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Wedding Wednesday: Finding My Dream Dress

Happy WEDDING WEDNESDAY y’all!! I know it’s been kind of a while since we talked about my wedding, but I just have the absolute BEST news to share!

I FOUND MY WEDDING DRESS!!!

It was literally everything I thought it would be. I am overwhelmed with happiness by my choice and I can’t wait for the big day for y’all to see what I picked.

Buuutttt since it would be bad luck to show off my gorgeous dress now, let’s talk a little bit about my experience.

Every other Friday I have off from work, so my mom and I picked a Friday I was off and decided just to go look at dresses so that I could get an idea. Mind you, I had absolutely no idea what kind of dress would even look good on me! So we get there and right away I’m super intimidated by ALL the dresses in the store. The lady working was super friendly and helped me sign in and get going on picking out a few styles I might want to try.

I wanted a ball gown style dress so badly, but after trying one on I realized that I am just too short for that style (it was heavy and made me start to feel a little claustrophobic). I tried on quite a few different styles and let me tell you, not everything out there is cute! My stylist was really helpful and when I found a dress that I actually liked, she would go and pull a few more of that look or style. I finally narrowed it down to one or two dresses but my mind kept going back to this “one” dress I had tried on. I got a little case of cold feet and had to walk out of the bridal boutique without a dress.

Side Note: this isn’t my dress!

That night I knew that dress had been mine and I started to get nervous as that had been the only one in the store. My mom kept telling me that if it was meant to be, then it would still be there in a few days when we went back. That night I texted my MOH and asked my soon to be mother in law if they could come with me and my mom to pick out a dress.

A few days later we went and my girl was working again (yay!!), I told her that I wanted to try on my special dress again and we picked out a few other ones to show my little party. I tried on a couple of dresses and then finally put on the ONE and I knew immediately that this was going to be the dress that I walked down the aisle in. I started to tear up and when I walked out I knew from their faces that they agreed. This was MY DRESS, there was no question about it. The girl I was working with put a veil on me and I was DONE, I started crying and my mom started getting teared up. I told the lady that this was the one and that I would be walking away with my dream dress that day. I still have to get it altered since it is a tad bit big on me, but it is absolutely beautiful and once it is paired with my veil, I know that it will be perfect.

Finding my dream dress was such an emotional experience for me. I know they always say on TV that you just know when you put it on and I can honestly say that is 100% true. I’m glad that I didn’t have 50 million people there with me and that I just took the people who mean the most to me. I can’t wait to walk down the aisle towards Robert in 8 months and see that look on his face and the tear in his eye.

XOXO

October 4, 2017
Top 8 Fall Must Haves
Happy Tuesday y’all!!! I hope y’all had a GREAT weekend even though that was a few days ago now! I kicked off my weekend with a high school football game where my brother’s team beat their local rival (it was a nail bitter!) and then spent all day Sunday stopping some Bridesmaids from fighting with each other via email!

As we all know, Friday was the first official day of Fall and it had me thinking about changing up my wardrobe and adding some cooler weather pieces to my everyday look. Even though Fall doesn’t really start in SoCal until at least mid-October to November, there’s never a wrong time to add a few key pieces.

So to kick off the Fall season I’ve decided to share with y’all some of my favorite items for Fall so far. I have 5 out of the 8 items posted and the rest is in my shopping cart to buy when I get home from work! All of the pieces I’m linking are budget friendly and super cute!
1. Billabong “Dance With Me” Sweater – $55.95 This sweater is super cute and I actually found it while I was in Catalina with my family. It was the last one and I knew I had to buy it. It goes perfect with a pair of skinny jeans and low booties. It can be found at Nordstrom in sizes S-L in the color “White Cap” and on the Billabong website but only in a size L. I know that this sweater is a little more on the expensive side, but it is so worth it!
1. Lucky Brand “Brooke” Ripped Skinny Jeans – $59.99 These are originally $100 at Macy’s but are on SALE! These are currently in my cart and I’m so excited about them because I’ve been looking for a pair of ripped jeans that weren’t too ripped! They are currently almost sold out and are only available in sizes 25-29 so hurry and check them out if you like them!
1. Leopard print Scarf – $19 I found this scarf during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and only paid $11.90 for it. It’s super cut and lightweight which means it’s the perfect transitional piece.
1. Madden Girl “Addy” Peep-Toe Block-Heel Dress Sandals – $59.00 I found these at Macy’s in July when I went shopping for my birthday. You can also find them online at Belk for the same price. They come in chestnut (I have this color) and in black. They are true to size and zip on the side so it makes them easy to put on and take off (I wear a 6.5 and they fit perfectly). These peep toe booties are sooo cute and perfect for fall; throw them on with a pair of jeans, a white tee and that super cute leopard scarf and you’ve got yourself a cute, but casual look.
1. Billabong “Dance With Me” Sweater – $55.95 I bought this sweater during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale after I fell in love with the cream color one. I highly recommend trying to find this sweater on sale because I only paid $39.90 instead of full price. Again this type of sweater can be found at Nordstrom and at Billabong. On the Billabong website this sweater also comes in Ash Rose in sizes S-L.
1. Madden Girl “Fayth” Booties – $79.00 I am so bad, I had these in my shopping cart and did a little later night shopping. I found these booties at Macy’s and I can’t wait for them to come in the mail. These zip up the back and I ordered a 6.5 so hopefully they run true to size and I don’t have to exchange them. These come in three different colors (black, brown, and sand); I had such a hard time deciding between the brown and the sand but ended up going with the brown. I love the detailing on the back which is all the rage right now in the bootie world and the heel is low enough on them that wearing them all day shouldn’t be an issue.
1. Caslon Rounded V-Neck Tee – $25.00 This basic tee can be found at Nordstrom’s in a variety of colors. The website says that this shirt runs large and to order one size down if between sizes. I currently have this in my cart and I think that I’m going to go ahead and buy the Petite XS. The good thing about Nordstrom is that it’s FREE SHIPPING and FREE RETURNS so win-win. This “Beige Rainy Day” color would go perfectly with the jeans mentioned above and either pair of booties in this article. You could also throw on that leopard scarf and you’re good to go. I’ve been looking for a good, simple v-neck and I hope this one doesn’t disappoint!
1. Steve Madden Women’s “Glenda” Athletic Mules – $79.00 I found these slip ons at Macy’s and we all know these are huge right now! These come in four colors: black suede, grey suede, pink suede, and rose gold. You can also find these on com for $49.98 or at DSW for full price! These would be perfect with shorts or some cropped jeans.
With all things Macy’s related, I like to wait until there is some kind of sale going on (and there always is) before I buy the more expensive pieces at a much cheaper price. All of the items in this shown here are under $100 which makes them very wallet friendly. Let’s hope that Fall comes to SoCal soon because I’m a little over the heat and bi-polar weather we have. It’s that time of the year where it’s sweater weather in the morning and by lunch you wish you had an outfit change.

Let me know if any of y’all picked up any great fall pieces that you want to share with me!

XOXO
September 26, 2017
Target Beauty Box – September: Your New Basics
Happy Thursday!! Thank goodness it’s almost the weekend; it’s just been one of those weeks that seems like you have a million things to do but not enough time (go to an Angel baseball game or finish the cheer bows you need to make? Both!)! For instance…this post, I got my box in the mail about a week ago and I’m only just now getting around writing about it. Good thing tomorrow is my off day!

The Target Beauty Box is a one-time purchase monthly box that includes deluxe and full sized beauty products that you can find at Target and of course other retailers. This month there were 2 boxes available, so I purchased both!

The box varies in price from $7-$10 so it’s relatively inexpensive to purchase a box. This month the box was $7! I like that you can choose every month if you want to buy the box or not since it’s not an actual subscription.

Here is a BREAKDOWN of the SEPTEMBER goodies:
1. Garnier SkinActive Moisture Bomb Jar – Value for 7 ml = $2.10
A full size, 1.7 oz., jar retails for $14.99 in store. “Packed with a specially designed Antioxidant complex of Vitamins C, E, and super-fruits Goji berry, & Pomegranate, these water-light formulas are clinically proven to actively repair and protect skin’s moisture barrier improving skin’s healthy and youthful look over time.” I’m not always a fan of day time moisturizers just because I feel like they make me oily during the day but this was not the case with this moisturizer. I really like the Garnier brand so I was excited to see this in my box.
1. Acure Ultra-Hydrating Shampoo – Value for 1.3 oz. = $1.62
A regular 8 oz. bottle of this shampoo is $10 in the store. “ACURE’s Moroccan Argan Oil + Argan Stem Cell Shampoo provides lasting moisture to even the most dry and damaged hair leaving it soft, smooth, and manageable. Sulfate-free and safe for color treated hair, organic Argan Oil and Sea Buckthorn Oil hydrate and smooth, Argan Stem Cells & Pumpkin Seed Oil boost healthy hair growth, CoQ10 supports healthy keratin production. Lock in moisture, repair damage, and strengthen hair follicles with ACURE’s nutrient-rich shampoo!” While I’m not a huge fan of all of this brand’s products, I’m always willing to try out a new shampoo/conditioner. Lately my hair has been pretty dry (idk if it’s the weather or what) so I was excited to see this hydrating shampoo in my box. After using it, I felt like my hair was actually thanking me for giving it “water” hahaha
1. Acure Ultra-Hydrating Conditioner – Value for 1.3 oz. = $1.62
A regular 8 oz. bottle of this shampoo is $10 in the store. “ACURE’s Moroccan Argan Oil + Argan Stem Cell Conditioner provides lasting moisture to even the most dry and damaged hair leaving it soft, smooth and manageable. Safe for color treated hair, organic Argan Oil and Sea Buckthorn Oil hydrate and smooth, Argan Stem Cells & Pumpkin Seed Oil boost healthy hair growth and CoQ10 supports healthy keratin production. Lock in moisture, repair damage, and strengthen hair follicles with ACURE’s nutrient-rich conditioner!” I used this with the shampoo since I wanted the full effect of using the set together (I usually mix and match my shampoo/conditioner). As with the shampoo, I liked how my hair felt after using this and will most likely purchase again to mix in the schedule between my blonde shampoo days!
1. Total Tease Mascara – in Very Black Washable = $7.99
This is a full size product!! “Unlike traditional volumizing Mascaras that can leave a clumpy mess, Total Tease Mascara is defined to catch, comb, and tease for perfectly refined, long full lashes. Lash Teasing comb provides precision separation for a clutter-free lash look with 5X/500% volume.” I can’t remember the last time I bought COVERGIRL mascara…wait I can’t remember the last time I bought mascara period. I’m ALWAYS a huge fan of trying out new mascaras and let’s just say that I was not disappointed in this one. I liked the coverage that it gave my lashes and in terms of mascara isn’t too expensive. I will def be buying this one again.
1. Simple Micellar Water –Value for 1.9 oz. = $1.27
A full 13.5 oz. bottle of this retails for $8.99 in store. “Simple Micellar Cleansing Water thoroughly cleanses and instantly hydrates skin and unclogs pores with a formula that’s gentle enough for sensitive skin. Made with triple purified water and skin-loving ingredients, this cleanser uses tiny molecular balls known as micelles to entrap and dissolve dirt, oil, makeup, and impurities–all without the need for harsh, irritating chemicals. It also instantly boosts skin hydration by 90%, leaving your skin feeling soft, fresh, and revitalized.” AHHH yes I love micellar water. I’ve tried a couple different kinds, but there was something about this one. It didn’t leave my face feeling dried out or slightly sticky. This was super easy to use with my cotton rounds that I also received in this box. This was the travel size so it’s super inexpensive plus a little goes a long way so I won’t have to continuously purchase this item!
1. up&up Premium Cotton Rounds– Value for 2 = $0.06
These are only $0.99 for a 30 pack of cotton rounds! “up&up premium cotton rounds are made with 100% pure cotton. The dual sided design creates a strong, soft and lint free cotton round for all your skin care needs. Gentle enough for all skin types.” These are seriously the best! I use them for EVERYTHING from taking off my eye makeup at the end of the day, to wiping my face with micellar water, to taking off my nail polish. These are super affordable and I am A-OK with buying the Target brand!
1. Sensodyne ProNamel Strong & Bright – Value for 2 oz. = $3.99
The full size is only 3 oz. and retails for $5.99. “Strong Enamel Whiter Teeth; Clinically Proven Enamel Strengthening; Advanced Brightening System” I don’t have sensitive teeth, but this toothpaste works just the same. I loved the way my teeth felt nice and clean after using and left me with a minty taste in my mouth. A definite go to product!
1. NIVEA In-Shower Body Lotion – Value = $5.49
This is a FULL size product! “Contains nourishing almond oil, moisturizes wet skin in seconds, and leaves no sticky feel.” This is the perfect size for my gym bag! Why take the extra step of drying off and then putting on lotion when you can just put this on while your still wet and then get dressed as normal. I don’t know about you, but I hate putting lotion on my legs and then putting jeans on. With this lotion I don’t get that feeling of my legs getting stuck because they’re already moisturized and dry! If you haven’t already, go try this product!

THE VALUE

The value of this September Beauty Box is approximately $24.14. Since this box was only $7.27 including tax and shipping (I have free shipping + 5% off with my Target Debit Card) this is still a great deal even though the value is a little low! There were 8 items in my box this month and 2 were full sized items. This is perfect for trying out a new product that you may not normally buy.

I think this box is a great deal and I love trying new products every month! I also love the fact that if I don’t like the box one month, I don’t have to buy it! The only thing is if you want the box, you have to be quick because they do sell out every month. I can’t wait to see what will be in the August box!

XOXO
September 21, 2017