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Friday

Spill About Your L-O-V-E: The Wowie


When I first stumbled upon The Wowie, I'm slightly ashamed to say that I read the whole thing.  The whole, entire blog.  First page to last.  Her family is, hmm, maybe the most adorable thing you've ever seen.  And she is dang hilarious.  So do yourself a favor and pay her a visit ... I think once you read about her below, you'll do exactly that!



{1} Describe your dating life prior to finding your husband. 
I started dating a guy in grad school and thought he was the one.  I was not myself… over the top jealous, possessive and completely obsessed.  I assumed the change in my behavior meant I was madly in love. We fought, we broke up, we got back together, I threw things at him, we broke up again, we got back together again… you get the picture.    Our relationship was like spoiled milk.  I kept putting it back in the fridge, even though I knew it was time to dump it out.   Then one day, I realized he was the one… the one driving me bat$%&* crazy.   I called it off, and never looked back. 

When SK and I started dating, everything was so easy.  (NO, that does not include me.)  He was so courteous, happy and never confrontational.  We didn’t argue or yell, and I did not want to physically harm him. 

If I could give the single folks of the world one piece of advice, it would be this- if the relationship you are in has been work from the beginning (when everyone is on their best behavior), it is probably time to find a new relationship.  It just shouldn’t be that hard. 

{2} Describe your husband in one word.  How would he describe you in one word?
I would describe SK as selfless…he really is.  He would describe me as interesting (translate “crazy”)… I know because I asked him.   

{3} You had a really silly fight.  Embarrassing silly.  What was it about?
A couple of years ago, I was promoted to VP of the company that I work for.  I was ecstatic and super proud of my accomplishment.  I didn’t want to tell SK over the phone, so I waited until I got home to break the news.  I wanted to see his face while he showered me with what? Compliments? Balloons? Diamonds? Not sure what I expected, but what I got was an all expense paid trip to eat at a BBQ joint. 

I was livid.  Like, wouldn’t eat the ribs livid (if you knew how much I liked ribs this would mean something to you).  He knew something was wrong but, of course, I wouldn’t tell him.  I waited until we were home before ugly crying and letting him know that…

He was not proud of me.
He did not think any job, other than one in the legal profession, was a worthy one.
He did not think women should work outside the home or be successful.
Places with bibs do not scream “special occasion.”

Of course, none of those things were true.  He assumed we would go out later (without kids) and really celebrate my promotion. 

Oh.

I would like to blame it on hormones, but I don’t think that was the case.  At least we got a new family tradition of celebrating every momentous occasion with a half rack and a side of slaw and beans. 


{4} In three sentences (and only three!), describe where you both hope to be in 5 years.
In five years, I hope we are driving across the country with our two boys (who will be nine and twelve) pulling an Airstream.  In my opinion, it’s the perfect way to see our beautiful country, spend quality time with family and make lasting memories.  

SK hopes the RV is parked at a Ritz Carlton. 

{5} Tell us something about your husband we wouldn't know from reading your blog.
I don’t really talk about him on the blog, so there is a lot people don’t know.  I also don’t talk about our relationship.  I think it is because I don’t want to come across as being braggy or syrupy.  But y’all… I have the sweetest husband.  He is so kind and considerate.  He brings me coffee in bed every morning.  He emails himself when I mention something I like and then buys it for the next occasion.  He is successful and a hard worker, but he rarely lets his job interfere with our family time.  He cleans the kitchen after I cook, and BOY do I make a mess.  He is the best daddy I could have ever dreamed of for my children.   He gets them dressed for school, helps Wells with his homework, coaches all their sports teams… and never complains about any of it.  He loves me, and he shows it. I’m not saying things are perfect.  We have disagreements and get on each other’s nerves. But, we also choose our battles.  

You can’t keep score in a marriage.  If you do, everyone loses. 

I know y’all are all barfing in your Birkins, but I am so blessed to have him in my life. 

Sorry but you will have to excuse me… I am feeling a little nauseated myself. 

{6} What's one thing you never thought you'd do in front of your husband, but you did?
Squats.




5 On Friday ... End of May Version!

Friday! Friday! Friday!
(Can you tell I'm excited?)


Linky time again, ya'll!  If you haven't participated yet, what are you waiting for?  Jump on in!

Here's what I'm loving this Friday.

{1} Fun family times ahead.
Our family has already put several dates on the calendar for get-togethers ... and this makes me so happy.  It's pretty obvious that we all get together quite frequently and that we really enjoy each other's company.  My middle sister and her boyfriend are in NYC, though, so we don't get to see them too often.  I already know of three times this summer that we'll be able to hang out with them!

{2} The thought of a Pepperoncini Tini.
Am I crazy?  Because I think this looks awesome.  Okay -- maybe not alongside just any dish, but what about grilled chicken that has been marinated in a Greek vinaigrette?  And served with a white bean, feta, and kalamata olive side dish?  Are ya with me now?



{3} Real Simple magazine
The past two Christmases, Mom has gifted me a year-long subscription to this magazine.  I'm positively obsessed.  They have the best articles, the best recipes, the most lovely photographs and style advice.  I get giddy each month when I see it in my mail stack!



{4} Blisters no' mo'.
This trick works!  Like, really works!  I purchased the cutest pair of Nine West patent nude leather flats ... pointy toe with a big ol' bow on each toe ... and I was nervous that wearing them to work would end disasterously.  Before heading to work, I tried this trick, and it really helped to reshape them in a way that I ended up blister-free. 

 
{5} Let's catch some rays!
Bring on the sun, bring on the wide-brimmed hats, bring on the beach reads.  This girl is ready for some Vitamin D!
  

Tag, YOU my friend are next.  Enter the link-up here!

Thursday

Spill About Your L-O-V-E: The Girl In The Red Shoes


Today Julie from The Girl In The Red Shoes will be telling you about her relationship with her husband.  They recently welcomed a sweet baby boy, Hudson, into their lives, and Julie is one fab mama.  Take it away, J!

     
{1} Describe your dating life prior to finding your husband. 
I met my husband when I was 22 years old. My dating life prior to meeting him was pretty minimal. I had a few boyfriends in high school and college but I was usually the single girl. At the time I remember feeling like I would never meet the man I was supposed to marry. I wish I could go back and give myself a swift kick in the booty and tell little 18 year old me to just enjoy being young and spending time with friends! The right boy will come around one day and he will make it clear he likes you and won't play games.

{2} Describe your husband in one word.  How would he describe you in one word?
Describing my husband in only one word is tough!! But if I had to choose one, I'd say genuine. I'm sure if he had to pick just one word to describe me he'd say sassy. Which is really my nice/cuter way of saying cranky. 

{3} You had a really silly fight.  Embarrassing silly.  What was it about?
Have you ever seen the movie The Break-Up? We've totally had the "I want you to want to do the dishes" fight. I mean, who wants to do the dishes? Most of our fights are so stupid and usually start with me being a sort of control freak. 

{4} In three sentences (and only three!), describe where you both hope to be in 5 years.
 In five years I hope we are blessed enough to have grown our family by another baby...or two. I hope my husband is in a job that he enjoys and feels like he is making a difference. I hope that we've soaked up every minute of our baby's sweet smile laughed so hard we've cried.

{5} Tell us something about your husband we wouldn't know from reading your blog.
Something you wouldn't know about my husband by reading my blog is that he is the master of making up goofy stories and songs. Lately he has been singing about "peas on your face, and peas in your poop" with our son Hudson. It is hilarious. 

{6} What's one thing you never thought you'd do in front of your husband, but you did?
Oh my gosh, this is embarrassing. I swore I would NEVER pee in front of my husband. I believed some things should remain private, and going to the bathroom is definitely one of them. But yeah....I've totally peed in front of him. Like every day. Judge away.




Wednesday

Spill About Your L-O-V-E: The Good Life

The first in my guest post series is Darci from The Good Life.  She is a gem of a gal -- and I totally couldn't do justice to describe how cute her home is (she has such an eye, especially when decorating for holidays and parties!).  Meet my sweet friend Darci!



{1} Describe your dating life prior to finding your husband. 
Oh, gosh.  How about ridiculous and childish?  Ha!  We actually met our freshman year of college {so at 18!} and started dating that summer {at 19}, so my dating life wasn't that extensive beforehand because in hindsight, we were just babies ourselves when we met!  I did have a serious boyfriend my last few years of high school that in all honesty, at the time, I totally thought I would marry.  Young love...first love...  that kind of thing.  Thank you sweet Jesus for having other plans for me and introducing me to a smokin' hot guy wearing red shorts on the sand volleyball court between our dorms.  Looking back, I think I'd actually just gotten off the phone with said high school boyfriend (who had broken up with me!!) moments before, on a complete whim, I stepped on to the sand volleyball court with my roommate who had talked me into playing in a little tournament that night.  And then I saw "red shorts boy" as we called him.  He was super hot and I talked about him for days afterwards.  We became really good friends.  I thought we'd never date {I mean y'all, he was perfect and I thought he could have any girl at Texas Tech!}.  Well, we started dating.  And he married ME! :)

{2} Describe your husband in one word.  
Dreamy.  Truly,  he's a dream come true.
How would he describe you in one word?
I'm really not sure!! Ha!  Let me text him.  He replied with "caring", which clearly isn't as endearing as "dreamy".  ;) ;) ;)




{3} You had a really silly fight.  Embarrassing silly.  What was it about?
Oh gosh, it could be over anything.  We don't fight very often, but when we do, you better believe it's over ridiculous crap!  I think our last fight was actually over him re-organizing the hall closet when I was out of town and putting things where he saw fit.  Which meant the one thing in particular that I was looking for (Jackson's pool floatiething) had been relocated to a gift bag in the guest bedroom????    Tell me how that's a better place for it than the hall closet?!  We ransacked the house looking for that thing!  Gahhhhhhh.  But, I shouldn't complain, I mean really.........  who's husband ever thinks to CLEAN out anything while their wife is away?!

{4} In three sentences (and only three!), describe where you both hope to be in 5 years.
I'll give you three words because truly, it might be up in the air as to where we'll actually "be" (located!).  
Joyful.  Content.  Growing!  And chances are good that by then we'll have another little mini running around.  And oh.my.word - in 5 years we'll be 35.  When did this happen?!

{5} Tell us something about your husband we wouldn't know from reading your blog.
His middle name is VERN.  How do you like that?!  Haha!!!!  That and he can make a crazy wonderful cake.  Truth.




Tuesday

Spill About Your L-O-V-E: A. Liz Adventures


Hi ladies!  Today is our two year wedding anniversary.  How did we blink and get here so quickly?!  In honor of this day full of love (my poor husband - I'm a hopeless romantic), I'm so excited to kick off a Spill About Your L-O-V-E series.  I have quite a fun lineup of ladies who will be sharing fun stories with you about their relationship.  I'll start this series off.  I'm so excited to give you a little glimpse into my life with my husband Ian!

I asked the same six questions to fellow bloggers and asked them to answer at least four of the questions.  So, this week and next, you'll be able to get fun glimpses into their lives, and maybe meet a new fun blogger along the way.

A favorite photo of mine.  After we just got married, we were supposed to go upstairs for some chill time with our wedding party before making an entrance at the reception.  In our blissful state, we completely missed the door to the room.  This was taken as everyone called us back to attention.

Here are the questions with my responses:

Describe your dating life prior to finding your husband.
In high school, I dated casually but had no long-term boyfriends.  My average relationship would be about four months.  Not until I got to college did I have my first long-term relationship.  I dated someone for two and a half years -- sophomore year, junior year, and part of senior year.  My other long-term relationship was a four year one that I had from age 22-26.  Both nice guys; just not the guy for me.  I don't keep in touch with either of them now but hope they are well.

Describe your husband in one word.  How would he describe you in one word?
Ian in one word?  Hilarious.
Me (to him) in one word?  My guess is that he would say creative. 
I just texted him and he responded "selfless."

You had a really silly fight.  Embarrassing silly.  What was it about?
Goodness gracious.  All of our fights seem like this.  The smallest little thing snowballs and takes a different path so easily.  I'm thinking of one time that he was reminding me of the importance of making sure Drake's water bowl always stayed full and it turned into a fight where I was accusing him of saying that I was a bad dog momma.  Ohhh, the drama.  We aren't a couple that doesn't fight, but we are a couple that has learned to fight fair and always remember that the most important part of the fight is finding a happy medium. 

In three sentences (and only three!), describe where you both hope to be in 5 years.
In five years, to be fully honest, I hope that I have one sweet child begging to be picked up while the other is needing a bottle.  I hope that Ian has progressed even more in his job and that I have found a way to balance raising a family and helping to provide for it as well.  I hope my mom will give me her cornbread recipe and that I have visible abs.

Tell us something about your husband we wouldn't know from reading your blog.
He has a sense of humor that causes my jaw to drop daily.  I honestly can't describe how truly hilarious (and with such a unique sense of humor) he is.  The more you get to know him, the more you will see this side of him.  Also, we have a secret language of sorts.  We have all of these weird words that we say to each other that we totally get, but it's probably really annoying to anyone who overhears it.

What's the one thing you never thought you'd do in front of your husband, but you did?
Oh gracious.  Where do I start?  One that comes to mind is a Superbowl Sunday several years ago.  We were both struck with horrible food poisoning.  This dainty lady was vomiting out of the window of his car as he rushed to get me home and on the potty (TMI ... I'm so sorry).  About an hour later, he came down with it and we were trading off getting sick in all ways you can imagine.  I was in a one-bedroom apartment ... enough said.  How he proposed to me five months later still eludes me.


I can't wait to celebrate our anniversary today and tonight!
Hope this has been as entertaining to read as it was to write.
Come back to see some more fun bloggers share their two cents!

Friday

5 On Friday: A Link-Up!

Announcing ... a brand spankin' new link-up!  Whooo lawdy, this is going to be FUN!



Here's how it works:

I'll tell you about five things that are making me happy this Friday. 
You blog about five things that are making you happy this Friday.
You link up your blog post to this post using the tools below.
We all get to see each others' Five On Friday posts!

If you've never participated in a link-up before, I promise it's easy!  Additionally, it is a great way to meet new people and also have them visit your blog.  Since I'm participating in this with Darci, Natasha, and Christina, the link you add below will be visible on all of their blogs as well.  Lots of potential foot traffic, my friends!

So here's my 5 On Friday.

{1} TWO YEARS!
I can't believe that Ian and I are about to celebrate our two year anniversary this coming Tuesday.  Two years, people!  How does the time just fly?  We have such awesome memories of our wedding and I can't wait to spend all day Tuesday reliving them.  Oh, and spoiler alert -- I have a really fun love series coming your way to celebrate!


(I'm sorry, but I love Ian's brother's face in this photo.  It is just begging for a "SHOOT. I'm next" caption)

{2} Sauvignon Blanc.
I love it.  That is all.  Especially if it comes from Marborough and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.  I think you can get a spectacular bottle for $8-10.  I heart me some SB.

{3} Pinterest beauty tricks. 
I've learned so much!  I swear, if Pinterest is the replacement for us cutting out magazine articles and sticking them in 3-ring binders, then we were all being way too selfish with our binders.  I love the tips and tricks I've seen fellow gals pin!  This concealer trick is such an eye brightener.



And it brings me to my next love...

{4} Hard Candy Glamouflage Concealer
This concealer can cover tattoos.  Enough said, right?!  I purchased it in a shade slightly lighter than what I'd typically purchase, but once I cover it with my powder, it immediately brightens up my whole eye area.  Plus, the little concealer pencil that comes with it is great for throwing in your bag for a mid-day blemish touch-up, if needed.  If I have a spot to cover, I hate when my concealer pulls a disappearing act during the workday!  Did I mention this combo is found at Walmart?  And it's $6.  Booyah.



{5} Our Europe Trip!
We have had the best time planning for our trip.  Spending nights in bed, iPads in hand, and doing research on the areas we'll visit has given me sweet dreams.  I absolutely can't wait to be on that plane, headed toward lots of happiness and adventure.


I hope you guys will link-up below with your 5 On Friday.  TGIF!

Thursday

Workout Goals

Thank you all so much for your sweet words yesterday about my crummy Tuesday.  Seems like we all have these days from time to time.  I even got a voicemail from my best girlfriend last night who told me she had a lousy day but was going to "Choose Happy" as well.  It made my day hearing that.

So this month has been a little more active than normal -- I started a pedometer challenge at work where we track our daily steps and compete to win prizes either as a team or individual.  I'm on a team -- we're called "Sole Sisters" ... don't you love it?!  The competition definitely has me a lot more aware of my daily movement.  Days when I typically would have come home and skipped a workout happen a lot more rarely. 

My Stay Healthy board on Pinterest has been fun to add to with ideas about how to improve my workouts as well as some inspirational quotes.


So true!  This really puts it all into perspective.

I'm hoping that by watching my portions a little more (no more making my plate as large as my husband's) and adding in more movement, I'll be able to be a smidge more confident in my bikini this summer!
 
Also ... a fun announcement:

Tomorrow will be the first Five on Friday link-up!  I am joining three glamorous and fabulous co-hostesses for this fun weekly link-up -- Darci of The Good Life, Christina of Carolina Charm and Natasha of Hello! Happiness.  You can link-up on any of our four blogs.

Participating is as easy as 1, 2, 3:
1) Write your post about five things you're lovin'
2) Share the logo on your blog post and a link back (it will be in tomorrow's post)
3) Add the link to your post using the linky tool (it will be in tomorrow's post)

I'll have my "5 on Friday" and the link-up posted here tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. if you want to be one of the first people to join!  Hope that you'll participate in this fun link-up with us.  :)

Wednesday

Choose Happy.

Not going to lie, yesterday tested me!  An optimist by nature, there isn't much that totally throws me for a loop, but yesterday got me.

Around 1:30, I was ready to take my lunchbreak and hit the gym for a little treadmill time.  But then I got a text from Ian saying that he thought his iPad had gone missing.  Since he was working in a different city and couldn't leave, I offered to drive home on my lunchbreak and check the house to see if it was there. 

When I was a block away from my house, I saw the dreaded blue lights.  Pulled over for speeding.  I didn't even contest it or give an excuse -- I was as polite as I could be.  And due to my "pristine driving record" -- the officer let me off with a verbal warning!  Phew.  I started to think that my good fortune meant that the iPad would be at home.

And luckily it was!  Second bullet dodged.  I sent out a quick email and then hit the road to head back to work.  The stress of those two situations was still present but starting to dissipate.

Five minutes down the road, I was rear-ended by another driver.  Awesome.  Just awesome.



 
So, here's what I'm happy about:
 
* Nobody was hurt.
* The damage was minimal.  Purely cosmetic!
* It wasn't my fault.
* The other driver was insured and did not flee.
* The cop didn't mention that when he ran my license, I had just been pulled 20 minutes prior. (!!!)
 
Nothin' that a little sauvignon blanc couldn't fix last night.
Do you ever just have THOSE days?!
Here's hoping for an easier day today!
 

Tuesday

Supper Club Meal Planning

This month, it's my turn to host Supper Club.  I love this group of girls so much.  We've been getting together monthly since 2004!  Now that's dedication.  I'm proud of us for sticking to it.

When I do the meal planning for this group, I often like to come up with a fun theme.  And most importantly, it must be a meal that won't keep me confined to the kitchen while everyone else is sitting on the patio drinking wine.  I can't miss out on any of the fun, now can I?

Thursday's theme will be a nod to our upcoming vacation ... Italian night!  Here's what's on my menu:

Appetizers
Prosciutto-wrapped melon
Mini spinach tortellini skewers
Brie and strawberry crostini


Entree
Individual pizzas, traditional style -- buffalo mozzarella and basil
Italian salad with red onion, black olives, grape tomatoes, pepperoncini, garlic croutons

Dessert
Lemon brownies (a nod to the lemon groves in Southern Italy)

 
I bought the majority of the ingredients Monday and will purchase those that need to be fresher on Wednesday -- prosciutto, strawberries, the Italian bread for the crostini, and lettuce for the salad.
 
Wednesday evening I'll make the lemon brownies and slice the bread.  I'll also make the salad dressing so the flavors have more time to meld together.  I can slice the red onion, canteloupe and strawberries (maybe even sprinkle them with a little sugar to get them a bit syrupy).
 
I am really excited about this menu and hope the girls get a kick out of a little taste of Italy!

Monday

From Pin To Table: Roasted Zucchini

When I saw this photo on Pinterest with the caption "The best way to cook zucchini and carrots!" -- I was intrigued.

Around this time of year, zucchini is so plentiful and inexpensive.  I really love making zucchini cakes (we adore this recipe) but sometimes you just gotta find a way to cook your veggies that doesn't include breadcrumbs and cheese.  Painful, but true.

Original recipe found here.
I started out with some organically grown zucchini ... I'm really making an effort to move to organic produce, especially when the skin is edible (bananas = not as important to go organic as with apples).  This frugal lady is trying to think with her body and not with her wallet.
  

Slice into sticks and drizzle with olive oil.


Top with a sprinkling of sea salt, cracked black pepper, and two spices of your choosing.  I went with paprika and crushed red pepper.  Toss together to coat.



Then, you just roast at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes, tossing halfway through.


I served my zucchini alongside a beef roast that I did in the Crockpot.  Talk about an easy meal!  And I do have to say -- the zucchini was awesomely yummy.  Next time I may forego the crushed red pepper because these things definitely had some heat to them.



Winner, winner, winner!

I will most definitely be adding this preparation method to the weekly rotation.

You can see all of the delicious recipes I've collected on my Recipe Lovies board on Pinterest here.

Have you tried this high-heat method?  What's your thought on organic produce -- have you incorporated it into your weekly purchases?

Friday

I'm Apparently A Softie.

One thing that continually surprises me about my husband is how dang good he is at negotiating.  He can be very firm (yet polite) and he will always get his way.  It's incredible.

 
Maybe it's because I'm a people-pleaser and confrontation-avoider by nature, but I just would rather pick my battles.  And maybe I'm just a bit of a softie.

In the almost two years we have been married, he has saved us so much money.  Negotiating with our cable provider, sprinkler guy, cell phone company, electrician, roofing company, car repair shops ... he handles it all.  And I think he gets pleasure from doing so!

Earlier this week, I found out that my phone (iPhone 4) won't be compatible on our Europe trip. 

UMMM, WHAT.

I wish I were kidding when I said that I felt tears coming to my eyes.

First of all, What. About. Instagram.

Secondly, I have put in tons of time and effort downloading all sorts of apps for travel.  The Paris metro app, Viber for free calls, French and Italian language games, Expedia, Trip Advisor, Trip Advisor City Guides, and (my very favorite) the Rick Steves Audio Europe app.  This app is free and you can download walking guides and interviews about all sorts of topics.  I had the best time driving to Asheville this week and listening to an interview between Rick Steves and two French tour guides about Paris cafes.

Anyway.  My super negotiator of a husband called the phone company on my behalf and got them to accept an early upgrade date and then ordered me the iPhone 5.  All I have to do now is make sure everything is uploaded to the Cloud and then switch over the phone, which should be here Monday.

Question here for you -- what do you all do about storage space?  My phone is over capacity for storage space so it no longer syncs to the Cloud.  I have a ton of photos on it (nearly 3000 and I've already deleted TONS, literally hundreds). 

How do you manage your storage space on your phone? 

Also, please tell me I'm not the only softie out there? 

Thursday

They Call It Mellow Yellow

Check out our great sports magazine selection.


Yellow has always been my favorite color, and I just feel to gravitated to anything with this bright, sunshiney hue.  The color of pure happiness!

Here are some Pins that have captured my eye recently:

{1} Sweet Tooth Time
Need to make these Lemony Lemon Brownies immediately.  I love that it's got easy ingredients -- things that are already in my pantry and fridge.  Flour, sugar, sea salt, butter, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, powdered sugar.  Bam.  Gotta love a dessert that doesn't send you to the grocery store.
 
Source: sites.google.com via April on Pinterest

{2} Outfit Envy
Oh, how I love this yellow outfit!  I mean, truly.  Where can I find that skirt?!


{3} Simple, Inexpensive, Healthy!
This lemon vinaigrette is a must-try. It's been a very long while since I've purchased bottled salad dressing (besides chunky blue cheese, I mean - c'mon, that's a staple that I just can't recreate). On a standard weeknight, I just toss a few ingredients in a small jar, give it a shake, and call it salad dressing.  Typically, this would be balsamic or red wine vinegar, olive oil, a little honey or grain mustard, a pinch of salt, and some herbs.  This looks right up my alley.


Happy Thursday to you and yours, and may you have a sunshine-filled day!

Wednesday

Miracle Worker ... 42% Off, Whaaaat!?

Awesome deal alert:  Philosophy is currently on Zulily!

And my favorite item, the thing I've raved about like crazy on le bloggie, the Miracle Worker system -- it's on major sale.




Normally: $119.00
Zulily Price: $69.99


I've seen Philosophy products 20% off from time to time, but this is definitely the best discount I've seen.  This is a 42% savings, ya'll!

Zulily is completely free to join.  If you need an invitation to join Zulily and you use this invitation link, you can get $5 off your first order!

You already know that I can't speak highly enough of this product line.  If you've been wanting to give it a shot, now would be an awesome time.  The sale only lasts for about two more days, and this product in particular may just sell out!

Summer Makeup Wishlist

Here in the South, the days are getting warmer and I'm gearing up for make-up meltdowns with a few targeted purchases. 


Summer Makeup Wishlist

{1}
Bobbi Brown Blush: Pale Pink
I purchased this many years ago and was admittedly sad to spend $25 on blush when I knew I could get a drugstore version for a third of the price.  But I was with girlfriends getting makeovers, so it was worth it to me.  Well, that $25 blush lasted me for -- I don't know, three or four years?  It is highly pigmented so a little goes a long way.  And in the heat?  Does not move.  I'm now using an Ulta blush that was much less expensive but I'm running through it quickly and the compact already broke at the hinges.  Bobbi Brown will be my next purchase (and you can bet I'll be pairing it with a Saturday afternoon makeover, too!).  Pale Pink may look too Barbie-pink for you in the packaging, but it's such a gorgeous natural-looking pink when applied.
  
{2}
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer
I've heard nothing but rave reviews about the lasting power of your eyeshadow after using this primer.  In the high heat of the summer, when my eyeshadow likes to migrate all around, I think this will be a much-appreciated addition to my makeup routine.  I love my eyeshadows too much to have them disappearing in my eye creases!
   
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MAC Lipstick: Russian Red
On those warm days when I want to skip heavy eye makeup all together, I find that the perfect balancing act is done with some fun red lipstick.  Here in the Carolinas, humidity is ever-present.  Ever-present.  I've actually gotten into a steaming hot car some summer days that is so hot and humid that it seems to melt my mascara-coated eyelashes together.  Ever have that happen?  This classic red is all I need for a "done" face when I want to skip heavy liner.  It deserves a spot in my purse, and stat.
   
  
Just a few more products I'm still loving:
   
I can't stop obsessing over the magical powers of Seche Vite
Still loving weekly at-home peels with Philosophy "The Microdelivery" Peel Kit
Still think L'Oreal Lineur Intense is the best liquid liner on the market
Nightly face washing with Philosophy Purity is a must for me
My beloved mascara is still L'Oreal Voluminous Power Volume 24H
   
 
What beauty product is on your summer wishlist?

UPDATE! Beauty.com is having 20% off  sale going on now ... perfect time to stock up! 



Tuesday

My Dear Mama

Mothers Day was so special this year because I got to visit with both mamas -- Thursday with Marsha, my mother-in-law, and my own Mom a few days later.
 
Mom and Dad were down at our lake house, and with it being located just over an hour from Charlotte, I had the perfect opportunity to go see her for Mothers Day on Sunday.
  

When you have siblings, there's something special about having an "only kid" moment -- and that's what I got on Sunday.  Ian was at home staining the fence, so it was just me, Mom, and Dad. 

After going out to lunch, Mom and I just sat out on the screened porch and chatted.  It was definitely the highlight of my entire day.

Later that night I got the sweetest email from her that brings tears to my eyes every time I read it.

There's just something special about a mama-daughter bond.  Something so very, very special. 

Monday

Weekend Fun

Our original plans for the weekend?  Go to the mountains.  But then we just had a lot of fun opportunities to pop up in Charlotte, so we did a little bit of rearranging and had a great weekend!

Thursday evening my mother-in-law was in town, so we hosted at our house a Mothers Day cookout.  Ian, his younger brother, his mother and I sat on the screened porch and had burgers, baked beans, and coleslaw.  It was great catching up with her ... I lucked out in the mother-in-law department.

Friday after work, we went with friends to the Band of Horses show at The Fillmore.  We were close to the stage (as you can see in the below picture) and close to the bar.  So ... win-win.  :)  It turned into one of those nights where we went back home and sat around on our kitchen countertops with friends, talking until 1am. 



The next afternoon, Ian had some tickets for us to the Beer, Bourbon & BBQ festival in Charlotte.  We didn't stay for a very long time, but it was fun.  And just in case you are wondering, the Banana Bread beer that you see in the below photo was AWESOME.



Saturday evening we headed out to hang with our friends and celebrate a very special birthday girl.  One look around our group, and it's crazy to see how much has changed in the past year!
 



I think this photo really sums it all up.  Baby bottles and wine bottles.  :)

Hope you all had a wonderful Mothers Day -- I sure did and I will share some photos tomorrow!