NYE Mani

OPI In the Spotlight Pink

Essie A Cut Above

This mani of course goes perfectly with my new sparkly Toms, thanks again K for the awesome secret Santa gifts!

Hot Man Parade

Holiday Makeup Tutorial and Interview via Lollysheep

One of my girlfriends Lauren Feist is an amazing make-up artist and I've been asking her for-evah to do some tutorials and she's finally started a YouTube channel! Hip hip hooray! Below is her Holiday Makeup Tutorial, but she's already posted natural looks, and false lashes how-to so be sure to check those gems out too.  I asked if she'd like to also do an interview and give us some inside scoop on how the pros do it and what their favorites are!

Holiday Makeup Tutorial

Follow her YouTube channel, lollysheep  and check out her FB Makeup Portfolio.

1. How did you get started in make-up?

I was interested in makeup at an early age, but looked at it mostly as a hobby. My mom was the biggest influence in my makeup choices, and she is the one who got me hooked first on MAC Cosmetics. Interestingly enough, through high school I would go to the MAC counter and instead of having them do my makeup for dances, I would tell them the color of my dress and have them suggest products for me to use. I worked in Brass Plum at Nordstrom for a couple of years and would spend quite a bit of time down at the MAC counter (of course) and when they had a position open up, they asked me if I would like to interview. The interview process was fun! I had to bring in a model and do a day look, then transform it into a night look. Fortunately, I was hired, and began refining my makeup skills from there. MAC had monthly trainings that all artists would go to, so I was privy to tons of different artists and styles, with some of the most talented working side by side with me at Nordstrom.

2. What is your go-to look?

My go-to look is what I think flatters my face most: Coral cheeks, neutral eyes, lashes. I think most women should find colors that they feel most beautiful in and stick to that palette, but branch out and try different variations within that palette. For example, I have a million different blushes and shadows that fall into the palette I prefer, and I can change it up daily, but still feel beautiful in all of them. It's fun to do your makeup completely different at times, with different colors, etc, but as all of us know, we tend to always go back to what makes us feel most comfortable and beautiful.

3. What is your favorite make-up trend of the moment/season?

I'm loving the vintage meets modern look right now, with light eyes/winged liner and pops of color on the lip that was seen a lot on the runway for Spring 2012. While I don't wear the winged liner on a regular basis, I've found I've really been loving wearing a bright lip. It makes you feel beautiful and powerful! Changing your lip can transform your whole look, too!

4. What is your biggest make-up pet peeve? 

Some might say I'm blush-obsessed, but it really peeves me when women don't wear blush. Our natural face isn't just one color overall, and even adding just a hint gives youthfulness and warmth to the face. So, wear your blush, ladies!

5. What are you holy grail products?

Having a great foundation + concealer and an eye shadow base/primer. Great looking skin will make or break your look, and an eye shadow primer holds your shadow on all day without creasing or fading. My favorites of these are Studio Fix Fluid Foundation by MAC Cosmetics, for an incredibly flawless look. Skin Foundation SPF 15 by Bobbi Brown for an everyday look that makes your skin glow. Creamy Concealer by Bobbi Brown. I've yet to find an eye shadow primer that works as well as the ones from MAC, and and my favorite are their paint pots when used sparingly. My eye shadow literally will not budge when I use it!

6. If you could only have 5 products to use for the rest of your life, what would be your choices?

Hydrating Gel Cream Moisturizer by Bobbi Brown. Keeping your skin hydrated is so key to keep it healthy and helping your makeup looking its best.

Studio Fix Fluid Foundation by MAC Cosmetics, as I mentioned above.

Super Orgasm Blush by NARS. It's the most gorgeous coral pink color with a hint of shimmer, and it looks good on EVERYONE.

Carbon Black Voluminous Mascara by Loreal Paris. Everyone wants thicker, fuller lashes, and this does it incredibly well for around $6 bucks at the drug store.

Lip Crayons by Bobbi Brown. These are amazing. They're super convenient, creamy and colorful.

7. What types of brushes should be in every girls bag?

It's possible to have a brush for every step of your makeup application, but I think there are a few that are worth spending a bit more on to help achieve a flawless look.

Foundation Brush. Whether you wear liquid or powder, it's going to look better and last longer if you apply it with a brush. My favorites: #190 by MAC for liquid or a #150 by MAC for powder foundation.

Blending Eye Shadow Brush. Blending is key to a flawless eye shadow application and an absolute must. My favorites: #217 by MAC or #224 by MAC.

Angled Eye Shadow Brush. This can give you the most precise eyebrow or eyeliner application. My favorite: #266 by MAC. Your brows frame the face, so it's so important to make sure they look defined.

**The thing to remember about brushes is because they are an investment, you have to take care of them like you take care of your own hair. I've had brushes from MAC for well over 5 years, and they are still in great condition, but they have to be properly maintained to achieve their longevity.

8. What are your favorite drug store products? 

There are so many great finds at the drug store! Who doesn't love paying less? I've tried a million different mascaras, but am SO happy with Carbon Black Voluminous Mascara by Loreal Paris. I also get all of my false lashes at the drug store as well. My favorite pair are the #110's from Ardell and they're less than $5 bucks. They can be worn at least a dozen times and still look great! To accompany your false lashes, DUO lash glue is the go-to, and this can also be found at the drug store. A great moisturizer from the drug store is Neutrogena's Oil Free SPF 15 Moisturizer. It works great on all skin types and I love that the SPF is included. Eye makeup remover is a great drug store purchase, and my favorite is Expert Eyes by Maybelline. Also, an incredible liquid eyeliner I am in love with is Carbon Black Lineur Intense by Loreal Paris. Loreal Paris also makes some great lipsticks called Colour Riche and one of my favorites is in Pink Lady.

Thank you so much Lauren!!  I can't say enough how perfect her make-up always is, her work is flawless. I'm so, so, so excited about this interview and her YouTube channel. I've learned so much and now I have a pretty long shopping list and a new look for NYE!

OOTD

ON Chambray Shirt

Basic Tank

ON Leggings with Lace overlay sides

F21 Necklace and Bracelets

MK Watch

F21 Turtleneck

HandM Belt

Nordstrom Jeggings

SM Intyce Boots

Score! JCrew Knock-Off

                          JCrew Bubble Necklace                           F21 Cascading Faceted Gems Necklace

I was browsing the web and found this F21 necklace (ProductCode : 1005756623) and swooped it up right away! It's such a great statement piece and is going to look amazing year round. It's also a total look for less of the JCrew Bubble necklace I've seen all over blogland. OOTDs with the necklace will soon follow!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday!

Hot Man Parade- Older Men

I thought the older men in Hollywood needed some love and what better way to show my appreciation for salt-and-peppered hair than with a Hot Man Parade? Now, I know this list could go on forever, so I just featured a few of them.

Easy Appetizer

My husband is so great in the kitchen, we had two parties recently where we were in charge of bringing an appetizer and he just whipped these up in no time!

All you need is whole mushrooms, cream cheese, garlic salt, and scallions. I love the ingredients, but I wasn't sure how the cream cheese and mushrooms would taste together, but I think I ate about half the platter.

First, you take the stems out of each shroom, then using your fingers or a butter knife, stuff a lot of cream cheese in the center, top with plenty of garlic salt, scallions for color, and bake on 350 for 15 minutes. Walaa!

The serving size and amount of ingredients vary, but for a party of 15 people, we used 4 cartons of mushrooms and 16oz of cream cheese.

We got so many compliments on these and they were super easy. It's now our last-minute, go-to dish.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh....What?

Today my work had an Ugly Christmas Sweater themed day, but I decided to step it up and actually come to work as a Christmas tree (thanks to one of my bff's old Halloween costume). It was hilarious!!

Pretty Wedding Ornament

I've searched everywhere for a cute wedding ornament, I did find this one from Hallmark and picked it up, but I wanted something more. Then I remembered I pinned this a while ago and made some for all our newlywed friends. They were super easy and a great gift that will always have a special spot on the tree.

All you need is clear glass ornaments, their wedding invitation, a pencil, and ribbon or charms.

The L ornament is from this wedding's invite 

The R ornament is from this wedding's invite

Just cut the invitation in strips of varying length, but make sure you can read the details (their names, dates, places, etc) and wrap it around the pencil to curl it. I'll be making mine this week, our extra wedding stuff is in storage (with the Christmas gifts!) so I'll be picking them up today or tomorrow.

I'm so excited to have something so special for our tree and it made me even happier to share it with our friends! They were a big hit, so now I'm trying to gather invitations from our friends who were married a few years ago so I can make some for them too.

We're Ready for Santa!

Throughout the season, I've been going back and forth on what/if we should decorate for the holidays. We live with our parents while we save for our own home and plan on buying some decorations at half off after Christmas for next year, but it's still our first year married so I wanted to do something.

I've wanted to make burlap stockings for Matt and I for-evah, but felt silly doing it when we didn't live together so now that we're married, I made them over the weekend. I knew exactly what I wanted to do, and then I saw this on Pinterest and since it was just about exactly how I pictured it, I knew it would look fantastic.

First, I outlined, cut, and pinned my fabric together (I used a white linen as lining).

Tacked on some fluffy fabric, and gliterred wooden letters. For now, our letters are our initials, but one day I'll take Matt's "M" for Mommy and I'll have to make a "D" for Daddy. The glitter has little stars in it that I couldn't see from the bottle, but it was a happy surprise. It makes the letters more festive I think. I posted this picture on Twitter, so you may have seen it.

Then, ta-da!!

I love how they look and I'm really happy with how they turned out. From start to finish it took me about 2.5-3 hours. I'm pretty amateur when it comes to sewing so someone more practiced at it would probably be able to whip these up faster. The trickiest part of the whole thing was the white fluffy top. I had to un-sew and re-sew it a couple of times before it was right. I'll definitely be able to make them for our future kids much easier.

What do you have for your stockings?

Ask Me Anything QandA

Thank you everyone who asked me a question on my Ask Me Anything post. So many great ones, I couldn't wait to post this! The questions ranged from all kinds of topics, some of them really made me think! I feel like we're all girlfriends, just gabbing. Let's get this QandA party started!

Kathy S: What/who are your inspirations in life and for your blog?

My blog inspiration comes from everywhere really! My friends, the magazines I subscribe to (InStyle, Glamour, People Stylewatch), Pinterest, fashion/beauty trends, and my everyday life. If there's something I enjoy, I want to share it with everyone. I've been known to send out emails/texts about new products/sales so this blog is my perfect platform.

In life, my inspirations would have to be the women in my family. They're so loving, smart, creative, caring, and strong. Each woman brings something to my life, my aunts, sister, mom, grandmothers, and my in-laws. I'm so very blessed to have such amazing women in my life.

Kate: From 1st course to last, what is your all-time favorite meal? 

This question was one of the hardest! I just love food, it's delicious and a great way to spend time with loved ones. It's so hard to choose just one meal, so I cheated a little bit and went with a feast. For appetizers, I love chips and salsa/guacamole, brie cheese and crackers, a wedge salad, a nice filet mignon medium rare, with a side of bbq'd zuchini and steamed broccoli. For dessert, I love apple or banana milkshakes.

Cassie: What is your profession?

I just started a new position as a Customer Service representative for a large bank (I don't want to give the company name for privacy, if you'd like to know, email me and I'll be happy to tell you) and I love it! I'm one of the people who answer your 1-800 calls. I've never been happier with a job before either! I've worked 2-3 jobs simultaneously since I was 16 and have never felt so satisfied with a company before. The people I work with are wonderful, the atmosphere is professional, fun, and inspiring. My only regret is that I didn't start here sooner!

Casey: What was one thing you would change about your wedding day if you could?

If I could change one thing, it would be that we hired multiple photographers. The husband and I paid for the wedding ourselves and only had a budget for one photographer, but if money was no object I would have hired three.

When do you think you and your hub will try for kids?

The hubs and I can't wait to start our family and we get asked about it all the time. Any time I'm feeling under the weather everyone at work automatically thinks I must be preggers. It's so funny! We actually won't be trying to start our family until next summer. Oh, and we want three kids. :D

Where do you buy the majority of your clothes?

I buy most of my clothes from Nordstrom and Forever 21. I find a bunch of basics from Target as well.


Heather: I always love to hear a little more about blogger's daily lifestyles.
Do you work out? If so how often?

I do, but I've been on and off about working out regularly. I like to work in the morning and I'll go 4 times a week solid for a while, will take one week off and it will take me months to get back in the habit. I could work out at night, but I get home late (8pm) and just want to unwind, get some chores done, and get ready for the next day. Working out at night is going to be one of my new years resolutions though!

If so what's your workout regimen?

I'll typically do 20-30 minutes of cardio (either the treadmill or elliptical)  followed by 20 minutes of weight training.

Do you follow a strict diet?

Absolutely not. I eat everything, but do try to eat on the healthier side with lots of veggies and fruit.

Cook at home or eat out mostly? 

We mostly cook at home. My husband and I grew up in homes where our mothers cooked everyday, so we're trying to follow suit. I think it's healthier and most cost-effective. A typical dinner is chicken, veggies, and macaroni and cheese. If it's a later night for us, (I typically get home just before 8pm) and my husband also had to work, he'll bring food from Outback home, their wedge salad and a prime rib.I also pack a lunch every day for work, sandwiches, leftovers, protein shakes, fruit, PB crackers, and string cheese is pretty typical.

Oh and I'd love to see a video on your day-to-day hair and make-up routine 

I usually wear my hair curled every day, here is my video on how I curl it. Curling it takes me just as long as straightening it, but I've found that my hair lasts for more days without washing it when I wear it curled.

I've been asked a few times about my day-to-day make-up routine, so a video is on it's way!

Natalie H: If you were stranded on an island, What Five Beauty - Must- Haves would you want with you? 

Love this question! I'd definitely bring and eyelash curler, mascara, pink blush, chapstick, and a nude lipgloss. These are all my everyday things and make the biggest difference in making my look come together.

Natasha XOXO: I'd love to read about your daily skin care routine; products you use and why; products you've used in the past and why you don't use them!

First, my skin is pretty normal, not oily, but I do have some sensitivity from childhood Eczema. For make-up removal I use Clean and Clear Makeup Dissolving Foaming Cleanser. This is so hard to find in stores- I think it may have been discontinued, so I bought in bulk online. If anyone has any similar products, I'd love to find a substitute! L'Oreal Go 360 Cleanser for Sensitive Skin. this wash is gentle and gets a lot of make-up off, plus I love the scrub pad. I follow that up with Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner, toner is always mentioned in magazines so I swooped this up a few years ago and never looked back. It smells nice, doesn't sting, and although I've never had an issue with an even skin tone, I think this helps maintain mine. When that dries I moisturize using Oil of Olay Complete for Sensitive Skin, and Mary Kay Timewise Firming Eye Cream. I love these moisturizers because their great for sensitive skin, they're not too thick or runny and they absorb into my skin pretty fast.

I use these products everyday and love them. They're a perfect fit for my skin, not oily or drying and have helped me to keep an even skin tone. I've heard that it's best to use products from the same line because they're meant to work together, but I can't imagine giving one of these up. Maybe as my needs change as I age I'll slowly make my way into all Mary Kay or Oil of Olay.

I've used these items for years that I don't even remember what I used before! I've know I used Clean and Clear face washes and now that I'm older I don't think I really need them anymore, a simple cleanser does the trick. Also, I used to use St. Ives Apricot scrub and haven't bought it since college. I think I would still use it though if I felt my skin changes and I get oilier.

Better Off Med: What is the best compliment you've ever received from someone? 

The best compliment I've ever received was an email someone close to me sent asking how I keep such a happy disposition despite trials and roller coasters I've been through. It was such a heartfelt and personal email, I've saved it and have read it over and over again. By nature, I've always been a glass is half-full type of person, I mean if you can't change something, at least make the best of it. Plus, I believe that happiness is a choice, it's important to focus on what you have been given and what you're capable of changing. For most choices, I'd rather be happy than right/sad/mad/or depressed so I choose to count my blessings and see the silver lining in life.

Kelley: If you could raid any celebrity's closet whose would it be? 

This is such a great question!! And oh so hard! After much thought, I'd have to choose Blake Lively. That girl is super fashionable, has friends in all the right places, and I'm also assuming that whoever's closet I chose their clothes would magically look just as good on me. :D

Thanks again to everyone who sent me a question! I had a ton of fun answering these. If you think of another question, leave me one below and I will respond via comments.

Love you ladies! Hope everyone has a great last week before the holiday!