Addicted

hellllo lovers! so yesterday i had to take maxx to get groomed. I really didn't want to because his scruffiness goes perfectly with what he is being for Halloween....which by the way is HILARIOUS but that's another day...so because it still has been warm here & i am still dying of sweat, i could only imagine how hot he must be with all that fur. 

so i had to take him in for a hair cut. i was nervous too because the last time i took him to get groomed they basically skinned him. It was awful. They really went overboard.  So this time I had to make sure they listened to me & did what I said. Have you noticed there seems to be this ongoing problem these days with customer service? no one is listening anymore....it looks like they are but really their head is else where ----> bad customer service is a huge pet peeve of mine. 

ok sorry, getting back on track...Maxx got a haircut & look how adorable he turned out --->

i love this little man

ok so moving on to a more serious note. i use to be a 'tan-a-holic.' no joke. it all started my senior year of high school when i was in the senior fashion show. after the show my mom had suggested that i get a little tan on my pale, white, white skin before prom because i was like a ghost on stage....thanks mom ----> so i had never ever thought about tanning in a booth before, & i really didn't think i was that white but i did it anyway.......fast forward to college when i was on my own, i decided to get a tanning package.... & it was all down hill from there. 

Pre Tanning - 10th grade 

i would tan every.single.day. I was so obsessed with tanning & being dark that I use to wake up early & go tanning before my 8am class! and if you knew me, you would know that is freaking crazy because all i do is sleep. it's a hobby for me. i think being up at 10am is still early......so going to tan before class, i really was addicted. i just thought it made me look prettier, when in reality it didn't. & no, i didn't look like 'tanning mom' if that's what your thinking. just a super dark brown girl. 

Winter 2004 - Sophomore year of college (I'm in the 'ditch him' shirt)

 to be honest i tanned so much i feel like it stained my skin forever. thankfully ,eventually i grew out of that stage & now if I need a quick tan i'll mystic....& thank god i was very lucky (so far- knock on wood) & i didn't develop any type of skin cancer from my tanning addiction. However, that doesn't mean it doesn't happen; because it does all the time & the tanning bed is still a big cause of melanoma. so with that being said, I have a very special & strong girl who unfortunately had stage 3 melanoma. However, she didn't  throw herself a pity party. She is one inspirational & positive girl. I was so impressed with her positive outlook on life & how strong she was. Really, she is something else. So without further ado

Hi Messy Family! Knowing that Kelly has such awesome readers, I am so excited to sponsor her blog this month. I have a goal and I'm hoping y'all can help me with it. Who am I and why am I asking a bunch of strangers for a favor? Well, I'm Chelsea,25, a want-to-be Carrie Bradshaw, and a stage III malignant melanoma survivor. Up until the time an oncologist told me that melanoma would not kill me "right now," I used to believe that everyone looked prettier with a tan. Now it is my goal to openly share my story, show my scars, and encourage others to protect their largest organ: Their skin. This is where you all come into play! I challenge each of you to rethink your tanning bed membership, examine your skin for unusual moles, and schedule a yearly appointment with a dermatologist. Like Marc Jacobs says, protect the skin you're in!

 Eat pancakes and bacon in my PJ's, sip coffee on the beach with everyone I love, email the cast of Jersey Shore with the name of my dermatologist, and love, love, love.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis. I would love to hear her secret thoughts that she was too classy to share!

As you can imagine, being diagnosed with an incurable cancer at age 23 was terrifying. Instead of completely crumbling, I put on a happy face and faked it. I had a fight ahead of me and crumbling wasn't going to help make me better. Seeing how I was holding back my true emotions, my mom encouraged me to start a blog. Since that very first post I have been unable to stop writing. Blogging about my life with melanoma has introduced me to incredible people including Dr. Drew, and has allowed me to share my experiences with hopes of saving lives. I'm determined to put a face to this cancer. Melanoma is not just skin cancer.

sooo this fabulous lady is giving you messy readers a chance to win a $15 Target Giftcard & her favorite E.L.F. blush ----> They promote sun safety, so of course she is in support of them!


also you do not have to be a blogger to enter, this contest is open to everyone. i suggest being logged into your facebook, emails & twitter accounts. good luck ladies! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wanna double your luck? Enter to win $20 giftcard to Target HERE

Large Ad Spots are Filled for November! There is one Medium left! Join the Mess & reserve your spot today! 


And if you buy an Ad of the price of $30 or more use the code - iwantit - to receive 20% off!

Click to see Sponsor Info
BLOGGERS - Sign up for our Secret Santa Holiday Gift Swap!!! You can do so HERE

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FASHION EMERGENCY!

oh hey lovers ----> so as you know fashion has always been a huge part of my life. From selling to merchandising to styling. I have worked it all. I love it & couldn't imagine myself doing anything else. We are always hearing about the latest trends & styles, letting us know whats "in" in the fashion world, but today I am here to touch on a few fashion no no's. Everybody, even me, has been a victim of a fashion emergency. So over the years I have gathered together a few guidelines that I like to follow when shopping & picking out what to wear to avoid becoming a victim of a fashion no no....however these are just my opinions from things I have picked up over the years of being in the fashion world....dress at your own risk.....

*My Top Ten Fashion No No's* 
1.) Don't Wear White After Labor Day - summer is over, put it away until next year....& i know A LOT of people do not agree with me on this one & its true the stores are still selling white in everything. I just personally think its more of a spring/summer color....if you still like to wear white in the winter be sure to not layer white on white. Simple white touches like a white blazer - which you can see how fabulous it looks on this GIRL, or a winter white bag. But try & stay away from white on white during the fall & winter.

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2.) Red Lipstick is Not for Everyone - I'm sorry but some people should not wear red lipstick...you look like a clown....when in doubt, just say no. 

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3.) Don't Wear Heels you Can't Walk In- really though, wobbling around while you walk is not a good look & most likely you will trip & fall

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4.) Too many Animals Prints all at once is an Over Kill - you're not a cheetah, don't dress like one.

5.) Just Because It's 'In' Does NOT Mean you Should Wear It - for example prints on prints. One fashion mistake I tend to see a lot is people trying all the trends. Sometimes you just can't pull it off...& that's okay! I would rather look put together in something that fits me right, than look like a total mess in the current trends. 

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6.) Wearing Designer Clothes Does Not Make You Stylish - just because you can afford all the $$$ clothes does not mean you have good fashion taste. money does not buy style. 

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7.) No 'Matchy Matchy' - do I really need to elaborate?

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8.) Too Many Accessories all at once is an Over Kill - earrings+necklaces+bracelets+rings...its just too much going on. Remember less is always more

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9.) Tops that don't Completely Cover your Behind when Wearing Leggings - leggings are not jeans, please make sure the top covers your behind.

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10.) Trying to Make it Fit aka Too Tight Clothing - so many people I would help would not try on things based on the size....Just because you may be a size small at one store, doesn't mean your the same size in another store. Size is just a number ---> base your clothing off the way it fits you, not the number you see on the tag. 

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So those are just a few of my fashion no no's. I hoped they helped a little bit when cleaning out your closet for the new season! What are some of your fashion no nos? & before I go meet Lisette ---------->

Hello ladies! My name is Lisette Moore and I blog over here (moorepinkplease.com). I am a twenty three year old living in Austin,Texas(and no, we don't ride horses to the grocery store). I have a wonderful husband, a cute baby boy, and the two silliest pit bulls that make for great blogging. I love writing about my marriage,DIY/recipes,being a mommy and pretty much anything I go through.If I had to describe myself I would say: Witty, loving, outgoing, silly, and fun! Blogging for me has been a great experience to just be myself and let my thoughts pour without having to worry about what people will think, and meeting some wonderful ladies who I can call my friends. I hope you will follow me through this journey called life the way I see it.
Make sure you stop by Moore Pink Please & show her some love! She is such a doll. Love the holidays? Wanna play secret santa? Sign up for our holuday secret santa gift swap HERE

Maple Finish Wooden Hangers - 24 pk. - Clothes Racks & Hangers (Google Affiliate Ad)

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Calling all Target Lovers!

happy monday lovers! i know i know, its not really happy because its monday but it's a new week & seriously time is flying by....so it will be friday before you know it. just you watch.  

So my weekend was good - I babysat my favorite little kiddos alllll weekend . seriously I am so lucky to have found this family a few years ago. it was so random too - i had posted on craigslist for an occasional babysitting job & they called the next day. we met at starbucks & I have been with them ever since. i am seriously  blessed to be apart of their amazing family. how was your weekend?

how freaking amazing is this sunset from their deck?! #nofilter

a big thank you to everyone who has already signed up for the Secret Santa Holiday Gift Swap - we are so excited about it! If you haven't signed up yet & want too you can do so HERE

 

Soooo today you get to meet The Messy Girl of the Month!!! i actually didn't know of her blog until she sponsored me & boy am I glad she did. her blog is wonderful. she is a traveler & writes about her adventures with her hot hockey hubby. i don't get to travel much & haven't been to Europe yet so I love finding bloggers who write about their travels. not to mention she is a great writer. you can really feel what she is saying.  but besides traveling she dabbles in pretty much everything. but enough of what I have to say. meet her yourself...i promise you'll love her. 
Sooo without further ado - The Messy Girl of the Month!

wasn't she a beautiful bride?!? 

Hi all! My name is Kym and I think that the first thing that you should know about me is that writing these "about me" types of things make me feel like I am in a therapy session, so please bare with me ;)

I started my blog Travel Babbles in August 2010 as a means to share everything that I was experiencing in a foreign country when I moved to Germanywith my husband TJ for his hockey career. We move around quite a bit for his job, and although we've called Massachusetts, New York, West Virginia, Germany, Texas, and Florida "home" over the past five years, I'm a firm believer that home is where the heart is.

On my blog I share our adventures traveling from one city to the next, as well as all of the trials and tribulations that come with our lifestyle (make sure that you check out my latest post to see exactly what I'm talking about!). Additionally, I use my blog as a creative outlet to share my favorite recipes, visual inspirations, and whatever else makes me smile.
Come over to visit me at Travel Babbles and say hi. I love meeting new bloggers and individuals from all around the world, and I hope that my blog will take you to a place that you've never been before.

If I could be one person for the day I think that I'd like to be Lady Gaga. I watched a recent interview that she had with Oprah and I now see that meat wearing monster in a brand new light. Many of those 'weird' things that she does are publicity stunts to keep her fans interested, and as a blogger I can related to that because I pick and choose the things that I share with my readers which intimately leads them to form opinions about me and either "love me or leave me." I'd really like to know what Gaga is like in 'real life,' because based on how she was with Oprah she seems like a pretty down to earth kind of Lady ;)

Something that you don't know about me that you should is that I eat more than my husband. I have to fuel my body every two hours or I become very angry.

If it was my last day on earth what I would love to do the most is go to the home that I grew up in with my husband, my parents, and my brother and sisters. I would love to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner and enjoy their company for the entire day with wonderful conversation, reflection and laughs. 

sooo the fabulous Kym is giving you guys the chance to win $20 to the one & only TARGET!!! So you know what to do & if you're new around here I highly suggest being logged into your gmail, facebook & twitter accounts. it will make your life so much easier. you can thank me later....

&  make sure you stop by Kyms blog  today....why? well   A) because she is THE messy girl of the month & B) because I said SO!.....okay no really show her some love...& her know Messy.Dirty.Hair. sent you! 

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Interested in being a Messy Girl of the Month!??! Check out all the info HERE

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i've got a gift for you!

happy holidays!!

ok wait.

it seems to be a little early for me to be wishing everyone happy holidays right?!.....buttttt today I am bringing some holiday cheer a little bit earlier than usual!

Christmas time is my absolute favorite time of the year! My favorite thing about the holidays is not only all the decorations & the Starbucks Christmas cups but because it's the season of giving! i loveee giving gifts....even if its not a holiday I love buying the people I love gifts. It just makes me happy.

Soooo of course I had to include blogging into the gift giving season....

My fellow lovers Janna of Perception is Everything & Tabithia of My Cliffnotes & myself got our heads together to think of something fun for everyone this holiday season. Of course we thought why not do a gift swap!? But this is a different type of swap....its going to be a Secret Santa Swap!

So all you have to do is link up below so we know you want to play & then we will match you up with your person.

But here's the catch - it must be kept a secret until the day of the reveal. When you send your gift to your person make sure you keep it anonymous.

Then on the day of the reveal - Friday December 7 everyone will link up & blog about not only what they got but who they played Secret Santa too!

We thought it will be a lot of fun to go around the blogs to find out who your Secret Santa is!

We don't want this to get to crazy so please keep the gift in the $10-$15 range. No less. No more. Here are just a few gift ideas -

Starbucks Giftcard, Cards & Stationary, Nail Polish, Hair Accessories, Target Giftcard, Candles, DVDs, Jewelry - via

We really hope you'll play along & join us in this Secret Santa Gift Swap!

This swap is open for signups until Friday November 2 

In it for sure? PERF! Grab the button for your blog so we can get the word around!

<center><a href="http://messydirtyhair.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Gift Swap" src="http://i1245.photobucket.com/albums/gg592/PerceptionIsEverything/PIE3/ItsGivingSeason250x188_zpsbf32a13f.jpg"/></a></center>

Make sure you linkup below so we can count you in....& you only need to link up once  - it will show up on all of our blogs!

------> Also I am giving away Ad Space for November over on The Chiffon Diary - Be sure to check it out & check out Nicholl's blog in general - she is fabulous & one of my favorite fashion bloggers! You can enter HERE

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You did what?!

Sometimes I forget I'm 27 years old. Its crazy to me that I am already venturing into my late 20s....I still remember turning 21 like it was yesterday......but its funny because i don't even feel 21. i feel 12. i find myself wanting to revert back to all my old childhood ways. 

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All i ever wanted to be was older. I could not wait to be an adult......being an adult seemed like so much fun......----> fast forward & here I am in my adult hood yelling at myself for wanting to grow up so fast. i should have enjoyed my childhood more.i should have taken advantage of being a kid more than i did.why was I always trying to be older?i should have listened to my mom when she told me 'not to rush it'

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But no use in crying over spilled milk. That time in my life is over.....& with every year you get older you grow more as a person. I can defiantly say I am in no way like the person I was 10 years ago - even 5 years ago.  As we grow we are always learning & changing based on life experiences. At this time in my life, I feel there is so much I have already learned about life & myself.....Some funny, some serious, some random.....but all of it has made me who I am today at this very moment. in no way am I saying I know it all......Lord knows i still have a lot left to learn. but i think at any age we can always teach someone something new-----> so I thought it would be fun to list 27 things I have learned through my 27 years of life that have made me who I am today ----

1.) My Mom is ALWAYS Right

2.) Never forget your manners

3.) Friends will come & go

4.) Always tip your Server

5.) Family First

6.) Don't wear a strapless bikini when you dive into any type of water

7.) Shopping makes everything better

8.) The world does not need to know your every move

9.) Send thank you notes

10.) Don’t Ever. Ever. Drink Tequila.

11.) Life does not revolve around boys

12.) Level 4 Spray Tan is not a good idea….

13.) Its who you know

14.) The mirrors in Nordstrom & Macys are awful

15.) Puking on a cops shoes is not a good idea…

16.) Animals are better than people

17.) Before you know it, things can instantly change

18.) Having sex does not keep a boy around

19.) Don’t watch silence of the lambs in the dark, at night, alone.

20.) Disneyland really is the happiest place on earth

21.) Its inevitable that you’re going to chip your polish right after leaving the nail salon

22.) Less is more

23.) A plain white tee can go a long way

24.) If a boy wants to call & ask you out, he will

25.) There will always be some sort of drama – its life people, get use to it.

26.) Its ok to cry

& lastly

27.) What goes around….ALWAYS comes back around

what have you learned? 

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my cat has a facebook

okay sooo I had a little bit too much fun with all the new Halloween themed fonts & fun on picmonkey......

I love Halloween time! I'm a big holiday person in general so any type of holiday that comes up, I most likely celebrate in some way....plus its my GF birthday month so even more reason to celebrate! 

But there's another special reason why I love & look forward to Halloween so much.......

& it involves a cat. 

you may have heard me mention her before around here...& whenever I speak of her I always compare her to an actual person & today you'll get to find out why.

Meet Dolce - my sassy, human like, queen cat.

just your average house pet.....right? 

nope. 
Dolce is far from average. 
In fact she's actually a star. 

Now I'm sure you're all shaking your head & thinking ok crazy cat lady whatever you say - but before you sum this post up as just another girl talking about her cat let me tell you why Dolce is so special....

Every Halloween for the past 6 years I have dressed Dolce up in costumes & entered her in pet contests. 

I'm sure you're wondering what I mean by costumes.......because she is a cat. 

Well, when I went to buy Dolce's first costume I had to get her a dog costume because obviously they don't make cat ones. I never had put any type of clothes on Dolce before so I was taking a risk hoping this would work out. 

To my surprise Dolce not only let me put the costume on her without fussing & moving, but she kept it on for as long as I wanted without trying to take it off or anything. 

She literally would sit in her costume & just pose.  

She wouldn't even make a move when we were at the contests with tons of dogs running around. Everyone would ask to take her picture & she would let them. 

With all the fuss that was going on around her, Dolce was as cool as a cucumber.  
I knew I had something special here.

Do I consider myself a stage mom? 
Absolutely. 
& proud of it. 

Soooo the very first costume Dolce ever got was a princess - we won 1st place in this costume! 

Dolce standing proud next to her prize! We were very excited for this win since it was our first! 

The next year Dolce as a bumblebee, however we did not take home any awards for this costume. We didn't even place.....but in Dolce's defense the dog that won was wearing a matching outfit as her owner so they had that advantage....'oh look you match your dog how cute'....blah blah

After the loss we didn't let it get us down. We just knew we had to blow them out of the water with next years costume....& boy did we.

With this costume not only did Dolce enter the usual pet store contest but I also entered her in the Orange County Register online animal costume contest....

Put your hands up because Dolce the cop is here! 

& I'm happy to report we not only won 1st place in the pet store contest but we also won the OC Register contest!!! And her prize for winning the register contest was a professional photo shoot in her winning costume....& look how fabulous they turned out! Dolce means business!

we took home 1st again the next year when Dolce was a witch -

and then last year we took home 2nd when Dolce was a cowgirl - & the back story on this costume is the plaid shirt is actually a baby boys shirt I got at Target. 

Besides these fun costume contests........

Dolce was also in an infomercial for a new type of cat litter box. She didn't make the final cut of the infomercial but she did get paid $25 for her work & to me that's a win win! 

She was also invited to a casting call at Hollywood Paws in LA. The casting call was for pet agents. Did you know all the animals you see in movies & TV actually have agents? 
The agents loved Dolce, of course, but like a lot of places in LA they wanted Dolce to do training & the training wasn't cheap. so we passed on that. 

Dolce also went to an audition in LA for a cat food commercial. The studio that it was held at was where a lot of magazine have their cover shoots. They had a binder in the warehouse that held every picture of all the celebs that had been there before. It was pretty cool to see Dolce & I were in the same place where celebs like Jen Antison & Cameron Diaz had been. 

But it's Hollywood & Dolce did not make the commercial....but that's show business ---> however like everything else the experience was still really cool. 

So as you can imagine i am super excited for the contest this year...& I'm even more excited for her costume....but you're all gonna have to wait to see that one.

I brought Dolce this hat back from my trip to Mexico in 2008

However if you want to keep up with Dolce & her glamours life you can do so on her facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/dolcedolcedolce or you can follow her on twitter at @IamDolce

yes, my cat has a facebook & twitteryes, she is active on them& yes, she actually has over 100 facebook friends & over 200 twitter friends

so what do you think? crazy cat lady? or very cool cat ?.......& just so you know I am perfectly fine with the phrase crazy cat lady, as I'm sure all my cat lovers are :)

Dolce even has her own graduation cap & gown...of course we graduated together too. 

so be her friend now before she gets too famous & forgets us all....

Hollywood has already gone to her head, god help me. 

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