happy belated gobble-gobble day!

hey, y'all.  i'm a bit late, but i hope everyone had a great thanksgiving!  are your bellies and tastebuds sick of turkey and all the fixings yet?  i, personally, could use another helping.. lol

anyway, thanksgiving is a time to express thanks and gratitude, so since i haven't yet done so, let me begin.  i am thankful for my family, who have been supportive of me [though sometimes not so kindly] throughout all the years of my good [and bad] decisions that i wanted to and did make.  thank you to my friends who listened to me and gave me advice whenever i needed to make hard decisions, who took care of me when i wasn't in the right state of mind to do so myself, who knew what to say and do to make me smile when i was feeling sad.  thank you to cupid for shooting that darn arrow at my butt when i saw stan, for he has filled my heart and love and joy.  and finally, i am thankful for just being here, to be in existence with the world, and to be alive.

hope you all enjoyed the holiday!  27 days until christmas!!

TSA opt-out day: november 24, 2010.

for those of you planning to travel for thanksgiving, expect more-than-usual holiday back-ups at the airport.  this coming wednesday is being dubbed "national opt-out day," where flyers who support the TSA protest plan to opt out of going through those privacy-invading, backscatter-radiation-producing, cancer-inducing, porno screeners.  by opting out of the security screening, they are forcing themselves to be put through an even more invasive full-body pat-down, where their private parts will be groped.  these body searches are apparently quite aggressive, leaving hardly anything untouched, and many flyers who have already gone through them have stated that they felt they were being sexually harrassed and assaulted.

while i understand that the TSA and government are implementing these new security tactics to help prevent and stop terroristic acts, what about the dignity and health of people?  no one wants to be groped by some stranger or subject themselves to cancer-inducing radiation coming from those porno-screeners.  

i, for one, have had to go through the x-ray full-body screener once before, and i was not a happy camper at all [because i was aware of the nature of these screeners after reading an article from CNN].  i felt violated and hated the idea that some stranger could virtually see me "naked."  these pat-downs seem worse, especially if the TSA worker does it in a very inappropriate and aggressive way.  no thanks.

so, what's my opinion of this TSA protest??  i don't think national opt-out day is going to be such a huge deal because most travelers will just want to get out of the security lines and to their final destination quickly, but this battle against flyers and the TSA will surely continue.  i understand those who are going to be protesting and making a scene because these searches and screenings are an invasion of privacy and goes against the constitution.  the fourth amendment states: 

 The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

on the other hand, i understand that the use of these security approaches are implemented for safety reasons, and they could potentially catch things that aren't normally caught by the metal detectors.  i believe that full-body searches and the use of the x-ray full-body screens could be a good thing but when specifically put to use for people who set off the alarms or have something in their carry-on bags that isn't allowed.

what are your opinions??

my first NFL game: eagles @ redskins.

before i start off this blog, i would just like to say... TOTAL DOMINATION.  eagles totally showed mcnabb and his redskins that they can certainly soar high.  after the initial touchdown [15 seconds into the game], i knew it was over for those redskins.  they were skinned alive!

so, anyway, this was my first NFL game [thanks to stan's brother for the ticket!] and i had a great time [especially since the eagles opened up a can of buttwhooping on the skins].  the only negative part was the rain, but thank goodness stan had advised me to run out and pick up some rain ponchos earlier that day or else we would have been soaked [good thinking, babe!]!

so, an eagle and a redskin... together.  we had some comments from other people about it.  one person asked stan, "what happened there?"  another person told him, "you can do better."  thanks a lot, meanies.  but then again, it's nothing compared to what eagles fans would have said to me about stan and his skins jersey if the game was in philly.  lol

all in all, an awesome experience and now i can finally say i've been to an NFL game!  NFL, check.  NBA, check.  MLB, check.

estee lauder's idealist skin refinisher: a miracle exfoliator!

are you looking for a face exfoliator that isn't too rough on your face?  have i got the perfect product for you! a week ago, i started using estee's lauder idealist skin refinisher [now known as idealist pore minimizer skin refinisher and has three times more glucosamine - anti-aging benefits - and a new enzymatic technology, providing your skin more clarity and smoothness] and i can see a dramatic difference in the way my skin looks.  my face is smoother, more even, and my make-up looks better than before.

so, what is the idealist skin refinisher?  it is a non-acid serum that resurfaces your skin, basically getting rid of all the dead, dry skin that has accumulated on your face, revealing the healthy and "ideal" skin underneath.  

the first time i used this product, i was astonished at the amount of dead skin i had built up on my face [as gross as it may sound].  i use a facial scrub twice daily [AM and PM], so i didn't think i needed much exfoliation, but boy, was i wrong.  after i washed my face, i put a few dabs of the idealist skin refinisher on my face and started rubbing it in, moving my hands in circular motions.  i immediately started to notice that my skin was flaking off... not just a little flaking, but a lot!  i thought maybe the product was old [i have a few sample bottles - .24oz - from previous purchases], so i hopped on my imac and looked up reviews, and many others have said that it flaked off their skin during the first use as well.  AMAZING!  even after only the first use, this product left my skin feeling velvety soft and healthy.  i could definitely feel a difference after the first use.

it is recommended to use this product every morning after cleansing and before moisturizing.  i usually apply my make-up after i cleanse and moisturize my face.  with the addition of the idealist skin refinisher, my make-up looks extra flawless because my skin's surface is not rough with patches of dry skin.  

after only a week of using this product, i can say that i am in love with it!  after my sample bottles run out, i'm going to purchase the idealist pore minimizer skin refinisher [shrinks the looks of enlarged pores].  a 1 oz. bottle sells for  $46.50, 1.7oz for $73.00, and 3.4oz for $120.  yes, it is indeed pricey, but a little goes a long way.  if you're looking for a great exfoliator that will REALLY leave your skin looking fantastic and feeling baby smooth, this product is definitely worth the try!

[i am in no way affiliated with estee lauder or receiving compensation for this.  this post is entirely my own opinion.]

pre-loved louis vuitton speedy 25 for sale.

hey, everyone! it's been a while since i've posted anything, and honestly, it's because i haven't really had any ideas of what to blog about lately. i hope everyone had a fun, yet safe, halloween. i browsed a few albums on facebook and loved your costumes [and i must say, some were extra creative]. i was a black cat this year [yes, unoriginal, i know]. MEOW!

so, i was sitting in front of my imac.. and looked into my closet, peering up at the top shelf inundated with big boxes. i climbed on top of my desk chair, being careful not to let it roll away [thought i was going to fall at one point], and reached for one of the boxes. inside was one of my LV bags... one i hardly ever use - the monogram speedy 25. i thought to myself, "if you're not putting this lovely handbag to use, why not sell it and have someone else get more use of it than yourself?  plus, you already have the monogram speedy 30 and the azur speedy 25." then the idea of selling it popped into my head.

i'm deciding to put this up for sale here just in case anyone i know wanted to purchase this from me, but if not, i will put it up on ebay and it will be auctioned off there.

the specifics:

- monogram speedy 25 [guaranteed 100% authentic!]

- dimensions: 10"L x 6"W x 9"H and 3" drop handle

- date stamp: SP0076

- purchased 10/10/2006 from eluxury.com [was LV's authorized dealer until LV decided to take on its own sales]

- retails for $665 USD before taxes [you're looking at about $700 with taxes]

- dustbag, receipt are included

please keep in mind that i am quite the mother to my LV bags, making sure nothing gets on them and not ever taking them out in the rain. the speedy 25 i am selling is spotless on the inside, the handles are clean with only a couple of very minute marks, the leather is perfect with no scratches, and there are no odors [nonsmoker and no pets at my place in philly].

the asking price if $400 or best offer.  i will only accept payment by cash or through paypal.  if you are interested, please email me at trangilicious@gmail.com.  thanks!

pictures:

original receipt from eluxury.com.



louis vuitton paris - made in france.



difficult to see.. but if you look really hard
you'll be able to see a "25" imprinted in the
leather.

louis vuitton lock [comes with 2 keys] - lock/key number
is 301.

one side of the speedy.

the other side of the speedy.

the date stamp on the inside.  code interpretation: SP
means it is made in france; take the 1st and 3rd number
for the month and 2nd and 4th number for the year.  this
bag was made july 2006 in france.

the interior of the bag.  no marks; just a some lint that
obviously can be removed.

one of the handles: you can see a couple small marks...
nothing drastic.

other handle: clean.

the stitches: even and perfect.

zipper pull.

the monogram speedy 25!

this picture is to show how the leather on
the handles have changed colors, compared
to the inside tabs [which get no sunlight],
indicating an authentic bag.

speedy, dustbag, and receipt.