Thursday, December 26, 2013

Merry Christmas

Hello,
I realize that I have not posted in a while and am sorry about that, because in the last post I said I would try and post at least once a week. Obviously that did not happen. I am now going to say hopefully I can get a post up at least once every two weeks. Please do not hold me to it, but I will try my hardest. I have been really busy lately. Anyways this is going to be a very short post.

I just wanted to wish you a belated Merry Christmas!!! And say I hope you had a great one and remembered it's not about the presents or food, but Jesus and his love and birth for all of was.

Until next time,
Abbie

Monday, December 2, 2013

An Organized Christmas Shopping Experience

Hello,
Long time no see. I took a break, and it actually ended up being longer than intended. I am back now, so hopefully I will post at least once or twice a week. Please don't hold me to that though, because school, swimming, and life in general have been really demanding lately.

Ok, I am going to talk about how to have an organized and easy Christmas shopping experience this year. I have a few tips and really hope they help you out.

First off, I think it is really helpful to have a typed out Christmas shopping list. Just get on Windows Office or whatever you use and make a list of stuff you are looking into getting for each person you are buying gifts for. If you want to get really organized and specific, list where you might be able to find that item, and if you have a special offer or coupon to use for that item. Make sure the list is easy to follow, and leave some space to add stuff after you print it out, just in case.

Also, go online and search for deals and coupons for the specific items you are looking for. If you find a good offer, look to see if it can be used in store and online, or only one of them. Check to see if it would be cheaper to buy online (make sure to also add up shipping costs) or purchase in store.

A few really great tips for when you are shopping, is to have a plan of what stores you are going to go to that specific day, and figure out which ones to hit first and which ones to hit last. Also, have a designated spot in your wallet or purse where you keep your list, it is a lot easier to find it that way. I prefer to keep it in my wallet, so I don't have it floating around in my purse.

A great way to save money, is to make a budget of how much you are going to spend on each person. After you make your budget, go through your list and make sure everything fits into it.

These are just a few suggestions, but I still have many more to share. If you would like to know them, let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading!
Abbie

Saturday, November 2, 2013

My Skin Care Routine

Hey everyone,
Today I am going to talk about my skin care routine. I have very weird sensitive, combination skin. My skin is EXTREMELY sensitive and I have a very oily nose and forehead and the rest of my face is very dry. I have learned how to work with it and am really happy with what I have been doing for the past couple months. So here it is!


Alright, first off, I use the 5t Avenue Fashionista Makeup Cleansing Towletes with Aloe Vera. They moisturize my skin, while doing a fantastic job of getting rid of the makeup. I got them at TJ Maxx for $3.99 compared to $8.



Then the face cleanser I use is the St. Ives Blemish Control Green Tea Scrub. I absolutely love this face wash, it keeps blemishes at bay, doesn't irritate my skin, and doesn't dry out my skin. It is a good, gentle scrub, and it controls oil very well.
Next, if my skin is very dry, I use the Simple Moisturizing Facial Wash. It is a gel, and I used to use it all the time, but my skin just got to oily. I like it a lot, and it doesn't break me out. Also, I use it to wash my makeup brushes, it is very gentle, and does a fantastic job.
Excuse the dirtiness of the bottle, I have had it for a while.


When I want more of a scrub than just the St. Ives one, I use the Dermatouch scrub brush. It is kind of like a Clarisonic, but a lot cheaper. I got it at TJ Maxx a while back for about $15-$16.

I use the Target Up and Up acne spot treatment when get blemishes. I don't get acne, but I do get blackheads, pimples, and zits. It works really well, and even if I don't have any blemishes on my nose, I put it on to control the oil.
Then I use the Clean and Clear Morning Burst hydrating gel moisturizer. I absolutely LOVE this stuff, it is cheap, and works fantastically. It doesn't break me out, and gives just enough moisture. Also, if I want a little more moisture I will use the Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel Cream for dry skin.

If I want to do a mask I like to use a peel off one I got from Forever 21 (I ran out of it, and can't remember the name of it, sorry) Also, I love using the True Blue Spa Renewing Pumpkin Face Mask. I got it at Bath and Body Works for free last year, with this coupon I had. I love how it makes my skin feel, and it gives it good hydration.
I know this isn't really a face care product, but I use it all the time to control the shininess on my skin. It works great! It it the E.L.F. Shine Eraser Oil Blotting Sheets.


Thanks for reading!

Blessings,
Abbie


Friday, November 1, 2013

Being savvy- Redoing a bedroom (or any room)

Hello,
I am going to talk about being savvy when redoing your bedroom. I recently moved into a different room, and I was very money conscious while doing it. It did take me quite some time to get it done, and I am still not completely done with it, but that is because: 1. I wanted to get the perfect pieces 2. I live in an old house, and had to get some things done in the room to make it bedroom quality. So without further ado lets get into it.

Ok, so first things first, you need to have a theme to get started and know what pieces and styles to look for. I did a shabby chic room, due to the house being old it just went with the style best. I started out by getting a bedspread so I could base the colors of the room around it. I got my bedspread from Target, it was probably the most expensive individual item I got for my room, but honestly it was exactly what I was looking for. It is from the Shabby Chic collection by Rachel Ashwell at Target, (you can only get this collection there.) After I got the theme and color scheme done, I obviously painted, one tip is to paint the room yourself instead of hire a painter to do it, it saves a lot of money.

A big thing that saved probably the most money was I got a lot of pieces from relatives that didn't need or want the stuff, and redoing the items to fit for what I wanted. I got lamps from my Grandma and Uncle, and got new shades for each, and spray painted one of them. I got small decor pieces from my other Grandma and my Great Grandma. I got a bedside table at an antique sale, and spray painted it and got new hardware. I painted pieces I already had from my previous room. I used decor and other essential items from my previous room. Another great place to get things for a good price are thrift stores. I know, they may seem a little gross at first, but you find really cheap and unique pieces there! Just wash and clean the items you get.  I got my curtains and pillows at them. And Ebay is also very good as well. Also, I did a lot of DIY's and they saved a ton of money.

So honestly, play around and really search for key pieces for cheap. You will be able to redo any room with these tips, in my case I had just redone my bedroom.

I hope you find these tips helpful and good luck on your project!

Sincerely,
Abbie


Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Decor- Easy book shelf

Hey Everyone!
Today I really wanted to do a decor post, so that's what I am doing. I have a bookshelf in my room, and I love it. I threw it together one day with pieces I had from my previous room, and am surprised at how much I love how it looks. I hope you enjoy, and thanks for reading. Sincerely, Abbie           Here it is:

This shelf is from my old bedroom, and I repainted it light green to go with the color scheme of my room.




I added a small pumpkin to the shelf to add a little fall flare, and I am looking forward to doing some fun stuff for other seasons.


 I think a big part that helped to make this shelf work, was some really interesting, "statement" pieces. I added a few, and just tried to tie it all together with similar colors.


I got some books out of my closet, and just put the ones out that were similar colors. I stuck with blue, green, and purple.

My Uncle got this for me in Iraq, and I call it my "treasure" box because I keep things in it that are important to me.

         
I had some herbs, and these little jars, so I filled the jars up with the herbs, and I think it adds a little interest and color.












         




















Monday, October 28, 2013

Encouraging Quotes

Hello,
I was combing the internet this morning, looking for some encouraging and motivational quotes to post on here. I found some really good ones, and hope you enjoy!

“A word of encouragement during a failure is worth more than an hour of praise after success.” – Unknown

"Fall seven times, stand up eight." – Japanese Proverb

 "The only One who can truly satisfy the human heart is the One who made it." -Unknown

"Let your past make you better, not bitter." - Unknown

"You were created in God's image. God makes no mistakes. To put yourself down for the way you are is to insult God's handiwork. You are beautiful." -Unknown

I just wanted to encourage you with some quotes, and I really like these. They are motivational for me and I hope they are the same to you. Remember the last quote especially, you are created in God's image. Every time you feel like putting yourself down, remember that. You are not a mistake you are the image of God!

Sincerely,
Abbie

P.S. If you have anything you would like me to talk about or show you, just put it in a comment. I will be sure to look at it and try and make it happen. 

Also, I got some of these quotes from one of my pinterest boards, so if you want to you can follow that. It is abbieburkholder.


Sunday, October 27, 2013

Makeup Review- Three E.L.F. Products

Hey everyone!
 I want to review a few drugstore makeup products that I have been using lately. You might recognize one of them from my last post, the outfit of the day. They are all from http://www.eyeslipsface.com/ . You can get them from the site, and Target also sells their products, which is where I mainly get them.
#1-  Clarifying Pressed Powder: I like this powder for everyday use, and it doesn't break me out which I love, because a lot of face products do. I have it in the color Ivory. It does a nice job of mattifying my face after applying liquid foundation, and also if your skin is just really oily. I normally don't wear foundation, but I do put it on my face almost everyday because it helps reduce shinyness and oilyness. I am not really sure how clarifying it is, but it doesn't make my blemishes flare up. Overall it is a good product, especially for only $1!


#2- Eyelid Primer: I absolutely love this eyelid primer, it is very sticky and helps eyeshadow stay longer than without it. It dries to a nice consistency and is super easy to use due to the wand applicator. I love this product and would recommend it to anyone. It is such a great price at only $1 and works well.










#3- Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick in Movie Star: This lip product is creamy, moisturizing, and very easy to apply. I also have it in In the Nude and also really like that one. They glide on easily, and are not drying like a lipstick. You can build the color up or keep it sheer. It is again great for the price only $2 and is a very versatile product. I love it!

Thanks for reading!

Sincerely,
Abbie

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own. I purchased all  the products with my own money, and E.L.F. is not sponsoring me.

Outfit of the Day- 10/26/13

Hey Everyone!
I wanted to make a quick post on an outfit of the day. I actually wore this outfit yesterday to a family pizza party. Hope you enjoy, I will tell you the brand of all the pieces I am wearing.







Sweater- Izod (I got it at a thrift store, it is a large, so it is very big and slouchy)
Jeggings- American Eagle Outfitters (I got them at the Tanger Outlets while I was on vacation)
Boots- I got them from this site that sells nice, cheap shoes the site is -http://discountwomensdressshoes.com/   the style of the boots I am wearing is the Khaki Lace Up Buckle Zipper Combat Womens Platform Flat Ankle Boots, I am not sure if they are still in stock, but I love them
Earings- Forever 21 (couldn't get an adequate picture of them, sorry  )













 Makeup-
Eyeshadow- NYC IndividualEyes eyeshadow pallete for brown eyes, I used the creamy color all over lid, light brown on lower part of lid, dark brown in crease, and purple on the corner of crease
Mascara- Maybelline Great Lash curved wand in blackest black
Lips- e.l.f. Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick in Movie Star


Sorry the pics are a little blurry, still trying to figure out how to get the best shot.

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Inspiring Message

Hey everyone,
So a few days ago I was sent an email by a friend that had a link to a devotion that she thought was really inspiring. She often sends me devotions from this site, and I put them in a folder of emails, and whenever I don't know what to do for devotions I look in that folder and read one. Today, I read the most recent one she sent me, and it was, as she said, super inspiring. It was about this teen in college who was in this Theology of Faith class, and was rejecting God, and then one day he finds Him years later. I want to share this with you because it was very inspiring to me and I hope it will be the same for you. I am going to put the link at the end of this post, so please read it.

I really love this site, especially for teen devos and have it bookmarked on my toolbar on my computer. It has motivational, inspiring, and just genuinely good devotions for teens. Also they are very relevant to problems teens face these days. They could also be good for adults, as they aren't babyish at all. I want to encourage you if you are a believer, to read these devotions. If you are not a believer, I want to encourage you to look for God in everything, from the little things to the big. I trust you will find Him, for He is everywhere.

Thank you for taking your time to read this! Here is the link: http://www.dare2share.org/devotions/desperately-seeking-you/#sthash.dpm7LAnR.dpbs

Blessings,
Abbie

Friday, October 25, 2013

First Post (Introduction)

Hey everyone,
First post! I want to write about what this blog is going to be, so it won't be to artsy or anything.

First off, I want to let you know this blog is pretty much going to be about anything I like and want to post about. I will be talking about life, cooking and recipes, fashion, makeup, how to be savvy, decor, God, life as a Christian, encouraging quotes and thoughts, and anything else I can't think off.

 I like to share my opinions on things and I certainly stand for my own beliefs. One thing I would like to encourage you to stand for your beliefs, no matter what they are.

I want to be a blessing to you and help you in any way I can.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you follow and enjoy this blog!

Sincerely,
Abbie