Happy 5th!

Good morning! While I'm sitting here waiting for the rest of the gang to wake up and stumble into the kitchen for the biggest glass of water and a few Advils, I thought I'd take advantage of the peacefulness and just say I hope you all had a wonderful 4th! We definitely have so far!

For those of you at work this morning, shame on your boss! ;)

In the meantime, I'll continue to wait for the hangovers to set in while I enjoy my homemade iced coffee and the most gorgeous view:

For my sister...

Some of you may or may not know that I have a sister. 

We're 11 months apart...weird...I know.

She's a blue eyed brunette who somehow ended up in the state of Ohio.

Yes-I'm talking about this girl...again:

We may not be sisters by blood but if there was ever a person who was identical to me in 9,999 ways, it's her. Someone who can literally finish my sentences and complete my thoughts. Yes...it's as weird as it sounds.

Her and her husby's fam could really use some love and support this mornin'...

I'm supposed to be picking her and her husband, Billy, up from the airport this morning for a fun-filled 4th of July weekend at the river. A weekend that I've looked forward to since the last time I saw them. A trip to the South that was LONG overdue for them. A SURPRISE she had been planning for me for weeks on end...but, well, I'm sad to say I am not.

And my heart just hurts knowing that I won't be showing up at baggage claim with a mustache on as we await for their arrival.

 It's completely out of any of our control...

Billy's grandpa isn't doing so well so before you read another word, please say a little prayer for him and his family. Their flights were booked. Their bags were packed. But they just aren't sure how much longer Grandpa Krysh is going to be with them so as any level-headed person would do, they decided to stay home and spend quality time with the fam and I could not agree more. I mean, there's no way in Jimminy Cricket that two goons from Texas are more important than their family right now and I respect that.

Katie Lou-I know you're sad...and maybe a little pissed that you aren't getting to experience Texas humidity & frizzy hair, but darn it I know you have those airline vouchers and you WILL get your Midwestern butt here as soon as you can. Your Corona Light's will remain in the fridge until you get to Texas but in the meantime, just know that I completely, 100% respect your decision to stay in the O-H. Kristen, Shalyn, the rest of the gang and I promise to have the most miserable time ever without y'all. ;) Love ya doll. Thinking and praying for you and Billy during this difficult time. xoxo
***
As for the rest of you ladies (and gentlemen?) , I hope you have a happy and safe 4th of July! We're off to the Frio River to soak up some sun, partake in a few too many adult bevvies and be downright American. Eff ya!

Keep Calm & Blog On

What do you get when you cross a t-shirt obsessed blogger 

with in-laws who own a silkscreening business?

That's right...t-shirts for EVERY occasion.

You get married...t-shirts.

You have a baby...t-shirts.

You take a poo...t-shirts.

Really-who doesn't love a good tee?! I know I do. ;)

I had originally designed these "Keep Calm & Blog On" t-shirts for  Jess, Katie & Erica as a little gift when we all met in Ohio. 

Colors pictured: Royal, Lime, Daisy

Little did I know that when I Instagrammed a pic, I would get an overwhelming request to sell them on my blog. Emails, messages, texts, you name it. 

Lo and behold, I've bamboozled my in-laws to work with me to get these tee's on your little blogging bodies. Let's spread this blogging community even more than we already have, shall we?! How fun would it be if you ran into someone wearing this shirt around town?! 

That's right, party people.

Any color. 

Any size. 

However many you'd like.

$20 each. (And yes, that includes shipping.)

With more than 55 colors to choose from, the possibilities really are endless. 

A few of my faves:

If you're interested, please either leave a comment with your email address, letting me know you're interested or shoot me an email directly at stephandbeau@gmail.com so we can hash out all the deets. (At that point, I'll be able to send you a direct link to all the different colors so you can choose exactly which one you prefer.)

Payment will be accepted via PayPal.

Please allow 2-3 weeks for shipping.

<3
Keep calm & blog on, my friends!

Friday's Letters

Dear hair colorist, I don't know how you can use a bowl of purple goop, a paint brush and a box of aluminum foil to do what you do to my hair but whatever it is, I love you for it. From sex talk to hangovers and everything in between, you never judge me. God bless you, child. Dear weekend, have I told you lately that I love you? No really... Dear boss, though I'm glad you've enjoyed your full week off, I'm a lil tired of playing "boss lady" for the week. It is truly exhausting and I have a whole new level of respect for you. If you could so gladly return at your earliest convenience, I will love you more than I already do. Dear husband, thanks for being you and for loving me...even when I'm a whiney, bitching brat. Dear money tree, I'm still waiting on you to plant yourself. Can we go ahead and get on the ball with that? Dear Houston heat, if you could go ahead and calm down just a tiny bit, like maybe 5 degrees or so, we would all be in a much happier, non-sweatier place. Dear house, if you could go ahead and clean yourself from top to bottom, do all the dishes and wash all the laundry by next Monday night, I promise to give you all the credit. Dear Pottery Barn, why are your prices so damn steep? I need one of everything on your website but the funny thing is, the only piece I can afford is a napkin ring. (And who needs a friggin' napkin ring??) Dear Cinnamon Toast Crunch, you rocked my socks off last night AFTER I had already eaten dinner. Thanks for that. Dear Frio river, you and I will be together very very soon. I sure do hope you're prepared for us because Lord knows...we ARE prepared for you... Dear readers, thank you for your undying love and support. Your sweet, sweet comments totally make my day, everyday. Thanks for making this blogging world THAT much better! <3 And finally...Dear Katie & Billy...the fact that you are flying all the way to the Lonestar State to see BBFT and I melts my tiny little heart. We are SO excited to show you around our hometown and for you to FINALLY see what all this Frio River/Texas hype is alllllll about! Everything really IS bigger in Texas-just you wait! I saw these last night and was 2 seconds away from purchasing them for y'all to wear on our trip...you lucked out...they were out of your size. ;)

Join the linkup here!

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PS-just in time for the weekend, my thoughts on Michelob Ultra LIGHT Cider. Love.

Let's talk makeup

I was a Bare Minerals girl for years. YEARS. And before that, I wore Makeup Forever. Both of them were pretty reasonable, or so I thought, until I figured out that I was FLYING through the products and having to buy new foundation/powder just about every other month and it really started to add up. (Don't judge...I gotz shizz to cover on this face of mine...) 

And then I stumbled upon THE Bargain Blonde and her obsession with ELF makeup. Though she's a fellow Texan, I'll have to admit I doubted all this ELF talk for the longest time. Then there was this one day where I drew the line...I was not walking into Ulta to drop another $100 on makeup that doesn't even last a month. I walked my happy butt into Tarjay, picked out a few ELF products and was on my way. You know, foundation, powder, eyeliner and mascara. I was nervous about the colors so I only got a few things to start out with.

That was a couple months ago.

This is today:

Lez just say our friend The Bargain Blonde tells no lies.

Yep. Just about everything I use is an ELF product with the exception of  the liquid foundation. It's only $6 and it covers well but my skin is very...and I mean VERY oily and even though it says "Oil Free", my face, with a combination of natural oils, Texas heat and Houston humidity looked like a damn slip and slide by 11am. Those of you with dry skin may be able to pull it off but I can't do it on a daily basis. I prefer the MAC Studio Fix liquid foundation. It covers so well and is able to withstand sweat and water. (Dream come true, right?!) I didn't return the ELF foundation because I figured I can use it when I'm just out and about with nowhere important to go or no one important to see.

Without further adieu...

My go-to top 10 ELF products:

1. Daily brush cleaner: SO important. Clean your brushes ladies! I was spending $13 on MAC's brush cleaner...this one is bigger, does the exact same thing and is only $6. (Online only)

2. High Def Powder: though I think this may cause my skin to break out from time to time, I love the glowing finish it gives to my makeup and it makes my face look as smooth as a baby's butt! I'm still not 100% sure if this is the culprit or if it's just a fluke but you also have to remember I have acne-prone skin that's SUPER sensitive so it shall remain a mystery. I'll try it out a few more times and if Planet Earth decides to take up real estate on my face, I'll be sure to let ya know... $6 (In stores and online)

3. Studio Pressed Powder: LOVE. That's all. Works fantastic. Covers great. Color is perfect. The only bad thing is that it's only sold online and is such a popular item that it gets backordered fairly often. At $3 a piece, I typically order 2-3 at a time... (Online only)

4. Golden Bronzer: Has a tiny bit of shimmer to it and gives my skin that sun kissed look we all love to have year-round. My skin has red undertones so to refrain from looking like Bozo the clown, I only use bronzer on my cheeks instead of blush. $3 (In stores and online)

5. Mineral Foundation: Bare Minerals girls...this is IDENTICAL to the BM foundation...identical. And only $3. I use it as a concealer on my eyelids and around my eyes before applying any eye makeup. On days where I want to wear lighter makeup, I use it all over my face for pretty decent coverage. (Online only)

6. Mascara: Call me a mascara whore but I have a problem with only using one at a time. Yes-I use 3 different tubes every single day. They all do such different things for my lashes so I can never commit to just one. Price range $1-$3.  (In stores and online)

7. Eyeliner: I'm a little indifferent about this one. I can't quite figure it out. It stays on well but it's not as dark as I prefer my eyeliner to be and it dulls quickly resulting in sharpening it almost every day. The good thing about it is that it's only $1 and comes with a sharpener so when I originally bought it, I figured if I hate it, at least I get a new sharpener out of the deal. It's just okay...it's a like not love kinda thing so I just keep it in my desk at work and use it at work or as a backup if I run out of my go-to eyeliner. $1 (In stores and online)

8. Baked Blush: I know I said I don't typically use blush but I just got this one in yesterday. I ordered it  because it's light and shimmery and can be used as a highlighter. I've tried the liquid highlighters and they make me look like a cheap stripper so I prefer the powders. I tried it out this morning for the first time and LOVED it! The best part...only $3. Oh ya! (Online only)

9. Baked Bronzer: Fantastic. Just got this one in yesterday too. I think it goes on the same as the golden bronzer but I wanted to try something new. Well worth my $3. (Online only)

10. Pressed Powder: I prefer the studio pressed powder but since they only sell it online and they sometimes run out of stock, I always keep this little cheapy in my makeup bag. I keep one in my desk drawer, too, so I can touch up my face throughout the day. Only $1. (In store and online)

Take it from me...sign up for their emails and order on the days where they offer free shipping. (Don't you know I refuse to pay full price for anything?!) Their shipping takes about 5-7 business days so make sure you order it in a timely manner. ;)

Happy shopping my little elfettes! ;)

Eyeslipsface.com

Decisions, decisions...

I don't know how or why but apparently Wednesday's on this here blog are devoted to house stuff so I sure hope that's okay with you! If not-get the heck out! (Kidding.)

Big things are happening in the home-building department! BIG! And by "things", I mean decisions. 

I thought there were big decisions to be made when we were planning a wedding but boy was I wrong...a wedding only lasts for a day whereas a house lasts for, well, YEARS so these decisions are far different and much more important than picking out what color table linens you prefer. (But don't get me wrong...table linens ARE important...)

Let's talk bricks.

This weekend we had to decide what color we wanted and by no means was this an easy task. (Wait-any task with my husband is never an easy one...) We drove around for 4+ hours looking at brick colors on houses which may or may not have ended up in me knocking on a strangers door to get the precise brand and color of the bricks on his house. Yes-desperate times call for desperate measures...

We went back and forth between two totally different colors and by late in the afternoon we were officially OVER picking out bricks (emphasis on "OVER") and made a final decision...

What? You can't tell if "Cuero Springs" brick will look good with "White Chopped" by seeing them on a 12x12 panel? Ya-us either. Those brick panels really are the stupidest idea ever...really...

So this is what the two stones will actually look like together...

Obviously this is not our castle of a house but it is our brick...and can we talk about those garage doors?

Needless to say, it was a long. LONG afternoon of brick hunting and our caffeine fix was much needed.

What would I do without McDonald's iced coffee? 

I don't EVEN want to know...

And because I have no clever ending to this post, I just need you all to know that this time next week I'll be waking up next to this guy (sorry Beau). Yes-that would be Rocky...Katie's ADORABLE furchild...and yes-he's coming to TEXAS!

...and will be heading to the Frio River with four of my favorite couples in this entire world:

Can. Not. Wait.

A video that does NOT disappoint

You know me...I love me some weddings. This past weekend I got a text from my friend Ashley telling me to go watch the wedding video of our friends, Sierra and Raj, who just got married in Cabo...

Let's just say I was in the middle of shopping when I stopped to watch it and was absolutely FLOORED from the second I hit "play". It is simply amazing and I don't know HOW on earth they pulled this off but talk about an incredible way to capture an entire wedding weekend!

Make SURE you turn up your sound and if you're  blocked from watching videos A) watch it from your phone IMMEDIATELY and B) go work for another company who trusts you to not watch porn while on the job...

Seriously, Beau...where the heck was my music video?! ;)

And can we talk about Sierra...was she not STUNNING??!! So gorgeous!
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PS-just in time for the 4th, check out my thoughts on Michelob Ultra LIGHT Cider here...amazing!

Animal tested. Husband approved.

I don't know about you but there are very few things in life in which I'm willing to give up:
sex, drugs and rock and roll.

Ok-kidding people. (The only "high" I've ever been was life and the only music I listen to is country.
That knocks out 2 of the 3.)

Let's get real here...there are many things in which I'm not willing to give up in this life...one of the three options up top, cheese and let's be honest...booze. (Ok so I could be all sentimental here and say my husband, my family, my health, my job, etc...but that doesn't make for a very fun post, now does it?)

Now where was I?

Oh ya. Booze.

Though I try to live a fairly healthy lifestyle, alcohol, in any form, is the one thing that keeps me sane and would be my "drug" of choice, per se. And by "any form" I really mean just about "any form". Liquor, beer, wine, champagne, cognac...you name it. (Sidenote: I've never drank cognac...it just sounded good.) But when it comes to certain beers, I draw the line. Though I'd love to throw back a few Miller Lites just like I did in the good ol' days, I saw first hand what that did for my figure...

Ya...an entire 6 pack of Miller Lite to yourself and late night Taco Bell 6+ nights a week will do this to a girl...

Anywho-being a retired bartender (doesn't that sound classy?), I've had my fair share of beer tastings; from dark to light and everything in between. I've had Smirnoff and Zima and a few pale ales but none of them ever did the trick for me because A) they were too sweet or B) they were too heavy. Seriously...who wants to be the bloated chick in a mini skirt? That's right...no one.

{Enter Michelob Ultra}

Ahhhh. When it comes to my beer of choice, I've always been a Michelob girl. Light, low in calories and non-filling. Perfect for those hot summer days spent outside. You know...the kinda day where absolutely nothing will please you but an ice cold beer.

Like I said, I like beer but I don't like the full feeling and I like ciders but I don't like 'em too sweet.

{Now enter the Michelob Ultra Light Cider}

Heaven in my mouth.

Light, crisp, a lil fizzy, not-too-sweet and oh SO good.

The night I brought home the cider, we were cooking dinner with one of Beau's cousins and our meal of choice was bacon wrapped oryx steaks (wikipedia "oryx" if I've lost you here...), steamed broccoli and black beans. Seeing the steaks were going to be a little on the heavy side, I thought the Light Cider would be the perfect pairing. Needless to say it did not disappoint...

To deem this review as unselfish (& so that I would refrain from drinking the entire 6-pack myself) I "shared" the leftovers with everyone else and to my surprise, they all liked 'em! Even Fendi...the 7 pound schnauzer!

Michelob ULTRA Light Cider page on BlogHer.com

Sponsor's site

So there you have it, friends.
Husband, cousin, blogger and even dog approved.

Oh! And I almost forgot to mention...the Michelob Ultra Light Cider is completely gluten-free so for all my celiac friends out there...you won't have to sit out this round! ;)

/p>

Friday's Letters

Dear Friday, thanks for getting here so quickly. I've longed for you for 5 days now and fully welcome you with open arms this morning! If every day were Friday, this world would be a much better place. Dear readers, thank you for all your sweet words yesterday (and every day). My friend Julie ended up reading the post and not only told me how much all your comments meant to her but that it was so nice to know she wasn't alone in this big ol' scary world. Dear homebuilder, let's get this show on the road already! Sister would strongly prefer that we be in that house by Christmas so if we could break ground sometime within the next year, we'd be okay with that. Dear gym, sorry I didn't pay you a visit this morning. Any alarm clock with the number "5" included is officially banned on Friday mornings in the Howard household. Dear money tree, if you could politely plant yourself somewhere near for my perusal I would greatly appreciate it. Emphasis on "greatly". Dear husband, thanks for letting me wake you up this morning with confirmation that I am, indeed, NOT pregnant. Ya-that could have sucked. Dear mom, MIL & FIL, don't you get ANY ideas with that last letter. ANY. Dear July 3rd, I'm gonna need you to go ahead and get here already. I've got big, exciting plans for that week and would love to see you sooner rather than later. Dear assistant, if you could magically hire yourself, write your own paychecks and help me on a daily basis at work and at home, you just might be the best thing that ever happened to me.

Why?

Do you ever find yourself saying "Why?"...

Why me?

Why them?

Why is there so much violence?

Why is there so much hate?

Here lately I find myself constantly asking "Why sickness?" and sadly enough...we'll never know the answer. I know we can't all live to be 200 years old and remain healthy as a horse but I feel like the older I get, the more sickness and death I hear about and I can't help but hate it. It hurts my heart.

Though I've dealt with death, dying and losing a loved one, it will never be something that I'm okay with.

My very best friend's mom is dying. She's not even 60. After going in to have her ear checked out for a minor earache, she was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma and a 50% chance of surviving. Her first 16 hour surgery removed part of the cancer but not all. What it did remove was part of her jawbone, leaving one side of her face completely paralyzed. But she was okay. She came out of the surgery, would begin receiving treatment via chemo and radiation and she was on her way to recovery.

Or so everyone thought...

Back in February, she was given 6 to 18 months and I thought that was a dagger to my heart.

As of last Tuesday, she has 3-6 weeks.

WEEKS.

I'm sorry. I know this is all so heavy and it is definitely something I never thought I'd be writing about but I just want everyone to realize how important each and every day is. Sometimes we get so caught up in everything we do on a daily basis, you know, work, working out, shopping, blogging, watching The Bachelorette, etc...and we forget how precious life really is. We're never promised tomorrow.

I saw this on Pinterest the other day and it really hit home:

Sometimes we lose sight of what really matters so I thought this was the perfect reminder.

It's incredibly difficult to see my very best friend go through something so traumatic at such a young age. Her mom, Mrs. Joni, has always been known as "Momma #2" to me because growing up, that's exactly what she was. From letting us sleep outside on the trampoline, to never missing a single softball game of ours, to covering for me when I got caught sneaking out of the house one night (Sorry, mom. Still haven't told you that story...), she was always there for us. I confided in her numerous times before even going to my own mother because she just always gave the best advice...the kind of advice you know you'll hear from your own mom but would rather hear it from someone else and actually listen to them.

Don't even get me started on her cooking...talk about home cookin'! She was, still IS and always WILL be the queen of homestyle meals.

Though Mrs. Joni is sick, very sick, I just pray that she, my very best friend, Julie, and her family find comfort in all of this. Coming from someone who's lost a parent before, I sure do hope they can one day find peace with themselves and with God for the situation they've been handed. I know how incredibly hard it is to see the pot of gold at the bottom of the rainbow but I know Julie, Lara and Billy are strong and they will keep Mrs. Joni and her memory alive for many, many years to  come.

To my very best friend in the whole wide world:
Julie Anne: I don't think you even read my blog but if there's ever a day you just so happen to come across this, I just want you to know that I love you with every inkling of my heart and it kills me to see you go through something so tough. Please know that God will never put you through something you can't handle and Lord knows you have always been one tough cookie. ;) Just as you were there for me when I lost my daddy, I will always be a shoulder to lean on when you need me, a phone call away just to chat or a few miles down the road when you need a friend to snuggle with. You will forever be my very best friend and we all know you will always be your momma's boo. <3
If you find it in your hearts, please say a quick prayer for Julie and her family. I know they would definitely appreciate it and so would I. xoxo