6 Things I've Learned From CSI and Law & Order

I have an unhealthy obsession with crime shows. Currently binge watching CSI and Law & Order: SVU. I feel like I've learned so much through these shows. Here's a short list of a few lessons I've learned.  And I have a feeling there will be more lists coming soon.

1- Apparently you can murder someone and not spend your entire life in prison.
Don't worry your pretty little heads I would never kill anyone, the thought never crosses my mind but apparently the consequences aren't as severe as you are made to believe when growing up. I was made to think that if you killed someone you would either get the death penalty or spend your entire life in prison. In these shows depending on the circumstances and your priors you can do only a few years or get out on probation. Many an episode is about a released convict who goes back to their bad ways. How are these "f-ers" getting out?

2- It's easy to get away with murder.
No murder weapon? No body? Hard to put someone away under those circumstances. Of course the CSIs always find a way but it's with crazy testing which I've learned a lot of "that testing" doesn't even exist in real life. Study these shows and how criminals get away before committing your next crime. Joking...I'm joking...

3- Never let anyone in your home.
Don't just open the door without looking at who is out there. So many times on these shows the victim just opens the door without seeing who is out there. People will just open the door for someone with a black mask (because they didn't look) or perps are often dressed as utility workers or even cops. Talk to all these folks through the door until you without a doubt can be sure they are who they say.

4- When attacked, scratch and yank the hair out of that "mo-fo."
If I am murdered that son of a "b" is going to prison. I'm getting their DNA under my nails and having hair chunks in my hand all ready for the CSIs.

5- Never stop for the "dead" or injured body in the middle of the road in the middle of nowhere.
This trick has been used by criminals on several shows. They lay in the middle of the road and the unsuspecting housewife gets out of the car to see if the "victim" is alright and next thing they know they are the ones being abducted or carjacked at gunpoint. Call the cops but don't investigate yourself.

6- When you have the upper hand, make sure your attacker is down for the count.
This is referring to those victims who manage to get free, grab a pip or whatever and hit their attacker who then falls to the ground. The victims almost always make the biggest mistake here and just run. NOOO!! Finish the f-in job once they are down keep hitting them with that pipe until you know they aren't getting up for a very long time if not ever. If you don't they'll be back on their feet in seconds and get you!

There you have it. Some very important info whether you are a criminal or potential victim. You're welcome! What have these shows taught you?

Off The Grid

Hey friends!! Miss me?! I've been absent for a week and it feels like an eternity. This wasn't planned but sometimes you need to take a break, go off the grid and get caught up on life. I was overwhelmed with orders after the publicity my shop got that I was completely consumed with completing the orders in a timely fashion. Everything had to be put on hold including my blog.

I did manage to take one day off this week and go on a day trip with the hubby and Liv. We drove out east to Montauk and had a great day. It was therapeutic and I needed that. Although, I did have moments of sadness thinking of how my mom and dad took my sister and I on trips to Montauk quite frequently when we were younger.

We walked along a rock path along the back of the Montauk Lighthouse. Liv was such a trooper and felt so accomplished that she "rock climbed." Here are a few photos from our walk around the lighthouse.

As you can see it was great escape for the day. I now hope to be back with a vengeance blogging everyday. Talk to you all tomorrow!! xoxo

My Brand Is Getting Kind Of Famous

I know I have been talking about my shop, Hole In Her Stocking a lot lately but some big things have been happening and I am so excited. I may have been exaggerating in my post title saying my brand is famous but it had it's "30 seconds" and I'm going to do everything I can to capitalize off that. Entrepreneur mode on.

I have mentioned before that my bracelets were going to be going into celebrity swag bags at the GBK MTV Movie Awards Gift Lounge in association with the Artisan group and I have a few photos I wanted to share.

I absolutely adore the photo above of Paige Hurd from Hawaii Five-0 wearing my white bar wrap bracelet. Looks great on her!!

And how cool is this photo of Dylan Gelula from The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt checkin out that same bracelet?!

As if all this wasn't enough excitement my shop was featured on the "What's Trending With Carla Marie" on the nationally syndicated Elvis Duran Morning Show!! Almost immediately the orders started flooding in. The past two weeks have been a whirlwind and I couldn't be more excited.

Of course I needed a screenshot of my bracelets front and center on The Elvis Duran website!!

Now I'm buried in orders and will be working in my own sweatshop to get all these orders pumped out but I suppose that's a good problem to have. After getting caught up it will be time to brainstorm more ways to get my brand out there and take over the world. Heehee...xoxo

I'm Not Lucky

Huge things happening for me and Hole In Her Stocking Designs lately so in actuality I do feel pretty damn lucky but I made my own luck. I take insult to people telling me how "lucky" I am that my business continues to grow and that I get to work from home and be my own boss. Is it amazing? Yes! But I worked extremely hard to get to this point. It had nothing to do with luck.

I am sure people don't mean it as an insult but I don't think they are actually thinking about what they are saying. If you are saying the fact that my business is successful is luck, you are insinuating that it's success was out of my hands, that my hard work and dedication had nothing to do with it. This is obviously not the case.

Okay, I will admit there is always a little bit of luck in everything. Right place at the right time type thing but that can only take you so far. You need to work you booty off or your luck will run out. I definitely notice that the harder people work and the more dedication they have the luckier they seem because they are always working and moving forward that some good things are bound to happen to them because they are around the right people and doing the right thing to get ahead.

I have always been a hard worker. Working more than one job and being a mom and hardly ever sleeping or watching TV (unless I was designing jewelry of course). I'm working on my business 7 days a week. I don't have weekends. I'm not complaining because all that hard work is paying off. You might call me lucky but I made my own luck. xoxo

DWTS Disney Night: A Rundown

Being a sucker for a good Disney flick made me super excited for tonight's episode of Dancing With The Stars. Disney Night was actually a bit disappointing in my eyes. Overall it was a good night but I wasn't blown away except for one perfect performance I will get to shortly.

Suzanne & Tony:
In the package before the dance Suzanne was whining about wanting to quit and that the show was hard. I understand that it must be but something about this pity fest annoyed me before they even danced. They did a jazz number to " He's A Tramp" from Lady and the Tramp and it was good but nothing special. It was actually one of her best dances of the season but she lost it somewhere in the middle. Ehhh...Underwhelmed.

Robert & Kym:
They danced to one of my fave Disney songs "Step In Time" from Mary Poppins but unfortunately Robert's timing was off from the very first step and it didn't get much better. Had a few great moments in the number but overall it was hectic and sloppy. This is a bummer for me because they are definitely one of my favorite couples.

Patti & Artem:
They danced a waltz to "When You Wish Upon A Star" and it was elegant but not as smooth as I would have hoped. It also seemed like a very simplistic routine. But I still love her and her charisma. So sweet!

Willow & Mark:
They did a foxtrot to a number from Alice In Wonderland. The set and lighting was visually stunning but honestly the dance didn't seem to have enough foxtrot. Wasn't blown away by dance but production was fabulous. I honestly think the judges scored them too high,

Chris & Witney:
Love Witney since her days on So You Think You Can Dance but I have not come to love Chris. He's just not as likable as many of the other contestants. They did a quickstep to "Zero to Hero" from Hercules and just another okay performance. It was one of his personal best but that didn't make it great.

Noah & Sharna:
They danced a foxtrot to "A Whole New World" from Aladdin. They was too much time in the beginning of the number with him doing nothing. I liked the partnering in the dance once it finally happened. Once again, a good performance but not wowed. Seeing a trend here?

Riker & Allison:
Another one of my girls from So You Think You Can Dance and I actually love her partner. Their paso to that Pirates of the Caribbean song was AMAZING!!! WOW!! It was so fast and it was definitely a challenging routine and he nailed it. Plus his Jack Sparrow impersonation was spot on. I think they got robbed on their score. Should have been four 10's not two. Booo! Definitely the best performance of the night, no question.

Rumer & Val:
Their samba to "Poor Unfortunate Souls" from The Little Mermaid was certainly different. The costumes and makeup were awesome but something was missing from the dance. The music didn't seem right for a samba, it felt too slow. Rumer's dancing was great as always but I definitely don't think it was as good as the judge's thought. Definitely a top performance of the night but something missing. Plus, I am beginning not to like Rumer because of the judges. They seem to always kiss her a$$ no matter what and it's getting tiresome. She didn't deserve all the praise she got tonight. That being said is she one of the best this season? Absolutely!

Nastia & Derek:
Their jazz number to "Love Is An Open Door" from Frozen was technically great but Nastia doesn't seem to connect to the audience well. I don't find myself loving her and I don't know why.

So they definitely saved the best performances for last tonight. The last three were great but could have done without the rest.Now for the elimination.

The bottom three:
Suzanne, Chris & Patti.
Not much of a surprise. I was glad it was Suzanne who ultimately went home since she was saying she wanted to go home anyway. Seems fair and I can live with that.

What did you think of tonight's show?? xoxo

Feeling Under The Weather? 8 Things To Do To Feel Better

Feeling sick? Exhausted? Overwhelmed? Depressed? Cranky? We can all feel that way time and again. It's natural to wake up on the wrong side of the bed and just know it's going to be a bad day. The thought of getting through a full day of work or a full day with screaming toddlers can seem like a daunting task on days like this but there are a few things you can do to try and turn your day around.

Get Dressed.
Okay moms, I am sure I am not the only one who lives day in and day out in sweat pants or yoga pants. When you are feeling a bit under the weather force yourself to get dressed and do your hair and makeup. It might seem tedious at the time but looking good is feeling good and every little bit helps. And for those of you that would need to get dressed anyway for work, put on one of your favorite outfits and really take the time to look your best. You might feel like crap but you certainly don't look like it.

Be Grateful.
When feeling down it's easy to only think about the bad things going on in your life. Make a conscious effort to focus on the positive. Make a list of ten things for which you are grateful. If you are having a particularly rough time thinking of ten things may seem impossible but it's okay to put things like having a roof over my head, having food on my table or having a great husband on the list. Sometimes we forget to be grateful for the obvious.

Take A Time Out.
Step outside, get some fresh air. Breathe in and out slowly. Relax. Even if you can only steal 5 minutes sometimes that's all it can take to clear your head.

Call A Friend.
Call a friend or family member you haven't spoken to in a while. Ask them about what's going on their life. Keep the focus on them so you are distracted from whatever is currently bothering you. This distraction is good plus it will feel good to know you got to catch up with someone you haven't spoken with in a while.

Make A Strangers Day.
Pay for the person's coffee behind you at Starbucks, pay someone a genuine compliment. A kind gesture and making someone else feel good can make you feel good about yourself. A little kindness goes a long way.

Stay Off Social Media. 
Social media is great for many things but it can also be downright annoying. Seeing things people post on there can annoy the hell out of me or make me feel bad about my situation. Do yourself a favor if you are having a day where you feel particularly sensitive skip the social media for the day. Besides you don't want to be one of "those" people everyone rolls their eyes at when you make complaining, "woe is me" statuses all day.

Do Something You Love.
Okay, this may be impossible for some people whether you have a full time job or have children to take care of but if at all possible make the time to do something you love. Even if you can just take a few minutes out to read, watch TV, draw, write, create, you get the idea. Doing our favorite things automatically makes us a little bit happier.

Exercise.
Again. I know we are all busy but workouts really help relieve stress. In the words of Elle Woods: "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people don't shoot their husbands, they just don't."

I hope these suggestions can help you out in a time of need. And I ask you what would you add to this list? What helps you get through a bad day? xoxo

Festival Jewelry

Festival season is upon us and rocking the perfect bohemian, hippie inspired outfit may just be the most important detail of all. Once you pick out the outfit it is time to find the perfect boho accessories and I have you covered! My shop, Hole In Her Stocking Designs has beautiful boho wrap bracelets to beaded stacking bracelet sets. You can see just a sampling of what my shop has to offer in this post but I am adding new pieces daily.

I am proud to say that what started out as a hobby has turned into a blossoming business with my pieces being displayed and gifted at the GBK MTV Movie Awards gift lounge in association with The Artisan Group this weekend. My personal bohemian style has shaped my brand to be one with many festival inspired pieces and has me excited to see how all you fashionistas style my pieces.

Since I am beaming with pride and love for my jewelry, I am spreading the love and offering 20% OFF your entire order with code: FESTIVAL.  xoxo

A Strange Obsession & An Even Stranger Habit (Plus My Journal Swap Reveal)

I have a strange obsession. Those of you who are regulars in these parts may know this already but I have an obsession with stationery especially journals. I have countless journals. I cannot pass up a gorgeous or inspirational cover. I have a real problem. So when I heard about the Journal Swap Creative with Sage and Love The Here And Now I was in. I love receiving mail and I love journals win, win!

I was paired with the lovely Kayla from Keeping Up With K. This Canadian beauty has a fun and eclectic blog that you definitely want to check out. I am so glad we were paired together because not only did I receive the fabulous journal photographed below but I have an amazing new blogging buddy whose life I can stalk regularly through her blog. ;)

Love this!!!

Loved this little note in my journal!

Now I truly love this journal but let's hope I actually use it. This is where I explain to you my really strange habit. I have this obsession with collecting journals but I NEVER write in them. I have so many journal ideas. But I hate to "dirty" my nice new journals. I am afraid I'll start writing about one thing and then want to change the direction of the journal and then it will be all out of wack, etc., etc. I know I apparently have issues. OCD or something. 

Does anyone else have a ton of beautiful unused journals or am I the only weirdo? xoxo

Fresh Color Thanks To Garnier Olia

It's a little scary how well Klout seems to know me. With all the crazy changes in my life the past couple months my hair has been put on the back burner. Definitely haven't had any time to go to the the salon. You can see the evidence below with my horrid roots. Eeeek!

Those roots are embarrassing!

I received an offer for a Klout perk of Garnier Olia Permanent hair color. I needed to jump on this especially since they had a color that seemed close to my existing hair color.

I made sure I made time to do my hair before Easter and I was extremely happy with the results. I loved the color and my hair felt softer and healthier. This box saved me from future root catastrophes.

My new fresh hair!

Thanks Klout and Garnier for saving me from more horrible hair days. I once again feel like I can look somewhat presentable. Anyone else get this perk and what did you think of your color?! xoxo

My Easter In Photos

This Easter was a bit rough since it was the first holiday without my mom and she truly loved every holiday and always went all out. We made the best of it and managed to have a good day despite a big part of the holiday missing. Instead of giving you a written play by play I decided to share my day in photos.

Hope you had a fabulous holiday and enjoyed your time with family. xoxo

Super Exciting News

I am super excited to share some amazing business news with you. I am proud to say that Hole In Her Stocking Designs will be participating in the GBK 2015 MTV Movie Awards Gift Lounge in association with The Artisan Group. What does this mean?! My bracelets will be one of the items in The Artisan Group's swag bags given to celebrities at this event! I will also have a few bracelets on display at The Artisan Group's table at this event so there is a possibility celebrities could be trying on my bracelets while walking through this event. Eeeek!!

I have been working my tail off getting all my bracelets complete and display finalized and am relieved to say everything was shipped and received and now all I have to do is sit back and wait to see what happens.

My display for The Artisan Group's table

For the swag bags

Bracelets all lined up and ready to be packed...

Packed and ready to go...

I cannot wait until The MTV Movie Awards are here on April 12th. And you know I will give you any updates on the possibility of my bracelets landing on some famous wrists. So fingers crossed!! xoxo

Freshly Picked: A Review & Giveaway

I was delighted to have the opportunity to review a pair of Freshly Picked moccasins for my girl. It was truly love at first sight. They are super soft and I loved the heirloom in cream and gold design we received. Liv loves running around the house in them and their one of a kind design ensures they stay on her feet.  My only regret is that I didn't discover them sooner. They are a great crib shoe for those first learning to walk. I will definitely be purchasing for my next one when the time comes.

Here are a few photos of my little Olivia wearing the moccasins.

Now I have some fabulous news for you, I have teamed up with Freshly Picked to give one of you a pair of moccasins for your little one. Enter below and good luck!!! (US ONLY)

**Above thoughts are completely my own.
a Rafflecopter giveaway