Random...But Cute!

This school year I have to pilot a Dell Tablet that I was given to use in my classroom. I have been working hard trying to figure out ways to incorporate it into my lessons, but after teaching for 8 years, and all my work that I have saved on my desktop, it has been hard making the transition from my normal PC to the tablet. I definitely love the tablet though! With that said, I knew I had to have a stylish carrier for it so that when I lug it around, I look cute! LOL Here is one I recently found at Target (where else?) for a steal, at only $9.98! They also had one with a blue stripe. It totally looks like a clutch and I love it:)

**Disclaimer: I could not find the actual carrier that I bought on Target's website, so the link will just take you to ALL of Target's media cases.**



LOVE

Gift Ideas for a New Baby: What I Brought to the Hospital

At this point in my life, I feel like all of my friends are past the getting married stage and on to the having babies stage (I'm 30 if you're wondering). I have several friends who are expecting right now, and my sister just had her second child last month. Does anyone ever feel like they have no idea what to bring, gift-wise, to the hospital? Here is a list of gifts I put together for my friend, Jen, who just had a baby boy (her baby boy is featured in the blog previous to this one!)


Sweater Onesie: Target

Frame

Gift Card

EOS Lip Balm: Target



Russel Stover's Truffle Balls

1.) Sweater Onsie: A simple and cute gift for the baby is a must-have! I love this piece because he can grow into it and the style is timeless.
2.) Picture Frame: Parents spend a ton of money on those oh-so-adorable newborn pictures. A frame is always a great gift to give, as they probaly won't have much money left to buy many frames once they pay for the actual pictures. LOL
3.) Lip Balm: A small goody for mom:) You can never find your lip balm in the hospital with all of the chaos and excitement of vistors, doctors and nurses coming into your room at any moment. This is a great gift that mom can keep on her nightstand when she is in the hospital with baby. You could also get her a great lotion too. (I bought her the lip balm in sweet mint. It's like a breath freshner and lip balm in one! My fave!)
4.) Gift Cards: Once mom has been cooped up in the house with a newborn for several weeks, she will most likely want to venture out and do some shopping (even pick up a Starbucks) once she and baby are up to it. A gift card gives her a reason to do just that. And who doesn't LOVE Target?
5.) Candy: I was going to do gourmet cupcakes, but the bakery I went to was out, so I opted to get some candies from my local Russel Stover's store. I even slipped in some chocolate-covered oreos for her two older kids...and mom and dad:) Between meals at the hospital, mom and dad, and their other kiddos, if this isn't the first baby, can snack on such goodies, and even offer some up to visitors. But I wouldn't want to share:)

Hope this post gives you some good ideas as to what to take a new mama! Happy shopping!!

Welcome Max...

Congrats to one of my very best friends, Jen, on the birth of her third child, Max. He is simply perfect! "Aunt Annie" cannot wait to meet you tomorrow! Much love to Max's mama and daddy, and to his older siblings, Norah and Ben. What a beautiful and blessed family of 5!

XOXO-

Andrea

My Make-Up Regimen

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Sharing my make-up regimen was something I felt was important to do. Everyone’s is so different and personal, and I most likely do a few things different from the majority of people (or maybe not). All of the items listed are make-up items I use every day. I love make-up; that is probably not a surprise to most who know me, and maybe to some, I wear a lot of make-up, but that’s okay with me. I like the way I look and have been wearing pretty much the same amount of make-up since I was in junior high. With that said, here is what's in my make-up bag.

1.) Bare Minerals Correcting Concealer-$20: I use this concealer in Tan 1, and fell in LOVE with it from the moment I first used it! I was searching for the old Bare Minerals concealer that was a powder form and couldn’t find it in my local Ulta store. To my surprise, the friendly saleswoman said Bare Minerals wasn’t really making it anymore and showed me the liquid correcting concealer. I was a bit iffy as to trying it, but when the saleswoman told me it covered up a burn mark on her face, I was sold! And it covers-really covers! I love it!

2.) Bare Minerals Foundation-$27: I use the foundation colors Medium Beige and Medium Tan (medium beige is my winter color-medium tan is my summer color). I started using Bare Minerals foundation several years ago. I was skeptical at first, as I did not think simply using powder could do/cover what liquid foundation could do/cover, but it did! I go back and forth between BM foundation and MAC foundation. I like both, but prefer the BM. Why? I like the lightness and the coverage and my skin stays pretty breakout-free, which is a HUGE bonus! Also, I can get the BM foundation in a matte, and it really prevents a lot of shine as my make-up wears throughout the day.

3.) MAC Blush-$21: I love MAC! I especially love their blushes and eyeshadows, and am pretty partial to them. I use MAC blush in Sweet as Coco and have not strayed from this blush for years now. It’s a beautiful color that lasts and lasts! I seriously buy it maybe twice a year, so you definitely get your money’s worth.

4.) Covergirl Perfect Blend Eyeliner-$4.50: I love black eyeliner. I used to always use brown because I thought black was too much, but I switched quite a few years ago and love the look of black eyeliner. I should probably state that I am not a fan of liquid liner because I prefer the ease of a soft crayon. This is always my go-to black liner.

5.) Stila Smudge Crayon-$22: This item is my new obsession! After seeing it on The Small Things Blog (check this blog out-she’s amazing!), I have fallen in love! I love a thicker line when I am applying eyeliner and this crayon is so easy to use. I have the crayon in Smoke, and will definitely be purchasing it in Black, too. You could even use this crayon as actual eyeshadow as well; it would just feel more liquid-like, if that makes sense?

6-7.) MAC Eyeshadow-$15: These two MAC eyeshadows are by far, my favorites! I have been using them for at least five years, and rarely do I stray from them. I probably need to branch out a bit; change is good, right? LOL With the shade,Tempting, I always get the brown look I am going for, and it looks fabulous paired with my black Covergirl liner. The Satin Taupe pairs really well with my Stila crayon, and makes for an awesome smokey eye if I want to jazz things up. I am definitely partial to my MAC eyeshadows and don’t really buy other brands. They really just don’t compare.  Additionally, MAC eyeshadow lasts forever! Another bonus in my book J!

8.) Revlon Lip Butter-$6: I love a glossy lip. I definitely need to branch out more when it comes to lipstick, as I tend to wear pretty neutral colors. I wear the Revlon Lip Butter in Crème Brulee. I like the way it glides on and is glossy enough all on its own. It has a great color and lasts for a while, but is not a color-stay lipstick. I would definitely be open to trying other colors of this lipstick.

9.) Victoria Secret Beauty Rush Lip gloss-$7: I have been using this lip gloss for longer than I care to take time to remember. I simply LOVE IT! It smells amazing, it gives you a glossy, but not sticky feel, and it tastes good too! I have one in my desk at work and two in my purse. My favorite color/flavor is Mocktail, but I also love Grapefruit Blast and Strawberry Fizz. I know, it sounds like gloss a 12 year-old would wear, but I swear, you will love it! I often put the Mocktail over my Revlon Lip Butter.

10.) Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturizer-$9: Simply put, I love this moisturizer because it is odorless, doesn’t feel heavy, and my skin can breathe. I don’t like looking shiny at the end of a work day, and I think I have less shine because I use this product.

I hope this helps if you’re looking to add some special items to your make-up collection. I use a pretty good balance of higher-end and drugstore brands. I am not rich, as my teacher salary can only get me so many items! LOL If you have any questions about any of the products, leave me a comment.

Best,

Andrea

Stay Tuned...

I am not a spokesperson for Birchbox. I just really love it so far!

I REALLY wanted to get in a post this  past Sunday about preparing for the work week (fashion-wise), and will definitely get to that this coming Sunday, 8/25, so look for that this weekend! Also, I just want to give a heads up that I will be blogging my make-up loves later today (what make-up I wear everyday, brands, etc.) if that interests you, so STAY TUNED! I will also post about the items in the August Birchbox. And you haven't done so already, go to Birchbox and put in for your invite! If you love make-up, skin and hair care products as much as I do, you will LOVE Birchbox! More to come! For now, I must grade grammar assignments-booo!! lol

Best!

Andrea

Sunday Matinee

I am not planning on using my blog to detail my life, although if something cool pops up, I think I will definitely share. With that said, me, my mom and my sister saw Lee Daniel’s The Butler this morning. It was amazing, simply put. I am always amazed at how insane our country’s history is. We have definitely come a long way. I just felt really moved by how the story gave viewers a glimpse into a remarkable man’s life and how he was able to endure and overcome anything. The movie was inspiring, eye-opening, devastating, funny (really funny at times!), and overall, just beautifully done. I cried at the end, as in my eyes, everything came full circle for Cecil. What a great man. I know I will be thinking about this film all week. There’s my two cents, anyway. I urge you to check it out!

Here Goes Nothing...

I think for many, the decision to start a blog stems from wanting to get their name out there for one reason or another. Photographers, make-up artists, hair stylists, and so many more professionals, and even non-professionals, have blogs these days. I am definitely NOT trying to promote myself in any way, as I am not a brand or a name of any sense in the business world. For me, I am just a creative person who loves to share my ideas and likes. The reason I decided to start a blog is because I needed something, other than social media, to document and share things that I love, such as products, style inspiration, teaching ideas, thoughts on baby products, etc. I love Pinterest and my pins and boards allow me to really showcase who I am and what I love, but as far as writing about those loves, a caption doesn’t really do this girl any justice. So after thinking long and hard about it, and reminding myself that there’s a good possibility that no one will even read my blog, I decided to take the plunge anyway. The truth is, I really don’t care all that much if I don’t have thousands of people subscribe to this blog. This blog, for me, is an outlet. I love so many things and I have so many ideas, that I hope that you, as a reader, can find something here that you love too, or an idea that can help you with your style, beauty, or even in your teaching career. Again, I am not an expert, but I know what I like. And after having people compliment my style or ask me where I got the idea for my daughter’s first birthday, I thought, why not share? So here I go. I am ready to share my two cents because after all, it’s what I love!

Best XOXO,

Andrea