Hey, You. Let's update this.

Oh, hi there.
It's been a hot second, huh??  I know, I know... a 6-month hot second. I would say I'm sorry, but I'm not sorry. This little face has been keeping me busy.

#worthit.

Anyway, I could gush and go on and on about how life has changed and how wonderful it is to be a mom, but we'd be here all day. Maybe tomorrow too.  I did actually just post a 6 month "mom" update on Youtube a week ago so you can check that out here!

I'm just so super happy that you guys have been so supportive and I can't tell you how warm n' fuzzy I feel when you guys have such sweet things to say about Olivia. I mean, how could you not? ;)

So really I had a few moments today and decided to just go ahead and give the abandoned blog a little update and say "hi". I know I've never posted on here super regularly or had a big schedule here. It's just really been a place for sharing whenever I get some extra time or get in a particularly "bloggy" mood, but I really hate that I let it sit for so long. Thanks for sticking around!

As you guys know,  I always keep up with my YouTube channel regularly, so I always make it a priority to post at least 2 videos per week there (so definitely subscribe and check that out so you don't miss any updates). Since lil' bit came along, all my spare time is spent playing and feeding and cuddling and being mom.  Love that. 

Just wanted to let you guys know that the blog hasn't been abandoned and that I have a few plans in the works for upcoming posts! I still want to share Olivia's "official" nursery reveal... SO many beautiful photos I'd love to post and share. Also, I have some home updates!  The home/decor posts really became my favorite types of posts to share here. 

So I'm thinking I'll continue to do beauty videos over on YouTube (as always), and keep the blog for more personal posts, home stuff, and general whatever-ness.

Sound like a plan?

I really hope you all are doing amazing.  Thanks for reading! Love you guys!

MAC Cinderella Swatches

Oh, hi there.

Been a while, huh? Yeah. I've totally neglected the blog for a while now. I've had so many ideas... So many products to share... So many videos that should've had an accompanying post. 

But sometimes, life gets busy and that stuff just doesn't work out. Sometimes you just don't feel like doing...stuff. So that's been the past few months for me in this blogland.

I'm excited to start posting again.  Well, by "start posting again" I mean according to my own non-schedule where this blog is concerned. I've never been super structured with this place like I am on my YouTube channel.  I just like to post here when I want about what I want. But I've missed it like crazy!! Feels good to be back. So here we go...

MAC Cinderella

Available online February 26, 2015

Available in-store March 5, 2015 through April 16, 2015

I love MAC. I love Disney. I love Cinderella. She was pretty much the first Disney princess I fell in love with as a child. So when I got this collection from MAC, I was super excited. Like jumping up and down in the kitchen excited.

So here ya go... All the photos and swatches of the products I received from this collection. I've got a video coming up soon all about my actual thoughts and little reviews on each product after actually using them.  So look out for that coming up soon on my YouTube channel!

Until then, here are the swatches:

Iridescent Powder in Coupe D'Chic $28.

Beauty Powder in Silver Dusk $28. (In the product info, it says the only Beauty Powder in the collection is supposed to be called "Mystery Princess" and is described as nothing like this one. Maybe it's a mistake? Not sure which is the mistake though... so that's awesome.)

left: Coupe D'Chic, right: Silver Dusk

Eye Shadow x 6 / Stroke of Midnight $44.

Vapour, Phloof!, Omega, Quarry, Satin Taupe, Stroke of Midnight

Glitter in Reflects Pearl $23., Pigment in Pretty it Up $24

MAC Studio Eye Gloss in Lightly Tauped $23.

Lipstick in Royal Ball $17.50

Lipglass in Glass Slipper $16.50

Studio Fix lash in Boldblack $19. 

So what do you guys think?? There are a few more items from this collection that I don't have, but this is pretty much the gist. 

Will you be picking up any items from this collection? What do you have your eye on?

Products provided for consideration by MAC Cosmetics with no agreements or obligations to feature or review.

A story of a big mattress and lil' bassinet

Holy almost 32 weeks of pregnancy, y'all.

Time is seriously flying by and our lil' gal will be here before we know it! In some ways, I'm still in the whole "it's too early to do blah blah blah..." mindset, but now, I'm realizing that with less than 2 months left until it's go time, we need to get crackin'. So we decided to go ahead and give our little gal a little space of her own in our bedroom. 

I mean let's just be honest, she'll probably be all over the bed, the bassinet, and everywhere else, but I'd like for her to get used to sleeping in her little bassinet for her first several months.  Something about seeing this little sweet bassinet all set-up in our bedroom really got to me (shocking... I'm a little emotional these days) and really made everything seem even more real.  It's the Baby Bjorn cradle and it's pretty awesome.  We looked at a lot of different bassinets and I researched them like crazy and this one seemed like the best fit for us. I like that it's made of breathable mesh on the sides and doesn't have a ton of plush coverings or pieces that make it feel enclosed. The best part about it is that it is lightweight, yet feels really sturdy. I wasn't crazy about the idea of a rock-able bassinet on a carpeted area. I didn't want it to get knocked over or feel wobbly. This one is very stable, but has a natural rocking motion caused by tension within the stand. So if baby wakes up and startles herself, the cradle moves a bit with her movements and *hopefully* (ha) soothes the baby back to sleep. You can also rock it yourself a bit by gently nudging the sides of it. 

I guess the true test will happen when baby is actually here, so I'll be sure to update you guys then if you are curious about this one!

But until our little bit decides to make her appearance, the bassinet has a nice little out of the way spot...

So speaking of updates, we're going to get into something that has been pretty life-changing. Months back, I posted a pregnancy vlog where I mentioned our new mattress. As promised, I wanted to come back and give you guys some real details on not only the mattress itself, but our experience with it since living with it for a few months now.

I had mentioned my back pain and back issues in a lot of my pregnancy vlogs prior to that one, so I was so thrilled when Beautyrest reached out to me and offered up a mattress of our choice from their Beautyrest Black line. 

Our previous mattress was approaching 9 years old and had some issues. It was sagging in the middle and was something we had talked about replacing for years. I had also suspected that it wasn't doing my scoliosis and sciatica any favors.

So off to Macy's we went, and selected the perfect one, just as if we were purchasing it ourselves. Now, mattresses are a very personal thing. It's not something that someone else can pick out for you. It's also something that may not always work after you get it home. I was really open with them about us not only being able to select the exact one we wanted (if we liked any of them at all), but that it was also something that I would have to actually sleep on for a while before giving my final thoughts on.  

This isn't just a company sending you some makeup or beauty products to review... this is something HUGE that we would sleep on every. single. night. And my back issues make it even more important to find a good one.

We tried all of them and the second we tried the Lexi Luxury Firm Pillowtop (Macy's calls it the Montebello), we both were like, "THIS IS THE ONE."  I could tell it was supporting my belly (no more shoving a pillow underneath it to sleep) and my back, which was huge.  When it came, it was like Christmas morning. We were so happy to see our old mattress go! But we were SHOCKED at how large the new one was!! I don't know if you can tell, but it's pretty tall. I feel like the Princess and the Pea sleeping on this thing!

But, wow. I've never slept so good in my life, even being now 8 months pregnant. I even ditched my Snoogle (my pregnancy pillow) when we got this mattress, it's so good. I know everyone likes something different in a mattress, but I feel like the entire Beautyrest Black line has a little something for everyone.  

We ultimately chose this one because it has the firmness and support of a memory foam mattress, yet is plush and snuggly like a pillowtop innerspring mattress. These really are like a mash-up of both.

While mattresses are for sure an investment, I feel like these are totally worth it. Many of us have no problem investing in certain beauty products, nice homes, cars we like, clothing, etc, but a lot of times we don't give mattresses the importance they deserve. We spend a lot of time there, after all! These come with a 25 year (!) warranty, which is freakin' huge, considering the average mattress lasts maybe 8 years. They also have some absolutely crazy features (hello, cooling diamond dust in a mattress...) that after sleeping on for months now, we can actually say really works.

So you can tell I obviously love it because at this point I'm just gushing (I think Brad may be more obsessed with it than I am), but seriously my final thoughts on this is that it's just awesome. To be this far along in my pregnancy and able to sleep through the night without a pregnancy pillow is amazing. Whenever we are out of town or have to sleep on another mattress, we FEEL it. This mattress has totally spoiled us. 

For more info on these, you can check out the Beautyrest Black website here.

Because I'm a pretty skeptical person and honestly don't trust too many people or reviews online myself,  I've made it a point over the years to not only be myself and honest, but to always be transparent about these sorts of things.  Basically, I would have purchased this exact one myself (we were actually shopping for a new mattress anyway).  I seriously would purchase this again and again. Beautyrest did not pay me for a positive review or require me to say positive things at all. I made sure they knew I would share this in my own way in my own time and completely honestly. I just really am excited to share something great with you all and share our experience.

But seriously, our bedroom just feels so much better. I like our bedroom to feel like a calming sanctuary. Comfortable, calm, clean, relaxing... It's a place we look forward to going every single night. With the new mattress, we've been spending a lot more time in there. We've even started to hang out up there for movie nights (yes, we are "tv in the bedroom" people), instead of hanging out in the family room or even in the media room. We're just so comfortable up there. 

The little bassinet in there just makes it that much better. ...Seeing our little baby girl in it will make it complete.  :)

**Post contains affiliate link (to cradle). Mattress provided for consideration by Simmons Beautyrest (detailed throughout post). Post contains my genuine recommendations and opinions.

Nursery Progress! curtains, crib, and some accessories

So I'm well-aware that it's been a hot minute since I did any sort of nursery updates for you all, but stuff has definitely been happening in there. ...Or I should say, in here, as I'm writing this post from the super comfy glider with a big pup by my feet and a pb&j sandwich by my side. Don't judge. All I've wanted lately is all pb&j all. the. time.

Before we get started with the update, I feel like I need to pass along some advice about nurseries that has really made this whole process feel more fun and less like a daunting project that we needed to get done by a certain time.

You ready?
Start early. That is all.

I realize some of you may be in situations where you know you'll be moving before baby comes in which you have no choice but to wait. But seriously, getting this whole room started as early as we did really has been nice. Don't listen to people who are judging you for getting things going during your first trimester. Some call it jumping the gun, I call it being prepared. Plus, decorating is just good clean fun as far as I'm concerned, so why not?

Going on 27 weeks of pregnancy now, I've realized just how fast that second trimester truly does fly by. I cannot believe I can actually say that I'm in my THIRD trimester now... so crazy!

My point is that during this last trimester, there is really already enough going on and things to prepare for (and I've heard all that second trimester energy and general "good feelings" tend to drop off again during this time), that I would be a nervous wreck thinking I had to put a nursery together start to finish on top of all that. I'm happy that we're left with mainly the fun stuff to get done that will really put the finishing touches on the whole space.

I could go on and on, so let's get to the updates!

First of all, a change that made the biggest impact (since the lighting update, and paint, of course), was the addition of the curtains.

These are the same "favorite" curtains I've used for years and years (I had them all throughout our last home).  I think they really make any room look a little more layered and put-together.

These particular ones are the velvet blackout curtains in off white from halfpricedrapes.com.

We went ahead and hung these all the way to the ceiling since in this little nook, the window is very very short. It makes the little space feel a bit taller.

Here's a better look at that whole area...

There's a little built-in desk around the corner to the right where that little chair is. Totally cut that out of the photo for a reason. It's become kind of a catch-all baby junk area.  And the scary mannequin form lady will not be staying in here. haha

But like I mentioned in the last nursery post, this area will eventually be a little play nook for her. Especially when we eventually move out the glider, she'll have a ton of room for lots of play things.

The world ottoman was a good find at RH Baby & Child (same with the little animals beneath the window), and the little polar bear is from Pottery Barn Kids.

Here is the other window with the same curtains... These need some "phloofing" and some hemming. Not my main priority now (I'm just happy they're up), but we'll get there.

We've had the little mirrored chest for about five years now. It lived in the upstairs hallway at our last house and even in the guest bedroom there for a while. I thought it fit perfectly with everything in the nursery.  Oh, and the little rocking unicorn? Melts my heart every single time I see it.

The other big change?? The crib is set up!

Waylon is pretty excited about it. This is his new favorite spot to hang out.  I really like this area because we can sort of center it in the middle of that wall on the right and have it floating out in the floor a bit so that we can completely walk comfortably around it on all sides. I like cribs that float out a little bit in rooms. All we've officially added so far is the dust ruffle (which I had custom made), and the mattress, but the bedding is kind of just hanging out for now. I'm waiting until much closer to her arrival to get the sheets all washed and ready (don't want clean sheets on the bed collecting dust for months).

I'll get some better shots of the entire crib when everything is all "done" (this isn't a full room reveal, you know) but here is another little shot that shows how it's made a little better...

You can basically set it up 3 different ways- The 4-post look like we chose to do, a canopy look (where you add little cross bars between the posts), or no posts at all.  It also turns into a toddler bed when she's ready for that down the road.
I knew I really wanted an iron crib for the nursery. They're just so classic. I didn't realize how hard they were to find! This one is by Bratt decor... and also kind of super expensive. So months back when I first started looking at cribs online and found this beauty (it's called the Parisian crib), imagine how excited I got when I saw it on Gilt (it's a site similar to Hautelook), for almost 50% off! So I jumped on that pony. My family probably thought I was insane when I told them I had already bought the crib not even halfway through my first trimester. So glad I did!

You may also notice that I added a sweet little mobile in the photo above. It's from RH Baby & Child and the little animals match the larger little animals under the window in the play nook area.

If you're wondering what the big wall o' built-ins is looking like... well, it's not especially pretty.  I haven't really started styling any of the shelves other than adding some books here and there.  I've still got a lot to organize in the cabinets beneath the changing area there and I can't wait to start filling up the toy chests there eventually too.  But it's not quite update-worthy just yet.  I'll also share the closet with you all eventually as it comes together! Lot's and lots of clothes to wash and organize.

As always, thank you all for being so excited to share this journey with us and for being so wonderful and supportive! I know I skipped the 26 week pregnancy vlog this week, but that just means next week we'll have even more to talk about. ;)

I hope you guys are having a wonderful week and I'll talk to you soon!!

post contains affiliate links

Favorites and a room update

Hello and Happy Hump Day y'all!

So as always, I'm bringing you my absolute favorite beauty products I've been reaching for the most over this past month. Seriously good stuff.  I know, I know... I say that every single month, but hey, that's the point, right?

But first, we need to address some changes that are taking place...  In my filming room!  If you've watched some of my recent videos, you've probably heard me mention this change a few times. Basically, I'm getting the room more functional (and pretty). Since overhauling the closet in our master bedroom (still in progress-- I'll share more of that space when it's done!), I was left with this empty space. Basically I moved all my clothes out of this spare room where I film into the actual closet.
Well, my new filming room/office area has come along like crazy over the past weekend! It still lacks a bit from being completely finished, but, wow. SO much more functional! I've had the most fun getting all my makeup organized (oh yeah, my vanity area is totally different now, too) and getting my new table/desk all set up.
Totally should've been like that all along. Funny how that happens...

I will for sure continue to update as it all comes together even more and I'll definitely do a little tour when it's complete!

So to check out all the details on the goods, check out the video below!


I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week!!

Family Room Changes... Our Sexual Sectional.

I couldn't help it. That's what we call it.

Since basically all of my recent home posts on here have been nursery-related, I thought we'd take a break today and talk about a completely different space.  Probably the space we used the absolute most (now, anyway) in the entire house...  Our family room.

When we bought the house, this room was one of my favorite spaces.  Still is. We started with our furniture from our last house. Some pieces looked a bit small in here...

After this photo (taken a little over a year ago), we swapped out some chairs, lamps, added some sheer curtains, etc.  It was for sure pretty, but not the coziest. The furniture didn't exactly say, "You come here to me.. NO, no... You come here to me." 

But to save us some time and chit chat and just get to the good stuff, this is where we are now...

This is seriously my favorite room now. The biggest change, the big, soft Belgian linen sectional came about because of practicality. I find that all of the big changes that come about in our house are never usually because we're just ready for a change, but rather because of function.  When you live somewhere (or with certain furniture) for a while, you figure out what works and what doesn't.  You figure out that instead of relaxing on the couch during the day when you need a comfy place to sit (and perhaps write a blog post), you're sitting for hours at the hard kitchen table a couple feet away. Probably a sign that you need to make a change.

When we would relax in here on Saturdays to watch football, we would fight over the chair facing the tv (or try to smush ourselves into it). I love that we have so much space now to cuddle up and lounge and really enjoy our family room.  

I've always said I was a fan of leather furniture... still am. We have it all throughout our basement. There are a couple reasons why we didn't go with it in a larger sectional though.  It's durable and easily wiped clean, but it's not the most comfortable to me. Skin sticks to it in the summer time and because it doesn't breathe, you can easily get hot and sweaty. I wanted something cozy and soft that would breathe.

We lived with our leather couch and chair for years and while it was pretty and we liked it, it just wasn't working in this space. Life's too short, ya know? To me, I feel like a family room should be a cozy space with lots of soft seating and most of all, comfortable. So I started the search for a comfy, well-made, slipcovered sectional and happened upon the perfect one at a local furniture store. We're so in love with this room now!

The shape of the sectional "sections" off the room much better and makes the large, lofty space much cozier. I chose one with a chaise (and I'm SO glad I did) mainly because Brad really wanted one, but it also saves your coffee table from dirty feet.  Plus, I love that Brad and I can easily cuddle up together on it when we watch tv. We couldn't do that before. It's the little things...

Speaking of the coffee table, since there was SO much linen fabric going on in this room with the sectional and tufted chairs (which we already had for a while now, and ended up working perfectly with the new sectional), I decided we needed something a little smaller, lighter, and more airy. This little oval glass table from Pier 1 takes up a lot less visual (and actual) space than the large tufted one we used to have in here. The room needed a mix of different materials so the glass and metal really helped to balance everything out.  I still want to add some of my pretty books to the lower level of it.  It's really sturdy and well-made too, which is a big deal for a coffee table, which is a piece of furniture we actually use a lot.

Can't you just hear it saying, "You come here to me..."?? 

The lamps are just some that I've had for years and years with some mix and match shades. Not sure I'm in love with them, but that's something I'll probably change in the future if I find something I like better. Or, I may do what I always do and swap around some that we have in other places of the house. I always say, shop what you've got!

I mentioned that the slipcovered furniture (rather than upholstered) was really important to me. I love that if something gets spilled or stained, I can just throw the one piece's slipcover into the wash.  I also love that the color visually appears to be lighter piece of furniture in the room, but the actual color is a linen-stone-gray.  So it won't show every little thing or appear dingy like white or light cream furniture can. Anyway, I just love it and we couldn't be happier with it!

A few more changes...

First off, the hand made, one of a kind bench behind the sofa...

It couldn't be more perfect for this area! I considered a sofa table, which would mean moving the antique library table from in front of the windows behind the sofa, because to add another similar piece would be overkill.  We moved it behind the couch and it just wasn't right. I really wanted to keep the open feeling behind the couch and not obstruct the whole view into the room with the knick-knacks on the table or with lamps.  It would be silly to have a table there and have it be bare, you know? So I had the bench idea... All of the ones we already had were majorly too small.  I remembered seeing this one at the furniture store where I purchased the couch from and went back for it.  It's super long and narrow. Perfect for behind the couch.  Plus, I love that it's well-made and one-of-a-kind.

And finally, the curtains...

If you remember, I had previously added some sheer white panels to this space because I didn't want to obstruct any of the view and keep the light and airy feeling in the room. Well, that was great, but over time, I realized that what the room actually needed was some balance.  So I had been on the look out for the perfect ones for a while that were not only the right color, but also the right fabric.
Oh, and while these were definitely more expensive than the $20 sheers I had up before (which because of that, I didn't mind replacing), they were a great price for the quality and something I can definitely justify because of how much they add to the room.

They're textured Dupioni Silk in a beautiful taupe-silver shade. The room has so much warm cream and ivory shades going on that the cooler taupe-silver balances everything out and the material adds a ton of texture. I got them from Overstock and these are in a 120" length. 

I love the view now from the kitchen...

 I just love how everything is coming together. I feel like we started off on a great foot in this house when we moved in about a year and a half ago because we already had so much furniture from the last house, but I really believe that you have to make your house your home. The way I see it, houses are expensive. Too expensive to not be happy and totally comfortable in certain spaces.   Of course, there's lots of cosmetic things we'd love to change and completely overhaul (we've got big plans in the future for areas like bathrooms and kitchens and the backyard), but you have to take your time and see how spaces are really used and what you really need. Those spaces are functional for now, so we're definitely not in a hurry.  For spaces like a family room that you use a lot, really think out your furniture before you buy something and realize that what works in one home, may not work in another. Also, most importantly, don't just go for something solely on looks. Of course you should love it (I love the look of our room so much better now), but most importantly, consider the comfort and function of the pieces you buy.
I could go on and on, but basically, we're obsessed with this sectional and this room in general now. Definitely much more family friendly. :)

I should be back next week with another nursery update! I hope you all have a wonderful week!!

post contains affiliate links

Dior Star Foundation Review & Demo

Ok, so let me go on record and say that this is the last foundation review I'll be doing for a bit!! ;)
...maybe.

If you've been following me over the past few months, you've probably noticed that I've gone a bit foundation-crazy. While I'm happy to report that I've got a great little foundation collection going, I'm even happier to report that they're all pretty great. *I'm planning a little foundation "round up" soon comparing and ranking all of the ones I have and showing my collection, so stay tuned for that update!

So this foundation review is all about the Dior Star foundation. Super unique. Super awesome. Basically, it's my favorite foundation I currently own.

To see all the details about this stuff (seriously, everything you'd need to know from the best tools that work best with it, to a full demo of how I like to apply it), check out my full review video below!

So have you all tried this stuff?? What are your thoughts??

Not a sponsored post. Post contains affiliate links.