Trainwreck

I've been a bit of a trainwreck lately.

In the best possible way, of course. But my blogging time has been directly affected. The more The Candy Bar's numbers go up, the less time I have to blog. These are good problems to have because when all is said and done, I gotta devote my time to the thing that pays the bills. All week I had plans to blog, yet I never seemed to find any time. Like this week I had plans to blog about:

• "Don't Discount the Discount"-I went shopping with my high school girl friends on Monday afternoon. We went to a Nordstrom Rack and while there I found at least 6 things that I liked that were cheap. Normally I don't buy cheap items, but these were fashionable and fit well. The price made me think twice? Really? Expensive items don't make me think twice but the cheap ones did? Were they not good quality? Would they last? I bought them anyway and I'm glad I did. I have received lots of compliments on my discounted clothing and heck, if they don't last, it's not like I paid a bundle for them.

•  "Stop and Smell the Success"-As I stated earlier, I'm getting busier and busier at the store. This is great, and it's about time but I have to remember I am not superwoman. Some days I forget to eat both breakfast AND lunch. Not good when come quitting time I'm so stressed out and I have a headache that I can't even enjoy my down time. I gotta take a moment. I've got to breathe, and let someone else do it. I don't have to always be the one doing. I already am the one worrying about it so I might as well let someone else do it.  

• "Trainwreck"-After an especially stressful day, which resulted in a headache, I took two Advil, ate dinner and watched the movie "Trainwreck". It was just what the doctor ordered. It was a dumb-ass movie, but I loved it! Amy Schumer is hilarious. Who knew LeBron James was funny and a surprise cameo from John Cena made it worthwhile. The sex scene with Cena was worth the two hours alone! He was hysterical! The laugh was a great release and much needed.

Yeah...It seems like I woke up and it was Friday already. Where did the week go?

For now, I'm ok, great in fact. But I've got to remember that this train I'm on will NOT be a wreck.

A Gem Of A Tool

After the longest/ snowiest winter on record, I can report that everyone is feeling dry all over. The most obvious place would be our skin. Yes, the skin is tapped out from the climate conditions but our hair has also take quite the beating with all the cold. Dry, brittle hair that lacks any moisture from the atmosphere has left my clients complaining about the look and condition of even the glossiest and most supple hair. Conditioning treatments are great and can nip your hair dryness right in the "split end" bud, but the best way to combat the brittle fly away's is to incorporate a tool into your daily routine that actually uses patented technology from a gem stone to make hair it's healthiest.

The T3 Line of hair care tools are the most technologically advanced that money can buy and they use one ingredient to actually produce healthy hair. Tourmaline.

Tourmaline, a semi-precious stone is also known as the "electric stone". When heated, it produces negative ions that translate into healthy heat. T3 Hair tools use crushed tourmaline which they infuse into the internal tool components, resulting in the healthiest way to style your hair. It actually cuts your drying time in half! Along with a patented technology called  SoftAire™, T3 Hairdryers use negative ions in the air flow to cancel static and quickly seal the cuticle. The results are amazing! You will see a reduction in frizz, and increase in body and shine, and hair that is easier to comb through and manage.

And who doesn't want greater, more manageable hair? Shed the winter dull and dry hair and try something that can actually produce a shinier, healthier looking hair. This one is a true gem!  It's a bit more than you may expect to pay for a hair tool, but the life expectancy of the T3 product will guarantee your money's worth.  I highly recommend it.

Jive Turkey

Just quietly sitting here going crazy. 

But one can literally drive themselves crazy, can't they? I mean focusing only on what's wrong is easy, and detrimental to any chance of positivity. I swear, this dark and dreary winter has done just about all it can to depress even the happiest of people. But I'm done with it. I'm done complaining about it and I'm done feeling helpless. There's power in change! Turning over a new leaf means accepting whatever life hands you and that despite it all you know that you will be ok. I will be ok. The snow will melt-the dirt and salt will get cleaned up, the sun will come out and the world will look new again. Renewal is inspiring. I will look for action in that inspiration. 

Elanor Roosevelt once said that "no one can make you feel inferior without your consent." I say, "Can't let the turkeys keep you down!" Down is not where I belong. 

I found my funk and funny, it is precisely that same funk that pulled me out of one. 

#WhatIsBeauty

I talk about beauty all day, every day. My job is to interpret, educate and inspire in people a simple beauty style. I am constantly inspired by other women; by what they say, by how they act,  who they are and by how they interpret themselves. I often wonder, do they see the beauty that I see?  And what does that mean to them? So I decided to make it my job to try and find out.

What is beauty? To you? What's your definition? 

Send me: in the comments section, via email or social media, a 15-25 second video (or written statement. Videos are preferred) with your answer. Your answers will be compiled and used to promote a #WhatIsBeauty message on all of The Candy Bar sites. 

I encourage you to send me your video! We are all beautiful and together we can inspire other women to define beauty on our own terms!

Click on the link below to send your video to any of these sites! 

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
The Candy Bar- click on Contact Us and send your video via email.

Join the movement #WhatIsBeauty

"Maybe it’s NOT Maybelline. Maybe you were just born with it."

- Mandy Hale

Price Wars

Being in retail, my ears perked up when I heard about the newest level of price wars between fast food giants McDonald's and Burger King. Last week Burger King announced a dramatic cut in the cost of it's Chicken Nuggets. Burger King is now offering a 10 piece chicken nugget for $1.49. This comes on the heels of McDonald's ultra popular Monopoly game, which has proven to be a traffic driver for the food mecca. So what does McDonald's do? McDonald's "sees" Burger King's $1.49 10 piece Nugget and "raises" with a $5.00 20 piece nugget, plus offers the fan favorite Monopoly game to boot.

What does all this mean?

It means that in the proverbial pie of fast food sales, there are only so many pieces. The loss leader in competitive sales has become an every day thing. So what does all this mean for a little guy like me? It means a heck of a lot and here's why:

• Retailers make 30% of annual revenues during the holiday season. WHAT THAT USED TO MEAN: Shoppers will shop. Period. WHAT THAT MEANS NOW: Retailers need to attract the customer. Even loyal customers.
• For most retailers, the Internet has changed the way we do business. Heck, the internet has changed the world but for retailers that means there is a World Wide Web of competition out there for goods. We must stay competitive to stay in the game. So how do we do that?
• Black Friday used to be the busiest shopping day of the year! Thanks to "Door Busters", Black Friday sales and deep discounts, retailers have to have a strategy to make their numbers and that spells out DISCOUNT. 
• More sales and discounts are a necessity and are now commonplace in a sales plan. And more frequently that ever before.  

It's amazing to me that even the big guys like McDonald's worry about market shares.I'm aware that they, of course, worry about staying on top and I know that we all worry about the bottom line, but I am surprised to find that the biggies and I share a common ground. It's the new age of competitive sales and in this Internet world, nothing is for sure. Service and reputation are a big part of it, but the facts are what they are. If you can't attract the client to your location or your website or your restaurant, you are all done.

The bottom line now means that they won't buy if they don't come. 

This One's A Beauty

It's about the size of a grape.

Packed inside that tiny green grape sponge is a whole lotta beauty punch! I am so very proud to introduce to you the Beautyblender Micro Mini. 

Original Beautyblender is long since a #1 Best Seller at The Candy Bar, it's baby sister is just as wonderful and just as powerful as the original. The patented open cell structure of the sponge allows the moisture to hold inside making the sponge "full". Makeup sits on top of the sponge so that product is not absorbed resulting in less product waste every time.

Designed for expert contour and highlighting, this mini sponge helps you to complete makeup application like the pro's.  Swipe a darker pigment in the hollows of your cheeks and blend for contour. Bounce your favorite highlighter on the tops of your cheeks for a gorgeous glow and bounce the pointed top of the mini egg on the inner eye corners for smoothing and complexion perfection. Did I mention how great this baby (literally) is for getting into hard to reach areas? Use it for mineral powders! Use it for mineral powder eye shadows and blend darker pigments flawlessly. It's quite possibly the most perfect mini blending tool in the world! It just may be the ONLY mini blending sponge in the world, and it's compact size makes portability a dream.

It debuted earlier in the month at New York Fashion Week and created a huge beauty buzz. The Beautyblender Micro Mini will change your life! Trust me when I tell you there are no sour grapes about this one.

Today's Special: The Best $60.00 You Will EVER Spend

After a certain *ahem* age, a complexion product becomes a necessity for most women. The appearance of an even skin tone is the main reason that foundations for the face were created. Women need/want their skin to look it's youngest and best possible with minor effort. In my 20's I got by quite nicely with a tinted moisturizer (aka:BB Cream today) and a bronzer.  After 40 what I realized is that I was missing out on a most magical product. Why had I wasted so much time avoiding foundation?

I know exactly why. I hear the reason almost every day in my store. Foundations got a bad rap for years because of one simple thing. Everyone remembers a girl from high school that always had that tell tale line of demarcation at her chin. Definition: her foundation was too dark for her skin tone which resulted in what we call "floating head syndrome". Two dramatically different tones from head to neck. And if that wasn't enough to make you swear to all that is holy that you would never look like that-said girl from high school ALWAYS wore a white shirt that left a foundation smear all over the collar. Amiright?

Women always say, "I don't wear foundations because I don't want anything heavy on my skin."

I get it-believe me I do because I feel exactly the same way. But trust me when I tell you-foundations have come a long way since the days of that girl from high school. Somebody must have clued the major brands in on this syndrome because technology has perfected the product into simple, subtle, beautiful and LIGHT WEIGHT foundations for all skin types. Matching to your own skin can be tricky but mastered using a simple swatch test at the counter. Once you have chosen the perfect formula for your needs, choose three colors that you think are close to your color and swipe them in a stripe next to each other on your chin. Blend in until you find one that disappears. This is the winner!

Vincent Longo has created one of the best foundations on the market today. Water Canvas Foundation is a creme to powder foundation like no other-and here's the crazy thing-I'm not recommending this as your only foundation. I am recommending this for finishing areas and for touch ups. This product is the most perfect compact foundation to carry in your purse. And it's simply the best $60.00 you will ever spend.

I know you are thinking 'She's crazy! I'm not spending $57.00 on a foundation to carry in my purse.' My response to that is once you try/buy/fall in love with this product you will agree with me. I apply my regular foundation (Kevyn Aucoin Liquid Fondation) with a mineral powder and bronzer for the day-then I use the Vincent Longo Water Canvas around my eye area (on the lid and under the eye area) and my nose and chin WITH MY FINGERS. Yes ladies-I use my fingers.  Can you believe it? I'm not recommending you use some $20-$35.00 tool to apply this product. The fingers that God gave you are the perfect tool to apply this product flawlessly. One to two swirls (do not dig) of your finger over this creamy, pliable product applied to the face is damn near perfect. And here's the BEST thing about Vincent Longo's Water Canvas Foundation, use it mid day, with your fingers for a touch up around the eye area, nose, cheek and chin area and blend outward for the freshest, most flawless touch up EVER!!!!

Call me a liar.
Call me whatever you want-but I challenge you to not try this product and love it.
It's the anti- "Floating Head Syndrome" product for the most curious foundation lover.

SHOP VINCENT LONGO WATER CANVAS NOW
These are the most popular colors:
Bisque #5
Warm Beige #6
Sandy Beige #7
Golden Beige #8

Fab 5 Summer Finds

1. Ramen! I just realized that my great big bowl of sodium from my college days has undergone a makeover. Ramen is in Vogue all over the country. Ramen restaurants have become a new destination for a big, healthy bowl of deliciousness. An incredible meal in a bowl, this is not your daughter's Ramen! Now I'm hungry...

2. Nothing says summer like a gorgeous pair of wedge sandals. Simple, chic and comfortable wedges elongate the leg in summer shorts and give you a sexy addition to any outfit. Jeans, shorts, skirts and maxi dresses-the options are endless. Owning even one pair of neutral wedges can take you through an entire summer of fashions! Of course I can never have just one pair..

3. Hot dogs-what is it about a hot dog fresh off the grill on a hot summer night? It just makes me happy. We all know the bad rap that hot dogs have gotten in the past, as far as fillers and ingredients, but there are lots of hot dog brands out there that are made up of good ingredients. Pearl is my favorite. I like my dog old school. Mustard only. Maybe, if I'm feeling adventurous, I'll add some diced onion. Couple that with a Corona and a lime and I can die happy. 

4. This is a new development. I've become concerned about exposing certain parts of my body to the sun without an SPF 50. In the past few years I've always armed myself with SPF 30 for my face, but after a discussion with my doctor this month, we both decided that a woman of my *ahem* age should protect the decollete (chest and neck) and the face with at least an SPF 50. Eve Lom's Daily Protection SPF 50, is my favorite weapon against damaging sun rays and the aging process.It's a 2 in 1 daily product. A powerful anti-aging moisturizer and a SPF protector. Available at The Candy Bar: BUY NOW 

5. I just finished this book and I have to tell you that I may re-read it all over again! Sophia Amoruso is the founder and creator of NastyGal.com, a fast growing multi-million dollar company. I love this girl! She happened upon her success by doing something she was passionate about. She created her FREE advertising buzz on social media that directed her shoppers to her eBay sales. Her concept was simple: BUY LOW/SELL HIGH. Or sell a bit higher. With her eye for style and photography, she built her brand by utilizing social media to create a cult following with her 90,000 devoted My Space followers. Even if you are not a retailer(like I am) this book is a quick and inspirational read for any #GIRLBOSS.

My Oscar Notes

The Ellie Fund's Red Carpet Gala last night at Boston's Taj Hotel was a great success! The local glitterati showed up in droves and looked ULTRA glam!  The day started off on a good note. The weather warned of snow, yet again, but held off in the city and the Red Carpet arrivals went off without a hitch. Once the carpet was over, the live and silent auctions took place with local WCVB-TV legend Susan Wornick doing her shtick as the MC. Nobody raises money like Susan!

My Observations:

• Although it was Oscar night, The Ellie Fund-Boston's premier Breast Cancer Crusader-who hosted the event entertained us regally, but never lost sigh of the real reason we were there...to raise awareness, money and fight the good fight. I can't say enough about the dedicated professionals who put together this event and the incredible women I had the pleasure of working with who are the true warriors that have fought and won their battle with breast cancer. Those women continue to pay it forward.

• Watching the Oscars on a wide screen all dressed up in a ball room with 350 people was a trip! 

• Hollywood has nothing on Boston. Some of the ladies in attendance would have been right at home at The Kodak Theater in LA. Boston's top fashion stylists dressed a handful of socialites and local celebs expertly. There were photo booths and a real golden statue available to take pictures with. Chris Cooper loaned the Ellie Fund his 2010 Supporting Actor Oscar for "Adaptation". Of course, I couldn't help myself..
• 

• And after all the glitz and glam and the real Oscar telecast was over, I realized that I had learned something and I love it when that happens! I learned that grace is not about a designer dress, fancy diamonds and Red Carpet photos. True grace is not something you can buy with a hedge fund, or a celebrity stylist and glam squad. In fact, sometimes without inner grace even the most adorned "socialite/celebrity" can look unattractive. Grace and true beauty come from living authentically and having compassion. Living through and experiencing life's challenges give you perspective on what's really important. Overcoming those obstacles with incredible strength and teaching others to do the same is true grace and that is what's really what's golden. 

A Shameless Plug

So I've been watching a lot of Bravo TV lately and I will admit to being a Real Housewives Addict. I watch them all...It's my favorite guilty pleasure (besides Modern Family) and I'm not ashamed to admit it. My Guy believes that the Real Housewives franchise is responsible for part of the "dumbing down of America". I say Andy Cohen for President!

Once in a while I will go to the Bravo cast blogs to see if I can dredge up any new juicy tidbits from the Housewives. Yesterday I finally found something somewhat redeeming for my time spent and something I can use!! 

Carlton Gebbia-a new cast member from Real Housewives Beverly Hills wrote in her latest blog post dated Jan 8, 2014:

"For a gift last year David had a surprise pentagram necklace made for me by "King Baby" with our children's names engraved on it. Sometimes with silver jewelry it has no substance to it, it's flimsy, but 'King Baby' jewelry has some real weight. It's a solid gorgeous piece of jewelry."

Music to my ears Carlton! I agree wholeheartedly!! That's why The Candy Bar has been carrying the unmistakable King Baby brand for 4 years. King Baby is best described as designed for "the chosen few". So if you are looking for an edgy and unique way to express yourself, look no further. 

Happy weekend bloggers. And celebrate your inner King Baby...

If You Build It, They Will Come.

Sometimes I wonder if I have what it takes to be successful.

Some Days are harder than others and some days are a breeze, but if I could swap the me that appears on the easy days for the me that appears on the hard days, then maybe I'd be onto something. While it's true that the most successful people actually survive when the going gets tough, I'd like to think I would not only survive but thrive. But as I said, some days its tougher.

Things are good, but I need them to get better and I'm just now trying to figure out how to make something good into something amazing. That's the real key, isn't it? Making something from nothing and turning that something into gold. If it were that easy then I guess everyone would be doing it. I'm talking about growth. Real growth. Double digit growth and I'm just now trying to figure out just how that is accomplished. Nobody said it was going to be easy. Nothing that's worth having ever is, but the true measure of a business is how you build it and how you grow.

Never one to turn my nose up at a challenge, I press on. I read all the business manuals and I go with what I know; what I'm good at. I know there is crazy potential here, and I need to tap into that "what makes me unique" thing to survive and grow. How much of success is patience and hard work and how much is plain old luck? I'm not sure, but I can guarantee I will live or die trying.

Cuz I built it. And they are coming. The question that remains is how we get more to come and keep them coming.

Fan Friday

Hey bloggers! It was a tough one last night, but my boys squeaked out a win! I'm not holding out much hope for the boys in blue and silver this year this year, unless we get Gronk back and he's better than ever. Looks like My Tommy doesn't have as many targets this season. 

At The Candy Bar we were ready and raring to go yesterday, and yes that is me. That most excellent makeup was created by one of my talented staff makeup artists. 

Happy weekend bloggers! May all your teams squeak out a win!!!!

Tapping A Vein

Like my BFF texted to me just yesterday, "You my dear absolutely need a product intervention". 

Ok, so I will wholeheartedly admit to being a hapless, hopeless product junkie. I do not discriminate either. I even like products that don't come from The Candy Bar, and I will spend money on them at RETAIL cost. Maybe my BFF was right.

Take for example this scenario:

My BFF and I were shopping after the brunch we shared on Sunday and we ventured into L'Occitane. They were having a sale so I, of course purchased three items. I purchased the product pictured here: 

Without really looking ( which is very interesting)  I pulled out the amazing scented "lotion" and applied it to my just showered body. The glorious scent of honey permeated the bathroom as I smoothed it on my arms. Immediately it turned white on my body, which was completely unexpected and slightly foreign for a body lotion. I contunued rubbing to the point where the white color disappeared; approximately 4-5 seconds later. "Strange consistency and a bit longer to rub in",I thought, but my smooth and  supple skin scented with the most amazing honey scent made me soon forget the application. 

On day two I was still surprised by the same application process, and the day-long, fresh scent of honey that surrounded me made me slightly obsessive over my new found body lotion. My skin looked great! It was hydrated and looked dewy. Still, the application haunted me. Was I doing something wrong? Last night I grabbed my glasses and picked up the bottle to read it for the first time. As you can see it was CLEARLY body wash not body lotion. That explained a lot!

I chuckled a bit, at myself, and quickly realized that I didn't care if it was lotion or wash.  I'm thinking im still going to continue to use it the way that I have been. Maybe I am on to something here? It's creamy enough to fake me out, and I'm an expert!! I later did a bit of research on the line to see if there was a honey body lotion. The answer is there is not. There is a honey hand cream in a tube, but not quite the size one would need for an entire body daily. I think I will use it as a body wash first, then decide how I best would like to use the product. 

Intervention indeed. Clearly I need a weekend at a spa rehab as my treatment. 

A Blank Canvas

I put makeup on people for a living, so everyday, when I go to put on my own makeup, I have a host of choices to choose from. I always start with my complexion. I begin with a simple BB cream, which we already know I love, and I wear it as my primer, before I even out my complexion with a foundation/foundation powder.  My hands down favorite complexion enhancing product is Smashbox Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder, which is so very versatile and amazing, (with anti-aging properties) my friends call it the "magic dust". But recently I've been working with a wonderful creme-to-powder foundation called Water Canvas.

Vincent Longo's Water Canvas creme-to-powder foundation is a patented and award winning foundation that after one use, is easy to see why it's an award winner. It comes, pictured above, in a small tub and when you touch it, you feel a cool, smooth creme like no other. The touch test alone make you want to apply it immediately. This amazing product is made up of 75% water and oil free. When applied with a sponge or with the Beauty Blender, it gives the skin a medium to full, flawless coverage that looks completely natural and lightweight. Did I mention it feels great?

Water Canvas can be applied to the skin in so many ways. You can use your fingers, a sponge, a Beauty Blender, a foundation brush or a stippling brush and the result is a smooth, flawless complexion you will love.  I sometimes dust my Halo Powder, lightly over it to set. I used it HERE, to apply it over my contour and you can see for yourself the great result. At $57.00, it's not cheap, but it's worth every penny if you covet a flawless look to your complexion.

As I said before, I have many choices when it comes to makeup and people constantly ask me if it's ok to have more than one complexion enhancing product/foundation in their beauty wardrobe. I say YES! It's better to have more than one product, each one giving you a different result for different looks and even better when those products are paired together. You need not worry about looking "cakey" or overly made up, you just need to know what kind of look you want to create that day.

Experimentation is key, and I recommend the Vincent Longo Water Canvas Creme-to powder foundation to create a special glow to your skin. This amazing product can be found at The Candy Bar, and will give your "blank canvas" the right look for any occasion.

This Ain't Your Little Brother's BB's

OK ladies, by now I'm sure you've all heard about BB creams. If you haven't heard about them yet, then come out from under the rock that you have been living under and listen up!

BB Creams, (which stand for Beauty Balms) are quite possibly the best thing that has happened to make up in a long time. The thing about this simple, wonderful, multi-purpose beauty product is that it is packed full of benefits and complexion enhancers that will leave your skin glowing.

• They PRIME- BB's come in several complexion enhancing shades which can be worn alone or as a smoothing primer under your favorite foundation or mineral powders.
• They PERFECT-BB's even out skin tones, softens and smoothes skin texture during wear. 
• They PROTECT-Most BB's have an broad spectrum SPF which protect skin from damaging UVA and UVB rays. 
• BB's HYDRATE-Packed with moisturizing agents the Smashbox BB Cream boasts a 21% reduction in fine lines and wrinkles after 4 weeks of use and a 22% improvement in skin's moisturization.. 
• BB"s PREVENT-By controlling oil and aiding to prevent break outs, BB's help reduce the production of oil and shine.

With all that going for it, it's foolish not to have a BB Cream in your makeup bag. It takes all the guess work out of trying to create flawless skin. 

The Kohl Truth

Sorry about yesterday Bloggers! I left for NYC on Sunday for a buying trip and got back late last night.

Being in the city energizes my business sense and gives me lots of mojo to move forward with plans. I love the buzz of the industry. Being around vendors, craftsman and industry sales people is invigorating and optimistic for a business owner like myself. I met a woman there who forecasts industry trends and we talked a bit about keeping up with the curve in fashion. That whole idea of a "think tank" is soo interesting to me. What if they are wrong? Do they get fired? The fashion and beauty world is so fickle. Things can change in an instant.

The best thing about the trip was that Frick came with me! I LOVED showing her every little aspect of the business and she mopped it up like a Bounty paper towel on a kitchen counter. ( I told her that when I write my book, she will HAVE to star in the movie. Who else could it be??) So the plan was to stay at my best friend's apartment Sunday night and come home Monday. Frick (who is on Winter break until Jan26th) had to stop by her dorm on third to pick up something and while we were there the security guard asked us if we were, "spending the night?"

"We can do that?" I asked.
"You paid for it, didn't you?" her said.
"Yes, I did," I responded.
"You can do that anytime. Lots of parents do. The student just has to sign you in overnight."

So guess what we did?

We stayed overnight in her dorm! It was just her and I and it was a blast!! I would have never done it if school was in session and her roommates were there, but seeing as it was just me and Frick? Hell yes!

We were exhausted from a long day on Sunday, so we had dinner nearby and came back and watched the best, female bonding movie ever made. Bridesmaids.

This has to be our favorite scene:
This is Annie after a roofie, and you may want to keep the volume down a bit if you are at WORK. Kristen Wiig, you are a genius!!!

If You've Got Nothing Nice To Say Don't Say Anything At All.

So this chick pissed me off yesterday.

And here I was thinking I had I left high school years ago.

She basically told me she thought I was ugly. But in a nice way. If that's possible. I couldn't believe it.
And I'm all like,"really bitch? You didn't just say that to me, did you?" "Oh, HELL no!":

Truth is, I didn't say anything back. I didn't say anything back that was mean spirited, like I wanted to. I just kind of chuckled. I casually told her I live by my own rules and I don't care too much about other people's rules or what they think from behind my huge, dazzling smile. I took it like it was no skin off my back. But it was skin off my back. It was hairs standing up on the back of my neck.

Didn't your mother ever tell you that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all? Really, Bitch? I have to deal with her regularly too because she's kind of a  new colleague. And I hardly giggled when someone else described her as "quirky and flighty". I said nothing because quietly I already knew she was a bitch.

She's completely screwed herself now, because she's dead to me. I'll be cordial because that's what my mom taught me to do, but if she does it again I'll go all Irish on her and then I won't be pretty. She can count on that. My Irish can get very ugly.

Really bitch?

What are we 7 years old? Is she trying to establish her dominance? Believe me toots, I'm not interested in hanging with you "cool kids". I'm all set.

Now I know I'm not ugly.

And this is not a ploy to get you to tell me I'm beautiful in the comments section.This is about a lot more than the way that I look, but I'm so surprised that a grown woman would resort to that type of "bullying". Because I can't think of any other reason for her to say what she said to the new kid on the block. It's kind of shocking. And I said nothing back. Snark deserted me when I needed it most.

That's SO not like me. Let's hope my mojo's not next.

Really bitch?

Sloppy Joe's

So I've been working on this project lately and I'm noticing that more often than not, people in the business world just can't seem to get it right. Like, when did doing a good job become a task? Why is it that customer service has now become an audible sigh*, and a snippy attitude for a mistake made on their part? And I'm seeing this all over the board...not just with one company, but multiple.

My mom always taught us this mantra, "Do a job, big or small; do it right or not at all." Even my childhood friends will repeat it back to me and tell me that they always remembered it. I just don't get it. I'm not insinuating that I am perfect, because I'm not. Far from it. But I do take pride in my work and when I make a mistake? I'm on it and apologetic till it is resolved. It's a better model for efficiency.

I'm dealing with large corporate companies, but the mistakes, and stupid little sloppy mistakes, have been a constant with almost every company I have dealt with. I find that I spend way too much time, chasing down the rep who made the mistake to correct it then refund me the money and then get me the product I originally intended. And all with this audible SIGH*... Like I'm the pain in the ass?

Do your fricken job, and I'll do mine. Believe me, I know what my job is and I do it well.

Yeah, I screw up. We all do. But the difference is I am accountable, and my customer service is paramount to the success of my business. If I made my customers feel like they were being a pain in the ass? I would not be in business today. Period.

Do your Goddamned job.!! It's that easy, and don't take it out on me when you screw up with my MONEY.

Cuz I'm on to you and I'm taking notes.