Our Weekend...

This weekend was fun, but I'm exhausted�more so than anytime in recent memory. As I mentioned in a previous post, work was crazy this past week and I've been working a lot from home in the evenings and over the weekend. It's to the point where I can barely keep my eyes open and I'm going to crash way early tonight (I actually took a cat nap on the couch before I wrote this post).

Saturday morning we had the brilliant idea to go for an early walk and take Harper to the park. It got hotter and more humid by the minute, but she had a little fun before we left. And I got some super cute photos of this growing girl (seriously, when did she get so big?) Also, why do children try to eat rocks?

top (sold out) + shorts- baby gap- on sale for $7.99!  |  vest- old navy (in khaki)  (similar) (love this for fall)  |  shoes- zara kids (old/clearance) (similar) |  hat- old navy (similar) (another cute option)

Later that afternoon we met up with Amanda, Ben and sweet Cami for a play date/lunch date. The Children's Museum is always a fun time for the girls.

Harper's bow c/o HappinessLivesHere

We had lunch at Local Foods in the Village. We just love the food there and Amanda and Ben had never been.

How sweet are these bows Amanda made for Harper? I've blogged about her shop before when she was doing a fundraiser for the NICU---you can check out her latest offerings on her shop's Facebook page "Squishy Cheeks BOWtique." 

Megan came over Saturday night and we sipped tea and painted our nails with Essie's "after school boy blazer." It's a beautiful, rich navy that I got from last year's fall H-E-B package and I'm still obsessed. The formula is beyond perfect---very pigmented and goes on so smooth and stays shiny! A must-have for fall and you can buy here.

I wish I could tell you about our Sunday�but really, it just involved a lot of caffeine, some poorly-timed naps, a brief visit to work and lots of eating. I hope your weekend was great!

For The Beach...

Our Bahamas vacation isn't until later this fall, but I'm stocking up on some beach and resort-wear essentials now, because they're all on sale as fall styles hit stores. I discovered this GORGEOUS cover-up by Bop Basics while browsing on ShopBop.com.

I mean, how amazing is the low back and lace? And the slit? 

|  Bop Basics Sun Goddess Cover Up- shopbop.com (on mega sale for 70% off!)  | hat- zingara (similar, love this, similar)  | sandals- tory burch miller  |

The cover-up is 70% off right now, so I thought I'd share some photos for the ladies who will be traveling somewhere warm this fall (or simply wanting to save it for next summer!)

Have a happy Saturday!

On Being A Working Mom- Guest Blogging at Southern Mama + Child

Happy Friday! Today, I'm guest-blogging over at Southern Mama + Child about my decision to be a mom who works outside of the home.

You can check out my post here. I'm looking forward to hearing from you ladies---please leave me a comment if you'd like to!

Having Fun With Mary Kay�

This season, Mary Kay� is the Official Beauty Sponsor of Project Runway�! I've showcased looks featuring the line before, and today I'm here to share two looks created by Mary Kay Global Makeup Artist, Luis Casco, that will be featured on season 13.

Luis created "the graphic eye" and "emerald smoke," both of which at first sight were totally out of my comfort zone---but that's a good thing for me. It forces me to step out of my little box where neutrals rule and try some bolder looks.  You can check out marykay.com/projectrunway for video tutorials on both looks!

Mary Kay sent me the exact same products Luis used to create the two looks. I followed the video tutorials and I was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked the looks! The electric blue liner was fun for the weekend (and would be lovely for a date night!) Here is my "Graphic Eye" look:

The best part of doing this tutorial was that I have found a new love for two amazing products---Mary Kay� Mineral Eye Color in "Driftwood" and Mary Kay NouriShine Plus� Lip Gloss in "Au Naturel." These two products fit seamlessly into my everyday makeup routine--- the shadow is a beautiful color for the lower lashline (I've been using it daily instead of my usual shadow!) and the gloss is a beautiful neutral for an everyday lip that's perfect for the office. Though I can't promise I'll reach for the blue liner often, these two products are absolutely getting a permanent spot in my makeup drawer.

The second look, "Emerald Smoke," was a total depature for me and I actually ended up quite liking the way it turned out. I felt really polished with this look that's much more dramatic than what I'm used to. A bold lip is definitely a fun look to try. My earrings are from BaubleBar, by the way!

Which look is your favorite of the two? Let me know in the comments below for the chance to win a  $100 VISA Gift Card plus a collection of Mary Kay� products to create one of the looks featured + some beauty essentials. 

For more information you can visit Mary Kay� on Project Runway, Facebook, Youtube, and of course, their website! 

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A Perfect Gray Dress

My apologies for the mirror photos, but it has been absolutely crazy at work and I've been going in a little earlier and leaving a little later than usual because of a big local and national story I've been working on all week. I love being this busy, but I'm ready for a little downtime this weekend.

For $27.99, this dress is kind of a must-have. I paired it with a charcoal gray blazer and flats, since I had worn heels the previous day and was on my feet a lot.

dress- target  |  necklace- dolce ave, ?  |  flats- kate spade  |  blazer- artizia 

I know the listing for this dress says "not sold in stores" but I got mine in store and several of my readers said they saw it too. So you can buy online, but you can try your local store too.

Enjoy your night!

Labor Day Deals + What I Bought

I was so excited to check out the newly re-opened Zara at the Galleria mall today, but I didn't end up buying anything for myself (more on that later).

I headed there around noon today when Harper went down for her nap and I visited the few stores I wanted to check out. While I love being able to try on clothes before I buy them, I don't really love shopping in malls anymore. These days, I'm doing most of my shopping online and dealing with the returns if items aren't what I expected or don't fit. 

I spent two hours checking out some stores and I came away with some fantastic items from Banana Republic which I'll share first. My entire purchase in-store was 40% off and you can get 40% off through tonight at midnight using code BRLABOR online.

Jacquard Elbow-Sleeve Top

This is one I'm still unsure about. On the right I'm wearing a size small and on the left a medium. I ended up getting the medium. I like the sleeve length and texture of this top. Let me know what you all think!

Next up is this must-have long sleeve tee. Oh my goodness it's so soft and stretchy. Highly recommend. I got a size small.

Mini-Stripe Long-Sleeve Tee

I also picked up a blue soft-wash oxford shirt. I got a medium as I liked the length, but I see they have it online in a size small tall, so I may order that to see if I like the fit better. You can see I layered it here with the striped tee from above.

Soft-Wash Oxford Shirt

I loved the print on this large checked plaid shirt. Black and white is classic. I want to layer this under a thin black sweater. I can't find this one online, but I LOVE this one that is very similar. This is also a medium.

I also picked up this charcoal-gray chambray-style shirt. I thought it would be good for layering and on its own for cooler weekends. This is a medium. Unfortunately I can't find it online.

This dress  is one I tried on but didn't buy. It was on sale too. Cute, but I passed.

Space-Dye Faux-Wrapped Dress

I also went to LOFT and had the chance to try on one of the dresses from Lou & Grey that I shared in my post on Saturday. It's perfect! Great for casual summer days and will be great for our upcoming beach trip. I ended up getting the medium. The small fit too but I worried about it shrinking with how short it already is. Plus, I liked that it made it a little looser.

LOU & GREY SPACEDYE BLOUSON TANK DRESS

Now, before I get to the bad, let's start with the good. Zara expanded their Galleria store to include a kids and baby store upstairs and I couldn't be happier. I had seen the baby collection when I was in Toronto and was hoping we would get a kids/baby store too. I picked up a couple of things for Harper and I'm sure I will be getting many more there as time goes on because they have so many cute items.

Now to the not-so-good. I have always been a huge Zara fan, but their current offerings are not for me. I used to get a ton of clothes there and the last time I shopped there (in Toronto) I saw a ton of cute items, so I know this is just a fluke but I didn't like one item I tried on (everything felt shapeless). The fitting room lighting was also terrible, as you are about to witness...

Not good folks, not good. Maybe next time!

Before I go, here are two cute dresses I got for Harper at Baby Gap:

Checkered flannel dress

 Mix-media stripe dress

And lastly, I was running low on my beloved peony blush and picked up another. Thank you Bobbi Brown for making the greatest blush color in all of the land.

Hope your Labor Day was amazing!