Holiday Gift Guide: Bestie

Pillow // Earrings // Socks // Travel Mug // Nail Polish // Mascara // Peppermint Stick // Stationary // Coasters // Candle // Pom Pom Key Chain // 

Boo-tiful Halloween

I dressed up as a kitty cat for halloween and as you can see I am wearing my 3-D fiber mascara from Younique. 

This mascara is AMAZING! 

I wanted to test it out for longer then a weekend and ended up using it for an entire 4 weeks so I can give a full and honest review... 

1. I have very sensitive skin and I have to be very careful about what makeup I choose to wear and use. I literally cannot use anything with perfumes, from a drug-store, or fillers and parabens. 
2. I also wear contacts and have a stigmatism so my eyes are senstive. When I wear mascara all day long for 12 hours, the product begins to weigh down on my eyes which is so uncomfortable. 
3. I usually walk home from work which is about a 3 mile walk and usually my old mascara would run, smudge, or become dull. 

This Younique mascara does not do any of these concerns listed above!!! 

It is weightless, waterproof, long-lasting, natural based, not tested on animal, hypo-allergenic, paraben free, talc free, gluten free, and most of all cruelty free!!!!!!!!!! oh em gee! How could you NOT love this mascara??? It lasts ALL DAY LONG and feels completely weightless. And after a long day of fabulous lashes and I remove my make up - this mascara does not pull any of my lashes out.

End Result: Younique mascara is the best ever! I ordered it, fell in love and the rest is history. 

Younique is so much more than the mascara, it is about empowering women and making them feel beautiful! I am proud to say that I am a Younique presenter. I have the opportunity to make a great income, earn vacations, and get free makeup and you do too! If you're a stay at home mom or just looking to make extra income you can join my team! Learn about Younique by clicking the link below!

Click Here to Order 3-D Mascara!!!

Starved Rock

   

I've been going to Starved Rock for as long as I can remember. Growing up as a prairie girl in the great state of Illinois, this is one of the biggest attractions and autumn family traditions. I love nothing more than hiking in the autumn when the leaves are turning gold. 

Columbus Day

Being a teacher, I get a lot of 3 day weekends and it's pretty amazing. So I had Columbus Day off! YAY! And to make things even better, Matthew had his childhood best friend and girlfriend come to visit us this weekend. It was so nice to have our dear North Carolina friends with us in the windy city. They came at the perfect time because the weather was great! It was in the mid 70s all weekend which is warm for this time of year in Illinois. For the weekend we got to play the tourists which never gets old because Chicago's attractions are so timeless.

We went to the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium and got in for FREE! As you may or may not know, the Chicago museums offer Illinois Resident Free days where with a valid Illinois license you can receive general admission for free. Since I am an Illinois educator and Matthew works for J.P. Morgan we both can get into any Chicago museum for free any day of the year!

Did I mention we went to Shake Shack? OMG It was the best burger I have ever had. Hands down!

FASHION FORWARD: When picking out my outfit this morning I noticed that it is HARD to be comfortable AND fashionable all at the same time. Especially when you're traveling to a big city you want to be on trend but also with all the walking it is crucial to be comfortable. I ended up choosing gold glitter Kate Spade for Ked's shoes, Victoria Secret yoga pants, a hot pink vest, a striped shirt, and a black/gold cross body Betsey Johnson purse. I was defiantly comfy & chic!

Car Crash

It was a morning just like any other.

The alarm went off at 6:00a.m. My husband and I awoke and went into the kitchen. We made some coffee and our lunches for the day. We chatted, smiled, hugged and kissed one another. We talked about how our 4-year wedding anniversary was in a few days and went on to getting ready for the day. We were running a few minutes behind so we franticly grabbed our bags and ran out the door.

It was just an ordinary day like any other.

We got into the car and began on our daily commute to work together. We only have one car since we live in an urban area of Chicago, where parking and gas is extremely expensive. We made a left turn and what happened changed my life.

It was just like the movies. Slow motion. And all in one instant our car was hit. I heard a loud crash followed by glass shattering and then silence. Matt’s first instinct was to reach his arm over and hold me down. Since he was holding hot coffee in his right hand it completely spilled all over me. I turned my head towards my husband and I saw his head being violently tossed all around and then I realized a car crashed into the driver’s side of the car. The left side airbags had been released.

I froze. Matt laid his head down on his shoulder with his eyes closed. I saw that the left side of his face was completely swollen, bruised, and bloody. I feared the worst…

How could this happen to me? How would I go on with out my best friend? I couldn’t move. Before I even could come back to reality, Matt had some how managed to escape out of the car, came over to my door, opened it, and carried me out of the damaged vehicle.

It would be an hour before the police arrived and another hour before the EMTS came to the scene. When the paramedics arrived they said that Matt suffered a slight concussion and that I was in shock with minor internal bruising. I praise God that we both were not more severely injured. 

We cried, held each other tightly and our love grew even more that day. Each and every single moment of every day is important. The present is a gift and it must never be taken for granted. 

Ironically I had been praying for a new car... Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it! ;) 

On the bright side we got a brand new 2015 Black Honda CRV Touring! With all wheel drive, push start, black leather, Navi, heated seats, backup/blind spot camera, sun roof, and  XM radio... I'm so in love!!! 

Notre Dame Game

This weekend was sheer perfection! My husband and I had the privilege of flying on 9/11 the past 2 years in a row now & it has been an honor to be in the sky remember those who packed their bags never to return home 14 years ago. We also got to see the beautiful Chicago skyline as we were taking off. Even though it was a cloudy day the Windy City still takes my breath away!

Saturday we went to the Notre Dame vs Virginia game and it was AMAZING!!! My wonderful mother works for the UVA and I felt so blessed to watch my first ND game with her and my father in their home state of Virginia. The campus and stadium was gorgeous & the Wahoos hosted a fantastic game. I literally had SO MUCH FUN! This game was intense. It had me biting my nails - literally! I wasn't quite sure old Notre Dame was going to win  but that last touchdown was a miracle!!! 🍀

As we travel back to home sweet home Chicago, I can't help but think of how my father-in-law passed away 3 month ago today from cancer. He is still admired, remembered, loved, and missed! Hope y'all had a blessed and wonderful weekend!

Labor Day Weekend

A perfect Saturday in the WindyCity complete with family (Matt's brother & sister in law came to visit us) & delicious food!!! 💕 My heart is so happy!

If you ever come to Chicago you MUST try Garrett's Popcorn... It is the BEST popcorn, ever. No really, IT IS!!! nom nom nom!

black romper $10 // necklace on sale! // floral kimono // sunglasses

Thank you, Garrett's for sharing my picture on your instagram!