Official Coach Factory Online Sale starts TOMORROW.

 

THE OFFICIAL COACH FACTORY 

48 HOUR ONLINE SALE STARTS TOMORROW

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THE CONTAINER STORE: OPENS IN CHARLOTTE, NC

This past weekend was the "Grand Opening" of The Container Store. If you have never heard of them before, they are a specialty retail chain that sells storage solutions for home and office. The very first Container Store opened on July 1, 1978, in a small, 1,600-square-foot retail space in Dallas. Since then, the Charlotte, NC location, will be the 50th store opening and the first Container Store to be located in Charlotte, NC with several more retail store openings happening nation-wide later in the upcoming weeks and months.

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the grand opening in Charlotte, and let me say, the Charlotte region, knows how to throw a party! The grand opening of the Charlotte based Container Store had some great food, fun games, awesome giveaways, and everyone had a blast!

I am an organizational freak. I'm not always neat, but I am always organized! It is a "must have" quality in the Accounting / Finance world that I work in and I am like that at home as well. So I was determined to go back on Sunday to the Container Store and pick up some products that would help me maintain that level of organization. At first, when I got there, I was a bit overwhelmed. All the products that were available were amazing and I kept finding stuff that I wanted and could use. However, I had made a "MUST BUY" list so I knew that I had to stick with it or else I would overspend. LOL

I started out in the Office section of the store because I wanted the clear acrylic drawers that are so popular with everyone. My goal was to find the really large 5 drawer acrylic box but they only had the smaller 3 drawer version and there were two different types. One of the three drawer acrylic boxes had a silver knob on the front of each of the drawers while the other only had a cut-out for a handle and no knob. I opted for the one without a handle and made my way over to another section of the store.

The Bathroom section of the store houses some really neat ideas for organization. Especially if your bathroom space is pretty limited then this is your go-to place! Anyway, I had wanted the acrylic lipstick / lipgloss holders and the SA had told me they were located there. Again, I found many different styles to choose from which was nice. After much debating I decided on the acrylic 24 slot lipstick holder. It seemed to be the sturdiest of the bunch and I didn't really need the holders that were organizers because they take up to much room. I did buy two of the acrylic 24 slot lipstick holders because I have an insane amount of lipsticks and glosses.

The last item on my list I wanted to buy wasn't anything specific. I just knew that I was in desperate need for some other type of organization. I wanted something totally different than what I was currently using for my makeup brushes. Sure, I could have used cups, empty vases or jars, even pencil and pen holders to store my makeup brushes in, but I was frustrated with that setup. In the past, I've even used the really small gift boxes as brush holders. However, I am either constantly knocking the brush holders over or they are not big enough to hold all the brushes that I need.

The storage container I was looking for had to be large enough to hold a lot of brushes but short enough that none of my smaller, shorter brushes would get lost in it. I wanted to combine everything, but yet, still have individual compartments that I could separate some of the brushes if needed. Well, it took me over an hour but I finally found what I wanted. It is made of really thick acrylic so it shouldn't break or crack. It is large enough that it will hold a massive amount of brushes, and yet, it is short enough that no brushes will get lost either! Oh, and the best part... It is so much easier now to just grab this up with all my brushes in it when I need to clean them! No more toting around multiple containers of brushes when this can carry them all.  I consider that to be a WIN!!!

Due to my hectic work schedule right now I haven't organized everything yet. However, I will do a follow up post with pictures that details my new setup using the containers above. Let me know if you would like the measurements and / or sizes of the items and I can list that as well. Or you can take a look at everything on the Container Store website here.

Final thoughts: I LOVE this store! It has amazing stuff and great organizational ideas!

There was one item that I did have on my list but it was already sold out (yeah, I know. Sold out is the story of my life!). It is the acrylic 12-Bottle Spice Carousel. The carousel has 12 containers with sifters, (yes, you know where I'm going with this), that I will be using for my loose powder based makeup items. Mainly face powders but eyeshadows or maybe even pigments. I haven't decided yet but I will definitely keep you posted.

THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY: “SkinnyLicious™” menu

I love eating at the Cheesecake Factory. The delicious meals and the decadent desserts make the visit such a pleasurable and scrumptious experience. So I was extremely happy to find out that The CheeseCake Factory, starting August 9th and at all location nation-wide by September 9th, will start to offer a new “SkinnyLicious™” menu.

The new “SkinnyLicious™” menu will have almost 50 different delectable items that you can select from and will offer those of us who are calories conscious, a wide variety of menu options that are only 590 calories. Some of the wonderful meal selections to be offered are the SkinnyLicious™ Hamburgers (including a succulent Veggie Burger), Tuscan Chicken and SkinnyLicious™ Herb Crusted Salmon and that is just the beginning.

The Charlotte location will roll out the new menu options starting September 9th. I'm super excited to try the more healthier dishes and I will post a follow up review when that time comes. Be sure to click on your state here to see when the SkinnyLicious™ menu will be at your favorite location.

Let me know, by posting a comment below, if you've already had a chance to try any of the healthier dishes and which was your favorite "must have" dish that others should try as well. 

JULY JEWELMINT: TRINITY BRACELETS

I first heard about JEWELMINT in one of my fashion magazines. Membership is $29.99 each month or you can opt to skip the month and not be charged anything. I bought my first piece in June and you can read more about the whole process here. Or follow this referral link to sign up right now.

For the month of July, I was going to opt out and not purchase anything but then I saw the Trinity bracelets. I had seen them before on the website and had really wanted them but they were always sold out. So I made sure to purchase them as soon as I saw that they were available. I like that there are three bracelets and each bracelet is a different metal: silver, rose gold, and gold. You can wear all three bracelets together or you can wear them separately. The bracelets are not big and gaudy but they aren't extremely delicate either. They are fairly sturdy and will not break after a few times of wearing them. If you have the opportunity to purchase them I suggest that you do. These bracelets are classic pieces that will go with anything.

NAIL OF THE DAY (NOTD) - ESSIE SUPER BOSSA NOVA

SUPER BOSSA NOVA: an upbeat bright fuchsia

Laura Mercier 'Classic Chic' Color Collection (Nordstrom Exclusive)

"Always classic, always chic, this exclusive color collection allows you to create versatile looks for every occasion. Start with Foundation Primer (1 oz.): It is the first step to a flawless face and creates the perfect canvas for longer-wear makeup. Next, add extra impact to eyes with four neutral shades of Eye Colors (0.05 oz. each), ranging from allover color to a mid-tone definer and highlighter. Wear two for day or all four for night—the choice is yours. Finish eyes with Full Blown Volume Lash Building Mascara in Black (0.4 oz.) for long, voluminous lashes. Add Cheek Color in Plum Radiance (0.13 oz.) for a hint of color and soft glow. Finally, give your lips glossy color with exclusive Raspberry Lip Glacé (0.15 oz.), a rich, cool pink that's perfect for all skin tones. Best of all, this collection includes professional Ponytail, Smudge and Cheek Color Brushes for flawless application every time."

I bought this set during Nordstrom's Anniversary sale and I have been loving it! I really love how you can use the softer, lighter colors for a "Day" look and then touch up with the darker shadows for a smoked out "Night" look. Although at first I almost didn't get it...

When I first saw the Laura Mercier 'Classic Chic' Color collection at Nordstrom, it was the first day of their Anniversary sale and I had went there on my lunch hour to do a little shopping. It was sitting on a display on one of the tables in the back of the cosmetics department and had a retail price of $75.00. Ouch! One of the SA there had mentioned that this collection was only available during their Anniversary Sale and was expected to be a bestseller. While I continued with my shopping I kept coming back to the table where this set was displayed. I knew this collection would be perfect for me because of the pink to neutral tones within the set. I wear a lot of browns, pinks and light plum colors and that is what this collection is all about but I was a little hesitant due to the price. The more I kept looking at it, the more I wanted it (you always want what you can't have "or afford". LOL) but I talked myself out of buying it and left to go back to work.

For the rest of the day, I kept thinking about that makeup set. I really, really wanted it but was I willing to fork over $75 for it and would I really use everything? I kept trying to justify my reasons for not buying it and then I kept trying to justify why I needed it so badly. I even made a list of the pros (everything was gorgeous and wearable) and cons (too expensive and I have enough makeup already) of why I shouldn't purchase it. I just couldn't let it go. I REALLY wanted it.

Well, it isn't very often that I regret not purchasing something but I knew that if I didn't go back and get it I would definitely regret it. So after work I headed back to Nordstrom and I picked up the collection. Earlier in the day there had been about 50-60 of the sets but now there were just a handful left so I was extremely grateful that they still had some left and I was able to purchase one of them.

Final thoughts:
If you were fortunate enough to purchase this set, and I'm so glad that I did, I hope you love it as much as I do. The makeup brushes that come with this set are extremely soft, they do not shed, and the over-all quality of the brushes is excellent. No skimping here! The blush is very versatile, not only because of the color, but also because the pan pops-out and can be replaced with other blush colors which makes it all the more worthwhile. However, if I had to choose one "favorite" item from this set it would be the eyeshadow palette. The shadows are extremely pigmented, as you can see from the pictures, the texture of the shadows is buttery soft and not chalky, and the colors are flattering for just about all skin tones. Overall. this collection has a lot to offer and is definitely well worth the price.