Friday Favorites

October 30, 2020 No Comments

Holy winter, Batman! It went from 70 to 50 in the course of four hours yesterday and now it is downright frigid. Our backyard looked the most Halloween-ish as the sun went down last night with the wind whipping through the trees. I convinced the boys that they needed coats today which was no small feat. This weekend we are looking forward to a low key Halloween, I’ve got a scavenger hunt prepped with surprises in contrast to Trick-or-treating.

Making Choux pastry this holiday season, with maybe peppermint filling?

On my reading list after watching My Next Guest Needs no Introduction with Melinda Gates.

Cookbooks for the holiday season.

Skillet roasted chicken for dinner next week.

The powerlessness of words.

Well we’ve got our election night plans.

Yoga practice of the week.

Stocking up for winter.

Also on my reading list after watching The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix.

Finally, pajamas on my Christmas list.

Paper Doll, Seriously. Fashion. Love.

Sephora sale

October 28, 2020 No Comments

The Sephora sale starts this Friday, October 30th for Rouge, November 3rd for VIB’s, and November 5th for Beauty Insiders! The Sephora sales are rare, so it’s the time of year when I stock up on products and in the Holiday season I also stock my stocking! So here is what I’m stocking up on for this year!

First, these are all of my refills:

Moisturizer, Makeup Remover, Hair Spray, Heat Protectant, B-Serum, Retinol Cream

All of these are products I get over and over again. I’m pretty loyal product wise, especially when it comes to hair and skin care. It also is because my skin is very sensitive and so when I find products that my skin agrees with I stick with them!

Second are the items I’m ordering for my stocking:

Almost Lipstick, Eye Palette, Mask

Since I’m literally the only girl in my house, I love for my Christmas stocking to be full of splurgy, girly items. Things that I might not normally buy, but B is happy for me to help him with shopping. I’ve been on a kick of finding items I used to purchase and love and one of them is Clinique Black Honey. The Tarte eye shadow palette in Tartelette will be a great add to my collection, it has some more matte choices, and provides a bit of differentiation from what I have now. Finally, I’ve read great, great things about this pumpkin enzyme mask, which sounds perfect for dry winter skin.

Lastly I have several items that I’m going back and forth about. I really would like a new foundation for winter, but I can’t decide between these two:

NARS soft matte foundation or It Cosmetics Better than Skin foundation. I own foundations from both these companies and have had great experiences with both. However, my current NARS soft glow foundation tends to melt a bit by the end of the day, and the it Cosmetics CC cream tends to get a but oxidized as my skin gets paler in the winter. The price point of these is similar, and the reviews are kind of half and half for both. I’m trying to decide which I should test out!

Next, I’m trying to decide between two secondary moisturizers:

I love my First Aid moisturizer, but I do like to have a secondary moisturizer to kind of switch things up. I’ve been trying a sample of protini polypeptide cream, and I really like it, but the price point is high. On the flip side this Sephora moisturizer seems to be a close reboot of what was my favorite Sephora moisturizer that was discontinued. I’m still debating about the one to pick! Happy Sephora sale shopping!

Home Decor, Seriously. Fashion. Love.

Holiday open house

October 27, 2020 No Comments

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Well, one of the most. The late October season is a time when several of my favorite local shops have holiday open houses. This is a time when I get ahead on a bit of Christmas shopping, and collect a few new decor pieces for the holidays. Pictured above are all of the items I purchased from the holiday open house at local shop Sweet Pineapple. If you’ve seen any of my outfit shares you’ve heard me talk about jewelry from Sweet Pineapple. They also have tons of terrific home decor and gift items making it one of my favorites. Here is a close-up of a few of the items, including these lovely art pieces:

These fun ornaments for the boys (they always open an ornament from us on Christmas Eve):

And all the candles I stocked up on for the season:

Sweet Pineapple’s Holiday Open House is happening all week, so if you’re local check it out! If not, you can shop online as well!

Gardening, How was your weekend?, Mini Cupcakes

Pumpkins and daffodils

October 26, 2020 No Comments

We headed out on Sunday to pick our pumpkins…..

At Lowe’s. Usually we go out to a local pumpkin patch, but that wasn’t happening this year. Then we headed home and began cleaning, drawing designs, and carving pumpkins.

It was laid back and the boys even went with the vibe and picked really traditional designs. Which honestly are the scariest pumpkins of all:

And our front door looks so festive!

This was one of my favorite things that I chose for the house. I love the contrast of the black door with the red brick, it just makes everything pop that we put around it. After we finished carving pumpkins, the boys had homework and afternoon sports, so I set to work planting the twenty daffodil bulbs I bought.

I was originally looking for tulips, but they were all out, so daffodils it is! I love planting flower bulbs it’s like the ultimate slow cooker of gardening, ha! I find the best time to plant them is the day after it has rained steadily all day. The red clay dirt here gets very compacted and can be really difficult to dig when it’s dry. I also have a bulb planter that has measurements to show the right amount of depth for the bulbs. And gardening gloves! Super important so I don’t destroy my hands digging in the dirt. I’m so hopefully they grow beautifully in the Spring!

Friday Favorites

October 23, 2020 No Comments

It’s the influx of that fall/summer hybrid where we are waiting for the bottom to drop out and it will be frigid. J is nearing the end of fall baseball, and he has had a great season! We are so glad they were able to play and he’s learned a lot this Fall. In other news, the Sephora sale is coming! Woot! I’m working on my list of stock up products for this round and will be sure to share next week! Now here are some of our favorites!

Styling a sweater dress.

Made this recipe with cod this week and it was excellent!

My hair cut and color inspiration for the week.

I finished book 15 of the Maisie Dobbs series last week and I’m fairly positive I completed all 15 books in 2020. Which could be my biggest accomplishment of the year.

And now I’m reading The Henna Artist.

The fall nail polish I picked up at Target.

That’s your business. If you know, you know.

Finally, vegetable pizza that J and I would love.

Paper Doll, Seriously. Fashion. Love.

Dressing up jeans and a T-shirt

October 22, 2020 No Comments

A discovery I made during the past year. I hate skinny jeans. I mean hate them. Why am I pulling myself into a denim form of a legging that I really just want to not wear as soon as I’m wearing them? Hence my movement into wearing the jeans I actually am fine with, which are straight leg or bootcut. Straight leg I can do with them being a bit shorter, but bootcut have to hit 1/4 inch above the ground and no more. But, I digress as this post is not about bootcut jeans. It’s about straight leg jeans and how I wore them this week:

And yes, I put on shoes! As if I am going out. Which I am not. But if I were, I would wear these. All of these pieces I’ve had for awhile, so here’s the closest match for jeans, cardigan, T-shirt, and shoes. And, I’m also sharing my favorite red lipstick:

This is NARS Cruella. Listen. I don’t usually wear red lipsticks because I find them to be too high maintenance, but this one actually wears well. It’s going to transfer some:

However, for me, it really only came off noticeably if I ate oily food, or put a gloss over it. If you can handle wearing it matte, it’ll stay for a good while. I reapplied once after lunch, and it lasted through the end of the day and a 3 mile run, where it was boiling hot out. My other suggestion would be to get a lip liner to line the outside to prevent feathering.

Favorite Recipes

Slow cooker turkey meatballs

October 20, 2020 No Comments

This is perfect for a Monday where you’re motivated in the morning, but completely unmotivated in the afternoon (which is me every Monday). I served it with leftover salad from the weekend and Rhodes popover rolls. Which according to Prue and Paul Hollywood probably overprooved a bit:

But they still tasted delicious! For the meatballs I cut down on dishes by mixing the meatballs in a bowl:

Rolling them and placing them in the slow cooker:

And then mixing the sauce in the same bowl:

And finally, pouring it over the meatballs:

I cooked the meatballs for about six hours on low and they were perfect!

Slow cooker turkey meatballs

For the turkey meatballs:

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tbs Italian seasoning
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp of kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tsp diced garlic cloves
1 large egg

For the sauce:

28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
15 oz can of diced tomatoes
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp each of kosher salt and black peppers
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions

Mix together meatball ingredients until fully incorporated, but not overmixed or they will get dense.
Place meatballs in a slow cooker (I sprayed mine with canola oil first).
Mix all ingredients for sauce in bowl.
Pour sauce over meatballs.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4, check that meatballs are fully cooked through.

Top with Parmesan and fresh basil and enjoy! A great meal to start out any week!

Paper Doll, Seriously. Fashion. Love.

Make-Up Monday

October 19, 2020 No Comments

My current make-up favorites:

Anastasia clear brow gel

Benefit Rollerlash

It CC Cream in fair/light

First Aid moisturizer

NYX creme brûlée

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow talk lipstick and lip liner

NARS laguna bronzer

Tarte Paaarty blush

Tarte in bloom eye palette

Stila stay all day eye liner in dark brown

Becca highlighter in Champagne pop

Elf wow brow gel in brunette

Sonia Kashuk brushes

And me with all of them on and no filter:

Simple, looks done without being too much for a day where I’m really just grading papers and fielding assignment questions from the boys. Each of these are products that I’d buy again and again. They are long lasting and don’t irritate my skin (which can be pretty finicky). I usually follow-up with spraying my face with rose water mist and then quickly curling my hair with my t3 curling iron and setting it with Bumble and Bumble hair spray. I have my quick make-up and hair routine down to about twenty minutes, I tend to get impatient if it takes longer than that! Happy make-up Monday!

Friday Favorites

October 16, 2020 No Comments

A is 12! He woke up on Thursday an inch and a half taller than he was two weeks ago, and I realized that in about two years both my boys are probably going to be taller than me. A has always been inquisitive, thoughtful, and will eat all the pasta or pizza you have available. In a year where school and let’s be honest, life at times, has been less than ideal, he has shined. He is committed to doing his very best in school, advancing his golf game, and building the next great video game platform. He wants to work in software development with a specialization in computer graphic design, and assures me he will come visit us when he’s grown. We are so glad he’s ours and we can’t wait to celebrate him this weekend!

Open bookcase set-up.

Fall entertaining guide.

Quick podcast on setting holiday intentions.

My new Bible reading plan for the rest of the month.

Book to add to my reading list.

Fall jacket and boots look.

The movement and flow of the spaces we love.

Using our leftover chili to make this dinner this weekend!

And finally, a throwback to ten years ago.

This sweet boy sitting on a bench at what would be his Elementary school for six years. And now he’s in middle school!

Paper Doll, Seriously. Fashion. Love.

Favorite new sweater

October 15, 2020 No Comments

If you know me, you know I don’t like turtlenecks of any kind. And off the shoulder sweaters are some my favorites. This sweater checks all the boxes, and was my Anthroday purchase from a month or so ago. It’s boxy, and the sleeves are big, but it’s got a casual 1990s, 90210 vibe to it. I’m wearing an xs. Paired with my favorite distressed jeans, and Frye booties it’s Fall happiness because it actually feels like Fall this year! The sweater is linked here, similar style to my shoes here, and I looked hard to find a close match to my jeans, and these Madewell ones are pretty close.

In addition to that, I’m loving my Naked Honey Palette eye shadow and Essie Say it Ain’t Soho nail polish, which are a great pop with the neutral sweater!

And my necklace and bracelets (which you can’t really see), are all local from Sweet Pineapple!