MBCL

THIS GIRL IS ONE!

2018-08-13T12:59:00.002-07:00

We celebrated this sweet girls first birthday on July 18th! Her dad made pup cakes for her, we went on a hike, played all the games, and even got her a birthday present then later that evening her "friends" (actually our friends, but Yoshi loves their company) came over and sang her happy birthday while she tried to devour her pup cake in one swallow. Yoshi was one spoiled girl, but really I don't know when there is ever a time that she isn't spoiled rotten. I can't even believe that she is already a year old and that in 2 more months we will have had her for an entire year! What an incredible blessing she has been to us since joining our little family!

Here is a little puppy update to commemorate her 1st year of life since I've been terrible at getting on here to do it throughout the year. Actually HERE is the last update I posted if you wanna read it!

Yoshi now sleeps in her crate so well and some nights she'll actually just go to her crate and lay down without us even having to tell her to! She's been crate trained since about February which has been really nice and we get so much better sleep! Those first couple of months after we got her were rough, but once she started sleeping in her crate it was a complete game changer.

She is so much better with socialization which has been huge! In May, I found this group of people that meet up daily at the park by our apartment to have a doggie play date so that has really helped her with her socialization skills or at least with other dogs. She is still somewhat overprotective of me when other people approach and she just isn't too sure what to think so she barks at them.

She is as sweet as can be and has never bit us or anyone ever! She is so full of energy and likes for people to play with her, but she doesn't so much like to play by herself or at least at this point she's not content doing something by herself. She definitely wants to be center of attention at all times.

She weighs about 45lbs and is still the snuggliest puppy you'll ever meet. She loves to lay between our legs or in the small of our back or better yet right in between the two of us on the weekends when we let her get in some morning snuggles.

She is my little model girl and let's me take pictures of her with silly props and what not which is how I got this cute picture of her. She doesn't mind as long as she gets a treat afterwards.

I didn't know that dogs like to eat vegetables and fruits until we got Yoshi. Some of her favorite fruits and vegetables to eat include: carrots, celery, pineapple, watermelon, bananas, and apples. Of course, we only give them to her in moderation but she always gobbles them up so fast and it's so cute!

We just love her so much and we can't wait for all the fun the future will bring!

TAKING STOCK 5.

2018-04-15T19:53:00.002-07:00

I hope that your weekend was grand and that your week is off to a great start. Here is yet another taking stock post. I enjoy doing these and rereading them as a friendly reminder to myself to keep pushing through whatever life is throwing my way at the present moment.

Making: changes. Changes in both my fitness routine and personal life.
Cooking: paella, or at least at this present moment my husband is cooking it.
Drinking: a nice BIG glass of red wine.
Reading: I'm not currently reading anything, but I am about to start Love Does by Bob Goff.
Wanting: to be content in this season of life.
Looking: forward to the future and seeing what it holds for our family.
Playing: alexa is playing Pandora in the background.
Wasting: away again in margarittaville. JK, it was just the first thing that popped into my head. 🙈
Sewing: I still haven't started a new project.
Wishing: on the same wish that I wish for each time I make a wish these days.
Enjoying: this rainy evening while sipping some wine.
Waiting: for the day when ironing isn't such a chore.
Liking: these April showers which will brings May flowers! Summer is so close y'all!
Wondering: what life would have been like without the internet?
Loving: all the puppy snuggles while she still wants to be near us.
Hoping: that i'm not too sore in the morning from today's gym sesh.
Marveling: at the fact that it is already mid April. Time slow down please.
Needing: a few more days in this weekend. Also another glass of wine or three.
Smelling: the fresh smell of mother nature after a nice rain. It's definitely spring in the PNW.
Wearing: pajamas, it's a rainy, dreary Sunday evening.
Following: the news.
Noticing: that life is what you make of it. I keep repeating to myself daily that worrying about something won't change the outcome.
Knowing: that it's in God's hands and His timing is always perfect. 💕
Thinking: that I need to stop thinking. I am in my head way too much lately!
Feeling: Hopeful and optimistic about the future.
Bookmarking: Mediterranean Diet recipes.

Maybelline Fit Me Dewy + Smooth Foundation Review

2018-04-06T07:22:00.001-07:00

Disclosure: I received this product complimentary from Influenster to review, however all opinions are 100% my own.

I am not a big foundation wearer because oily skin problems, but I figured I would give it another shot after receiving this Maybelline Vox box from Influenster. Unfortunately, it is a dewy foundation so I immediately knew it wouldn't be a good fit and I was right. The fact that it causes my skin to look excessively oily is the only reason I don't like this foundation. It would be a good drug store foundation for someone with dry-normal skin because there are literally a ton of things that I do like about this foundation.

(Maybelline Master Prime, Fit Me Dewy + Smooth, YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick, Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush)

The color that I got (nude beige) matches my skin tone so wonderfully. It is awesome considering I just chose one that I thought looked close to my skin color while filling out the survey. There are quite a few colors to choose from to find your perfect shade so that's a plus.

This foundation goes on so smoothly and it is incredibly easy to spread around my face and neck. I must say a little bit goes a long way to achieve a light + natural look. I bought a beauty blender after watching a few you tube videos on the best ways to apply foundation because like I mentioned above I don't EVER wear foundation. It was worth every penny!

It has SPF which is something I always look for in pretty much every cosmetic product intended for daytime use.

Last, but not least, I like how well it stays on throughout the day without smudging or creasing. It also isn't all cakey in certain areas e.g. around my nose and mouth, which is nice. As far as the coverage goes, I thought it was really a great go between medium and full coverage, but it just depends on how much foundation you use. I apply very little so it is definitely more on the light coverage side, but that is my preference.

I was also excited to try out the Maybelline Master prime that came with this vox box! It's so hydrating and light weight. The primer was great matched with the fit me dewy + smooth foundation. Sometimes I will wear it alone after applying my moisturizer and I love it.

Overall, I would have to say that this particular foundation isn't a great fit for me, but I will definitely be giving the Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation a try to see if that works out better for my skin type. I was thinking that it would be fun to do a comparison post between these two foundations so keep a look out for a blog post on this soon.

All Things Yoshi

2018-04-03T13:49:00.001-07:00

Hey guys, remember me? Probably not, but that is alright. However, I'm sure you might remember my post introducing our new fur child to the family, if not than you can find it here, but if so I wanted to give an update on our Yoshi girl, and by that I mean I want to make sure her puppy years are documented so I can look back on them someday.

She has grown a lot in the last 6 months and now weighs a whopping 43 pounds. The picture below is from when we first adopted her at 13 weeks and at that time she weighed 21 pounds. Such a baby! She has doubled in weight and still thinks she is a lap dog, albeit she is for now, but if she gets much bigger she will be highly disappointed. Did I mention that our girl loves to snuggle? She is happiest when she is buried under the covers or when she is sprawled out between my husband and I.

When she was 6 months old we enrolled her in a puppy class to help her learn a little more, but also to help socialize her. It took some getting used to on her part and she was by far the hyper-est puppy in attendance with the shortest attention span, but we managed to get through the 8 week course. Yoshi passed her AKC STAR puppy test with flying colors and is now the proud pup of a gold medal and sweet frame-able certificate. She is such a smart little thing and already knows so many commands and tricks e.g sit, lay, stay, shake, leave it, and roll over just to name a few.

Yoshi certainly has all the border collie tendency's and has so much energy ALL THE TIME! I take her on two walks a day and play fetch with her quite a bit. She only likes to nap when she can lay on your lap or when everyone else in the house has stopped doing what they are doing. That's definitely the border collie in her making sure the herd is together.

Yoshi will be 9 months old on April 18th and she has certainly reached those doggie teenage years. I don't know if this is just me, but I feel like she has a bit of an attitude toward the words no and stop. Also when things don't go her way or you do something that she doesn't approve of she will let you know. I didn't know dogs were so opinionated. 😏

Just this morning I took her outside at 5:30 am to do her business and put her back in her crate. I do this every morning and after about an hour or so she will wake up and start whining so I let her in bed with me to sleep until time to get up. Well this morning she throws a complete fit after immediately putting her in her crate and unbeknownst to me starts chewing on her bed. After about 10 minutes, I finally crawled out of bed to see what the deal was and she had already eaten a corner of her bed. Anyone else's dog or pups do this? It's like I have a teenager daughter who talks back, but in dog form.

When she's not being crazy, she is a sweetheart. She loves meeting new people and other dogs. We just recently took a road trip to Texas to see all of our family. She did rather well in the car for being cooped up in the back seat for 2 long days of traveling to get there and 2 days of traveling back. That's close to 4,000 miles of driving and with a lot of stops along the way we all got through it without any tears or frustration. That is what I like to call a successful family road trip for the books!

While in Texas, we learned that Yoshi does well off leash and has a good recall. I'm sure she loved that part more than anything having the freedom to roam around as she pleases without us steering her around on a leash. We also were able to have her around my nephew Ayden and she did so well with him! We didn't know how she would react to small children so this made us extremely happy to know that she will make a great family dog someday.

This sweet faced girl of ours has been a total blessing to us. She was exactly what we needed all those months ago when we walked into that humane society and the same rings true today. She has made these last 6 months so much more exciting and we wouldn't trade her for the world!

Gifts for Her (under $50)

2017-12-12T12:59:00.000-08:00

It is my most favorite time of year when making lists of everything you want is totally acceptable. I may not blog as much as I would like throughout the year, but I always love making time to create a gift guide for you guys. It is just so much fun and every single thing on here is something I personally would love to get under the tree.. hint, hint hubs. I hope that if you are struggling to find the perfect gift for the gals in your life that this list of inexpensive ideas will be helpful in someway. Happy shopping!

TAKING STOCK 4.

2017-12-06T11:00:00.003-08:00

Making: the most out of each and every day. I want to remember this season of life.
Cooking: absolutely nothing. we are having pulled pork that we froze a few weeks ago
Drinking: coffee with white chocolate raspberry creamer
Reading: the confident woman devotional that my mother in law got for me
Wanting: this month to be the month. Patience is not my virtue.
Looking: emails. emails. emails.
Playing: Yoshi loves to play fetch, so we play this and hiding seek on the reg
Wasting: a little time before the hubs gets home from his holiday party
Sewing: taking a break from my sewing machine until I find another project that peaks my interest
Wishing: hoping and praying 🙏
Enjoying: this time of year although not the cold so much
Waiting: 19 days until Christmas y'all!
Liking: these taking stock posts more than anyone person should. Seriously such a great way to look back on this moment in time.
Wondering: what life was like before we adopted our Yoshi girl. She brings us so much happiness and life just wouldn't be the same without her.
Loving: that Yoshi will now sleep in her crate throughout the night
Hoping: for more faith
Marveling: at how awesome our God is. This sunset is just.. stunning. God truly creates such beautiful canvases. I take so many pictures of the sky, but it makes me happy so i'll continue to do so.
Needing: more coffee. please and thank you!
Smelling: the wall plug in. cinnamon apple for the win.
Wearing: pajamas still.
Following: so many new people on instagram, lets be friends?
Noticing: that life is so much sweeter when you stop to smell the roses.
Knowing: it is in God's hands and everything will happen in its own time
Thinking: about my grocery list and how I need to start finding some new recipes. Any easy, quick crock pot dinners you might suggest for these cold winter nights?
Feeling: all the feels lately. How is it already December? 2018 is just around the corner. ughhh
Bookmarking: Christmas gift ideas for all our family

In what ways are you taking stock this holiday season? Also please send me some of your favorite crock pot recipes. I'd love you forever and ever!

Our Newest Addition

2017-11-04T15:33:00.000-07:00

Meet our sweet girl, Yoshi!

We adopted her a little over 3 weeks ago from an animal shelter and the minute we met her we knew instantly that we were taking her home. Although, she was extremely shy upon first meeting us, she warmed up to us immediately once she was in the play room. She is exactly what has been missing from our lives and has been such a blessing to us in more ways than one. She may wake up at the earliest hour every morning and have an accident here or there, but in the 3 short weeks we have had her she has learned so much for being 3 months old. She has quite the personality on her too and her sweet face is enough to melt us.

We are soooo smitten!! Welcome to the family, Yoshi!

Tea Tree Shampoo- Maple Holistics

2017-10-23T03:00:00.000-07:00

Disclosure: I received this product for the purpose of this review, however all opinions are my own!

So what I am about to say might sound crazy, but Shampoo hoarding is a real thing in my household. I seriously have so many bottles and if there is one I don't like for the time being I tend to store it away until I feel like giving it a second go around to see if it offers a different result. 😏 I also find myself putting away shampoo bottles that I do like and will switch between different ones every so many weeks. Am I the only one that does this? As you could probably guess from my last two sentences, I am always on the hunt for shampoos that are healthy for my hair and full of therapeutic benefits.

I have tried a variety of different shampoos over my lifetime with varying results, but have recently found that shampoos that are sulfate free tend to give me the best results. I said it, and I am certainly sticking to it, this girl is a fan of shampoo that is sulfate free. When Maple Holistics reached out to me to test their Tea Tree Shampoo you could assume that I was jumping for joy, because shampoo hoarding duh, but in all seriousness I was drawn to the fact that it has so many benefits that promotes healthy hair growth + tea tree oil has antiseptic properties so it improves scalp and hair health as well.

In the case that you have never heard of Maple Holistics their products are cruelty free, sulfate free, all natural, and made here in the USA as well as have a 100% no hassle, money back guarantee. Customer satisfaction is their top priority and for whatever reason their product doesn't work for you then return it for a full refund or swap it for another product that may work out better. I am a big Amazon shopper and you might be interested to know that their products are also sold there as well as on their website. They sale a variety of different products that range from hair care to essential oils and I even saw where they have a shampoo for dogs. Can't forget our furry friends am I right?

The tea tree shampoo is awesome! It makes my scalp feel so clean and I definitely love that my hair does not feel weighed down once my hair fully dries. The smell is amazing, but when has tea tree oil ever really smelt bad? I absolutely love the smell and find that this shampoo's smell isn't overpowering at all. This shampoo also has rosemary, argan, lavendar, and jojoba oil in it that makes my hair so moisturized after I blow dry it out that I don't even add a glossing polish.

If you are interested in trying out any of Maple Holistics products, you can visit their free samples program tab on their website to find out how you can get a free sample + a full sized product. I think it is safe to say that this shampoo won't last long around this household, even my husband likes it.

SeneGence LipSense Review

2017-07-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

Disclosure: I was sent this product for the purpose of this review, however all opinions are 100% my own.

As you might have seen by now making its way around the social media world there is a new lip color in town that has so many people talking about it. You might even know a friend or two that sells LipSense as a side hustle to bring in extra income for their families, but in the case that you have not heard about LipSense.. it is becoming quite the staple in some peoples makeup routines because of it's long lasting capabilities.

Honestly, from the moment I saw this product I was intrigued! I could not wait to try it out myself to see whether or not this product is really as awesome as advertised, but really just the thought of being able to kiss my husband with my lipstick on was more than enough reason for me to give this product a fair chance, so today I am going to share with you my thoughts on this said "miracle lipstick".

First things first..

WHAT IS LIPSENSE?

LipSense is a product of SeneGence. They not only sell the very popular Lipsense, but you can also find other products such as skincare, perfumes, and makeup. A few things that I like about SeneGence is their products are cruelty free, formulated with FDA approved ingredients, are gluten and GMO free (most products), and they are made in the United States. I personally haven't tried any of these other products, but I have a few friends that swear by them and wear them every single day.

HOW DOES LIPSENSE WORK?

The image below tells it all! I did not use the linersense and it still looked just as awesome. You will notice by the pictures that the color itself looks a bit sticky. It is and is the reason why you have to keep your lips slightly parted while applying all three layers. Lastly, you have to use a LipSense gloss in order to achieve the desired look below. No shortcuts here!

PROS

Hydrating- I was really surprised at how hydrating this gloss is mainly because any gloss I have ever worn does not do much for hydration. I have noticed since I started using LipSense that my lips do not seem to be as dry and exfoliating near as much as before which is weird to me, but certainly nice. After a little more research, I have learned that LipSense has medical grade alcohol in it, hence the stinging sensation that takes place upon immediately applying the first layer. It is working hard to remove built up wax from previous use of lip balms and chapsticks which then allows for the color to bond to your lips easier. So in essence this product is helping to make your lips healthier. It also helps that one of the ingredients is shea butter. How's that for moisturizing power?

The gloss is the barrier between the things you eat and drink and should be applied accordingly (before eating and drinking + after) throughout the day. This allows for the color to stay in place for longer as well as make the color look refreshed. To sum it up, the color is meant to last but the gloss is not. Noted!

Versatile- I love that there are so many different colors and glosses to choose from and that you can layer them to create different shades. The fact that there are so many colors available makes this product appealing because there is a color for everyone to match your skin tone. Overall, I am happy with the color options provided, plus having the possibility to layer colors is pretty great and allows for the product to last a whole lot longer than a conventional tube of lipstick.

Smudge, Water, and Kiss Proof- I definitely agree with this statement. In order for this product to work you have to apply 3 layers and finish it with a gloss of your choice to seal in the color. As soon as you put on the first layer it dries within seconds and with each layer it definitely isn't going anywhere, which is why the oops remover is an important aspect to the equation. Don't forget to add the color to your water line! I learned that the hard way. Lastly, apply your gloss and you are set! LipSense should stay on your lips for 4-18 hours. I have had it stay put for up to 6 hours, but it probably would have stayed for longer if I did not remove it before bedtime. I also give it an A+ in the kiss proof department. My husband will let me kiss him with my lipstick on and that is a win in my book!

CONS

Technique- There is a learning curve to using this product and after repeated use you start to figure out ways to make the process a little easier. The first time I applied LipSense I put on too many layers (basically, reapplying to the same area on the first layer is a No No!) and had so much flaking going on, it sucked. It just did not look good at all and it was a much darker shade than it should of been, but I did not let that stop me from figuring it out. It takes time and practice to get it just right, but once you get a hang of it you will be happy with the outcome, so my advice: don't give up! After about the 3rd go round I was happy with how it looked and feel that the extra effort was worth it for all day kissable lips. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect.

Cost-I think it is safe to say that to some people the initial investment is costly. It costs $55 for a color, gloss, and the oops remover + additional colors are $25 and glosses are $20. This was my biggest deterrent when I really think about it because of all the what if's. What if I didn't like it? What if the color I order isn't my color? However, if you think about it anything you buy now days comes with a lot of what if's, but you will never know if you like it until you try it. LipSense has a 100% money back guarantee in any case.

In conclusion, I am a fan! I wasn't sure how I would feel about this product, especially since I don't EVER buy anything from MLM companies, but I already bought myself a neutral color for everyday use. I couldn't resist. Thank you Paige for bringing me on board this LipSense train, now if I could only convince my husband that I need one of each color. I hope that this review is helpful to anyone who finds their self on the fence about trying this product or even just wants to know a little more information about LipSense.

If you made it to the bottom of this post, then high five! Lucky you, for anyone who feels like joining either of the pages below and mentions that you saw Paige's information from this blog post, you will receive 10% off your SeneGence order + if you have any other questions feel free to ask away!

Instagram | Facebook

Oregon Zoo (Portland) Adventures

2017-06-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

Last September, a group of us friends took a road trip to Portland for a quick weekend trip.

Side note: While we have lived in the Pacific Northwest we have visited Portland a handful of times and it has easily been a city that we love to visit mostly because of the easily accessible transportation, but also because we always stumble upon something that makes it a memorable and joyous trip.

We took the max from the closest transit station in proximity to our hotel to Washington Park, which is where the zoo, rose gardens, and Japanese gardens are all located. If you purchase a 1-day pass it only costs you $5 and you get unlimited access to the MAX, buses, and streetcar services. Awesome deal and not having to worry about finding a parking spot makes it totally worth it!

It had been a good long while since I visited a zoo, think elementary school field trips kind of long time ago. We spent a little bit of time at the zoo and then made our way over to the Japanese Gardens, but that will be a post all in itself for another day. Luckily, I remembered to bring my camera with me on this trip so there were a bunch of pictures to choose from, but these were a few of my favorites.

Memorial Day Ready

2017-05-29T01:00:00.000-07:00

Memorial day has always been a holiday that I love to celebrate! It is always a fun time to get together with family and friends to remember the fallen soldiers who fought so bravely to secure the freedoms that we have today. I also feel like this weekend kicks off the start to summer with most schools already having let out and graduations taking place left and right. The weekend also falls on my brother's birthday so we have always had triple the reason to celebrate every year.

Although, this year we are not spending the weekend on a boat or watching fireworks along the Corpus Christi bay, we are celebrating with a group of friends by way of a cook out. It has been entirely too long since we have grilled because second story apartment life, which is why I am super excited for our Memorial Day cook out! In honor of today, I created a collage of a few things that are a must in my book for our fun day of grilling!

Happy Memorial Day!

Mid-Year Resolutions

2017-05-27T11:23:00.000-07:00

Is that even a thing? I'm sure it is if I say it is, so for today we will go with it because I am setting some major goals over here. I am not really big on making new year resolutions, although, it might not be a bad idea to start, but for now I will stick to setting a few achievable goals for myself for the remainder of the year. I think it is a good starting point and I like the idea of writing it down to ensure that I keep at it, you know as well as I do that an accountability partner gets you a lot closer to achieving your goals so I will use this blog as just that.

1) Work out. Work out. Work out.
I have been seriously slacking when it comes to getting my sweat on, but for good reason between teeth extractions and getting braces (that is a post for a different day). If you know me or have read any of my 505 posts (true story, I did blog at one point more than six times a year) you might of stumbled upon one pertaining to fitness. I used to work out pretty regularly, but this year has been a complete bust in that department, so here's to hitting the gym a few times a week + running a few miles a day + gaining some muscles.

2) Hobbies
These days I have a lot of free time on my hands and am constantly thinking of things to occupy my time, but sometimes I get burnt out and need something new so more hobbies is a must. What are somethings that you like to do for fun?

3) Relax
This one is a big one for me. I am a big worry wart. Sometimes I feel like I need to just let my hair down and take a deep breath, but this year has really been a struggle on some levels. Somethings are just out of my control and I need to learn to have a little more faith and a lot more patience. I just have to keep telling myself that God's timing is always perfect, although, it might not be now, or this week or this year, it will work out as it should. Relax Breanna!

4) Back to School
This is something that has really been weighing on me this year. Earlier in the year, I took a tour of the University in our town and met with an admissions counselor to talk about transferring over my degree towards getting my bachelors degree. Wow! How has it already been 5 years since I got my associates degree? Time is always flying by incredibly too fast for my liking. Anyways, the question is what do I study? I have had my heart set on being a Dietitian, but the area that I live in does not offer it, so I am back to square one. I have until the Fall to decide because Spring admission opens around that time. I am just happy that I have made it this far in making the decision to go back to school. Hopefully, I will be able to make up my mind and I will get myself back to school one way or another.

5) Blog
I touched on this in my previous post, but blogging is up there on the top of my list to make more time for this year. I miss writing and have always enjoyed expressing myself through my writing. It has been a great outlet to bring my frustrations, excitement, and everything else in between to light. Writing is just good for the soul.

What are some goals that you have for the remainder of the year? If you made New Year resolutions, have you made strides in achieving your goal?

Hello Blog!

2017-05-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

I AM THE WORST BLOGGER EVER!

Actually, I think I am now more along the lines of an ex-blogger because of how little I tend to post, but that being said I am going to make an extra effort from this month forward to post more regularly.

I do miss it A LOT!

It is funny how you can go from blogging on a daily basis to just not doing it at all, but if I am being honest it has been hard to get in that blogging groove again ever since our big move almost three years ago. I do know that there is never a better time then now to get back to doing something I truly love to do and brings me so much joy as a result! It is crazy that it has taken me so long to realize this revelation, but I would be even crazier to give up on blogging altogether.

One thing that I really loved about blogging was the blogging community as a whole. It is an accepting and inspirational group that I was lucky to be a part of for so many years. If you are still reading this blog or occasionally pop over here by accident, thank you, I appreciate it! I have missed reading your blogs too and would love for you to leave a link to your most recent post in the comments so I can do a little catching up as well.

I have a few things lined up for Memorial Day weekend and since we finally have a nice camera again I plan on bringing back outfit posts because those are definitely my favorite kind of posts. I may not be a fashion blogger by any means, but a girl can dream right?

While I am on the subject, what kind of posts would you like to see on MBCL? I am always open to new ideas and would love any feedback you might have as I gear up to get this blog back up and running.

Happy Tuesday!

Christmas Time

2016-12-22T10:16:00.000-08:00

Just 2 more days until Christmas and there are still gifts arriving on our doorstep, because last minute shoppers. Am I right? Seriously though, this Christmas has snuck up on us and I'm not even sure how that happened, but I do know that it seems like Christmas arrives quicker each year. We are spending Christmas this year, just the two of us, making traditions of our own and truly embracing the reason for the season. I can also say that we are experiencing our first real northerner winter this year with snowfall amounts already exceeding any amount we have seen in the last 2 years of living here. I mean we had snow on the ground for a good week before it finally warmed up enough to melt some of it away and they are calling for more snow tomorrow. I'd say winter and this holiday season are off to a great start and I hope that you too have a very Merry Christmas!

Stocking Stuffers For Him

2016-12-13T13:30:00.000-08:00

I really struggle with finding my husband gifts because he never really wants anything. He would seriously be happy with a new video game and a beer, not complaining in the least bit, but what fun is it to know what you are getting year after year, I'd rather keep him guessing until Christmas morning. I always tend to figure something out, and he always loves it, so I guess I'm doing something right.

..and as promised here are a few stocking stuffer ideas for the men in your life. Happy Shopping!

Daniel Wellington watch / Ray-Ban sunglasses / Nautica tie / Harry Potter Tumbler / Burton beanie /
The Art of Shaving kit

Stocking Stuffers For Her

2016-12-12T12:42:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again and as usual I am so behind on my blogging game, but what's new. I am working on it though. Anyways, before I took a very long blogging hiatus, I used to do a gift guide every year so I figured what better way to start up blogging again than to do a stocking stuffers post + I forgot how much I love creating these collages, so expect to see a post for stocking stuffers for him tomorrow.

If I woke up on Christmas morning to find any of these items in my stocking I would be seriously thrilled. There you have it, last minute stocking stuffers for the ladies in your life.

Snowflake mittens / Betsey Johnson knit beanie / Smashbox lip gloss / Travel size holiday lotions / Makeup bag / OPI nail polish / Bath bombs

Happy Shopping!

National Coffee Day

2016-09-29T10:55:00.000-07:00

Happy national coffee day to all you coffee lovers out there. In true fashion, I am celebrating by enjoying my morning coffee in my favorite Starbucks traveler mug. This past Christmas my niece and nephew gifted this beauty to me with a story behind the reason they thought it was perfect for me. When my nephew was a bit younger (say like 2 years younger) he could never say my name so "Breenana" turned into the new Breanna and it kinda became a thing in our family.. so now you can see why this mug has favorite written all over it. I hope that you are enjoying your coffee too wherever you might have ended up getting your morning cup of joe!

Serious question. My husband has been hinting that he wants an aeropress coffee and expresso maker for Christmas this year and I was wondering if anyone has any experience with using it and if so how do you like it? Any thoughts are welcome!

Falling into Fall

2016-09-14T14:19:00.000-07:00

With summer coming to an end and cooler temperatures already making their way into our area.. I have come down with my first cold of the season. I feel less than stellar today, but fortunately a little better than I felt yesterday now that my sore throat has subsided a bit. I mostly blame the sudden change in weather, but a little part of me blames my husband for jinxing us for making a remark on how we hadn't been sick in quite sometime. Boo!

Despite having this pesky cold this girl is counting down the days until Autumn arrives (8 days folks). September is and will always be my favorite month with it being my birthday month and the start to my favorite season as well, so it of course is twice as exciting around here. Anyone else enjoy Fall as much as I do?

..football

..sweaters

..pumpkin spice everything

..booties

Yes, I am so ready! Bring it on Fall!

What are some of your favorite things about the season?

Past Due Hello + Birthday Surprise

2016-09-12T13:57:00.000-07:00

I am in disbelief that it has nearly been a year since I wrote my last blog post. This blog was my creative outlet for so long throughout my college days which turned into a passion that I genuinely loved and worked so hard at building up. The friendships that came from blogging were truly the best and I miss those connections that have fallen away with time. Unfortunately, life gets in the way sometimes and those things that we once loved gets lost in the mix, i.e blogging.

Today is a brand new day. Today is the day that I pick up where I left off and start blogging again. I am much more determined and motivated to dive back into the world of blogging than ever before thanks to the longest blogging break ever. It's funny how absence makes the heart grow fonder and boy does it ever. Hello to those of my readers who have stuck around and to those of you who might stumble this way from time to time. You rock! I am diving in with both feet for the second time around and I am so excited to be back.

I celebrated my birthday over the Labor day weekend with some awesome friends who threw me a small surprise birthday party. It was a total surprise and was why in all of these pictures I look like I was fresh out of the shower, because spoiler alert I was. I opened our front door to find the coolest decorated birthday stoop ever along with all our friends standing there wishing me a happy birthday. They are definitely the sweetest and went above and beyond to help me celebrate turning twenty-five with frozen themed balloons and my very own party hat. The gifts I received and the way in which they presented them were hilarious (think nesting dolls) and totally threw me for a loop, but I was seriously so overjoyed. I have never had a surprise party before and to have made such great friends in a few short years to be so sweet to do just that made my birthday all that more special.

If you know my husband then you know how great of a cook he is and already know the birthday dinner he prepared for us was super delicious. Birthday Menu: Filet Mignon with a twice baked potato and sautéed zucchini and squash + homemade funfetti cupcakes from scratch for dessert prepared entirely by him and if you can believe it I didn't do the dishes once all weekend. I can honestly say that I found myself the best kind of man.. he knows the way to my heart and how to make me feel like the most spoiled princess out there. I finished the weekend with some birthday shopping and enjoyed the extra day that I got to spend with him before he went back to work. This birthday was one for the books and one that I definitely will always remember.

Friday Letters

2015-11-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! It's been sooooo long since I've written anything here and even longer since I've written a friday letters post so I thought what better way to do a little catching up. I hope all of my blog friends who have stuck around and are reading this post are doing absolutely wonderful and that your holiday season is off to a great start.

Dear Fall: I absolutely love you and can't get enough of all these wonderful colors. I captured this picture back in September on one of our hikes and absolutely love it. Although, fall is one of my favorites I am so not looking forward to the cold weather. I mean really, who likes being cold all the time? Certainly, not this girl. Dear Texas: I enjoyed my visit I had last month spending some much needed time with friends and family. It was such an amazing time and the best part is my bestie is now a married woman. I was so honored to stand by her side on her big day! Dear E: I love you and I'm so blessed by you and all that you do each and everyday. You are the greatest thing in my life and I am so thankful to have such a loving, honest, handsome, and brilliant man who treats me so good. I mean what man would let his wife leave to Texas for 3 weeks without complaining about my leaving once. I love you darling! Dear Life: Please slow down, so I can have a minute to figure out where this year has gone. Seriously, how is it already November? How is it possible that we're gearing up for the holidays and 2016 is just around the corner? I don't know about you but this year has flown by so quickly for me.

Happiness Boutique | Boho Style

2015-08-18T11:01:00.000-07:00

It has been way too long since i've done one of these posts, but today I have the honor of sharing with you a fabulous boutique called happiness boutique. Happiness Boutique is an online store based out of Berlin for the fashion forward modern woman. They have some of the cutest jewelry, accessories, and vintage inspired clothing as well as offer free shipping worldwide without a minimum purchase amount. Cool right? I thought so! I received the necklace above and immediately fell in love with it! It is the perfect statement necklace and so unlike anything else I own.

If you love receiving free gifts you'll be happy to know they offer a rewards program that'll earn you points when you shop with them (1 point for every dollar spent). Also, you can earn points by writing reviews, sharing on social media, and more. It's super simple to join, all you have to do is sign up for a happiness boutique account and you'll immediately get 50 points. Here are a few rewards you can receive with your points:

200 points = a cool postcard from Berlin
450 = a surprise jewelry gift
550 = a piece of statement jewelry of your choice
1100 = a piece of clothing of your choice

I also love that the happiness boutique aspires to spread happiness and good vibes. If you take a look at the video below you'll find that they are a company looking to make a difference and are spreading happiness as they go. I definitely think you should take a look at all this cute boutique has to offer and remember to spread happiness.

YSL Touche Eclat Blur Primer & Blur Perfector

2015-08-13T08:41:00.000-07:00

Disclosure: I received these products on behalf of Influenster for the purpose of this review, however all opinions are 100% my own.

Yves Saint Laurent has done it again! Let me start out with stating that this packaging is everything! I mean, seriously, just look at those beautiful colors together, blush and gold.. perfect. For all of you who know me, than you already know that I am a huge fan of the color gold and it's probably even more evident if you are reading this now (hint: new blog theme). In all seriousness, I am in love with everything these two products have to offer + I am a complete fan of YSL and was so thrilled to have a chance to give these a try. Let's start out by discussing the reasons why the blur primer is beyond amazing.

Blur Primer: It was love at first sight the minute I took it out of the packaging. You can't really see it pictured in these two photos, but there are gold flakes in it that leaves a subtle glow to your skin without being too glittery, which is perfect. I can't say enough good things about this primer! My skin is rather problematic, but after using this I see such a difference in my skins appearance. It minimizes pores, evens out skin tone, combats oiliness, and just overall leaves my skin feeling amazing. The YSL blur primer is so lightweight, fast absorbing, and long lasting all of which are super important to me when choosing a primer. I like how it is enriched with 4 nourishing oils that helps keep my skin so soft without leaving an oily residue and I love that it is noncomedogenic too! Coming from someone who always sticks to the same productsI was so impressed with this primer.

Blur Perfector: Oh, where to begin.. this is really to good to be true and the compact is pure perfection. It is just the right size to throw into my purse to use later on in the day for touch ups. The blur perfector is a balm that transforms to a powder upon application to blur imperfections and helps your skin feel smoother and your complexion appear more even. The best part of this product is that it is multifunctional. Yes, you read that right. It can be used alone as an all over complexion perfector, to set make up, or as a mattifying touch up as I already noted above. Genius, I know! I have yet to use it as all 3, but i'm excited to know that it's possible. I really do love how this is non-comedogenic and suitable for all skin types too. It really leaves my skin looking super soft after using it as well as helps eliminate oiliness which is always a huge plus in my book. I am so intrigued and amazed at how amazing this product works on my skin and let me just say I am a huge fan!

Yves Saint Laurent has really outdone themselves with this product and it has easily become one of my favorites. I pair these two products with my YSL mascara and I'm out the door ready to start the day with a simple natural look. What YSL products have you tried before?

Portland, Oregon | Adventures

2015-06-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

Why hello blog world, it's been a while hasn't it? I just wanted to pop in and give a little update on the adventures we've been embarking on lately. We have spent the last two weekends (the 1st was spent with the in-laws and the 2nd was our anniversary weekend) exploring the beautiful city that is Portland and loving every single second. I can easily say that Portland has become my new favorite city with Austin being a close second, but really it is amazing and totally worth visiting. While visiting the first time we enjoyed amazing coffee, went on a segway tour around the city, happy hour'ed on the thirtieth floor of big pink (portland city grill), pub crawled, and discovered my new found love for stout beers. Yup, all in a days work folks and then it was decided that if given the chance we would pack up and move here in a heart beat.

As if our love for this city wasn't evident enough, we returned the following weekend to celebrate our 1 year wedding anniversary together. Although this trip had an unexpected monkey wrench thrown into the mix thanks to our cars alternator dying on us just outside of portland, but overall it all worked itself out and we had the best weekend. The rose garden was insanely beautiful, the beer was super delicious, and the food was excellent. I can't imagine doing life with anyone other than my handsome husband. Cheers to many more years of fabulous adventures together. <3

Stumptown Coffee Roasters / Nation Tours / Portland City Grill / Velo Cult / Baerlic Brewing Company / Deschutes Brewery / Fathead's Brewery / Rose Test Gardens

TAKING STOCK 3

2015-03-04T13:29:00.000-08:00

Hello, remember me? I'm Breanna and I like to blog sometimes. I can't believe it's been over a month since I've written anything, but if you read my last post you'd know why. :) I just wanted to stop in and do a quick update because I want to remember this crazy time in my life to look back on someday.

Making: today a great day and intend to do so everyday :)
Cooking: currently cooking chicken broccoli rice in my crockpot. Easy meals are my favorite.
Drinking: lots and lots of water.
Reading: the bible and becoming myself- stasi eldredge
Wanting: to find a job that i'll love.
Looking: forward to seeing results from a new medication.
Playing: solitaire on my phone and words with friends.
Wasting: just time.
Sewing: I did a little sewing project in January and loved how it turned out.
Wishing: to get my stitches out like today and to find out my pathology results.
Enjoying: our weather and can't wait until summer!
Waiting: patiently.
Liking: that I am finally over the flu and cold I've had within the last 2 months.
Wondering: how west texas has had more snow than we have had in WA all winter?
Loving: my husband and how much he has been helping me around the house.
Hoping: the mole I had removed last week isn't cancerous.
Marveling: at how E and I have already been living in WA for close to 6 months.
Needing: to take a chill pill for my minds sake :)
Smelling: the crockpot meal I have cooking in the kitchen.
Wearing: comfortable lounge around the house clothes like skinny jeans and yoga tops.
Following: directions to care for my sutures to get the best healing.
Noticing: that it's so warm for this time of year. It'll be in the 70's this weekend.
Knowing: it's in God's hands and everything will be just as it should be.
Thinking: it's a wonderful day to snuggle up in bed all day and read.
Feeling: anxious, yet at the same time scared to get my pathology results back.
Bookmarking: lots and lots of yummy recipes.

LEAVENWORTH, WA

2015-01-29T15:25:00.000-08:00

It has been such a long time since i've written a post but to be honest I kinda like the sporadic posts every now and then. Lately, I feel that I need only to write when there is something I feel worthy to write about so here is a fair warning that you'll be seeing less of me on this blog of mine. However, no need to fret because I will still be frequently posting on instagram, so please feel free to follow along with me over there :)

I was meaning to write this post last week, but the flu hit me hard following this amazing weekend so I am just now getting around to documenting it. Over MLK weekend, the in-laws came for a visit and it was really a great time. We visited Pendleton, OR where we went on the underground tour of what was once known as the red light district of Pendleton as well as took a trip to the wool mills which was extremely neat. I also talked everyone into going to the casino so that I could gamble for the first time and let me just say I did pretty well on the blackjack table for a first timer.

The following day we drove 3 hours to Leavenworth where we spent our first 2 hours there snowmobiling. It was pretty awesome coming from someone who literally spends majority of her life being cold. Despite me being cold the entire time it also snowed the entire time we were on our snowmobile tour. It's funny because leading up to this weekend we thought we would have to cancel this trip due to the lack of snow, but miracles do happen and it was absolutely beautiful. It was so unlike anything I'd ever experienced before with growing up in a state where snow is a rare treat so to say it was a real picturesque moment would be completely accurate. We all loved it!

After our tour was over we headed to main street to partake in all the bavarian festival activities. Ok, maybe we didn't do the ice sculpting contest or sled down the hill, but we did find our way to Icicle Brewing Company which is home to the best craft beer ever, duh. After consuming a pitcher between the four of us and devouring the yummiest pretzel ever we headed to check out all the many shops and boutiques lining the streets. We could of spent hours doing this, but unfortunately it was just a day trip so we continued on our adventures to a bar called Der Hinterhof that was conveniently located underground. Although by this time I was more than ready to eat supper with the last thing I had eaten being the few nibbles of pretzel and breakfast or lunch being non existent so of course the claws started coming out at this point. After our last and final pitcher of beer that day, we found a cute restaurant, Bavarian Bistro & Bar, to have supper at and it was extremely delicious. I had my first ever black bean burger along with some french fries while my husband had what he claims to be the best Reuben of his life and I believe it. It was all so amazing and the best part it was still snowing outside. It was a perfect ending to such a great day, however the journey home was no walk in the park.

Let's just say in between snow, slushy roads, sitting in a wreck for more than a hour, and back trekking to find another route we finally made it home in record breaking time (sarcasm). Yes, it took us 7 hours and the first 5 hours or so were probably the scariest because those cascade mountains are no joke and what's even worse is that we were driving in these conditions in a rental car and not just any rental car, a corolla (face palm)! Ultimately, Leavenworth was definitely a favorite of mine and I look forward to our next visit soon.

Sunday was a lazy day spent watching the Seattle Seahawks make their miraculous comeback to secure their place in the Super Bowl as well as was spent crafting. My mother in law helped me put some trimming on my christmas tree skirt that I made from a fleece blanket + I made a cute Seahawks tie pillow. The next day was my in laws last full day before getting back on a jet plane home Tuesday morning and of course the flu, although at the time I didn't know it was the flu, decided it was best to knock me on my butt so yet again we had spent the day being lazy and playing a few card games here and there.

It was sad to see them go although I couldn't muster the strength to get out of bed to take them to the airport myself so poor E was the lucky one who got to wake up at 4:00 am to take them to the airport before having to be at work at 7:00. Love that man!

All in all it was a great weekend and we thoroughly enjoyed their visit. We're already counting down the days until our next one.