InstaLately Link Up 4

I'm a coffee drinker, but a hot apple cider in the morning is delicious! 

My OOTN for my first Bunco night! A sorority sister invited me and it was so much fun! I can't wait to play again! 

Mossimo Skinnies, Old Navy Blouse, Steve Madden Flats


My Sissy in law has set a date and asked me to be a bridesmaid! I couldn't be happier or more excited!


On Sunday, we went out shopping and she said Yes to the most gorgeous dress and the girls all found our BM dresses. We're so efficient!

My nails are ready for Halloween! 

The family ready for a Halloween party! Our costume was such a big hit! Most of the costumes we made ourselves or altered store bought ones (you really should have seen mine before)

Here's a close up of the hubs and I. Isn't his costume scary? Our niece kept crying and running. 

Happy Halloween everyone!

My 1000th Post!

Wow. I can't believe today is my 1000th post!! Isn't that nuts??

I thought I'd have some super witty and creative post for you guys, but I'm plum out of ideas today. So instead I'll just give you a random life updates. How's that?

- Usually, I don't really get into holidays until it's closer to the actual celebrated holiday, but I've been ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas for at least a month. We always celebrate those holidays at my aunt's house and I've been asking her for weeks what I should bring. She must think I'm nuts by now.

- All of you on the east coast I hope you're doing ok with these crazy storms!! I've been reading your blog, IG, and FB posts and hope the best for you guys! CA weather is just nuts being cold one day and blazing the next. Today is supposed to be 87! On freaking Oct 30!

- My favorite person in the world to text is my Grandpa. He's so endearing and hilarious. I've thought about doing a weekly post about our texts because he cracks me up. Here's an example:

"Kristen I love these Egyptian cottons sheets we bought at WalMart. They wash and go back on the bed and fit perfect. They are neat. I love you."

Don't you just love the guy? There's a story behind these new sheets, but I don't think it's as funny written as it is told. Long story short, he had full size sheets for his queen size bed (+ pillow top and foam padding) that he insisted used to fit the bed, but shrunk in the wash.

- Am I really missing out on all this pumpkin flavored craze? I don't drink coffee so I haven't had the chance to try the PSL from Starbucks, but drinking pumpkin flavored liquid just doesn't sound appeasing to me.

- The hubs and I are STILL looking for a home. It's so frustrating. We've been looking for a house since February and I'm at that point where a) I'm not going to settle on anything less than blah, blah, blah and b) I'll move in anywhere we can call our own at this point. Maybe we should just move out of state?

- I finally played Bunco for the first time and had so much fun! I even won for most baby buncos. It probably also helped that I was one of two people not drinking so I could actually keep track of my plays, but whatevs, I'll take it! I can't wait to play again, it was such a great time.

- My Iphone and it's fun, personalized cover that took me forever to pick out should be here today or tomorrow. I can't wait!

- Today is the LAST day to enter my giveaway so don't forget my BDB Brow Buddy giveaway!

What's new with you ladies? Something you want to share??

Apple Picking

Well, we finally crossed off an item from our Fall To-Do List! The whole family and some friends went to a place near our home, Oak Glen, and had such a fun time! The scenery is gorgeous and would be a perfect place for family photos (took note for future family shots!).

This was such a fun day, I recommend it to everyone! Down the street from the orchard, there was a little town/street fair at Apple Annie's where we tried fresh cider and cider doughnuts- which are amazing!The hubs and I had so much fun, we plan on going again next year...and maybe checking out the berry orchards too.

Don't forget to enter my BDB Brow Buddy giveaway!

Hot Man Parade

Blog Link Up: Project Inspire

When I saw that Chelsea and Hollie were doing a link-up with hand written snail mail cards, I was IN!! I love sending cards to friends and I love receiving notes. I mean, it really is the simple things in life. The point of this swap is to send a sweet message in your note, to help motivate, encourage, or inspire your swap partner.

Lucky for me, I was partnered with Chelsea herself, of Life is a Sunset! Woohoo! I've been reading Chelsea's blog for a longtime now and I feel like I don't just know her, but KNOW her, y'know? We comment on each other's posts all the time like we're neighbors and have emailed back and forth about everything from shopping to the hard life stuff. She is just such a sweetheart and is so honest and inspiring. Being a blogger can be really daunting and we tend to just post about the rainbow and sunshine parts of our lives, but life can really suck sometimes. Being honest about the the sucky parts can be so difficult dealing with them alone, but sharing it can be even harder. Whenever I find someone who is as real, honest, inspiring, and has so much beauty as Chelsea, I just can't stop learning more about them. I know one day we're definitely going to meet IRL, but until then, blogging and emails will have to work!

Chelsea sent me the darndest cutest card and notes ever! I couldn't get over how cute she decorated them either! Hello glitter, come to mama! Her message was so meaningful and personal too, I've read and re-read it a dozen times. Thank you again Chelsea for your kind words and friendship!

Getting notes like this really warms the heart and lift your spirits. Life isn't fair, but having good friends who bring a smile to your face, and a laugh to your life make it so much easier!

InstaLately Link Up 3

 

Mossimo Skinnies, Old Navy Polka Dot Sweater, Glitter Toms

F21 Faux Leather Leggings, Old Navy Blouse, Steve Madden Flats 

The most delicious cake my sissy-in-law made! It's like a Girl Scout Samoan cookie with ice cream! 

My fave fall nail color of the moment- Sally Hansen Flirt 

New MAC Blush, Easy Manner from their Glamour Daze collection (see here) 

Cucumber + Water is one of my fave combos 

Pajama day at work! Can't get better than a two piece set with owls!

Product Review + Giveaway!: Billion Dollar Brows

Recently I was contacted by Billion Dollar Brows to try out some of their products and it couldn't have come at a better time. I've been using an eyeliner pencil for my brows and I just wasn't happy with it. I've found myself checking out everyone's eyebrows and wondering what they use to get them to look that way. I've been looking for something else, but just didn't really know where to go or what would be best for my brows. Now, thanks to BDB, my brows have never looked so good!

I got to test out four different products, and here's how they worked for me:

 

First up, I tried their Brow Buddy Shaping Kit to get the perfect brow look. It's the easiest tool to use to find where your brows should start, where the arch should be, and where they should end. Honestly, I thought this was easier than the popular pencil trick. Although I've never used stencils, I couldn't imagine using those either! This tool is helps you to find what's best for YOUR eye shape. Genius!

Next up, I tried their Hint of Tint brow gel in blonde. The brush is just like a mascara wand and you just swipe it across your brows to add color, sweep on more coats for a deeper shade. I've been super interested in trying a brow gel, I thought it would be easy and also double for keeping my brows in place (right now I use clear mascara). This product is really easy to use, but didn't really work for my thin brows. It would be perfect for someone with thicker brows who need some color, similar to those like Lily Collins, Camilla Belle, or Anne Hathaway.

Oh my word. I am in love with this Universal Brow Pencil! My sister in law who went to beauty school always tells me to pick up a universal brow pencil for my brows, she swears by them. However, I couldn't find one anywhere. Thank you BDB for sending this gem to me! Like I said earlier, I've been using an eyeliner pencil for my brows (I used to use a Maybelline one that I swore by, but I've just outgrown it, I needed something with more oomph), but haven't used anything as fabulous as this. Similar to the Hint of Tint above, use more for darker color. This pencil really is universal, it would work for super blondes as well as dark brunettes. The pencil is creamy and glides on easily as well as blends in perfectly. Love it!

Finally, another brow gem! The BDB Brow Powder in Taupe. This shadow is available in four shades, Blond, Light Brown, Raven, and Taupe. I like to apply this with a slanted eye liner brush like this one, I feel that it gives me more control than a flat topped one. For my brows I've switched back and forth over the years between powders and pencils, but I felt like the powders were always too dark- that is not a good look either. I love, love, love this powder. It's amazing! I switch back and forth between the Universal Brow Pencil and this powder. It goes on easily without being too much or too little that you spend more time on your brows than necessary.

No joke, I'm in love with the pencil and powder and definitely plan on using these products moving forward. They're definitely worth purchasing! Now that my eyes are beautifully groomed, I feel like an adult. Is that weird? I just feel so much more put together knowing that my brows are how they were meant to be.

After falling in love with these products, Billion Dollar Brows has been so kind to offer one reader their Brow Buddy Shaping Kit! To enter, leave a comment below with your email. The giveaway will last through Tuesday October 30th, one winner will be chosen using Random.org. Good luck to you all! Only valid for residents in the US.

FTC: This is a sponsored post for Billion Dollar Brows, the products above were provided to me, but all opinions are 100% mine and are true. I value my readers and my blog integrity and would never promote a product or store I didn't believe in myself.