Dear TJMAXX, You are my Weakness...

TJMAXX is quite possibly my favorite store. I'm pretty sure there has never been a time when I walked out of that store empty handed. I went recently and found a few cute things that I couldn't help but share. If you haven't been lately, go now! You won't be sorry.

 

 I bought these three rolls of wrapping paper at TJ. They were only $2.99 a roll and they were very big. I got all of this year's wrapping done and I still have all three rolls left. I used some tulle I had on hand and the gift tags are free printables from Pinterest.


How cute are these coasters? I love them so much that I think I'm going to frame them and display them in our kitchen. They would go perfectly with all the other black and white patterns and hints of gold we already have in the kitchen. These come in a box of 12 for $4.99. They would make a great gift with a fun wine glass and bottle of wine.

 

They also had the cutest bags for wrapping for $1.99. I wanted to buy every design they had, but I limited myself to only four. I love the colors and the patterns...so cute.

 

And of course, you can't forget the cute stuff for your furry friends.

He didn't mind the scarf, but hated the hat. I had to bribe him with A LOT of treats.

 

Aaron and I were way behind on our Christmas shopping. You don't realize how hard it is to find time to get it all done when you have to drive at least an hour to do it. We had two presents under our tree as of today. YIKES. We woke up early this morning, drove and hour and a half to the nearest big city with shopping and made a whole day of it. We both agreed that it was really fun to spend the day together shopping, eating out, and hanging out in the car. You take for granted the city when you live there everyday. It was funny how excited I was to get to shop all day. Aaron said I was like a kid in a candy shop.

 

We got home this evening and I got all the presents wrapped and under the tree. Now we can kick back and relax and wait on Aaron's family to get here on Monday. I'm excited to join in their family Christmas traditions for the first time this year. I will definitely miss my family, but I can't wait to see them and celebrate our Christmas in January.

 

 

And I can't forget one of my favorite things about Christmas. I eagerly check the mail everyday to see what new Christmas cards we have. I love hanging them on our kitchen shutter board. I keep them up there all year round and I just love looking at them. So thank you to everyone who sent us a card this year....they were all so cute. We love keeping up with you and your families.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas...and safe travels!

 

Festive Party Recipes!

 

I tried a few new recipes for my Christmas party and I think they turned out pretty good. I've had a few people ask me for the recipes, so I thought I'd share them on my blog.

 

Christmas Chex Mix...beware, this stuff is super addicting. Some like to call it Christmas crack. It's really easy and really good and really fattening.

 

You can find the recipe here: http://www.cookingclassy.com/2012/12/sweet-holiday-chex-mix/

I followed the recipe almost exactly, however, I did use about 1/4 cup more coconut than it called for. I really like coconut.

 

Apple Cider Sangria Punch. What's better than wine, apple cider, club soda, brandy, and fresh cut apples and pears? Every one seemed to enjoy the punch. It was completely gone at the end of the party.

You can find the recipe here:

http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/10/apple-cider-sangria/

I did alter this recipe a little bit too. I tried it exactly like the recipe said and I didn't really like it all that much. I thought it was pretty good, but it had a really potent wine taste. I diluted it a little bit by adding an extra  1 1/2 - 2 cups of apple cider. That made it taste a lot better and it made it go a lot further.

 

I've made monkey bread a thousand times and I've always used The Pioneer Woman's recipe, but this time I tried a different one and as surprising as it seems, I liked it even better. This recipe uses Karo Syrup in it. It makes the monkey bread gooier and it melts in your mouth.

 

Picture source and recipe found here: http://www.ghquilting.com/2012/03/monkey-bread.html?m=1

I followed this recipe exactly.

 

Hope you all try these out and enjoy them as much as I did.

Favorite Things Party!

 

I'd say the favorite things Christmas party was a success. Lots of yummy food, cute gifts, girl time, and loving on cute babies! I failed miserably and didn't take pictures of the food or get a group shot, but I did manage to take a few pictures of everyone opening their gifts.

 

 

 

 

 

 Love those chins and that dimple.

 And how cute is this picture? I think baby Jake might have been more excited than his mom about the scarf. So funny! Love his little expression and how he is reaching for it.

 

These are the favorite things that everyone brought.

 Elastic/creaseless hair ties. Love them!

 Cute comfy socks and hand sanitizer.

 Coffee mug.

 Under Armour socks....so comfy and thick.

 Frosted Winter Berry candle.

 Neutrogena makeup remover cleansing towelettes.

 Chocolate and Burt's Bees Champagne lip shimmer.

 Double pack infinity scarves.

 Eyeshadow, lip gloss, tweezers, and CHI serum.

 Jose Cuervo Tequila and a Scentsy car circle in Mochadoodle.

 Baby Lips Dr. Rescue in Soothing Sorbet and glove/mittens. This is what I brought. Imagine that.

 Essie finger nail polish.

 And two really cute boys...I think they enjoyed all the attention from the ladies.

Tucker in his frog hat...so sweet.

 

I tried out a few new recipes for the party so I'll be sharing those on the blog tomorrow. Thanks to all the girls who came. I had a blast and hope you did too!

These are a Few of my Favorite Things...

I'm hosting my 2nd Favorite Things party this Saturday with a group of girls that I've met here. I'm really excited to have a girl's night/Christmas party and enjoy each other's company and share our favorite things. I will post about the party when it's over and share all the fun things that people brought and explain the rules.

But, first I thought I'd share with you a few of my favorite things.

#1. My Favorite Shampoo & Conditioner EVER! Pureology Hydrate line.

If I could afford to buy this year round, I would and I would never buy another shampoo & conditioner again. It makes my hair feel amazing and it's the only conditioner that lets me get a comb through my hair without any tangles. It smells amazing and my favorite part is the tingling sensation the conditioner gives your scalp...so fresh and so clean!

 

#2. My Favorite Dry Shampoo. DOVE

I'll be honest, as a hairstylist, I never thought I would recommend a hair product that wasn't from a professional line, but after trying this stuff, I couldn't resist not sharing. It is by far the best dry shampoo I've ever used and I've tried a lot. I used to wash my hair every day because it would get so greasy, but when I use this, I can go 4-5 days without washing. It smells great, blends in great, and the price is only $4.50ish. I discovered it in a hairstyling magazine. Kate Hudson said it was her favorite hair secret so I just had to go out and buy it. I'm so glad I did.

 

#3. My Favorite Self Tanner. Fake Bake Airbrush.

This stuff is amazing. I am extremely ghostly white, and I've sworn off the tanning beds so this is my go-to when I need a tan. I usually only use it if I'm in a wedding, or going to a special event. I apply it about 2 days before the event and by that time it's the perfect amount of color. I like it better than any airbrush tan I've ever gotten by a person or a machine. Even better than the VersaSpa. I buy mine at State Beauty Supply. I'm not sure if you can buy it anywhere else.

 

#4. My Favorite Scent. Tyler Candle Co's Diva.

 I use their Diva laundry soap to wash my sheets, towels, and undergarments in. It is a strong smell so if you don't do scents well, you probably won't like it, but I LOVE it. It is expensive, but it takes just a little and I only use it on those three things so it goes a long way.

 

I also love their auto air fresheners. I currently have Diva in my car and it makes it smell so good! I also have the Diva Wax melts in three of our bedroom Scentsy burners right now. Can you tell I'm a little obsessed?

 

#5. My Favorite Chapstick. Baby Lips.

I have been a huge Baby Lips fan since they first came out. You can always find me with at least 3 different colors in my purse. I just recently discovered that they came out with a new Dr. Rescue line. It is medicated balm and it gives your lips a cool tingling feeling like Burt's Bees. I love this stuff even more than the original. They also have 5 new colors and a clear balm. My favorite is the Berry Soft and Soothing Sorbet.

 

#6. My Favorite Concealer. MAC Mineralize Concealer.

This stuff is wonderful. I use it under my eyes, on blemishes, and to contour. I love it!

 

#7. My Favorite Foundation. MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Pressed Powder.

 

I love this powder because it is a mineral powder so it helps my skin stay clear. It covers extremely well and it keeps my face from getting oily.

 

#8. My Favorite Applicator Sponge.

This pink applicator sponge from Sephora works wonders. It makes my foundation go on so smoothly and it gives me a lot more coverage. It really does help give a more "flawless" finish.

 

#9. Favorite Lip Liner. Beautique Lipliner in Wine.

I am a big fan of lip liner. My make-up regimen always includes lip liner and it's always the same color. It's the second one from the left. I use it to line my lips and fill them in. Then, I apply a lipstick on top. You can buy this brand for super cheap at Sally's Beauty Supply.

 

#10. Favorite Hair Spray. Blow Pro Strong Holding Hairspray.

I discovered this stuff when I went to the OKC blow dry bar with my best friend. It is my new favorite hairspray. It smells amazing. It almost has a spicy, cologne type smell, but it is really good. I love it because of the smell, but also because it is a firm hold hairspray, but it doesn't leave a sticky/stiff residue. You still have weightless, bouncy hair, but it's almost like the spray has muscle memorization of your hair style. I'm not quite sure where you can buy it other than at a blow dry bar, or maybe online.

 

If you'd like to read about my last favorite things party and see all the fun things people brought you can find it here: http://quinceetaylor.blogspot.com/2012/04/what-im-loving-wednesday.html

 

Can't wait to share with you about the party this weekend!

 

 

 

 

Our Christmas Cards!

The Front

 

The Back

 

At first I wasn't going to send out Christmas cards, but then I found one heck of a deal and a design that I loved and I couldn't resist. Plus, one of my favorite things about the holidays is getting Christmas cards in the mail. I get so excited when I see them in the mailbox and they make me so happy to display in the house and look at everyday. I knew I would regret it if I didn't send them out on our first Christmas together as a married couple.

 

I purchased the design template from this Etsy shop for ONLY $8. https://www.etsy.com/shop/birdesign?ref=l2-shop-info-name

She has some seriously cute stuff for a great price. The only catch, you have to use Photoshop to add your name and information to the template. I will definitely be using her for other stationary needs. I uploaded the design to Vistaprint and used them for the printing. With the envelopes, cards, and address label, I spent less than $30 total. That's how I will be doing my Christmas cards from now on.

 

If you didn't get a card in the mail and were expecting one, I'm sorry. Blame it on my huge family. Once we both sent them to our families we had very few left for friends. That's why I thought I'd include it in the blog.  

Snowed In!

This was our front porch view yesterday morning.

It started raining here on Thursday morning and quickly turned into sleet. It continued to sleet all day and night. Late Thursday night it turned into snow and it pretty much snowed all day yesterday. I believe we got about 10 inches of snow.  Needless to say, with all these crazy hills around here, we are staying put! We both got off early on Thursday and spent all day yesterday at home, as well as today. We are supposed to get another round of snow tomorrow. We are nice and cozy around here and so thankful we have power.

We woke up early yesterday because Samson was eager to get out and play in it. Of course, I had to have a little photo shoot with him. He went nuts. Aaron had never seen him in the snow...he thought it was so entertaining to watch him play in it.

He is our little snow bunny. I think he would survive just fine in Alaska. He could lay in the snow all day long. He pretty much stands by the door all day just waiting for us to take him outside to play in it.

Aaron LOVES the snow too! He sat outside under the car port almost all afternoon just watching it snow and watching Samson and the birds. He even lit our fire pit and had a little fire. At one point in time, he came in asking for bird food. I was confused. Next thing I know, he was feeding the birds. He said he was watching them search for food and he felt really bad so he threw it out in the yard and put it in our bird feeders and he just sat and watched them eat. He is definitely his father's son. He loves bird watching and definitely can be a little softy.

 I spy a Cardinal.

I attempted to sled down our super steep driveway in a kiddie pool we found in our basement...it didn't work out. We played card games and cleaned out Aaron's man cave. We watched two movies and Aaron grilled deer meet for dinner. It was a wonderful day together. Oh, and I can't forget our photo shoot. Of course, I wouldn't let a perfectly good photo opportunity pass us by. Aaron was a trooper, as always and agreed to take a few pictures in the snow.

 

We are still snowed in today, just relaxing and enjoying the Bedlam football game. Yay Oklahoma!! I'm cheering for both teams ;)

These boys are extra snuggly today. I love looking over at them and seeing this.....too cute!

 

 

 

 

 Hope everyone is staying warm and safe and enjoying the beautiful snow!!