January 2014 – Appalachian Barbie

A life without noodles…..

January 30, 2014January 30, 2014 The Appalachian Barbie2 Comments

As a girl who has been watching her figure the better part of her life, I have learned quite a few tricks for getting around pesky, unneeded calories without giving up my favorite foods and flavor. One thing I decided to get rid of for good is noodles. I know they are a mainstay of every pasta dish. But to me, they are flavorless fillers that just make me bloated and miserable after they digest. Not to mention a mere 2 ounces pack a 200 calorie punch and most people consume twice that unknowingly! A noodle is nothing more than a processed wheat product that takes on the FLAVOR of whatever you put on it –that’s where all the taste is! So over the years I have learned to alter my recipes and cut down my calorie intake at least a third. Since this is something I get asked about quite a bit, AND I made lasagna last night, here are a few of my quick and easy Italian go-to’s.

-When making spaghetti, sub spaghetti squash. One whole cup of cooked spaghetti squash only has around 42 calories and 10 carbs! There are several ways of cooking a spaghetti squash, but the easiest way I’ve found of doing it is by poking it all over with a metal skewer and roasting it on a cookie sheet on 375 until it’s fork tender. For god’s sake, PLEASE REMEMBER TO POKE IT OR IT WILL EXPLODE!! After it’s cooled enough that I can touch it, I just slice it down the middle, remove the seeds and then, with the tines of a fork, start scraping up the “noodles.” It’s just as easy as boiling traditional spaghetti! Once you top it with your favorite yummy spaghetti sauce, you’re guaranteed to not miss a thing!

-In place of fettuccine style noodles, I will often julienne a zucchini and steam it for just a few minutes on the stove top with a bit of my house spice–salt, pepper and garlic powder. Just don’t let it go too long or they will get mushy and disintegrate! They make tools to create pasta out of veggies, but I simply use a vegetable peeler. It’s whatever you prefer! Oh and did I mention, one medium zucchini only has 33 calories?!

-Finally, my favorite Italian noodle-less meal, AND what I made for dinner last night–Lasagna with eggplant noodles! So good you won’t even realize there isn’t a starch! Because this is one of my favorite meals, I’ll just give you my entire recipe. But please, be creative! Play around with flavors! What works for me might not be your cup of tea and that’s ok!

Appalachian Barbie Lasagna

1/2 lb ground sirloin
1/2 mild Italian sausage
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup of water
2 15oz containers of small curd cottage cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella (divided)
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese (divided)
2 eggs
2 eggplants, sliced thinly to 1/4″ thickness
spices- salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning

Begin by pre-heating your oven to 400 degrees and letting your sauce pan heat up with around a teaspoon of olive oil while you’re dicing and mincing your veggies. To sauce pan, add meats, peppers, onions and garlic cloves. Cook over medium heat, crumbling meat until it is cooked through and no longer pink. While this is cooking, begin slicing your eggplants lengthwise to no more than 1/4″ thickness. Place them on cookie sheets, drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and italian seasoning and pop them in the oven to roast. You don’t want to over cook these, as they will disintegrate pretty easily. So around 5 minutes should do the trick but keep an eye on them. You just want them to be pliable!

After your meat mixture is cooked, add spices to taste, 1 jar of pasta sauce and 1/2 cup of water. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer while you’re preparing your cheese mixture.

In a medium bowl, combine 2 eggs, lightly beaten, cottage cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella and 1/4 cup of parmesan. Add 1tsp of italian seasoning and stir together. Now it’s time to build your lasagna!

Begin by spooning about a 1/2 cup of sauce mixture onto bottom of 8×8″ pan. Next, layer eggplant “noodles,” covering bottom. Spoon half of cheese mixture on top of “noodles.” Repeat sauce, “noodles”, cheese. Add one more layer of “noodles,” top with sauce and cover with the 1 cup of shredded mozzarella and 1/4 cup of parmesan you reserved from earlier. Lower oven to 365, wrap lasagna tightly in foil and let it cook for about 45 minutes. If you would like, sometimes I will let it cook uncovered the last 5-10 minutes so the cheese gets a nice browning on top. Make sure to let your lasagna set for around 20 minutes before serving. This will help keep it from falling apart when you cut it. And you won’t burn your mouth like a fat kid!

Because of my honey’s intense weight training, he can carbo-load with no worries. So last night I made a full size regular lasagna for him and a little mini eggplant lasagna for me. It worked out perfectly and we both have leftovers!

I hope this article inspires you to try a few noodle-less dishes! The only difference I can tell is that the dishes are a bit wetter because there isn’t any bread to soak up all the juice. Let me know what you think!

The week from hell…..

January 24, 2014 The Appalachian Barbie2 Comments

This week seems like it has just been one thing after another. Last time I posted, I mentioned that a friend of mine was in the hospital. That friend passed away Monday, and it was very unexpected. So on top of that tragedy, I’ve worked a stupid schedule at work (two 13 hour shifts on top of my regular schedule) and there just haven’t been enough hours in the day. I have done my best to keep positive and find a silver lining in all this. One thing I can say is that I have never been more aware of my health and more motivated to be as healthy as possible as I am following Ron’s untimely passing. So here’s a few of the healthy meals I concocted this week.

Sweet and Spicy Asian Inspired Pork Chops with Roasted veggies

Fake Fried Buffalo Chicken Tenders with brocolli — Fake Fried Buffalo Chicken Tenders with broccoli

For the chops, I seasoned some boneless pork chops I got on sale with my go-to house spices-salt, pepper and garlic powder. Then I glazed them with a mixture of jalepeno pepper jelly and soy sauce. For a side dish, I sliced some red bell pepper and onion and tossed with asparagus in olive oil and house spice and roasted for about 10 mins. I also boiled up some brown rice for a small amount of healthy carbs. Fluffed with a little margarine and a dollop of sweet chili sauce it was perfect.

The buffalo tenders were great too. I just cut some skinless, boneless chicken breasts into strips, dredged in whole wheat flour and egg whites then rolled in panko and baked til crispy and done. Then I tossed them in some wing sauce and steamed some fresh broccoli for a side dish. For dipping, I am obsessed with Litehouse kefir yogurt ranch. It’s full of healthy probiotics and only has 60 calories per serving!

Also this week, I jumped on the opportunity to get out of town and take my mind off of work and funerals and went on a little girls trip to Asheville. Asheville is only about 45 minutes up the mountain from where I live but feels like a whole other world. It’s a little mountain town that packs a whole lot of culture into a beautiful, natural package and is brimming with fantastic food, art and shopping, and most everything is local. And did I mention booze? Yeah, there’s that little fact that Asheville is better known as Beer City, USA, and plays host to almost 20 breweries.

Asheville, NC. Big city feel, tucked into the security of these mountains.

Our first stop was for lunch at Salsa’s, a tiny Mexican-Carribean fusion cantina. Since we didn’t arrive until 2:30, we thankfully had missed the lunch rush and had the restaurant to ourselves. As we poured over the drink menu (priorities!), I couldn’t help but notice the art on the walls. According to our very knowledgeable server, the owner and chef Hector Diaz, purchases all the art and changes the themes every so often. Right now, they are featuring local graffiti artists, but unfortunately, none of the pieces are for sale. I settled on the habanero margarita, which at $12.95 might seem a little steep but you really get what you pay for, because it was worth every dime. Patron Silver tequila is served over rocks with Cointreau and hand squeezed citrus mix. Muddled into the bottom is the smallest sliver of habanero pepper, which provides the perfect amount of heat to this refreshing libation. Sitting inside this brightly colored oasis, sipping margaritas and watching the snow pour outside the large windows I felt like I was living inside a snow globe one might buy at the Cancun International Airport giftshop. Within moments our appetizers arrived to the table, and believe me when I tell you, this may be some of the best food I’ve ever had the pleasure of putting in my mouth. Ariana went with the pork tostadas, while Ashton and I tore into the jalepeno poppers. And please be assured, these were not some little deep fried nuggets of crap. Whole jalepenos, sliced down the middle, fire roasted and filled to capacity with a salmon/cream cheese mixture, rolled and dipped in batter then deep fried, topped with this delicious sweet and tangy pineapple/lime sour cream and a mango salsa. Honest to God, those might very well be one of the greatest things I’ve ever tasted. I followed appetizers with an entree of fajitas, which the chefs were kind enough to modify to cater to my cilantro allergy. Ordinarily I wouldn’t be so offensive as to ask for such an alteration at a place like that, but since they were not busy, I felt it couldn’t hurt. And so glad I was–the rest of the food was just as delicious. Salsa’s is just authentic, simple, fresh ingredients, tossed together in the most complimentary way and will definitely be a must-stop for every trip to Asheville.

The girls and I at Salsa's. — The girls and I at Salsa’s.

As dusk fell in the mountains, we stopped in for sweets and wine at French Broad Chocolate Lounge. Since poor Mitch was stuck at school all day, I decided to gift him with a box of assorted chocolates from the aphrodisiac collection–rawr! I snuggled down in a big comfy leather chair and dove straight in to my warm nibby browny, covered with a fat scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and drizzled with freshly melted chocolate. A big, bold glass of cabernet was the perfect compliment to this sweet concoction. My lady companions settled on equally enticing treats. Ashton, the creme brulee and Ariana, the carrot cake. I heard no complaints from their end, but then again, their mouths were stuffed the entire time.

Decadence, courtesy of French Broad Chocolates. — Decadence, courtesy of French Broad Chocolates

We finished up the day with a marathon shopping session, and you know me, we had to hit up the outlets. These Fendi sunglasses that I scored for $60 at TJ Maxx are everything. Everything.

Yesterday, which was Wednesday, I had to go to that funeral and although it was a sad occasion, I was able to catch up with friends I hadn’t seen in awhile at a lunch afterward. My best friend Alision and I also took the afternoon to toot around The Corner Nest, an antique warehouse in my town. After being there for God only knows how long, we staggered out into the cold and darkness, disoriented, a few dollars poorer, but a few antiques richer. All in all, it was a good peaceful day for remembering a dear friend, departed far too soon.

Tonight is supposed to be date night, but with temperatures dipping into single digits, I don’t know that I’m up for getting out of my sweats and central heat to venture into public for a cocktail and a movie. We’ll see how it goes. I’ll leave you with a look from earlier this week. I finally got around to wearing that adorable little black dress with the prim scallop collar. I paired it with some ballet flats, but ultimately I wish I would have had some Mary Janes. A braid, rosy cheeks and glossy lips finished the look and I’m pretty happy with it.

007

Lunch break!

January 16, 2014January 16, 2014 The Appalachian Barbie2 Comments

Can we just talk about how gorgeous this salad Is that I just threw together on a whim? Leftover pesto chicken from the crock pot tops a bed of spinach, cukes, Roma tomatoes, red pepper slices and a few strategically placed croutons. Drizzled with EVOO and pomegranate red wine vinegar…..YUM!

Healthy life, happy couple

January 16, 2014January 16, 2014 The Appalachian BarbieLeave a comment

Phew! What a busy week I’ve had! If you’re familiar with the service industry, you know that “Friday night-Sunday night” weekends are irrelevant, and are actually a bartender’s busiest days. My weekends begin when I get home from my Tuesday night shift, which technically doesn’t end until around 4am on Wednesday morning. Then I have until Friday night at 9pm to do WHATEVER I WANT!!! Yeah right. The more of an adult I become, the more I realize days off are only for getting ALL that stuff done around the house that you don’t have time to do through the week. Especially when your boyfriend is a bodybuilder and eats for 3. There’s always grocery shopping and food prep to be done on top of the dishes and laundry. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. Your health is nothing to gamble on and I was slapped in the face with that fact twice this week. Unfortunately I had one of my favorite restaurant regulars pass away and another bar regular has ended up in the hospital with complications from diabetes and pneumonia. Living a healthy lifestyle is so important. You really are what you eat. And if you want to see how true that is, take a little stroll through your local Walmart and just observe the correlation of what is in a person’s buggy and their size. It’s disgusting. Eat better, feel better, look better. It’s really that simple.

So on Tuesday I made my weekly pilgrimage to Kroger for groceries and a gas fill-up. I only buy groceries once a week, so I have to meal plan around both our work schedules. And if something runs out or I don’t get it, it’s tough titty said the kitty! I typically spend between $100-$200/wk, depending on what is on sale and what we’re out of. But some things are a weekly staple, like eggs for example. Between the 4 egg whites I have for breakfast every day and the 6 whole eggs that Mitch is currently eating, we’re about to go egg poor. I bet I look like a crazy person coming through the line with 60 eggs!

Our weekly grocery supply. Please note those peanut butter poptarts and double stuff oreos belong to a certain 245lb bodybuilder I know and not me.

So a lot of my favorite recipes are things that I have thrown together at the spur of the moment and only take around 15 minutes to make. My apple/gouda chicken sausage hash and sweet and spicy stir fry are two such recipes that I happened to make this week. Both are ridiculously healthy, natural and filling meals and cost very little to make. Here are the recipes. I hope you enjoy!

Kathie’s Chicken Sausage and Sweet Potato Hash

1 package of Hormel Natural Choice Apple Gouda Chicken Sausages, sliced into rounds

2 medium sized sweet potatoes, diced to bite size

Caribbean Jerk seasoning

Spray skillet with nonstick spray liberally and heat over medium. Add diced sweet potatoes and sprinkle with Caribbean jerk seasoning. Add sliced sausages and add more seasoning to taste. Cook covered, stirring occasionally, until sweet potatoes are fork tender and glazed. Serve with a green veggie on side.

Kathie’s Sweet and Spicy Chicken Stir Fry

1-1 1/2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces

half of a green bell pepper, half of a red bell pepper, sliced into strips

half of a medium onion, sliced into strips

half of a fresh pineapple, cored and cut into bite sized chunks

7 or so asparagus spears, white ends discarded, and chopped into 1″ long sticks

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt

pepper

garlic powder

sweet chili sauce

soy sauce

Toss first 6 ingredients into a deep pan that has been sprayed liberally with nonstick. cook over medium heat. Season to taste with salt, pepper and garlic powder. When chicken is almost cooked through, add sweet chili and soy sauces to taste. (*note, tis better to err on the side of too little soy and add to it, than to put too much and ruin the dish. Soy sauce is extremely salty and it’s hard to recover from putting too much in.) This dish will be pretty juicy from the sweet chili sauce and pineapples. All the better! Serve with brown rice and let it soak up all that delicious flavor! yum!

Bon apetit!

Daytime Casual to Date Night glam and Everything In-between

January 12, 2014January 12, 2014 The Appalachian Barbie2 Comments

Greetings from East Tennessee! I’m hoping everyone has managed to crawl out of their bunker of electric blankets and survived the POLAR VORTEX! It’s crazy how this time last week we were all preparing for sub-zero temperatures and today there is an expected high of 50! I guess it’s true what they say–if you don’t like the weather in Tennessee, wait 5 minutes! (I’m actually pretty sure people say that about wherever they live, but it seems especially fitting for home right now so let’s just roll with it.) With all this crazy weather it’s hard to dress for any occasion. I personally hate winter clothes. I feel my legs are my greatest asset and should be shown off as much as possible. Hard to do when it’s 15 degrees outside. I also like to be comfortable, and enforce a strict “minimal makeup and elastic waistbands ONLY” policy when I’m off work and have nowhere important to go. This, however, is not an excuse to look sloppy. You can still look chic and put together when you’re going from the gym to the store to home with the right comfy items.

Leggings are always a must. With so many cute and inexpensive options there is no reason to not stock up on these babies. I stumbled across an entire rack of basic leggings in black, gray and maroon at Forever21 the other day for $3.80 apiece! My new favorite leopard print leggings only cost me $5.99 at Ross. What I’m trying to tell you is, if you’re paying more than $10 for leggings, you clearly have more money than brains.

Next, invest in some comfy tanks for layering. With the Victoria’s Secret Semi-Annual sale happening, (thank you Baby Jesus!) I was able to get some super cute tops for a fraction of the cost. Top it off with a big cozy sweater or jacket and you’re set to go!

Also in the winter time, any smart southern gal knows her furry boots are her best friend. My personal favorite are my black Michael Kors with button accent and fur trim. They’re warm and cozy and shield me from rain, snow and mud. And I got them at a ridiculously good price which makes me love them even more.

my gorgeous mk boots. perfect for the winter elements.

Always remember to slap on a statement watch and some sunglasses and I would say you’re ready for whatever the day throws your way.

Sunglasses-Wet Seal, top-VS, Leggings-forever21, cardigan-unknown

Hat-nike, sweatshirt-VS, leggings-ross, boots-mk

hat-nike, jacket-calvin klein performance, tank-VS, leggings-forever21, tennis shoes-newbalance

I would say that most of the reason I am so casual in my off-time is because when I have somewhere to go, I put a lot into it. Great hair and makeup are the best accessories. The most expensive, beautiful Oscar de la Renta would be rags without the right hair and makeup to accompany it. That is why I always invest more time on these areas. Thursday nights are always date night for me and my honey, Mitch. Thankfully that was the night after my big haul at Ross, so I had plenty of options. I ended up settling on the printed guess blouse with a pair of express jeggings, black boots with studded detail and a lace blazer. I added extensions to my hair, as I usually do when I want to give my look a little more sex appeal. (Ladies, please invest in a good set of clip-ins. Not only can they add length and thickness to any hair, but they’re so easy to do and can take your look from pretty to bombshell in no time. But don’t skimp here. Spring for the expensive ones.) I also added some demi-wispies to my lashes to upgrade my eyes to evening. My standard go-to makeup look is always a smoky eye and nude lip, but you should find what works for YOU and stick with it. I am a firm believer that trends should not apply to hair and makeup. Find what style makes you look your best and work it as your own. Leave the trends to accessories. Being pretty never goes out of style and a classic makeup and hairstyle is the best place to start.

Date night sexy. Edgy accessories and glamglam hair and makeup.

So there is my finished look. Perfect for a wine and pizza dinner, followed by a tequila cocktail and conversation at a little cantina down the street. Of course I can’t forget my BEST accessory–my Mitch. 🙂

That’s the power of Botox baby!

January 10, 2014January 10, 2014 The Appalachian Barbie2 Comments

As it is for most women my age, my 30th birthday is coming stronger, faster and more horrifying than a Game of Thrones winter. All these years of tanning, drinking and working in smoky bars are starting to catch up with the moneymaker known as my face. And we can’t be havin’ NONE of that. So what’s a girl to do? Sure, you can go out and blow hundreds of dollars on miracle creams and spend hours applying them to your face. If you can afford that please do! However, it has been my own personal experience that the creams and serums aren’t and never will be any match for good old fashioned botulism injected straight into the forehead. I now consider it part of my beauty routine. It’s quick, mostly painless and, when applied by THE RIGHT PROFESSIONAL, gives beautiful, moderately long-lasting results. (For more info on Botox click here.)

Correctly injected Botox can make a world of difference on an aging face (photo courtesy of suddenlyslimmer.com)

Please allow me to take this time and emphasize that i am BY NO MEANS a medical professional. Everything I am telling you should be taken at face value (pun intended.) I am simply sharing MY experience with a cosmetic procedure and my own personal beauty routine.

Some things you should consider when deciding whether or not to poison and paralyze the nerves in your face are as follows:

1.)FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DO YOUR RESEARCH!! There are literally THOUSANDS of hacks out there wanting to take your money who claim to do “botox” when who knows what they’re really shooting you up with. In my town alone, there are at LEAST 10 “weight loss” clinics who claim to do botox for $7 a unit. First off, when injecting poison into your face, this is really not the time or place to try and save cash. Botox around here costs, on average, $10-$12/unit. Some places will run monthly specials, but for the most part this is true. Secondly, you don’t know who in the hell they have given permission to do the actual procedure. No matter how you slice it, Botox Cosmetic IS an invasive medical procedure and should ONLY be handled by an EXPERIENCED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL! This can mean all the difference in how your results turn out! Placement of the Botox can determine something as small as what lines disappear and be as detrimental as making one side of your face droop! And this stuff lasts for months! Do you want to spend the next 3 months of your life looking like sloth from The Goonies??? I didn’t think so.

Bad Botox placement can paralyze half your face, leaving it asymmetrical as a mf-er. (photo courtesy of toptenz.net)

2.) NEVER BE TOO CAUTIOUS! So let’s say you found a doctor who seems legit. Great! Now start asking around. Get references from people who have had the procedure. If they give you the greenlight, make your appointment. When you go in, however, I ALWAYS ask to see the bottle they are getting ready to inject from. Don’t worry about sounding like a bitch. This is YOUR BODY! You have every right to know that what they are putting in you is ACTUAL FDA APPROVED BOTOX and not some nasty crap from Guadalajara that will turn your head into a pinata that shoots candy out your ears every time somebody whacks you with a stick! This website has AMAZING tips for identifying actual botox and you should really check it out.

3.) IT’S GONNA TAKE SOME TIME! There is a reason for the old adage “all good things in all good time.” Botox will typically not settle in and start to look correct until around a week after injections. It all depends on how your body metabolizes it. So don’t expect immediate results. Hold your horses! Within a week you are going to see those ugly lines and wrinkles being replaced with smooth, tight skin.

My beautiful results after just 5 days, clockwise from top left and ending in center.

Now for my own skin care routine. I’m basically a lazy ass so there’s not much to it. But this little routine that I’ve picked up just over the last few months has made a world of difference in the appearance of my face. Every time I wear makeup, I make sure to take it off. Even if it’s just with those little makeup removing towelettes. I have to. I cake on makeup for an hour and then go work in a bar where people chain smoke for 6 hours. I simply cannot let all that crap settle into my face any longer than necessary. I personally recommend Aveeno Active Naturals Ultra Calming makeup removing wipes. They smell amazing and do a pretty good job of getting gunk off your eyes.

Aveeno wipes. great product and affordably priced!

I also use a microdermabrasion tool every time I wash my hair, which is around 3-4x/week. I use a deep conditioning treatment every time I wash my hair because I’m trying to this thirsty mess to grow, so this makes for the perfect opportunity to exfoliate my face. I use the Neutrogena Microdermabrasion System and really just buff the hell out of my face. It gets rid of dead skin and tightens a lot of wrinkles.

Buffs the dents right out of your face for around twenty bucks

I finish up with a natural face wash I found in the organic section of my grocery store. The company is called Andalou. I just love this face wash and am definitely going to try their other products. You can check out their website here.

My only other advice is to invest in a great moisturizer! On top of that I botox as needed, around every 3 months or so. You don’t want to overdo it. I mean, I’m still young. 25 units every now and again, just to smooth and prevent future wrinkles. And there you have it. My opinion on injectables and skincare!

freshly scrubbed and botoxed bitch face today.

Budget Ballin like a Boss …..

January 10, 2014 The Appalachian BarbieLeave a comment

So today I treated myself to a total girly day. I tanned, had my brows waxed, got a pedi and then went shopping. What I’m trying to say is that it was the perfect day. Now, I don’t know about y’all, but I’m no John D. Rockefeller, and I love nothing more than scoring a deal. On anything. So I love to shop outlets and overstock stores like Ross, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, etc. Today I scored so much frickin loot from Ross it was unbelievable. I believe this is what they call a ‘shoppers high.’ Anyway, let’s start at the beginning.

After I tanned I decided to do something about these sketchy meth brows I have going on. (I mean, seriously, the older I get, the thirstier my eyebrow situation is getting. They are definitely mug-shot worthy.) So I hit up Bella Donna Salon for a wax. As I was waiting to be called back I stumbled across the 50% off table and saw a great summer kit from Too Faced called “Poolside Primping.” It had 5 great products AND a too cute bag to carry it all in. What really drew me in was the tinted primer and perfect pink gloss. I’m definitely using these tonight so I’ll update on how they worked out later for interested parties. After my waxing I was in for a real treat at the checkout counter. The kit was not ringing up on the computer so the saleslady just priced it the same as another SMALLER kit on the same table. So I ended up getting the whole Too Faced kit with 5 products and and a bag for only $23–a STEAL!!

Too Faced Poolside Primping, on sale for $23

After my little impulse purchase at the salon, it was time for pedicures with my fabulous friends Robbie and Ariana at LV Nail Bar. We had a few glasses of wine and I splurged on the signature pedicure. Totally worth it, because after the hour long sugar scrub and tangerine masque, my feet feel like heaven. And I’m loving the deep cranberry sparkle on my toes! Perfect for winter!

ahhh...this is the life. homegirl hooked me up!! — ahhh…this is the life. homegirl hooked me up!!

After a quick lunch at a local Mexican place to recharge, Ariana and I put out our good shopping vibes and killed it at Ross. The clothes I got MSRP at over $536. I spent less than $75. I consider that a GREAT shopping day!

Comfy BCBG hoodie. MSRP $160. Paid $5.99.

Dusty rose calvin klein blouse MSRP $69.50, paid $9.99

printed guess blouse MSRP $69, paid $12.99

trying on ck blouse! so chic! can be dressed up OR down!

So pleased with the fruits of today’s labor! Now the only question is, what to wear to date night??

Introductions

January 9, 2014 The Appalachian Barbie1 Comment

I would like to begin this little blog of mine with a sincere thank you for taking the time out of your day to catch up with me! Whether you’re here intentionally or by a total accident, I hope you enjoy my rants and ramblings. I have always loved writing and over the years have dabbled in blogging but never stayed consistent enough or had enough interesting things to say to keep it up. Over the last couple of months my life has done a 180 in the best way possible. I have never felt more alive, grateful and inspired than I do today- and i can only hope tomorrow is even better. It’s funny how unpredictable and beautiful life is. My whole life I’ve had this anxiety about the dreaded 28th birthday. I put pressure on myself that I should be married, have a career and have my whole life figured out by that age. I guess it’s because Gail (my momma) had me when she was 28. Anyway, 28 is finally here and in my own way, despite all odds, I’ve met most of those goals. I’m not married, but in May of 2013 I met the man of my dreams. I don’t have my dream career but I’m making more money than I ever have at a job I don’t hate. I also bought a new-er car all by myself this year. But the thing I’m most proud of is how I have really weeded out all the negativity in my life and surrounded myself with light and happiness. Life is too short to dwell on darkness.

So a little bit about what you can expect from my upcoming posts. I have labeled myself a “50’s housewife by way of the future.” What that means is that while I am extremely traditional in some aspects of my life, I also am one of the more liberal southerners you’ll ever meet. But I’ll delve more into that later. I LOVE cooking and maintaining a healthy lifestyle so you can expect plenty of delicious and healthy recipes I’ve made for myself and my honey. Also, as the name Appalachian Barbie might suggest, I am obsessed with glamour–big hair, great face, fashion and accessories. My personal motto when getting ready is “Hair, Lips, Legs and Eyes.” If you have these four factors on point I can guarantee you’re looking your best. And when you look your best, usually you feel your best. I also love being inspired by health nuts and hopefully I will have the same effect on others as I chronicle my own fitness journey. Another aspect of my life I hope to feature is my home in East Tennessee. I love being from the south. The traditions, culture, weather and even the accents can’t be beat. I hope I can share my favorite things not only from around my home, but some of my other favorite spots in the southeast as well.

Love these mountains! (photo from cartercounty.info)

With all that being said, here we go! I love feedback as long as it is uplifting and constructive so I hope to hear from you! Welcome to a tour of my little life…….

	BluntPathway on WELLth
	BluntPathway on Simple Pleasures
	The Appalachian Barb… on It’s Time to Level …
	BluntPathway on It’s Time to Level …
	Isabelle on Kathie Jayne