product love

Hey, y'all.

Sorry about the lack of posts lately.  I'm in a bit of a bloggy funk I guess!  I've got lots to say, and lots on my mind, but not much time to blog.  I'm also short on photos, and posts are more fun with photos.

Enough excuses!

So, I'm a bit of a make-up and hair product junkie.  Between Christmas gifts, Christmas money, and a recent trip to Sephora where I let a "fancy" man put make-up all over my face, I've been loving on some new, and not so new beauty products!  Let me show you what I'm loving:

First up, High Definition Foundation from Make Up For Ever. 

Wow.  This stuff is great!  My 31 year old skin is starting to look a little not so great these days.  I'm not sure if it's just my age, or nursing, or pregnancy or a combo of the afore mentioned, but this foundation does the trick!  It has great coverage without feeling or looking heavy, and a little goes a looong way.  It's going to run you a bit more than your drug store brand, but it's well worth the extra cash.  It looks especially great when applied over:

Mattifying Pomegranate Primer from Korres.

I had never tried a primer before and I was given a sample at Sephora.  A very large sample thank goodness!  I had never tried a primer before but man oh man I do love it.  It all but makes my pores disappear, and that's been a major issue for me lately.  I'm going to be pretty sad when this sample runs out and I actually have to spring for a tube of this little baby.

Next,

My new foundation goes on even more smoothly when I use the foundation brush from this set:
Professional Airbrush Set from Sephora.

I went a little wild at Sephora.  Christmas money was burning a hole in my pocket.

I had never used a brush to apply foundation and I love it!  It really does make my skin look super smooth.

Speaking of smooth, my hair is anything but.  Y'all have seen the curly mop that is my hair.  My hair is so dry and frizzy, I HAVE to use some sort of product every time I style it.  Daddy Bird's Aunt Janie is a beautician and she introduced me to this little combo of moisture for my dry locks:

Farouk Royal Treatment Pure Hydration Shampoo by Chi and,

Chi Silk Infusion leave in treatment.

These are not new products, but they are new to me.  I think they've made my hair less dry and more shiny.  I really love the Silk Infusion, and it's great whether I'm leaving my hair curly or attempting to straighten it (why do I bother?).

Another hair product I love is:

Aveda Be Curly Curl Enhancer.

I love, love Aveda products, and this one has been great for taming the curls.  It's lightweight and not crunchy.  Love it.

Here's one my Mom in Law gets all the credit for,

Ultra Balm, baby.

Ok, this one is a splurge.  If I was not given this as a gift, I may not buy it for myself, but, a little does go a long way, and it is really, really great stuff.  My heels are nasty dry.  This stuff, along with a daily rasping with the trusty Ped Egg, is slowly softening the nastiness.  Sorry to be so graphic, but it's really bad.  As in, the Boy Birdie touched my heel a few months ago and said "ouch!  Mommy you cut me with your foot!"  Ahhh, from the mouths of babes.

To top off my pedicure, I love

Essie nail polish.

I love that I can pick up Essie at Target and even some Wal Marts now.  I love Essie's colors and I feel like the durability of the polish is excellent.  I'm really hard on polish, you know, with the cows and all.  I actually worked cattle in my last manicure with Essie and didn't get a single chip.  Now that's sayin' something.

Here's a little trade out I learned recently.  I'm a HUGE fan of Lancome's Hypnose Mascara.  Like, I wear it everyday.  If I was stranded on a desert island I would take my Hypnose.  Well, in December I ran out of the stuff (AAAKKK!) and I thought I was probably getting some for Christmas so I didn't want to buy any.  I decided to try this $5 beauty

Maybelline Falsies Flared Mascara

Dang if it's not a good substitute!  I'm going to keep buying this stuff.  What a steal.

There are my current favorite beauty finds.  What are yours?

OH, PS, None of these are paid endorsements, duh!  None of these companies could give a crap about how I feel about their products, I just wanted to share with y'all!

nativity

One of my favorite childhood memories of Christmas was setting up the nativity every year.  We had one with lots of pieces: shepherds, wise men, lots of animals, and a stable that my dad made (I think) probably before I was born.  I loved arranging the figures in the stable.

Until this year, the only nativity we had was a little one my mom gave us when we lived in our trailer in Alabama.

It's so cute, but I'd been thinking that we needed something a little larger, and maybe something with more pieces.

My Aunt Sue and Uncle David (Big D) came over for dinner last week and brought us a wonderful, wonderful Christmas gift!  A new nativity set!

I'd had my eye on this nativity from Willow Tree and Aunt Sue read my mind.  I love it! 

The little sheep are so cute.

And the donkey with his floppy looking ears:

And this is my favorite part:

In so many nativity scenes, the baby Jesus is shown in the manger, but in this scene, Mary is holding him.  I love that!  You mamas out there know Mary probably spent a great deal of time in those first few days just holding, feeding and loving on her little baby.  It just makes this nativity all the more sweet to me.

Do you have a special nativity scene in your house? 

guilty pleasure

So, everyone has their guilty pleasures, right?

One of mine happens to be Celebrity Apprentice.

I love it because it's generally a train wreck, and the disaster of this season is unfolding as I write this.

Star Jones, Meatloaf, Gary Bussey, David Cassidy, Nene Leaks, Latoya Jackson, 'Lil Jon. Please.  Could it get any worse?

I'll be severely disappointed if Nene doesn't scratch someone's eyes out with those nails.

Excuse me while I go watch this train derail.



What's your guilty pleasure show?  Or am I alone here?

friday favs

What I'm lovin' as of late...



*The weather getting warmer!  I love the promise of spring!  Or neighbor plowed up his garden yesterday and it gave me major spring fever.

*This great idea for a nursery mobile!  I think I'm going to make a similar one with a few changes.  Does the bottom bird on the one in the picture look a little odd, or is it just me? 

*I'm loving this blog's series on fun boy stuff!  I want to make some of these projects.

*The progress being made on our basement.  We're still not close, but the electrical work is finished, the tile should be in early next week, and the vanity is ready to be installed, as soon as the tile is in.

*Movie night.  Baby Bird and I have movie night on Friday nights when Daddy Bird is working.  Usually we watch The Incredibles.  I really need to visit red box next time.

*This tutorial for making curtains from bed sheets.  I think I'm going to do this for the nursery, but maybe embellish them a bit?

*Chocolate.

*Pizza.  I could eat pizza every night of the week right now.

*Stretchy pants.

*My bed.  I am so tired these days.

*The temporary tattoo my son put on my belly this morning.  It's a bear.  I'll spare you the photo.

*I heard that Costco now has Hannah Andersson pj's for $12.  I'm not a member there, but I'd love to find someone who is.  Have ya'll bought those pj's for your kiddos?  They are the BEST!

* I love that my brother is reading my blog and commenting.  Heehee!  Please don't make me have to edit your comments, Stan :)

*I love our camera.

Happy Friday!

things I'm loving as of late...

Gardening...or rather watching my hottie gardener and his helper hoe up all the weeds!

Petunias.  Happy Mothers Day, me.

These t-shirts from of all places...wally world.  They are so soft and comfy, and most importantly, they are only $4 :)

Baby Calves

This dip recipe:

Brooke's Black Bean and Corn Dip

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cans corn, drained

1 bunch scallions, chopped

1 block feta cheese crumbled

1/2  C. cider vinegar

1/2 C. extra virgian olive oil

1/2 C. sugar

Combine all ingredients and serve with tortilla chips.

This has become a favorite with baby bird Eli.  He will even eat it plain.  In fact he had three helpings of it at dinner tonight.  Yummy!

Did I mention baby calves?  Moo.

Have a great week, Ya'll!