Currently Loving

Friday, February 24, 2017

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It has been so warm here in Columbus this week (and seems like most everywhere else too) and these awesome temps and extra sunshine have me in the Springtime mood, even though we are still making our way through February! I've been sleeping with the windows open at night and I've loved having fresh flowers all over the house this week...and I noticed some of our tulips and other plants are starting to come up in the garden!

I wanted to pop on here to share some of my recent purchases that I am loving. As I was putting this post together, I noticed many of the items I've bought are a light pastel blue...it must be my go-to color for spring this year ;) 



I spied these gorgeous light blue block heels while making my way around Target the other week. Once I got home, I had major regret that I hadn't purchased them, so I jumped online and quickly ordered my size. They are surprisingly comfortable, perfect for Spring looks (paired with white jeans or a cute sundress), and a steal since they are under $30!


If you haven't heard of MeUndies, you need to head over to their website immediately. They have the cutest and most comfortable underwear! I ordered Aaron some silly pairs for Valentine's Day and he loves them so much that I am thinking of signing up for their subscription service where you get a pair sent each month for $14-16. It is the perfect gift idea for the hunnie in your life!

I recently ordered myself these adorable dino boyshorts to wear for PJs. They are the SOFTEST material I have ever felt and I am tempted to buy more.

If you are a new customer, sign up to receive a 20% off discount code you can use on your first order!


My favorite purchase of the month has to be this Fillyboo dress, "I Believe in Unicorns" in Blush. It is just gorgeous... there is no other way to describe it. I was looking for something unique for my maternity pictures and baby shower (coming up in March and April), and this brand makes the most amazing bohemian dresses and clothing - right up my alley! If you know me, you know that I am really a barefoot hippie at heart ;)

If you are interested, definitely consider sizing down, as many of their dresses are made for maternity and run a bit large and have a lot of extra material! They also have a discount code available if you head over to their Facebook page and sign up for the newsletter.


Charlotte Tilbury Wish List

Wednesday, February 22, 2017


Charlotte Tilbury Wish List

I was shocked when I found out that Charlotte Tilbury's make up line has only been out since 2013. Her products are such high quality and there are so many people raving about so many of them, you would have thought they had been around for years and years!

I have tried (and loved) a few things from the line, and made one purchase so far - the Legendary Lashes mascara (which I will do a full review of here soon). Recently, I realized my wish list kept growing & growing...so I thought I would share some of the items that I have heard great things about, seen used in gorgeous makeup looks, and want to get my hands on soon!



Now, this is a higher-end line of cosmetics, so the prices are steep. However, they are such good quality that you really are making an investment. Corny, right? But it is true - the Charlotte Tilbury products are really the best of the best. 

I have my eye on (and online shopping cart ready)...

// Eyes to Mesmerize Cream Shadow in Bette ($32.00)
The most gorgeous shade of gold. I don't usually wear cream shadows, but I've heard that these are a great formula and last all day!

// Filmstar Bronze & Glow in Light to Medium ($68.00)
Everyone that has used this and reviewed it, has sung its praises. Looks like the perfect contour combo for a good bronze cheek color and luminous highlight, especially for fair skinned folks (like me).

// Light Wonder Foundation ($46.00)
Not sure what shade I would be...guessing 2 Fair ...but I saw this product used in a beauty video by one of my favorite YouTubers (here) and her skin looked amazing and flawless! I'm always looking for great new foundations, so this one is going to be fun to try out.

// Cheek to Chic Blush in First Love ($40.00)
From looking online, this is probably the color I would choose, but I would have to go see some of the other options in person (perhaps at Nordstrom?) before making a final selection. 

// Colour Chameleon Eye Shadow Pencil in Bronzed Garnet ($27.00)
Saw this used by Tanya Burr in a recent makeup tutorial, and it looks absolutely stunning. Makes for the most unique smoky-eye look! 

// Full Fat Lashes Mascara ($29.00)
Loved the other mascara so much, I want to give this one a go too! The Legendary Lashes seems more evening appropriate, so I'm hoping this will give me more daytime lashes (but while still being full, fluttery, and jet black)! 

// The Retoucher Concealer Pen in 1 Fair ($35.00)
Since I want this for my under-eyes, I know that the lightest shade would be the one to pick. Reminds me of the YSL Touche Eclat...but cruelty-free!

// Lip Lustre Lipgloss in Sweet Stiletto ($29.00)
After doing a bit of digging online for swatches of all her lip gloss colors, this one seems to be the most appealing to me...a really pretty pinky-nude.

Do you have any items from Charlotte Tilbury that are on your wish list, or must-haves in your makeup collection??


Currently Reading // February

Monday, February 20, 2017



Keeping up with my New Year's resolution of reading one book a month for the year of 2017...here is the one I just finished for February. 

I chose The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty. I know I am majorly late to the party on this one as many of you were reading it ages ago, but I'm glad I still took the time to read it. I really enjoyed the story, and if you ladies would recommend any of Moriatry's other books, let me know! I'm interested in what else from her collection might be good to pick up. 




Quick Synopisis //
The story follows three different women, Cecilia, Tess, and Rachel. At first, it was a bit confusing to keep up with all the different story lines as the book jumped back and forth...but I got used to it quickly and it became really interesting to start and wonder how they were all going to connect further into the story.


Cecilia is the "perfect" housewife, living in Sydney with her husband and three daughters. One day, she finds a letter from her husband addressed to her in the event of his death. Obviously, she ends up reading it and there is some major fallout from that decision...but I don't want to spoil anything if you haven't read it yet ;) 

Tess is a wife and mother who finds out her husband and cousin/best friend have fallen in love with each other. So she scoops up her son and heads to stay with her mother in Sydney, unsure of how to deal with the situation or move forward from here. 

Rachel is an elderly woman living and working in Sydney. Her daughter was murdered nearly 30 years ago and the tragic crime was never solved. She finds herself feeling immense sadness as the anniversary of her daughter's death approaches...

My Thoughts // 4 stars
It took me a little bit to get going with this book, but once I did, I finished the bulk of it in two days. There is a definite point where it grabs your interest and you start to hypothesize possible scenarios and ponder how the lives of these three woman are going to overlap. I was able to guess the twist before it was revealed, but it didn't take away from the story at all...I was just as intrigued to see how things would play out. Definitely a good read and well written, since you are able to simultaneously follow three different story lines at the same time!  

Up Next //
I went to Half Priced Books the other weekend and stocked up on a bunch of new things to read...so I have a lot to choose from, but I think the next book up for the month of March will be this one

Our Wedding // The Ceremony

Wednesday, February 15, 2017



Part three of our wedding - and honestly, the most important part...the ceremony. It was really just magical. Short and sweet, and super intimate. 




I walked down the aisle with my dad to "Fix You" by Coldplay, my favorite song of all time and in my opinion, one of the most romantic songs ever written. I tried really hard not to cry because I knew if I started, it would be unstoppable ;) 

The alter was just breath-taking. Mountain Magnolia Inn has an 150-year old Walnut tree that makes for such an amazing setting. We decorated with glass lanterns, hanging crystals, a curtain of peach carnations, and an aisle of white rose petals. It was truly a mountain fairytale, which is what I hoped for when planning.

We were married by my childhood pastor, Anne, who I have wanted to officiate my wedding since I was a little girl. It was so special to have her there and she gave the most beautiful and heartfelt ceremony. My sister read the poem "I Carry Your Heart With Me" by E.E. Cummings, and then Aaron and I exchanged vows... an altered (but similar) version of the traditional wedding vows. 

After our first kiss as man and wife, we head back down the aisle to "A Sky Full of Stars", also by Coldplay. Don't judge, we just love their music and it fit so beautifully! xx 
















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Hazel ♥

Monday, February 13, 2017



Well, I had a different post planned for this morning... but last night we suddenly and unexpectedly lost our sweet & grumpy cat Hazel (aka Hazel Basil). It happened so fast, I still can't quite wrap my head around it.


It was so fast and awful, but I am grateful that we were with her to hold her, pet her, and tell her how loved she was while she went. She was old (at least 12 years), and her body just shut down all of a sudden...we are thinking possibly a stroke.

She is already terribly missed.

I will miss waking up to her snuggled right by face. 

I will miss her greeting me on the porch when I pulled up home from work. 
I will miss her little meows to be let in or out the house. 
I will miss hearing her run up and down the stairs like a banshee in the middle of the night.
I will miss her protective patrol of our yard, like she was a guard dog. 
I will miss when she would roll around on her back on the side walk when the sun was out. 
I will miss her stealthy roaming around the yard and plants like she was a wild jungle cat. 
I will miss her sitting in the highest window of the house, watching over the neighborhood like she was the queen of it all. 

I will miss her grumpy but lovely little soul.

Valentine's Day Gift Guide

Wednesday, February 8, 2017



Valentine's Day








With Valentine's Day coming up, I thought I would throw together a little gift guide of some items that would be great gifts for the ladies in your life.  All these great items are linked below! 

 
1 // Diptyque Perfume 
They are a cruelty-free brand and make high end fragrance that are to die for. My absolute favorite perfume is the lavender one pictured above.

2 // Cosmetic Bag 
I love this little vegan leather blush one from H&M...and it's a great price point at only $12.99!

3 // Bisou Maternity Sweater 
Feminine, adorable, and the perfect gift for any expecting mamas you may need to shop for.

4 // Custom Home Watercolor 
Such an amazing and personal gift for a family member or new home-owners. I would love to get one of these of our home to frame and have hanging as a special keepsake.

5 // Charlotte Tilbury 
Anything from her cosmetic line, really. All the products are so gorgeous and well made, you can't go wrong. Perfect for the beauty-lover in your life!

6 // Kani Botanicals Petal Polish 
Probably my favorite face scrub of all time. You get a generous 4 oz jar for under $30 and it smells just amazing.

100% Pure




I'm very excited to share a new cosmetic brand with you all that I've tried out recently, and really been loving! 100% Pure is an organic beauty company that is dedicated to providing skin care, cosmetics, and bath and body products that are cruelty-free and completely free of any harmful toxins.

Every single thing they offer is 100% natural and 100% cruelty-free,100% free of artificial colors, artificial fragrances, synthetic chemical preservatives and all other toxins.

I recently placed quite a big order with them to try out a variety of things, and their products did not disappoint! Keep reading for a break down on everything I tried out, along with my honest opinions, swatches, and more...


I originally learned of 100% Pure through YouTube videos from Tashina Combs (Logical Harmony) and Rhian HY (Wifelife). I was very interested, and both these YouTube beauty gurus loved so many 100% Pure items, I felt that I really need to try them out!

I waited patiently for a re-stock of a couple of specific things, and then ordered right away once I got the email notice they were back in stock. One of those coveted items was the Fruit Pigmented Pretty Naked Palette II...

Pretty Naked Palette II
This palette is just gorgeous. It is not often that I get a palette and love every shade and item in it, but that just happens to the case with this one! It comes with a highlighter, a blush, and three eye shadow shades - all colored by pigments from fruits, vegetables, flowers, and seeds. 

They are very smooth and buttery, blending so well and giving great pigment payoff. The highlighter is honestly one of the best I've come across recently. The blush is a great shade that will look good on a lot of skin tones, and their are three beautiful shadows. I will get lots of use out of the gold and brown shadows - and even though I don't see myself using the purple too much, it is still a really nice shade! 





The other makeup item I ended up loving is the Fruit Pigmented Powder Foundation in Golden Peach. BUT - I use it as a matte bronzer, not as a foundation (clearly, I would look like an oompa loompa putting this shade on my pale skin ha!).

This is a great dupe for the Too Faced bronzers - which I no longer use as they sold out to Estee Lauder. It is a great shade, and is very smooth and blendable with liquid foundation. There are also two darker and two lighter shades, so you can easily pick your perfect bronzer shade!



The only item I didn't like in my order was the 2nd Skin liquid foundation. I wanted to love this, as I've seen it work on others and look beautiful - but it just hated my skin. They did not play well together AT ALL. I honestly took it off right away because I couldn't stand to have it on my face.

I have dry skin, so it might just not work well for that skin type. It was a very thin and runny formula, and even though the color was okay, the actual product just didn't blend into my skin or provide any coverage. It also accentuated lines in my face and dry areas. All around, a big "NOPE" for me.


Despite the disappointing foundation - I have been blown away by their skin care products that I ordered! The Facial Cleansing Brush is so soft and feel amazing to clean your face with in the evening. 

I am also OBSESSED with the Bright Eyes Masks. These are so amazing, I can't talk them up enough! They are extremely hydrating and have done wonders for my under eyes. I am definitely going to be repurchasing these and using them on a regular basis. What is cool too - you know they are working because they start out like gel pods, and as you wear them, they dry out because all their moisture is being sucked into your skin!

Finally, I got a little sample size of their Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream with my order. I have only been using this for a couple days, but it is very nice so far. I think it gives my under eyes a little boost in the morning - but will keep you updated the longer I use it.





Neutral & Modern Nursery

Thursday, February 2, 2017

Nursery

Once we found out we were pregnant, one of the first things I started thinking about was the nursery. We have a little guest room on the second floor that is the perfect size and location (right by the master bedroom stairs) ...so it was quickly decided that is where baby girl would go. 

I have never liked bright colors, or overtly gender specific rooms for kids. Like, we are having a girl... BAM - let's paint the walls bright pink, or shove it full of princess stuff! ....No. 

Our style has always been very muted, minimal, and neutral - so that is how the nursery will be too. There might be a splash of "girly" here and there (such as the bunny above), but all the furniture and decor will be very modern and you probably won't be able to honestly tell either way if the room is for a boy or girl baby.




I found the Hudson collection by Babyletto pretty early on in my nursery inspiration search, and I think that is the set we are going to end up going with. I also found this Nursery Works rocker that looks very mid-century (which you all know I love) and goes well with the Hudson crib and changing table.

I would like a little bookshelf of some kind, as I've already started accumulating a little book collection for the baby. Book were so important to me as a kid, and I want to share that with my daughter. I haven't decided on one yet, but maybe something like this?

As for decor, most of it is going to be coming from Etsy. There is just so much great stuff you can find on that site! When I saw the crochet bunnies, I just fell in love with them. And this unique mobile will be so cute over the crib. 

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As for the walls, I would love a little wooden carving of her name to hang somewhere - similar to the one above. We have a couple names picked out, but aren't sharing until she is born. Chances are I will order both first and middle name to hang in her room.

I also fell in love with these little prints from Amy Hamilton (can be found at Society 6) of baby animals. Aren't they just the cutest?! It was hard to narrow it down because they are all so adorable, but the four below are my favorite. I think they would be perfect in this little arrangement for the wall the crib will go on.


Other things I will need to find include a pouf or stool of some kind, a rug (maybe faux sheepskin?), and a baby blanket / quilt. That last one is going to be tricky, because I want it to be really special, so I'm sure it is going to take me forever to choose ;) 

If you have any suggestions of good stores or website to look at for any of this (or other baby items), please let me know! xx 


Thing that made me happy this week

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Happy Friday! I hope you have all had a good week - mine was hit and miss...good days and not so good days, but that happens sometimes, right? :)

I try to keep a positive attitude and wake up each day, ready to have a better one (if the previous wasn't so great). I love making these posts too - thinking back on some of the things that brought me happiness during the week. Please share with me the things that have made you happy throughout this past week too!



1 // Finding a dress for my upcoming baby-related events (baby shower, maternity pictures, etc). I have a somewhat bohemian style, I love unique and relaxed pieces and it was hard for me to find something that I loved - but thanks to the amazing Fillyboo, I was able to find the perfect dress. A little pricey, yes...but totally worth it in my book. 

2 // An awesome new drugstore foundation discovery. I will be doing a full review in the next week or so - but overall I am really happy with it!

3 // Our kitchen being SO close to fully functioning. I can't wait to share our renovation pictures with you all! And it has been so nice to have everything back and working (and put away in cabinets)...the only thing left to get hooked back up is the cooktop.

4 // This gorgeous top. I ordered it a bit big so I could wear it now with my bump - perfect for a little date night with the hubby!  

5 // Ladies of London. My guilty pleasure TV show - the one thing I record and watch when Aaron is out of town. I hope they continue with another season after this, but two of the main ladies moved out of country (one to Dubai and one to America)...so not sure what will happen going forward!  

Our Wedding // Getting Ready

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Photography by Jameykay & Arlie
Happy Friday everyone! I'm here to share Part 2 of our wedding photos - this time it is all the pictures from the morning and getting ready. Warning - this post is definitely picture heavy! 

Aaron and I had to run out before 8:00 am to get our marriage license since we are from out of town...it could only be done on the day of the wedding because we got into North Carolina on Saturday and the office was closed until Monday (wedding day!) I was so nervous something was going to go wrong...I double and triple checked that we had everything we needed, but we found the place easily enough and everything went off without a hitch, so it was back to the Inn to eat and start getting ready!


Aaron got ready in the Garden House with his dad and friends, while I got ready in the main Inn with my best friends and sister. It was the perfect set up and such a relaxed time... I didn't start to get stressed until we got closer to the ceremony and started to get into a time crunch. 

After getting ready, we quickly had some portraits taken (separately) before the ceremony. We didn't do a first look - I wanted the first time we saw each other to be coming down the aisle, which is a decision and I am so happy we made because it was such a special and emotional moment. 




















































emily kay