November 2016 Ipsy In Review!

Welcome to my Ipsy Review for November 2016! This month has been super busy for my big family as many of you have read by now. I was thankful to have received my Ipsy bag for November so I could take the items along for the ride and try them out. 

The very first thing I noticed and gushed over when I got my package was the cosmetic bag. One of my favorite colors is Navy Blue. One of my other favorites these days is gold. Then add that to the fact that I LOVE stars and constellations and BAM....we have a WINNER THIS MONTH ALREADY!! Except, Vivian saw the bag and fell in love too and well..... I'm a Mom so.... I let her have it. Every time I see her with it, I want to secretly snatch it back. Watch out Vivian, I'm eye-balling you!!!

Let's talk about the goodies inside the bag. As you have learned from previous reviews of mine, I love products that serve dual purposes. The LAQA & Company B'Lighter sample does just that. The color is called "Peacher's Daughter". It's both a blush and a highlighter in a creamy balm form. The LAQA & Company website says it "reacts to the warmth of skin for a flawless blend". I tried it out and I concur. I love it. I will definitely be putting it in my "used most often" section of my make-up organizer. 

The next item I grabbed up right away was the Dark Red Lipstick. The company is Absolute New York. Lately, I have a thing for lippies. I think it's because back when I didn't know much about make-up, I assumed bold colors wouldn't look good on me but I was DYING to wear them so instead, I didn't wear lipstick or products similar to them at all. Ever since I tried on a red shade for the first time and got complimented, I almost have no fear when it comes to trying new lip shades so when I get my hands on one, it's like someone handed me a million bucks! Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing is in the eye of the beholder. My new thoughts are, if you want to try a certain lip shade DO IT! If YOU love it, that's all that matters. You only live once!

If you have trouble with large pores, the November Ipsy held a true gem inside just for you. I have seen this Benefit Pore-fessional product at my beauty stores several times and wanted to see how well it worked. I just never actually made the purchase so getting this in my Ipsy was a welcome friend. I am happy to report that it really works well too! If you haven't tried Benefit as a brand in general, pick up a product to try. It's one of my go to brands when I need a product to perform a certain way. Everything I have tried by Benefit so far has done what it says it will.

The last two items that were included this month were the Hey Honey, Honey Silk Facial Serum and the Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eye Liner in Black.

I tried the eyeliner. It's great. I rarely do a winged type liner these days but if you do, this one will be a great help to you. It's easy to use. It's precise and it doesn't smudge. 

I gave Vivian the face serum. Not because I didn't want to try it but as soon as she saw it she started screaming and begging for it. Apparently, products that contain honey are her "aesthetic". (Side note to parents of teens. All the TUMBLR users and teens are using this term these days and I wish I didn't know these things... ) So I handed it over for her to try and she says it's amazing! 

I get one more month of Ipsy for free thanks to my MOM! (She bought me the subscription back in September for my birthday for those of you that are new readers!) THANKS A BILLION SHIRLEY (AKA my MOMMA!!) You are awesome! After December, I have to decide if I want to keep paying for it myself. I can honestly report that I am impressed so far. 

I can't wait to see what December holds which got me thinking. Ipsy bags would be a great gift to a fellow make-up lover! Think about that for the holidays....

 Here's the link to IPSY in case you want to check it out or purchase a subscription for yourself or a loved one for a gift....

And here's a link to check out the LAQA & COMPANY Peacher's Daughter product I was raving about. 

If you decide to try any of the products I listed here, let me know! I would love to hear your feedback!!

And here are the links to my September and October Ipsy Review blogs in case you missed them.....

As always, love to you all!!

Stacey

The End of Our Big Trip Featuring My Husband's Big Surprise!

Did you know that Stone Mountain in Georgia is home to the largest exposed granite face in the world? Stone Mountain Park was our first stop as we headed out on another day of new sites to see. The stone carving in the side of the mountain is a must see. I've never seen anything like it before. Likewise, Stone Mountain Park is gorgeous. The air is fresh. We live near so many factories and refineries in Southeast TX that fresh air isn't something we are used to these days. 

Besides the carving to view on the mountain, there were fun activities to do and lovely shops to patronize in case you wanted to pick up one of a kind souvenirs. An added plus was having the area all decked out for Christmas. It was a really special experience. Vivian had a great time taking photos and I got some great shots myself despite being such a novice at it!

After taking in the mountain scenery we ventured to Sugar Loaf Mills Mall in Lawrenceville, GA so my son could go visit one of his favorite stores. The Lego Store! Yet, another place I have never been to. That place is a Lego Lover's DREAM!

I ran in to my ole buddy Harley Quinn and some other familiar faces. All I can say is...CUTENESS OVERLOAD!




Aunt Annette bought Little John a Lego Mixel to add to his collection. Then we headed in to Dave and Busters, which was also inside the mall, to play some games and have a snack. One of the games Little John chose was Skee Ball. He was surprised at himself that he was scoring so high!




His faces always crack me up! His competitive spirit is GREAT. He ended up with tons of tickets and got himself some goodies from the merch store then we headed back home. Emma had done really well by this point, being carted all over Georgia even though she is only 8 months old. Sophie on the other hand, was nearing her meltdown point.

Once we got back to Aunt Annette's house and settled in for the evening, the girls passed out from what I can only imagine was exhaustion. They are so sweet when they are sleeping!!

The next day was Thanksgiving. Aunt Angie, Uncle Donnie and Rachel came down to join us. We enjoyed a wonderful meal and visiting with each other. Uncle Mark (Aunt Annette's husband) made TWO turkeys. One deep fried and one SMOKED. I have never tried EITHER. I loved BOTH but the edge went to the deep fried turkey. I have never had a turkey so juicy! I seriously doubt we will ever cook one the same around our house ever again.

We certainly have some great looking ladies in our family! This pic is Aunt Angie holding Emma and Sophie. Vivian is on the right and Rachel is on the left. Angie showed me pictures of Rachel when she was a baby. She looks EXACTLY like Sophie. It's uncanny! I was glad to get to know them better.  

As we sat around visiting after our meal and discussing our departure plans, my husband springs the surprise on me. He intends to take me to New Orleans on the way home! (It's slightly out of the way but doable)

Of course it was another place I had never been to and I was beside myself! I have always wanted to go there! He made plans for us to leave out from Georgia the next morning and stay Friday night near New Orleans then drive back to our place on Saturday morning. 

We arrived in NOLA at around 4 P.M. It was busy being a Holiday weekend and a Friday Night but nothing like I have seen on social media and TV during Mardi Gras so we were able to enjoy ourselves. We parked at Harrahs Hotel and Casino. I had to snap a photo before we headed out to walk down to Bourbon Street and the famed French Quarter. I couldn't believe I was there. 

As we walked down Bourbon Street, I noticed how pretty and "old world" style most of the buildings were. I felt like I was in a history lesson. It was fantastic. I know Bourbon Street can get crazy but we escaped all that for the most part. I am glad we chose this time of year to go. Other than it not being so chaotic and crowded, the weather was good too! I loved all the little shops. We saw everything from regular souvenir places to stores with Vampire and Voodoo Themes! As well as places I have seen featured on shows that I have watched. 

Spirits on Bourbon, for example, was a bar I saw featured on the show Bar Rescue! 

Vivian got a palm reading. I must say, I am not a believer in "that sort of stuff" but the palm reader had Vivian dead to rights. Whatever it is that she channels in order to be able to read people the way she does is creepy!! And DEAD ON! John P and I were very shocked....

Our last stop in New Orleans before heading to the Hotel to get some sleep was to stop at Cafe Du Monde. If you haven't heard of this place you should look it up. They have world famous coffee and beignets. We placed our order and once received, walked down the street to sit on a set of stairs to devour our tasty treats. I have never tasted anything like these beignets before. They came to us piping hot and covered in so much powdered sugar, you had to be careful not to breath in from your nose while eating them. What a unique dessert! Even Emma couldn't get enough!

We arrived back in Southeast TX around NOON the next day. After unpacking the car and getting settled back in for a while, I think we took the longest nap in history. It's great to have gotten out of town for a while and also great to be back home!

I am one lucky girl. I have amazing in laws. Not only did I get to visit and get to know them better but I got to experience a LIST of new people, places and things. I can't wait to go back and visit the family again and I can't wait to see what adventure life holds for us next!

Have you ever been to New Orleans?

Have you ever had a beignet?

Here's the link to Cafe Du Monde. You can actually order their coffee and beignet mix online!!

Cafe Du Monde

I hope you enjoyed reading about our journey. As always, love to you all!!

Stacey 

Holiday Trip In Full Effect. What's Next On The Agenda!? World of Coca Cola!

We are only a couple of days in to our trip and I feel like I have experienced so many new things my head is spinning but the fun was just getting started. Next stop, back to Atlanta to take a tour of World of Coca Cola! 

My other sister n law, Angie, and my gorgeous niece Rachel were able to join us this time. They also live in Georgia a couple of hours away from where we were staying and Rachel was on her Thanksgiving break from college. These kids are growing up way too fast. I am glad to have moments like these while we can. 

 Being in the company of family was amazing and this place was unique! The 4-D Movie was a blast! Then there was the tasting room. Oh my goodness. There were too many options to keep track. You walk in a doorway and there are soda dispensers set up in groups of the region they are shipped to. You grab yourself a cup and try as many flavors as you like. My favorite group of products was Africa!

At the very end of the tasting experience you could fix yourself a cup of Coke based on U.S. preferences. The kids had a great time ingesting all that sugar! As for us adults, our heads were spinning so we walked around downtown Atlanta some. I saw a few note worthy buildings on our walk.

Legal Sea Foods was eye catching. I mean, I don't know about you guys but I always prefer my sea food "legal". ;-)

We grabbed a quick bite to eat then walked back to the car. As we were leaving to head back to the house, I noticed how cool the sky line looked from the parking garage at World of Coca Cola! Mark this one off the bucket list! I have seen Downtown Atlanta! WHOOOO HOOOO!! 

Another day of outings and fun in the books!

Want to visit World of Coca Cola online? Click HERE !!

Tell me what you think of it!

Stay tuned for the big finale! My husband surprised me big time!

As always, love to you all!

Stacey

We Hit The Road For Vacation and Look Who We Happen to Run In To!!!

Welcome to part one of our family adventure! For those of you just catching up, my husband was longing to spend time with his family so we decided to go spend the Thanksgiving Holiday with his family in Georgia. I have been with this man for about ten years but have not gotten to spend enough time with his side of the family and I had never been to where they live. I was very much looking forward to getting to know them better. We ended up doing so many fun things I am having to write our journey out in split up posts. I am exhausted but my heart is FULL. We made some great memories!

Starting out, as we piled in to the car to get our trip started, I was mostly just happy to have the packing done. I said a quiet prayer as we pulled away from our home that I hadn't forgotten anything important. Packing for a family our size is NO JOKE! It feels like we have to take one of every item we keep stocked at our house and it makes for a vehicle full of STUFF. I really don't know how he does it, but my husband has a way of making everything fit. It's a talent of his. It comes in handy and I am surely grateful for it. He prefers that I pile things together inside the house and once it comes time to load the car, he requests that I sit back while he arranges everything in the SUV the way he needs to. When he feels everything is secure he has me do the final walk through of the house to make sure no bags were missed then we are ready to roll out.

Once on the road, we traveled through Texas in to Louisiana pretty quickly. The scenery hadn't really changed much except that we saw some actual swamp lands up close and that was pretty interesting. Driving through Louisiana takes FOREVER though! We finally crossed the border from Louisiana in to Mississippi and BOOM, we ran in to a familiar face! 

 Driving on the freeway, we end up next to a truck and trailer hauling this really cool car. The car looked familiar but I am not a NASCAR fan like some. My husband kept telling me to really take a look at the car. He couldn't fathom that I didn't know who's car it was. It took me several double takes to realize that Dale Earnhardt Jr's car was being hauled next to us!!

So yeah, that's pretty cool!

Definitely feeling we are off to a fun start.

The rest of the road trip really wasn't that bad. Even driving with baby and toddler, but we were sure glad to arrive in Loganville.

We ended up getting to my in laws house around 9:30 P.M. We unpacked the car and did some visiting then got settled in for the night. My sister n law had a list of places she wanted us to see so we needed a good night's sleep.

Sunday morning we attended church where my brother and sister n law are members. Rosebud Baptist is a small baptist church. The people were super friendly. Sometimes you can just look at a person's eyes and tell they have the sweetest of souls and I met several folks just like that at this church. The service was great. We did things I hadn't done in forever like opened up the hymnal and sang old hymns straight from the book. Later that night we went back for the church's annual Thanksgiving dinner. The food was tasty and the fellowship was filling. We also got to listen to members of the church say what they were thankful for and it was a blessing. So far I am in love with the people in Georgia! I can only describe them as salt of the earth. A full day was complete and it was time to get the little ones down for the night so we head to the house. 

The next morning we headed in to Atlanta and went to the Zoo! 

I think Sophie's favorite part was the petting area. The child has no fear. She grabbed a brush and walked right up to a goat and started brushing. She's definitely an animal lover. Vivian got to feed a giraffe! What a neat experience! It cracked me up to see the way the giraffe kept looking at her. He even posed for the camera for me! What a guy!

For some reason, Little John couldn't wait to see the otter exhibit. It was all he kept mentioning. Me and my sarcastic self couldn't help but start cracking "otter" jokes and it started irritating Little Man so I kept doing it, of course. I mean, if you don't get on your kids nerves every now and then you should! It's really entertaining. You "otter" try it sometime......  ;-)

We were famished after leaving the zoo so we stopped at Five Guys Burgers and Fries for a bite to eat. If you've never had Five Guys, I highly recommend you try it. The burgers are juicy and delicious and they give you a ton of fries! The kids and I shared a cookies and cream milkshake too. I give it a double thumbs up!

Once we got back to the house, we watched TV for a bit. My mother n law cooked up a great dinner for us. My husband requested her meatloaf. My brother n law arrived home from work and we all enjoyed great food and conversation then it was off to bed. Another adventure awaits us in the morning. I am so grateful for this time with family and new experiences!

What were your days prior to Thanksgiving filled with?

Have you ever visited Georgia?

What is your favorite thing to do there?

As always, love to you all!!

Stacey

Exciting News From The Family Front! We Are Going On a Trip!

Boy am I excited! Here very soon, most of the family will be heading out on an adventure. I say most of us because the two older kids have to stay in town and do adult type things like work and attend college so they won't be able to go. That leaves John P (husband), myself, and the 4 youngest kids going on a vacation of sorts for the Thanksgiving Holiday.

This will be a bittersweet vacation. Bitter because I don't make it a habit of spending holidays without any one of my kids but as the older ones are becoming adults, it's becoming some what of a challenge to make sure our schedules match up. Sweet, for one thing, because I DON'T HAVE TO COOK THANKSGIVING DINNER THIS YEAR!! That rarely happens since I became a wife and Mom. I am very willing to take a season off from the cooking. I will surely enjoy the break from it so I can focus my attention on the little ones instead. 

So where are we headed, exactly? 

We are driving to GEORGIA!! The destination has a very special reason behind it. John P has family that lives there. Of course he has been to visit them before he and I met and our 9 year old has been as well but I have NEVER gotten to go. Sophie hasn't been either and they haven't gotten to meet sweet Emma (the newest addition) yet. John P and I have been together for 10 years now and though we have had the opportunity to spend quality time with MY family over the years because they live in TX, time with his family has been scarce and they have always traveled to see US. I am very lucky to have them in mine and the kids' lives. They have been very good to us even though there is distance between us and they are some wonderful people. From my sister in laws to my Mother in law. Not to mention I have some gorgeous and super smart nieces. I cannot WAIT to spend an entire week with them all on THEIR home turf. 

You will have to excuse my child like excitement. I haven't gotten out much in the 38 years since I was born. My husband was in the Navy for many years so he has been so many places it makes my head spin but me, I can count locations I have been to on one hand. We will be driving through areas I've never been in, states I have never seen and I am beside myself waiting to get the experience. Then let me mention again that I DON'T HAVE TO COOK THANKSGIVING DINNER THIS YEAR!

We live in Southeast TX. That means our drive will be Coastal-ish for most of the way until we hit Alabama and then we start the turn northward.

Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia are all states I have never been. I don't even know what the scenery is like so I am all set to have a full first timer's attitude and enjoy soaking in every thing I can set my eyes on through the car window and fully appreciate any stops we end up making for breaks until we arrive at our destination which is a town northeast of Atlanta called Loganville, GA. 

The southern part of Louisiana near Baton Rouge is an area I think might have interesting scenery for us and my 9 year old says he loves going through Mississippi. 

I am hearing that my husband's family has planned some fun activities to do while we are there. I plan on snapping as many good photos as I can for memories sake and enjoy spending time with family. Now is a great time for a get away. All this "junk" going on in the news and all over social media these past few days has me shaking my head, rolling my eyes and wagging my finger. I can't wait to share all the deets with you!

What are YOUR Thanksgiving plans?

Staying home this year or traveling? 

Drop me a comment! I would love to hear what your family will be doing!

Wish us luck and FUN and as always, love to you all.

Stacey

Ipsy Favorites From October

October means Halloween and Halloween marks the beginning of the Fall and Winter Holiday Season. In the make-up lovers world, that signifies a change in the color guard. We tend to put away the bright colors that we spent Spring and Summer using in lieu of darker hues. Deep berry, brown, and black tones as well as smokey eyes are customary. My favorite trend is a red lip! You'd be surprised at who can pull it off. It's bold but gorgeous! 

October MOTD (make-up of the day) looks are fun because you can be courageous and experimental since everyone is in the Halloween spirit. Seeing how popular Ipsy has become, I figured they would be in the Halloween spirit too so I couldn't wait to see what my bag had in it this time! I was right on target!

Isn't this bag the CUTEST!! I have had Ipsy for two months now and I am really enjoying being able to change out my on the go make-up bag monthly to go with whatever theme Ipsy has decided on. This frightful cutie was just what any beauty lover would want in their collection to carry their October go-to items.

Make-up tools that actually do their job are not dirt cheap so I was curious to try the one I received. The name of the brand is Lottie London.

The tool is sturdy and durable. Their logo is cute and I love the color! I have been using it at every eye make-up application since it arrived. It's a great addition to my collection and works really well!

Another item from the bag that I am using often since it came is the Beaute Basics Satin Taupe Eyeshadow. This one is perfect for neutral eye looks. Not too light and not too dark. 





Also included this month was an eyeliner from Nyx. Nyx is one of those brands that's considered a drug store "find". It's very budget friendly and the products are as good as some of the bigger name brands I have used. 




The name of this shade of Nyx eyeliner is Gunmetal. For anyone that likes a silver/gray eyeliner, this is a good one. 





A few more items were in the line up including a "The Balm" product that can be used as a shadow or blush called "Hot Mama!" and a leave in conditioner by Pure Brazilian. 

The shadow/blush I liked. The "Hot Mama" shade is pink which I happen to be a big fan of year round. The leave in conditioner from Pure Brazilian smells just lovely. I used it on Sophie after her bath as a detangler and it worked famously. I was able to comb through her curls very smoothly. Even better than the detangler I normally use so I am glad to have this one! 

Another awesome month of Ipsy and I would definitely say it's worth the fee. November's bag should be arriving soon! I can't wait to see what it has inside! 

Here is a link to Ipsy in case you want to check it out!

Ipsy

Signing off for now but as always, love to you all!

Stacey