Friday Favorites: Mad for Plaid

It is the time of year where plaid is completely acceptable. I've always wanted to throw a plaid party. I am not a fan of ugly sweater parties so a great (read as classy) alternative is plaid! Here are a couple of plaid fashion items I am loving.

Gap

Ann Taylor

Nordstrom

DSW

New York & Company

Are you a plaid fan? Until next post...xoxo Becca

Friday Favorites: 10 Things I Love About December

Every month I say this "Can it already be ___?" haha But seriously, it's December? When did that happen? Today I want to share all the things I love about December so lets get started :)

1. Christmas music and Christmas performances: There is something so jolly about Christmas music! For the second year in a row, both my sister-in-laws are performing in Celebration, a musical production put on by Houston's First Baptist Church. If you are in the Houston area consider purchasing tickets, it's memorable!
2. Christmas lights and decor: Growing up my dad would drive around town to see all the Christmas lights. One house near us had a themed cat every year. It stood probably 20 feet high and had a tail that went up and down. It's hard to describe, but it's a good childhood memory. Being in such a small apartment there is no room for a Christmas tree so this year it's icicle lights on the porch and a wreath. We went a little overboard at my office, but had a great time creating beautiful garland and window displays.
3. Fuzzy slippers: In Houston we rarely get freezing weather this time of year, but December usually brings cooler temperatures which means I can wear all the warm pajamas and fuzzy slippers I want!
4. Family photos: This isn't something I did growing up or now with my in-laws, but one day I hope to have a family of my own and get family photos taken each year. What I enjoy now is seeing everyone sharing their photos on facebook and instagram.
5. Hot chocolate: I don't drink coffee so if you see me at Starbucks it's probably to get a hot chocolate. It's one of my favorite cold weather drinks.
6. Smell: The smell of December? haha All the winter smells from gingerbread, to sugar cookies, to spiced candles.
7. Reflection: As the year comes to an end it's a good time to reflect on where you've been and how you've grown. Knowing that a new year is a chance to continue where you want to go. (I'll share some thoughts about 2017 in another post.)
8. Fires: Ahhhh a warm fire, complete with s'mores (Which I believe may be my favorite dessert)
9. Parties: The holiday parties are amazing! Good food, good drink, good fun, great people! It's a dream of mine to host fabulous Christmas and/or New Year parties one day.
10.  Joy: Despite the stress of the holiday season I feel people are more joyful this time of year. They're more kind to one another, generous, and overall a positive reflection of mankind.

Well this post gave me all the feels :) My inner smile is beaming. What are your favorite things about December? Share in the comments below. Until next post...xoxo Becca

Friday Favorites: Thanksgiving Recipes

How many Thanksgiving events have you been invited to this year? Is one of them an office party? My personal favorite...friendsgiving? The age old question is, what should I bring? I have said it before and I will say it again, I am so thankful for Pinterest! There are some really great recipes out there to be tried. Need something different or special for your calendar full of turkey days? Here are a few I have been considering...

Slow Cooker Creamed Corn

Fall Harvest Salad w/ Pumpkin Maple Vinaigrette

Sweet Potato Casserole w/ Marshmallow and Pecan Streusel

Enjoy the time in the kitchen. Grab a bottle of wine and surround yourself with good friends and the cooking won't seem so large a task. London post coming on Monday! Until next post...xoxo Becca

Friday Favorites: Good Vibes

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Let me start this post by saying I am glad it is Friday. I lived 3 Thursdays this week...both Tuesday and Wednesday I thought it was Thursday all day long. Epic fail! Side note, 1 year ago (yesterday) we moved to our apartment. Can it really be a year already!? I still haven't finished decorating or taking all the boxes to storage. Life is too busy!

I'm here to share some positive vibes because so many of my friends have received good news or kudos this week and I'm super happy for them! In a world where there is so much negativity and you look around wondering why the bad guys always get rewarded, it's nice to be reminded that good things happen to good people. Today I want to celebrate just that...good things happening to good people! For privacy purposes I won't give names or too much detail, but you know who you are ;)

For the friend who wanted to advance a career and step out of a comfort zone: I am going to miss you tremendously, but you are onto bigger and better things!

For the friend who had good medical news: What a wild few weeks! I hope you know how much you are loved and you're onto a healthier lifestyle and I couldn't be more excited (and relieved) for you.

For the friend whose fitness journey was featured and shared with many: You inspire so many people to better themselves physically and emotionally. You understand there is no need to be perfect, it's about achieving the healthiest you. You've rocked it!


Until next post...xoxo Becca

p.s. Celebrating the hub's 30th birthday tonight since we will be out of town on his actually birthday. More on the next trip coming Monday!

Friday Favorites: Bell Sleeves

Thank goodness it is finally Friday (and I have no plans tomorrow)! Last weekend was super busy and I loved every minute of it, but my energy level was zapped this week. Plus I have a ton of new DVR'd shows to catch up on. This is my big Saturday plan haha :) I am really glad to have fall shows back because while the hubs is at work I have something relaxing to do at home. DVR is a lifesaver...commercials are terrible to sit through. Isn't it funny how technology has conditioned us for short attention spans and to be impatient? Growing up I remember using the commercial breaks to do little tasks, but now I spend the entire time of the show on the couch because I can fast forward through commercials.

Onto today's favorite...bell sleeves! Boy has this style been seen everywhere this fall. I'm really excited because it adds a feminine touch to an outfit. Hand washing and reaching for things may be a challenge with bell sleeves, but they're so worth it ;) Here are a few I like:

Ann Taylor

Dillard's

Loft

Lulus

Nordstrom

Enjoy your weekend! Until next post...xoxo Becca

Friday Favorites: Christmas Crafts

Three weeks ago my sister-in-laws and I went to Hobby Lobby to get materials to make a wreath for my apartment. There were so many Christmas crafting materials there I got excited for the holiday season. Of course the apartment is too small the really decorate for Christmas, but a nice winter/Christmas wreath on the front door would be nice. I have had my eye on this one basically since Pinterest began!

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Until next post...xoxo Becca

Friday Favorites: PB&J Love

For the love of peanut butter (& jelly!)!!! Anyone who knows me knows I am obsessed with peanut butter. I dunno why, but it is so good. As a child I was a picky eater and ate PB&J sandwiches regularly aka daily and funny enough I still love them. Of course is has taken me years to master the peanut butter to jelly ratio and the spreading of jelly. BTW, why is spreading jelly so dang difficult!?

When we were in NYC last December the group had lunch at Chelsea Creamline in Chelsea Market. I had the Griddled PB&J plus banana sandwich and it was deliciously sweet and filling. I now make them at home and can't quite get the same "griddled" effect, but it is close and just as delicious.

Here are some other PB&J finds I would like to try:

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I also love peanut butter fluff sandwiches, if you don't know what that is Google it :) Until next post...xoxo Becca

Friday Favorites: My Hubby

Every week (or most weeks anyway) I talk about my favorite things or my favorite finds. I've never talked about my favorite person though...that's my hubby! Know here as "the hubs" :) It is hard to believe we met about this time of year 11 years ago as freshmen in college. I really lucked out with him, he helps me with everything, believes in me, and stands by my side through think and thin. I don't think he gets the credit he is due so I just wanted to remind him of how awesome he is and that he's my favorite human. Lexi is my favorite 4-legged love ;)

Now for a walk down memory lane. I don't have access to all our photos so there are years that are skipped.

2007

2007

2008

2008

2009

2009

2010

2014

2015

2016

I love you babe! 

Until next post...xoxo Becca

Friday Favorites: Sharing an Office

Is it really Friday again? I am thankful for a fast week, especially after our trip to Vegas. Who knew being 29 meant recovering from a late night took days?! No matter what, I am always thankful for a weekend :) Today I wanted to talk about sharing an office. How many of you share an office? What about work in an open concept "cube city" space? That's not how I started out in the real world, but it's what I have experienced the last four years.

Starting out in a big girl job I was given my own office. Such a dream! I decorated how I wanted, played whatever music I liked, and turned off the overhead light and only used a desk lamp unless someone was visiting me. I remained in that position for roughly three and a half years. Since then I have shared an office with at least one other person.


Each time my office mate has been a woman old enough to be my mother. Let me tell you, I have learned so much from these experiences. So yes, sharing an office has become a favorite (at times). The relationships built and conversations had have taught me so much about life, respect, work ethic, and consideration for others. Everyone has a life story so just listen and they'll share it with you.

Though I wish for my own office some day I am thankful for those shared moments that happened by circumstance. It's nice to know close by is someone to bounce an idea off of, vent to, or get advice from. Embrace your shared office space! Unless your office mate(s) is obnoxious or stinky...then you get a pass and I wish you the best with that! :P

Until next post...xoxo Becca

Friday Favorites: Workout Plan

Yes yes I know, another Friday Favorites posted on a Saturday. To be honest I'm not sure where the week went. I thought I had another day to put this post together, but turns out my days were mixed up. Better late than never right? By the way, huge thanks to everyone who shared and read Monday's post about life as a police wife. I had no idea how much of a response I would get with that post, but I am thankful I wrote it and I hope it helps others.

Onto this week's Friday Favorite! My gym buddy and I have been using this workout plan I found on Pinterest for the last two weeks. Let me say...I have been sore. That's a good thing! A lot of times in the gym I can't focus long enough to have a "plan" so having this picture saved in my phone is a start. I can tackle these items and add or take away as needed. Having a plan means I get more out of my workout. There are SO many options out there for fitness plans. Find a few you like and get to it!

Until next post...xoxo Becca

Friday Favorites: Pixi Shea Butter Lip Balm

Hello everyone! Can we take a minute to recognize that Monday marks the halfway point in August! Are you kidding me!? Where did the summer go? Students will be moving back to campus next weekend with school starting on the 24th. OMG! Insert crying emoji. I never thought I would admit this, but it has been nice to be an adult living in a college town in the summer. Places are going to be super packed when everyone moves back. I also admit the fall is my favorite time of year on a college campus; the energy on campus is so special and certainly makes me nostalgic.

Lately I have been sharing recipes, but today I wanted to share a recent makeup discovery. I am a traditional Chapstick user. Burts Bees was my go to for the longest, but all of a sudden my lips started peeling every time I put it on so I switched back to Chapstick. I like the look of lipstick, but it dries out my lips (even if it contains Vitamin E) and ends up looking terrible. I am always on the hunt for a tinted balm that gives me that "my lips but better look." That's how I found Pixi Shea Butter Lip Balm. A random item I picked up at Target. I selected up the Natural Rose to test it out and ended up loving it. Now I need to get the other shades!

What are your go to balms?

Monday's post has taken me a lot of time to put together (hence the lack of Monday posts lately). It's something I felt needed to be written, but the writing process was a hard one for me because I wanted the information to be clear and concise. Until next post...xoxo Becca

Friday Favorites: Easy Pepper Steak

TGIF! This week was a busy one for me. My department received new furniture so there was a lot of coordinating of old furniture haul off, IT unhooking and reinstalling computers and telephones, etc. Hopefully next week will give me a chance to organize my new desk space. Think I will hit up Target and The Container Store for some cute desk accessories.

Now onto Friday Favorites! Gotta love good friends that pass along good recipes! You know you're old when...you swap recipes :) This recipe is even hubby approved. Enjoy!

Easy Pepper Steak from Gimme Some Oven

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 Until next post...xoxo Becca

Friday Favorites: Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Recipe and Photos from Plated.

Earlier this year I shared our experience with Plated. (a meal subscription service). Ever so often we would get a vegetarian meal and they were usually as delicious as the others. This was one of my favorite, but the hubs wasn't a huge fan. Since he didn't enjoy this dish I've only stolen a portion of the recipe...the roasted sweet potatoes! The recipe is below and super simple to make.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

1 lb sweet potatoes
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
pepper to taste
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp chipotle powder

Preheat oven to 425°F. Wash and cut sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch dice. In a bowl, toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper to taste, garlic powder, dried oregano, and as much chipotle powder as desired. Arrange in a single layer on baking sheet, transfer to oven, and roast until tender, about 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Until next post...xoxo Becca
p.s. Yes this Friday favorite is being posted on a Saturday :P

Friday Favorites: Loving Tan

TGIF! As an adult I feel like I look forward to the weekends much more than I did as a child in school.

The hot weather reminds me we are well into summer, thank you Texas heat! If you have fair skin like me then you know shorts, skirts, and dresses don't always show those white white legs in the best light! I have tried spray tans and while they are ok, they tend to be splotchy and that's just not cool. I kept seeing positive reviews for a tanning mousse called Loving Tan (an Australian brand) and decided to give it a whirl. Guess what...it's amazing! Several people I know have asked me to write a review on it.

Like I said, I am naturally very pale (NC20 if you're familiar with MAC colors). I went bold and ordered the 2-Hour Express in Dark and love it. I almost wish they had an even darker color in their express mousse ;) The application is super easy, streak free, and with the express mousse you can wash it off after 2 hours (although I find it looks better if you let it develop for 3-4 hours). On me, the color typically lasts 3-5 days and wears off pretty evenly.

I love that the product comes with some inspiration!

I tried to get a before and after photo for reference, but the lighting in our apartment is terrible. The picture below is 1 day after application before our Costa Rica vacation in April. As you can see, it's very natural looking. If you know me personally then you know this is loads darker than my normal color.

Until next post...xoxo Becca

Friday Favorites: SNS Powder

Did anyone else feel like yesterday was Friday? What a let down! Oh well, it's almost the weekend. What does everyone have planned?

Going to jump into today's Friday Favorites. Since beginning to use this product I have received so many compliments...it's SNS Powder! Similar to the idea of Shellac, but better. Yes...better! SNS Powder lasts longer, is thicker, and more durable. It's "healthier" than Shellac and acrylic nails. The look is achieved by dipping your nails into a fine powder 2-3 times. A clear gel is applied between each dip. After dipping, the technician will file down the powder to make it more even, then add a topcoat for shine! Clearly my choice of color this summer is pink!

Each time I have had this done the color has lasted 4 weeks. Other than my nail growing out it still looked as perfect as it did when I left the salon. After the first removal there was zero damage to my nail. After 4 months of continuous wear my nails did become thinner. Overall I love this product. I tell everyone about it, especially when they compliment my nails ;) Not a lot of nail salons are using this product so you will need to ask. Shout out to my nail salon, Euphoria Nails in The Woodlands. I take everyone here and they fall in love.

Here's a good video to show you the process.

Until next post...xoxo Becca

Friday Favorites: Lash Discovery

Hello again! Instead of worrying about a post on Monday I enjoyed time with my family for the 4th of July. Hope you didn't miss me too much ;) The long weekend was great. An impromptu girls day with a friend which included pedicures, lunch, and a movie. We saw Tarzan and it was really good. Weirdly enough I hadn't seen a single preview for the movie. Sunday the hubs and I attended my coworker's wedding in Houston. She was a beautiful bride and the wedding was fun. Now I am missing her company at work while she and her hubby are traveling. Then of course Monday was the 4th; errands, cooking, baking, and fireworks! All in all a fantastic weekend.

Now it is Friday and you want to know what I am loving :) This is a recent discovery (as in this week!). Meet Maybelline Lash Discovery. It's mini wand is GREAT for lower lashes!

I wanted to give you a mascara wand comparison in the picture below. L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black (another favorite) on the left and Lash Discovery on the right. You can see how drastically smaller Lash Discovery is.

Of course Lexi was watching people playing on the basketball courts outside our apartment while I was snapping some pictures...

What is your favorite mascara? Do you layer mascaras to get the effect you want? Until next post...xoxo Becca

Friday Favorites: Dainty Necklaces

TGIF! I hope you had a good week. Mine started off rocky. The hubs surprised me with flowers at the office to cheer me up :) He's so good to me!

Today I want to talk about dainty necklaces. Of course a statement necklace is awesome, but I often prefer to accent my outfit with a little necklace. Apparently I like heart necklaces which I hadn't noticed until I added the pictures below.

James Avery Heart Knot

Tiffany & Co Open Heart

Etsy

I own all three of these necklaces and all were gifts. My family knows me so well! I'm not sure if the necklace from Etsy is where mine was purchased, but it looks identical. 

Until next post...xoxo Becca

Friday Favorites: Dairy Free Ice Cream

Hellooooo! I tried to have a post up for you on Monday, but Blogger and/or the internet connection decided against it and the entire post content was lost. Sorry! I am still working on getting pictures together for a Sydney post. Check back Monday :)

Today's Friday Favorite is dairy free ice cream. I try my best to stay away from dairy (which sucks because I love queso). Blue Bell is one of my weaknesses, but I saw on a friend's snapchat story a picture of dairy free ice cream by So Delicious and searched it out. Luckily there are a couple of places near me that carry their products so I picked up the Cookie Dough Coconut Milk version. Now, you cannot go into it thinking it will taste like Blue Bell (because lets be honest, nothing is as good as Blue Bell), but if you are looking for a tasty, cold treat that's dairy free, this isn't a bad option. I'm also trying an almond milk version by Almond Dream.

Thought I would pass along the info if anyone was looking for dairy free ice cream! Until next post...xoxo Becca

Friday Favorites: Drugstore Foundations

Hi ya! I hope everyone had a good week. Today I'm sharing two drugstore foundations. It's easy to spend $30-$50 on a foundation, but it's painful if it doesn't work well and you've now wasted money. Both drugstore foundations mentioned today were recommended to me by my sister-in-law (thanks girl!).

e.l.f. Flawless Finish Foundation

First off, it's $6! They have six shades, which doesn't offer a lot of options, but if you find one that's your color and you like the formula then you have probably saved yourself some money. I like that the bottle comes with a pump. The foundation is a semi-matte and lasts pretty well. I tend to touch my face throughout the day or rest my chin on my hand while I work so it wears off quickly in spots.

Rimmel Lasting Finish 25-Hour Foundation

Whoa! When they say lasts 25 hours, they aren't kidding. At the end of the day this foundation is still going strong. 7 shades available. SPF 20, which for this fair skin girl is pretty important! I put it to the test with a day on the lake; my face did not burn and the foundation did not wear off. Rimmel recently changed the packaging (I thought they discontinued it since I could find the old tube) and I haven't purchased it in the new packaging, but I read reviews saying it tends to be messy. Disappointing, but the product is great.

What are your favorite foundations (drugstore or not) and why?

Until next post...xoxo Becca

Friday Favorites: Chance It

Officially made the switch from Favorite Pin Friday to Friday Favorites. I made this decision because I wanted to share anything I loved, whether it originated on Pinterest or not.

Meet Chanel Chance Eau Tendre:

Product Description: The unexpected fragrance, expressed in a romantic harmony of Grapefruit, Jasmine and White Musk notes. At once delicate and radiant, with an intoxicatingly light, floral trail.

At Sephora I asked for a light, summer scent and that is what they gave me. Love it, wish I had bought a bigger bottle!

What are your favorite "summer scents"? Until next post...xoxo Becca

p.s. The hubs and I are in Sydney, but I have written and scheduled posts for Mondays and Fridays while we're gone. Follow on Snapchat to see what we're up to: @r8d6g