Festive Friday Favs

After coming off of 2 short weeks, this full work week seemed to drag so I am super excited for it to finally be Friday. And not just any Friday... it's a wedding weekend Friday! Can't wait to celebrate with friends tomorrow and watch two of our friends tie the knot.

1. It's been a little chillier this week (Florida "cold") so I enjoyed brightening up with some bold colors and pretty sparkles. **Huge thanks to Pam for teaching me how to perfect the reverse upside down outfit selfie**.

Top - ON | Skirt and Shoes - VS | Necklace - Rocksbox | Watch - MK

2. Enjoyed a lunch date with Emily on Wednesday. We caught up over yummy food, and I of course enjoyed hearing more stories about their adorable new addition Lola.

3. Nothing's better than Christmas scented candles and wine....

4. I was a day late to the VS fashion show, but I finally watched it on the DVR Wednesday night. Fabulous show! You can tell that the girls are all having so much fun, and their personalities really shine through.

5. Loving some of my recent finds on Pinterest:

Linking up today with Lauren for High Five on Friday, Rebecca for That Friday Blog Hop, and Amanda for Friday Favorites. Hop on over and join us! Happy Friday!

Leaving you with some fun from last week's Christmas party:

Yes I'm THAT girl being annoying yelling out YEEEEAH *sigh*

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Holiday Makeup

The holiday season is hands down my favorite time of year for dressing up and experimenting with fun makeup looks. Bring on all the lace and sparkles! I tend to go with a lot of red and gold this time of year, and that is apparent in my makeup looks for all the holiday parties and festivities as well. I like to go with shimmery gold eye makeup with a bold red lip and nails.

This year's line up features some oldies but goodies (Naked3, Smashbox Softlights, Benefit's They're Real! Mascara, and my end all and be all UD Primer Potion) along with some new products I'm currently obsessed with. I am absolutely loving my new bareMinerals Blemish Remedy foundation and Naked Illuminating shimmer which together provide great coverage and the perfect hint of holiday sparkle. Add some bold eyeliner, red nails, and some red lipstick with some UD All Nighter spray to set your makeup and you're ready to deck the halls.

What are some of your favorite holiday makeup looks?

Benefit MAC Cosmetics OPI Sephora Smashbox Urban Decay

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The Perfect Leather Skirt

I had been searching high and low for the perfect faux leather skirt. I knew F21 or H&M would be my best bet, and I left F21 after a shopping haul upset that none of the skirts were what I was looking for. Then I found myself back in there a few weeks later looking for the perfect top for an upcoming party, and I found this skirt which was exactly what I envisioned.

Pairs perfectly with a graphic tee and colorful heels

Top - ON ~ Skirt - F21 ~ Heels - Target ~ Necklace - Versona ~ Bracelet - Kate Spade

*Doggy photo bomb not included*

Where have you found your favorite faux leather pieces?

Forever 21 Kate Spade Old Navy Rocksbox Target

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Grinch Cookies

I'm always on the hunt for fun festive recipes this time of year so when I stumbled upon a recipe for "Grinch Cookies", I knew I had to try it.

Ingredients

1 box of french vanilla cake mix

2 eggs

1 drop of green food coloring

1/2 cup of vegetable oil

Powdered sugar for dusting

Heart shaped red candies

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine cake mix, oil, eggs, and food coloring in a mixing bowl
Chill dough for 10-15 minutes in the fridge
Scoop tablespoons full of the dough into a dish of powdered sugar and roll into cookie balls
Press heart candies into dough and move to the oven
Bake on a non-stick cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes

Unfortunately after checking several stores, I was unable to find heart shaped candies (I bet I'll see them everywhere for Valentines Day!) so I improvised with good ol' regular red candies. The cookies are amazingly soft and chewy and very festive!

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Link-up Rules:

1. Follow Emily and myself on GFC and Bloglovin

2. Link up your favorite recipes or food related posts

3. Grab our Recipe Swap button and link back to both of our blogs

4. Be sure to visit other blogs and find new recipes! 

Recipe

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Christmas Party Weekend

I am absolutely exhausted... this weekend was the 3rd annual Christmas party at the house, and all the work put into it plus the all day clean up on Sunday when all I really wanted to do was veg took me out. But it is so worth it, and one of my favorite nights of the year.

Saturday started off with a hair appointment for a fresh cut and highlights before heading home and getting ready for the party that evening.

I was a tad overwhelmed by the huge turnout, but the drinks were flowing and the white elephant gift exchange didn't disappoint of course. Always a riot!

Joining Leeann and Kimberlee for Monday Morning Gossip 

and

Biana for Weekending

and

Lisa and Bella for Weekend Recap

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Friday Favs

Happy Friday! Super excited for the 3rd annual Christmas party at the house tomorrow night, I'm sure it'll be a great night filled with lots of food, drinks, and laughter.

1. Absolutely loving my latest Rocksbox and I think this may be the necklace I finally use my credits on. It's way too pretty not to keep!

2. Other than the tree falling over on day #2, I'm in love with it! Love the Christmas-y smell emitting from it when I walk in the room, and of course it's become a little hideaway for a certain fury friend.

3. Looking forward to getting my hair done tomorrow....it's been a looooong time and this girl needs some new rich color and a cut to get my ends looking healthy again. Yeeeesh...

4. It's my 2nd favorite time of year at Sephora (VIB sale is definitely my fav!) Yes the $20 coupons have arrived in our mailboxes and email. It's time to treat myself to an item or two that I've been lusting after...

5. Loving some of my recent finds on Pinterest:

Linking up today with Lauren for High Five on Friday, Rebecca for That Friday Blog Hop, and Amanda for Friday Favorites. Hop on over and join us! Happy Friday!

Rocksbox

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Birthstone Love

I love that I was born in August.. it meant never spending my birthday at school while growing up, fun beach trips to celebrate, and best of all having peridot as my birthstone.

When Anjolee reached out to me and asked if I wanted to try out one of their beautiful rings, I knew I wanted to include some peridot stones.  It was hard to pick from all the beautiful rings and settings since they have a fantastic selection of diamond engagement rings and diamond wedding bands, but I found the perfect band in their bridal sets rings collection.

Stacks beautifully with my wedding rings

Even if you're not elbow deep in wedding planning, they have gorgeous every day diamond bands to add that perfect hint of sparkle to any outfit. All pieces can be customized on Anjolee.com according to preference of metal type, diamond size, stone quality, and length/size.

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Recent Sephora Loves

I've been loving the sales and new products I've picked up lately at Sephora.

1. I've been loving my new DryBar brush which will help my hair not to break so easily as it's a detangling brush. It works great on both wet and dry hair and I can already feel the difference in my hair with less breakage.

2. I had been looking for a new primer for a while that would help fight my oily skin and keep my makeup fresh for at least most of the day, so when the always flawless Deborah recommended Becca's Ever-Matte Poreless Primer I was intrigued to try it out. I've been loving it so far, of course my skin tends to still get oily in the afternoon, but it's much better than with other primers. So far, I would give it an 8 out of 10.

3. I had been using Benefit's Erase Paste for years, but when Biana recommended NARS Creamy Concealer instead I wanted to make the switch and see what all the fuss was about. I originally ordered the shade "Ginger" which was a tad too dark, so I traded it for "Custard" which is perfect for me. The wand works great and the coverage is better than the Erase Paste. Thanks B!

I ventured back into Sephora on Black Friday *shocker* since I ran out of foundation, and was looking to get color matched and try something that will provide more coverage. They recommended bareMinerals Blemish Remedy Foundation which contains salicylic acid to fight acne while also not clogging your pores. Plus it provides fantastic coverage, I've never been happier with how flawless my makeup has looked (with the exception of airbrush makeup of course). 

This UD luminous shimmer also caught my eye, and I kinda had to have it. I saw it at Ulta recently, and was hoping to see it at Sephora too since it's perfect for the holidays. It goes on effortlessly and is great on your cheekbones and on your shoulders and collarbone for some extra sparkle. I also can't get over the gorgeous packaging, which UD is known for. 

What are some of your favorite beauty finds lately?

Becca NARS Sephora Urban Decay

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Tuesday's Recipe Swap ~ Creme de Menthe Cookies

One of my favorite festive cookies this time of year are Creme de Menthe Cookies. They're soft and chewy with the perfect amount of mint.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350

Blend 1/2 cup of butter (softened), 3/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 tsp. of baking powder, 1 tsp. of baking soda, 2 tsp. of vanilla, and 2 eggs until combined.

Add 1 package of Andes Creme de Menthe baking chips. Once combined, add 2 and 2/3 cups of flour and mix until combined. 

Scoop onto baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

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Link-up Rules:

1. Follow Emily and myself on GFC and Bloglovin

2. Link up your favorite recipes or food related posts

3. Grab our Recipe Swap button and link back to both of our blogs

4. Be sure to visit other blogs and find new recipes! 

Recipe

Continue Reading →

Thankful Weekend

After amazing long weekends, I just feel so happy and refreshed... drinks, overdosing on yummy food, movies, decorating the house for Christmas, and even some Disney time = perfection.

Wednesday was a half day at work so I kicked off the long weekend with an early happy hour martini before finally going to see Mockingjay Part I.

Thanksgiving started with mimosas and cinnamon rolls before I was busy in the kitchen making all the deliciousness.

Friday was all about Christmas shopping and picking out this year's Christmas tree. 

And of course I did a little shopping for myself as well...

Saturday was time for Disney with Emily and K, but of course the first stop on the agenda was to meet their new little princess Lola. Then it was off to Animal Kingdom for a safari before heading to Hollywood Studios.

Nightcap around the fire pit after the perfect Disney day....

Joining Leeann and Kimberlee for Monday Morning Gossip 

and

Biana for Weekending

and

Lisa and Bella for Weekend Recap

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