Happy Friday, and I hope you've had a fabulous week! Linking up with Stephanie, Caitlin and Laura for #cantlivewithoutit

I'm sure you clicked on this post because of the title. It's okay, I would have too. 

And, I wish I had been that creative to come up with the name myself. It's actually the name of my favorite Too Faced mascara. With a name that daring, it better be good! 

And yes, it is that good. 

Excuse my very tired and naked eyes, but I think the pictures tell the story. I like very dramatic eyes, and this does the trick!

Before:

After:

This is only one layer, and it is very build-able.

This mascara lengthens, volumizes and just does all the right things. No complaints here, and I have yet to find one that matches to this standard. 

Now, try it out and see if it lives up to it's name! I promise, it won't disappoint. 

Have a great weekend! I am traveling to the low country this weekend to celebrate my beautiful sister's engagement, so be sure to follow along on IG @lifeonmeyers

Inspiration Behind Blogging

Today I am linking up with Annie and Natalie to express my thoughts about this whole blogging thing. I am getting kind of deep and want to be completely honest. I know I haven't been blogging long and don't have much experience, but this is hard work. I thought starting a blog would be the hard part, not trying to come up with bloggable content...and, was I wrong. I struggle with wanting my posts to be 100% perfect and not wanting to put my name on something that was not genuine. But, where does one find the time for perfection? I love writing and so enjoy reading all of your sweet comments, so do me a favor and all of you bloggers out there, answer a couple of questions for me...pretty please! 

Where do you find your inspiration?

For me, I want to write about beauty, home decor, food, and life in general. I usually turn to other blogger's posts for inspiration, and this usually helps but...I want them to be creative and "me." I don't typically have a problem coming up with topic ideas, but I am finding that it takes time to cultivate that idea into an actual post...which brings me to my next question.

How do you find the time?
As a new blogger trying to find her voice and style, how do you find the balance of blogging, being a working wife and  mastering your day-to-day schedule? I want to spend time creating a post that I'm proud of instead of just writing a senseless post. With me having a job that requires me to work a minimum of 50 hours a week, plus every third Saturday, it is so hard to find time after work to create a pristine post. From taking post worthy pictures, editing, uploading, etc, it seems as though it is taking me a really long time. I'm completely new to this, so of course, it will get easier with time, but how did you do it when you first started out?

What are your expectations?
I know this will change, but honestly, I don't have high expectations right now. Not that I don't care, it's quite the opposite. I am trying not to concern myself with "how many hits did I get today?" or "how many comments did I get?" I am writing for me, and I have to keep reminding myself that. I don't want to let myself down or get disappointed if I set an expectation.

I would love to hear your advice or tips. Please help a fellow blogger out!

Now that all of the seriousness is out of the way, check back tomorrow to see what I can't live without!

Happy Hump Day

Is it Friday yet? 

I am totally struggling this week and it's only Wednesday. Anyone else with me? I keep feeling like I'm a day ahead and that we are a day closer to the weekend, but no. I promise I will be back tomorrow with something a little more inspirational. 

But, until then...Happy Hump Day! Cheers to double fisting two extra large cups of coffee as we speak! 

Bookshelf Accents

I have had the most difficult time creating a look for my bookshelf. Our living room doesn't have any built in bookcases, so I knew that I wanted to add a bookshelf to add some character. 

I got this bookshelf for Christmas, and love it for our little space! I am debating on getting another one for the other side of our fireplace to make it symmetrical. Thoughts? 

I have either received these accent pieces as gifts or purchased them on my own, and I am still looking for more! Although it is so close to being finished, I am needing something to go on the top shelf. I am thinking a long, rectangular succulent planter like this. What are your thoughts on putting something on the wall above the shelf? I was thinking of possibly something like this mirror but don't want to overcrowd the space. I would love your suggestions!



Before:

After:

Have any of you had a difficult time putting your bookshelf together? I would love any tips of advice or suggestions! 

Weekending

Happy end to the weekend, said no one ever. We had a great weekend, and I am really sad it is over. 

Friday night we had dinner with some of our best friends at a brand new restaurant in town. This restaurant holds a special place for Stephanie because this is where she and her then-fiance turned husband went to in New York after getting engaged! When I suggested this, everyone was on board because it is super kid friendly. I mean, look at this sweet owner holding the little babe. Our other girlfriend had her sweet little boy and all the staff were constantly admiring these two little ones.

Prepare yourself for picture overload...beginning now. 

The staff even comes around giving the children pieces of dough to play with. How creative and different.

After dinner drinks were a must, and the conversation was even better.

I'm not gonna lie, it was definitely hard getting up Saturday morning to go to work! It rained all day, and I would have much rather slept in. 

A last minute decision, but we decided to head downtown to the annual BBQ festival. This was our first time going, but it was fun! Very casual, perfect weather, great fellowship and delicious bbq..what more could you ask for? 

Sunday was absolutely beautiful, and after cleaning the house all morning, getting out for Mexican and shopping for fresh blooms with a girlfriend was a breath of fresh air! 

And, there you have it. As you can see, food, drinks and friends were pretty much the center of the weekend, and I'm definitely not complaining about that. Although it was a shorter weekend with me having to work, it was still nice to relax and spend time with loved ones!

Today I am linking up with Biana and Meghan. Happy Monday!

xoxo

Can't Live Without It: Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap

Happy Friday! I am so glad the weekend is here, aren't you? Today I am I'm linking up with Steph, Cait and Laura for Can't Live Without It.



Key word here: Magic.
This soap has changed my view on cleaning my makeup brushes. I am sure this can serve other purposes, but this is what I use it for. Previous to finding this little bar of heaven, I depended on Johnson and Johnson baby shampoo. While this is a very gentle shampoo and doesn't damage the bristles, I didn't feel as if it cleaned the bristles as well as I hoped. I had heard of the Beauty Blender cleaner and was going to give it a shot, but for nearly $16 for 1 ounce, I was extremely hesitant. That is when I began the search. After googling and Youtubing, I kept hearing about this magic soap. Cue in Dr. Bronner's. I began to watch videos about how this was a complete dupe for the beauty blender cleaner. The bar of soap is under $5 and is five times the size of the beauty blender. Five times! I thought, what a bargain! Now, if it actually works, this will this be amazing! The next time I was at Target, I picked this bad boy up, hoping it would fulfill all of my dreams. 
And, it did.

This stuff is seriously amazing. 


I am totally embarrassed to show you what my brushes look like dirty. I typically like to "deep" clean my brushes every two weeks. I "spot" clean my brushes daily. To deep clean, I use Dr. Bronners, while I use my Mac Brush Cleaner to spot clean on an everyday occasion if I am using different colors that I don't want to mix.

What is it?
Organic soap consisting of coconut oil, palm oil, sodium hydroxide, water, sea salt, lavender extract and citric acid.

How I use it
I wet the bristles with warm water, making sure not to get the handle wet. I rub the brush back and forth on the bar of soap to create suds and then squeeze and rinse off under the water. I then put my clean brushes on a towel so that they can easily dry. 

How I store it
I use this travel dish container to store the bar of soap in. It is easy to store and travel with and is only $.97! As an added bonus, I keep the soap in this while I clean them so I don't get my hands dirty from makeup or get prune fingers from getting my hands under the water.

Unfortunately, my local Target doesn't offer but only two different scents in the bar form, lavender and peppermint. I have the lavender scent and love how fresh and spa like it smells. Dr. Bronner's is also offered in liquid form, but I haven't tried that yet. I'd like to try the almond next! 


Here are more options that are available here. I really want to try the almond scent next!

OK. Enough about what it actually says it's going to do...let's prove it! 

Before:

After:
(sorry, the lighting is awful...clearly, this was later at night)

Magic, huh? Okay..you are welcome, now go buy it!! Let me know if y'all are interested in seeing a makeup brush collection!

Have a great weekend!
xoxo

Thoughts for Thursday: The Man Behind the Blog

As you continue to get to know me, I thought it would be important to share with y'all one thing that means the most to me. My husband. He happens to be my biggest supporter and advocate for me starting this little thing on the internet. This blog was a long time coming, and it took some serious consideration. I always thought it was a great idea in theory, but didn't know how realistic it would be for me to be able to write as often as I'd like or if I would even have anything important enough to write about! He was a large proponent in persuading me to start this blog because he knows how much I enjoyed writing for Caroline.  I hope y'all love him just as much as I do! 

Without further ado,  I would like to introduce you to...

Name:   Husband, aka Andrew

Occupation: Project Manager

Loves:  Golf, Clemson Football, Hunting, Baseball, Microsoft Excel, Doubling Down on the Blackjack Table, my wife!

Favorite websites:  The Mainboard, Tiger Illustrated, ESPN

Favorite television show:  Entourage (RIP)

When Ashley started her blog you thought?  I was excited.  I know how much she enjoys blogging and thought it would be a great way for her to keep everyone updated on her comings and goings.  She’s also really good at it!

How often do you read my blog?  Every time a new post appears, but I typically receive a sneak peek to proofread before the final draft goes to print.

The best part about being married to a blogger?  Seeing her put a lot of passion into her posts.  I also get to learn new things about someone I’ve been with for 8 years.  I can’t believe you killed your pet bird when you were little!

The most challenging part about being married to a blogger?  Will you take a picture of this?  Will you proofread my post?  What do you think of this?  I’m having writer’s block, what should I blog about?  Do my legs look pale in this picture?   I need to buy this to make blogging easier.  Why won’t the camera work?  

Your favorite posts are?  The introduction Ashley posted on Virginia Sweet. No question.

If you started a blog, it would be about?  How to dominate spreadsheets in excel and the science behind the golf swing.  The number of followers would be astounding.  I could probably quit my job.

What surprises you most about the blogging community?   How crazy the blogging community can be.  Hearing stories about people’s followers tracking down their homes, cars, income, etc. blows my mind.  Whatever happened to common decency?

Will you ever agree to write a guest post?  Only if I get to blog about whatever I want.

How great is he? Thanks, A! xoxo

PS. True story about Andrew. He actually had a blog before me....now let's try to convince him to start writing again! 

I am linking up with Annie and Natalie, so be sure to check out their blogs! 

xoxo

Thanks to Christa for the inspiration for this post!

Meal Planning 101

Food is something that really excites me. I know that sounds weird, but whether you are cooking, dining out or hosting a big dinner party, food usually brings a crowd together. It's not always the food that excites me (although that helps), but the company it brings. I have always enjoyed cooking, and I can thank my mom and dad for that. I grew up in a household that had two working parents, but we always had a home cooked meal prepared for us on the table each and every night. I enjoyed helping them prepare and cook, and that honestly is where I found my passion.

When I plan our meals
Saturday and Sunday mornings after indulging in a large breakfast, I sit down on the couch with an extra large coffee and turn the TV onto the Food Network or the Cooking Channel. Now that spring is here, a lot of the new episodes are airing so I haven't seen them before. If I really like an episode or recipe, I will usually re-watch it once it's over. I watch it the first time to just enjoy the show, but throughout re-watching the episode, I take mental and physical notes. If I know it's something I'd like to recreate, I will write down the recipe/ingredients/instructions. Most times, I will end up going to the website and printing off the actual recipe. I've been doing this for years and literally just have a stack of printed recipes laying around. I've been meaning to organize them into a binder so that I can easily find a recipe. Hopefully there will be a post about that in the near future!

How I plan our meals

Like I mentioned above, a lot of my inspiration comes from watching my favorite chefs. However, I am very traditional when it comes to reading and holding a book. I don't own a Kindle or Nook (is that what it's called?) because I would prefer to hold a real book. The smell of the worn pages just makes me smile. I will literally pick out a cookbook and read it from the beginning to the end like it is a story book. I will flip through the book and once a recipe sticks out to me, I will jot it down. Typically, I will get the husband's approval, but after cooking for him for so long, I kinda know what he likes and doesn't like.  I typically only plan for Sunday-Thursday because we tend to eat out on the weekends.

Once I pick out my recipes, I make my grocery list that includes all of the ingredients that I will need for the entire week. To avoid buying duplicate items such as spices, flour, milk, or ingredients that you typically have on hand, I always check my cabinets and refrigerator to make sure I don't already have it. I can't tell you how much money and time this saves me!

I prefer to grocery shop on Sunday afternoons. This way, I am able to watch all of my weekend cooking shows and can leisurely spend time planning what I want to make. 

Why I like to plan our meals
Saves money - buying in bulk is always less expensive 

Don't have to make multiple trips to store - I have been so guilty of this and have found myself at the grocery store 3-4 times a week and it is miz
Leftovers - I am a huge advocate of taking leftovers for lunch the next day. This saves a lot of money and calories! 

Able to eat earlier - because I already know what I am cooking and don't have to go to the store (because I did this on Sunday), then I can get home and cook right away. Because we are eating earlier, we are able to enjoy the rest of the evening just relaxing.
Healthier - I can pick the fresh ingredients that I am putting into dishes instead of eating processed foods out at restaurants

Favorite Cooking Shows
Pioneer Woman
Trisha's Southern Kitchen
The Kitchen
Barefoot Contessa
Dinner at Tiffani's
Real Girl's Kitchen

I hope this has encouraged you to start planning out your meals. It has really helped me because it now forces me to cook in more since I already have the food on hand and don't want to waste any food!
I would love to hear any of your pieces of advice or what you do to make meal planning fun and easy!

5 New Products at the Drugstore

I have always been a huge fan of shopping at the drugstore. Whether it is for beauty products, nail, or hair care, I truly feel there are a few brands that really knock it out of the park. This is not to say that I don't enjoy shopping for high end products at Sephora, Nordstrom, or Ulta, but if I can save money at the drugstore and feel like I'm getting a decent quality product then I am all for it.

Recently, the drugstore has been killing it. Whether it is skin care, beauty, hair, or nails, I haven't been able to walk out of Target with at least one thing in my basket. These might not all necessarily be brand new to the drugstore, but they are new to me. I have used each of these items for several weeks so I feel like I can provide an accurate review.

One.
Freeman's Face Mask
These are definitely not new to the drugstore, but they have recently launched new scents to accommodate different skin types. One of my favorite things to do is completely clean my face using my Clarisonic, then add a face mask. I usually let it sit a while longer than it says to (usually about 30-45 minutes) just to make sure it gets the job done! At less than $4 each for a huge tube, I have several of these. My most recent purchase was the Sweet Tea & Lemon. This is a peel-away mask, where most of the other Freeman masks are wash-away. I really enjoy peeling the mask off, kind of like peeling off your skin when you have a sunburn...ok, too gross? I hesitated at first with this oddly named item, but then smelled it and it just reminded me of sweet summertime here in the south, and I have been loving it! The mask leaves my face feeling bright and silky smooth.

Two.

L'Oreal Infallible Foundation
This is newer to the drugstore, and I was able to pick it up a few weeks ago to replace my Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous foundation in shade 105/110 (I mix the two colors to get the perfect color for me). I had been loving this, and I had just finished my third bottle, but I like to change up my foundation after a couple of times because I feel like my skin doesn't break out as much.  I picked up the L'Oreal Infallible in shade 102, and I have really enjoyed using it. My skin is typically combination; dry in the mornings but gets oily in my t-zone throughout the day. Because my skin can get rather oily, I need a foundation that will keep me matte throughout the day and won't slide off. This L'Oreal Infallible foundation does a fabulous job of not only covering up any imperfections and smoothing out the skin, but also keeping me from having to powder throughout the day.

Three.

Cover Girl LashBlast Volume Mascara
As y'all know, I use two different mascaras every day. I'm not sure why, but I've always started out with an inexpensive mascara and then topped it off with a higher end. I know, it doesn't make sense but this girl is set in her ways. I had heard about the Cover Girl LashBlast and wanted to see what the hype was all about. I really feel that this not only makes my lashes fuller, but does a good job of separating and lengthening my lashes. I could definitely just stop right there and do two layers, but oh no. For even fuller lashes, I add my most beloved mascara.

Four.

Sonia Kashuk Sahara Sunset Nail Colour - Sunray
Again,  Sonia Kashuk's nail polishes are not necessarily brand new to the drugstore, but she has recently added some new colors to her collection. I really like Sonia Kashuk nail polishes because they are pretty darn opaque and are easy to apply. I always begin using my OPI base coat, two coats of polish then top it off with my all time favorite Seche Vite top coat. (I will seriously never purchase a different top coat ever in my life). It's that good.  I use this process with any type of color that I use because for me, it makes the color last days longer and chip free! The Sunray shade is a perfect spring time color with a hint of sheen. Perfection.

Five.

Rimmel Provocalips Lip Color
I only have this in a few colors including Kiss Me You Fool and Skinny Dipping, but I might just have to go back and buy more! If you are familiar with Rimmel's Apocalips, then you will love these! It comes in a wide range of colors, and glides on like a stain and then once it turns matte, you use the other end, which is a gloss to make it shiny. This stays on for hours. After drinking. After eating...you name it. It stays put! Definitely will be purchasing more of these.

I hope y'all enjoyed this beauty post today! Be sure to check out your local drugstore and let me know what your current favorites are at the moment! 

#LillyforTarget

So I had something completely different planned for today's post, but I just had to tell y'all about my experience I had at Target Sunday morning.  As most of you know, Target and Lilly Pulitzer created a limited collection that was bound to sell out fast..and that it did!

This is how it all began. 

I woke up, showered, and headed out the door at 6:55am in the pouring rain. I headed straight towards Starbucks and got Steph and I coffee because there was no way I would be able to stand in that line without one. Luckily, Target is right next door so I got there at 7:15 and was amazed that the line appeared that it started hours before I even woke up. Luckily, we were only probably about number 20 in line. Y'all, people were literally camping out with chairs and all. I met another friend there and as I met her in line, she had been on hold with Target for several minutes waiting to talk to customer service about her online orders and the site completely crashing the night before. Steph arrived shortly after I texted her a picture of the line wrapping around the building! Before the doors opened, the sales associates came outside to give us some deets like "no returns after 14 days, this is only a limited collection so there might be only 1 or 2 in each size, no running, and don't trample on those around you." The doors opened at 8, and then everyone's shame was completely lost. I mean, running towards every direction and pretty much falling over people. Steph and I headed directly towards the woman's section and just snagged whatever we could find that was in our size. It didn't even matter at this point if we even wanted it, but we grabbed it. I know this sounds bad, but trust me, we were not as bad as some of the other crazies! Approximately 3 minutes after getting to the racks, they were completely empty. I mean, dunzo. Gone. Our other friend has two precious girls, so she headed to that section and absolutely killed the little girl's section. Once the woman's section was cleared out, Steph and I headed back to the outdoor patio section where we were told was the home decor and outdoor items. Much to our dismay, most of it was already gone, but realized ladies just standing in line by the warehouse doors. We looked at each other like what in the world is going on? In a matter of seconds, employees brought out a few more carts with the beach towels, totes and umbrellas and before it hardly got out of the doors, it was gone. I luckily was able to snag a tote that I may or may not have been in a tug-a-war contest with. 

After that chaos was over with, we leisurely did laps around the store to see if we missed anything. At this point, we just stopped in the middle of aisles to hear conversations of people trading items. They all admitted that the just grabbed to grab and were literally trying to trade for items they missed out on.

We decided it was time to go and checked out. We were paying and I told Steph, "I literally have the shakes" and was getting dizzy. I don't know if it was the adrenaline or just the realization of what had just happened. 

These are all of the items I scored, and I'm not gonna lie, I got out of there with some good stuff. I would have liked to get a few different patterns, but this was all I could literally get my hands on. 

Y'all, bitches be crazy. Admittedly, I was one of them today. And, was it worth it? Absolutely.

And, just for your pleasure, I tried to capture this experience I hope to never experience again.

Can't Live Without It

Happy Friday! I am so excited to be joining Steph, Cait and Laura in my first Can't Live Without It Linkup!

This item has been my saving grace during this previous brutal winter and current transition period to summer. While it is definitely getting warmer here in the south, it is not quite that time yet to venture out to the pool or beach. It's still that awkward period because I am already wearing dresses to work and on the weekends, but am embarrassed by this pastiness I am trying to embrace. 

Cue in Sally Hansen's Airbrush Legs. The best thing about this is that it actually does exactly what it says it's going to do. It promises to perfect legs instantly. It is said to be Leg Makeup, and I hold this to be a true statement. It does a great job at not only darkening, but covering dimples and imperfections. It gives a matte finish to make the legs and arms appear smoother. This is technically supposed to be used on the legs, but I also use it on my arms and décolletage.

Both legs before self tanner

Only left leg has self tanner on it

Both legs after self tanner

For me, the easiest way to apply is to spray into your hands and lightly rub into your legs/arms, making sure you spread it evenly. 

I am in the shade light. This doesn't turn me orange and typically lasts about three days. Another great thing about this is that it doesn't take long to dry, so I can usually do this at night, wait a few minutes, and then hop in bed! I haven't had any problems with it discoloring my sheets.

Have a great weekend and be sure to check in on Monday for my first beauty post! 

xoxo