Beauty: Silky smooth

I have one very basic desire in life. It's so simple yet feels like I am nowhere near close to having it. I want to know what it is like to have smooth skin for longer than an hour.

I am one of those women who was "blessed" with awful, sensitive skin and quick growing hair. Now when I say this, it's directed towards my lower half. For some reason the skin/hair on my upper body is totally different on the top half compared to below the belt. I can use whatever I want on my top half without much worry, not so much on my legs and such. Go figure.

Lets just say shaving hurts, a lot. I break out with razor burn, get very dry itchy skin and patches of awfulness. The only lotion that I found that ever worked to sooth my legs after shaving was one from The Body Shop. They stopped making it. Awesome. So now I live in a good amount of fear that my legs will hurt like no other when I shave.

What about waxing you ask? Don't even get me started...Awful! When I got my bikini line and legs done, nothing good happened. My bikini line hurt, was covered in red bumps and then got awful in-grown hairs. Exfoliating only made it worse. My legs were a little better, but not much. They were red and itchy, plus my hair grows oddly enough that they weren't able to get all of my hair off (yes I know they may have sucked, but I'm not going to do it again).

Then there is laser hair removal. Can I just say that I don't have the upwards to $4000+ to have it done? Yeah I don't.

I was at a loss until one day when I discovered the TRIA. It's an at home laser hair remover.


(Image from TRIAbeauty.com)

Hello beautiful!

At just $800 (apparently they just dropped the price to $600, how awesome is that?!), it's a steal. I know, I know it's $800 $600. At least it's a one time thing and you can use it as much as you would like. Not looking so bad now huh?

It come with a Skin Sensor that allows it to "read" your skin tone. If you have the right color skin it will unlock the actual device for you to start your hair removal.



(Images from TRIAbeauty.com)

From what I have read there can be some pain, but that is common with most laser treatments. To help with that this little guy comes with three settings, which help tone down the pain if you have any (it also means you might need more treatments if you use the lowest setting).

After a good amount of research on it all I can say is, I want one! The idea of not having to shave every day is amazing (yes my hair grows that fast), it's also a huge plus that I could save thousands of dollars on treatments. For once in my life there is something on the market that makes me happy I am pale and have dark hair! If I do end up getting one you can bet that I will be posting updates on how it works, but for now I will drool...a lot.


If you're as interested in it as I am you can also buy it at Nordstrom. Though if you buy it straight from the makers website you can do a payment option, which make it hurt less. I'm going to head back over to their site to lust after it a bit more before I go to bed.

Smooth legs forever! *sigh*

Beauty: Oil Cleansing Method

I started my OCM last night, after much delay. Honestly some of it was pure laziness while the other part was that I decided to cut my finger open on some glass. Lets just say oil and a huge gaping cut don't mix.

Nate got on my case last night and told me to just do it, so I did. Lets just say rubbing oil on your face is interesting. Lets face it, it kind of makes you feel like you are basting yourself and preparing to be cooked. The smell, well you smell like a salad. Amazingly though, it seemed to "work". I can't really say that it works yet, just because I have only done it once. After rubbing my oil mixture all over my face, for what I thought was a reasonable amount of time, I asked Nate what he thought. He said I looked like I had a "glow" to my face, like I had just been working out. I then went off to steam/clean my face. I did about 4 steaming/wipe downs before I felt as though I had gotten everything off that I needed to. When all was said and done my face felt soft. Oddly soft. It also felt tight, but not in the dry sense; more in the wow it feels like things that were once there are gone, kind of tight. I didn't notice anything too different about blemishes or anything like that, but it might take some time. I hope to keep with this until I start seeing result (good or bad). I'll try to keep you up to date on my findings. Oh and by the way, I'm doing the 30% Castor Oil and 70% other oil along with a few drops of Tea Tree Oil (for scent). I might switch this up to 25/75 a day or two down the road to see what happens.

Here is what I am using:



Castor Oil



Sunflower Oil (cold pressed or organic)



Tea Tree Oil (for scent and cleansing)
(Items linked in photos)


I might play around with another base oil. I'm thinking maybe a Coconut Oil instead of the Sunflower oil. I've also hear that great quality Olive Oil is awesome. Just remember that you need your oils to be organic or cold pressed so that the nutrients are still in the oils and there is no chemicals. Also I'd have a good amount of washcloths handy. You want to use a new one each time, if you can, so you aren't steaming the gunk back into your face. I'd say having 7 cheap washcloths would be perfect (one for each day).

Decor: Let the water flow

A few months back Nate and I decided to switch out our faucet in our guest bathroom. Mainly because every time we turned it on it sprayed EVERYWHERE other than into the sink and on your hands. There was usually a lot of cussing and soaking up water after forgetting to not turn the faucet on full power. To fix it we shut off the cold water valve, which lessened the power to the faucet but also meant that you got some hot water right quick. So after a few too many oops, I did some research and found that changing a faucet is actually fairly easy.

Nate took apart the old faucet and gave it to me and then I gleefully skipped off to Home Depot (would have rather it been Lowes). The gleefulness stopped as soon as I got to the bath aisle. Lets just say there was a lot to choose from and not a damn person to help me. When I did find someone, they were less than chipper. Thanks man! I ended up falling in love with one, but I thought it might be too "much" theme for the bathroom. I went with another one and brought it home. Nate decided he wanted to see the other faucet that I loved, so back to HD we went. Of course we ended up returning the one we got and purchased the one I loved.

Nate then set to work. I think it took him a total of 4 hours to do (he also had a new towel rack, shower head to install, as well as spacers to add to the toilet). It was probably one of the easiest ways for us to change the look of our bathroom and not have to hit the deck every time you turned the damn thing on.



This is what we started out with. It looks so simple and unassuming. Then you turned it on.



(Pegasus faucet)
This is what I first came home with (and what our towel rack matches). I liked the long neck a lot. There is nothing I hate more then when the actual faucet is too close to the back of the sink, so you're bumping your hands around trying to get them wet.




(Pegasus faucet)
This is what we ended up with (though not as tall). Our bathroom has a bamboo theme to it (our shower curtain and a few accessories have the look). I also LOVE the way the water softly flows out of it.


Here it is actually installed in our bathroom. I don't feel that it is over powering or in your face.


From the side with the water running. I love the knob on the top, it makes it easier to turn it on and off if your hands are messy.


From the front with water on.

If you're thinking about replacing a faucet in a bathroom, I would recommend it. It's not as easy as switching out a shower head, but it's easy enough that you don't need to pay someone to come in to do it for you.

Fashion: Jeans saver

Sometimes something so simple comes onto the market that I go..."WHY didn't I think about that!?". This product makes me have one of those moments. So ladies and gentlemen I introduce to you; the Instant Button!



This great little device actually allows you to tighten or loosen the jeans that you already have. So say you have lost some weight or gained, but aren't quite ready to get a new pair of jeans...use this! I mean really it's brilliant. You can spend $15 (for two buttons) or you can spend $60+ for a new pair of jeans that you don't quite need yet.

Just. So. Smart!

You can buy them at Wishing Fish and you have a choice of silver and bronze.

Fashion: Monday Shoes

Life: On the road again...

Today is our last day in Colorado *major sad face*. We got to do a lot and didn't have to rush around like the last few times we were up here. I think we ate at almost every place we wanted to (minus Jake and Telly's, Margarita at Pine Creek, Amanda's Fonda and Paravicini). We did eat rather frequently at La Baguette, probably my all time favorite place to eat...ever! If you're ever in Colo Spgs, CO go there and eat! Have the cheese tortellini, the cheese fondue and the french onion soup (and the salad nicoise which comes highly recommended by a friend).

I'm really happy that Nate and I were able to do so much; we got the car in for maintenance and all season tires (good thing because it snowed while we were here), I got my hair cut and colored by someone who knows what they are doing (yay!), did the all important shopping at stores NM doesn't have, had Nate finally try DP Dough, went to the Fine Art Center and saw their permanent Dale Chihuly exhibit (I will be posting about it later this week), went to Ft Collins and randomly found a dog fair(good thing we had Emmett!) and we got to meet an awesome couple who's wife is on a forum that I frequent!

This was an awesome trip! I am very happy we got the chance to come up here. Sadly we are on our way back down to ABQ, but not before we stop at La Baguette one more time!

Beauty: Nail Polish

Sorry for the lack of posts, Nate and I have been vacationing in Colorado. Yesterday we decided to both get pedicures, I of course got my toenails painted. I decided on one of OPI's new holiday colors from their Holiday Wishes line. There are two major color pallets, one is full of reds and the other is more neutral (with a purple thrown in for good measure). I ended up buying 4 colors from the line, including the one I had put on my toes.


(Without flash)


(With flash)


(Without flash)

Holiday Glow: For some reason this color has been described as charcoal gray with silver glitter. I would like to meet whoever came up with that description, because it couldn't be further from the truth! Here's my take on it...
...it's a brown with a purple cast to it with really great flecks of gold glitter in it. All-in-all I love the color. It's nice to see a brown spiced up a bit. It's only took two coats and it's holding strong!



(Without flash)

Merry Midnight: OPI says it's a blue-violet with multi-hued glitter. I'd say the color is fairly on, though the major blue in it is the blue flecks of glitter. There are also some larger chunks of glitter that look almost copper depending on the light.



(Without flash)

Shim-merry Chic: OPI says this is a "glimmer of bronze glow". I'd say that's fairly true. Again, there is multi-colored glitter as well as the larger copper glitter.



(Without flash)

Smitten With Mittens: OPI goes with a "burgundy glitter to warm your fingertips". I'm going with this being more of a deep blood red with gold/copper glitter and it you just look right...even some pink glitter!


I'm very excited to get to try out the other three colors! It's nice to see some other colors other than just your basic red for the holidays (even though there is red). What do you think? Excited for their new holiday colors?

Fashion: Monday Shoes

Crafts: Headbands

Headbands have become a hair go-to recently. While headbands have been around forever the look has been updated by adding flowers or feathers to it. If you follow fashion you have seen these everywhere!


(Headbands from UrbanOutfitters.com)

Even though there are a lot of options out there I decided that I could make my own and make them more unique. It's super easy to do, in fact you can cheat big time and buy pre-made feather pads at your local craft store, or even on Etsy. Then you can just glue it to a headband, which you can buy at Target (or elsewhere).
I actually bought the bare bones headbands, which is your basic metal that you cover or paint yourself. Here are two of the headbands I have created so far...




I made this red one by gathering different feathers and wrapping them together. I then attached it to the headband that I had wrapped in black ribbon. To finish it off I wrapped a bronze leather at the base of the feathers.





This green one was totally a random idea. I have also been making large flower clips for your hair, but I was left with their leaves. So I decided to make a headband out of them. I covered the metal headband with the leaves and then attached three to the side of it, like you do with the feathers. To add to the look I rolled one the leaves and glued it at the base of where the 3 leave met. I then also added a green rhinestone above the rolled leaf. I really like how this one came out and how different it is!


*Sorry for the lack of makeup and hair style. I am packing for a trip and need to get my hair recolored.

DIY: Quick shower change

Nate and I went to Home Depot this weekend so that I could buy him the Dremel he's been wanting as his anniversary gift. I know...a power tool as a gift for a man, classic. It's okay he offered to buy me an iron or vacuum. Thanks honey! Anywho, we of course wandered around a bit and stopped over at the shower head endcap. We tend to switch out our shower heads when we move somewhere new. I like to have flow options and we both like having it be a handhold shower head, so we always look around to see what is new.

I had just gotten a magazine (forgive me for not remembering it) and it had talked about a new Kohler shower head that was on the market. It's called the Flipside Handshower and it has four different water sprays. You switch between the different types but flipping the head around (works almost like a gyroscope). Well low and behold Home Depot already had it in stock. We had to try it and I must say we really like it thus far. I know you can get shower heads that have a crap ton of different water features, but lets be honest how many do we really use? The four shower sprays that Kohler picked are perfect! We both like the "Komotion" head, because it's a nice misty, massaging flow. It's really easy to install, all you need is the shower head and plumbers tape!
So if you're in the market for a way to spice up your shower, I'd definitely say look into this one! Plus it was only $88 at Home Depot which is $20-30 off of the listed price! Isn't it nice being handy?

Fashion: Monday Shoes

Today's shoe is a very special one to me. It's the shoe I wore on my wedding day. When we decided on our wedding colors (silver and red), I quickly set off to look for the perfect shoe. I wanted to do a fun color and quickly decided on red. After some searching I found my shoe, with an added bonus...a red sole. My dream shoe is a beautiful red silk and rhinestone Christian Louboutin heel. In case you're wondering, yes I did buy my shoes before my wedding dress. I just love shoes that much. Now I present you with my beautiful wedding shoes!






Stats:

Maker: Christian Louboutin
Name: Decolstrass
Color: Red
Material: Satin with crystals
Heel: 3 1/2 inch


~Sorry but this shoe is no longer available.

Life: One year down...

Holy wow, tomorrow is Nate and my one year anniversary! It's hard to believe that time flew by, but it also seems like we've been married for more than just a year. I can't believe this time last year we were running around 16th Street Mall in Denver with our friends.

I feel like somehow Nate and I lucked out and didn't have a hard first year. While we're still learning about what works for us we never had huge bumps in our first year. I'm thankful for that, though really I know a lot of that was due to the fact that we lived together before we got married (it's what worked for us). Anyway, I thought I would share some of our wedding pictures with you, in honor of our anniversary.

On a side note...we were very lucky to have found such an amazing photographer, Julie Harris. She is full of life and that shows in her work, which is why we fell in love with her and her pictures. Everything was in the moment and natural, which is how we try to live our lives. We enjoyed our time with her and I can't lie, she's very much someone I wish would be friends with me.

Anyway...without further or due here is our October 12, 2008 wedding!

There's going to be a lot of pictures...


































(All photos by Julie Harris Photography)

Okay if you have gotten this far and want to see more, you can go here.