thankful thursdays

Extra reasons to smile this week:

1. A sun-kiss from the big guy above.
2. My new favorite nail polish: Essie Raspberry. Can't get enough.

3-4. Fresh tulips from the super market. Well, as fresh as they can get from Pick 'N Save. It's amazing the impact a few flowers can make.
5. Impromptu dinner with my aunt and uncle at Buckley's. Best lobster sandwiches and carrot cake...ever. Plus, it's adorable. and I love living close to family!
6. Psychology Today magazine. A supportive surprise from Michael as I figure out a plan for my next decade in life. It's the little things :)
7. Cinnamon toast crunch with berries....fabulous. Who says cereal isn't healthy?!
8. A mid-day phone call from my mom, "I just found the cutest flats for you!" Mom, you are awesome. And the shoes are too.
9. DIY for my apartment. It involved sawing. I felt like a lumberjack, and I was proud. Stay tuned.
10. Milk duds and popcorn from finally seeing Hunger Games. My favorite sweet and salty combo. And the movie? Can't get it off my mind.

11 - 12. Happy Easter! Two varying Easter outfits. We battle through ridiculous photos but sadly my bunny ears did not win. My oldest sister and her boyfriend dressed up as chickens and took a video of them clucking...winners.
13 - 14. I've been sick this week. I'm not a fan of feeling awful, but I do love an excuse to lay in bed all day surrounded by books and blogs and warm coziness. My saving grace was Silver Spray - it's the underdog for immune systems. Stay healthy, homies!

And of course, tomorrow's Friday :)

xoxo

like a fairytale

Most of us spent our childhood wishing we were Cinderella.

I liked to clean, so I especially did. Demented, I know.

Now Marc Jacobs is making your girlish dreams come true.

Except it's not quite glass, it's PVC. (!!!) Not sure which sounds more comfortable.

They're definitely stunning, but will you pay the $595 to reunite with your prince??

xoxo

the Bobbi way

My oldest sister works as a make-up artist for Bobbi Brown as a fun side job. I think we were all surprised to discover this new venture of hers, but she's come a long way and I love reaping the benefits! (Thanks, Col!) This past month she was in town working at our local mall and I was able to stop by for a little makeover.

I don't wear very much makeup - and that's not a humble brag. I've had problem skin my whole life so I've always spent more time worrying about concealer and foundation than any of the other fancies. Now I'm not used to it, so sometimes wearing eye-liner, eye shadow and mascara at the same time can make me feel like a floozy! So I told Colleen to go light on my makeup, and I was SO happy with what she did that it caused me to change me daily routine.

Here's what she used:

1. Foundation Stick: I have fair Irish skin that is politely called "problem skin," complete with the redness and imperfections. This foundation stick is amazing. It takes my skin from Irish-splotchy-red to one even natural tone. You can use it for overall coverage or just for small areas. It's light and portable and I think it's best applied with this brush.
2. Corrector: I never thought I had under-eye darkness until I started using the Corrector. My eyes had never looked so bright. It's a simple easy lift. Now even if I feel like a zombie walking into work in the morning, at least I won't look like one!
3. Sheer Finish Loose Powder: I have oily skin and I'm shining all the time. I go to the bathroom sometimes just to blot my cheeks, but this powder is a game-changer. It's light and provides the perfect finishing touch. This powder gave me a smooth matte look all night and that has never happened to me before! Needless to say, I was pumped, anddd ready to have my photo taken without orbs appearing across my face.
4. Pot Rouge for Lips & Cheeks in Pale Pink: This is a miracle worker. First of all, it's small enough to fit in your pocket, but it lasts forever! I just lost mine (heartbreaking) but I had it for about 6 months, using it almost daily and I barely made a dent in it. It's perfect for a quick touch up throughout the day and is so convenient to use on both lips and cheeks. I was amazed at how much a little cheek rouge could brighten my face.
5. Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner: I've just started incorporating eyeliner into my routine, and my pet peeve is how it smudges on my eyelids and melts away throughout the day. This eyeliner stayed intact and did not smudge at all! I was thrilled. She pushed me to do a slightly thicker line (so now you might actually be able to see it), and I loved how it highlighted my eyes.
6. Long-Wear Cream Shadow in Sandy Gold: I loved this color! It's so versatile and is perfect for both day and night. I really felt like it brightened my eyes and would be great for daily use. She did my makeup in the early evening, so I can't fully attest to the "long-wear," but after a few hours it was still shimmering back at me!
7. No Smudge Mascara: I have long eyelashes so I'm OCD about my eyelash curler but I've always been shy about using mascara, as it sometimes looks overwhelming if I cover the entire lash. I've used other Bobbi mascaras before and they smudge really easily on my oily skin. I would definitely recommend the No Smudge, because the others....well, they're smudgey, and this one is not!!

My makeup world was rocked. And I love this mantra:

1. Spread Beauty.

2. Do what you love.

3. Love what you do.

4. Keep it simple.

5. Laugh out loud.

6. Go with the flow.

7. Be real.

8. Focus on the positive.

9. Do your best.

10. Just breathe.

-Bobbi Brown

*this is not a sponsored post. I'm simply the enthusiastic sister that is still discovering makeup at age 23 :)

xoxo

'round my hometown

I have to give a shout-out to some amazing talent from my hometown.

Get ready to be serenaded by Christian Luthi.

My girlfriends and I used to ooo and ahh at his lead roles in the high school musicals.

Yeah...we were those girls. and he didn't even go to our immediate school. Haha! Oh, high school.

He plays the guitar, his voice is silky smooth, and he has Wisconsin charm - what more could you want!?

He moved down to Nashville and its only a matter of time before he's big stuff.

Show him some love. He's been on repeat in my apartment allll day :)

Sounds like: John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Brett Dennen

Official site here

xoxo

shedding light on white

my second favorite color.

loving and lusting all of the above.

even the bulldog :)

1|2|3|4|5|6|7

xoxo

unending forgiveness, limitless grace.

Happy Easter!

Today I'm thankful for a Savior that would die on a cross so that we can live an eternal life in heaven. Unending forgiveness. Limitless grace.

We will never be worthy but we must always give thanks.

via

Aren't these eggs beautiful? I'm determined to dye/decorate some of my own for the first time in far too long. Some traditions should never fade, and this is one of them!

Have a blessed holiday!

xoxo

no can do

I've had this song stuck in my head for weeks. When youtubing the original Hall & Oates version (which has a pretty rad video - they're just glowing!), I came across this cover and now I'm stuck on this adorable band-in-transit. I'm personally a huge fan of the kazoo.

xoxo

the bust

I believe it was these two images that first attracted me to the french bust.

In fact I was so drawn to them that it almost made me uncomfortable! Mainly because

1) its a human statue staring back at me, which I found horrifying as a child.

2) I associated them with snobbish foreign people.

3) I had no idea what to call them!

Then this scene was the clincher.

Now I'm just plain hooked. and thanks to Pinterest, where I found this photo, I finally know what these human statues are called!

Now I'm just waiting for the day that I can place one of my own!

Would you own a bust? Where can I find a quality statue that won't break my budget?

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the summer antique fairs ahead!

xoxo