This Is Halloween

----> This Is Halloween <---- Go ahead and sing the song - I know you wanna. Actually...I found myself singing (and dancing) to this song at a wedding reception just this past weekend. Nightmare Before Christmas songs are a great way to bring the inner 7 year old out of a group of full grown adults lol.  The wedding was pretty darn fantastic...I mean...they lit a unity rocket folks! (Not kidding) I wish I had more photos but I got into the boxed wine! ;) Darn that boxed wine! (Shakes fist)

We all stayed out past 1 am. (Gasp you should!) What's really impressive is that we all didn't go into cardiac arrest after dancing to "Shout." We were really feeling the late 20s and early 30s. (So much jumping I tell you!) We ended our night over at Ruthie's house, and she has a massive bug collection. Because - let's mix alcohol and bugs...why not? LOL No humans or insects were harmed and I came home with two pet hissing cockroaches? How does that even happen? The husband definitely does not approve. I will spare you from photos of them. They are named Jake and Elwood. ;) At least I didn't leave with 10 - like Joy. I figured they would be a nice science-type experiment for Silas? So many question marks!

Halloween is only 2 days away...and our party is only 3 days away! I'm really looking forward to taking lots of awesome photos this week. Maybe throw in a review or two? I know I've been gone a while. 

How was your Tuesday? Miri the mouse is still awake. -_O

Fall Photos

This past weekend we recreated Silas' 1st Halloween photo - this time using baby Miri. ;) 

The photo was taken in the exact same location! Miri was a much more willing participant though! ;)

(Baby pumpkin baby is angry!)

Seriously - somebody needs to obviously put a stop to all the cuteness going on right here! ;)

I know it's a gloomy addition to the end of this cheery post - but this quote from "Doctor Who" last night really struck a chord with me. The past year has been hard... The universe has to move forward. Pain and loss, they define us as much as happiness or love. Whether it's a world, or a relationship... Everything has its time. And everything ends. - Sarah Jane Smith

Review | Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

Now - I know what you are thinking! The one thing that the web doesn't need is another "Liz Earle" review lol. I just cannot contain myself...this review is going down anyways folks. (Sorry) When I first started getting into the whole blogging/vlogging jazz - I became very aware of this skincare set. Beauty gurus everywhere (especially in Europe) were singing it's praises. Many people believe it to be the holy grail of all cleansers. I...I just have to agree lol.
Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser $24.50 on Birchbox.com I received this set in my October Birchbox. I literally freaked when I opened the box and saw it. Liz Earle?! What? Seriously?! Matt and I both noticed a lovely radiating glow after the first time I used it. I have started doing something that I never do since using this cleanser - I wash my face...and I leave the house (drumroll please) with no makeup! Gasp you should my friends! This stuff gently removes all dirt and grime and leaves my face looking...flawless. My skin has cleared right up! I plan on purchasing the set from Birchbox.com on Monday. It comes with a 3.3 fl oz cleanser and two muslin cloths. It doesn't foam up like most cleansers...it rubs on more like a lotion? I don't feel the need to moisturize when I'm done...and it leaves my face feeling so soft and awesome. Not like normal cleansers...dry and tight. It's just amazing. Period.
Matt and I went to a lovely wedding tonight. :) Here are some photos.

How is your weekend going?

New Blogging Space!

This little area may currently be my favorite little nook in the entire house. How adorable is it? :) I thought it would be fun to give a little e-tour of my new blogging space.

1. This gold vintage chair belonged to my great-grandmother, "NaNa." She passed away many years ago - but we just got our hands on this a couple of weeks ago. It was in a storage shed thats contents were going to be thrown away. Good thing we saved it!

2. LOL This is my "Patron Saint of Smiling" art. It is one of my favorite pieces in the house. Matt and I found it on a trip to Orlando. (Pure gold!) I have mad love for Will Ferrell...many of my friends don't...so they don't find it as amusing as I do. ;) If it doesn't make you laugh, it's your loss.

3. This is a painting that my grandfather affectionately calls "Mammie." The artist was a family friend that sadly passed away a couple of years ago. We have another painting that goes with it that is displayed on the opposite wall in the dining room. I don't think the other one has a name? It's an old man sitting on a basket with the same cotton field in the back. I can remember these hanging in my grandparent's house during my childhood...so they are both very special. :)

4. How cute is this desk? We bought it from our friend Erin just last week. It didn't look anything like this though! (See before and after photo) It was her dad's desk that he owned during the 60s. I think it turned out quite nicely! All it needed was a couple coats of paint, polycrylic, and new hardware. Brand new!

5. Awww - it's Silas' hands and footprints. He was 20 months old when he made this for me. I think it was a mother's day present? I adore it. 

6. Lastly, my Daher tins. Matt loves to give me lots of grief over them. He is constantly making fun of the name. Whatever! If you want me to love you forever...give me a Daher tin. You can find them scattered about antique and thrift stores. Make sure it has this stamp though! (Below) There are many fakes roaming around out there! One of my best friends (Ruthie) got me into collecting them. She has like...a million. They were used as decorations for her wedding reception. It was beautiful. 

Designed By Daher

Long Island NY

Container Made

In England

How was your day? :) Tomorrow is hump day! Does anybody else hate that damn camel as much as I do? I hear his voice in my head every Wednesday when I crawl out of bed. Ugh.

Birchbox Un-boxing | October 2013

This year is really flying by - and it's completely freaking me out lol. This is a thing right? I've always heard that the older you get - the quicker time passes. Just stop it already 2013! :P
Anywho! October Birchbox a'hoy! 

I really couldn't publish my un-boxing post quick enough lol. I wanted to dive right in and start using everything. Birchbox really stepped up their game this month - big fan over here!
Benefit Cosmetics Fake Up | Full-size, $24
Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser | Full-size, $21.50
Liz Earle Pure Muslin Cloth | 2 cloths, $6
POP Beauty Aqua Lacquer | Full-size, $14
&& Birchbox Find ChapStick Hydration Lock
Were you pleased with the October box? :)

Would you like to subscribe to Birchbox?

You can do so...

----->HERE<-----

------> Etsy Shop Lust <------ I'm going to try out something new here on ye olde blog. I thought it would be fun to give random shout-outs to Etsy shops that I'm currently loving. I find some pretty awesome sellers on a regular basis...and I feel like I should share them with my readers!  Today's shoppe (<--- oh fancy) is "Mint and Arrows." I already own one of their hair ties and 2 more are on the way. They are so soft and comfortable - no headaches. I may end up purchasing a couple once a month or so. ;) At $6 per tie...who can say no? I highly recommend them!

Honoring Peaches

Better words fail me - so I'm going to post what my sister-in-law Christine said...

To all our family and friends, today is a very special day of remembrance. Today is the birthday of someone who meant the world to my family, myself and everyone who knew her, Peaches. 
Peaches left us to be with the Lord earlier this year and left behind a hole in our hearts that will never be filled. She was the heart and soul of our family and had a way of making even the worst of days seem "not too bad". She was a light in our lives that will never go out, a constant reminder of hope and love.

While she was here with us, Peaches was the ideal example of living life to honor God. She gave away everything she had to give to others emotionally, physically and financially until the day she died. It was often noted that if you needed it, she'd give you the "shirt off her back". She was a passionate monthly contributor to organizations whose goals were to spread the word of God and allow people to have a second chance at life.

In her honor, my family and I have decided to try and raise some funds to donate on her behalf. In addition to the money we will donate as a family, we thought we would try and include some of our other friends and family and those whose lives were touched by Peach.

Growing up, Peaches was the cook of our family. She was the one to get "dinner on the table", both literally and figuratively, for most of my childhood. Sitting and watching her cook was a show and she was always prepared to add a plate for anyone in need. To think of families without the blessing of someone like her to help them through tough times is what inspired the cause.

We are asking that if you have a moment, please remember the person in your life who gave freely of themselves and asked nothing in return. Someone who made your life as it is now, possible. Peaches was that person for me.

If you have been blessed by someone, and would be willing to donate, please consider donating towards our "Virtual Food Drive" to honor Peach. A donation as simple as $5 can make a difference or, if you are feeling generous, donate what you would consider to be the cost of a meal for one night for a family in need.

100% of the money raised goes to a wonderful company called "Feeding America". With one in six Americans still relying on the help of "Feeding America" for food, they are the leading domestic hunger relief organization in America with food banks serving every state. Helping feed 37 million Americans each year, they are the the leading provider of food assistance for Children and Elders in America.

Here is the direct link to our "Honoring Peaches" page for you to donate easily and quickly.

----------> help.feedingamerica.org/goto/HonoringPeaches <----------

Thank you in advance for doing this. It is a small thing to honor a big hole in our hearts. We miss you Peach!

Feature | Eynack Glasses

I'm really excited to spread the news about my super cute new glasses. :) These are a fashion pair - but I'm very much considering having prescription lenses put in them. Aren't they adorable?

Bomer frames

$85 on Eynack.com ♥

They are designer acetate/organic sustainable bamboo glasses made by Eynack. (Handmade, actually!) I wore them to work the day after they arrived in the mail and I received many compliments throughout my day. They look simply lovely on - very unique. The "Bomer" frames put a new spin on the classic nerd glasses. My only complaint is that I got a slight headache towards the end of the day. I'm going to blame that on my sensitive noggin. I can't even wear headbands...it's ridiculous. They are affordable and there are many styles to choose from. What is one of my favorite things about Eynack? For every pair of glasses purchased on their site they donate TWO pairs to children in need. How awesome is that?

----------> View their entire collection here <----------

I may need to add the "Expert Shades" to my Christmas list. ;)

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How has your week been so far? I'm not going to lie - it has been quite a long week for this mama. Nothing that a Starbuck's coffee won't fix! ;) Interested in seeing October's Birchbox tomorrow?

Wordless Wednesday (Late)

October's Lust-worthy Items

:Sigh: October...it's my favorite month out of the entire year. It was actually cool outside today! Hey! Maybe I will get to wear a scarf tomorrow and drink a Pumpkin Spice Latte!? It's the little things folks...

 

Custom Tree Bark Ring

$68 on Etsy

Retro Hair Tie

$6 on Etsy

Mumford & Sons Painting :)

$20 on Etsy

 

Walk The Line Necklace

$15.95 on Etsy

Let Them Eat Cake Ring

$104 on Etsy

Additional $74 for the plain band ----> Here <----

Martha Stewart 9 Cube Organizer

$44.98 at Home Depot

You may get to the last item and be all "say what?" We have several of these neat "cubes" in a piece of furniture in our old room. (Furniture from IKEA) It's a giant closet-thing that won't fit in our new room. So - we need to move our cubes into our bedroom and this thing seems like it will be pretty low profile and flat to the wall. (The new room is considerably smaller) I'm going to purchase it ASAP. I'm tired of running to the kid's room every time I need something out of one of my precious cubes! (Panties, socks, etc.) Plus - I can sit cute decor on the top of it! How was your Monday? I'm going to be honest - mine was pretty darn foul!

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Review | Balm Chicky Balm Balm's Huge Cucumber

See what I did there? lol

Balm Chicky Balm Balm

In the flavor "Huge Cucumber"

$12 at balmchicky.com ♥

Guys - this lip balm company is pure genius. Everything about it impresses/makes me giggle...right down to the very box it was packaged in. All of their balms are 100% natural and they feature a unique patented "friend end." How many times have you been minding your own business while applying your lip balm - when your girlfriend comes out of nowhere like Batman and is all like "oooh - can I borrow your lip balm?" -_- Too many times right? The "friend end" is a separate chamber of product for your friends to enjoy that is located on the opposite end of the tube. (So they can share their crusty lip germs amongst themselves and not with you) Yum. The flavor that I chose is "Huge Cucumber." It seemed to be the most scandalously named out of the bunch, so naturally I went with it. I might have also picked it because the man on the tube reminds me of Paul Rudd (in Anchorman)...he's so fine. Here is a list of the flavors that they currently have for sale in their shop.

Juicy Melons

Sweet Baby Ginger

Huge Cucumber

Wild Mountain Honey

and Hot Chocolate Love

Huge Cucumber (how many times can I say it in one post?) smells pretty fantastic. It seems heavier on the hemp seed than cucumber scent. That doesn't bother me one bit though - I love all things hemp. It reminds me of a balm that I used to buy at the Whole Foods Market in Winter Park, FL. It has a slight shimmer to it which I was a little disappointed about. Maybe it's because I'm becoming an old lady and I can't handle glittery things? (Ahh, my eyes) Maybe I should embrace more glitter in my life? Anyways - it's not really that noticeable...but it's there. Simply put, it doesn't look like a disco on your lips. I usually apply it every night before I hit the sack. I always wake up the next morning with baby soft lips. Here is a list of the ingredients!

Organic: extra virgin olive oil, palm oil, hemp seed oil, beeswax, rosemary, vitamin E, fresh mint, and cucumber. 

I plan on picking up the "Hot Chocolate Love" next. Do yourself a favor and check out their stuff. I really admire a company with this sense of humor, and I'm sure you will too. ;)

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AND...Silas says the letter of the day is A! (He did it all by himself)

Lee County Fair

It's going to be a short and sweet post tonight. :) I am one super tired mama! We took the kids to the fair this fine evening and I have a few cute photos that I want to share with you guys. 

The nice "carnival man" was kind enough to let Silas post for a picture on the mechanical bull. Believe it or not - this is the first one of these bulls I have ever seen. Shocking right? I mean I live in Alabama...come on. ;)

I love this one of my dad and Miri. She loves her PaPa Buzz. :)

I hope everybody has a spectacular Saturday! I'm going to try to do two more posts this weekend!