Love Thursday- Dentist

My daughters are 5 and 7, which means it is prime tooth losing time in our house. My older daughter is usually pretty easy about getting her teeth out. She knows that once that tooth comes out, the tooth fairy is going to leave her money. That kid is a capitalist at heart and any money-making enterprise is an idea she can support! My younger daughter? Well, she's not so easily bribed. Over the past two weeks, she's been working on keeping her tooth in her mouth. It wasn't the first tooth she's lost, but it was the one giving her the most fits. That thing was holding on by a tiny little thread. It was, in my opinion, getting really disgusting. She couldn't eat with it, or talk, O WOE IS ME.

My daughter's dialogue for the past week: WOE IS ME. My tooth! My Tooth! Get away from me with your hand. I don't want you to even LOOK at my tooth. No way are you pulling it out. DRAMA-(throwing herself on various substances)- I'm just so Nervous about my tooth! O, woe is me. Repeat a gazillion times. Plus a gazillion tears.

Our dialogue- Please let us just LOOK at the tooth. See, it wants to come out. It's just a little pull, then you'll be done. It won't even hurt. We'll get ice cream. We'll paint your nails. We'll buy you a pony. Just let us get the dang tooth out.

Last night, after more tooth drama, I took my daughter into my lap to console her. And, right when she wasn't expecting it, reached in and yanked that nasty tooth out. Crisis over. Plus, the kid needed something to tell her therapist about when she's in her 30s complaining about how terrible her parents were!

Didn't seem so terrible this morning when she found a nice shiny gold dollar from the tooth fairy.

If reaching in and yanking your kid's tooth out isn't Love, I don't know what is. Because-ew, gross, yuck.

Friday Favorites- Watches



I might be one of the last people out there who wear watches everyday. I've been eyeing a leather and gold watch for some time. My husband has a great vintage watch from his grandfather with a huge gold face and brown leather strap and I LOVE it. Since I can't wear his vintage watch everyday, I've been thinking of getting something similar. Plus, I have a coupon and think now is a good time (HA HA!) to use it. Here are the watches I'm considering, any input??

via Piperlime

Timex Easy Reader- This looks similar to my husband's watch. At only $70, it is the cheapest (which I really like), but what if it isn't that nice in comparison? Yes, I can over think any decision, even buying a watch! It's a skill.

Via Piperlime

Michael Kors- I hate that I like this since I decided after Michael Kors' crazy Project Runway votes (Gretchen and Anya?!) that I'd never buy anything of his, but the man designs nice watches. And purses. ACK! I like how this is classic with a twist.

Via Nordstrom

Michael Kors- This watch is probably closest to the vintage watch I love, but it is back-ordered until the summer! Why even put it on the website? Grr.




Michael Kors- Rosegold. Love this color and I have loved this on everyone who wears it. I think it is so versatile and classic.



Of course, Kate Spade in gold and pink. LOVE it. But, alas, this isn't subject to my coupon. :(


Fun & Pretty watches- today's Friday Favorite.

Brightness & Bluebonnets


This past week was hard. Really hard. In fact, Friday was probably one of the worst days I've had in some time. By Friday afternoon, I was ready to just give up. (It should be noted that, while my week and day were totally crappy, it is nothing life threatening. Just completely crappy.) Then, good friends sent their support and a box of chocolates appeared courtesy of one of my clients. My day instantly got better. It's actually happened to me twice lately- where I had completely crappy Fridays and-out of the blue- clients sent small gifts. Completely unusual and completely unexpected. But, what a game changer. So, I've decided to repay the kindness I've received with my own random acts of kindness. Before Easter I'm gonna spread some cheer, man.
Here is a bouquet of wildflowers for you to start (I took this today at Memorial Park)-aren't they gorgeous? Another sign that making it through the worst often turns out more beautiful than you imagined. We made it through such a terrible summer drought, to be rewarded by a bumper crop of gorgeous wildflowers this Spring. Now, to plant some cheer!

Special Event Style


Thanks to Walgreens for underwriting this post. I was paid as a member of the Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all mine. Visit http://www.discoverbeautywithin.com/.


I've been dreaming of hosting a really cool fancy dress party and wondering what I'd wear. Time for a post on Special Event Style! What? You don't dream up parties and imagine the outfits you'd wear? Weird. My love for dressing up and make-up is well documented. Not unlike a roomful of five year old girls, I love getting fancy. Unfortunately, I don’t get fancy too often. Why do we save the big guns for special events? Why shouldn’t every date night be a special event? Let’s face it; getting a nice dinner out is a pretty special event.


My special event style is a lot like my regular style-just amped up a bit. I go for a little more drama, usually concentrating on my eyes, hair, and lips. Most of the things I use can be found at your neighborhood drugstore. Score! Double score is the sponsor of this post (Walgreens)which happens to be my neighborhood drugstore. Convenience FTW!


The eyes have it


YMMV, but hopefully is better than the results I got the first time I wore false eyelashes to a night out with my husband. My husband looks at my face, gestures around my head and says, “You’ve…got…something on your face.” Lovely. Whatever. I like them. It can be a bit difficult to get the hang of false eyelashes. Once you’ve found a pair of eyelashes you like (you can find full sets or individual lashes at the drugstore!), dab a bit of eyelash glue and play around. A huge tip that I learned from a make-up artist is to dab the glue on and let it sit for a little while before applying. It makes the glue slightly tackier and less likely to run and ooze all over your eye. Oozy glue is un-pretty. Once the lashes are on, apply your mascara. If you’re picking up the lashes at the drugstore, pick up an extra tube of Revlon Grow Luscious (or trusty old Maybelline in the pink tube). I always apply my mascara with a little shake. Does this do anything? I have no idea. But a make-up artist did it once, so I pretty much do it ALL the time now! Use an eyelash curler (I use a Revlon curler)-hold 10-15 seconds. And, BAM! Instant sexy.

Clearly I am not a gifted iphone photo taker. This photo was taken on our way to a gala fundraiser, which was a great reason to wear a fabulous vintage dress, get my nails done, and some fake eyelashes. Still-the eyes. Me likey.

A Sexy Smile


Now for the sexy pout. Ha! Like I’ve perfected the sexy pout. What I do know about my lips is to pick up a box of Crest White Strips (Not sponsored, this is just the brand I use) and a red lip. While you’re at the store picking up the lashes, and curler, go ahead and grab a tube of lipstick and a box of White Strips to complete the look. Now pucker up.


Up Dos


After I’ve done my make-up, I concentrate on my hair. A special event is time to try out a special hairstyle. Most sane people would probably test out a new hairsytle before the night of the veent. I like to live on the edge- or am incredibly stupid. kind of a toss-up. I usually end up with lipstick on my bobby pins…clearly I do not learn from my lessons. I always do my hair after my make-up. I think hair always looks better after you have your make-up done. Right now I’m loving high buns and loose curls ala Princess Catherine. I’d love to know what the Princess buys at the drugstore. If the secret to shiny beautiful hair can be found at a British drugstore, I’m booking a flight! Anyhow, I start with slightly dirty hair, a little dry shampoo, and bobby pins. I haven't found a dry shampoo I love yet, but I've heard good things about the Batiste and Psst brands. You can’t tell in the iphone picture above, but I had a high bun that night. That was the first night I tried a high bun; one that was helped by a million bobby pins. Thankfully now I've got my buns down to one or two bobby pins. I use the same basic premise when doing my kids' hair for their special events (typically Princess parties), a fun hairdo and bobby pins. Oh, and they get glitter hairspray!


Do you have any great drugstore items you count on for special event style? Do you know the secret to Princess Catherine's shiny hair?

Friday Favorite-J Crew Drea Pumps


I don't think it's any secret that I love shoes. LOVE. I also love J. Crew. It probably isn't a great stretch to find out that some of my favorite shoes are J. Crew. My go to favorites in the Spring and Summer are the J. Crew Joely pumps I found awhile ago on eBay. Unfortunately, they stopped selling them through J. Crew.
A little while ago, my friend Emily told me about the J. Crew Drea pumps. An exact match for the Joely pumps, with a little added shine. Cue the angels. Unfortunately J. Crew knows how perfect these shoes are and priced them a bit high. UNTIL this week when I discovered they are on sale In Store only. Boo-yah. Momma has a new pair of peep toes. *While the shoes are still a bit pricey, they really are worth it- fairly low pumps (maybe a 2 inch heel) and ridiculously comfortable. The J. Crew Drea pumps (On Sale!) my Friday Favorite.

A Magical Time

This was my view for the last few days. Disney World! Lots of magic, lots of fun, a little whining (thankfully, not mine), miles of walking, and two very excited little girls.
You know those vacations when you need a vacation from the vacation? Yeah, that. Whoa.