Happy Halloween!


I can't stop laughing at this picture! My poor cat. (I have no shame when it comes to him!) I took the original last night when I returned home after being at work for 12-hours (squadron had a trunk-or-treat event). It's on instagram, if you missed it! Anyway, I was looking through my picture album on Google+ and saw that they had the option to "halloweenify" your photos! I used it and this came up! We are a kitty and a unicorn!

In reality, I'm not going to dress up. Maybe I'll put on some cat ears or something, but that's about it! However, we are planning on passing out candy. I can't wait to see all the kids with their cute costumes! It's my favorite part about Halloween! (Minus the candy, of course!)

Hope you all have a great Halloween! Are any of you dressing up??? :)

South Carolina Stingrays

South Carolina Stingrays Hockey

South Carolina Stingrays Hockey Cool Ray

Opening night for the Stingrays is this Saturday! Dallin and I are so excited. Actually, it reminds me of when we first came to Charleston last year around this time. I can't believe it has been one year already! Holy moly. Time flies.

Anyway, I'm not really into sports... Except when I'm there in person! I think it's the energetic atmosphere. Stingray hockey games are always so fun. They're one of my favorite types of date nights. I mean, it's so romantic eating a bratwurst with sauerkraut and mustard, watching dudes body slam each other, and cheering for your local hockey team! Right? Haha. I'm kidding, but we do have fun watching them together. And we usually get burgers and milkshakes at Steak and Shake afterwards. So bad for you, but so good.

I think the best part about the Stingrays is all the fans though! They're so dedicated and into the games. It's really hard to not get caught up in all the excitement.


And above is my favorite bendy goalie, Jakaitis! I have been trying to do the splits for years and he does it so effortlessly. If I ever meet him, I will have to ask him how he is able to do it. Some people are naturally flexible! I like to imagine that he used to be a dancer or does yoga. And he's going to be playing again for the Stingrays this season! #1 GOALIE IN THE ECHL!

Do you guys like watching sports? :)

24 Hours in Charlotte, NC

South Carolina I-77

Charlotte, NC

My husband and I went on a short road trip to Charlotte, NC last weekend. One thing that I like about the Carolinas, and the East Coast in general, is the amount of trees! The drive up there is pretty much trees, trees, a town/city, and then more trees. It's quite nice, though I guess the scenery is a bit repetitive. I took many photos during the drive to and from and it all pretty much resembles that first picture. Pretty though!

When I first caught a glimpse of Charlotte, my first thought was, "What a cute city!" It really is! It is completely different than Charleston. Charleston is very historical and is sort of a small city with a small town feel. At least that's how I would describe it. Charlotte is more of a modern, big city, but it was also quiet and not as busy as I expected (though we were there on a Saturday and Sunday versus a weekday). To be honest, the drivers in NC were a lot more courteous and friendly than the drivers in SC (who are aggressive and dangerous). It is amazing how different drivers are between states! And Charlotte is right on the border of NC and SC.


Discovery Place Charlotte Dinosaurs in Motion

Discovery Place Charlotte Aquarium Jelly Fish Tank

Discovery Place Charlotte Aquarium Cuttlefish Tank

We visited the Discovery Place which is a hands-on science center with exhibits that help people/kids better understand science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in a fun way! I thought it was AMAAAZING. I think that this place is geared more towards kids, but my husband and I still spent hours there and had a blast. They had cool things like fiber optics, a thermal imaging camera, gyroscopes, pulleys, a bed made out of NAILS, a hydrogen ping-pong ball launcher (it was so loud that it made me scream!), frogs, mechanical dinosaurs, a mini rainforest, a small aquarium section (love fish!), and so much more. If you're ever in Charlotte, I totally recommend checking this place out (especially if you like science and/or have kids)!

12th Annual Q-City Charlotte BBQ Championship Festival Piggy

We also discovered that there was a BBQ competition happening that weekend: The 12th Annual Q-City Charlotte BBQ Championship! Y'all, it smelled HEAVENLY. Unfortunately, Saturday was the last day and we had already ate lunch and had (expensive) plans for dinner later. So, we didn't get to try anything. I loved Charlotte so much though, I hope to come back next year and check it out! BBQ FOREVER!!!!!

Lake Norman, North Carolina NC

Lake Norman, North Carolina

Lake Norman North Carolina NC

Lake Norman North Carolina NC

Lady of the Lake, Lake Norman, North Carolina

For dinner, we had dinner on a yacht on Lake Norman which is about 45-50 minutes north of Charlotte. It was pretty awesome! Being on a lake is completely different than being at sea, but the good thing about it was that I didn't get sea sick! :) We once went on a dinner cruise in Kauai in December (which means stronger surf on North facing shores) and I was sick the entire time! It was absolutely devastating for me because the food smelled so good and they had bottomless drinks. And there were humpback whales breaching from the water (whales are my favorite animal!!! SERIOUSLY). Moral of the story is don't buy cheap sea sickness pills. Anyway, I digress (a lot). I'm so glad that I was able to enjoy dinner on a boat with my husband without barfing. ;)


On Sunday, we just slept in late. After we checked out, we went to IKEA! Holy moly. SO. MUCH. STUFF. We ate meatballs for brunch and went shopping! I sort of went overboard with kitchen stuff. And I also bought a bedside table for me because I used to just put my phone on the window sill next to my bed. A bedside table is way more convenient! I even put it together myself! It's like adult legos. Except not as fun and more practical? (But we love legos in this house!)

The drive back home was uneventful, thank God!


Wedge, tuxedo cat

And this is my cat asking us where we were. You should have seen him waiting for us at the door! He was glaring out the window the whole time. Poor kitty. We left out a lot of dry food for him, but he's such a brat and he's totally accustomed to eating wet food. I like to call him a "fancy boy" because he goes nuts for Fancy Feast. Hahaha.

Anyway, I really liked Charlotte and I hope to go back one day! We do have a bunch of other cities that we want to visit as well though! Perhaps next trip will be to Nashville, TN? (I saw that Sam Smith is performing there in the future, though I'm sure tickets are sold out by now!)

Madewell x Sézane

Madewell x Sézane Silk Shiftdress

Madewell x Sézane Haspen Sweater

Madewell x Sézane Nola Satchel

Madewell x Sézane Silk Tee in Bow Print
(source)
I am in love with this collaboration between Madewell and Sézane! My favorite pieces are the Haspen Sweater, Lace Shiftdress, Silk Blouse in Chevron Sketch, and the Nola Satchel. I'm trying to save my money, but these looks are making it so hard. Everything is so effortlessly cool. This collaboration just launched today and the La Superbe Sweatshirt is already sold out! If everything else I like is not sold out by tomorrow, I might just buy something.

What I'm Packing: Charlotte, NC

This weekend we are taking a road trip to Charlotte, NC! It's about 3+ hours north-ish from where we live in Charleston, so it's not super far. However, I've never been and there is an IKEA, so I'm looking forward to it! Dallin has duty today, so he has to go in tomorrow morning and turn-over to the next guy, but we are going to leave right after that! It's just a 2-day/1-night trip, so nothing major. We'll spend Saturday there and return home on Sunday. I am just looking forward to seeing something new. (And to eat some swedish meatballs! Dallin thinks it's ridiculous that I want to go to IKEA so much, but I NEED to buy stuff for the house!)

I am a notorious over-packer, but since it's such a short trip, I don't think I have that problem this time. Here's what I'm planning on bringing!

Madewell High Riser Skinny Jeans, Everlane Heather Grey U-Neck T-Shirt, Jewelmint Silver Leaf Earrings

This is what I'm bringing to wear on Sunday. It's simple and comfortable. It's the Everlane Heather Grey U-Neck T-Shirt, Madewell High Riser Skinny Jeans (same cut, different wash), and earrings that I bought years ago from Jewelmint. The Everlane T-Shirt is super soft and comfortable. It's one of my favorites! The Madewell jeans are also super comfy. I like that they're high-rise. It's one of my favorite pairs. I've had the earrings a long time. I haven't bought anything from Jewelmint in FOREVER, but I did like everything that I got from them. I should probably check out what sort of stuff they have nowadays.

LOFT Knit Bomber Jacket

I'm bringing this Knit Bomber Jacket that I recently bought from LOFT. The weather here has been so weird lately. It'll be freezing one day and then super hot the next. It's hard to tell what the weather will be like. But I know that I love to be cozy. I've been wearing this jacket to work everyday because our office gets chilly. I like how it's comfortable like a sweater, but fancier and more structured than a hoody. Also, I got it for 50% off, so I think it was a great deal!

NARS Pro-Prime Pore Refiner Primer, Maybelline Volum' Express The Rocket Mascara, Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder, NARS Tinted Moisturizer, RMS Beauty Un-Coverup, ModelCo Bronzer, NARS Orgasm Blush, Temptu Highlighter, Smashbox Eyeshadow, Urban Decay NAKED Basics Palette, Atelier Cologne Cédrat Enivrant

For make-up, I'm just taking a couple samples that I got from Birchbox and some staples (clockwise-ish, starting from top):

  1. NARS Pro-Prime Pore Refining Primer: Must-have!
  2. Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder: I rather use the NARS Light-Reflecting Powder, but this is smaller and I should probably try to use the rest of it up.
  3. Maybelline Volum' Express The Rocket Mascara: Currently my favorite drug-store mascara.
  4. NARS Tinted Moisturizer: Love this! It's like, my skin, but better. It looks natural to me.
  5. RMS Beauty "Un" Cover-Up: I like that this is "natural." I obviously use this to cover up imperfections (acne, under eye, redness, etc). I want to try the luminizer after I used up my current highlighters.
  6. ModelCo Bronzer: This is a sample that I am almost done with. I liked it, so I actually bought the full-size of this. This one has shimmer in it, but it's not that noticeable to me. Hope it translates well into fall/winter though.
  7. Temptu Highlighter: This is another sample that I got in my Birchbox. I actually really like this, but I'm not sure if I'll get the full-size.
  8. Smashbox Eyeshadow Trio: I got this in a kit at the beginning of summer (couldn't find it online). I've actually been using it everyday. The lightest shade is matte and the other two are shimmery. Worked well for summer!
  9. Urban Decay NAKED Basics Palette: Neutral Mattes. I'm bringing this just in case. (Plus, it has a mirror!)
  10. Atelier Cologne Cédrat Enivrant Cologne Absolue: Love this and it's travel-sized!
Can anyone tell that I'm grasping onto summer still? I love the fall, but I also like the warmth. Haha. And I think my skin-tone looks better when I'm a little tan. But that's just me! ;) (I'm not ready for it to get cold! And I live in SC!)

In addition to the make-up, I'm bringing my BECCA The One Perfecting Brush, a powder brush, and three eyeshadow brushes.


I'm lugging everything in this Betsey Johnson bag that I got on super sale at Ross in Guam. Also, not pictured: skincare, nintendo 3ds, book, and other necessities I'll probably remember tomorrow. Ooh! Like my toothbrush! :)


Hope you all have a great weekend!

(all links are for convenience!)

Decluttering


I used to be addicted to shopping (especially online) while I was single and working in Hawaii. I was working a lot of overtime and stressed out. Buying things helped me to temporarily feel better. After I quit my job to move to Guam to be with my husband (then-boyfriend), I ended my love-affair with online shopping. I learned to make-do with what I had and I'm really grateful for that.

Even though I don't shop as much as I used to, I think that I can do a lot more to declutter my life. There are certain things that I am pretty good about not hoarding, but there are other things that I'm just not allowed to buy anymore (hello, billions of nail polish bottles!). This is an attempt to let go of things that I don't need and just keep the essentials (things that I actually use). So, I'm going on a buying ban!

Also, if you can't tell from the picture, I don't really have a good way of storing my make-up items. They're either in those two bins shown, or just in empty birchbox boxes or in my bathroom drawer. Part of decluttering will be finding a place for everything and making everything neat.

Here's a list of things I'm allowed to buy (one-in, one out):
  1. Facial Toner
  2. Facial Oil
  3. Facial Cleanser
  4. Eye Cream
  5. Sunscreen
  6. Tinted Moisturizer
  7. Foundation
  8. Concealer
  9. Primer
  10. Blush (I'm allowing myself to find and buy two more shades that I love and also to replace the one that I'm currently using)
  11. Bronzer
  12. Mascara
  13. Brow Pencil
  14. Dry Shampoo

Things I'm not allowed to buy (unless I completely run out of current stock):
  1. Body/Hand Lotion
  2. Nail Polish (it makes me sick whenever I look at how many bottles I have)
  3. Make-up remover
  4. Lip balm
  5. Lipstick (unless it's a completely different color than what I currently have! Not really looking for anything right now though.)
  6. Lipgloss
  7. Eyeshadow (especially neutrals! All I have are neutrals!)
  8. Illuminator
  9. Body wash
  10. Shampoo/Conditioner
  11. Hair oils/serums
  12. BB Cream
  13. Facial moisturizer
  14. Face masks
  15. Perfume
It might seem like I have a bunch in my "things I'm allowed to buy" list, but that's because these are things that I only have one or two products of versus a stockpile of different products that aren't being used (like the ones in my "not allowed" list!). I hope to give these unloved products some attention before deciding whether to chuck it or keep it. One day I hope to only have products that I absolutely love instead of "wasting" my money on things that I don't use/need. We'll see how successful I am. I also want to do something like this with my wardrobe!

Does anyone else seem to have a huge stock of products that aren't being used? Would you ever go on a buying ban?
Also, any suggestions on how to store make-up? :)

(Post inspired by From Roses.)

New Layout!


I spent the past week updating my blog layout! I'm not an expert website designer, but I know my way around code (a little). I thought it would be better to go with a more simple layout than the previous template that I was using. I don't really have anything else to say about it except... Let me know if you find anything buggy or if it looks off on your computer/screen/browser! I would really appreciate it! :)

I guess that I should go to sleep now that it's 3am. It is a three-day weekend, so I'm pretty excited! Also, next week I have my regular day off, so it's a three-day WORK week. Gaahhh, this is better than Christmas for me (almost).

Anyway, hope you all have a great weekend!

(Bonus picture of my cat yawning in his cat cave/bed!)

Current Primers

NARS Pro-Prime Pore Refining Primer & Dr.Jart+ Pore Medic Pore Minish Primer

Using a primer after a moisturizer and before applying make-up is essential in my daily routine. Sometimes I will skip it if I know that I will be staying home all day being lazy. However, I notice that without primer, my foundation or tinted moisturizer doesn't last as long and my face looks oily/shiny more quickly. So, I just try to use primer every time I put on make-up (which is almost always daily!).

NARS Pro-Prime Pore Refining Primer is my favorite primer. I've been using it for years now. It minimizes the look of my pores and makes my skin look smoother. Previously I had been using Smashbox Photo Finish Primer which has an interesting texture: very smooth and silky (but almost in a weird way). The NARS primer is more like a lightweight lotion, which I love and prefer! I don't know how many times I have repurchased it, but all I know is that I've always had a tube on hand. I guess that once I find something I like, it's hard for me to stray too far.

The Dr.Jart+ Pore Medic Pore Minish Primer is one that I bought recently. I saw it on Birchbox and was intrigued. The texture is similar to the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer. It's actually very similar to a sample of Benefit The Porefessional. Very... tacky or sticky, but also silky. Not sure how to describe it. It was a little weird at first, but I actually got used to it. It does minimize the look of pores, maybe even more than the NARS primer. However, my make-up doesn't last as long with just the Dr.Jart+ primer. It hasn't broken me out or anything, but if you're sensitive to silicone, definitely do not try this primer.

Even though the Dr.Jart+ primer was alright, I think I'll stick with my my go-to NARS primer. :)


Do you use a primer? What's your favorite? I'm open to any suggestions! :)

(all products were purchased by me and all opinions are my own. links are for convenience!)