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"Hanging Out" with Sonia Kashuk

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity via BlogHer, along with several other bloggers, to participate in a Google Hangout with famed makeup artist Sonia Kashuk whose new bath and body product line I reviewed recently. I have also reviewed her satin luxe lipsticks, here.

I asked Sonia what her favorite products were from her own makeup line that she uses on a daily basis and also what inspired the (lovely) packaging on all of the products in the bath and body line.  Check out our chat below, featuring Sonia answering our questions (my question is at 5:30 in the video!) 

I love that she uses her own products, because I think the most exciting part about creating a beauty and bath and body line would be to create my "dream collection" of products. Basically an entire suite of "holy grail" products to create my everyday look. Sign me up!


I hope you enjoyed this video!

You can check out the new Bath & Body Collection by Sonia Kashuk, exclusively at Target!

Our Weekend..

On Friday, our daycare held a little pow-wow for the families in each class to hang out and get to know each other and spend more time with the teachers too. It was a potluck so I picked up some fresh-baked cookies from Tiff's Treats. If you've never had them and you're in Houston, Austin or Dallas, I encourage you to order some, post haste! You will thank me. Plus, they deliver still-warm cookies right to your door...so they basically win at life.

It was fun to spend time with the other moms and dads and our babies. We don't always run into each other since everyone has different drop-off and pickup times so it was nice to get to know everyone better. All of the babies got these little hats too! Harper wore it for approximately 2.5 seconds the next morning. Then she wanted to eat it.

In other news, Houston, we have cold weather!  It was cold and rainy Saturday so we scrapped our plans to go on a nice long stroller ride and just enjoy some relaxing time at home (I also had grand plans to put the tree up, before Thanksgiving, and I'm judging myself, so no worries if you are too).

Kevin got me the new iPad mini as an early Christmas present so we ventured out to find a case for it, since I'm prone to dropping things. I had been using my iPhone more than ever when I started exclusively pumping, since there's not much else to do for those 25-30 minutes, and my optometrist told me it made my vision worse to look at such a small screen and recommended getting a larger screen if I was going to use it so much. I love useful gifts :)

I ended up finding this Kate Spade case at Nordstrom:

I like how sweet the graphic is and the pink is a really cute shade too (KS seriously has the best pinks when it comes to handbags and accessories). Also, I can totally see Harper using this case one day because it could basically be for a child, let's be honest.

I ended up returning that shirt I bought at Madewell last week as well as the gray blazer from Zara. The gathered shoulders just looked a little ridiculous on me when I tried it on at home. The only other items I picked up were a pair of black, pointed-toe heels from Nordstrom (I realized I didn't have any simple black pumps anymore since my Kate Spade pumps as well as my Zara ones were both destroyed).  I also got a few pairs of underwear from Gilly Hicks. Listen, I know I'm way too old to shop there, and truth be told it's so dark in there that without my glasses on, it's a miracle I even made it through the maze of rooms to the cash register area all the way in the back, but their underwear is cute and I like the way it fits...and it's cheap- 7 pairs for $26.50.

Okay so the shoes---hard to see the bow, but they are Halogen brand and so darn comfortable. I would say they fit pretty true to size...though that's a tough assertion to make in my current state. My feet grew about a half size after pregnancy and since most shoes don't come in a 10.5, I was buying 11's and using an insert to make them smaller. Fortunately, these pretties did come in a 10.5 and they're perfect. I would venture to say they might even be a teeny bit on the bigger side, but the 10's felt snug and I didn't want to chance buying heels I would dread wearing. These Steven by Steve Madden bow heels also come in black (I have them in nude patent) and are on sale for $75 down from about $150. Both styles are lovely so it really comes down to preference. I will say the Halogens have a slightly shorter heel, so they feel a bit more comfortable on.

We grabbed some Mexican food for lunch and then when we got home I couldn't resist snapping some shots (okay, maybe like 100) of Harper in her cute little outfit. 

Harper is now sitting on her own (!!!!!!!) A few weeks ago, Kristen posted a photo of her baby girl Ellie sitting and since our babies were born a few days apart, I was texting her asking when she had started to do that, thinking that babies somehow get into a sitting position on their own (oh how wrong I was). She told me to have Harper sit using her hands in front of her to form a little tripod. We did that for about a week or so and she started to get better and better at sitting up straighter, not using her hands all the time and sitting unsupported for longer periods of time. She also stopped throwing herself backwards like she did in the beginning (we always supervised and had a pillow behind her---we still supervise because though she can sit on her own for a long time I worry she will throw herself back at some point thinking there's always something soft there). It's amazing how they can go from just learning a skill to acting like it's no big deal and doing it so well in the matter of a week or two.

Saturday night after Harper was sound asleep, I ran to Target to browse and pick up some Christmas stuff. I like to go at night by myself so I can take my time looking around and taking in the Christmas awesomeness.

I also tried a few things on but nothing was something I couldn't part without and I'm saving myself for J.Crew's Black Friday sale (which I hope is good). Here's what I wore that night:

vest- j.crew (on sale!) | jeans- gap (on sale!) | flats- gap (similar) | sweater- gap (similar) | bag- kate spade | necklace- t+j designs, c/o

Today we stayed in for the most part, save a quick grocery store run.  In the morning Harper hung out on her new playmat while I decorated her very own christmas tree. It's from Target and the best $8 I ever spent! I will snap a shot of it in her nursery soon. I even got tiny LED lights for it!

I haven't had our cleaning ladies at the house in a month, I don't know what the heck is wrong with me. I always intend to text them on Monday and they usually come on Friday but I always forget and then they are all booked up. When I first went back to work, we intended to have them come every two weeks, but they have never come that often :( every 3-4 weeks is more like it, and I'm just doing some maintenance cleaning on the important stuff in between. 

So I cleaned my entire second floor and vacuumed the stairs during Harper's nap this afternoon and even had the time to do this:

Garland, c/o Project Paper on etsy- This garland is just precious! It feels very festive with the metallics and I love the way it brings a little holiday cheer to the kitchen. I may move it to Harper's bookshelf one day too...

I've also added this burlap print with gold polka dots to my kitchen:

Megan from Hello Newlywed Life sent it my way to celebrate the opening of her Etsy shop DolceAve! These prints are so fun and perfect for the holidays---mine is in an IKEA Ribba frame (comes with the mat).

Before I go, I wanted to mention that I was honored to have Harper's nursery included in an article on SheKnows.com about stylish girl rooms!  Go check it out here if you're interested...

Wishing you a great week---time for me to wrap up because I've nodded off a few times while writing this...which I'm just now realizing may be apparent if you're reading it...hopefully I managed to sound somewhat coherent.

Recent Outfits...

You'll have to forgive me for posting iPhone snaps of my outfits, but for right now, they're all I've got.

 top- marshall's | necklace- j.crew factory | skirt- j.crew | shoes- steven by steve madden

shirt- j.crew (in blue) | pants- j.crew andie chinos | shoes- j.crew factory | trench- banana republic (similar, also love this one so much) | necklace- T+J designs, c/o

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Our Weekend...

What a great weekend we enjoyed these past two days!  Harper's daycare had a fall festival and it was so fun to see all of the other kids and babies enjoying the activities. There was a petting zoo, pony rides, jumpy castle, parks, live music and lots and lots (and lots) of food. The theme was "around the world" and families brought desserts from different countries. I was a total mommy fail and just bought some mini cinnamon buns at Kroger. They were delicious, bite-sized and, let's face it, I didn't want to bake.

Here are a few snaps from our adventures. Harper looks kind of glum in these photos because I think she didn't really know what to do with herself with all of the people, things and animals everywhere, but I promise we got some smiles and she didn't cry while we were there, so that's always a plus!

 Starting with Harper's outfit...

tee- peek (@Nordstrom) | leggings- baby gap | socks- carter's | bow headband- c/o Willow Crowns on Etsy (check out her blog, here)

I am obsessed with these new hair bows that Megan sent over for Harper.The little glitter part in the middle is just too sweet. You can check out her shop here. I know I'll be purchasing more pieces from her shop in the future.

Checking out the petting zoo...there were baby pigs, a massive turtle (?), a lama, goats, bunnies, chickens, etc...

Harper's first time going down a slide, looking unenthused holding a balloon (maybe she wanted a different color? lol!) and her first time on a swing (she actually smiled most of the time on the swing---we have a video!)

Earlier that morning, I went briefly to the Galleria to return the gorgeous dark green velvet pants I had ordered at J.Crew last week. I ordered a size up because they're a slim fit but I didn't like the way they fit and the didn't have the size down so I decided to just return them. No point in keeping something you don't love the fit of, even if you do love the fabric. Speaking of going to the Galleria...I used to like going there and now it's just such a cluster that my goal is to get in and get out as quickly was possible. I wish there was some way to virtually try on almost everything and see fabrics via video, because I would shop online exclusively if that were the case.

Anyway...

The real reason I went to the Galleria is to pick out some sunglasses. I saw my eye doctor recently and I have to get a new prescription because my eyesight worsened during pregnancy (and also from looking at my iPhone screen, she said- but what else was I going to do while I was pumping all the time?)  So I decided since I already had a pair of tortoise Chanels I would look for a simple black pair.  I tried on several pairs and ended up going with these, by Gucci:

I really like the shape and the sides have simple gold bars that say "Gucci." I'm not really a brand loyalist when it comes to sunglasses  I just get whichever frame looks best on my face. I know that some sunglasses get really trendy and are the "must-have" but since mine are prescription, I like to get something that suits my features and isn't too trendy. By the way, I felt like a total idiot taking a selfie out in the open at Saks to see the sunglasses on myself--but I'm glad I did because that's how I decided which ones looked better on me. The sales associate liked these the best but I wasn't sure---so I snapped a picture of these and the other pair I was considering and it was very obvious that the other pair did not look as good as I thought. I think sunglasses shopping is very awkward because you have to look at yourself in the mirror a lot while someone is watching you (the sales associate) so it's easy to kind of get distracted. Anyway, I recommend taking a photo if you can---it may sway you in one direction or another if you've narrowed down your list.

I also had a gift card from Madewell that I got for my birthday and made two purchases there:

A light chambray shirt (the dark gray blazer is a recent Zara purchase). The shirt admittedly doesn't look great in this photo and I haven't decided if I'll keep it or try another one. It looks kind of shapeless in this photo but I wanted to layer it under sweaters, etc, so I will try it that way before making a decision. I got a size small and it's a boyfriend fit.

...and this awesome gray dress---which is actually a perfect length and feels really comfortable on (I got the size S- the medium was a tad bit longer but looser in the waist). I may wear it for our Christmas card photos. Unfortunately, it's not pumping-friendly, but I just won't wear it to work until I'm done nursing (what I mean by it's not pumping-friendly is that the top part is a side zip and very fitted so I would literally have to remove my entire dress over my head to pump---I have some dresses with a back zip to where I can just un-zip the back part, pull the top of my dress down and leave the bottom skirt part on).

On Saturday night, I went to see my sister-in-law who is visiting from Oklahoma where she lives perform at the Center Stage reunion gala. She is such a talented singer! I had never seen her perform before so it was a special treat.

Here she is in a photo I snapped with my in-laws wearing a beautiful lace dress!  Oh and a funny aside--- because we rushed home from the fall festival to our house so I could quickly change into clothes for the gala, I knew I wouldn't have time to pump before I left so I totally brought my pump to the event and pumped in my car after dinner, but before the show started. I thought it might be weird, but whatever. No one saw (the parking lot was full but everyone was inside) and it was dark out. Easy peasy! I also have to thank Jenn of Two by Two Mom for mailing me her Medela Pump in Style Advanced car adapter. It comes in so handy in moments like this! Love how supportive the mammas in the blogging community are :)

I got home pretty late on Saturday night so we slept in a little bit on Sunday and later my in-laws and sister-in-law met us for brunch and then we just hung out at our house afterwards. My SIL doesn't get to see Harper a lot so we just relaxed at home and watched Harper sit and laugh and play.

onesie- baby gap (nla) | bow cuff leggings- baby gap | moccasins- freshly picked | headband- willow crowns, c/o

 Out at brunch with auntie Karyn:

and because I just can't resist including some more of my favorite photos from the weekend...

holding her own bottle, like a boss...

practicing sitting...

passing out while reading her new book...

sleeping on my chest...

momma+baby selfies...

baby rolls...sigh...

I think Harper is just at such a fun age right now and everyone keeps telling me it just gets better and better.  One new thing Harper discovered this weekend was her voice. She was babbling and making all kinds of noises, and she's added loud shrieking to her repertoire. Fun times!

Wishing you all a great week!

*all items in this post were purchased with my own money except for the hair bows which I cited as gifted.

Quick & Easy Holiday DIY Projects

Well, it's November and I'm already breaking out the holiday decor,which you've already seen if you follow me on instagram. I probably won't put my tree up until after Thanksgiving, but I'm enjoying infusing a little holiday cheer into our home early.

During Harper's naptime today, I got out some trusty crafting supplies and got to work. I used some Spritz gift wrap that I purchased on sale at Target several weeks ago to create some gift tags and to wrap a gift:

I based all of my crafts around this paper because I thought the neutral color and polka dots would be fun to "dress up" for the holidays. I got this entire roll of gift wrap for $1! (and I totally bought two rolls, just for good measure).

The first thing I did was wrap a gift with the paper and then add glitter ribbon. I used a glue gun to create the little bow on top of the gift box and to affix the ribbon to the box itself (I was inspired by this pin).

Next. I cut the gift wrap into the shape of a gift tag and used a second floral-print paper (also from an invitation set I got at Target forever ago) to create little gift tags. I added twine and used a Sharpie to write messages of holiday cheer on the tags.

Finally, I cut out the letter "H" for Harper's name and affixed it with a hot glue gun to a square piece of felt. Then, I used some glitter tulle that I got from an event I attended (it was wrapped around the dinner napkins and I thought I could use it for a craft and took it home- they were throwing them away anyway!) Finally, I used some glitter ribbon to secure the middle of the bow and added thick twine to affix it to a gift (or you could also use it as an ornament!)

This year will be the first year my H and I will host Christmas dinner so I'm also looking at items that will prettify my dining table.  Right now I'm really loving these mercury glass accessories and these ombre glasses (both from Target). I think they add an element of glam to a dinner table, which is exactly the look I'm going for. I'll be sure to update y'all on what my Christmas dinner and table decor plans are!

Do you have any fun DIY projects planned for this holiday? Let me know in the comments below or tag me on Instagram (my IG is @veronabrit). Use the hashtag #MyKindOfHoliday!

This post is in partnership with Target. All opinions are my own.