I'm Back with a Huge Life Update!!

First of all, no, I'm not pregnant (sorry, Mom)! 

I'm back!  I guess I subconsciously needed to take a little break from blogging, eh?  I actually recently had the opportunity to take over a page involving Kate Middleton hair called Get Kate's Hair with some friends, so I've been focusing on that some.

The holidays were wonderful.  It's always so nice to spend quality time with my wonderful family.  I am REALLY blessed that I absolutely love my in-laws.  I mean, I LOVE them.  People always complain about how irritating their in-laws can be, but I have no complaints.

At the beginning of January, I went in to cleaning mode to get the house ready for sale.  We met with our wonderful realtor to talk about listing the house and even had a date set to list it.  Then, we got a call saying that some of our family wanted to purchase the house to rent it.  This meant that a) we didn't have to go through the trouble and craziness of listing our house, and b) didn't have to play the buy/sell game when buying our new home.  I was ecstatic!!

A few weeks ago we started looking at homes to purchase with our realtor.  The first three homes we looked at were in a neighborhood that we absolutely loved, however, the homes were older ones and showed their ages.  One of the houses we visited looked like an episode of Hoarders.  It stunk, there was clutter everywhere, and the cherry on top was one room that was filled to the ceiling with crap.  It was awful!

That same day, we visited a neighborhood that we'd been eying since starting to look at new homes over a year and a half ago.  I'd always had a great feeling about this particular neighborhood, and after seeing the state of many older homes, I knew it was the right fit for for us.  We looked at a few spec homes in the development that were nice, but slightly smaller than we would have liked and slightly out of our budget.

We were back at square one, with an ideal neighborhood, but no home that was right for us.  So, the next week, I went back with my realtor to take another look.  At the last minute, the builder's representative let us know about a floor plan that was finished and ready to close, so it would give us a great idea of what the floor plan actually looked like in person.  The minute I walked in the door, I was floored.  It was perfect.  I couldn't have dreamed of a better floor plan for us.  It had all the space we needed, extra bedrooms, extra office space for Kyle, and a gorgeous open plan. 

That evening, I took Kyle back to look and he fell just as in love with it.  The next day, we were meeting and signing a contract on a lot and a floor plan.  I am so excited to begin this new chapter!!  I'm not exactly thrilled about building, BUT since we don't have the time constraints of having to sell our home, it will be a more ideal situation.

This Thursday, we go to the design center to choose what we want for the house.  These pictures are inspiring me right now.

We know we want grey/greige as our main color in the house, along with cooler colors.  We want light colored counter tops with darker cabinets, and, ideally, wood flooring throughout most of the home.  I'm both overwhelmed and excited!!

BEST DAY EVER!!!

Everyone knows how I much I love Kate Middleton.  It's no secret!  She's pregnant, but is unfortunately suffering from hyperemesis gravadarum.  As a nurse, I have taken care of patients with this, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.  It is complete misery for the mother.  This is how excited I was when I found out this morning...

November Favorites!!

Soap and Glory Hand Food Hand Cream:  This hand cream has, hands down, changed the texture of my calloused hands.  My palms are insanely silky and smooth now, which is hardly ever the case, especially in the fall/winter. 

Laura Mercier Pink Mosaic Shimmer Bloc:  I purchased this in the Sephora VIB 20% off sale, and I'm in love!  It gives me the perfect glowy look without being too glittery. 

Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream:  In my mission to maintain my soft hands, a cuticle cream was a must.  I keep this in my purse and use it whenever I think about it.  It absorbs well and is non-greasy.  Oh, and the smell is delicious!

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub:  I know I've talked about this before, but I've been loving this scrub more now that the weather is becoming drier.  It works like a dream and tastes even better!

Redken All Soft Shampoo and Conditioner:  I've used All Soft for most of my adult life, but at some point within the last few years they reformulated the product with argan oil instead of the avocado.  I loved it before, but it is ONE MILLION times better now.  It leaves my hair feeling silky smooth, even after a blow out. 

Nexxus Emergencee:  The ends of my hair dry out very quickly, so I'm always looking for something to help my hair.  I will do a more in depth post on this product soon, but it has changed my hair for the better. 

Avon Anew Luminosity Pro Brightening Serum:  I was getting flakey, dry, winter skin with occasional breakouts.  Since, I've been using this during the DAY (it says to use at night, but I apply it under my Elta sunscreen), my skin has not had ONE rough spot. 

Oscar Blandi Texture and Volume Spray:  Usually during the week, I shower at night.  So, in the morning, my hair is a big, flat, bed headed mess that goes up in a pony tail or top know 99% of the time.  After this, I can actually wear my hair down, and it lasts all day. 

Hue Wide Wale Corduory Leggings:  I've been wanting some velvet/corduroy leggings for a while now, and I found these on super sale during the Bloomingdales F&F sale when I was in NYC.  They have since become my favorite pant of the season.  They are super thick, so much so that I feel perfectly comfortable wearing them as actual pants with boots, and they are so soft and warm that I want to live in them.  Love, love, love these!!

Factory vs Outlet Clothing

I have had this conversation with so many people that I decided to do a PSA-type post about a factory store vs an outlet store.  My family and I go to the Outlet Malls in San Marcos every year for Black Friday, and we always have huge success.  The outlet pricing along with the additional Black Friday promotions make some purchases hard to pass up.  However, I have been burned in the past by several retailers before knowing the true difference between outlet vs factory clothing.

An OUTLET store usually contains items from a previous season.  It may have been the previous year, the previous two years, etc.  The quality is still the exact same as the tagged brand, however, the item may not be particularly current.  The Neiman Marcus Last Call store is, for the most part, a true outlet, although I believe they do have specific Neiman Marcus outlet merchandise.  Pottery Barn is also a true outlet store, selling items that are last season, slightly damaged, etc.  

A FACTORY store is where I get heated up.  A factory store sells brand new, current season, knock off, usually more cheaply made items of clothing.  Banana Republic is the bane is my existence when it comes to factory stores.  They used to be a true outlet, with older merchandise showing up in stores a year or so later; I could actually recognize it.  Now, however, the factory clothing has taken over, and the clothes are cheaper designs that do not resemble the quality and design of the actual Banana Republic retail store.  Unless you fully inspect an item, I do NOT recommend purchasing anything from a Banana factory store.  About 75% of the items that I have purchased have had to be donated, or even thrown away, because they are of such poor quality.

Here are a list of the Prime Outlet stores that I would personally shop at (for my Texas readers):

Neiman Marcus Last Call:  I have scored some GREAT items here at great prices, but you have to be very patient and dig around amongst the chaos

Coach:  The Coach factory store is just that, factory items.  However, I can vouch for the quality of several bags that my family and I have purchased.  Also, the prices are ridiculously cheaper than an average retail store.

Pottery Barn:  I have literally purchased the exact same thing at both the store and outlet.  However, research your outlet purchases here, because sometimes you can find them cheaper from the normal retail store.
 
Restoration Hardware:  Same as with Pottery Barn.

Crate and Barrel:  I can't attest to comparison with a C&B retail store, since we don't have them here in San Antonio.  However, I have purchased loads of items from the C&B outlet and have been more than happy with the quality and longevity.

Bath and Body Works:  Sometimes the prices aren't much better here, but sometimes you can find a great deal.  Again, do your research.

Kate Spade:  Again, great deals if you do your research.  Sale times, like Black Friday, are a great way to score big!

Ralph Lauren:  While this is a factory store, many of their items are similar in both quality and appearance to a regular retail store.  This is a place to scrutinize.

Cole Haan:  Probably my favorite of all stores at the outlet malls.  My husband and I have, several times, found AMAZING deals here, and the quality cannot be beat.  Highly, highly recommend!!

Use Caution!:

Gap:  Once again, a factory store.  You CAN find great things here, but really pay close attention to quality.  I purchased a denim jacket here from years ago that is still going strong.

Banana Republic:  See above

Victorias Secret:  Scrutinize, scrutinize.  I personally think that waiting for the Semi-Annual sale is a better option, and I think the items are much better quality.

The easiest thing you can do to determine whether or not your purchase at the outlet malls are factory or retail quality is to look at the tags.  Factory clothing's tags will be different from the regular retailer.  

Banana Republic Factory Clothing Item Tag

Banana Republic Regular Retail Store Clothing Item Tag

I hope this helps!!  Don't spend the same amount of money you normally would in a retail store on sale at a factory store and get cheaper quality items. 

Sephora Friends and Family

This is my first Sephora Friends and Family event as a VIB.  It was so exciting and overwhelming to have the entire store at 20% off, which is unheard of for many of the brands that Sephora has in house.  Here's what I purchased:

Laura Mercier Pink Mosaic Shimmer Bloc:  I was looking for a powdered version of my beloved Benefit High Beam.  While I love the high beam, I think that powder highlights transfer better on my combination/oily skin.  While this shimmer is more pink than the High Beam, it is fantastic.  It is a baked powder, so it is super intense and pigmented.  It's best when applied with my fan brush for a subtle glow on my cheeks.  It only takes a second and completely changes my makeup look.  It could also be used as a highlighter/eyeshadow.

Soap and Glory The Righteous Butter Body Butter:  I've been wanting to try Soap and Glory forever.  It is a British drugstore brand, and I had heard tons of amazing things about their products.  They don't disappoint.  The scent is a delicious combination of sweet and floral that I can't get enough of.  The cream absorbs beautifully softening my skin immediately.

Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy/Viva La Fleur Rollerball Duo:  I've been a huge fan of both of these scents for a long time, so I grabbed this in the sale.  They both smell fairly similar, but they're formulated to where I can wear them in all seasons.  

Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder:  I'm unfortunately starting to show signs of aging including fine lines under my eyes, so setting my under eye concealer is a must.  This fine powder is a light color, but goes on translucent and does an amazing job of setting my concealer and brightening up my dark circles.

Au Revoir!!!

I am heading here tomorrow to visit my friend Jackie from Long Star to Empire for a long girls weekend.  Oh, NYC, I LOVE YOU!

Symphony Brownies

Candy Bar Brownies

Ready for the easiest, most delicious brownies you've ever eaten?  I'm not kidding.  These brownies are ridiculous.  I think these babies are why my husband asked me to marry him.  He asks for them at every birthday and every time I ask him what dessert I should make.  They are so easy to pack up and take to a get together.  You will LOVE these brownies, and best of all, they can be easily adapted to appeal to many different tastes.

Here's what you need:

1 box of Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownie Mix (pictured above)
Oil
Eggs
Three Symphony Bars with Toffee and Nuts (or other full size candy bar of your choice)
13 by 9 baking pan
Non-Stick Cooking Spray

Gather all your ingredients, and note the TYPE of brownies you're going to make.  I HIGHLY recommend the  fudgy version for this recipe (down with cake-style brownies, is what I say!!)

Mix the batter per instructions on the box.

Next, pour half the batter onto the bottom of a greased 13 by 9 baking pan.  I wouldn't recommend using a brownie pan for this recipe.  I think the brownies are to thick and wouldn't cook properly.

Next, unwrap and lay three of your favorite extra large candy bars on top of the batter.  I always use the Symphony Bar with Toffee and Almonds.  They are to die for.

Below is how the brownies should look with half of the batter and the candy bars laid on top.

Next, pour the other half of the batter on top of the candy bars.  This part of fairly easy, especially with the fudgy brownies, since they have so much oil in them.  The most important thing to do in this step is to seal the edges as best you can so no candy is showing.

Next, bake per the Duncan Hines instructions, and enjoy!  Notice I didn't even get a picture of the finished product.  Yeah, they're THAT good!  Enjoy!