Go to makeup

     Summer is winding and so I have found myself soaking up all thats left.  Trips to the pool, doing 
     my morning workout outside, going out to get ice cream, and summer makeup is all still on the 
     agenda.  Don't get me wrong though, I am SO excited for fall, as it is my favorite season! But 
     because I am still in summer mode I thought I would share with you my all the products I have 
     reaching for to create my go to look.  I hope you enjoy! 
 
     When it comes to foundation I rarely change it up.  I am very faithful to the Covergirl Outlast 
     Stay Luminous Foundation (I am in the color 820: creamy natural). I like my foundation quite 
     dewy because I tend to have dryer skin and a matte finish just doesn't work for my skin type 
     plus I feel like my skin looks more glowy and natural.  For concealer I have been using the cover 
     stick by Maybelline. This stuff is really thick and full coverage.  I find it lasts way longer than 
     some of the others I have used in the past. I use the color light beige which is slightly lighter than
     my actual skin tone.  I find that this helps brighten up my under eye area. 
     The bronzer that I have been reaching for the most lately is my Chocolate Soleil by Too Faced
     which (bonus!) actually smells like chocolate!  I really like the matte finish and I find it really 
     blendable, which can kind of be a hassle with bronzer sometimes. 
     It's no secret that my favorite spring/summer blush of all time is Full of Joy by MAC it is THE 
     perfect baby doll pink with just a hint of lavender.  It makes the face look so dewy and fresh and 
     I just think it should be a staple in every girls collection. 
     On to my favorite part, highlight! I received the OFRA You Glow Girl highlighter in my August 
     Ipsy bag and I got so excited because I saw it reviewed on Rachhloves YouTube channel 
     (the girl knows about highlight!) and I really wanted to try it.  It is no joke and has quickly 
     become one of my favorites.  I have been using it almost everyday and it just gives the most 
     beautiful glow to the high points of the face.  I will definitely be repurchasing it in the full size 
     when I am finished with the sample and I highly recommend it to all of you!
      When it comes to eyes I have been keeping it really simple.  I have been loving the NARS 
      eyeshadow duo in the shade Alhambra.  They are so pigmented and really easy to work with.  So 
      what I do is take the gold shade (on the right) and sweep it all over my eyelid then I just take a 
      little bit of my bronzer and pop a little bit in the crease to add a little bit of definition.  I then use 
      the champaign shade on the left and put a little bit underneath my brow bone and in the inner 
      corner of my eye. After my eyeshadow has been applied I take a brown liner (from Covergirl) and
      line my upper eyelid, then I smudge it out.  I also use it to line the rim of my bottom lid.  I think 
      the brown really complements the gold toned shades plus its really soft.  I find that for me, black      
      liner is often too harsh for an everyday look. 
      
     Last but not least are lips.  Lilac Flush by Maybelline has been my go to color.  It's such a 
     beautiful shade of pink and it complements the blush I've been using really well.  It's also really 
     moisturizing, which is always a plus.  I just put a little bit on my lips and then really rub it in with 
     my fingers to give it a sheerer look.  I think it looks a little bit more understated this way. 


Well that's it, guys, just pop on some mascara and you're done! Overall I think this look is really simple and perfect for soaking up the remainder of summer! I hope you all have a blessed week! 


My Dining Room Tour



Hello everyone! Today I thought I would share with you one last little peak into my apartment.  I've had a lot of fun doing this little series and I really love making our place personal to our family.  I hope I have encouraged you to do the same.  Enjoy!



Here is a small overview of my dining room.  I love the idea of always having a bouquet of fresh flowers in the center of my table but I find that these faux hydrangeas are much more practical and I love the white against my white table.  Speaking of my dining room table, this thing is my DIY pride and joy. When Bryan and I first got married his supervisor at the time gave us this set for free.  At that time chalk paint was starting to become a thing so I decided to give it a try and four years later I am still loving it. I love how it's chipped and scuffed, to me it's perfectly imperfect. Also, I wish I would have pictured it but the legs on both the table and chairs are painted a sea foam blue color to give it a bit of a twist and contrast.  The wall hanging in the background is inspired by the one hanging in Serena van der Woodsen's house from the show Gossip Girl, which I was obsessed with a few years ago.  As you can see it's not finished.  I still need to add the arrow and the milage on it.  I keep promising myself I will get around to it someday and I would really like to, I just need to find the time. 


Right behind the table we keep this little buffet cabinet that I painted white and here is a little close up of what's on top. The cake stand was a gift from my mom, which she got at Hobby Lobby.  The vase on top is from Ikea and the ombre bowls are from Anthropologie.  This recipe book was an intended Christmas present for my mom until I found out that my sister-in-law had already gotten it for her!  I ended up keeping it for myself and I thought it was too pretty to not display.  I eyed these adorable measuring cups for a long time before I finally bought them and contrary to what my husband thought at the time they get a lot of use!  I don't think Anthropologie carries this exact set anymore but they always have cute alternatives like these here!


Over here is a picture of my brother and his wife on their wedding day, such a great picture! I got this really pretty frame at Hobby Lobby.  I honestly don't know what that glass thing is to the left of the picture but I just thought it looked nice haha!  Then to the right of the picture is a stack of tea cups and saucers that I got from a little shop back in Oregon.  I don't drink tea but I still couldn't pass them up, I think they are such a pretty shade of blue! 


This is my other book case that houses all of my light colored books.  The sign resting on top is something I made from a shelf from our old tv cabinet that broke in our move. You can always find ways to repurpose old and broken things! 


More faux hydrangeas! This little collection of children's stories by J.R.R Tolkien is just the cutest!  They are actually my little brothers that he is currently keeping at my house.  I have yet to read any of them but I fully intend to! 


I got this little cup with a succulent in it at a little farmers market on Orcas Island this summer.  They were being sold by two kids that were so cute and I thought it was such a great idea!  I also chose the one with the chip in it because I thought it added to its charm. 



Here is a little peak at what's on the shelves.  At this point they need a little bit more love. 


Last but not least is our little chalkboard wall.  I love to write scripture and little things that will help inspire us daily.  Down below is a little tray where we put our keys but it has basically become a catch-all for a bunch of other random things. 

and that's about it!  I view the home as a place of rest and peace and so making something that both my family and our guests can enjoy is something that is really important to me!  I hope you all enjoyed and I hope you have a great week as you get ready for the weekend! 







In Christ Alone

I am going to start this post off by asking you a question.  

How do you identify yourself?

Do you identify as being black or white? asian or hispanic? Are you thick, thin, somewhere in-between? Do you identify as lower class, upper class, average? Are you athletic or completely lacking of such abilities? And the question of the year, are you a republican, democrat, neutral, private party?  I could go on all day asking simple questions about how you identify yourself and why it's important to you. 

The reason I ask is because as I look around myself I see a nation and a culture going through an identity crisis, quickly dividing through a sense of wandering.  

Not for one second do I want you to read this and think that your background, ethnicity, eye shape, body shape, talents, or accomplishments are not special or important.  The things that make us different are the very things that make us beautiful and unique and it's so wonderful.  In fact sometimes I sit and think about God looking down on us and I imagine how very heartbroken he must be at our division.  He created diversity for it to be celebrated and we have tainted it by becoming so consumed by it.  We have become so self concerned and closed off to those who don't fit into our circle of identity.  So where do we find our common ground?

The thought of writing this post came to mind about a month ago but I knew I wasn't ready to write it yet so I prayed.  I prayed that God would give me a vision and give me the right words to say and I only hope that my words will bring Him glory.  In my time of prayer the phrase in Christ alone kept coming to my mind and I haven't been able to shake it for the entire month leading up to me writing this today.

Have we become so mixed up in creating our own identities that we have forgotten who we are in Christ?  I think that in our pursuit to "find ourselves" we put too much value in the very things that are fleeting.  Our weight, talents, skin color, finances, political affiliation, they are all fleeting and fleeting doesn't satisfy.  When a part of our identity comes up short and leaves us feeling empty and unsatisfied I believe that it leads to frustration and ultimately to division because it has become a false sense of security and its a part of us we feel like we have to defend.  Its so exhausting isn't it?  Searching and fighting and defending and more searching. Its a vicious and endless cycle.  

in Christ alone 

What a weight to be lifted off our shoulders when we remember who we are in Christ.  What a weight to be lifted when we realize that in the time of our searching we were already found.   When we recognize our identity in Christ we can drop everything.  every. little. thing. at his feet and be filled.  When trials come, when people question you, when hurtful things are said you stand firm because there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  

When Christ died on the cross he paid the price of sin and death so that we could live in complete freedom and this, friends, is our commonality.  Our common ground is found through streams of crimson that were shed for our redemption.  On that day Christ humbly showered grace and deemed us worthy in his sight and no one can take that away from you or from me.  

So we celebrate the gift of diversity without letting it define us, for we are defined by something immeasurably greater. 

I encourage you to start recognizing your victory in Christ as well the victory that He has given to those around you.  I firmly believe that this recognition will make a difference.  It always begins with Christ.  





My Living Room Tour!

Hi guys!  I realize it has been a long time since I have posted on here but I am back and decided to finally continue the tour of my apartment!  I went back and fourth about posting this because I wanted to wait until we got new sofas since I despise the ones we have now buuuut....we now have a little girl coming in December so we had to put them on the back burner for a little bit while we prepare for her arrival!  My main problem with them is that I think they are too dark so my plan is to replace them with a lighter color like a soft gray or blue (that will still be kid friendly).  But for now they will have to do!  I hope you enjoy! 


So this is what it looks like when you first walk into our living room.  I have to say for an apartment it feels very roomy in here!  That also may be thanks to the two large windows that let all this great natural lighting in.  Natural lighting is so rare in apartments!  We also have this cute little faux fireplace which makes the winter feel really cozy.  


This is a close up of our first sofa.  Both the pillows are from Target and I got this throw blanket when we first got married at Pier 1 Imports.  I love this floor lamp from Target  because I think it adds a modern element.  I am really into mixing modern with kind of distressed, shabby chic elements right now.  The picture on the wall is from Hobby Lobby and I got it on sale for like eight dollars!  I didn't get a close up of it but it's a picture of the Eiffel Tower and it has the phrase Oh La La written over top in gold lettering.  You can also see the dish towels laying on the floor in the corner.  My daughter is so into laying them out and then hopping from towel to towel and I totally forgot that they were there.  #momlife 


Here's a quick peak at my other sofa.  I love this cute little pillow. It's from the Oh Joy! collection by Joy Cho for Target.  I am not sure if it's available anymore but here is a link to some of her other cute things!

Whats on my mantel?


Here is a quick overview of the mantel, which is probably my favorite part of our apartment!  The banner is from Target but I got it a few years ago.  I think it was part of one of their valentine's day collections.  They always come out with cute new ones so keep your eye out!  I can't wait to find one for fall! 


Here is a little close up of whats up here.  Both the faux flowers are from Hobby Lobby and the picture is something I painted a few years ago.  The bunny and the little fox are also from Target (are you noticing a trend here?) The vases are a flea market find and they are sitting on two books, Anne of Green Gables and Heidi, which are from the puffin bloom collection and are my absolute favorite. I love beautiful books! 


In the center is one of my favorite pictures of me and my beautiful mamma on my wedding day.  That was such a special moment (happy tears!) The vase next to it is actually a little apple juice container that I saved after my daughter drank it.  I thought it was so cute! Thats a wine stopper sitting on top, which I stole from my mom.  


Over here we have more books, The Little Princess, Comedies by William Shakespeare, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.  On top of the books are some dishes that I found while we were in Ireland a few years back and the lightbulb has sand from the beach in Florence, Oregon which is where I grew up.  The picture to the right is one of my all time favorite pictures of my daughter, Ezrah! 

What's on my coffee table?


This is my coffee table, which used to be blue until my daughter got nail polish hand prints all over it.  So I decided to paint it white which I think I will distress more in the future.  The vase and the geometric thing, (as I don't know what else to call it) are both from Hobby Lobby.  I am really into succulents right now too.  They are so cute!  The book is Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, also puffin bloom and the coasters are from Anthropologie.  

What's on my bookshelf?


This is a view of the top of one of my bookshelf.  I have yet another stack of book, Jane Eyre (one of my favorite, favorite books!), The Secret Garden, and Peter Pan and a candle from Bath & Body Works.  Can we just all take a moment and appreciate the fact that fall candles are already out?  I honestly can't remember where I got the lamp from but the flower is from, of course, Hobby Lobby.  The bottom picture is a picture of Notre Dame I took while I was in Paris many years ago and the picture on the wall says Abide in Him, which I painted a few years back.  Yes, that is the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars (you have to let your husband have his thing) I actually really love it too, it's a blue tooth speaker that my mother in law got for my husband and we actually use it on a regular basis.  I'm not sure where she got it but you can find similar things at Bed Bath & Beyond.


Because of my OCD this is the bookshelf where I keep all of my books with darker covers.  I will show you my "light" bookshelf when I do my dining room tour! 


More books!  I'm trying to collect all the Nancy Drew books but I am a little behind.  On top there I keep my favorite daily devotional, my Bible, and I am currently re-studyting the book of Hosea and that bottom book correlates with my study.  That is one of my little brother's senior pictures which he hates but I love LOL! 



So this isn't technically my living room and this picture quality isn't that great but I thought I would share it anyway.  This is what you see when you first walk into our place.  I have always wanted a picture wall in my home and this huge wall was the perfect place to do it!  These are all just a combination of pictures of my daughter, things I painted myself, and things I found at Hobby Lobby.  I also got some seriously good deals on some of these!  The little lemon in the black frame that says You're my main squeeze I got for like five bucks!   The MVP also goes to the macarons on the top right, they are so cute! 

Well that is all for now!  I will be back with more from around my house later!  I hope you enjoyed :)