POTIONS & LOTIONS

Good bye!

2011-06-22T19:56:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted in a few months....and I think it is time to take an official break from blogging (not sure how permanent yet) to focus on what is most important in my life. Between being a fully time mommy and a part-time pharmacist I don't have time (or the money) to be blogging about make-up on a regular basis. Thank you for following me and supporting me through this journey. I hope you continue to find success and friendship through this wonderful network of beautiful ladies! If you would like to keep in touch with me, I have a pinterest account (juliekristin102) and as always will continue to follow your lovely blogs. Thank you again.....

XO Julie

Awesome & Awkward Thursday!

2011-04-21T21:31:00.000-05:00

Awkward

1. Tornado Warning. Husband at work, repeatedly asking if we are OK. Come home already! Nuf said

2. Going to the hairstylist with a picture of Carrie Underwood (I have never gone into a hair salon with a celeb photo before). It is "close" but not totally accurate. Oh well. I guess hair grows :) That is the beauty of it! Maybe it's the color/extensions (or her totally talented hair stylist) but who am I joking, I will never look like Carrie....

3. Acne. Holy crap. I hate it, and it seems like ever since I had the baby my skin has been TERRIBLE. I tried a new night cream and it totally broke me out :(

4. Baby.still.not.sleeping.through.the.night. Seriously, how long can this continue?

5. Britney Spear's new CD. TERRIBLE. I am a huge Brit fan, but seriously??! This album was an epic fail.

AWESOME

1. New grocery store (Like a mini-Whole Foods! I am IN LOVE!) I absolutely love grocery shopping, I know it's weird, but it's therapeutic in a way.

2. Chic-fil-a. I adore this stuff and crave it like nobodies business. I could eat it everyday. I try to resist most days, but it's a cheap pick me up that gets me though the day :)

3. Holiday weekends. We are getting the baby baptized this weekend, and it miraculously worked out that everyone involved is probably going to make it. I am excited to celebrate! I am seeing potato casserole in my near future! Do you have any Easter/holiday traditions that involve food?

4. Reese's Peanut butter eggs. Slightly obsessed. I think I am on my 4th bag (I share them, of course!)

5. Zoya nail polish! I received the color "dove" in my April Birch box! Such a lovely purple/gray spring color! (Currently on my toes!)

A Few Random Favorites! Revlon, John Frieda & Seche Ultra-V

2011-04-18T17:21:00.000-05:00

Sorry I have been absent lately! This is my little distraction (who can't be left alone for a even a second!)

The thermostat in my car today = 91 degrees.

Yuck.

Um, hello? It is APRIL!

Enough venting about the ridiculously high temperatures in West Texas....

I wanted to share some great new products that I have tried recently that I haven't seen anyone else review!

Let's get started!

Revlon PhotoReady Concealer (I have 002 Light)

This stuff is creamy, easily blendable and stays forever! I use it all over my face (usually after foundation), and find that it covers imperfections, discoloration, zits and under eye circles! You can build it under your eyes (I have pretty severe genetic under eye circles) It creases a little, but I find that most under eye concealers crease if not set with powder.

I have tried dozens of concealers (from drugstore cheapies to ridiculously expensive Cle de Peau) and this one is definitely a keeper! At $10, it is a great price (plus you can always find great deals on Revlon at the drugstore).

John Frieda Frizz-Ease 3-Day Straight

Holy cow this stuff is awesome! I have wavy/naturally curly hair and this stuff is seriously miracle-in-a-bottle! Again, I have tried pretty much every hair straightening product and this really delivers! You spray it on damp hair (the bottle says 7-15 sprays) and blow dry completely. You finish by flat ironing in sections. If you don't wash your hair, it will look pretty much perfect/straight for 3 days! This contains hydrolyzed keratin so it probably isn't the best thing to use everyday but if you desire flat hair for a special occasion I highly recommend this product! I was amazed at how flat my hair remained after sleeping/working out/putting it up in a bun! Again, for around $10, not too shabby when you consider that most keratin treatments are SUPER expensive!

If you read my last post you remember that I took the plunge and tried the new 14 day gel manicure. I paid $35 for Axxium nails (French Manicure) and sadly, it didn't last me 2 weeks (I took off the polish last night which would be day 11).

I think I know what went wrong, because my left hand was the one that didn't last (while my right hand was still going pretty strong). The salon used two different UV lamps to "cure" my nails. The lamp on the right was higher speed and the one of the left looked cheap. Lo and behold, the left hand wasn't "cured" properly and it started to lift and peel. I tried to save it with top coat, but it just didn't look right. I had to soak my nails in acetone to get this stuff off (note: it didn't ruin my nails like acrylics do) and took probably 20 minutes from start to finish to do myself.

I really loved the look (it was applied to natural nails and not damaging) but was curious if there was anything cheaper and available for at home use.

After doing some research I found an at-home Seche Ultra-V kit (a UV-cured top coat) that leaves a durable, long wearing, high gloss shine over polish. Dries layers of polish in just 3 minutes under any UV lamp.

I bought my kit at Sally's Beauty and all together it cost around $30 ($22 for a small handheld UV lamp and $8 for the special top coat polish with my member card). I tried this OVER my Axxium nails and it really looked awesome! I didn't take any pictures but I would highly recommend this to people that hate to wait for their polish to dry! My nails were completely dry after 3 minutes under the lamp! (Super shiny too!) Not sure how long this lasts, but I am excited to try it without my Axxium!

What awesome products have you tried lately?

Awesome & Awkward

2011-04-07T21:43:00.001-05:00

Awkward

1) The fact that I CANNOT sit through an entire movie anymore. I think I have adult onset ADHD or I just can't pay attention to anything anymore due to severe sleep deprivation... but I end up surfing the net/doing something else every.single.time :(
2) Eating a ridiculous amount of high fat food: Haagen Dazs, french fries, fried mozzarella. I blame it on the breast feeding. I know it is the BEST thing for your baby, but it sucks the life out of me! I need to figure out how to get healthy fats in my diet!
3) Spending too much money on new clothes. I lost weight (all of my baby weight plus some extra), so my "pre-pregnancy" clothes are now too big, so..... I have been treating myself to some cute "Mom-friendly" spring/summer clothing. My husband is not too happy about that. Oh well. Maybe I should just eat more Haagen Dazs :)

Awesome

1) OPI axxium gel manicure! Totally, totally rocks! I went in to try Shellac (the other gel/polish hybrid manicure that claims to last 2-3 weeks without chipping) and they ended up doing a French manicure with the OPI axxium product. After some googling and research the products are very similar (but axxium is supposedly harder to remove than Shellac) OPI has more colors to choose from, and the application is a bit different. It took a little longer than a standard manicure (45-50 min), but I love the results, I am on day 2, and I don't have any visible wear yet! Here is a crummy iPhone photo:

2) Sewing. Totally love it! Here is my first "official" creation (it even has pockets!). Not perfect, but I love it (Excuse my messy bathroom and yucky hair)! This is proof that you CAN sew girls!

3) Watermelon with my little man :)

I love warmer weather! 93 degrees today! Hello Summer!

Friday Night Favorites :)

2011-04-01T19:22:00.000-05:00

Friday nights used to be filled with fun date nights, parties and bar hopping. Well, my life has changed (for the better I might add) and I am currently home at 7PM with a sleeping baby in sweatpants watching Sex and the City re-runs ::Sigh::

I really enjoy reading everyone's blogs, but have been lacking some inspiration for writing anything that anyone would want to read. So I decided to talk about a few of my favorite things...

1) Ghirardelli dark chocolate brownies. Simply the best brownies ever. I found some at Big Lots last week which made me do a happy dance in the middle of the isle. This stuff is HARD to find!

Source

2) Online shopping. (Mainly Amazon.com) ....I am totally suckered into buying everything on Amazon lately. I have an "Amazon Mom" membership which gets me free 2-day shipping on almost everything I could ever want (and it's FREE to sign up!). This is VERY dangerous, but highly recommended if your resources are limited like mine. I think the UPS man knows me by name (which is slightly embarrassing!) **Note: you don't need to be a "Mom" to sign up....grandparents, dads and caregivers can sign up too!

Link

3) Pinterest. Oh.my.goodness. I can waste HOURS on this site looking at pretty pictures and "pinning" items to my board. I waited for weeks to be accepted and have been addicted ever sense. EVERY recipe I have tried from Pinterest has been amazing. Totally hooked on finding new recipes at the moment!

4) Pyramid Apricot Ale. Simply the best tasting most amazing beer on the planet. I can only find it at ONE grocery store. I let myself have ONE drink at a time, so it usually lasts me a long time. Call it cheap therapy, but it relaxes me and I enjoy it :)

5) Crafts. Sewing. Hobbies. When you stay at home your mind starts to wander. I see something on a blog or on a website and I am inspired to make it or recreate it.

Examples:

1)I bought a Dremel drill today at Wal-mart....why you ask? So I can update my dresser/night stand combo with new decorative knobs that I scored 50% off at Hobby Lobby! (The new knobs don't fit in the current holes, of course!)

2) Serger sewing machine.... so I can make clothing (YES! I am going to attempt to make some dresses) I had to watch a video on how to thread this bad boy. Seriously confusing!

3) Evernote (you can clip pages/internet sites that you want to save) it's free and I am obsessed! You save everything to an online account, so you can access it on your smart phone (with the Evernote app) and it makes life so much easier! It is like a scrap book on your computer :) Highly recommended!

Link

Has anyone seen Black Swan? I am intrigued, but not a huge fan of scary movies!? Is it worth seeing?

Have a great weekend!

A to Z......

2011-03-25T11:50:00.000-05:00

A. Age: 29. Yikes. That is the first time I've had to write/type that number (my b-day was the 21st). I feel old, like really really old. I'm almost 30!

B. Bed size: King. My husband is a bed buffalo. He wanted a queen, I demanded a king and I'm so glad I did! He still manages to kick me :)

C. Chore you dislike: Laundry. I don't mind actually putting stuff in the washing machine BUT I don't like to put anything in the dyer (I like to hang up all of my clothes so they don't shrink). It takes forever for them to dry and I despise putting it all away/hanging it up after wards. That is probably why I always have a million loads to do :/

D. Dogs: Always had golden retriever's growing up (best family dogs ever!) but my husband and I have never taken the plunge to get a puppy. They require a huge time commitment to train and now that we have a baby, I think we should wait a little longer! (Plus you can't leave them home for vacations/long outings which I think is a huge pain in the rear end).

E. Essential start to your day: COFFEE! I have a 7 month old. End of story :)

F. Favorite color: I would say purple, but everything in my closet is gray or black

G. Gold or silver: Silver, but I have been slowly accumulating gold jewelry lately

H. Height: 5'8''

I. Instruments you play(ed): The recorder (in elementary school!) The flute (in elementary and middle school). I liked it, but it was expensive to take lessons, and it was suddenly NOT cool to be in band anymore once you become a teenager, so I quit.

J. Job title: Mommy: a.k.a Full time domestic engineer....part-time pharmacist

K. Kids: One little man. 7 months old. Haven't totally decided if I want another one.....yet! :)

L. Live: Texas

M. Mom’s name: Cathy Lou (She hates it when we call her that)

N. Nicknames: Jules

O. Overnight hospital stays: A few.....the latest was when I had the bambino

P. Pet peeves: People that don't use their turn indicator, texting while driving, leaving ONE spoon/fork/knife in the sink after washing the dishes, when people say the work LIKE too much, Facebook status posts that are over the top and share WAY too much information about the person.

Q. Quote from a movie: Hmmm. I'm not a huge movie quote afficionada. Pass.

R. Righty or lefty: Right. But when I wake board I am goofy footed

S. Siblings: 2 little sisters....one of them has a blog too! Find it here

T. Time you wake up: Ah sleep. I wake up before 7 now (not by choice, but that is when the little man demands to be up for the day!)

U. Underwear: Yes. Hanky Panky thongs are my favorites

V. Vegetables you don’t like: Asparagus. Yuck.

W.What makes you run late: I used to be on time, but then I had a baby. Everything is 10x harder with a child, including running errands and getting to your destination on time. He poops everytime I walk out the door. Seriously.

X. X-rays you’ve had: Chest, dental...

Y. Yummy food you make: I like to bake, but I can usually follow recipes well. I would be a horrible chef, I need to follow directions and measure EXACTLY :)

Z. Zoo animal favorites: I hate zoos. I feel terrible for the animals. I personally think it is wrong to have such big animals in such small spaces.

MAC Pink Power Dupe Alert! + Awkward & Awesome

2011-03-10T08:56:00.000-06:00

When the MAC Wonder Woman collection came out I made a mental note to order the Pink Power Mineralize Skinfinish immediately. Well, life happened and I forgot to order the product online (the closest MAC counter is ~3 hours away). What happened next? I frantically started to search eBay for the cheapest option (100% markups are ridiculous). I ended up buying the powder from the person that charged the cheapest amount and luckily didn't charge for shipping (I won't disclose how much I spent, but it was more than I should have).

MAC Wonder Woman Pink Power Mineralize Skinfinish

(0.7oz Retail: $35 ~ this is twice the size of the regular skinfinish product 0.35oz for $27)

I was realllly excited when I found this dupe (it was already in my makeup drawer too I might add)

NYC Color Wheel Mosaic Face Powder in 0151-04 Starburst

(0.32 oz retail: $4.99 or cheaper)

The Two side-by-side

Swatch of MAC Pink Power:

Swatch of NYC Face Powder:

The differences: It was hard to swatch each color in the NYC product so I swirled them all together. I think these products are VERY similar. The MAC product might be more bronze.

I would have saved myself a TON of money had I realized how close these products were. SO, if you missed the Wonder Woman collection, head over to Target or your local drugstore to pick up one of these!

Awkward & Awesome Thursday

Awkward

Having a cold for the first time in a LONG time. Mommy's don't get sick days :(

Never seeming to keep up with the clutter & mess in my house. FRUSTRATING!

Facebook stalking. I think social media is really too time consuming

I sold my camera to upgrade to a new one, so I only have my little point & shoot. Feels awkward

Husband leaves AGAIN tomorrow. Sigh.

Leaving my son with his first babysitter tomorrow......I'm a little nervous :(

AWESOME

Going to the library. Getting my own library card. Checking out books for FREE :)

Getting 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep last night. I went to be before 8PM. Yep. Awesome.

Coffee. Ibuprofen. Zyrtec. Water. Repeat.

Water out of the refrigerator. Tastes SO much better than tap water

Selling a bunch of old stuff on eBay to make extra money

Getting a new camera (with extra money from eBay)! I upgraded to the D90 SO EXCITED :) :) :)

Thanks for Reading :)

30 for 30 Grand Finale

2011-03-04T10:14:00.001-06:00

Well. I suck.

I ran out of steam

lost motivation

got bored

blah

I cheated

I fell off of the challenge wagon

Here is my last collage for the 30 for 30 challenge

Yes, I do know how to count. I intentionally left out 27 because I cheated that day. Day 28 was my last challenge outfit

And if you want a recap of the entire Challenge:

What I learned from this 30 for 30 challenge:

1. Pick more layering pieces (I was stuck so many times because it was hot or cold outside and I picked some random items that couldn't be layered or mixed together)

2. Don't pick pieces that you hate. You will still hate them and not wear them even for this challenge. (brown velvet pants = BAD IDEA) I think these will be forever retired.

3. If you don't wear dresses, don't pick one for the challenge even if everyone else does. I wore the dress once, and I didn't feel comfortable in it. Something about bending over to get the baby out of the car in a dress made me feel self conscious and exposed. I think dresses are easy, but not really for me.

4. Pick things that can be washed A LOT. I wore the crap out of my pants and I think they will be retired for a while just so I don't wear them out. I am a designer jean addict and I keep my pants in rotation so I don't wear out one pair too quickly. Wearing two pairs over and over stretches them out, puts unnecessary wear on them and just makes me sad.

5. More basics. If this were my 30 for 30 challenge I would make a few changes: You could have unlimited shoe options (shoes are more of an accessory in my book), light layering pieces such as camisoles, tank tops, leggings should not be included in the 30 pieces (a tank top/cami can change the look of an outfit instantaneously).

6. PLAN AHEAD. I failed because I didn't really think about how my pieces would mix (many pieces looked AWFUL together) and I didn't consider the weather. During this challenge we had 6 inches of snow and ice one day and 80 degree heat the following week. My sweater and pant combos were killing me! I felt like I had nothing to wear! I think I would have done better if this were a winter or summer challenge.

7. I needed more neutrals. I picked a few too many bold pieces. I think I would have done better with more neutrals. I loved looking at bloggers with neutral outfits. They seem cleaner, more interesting and more appealing to me.

8. Learn how to accessorize. I have started collecting inspiration from magazines to strengthen my accessorizing talents. Scarfs and necklaces seem to be my accessories of choice. B.O.R.I.N.G :(

My overall score: 27/30 = 90%

Not too shabby for my first challenge!

Coming up on the ol' blog:

More makeup reviews

Crazy J.Crew inspired lipstick colors

Vegetarian Recipes (hubs and I have been vegetarian this week and so far so good!)

More Pottery Barn inspired decorating (using craft store finds)

Dupe for MAC Wonder Woman Pink Power Blush (oh yes I did find one!)

Review of WEN Cleansing Conditioner (I am such a sucker for infomercials!)

Stay tuned..........

30 for 30 Day 27 & 28. I deserve a BIG FAT....

2011-02-28T15:24:00.000-06:00

For Fail. Because I totally cheated yesterday. I was longing to wear something else. Something besides the two pair of jeans that I have LIVED IN for an entire month. They currently fit like a glove, but I am grossed out by the amount of times I have worn these pants in the past month :(

I'm sorry, but I think we all deserve a day off (a cheat day) from dieting, exercise, studying.......whatever......it renews the spirit a little bit!

BUT, I am back on the wagon today

Here is the OOTD:

I saw a fun video here about wearing your scarf in different ways. I tried something new and tied three knots and wore it more like a necklace (scarf is from Express)

I also picked up a new lipgloss from the grocery store. They had some of the new e.l.f studio products so I grabbed this "Pink Candy" Glossy Gloss for $3! It is fairly good quality, non-sticky and doesn't have a strong smell or taste. I am very impressed with the e.l.f studio line! Everything I have tried has been very good considering the low price!

What is your favorite ELF product?

30 for 30 Day 26....Photo Explosion!

2011-02-26T10:49:00.000-06:00

OOTD DAY 26

They say you have to takes hundreds of pictures to get one good one. Here is a little glimpse into my morning...filled with hundreds of pictures...I clicked and clicked just hoping that one would turn out....then I couldn't decide which ones to include so I hit a random button and I laughed when this collage came up. Totally represents my life right now! Chaotic. Crazy. Even a little blurry at times :)

I LOVE IT!

I hope you have an awesome weekend! We are in the home stretch :)

30 for 30 Day 25....Simplify

2011-02-25T15:36:00.001-06:00

OOTD DAY 25

Accessories today: Black leggings (Lauren Conrad for Kohl's) Silver ball studs (TJMaxx) & Baby Boy (Baby Gap & Target) ;->

Do you every wish you could SIMPLIFY and BALANCE your life?

How I am currently trying to simplify & balance mine:

1) De-clutter (always a continuous project at my house)

2) Organize (we must put energy and effort into life for it to have order)

3) Not use credit cards (cash or debit is the key!)

4) Eat at home (simple healthy REAL ingredients)

5) Have a less is more attitude (life is not about material things)

If you have any tips for how you accomplish BALANCE in life, please feel free to comment!

TGIF!

(This little man is excited for the weekend!)

30 for 30 Day 24....Do you ever wish you could start the day over?

2011-02-24T13:23:00.001-06:00

DAY 24 OOTD

I have a confession. This challenge is getting a little ridiculous. I am seriously out of ideas. I am sick of my 30 for 30 clothing choices. I desperately want to wear something else. ANYTHING else. Here is my OOTD, I don't really care for it, but it was thrown together in a last ditch effort to look like I tried to accessorize (Can anyone else sense my negative attitude?!) I promise I will try harder tomorrow! :)

I couldn't decide if the belt looked tacky, so I ended up taking it off. I like the idea in my head, but it just didn't seem to look right.

Accessories: Scarf (Old Navy) Belt (Wal-mart)

It's time for a little Awesome & Awkward!

Awesome

My new espresso maker is coming today. You can use regular coffee or coffee pods*

The baby has only been waking up ONCE rather than TWICE at night!

75% off nail polishes at Trade Secret

Target Closetmaid Shelves**

Nap time (for baby not me)

Morning Star Veggie burgers! Yum!

AWKWARD

*Rumor has it that Tassimo is cutting their Starbucks contract. That is the ONLY reason I bought the machine, hence the new espresso maker purchase.

**Ikea shipping rates. Expedit shelf = $40, Shipping = $350..... SERIOUSLY IKEA?!?

PajamaJeans.... (if you have these, please let me know how ridiculous/awesome they really are)

Husband.GONE.again

E-mail from MobileMe.... subscription is due in 4 days (I've never used it).... Cannot for the life of me figure out how to cancel membership online..... Call Apple, talk to a robot. Put in request for them to call me. They call and I miss it. SIGH.

Hope you have a great Thursday! Thanks for reading!

30 for 30 Day 23....Running in Circles

2011-02-23T14:07:00.002-06:00

OOTD:

I drug out my last two unworn pieces from the 30 for 30 challenge. I didn't wear any accessories other than my Balboa diamond earrings. Shoes: My trusty Target Mossimo flats!

I love a classic button down shirt, but white is just so NOT practical for my typical day which usually consists of:

1) Getting thrown up on/peed on/pooped on

2) Playing on the floor most of the day

3) Hauling a baby on my hip through stores all day

BUT...I picked the shirt so therefore I must make it work~! I felt cute in this outfit, but it was a little warm for a long sleeve top and a jacket today. Oh well.

FOTD:

Prime Time Brightening Face Primer

Boots Mineral Foundation (REALLY LOVING THIS!) Definitely check it out!

Almay Eye Brightening concealer

MAC wonder woman mineralize skinfinish in pink power (LOVING THIS TOO!)

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Bronzer

Sonia Kashuk Eyeshadow quad Smoke in your Eyes ($4 Yay for Target clearance bins!)

Milani eyeliner in brown

MAC lipgloss in C-Thru

My mind is spinning today. I have so many projects that I want to get started on, house work to catch up on and errands to run but I just can't seem to get it together to get anything done. Between diaper changes, naps, feeding the baby I just never have enough time! I am sure any Mom's out there agree that time management becomes a true art form when you have a baby in the picture.

Projects that I am trying to get started:

1) Read Rich Dad, Poor Dad (for a financial class my husband and I have started)

2) Clean my house from top to bottom(again)

3) A new sewing project BUT I can't find the fabric I want in this small town :/

I wish there were more hours in the day!

Happy Hump Day :)

30 for 30 Day 22....A little exercise to start the day

2011-02-22T10:15:00.000-06:00

DAY TWENTY-TWO

Accessories: Belt (American eagle found: Here) Necklace (Gorjana Knox Necklace found: Here) Shoes: Target Mossimo flats found: Here) These are quite possibly my favorite shoes of this challenge. They come in a silvery color too and I just might have to grab a pair before they are sold out! $20 is a steal for comfortable shoes!

FOTD:

Concealer: AlmayBright Eyes in Light/Medium and Benefit Boing 02

BareMinerals Prime Time Brightening Foundation Primer (Ulta)

(LOVE THIS STUFF!) Has a slight shimmer in it, feels like velvet when applied and makes foundation/mineral makeup apply nicely

Boots Mineral Foundation New-Ivory (Target)

I saw Pixiwoo's latest tutorial video for her Olsen Inspired makeup and I loved it, so I tried my best to create it (maybe a little less smoky for daytime)

Products I used:

Laura Mercier Burnished Copper Creme Eye Color (Sephora)

MAC Pigment in Melon (eBay)

Clinique Eyeliner in Deep Chocolate (Sephora)

Jemma Kidd Dewy Glow in Rose Gold (BeautyBar)

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Nude (CCO)

Buxom Lips in Amber (Sephora)

DiorShow Blackout Mascara (Dillards)

My central heat is on, therefore it must mean it is sweater weather outside! I woke up to a chilly house (63 degrees) so I cranked the heat and we went for a bundled walk/jog. I think the weather is perfect outside, not too cold or too warm, slight breeze and sunshine! I have been using RunKeeper (an app available through iTunes for logging your workouts) It is so cool! Like a GPS for your phone and so simple to use! It even calculates calories burned! I hope you have a wonderful Tuesday!

Thanks for reading!

30 for 30 Day 21...and a rant

2011-02-21T11:15:00.001-06:00

Today's outfit (Day 21) is black, white and gold

Again, not too creative but easy for running errands and practical for having a baby in tow!

Accessories: Gold necklace (Betsey Johnson from Dillards) Earrings (Balboa jewelry) Belt (Banana Republic).

Today's FOTD Makeup:

Dior Forever Foundation (032)

MAC Iridescent pressed powder (Belightful) LOVE THIS STUFF!

MAC mineralized blush (Grand Duo)

NYX Runway Collection eyeshadow Palette (Champagne & Caviar)

L'oreal Extra Intense Liquid Pencil Eyeliner (Black)

Maybelline COLORsensational lipstick in #205 (Nearly There)

DIORSHOW Blackout mascara (Black)

Today's mini-rant: I frequently sell items on eBay to make a little extra money. I was selling a blouse I bought from Anthropologie and negotiated the "Best Offer" with the buyer. She bought the blouse last week and hadn't paid yet, so I went to look at my eBay account only to see that she is no longer an eBay member. Overall, I have had a very positive experience selling items on eBay but it blows my mind that people bid on things, even NEGOTIATE the best price and then close their account because they can't or don't want to pay? I am a reasonable person, she could have e-mailed me and told me that she changed her mind? Or she couldn't afford it? It goes to show that you need to be cautious who you trust and NEVER mail items until they have been paid for! Have you ever been scammed? People never cease to amaze me......

30 for 30 Day 20.....Is this challenge over yet?

2011-02-20T15:28:00.003-06:00

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope everyone has been having a fantastic weekend!

Here is a glimpse of my outfit today:

Starting the kiddo on his Starbucks habit early :) Just kidding.....

I wore my lime green ruffled top and my wide leg jeans with my peep toe Mossimo flats. It was nice again today so I lost my cardigan and ran some errands without baby (thanks hubby!) I had my eye on a new cutting board at Ross, and so I went to pick it up today. I swear this thing weighs 20 pounds! So neat for the kitchen counter! It retails for $99 and I got it for $29.....not too shabby :)

While walking around Ross with the above cutting board, I didn't realize that the plastic coating on it was shredding my lime green shirt. My shirt looks horrible (completely snagged) and pretty much unwearable. I hate it when that happens! I guess I wore it a few times the past few weeks, and it will be retired to Goodwill once the challenge ends. I have noticed that wearing the same things over and over again puts some extra wear and tear on your items.

I also picked up this cookbook. I listen to XM radio and they have been talking about plant based diets lately and it has forced to look long and hard at my dietary habits. Does anyone have any favorite vegetarian cookbooks or recipes to share? I would love to hear your favorites!

Have you ever ruined one of your favorite pieces of clothing? I am so ready for this challenge to be over! I have been gazing into my closet more and more lately thinking about my long lost wardrobe!

30 for 30 Day 19 Let's Pretend....

2011-02-19T18:45:00.000-06:00

Let's pretend that I actually went out of the house today and wore this:

Accessories: Bracelet (Pandora) Necklace (German Jewelry boutique in Baden Baden)

Let's pretend that I bought the mirror on the right at Pottery Barn:

Let's Pretend I made these from scratch:

Well, I did add some ingredients to make them "semi-homemade"

White Chocolate Cranberry Pecan Sugar Cookie Recipe:

1 package Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix

1 stick of butter (softened not melted)

1 egg

2/3 cup dried cranberries

2/3 cup chopped pecans

1 cup white chocolate chips

Bake for 375 for 9 minutes

Shhhh. I won't tell if you don't :)

30 for 30 Day 18 & A Cute Little Man

2011-02-18T13:28:00.000-06:00

I have always hated women that use their babies as accessories. As if babies were trendy like handbags or puppies and could be dressed up and flashed around in their fancy little outfits. I try to keep my little man dressed appropriately (he is only 5 months old) and conservatively (no $90 Nike Air Jordan's for this babe). However, I must say, I think he looked adorable today. Cuter than me, so I included his precious little pictures in my collage today. Because quite frankly I needed a little help in the cuteness department :)

Outfit of the day:

Accessories: American Eagle Necklace, sterling silver ball studs (TJMaxx) Shoes (Tory Burch Revas)

Days 9-17
Re-cap of my previous outfits:

Sorry for the weird cropping in this collage, I couldn't get it to cooperate for the life of me! Scroll down if you want to see more details!

Thoughts so far:
1) I needed more bottoms in this remix. I cheated and wore black pants the other day to work because I didn't feel that any of my choices were really appropriate. Lesson learned, broaden your choices so you can dress for ANY occasion!

2) I probably needed a few more short sleeve tops (instead of sweaters/jackets). I haven't worn my white ruffle button down or my jean jacket because I think the shirt is too dressy for day-to-day and quite frankly it has been too hot for a jacket!

3) My go to accessories: scarves and belts. I am pretty predictable. I could use some more help in the accessory department.

4) I am definitely getting item fatigue. I washed several items today that were in my 30 for 30 and was disappointed with my left over choices.

5) I have been really good with the no shopping things. Except I bought a coat yesterday (BUT it was on super clearance and it was in my size and I had been stalking it forever. $30 is a fantastic deal for a wool jacket and I grabbed it immediately the second I saw it.)

I am so happy it is Friday! I look forward to my weekend with my little family. I hope you have a fantastic afternoon!

Thanks for reading!

30 for 30 Day 17 Red Lipstick & 100th Post!

2011-02-17T11:53:00.001-06:00

Wow this is an exciting day! My 100th Post! I can't believe it. Thank you to everyone that follows and reads my little blog. This is definitely a positive outlet and happy hobby of mine, so thank you for supporting me with your sweet comments! It is going to be 82 today so I decided to wear my dress. I don't usually wear dresses, so this is outside of the box for me. I bought this when I was pregnant and I could have used a smaller size, but I think it looks fine with a belt.

Since is my 100th post, I wanted to do something special.....so I dug out my ONLY red lipstick. Wow! This stuff is BOLD! :)

Accessories: Anthropologie belt (old), Red Lipstick (Nars), DiorShow Blackout (Mossimo peep toe flats not shown)

I thought I share with you 100 of my favorite things in honor of today's 100th post

1)My little boy

2) My husband

3) My family

4) Coffee (Starbucks) :)

5) Warm cookies out of the oven

6) Clean towels

7) New shoes

8) Finding the perfect item on clearance, in my size!

9) Searching for the best deal online and finding it (coupon code, no tax, free shipping! Yes Please!)

10) Finding an awesome blog and reading it from the beginning

11) Vacation

12) Christmas Eve tradition -> lasagna

13) Wine

14) Baby giggles

15) Freshly painted nails

16) iPhone

17) Fast cars

18) Teaching (I taught Pharmacy School for 2 years before I had my baby)

19) Fruit gum (never mint!)

20) Colorado water (straight out of the faucet)

21) The feeling after you exercise (yay for endorphins!)

22) Reading a really good book

23) Getting the perfect shot with my camera

24) Organization

25) A clean kitchen

26) Ritz kitchen towels

27) My KitchenAid mixer (best thing ever!)

28) The day my husband comes home from a deployment

29) Modal sheets

30) Target

31) Trying new recipes

32) Apricot beer

33) Blue cheese salads

34) Free panty coupons from Victoria Secret

35) Giving birth (pretty amazing)

36) Epidurals (makes #35 even more amazing)

37) The Today Show

38) Dessert for breakfast

39) Girl Scout Cookies

40) Pottery Barn catalogs

41) Anthropologie

42) A good hair cut

43) Cloth diapers (strangely addicting and super cute)

44) Consumer Reports

45) Asics running shoes

46) Electric toothbrushes

47) Hobby Lobby

48) Getting mail

49) Visiting with the elderly (they have so many valuable lessons to teach)

50) Body pump

51) Gold Canyon candles -> best smelling candles ever

52) Croissants

53) Raspberry tarts

54) Dark chocolate

55) Super fast internet

56) Ballet flats (Gap city flats or Tory Burch Reva's)

57) eBay

58) Mascara

59) Cats

60) Going to school (I would go forever if I could)

61) Slippers on a cold day

62) Fresh mountain air

63) Chapstick

64) Aunt Jemima Pancakes

65) Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Brownie mix

66) Roses

67) Hanky Panky panties

68) Designer jeans (they really do fit better!)

69) Banana Republic

70) Diamond stud earrings (classic!)

71) iPad (so much cooler than Kindle!) ;)

72) Facebook stalking

73) Blasting music in my car

74) Cutting inspiring pictures and recipes out of magazines

75) Celebrity gossip

76) Reality TV (Teen Mom and True Life are two of my favorites!)

77) Documentaries

78) Over-sized sunglasses

79) Men's razors (so much better than women's razors)

80) Baby lotion

81) My ninja blender

82) Traveling (I actually love people watching in airports!)

83) Spring and Fall (not too hot or cold)

84) Magazine subscriptions (so much cheaper than buying them at the grocery store)

85) Whole Foods

86) Dry shampoo

87) Farmer's Market

88) Chips and guacamole

89) Weddings

90) Wild Cherry Tea

91) Amazon.com

92) Dreft baby detergent

93) Really hot showers

94) My wedding ring

95) Seeing my husband as a father

96) Catus plants

97) Bacon

98) Christmas lights

99) Purses

100) Blogging :)

Thanks for reading! Have a great Thursday!

30 for 30 Day 16....Neutral Nancy

2011-02-16T09:31:00.000-06:00

My OOTD. Another warm day, which makes me want to kick myself for picking so many "cold weather" outfit items. We have had subzero blizzard conditions and 80 degree heat all in 2 weeks. I decided to wear my new Etsy scarf (love!) it is so soft and cozy, definitely worth every.single.penny! The owner (PhylPhil) knits items for charitable organizations (i.e. chemo patients and preemie babies) which I think is fantastic! We need more people doing good things in this world!

I really layered on the blush today so I wouldn't look like a corpse wearing so many neutral colors. I am wearing an old MAC blush and a YSL shimmer powder. I think it looks pretty natural.

My To-Do list today:

1) Find a Euro Pillow (harder than it might seem in this tiny town!)

2) Pick up my 8x10 prints I had done at Wal-mart (for my new entryway collage!)

3) Go to Goodwill to donate some old coffee mugs (and gasp.shock.horror look around?) I have never shopped at Goodwill, not that I am against it, I have just never been. I have been researching furniture refinishing/painting blogs and I think I am totally capable of doing it. Now I just need to find the perfect item!

4) Take my recycling to the recycling center (one of my resolutions this year is to recycle MORE!)

5) Meet with possible job prospect this evening. Yeah for more income!

6) Wash my hair (maybe!) :)

30 for 30 Day 15...Everything's bigger in Texas

2011-02-15T13:58:00.002-06:00

Here is today's OOTD.....my hair is OUT.OF.CONTROL :) I ran 2 miles, showered (didn't wash it) came home and fluffed it, put some gel in it and pinned it! I haven't flat-ironed my hair in months, so this is easy and takes less than 5 minutes!

You can't really see my pants, but I am wearing my J Brand Houlihan Cargoes (these don't stay up well, so I put on my AE skinny belt). Accessories: Pocket Watch Pendant (American Eagle last year), Pearl earrings (cheap old pair).

Things that knocked my socks off today:

80 degree weather! Hello Spring! :)

iphone RunKeeper app -> Like a GPS for your phone! Tells you how fast you ran, how far and how long!

L'oreal Magic Smooth Souffle ($15 which is expensive for drugstore makeup) but OH SO NICE! I am wearing it in the photos above! (Color = creamy natural)

My new camera remote (I love it and so very easy!)

Hope you have a great day! :)

A little bit of copy cat creativity

2011-02-15T08:59:00.000-06:00

I have been working on this project for a few days now and it is finally finished! I saw these awesome searchable wall canvases on a website for sale and thought it was a brilliant, original idea. You give them several words and they create a word search puzzle on an art canvas (think family names, special words, occasions, places, etc). But then I frowned when I figured they were 100's of dollars (or more!) Suddenly a light bulb went off in my head, I could totally make one (for much cheaper)! It was worth a shot and it would give me something to do :) :) :)

Here is my new work of art:

I chose several words that meant something to me (my name, my husbands name, our baby's name, our wedding month, our child's birth month, the word love, etc) and plugged them into an online word search puzzle creator. It took 10 seconds to find a puzzle creator on google and I was able to print it (plus the answer key!)

This is a 12 x 12 canvas and I bought all of the supplies at Michael's or Wal-mart (What I needed: one square art canvas, ABC stencils, stencil paint, brush, acrylic paint, spray paint, thread, needles and ribbon). I probably spent $20-30 max (I went several days in a row to use 40% off coupons at Michael's) For comparison, this size sells for $75 + 10 for shipping on the above mentioned company's website.

It isn't perfect, but that's what I love about it! I am hanging it in my entry way (as part of a new black and white collage that I want to create with photos and various art pieces).

Do you replicate expensive items that you find that you can't (or don't want to) afford? Do you like art projects? I have been flexing my do-it yourself muscles a lot lately and am totally loving the results! Do you have any projects that you have been working on? Please share!

30 for 30 Day 14...Valentines's Day

2011-02-14T09:15:00.001-06:00

Happy Valentines Day to you! I hope you have a day filled with love! If Valentine's Day isn't your thing, no worries, I tend to grow weary of commercialized holidays myself, but I try to find (or focus on) the true meaning behind the holiday. Most holidays have a neat history or story that explains why we do traditions every year.

In honor of Valentine's Day...My OOTD:

Top (EmersonMade)

Accessories: Belt (borrowed from hubby)

Shoes (not in picture): TOMS

FOTD:

Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Your Skin Foundation (Creamy Beige)

Benefit Boing! Concealer (No. 2)

Eyeshadow Primer (Urban Decay Sin Primer Potion) *I'm not wearing shadow over this

Eyeliner (Almay Black) on waterline

Mascara (Boots No. 7 Extravagant Last Mascara in Black)

MAC Bronzer (Sunny by Nature)

NARS Highlighter (Albatross)

MAC Lipstick (Viva Glam V)

MUFE Mist and Fix (Love this stuff!)

And if you are interested....a brief history of Valentine's Day:

"History of Valentines Day – The Man Valentine
Is the history of Valentines Day expressed in the current celebration of yummy chocolates, lovely cards, and sparkling engagement rings? What is the story behind such a highly-retailed celebration?

Some say the day is named after a bishop named Valentine, who was stationed in the Roman Empire. Claudius II was the Emperor at that time. He thought that unmarried men made better soldiers, so he decided to make it a law that young men could not marry. Around 270 A.D., Valentine took pity on the ostracized soldiers who were not permitted to marry or see their sweethearts.

He became an advocate of these young lovers and began to perform secret marriages. He was soon found out and jailed. Emperor Claudius II attempted to convert Valentine to begin worshipping the Roman gods, but Valentine refused. Instead, he tried to convert Claudius to Christianity and Valentine sentenced to be executed on February 24, 270.

Another version of the history of Valentines Day tells that Valentine fell in love with his jailer’s daughter. Just before his death, he sent her a note and signed it “from your Valentine.” An aura of romance surrounded his demise and those who knew about it spread the tale. Bishop Valentine became Saint Valentine with his fame extending to England and France.

After his death, Valentine then became what is known as a “Patron Saint.” Some considered him the spiritual overseer of an annual festival in which young Romans would distribute cards of affection to those they wished to formally see. This festival was held each February 14. There are Valentine cards in museums worldwide that date back to 1415.

February has been the month to celebrate love ever since the Middle Ages."

SOURCE

30 for 30 Day 13.... Lazy Sunday

2011-02-13T10:06:00.000-06:00

Here is my Outfit today:

Accessories: Necklace (Jared), Belt (Express)

I tried to mix patterns today (dot and leopard spots!) This sweater actually has a belt (sewn on so it cannot be removed) but it was easily tucked under this Express belt. I thought it gave the sweater a different look, maybe more polished?

Makeup Used: Dior Forever Foundation (didn't even need to use concealer today!), Neutrogena Natural Radiance bronzer, Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey, Two Faced Natural Eye Neutral Eye Shadow palette, Boots No 7 Extravagant Lash Mascara in black (this has a TERRIBLE review on Target.com, but for $8 I quite like it!) Guerlain kajal kohl eyeliner.

Today is going to be a lazy day! I am going to catch up on my magazines (I just got my People Style Watch Edition which is my FAVORITE magazine of all time) Hope you have a great Sunday!

30 for 30 Day 12 & A few of my favorite things

2011-02-12T18:12:00.002-06:00

Day 12 (my favorite number), my outfit of the day (wearing purple my favorite color!):

I took these with my favorite (Nikon DSLR) camera. I usually grab my point and shoot with a timer, but I decided to try and get creative and use this one instead. My husband took the middle picture, but I took the rest.

Accessories: Belt (Urban Outfitters) Necklace (Target) Shoes (not shown: Target peep toe flats)

Now for my a few of more of my favorite things:

1. Birch Box. I decided to bite the bullet and try it. It is all over YouTube & other blogs (I know I'm late to the party) but I get so intrigued by mystery mail and for $10 a month, why not? This month I received some random goodies, but a few things that I am excited to try. One of my favorite things is receiving packages in the mail!

Photo

What I received: Befine night cream, myfaceworks sheet mask, NARS orgasm illuminator, Pomega5 daily revitalizing concentrate and Sweetriot chocolate covered Cacao Nibs.

I'm not sure how they decide what to send you (you fill out a survey initially & I noticed that some people get different items in their box) but overall I was pleased with the choices!

2. Grapefruit sparkling water. I LOVE sparkling water. San Pellegrino, Perrier, but my favorite one is LaCroix grapefruit (pommplemousse)! I can drink a couple of these (they are calorie, sodium & artificial sweetener free) which helps with my overall water intake for the day!

Photo

3. Girl Scout Cookies (Caramel deLites or Samoas depending on where you live). I am such a sucker for these cookies! At $3.50 a box they are definitely a splurge for 15 measly cookies....SO, guess how excited I was when I passed these in my local Wal-mart!

Fudge Shoppe Coconut Dreams!

Fudge shoppe cookie on the left, Caramel deLites on the right

My favorite part? You get MORE cookies in the Fudge Shoppe package for LESS money! ($2.86 for 18 cookies versus $3.50 for 15). They are NOT exactly the same (but have the same caloric count and almost identical ingredients) I think they taste very similar (verdict: I like the real Girl Scout version better) but in a pinch the Fudge Shoppe version will do! I love it when I find cheap "dupes" for one of my favorites!

4. The Stieg Larsson Trilogy. Pretty dark at times, but definitely a good read! I am currently on the third book which isn't as quick to capture my attention but it is getting better with each chapter. If you are looking for a good book, definitely try these out!

What are your favorite things?