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July Blogger Collab
A few weeks ago I had the chance to participate in a super fun event for local Milwaukee bloggers. I had a blast meeting other ladies that share similar interests and learning about some local brands. The event was originally going to be held outside but the weather derailed our plans. Luckily Pin It Live came through and offered for us to use their space! I had never been there and it was the cutest space. And what a great idea! You can drink wine and make Pinterest projects! So fun!
Part of this blogging endeavor is about making connections. I’ve really been trying to put myself out there more and even though I was a little nervous to go to an event by myself where I didn’t know anyone, I had a really good time! We drank wine, ate Ian’s Pizza and Smashmallows, got to model some lovely Kendra Scott jewels, and got sent home with swag bags with goodies from MJ Creative Co, Tampon Tribe, Rit Dye, and Press Seltzer.
Here are some more pictures from the event if you would like to see!
Left to right: Alexina Gosh, Justine Moore Sloan, ME!, Terressa Dotson
Left to right: Karri Tait, Diana Elise, Sreeja Pedapudi, Crystal Flores, Justine Moore Sloan, Alexina Gosh, Me
Modeling by Leena Asuma
Other ladies involved not pictured: Heidi Fischer, Justina Gemignani, Megan Baylerian, Elizabeth Saksefski, Erika Kyle, Maia Nolan-Partnow, Olivia Medrow
Amazing Photog: Amanda Vick
I can’t thank Terressa and Amanda enough for pulling this together. I can’t wait for more events to hang out with these ladies again and meet more Milwaukee bloggers!
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What I’m Luvving This Week
OMG. WHY did it take Friday so damn long to get here? I’m excited to lay low this weekend and spend some time outside with Matt and Margot.
Also – If you watch my Instagram stories and saw my Nordstrom Anniversary Sale try on I told you guys I had more stuff coming because I’m a ridiculous person. Well, here it is! There’s 9 days left of the sale and here’s what I’m keeping from my second order:
This lace yoke blouse is great for now and for fall layered with a cardigan. //Â I’m excited to wear this suede skirt with over the knee boots this fall. // The GloPro! I’ve been wanting to try this for so long and this is a great price. You get the face and eye micro-needling tools and some of their skincare products. Super excited to try this out and of course I’ll let you guys know what I think after I’ve been using it for about a month. // These sunglasses are adorable and a good price. These aren’t actually part of the sale, the tortoise color way was but I liked the black better and now the tortoise is sold out. // A neutral scarf is always a must for fall!
Have a great weekend! Any fun plans? I’d love to hear!
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How I Get a Summer Glow
Switching back to summer for a moment – I wanted to give you all the details on the products I love for achieving a summer glow. You know I’m all about SPF so I try not to get too much sun, but I still love to have a tan. Doesn’t everybody just feel like they look better with a tan? These are the products that I have found that really work:
Sunless Tanner Of course number one is a good sunless tanner. I have found this mousse from Loving Tan is the closest thing to a spray tan. It gives me a nice even color and looks really natural!
Face Tanner You already know I have a love for Drunk Elephant and these new Bronzi Drops are a great addition! You just mix a drop of this bronzing serum with your moisturizer to give your face a little glow. You can build up the color based on the ratio of bronzer to moisturizer you use and the serum is full of antioxidants that fight against fine lines and wrinkles, uneven skin tone, and dullness. Win-win!
Bronzer When I just want to add a little glow to the high points of my face I reach for my favorite bronzer – Bareminerals Warmth. It’s an oldie but goodie and seriously the best bronzer there is!
Body Bronzer When I don’t have time for self tanner or want to help make my self tanner last longer I use this bronzing argan oil. It’s moisturizing and gives some temporary color and shimmer. Like summer in a bottle!
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Rainy Sunday
One thing about a rainy weekend in July? Getting to wear some of my new fall clothing! I love being outside in the summer and soaking up the sunshine but every once in a while it is nice to get a rainy weekend so I have an excuse so get stuff done around the house and stay inside.
If you follow me on Instagram you probably saw my post about this past week being weird. It started on Monday when I had a doctor’s appointment in the morning. It always seems weird to start Monday morning by coming in to work a little late.
On Wednesday I took Margot to the doctor. She has a bit of a lazy eye so we have an appointment with a Pediatric Ophthalmologist next month. She made need to wear a patch or glasses for a little bit the strengthen her weak eye. I’m trying to just be calm and wait and see what the doctor says. Of course, prayer are appreciated! Also on Wednesday we got some good news about Matt’s job which is going to make it so he can be home more in the evenings during the week. This has been a huge praise! Both of us have had some challenging work circumstances for over a year now and this is such a relief!
Speaking of challenging work circumstances…Let’s just say I had a rough week. I don’t want to go into too much detail but I would greatly appreciate any prayers. I’ve been dealing with some adversity at work for over a year now and for the most part I deal with it and move on but there are times when it just really brings me down. On the bright side it brought me to starting this blog which has been a huge blessing!
Part of starting this blog was to do something for myself – something creative – and also to connect with others. Friday night I had the opportunity to attend a Milwaukee Blogger Collab Day. It was so awesome to meet other creative women that are putting themselves out there through blogging! I will do a full post about the event in the future but I am really looking forward to getting out there more and meeting more local bloggers. I was a little nervous to attend an event by myself with a lot of people I’d never met but everyone was so nice and I had a lot of fun!
Now it’s Sunday evening as I’m writing this post and I’m trying to keep the Sunday Scaries away. I know some of you guys get this feeling on Sunday evenings, too. I actually used to be super excited to go to work on Monday and hang out with my co-workers. It’s just that things have changed. But I have faith that things can change again I will get through it. It’s just a blip.
I hope everyone has a fabulous week – myself included!
Shop the post: Free People Saturday Morning Cardigan // Cami // Jeans // Slippers
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Summer Beauty Look From Nordstrom
With the Nordstrom Anniversary sale going on it’s a great time to stock up on beauty items! I put this look together this week with a few of the sets I picked up.
First I used the Giorgio Armani Glow set. This primer has SPF 50 which of course I love. I’ve been a long time user of the Luminous Silk foundation but this Fluid Sheer is a nice alternative for summer.
Next I filled in my brows and set them in place with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Duo in taupe. There is a reason this set wins so many awards! This is the perfect time to try it out while it’s on sale.
After my brows were filled in and my foundation had some time to sink in I used the Bobbi Brown Deluxe Eye and Cheek set. I swept eyeshadow in the color Wheat on my lids and lined my eyes with Espresso. Next I used the medium bronzing powder along my cheekbones, temples, top of my forehead, and jaw line. Finally I used blush in Nectar for a pop of color on my cheeks.
Next I used my favorite lip liner and lipstick – the Charlotte Tilbury Pretty Pink Lipstick set. I lined my lips with the Pillow Talk liner and filled in with the lipstick shade Blushing Dream.
I always love a good sale and getting to try out new products, or stock up on products that I already love. Did you find anything good in the Nordstrom sale?
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Ladies Who Brunch
How has another weekend come and gone? The weekends just are not long enough in the summer. It was another hot and humid one here. My weekend started off on Friday when I was supposed to have a doctor’s appointment Friday morning. I decided to take the rest of the day off so I could get some stuff done around the house while Margot was at daycare. I ended having to do some work from home first thing in the morning so I rushed her over to daycare, rushed back downtown for my appointment, and then found out I had the wrong day. Total fail! And this is the third time this has happened to me in the last few months with appointments! And I use my calendar religiously! I texted my husband and was like, “WTF is wrong with me??” Sigh.
My best friend’s family was in town this weekend and we went out to brunch on Saturday. There are so many amazing places for brunch in Milwaukee! We went to Cafe Benelux which is a tried and true favorite in the Third Ward. They have amazing food, great drinks including an extensive beer menu, and a rooftop patio. Definitely one of my faves. I wore this lightweight top with my favorite jean shorts and my new earrings. This year’s version of this top is in the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, linked below.
Have a great week friends!
Shop the post: Top (similar) // Shorts // Bag // Shoes // Earrings
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What I’m Luvving This Week
Happy Friday the 13th, friends! This week being back at work after everyone was gone for the 4th was a doozy. Luckily we had the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale to perk us up! This is my favorite time of year to shop and I get most of my fall and winter clothes from this sale. I will say that blogs and Instagram are super over-saturated with picks from this sale – don’t feel like you have to buy anything! But here is what landed in my cart yesterday:
I love the pretty pointelle detail on this cozy cardigan // It was time for a new pair of black booties // So excited for this cozy pullover! I wear stuff like this all winter so I know it will get a lot of use // AG Jeans are my favorite and this is a great time to get a pair on sale // The flat booties I got last year wore out to the point they had a hole in them! Excited for this new pair! // My favorite bras of all time, have to get a new one (or 2) every year.
I’m sure I will go back and find more things I need (that my wallet doesn’t). I may do a try on in my Insta stories when all of my purchases come in. I’ll also be doing a beauty post next week with some of my picks from the sale. Are you shopping the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale? Do you have any awesome picks I need to see?
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My Skincare Routine Part 3: Masks and Treatments
If you’re just joining me I detailed out my morning and evening routines her:
Part 1: My Morning Skincare Routine
Part 2: My Evening Skincare Routine
For part three I’m detailing the masks and treatments I use regularly. My favorite way to relax in the evening or on weekends is with a cup of tea and a soothing face mask. Here are some of my currents faves!
MOISTURIZING MASK
I like to use a moisturizer mask as an overnight sleeping pack when I need an extra boost of hydration. After completing my evening routine I slather on the Summer Fridays Jetlag Mask to wake up with moisturized, glowing skin. This is my new fave!
SHEET MASKS
I love to relax in the evening with a sheet mask. The cooling mask helps to decrease puffiness and calm my skin after a stressful week. My favorite of all time is the My Beauty Diary masks. They’re affordable and come in lots of different “flavors” to try!
EYE PATCHES
I love to use eye patches on mornings when I have a little puffiness or after a long night. These eye patches cool, moisturize, and firm the delicate skin around the eyes.
LIP MASK
I had such terrible chapped lips last winter and nothing was helping until I tried this Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask totally cured them! The best, the best, the best!
ACID TREATMENT
I use the Drunk Elephant Babyfacial weekly to resurface my skin and get rid of any dead skin cells or pore clogging gunk. To use it, I apply it once a week in the evening for my acid step. Then I wait for 20-25 minutes and continue my skincare routine as usual, minus my acid and retinol.
That concludes my skincare routine series! I hope you found some helpful tips or new products to try out. You know I love trying new products so let me know if you have any gems for me in the comments!
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Summer Date Night Look
Back to reality today. Last week was so nice, it truly felt like a summer break. Even though I worked on Thursday and Friday it was so quiet it still felt like vacation. This weekend was great and the weather was perfect! We didn’t have anything planned but some friends that moved into a new house last year called us up and invited us over. The kids ran around the yard and swam in a baby pool and we grilled, drank a yummy summer cocktail, and got to catch up. It was so nice to have real plans!
I have to say we are awful about making plans. We love getting out and doing stuff but we can so easily stay totally busy with stuff around the house and do nothing all weekend. We really need to be better about making plans to get out of the house and meet up with friends. It kind of goes back to the idea of “having it all.” Which is not something I aspire to, but I guess I want to have most? Career, family, and a semi-clean house takes up most of my time but I really, really need friend time. I need to get out of my house and see people other than Matt and Margot. It’s just really hard to do it all. But this weekend was so nice! And has inspired me to make it a priority to make plans with people, clean house be damned!
On that note, this is like the perfect summer dress! Here I styled it for a date night look but I’m wearing it again today for work with casual espadrille slides. It can totally be dressed up or down! It’s super lightweight and comfy, too. And I’m loving these platform espadrilles. I for one am super happy platforms are coming back. They are so much more comfortable than the single soled heels we’ve been wearing for the last few year! I finished off this look with a pop of yellow from these earrings and a woven clutch. I am loving woven accessories this summer.
Have a great week everyone!
Shop the post: Dress // Sandals // Earrings (similar)// Clutch (similar)
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My Skincare Routine Part 2: Evening
This is the second part of my skincare routine series, but if you missed part one my morning routine is here. Today I’ll be dishing the details on my evening skincare routine. I like to take my time and use my evening skincare routine for relaxation. My goals with my evening routine are to treat any skin troubles I am having and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. I love waking up with clear, glowing skin!
STEP 1: EYE MAKEUP REMOVER
Because I have lash extensions I need to use something oil free to remove any eye makeup I wore during the day. I like these Clean and Clear Oil Free cloths to remove eye makeup while being careful around my extensions.
STEP 2: OIL OR BALM CLEANSER
This is the first step of my double cleanse. The purpose of this step is to remove makeup and sunscreen before cleansing my face. My favorite cleanser for this step is currently the Omorovicza Charcoal Cleansing Balm but it’s pricey so I use Banila Clean It Zero Purity on the regular.
STEP 3: GENTLE, LOW PH CLEANSER
A cleanser with a PH over 6 can strip your moisture barrier and invite breakouts so I always go for a gentle, low PH cleanser. My favorite of the moment is Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser. It feels so soft and gentle on my face and leaves my skin feeling supple!
STEP 4: ACID TONER
After rinsing I use an acid toner applied with a cotton round. This helps to prep my face for acids and PH dependent products. Currently using COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner.
STEP 5:Â ACIDS AND PH DEPENDENT PRODUCTS
I use an AHA/BHA serum nightly, which performs best at a PH under 3.5 so this is when I apply it. This smooths away the top layer of dead skin cells to reveal even, glowing skin. I like using Drunk Elephant’s T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic night serum. Wait 20 minutes after apply so it doesn’t interfere with other products.
STEP 6: RETINOL
I have been using Philosophy Miracle Worker pads for years. Retinol or a Retinoid is the number one product you need for anti aging. This product helps firm my skin, reduce the look of my pores and fine lines, and keep breakouts at bay. I wait 20 minutes after using before applying my next step so I get the full benefits.
STEP 7: HYDRATING TONER
A hydrating toner really helps to moisturize my dry skin and prep my skin for the rest of my hydrating products. This COSRX Essence has the same ingredients as SK-II but much more wallet friendly!
STEP 8: SERUM
I added in this Glossier Hyaluronic Acid serum into my routine to help plump some of my fine lines. I especially like the results I’m getting around my eyes! This serum isn’t sticky and absorbs well.
STEP 9: EYE SERUM
At night I like to use this Retinol + Ferulic Eye Serum to firm the skin around my eyes and prevent my eyelids from drooping. Again, Retinol for the win!
STEP 10: MOISTURIZING CREAM
Lastly I seal it all in with a moisturizing cream. I started using the COSRX PHA Moisture Renewal Power Cream and waking up with a major glow! This cream is formulated with 3% PHA to lightly exfoliate away dead skin and coconut extract and niacinamide to seriously hydrate.
And now it’s time fore bed! Let me know if you have any questions or try any of these products. I’d love to hear!
Style, Beauty, Mom Life