Thursday, April 30, 2020

Lately

We hung our towel rack this week and boy did it make such a difference in our bathroom. It makes it feel like a 'hotel' and now we have quick storage for our personal towels! It was an inexpensive way to make a real difference! I also got this cane lucite tray and I love it. I love cane and I think it's hard to find many cane things for around the house.

I did my first live Orange Theory workout which was so hard but great. It was just nice to see a familiar face on the screen! We have been going for tons of long walks and I have been doing a lot of workouts that are mostly based on weights/toning but I do love that 'community' feeling of Orange Theory and have missed it SO much!

One thing I noticed this week is the greenery and flowers starting to pop up! We actually have a lot of buds on the trees now and the grass just looks so much 'healthier' this week! I am excited for all the leaves to grow. I think things look so much better when it's all in bloom, don't you?! Saturday is looking to be 'warm' and sunny and I just can't wait to spend the day taking Henry on LOTS of walks!




Dress (also available here and in Seersucker)// Wedges
Wearing: Oh gosh, I really have a weakness for pink and green and THIS DRESS is incredible!! I love the flattering cut of this dress, but it's this print that had me drooling. They have several pieces available in this fun print and to me, it just screams summer! I cannot wait to be able to wear this out and about.

Eating: I have been eating SO much Bruster's. If you don't have a Bruster's, it is ice cream and it is so good. We can get it to-go and it's such a treat. My favorites are graham central station, chocolate cake batter, wedding cake, s'mores, and chocolate raspberry truffle. 

Reading: The most affectionate dog breeds. I loved seeing Chihuahua's on the list! Henry is 25% chihuahua and while he is mostly Australian Cattle Dog, I definitely wonder if his cuddly nature is due to that 25%! Our Australian Cattle Dog Mac was definitely loving and affectionate, but nowhere near to how Henry is. Henry ALWAYS wants to cuddle and sit on you or up against you. I still melt every day because of this!! 

Sale-ing: This is certainly the wrong season to buy a faux fur leopard coat, but I found one that looks SO similar to mine and it's on sale for under $150. I love it! 
Loving: I am always getting questions about my curtains every time I post to Instastories. I love the look of custom drapery but there was no way I was going to spend that in a home that we won't be in for too many years. I did a TON of research and came up with these. I like the colors/print and they are SO nice in person. The fabric is a nice, heavier weight with a subtle texture, they are fully lined, and are just overall so well made. They are just downright cheap in terms of the price which kept me a little skeptical but don't let the low price tag fool you, these are great and I can confirm that. 


Loving II: Just two snaps of some gorgeous flowers that I have been enjoying all week thanks to some very sweet and thoughtful friends! 

Loving III: I think this mirror is sold out but keep an eye on it because we just got two in for our master bathroom and they are SO nice. I honestly cannot believe the price. They look like something from Serena and Lilly. They're heavy and just overall so nicely made. Highly, highly recommend! 


Wanting:
 I haven't been impressed with J.Crew in a long time, but their latest collection is SO good. It's very nautical and has some Ralph Lauren vibes. Love!!! I also love love love this linen blouse. What a classic!
Smelling: I have these diffusers in all of the bathrooms in the house. They last for months, are never overpowering, and smell so good! This scent, in particular, is fresh and light and perfect for summer!

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Wedding Wednesday: Our Original Wedding Date

Many of you already know this if you follow me on Instagram but this past weekend was supposed to be our wedding...16 months (almost exactly) from the day my fiancé proposed. We had to postpone due to Coronavirus and you can read the details in this blog post.  I share that again because some people miss the information and ask a ton of questions, but I have tried to be as comprehensive as possible in blog posts because I know (unfortunately) so many others are dealing with similar situations and reading about our situation has helped them feel less alone. So definitely check out that blog post first. 

I also put together a list of ideas and ways to possibly celebrate a big milestone while at home. Today I wanted to share our weekend with all of you and how we celebrated what would have been our wedding day. One, I want to share because I have gotten tons of questions from friends and family members of people who have also had to postpone their weddings asking how to support the couple and what they can do. I don't think you need to send gifts or anything like that, but I cannot tell you how much I have appreciated the kind words, the thoughtful cards, and just the all-around show of support from my friends and family. I think the best thing you can do is be thoughtful and kind and supportive! I also want to share to document this past weekend forever and I'm sure you'll see why as I share... 

In hindsight, as wonderful as this past weekend was, I am SO glad that this weekend is behind us. I'm glad that there is no more April 25, 2020, looming over us. We got through it and now we only have the future to look forward to. I say this because leading up to this past weekend was a weird slew of emotions. One day I was relieved we postponed, one day I was incredibly sad, one day I wanted to ignore it all entirely, one day I was dreading it... the list goes on. Now that it has passed, I think a little bit of 'relief' has set in. I feel like the weight of April 25th is off of my shoulders and we only have the future to look forward to. If you have your original wedding date coming up, I can only hope you'll be able to feel peace about it, too. 

During the day on Friday, we were flooded by surprises from friends and family near, and far. Some dropping off baked goods, others sent flowers, some dropped off wine. My aunt and uncle sent my favorite Veuve Clicquot from Georgia! It was SO thoughtful. While the 'things' that they gave us don't matter, the thought meant the most in the world. 

Friday night we got takeout from our rehearsal dinner spot. We had champagne and red wine and just relaxed. Saturday we slept in, ate Chik Fil A for breakfast (our favorite), and actually did a second coat of paint on our master bathroom, haha!! It was hard going through that day but the painting really did help to take my mind off everything rather than just sitting there and wallowing. I looked at the clock at 2:59pm and said to my fiancé 'I would be about to walk down the aisle with my dad right now.'  As we were driving over to my parent's house that night, I looked at the clock again, and said 'you would have been my husband by now'. That kind of thing was tough.
My parents had told us to come over to their house at 6pm. All they told us was to 'dress up' and that they were going to make dinner for us (just the 4 of us) that we would have been serving at our wedding. The gesture was so sweet and so thoughtful and when they told me, I got tears in my eyes. 

So, we headed over, and on the way over, my fiancé said 'don't you think it's a little weird your parents told you to be there at 6pm sharp?'... I never even thought about it until he said something but I just assumed that is because they wanted everything to line up with our wedding timeline or something like that. 



We arrived and my parents were dressed up! We were greeted with champagne, the dining room table was beautifully set and my parents even hung string lights everywhere. My parents got a 'wedding cake', and even had all of our favorite appetizers for 'cocktail hour' (shrimp cocktail, smoked salmon dip, etc). My dad was so funny, even when we walked in, he had bagpipes playing from the speakers to replicate what it might have been like on our actual wedding day! 

It ended up being a beautiful night weather-wise so we went outside to enjoy everything on the front porch. All of a sudden, my aunt and uncle and cousin pulled up in their car. They had their own bottles of champagne in hand!! Then family friends started coming by with their own champagne. All of the neighbors came out of their houses and were banging on wind chimes and cheering and honking. 
You guys, I was SHOCKED. I cried!!! I could not believe what they had pulled off. So many friends and family all around supporting us. I was so overwhelmed in the best way possible.
A family friend of ours baked cookies and gave us them and called it our 'cookie' table. A family friend had one of the band members from our wedding band record us a special video and song for us to watch! I mean the thought from every single friend and family member was just truly something I could not have even imagined. 

April 25, 2020, was not what we had planned, but oh my goodness was it a night that I will never forget for the rest of my life. To say I feel unbelievably lucky is an understatement. My parents, family, and friends pulled out ALL of the stops. This will truly be a story that we will share forever. 

Although we are not married, we have so much to look forward to and so much to be grateful for. There's a silver lining in everything, and this is ours. 

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Throw Pillows For The Living Room

Throw Pillows For The Living Room
One// Two// Three
Four// Five// Six
Shop the Pillows:

I have to admit, I'm pretty impressed with the amount of 'house stuff' we have accomplished over the past few weeks. I like to look at that as a silver lining in all of this. We likely would have never gotten any of this done until later this year or even next year. As many of you know, finding items that you truly love is hard, and then taking the time to set them up, put them together, etc. is also very time-consuming. So I'm thankful to have been able to get so much done.

We have hung TV's in both the living room and basement, moved furniture around, styled newly added furniture, gotten several new lamps, painted our bathroom, installed towel racks, new mirrors, got a new chandelier for the dining area, found a light fixture for the powder room, got a new rug for the kitchen, and so much more!!

One of the things I haven't done yet (and likely would have never gotten around to) is that I want to change up our throw pillows in our living room. I am so not one to change up pillows in a room for holidays or anything like that and I honestly love what we have now. But, they are a little dark and quite 'fall/winter' feeling. I love a masculine vibe, and that's what the pillows give off, but I'm thinking I can use what we have for fall/winter and then get a few to use for spring/summer... I'm thinking lighter and brighter!  

So today I thought I would share with you all some pillow combinations that I am considering (above). Below, you can see some of these pillows 'mocked up'... I'm leaning towards the trio of pillows below. I think a quick change of throw pillows or blankets can really make an impact! Let me know what you think or if you have a good source for great pillows! 
Throw Pillows For The Living Room

Friday, April 24, 2020

Outfits Lately

For the past several weeks at home, I've definitely been in loungewear, athleisure, and pajamas more often than I have been wearing 'real pants'. But even so, something I have been really loving is just putting together outfits for the heck of it. One, it makes me feel put together, but two, it gives me hope and excitement for the future of when I might be able to wear these outfits again. I also think it really sparks my creativity. I'm not really a creative person at all, I'm much more analytical in most aspects of life but there is something about putting together an outfit that brings me such joy! 

I remember in high school, I used to put a lot of effort into my outfit every single day for school. Did you all do this? I think now it seems most high schoolers wear sweats to school (which makes me sound so old saying that haha). Definitely not me! I was dressed to the nines every single day for school!! Not that I don't spend time putting together outfits now, but I just remembering spending hours each week trying on so many different combinations of things until I got the outfit just right. I had more time to 'play around' back then and experiment.

I thought I would share with you all a bunch of different outfits I've been loving. Some I've already shared on Instastories but I thought this would be a nice aggregation of everything. Maybe this will spark your creativity to put something fun together to wear to the dining room this weekend, hah!!



Cashmere Sweater// Cream Jeans (on major sale)


Striped Top// Jeans (old)













Thursday, April 23, 2020

Lately



I have tried to keep myself really busy this week but to be honest, I've had a really tough time trying to focus. This would have been our wedding week. It's hard to even type that out right now and I'm just trying my darndest to stay positive. After making the decision to postpone, I have kept busy and am proud of myself for not dwelling too much. But the fact that the weekend is here and it's truly not happening is too much for me to process right now. I wish I had something eloquent to say or some sage wisdom to share, but my words have escaped me.

This week we put the final coat of white paint on in our bathroom. I ordered new mirrors, a towel rack, and a few other little items to refresh our master bathroom. I'm excited to see the finished product. We have been using the guest bathroom because we are waiting for the paint to fully dry for a few days before we hang the mirrors or shower and create humidity. Our master bathroom is very much a builder-grade space. I do not like the floor tile or the shower tile at all but we may never 'renovate' this space as it's not really worth it financially when we go to sell this house or rent it out! So these small changes will make a good impact and make it much more inviting since we basically just ignored it for so long!

I also had quite a bit of work to do this week (which I am incredibly thankful for) with some fun sponsored projects coming up. I hope you all will enjoy them. They have been bringing me joy and taking my mind off of this week, which has been nice.

Wearing: I wore the outfit above this past weekend. We had a Zoom call with 20+ people. I don't know why we hadn't thought to do this before, but we put it up on our TV and it was so fun! I love these Jeans. They seriously feel like you are wearing pajama pants. They are SO soft and not 'stiff' like what you normally think of when you think of jeans. They almost look like a chic, flowy linen pant! 


Eating: I made pomegranate guacamole this weekend. I hadn't made it in a while and forgot how delicious it is. I know it sounds a bit odd, but I promise the mix of tartness from the pomegranates adds such a good flavor and contrast! 

Drinking: This past weekend, to pair with our guacamole, we made margaritas. I have a great 'skinny' recipe on my Instagram highlights that you can find, here

Sale-ing: There are a lot of Staub pieces on sale right now. We got the dutch oven for our shower and LOVE it. We use it so much because it is so versatile. 

Watching:
 I watched the 4-part series on Netflix called Unorthodox. It was really good and so fascinating! I would highly recommend it! 
Loving: I just got this frame in! I love it. I have had this Linda Barnicott print since December and kind of forgot about it until recently. This is a view from where we got engaged and I just love how it looks in the more modern scalloped frame! 

Loving II: These mirrors were super inexpensive (as far as mirrors go) and I love them so much. I ordered two to spruce up our master bathroom and I can't wait until they arrive. They are such a pretty neutral grasscloth! I couldn't believe the price. I snagged both under $300 (and free shipping). Crazy! 


Wanting:
 These joggers are super comfortable and while the quality is not the highest, if you are just looking for something inexpensive and comfy/cozy to lounge around in, these do the trick. I have the tie-dye ones and really love them. 

Smelling: This is one of my favorite scents and I forgot that they make it in hand soap. I just ordered it to 'treat' myself since we are washing our hands so much! 

Quoting: 'What's coming is better than what is gone.' // See more of my favorites, here. 

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Mother's Day Gift Guide

Mother's Day Gift Guide



Mother's Day is right around the corner so I thought I would put together a gift guide for moms! My mom is hard to shop for but I LOVE buying her things. It brings me so much joy when I find something and she loves it. 

This year, I got her Sarah Flint Sandals, Lake Pajamas, and this sweatshirt. I have pulled together some items that are on my own wish list, like this Throw Blanket, some of my tried and true favorites like these pajamas, and some fun quirky inexpensive gifts, like this custom dog mug (I got my fiancé a dog mug for Christmas and it's one of his favorite things ever). 

Monday, April 20, 2020

Sephora Spring Sale 2020

Sephora Spring Sale 2020
Shop the Post:


The Sephora Spring Sale is here! They only have this sale twice a year (spring and holiday) and you can get up to 20% off. Here's the breakdown...

Rouge Members: April 17- May 1
VIB Members: April 21-29
Insiders: April 23-27

I've basically trained myself to shop at Sephora twice a year for these savings! I'll be posting a tutorial to my Instagram stories sharing the makeup that I love the most so please stay tuned for that so you can see everything in action. Here's where I will link to all of it with (hopefully) helpful descriptions of everything. 

I'm not a huge beauty person. I like to keep things very simple and natural-looking, so keep that in mind when I recommend something! I'll also share my favorite skincare products as it is skincare that I love the most! I think if you care for your skin well, then you don't have to do much in terms of makeup! This post is sharing my 'full face' makeup. Check out this post which highlights some of my more everyday items, too!

If you are wondering why you need an 'under-eye primer', I'm with you. I saw this floating all over Instagram and finally caved and bought it. I thought it sounded gimmicky or unnecessary to add another step to my routine. 

Well, I tried it and it honestly works. First off, it's cooling, which feels great on tired eyes. Secondly, it actually helps with keeping under eye concealer in place and also keeps it from sinking into fine lines. I'm really impressed. I don't necessarily use this every single day, but more when I want a really flawless look. You can even wear this alone when you're not wearing makeup just for the nice cooling effect. 
 This is a bit pricey, so it is nice to snag it while on sale. I don't wear foundation day-to-day but I do wear it when I get 'all dolled up'. This is truly the best and I have been wearing it for years. It's SO easy to apply because the texture just smooths over your skin, almost like a moisturizer. It feels hydrating and I never feel dried out but I also never get shiny with this either. The formula is lightweight and if you just use a little, it's not as full coverage, but you can build it up to be very full coverage. Many people on TV love this! This product wears beautifully and lasts all day. It doesn't really transfer off onto clothing. I wouldn't necessarily recommend rubbing your face on a white shirt, but it is good at not transferring.
I wear this in the color 'look less tired light peach' and this is a non-creamy color correcting stick that you can use to cancel out the purple/blue in your under eyes. I had a makeup artist recommend this to me and I have loved it ever since. You apply it under your eyes. When you do, it looks as though you put the wrong shade of concealer on. Then, you apply your concealer over top of the color corrector and that is where the magic happens. It dramatically reduces the appearance of dark circles. I could not recommend this product more! 
I have tried so many concealers. I had been using a drugstore brand that had rave reviews (Maybelline Age Rewind) and did not like that as I found it to have very little coverage and it also seemed 'watery'. I had also been trying the Tarte Shape Tape that gets so many rave reviews but I found it to be so drying and too much coverage. I had a Sephora associate recommend this concealer to me and it is so good. It's so creamy and hydrating but it stays put and has a nice full coverage! It's very similar, in my opinion, to the Nars Creamy Concealer, which is another favorite of mine. I also really like the Urban Decay Naked Concealer as it is matte but not drying and creamy when applying! 
I got this palette during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and now I really only use it for the bronzer which is Nar's most popular shade, Laguna. I have seriously tried SO many bronzers and I have liked some and disliked a lot. I have found some to either make me look 'dirty' or they have an undertone that makes it look very unnatural. Laguna is a true sunkissed, warm shade that doesn't look like you're wearing bronzer, it just looks like you were lightly kissed by the sun! Plus it's very easy to apply. It's hard to apply 'too much' but you can build on the color if a few swipes is not enough for your liking. It also wears really well/blends so nicely and lasts all day. As much as I love this one, I'm still always on the hunt for the 'perfect' bronzer! 


I have this highlighter in the shade 'golden opal pearl' and it is one of my very favorite highlighters EVER. I love highlighter and that shimmery glow that it creates so I have tried a lot. This powder is so fine and it just kind of melts into your face and gives you the lightest, most natural-looking glow. This color is perfect for year-round wear, too!

I used this blush in college and now I've come back to it. It's seriously the best! I use the shade 'super orgasm', but I think they changed the name to 'orgasm x' now. Anyway, it looks very pigmented but when you apply, it's very 'light' and natural-looking. The shimmer looks like a lot and normally that would turn me off but it doesn't show up on your face in a 'glittery' way. It looks very natural and sun-kissed! 
I use this in the shade 'medium brown'. I used to use the brow powder, but a makeup artist told me to switch to the pencil since I like a more natural look. I found myself going overboard when I would use the powder and with the pencil, I feel much more in control. I also agree that I think it just looks so much more natural! 
I have no eyelash extensions right now due to business being closed so in 'normal times' I would have extensions and therefore, you should take my mascara recommendation with a grain of salt. I haven't worn mascara in years and just grabbed this one because it is what I had on hand. I actually do really like it but haven't tried anything else in recent years to compare. 

I will say having to use mascara again reminds me of how excited I will be to get eyelash extensions reapplied whenever we are allowed again. Removing mascara is such a pain- I forgot what that was like!!
I have sang the praises of this lip balm so much, I'm not even sure it needs an introduction anymore! This balm is hydrating, has a beautiful color (I love Berry) and is so easy to apply.  10/10 !!

Shop the Perfumes:


I have my perfumes in the background of all of these photos so I am also sharing the perfume with all of you! I have a lot so I figured I would just share my top 3 as to not overwhelm! 

Wood Sage and Sea Salt is my current favorite. My parents got it for me as a birthday gift! I had the smaller size and had run out of it so I was so excited. I'm soooo bad at describing fragrances, but this one is light but woody... I don't like rose/overly floral scents or anything that smells 'powdery' or sweet so this is a nice balance between being a lighter, feminine scent while still having those masculine undertones. I have long worn Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche. It's the most delightful scent. It's very fragrant so a little goes a long way. It's just very fresh and more of spring/summer scent. Eau Tendre is a newer addition for me and I'd say it's still fresh but very different than Eau Fraiche. It is, in my opinion, more appropriate for year-round wear!


In My Cart:
Dior Lip Glow (always repurchasing)
Lip Mask
GrandeLash (I've used Neubrown before and I want to try this since it's way cheaper!)
Tarte Lip Balm (everyone has been recommending this to me as they say it is like the Dior Lip Balm!)
Drying Lotion (need to restock, this is a miracle worker for pimples!)
 

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