A wish for you...

Travel Musts

Yeah, so I'm a little late as I'm sure most of you peeps are already at your holiday destinations, but I figured this would be a good post regardless. I'm slowly working my way to having traveling down to a science. I'd love to have the system down, but I'm getting there. One of the hardest components of packing for a trip is whittling down my beauty products to the essentials.

A train case: This is an awesome way to keep all of your toiletries together in one organized place. This might not work so much if your planning to fly but if you're keeping it local or driving these are perfect. I got one as a gift a few Christmas's ago but I thought these train cases would be amazing!

Brush Case: If you invested a bit of money on your make up brushes they should be protected when you travel. There are lots of options for brush cases but I just got a basic one from Ulta and it works wonderfully. Plus, it's only fits about 8 brushes, so that forces me to downsize on trips...

Retractable Kabuki Brush: This is a great brush to have, but if you use Bare Minerals makeup you know it's especially important. The brush that is marketed for Bare Minerals won't be protected from being tossed around in your makeup bag or new train case so a retractable brush is perfect for traveling. Once again, I picked up mine from Ulta. And just as a side note, this is a great all-purpose brush if you're thinking about starting a brush collection. It can be used for your face powder, blush, and/or bronzer.

Compact eyelash curler: I have a pretty small makeup back and when I travel, I bring a little bit more than my normal make up to be prepared for different situations. So, when I found this eyelash curler at Ulta (seeing a pattern?) I had to pick it up. It's so small and flat that it fits amazingly in a small bag. Plus, it works really great AND you can order free replacement pads for the life of the curler!! Did I mention it comes in pink, too?

And lastly, the hands-down best product ever for travel!!!

KMS California Makeover Spray: This stuff is amazing! It's like the less-messy version of dry shampoo. Say you arrive late at your destination, don't especially feel like showering, and go straight to bed. You wake up the next morning with a full day planned and don't have time for a morning shower. This stuff will take greasy hair and make it normal again! No joke! You just spray it throughout your hair (focus on the roots), brush through, and style as normal. As you could guess, I got mine at Ulta as a free sample, but you can get it on Amazon too!

So, happy traveling! I hope these tips and products to make packing and traveling easier!

**Disclaimer** I am not, nor do I ever claim to be a beauty expert. I am not affiliated with any brands or products mentioned. I bought them all and I give my honest opinion. :D

Operation BBE: Best Break Ever

Being a student can definitely put strains on your relationship as an engaged/married couple and I'll be the first to admit that Josh and I are no exception. It is just plain hard to maintain a strong, grounded relationship while juggling work, school, homework, and all that other junk. Ask Josh the definition of fun and you will get "what's that" in reply. So, as this semester has come to an end, I have decided to work hard in making this the "best winter break ever". The goal is to be productive, spend time with each other, and HAVE FUN!!!

To kick off Operation BBE how about a picture of the hubs and me at an awesome holiday party we were able to attend last weekend. As you might be able to tell, this picture was taken well into the night after lots and lots of crazy dancing! Sure, I have crazy hair, a double chin, and red eyes but I can't deny the fun that's on our faces so I had to post it.

I promise more posts are on the way. But in the mean time, everyone enjoy your holiday breaks with friends and families!!! Thank you for all your love and support this year!

Update + Cool Gifts for your Man

So, I've been a little absent lately, but in my defense it is finals week. And go figure, on this Monday of finals week, I wake up at 6:30AM feeling fresh and ready to start the day. I even washed the breakfast dishes and folded clothes in the dryer! That never happens. I told Josh that I was trying to see how much housework I could do this morning before he passed out in shock.

But luckily enough, I've been compiling a little gift guide for the hard-to-buy-for guy (That's a mouth full, huh?). I'm not really into giving gift cards. Maybe I'm a little crazy strange, but I just prefer gifts wrapped in boxes and bows. Weird? So if you're looking for a cool, quirky gift, maybe this will help!

Personalized Steak Branding Iron

Eye Glasses Holder

Perpetual Calendar

Happy 1st Birthday, AWWY!

That's right, today is my "One Year Blog-iversarry!!!"

While one year is huge milestone on it's own, I feel especially proud because I cannot remember ever starting a project and continuing with it for more than a few months! And what started out as a way to document the planning of my wedding, has turned into so much more! This blog has opened up the creative floodgates and, now, I'm doing things that I never thought I would.

The best part? There is so much more to come and I can't wait to share it with you!

November Favorites

November kicked off the holiday season, and I have a whole lot of favorite items and activities to help out with that.

New and Old Family:

This Thanksgiving was one of the most memorable I've had because I got to have two "Turkey Days". Josh and I spent one with his family and one with mine. Even though I'd been with Josh for practically 4 years prior to this holiday season, but we've never been completely immersed in the holiday season with each others family. It was a really great holiday and I am truly thankful for my old and my new family!

Window shopping:

At this point in time, Josh and I are really trying to watch our budget and it can be pretty hard staying in check with all of the crazy sales going on. So, to curb the craving, I've been doing a lot of window shopping, especially online. That is one of the reasons I created this design board.

Secret Wonderland from Bath and Body Works:

Best. Scent. Ever!!! It is very sweet (almost like cotton candy, I think) and this one little candle smelled up my whole apartment. Candles are a tricky thing for us, because Josh can't handle a lot of potent scents. So I bought the small version of this to test it out, and it will absolutely be a repeat purchase. If you're looking for a new scent for the holidays, I would definitely recommend this one.

Oven Break!

I found this awesome little iPhone game a few weeks ago and I am obsessed!! This little gingerbread man is so cute and your goal is to try and break him out of the oven! It definitely sets you in a Christmas mood! Did I mention it's free?

What were your favorite items for November?