sharing on a sunday.

Good afternoon, friends! I hope you're having the loveliest Sunday. I just took a trip to the mall and now I'm sitting on the couch with Jeffrey. We're trying to wrap up the little details of our wedding and I can't believe it will be here in one week! Since our engagement was pretty long, it seemed like this day would never come, so it really snuck up on us. It's amazing to think that by this time next week we'll be getting ready to marry one another. I can hardly believe it and I'm really, really excited! This weekend, I thought I'd share a few things with you. I hope you enjoy them. :)

* I have been loving Trader Joe's salsa. You guys. I pretty much never just want chips and salsa, but ever since Jeffrey recommended this stuff, I've been hooked. It's really just your run of the mill salsa, but it tastes so good! We really love it with their organic corn chip dippers, which are like sophisticated Fritos.

* After since my coconut oil post, I've been using the stuff as shaving cream all the time. I really, really like a close shave, so I pretty much always shave my legs twice right in a row. The first time I just use a regular shaving cream, but the second time I use coconut oil. My favorite part is that there's no need to moisturize after I finish shaving because the coconut oil takes care of that part for me.

* My dairy free experiment is almost over and I couldn't be happier about that! I do think it made a difference in my skin, but it certainly didn't transform it. If you do have troubled skin, I'd recommend trying it out. I started seeing results after about three weeks of leaving dairy behind. Because I'm a huge dairy lover, it was really difficult for me, but I'm glad I stuck with it. This and this (in blueberry) helped me get through it!

* Woody's new squeaky toy makes him and us very happy! My aunt recommended that we get Woody a squeaky toy, but we weren't keen on hearing it all the time. We found this sweet little tennis dog made by Kong and it was like the heavens were shining down on us! You can turn the squeaker OFF, which is super awesome because most of the time we don't mind hearing him squeak away, but when we do we just hit the button and silence is granted.

* I found a makeup brush that will change the way your makeup looks on your face. I'm not huge into having a million brushes for my makeup, but even I can recognize the benefits of a high quality foundation brush. Because our wedding is coming up, I didn't mind splurging a little bit on some high quality makeup to make myself feel extra special. A girl at the Sephora counter recommended this brush and it is really incredible! I will admit that the price was a bit of a slap in the face, but I actually think it's worth it. The trick is holding the brush right at the very end of the handle so that you have a lot of flexibility in moving the brush over the foundation. It creates a flawless, natural finish. (P.S. These are some of my favorite brushes and they're much more affordable if you're on a budget.)

* Speaking of makeup, I found the most amazing blush for fair-skinned folks. When I was in high school, I wanted nothing more than to be tan, but now that I'm a little bit older I really appreciate my pale skin. (Plus, the start of forehead wrinkles was a pretty big wake up call.) Taking care of the skin on my face is one of my favorite ways to treat myself and when I came across this blush by Tarte, it was like someone made it specifically for me. It has an amazingly natural, but glowing finish and it looks wonderful on pale skin. On top of that it's formulated without parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, petrochemicals, phthalates, GMOS, or triclosan. In general, Tarte is a pretty conscience company and I trust their products (I've heard these lipsticks have wonderful pigmentation and staying power)! The price might come as a bit of a shock, but you're paying for a product that is made with integrity and your health in mind. Keep in mind that most drugstore products are filled with nasty, cancer-causing agents. Yikes!

Anyway, that's enough rambling for one day. Have a beautiful Monday, friends! xo, R.

P.S. Do you have anything to share?

sharing on a sunday.

* After a lot of research, I've decided to go dairy free until our wedding! I've suffered from cystic acne for over 4 years now (it started up when I entered college) and have done nearly everything to make it go away. While my acne has subsided and been much more manageable than it was just two years ago, it still isn't perfect. I've done tons and tons of research about acne and have decided to give going dairy free a go. I'm nervous! I love pizza and put parmesan cheese on everything, but I'm hoping this will give me some clarity on my face.

* Taking Woody on a long walk everyday has been my bliss over the last few weeks. There's nothing quite like a stroll through campus with my love, and our sweet little pup gets some exercise in the process. Jeffrey and I have had some wonderful conversations on our walks (about some deep and exciting things!) and I think it is a wonderful way to reset and disconnect from things that might not have gone our way during the work day, or otherwise.

* We've been in the process of making a little movie to document the month of January and we're planning to do this the whole year. I have a serious love for short little home movies and I've had a blast putting this one together. :)

* The best thing I've ever done for my morning routine is choosing an outfit and ironing it the night before. I usually try to choose my wardrobe for the entire week, but when I'm in a pinch, one day at a time will do. I absolutely loooove freshly ironed clothing (and not standing in front of my closet asking the age old question, "what to wear?!?" at 5:30 AM feels nice).

* We have no idea what we're doing next year! This scares me to my core. I am the kind of person who likes to think 1, 2 or even 3 weeks ahead. It is programmed within me to be like this. I'm trying to be at peace with our rootlessness, but I'm not always good at it. It helps to think about the next year as an adventure and remind myself that, no matter what, we will be okay.

* My current favorite thing to wear is a ring made by my great grandfather-in-law. It was gifted to me by my (almost) mother-in-law at my bridal shower last weekend and I love it. I didn't know this man, but it makes me feel like I did. And it makes me feel loved that my in-laws are trusting me with such a precious family heirloom. Marriage brings so many wonderful things!

* Some things I'm loving:

• This simple baseball cap from Madewell
• A Blog About Love (such a pleasant read on a Sunday morning) 
• Coconut oil for homemade popcorn
• I'm really interested in getting this leash for Woody (who could stand to learn a thing or two about pulling)
• Topman is a really lovely store I just discovered for men's clothing (I think it may originally come from the UK)
• A good thing to remember.

I hope you're having the loveliest Sunday! xo, R.

P.S. Do you like posts like this? I sometimes try to lean away from posts that are word-heavy, but I like sharing with you guys!