[Resume]

I thought it would be fun to give the blog a wee makeover, for a change. (I'm kind of in the mood for change these days)..  Anyway, it was fun, and I enjoy playing around in Photoshop... mostly after midnight, when everyone else is asleep. 

Today Ryan said "So I see your still posting, I thought you were taking a break?"  I replied, "Yeah, I was, and now I'm not."

To me, it was just a bit of time to think about my blog and its purpose, and I guess it didn't take me very long to see what I needed to focus on, so the "break" hardly existed.  Thanks for putting up with the little funk I was in.  

Random stuff....

Tomorrow is wednesday, I like wednesdays.

I need to buy a bigger pan for baking cinnamon buns.

I found out that the World's very best cinnamon comes from Vietnam.

My 2 uncles are traveling in Vietnam right now.

I think they should bring back some of this cinnamon.

I bought a font for the first time! (header, sub-headers) It's called HT Motel. Love it. 

I am having a pedicure with my sister in law tomorrow... I think I'll choose a pink polish.

I gave a 13 year old the prettiest butterscotch hi-lites at work today.

I bought shoes online... 1 pair fits perfect (yay! and their vintage!) and 1 pair doesn't (bummer).

Happy Spring Break! xo

What's in my [makeup] bag..

I love makeup, and I wear it pretty much everyday.  Sometimes I wish I was one of those people that didn't "need" to wear makeup everyday, but I deal with a blemished complexion, uneven skin tone etc, so I prefer to wear it.  I really believe in using great quality cosmetics on my skin, and I thought it would be fun to share with you what's in my makeup bag!

I have brown eyes, and I love neutral colors. The look I go for is warm neutral with a retro cat eye and peachy cheeks. :)

1. Almay Intense i-color shadow

2. MAC "B-Rich" Velvet shadow

3. Kat Von D True Love eyeshadow palette (I use this when I want a bit more color to my look, there's some pretty plum/purple shadows in this palette)

4. Revlon ColorStay Liquid Eye Pen

5. Maybelline "The Colossal" Volum' Express mascara (my favorite!!)

When I wear darker eye shadow, I leave the lips nude with a bit of gloss, but when I do just a light shimmer shadow on my eyes, then I like to line my lips and use a matte lipstick.

6. Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner in Epic

7. MAC Matte Lipstick in Velvet Teddy

8. CoverGirl Wetslicks AmazeMint gloss in No Care Bare

I've tried a LOT of foundations, and I asked for your opinions on Twitter, and thank you to whoever suggested Makeup Forever, because I love their products!! The gal at Sephora recommended it for me as well, so I was sold.  I am waiting to use up my current concealer so I can get the Makeup Forever one!

9. Make Up Forever HD Foundation

10. Make Up Forever Pressed Powder

11. Cover FX Concealer

12. Kat Von D Contouring Bronzer

13. Tarina Tarantino Blush in Parasol (*such* a fun bright peachy pink, and I am in love with the compact too!)

As you can see, I don't really stick to just one brand for everything...

If you could pick your #1 most favorite cosmetic product, what would it be?? I'd love to know.

I'll be back later with a Skin Care post. Thanks for reading, friends. xo

Manicures out of the box.

Just wanted to share two of my new favorite nail trends.  I found photos of the "V-Gap" manicure on Refinery29.  This is such an easy twist to achieve freehand! I love the look.  I think this looks best with dark shades for a vamp feel.

[source]

The other look is the "Halfmoon Manicure" and it's something that ladies were doing as early as the 1930's (or earlier).  It's been said that a large moon (the lighter part at the base of your nail bed) signifies high class, or being very smart.  So women used to paint their nails leaving the moon visible, to show it off! I think this is a classy and vintage chic look.  

I love it with a dark shade on its own, leaving the moon bare, but it would also be fun to try two-tone.  Imagine a glittery gold shade underneath, with a dark navy shade on top! Or go even further and add nail art...

[source]

I had a manicure yesterday, and was determined to try out this look. :) We head to the office supplies store next door to the salon and picked up some regular reinforcements to use as a mask.

Apply the base coat first, and let it dry completely.  Then place the reinforcements at the base of the nail, covering the natural moon of your nail.   Apply 2 coats of the desired shade, and then remove the reinforcements by gently peeling them off from the side.  Once the polish is dry, finish off with a coat of Top Coat, and voila!

(sorry for the poor quality photos, I haven't touched my DSLR in a while...)

the season is changing.

[image from Orla Kiely facebook]

[Can I just pretend that's me in the photo?? This is my favorite image from Orla's SS11 Campaign images... it makes me LONG for summer, for warm days, for sun-kissed shoulders, and heck, even a day at the beach! (I'm not really a beach person, lol) Totally swooning over those sunglasses, and that bag!! okay focus Holly...]

Today the sun is shining, and I'm feeling hopeful.  Here in Manitoba, Spring has taken it's sweet time to arrive, but I feel like it's close. The snow is melting, and the sun's rays are finally feeling warmer. 

There has been a lot of stress in my life the past little while, and I know that the stress has contributed to my lack of inspiration to blog.  Also, I have put too much pressure on myself with the blogging thing.  I think it's because somehow I made it feel competitive, with all the other fabulous blogs out there.  I was feeling defeated when my life, my kids, my stress, and my business were taking up all of my creative time and blogging wasn't coming naturally. I really appreciated all of the comments on the previous post. Thanks so much for letting me know I'm not the only one going through this!  I'm reading through the Blog Love E-Course for the n'th time to help re-motivate, and I've decided to take the pressure off, and make this blog a journal again.  No schedule, no forcing it, just being me, and sharing my life & loves here in my little online part of the world.  

Sometimes a change in seasons is just what we all need, isn't it? In more ways than just the weather.

Thanks again for reading.

[Pause.]

Sometimes we all need a break.

I've been feeling a little funny. Not sure how to describe it.. but the blog world can be easily intimidating, and I feel like I can't keep up.   So many good blogs to read and keep up with, so many things I'm being inspired by, so many things I wish I could post about, so many times I don't have the time to take photos, so many times I disappoint others by not coming through with a blog related commitment.  It's too much right now.  I need to re-group.  I go to blog and I don't even know who I want to be anymore.... you know?  I want to be a mom blogger, a crafty blogger, a photo-blogger, a outfit post wardrobe blogger, a tutorial & DIY blogger, and then I get dizzy from all the ideas floating around in my head and can't figure out what to blog about.  Am I even making sense right now?! haha.

One thing I know I want to be is a REAL blogger. I want to be myself, most of all. So I feel like the blog needs a bit of a break so I can re-focus.  I'll be back once I figure it all out.  It'll be good.

Thanks so much for reading.
xoxo

Date Night

For our anniversary, Ryan & I got to go on a date night!! We were so generously offered childcare so we took to Winnipeg for dinner & dessert. :)

We weren't able to get a table at my first choice restaurant, so I told Ryan we should go to Bonfire Bistro... again! He'd never been there.  We went to Baked Expectations for dessert.. look at my apple cheesecake! It was lovely to have to have a night out. 

[5 years]

Today, we've been married for 5 years..

..and we're still going strong. ;)

I love you Ryan.

xoxoxo

ps: I have no idea how the last photo came about, lol.  We're goofy people.