Cautiously Optimistic

(I am away for my wedding and Honeymoon so I am reposting some of my favorites)

(This was written the day after I met my now husband)

So....I met a boy.  Well, I've met lots of boys I suppose, but this one is special. He is very attractive, tall (6'4),  and a total gentleman. 

I've been helping out my friend A that plays for the Rattler's (the one I went to Vegas with) and given him a few rides around town. The other day, he brought along a teammate, C.  We totally hit it off. 

We've chatted during the day every day since I met him, which is  really only 4 days ago.  I've hung out with him twice and we are going out again tonight. He asks me how my day was. He texts me goodnight. He texts me good morning. He even called to say goodnight last night.  It's been years since I've had a man do that. I love it :)

I wish I had better radar because what I can't tell is if he actually likes me or if he is just bored and loney in Arizona and needs a friend.  He is from Tampa but the team is currently living in a hotel for training camp.  He also doesn't have a car yet, which means he can't go anywhere unless someone takes him.

So......I'm being cautious.....but optimistic.

 

I'm Married!!!

It's finally official....I am Mrs. Justine Dukes!

Now we are headed to the beautiful island of Maui to spend 11 days relaxing on the beaches.

Since I want to spend quality time with my new hubby, I will mostly be re-posting some of my favorite posts for the next few weeks....enjoy!

Starbox Review - August

Starbox time! 

 

Just in case you don’t know, Starbox is a monthly beauty box that is $15 a month (plus a few dollars S&H) and comes with 3-4 FULL SIZED products each time.  No tiny lotion samples!

The website says the makeup line is comparable to MAC, Chanel, Sephora and other department store lines.  It also says that the value of each monthly box ranges from $35.00 to $99.00.

I am on the fence about continuing this box, but I am waiting to see what their next loyalty reward is.  Every three months as a subscriber you get a $35 coupon code to shop in their store.  I’ve heard rumor this is going away.

The theme of this box is “Doll House.”

Here it is….the August Starbox!  

           1)     Starlooks Liquid Eye Liner in “Black” -  .14 oz  (FULL SIZE)

I am really really excited about this! I got lash extensions a few weeks ago and I have had to start using pencil liner because the gel and brush is just too difficult right now.  As I’m not a big pencil liner, I didn’t have many nice ones laying around.  This will be perfect!

Full Size: $16.00 My Value: $16.00

          2)    Starlooks Blush compact #3B2 - .26 oz. (FULL SIZE)

           Oooo these are really pretty.  I love that it has various shades. The picture didn’t turn 

           out too well, these are all much darker than they look.  The darkest one is almost too 

           dark, but the other two are really beautiful.  I will definitely be using this!

          Full Size: $46.00 My Value: $45.00

Final Cost: $17.58

Final Value: $62.00

I am a little bummed that this box doesn’t have at least one more product in it, but I am really happy with the products I got!  I wish they would have added a gloss or lip stick to complete the look.   Plus, only two items (though high priced) is a bit of a let down! Doesn't that picture and item list just look so lacking?!?

What do you think?

If you’d like to try Starbox you can sign up here!

(Also, I swear I’m not a review blog….I just like sharing these fun things! I have not been compensated for this review.)

Bon's Book Club - Brain On Fire

It's Book Club time again!

This month’s book for Bon’s Book Club was Brain On Fire: My Month ofMadness by Susannah Calahan.  I was kind of not looking forward to reading this book and almost decided not to purchase it.  You guys, I am SOOO glad I did!  The book is a completely true story, which I really liked. Here is the description of the book from Amazon:

“An award-winning memoir and instant New York Times bestseller that goes far beyond its riveting medical mystery, Brain on Fire is the powerful account of one woman’s struggle to recapture her identity.

When twenty-four-year-old Susannah Cahalan woke up alone in a hospital room, strapped to her bed and unable to move or speak, she had no memory of how she’d gotten there. Days earlier, she had been on the threshold of a new, adult life: at the beginning of her first serious relationship and a promising career at a major New York newspaper. Now she was labeled violent, psychotic, a flight risk. What happened?

In a swift and breathtaking narrative, Susannah tells the astonishing true story of her descent into madness, her family’s inspiring faith in her, and the lifesaving diagnosis that nearly didn’t happen. “A fascinating look at the disease that…could have cost this vibrant, vital young woman her life” (People), Brain on Fire is an unforgettable exploration of memory and identity, faith and love, and a profoundly compelling tale of survival and perseverance that is destined to become a classic.”

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TiThis

This book was so incredibly interesting.  I was totally able to put myself in the authors shoes and understand how she was feeling, which I really loved.  Before this happened to her, she was a writer for the New York Post, so that should really tell you about her writing skills. It’s amazing to read such a good book by a woman who at one point could barely speak, would hallucinate things and even drool on herself.  

Some people might not like all of the medical details she writes about (they help explain her diagnosis and the reason for her symptoms) but I found them absolutely fascinating. I learned so much about the body and the brain through this book and it never once felt like I was being forced to, like I would in school.  I read it a lot while flying to Cleveland and I know there was several times where I exclaimed out loud “Wow” or “That’s cool” or “I never knew that.” 

Seriously, this was a fascinating book and I would definitely recommend it to anyone!  It was a quick read and had really short chapters, which are pretty much my favorite!

 

Next up for Bon’s Book Club is Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell.  My co-worker suggested this book to me a few months ago, so I am excited to finally read it.  

Have you read Brain on Fire? What are your thoughts?

Pretty Little Beauty Swap Sign Up!

Happy Late  Labor Day! I hope you had a great holiday weekend! I am so excited to announce that the sign up process has begun! Yes we completely understand that you are probably coming off of some awesome celebrations and are tired, but remember that this signup will be open until September 9th!  I know that I love beauty products and the idea of sharing them with others makes me oh so happy! Each round everyone seems to be loving their new friends and also loved what they received! 

Make sure that you read through the rules and full understand them. Feel free to ask any questions that you may have as well! If you are curious to see what others received last round check out this post!

Do you love getting beauty boxes?  Or maybe just trying new beauty products in general?

What about making new friends or receiving packages in the mail full of goodies? 

Want to meet another Beauty Loving Blogger? 

If any of these things sounds awesome to you, then the Pretty Little Beauty Swap is for you!

Hosted by Justine from Sleepy Single Girl , and Chelsee from Southern Beauty Guide The Pretty Little Beauty Swap is a bi-monthly swap between ladies who love makeup and meeting new friends!

Every other month, ladies will be paired up with another woman that they will have a chance to get to know and then get to send each other a gift of beauty products.

Swap boxes can be filled with beauty samples from past boxes that just weren’t your thing or purchased items you just know your partner will love!

Signups for this swap will be September 1st -9th. Partners will be announced by September 12th. You will have a month to get to know your partner and then packages must be sent by October 17th.

At the end of the month we will all link up to share what we’ve received!! Who’s in for some new pretty little beauty products and some even better new friends?

*All of the rules listed below are mandatory. If you can’t complete them, you won’t be able to participate in future swaps.*

Rules:

1) We would love for you to follow the hosts: Southern Beauty Guide  & Sleepy Single Girl 
2) Email your partner within 72 hours of receiving your match. If you haven’t heard from your partner after 3 days are up, please let us know and we will pair you up with someone else!
3) Spend the month getting to know your partner. Learn her makeup likes and dislikes and colors she tends to use or steer clear of.
4) Each box should be a minimum of $15. I am sure your partner will love you for it. If you’d like to spend more, great! Just make sure that you talk with your partner about budgets to makes sure that you both receive an even swap. 
5) Please include at least 2 full size items that are not from a subscription service. No one wants to receive a bunch of itty bitty lotion samples!
6) Items must be new, unless you’ve discussed with your partner beforehand and she is comfortable accepting gently used items that you have tried and didn’t like.
7) Ship your packages by October 17th. Make sure to get a tracking number so we can confirm you sent a package if it gets lost.
8) Once you receive your package, create a reveal post and link up with us on October 24th.

The most important rule of them all…..Have fun!

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP!

Ipsy Bag Review - August

Ipsy time!

As always, this is one of my favorite times of the month….I love getting this bag in the mail! As I’ve always said, this is the best bag out there, especially for such a low price.  If you are looking to start a beauty subscription, I would definitely try Ipsy first.

Also, it’s only $10 a month….how can you not go for it? 

The theme of this month’s bag is “Beauty Schooled.”  I don’t quite get the correlation with the items, but that seems to be a normal thing for me.  Is it just me or are they really reaching on the “themes” these days? The little white and orange polka dot bag is definitely cute though!

Anyways…. Here is the August Ipsy bag!  

           1)     Dr. Brandt Pores No More Pore Refiner Primer  - .25 oz.

            I haven’t really found a primer I love yet. I have tried several different ones and haven’t 

            really seen a benefit to them, so I currently don’t use them. Maybe this will be the one!

Full Size: $45.00 1 oz. My Value: $11.25

           2)    Urban Decay Perversion Mascara  –  .1 oz.

            I am quite excited about this!  I love getting big name brands like Urban Decay in my Ipsy 

            bag and this is definitely a product I can’t wait to try!

Full Size: $22.00 for .4 oz. My Value: $5.50

            3)    J.cat Beauty Eyeshadow in “Half Naked” – .09 oz. (FULL SIZE)

            Normally I would’t use these single shadows (I’ve become addicted to palettes lately) but I 

            actually really like this color.  It is a pretty peachy color with not too much orange, which is 

            really nice.  I still have to test it out though to see how pigmented it is and if it really has 

            staying power.

Full Size: $2.99 My Value: $2.99

4)  Jersey Shore Sun Mongongo Lip Conditioner – .15 oz.

I am constantly trying to find the perfect lip product.  I have thyroid problems and I recently learned that with that comes very dry lips.  I hope this will be a good addition to my growing collection of lip conditioners!

Full Size: $5.50 My Value: $5.50

       5) Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk – 1.06 oz.

I have been wanting to try this dry shampoo for awhile!  I have been pretty lazy lately and put my hair up probably 5 days out of the week.  Maybe this stuff will give me the opportunity to do more with my hair down!

Full Size: $19.50 for 3.2 oz. My Value: $6.45

Final Cost: $10.00

Final Value: $31.69

Though this bag doesn’t have the greatest value, I like every single item in the bag! I am really excited to use each item, which I am not sure has every happened before. Ipsy finally got it right for me this time and I am really happy about it.

What are your thoughts?

If you’d like to give it a try you can sign up here!

(As always, I swear I’m not a review blog….I just like sharing these things in hopes that other people will get to have the same fun that I do!  I am not compensated in any way.)

 

Etsy + Weddings = Awesome

A few weeks ago I shared several of the things I DIY'ed for the wedding, so today I thought I'd share some of my Etsy purchases! I seriously think this site is amazing and I love searching through shops and all of the amazing items people hand make.  I actually started my own shop a while back too, so I'll have to give you all more detail someday!

First up, for the popcorn table I wanted to have cute bags for people to put their popcorn in.  Enter BakersBling shop on Etsy.  I ordered adorable white bags with gold stripes, gold chevron and gold polka dots! She packaged them up so nicely too. I can't wait to see people using them on the big day!

Next up was the guest book.  I adore this thing!  We wanted to have something different and something that we could display in our new home. When I saw this guest book from SayAnythingDesign, I knew it was perfect.

How it looks on their shop site

 The shop worked with me to customize the dot colors (browns, tans and creams) and even added little love birds to the tree at my request. I was able to find a frame at Hobby Lobby for 50% off and had it set up to be ready to hang.  I love it!

How our finished product looks!

Next up are the ring baskets.  We've kind of been going for a "love birds" theme so when I saw these from MyRusticWeddings, I knew they had to be mine. The shop owner worked with me again on getting the correct sizes for my ring bearer (who is a little older at 10) and my flower girl (who is quite young at 2). She even created them in a darker color at my request.  I LOVE how they turned out!

C and I kind of broke the theme a bit with our cake toppers, but I love them so I don't care!  Since we are from different states (practically across the country) we decided to use something that would represent that.  I ordered a cake topper set from bragginbags that is in the shape of our states, Arizona and Maryland with a heart.   Maryland is a really weird shape, but I think if we angle them correctly they will look just fine!

One of my favorite things I ordered was a gift for my parents from customsepia. We were able to customize a beautiful platter with our names and wedding date.  I'm sure we could have changed up the message too, but it was just too perfect!  Below is the wording for our plate as well as what it will look like when its completely finished!

Last but certainly not least is my absolute favorite item.....my flower girl dress!  I ordered this from TrendyBambini and I can't get enough of it.  She was so great to work with and was able to customize the dress for us.  The original dress wasn't quite the right color, so she wonderfully made and sent another one once we shipped the first one back.  She was SOOOO helpful.  I can't wait to see this little girl the day of my wedding all dressed up!

Thoughts?  Do you love these things as much as I do??