New Workplace!

Yet another post due to procrastinating on homework. I promise that it will all be done today! Anyways, definitely going to get back on the track on the topic of me!
This weekend, I'll be getting... a new desk! I know, so exciting, right? (sarcasm) But really, I'm extremely excited to have a fresh work place that will be my own and that I can be extremely productive with. Another thing that I'm excited about is decorating the area, of course! We're going to go shopping on Sunday after church for some cute office supplies. I already have a couple of things, but I would like to share what my desk essentials are with you guys :)

Notebooks. I can't get enough of notebooks. I know that I have so many already and they generally don't get used beyond their first couple of pages. But I love them none the less. I have a couple of Rifle and Co notebooks, some Jonathan Adler, some Mead, etc. I'm not going to lie, I'm probably going to buy some more today. I know that they're basically going to sit there until I really need to use them, but I just can't help it! Maybe I won't buy them because then I know that they won't be going to waste. 

File holders. I have so many various folders with different purposes and it's really hard to keep track of them if I don't know where all of them are! So I decided to get a file holder that will fit everything including some notebooks that I'm using at the same time. I'm so excited to get this cute white folder holder.

Sticky notes or notepads. I love cute sticky notes. I once found the cutest sticky note pad at Target at the dollar section. I wanted to get more, but they never came back :( I also got this other pack of sticky notes that have different purposes. It's all one big pad, but they section off into to-do list sticky notes, or task for the week sticky notes.

Pencil holder. Now, I have a couple of old candle holders that obviously don't have their candle in them, and I like to reuse them to old my pencils. They're much much cheaper than getting an actual pencil holder, and some times, they're much more stylish. 

Pencils. I love basic wooden #2 pencils. I'll probably pick up another pack pretty soon, too. Maybe some cute color pencils. Anyways, I know that it's sometimes inconvenient to have to sharpen your pencil, but at least they look cute!

Cards. Now, I know that a lot of people don't think about this, but I like to keep an assortment of cards. Thank you cards, birthday cards, greeting cards, etc. I also have a box that is monogrammed with my initials, and they're reserved for the fancy kind of events. You never really know when you're going to have to write a card. You also don't have to go out and get them individually, it's much cheaper to just buy a box of them, much like Christmas cards. 

Fake flowers. My favorite flower is the peony. As you may know, it is a seasonal flower. I used to go to the market to get fresh flowers every week or so, but that always adds up, and I don't like near the public market anymore. I found a cute vase with a fake peony at Target, and I think that it just adds a little bit of sophistication to the desk.

Office caddy. Thumbtacks, paper clips, rubber bands. Where to put them all?? I like getting one of those mesh holders that you can get at Target or Walmart to hold all of them. You can also get them at the Container store, too. It's nice to have these things at your disposal and all in one spot. 

Cork board. Having a cork board reminds me of the days that I lived in the dorms. They're fun, but they are honestly very practical. You can hand up reminders, or pictures, etc. I like to keep cute pictures of cards that I've gotten. You may also like dry erase boards which you can also write on while being able to magnetize any notes and such. I'm still debating on which one I should get. 

Skincare Favorites

Although I should be doing homework, I decided to take a moderately small break in between my not so productive day. I need to get on that homework train, fast! 
Today I'm going to be talking about my favorite places to get skin care products and some new discoveries. 

Growing up, I wasn't the best at taking care of my skin. My parents always had pretty clear skin, so they didn't believe in skin care products. I used to be so convinced by every phrase on labels that I would just buy whatever was on the shelf. I have used things from DDF, to L'Oreal, to Purity. I never really found anything effective and I certainly wasn't aware of the ingredients that came with the product. It wasn't until I got into the beauty industry myself that I really found the miracle product for myself.
Before I go any further, I just wanted to let you know that I'm not sponsored by anyone. All opinions are my own. 

One thing that I kind of had a clue about were natural products. This includes having natural ingredients as well as organic ingredients. I started to shy away from the harsh products that were filled with chemicals and started to really focus on finding something in one line that worked for me. I have combination-dry skin. It's oily in the T-zone where it usually is, and dry elsewhere. I remember winter of 2013 being so dry that I would constantly find my skin having flaky patches. Let me tell you, Shea Butter saved me that winter. 
I used a 25% Shea Butter face cream from L'Occitane and I could have sworn that I never looked better in my lifetime. I found it a little heavy for the day time, so I decided to go with their lighter ingredient called Angelica. 

Both of these ingredients are nature's gift to me. I remember looking in the mirror one morning and wondered if that was really me. I still think that to this day and I've been using it for almost 2 years. I started using the Angelica gel cleanser that doesn't strip my skin of its oils and I also use the Shea toner just to give it that extra boost of hydration. Let me tell you, just when I thought that my skin couldn't get any better, I started using that Shea toner and I have go to say that that is the reason why I no longer have to wear foundation. I've always suffered from red skin, and I didn't know that it was because of dehydration. 
One ingredient that is very well known is Hyaluronic acid. It's found in most miracle creams and it also very expensive to produce. I once tried a product with it, and I broke out like crazy. You could see not only flaky patches, but also red bumps all around my face. Now I'm not saying that it isn't for everyone, I've seen lots of success stories with this ingredient, but it wasn't for me. You know what product saved me? That Angelica cream and Shea toner. I will never go back.

Another line that I love would be Burt's Bees. This line is also known to be all natural and some of the products are organic. One product that I love would be the cuticle cream. In addition to having a dry face, I also have very dry hands. I'm not the type of person who clips their cuticles, but I like to keep them hydrated so I can avoid those annoying hangnails. It also comes with a wonderful smell! 

Another thing that I enjoy using is the Yes to Cucumbers! facial wipes. I'm the type of girl who loves to take off their makeup after work so I could relax or take a nap. Who really wants a pillow that's stained with make up? Not this girl. I also often times feel a little gross at the end of the day due to sweat and I just want my makeup off. Yes to Cucumber!'s wipes give me a nice refreshing feel and gets all of the make up off. I also love the refreshing smell, too. They don't leave a grease residue that a lot of other make up wipes leave. I'm also curious about using Simple make up wipes as well, but that will be my next adventure.

I work near a Trader Joe's, and today I stepped into their beauty aisle. I saw quite a few things that I want to try. Right now, I'm using their toothpaste. I'm so boring. Once I run out of my current skin care products, I'm looking forward to trying their products!

That Kitchen Life

It sounds extremely cliche and stereotypical that a woman's favorite room in the house besides their closet is the kitchen. This may be true for some, and it may not for others. But for me, it's completely true. The reason why I love my kitchen so much is because it gives me the ability to create beautiful (and edible) things. I'm not a creative person, and I couldn't make art to save my life. If you put an easel and a paint brush in front of me, I would just sit there for hours just trying to think of something to draw. It's different for me in the kitchen. There are many more tools and it's a lot more satisfying for others since they get to eat, too! 
Growing up, I was spoiled and I never cooked. On occasions like friend's birthdays or parties, I would bake something easy. My dad always cooked, and my mom never did. My dad also cooks for a living, but what I make, could never compare to the art that he does. When I moved out, I was worried that I would be so bad at cooking that I wouldn't ever be able to feed myself. Well, I have to say that I'm doing pretty well. I never really went through my trial and error period, but not every dish turns out perfect. While we eat most of what I make, there are one or two dishes that I end up throwing out. 
The art of cooking has a lot to do with the tools that you have. I don't have too many appliances because I don't have too much counter space, but I try to pick things that can double as others. In this post, I'm going to share what my favorite kitchen tools/appliances are.

1. The KitchenAid mixer.

I got this a couple of days ago for my birthday. It has been one of the best birthday presents that I have ever received by far. We saw this model will walking around Costco (my favorite place to be) and I initially wanted to get it as a reward for doing something good. The retail value was $460, and we got it for $280. The special thing about this Kitchenaid is that it comes with a glass mixing bowl rather than a metal bowl. The glass bowl itself is about $50-60, so that saved me a little bit. I find that with a metal bowl, it's a lot less sturdy and it holds a lot less. The glass bowl also comes with a pouring stout and a handle. I didn't have as many color options with this Kitchenaid. I originally wanted the Tiffany blue colored mixer which could be found at Target, but I'm really glad that I got this one instead. I'm ready to be the next Martha Stewart! Kind of...

2. My slow cooker.

Now, I say that this is a slow cooker because I whenever I think about the words "Crock Pot", I think of the actual brand. I don't have a Crock Pot, just a regular Bella slow cooking that we got for $12 at the Navy Exchange. There are deals for days at that place, let me tell you. I'm not too fancy in terms of slow cookers, I've always wanted one for the basic functions. I don't have a timer on mine, and all there is to it are it's 4 settings including OFF. I never really knew why they got so fancy, if it cooks, then it cooks. I love my slow cooker because I can throw things in and forget about it until it's time for me to take out the food. It also gives the house a nice aroma, too. Chicken is the main thing that I love using my slow cooker for. I just throw in a couple of thighs or breast and set it on low for 8 hours. Next thing you know, it's ready to be shredded. I also love using it for green bean casseroles, too.

3. My electric skillet.

We got this as a Christmas present and I fell in love with it. It's so much easier to use than a skillet on the stove top. It's easy to clean and it dries much quicker. It's also much easier for temperature control since the knob is easily within reach. We love making breakfast because we can place different foods on at the same time and they won't slide everywhere. It also heats up much quicker than our stove top does. 

4. My blender.

I always have these weird cravings for fruit smoothies. I have fruit cravings in general, and I love waking up and making a smoothie in the morning. The only downside to that would be that I wouldn't get my coffee fix so I would sometimes end up with a headache. Other than that, I love smoothies in the morning time. we buy those large bags of frozen fruit at Costco and blend them up with orange juice and some spinach or green smoothie mix. The other thing that I enjoy are all the settings. I can easily mince, chop, whip, ingredients using one blender. Sometimes I even use it as a food processor. 

So there you have it. I also have a list of favorite kitchen accessories that I like to use too, but that will be for another day. 

I do plan on buying a food processor one day, and a meat grinder attachment for the Kitchenaid so we can make our own sausages. I'm excited for more food adventures. 

Introduction!

Bonjour! A little about myself, my name is Amie or you can call me Pie or Amie Pie. I reside in the Pacific Northwest, and I'm a college student studying finance and economics. I apologize if you get addicted to my postings and I slide off the surface of the world for a little bit. I'm a child of God, and I have been in a relationship with God since I was probably 6 or so. I've had some ups and downs throughout our relationship, but it has been renewed.

This blog isn't limited to anything. I would say that it's a lifestyle blog where I talk about fashion, beauty, cooking, God, and other things that I love. I just wanted to put it out there that all post have my own opinion and if I am affiliated with a company, I will let you know. Feel free to ask me any questions, and let's get started.