SLIDER

So Obsessed With: The Fall 2016 Edition

Oct 31, 2016

Some of my favorite posts are ones where bloggers highlight the products they're loving lately or the things they're currently coveting. Posts like that always put new products on my radar and give me great ideas for gifts. I love this kind of content so much that I decided to start incorporating it into my blog by highlighting my loves and lusts and each season. Rather than give it a creative name, I thought my blog name was more fitting. So, here's what I'm so obsessed with this fall:


1. Urban Decay Vice Lipstick Sheer in Morning After ($17) - I kept seeing advertising at Ulta for Urban Decay's 120 new lipstick shades, so I made it a point to check them out in the store one day. While the selection was really picked over, I did end up purchasing this shade. It's a pretty pale pink, and I couldn't resist.

2. Philosophy Purity Made Simple One-Step Face Wash ($24) - I usually just stick to drugstore brands of face wash, unless I'm trying to deal with a breakout, but every now and then I'll splurge on Purity. It's one of my favorites! I love that it can remove all my makeup but is gentle enough that my eyes never sting.

3. Butter London Nail Lacquer in Sloane Ranger ($15) - When I saw this color in the bottle, I wasn't too impressed. It seemed just okay to me. But then I looked at swatches of it on a few nail polish blogs and fell in love! Thank you, Google Image Search, for convincing me to spend way too much money on Butter London. 

4. Butter London Glazen Eye Gloss in Frosted ($24) - Before this came out, I saw it on Butter London's Instagram and was so intrigued. The consistency is similar to pudding, but it looks like dry eyeshadow once it's applied. I sampled it at Ulta and love it! I'm hoping to snag it if Butter London has a Cyber Monday sale. 

5. Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lavender Mint Moisturizing Shampoo ($14.50) & Conditioner ($16.50) - Is there a difference between cheap and expensive shampoo? Probably not, but I always get sucked into buying a fancy brand. I usually change brands every time I run out, but I've stuck with this one recently.


6. Trouve Drape Front Leather Jacket in Brown Saddle ($329) - I stalked the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale in July and fell in love with this jacket. It was half this price, but I still debated ordering it. It sold out before I'd decided, so I called Customer Service and they tracked one down for me. IT WAS WORTH IT BECAUSE IT IS PERFECT.

7. Hush Puppies Cyra Catelyn Chukka Boot ($98.95) - Ugh, I hate buying shoes. My feet are long and narrow, so I can have a hard time finding shoes I love that fit correctly. Thankfully, these were the perfect fit! I've wanted this style for a while, and I'm so happy it's finally cool enough outside for me to wear them.

8. Madewell Leather Transport Satchel in True Black ($188) - I got this purse for my birthday, and I absolutely adore it! I love the combination of black and brown + the size is perfect. Although I'm carrying a diaper bag more often these days, this is still my go to purse when I'm out and about by myself.

9. Kendra Scott Tessa Stud Earrings in Raw Cut Lapis ($60) - These are technically sold out (sorry!), but I still had to include them. I bought these gorgeous lapis studs at a small boutique while I was on vacation, and they're my favorite earrings lately. I love that they make a statement while still being small/practical!


10. All Four Stars by Tara Dairman and Den of Wolves by Juliet Marillier - I've been in a major Middle Grade mood lately, and All Four Stars is high on my TBR. It sounds adorable! And fall puts me in the mood for fantasy, so I recently binged the Blackthorn and Grim series (Den of Wolves is the last book) and thoroughly enjoyed it!

11. Starbucks Iced Vanilla Soy Latte - Although I've never been a huge coffee drinker, I've become obsessed with iced lattes lately. They're just so delicious! I downloaded the Starbucks app and created a Rewards account - that's how committed I've been. Cassie is pleased she helped create a coffee monster.

12. Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life - OH MY GOSH, I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL NOVEMBER 25. SERIOUSLY, CAN IT GET HERE SOONER?! I hope you've seen the new trailer that came out last week. I've already watched it four times, and it looks beyond perfect! I love these ladies, and it's a dream come true for this show to be back.

13. Georgica Pond from Johnnyswim ($11.99) and Inheritance from Audrey Assad ($7.99) - Johnnyswim is a fantastic duo, and this album doesn't disappoint! I've had it on repeat lately. I found Audrey Assad's Inheritance when I was searching versions of "Be Thou My Vision" on Spotify. This album of hymns is so gorgeous!

14. Outlander: Season 2 ($29.99) - So excited this is finally out on Blu-Ray/DVD! I don't have Starz and couldn't justify getting it just to watch this show, so I've been looking forward to this release for quite a while. Dragonfly in Amber wasn't my favorite book, but I can't wait to see it come to life on screen. 

A #BossBabes Book List + Giveaway!

Oct 17, 2016


Although I'd heard of Grace Bonney, founder of Design*Sponge, and own Design*Sponge at Home, I found out about her most recent book on Instagram a few months ago. In the Company of Women is a collection of advice and inspiration from more than 100 female makers, artists and entrepreneurs. Grace is passionate about the creative community and writes in the introduction:
Activist Marian Wright Edelman said, "You can't be what you don't see." Visibility is one of the most powerful tools we have in inspiring people to pursue their dreams and educating them about all the amazing options that exist. My goal with In the Company of Women is to provide motivating and relatable examples of all kinds of women running their own businesses, so that any woman, anywhere, can open to a page and see herself reflected. 
And honestly, I think she's accomplished her goal! She interviewed so many talented women who run their own businesses and has compiled their stories, their successes and struggles, their dreams and goals, and their advice and inspiration in this book. I can't say enough good things about the combination of gorgeous photography and compelling profiles! I'm not an entrepreneur, but I've still found so much to love in these pages. I'm still going through my copy - the format makes it perfect to read a little bit each day.

Before the book came out, I found information about the book tour. I was so excited to learn there was a stop in Atlanta, and I immediately texted one of my friends about going with me. She's an artist, and I knew she'd be interested in learning more about turning a passion into a business! I bought a ticket to the event, which included a copy of the book and a cool tote, and was able to attend last week. I'm so glad I went!


Grace Bonney led the discussion with three inspiring women:
It was a fascinating event! The women talked about what they wanted to be growing up, how they ended up where they are now, dealing with criticism, the lie about work/life balance, the problems with comparison, the challenges (and rewards!) of being a boss, and so much more. If the book tour is coming to your area, I'd highly recommend going. Grace was the perfect panel moderator - giving the discussion structure while still making it feel like a conversation. And I love that each tour stop features a different group of entrepreneurs!

I'd been thinking about recapping the event, but finding out that today is National Boss's Day was the perfect motivation to create this post. I also got a really fun coloring and activity book in the mail last week - Boss Babes by Michelle Volansky - and have an extra copy to give away! So, both of those things inspired me to create a list of books about boss babes from history, profiling boss babes today, and sharing how to become a boss babe.


Explore the books featured on the list (left to right by row):

3. Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling

9. Do It Like a Woman... and Change the World by Caroline Criado-Pérez

11. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
12. #Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso


What's your favorite #bossbabes book?
Who is your favorite boss babe?

And don't forget to enter to win a copy of Boss Babes!
* Giveaway is U.S. only. *

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September 2016: Recap + On My Shelves

Oct 10, 2016


So long, September! I'm a week late with this recap, but I still wanted to post it because September was a pretty good month for me. I'm hoping October will bring fun adventures along with the changing temperature!

1. Empire of Storms - Of course, I have to start with the release of my most anticipated 2016 book! I couldn't wait to get my hands on Empire of Storms, and it certainly didn't disappoint. I raced through in two days - desperate to see what danger awaited these characters! I had a major book hangover after I was done.

2. Welcome, Fall! - Although it's still hot here in Georgia, I'm so happy that it's finally fall! I usually have a harder time saying goodbye to summer, but this year was a little different so I'm glad to put the season behind me. We've been taking family walks every evening after dinner before the baby goes to bed, and it's my favorite.

3. Meal Planning - Now that I'm staying at home, I decided it was time to step up my cooking game. I want fewer last-minute dinners and less take out and more healthy, fresh, homemade meals. So, I found a great resource that's been helping me make plan meals, eat fresh and save money. I'll post more about it soon!

4. Starbucks Addiction - I cut out caffeine from my diet this year, but I treated myself to some Starbucks recently after a doctor's appointment. I've never loved coffee, but somehow it just hit the spot. And now I want it ALL THE TIME! It's becoming a problem, y'all, because I can't afford to have this as a long-term addiction.

Read 6 Books | Favorites:
Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
Winter by Marissa Meyer
Like a River Glorious by Rae Carson
“The world will be saved and remade by the dreamers.”
Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

“Even when this world is a forgotten whisper of dust between the stars, I will always love you.”
Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

“Yeah, but broken isn't the same as unfixable.”
Winter by Marissa Meyer

 “One should never save cake for later when it can be eaten now.”
Winter by Marissa Meyer

“I thought my magic would save us all. But it turns out, all the magic in the world is rubbish
compared to good people who take care of their own.”
Like a River Glorious by Rae Carson
1. What Being a Blogger Says About You by Cassie from The Casserole - I really enjoyed reading Cassie's discussion post on five qualities that most bloggers have in common! While every blogger is different (and blogs for different reasons), I think there's a lot of truth to the idea that there are some commonalities between us.

2. 15 Audiobooks That Enhance Your Reading Experience by Anne from Modern Mrs. Darcy - I go through phases with audiobooks - obsessively listening for days/weeks and then ignoring them for just as long - but I'm always on the lookout for recommendations. Some audios truly do make the reading experience even better! 

3. Why I Love Hate to Love (And a Teeny Rant on Instalove) by Gillian from Writer of Wrongs - I love this post so much that I wish I'd written it myself. Gillian perfectly articulated what I love about this particular trope and referenced so many of my favorite fictional relationships. Plus, her gifs are legitimately perfect.


Favorite Album: Conscious by Broods
I didn't realize this album came out in June, so I was thrilled when I discovered it on Spotify.
So, it became the soundtrack to my September! My favorite song is probably "Heartlines."

Scandal, Season 5 - I binged the first four seasons of this show right after my baby was born, so I was excited when I realized the most recent season had been added to Netflix. To be honest, I feel like the show has really lost its way and gotten more ridiculous with every season. And yet I kept watching!


The Mindy Project, Season 4 - I finally caught up with this show. I'd made it about halfway through originally, and then I just never made time for it. But I started thinking about it after working on my TV show post in September, and I'm glad I finally got around to it! Now Cassie can stop pestering me about it... Ha!


New Girl, Season 5 - I was addicted to New Girl for the first three seasons, but I eventually stopped tuning in when I felt like I had too many shows going on. I watched the fourth season over the summer, and I was so excited when I got the notification that this season was added to Netflix. Now I can tune in again every week!

Bought: Cancel the Wedding by Carolyn T. Dingman, The Girl in the Castle by Santa Montefiore, Like a River Glorious by Rae Carson, A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo and Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas (in What I Loved section)

From My Mama: All the Pretty Things by Edie Wadsworth

For Review: We Were On A Break by Lindsey Kelk


Bought for Kindle: Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

For Review: Light of the World by Elizabeth Alexander and Den of Wolves by Juliet Marillier
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