Weekend Snapshots

Happy Monday! I hope your week started off fabulously and will be a good sign for an even better week. I think a lot of people hate Mondays, but for me, it's Sunday nights that I hate. The getting ready for the week, knowing that living in your pajamas and smothering your babies in kisses all day long, and daytime naps are coming to an end, it's just the quiet ending that I dislike.

I've had the past two weekends off and it's been wonderful to spend some extra time at home and with friends/family. Last weekend we never got out of pajamas! We would just shower and put on fresh lounge clothes. It was glorious! This past weekend we got out of the house everyday and we weren't on any type of a schedule. I love having weekends with no plans or just one event and we can spend time together as a family. The weeknights go by so quickly, I love soaking in the weekends. 

We finally hung the Love Sign! It's not taunting me anymore as I walk past it everyday. I'm so happy that it's up and I love how it looks in our kitchen.
When you hang items up, do you eyeball it or measure. Matt will measure every single detail and make sure it's level and it takes him forever to hang anything. I just eyeball it and go for it.

We do all of our cleaning up in the mornings and Ellie loves watching her daddy work outside. She'll go from window to window waiving at him. It's the sweetest thing ever.

When Ellie was sick, these were our lifesavers! The Hylands cold medicine is safe for 6 months and up and totally cleared up her runny nose. So happy to have found it, I just wish I had found it sooner. 

My outfit for an afternoon with my in-laws: Plaid Flannel Shirt  // Shorts 

I've been on the lookout for a china buffet and saw this beauty. I sent a pic to my husband and while I was waiting for his response and shopped around, it was sold! I was so sad I could have cried.

Ellie has a shoe fetish and wanted to put her new kicks on as soon as she woke up in the morning and after her nap. She insisted on wearing them all day and hated when I had to take them off. Also, cuddles are the best!

Ellie's Shoes // My Joggers

What I wore to brunch with my Chi Omega sisters.

Kiki La Rue Cardi (old, still available here!)

Hope you had a great weekend!

PS Can you believe it's October already on Wednesday?!?!

Fall Polish Favorites

Essie Wicked // Essie Bahama Mama // Essie Chinchilly // Essie After School Boy Blazer

OPI Lincoln Park After Dark // Sally Hansen Slick Slate // Sally Hansen Uptempo Plum // Sally Hansen Black and Blue 

Happy first day of fall! After posting my Summer Polish Favorites, it's only right to post my favorite fall ones today. I scoured through my treasure chest of polish and picked my favorite top eight to share. Most of my colors are close to black when applied, and I love how dark they look on.

Essie Wicked- A dark burgundy, I lived in this color last year and I'm excited to wear it again this season.

Essie Bahama Mama- A gorgeous dark purple, almost wine colored. I've had this on my toes for weeks now. It's so much darker than it looks in the above picture.

Essie Chinchilly- A total cult classic for a reason! Looks great on everyone and is the perfect neutral.

Essie After School Boy Blazer- Another almost black shade, I've been obsessed with Navy and I'll be wearing this one all season for sure.

OPI Lincoln Park After Dark- Another cult classic, a wine-black shade and gorgeous. It's so chic and dark.

Sally Hansen Slick Slate- Very similar to Chinchilly, but darker. It's perfect for your toes or fingers and pairs perfectly with a nude pink mani to match.

Sally Hansen Uptempo Plum- This has been one of my favorites for a few years now. It's a beautiful dark plum with some shimmer. It's perfect for a special night out.

Sally Hansen Black and Blue- I loved this shade last year! To get the dark color I wanted, I put two coats over a black coat and it was a beautiful color change with the blue, green, and purple. Very fun!

What are some of your favorite fall colors? Any color I'm missing out on?

House to Home: Master Bedroom

Since moving into our first house in March, I've been searching high and low for bedroom furniture. I absolutely hate our bedroom right now. The search has been on and we've decided to re-do the room next year with our tax return. Our biggest obstacle we've had is finding furniture we like! We looked at so many different retailers and everything was ho-hum or out of our budget. I've thought about just having what we like made even. I've bought a few items (3 things) for our room when it finally gets a make-over, but I've been dreaming of our perfect room for a while now and it's to the point that it's eating me up and I wanted to share some inspiration with you guys for what I have in mind.

Here's some of my Pinterest inspirations I've found:

What I picture for our bedroom is soft, neutral colors. Grays, white, and cream, and I'm thinking a bedding mix of white, gray, and navy? All through college I had an all white bed and I loved sleeping on what looked and felt like a giant cloud. In the Pottery Barn catalog, they had a bed with white sheets, a navy blanket, and a big comforter and I fell in love with it. I'm also wanting to paint our walls a white gray color. I want our room to be relaxing and bright, with a touch of rich textures.

A Natural Wood Dresser //  A Mirrored Nightstand // A Tufted Headboard 

Bed Bench // Mirrored Frame 

Here are some of the items I've found recently online, but I'm hesitant to buy Target furniture. When looking at the display items at the store, some of them are well made and others are pretty cheap. Since we're buying all new furniture, I want to invest money in items that will last years and years. I bought that mirrored frame already and I'm saving it to put a picture of Matt and I in it from our family pictures we're having taken next month. I also love the look of mix matched side tables and I love mirrored ones, but I think it would be so hard to keep clean. Especially with Ellie's little finger prints everywhere!

What bedroom looks to you like? Where do you like to get bedroom furniture?

Fall Fashion Buys for Ellie

Ellie has so much summer stuff, I'm not sure that we'll have enough hot days for her to wear everything that still has tags. I bought her a bunch of clothes, but she also got a ton of items for her birthday in May. This fall/winter is supposed to be pretty cold and wet after having such a dry and hot summer. This week we've had some record breaking temps and it's miserably hot. I've started to buy some colder weather outfits for Ellie and wanted to share them on the blog.
I love shopping at Carters for Ellie, I've mentioned that before on a previous post. I just love their clothing options, they wash well, they don't fade, and fit true to size. Plus, I love how they to mix and match so easily. They have some of the cutest stuff right now and I scooped some items up at their store and from Kohl's. They're always having great deals and I lucked out during their 50% off sale with an additional discount coupon I had.

Hoodie Outfit // Floral Outfit // Navy Outfit

Striped Outfit // Gold/Leopard Outfit

Polka dots, stripes, and cardis is what I've really been into for Ellie. I like to be able to layer her outfits and I love that these will all mix in with basics and each other. I've bought all 24 months for her and I expect her to wear them, if the temperatures drop, come October. I'm dying to see her in that gray top and leopard skinnies!

Halloween Witch Tee // Pea Coat // Snow Bunny Tee // Denim Shirt

Striped Leggings // Fur Boots // Jeggings

Here are some single items I've picked up for her. That pea coat is just killing me! I can't wait for her to wear it! Last year, my sister got her the cutest red pea coat I ever saw and it was such a warm winter she only got the chance to wear it for 10 minutes. I was so bummed out because it was the absolutely to die for! I'm loving the fur boots too, they are so cute in person- Ellie gave them a hug when I showed them to her! We actually have these striped leggings and I had to buy another pair for this season, she wore them all the time last year!

What have you been buying for your little ones? Where do you like to shop for them?

My Every Day Face

In writing some of my recent beauty posts, and cleaning out my makeup bag, I thought it would be fun to share my everyday makeup items with you. You know, my arsenal of beauty products that make me feel put together and pretty. As I've mentioned several times in the last few years, my makeup drawer is overflowing with all kinds of pink/nude lipsticks, pink/peach blushes, and the shimmer is everywhere. EVERYWHERE. With trying to focus my beauty buys more on repurchases/refills, my everyday look consists mainly of my Holy Grail items, many of which I've blogged about before.

I typically wear the same makeup every day, I may skip an item here or there, but I keep it pretty consistent. My everyday makeup probably takes me about 10-15 minutes and another 5 minutes or so if I’m getting ready for something special (i.e. pack on more shadow and mascara). I've been doing the same routine and application for so many years, I could probably do it with my eyes closed, except for the liner- could you imagine?? The biggest variance to my routine is swapping out shadow colors for more browns or pinks. MAC All That Glitters and Naked Lunch are my staples! I love them and use them as a base for most pairings. They’re often sold out, so I’ll sometimes even buy them two at a time- same with the Hue lipstick!

MAC Blush Warm Soul // NYX Matte Bronzer in Light // MAC Studio Fix in C4

L'Oreal True Match Liquid Foundation in W3 Nude Beige // Maybelline Age Rewind in Brightener

 

Younique 3D Fiber Mascara // Urban Decay Primer Potion // BDB Brow Powder in Taupe // 

MAC Phloof // MAC Naked Lunch // MAC All That Glitters

L’Oreal Liquid Eyeliner // L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara

MAC Lipglass in Angel // MAC Lipstick in Hue

MAC Cremesheen Glass in Boybait // MAC Lipstick in Creme Cup 

What’s your every day makeup? What’s your Holy Grail items?

Snapshots of the Weekend

Today I'm home sick with Ellie. She came home on Friday with a runny nose and has had a fever on and off all weekend. We planned on taking her to daycare today because she's been in a great mood all weekend, but she had a really tough night so we decided she should stay home where she'll be the most comfortable. We're pretty sure it's just teething, she has four molars that have cut through and I can feel another four coming in.

Sunglasses // Notebook (sold out, love this one) // Gloss

I've been keeping the journal I write for Ellie at work so I can look back at old entries and write new ones. I have a full hour lunch and it's hard to fill up that time with no shopping. I need to get a good book to read to keep me from walking into Target during that hour. I like to take some time each break to go outside and enjoy the sun, but our temps lately are record breaking and it's miserable to be outside more than 10 minutes.

We ran a quick errand this weekend and there was a farmers market in the lot that we checked out. We've been wanting to go to a market since we moved in and my cousins in the area have a few great ones they want us to check out with them. It was fun to check out all the fresh produce and try the samples. The dragonfruit was delish! I'll definitely be picking some up our next trip. While we were there we picked up some mango infused balsamic vinegar and I can't wait to make some salmon and salad with it. We tried infused vinegar at my sister's house on roasted veggies and it was so delicious! We've been wanting to pick up some of our own and went with mango. I think next time we'll pick up blood orange or a spicy one.

Bench (sold out, similar here)  // Love Sign

This love sign is haunting and teasing me. I bought months ago and haven't put it up yet. We had a small leak in an upstairs bathroom shortly after moving in, so that put a wrench in our decorating plan as we had to get it fixed, then textured, and then painted. I wanted to do it last week and I couldn't find the dang nails and hooks I wanted to use for it. So it's just been sitting there on our kitchen bench laughing at me as I pass by it.

This weekend I finally had the chance to clean out my makeup bag (which sparked a fun post for tomorrow and some more coming up!) and found the September issue of People StyleWatch! I love my subscription and look forward to the fall and spring issues most so I was so disappointed that my September one never came. I filed a claim and they're going to extend my subscription, but I was on the hunt to find it somewhere. Can't wait to dig in for all the fall trends.

How was your weekend? What fall trends are you looking forward to?
Have a happy Monday everyone

Product Review: e.l.f. Essential Smudge Pot

e.l.f. Essential Smudge Pot - Aint That Sweet?

In a previous Beauty Recent Purchase post, I blogged about buying the Smudge Pot to use as a primer with my eyeshadows. The e.l.f. site says it's a gel formula to use as a long-lasting eyeshadow or eyeliner. The texture is great- creamy and soft. At first it was easy to use and blend with a brush/finger, but after a few uses the product rolls/beads up. It still blends well with a finger though. It leaves a nice semi-sheer pink tone and is very shimmery. The product is long-lasting and helps make my shadow more vibrant and last throughout the day. It works great as a primer, but I don't think I'll be finishing the pot or buying another one.

For the price, it's a great alternative to my beloved Urban Decay Primer Potion or MAC's Paint Pots and works if you need something in a pinch. I would swear by it and re-purchase in the future if it didn't bead up. I don't think that the product itself would last long and probably dry out and I wouldn't be surprised if I opened it one day and it was all beaded up inside.

Have your tried their smudge pots? What's your favorite primer? Do you use one in your everyday routine?

Work OOTD: Marled Black and White

Marled Crew-Neck Sweater //  Black Skinnies (old, I just bought these ones that I love and are similar) // Nine West Flax Pumps

Simple Addiction Necklace // Mindy Mae's Bracelets in Black via Very Jane // China Glaze Pink Voltage

Oh my gosh, I'm so in love with this sweater! It's everything I dreamed of and more. LOL. I know I'm going to be living in it the next few months. It's soft, fits well, I love the shorter sleeve, and it's going to be perfect for layering. Absolutely love it! This hot pink polish is a new favorite too! Such a fun neon shade. You have to wear a base coat or the polish will never come off! Trust me, I went through 8 cotton balls soaked with remover and still had some color lingering. When I used a base coat, it came off easy peasy. 

3 Little Things

So, there's a few things I wanted to talk about, but couldn't really find a post to share my random thoughts, so here's mish mash of randomness. There's so many little things I wanted to say or thought about posting, but instead of rambling (or boring you to death), I figured I'd pick 3 and call it a day.

Best Show Ever!

I’m pretty sure I’m the last to hop on the bandwagon, but I’m finally watching and obsessing over Scandal. Hello Olivia Pope! I started watching it while on vacation two weeks ago and it’s such a great show. I can’t believe I haven’t caught onto it sooner. So many people watch, I’m always seeing statuses on Facebook about the epsidoes, but I just never had any urge to watch it myself. Now that I’ve started watching, I have to force myself to turn the TV off or I’ll be up all night long glued to the tube. I’m already on Season 3 and I’m dreading to get to the last episode. The fashion is amaze balls too, I wore the shawl collar cardigan from yesterday's Recent Purchase post and totally felt like her (except that I'm not nearly as chic).

Essie Bahama Mama // Essie Chinchilly

It’s also that time of year when all you hear about is fall this, fall that, pumpkin spice everything. No joke, I hate it. First of all, I’m never ready for summer to be over yet. I’m ok with the heat cooling down, but I’m not ready to bundle up yet. This year it is especially annoying because I felt like summer slipped between my fingers. Even still, when I’m out shopping I’m still thinking about what I’ll get the most use of, what my closet needs for the upcoming months, etc. Last week I bought some goodies that are totally for cooler weather and while on vacation I bought two nail polishes that I’ll deem as fall appropriate. Oh, and I already bought Ellie’s Halloween costume. I guess this means I’m on the “It’s fall again!” train. I’m going to make it a conscious effort to ease into it and relish in the fall activities so that I don’t feel like fall/winter went as fast as summer did. Maybe I’ll make a Fall Activity To Do List to make sure. What’s your favorite season? Are you ready for pants and boots already?

A sneak peek of Ellie's costume!

Ellie has been so much fun lately. She cracks me up from morning til night. I love making her laugh and being silly with her. She has become such a great cuddler lately, wanting to sit on my lap to play, puts her arm around me when we’re laying down, or leans against me when we’re side by side. I absolutely love it. The time with her has gone by so fast, so I’m soaking up every minute of her cuddles while she still gives it to me. I feel like she's changed so much in the last month or so, just so much of her personality has developed.

Hope you all have a great weekend! Any special plans?

Recent Purchases- Labor Day Haul

Yesterday was such a good mail day! My Labor Day Old Navy haul arrived, woohoo! There's a few items from my Wishlist post that I'm so excited I got my hands on. I'm still waiting on an order from Carter's for Ellie, that I'll be sure to post as well. I've been so excited for this ON order. It's all items I've had in my cart for a while. There's still a few items I'm eyeing (like a hat and some boots), but I'm waiting until it cools off to get those.

Lightweight Cardi // Ponte-Knit Dress

I'm in LOVE with this dress. I can't wait to wear it! It's the perfect dress to wear year round. The sleeveless silhouette makes it perfect for summer and the textured fabric bring it right into fall. It's going to be perfect with tights and boots. I ended up getting the cardigan I posted about (in this Wishlist) in white to go with the dress and some other items in my closet.

Plaid Flannel Shirt

This flannel was added to my cart immediately and I was worried it would sell out before I pulled the trigger on checking out. I love a good plaid and these colors are so cute together.

J'Adore Tee // Fabulous Tee

These Ts are everything. I've already worn the Fabulous one (which is why it's wrinkled- I hung it up to dry) and order the J'Adore one next. I bought one size up in a large so that they would fit a bit big and I could tuck in the front. These tops are so comfortable and soft. I'll be wearing them 24/7 I'm sure.

Marled Crew-Neck Sweater

I'm obsessed with all things marled. I fell in love with the pattern last year and I'm so happy I'm finding it everywhere this year. This sweater is gorgeous and I love the 3/4 sleeves. It's perfect to layer and Old Navy knit sweaters are some of my favorites. I bought a plain long sleeve gray one last year and wish I bought it in every color.

Shawl-Collar Open-Front Cardi

After seeing Rachel Parcell of Pink Peonies in a simple pink cardigan, I went on the hunt to find one. I loved the feminine, simple look of it. This shawl collar is so soft and comfortable. It kind of reminds me of Olivia Pope of Scandal too, which I'm totally loving right now.


One thing I'm so happy about is that all of the items were great purchases! They all fit great and were exactly what I was expecting. Initially I was worried that some items may not fit how I wanted them too, or it would look how I expected them too in real life, but each item worked out. Love when the worlds collide like that.

Did you buy anything from their Labor Day sale?

Labor Day Weekend

This last weekend was also season opener's for dove hunting so Matt was out with his buddies and Ellie and I got the whole weekend to ourselves. I feel like the weekend went so quickly and I am so tired. I was very excited for Matt to come home because this mama could use a nap. Every night I went to bed so late and woke up at the crack of dawn to have tea parties with Ellie and watch Doc McStuffins. I bought the soundtrack to the show too and have been singing it all weekend. Every time the songs come on, Ellie does her dance moves and it's so cute. She is such a crack up! This is such a fun age and I'm so excited for the holidays this year with her. 

On Saturday I headed down to San Diego with my brother in law for an Offspring/Bad Religion/Pennywise concert. It was so fun seeing the bands, Offspring played all of their Smash album in order. Hello highschool (and junior high)! The majority of the crowd was our age and it was packed. This was our second concert together and we had a blast! The family missed out on a great show!

Sunday I did a trial run of hair/makeup for my friend's mom. She's getting married next month and asked me to help with getting ready. I was kinda nervous, but it turned out great! I'm so excited and she's going to be a beautiful bride. Our kids were hilarious to watch play together, the simplest of things are such entertainment. For twenty minutes, the kids would stand at the fireplace and we would countdown "3, 2, 1, go!" and they'd run off the edge laughing and clapping for themselves.  

Afterwards, my BFF came to spend the night and we went old school with pizza, candy, and movies. This was our favorite thing to do growing up and it was great to catch up. She recently moved back to town and I'm so happy to have her back. She was living up north for a few years and it was a few years too many!

Then today, we celebrated my sister's birthday at the Hash House a Go Go and played at Balboa Park. Ellie had the best time eating the leftover potatoes and biscuits from brunch. It was hilarious seeing her with the large portions. We played Crimes Against Humanity and chased Ellie everywhere. 

Daddy finally came home and we celebrated with dinner at In and Out. It hit the spot and was the perfect ending to an adventurous weekend.

How was your holiday weekend? Did you hit up any sales? I've bought a few things online this week and will post later about my purchases!