In high school, someone once told me I'd "look a lot better if I put on make-up once in a while and learned to fix my hair."  True story.  At the time I thought I looked fine.  The truth is, I didn't wear a lot of make-up.  I did fix my hair.  That comment has stuck with me for years.  I still remember who said it and I remember where I was when it was said.

When I went to college, I started experimenting with make-up a little more.  As an adult, I got into the higher end cosmetic products.  Now that I'm a stay at home mom, I don't want to fall into the habit of not wearing any make-up products at all.  If I do, I hear those words from high school in my head.

These days, I use a "cost per wear" excuse when buying my favorite products.  The more expensive brands are items I don't wear every day so they, in turn, last longer.  (Or so I'm telling myself and my husband.)    

I am not a beauty expert or consultant, I'm just sharing what products I like and what works for me.

These items are my everyday products.  I use these products almost every single day whether I'm out running errands or just hanging around the house.  I always feel a little better about myself if I have some kind of make-up on my face.

1.  Clinique stay-matte sheer pressed powder I love pressed powder for quick coverage.
2.  Nars bronzer I apply bronzer every single day of the year.  This one is my favorite, but it is a little on the pricey side.  I try to make it last as long as possible.
3.  mark. blush I like this blush from Avon.  It also comes in a magnet reusable compact.
4.  Nivea A Kiss of Shimmer lip balm I bought this to have in the hospital after I had Katherine.  I wanted a lip balm that also had a tiny hint of color.  I love this one for every day.
5.  Maybelline the Rocket Volum' Express mascara I've tried lots of different mascaras over the years, from drugstore brands to expensive brands.  My favorite always has been and always will be Maybelline.

I also use Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream every day instead of moisturizer.

For days (or nights) when I want to wear a full face of make-up, these are my go-to products.    

1.  Urban Decay Naked Basics  Love.  That's all I have to say.  This pallet is a little more expensive, but I don't use it every day so it's lasting a long time.  
2.  Yves Saint Laurent Pop Stick Blush I got this blush stick as a gift a while back, and thank goodness.  It's expensive!  But I love the color, it lasts all day and night, and the pop up stick is super convenient.
3.  Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation I'm not a foundation person.  I've never really worn it.  I didn't like the way it made my skin feel heavy.  I had read lots of great reviews about this foundation, so I tried it.  It's a primer, concealer, and foundation in one and it has SPF 20.  I absolutely love it.  You don't need a primer or concealer and it feels so light.  You can't beat the price either.
4.  Benefit Watt's Up highlighter I'm new to the world of "highlighters," but I love this product.  I don't use this product every day either, so the higher price tag is worth it.
5.  Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick I love a good old fashion lipstick.  Nothing fancy or that stays on for days, just normal lipstick.  This one is one of my favorites, and because the price it awesome I can buy them in almost every color!  Almost.
6.  Sonia Kashuk Barely There Loose Powder I use this if I'm setting my foundation, but because the Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous Foundation is awesome, I don't use this powder as much as I used to.

I've recently switched to Nars blush (I got a Sephora giftcard for Christmas) and I love it!  This blush is awesome and stays in place all day.
My favorite places to buy make-up are Sephora and Ulta.  I could live in either store, I love them so much.  I have membership cards to both places, allowing me to rake in points for each purchase.

I love trying new products and hearing how other people like certain products.  A great way to find out if a product is worth buying is searching for reviews on YouTube or Pinterest!

I'm going to try to continue to "look better" by "putting on make-up" and "fixing my hair."

I haven't done a "What I'm Loving" post in a looooong time.  Now that Spring is finally here (sort of), my Winter Blahs are finally gone and I'm feeling so much more productive.

**I'm loving the springish weather.  I say that as the snow that fell this week is melting.  Lately we've had a day of beautiful warm weather, followed by several days of cold temps, wind, and snow.  I'm hoping we've seen the last of winter, but I'm not holding my breath.  For now, we'll take any warm days we can get!

**Speaking of Spring, I'm loving spring cleaning.  After a brutal winter of staying inside looking at all of the stuff we've accumulated, it was time to clean.  I spent the weekend cleaning the basement.  After two days of cleaning and purging unwanted and unneeded items, I feel a sense of accomplishment.  I hauled off a carload of clothes to Rung, and household items to Goodwill.  There's just something about Spring that makes me want to clean and get rid of stuff.  See this post for helpful tips and hints on donating and consigning your unwanted items.

**I'm loving our new couch.  After ten years, two dogs, and a baby, it was time to say goodbye to our old tired couch.  We finally found the perfect couch for our living room and I couldn't be happier.

**And finally, I'm loving these Ball Mason Jar Sip and Straw Lids.  I loved straws and  Mason Jars before it was cool.  Everything tastes better in a Mason Jar.  I was browsing through the kitchen department at Target the other day when I stumbled upon these little gems.  I love them.  It's the perfect way to drink out of my trusty Mason Jar with a lid and straw.  Not to mention they were in a pack of 4 for only $5 at Target!

Happy Wednesday!

We're all still recovering from Katherine's first birthday party this weekend.  It was such a great party and I'm so thankful to everyone who came.  Katherine scored so many awesome birthday gifts!  She's such a blessed little girl.

I've been planning her party since right after Christmas.  I had everything planned, down to every last detail.  The color theme was gold, white, and pink.

Warning:  I am about to overload you with photos!

Here's a little bit about the party decor:

{Katherine's party outfit:  DIY tutu, hairbow, "one" onesie}

{My mom made this birthday balloon wreath for the door}

{It's not a party without balloons}

{My mom also made this "ONE" highchair banner}

{Party supplies from Party City}

{DIY tissue garland and ONE garland}

{Beverage station, straws}

{DIY 12 months photo garland}

{Cupcake display}

{Cupcakes from Jilly's}

{The cakestands were made by gluing plates to candlesticks.}

{I added gold animal figurines to the cupcake display}

{My mom made all of the cupcake toppers from tissue paper and glitter paper}

{Cupcakes}

In addition to the cupcakes, fruit, and snacks, we had sandwiches and pasta salad from Scotti's Deli.  Delicious!

Now for the birthday girl.  She wore a "one" onesie, tutu that I made, and gold polka dot hairbow.  She actually wore her bow all day.  I was shocked.


Lots of friends and family made the day super special.  The weather was wonderful.  I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day.

{Pre-cupcake snack of Cheerios}

{Mmmmm cupcake}

{Opening presents}

{The pile of presents in the floor afterwards}

{My sweet family}

Once the party was over and the guests had left, we went outside to enjoy our last warm day for a while.



It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

My sweet baby girl turned one yesterday.  She had a great day and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day.

We started the birthday celebration early in the week, by meeting Daddy for a dinner date at McAlister's Deli (our favorite place in the whole wide world).  It was Family Night so Katherine scored an awesome monkey balloon animal, which she loved despite the picture.

Monday and Tuesday gave us gorgeous weather, which we took full advantage of.  We went to the park, where Katherine hit the swings for the very first time.  The swings changed her life forever.  She's such a little daredevil.


Of course after two days of temperatures in the 70's and sunny skies, it snowed.  And got cold.  This didn't ruin Katherine's big day.  We started the day off with a donut breakfast.  It was Katherine's first taste of the "sweet life" and I think she was impressed.
She opened a few birthday gifts, with the help of Callie who loves "helping" to open gifts at any holiday.  We got her a Bitty Baby, not knowing if she'd even like it.  When I took her to the American Girl store a while back, she could only focus on playing with the seat belt of her stroller as I jumped around like an idiot showing her all of the cool doll displays.  To my surprise she loved her baby.  She reached for it immediately after Jason took it out of the box and then proceeded to give it kisses.  Melt.  My.  Heart.



For lunch, we gave her what she loves the most:  mac and cheese.  The absolute best place for mac and cheese is Noodles and Co.  So that's where we went.  
We followed that with Jilly's cupcakes.  It turns out, Katherine's not that impressed by cupcakes...yet.  I'm not giving up on this.  

She played in her cupcake for a while, then she was over it.

{New soccer ball from Uncle Zach}

{Love for baby}

{First birthday family photo}

{Our new ride}

It was a perfect day and a perfect first birthday.  We're so blessed.  

Birthday week won't be complete without Katherine's first birthday party this weekend.  I'm so excited for her to be surrounded by friends and family to help her celebrate her first birthday!  

  

When I found out I was pregnant, I documented my pregnancy with this chalkboard.

{March 8, 2013}

{March 8, 2014}