My Thoughts on Some Recent Purchases

Rather than doing a standard favorites post (though when they've been sporadic at best I don't know that I could call it "standard" anyhow) I decided to share my thoughts on some of the things I've purchased recently.

1. La Mer Crème de la Mer I have been really concerned with aging, so I gave in and purchased the La Mer Introductory Collection. The main reason I purchased it was to try the Crème de la Mer. I was surprised by how thick it was and felt like I had to use a lot of it to cover my face and neck. Because of this, I won't be repurchasing it. It's too expensive to repurchase every month or two. Instead I'll be going back to using the Clinique Moisture Surge Intense that I mentioned it in this post.

2. Fresh Sugar Face Polish I went to Sephora a few weeks ago to find a new foundation that gives me a little more coverage than my Vitazing. Unfortunately I ended up returning the foundation she recommended because it didn't give me enough coverage, but I ended up buying this exfoliator once I got home because the consultant told me that my nose was dry. I've never thought of my nose as dry, but I took her advice and ordered this when I got home. I've only used it a few times, but I've already noticed a different in how smooth my skin is. Love!

3. neuLash Serum Several bloggers I follow have raved about this eyelash serum, so I splurged on it to see if it lived up to the hype. I have only been using it a few weeks, but I feel like my lashes are thicker and longer ~ I'm not sure if it's because the serum is actually doing what it claims to do or it's just in my head, but so far I like what I'm seeing. You can probably achieve the same look by using this mascara, so I'm not sure it's worth the price tag, but if you want to try a lash serum I'd recommend this one.

4. L'Oréal Double Extend Lash Extension Effect Mascara This mascara reminds me of the Younique Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lashes, but it's less than $10! It adds so much length and volume to my lashes - they almost look fake! I think "Step 1" makes the biggest difference in adding length. I use it with the Too Faced mascara and it creates major drama (in a good way!). I also love that it doesn't run or come off. It's quickly become a beauty must-have.

5. Essie Fiji Polish This is the perfect pale pink nail polish. It's all I've been wearing since purchasing it a few weeks ago!

 6. Soludos Espadrilles I ordered these during the Shopbop sale that I blogged about in this post, and they have quickly become a new favorite! I ordered the tan and am considering ordering the black as well. They are incredibly comfortable and are so cute! I've seen mixed reviews as far as sizing - for me they fit true to size. They felt tight when they first arrived, but they have stretched with wear, so I'm glad I didn't size up.

7. BP. Mirrored Aviator Sunglasses I love these aviators! And the best part ~ they're $12! Yep, you read that right. BP. is a super affordable brand that is carried exclusively at Nordstrom. I have several BP. pieces, including my favorite long sleeved tees (on sale for less than $11!), and I have the Rose Gold aviators and love them! I'm the worst about throwing my sunglasses in my purse without a case, so the lenses are a little scratched, but since they were only $12 I can easily replace them when needed. Buy them!

8. Le Spec Rapture Bat Wing Sunglasses This sunglass brand is a little more of a splurge when you compare it to the BP. brand sunglasses, but at $59 I'd still consider it more of a save when compared to my dream sunglasses which I won't be purchasing anytime too soon. The "bat wing" is a fun take on the cat eye and it adds some interest to basic black sunnies.

If there is something specific you'd like to see on my blog, please share in the comments below! Happy shopping!

XOXO,

Office Preview

We purchased most of our furniture when we built our last house in 2006, so it's time to update things a little. It all started with Michael buying two monitors, a keyboard, and a laptop docking station for his office. Once everything arrived I realized that our desk was way too small and I needed to find something new. Several of the decor items in our office are black and gold, so I decided to stick with that color scheme. The first two purchases I made were this console table and rug. 

I'd originally planned on getting a more modern glass desk, and found what I thought would be the perfect one, but then Michael set up the monitors and docking station and I realized that I needed something that would hide some of the cords and the actual docking station. I started searching and found this L-shaped desk at Adam's Furniture. It still fit with the overall color scheme of the room, so I decided to switch directions a little. We ordered this desk and the matching lateral file.   

Right now the only things that have been delivered are the table and the rug, but I'm so excited with how the room is coming together! Stay tuned for the full room reveal soon!

XOXO,

Shopbop Sale

Shopbop is having a huge sale right now where you can save up to 25%! It's a tiered sale, so the more money you spend, the more you save!

We're going to Hawaii for our 15th anniversary trip in June, so I've rounded up some fun beach vacation options here.

Sundress Tasseled Coverup / Pool Party Beach Towel / Pineapple Pool Float /
Glass Water Bottle / Wet Beach Stuff Bag / Pink Beach Bag /
 iPhone Case / Sam Edelman Sandals / Vacation State of Mind Sweatshirt /
  Leather Espadrilles / Camel and Pink Clutch / Swimsuit

I've included some other fun options in the widget below. Happy shopping!

XOXO,

Countdown Days 11-14

I'm posting this a day early in case you're still looking for an idea for tomorrow. I probably went a bit crazy with the treats and gifts, but it was so much fun!

Day 11: Valentine, you color my world! - Trolls came out on DVD and Blu-Ray this week, so I decided it would be perfect for family movie night! I think they've watched the movie five or six times since opening it Saturday morning, so I'd say it was a hit!

Day 12: We go together like.....cookies & cream, peanut butter & fudge, strawberries & bananas... There is a frozen custard shop in Grapevine, so we took the kids out after Sophia's soccer game. So yummy!

Day 13: You Make My Heart Pop - Both kids love bubbles, so I decided to pick up these fun Bubble Stackers for the countdown. I thought about buying them a bubble machine, but decided to try the stackable bubbles instead.

Day 14: Valentine, I Don't Want to Lego of You! ~ Both kids love Legos, so I decided to get them each a Lego set as their final gift. I got Carter a LEGO Architecture set and I got Sophia a LEGO Elves set.

We had so much fun with the countdown! I'm already thinking about what I'll do for our Christmas Advent Calendar and the Valentine's Day Countdown next year!

XOXO,

Countdown Days 8-10

Day 8: You're the Missing Piece to Our Puzzle ~ I found these color-in puzzles at Michael's and thought it would be a fun way to show Sophia & Carter how much they mean to us. I used Sharpies to write words to describe them and then had them color and decorate them.

Day 9: You're the 'Swedish' Fish in the Sea ~ I forgot to take pictures yesterday, but I purchased these from Target and put them in their mailboxes.

Day 10: We're not playing games, we're so glad you're on our team! ~ We love having family game nights (post plan soon with some of our favorite games), so I decided to pick up a few new games as a part of the countdown. I wrapped these so the kids would have something to open when they got home from school. I mean, who doesn't like opening presents? This one is more of a single player game, but it really makes you think and it's small enough to bring with you, so it's perfect for keeping them entertained during dinners out. I also got this one. So. Much. Fun! I was a bit concerned about sharing the mouthpieces, but the game comes with ten, so there was no need to share. But they are so uncomfortable, so be prepared for that!

Carter was more interested in playing Rush Hour than Watch Ya Mouth, so I only got pictures of Sophia and I playing ~ not our best looks. ;)

I can't believe there are only four more days to go until Valentine's Day!

XOXO,

Countdown Days 6-7

Day 6: Valentine, you're just write for us! ~ I had originally planned on giving them each a cute Valentine's Day pencil, but then I found fun Valentine's Day pens in the Target dollar spot and decided to use those instead. Anytime I want to do little gifts for Sophia and Carter, I always hit the dollar spot at Target first ~ you can find the cutest things there!

Day 7: We love you to pieces, Valentine! ~ I found this Reese's Snack Mix and thought it'd be the perfect treat! Who doesn't love the combination of sweet and salty?

XOXO,

Countdown Days 3-5

Day 3: I Soda Love You ~ Last year I attached the note to a mini can of root beer and we made root beer floats, but Carter isn't a fan of root beer ("too spicy") so I decided we'd try this recipe for Cupid Floats. We used Strawberry Sunkist instead of the Cherry 7-Up. Carter still claimed it was a little spicy, but ended up finishing it so I guess he got over it. I didn't end up using the Red Vines as straws - I had cute black & white paper straws that worked just as well (and were free!).

Day 4: You're the Apple of My Eye ~ There is a gourmet apple store in Grapevine so I took Sophia & Carter there and let them pick out an apple. We also ended up picking up some chocolate covered strawberries ~ I couldn't resist! So yummy!

Day 5: We don't have words for how much we love you! ~ I decided to create a word search on Puzzlemaker for them to work on using Valentine themed words.

I hope they're loving this countdown as much as I am! I'll share the next few days later this week.

XOXO,