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Friday, August 29, 2014

My Five Makeup Musts. Part One

I have been trying a few different make up products lately and then I have my go to's that I have used forever. So from the new and old, I have a few that I  would consider "musts" for my {almost} daily makeup routine {because let's be honest makeup doesn't happen every day for this girl}. These five musts are not the only products I use...a part two will be in the near future!


Mascara
I have three mascaras that I really like and would recommend to anyone. The first is They're real...


I first tried this at the beginning of the year in Germany and it really works great. I have short eyelashes so this and all the others I recommend really help with the lengthening.

The next is bareMinerals Lash Domination...



This one lengthens and adds volume, the best of both worlds!

The last is Loreal Voluminous...


This one is a great price and it lengthens so, so well. Not as great with thickening but it does wonders for the length.


Eye Shadow
I have discovered a new I shadow that I really think is amazing! I have always liked NAKED and still do. But bareMinerals The Top Shelf is awesome. The colors are just beautiful and it lasts!


Eye Shadow Base
Clinique's Lid Smoothie in Bit O' Honey is a long time favorite of mine, for like 5 years! It adds a beautiful shimmer base and makes any eye shadow I use last all day long.


Lips
Clinique's Chubby Stick in Pudgy Peony is ah-mazing. I am not a huge lip stick person or a lip gloss person, so when I found this it was love at first site;) It moisturizes and adds just the right amount of color.

Bronzer
I am all about a little bronzer. I have used Physcian's formula forever and I think it works great and is a great price! I have learned a few things since highschool though. I used to cover my face in it, yikes. Since then I have learned a few things, like the key areas to apply this thing we call bronzer...

There ya have it, the first 5 of my makeup musts!

And now...time for the weekend! I am going out of town for my best friend's bachelorette party and could not be more excited. So ready to see these ladies!

Happy weekend, everyone!

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Thursday, August 28, 2014

Family Trip: Breckenridge, Colorado

At the beginning of August, Robert's wonderful parents took us to beautiful Breckenridge.


We had such a wonderful time in this beautiful town but the best was getting to spend time with them and Roberto's brother, Pat. Such sweet family time. 



For this trip we decided to be an active little bunch and it was SO fun. We rode ATVs, went on little hikes and went rafting...my personal fave. 

 {the boys rockin their bandanas pre-riding}

 {we were looking good}


The ATVs were so fun and they went so fast {a little too fast for timid me}, it was such a blast. 
 #bigmanlittlecar


We wanted to go on a little hike one morning and the one we picked ended up being the nicest surprise. It was so beautiful...trees, flowers, lakes and mountains all around, pretty perfect. 





And rafting. Oh how I love rafting, it is pretty darn fun.


We also ate amazing food, played some cards, did a little shopping and enjoyed lots of time with one another. This trip was so nice, super fun and relaxing as well. You cannot ask for much more, especially when you are with some pretty amazing people.


AND on the way back home, we got to stop at my cousins to see her precious new baby and her sweet little family!


I cannot thank the in-laws {in-loves, as my mom refers to them, and I could not agree more} enough for such a great trip. We are so thankful for them and cherish every ounce of time we get together. Colorado, you are dearly missed!


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Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Happy Birthday and a DIY

We celebrated my sweet sister's birthday yesterday! She turned the big 1-1 and is just the cutest thing there ever was. Seriously, could not ask for a better sister.

 {you improvise when you run out of bday candles}

My mom and I decorated the kitchen a tiny bit the night before with a lot of homemade decorations...nothing perfect but it sure looked fun! 


We celebrated that morning with donut holes, bran muffins ( {this delicious recipe coming soon}, presents and balloons! Which brings me to this awesome, fun and super easy DIY... 


Buy your favorite balloons {I bought a pack of 12}, grab a sewing needle, some scissors and tape and you are ready to start this fun project. Now just blow up your balloons, attatch your thread to your needle and thread through the tied part of the balloon {at the very top}. I did 2 strands of garland with 6 ballons on each. After you thread your balloons on, tape the garland wherever you like! Easy peasy. 
 *side note: the thread can get tangled pretty easily while threading. So it is much easier if you have an extra pair of hands to help hold while you thread. 


This girl sure is the best. She has such a sweet and kind heart. So glad we could celebrate you a little extra Kinley, love you so much!


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Monday, August 25, 2014

Poland, Here We Come!

Today, well today is a very bittersweet day. This morning I said a tearful goodbye to Robert as he is off to start our new and exciting adventure. 

 via

Robert left this afternoon for Lublin, Poland...the place we will call home until next May! After lots of prayers and lots of discussion, we found out {about two weeks ago} that Lublin would be our new home and we are thrilled. We are so excited to live in a new place, embrace a new culture and fill our days with lots of basketball and lots of exploring. 

Robert actually played in Poland his first year {the year before we were married} and really loved the country, it's culture and of course, it's food. I have never been but hearing his stories, makes me even more excited to go.

I will be in the states for another two months before I meet him there. I am so happy I get to stay for some really fun and important events here, but I sure will miss that husband of mine more than I can say. When we were engaged we were apart for nine months {besides seeing each other over Christmas}and there are so many people who are apart for way, way longer. Two months will surely seem like nothing and will fly by...but despite that there were still many tears from yours truly this morning. Being apart from your husband is just no fun! BUT it will be okay. AND I can treasure my time here in the states with loved ones, which makes me so, so happy and grateful.


A huge positive? Robert will be able to get everything situated before I get there...apartment, wifi, car, phone, etc. And more importantly, he will be able to focus on work outs and practices 100% without me there which will be really beneficial to him. And thank goodness for facetime...a lifesaver!

I am so proud of him and the work and passion that he puts into his career and our marriage. I am so thankful for you Roberto. 

We are so grateful that he has the opportunity to play another year, to continue doing what he loves and to explore our little hearts out a bit more. 

Poland, here we come!

Have you been to Poland? Lived or visited there? If so, any must see places? We would love to know!


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Thursday, August 21, 2014

Thoughts for Thursday


- Robert and I are hooked on the wheel of fortune game for your phone. It is a little addiciting and pretty darn fun.

- We are also hooked on a new TV show...Fringe. We are about 7 episodes in and really, really like it. It is by the same producer of Lost, one of our all time favorites. It is a very similar feel to Lost, not  light hearted by any means but too good. Have any of you watched Fringe?

- I have had my eye on this jacket for a while but can't quite pull the trigger. I am crossing my fingers it will go on some kind of sale. It is just too cute.



- Speaking of clothes, they can sometimes be hard to find for my 6'10" husband. He really needs talls, for the clothes to fit properly. Have a tall man in your life?? I (think) hit the jackpot! Banana Republic, Gap, Old Navy and J.Crew ALL carry tall sizes. So far it seems like they only carry them online and I am totally fine with that. I got Rob two shirts from these sites for his birthday and they ended up fitting so great! They are a little bit of a slender fit which is perfect for him and it is so easy to order online.
- I have been working on my August goals! One of which was too find five healthier meals to cook. So far, I have made three. One was a flop in my opinion, Mexican Quinoa, and two were wins, Spaghetti Squash with Turkey meat sauce and Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken tacos...both so yummy and easy! I would still love to find a great quinoa recipe, any suggestions??



- Roberto will be leaving to head back overseas soon and man I am not looking forward to it! He will be playing for a team in Poland this year and we are really excited for this opportunity. But not excited to be apart for a bit. I am staying for a friend's wedding at the end of September (which I am so excited for!), so I will not move to Poland until October. I know we will be fine, it just won't be fun. But, I am so excited for him and the opportunity to do what he loves for another year!

{hubby doing his thang, last year in Germany}

- Yesterday was one of those really great days, one I always want to rememember. We got to hangout with my little siblings (10 and 6 yrs.) all day and had such sweet time together. We made breakfasat for lunch together, watched a movie, fed the ducks at the park, went on a walk, sno cones and board games at our sno cone shop and trampoline time in the rain. It was one of those simples days, but one filled with so much smiles and laughter. The best.

{sadly no pictures from yesterday, but this is one of my favorites with these goobs from last summer}

- I finally started recapping our Italy trip that we took in May! So far I have shared our time in Venice and Florence. If you are planning a trip to Italy go check these pages out, at the end I share our suggestions of What to Eat, Where to Stay and Where to Play! Also you can check out my Travels Page for all our travel adventures.

There you have it, a few random thoughts for this Thursday. Thanks for stopping by friends! I hope you all have a fabulous Thursday...the weekend is almost here!!
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Monday, August 18, 2014

Italian Adventure 2014: Florence

We woke up bright and early, said good-bye to Venice and hello to beautiful Florence! Florence. Oh Florence, you are gorgeous. 


But man you sure had us terribly lost when we arrived. We hopped off our train and were in for an adventure.

After getting lost on a bus and asking about a hundred and one people where are bed and breakfast was, we finally found the place we would call home for the next 3 nights! {It was a man's apartment that we were staying in. What??? Half was his home, half was rooms he rented out. But let me tell you, it turned out fantastic. He was able to give us lots of inside tips and an incredible breakfast each morning that we would eat with the other guests. Fancy? absolutely not. An adventure and fun? Yes.} 

Florence, your winding streets had us all turned around (and provided some intense moments between a husband and wife) but you sure showed us some beautiful sites and a great bakery along the way. Italy, you once again prove getting lost isn't so bad after all. 

{Duomo, Bell Tower and Cathedral}

Robert and I were trying to think of words to describe Florence and it is hard to do so. So much culture and diversity in one city. Florence is home of study abroad college students. Everywhere you look you see American students which in turn helps you to find very modern and hip restaurants, stores, bars and markets. And then at the same time Florence is full of so much history and beauty. It is one incredible city. 

{Piazza della Signoria}

Our time in Florence was filled with lots of site seeing, eating incredible food and exploring a magnificent city. Pure Bliss. 


 {standing on the famous Ponte Vecchio Bridge}

{a picture of Ponte Vecchio Bridge, where we were just standing}

Florence is full of beautiful squares like Piazza della Signoria, that are the perfect place to sit with a sandwich and admire the sites and people. It is full of incredible museums, like the Uffizi and Galleria dell' Accademia, that provide history and breathtaking art like The David. The David...there are replicas all over the city but the real deal is in the Accademia and oh. my. word. As soon as you walk in and you lay your eyes on this magnificent piece of work, it takes your breath away. Incredible. Florence is just full of beauty everywhere you look.
 

{enjoying a rooftop drink}

 One of our favorite spots (and frequent stop) was the Duomo. So intricate and unbelievably beautiful. We decided to climb the million and one (super narrow) stairs to go to the top and it was so, so worth it. One of the best views I have ever seen.


 This was about the only time I got this close to the edge. The view was incredible, but this girl is no fan of heights. 





My favorite part of the trip was our last night there...by far. We went up to Piazza Michelangelo to watch the sunset. Breath-taking. It was such a great reminder of God's glory. I think it is so neat that God paints such beautiful pictures for us, just little glimpses of Him and his majesty.




Love sharing these moments with this sweet husband of mine.

To end the night, we had the best pizza of our entire trip. The best pizza we've ever had, even Rob thought so and that is a big deal. He has had a favorite forever, but this one jumped up to number one. Big deal:) So a sunset and pizza?? A pretty perfect night in our book.



The next day we hopped on a train and were off to Rome!

Now, our suggestions.


Where to Stay: 
Martin Dago Bed and Breakfast. Like I mentioned this was pretty hard to find since it was an apartment and it is not anywhere near fancy. But it is an authentic Italian experience, clean and incredibly affordable. It is also in a great location, very close to Ponte Vecchio.

Where to Eat:
- Our Favorite by far...Tratorria Mario. This was recommended to us by a friend and was amazing. Great pasta and steak, reasonably priced and very authentic/not a tourist spot. It is defintley a hidden gem. It is only open 12-3 and is a must.
- The best pizza ever restaurant...Gusta Pizza. You cannot miss this place. 
- Antica Gelateria Fiorentina, our favorite gelato. 
- Antica Sosta Degli Aldobrandini. A great place to get aperitivo (pre-dinner snack and drink). 

What to See: 
- Ponte Vecchio, beautiful bridge. 
- Duomo, climb to the top! The Cathedral, Baptisry and Bell Tower are right by the Duomo and are beautiful to see as well. You can buy a ticket once there that allows you in to all areas.
- Uffizi Museum. Make sure to book tickets before your trip.
- Galleria dell' Accademia. The David is located here. Make sure to book tickets before your trip. 
- Piazza della Signoria. A busy sqaure, probably most popular, where Neptune is located and the Uffizi is right around the corner. 
- Piazzale Michelangelo. Go see the sunset here! It is a little bit of a walk but so, so worth it.
- Piazza della Republica. A ferris wheel is located here and it is a beautiful square. 
- San Lorenzo Market. Fun, lots of souvenirs and pretty touristy.
This a lot of places to see but they are all pretty close together. Once we got to our hotel, we walked the whole time in Florence. No public transportation needed! 

Planning a trip to Italy? Have any questions? Please feel free to shoot me an email!

Also, be sure to check out my Travels Page to see all our travel adventures!


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Hope this is helpful to some! Come back next week...all about Rome!


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