I'll be taking a little break to revel in the spirit of the season, reflect
on the past year and refresh for a new one. See you back here on January 1st!
P.S. Hubby was the creative director for our Christmas card this year, didn't he do great? I was still stuck on inspiration from last year's snow city card, but since we can't send the same one two years in a row had no snow,he took the reigns and created a postcard using a combo of our many photo booth opportunities this year combined with a little street art inspiration. Fun, right?!
This morning I heard on the radio that today is the busiest travel day for O'hare Airport. Some 203,000 travelers will pass through on the way to their final destinations. And yours truly will be right there among them. At 7:00pm. With a chance of snow. Wish me luck kiddos!
What are your holiday plans? Whether it's planes, trains or automobiles, I wish you a safe journey to your final destination. (Are you singing "I'll be home for Christmas" in your head? I totally am.)
P.S. If you need any carry-on packing tips I've got ya covered. Hopefully some of my fellow travelers have stumbled upon these. Move it along people.... ;)
P.P.S. Chicago's O'hare & Midway airports are offering free gift wrap through Friday - that's pretty neat, huh.
Back in the summer I was asked to be a model* in the Too Faced Cosmetics holiday training video for Ulta. The cosmetics junkie in me screamed "yes!" and jumped at the opportunity to be made up in the newest, yet to be released products. It was a fabulous day with an amazing team and crew, not to mention I was already a huge fan on the brand. The only negative - I had to keep the secret for months! (Good thing I'm really good with secrets...) Words can't explain how excited I am to finally be able to share the deets with you now.
{Prep time}
{Beautiful brushes}
{Pre-makeup}
Fun fact: Remember my dip-dyed hair? It's all hidden in within that bun.
Bright pink and blue tips weren't quite cohesive with holiday, knowwhatimean.
With everything you need for Natural, Flirty or Smokey looks.
{Almost ready!}
Aaaand the finished product! Don't mind my terrible editing skills, just showing you a few highlights. Kalina Fernandez, Director of Global Artistry for Too Faced, is the wonderful artist walking you through the steps.
P.S. She has the best jewelry.
Aren't the colors gorge?!
So here is the important part. You need these. Go, hurry. They're going fast (already sold out on Ulta.com!) (Both still available on Sephora though - Beautiful Dreamer / In Your Dreams) You will not be disappointed. The amount of amazing product you get for under $50 is incredible. Just in time for gift giving or add one to your own wishlist!
While you're at it, check out a few of my other favorite Too Faced products:
Shadow Insurance Primer - I use it every single day. When I say I've tried nearly every primer on the market believe me. With my oily skin I'm lucky if shadow remains crease-less through lunch. But this, this is a miracle.
Romantic Eye Shadow Collection - Touted for 'everyday special occasions', they're not kidding. The sparkle/matte, light/dark shadow ratio is perfection.
Lip Insurance - Another primer I absolutely adore. I won't wear reds, corals or bright pinks without it. You will not believe the staying power in this little tube.
If this is starting to sound like a sponsored post, I assure you, it isn't. Just a big fan spreading the word. :)
Oh, And guess what? I recently did it again for the spring collection! You guys will flip for it as well. Two words - beauty balm. Ok, one more word - turquoise. Ah! Here's a tiny sneak peek on set. Until spring...
*Model is a term I use loosely considering I did little more than lend my face. However, it's an extremely fun experience and quite an honor to participate. A huge THANKS to the fabulous Too Faced team!
"Treasure bowl" is a term I made up (at least I guess I did) for the simple yet sweet gifts I'm giving this year to some of my favorite females. Stemming from my latest obsession of pretty bowls and dishes ranging from from Anthropologie to thrift store finds I thought this could be a nice way to share a little cheer this season. The concept is simple: Find a small, pretty bowl and fill it with treasures. I'm going with theme's based on color and personality, only adding items that fit within the size of the bowl. (Easy to wrap!) The best part: you can make it work on any budget. When she’s used all the items you gave her, she can re-use the bowl and add her own treasures like collection of cocktail rings, seashells or vintage buttons. Here are a few ideas to get you started...happy treasure bowl hunting!
The Glamour Girl
Features everything a glam girl loves - sparkles, gold and the hottest items on the market (ikat & glitter!)
Jacket - Zara (also here) / Top - H&M / Shorts, Necklace & Tights - Forever 21 / Belt - Vintage (also here) Boots - Charles Albert (similar) (also here) / Watch - DKNY / Sunnies - Sears
If you're going to wear a blouse with horses on it, you can't take it too serious. So I got playful and paired my new stallion shirt with faux leather shorts and textured tights. Luckily, the weather on my last trip to Tennessee allowed it to happen, quite the contrast from this past weekend here in Chicago. Missing the pretty leaves and sunshine right about now!!
Did you hear about the virtual Valentino museum? It just "opened" and is quite spectacular. One, because from Jackie O to Julia - Valentino has dressed the best. And two, because it's a museum that you download to your computer and explore at your own leisure. Whaat? Yes.
"Animated galleries show a life's work, and hundreds of key dresses have been photographed revolving 360 degrees to show every line and stitch."
Top - Target (old) // Short - Bongo Party Shorts (love that name!) // Bracelet - Forever 21 // Earrings - Kenneth Cole // Shoes - kelly & katie (seen, here, here, here)
It's safe to say that I'm obsessed with sequins this season. Picked up these shorts for $14 (woot!) but was having a hard time deciding on a top to wear with them. I had packed them in my suitcase over Thanksgiving weekend just for kicks so my options were even more limited. Lying next to them in the bag was this flannel shirt and I thought "why not"? So I gave it whirl and this is what I got. Comfy and sparkly? I'm in love. Next challenge, a sequin crop jacket!
