Saturday, October 11, 2014

Ode to Summer

Fall is officially here.  At least in my neck of the woods it is.  The weather has turned cooler and the once green leaves on the trees outside my window are turning gorgeous shades of red and gold.  Alas, I have traded in my blue jean shorts, tank tops, and flip flops for long sleeved shirts, jeggings, and knee high riding boots. 

As much as I love wearing cozy sweaters and boots I'm sad to see summer end.  I always get a nostalgic feeling.  It takes me back to my childhood and for a moment I'm 10 again.  When summer ends its like turning off a light switch, all of a sudden there is a difference in the air....there is a slight chill in the air there wasn't there before. 

The things I will miss most are the warm starry nights when the full moon shown it's light all the way from space to create a spotlight on the water in the lake.  I will miss the tiny fireflies dancing in the honeysuckle scented breeze and the cicada's singing their nightly song like a bedtime lullaby.

Summer is a magical time.  Everything is alive and colorful and simply beautiful.

Monday, August 25, 2014

Essie No Chips Ahead....The Best Top Coat?

I have been a long time fan of Seche Vite top coat.  It dries quickly and makes your manicure last for days.  The only problem is once you get about halfway done with the bottle the consistency changes.  It becomes thick and stringy and just too messy to work with.

About 2 months ago I visited my local Ulta and they were having a special on Essie nail polish.  If you bought 2 polishes you got a free top coat.  I couldn't resist so I decided to try Essie's No Chips Ahead top coat.

I must say I was pleasantly surprised by this top coat.  It keeps my polish from chipping for almost a week and I'm pretty rough on my nails.  To help my polish last longer I apply the top coat right after I get done with my manicure then I do another coat of the top coat polish the next day and finally about 3 or 4 days in I will do another coat of the top coat polish. 

If you are looking for a new top coat polish you should give this one a try and if you do let me know how you like it.

Have a great week!

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Clarisonic Mia 2 and Acne Update

It's been a minute since my first post about the Clarisonic Mia 2 so let's refresh.

I have oily, acne prone skin.  Occasionally in the winter I will get dry areas, usually on my forehead and nose.  I have used every type of acne face wash, cream, and toner out there.  I even went to the dermatologist and nothing they prescribed worked.  I was told that my acne was hormonal and no matter how many times I washed my face it wouldn't matter.  I still wasn't about to give up.

Long story short I finally gave Proactiv a try in 2010.  It worked better than anything I had ever tried before.  My breakouts didn't go away entirely but it did reduce the number and frequency.  After using Proactiv for about a year or so I noticed that it seemed like it wasn't working as good as it used to.  I had heard about people reaching a plateau and I knew I had reached mine.  I continued using Proactiv because I was too scared to try another face wash.  I was afraid that my acne would not only come back but come back worse than before. 

Fast forward to August 2013.

I was watching QVC and they were selling the Clarisonic Mia 2 with some face products for a good deal.  I had read a little bit about the Clarisonic and I watched a few reviews on Youtube by some of my favorite beauty vloggers.  With QVC you have 30 days to return items so I really had nothing to lose by trying it.

Buying the Clarisonic was the best decision I ever made regarding my acne.  My face felt cleaner and softer after the first use.  I did a short review after using it for a few weeks but now that I've been using it for a year I wanted to update you all on how I've gotten along with it.

I started out using the Clarisonic twice a day for the first 4 or 5 months and then I started using it just once a day.  If I feel like my skin is extra oily one day then I will still use it twice a day.  It never irritated my skin I just felt it wasn't necessary to exfoliate twice a day every day. 

The sensitive skin brush came with it and I really liked it so I continued to buy the sensitive brush replacements.  In July, for my birthday, my mom got me the deep pore cleansing brush replacement.  I have been using it for about 2 weeks now and I like it better than the one for sensitive skin.

I could not be happier with the results from using the Clarisonic.  My breakouts are completely gone, except for every now and then around visiting time.  Using the Clarisonic makes my blemishes go away much faster when I do get the occasional breakout and my skin is less oily.  I only wish I would have gotten it sooner.  If you are on the fence about getting one, just jump.  It's expensive but worth every penny and then some. 

I also wanted to update you on the Peter Roth gel moisturizer and face wash.  In my first review I didn't like them so I put them in the cabinet.  I ended up running out of my Proactiv one day and so I tried them again.  This time I liked them.  I believe I have the Clarisonic to thank for that.  The moisturizer worked really well and it helped my makeup to glide on and the face wash doesn't make my face feel tight anymore, it just feels nice and clean.  It wasn't the products that were horrible, it was just my skin.

I hope you found this helpful and if you want to read my initial review of the Clarisonic Mia 2 you can read it here.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!



*This blog post is entirely my opinion and is not sponsored in any way

Thursday, August 7, 2014

The Long Absence and Face Cream

First off let me start off by apologizing for being away from my blog for so long.  I won't bore you with the details, but I will make a promise to never neglect my blog again.

With that being said let's jump right in.

If you have read my blog then you probably know that I suffer from oily skin and acne.  Due to my oily skin I never used moisturizer.  I thought that using a moisturizer with my oily skin would only make my skin more oily and make my acne worse.  That my friends is a myth. 

I did some research and discovered that sometimes oily skin is caused by dry skin.  No matter the reason for oily skin, using a moisturizer is still a good idea.

I knew that I wanted to try a light moisturizer that wouldn't make my skin feel greasy and wouldn't upset my sensitive skin and cause my breakouts to get worse.  I went to my local Sephora and picked up this wonderful concoction in a tub.



This heavenly moisturizer Ultra Repair Cream by First Aid Beauty is amazing.  It's very light but powerful.  It sinks into my skin pretty quickly and doesn't leave my face feeling greasy at all.  And what is the best part about this moisturizer you ask?  It didn't cause my skin to break out.  That's always a winner in my book.  I've been using this moisturizer for about 7 months and I've used about 1/3 of the product.  You don't have to use a lot of product to get the job done and I only use it on my face and neck.  You can use this all over your body, however there are much cheaper options for body lotions.  This 6.8oz tub will set you back about $28. 

This is the only product I have tried from the First Aid Beauty line but I am looking forward to trying some of their other products since I have enjoyed this one so much.


If you have a favorite moisturizer let me know what it is and why you love it.


Much Love!

Monday, December 9, 2013

Holiday Candles

A friend gave me a coupon to Bath and Body Works.  I used to love their lotions and body washes but for the past year or so I can't seem to find one I really like.  Anyway, I decided to run in to Bath and Body Works this weekend to see if I found anything that struck my fancy.

Well I did.

The candles.

They also had a buy any 3 and get another 3 for free deal going on.  I figured I could not only get some Christmas presents but also get a candle (or 2) for myself.  I deserve a little treat don't I?

I wanted to share my most favorite candles with you.
'Tis the Season 14.5 oz. 3-Wick Candle - Slatkin & Co. - Bath & Body Works

I love this candle.  If I took Christmas and put it in a candle this would be exactly how it smells.  It smells like apple cider, cinnamon, and pine.  When I get a whiff of this candle I just want to sing Christmas carols.  Not really but you get the idea.
Vanilla Snowflake 14.5 oz. 3-Wick Candle - Slatkin & Co. - Bath & Body Works

This one is delicious.  I love candles that smell like food.  This one smells like vanilla with a hint of coconut.  I'm really glad the coconut scent doesn't overpower the vanilla it just kinda adds another dimension to it.
Red Velvet Cupcake 14.5 oz. 3-Wick Candle - Slatkin & Co. - Bath & Body Works
This candle smells amazing!  It smells like a red velvet cake.  I confess I have already claimed and burned some of this candle.  My fiancé loves red velvet cake as do I so this was a no brainer.  I don't think I've ever seen a red velvet cake candle before.
Merry Cookie 14.5 oz. 3-Wick Candle - Slatkin & Co. - Bath & Body Works
Merry Cookie smells like a sugar cookie made with the really good vanilla.  Every time I smell this candle I want a fresh from the oven homemade sugar cookie with the tiny silver balls made from sugar.  It's too bad you can't eat these candles.
Marshmallow Fireside 14.5 oz. 3-Wick Candle - Slatkin & Co. - Bath & Body Works
Marshmallow Fireside is currently burning right now and is my hands down favorite candle from BBW.  I normally love foodie candles if you couldn't tell from my list but this one I wouldn't classify as a foodie type candle.  It does have a sweet marshmallow scent but it also has the scent of burning wood.  While you might not think that burning wood smells good it does in this candle.  I think $20 is a lot to spend on a candle but I will definitely be buying another one of these.

While I love candles I don't normally splurge on buying the really nice expensive ones.  I love burning scented oil.  It has wonderful scent payoff and it's not very expensive.  Every so often I will treat myself and get a nice candle.  I love candlelight and where these candles have 3 wicks they give off a nice glow.  I also love the scent payoff on these.  They will make the whole room smell nice and cozy.  Another nice thing is they burn evenly.  I absolutely hate when a candle does not burn evenly.  You miss out on a lot of product unless you want to melt the wax and repour it.

I used to buy the Keeper of the Light candles.  I think they still sell them in some stores but mostly are available online.  There was a tiny shop in a town close by that I used to visit and purchase those candles but they closed down.  Now those candles blow BBW out of the water.  The scent payoff is amazing.  Those candles will smell up your whole house.  My favorite is Maple Syrup Pancakes.  It smells exactly like maple syrup pancakes. 

All in all I'm very impressed with BBW candles.  I will for sure be getting a few more holiday candles before the season ends.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

New Eyeshadow Look

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

We had family time and I did not go shopping on Friday.  I haven't started my Christmas shopping yet so I need to get on it.

So this weekend I played around with my eyeshadow again.  Umm and please ignore my eyebrows. lol

 photo eyes1_zpsb3ef4b0c.jpg
        picture taken with Cannon camera


 photo blue2_zps9242e1ee.jpg
    picture taken with iPhone

Needless to say the camera wins.

I'll share with you how I did this eyeshadow.

I love the Maybelline Color Tattoo eyeshadows.  They are so pigmented and they really do wear for a long time without an eye primer.  I have really oily skin and eyelids so I have a huge problem with my eye shadow creasing. 

I took Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze and applied it to the inner half of my lid.  I then took Maybelline Color Tattoo Metals in Electric Blue and filled in the outer half of my eyelid.

The next step is very important.  I took the Bad to the Bronze and lightly blended the line between the 2 shadows.  This will make the two colors fade into each other and appear seamless.  This is very important to do any time you are mixing shades.

I used the color Chopper from the Naked 2 palette and blended the bronze inner side out so it wouldn't be a harsh line.  I also took Chopper and lined the first half of my lower lash line.  Next I took Busted also from the Naked 2 palette and blended the outer blue half of my eyelid and lined the lower outer half of my lower lashes.

I used Blackout from the Naked 2 palette to line my upper lashes.  For mascara I used L'Oreal Voluminous Definition mascara. 

 photo blue3_zpsca101545.jpg


I love this eyeshadow look.  It looks very cool in person and it's not too much so I think it will be easily wearable. 

You can use this concept with almost any color eye shadows. 

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Winter Snow and OOTD

It SNOWED!

I woke up this morning to a white fluffy blanket of snow.  I love snow if you couldn't tell.  I love how snow looks on the trees and the sound of it crunching under your boots.  It's like you have been transported to a magical wonderland.  I don't mind the cold as long as there is snow.

So last night one of my favorite movies came on.  Austin Powers International Man of Mystery.  This movie is hysterical.  In fact I love the first and second Austin Powers and I detest the 3rd one Goldmember.  He had to go and mess up a good thing.  I had a stressful day and I so needed to watch a funny movie.  I love when little things like that happen.  I'm glad He is watching out for me.  :-)

I tried the new hair mask last night.  I probably shouldn't have since I just used a different hair mask a couple of days ago but I was dying to see if it works.  It smells really good and it's really creamy but my hair still feels dry.  I mean my hair does feel better than it did but it could be way better.  I'm going to try it for a couple of weeks and see if my hair makes an improvement before I give up on it.  I'm debating getting some macadamia oil and putting it just on ends of my hair.  I have oily hair but only at the scalp and my ends are dry.  If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

I will leave you with an outfit of the day.

 photo ootd2_zps24b40bfc.jpg

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Love Locks

A love lock is a padlock that sweethearts lock on a public bridge, fence, or gate.  The lovebirds inscribe their initials on the lock before locking it and tossing away the key.  The belief is the two lovers would be remain together unless one party found the key and unlocked the padlock. Usually the key is thrown into a river or lake so finding your key would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack, literally. 

I had never heard of this or anyone doing this until recently.  Apparently this is done all over the world, one main place being Paris.  It's known for love so I would be very disappointed if it wasn't done there. 



Yep those are all love locks on that bridge. 



There are all kinds of different stories as to how the lock locks first came to be so it's safe to say no one really knows for sure.  Whoever came up with this idea bravo!  We definitely need more romance in the world today. 



If I ever get to venture to Paris, you can bet I will be taking my own love lock to add to the bridge.



*all images from Google

Monday, November 25, 2013

Eyeliner and Lip Lacquer

It has gotten really cold here.  It was 18 degrees this morning.  Let me just say that I do not like the cold unless it's snowing.  When it gets cold I just want to wear my fluffy pjs, curl up in a soft blanket, and read a good book. 

Back in reality I get to freeze my butt off going to work and once I get there that's where the real fun begins.  They either have the thermostat set at North Pole or Sahara.  Since I'm never sure what it's going to be set at I have to dress for both.  It's made for some interesting outfits.

Anyway back to the cold weather.  I hate getting out of bed in the mornings when it's cold.  Hate, hate, hate, hate it.  I was going to skip makeup today and sleep in a little longer until I remembered that I bought a new Urban Decay eyeliner in Mushroom.  I had to try it out I simply couldn't wait.  I really like it.  It's lasted all day and it went on really smoothly.  Its a little expensive for an eyeliner.  I usually get the Sephora waterproof eyeliners for $12 and they work great.  I have really oily skin and neither eyeliner smudges throughout the day and that's saying something.  For a little added help I do put a little eyelid primer under my eyes.  This helps the liner from running all over the place and any eyeshadow I put under my eyes stay put. 

There is something else I wanted to share with you guys.  A couple of weeks ago I picked up a lip lacquer by Rimmel called Show Off.


I got the color Out Of This World.  It is a pink shimmery shade.  The color is very pretty and I love the applicator.  It has a small hole in the applicator that allows more of the product to be absorbed so you don't have to re-dip.  Now it does have a scent but not a bad one and the scent goes away fairly quickly.  The product doesn't last very long on your lips, however, it does stain your lips a little so you will have some color left on your lips when the product is gone.  I find that after the product has worn off that my lips feel slightly dry and weird so I like to follow up with a lip gloss or balm. 

All in all this lip lacquer was only around $5 so it was a good deal.  I like the colors and plan on trying out a few more. Celestial is soft nude pink that looks really pretty.  That may be the next one I try. 

I hope you all have had a great Monday!

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Mascara, Hair Mask, and Eyeshadow

I can't believe it's Sunday already.  The weekend just goes by way too fast.  Can't we just have a 3 day weekend?

I did some new eyeshadow looks this weekend and I wanted to share a really pretty one.

 photo silver3_zpsaf524bd6.jpg

I really wish my iPhone took better pictures.  Anyway, I kept this look very light for daytime wear but I think it would be amazing to do a little darker version of this with a silver holiday dress. 

 photo silver4_zps6fcf9883.jpg

You can kinda see the colors a little better in this photo.  I used the Naked 2 palette to create this look.  I put a light amount of Verve all over my lid.  Next I took Pistol and put that in the crease and focused that on the outer corner of my eyes.  To finish it up I took a light amount of Blackout and focused that right on the outer corners of my eyes and pulled the leftover color into the crease. 

I love the Naked 2 palette.  The colors are really pigmented so you just barely have to tap your brush in the shadows.  They also blend really easily. 

I'm not wearing any mascara in the pictures above but I was in need of a new one.  I don't wear mascara every day so I find that they dry up on me very quickly and I don't get to use much product.  Because of this I don't want to spend very much on mascara but I still want a good one.  I stopped by Ulta and picked up this one.



I've heard that the L'Oreal Full Definition Voluminous Mascara is very good for the money.  I think this ran me about $8.  I tried it on as soon as I got home and it's a winner.  I have pretty thick long lashes so I just needed a mascara to define them.  So far so good. 

I also picked up a new hair mask.  I wanted to try a hair mask that had oil in it.



I picked up this one.  I've read on a few blogs that the Organix line has some really good products.  I don't think I've read a review about this hair mask so I'm going to hope that it works.  I feel like my hair is really dry at the ends and in need of a lot of moisture.  I'll try this hair mask out and let you guys know how I like it.

Friday, November 22, 2013

5 For Friday!

Time to link up with Lauren for High Five for Friday!

I know I say this every Friday, but I'm sooooo glad it's Friday.  I am a firm believer that the weekend should consist of more than 2 days.  Now that the week has past let's take a look back at the goings on.

1.  I was experimenting with my eye shadow this week and came up with this look.

 photo drama2_zps4355a51c.jpg

I love it!  I love dramatic eyes.  If you are interested in finding out more about this look, you can go here.

2.  I got to watch one of my favorite TV series, Spartacus on Wednesday.  This series was played on Stars a few years ago.  It is very graphic so be warned if you decide to check it out.  I love history so movies and books based in ancient times are right up my alley. 

3.  My best friend stopped by for a visit yesterday.  She has been sick and we have both had a trying week so it was nice to be able to relax and have some girl time.  Everyone deserves a great friend that understands and uplifts you.  She has been my best friend for 11 years and is pretty much my sister so if you ever see me write anything about my sister you will know who I'm talking about.  :-)

4.  I got my crochet needles out this week.  I had some yarn left over from making a baby blanket a long time ago so I tried to crochet just to make sure I hadn't forgotten how.  Silly, I know but it has been at least 3 or 4 years since I made a doily so I was actually a little worried.  I'm thinking about making some scarfs for Christmas presents this year. We'll see.

5.  We got a new door!  The old door was custom built when the house was built so the opening and how it was built was odd.  It took a while Lowes a while to order the new door and make adjustments to it so it would fit.  The old door had seen better days so I'm really glad the door got put in before it gets really cold.

Benchmark by Therma-Tru 36-in Oval Lite Decorative Mahogany Inswing Fiberglass Entry Door

This isn't the door exactly, but it is very similar.


Have a great weekend!!

Thursday, November 21, 2013

The Verve

Well hello there.  I hope your week is going great.  This week has not been one of my favorites so I will be very happy to see Friday roll around.

My son was not feeling well yesterday so I was home with him.  While he was in bed sleeping I decided to watch a long time favorite series of mine.  Spartacus.  I do like the original version, but I'm talking about the one that came on Stars a few years ago.  FYI this TV series, while true to Roman culture at that time, caused some controversy.  This series is very graphic...you have been warned.  I love the dimension of the characters, the storyline, and the politics.  I'm a history nut so stuff like this and Braveheart, Gladiator, 300, and Robin Hood (all of the movies even the Disney one) are right up my alley.

So anyway, I wanted to share a little eye shadow idea with the Naked 2 palette.  I absolutely love the color Verve and you can do so much with it. 

 photo Naked2Palette_zpsb8aae1cc.jpg
Sorry about the arrows

Verve looks great by itself, but I love to apply it over shadow.  After I apply whatever shadow I use that day I will take a small amount on either my finger or a brush and dab it right in the center of my eyes.  Verve has a light grayish shimmer, like a pearl finish if you will.  Putting that light shimmery shade on the center of your eyes will brighten your eyes and add another dimension to the look.

It's hard to explain but if you have the Naked 2 palette I suggest you try it. 

Monday, November 18, 2013

A Little Drama Please

Let's talk eye shadow.  I know I'm obsessed, but what a good obsession to have.  Lately I have been in a rut and honestly wearing makeup hasn't been a priority on my list.  This weekend I had some down time so I decided to play around with my eye shadow.

 photo green2_zpsd1ce861d.jpg

This first look I'm sure you will remember from my High Five for Friday post last week.  I am in love with the Maybelline Color Tattoo line.  The shadows are cheap and they stay on really well even without an eyelid primer. 



To get the look I did above I used the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Edgy Emerald.  Contrary to the name it's not emerald at all...it's light green. When I first got the color I was highly disappointed so I stuck it in my makeup drawer to be forgotten about.  Fast forward to this past week.  I saw it in my makeup drawer and was determined to do something with it.

I have an Almay eye shadow palette for green eyes that has a dark sage green in it.  I put that color all over my lid and then followed on top with the edgy emerald.  I took the color Busted from my Naked 2 palette and dusted that over the outer corners of my eyes and slightly in the crease just to give it more depth. 

If you have a color that is lighter than you want, you can lay down a darker base and then layer the lighter color on top.  If I didn't have the dark sage color to use as my base I could have used a brown color or even a light gray. 

Now I have to share with you my dramatic look this weekend.  If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram then you have already seen this look.  If you don't follow me on Twitter or Instagram then you should.  ;-)

 photo drama2_zps4355a51c.jpg

I cannot put in to words how much I love this.  I would wear this every day if I wouldn't get weird looks from people.  My fiancé has an awesome camera and he took some pictures of my eye shadow because my iPhone just doesn't do it justice.  I will try to get those pictures posted on here soon. 

To get this look I used the same shadow except I didn't use Busted to darken the look.  I wanted this look to be bright and bold.

I've found the easiest way to do dramatic looks like this is to first draw out exactly where you want the eye shadow to go.  I took the dark sage green and a small brush and made an outline of how far I wanted the eye shadow to wing out to on both the inner corner and outer corner of my eyes.  I then filled in that area with the dark sage green and then followed behind that with the edgy emerald. 

You can use an outline to do any eye shadow look really.  If you are doing a light shade, take a small liner brush and the shade you want to use and gently outline where you want the shadow to go.  This way you will be sure not to take the shadow up too far or out too far.

I hope you enjoyed my looks and I hope it inspired you to try some new colors or to do something bold with your eye shadow. 

Until next time.

Friday, November 15, 2013

H54F

It's time to link up with Lauren Elizabeth for High Five for Friday!

It seems like this week flew by.  I can't believe how close Christmas is.  Where has the year gone?

On to my five highlights of the week.

1.  I picked up this awesome nail polish. 

 photo nails4_zps468b3e5b.jpg

It is the perfect burgundy shade.  I love this deep red.  It also has staying power.  I've had this polish on for a few days and I only have 1 tiny chip.  You can find out more about this polish here.

2.  I've been experimenting with eye shadows.

 photo green2_zpsd1ce861d.jpg

 I've always been passionate about eye shadow.  You will rarely see me rocking a bright bold lip and I do mean rarely.  I love playing up my eyes.  I'd rather wear a smoky eye than a bold lip any day.  I plan on doing a blog post soon of some eye shadow experiments. 

3. 
    photo boots1_zps83066162.jpg

 It's been really cold this week so I've really been enjoying wearing my boots.  I'm in love with those boots.  I've gotten compliments on them every time I wear them.  I could not be happier that I got them.  You can find out more info on the boots here.

4.  It's supposed to be pretty tomorrow so my sis and I are planning a hiking trip.  We both have cabin fever.  I miss summer already.  I do not enjoy the cold weather.  If it only snowed a couple of times a year and then it never got below 60 all year I'd be perfectly happy. 

5.  Danish.....Butter.....Cookies.  Need I say more? 

 

I have to get at least 3 tins of these every time they come out. 


Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Nails and OOTD

I'm sorry I haven't updated you all on the events of the weekend.  I will have an upcoming blog post about the concert I went to. 

In the meantime I wanted to share my latest nail polish obsession. 



Wrapped In Rubies is my new favorite color.

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It's the perfect burgundy for fall. 

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I also wanted to share my outfit of the day.

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Happy Tuesday!

Until next time!

Friday, November 8, 2013

High Five for Friday!

I couldn't be happier that it's Friday.  This week was a pretty sucky one so I'm not sorry to see it go.  Well it's that time again when I link up with Lauren Elizabeth for H54F.

1. Last night my best friend and I went out to see a local band and have dinner.  We had an amazing time!  The band Wise Old River that played has been a long time favorite of mine.  Their songs are meaningful and honest backed by a unique voice.  Their song Chase The Night is one of my favorites.  We ate some BBQ chicken and had some rosemary and garlic mashed potatoes.  It was nice to have a night out.

2.  Before we went out to dinner I did my best friend's eye makeup.  I put pink on the lid, then I shaded it a bit with a dark brown.  It was beautiful on her. 

3. I am going to a concert tomorrow night.  You will have to read my blog on Sunday to find out what band I saw, etc.  I had to leave a cliffhanger.

4.  I love this outfit I wore yesterday.  You also get to meet my little Cricket. 

 photo outfit3_zpse9a62ca4.jpg

5.  Picked up the new book Hard Luck in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.  My son loves this series and has been looking forward to it's release for a while now.  The look on his face when he got it was priceless.


Until next time

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Whimsical Jewelry

I have been sickly for the past few days so I haven't been able to write on my blog.  I have honestly been too exhausted.  I'm starting to feel a little better so hopefully it will pass soon.

Now on to the important stuff.

Last summer I attended a local festival.  This festival is pretty much focused on homemade/handmade things.  I absolutely love going to festivals.  They always have great food (funnel cake)  and really unique things.  While we were browsing all the booths I spotted a booth that had paintings of Mona Lisa and a Greek Goddess but on these paintings a real necklace and earrings were added.  It added a different element seeing a necklace around Mona Lisa's neck.  I wish I had taken a picture and I could have sworn that I did but I can't find it on my phone.  Who knows?

Anyway, this lady makes the most romantic, whimsical jewelry. 

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I instantly fell in love.  All the pieces are handmade and each one unique. I picked up the necklace in the picture above while I was there.  I also spotted a necklace and earring set that I wanted but I didn't get it.  I went home and thought about that necklace and I gave in.  I drove back to the festival the next day and bought it.

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See why I had to have it?  It is one of my favorite pieces of jewelry.  I have a small frame so it's rare that I can find a necklace that falls exactly where I want it to.  Honestly the picture doesn't do it justice. 

Artist Lisa Schwartz makes all of the jewelry.  She makes necklaces, earrings, pins, hair clips, and some home décor.  All of her pieces are gorgeous and they come with a warranty.  I think her prices are really good considering the time, effort, and skill it takes to make this jewelry. 

This is the next set I'd like to have.



Isn't that beautiful?

If you like whimsical jewelry, you have to check out Icis Collection her website.  Trust me, you won't be disappointed. 

Until next time

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Look for Sunday

Happy Sunday everyone!

Let me start off by saying I didn't have time this weekend to recreate my Cleopatra eye shadow look I did last week... I'm sorry.  I will try to do that this week and post it for you guys.  In the meantime I did a very cool everyday look with my Naked 2 palette.  I know, I know I'm obsessed with it.  I haven't strayed to any other eye shadows since I've gotten it.  There is just so much you can do with it.

For the look today I used the colors Chopper and Snakebite.

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I apologize for the poor quality of the pictures

I used Chopper all over the lid and then used Snakebite in the crease.

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The color is much darker in person

I highlighted my brow bone and the inner corner of my eyes with Bootycall.


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I apologize for the horrible lighting in the pictures.  If you look closely, you can see my two little munchkins over my shoulder.  :-)

I hope you enjoyed my look today and you have a great rest of the weekend!


Until next time!

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Nail Polish Rediscovery

I always have to have my nails painted.  I think my hands look funny if my nails are not painted.  Is that weird?

Anyway, I have been obsessed with Urban Decay's nail polish Addiction and have been painting my nails that color for a good solid month...maybe longer.  I usually paint my nails a different color every week.  I like to keep it interesting. 

Saturday is usually my nail painting day so today I was wanting to change it up.  I was looking through my nail polishes and I saw this pretty blue.

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 Now, I have had this nail polish for a very long time....so long that they don't make the color anymore.  When I first bought this polish years ago it was really crappy.  The polish would never dry completely so you could peel it right off.  I absolutely loved the frosted blue color so I never threw it away.  I'm glad I didn't because I guess letting it sit for years.....yes years....it changed the formula somehow and now it works great.
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The brand is Pure Ice and the color is called Frosted Hydrangea.  They are really cheap and you can get them at Wal-Mart or online.  I tired to find a similar color to link for you but I couldn't really find one.  Essie has some metallic blue polishes that would be very close I think.  It's hard to tell from just looking at the bottles on the internet.  I like to swatch the polishes just so I can get a good idea of the color and the consistency.

I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend!

Until next time!

Friday, November 1, 2013

High Five For Friday

Holy crap!  It's November?!  How did that happen so fast?  I mean, wasn't it just the first of October?  I need to do some Christmas shopping ASAP.  I tell myself every year that I'm going to start my Christmas shopping in the spring and every year I scramble at the very last moment to get everything done. 

It's Friday!  Woohoo!  Finally!  I'm soooooo very glad it's Friday.  Time for the High Five for Friday. 

1.  Halloween!  I love Halloween.  I love getting dressed up.  My son made his costume this year.  He did an amazing job.  He got so many compliments and a ton of candy.

2.  I finally bought some boots!  I have worn them almost every day this week. 

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For more info on the boots you can go to this post.

3.  I took Cody, my son, to his best friend's birthday party.  All the kids had awesome time and I believe he got everything he wanted for his birthday.  These kids are growing up way too fast. 

4.  I channeled some Cleopatra yesterday.  I did some awesome eye makeup using only my UD Naked 2 palette.  I forgot to take a picture of it, but I will recreate it this weekend and post a picture.

5.  The leaves on almost all the trees are changing colors.  Our burning bushes are beautiful this year.  I love the colors of fall. 

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Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for H54F!


Until next time!