House Updates {Spare Bedroom}

I've posted a few pictures of the spare bedroom before but I wanted to show you the new couch and throw pillows. I feel like they make such a difference and the room is really coming together. Definitely still a work in progress, but BIG improvement!

Pumpkin   |  Gather   |  Plaid
I'm also obsessed with this entire collection at Target. Look how cute these pumpkins are for fall! Also, I'm seriously eyeing these throws to add to the room. Right now you can save 10% with the code: FALL. Also how cute is Bentley?? :)

Beautiful flowers from my hubby :) Also, don't mind the cords from the blinds or the black cord that goes to the lights outside lol! 
This room is a mishmash of my getting-ready area, my desk, and my craft supply home lol. It has a little of everything! 

Of course I have a few owls in here as well! 




More pictures of the backyard to come! Mark did a bunch of work back there this weekend.

Confessions



I confess...

We've already gone through a giant bag of Halloween candy and purchased another one... then we opened that one too. Darnit!

Halloween hasn't even happened and I'm already excited about Christmas music, movies, and decor. I'm crazy, I know.

I'm planning on going to Disneyland at least twice in the next two months, because once at Christmas time just isn't enough lol.

I'm obsessed with scary, page-turning books. My current obsession is The Kept Woman by Karin Slaughter.

I bailed on Hell Week this year at Orange Theory Fitness. I've done it the last two years but this week is just so busy, so I cancelled last minute. I'll still workout there for some of the week but won't make it all 7 days. I actually did the workout on Tuesday and it KICKED my butt, but in the best way possible. I definitely cursed the crazy rep count while I was doing it but felt great after. :)

I'm already working on my Christmas shopping list. Don't worry, I didn't buy anything yet. Just want to get a head start on some creative ideas for friends and family. I seriously LOVE gift-giving. It's even better than receiving gifts.

We've watched a Halloween movie almost every day this week and I am LOVING it. I hope my future kids love a good theme as much as I do lol :)

I have been in the crafting mood lately. I've made a couple things that you can see here in my post from last week but I want to make something else this weekend. Any ideas??

I'm on the hunt for some new tall brown boots. I've worn mine to death and they actually hurt my feet now. Everything seems to have a heel or be above the knee, I don't want either. Ugh! Anyone found some good deals on boots lately???

The Espresso Cream Latte at Coffee Bean is my new obsession. It's so stinking good!

I am so disappointed by Lancome's new mascara, Grandiose Extreme Mascara. It's so clumpy and awful. I keep hoping that it will dry up a bit and work better. The original Grandiose mascara is 100x better.

Weekend Recap {Haunted Harbor Cruise}

Party on Wayne!

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend. We were pretty busy but I also had some much needed downtime. The weekend started on Friday with watching the Purge Election Year. Ugh, I don't know why I watch these kinds of movies. SO creepy! I would much rather watch Halloweentown haha. It was fun to hang with my buddy Greg though!

Saturday morning, I went to my friend Dina's yoga class at the Museum of Man. It was super neat to do yoga under the giant dome and I really wish I would have taken a picture! She did such a great job. Afterwards, we had breakfast at the Corner Draft House. I had the short rib hash and it was so yummy.



After breakfast, I went straight to the airport to pick up Mark and we ran some errands to get the rest of our costume. Later on, we headed to meet the rest of our group for some dinner before the Haunted Harbor Cruise. It ended up being a blast and everyone's costume's were great. Will was a HUGE hit in his T-rex costumer and people took pictures of him all night. :) So funny!


I love these people!




Sunday was a day of errands, meal prepping, and boring tasks around the house. I was able to get everything done which always makes me feel like I'm starting my week off on the right foot! I hope you all have a great day :)

While the boys watched football, I made nachos! YUM!

Five on Friday {New goodies}

Happy Friday everyone. This was the world's longest week and I am craving some down time. Mark comes home this weekend and we have a couple fun things planned. YAY! I'm linking up with some of my favorites today. Check out their blogs- September FarmThe Farmer's WifeA. Liz AdventuresCarolina Charm, and Hello Happiness.

Let's get this Five on Friday started!

Cookbook Giveaway

buy it here

I won a cookbook giveaway awhile ago and completely forgot about it. Well today when I came home from work, there was a package on my doorstep. I had no idea what it could be, so when I opened it, I was pleasantly surprised to see the cookbook I won! I am so excited about this because I always LOVE new recipes and we are definitely trying to eat healthier. Paleo dishes are an easy way for me to cut the bad stuff out of my life because I can still eat delicious food! 

I'll give you guys a full review after I make a few recipes. :)


Hallmark's Movie Schedule


The Hallmark channel just released their holiday movie schedule and I couldn't be more excited. I know, I know... we first need to get through Halloween and Thanksgiving before even thinking about Christmas. I love this time of year for all of the holidays and I'm not skipping those to get to Christmas. I just LOVE the cheesy movies on the Hallmark channel and I can't wait to watch them all! Who else is with me??

I Did It Again...


So I was off the Erin Condren train and now I'm back on. I ended up ordering the horizontal life planner because it looks WAY easier to write in than my current vertical planner. I'm unsure of how I'll use planner stickers but at least when I don't, it will still be functional. I feel like using the stickers becomes an obsession... I know, I am seriously the lamest person talking about this right now but it's fun for me lol. I'm sure I'll figure it out but in the mean time... how cute it my cover with the rose gold foil???

Fall Decor


I've been super into DIYs lately and I'm hoping I can find a little time this weekend to work on more. I did a few projects last weekend and I'm pretty happy with how they turned out. My mom gave me the idea for the painted mason jars. She added burlap to hers and some cute lettering, but I wanted to try something a little different.  It took 3 layers to make the jar opaque and the chalky paint was a little hard to work with.  I really liked the end result though! 



I saw this adorable idea on Pinterest of painting a pumpkin and using a hot blue gun to make lettering underneath. It seemed so simple so I decided to give it a go. Well, it was harder than it looked but I really think it was my glue gun that made it so complicated. The glue kept globbing up, making it hard to make fluid lines. I even burned one part of the pumpkin lol! Whoops. I used three coats of paint to cover the entire pumpkin and had to do several touch-ups.  If you don't get too close the pumpkin looks pretty good :) 

To see my other pumpkin craft ideas, click here


Fall Candles


The other day, I was looking through my collection of candles and realized I don't have any fall scents. I knew I needed to make a trip to Bath & Body Works but in the meantime, I was at Target grabbing some random things I needed. I stopped when I saw the candle display and I was reminded of how much I LOVE the candles from there. I grabbed Maple Pumpkin Souffle and Pumpkin Gingerbread. YUM! You can't beat the price tag and the candles last a super long time. 

The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis


buy it here


My book club just read The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis and I really liked it. This book is so different from anything I've read lately! I don't even know how I found the book but it ended up on our book list. The girls loved the synopsis from Amazon and wanted to read more.


Darby McLaughlin is an awkward homebody who is desperately trying to mold her life into something that will please her rigid mother. In doing so, she finds herself in the unknown territory of New York City. Her mother has pre-booked her a several month stint in the Big Apple at the iconic Barbizon hotel. This is to get her through secretarial school and then back to her hometown. The hotel is a place for young aspiring models, secretaries, and editors to live and network in the 1950s. It was a cutthroat hotel or dormitory of sorts, that pinned women against each other and created intense rivalries between the various women.

Soon after her arrival at the Dollhouse (as the hotel is nicknamed) Darby meets Esme, a talented singer and wild young maid. Esme opens Darby's eyes to the world beyond small town America, and the cliquey Barbizon hotel. She encourages Darby to break curfew, sneak around, and do what makes her heart happy, not what satisfies her mother. Soon, life will take a tragic turn for both girls and will force Darby to make a decision.

Flash forward to current day New York City, where a journalist named Rose, is living in the same hotel but it has now been converted into condos. Rose uncovers juicy details about the iconic hotel and can't help but dig deeper into the lives of the fascinating women who once lived there. Is there more to this old hotel than just the glitzy models and dark stories told in Sylvia Plath's book? Rose is going to find out whether they like the intrusion or not.

Also, this is Fiona Davis' debut book and I think she did an incredible job! I love that it flashes from the 50's to current day New York City, but does so in a way that makes sense and follows a timeline. Head out and get this book asap... you won't be disappointed, I promise!

Weekend Recap {Ethel's 89th B-day}



Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! My mother-in-law, Lauren and brother-in-law Chase were in town to surprise Grandma Ethel for her 89th birthday. We had a pretty low-key weekend and it was just what I needed. I was able to run errands, clean my house, have lunch at the Public Market, go to church, and host a Lash Bash on Sunday night. So fun! Here are some pictures from the weekend...

Saturday morning quiet time on the front porch :) 






Our first wedding was here :) 



I was feeling crafty this weekend so I painted some mason jars and added in some fake fall flowers


Our "Lash Bash" to celebrate the new product- Lash Boost! 


Have a great day!

5 Ways to Decorate Pumpkins

I am the world's worst pumpkin-carver. Nothing ever turns out how I want and I've cut myself too many times to count. That being said, this year I want to do something different. When I started searching for inspiration, I found so many cute ideas.  I thought I would share them with you, just in case you're carving-challenged like I am :)

Chalkboard Pumpkins

image via

I think these chalkboard pumpkins are my favorite. I love that they are in pastel colors and are super neutral. The glue-gun lettering is genius too! I can't wait to make these! 

Button Boo

image via

This is so cute! I love the idea of using buttons because I have a ton of random buttons. I don't have very many the same color though... I wonder how multi-colored buttons would look. I love the ribbon on top too. Such an easy way to jazz up a pumpkin! I also think it would be adorable to use the buttons to make the shape of a bat. You could print out a picture of a bat and use it as a stencil on the pumpkin. 

Glitter Makes Everything Better


As a teacher, glitter is my worst nightmare, but as a crafter, I LOVE it. Glitter just adds a little touch of excitement to any project! Am I right??  The gold glitter on that black pumpkin looks amazing but I don't know how easy it would be to accomplish haha. The polka dots are totally my jam too!

Metal

image via

These thumbtack designs are another great way to spruce up mediocre pumpkins. I love that they are easy to use and really modern with the metal touch. I think I want to do a white pumpkin and spell out thankful. How cute would that be??

Characters


image via
Mark and I are going to paint our pumpkins like Disney characters. I am so excited! I also found this idea to make a simple Mickey head. I LOVE the use of two small pumpkins for the ears and the fact that this doesn't require tons of skill haha. Mark is the real artist so we will see how our painted pumpkins turn out. Any tips??

Bonus 6- Candle Holder

image via
Okay one more because I can't stop looking at these cute decor ideas. This one is amazing and would look perfect on the stairs in front of my house... it just takes a little more effort and supplies.  The Creative-versa tool that she used to cut the top of the pumpkin looks pretty awesome as well. As I said above, carving/ cutting are not my strong points so I could really use a tool like that.  :)

I'm linking up with some of my favorites today. Check out their blogs- September Farm, The Farmer's Wife, A. Liz Adventures, Carolina Charm, and Hello Happiness.


Have a great Friday!

Spooky Books for Fall


I have been so into thrillers and mysteries lately and this time of year makes me want to read them even more. I compiled a list of some of my favorites including books I want to read, and also some not-so-scary books for people who don't want to be terrified haha. If you have any to add to my list, please comment below!

Books I've Read:

All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda
This is my favorite book I've read so far this year. I have raved about it so much that you guys are probably sick of it lol but I'm obsessed. It's about two missing girls over a ten year period. The story draws you in and keeps you guessing until the last minute. I have a book over-review all about it, click here to read it. 

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica
I recommend this book to everyone because it's a relatively fast read but so good. The end was leave you speechless! I love when you can't predict what will happen and this also includes a love story. Best of both worlds right?? Here is my book over-review.

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter
This book is super creepy and totally freaked me out. That being said it was soooooo good! Don't read it if you're home alone though! The book is based on a series of murders that a woman ends up uncovering after she finds hidden documents and files on her husband's computer. What she needs to find out, is how involved he is in these murders. I don't want to tell you much more, just go read it! 

Books I Want to Read:

The Kept Woman by Karin Slaughter
I loved the last book I read by Slaughter so I was so excited to see another just came out. This one is on my must-read list. 

Synopsis from Amazon: 

With the discovery of a murder at an abandoned construction site, Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is brought in on a case that becomes much more dangerous when the dead man is identified as an ex-cop. 
Studying the body, Sara Linton—the GBI’s newest medical examiner and Will’s lover—realizes that the extensive blood loss didn't belong to the corpse. Sure enough, bloody footprints leading away from the scene indicate there is another victim—a woman—who has vanished . . . and who will die soon if she isn’t found. 
Will is already compromised, because the site belongs to the city’s most popular citizen: a wealthy, powerful, and politically connected athlete protected by the world’s most expensive lawyers—a man who’s already gotten away with rape, despite Will’s exhaustive efforts to put him away. 
But the worst is yet to come. Evidence soon links Will’s troubled past to the case . . . and the consequences will tear through his life with the force of a tornado, wreaking havoc for Will and everyone around him, including his colleagues, family, friends—and even the suspects he pursues. 
Relentlessly suspenseful and furiously paced, peopled with conflicted, fallible characters who leap from the page, The Kept Woman is a seamless blend of twisty police procedural and ingenious psychological thriller -- a searing, unforgettable novel of love, loss, and redemption. 

The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison

Synopsis from Amazon:

Jodi and Todd are at a bad place in their marriage. Much is at stake, including the affluent life they lead in their beautiful waterfront condo in Chicago, as she, the killer, and he, the victim, rush haplessly toward the main event. He is a committed cheater. She lives and breathes denial. He exists in dual worlds. She likes to settle scores. He decides to play for keeps. She has nothing left to lose. Told in alternating voices, The Silent Wife is about a marriage in the throes of dissolution, a couple headed for catastrophe, concessions that can’t be made, and promises that won’t be kept. 

The Lake House by Kate Morton

Synopsis from Amazon:

Living on her family’s idyllic lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, inquisitive, and precociously talented sixteen-year-old who loves to write stories.

One midsummer’s eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest child, eleven-month-old Theo, has vanished without a trace. He is never found, and the family is torn apart, the house abandoned.

Decades later, Alice is living in London, having enjoyed a long successful career as a novelist. Miles away, Sadie Sparrow, a young detective in the London police force, is staying at her grandfather’s house in Cornwall. While out walking one day, she stumbles upon the old Edevane estate—now crumbling and covered with vines. Her curiosity is sparked, setting off a series of events that will bring her and Alice together and reveal shocking truths about a past long gone...yet more present than ever.

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

I've heard a ton of buzz about this book but I haven't read it yet. It comes up in every fall book search so I guess it needs to be on my list. It's an interesting concept, so I am definitely intrigued. 

Synopsis from Amazon:

In this tightly wound, enthralling story reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s works, Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. The sky is clear, the waters calm, and the veneered, select guests jovial as the exclusive cruise ship, the Aurora, begins her voyage in the picturesque North Sea. At first, Lo’s stay is nothing but pleasant: the cabins are plush, the dinner parties are sparkling, and the guests are elegant. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, gray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a dark and terrifying nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard. The problem? All passengers remain accounted for—and so, the ship sails on as if nothing has happened, despite Lo’s desperate attempts to convey that something (or someone) has gone terribly, terribly wrong…

With surprising twists, spine-tingling turns, and a setting that proves as uncomfortably claustrophobic as it is eerily beautiful, Ruth Ware offers up another taut and intense read in The Woman in Cabin 10—one that will leave even the most sure-footed reader restlessly uneasy long after the last page is turned.

Not-so-scary-but-still-goes-with-the-halloween-theme books :)


Dark Witch by Nora Roberts

This trilogy is super light and easy to read. It has a spooky vibe because it's about magic but nothing that will terrify you. Nora Roberts' books always include romance and these don't disappoint in that department. Definitely a great fall read! 


I love the Harry Potter books and I've read them over and over again. Even though the plot isn't based around Halloween, anything with wizards and magic falls in that category for me. If you have kids, the illustrated version would be so fun to read aloud to them. My favorite is the third book but you should read them in order. 

Weekend Recap {R+F Convention}


I spent this past weekend in Vegas for the Rodan+ Fields Convention. It was a whirlwind of sessions, parties, LOTS of information, and time with my business partners. This weekend truly made me realize how incredibly lucky I am to be apart of this company and to work with such amazing people. Not only does this company create an opportunity to work on your own terms and to build a life you could have never imagined but they also give back to the community in such a BIG way. During the time we were at convention, the consultants together donated over $523,000 for buildOn.  BuildOn is an organization that helps to empower urban youth through community service and mentoring programs. We actually got to hear from some of the students and holy moly, so touching! Rodan+ Fields then matched our donation and we donated over 1 million dollars. Seriously amazing!

They also announced our new product that will launch to customers on November 2nd. I am THRILLED about this product and used it for the first time tonight. I can't wait to see my results!

I have a ton of pictures from the four days at convention. Picture dump in 3, 2, 1...


the doctors :)





Sorority sister turned business partner :) 





One of our hosts... Andy Cohen!


the Gala


Meghan Trainor is so beautiful! 
Team party