luke's 3rd birthday

Sorry I have been MIA, readers. I went away for the weekend to celebrate Luke's third birthday in California. It was really wonderful to get away and spend time with my family, especially because we were in the happiest place on earth. We went to California Adventure and Disneyland. It was so much fun. Luke was able to ride on more rides this time around and he met a ton of his favorite characters, including his number one lady, Ariel. I seriously love that little guy.

sunday spark

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what i'm lovin' wednesday

1. Curry

My mom makes a delicious green curry dish. We chowed down on Sunday while we watched the Emmy's.

2. Swimming

Nugget loves to swim, so we are enjoying the end of summer by going in the pool.

3. Mornings

I love waking up early to go to the gym and then come home to enjoy breakfast on the patio with my pups.

 

eyebrow how-to

If I were to choose one thing to do for my makeup if I am in a rush it would be to define my brows (and maybe some under eye concealer hehe). They can really turn your whole look around. Since so many of you asked, asked how I do them, here is how I fill in my brows. It's pretty easy! I use a MAC 263 brush (a small angled brush), a Sonia Kashuk spoolie brush, and MAC Fluidline in Dip Down. 

 

1. Using the 263 brush, I line the bottom of my brow. 

2 & 3. Then I outline the end point, the arch, and 3/4's of the top part of my brow. I lightly fill in the outer part of my brow. 

4. With the spoolie brush I blend the entire brow by brushing the hairs upwards. Use a q-tip to clean up if necessary! 

 

 

vega

Vega was kind enough to send me some starter packs for me to try. The pack comes with three flavors: Chocolate, French Vanilla, and Berry. They all taste delicious. I like blending mine with almond milk and ice to make a shake.

Each packet has 50% of your daily vitamin and mineral intake, and 15 grams of protein. Now that pack a powerful punch, right? The packets are dairy free, gluten and soy free, and doesn't contain any added sugar or artificial flavors.

I really love the taste and all of the ingredients it provides for my body. Tons of benefits! Take a look...

Go get yours today!

sunday spark

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priceless wish list

Ever since the amazing Priceless sent me sweaters (seen here), I've been a little obsessed with their store. I'm stuck in that summer mindset because I want all the crop tops, shorts, and mini dresses there are. I have to get in a cooler weather frame of mind.

Aztec Print Knit Dress

High Voltage Mini Skirt

Chevron Stripe Sweater

Rebel Zip Shorts

Supersonic Crop Top

Lip Service Crop Top

Cage Limit Top

foodie fridays

Three-ingredient cupcakes? Yep. And they're pumpkin spice, which make them perfect for fall. These babies were moist, and very low in fat. Forget the oil and butter and milk. All you need is a box of spice cake mix, 1 cup water, and 1 can of pure pumpkin. Bake at the temperature and for as long as the box says.

what i'm lovin' wednesday

1. Mom's cooking

I went over to my mom's for some family time and for a delicious Italian dinner. It was the delicious.

2. Sunsets

Nothing beats Arizona sunsets!

3. Sleeping pups

I am obsessed with how Charlie sleeps. She's such a snuggler!

happy 6th birthday

Happy 6th Birthday to my furry best friend, Charlie. 

 I couldn't ask for a better pup. You've been there for me with unconditional love and a companionship I'm so blessed to have. You've made me laugh until it hurts, licked away my tears, and slept in my arms.
You are the best little critter there ever was.
I love you with all my heart, Char Chars.

truth about love

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 I have always adored Stephanie of Bliss Bombed. She is so honest in her thoughts and her writing, and she is just real. She tells it how it is, and is incredibly empowering. If you ever want to be uplifted or get some advice on love, then check her out.

Here are her twenty truths about love...

1.  Some people put up with a lot of shit in relationships and think they are proving their love and loyalty. But really, they are putting up with shit because they are addicted to the other person, afraid to be alone, or addicted to how they feel as the Saviour, “good one,” or hero/heroine. The shit-taker goes through high-highs, low-lows, confusion, starvation, self-loathing, vindication, relief, depression, and victory. If this is you, I have a message: love doesn’t feel like this.

2.  Lack of self-worth from either partner will screw up your relationship, even if there’s lots of potential.

3.   You can make a great life with someone who is not your soul mate.

4.  The partner that cares less calls the shots.

5.  The breakup sucks for your ex too, but for different reasons.

6.  The next bus leaves in 5 minutes. Translation: If you’ve given it a fair shot and your partner is not the right fit for you or doesn’t treat you well, then move on. There is an abundance of love, opportunity, and partnership possibilities in this Universe ready and waiting for you. This a scientific fact. Replace your scarcity mindset with an abundance mindset and stop imprisoning yourself in a mismatched (or abusive, or luke-warm, or dysfunctional) relationship. Let go of the banana, Magilla.

7. Loving someone, but not being IN LOVE with them, is a real thing.

8.  You can love someone even if you don’t love yourself. It’s not recommended, and it will make for a problematic and arduous relationship, but the statement: ‘You can’t love someone until you love yourself’ is a lie.

9.  ‘No one can make you happy except yourself’ is another lie. OF COURSE people can make you happy. They can make you immensely fulfilled, profoundly directed, ignited, and inspired – sometimes more than you could for yourself. Why are we afraid to admit that? Is it because we are addicted to being self-sufficient? I don’t suggest being vampirically co-dependent on others for your sense of personal happiness and security – but hell yes – other people can make you happy…deeply and deliriously so. LET THEM.

10.  You can have more than one soul mate in your lifetime.

11.  I have coached people through (and been in relationships where) infidelity, sex addiction, money problems, possessiveness, jealousy, anger issues, lack of sex drive, and sucky communication skills were killing the relationship, but were not the deal breakers. Most things can be worked through. The deal breaker was the offending partner’s refusal to get help. This looks like stalling, making excuses, admitting/crying/doing nothing (see #14), blaming you.

12.  The highest level of attraction will occur when you meet someone who closely matches the composite sketch of your primary caretakers (mom and dad). This visceral attraction filter lies in your subconscious. Consciously we want to be happy, subconsciously we want to be healed. It’s called imago matching and accounts for most ‘soul mate’ relationships. Imago matches can be deeply healing, or, if you don’t know you’re in an imago match – devastatingly painful.

13.  It is not necessary to hate your ex in order to move on. It is okay to have an affectionate gratitude for the time you spent together, and it is possible to have healthy boundaries while in this state. Elizabeth Gilbert gives some fine advice here.

14.  Don’t be placated by a partner who is a good admitter/apologizer. No one gets a parade for admitting their shit and saying sorry. Credit is given to partners who take action and change their behavior.

15.  Sometimes the only purpose of a marriage is to bring some amazing, sweet kids into this world. If you and your ex can compose co-parenting vows to replace your marriage vows, you can create “one family living in two homes” – which is what my ex and I did. Our kids are happy, well-adjusted and secure, 8 years post-divorce.

16.  Do not attempt to marry someone while you are still in love with another.

17.  Gramma said, “Spend 4 seasons with someone before you claim to know them, and certainly save marriage talk until after a year.” I broke this rule a few times. Sorry gramma….(you were right!)

18.  Understanding masculine/feminine energy (and the role you want to embody) is essential to having a successful, connected, and sexually dynamic relationship. This book by Dr. Pat Allen is an excellent resource.

19.  A period of time spent alone will be the best gift you can give to yourself. If you resist medicating yourself with alco-, worko-, or Bravo Channel-holism, you will learn to trust yourself deeper, hear the voice of your inner guide clearer, and in the absence of another person telling you how beautiful/smart/clever you are, will learn to generate this for yourself. Your future and your healthy relationship will thank you.

20.  Let go when you’re hurting too much. Give up when love isn’t enough. Move on when your gut tells you to. Remember that you have been given this one gorgeous, sparkling, comet-of-a-life and you are free and entitled to choose how to spend it. Don’t wait around for a permission slip, better timing, or a better financial situation… Go for it now.

I love everything about this post because, lets face it, we have been at points in our life when we needed to read a number off this list. I can think of several. We need to go through things in order to learn from them. We need to be at the highest of highs and lowest of lows to understand more. It's life, and love is usually a huge part of it.

shop priceless

The lovely people of Priceless sent over some adorable sweaters for the upcoming fall. While it's still a little warm in Arizona, I can't wait to wear these out. Fall is my favorite season because of all the cute pieces and layering you can do!

Priceless is full of cute clothes that are right on trend and are for good prices. Check them out! They have everything from sexy dresses to comfy sweaters to really hip accessories. I have a new favorite online store.

I love this multi-colored sweater. You can still wear bright colors even if it's a little chilly out.

[Sweater: Priceless, shorts: Urban Outfitters, shoes: converse, hat: Top Shop, Necklace: Nordstrom]

I love this long sweater. It's so versatile! I love that it can be a dress.

[sweater: Priceless, vest, hat, socks: Urban Outfitters, scarf: Free People, shoes: Jeffrey Campbell]

sunday spark

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