Is this real life?

Yes, I’m back after what was a {too} long hiatus. Life gets in my own way in the summertime, y’all, you best believe it! Between wedding showers, baby showers, going to the lake almost every weekend, Blues Festival, cookouts, and many more exciting yet exhausting summer activities, I just haven’t had time to blog. By the time I get home on Sundays, I’m usually cleaning, getting my grocery shopping done, then taking a shower and falling into a nice, deep sleep.

First and foremost, since summer is slowly coming to a close, I have to say how excited I am that Razorback football is only 38 days away! Charles and I always have the best time during fall: Amazing weather, grilling out and making incredible food {especially Charles’ famous smoked ribs..lip licking good}, spending time with friends and family, and of course, FOOTBALL!

Fall for the Alley family also means our wedding anniversary! Can you believe it’s already been almost a year since Charles and I got married? Year one has flown by. We also get to spend our first fall in our new house, which I’m thrilled about! We have been working in the yard and purchasing patio furniture in preparation for the season!

Charles also has converted to Catholicism and he is about to graduate college with his leadership degree. I’m so proud of my hard working husband. I couldn’t imagine “doing life” with anyone else.

Let me share a bit of what has been going on through pictures..

Charles and I are both directors for the Riverfront Blues Festival, and here we are, directing on!

Quite a lot of boating has been occuring this summer

After Charles converted, I threw a small brunch for a few family members. We had champagne for mimosas in a cute bucket, fruit in fun, colorful little cups, spring colored flowers, quiche, and sausage balls. And of course rolls! I love the look of this setup. I also had cute, colorful little plastic mason jars for the mimosas for a cute little touch.

The BMW is no more, someone purchased her, so we got the new 2014 Ford Escape Titanium. LOVE IT, thanks so much to Hug!

Charles and I before Easter mass, right before he converted {dress - Suite One Boutique}

Backstage at Dierks Bentley thanks to my awesome sister in law! {Kimono - Suite One Boutique}

Our wedding made it into a local magazine here in Fort Smith called Entertainment Fort Smith. We had a two page spread, and my bouquet even made the cover! Thanks so much, E Fort Smith!

Funky fourth at Lake Ouachita! We like to be patriotic {kimono & headband - Suite One Boutique}

There's been quite a bit of grilling this season. Charles and I have taken to grilling pizza's in our Pampered Chef pizza pan, so there's bit a lot of relaxing on the patio, enjoying our time together

You can't beat a Lake Ouachita sunset. You just can't!

My BELOVED patio furniture! I scored the sectional at Big Lots for 20% off during a sale, I scored the rug which was a display rug at Wal-Mart for $30! They took money off of it due to it being a "display" which I thought was awesome! I also scored the pillow on clearance at Target. The umbrella was one I purchased 2 summers ago at Wal-Mart. So excited to relax on this sectional this fall while we watch football and grill with friends...

 

 

Well, friends, I'll be back again soon with more updates. I hope you've all enjoyed hearing from me, because I've enjoyed catching up with you!



Wacky Wednesday

Happy Wednesday, y’all!

I’m quite a fan of Wednesdays, it means we are halfway through the week and almost to the weekend! {Applause, applause..} I am particularly excited about this Wednesday because it is a long overdue LADIES NIGHT! I can’t even tell you how needed this week. When 3’o clock {aka, quitting time for this lady} rolls around, I’ll be headed to buy a nice bottle of wine and some snacks for my best gal pals! If you don’t have a ground of ladies that you enjoy ladies nights with periodically, I recommend you go befriend some girls right this second and start a monthly girls night!

This is going to be another spontaneous, no themed post. I have so much to share! {Deep breath}

As I mentioned in my last post, I was looking for an inexpensive yet good quality website to make our family Christmas cards. If not by pure dumb luck, I would never have found out that VistaPrint has holiday cards, and {once again, like clockwork} I opened my email this morning to find a bright and shiny coupon for VistaPrint. You better believe I went to their site right then and there and created the CUTEST holiday cards for friends and family. I got 30 of these cards, with extra envelopes {I’m kind of totally accident prone} for $30. I cannot wait! Check these out {they have a plethora of designs to choose from, or you can create your own}:

"Married and Bright"...how punny for us Newlyweds? <3

 

A.dor.a.ble.  Plain and simple. Check out vistaprint now, while the discount is still good!

I’m not sure about you all, but Monday completely did me in! Since Starbucks is right down the street from my office, I decided to get myself a little Monday afternoon pick me up! Behold the Captain Crunch frapp from the Starbucks “Secret Menu.’’ It turned my day around! It tastes more similar to crunch berries than the actual Captain Crunch, but it is just the most perfect cold pick me up.

 

Then it was off to get some new dog food for the babies. I decided to try out the Rachael Ray dog food, and WOW, I have two happy happy babies on my hands! The fur babies are absolutely loving the food. I think this one will stick with us for a while. If you haven’t tried the Rachael Ray dog food and your pup is getting sick of their current food, check it out! I purchased it at Wal-Mart for around $15 dollars for a big bag. Your babies will thank you =) Charles is still baffled by the fact that Rachael Ray has dog food, he just can’t get over it! Males, I swear. Sometimes they just don’t get it.

 

Tuesday was once again a hectic day all around. On top of the work craziness, I ran out of astringent, so I had to make a trip to the store just for one item! I hate that. Instead of going into Wal-Mart and braving the crowds {not to mention driving around aimlessly for a parking spot}, I decided to go to Walgreens. Mistake? For my wallet, probably. But man oh man, I sure found some treasure! Here are my Walgreens finds:

 

{Sea Breeze Clear-Pore Astringent} Ahh, the only thing I went to Walgreens for! I should have known I would have ended up with more products! Ok, this stuff may not have the most pleasant smell in the world, but it gets the job done, and well I might add. The smell doesn’t linger, so to me it’s not an issue. There is a hint of grittiness to this astringent, which means it adds some exfoliation, and I’m a fan! Only runs about $5 and you get more product than the Clean and Clear astringents!

{Revlon Colorburst Lip Gloss}   I picked up two of these off of a recommendation from Katie {check her out! www.gloriouslyreallifexo.blogspot.com} I got the colors “Rose Pearl” and “Sun baked bronze.” The only word that comes to mind when describing this lip gloss is fantastic! They aren’t sticky or too gooey, they go on smoothly, the applicator is a sponge tip {which I appreciate}, and the color pigmentation is wonderful. They have gorgeous fall colors, I truly recommend checking them out! As an added bonus, they are BOGO half at Walgreens right now! Walk run to Walgreens! Now! I’m not a big fan of most lip products, I prefer a more natural lip, but this product provides the look I’m going for. Trust me. If I spend this much time and energy talking about a lip gloss, you probably need it.

{Milani Baked Blush in Red Vino and eye shadow in Beach Sand}   I picked these up through recommendations I have heard from other bloggers. I picked up the Red Vino blush for two reasons: First, the most raved over Milani baked blush is the color Luminoso, which my local Walgreens was out of. Secondly, I was drawn to Red Vino because it looked like a good transitional fall blush, and all of my blushes now are a coral, summer color. I am LOVING Red Vino, although I was surprised when I applied to my cheeks and I saw how pigmented it was. I don’t have to use near as much product as most blushes. It’s a steal at only about $7. I picked up their eye shadow in Beach Sand as well, and although I haven’t experimented with this eye shadow much, it is a neutral and it is sparkly. I’m quite sure I’ll adore it!

{Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask}  We all know that we were drawn to face masks when we saw the old movies of girls at sleepovers, in their cute pajama sets with face masks on and cucumbers over their eyes, painting their nails, and having a blast! Or maybe it was just me. It just is the epitome of being a girl. Who wouldn’t love a good sleepover with your gal pals, pampering each other, telling stories, and drinking a nice glass of wine. Sign me up! This mask is the same mint green color {hence the name..mint} that the masks you saw in the movies were. It smells DIVINE, which is rare for a mask, and makes your skin feel like a baby. I’m afraid that I have a mask addiction now, but at least the bottle only runs $4 at Walgreens! Thank YOU, Queen Helene.

{Neutrogena anti-residue shampoo} This was another recommendation from Katie, that I haven’t gotten to use yet! Stay tuned…I’ve heard it is the closest thing to a miracle in a bottle for your hair that you can get in Walgreens. Only $6!

{Dove Go Fresh body wash in Plum} As much as I love my Olay body wash in Sunflower Oil, it is too much of a summer scent for me to appreciate in the fall. This plum smell is “plum fantastic”..pardon my pun. I can’t stop smelling this. It’s a bit on the pricey side at $6 a bottle, but look how humongous that bottle is? I can totally justify that for something that will last me ALL fall and keep me smelling fantastic and keeping my skin soft and supple without that white buildup on your skin that the lower end body washes and soap bars tend to leave behind.

I also saved about $20 dollars on these products with my Walgreens loyalty card, so if you don’t have one, GO GET ONE! You won’t be sorry, it’s no cost to you, and you save money! It’s a win-win if I’ve ever seen one.

Not that you really care to see this, but I got my name plate with my new name on it at work today! Warms my little heart. It’s like I’m becoming a new person! I’m such a nut.

 

Tuesday was also “just because I love you” day in the Alley household, and I was blessed with this fabulous present from my even more fabulous husband! What. A. Keeper! My goodness. Look at the cranberry detailing on this bag, what a fantastic day Tuesday was! Charles, if you’re reading this {I know you aren’t, but still}, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! You’re just the greatest, wabers.

 

Ok guys, it’s almost quitting time, and I’ve got a girls night to prep for! Be a blessing today!

{P.S. Sorry for the sideways pictures! My blogger / computer is not cooperating today and doesn't want to let me rotate!}

Michele Alley

Weekend Take Away

Hey, y’all!

It’s Monday…. Again. I promise, I just needed 5 more minutes in bed before Monday happened. Only 5. Possibly 10. An extra hour would have been great.

Fall is officially here, complete with cool enough weather to open the windows and very chilly mornings. So chilly, in fact, that getting out of my warm bed, snuggled up with my husband and the two fur daughters is all the more difficult. I've overheard several people at the office today saying things along the line of "If I could have taken a personal day today, I would have.." Agreed. Amen to that!

How was your weekend? Was it just a tad too short like mine? Well here’s some information to make your Monday go down a little bit easier, a spoon full of sugar for your Monday, if you will:

v  24 days until Halloween

v  52 days until Thanksgiving {and 53 until Black Friday…yes, it’s important}

v  78 days until Christmas

It really is the most wonderful time of the year. I feel like people have better behaviors, the air feels crisp, leaves are falling, Starbucks is booming..not to mention the holiday market comes around, my birthday comes around, I get to spend lots of time with family, and I get to meet my new nephew all this holiday season! Happiness overload.

I spent this weekend doing various things. As promised, I did go straight to Kirkland’s after work on Friday and I bought that monogrammed “A” doormat, as well as another cute doormat, which I put on the back deck, right where you walk into the French doors to go inside the house. Both of these doormats were an additional 20% off {have I mentioned that I like love Kirkland’s}. I also scored these two cute wine goblets for a mere $5 each. Kirkland’s autumn sales right now are insanely awesome, as they are gearing up for Christmas. I then took said wine goblets to my sister’s house for a nice glass of white wine, while we cooked up some delicious food for her husband’s going away dinner.

Another Kirkland's purchase. Excuse the wet spots around it. It rained ALL day Saturday! Not too shabby for a $9 doormat.

I'm dying. Seriously. $5 from Kirkland's. I'm a believer.

 

Saturday was one of those picture perfect, cozy Saturday’s. We opened the windows on Friday night when we went to bed and we woke up to the sound of rain beating against the window and a wonderful breeze was coming through the window. I tiptoed out of bed just to snatch up my iPad and a steaming cup of coffee, and I was right back in the warm bed, enjoying a little pinterest and the weather I’ve been dying for. Happy gal right here! After we begrudgingly got out of bed to start the day, we went to my parent’s house and got to watch the wedding video! I swear, y’all, I could have watched all day. I can’t wait until the copies are made so I can get a closer look ;)

Since my parent’s house is right down the road from Wal-Mart, we decided to go ahead and get our grocery shopping done for the week. {I know better than to bring Charles grocery shopping with me , we always end up with $50 more of food than we needed, not my brightest idea}.

After cleaning the house, we felt that we deserved a nice mojito and some company, so some family and some friends came over to watch our beloved Razorbacks, bless their hearts. It was pouring all day, but that didn’t stop us from grilling out some chicken and sitting on the deck that evening! To polish off the rainy day, we decided to make an apple crisp, topped with vanilla ice cream! So good for my soul!

 

Sunday was spent writing thank you cards! I’m almost not even close to being finished, but at least I made a dent! It was also “switch your summer and winter closets” day, and it was a complete disaster for a while. I have too.many.clothes. I know, a girl can never have too much clothing, but I either need a bigger closet or I need to drastically reduce my clothing {I vote both!} This pretty much consumed most of my afternoon…oh yeah, and we got a new bedspread because our demon angel dogs decided that while we were on our honeymoon, they needed to panic and try to get ALL of the stuffing out of our comforter. You know, no big deal. This comforter is not my dream comforter by any means, but we needed a new one quick, and it was the prettiest one we found at wal-mart while we were there. Meanwhile, I’ll browse online to find a better suited bed set for our room!

Not even all of it! Underneath it all is the new bedspread, not too thrilled, but it's cozy and it does it's job, for now!

 

If you’re a Shutterfly fan like myself, you need to go to their website ASAP {like, yesterday} and get your free gift! You can choose from 101 free 4x6 prints or a free 16x20 print. Christmas is coming, and photo gifts are always a good option. Print out some pictures of your favorite friends or family, and while you’re on the site, go ahead and order some holiday cards or maybe a coffee mug for one of your friends gifts. I have a feeling I’ll be ordering some photo coffee mugs and filling them with cocoa mix and marshmallows for some friends this year, what a great gift! Check out shutterfly now! It’s where I got my guestbook for the wedding, and it was a HUGE hit. So many guests asked me where I got the guestbook, and here is the answer!

Something that is going to be a theme on my mind this week is going to be Christmas Lists! Not only do I need to create my “wish” list for my family, but I need to make a list {and a budget} for all of my family members and friends this year. Any suggestions for how you guys budget for Christmas shopping? What kind of gifts do you enjoy giving to friends? Any holiday shopping traditions or amazing sales on your mind? Please. Share! Sharing is caring and it can be very, very rewarding for all parties!

How about holiday cards? Charles and I are starting a tradition this year of sending out a holiday card to friends and family with a written letter about what we have been up to that year. Where do you get your holiday cards printed? We are thinking of using our professional pictures and using an online website to order our holiday cards. What good websites are out there?

Some pictures of my cutie pie nephew to start your week off with a smile!

 

 Time to get back to work, always keeping busy, busy, busy! I hope your weeks fly by! Until next time!

Michele Alley

 

5 for Friday!

Happy FRIDAY, y’all!

I’ve seen this been done on an increasing amount of blogs lately, so I thought I might try it. It’s called 5 for Friday. Basically, you just talk about 5 things that are on your mind as Friday rolls around. How fun!? I feel as if I could be a regular 5 for Friday blogger, so let’s start with my first 5 for Friday post!

{One}

Coffee is something that is sometimes always on my mind, but especially today. For starters, I’ve been SO sick all week, and haven’t been sleeping at all, which means coffee has been a Life. Saver. No joke, I wouldn’t have made it through my first week back at work post wedding and honeymoon  at all, especially being sick, without coffee. My pal coffee has also helped me out this week by soothing my throat with its warm coffee goodness. Coffee will continue to help me this weekend as I sit under a blanket Saturday morning {HOORAY for cooler temps} and write a billion thank you notes! Here’s a few new fall coffee flavors you all might want to give a try…

 

{Two}

Starting Saturday, it’s officially Sweater Weather! Insert happy dance here. I have so many new and old sweaters that I can’t wait to dig out and fill my closet with. I’m fairly certain Sunday will be dedicated to laundry / switching my closets! {I have a closet for winter clothes and a closet for summer clothes. I switch the closets according to seasons to the closet in the bedroom} It makes my little heart happy when I switch my closets; it feels like I get a whole new wardrobe, which in a sense, I do. Here are some sweaters I am lusting over this fall / winter!

Oversized sweaters. I need no explanation why I am loving this for fall!

Tribal print sweaters! There are so many ways you can dress up and down a tribal print, fun sweater!

 

 

Studded sweaters are probably my favorite sweaters this fall. Rock and Republic for Kohl's has an amazing studded sweater I grabbed last season, and I'm looking forward to transition it into this fall!

 

{Three}

Kirkland’s holds a new, special place in my heart. I was looking for the perfect new monogrammed doormat {I know, I know, Bed Bath and Beyond has them, but they aren’t very cute in my opinion…a little too simple} and lo and behold, I found the most wonderful of all doormats. I give you the Kirkland’s monogrammed doormat! That’s not even the best part. The best part is its price tag. You might want to take a seat. This puppy is only $11.99 at Kirkland’s. I just can’t. TOO amazing! Not only odes Kirkland’s have these amazing and inexpensive rugs, but they have THE best {and most budget friendly} home décor and the yummiest smelling candles ever. Plus, they are always running some kind of sale or special. Blows my mind, I’ll be there most likely right after work.

The detailing on this doormat really sets it apart from others that I have seen. Thank you Kirkland's for such amazing and affordable products!

 

{Four}

A friend recommended that I start reading Erin Hilderbrand books if I wanted a good juicy beach read {I was about to head to the beach for my honeymoon, so of COURSE I wanted a nice juicy beach read!} I bought a few of her books, one of them being Barefoot, and fell in love!  I can’t wait to read ALL of her books. They are available on the Kindle also, for all of you tech savvy gals!

 

{Five}

It’s the weekend, and I’m Happy Happy Happy!  I started the weekend off right with a frozen Cinnamocha from Sacred Grounds, a local coffee shop. It is literally heaven in a cute little clear to go cup, and is making this Friday afternoon fly by!

 

My plans for this evening will start out with a going away party for my brother in law {he is joining the air force and will be shipping out for basic training later this month} at my sister’s house. I am SO looking forward to a night with family, food, and hopefully a huge glass of wine.

Tomorrow is a day of thank you cards and football! Charles’ brother and his girlfriend are coming over to watch our beloved Razorbacks play Florida, and I am going to try out a new mojito recipe {I’m on quite the mojito kick since Mexico…have a good recipe? Comment below}

I’m sure at some point this weekend we will watch Iron Man 3 {Charles is dying to see it, and I like to keep him happy} which means puppy snugs and cuddles with my husband. You can’t really beat that.

 

What’s on your mind this beautiful Friday? Big plans? I’d love to hear. Be a blessing today, and have a fabulous weekend!

Michele Alley

Chilly weather calls for a Chili Recipe!

Happy Fall, Y’all! I’m {finally} feeling better today, thanks for asking ;)

It’s October! When did that happen? I feel like I blinked and the year passed by! Please tell me I’m not alone in that fact that when it turns October every year, I do a little happy dance because the holidays are getting so close, and I LOVE the holidays.

If you live in the beautiful but weather – temperamental state of Arkansas like I do, you know that it’s still been a little warm for the picture perfect “fall” day {although I must say, September 21^st aka my wedding day was the ideal fall day- a crisp, cool morning with the high being right at 79..how perfect is that? Ok..so maybe I’m biased, I’ll always think 9/21/13 was the best day of my life.}

Even with the warmer than ideal temperatures, it’s still felt just like fall, and the fall weather is set to arrive on Saturday! The high is 66, people, and next week will be all sunny skies and 70’s {which means I get to bust out my new cheetah print sweater from my favorite store of all time, Suite One!}

Big weekend plans? Charles and I can’t wait to spend Saturday lounging around and enjoying the cool weather, watching Razorback football, and going to Paul’s meat marker to either pick out our favorite steaks {they are filled with goat cheese and wrapped in bacon…what’s not to love?} or trying out the new Paul’s meat marker Razorback burgers that everyone keeps raving about. Decisions, decisions…I also have to start writing all of our thank you cards for the wedding…it is a never. ending. process.

When I came home from work on Monday, I came home to a new toy from my husband!  A new iPad with a pink smart cover! Talk about the perfect way to cure a nasty case of the Monday blues. I was notorious for stealing his iPad {hey, when I do housework or get ready, I like to walk around with the iPad watching my shows on Netflix or Hulu Plus to help pass the time and make it more enjoyable…} so he thought it was time for me to have my own. Shout out to awesome husband’s everywhere, because my husband is TOO much! The newest show addiction of mine is Scandal. If you like the show Revenge then you will love it! I feel so drawn to this show because I feel as if it could actually happen. Plus, my TV Soulmates {hey, Angela and Katie!} both have expressed a liking for the show, so I knew I had to check it out. SO glad I did.

New iPad, can't get enough!

 

I know you all have been hearing about the ever so popular and controversial government shutdown {anyone who has a facebook has heard ALL about it, it seems, and everyone ON facebook is an expert on the topic…insert eye roll here.} I have to admit the timing is not ideal, but it doesn’t affect me too much, except that it shut down THE DAY I tried to get my social security card changed over to my new name. I got denied. So, according to the SS office, I am still Michele Marsh. I think I can deal. As long as Wal-Mart is open and the football teams are still playing, I’m a-ok!

When I was growing up, every Halloween my mom would make her first batch of chili for the season. We would never cook it until Halloween, and it was such a treat when we finally got to have a nice bowl of chili with fritos on top {can’t beat that, y’all!} Since it is now October, I thought I would go ahead and share my mom’s chili recipe with you, just in case y’all would like a delicious fall treat a little earlier!

Now, this recipe is double what you would normally make for just family, because I like to freeze my leftover chili and keep it on hand to heat up for a lazy, cold evening, or for a day when we are having hot dogs and I just want some chili on top! If you don’t like to freeze it or you’re just cooking for a handful of people, cut this recipe in half.

v  2 lbs. ground beef {or ground turkey}

v  1 small yellow onion, chopped

v  1 small green pepper {I usually use half a bell pepper and a jalapeno pepper for a little kick!}, chopped

v  1 small red pepper, chopped {optional}

v  1 can pinto beans, with juice

v  1 can diced tomatoes, with juice

v  1 can {6 oz.} tomato paste

v  2 envelopes chili seasoning {I typically use 1 mild packet and 1 hot packet, but I like it more on the spicy side. Feel free to adapt to your own personal taste!}

v  1 can full of water {I typically use the 6oz can}

Brown the meat of your choosing in a large pan. Drain excess grease. Add in onions and green peppers, cook until tender, stirring frequently. Add all remaining ingredients, making sure to mix them well. Bring to a boil, cover. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. {Typically, after I brown the meat, I throw it in a crockpot instead along with all of the other ingredients and let is simmer on warm or low for about 3-4 hours. I just get better results that way, and as an added bonus, it makes your house smell DIVINE!}

 

I hope your Wednesday is as incredible as you make it! Feeling bored? Check out one of my favorite blogs to peruse! www.dreaminginblush.com !

Until next time,

Michele Alley<3

The smorgasbord of all posts

Hey y'all! I'm glad you're back!

I figure you might get sick of me this week. I'm going to try my hardest to do a "blog overload" this week, since for about two weeks after this one, I will probably be a woman in hiding due to the wedding festivities!

I have no theme to this post {hence title, the smorgasbord of all posts.} This past week, I have just had a TON of things I have wanted to share with you all. Charles has been making fun of me because of my constant blog talk. Whenever he see's something he thinks is neat, he says, "Oh honey, you better blog that!" What an adorable man! I can't get enough.

As always, I hope you have had a fabulous pre-fall weekend, full of family, friends, football, coffee, and relaxation {and puppy snuggles, we cannot forget the puppy snuggles!} Something I'm always interested in is finding out people's Sunday evening routines, because everyone is SO different. How do you typically wind down your weekend? This weekend, I have opted to end mine with a glass of red wine {yes, Katie, RED, can you stand it?}, a face mask, and some Netflix.

Now, where to begin on the smorgasbord...

For all of you Keurig lovers out there, I HIGHLY recommend the Folgers K-Cups in the flavor Vanilla Biscotti. I ran across this while I was perusing the aisles at Wal-Mart and thought it would put a twist on my typical french vanilla. It is a bit sweet, but not overpowering. I sipped on it on the deck this weekend in the cool weather and enjoyed some much needed "me" time.

Introducing Vanilla Biscotti by Folgers! You better run grab some <3

I also spent my afternoons trying to prep for the honeymoon! When thinking of where I should go to find travel essentials, of course I thought of Target! Hands down, they have THE best travel section around, although I still can't stand how the body wash and the shampoo and conditioner is sub-par at best. On trips, I really like to have my day to day essentials {my sunflower oil body wash, my moroccan oil shampoo and conditioner, my Macadamia oil deep conditioner, my leave in conditioner, my heat protectant, and my Olay moisturizer.} The problem with these products is that they are SO bulky and not in travel sizes {for shame.} I wanted to bring all of my favorites with me so I feel like myself in Mexico, and Target has the CUTEST TSA approved containers. I still haven't decided if I am going to check these products or not, but the fact that they are small and not bulky was the major selling point for me.

These come in a variety of shapes and sizes. I used the green and pink bottles at the top for shampoo/conditioner, and the pink bottles on the side for various hair products and toner. The small, round, blue containers are used for moisturizer, etc.

Since Target is located right next to Ulta, I thought, well why not? I had a 20% off coupon, which I used to purchase two travel sets of new makeup brushes that I absolutely adore! These brushes are the "Real Technique" brushes and were created by a YouTube makeup guru. They are AWESOME. Check these brushes out right here! They are very affordable and are hands down the best brushes I have ever owned. Plus, Ulta is always running some kind of promotion or special deal, so look out for those for an easy way to save a few dollars on your purchase!

Ta-Da! The wonderfully soft brushes that your face will thank you for! Get yourself to Ulta today {or for you savvy online shoppers, head on over to the website with the handy link above!}

Naturally, you have to smell good on a vacation, right? So it only make sense that I had to buy a new perfume for the trip {make that a perfume set..} You guys, I just couldn't resist this deal. Once again, I had a coupon for Kohl's, and "Princess" by Vera Wang was sitting there on a beautiful center display just taunting me, YES, taunting me in all of it's glory. The bottle alone was $50, yet they had a set with the perfume, the body lotion, and a body gloss for $45. I wonder which one I chose? No contest. This is a great scent for those days you just want to feel like a Princess {what can I say, they hit the nail on the head when they chose the name.} If you haven't smelled this perfume, I highly encourage you to go to your nearest perfume counter and check it out. Once I smelled it, I knew I had to have it. Plus, who can beat the packaging?

Here she is in all of her glory! I am beyond thrilled with this purchase! And LOOK at that packaging

The weekend consisted of cleaning and fall decorating! We had about ten friends over Saturday night to watch the Razorback game, so I got to go into hostess mode, which is one of my most favorite modes! I prepared my favorite spinach dip and jalapeno puff pastries for an appetizer, and we had ribs, baked beans, corn, and okra or the main meal! What a wonderful {albeit, a little too hot} evening with good friends! It was a fabulous pre-wedding cookout. The jalapeno puff pastries were a huge crowd pleaser. If you want the recipe, follow this.

Who doesn't love a little fall decor? I went to Hobby Lobby {I know, I know, we have all experienced the Hobby Lobby shopping experience, where "I'll only be there for a few minutes" turns into "Oh my, how did I end up in here for two hours."} I ended up leaving with glitter pumpkins, glitter acorns, pumpkin trays, fall kitchen towels, an Autumn yard sign..the list really just goes on. No matter that I spent too much time at Hobby Lobby when I have about 100 things left to do for the wedding, my house is much appreciative for the festive makeover!

Well, guys, it's been great, but it's time for me to log off for the day! My brother and his wife just had a baby! That's right, I am now Auntie M for the FIRST TIME! I am thrilled beyond words that my sweet nephew is a healthy 6 pound baby boy! I will annoy you with a million pictures next time. Until then!

Michele

Tales of a Grown Up

Well the Labor Day holiday has passed and it is time to start prepping for fall (MY FAVORITE, in case you couldn’t have guessed by all of my other fall themed posts.) I have all of my fall candles / scents out and I fully anticipate putting out my fall decorations this week! It’s just a wonderful time of year. Starbucks has their Pumpkin Spice Latte’s back (granted I have never tried one, mental note to at least try one of these things that everyone talks about like it’s nectar from God...), the sun goes down earlier, and the weather cools off!

This fall is particularly special. The wedding is just 17 days away, y’all!!! Not to mention, September 1^st is when Charles and I celebrate our 5 year anniversary as a couple. I am embarrassed to say that we both forgot our anniversary this year (that makes two years in a row…I’m not old enough to start forgetting things, no excuses!)

Regardless of forgotten anniversaries and holiday weekends, we still managed to have a blast! Charles headed down to the lake Saturday morning, and I ventured down on Sunday morning. Saturday, I spent doing some shopping (Charles wasn’t home to keep me from shopping, I’m weak, what can I say?) and watched the Arkansas Razorback football game with my parents!  I snagged this ADORABLE razorback cooler from one of my favorite local shops in town, Inscriptions. Isn’t it fabulous? What have I told you guys about shopping local?

Is the not THE cutest cooler? It even incorporates chevron, which Charles so thoughtfully pointed out!

 I then sang at an old friend’s wedding, and she was an absolute stunning bride. Sunday was spent catching up on the lake with old friends and enjoying some fun in the sun, because we won’t be able to go back down for about a month due to wedding activities and things of that nature. I then spent all day Sunday relaxing, looking through some wedding ideas, and watching old movies (thank you ABC Family for playing The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles, y’all made my day.)

Now I’m in major wedding GO mode. Guests arrive in two weeks, I still have a million tiny little details and things I need to get done. I have some craft projects that I have to work on (super excited about them, I’ll have to show you everything I make in the next few days) as well as finish putting together Thank You gifts for the bridesmaids, groomsmen, groom, parents, flower girls / ring bearers / ushers / etc. , get with the caterers and bakery / make props for the photo booth / purchase alcohol / pack for honeymoon / clean our house from top to bottom (because face it ladies, you don’t want to go into the week of your wedding with a messy house…you should be relaxed and getting PAMPERED. It is all about you right? Oh yeah...and the groom. It’s about the groom, too… =) You also don’t want to come home from your honeymoon to a messy house. I fully intend to start cleaning my house from top to bottom this week, and KEEPING it clean (that will be the hard part…).

I’m not sure about all of you, but it seems to me that when I have an overload of things to do, I do some of my best work! I get everything I need to get done completed if I have a lot to do; my time management skills are off the charts. I’m not exactly sure why I’m backwards like this, but if you’re the same way, let me know, so I don’t feel like a complete loner with these insanely backwards skills.

Now. The fun stuff. I’m searching for some new, products to bring to Mexico with me on the honeymoon. I want things that will allow me to pack light, yet still not have to suffer from the awful hotel shampoo / body wash experiences that I might otherwise have to endure.  I’ve been most concerned about my makeup. I don’t like to travel with my full set of more high-end makeup because so many things can go wrong! You can lose the makeup or drop it and break it, and not to mention it takes up a lot of room. I’ve been browsing around, looking for some small pallets to carry with me that don’t take up a lot of room, but will last me 5 days in Mexico.

One product I was most devastated about leaving behind is my Urban Decay “Naked” eye shadow pallet! I use this pallet daily, but it takes up room, and I would hate to lose it. I was thrilled when I went to Sephora and found this cute pallet by Urban Decay called the “Naked Basics” pallet. I was intrigued, so I picked it up and was even MORE thrilled when I saw that it was extremely compact (the perfect travel size) and it is a MATTE eye shadow pallet. I repeat, a MATTE eye shadow pallet. It seems as though every eye shadow I find as of late is shimmer based and makes me look shiny and oily. It only has a few of your more neutral, every day color, which is fine by me, I don’t anticipate needing any pink or blue eye shadow in Mexico (or ever, for that matter.) Think you’re sold on this product? Well let me sell you even more. Hold the applause..it is only $27! Shut the front door. I’m in love. If you’re thinking of traveling and need some new products, try this one out for size.

In her glory, here is the Urban Decay Naked Basics pallet. So compact and all the colors I need for a short trip

 

I’ll also be bringing my compact NARS blush / bronzer duo, which includes the Laguna bronzer and the Orgasm blush. I’m obsessed with this pallet on a day to day basis, and it is small enough for travel, so I think I’ll just bring it along. If you’re not feeling up to spending the money for this pallet for a travel blush / bronzer duo, try the ELF bronzer / blush dup (found at Target.) It is only $3 and it is so comparable it is scary. If you break this or lose this when travelling, I don’t think you’re going to beat yourself up over it, since it’s so budget friendly!

{Top} NARS laguna / orgasm duo
{Bottom} ELF duo
You can see how similar they are!!

 

As far as travel shampoos go, I really like the Ojon shampoo and conditioners, especially to go sized. They last a while, and they really help your hair settle down and feel silky smooth (with a pleasant scent..I can’t have my hair smell like over processed formula or like a foot..

Perfect travel sized shampoo / conditioner that will keep your hair feeling smooth and silky

I’ll be on the hunt the next few weeks for some new products to take with me and Charles on the honeymoon. If you have travel essentials, let me know in the comments! I’m always curious to see what everyone must have on a vacation, it’s how I find out about new products! I’ll be making a trip within the next few days to Ulta / Walgreens / Walmart to peruse through their new products.

I hope you all have fabulous plans for the week! I’ll keep you updated on the on-going madness that is my life for the next month.

Here’s a quote of the day for you! It is dedicated to Charles for the month of our wedding. “As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was going to happen” –Winnie the Pooh.

Until next time,

Michele

Things I wish I knew in high school

It’s that inevitable time again. The start of school! Now I have graduated college, so I don’t have to worry about all of the back to school shopping craziness (although I must admit y’all, when I walk in to Wal-Mart and Target and see all of the adorable new locker decorations, notebooks, pens, lunchboxes, etc. I can’t help but wish I was back in school…I mean, why didn’t they have all of these awesome things when I was in school?) I still can’t help to get nostalgic about my high school days. In typical fashion, there are SO many things I wish I could change about my high school days. Especially with the wedding coming up soon, I have been particularly nostalgic and thinking about my childhood. I have been thinking about this a lot, and I came up with some advice for people starting high school, things that I more or less wish I knew, wish I did, or wish I believed.

1.)    Live your life for yourself, not some guy. Chances are, the guy will NOT stick around, especially at that age. You need to do what makes you happy, not what makes him happy. Always always ALWAYS be true to yourself. I wasn’t.

2.)    You will get your heart broken more than once, and it will be ok. Heartbreak is natural. After all, don’t they say if you never experience it, then you will never truly appreciate the blessings in life?

3.)    Work hard and learn as much as you can. Knowledge is powerful. Knowledge is sexy. Success is an attraction.

4.)    Make healthy choices: in your food, in your life, in your relationships, for your soul. Good (and bad) choices stick with you for the rest of your life. Choose wisely. Stop eating all of that garbage, stop choosing the guy who is causing you grief, stop hanging out with friends who have bad ideals, and stop thinking negatively about yourself.

5.)    Take that make-up off EVERY NIGHT. I struggled with that and now I have some lines and unattractive dark circles. Take care of the temple that God created.

6.)    Less really is more (except when it comes to your clothing, girls, cover yourself up). Quit wearing so much makeup, you don’t need that much. You’re beautiful. Quit eating so much! You need enough to make yourself full, but you don’t need to be gluttonous. Less perfume, you don’t need to smell up your whole classroom. Less television. Less hanging out with your boyfriend. Try cutting back and see how much happier you are!

7.)    Listen to your parents. They have your best intentions at heart. They want the best for you, and they are most likely right in what they are saying. They really have been your age, too.

8.)    Stop complaining, just do it. If I could count the number of fights with my parents that I could have prevented by just doing what they asked when they asked it, you would be shocked. I wasn’t a bad child by any means, but no kid wants to empty the dishwasher or do their homework all the time.  Just get it done, then you don’t have to avoid doing it and you don’t have to argue about it.

9.)    All that worrying won’t make your problems go away. Trust me. I’m a self-prescribed worry wart. But worrying about everything doesn’t make you feel better, it just makes things worse. Plus, most of what you worry about, doesn’t even occur! Just let it be.

10.) Karma does come back around. Trust me. Karma, good or bad, comes back to you. Don’t worry about that. Might as well have the good karma come around instead of the bad.

11.) Gossip reflects more poorly on the person speaking it. We all love a good, juicy story. Who doesn’t? but spreading or even just repeating a rumor that you don’t even know it was true, just to have something to talk about? Who has time for that? That is just bad character.

12.) Don’t be afraid to take off your rose colored glasses. The world isn’t perfect. There is pain. Don’t get stuck thinking life is some ideal world where everything is perfect. The small imperfections are where you will find beauty, peace, and your true self.

13.) Get involved! Join a club, join a youth group, be in student council, support a charity, go to the school football games, be on the dance team, just get involved! It is not only good for social and spiritual reasons, but it is also good looking on resumes, and I promise you won’t regret that.

14.) Think before you speak. Is it kind? Is it true? Is it necessary? Are you saying this out of anger? They say never to make promises when you’re happy, never reply when you’re angry, and never make a decision when you’re experiencing sadness. Do not become a victim of your emotions. Emotions shouldn’t control your words, and if you let them, it will lead to regrets.

15.) Be contented. This goes back to the commandments. Don’t covet! Be happy with what you have. Be content with who you are. Don’t wish you had more, be happy with yourself.

16.) Ask for help. Don’t fear being ridiculed. Don’t feel like you’re “stupid” for needing help. It’s a sign of maturity to realize when the problem is bigger than something you can handle. Always ask for help when you need it, you won’t regret it. I cannot stress this enough. I always feared asking for help, and now, in retrospect, I realize I needed help with much more than I realized.

17.) They will still love you. Your parents will still love you if you mess up. They’re your parents! I never fully grasped this. No matter how badly you mess up, they will still love you. Your friends will still love you even if you don’t go to the party they are throwing when you know it’s not a good environment for you to be in (or else they aren’t really your friends.) Your significant others will still love you if you don’t want to take the next step, or else they don’t really love you at all.

18.) Draw your OWN conclusions. Even if your friends don’t like someone, draw your own conclusion about the person. Make up your own mind about where you want to go to school. Create your own fashion sense. Be your own person, and not just the clone of your friends or what is “popular” at the moment. Individuals are far more fabulous!

I really hope the high schoolers out there are more savvy and suave at high school than I was. It’s a very impressionable time, and it can shape people into the young men and women they are going to be for  the rest of your lives. I hope this advice is something you all would agree with, and if you’re going into high school, give this a shot. You might just have a more positive experience than most!

Until next time,

Michele