It's Fall, Y'all

This past Saturday, Stephen and I met his parents and sister Sarah for a day filled with hay, farm animals and pumpkins. Of course it wasn't just us, though. Our niece Ava and nephew Reed came along for the ride. Because let's face it, a bunch of adults at a pumpkin patch without kids? Creepy.

From left to right, clockwise: Stephen's sister Stephanie, Me, Frances, Jeff, Ava and Reed

Ava thoroughly enjoyed the corn box. She wouldn't get too close to the animals...

But Aunt Leslie sure did. For new readers, it's time I tell you about my obsession with goats. I LOVE me some goats. Needless to say, I was in heaven.

We went on a hay ride. Oooohhh....Aaaahhhh.

I grew up on a farm (cattle farm), so it cracks me up how awkward some people are around farm animals. Parents were sanitizing their kids' hands every 30 seconds, which I thought was a hoot! (Trust me folks, dirty as they may seem, those farm animals are 10x cleaner than most things you come in contact with.)

I also got to meet a couple of very sweet ladies who read the blog. One I met by the goat pen and the other, by a haystack. That's where we Arkansans like to hang out on the weekends, you see. BIG thanks to both of you for reading this silly thing : )

Fun day, kids. Fun day.

Lastly, we got a sneak peek of our Christmas Card/One-Year Anniversary photos that the fabulous Bethany of Bethany Blair Photography took. OH MY LORDY....LOVE!!! We can't wait to see all of them in a couple of weeks.

Dress from Savoir-Faire...conveniently coming up in tomorrow's outfit post.

If anyone out there in NWA needs pics of you and your husband or your kids or just you....send Bethany an email. She is SO easy to work with and had really great ideas. Thank you again, Bethany!

P.S.- If you could, please send out a little prayer for our friend Kyle today. His dad passed away unexpectedly this past weekend and the funeral is tomorrow. I cannot imagine losing a parent and I know he'll need lots of prayers right now and in the months to come. Thanks, friends.

Be blessed, lovelies-

Notables

I had envisioned this Monday post going a bit differently, if we're being frank. We had a gloriously fall-themed weekend, complete with pumpkin patches and Christmas Card photos. However, this morning got away from me and now you're left with a quickly written stream of conscience. So coming up tomorrow...

PUMPKIN PATCH PHOTOS AND IPHONE PICS THAT DIDN'T FIT IN OTHER POSTS!

I'm sure you're feeling as much exuberance as I am about that.

Because what would you do this week if you missed out on seeing Stephen and myself posed awkwardly in front of a corn maze?

1. As I said, we visited the pumpkin patch on Saturday with some family. It was a lovely day, but darn near 80 degrees. I'd prefer to not sweat my britches off in late October, but I guess it's better than 100 degrees. And in Arkansas, we'll take what we can get, in terms of cooler weather.

2. I started organizing items for the blog sale and quit after the two minute mark. I am not cut out for this virtual yard sale nonsense. Instead, I'll just give y'all our address and you can come over and just shop straight from the source, m'kay?

Kidding. Sale starts Oct. 31 at 7:00 p.m. Be there (or rather here) or be without pre-owned clothes from some blogger in Arkansas.

3. I feel it's worth noting that I have fallen in love with Kaboom bathroom cleaner. I recently purchased the variety that you can spray and, after mere seconds, turns from blue to white. In the words of the infomercial host, "The white tells you it's working!" I'm sure it has nothing to do with some chemical being exposed to air that causes the solution to go from blue to white...

It smells clean and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't fun watching it change colors. I even had to show Stephen the other night. Our conversation went a little something like this:

Me: Come look at this Kaboom Foam-tastic cleaner! You spray it on-

Stephen: Ack! Why is that mess blue? Does that come off? Did you read the instructions?

(Always with the questions...)

Me: If you'd let me finish, you'd know that it turns white in about...wait for it...see! Look there! When it turns white you know it's finished anti-bacterializing. Or whatever.

Stephen: Woah. Well hey, let me try that-

Me: No! I've got dibs on the shower. You can do the counter tops.

And that ladies, is how you trick your husbands into thinking that cleaning is fun. By a gimmicky bathroom cleaner and sit back and paint your nails.

4. I know that Foursquare is ancient by now, but I still get requests that say "So and So Wants to be Your Friend on Foursquare!" Maybe it's just me, but I'm not sure I want the whole bloomin' tri-county area to know that I'm at the Cave Springs Dollar Store buying Oreos and Us Weekly. Simply put, I do not understand the point of "checking in". I'm not exactly Indiana Jones, so you can bet if I'm not at work or home, I'm usually at some point in-between the two.

Be blessed, lovelies-

Confessional Friday: {Link-Up}

• I confess that our office had depleted itself of regular ‘ole Coca-Cola and I majorly needed a caffeine boost in carbonated form. So... 

I DRANK A DIET COKE. Which for this hardcore, regular coke-only drinker, is sacrilege. I admit, it wasn’t terrible at all, but I won’t be changing my 32 grams of sugar ways. But now y'all can give me a hard time for drinking the beverage that I constantly preach about : )

• I confess that my Memaw and Papaw are the most darling things I’ve ever seen. My mom took them on a mini road trip to Mountain View, a town about an hour from where my parents live. They stopped in a little soda fountain for cokes and sandwiches and she snapped this picture and sent it to me. I also admit, it made me misty-eyed. I am so glad that Stephen and I both have such good examples of lasting love and strong marriages. 

• I confess that I added on access to the women’s-only gym to my fitness center  membership and am SO glad that I did. Long story short, I had some issues last year with a couple of creepsters and it really did keep me out of the gym for a while. It’s nice to feel comfortable and safe again when I work out.

• I confess that I made a pot of broccoli and cheese soup last night and ate 3 bowls. Yes, 3 full bowls. And then topped it off with a cup of apple cider. #hungrygirl

• I confess that we have our Christmas Card photos/one-year anniversary photos on Sunday and I have no idea what I want to wear. I thought about a winter white dress that I just got this week, but I'm incredibly pale. Maybe a spray tan is in my future. 

Now link up, ladies!

Be blessed, lovelies- 

What's In My Make-Up Bag

I get questions from time to time about my make-up routine and preferred products. I'm not going to play the coy card (like some) and pretend I use nothing but mascara and a tinted moisturizer. Am I the only one that wants to scream expletives when a blogger (clearly wearing make-up) that says she "woke up and threw on some lip balm"?

Did ya throw on that Nars blush and set of faux lashes, too sister?

Not saying natural beauty doesn't exist, but come on, y'all. I've personally never seen someone that looked worse with a little help from Estee Lauder and Bobbi Brown.

I'm Southern to the core. I wear make-up. Every day. And love it. And I'll never deny it. I have imperfections on my face (redness, spot dryness, under-eye circles). I don't care if they do "tell the story of my life" or what have you - I'm using some dadgum concealer, thankyoukindly.

So, for you pretty ladies, make-up mavens around the U.S., Canada and beyond, here's what's currently in my fall rotation:

Laura Mercier Primer 

A must, if you wear foundation.

Estee Lauder Double-Wear Foundation (otherwise known as the best stuff ever.)

Make-up Forever HD Translucent Powder

It sets your make-up without getting cakey. And no one ever wants a cake face.

Nars blush in Angelika

Don't be turned off by the bright pink - this stuff will amaze you. It provides very subtle color that, for once, looks like you're actually blushing. Nars makes the best blush, hands-down.

Mac eyeshadow in Satin Taupe and Urban Decay in Twice Baked for shading

I wear mainly neutral shadows, which play well with my blue eyes. I do use a plum shadow on occasion, but it's typically browns and taupes. I'm currently wearing both of the below.

Mac shadow

Urban Decay shadow

Covergirl Khol eyeliner in Black 

Pictured is the liquid blast CG liner, but I can't seem to master liquid eyeliner. Khol is my personal fav.

Falsies mascara in Blackest Black

It's cheap and it gets the job done. Win-win.

Lip Smackers Berry Peach

I know what you're thinking, but hold on a hot second. This middle school favorite provides the perfect amount of sheer color, moisture and staying power - pinky swear. That is, if you can resist the temptation to lick your lips... 

And that, as they say, is that.


P.S. - Someone asked me if I planned to get Botox when I'm "more mature". You bet your Kate Spade slingbacks, I do.

Be blessed, lovelies-

Halloween for Grown-Ups

The month of October kind of inspires me to push the envelope a bit with my clothes and accessories. I might experiment a bit more with some darker nail polish or do a daytime smoky eye. I might go for a pair of printed tights instead of the usual black. (This may not seem out-of-the-box for some, but for me, it is.)

To me, the month of October and All Hallow’s Eve allows you to be a little more playful with your attire. Here are a few Halloween-inspired everyday pieces that I’m coveting right now:

Polka Dot Flouncy Dress - ONLY $39!

Rachel Zoe Corduroy Flare Pants

Pilgrim Wolf Ring from ASOS

Black Ponte Peplum Top from Dorothy Perkins

Plate and Spike Detail Waist Belt from ASOS

Prairie3 Velvet Ankle Boots from Topshop

Armed and Ready by Essie

Stila Eyeshadow in Rocker

Criss Cross Faux Eyelashes - my all-time fav!

Major announcement: On October 31, I’ll be having a blog sale! From blouses and jeans, to dresses and shoes, I’ll be selling some of the goodies from my closets. (Yep, plural. I had so many clothes that I dominate our master closet, as well as the closet in one of our guest rooms. Oops.) I’m ready to stock up on some new fall cuteness, but need somewhere to put it!

I plan to actually post the items via Facebook rather than here on the blog, so stay tuned for more details. Also, if you think you might want to buy, please go ahead and set up a Paypal account. That will be the way in which I’ll be accepting payment : )

Be blessed, lovelies-