Ipsy Bag October 2013

I blame YouTube.  And you should too.

That's right, YouTube has sparked my interest in all things make-up and skincare.  This little pile made me oh so happy!  Living the dream, living the dream...

Right, well, YouTube beauty guru I am not, but I've really been addicted to enjoying the fashion, diy, and beauty videos over the past year.  Most of them subscribe to a beauty box or two, and so actually getting one of my own is way more thrilling than it probably ought to be.

So what exactly are these things?

1. Every bag comes with...well...a bag!  This one's adorable!
2. LA Fresh make-up wipes- Nice size right?
3. Zoya Nail Polish- I've already tried this out, and love it!  I stink at applying nail polish, but this stuff just melted onto my nails with a mind of it's own, and did the job with just one coat.
4. Starlooks Lip Pencil- I did try this one...and...well...I'm honestly not much of a lip pencil kinda girl.
5. Big Sexy Hair Blow Dry Gel- I've tried it, and really wanted to like it (obviously), but either I'm not applying it correctly or it's not that great.
6. Nourish Organic Deeply Nourishing Coconut & Argan Body Lotion- Cute little sample, and I thought it was ok, but Mr. Brown wasn't so sure.  He said it smelled better in the tube than on my hands...

That's it!  And that was my first review-ish post!  Excitement!

A First Anniversary Weekend...

So I've been married for a year now!  And all year I was looking forward to our one year anniversary for two reasons:

1) There's a well-loved tradition of eating a frozen bit of the wedding cake AND

2) The first anniversary trip!

#1 was a bit on the dry/freezer burned side, but the trip was great!  We went to the zoo & tried out a Japanese restaurant.  Both were pretty interesting... There were eels at both!  What an adventure :)

iPad Love

Evie!

In case I haven't mentioned it...  I have a new kitty and she's A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E!

Curb Appeal

Finally back into art journaling after some inspiration from http://marloesdevries.tumblr.com/ and my old favorite http://www.annadenise.nl/.

I planted my first ever flower garden and veggie patch this spring!  Small steps is the name of the game...  Watering them on a regular basis has been a bit of a challenge, but so far so good!

The Great Couch Swap of 2013!

Last weekend, Mr. Brown, myself, and my brother-in-law switched the couches of 4 houses, and we did it in less than 3 hours!  Now, I suppose I should clarify that when I say "we," I mean that the strong men did most of the work, and that they ought to get most of the credit.  I did my share to be sure, as I was in charge of moving the various cushions and pillows back and forth, and of course was the only one documenting the adventure.

In case you're wondering...

The chubby green love seat (my husband's $20 purchase) was ours and the first to travel.  It went to my mom & dad's house where it replaced a lovely neutral couch.  The neutral couch traveled about 20 minutes north to my sister's house to replace a mauve sectional (a remnant of her husband's bachelor days).  The sectional traveled back to my hometown to my youngest sister's house to replace the cream of the crop of sofa's...  Can you pick it out?  Process of elimination, I know, but really, it's so beautiful! And it's mine at last!  

Where Do You Take a Scot?

Summer came to Kansas this week!  I turned on the AC on Wednesday night, and that's the official beginning of summer for Kansas folk.  Along with summer, came my dear Scottish friend!  Just in time to enjoy the heat...

Now when I say "my Scottish friend," I mean she actually came over from Scotland, herself...  Technically, I think I've got some Scottish ancestry, along with what seems like 95% of the American population, but this girl even has the telling accent.  So there!

Anyway, she came for a visit, and one of the highlights (for me at least), was a trip to Jamesport, MO.  There's a high concentration of Amish/Mennonite families in this area, so over the years it's become quite the attraction.  Not only does it have small Amish-run businesses and shops, but also a load of antique shops!  Gotta love the antique shops!

My favorite purchase was a pair of blue furniture coasters
that I'm using to even out my kitchen cart!
Hence, my haul pic taking place on the kitchen floor :)

I didn't break the bank or anything, but I had a blast looking around and listening to the musings of my friend.  Twas an awesome day!