Newport, RI

We are having soo much fun on the east coast! Yesterday we drove to Newport, Rhode Island! It is one of the coolest little towns we have been! Imagine Park City or Balboa Island, but East Coast style! We want to spend an entire week or two there...one day! This is one of the Mansions we toured, The Breaker Mansion!

It is sooo old and beautiful inside! The walls are painted with gold and platinum! The Vanderbilt family was soo unbelievably wealthy! It was great inspiration/motivation! ;)

This is the restaurant we ate at on main street! Its the Brick Ally Pub. We ate the BEST lobster bisque and clam chowder! No one makes it quite like the east coast! We also enjoyed this massive burger! haha!
I hope everyone had an awesome Christmas! We sure are loving our break!! Have a Happy New Years!!

Merry Christmas!

I am sooo happy the holidays are finally here! We are spending them in Connecticut with my Mom, Stepdad, and my brother Chan!!!!! Im loving every second of being here with them! I just wish Mal and Landon could join us! One day!? So here are some holiday videos I wanted to share with you all! Hopefully it will help bring the spirit of Christmas into your home!




I wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!! This is one of my favorite Christmas songs! I think it is a nice reminder to "Let Him In". I love my Savior Jesus Christ, and i am also thankful for everyone who sacrificed so much to bring him into this world.





This is my VERY favorite Christmas movie! If you have never seen it, you need to! At least skip to the last 20 mins and watch! Merry Christmas everyone!!

Tempting.....

So I have been fighting the major itch to cut my hair short again! Which is funny because i finally feel like my hair is the length i was wishing it was for the past 3 years haha! Isn't that that way it always goes!? Anyway i saw these pictures of Katy Perry and fell in love with her hair! I LOVE the cut! The color is cute too, but i wouldn't want it for myself! I promised myself that i wouldn't cut my hair until after my sister's wedding in Febuary! So heres to keeping that promise! AHHHH!

Shirt Skirt!

I found this idea on Pinterest this past week!!! Except i don't know who to give the credit to, there wasn't a link attatched! Anyway I love it! And now i know what to do with all Bryce's button ups that he doesn't wear very often!

Step 1- Take a Men's button up shirt and do it up like 3/4th of the way!

Step 2- Step into the shirt, tuck in the collar, and do up as many more buttons as needed!

Step 3- Take the arms and tie them into a knot or bow!
Step 4- Tuck the extra fabric into the folds created by the arms!

Step 5- Enjoy your new skirt!!

Here is mine!

Traveling for Thanksgiving?!

In one week exactly we will be headed to Utah for Thanksgiving! I am seriously sooo excited! The reasons for my excitement include.....

1. Seeing and spending time with family, family, and more family!
2. Eating a Pork Salad at Cafe Rio!
3. Spending time with friends!
4. Eating at all the frozen yogurt shops!
5. Wedding dress shopping with Mal!
6. Eating at Wingers!
7. Shopping!!!
8. Eating at the best Japanese place ever, Koyo!
9. Possible black friday crazyness!
10. Getting to spend 5 days straight with my sweetheart!

(yes i know most of them include eating, don't judge ;) )

Im sure some of you will be traveling for the holidays as well! I saw this amazing idea and had to share it! You can use a Pot Holder to keep your flat/curling irons safe during your trip!!!!

Smart right?! I thought so too! Im used to wrapping t-shirts around mine! Now im not sure how the inside of a pot holder would hold up to heat, so i don't recommend putting them in while still hot! You can even buy pot holders at the dollar store! Super cheap and super handy! I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving! I know i have sooo much to be thankful for!!

Winter Toes

So a while back i got these "pedi socks" free with the purchase of an OPI nail polish! I thought they were ridiculous and stupid, and i almost threw them away! My husband being the smart man that he is told me not to. I mean they were free and super super soft......and he thought that they made me look like a sexy gymnast/80's chick. haha. (sorry the pic was taken with an itouch so its not great)

So every year once winter hits i paint my nails and am left to freeze to death for an hour while my toe nails dry.

I mean the worst thing ever is when you paint your toe nails and then put on socks or go to bed only to wake up with thread imprints all over them!! am i right or what!?

So finally this past week i buckled down and put on my sexy "pedi socks" and...........I LOVE THEM!! It was amazing! I was kept warm and toasty AND my nails didn't get ruined! (and i may or may not of gotten lucky because of them ;) )

My point is....since they were a one time promotion and i can't seem to buy more pairs of them... i plan on making some, and you should too! It would be super easy to re-purpose an old sweater, old socks, old mittens, leg warmers, etc......

I will see what i can do about that, and maybe do a follow up post on what i come up with! Let me know if any of you do too! I promise you wont be disappointed!

Fixing Broken Powder Cosmetics!

Hey, so i found this AWESOME post on pinterest! It is genious and i can't wait to try it out! You can see the real post at www.painted-ladies.com!

Breaking Down Beauty: Fixing Broken Powder Cosmetics
By Sheila

So, you have a favorite eyeshadow, pressed powder, or blush you absolutely cannot live without. Life happens, and sometimes before you even realize it, you find yourself the owner of your favorite product, smashed into 5 million little pieces.

When your powder cosmetics are broken into 5 million pieces, you can always put them in a small container and use as a loose shadow, but you DO have the option of fixing the products so it’s almost as good as new.

It’s easy! I mean it! You’ll thank me!

The only extra product you’ll need is Rubbing Alcohol that you can get from any old drugstore.

Here is a lovely L’Oreal H.I.P. #319 eyeshadow that was sadly broken upon arrival.

Step 1: Dump the shadow into a small bowl. You can use an extra makeup brush to get the original container clean.

Step 2: Use the back of a brush to crush the shadow into a fine powder.



Step 3: I used the cap to my rubbing alcohol as a measurement and poured it into the container with the shadow. Make sure to mix well until you end up with a paste! Start off by slowly adding the alcohol, to make sure you don’t make the mixture too watery. In the case that happens, it’s all good – it will just take a bit longer for the shadow to dry down.

I used a wooden stirrer that I had lying around, but you can use a spoon or anything you want.

Step 4: You’ll have a paste that you will mold into the original shadow container. Try to make it as even as possible! You will be able to make little adjustments later!

Step 6: Time goes by ….. and after a couple of hours you can see the powder coming together. You can use a piece of fabric (or in my case a paper towel), tohelp mold the shadow and also give it a nice finish. Afterwards, leave it alone for several hours.



Step 7: All set! When all is said and done, it took around 8 hours or so to complete! Not bad!

Newspaper Nails

So I am in love with newspaper nails! They are sooo hot for fall! I found this awesome and super simple how to video on youtube! I can't wait to do mine! Enjoy!

Beauty From Home!

Beauty Recipes
From The Kitchen

If you have spent the summer in the sun and the water, it's time to start reviving your hair for fall. If your hair is dry, damaged, and has lost its shine, you can revitalize it with a homemade hair mask. These masks use healthy ingredients from your kitchen to hydrate and rejuvenate your hair.

Banana avocado mask

It doesn't sound appetizing at all, but you aren't supposed to eat it. Instead, slather your hair in this rich mask to bring back its luster.

Ingredients
•1 medium banana
•1 egg
•1/2 avocado
•2 Tbsp honey
•3 Tbsp buttermilk
•3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions
1.Mash banana, egg and avocado in a small bowl.
2.Add remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.
3.Apply to hair from roots to tips.
4.Leave in for 30 minutes and then wash out with a moisturizing shampoo.
5.Double the recipe for long hair.
6.Use once a month to maintain healthy hair.


Yogurt hair mask

For dry, frizzed out hair, this recipe will bring back the moisture, leaving your hair silky and manageable.

Ingredients
•1 egg white
•1/4 cup plain organic yogurt
•1/4 cup mayonnaise

Directions
1.Beat egg white until frothy.
2.Mix with yogurt and mayonnaise.
3.Massage into wet hair.
4.Cover with plastic shower cap or plastic wrap.
5.Leave in for 30 minutes, then wash out with a mild shampoo.
6.Rinse with very cold water.
7.Use monthly to moisturize hair.

Fall Fun!

It is beautiful here! We are having a blast and taking advantage of such nice weather! This past week we picked pumpkins at Wilson's Orchard, and played 18 holes of golf at Finkbine!

They have the very best apple cider slushes and apple turnovers!!

The orchard is so pretty!!

One of the many cute squirrels outside our apartment! I love them!!

There was a wild turkey on the tee box!!

I love the Hawkeyes on the flags!

Bryce played an AMAZING game!

Fall is Here!

I am sooo excited fall is finally here! I love the cool mornings and the warm afternoons! I was even able to play 18 holes of golf this wee,k while being surrounded by beautiful fall leaves! It was awesome! And I can't even tell you how much i LOVE all the cute squirrels that run around my apartment complex with their cheeks full of nuts!

Fall Fashion is one of my favorites too! I love all the browns, coppers, reds, and golds! Sweatshirts, boots, scarves....the list goes on and on! So to celebrate fall i decided i would post some fall 2011 hair trends! Enjoy!

•Two trends that come back season after season are the timeless ponytail and the loose, side braid. For fall 2011, the ponytail gets a glam, sleek, strict update (Marc Jacobs, Gucci, Aquilano.Rimondi, Louis Vuitton, Valentino, Max Azria, Lela Rose, Versace, Paul & Joe). The result is impeccable, almost perfect, with a hair section wrapped around the elastic band securing the ponytail. As for the braid,make sure to keep it loose and messy, like a bed head braid! Add feathers to either look for a trendy flair!

5 min make-up!

I found this great article that I wanted to share! It is soo true, a little make up goes a long way! Most of us women are busy from sun up to sun down, but that doesn't mean we can't take a simple 5 extra mins to make ourselves look and feel better! Whether it be in the workplace, school, or home!


The 5 Minute Makeup Face:
Apply the Right Makeup Products Fast!

Thousands of women forgo wearing makeup each day because they claim they just don’t have time to apply it. While a full face of makeup that might have been trendy in the 1980s may take you an hour to apply, today’s makeup is much different. The good news is, while everyone longs to look beautiful and fresh, today’s minimal makeup trends allow that to happen without too much fuss. Use these quick makeup beauty tips to learn how to apply makeup in just five minutes!


Step 1:
Foundation (or Just a Little Concealer) and Powder
There aren’t too many shortcuts needed when it comes to foundation and powder because it’s basically all about blending. However, unless you need the full coverage of all-over foundation, skip the foundation all together. Simply use concealer on problem areas like under eyes, blemishes or other skin redness and set with powder.

If you do like the coverage of your foundation, start with a foundation that matches the shade of your neck and blend it all over your face with your fingers, foundation brush or a sponge. Be sure you’ve blended it all in on your face and neck area. Be sure your moisturizer has completed soaked in before starting or you’ll end up with streaky results. Next, quickly take concealer and dab it on any blemishes you want to cover. After you’re happy with your blended look, set your face with loose powder.

Step 2:
Add Color with Blush and Bronzer
After your skin tone is evened out and set with powder, it’s time to give it a little color. Learning how to apply blush and bronzer properly is a must for all women. The trick is, go light. It’s always easier to add a little more if you need it than it is to take some away if you’ve already overdone it. To ensure you look naturally flushed, try applying your blush by a window. This beauty lighting will allow to you to see what it’s going to look like in natural light (or basically what everyone else sees). Choose a light and rosy color and using a large blush brush; quickly sweep it across the apples of your cheeks.


If you want to use bronzer, the same rules apply. Go light and sweep in on your face in the shape of a three (starting with the top of your forehead, moving around your eye area to your cheek and then back across your cheek to the bottom of your chin/jaw line).


Step 3:
Add a Sweep of Color and Highlight to Eyes
After you’ve applied your foundation, powder and blush, you should be left with at least three minutes left, which is all you need to properly dress up your eyes and lips. Start by sweeping a light layer of neutral eye shadow on your entire lid. An eye highlighting powder just below the brow will give your eyes a little extra pick-me-up. You will more alert and awake too. Over the base layer of eye shadow, sweep a darker shade in your eye lid crease only.

Be sure to choose neutral colors for daytime, as darker colors really do take longer to blend together and are most suitable for night wear. Blend the eye shadows together on your eye with a clean makeup brush, so you can’t tell where one begins and the next ends. If you have time, use a quick eyeliner pencil to make a thin line across your upper lash line. Be sure your line isn’t too thick or too bold in color. If you find it is, take a Q-Tip and lightly smudge it, to make it look more natural. Take one minute to apply dark brown or black mascara. Finish with a swipe of neutral or light tinted lip gloss.


Here are some pictures of some celebrities with minimal yet flawless 5 min make up looks! Natural really is trendy right now, and I LOVE it! Enjoy!!

New Job!!

So I'm happy to say that I got a part time job! woo hoo! It's just a part time position at a day care, so not what i normally do, but the hours ROCK. Its Mon-Fri 8-1! Which gives me enough time in the day to work, work out, cook dinner, etc. And it will pay the rent which is most important haha!

It also gives me great flexability as far as cutting hair outside of my home goes! So I am now available to take appointments any time after 1:30pm Monday thru Friday!

So today was my first day at Kiddie Konnection, and I really enjoyed it. I watch the 4 and 5 year olds which is a pretty fun age! They are old enough to somewhat listen to you, but young enough that they still love to play and color. I really like all my coworkers which is soo important to me! So we are doing great and my prayers have def. been answered in the job department! I am sooooo thankful!!

The Hawkeyes

Our very first Hawkeye football game was def. one to remember that's for sure! It started with us waking up at 10:45 am and realizing that the game was at 11:00!!(which is a big deal when you have a 20min walk ahead of you) haha so we hurried as fast as we could and headed out the door only to be met with pouring rain! No umbrella, or ponchos! Iowa rain is different than Idaho or Utah rain, the rain drops are huge and come straight down! Within seconds of walking we were SOAKED! Like straight to the bone! Like i just jumped in and out of a swimming pool soaked! We were tempted to turn around and just watch the game on TV. But being the football fanatics that we are we couldn't convince ourselves to. I think we deserve the most dedicated fans award! (we stuck it out until they stopped the game in the 3rd quarter because of the crazy rain) Once we made it to the game we had a blast! Kinnick stadium is gorgeous and the fans are nuts! Walking up the stairs to the student section reminded me of the movie Titanic. You know the part where they are trying to walk up the stairs and tons of water is just pouring down them like a river?! I so wish i would've gotten a picture of it! I would've except for the fact that my camera was wrapped in a plastic hot dog wrapper and shoved down my bra in an attempt to keep it dry! :) Here are the pictures i was able to capture, although they don't really do it justice! Enjoy!

There was seriously a mini river running through our parking lot haha our shoes and socks were so soaked that i couldn't tell a difference standing in it or not! :)

Hey!

Well we made it to Iowa safe and sound! I love it here! It is so beautiful, and there is soo much to do. I love college towns! We have gone golfing, jogging, and have done a ton of driving around exploring the town. They have something called the ped mall downtown and it is adorable. Cute little bands play outside under the lights. And there are a lot of cool taverns and restaurants that we can't wait to try!

My husband started law school this week and it has been pretty crazy with lots of homework, but he likes it so thats good! I have been searching for a salon job! Its pretty hard to find a salon that's hiring for commission so that's a bummer. Until something opens up I'm going to be doing hair and eyelash extensions out of my home! woo hoo! And in the mean time searching for a part time job to do to make sure the rent gets paid, haha.

Anyway so welcome to my buisness and beauty blog! Its full of everything Beauty, and my little piece of life that i call Bliss!