oh well, hello!

yes, I have not shared a blog post since March 19th. I’ve failed my blog readers, I know, BUT I’m bringing you this recap post to share what I’ve been up to for the past four weeks. so without further adieu….

my life lately

a sundae surprise

pic via ursafine

so I’m a “shower thinker” – anyone else?
the hubs really hates it bc he’s not a morning person, at.all.
so picture this:
me, my morning person self, fresh out of a hot shower, where I’ve been thinking ALL THE THINGS, strolling into our bedroom to the grumpy hubs and start spouting off all of these ideas that have just washed over me.
yup, he deserves a medal. (as do I bc he is WAY grumpy in the mornings)

anyways, we have these banners on the front of our church building telling people to go to www.ferventchurch.com and to vote for sprinkles or jimmies.
does it have anything to do with church? nope.
do people in south jersey LOVE sharing their opinion on this subject? sure do!

so to tie it all together, I came up with this idea to celebrate these banners and named it the “sundae surprise” – on a Sunday, after service, get it? good. the hubs loved it. well, I’m pretty sure he did. that or he just wanted me to shut up being it was so early and he was SO not ready for my yapping.

so I called on some of my best, creative/crafty gals and we put everything together to make our surprise a hit! think: signs showing team jimmies/team sprinkles, balloon garlands and mister softee on us!

let me tell you, it was SUCH a success!
our people looooooved it bc I mean, who doesn’t love free ice cream?!!

the motto of the day?
“throw kindness around like sprinkles/jimmies”

…now that’s a motto I can get behind! #teamjimmies

jacket | tee | jeans | hat | necklace

fave sunnies

(gotta love that profesh sunnies shot, huh?)

imagine the joy you find when your fave knock-off sunnies that were previously sold out everywhere available at the retailer of all retailers for under $15… you buy every color plus a back up pair bc they are THAT good, even if you have a funky knuckle on the bridge of your nose like I do!

shop for a cause: autism awareness

unity bracelet | engravable bangle

every April, Stella & Dot links up with the HollyRod Foundation for a limited edition bracelet and donates 100% of the net proceeds to HollyRod for compassionate care for people living with autism. this is not only my most successful fundraiser of the year, but also one that I truly love! purchasing that $19 bracelet not only dresses up your wrist, it also has such a huge impact that you may not realize:

1 bracelet = a therapy sensory devise to help improve fine motor skills and reduce stress.

10 bracelets = two tablets loaded with special applications that can provide speech therapy and increase special skills.

100 bracelets = all-in-one computer + software as well as pre-vocational training for teens and young adults.

so if you have already purchased a bracelet from me, THANK YOU!
your support is truly appreciated and be sure to share a pic of it and tag me in it!

haven’t grabbed yours yet, click here!

easter 2018

the cutest easter invite, am I right?

let’s just start this off with saying, if I never see another peeps bunny again, I’ll die a happy woman!

kidding. kinda.
you know those ideas that seem great in theory and 500 peeps later you’re scratching your head? yeah.

anyways, easter is a big deal in our house for obvious reasons and since we’re “in the church business” as hunter likes to say… so between prepping invites, planning our Good Friday Experience and prepping for two easter services, its quite the chaotic time!

I’ll spare you all the details and instead share these snapshots:

outtakes from our kids easter video (which you can watch HERE)…

the boys’ easter “baskets” bc they’re at the age where the easter bunny is no longer a thing…

adidas hat | phillies hat | treats from rocket fizz

the hubs doing his thing…

obligatory easter fam pic…

my cardigan (old) | jumpsuit | necklace | heels

that vegan life…

nope, you didn’t misread that gals, its happened. I’ve gone vegan.

yes, its only been a little over a week, but I’ve done it. no meat, no diary, no cans of coke. I may be SLIGHTLY losing my mind but I’m feeling really good. like REALLY good.

avocado Ezekiel toast with tj’s chili lime seasoning and strawberries, blueberries and clementines

the hubs went vegan a few months ago for health reasons and after seeing the difference its made for him and after watching my skin get consistently worse along with not feeling well and my diet consisting of anything fried, sweet and processed, I dove in head first.

a couple things to note:

eating out SUCKS when you’re vegan unless you’re at a vegan restaurant
you will cook more – which is fun for me bc I looooove cooking!
you will crave a cheeseburger and milkshake like its your J.O.B.
you will taste fruits and vegetables in a whole new light and actually start to crave them over the junk food!

keep up with what I’m cooking on my instagram stories

no, I’m not trying to convert you but just sharing my experience! if you are going to give it a try, I recommend recipes from the minimalist baker, having chopped fruits and veggies on hand at all times, not to go too crazy on carbs or soy-filled meat replacements (although Beyond the Beef burgers are BOMB and from pea protein, not soy) and if you’re local, we LOVE lightnow and heartbeet for vegan eats!

stella & dot’s summer collection is here!

and its OH SO good!

think colorful earrings, everyday basic necklaces mixed in with tops, bags, hats, sunnies and dresses! yes, the line has expanded so we can be the busy gal/mom’s one-stop shop to look chic without a lot of work!

I had a few local stylists over my house this week to check it all out and let’s just say, we were swooning over every.single.piece!

some of my faves include:

this clutch which I’ll be rocking all spring and summer long:

mommy & me statement necklaces:

a tote to take you from work to weekends down the shore:

delicate necklaces and statement earrings that give a fun pop of color…

ps: these red beauties are currently only $9.99 when you spend $100+ this weekend only and also come in white!

be sure to check out the entire collection here!

new hair, don’t care…

actually, I do care bc I am loving my lighter locks!
I have the luxury of having an amazing hairstylist – Kate Spencer at Studio Ten Salon!
she’s also a very close friend of mine so I can literally sit down in her chair and say, “do whatever you want, you know what I like” and I’ve never been disappointed!

so since summer is right around the corner, we lightened my locks and I’m LOVING the results!

if you’re local, be sure to check Kate and the whole crew over at Studio Ten!
(for info on my haircare products, check out this post)

nyx cosmetics

I was so excited to receive this ginormous box of goodies from NYX a few weeks ago and this post is the perfect opportunity to share which ones I’m loving!

this eyeshadow palette is my jam since neutral shades look best with my blue eyes. these colors go on nicely and last all day! I swear by finishing powder, especially when baking my undereyes – see this post, and this one doesn’t leave any white residue or show up in pics with a ring light, therefore a winner in my book! loving the soft bristles on this fan brush and I’ve been using it to apply the finishing powder and highlighter. not sure if that’s what its meant for bc I’m the furthest thing from a makeup artist, but its working soooo…. this lip lacquer is the perfect nude for me and lasts for hours! no stickiness, its more of a matte finish without drying out your lips – shade is “push-up.” I’ve been filling in my brows for years – video here – and while I’ve been using this pencil for years, this micro version has totally won me over! it goes on smoothly, without being too harsh and the opposite end has the spooly brush to blend it all together. the shade “brunette” matches my brows perfectly! I’ve been using nyx’s setting spray for some time now (I alternate it with this one) and it mattifies my makeup and helps it last all day long!
lastly, how cute is this little pouch?? I’d say its EVE-RYTH-ING! 😉

**there was no requirement for me to post any reviews on the products nyx sent me. this is not a sponsored post. I will always share my honest opinions with you when posting products. there were many other products that nyx included in the box that I did not use, therefore did not include in this post**

the uniform.

thermal | jeans | booties (old) | necklace | earrings

I usually post my daily outfit pictures on Instagram, but have been slacking big time on that since I seem to wear the same thing over and over again: thermal, ripped jeans, ankle boots. I wear short-sleeved ones, long-sleeved and even cardigan versions. what can I say? when I like something, I stick with it. well I was pleasantly surprised when my followers shared how much they loved this look and often wear the same thing! sometimes as a pseudo-blogger (that’s what I like to call myself), you get roped into the whole comparison thing. its hard, some bloggers are wearing new threads every post and you can find yourself sitting there saying, how in the world can they do that?!!

well, for me, we’re living on a pastor’s salary and any of my shopping funds come from stella & dot earnings which I like to use to go out for a nice dinner, yoga classes and Starbucks. luckily, when I have a simple, neutral wardrobe of quality pieces, I can add different jewels to achieve different looks. once I figured this out, whewwww – it relieved so much stress not only getting dressed, but also reducing the amount of comparison stress I was putting on myself. the average woman does not have dispensable income to blow on clothes 24/7, so to keep with much of what I do around here, I’m just keepin’ in real.

ps: not knockin’ those gals who are always sporting new threads either! keep doing your things gals, you give me SO much outfit inspo! xo

so THAT is what my life has been like lately. wild, huh?
now that its calmed down some, I’m back to my regularly scheduled blogging routine and would love your feedback:
do you like these life roundups? do you prefer Friday fives? would you rather me go back to what I wore last week posts? leave your choices in the comments! xo

my life lately.