{Beauty Mark} Boots No7 High Lights Illuminating Lotion

Everyone talks about the glow. 

There is the 'new love' glow. The 'pregnancy glow'. The 'just plain happy' glow.

And then there's this glow. I love having radiant skin, but a lot of shimmer creams or lotions can have a glitter effect, and it comes off a little more 'middle school meets stripper' than 'radiant glow from within'.  When I discovered this at Target, I loved the pinky undertone. It translates well on skin, and doesn't leave a silvery cast when dried. 

Also, during these summer months, we sweat. Let's be honest. This allows you to use a mattifying powder and add on the shimmer. It also gives you the chance to add more shimmer for a sexier look on those nights out where you throw caution to the wind and glow to your little heart's desire.

A little goes a long way with this, and is best applied on areas you want to highlight, like underneath the brow, corners of the eyes, high on the cheekbones, collarbone and cupid's bow of the top lip.

I have found that it mixes well with lotions as well, so a few pumps can be mixed into facial and body lotion. Don't worry- a little of this stuff goes a long way and you won't run out quickly.

I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a great highlighting cream at an affordable price of around $13 a bottle. 

You can find it here and here. Also check out your local Target stores.

Disclaimer: This product was not given to me nor was I compensated for this review in any way. This product was purchased by myself with my money because I felt like it. That's how I roll.

The One Woman Show

 Remember my post about hating having an audience? 

Well, I got to face that fear head on today.

This is my bashful face.

There is a golf course a couple of miles from my house, and they have a great area near their maintenance shed that always has great light, and some really awesome doors. Micah and I pulled up to the shed, excited to finally get to shoot next to the doors, and found we had a... visitor.

There was the golf course maintenance man walking around the area, so we decided to shoot quickly. Well, "Ernesto" (we found out his name later) decided to come around to check out what we were doing, and decided to stick around and watch us work. A lot of these photos wouldn't work because I'm very obviously holding in a laugh, or smirking because he's rustling around in the bamboo behind us.

Ernesto chillin in the bamboo

At one point, our new friend even got so bold as to suggest I try posing on the picnic bench he was sitting on, and even gave me a pose to try out. I politely told him the outfit worked better standing up and we shot a few more before getting back in the car and laughing until we cried. So, thank you Ernesto for making life a little more creepy.

Tee: Anthropologie (2011)  Skirt: American Eagle (2003)
Belt: Forever 21 (2008)  Purse: Thrifted  Wedges: Payless (2012)
Bangles: Forever 21 (2012)

Have you ever found yourself entertaining an audience for your outfit posts?

Also, I've had this skirt since I was 17. 9 years. I don't have a problem...?

Button Swap!

Everyone loves a little free press, no?

After meeting so many wonderful bloggers since I started this almost two months ago, I have wanted to find a way to help expand their reach while building relationships in the blogging world. As I know I'm not quite at the point where I can carry a sponsor, I have wanted to do a button swap so that we can all share our new blog friends with our followers! 

I am looking for anywhere from 6-10 bloggers to share buttons with. We would exchange 200x200 sized buttons and then keep them on the blog until the end of May. This way, it's a month and a half of exposure, and we'll see what happens from there!

If you're interested, let me know! I have my button all ready and made up after winning a giveaway on The Weekend File (go check it out!) and have it posted on my page as well for anyone who wants to share!

Have questions on how to make a button? Let me know, I'm here to help!

{The Stud Muffin} Lurve Chicken

This is the first meal Micah ever cooked for me. It was on our first Valentine's day, two weeks after we started dating. I thought it would be more fun to stay in and cook dinner together (plus it beat fighting the Valentine's day crowds). So a dinner and a movie night at home it was.

What movie you ask? Well, because he was cooking the dinner, he picked the movie. I thought maybe a comedy, or a light romantic something or other. 

He brought over Star Wars IV...

Thank goodness I loved his cooking.

Breading
4 Tbsp Flour
4 Tbsp Panko Bread Crumbs
2 Tbsp Pine Nuts
I Lemon (zested)
2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary (stripped)
1/2 Tbsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Pepper
1/2 Tsp Paprika

1 Egg White
Olive Oil (1/4 cm deep in pan)
2 Chicken Breasts (butterflied, pounded flat)

1. Heat up olive oil in large sautee pan with EVOO
2. Mix all breading ingredients together in food processor to fine consistency (we use Magic Bullet)
3. Dredge chicken in egg white
4. Coat thoroughly with breading mixture
5. Let chicken sit for 5 minutes to allow mixture to stick 
6. Shallow fry on high until golden brown (3 minutes give or take depending on thickness of chicken)
7. Remove from oil and place on plate covered with paper towels (absorbs extra oil)
8. Squeeze lemon generously over chicken to taste

Sew, What?

I must say: I love all things domestic. Well, the idea of them anyway.

Blouse: Forever 21 (2008)  Skirt: Vintage
Wedges: Payless (2012)  Earrings: Forever 21 (2012)

The idea of being the ideal 50's woman who can sew, cook, bake, clean, garden, have children, etc. sounds fantastic. Fantastic is not a word I would use to describe my skills in the activities above. I can bake, I actually like cleaning, and I like children.

  One thing I am completely helpless at: sewing. I can put a button back on, and stitch a tiny hole, but that's about it. So when I found this skirt, I knew I was in for a doozy. I found this little beauty a couple of weeks ago in a thrift store and instantly fell in love with the color and style of skirt.

 

 I skipped to the dressing room to try this on, praying it would fit. As I stepped into the skirt, I heard a rip noise. No worries, I didn't damage the skirt... I just tore out the hem with my foot. How, you ask? Well, the original owner 'hemmed' it using hem tape. And let me tell you: it sure didn't hold up.

 

I went to the checkout counter, undaunted by my new challenge, and prepared myself for a lot of work. Initially, I thought I could try my hand at sewing. After I regained my sanity, I decided taking it to a tailor was a good idea. Until I got the price. $30 to hem a skirt?? So I hustled over to the nearest Walgreens, picked up $3 worth of hem tape, and started experimenting.

My first attempt resulted in me accidentally bonding parts of the front of the skirt together, causing the pleat from hell. Did I mention this skirt is silk? Not the ideal fabric for hem tape. My second attempt resulted in the front hem being much higher than the back. It was like a really bad homespun hi/low skirt.

The third attempt? See results above. What do you think? Too short, too long?

An hour and a half, no burns and many curses later, I have myself a skirt. I actually like the idea of the hem tape, as I can figure out what the best length is for me, and tailor it accordingly.

Have you ever bought something that required more work than you originally thought?

Til I Kick The Bucket

How many times have you thought, "Before I die, I want to..."

Then how many times have you thought, "Who the heck knows?"

This is my thinking when it comes to a bucket list. There are so many big things I want to to, but know financially most of them won't be feasible for another 10 years. Also, who knows what kind of technology, what life circumstances will come to a head between now and then. A girl can dream, right? 

I feel like I've done some big things by 25:

I got married

I got my Master's

I did my first adventure race/mini marathon

I moved across the country on my own

Got scuba certified

Completed my Golden Girls DVD collection :)

So, to keep me motivated, yet realistic, while I'm in this transition period in my life, I've set a "Before I'm 30" bucket list. 4 years to do the following:

1. Own all Disney movies on DVD
2. Completely refinish a piece of furniture all on my own
3. Run a 5K
4. Shoot a rattlesnake... all by myself
5. Go on a Louisiana Gator Hunt (Swamp People anyone??)

(Do we see a trend here with the scary reptile killing?)

What are some things you would like to be able to do before your next big birthday milestone?

Stage Fright

I have been very excited about this wall. 

I love the primary colors and the design (a huge cornucopia of food), but there is one thing that has kept me away. It's on the side of our neighborhood grocery store, right in the middle of a little shopping square. Now, I am not a shy person by any means. But I really do hate having my photo taken. I hate it even more when people watch. So this place is primed with onlookers, and I was beyond antsy having Micah take these.

I kept pretending to not be the one having her photo made (because soooo many people stand in grocery store parking lots in skirts and heels at 11am with a photographer following them...) and would turn and pretend to look at the mural if someone happened to walk by.

There are actually around 45 photos of me here, but most of them look like I'm on the run and I'm giving someone off camera crazy eyes, so these will have to do.

Top: Forever 21 (2011)  Skirt: JC Penney (2012) 
Wedges: JC Penney (2012)  Belt: Forever 21 (2012)
Bangles: Forever 21 (2012)