Precious Portraits

While my awesome photographer friends, Anne and John, were here for Kennedy's baptism, they took some time to get some portraits of her. I mean, she looked so adorable in her little white dress - it was the perfect occasion! Thank you again, Anne and John, for the beautiful photos!

I was wanting to get some "infant" portraits of Kennedy done - something that was older than her newborn photos. It was perfect timing to have these done with my friends in town. I am so happy with the way these turned out and I think they really capture Kennedy's personality so perfectly.

First of all, let's talk about how amazing that white dress and bonnet pop against the green of the grass! Thank goodness my lawn looks nice, by the way. Kennedy has a bit of light sensitivity with her eyes, hence the bit of squinty-ness, but by golly, these look so beautiful.

We then went inside and took some portraits in my dining room.

I love how the colors are so neutral in these photos, and her smile is just captivating! She seriously looks like a little doll in her outfit. It's also crazy to look at her top gums and think that only a few weeks ago she didn't have any teeth up top and now she has four!

After a little while, we got Kennedy dressed in some yellow and took some pictures of her with my roomies' babies. We got some great shots of them! But for the sake of this blog post, let's look at some of the ones they got of her. Let's also mention how adorable babies look in strands of pearls.

I think it's really neat how well you can see her coloboma in that left picture.  If you're new around here and would like to learn more about what a coloboma is, check out this post. I think it makes her so unique. I call it her beauty mark. 

If these pictures haven't already made your ovaries explode, here's the one that will.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

A Blessed Baptism

Over Labor Day weekend, we had Kennedy baptized. We were so blessed to have so many family members and friends join us, especially those that came from out of town. Kennedy's Godparents, Caitlin and Kevin, even flew in from New York for the occasion.

I am also blessed to have such amazing photographers that are also close friends. John and Anne graciously took pictures of the event. They even snapped a few headshots for my blog, as I'm sporting a new one on my sidebar! I can't thank them enough! If you are in the Dallas / Fort Worth area, you definitely need to check them out if you need a photographer. They do amazing work.

How about we just take a look at the pictures?

Waiting for our cue to go to the altar

Her baptism. Isn't the second photo on the top just the most precious thing? Greg's face melts my heart. She was so good during the baptism! Kennedy didn't even cry! Such a happy baby.

After the service with family members and her Godparents

Parents and Godparents

We had a brunch reception at our house afterward.

During the reception.

College roomies and our babies! Such an amazing moment to be together

Up next I have some amazing portraits that Anne and John did of Kennedy after her baptism. I can't wait to share those! So stay tuned!

I can't say enough how blessed we are to have such amazing friends and family. Kennedy is surrounded by so many that love her and it makes me so happy for her to grow up in such a loving circle.

p.s. For a limited time, I'm offering 50% off all ad space on my blog using the promo code "HALF"! Visit my advertising page for more information and to book your ad! I only have a few spots left for this month!

Houston Blogger Symposium Recap

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the Houston Blogger Symposium. I am so glad I bought my ticket right away because they sold out quickly and their wait list was huge! This marks my first blogging conference, and I'm so glad that I picked this one to attend!

image via

First of all, the venue was awesome. I love the Hotel Zaza! It also holds a sentimental place in my heart because my husband and I got engaged there! Any time I get to go to the Zaza, I always think about that night.

Taylor and I rode together, and we were the first people to arrive. They had a little display set up to where we find our tables, and then each table was named by a big blogger. I sat at the Sincerely, Jules table. I gotta admit, I had never heard of her blog before then, but now I am hooked!

I really liked how we had assigned seating. I already knew a lot of the girls that were there, so it got me to talk and get to know people I probably wouldn't have visited with beforehand! There were two familiar faces at my table, Whitney, and Michelle (one of my bffs, no less).

After settling down, we immediately picked up and started browsing through the sponsor tables. Among them were The Impeccable Pig, Francesca's, Langford Market, Em&Lee Willa Boutique and Striped Shirt. They were some pretty awesome tables, and many of them were giving deep discounts or working out review deals with bloggers. I scored a deal with Striped Shirt and I have an awesome post about them coming your way!

images via Meg Cady

Before the panels started, I moved around the room trying to socialize with as many people as I could, and catching up with bloggers whom I've met before but haven't seen in a while. Let me just say, I adore my blog friends. We are all so different and unique, but we always have a blast together!

images via Paige Budde

The Symposium included a blogger panel, a sponsor panel, and a PR session. I felt like I didn't learn anything earth shattering about blogging, but it really did give me some things to think about, especially after hearing some successful bloggers share their stories and give their insight. I also thought the networking opportunities were amazing, so this conference was definitely worthwhile.

We sat down to eat a yummy breakfast and start the panels. The blogger panel were the ladies behind the blogs Blog con Queso, Sugarlaws, Dismount Creative, Pretty Shiny Sparkly, and Mucho Mucho Bueno Bueno. The sponsor panel included representatives from Langford Market, Francesca's, and Reward Style. Lisa O'Neill spoke on PR.

I was probably most excited to see Kristina from Pretty Shiny Sparkly. I have loved her blog for years and she is just super adorable, down to earth, and gave great advice. She knew who I was since I comment on her blog a lot, and that made me so giddy! I was such a nerd. I also thought it was destiny because we both wore polka dots.

images via me and Paige Budde

All in all, it was definitely a worthwhile experience! I loved the fact that the symposium was very small (about 60-75 there total), because it let everyone really mingle and network. I feel like I could talk to the sponsor tables without them being overwhelmed, and I could go up and speak to any of the blogger panel ladies without them having a swarm around them. The most rewarding aspect of this symposium is the very fact that you could socialize and network with just about everyone there. I would rather have a worthwhile conversation with 20 people rather than quickly say hi to 100. I hope that if this becomes an annual event, that they keep it small. I'm sure that might not be the case since so many people wanted to go this year!

And finally, the swag was AMAZING.

'Nuff said.

And a huge thank you to Megan for planning this amazing event!!!

Splurge/Steal Beauty

We all love a good splurge.... but don't we also love a good steal? When it comes to makeup, I am a firm believer that if I can find something good as the luxury item, you bet your sweet britches I will use it. So, I have done the work for you here and found you some great dupes.

Each one of these products I have used, both the high end and low end brand. I hope this helps!

YSL Touche Eclat / Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser

In order to get some brighteness under your eyes, you may consider using an eye brightener. Yves Saint Laurent's Touche Eclat (by the way, I just love saying that with a fancy French accent) is a cult favorite among many, and an awesome product. However, I honestly feel like these products are so similar in the effect that they give. The Maybelline is a great product, and not to mention I really like the sponge applicator.

Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet + Foundation / Revlon Colorstay Liquid Foundation

Mat Velvet + foundation is a wonderful mattifying foundation, loved by many women who have oily/combination skin. The price tag, however, is pretty hefty. A great alternative is my beloved Revlon Colorstay foundation! The consistencies are a bit different, but both are medium to full coverage foundation with mattifying properties!

Nars Laguna Bronzer / Sephora Los Cabos Bronzer

Laguna is probably my favorite bronzer I have found. I love the packaging, and the color that is buildable. It is also not too shimmery, which I think is perfect for adding warmth to the face and contouring. I found the Sephora Brand bronzer for fifteen dollars cheaper, and an almost exact color. However, this bronzer is completely matte, which doesn't make it an exact dupe. I actually like this better because I love a matte bronzer. 

Mac Fluidline / E.L.F. Cream Liner

I think MAC makes the best gel eyeliner of the high end brands, but fear not, there is something just as good. The E.L.F. Cream Liner is seriously just as good, and a fraction of the price. The brush it comes with is useless, so make sure you get a good eyeliner brush (be it angled, tapered, or flat). Stay tuned to the bottom of this post for good brush recommendations.

Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder / E.L.F. HD Powder

You might have read this post on how I compared the two of these products, but I would be silly not to include these powders in this post. So go and read my other post for more details. Bottom line, the E.L.F. powder is not completely identical, but it is a great HD powder!

 MAC / Sigma

I have only used MAC brushes ever since I started getting serious about makeup. I built up a pretty good collection. However, I lost quite a few of my brushes (much to my dismay) and wanted to replace them without breaking the bank. I did a ton of research and ultimately decided on Sigma brushes because they are modeled exactly after MAC brushes (which I feel are the best). The numbers of the brushes even used to be the same. I have been so pleased with these brushes, I am only going to buy Sigma here on out. Check out a full review of these brushes here.

Have you found any good dupes lately? Do tell!

9 Months

Today, Kennedy has been out-of-utero longer than she has been in (well, maybe not technically, but humor me). She is nine months old! It is amazing how quickly the time flies and how amazing my beautiful daughter is.  And since football season started up, why not sport her home town team? Go Texans!

KENNEDY LATELY:
- This month has been a month full of milestones! Kennedy is a busy, busy girl with a lot of growing up to do (much to my chagrin).
- She now has four bottom teeth and four top teeth! Kennedy has been an incredible teether, without really losing sleep or putting up much of a fuss. She just really chews on her hand a lot.
- Kennedy got baptized over Labor Day weekend, which was a wonderful day for our family and friends. We had some close friends come into town from New York to be Kennedy's God parents, and other close friends from out of town came in for it, which was amazing for them to do and we were so happy to spend time with them.
- Kennedy started crawling literally days after all of our company left.
- A week later she could pull herself to standing.
- Kennedy loves her school, friends and her teachers. She does so well and is very happy. Every time I come to pick her up, she is on the floor playing with her friends and doing plenty of exploring. I have never seen her in a bouncer or exersaucer. They focus a lot on developmental milestones. I mean, she did start crawling after 3 weeks of being in attendance. The church totally doesn't give off the daycare vibe, and I think it's fun to tell people Kennedy goes to "Catholic School."
- Kennedy has been coming back up to my school with me for rehearsal. I have a couple of students who are in charge of watching her while I lead play rehearsal, and she has been very good so far. I have been able to get my work done but it's also nice to have her with me so I don't feel like I've missed out on any time with her.
- Her new thing to do now is say "Uh oh." She doesn't really know what she is saying, but gosh it's cute. She has babbled "dada" and "mama" indiscriminately but I really feel like "Uh oh" has been her first word that she figured out how to put together and say. How funny is that? I don't think it's technically her first word because she doesn't know what she's saying, but it's hilarious nonetheless.

HOW SHE'S GROWN:

Happy nine months, Kennedy! I love you, doll baby!

Baby O. in Photos {volume 11}

Here's your Friday indulgence of Miss Kennedy! She has been up to a lot lately, and I just love each and every second I get to spend with her!

Happy Friday, friends! I'm also guest posting for my blog pal, Stephanie! Check that out over here!

July & August Beauty Favorites

Yeah, I totally dropped the ball on July, so I figured I would give you a comprehensive list of all the amazing things I loved using in July and August! are you excited?! I know you are!

1. MAYBELLINE MEGA PLUSH VOLUM' EXPRESS MASCARA - WATERPROOF
I really have enjoyed using this mascara. It is supposedly a "gel" formula, but I am not sure that I notice a difference in consistency. It's not my favorite mascara ever, but is a great mascara.

2. BENEFIT HIGH BEAM
I have been using High Beam for quite some time, but when I got Watt's Up, I started using that more. I picked High Beam up recently and I fell back in love with it! It is pretty much the most perfect liquid highlighter. The end.

3. ELF HD POWDER
I raved about this powder in this post, and I am still in love with it! It really gives an amazing set to my makeup and it doesn't make me look too chalky whatsoever. My only complaint is sometimes it will lighten up my face just a bit.

4. JULEP NAIL POLISH - ROSE
I love this watermelon red color. I got it in my Julep Maven box and I have just loved using it. I also think it will transition great into fall. It goes on so smooth and beautifully and it lasted me a good week (that is monumental for me)!

5. EYEKO SKINNY LIQUID EYELINER PEN
I received this in my July Birchbox, and I was so excited to try it. It is a great liquid eyeliner pen. It doesn't budge, is really easy to apply, and you can create a multitude of lines with it. I like that I got it in black, because honestly, black is the best color to get a liquid liner pen in.

6. MAYBELLINE DREAM FRESH BB CREAM
I picked this up on a whim, because it was on sale. I have been using BB creams for a while, and I think it's important to realize that drugstore BB creams are pretty much glorified tinted moisturizers. In order to get a true BB Cream, you will either have to venture to a place where high end makeup is sold or order direct from Asia, where BB Creams are really legit. With that being said, I think this is the best drugstore BB Cream. It is great for those days when I just wanna throw something on my face and run out the door. It provides more coverage than a tinted moisturizer, and the light/medium color is a great match to my skin tone. It can oil up if not properly set, however, but that is not a deal breaker for me because everything will oil up on me when not set with powder.

7. MAYBELLINE INSTANT AGE REWIND DARK CIRCLE ERASER
I guess Maybelline is a recurring brand that I like this month! I have the "Brightening" shade in this. It doesn't do crap for my dark circles (only my beloved Bobbi Brown Corrector fixes that problem), but I really find that it brightens the whole undereye area, especially when I use it in the inner corner underneath my corrector. I know it's an extra step for underneath my eyes, but I really like it. And I really like the applicator.

8. URBAN DECAY 24/7 GLIDE ON PENCIL - BOURBON
I used some of my Sephora points to get a deluxe sample of this. I had never used the cult favorite 24/7 glide on pencils before, and now I am hooked! I am more of a gel liner girl, but this has been fun to use. I wouldn't normally choose a brown color for a liner but I actually am very happy with it and glad I was stuck with it. I enjoy doing more of a brown/neutral smoky eye with it. And it stays put all darn day. I love it!

9. DOVE NOURISHING OIL CARE DETANGLER
I saw this product get some buzz on a few different blogs and I was very intrigued by it, so I went out and got it. I find that I don't really notice a difference when I use this on wet hair. In fact, I don't really use detanglers since my hair doesn't really need that. But when I have used this on dry hair to help with frizzies or revive dry ends, it really works wonders! I still use it on wet hair, but I just love it on dry hair.

What beauty finds have you been loving lately? Do tell!

A Few Baby O. Video Gems

This past week was insane. We're talking get home at 9:00 p.m. insane. Blogging not only has taken a back seat, but so has my sanity. This upcoming week will not be much better. Luckily, I pick miss Kennedy up from school and she hangs out with me at my school when I held auditions/callbacks until Greg could come and get her. So even though I was getting home late, I still got to have some time with her... although it wasn't enough time in my opinion.

How in the world am I going to do everything this year? I am so worried. She did well at school, which is good, but man is it exhausting.

And, of course, Kennedy hit a major milestone this week.

Crawling.

She is officially on the go. And Dexter loves photobombing all the time. Ha. Can I also say I think the songs that play on that toy remote are just freaking weird? I blame Greg for that one - he bought it. Anyway, I think from all this crawling she is sleeping even better. Miss K let us sleep in a little this morning! She's already managed to break a little votive candle, and I'm sure that is not the end of it. Man, this kid just keeps getting cuter and cuter by the minute. She has such a sweet personality. She is so full of life and happy all of the time. But when she is not happy, she is definitely okay with telling you.

Oh, and let's not forget another important event-- Kennedy is cutting three top teeth. Her two front teeth and one of the ones next to it. She is an incredible teether. She is a little "off" but stays pretty happy and sleeps very well.

Could this be a more worse week for her to be hitting these milestones? I feel bad that I couldn't be there more for it, but I am ever so thankful for this weekend and the time we've been able to spend so much time together. I have really enjoyed watching this little princess grow and develop such a cute personality. It never gets old.

One of the new things Kennedy and I like to do is play Pat-a-Cake. She holds her hands out while I go through the motions, and it's pretty much the most adorable thing ever. Case in point:


Again, I say this kid's personality is just so sweet and fun. But this last video of her really exemplifies the kind of personality she has (and I don't mean demon possessed).


I have no idea why she started growling so much. I think she was playing with the different things her voice could do and she just ended up having so much fun, along with me, growling right back at her!

So, those are your video gems and milestone report as of late. I hope they bring a smile to your face as much as they do to mine!

Dove Conditioner Review + $1,000 Spafinder Sweepstakes!

If there's anything I love, it's a good quality conditioner. Between heat styling and the lovely postpartum hormones that are wreaking havoc on my hair, it's very important to moisturize. When Dove sent me the Damage Therapy Intensive Repair Conditioner to review, I was so excited to try it!

Dove describes this conditioner as being "with patented MICROMOISTURE Serum and Fiber Actives internally reconstructs hair and prevents split ends and breakage" and that it "leaves hair strengthened and resilient without weighing it down."

Those are definitely two things I look for in a conditioner, especially since my hair is color treated and it also is fine. Heavy conditioners can weigh down my hair and leave build up.

Immediately I noticed how light the conditioner felt, which sort of caught me off guard at first. I will admit that I thought it might not be heavy enough to really saturate my hair (even though I don't like a super heavy conditioner), but I was definitely wrong. The conditioner did a fantastic job at moisturizing and really giving my hair sheen and protection. I have used it every hair wash since I received the product and I am very happy with the way it has been repairing and protecting my hair.

Photo evidence:

Shiny, bouncy, tame, and healthy looking! Oh, and my pal Anne is pretty darn gorgeous, too!

I am very happy with the results I've gotten from using this conditioner. I have been pleased with Dove's products lately, and their hair care line continues to impress me! I am convinced now to go and try more items!

But wait....this isn't all, people.

Now, this isn't just any old review. There is a $1,000 giveaway attached to it! How amazing is that?Good grief, can I enter?! Oh, and there is also a link for a $1.50 off Dove coupon at the bottom of the post, so be sure to grab that.

For your giveaway entry, I would like you to tell me: What types of conditioners best help you repair damage?

ENTER TO WIN A $1,000 SPAFINDER GIFT CERTIFICATE!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY

COMMENTS TO THIS POST ARE NOT SWEEPSTAKES ENTRIES. PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR ENTRY METHODS FOR THIS SWEEPSTAKES.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Follow this link, and provide your email address and your response to the Promotion prompt

b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: "#SweepstakesEntry"; and then visit this link to provide your email address and the URL to that Tweet.

c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and then visit this link to provide your email address and the URL to that post.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. Winners will have 72 hours to claim the prize, or an alternative winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 9/4/2012 - 9/30/2012

Be sure to visit Dove^®Hair.com to get a coupon for $1.50 off Dove Hair Therapy products.

My Fantasy Football Draft

Well, everyone, I am doing fantasy football this year. Never thought I would say that!

A bunch of girls thought it would be fun to try this year and one of the prerequisites was to have no idea what you're doing. My partners in crime are:

Katie, Michelle, Tara, Heather, Bree, Myra and Michelle. They are cool. Go visit their blogs.

So, we had our draft. The plan was to get on a Google Hangout (it's basically group Skype) and do some smack talking while also drafting. Not everyone was able to "hang out" with us, but it was a great idea nonetheless.

Let's just say... the Google Hangout turned out to be more fun than the draft. I sometimes didn't realize it was my pick I was having too much fun talking with the girls! I'll let the screen shots do the talking. And my dear fantasy football friends, don't say I didn't warn you I was taking screen shots!

Katie was being so serious and it turns out she was eliciting help from someone who actually knows fantasy football! That hooker! 

What is better than being a puppy princess? Oh and notice I got Arian Foster. BOO YAHHHHHH

Myra had the funniest effects. I am wearing a Dr. Seuss hat because I am cool like that.

Michelle's facial hair was pretty much the highlight of my night. I also got to wear a snorkel.

Our league name is also the name of our Google Hangout. Heather's husband set the yahoo league up for us (again, we have no idea what we're doing) and named it. We let the name stick around. I think it works.

Now I kind of want to do more drafts involving Google Hangouts.

But.... apparently I do have a good team. I am gonna kick y'alls BUTT!!! WATCH OUT!!!!!!

Yeah, that was me doing some smack talking, yo!