Christmas Presents that I'm Loving!

This year I was really having a hard time picking out actual things to tell my family to get me for Christmas. Really, just going back to NC to visit with everyone is all that I was really looking forward to! B and I opened up presents before we left for Christmas. We knew we were going to be coming back with more than we took so it was just easier for us to open at home in Austin.

O N E
Clarisonic Mia 2. Need I say more? I love that it pulses to alert you of when to move on to the next part of your face. Genius. It makes my face feels SO smooth. Oh, and light pink in color doesn't hurt either.

T W O
I bought this for myself. I mean it is the holy grail of kitchen appliances right?! Any great recipes you have, shoot them my way. I am TRYING to stay away from baking because #newyearbetterweight.

T H R E E
I have been wanting a Twine & Twig necklace for QUITE some time. They are not cheap in the least bit, but I just LOVE the way they mix up an outfit. I wore it the other day to a doctor's appointment and got SO many compliments. It's just different & that's why I love it so much. Thanks Santa for hooking a girl up! I also got a set of stackable bracelets. I had asked for a necklace that was pretty neutral in color and my mom Santa knocked it out of the park.

F O U R
THIS wine decanter. OMG yes! B and I used it the other night to drink our anniversary bottle of wine. Oh you know just 2 months late. We have been #busy. I added this onto my list for my in-laws, and they gifted it to me. I LOVE IT. B calls it a "beaker." Whatever, it's beautiful & I'm obsessed. And you have to pour a whole bottle into it...WINNING.

F I V E
This Kelly Wynne bag! It is so stunning. I have worn it for dressy occasions and then also very casually. The inside is a beautiful hunter green. I am obsessed.

S I X
And who doesn't love gift cards? Nordstrom, Sephora, and Starbucks. Happy happy girl! I may have already used up my whole Nordstrom gift card.

Did any of y'all get anything special? Would love to hear what y'all got or what you're putting your gift cards towards!

Christmas Recap!

HELLO WORLD! We just got back in town last night from our Christmas stay in the mountains. We had lots of fun with my parents, grandparents, sister & brother in law. Lots of beer drank; lots of good food consumed; and LOTS of laughs. Lord have mercy, the laughs. I'll let the pictures do the talking. These are all iPhone pictures so excuse the quality on some.

 

These crazies are always down for a visit...even if that means driving 2hrs to see us. We are so thankful for them! 

Christmas at the original Mast General Store in Valle Crucis.

My sister and I at my parents' home in Boone!

  

My sister and her husband, Chris, and their golden Hank. Isn't Hank so cute?! I love his face. 

Christmas day!

Hat: Target

And of course Gopher wasn't left out on Christmas presents. My mom got him this super cute kerchief with his name on it. You can order one for you pup here.

We had a great time and as always the time went too quickly! We are already planning how to get ourselves back for another visit...if we don't move back before then. ;)

Austin Workshops: Flower Arrangement

Good Morning friends! Today I thought I'd share with y'all a recent workshop I took here in Austin at the cutest little shop you ever did see. Last Friday, I attended a Flower Arrangement workshop hosted at The Paper Craft Pantry in East Austin. Pei is the owner here, and y'all she is the sweetest. She is so warm and inviting and her shop is AWESOME. Think, white, bright, industrial, and awesome stationary/paper products you could ever imagine. Her shop front is easy to find with a cute mural and mint green door. You can't miss it.

The class was taught by Katy Stuart who owns Gatherer Floral Co & it was so awesome. She told us that it was her first workshop she has ever taught, and she knocked it out of the park in my personal opinion. One of the things I really loved about Katy is her "floral style" if you will. It's sprawling and so natural looking. The flowers & greenery she had chosen for us to work with were not necessarily what I would have picked up thinking they would look good together. I mean what do I know?! But they came together SOOO beautifully.

She started out showing us how to start our arrangement, and we followed along with our own arrangements. Everyone's turned out different, and they were all so beautiful. We all had the same flowers to choose from, but it goes to show you how they can look just so different. Below you can see my finished product. I am so happy with the way it turned out.

The Paper Craft Pantry hosts lots of different workshops from calligraphy, abstract painting, brush lettering, hand lettering, macrame, etc. You can check out the workshops here. This was my third workshop here and I really do enjoy them. It's a chance to try something new and perhaps find something you can continue. For me, the arrangement obsession will probably continue. Ha!

Also, if you need flowers, Katy is your girl. Just take a look at her Instagram. Really, all of it is beautiful and just so dreamy. 

You can find the The Paper Craft Pantry on Instagram [@thepapercraftpantry] & Facebook [The Paper Craft Pantry]. Gatherer Floral Co can be found on Instagram [@gathererfloralco] & Facebook [Gatherer Floral Co].

After women, flowers are the most divine creations.  -Christian Dior

Five on Friday: Festive Earrings

Hi Friends! I wanted to share with y'all some festive holiday earrings I am currently loving. I am either a pearl stud wearing girl, silver or gold hoops, or some big earrings. I personally love tassel earrings because they are just FUN. They can always kick up a rather boring outfit and take it to the next level. Go big or go home. I find that Baublebar is a great place to find fancy earrings at a decent price!

[one]
BaubleBar Gem Pinata Tassel Earrings: These are so pretty. They are currently sold out but have a list you can get on once they come back in stock. I think these are SO pretty & would make for great NYE outfit accessories.

[two]
Another Baublebar find. These are actually on my Christmas list. They have several different colors. The gray ombre is on my list because I am a lover of neutral...can you blame me? They will go with EVERYTHING.

[three]
These Flamenco drops??? Um, yes please. Give me the ice blue. There are no other words!

[four]
Black, gold, and druzy. Need I say more? I don't know what it is about druzy but I am obsessed. And black and gold are two of my favorite colors so this is a winner in my book. Glam central. They also come in other colors as well.

[five]
And to get away from the black obsession, these Artemis Tassel Drops in yellow are really pretty. I think in the summertime with tan skin they would REALLY pop. They are pretty long and the yellow pretty bright so you'd want to keep your outfit fairly simple.

As you can see my tassel obsession runs deep. I also have these in the color Emerald.  Has anyone tried the ear jackets? I'm not sure how those would look on me...maybe a small one? Have you tried them? What are some other great online shops for jewelry that you love? I hope y'all have a wonderful weekend!!

Merry Merry Christmas!

I wanted to share with y'all our Christmas cards this year since most everyone has now gotten them. We went with Minted this year & I really just love them. They make it so easy to design your cards & they offer free addressing. Um that's an easy decision! It's never too late to order for Christmas. You can also do a Happy New Years card which I think is a great way to still send something out in the mail that is fun for your recipients especially if you are running a bit behind. No one will ever know!! Since I can't send my readers one, here it is. Merry Christmas from our home to yours. We hope yours is merry & bright and that you always remember the true reason of the Season.

Cyber Monday

Happy Cyber Monday, y'all! Did you survive Thanksgiving? I ate so much. I'm really not a big turkey eater...I'd rather have sides and desserts all day. I figured I would share with y'all a few Cyber Monday deals. I am not going to overwhelm you with every retailer known to man but just a few of my favorites.

ONE.
Nordstrom. Need I say more? They have some really good deals; I would go as far to say that it's almost as good as the N Sale. I have rounded up a few of my favorites in the widget below.

TWO. 

Loft is offering free shipping & 50% off EVERYTHING with code CyberMonday. They have really stepped up their game over the years & I always find myself drawing back to their site. Everything is tasteful & really well made in my opinion.

THREE.

Old trusty, Old Navy. I really just can't get enough. I don't know what it is. They are also having 50% off everything & discount is taken at checkout! Here are a few of my favorites.

Let me know what purchases you make. I have a feeling there is going to be a scramble once everyone gets off work. Happy shopping!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving! We are celebrating with friends this year and we are VERY thankful for them & their friendship. We will miss our family this year but are so thankful we have had a wonderful & healthy year. I hope the same for you. Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday season & what better way than to be thankful.

Review: Pop Sugar Must Have November Box

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!! I am so ready for the day to get here. Tonight I am going to start my baking. I am doing a Chocolate Bourbon Pecan pie & of course the traditional Pumpkin pie. I also have a few other things I am cooking, but those get cooked the day of. We also have the Turkey Trot here in Austin tomorrow. Not quite sure why they call it a trot because it's 5 MILES. Oh well. Killing those calories before I eat. #winning

I wanted to share with y'all the November Popsugar must have box. This month it was reallyyyy good. It was more geared towards the home which I was super excited about. Of course there was some girly stuff which is nice.

So here's what all was included:

Kendra Scott Elaina Rose Gold bracelet in White Pearl

I love this bracelet. It is super dainty and easy to add to an arm party or just wear by itself if you are trying to keep it simple.

Pehr Chambray Table Runner in Wine

I immediately put this on our table. Our table is a little smaller so it hangs off the ends but I really love it. The color is PERFECT for Fall. I haven't ever had a runner on our table so this was a really nice piece in the must have box.

Stowaway Cosmetics Dawn to Dusk Palette

Oh this palette. It has REALLY pretty colors in it. The idea behind this company is that these are small wallet sized cosmetics that make it easy for travel or just throwing in your purse. I have used the palette a couple times. The colors are buildable which I really love.

AJ Goods Nest Wire bowl

Who doesn't love a wire bowl? I know that sounds ridiculous but really...you can add fruit to this, add it to center of your dinner table or coffee table, use it as a catch all, the list goes on. Ours is on our table holding a pumpkin because yes, I have pumpkins still out until Thanksgiving!

Meri Meri Star Picks

These are just plain cute. Silver & gold. These would be perfect for sandwiches orrrrr better in cupcakes! Yes, cupcakes with stars sounds good to me. HA!

Oogie's Gourmet Toffee Butter Popcorn

This...I ripped into this bag before I could take pictures. And y'all, it's SO good. I love popcorn but never really buy sweet popcorn. This was just plain good. I had to restrain myself from eating the entire snack bag. Great thing about this is it's all natural & gluten free for those that can't have gluten.

 If y'all haven't ever tried Popsugar subscription, I suggest it. Subscription boxes are a great way to try out new things and get several new things at once. The must-have box is $39.95 and that includes shipping. You can do it month by month or do a 3 month subscription or 6 month subscription. It's up to you!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. May your bellies be full as well as your hearts!

This box was provided to me in return for a review.

Weekend Recap + Restaurant Review: The Culinary Dropout

Happy Monday! I have a short week this week since my work is obviously closed Thanksgiving and then we also get Black Friday off. My husband is anxiously awaiting the holiday and then putting up our Christmas decorations. We've got a few new things this year to debut. Just upgrading from our first married items.

Friday night we attended the "Baby it's cold outside" date night party for the Junior League's "A Christmas Affair." We had a good time and enjoyed some tunes, cocktails, and getting dressed up!

I worked my shift for the league's holiday market on Saturday morning. It was fun and I met 2 awesome new girls who worked with me. Our league is quite large so you really do meet someone new all the time. After my shift was done, B met me at the events center and we went through the market. There were so many vendors and it was awesome. We picked up a few things ranging from earring to tamales! #Texas

We took it easy Saturday night and crashed early. Our weather was awesome this weekend with a NICE cold front. I was one happy girl to be wearing a sweater and not sweating!! Sunday we hit up a cool area in north Austin called The Domain. We ate an early lunch at a place called "The Culinary Dropout." It was a very cool atmosphere & had great decor. I only took pictures of our food, oops!

We started with the Cheddar and Potato Pierogies. They came with "crispy brussel sprouts, mustard creme fraiche, & fresh herb." They were 3 large pierogies and they were devoured. The creme fraiche was so tasty. I would probably order a double order and have those as my meal next time.

I got the grilled cheese sliders that had bacon and tomato on them. The bread was a Texas Toast. SOLD. B had the fish and chips. The fish was rock fish and was beer battered to perfection. I had a bite or two of his. We always share a couple bites! And of course we had some beverages!

We always like to rate places so we can remember when we have visitors if we want to take them or go back for ourselves!

Atmosphere: A+
Food: A
Drinks: A
Service: B+ 

(just a little slow in some areas but they were VERY friendly)

Cost: $$-$$$

Overall: A

Do you rate restaurants in your phone with your significant others or friends? Are you that person taking pictures of your food? I feel like everybody is sharing their food these days. I mean, I eat with my eyes so if it looks good, I'm taking a picture to share! And if your's looks good too, you better wait so I can get a picture. HA!

We had a great weekend and are so excited for Thanksgiving. Today is a busy day for me at work. I'm hoping Wednesday is here before I know it. Have a great week.

Five on Friday

Happy Friday! It's the last Friday before Thanksgiving and BLACK Friday. It will be coming in hot, y'all!!

 O N E.

So maybe my husband and I are late to the party butttttt have y'all tried the Dove Dark Chocolate with almonds?! If you haven't, go to Target right now and get you some. They are sooooo good and you may grab them by the handfuls to eat them. Don't say I didn't warn you.

T W O.

I went to a #PopSugar x #ShopStyleCollective event two nights ago. It was so fun and came home with some fun stuff. I'll be sharing the #MustHave box next week, but I had to share this bracelet that came in it.  I just love how dainty it is.

T H R E E.

What are y'all doing for Thanksgiving?? Are you cooking or going somewhere? Since we won't see our families this year for Thanksgiving, we will be doing Friendsgiving with our neighbors here in Austin. I am so excited to bake a pumpkin pie!! Oh, and all the other stuff I signed up to cook/bake.

F O U R.

I have been trying out a new fitness routine, Camp Gladiator. It is a group meet up with a trainer. They meet & workout all over the city and at all different times. I have gotten up twice this week before 5 to make the 5:30 class. Up, workout, and back home before the sun. It makes me so tired but it's really nice to get it done. I like the evenings too though. Do y'all have Camp Gladiator where you live? Or do you have something similar? It consistently leaves me sore.

F I V E.

B & I are headed to the date night party for my Junior League's 'A Christmas Affair' tonight. It is cocktail attire with a band, drinks, food, and shopping the holiday market. I have to volunteer on Saturday morning but am so excited about it. Kicking off the holiday season in style!!

Oh & one more thing!! I added an Instagram tab up top so you can shop any looks from my Instagram there. Be sure to check it out.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!

Beauty Gift Guide $50 and Under!

Hi friends! It has been a bit quiet here and I do apologize!! Life has just been busy & I think you can all get that. Today I have rounded up for you some beauty gifts all under $50 for that special lady in your life...or for yourself. Ulta has some pretty good gift collections so I started there first. Some of these I own & some I wouldn't mind having.

[1] Bare Minerals Nude and Nice Mini Nudes
These all look so pretty and under $20. I'm sorry that brings you to $3/gloss. That is unheard of unless you are buying drug store brand and even those will run you at least $6-$7 depending on the brand!

[2] Clinique Sweet Pots Sugar Scrub and Lip Balm
An exfoliator and color in one compact? Yes please! I think this explains itself. I am always rubbing my lips down after I do my makeup because of fallout and this would be awesome. There are other colors as well but I am partial to berry's.

[3] Tartlette Tease Palette
I have this palette and have raved over it. It has so many pretty colors; some shimmer that is JUST enough without being too much. You can really take just this palette on a trip with you and have so many different looks...day to night!

[4] Tartlette Clay Matte Eyeshadow Palette
If you are looking to spend more & only want matte shadows, this is for you. This is a gorgeous 12 color palette, and I would love to receive it as a gift...hint hint B!

[5] Benefits They're Real Mascara duo
This gives you a full size and a travel size. This is a great mascara that I have in my makeup bag. You can't wrong!

[6] Too Faced Sexy Lashes Rain or Shine duo
Another great brand of mascara..."Better than Sex" including the same but in waterproof. I have used this one too & loved it.

[7] Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit
It's all the rage...highlight and contour. I am a bit scared to buy a full kit but I wouldn't mind it as a gift. Isn't Christmas about getting gifts that  you wouldn't normally buy yourself??

[8] Tarte Sculpted Cheeks Deluxe Blush set + Brush
Four blushes & a brush. Tarte does awesome makeup & they're safe. The colors in this kit are really pretty & it is such a great deal!

[9] Essie Winter Mini Collection
Who doesn't love polish?

[10] Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge
Who doesn't need another make up sponge? These are easy stocking stuffers and for all the contouring, highlighting, blending that we girls do these days...having more than one is a necessity.

[11] Sugared Vanilla Mason Jar gift set
Bath products that smell so sweet? Yes, please. I love getting to suds up with something so sweet. And then when you get out of the shower...your bathroom usually smells like it too. I love stuff like this in my stocking! Oh, and you get a mason jar cup!

[12] Luxe Relaxing Bath Bomb
I don't take baths too often but this bath bomb interests me. This plus a glass of wine would be a fantastic way to decompress after entertaining for the holidays!

Five on Friday -- Asheville Recommendations

Happy Friday! I have been quiet all week but here I am! This week I need your help. I am looking for any and all recommendations for Asheville for a bachelorette party in March. We already have a place to stay, and this won't be a trip for the Biltmore I don't believe. This is the last throwdown of our group so all fun rec's are welcomed. I have been to Asheville once so I have been to a few bars but let me know about any hidden gems!!

1.

Best restaurant for brunch, lunch, dinner.

2.

Best nightlife (dancing)

3.

Best Brewery in your opinion

4.

Best Day time activities

5.

Best to-do's for bachelorettes in Asheville. 

Today Is The Day

Today is the day that you get to exercise your right to vote. It is our civic duty & I hope you have either taken the chance to vote early or are planning to head to the polls today. This has been quite an election. Be kind to one another. Pray for our country. And be thankful that all these ads are going away!! I'm not telling you to vote for him or her. But please, do go out and vote. Our country needs YOU.

Five on Friday

FriYay! FriYay! So glad it's here. It has been rainy the last half of this week and honestly not complaining. Some days I just like dreariness. I figured I'd leave you with 5 randoms this week!

1. I got my hair color done this week (Praise the Lord!) & I am loving it. I am addicted to balayage. I was ready to take it darker & rich for Fall/Winter.

2. I was in Ulta today to pick up a curling iron & wandered over to the Clinique area. I tried on this in color Black Honey Glow. It gave my lips just enough color but looked really natural. I was won over immediately, but they didn't have any left. UGH. I shall wait patiently.

3. I tried out Orange Theory this week. Have any of you ever tried one of their workout classes? What did you think? I liked it but the trainer was slightlyyyyyy cheesy. And I wasn't all THAT sore. It's expensive so I am not sure if I'll go back even though I scheduled a class for Saturday.

4. I just got in these jeans from Old Navy. Y'all know I sing their praises. These are SO cute on and I just love the midrise.

5. I am cooking chili tonight. With the weather the way it's been this week, I feel like it's necessary. My husband can't be more thrilled. The man wants chili in the dead of summer. There has to to a crispness in the air for me to want it. I am using this recipe I found on Pinterest. If you aren't following me on Pinterest, please do! My username is Haley_Marozas.

I hope y'all have a great weekend!!

Current Beauty Favorites

Happy Hump Day! I wanted to share my current beauty favorites with y'all. I always love hearing about others' faves. It's a good and a bad thing because then I usually end up at Sephora, Ulta, or Nordstrom with a list in hand. Anybody else??

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer
I love this stuff, and it has been my go to concealer for quite some time now. I always have two different colors in my make up bag: one for under eyes (lighter) and one for spots other places on my face. It goes on like a dream and blends beautifully. I wear Vanilla under my eyes & Custard for other spots on my face.

MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot
I wear this on my lids as a base/primer in the color "Painterly." It is a very natural color and to me has somewhat of a powder finish. I just tap this on with my ring finger and blend. It looks great under your eye shadows. I have also worn just it by itself on my lids when I didn't want to wear full on eyeshadow. Another color from this line that would be good as a primer is "Soft Ochre."

Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Setting Powder
I love the Tarte line. I really think they do nothing wrong when it comes to makeup. This setting powder is awesome and I dust it all over my face after I have applied my concealer, eye primer, & foundation. It keeps everything in place that had a "wet finish."Also, the Tarte line is free of parabens & phthalates.

Laura Mercier Full Blown Volume Supreme Lash Building Mascara
I got this as a sample at Sephora & it has really blown my mind. No pun intended. It goes on a little wet but dries like a dream. It definitely gives you volume; You can wear it by itself without adding an eyelash primer and you are going to get lots of volume and good color on your lashes. When I am done with this, I will definitely be purchasing the full size.

Laura Mercier Second Skin Cheek Color in 'Violet Orchid'
I picked this up at Nordstrom recently. I just told the lady I wanted a Fall blush. The color can look daunting just by itself in the packaging but when you put it on it is SO pretty. I use a very light hand when applying because it is pretty pigmented. It stays so well on your cheeks & gives a gorgeous pop of color.

Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in 'Soft Brown'
I think every woman out there is using some form of Anastasia products. This powder for your brows is great. It has a lighter and darker color to help with creating shape and filling in. It looks natural & stays put. I have thin eyebrows so this has been wonderful to help make it look like I have fuller brows. This line comes in 11 different combos so you are sure to find what you need color wise.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Glow Sheers
This stuff is awesome if you are not wanting to wear foundation. It is described as an "illuminating tinted moisturizer." It has broad spectrum SPF 30. Also, oil free! This is not full coverage, obviously. I will wear this during the day with a little concealer, and I am good to go. I am currently wearing shade Fair to Light 20.

I hope everyone has a great rest of their week! Let me know your current faves. It is one of my all time favorite things to hear from a girlfriend about a fabulous new product they're using.

Weekend Wear: Grey + Black

How was everyone's Halloween?? We live in an apartment so we really don't get trick or treaters which makes me sad. Our neighbors stopped by so I could give the boys their Halloween sursies. They were the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. SO cute!

I don't know if any of you are like me but my favorite color is black. I think it sounds horrible to say that but really, my closet has a lot of black or shades of it. It's just so easy to put together. I recently got these grey jeans from Old Navy & paired them with a drapey BLACK top I picked up from Target. Honestly, I feel like that's my weekend go to outfit: skinnies, a comfy tshirt, and a pair of cute flats. It's just too easy.

Honestly, this look is kind of drab so I added these Baublebar earrings to add a punch of color. They are so pretty and not all that heavy either. These would be perfect for Christmas time too!

The purse is an old purchase from Stella & Dot that is no longer available so I added a few that are similar (at 2 different price points) in the widget below so you can shop them. What is y'alls weekend wear? Does anyone wear as much black as me? 

I am off to get my hair done today! Praise the Lord for color!! I love being in the hair chair; it is seriously the most relaxing thing ever. I hope everyone has a fantastic Tuesday...& oh yeah, welcome November. The year is flyingggggg y'all!

Five on Friday

The weekend is here!! Yay! What are y'all's plans? Anything exciting?

O N E
I recently picked up the new Essie Gel Couture line. Target was sold out of the top coat but I picked up this color and really like it. It has kept about a day or so longer than normal polish. It dries quickly and has good shine!

Color: Take Me To Thread

T W O

We celebrated our anniversary dinner a day late mainly because there were no openings for reservations. We went to Clark's Oyster Bar. It was SO good. I had the Redfish and B had the Grouper. We shared Brussel Sprouts...my FAVE!! It was soooo good!

T H R E E

I can't remember if I shared these or not but these are the most comfy booties ever. I literally wear them with almost every outfit. 

F O U R

Did anyone go get the Pumpkin Spice Glazed doughnut from Krispy Kreme this week? I picked up two and they were awesome.

F I V E
Can y'all believe Halloween is Monday?! Thanksgiving will be here before we know it and then Christmas. We are headed back east for Christmas so I am thrilled and ready to get the holidays started.