this trip was a big step for me.  Last time I was in Dubai I left in a rush & didn’t exactly leave every relationship in it’s best place.  And that feeling strengthened even while I was back in the States, especially when Wafiq decided he was going to stay & begin the immigration process.  Needless to say my relationships weren’t in tip top shape across the pond.

Last year, I decided to skip the trip Wafiq took home for that very reason,  I wasn’t ready to walk back into my past OR the lions den.

This year I was ready.  Wafiq & I are both comfortable & confident in the choices we’ve made in the past & knowing we’re in control of the choices were going to make in the future – I felt like there was nothing to fear anymore.  No judgment or conversation or threat or whatever was going to hurt me.  And I don’t mean to paint the picture as if everyone was going to do just that, but when you’re struggling & feeling weak & not confident with yourself – it’s hard to defend decisions in front of anyone.  And we lived in that space for awhile so I had to protect myself.  But this time I was ready.

Right when we arrived, I felt like I was living in Dubai yesterday, but better.  And more comfortable.   Everyone was excited to see us.  The first days were filled with food.  Family. Friends. Kids.  And Food.  I definitely did not have a chance to pick up my phone & document anything.  But because those first days were easy, I immediately knew the rest of the trip would be too.

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