fabulous birthday wrapping. bridal hair. deeper still. my guy. deb knoske photography. the thought of one day picking up our little boy from africa. grace. mercy. forgiveness. all which i do not deserve. 

yet HE freely gives. vintage pink bikes. ballet flats. mirrored side tables. strawberry salad. downtown life. gaspari tissues. converse. toms. dinner time at home. with my guy. simplicity. bare mondays. diet coke. did i mention diet coke. fred's breakfast with my bro. dreaming. learning to live. everyday. 

Bliss

Lost footage of the past year...I can't believe we are well into the summer. 

Where has the time gone? 

Ok. Cliche. I know. 

Random moments of the past six months...all equally fabulous moments. 

Carry, David, and Deb...I am ready for our 5 year Vegas anniversary ;)

A New Spin on Foundation Brushes

Friday's MakeUp Fix

LOVE LOVE LOVE this! The craze right now is the airbrush make-up look and system...if you've stepped foot in a Sephora in the last three weeks you can't miss the HUGE kiosk front and center promoting their $200 airbrush make-up system...now I am not knocking it...I haven't even tried it...but...I can think of a better way to spend $200...maybe the fabulous Frye Vintage Billy Cowboy boots I have been eyeing for a year now ;) To each her own!



Well....we just switched over to mirabella make-up here at the salon. The thing I love most about this line is the educational support we receive from it. We had a class a few weeks back and his first suggestion was to put on foundation with a powder brush...I must say I was a little proud of myself...I use this technique and people always look at me like I am an alien when I talk about it...I am not alone!

You will fall in love...I promise...Choose a liquid foundation, one with at least SPF15. You will only need a small amount. Most come in a bottle with a pump...1 pump will do ya! Dab your brush in the product and make a circular motion around your face...I start in the middle and work outward...but make-up is all about taking techniques and finding what works best for you...just give it a shot! Swirl away!

love.

Tampa Bay Tan...you WERE my friend!

Everyone knows this snow white girl can't tan for a darn thing! Seriously...I have a complex. Anyways, I went home to Plant City a couple of weeks ago. A few of my friends have discovered the most amazing spray tan...ever....my Mom and brother are regulars and swear by this prodcut! Ha! So I went. I tanned. I fell in love. Two weeks later the newness has worn off and I have fallen out of love...lets just say I look like a leopard met a tiger and had a baby...stripes and spots...thats me. My feet look deformed at first glance...I am serious. Daniel just thinks it is the most hilarious thing...this coming from the man with Cuban blood running through his veins.

I like to think I am an expert in sunless tanning. Its been my BFF for over ten years now. I am not sure about this product anymore. My Mom and bro have had awesome success with it. But they have a pretty dark base color. So for now it looks like I will have to learn to be comfortable in my own skin...spots and all.

My remedy for banishing the spots and stripes:

Tub Soak- soak in a warm tub with Baby Oil and add a little baking soda...this will help to loosen the tan

Scrub- Exfoliate! Baby Oil will work wonders. Apply it to your skin and allow it to sit for several minutes. Then take a wash cloth soaked in Baby Oil and GENTLY scrub. If this is not effective use equal parts Baby Oil to Baking Soda to make a paste and apply directly to the skin.

For stubborn areas try using lemon juice...the citric acid is a natural exfoliant.

Back to the old faithful airbrush...works every time ;)

In My Beauty Bag this week......

Eyeshadow on your lower lids...ever tried it?

I know what you might be thinking. Eyeshadow goes on your upper eyelid. Lets rock the make-up bag a bit and make all of our products work for us. There are two ways you could do this...eyeshadow as your eyeliner or eyeshadow over your eyeliner.

1.If you decide to use eyeshadow as your eyeliner choose a color combo that suits your coloring and use the darkest shade it has. Use a small-headed shadow brush at the base of your lower lid and swoop from the corner of your eye inward. This is such a fabulous alternative to pencil or liquid liner which can make your eyes look smaller and closed.

2. In addition to using liner, layer an eyeshadow on top for a kohl-rimmed smudged effect definitely gives you that one-two punch and its completely fool proof. "Rough" line your eyes...don't be obsessed with a perfect line...we will buff it out with a brush and shadow. With a small-headed shadow brush or a smudge applicator brush begin at the outer corner and work your way inward. The concentration of color should always be wherever you want to emphasize. In this case, starting on the outer corner and working in will help your eyes to appear larger and open even though you are lining your complete lid.

Finish with a lighter shimmer on the inner corner of your eyes to really open them up...kind of channeling Bambi with big doe eyes...that's the point ;)

My favorites....

MAC Eyeliner in "Teddy"

Physicians Formula Baked Wet/Dry Shadow

I go for the coffee version of the smoky eye...its a little more on the natural side.

Happy Thursday!

Mama Dips....

Paula Deen has to have a sister in Chapel Hill by the name of Mama Dip. I must say, she gives Fred's Farmer's Market a run for their money if there ever was such a thing. I thoroughly enjoyed my vegetable plate that a vegetarian would dare not touch...vegetables aren't vegetables unless cooked with bacon right?? Daniel raved over the chicken and gravy and mac n'cheese. I think it might be our new favorite spot. Afterwards of course I came home to try to redeem myself for the "home cooking" we had partaken in and looked up a plethora of organic/healthy/low-fat recipes to put on the menu for the week....

I am soooo obsessed with weelicious.com....pop over and check her out. Now, some of her recipes cater to, say, the infant and three year old in your life ;) However, a lot of her stuff is absolutely fabulous....the Balsamic Chicken, lime and maple syrup sweet potatoes, and skirt steak fajitas. Easy to make, healthy, and absolutely delicious....I think my fitness geek brother would approve ;) You can even add recipes to your online Recipe Box, I love when people make it so easy!

Adding to my beauty bag tomorrow....I am so excited ;)

Worn out...yet my hope is in your Word

The Hebrew letter Kaf (or Kaph)

Psalm 119

The literal meaning of the letter Kaf is "palm." I love this....the palm is the place in the body where potential is actualized. Think of all the work you do with your hands each day. From the moment you wake up, to second you drift off to sleep, our hands are constantly in motion or they are idle. Momma always said, "Idle hands are the devil's handy work." It is so true...and FYI...that's a country song, just in case you were wondering ;). Today I started to think about all that my hands do and don't do. The work that they set out to accomplish each day, is it work to better the Kingdom or is it just busy work? Do I wake up each morning focused on today's work? Or, do I wake up and miss out on today's work because I am too busy focusing on tomorrow's? For me its the latter. I often get too concerned with what God is going to do tomorrow or the next day or next year that I miss out on what He is doing today. There is definitely a balance of living for today and preparing for where God is sending us tomorrow, however, that balance is sometimes hard to find. Each day, my prayer is that I will seek to serve the least of these, to love the unlovely, to be obedient and faithful even when I am physically exhausted, to surrender these hands that I have to the Father to use as He may choose. Regardless of how our society measures success, we must hold onto and treasure the simple truth that we are here to be His hands and feet and in His eyes that is true success.

On the other "hand" of Kaf........Kaf is also the root of the word kipah. In English kipah translates into cap. Therefore, it is said "You have placed your Palm over me," meaning God's hand is over your head. I like to view His palm as an umbrella. When you are walking in the rain with an umbrella you are protected from the effects of weather around you. Now, using an umbrella implies an action, a choice, and choosing to follow God is the same. We must actively seek Him and the more we seek Him, the more we find Him....I love that. Picture it.....the maker of the Universe, the One who created the oceans and skies, the mountains and desserts, every creature and human being...He has His palm over your life. I love to visualize that....it takes me back to Sunday School as a 5 year old and singing "He's Got the Whole World In His Hands", except this time, His hand is over you, like an umbrella, shielding, guiding, and protecting. What an amazing God we serve that He would care enough to shield and protect the least of these... the filthy, the dirty, the weak. Someone just like me.