Friday Favorites!

We made it!  'Tis Friday aka my favorite day of the work week.  I apologize for my absence the last two days, but I've been a busy lady and I have some very exciting news I will be announcing on Monday.  No, I'm not with child.  No, I'm not wifed up.  Something way more exciting, I promise.  

Until then, I am sharing my favorites from the week.  And I need your help deciding a "favorite of my favorites" dress so be sure to help a sista out by commenting below.  Thank ya kindly!

OMG y'all.  Practical jokes are quite possibly my favorite thing ever.  Like I will laugh so hard I can't breathe.  Imagine my delight when I discovered these 4 life-long friends who have an entire TV show devoted to practical jokes on TRUtv.  Please, please, please watch them.  If they don't make you laugh hysterically, we cannot be friends.

1 / 2 / 3

As I mentioned recently, I am traveling to Charleston, SC in about a month.  Thus, I need some new cute beachy, summery dresses.  Which one of these three dresses do you like best?  They are all from my favorite (because it's affordable) online boutique KiKi La Rue.  I'm sort of leaning toward numero uno.  Thoughts?  

Five minute, $5 make-up drawer organization

I may not work-out as much as I should, there may be entirely too much reality TV saved on my DVR(s) (BTW - the new season of Real Housewives New Jersey looks so good) and I may neglect my laundry for weeks a month at a time, but I do consider myself a fairly organized person.  In fact, when I opened my suitcase in front of my friends the last time we were in Vegas, they were appalled at how organized my packing was.  (Refer here for my travel organization tips.)

However, even the most organized girl will sometimes accumulate clutter.  Clutter I cannot deal with, which is why I could no longer function with the sad state of my "every day" make-up drawer any longer.  This particular drawer is full of products I rotate on the daily.

Thanks to all the traveling I've done in the past 6 months, which led to switching products back and forth between make-up bag and drawer several times over, I accumulated the hot mess you see on the left below.  I didn't even realize how much stress this drawer was causing me every day until I spent $5 and 5 minutes to fix it.

I bought the compartments from The Dollar Tree, which helped organize my make-up into 7 different sections: lips, eye shadow compacts, eye shadow pots, foundation/primer, powder, blush/bronzer and eyeliner/mascara.

The red circular tin and the red baskets were each $1 .  The clear and blue tubs were 2 for $1.  

I bought a glass votive for $1 and used wax beads (similar to these) that I already had on hand to organize my brushes:

It literally took me 5 minutes to dump out my drawer and put this together and it's already made a world of difference by cutting down on the time it takes me to get ready.  You wouldn't believe how long it took me to riffle through that hot mess of a drawer trying to find the particular foundation I wanted to wear for the day or the right eye shadow brush.   My only regret is I waited six months to spend the $5 and 5 minutes to do this.  Sigh.  Live and learn, right?

I'm not here, I'm over there and there!

Hi friends! I had a very busy Sunday yesterday shopping, organizing and painting.

I am going to dish all about the above later this week, but for now I need to send you over to two blogs I'm guest posting at today.  These are two girls I love and you if you don't read their blogs already, you need to!  Trust.  May I direct your mouses to ....

 Belle in the City 

where I'm revealing my 8 "most-worn" items

and 

 Raines and Shines

for my must-have make-up items.  

Go check-check-check them out!

Five Friday Faves

Hidey Ho Neighbors (Home Improvement flashback anyone?)! Only a few more hours until we can bust out of our places of employment (unless you are a SAHM in which case your work never ends) and relish the freedom that only comes from the glory that is the weekend.  Amen.

Before I get into some Friday Faves, I want to thank every one who voted for Beth and Mandy to win the free trip to Europe that I posted about last Friday.  Unfortunately, they did not win, but they did come in third place, which isn't too shabby. Regardless, so many of my readers voted for them and they (and I) appreciate the time y'all took to support them!  I've said it before and I'll say it again, my readers are the BEST and thank you so much!

Moving right along ...

I have a random list of faves today, but nonetheless, I am sharing.

My favorite grocery store find of the week is cooking star Giada de Laurentiis' pasta sauce available at Target.

Giada de Laurentiis Pasta Sauce - prices vary by Target store

I bought the roasted garlic flavor and used it over pasta this week.  It was the best canned sauce I've ever used.  In fact, recently out of more than two-dozen A-lister food products (including products from of Emeril Lagasse and Mario Batali), her Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce took home the prize for pasta sauce “Best Buy”.

My favorite nail polish of the week is e.l.f. essential nail polish in Lilac for only $2.

My favorite UPS delivery of the week? The Conair Xtreme Instant Heat Hot Rollers I ordered on Amazon for $29.97.  I can't wait to try these out this weekend and tell y'all what I think.  These are the same ones that hair goddess and Real Housewives of Orange County star Gretchen Rossi uses.   Tell me she doesn't have the best hair ever.

via

My newest favorite coffee creamer is  International Delight Cinnabon flavor.  Coffee that tastes like a warm cinnamon roll?  I mean ... yes.  Just yes.  

And last but not least, my favorite online deal are these Kendra Scott earrings from Gilt for only $28!  If you haven't signed up for Gilt, you need to.  Just go to their site by clicking here and sign-up for your free account. Once you sign up, you get instant insider access to today’s top designer labels at up to 60% off retail.  It really is that easy!  Today they have a wedding shop going on, so all you soon-to-be wed ladies should check it out.

The end.  Have a fabulous weekend!

7 Summer Beach Bag Essentials $25 and under

Since the Summer temps are almost upon us, and I just got back from a tropical Hawaii vacation, I thought I'd share some of my must-have beach bag finds all for $25 and under!

1 / 2 / 3 / 4a / 4b / 5 / 6 / 7 

1. Fekkai "Summer Hair" Beach Waves Spray - $25
This tropical smelling spray gives your locks the perfect tousled, "spent all day in the ocean" look. Fekkai has never let me down. 

2. Maybelline Baby Lips w/ SPF 20 - $2.99
I've already touted about my love for this lip balm here and I'm back again to swear it is a "must have".

3. Clinique Lash Power Mascara - $15
Clinique makes one of my favorite mascaras and this version "lasts through rain, sweat, humidity, tears".  My blonde lashes need this in their lives.

4a. Neutrogena Ultra-Dry Sheer Touch Sunblock - $9.99
This dry-touch sheer formula is perfect for your facebecause it's not overly greasy.  I never wear anything else on my face!

4b. Fresh Cooling Body Mist Sunblock - $8.99
It gets HOTTTTTTT in Texas and I mean hot. I love that this sunblock cools as it protects.

5. Xhilaration Pink Wayfarer Sunglasses - $12.99
I got a pair of pink sunglasses identical to these, but from Francesca's a few weeks ago. Every time I put them on, I am automatically in a better mood.  Put on a pair of pink sunnies and tell me you don't instantly feel summery

6. Merona Woven Black Floppy Hat - $14.99
I wore this to float the river last year and after I had a slight tumble down a mini water fall, it had a sad death. I immediately went to Target and got a new one. I can't layout without this floppy hat shielding my face from the harmful sun.

7. Marley Lilly Monogram Wine Koozie - $19.99
I don't own this, but I need to.  How cute is this?  And monogrammed?  I spy a birthday gift.

And that makes seven. What are your summer beach bag essentials?  Tell me in the comments!

My Celebrity Doppelgänger is ...

I am linking up with my girl Raven to show you which celebrity I get compared to most often. I've heard Michelle Williams (don't get it) and train wreck Tara Reid a few times in my day, but without a doubt, the celeb I get told I look like is none other than reality star turned fashion designer and fellow blogger Lauren Conrad.  Take a look-see at our side-by-sides to judge for yourself:

Ever since the days of Laguna Beach, I've been #TeamLauren and of course the girl is gorgeous, so I am completely flattered when any one tells me that I look like her.  Since we are "twinsies",  it's only fair we become besties too.  What do y'all think?  Let's make it happen ladies.   

Weekend Wrap-Up: Cinnamon Roll Waffles, Gymnastics and a Beauty Bar

You know all that Martha Stewart-esque stuff you pin on Pinterest and then forget about?  Well, I finally made something this weekend that I pinned ....

May I introduce you to Cinnamon Roll Waffles?

Easiest breakfast ever and my nephew loved them (as did Aunt Lindsey)!  You literally only need cooking spray, cinnamon rolls and a waffle maker.  Spray the iron, put one cinnamon roll in the middle, close the top and less than a minute later, it is done.  Ice while warm and serve!  Yum, yum in my tum!

I was a competitive gymnast for 14 years, so on Saturday mornings I drag Reese to gymnastics so he can follow in his Auntie's foot steps.  I'm kidding about the drag part because he absolutely loves it, which brings a smile to my heart. He is the only boy in the class.  Such a ladies man that Reese.

Saturday night was "ladies night" (although when you are single, every night is ladies night), and 8 of us girls went to dinner at The Porch, which is one of my favorite places to dine in the Big D.  They have the best artichoke spinach dip and pork chop.  The food is legit.

After dinner we trekked down the street to the self-proclaimed hipster bar called The Beauty Bar, a recommendation from our waiter.  How I had never heard of this bar, I do not know.  Clearly I don't get out much but I thought the concept was genius.  The decor theme is 1950s salon.  Think glitter walls, vintage furniture, and real, antique dome hair dryers as seating.

There is a DJ and a dance party, so we had some fun here and I definitely want to go back.  They even have a $10 Martini & Manicure Happy Hour from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.  Yes, please.

There are "sister" Beauty Bars in several other major U.S. cities, so see if there is one by you and have a ladies night out with your best betches!

I need YOUR HELP in a bad way.

By now you should have read about my bestie Beth on the blog a time or two.  In fact, I blogged about our upcoming Charleston trip last week.  Refer here.  Well, today I have BIG NEWS!  She is in the running to win a FREE trip to Europe.  I did not stutter. A FREE TRIP TO EUROPE. 

Butttt .... she needs OUR help and it's the easiest help you could ever offer.  All and I literally mean ALL you have to do to help her win a free trip is "like" her nomination picture on Facebook.

You don't have to do anything else. I'm begging all of my amazing followers to take one second to click one picture and you could help Beth win a free trip.

Please, please, please!!!!!!  Here is how ...

Click THIS LINK and then simply click "like". 

Wam, bam, thank you mam!  Voting ends Monday so act quickly pleeeeeasssseeeee.    If everyone who views this post today votes, she will WIN!  And she has promised all of you European key chains!  Who can turn that deal down?  

Thank you so much in advance.  Have a great weekend and may the odds be ever in your favor.  I had to.  

Happiness is ...

 ... Sunday night bubble baths.

Messy buns

A good Happy Hour 

A clean kitchen

Mexican Food

a sweet puppy with a floppy ear

Cupcake wine

Best Friends in Vegas

A grown-up Zac Efron

Bravo (or any reality) TV:

New dresses (all bought on sale):

Cereal for lunch

Getting lost in good books

and of course, my precious nephew.

 What makes YOU happy?

Review: e.l.f. Flawless Finish Foundation and All Over Color Stick

It's been a while, but I'm happy to report that as a result of my latest Target trip, I have two new e.l.f. products to dish on: The e.l.f. Studio Flawless Finish Foundation ($6) and Essential All Over Color Stick ($1).    

I wasn't sure what to expect because foundation is something you definitely don't want to skimp on in my opinion.  I mean, no one likes the girl with the orange jaw line, right? Plus, I already have a favorite foundation living happily in my make-up bag, (L'oreal Infallible) so why fix what isn't broken?  Well, for only $6, I just couldn't resist the urge to at least try it out.

Here are my thoughts ...

The packaging was pretty & I love a pump dispenser. Check and check.

Since I'm so pasty that I could easily be mistaken for Powder, I purchased the lightest shade: Porcelain. 

The coverage is medium to full, which is my preference when it comes to foundation coverage:

Product shown on my hand. 

And here is how my face looks with the foundation (no PhotoShop or editing of any kind).  Everything about this foundation reminds me of my fave foundation, but is half the price.  I'm sold.

Oh, what is that rosy hue on my cheeks you ask?  Why, it's the "All Over Color Stick" in the shade Pink Lemonade.

Product:

Here is a swatch of the product not blended and blended (using my fingers):

A little goes a LONG way with this color stick, which can be used to highlight your cheeks, brow bones and lips.  Personally I wouldn't put this particular color on my eyes, but that's me.  I've used it on my cheeks and lips and love the color.  Another tip - do not apply the stick directly to your skin. Use a light touch and a finger to apply and blend.

There you have it friends.  Two more slam dunks from e.l.f.  If you've tried these particular products, what did you think?  If not, will you try them?  Leave your thoughts in the comments.

p.s. Right now e.l.f. has a promo for $10 of a $30 online purchase using the code "TAXREFUND" by 4/16.