Posted in Shopping list of sorts, Wearable Fashion Fun on July 21, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Seems like she is ragged on constantly for “aging” herself, but I really like her style. She manages to always look classy even with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth! Haha, mostly. I plan on using Polyvore to recreate some of these looks, and it’s just easier to “clip” them this way.
Link to my Polyvore~ http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/profile?id=1960961
Posted in Shopping list of sorts, Wearable Fashion Fun on June 10, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
I just can’t pull off the whole “skinny” jeans look no matter how hard I try. I may be wrong, but I’m too curvy not to wear curvy jeans!! Skinny jeans make me look like a spinning top because of all the weight that has clung to my center and arms since I had Alek. Even boot cut jeans don’t balance out my shape very well. The straight cut doesn’t help when I am biggest in the middle.
People criticize and are downright mean about Jessica Simpson’s weight gain, but she’s only human and I personally think she looks much better with a little more weight. Almost every picture you see of her when she was extremely thin, she looks almost miserable. While it’s no fun carrying around extra weight, she does it with a certain amount of style I have to admire. I think it has a lot to do with great hair and great accessories no matter how casual the outfit. This is more of a shopping list and idea gallery I suppose. But this is my blog, so I can write about what I want 
I will always be a jeans and t-shirt girl at heart, at least now I have inspiration for how to do it stylishly!
Even in an oversized jersey (oversized for a woman anyway) the right cut of jeans make it almost flattering.
Love the matching earrings!
I WANT that hoodie!
That hat has seen better days, but I could live in that grey t-shirt.
Big ole hair and a chunky necklace. It just works.
Posted in Beauty Related Goodies, Hodgepodgey, Shopping list of sorts on May 17, 2011 | 4 Comments »
I have been really inspired/empowered lately to change my entire lifestyle! The way I have been living just isn’t working anymore. It’s becoming just too much of everything. So I am simplifying in baby steps!
Starting with mine and my family’s diets and the products I use on myself. I can’t afford to go ALL organic, but I can try to be more natural! I think by giving back to the earth and simplifying what goes in and on our bodies that I can tackle the bigger issues that need to be de-funked in my life.
I have been in such a low place, that I have to start somewhere. Just SOMETHING to brighten my day and little ways to pamper myself and my frayed nerves. I have too often hidden behind food and a sour mood when things got rough. Well, my marriage and my body are suffering. I need to “detox”! I have started the Alli Weight Loss System today. (another blog to follow about my progress on that!) I am also slowly transitioning us to eating WAY more natural/organic foods. The less ingredients the better, especially ingredients I can’t pronounce! If it’s good for the body, it’s good for the soul right?
Another thing I’m doing, in like I said BABY STEPS to an overall new lifestyle and outlook, is what I am putting ON my body. If you think about it, whatever you put on your skin and hair is absorbed right into your body. My changing my diet, I’ve already taken a step towards more healthy skin, but I want to change my other habits.
I am really into natural remedies (potions, lotions, and soaps) that are better for me than what I’ve been using. Using plain old lotion, I can literally make it into a spa like treatment with a little natural oil! Jojoba oil, Sweet Almond Oil, and Vitamin E Oils are amazing for your skin and hair! (available from drugstore.com)
I can also cut the chemicals I use to clean my face as well. Plain old Olive Oil can remove eye makeup just as well, if not better than the chemically removers on the shelves. Witch Hazel makes for an AMAZING toner for after you have cleaned your face. Exfoliating is another step you can add to change the overall texture and shape of your skin! You can do a sugar/lemon scrub on a plain cotton pad or Burt’s Bees makes a pretty decent facial scrub. Just make sure the granules are pretty fine, otherwise it can be too abrasive on your face. Same goes for your body! (I prefer sugar to salt scrubs because of the stinging!)
Just taking these small steps, I hope, will mean that one day I will have built myself up enough to take on the world! Muahahhaha! No seriously though, the biggest mistake I made when I became a mom was putting myself dead LAST. We’ve all done it. My weight starting to climb first, my self image went down the drain, and then my marriage started to suffer horribly because there was hardly anything “left” for me. It seems impossible to take time out in the beginning of motherhood, but really it’s mind over matter. You FIND the time. You FIND those moments to yourself. I mean really is 10 extra minutes in the bathroom going to kill anyone? Those dirty clothes will still be there, the kid will still be screaming, the husband will still be throwing his dirty socks around, and the planet will still be spinning! I promise!! CLAIM those few extra minutes in the day for yourself! I can guarantee you will have more energy to tackle all the chores and duties if you take time out for YOU.
Take care of your body, take care of your soul. After all, our bodies are supposed to be a temple! What’s in yours? (Mine ain’t lookin so hot!)
*everything shown below can be found at drugstore.com*
Desert Essence Jojoba Oil found at most drugstores. $9-$13
Aura Cacia Sweet Almond Oil $5- $10
Thayers infused Witch Hazel astringent $8-$10
Posted in Shopping list of sorts, Wearable Fashion Fun on March 21, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Outfit ideas for our trip to Paris this summer:
I won’t be able to get every single thing I want so I have extra ideas so I can work with what I find/can afford. At any given point I have a million and one different images saved of outfits and looks that I have found. If I don’t organize my scattered thoughts in blog form, I end up with said million and one images that I then can’t remember why I saved them! I am soooo excited about the trip though it’s turned into a bit of an obsession. We were going to combine seeing the city in with our Disneyland Paris trip but decided to break it up to get the little guy used to traveling! :p
Substitute rain boots for black flat boots
Above image: Need black flat boots, similar wash skinny jeans from Target. Sub a grey scarf over loose white T.
love the converse!
Above image: Converse from Target. Nautical print T. Black chino jacket I already have from ON. Mat. jeans from Target in similar wash.
Great outfit for end of the day dinner.
Above image: Lightweight sweater from ON. Bootcut jeans, neutral flats and wrap around scarf. I need a decent bag!
Love the neutral combo
Above: I am just loving the accessories and color combination of the neutrals. I love putting grey and brown together. I could sub some of these items for some ON finds.
Posted in Beauty Related Goodies, Shopping list of sorts, Wearable Fashion Fun on January 16, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Posted in Hodgepodgey, Home Sweet Home, Shopping list of sorts on December 15, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
I found a way to have candles without Hellboy being able to hurt himself or me forgetting about it!
I always wondered what those tarts were for from Yankee Candle. The ones without the wick? I bought two electric tart warmers off the internet and you stick those little tarts in the top and it melts them. No fire and the wax doesn’t get too hot. Best part is that it wont hurt anything if you forget and leave it burning. 
So neat!
It makes the whole room smell like you have been burning candles for hours and the tarts are half the price of full size Yankee Candles (which is my favorite brand) They sell electric tart warmers and also ones that you put votives under just like a traditional oil burner. To me, having a votive sort of defeats the purpose. Potpourri warmers also work well with tarts. (In case you aren’t familiar they look like tiny crock pots.) My husband is allergic to potpourri, so that is definitely not an option either!
What I have:
Electric Tart Warmer ($10-$15)
What you “burn”:
Yankee Candle Tart (in any fragrance they also have for candles) Around $2 each.
Short post today. I just felt like sharing my little “find”. As usual, I tend to be the last one to catch on to things like this. I find Oil Burners to be WAY too messy ( I get oil everywhere) and anything with a flame is just out of the running in this house! This would be a great gift for those with small children and toddlers in the house!! Just a thought
Happy Holidays
Posted in Beauty Related Goodies, Shopping list of sorts on November 23, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Cause that’s about all I can do right now with this specific brand! I’m going to go ahead and post the MAC goodies that *one day* I might be able to acquire….hint hint if you are reading this honey……..hehehe
I have seen an absolute ton of tutorials using these products. Enough now, where I am not afraid to shell out the dough for some of these goodies. I am just going to list them out in order of what I want the most!
MAC lipstick in Politely Pink $14.50 Nordstrom
And a swatch from a fellow blogger (http://imogenfoxylocks.blogspot.com)
Next up is MAC Viva Glam V. It’s also a shimmery nude/pink but with slightly gold undertones and shimmers.
MAC Viva Glam V $14.50 Nordstrom
And a swatch:
I cannot find swatches of these liners but I want them both because I have no way of knowing exactly which one will look better!
MAC Lip Pencil in Subculture and MAC Cremestick Liner in Sublime Culture. Both look gorgeous in the tutorials I have seen:
Subculture Lip Pencil
Sublime Culture
MAC Eye Products-
Paint Pots!!
The colors I want are Bare Study or Soft Ochre and Constructivist. These are EXCELLENT for eyeshadow bases or primers.
That’s all on my wishlist from MAC for now. There are a few face products that I want but I would rather have these first!!
Posted in Beauty Related Goodies, Shopping list of sorts on November 23, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
“For Attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run their fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.
People, more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms.
As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself and the other for helping others.”
— Audrey Hepburn
There are many reasons I adore this woman. Not just for her films, but for her humanitarian efforts, heart, and outlook on life. She was simply stunning inside and out. She figured out what she liked, what worked for her and stuck with it. You certainly can’t fault that attitude! I quote her often, and for good reason. I could go on and on but I think I will leave that for another post. (with pics!)
I ran across a new tutorial from one (of a duo) of makeup gurus on youtube that I follow. It was an updated Audrey Hepburn inspired look. I am dying to try some of the products mentioned by Too Faced Cosmetics, if not for an Audrey look than I think it will work beautifully for an everyday look. I am drawn to the more neutral colors like soft browns and champagne colors. A good peachy-pink eyeshadow and nude lipstick is hard to find. Especially with my fair coloring. I used to hate my complexion in school where it was very “in” to be as tanned as a piece of shoe leather. I can’t count the times I was told to “go find a tanning bed”. Now that I have learned to love myself just as I am I say to them- pppfffffffffffbbbbbllllllll!!! Instead of trying to be something I’m not, I’ve decided to run with what I have. Which is a very fair, pink complexion. Like Miss Audrey once said-
“I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.”
Products I WANT from this tutorial:
The eyeshadow quad she uses (as far as I know) comes in a deluxe kit with a few other Too Faced Products I would love to try anyway!
$42.00 from amazon.com
Another Palette I think would work very well for this look is also from Too Faced. It’s their Natural Eye Palette/kit. Retails for $35.00 from Sephora and Amazon.
If you can’t afford these I am sure a nice neutral drugstore dupe or even the Coastal Scents 88 Warm Palette would be just fine! You don’t have to spend a fortune to achieve this look.
The lip products she uses in this tutorial I am falling in love with. The more I look at them, the more I like them. I just hate that one of them is MAC. I am NOT on a MAC budget…..but hey…Christmas is coming up!
MAC Cremestick Liner in Sublime Culure:
$14.50 from Nordstrom.com
Another lip liner I wouldn’t mind nabbing from MAC is-
Subculture from their regular pencil lip liner line. ($13.00 Nordstrom)
Lastly the lipstick she used for the tutorial was Too Faced Totally Nude.
$20.00 found on amazon.com
HONESTLY any nude lipstick or gloss you like that works for your individual skin tone and lip color will be just fine. No need spending the big bucks if you have already found something that works.
A few very helpful links to tutorials by emilynoel83 via youtube on finding inexpensive neutral/nude lipcolor that will work for you:
Top 10 Neutral Lipsticks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrjxO6VeRMo
Drugstore Nude Lip Tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jdl460WCVPU
Quick Tricks: Nude Lips: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxlZQw_KLqE&feature=channel
AND finally! The main inspiration for this post!
The lovely Nic from Sam & Nic’s channel “Pixiwoo” (http://www.youtube.com/user/pixiwoo) on youtube. While I wouldn’t wear Audrey liner and brows on a daily basis, I LOVE the eyeshadow and lip colors she chose here. Enjoy!!
*Note- you don’t have to use the pricier products she used in this tutorial. These colors and products are easily duplicated with drugstore products.
Posted in Home Sweet Home, Shopping list of sorts on November 19, 2010 | 2 Comments »
Finally decided on a color scheme for the main living area. I say “living area” because the kitchen, dining area, and living room are all one big space. To create division of the two spaces I am using contrasting color schemes on either side. I used Polyvore to create a collage of items we already have and things on my wishlists from Target and Amazon.
Living “Room”
"Before" Shot
"After"
Link to my Polyvore account where you can see the individual items I used: http://www.polyvore.com/my_new_living_room/set?id=25081109#
We already have the sectional, ottoman/coffee table, and wall shelf.
Kitchen and Dining “Room”
Dining Area is to the left:
“After”
Ikea.com Bar Stool 29,99 Euro
(My bar stools for the kitchen)
Ikea.com
I have one of these that I have stained green. (looks more like a green wash) I am contemplating painting it black to match the bar stools. Either way it will match and Short Stuff loves it.
Link to my Polyvore where I have listed out these items as well: http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=25081610
Posted in Home Sweet Home, Shopping list of sorts on November 17, 2010 | 1 Comment »
And that means I get to decorate! YAY! I have far too many bookmarks to find the items and ideas I am trying to save. I guess I will just consolidate it all into a blog post I can come back to later.
I will post some “before” pics of the new place- specifically the areas I am working on decorating.
Future makeup room!!! (and your typical spare bedroom stuff)
Living area (balcony to the left)
As you can see it’s open to the kitchen and dining area. So much space!
My sweet new kitchen!
Dining area to the left-
Master bath-
Now to decorate!
So far the only rooms I am actually sure of what I want are the master bedroom and bath. The main living area/kitchen I am just going to see how all of our current things fit and go from there. I sure could use some ideas on my makeup room. I am not a girly girly pink person. I have been more of an antique/traditional person for as long as I have been decorating (I can remember redecorating my parents living room and my room when I was about 12) but now that I have seen/lived in European homes and grown accustomed to the clean lines and bold colors I am falling in love with a more modern feel!!
Decorating, art, and makeup are my loves! I guess you can call me an “aesthetic artist”? I like to always leave things better than I found them. It’s become sort of a mantra for my whole life.
What I am doing in our bedroom and bathroom:
This is a print that I already have by Gustav Klimt. (purchased from Ikea here in Germany) I am taking all of my color inspiration from it. Deep purple, royal blue, burnt orange, and white.
Sheets:
Burnt Orange Pillow cases. We have a queen but I ordered them in king size so I can have them behind the purple set of queen pillows as an accent.
Plum/Purple Sheers. These aren’t what I am actually getting but the color is the same. I wanted a more sheer fabric. I found them at Ikea but the image they have online is not true to color.
Lastly for the bedroom is a comforter we already have that I don’t want to cover with a duvet because I like the contrast. We have a white down alternative comforter just like this one.
I am most likely going to put what I have already gotten in the room first and see what final touches I need. I know I will skip a large area rug that I would normally gravitate towards because our room is very long and narrow. I think instead just for comfort’s sake and more color I will add a rectangular “mat” on either side of the bed in one of my accent colors. The room is all tiled and that is going to be quite cold to wake up to in the mornings here in Germany!
Master Bath:
I’m carrying some of the color scheme from the bedroom over to this room. It is all white tiles (like the pic I showed above) I want to keep that clean modern look so I chose a black and white shower curtain from Target.
Accessories in rugs in the orange or deep purple. Or both!!
I will hopefully have “after” photos up after the 14th of December. The place will be officially ours by then! Now to work on that makeup room. Woohoo!!
