2011 Wrap Up

2011 was definitely a year of change for us over at the O. household. Let's take a look...

My students' competition play was awesome.

I went to my very first blogger meetup and have continued to make FOR REAL friends through blogging!

We found out I was pregnant (and 9 weeks along, at that).

We bought a house.

We went to NYC and Long Island.

We found out Baby O is a girl and decided to name her Kennedy.

The fall show I directed went amazingly.

I was a prenatal yoga pro.

My family members, friends, students, and coworkers showered me and my baby with love.

My belly grew and grew (and so did my thighs). I had a wonderful, healthy pregnancy without any complications whatsoever.

We welcomed little Kennedy Michele into the world. She came (pretty much) right on time.

She is the light of our lives.

I thank God for all of the blessings He has given us this year. 2011 really ended on such a high note. I can't wait to see what's in store for us for 2012. I'm looking forward to it very much!

Did your 2011 end on a high note?

My Hair Curling Routine (video)

Finally, up in this series of my routines is my hair curling routine! Now, this one is particularly epic because I do some fantastic Christmas singing. So, I have to post this before New Year's since it's still okay to listen to Christmas music. Ha. If you'd like to check out my other routines, I have:


My Liquid Foundation Routine
My Eye Makeup Routine

You might also want to check out my Highlighting/Contouring tutorial to see how I apply blush, bronzer, and highlighter.

For this hair curling routine, I'm using a curling iron. I know a lot of people curl their hair this way, and I'm just another girl in the sea of hair curling videos. Oh well. If you'd like to see how I curl my hair with my flat iron, check out this post.

Enjoy!

And yes, I know I am extremely talented. I take singing requests for future tutorial videos / vlogs! Ha.

Products Used:
It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in Product (night before)
Tresemme Heat Tamer Protective Spray
Suave Touchable Finish Hairspray, Extra Hold (forgot to mention that I spray my head all over with this at the end)

Curling Iron:
Hot Tools Ceramic Tourmaline Curling Iron (1-1/4 inch barrel)

My Eye Makeup Routine (video)

Second up in my series of routines is my eye makeup routine! If you'd like to see my foundation routine, go here.

Obviously, this varies from day to day, as I own a crap ton of eyeshadows, palettes, and I just love applying eye makeup. I am known to do a smoky eye on any normal day. But for today's purposes, I wanted to focus on something fairly neutral and I'm using the Naked Palette, since I know a lot of you own that.

Enjoy!

Products Used:
Anastasia Perfect Brow Pencil
Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden
Naked Palette eyeshadows
Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner in Granite Ink
DiorShow Waterproof Mascara in Black

Brushes Used:
Sigma E60 Large Shader (all over lid up to brow bone with highlight color)
Sigma E55 Eye Shading (all over lower lid)
Sigma E70 Medium Angled Shading (crease)
Sigma E35 Tapered Blending (outer corner in "v")
Sigma E40 Tapered Blending (blending all eyeshadows in afterward)
Sigma E05 Eye Liner (for gel eyeliner)
Sigma Pencil E30 (blending out eyeliner)

My Liquid Foundation Routine (video)

Hi ladies!

I've had some requests for some of my beauty routines. During Thanksgiving break, I filmed all of them and am now posting them while I recover and spend time with my darling baby girl. Don't worry - my birth story is coming up soon!

First up is my liquid foundation routine!

In the video, I first talk about what foundations I actually own, what I like in a foundation, and then what I applied beforehand. If you want to skip that and go straight to me applying the foundation, go to about 5 minutes into the video. Just a little FYI.

Enjoy! 

And pardon my pregnant-ness. And absolutely no makeup on for more than half the video. Also, I don't know why the audio didn't sync well... working on fixing that!

Products Used:

Yes to Carrots Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15

Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream

Make Up For Ever HD Microperfecting Primer

Revlon Colorstay Foundation (Combo/Oily Formulation)
Bobbi Brown Corrector

MAC Studio Finish Concealer

Brushes Used:

Sigma F50 Duo Fibre Brush

Sigma F70 Concealer Brush

Sigma F60 Foundation Brush

Sephora Brand Concealer Brush

All I Wanted for Christmas...

...I got.

Hope you and yours enjoyed a wonderful day yesterday full of love and happiness!

How Wonderful Life is Now You're in the World

Let me introduce you to someone very special.

Here's her first picture with daddy just minutes after birth.

Kennedy Michele

Born 7:27 a.m. on December 17, 2011

7 lb 15 oz

19 1/2 in

I'm not going to lie, it was a really tough labor that eventually ended in a C-Section. My husband was amazing, along with my mom, mother-in-law, sister and my BFF Katie. They all stuck with me for the entire time and encouraged me. It was one of the toughest things I've ever had to do but at the end of the day, I'd do it all over again for her. She is perfect.

We're all home and safe and enjoying our time together. I'll post more details about birth and this past weekend, but for now, I thought you all would be happy to finally see what her name is.

Thank you so much for your incredibly sweet comments, tweets, emails, smoke signals, etc. I truly appreciate every single one of them. I wish I had time to respond to each and every one!

Preggo Meg O. - Due Date!

Well, I guess Baby O listened to me when I said I wanted her to come on time!

We are currently in the hospital so she will be here soon!!

Snickerdoodles, oh my!

I love holiday baking. Particularly Christmas cookies!! Not only do I love Christmas cookies, I love to make everything from scratch. Now if only I had that darn stainless steel KitchenAid stand mixer I put on my baby registry. (Yeah, you read that right. We never got one from our wedding registry so I put it on my baby registry. No shame!) I do, however, have an adorable pink KitchenAid hand mixer that I guess suffices in the meantime.

Anyway...

Greg and I have a holiday tradition of making all sorts of Christmas cookies. We are fatties eat what we want and then give them away to friends, family, and I even bring some to school. This year, since I'm so darn pregnant, we just made a few of our favorite things, even though we still ended up with about 8 dozen cookies. One of those things were Snickerdoodles.

Snickerdoodles are definitely one of my favorite Christmas cookies. They're so simple, yet they are just so yummy! It also doesn't hurt that they're incredibly easy to make. I love the subtle hint of cinnamon and how fluffy my Snickerdoodles get! And instead of red/green sugar, I like rolling my cookies in sprinkles! Sprinkles make everything better. I figured I'd share my recipe with y'all, just in case you get a hankering for some yourself.

Snickerdoodles

yield 5 dozen

Ingredients:

1 c. butter
1 and 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 and 3/4 c. flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Preparation Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Stir in salt, flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Roll dough into 1 inch balls.
•  In a small bowl, place sugar, cinnamon, and sprinkles / red and green sugar. I just eyeball this.
• Roll dough balls in cinnamon/sugar/sprinkles mixture and place on cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

What's your favorite Christmas cookie to make? Do share!

Urban Decay Naked vs. Naked 2

As opposed to the last time, I was one of the first to get their hands on the new Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette! Urban Decay just released this within the last couple of weeks and it has already sold out twice. I know the hype will eventually die down and this will be available widespread, but something about getting your hands on it first just appealed to me. Haha! I decided this would be my "push present" to myself. Oh, hell. Let's just face it. If I want something (especially makeup) I usually get it.

I adore the first Naked Palette and I think every gal should own this lovely set of neutrals. So when I got the second palette, I thought...

 ...Why not compare the two?

While you're at it, go check out Tara's post with her thoughts on the Naked 2 Palette! We both decided it would be fun to post our thoughts today. You should definitely go see what she has to say about it!

Upon first glance, these palettes look very similar. I was even going to hold off on buying it because I thought it was just a gimmick for the holidays. Urban Decay is smart, I tell ya, always selling out of these... it just makes people want one even more! One thing I will say is I really dislike the packaging in the Naked 2. It "looks" sleeker, but it is really clumsy to open and close, and the plastic seems cheap. I love the packaging in the first one far more. So let's take a look at the shade comparison.

Once you get down to business with the Naked 2, you will notice a few more matte shades. I think the biggest difference between the two is Naked 1 has far more warmer shades, while Naked 2 is chocked full of nice taupes, grays, and greiges. There is a repeat of one shade, Half Baked. My Naked 1 came with an eyeshadow brush, which I really dislike. I feel like it doesn't pack the color on well unless you are using a highlighter color. The double-sided brush that comes with the Naked 2, however, is better (well, the crease brush half).

Let's take a look at it on me.

I swatched the entire palette on my arm so you can see what I'm talking about how this looks more taupe. The further right in the palette you go, the cooler the colors get. All of the shades are very pigmented, creamy, and blendable. I will say the shade on the far left (Foxy) is pretty useless as it matches my skin - that's why you can't even see the swatch. And there is a really awesome black shade, which I appreciate. The picture of me on the right I'm wearing Bootycall as highlight, Suspect on my lid, Pistol in my crease, Snakebite in outer corners, and Blackout as liner on lower lids. As you can tell, it's very taupe-y and gray. I think it really helps bring out the gray tones in my eyes.

This look consists of Bootycall as highlight, Suspect on lids, YDK in crease, and Pistol in outer corners. Still very neutral, but a little warmer.

So, let me break it down for you.

Biggest Differences in the two Palettes:
- Naked 1 has far many more warmer/golden shades
- Naked 2 is full of neutral/cool shades

What Both Have:
- Extremely creamy and pigmented shades that won't let you down!

Dislikes of Naked 1:
- The brush that came with it
- The shade Sidecar. I absolutely loathe how much glitter fallout this shade produces. I end up with glitter all down my face every time I wear it. Even with primer.

Dislikes of Naked 2:
- Packaging is cheaper and more difficult to open and close
- The shade Foxy is practically useless to me, since it completely matches my skin tone
- The end of the brush that is identical to Naked 1's brush
- The duplicate shade, Half Baked

Favorite Shades in Naked 1:
- Sin (gorgeous highlight color)
- Naked
- Darkhorse

Favorite Shades in Naked 2:
-  Pistol (seriously the best shade in the whole palette)
- Snakebite
- YDK



Which palette is better?
I think the original can't be messed with so if you don't own it, I definitely recommend you get it. It is a staple in my makeup drawer. I own a crap ton of eyeshadow palettes that range from drugstore to high end, and I reach for the Naked 1 a lot of the time. I feel like the Naked 2 is an extension of the first one, and gives you those shades that you wish you had to complement or contrast what's in the first palette. If you'd like to read my thoughts on the Naked 1, go here. As far as which one is better... well, I just honestly think you need both. But I'm just overly indulgent like that.

Bottom line? You need it. 

Preggo Meg O. - 39 Weeks!

It's the FIIIINAAALLL COUNTDOWWWWWN!

I am 7 days away from my due date!

This could very well be the last baby bump picture. 

Part of me doesn't think it will be, but I gotta cover my bases here.

I always thought I would feel frumpy, uncomfortable, sick, fat, and overall unhappy being pregnant. I thought pregnancy was "hard" and that you feel like a completely different person. I don't know why I thought this. Maybe because of the movies? Stereotypes? How you only hear the bad parts of pregnancy and not the good parts? I'm not sure. All I do know is that I have been so incredibly blessed to have such a healthy, easy pregnancy. I have been so blessed to feel like "ME" this entire time, just with a little miracle growing inside and (quite) a few extra pounds piling on. 

This has also felt like it has flown by. I remember it being Friday the 13th (in May) at the doctor's office and finding out not only we were pregnant, but this baby had a heartbeat and I was already 9 weeks along! Maybe that's why it has felt so short - we didn't find out until I was 2+ months along. Ha. It feels like yesterday we were leaving the doctor's office and Greg was hooting and hollering "Wooo hooo!! I'm going to be a father!!" in the parking garage, while I was still in shock. It feels like yesterday my mom, mother-in-law, father-in-law, Greg, and myself were in the ultrasound room and they told us that it is a LITTLE GIRL! It feels like yesterday I felt these little movements like popcorn popping. It feels like yesterday we were celebrating at school that the baby was the size of a rutabaga, while now we just celebrate that the baby is the size... of a baby!

To Baby O: Thank you for being such a wonderful little girl this entire time. You have been so easy going. You let me sleep at night. You haven't kicked me in the ribs too many times. It's not your fault I had really bad heartburn - I'll gladly give you the real estate in my body so you can grow to be healthy and strong. Your little butt is always on the right side of my belly, poking out and making my belly look disproportionate. You enjoy yoga with me, as every time we sit with our hands on our bellies to give thanks to the "precious miracle inside", you give a little kick or a little wiggle. It's like you know. I can't wait to meet you. I can't wait to take you home to your brother Dexter and see how he reacts to you. I can't wait to see you grow up and be a wonderful young lady. Will you be impulsive and scatterbrained like me or thoughtful and analytical like your daddy? Either way, we'll love you.

To Greg:  I know we didn't exactly plan this or thought it was the "right time" to have a baby, but obviously we were wrong. This has been a huge blessing to our family and I know that you are so happy to start this next chapter in our lives. You may not tell me all the time and you might not be the "mushiest" of guys, but I know you feel that way. You have been so supportive and sweet this entire time. I think it's adorable how you care about how the nursery looks or what outfit the baby comes home in the hospital in. It's amazing your overnight bag for the hospital was packed far before mine. I appreciate all the meticulous care you took to learn the car seat and how to install it. You were such a pro at assembling all of the nursery furniture and putting up the curtains. I know it's different to have a little girl on the way when you're used to being from a "boy" family, but I know that you are you going to be the best daddy ever. I'm glad we were able to strengthen our marriage throughout this pregnancy. You are my best friend and I know there is no way I could do this without you. Thank you. I love you.

Meg O.'s Preggo Lifesavers

A lot of people have asked me what I've been doing during my pregnancy. What books I've read, maternity clothes I wear, how I've stayed fit, etc. etc. I thought it would be fun to share with you a list of things that have really helped me through my entire pregnancy. I am, by no means, a pregnancy expert (seeing as how this is the first time I've done this). I also have had a really easy pregnancy, without having suffered morning sickness or severe swelling. So... yeah. Maybe I won't be THAT helpful. Whatever. Just humor me.

Meg O.'s Preggo Lifesavers

Prenatal Yoga. Read this post for more information on why I love it so much and what poses have helped me when I feel especially frumpy. I attribute a lot of my flexibility and my overall good disposition throughout my pregnancy to keeping up my yoga practice in the form of prenatal yoga.

Nexium. Okay, I have suffered from severe heartburn and acid reflux ever since my second trimester in my pregnancy. This is my only "sickness" I have experienced. I would wake up, literally every hour, with this feeling like the acid was going to be like projectile vomit out of my mouth. I tried eating early dinners (we're talking 6 p.m. or before), elevating my head, I ate antacid tablets like it was crack, chewed gum in bed, took Pepcid AC, and took Zantac 150. Nothing provided relief. My OB/GYN ended up writing me a prescription for Nexium and it literally saved my evenings. Hallelujah. I attribute my uninterrupted sleep to Nexium.

All-Natural Belly Toning Oil. Since my second trimester, I have been using Mother's Special Blend All-Natural Skin Toning Oil to prevent stretch marks. I found this in the organic section of my grocery store. I particularly like this formulation because it is all pure ingredients. The ingredient list is Almond Oil, Coconut Oil, Pecan Oil, Cocoa Butter, and Vitamin E. That's literally the list. No chemicals. I use this right out of the shower while my skin is still warm and moist, and I pretty much douse my whole body in this. I have ZERO stretch marks and I am just about 39 weeks pregnant. I kid you not.

Cellulite Massager. When I use my belly oil, I will also massage my legs and body with the Bliss Simulator. Yes, cellulite has gotten even worse during pregnancy. I can't say that this has made it go away (because it definitely hasn't), but I started developing some spider veins in my legs here and there. Once I increased my circulation through massage, I haven't really developed any more and I haven't felt swollen in my legs (although they are definitely bigger).

Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion. I've raved about this stuff before here, but essentially it has been a lifesaver for my overly hormonal skin. It works wonders on those deep/cystic/hormonal spots! I got mine at Ulta.

Leggings. Leggings have saved my life during pregnancy. I can wear them under dresses that are now too short due to the bump. I can layer with them. They rock.

Old Navy Maternity Jeans. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on maternity clothes, including my jeans. I found this pair at Old Navy, and they were even on sale! They ended up being cheaper than the ones at Target and fit so much better. And it makes me feel skinny because they're the same size as I wore pre-pregnancy.

Extra Long Tanks. As the bump grew bigger, the shirts became shorter and shorter. Layering with extra long tank tops have really helped me extend the rest of my wardrobe, letting me wear a lot of my shirts.

Sports Bras. Les boobies have gotten too big for their own good. I thought I would never complain about this!!! I refused to go out and buy all new bras. All of my bras are from Victoria's Secret (I worked there for 4+ years during college years so I became a total bra snob) and I wasn't going to pay more to fit my transitional preggo big boobies. So, sports bras have saved my life. Cheap sports bras.

Fiber. Y'all can make fun of me all you want and call me an old geezer for taking my Metamucil caplets every day, but let me illustrate for you. As you can see on the left picture (the pre-pregnancy body), there is lots of nice space for your intestines and stomach. When you add a lovely baby to the mix, there is no room for your organs. That means.... digestion....really....slows.... down. I rest my case.

Any fellow mommas or preggos wanna add their MUST-HAVES to the list? 
Please share!

Drugstore Beauty Must: Revlon Colorstay Foundation

I did a little splurging at the drug store recently and decided it was time to give some cult beauty faves a try. I got some pretty awesome stuff, but I've got to focus on one thing at a time.

The first one I'm featuring is: Revlon Colorstay Foundation

 I had no idea how many women swear by this foundation, including makeup gurus! There are an overwhelming amount of positive reviews on my favorite beauty website, makeupalley.com. Almost 3,000 reviews with 71% positive things to say? I'd say it was worth it to shell out $8 to try this.

Swatch of the foundation on my hand:

It is a perfect match with my skin. I got it in the second-to-lightest shade, Buff. For reference, my skin is a NW20 in MAC shades (if that means anything to you). You might also notice that it is pretty full coverage. I purchased the Oily/Combination formulation, and they also have a Dry skin formulation.


Using the Product:
- I find that you have to apply this foundation very quickly as it will dry fast. I use a stippling brush to apply and find that's the best method for me.
-The coverage is pretty amazing. I would describe this as a medium/full coverage foundation and I don't have to apply much concealer on trouble spots after applying this foundation.
- The only thing I don't like about the application is that it doesn't have a pump. I sometimes feel like I waste foundation just shaking it out onto my hand/finger.
- The color match, like I said, is pretty incredible for me.
- This foundation reminds me a lot of the Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet + foundation... but, like a million times cheaper.


Thoughts After Using the Product:
- This stuff really stays put on skin! You really need a makeup remover (I use plain Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the shower) to be rid of the product completely at night.
- This hasn't caused me any additional breakouts, which I'm prone to.
- I feel like this stuff doesn't really cake up or oxidize too much on the skin.
- I don't have to do much blotting/touching up with powder during the day.

Revlon Colorstay on Me:

And that's with a hormonal breakout.

Bottom Line:
- Definitely worth it if you are at the drugstore and want to pick up something new to try.

Second Swap Scores!

I participated in my second swap ever, which was a nail polish swap! Thanks again to Celia and Tara for hosting!



Let me tell you - this swapping stuff is getting a bit addicting! It's so much fun to shop for someone in the blogosphere and hope that what you pick out is something your partner would love! And it's so much fun getting a little package in the mail from a "pen pal", so to speak!

This time I was partnered up with Krystal from Krystal's Kitsch! She's one of my new faves. She's hilarious, crazy, a real life Bridezilla, and I love living vicariously through her (this girl knows her alcoholic beverages... in a good way, of course)! Oh, and I designed her blog so it makes her even cooler.

Anyway, Krystal SPOILED me! Oh my gosh! Not only were the polishes she sent so adorable, she threw in so many extras! So much fun!

The Nail Polishes:

OPI in "Wocka Wocka!" (which is from the Holiday Muppets collection! LOVE!), OPI in "Mani Ways to Help" and Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Strips in "Misbehave."All three are so much fun!! To me, they all seem so appropriate for the holidays. I will most definitely wear all of them throughout the course of December! "Misbehave" looks like a great New Year's Eve choice to me.

The Extras:

Seriously - look at all of this! She sent me a very sweet card that said "I'm Thankful for Blog Buddies!", felt owl and bird decorations, a coffee mug cuff, cute little Snoopy cards, and a Disney princess calendar. I am going to incorporate the little felt decorations into the nursery somehow! The princess calendar is definitely coming with me to school. I love calendars all over the place in my classroom.

Thank you, Krystal, for all of the lovely goodies! You rock!!! 

I also hope you like what you got from me!

Preggo Meg O. - 38 Weeks

I'm starting to sound like a broken record....

We're SO CLOSE!

I'm rocking the yoga pants with the old school Astros shirt today. I just wanted to wear something a little more tight fitting so you could see exactly how big I am! Yep, even that booty. Luckily this shirt is (barely) long enough to still wear. Oh, and those new TOMS? Yeah, that would be thanks to winning Neely's giveaway! I have been so lucky with giveaways lately (never used to win anything) and these shoes make me so happy! 

Random Preggo Thoughts for the Week:

• Yesterday was my 38 week appointment. Doc checked my cervix (which is a jolly good time, I tell ya) and I'm 1.5 cm dilated and 60% effaced. If that makes no sense to you, don't worry about it. I had no idea what all this dilated/effaced mumbo jumbo meant until... um, maybe a month ago. Ha! Doc just wants me to naturally start thinning and opening up so labor will be easier. He said that was pretty good for a first baby.
• Doc also said he could feel the baby's head when he checked me! Ay yi yi!!!!
• Okay, these updates are getting more and more TMI, aren't they? Oh well.
• I've gained 45 pounds. So much for the 35 pound "recommended" amount. I've actually gotten to the point where I'm just ready to work out like I used to. Dr. isn't worried about the weight gain because I was pretty small pre-pregnancy. I just feel like a cow. This is freaking ridiculous.
• I am this close to having actual cankles. This is freaking ridiculous.
• I can't even begin to explain how much of a hassle it is now to figure out what to wear. There's no way I'm buying any more maternity clothes, seeing as how I maybe have two weeks left. And now that it's starting to get chilly around here, I guess I am just going to rock leggings with all of my dresses and layer with sweaters and boots.
• At the same time, I'm glad I haven't had to buy much maternity clothes. I own three pairs of maternity pants/jeans and then everything else I wear are dresses and leggings.
• The nursery is  so close to being finished! I loved having Thanksgiving week off so I could finish a lot of things. All of her clothes are washed and everything is just about ready for a baby to come home to.
• Greg's overnight bag is already packed for the hospital and ready to go. My bag, however, is not. He's an overachiever, anyway.
• I have read so many baby books. I feel like a champ.
• I cried like a little wimp reading this post (a birth story). It has gotten me so excited to be a mom.
• I've had two different dreams where I went into labor. One dream involved them not having a room in the hospital for me so they hooked me up to machines in a random hallway.
• I haven't felt contractions or anything. Or if I have, I have no idea that I have been experiencing them. I don't even know what they are supposed to feel like. Sometimes I feel a little pressure but that's about it.

Baby O. has a Christmas Eve outfit now, thanks to my momma. 

Those little velvet shoes with ribbons? I die. We also bought a white crop cardigan and little white tights! Macy's was having a huge sale. It was a necessary purchase.

And, to the fortune cookie I had last night...

You better not be right. This child needs to bake another two weeks and then we'll talk.