CHRISTMAS TAG

I see there's a Christmas Tag floating around on YouTube lately, so I decided to blog it :)  Also figured it would be a good time to debut our 2012 family Christmas card photo!

When do you start getting excited about Christmas?
Well, Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year so I usually begin to get excited around the beginning of November, but I think it REALLY sets in the day after Thanksgiving for me.  I always put up all my decorations on Black Friday.  Then it's Christmas euphoria for me til the end of December!

What's your favorite holiday movie?
I have so many faves, but if I have to choose one it'd be A Christmas Story.  "You'll shoot your eye out, kid!" haha!  In close 2nd place is Christmas with the Kranks - love that crazy family!  The mom reminds me so much of mine!

Whats your favorite Christmas color?
I love all of the colors of the Christmas season - but golds and silvers would have to be my favorites.  Anything sparkly!

Do you like to stay in your PJs or dress up for Christmas?
I usually dress up, but I'm quick to put on my pj's after dinner! :)

Do you open your present Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
My Mom always lets me open one from her on Christmas Eve - usually pj's to wear that night.

Have you ever built a gingerbread house?
Yes, a few years ago....and it was a fail.  I lack patience, so anything like that is a bad idea for me.

What do you like to do on your Christmas break?
I normally take 1 or 2 weeks off from work - this year I'm taking 2 weeks and I'm really just looking forward to relaxing, entertaining, and watching every Christmas movie ever made!

Any Christmas traditions?
We always have Christmas breakfast at my parents house.  My Dad is the Christmas breakfast chef...we wear our pj's, eat til we're stuffed, then take a nap til it's time to get ready for the day!

Favorite Christmas smell?
Pine!  I'm crazy about it!  If you ever read my blog you know I'm a huge Scentsy lover.  They have a bar called Festival of Trees - I use it all the time during this season.  My husband hates it but I just can't give it up!

What is the best Christmas present you ever received?
The best - wow, that's tough.  I've received a lot of great ones over the years.  I can tell you my most memorable one though.  When I was around 8 or so, I really wanted a stereo/CD player.  CDs were pretty new at the time, so it was the big thing.  A CD player, to me, was the equivalent of Ralphie's Red Ryder bb gun!  On Christmas morning, I fully expected to see that Santa had delivered that one gift that meant the world to me.  Afterall, I was always on the "nice" list! :)  Well, Christmas morning I opened all of my gifts - no stereo in sight.  I was very disappointed.  Then my Dad said hey, look behind the couch over there. I think I see a gift you forgot to open.  As I ran to check it out, my heart was beating so fast.  Could it be??? I tore open the box and there it was - my very own CD player!  I'll never forget that morning, or how I felt when I knew Santa didn't let me down :)

What is on the top of your Christmas list this year?
To be honest, I don't really want anything specific this year.  Clothes, makeup, gift cards are always nice...but I have everything I need.  I'm at the point in my life where I'd rather make others happy and get them gifts that will bring smiles to their faces.  As you get older, I guess you become more of a giver.  That's a better feeling than any gift could give me.

Real or fake Christmas tree?
I prefer a real tree, but my husband isn't a fan so we go with an artificial tree.  Every year I say, next year we're getting a REAL tree!  Hasn't happened yet...

Favorite part about Christmas?
Just spending time with family and those closest to me. Everyone is in good spirits and we just have the best times together.  Gotta love that!

CHRISTMAS NAILS!

I finally broke down and Christmas-fied my nails this weekend!  I used Avon's Sparkling Red glitter polish, paired with elf's Teal Blue.  I'm not exactly sure why it's called Teal Blue... To me, it doesn't look teal or blue at all.  It's the perfect Christmas shade of green!

I blogged about this glitter polish from Avon a few weeks ago, but I really just can't even describe how pretty it is in person. It reminds me of Dorothy's ruby slippers!  What I love most about it is I don't have to use any other color underneath of it.  It's like a two-in-one polish and glitter.  It's gorgeous!

LIFE IS SO SWEET!

I feel the need to blog about my cupcake obsession today.  I have to share my latest find - actually my Mom spotted them in the weekly Kohl's ad.  They are completely sold out online, so I checked the store and it was my lucky day!  They had a lot of kitchen towels left, but just one set of dish cloths.  The color theme of my kitchen is pretty warm and neutral - tans, browns, & rust colors, so it's always hard to find any kind of cupcake decor that matches.  You mostly see cupcake prints in pink, blue or purple. But these are beyond perfect!  Cute or what?!?!

NAIL POLISH HAUL

I'm a bit of a nail polish addict (in case you haven't noticed), so when my new shades were delivered this week by my awesome Avon rep, Kelly, I was ecstatic!

(L-R below) Kelly was awesome enough to snag these two matte shades for me, in Violetta and Red Velvet. They are on sale now for just $2.25 each!! (See Kelly's link at the bottom of this post if you're interested in buying.)  I also wanted to try out a shade from the suede line, so I went with this pretty blue one called Blue Royale (also currently on sale for $3.49). And finally, GLITTER, my favorite.  Avon has this gorgeous red shade, perfect for the holidays, called Sparkling Red ($6).

This was just a quick one coat application of each shade to give you a better idea of how they look out of the bottle.  The blue suede color reminds me a lot of the matte ones - it actually looks a little shiny in this picture but it's not.  Very chic!

The picture above does NO justice for the Sparkling Red polish, so here is a shot of it on the brush.  It's full of sparkle and I can't wait to wear it during Christmas!

 Here are swatches of each on paper...

Then I also purchased this one pictured below, called Cherry Jubilee (on sale now for $3.49).

A few weeks ago I blogged about OPI's "Mrs. O'Leary's BBQ", and I couldn't get over how close this one comes to it.  It's just a *tad* bit lighter - maybe with a little more of a red hue, but I could barely tell the difference between the two on my nails.

If you don't have an Avon rep, I would love to share Kelly's website with you! It's http://kellyburke.avonrepresentative.com/  You can shop online and have your order shipped directly to your home, or if you're local, Kelly also delivers!

Happy Friday! xo!

CAN.NOT.WAIT.

Random question!  Anyone else pumped for Breaking Dawn Pt. 2 this Thursday night?!?!

HOLIDAY CANDLES

Bath & Body Works had an awesome deal going the past few weeks - two 3-wick candles for $20!  They are normally $20 just for one, so I figured it'd be a great time to get one of my new favorites - Fireside Marshmallow!

I took a chance and ordered Cranberry Pear Bellini as my second choice. I wish I could say I was happy with it, but I was a little disappointed.  It doesn't smell bad, I guess I was just expecting more of a Christmas-y scent since it's part of the new holiday line.  The website describes it as "a bright blend of sparkling cranberry, sweet pear nectar and luscious blackcurrant."  I wish the cranberry was more prominent, but for me, all I can smell is a sweet fruity nectar. Again, not a bad scent by any means, just not something I personally like for the holidays.

I was, however, THRILLED with my Marshmallow Fireside candle.  I wish they'd invent some kind of scratch-n-sniff for our computer monitors so I could share with you! :D  It's described on the website as " a warm blend of marshmallows, smoldering woods and creamy vanilla reminiscent of a cozy evening 'round the bonfire."  It's just heavenly!  If you aren't into the cinnamon or strong pine scents for the holidays - check this one out!  

THE LIEBSTER BLOG AWARD

This evening I received a tweet that completely just made my day!  The fabulous Elysia, of the Little Beauty Blogg, nominated me for the Liebster Blog Award!

For those of you who don't know what the Liebster Blog Award is, it's basically a nomination from someone who loves your blog and wants to show it some love. The blogs that can be nominated for this award are seen as being the up-and-coming blogs and they must have less than 200 subscribers.

As a nominated blogger, I have to do a couple things:

• Reveal 11 random things about myself
• Answer 11 questions that the person who nominated me has set
• Create 11 new questions for my nominees
• Tag 11 other blogs with less than 200 followers & let them know they've been nominated...no tag backs!

So, here goes!  Read on for 11 random facts about me:

1. I talk incessantly at bed time.  My poor husband loses a lot of sleep because of it.

2. I must have lip gloss, balm, or lipstick on my lips at all times or it drives me crazy!

3. I could eat macaroni & cheese every day of my life.

4. I wear hair extensions 99% of the time.

5. I can't sleep unless I'm lying on my stomach.

6. I'm a horrible singer.

7. I don't like the foods on my plate to touch.

8. Christmas is my favorite holiday...and I'm already counting down!

9. I watch too much reality TV.

10. I'm not (and never will be) a morning person.

And here are my answers to Elysia's 11 questions...

1) If you could have any job in the world what would it be?
This is tough, because my dream is to be a stay-at-home wife, LOL!  Does that count as a "job"?  Probably not, so I'll go with a cupcake bakery owner!  :)

2) On average, how long do you spend on each of your blog features?
It depends, but generally an hour.  That time is usually spent taking & editing photos, doing research, and of course, typing.

3) There's a famous saying 'if at first you don't succeed, try and try again'. Do you agree with this or do you admit defeat easily?
I agree with it.  I think anything can be accomplished if you never give up.  Determination is everything!

4) What if your favorite item of clothing?
 My leopard print socks :) They are the comfiest, warmest socks in the world and I feel so cozy when I wear them!

5) Blogging can open up a lot of new doors and present a blogger with new opportunities. If you have a goal for your blog, what is this? What would you most like to happen as a result of you blogging?
I haven't really thought that far into it as of yet... I've only been actively blogging for a few months now.  But, if opportunities arise, I certainly would pursue them!  I think it would be awesome to test out & blog about new beauty products for different companies.

6) I love jewelry, especially rings; if you could only wear one item of jewelry what would it be and why? (or if you don't wear jewelry; why do you choose not to?)
Gotta go with my wedding ring.  I don't wear a ton of jewelry, but I never leave home without my wedding rings.  They symbolize an important part of my life and one that I am so grateful for - my husband.

7) If you could only choose one makeup brand that's in your makeup bag right now, which one would you choose?
Revlon!  They never disappoint.

8) I find that I am forever looking at expensive designer bags and saving up for them. What makes you want to splurge your money?
For me it would probably be clothes.  I do a lot of online "window shopping" and have a list about a mile long of things I want!

9) I always like reading about and finding out about new products - what is the best product you purchased last month and why?
Maybelline's One by One Volum Express mascara.  I never find mascara that I love, but this one is amazing! Lengthens and volumizes lashes like no other!

10) If you go on holiday anywhere in the world where you would you choose and why?
I'd love to go to Fiji.  It just looks so gorgeous and I've never been to any place like it!

11) I love sweets (in moderation); what if your favorite treat and why?
Me too!  Of course my favorite is cupcakes!  I'm a little obsessed.  They can be decorated so beautifully and they taste like heaven!

The blogs I nominate are:
1. Kristen of http://imperfetto-x.blogspot.com/
2. Mimi of http://mimisvanitybox.blogspot.com/
3. Dani of http://daniduffy-makeup.blogspot.com/
4. Natalie of http://natalielovesbeauty.blogspot.com/
5. Mackenzie & Miranda of http://prettysquared.blogspot.com/
6. Martha of http://quickcheapandpretty.blogspot.com/
7. Tori of http://toritherebelangel.blogspot.com/
8. Colleen of http://www.vanityandvodka.com/
9. Ainsley of http://wallflowers21.blogspot.com/
10. Holly of http://prettygirlswearvintage.blogspot.com/
11. Katy of http://skinstuffbykaty.blogspot.com/

My questions for the above nominees:
1. Why did you decide to start blogging?
2. Do you have a vlog channel?  If not, would you ever consider vlogging?
3. What is your absolute favorite beauty product?
4. What is your favorite store to visit when shopping for beauty products?
5. What is your favorite clothing store?
6. Where did you grow up?
7. What has been your favorite purchase in the last month? (Not just beauty or fashion - anything!)
8. Where do you do most of your blogging? (Your bedroom, your dining room, a coffee house?)
9. What's a current beauty or fashion trend that you wish would go away?
10. Who is your inspiration?
11. If you could be a celebrity for a day, who would you choose and why?

If you have already been nominated for the Liebster Blog Award, I apologize for tagging you in this. If you haven't already been nominated I hope you take the time to complete this and therefore entitle yourself to proudly display the Liebster Blog Awards logo on your blog :)

Thank you so much to Elysia for being such a doll and nominating me.  I am truly flattered and wish I could tag you back! :) xoxo

Over the weekend I made a trip to Ulta and picked up two gorgeous products that just so happen to match up pretty perfectly!

The first is Revlon Colorburst lip gloss in Bordeaux.  It's the third darker lip color I've bought this season, which is SO rare for me, but I think I really like this one the best!  It's a great deep cherry-plum color and I think it would look beautiful on any skin tone!

The second product is OPI's polish in the shade "Mrs. O'Leary's BBQ".  I love it and will probably be wearing it for weeks to come!  The two look stunning together.  I can't stop thinking how perfect they'd be to wear if you have an upcoming holiday party!

Swatch of Revlon Colorburst Lip Gloss in Bordeaux

OPI Nail Polish in Mrs. O'Leary's BBQ

Happy Monday everyone!  I hope your week is FABULOUS! xo!

ANIMAL PRINT CARDIGANS

My love of animal print is no secret, but I've found that wearing it can sometimes be a little tricky.  If you go overboard, it just looks tacky.  There IS such thing as too much. You have to add just the right "pop" of cheetah print!

What better way to do it than with a cardigan?  I pinned these two looks from Pinterest in hopes of finding similar styles...

Well, mission accomplished!  I found these below and really want to just order one of each! :)  I put the store links in the captions of each photo in case you're also on the prowl for cheetah!

From www.loveculture.com, $19.90

From www.wetseal.com, $17

From www.delias.com, $9.99

From www.delias.com, $19.50

From www.delias.com, $9.99

#FOTD

Face of the Day!

Wearing:

Foundation: Revlon Colorstay Whipped Foundation in Natural Beige

Loose Powder: Mary Kay Ivory 2

Blush: mark Just Blushing in Dollhouse (available here)

Eyeshadow: i-marks - Puff on lids, Storming in crease, Sugar Sugar on brow bone, Corset on bottom lash line (all available here)

Mascara: Maybelline One by One Volum Express in Blackest Black

Eyeliner: NYC High Definition Liquid Felt Tip in Extra Black

Lipstick: Revlon Super Lustrous in Mauve It Over with Revlon Colorburst in Soft Nude on top

THESE BOOTS WERE MADE FOR...STYLIN!

One of my favorite fashion blogs is "Lilly's Style" (http://simplyme091909.blogspot.com/) and I've been on the hunt for a pair of boots similar to her Sam Edelman's for quite some time.  They always look so great with her skinnies!

I finally found a pair from Alloy that are pretty close! They are the Hudson boots in chestnut and you can buy them here for $54.90, which is a great price compared to the $300 price tag on the Edelman's!

Sorry mine are a little muddy - Hurricane Sandy ensured no dry ground around here!

Super cute and comfy!

Great heel - not a flat, but also not too tall!

I really love the buckles on the back!

I'm tall, 5'11" and these still cover my knee!

My only complaint is they are a little loose on me, but that's just because I've been cursed with toothpick legs.  To bulk them up, I'm thinking about ordering some leg warmers or boot socks like these from http://www.etsy.com/shop/ThreeBirdNest  Too cute!

Happy Friday, lovelies! xo

#FOTD

Face of the day :)  

Def NOT hair of the day lol - excuse the flyaways all over the place!

So what am I wearing?

Revlon Colorstay Whipped Foundation in Natural Beige

Elf Golden Bronzer on my cheeks

Elf Berry Merry Blush on my cheeks

Wet 'n Wild Walking On Eggshells Trio on my eyes

Elf eyeshadow in Charcoal on the outer corners of my eyes

mark i-mark eyeshadow in Tabac in the creases of my eyes (available here)

Loreal Lineur Intense eyeliner in Black

Maybelline One by One Volum Express Mascara in Blackest Black

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Sassy Mauve

PLUMDROP VS. PLUM BERRY

If there are any fans of Victoria's Secret discontinued Plumdrop scent, I have a close match for you!

I've been obsessed with Plumdrop for a long time, but no faster than I purchased the body mist and lotion, it was gone from the VS Beauty Rush line.  Sad face.  It was a creamy blend of plum and honeysuckle - sweet, but not too sweet.  Very girly.  You can still find it for sale on sites like eBay, but it's definitely absent from the VS website and stores.

Well, being a mark consultant, I was crazy excited to hear they have a new scent called Plum Berry.  I actually didn't expect it to smell anything like Plumdrop, but I ordered a small hand cream just to try it out.  To my surprise, it's actually really close to Plumdrop!  Mark's website calls it "a splash of succulent plum deepened with notes of blackberry blossom and a rush of passion flower."  DELISH!!!  I'm absolutely crazy over it.

And the best news - mark offers it in a body mist, 3-in-1 cleanser, body butter, a travel size hand cream, and now a great giftset for Christmas!  You can visit my eBoutique and navigate to the 'Bath and Body' section if you're interested in purchasing.  Here's a quick rundown of the products...

Hand It Over hand cream (pictured above next to the VS bottle), 

just $4 (1.5 fl. oz.)

Whipped Up body butter (highly recommended by me!), 

just $10 (6.75 fl. oz.)

Get Misty body mist, $12 (4.9 fl. oz.)

Three's a Charm 3-in-1 cleanser, only $8 (6 fl. oz.)

Triples as a body wash, bubble bath and shampoo! 

Lovin' Plum Berry Gift Collection, $22

Set includes body mist, body butter, and 3-in-1 cleanser, 

ready to give in a ribbon-printed gift bag!

If it's your first time ordering from my eBoutique, use promo code WELCOME to get FREE shipping!  Your order will come straight to your doorstep and I promise you will LOVE this scent. I may end up buying every lady on my Christmas list one of the giftsets this year :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I promised the occasional cupcake on this blog and I'm not one to disappoint!  If you're like me and staying home on Halloween night, at least make or go buy yourself some festive cupcakes! :)

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PINUP COSTUME

This year I'm totally boring and have zero plans for Halloween.  So in place of a new costume tutorial, I figured I'd do a little reminiscing tonight and look back at a favorite costume of the past!

I have always adored the pinup look.  Something about women of that era....they always look so classy and gorgeous!  So when I was completely costume-less a few years back, I decided to channel my best "Bettie Page" style.

The look is really simple to get - so if you're looking for a last-minute costume maybe you can consider it!  There are literally tons of YouTube tutorials on pinup hair and makeup.

Anywho, I watched Sarah Walker's Dita Von Teese video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2p1BNKid-k) about a hundred times and imitated it the best I could.  To be honest, if you have a pencil skirt, red lipstick & heels, and a great winged eyeliner, you can nail this look so easily!

About a month ago I tried to revamp this look for a photo shoot, but this time I changed up the hair a little.  Here is the tutorial I used - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkiYhExw3kM  Mine didn't turn out nearly as good as hers, but maybe you will have better luck!

Happy Halloween!  I hope everyone has a fun and safe night! xo!

CHANNEL UPDATE

I feel like I've been babbling for weeks about doing videos - and that's because I have!  Well, today I ordered a new laptop (finally!) as an early birthday gift to myself, and supposedly it comes with a great camera so as soon as it gets here I will definitely be creating my YouTube channel and starting to vlog!  I am super excited!  Thanks to everyone who has offered to help me get started!  I will most definitely be taking you up on that :)

Stay tuned!

MAGNETIC MAKEUP BOARD HOW-TO

A couple of weeks ago I posted a photo tour of my teeny, tiny bathroom to show some ideas I had for maximizing small spaces when you have a lot of beauty products.  A few people were interested in the step-by-step instructions for the magnetic makeup board, so here it is as promised!

I first discovered this one on Pinterest last year...

So here's the dealio. You'll need something magnetic - like a piece of sheet metal. (I've even seen these boards made with cookie sheets!)  You can find sheet metal at most home improvement stores like Lowe's or Home Depot.  Buy it in a size that will fit in a standard photo frame, or have it trimmed down to size.  

Then you'll want to purchase a photo frame.  Try to find one that already has hooks on the back for hanging. You could even get an unfinished wooden frame and give it that "antique" look (like the one above) using paint. I went the easy route and just used a plain black plastic frame.

Also, you'll need something to cover the metal.  I improvised and used a damask pattern gift wrap from Michael's.  Probably not the greatest idea because it can tear so easily, so I definitely suggest something more durable like fabric.  

And finally, get yourself some small heavy duty magnets.

Basically you'll just want to cover the entire metal sheet with a large piece of fabric.  Stretching the material over the front of the metal, pull the corners tightly over the back and hot glue them down. (I used tape since I went with gift wrap.)  Give the glue a couple seconds to dry and then pop the covered piece of metal into your frame, secure, and hang!  

Use just a little dab of hot glue to apply the magnets to the back of your makeup containers and voila!  Attach them to the front of your board.  

Here is my final product...

I also took an old pill bottle, washed it out, covered it with zebra print tape and glued a magnet to the back of it.  Then I stored some of my smaller eyeshadow brushes in it.  I've also seen this done with baby food jars and plastic cups.  The possibilities are endless!

You can find lots of different variations of these boards if you Google or search Pinterest for "magnetic makeup board".  So many great ideas have surfaced since I did mine, so I'm actually thinking of re-doing it soon!