things i’d love to learn:

- how to do a proper blow out (especially since i thought buying a crazy too expensive round brush from drybar would just automatically make me a master at this)

- how to use all of the calligraphy pens and ink and felt tip pens and tracing paper and calligraphy paper that i’ve purchased over the past 2.5 years

- how to stop procrastinating on things that literally take 5 minutes (like repotting a plant that has been in the house for a month and i finally repotted today so it could be properly watered)

- how to pack an appropriate amount of clothing for any trip since i always pack at least 12 pairs of underwear, no matter the length of the trip, and it only gets worse from there

- how to give myself a manicure that lasts more than 2 days

another edition of shit i enjoy!

for my body: i have searched for three seasons for the perfect inexpensive faux leather jacket, and i think i have finally found it. this version from target has ribbed fabric on the sides and under the arms that makes it possible for it to be fitted without constricting me. score. i got it on sale but even regularly priced it is under $50. 

i live in leisure clothes, and stocked up on some pieces to try from athleta during the friends and family sale. this wrap pullover is my favorite of the lot and is so comfortable that i often wear it days in a row before realizing i should probably launder it. shrug. 

this camel sweater is thick enough to serve as a faux jacket and is structured enough to be my version of a throwing on a blazer over a tee. it looks great with that striped tee and right now old navy is having a 40% off sale that would make it $27, so it’s a no brainer to purchase. 

i love a good striped tee, and have bought two already this fall from nordstrom, but this one is my favorite. the length + the fabric are aces and the price is fantastic (under $20). the full size run goes in and out of stock, so if you see your size you should scoop it up. 

for my eyes and nails: the anastasia beverly hills modern renaissance palette is magical and beautiful and perfect for fall in every way. if you love warm eye looks then you need to add yourself to the email alert list at sephora when this is back in stock because it’s the best palette i’ve bought in 2016. 

every shade of the OPI washington dc line is gorgeous and perfect for the season (hi, please let me remember to paint my nails ‘madam president’ on november 7th) and i also particularly love ‘yank my doodle’, ‘squeaker of the house’ and ‘pale to the chief’. OPI is buy two, get one free at ulta until saturday. 

for my face and lips: i really like the effect that the dr gross daily peel wipes have on my skin, but $88 for 30 peels is... a lot. i have found that these l’oreal revitalift brightening peel pads do a great job for just $18 (and you can find them on sale at target or ulta quite often). i like to use them in the morning to wipe away any cells that have been exfoliated during the night from my night treatments and prep my face for the day’s lineup of serums and moisturizers and foundation and powders. 

first aid beauty’s 5-in-1 bouncy mask is 1) super fun to say AND use and 2) really does have a long list of positive effects. i like using this right before i get ready for a night out when i want my skin to look extra fresh and also on a sunday night before the week starts. 

the new lipstick formula from mac - the liptensity lineup - looks amazingly pigmented and smooth in every swatch video i watched and i immediately ordered smoked almond to try out. it’s a lovely shade for fall (yeah, i will say this about anything possible) but i can’t wait to try others, especially some red shades for the holidays. 

another gorgeous lip product is jouer’s liquid lipsticks. i have 3 or 4 shades by now (the one in the photo above is petale de rose) and each one lasts for ages on the lips and the colors are perfect and they smell amazing. A+++, will buy every other shade eventually. currently eyeing cabernet. i am also intrigued by the metallic shades. 

for my hair: i had my eye on the drybar curling iron for years (seriously). i cashed in $125 of points at ulta about a month ago (saving those up was torture but SO WORTH IT) and i wish i had bought this instead of the 3 previous hot tools curling irons that added up to almost the price of this one. it is so simple to use and the curls look 100% better. i am waiting on a drybar round brush to show up in the mail tomorrow (apparently my new thing is buying expensive hair things) to see if that will also be life changing in regards to blowing out my hair straight. 

i got a travel size of the bumble and bumbly dryspun thickening spray (another product i put off buying for way too long) in a recent sephora favorite box and it is amaaaaaaazing for giving my hair some texture when i want to wear it more wavy or beachy. 

this new living proof full dry volume blast made me forget about the bumble and bumble for a week after i got it because it is equally awesome. i like to use it with my hair curly or straight and really love it for second day hair. i ordered another can before i’d even finished my first. 

for smelling good and filling my tummy: this product has a dumb dumb name but smells HEAVENLY. i don’t use it on my bum, so no way to tell you if it tightens said bum, but i do enjoy using it on my arms. it’s not glittery but does have some mica in it so there is a subtle glow and, as mentioned already, it smells phenomenal. 

rather than stock up on bath and body works candles so far this fall, i have just bought 10 of these glade candles at target. they have the best pumpkin smell i’ve found in any fall candle this year. they are cheap. buy a ton. 

these premier protein chocolate shakes taste great and are a perfect way to get my day started with a big shot of protein. i have one of these plus an apple and a string cheese and feel full (plus the shakes are just 2 WW points and apples are free and string cheese is 1 point so an entire breakfast for just 3 points!) i like to order them from jet.com because i don’t have a sam’s club membership (which is apparently another awesome place to stock up). 

that time i forgot about this blog

i got caught up snapchatting stupid shit and forgot to share said dumb things with you guys here! i miss this space a little, though, so let’s do a quick catchup before i overwhelm you with links to face creams and lipsticks and jackets you need to buy and reblogging things to help express my outrage at the current state of politics in this country: 

- currently recovering (at least i hope to god i am in the recovery stage) from hand, foot and mouth disease. i recommend this illness to 0% of adults and would even go so far as to suggest exposing any children you may have to it at your earliest convenience as apparently babies deal with this in a pretty chill way which is the opposite of how to describe how i’ve coped with it. ironically, this has been the #1 thing to convince me to get my flu shot (once i’m fully healed) because the memory of having the flu mildly 4 years ago was not enough to convince me but the thought of having a fever over 101 degrees more than once this year certainly is. crossing my fingers that this rash on my hands and feet clears up by the weekend since i spent the previous weekend like a stir crazy hobbit snuggled into my couch hole. 

- my sister moved back down south after two years of living so far away in minnesota! i am so excited that now i can see her whenever i have 2.5 hours to drive over instead of having to wait for one of us to book a flight when they go on sale and then sit on an airplane for 2.5 hours. 

- blake and i booked a trip earlier this fall for us to visit tokyo in the spring for a week (!!!) so i really need to go ahead and get my passport renewed. i’ve also started researching packing hacks and best luggage and travel tips and all that, so i’d love any suggestions from you guys on surviving a 12 hour non stop international flight + one week in a country where i know 0% of the language (though I’m hoping to learn bathroom and thank you at least by the time we leave). 

- i spent an awesome weekend in chicago last week with some of the best ladies! i love that city and am bound and determined to get blake up for a visit next year (after we recover from japan, i suppose). i also got to be a spectator for the marathon (that i was registered for but didn’t run since training went very poorly and stalled out about 5 weeks before the race) for the first time and that was a blast. it definitely had me inspired to train (for real) and run 26.2 again, so i signed up to run the New Orleans Rock N Roll Marathon in February as a St Jude Hero. i am jazzed to get to run through one of our favorite cities (see what i did there? jazzed? new orleans? okay) while also raising money once again for St Jude. 

- pretty excited to get to the end of this work week since we are headed to birmingham/tuscaloosa for a weekend of fun and football with our bama friends, and REAL excited that we get to do it again the first weekend of november except in new orleans/baton rouge. football season is always a little exhausting but so much fun and a perfect way to get to see all of our out of state friends more often than usual. 

i think that’s it. i’m gonna go grab a popsicle and maybe heat up some soup for hopefully one of my last meals of this illness. catch y’all soon. 

Guys, I am so excited to try out the new Bite Beauty Multisticks that came in my latest VoxBox from Influenster! I got the shades Macaroon (a dusty rose that is RIGHT up my alley), Blondie (a nude tan shade that I am excited to try on my cheeks especially) and Cocoa (as the name implies, it is a deep chocolate color that is going to be a fun way to try out this new dark lip trend for fall, but will also be great on the eyes with Blondie). Today I tried out Blondie and Cocoa on the eyes and Macaroon on the cheeks and lips. My initial thoughts are that this is the most I've ever enjoyed a non-powder cheek product since most creams or gels just melt off of my face. I think it is the fact that these are described as having 35% powder in them but apply like a cream that makes them so cool. I did have some creasing on the eyes (even with an eyeshadow primer) but did like the look I was able to achieve with the two shades. I loved Macaroon on the lips and the way it dries to a powder finish gave it a nice matte look that wasn't too flat or dry-looking. I'm going to keep playing around with these but so far they are awesome (and seem like a great deal at $24 each - it's like buying a lipstick that is MEANT to also be used on the eyes and cheeks, so it truly acts like three products in one).

*Note - I did receive these free for review purposes, but in no way will that affect what I think about them :)

What else is jet.com for if not getting a great deal on your favorite protein shake and your favorite lashes in bulk? 

monday randomness:

- we had an awesome weekend full of pizza, watching bojack horseman, and attending a christmas in july party. i definitely feel like i could use another day to recover, though. 

- part of the reason we watched so much bojack this weekend is because we finally (after probably 6 years without one) put a tv in our bedroom recently and it has made lazy, somewhat hungover sunday mornings a LOT more comfortable. i’m loving it. 

- this party was one of our big things we were looking forward to this summer. it made me realized that while it will probably be 90+ degrees for another 2 months, in terms of summer events we’ve had planned that we are creeping up on fall. we have a couple more events planned in town through august, and have the wedding of two of our best friends in austin in two weeks, but i wish we had more than one free weekend that we could use to to just lay by the pool, or go tubing or paddle boarding, or take a day trip to north georgia, or even a beach trip, so that i’ll feel like we really DID summer 2016. 

- with that said, i am literally itching for fall weather and pumpkin candles and the chance to wear all this fall clothing i’ve bought from the nordstrom sale. (related: can someone please block shop.nordstrom.com from my computer and lock me out of the nordstrom app? thanks!)  i think it’s a combination of being VERY ready to stop sweating every time i walk out of the house AND football season returning. 

- ordered this tee in anticipation of said football season returning 

- i keep cycling through a period of eating really well and fitting in my runs and/or workouts and then a week or so of just eating GARBAGE non-stop. i’m wanting to try and move more towards a balanced situation where i eat well something like 17 or 18 out of 21 meals of the week. no “cheat days” but certainly leaning in to some less healthy cravings for a snack or a meal a few times a week. i’m also thinking about trying orange theory to mix up my current routine of running and one spin class or so a week. just need to try something new, i think, to get in a new and more balanced routine. 

- this anastasia modern renaissance palette has been my obsession lately. if you can find it in stock, be sure to snatch it up. i think the pinky/red/rose/orange tones will be gorgeous in the fall.

- read this article today and found it so fascinating. it has been so FRUSTRATING to watch people just accept trump’s hateful and ridiculous rhetoric and bullshit explanations of things, and i thought this way of looking at it was so interesting. 

thanks for allowing me to procrastinate for a bit here on this monday. 

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Picks

christmas is legit my favorite time of the year, but the nordstrom anniversary sale is like christmas in july for me (and therefore is my second-favorite time of the year) so this post is going to be stupid long. this year’s sale has seemed especially good, and i also feel like i’m getting better at identifying the things that i will wear a ton rather than just throwing in some items because i am craving fall clothing (i see you super cute striped sweater with elbow patches two years ago that i bought and thought i loved but wasn’t really that flattering on). 

there weren’t a ton of accessory items or really even beauty picks on sale that i loooooved this year, so i realized i could focus more on the items i needed. for me i have realized lately that my needs include tops (i have like 3 tops that aren’t plain tees or button up flannel shirts), jeans, underthings and booties. i wanted one pair of good booties at least to rotate into my collection. i’ve separated my picks into items i already went to the store and purchased and tried on in the mirror at home and pranced around and maybe even have worn out already and know i love and strongly endorse, as well as items that weren’t in store or that i saw in store and regretted passing on that are on their way to me in the mail, and then items that i’d love to take a look at if they are still around near the end of the sale to space out my insane number of purchases. 

bought and love: one | two | three | four | five | six 

one - LOVE this free people sweater and it is a great price right now. i got green but would love to get one if not two more colors throughout the sale since they will be great for the warmer fall that we have here in georgia. 

two - i actually bought this tank in black but looks like that color is off the webstie right now. this is another top i’d love to get another color in since it is around the price of a target tank right now. i wore this out last weekend and it felt super cute and kinda sexy without really showing anything too revealing 

three - real talk: i hate most bras. i wear bralettes or soft bras a lot of the time, especially now that i’m full time work from home. i have found lately, though, that i need something closer to a REAL bra when i wear nicer things out to events or on the weekends. this bra is like the perfect combination between a soft bra and a real bra. it has no underwire but does have molded cups and also hooks in the back (my biggest problem with bralettes is so many are pullover style and i feel like i’m wrestling my way out sometimes). i think i need this in black as well. 

four - i have been LUSTING over a pair of distressed Blank jeans for a long time, but $88 for a pair of ripped up jeans felt silly. every time i saw them on a  blogger, though, i thought they were perfect. i’ve probably spent $50 on two other pairs of cheaper options that didn’t quite stack up to what i wanted (they were both cut too much like a boyfriend cut which doesn’t do much for me). this is a lighter wash version of those Blank jeans i’d wanted for so long, and for $30 off i couldn’t resist. i have worn these already and love them so much that i’m ready to toss (well, donate) the other two pairs of distressed jeans i tried to make work this year. these are especially great because they are cut more narrowly and are more of a “straight” jean than a “boyfriend” jean. 

five - i don’t think i have to say anything else about how much i (and everyone else who has probably every put a pair of these on) love the hanky panky thongs. i knew they’d have these on sale and saved my nordstrom notes so that i could grab 5 pairs the day the sale started. i am hoping to budget out and grab a few more colors before the sale ends. they are only $13.50 a pair if you buy 4 or more! 

six - this tee looks REALLY cute with a front tuck but also looks good with leggings and is very light weight. the olive striped one is trying to sneak into my next online cart (can you sense a theme with these items i got and love? i want them all in every color.) 

on their way: one | two | three | four

one and two - both of these booties are currently backordered, with the first pair not projected to arrive until late september (which feels like 200 years from now and i’ll probably have almost forgotten i ordered them by the time i get the shipping notification). i have seen the first pair on SO many bloggers’ lists of items to grab from the sale, and they just intrigue me with the cutout details. i am thinking i may like the second pair a little better but we will see. 

three - i touched these lounge shorts about 43 times when i was in store but for some reason didn’t add them to my crazy in store haul. i regretted it basically the next day, and i ordered the black pair. like i mentioned, i’m full time WFH now so lounge clothing and lululemon are basically my total wardrobe. these shorts were SO soft and lovely and i can’t wait to immediately put them on as soon as they arrive. 

four - if you click through to the links on any of this crap, PLEASE do it for these. i don’t know why, but i think the moto detailing with the ribbing on them is SO cute. i usually buy hue leggings during the sale, but decided to try these instead for something a little more interesting this year. 

on my radar: one | two | three | four | five | six 

one - these nikes are at the top of my “oh, you found some $100 bills shoved in an old coat pocket? treat yo self!” list for the rest of the sale. i think i’d wear the crap out of them to the spin studio and running errands but am not sure i can justify a second pair of black nikes when my flyknits are still totally cool (even if they are getting stinkier faster and faster every time i wash them). 

two - i think this kit would be a GREAT way to try out charlotte tilbury makeup at a decent price. i looked through ALL the kits since i am a makeup fiend and most of them i realized i just wanted one item in the palette (like, just the bronzer from the hourglass one or just the highlight from the laura mercier one) but this one i felt like i’d like trying every single item. i have one lipstick by charlotte tilbury that is lovely so that is a good sign of things to come. 

three - again, anything that is on sale for basically target prices that i think id’ like wearing this fall is going to find itself on my wishlist. this dress moved up near the top of my wishlist (which, to be fair, has 102 items on it right now) since it has started to sell out. i am hoping they restock the grey soon but the rust color is pretty, too. 

four - i’ve read that these jeans have some kind of magical suck in your gut technology that i’d love to try. i’m trying very hard to upgrade my jeans and get rid of all the worn out target and old navy pairs that are just kinda meh. i have a GREAT pair of dark flare jeans from the sale last year, one good lighter flare jeans, a pair of gap high waisted skinnies and now the Blank distressed pair. I think one more pair of skinnies could round things out well. 

five - if you don’t have some form of barefoot dreams cardigan/shawl situation in your closet, GET ONE DURING THIS SALE. i have the waterfall front drape sweater from last year’s sale and wear it constantly. it is seriously one of the softest, most lovely things ever. this travel shawl version has caught my eye for a taupe version. yummmmm. 

six - i checked these out in store, and thought they were pleasantly nice and soft for the BP brand and their price, and now i’ve seen a lot of bloggers saying the same thing. they may be worth looking at again if i don’t buy literally everything else on this list first. 

what are you guys buying?

Happy birthday to an outstanding husband and best friend! Looking back on trips all over from the beach to Glendale to Dallas to Birmingham, from cabins to weddings to football games to hiking to Paul Simon to costume parties, and so much more, you've had one heck of a year. Thanks for showing all of us just how much fun 30 can (and should!) be. Here's to an even more amazing 31st year!

monday musings

- as you can see from the gratuitous amount of snapchat selfies above, i finally cut my hair off like i’d been talking about for, oh, maybe 5 months. as life goes, the day after i scheduled the appointment i had a great hair day (for me) so i had to document it in the first pic. the second photos were right after i left the salon two weekends ago, and i have figured out how to somewhat recreate a less curly and more wavy version of her style most days. the bottom right is what i look like most of the last week when home alone though since my typical top knot is a little wee baby right now. 

- i’ve been listening to the new avett brothers album on NPR’s site while powering through some work this afternoon and i am really liking it. who are we kidding though - they could probably put out literally anything and i’d listen to it. 

- that game of thrones episode last night was so damn good. 

- sunset is at 8:51 pm tonight. this is pretty much my favorite thing about summer. it also prevents me from trying to go to sleep at 8 pm. 

-  ordered a purple bike from target today and asked my sister for recommendations on what to name it. she offered up prince which i thought was pretty good. i feel like i’ve been wanting a bike again for at least 2 years, so the sale at target convinced me to bite the bullet. 

- i read 6 books in the last 2 weeks. after taking a break from reading basically anything that was not a blog for 3 months, that has been really nice. i have 4 e-books out from the library right now that i need to finish and then 20 others on my kindle that i’ve purchased this year so hopefully i can make a dent in those this summer. 

current obsessions

FIRST OF ALL - get yourself to target (or their dumpster fire of a website) and purchase this dress. it is universally flattering (i say this based off of a huge sample of 3 people wearing it recently, one being myself, to weddings) and has enough detail to be interesting but can be easily dressed up with accessories. i’m pretty sure target has a cartwheel offer for 10% off women’s dresses right now. 

looking for a subtle way to show your american spirit this summer? go ahead and grab these cut offs from old navy - the pockets show through the distressing on the legs and one side is blue with white stars and the other side’s pocket is red and white stripes. i’ve already gotten great use out of them during the copa america games and plan to rock them 4th of july weekend (because i’m pretty sure i’ll be wearing a different patriotic outfit july 1 - 4 given the timing of the holiday this year.) 

maybe you’re a grown up who realizes their entire shorts collection is made up of denim cutoffs and needs to up their casual warm weather game? i really like these merona shorts from target in grey and olive green (and happened to get them for a STEAL during a buy one, get one 50% off sale on shorts [which is still going on so you could get two pairs for $30!] plus last week there was a cartwheel offer and/or online coupon for 40% off all merona clothing so i got two pairs for $18. i find the grey VERY comparable to a pair of 3″ grey chino shorts i got from j crew a few weeks ago (which, to be fair, i got on sale for about $20 as well). 

i know everyone already knows about hanky panky thongs, but i just didn’t think a pair of panties could be worth 20 american dollars when i could get 5 pairs at target for that much or even 3 pairs of the victorias secret knock offs for like $33. i was wrong - these definitely are. they are so comfortable and so invisible and within a month i think i purchased 10 pairs thanks to finding some deals on them. now i can’t wait for the nordstrom anniversary sale since i’m pretty sure some deal on these is usually included. (also, i tend to favor the original rise but i do have a few low rise pairs to wear with some target jeans that apparently are too low rise for non-low rise underpants). 

i got sucked in by some facebook ad for a t shirt that said “team riggins” a few months ago and have since bought quite a few tees from the website riffraff.com, including this caffeine queen one. they’re my jam for pairing with denim cutoffs while chilling at home or running errands. if you sign up for their emails they send coupon codes and sales quite often. 

old navy really got me good over the past month with their summer releases. i am loving all their high neck tanks and their jersey swing dresses are amazing. i used all my super cash last time, though, on a couple of their cami dresses (well, and another swing dress and a chambray dress). i LOVE this palm print and am really tempted to get it in a pair of shorts or pants also. i also find that the cami dresses are pretty flattering as well and look cute with wedges and big kendra scott earrings or with casual flat sandals. 

i have been so into nude lip products lately and these two are my current obsessions. this matte color called sunday vibes is the perfect easy nude that doesn’t wash your lips out too much, and i feel like the tube reminds me of lipsticks my mom used to use (i think?) the lancome juicy shakers are really fun, and this color is called piece of cake and it smells like birthday cake when you put it on. it doesn’t last for a really long time like the matte lipstick does, but the oil mixture is really nourishing and the smell is worth applying over and over again. 

i’m constantly on the search for the perfect product to give my hair beach waves, and especially so now that i cut my hair short. i still really love the bumble and bumble surf foam spray for when i dry my hair to give it texture, but i love this verb surf spray for encouraging my hair to air dry into attractive waves without it being too crunchy. two thumbs up for this for sure. 

back around mother’s day i ordered a bunch of perfumes from sephora to take advantage of triple points, and this ocean air fragrance oil from the blend is what i keep reaching for lately. because it is an oil rather than a perfume, it lasts FOREVER and i also would love to get some of the other scents from the blend to see what combinations with this smell like. this is a great beachy smelling option for the summer. 

the leaders face masks can be found at ulta for $6, and this anti-aging one as well as the pore perfecting one are two of my favorite sheet masks. i feel like i can actually see an immediate difference in my face and love the way my skin looks and feels after i use them. 

i took a break from doing any reading for fun for a bit, but i have been making up for it lately and have read 4 books in the last week. 3 of them were by taylor jenkins reid, and after i do is the book that first sucked me in from this author. she has a new one that was released last week that i liked as well and i finished another of her older ones last night. i immediately downloaded her 4th book as soon as i finished it. i also read the after party in 2 days. it’s by the same author who wrote the yonahlossee riding camp for girls. i’d say if you like’d that book then you’d definitely like the after party (since i felt the after party was even better). 

much to my sister’s chagrin, i’ve very much jumped on board with the choker resurgence. i love these layered ones that i usually find at forever 21 when paired with a high neck tank or swing dress. no shame. 

i know a lot of you guys have tried glossier lately, and i want to add to the praises here. i really like the milky jelly cleanser, and boy brow is also AMAZING for one step quick brows. my favorite product so far, though, is their balm dot com. the original is great, but i really love the coconut scent SO much. i like that it soaks into my lips and feels like it is moisturizing them rather than just sitting on top of them. get some asap and wear it anytime you don’t have lipstick on (well, or that juicy shaker). 

and lastly, try to find this pineapple candle at your nearest target. it smells amazing AND is cute as hell, plus i’ve seen similar candles sell for 2 or 3 times as much at anthropologie. 

lots of cool crap for you guys to check out. any recommendations for me? great books you’ve read lately? cool new makeup products? favorite pair of shorts or dress since it has been in the mid to upper 90s here for about 2 weeks? podcast recommendations for my daily walks or runs?