My First Thanksgiving

Tips and Tricks

Guys. This will be my first year making thanksgiving dinner for my boyfriend and his dad. We've been joking that it's wife test #1. I tend to get pretty obsessive with entertaining others being perfect, so this is ranking pretty important for me. As such, I've done a bit of research on turkey-cookin' that I thought I would share!

When I first told multiple people, including my dad, that I was making dinner for the first time, they all said, "brine the turkey!" If multiple people say to do it, do it. Brining the turkey is basically marinating it, and infusing favors into the meat. I found this recipe that I'm using on Pinterest (obviously). Basically, I'm going to whip up this citrus herb marinade on Wednesday, and brine my turkey in it over night. On Thursday, I'll take it out of the brine, pat it dry, and add stuff some of the oranges, lemons, and herbs inside the turkey to further infuse those flavors. Here's the recipe I'm using:

Apple Cider & Citrus Turkey Brine with Herbs

You may have noticed that I said I was stuffing the turkey with lemons and oranges instead of stuffing. I found an article on common thanksgiving mistakes (I told you, obsessive) and stuffing the turkey with stuffing was one of them. By stuffing the turkey, you now have to cook the turkey longer, essentially drying out the turkey, in order to not have selmonella bread pudding. Yum! So, I'll be baking my stuffing separately. I'm using my grandma's stuffing recipe!

Here are some other tips from the article above:

Dry the turkey before roasting, inside and out.
Use a real thermometer.
Let the turkey rest for 15 minutes before carving.
The turkey takes FOUR DAYS to thaw, at least.

Did you forget that last one? Fret not. Buzzfeed has everything: How to Thaw a Turkey

Good luck to all you first timers! I'd love to hear the recipes you'll be using or what you're making!! Leave them in the comments below!

ColourPop Haul #2

Fall Collection

I love fall. I think we covered this in our last post, but it's ok. It's finally cooling down here in Ohio, and leaves are falling, and I'm just too happy for life. Then there's all the wonderful fall makeup. Vampy lips, smokey eyes, pale skin. It's all my favorite.
This post is long awaited. Long, long awaited. In my last ColourPop order, I bought 2 matte lippie stix, 4 eye shadows, and a highlighter. As I mentioned in the last haul, I'm just really impressed with the quality of these products when they're so affordable. The major drawback (to me) is that they're online only. I wish they were sold in stores, so I could swatch and see what I like. Luckily, I haven't disliked anything yet!

 Swatches

All swatches are one good swipe on an unprimed arm. 

Swatches in action

Below, I'm using I Spy on the center of the lid, and some of the red is Central Perk. I did blend in some of the red from the Coastal Scent's Revealed 2 palette in the darker parts. I Spy, in my opinion, applies better using your finger tip. It has a very creamy texture, but it's not a cream. Does that make sense? I love the colors here and think they're perfect for fall. If you follow my IG, you might have seen that I'm slightly obsessed with red shadows. I literally swatch every single one I see in stores. While Central Perk isn't super pigmented, I really like it as a transition for some of my more pigmented, darker reds, like the one in the Revealed 2 palette.

The lip color below is Nevermind. It's really a nice dark plum-y red. I dabbed a bit of the highlighter, Stole the Show, in the center of my lips to give it a bit more dimension! This is one of those that is the reason I wish ColourPop was sold in stores. While I really like the color, it's just so dark and I'm struggling to find a time to wear it. In all honesty, I could wear it with any neutral eye look, I'm just scared of the intensity. This is wayyy darker than my typical vamp shades, and I've just recently gotten into the purple lippies! This one is a burgundy-purple. Really pretty, but really dark.

Ignoring my ears (we went to a Renaissance Festival), I smoked out Plaid on my eyes and dabbed the highlighter, Stole the Show, in the center of my lids, and I have Grunge on my lips. Literally the perfect lip color for fall. I think I've worn Grunge every time I've worn lipstick in the past month. I can't get enough of it.
I'm really liking Plaid for an all-over smoky look. It's a good change from the typical black smoky eye. The color is what I think of when I think of traditional green plaid, and I love it!
Stole the Show has more glitter in it that Lunch Money does. If you're unaware, Lunch Money is the highlighter I bought in my last haul, which is a shimmery champagne. This one is white. Like, white, white. And glittery. Not sure how I feel about it as an actual highlighter, but I will certainly use it to dab on the middle of my lids or lips!

Everything in this haul if from their fall collection, and I'm in love. No complaints about anything, and I'm seriously contemplating ordering another Grunge so I don't run out anytime soon!

Ipsy Bag Review

September 2015

So, I recently switched from Birchbox to Ipsy. It had nothing to do with me being unhappy with the service. I was just starting to get some duplicates, and I wasn't really enjoying what I was receiving anymore! I definitely could have changed up my beauty profile, but the allure of getting something new was too much. So, I switched to Ipsy. I noticed they had more of the popular high-end brands, like Tarte, Too Faced, etc, which I liked. So, here we are...

This month, I got the Nyx shadow trio, argan oil, hand cream, brow gel, and a matte lip pencil!

Shadow Trio

ipsy x Nyx Shadow Trio: The black is matte, while the cream and brown shades are shimmery. Swatching this with my finger to my arm, I was certainly not impressed. The shades were not pigmented whatsoever. However, once I was using my brushes, some primer, and my lid, they showed up quite a bit better. Still not ridiculously pigmented, but it's definitely a nice little palette for fall.

Matte Lip Crayon

 tre'StiQue Matte Lip Crayon: Below, I have on the matte lip pencil and, obviously, the shadow. The lip color didn't really work for my skin tone. In person, it's a bit more peach, and I'm just not a fan. It didn't help that I had chapped up lips. Real cute!

Argan Oil

Octavio Molina Hair Argan Oil: I love argan oil. I'm that girl that takes a good hour doing her makeup, then typically doesn't even brush her hair. To be fair, doing makeup is almost therapeutic for me. I'm too lazy, and basically over it by the time I get to my hair. However, I have really long hair that I don't like cutting. Argan oil definitely helps my fried, crispy ends! This one doesn't smell nearly as good as some of my other ones, but it performs just as well!

Tinted Brow Gel

Elizabeth Mott Queen of the Fill Tinted Brow Gel: I really wasn't expecting to like this much, and I think I'm still up in the air about it. It only comes in two colors, either a blonde or brown. The blonde is a good color to tone down my slightly-darker-than-they-should-be brows, so that's a plus. I'm just used to my Dip Brow, so maybe I'm just biased. Anyone with black brows won't be able to use this, though, as it doesn't come in black!

Ultra Repair Cream

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream: If you're looking for something that smells pleasant, keep on looking. It's not that this stinks, but it sort of smells like baby cream. Like, baby butt cream, ya know what I'm talking about? But, I mean, if you're in need of some intense moisture and you don't mind the smell, go for it! It's extremely moisturizing. It took a while for it to absorb fully into the skin, but eventually it did. It wasn't too oily while it was absorbing, so that's a plus!

Sorry this is pretty short and lacking more photos!

What did you guys get in your bags or Birchboxes!? Let me know in the comments below!

Make It Tuesday?

Oatmeal Pumpkin Cream Pies

I must apologize for the late post. Last night, I went to see my favorite band of all time, Anberlin. It's their final tour, and there was just nothing that could keep me from being there. Needless to say, the band played amazingly, as they have every time I've been to a show of theirs. They'll alway hold the largest part of my little musical heart. 

Guys, that man we're standing with? That's the lead singer, Stephen Christian. His voice is pure perfection. Now that you've forgiven me, we can get to the real post. (:

I'm sure we've all got Thanksgiving coming up. Unless you don't celebrate that, which is cool. But then there's the work pot lucks and dinner with friends, and ya know, just the whole holiday get togethers begin. Whenever there's a potluck or any kind of gathering, everyone knows I'm bringing a dessert. That's just what I love making. Although it had nothing to do with any gathering, I recently made these Oatmeal Pumpkin Cream Pies, and can I just tell you, they were delicious. 

Ingredients:

Cookies:

1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted

1/2 c. sugar

3/4 c. brown sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 large egg

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 2/3 c. old-fashioned rolled oats

1 c. flour

Pumpkin Filling:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

1/4 c. pumpkin puree

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

2-2.5 c. powdered sugar

1/4 c. flour

How To:

In a large bowl, whisk together the butter and sugars. Add the vanilla, egg, baking soda, and cinnamon, and whisk to combine. Mix in the rolled oats. Slowly add in the flour using a wooden spoon to combine well. Cover this and let refrigerate for at least an hour. I let mine sit overnight because I got lazy. After about an hour, or the next day, preheat the oven to 325F. Roll the cookie dough into small balls, about 1-2 inches. Place these in rows on a greased cookie sheet. Pop in the oven for about 10-15 minutes. I like my cookies a little crispier, so this is all judgement. Let the cookies cool for about 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. 

While you're making the cookies, or while they're cooling, you can start the filling. Using a hand mixer, or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter, pumpkin puree, and spices together. Slowly begin adding in the powdered sugar, about a 1/2 cup at a time. As this still produces a thin consistency, add in the flour. Fair warning, it's still going to seem a bit thin, or it did to me. However, if you pop the frosting in the fridge for a bit, it's much easier to work with. Once your cookies are cooled completely, you can spread the filling on the bottom of one cookie and sandwich it to another.

Congratulations! You just made delicious cookies!

What's your favorite dessert to take to gatherings!? I'd love to know! (:

Make It Monday

Glitter Pumpkins

Please excuse my not cute porch.

I do apologize for being late, but boyfriend and I were at Best Buy all last night getting new iPhone 6's! And I'm a procrastinator and didn't have my post ready yet. (; but isn't she a beaut!?

So anyway, the first thing boyfriend said when I started making glitter pumpkins this weekend? "Halloween is over." If you're one of these people, it's still fall!!!! I can keep my decor up until thanksgiving! I can't go putting up my Christmas tree yet, can I? Nope, people would give me odd looks. So fall decor it is. Thank you very much. Trust me, as soon as Thanksgiving is over, I will lose my mind over Christmas decor. It's just so beautiful and sparkly. Until then, however, I will keep my fall decor and love it. (:

For a while, I was debating whether I wanted real pumpkins or craft pumpkins. I ended up opting for craft pumpkins for 2 reasons. 1) Michael's had an amazing deal. 2) One less thing I have to do next year! 

So, of course, you can pick whatever patterns your little heart desires, but I've gone with polka dots and stripes!

What you'll need:

Glitter

Craft pumpkins of various sizes

Tape

Paper

Scissors

Glue

Sponge brush

Rubber Bands

Patterns in mind

How to:

*Disclaimer: Do not do this inside, in clothes you like, or want to wear to bed. Because glitter.*

So anyway. I began by cutting out a circle out of a small piece of paper. Then, I just held it up to the pumpkin and, using the sponge brush, painted inside the circle with glue. Over a piece of paper, I shook some glitter onto the glue spot. Shake to remove the excess, and voila! Now cover the rest of your pumpkin in circles. The striped one took a little more. Using the rubber bands, "rope off" the areas you want to make glittery. I made one large stripe, a small stripe (that is blank), and then another large stripe. All together, I used 4 rubber bands. Now, using your sponge brush, paint a generous amount of glue inside the stripes you want to be glittery. Then, sprinkle the glitter on, shaking off the excess. Easy and super cute! Like, ridiculously cute. You could totally do chevron, but I'm way too anal about that. I know I wouldn't be able to make the stripes even, and that would drive me crazy. 

What's your favorite fall DIY!? I'd love to see in the comments below!

Make It Monday

Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Smoothie

October is coming to a close already! What? But that in no way means I'm done with pumpkin. I don't think any white girl is done with pumpkin yet. I've got until the end of November to eat and drink as much pumpkin as I can. Then it's on to Christmas cookies for days. However, as we've discussed before, pumpkin-flavored love isn't alway good for you. So this yummy coffee pumpkin smoothie is perfect for those days when you can't wake up, and you need something quick and filling. Or for that afternoon pick-me-up!

Ingredients:

1/2 c. pumpkin puree

1/4 c. rolled oats

1/4 c. greek yogurt

1 c. almond milk

1 packet Starbucks Caramel Iced Via

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Pinch of allspice

How to:

Pop all the above ingredients into a blender and blend away. This produces a creamy smoothie. I, personally, poured this into a cup and threw it in the freezer for the next day. By the time it had thawed out enough to drink it, it was the perfect afternoon snack!

Make It Monday

Super Easy Pumpkin Muffins

We all know once fall hits, it's pumpkin madness. But literally, pumpkin is so delicious, and it has so many health benefits. Unless you're getting a pumpkin spice late. Then, not so much. It's no different in my home! As soon as the autumn equinox comes around, it's all over from there. I basically lose my mind! So, my little fall recipe today is pumpkin muffins. They just so happen to not be absolutely awful for you either. (: That is definitely a plus in the pumpkin madness!

Ingredients:

Muffins

1 box spiced cake mix

1 can pumpkin

1 medium banana, mashed

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. ginger

(I used 1/8 tsp. fresh ginger)

Glaze

1/4 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. almond milk

Sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice

How To:

Preheat the oven according to the cake mix box. In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin and banana. Add in the cake mix slowly. Once that is combined well, stir in the spices. Line a muffin tin with liners and fill them 3/4 full with the pumpkin mixture. Bake these marvelous muffins according to the instructions on your cake mix. Mine ended up baking a bit longer. Make sure to check them with a toothpick! Once nothing comes out when you poke it in the center, you're good to go. If you so feel like it, in a small bowl, whisk together the glaze ingredients and drizzle it on top of the muffins!

Now enjoy!

In case you wanna know some nutritional facts, I plugged this recipe (minus the glaze) into myfitnesspal. 158 calories, 2.6 g. fat, 31.4 g. carbs, and 1.5 g. protein per muffin.

What's your favorite fall treat!?

Make It Monday!

Fall Wreath

Welcome to the new change! It's holiday season, and that means I'm a crafting, baking fool. Fall and winter crafts and treats are my favorite. Throughout the holiday months, I will be giving you some DIYs, baked goods, and ideas for the holidays!

I'm going to kick off this change with an easy, pretty fall wreath. If you follow my facebook page, you saw that I went on a little excursion at Michael's. I was pretty proud of my purchases and savings! I saved $27!! You literally can't beat that. Needless to say, you'll have a few DIYs coming at you! So, let me show you how easy this is.

Materials Needed:

1 Grapevine wreath

(I used a 12")

Fall flowers of your choosing

(I used 4 small bouquets)

Ribbon

(I'm using a 4" burlap)

Hot glue gun & glue sticks

The Fellowship of the Ring

(optional, recommended)

Directions:

Heat up your glue gun. While you're waiting for that, separate all the flowers from the stems. Once the glue gun is hot, start by swirling the glue around the base of the flowers, one at a time. Then, just start sticking them through the vines, making sure the glue is anchored onto a part of the wreath. Continue doing this until the flowers are as full as you want them. While you're letting those dry, let's work on the bow.

Cut two lengths of ribbon the same length. Mine were about 40" pieces. Also cut a small piece, about 6-7", and cut it in half. Fold the two long pieces in half and lay one diagonally across the other, as shown above. Grab the center of the two, and scrunch them up. Wrap your small piece around the center of the longer two and hot glue it, so it's closed around the two, making a big bow! Now slather on some hot glue to the back center piece of your bow, and place it on the wreath where you'd like it! Press and hold it there for a few seconds, and you're done!
Go hang that on the door, and marvel at how cute it is and how many compliments you get on it. (: