Why We Married Young

Some people say I got married too young. We were 19- and yes, that is young. I knew pretty early in our relationship that this would be the person I was going to spend the rest of my life with. Before we got married, everyone seemed to have an opinion on it- including people we barely knew. People told us we were too young and we should wait. I even heard a few of the "we got married at your age... and now we are divorced" stories.  Some people told me that I was going to miss out on things, and I should experience life before settling down. I am sure people were well meaning, but it got old after a while. We knew what was right for us.
Maybe there were things that I missed out on. I never lived in a dorm or had a "typical" college experience. I was never "just me" during my adult life. And there were some things I had to give up. I gave up searching for my soul mate- because I knew I had already found him. I gave up awkward first dates and the heartbreak that came when it didn't work out.

But I gained so much more in exchange. I gained a best friend who is there for me through everything. Someone I can be silly and have fun with, and also a shoulder to cry on when things are tough. I gained someone who motivates me and pushes me to be the best I can be. There were multiple times I wanted to quit school, but he pushed me to keep going. I found someone I could grow up with and learn life with.
Getting married young isn't for everyone, but being ready is more than an age. There are plenty of marriages that fail- regardless of age. It's more of a readiness to commit to someone through thick and thin. Marriage isn't easy... in fact, sometimes it's really hard. But it is so worth it and I wouldn't change any of the decisions I have made.
I have a couple other marriage/relationship posts planned that are coming soon.
Thanks for reading!

How to Apply Matte Lipstick

I think matte lips are so pretty, but every time I tried to wear a matte lipstick, my lips feel extremely dry and look cakey. I had been eying Patina by Stila for quite a while, and finally picked it up. The first time I put it on, it looked absolutely horrible. Through some trial and error and using a couple trick I found online, I found a better way to apply it.

 Step 1: Always be sure to exfoliate. Matte lipstick will cling to any dryness on your lips. You can purchase a lip scrub, or you can make one. I just mixed a small amount of sugar with coconut oil, and gently massaged my lips with it.Wipe it off with a damp washcloth.
 Step 2: Apply a moisturizer. I have tried chapstick and an EOS balm, but I found that rose salve works the best underneath. If you want to see a full review on Rose Salve, click here. It is important to apply so sort of moisturizing product, because matte lip products will settle into the fine lines.

Step 3: Apply a concealer over the moisturizer. I patted the concealer on, as opposed to rubbing it in. This creates a nice base for the lipstick, and helps it stay more true to its color. I also found that the lipstick settles into the lines less when I use a concealer. Be sure to blend the concealer around your lips so you don't have a weird ring of concealer around your mouth.
Step 4: Line your lips. The color I lined my lips with is not a perfect match to Patina, but it is close enough. It helps keep the lipstick on your lips.
Step 5: Apply your matte lipstick.
Step 6: Enjoy your beautiful matte lips.

I plan on doing a full review of the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipsticks. This may seem like a lot of steps to take for matte lips, but it will help it stay in place and prevent it from being too drying. This is only something I do on special occasions or nights out. I hope this helps.
Thanks for visiting!

Weekend Style | Simple Knit

Hello! I hope everyone had a great weekend. We had a great time with a few friends. On Friday, we went to see American Sniper, which was absolutely amazing! On Saturday, we went to dinner with a different group of friends, then we played a couple games of lazertag. Sunday was our lazy day, which are always nice. We relaxed, and got a couple of things done around the house.
Today I wanted to share one of the outfits I wore over the weekend.

Shirt| JcPenney Similar
(The brand is A.N.A. I wasn't able to find this shirt online, but I just purchased it in stores.)
Jeans| Kohls
Boots| Kohls
Necklace| Icings

Thanks for visiting!

How to Reach your Goals

I am not really one to make New Years Resolutions because I never stick with them for more than a couple of weeks. This year, I decided I was going to set a couple of goals for the year anyway. One was to pay off our car loan, and the other is to find a teaching job. I heard a tip a while ago , that makes so much sense, but is what I was missing before. They said that the best way to make and achieve goals is to be able to create steps that will help get you to your end result. In order to achieve these goals, I thought of some steps I could take that will help us.

 Goal number 1: Paying off our car loan, is a huge goal in itself. It is going to take careful budgeting, picking up extra shifts at work and sacrificing some things we may want to do or buy. Looking at the number we owe can be overwhelming. To make the number a little less intimidating, I calculated about how much extra we would need to put on the loan each month. That number was still a little high, so I calculated about how much we would need to set aside each paycheck for the loan. This number is still high, but it is more manageable. We use a lot of tips from Dave Ramsey. If you haven't read his book The Total Money Makeover, I would highly recommend it if you are looking to get out of debt. A tip of Ramsey is to give every penny a name. My husband and I set a budget together, encorporating the extra money for our loan. Sticking to our budget is a great start of achieving this goal.
Any goal you set should have a measurable outcome and you should be able to take steps to reach your goal. Being healthy is a great goal: but how are you going to be healthier? Maybe, add a fruit or veggie to each meal, and work out 3 nights a week. etc. If your goal is just to be healthier, it will probably just stay a goal, and not become a reality. A plan is essential.

My second goal is to find a teaching job. For this one, I am taking steps to better my chances of getting a job. I have been subbing as much as I can to get my names into school. I also have an interview lined up for a long term sub position. This would be a nice experience to have and will look good on a resume. A project I have been working on this week is creating a professional teaching portfolio to bring with me to interviews. Each week I have also taken time to job search. I actively take steps towards getting a job.

If you set goals for the New Year they are most likely different than mine. The same principle can be applied though. Create a plan of steps you can take. If you haven't set goals, it's not too late. :)

What are your goals?
Thanks for visiting!

Hint of Rust- Tutorial

Hello! I hope everyone is having a great week. One of my 2014 favorites was the Naked 3 Palette, but I have found myself reaching for my Naked 1 more often lately. For this look, I used Naked 1, and the color Rust by NYX. Rust is a lovely wine colored single eyeshadow.

Step 1: Blend Naked in the crease and blend it out. 
Step 2: Apply Sidecar all over the lid. This color has some fall out, so be sure to tap any access off of the brush to prevent this. 
Step 3: Take Rust on a blending brush and focus it on the crease.
Step 4: Apply Darkhorse on the outer eye. 
Step 5: Take a little more of Rust and blend it into the crease again. Take it to Darkhorse, but avoid apply over it. This is just to darken the color and to blend it into Darkhorse better.
Step 6: Highlight the inner corner of your eye and your brow bone with Virgin. 
Step 7: Take Darkhorse on a small brush and apply it on your lower lash line.
 Step 8: Apply eyeliner and Mascara.

I have been trying to add a little bit more color to my makeup, and this has been my favorite way without being too much.
I hope you guys like this look. 
Thanks for visiting! 

How to Prevent Nails from Breaking and Splitting

Hello Ladies! I hope everyone is having a good week. This is the first real snow of this winter, which is pretty unusual for Michigan. I can't remember the last time we didn't have snow on Christmas. My nails are normally very dry and brittle, especially in the winter months. Most of the time I am forced to wear nail polish, to give them a little bit of strength from breaking.  Today I wanted to share how I saved my nails from breaking and splitting.

For a while, my nails were terrible. My nail polish would only last a couple of days before the nail polish, and part of my nail would begin to peel. This left my nails very thin and weak. In effort to prevent breakage and splitting, I would paint them again. It turned into a downward cycle. 

One major change I made that I think made the biggest difference was changing the nail polish remover I was using. I was using a cheap nail polish from the drugstore and I am pretty sure that is why my nails were so dry. Right now I am using Simplepleasures Nail Polish Remover Pads that are acetone free and gentle. It takes a little bit more time to get nail polish off of my nails using these pads, but it is worth it. For a lighter nail polish I use about 3 of the pads, and for a darker shade I use about 5. The product I have was $3 at Kohls and has 30 pads in it. I have tried remover pads by L.A. Color, and they worked about the same. The ones I have now smell really nice too, they are citrus. There is no harsh smell like regular nail polish remover.

One other thing I make sure to do when painting my nails is use a good top coat. I have talked about this so many times, but I use Essies all in one top coat. It helps the nail polish last longer and prevents chipping. It helps because don't have to do my nails as often.

What are your best nail care tips?
Thanks for visiting!

2014 Beauty Favorites

I cannot believe another year is over. This year was a busy one for me because I was trying to finish up all of my classes so that I could do my internship this past semester. I was also working full time for part of the year. I unfortunately wasn't able to try as many new products as I would have liked to, but I still wanted to share some of my go to products for 2014. 

1. Urban Decay's Naked 3 Palette- This eyeshadow palette is the one I have been using the most. I like the rose colored shades. I also like to use it for an everyday eye look and also a darker night time look.
2. Revlon Colorstay Liquid Eye Pen- Prior to getting this liquid liner, I was using a gel one by Maybelline. I still like to use the gel, but this liquid liner is so easy to apply. I can easily apply a thin line, or I can make it a little thicker if I want. I feel like I have a lot more control with this than the gel. 
3. Pur Minerals Big Blink Mascara- I tried quite a few mascaras this year, and this one is my favorite. I have fairly long lashes, so I prefer mascara that volumizes over lengthens. This one does a nice job of volumizing without being too drying.
4. Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bold Gold- I have a few different colors in the color tattoos. Gold is my favorite color to wear on my eyes, so this is the one that I tend to reach for the most. It creates a nice base for eyeshadow and intensifies the color. 

5. Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush Palette in Pin Up Girl- I recently purchased this blush palette from Tarte. It's not necessarily the palette that is my favorite, but more the quality of the blushes. I love that these blushes last all day long without needing a touch-up. If you want to see a full review click here.
6. Covergirl Ready, Set, Gorgeous concealer in light/medium- I don't use this concealer to cover blemishes or dark under-eyes, but I use it more as a highlight. I will dot it on my check bone, down my nose and on the middle of my forehead and then blend with my beauty blender. It gives a nice, natural highlight. 
7. Studio Gear Hidden Agenda Concealer in light medium- This is my second pot of this concealer. It covers under-eye circles well, and I also use it to cover blemishes. The only bad thing about this product is Ulta no longer carries this brand, so it can only be purchased online. 
8. Lastly, I wanted to include the Colourpop lip pencil in Lumiere. I just did a full review of these products here. It it a "your lip but better" color. When I wear only the lip liner, it lasts a while before I have to reapply. I normally need to touch up only after I eat. It is a matte color, so it isn't the most hydrating product, but it's nothing a lip balm can't fix. 

Thanks for visiting! 
What are your favorite products of 2014?