Favorite Makeup

If you saw my makeup organization video, then you saw the amount of makeup I have.  





Guests will be staying in my guestroom though, so I had to clean out my makeup drawer, and will have to apply it in the bathroom or my bedroom.  I put everything that I don't think I will need for three weeks, and kept out my favorites.  This is what I have left and what I will be using for the next three weeks (plus two eyeshadow palettes):

Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation, Clinique Redness Solutions Foundation,
Urban Decay Face Primer, Clinique Pore Minimizer,
Maybeline Dream Mousse Concealer, Physicians Formula Correcting Face Powder,
Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush, Milani Blush in Luminous,
and a MAC highlighter, Nars Laguna Bronzer

Urban Decay Primer Potion, Prestige Black Eyeliner, Rimmel Green Eyeliner,
L'Oreal Hip Purple Eyeliner, Make Up For Ever Navy Aqua Eyes Eyeliner,
L'Oreal Telescopic Carbon Black Mascara, Urban Decay Eyelash Primer Potion

Buxom Lashliner in Dark Blue and Sequined Black, MAC Paint Pot in Rubinesque,
MAC Eyeshadow in Woodwinked, Smashbox Eyebrow Powder and Gel,
NYC Eyeshadow in My Favorite Color

Summer

Sorry I've been MIA since June 1st, I think I have summer on the brain!  It doesn't officially start until Tuesday, but it unofficially started Memorial weekend.  Especially when it was in the 90s that weekend and has been nice ever since.  Makes up for that rainy April and May.  What are you looking most forward to this summer?  Here's my list and I hope to enjoy every second of these precious months:

• sunsets at the beach
• walking at the beach path in the morning
• swimming!
• hanging out with my Mom at her pool
• reading books and magazines and more books! (my goodreads: 
• lazy hair and makeup
• flip-flops
• flower clips in my hair
• scary movie night on Monday nights with Tom, Mom, Aunt April and Uncle Mike
• going to the movies more often
• wineries
• making s'mores
• sitting around a fire at night
• picnics
• hikes
• pool parties
• Fourth of July
• our SEVENTH wedding anniversary (Holy Cow)
• Tom's parents coming from Scotland 
• getting a new job
• ice-cream
• strawberries
• TOMATOES 
• peaches
• watermelon
• grilled food
• girlie foo-foo drinks

Here's my beach-bag (got it at Forever 21), what's in yours?

Here's a great, EASY dessert to make for get-togethers/cookouts:

Recipe here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/down-home-with-the-neelys/strawberry-shortcut-cake-recipe/index.html

Pepperoni Bread How To

Pepperoni bread is pretty simple to make and a great appetizer for an outdoor party (can be eaten hot, room temp or cold).

Roll out your dough to a long rectangular shape.
I get my dough from a local pizza shop.

My secret is that I add a very thin layer of marinara sauce.

Add the pepperoni.

Add mozzarella and parmesan cheese and roll up.

If it's too long for your baking sheet, wrap it around.
Brush olive oil on the top, sprinkle with parmesan cheese
and add a few slits to vent.

Bake on 400 for 30 min with foil covering,
remove foil and bake for 5-10 more minutes.

Slice and enjoy!

Glazed Lemon Cookies and Chocolate Dipped Shortbread

I made these cookies for a Memorial Weekend party and they were a huge hit.

The glazed lemon cookies are a Martha Stewart recipe, and the chocolate dipped shortbread are an Ina Garten recipe.  The only thing I changed on the shortbread recipe was that I rolled it into a log and sliced them, vs. rolling them out and using cookie cutters.  Rolling pins, cookie cutters and myself do not get along.  My way was super easy.  They only took 12 minutes to cook, not 20.  I dipped them in dark Belgium chocolate from Trader Joes (1lb brick, I used half the brick).  
The lemon cookies also only took about 13 minutes to cook, not 15-20.
I will be making both again for sure!

Weekend Recap

We had a nice weekend!
Starting with homemade pizza Friday night and a walk at the beach:

First sunset we have seen this year!

Saturday morning we went to Cuyahoga Valley National Park and rewarded ourselves afterward with a cupcake and cannoli from a local Italian Bakery.  Yum!

Left over panini, it wasn't pressed down at all.

So I pressed it at home when I re grilled it.

World Market

Let's just talk about World Market for a second (some parts of the country call it Cost Plus).  I recently joined their Explorer Program and I think you should too.  You basically use your account # every time you make purchas.  Once you purchase $100 worth of food products you get a $10 gift card.  There's no expiration either to get to your $100 purchase total, so you could take an entire year to do it if you want.  Also, for every 6 bags of coffee you buy you get one free one.  And if you buy a bag of coffee on a Wednesday it counts as if you had bought two.  Not to mention their coffee is YUM.  We currently have the Texas Turtle Blend (bought on a Wednesday, two points!).  So besides the $10 and the coffee deals you also get coupons and recently I had a random $10 off $30 which I put to good use.  


Food I enjoy from World Market includes: coffee, chocolate from around the world, British items for my husband (like HP Sauce, Heinz Beans, various chocolate), Maui Sweet Onion Chips, lemon pancake mix, fruit jams and preserves, baking items, pasta sauces, and chicken korma sauce.  I also enjoy their wine and beer (I don't think that counts towards the $100 food purchase though unfortunately!).  We recently tried Buffalo Bills Orange Blossom Cream Ale and it is delish.  


I wish I could take you all on a shopping trip there!  Besides the food section I also love their patio/outdoor items, kitchenware (particularly serving items and coffee mugs), home accessories, greeting cards, and fancy french soaps.  Last time I was there I got this pretty teapot for only $15:

I also want to mention that they are currently doing a $100 gift card a day giveaway on their Facebook page until May 27th.  The only bad thing is that my local World Market closed, but the nearest one is only about 12 miles away so it's not THAT horrible.  

*I am not affiliated in any way with World Market, I just really enjoy this store :)

French Onion Soup

I followed Deb's recipe to a T and it was AMAZING!
Recipe: http://smittenkitchen.com/2011/04/french-onion-soup/