Mrs. M

Another status update  4/7/2020 - Card Was Mailed To Me. Wow they are really on the ball here. I can attest to the fact at least in my cases this has NOT been the case before!

Well I was not going to post this as it could be a HUGE error, but I decided to post anyway as it serves to give other VJers information and also something to perhaps look out for if you are in the same boat as us. My AOS interview was scheduled for April 17th and due to the virus situation it was cancelled as I expected. My status changed back to case ready for interview on April 1st. Enter today April 3rd I get a text from USCIS get this..... that a new card is being produced for the I-485 form (GC)!!!!!!!!
 
No interview no advance warning no nothing. I immediately logged on to my account at USCIS and low and behold  the status is New Card Is Being Produced!!!!! Can you believe that? USCIS has been known to error before, so I really can only hold my breath until the card arrives in the mail. I'm sure this will happened to other folks here on VJ if in fact this was not an error. So we all can be on the look out for other people getting their GC without going on a interview. I know no interview was a common thing several years ago, but USCIS changed that to where everyone interviewed. The only thing I can think of other than being an error is USCIS decided that all the cancellations of interviews was going to set them way behind so they decided to clean out a few cases and approve without an interview.
 
For your information we submitted the standard AOS packet (pre February 24th). In addition to the supporting documents for the I-485, I-864, I-765 and the I-131 we did not send any other documents or evidence (besides the marriage license). I have no explanation other than what I have laid out here. I'll for sure post here once the card reaches us! What a Friday!!!!!!!!! And it's early still!!!!!

EAD and AP officially approved today!

We are a little hesitant to celebrate this. We just got confirmation EAD card is being produced, but nothing on AP. Can we celebrate or not? @Sarge2155

I'm sure they'll  get around  to us sooner or later, till then Chins up!

I hear ya, but try to keep your chin up, as I always say it could be worst!

No not automatic, but we can submit a out of processing inquiry once it goes past a certain date. I think they are on the latter part of July 2019 now meaning  we have to wait until the date reaches September in my case 23rd NOA notice date BEFORE you can submit a inquiry. Yeah just checked  the date to file an inquiry  is July 26th, so we got a while.

Seeing late December filers getting their EAD and AP approval is like salt AND lemon juice being poured on the wound.

We know the feeling. :(

Seeing late December filers getting their EAD and AP approval is like salt AND lemon juice being poured on the wound.

It's like salt on the wound every time I get the email updates from VisaJourney that our AP and EAD approvals are past due.
 

It's like salt on the wound every time I get the email updates from VisaJourney that our AP and EAD approvals are past due.
 

It's like salt on the wound every time I get the email updates from VisaJourney that our AP and EAD approvals are past due.
 

It's like salt on the wound every time I get the email updates from VisaJourney that our AP and EAD approvals are past due.
 

It's like salt on the wound every time I get the email updates from VisaJourney that our AP and EAD approvals are past due.
 

Riiight?!?! I'm so glad you like it (apart from the initial smell haha).

@Mrs. M: I used the spray and it is amaaaaaazing. My hair is so smooth and dried in no time at all, especially with the ridiculous Dyson hairdryer that Alex bought me. (Regrets/no regrets.) I'm at my usual cafe this morning and the barista said WOW did you do with your hair? But yeah, that smell when it's sprayed.... whoa. Thank you!

I have a recommendation from a woman in my building whose hair looks halfway decent for a salon about three blocks away, so I'm going to try them out when I get around to it. 
 
Just sniffed the spray and it smells a little strong, but I've smelled stronger! Speaking of, I made a colossal klutz move two days ago -- I found this rollerball I had of Carolina Herrera Good Girl, and I popped it in a wristlet. Then I forgot about it and when I went to get something out of the wristlet, it sproinged out of there and fell on the floor... the rollerball was made of glass, and our floors are hardwood.  I have had the windows open as much as I can stand (been a bit chilly) to air it out and it's just starting to be less smelly now. It's a good thing (1) I like this scent and (2) my fiance likes it too -- he chose it for me, but even then when he came home he was like, what the [expletive] Layla, why does it smell like an expensive whorehouse in here?  

I hope it works as well for you as it works for me. I will warn you that the smell is a little strong when you spray it, but it dissipates quickly and does not leave a smell on your hair afterwards. Good luck finding a new hairdresser, I'd give you the name of mine but Orange County might be a bit far for you to go.

Ordering this one too! The Kerasilk spray arrived this morning from Amazon and tomorrow is a hair washing day -- I will report back. If I hate it, it's all on you.  
 
I have to order another pot of the Kerastase Discipline mask -- not cheap, but it has done so much to make my hair less poofy and problematic. I'm overdue for a haircut but have been putting it off because of the move (we have been in our new place for just over three weeks), so I need to find someone new. I feel like my whole life is based around "I need to find someone new to do [X]" right now.

The Bite agave lip mask is AMAZING! Hard to keep myself from licking my lips all day though cause it tastes so good haha.

I like the Fenty formulation, but none of the shades are an acceptable match for me -- the "closest match" according to Sephora is way too peachy for me, and the more neutral shade makes me look grey. It's frustrating because it truly is lovely going on. I keep going back to Double Wear even though I have tried so many brands over the years, because the Dawn shade (2W1) is absolutely perfect on me and makes me look radiant and glowy. It takes a light hand and a beauty blender though to keep it from looking mask-like. In the past four years I've tried tarte Amazonian Clay (good color match, poor staying power), Laura Mercier Silk Creme Oil Free (patchy), Nars Tinted Moisturizer (great for summer but again, staying power), YSL All Hours (beautiful and so expensive I wanted to kill myself for liking it), Smashbox Studio Skin (slid off my face and oxidized) and the Dior Backstage (similar comments to those made in posts above -- very buildable if you want something less heavy).
 
I end up going back to Double Wear again and again because I have oily skin that requires something that isn't going to budge for 10 hours. I do use a primer (YSL Top Secrets Instant Matte -- my Holy Grail primer after years of pursuit) and a setting powder (this cheap L'Oreal stuff I use now is better on me than the Hourglass stuff I was paying $$$$$$ for before) and a setting spray (Urban Decay All Nighter). I thought by the time I hit my mid-40s  I wouldn't be as oily as a teenage boy but the trade off is I look about 10 years younger than I am, so my body's deal with Satan is acceptable to me. 
 
But my real passion is eyeshadow palettes. I told myself at the end of last year, maven, you are not buying any more palettes. I have all three original UD Naked palettes, plus the UD Smoky one (actually hate this one on me, so if anyone wants a barely used Urban Decay Smoky palette... lemme know  ), the Anastasia Modern Renaissance palette, the KVD Shade and Light one, a Too Faced one (can't remember name) and a mini Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte Darling palette. Plus a random NYX one in shades of beige and brown because ... I have no idea. And then four Marc Jacobs single shadows and a Smashbox duo in rose gold and bronze that makes my green eyes pop. I was being very, very well behaved, and then I had a moment of weakness three weeks ago and bought a $75 Charlotte Tilbury eye palette which is SO EXPENSIVE and so gorgeous. This was an ignominious falling off the wagon after this pledge to control myself.

Tripling down on the aztec clay mask! I always mix with all natural apple cider vinegar & this self care Sunday I'm incorporating some tumeric into the mix- I saw that idea on pinterest the other day. I also have a wicked good, all fancy and organic and stuff, honey, that was gifted at a holiday party that I'm not going to consume, so I've been using that as a face mask sometimes too, lol.
 
For any blondes looking for a purple shampoo, I cannot say enough about Fanola, on Amazon. Also, in terms of haircare, dry shampoo all the time. I love bumble & bumble powder, lasts a while but kinda pricey compared to drug store dry shampoo sprays. I've also made my own dry shampoo powder concoction - it's usually a combo of corn starch, baking powder and essential oils. tons of recipes on pinterest for that too.
 
Only over the past year have really started a skincare routine- kinda of. I always use witch hazel, morning and night. At night I rotate through a few moisturizers and oils. I love using natural coconut oil as an all over moisturizer when I have the time to let it soak in and not grease up clothes.
 
 

@Mrs. M Kerasilk ordered! Delivery on Wednesday. Thank you for the tip.  

I tried double wear for a few weeks and did not like it that much for the same reasons. I'm now using fenty beauty. I've also had good experiences with too faced foundation. I wore it for years