Weekly Favorites

Hey, girls!

Do you have bloggers, you tuber, tweeters, and the like that you just LOVE to keep up with?  My friend and I were talking about learning makeup, so I thought I'd share who I love to watch and follow! (In no particular order.... ;) please don't make me choose who I  am most loyal to because I just couldn't! )

Emily of Beauty Broadcast - Oh my gosh, this girl LOVES makeup and loves to talk about it!  She's awesome!  She also does quick (under 5 minute) reviews of new products every weekday.  I've tried a lot of things based on her recommendations.

Melissa of Melmphs - Melissa makes me feel like we're in a coffee shop chit chatting about makeup.  Also like passing notes in middle school and gossiping about boys.  She has these cute songs she sings, which are so darn cute they are impossible to describe.  "girl, you talk about preeetty...." guess you have to be there.

Tracy and Stephanie of EG - These girls are sisters and are just peppy and happy to watch!  They are hilarious!

Karen of The Makeup and Beauty Blog - Girl, this lady makes "old cat lady" sound AWESOME!  She bears cat anything proudly and, as usual, talks about makeup!  She's all about living a happy life and laughing a lot!  She does these fake adverts with her cat in them (posing for makeup ads!) which completely crack me up!!

So, on the note of makeup, I wanted to take a cue from Melissa (not literally... I'm no thief) and talk about the products I've been loving this week!  I absolutely love hearing about what products girls love!  Grab a cup of tea or coffee and sit with me!

Ok, first and foremost: it took me nearly 30 years, but I've finally done black eyeliner!!  I am over the moon thrilled!  I've been playing with the Jordana Fabuliner that EG talk about.

Using small strokes & balancing my hand against my cheek

Is it weird that I can hear Melissa's voice in my head saying, "girl, you talk about preeetty"?  Cause girl, this is one pretty eyeliner.

http://www.treehutshea.com

Next, this yummy smelling lotion!  I put this on after the shower a shower and particularly on my legs.  It just smells so good!  It is pretty thick but rubs in (and absorbs!) quickly!  It smells like chocolate in a very good way.  You know how there are some lotions that claim to "smell" like chocolate but instead just smell very odd?  This is NOT one of those!  If I could put this on a cake, I would totally eat it.  Erm... well, you know, the put the scent on a cake, not the actual lotion. ;)  Get this little baby at Ulta - I love this whole line because they are pretty natural, offer great-working products, and are so well-priced!

Ah!  This palette - I can't even get over how pretty this Stila palette is.  It's so much prettier in person.  With 6 shadows, a highlight, and a light bronzer, it creates a very neutral, glowy look.  You can probably tell which shades I use the most!  I put Demure all over my lid and Silk in the crease.  Thanks, Emily, for showing me how to apply eyeshadow to the crease!

Be juicy and fresh, but don't get fresh with me!

This week I have been loving wearing this lip balm.  It looks like a lipstick, but don't be fooled: it'll give you color AND moisturize your lips.  They say everyone needs a "your lips but better" color and this one totally does it for me!  It looks juicy and fresh!  Yum!

How's your cuppa doing?  Need a refill?  Grab another and have yourself a wonderfully beautiful day!

Crafty Wednesday

"We should all do what, in the long run, gives us joy, even if it is only picking grapes or sorting the laundry."

-EBWhite

Howdy, there!  Today I worked on a fun project that I've been oggling over on Pinterest.  I saw a few different tutorials, and they were mostly diagrams.  I think this is a relatively easy project if you have sewn bags before and have a bit of a geometric mind.  

This little fish just CRACKS me up!!  I'm sending it over to my little brother for storing treasures.

Of course there has to be something cute inside already, so it is holding on to a Pokemon T-shirt!

Hope you are having a lovely day!  

Crafting For Each Season

Howdy, y'all!  

Recently we have seen the cold weather turning into pollen turning into rain and heat.  It all got me thinking, what sorts of crafts do you like in each weather?  There are certain crafts, such as knitting, that I simply don't want to even think about in the summer.  So, let's take a look at the list!  Here to help me out is our home mascot, Horace.  Turtles are a bit of a family crest in my husband's family line, and Horace is our very own mascot.  Let's take a look!

Sewing: scarves, head wraps, bows, swim coverups, vinyl seat covers, hats

Gluing: flowers on anything!  Headbands, clips, rings, necklaces, baskets....

Cooking: yummy fruity drinks, easy fruit courses, taco salads

Sewing: warm scarves

Knitting: warmer scarves, vests, cute hats (beanies, berets)

Cooking: any kind of cider, scones with cranberries, pies of any sort!

Cooking: soups and corn chowders, enchiladas and tacos, chilis, hot chocolate of any sort, pizzas

Knitting: woolen scarves, cushions, blankets (which will keep you cozy as you knit), socks

Sewing: pillow cases, hats, warm socks, warm booties or slippers, blankets

Sewing: spring belts, flowery hair accessories, pillow case covers for a new living room look

Cooking: salads, anything with fruit and juice, pastas

Horace and I are wishing you a warm transition into the spring months!  If you're in the Southeast, stay patient with all the pollen you're breathing in!

Carfty Wednesday

Caution:

Fleece will Tear Easily 

& 

Necessitate Creative Solutions

Hi y'all!
Have you seen this on fleece material?  I haven't, but maybe it was just in fine print, cause you can guess what happened to me today!

I've been stitching up a storm today, working on two projects.

The first is for one of my friends who just had a baby!  The first of my friends to have kids!  How exciting!  (Ages me, doesn't it?)  I sewed a crinkle toy that can be hooked on a bag to carry along and keep those little hands busy on trips!  There's actually no "crinkle" inside: just lots of textures in the tabs and fabric!  It's a toy for the senses!  One side is fleece and the other is breathable sporty material.

The other project is a cute granny pillow!  Um, yes, I made ONE pillow.  And I don't even want to tell y'all how long it took me!! Those squares are tiny!  It is cute and cozy, and has a flannel backing.  Ahh, just looking at it entices me to dream...

Toodles!

Crafty Wednesday

"How many scarves does one girl need?"

As many as lip glosses, of course!

Hey there, stranger!  It's been a while.  Have you gotten the flu bug that's been floating around?  My husband and I both came down with it last week and took turns alternating with the tissues and the soup.  Reminded me a little bit of the episode of Sex and The City where Charlotte and Harry both get food poisoning the same night and end up asleep on the bathroom floor holding hands.  Ok, the flu was NOT that bad!

Back to the point (and off Sex and The City for once ;)), I made another scarf today!  Something about scarves being so comfy and beautiful, and the fact that the weather outside is starting to look like spring, and the way that the flower petals are swirling when they come off the trees...... flowing scarves and spring just kind of go together, ya know?

Polka dots take center stage in this infinity scarf

Bright blues just look like spring and much-needed sunshine!

Ugh..... flowers are SO gorgeous!  Just can't get enough.  Flowers and polka dots...
Is there anything better?

What have y'all been up to?  Our household is recovering from the flu that hit us last week.  And by household, I mean house.... leftover soup is leaving our fridge, we are running through the last of the kleenex, and the stack of laundry is slowly getting smaller.  I guess all that energy you feel when you finally get better is much needed ... you need it to catch up on all the things at home and work that you missed when you were sick!

My body just doesn't like sicknesses... one day of loopy movie watching, and I am done!  There's so much life out there!  Let's get better already! :)

Hoping the germs stay away from your family!

Crafty Wednesday

"Do one thing a day that scares you"

Crafting today was REALLY fun!  It was fun because I did something I am a complete novice at!  Do you ever try something new and scary just to see how it turns out?  I love learning new techniques, but today, I did no research - I just dove right in!

After circling the paints section at Michael's (picking up different paints with each rotation, like an indecisive vulture), I brought the colors home, and laid out the brushes and canvases.  Er...

Now what????

I had no idea.  So I decided to make two canvases: one that looks earthy and another that looks like the sky.  

Here is what I see in a ground:

The earth one just had to look like lava at the bottom - I mean, that's what underneath us, right??  And there had to be assorted spots rising to the sky because the earth sends us nutrients.

 And here's my view of the sky today:

 I was thinking of the winds and clouds moving quickly and sporadically outside today.  And in the pink, I saw the change to night time.  It is so nice that spring is here!  Last night, I spend the evening laughing with my in-laws while eating dinner and watching the breeze blow the sky into pink then dark.

And then, as it was so beautiful being on the patio, I grabbed one more canvas and splattered paint on it!  Seriously, I had so much fun following curves that I saw in the paint, feeling the breeze outside.  Here's what happened from all those taps of brushes:

I think I like this one the best!! :)  Maybe it's just because it reminds me of enjoying the spring weather.
Now to find where to hang these sweeties up!  As silly as they look, I love them!  They all remind me to try new things, to not take life too seriously, and to enjoy the moment!

One day that you feel a little grumpy, or on a day that you are feeling particularly courageous, go out and try something new!  It doesn't have to be big: a new dish, a new experience, a different route.  It may just add some sparkle to shake up your day!

Toodles!

SparklyTwirls

Crafty Wednesday

"Love is the thing, you know"

I have been on a marathon watch of all the Sex and the City episodes and movies.  After a month, I am done with all six seasons and the first movie!  They are so good!

I made this week's craft while watching the first movie, enjoying some girly time at home!

I punched out 5/8'' circles out of card stock in violet, teal, dark blue, and light blue.

I then glued two back to back on a string and hung up the strings to make a curtain!
The next photo looks so gloomy, but in real life, the circles look like rain in ocean colors!

A few things I will say about this project:

-BOY! Did it take a long time!!  The hole punching... the gluing...... so make sure you are enjoying a nice movie if you decide to do this!  This project is a little like knitting or crocheting: fun, relaxing, repetitive, and best done with a great movie and a nice drink at hand.

-I LOVE the colors!  They are all randomly placed on each string, and the string is barely visible, so it looks like there are colorful floating bobbles in front of the window!

-I had completely forgotten what it is like to have glue stick ALL over your fingers.  Remember that feeling from elementary school?  Or if you are a teacher or a parent with young kids, this is probably a typical thing for your fingertips!

Toodles!