For All My Ladies

There was a time when I would've loved to ask every woman I met, "What brand of makeup are you wearing?"  I always felt like everybody else had such flawless, even-toned skin while maintaining a fresh, natural look.  I longed to have that same complexion.  My biggest insecurity has been and continues to be my skin (on my face).  I struggled with acne as a teenager and as a last resort after using practically everything my dermatologist prescribed was Acutane.  Those 8 months were amazing!  No breakouts, no shiny/oily T-zone, nothing!  However, after all the creams and peels and medications I had used, I still had redness on my face and acne scars.  There was no way I would ever leave my house without makeup on because I was (and still am) extremely self-conscious about my non-perfect skin.  
Over the past 12 years that I've been using makeup, I've used so many different brands - Estee Lauder, Lancome, Chanel, Christian Dior, MAC, Origins, Smashbox, Bare Minerals, Stila, Laura Mercier, and a few others I'm sure.  I never stuck with one particular brand because I never loved the way my skin looked, it was always just OK.  But one fine day, as I was just perusing the makeup counter at Nordstrom, these sparkly little bottles caught my eye.  I didn't even notice when the associate came up and asked if I was looking for something in particular and I honestly wasn't, but when she asked if I wanted to test out a makeup, I figured "Sure, why not?" 
Well folks, I can FINALLY say I LOVE my makeup because it makes my skin look fantastic!  After a long, hot and humid South Texas day my makeup isn't melting off or creasing.  With the help of the non-silicone primer I started using, my makeup stays in place and gives a very natural and soft finish - nothing cake-y.  I personally don't like to see when women wear makeup that's super thick and obvious.  So fortunately, this makeup allows you to wear as little or as much as you'd like.  Another important note, my makeup routine takes only about 10 minutes - max.  With a toddler either waiting for me to get dressed or still sleeping while I'm getting ready, I obviously don't have tons of time.  

Although you can't see it so well in this photo, the green/black sparkly canister of the Prep+Prime bottle is what initially caught my eye :)

I've used other makeup primers before but never really liked how they felt on my skin, particularly the silicone-based ones.  I could instantly feel my pores getting clogged with those! The Prep+Primer Skin Base Visage is creamy yet airy and fluffy and glides right onto my skin, leaving it feeling extremely smooth and surprisingly hydrated.  After that, I apply the Matchmaster foundation using a foundation brush and then dust on a little of the Prep+Prime Transparent Finishing Powder.  I love this stuff! It's very much like the Makeup Forever HD Powder.  It has no color so it simply mattifies the skin.  I usually only use it on the areas of my face where I know I have shine.  
More recently I've started getting facials and microdermabrasion procedures a little more frequently.  I have seen a lot of improvement in my skin but it's still not where I'd love for it to be.  I'm waiting for the day where I'm blemish free and can walk out the door for quick errands without worrying about my face.  Until then, I'm so grateful for that super sweet associate that tried out this new makeup on me.  I couldn't be happier :) 

Pergola Update:
Over the weekend my husband was able to squeeze in two days to work on the pergola.  Unfortunately, these pictures don't really show all the time and labor put into this project plus the fact that it was a steamy and humid 90+ degrees for those two days.  

Since the 6x6 cedar posts were already installed, the next step was to work on the frame for the roof.  Eight 18ft cedar boards had to be cut and painted in order to build the 13'x16' frame

Here are 2 out of the 8 18ft boards cut and getting painted

Ta-da!  And the frame is complete!  Next up, the 2x6 beams need to be cut, painted, and installed above the frame.

 Stay tuned & thanks for stopping by!

Backyard Oasis - Phase 1

On Thursday, my good friend and I took our 15 month old boys to the beach.  I'm happy to report that the boys had a blast and we (the moms) were pretty proud of ourselves for tackling a successful day trip on our own.  The only downside was that there were a whole bunch of bees that came sneaking up on our little spot under our umbrella and I got scorched.  But my skin will heal and the bees didn't sting anyone.  Unfortunately, we didn't get to snap any pictures because priority #1 was hanging on to our little guys since all they wanted to do was run into the water.  I love that they are so adventurous!  Being out there reminded me how much I enjoy soaking up the sun.  Luckily for us, we only live about an hour away from the beach so we will be heading back out there soon.  

Back on the home front, my husband and I have been planning on what to do with our decently sized backyard since we moved in over a year ago.  We planned to maintain a grassy area where Nicholas could play, but we also wanted to add stamped concrete.  One area would be for a dining set under a pergola, another would be for a sandbox, and lastly, a small, cozy sitting area with a fire pit.  As much as we'd love for this whole project to happen overnight, we know that's just not possible.  But little by little, we've been tackling what we can.

The first project we finished, well my husband really, [ I picked out the fabric :) ] was the sandbox for Nicholas.  I found this great pin on Pinterest with step-by-step instructions on how to build this fantastic sandbox.  The sandbox only took 2 days to complete.  A few days later, Nicholas and his friend Milo broke it in.  The sand freaked them out a little, but they got over it and then ran to the pool!  And since we live in South Texas, this sandbox and pool will be getting a lot of use!   

Here's the semi-complete sandbox.  All that was left was to stain it,
staple the canopy on, and fill it with sand

Here, Milo & Nicholas tried it out for the first time.  I think Milo was telling me a joke here :)

"Mom, could you please stop taking pictures of me? It's embarrassing" 

As soon as they saw the sprinkles of water, they just had to check it out :)

Next step of our backyard transformation - the pergola.  Most of the cedar needed to finish building the pergola has already been delivered and hauled from the curbside to the backyard.  My husband has made the drawing as to how he's going to build it, so all he needs is time.  After the pergola goes up, next on the list is landscaping! That's the one part I'm not looking forward to.  The extreme heat and lack of rain where we live makes having nice plants and flowers challenging.  But, we're still going to try.  

This is what one side of our backyard looks like right now.  In a few weeks  the pergola
will finally be completed (my husband only has 1-2 days a week to work on this project).

Stay tuned to see the big reveal!  Thanks for stopping by!