New Beauty Loot

So while I was in Dallas I picked up a few new makeup items. I had run out of my face makeup the day we got there so that called for an emergency trip to Sephora. This actually turned into a bigger dilemma because I thought I would visit the beauty counters at Nordstrom first just to do things a little differently. Ugh! Needless to say the girl working at the Nars counter must have been color blind. She kept trying to put foundation on me that was waaaay to light. I had also told her that I don't wear liquid foundation, but she kept trying to sell it to me. So I left to go to Sephora so I could pick up what I wanted. Well while walking there, I stopped in at the Body Shop. Then I stumbled upon their makeup and found exactly what I was looking for. I wear mineral powder foundation because liquid feels to heavy on my skin in the Arkansas humidity. The Nature's Minerals foundation is awesome! It's has a light to medium buildable coverage that isn't cakey at all. It also had a good range of colors to chose from. And it was only $25 for a very nice sized container. I love it! The only problem... we don't have The Body Shop in central Arkansas so I guess I will have to order it on line every time I run out.

When I did finally make it to Sephora, I just had to pick up the HD Microfinishing powder from Make Up Forever. I have been hearing about this amazing translucent powder for awhile now. And let me tell you, it works! It gives your skin a sort of soft finish and basically made my pores invisible. I don't have to use as much foundation when I use this. And honestly during the super hot months I will probably just wear a bit of concealer with this on top. It gets a 10 out of 10 in my book.

And last but not least, I grabbed the DiorShow Extase Mascara. I've used the classic DiorShow on and off for the past few years. I've always like it and was wanting to try this. I like it and it makes my lashes look unbelievably long, but, my eyes have been itching a little since wearing it. It could just be my spring allergies so I'm not going to write it off yet. The classic never bothered my sensitive eyes so I wouldn't think this would either. I'll let ya'll know what the final verdict is soon.

Hopefully I'll get some pictures up soon of the clothes and shoes I got on my shopping trip. I've been a little lazy since we've been home.

I hope everyone is having a great week! We are having some absolutely gorgeous weather here. The highs are supposed to be in the 80s the next few days! That definitely makes me happy :)

I'm Back!!

So I'm finally home after our long weekend in Dallas. And I am seriously all shopped out! We left Thursday after Gabe got off work so we didn't get there until around 10:30 that night. Friday we went on a tour of Cowboy Stadium. That was actually a lot of fun! I got some pretty good pictures:

Entrance to the DCC locker room

Love those pink walls!





This stadium in huge! I seriously never imagined it would be so big.

Entrance to the players locker room

Gotta love a former Razorback!

Gabe and I

Friday afternoon we shopped. That night we had dinner at a Mexican restaurant and went over to my cousin's house so the boys could watch basketball and the girls could have a few drinks. Saturday we literally shopped All. Day. Long. (no complaining here!) We also stopped at Sprinkles for some cupcakes! I seriously could have eaten like 10 of the red velvet. Yum!

My little sister and I before dinner Saturday night. Yes she really is that much taller than me. And she's only 16. Oh and did I mention I'm wearing heels and she's not! (seriously not fair!)

Gabe and I (I appologize for my skanky roots. I have a hair appt. Friday.)

So all in all it was a great trip. It seems like we never have time to fit everything in but at least that always gives us an excuse to go back! By the way if your visiting Dallas soon I highly recommend the Le Meridian Dallas North for your hotel. It was amazing! The rooms were spacious and gorgeously decorated and the service was great. Plus it's right next to the Galleria. Tomorrow it's back to the real world. But only 5 weeks left in this semester! It can't go by fast enough!

Headed to the big D!

So in a few hours I'll be on my way to Dallas for a long weekend filled with eating and shopping. (my two favorite things!) My main focus this weekend? Shoes! I'm on the hunt for the perfect spring/summer heels.

I'll be absent in the blogger world for the next few days, but hopefully I'll return to ya'll with lots of pictures from my weekend. Hope everyone has a fabulous day!

Need a Margarita?

So a few weeks ago I wandered into Bath and Body Works to get some hand soap and pick up a spring/summer favorite. The True Blue Spa Need a Margarita is one of my absolute favorite body washes. I usually buy it when the weather starts getting warm. The smell just makes me think about being on a beach somewhere sipping adult beverages. :) Do any of ya'll have a certain scent you love to use in the Summer?

Have a great night!

Takin it easy...

**This is a long post. Sorry!**

So my spring break has been amazingly relaxing thus far. Friday, Gabe and I really pushed ourselves with a hill run. Afterwards my knee was bothering me so I was layed up on the couch for the rest of the evening. But Gabe took care of me by getting a pizza (undoing the run we just took) and two movies. We watched Up in the Air (with my favorite George Clooney) and The September Issue. I was pretty shocked he picked up The September Issue for me since it's a fashion documentary. But he said he knew how bad I've been wanting to watch it. (So thoughtful!) Saturday we honestly slept til noon! I don't know why or how but when I woke up I was almost in shock. Gabe usually wakes up no later than 8 on the weekends but he was still fast asleep. He had soccer games that afternoon so while he was gone I got a workout in and cleaned the apartment. When he came home, he had another surprise for me... New Moon!!! Haha I can't believe he watched so many chick flicks this weekend. We were going to go on a little date Sat. night but it was downright cold and nasty out (great first day of spring) so we stayed in and watched movies again. It was nice to get some quality alone time together without the stress of school and work making us busy. Sunday we got up early and had our usual Starbucks brunch. I'm ready for the new Panera to open so we start having more options for Sunday brunch. Then we spent the rest of the day furniture shopping because in May, we're moving to a bigger apartment!! We found a bedroom suit that we LOVE. We're ordering it today so in about 6 weeks it will be here! I'm so excited! Now, we just have to find a new kitchen table and a new coffee table we agree on.

In other news: I'm giving my hair a styling tools break. Yep, no hairdryer, straightener, or curling iron for the past 4 days. I've been doing lots of hair repair treatments and letting my hair do it's natural thing. I actually haven't missed the styling tools. My hair naturally does the beachy waves thing so it's actually pretty cute when I just let it go. I usually give myself one day a week to go natural, but with all the highlighting and poofing my hair still gets pretty damaged. That's why I've been doing the extended break. Some of my favorite hair saving products are:

Moroccan Oil

I put a fair amount of this through my wet hair and let it dry naturally. The result: soft, wavy hair that looks extremely healthy. I also use this once a week as an overnight hair mask. I comb it through my dry hair, go to sleep, and wash my hair as usual in the morning. I love this stuff!


Garnier Fructis 3-minute undo dryness reversal treatment. This is a great inexpensive deep conditioner. It works very well and since I started using it once a week last fall I can tell a big difference in my hair. I recommend this for anyone who highlights their hair or uses a blow dryer every day.

Well that's all for today, I'm heading to my parents house this afternoon to stay the night and eat all their food! :) Note to self: double my workout in preparation for all the food.

Have a great day!!!

Ghosts of Spring Break Past

So to celebrate me officially being on Spring Break as of 1 hour ago, I have decided to share some pics of my favorite college SB memories.
There are sadly no pics from 09 because I didn't do a dang thing last year except sleep.

2008. (Junior Year) Panama City Florida! We had a group of around 40 spend a week at the beach. Too much fun! That's me in the middle. (holding a very large drink, sorry mom!) That's a very young looking Gabe sitting next to me haha. I was very tan when I was 20!

Spring Break 07! (Sophmore Year) This year was spent hanging out in Conway having lots of girls nights. It ended with a random road trip to Hot Springs to stay at a friends lake house. There I am second to last on the right.

2006! My freshman year! So 06 was a little complicated. I was a cheerleader at the time and we actually had our "hell week" during spring break. That means we had 3 a days for the entire week. Not much fun. But, it all payed off two weeks later when we got to go to Daytona Fl for NCA College Nationals! We spent a week at the beach doing our favorite thing. (payed for by UCA) We ended up getting 2nd place that year! These are two pics of the squad. The first one is us the day we arrived. I'm on the left on the end doing the ultimate cheerleader pose.

This one was taken on the beach right after awards!

So there ya have it! This years spring break will be pretty tame. I will be doing absolutely nothing but relaxing the first half of the week. I'll definitely be treating myself to a pedicure! The second half of the week, Gabe and I are heading to Dallas with my fam to shop shop shop! I cannot wait! Anyway it's beautiful out today so I'm about to head out for a run! Have a wonderful Friday ya'll.

I think I'm in love...

With Starbucks Dark Cherry Mocha that is. If you haven't tried this yet, run don't walk to your nearest Starbucks and treat yourself. Oh it is pure wonderfullness. It just made my St. Patricks Day even better! And of course a Starbucks cup has green on it so it can be counted as an accessory today if you forgot to wear green :) So really, you NEED one. Right this very second.

Liberty of London for Target

Well like the rest of the country I couldn't wait to see the Liberty of London line for Target. I had already scoped everything out online so I knew what I was looking for when I went to my local Target this afternoon. I was super excited to see that they had the top I wanted (I couldn't get a picture of it online and didn't think to take a pic in the dressing room). It's the peacock print sleeveless top for anyone who has looked at the line. I grabbed my size and dashed off to the dressing room and.... it was too big!!!! I was so mad. And of course there wasn't a smaller size for me. Grrrr. I was hoping to get it so I could wear it tomorrow night for St. Patricks day since it has some green in it. Oh well. I did look at the home decor stuff for the Liberty of London line and I love the throw pillows. I'm thinking of getting a few for my bedroom.

So I had another Anatomy test today. It never ends. Seriously. My super sweet boyfriend arranged for me to get my nails done after class because he knew I needed some "me time". Two more papers until spring break! I cannot wait until I'm shopping in Dallas next week. I'm sure Gabe is thrilled to be taking a shopping trip with me. :)

Have a great afternoon!

Spring Forward

So springing forward has got me absolutely wiped out! I know we only lost an hour, but it seriously has thrown me off. I couldn't fall asleep until almost 2:30 this morning. Then I was up at 6:45. Ugh! I don't really have much for ya'll today seeing as how I'm basically sleeping sitting up right now and I have 4 papers due and a test tomorrow. I just have to make it through this week and spring break here I come! I'll be back tomorrow after my test and a nap!

Hope everyone is having a good Monday!

Random Friday

1. I had a pretty wonderful week (minus the tornado weather). I did wonderful on my Anatomy lab practical that I had Wednesday. I had a few classes cancelled so I had some extra time on my hands. I've been going to bed earlier so I've actually gotten 5 full nights of sleep! I have one more week to go until Spring Break!

2. We have a super low key weekend planned and I couldn't be happier. We've had so much going on the past few weekends so I'm ready to just chill out.

3. With spring comes allergies and I've been on the verge of a sinus infection for a few days now. I've been trying to prevent it as much as possible by using my Netti pot and taking Zyrtec.

4. I think it's about time to start shopping for swimsuits. Not really sure how I feel about that. The older I get the more not fun it is to get in a swimsuit.

5. On Sunday we are attending the baptism of my sweet baby cousin Liam. Can't wait to see my entire family and celebrate!

6. Gabe's parents closed on a condo in Vegas yesterday. I'm thinking we will be spending many long weekends there from now on. (no complaints from me!)

7. I went to the tanning bed on Wednesday. I know! It's so bad! I was feeling so pale and... ok you don't want to hear my excuses. I promise to my skin to do better. Age spots are not attractive and neither is leathery skin. (I'm going to keep telling myself this)

8. I got more noisy neighbors that moved in. I can't catch a break! Our lease is up in May so I just have to make it until then. I think I will invest in ear plugs...

9. Random thought, but why don't people send thank you notes anymore?!?!? I was raised that you always send a thank you note. I specifically remember writing thank you notes the night before I moved into my dorm freshman year because my mom told me I couldn't go to college until all my thank you notes from graduation had been written. After going to quite a few weddings this past year, I'm appalled at how many people don't send a thank you note for a gift. I blame this on parents for not teaching their children that this is just something you do. And you don't just send thank you notes for gifts. If someone does a favor for you or treats you to lunch you should send them a handwritten note.

10. It's Friday. That's all I need to say.

Have a fabulous weekend ya'll!!!

In like a lion...

So we had a pretty wild night last night here in central Arkansas. Around here it's true what they say about March, "In like a lion, out like a lamb". We were pounded with thunderstorms and a few tornados starting around 6:00 last night. Gabe and I were trying to make dinner in a tornado warning while also tracking storms that were all heading towards places our families live. We all managed to stay safe but a tornado hit right outside my hometown of Searcy in the tiny town of Center Hill. My great grandparents lived in Center Hill when they were still alive and we found out today the house they had lived in for many years was damaged. I have so many great memories from this house. I wish I had a picture of it before the tornado but all I have is a picture taken this morning by my grandparents:



So this post is a tribute to my Grandmom and DeeDad and the wonderful memories from this old house. Those summer afternoons sitting on the swing, playing with my cousin Kate and climbing on the roof of the old carport, visiting the horses across the road :), the jelly bean jar, Christmas day with the whole family there... the memories go on and on.
I hope there aren't too many more nights like this anytime soon. I'm absolutely terrified of tornados. I think it come from an incident when I was in 6th grade.

Anyway sorry to stray from my usual types of posts. I was feeling nostalgic today. I'll be back to my usual self tomorrow.

New Shampoo!

I usually try to have more than one shampoo and conditioner in my shower because I can't stand to use the same ones every day. I've been using Aveda products for awhile and I'm very happy with them, but I'm always up to try something new. I was at the grocery store the other day and came across this stuff:

I've always been curious about the Organix line. I see it advertised all the time in my magazines. So I decided why not? It was only $6.99 and it was a buy one get one free deal. So I bought the shampoo and got the conditioner free! So here's my evaluation:

Product(s): Organix Rejuvenating Cherry Blossom Ginseng Shampoo and Conditioner

Ingredients and Claims: "Cherry blossom extracts and ginseng root to rejuvenate the scalp and hair follicle to add volume at the root while replenishing your hair with nourishing rice milk and bamboo extract for hydration and shine." (Organix website)

Initial Thoughts: It smells wonderful!!!! I don't even care if it works I can just sit here and smell it all day.

Conclusion after 3 days of use: I love this shampoo and conditioner. It hydrates without weighing my fine hair down. It left my hair full of body and soft and manageable. (just as promised). Not to mention my hair smelled AMAZING after using. Definitely a steal for only $6.99 each. I can't wait to try other products from this brand.

There was also an unofficial review from my boyfriend. He apparently got ahold of it the first night and has been using it ever since. He keeps asking me to smell his hair. (weirdo)

Have a great day ya'll! We're halfway through this week!

Oh and Hi! to my new followers! Thank you for reading and deciding to follow! If I haven't checked your own blog out yet, I promise to do that asap! :)

Anthro, Poppy, and Apples

So today's post is a bit random. Bare with me lovelies :)

I'm pretty obsessed with this skirt from Anthropologie right now. I think you could pair it with a fitted tee and flats for day and dress it up with heels for night. Skirts seem to be topping my list of must haves for Spring/Summer.

My step-mom surprised me with a cute little clutch from Coach's Poppy line on Sunday. I'm usually not a big Coach fan because I feel like it's way overdone but I took a look at the Poppy line and thought a few things were cute. I couldn't find a picture of the clutch I got but I did find this adorable little number that fits into my requirements for a Spring/Summer bag. It's not to0 "Coached out" if ya know what I mean...

Also while browsing the Poppy line I found these cute sunnies. I have a massive collection of sunglasses and I think these might need to be added very soon. :)

And now on to apples. Yes you read right, apples. I'm the type of girl who needs to finish every meal with something sweet. I've written before about about the Metromint water I drink to curb my sweet cravings but I also have another great secret. Take one apple slice and cube it. Drizzle honey and sprinkle with cinnamon. Ta da! A healthy alternative to apple pie! I started doing this back in the fall for a seasonal treat but I think that this is a year rounder for me. :) *bonus* cinnamon helps boost your metabolism.

Have a fabulous day ya'll!

Not enough hours in the day...

Do you ever feel like there just aren't enough hours in the day? Sometimes I almost feel guilty for sleeping because I feel like I could be getting something done. I know it's wrong for me to think like this, it's my inner perfectionist coming out. Anyway my spring break is in two weeks and I have a fabulous trip to Dallas planned with Gabe and my mom, stepdad, and little sister. Just a few days of shopping and eating and not doing anything pertaining to school. It can't get here soon enough!

Anyway I did manage to have an awesome weekend. BUT I didn't take a single picture! I swear I packed my camera, but I'm just horrible at remembering to document my fun times. Friday we had our usual date night and opted to cook at home and stay in and relax. It was wonderful! Saturday we got up early, met up with some friends, and headed to Hot Springs! We spent the day at the horse races and the weather was beautiful! We had so much fun and to make things better, my mom was there with a couple of her girlfriends. They had some nice box seats so I spent alot of time with them having a few drinks and getting some girl talk in. I love that I can actually be friends with my mom and her friends now that I'm older. They are actually pretty cool to hangout with. After the races we had dinner in Hot Springs then headed back to Conway. I was so tired after that exciting day I was literally in bed by 10:30. Sunday Gabe surprised me with a white chocolate mocha from Starbucks when I woke up. He knows me so well! Then we visited a few open houses for my homework assignment. Sunday afternoon we went to my Dad's house to grill out for his Bday! Then we watched the last half of the Oscars! All in all it was a pretty great weekend. Today it was back to the real world and I am beat. So I'm heading to bed early tonight so I can take on the rest of the week feeling well rested.

Hope everyone is having a great week so far. I promise to be a better blogger and do something interesting soon!

Random Friday

1.Well I was going to post on the right foods to eat for your skin but......... I'm feeling lazy today so I'll do that one Monday.

2. I'm heading to Oaklawn tomorrow with Gabe and some of his friends from work. I'm not really much of a gambler, but I love the horse races. I'm usually there for the people watching :)

3. I had a terrible week at school this week and I'm so glad it's Friday.

4. One of my homework assignments this weekend is to visit an open house. Like I really need homework as an excuse to go look at houses! This is one of my favorite things to do. Good thing I take lots of Interior Design classes :)

5. Speaking of houses, I can't wait to buy my own. Graduation can't come soon enough. This apartment living is no bueno!

6. Monday is my Dad's bday, but we're celebrating Sunday with a cookout! I love family get togethers.

7. Well I think Spring has officially arrived! It has been sunny and in the 60s here and I'm loving it. I'm ready to do my major spring shopping in a couple of weeks in Dallas!

8. Tonight I am having a relaxing night at home with Gabe. And my bottle of wine. After the week I had, I may need more than one bottle though.

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

My daily skin care routine (face)

So I'm pretty big on having a good skincare routine. Everyone is different and needs different products. I have dry, sensitive skin so it takes some experimenting for me to find things that work for me. These are my favorite one's I've found:

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser- I have used this cleanser since i was probably 11. My mom has used it for probably 30 years and her skin looks 10 years younger than her age. Its not harsh and it removes all my makeup and eye makeup. And the best thing? It's super affordable. I don't see the need to spend tons on cleanser because it's only on your skin less than a minute.

Philosophy The Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash (Sephora)- Since I do have sensitive skin, I need an exfoliator that isn't too abrasive. I use this about 3 times a week.

Boots N0 7 Soft & Soothe Gentle Toner (Target)- I'm a little old school and I still use a toner. I know theres always been controversy in the skin care industry if a toner is really needed or not. I'm not a dermatologist so I don't know the correct answer, but this is really gentle and not drying at all. Plus, it gets the very last of my make up off at night and I feel like it preps my skin for the next step.

Merle Norman LUXIVA Energizing Concentrate- This serum is AMAZING! It really goes deep to moisturize. As I have mentioned before I worked for Merle Norman and this was my favorite product. If you have dry skin that even a moisturizer can't relieve, try this. It's super lightweight and it really smooths the skin. I can also tell a difference in my skin tone when I'm using this. It just looks more even and glowing.

Neutrogena Ageless Essentials Continuous Hydration SPF 25- This is a great day moisturizer for me because it's simple and it has sunscreen. I'm in my early 20s so I don't need alot for my face, but I do want to prevent lines and wrinkles. Since I have dry skin, it's important to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! And of course the best way to prevent aging... SPF and staying out of the sun!

Patricia Wexler M.D. Intensive Night Reversal & Repair Cream with MMPi 20 (Bath and Body Works) - Your skin heals itself while your sleeping so it's important to use a moisturizer that will help your skin along at night. I love this because it's packed with peptides and Vit. C. which are important for combating the aging process. It's also more of a gel cream formula so while it delivers alot of moisture, it doesn't feel heavy.

Neutrogena Ageless Essentials Continuous Hydration Eye Cream- The skin around your eyes is thinner and more sensitive than the rest of the skin on your face. This area deserves special attention even in your 20s. I preach prevention people. If you take care of your skin now when your young, it will save you alot of grief in the future. This is a great basic eye cream for younger skin. The only downside- it doesn't have SPF. So make sure you have some big sunglasses with you!

Hope someone finds this helpful. Alot of young women neglect their skin because they think it doesn't matter right now. But studies show that a majority of damage is done before your 25. So if you don't have a skin care routine, get one!

Have a great afternoon!

Noisy neighbor and Anatomy test domination.

Random title huh? Let me explain... I have a few very noisy neighbors in my apartment building. The guy that lives to the left of me is around 50 years old and recently divorced and must be going through some sort of midlife crisis. He blares music 24/7 and has parties quite often. And not grown up parties, beer pong playing and grilling out college type parties. The couple that lives above me just moved in two weeks ago and I think they have yet to sleep or leave the apartment. I hear them ALL THE TIME! They are probably in their mid to late 30s so I had assumed they would be relatively quiet. It honestly sounds like they are doing jumping jacks with ankle weights on for most of the day. My apartment complex is a very nice one that is on a golf course and not all of my neighbors are atrocious. There's the nice retired dentist that always has a smile on his face and is NEVER loud. He has a cute old lady girlfriend that comes to visit him and he still works out with a trainer! There is the college boys from Louisiana to the right of me. They are both in grad school so they probably study more than I do. I rarely ever hear them. I find it a little amusing that it's the college students in this building who are the quietest. Anyway enough of my ranting. One to the other important thing of the day. I had my bone practical for my Anatomy class today. There are 206 bones in the skeleton and I had the joy of memorizing every. single. one. of them. Not just the names, but where they are in the body and what they do. So after weeks of studying and a very emotional nervous breakdown yesterday (and my threats to Gabe that I was going to drop out of school) I got up this morning ready to take on the skeletal system. I left feeling pretty confident. No I don't think I made an A but I don't think I failed miserably. :) Hopefully I'll find out my grade by tomorrow morning. I know lots of people have had to do this in college, but this test literally traumatized me. Anyway on to happier and lighter things! It's beautiful and sunny today and it's supposed to be in the mid 60s this weekend. So you know what that means?!?! Horse races!!! Yay! Now the question of what to wear... I'll be pondering this for the rest of the week.

Hope ya'll are having a wonderful day!

Sick Day

Well I'm home sick today with a stomach bug. I'm using my extra time to do a little online window shopping. I'm so ready to buy Spring clothes and accessories. I've been putting it off because it just seems cruel to have cute little dresses and sandals sit in my closet while its 45 degrees outside. But since today is the first day of March, I'm officially letting myself start shopping around.

First up is this lovely bag from Tory Burch. I love the look of white bags in the warmer months. Other colors just don't look right to me next to brightly colored clothes.

Tory Burch Amanda Hobo in Fossil

Next up are these gorgeous heels from Nine West. I've become obsessed with the neutral shoe trend and I think these would look perfect with my summer tan. (faux tan of course!)

Nine West Hamish Sandals from Piperlime.com

I'm swooning over this Lilly shift dress. Once again it would look amazing with a tan. And a beach.

Lilly Pulitzer Addison Shift- Gold Lace in Classic White

I think this shirt from Anthropologie is to die for! Its just so pretty and girlie. I not only want this, I NEED this!

Anthropologie Off-The-Tie-Rack Blouse




Follow this link to see the most adorable ring from Kate Spade.
coral reef pearl and star ring at kate spade

Hope everyone is having a fabulous Monday!