salem, va
she's a gem, ya'll. + if you only knew how sweet her heart is! thanks kathleen, for being a true friend + absolutely stunning on the inside just as much as you are on the outside :) the world needs more people like you.
salem, vai was beyond excited when kathleen texted me and asked if i would do her makeup + take her senior pictures! i met kathleen my second year at liberty, she was one of my quadmates, and i've loved her ever since. i am so thankful for her friendship, and i'm beyond honored to have gone through most of college and now AFTER college life with her!
she's a gem, ya'll. + if you only knew how sweet her heart is! thanks kathleen, for being a true friend + absolutely stunning on the inside just as much as you are on the outside :) the world needs more people like you.
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pm skincare routine.skincare easily one of the worst but most rewarding trial and error experiences; especially for someone with sensitive skin. i do feel like everyone has senstive skin nowadays, so finding the right products that work for you is a tough adventure to embark on! i feel your pain, people. theres so much hype with produts that come out its hard to determine what to invest your money in, or what to pass on. i'm here to help with that today! :) i've put my skin through hell and back to find products that work for me, because i know i need to really take care of this face. shawty doesn't want wrinkles, age spots, dry spots, dark circles, crows feet, or droopy skin, etc. the goal of skincare is to prevent and possibly even reverse. skincare usually isn't magical, though some may suggest it is. its truly all about finding products that make your skin scream of happiness while focusing on problem areas! its pivital that you realize your skincare regiman will change throughout the years, and maybe even months, because our skin is ever-changing and so is the weather! we are aging. we are constantly sloughing off dead skin and ressurfacing fresh new skin! so, for this season, i found this magical regiman to help with my needs. no, i'm not saying these products will work for you like theyre working for me, but its worth a shot if it lines up with areas that you feel are problematic, or we have the same skincare needs. with that said, here's my routine at night! :) 1/ coconut oil $8-34 if i'm wearing makeup, i like to go in with a pre-cleanse which usually is coconut oil. i like to get off the top layer of dirt so that when i go in with my actual cleanser it can actually get in there and cleanse my actual skin, and NOT the makeup that is on top! its definitely counterproductive to go in with a cleanser while wearing a full face of makeup. get that stuff off first, then give your skin the proper cleanse it needs. i also use coconut oil under my eyes for an eyecream at the end of my routine. *this is NOT a fav coconut oil of mine, just one that i purchased and feel obligated to use. i much prefer dr bronners organic coconut oil or the organic coconut melt by kopari 2/ routine clean cream cleanser $26 if i'm not wearing any makeup from that day, i will skip the oil + go straight to cleansing my skin, with this beauty counter routine clean cream cleanser. i love the way this makes my skin feel after i use it! doesn't leave my skin feeling like all the life has been sucked out of it. but my favorite part about this cleanser is the smell.. ohhhhh man, does it smell AMAZING. it has no added fragrance, but it is so fresh smelling, sort if a very faint light citrus smell.. ahh you just have to smell it for yourself! this is formulated with coconut oil as well, and has aloe, green tea, witch hazel, and botanical extracts that help rejuvenate and tone your skin! love this product.
i'm very pleased with how these products have been working together!
i still haven't quite nailed down my morning routine yet with products i find work for me.. but i'm working on it! before i share things with you all, i want to stand behind the products i mention, that they're truly amazing, worth trying + worth spending your hard earned money on. let me know if you want a more in depth explanation on chemical exfoliants! (aha's and bha's) xoxo meet jordan. she's one of my brother in law's (not so) little sister. when i first met her, she was a wee little thing who bopped around with some of my nieces when my sister married her brother! matter of fact, she bawled her eyes out because her big bro was hitched + she thought she had lost him forever! or, something like that.. :) I had the honor of not only taking her senior pictures, but also doing her makeup! she's the type of girl to just throw on some eyeliner + head out the door, so treating her to a soft makeup look was such a treat! she looked stunning before, + the makeup only enhanced her stunning features. she's tall, she's got great hair, + her smile was rad too... now here she is, off to JMU in the fall...i guess i'll go ahead + say, go dukes! :)
salmon rice bowl //like anybody else, i had become uninspired for dinner. i usually find a few dishes and rotate them, add some, take some away, etc. i needed a new recipe that wouldn't cost me a fortune, would be filling, healthy, and one that isn't similar to others. something new, fresh, and springy, if you will! i searched pinterest for "salmon rice bowl" .. and it didn't deliver.. i didn't want a typical salmon rice asain inspired dinner... i also wanted my salmon to be cooked.. not raw. ;) i decided to make a bit extra, so cody or i could have it for lunch the next day! adjust servings to your desire. this quick DELICIOUS dinner could be yours tonight, only took me about 30 mins start to finish. you'll need //
guidlines if you want em' //
there you have it folks, i feel as if i just knocked it out of the park with this one + it was so so so easy. get creative, make it your own! add or take away, make it fun.. whenever cody feels full, and loves something i cook up, i take note, pat myself on the back, and make it again for the next month or so once a week.. LOL. this dinner is so nutrious and on the healthier side and is perfect for a spring or summer day because its light + yet super filling! i just had to share it, let me know if you try it by hashtagging #ilovesalmonricebowls , because i just know you will. ;) xoxo kitchen project -a few months after we purchased our first home, we began showing every little inch to whoever visited, + proudly so! aka, having everyone look into all rooms and even in the tiniest of spaces... but more importantly, the recently finished attic space converted to bonus room/bedroom's closets... in one of those closets we could see a beautiful, perfectly red, wonderful looking, all of my dreams right before my eyes, of a chimney! i then quickly noticed how it runs directly through the center of our home, which is the kitchen. the oh so glorious kitchen... first things first... a little about our kitchen... its a wee bit on the small side, with no windows; however, it's just so stinking cute that i easily overlooked that when we purchased the home. its been well maintained, updated, and you can tell the previous family took great care of it. the orginal footprint of the house was built in 1942 + the kitchen had a window with the sink under it. however, down the road, a few additions had been added to the home. one, is a den off the kitchen. this den was added right behind where the window was. they took the window out, and replaced it with uppers in the kitchen and moved the sink cady cornered to the left of where it was. its a litte bittersweet because while this change granted me more storage, i lost NATURAL light. i lost a window! (so so sad). i hold windows so near and dear to my heart. i love a window, especially in the heart of a home. natural light instantly lifts my mood and makes any space 10x better and cleaner. SO, this space to me has always been not "my style", yes; its wonderful the way it is + in fact, completely fine the way it is for most people, even for me! but i needed more. i needed to make it more "me"... i needed something different for me to be completely in love with working in the kitchen... when i found that brick, i instantly knew i wanted it exposed for the world to see.. okay... just me pretty much, but i'm sure you all love it too when you see it pop up on your feed.. and if you don't love it, close your eyes and don't keep reading cause now i'll be explaing the process WITH pictures ;) Before...here is a picture from the first time we walked through with our realtor! i took this with my iphone, so please excuse the quality.. see? the space isn't terrible, actually super sweet; simple and clean. behind this cabinet and tv is the chimney! we didn't know this when we purchased the home.. so we did *like* how it was before. there nothing wrong with it, by any means... the process...What's next...also, please don't be like us, wear goggles and maybe even a mask. the dust was thick and intense! anyway, we will be finishing the drywall, sanding it, and painting it white to match the rest of the kitchen. i love how crisp white looks against brick! we will be adding trim to the top, removing the metal framing to the right of the brick. we will not be adding base board, just finishing trim then adding the tile around the vent on the floor.. we added the vent beause we have a wood stove, and that vent will come in handy in winter!
we are still so excited with how this has turned out so far and i can't freaking wait to add some wooden floating shelves. I am ready for my kitchen to be back in 100% function mode, and not a work in progress mode! after those little things are completed, i will complete the kitchen by painting the walls white, and priming all the cabinets then painting those a soft light grey! but all that information with that part of the kitchen reno will come a litte bit later down the road! i love updating our home, and making it ours! most people would think that this house doesn't need much updating or changes, but hey, cody and i like making things our own, and doing projects together! so we will continually add special touches, and renovate little things here and there. plus, it'll help us out in the long run for resale! xoxo Albemarle, NC- Dennis Vineyardcody and i had the pleasure of heading to Albemarble NC to visit our soon to be in-law's fam! we were so excited to spend some time with the morton's and all their four legged friends. they were the absolute sweetests hosts, with that southern hospitality at every corner + we sure can't wait to venture back down and visit some more!
before rory and caroline's engagement party at Dennis Vineyard, the morton's had asked me to grab a few photos of their sweet family + although it was cold, and it only took us about 15 minutes or less to grab these stunning images! maybe it's cause their such a cute family? probably.. i hope you all enjoy these photos as much as i enjoyed taking them. :) featuring justine lisa.sunday was full of beauty, even though it was a bit rainy + cloudy... i do love me some cloudy days, though. i had the best afternoon with my sweet, talented, beautiful friend, justine. she's literally incredible. not only is she all of those things, but she's one of my very best friends! i've enjoyed having her pour into my life the past five years. we've both grown so much since we first met. i love who was, is, and is becoming. she loves with everything she's got, + she always is so encourging. she builds me up, and points me to jesus. if you're interested in becoming her friend too, which i'm sure you WISH you were if you aren't already, go check out her blog and follow her on insta! you won't regret it! her ideas and creativity is mesmerizing.
so, we started our date at Grit Coffee and caught up for a couple of hours, (if you love coffee and breakfast, GO! talk about yum) which was then followed by walking around downtown, looking for cute little places to take a few pictures! fun fact: we met on a BLIND DATE at chipotle through a mutual friend who insisted we'd become best friends. (thanks for that cassandra, if you're reading this) and boy was she right! adventure farm, earlysville vai'm pretty close with the owners of charlee luck; my sister, whitley, and her husband, james and his brother, chris, run this amazing brand located in charlottesville, va. aka, the heart and soul of virginia. they believe in celebrating the good times while looking good! i do believe their brand accomplishes just that. if you've never worn a signature charlee tee or performance polo, you're really missing out... you can purchase the button ups, polos, pullovers, hats, AND MORE directly on their website www.charleeluck.com. OH! you'll also notice a cute furry friend in these pics, i do believe he is the most handsome, photogenic dog you'll ever see.. ;) maybe i'm a little biased. my husband, cody, got in on the fun and decided to grace the camera with his presence as well!! i also tend to think he's pretty handsome, too. well you can be the judge! :)
i hope you enjoy all their pretty faces and sweet grins! let's mostly talk skincare.for about the last 4 or 5 months, i've been dealing with obnoxious eczema that came out of NOWHERE. it's sort of like being 13 and having a little sister that won't leave me and my friends alone. ( i don't have a little sister, but i'm pretty sure i was THAT little sister to one of my sisters, sorry about that). at first i thought it was just a little rash, nah.. its time for it to leave me alone and go somewhere else.. i'm currently on the hunt for something to cure it without spending a fortune. currently, i've only found a few things that help with its itchiness & redness, but no product thus far has really taken it away completely. but for these past months, i've been researching and trying many skin care items and its been my focus more so than any makeup products.. gasp. i'm turning into a skincare junky. also, you might as well just pretend there is a picture of coconut oil in this post too, because i use that a LOT. the little bar on the left is from LUSH. you'll quickly realize that i'm obsessed with LUSH. its called full of grace serum, and its really moisturizing! perfect for winter months and for those with super dry skin. it warms up to the touch of your face and will melt in your hands if you hold it too long.. it's like butter! literally, it has murumuru butter (its a fat, from a tree in brazil thats extremely moisturizing), cupuacu butter (its a tropical tree in the amazon rainforest and is related to cacao! so it's similar to cocoa butter and is a great alternative to lanolin, yay no harm to animals), portabella mushrooms (for their beneficial antioxidant B & C vitamins). this product has been proven to soften skin, moisturize, soothe redness and irritation. i can definitely agree it does those things.. when my eczema is flaring up, i can rub the bar on my face and it eliminates itchiness and redness within a few minutes! sing all the praises with me. the product on the right is a hand cream by l'occitane, which is one of their many amazing, and i mean amazing, products! one of these babies is sold every three seconds around the world! that must mean something? 20% of the product is shea butter, and it is also packed with honey, almond extracts, and coconut oil. its a perfect blend that doesn't leave your hands feeling greasy. the product sinks in almost immediately! they also have a ultra rich body cream, which i've had & used. it comes in a large tub, it's equally as amazing as the hand cream, but maybe even better... you got nasty feet? run, don't walk, to lo'occitane! or use your little fingers and type in google as fast as you can so you can order these two products. you won't regret it! lets talk sheet masks. i was traveling for work one weekend and my friend ashley-elaine and i were in sephora for a bit after we finished work, (no surprise there!), we wanted to do sheet masks in our hotel that night, cause hotel air blows big ones for some reason and screw up skin like none other. we treated ourselves to some tony moly masks to see what all the hype was about. (amazon also has these guys for way less if you want to save some money). there's a ton of different ones for all different skin types. so far, my favorite has been the coconut one (not pictured, cause i used that one already, and this is one i will try soon), i'm obsessed with coconut oil, again for obvious reasons, & it was so freaking hydrating! i left it on for about 30 minutes. it was glorious. these sheet masks are packed with a ton of product/moisture and can be little messy at first. then, once you remove the sheet mask, there's still a bit of wetness left on the skin, just rub it on in and call it a night. say yes now, thank me later. if you're like me and you watch youtube + follow many different insta makeup "guru's" (probs not)... there's lots of products that become a big hype and suddenly everyone whose anyone will have a product that is "amazing". basically, they get paid to say a lot of things, (good for them) and sometimes its hard to tell whats actually worth it and amazing, and then....whats not... so i tried one. nivea men's aftershave balm. lol. ya'll, it will only make you smell like a man for a minute or so but for these results, i'll smell like a man (a nice smelling one, it smells good) anyday of the week to have a primer this awesome. i thought maybe it would irritate my already messed up, sensitive skin but it didn't. yay! so i've used it everytime i put foundation on since i bought it a month ago (minus like 2x to see if the results were actually, in fact, what i thought i was seeing). and it was the bomb. it's too good to be true. why is it so amazing? because glycerin is one of the main ingredients, which attracts moisture + leaves the skin feeling a bit tacky. also, fyi, glycerin is in basically every primer on the market. it's worked for me so far! you just pour a dime sized amount into your palm, massage onto skin for about 20 seconds or so until it becomes tacky. then, apply your foundation! i've only heard of a few people (out of dozens and dozens) who didn't have as much luck with it. its still worth a shot for a cheap alternative if you're in the market for a good primer. seriously, 5 bucks at the targ isn't that much to lose! let me know if you love it, or... hate it. i've had these two in my favs for over a year now. talk about dreamy under eyes and results that look like all i do is dream in my beauty sleep. (ugh, so cheesy). the age rewind concealer is by far one of the best concealers i've used, great drugstore product from maybelline. i've menentioned before that some people have issues with sponges, but this one doesn't bother me much. it doesn't absorb the product as much as a typical sponge does + it effectively applies the product well. its a win win. i have found it leave my eyes looking and feeling hydrated! as you can see in the picture, its empty and beat up from always being on the go with me. i would say i prefer this over my nars creamy concealer and i reach for it more than any other concealer for its convience and reliability.
the ben nye luxury cameo powder is also pretty bomb. however, its not transculent and is for those with fair skin. it just helps set my concealer to make it brighter + last longer. it also helps prevent any creasing. the cameo powder is very soft, finely milled, and is great for setting other areas in the t-zone where i've put concealer! i've talked about this product before too... buuuut, i thought they were both worth mentioning again! yay for products you can't live without! *other skincare products worth mentioning that i've been loving/trying, not long enough to really make a review about them... sunday riley, luna oil. nude, progenius rescue oil. beauty counter, exfoliator. first aid beauty, ultra repair cream intense hydration. drunk elephant, glycolic night serum. skinceuticals, C E ferulic antioxidant treatment xoxo yarn wall hanging!a few weeks ago i was browsing through instagram, you know, the usual, and i came across all these amazing woven wall hangings! you know what i'm talking about, right? (if not, go look at the hashtag #wovenwallhanging, or even on a more specific note, Melissa's account over at Hivehouse). after stalking instagram accounts, i ended up on etsy, searching for hours for one i could afford and was large enough for what i wanted. (because go big or go home). for the LIFE of me, none fit the criteria. i did however see plenty of absolutely gorgeous and stunning pieces. anyway, cue the, "I'll just make one myself" idea. fast forward to sunday morning. i found some yarn i liked at my parents house, a stick that would suffice from the yard, and some random string. i also decided to search pinterest for yarn hangings, saw some neat DIY's there, too. had i felt like going to the store to buy golden rings, and a wooden rod, i probably would've ended up with an even cooler outcome buuuuut i was pushed for time, and did not want to spend money. so i worked with what i had. yay me. to start, i grabbed a monoply box (i picked it for its size). i started wrapping the yarn around + around (long ways) until the whole ball of yarn was a goner. that is when i hoped i had enough yarn to complete my project and i did! its all personal preference on how long you want the pieces to be or the amount of yarn you use. i wanted mine lengthy and wide. i knotted each individual piece of yarn, one. at. a. time. i ended up finding that 2 pieces of yarn worked well too! oh and using 4 or more was a no go... aka don't do that + stick to the 1 or 2 at a time deal! i made sure to tie the knot the same direction each time, as well as making sure i had about the same length above the stick before even tying the knot. this esnured some consistancy. i do realize my wall hanging is not at all extravagant like the ones on insta or etsy that i fell in love with, it's actually quite simple in comparison; but the little bit of warmth it's adding to my office/guest room is just the amount it needed.
one day, i'll purchase an actual woven hanging from one of those super talented creatives i found, because their craft and visual creativity is freaking inspiring and deserves all my money. if they weren't so inspiring, i would not have tempted to created something in likes of it! with that said, here's my tuesday evening advice: go look through hashtags that get your creative juices flowing. see something you like? comment! love it? rave about it to others. i'm thrilled i completed this little project and i'm happy with the outcome! even though it is nothing like what i saw or nothing close to the extreme of beautiful goodness that others have created, i'm still in love with its simplicity... its sort of like those pinterest crafts everyone posts about and fails, however, i think i'll give myselfs an B+ on this one cause it actually looks pretty dang good on my wall and was free. :) cheers to yarn, sticks, and visual interest. |
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