Over the River and Through the Woods...

...to Grandmother's house, we go.

I didn't mean to go so long between posts, but I've been pretty busy lately. Cody and I just got back from Sioux Falls, SD. We drove up there Thursday for a long weekend to visit my grandmother. I haven't seen her in at least 13 years so it was nice to finally be able to visit. We drove 14 looong hours to get there and the same to get back last night. Needless to say, we're pretty exhausted.

28 weeks baby bump

We got to do a little bit of sight seeing during the couple of days that we were there. Falls Park was a really neat area to explore. It was so pretty! The Sioux River and its falls cut right through the middle of the park and was surrounded by fun rocks to climb on. Good thing neither of us fell in the water while we were hiking along the rocks because that water was freezing! I will say, I think I did pretty darn good for a lady carrying a basketball in her belly.

That was most of the sight-seeing that we did. Aside from that and visiting with my grandmother, we did some shopping, eating, and of course, took a chilly stroll around their local zoo. I really wish we could've spent more time in South Dakota, but maybe we'll be able to go back soon. 

Happy Halloween

I hope everyone has a happy Halloween! Play all of the tricks and eat all of the treats. I know I will be! Mostly just the treat part though.

Alexander Wang X H&M

Jersey c/o H&M

I'm so pumped to be partnering with H&M again to help announce their exciting collaboration with designer Alexander Wang! This performance wear collection is a first for the designer. It features sporty-style apparel and accessories for both men and women. The Alexander Wang X H&M line will be available online and in stores worldwide on November 6th! 

Out of all the edgy styles in the lookbook, I picked out 4 of my favorites (pictured below). I'm dying to snatch up those leggings in look #5. This is just the active wear I'll need while I try to shed this baby weight after the little guy gets here. I can't wait!

Top 10 Fall Lip Colors

Along with the changing of weather and fashion, also comes the changing of makeup styles and colors. On the lips, we typically go from bright pinks and corals, to deep reds and plums during the colder months. I've taken it upon myself to comb the internet for my top ten favorite lip colors (a few of which I have). Some are glosses, some are lipsticks. All are perfect for this fall season. 

1. Yves Saint Laurent "Prune Impertinente"

2. MAC Viva Glam "Rihanna 1"

3. BITE "Sucre"

4. LimeCrime Velvetines "Suedeberry"

5. NYX "Temptress"

6. NARS "Fanny"

7. OCC Lip Tar "Black Dahlia"

8. Marc Jacobs "Understudy"

9. Makeup Forever "Satin Mauve Pink"

10. Urban Decay "Walk of Shame"

Anniversary Trip

This weekend Cody and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary. We didn't go all out with a big trip or anything, but we did spend the night in Memphis and had tons of fun!

I finally got my fall activity fix when we stumbled upon a little harvest festival at Shelby Farms. This place had every size, shape, and color of pumpkin you could imagine! Many of them I didn't even know existed. One of the pumpkins was over a thousand pounds! Sadly, I couldn't attach a horse to it and ride it away like Cinderella, so I just settled for a few colorful smaller ones.

After the festival, we had a delicious dinner downtown at The Majestic Grille. The spinach and artichoke dip was amazing! We then stayed the night in a king suite at a really nice hotel... yay Priceline deals! The next morning, we hit up the zoo, because I love zoos. If you've been following my blog for a while, you've probably read a previous post or two about zoo adventures that I've shared. I just love watching, petting, and feeding animals. I probably should've been a zookeeper or something. 

We capped off the day with some shopping and more eating before heading back home. It really was a great anniversary celebration. The past two years have been more incredible than I ever could have expected. 

Stormy October

It's been raining... and by raining, I mean thunder and lightning storms... so much lately that I've been stuck indoors pretty much every day for the past week or two. Although, it feels like it's been for the past month to me. This doesn't make things very easy for blogging since most of my posts need to include photos that I take. *sigh*

I've been dying to partake in (and blog about) fall time activities like pumpkin patch adventures, fall recipes, and tutorials, but these dark and gloomy storms are really putting a damper on my fun and my bright, natural lighting. 

Even as I type this, it's dark as night outside and we're actually under a tornado watch for the next few hours. Yayyy. Luckily, though, if we don't blow away, we will finally get to enjoy some nice, cool weather after today. I can't wait!

Top 5 Links for Hair Tips

Every now and then, I like to share my favorite blog posts and web links that I had discovered over the week. This time, I have a theme for these links. I'd like to share my top 5 fave links for hair tips and tricks. Curly, straight, or color-treated, these links have advice for all!

Curly hair care

First, advice for the curly-headed girls by Hairspray & High Heels.... Curly Hair Tips. I find myself telling my curly clients these same tips all of the time. 

Platinum blonde care

Next, tips for platinum blondes by Kelli Murray/A Beautiful Mess.... Maintaining Platinum. This link mentions it, and I can't say it enough - ALWAYS have a professional lighten your hair. I'm not just saying that because I'm a professional. Bleaching hair can be disastrous if you don't know exactly how to do it.

Hair tips & tricks

Great overall tips for hair by Listotic.... 20 of the Best Hair Tips You'll Ever Read. With the exception of #11, these are some pretty great tips. 

 Long Locks

Tips for growing your hair out by The Makerista.... How I've Made My Hair Grow. This girl is right on with her methods! Follow her advice if you're wanting to grow some luscious locks. 

Kylie Jenner Hair

Last, but not least, pastel haircare by Beauty High.... Pastel Hair Color: The Truth Behind The Maintenance. Vibrant or pastel hair color is definitely fun to have, but honestly, it's kind of high maintenance.