Ugh... moving!

So here's what is going on in my life right now... moving!!

And let me tell you, when you have a 15 month old, 2 cats, and you're pregnant - it's not for sissies.

The hubby got a new job in Illinois, so we are making the move from Michigan next week. It's taken about a month for things to fall into place for the move, but it seems like now that things have gotten started... they are going in hyper speed!

Our house here in Michigan was listed on the market and received an offer that we accepted less than a week later, our closing date on the sale of our house is in less than a month. I"m thankful that it happened that quickly, because driving two cats and a toddler in the car to be out of the house for showings was starting to get to me - and that was with only a few days of having to do it! After having an offer that we placed on a house to buy in Illinois fall through after the property we were looking to buy failed the radon test, we had to scramble to find some place to live - especially considering our house here in Michigan had "sold" at that point, and we no longer had time to wait around to find something! As luck would have it, we found a fabulous house to rent (since we no longer had the time to close on a property) and it had the same specifications as houses we were looking to buy - 4 bedroom, 2+ bath, & 3 car garage (a MUST for hubby now, apparently...), BUT the kicker is... it is a house that the builders built as a model/office show house and never filled. So we are going to be living in a BRAND NEW house for the first time! Kind of a stroke of luck there, so we'll see how we like it!

So other than just trying to keep up with whether we are going to have some place to live or are not going to have some place to live on that particular day... my main focus lately has been getting holiday gear for the GIRLS (that's right, girls!! I had to order doubles of bows for the first time ever on this last order, very surreal!!) and stocking up on holiday bows. I'll be sure to share pictures of all of the adorable holiday bows I found and also pictures of their new rooms after we move.

I'm trying to keep my shopping to a minium at this point, since everything I buy will have to be moved by the movers or I stand a chance of missing in the mail at this point if I have to order it... so I've attempted to put a few week hold on ordering anything that has to be shipped. That shouldn't be too hard... right? RIGHT?!?!? ;)

Still no nick name for the new baby, but I have a feeling that will come along after she arrives... for now it's just Cupcake and the new baby. Speaking of those two though, I have to share the adorable wall letters that I ordered from Cute Kid Creations - which as you know is one of my favorite stores to get room decor for kids! She did a fabulous job on them, and I can't wait to put these up in the girls' new rooms!

Cupcake's wall letters, cupcake themed - of course...

And the new baby's wall letters - her room is being done in jungle animal theme...

I'll be sure to update about our move as I can and I'm really hoping this craziness lessens at some point. I feel like I haven't even been able to focus on being pregnant AT ALL this time around! This pregnancy has been so different from my pregnancy with Cupcake!

New Sephora & MAC purchases!

I've been on a bit of a makeup binge lately, it's so fun though. Some fun purchases I wanted to share are the Urban Decay 15th Anniversary eyeshadow palette, that I ordered from Sephora to also get the Dolce & Gabbana perfume VIB freebie... and a few fun lip colors from MAC. I was super excited to receive the Urban Decay palette, because the Naked palette was such a hit for me!

The palette arrived yesterday, and I was pleasantly surprised when I opened it to see the colors. I'd ordered the palette only after seeing the colors online, and I wasn't sure if some of them would be as wearable or good looking in real life as they came across in promotional pictures. However after I opened my palette, I was happy to find that a number of the colors jumped out at me as very wearable and great for daytime looks.

The packaging was also fantastic, it's a very weighty palette and comes with the cutest velvet lining - with a little storage compartment underneath the shadows. (Note: Be careful trying to open the storage compartment, I nicked the shadow in the bottom right corner trying to get it open after I took these pictures... and eventually devised a successful plan to open it with a chop stick. So I'm not sure how useful the compartment would be in the long run until the shadow is all gone.)

Upon first glance, my favorite colors in the 15th anniversary palette are: Omen, Midnight 15, Vanilla, Flow, Deeper, and MIA. We'll see if those are still favorites once I get a chance to try them out! I'm planning on trying to swatch the colors tonight, so I'll try to upload some photos tomorrow of how they look against my fair skin.

Also included in my box from Sephora was a freebie available to VIBS - a deluxe size spray of Dolce & Gabbana's Light Blue fragrance. I'm excited to try it out, as I posted in my previous blgo post - because it seems to be reviewed as a universally flattering perfume. (And I've also heard that almost all males love it on women, so we'll see if my husband takes notice at all!)

And just because it arrived in the mail at the same time that my Sephora box arrived... here are a few items that I ordered from MAC while they were having their free shipping promotion. Blankety lipstick and Evolution Revolution lipglass.

Here's a quick swatch of what they look like on, great neutrals for everyday!

MAC Blankety lipstick on left; MAC Evolution Revolution lipglass on right

Finishing off the summer by trying out some new perfumes...

I've been kind of finding myself in beauty related "themes", trying out new eye products, then new lip products, then going onto things related to hair. (Really loving some products by Alterna and Ojon, which I'll do a review on in the future.) My most recent interest though has been changing up my perfumes, trying to rotate some new choices into my typical "go-to" choices.

The perfumes that I keep on hand and that I wear year round are light, playful fragrances - that can be worn daily and adapt to a number of situations. I've worn Vera Wang Princess for years and it's one of my go-to perfumes that I don't hesitate to use for daily wear. It's flirty and has a slight floral undertone, but isn't overpowering because I hate feeling like I'm walking around in a perfume wall.

www.sephora.com, 1.7 oz. size, $60

Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy is another one of my favorites that I keep on hand, also light and not overpowering. It's a sweet smelling perfume with slight floral undertones and has staying power that really only lasts for a few hours, so it's better for short trips out of the house to run errands or something to that effect.

www.sephora.com, 1.7 oz. size, $69

One of the heavier perfumes that I rotate in to my routine occasionally, but don't use on a daily basis is Chanel's Chance. It has more of a musky undertone that my other more daily use perfumes - but is nice when I want to be a bit dressier or I'm going to dinner.

www.sephora.com, 1.7 oz, $68

Onto the perfumes that I'm planning on trying to rotate into my usual choices. I received a small sample of Dolce & Gabbana's Light Blue from Sephora and then read reviews on it that said it was universally flattering. I have a deluxe sample on the way to me from Sephora to try out and if all goes well it might be brought into the rotation. It has a light scent that is nice enough for every day, but is different enough from my other staple perfumes that it should be a nice  option for something different to wear.

www.sephora.com, 1.6 oz. size, $64

Okay, this next one... I admit, I just want because of the pretty, pretty packaging. Ha! I've been eyeing the Hello Kitty perfume sold exclusively at Sephora ever since it was first released, and I think it might be time to try it. From the reviews and also a deluxe sample that I've been using at home - it does smell a lot like a watered down version of Juicy Couture's Viva La Juicy. However, I think it *might* be just different enough to justify the purchase of the adorable Hello Kitty atomizer perfume bottle... because after all, that's an investment too, right?

www.sephora.com, 1.7 oz size, $55

One last perfume that I've been thinking of trying, for I admit - reasons of marketing more than anything - is Escada's Taj Sunset. Sephora has a deal going on right now when you spend $25 online, you can receive a free deluxe sample of this perfume. It's supposed to have a fruity scent and sounds like it would be the perfect perfume to round out the summer on...

www.sephora.com, 1.6 oz. size, $55

So what perfumes will I end up choosing to add into the collection to end summer with? It's anyone's guess, but I'm planning on heading over to Sephora this week to compare some of the previously mentioned perfumes and to also test a few perfumes, like Marc Jacobs' Oh, Lola. I'll be sure to do a review on the ones I choose!

Hooray for Sephora boxes! ~ NARS mini haul ~

I love the sound of the UPS truck... especially when it has a handbag or Sephora box on it for me!

Today it was the latter, and I was excited to try out some new colors, as well as receive a few freebies with my order!

The first freebie was a makeup set for VIBs, free with the code 'MUSTHAVE' (may still be available, it is good until supplies run out) - and was for a Make Up For Ever set of four items with a cute little cosmetic bag. It came with a lip gloss, finishing powder, mascara, and aqua eyes liner.

My other freebie was the Too Faced 500 point gift, . I finally decided to cash in some points I'd had saved up since I have fairly good luck with Too Faced products, and it seemed like a fun little set.

The main things that I actually ordered... were a few things from NARS. (Which we will refer to as my 'NARS mini haul', ha!) A blush in Angelika, lipstick in Mayflower, and lip lacquer in Chelsea Girls. I was looking for a fun, pink nude lip color for summer - and I needed a brighter blush as well. I tend to gravitate towards plums and darker colors for cheeks & lips, so I constantly have to remind myself to add in lighter colors to my collection every so often.

I've already tried out a few of the products, and I love everything I purchased from NARS. The colors were as I expected them (well, I thought Mayflower was going to be a little bit lighter from it's picture online - but it's still a really pretty color none the less) and very wearable. Angelika looks intimidating in the packaging (which I had anticipated from reviews online), but is very wearable with a light hand. I went into trying it with what I *thought* was a light hand... and I'm going to need to be even lighter next time.

Mayflower is a pretty light raspberry color with a bit of shimmer, it's similar to the popular Dolce Vita - which I also own (I'll try to swatch them to compare at some point)... but it is different enough that I went ahead and decided to keep both. Chelsea Girls is a great nude color to go over lipsticks and give that nude lip look.

I think all three colors are great additions to my NARS collection and bring a bit more of a "summery" look into my makeup options!

Ultra cute Scentsy cupcake warmer!

Scentsy's "warmer of the month" for July is an adorable mid-sized pink and green themed cupcake!

I hadn't tried Scentsy before, but have a few friends that are consultants and numerous friends that have raved about using Scentsy in their homes... so decided to finally give it a try! And well... you can get me to buy just about anything if it's shaped like a cupcake.

The cupcake warmer is the warmer of the month for July 2011, and I also ordered the scent of the month, Happy Birthday. The cupcake warmer is classified as "mid-sized" and although I don't have any of their other warmers to compare sizes just yet, I would say that it's a really generous size. Much larger than I anticipated it was going to be. (So much bigger, that I decided that if this is the size is standard to their other warmers... mid-sized is probably the biggest size that I would need in my house - because it looks size appropriate for a counter top or something of that nature.)

If you've been living a rock like I have, and haven't tried Scentsy yet (because it seems like everyone I know has already tried these...) the deal is that it melts little bars of fragranced wax with the use of a light bulb and is covered, so that it is more pet and child friendly to have in your home than an open flame.

The scent I ordered, Happy Birthday, smells fantastic - and it has a lot better staying power than other room scent options I've tried once it's turned off. Hubby noticed it instantly when he came upstairs the first night I tried it, and agreed that it smelled like, "walking through a field of cupcakes"... Ha!

I think I'm going to be trying a few different types of warmers and scents in the future, perhaps a nice apple smell for the kitchen and wall plug-in warmers for places like our bathroom. While these are definitely safer than an open flame to have in your common living areas where adults are present - the wax that gets heated up in the top (and the cover itself) does get VERY hot. So it could be a burn hazard if tipped over near children or pets. I used pot holders to take the cover off to see what the wax looked like once it was turned off. So a sturdy location that is high enough out of a child's reach is probably the best spot to keep it, as with all heated scent home items.

All in all, I'm really pleased with my first Scentsy product and I can't wait to try another item from their product line!

This review was done independently. Reviewer did not receive compensation for their opinions.

Progress on the Cupcake Room Makeover & Life

So I've discovered that I'm not very witty when I'm pregnant... in fact, my mind is fairly blank - which of course doesn't make for good blog posts. 

The other unfortunate side effect of my mind being blank - or preggo brain as it is affectionately called - is that I've also done things like lock myself out of my house while Cupcake was inside napping, accidentally left my drivers license in my wallet at my house while taking my daughter to swim class (once I realized I didn't have my wallet with me, I drove very, very slowly...), and leaving the changing pad from Cupcake's diaper bag that I've managed to keep track of for a year up to that point - in a restaurant bathroom.

These things are not the norm for me... but being pregnant apparently zaps my ability to remember simple task down to about 50% efficiency.

I am happy to say though, that I finally remembered to take pictures of the cupcake tea party room decor that I've collected so far, and seeing everything together has made me that much more excited!

Pillow from Private Quarters, Bedding from Olive Kids, Wooden room decor from Cute Kid Creations

Items from Cute Kid Creations

Excited to be making progress and be finding items that fit exactly what I had in mind for Cupcake's room!

I've also ordered some wall letters to go with the other wooden items I ordered from Cute Kid Creations, which should hopefully arrive at the end of the summer.

My ultimate goal is to have Cupcake in her new "big girl" room by the beginning of Fall, so I still have some ordering of furniture to do - but I figure I will take full advantage of the nesting stage that should hit me around September or October to get everything completed for her new room.

In other news... peanut #2 has been determined to be a GIRL, according to our most recent ultrasound! So hooray for being able to reuse some of Cupcake's clothing. Peanut #2 will be taking over Cupcake's current room (which we call the nursery) so I've also ordered her some wall letters as well, to match the jungle animal theme in that room.

So now that we know the gender, I'm in need of a nickname for the second baby... and have been tossing potential nicknames around. Sticking with the "baked goods" theme, baby #2 might end up being... Cookie? Muffin? Buttercup? We'll see what ends up sticking in the end.

New makeup finds & reviews!

I just happened to stumble across Makeup Geek videos on You Tube one day last week (I know,  I know... I'm so behind the times, in my defense - I make You Tube videos, but then never have time to actually WATCH any!) and I fell in love! Simple to the point instructions, great photo qualities, and products from brands I already was using. Win, win, win.

I was driven to their website out of my natural curiosity to check things out, and slam dunk - more great tutorials, reviews, and even a makeup store!

After watching on makeup tutorial in particular on Contouring, I decided to put in an order to their store to get the Coastal Scents concealer quad (used in the video), NYX green concealer, and the MUG stippling brush. (Perfect to use with my Make Up For Ever HD Foundation!) They arrived super quickly, I ordered on a Wednesday and received my items by Saturday!

The Coastal Scents concealer quad in light is fantastic! (Currently sold out on the Coastal Scents website.) It comes with four shades, a light concealer, a salmon shade, a white to blend, and a light green tinted shade. The light concealer works perfectly under my makeup to hide blemishes, and the salmon color has worked great under my eyes.

I opted to get the seperate NYX green concealer, because I liked the green tint of it more. (You can see in the photo below the difference.) It conceals the red areas I get on the sides of my nose and lasts all day long.

The MUG stippling brush happened to be 25% off when I placed my order, but I probably would have purchased it at it's regular price as well. In a different Makeup Geek video that I watched, she applied foundation flawlessly with the brush - and I knew I had to try it! It was no hoax, I got the brush and it ended all of my liquid foundation application woes! It goes on smoothly and I've only had minimal issues with shedding. I will be ordering more of these brushes in the future when it comes time for replacements.

The best part? The prices! Everything was reasonably priced and cost me the same amount that one item at Sephora would have, this was my first time trying the Coastal Scents or NYX brands - so I was pleasantly surprised that the products really did DO what I wanted them to! I'm looking forward to trying more items from these brands in the future!