“Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.”

Summer is my favorite time of year. I love how it stays light well after nine o'clock and when I wake up at 4:30 in the morning to grab the blankets the sun is just starting to rise. I feel like I really do have an entire day to do whatever I want, and I always want to make the most of it.

I feel guilty and gutted if I spend my afternoon or evening sitting on the couch reading a book when the weather is absolutely breathtaking.  That doesn't mean I have to give up reading though. Now, I'll put my book in a small back pack and bike over to a park or sit outside of the library and do some reading there.

 Sometimes it's fun to pack a blanket and a snack and soak up some rays. Being outside is enough to put a smile on my face. It makes me happy.

My current read is The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, who sets different goals every month of the year to make her life happier. So far it's been a good read, and it's a nice change to my otherwise first choice of fiction novels.

With that in mind, I think I'm ready to take the plunge and join a class. I've been really giving yoga some thought to help me relax and be around other people who are interested in the same activities as I am. I start my new job on Monday, and I want to go in with a new state of mind. It'll be great to finally have the opportunity to pursue ideas and activities that have been bouncing around in my brain for months now.

Not only was this 4th of July weekend, but it was also a weekend to celebrate my new beginning.

I'm excited for what's to come in the next few months, and I hope that I'm able to make the absolute best out of it.  I think it's important not to take life for granted. Today I even hopped on the treadmill after a few weeks off due to an injured foot, and it felt amazing!

Remember to do what makes you happy. And if you find something you like, do it, and do it often. I hope you guys had a great weekend and a lovely holiday. 

“They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.” 
― Tom Bodett

XO-Angelle

Recap of the week

Let the 3 day weekend begin! This week has been crazy, but with the holiday up ahead there is plenty of relaxation in store... I hope.

Here's a round up of what the week has been like:

MONDAY

The great hunt

Eons ago I went into Sephora and bought way too much. (Crazy, right?) With my purchase I was told I could pick out a free sample of something that they had in those cute little glass cubes at the register. Placed in my bag was a soft pink tube of a wonderful mascara that I wish I never would have chosen because now I'm in heaven. 

 

For the first time I was able to try the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara. I had heard a lot of great stuff about this, but I just have a hard time shelling out $23 dollars for a product that has such a short life.  The next day I tried it out and that's when it happened: I fell in love. The wand, the brush, the formula, everything was perfect, and it settled on my lashes beautifully. I used every last drop and when I ran out I was a little gutted. 

I used the rest of my other black mascara, old faithful, my L'Oreal Telescopic, but it suddenly wasn't the same. I missed my Too Faced and I had to have it in stock in my makeup drawer forever. But the hefty price tag left me a little torn. I made the decision that if I could find a drug store dupe I'd be all set and that would be the end of it. After a lot of research I found out that the Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam was similar, along with the L'Oreal Power Volume 24H. 

I'm the type of person who matches my eyeliner and mascara to my outfit, so if I'm wearing black I wear black eyeliner and mascara, and if I'm wearing brown or neutrals, I'll wear brown mascara and brown eyeliner; so I always have both in stock. I went into Ulta and found both dupes. 

For $5.99 Rimmel offered a very similar brush but the formula was awful. I've never had to put on so many layers of mascara in my life. It was flaky, light, and not exactly what I was looking for. L'Oreal was a bit better, and was $7.99. The brush wasn't quite the same. I bought brown because I needed both and I would go back for the other color once I decided the winner. 

Do you know how hard it is to find a brown mascara??? Why do we need seven different shades of black, anyway? I'm a makeup junkie, and I still argue that black is black. Feeling rather disappointed in this, I decided to grab Better Than Sex anyway. 

Ughhhh nothing compares! Why, WHY do I always have such expensive taste. What's that noise? My wallet crying. Now if they can produce this baby in brown, my life will be complete.  I feel like there has to be something comparable out there with a small price tag, but alas, the hunt continues. 

If you're aware of any dupes, let me know in the comments. I'd love to try them out!

-XO Angelle

Life update

After four months... I'm back! At least I hope this is the beginning of a steady stream of updates. The last time I posted was in February and now that summer is here and the warm weather is actually here to stay I've kept fairly busy.

With working full time and trying to be outside and staying active as much as possible I'm finding it difficult to find time to sit down and stare at a computer screen. So here I am at my dining room table at quarter to 8 on a Saturday morning sipping my morning cup o' joe and ready to roll. Perfect. 

So what's new with me? Well, in March I discovered that I actually enjoy running.

Truth: Eye shadow palettes.

Eye shadow is my thing. Always has been; always will be There's something about playing around and experimenting with different colors and textures that I find super relaxing and enjoyable. So when a new shadow palette comes out from one of my favorite brads I'm all over it.

Truthfully though, I've made a few bad calls, regretting a purchase I've made due to poor quality or I just find that I really don't reach for it like I used to.

On the other hand, I've made some solid decisions and have found that I've used the same palette hundreds of times or created hundreds of looks out of just a few colors. I bring them with me on trips, and consider them my holy grail.

So let's get down to business about some of the palettes in my collection:

Happy New Year!

I'm back! Now that the holidays are officially over I'm ready to get back to business.  The past month has been a whirl wind of shopping, wrapping, cooking, cleaning, and family gatherings... and to be quite honest, I'm a little worn out. 

But since I haven't been around, here's a look on what you've missed. 

Susie Home-Maker:

Fall/Winter festivities

Well the holiday season is officially here. Things have been so crazy lately with Thanksgiving just passing and trying to set up every thing for Christmas. 

I did have a very lovely Thanksgiving though! My husband and I had lunch with his grandma and then we scooted off to my mom's house for a dinner later. 

 For my Thanksgiving day attire, I went with:

 this XOXO dress from Macy's.  (similar dress here)

Jessica Simpson tights that had gold flex embodied in them

Necklace: House of Harlow in White leather

Shoes: Report Signature

Bag: I used my Rebecca Minkoff minimac in a light brown/beige