Tutorial Request?

So the holidays are fast approaching.  Carly did a fabulous post last year for a holiday eye. 

I'm thinking we need a smokey eye tutorial? Or something else entirely? Natural looking eye? Bold/crazy colors.

What do you want to see peeps of the blogosphere? More lipstick? I mean come on there's always room for lipstick, right?

Help me figure out what you want to see!

xoxo
CP

Nude Lips

To be honest, for a long time I just didn't get nude lipstick. What's the point? I mean why wear lipstick that doesn't look like lipstick? One day, at CVS they were having a buy one get one on Maybelline Cosmetics sooo I bought two. One nude lipstick and one fuchsia. The fuchsia was a bust. Nothing compares to Yves Saint Laurent's le fuchsia. Nothing. But the nude...that was a whole 'nother story. 

Suddenly I understood why nude. I got it. I had stumbled upon the perfect nude shade for me. I'm still searching for the perfect shade that lasts (the maybelline does not have staying power which requires frequent reapplication). So I present to you my nude. Lipstick. I also challenge you to find your nude. ;)

Lipstick: Maybelline Nude Lust

Eyeshadow: urban decay naked 2 & naked 3

Eyeliner: almay 

Mascara: tarte gifted 

His & Hers

I've been married for 9 years last October. We'll be celebrating our 10 year anniversary October 22. That's a long time. The first few years of our marriage we never really had a place that was OURS. We had an apartment, we lived in my parents attic, his parent's basement but it wasn't until we moved to Iowa for medical school that we had to make our house a home. We moved into our townhouse sight unseen based on the help of some AWESOME people that I'd never actually met. It definitely served its purpose. It was a 2 bedroom townhouse in an income restricted neighborhood. It was perfect for us. Cheap considering our income was all of $0/year while we were medical students and lived completely off of student loans. It was then I realized I had NO idea who I was. What I liked. How I wanted my home to be decorated. It was then I started to find myself and figure out what from my past I wanted to incorporate into my new life. We lived in that townhouse for just a year and a half and moved the day my 2nd son turned 2. We moved into a house. It was absolutely gigantic in comparison. 4 bedrooms and 2 baths with a basement! It was there we welcomed our third son, Owen and I was able to decorate for the first time, a nursery! We lived in that house until we moved to our first home that we bought in Kansas City. I feel like a grownup now. I can paint the walls whatever color I want (and by I, I mean my husband). I can hammer stuff wherever I'd like. No landlord to stop me.
My room has been a butterfly in the year and a half that we've lived here. Starting off with nothing but basic old stuff from my previous places and transformed and changed into what it is today. A cohesive and peaceful place that I spend way too much time watching Sons of Anarchy in. (I mean Jax Teller. Need I say more?!)
Months ago my friend Jackie sent me a text with the following Etsy listing saying that I needed to make these. It was when I was big into embroidering so we'd thought for sure they would be embroidered.

Buy Pillows Here

I'm in love with the idea of his and hers pillows. They're romantic and cute but I don't say hello there handsome and he definitely doesn't say good morning gorgeous. (Bed head, yo. It's a real thing.)

I know the last time I blogged that I blogged about Matt Nathanson, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy to be blogging about him again. There are other things I'm interested in, Jax Teller for instance....but today as I was listening to one of my favorite Matty songs I had a brilliant idea. It wouldn't go away so I present you with the CC&J spin on his and hers pillows. 

Here are the supplies you'll need. 

I bought a 2 pack of white shams from Walmart. I wasn't sure how this was going to work out so I wanted it to be cheap. I plan on buying better supplies (fabric paint vs. marker for one thing) and making them a bit more refined. But these work! And they were cheap. $15 for the whole project! The Fabric Paint marker was in the craft section of my Walmart. I bought the fattest one they had.
And Red Bull is optional. Unless you're in my life. Then it's a necessity.

First get your marker ready by shaking thoroughly and pressing the tip to get the paint flowing. Once it's flowing PRACTICE your writing. I practiced on my dog's pillow and also a box from my kids' crackers. I practiced mine twice and never practiced Barry's (big mistake, HUGE!).

Next lay your pillow cases/shams whatever out. I highly recommend pinning them to your carpet or otherwise securing them so that your fabric stays nice and taut. Otherwise writing with the marker is a bit of a biotch.

See I wasn't kidding about the Red Bull...delicious.

Then write your word or phrase.

Shove your pillows into the cases and then put them on your bed! Voila! Cute his and hers pillows. I can't wait to get my fabric paint! (Also, stunned looks jacked...sorry B.)

And then listen to this glorious and sexy song.

Kill the Lights-Matt Nathanson (YouTube video...seriously amazing performance)
Kill The Lights MP3

Holiday Party Pretty

Here's a fun little tutorial I threw together with ideas for holiday party eye makeup.  I know, I know, the rules say not to do eyes and lips at the same time, but if winter is good for anything, it's more saturated pigments, and I say go bold or go home! I paired this look with a deep wine red- my favorite Nars, Terre De Fue.

-Carly