March Birchbox: Reviews By a Non-Beauty Expert

Do you have a monthly Birchbox subscription?  Halfway into our time living at my in-laws’ house, I ended my subscription for two reasons — 1) I wanted to save that money or at least put it elsewhere and 2) The samples I was getting weren’t thrilling me.

Since then, I have a handful of products that are real tried-and-true for me (NARS Orgasm blush, BareMinerals foundation and hydrating gel, Dior Lip Glow, Drybar dry shampoo, Kenra Volume 25 hairspray).  I also began an intense regimen directed by a dermatologist to treat my acne last Summer, so my skincare products are pretty much set at this point.  But since there is a little bit of wiggle room in our budget these days, I thought I would start up the Birchbox subscription again since it’s only $10/month and after we received a Nespresso machine for Christmas, I rarely get a fancy coffee out anymore unless I am meeting a friend.

At least for the month of March, I was so happy with my box.  They teamed up with Draper James, which is a brand that I really can’t afford, but I love Reese Witherspoon and the style of the clothes and accessories.  So fun.

Screen Shot 2017-03-25 at 10.00.55 PM

Beauty Protector Protect & Volume

Not to start off on a bad note, but this stuff just wasn’t for me.  It weighed my hair down quite a bit and kind of flattened it out.  Although, I am not a beauty person, so I could have totally used this wrong — there were no instructions on the bottle.  Could have looked them up but #lazy.  😉

Screen Shot 2017-03-25 at 10.04.02 PM

Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream

On the contrary, this stuff is awesome and the only product from the box that is like a must-have for me.  The cream is so luxurious and literally every time I put it on, I’m in my bathroom verbalizing how good it feels, lol.  Every time.  I have been using it twice a week, right after a very drying topical medication that I put on Mondays and Fridays before bed.  In the morning, my skin is plump and really well-moisturized.

Screen Shot 2017-03-25 at 10.07.03 PM

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner

I have been really into smudging my eyeliner lately and I was happy that I could still do that with this eyeliner.  I put it on during the day, though, and it was too heavy for me for a daytime look.  Perfect for an evening going out.  It’s really easy to use as the tip is pointed and firm but not sharp on your lid.  For someone like me who isn’t super skilled at putting on eyeliner that requires precision, this was surprisingly easy.

Screen Shot 2017-03-25 at 10.09.50 PM

Klorane Shampoo with Mango Butter — For Dry Hair

Screen Shot 2017-03-25 at 10.10.56 PM

Klorane Conditioning Balm with Mango Butter — For Dry Hair

These were both nice and I enjoyed using them (I still have a little bit left of each), but they’re not must-haves for me.  I feel like it would take a lot for me to buy any other shampoo than the inexpensive shampoo and conditioner that I get at Target.  The best thing about these, though, is the way that they smell.  SO yummy.  I also do feel like they are really hydrating products.

Screen Shot 2017-03-25 at 10.13.21 PM

Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real! Lengthening Mascara

I’m really surprised that this product didn’t do anything for me!  I’ve seen so much about it on beauty blogs that when I opened my box and saw this, I was most excited for this!  I have a lot of eyelashes and they are also pretty long, but this mascara clumped them all together so it looked like I had just a handful of lashes — it took away all of the volume that my lashes have.  I’m much happier with this Dior mascara that I have been using or this budget-friendly option that I use when $$ doesn’t allow for the splurge.

What To Do When You Feel Uninspired by Your Space

We live in a world in which we are saturated every day with photos of beautiful homes, beautiful things, and people who are living lives that sometimes feel so much more grand than our own.  Sometimes this can make us feel uninspired by our own spaces, or things, or lives.  We compare ourselves to others and we compare our houses to what we see on Pinterest, and we feel discontent with what is around us.  We want more.

So what should you do when you are looking around your home, feeling dissatisfied, like something is missing, like you want it to be fresher or brighter, or more organized and less cluttered?  What should you do when the budget is tight and a room makeover is not realistic at that time, but you feel you like you want to do something, anything to make you feel inspired by your space again?

Kitchen Tulips - Post 2

Can you forego the fancy coffee this week and buy yourself some flowers instead?  Or, even better yet, can you take a walk in your backyard and cut some flowers that speak to you, that inspire you?  Bring some life inside your space!  Take a dusty vase out of your cupboard and toss the flowers in and let the flowers be beautiful.

Bench with Blanket - Post 2

Can you move your furniture around, and breathe new life into your space with every moving part?  Can you layer things and putter and turn some music on that you love and enjoy shopping your house while rediscovering things that you forgot you had?  Maybe you like cleaning — what about dusting and wiping places that you normally forget about, like lucite chair backs and ottoman feet?

Basket with Pillows - Post 2

What about finding some cozy elements from other rooms and bringing them into new spaces, thinking about how these items might be used by the people you get to welcome into your house?  Things like a cozy throw blanket for crisp, cool Spring mornings or a basket with pillows for loved ones to perch on.

Plant Vignette - Post 2

Sometimes the answer to our feelings of being uninspired is not to add, but to take away.  Are there places that you can declutter?  Are there things that no longer bring you joy, but that you know could bring someone else joy?  Things like an old pitcher, table linens, or picture frames.  Donate the things that no longer speak to you, and when you do this, feel your house take a breath with the release.  Sometimes we need to clear our space in order to find our direction again!

There will always be times in our lives when we feel like our spaces aren’t what we want them to be.  There are seasons where it feels like a dream to live in our homes and then there are seasons where we lose our way and we don’t really know how we want them to look — we just know we don’t want it to look like this.  But every season comes to pass, and by perpetually nesting and puttering, we can make our inspirational droughts last for a lot less time.

How do you bring back the inspiration when you are feeling uninspired by your space?  Let’s help one another!

10 Free Spring Printables For the Season

Printables are an awesome way to add a thoughtful touch of the season into your space, and all you need is a printer and some paper!  Enjoy this round-up of 10 free Spring printables, and for lots of other free printables, head to my Pinterest page here.  Happy Tuesday!

68576fdcc9e9ac8d0448171793b41ddd

A Sparkle of Genius

f272924a4588c0946455f336b1568298

On Sutton Place

24004030b46293019019d71519592599

I Should Be Mopping the Floor

f05f2ee09bf5446f8a4d8cbda54e0cef

Landeelu

6f2a7ba34221c775397d1efe33860c3e

Live Laugh Rowe

4e7da4a4ed15b0476bab1aed0d5af327

Double the Batch

555d9af3ac11bbee3696a7ad090bb757

Bless’er House

6183424628e66a93627b03045c1b8ed6

Paper Trail Design

610b87de94309a3dae5179147546d003

Maison de Pax

dd749c72b482a7e9cb85f4ad28fc57da

Lia Griffith

Drapery Update & Spring House Tour

Happy Monday to you!  I hope you all had a great weekend.  🙂

Last week, Grey and I went to Ikea, which is what prompted this post.  After moving in back in November and then getting settled, the house projects kind of came to a lull, and we were craving the feeling of getting things done around here again.  We decided we’re going to start tackling some things when the budget allows, and we made a list (my favorite thing).  Something that was high on my priority list was getting window treatments for the living room.  I had been fine with the room but the harsh lines of the windows really started bothering me.  We also have a sliding glass door off the kitchen where we had hung drapes back when we moved in, but the rod was bowing in the center because it is such a long window and we didn’t grab a bracket when we were at Ikea.  They were still functional, but I really didn’t like the way they looked — and like pretty much everyone in America, Ikea is not exactly close to our house, so taking a trip there is a little bit more involved than running to Target.

So we headed out to Ikea, snacks in tow, and Greyson navigated the crowds while I followed him with a deer in the headlights expression that I wear only when I am visually overwhelmed and frantically searching for the nearest exit.  We grabbed the drapes and rods, ended up picking up a Tobias chair on a whim, and a $2 hotdog special because we’re fancy like that.

Kitchen Drapes Just Hung

With the center bracket in place, we were back in business.  We added another panel on each side of the window for fullness — I wanted these to look really luxurious!  I’m still undecided on whether or not to hem these.  Part of me likes the casual puddles, and another part of me wants them more tailored.  And another part of me is just lazy, lol.

Naked Window

Naked Window 2

These were our naked windows.  See how that wall just needed something?  Not art, but something.  Our windows have nice wood blinds on them so we’re fortunate in that regard, but I am thinking that at some point I would like to add molding around all of the windows in our house.

Spring Kitchen

I stopped into Trader Joe’s for some flowers (and trail mix – because they have the BEST trail mix evah!) and these tulips were calling my name.  They’re pink perfection!

Living Room Drapes 1

Here are the drapes!  And the Tobias chair which is surprisingly comfortable and kind of bouncy, too.  This room is on the small side so while I originally thought that I was going to go with an Eames-style rocking chair in this space, I am thinking I will save that for the office.  The negative space in this room serves it really well.

Living Room Drapes 2

Because the windows were each very close to the sides of their respective walls, I didn’t want to make the window look smaller by flanking each window with panels.  Instead, we opted for side panels but have the rod hanging across the entire window so that we can pull them shut if we want to.  Again, each window has two drapery panels for fullness.  One per side looked too whimpy so I sent my husband on another voyage to Ikea the following day  to pick up a couple more.  Isn’t he the sweetest?

Bunny Banner Vignette

Banner Close Up

I’ve got a Pinterest board full of Spring ideas but I’m opting for simple this year with fresh flowers, greenery, and cleanliness!  This is the most festive thing I’ve put up and I got it in the Target Dollar Spot last year.  It lived on my in-laws’ mantel last Easter.

Sofa With Table

We got this black and white striped blanket at Ikea, too, and I’m loving the contrast with the rest of the room.  Which got me thinking…should I add some sort of contrasting banding to the drapes?  Should I paint my interior doors black?  This blanket has me all kinds of befuddled now!

Sofa Vignette

Pillows Close Up

I’m just a tiny bit craving new accent pillows (really the floral ones are the ones I’m thinking I want to update).  Shhh…don’t tell my husband!  Those pillows have moved around a lot in this house already — they used to live on our bed.

Coffee Table

That’s a fake HomeGoods plant and I’m really loving having festive cocktail napkins around lately.  It’s the little things…

Spring Pillow

Happy Spring to you!  Thanks for indulging me in such a photo-heavy post!  🙂

Instagram Lately

I share a lot on Instagram — just like most of us!  Lots of interior design inspiration, some quotes that I find motivating or inspirational, and vignettes.  I’ll be recapping some of my favorite Instagram snaps here every so often.

Screen Shot 2017-03-19 at 8.37.57 AM

Our happy Spring living room.

Screen Shot 2017-03-19 at 8.38.56 AM

Kravet showroom vignette…while waiting for samples.

Screen Shot 2017-03-19 at 8.39.35 AM

Springy mood board.

Screen Shot 2017-03-19 at 8.40.13 AM

Whale wallpaper sighting.

Screen Shot 2017-03-19 at 8.40.56 AM

Screen Shot 2017-03-19 at 8.41.28 AM

Our sweet little boy.

Screen Shot 2017-03-19 at 8.42.05 AM

Pretty patterns.

Screen Shot 2017-03-19 at 8.42.39 AM

Eclectic showroom details.

Screen Shot 2017-03-19 at 8.43.16 AM

Inspirational layered vignette.

Screen Shot 2017-03-19 at 8.45.08 AM

How I’ve been feeling lately.  🙂

Have a great day!

Spring Vignettes

Earlier this month, I talked about Spring as a feeling.  Zoning in on that further, is there anything more lovely than a seasonal vignette?  Greenery, flowers, and white + blue ceramics, that’s all you need for Spring.  Sharing some of my favorite Spring vignettes today — Enjoy!

847def76c27012f3f7bcfb0e94cd4ddb

Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles

04c65bcc10adb41f6e684de1d472e569

House Beautiful

b8e0dfe0f710b95ca1baf8cb2d8ae610

Cottages & Gardens

d92f03487d81b59596841aa1f72f6303

Craftberry Bush

e64c87aff2036fb36e5539e9c0144a09

Abby Capalbo

2811b9b9906c62469bee579abdc2bdcf

Marcus Design

e2396abafacd1fbc135341ec398f5a8e

Mark D. Sikes

bf506cce98e2b8c9759595eb1fe08acb

Mark D. Sikes

1ec8151c56cae2488a7070de02300183

Luxe

What We’ve Been Eating

A few weeks ago, I decided to try to cut out bread/grains/etc. and also desserts/refined sugar from my diet.  There really aren’t any rules, besides just to try my best.  I’ve been eating a lot of veggies, fruits, 2% Greek yogurt, nuts, protein…  It really has been great and my body has responded well to it.  I’m not putting a limit on how much of all of those things I can eat — if I am hungry, I eat.  If I feel like I want something, I have it.  On Saturday night, I wanted a milkshake and I couldn’t stop thinking about it… so, we got milkshakes.  Eating this way consistently, though, has really made me want those things less and less.  That was the first real craving I had in weeks.

There’s so much out there in the way of healthy recipes, and some things are not good.  We’ve tried a few things that have left us feeling like it was diet food.  I do not want diet food!  I want real food that tastes good and leaves me feeling really satisfied.  I don’t do non-fat — I don’t see the point.  So I thought I would round up some meals we’ve been loving lately in case you’re looking for healthy weeknight recipes that leave you feeling nourished and satisfied.

Screen Shot 2017-03-19 at 2.06.02 AM

Spaghetti Squash with Mushrooms + Parmesan

Screen Shot 2017-03-19 at 2.07.17 AM

Mini Meatloaf Pepper Rings

(These are really good, but best to prepare a little bit ahead of time.  They take a little bit longer than the rest of the meals in this group.  Worth it, though!)

Screen Shot 2017-03-19 at 2.08.49 AM

Carnitas

RIDICULOUSLY good.  I served with this Mango Salsa recipe, but I added four avocados to it and doubled the amount of lime juice.

Mango Salsa and Chicken

This was also very good… Mango Salsa on top of Grilled Chicken.

Greek Chicken Burgers

We’ve had these burgers twice now, and they’re amazing.  I make a little salad to go on top of them and you really don’t even miss the bun.  Slice up spinach, quarter a cucumber, put in as much red onion as you want, and chop up some fresh dill.  Red wine vinegar, one squeezed lemon, a little bit of olive oil, and some salt and pepper.  SO good.

What are you loving for dinner lately?

Linked up on The Chronicles of Home.

Initial Room Design Plans

Happy Monday to you!

First — I have moved blog locations/domains.  To make a long story short, I started Details on Wix in 2014, and while I loved the freedom on that site to really easily customize everything, when it came to the actual hosting of my blog, it was kind of lame.  So, for the past few days I have been transferring over all of my content (not fun, but worth it) and here I am…on WordPress.  Insert thumbs-up emoji here.  🙂

During the few weeks of the actual home-buying process, I was busy pinning away ideas for the house and I also came up with some mood boards.  These were all made before we even got into the house, but they kept me busy during the nail-biter that was Is this really happening?

I never shared these mood boards on the blog, and to be honest, during the four months or so that we have been here, it’s looking like a lot of this is going to change.  But I thought it might be fun to take a look and do a little recap.

Screen Shot 2017-03-19 at 1.26.07 AM

This is our living room, and so far we’re sticking to a lot of this.  The feeling in this room is very similar to the feeling of this board.  There is no art on the walls yet, which is starting to get to me, but to be fair, I haven’t really looked for any at this point.  I am desperately wanting a hide rug like that one but am waiting for the one that I want to go on sale.  The Eames-style rocking chair is something that I do really want, and those can be found at great price-points, so we’ll get it in time.  The IKEA media console is amazing and we purchased it literally the day that we moved in.  It’s one of my favorite pieces in the whole house.

Screen Shot 2017-03-19 at 1.29.41 AM

I really have no idea if this is what our bedroom will look like.  We have the bed picked out that we want but real life — we’ve been sleeping on a mattress since we moved in, lol.  Well, a mattress and a box spring, so it’s a little better than sleeping on just a mattress.  😉 . I’m not sure if I want the accent color in this room to be red, but I do think that I want it to be a fun bold color . We shall see!  I’m hoping that we will buy the bed next month at the latest.  Let’s just say our bedroom is not my favorite room right now, and I want that to change!

Screen Shot 2017-03-19 at 1.32.48 AM

This is the office, and this room is going to pretty much completely change from the ideas on this board.  The chandelier makes me laugh, because just a few days of 90-degree weather in this house and we definitely need all of the fans in the rooms.  This room is fine as it is, and is sort of my last priority at this point.  We’ll get to it, but I’m not really sure what I want yet.

Screen Shot 2017-03-19 at 1.34.57 AM

Our kitchen is another room that I’m not sure of.  The chairs have since changed from this idea – they’re an Eames style and are working out really well.  We do have the chandelier, which we love.  I’m having slight regrets for not getting the bigger one, I will admit to that.  The cabinetry is what really has me stumped.  Originally I thought white, then I thought black, then I thought leave it, now I have no idea.  Our appliances are black, which definitely would not be my first choice (or even my second, or third, ha!), but they are really functional so I am thankful for that.  Anyway, I’m still on the fence about this and will not paint anything until I know I won’t be filled with regret.

That’s kind of where we’re at right now.  The bathrooms need a little bit of help – they are fine but I want to paint the cabinets.  Possibly frame out the mirrors, add some fun accessories, change out the fixtures.  Lighting in the house is really okay, but I want to add some better, more updated ones.  All in good time.  🙂

Wishing my brother a happy birthday today!  I love you!

Linked up on The Chronicles of Home.

Spring As a Feeling

Living in Arizona, a place that doesn’t really have four specific seasons, I find that the older I get, seasons are felt more inwardly for me rather than outwardly.  I see things that give me a sense that Spring is either coming, or it is here.  I smell things, I think of things, I have ambitions to declutter and reorganize…  I notice things at the start of each new season.  Being present makes you do that.  Spring is special in Arizona because we really just get a few blissful weeks of perfect weather before we head straight into Summer, which, lets be honest, is extremely hot here but also makes me happy in its own way.  So it’s this time of year when I really need to be attuned to things, make the most of this beauty, really revel in it.

There have been many ‘firsts’ since November when we moved into our new house.  This is our first Spring and we are dreaming up ways we are going to give our yard some more functionality, adding some fresh greenery to the house, and meanwhile I’m over here going I’ve gotta tackle that hall closet. 😉 . We all have a closet like that.

These are wonderful, blessed times for us.  We’re trying to live in the moment and savor every minute!

Thinking of Spring as a feeling, these are some photos to represent what Spring feels like to me…

Screen Shot 2017-03-18 at 9.13.05 PM

Vogue

Screen Shot 2017-03-18 at 9.14.27 PM

Mark D. Sikes

Screen Shot 2017-03-18 at 9.15.19 PM

Original Source Unknown

Screen Shot 2017-03-18 at 9.16.01 PM

Daisy and the Fox

Screen Shot 2017-03-18 at 9.16.53 PM

Mark D. Sikes

Screen Shot 2017-03-18 at 9.17.44 PM

Original Source Unknown

Screen Shot 2017-03-18 at 9.18.25 PM

John B. Murray Architect

Screen Shot 2017-03-18 at 9.19.17 PM

Screen Shot 2017-03-18 at 9.19.45 PM

Vogue

Screen Shot 2017-03-18 at 9.20.37 PM

Jennifer Bunsa Design Studio

Screen Shot 2017-03-18 at 9.21.26 PM

Eclectic Trends

Screen Shot 2017-03-18 at 9.22.43 PM

Tine K Home

Screen Shot 2017-03-18 at 9.24.02 PM

Home Bunch

Screen Shot 2017-03-18 at 9.24.50 PM

Elle Decor

Screen Shot 2017-03-18 at 9.26.07 PM

MyDomaine

Screen Shot 2017-03-18 at 9.27.02 PM

Architectural Digest

Screen Shot 2017-03-18 at 9.27.50 PM

Sunday Suppers

Screen Shot 2017-03-18 at 9.28.35 PM

Original Source Unknown

Screen Shot 2017-03-18 at 9.29.28 PM

Elle Decor

Screen Shot 2017-03-18 at 9.31.23 PM

Architectural Digest

Screen Shot 2017-03-18 at 9.32.23 PM

Dot + Pop Interiors Instagram