My Daily Face

My daily face isn't anything fancy. I've been using BareMinerals since girlfriend was swirling, tapping and buffing on QVC. And, I'm pretty sure that I've worn the same shade of brown eyeshadow since 7th grade. I held off on the Naked palette for so long because of the price but its honestly worth every penny. Clearly, you can tell which color I wear every single day.


I use coconut oil as my facial moisturizer.

ELF eyelid primer: A must when using oil on your face. This primer works just as well as more expensive primers and its only $1!

Hard Candy Glamoflauge concealer: Best. Concealer. Ever. It's definitely worth the trip to Walmart. You use such a small amount so it will last you a while. I was skeptical because its only $6 but it does serious work on your face.

Bare Minerals Foundation: Most days I just use this to set my concealer. If I'm going out, I do a full face of foundation.

Bare Minerals Warmth: Bronze bronze bronze, all over the face and décolletage.

Bare Minerals Blush: In Vintage Peach.

Bare Minerals Eyeshadow: In Bahamas. It's a Glimmer, so it's very shimmery but a really fine powder. I use it all over my lid and up to my eyebrow. It's really neutral and pretty and doesn't look as bad as I'm making it sound! I swear!

Naked Palette: Buck all over my eyelid. A little bit of Darkhorse in the crease.

Sephora Collection Nano eyeliner: In coffee. Set with a little bit of Darkhourse from the Naked palette. Love this pencil and its only $5!

ELF eyelash curler: THIS IS ONLY $1. And it's my favorite curler I've had! One. Dollar.

Benefit They're Real mascara: Loveeeeee this mascara. It has a comb wand and the formula is creamy/pasty VS watery. If you want to try it out first, Sephora's birthday gift this year features a sample size of the mascara.

ELF eyebrow gel: Taming the eyebrows has made a difference in how I look. I can't rock a heavy eyebrow without looking angry so it's great that this is clear. Again, it's ELF and its only $1. No need to spend more!

Benefit Moon Beam: Just a little bit on my cheek bones, under the eyes.

Bare Minerals Buxom lipgloss: In Samantha. Not pictured, sorry!

I use brushes from Bare Minerals, Sephora and ELF. I have some other makeup for when I'm trying to look fancy but this is what I typically what you'll find me in. I'd recommend all of it to everyone. Lol.

DIY: Photo Coasters

This is one of my favorite projects to make. Relatively easy and they're a great gift, especially if you need something for the person that has everything!


This particular day, I made a set of coasters for my best friend who had just moved into her newly built house. A lot of time, coasters are a small overlooked necessity so I figured I'd make them for her. After a little Facebook stalking, I sent the 4 photos to Target to be printed.

To do this project you will need:

4 4x4 tiles, easily purchased at Home Depot (I use tumbled Travertine)
4 photos of your choice
ModPodge (I prefer Matte)
Cheap foam paint brushes
A clear spray sealer (I prefer Matte)
Small felt circles (used for the bottom of furniture feet)

Start out by trimming your photos to fit your tiles. Take your time doing this! Make sure that the subjects are centered while you're cutting. The first couple of times I did this project, I ordered 2 of every print just in case I made a mistake. They're $.19/ea so it was no big deal at all.

Next, cover the top of the tile with a thin, but decent layer of ModPodge. Carefully place the photo down on the tile, ensuring that the photo is centered, with the same amount of tile all the way around it. After all 4 tiles are complete, let them dry for 10 minutes or so.


Then, you're going to apply the ModPodge on top of the tile and the photo. The picture will look like it has a white film and you will be sad, maybe a little confused. But, have no fear. The ModPodge will start to dry and clear up. Apply 3 layers of ModPodge to the tiles, allowing 20 minutes drying time between each layer. Be careful about the amount of ModPodge you use! Too little will ruin the surface you're creating over the photo and too much will cause bubbles. You dont want it! A medium amount, applied with a steady hand yields the best results.


After all three layers are applied, move them out of harms way and let them dry overnight. You do not want any tackiness before you spray the sealer.


Lay the tiles out and spray them with your clear acrylic sealer. Allow the first round to dry and then spray them again. I know this seems like overkill but this will prevent condensation from leaving a mark or ruining the surface.

After your sealer has dried completely, flip them over and apply the tile felt pads to the back. You dont necessarily need these but it will prevent the hard tile from scratching or denting the table they are on.


Stack them, wrap them and give them away. The recipient is sure to love this easy but impressive gift!

You Glow Girl: Oatmeal Body Scrub

(Yes, I just said that)


Spring and Summer are (hopefully) on their way and that means you’ll be showing more skin. Hey, girl, hey. The winter can leave you hairy (sorry, hubs) and scaly but as the weather warms, it’s time to slough it all off. I cannot believe that stores charge (and THAT PEOPLE PAY) so much money for something that you can easily make at home, with natural ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen. This is my Coconut Oatmeal Scrub. Oatmeal has anti-inflammatory properties and it’s great for even the most sensitive of skin. It’s moisturizing, contains natural cleansers, helps to treat eczema, rosacea and other skin rashes. And coconut oil is, well, miraculous.

Ingredients
½ cup raw oats
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup white sugar
½ coconut oil, melted

Directions
In a food processor or a blender, chop the oats until they are small in size but not too fine, as you do not want oat flour. You want them to be small enough to fit down the drain, if they have to.
Combine the sugars and the oats in a bowl.
Pour in your coconut oil and mix well.
Use immediately or store in an air tight container. I keep mine in a Mason jar. Of course. ;)

You could leave the white sugar out if you want it to be a little less exfoliating. Because Coconut oil is solid, you might have to run your jar under hot water for a few minutes before you use it. That will loosen the oats a little and make it easier to get the scrub out. Also, if you use this in the shower, be sure to rinse the tub really, really well. I don't want to be the one that makes you slip and fall!

Throwback Thursday: Things You Shouldn't Say to a Pregnant Woman

Originally posted November 17, 2012

I don't know what it is about us pregnant women but it seems like we turn everyone into an expert, a doctor or a Class A Asshole.

I will not lie. This time around, I am absolutely miserable. I am HUGE, I can't sit for too long, I can't stand for too long, I can barely walk, I've got stretch marks, a triple chin and I just cannot shake the exhaustion. I refuse to get into the details of the crazy shit that is going on with my body. However, despite all of this, I continue on with life. I spend my day acting as if I am skipping though daisy fields, hiding the fact that I want to tear everyones damn face off. (Did I mention that my hormones are completely out of control?)

Some of the things that have been said to me have left me at a loss for words. I wouldn't say half of them to anyone, even if I was completely joking.

Wow, you are so big! No shit. This is the last thing a pregnant woman wants to hear. Especially when her maternity clothes are starting to get a little snug. I am not lying when I tell you that the Director of HR came up to my desk and said, "OMG!....ERIN!" Yes, I'm a beached whale, thanks for the reminder. And yes, there is only one in there. And yes, I know she's going to be big. And yes, I'm aware that it looks like I'm smuggling a watermelon.

You STILL haven't popped yet? Oh, yeah, this big belly is just a fake. Surprise! Come on. I am counting down the hours at this point. If YOU feel like it's taking forever, how do you think I feel?

Should you be drinking that coffee? I must have missed the MD on the end of your name. I already have a OBGYN though. Thanks anyway!

Are you going to have an episiotomy? You're going to breastfeed, right? Are you going to breastfeed? Are you going to have an epidural? You're not going to have an epidural, are you? You should stay home. You're going to go back to work? OMG, STOP IT! You're making my head explode! And why are you, a stranger, asking me questions about my vagina?

Your life is over. Clearly, you know nothing. I already have a child and my life didn't end then. It's certainly not going to end this time. I will just have a fan club with me now, wherever I go.

Oh honey, you've got some varicose veins. Just shut up and finish my pedicure.

Can you see why I want to gouge the eyes out of anyone that crosses my path? I am incredibly blessed to pregnant with a healthy baby girl. I am grateful for that, do not get me wrong.

You know what you SHOULD say to a pregnant woman? "You look great", even if she doesn't. And make sure you're handing her a cupcake while you're saying it.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

This was a cleaning-the-cabinets kind of dinner. I thought about stuffing the chicken breast with pepperoni and mozzarella but that was a little more work than I wanted to do this afternoon. I knew I had to use the chicken breast in the next day or so. I opened the cabinet and saw the beans and salsa. The rest, as they say, is history.

I serve this with plain white rice but my son prefers to eat it with whole wheat scoop shaped tortilla chips. Whatever works!

Ingredients
1.5 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 15oz jar of chunky salsa, any heat level
1 15oz can of black beans, rinsed
1 15oz can of corn or frozen, whatever you've got
1 tbsp of taco seasoning (I make my own)

Directions
Put chicken breasts into crockpot
Pour jar of salsa over chicken
Pour can of black beans over salsa
Pour can of corn over black beans
Sprinkle taco seasoning evenly over everything
Carefully use a spoon to push all ingredients together without moving the chicken You want everything combined and covering the chicken
Cook on low for 6 - 7 hours
Shred chicken with forks and stir well before serving

Like I said, you can present this over rice. Use orzo if you or your family aren't big fans of rice. You could also toss 2 cups of cooked rice/ pasta into the crockpot right before you serve it. You could even skip the rice/pasta, peel off a few leaves of lettuce and make lettuce wraps with them. Enjoy!

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope all of you enjoy your day and get the break you truly deserve! If not, I hope you at least get yourself some champagne!

Throwback Thursday: DIY Chevron Crib Sheet

Originally posted November, 11, 2012

It’s hard to not love everything that Pottery Barn Kids has to offer. That goes for Pottery Barn in general, but especially the kids stuff. After ordering a blanket from Etsy, I decided that the grey chevron sheet would be the perfect match for baby girl’s nursery. Everything was going well until the website informed me that the sheet wouldn’t ship until January 23, 2013. Sorry guys, but I’m hoping that she’s at least a month old by then!

So I turned to Etsy. The most inexpensive chevron sheet was $30 before shipping. And I wanted at least two. Yikes. Next stop was Google, where I found Carousel Designs. They have beautiful sheets, in the perfect colors and patterns…but also $29 a piece. I don’t care how much money I have available to me, I just cannot spend $30 on one crib sheet!

After pouting for a minute or two, my Mother in Law suggested that I just make the sheets. “It’s can’t be that hard, right?”

Aside from the fact that I had only turned my sewing machine on twice, ever and that I hadn’t actually created anything with it… SURE, WHY NOT? Carousel Designs also sells fabric. I ordered 2 yards of pink and 2 yards of grey. Oh. Man.

I found a bunch of tutorials online (YAY INTERNETS!) but I used this one, because I think it explains the process the best. I did a test run with fabric I got very cheap at Walmart and somehow, it turned out pretty well! It was so easy and it actually fits the crib. A Christmas miracle!

I started out by cutting the fabric down to 69″ x 47″ from 72″ x 54″. The tutorial calls for 67″ x 45″ but I wanted to give myself extra room, especially because I wasn’t going to measure anything but the initial overall size of the fabric! I also cut it with pinking sheers because I do not have a serger and I lack the patience to fold and pin and fold and sew. Lol.

Next was the edge folding. I eyeballed it but figured I’d give myself about an inch. This was so when I pulled the elastic through, it was easy and I didnt have to worry about sewing too close to the edge. Iron the folded over edge on all sides of the sheet. I then cut the 8″ x 8″ squares from the corners. I unfolded the corners for this step. I probably should have cut the corners first and then pressed the edges over. Oh well. Next time! I then went around and sewed the edges I had just cut, in order to make the pockets for the mattress.

Next, I sewed the little elastic pocket I made with the fold-and-iron technique. I used a zig zag stitch for no other reason than to match the pattern of the sheet itself. Lol. The picture above is the seam of a corner (on the left) where it meets the seam of the elastic casing.

After all of the edges are sewn, you have to add the elastic. I used the safety pin technique that’s in the tutorial. It’s easy but tedious. I used 72″ of 1/4 inch elastic, I had used 80″ in my original test sheet and thought it was a little too much and that it could be a tighter. I bought a 3 yd roll at Walmart for $.97. Once the elastic is through, sew the ends of it together and then close the opening in the casing.

You’re done!

The moment of truth: putting it on the mattress. Woo! It fits! Now it just has to be washed and dewrinkled.

2 yards of fabric: $15. ($7.50/yd)
3 yards of 1/4 elastic: $.97.

Total cost: $15.97. Just about 50% less expensive and it takes about an hour. Love!

If I can do it, anyone can. It’s also given me the itch to DIY a lot of other things. The nursery still needs curtains/ valances. Those cannot be too hard. The grey chevron sheet is up next, though.

Pictures are iPhone photos. Sorry (again)!

Apple Pie Moonshine

Someone gave my husband a mason jar of this deliciousness and we shared it with the family during my sons third birthday party. L o l. We liked it, a lot. 2 days later, we made our own batch! I guess this is technically a hard cider since we aren't distilling the booze Dukes of Hazzard style. But, close enough. There are plenty of variations of this recipe all over the internet. Here is the one that was passed on to us!

Ingredients
1 750ml size bottle of Everclear or 190 proof grain alcohol
1 gal apple juice
1 gal apple cider
1.5 cups white sugar
1.5 cups brown sugar
8 cinnamon sticks

Directions
In a large pot, bring the juices, sugar and cinnamon sticks to a boil.
Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
Once the mixture is completely cool, add the alcohol.
Transfer the liquid to sterile mason jars and divide the cinnamon sticks up between them. We used quart sized jars and it make about 9!

My Redneck wine glass - testing it out.

You can drink it immediately but it's supposed to get better after it mellows out for a couple of weeks. Be careful how much you drink...it can sneak up on you! Slainte!

Throwback Thursday: DIY Horizontal Stripes

Originally posted October 29, 2012

After seeing this pink and white striped wall, I was obsessed with the idea. I figured that the large stripes would be a great way to get pink on the walls without having to commit to all 4 walls. I love me some pink but a whole room of it would be a little overwhelming. After stalking browsing the Pottery Barn website and catalog, I settled on grey and pink.

Like most things I do, I researched the horizontal stripes, to death. A combination of this and this helped me though the project.

I started out painting the entire wall pink because, well, pink is lighter than grey. After letting the pink paint completely dry and settle for a couple of days, I got down to measuring and taping. I did start out with a laser level but the wall was a little bumpy and the laser was only $20. Trust me when I say, this is not the best combination. I ended up just using a box level and drawing lines across the wall with a pencil. Oy. Okay, it DID go pretty quickly and I actually learned how to use a box level! Haha.

The height of the wall, from moulding to ceiling is 93″ so I used the same method as UnskinnyBoppy – 7 stripes, each 13 inches tall, with the bottom one ending up to be 15 inches. Honestly, now that the moulding is on, you cannot tell that it’s larger than the rest. Add some furniture and a cute baby….no one will notice, ever.

I got out my blue painters tape and put it right over my pencil marks. This is where your steady hand and all of your patience come into play! You want to make sure that the tape goes on the outside of the stripes that you’re going to paint with your darker color. That sounds a little confusing. If your stripes are going to be 13″ tall, make sure you’re taping it so that they end up that way. It doesn’t matter if the tape shrinks the stripes that will stay the original color…you aren’t painting those! I also used the painters tape to mark which stripes were NOT going to be painted, just to make it easier for my pregnant brain. Blue tick marks = no grey paint. Got it.

I used a credit card (Sorry, Amex) to smooth out the tape and make sure that it was completely stuck to the wall. The last thing you want is for the paint to bleed through.

THATS IT! PAINT AWAY! If you need two coats (I did), you want to do that as soon as you finish your first coat. Do not let it dry! You risk ripping the paint right off! After your second coat, pull all of that tape right off. Slowwww and steady. It takes an hour to put up and 45 seconds to pull off. It’s heartbreaking!

Now step back and admire your work. Ahhhhhh.

If there was any bleeding or peeling, I would wait until everything is dry before you go in for the touch up. I think that the measuring, lining, taping and painting took about 2.5 hours. The wall is not very big. And if I didn’t have a big belly in the way or Twitter to distract me, I probably could have finished it in under 2. I couldn’t have accomplished anything at all though, without my trusty helper. ;) (The greys are the same color, I swear!)

I’m so excited to get some furniture and linens into the room! My husband just recently put up new trim and closet doors, all in crisp white, which I love. I should also take new photos during the natural daylight. These look so dull and off color. Oh well…..maybe once it’s finished!