What I'm Loving Lately

I've had this draft waiting for me for weeks now but the last few months have been insane!  I've been traveling every other week for work and it's definitely cutting into a lot of my down time.  My scrapbooking is at a lull as well as several other projects around the house.  Hopefully the travel will be winding down soon.  I thought this would be a fun place to collect some things that I've come across since the beginning of the year that I'm just loving!  Read on for more...

I'm a big Fiesta collector and something I've been wanting for a while was a party server.  I was browsing Kohl's website and found that Fiesta now makes a server in 2 different colors!  The only thing I'm not so sure about with this set is that each piece is separate so I'll have to see how it does when I'm actually using it.    

My sweet husband finally put an extra shelf up in our laundry room!  I bought this wire shelf about a year ago and we just never got to putting it up.  Once it was up (and secure in the studs) I thought it was the perfect place to store my KitchenAid (instead of on the counter).  Love having the space to hang up clothes from the dryer vs on the door frame.

How awesome are these coasters?? Don't mind the sideways picture, I couldn't get it to rotate!  I am so pleased with the quality and got them for a great price from Shutterfly.  I will keep these in mind for a gift in the future.

I picked up this adorable snowman when we made our day trip to the Biltmore a couple weeks ago.  I also got one for my Mom and left it for her to find after we headed back home.

This is the first winter in a while that I've gotten all my snowmen decor out.  I forgot about this adorable slate my mom for me a few years ago.  I smile everytime I see it.

My mirror tray was the deal of the month!  I had been wanting a mirror tray since about November but hadn't been able to find exactly what I wanted.  I knew Target had this one but didn't want to pay $35-40.  Well, I ran to Target during lunch one day and happened to find the tray on clearance!  I snagged it for less than $10!  I LOVE it.

Another love is my new Tory Burch perfume!  Smells soooo good!!

I wanted to get a new pair of Uggs and had my eye on the Bailey button but then I saw these blinged out ones on Uggs website and knew I had to have them.  Plus, I snagged an awesome deal the day after Christmas - it was 11% back on ebates, free shipping and no tax since I shipped it to my parent's in WV.

Adam's a coffee drinker and doesn't make many requests so when he asked me to find a Keurig for him, I was on it!  We have enjoyed making his coffee and apple cider in it and have also discovered that hot chocolate is amazing as well!  We got this model and also a storage drawer that the toaster fits perfectly on.

Favorite Things: Day 3 - Beauty

Today’s favorite things are going to be beauty products.  Somehow, I went 25 years of my life without ever going into a Sephora or Ulta.  I mean how is that possible?!  I have spent waaaay too much money in both of these stores since discovering them, I’ll tell you that!  I think I’m even a “VIB” at Sephora now!  It’s like a candy store, so much to look at, touch, smell, try on, love love love it!

Some of my recommended purchases:


Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer Potion – my eye make-up stays put ALL day with this product. I just add a little to my eye lid before putting on any eye make-up and viola, it stays put for 15+ hours. One little tube lasts forever too. 

Urban Decay Lash Primer Potion - I've tried a few different primers over the years and this is my favorite. It has a nice thick brush and gives my lashes that perfect "boost" -- only negative to this product is that every Sephora and Utla I've been too this year has been sold out every time -- except the ONE time I found it!  Very in demand product apparently. 

My last eye make up recommendation for 2012 is the L'Oreal Infallible Eye Shadow.  I'm not one to typically buy drug store make up but I saw these when I was on a business trip and bought one on a whim.  I think the first one I bought was "Eternal Black" and what drew me to it was the hint of glitter.  This eye shadow is the BOMB.    I bought a second one -- pictured here -- in Midnight Blue and love it just as much.  It stays on all day (thanks especially to the above mentioned Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer Potion) and I get so many compliments about the color!  The blue really compliments my blue eyes nicely.  For the $6.97 price, you can't beat this eye shadow. 

Another discovery made at Sephora this year was the Make Up For Ever line.  I really like their foundation and primer.  I have both the liquid foundation and the compact and change it up almost daily which one I wear.  I wore the compact a lot this summer because it's quicker to apply but I've found that either format lasts all day and gives me a good base.  Semi-pricey but both last a while and I'm willing to pay more for a good foundation (don't want to look orange, hate when some foundations give you a ghost look in pictures because of the pigment, don't want make up to come off on my phones or fingers when I touch my face, stay on all day, no creasing, etc). 

 

A fun purchase I made at Ulta was this baby cakes baked blush palette.  It has 4 shades and comes with a brush (that I don't use).  I like mixing all 4 colors for daily wear.  I've found the 2 on the left side are more "pink" and the 2 on the right are a good bronzer so mixed together it's the perfect shade for me.  Plus, it has a little sheen to it for the perfect glow. 

 

 

When Jen visited and we had our mini- MAC make over, I tried out their MAC Mineralize Concealor and really liked it.  I ended up purchasing it that day ($20 I think) and have used it daily since then.  You apply this concealer over your foundation and then blend with a foundation brush and then it basically somehow "matches" your skintone perfectly.  I use it under my eyes and on any problem areas and have been really pleased with it.  

 

 

 

 

Brown Sugar & Fig Bath & Body Works Shower Gel & Lotion – I think I love this set because it smells like my favorite Scentsy scent (French Kiss) that was discontinued.  I found this scent in the fall at the store and got worried because I thought it was only a seasonal product.  Come to find out, the outlets have it year round and there’s an outlet about an hour from me.  Score.

I'm always on the hunt for my new favorite shampoo/conditioner and styling products but don't have any that I feel like I really loved for 2012.  I do have a large basket under the sink of products I was hoping I would love... but none that I can't live without.  Maybe I'll have some for 2013. 

What were your favorite beauty products for 2012?  Anyone else in love with Sephora??

Another Thanksgiving in the Books

Hard to believe Thanksgiving has already happened and is over!  I so wish this was another 3-day work week too!!  I did not want to get up this morning, plus, it was really cold!

We had a nice time at home (our TN home) with family.  My parents and grandma arrived Wednesday and then Adam's flew down for the night Saturday.  It's nice to be able to get the parents together.  I guess the next time they see each other will be the wedding!!

Mom's new pup, Ginger, is 100% adorable.  She was not the least bit afraid of Henderson.  She would chase him around the house all day if she could except he would go jump in his crate to get away from her. 

After telling myself I was not going shopping Black Friday... I caved.. majorly.  I think the highlight of Thanksgiving is seeing all the ads in the newspaper!!  I actually had to take a break from looking at them there were so many.  (Plus, those potatoes weren't going to peel and chop themselves now were they..)

So, I made my plan of attack and mom and granny decided to join me.  We left the house at 9pm and got home at 7AM FRIDAY MORNING... just in time for the sun to come up!

We started out at Michaels where I got the MOST awesome 10-drawer rolling storage cart - I actually got 2, one for my scrapbook room and one for sorting my Scentsy inventory.  Now I'm wishing I bought more because it's just that awesome and I got a heck of a deal.  I got 2 wreaths for the wedding too. 

Then it was on to Target.  Target was insane.  I actually ended up stashing the few things we wanted vs standing in line for 2 hours to check out.  Plus, I really wanted the pink Chi but they only had purple and gold left and I was willing to hold out for pink... and Jen found the pink one at her Target later in the night and picked it up for me.

We then got in line for Kohl's around 11:45 (which the line was at least 2 football fields long!).  We made a dash for the home items where I grabbed my Chef mats for the kitchen, some faux fur J-Lo throws, pet blanket for Henderson, some Fisher Price baby toys for upcoming arrivals, a few outfits for Abbie and Vera Wang sheets for mom.  Oh.. and a few can openers.  Apparently, no one likes my old school "crank" hand opener.  I'm pretty sure it has a stripped gear anyway.  We waited in line about an hour to check out which felt like FOREVER because it was boiling hot in there.  I did end up with $135 in Kohl's cash which now I can go back and buy more stuff with!

We headed across the street to the big mall next.  I picked up a few things at New York and Company for mom and me and while I was waiting (AGAIN) in a very slow-moving checkout line, Mom and Granny went on to Belk.  I left NY&Co and dropped by Sephora then grabbed some fries and bottled water before hitting Belk. 

I found them in the shoe section that looked like a few tornadoes had come through.  Do you ever wonder how many hours it takes to get everything put back away?!  By this point it was 4am!!  My grandma's face was priceless when I told her it was 4am.  We decided it was time to leave the mall and start making our way to Home Depot for her Christmas tree.

On the way to Home Depot we wasted some time (& money) at Ulta.  They were already sold out of the doorbusters I wanted but I managed to find a few other things I had to have.  We got to Home Depot around 4:40 and got in line.  Home Depot was actually the only place we went that had a map of where the doorbusters were located so we were able to make our attack plan.  I headed for my 22' ladder which was on one side of the story and mom and granny took over for the other side where the 7.5' tree was located.  We met back at the cash register (it was only 5:21!) and then magically shoved our new (LARGE) purchases into the Explorer that was already busing at the seams.  It really was like one of those clown cars where they just keep coming out except we were putting in.  I wish I had taken a picture because it was that amazing.

We were killing time until 6am when Bed Bath and Beyond opened so I decided to run back in Target and grab our hidden goodies.  This time it was a like a ghost town and they were re-stocking some of the doorbusters.  I was able to get the pink Chi straightener I originally wanted and also our hidden stash.  No line at the checkouts - bingo! 

With our well-packed, over-stuffed SUV we headed on to Bed Bath and Beyond.  We picked up a few items, literally SHOVED them in the car and headed for home!  My thought was, if we woke anyone up we'd just pretend like we were just getting ready to head out shopping!!!  LOL

We drug everything in the dining room, had a "midnight snack"... then CRASHED!  I must say, I was SUPER impressed with my 75 year-old Grandmas!  How many of you could keep up with her?!  Plus, did I mention, she's got a sprained ankle!?  She's like super woman.