Friday Links + Sephora Giveaway Winner
Happy Friday, everyone! Hope you're all staying warm in these arctic temperatures. It's bitter cold outside so we definitely don't have any major plans this weekend (although Cleveland Restaurant Week starts today, so I might be tempted into attending)!
Most importantly, I'd like to announce the results from the Sephora gift card giveaway—the winner is Kayla Kelsey (@kaylaincle)! You'll be receiving an email from me shortly with the details of your prize. And it appears she's also a bride-to-be, so double congrats to you, Kayla!
Thank you all for entering and commenting about your skincare routines—I am such a product junkie and loved all of your recommendations. I've had a few questions about daily-use products, so I plan to do a follow-up post on that as well. In the meantime, I rounded up some tasty detox water recipes for anyone who's looking to spice up their water game. Enjoy!
1 | Raspberry Lemon water (Eat Drink Love)
2 | Lime Raspberry Mint water (Sammy and Bella) - I'd love to try this with basil!
3 | Cucumber Lemon Mint water (Sweet and Savory)
4 | Pineapple Sugarcane Spa water (A Spicy Perspective)
5 | Cranberry Juice Detox drinks (Bembu)
Wedding Prep Skincare + Sephora Giveaway
With our wedding slowly creeping up on us, I've been paying extra attention to keeping my skin healthy and happy. Besides my usual everyday products, I've been adding in some spa-worthy home treatments to up my game (and save me money on facials)! I definitely want to put my best face forward on our wedding day, so having a long-term, consistent routine will help me keep things balanced. I also try to get off on the right foot by drinking plenty of water—but hey, if all else fails, that's what makeup artists are for!
The products I use vary with the seasons (my winter skin and summer skin are nothing alike) but these are some of my consistent favorites for both face and body. Check 'em out below and be sure to enter my giveaway at the end of the post for a chance to win a $25 Sephora gift card!
Left to right:
Philosophy The Microdelivery Peel
This is a quick, two-step treatment that exfoliates and resurfaces, but isn't too harsh. My face feels baby soft when I'm done using it. I especially love it in the winter when my skin is dry, flaky, and dull. Plus, the Vitamin C in it smells deliciously orangey and fresh! It's a bit pricey but a little goes a long way – when used twice a month, one set lasts me almost a year.
Exfoliating your body is just as important as treating your face—this is especially true if you use self-tanner or plan on getting a spray tan for your wedding. This scrub makes my skin silky smooth and gets bonus points for smelling like a beach vacation (although it comes in many other scents if that's not your thing). Another winter staple, but also perfect for the spring and summer when you actually start showing some skin. I reach for this at least once a week and follow with...
Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter
I bought this for the first time when I was drunk and watching QVC (don't ask...I blame Shark Tank) and I am so, so in love with it. I use Argan Oil on my hair so I was curious to try this body butter version, and it's wonderful. It's super creamy, yet light and fluffy, and moisturizes for hours without being gross or heavy. It's a luxurious upgrade to your daily body lotion.
Kiehl's Creamy Avocado Eye Treatment
Finding the right eye cream can be difficult, especially when the anti-aging results aren't instantly visible. I've cycled through a few and my favorite by far has been this one. It absorbs well and fight dryness. I've also found my eyes are less puffy when I wake up, which is sort of a miracle considering all of the bizarre wedding nightmares that interrupt my sleep.
Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Mask
Last but not least, my personal favorite—this is the mother of all facials. This stuff will purge your pores and smooth fine lines, all while making your face pulse (for real). It comes as a dry clay, which you can either mix with water or organic Apple Cider Vinegar, which is my preferred method. When mixed with the vinegar, the clay fizzes and bubbles and makes the mask easier to apply, when I've found water doesn't quite mix up as smoothly. Plus, you get the added cleansing benefits of the Apple Cider Vinegar to really make this a powerhouse treatment. I spread it on and let it sit until it's dry (about 15-20 minutes, or until you literally can't move your face). I love that it's cheap ($9!), lasts forever (I've had the same tub for over a year) and makes your pores disappear. My skin looks fresh and awake and it's super addicting—it's definitely a little intense so I try not to overdo it, once every other week seems to work for me.
To spread the love to all you brides and lovely ladies out there, I'm hosting a giveaway for a $25 Sephora gift card—the contest begins today and ends at midnight on Thursday 2/19. One winner will be announced here and notified by email on Friday, 2/20. You can enter through the widget below by completing any/all of the three options.
Good luck in the giveaway, drink your water, and don't forget to treat yo self! a Rafflecopter giveaway
*Zero disclosure here, this contest is not sponsored, all opinions are my own.
DIY Kate Spade Inspired Glitter Studs
There are few things that feel worse than shopping regret – running out of beer is a close second – but I experienced this on a facepalm-worthy level last week. I'd had my eye on these cute little Kate Spade glitter earrings but was resisting the urge to buy, since it's Christmastime and I guess I should shop for other people? Is that how it works?
Until one day when I was shopping for other people, and saw them again, during a 20% off sale. I added them to my cart, deciding they would stalk me forever if I didn't. I stepped away for a few minutes, came back to click "submit" and I get the dreaded error message: "THIS ITEM IS UNAVAILABLE." I'm sorry...WHAT.
I refreshed, I tried re-adding, searching every other site that carried them...Sold. Out. Everywhere. If I had any idea that these were possibly the LAST ONES OUT THERE I wouldn't have thought twice. Ugh. So mad.
But why get mad, when you can get even...I set out to try to replicate them myself. The results were great and the best part is, you can really make them look however you want them to. Although if you're feeling lazy, you can find the original earrings on ebay, selling for upwards of $114 (no joke).
WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
Gemstone stud earrings
Glitter nail polish – any color or a combination of a few
(the colors I used are pictured above: OPI for Sephora "Only Gold for Me," Deborah Lippmann "99 Luftballoons" and Wet 'n' Wild "Party of Five Glitters")
Needlenose pliers
A hairdryer
DIRECTIONS:
1) Start by removing the stones from the earring setting – use the needlenose pliers to gently bend the prongs back to loosen the stone. I only bent two prongs instead of all four, and it was enough to get the stone out. I had these earrings already, but you can find similar ones at Target, or even use a pair of Kate Spade ones to get the most accurate look.
2) Holding one stone with your pliers, apply a thin layer of glitter topcoat to the earrings. Try to cover the edges as well – that's one advantage of removing the stone from the setting. Let each layer dry before adding another one (this is where the hairdryer comes in handy). Layer the polish on however you like – I used three types of glitter to get the multi-colored look I wanted. The original earrings had a lot of gold, pink, blue, and red-orange.
3) Let the polish dry thoroughly before replacing them into the setting – I let mine dry overnight just to be safe. Snap the stones into place and bend the prongs back over them. Using nail polish instead of loose glitter keeps the glitter from flaking and shedding all over the place, but that's another option to try if you want a different look.
Now I don't feel so bummed, and have some fun studs to wear for the holiday season. Crisis averted!
Our Wedding: Bridesmaids Boxes
I'd be lying if I said the early stages of our wedding planning weren't stressful, but we've been in a phase of smooth sailing for the last few months. Beyond choosing a venue, everything else has been pretty easy. A few of our vendors have been booked, a bought a dress in one day (I might be crazy...or smart? Still TBD) so we've been able to move forward into the details of the day.
Next on the to-do list was to gather my crew of bridesmaids and ask them to be with me through the next year, and stand with me on our big day. A mix of family and best friends, I wanted to ask them in a special way that set the tone for the rest of our celebration. Desserts and sweets are a serious obsession of mine (and will play a starring role in our wedding) so I enlisted local favorite Coquette Patisserie to create a few dozen French macarons in our wedding palette. The flavors that matched the colors were salted caramel and rose raspberry—it was a miracle that I didn't eat them myself.
Each bridesmaid received a box containing the macarons and a card popping the question, all wrapped up and personalized. I was a little nervous shipping such fragile cookies across the country (word to the wise ladies...think your shit through) but they made it safe and sound.
They all said YES (hopefully not because I manipulated them with delicious cookies) and I'm happy to have them all on board! Dress decisions are next..!
Big thanks to Coquette for creating the perfect macarons on time, and for their awesome packaging!
Fall Polish Roundup
I've been trying to resist the fact that it's fall, but now that it's really here, I can look on the bright side – dark manicures are in full force. My go-to shades for fall are nudes, grays, and burgundy, which are classically seasonal and go with everything from day to night.
I'm currently wearing OPI Scores a Goal, which is a nice dark raisin color, and for a more dramatic twist I switch to Essie's Wicked — an almost-black burgundy hue. OPI's Taupe-less Beach is the perfect gray-nude, and on the flip side, NARS Storm Bird is a cool, cloudy gray with a beautifully creamy finish. I usually reach for opaque polish, but I do have a few favorite shimmery shades for fall: Essie's Penny Talk and Butter's Chimney Sweep. I'm a big fan of Butter's formula, and have noticed it tends to chip less than other polishes. Sometimes the pricier options are worth it.
So are you embracing fall yet? And pumpkin everything?
Illustrated Wedding Invitation for Meghan + Nate
Ship's Wheel Mirror Makeover
When it comes to antiques, I'm usually cautious about altering their appearance in fear of destroying their value (file this under: everything I know I learned from Pawn Stars). We were faced with a lot of these decisions when we moved into our house – we had to decide what needed to be kept and what was okay to touch. For example, our living room is full of original cherry wood trim...and even though it wasn't my thing at first, it's an element that adds real value to our home, and we'd be crazy to paint it. Now I'm happy it's there – the wood is beautiful, and makes our living room feel like a modern cabin.
On the flip side, just because something is an antique doesn't make it valuable (though it could be emotionally valuable) and a little coat of paint isn't going to hurt anyone, if it makes you happy.
Jim and I decided to check out the Lakewood city-wide garage sale a few weekends ago and after heading down a ton of driveways, we found this antique mirror with a $5 sticker on it. I'm sorry – what? $5. This is why I love garage sales.
The bones of it were there, but we knew the paint job and the metal stars wouldn't really fit our decor. Thankfully the mirror was made of wood and not metal, so we knew we could give it a quick makeover and find a great home for it on our walls.
I actually can't take any credit for this makeover, because Jim did it all himself, but hey...I art directed?
He removed the metal stars, which were just pinned into the frame with small nails, and then stripped off the paint with
. This causes the paint to bubble and peel like tar, so be sure to wear gloves when trying this at home. He used a shim to scrape the paint off once it became loose. Once the paint was removed, he used wood filler to fill the cracks where some of the pieces were separating, and gave the piece a final sanding.
We actually liked the distressed look that the stripping/sanding process gave, so we left the mirror as is. I debated about white-washing it, or putting the stars back on, but decided against it. You can always add, but you can't always take away.
It turned out to be the perfect piece we were missing in our second floor stairway. I love it more than I expected – for $5 I figured it was a risk-free project, so it was great that it came out so nicely. I can't really say no to something nautical for a few bucks, anyway.
Do you shop garage sales? Are they worth it for you, or too hit-or-miss?
Friday Links: Sangria Recipe Roundup
When it comes to summer, there are few drinks I like better than sangria. It's the perfect refresher that packs a mean alcoholic punch (well, at least when I make it).
I am a repeat offender when it comes to making peach sangria, so wanted to dig up some other recipes to inspire some interesting combinations. We have a bunch of mint growing in our garden, so I'm anxious to use some up with the apple mint white sangria pictured at #4. I love the idea of mixing in some herbs or veggies, like cucumbers or even sweet peppers, for a twist on this classic. Now that the nights are long and warm, sangria makes for an ideal patio companion. Time to get that pitcher out!
1 | Light and tropical pineapple sangria (Erin's Food Files)
2 | A beautifully styled watermelon sangria bar (A Fabulous Fete)
3 | White peach sangria – love the addition of the grapes (Cooking ala Mel)
4 | Apple mint white sangria (The Clever Carrot)
5 | Another great use of herbs – strawberry rosemary sangria (A Cozy Kitchen)
Our Key West Trip + Engagement Story
Hi everyone! I'm back from a bit of radio silence...we just got back from Key West a week ago and I'm finally getting back to reality – although our reality is a little different now that we are ENGAGED (yay!!) and have been fully thrown into the excitement that it brings.
I posted some photos on Instagram during our trip but there are plenty more to share. Key West exceeded our expectations and I wanted to share our experience and favorite spots in case you ever find yourself down at the very end of the U.S.!
Our beach for the week, at the Pier House Resort. We loved our stay here and couldn't beat the service, amenities, and the private beach. Key West is small and there are only a handful of public beaches on the island, so having a private place to enjoy the sun (and have cocktail service) was a must. And seriously...look at that ocean. We were actually right in this spot later in the trip when Jim proposed.
We had our first drink here after we landed – I forget the name of this bar but it was right next to our hotel. How fun is the bright painted furniture?!
The food in Key West was incredible – so much fresh seafood and tons of places to eat. Our first night there, we walked Duval Street from end to end (think Bourbon Street – lots of bars, live music, and no open container policy) and stopped for some street food from D.J.'s Clam Shack. The lobster roll was so good, and I know it wasn't just my beverage doing the talking ;)
We couldn't leave without visiting the Hemingway House. I am kind of obsessed with his style and did a little portrait of him, so it was really amazing to get to walk through his home and see his collectibles from years of traveling and living abroad. Above is the front entrance.
Here's the main parlor room and the master bedroom.
The size of the property and the lush, beautiful grounds were just as impressive as his stately home. We walked through gardens of palms, sugar cane, banana trees, ferns...which offer shade to all of the six-toed cats that live on the property.
And then there was THIS POOL. It's bliss. I wanted to jump in so bad.
We filled out the week with a snorkeling trip, plenty of bike riding, and tons of food. Key Lime pie basically has its own spot on the food pyramid down here (not complaining), so we had a very delicious week. We headed to Latitudes for dinner on our last night and we both agreed it was the best meal we've ever had. Not only was the food amazing, the atmosphere was so elegant and romantic...the tables are set up in the sand, right along the ocean, with candles flickering everywhere...we enjoyed every minute of that dinner and were really sad to be winding down the trip.
We hopped on the 11:00 ferry back to Key West and decided to hang out at the beach and drink some late-night beers. We did this every night in Maine last summer (there wasn't much nightlife!) so it's become a bit of a tradition to sit and talk on the beach late into the night. Jim filled up his backpack with some cans of Miller Lite (hey, we keep it classy guys) and unbeknownst to me, my ring.
I set up a towel on the beach, and as we're getting settled, it slowly starts to drizzle. A little drip here, a little drop there...I'm thinking, shit, it's our last day here, I'm totally not ready to call it a night. Then it rains a little harder, my hair's really starting to get wet (of course I'm worried about this) but Jim insists we just wait it out, as this does happen a lot in Key West. A little rain cloud passes quickly here and there all the time. So we just kind of sit there, waiting for it to stop, which it soon does. It's dark out, sailboats are cruising by on the ocean, no one around, it's almost 2am already. Our conversation turns to our relationship, I'm not thinking much of it, and smooth as butter, this guy is casually popping the question right before my eyes. Immediately following were lots of tears, lots of excitement and freaking out, another round of beers, and the nice realization that no one at home was awake, and that we could enjoy this amongst ourselves until the next day.
Our flight home didn't leave Key West until 2:30, so we luckily had plenty of time to call our friends and family in the morning, while packing and getting ready to leave. We had time to hit up La Creperie for brunch and Bellinis, and took one last bike ride around the island to say goodbye.
We had a truly amazing trip, even aside from the proposal. It was just icing on a very delicious, very awesome cake, and I will never forget the many little moments we had together. I knew when I met Jim five years ago that he was the real deal, and we've been committed as partners ever since. We chose each other whole-heartedly. OKAY, not going to cry...there's no crying in blogging!
I'm thankful to be home and to still have a bit of a vacation high (and a tan). I'll be back to regular posting this week. Thanks for bearing with me, and please, do not ask me when the wedding is! ;)
Recipe: Homemade Oatmeal Creme Pies
It's been years since I had one and the craving hit me while grocery shopping this week. I resisted buying a box and instead found this recipe to make my own. These were actually very easy to make and have all of the soft, chewy goodness of the original. I followed the recipe exactly and was sure to slightly underbake the cookies to keep them really soft. Head over to Cooking Classy to find out how to make them yourself!
Do you have a childhood snack you just can't resist?