Wifezilla etc.

Family is FOREVER

2012-02-17T15:39:00.000-08:00

Despite differences that we may encounter, My Family is a circle of Strength and LOVE....Through whatever I will always stay TRUE to who I'am, and the Family name I bear...Family is FOREVER...

Please excuse my blogging halt, its been a few weeks since my last entry. I've been tied up with family affairs as usual. This past weekend I took a trip down to Los Angeles to pay my respects to my Dad's Sister, my Auntie Annette. At just 48 years of age fighting a long hard battle with Breast Cancer the angels called upon her to rest in eternal paradise. My Auntie Annette is among one of the strongest women I know. She is a true representation of a DURAN woman. Sweet, kind and loving, yet outspoken and aggressive. She always held her grounds, and never let anyone tell her different. Each time I think of her, I think of the times when I would go to Long Beach as a child and she would stop to buy me mango from the street vendors. The times I spent the night at her home, she would let me jump on the trampoline all night, and never gave me a bedtime. Her voice was so soothing to me and she always called me "Babe". As sweet as she was, she would let you have it if you crossed that fine line. Reminds me a lot like myself . She also had a funny side to her, always cracking jokes making everyone laugh. The representation of a strong Woman and Mother, I'm really going to miss her. Visits to L.A will never be the same.

During my visit I also got a chance to meet up with my Dad's other siblings. Most of them flew in from Hawaii, and the rest reside there in Los Angeles. My Dad , out of 11 siblings is the only one who resides in The Bay Area of California. My heart smiled the entire weekend, to see how bonded they all are. Time or distance hasn't changed the respect and love they have for one another. In this time of sadness they formed as one, saying their final goodbyes to their little sister. A sense of appreciation came over me as I observed the love and values that were displayed before me. It took me back to a time when I was a child, bickering with my siblings. My Dad would give us long lectures on why we all need to stick together. He always said that no matter how many differences we had, we will always need each other. As an adult his words have stuck with me through the years. My siblings and I today are unbreakable. We spend all of our weekends together, and our children are always in the company of one another. Its amazing how values that your elders instill in you can stick with you through life. This is the reason my Dad and his siblings are bonded till this day, because of the upbringing that was brought forth on to them by my Grandparents.

My Dad and his Siblings...

Ultimately I feel blessed to be surrounded by the love and strength of my family. In my lifetime I've worked with elderly who've spent their last days sad and lonesome, surrounded by caregivers, rather than their own family members. I cant count the times when I've heard people praise my family for being so tight knit, because they have never experienced what its like to enjoy company as I have. It hurts my heart to know that there are individuals in the world who never knew this feeling. That is why I am so blessed and grateful to have a strong foundation in my life built on the value of family. Of all the things in life, I hold my family closest to my heart. Without them my world would be a cold, dark and lonely place.

What are some of the things you hold dearest to your heart?

What are Family Values to you?

Thank You all for reading...

Xoxo- Wifezilla Hekela

Stila's Wonderful in Waikiki FFOTD...

2012-01-27T16:31:00.000-08:00

A while back I won a Giveaway hosted by Miss EV . Included in this awesome giveaway was a Stila Palette called "Wonderful in Waikiki". It comes complete with four eyeshadows , a blush and a bronzer. Together in conjunction with Wet N' Wild's "Greed" Palette I created today's FOTD.

Eyeshadows from Left to Right...

Wahine, Sarong, Coconut, Surf

Blush: North Shore

Bronzer: Hanauma Bay

Face:

Revlon's Photo Ready Foundation

Prestige Face Powder to set

Stila's North Shore applied as a Blush

Loreal True Match Powder Foundation in Nut Brown to Contour

Elf's Golden Bronzer as a Highlight

Eyes:

Almay's Bright Eyes Primer

Wet n' Wild's Greed Palette - Peach shade applied to crease

Wet n' Wild's Greed Palette - Dark Brown applied to crease creating depth

Stila's Surf applied to lids

Stila's Sarong blended over WnW Peach shade

Wet n Wild's Brulee under the brow as a highlight

Brows:

Loreal HIP Creme Liner in Black

Ardell's Brow Powder in Taupe

Maybeline's Dream Mousse Concealer in Light

I really LOVE how this whole palette comes to life once its utilized, in conjunction with Wet n' Wild's Greed makes it an even more exciting! It really makes me yearn for Summer and hot weather.

I hope you all enjoy this look!

Happy Friday!

Revlon LIP Butters...

2012-01-27T15:31:00.000-08:00

For the past few days I've heard RAVES about Revlon's New Lip Butters, I couldn't grasp the hype just yet, at least until I got my hands on them. Yesterday when I walked into Walgreen's they were on sale at BOGO 50% Off, regularly prices at $7.42 each. I was instantly compelled to buy them after I saw the vibrant colors through the caps on the product. They come in a variety of colors, and I had to pick them up in these top seven colors.

Here are the swatches....

From Top to Bottom...

010- Raspberry Pie, 060- Gumdrop, 075- Lollipop, 085- Sugar Plum, 040- Red Velvet, 035- Candy Apple & 015- Tutti Frutti :))

I Love the variety of the colors, My only disappointment was that Gumdrop wasn't as pigmented as I hoped it would be. I expected a more vibrant color, similar to Lime Crime's D'Lilac shade. I was also hoping that Sugar Plum would be a bit more pigmented as well, duringthe swatch it came with more shine then color payoff, and that was a major upset. Nonetheless I love all of the other colors, The formula of the product is in fact BUTTERY as it claims to be. As far as lasting power, I will have to test the waters with that factor. My favorite color out of the seven shades I choose, is without a doubt Lollipop, I Love all Fuschia shades of lipstick and I can never get enough!

Have you got a chance to pick these up? if so, What shades do you recommend?

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Milani Mineral Blush Swatches...

2012-01-27T15:11:00.000-08:00

I realize its been a while since I did any recent hauls or swatches, so this next post will be just that.

I've had the opportunity to pick up a few new products through out the month of January that I LOVE and would like to shed light on. Many of you have heard about CVS' Annual 75% Off Sale, On my recent visit there to pick up some meds from the pharmacy I came across some great sales. Milani is currently offering their Mineral Blushes at $1.62, a super steal opposed to paying a full price of $7. I picked up this blush in two shades, Mai Tai & Sunset Beach....

Mai Tai & Sunset Beach

Mai Tai & Sunset Beach Swatches - No Base

These Blushes are LOVE, Their very smooth and pigmented. I'm a huge fan of Milani's Baked Blushes, so when I found out that these Mineral Blushes were on Sale, I literally rushed at the chance to find them. I picked up a few other items such as Lipstick, an eyeliner and a Bronzer. I will be doing another swatch post on those items within the next few days.

What are your thoughts?

Love it or Hate it?

Happy 28th Birthday to Moiii!

2012-01-20T12:20:00.000-08:00

My Bday FOTD

I Heart Matte Palette in conjunction with Cover Girl's BURN Lippie

Yesterday I reached the ripe ol' age of 28 :)

My day was filled with all that and more. I had no huge demands, since it fell on a Thursday and truth be told I've been celebrating all month spoiling myself by all means. I decided to stay home from work, and even kept my children home with me to bask in my Birthday fun. My only upset was that my Husband, as a Manager had to go to work. He is always needed and couldn't hang out with us. Booo! Other than that it was a very relaxing day, I got to lay in bed for most of the morning. My youngest Daughter served me imaginary tea, while I played the DS with My Son and Daughter. I enjoyed every minute of it, because with our busy lives...its so easy to pass moments like these up without ever realizing it.

I HEART My LiL Team

By the time Lunch rolled around we were already out of the house, having lunch with my Mom at Chili's one of my favorite Restys. The best part of lunch was when my Son told the waiter it was my Birthday, and they came out singing to me....SO Embarrassing! Total payback for the embarrassment I caused him on his Birthday back in August. Nonetheless the Chocolate Molten Lava Cake was so worth it :) It was immediately consumed by my little heathens.

After lunch, I stopped in to visit with my oldest Brother at his home, and we all watched Home Alone with our kids. CLASSIC! I could watch that movie a hundred times and never get sick of it. Initially I had plans to go out with a few of my Ladies in the evening, but decided instead of going out to eat again, I'd rather cook for my Family. So I headed home to prepare one of our favorite meals...

Salmon Steaks with Garlic Butter, Shrimp and Veggies

My day was amazing in its own right... Simplicity at its very finest. Looking back at the last twenty eight years of my life, its amazing to see how far I have come. As a Mother and Wife, my life is all that I have ever dreamed of and I am blessed in so many ways that people often overlook. I'm not lavishly rich with money, but being surrounded by the LOVE & Loyalty of family and friends makes me a very wealthy Woman. Not even the richest people have what I have.

The absolute BEST part of my entire day was the fact that my EVO was being flooded throughout the day with so many Birthday Wishes. 250+ Messages were received...Wishes from my family and friends along with tweets from beautiful individuals whom I've had the opportunity to bond with worldwide.

It all meant so much to me.

I loved all of my messages received but the one that took the cake was left by Big Daddy :)

It reads....

"Happy bday my beautiful wife. Da one and only Wifezilla. U are the best as they come, above and beyond like no other. U are my Asianwaiian goddess. Your sweet, tasteful aroma gets me going. No words, only reaction define my feeling. I am thankful and appreciated by all your doings, it never goes unoticed. Even through our road blocks, we still shut it down as always. Love u always and mostest."

Your Big Daddy

He is so crazy! I LOVE him for being HIM.

Its amazing how strong a LOVE can grow as each day passes. This year makes 8 years of being together, and I feel overwhelmed with feelings for him. After all this time I still get all giddy like a teenager who is falling for their first love. I dunno if thats even normal aha.

Much LOVE and Grattitude to all who showed me love on my Birthday.

This year has been a breakthrough for me in the Blogging and Youtube world. I never imagined having all of you watch my Vids or taking the time to read my Blog. My passion for speaking freely and sharing my tips and tricks with everyone turned into something I never dreamed of.

I'm so thankful and blessed to know each and every one of you.

Thank You all for making my Birthday worth wild!!

Much LOVE

WIFEZILLA

Garlic Parm Wings

2012-01-09T14:18:00.000-08:00

This next recipe was requested by a few of my Blog Followers. Garlic Parm Wings was an instant winner after posting a picture of it on Facebook and Twitter, so I thought I'd get this recipe to you all ASAP. It took me a while to get this one right. After many two attempts of preparation I finally nailed it to the ground. Its a great appetizer, and can easily be made into a main course with different cuts of chicken. I hope you all enjoy this, and let me know your take on it...

Lets get started...

What You'll Need...

Chicken (I used Party Wings and Drums)

Corn Starch

Flour

Oil for frying

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Powder/Salt

Onion Salt

Butter

Chopped Garlic

Fresh Parsley

Parmesan Cheese

Cooking the Chicken...

The first order of business will be cooking your chicken. Be sure to Clean and strain your chicken before cooking.

1. In a Wok or Frying pan, pour Oil into the pan, filling it half way. Place your pan on the stove to heat on Medium High temp.

2. In a bowl combine the following ingredients: 3 Cups of Flour, a 1/2 a Cup of Corn Starch, and

generously season the mixture with Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Garlic Salt and Onion salt

3. After the oil is heated, bread your Chicken pieces into the flour mixture and place them in the hot oil to fry. Cooking time for the chicken depends on how much chicken you have. I prefer to fry them in batches, Using party wings each batch fried for appx. 6-8 minutes or until golden brown.

4. After your chicken is a golden brown, strain the access oil, and place it in a baking pan.

5. In a separate pot, melt one stick of Butter, add a TBL Spoon of Chopped Garlic, and a handful of chopped Parsley.

6. Lastly poor your butter mixture over your fried chicken and Toss...sprinkling with Parm Cheese.

Hope you all enjoy this :))

Xoxo...

Collaboration 2012...My 1st Shoot!

2012-01-06T17:27:00.000-08:00

Makeup: @WiFeziLLaHeKeLa...Model: @deeznuttz004...Photographer: @ALew2417

OMGeee What a GREAT way to kick off my New Year.

This past Tuesday, I had the opportunity to collaborate with two great people whom I've known both for 10+ years. They both contacted me a few weeks back requesting my presence as an onsite Makeup Artist for a Boxing/Graffiti themed shoot. For those of you who follow and know me personally, you'd know that my philosophy toward Makeup is strictly ART...For FUN...and For the LOVE of the Makeup Game itself. I never went into Blogging or YouTube aspiring to be anything but a Mom, who wanted to share my Beauty/Cooking tips with other Moms and Women willing to open their minds. Two years into this...I sit back and reflect on what its all become, and how its all unfolded. So many opportunities and doors have opened for me, its amazing and overwhelming. The absolute BEST part of the whole experience is that I have had the chance to network with all of you, and maintain life long friendships I've had all along.

With that being said as you can all imagine, I was super stoked to take on this challenge. I figured New Year? New Goals! Its time to put my skills to the test, and see what they are working with on a more professional level. The shoot took place on a Tuesday, and it was quite an experience. All in all the total time and effort put into it was six whole hours. At the end of the night our feet were THROBBING. I never expected to be on set for that long, but it was a great experience, and it was great to catch up with Dee and Ant...Its been 10 years since we've all graduated from High School...and here we are working together to make a shoot like this happen. Teamwork is an amazing thing, especially when each of us combine our ideas, passions and creativity.

Here are a few pics from our shoot...

First Concept: Boxing Theme

Second Concept: Graffiti Theme

Makin my MARK :))

For more photos of this shoot check out my Facebook Beauty Page...

https://www.facebook.com/WifezillaHekela

For those of you in the Bay Area California interested in a Photo Session..

Checkout the Photographer responsible for these awesome photos on Twitter @ALew2417

What do you think??

Thoughts?? Suggestions??

Thank you all for taking the time to read my Blog...

Much LOVE to you all for following me in my journey and sharing the experience with me!

Happy New Year...

2012-01-04T13:04:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to do a quick post, and wish you all a late Happy New Year. Mine was spent in the comfort of my own home, with Family and of course FOOD :) It was pretty laid back, My siblings came over and we hung out with our kids, played poker and knocked a few drinks back. My Husband and I went out for New Years last year, so we wanted to relax this time around.

Here are some pics of some of the Yummy dishes I prepared :)

Garlic Parmesan Wings

Oreo Cupcakes :))

How did you spend your New Years??

I hope you all enjoyed your New Years.

Here's to US in 2012!!

Much LOVE to you all!

Christmas with the Rosenblumz

2011-12-29T09:56:00.000-08:00

Hello Ladies & Gents...

I hope you all enjoyed your Holidays with Family & Friends. I had the busiest three day weekend. When you come from a Huge family like mine, Holidays are always guaranteed to be so crazy and hectic, but in the end I wouldn't have it any other way. The weekend kicked off with festivities at my home on Christmas Eve with my siblings and our children, followed by Christmas dinner and gambling at my Uncle and Aunt's home on Christmas Day and closing off with a relaxing Christmas lunch at my In Laws home on Monday. The kids made out with so many great gifts, and were so happy and grateful. The overall joy in the entire weekend was the fact that it was spent among Family, Yummy Food and Friends.

Here are a few pics from the weekend....

It was a FOOD Fest for me this weekend...I made my favorite Chicken Dish on Saturday, Oyster Chicken, Arroz Con Gandules on Sunday, followed by Red velvet Cupcakes on Monday...

My LiL Babies on Christmas Day getting ready to open presents...

My Uncle & Aunt always host the BEST Parties...Its impossible to stop eating when you come to their house. My Uncle is a GREAT cook as well, and this year he made Prime Rib, Cioppino and Crab :)

If your Filpino like I am, its always mandatory that some type of gambling is going on...Stop me if I lie...We're always playing Poker or shooting Craps, while the elders are playing Majong.

Last but not least here is the Christmas look I came up with using my I Love Matte pallet, along with Vanity and a pigment called "Vintage" by Still Glam.

I hope you all enjoyed your Holiday with Family. Some of life's happiest moment is shared among family, and I heart mine deeply. What are some of the things you did with your Family this Holiday Season??

VOTE for Meredith!!

2011-12-27T11:20:00.000-08:00

Photo Property of http://pigmentsandpalettes.blogspot.com

Hello Ladies & Gents!

I'd like to introduce all of you to Meredith a.k.a "Pigments and Palettes"

I've been following her for quite some time and trust me when I say she is one of the BEST in the Makeup Game. Her looks are always very unique and vibrant. She is very inspiring artist and individual who is always spreading positive vibes throughout the Beauty Community.

Meredith is currently entered in MakeupBee's Christmas Look Contest and needs your VOTE :)

Up for grabs is a $500 Sephora Gift Card and in the event of her victory, Meredith will be generous enough to give away $250 of her winnings to one lucky Supporter.

Please head over to her Blog for Details on how to ENTER...

Pigments and Palettes $250 Giveaway

Please stop into MakeupBee to JOIN and VOTE for Meredith's Look

Dreamy Green and Gold Holiday Look

Photo Property of http://pigmentsandpalettes.blogspot.com

Good Luck Meredith!!

Miss Bev's "What Joy!" ReWind

2011-12-23T12:27:00.000-08:00

Allow me to Introduce Miss Bev a.k.a @fullyBEATable

If you haven't got a chance to check out Miss Bev's Beauty Blog head over to FullyBeatable.Com and peep all the pretty faces she creates. I first began following her on Twitter, she is among the many Beauty Bloggers that I truly admire and find myself inspired by. Each look she creates compliments every product used. Flawless and Perfection doesn't begin to describe her looks, and aside from her makeup talent she is a complete sweetheart who always shows me the utmost love and respect as an artist. A few months back she created a look using MAC's "What Joy" Lipstick which I fell in love with. Yesterday I purchased a Lipstick by Cover Girl's lip Sensation line called "Entwined"and at first swatch it instantly reminded me of this look that Bev created.

I decided to re-create my version of this look, with a few products that I own.

Here's what I came up with....

Face

Revlon's New Complexion Foundation in Medium/Light

Revlon's Photo Ready Foundation in Medium/Light

Loreal True Match Blush in Sweet Ginger

Milani Baked Bronzer in Glow

Brows

Ardell's Brow Powder in Taupe

Loreal HIP Creme Liner in Black

Eyes

Wet N Wild's 8 Pan Palette in "Comfort Zone".

Wet N Wild's 8 Pan Palette in "I Love Matte"

Loreal Lineur Intense Liner in Black

Revlon's Grow Luscious Mascara

Lips

Cover Girl's Lips Sensation Lipstick in 340 "Entwined"

This look definitely can be spruced up by adding liner to my waterline and applying falsies, but I didn't have those products on hand at the moment...since Im at work aha...

Anyhow I hope you all enjoy this...Please check out Bev's Youtube and "LIKE" her Facebook Beauty page to stay updated on all the pretty looks she creates.

Happy Holidays!!

Turquatic

2011-12-23T10:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday as I browsed the cosmetic section at Big Lots I came across a Revlon Colorstay palette called "Silver Fox". I've seen this palettes before in drugstores, but thought I'd try it out because of the awesome price of $3.00. Definitely couldn't pass that up. The palette comes with four colors, a deep purple, a pearlecent white, a shimmery turquoise and a smokey slate gray. The color pay off for all four shadows were great, however I was a bit dissapointed in the payoff of the turquoise, so I tweaked it a bit deeper with Raving Beauty Cosmetics's "Restless Sea" Matte Pigment.

Revlon Colorstay Palette

"Silver Fox"

Here are the products used to create this look...

Brows

Ardell Brow Powder in Taupe

Loreal HIP Creme Liner in Black

Milani Concealer in Light

Eyes

NYX Eye Primer in NUDE

Revlon Colorstay E/S Palette in "Silver Fox"

Turquoise E/S applied to Lid and overlapped with RBC's "Restless Sea" Matte Pigment

Slate Gray E/S applied to the crease and blended out with the Deep Purple E/S

Fuchsia E/S from 120 Palette applied above crease

Pearlecent White E/S applied as a highlighter

Turquoise E/S applied to Lower Lashline

Pearlecent White E/S applied in the tear duct

Loreal Lineur Intense Liquid Liner in Black applied to lash line

Loreal Lineur Intense Carbon Black Pencil applied in lower lash line

Revlon's Grow Luscious Mascara in Blackest Black

Select Lash Falsies

Thoughts?? Suggestions??

Christmas Haul..

2011-12-22T15:03:00.000-08:00

CLICK HERE TO ENTER MY HOLIDAY FREEBIE

**Giveaway ENDS January 12, 2012 12am PST**

Christmas is right around the corner. Have you all gotten your shopping out of the way? I finally got a chance to finish this past Monday, and I'm so happy its over because the stores are a ZOO. I love this time of year, but really despise the crowds and traffic that surrounds it...puts a damper on everyone's holiday spirit. Anyhow here is my Holiday Haul. Majority of it is for my children, and a few Nephews and Nieces who we drew names for. Every year I go crazy and buy them a bunch of stuff they requested, and also a few items I know they would love to be surprised with. This year I feel like I came out on top, because of all the sales I came across and bargain shopping I did. I'm not too big on presents for myself, I'm pretty simple and get gifts all year round, so as each Christmas passes I don't have that one gift Im hoping to get. I would much rather see the faces of all the ones I love as they open all their gifts, that to me totally completes my mission to make their Christmas memorable.

Here is my Holiday Haul :))

Toys and gifts for My Children, Nephz and Nieces.

I found a bunch of Tangled toys on sale at Ross for my youngest Daughter.

My biggest deal was a Tangled Doll which retailed for $35 at Toys R Us, but priced for $14.99 at Ross.

I LOVE Ross! I also picked up a cute fleece robe for my oldest Daughter, its so girly, shes going to LOVE it!

A Pair of Youth Everlast Gloves for my Son.

Coming from a Family of Martial Artist, he requested lessons on how to fight.

Sooo I bought him two pairs so that my Husband and I can work with him, and also so that my Nephews can spar with him on weekends when they visit. I'm excited :))

ROYAL RUMBLE at Auntie HEDAR's aha

Of course as I was shopping I HAD to get this Official Illustrated Guide to complete my Twilight series.

This book is deff a MUST have for the die hard TwiHards. It features an in depth interview with Stephanie Meyer and she spills guts about how Twilight came to be. It also comes complete with a Bio of every character created for the entire series. Which comes in handy since there are so many Covens in the last book. Its very intriguing what the human mind can create and inspiring to know that one Woman can win the hearts and imaginations of people all over the world with a little dream she dreamt.

Have you completed your Christmas shopping?

What are some of the the gifts you've Hauled under your tree??

Wifezilla's Holiday FREEBIE!

2011-12-21T15:35:00.000-08:00

Its the Holiday Season and I'm in the mood for Giving.

Just a small FREEBIE to kick off my "2 Year Bloggerversary Contest" which will be taking place next month. I love these items so much that one lucky winner will have a chance to win the following products...

1. Physician's Formula Gel CreamLiner for Hazel Eyes

2. Physician's Formula Gel CreamLiner for Blue Eyez

3. Ardell's Brow Powder in Taupe

SPREAD THE WORD!!!

In order to be entered you MUST be a follower to this Blog.

**Giveaway open to U.S Residents Only**

Please fill out the form below ENTIRELY in order to make your entry count.

EXTRA ENTRIES...

1."Like" my Facebook Page (+1)

https://www.facebook.com/WifezillaHekela

2. Follow me on Twitter (+1)

https://twitter.com/#!/WiFeziLLaHeKeLa

3. Tweet IT! Tag ME! (+2)

4. Subscribe to my YouTube (+1)

http://www.youtube.com/user/HekeladRosenblum

**Giveaway Ends Friday, January 13th 2011 12am PST**

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Tropical Winter

2011-12-21T12:28:00.000-08:00

I'm fully aware that its Winter, and cold as HELL in my parts of California...

But I have been so anxious to create a Fuchsia/Purple look in conjunction with this fabulous Stila Sparkle Liner that was sent to me by my Blogger Buddy Miss EV .

Last night I had some time on my hands, and created this look. The pictures just don't do it justice.

The liner is super pigmented and beautiful. Its no doubt unmistakably getting added to my Favorites list.

Here is a list of products used to create this look...

Brows

Ardell Brow Powder in Mink Brown

Loreal HIP Creme Liner in Black

Physician's Formula Conceal RX in Light

Eyes

120 Palette

(Fuchsia, Baby Pink, Deep Purple in crease)

NYX Pearl Mani Pigment in Gold

(Applied to Inner Eye)

Glamour Doll Eyez Glitter Pigment in Dizzy

(Applied on Lid)

Stila Sparkle Liner in Bora Bora

Ruby Kisses Eyeliner in White

(Applied to lower lash line)

Select Falsies Lashes

Revlon Mascara in Black

Good day to you all!!

Xoxo

BLUE Christmas

2011-12-21T12:03:00.000-08:00

Don't mind my red tired eyes...

I was up late last night playing with Makeup while the entire house was asleep.

Its the only time I really have to mess around, so last night I took full advantage.

I wanted to do a few Christmas looks, since the Holidays seem to be passing us by.

This look was inspired by a "Blue Christmas" and I took my inspiration from the beautiful Christmas Tree decked out in pretty Blues...

Products Used

Brows

Ardell Brow Powder in Mink Brown

Physician's Formula Conceal RX

Loreal HIP Gel Liner in Black

Eyes

NYX White Shimmer Eye Base

Wet N Wild's Blue Had Me At Hello Palette

Wet N Wild's Snow Sprite Palette

Physician's Formula Gel Liner for Blue Eyes

Loreal Lineur Intense Liquid Liner in Carbon Black

Select Lash Falsies

Revlon Mascara

Hope you all are enjoying your Holidays!!

Much LOVE to you all!

The New Accessories Stand...

2011-12-19T15:40:00.000-08:00

This past weekend as I browsed the home goods section at TJ Maxx, I came across this cute jewelry stand, smiling at me from the Clearance section. I've seen these before in a few of my favorite stores such as Ross and Marshall's, but none of them quite won my heart over. I wanted one with a Gray finish to eventually match my Vanity that I will be re-doing and also one preferably decorated with Birds. I have a thing for little Birdies...if you don't believe me just ask my my youngest Daughter, she is so small and petite, her nickname is Birdie.

As I came across this one, my heart was set on it instantly. Its finished off with a silver/pewter finish and has one single bird at the very peak of the stand. It also comes equipped with a tray at the base, to hold pieces that aren't fit for hanging, Its decorated with a ton of hooks to hang earrings, bracelets, rings and necklaces. The only issue I had was that I had too much jewelry. I didn't realize that I had this many accessories, so eventually I will most likely need another one. The BEST part of the stand is the price, regular priced $15 but on Sale for $11 :)

I freakin LOVE it...

Its a complete reflection of my style, and the Birdie at the peak tops it off :)

How do you Ladies & Gents organize your Accessories??

Physician's Formula NUDE Palette Swatches

2011-12-13T14:25:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty sure most of you would agree with me when I say that Miss Nouveau Cheap is one of the most informative Bloggers in the Blogging world. The information spewing out of her Blog is so informative that nine times out of ten, she enables me to reach out and buy the product in question.

Like yesterday for instance....

As I was catching up with blog reads I came across one of her recent posts. After reading her comparison of Urban Decay's Naked Palette v.s Physicians Formula's NUDE Palette I was instantly compelled to buy this palette. Her post was filled with so many great swatches and product information, I couldn't help myself.

So here I was, at CVS first thing in the morning before starting my work day buying this item. The great thing about this purchase is that I received a coupon for $5 OFF, on my next purchase, which is good until January. The first thing that struck me was the super cute packaging. I love the fact that there is a lace overlay on the product. There were also three other palettes in this series, "Fashionista" which were a variety of purples and silver, "Casual" a variety of blues and taupes and lastly "Smokey" which were gray and black shades. Each of them were very cutely packaged, but didn't interest me as much as this "Nude" palette, so I think I will pass on the others.

On to the SWATCHES!!

I love the consistency of the shadows, when swatching them they were not chalky but very velvety and smooth. This palette has a variety of nine shades and although shimmery they are all very unique in color. I am yet to create a look using this palette but I can tell you, I think its a great price, a must have for Neutral palettes and very worth it in my opinion.

Do any of you Ladies own this palette??

Thoughts??

Makeup Addict

2011-12-13T13:19:00.000-08:00

Good Lawdy Lawd!

Yesterday I came home from work, and decided to organize my Makeup stash, this is how it was lookin as I passed it to grab something in my medicine cabinet...

YIKES!

I know...I know...I guess since I've been so busy lately, I haven't had time to keep up with the organization of things. I've done a few faces lately and I suppose it just got crazy because I've been picking and choosing what products I need, and then tossin them back into the pile. I don't wear makeup during the week, so during the week I'm passing it all by. Trust me after last night's cleanup, I'm going to make it a point to wear it more, because I have so much great stuff, I forget I even have it. Last night I wanted to go through and purge makeup as well, I tossed out a bunch of products that were old, or that I just simply didn't care for. Everything is nice and organized now...

The Aftermath...

From left to right....

Shadows & Pigments

Blushes & Highlighters

Eyeshadow Palettes

Foundation and Primers

More Eyeshadow Palettes

Lipsticks & Glosses

...and I left another box out of Falsies; Mascaras and Misc items...It didn't fit on my vanity :(

All of my Brushes are put into glass vases, along with any "Pencil" items such as jumbo eye pencils, lipliners, or eyeliners.

I know to some individuals who don't take Makeup as passionately as most of us, this collection would seem obscene and outrageous...My husband walked in just as I was finishing and shouted "Holy F*ck!" aha. I know its a lot, but I think it fine to own this much, if not less or more. Every Woman is different. I have seen a ton of pics on other blogger sites or on Youtube, with MORE than what I have. This is nothing! I'm a pretty simple Woman, I don't splurge on myself, any splurging done is done on my Children. I don't ask for much, and a lot of the Makeup I own was either given to me, or bought on Sale :) I work for everything that I want in life, and all that I own is very well deserved.

Everyone has some sort of obsession or addiction.

Whats yours??

ahaha

Family Traditionz...

2011-12-12T11:19:00.000-08:00

Its Tradition for our Family to take our Annual Family pictures.

This time of year is most likely overwhelming and busy for all of us, and at this time I would like to extend warm Holiday Wishes to all of you who have been following my journey here on Blogger, Facebook, Youtube and Twitter. Its been such a great year, I have had to opportunity to connect and network with all of you with the click of a mouse. Its been amazing! I hope with everything the NEW Year brings, it will also allow me to build relationships with many more who share the many passions I love in life.

How is your Holiday season so far?

So far I've done a good amount of shopping. I'll finally be done this week, which makes me ahead of my game this season. The past few years I've lagged until the week of, and had to complete most of my shopping days before Christmas. This year is even better, because with all the extreme couponing going around, I've saved a TON! I am so excited, because I was able to knock most of the Kid's Christmas list down, all on a deal!

Every year is filled with Traditions. Each year my family and I take our annual family portraits, we also add to my Christmas decor. Its tradition to get a few new ornaments to add to our tree, and this year, since we have a new home... we got a new tree as well.

Here are a few pics of what Christmas is lookin like for us....

Our NEW 7.5 Feet Christmas Tree.

We bought this on sale at Big Lots, regularly priced $140, but on sale for $108.

It also comes pre-lit, adorned with pine cones and red berries.

I love it because its unique compared to the normal plain fake trees, and its very Full rather than sparse.

This year I added these cute ornaments to our collection.

One for each of my children. They are all each Momma's Favorite :)

I thought it would be FUN to take a picture with "The Man of the Season"

My Mom worked at the Santa set at the Mall, and on one of my occasions picking her up one night, I felt like a kid again :)

There is still many more Family Traditions to be completed before the Holiday Season ends. On Christmas Eve, my siblings and I get together with our children and parents for dinner, presents and poker. Then on Christmas Day we head to our Uncles house where there is more FOOD and Family time. Celebrating with the In laws and Husband's siblings always comes the first week of January when all other festivities have come to an end. Each year one of my Brother In Laws take turns being Santa, and they all pass out gifts to the children. We even have a Talent Show, showcasing all of the talent in our family. This year my Sister decided to add to our Tradition and get all of our Kids together to bake and decorate cookies, then head over to the Mall and take a picture with Santa, including all 15 of our parent's Grandkids!! Its such a blessing having a HUGE Family and being able to share all of these memories together. It warms my heart to know that there are many more memories to made as each year passes.

What are some of the Traditions you hold in your Family??

I hope everyone is having a GREAT Holiday Season.

My love to you all!

Baked BBQ Bacon Chicken

2011-12-09T14:42:00.000-08:00

The advantages of having skills in the kitchen and loving to cook, is that you can think up some awesome recipes in your head and go home and make your dreams come true by actually making it. I dunno bout all of you, BUT I happen to LOVE Bacon. Bacon on anything is a five star dish in my opinion. The other day I had some Bacon, BBQ sauce, and a tray of Chicken defrosting in my fridge, so I came up with a way to use them all together. Its always convenient when I can utilize all of my ingredients in my kitchen, avoiding that extra stop into the store to pick up that one ingredient that I don't have on hand.

I hope you all enjoy this recipe, if you get a chance to try it, please let me know how you liked it and what steps you took to make it your own. Cooking time for this was about 45 Minutes, Prep time? 10 minutes tops...its effortless to prepare. My Family LOVED it, its definitely going into my list of Family Favz.

What you'll need

Chicken

(I used Thighs)

BBQ Sauce

(I used Sweet Baby Rays Honey BBQ)

Bacon

(I used Farmer John's)

Square Baking pan

Turkey baster

Seasonings

Salt

Pepper

Paprika

Garlic salt

Garlic Powder

Dry Mustard

Getting Started...

Be sure to wash your chicken thoroughly, I prefer to clean under the skin , strain and pat dry.
Arrange your Chicken in a baking pan, and season with the ingredients mentioned above.
After seasoning, Wrap your bacon around each piece of chicken and tuck it under, arranging it back into the pan. I used two slices per chicken.
Cover your pan with Aluminum Foil and let it bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
After 45 Minutes have passed, uncover and remove some of the OIL that had settled in the pan. I did this by using a turkey baster. I left a little of the chickens natural juices in the pan to ensure the chicken did not dry out for the remaining cooking time.
Turn your oven from Bake mode to Broil mode
Next take your BBQ sauce and baste your Chicken. I like to cover the top of the chicken with sauce, as well as the sides.
After basting, place you chicken back into the over to broil for 10 minutes. This will make your bacon nice & crisp :))

Here is the final result :)

I served mine up with a side of Veggies :)

Happy cooking my peoples!!

Smoked out FRIDAY...

2011-12-05T16:38:00.000-08:00

I created this Day Smoke look last Friday :)

It comes to you by way of my neglected NYX Smokey Eyes palette, I've had it for so long and forgot about. I wanna slap myself for not using it more often. Its a beautiful palette with deep blacks and browns...once I found my youngest child diggin' into the pans with a brush handle :(... hence the small dents you see in the shadow pan. Nonetheless it still works as a charm.

Hope you all LIKES!

Face

Loreal True Match Foundation

Loreal True Match Powder

Loreal True Match Blush in Bare Honey

Eyes

Almay Bright Eyes Primer

NYX Smokey Eye Palette

Loreal Lineur Intense Liner

Revlon Mascara

Ardell Brow Powder in Brun

Lips

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Peach Petal

P.s and as for the earrings?? Claire's! My Momma found them in the Clearance section for a buck :))

Xoxo - Wifezilla Hekela

HOUSE Hauling...

2011-12-02T17:20:00.000-08:00

This morning as I drove into work it dawned on me that my Family and I have met our ten month mark living in our new Home. I cant believe how fast time has been flying. In the midst of everything, I can honestly say after much hard work that we are finally starting to get fully settled in. Believe it or not, I've had a ton of stuff still in boxes, I finally got fed up one day and purged it all. It all had been sitting untouched for months, and I obviously wasn't missing it...so I figured WTH! I got rid of it. I have also been bargain shopping, picking up little things here and there for our home. When we first moved in I got rid of a ton of stuff, and wanted to start off fresh with furniture & decor. Which meant $$$! We did the wise thing and got all of our furniture first and focused on all the little things later. So here we are 10 months in...and our home is coming together. It makes me feel so accomplished and complete, to know that we have created this Happy and Loving home for our family...a vow that I promised as a Wife to my Husband on our Wedding Day. The only other way to explain it, is that my heart is smiling. :)

Decor and home goods can cost a fortune, so I wanted to share a few things that I've picked up online and in stores, proving that a great looking home can be achieved in fewer bucks than you thought.

Each room in our home has a theme and the theme surrounding our bedroom is LOVE.

This Corinthians verse from the Bible has always held a strong significance in our Marriage, its a verse that I hold onto not only as a Mother & Wife but as a Human Being. I thought to myself what better verse to put above our headboard than this one. I have browsed a variety of decals to place on walls, and have them applied in various parts of our home. I found this one on Ebay at a store called VinylDesigns.com . I paid a very good price of $15 with FREE shipping, which I thought was a steal, because everywhere I searched for ranged from $25-$40. As you can tell from the photo above, its a very good size. The item shipped so quickly and I received it in 3 days, much sooner than I expected. The application process was super easy, I'm very satisfied with the decal and the company, I will be making more purchases soon :)

Like my NEW Lamp?

Well its actually not BRAND NEW...But for buying it at a Thrift Store? Heck yes it was a treasure.

Not sure about many of you, but I personally love to go to thrift stores to see what kind of home goods and decor they have. Its always been an enjoyable past time to me, and one of the things my Mother & Mama did as a hobby growing up as a child. I find the best stuff there for the best prices. Many of the books that I read come to me by way of thrift stores as well. This lamp easily ranges anywhere between $45-$70 dollars. Its made of solid Brass and the ball in the middle of it is made out of solid granite. Its a pretty sturdy lamp, constructed of great quality. This lamp hit my pockets for $15.

I was totally sold when I saw it sitting on the shelf, it was in immaculate shape and even came with a lamp shade. Thrift Stores are great places to find stuff for the home.

Do any of you like to shop at Thrift Stores?

If you think I'm obsessed with the Beauty world you should see my two Daughters. They are truly my Miniz and have developed a passion for the world of Beauty all their very own. For some time now I have been searching for the perfect vanity for their Hello Kitty themed room. On two separate occasions to Ross I spotted this Pink table. For no reason at all I was hesitant to purchase it. On my third visit I took it as a sign that it had to come home with me. Why else would it have NOT sold after a months time? I knew I had to have it, and visions of transforming it into a girly Vanity popped into my mind. As I browsed the mirror section of the store, a pink framed mirror smiled back at me :) For six dollars it was coming home with me as well.

All in all the Table and the Mirror hit my pockets for $33.

The table was on Clearance for $27. When I got home I set it up in the girl's room, and gave them a set of Makeup brushes I no longer use...They were so excited. My eldest daughter uses it as a dress-up table as well as a Homework desk. Its super girly, and reflects both of their personalities, I kinda want it for myself and wish I had it as a kid growing up. Haha.

I hope you all enjoyed this post. I wanted to share a piece of my creativity in the Home, and want to encourage all of you to do the same. A Home overall is created by LOVE, but it doesn't hurt to make it look beautiful in the process :)

What are some of your favorite stores to shop at when it comes to Home decor?

Thought?

I LOVE Matte :)

2011-11-30T15:55:00.000-08:00

Have I told you all how much I'm obsessing over this I LOVE Matte Palette??

They sure did pick a great name for it, this was the one palette that I thought I would like the least, but to my surprise I kinda like it best. As you can see from my pic below my brown pan chipped :(

I screamed super loud as I saw it fly off of my vanity and on to the ground. When I picked it up I expected all of the pans to be shattered, luckily it was only the brown. If I happen to see this palette elsewhere I just may pick up another backup just in case.

Today I threw all of my makeup in my purse, and applied it at work aha.

I've been into quick, nude, natural looks lately with a bold fierce lip.

Hope you all enjoy this FOTD :)

FACE

Loreal True Match Foundation in Shell Beige

Loreal True Match Super Blendable Powder in Shell Beige - C-4

Loreal True Match Blush in Bare Honey - W-1

ELF Blush and Bronzer Powder to Contour

EYES

Ruby Kisses 24-7 Magic Eye Primer

I LOVE Matte Palette

Eggshell Browbone color applied under the brow as a highlight

Peachy Eyelid color applied slightly above the crease

Dark Brown Crease color blended into the Crease & below the Peachy Eyelid color

Black Definer color applied into the outer "V" smoked out into the Dark Brown Crease

Loreal Lineur Intense Eyeliner in Carbon Black

Maybeline Great Lash Mascara in Black

Ardell Brow Powder applied to Brows

Lips

This Lippie is a MUST!!

Cover Girl Lipstick - Everlasting 345

Recent FOTD's

2011-11-29T11:12:00.000-08:00

If you spotted me during the work week, You'd be surprised to know I go bare face 3-4 Days out of the work week..I have no problem ghost facin' it, and showing my True Beauty. Its good to let your skin breath and go makeup free. I haven't spit out any recent tutorials...But I am going to start bringing back my FOTDs. It will give me more motivation to Beauty Blog :)

This past weekend I got a chance to play with some makeup.

Here are a few recent looks :)

(Sorry for the poor picture quality, they were all taken on my EVO )

Hope you all enjoy these looks...

Please feel free to drop a comment below for product information :)

Xoxo