January Life Update

Not much has went on this month, it's winter in Tennessee.

Other than the normal day to day life I gave my Mom a makeover (haircut, color, makeup) mid-January:

It is impossible for me to get a good picture of my momma, we are always laughing mid pic.


From Wednesday (the 20th) until yesterday we had a house guest~ because of the snow(s) his road isn't cleaned after, so nature has to melt it before it becomes passable. (The state of TN, and all the counties I've lived in, are horrible when it comes to snow removal.)

Some Pictures:

Thankfully most of it has melted now, and we can actually park in the driveway. (We don't have a snow shovel, oops!) 

Hope you're thawing out/warm where ever you are!


Have a great day!
~CraftinWife

MOTW (15) = No makeup. Yucky weather. I hate winter. Sharing the Family Art Wall.

It's been cold, snowy, wet, foggy, and yucky here this weekend/week. As far as I'm concerned winter can be over now. 
So since I've literally been watching TV, crafting, and playing games all weekend/week I didn't do any makeup at all.  

I will admit the snow was beautiful, and I shared a few pics on my Instagram if you're interested.


Since I didn't bother with that I'll share the pictures of the Family Art Wall I've been working on in our home, the opposite wall is family photos in only black frames, but I wanted the frames on this wall to reflect the "artist" and the piece:

Have a great day!
~CraftinWife

Product Review~ Sizzix (Big Kick)

I've owned my Sizzix for a little over 2yrs now. 
I Love it! 
There are tons of dies and embossing folders available, for just about any fabric or paper craft you could imagine. I've used mine for cards, tote bags (fabric), treat boxes, party decor, etc.  (I've linked to the sizzix website, but should note I never pay retail for any crafting tool or product. I shop with a coupon, a sale, or at a specialty/discount store. Also some of my crafty stash has been gifted.) 

Now for the pro/con list~


Pros:
Versatile
TONS of dies and embossing folders to choose from 
Easy to use
No electricity needed
Portable
Fun!


Cons: 
Die storage (they do take up considerable space once you get a collection going)
While it is portable, it weighs 7.5lbs, not exactly light weight
Generally only one or 2 designs on a die (vs a card)



Do you have any die cutting machine? Which one(s)? Do you like them?



Have a great day!
~CraftinWife

Beauty Faves & Fails

All of these are products I've linked, and talked about this month (in previous blogs, however if you have a question about anything just ask in the comments below and I'll answer it ASAP):

Fails First~

Eyeko Fat Liquid Eyeliner~
I hated this. It was impossible to get on and made a black streaky mess all over my face when I was removing it. (I gave it to my mom to try out, she's used it once and liked it.)

TonyMoly Tony Tint~
This goes on patchy, and felt a bit drying, I don't think I'm a fan of sheer matte lip products.


Faves~

Physicians Formula Argan Oil~
The Oil and BB Cream especially. Just perfect for winter!

As I Am Conditioning Cleanser~
Who knew? This I talked about in my Beauty Hauls blog at length.




What are your current favorites? What don't you like?


Have a great day!
~CraftinWife

Recent Craft Hauls

I actually have something to share with you! A Christmas present from my sister and her family:

Design Originals Coloring Book~
(Color Joy.) I love that this is portable and easily fits in my bag, and each page hold something new to color. I need more!

Crayola Colored Pencils~
You can't color without a tool! Crayola is #1 (especially their crayons, no one comes close).

I alread had these:
Daler Rowney Colored Pencils (Color Wheel). I got mine from WalMart, but can't find them online, the link is to the current products available.
(The Crayola work far better, but Daler Rowney paints and artist pencils are great.)


I also got a TON of yarn from my hubby, but didn't take any pics of it. If interested leave a comment below and I can add a few pics.


Have a great day!
~CraftinWife

Recent Beauty Hauls

 All of these are Christmas presents from my Mom &/or Hubby. I didn't take pictures of the new LipSmackers, but got a bunch of those too! (I will post a pic if anyone is interested, just leave a comment below.)

As I Am, Physicians Formula, Hard Candy.

Makeup!

Hair & Makeup Products.

As I Am Coconut CoWash~
This is awesome! I was a bit skeptical about CoWash on my hair type, but I use this in place of shampoo, every other time (2 -3 a week) and my hair looks and feels amazing afterwards. It's a breeze to comb through and style afterward! I agree with the only con in most of the reviews- I wish it came with a pump.

As I Am Leave in Conditioner~
I use this on the days I shampoo (but don't CoWash). I love the smell of these products, and this preforms wonderfully for me as well!

Physicians Formula Argan Wear Products~ 
Talked about here:
Previous Blog

I'd love to try the Lip Oil, and the mascara. Have you tried them? What did you think?
As I've said before Physicians Formula is my favorite Drug Store Brand. 

Hard Candy Eyeshadows~
These were holiday collections, but the colors can be found in the current collections.
I haven't played around with these much, other than to swatch them, but I've used Hard Candy Cosmetics in the past and really like them.



Have you gotten any new products? What are you excited for? There are a ton of new items at the drug store and high(er) end!


Have a great day!
~CraftinWife

(Bonus Blog) Can you tell which is the High End Lash Primer?

Can you tell??

The two contenders:

Ulta Mascara/Lash Primer (Can't find a link) in Clear/White

Benefit They're Real Tinted Primer


Both are very easy to use. I did the same thing with both eyes: Curled my lashes, applied the primer, then used the same mascara for both. Which is which??

The contenders.

Can you tell? (This pic was taken at the end of the day.)

?

?

?? (This one was taken immediately after make up application.)

All the makeup used.

Benefit////////Ulta

Did you get it right?

Thoughts? 

They were actually far more comparable than I had originally thought, however by the end of the day the Benefit was holding up much better.. 


Have a great day!
~CraftinWife

MOTW (14)

From now on days that I'm not "made up" I won't have pictures for. As always any question about a product or anything in particular just leave in the comments below and I'll answer there ASAP!

(Monday*)

Trying out the Birchbox stuff.

Have a great day!
~CraftinWife

January 2016 Birchbox

It arrived yesterday, so I can give you a first impression on everything except the face wash, I've yet to try it.

 Other than being sick of getting perfume for the past 3 mo straight (4 total, in  7 boxes) I am liking the initial look of this box. This is the first time I've received a nail polish, and I don't have any from this brand.

(Check out my Instagram (linked above) for a pic of the nail polish on my fingernails.)
Ciate Nail Polish First impression: I like the color, and it dried super fast, which is nice,  the brush is also a bit wider than your standard nail polish brush which I also liked. I didn't use a base coat, but with both coats it went on a bit streaky and dries somewhat textured. Not sure I'm a fan of this.

 Eyeko Fat Liquid Liner First Impression:
Harder than heck to apply, this could also be because I don't typically wear liquid liners. It is definitely smudgeproof, but almost dries too fast for me.  It's a great semi shiny true black shade, which is nice. I'll have to play around a bit more with this to see if I like it or not.

TonyMoly Delight Tony Tint (#2 Red) First Impression:
Goes on easily, and is advertised as a sheer red, but after two coats I still didn't feel like it was an even coat, though in the pictures it looks alright. It stayed tacky for about 5min, then felt super dry for about another 5. Now it feels a little dry, but otherwise okay. I'm not sure I'm feeling this on its own, but will continue to try it out.

Meet your Destiny Perfume First Impression:
Every other sample I've gotten has been such a strong fragrance I was surprised at how incredibly light this one is. I'm still not a fan of perfume samples, but this one I will actually wear.

Key West Aloe Cleanser I've not used yet.

What are your thoughts?
What did you get in your Birchbox?

Have a great day!
~CraftinWife

Empties!!!

I'm finally starting to get my house in order, and this past week tackled the bathroom closet and cabinets. (The closet is what I like to call my back stock, it has all our product doubles, and new stuff we've yet to use but couldn't pass up due to a great deal, gifts from Birthdays, Christmas, ect. It also houses all the towels, and other bathroom necessities.)

The closet really needed organized, and a lot of the items were still in boxes from when we moved. (The closet is HUGE.)  The cabinets were semi-organized, but I wasn't liking the set up and needed to go through first aid/medications anyhow, so it was the perfect time to tackle the project.

A lot of stuff got thrown out, mostly expired cold meds, first aid stuff, and a few gunky lotions and hair products I'd had forever.

Some of these were found in the clean up empty or nearly empty. (The gunky stuff, or products I didn't use aren't pictured, or mentioned.)  The bulk of these were used up this past month.

Sunsilk Anti Flat Weightless Volumizing Creme~ This took me years to get through, and still wasn't empty. (Probably because other than when I first bought it I rarely reached for it.) It was nice for a little smoothing, but I never noticed any added oomph to my hair. As for the weightless claim, it wasn't heavy, however it seemed to work more like a conditioning creme. The formula may have changed since then, and it's super hard to find, but I don't plan on giving it another try.

Aussie Aussome Volume Hairspray~ This is my favorite Drug Store hairspray. It doesn't have as much of that hairspray smell, isn't super sticky, and actually does give my hair volume! I'm currently working through a different hairspray but plan to purchase this again.

Makeup Remover Facial Wipes~ Some Dollar Tree products are a hit, some are a miss. I actually didn't even finish using these. They dried out super fast, and the wipes themselves were so thin I found them hard to use. (They tended to want to wad up in my hand.) They also weren't very good at removing makeup. Save the dollar! 

Herbal Essences Totally Twisted 2 in 1 Shampoo/Conditioner~ I really liked this and what it did for my hair, my natural wavy hair had more curl and I didn't have to use styling products if I didn't want to. It took me a while to get through the bottle, simply because I love trying new hair products out. I have plenty of shampoos/conditioners to work through, but I would re purchase this in the future if it was still available (the shampoo and conditioner are still being sold, but not the 2 in 1).

Temple Spa La La Lagoon Aromatic Bath & Shower Gel~ This was in my November Birchbox. The product felt great, and lathered nicely, but I really didn't like the musky scent. I don't plan to purchase this.

Olay Fresh Outlast Cooling Body wash (White Strawberry & Mint)~ (Sample from PinchMe) This felt great, lathered well, and had a pleasant fragrance. I don't know what the cooling claim is all about , but other than that I liked this product. I've actually went through 2 or 3 of these samples. I have several more different body washes to work through (some are Olay, but not this particular one) so I have no plan to purchase at this time, but may in the future.

Clean & Clear Finishes Mattifying Cleanser & Finishes Pore Perfecting Moisturizer~ These are no longer available, but when I was using them I liked them. Especially the Moisturizer. Now I've found other/better products to do the job. (These were a product that got shelved to try other stuff then forgot about, and had to be tossed, the cleanser was 1/4 full or so, and the moisturizer was pretty much empty. 

Act Advanced Care Plaque Guard Mouthwash~ This is our second sample, we have one more, but are currently working through a different mouthwash. I plan on purchasing this soon.

I didn't have any makeup this time, but some things are getting close to expiration, so there may be some that I'll review next Empties Blog.


Have a Great Day!
~CraftinWife

Birchbox isn't here yet.... So instead, Crafty Tag Questions

I thought the 2nd Monday each month would be an okay day for my Birchbox blogs, in the beginning I was getting them around the 6th -10th. Now it seems to be more like the 12th-14th so next month and for future months I plan to switch and I'll post Recent Beauty Hauls first, then the following week post Birchbox. That will give me time to try the products as well.

This month since I haven't taken the pics for Recent Beauty Hauls yet (Christmas presents!)  I'll post Birchbox the day it comes in, and for this blog I'll do a Crafting Tag:


TAG Questions:

1. Favorite texture for paper? 
Smooth, unless it's for a specific project.

2. Favorite Cricut Cartridge?
I don't own a Cricut. I do have a Slice & a Sizzix. (I got both of mine at Tuesday Morning and did not pay nearly that much for either one.)
My favorite Slice Design Card (that I own) is Great Outdoors.
My favorite Sizzix Die (that I own) is either the milk carton die, or a pop up card die.

3. Ribbon,Stamps or Stickers?? 
Depends on the project, but mostly stamps.

4. With a machine or handmade??
Either/Both. (Even if you use the aid of a machine it's still handmade.)

5. Cricut Expression or Cuttlebug?
Neither. (See question 2)

6. Paint, color pens or markers??
Again depends on the project, but I mostly use markers and pens.

7. Favorite color when doing craft?
All of them!

8. Favorite pattern when doing craft?
Huh? 

9. Buy it or Do it?
Mostly do it, but every once in a while it's cheaper and easier to buy it.

10. ATG gun, glue or tape?
ATG!!!

11. Wood stamps or Foam stamps??
Wood, & cling.

12. Fabric or Paper??
Both, depending on the project.

13. What store you would go to buy craft materials?
Tuesday Morning, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Hancock fabrics, and sometimes I get lucky at the Thrift Store. 


Have a great day!
~CraftinWife

December Planner Pages

I may have went a little decorating overboard in December...

 Week in Progress:
(When I took the photos.)

What more would you like from these planner blogs?


Have a great day!
~CraftinWife

Bonus Blog~ Hair Questionnaire

Since last week and this weeks MOTW was combined I decided to do a Hair Questionnaire!



 1. Why did you start taking better care of your hair?
Cosmetology School, and again more recently using better quality products.

2. What are your 2 favorite hair products?

Argan Oil, and Amika Dry Shampoo.

3. Who's hair did you admire as a child?
My cousins, their hair was long, blonde, straight and super thick.

4. What is your ultimate goal length?
Waist Length, almost there! I did give myself a hair cut yesterday to get rid of straggly split ends.

5. How are you going to celebrate when you reach your ultimate goal length?

I am probably going to straighten my hair and play with it all day.

6. Two styles you want to try at your goal length?
A big fluffy braid (that makes my hair look thicker), and other than that I don't know.

7. Which do you prefer: Health or Length?

Definitely health.

8. Which do you prefer: hair ties with no metal parts or butterfly clips?

I use hair ties most of the time. But also use clips on occasion. Depends on the style.

9. What products do you prefer: salon brands, organic brands, Beauty Supply Store brands, Drugstore brands, or other?

I don't think I can chose one. I have tried all types of different products and have liked a good amount of them.

10. Which product/technique do you think is over-rated?
It's more a trend, ombre. To me it only looks good with non- natural colors. Otherwise it just looks like you need a re touch.

11. Which product/technique do you think is under-rated?

Hair oil! Especially if you have any length to your hair, it's thirsty!

12. What is your favorite part of your hair regimen?

 Styling, even though I don't do it often.

13. What is the most annoying part of your hair regimen?

Detangling, by far.

14. Oils or Butters?

Oils.

15. Buns or Ponytails?

Either.

16. Wigs or Weaves?

Neither.

17. What is your opinion of growth aids?

I haven't tried any, I'm super skeptical that they'd actually work.

18. At what length do you consider hair long?

Past shoulders.

19. When is the last time you visited a salon?

2010 or 11.

20. What do you like to surf most often: YouTube channels, personal blogs, or hair forums?
YouTube! 

21. And finally, what piece of advice would you give to someone just starting out on their hair care journey?
Try and keep it simple, work with your natural hair texture as much as possible and have fun experimenting!


Have a great day!
~CraftinWife

Craft Room!

I'm flipping the Monday and Friday Blogs this week (as well as posting late).

Today is FINALLY my Craft Room! Friday will be my Planner Blog.

This took far longer than I thought it would, but really glad to have it all set up.

The pictures were taken early morning, while hubby was off using my computer to play Diablo 3, because my computer is better. (His words, but he built it so he'd know.) So, it's not easy to get great pics that early, with someone in the way so if anyone is interested just comment below and I'll post some better ones. The light is great for crafting that early though. :)

If you have any questions about what something is, or how it's laid out just ask below and I'll answer ASAP, or possibly post another blog!


Have a great day!
~CraftinWife

Monthly Blog Schedule

The schedule hasn't changed since September, and I'm really liking the way it's been working.
So instead of the first post each month being a repeat of telling you what's going to be posted I'm switching it up to a Hair Blog Post!
Tutorials, Product Reviews, Color, My current hair issues, etc.

So I need your ideas! What would you like to see here?

Have a great day!
~CraftinWife

December Life Update

This month FLEW! And I really don't think we did much!

The first week of December my sister gave me my early present (Ulta Advent) our Black Friday orders started arriving, we returned the items we purchased to Angel Tree, and  finished up Christmas Shopping.
On the 10th I wrapped all the Christmas gifts, the 11th was supposedly Chris' follow up appointment but they said we had missed it (and it was at 8am) when we went to check in and called at 3pm to tell us we had missed our 2pm appt. This was after about 10 calls in the weeks prior to confirm and reschedule, all on their end.  We did not reschedule.
That Saturday my sister and her family came over and we moved mom's fence to her yard (she has 2 large dogs). Afterwards we all had dinner.
Friday the 18th my husband an I drove thru the light display at a local park, it was very nicely done (and free!).
From the 23rd on Chris was off work, we prepared for Christmas, played video and board games, I finally finished getting my craft room the way I want it and he's started on his office.
We went to my sisters for Christmas and all had fun! 
Wednesday the 30th my mom brought my niece over and we colored for awhile, and drank cocoa.
That's our month in a nutshell!

Have a great day!
~CraftinWife

MOTW/OOTW (12&13)

Did you notice the new stuff?
Christmas presents!!
I didn't take a pic most days, since hubby was off and we were bush getting the house in order I didn't wear much makeup.
The Ulta was all mentioned in the blog prior to this one. 
The Physicians Formula was a box set from my Hubby. So far I'm loving the Argan Wear Ultra Nourishing Argan Oil BB Cream. The Argan Wear Ultra Nourishing Illuminating Argan Oil is nice too, especially since my hair and face have been so much drier this winter. I don't know if has to due with the weather, the new house (heat), or age, but it's far drier than previous winters. The Glow/glitter in the product is far less noticeable under make up, but they do sell a version with out. Lastly the Argan Wear Ultra Nourishing Argan Oil Bronzer is another hit for Physicians Formula, the only complaint I have is the gold over spray, however with one swirl and tap from my brush that was gone, and the bronzer is perfect for me.

Other products have been previously linked before, but if you have any questions (about anything) ask in the comments below and I'll answer ASAP.

Have a great day!
~CraftinWife

Argan Wear™Ultra-Nourishing Argan Oil BB Cream

Argan Wear™Ultra-Nourishing Argan Oil BB Cream