Living Room Inspiration

In case you missed the memo, we're getting a new house! This one, to be exact. We close on June 15, and by golly, that's so close!

Even more of a challenge is that I have 2700 square feet to decorate. The task, although exciting, is rather daunting. I'm going to start with thinking up my living room inspiration, since I have a feeling we'll be in there a lot. We're going to purchase a brand new living room set (yay!) so here's how I want it to feel.

1. Neutral palette with subtle pops of color.
2. Mixing styles (think eclectic)
3. Light, airy, and relaxing.
4. Get inspired by realistic things I can do in my living room.

Here's some inspiration.

Source for images: My For the Home board on Pinterest 

This is what I'm talking about when I say neutral palette with subtle pops of color.

This may be a little too green, but it's neutral-y green.

Perfect example of mixing patterns and textures.

I kind of love this one the most because it has examples of everything I want - particularly the mixing of styles to make it feel truly eclectic.

I like how the furniture is dark but the room still feels light. We have a lot of dark woods, so hopefully we can accomplish this throughout our house, in general.

Now this is just lovely.

I'm not crazy about that artwork above the fireplace, but our house does have a fireplace with windows on either side like this. This is just to show how I love the placement of those curtains.

Wonderful mix of different types of woods.

Love the gray wall color around the fireplace.

What inspires you to decorate your home? Are there any sites (besides Pinterest) that I should be looking at to get ideas, tips, and more inspiration? This is a big task!

'No Makeup' Makeup

I'm enjoying having more of those "no makeup" makeup days. Just enough to go out and run errands without scaring the general public, but not much on my face.

FACE:
1. MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW20 - applied under eyes and on trouble spots
2. MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural in Light Medium (also talked about this here)- applied with a kabuki brush like a powder foundation, buffing a light dusting around my face.
3. Smashbox Soft Lights Fusion in Dusk (also talked about this here) - applied with a big brush lightly around my face, focusing on temples, hairline, underneath cheekbones, and jawline.
4. Bobbi Brown Peony Blush (also talked about this here) - applied to apples of cheeks and buffed out for a more natural look

EYES:
(shadows from the Urban Decay Naked Palette)
1. Anastasia Perfect Brow Pencil (love this pencil and it's lasted forever) - lightly fill in brows
2. Virgin Eyeshadow - all over as highlight
3. Naked Eyeshadow - in crease
4. Lashes curled with Japonesque curler
5. Maybelline Falsies Waterproof Mascara

LIPS:
Bobbi Brown Crystal Gloss

What do you do on your "no makeup" makeup days?

Passing Notes 5/27

After a month hiatus - we're Passing Notes!

Hand write a post, a list, a doodle, a sketch, or anything else of the like and link up at the bottom of this post! It's all the rage (and fun, too, I might add)! Grab a linkie button for your post, if you please!

<center><a href="http://www.oismeblog.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Passing Notes at O. is Me!" src="https://sites.google.com/site/megandgregowen/home/files/noteslinkie.png"/></a></center>

Did you hand write a post today? Link up with me!
(be sure to refresh the page to make sure your link went through)

And.... go visit everyone's notes and spread some love!

Hello, lover.

Very nice to meet you!

I'm pleased to introduce you to my very first Kate Spade bag. 

I have a feeling she's going to treat me well this summer.

p.s. We have a contract on the house and should be closing June 15! Yippee!

p.p.s. Passing Notes is ON for tomorrow! I have missed it so I'm doing it! Everyone hand write a little somethin-somethin' for your blog post and link up tomorrow!

Our First Dexter-versary!

I was a bad mommy and I forgot to post my celebratory post two days ago, so this will have to suffice, right?!?!

One year ago, we brought home our little bundle of joy....

Dexter!

Leaving the breeder's home. He's smiling already!

In the car on the way home

So, here's some of Dexter's finest moments to celebrate what an awesome kitty he's been. He really is a part of the O. family and we love him very much! Everyone should have an Abyssinian cat, actually.

His name's sake.

Look how little he is!

 i r in teh fridge eating yur foodz!

i r not a cupcake.

i r napping. u go way.

i r cute kitteh.

i r sneeekeeeeee

belly rub!

Parrot

yawn!

Dex and his Uncle Trot (aka his bff)

And to continue with the Dexter-versary celebration, here are some of his finest moments on video!

Dexter Plays Fetch!

Dexter's Quest for Yogurt

Dexter Plays Hide-and-Seek

We love you, Dexter! Happy Dexter-versary! 

p.s. Please tell me I'm not the only person who documents their cat's lives like I do.

O. Apple Pie Recipe

Apple pie reminds me of so many things. Holidays, gatherings, potlucks. Thanksgiving, Christmas, 4th of July, backyard BBQs. It's particularly refreshing during the summer when you have it a la mode and so warming in the winter when you have it hot.

So, just because Apple Pie is a year-round indulgence for me, I thought I'd share our recipe with you. Just in time for the next holiday - Memorial Day! What's more American than apple pie?

O. Apple Pie

My first and successful attempt!

Ingredients:

2 pie crusts (pre-packaged or your favorite recipe)
½ cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup water
½ cup white sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
6 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer. Add cinnamon.
- Place the bottom crust in pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly.
- Gently pour 90% of the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
- Cover with the second crust. Cut two diagonal holes in the crust to allow it to breathe.
- Brush the remaining butter/sugar mixture over the top of the crust. Sprinkle with a bit of granulated sugar.
- Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Take pie out and cover edges of the crust with foil.
- Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F. Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Do yourself a favor, and if you can get it, please eat this pie with this ice cream:

Do you have a special pie or dessert recipe you think you'll make or eat for Memorial Day?

We've been busy...

House hunting!

In fact.... we put an offer down on this today:

Fingers crossed it goes through! Think happy thoughts for us!

Overdue Charleston Recap

Yeah, I know I promised a recap of our trip to Charleston like.... forever and a day ago, but it got away from me. Better late than never, right??

Since it's Friday, and I wouldn't want you to overextend yourself, you can just look at pretty pictures with captions! Not much reading required!

The view of Folly Beach from the condo we rented for the weekend

Walking around downtown Charleston

Hats and pretty dresses!

Brother-in-law's graduation ceremony. The guys wore summer tuxes (white jackets, black pants) with a red rose boutonniere, and the girls wore white dresses and carried red roses. I thought it was such a fun tradition to watch - so different than caps and gowns, but oh-so pretty!

Family with the grad

Celebrating back at the condo with cake, ice cream, and champagne

We had a wonderful weekend! Josh (brother-in-law) will be moving to Texas to attend UT-Austin for grad school. We are happy he will be so close, but sad we don't have a family-related excuse to venture to Charleston. He had so much fun there, and I can see why! Congratulations, Josh!

Sorry it took me so long to share the photos!
Happy Friday!

p.s. Go enter my BFF's Kindle (yes, you read that right) giveaway!

The Pale Girl's Guide to an At-Home Spray Tan

Lord knows I was not blessed with a sun-kissed glow. So, after many years of trying to fake it, burning myself, and getting a patch of pre-cancerous skin cut off the back of my arm last year, sunscreen is my best friend.

And so is self-tanner. After trial and error, I have discovered a way that works best for me to achieve a pretty good at-home fake tan. I will never look like this:

By the way, I hate you, Kate Moss.

But I can achieve a good glow that is about 3 shades darker. Let's be realistic-- some spray tans look awful on pale skin, so telling yourself that you will never be bronze but you will have a glow will make you feel better. So, let's get to it, shall we?

The Pale Girl's Guide to an At-Home Spray Tan

As far as the actual self-tanner goes, get whatever you like that has a spray nozzle. And yes, ALL self-tanners will have that smell, so don't buy something on the premise that it doesn't have an odor. I'll address the "smell issue" later.

Before you get started, you might want to get on YouTube and research a little on the method of spraying the spray tan bottle onto your body. I go in an "S" direction all over my body, and I even apply a fine mist to my face. YouTube is your best friend on spray tan application methods. Yep.

Steps Towards Perfection:
1. Shower and exfoliate your entire body and face with your favorite scrub.
2. Towel dry completely.
3. Put on a shower cap, gloves, and your socks while the rest of you is in your birthday suit.
4. Stand in the tub/shower (this prevents you giving your bathroom/house a spray tan)
5. Spray the self-tanner on in sections, starting with your legs and rubbing it in as best as you can as you go.

The rest I do out of the shower:
6. Hold the can about 12 inches away and spray a fine mist on your face. Do not rub in.
7. Remove socks and apply a fine mist to feet and rub in.
8. Remove gloves.
9. Hold hands in a claw like shape and apply a fine mist. Do not rub in.
10. Let body air dry and then wear dark, loose clothing.

I let the tan develop overnight and then I rinse off in the shower in the morning, using a little bodywash. This prevents me from smelling up a room any time I walk in. Like I said, pretty much all self tanners will smell.  I stopped looking for the one without a smell, rather concentrating on finding one that I think gives me the best color for my skin tone. I also stopped using the "daily glow" lotions, as I find those smell too and you have to leave those on your skin for them to develop the best color. Personally, I just prefer a spray. I am currently really loving:

Neutrogena Micromist in Deep (yes, this will work on pale skin)
Banana Boat Summer Color Self-Tanning Mist

I also make sure to moisturize my skin post-tan every day so that the tan does not get splotchy and to ensure that it'll last longer.

I hope this helps you achieve color that doesn't put you at risk for any sort of skin damage!

Are there any self-tanning tips that you'd like to share? What do you swear by?

H-town Blogger Meetup #2! Recap

Sunday was such a fun day! My BFF (who also happens to be a blogger), Katie, and I went together to the Houston Blogger Meetup! We met at the lovely Cafe Adobe at the Edwards Marque for lunch and drinks and then walked next door to watch Something Borrowed! It was a blast! I, of course, volunteered to be the photographer for the afternoon (and thanks to the random guy who took the group picture)! A big THANK YOU to Heather for organizing it!

But before after you look at these lovely photos, go visit these lovely ladies' blogs!

Katie, Tara, Heather, Laurie, Kelly, Savanah, and Maura

Here are some photos from the afternoon:

Top Row: Heather, Laurie, Katie
Bottom Row: Tara, Me, Kelly, Savanah, Maura

Who doesn't love Tex Mex?

Yeah, I probably ate a ton of chips and salsa.

Look what Savanah gave me for re-designing her blog! This girl knows the way to my heart. Thank you so much again, Savanah!

Michelle, you were definitely missed and there in spirit!!

Tara and Savanah

Laurie (your blush looks amazing, btw) and Maura

Heather and Kelly

Katie (BFF) and Me

Original H-town Hotties!! Me, Tara, and Heather :)

I absolutely love this picture of Kelly!

Katie saw a mural of Val Kilmer in the movie theatre and made me take a picture of her with it. Silly Katie!

If you roll from H-town, you missed out! Just so you know, we're thinking about an Astros Game for next month! Be there or be square!!!