C'mon Ad, girl power!!

I think I have time for a quick update while my super cute family is downstairs playing Lego Indiana Jones...the cutest thing I've heard so far was "C'mon Ad, girl power!! Good job Addie!!" by a full grown and bearded man, in his MAN CAVE. So darling.

This has been one of the best weeks. I haven't been stressing over orders, or trying to be the craftiest person alive (thought my fingers had that itch today to make something, and since I was at Hobby Lobby for a simple crib skirt order I decided to bring home everything there. Again. Oy.)

This was the first week to kick off our community groups at church, and our group is actually at our house this semester. Talk about finding a good reason to clean your house REALLY well, once a week!! I've heard it before that if you'd like to keep your house clean, just invite people over once or twice a week. So true.

I made this Honey Vanilla Creamer to make my decaf coffee a little more inviting, pretty yummy. I'd suggest a little less milk and a little more vanilla, but I just love lots of vanilla taste :) And this Caramel Creamer is delish too!! I just about steamed my fingers off though, and the whisk took a hit for the team. I of course kept him, since I like defected things and people...

Caramel Creamer Man gets the honor of sitting next to my SIL's plum jam, top shelf treatment right there.

I made dinner for the first group night, and of course trusted the tried and true Chicken Curry in a Hurry. I tossed the spinach and added golden raisins, definitely recommend this to your regular routine meals. A friend of ours that is in group eats gluten free, and this was a great meal to plan that around! Plus, how fun is using coconut milk?!

Spirit Week at Addie's school, one was Toddler (or) Tiara's Day. Basically Lillian was Lillian, and Addie dressed like her. #PublicSchoolFun

Ahhh...this girl. I don't exactly remember having given birth to a Bunny Eared/Snake Tailed/Princess, so that must mean she lives in this outfit. EVERY. DAY. No joke. We're on day 10 of the same outfit. And this ONE pink glove she's managed to find. I'm sure if we could find the other matching, she would wear that one also. For now we're rocking the Michael Jackson look.

Super awesome rastafan look. Noooooooot...I tried THIS Pinterest tutorial, or what I thought was the tutorial. Its what happens when you don't look at the directions again because "You've GOT this". Don't do this, it has to be big twists or you get a frayed ends look. Nothing cute about that!!

So tried picking up pieces of my pride by fixing it back with this Jennifer Aniston Pony tutorial. I can't tell if it was the giant frizz ball hair, or actual body from having two ponies in one. You try and decide.

This was fun hair too, I think I'll try this again. I hate how you can't see braids on dark hair. I think it was a combination of a couple, I can't find the tutorial. Teasing brush, then braid half up half down style and pin. Victoria
s Secret Makeup Tutorial was super fun, I tried lipstick (lipstick is sooooo much less frightening in pink!!) in Baby Pink. I have tried to perfect this "natural" eye look this week, because for the photos on Sunday we have to have more natural makeup (ie: less is more). I love makeup too much to just not wear any.

That's a better shot of the braid...

And of course, you may have a little mini me if you look down and see someone has been playing with your teasing brush and obsessively putting more lip candy on...

Haha, sooooo love her. She's going to be a handful.
Lillian-isms:

"Mom, the coffee is done coughing." (6:30 am couch talk)

"You have beautiful eyes, Lily."
"Thank you. They don't have eye boogies in them." she replies, informative and resolute with a shake of her perfect little head.

I've been reading Judy Moody's Not Bummer Summer with Addie, she LOVES it. Its a chapter book, so we sit and read it on the couch. How great it must be to have someone read aloud a long book to you. I think reading would happen so much more if Doug would read aloud my books I've had logged in my TO READ pile. Its made me realize how sheltered she is, too. Judy talks about zombies, and the concept of scary things or even her calling her little brother "Stink" is just so beyond Addie's realm. I think only butterflies, rainbows, and bunnies are quite sufficient until she's at least 20. Haha, we're going to have the weirdest kid if that actually happens...

OHHHHH, yes!! One last thing!! Try some pomegranate tea!! I know, some of you aren't tea drinker per say, but this is so delish!! And how cute is that sugar jar!! I'm dying to try loose leaf tea from Tea & Spice Exchange in Downtown Bentonville, that's so much more of a commitment though than just warm & steep.


Peace Love!
Kes

"We're walking like movie stars, baby!!"

It's Monday morning. I wake up with a pounding headache, my entire head pulsing behind my left eye. I have no recollection of how I got home, or how I put my pajamas on. I am thirsty, having obviously slept with my mouth wide open. Who knows how many spiders I may have swallowed in that kind of sleep. (I am not hungry, though that is not likely the reason I have a lack of appetite.)

I peel my eyelids back, they are upset I'm letting in any light at this early hour. Am I hung over? I see bright womens fuschia colored pumps, with overly glittery soles, strewn about carelessly. I sit up, more angry throbbing. There are black pants laying on the floor, one leg inside out, the other still hanging off the bed as if grasping for dear life, before the carpet swallows it up. (This IS the place other socks disappear to, I am sure of it. Perhaps the carpet makes an illusion of a beautiful foot, with dainty polished toes shivering in the cold, something like that to really lure lonely socks down before you never see them again.) The pants have a Lacey floral design, skinny denim you have to peel out of. I've never seen them before in my life.

"We'll, aren't you a ray of golden sunshine this morning?!" ...Kestan.

"Why are you here? What have you done?" I stammer, plunging my thumb deep into the inside of my left eye. It's the only thing that makes the pain stop, if only momentarily.

"I freaking rocked your world, that's what I did. You can thank me with cinnamon monkey bread. And ham/eggs. I need a meal fit for a lumberjack after last night."
She demands, stretching like a goddess. Only she can make stretching a luxurious and well enjoyed pastime.

"No. I'll be lucky if I can down toast before taking Excedrin." I retort, obviously annoyed by her lack of intuitive nurturing.

"We did it, kitten. We're in." She beams, staring up at me, obviously enjoying knowing more than I do. "I signed us up and got us in for Fashion Week 2013. We're walking like movie stars, baby!!!!"

"YOU DID WHAT?!?!!!!" I scream, instantly regretting this motion as my headache worsens. I think my brain might just combust right now.

"I thought you'd be happy. You SHOULD be thanking me. It wasn't easy shutting you down long enough to get through the interview. Aren't you even he least but excited? I was on FIRE. They didn't know what hit them. I walked straight down that runway and bore a hole right into their pigeon eyes."

She slinks around the room, to show me exactly her movements. Slightly dramatic hip rolling.

"I would compare it to making LOVE, but with my eyes..." She's so full of it. I almost gag on the enormity of the BS pill I'm being handed.

"You didn't. You DO know there will be people there, right? Like, people who will be watching you. Deciding your face value. Deciding whether or not you are worth anything by the way you move and whether your nose is straight enough. You know that's how it will be. How did you even pull it off? And WHERE are my kids?!" I yell, wincing again at the sound of my own voice.

"OUR kids. Relax, they're with Grandma. I think." She utters in one breath, admiring her nails, clearly without worries. "I gave you your headphones and put Rihanna's Shine Bright Like A Diamond on repeat. I knew if you even caught a whiff of what we were doing, you would let it all fall down like a house of cards. You really need to work on that self esteem issue."

That makes sense. I vaguely remember jamming to Rihanna yesterday. I very slowly ease out of bed, not leaning either way so as not to disturb the newfound buoyancy of my tender head. I very quietly pad to the kitchen, fumbling in the cabinet until I find the Excedrin.

"Why the headache?"

"Oh. I grabbed a tea and a Dr Pepper while we were out. We were really thirsty while we were running to Fayetteville. I guess that did it." She explains. Not caring that her loud words are grating my eardrum.

"You gave us MORE caffeine after noon? WHY would you do that?! You know it takes us DAYS to recover from the headaches and lack of sleep!!!" I say, letting out a low guttural noise.

"It's, whatevvv..." She says with a few disdainful flicks of her hand.

NWA Fashion Week 2013 clearly will not know what they have signed on. There will be children there. Please pray she doesn't do anything inappropriate...

Kes

"Nailed it!!!!"

I've tried a couple of new looks since last entry, and one of them was actually really fun!! One was a pretty big fail, but I'll share it anyways. Just to mix it up a bit :)
(And wowza, 82 views on that last post!)

Okay, hair!!

How fun is this look?! Super fun updo---find it HERE.


Here's my flop...You know when you're really excited to try something, and you have in your head how it looks, and then you sort of pull it off? (this definitely goes under those "Nailed it!!" posts floating around on Pinterest. Pretty hilarious, check them out)

I tried the big teased hair/half up bump and ruby red lips. It was great for about an hour...

Then this happened. My hair fell, and my lips turned out more like Lucille Belle from I Love Lucy. I'm guessing lip liner would have kept it from bleeding. Like I said, lipstick is hard for this chick. (Sorry to everyone who had to talk to me that day afternoon!!) Best part: flopping like this at church. So this is how Amy Winehouse felt...

I've been trying this new technique called "Threading", its like waxing, but great for sensitive skin like mine. I waxed recently, the sides of my face especially and ALWAYS break out in bumps. Even if buying the gentle facial was for sensitive skin. It was sort of awkward at first, my fingers just wouldn't listen...

Thread. That's all you need. Cheap cheap cheap. And more clean than wax. It was originally only done when a woman was getting married or for special occasions. In ancient Persia, threading was a sign that a girl had reached adulthood and become a woman. (I love random facts!!)

HERE is the tutorial. She's annoying, but practical.


I drank honey in my coffee this morning...mostly because I used all the sugar to make no bake cookies. I could seriously kill a plate of drop cookies. I mean, annihilate. I tried a new recipe for making coffee creamer, I feel like such a hippie. A CLEAN hippie. Well, if you consider heavy whipping cream "clean".

Pretty simple, it has heaving whipping cream, whole milk, and honey. I still added more honey, but I really like my coffee to not taste like coffee. Someone posted "If you have to add more than 2 packets of sugar, and 2 creamers, maybe you should be drinking something else..." Its always in my head now when I'm making my coffee.RECIPE.

Is it lame to wear clothes you've made? So fighting myself about this. Its a hard balance. I think its definitely okay if you make your kids clothes, and MAKE them wear it since you've taken the time to make them...

Here's what I mean. Lame "I made this at home" dress? (photo credit: my 6 year old. God bless her for making me look tall and leggy because of her height :D)


I looooooooooooove dinners. Correction, I loooooooooooooooove GOOD dinners. Or more aptly, awesome recipes. Doug thinks I have a knack for picking out awesome recipes, and the tummy agrees :) We had some really delicious meals this week, and these are definitely recipes to keep:

Chicken Parmesan Bites. OH. MY. WORD. Doug wants to open a Chic-Fil-"B" with this recipe. There are no words to how yummy this is!! If you try any of my favorite recipes, do yourself (and your family) a favor and let it be this one!!! I also put a little onion powder and garlic salt in...

Tender Pork Chops. My uncle, who loves to cook and whom we clamor over when he's home so we can try his cooking, introduced me to this recipe. Again, no words. I'm allergic to rosemary, which is a bummer, but I tried a little bite and it just fell apart in my mouth. Doug also wants me to throw this in the recipe queue again!!!

British Beef and Onion Pot Pie. If you were in my freezer swap group, I was going to make this recipe. Its a little time consuming, and I cut it out since we were cooking for 9 families. This is sooooo worth the time. Seriously. I was afraid there was too much broth because it was watery, but when you're serving it the crust ends up soaking up most of it and you're left with a lovely finish!! Add a little jalapeno salt, which was been a must around here!! Excellent comfort food :D

Hoping to get in on and share a fun opportunity soon!! Just maybe!!!
Peace love.
Keslyn

If you are a man, this concludes your creeping time.

After months of blogging slumber, I've got time for a quick update. (Okay, let's be real...I've had time, I just refused to spend it on here. I'd rather be creeping on impressively strange and total judgement-worthy "friends". Or my extended family, which is equally as entertaining.)

Its now January 11th, and I only just took down my tree. I ate the good luck beans, received a midnight kiss (via MMS), and slept in merrily. We decorated cookies, attended the ugly sweater party (I'm sure you think I'm lying, as there are no pictures as proof as of YET. CAAAAT. :), put the children all snug in their beds, etc, etc...I stress ate, then vainly attempted to run, which led to more cookie eating to replace the calories lost while running. Vicious circle that exercise is. Best quote over break: "Hey mom!! I didn't get a potato this year!!!" -Addie. Hahaha...

I am convinced the best part of Christmas break, is actually after Christmas when we're not running around, or planning things to cook. Vegetating with my little family is quite possibly the best part of the year. We slept til 8, ate at 9, showered at noon, and played movies/video games ALLLL day. This is really only possible when your kids are old enough wipe themselves (which 3/4ths of our family now can), reach the water dispenser, rummage through the pantry, open plastic, and take simple orders. Amazing. Do we need a third? Don't answer that.

So, here are some of my favorite things, because being a girl can be so fun. (If you are a man, this concludes your creeping time. Risk testosterone loss otherwise, some of you really can't afford that. "Just saying.")


"Happiness in a bottle"-

Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat (you will be quite the entrancing siren if you bring this home to your husband)
Apothic Red Wine (use your aerator, quite yummy)
Bogle Sauvignon Blanc (or "Sav Blanc" if you're a trendy wine connoisseur)


I love pretty things, and things that really sort of make you feel like a million bucks. There's so much out there, so I thought I'd just put my favorites down and you can take it for what its worth. For me, these are tried and true...

Bare Minerals foundation.
Bamboo application brush (found mine at TJ Maxx. LOVE that place)
Loreal True Match blush in Sweet Ginger (not too pink.)
Maybelline Eye Studio pod liner in black, with application wand. So fun, you just dip it in and "paint" it on. I say paint, but its not runny stuff. Just like regular liner. You get the picture)
CoverGirl brown eyeliner pencil (I use it to make my brows look nice and thick. Really, this can only look right combined with the eyebrow brush to smooth away to avoid the painted geisha look. ha. I may just like mine more au natural...)
Maybelline "The Falsies" in waterproof very black.
Physician's Formula concealer in yellow (I have dark undereye circles)
And of course, eyelash curler. Girl can't be caught without that.
Almay Intense I-color (I mean really, just follow the directions on the back. They even color coded this to compliment your eye color with the best shades for your eye)

I'm not saying I'm a makeup artist, or even an amateur makeup artist. Girls like to share their beauty secrets. Period.

HURR. Everyone has it. Everyone likes shiny and manageable. My stylist today told me I have Pantene hair. Have I mentioned how much I love this girl? She's so great anyways, but when she said that...it was like...like we were sisters...

Possibly the BEST hair regimen gifted to (wo)man. Truly. I don't even need to use anything else besides these three things for shiny, extremely healthy hair.

Burt's Bees Super Shiny Shampoo
Clear Total Care Conditioner (this you can even massage into your scalp. They're breaking all the rules with this one. I feel like I'm walking on the wild side)
Chi Silk Infusion (There are no words for how much I love this stuff. They even put a little Calvin Klein perfume in it to make it smell good. YES!!)


My favorite at home Workout, because I desire killer thighs and butt:
HERE

Victoria's Secret Hair Tutorial:
HERE

This girl is just gorg anyways.

And quite possibly one of the best love stories written:
Anna Karenina by Tolstoy

Extremely long, I'm not even done with it, but I keep coming back to it. People just don't write like this any more, every facet of life is explained for each character, and the propriety and charm during the early 1900's is incomparable to anything presently. I find nothing more exquisite than the way they dress, talk, treat one another, or even their daily schedules. Ahh to be born of the wrong generation...

Favorite Shows/Series:

Downton Abbey (1900's, much like the book I just described)
The Tudors (Netflix that baby. Henry Tudor and his lovely entourage. Much like 50 Shades, keep this hush hush to yourself. You're welcome ;))
Duck Dynasty (Hey, I'm married. He likes it. We're from the South. Its hilarious.)

Big NO-NO's:

A Christmas Story (the original DVD cut. Not appropriate for anyone under 10!! Clear as a bell my 6 and 3 year old heard "Son of a B*tch!!" from the 8 or 9 year old main character. I didn't even remember that. I guess I always watched the tv version..)

Home Body Wax (I have a... "friend"...who tried this. "She" attempted her first brazilian wax at home, because she was horrified at the thought of someone else doing it. "She" later confessed suffering from a bruised vagina. "She" would also warn anyone else not to do this at home...) I would assume its much like cutting your own bangs. Please, PLEASE let a professional do it!!!

Okay, and my favorite new tool:

I don't even know what its called. Wait I do, its called "AMAZING". I'm sure of it. My stylist introduced me to it, you scrunch your hair down on the crown of your head moving backwards one inch wide sections at a time with it, and you get big beautiful southern hair with it. So pretty and chic looking. On the top layer you smooth it down, but not brushing through so you don't deflate it. I always wondered how to create that pretty look!!

I'm also going to start trying out lipsticks. Lipstick scares me, I've always done gloss but I'm trying to branch out and try new things. Here's a red. The fabulous makeup artist Bobbi Brown says one or two shades darker than your natural lip color is perfect. And, if you're olive complected like I am, a deep red is a daring and fun look. Read it HERE.

I'm also loving the leopard print scarf, black leggings and brown riding boots look. Ahh, its good to be a girl. Or a woman. Or that painful spot in your life where you're not old enough to be a "woman" but sound creepy if you call yourself a girl. Aka: age 24-29.

Peace love.
Kes