Bachelor Recap & Weekly Musings

| Bachelor Recap | 

Let me put this out there - Chris Soules is not a shy man.

Do not be fooled ladies.

That man LOVES make out sessions without the dance floor (and I'm pretty sure alcohol on his end).  I just don't even know where to begin.  Maybe the winner of the first group date - Mackenzie.

1.  She wore bib-overalls to the tractor racing group date, unironically.  Think about that.

2.  For a girl who claims, just like Chris, to be shy, she was pretty aggressive about telling Chris that she's afraid of aliens, that she likes big noses, and that her son is the cutest thing ever.  The more she talked the more I felt uncomfortable.  And then... he gave her the rose.  I'm sorry, whaaa?  

3.  She's incredibly upset that she can't use being a virgin, since she has a kid.  I don't know where Mackenzie is from that guys crave virgins, but I guess we now know how she had a kid.

Jillian & Megan broke into Chris's house, and while the camera focused on Megan hitting her head on things, I was focused on why they had to add a black box image to Jillian's crotch area.  Like... what was she wearing to make you do that, and furthermore, why were the ladies in the house allowing her to wear that on national television???

Also, I know Megan has the heartbreaking story about her dad, which I don't wish upon anyone, but REALLY?!  Like... I can't imagine having a conversation with this girl for a couple of hours, let alone the rest of my life. If you are going to live in a town with 400 people, you are going to need to have conversations with each often.  Good luck with that.

Group Date killing zombies - did anyone else think this looks like a LOT of fun??  I'm so wanting to do this!  That said, Kelsey (one of my faves), dropped down a notch with her crazy laugh, and Kaitlyn was better than she had been.  However - ASHLEY S.  THANK GOD HE KEPT HER AROUND.  

Two words.  Mesa Verde.

Please use the comments to decide on why she is so off her rocker.  My vote: meds mixed with alcohol.

Finally - Ashley I. was so wearing the dress crazy eyes Amanda wore on the first day in red.  #awkward.  After watching her be really weird with her belly button ring and making out with Chris, I know why she's a virgin.

Too harsh?  Seriously - look.

Also in the comments: do you think Chris ends up sleeping with one of the girls, and if so, who?  I think he does - and I think it's going to be Kaitlyn. 

| Amtrak | 

I feel like Amtrak gets a lot of flack often, but I'm all about promoting positive (after I berated the girls on a reality dating show).  One night on my commute home, I accidentally left my work phone on the train.  I knew it immediately when I got to the car.  I expected to have to call Amtrak, figure out how to get my phone back, yadda yadda yadda.  By the time I got home, they had already called me - the conductor matched my initials on my phone case to my ticket and had one of the passengers call my coworker to contact me.  He kept it until the next day.  So sweet!  It's nice to know there are people out there who care.

| Delicious Greek | 

I am hoping to promote Amish Country (Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, if you didn't know) more through this blog.  It's a really cool place to live, even if it's not the "city", and people on the East Coast should definitely visit.  

Souvlavki Boys is one of the best Greek restaurants I've ever been to.  It started as a food truck, but now is a restaurant with the staples (Gyros, Spanakopita, Baklava), but also gyro variations, skewers, and awesome Greek fries (fries with greek herbs and spices and feta cheese).  We would eat something from there once a week, if we could!  The prices are incredibly reasonable, and all of the teenagers who work there are so nice and professional, I'm always impressed!  Check them out in downtown Lancaster on Prince Street!

| Blog Spotlight | 

Hello, Gorgeous - A blog run by Yasi, she doesn't post often due to her having a full-time job (like me!) but when she does, I am always incredibly pleased!  Yasi wears incredibly professional outfits which inspired me greatly when I worked in the ultra-conservative banking industry.  She isn't afraid of color, layering, or patterns and wears reasonably priced pieces - some being from Target & Forever 21.  

| Item I'm Craving | 

I always get a little weary, thinking of rugs because I am always afraid of them being too much for a room, and they're always so expensive.  But I tend to adore the rugs at Anthropologie - especially this one!  Too bad it's a tad out of my price range...

Photo Creds: Makeout, Censored, Mackenzie, Mesa Verde

How to Shop: Consignment

In part with my finance series, I'm also going to talk about how I shop at different types of stores.  Shopping is not fun to many people - many of them, women I'm related to.  Yep, the apple fell from an orange tree here.  Since I have been spending a lifetime trying to get anti-shoppers to see that it's not a day wasted, I thought I would help those wanna-be shoppers and maybe shopping lovers see how I wade through the fashion world.

My first attack: Consignment!  How do you shop at a store where they get clothing that was purchased a while ago and potentially worn by someone else?  Well first ask yourself two questions.

1. Do you have more than an hour to dedicate to one store?
2. Are you trying to save money but need to update your wardrobe?

Then keep reading - you will be able to shop consignment!

First, you need to know that this takes time.  These stores are a one of a kind place.  It's almost like trying to find a husband at a state university.  There are so many guys, some attractive, some not so much but you still are intrigued and then after a while, you're like... "They all are the same!  I can't choose!"

Yes ladies, you will find a mate.

Start at the size you normally wear (I'm in between a small and a medium, and when shopping at consignment I start at medium because when people wash clothes they tend to get smaller) and look through every single item.  Did you pull out a couple of items?  No?  GO BACK.  Consignment is a great place to buy something you will only wear a handful of times.  Not everything is going to fit right either.  Be patient and do not blame your body.  If something doesn't fit right, it's probably the shirt (remember, someone didn't want to wear it anymore, and it's probably because it fit the same way).

If you go through every single item you may find gems like these:

I got the infamous Zara dress that KATE MIDDLETON OWNED - YES, THE EXACT STYLE & MAKE - at a consignment shop for $30.  It retails for $90.  I wear this dress to work often - it's a little larger than I normally would wear, but I belt it, like Kate, and add a cardigan or blazer to hide the extra fabric on the sides.  Have I worn this more than a dress I paid twice for?  Definitely.

I also got these three pairs of J.Crew Shorts (sorry, they're wrinkled, I haven't worn shorts in a while - thanks cold summer) for $10 each at a consignment store.  Retail price?  $40.  Read: I saved $90.  Yeah, they aren't brand new.  But I wear them as often as I would if they were.

Which leads me to the next point: quality.  Some things you find may not be in stellar quality.  Ask yourself if it's worth it.  Is something worn almost to the point of gaining an extra hole?  Is it a dollar?  Yeah, you can probably get away with it.  Does it seem like something that you have in your closet and still wear?  Then add it!

Sometimes, you can find gems that are brand new, like this dress I found on a recent trip

BRAND NEW

Original retail price? $94 - Current: $15

Is it worth it?  Heck yeah!  Would I have paid $94 for it, no way...  but I'm definitely going to wear it 15+ times (and I look at clothing as a dollar per wear) Consignment is where you can get stuff like that.  

Also, remember that this is a great place to find designer duds for less.  While you can purchase Michael Kors at a Michael Kors store or a TJMaxx, you will still spend more than $30.  Guaranteed.  However, if you take the time and look, you may find this gem:

Michael Kors skirt for $7.52.

And I can assure you, Michael would be thrilled!  So here are my quick and fast tips:

1. Take your time

2. Pick out a lot of stuff - don't think, just grab

3. Try on everything and don't get discouraged

4. If you do get discouraged, remember there is a reason why it's at the store

5. Check out the quality

6. Decide if the price is worth it - are you going to wear it that many times?  Is that an appropriate price?

7. Realize that everyone gets lucky once in a while and you just got a great deal - schwing!