FOREVER 21, MADDEN and MILEY

Stephanie Sjoberg, Luxor, Steve Madden shoes, platform shoes, Michael Kors bag, Mac Lip Color in Miley Cyrus,

dress by Forever 21, shoes by Steve Madden, bag Michael Kors, lip color is Miley Cyrus (kill me now but I love the color)

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A lot of times, I opt to say nothing when I blog, because I must be careful of my mood.  If someone recently has made me into a negative mindset, then I best say nothing because I have been known to vent.

I also tend to be bothered by the fact that Blair Eadie never says anything, I mean anything, on her blog…yet her top competition says an awful lot on Cupcake and Cashmere.  I see the merit in both.  I try to be myself….well, I am myself and there’s nothing I can do about that…but I try to learn from the partnership and collaboration efforts of these two who are completely different from each other in the ways they have created their empires. I think Blair keeps her mouth shut to keep it serious and about the fashion, but I’m an everything person so it’s about the fashion, the price point, the makeup, a bargain sometimes and beauty, nature, food and such. Because of this, I find it hard sometimes to offer no thoughts.

Most people have no clue why some of us “blog.”  I think most people will agree…photographing yourself is the most terrible part!  Worrying about being judged incorrectly is a hassle. Most of blogging is not about look at me, aren’t I fabulous….it’s more about look at these cool Gucci glasses, cheap dress and blue nails…isn’t this fun?!  It’s about personal ideas and viewpoints.

I spent a few days in Dallas in which my step mother made plenty of remarks about my blog life. Questions such as “Who takes the pictures?” or comments like “Your face looks airbrushed” or “How much money do you make?” I think the funniest part, is that while people don’t really get it, they all want their photo shoot and makeup done. Ugh. Primarily, the blog helps to expose what I do, who I am and what I enjoy. It’s a platform for beauty and cosmetics experience, photography work, and years spent in fashion, decor and real estate.

Mainly, as hard as it sometimes is, my very hyper husband takes the photos.  I do not believe in airbrushing.  I do, however, believe in great angles, lighting and of course…makeup.  I have very pale skin so in a flash or sunlight, I glow like an angel, therefore, since the light is reflective on pale skin, I pretty much just take good pictures.  Oh, and I am a makeup artist. As far as how much money I make, that is complex.  I do a lot of different things so there are different income streams. The trick in life is developing income streams and minimizing outgoing expenses! (Hence, the $23 dress from Forever 21) I am currently scaling back on work efforts and narrowing my focus.

This month, was weird for me. I did too much for too long and sort of imploded.  Our house is totally torn up right now with a remodel project that should be done by the end of the week, and I am starting work for a new company at the end of the week as well, and I am totally excited about it!  The name of the company I am going to is Johnny Was, and I will be blogging a lot of Johnny Was  fashion in the future!

I am to the point in life, where I am being me…in every way possible.  I’m smart, but I don’t need to look smart to be happy.  If I want a chicken coup in my back yard, then I damn well will get a chicken coup and fancy chickens with hair feathers! (Everyone thinks this is weird, by the way.) Years ago, my husband and I had a tons of Emu pairs laying eggs on our farm.  I would collect the huge green eggs and incubate them, eventually helping give life to zillions of emu chicks! It was the coolest thing ever! I had a room set up like a lab with about 5 incubators cooking about 125 eggs all at any given time.  Maybe this is why I’m hell bent on setting up a chicken house now. That, and having eggs for the apocalypse I suppose. My husband is completely against my chicken proposal but when I ask him why I can’t have a few chickens…he can’t give an answer. (I think he’s scared of them or the commitment they bring.)  The point though, is that I do what I want.

Some days, I want to be comfortable and fun…like this day.  I bought this black dress from Forever 21 with the sole intent of wearing it around the house.  It’s comfortable and stretchy and presentable.  It appears that I have spoiled my husband and now he fully expects me to be somewhat presentable and a little sexy at all times.  However,  this looked so cute that I decided to wear it out a few times before I retired it to the “house moo moo” collection.  It literally cost about $23.  We decided at the last minute to go somewhere so I got ready in 35 minutes.  At what age should one put away animal print Steve Madden platforms?  I’m not sure.  The last two weeks have been a total whirlwind for me and it was sort of a Fuck Everything day. We went down the street to Old Town Spring to grab a snack and a beer and enjoy the Christmas decorations.  I don’t need to look serious, because I already am so serious that it hurts about things that matter…God, love, finances, health, the future, sex and relationships …but not necessarily in that order!

 

-SDS

YOU MAY HAVE MISSED…

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RODEO GLAM

 

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Inc jeans, Cache top, Nordstrom necklace, Michael Kors watch, Thierry Mugler bracelet, Tiffany & Co bracelet

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I don’t get out much, so when I do, getting dressed and half the fun.  The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo was the perfect opportunity to cut loose and be the Texas hot mess that I am! Lashes, bleach, pink Lancome lipstick, and rhinestones. Oh the joy! This is Texas.

It’s who I am, it takes no thought or work. When I’m trying to fit in and blend…that’s what takes work for me.

I went to the Rodeo with some friends from work.  We all ate crazy, fattening foods and all had stomach pains the next morning. It appears that wine, barbecue and ice cream don’t blend well.

I’m too sensible and internalized, but they were singing Wilson Phillips and White Snake tunes the whole way home.

Here lately, I’ve decided that loose fitting clothes are fabulous, but made an exception for the rodeo.  The jeans are Inc, and I have two identical pairs in different sizes….pudgy and not as pudgy.  The great thing about the jeans is that they have a little stretch to them!  Too much stretch makes you look saggy but these are perfect!

I also wanted to show off my trendy/easy/cool three tiered pony tail. One pony tails is too heavy and won’t stay in place, but my three small tails stay in place all day and the humidity level doesn’t matter.

The is a rehashed outfit, with the jacket being used here in my B*** On A Budget post.  The necklace from Nordstrom is the only new piece and the jacket was purchased a few months ago, and has been a winter staple.   My shopping is very light lately, and not as hard-core as it used to be, because I am more financially mature now so I love remixing old with new.

My previous Rodeo post from two years ago is shown here in Black Leather Houston Rodeo.

My looks might not be for everyone, but after years of creating outfits for customers and doing visual fashion displays and marketing, I’ve learned how to play and mix!  It’s so much easier when you have a woman with a perfect body, but as Granny used to always say, “I did the best I could with what I had,” as she often referred to her depression-era fashion and lack of perfect physique.

-SDS

 

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CREAMY GARLIC CHICKEN SOUP WITH KALE

Creamy Garlic Chicken Soup With Kale

 

     This soup is by far the best thing I’ve ever created in the kitchen!  It’s been a terribly cold winter, and nothing sounded great to eat except for some type of fabulous, hot soup.

    Being a major fan of garlic, I decided it would surely be hard to mess up a creamy, garlic chicken soup with new potatoes.  Too lazy to search for a recipe, I decided to wing it on my own!  What ended up happening, was the birth of the absolute best soup recipe I’ve ever accidentally created!

   Personally, I like hearty soups with at least a wee bit of meat, or I’ll just be hungry again in two hours without protein, so I opted to chock it full of chicken breast pieces.  There’s also the Woolly Mammoth to keep feeding, so I prefer to make a huge and hearty amount of whatever I cook, so that it will last more than one meal, and I won’t find myself in the kitchen quite as often this way.

 Here Is What You’ll Need:

1 Cup Minced Garlic

2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup

2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup

2 cans Chicken broth

4 Cups Chopped Kale

1/2 Cup Green onions

1 Cup Chopped Celery 

8-12 New Potatoes…sliced

3 pounds Chicken breast

1 tablespoon Salt

2 tablespoons black Pepper

2 Cups Water

 

 All You Do Is:

Dump you Cup of Garlic in a heating pan, then place chicken breasts on top, and cook over medium heat until done, adding light salt and pepper to the chicken.

In a soup pot, you will put in all cans of soup and water, over medium heat, adding in new potato wedges first.

When your chicken in done in the skillet, cut up all chicken breasts before adding into soup pot, and use the remaining chicken garlic juice, to add to the soup mixture.  Simmer, adding salt and pepper to taste… for one hour. Add cut green onions to top and BAMM!  You rock a sexy Creamy Garlic Chicken Soup With Kale!

 

   

                            

                         -SDS

-January 25, 2013

    

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CHEAP BIOTCH…THE $30 MAKEUP CHALLENGE

glam, blogger, beauty, fashion, Stephanie Dawn Sjoberg, Houston blogger, Luxor Living and Style, MUA, fashion, Profusion Cosmetics, Cover girl, NYC, NYX, ELF Cosmetics,

I got shocked lately, in trying to stick within my monthly Beauty Budget.  When I added up the cost of the products I used daily…I came to a conclusion…it’s expensive to be me. The other day, before purchasing yet another $30.00 tube of designer lipstick, I decided to  challenge myself and see if I could buy an entire arsenal for the same price.  Not only that, how would it look?

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Back in the day, I was a District Manager for a retail clothing chain, and the chain also decided at one point to carry a small line of cosmetics, known as NYX.  Now NYX has added a longer list to their friendly priced products, so I decided to start with them for a  lip liner and lip stick.  The matte color shown here is Summer Breeze.      It has tons of pigment and is not so matte that it dries up your lips. I also chose the illuminator from NYX and was pleasantly surprised. It was more of a gold tone as opposed to a white so it looked more naturally dewy to me.

glam, blogger, beauty, fashion, Stephanie Dawn Sjoberg, Houston blogger, Luxor Living and Style, MUA, fashion, Profusion Cosmetics, Cover girl, NYC, NYX, ELF Cosmetics,

The ELF Cosmetics bronzer duo was fantastic, and was under $4.00 and I was not expecting much but it was fabulous! Look Ma, No lashes!  Being on a budget, I refrained from using false lashes and decided to try out New York Color Mascara.  Loved it!  I believe it was less than $5.00 as well, and that’s quite a savings compared to the designer $30 a tube mascaras out there! I will buy this again.

glam, blogger, beauty, fashion, Stephanie Dawn Sjoberg, Houston blogger, Luxor Living and Style, MUA, fashion, Profusion Cosmetics, Cover girl, NYC, NYX, ELF Cosmetics,

My personal theory is that by saving money on certain things, then there is a bigger budget allowance for bigger things, such as top of the line serums and moisturizers.  To me, this is where the money matters because you are paying for tons of research and better ingredients.  Moisture and repair is where it makes more cents to me to spend. Additionally, your technique of application has everything to do with how you turn out, as long as the product meets a certain standard.  The price friendly products above, all had decent features and benefits.

This was a helpful post to me, because it made me more mindful of the money spent on cosmetics in the past as well as what I will spend in the future!  Not only that, I pretty much look exactly the same as if I’d had on a $400 collection of products!

-SDS

-July 7, 2014

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SIX SHOTS: june, two thousand and fourteen

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1.  1950’s Sports Coupe

     I took an early morning drive into the countryside for an appointment I had.  I saw this old girl sitting at the front of a farm house for sale, so I had to pull over.

     I love old cars.  I wish I had one.  When I was a little girl, I promised myself that I would buy an old car one day.  Of course I also wanted a Shelby like Farrah Fawcett drove on the original Charlie’s Angels as well. It’s a good thing I’m not a rap star, because I’d have a garage full of cars and go broke.

     It was a beautiful day for a drive through the country, a stop at a hamburger joint and time to relax and reflect.

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2. Angels Hair Designs

     This month, I accepted a commission to build two different web sites. I was happy to be able to integrate some of my photography and MUA skills, to use for one of the sites,  Angels Hair Designs.  Angel has been a stylist in the Houston area for years and has tons of experience, which I learned while gathering information from her for her site.  I did also use pictures Angel had for her site, and she will be adding more before and after photos on her hair design blog as well.


3. VienneMilano Italian Hosiery

     I received a very fancy pair of thigh high stockings from the Italian Hosiery company, VienneMilano this month.  Since it is about 95 degrees outside, I decided that I was left with no alternative but to show off black lace, seam backed thigh highs…indoors.  The company was right when they said that these are made for comfort and to stay up.  I love them, and will be doing more VienneMilano posts in the future!

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4.  Vanity

     I am finally finished setting up my new vanity area and it’s my new favorite spot!  I do not know how I made it before without my own corner of the universe.  All of my makeup is so much more organized with the added storage space.  This also gives me a much better spot to do makeup when people come over to get their face done, and it’s a better ares to film makeup videos in!


5. The Sky Broke Open, The Light Shown Through. 

     Forgive this cell phone picture from my  Instagram  picture I had posted this month.  It was a shy scene that took my breath away.  Whenever I see the clouds with breaks of light shinig through… It reminds me of an afternoon that I was gardening years ago.

      On this day, I felt eyes upon me as I was planting flowers, so I looked up to see two people staring back at me. One of the people was an angel who had a light so bright coming from his chest area, that the rays of light were cutting through the clouds. All sound ceased to exist in those moments.  I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, so I looked away to clear my mind and in a split second…they were gone.  I am a very grounded, rational person, but I knew what I had seen was real.  I ran in the house to call my dad and tell him.

Basically, now when I see clouds like this, with the breaks of light, I want people to be able to understand more clearly, what I saw that day.  For me, it’s always a fabulous reminder of that moment.  There is God, Jesus, angels, heaven and life beyond this world.  I know this because I have seen.


 6. Waste Not Want Not Creations

    One of the business sites I was able to develop for a client this month, was for  Waste Not Want Not Creations.  It’s an eco-friendly accessory designer behind the brand, and I loved so many of the one of a kind pieces that she has created, including these glass hearts shown above.  I love web building when I get to be creative and help someone dive a bit deeper into the social media pool and hopefully get found by the world.  The shot above is just an ad button for her site, but you should click it and see her fun and whimsical creations from vintage or reimagined products!  I wanted to share part of what I’ve been doing all month long.


-SDS

-June 30, 2014

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AMERICAN GIRL

american Girl, Modeling in Houston, Luxor Living and Style, Photography in The Woodlands, Galveston beach, super model, country girl, Houston girl,

Hi everyone!  I am excited to share just a few of the shots from a beach shoot I did last week.

     When a person needs head shots, for their acting or modeling portfolio or registry with agents, they need to show different looks.  This is one I call, American Girl.  Actually, this is the closest representation of what Jennifer looked like when I first met her and decided that she could easily be America’s next top Super Model. (If you don’t believe me, you will after seeing her beach bikini shots!)

     She reminds me of the models from the 90’s such as Cindy Crawford or Kathy Ireland.  Even Eva Mendez in some other shots.  She’s super tall and fabulous and makes me feel short and inadequate but I like her so much!

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I think you can’t get more American than western boots, daisy dukes, a tank top and cowboy hat…dressed up, of course with a $30 tube of Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy lip stick in the color Envious.

 

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I was kind of going for the old school Guess girl look from back in the day. This shoot kind of proves that the best accessory is natural beauty…when at all possible!

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We’ve done other projects together, but this day was very low key and fun, and I hope to do more and Jennifer is hoping to land some modeling and acting jobs as well in the near future.

black and white, photos, houston , modeling, american Girl, Modeling in Houston, Luxor Living and Style, Photography in The Woodlands, Galveston beach, super model, country girl, Houston girl, Guess Girl

-SDS

 

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