John and I were thrifting a couple weeks ago, and after beelining it to our respective sections, I wandered back over to him after 15 minutes with two prizes in tow. I waved around a black and magenta sequined jacket and that beaded top, wailing "why would anyone ever give these away? WHY????". John murmured, "Kir....whenever you wear stuff like that, you look like a Bollywood version of an old granny in the 1980s." I don't think he realized it, but that was, like, the ultimate compliment. Grannies are awesome, sequins are awesome, I've taken Bollywood dance classes so I've got some preeeeeeeetty sweet moves (bless my uncoordinated, clumsy heart for at least pretending like I do), and I was born in the 80s so that decade was pretty dang awesome too. It's like the quadruple threat of compliments. So, naturally, today's outfit is a case of sequins tempered with denim, a perfect oversize watch paired with lots of layered bracelets, and my go-to buckled booties.

Jacket: J.Crew // Top: Vintage // Jeans: Loft // Bag: Magali Pascal (bought in Bali) // Watch: c/o Guess // Jewelry: Son of a Sailor, Dea Dia, Vintage // Boots: Franco Sarto // Polish: c/o Guess by OPI

Images via Pinterest

John and I spent the past two weekends sprucing our sad little laundry room with slick grey Ikea cabinets, and we have a couple checks left on the list until we can shout 'victory'! We started off by giving the room a coat of light grey paint, then assembled all the cabinets, hung them last week, and now we've got the arduous task of trying to measure and cut the filler pieces down. The space is grey, grey and more grey with a hint of white. I mean, I like it a lot but it needs some pizazz. We're thinking a fun blast of color or pattern in there is definitely on the docket, and the door is really the only thing we can experiment with. Prepare for it to get funky. Any faves jumping out at you? I have one, but I doubt I can convince John to go along with it. ;)

Eye primer, y'all. Don't skip it unless you are a fan of raccoon eyes. My peepers are pretty oily, and  because of that, I can't go a day without having mascara or eyeliner shimmy south of my eyeball area. I've learned that a good eye primer really does help to keep it all in place throughout the day. I have also tried zillions (that's not even an exaggeration) of waterproof mascaras and eyeliners, and nope....those just don't work for me when it comes to smudge-proofing my makeup. If any of you have this super annoying problem, I've got some sage advice after LOTS of trial and error to hopefully solve your dilemma.

The winning mascara/liner/primer combo that I've been wearing lately? Sonia Kashuk eye primer on my upper lids and lower outside corners applied with this brush, black eyeshadow applied with a wet flat liner brush along my upper and inner lower lashline, and waterproof mascara. Give it a go, and be amaaaaazed.

The gallery wall is now complete in our dining room (hooray!), and we added some sweet party vibes to the room with a little disco ball bling hanging from the chandelier.

I loathe that hideous Home Depot chandelier with a burning passion, and have been looking for ages for a budget-friendly replacement. The house is pretty traditional, so I think a fixture that leans a bit more industrial or modern would look great in there. What do you all think of this, this, this or this??? Any winners in the bunch?

{photo by me}

Like most gals, I roll out of bed in the morning, brush my teeth, fluff my hair and pull out my beloved makeup stash to cover up my rosy skintone, fake a bronzed glow, and paint my eyes and lips. I dabbed my trusty shadow brush into a shimmery nude color, and applied....a dark brown. It was then I tried to remember the last time I washed my brushes, and I came up empty. It's clearly been a long while. Too long.

I started wondering just how gross those fluffy things were, what microscopic creepy crawlies I was brushing over my eyes and face. So I googled that shizz. I read this and this, but if you are more of a 'visual blog reader,' I'll summarize the need-to-knows for you.

1. You risk cross-contamination. Makeup brushes can become full of bacteria, dust, and dirt, which are good breeding grounds for more bacteria...which you then swirl and dip into your cosmetics, making them little germy cess pools. Oh, and not to mention that those nasty microbes can cause skin problems like acne. Yuck.

2. Cleaning your brushes keeps them in tip-top shape. All the gunk left on the bristles can cause breakage and make it more difficult to blend and shade.

3. Use a gentle cleanser. There are tons of makeup brush cleaners out there, but I hit up the travel section at Target to get some Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo. Worked like a charm, and it's cheap. Just work the shampoo in by swirling and going with the direction of the bristles. If you go the opposite direction, you could pull some bristles out and make it all frayed.

4. Make sure you dry them flat. After you've rinsed the bristles, sqeeze them gently and lay them flat on a washcloth to dry.

I have been in skincare overdrive recently, trying serums, exfoliators and brighteners to even my skintone and get rid of a weird bumpy texture around my chin.I'm thinking that my icky brushes might have something to do with that, so I cleaned those babies and now they are fresh to death. Here's hoping for smooth, clean skin!

PS Some great brushes to add to your arsenal are here, here, here and here.

{Photos by me}

It's getting steamy up on Triple Max Tons today! We're talking lingerie...and some of these are a little too good to be kept underwraps, if you catch my drift. Anyone in the mood to pull a Carrie Bradshaw and bring back the innerwear-as-outerwear trend?

Hanky Panky Gilded Lace Bra and Briefs // Elle Macpherson Casablanca Bra and Briefs // Mimi Holliday Bon Bon Rose Bra, Garter Belt, and Thong //  L'Agent Rosalyn Bra and Briefs // Huit Broadway Full-Cup Bra and Brief // Else Shawlette Lace Slip and Thong
  

Alexis Russell Pave Diamond Bar Rose Gold Necklace // Alexis just launched her new spring collection, and this rose gold beauty instantly caught my eye. It's perfect for everyday...and diamonds are a girl's best friend, after all.

'Love Is The Best Medicine' Tea Towel // They say the fastest way to a man's heart is through his stomach. What they didn't say is that the fastest way to get me off the couch and slaving over a hot stove is cute kitchenware.


RabLabs Aro Medium Photo Frames // If you've been to our house, you know I have a thing for agates and the brass animals, so this one is pretty much a shoe-in for something I'd love to have displayed on our fancy new bookcase.

Hatchery // Put on your chef hat for Valentine's Day and cook up a restaurant-worthy meal with the help of a Tasting Box from Hatchery, a brand new monthly subscription service that sends you a handpicked selection of locally-sourced gourmet condiments, sauces, spreads, jams, honeys, etc for just $20. I mean, Chef John? That's totally hot. Sign me up! 

Love Wrap Front Maxi Dress With Thigh Split // Holy hotness...this red little number packs some major wow factor and is only $22. I'd say this is the perfect dress for the day of amour. 

Gabriel Candleholder // A snazzy, modern addition to a romantic dinner tablescape set to candlelight.

Balenciaga L'eau Rose Eau De Toilette // Because a rose by any other name would smell as sweet...

Lionette by Noa Sade makes some pretty sweet baubles, but this new collection embracing mix & match earrings is totally new to me. I thought it was a pretty interesting concept, though...maybe because the designs are a cool hybrid of edgy and punky art deco styles, and the mismatched pairs compliment each other perfectly despite their differences. It's a bit like marriage in that sense, haha! I thought it was really endearing how the collection came to be, as well - it was inspired by Noa’s mother, who never wore a matching pair of earrings in her life! It's little style quirks like that that help define a person's signature style, their sartorial trademark. I mean, can you imagine Iris Apfel without her ridiculously awesome glasses?

Gwyneth Paltrow, Diane Kruger and Zosia Mamet (yeah...I had to google that) have all hopped on this microtrend. What say you, readers? Is this mix-and-match concept quirky-cute or just bizarre? Would you wear two different earrings?

John and I decided to start making good on our resolution to day trippin' and road trippin' around Texas. In between the recent freezing spells, there was one weekend of sunny, warm bliss so we hopped in our car one weekend and ventured to Hamilton Pool in Dripping Springs for a hike. I was surprised by how beautiful it was there...and to think, it's just 30 minutes from Austin! We got there a bit late in the afternoon and only had about 40 minutes to enjoy the park's views and trails, so we definitely plan to head back when it's a scorching 100+ over the summer when we can take a dip in the natural pool.

When my mom and dad brought back some family pieces from the middle-of-nowhere-but-charming-and-quintessential-small-town-Texas abode where my dad grew up, we inherited some pieces that included a shabby looking piano bench. Thinking it would be a great piece to put in our slightly awkward entryway, we happily took the lot and rolled up our sleeves to get it looking like it hasn't been sitting in a rat-infested shed for the past 30 years.


I used a similar process from our DIY upholstered headboard project when upholstering this bench. The steps I took went like so: sand the wood down, and spray paint the piece first with primer (let dry in between coats if primer isn't already in the formula) and then with the color. I used Rustoleum 2x Paint and Primer in glossy Dark Grey. While that was drying, I sprayed adhesive on the wood top (it wasn't screwed on the base), stuck the foam to it, and trimmed just outside of the edge. I then sprayed the adhesive on the top of the first foam layer, and made it a double-double (for all you non-In-N-Out fans, that means I put another layer on top).  I felt that the 1.5" foam I was using wasn't cushy enough, and 3" would look and feel better. After that step, I used my nail gun to put on a layer of batting to smooth the edges out. Then came the fabric. The striped ombre fabric I used was a vintage find at a local estate sale. It smelled SO bad when I got it - it was stored in a garage for years, and I instantly fell in love with it in all its musty mothball horrendousness. Side note:  I soaked it in vinegar and water twice, washed it, and that did the trick in getting the fabric to not gangbang my nostrils with offensive odors.

Looking back, I would have rather kept the wood but it was pretty deeply scratched and peeling in some parts. Instead of getting out the wood putty, sanding the hell out of the piece and re-staining it, I took the lazy route and covered it with paint. I think it turned out well, I'm just not so sure I'm feeling the look of painted wood in this project. Live and learn.

{photos by me} 

Just a few things I've added to my beauty arsenal lately...

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Polish //  I have several of these polishes, and these and the Sally Hansen ones in those squarish bottles are my favorite. They seem to stay chip-free so much longer than their pricier competitors. I added a black and white bottle to my copious collection

Bumble & bumble Thickening Hairspray // I rarely buy Bumble products because they seem like such an extravagant splurge, but that doesn't stop me from being obsessed with them. I love they way they smell, and when I've bought them in the past, it's been nothing but love. I spray this on my damp hair, it gives my fine hair some lift.

Tokyo Milk Parfum in 'Everything & Nothing' // After a handful of walk-by spritzings at Co-Star, I decided to bite the bullet and buy this easy-to-wear everyday scent. PS It also comes in a yummy lotion.

Dior Hydra Life Pro-Youth Skin Tint SPF 20 // My trusty stand-by that I have restocked yet again. I won't be without it. It's the best.

MAC Lipstick in 'Candy Yum Yum' //  Figured it's the perfect spring shade....bright, cheery and bold.

Estee Lauder Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator // Desperately trying to take some of the piggy pink tone of our my skin, and hoping this magic potion will help reduce the red and help my freckles take a chill pill.

Embryolisse Concentrated Lait Cream //  Like I mentioned here, if it's good enough for supermodels...it's good enough for me. I've been putting this on morning and night, and it's pretty good. It can get overly dewy looking if you don't give it enough time to soak in....but that's my only complaint so far.

Any new beauty products that you are loving lately? Spill the deets!

{photo by me}