As a girl growing up one of my favorite treats was homemade popcorn with melted butter drizzled over top. I honestly can’t remember the last time I air popped popcorn, once they invented microwave popcorn it seems as though that’s all I had. That is until a very dear professor of mine brought in a homemade batch of caramel popcorn into class. It basically changed my life, and immediately requested the recipe. It has become one of my signature desserts that I like to share with family and friends. While I just can’t give away the trusted recipe from my professor, I found one very similar for you to try. Perhaps air popping your own corn will take you back to childhood too.
It seems as though it never takes long before my makeup kit starts looking like a mini tornado came through the night before. I’ve started to make it a habit that when a new season comes around, the same way I do with my wardrobe, I spring/fall clean my makeup. Here are my tips below for creating an organized oasis of your makeup.
- Empty out your makeup kit so that there is nothing left inside. Caution, you will be disgusted at what is sitting on the bottom floor. I didn’t post the picture of my initial emptied kit because it was that repulsive.
- Clean off your makeup palettes, both inside and out. I like to use makeup remover wipes as they get all the residue/grease/gunk off efficiently. Afterwards, use the wipes to clean out the inside of your makeup kit.
- Lay out your colors. Determine what you use, don’t use, what has broken and needs to be disposed of. Here is a guideline of cosmetic shelf life; powder products – 2 years, cream products – 6 months to 1 year, mascara – 3 months, lipstick – 2 years.
- Make a list of what you’re missing and/or what needs to be replenished. If there is a hot color or trend, now is the time to look at adding it to your kit.
- Return your makeup back into your kit in an organized way that will be easy to maintain.
*Note: This is not my professional kit. My professional kit gets cleaned/disinfected after every job/use. Everything in my professional kit is not used for personal use by myself.
I’ve never considered myself a diehard chocolate fan. Don’t get me wrong, I love chocolate, but as an equal opportunity sweets kinda gal, I always peruse the dessert menu, not just settling for any old chocolate sweet. This cookie recipe from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook has me questioning my position. It is bursting at the seams with chocolate deliciousness, crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. One of my favorite baking bloggers, Sweetapolita, recently blogged about this cookie, jazzing it up with an abundance of sprinkles. I just knew I had to recreate it… and taste test it numerous times to make sure it was up to par.
My grandmother is an amazing seamstress. She’s the one who taught me to sew when my age was in the single digits. She created my First Communion dress, my favorite pajamas and spring outfits. She also made us grandchildren deliciously cozy bathrobes, better than anything you could buy in a store. So when it came time last Christmas to buy my incredible niece a gift, I knew that starting a tradition between her and I was the only option. I found the softest fabric I could to create a little something for the most special little someone in my life.
See by Chloe Dress, Prada Boots, Tom Ford Handbag (similar style), Hermes Watch, Leah Alexandra Bracelet
There is nothing that feels as easy or carefree as throwing on a simple dress and boots on a lovely fall day. It’s so easy to slip this type of outfit on and head out the door for brunch, shopping or sightseeing. The best part about it is that it doesn’t look like it’s been rushed, but as if it has been carefully considered after many attempts. Let’s pretend I didn’t just let you in on my little secret now, okay?
