Sunday evenings--The best or the worst?

Hey y'all!

I can't believe I didn't get to do a "Five for Friday" post on Friday! Shame on me, but here's my attempt at an excuse for why I didn't get around to making one...

First, it was a busy day at the office. Yeah yeah, bad excuse {No matter how true it may be...}

The real reason I didn't post my Friday routine was because I got all of my wedding photos back!! Insert HUGE, CHEESY GRIN HERE! I spent about two and a half hours posting all of my pictures on Facebook {yeah, again, cheesy, but I was SO utterly happy..by the way, check the sidebar and you'll know that Beaty Photography takes the most AMAZING photos in the world. If you don't use them, I don't even know who you are...

I figured I would do my weekend re-hash on Sunday so that I can start my "wedding/honeymoon mini series" this week! Without further delay..

Friday night we spent time cooking with friends and enjoying the beautiful fall weather. Charles and I both had long days at work and had some projects to finish at the house, so we headed home early, worked around the house a little bit, and then hit the hay!

Saturday morning was spent at an early breakfast with my parents. After breakfast, the boys headed to the sporting goods store, and my mom and I went shopping around the pavilion. We tackled some Christmas shopping {YEAH! Early bird gets the worm and all that} and we got some amazing deals on some autumn decor {thank you, Kirklands and Pier One!} We also scored the cutest buckets to put our Halloween desserts in. We have a tradition that every year before Halloween, we watch the Charlie Brown great pumpkin and make dirt cake! It's a world of fun.

Check out the CUTE decor! I got the balls and the room sprays from Pier One, and the two cute candle holders from Kirkland's...all 50% off. Who doesn't love a good sale?

After shopping around with my mom, I went home to steam clean the carpets with our new Bissel steam cleaner {works like a GEM}. I also did some tidying up while the husband worked on finishing the window in the guest bedroom. Just because we were cleaning, doesn't mean I can't be cute!

Leopard scarf from Liz Claiborne, studded sweater by Rock and Republic

Then, we met up with some of Charles family members who were in from out of town. Some came from New Mexico, some came from Fayetteville...We had a blast! Then we met up with some old friends for some drinks and games and good conversations.

Sunday was a busy one! Just look and see. There was...

Church time! Boot socks, sheer cream blouse, leggings, boots, and a fall scarf!

FUJI! Yummo, it had been too long!

Puppy pawprints! We are making the molding to put alongside a photo of us for framing.

Now, I am sitting with a glass of wine, after working on chores and cooking dinner, and I'm debating going and taking a hot bubble bath, but to be honest, I think it will be a "jump through the shower in the morning" kind of day.. this day has done me in and I'm ready for bed.

I hope you are as excited as I am for my wedding mini-series! Love you all<3

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”  Jeremiah 29:11

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

Fall Bucket List

It’s your lucky Friday, I’ve decided to share with you all my “Fall Bucket List!” Now as I previously mentioned, Fall is my favorite! Who doesn’t love fall? Fall to me means Razorback football, cider, pumpkins, crisp air, walks, yummy smelling candles, bonfires with friends, and just a happier Michele! There are several things I would like to do this fall, so why not make a bucket list and share with you? Sound good? Great!

Tailgate at numerous Razorback Football Games. Okay, now this is a given. Who doesn’t love putting up a few EZ Up tents, having a few drinks with friends, enjoying beautiful weather, and firing up the grill while waiting for the game to start! It’s the best time! If you haven’t ever tailgated before, you should give it a try. It’s a great way to show your team spirit and get outside for some fresh fall air! Plus, you never know the friendly people you will meet when you tailgate. Whether you go with family or friends (or both,) you’re sure to have a wonderful time. Check out my recipe for an easy tailgating dip that’s sure to make you the life of the party!

 

Feta Dip!

1 can SHOEPEG CORN (drained)

1 can BLACK BEANS (drained)

1 container FETA CHEESE

4-5 green onions, chopped

green and/or red pepper, chopped ( I like to throw in jalapenos for a kick!)

 1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon Cavenders

 

Mix it all together and enjoy! Can serve with fritos, tortilla scoops, or whatever you’d like!

Here is our Razorback Tasilgate! This is my brother in law and his girlfriend, and my future hubbie and I! WOO PIG!

 

 

Build a Bonfire. I absolutely LOVE a good fire. Who doesn’t like getting in a cozy sweater fall sweater (that I probably will get from Suite One…), some good music, and roasting a good ‘mallow? Because as we all know, first you take the graham, you stick the chocolate on the graham. Then you roast the ‘mallow. When the ‘mallows flaming you stick in on the chocolate. Then you cover with the other end. Then you scarf. For those of you who know that this is from the Sandlot, props to you! You’re okay in my book. For those of you who didn’t know what that was from, you’re killin’ me smalls! In all seriousness, I love the sound and the smell of a good bonfire. Even though I smell like smoke for a good two days, I love it!

 

Go to a pumpkin Patch. Okay, I know this sounds like something a little kid would do (and it is,) but who can argue that pumpkin patches are awesome places to take pictures? My plan is to get up in the morning, grab some coffee (maybe a White Chocolate Mocha, or maybe a nice chocolate chai tea latte, and head to the pumpkin patch with my soon to be husband! A lot of pumpkin patches have things for children to do (for example, face painting, hayrides, etc) and can be a lot of fun for the whole family! Grab a pumpkin to carve while you’re there and bring it home to have a carving party! Charles and I love having people over to watch football and carve pumpkins and it’s always so fun!

Our pumpkins from last year!

 

 

Have a photo shoot in a leaf pile. I know this may sound odd, but I’ve always wanted to do this! Again, it is great for pictures and I would love to make a collage of fall pictures to hang in the home. Fall is fabulous, and I just know we would have a blast taking photos in the leaves with our puppies!

 

 Read an entire book sitting on the deck at the lake house.  This one should be easy to accomplish! The view from the deck at the lake in the fall is just spectacular. Nothing would beat sitting with a cup of coffee and a blanket while reading a book and enjoying the peace and quiet! It’s a great thing, having alone time!

Here is the view from the deck at the lakeh house in fall! How could you not just LIVE here? Stunning, God's wonderful creations.

 

Decorate my home with fall decorations. This is a given. After going to Kirkland’s yesterday and stocking up on all of their fall candles, I can’t help but want to decorate my home with fall items! I’m pretty much obsessed with Kirkland’s currently; they have some amazing prices and really beautiful home décor. If you’re as obsessed as I am, check out their sale going on from today until Sunday. It is the perfect time to stock up for fall and get the best pick of items before everyone clears them out. Also, Bath and Body works has their 2 for $22 3-wick candle sale going on this weekend, so check that out (because paying $20 for one candle is ridiculous.)

These are the candles I purchased at Kirkland's the other day. They are $7.99 for this large size, and the scent payoff is wonderful. I also like the Bath and Body works 3-wick candles, but these are more cost-friendly!

 

 

Make an apple crumble, apple cobbler, etc. When fall rolls around, the delicacies change. I enjoy getting to make things like cobblers, pies, etc. that I don’t make all year round. It is not only delicious, but it’s good for the soul and y’all, it makes your house smell DELICIOUS.

 

Lay under the stars in a truck bed full of pillows and blankets. I have to admit y’all, I saw this on Pinterest (I have a not-so-slight addiction) and fell in love. Basically, you fill up a truck bed with pillows and big blankets and then lay outside and look at the stars. Charles has a truck, so this is perfect to try! Done. SO excited.

 

I have a lot more things I am looking forward to accomplishing in fall, but these are the things I’m really wanting to try! What is on your Fall Bucket List? I’d love to hear, maybe I can get some fantastic new ideas? I hope you all have as fabulous of a weekend as I plan to!

 

Until next time,

Michele