five on friday 1.10.14 (beauty edition)

happy friday!  today i've got a bit of a "beauty" theme going on for today's five on friday linkup.

1.  i am a huge fan of eyelash extensions, i'm just a bit too poor to get them done professionally on a regular basis :)  i've experimented with false lashes ever since i can remember, but it really does take a while to master the art of individual lash application.  i scored these ardell duralash natural individual false lashes  (a total impulse buy) on my last trip to sally's, and i love them.  they maintain their shape and are very natural looking, and not as obvious as the larger cluster of individual lashes also made by ardell.  just apply a drop of permanent lash glue on the bottom of the lash, place at the base of your own lashes, and a few lashes later, viola... effortless luscious lashes for a few weeks!!

2.  i have used oscar blandi dry shampoo for years, and as a fine-haired gal, i swear by this stuff.  my scalp is comparable to the bp oil spill if i don't wash my hair every 24 hours, and this dry shampoo has been a lifesaver on those mornings i'm running late for work and don't have time to wash my hair.  plus, it's small enough to fit in your purse, lasts for a really long time, and smells like lemons!  win, win.

3.  speaking of bad hair days... when i'm having one, this is my go-to hairstyle!  milkmaid braids are super easy and i always receive tons of compliments from strangers.

4.  since we are going to have a bit of warm weather this weekend (71 degrees!!) i decided to slather on some of my favorite tanning lotion in anticipation of wearing shorts/skirts.  i'm a bit of a tanning lotion expert, since i'm extremely pale (all year around) and my only chance of being tan is if all of my freckles miraculously blend together one day.  i've been experimenting with different tanning lotions since middle school, and they has definitely come a long way since then (goodbye stinky orange tiger stripes)!  currently jergens natural glow is my favorite affordable tanning lotion.  it has a pleasant scent and provides a subtle even glow in a matter of a few days.  also, it's so much better for you than sun damage and premature aging caused by the sun and tanning beds.

5.  besides the fact that i just mentioned it's going to be 71 degrees here this weekend, it's been a pretty cold winter so far.  as someone who suffers from chapped lips every. single. winter., this vaseline lip therapy has literally been a godsend for me this season.  i tried the rosy lips version (apparently sold in the uk for several years, but just recently available in the us) and it moisturizes and protects your lips like no other!  the color is very sheer... but it's just enough glow to brighten up your makeup routine during these dreary winter days!

here's hoping you all have a great weekend!

thanksgiving 2013: sinkholes, shotguns, and seminoles

we went (to my) home in florida to visit my parents for thanksgiving in november.  we ate lots (and i mean, lots!) of yummy food, spent tons of quality time as a family (this includes the dogs, because they're family too after all), and we even got to soak in some warm weather while we were at it!  score! all in all, we had a lovely time!  i've said it before, but going home is like therapy for me.  there's just something so wonderful about being surrounding by such familiarity.  i try not to take it for granted, as i know not everyone is as fortunate as i am to have their childhood home to go back to... but i take such comfort knowing that my "home" will always be this this cozy little stucco house on a two way street smack-dab in the middle of florida!  where the air always smells sweet, the crickets outside the window play their songs for you every night before bed, and where there are two pairs of the most loving arms that give the greatest hugs...mom and dad, of course :)  here are a few highlights from our turkey day vacay.

 my mom's sweet welcome note.

my nephew, brian.  only this cutie could get away with an icing mustache like that!

cory, embracing the "buckley lifestyle" with my dad and brother.

we attended the florida vs. fsu game... okay, i don't want to talk about that anymore :(

grace (my niece) rocking her handmade glow-in-the-dark accessories!

i loved catching up with my brother over drinks.  it's been years!

bentley, my love <3

sadie, my parent's dog.  she's such a sweet 'ol gal.  also, try not to be too jealous of my parent's sweet boombox in the background :)

my precious parents!

we went for a lovely hike down devil's millhopper (the local sinkhole.  no really!)

fauna.  flora.

palmettos.

"always remember there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name" -the avett brothers

welcome, 2014!

can you believe it's 2014?  last year flew by, but was definitely a year to remember.  i don't like to make resolutions since they are normally associated with being "broken" (talk about setting yourself up for failure, haha); however, i do have several goals, if you will, for the upcoming year.

1.  do one thing this year that scares me (this may involve heights.  or frogs.  wait, no.  definitely not frogs.  ugh).
2.  dye my hair red(ish).  something i've been wanting to do for a long time
3.  only buy five products this year "made in china".  i would like to say i'm not going to buy any products made in china, but this is virtually impossible since i've already been trying prior to the new year.  so far so good in 2014, but it's shocking how many products for sale in this country that aren't actually produced here.  just take a look at the target dollar section (or really anything in target) if you don't believe me.
4.  read a book.  front to back.  i can't even tell you how long it's been since i've sat down with a book that i've read in it's entirety.  normally i get bored and give up 3/4 of the way through (also,  i'd like to thank high school english class required summer reading for turning me off of reading).  any suggestions on any good books?
5.  make exercising a priority.  maybe hanging a picture of gisele on my fridge may help?
6.  tackle more sewing projects (already making progress on this one)!
7.  go one month without drinking any alcohol (i chose january, and i'm currently going strong!  next time i do this, i may choose a shorter month, like february).

okay, that's a good start right?  i'm so happy 2014 is here, as there are many things for me to look forward to (a trip to chicago with my girls, my wedding, my honeymoon, lots of time with family, etc).  i figured i'd give 2013 a proper (and belated) goodbye, by sharing a few pics from some of my favorite moments of 2013.  enjoy.

   i started the year off right with a trip to puerto rico with two of my favorite gals!

i spent lots of time with this little nugget, here ^^^

and here!^^^

 oh wait, one more!^^^

st. patty's day was a blast (as are all holidays centered around drinking alcohol, in my opinion)!

i went on a farm tour and got up close and personal with some super cute cows!

we went on an epic fishing trip with the family (and my dad's friend).

we took an impromptu (and slightly cool) trip to wrightsville beach.  we love that place!

then there was that day in may when we were in jamaica (may 6 to be exact) and cory asked me to marry him.  definitely the highlight of the year!

thanks for all of the excellent memories 2013, you were a very good year.