These are a few of my favorite things...

I've been wanting to put together a list of my favorite things (a la Oprah) for some time, but there are so many good products out there that I decided I would have to split it up based upon category. So here's my first "favorite things" post.

Today is all about cosmetics!

If you live up north, then you have been blessed with a nice change in temperature. I think it was around 70 degrees yesterday! This got me thinking about Summer and gearing up for all of the good stuff that it brings; trips to the beach, being outdoors, margaritas on the deck, longer days, summer dresses, sandals...no more layering!! Need I say more? I'm ready!

So time to get that skin looking good! Lot's of H2O, lots of moisturizer, lotion and sunscreen and possibly my next two products.

I'm all about sunless tanning and getting that sunny glow without all the direct sun exposure. Over the years I have tried many products, but last year I found this and am still hooked. Fake Bake is a great line of sunless products and it's also affordable! None of that yucky sunless smell, it's streak free, offers an immediate golden brown tan and lasts for days! Super Pale? Try this! Already have a natural tan complexion and want to play it up for summer? Try this! *like all self tanners, make sure you wear gloves when you apply.

Don't even think about applying any self tanners without making sure you exfoliate and keep that skin hydrated with lotion. True Blue Spa from Bath & Body Works is my go-to line. I'm obsessed with their "Need a Margarita?" Scrub and Shower Wash. Follow it up with Tahiti, Sweetie Lotion. The smell is what I would describe as vacation in a bottle.

If you know me, you know that I'm always in search of the next best foundation. Foundation is the most important item in your makeup bag. Right now I'm pretty obsessed with Makeup Forever HD Foundation. I love that you can dictate the coverage and I love that it is virtually undetectable to the naked eye...AND the camera! However, I do not recommend using the HD powder if you're planning on taking any pictures involving flash...just google Eva Longoria's makeup mishap!

Okay people. I am a new avon fanatic! A friend started selling it and I decided to try a couple things...gotta support your friend's business ventures, right?? Anyway, I LOVE the MARK brand by Avon, it's pretty awesome. One of my favorites, along with their customizable eyeshadow palettes, are the hook ups. The lip glosses, mascaras, highlighters, concealers can all be interchanged. All you do is snap the lip gloss into the connector and add another shade to the other side. Put a neutral shade for daytime on one side and snap on a sparkly wine color on the other side for evening! As simple as that...LOVE IT. And did I mention these are super cheap??? And not just cheap, but really good quality. I'm a M.A.C lover and I can 100% say that these lip glosses and eye shadows are JUST as pigmented and high quality.

Bobbi Brown's shimmer bricks are my everyday necessity (aside from concealer or foundation) in my makeup bag. I always use it! Bobbi offers these shimmer bricks in a wide range of colors...right now I use Nectar, it's a peachy/pink/bronzy shimmer. Don't care of shimmer? It's not at all over the top and you can dust on a small amount to the apples of your cheeks for a light glow.

BROWS!! Want to know how to get the perfect brows at home? Here's the secret! Anastasia (Beverly Hills Brow artist to the stars) has come out with a line of products to make it super easy to achieve perfect brows. The Brow Express Kit is my favorite. It comes with two shades of brow powder, setting wax, highlighter, angled brow brush and stencils. Find the stencil that you love, place it over your eyebrows, lightly fill it in with the powder (I normally combine both colors to get the perfect shade), pull the stencil away from the brow, set the brow with the wax, pluck any areas that are not filled in and brush a light sweep of the highlighter under the brow bone. I love this product...the brush alone is the BEST brow brush I've ever used!

Another Avon favorite is the Magix concealer! If you've tried or heard of YSL's amazing concealer, then you HAVE to try this. It's the same, if not better (definitely WAY cheaper)! I have dark circles under my eyes and just a little bit of this concealer takes them away!! It's unbelievable! I normally have to use a creme concealer stick, which is often times noticeable to the naked eye. The Avon Magix concealer disappears revealing no traces of dark circles!

Last, but not least, is my favorite chap stick! I can't live without it. Aquafina's Hydrating Lip Oil does exactly what it claims. It's a LARGE glass of water for your lips. I often times, especially in the winter, get really dry/chapped lips, and this is a miracle solution. Can't find it in your local drug store? Go to Aquafina's website and get a pack of 20 OR amazon.com.

All the products (minus AVON) can be found on amazon.com. The avon products can be bought online at the avon website. I didn't include prices because prices vary depending on the sellers on amazon.

All That Glitters Is Gold

I'm very happy to announce that we are all feeling much better and are almost at 100% back to normal, after over a week of being sick! And what better way to celebrate then to sip some bubbly and catch some amazing fashions from the Golden Globes?! Did you watch the Red Carpet? As usual, I was tuned into E! to catch Live From The Red Carpet. This year was so amazing and I was pleasantly suprised that there were so many well dressed celebs.


So here's my run down on best and worst dressed, as well as a couple overlooked celebs that I think look phenominal!


My pick for best dressed couple! Move over Angelina and Brad, you are overrated and I'm so tired of hearing about you. Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas wreak of fabulousness! How can you not be so happy for them right now? Michael is cancer free, which is amazing, and they just look so stunning here! (Catherine was wearing Monique Lhuillier)

Olivia Wilde (wearing Marchesa) was the first person I saw on the red carpet and I immediately wanted a closer look. As you know, I'm all about the bling! And this is the perfect princess dress, that every girl wants to wear...right? I love Marchesa and I do love this dress, but part of me thought that this has been done over and over again. I mean, didn't Cameron Diaz just wear something similar (from Oscar de la Renta) last year?! This would have been a total hit if she had done something with her hair...I was confused. So I won't put this at the top of my best dressed, but it's not the worst.

Okay, let me just get this over with...not my favorite person/couple/celeb/whatever BUT I did love this dress. However, I'm tired of her going for the same sillouette all the time, but put this (Versace) dress on Sandra and I would have died!







Emma Stone (in Calvin Klein) looked gorgeous! I absolutely love this dress! It's simple and elegant and the color looks amazing on her! Had she worn this in white, she would have gotten lots of buzz for sure. Love it.







Piper Perabo in Oscar de la Renta! Need I say more? I love pretty much everything he designs. This dress is lovely. Her hair, makeup, jewelry...it all works! I want to wear this. Definitely one of my best dressed picks!










Lea Michele always looks fabulous, in my opinion. She's an amazingly talented young lady with a fabulous sense of style. She takes risks, but is rarely over the top. I know that a lot of fashiono critics were saying that this was just too much dress for her to deal with. BUT it's Oscar de la Renta people!!! The dress is gorgeous. She can totally pull it off and once I caught a glimpse of that little pop of green in her statement ring, I was SOLD.








Drum roll please...My number one best dressed pick is Anne Hathaway in Armani Prive! The moment I saw her, I died. This is amazingly stunning! I don't even want to necessarily wear it, I just want to have it in my closet...it's just that fabulous. Yet again, stylist Rachel Zoe hit the ball out of the park! (ps. did you see Rachel at the after party show? She's pregnant and glowing...and even if she was feeling tired or sick, she look fabulous....as usual)








And I have to just throw in my best dressed actor. I know, I don't really care about the men's fashion all that much, but Ryan Gosling looked so handsome and just so appropriate, yet updated, for the occassion! (He's wearing Salvatore Ferragamo)






Here are a few celebs that didn't get much buzz on the red carpet, that I think were rocking it too!


Mandy Moore often gets overlooked on the red carpet because, let's face it, she's not really an A-list celebrity and what has she been in lately? Still, I like her and I think she really looked beautiful.







Kiera Sedgwick is never on my best dressed lists. I'm normally left confused after seeing her and while I wasn'a huge fan of this on the red carpet, I caught a glimpse of her at the actual awards show and she looked really pretty. I especially loved her jewels!






Eva Longoria looked pretty too and considering what she's been going through, I felt the need to mention her! (Although, I could have done with less boobage)




Here are my picks for worst dressed! I'm finding it hard to give a summary of why they need to hire a stylist or fire the one they have without sounding horribly brutal, but I'll give it my best shot! AND I'll even throw in a positive comment too!

Can you believe this is actually a HUGE step up for her?


No surprise Megan Fox is able to make Armani Prive look, umm....sleezy?


Awww...Michelle Williams. Can you believe this is Valentino? bleh.

Did you see the hair clip she was wearing?! Was she playing dress up in her great grandmother'swardrobe? Loose the hair clip and the cape please.

Stuffed sausage?

I know she's wacko and this is no surprise coming from her, but...still.

WHAT?! So confused. I don't know about the dress because I'm too distracted by whatever is on top of her head. Sandy, FIRE YOUR HAIRSTYLIST ASAP!

Okay, love her. Thought she should have won for best actress in a tv movie BUT I don't get how she spent so much time and energy to loose weight (she looks great by the way) only to put on this dress which easily adds 20 pounds. WHY!?!?!?!!!!!!!!!!!!

As Heidi always says on Project Runway, "In fashion, you're either in or you're out." Well Heidi, you're out.

Okay, we get it Halle. You're drop dead gorgeous! So WHY do you feel the need to wear a dress that was obviously not even finished (I think the designer ran out of fabric) just for the sake of showing off your "goods?!" Ridiculous.

Tina Fey on a worst dressed list? It's okay people, she's totally used to it.

Look at Johnny Depp's face...that says it all. What the...?!?

What a bummer, I love January Jones. But I think this was just too much "skin" that we didn't need to see. Her hair and makeup was flawless.

Red flower, red purse, red shoes and red lips. bad, bad, bad and bad. What a disappointment.

Again, I don't know about the dress. I was too distracted by her hair...

Well, if you didn't see the red carpet, hopefully you feel caught up now that you see what you missed! There were lots of amazing dresses, the awards show itself was pretty entertaining and I think everyone was most deserving of their awards! Can't wait for the Grammys!

Gesundheit or Gazoontite?!

Regardless of how you say it or spell it, it has become our most commonly used word this week. Yep...Maddie and I have been plagued by the flu and cold this week!

NOT FUN.

It's miserable enough being sick, but it's ten million times worse when your child is sick AND you're sick. I know all the moms can totally relate to this.

Here are the main reasons why I hate being sick...(in no particular order)

1. Feeling miserable

2. Not being able to really rest up

3. You get HORRIBLE sleep, constantly interrupted by coughing, blowing your nose...

4. Lounging in pajamas all week (poor Maddie, not one outfit all week! LOL)

5. Going through a Value-Pack of Tissues in less than an hour

6. Overdosing on the Sprout Channel and every Disney movie known to man (or rather, known to Maddie)

There are many more reasons, but between stopping to blow my nose and sneeze, writing this blog is already taking too long.

So what's the solution to making being sick a little more manageable? I saw this and thought it was genius.

"Hello Lover"

Carrie Bradshaw couldn't have put it any better...

Shoes, shoes and shoes. Seriously, I have yet to meet a woman that doesn't really love them. AND if those women exist, I assure you it is because they have not found that perfect pair yet!

I'm a fan of shopping designer brands, but I am also a HUGE fan (and so is my husband) at getting a good deal and sometimes that means finding the look for less. However, I do not like to go that route unless it also means quality. I do believe that you get what you pay for. With that being said, here are two pairs of shoes that are absolutely fabulous. Now I admit, they are not for everyone...but if you find that just by looking at these, you can see yourself in them, I promise you will not be disappointed.

I love Sergio Rossi and his fabulous footwear has been seen all over the red carpet these days, but being on a budget (as I'm sure you can relate), they are totally out of my budget! But Sam Edelman and Jessica Simpson have come to the rescue with looks for less...and the difference is virtually undetectable! The tear drop peep toe was all the rage this past fall, and even now, and I have no doubt it will carry through to Spring.

Here's Sergio Rossi's that retail for $695

Here are the Looks for less, which come in an array of colors!

Sam Edelman's "Novato" $99Jessica Simpsons "Bravo" $79

Either way, remember that you can update any old look from your closet, by simply refreshing your accessories wardrobe! A new pair of shoes can make an old outfit really pop... in a cost effective way.

Who are you??

Who am I? Well, you may be asking yourself that very same question. Fear not friends, someone has not hacked into Rachel Moon's blog and decided to pick up where she left off.

I know it's been forever and so much has happened. So instead of a huge long entry to get everyone caught up...here's what you missed:

1. My wonderful husband found a great apartment for us to rent while looking for a house

2. We found our "dream house" and are FINALLY closing on it at the end of the month-begining of next month (LOTS more to come on that)

3. Madde is now 21 months old and SUPER adorable and the complete joy and love of our lives (DEFINITELY lots more on that)

4. I still love God, my family, friends, being a wife, a mother and my ever growing love of fashion and style has led me towards a new business venture (well not really new) as a stylist for Stella & Dot...oh! and yes, I still do bridal makeup.

5. Still a Lakers and Ravens fan!

So yeah, that's about it, in a nut shell! Believe it or not, I have even more to say than I did before, so I can't imagine that there will be lack of posts...but as life "takes over," you just never know!

Happy New Year and Happy Reading!

"Well, we're movin' on up...." Up County that is...

So most people know that we have been trying to sell our condo for months now. We had a contract on the condo several months back, but the whole thing fell through. So we decided to take it of the market for a little and about two months ago put it back on.

I kid you not that when our buyer walked through the door I KNEW that he was the one! And sure enough, an hour after our showing, his agent called for the disclosures. My hubby, ever so realistic, didn't want to get excited until all the paperwork came through and we closed. I, on the other hand, was SOOOO excited. I just knew that this was going to happen.

Okay, so fast forward to yesterday....

We closed on the sale of our downtown Silver Spring condo and all went well! So now it's CRUNCH TIME! We need to be out of the condo by the end of the month.

After looking around a little we didn't really find a house that we loved, that was big enough, in the right area and for the price we wanted; so we decided to look for a rental property. That way we could rent, save money and see what the market does.

My mom and I spent all day Monday looking at properties....I think we looked at about 10 or 11. We found 2 that I really loved. The only problem is that they were asking a little too much in the monthly rent.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I heard back from one of the owners and they are willing to rent to us for the price we were wanting to spend!! AND we heard back from another property, which we'll be looking at today and they are also willing to take our offer!

I'm very excited about this news, especially since after closing yesterday I had no idea where we were going to be moving to. Yet again, God showed up and was faithful to provide. Now we just have to deal with the details and determine which house we'll be moving to!

Soooo, let the packing begin!

Here are some pics of the two potential homes..and of course, when we know exactly where we're going I'll put tons of pictures up! (Can you tell I'm excited to have more space??)

This is the first one...this one has a lot of space and a gorgeous deck that spans the full length of the house with an amazing view of the lake!

This is the second one...it's not as large, but a plus is that its just been freshly painted AND it's actually the right color!

Stay tuned!

Life Happens? ...Life Takes Over!

I would start by profusely apologizing to my regular readers (HA!) for seriously neglecting my blog for months. BUT... the reality of the matter is that life, like it tends to do, swept me up and carried me away into the deep abyss that is the "daily routine."

I'm sure you can all relate to that! I won't go into much detail about what things have been going on...just life. Ups and downs, successes and failures, life and death, disappointments and hopeful surprises...you know the deal.

So I thought I would just pick up where I left off. Last time I posted, I was on my way to Atlantic City for a birthday getaway. It was great! My husband had a bunch of things planned, one of which was an AMAZING dinner at a 5 star steakhouse. (I have had eaten at some of the most well-known steakhouses, but this was truly the BEST STEAK of my life!) Definitely no Ponderosa DAD!!

We checked into the hotel, where my husband had booked one of their multiple room suites...it was decadent! Unfortunately, whoever had been in that room last partied a little to hard and it the cleanliness wasn't quite up to par....so we switched to a regular room in the new tower of the hotel (it was very nice).

Anyway, it was a nice birthday and I really enjoyed spending lots of quality time with my hubby and my baby girl!

Here are some pictures!

This was all of Maddie's stuff...yep, for a three day trip!

She loooved the fountain in the casino!

One of the views from our room :)

All dressed up for dinner!

At dinner with Daddy :)

Our family :) We had a great time!

Okay, so I'm going to try and not let life carry me away too often so I can keep this up to date!