Challenge Day 22 - What makes you happy?

Good friends!

Anything chocolate! (and any amazing creation from Bakerella.com)

Food from a local cafe

Lilly and all of her cute faces!

Challenge Day 21 - Favorite Lipstick

This has been the easiest challenge day so far. I only have about four lipsticks so it's easy to pick favorites.

I wear this one during the day. Benefit's Ladys Choice. It's a "same shade as my natural lips" color that goes with every day makeup look. It's not really a nude but it isn't pink either, just a perfect natural lip color that enhances my look. The formula is super creamy so I have to keep reapplying it especially if I skipped lipliner but I don't need additional lip balm. I wear this one at night or when I need to dress up. MAC High Strung. This lipstick is hard to describe. There are gold / silver flecks in the lipstick and it looks pinky/bronze on me. This looks best with a darker eye. It's very drying so I have to layer it over lip balm and usually I dab a bit of gloss over the top.

Challenge Day 20 - Favorite Mascara

I'm not sure what my favorite mascara is. Lately I've been very "blah" with everything I've tried. This has been my mascara of choice for the past year...CoverGirl Lash Blast and most recently I've been using the Lash Blast Fusion. It's good mascara, it doesn't flake, there is great definition and volume, and really I can't complain. I also can't say I LOVE it. I think when my month is up I'm going to search for a new product just to see what else is out there. I've heard good things about Tarte and Mally as well as Maybelline One by One and L'Oreal Million lashes so those are probably the brands / products I'm going to be trying. Again this is a fantastic mascara but I think I'm ready to try something new.

Challenge Day 19 - Favorite Looks from a Beauty Guru

Holiday Look

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Makeup

Sexy Coke! Cherry Coke Inspired Makeup

Challenge Day 18 - Your Favorite Beauty Guru

Marlena aka Makeup geek

Love love love her. She has an awesome personality and explains all the details of her looks so even an amateur can attempt it. I also like that she has similar coloring to me It's helpful when she does her reviews and picks the colors for her looks.

Wordless Wednesday - a real Nemo aquarium

These are some photos I took at an aquarium on the NC coast.

Challenge Day 17 - Fashion Pieces To Buy

Honestly the only fashion pieces I'm worried about buying this year are dresses, accessories, shoes, etc I need for all the bridal fun surrounding my best friends wedding. Oh yes...I'm her maid of honor so I can't be slack this time. There will be lots of pretty things to buy this year. My main item of importance was a hat worthy of the Kentucky Derby themed engagement party her family is hosting in May. I found it today...haha, my first hat buying experience. I really can't wait to wear it with a summer dress and sip mint juleps while listening to the race!

I wish I had other "fashion pieces" to post, unfortunately I never plan out my purchases like that.

Challenge Day 16 - Music I like

Oh my this was hard. I was going to link up some youtube songs and I had a list a mile long. I thought I'd list some bands / artists I enjoy. Adele Led Zeppelin Coldplay Dave Matthews Band Sparta Weezer Sublime 311 Jimmy Buffett Tegan and Sara Imogen Heap Mae Frou Frou Garbage Fiona Apple Pete Yorn The Cure Santigold The killers Underoath Modest Mouse Missy Higgins Death Cab for Cutie Feist The Postal Service Our Lady Peace Coheed and Cambria Nirvana AFI The Pretty Reckless Smashing Pumpkins Paramore The Strokes Zac Brown Band Eric Church KT Oslen General Fiasco Regina Spektor Priscilla Ahn Phew...thats just a few...there are lots more on my ipod. I also like to listen old country, some blue grass, and some reggae when I'm in the mood. I'll listen to beach music anytime, any where!

Challenge Day 15 - Photo of my favorite bracelet

I've shared this photo before. This is my favorite bracelet, it's a white gold bangle that has a very pretty rose engraving on the outside. My dad gave it to my mom for their one of their wedding anniversaries. My mom gave it to me a few years ago and I wear it most days of the week.

Challenge Day 14 - Photo of a hairstyle you'd like to have

Pretty basic long layers but I love this style. My hair is cut similar but it's shorter. Can you tell I'm obsessed with long hair? I miss mine so much!

Challenge Day 13 - Modern Fashion Icons

I already posted some photos of Kate Middleton so these are some additional celebrities whose style I admire.

Audrina Patridge who has really been photographed well since The Hills ended. Jennifer Aniston who is my all time favorite.

Camilla Belle always looks chic in public.

Isla Fisher who doesn't get photographed often but always looks amazing when she does.

Challenge Day 12 - Bag you want to have

This will probably be the next handbag I buy. It's a Kate Spade Spinney Hill Stevie. It will probably be my birthday present to myself.

Wordless Wednesday - What's on my DVR

Challenge Day 11 - Current Fashion / Style that I like

Like most 20 something women my eyes are on Kate Middleton's style at the moment. It's classy and pulled together and very modern "Sloane Ranger".

This is my makeup inspiration for Spring. It's not a new picture of Keri Russell but I adore how fresh faced she looks.

My hair inspiration. This is the picture that's going with me to the salon. I'm still growing my hair out from the great cut of 2010 and I'm hoping to get it to the perfect length by the end of the year.

Happy V-Day

I wanted to share the beautiful earrings that my valentine (my mom!) sent me. They look like loose knots with white gold, yellow gold, and rose gold and I love them! She sent me some Russell Stover chocolates which are definitely not my favorite but it was sweet all the same. Lilly had a special holiday dinner tonight and I made myself some super chocolate brownies (basically the yum yum recipe I shared with added chocolate morsels). I really had a great day, my co-workers and I shared candy and everyone seemed like they were in a good mood. I hope everyone else had a great Valentines Day!

Challenge Day 10 - Favorite Color

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, enjures all things.

Love never ends.

Corinthians 13:7-8

Happy Valentines Day

In the Kitchen: Greek Stuffed Chicken

A week ago I caught the Rachel Ray show and she made this really tasty looking stuffed greek chicken. It looked so good I put all the ingredients on my grocery list!

Chicken breasts

1 T olive oil

1 frozen package of spinach

1 container of feta cheese

salt and pepper

1 t garlic

1 t oregano

1 half onion chopped

1 cup of panko bread crumbs

Saute onion and garlic until soft in olive oil. Squeeze the water out of the frozen spinach and add to the onion and garlic. Add salt and pepper and oregano. Stir in feta cheese crumbles. Butterfly chicken breasts and stuff with the spinach and cheese filling. Place all chicken breasts side by side in a baking dish. Top with panko bread crumbs. Preheat oven to 350* and bake for about 30 minutes or until juice runs clear (I had to bake mine for 45 minutes so it really depends on the thickness of your chicken). Enjoy!!!!

Color Me Beautiful - Hello Autumn!

Recently I was looking online to decide if I should color my hair an ash brown or a rich brown when I went to the hair salon and I found this site - color me beautiful. Apparently it was really big in the 80s / 90s as a way to find what color makeup and clothes would enhance your appearance. Everyone is grouped into "seasons"

Hello Autumn.

Really it just takes into account your skin color and hair color. Apparently I look the best in fiery, earthy, golden and natural colors. I receive compliments in shades of the autumn season such as moss, rust, and terra cotta. Examples of Autumn celebrities include Eva Mendez, Julia Roberts, Marcia Cross, Jennifer Lopez, and Angelina Jolie.

Autumn's have an "earthy tone to the eye color" and either olive, beige, ivory, or bronze skintone. (Doesn't this sound vague). Some no-nos for Autumns are wearing clear, bright colors, pure white, or black near the face. Also we are suppose to avoid all pastels. This site gave me a swatch and colors (all of them I love) and identified me as a "Soft Autumn". I totally agree with this description. And the breakdown also includes eye color. I might actually use this to help me determine what color clothes and makeup I should buy.

Oh and in case you are wondering based on my autumn palette I should go with a rich brown haircolor!

Challenge Day 9 - Favorite Pair of Shoes

This was difficult but I decided my Steve Madden nude pumps are my favorite ones and I'm always trying to find new things to wear them with. In the summer and spring, these look great with dresses and skirts. I think they make my legs look longer which is always a plus. The heel isn't too high so I can actually walk in them.

Challenge Day 8 - A photo that makes me laugh

This is Lilly - pretty much every time I come home from shopping. If you need to smile, pet pictures are the best! I especially love when I buy something online and Lilly explores the box for hours...

Wordless Wednesday - Places I love to visit or want to visit