Why I could be in a NIKE ad.....

You can find me where the pavement ends.

I used to run everyday.

I had been running for years.

But I haven't run for almost 2 years, since I hurt my leg.

I have a huge scar that wraps around half of my lower leg that looks like a giant "Nike Swoosh" symbol- if you want to read more about it you can click here, but be prepared for yuckiness.

Now, that alone is not why I could be in a Nike ad....

although that was a funny joke after they removed my "Frankenstein like stitches", to reveal my new leg "decoration".

I'd show you a picture, but I don't really photograph my legs very often. So at the time of typing this I have no pictures of good ol' "Swoosh leg".

I'm not a treadmill runner- that seems so boring. You're going no where and you can't feel the wind against your face or the sunshine on your skin.
I run outdoors. On dirt roads, where there's no one around.
I just take my iphone, headphones, water, and turn on my Pandora app.
And I run.
And I run.
And I run.
I don't run to get in shape. That might be a by-product.
I run because I process all my thoughts. It clears my head. And I used to feel like my day wasn't right unless I had gone running.

These last couple weeks. I have run again. Tears have streamed down my face. I've felt like God opened up heaven and let my dad hug me through the sunshine. I've felt hope. I've felt strong. I've felt like it was ok to cry, because no one could see me crying again.
As I would run so fast, it felt like I was moving the world beneath my feet. I felt small as I looked up at the vast sky. I've felt so many things I could be here describing them for way longer than you want to read this.
Running was, is, and has always been good for my mind, therapeutic for me. 
I run, not to be skinny. I run because to me, running is therapy.
I can't explain it...but as I ran the other day, I thought about all the years that I had been running, all the emotions I've processed as I have run, all my little heart aches and stresses, and ofcourse when my greatest heart ache of, knowing my dad is no longer on this Earth...I had to go running.
To be alone, with the sunshine, with God...and it feels like I could hear my dad saying, "Run like the wind!"....
And I did.

Getting ready to run like the wind...and feel my Dad hug me through the sunshine, your kandee

If you wanna see my kandeeland blog- which I did, in fact write today, also, click here.

Good bye Black Eye & Make-Up

If you read HERE, I got a black eye (accidentally, from my sweet lil' Ellie) the same day I got the news about my dad. It seemed to get worse before it got better.
I haven't really had any desire to put on my make-up these last couple weeks and the one day I tried to cover it up, for the first time....I felt like I looked worse with make-up on, and I took all the makeup off.
Because I really didn't care if people saw my black eye or not.
Finally, I noticed yesterday, that my black eye had healed. Boy, those black eyes take a  long time to go away!

Some things heal and will be never cause you pain again. Other things heal, but you will never function like you once did. My eye has healed, but my heart will never heal...not until the day I go to Heaven...and all wounds are erased and we're made perfect.

On a funny note:
Since I haven't bothered with make-up or really doing my hair- I get ready at lighting speed. My sister had asked me how long it would take me to get ready? She asked, "what do you need, like an hour?!?" "No, since I'm not doing hair or make-up, I only need about 15 minutes"- showering, shaving my legs, drying off, and getting dressed hardly takes any time at all.
I think if I was a guy- I could set records for the fastest time to get ready! ha ha ha ha

It's been nice just letting me skin breathe without a drop of make-up, just slathered in moisturizer...
and as much as I like make-up...there is something about seeing a face without make-up that sometimes looks more beautiful to me....
I looked at my sister after she had her baby, without a drop of make-up and she looked more beautiful to me than ever.

Here's so getting ready at lighting speeds and thankful my black eye took a hike, your kandee

PS. I will put make-up on again, just not today.

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How to make it through hard times....

As you all know, these have been very hard days for me and my family...
I saw this sign and loved it's words:
WAKE UP SMILING

seize every moment

Try new things

BE BOLD

AMAZE YOURSELF

Take Chances

Be Optimistic

EMBRACE CHANGE

BE LEGENDARY

Live your life with abandon

HAVE AN OPEN MIND

Be Fearless

This is YOUR time

Throw Caution To The Wind

YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE

My dad was always finding funny things to laugh about, he was always smiling, and always making people smile and laugh.

Laughter is the pause, that God gives in the middle of painful situations to make things bearable.

No matter what you are going through, how awful your day feels, what heartache you are experiencing...

become a "joy hunter". There is beauty all around us if we hunt. There is beauty in the sunset- which is a gift to us each day. There are sparkles on water. Songs can be a gift to our heart, that make us dance or sing, or bring us happy memories. 

My grandma once said that she would go to the post office at a certain time of day, to get her mail, because there were little flecks of sparkly stones in the concrete, that would sparkle in the sunlight at that time of day and it she loved it.

We may be going through tremendous pain or heartache...

and yesterday as I watched the sunset with my mom...

it was beautiful.

The sky was a soft and glowing blue, the clouds which gently spread across the sky were glowing with a cotton candy pink (my favorite)...and along the horizon it glowed with a warm orange that felt like it wrapped you in delight.

It was beautiful. My dad would have loved it.

I decided that for the rest of my life here on Earth...I will seek the beauty in each day, everywhere I go. I will rejoice in small things like sparkles in the sidewalk to the daily gift of the paintings in the sky, known as sunsets...

and to each precious heart that offers me the gift of their smile.

Smiling and hunting for the joy and beauty all around....your kandee

Click here if you wanna see my little smile.

Setting a record for the least I've ever blogged!

Since I started blogging, years ago now, I have blogged almost every day. I even blogged the day I went into labor with Ellie. But never has it been so hard as these last, almost 2 weeks now...to write.
Tomorrow it will be 2 weeks since I got that horrific call telling me my dad was no longer on this Earth.

I can't express in words what your life, your heart, your mind feels like, when a loved ones dies. It is beyond words to describe, and even in your most incredible imagination, you can imagine what it feels like until you go through it.

People say, it will get better. But my world will never be the same, ever. I'm sure I will go on, and maybe one day I won't go to sleep with heartbreak, and maybe one day I will wake up and not feel my heart grow with sadness as I wake up to the reality that my dad is not here.

I know, in my heart I am trying to be happy that my dad is so happy in heaven, but my Earthly self misses him so much, it physically hurts in my heart.

I had filmed a video about waterproof, sweatproof make-up before I my dad died. I hadn't gotten to edit it, I still haven't. It has a funny part that me and Jordan filmed, and I know my dad would think it was funny too. I will edit it and I will upload it on Youtube...I just can't tell you the day yet.

I just want to thank you all, with all my heart, for sending me your amazing comments, filled with love, care and kindess. I thank you for your prayers...as this last week and a half, I have had to deal with many things that I never thought I'd have to deal with when someone dies. Things that are too hard to go into detail about yet.

My life feels changed. I have realized things I want to do differently, because so many things in this life feel so meaningless now.

My dad was such a huge inspiration in my life. He encouraged everyone around him- total strangers, people he knew, and most of all his family.

                                          (This magnet was on my dad's workbench)

There are many reasons I didn't or couldn't even blog these last several days....
I just couldn't. I didn't want people to get tired of me just writing about how much I missed my dad. My mind just couldn't think of what to say. And my heart felt too broken to muster up something to say.

I will blog again, because my dad read my blogs and told everyone to go to my blogs and watch my videos. He loved that I made people smile and was able to encourage them.

My heart hurts and when I woke up this morning- today did not feel better. I still felt awful. Tears still ran down my face last night as I stared at a note my dad wrote on my bulletin board that said: HAPPY DAY! I LOVE MY BABIES!

My dad encouraged and inspired everyone around him, wherever he went....and I will not stop doing that either. Maybe today this didn't encourage anyone, my little heart is still trying to be ok.

To anyone who's lost a loved one...my heart knows your pain. It knows the feeling of not feeling that your heart or life will ever be the same. This hurt is beyond description and my only comfort is that my dad is in heaven, happier than he could ever be here on Earth. I just miss him from Earth, so much...it hurts to be here without him.

huge hugs from my heart, and if no one's told you today, I love you, kandee

Black Eye & A Broken Heart

 It was a week ago today, that I got that awful, life-altering phone call about my dad not being here on Earth anymore. (if you want to read you can click here) The only reason I'm writing this, is because my dad would have thought this was funny...
That night, was the worst night of life...trying to sleep, being emotionally exhausted, the pain in my head from crying so much, was unlike any headache I'd ever felt, dealing with all the calls from the hospital and coroner- it felt like an overwhelming nightmare, and then I was supposed to go to bed somehow.
As I tried to sleep, crying, in bed with my phone- reading through every text my dad sent me, watching every video of him- poor little Ellie's molar teeth coming in- she she woke up all night long. In the middle of the night- when she woke up, she had jumped back against my face and hit my eye with her head. I didn't hurt that bad- nothing would hurt as much as my heart did.

When I woke up, I felt like throwing up- I didn't want to be awake. I didn't want this to be my reality. I felt literally sick to my stomach over waking up, knowing my dad wasn't here on Earth. I went to brush my teeth...my dad was always big on brushing teeth the second you woke up- and I realized I had a nice little black eye going on.

I only smiled in the picture at the top, because I looked so awful without smiling. ha ha ha
I still have my black eye...these picture were taken a few days ago... somehow, black eyes seem to get worse looking, I've realized.

This week has felt like it was a month long in some ways, and then it feels like it was just not so long ago that my dad sent me his last text. I never imagined that I would spend Father's Day weekend, packing up all my dad's things by myself. Correction- I wasn't by myself...my dad was with me in my heart, and God was with me too. I think it was kind of good I was by myself...God was able to strengthen my heart while I did it. And I imagined I what my Dad would do, how he would just get it done.

Random facts:
My heart is torn. I like this picture at the top. I like to smile. I haven't felt like smiling very much this last week. My dad smiled a lot. He would light up the room when he walked in- always with a big smile on his face. His personality was full of life, happiness and fun. I want to smile. He made me smile. The thought of him will always make me smile.
  Though our heart is breaking on the inside, sometimes a smile on the outside... can work it's way from our face to our heart.


As I stood, in my closet yesterday...I heard this song...and I felt like I was standing in a storm...and all my tears that had fallen were held in God's hands. If you'e lost a loved one- my heart breaks with yours. I know, no words can comfort a mourning heart. But sometimes just offering a heart to break along with theirs is comforting- to know someone just is wishing your pain away, beacuase it won't go anywhere, but that they will stand with you in the storm of heartbreak and just be with you is comforting.

If you are in a  "storm" of life, of any kind, depression, sadness, grief, dispair, heart ache of any kind, I hope this song will speak to your heart like it did to mine yesterday:



and though my heart is breaking, I will smile on the outside so that is might work it's way to my heart...especially because my dad would be smiling...I can feel his smile.

I bet people don't think I'm a boxer when they see my shiner, but I bet my dad would think it was funny...and he's say "You're lookin' Good!"

A black eye and a broken heart....ha ha ha ha I'm in good shape!

huge hugs from my torn heart and black eye, your kandee

The most tragic day of my life- I LOVE YOU DAD!

(me and my dad on Father's Day, last year)

 For the first time...I don't know how to start typing. I don't know if this is going to feel good to write again or if I'm going realize I am not ready to write again...
Last wednesday was the most tragic day of my life.
I got a call telling me that my dad had been in an accident and was no longer here on Earth.
I got the call just hours before he was supposed to pick me up at the airport.
To hear the words that he had been helping someone move and fell through a window, that cut an artery and that he wasn't here on Earth anymore- shattered my heart, my life, my thoughts, and the lights went out in my world...and they will never come back on without my dad.

(me and my dad on my 1st birthday)

 This has been, as I know it is for anyone who's lost someone they love, the most painful things I've ever experienced. My dad was my hero, my Superman...no, correct that, my dad IS my HERO, he IS my Superman.
My arms may not be able to reach him, but he is holding my heart.
I don't know when I will return to blogging- I don't know if it will feel good to write again or if I just can't yet. I don't know when I'll edit another video to put on Youtube.
The hurting in my heart is not describable using the word "pain".

At the top of this page is a picture of me and my dad on Father's Day last year...it feels hard to even think that Father's Day is here, and my father was taken from this Earth just days ago. To anyone else who has lost their father, or any loved one...my heart breaks for you. I wish I could just cry with you, because sometimes when your pain is so great- words don't help. One of my dear friends just called me and cried with me...crying unlike normal crying- this was aching howls from my heart.

Someone posted something on my facebook, something their grandma told them, and it has helped my heart, they said their Grama told them that "Sometimes God picks the flowers for heaven when they are at their most beautiful in bloom"...

My dad was the most encouraging, inspiring, and positive person. As I sat reading through all his texts and watching all his videos...he was encouraging me still. His words will live on in my heart. He lives on in my heart. I love him so much more than any limitations that our human vocabulary puts on emotions.

This Fathers Day...I may not have my dad here on Earth, but I can celebrate him from my little spot on Earth. I know, without a doubt, that my dad is in heaven. And just like he always made everything on Earth here, pretty for me....he is up in heaven making it pretty for me. And my life will never be the same without him. But I want to go forward in the rest of my life...living each day to the fullest, in honor of my dad.

My dad had texted me this:

"you never know how STRONG you are, until being strong is the ONLY choice you have."

Being strong is the only choice I have.
My dad was strong. I am his baby....I can be strong too.

My dad is, was, and will always be my hero. I cannot say much more, because my eyes have cried more than they ever have, my heart hurts more than it ever has, and the feelings inside are ones I cannot even describe in words.

My Grandma always said:
PAIN IS INEVITABLE
MISERY IS OPTIONAL
This pain in life is inevitable. But my dad wouldn't want me to miserable.

I can hear my dad, in my mind, telling me that "You can do it! You're strong!"

Oh dad! I love you so dearly...
And as my precious friend told me, "sometimes God takes things from our Earthly grasp, so that we may fix our gaze unto  heaven"....

I don't even know if this sounds good, makes sense, or anything...but I want to thank you all for your outpouring of love, kind thoughts, caring words....
that have truly felt like drops of love on my heart that has felt crushed beyond repair.

My dad is so happy in heaven...and I can't wait until I run into his arms again. Oh what a great day that will be. Until then, his words, love and encouragement will be the wind beneath my wings...

On this Father's day...
I am thankful that I have my Heavenly Father (God) and that I have my Father in Heaven (My Dad) ...they are home...and are waiting for me.

If this Father's Day...you are celebrating your daddy in heaven...may these songs comfort you like they did to me today, I heard this song today, as I drove home with a car full of my dad's things...




I saw in my dad's emails today....that he read my blogpost the day he went to Heaven. I saw that he read my posts every day...
And I know my dad would say: "You keep inspiring everyone around you!"

At this time I don't care about the latest beauty product, hair gadget, or fashion trend...all of that seems so unimportant and so meaningless. I don't know when I'll feel back to writing again or making my videos- it may be sooner because my dad was so proud of how I could encourage others, but after I write this, I feel like I can't say when because my heart still hurts.

I will celebrate today, this little Earthly celebration of our fathers...because I know my dad is smiling and knows how much I love him up there in Heaven...

And this is now one of my favorite videos of all time on Youtube...because it has my dad in it:



My dad always said, "Make today better than yesterday!"...
(if I ever got a tattoo, that's what I'd get tattooed on myself!)
and today dad, I will, I will make today, better than yesterday because I love you to Heaven and back....
you were the best dad in the world and now in Heaven....
there is no other daughter that loves her father more than I love you, your Kan Kan


"all I know is I'm not home yet, this is not where I belong, take this world and give me Jesus, this is not where I belong"

My Daily Face Care Must Have's

Probably one of the most asked questions I get is what I use on my face...so here it is! These are my face BFF's. Now I am always on an endless search for the best moisturizer and I've tried everything from drugstore, to health food store to fancy pants brands that celebs use.
And these always end up as my favs!

CLEANSER:
I have been using the Burt's Bee's Citrus Facial Scrub for years to clean my face. Everyday, I wash off all my make-up with this. People might say, isn't a scrub too harsh on your face? No, not this one. You need a little something to get all the dirt and make-up out of your pores. That's why, even the ProActiv cleanser is gritty- with out something "scrub" like, you're not getting all the pores clean and you're not buffing off the dead skin.
And my skin is the proof, as someone who's used this for years on end as my only face cleanser- my skin looks clear, feels super soft and when ever I've run out and had to use something else...my skin starts to look awful and get all bumpy. I love this stuff!

MOISTURIZER:
My old go to moisturizers can both be found, not at Sephora or Ulta, or some department store, but from Whole Foods!
I've tried moisturizers from La Mer to drugstore brands trying to find the best, most sensitive one and this my old go to-  Dr. Hauschka Rose Day Cream...
it is amazing! It is a soothing moisturizer for:
sensitive skin
normal to dry skin
It strengthens the skin in an all natural, mild way.
And reduced the appearance of couperose (more reddish skin- from weakened capillaries)
My skin can look pretty red sometimes (thanks to my Irish and Swedish dad, I think) But this seriously, makes my skin look like I don't need to wear as much make-up- I loooooove this and I'm so happy I started using it again.
My other all natural favorite is AnneMarie Borlind, but my Whole Foods doesn't sell it anymore. I used it for years and it's even in some of my very first videos.

And the Dr. Hauschka Rose Cream is what I put on in the "after"picture from yesterdays blog post!
So that's what I use to keep my skin looking as good as I can get it! ha ha ha

off to go slap some more Rose Cream on my face, kandee

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Night Time Strip Down

BEFORE- I end most days with some sort of make-up on my face.

And you gotta let your skin breath, free and clear of all the junk that's coated your skin all day.

Now, I will confess to you, some days I'm too tired or fall asleep before I wash my face- not the end of the "clear skin world"....but still had to let ya know- I'm not gonna pretend I'm a face washing puritan!

AFTER- the "magic of the make-up" has all been washed down the drain and scrubbed off with the help of my washcloth. After my moisturizer has coated my face- my skin feels clean, dewy and ready to plump up those little skin cells all night long.
A good glass of water before bed will help you hydrate, but may keep you up all night going to the little girls room.

MORNING WATER FLUSH-
As soon as you wake up if you flush all the toxins out of your body that's been resting all night by drinking a full glass of water...it'll give your skin and body a jumpstart to be hydrated and it might help knock out some of cravings for an unhealthy breakfast- like a donut, or something not to great to start your day! (even though I do love a good sprinkled donut! ha ha ha)

Most girls don't want anyone seeing them without make-up but I post it on the internet for everyone to see (ha ha ha ha), your kandee

Click here to see my "dream kitchen".

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Look What Lighting Can Do....

This is NOT good lighting to put your make-up on in.....
Whether your lighting in your bathroom, bedroom, hotel room...where ever you're putting make-up on in is bad...chances are your make-up will come out on the wonky side.

Heavy overhead lighting like this-BAD
Weirdly colored light bulbs that make your lighting too green or orange- BAD
*this is usually found in hotel rooms bathrooms- I have put my make-up on in really green lighting in bathrooms...only to find I look way to orange or my blush is way too heavy- because in the green lighting the warms colors won't show up as well!

And in my bathroom, I have a window on one side, so one side of my face is light real bright and the other is like it's in a dark cave...NOT GOOD EITHER!

LESSON OF THE DAY- if all lighting is failing you grab a mirror and head to a window! The best lighting in the world is sunlight! And if you're doing make-up at night...well...don't put make-up on it lighting like mine above! ha ha ha

lights, camera....make-up, kandee

Wanna see how our haircuts came out...CLICK HERE

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IN-N-OUT and The Southwest

It's now officially Sunday.

It's also officially 1:11 AM (cool time...hee hee)

Sometimes this is what my left arm/hand looks like...like today.

 Sometimes I wear black and white nail polish. (technically, just one white nail)
Favorite Watch: My Michael Kors Oversized Runway Watch
Bracelets: I blogged about them HERE already, but they are the Marc Jacobs Rubber Turnlock Bracelets

And sometimes I wear Leopard print pants...that Jordan (my son complimented me on, saying: "I like your Hammer pants"...after asking if he was joking or if he really meant it, he said, "No, I really like them!"
And sometimes on the way to the airport...
I ate....

 my only fast food weakness...In-N-Out.  My dad even worked at one as a teenager and I have one of those GIANT safety pins that they wear on the aprons. (oh Cheeseburger Animal Style with no pickles... and a Neapolitan Shake- a shake with Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry...mmmmm)

And sometimes when you fly on Southwest Airlines, where you just find a good seat once you're on the plane...you realize after you've buckled your seatbelt, that you are on perhaps the worst aisle to sit on the plane...."THIS SEAT DOESN'T RECLINE"....awesome.

Click on this RIGHT HERE to see more from my adventures in KANDEELAND


sometimes I like to bite a french fry from IN-N-OUT and take a sip of my shake right after...and it mixes in your tastebuds for a little bit of deliciousness, Kandee Over-N-Out

And don't forget, this was my 350th Video I uploaded onto YOUTUBE...and I still don't have a proper name for it...:
(* ps if you wanna watch it super-sized, click on the youtube logo in the lower right hand corner- and sha-blam! Bigness!)


And I also uploaded this video onto my "mommy-cooking-channel" on youtube too:

awwww yeah, you know I post other stuff on these too- click one to see it:
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If you love NEON, you're gonna love this....Polish baby!

 I have loved neon things since my first neon fanny pack in the 80's.
And what else would be my semi-nail-polish-obesession-color, but the PERFECT NEON PINK!
Everytime I see nail polish my eyes scan for that not too orangey, neon pink....
And lo and behold I see this perfect neon pink shade inside Walgreens (it's a drugstore) today!

It was by SinfulColors and it was only $1.99...but I must warn you, it's kinda not the most pigmented or high quality color! But what can you expect for $1.99, right!?!

And the kinda cool part is, it's really matte. I don't know why every neon polish I've tried seems to be more on the matte side.

 If you wanna give it a whirl onto your toes or fingers....it was in 24/7.
Hey, maybe you can put a good base coat and good primer and it will last longer! Who knows! I just like this shade...if anyone knows of a good, maybe higher quality dupe, comment below!

love ya like a fanny pack full of friendship bracelets, kandee

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Once Upon A Time...I uploaded a new video!

 I wanted to make a special video to inspire you guys, ask for your Olympic Video ideas and share my inspiration and a bit about how I was NOT popular in school, how I was discouraged from going after my dreams and how I was inspired to keep going no matter what things went wrong along the way!

I hope this encourages you guys...because that is really, more important that showing you a new smokey eye look! ha ha ha

Side note: I had filmed this before I went to help my sister when she had her baby AND before I lightened my hair- and after helping her then getting sick, I forgot to edit it- so here it is...and that's why the Ombre is gone from my hair in this video! ha ha ha

I hope this brightens your day and maybe you'll take away a little treasure of inspiration!
(Watchin this trick- if you wanna see it bigger, click on the Youtube logo in the lower right-hand corner)

And thanks for everyone that helped comment below the video on youtube with "what to title this video"...I've been sick and was up too late trying to upload this and my brain couldn't think of any could names for the video! ha ha ha

Feel free to comment below and share any awesome inspirational advice you're gotten to keep going and ignore the negative people in our lives!

Hugs and awesomeness for your day, Kandee

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My Awkward Phase & 80's Portrait

Here's my throwback thursday...a "travel back in time on Kandee's life" picture....and if anyone ever wanted to know if I went through an "awkward phase"....this would be it! Please look at my stupid bangs. I don't know how they got cut like that, but thankfully, hair grows. As I have been comforted, with every ugly haircut.
This is a picture of all 5 generations of my family...

From LEFT TO RIGHT BOTTOM:
My little sister Tiffany (in the red), My mom, Shannon (in black shirt), My Great-great Grandma Nellie (with the white hair, who is warming up Heaven for us), and Me- with the "stupidest" bangs ever....just look at my hair cut! ha ha ha and the navy and white lace dress.
TOP from LEFT to Right:
My Great Grama Vi (in the blue), My Nana (in the white) , My Aunt Carrie

And yes, I look as though I was trying to bring the "Little House on The Prairie" look, in style with my dress. I think we were at Sears or JC Penney for this portrait!

I love my all my Grama's and I loved my sweet Grama Nellie who was born in Chihuahua, Mexico....
My favorite saying of my Grama Nellie (who had 12 kids)...
When she lost a valuable ring, she said, "Greater things have been lost...."....

love from me and my dumb 8 year old hair, Kandee


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Oh Cartwheels of Excitement! ME and my fellow Johnson!

As you know...I have loved Betsey Johnson, since my mom loved her while she was pregnant with me! ha ha ha
And if you read my blog post about her store closing....I got to buy some of the store! Well everyone did....and it felt like a race....people were asking to buy the flower curtains you see here- SOLD! I tried to buy the cool necklace racks- for only $5-but they were SOLD!
The flowers in the store- SOLD. They were even selling the lightbulbs!

But guess what no one had bought!?!?
The BETSEY JOHNSON letters you see here!!!
And guess who now owns them!?!?

Yes, insert Betsey-like cartwheels!!! I, KANDEE JOHNSON, own the, BETSEY JOHNSON letters!
Johnson and Johnson unite- even if it is only that I own her name in letters!
And this is when they showed up at my house! They were even sealed in Betsey Johnson sticker!

And these are some gems from when I got to go to Betsey's Runway Show at Fashion Week! I literally was tear-filled because I knew my mom had done a project on Betsey when she was in Fashion School- which she left fashion school to be a wife and my mom....
In my heart...I was excited I could be there for her...and I even got an extra gift bag from the show to give her!

If I can figure out a way to hang or attach the letters...the JOHNSON may live on in a video background!!

And wait...that's not all....I got one more awesome something from the Betsey Store closing in Santa Barbara....but I'll wait to show you, because it's all in pieces!

Betsey Johnson Cartwheels, the other Johnson, Kandee

Where else can you find this Johnson:
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Outfit Of the Day: Special Lil' Guest

I thought it would be fun to do an "Outfit-of-the-day" post....then I realized I don't have any pictures of myself. It's hard to get pictures of yourself, without yourself in it! ha ha ha
BUT I do have a special guest (I know, I usually only post about the kids on my "mommy-ish-cooking-family-life-kid-crafting" blog, KANDEELAND...
but I thought I'd let little ELLIE, make a guest "outfit-of-the-day" appearance!

So here she is, in a Target shopping cart...(I will blog tomorrow on my other blog, about out Target adventures and cool stuff we saw)...
She is wearing a HELLO KITTY SHIRT from Old Navy.
LEOPARD PRINT LEGGING, that we got at Target.
PINK VELOUT Hoodie from Target, too.
AND......

our fav
WHITE LEATHER BABY "gladiator" SANDAL from BOBUX

I hope you enjoyed my "special guest"....

And if you want to rock your RICE KRISPY-making world, CLICK RIGHT ON THIS TO SEE MY "silly-simple" secret ingredient!

target carts full of cute-ness, Kandee

Would You Walk In These!?!

 Rappers write songs about their sneakers. I personally love sneakers- I've stomped in my Converse and checkered Vans slip-ons for years on end. And now, thanks to Marc Jacobs...you can hit the sidewalks in a mix-up of hi heel and sneaker- The Sneaker Wedge.

Some people would not be caught dead or alive in a pair of these sneak-heels. For example, you would not see my sister even try a pair of these on, EVER. I did see a couple girls wearing a pair of these in a restaurant a week or so ago.
But I was flipping through Vogue and saw this picture, and kinda' thought, they looked cuter:

 And don't go thinkin' Marc Jacobs has lost his marbles on this one....everyone has some sort of "hidden sneaker wedge" going on too....What do you think? Do you like Dolce & Gabanna's version more?!? Leopard Wedge anyone?!?

What do you think?!? Would you dare to wear a pair?!? Or say, no this is a fashion shoe-citation!?!

still wishin' I had my hi-top LA Gear sneakers with different colored laces, kandee

Awwwww CLICK HERE  to see what's cookin' in Kandeeland...what I made without eggs! ha ha ha

4 Ways to Make Your Dreams Grow

Everyone has special dreams in their heart. Those little thing you dream of doing or becoming.
Your dreams are uniquely yours and no one else it going to write that same book you would, or write that same song you would, or change or touch someone's life the way that you will.
Now your dreams don't come with special instructions..
But I can give you some advice for growing your dreams in your dream garden.

"Your dreams are like small seeds that need to be watered, loved, cared for and protected very carefully."

#1. Don't tell everyone you know about your dreams.
That would be like inviting everyone into the garden, and before you know it they've all trampled all over your little dream sprouts and everything is ruined.
Everyone has different opinions and they are all going to voice their own opinions on your dreams. One person will say great, another will say that'll never happen, another will say it's ridiculous, another will say it's interesting.
People who have followed their dreams, rarely listened to the people who told them they'd never make it. Fred Astaire was told he had no talent, so were the Beatles and the list could go on and on.

#2. Take care to spend time "watering" your dreams.
Think about your dreams. Visualize you living them out. What your life would be like. What each day would be like. How you'd feel. Where you'd live. How your dream might help other people.
You have to think about your dream. Read books about your "dream" or keep track of inspirational quotes to keep you motivated.

#3. Make sure you do things to protect your dream garden and help it grow.
You have to step outside your comfort zone sometimes. Take a class on something you love. If you want to be a singer, try some voice lessons. If you want to be a writer, try submitting some of your stories or articles to different publications. Just try to do things that will have you grow in the area of your dreams!
And make sure you pull the negative weeds that may sprout up in the garden of your dreams. This could be your own negative thoughts or those of some "caring" friends, family, teachers, or anyone else that has some negative opinions to choke out your dreams.
REMEMBER: some of our most amazing inventors, entrepreneurs, and singer, actors, writers and more, were usually all told my someone that they had no talent or would never make it!

#4. Build a Scare Crow for your dream garden to keep the Crows of negativity out!
Remember the Scare Crow in Wizard of Oz. He was more scared of things that how he was supposed to scare the crows away.
But in order to protect your garden of your dreams. You need to be willing to keep out the crows of life. The crows of negative friends, co-workers, students, and yes some of the BIGGEST crows can  be in our own families!
Don't let them ruin your sprouting dreams. Keep them out of the safety of your dream garden. Know that not everyone is going to love your dream, they are going to be jealous or negative about your desires. They are going to doubt you are able to do them and tell you all the reasons why it will never work. Everyone, and I promise you everyone who has gone after their dreams had experienced family, friends, and others who have ALL done this to them!
REMEMBER: Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but you are also entitled, not to listen or care.


Now go and pull some weeds in the garden of your dreams. Water those little dreams and remember....the best flowers grown out of manure. So don't be afraid if you feel like you've had a lot of poopy situations in your life- it makes the best ground for beautiful things to grow from!

hugs and colorful watering cans to shower your gardens with, kandee

"Doesn't matter if everyone else you know says they don't believe in you. I do. And I'm cheering you on with all that's in my heart!"

Saturday Hugs & "I play sports!?!" & Randomness

Happy Saturday to all my precious ones reading this!

So here's the Saturday Random 5- (which I am super excited to be typing- because the cable guy fixed my internet- it had a blown amp- thing, or something like that, I don't know....I just know it's working again!)

So buckle up for the Saturday 5 Random Facts:

#1. sometimes as seen in the picture above, I actually wear matching earrings- ha ha ha

#2. I learned how to play the piano was I was little and I wrote my first song when I was about 9 and called it "Spring Rain", I think, or something about rain! ha ha ha

#3. Someone asked on FACEBOOK: what's my favorite flat iron: I use my Sultra one everyday, but I also love my GHD one too!

#4. Team sports I've played in my life: Softball, but I was so scared of the ball it didn't make me a great player, I did hit a homerun, ONCE! ha ha ha TENNIS- I played in high school, but now I'm probably awful. I tried out for basketball, but again- I got too scared, when they had me guard the biggest, toughest, and best basketball player at school! Volleyball hurt my arms. And I never really tried anything else, that I can think of. So basically I was never called a jock. ha ha ha

#5. Most memorable make-up scent- Coty Spun Face Powder, my Nana and my mom both wore it when I was little, so it smells powdery and comforting to me.

Happy Saturday guys! huge hugs love and do something a little random to spice up your day...tell a stranger you hope they have an amazing day, eat something new, or google places you'd love to vacation (for a mental escape, if only for your eyes on the computer!)

Hugs on Saturday, kandee

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Marilyn Monroe Birthday and Beauty Secrets

Marilyn Monroe would have been 86 years old today.
She is a Hollywood Icon. And her look would still have been classic timeless today as it was back then!

In honor of Marilyn Monroe's birthday....I wanted to share with you guys my 2 favorite Marilyn Monroe make-up tutorials and some of her beauty secrets and tips (she had tons, but here's just some of my favs, in these videos)

CLICK HERE TO SEE MY POST ABOUT THE TIPS IN THE PICTURES ABOVE...

Here's my first ever Marilyn Monroe Makeup Tutorial:
(to watch is super-sized, click on the lower right hand youtube logo)


And here is one of my mor "costume" Marilyn Monroe videos - it's newer, and has a wig! ha ha ha
It's more fun...but you can just skip the begining to get the tutorial)
FUN FACT: I was pregnant when I filmed this...you just couldn't see my big belly.
And my favorite part is the end with the cardboard hands! ha ha ha


hope you enjoy these videos...I hope they are never go out of style like Marilyn!

One of my favorite Marilyn Monroe quotes~

“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.” - Marilyn Monroe

glam kisses and I wish I could eat a piece in her birthday honor, kandee

Wanna peek in my fridge, CLICK HERE.

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