January 2015 | A few of my Favorite Things

 

(1. Gap Body sweater. 2. Elizabeth Arden 8-hour Cream. 3. YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in 8 (Pink in Confidence) 4. #Girlboss by Sophia Amoroso 5. The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks 6. Heidi Swapp "Everyday" Memory Keeper 7. First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser, Facial Radiance Pads and Ultra Repair Cream)

 

 

January brought 2015 in with a month full of opposites. I planned and then I went with the flow. I spent time becoming a gym rat and then, I got the flu and become one with my mattress. I saved, saved, saved my monies and then, well, I splurged (hey, I had a gift card) on a New Year, New Me gift to myself. January was warm and cold, in both temperature and disposition.

 

I spent most of the frigid month in my Gap Body sweatshirt. I loved my cream one so much that I had to go back to get a second one in gray. They are the ideal sweater to spend the afternoon in, drinking tea cuddled under a fuzzy blanket. Along with the ice cold weather of January came some very dry skin and lips. Enter Elizabeth Arden 8-hour cream. My gawd, this stuff is perfect. Dry skin has no chance with this. I used in on my lips, and hands mostly, at night, and in the morning would wake up to baby soft skin. And now, the splurge - I bought my first YSL lipstick. I was gifted a very nice gift card from my team at work and purchased this for myself to take on 2015. It is called "Pink in Confidence" because that's how I plan to take on 2015 - with confidence. The packaging is perfect and the color is even more perfect. A soft pink with a bit of shine for an everyday oomph to the mundane.

 

 

 

I challenged myself to read 50 books in 2015. So far, #Girlboss and "The Longest Ride" has been my favorites. #Girlboss brought on some of my favorite quotes to live by for 2015. And hello, because I want to be a #Girlboss because I want what I want, I want to work for it, and I'm a badass #Girlboss. "The Longest Ride" while typical Nicholas Sparks romance novel is going to be made into a movie and I wanted to read it prior to seeing it. It was good, easy to read, and I gobbled in up in less than 24 hours.  

 

A clip from my favorite chapter on the power of thinking and the power you give your thoughts in #Girlboss.

 

 

I was really disappointed in 2014 because I didn't have anything to look back on it that house'd memories, my thoughts and some of my favorite moments. Hence, the "Everyday" Memory Keeper. I plan on writing a little something, taking a photo, or documenting each day in some way to keep a running memory of 2015. So far, I have loved doing this and find it very rewarding. I have made a post on my memory keeping: here.

 

 

And finally, my dear skin. January was a rough skin month for me from being sick, to my continued living in a hotel, to new year stress, my skin has taken hit after hit and I don't know what I would've done without my First Aid Beauty regime. The cleanser made my skin feel clean and fresh - without drying it out. The Radiance pads I used twice a day to exfoliate, tone and brighten my skin which I could even tell the difference. And the Ultra Repair Cream leaves my skin moisturizer but not sticky - and it's prefect for travel because it is safe for my face as well as my body.

 

While I enjoy January a lot, I'm so ready to say good-bye to it. I'm ready for February and to start fresh, again. What did you enjoy about the first month of 2015? Any favorite moments or products? Please share.

 

Yours xx

Get Ready with Me: Bold Berry

It is time for another Get Ready with Me. I was looking forward to a new lipstick during the holiday season. I became obsessed with all things berry, okay? From Too Faced, their Melted Lipstick had just the color I wanted. I was looking at the full size product but found a four-in-one holiday gift set that had an array of colors that I just couldn't turn down. My favorite of the four is definitely "Melted Berry", but the set had Melted Nude, Peony, and Fuchsia as well. And, bonus, all four sample sizes were cheaper in price than the one full size.

These are super pigmented and do last a long time - even through whole Venti Chai tea Latte from Starbucks without reapplication. (Serious pigmentation here, people.) I will say, I am still trying to get used to the applicator. It is a push-up, what Too Faced called, 'precision application.' It sort-of oozes out of the tip, absorbs into the applicator and smears onto your lips. A little bit goes a long way. I wouldn't describe this as precision application - I am still trying to work out the best way to apply. But, otherwise, I'm definitely going to recommend these guys!

Obviously, bold lip calls for a sparkly eye. I got to use a lot of my favorite products in this GRWM. My Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush, my Lorac Pro Palette and a fun-size sample of the  Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara (Guuuurl. So good.)! I really enjoy how it turned out - and it is definitely a good one for a night out or special occasion. I hope you all enjoy!

The OMG-I'm-hypnotized-by-this-mascara face.

 

 

Yours xx

My 2015 Plan: Erin Condren and Project Life Haul

In preparation for 2015, I looked back on 2014 and something was missing. I wanted to have something to remember my year, whether a journal, scrapbook, planner... whatever. Something to remind me of all the good, bad, pretty and ugly moments. I knew I needed to do something in 2015 to satisfy this...perhaps a resolution?? But, something manageable, quick and nothing too much of a time sucker. I wanted to include pictures, yes, like physical pictures - not just an album on Facebook or Instagram and I wanted to add journaling as well because writing was such a massive part of my life for a very long time and I [recently] haven't been putting the pen to paper.

Enter Project Life.

Project Life is scrapbooking made simple - and however you want it. It is comprised of journaling cards that you slip into Project Pages that are reminiscent of my brother's baseball card holders.. Plus you can add photos just as simply - print the photos in 4x6, slip 'em in and boom, you've made a page. Very little fuss, yet all the creativity I need and want.

I have a plan - I want to write a little something each day - nothing major. A quote, a thought, maybe even a reminder note to myself. Each week, on Sunday, create a page with my journaling cards "Favorite Things Edition" from the week, a photo or two, and add a page to my "Everyday" planner created by Heidi Swapp and voilà, a page!

And yet again, I'm using my Erin Condren Life Planner to help keep track of my life. I'll have my day-to-day planner full of work, fun, school *fingers crossed* and all that in between plus my Project Life to keep a memory of 2015.

Here is a look at my Project Life, and Stationary Haul to start our 2015.

This little container holds the following...

 

 

Let's the Project Life games begin..

 

Some of my favorite Journaling cards

 

My Everyday Project Life Planner/Memory Keeper

 



 

Each undated monthly calendar is followed by this page spread.

 

And finally, my trusty Erin Condren Life Planner for 2015

 

 

Here's to a happy, healthy and organized 2015!

Yours, yet again,

xxx

Holiday Elf Duties with Martha

I do mean THEE Martha Stewart...

If I would've been one of Santa's elves, I would've been Head Elf of the Gift Wrap Division. I enjoy wrapping presents so much that I put a bit more effort in than is required by most everyone. I wanted to share my little creations with you all and hope that it gives you some holiday inspiration as you embark on the last weekend (Sunday, really) before the big day. I had a little help from Martha Stewart as I used her Rustic Christmas Gift Wrapping Kit (I loved the paper bows, stickers and sparkles!!), some brown [and red] paper for my holiday version of "brown paper packages tied up with strings", and sticker letters in gold and red sparkle for the tags.

 

Yours xx