Favorite NEW Restaurant- Country Grill

A new restaurant opened up recently in Westland Michigan. My husband and I tried it for the first time yesterday. This is our new favorite restaurant. The food is flavorful and the presentation is gourmet quality. When you walk in it reminds you of a restaurant in a Marriott Hotel. Simple and tasteful decor. Booths, tables, fireplace, wood accents and linen table cloths. You don't even notice there is a short order cook area. It's all done so well. The servers are young and friendly.The food is definitely southern. The price for all of this is equivalent to fast food prices. You simply can not go wrong. I really hope this new business makes it and stays around for years to come. It's a nice break in all the food chain restaurants in our area. I wish I had a picture to display of restaurant or food. You all just need to check it out.

Country Grill
501 S. Wayne Road
Westland, MI 48186

Ph: 1-734-728-2500

Check out their facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/CountryGrillWestland

This season's Old Navy Favorites

Perfect T

Vintage T

I use to love Old Navy when I was a smaller size. Once I crept up on the scale I found most clothes at Old Navy fit me in all the wrong places and I stopped going. Well after hoping and trying hard to lose weight I came to the conclusion it just wasn't going to happen. By then I really needed some clothing fast and I needed affordable. I had refused to purchase anything at my current size. So I decided to try Old Navy once more and to my surprise I found a few great items that finally fit in all the right places at my current weight. As affordable as their clothing is I can't afford to go crazy and stock up. Although I would love to on these few items. My favorite things are the Vintage T, Perfect T, Sundress and a cropped cardigan. The fabrics are so soft and are pretty much wash and wear. Don't have to iron if you don't want to. I traveled with all these items and they pack really well. They were pretty wrinkle free when I hit my destination . I would love to have every color in these items. I was lucky the day I went they happened to be having a buy one get one free sale. I was able to get four t-shirts for the price of two. I've wore these items over and over this entire season. I am in LOVE :0)

Cropped Cardigan

Diane's Dream Brides Livonia Michigan

As you can tell. I will never stop with my bad reviews for Diane's Dream Brides. I find it completely odd that there are so many 5 star reviews for this shop. If you do find a negative and Diane sees it, she will ultimately spin the review around and make it the brides fault. That's just how I see it. My opinion and you know how that saying goes everyone's got one.  If one person reads my story and chooses not to buy a dress from there that is the reward I get for them not compensating me for all of the nonsense they put me through. As always Buyer Beware!!! You can say all you want with a smile but if you can't deliver, then it means nothing to me. In no way do I feel o.k. about the situation that occurred with Diane's Dream Brides. Yep I'm the one in a sea of reviews that got the doozie of a negative experience. I will not be swept under the rug. Other Brides should know this could happen to you too. Best of luck!

PS. While we're at it down with Casablanca dress makers.

Are you looking for a movie to rent? If so check this one out!

If you are looking for a cute, funny and quirky movie you should rent "Warm Bodies". I didn't think I was going to like it as much as I did. I don't know how the actors could make it through filming acting like these zombies without dying laughing. This movie kept a smile on my face. I loved it! You just have to see it :0)

Urban Decay Cosmetics

Urban Decay in Rockstar. One of my favorites.
I used this color as an accent for my wedding day make up.

I can't say enough how much I love Urban Decay Cosmetics. My favorite items are their eye shadows, lip pencils and eye liners. Their products last! They last on your face and they last in usage. Urban Decay cosmetics are highly pigmented. The items I've listed are just under $20 each for the individual sizes of the products. A lip liner lasts me 10 months and that's with sharpening. That figures out to be $2 per month. If I purchased a drug store item for lip liner I'd purchase that item probably 5 times within that 10 months. Also I probably would have switched brands or shades within that time trying to find something that lasted longer etc. I'm content with the Urban Decay colors I have and just applying in a different way to change my look. I don't bore easily with their products. As for eye shadows within 10 months I don't even hit pan. Looks almost new in it's packaging. I usually purchase my products through Ulta. Urban Decay is definitely worth the money. I've never been disappointed in the quality of their products.

Man of Steel- SUPERMAN

Man of Steel -Henry Cavill- A Warner Bros. film

MAN OF STEEL

Last night we went to the theater and saw the new movie "Man of Steel". We chose to go to the MJR theater. We really thought that the second day showing would still be packed for a just released movie. Somehow we only had about 25 people in our theater. Hey we loved having our own small screening. It's been a while since I've seen a movie that I loved. We saw Iron Man 3 with expectations that it was going to be good but it just seemed ok to me. I love all the superhero movies regardless. Man of Steel fits in the category of best movie I've seen in a while. Henry Cavill is a great Superman. All that you would hope for and lives up to. This is a must see movie. Tons of action, great acting and good story. We will definitely add this to our movie collection when it comes out on DVD.

http://b-i.forbesimg.com/robertwood/files/2013/06/Man-of-Steel-Henry-Cavill.jpg
http://mjrtheatres.com/movie_detail.asp?movie_id=112449

Do you need a Laminator for work or crafts...I know the one you should get :0)

Apache AL13P Professional 13" Wide A3 4 Roll Hot Cold Laminator for Document and Photo

by Apache

To purchase go to http://www.amazon.com and search  "laminator" or cut and paste description above.

Believe it or not my Dad has been wanting a laminator. He's wanted one for a while. I couldn't think what to get him for Father's Day, so I got him the Apache laminator and purchased him some pouches separately. His gift came right on time and I had him open it before Father's Day. He already wants to laminate everything and my Mom wants to make placemats now lol. This looks exactly like a laminator I had at an old job and I loved that thing. The construction of The Apache is solid. It's well built and heavy duty. Instructions say it warms up in three minutes. I swear it was quicker than that. We tested it out and the lamination was awesome! Very nice piece of equipment. The price was $79.99 on the Amazon website. I only had to pay a few dollars extra and purchase pouches. I used my accumulated points/ dollars on my credit card. So the thing was practically free! I mean I was needing to buy groceries and gas anyway my as well benefit and get a cool gift for my Dad with it. It does take a while to save points but hey I think this was a good choice. 

Animal Cruelty- "WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE???" a rant!!!

Everyday on Facebook, YouTube, the Internet, newspaper etc. you find horrible accounts of animal cruelty. The latest one I saw was of a snapping turtle beat to death! Prior to that someone broke into a persons house in Texas and beat and drowned a pit bull puppy for no reason and before that a person decided to light a cat on fire and those are just a few! Really what makes a person wake up and decide that what they would like to do for the day is beat, torture or kill an animal? Sure people get all worked up that people care more about animals than people, but think about it...if someone can't be kind to an animal what makes you think that person is going to be nice to you! And I'm not all about boxing people in with rules and taking away rights but seriously I think people should be held accountable for any torture of an animal. Most cities, states etc do not acknowledge an animal killing. In most instances domestic animals are only thought of as property no different than the way you think about your cell phone as a possession. There is no punishment for it. I realize also that animals are killed for food, however I'm hoping there is some dignity in it. I can't say that the food industry is doing any great justice to the way they treat animals as well. I don't believe in waste of food or gluttony. I fail to think that any bible or God condones people acting this way either. The more I read of these stories the more I think there is a Hell on Earth among us. If there are this many stories to read of these acts than just think how many sick people there really are in this world. Don't get me started on wars. Get help people! Don't take your baggage out on other living beings. Just a rant. I am tired of the sickness. It makes me sad and even though i know this happens among us I can't linger on it for too long ...it scars my soul and ignites hatred for others. Most days I put a smile on my face and you would never know how I really feel. Also get your pets spay or neutered. so many healthy animals are put to sleep because there are not enough people to take care of them. Stop it before many have to suffer. There are thousands of animals every year that are needlessly killed in shelters. Now with all this negativity let's look at one positive. Thank you to all the people who think beyond themselves and help others.

Brooklyn and Rosslyn
Brooklyn was adopted from the Human Society. She was labeled as having social issues. She had been at the shelter for two months and was an older cat. More than likely she would have been put down. Brooklyn is part of the reason I'm still around.  Rosslyn  (a feral cat) was found outside our home starving to death. She wouldn't have made it through the winter. These two animals named after the children I never had are one of the BEST decisions I ever made in life. They make me laugh everyday and are so very loveable.
I love them!

WalMart

I'm personally not a huge fan of WalMart. I'm more of a Target girl. WalMart gets very little of my money. I won't get into all the ethics of WalMart of what I don't like. I may go a handful of times per year out of convenience or for a gift that can't be found elsewhere. If I haven't done my grocery shopping for my work lunches I usually stop at Krogers in the morning and pick something quick to eat for lunch. Kroger usually doesn't have any already freshly made up salads etc as early as I go in the morning before work. So I decided twice this month to try out WalMart's selection of pre-made foods at the deli. My first choice was a ham and cheese sub sandwhich. It tasted very bland. Looked yummy but tasted dry and like hospital food. I ate half of that sandwhich. I tried a second time a cobb salad. Again it looked very yummy. The ranch dressing was good, the lettuce, bacon bits and cheese were fine but the chicken carrots and egg were disgusting. I almost barfed in my mouth when i tasted it! I ate a quarter of that salad and ate vending machine snacks at work instead. I can honestly say I am done trying their deli  prepared foods. Their birthday cakes and cupcakes however are very good and their prices and quality of their flowers are pretty good. In general I think of WalMart as a throw away store.You may be able to buy quantity, however quality is not always present. Take it or leave it...it's just an opinion.

NYX Concealer Stick

By far my most favorite magic trick is the use of the NYX Concealer Stick. This stuff is amazing. I'm still on my first tube and I've been using it since February of this year. I haven't even begun to use this thing up. It has sheer blendable coverage. I started out only using this product for under my eyes, but now I use is all over the place under my foundation. I even use it as an eye shadow base. Most concealers look like a mask of white or yellow on my skin after application. This blends in and knocks the redness and dark coloring of my skin out. My skin still shines through. It looks like you have nothing on. I purchased the color "light". I have very fair skin and this is a perfect match. This product is only $5. I purchased mine at Ulta. I can say I have no plans of trying or buying anything else at the moment for concealing. This has got me covered! I am in LOVE with this product!

http://www.nyxcosmetics.com/

Favorite Household Cleaning Products

I want to share a few of my favorite household cleaning products that I can't live without. I buy them over and over without fail.

Pledge for polishing furniture. I have used Pledge forever. I tried for a short while the method brand in liquid form and was not a fan. Method seemed to eat through the pledge and make my table surfaces sticky. I like the shine and slick look of the Pledge. I build up the layers on my furniture. I take extremely good care of my furniture. I mean who can afford to purchase large household items just because you want a change or because you simply didn't take good care of what you have and now it looks awful. I can say I've had a lot of my furniture since my very first apartment and even my bedroom set is from back when I was in Junior High. I can tell you when people come over they are somewhat jealous in thinking "oh look what you can afford". Yeah I afforded it once or received as a gift from my parents or put items in lay a way. I have what I have because I take pride and care of the things I have. And pledge has helped to keep my things in good condition. Sure I have a few pieces of wood furniture that have split or show some wear but all in all in appearances I think my things look great. The shine of pledge is always satisfying. I like the dust and allergen scent the best. It has a nice clean light scent.

Clorox wipes in the yellow container is my favorite. I simply can not live without them. With a step son that is touching everything in the home you need to have them on hand. I use them for everything. The walls, counter tops, toilet, floors, kitty liter box, spills the list is endless. I use them everyday. I've purchased the Lysol brand but I'm not much of a fan. I think the Clorox wipes are softer and more absorbent and I like the scent better.

Meyer's Clean Day Hand Soap in the scent Lavender. This is by far my most purchased hand soap. I love the scent. I first discovered Meyer's products when I visited The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. They however have the geranium scent that is as far as I know their signature scent and only they sell it. I have not seen it anyplace else. I'm sure you can probably find it on line someplace. I had purchased a bottle while on the Island and savored it. I just loved the scent. Nothing like it was offered near where I live and when I was out of it I missed it. Several years later Target started selling the brand. However they do not sell the geranium scent. The next best scent is the Lavender. It has a bit of an invigorating smell. I love to use it at the kitchen sink and at the bathroom sink. The men in my home never complain of using the scent themselves and my husband has actually purchased it on his own to stock up on at home. I love their dish soap, but it's a bit pricey. The lemon scent is very light and clean smelling. It doesn't lather a bunch but it does the job.

My last recommendation is the Method brand All-Purpose cleaner. We received this with a housewarming gift from my husband's sister. That was three years ago and I'm just now getting around to using it. I used all my Windex surplus up and now I'm on to this product. I don't know how I cleaned with out it. It is by far the best window cleaner I have used. It grips the window and streaks...what streaks. It's that good. It's just as amazing in the bathroom. Our electric toothbrush container is a nightmare to clean. The scum of toothpaste residue is awful. Even my beloved Clorox wipes could not handle it alone. I sprayed this cleaner on and wiped it off with a Clorox wipe and it was the most satisfying clean ever! I want to use it on everything in the house. This one cleaner could probably cut down my grocery cleaning bill with amazing results.

Next time you are out and about you may want to pick one of these choices and try for yourself.

Thanks for reading...by the way is it super odd that I just love the smell of a just cleaned home?   :0)