BEAUTY: ELF Lip Haul

Soooo, I went a little crazy on ELF lip products when they recently offered a $1.99 shipping sale. Since not everything in their product line is available in stores (or at least my stores) I'd been eyeing a few things on their website, but needed an extra push (like cheap shipping!) to make me pull the ordering trigger.

I love the quality of pretty much all of their products and with their low prices and cruelty-free practices, this is one brand that I never feel guilty about stocking up on. All of this stuff was about $17 with shipping! Kind of unreal.

Retractable Lip Brush

This is a handy tool with sturdy bristles that fits well on my lips and stores easily when capped. Love it!

Available Here $3.00

Lip Lock Pencil

This works like a reverse lip liner in a sense; you apply it just outside the lip line (on skin) to lock in lip color and keep it from bleeding or feathering. It's great to use when you don't have a matching lip liner, too.

Available Here $3.00

Essential Lipsticks

This basic lipstick line is a great value and the formula is really moisture-rich. The colors pop and glide on easily, but these do need to be reapplied periodically, as they don't have a super long wear time.

Available Here $1.00

L to R: Captivating / Flirtatious / Sociable

Essentials Lipstick in Captivating

Essentials Lipstick in Flirtatious

Essentials Lipstick in Sociable

Matte Lip Color in Rich Red

This is a twist up crayon with a sharpener hidden in the tail end. It's really easy to apply, both because of the soft, creamy formula and because of the slightly pointed tip. I outlined my lips and then filled it in for a full matte red lip.

Available Here $3.00

Lip Stain in Crimson Crush 

This stain looks and feels like a marker so it's easy to apply, but can also be a little messy. I liked the shade of red this gave my lips, but I wouldn't consider this a real stain because it came off a little at a time over the course of the day while eating, drinking, etc. I would definitely recommend exfoliating your lips before trying this out because the product settled more in some dry spots on my lips and left a bit of a ring around my lip line when it started to fade. Store this product tip down for easier use and a longer life.

Available Here $2.00

Moisturizing Lip Liner in Natural Blush & Bitter

These are basic lip liners that get the job done and they each came with their own little sharpener. I opted for a dark merlot shade (Bitter) to use with my similar shades of lipstick and a light pink shade (Natural Blush) which matches the shade of my natural lip color, since I can use that with any lipstick. Smooth color and easy application makes these a great addition to any makeup bag.

Available Here $1.00

I'm happy with my order overall, and I'm looking forward to trying out many, many new lip looks in the near future. I love when you don't have to spend a lot but you get a lot in return!

xoxo,
Michelle

DIY: Pom-Pom Necklace

When I found these HUGE pom-poms in the kids craft section at Michael's my jaw nearly dropped. They are so unique and unexpected - they really got the crafty side of my brain churning. They come in long strings (all pom-poms are attached) and I saw bright blue and bright pink ones in stores. I also think these would look great sewn together in rows to make a fun pom-pom scarf. Maybe next time...

What You Need

Extra Large String of Pom-Poms (I found this at Michael's)  /  2 Equal Lengths of Chain

Scissors  /  Needle & Thread  /  4 Small Jump Rings  /  2 Large Jump Rings  /  Clasp

How To Do It

1. Cut the length of pom-poms that you want for your necklace from the full string.

 2. Sew a large jump ring into one of the end pom-poms, making sure the stitches are secure. It helps to sew through the middle "meat" of the pom-pom.

 3. Repeat at the other end of the pom-pom string.

4. Attach a small jump ring to each large jump ring.

 5. Attach equal lengths of chain to each small jump ring.

 7. End the chain in another small jump ring and attach the clasp to finish.

To simplify, you could also skip all of the chain business and just tie a pretty ribbon to the large jump rings to finish the necklace. This is probably not an everyday kind of accessory, but it really adds something when nothing else will do (or when you want to look vaguely like a muppet).

xoxo,
Michelle

STYLE: OOTD Gray Leopard Leggings

Cardigan: Target

Dress: Old Navy

Leggings: Old Navy

Boots: Rampage

Necklace: Target

Ring: Michael's

I find myself in leggings more often than not these days, as winter finally starts to loosen its chilly grip on my wardrobe. These gray leopard leggings are from a few years back, but they still make the cut pretty often since their soft color palette makes them somewhat neutral. Ok, so maybe you don't consider leopard print a neutral, but in my world that's just par for the course. Paired with super bright pops of color like my beloved cobalt blue and green (which I love with my newly dyed red hair!), these leggings make a statement while still letting the color be the star in this outfit. Basically, bright colors + leopard = Michelle.

Wearing this locket makes me feel like an edgy school girl with its rosary-like chain. Target clearance! 

This ring is so colorful and magnificent in person (but reallllly hard to photograph) and I found it just laying by the jewelry supplies at Michael's - you really never know where good accessories will pop up!

xoxo,
Michelle

BEAUTY: Rainbow Heart Nails

I'm all about bright colors, but sometimes I love the juxtaposition of a colorful rainbow against a muted background. This gray manicure with rainbow hearts fits in with that theme and it's perfectly fitting for this first day of spring, which just so happens to be snowy, slushy and super sunny. 

[L to R: Seche Vite topcoat, Light Grey by Forever21, Innocent by Sinful Colors, On a Trip by Wet n Wild 

and Blue Me Away! / Mellow Yellow / Coral Reef by Sally Hansen]

I just hand drew the hearts carefully with the nail polish brush by making two dots (for the top of the heart) and connecting them into a point at the bottom on the heart.

Next time I would use a lighter green (probably mint green) to make it show a little brighter.

I'm working on a DIY nail sticker made from nail polish, which was how this manicure was supposed to be created originally. It's been tricky, but I think I've found a way to make it work. I'll post a tutorial as soon as I have a final product worthy of showing!

xoxo,
Michelle

COOKING: Pinterest Recipe Roundup

Pinterest  is an amazing tool for bookmarking and curating future project ideas, but I know a lot of people tend to spend a lot of time pinning and a not quite enough time actually trying out projects and recipes. I like to give my pinned projects a go as often as is feasible and I try to avoid pinning things that I know I'll never get around to actually doing. Like that recipe with 25 ingredients, half of which are not yet in my kitchen...probably not going to happen. 

I plan my dinner menu out every week and when I'm seeking recipe inspiration I take a gander at my recipe board on Pinterest and pick something that seems fun and new. Here I've collected a few recipes that I've tried and loved in case you want to try them too. The photos are my versions, but you'll find additional pictures and full instructions by clicking through the links in the titles. 

Mozzarella, Tomato & Avocado Salad from Ashley's Cooking Adventures

Super simple and delicious and so easy to throw together for a quick weeknight dinner. Serve with a nice crusty bread. Tip: I used Trader Joe's Garlic Infused Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil instead of plain EVOO for some added flavor. 

Homemade Cheez-Its from A Chow Life

I am OBSESSED with Cheez-Its. They are my all time favorite cracker (almost typed crack...also seems appropriate). I'd never tried homemade crackers before and it was a little time consuming and repetitive, but ultimately delicious and fun to try. These taste pretty close to the real thing and you know exactly what's in them. Perfection.

Chocolate Chip Mini Cheesecakes from Baking Bites

I'd never tried making cheesecake before, so I figured starting small made sense. These were easy peasy and are a great alternative to cupcakes. Plus, the size makes them easier to serve and eat. Plus, chocolate chips, so...

Roasted Potatoes from Iowa Girl Eats

New ways to try potatoes are always welcome and this simple cut-and-season method was delightful. These are topped with seasoning salt, parmesan cheese and butter so there was really no room for error there, in my opinion.

Mini Breakfast Quiche from A Beautiful Mess

Again, a first time for me. I'd never used puff pastry before because it seemed high maintenance, but getting sheets of the Pepperidge Farm brand made this super easy and created a finished product that looks much more complex than it really is. Impress your friends and family with puffy eggs and flaky crust!

You can see more of my pinned recipes (and clothes and DIY projects and hair and...you get the idea) here. 

What's the best thing you've tried from Pinterest?

xoxo,
Michelle

DIY: Spice Rack Makeover

I've had this cheapo spice rack kicking around in my kitchen for about five years, which, as it turns out, is about five years too many since I have barely touched the plentiful spices stored inside. My mom picked this up for super cheap (like $5) when I moved into my apartment and I used it here and there, but my supply of other spices always seemed to call to me more than these. Cut to years later when all this spice rack does is take up precious, precious counter space and periodically get splattered by the food that I'm cooking in my cramped kitchen. Not the best use, I don't think. Combine that with my constant desire for cute, unconventional storage and a crafty idea was born! I turned a no-longer-used spice rack into a handy-and-always-used craft storage rack, which is now proudly displayed on my sewing table! This kind of spice rack is pretty common, so here's how you can do it too:

WHAT YOU NEED

Spice Rack, Acrylic Paints (white and whatever color(s) you choose), Paint Brush, 

Sticker-Back Glitter Paper, Scissors, Pencil, Sandpaper (optional)

HOW TO MAKE IT

1. Empty and clean the spice jars and wipe down the rack itself. I also sanded mine lightly, but that's optional.

2. Paint the rack with a coat or two of white paint and let it dry.

3. Paint the rack with a coat of your colored paint and let dry completely. Repeat until the coverage is opaque.

4. While the paint dries, trace a spice jar cap on the back of the sticker glitter paper. I traced 16 circles, one for each cap. Cut those out. Peel the backing off the glitter paper circles and smooth one onto the top of each cap.

5. Fill the spice jars with bits and baubles and put them back into the rack. You're done! Hooray for you!

These are great for all kinds of storage, like office supplies or beauty tools, but I chose to store my smallest craft supplies here since they can be hard to keep in a visible space. Things like googly eyes, metal studs and tiny buttons can be hard to find when you need them, but in this new storage rack they're always within sight and within reach. Plus, the whole thing adds a nice pop of color (and glitter!) to my craft space, which always puts a smile on my face.

Do you have any fun, unconventional ways that you like to store things?

xoxo,
Michelle