scripture sunday

im fine

tj maxx haul

I originally went for the little notebook. They always have a good selection at a good price. It was $3.99.  I make my own planner (because I just dont want to pay the prices for a "designer" planner even though these are on sale for 40% off), so I want one with a sturdy cover and I'm always looking for the right size. A post on this is coming. This is one area TJ really knocks it out of the park. 

The Opi nail polish was a two pack for $7.99 which is $2 cheaper than one bottle costs at Ulta. I like both the colors, so it didn't take long to throw that in the buggy.

I had been looking for a lamp for my kitchen buffet, and the one I have my eye on at Tuesday morning is $79.00, I am watching it and hoping for a drastic cut in price, but in the meanwhile, the search continued.  I was already thinking about this $24.99 lamp at TJ, but could not make up my mind. I found it on clearance for $10 and the decision was suddenly made. Its my new buffet lamp. I'm still not sure its going to be permanent, but I like how the whole shade glows and unless the other one at Tuesday Morning is drastically price cut, the plan is that this one is settling into its new home on top of the buffet and staying for quite a while.

 

I also got two more pair of reading glasses. They are two for $9.99, which is the price of one pair at Walmart, and I feel these are sturdier, not to mention, more fashionable. Where do these glasses get off to? They go missing at an alarming rate. I think they must be with the one missing sock and the bobby pins.

 

 

The rose gold mirrored box was totally an impulse buy. OK... so what here wasn't an impulse buy? Pretty much everything but the notebook.  The gold box is suppose to be a little jewelry box, I think.  But I am going to use it on my nightstand and attempt to corral items into it to keep the nightstand more together. It was $8.99, and matches the cream and gold tones in the bedroom really well.   But *update* the little box is not keeping things as neat at bedside as I hoped and it is being reassigned to another location.

 

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opi coral reef

Can anything beat a Saturday morning at the nail salon with Starbucks and a friend followed by a trip to Target and even more Starbucks? What a great Saturday.

I don't get a manicure too often but I like to use the time to visit and socialize when I do.

This weeks choice: Coral Reef by Opi.

scripture sunday

Tuesday Morning haul

Puttered around Tuesday Morning on a rainy Saturday afternoon. I know I was in there for about 2 hours, slowing browsing every aisle.  Tuesday Morning haul:

three little flower pots for this kitchen herb garden, $6.99 each.
the gift bags, bath salts, bath mitts, and candy were two gifts for two women at church
new pillow for me that I ended up disliking and putting on the guest bed, $11
iron plate holder, $3.99
Two cooking magazines (they were more like soft covered cookbooks), $1.99 each

illuminators/highlighters: a tour of my makeup

First, here is a great Youtube video on steps to a flawless face (I could listen to her accent all day) and a part of it includes use of highlighers.

Second, its no surprise I love illuminators/highlighters and third, I actually have less than I thought and I see no hoarding problem at all (like I clearly have with primers here).

Here is a Youtube video singing the praises of  many higher priced Illuminators and giving good cheaper alternatives in the drug store and also telling you which ones to steer clear of (and suggesting something I have never thought of... you can mix the cheaper ones with your body lotions to make your whole body glow a little).

In my cleaning/decluttering, all of these are going right back in this makeup drawer organizational system I already put in place. I don't think any of mine will be eliminated, as I love and use them all.  And, I can't even pick a favorite, because I really do love them all.

 

Some of my favorites:

I've been vocal with the praises of Becca before (here) and they remain one of my favorite things (not just favorite makeup.... its one of my favorite things). I have not branched out into their other makeup products but this trio of illuminaters are one of the best products I own.

Estee Lauder Illuminating Perfecting Primer was my first real introduction, when I went to the makeup counter for this bb cream (that I love) and left with the illuminating primer too. The makeup artist sat me down in her chair one Saturday to find the right color and added the illuminate on as well. I don't use it as a primer, only on top of makeup, and it is very subtle, while still being effective.

The NYX Born to glow liquid luminator was a spur of the moment purchase at Ulta that I get a lot of compliments on. I've even given it as a gift, everyone tells me how great I look when I wear it. Here is an indepth youtube video tutorial on the NYX with a step by step instruction and a review of the two colors available.

I do have a couple of complaints, but they are relatively minor, like, why is the Mally undereye brightner in such a BIG jar, its impossible to take a small amount out of that big jar?!


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new smoothie recipe

 

 



and I say both "new" and "recipe" in the loosest meaning of the words.  Because throwing bananas and strawberries in a Ninja is not really new nor is it really a recipe but, it is not  my old  favorite smoothie recipe (here) that I've been making for months, and I am finally branching out....

Going for a whirl in the Ninja:
combination of frozen strawberries and fresh strawberries
banana
greek yogurt (my favorite raved about  here)
splash of milk
one or two medijool dates (raved about here)
protein powder
Small handful spinach

Opi: Dulce de Leche

Inspiration from this Pin and this review

Opi Dulce de Leche was one of the first Opi nail polish I bought, and although I like it, I'm not head over heels like so many others are about it. I think it is a great nude when you don't know what else to reach for, and it wears like iron.

im linked here at Jennie Shaw  and here with Agape Love Designs

scripture Sunday

veggie lasanga: Pinterest tested

An unexpected side effect of getting a community fruit/veggie box each week is having veggies pile up and looking specifically for recipes that use a lot of veggies at one time.

Because, more than once, I've had a fridge full and not sure what to do with them all.

This week's answer was Vegetable Lasagna!

I found several recipes on Pinterest but kind of went with my instincts and sautéed all the vegetables I had in the house and added Italian seasoning.

I also relied on a very old memory of eating a great deal of vegetable lasagna at the employee cafeteria when I was a 20 year old casino waitress (the very reason I bought this polish). The meals were free but the choices were limited. Every day there was vegetable lasagna or one other hot dish to chose from. For three plus years, I ate vegetable lasagna at least four days a week. Its taken me a long long time to think about vegetable lasagna again.

A few things I did wrong:

• Instead of  making my own white sauce, I used an already prepared Alfredo (I like Rana), but discovered it  did not need it and should have been skipped. It made the lasagna very rich.
• I cooked the veggies too long and they were a little mushy.
• I wish I would have put it in small casserole dishes to bake fresh instead of baking one big batch and re-heating leftovers.

A few things I did right:

• I used wheat pasta and it was sturdier than regular pasta and held up well.
• I used a lot of cheese, which acted like delicious glue holding it all together. 

Will I make it again? I certainly will as soon as the veggies start stacking up in my fridge again.

Scripture Sunday

Ulta: a mini haul

the original reason for going to ulta was to get this one specific polish from Opi,  "I'm not really a waitress". And since I was there, I thought I should go all out and get the Opi top coat and the base coat. Then the two little travel/trial sizes lured me in by the cash register. The mascara, I love, but not impressed with the concealor/eye brighter.

A few things I love right now: March

fresh ground Almond butter from Whole foods.  How is ground almonds so delicious? I just get a big spoonful for dessert most nights.

Glam Glow mask in hydrating. Its expensive, but I will be buying the trial size again.  My dry skin just looks and feels better and this mask smells great.

Things I regret buying: March

Mrs. Meyers Clean Day  is my very favorite dish soap and  spray cleaner because it smells so fresh and not chemical at all.  I like the lemon scent the best, but occasionally try other scents. I didn't like the orange clove one at all. More cloves than orange. It was very disappointing.

John Wm. Macy's Sweet Sticks. They are just not for me. So crunchy, and did not soften with coffee. But the secretaries at work seemed to like them. They disappeared fast.