I love makeup. I'm not particularly great at makeup, but I like it.
I like trying out new things, I like finding new products, I like making my skin feel better.

When I moved to Dallas I had a coworker who loved makeup, too.
She moved on to a different job -- and so now I'm sharing all my finds with you!

Bit by bit I've been trying to remove parabens and sulfates from a lot of my makeup.
I'm allergic to sulfur, so this one was a no brainer. And it's made a HUGE difference.

Here's what I'm loving right now...

// 1 // This eyeshadow is MAGIC. I have the UD Naked palette and it's okay, but this thing is amazing. Every color is super wearable for everyday life. Even that hot pink ends up a soft pinkish nude on. The only one I have a hard time wearing is the deep blue. I've only worn it as eyeliner thus far.

// 2 // I'm a mascara addict. I love mascara. It's the one cosmetic I can't leave without. My short, stubby, blonde eyelashes need the help. And THIS does it. I've tried so many mascaras, all of them seem to have big flaws. One clumps, another leaves epic smudges, the third you can't wash off, the next is so brittle....you get the picture. So far, the only problem with this one is sometimes after a long day I have a little smudge. I have greasy eyes, so this is not a huge surprise. But it makes my eyelashes look SO full. Plus it's opthamologist approved, so it's safe for your eyes.

// 3 // I challenged myself to be a little more daring in 2016 and this includes lipstick. I got a sample of 5 colors of this lipstick in my Gwen Stefani palette, and it is so good. It's truly long-lasting. I wore mine all day, eating, drinking, chapsticking and never reapplying and I still had some color left at the end of the day. I immediately went and bought a tube. I like the 'Firebird' fuchsia color and the 'Spiderwebs' red is the best red lipstick I've found.

// 4 // This is what I wear most days. It's the best light pink color, and looks so natural. Plus it has a hint of mint in it...which is awesome. This shade is 'Smooth Talker.' (I always think of this when I buy it.) I've gifted it to several people because it's truly the best gloss I own.

// 5 // This is my favorite natural blush. It's paraben free, cruelty free, and so nice on your face. 'Glisten' looks good on just about everyone.

// 6 // This is a cult favorite and one of mine, too. I recently bought it after using up a whole Tarte blush. I really like this one, it always makes my face looked flush in the right shade. But, I may go back to the other when this one's done.

// 7 // Last, but definitely not least, my new favorite foundation. It's essentially a tinted moisturizer/BB cream, but it's got staying power like no other. My skin really did get better after I started using this. And it's cooling, so it feels great in the morning. The one weird thing is it starts to dry quickly when you begin spreading it -- make sure you cover your face before that happens.

I want to hear what you're loving!
Share your favorites with me, I always need new ideas!

xoxo.

Being Beautiful on a Budget

Hello there friends!
How are your weeks going?

I thought today we'd talk about beauty blogs. My friends, I love beauty blogs/products/chatter, which is mildly ironic because I don't really wear much makeup and have super super super thick hair making a lot of hair tips kind of moot points for me.

But, my friends, I don't have the budget to love all the things many beauty bloggers love. Lemme tell you, I big puffy heart MAC and Sephora (confession: I would own Bare Minerals whole collection if I could, best foundation I've ever used, if you can afford it--do it.) but it's just not realistic for me.

So if you're in my cheapo boat, I thought I'd share some of my favorite penny-pinching pretty-fiers.

1. Frizz-Ease Mousse: I love this mousse for when I want a more defined wave to my hair. Scrunches like NONE OTHER. My go-to curly hair product and has been for 5+ years now.
2. Dove Dry Shampoo: This is a recent find and it's incredible. The smell is awesome and not overwhelming, it doesn't leave that weird white film in your hair, it makes your hair feel cleaner, and it's less than $5, so if it gets clogged (like all my dry shampoos are prone to do) I'm not weeping that I "spent so much money" on it, because I didn't.
3. Shimmer Strips: These were shown to me by the lovely Liz, and I love it. It's the less expensive version of a blush/bronzer combo like my old Nars one and make you look just as pretty. I love just the little bit of natural looking I've-just-been-in-the-sun-picnicing color it gives you.
4. Falsies Flared: This is my favorite drugstore mascara, but it has to be the "Flared" version. Adds length and volume to my poor nubbin lashes. It also doesn't make my lashes fall out, which cheap mascara is wont to do.
5. Dream Curls: This is the best soft curls spray I've found yet. It lets my hair stay wavy, but soft and un-crunchified (remember gel-ed curls of the 90s/early-00s? sad hair time for moi). And all it takes is some spritzing, some scrunching and if you'd like a little blowdry. I personally just let mine air dry.
6. Moroccan Oil Conditioner: BEST. CONDITIONER. EVER. Makes my hair so soft, silky and NOT greasy I'm still amazed it hasn't become mandatory for women everywhere. It makes my hair so easy to run your hands through, and two days without washing is not even remote grease-ville. (I don't wash my hair everyday ever. It makes it like hay.)
7. Silicone Headbands: Comfy, cute, and so easy to reposition throughout the day. Plus I got a pack of 4 for $5.00, unheard of.
8. Dream Mousse Foundation: Great coverage, doesn't feel like your wearing makeup, and looks natural because it's a mousse not a powder or complete liquid. I've also bought the kind in the little pot before and I really like that one, too.
9. Polish Strips: AWESOME. AWESOME. AWESOME. AWESOME. Easy to use, fun to wear, and dude they stay on for like 2 weeks no prob (especially the glitter ones) which is way longer than what I'm used to polish-wise.
10. Fresh Vanillas Body Spray: Found this just last week and it smells AMAZING. In fact, I'm ready to convert all my friends and family ... well at least the ladies, to this scent. Light, fresh, and doesn't give you a fragrance-headache during allergy season and that, my friends, is a huge WIN.

Got any beauty buys you love?
I'd love to share them with everyone! (With credit, of course.)

xoxo.

e-window shopping or the way i get rid of impulse buys

So my lovelies,

I have been busy up the wazoo.

(In all honesty, when am I not?)

So in some of my downtime -- I've been perusing Etsy.

It's one of my favorite things to do (and a much less impulsive form of window shopping) so I thought I'd share some of my favorite finds with you.

(I was in no way, shape, or form compensated for any of this. These are strictly my own opinions.)

found here

how do i not have this already?!

found here

my mom used to say this to us. it's from winnie the pooh. 

i want to paint it around the top perimeter of my room.

found here

since i spent a big chunk of my adolescence there, i freaking love this.

also, it should be noted, i'm in LOVE with bus scrolls. i want one in every room. 

(no lie, i have 40 or so saved on my favorite items list.)

found here

um, who doesn't want a moose necklace?! because i definitely do. 

also, her t-rex one here.

found here

i arbitrarily picked one item to showcase but to be honest i freaking love jillyink. 

she has the best handwriting and free-hand calligraphy i've seen. 

plus, it doesn't hurt that she's an incredible woman and one of the nicest people i know.

found here

i actually have this print in my room. i love it.

mandy does everything. from crochet, to photography, to chalk and even jewelry there's definitely something to appeal to anyone and everyone in this shop. 

also, she's awesome and has the cutest kids...but i'm a little biased as one of them is my best friend.

Do you all like Etsy? What are some of your favorite finds? 

I'd really love to know ... I need more shops to peruse and fawn all over.

xoxo.      

little bit of this... little bit of that...

I've been absent from the blogging world. 

Because, my friends, as the Lovely Liz puts it: 

"Real life trumps blog."

So I've been out livin life, working, having fun, loving, dating (same boy), smiling, laughing,

and BEING.

Oh, and obsessively watching NCIS. 

Not a show that would generally be up my alley ... I'm seriously into this show. Like USA has marathons and I have them all DVR-ed into this show. I'm becoming pseudo friends with Gibbs, McGee, Ziva, Abbey, Ducky, and DiNozzo. (Aaaand it doesn't hurt that the characters are endearing beyond measure.) It's smart, it's intriguing, and it sucks. you. the. freak. in. I love trying to piece together the clues as the team does. And the way Abby and McGee can piece together forensics ... makes me want to be a forensic scientist.
(I just with USA would play them in order.)

It might make me a serious old lady -- but I LOVE The View. (Helps that I work at ABC and can watch at work.) 50 cent was on The View today...and it was awesome. He talked about his dramatic weight loss for a movie (seriously, check out the pictures (he went from 214 pounds to 160)) ... and how he's gained it back. You can see the segment here.

Gabby got me thinking about this next part -- but seriously, these things need to be recommended. 

I don't think I've ever posted a picture of my hair all curly ...but trust me -- I have quite the mane. I am always on a quest to find a shampoo I'll really love that'll take good care of my hair (when it's straight and curly), will keep my color/highlights vibrant, smells nice, and won't break the bank. I think, my friends, I've found it. 

The Dove Color Repair shampoo is AMAZING. It's light, it doesn't weigh my curls down, and it smells AMAZING. Honestly, I have mousse in my hair right now and my hair is still very soft and my curls look great even though I barely scrunched them.

I have tried mascaras from SO many different companies. And I love this stuff more than I loved my high price mascaras.

I get fairly greasy under my eyes by the end of the day (especially when it's hot) and I can honestly say the only times I've seen this smudge is when I've been really sweaty, or after sleeping with it on. I love Maybelline mascara...and this one DEFINITELY continues that love. And after my last AWFUL mascara ...  it's a breath of fresh air. My eyelashes don't get clumpy, which is great because I have so few, and it makes them look LONGGGGGG. I freaking LOVE this stuff. 

Also my sunburn is peeling/has peeled a lot and it is ITCHIN like crazy! I lotion it everyday -- but it doesn't help. Anyone got any remedies for itchy burnt skin?

And I finally got my perfect pair of mirrored aviators. I've searched for weeks (and after dropping my sunglasses in the river) I found ones I LOVE. I'll take a picture next time I'm in my car with them. 

How about y'all. How are you?

xoxox.

i want wednesday

So I have a bunch of things to tell you.

But I'm not QUITE finished polishing them up or (in some cases) writing them.

So for now, here's a look at stuff I'm TOTALLY lusting after.

Sephora's felt tip eyeliner. It's like a marker. And it's amazing. And I want it. B-A-D BAD.

image via weheartit

A king sized bed with a big fat mountain of pillows on it.

A vacation at this house on the Oregon coast. Or this one.

MOM come visit so we can all go stay at that house!

this cardigan vest. the color is clutch.

still those freaking glasses.

 This swimsuit. I have it in black ... but I love the striped top. They also have the solid one (that I have) in teal. I love that, too.

AND I WANT SUMMER. 

or at least consistent sunshine -- it puts me in the BEST mood. just ask my co-workers.

a trip to see this awesome lady. she is seriously the bomb dot com.

what are you wanting?

xoxox.

awesomespice.

So I've sat here staring at this screen for several minutes ... not knowing what to say at all.

First, I cannot figure out why I'm still awake when I have to be up at 8:30 and got only 3 hours of sleep last night and worked and stayed up late, AGAIN.

My brain seriously needs to calm down and shut down.

It's still zip zip zipping.  

A LOT. 

Second, even though my brain is all aflutter .... my body is exhausted.

{I promise this won't all be about sleep.}

I keep yawning like a loon. A still awake loon.

My body says "Hey crazy lady, we're trying to tell you you're tired. NOW LISTEN."

Third, I need inspiration for how to cut my hair.

I'm officially getting it cut on Saturday {the first time in a YEAR}.

Now I'm trying to figure out if/how much of it to cut off and what shape I want.

Also, we all know I love blog giveaways done by my loving friends.

I think they're just completely great.

But I'm starting to believe I should only enter ones that have to do with hair products/accessories -- because they're the only ones I win.

And that's okay with me, I'm SO not complaining.

I DEFINITELY didn't complain when I won this little beauty:

"Pinkspice" made by Miss Lauren over at Busy Bee Lauren {check out her headband shop}.

Fifth -- I needed some more work wear {i.e. skirts} and I'm pretty IN LOVE with Old Navy's $15 skirt sale right now. But I accidentally returned the wrong one today (I needed to change some sizes like on the GIANT cardigan I bought) so I'm gonna have to go back and get that one. Yay for cute work clothes.

Sixth, I want spring/summer. NOW. I'm sick of gray skies and rain. I want pretty Oregon again.

Lastly, please please PLEASE check out this AMAZING video my friend Natalie's little sister posted on her Facebook this week. Makes me SO happy. It's epic.

sigh. oh disney princesses. oh mean girls. oh GENIUS.

Happy Friday! Happy Weekend!
{Happy My Haircut, Room Clean, Crafting, Happiness weekend!!}
xoxo.

I Want Wednesday

I'M IN A REALLY BAD MOOD.

So I'm doing this to make me happy.

{in any small way it can}

Lately I'm craving BETTER storage in my room for some of my clothes and odds and ends.

I can't seem to find exactly what I'm looking for though.

Here's the basic concept:

But I'd prefer if the shelves were black or white.

With these kinds of bins:

Both from Pottery Barn Teen.

{bins 1 and bins 2}

I found these here. I LOVE them. 

Puzzle Pieces have a very very special meaning in my life -- so I've kind of become a connoisseur of puzzle piece paraphernalia. 

PLUS you can make a giant sandwich of a whole bunch of other ones!

And these shoes. I have a thing for Vans laceups lately. And I love love love love love those slip on flats at the bottom. And apparently I love the same colors for everything. Except the green and yellow ones -- totally belong to my growing duck pride.

Also, I need more cardigans.

I have a bunch of long ones -- I need some waist length ones, too.

I'm having a hard time finding ones I like.  Here are a few:

granted, the last one is a jacket ... but i LOVE it. 

three sweaters -- old navy. jacket -- shade clothing.

What do you want this Wednesday? 

xoxo.

show a little love...

I have some beef with Sonic.
I LOVE the Sonic. I want to crawl in their tator tot fryer and live there.
But I have gone twice in the past two days -- and they were closed!
I went at 1 in the afternoon, and 9 at night!
They're supposed to be open. Ugh. I'm craving a strawberry limeade like none other. 

Anyway. Let's look over some things I'm currently totally swooning over.

The 160 GB iPod. It's like a dream.

40,000 songs?! YES. PLEASE.

I mostly started looking at these because my iPod is starting to die...and I only have half a gig free space on it.

And my alma mater's bookstore has the 120 GB ones for just a little less.

And you have to have an iTrip to go with it -- I'm sobbing without mine.

EVERY.DAY. 

I love this necklace. It's hand stamped...with a phrase from my favorite poem.

I think it's adorable. And sweet.

I like this Etsy seller. She has a sand dollar necklace (I LOVE sand dollars) and tons of other cool jewelry.

 This CTR ring. (CTR stands for Choose the Right.) My current one is getting a little small on my hand. And this one is pretty.

 I FREAKING LOVE PLAID. 

And this matches my pink comforter...and the color scheme of my room.

{I LOVE bright happy colors for bedrooms. They're happy places!}

I also love this bedspread, this duvet and sheet set, this bedroom set, and this bed in a bag set.

This is why I have to stay out of the home goods sections of stores.

I LOVE these things. They're old WWII propaganda posters from England to let everyone know that all would be well. Definitely like the British--keep a stiff upper lip. And I love it in the honey color. I think it's gorgeous. It's the color my room was as a teenager.

{They have it in more colors.}

My Life Is Average.

It's pretty much one of my favorite things that got my through my sick days ... and my normal days, lately.

It's HYSTERICAL. They're all stories people send in from their every day lives.

Like one of my favorites from Halloween: 

Today, I was handing out candy for Halloween and someone rang the doorbell. I opened the door, but no one was there so I was about to close the door when I saw two people dressed as hands running toward each other down the sidewalk. They proceeded to collide midair: they were a high five. I gave them extra candy for their awesomeness. MLIA

I want to be friends with a LOT of these people. If you want a good chuckle, or even a smile, check it out.

And speaking of MLIA, I recommended it to one of my very favorite bloggers, Gabby @ Gabby She Wrote, and she mentioned me in her blog! It was a HUGE moment for me. I basically idolize this girl. 

Mental-Floss is definitely, 100%, certifiably for nerds like me. I love this stuff!

And I'm Etsying my life away trying to find a super cute, reasonably priced beanie, or two, for winter. It's getting chilly here.

What are you guys loving? I'd love to know!

Well, off to write more sweeps stuff. Yay for ratings periods! (Someone shoot me.)

Catcha on the flip side.
xoxo.

the way you make me feel...

today i am thinking about this:

tahiti.

sigh.

it is my kind of elegant. 

it was so cold and gray and cloudy here all day.

and it was a long day.

i can only think that tahiti would be the perfect solution.

i mean look at that water! and the fishes! and those amazing huts. 

i can only believe my body and soul would be happy sitting in one of these chairs:

yes. please.

so, who's going with me?

now onto some business.

it's been award time over here at the siovhan show.

and i LOVE it.

the gorgeous girls over at bonbon rose gave me this delightful friends award:

now i'd like to pass it on to:

gorgeous kristen at k.law inspired this lady is seriously one of my favorite bloggers. i'm so glad we're friends!

kelsey over at the seattle smiths who reminds me all the time that life is so fun. 

mandy over at famous because i'm starting to believe we're soulmates. (how did we not meet when were were in provo?!)

and my darling ruth. this lady is a legit friend and amazing person. i heart her.

then the gorgeous k.law herself gave me this inspiration award: 

(i was seriously floored.)

gabby at gabby she wrote she's fantastic and i wish i was half a good a cook as her. 

mayra over at life is bananas this lady is a real life, hard core, marathon running inspiration. 

liz at unbeweavable. liz is one of the most geniune people i've ever e-met. she's great.

lauren over at busy bee lauren who has a zest for life that few others possess.

(pssst. these last two are not for the faint of heart...or my mother. trust me.)

jill at pilgrim congress. jill is hysterical and makes my day when she comments on my blog. plus she's a new englander. we gotta stick together. 

and lilu over at livit luvit. this lady has more blog readers than anyone else i know. and she deserves it. she's a riot!

hope you all had a happy monday.
and let's get on this tahiti business.
xoxo.


p.s. isn't this necklace adorable? i saw it on a girl on tv as i was flipping through tonight (a rerun of my boys). i kind of love it. it's from zoe chicco.

i want wednesday ... on friday...

news. is. exhausting.
mentally, physically, emotionally.
i am spent.

so here comes a random and mindless post (i'll have to dredge up old stuff sometime soon so there's something substantial on here).

I WANT:


This dress ... with any of these shoes:

This outfit was front and center in a dream I had the other night that I had to go to a ball and couldn't find an outfit and then magically my mom mailed it to me (in the box were the red shoes). It was very strange {as most of my dreams have been lately}.
p.s. did anyone else hear that louboutin thinks barbie has cankles?!


This CD. I love this song. It's ADORABLE.


New England fall. I miss it. It's SO gorgeous.
There's a red tree right outside my office window and it speaks to my soul.
I LOVE fall.

Speaking of that, I want my momma. She's radddd.
Look at her latest post: here. and the woman is already like the most charitable person I know.
(p.s. I do love rain because of her.)


This on canvas for my bathroom. So fun. And SO true. SO SO true.


A {certain} boy to feel this way about me. For a long time.

xoxo.