life as of late

Christmas was a blur. I nice blur, don't get me wrong, but still a blur. I honestly can't believe how fast this year went.
On Christmas morning we woke up later than usual (7:30) and Mark led the family downstairs, jumping and turning his stocking upside-down to reveal an assortment of goodies.

When the stockings were done, he charged into the dining room, where our main tree is set up, and therefore, where the gifts were.

(sorry for all the poor-quality photos in this post, but I was just focusing on getting the shot, not on flash or camera settings, etc.)

It was sad, though, because this year is probably the last year where he'll associate Christmas with a fat man who rides in a sleigh delivering toys to all the children in the world.

Today, I awoke and picked up the book I got yesterday and just lied in my bed read for an hour. If you're wondering what book I got, it was the Hunger Games. LOOOVVEE! (I'm only on page two-hundred something, so don't give anything away!)

This morning after I read I headed down for breakfast, and happily treated myself to one of those^^^. I got two for Christmas :)

What did you do over Christmas weekend?

-hannah

p.s. I'm currently planning something really big involving my etsy shop, so be on the lookout for a special post in the next couple of days!

all i want for christmas (etsy edition)

After browsing etsy, I have accumulated a handful of pretties that I've put together a Christmas list with. Let's begin, shall we?

1. Chickadee Pendant


Is this not adorable? I would love to wear this, wouldn't you?

2. Glamorous Gray Necklace Scarf


oooh, this is so pretty! Perfect to spice up any outfit :)

3. Heather Eyeshadow

This is from an etsy makeup shop I found. Their products look so pretty, and this one is one of my favorites!

4. Five Printed Cards

Wouldn't you love to write a letter with this?

5. navy blue flower headband

Okay, this is seriously gorgeous. I would wear it pretty much every single day.

6. red melting heart love t-shirt

How cute is this?! Don't you love it?

7. Cable Beret Hat in Wood Brown


Love. This. To. Death. Too bad its like $60 :(

Well, I hope you enjoyed this spout of greed on my part ;) Happy shopping!

-hannah

cinnamon muffins

*a quick announcement* I had to draw a new winner for the headband, so the new winner is.....

Congrats Tiana! Please email me with your address so I can ship you your headband! You have 48 hours to respond :)

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what do you do when you stay home from school with pink eye and have a whole day full of, well, nothing?
You post a recipe.

cinnamon mini-muffins


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup skim milk
1/3 cup butter/margarine, melted


Topping:
2 tblsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter/margarine, melted


Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400º. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, combine egg, milk, and butter/margarine; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients until just moistened. Spoon batter into greased or paper-lined mini muffin cups. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Brush melted butter on to muffin tops and dust with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Enjoy! I certainly did :) Oh, and you will probably be left with some flour-sugar-baking powder-salt-etc. mixture, because you're only supposed to add as much of it to the wet ingredients until that batter is the right consistency :/

And if you end up making these, post about it and leave me a link to the post, I'd love to see how it turns out for you and the pictures!


-hannah

makeup tutorial: holiday look #1

I've decided that all my tutorials up to Christmas will be holiday looks, so here is look number one!

Holiday Look #1

Products used:

Revlon Cream Shadow

Stardust, Cherry Blossom, Red Currant, and Cocao by Madison Street Beauty

Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Gel Cream Liner in Black

Lancome Le Crayon Kohl (eyeliner)

CoverGirl LashBlast Volume Blasting Waterproof Mascara

 step 2: take a shimmery white shadow and pat it on the lower half of your lid.

step 3: sweep a pink shadow onto the other half of your lid and into your crease.

step 3: apply a darker pink/red into your outer corner and bring a little bit into your crease.

step 4: to deepen the color even more, apply a darker brown/burgundy color into the outer corner

step 5: take a black gel or cream liner and line your upper lashline, and with the excess on the brush smudge it into the lower lashline/lashes.

step 6: line your waterline with black liner apply mascara. *a quick note* remember in my favorites post when i was saying I didn't like the covergirl lashblast volume mascara? 

Well, I was thinking to myself, "hey, you just ripped on a beauty product you haven't used for a long time. Give it another chance." so I did, and I am officially eating my words. It's way better than I remembered. It didn't clump, and even though I would have rather seen more volume from it, I love the length it gives my lashes.

step 7: enjoy!

-hannah

p.s. Breanne, your eyeshadows wil be shipped when the other winner responds! Julia M., you have about 34 hours until I have to pick a new winner :/ please email me with your address!

giveaway winners!!

yep, it's that time! The moment you've all been waiting for! Okay, let's get a reminder of the awesome prizes:

this lovely amber beaded bohemian feather headband from neesie designs (don't forget the 10% off coupon, HOLIDAY2011)


aaaannnddd, two eyeshadows from Madison Street Beauty in the colors Wisteria and Galaxy.

Wisteria

Galaxy

The coupon code for Bridget's shop is SBS60.


Sooooooooo, without further ado, the winners:


The winner of the headband from neesie designs is:

Julia M.! Congrats Julia! Please email me with your address :)

and the winner of the eyeshadow:

Congrats Breanne! Please email me with your address!

Well, that was fun, would you guys like me to have giveaways more often? 

If the winners don't contact me within 48 hours new ones will be drawn. Thanks for entering guys!

-hannah

november favorites

I've decided I'm going to do this at the end of every month. I know it's a little late but better late then never, right? (by the way, these are mainly going to be beauty products, but at the end I'll post some other random things I loved through the month of november.)
So, in no particular order, my favorites!


1) Maybelline Baby Lips in Peach Kiss

omigoodness guys, I cannot tell you how much I love this product. It's truly incredible! Here is the product information:

No more basic lip balm:
• Visibly renewed lips and 8-hr hydration
• The secret: Exclusive lip renew formula with SPF 20
• Protects and moisturizes lips for a full 8 hours
• After 4 weeks, lips are visibly renewed and  reborn
• 6 varieties

now, it doesn't exactly give you 8-hour hydration, but it does make your lips feel incredibly smooth. I must say, it's helped me a lot through the winter months so far. I've been wanting to pick up "quenched", "pink punch", and "cherry me". Also, it's a really wet lip balm. You know Chapstick? How it's really thick feeling? It's not like that.

Now think of ice. No, seriously, just think of ice. You know how if you touch it your finger is wet? Imagine warm ice. Not exactly warm, just room-temperature. That is how deliciously moist this is.

This is absolutely one of my top favorite products of the month, so whenever you get the chance, go pick up some Baby Lips!

2) Physicians Formula: Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Shadow and Liner

This handy little palette is the ultimate take-on-a-trip palette. I bring this every single time I go to our mountain house, and it honestly has everything I need. You can make tons of different looks with this palette, it is da bomb. 

Here's the product info:

Enhance your natural eye color with three blendable trios that color, contour and line your eyes for illuminating, high impact.

These are also great gifts. The only thing I would wish was different is the price, because it is a bit pricey, but I guess the quality definitely makes up for it. So whenever you have a chance, go pick up some Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Eyeshadow (by the way, the eyeliner is uh-mazing too!)

3) wet n wild color icon brow & eyeliner in dark brown

To tell you the truth, I didn't expect to like these pencils as much as I do. The first one I bought was in white, and at first I didn't like it at all. It wasn't smooth and it wasn't long-lasting. All in all, I was pretty disappointed. But then, BOOM. A stroke of genius. I took out the pencil again and sharpened it.

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Yeah, that's what fixed it, believe it or not. I was left with a smoother, richer eyeliner that was only a centimeter smaller. Booyah!

Ahem, anywhoooo....... the product information:

Rich, creamy color glides on smoothly without tugging. Incredibly versatile to create a variety of looks.

I have about five of these eye pencils, and I love them all, but I like the brown best because it's the most practical. You can easily smudge it to create a smokey-er look, or you could go for a more natural look by just lightly lining your top and bottom lashlines.

Sooooo, whenever you get a chance, go pick up a wet n wild color icon eyeliner in dark brown!

4) Covergirl Lash Perfection Mascara in Black-Brown

I don't even know how to explain this product guys, I mean really? Seriously? I didn't think it was possible for any mascara to be this good. It doesn't clump, it doesn't make your lashes starchy, and it does an all-around bang-up job. It is my number one go-to mascara.

Product info:

Introducing volume, individually wrapped. The lashwrap brush perfectly surrounds each lash with volumizing mascara, all the way around your eye. Up to 3X the volume vs. bare lashes, how perfect is that!

Now, brace yourselves and pretty please don't break your computer.....

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I'm not a big fan of the LashBlast Volume Mascara. I know, I know, everyone is supposed to love it, but I don't like how starchy it makes my lashes. Maybe it's just because I have the waterproof instead of the normal stuff, but I don't know.

Now, I bought the LashBlast before the Lash Perfection, so naturally I was reluctant to buy another covergirl mascara after my first experience. But since it's relatively cheap (only 6.50!) I thought, "what the heck", and decided to buy it.

Best. Beauty. Decision. Ev-ah!

SO, whenever you get the chance, go pick up some covergirl lash perfection mascara!

5) Milani Color Brilliance Eye Pencil in Aqua

Product info:

I wore this on the first day of school, and besides mascara, my face was clean. I got soooo many compliments on it and there is a reason. Come on, just look at that color!

This is one of my very favorite eye pencils. It's oh-so-smooth, rich, and shimmery. If I'm in a rush in a morning and I haven't thought ahead of time about what I would do for my makeup, I reach for this eyeliner.

So, whenever y–okay! okay! I won't say it, gosh. go pick up some of this awesome eyeliner ;)

6) wet n wild color icon blusher in pearlescent pink

I. Love. This. Blush.

You know the phrase "your lips but better" for lipsticks? This is sort of a "your cheeks but better" sort of blush. It really gives you a natural glow, with the perfect amount of shimmer and a beautiful pale coral color.

Product info:

Sweep on this silky-smooth blush that strikes the perfect balance between a blendable transparent sheen and a radiant pop of maximum color. A special blend of treated nylon powders provides long-lasting color. Dermatologist-tested.

There really is not much more I can say about this. Just go pick up some of this awesome blush!

7) Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly Mousse

Product info:

my mousse feels like foam and controls like a gel, whipping up loose waves and helping give frizz the kiss-off. I´m a lightweight, so I´ll help you avoid sticky situations and leave you with a soft head. I set the stage for a head that’s anything but crunchy, and I have a fabulous violet splash fragrance to boot! want to put a fine finish on this luscious look? after styling with my mousse, top your tousles with my hairspray or finishing cream.

This foamy goodness smells incredible. Not to mention the great results after using it. For the first couple of times I used this product I did as the directions said, just to spread through wet hair, blow-dry and tousle ;) BUT, one night there wasn't enough time to blow-dry, so I had to just sleep with a towel on my pillow that night so I wouldn't get my pillowcase all wet.

The next morning I got out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom so I could get dressed and do my hair and makeup.

After one glance in the mirror I was happy. I literally did nothing to my hair except for combing my hands through it a couple times. As most of you know, I have naturally curly-q hair, and this stuff gave it volume and really nice........ I don't know. Curls I guess ;)

make sure to pick yourself up some herbal essences tousle me softly mousse!

Yeah, that pretty much concludes my beauty favorites for the month of November! Now on to other random favorites:

Songs

Stereo Hearts-Gym Class Heroes

Love You Like a Love Song-Selena Gomez

You Make Me Feel-Cobra Starship

You and I-Lady Gaga

Back To December-Taylor Swift

Tv Shows

Psych

Monk

The Dick Van Dyke Show (an oldie but goodie ;])

Movies

Temple Grandin

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt II

Blogs

pastor's girl's ponderings

J.P. Photography

much love, illy

Well, that's just about it! What were some of your favorites for the month of November? And I would love to hear your opinions about the products I've mentioned, especially the CoverGirl LashBlast mascara. Yea or neigh? Waterproof or non-waterproof?

-hannah

p.s. tomorrow is the last day to enter the giveaway! And please check out my little brother's blog!

frost

I've missed out on the beginning of winter. School is awesome, but you exactly can't go outside and snap a photo whenever you want to. Therefore, I didn't get to experience the first frost. But I can settle with the sixth ;)

Have you had your first frost yet? Oh, and how do you like the new design? :)

-hannah
p.s. don't forget to enter the giveaway!!