DIY: Vanilla Brown Sugar Scrub

Vanilla Brown Sugar Scrub by hchdesigns on Polyvore

While the Midwest & East Coast is getting winter's version of PMS... Us here in California are experiencing a drought... which you know what that means.. dry dry dry... my skin is normally dry however I've lived most of my life in humid/snowy weather conditions so I didn't notice too much... Enter moving to California 5 years ago.. all of a sudden my face & hair are dry... like Sahara dry.. I've tried scrubs, I've tried lotions & conditioners... but nothing really has helped... until.... drum roll please.... I remembered that coconut oil was really good for the skin! I watched a YouTube video of Jaclyn Hill (love her) using sugar as a natural exfoliant and she loves it! The idea was planted...  I really wish I could take credit for this genius however I cannot.. It's a mixture of my YouTube makeup video addiction, Pinterest  & my mom always being right... but I digress....
Here's how to make it...*note* this is a basic recipe that I tweaked you can find many different options in the land of Pinterest.. here's one that I used for inspiration...

• Melt 1 Cup of Coconut oil (not hot , just melted/soft).. it doesn't take very long.. 45 seconds or so... *tip* it's way easier to measure once it's melted.. it can re-harden whatever you don't use... I just put the jar in the microwave (minus the lid)... 
• Measure out 2 cups of Brown Sugar, it's better if it's a lighter brown but really any kind will do...
• Add 1 teaspoon of Vanilla.. I found a recipe that said 1/2 tsp and honestly it wasn't enough for me but really this is just for smell... nothing else... so use your best judgement... 
• Mix until all the ingredients look like it's mixed.. obviously there's some serious science behind this.. and put into a pint size mason jar or Tupperware for storage... 

That's it friends... but beware, it tastes amazing.. like when you make chocolate chip cookies amazing.. the cool thing is when you scrub your face and it gets on your lips, it's delicious and safe to eat... I said to my husband that my skincare was soo tasty and I could just eat it out of the jar.. I didn't, don't worry.. to which he responded " that sounds a little desperate"... yes honey, yes it is... 

This can be used for the face & body...I wash my face, like usual then I use this scrub... it is incredible and the oil removes all that pesky waterproof eye makeup and my face is like breathing a sigh of relief and softly saying "thank you".... Another amazing option, legs!!! Don't be afraid to shave with it!! It's heavenly, the warm water of the shower melts the oil just enough and the sugar scrubs all the old skin... not to mention you'll end up smelling like a cookie.. Score one for the home team.

How To Wear: Radiant Orchid...

Radiant Orchid by hchdesigns featuring lips makeup

Radiant Orchid, the color of 2014... I'm not sure who decides these things or how really it's chosen and the whole logic behind it... but I must say when I heard that Emerald was last years, naturally as a redhead with fair skin, I was thrilled! See in this post here... This year not so much.. Don't get me wrong it's a gorgeous color and all you lovely olive and dark skin ladies, this is your year... However.. I"m like whiter than rice... it makes me look like death warmed over.. I've got the bridesmaid dresses to prove it..  Just kidding I've removed all the evidence, thanks Goodwill...

My solution... accessories & beauty!!  My rule of thumb for most mainstream trends are, start small... it's way easier to replace a small trendy item when it's no longer chic.. than an entire wardrobe...

• One of my favorite ways to stay current is mixing in color trends with your nails! How gorgeous are those Pantone Universe Nail Colors (apparently coming to Sephora in the Spring)... I mean, I would wear every single one! If you don't want to wait that long, Essie has a great option!
• Statement earrings are also WAY big this year, such a great way to spice up a look... You can find  those gorgeous earrings  from Bauble Bar! Only $32!!! Style them with distressed boyfriend jeans, black stilettos & a crisp white button down...Hello beautiful!!
• There are so many fabulous ways to incorporate this color in your makeup, YSL has that amazing eye palette or lip.. Can you imagine a gorgeous smokey eye with all this purple hue? Wowza...
• Let's not forget about your cell phone cover! It really should be thought of as a true fashion accessory since it's usually in our hand most of the day... guilty... how gorgeous is that cover from Tory Burch!

Just some tips to help you with mixing in some of this years hottest trends, start small...Mix it with your favorites.. a healthy mix of classic & trendy is honestly one of my favorite looks... One last tip, if you tend to have fair skin, go for deeper tones of this... you will thank me later.... Darker skin ladies...(jealous face).. like I said before... enjoy, this is your year! 

It's Champagne Thursday!!

How adorable is this print from Shop Dandy Boutique they have it in white too!

Reasons for Champagne but who really needs a reason, am I right?

-Tomorrow is Valentines Day!!! WooHoo!! nuff said... love this holiday.. shh. you haters..

-Totally beat the system by buying my card for Seth at Trader Joe's for $.99! Take that crazy expensive card industry that I should totally go into business for...and before you all start judging me, my card is WAY cuter than the 6.99 on from Target.. just sayin..

-Cupcakes from Sift.. OMG.. they are amazing... if you are in San Francisco area you have to try them!!!

-Made my first ever lasagna last night... not too shabby...  

-Don't have to wear the dreadful US Olympic team snow gear & sweaters... that alone is reason to celebrate! #hideous

-Did not cut my hair with child safety scissors, like I did in a panic dream... woke up so relieved...in my dream I looked like Meg Ryan and not in a good way.. take my word for it...

- There is no expiration date to my dreams... so I'll keep trying... 

Life lately has been a little hectic and full.. many apologies for not getting regular posts up..I've been feeling bad about that but the good news is that it's totally OK to pace myself..  Thanks for being awesome and amazing readers..Enjoy your Thursday and pop open some Champagne!

Insta What? My selfie obsession...

 I realized that I do a lot of selfies.... well that's awkward.. Somehow I've only had time for Instagram lately... a thousand apologies... life as usual is taking president.. oh well.. 

Here's a little run down on my IG pics lately doing it's very best to make my life extremely interesting when  usually it's a mixture of laundry, work & starting the dishwasher... 

Left to right...

- When the photographer says "now pose, do anything, even be awkward" Awkward you say? nailed it...

- "We're driving Cadilacs in our dreams"... singing in the car to Royals by Lorde.

- A recipe book all about Mac N Cheese... #heaven

-That time when the coffee pot broke..

- Being together... bliss..

- It was a hard day and chocolate was needed pronto...

- Cue hipster glasses selfie..again with the selfies, I've got a problem.

- Gift from bestie, even the cocktail napkins speak your language...

- Best clam chowder in all the San Francisco Bay Area, The Boat House in Bodega Bay... to die for!

- My husband, too cool for school...

- Why don't we just call this one, good hair day... #selfie insert, an "oh brother" & eye roll here...

- Makeup bag magic.. Loving Tarte right now!

In the meantime, I'll be Instagram sharing my world with you all and if you'd like to follow along click here! Thanks for reading and happy Monday! 

Awesome & Awesomer....

Photos by the amazing Sarah Marcella Photography

Top: HM all gone (love this one!)

Leggings: HM sold out (love these!)

Chucks: Converse 

Awesome: 
-Finding the perfect duplex to rent.. it's spacious,clean, safe, perfect monthly rent... only to realize it's for an active senior community... why must we let a little thing like age get in the way! I wish I could say that it was the first time that happened... 
- While on the way to work discovering that your jeans that you thought were clean, were in fact sporting food that had spilled on to it from the other day... how long has that been there? I do my laundry... swearsies...
- Myself slipping like Bambi on black ice and I landed on my thumb/wrist area... while I didn't sprain anything my right thumb was complaining the entire time saying "you don't appreciate me enough so now you are going to pay"... good luck holding a coffee mug or tying your shoes... I was controlled by my thumb for days... 
- Realizing that this practically this entire outfit was purchased at H&M.... I might have a problem...
- Google+ comments deciding to throw a fit and not show up on the blog at all randomly... "Hey you Google+ comments? Yeah we are breaking up"... #bloggerproblems 

Awesomer:
-Discovering Amazon Prime... where has this been all my life..
- Sephora's return policy... nuff said..
- Sephora in general...
- My husband in a suit everyday... wowza....
- This picture....
- Being surprised with a day trip to Chico for my birthday.. my husband arranged everything and even had sister and brother in-law there to meet us! I was an amazing day...
- Our best friends having their first child.. gosh... life is too sweet... holy moly...
-Seeing my husband hold that sweet new baby...#babyfever... swoon...

Skincare Routine & Must Haves!

Skincare routine.... by hchdesigns featuring tarte

Philosophy facial cleanser / Tarte bath body product / The Body Shop bath body product / Beauty product / Beauty product, $48 / Eos beauty product

Well it's officially winter and my skin knows it! I have dry skin in general but this winter with the lack of rain.. well it's like the Sahara... I thought I would share with you my absolute favorite skincare products & routine..  For my skin I need moisture like alot of it.. and I need to exfoliate regularly...  Here is my routine.. which mainly happens at night..

1- Wash face with Philosophy Purity facial cleanser.. I like this because it's a basic no nonsense cleanser without all that crap in it..

2-Scrub face with Saint Ives Apricot Scrub.. I adore this stuff.. been using like since forever.. I can't remember maybe 15 or 16? Seriously long time.. I love it because it clears up my skin nicely and exfoliates... in the summertime, I don't exfoliate this often, more like every other day... however this is a new step for me..hello getting older.. so who knows this summer could be different..

Then by this point my ultra staying power eyeliner and waterproof mascara has bled like crazy and I look like something from a scary movie. no lie..

3- With a cotton ball I remove the excess eye makeup with The Body Shop's beautifying oil.. it's like a dry oil, smells amazing.. and seriously gets off everything.. (it's pretty much amazing for anything need moisture, legs, arms, hair).. and it smells like the beach...ahh.. I find that this is great for around the eye area since its a gentle oil...

4- I then moisturize my entire face (including lips) with Egyptian Magic.. this stuff is amazing.. its really thick so I don't recommend using this during the day.. it's perfect for a night cream.. only it's not a cream it's more of the consistency of a lip balm... It has been seriously the best thing for my skin since drinking water.. honestly so amazing.. I put it on at night and wake up to beautiful soft skin... it's all natural and loved by Madonna, Kate Hudson & Rachel Zoe...

Lastly is my must haves... which I listed most of them in in my routine except Tarte's Maracuja Oil.. seriously amazing.. I've used their sample for a week (saving for the big bottle) and it did wonders for my skin! It's anti aging.. score... gives a dewy glow and is perfect mixing with your foundation for a little more moisture.. This is a great daytime oil to prep skin for foundation... also through the day I'll use EOS lip balm which is incredible.. I keep it in my purse... love the stuff.. if you haven't tried it then run to you local Target get sucked in to their amazing deals and then when your standing in line to purchase something fabulous, pick up EOS lip balm, they are always in the checkout aisle...

That's it! If you have any questions or comments I'd love to hear them!

What I Wore: Hat To be Good...

Photos by incredibly talented Sarah Marcella Photography..

Hat- Zulily (similar)

Jacket- Ross

Top- JCP

Leggings- Marshalls (fitness section)

Boots-HM

Clutch- Forever 21 (gift similar)

Watch- Relic (Gift -similar)

Bracelet- Kohls (Gift- Similar)

What is it about wearing a hat that transforms you into another world? I mean.. hat off, fashion blogger who generally laughs at her own jokes and thinks that America's Funniest Home Videos is great TV, which it totally is... Hat on, world traveler philanthropist, that is probably famous for her laugh which resembles Julia Roberts, in my dreams...

Hat purchases are rarely a planned excursion.. Like, "I think I will get out today and go shopping for a hat".. nope nobody does that, more likely you are minding your own business in a store like  F21 and you find yourself wandering into the accessories section and as an act of pure nonsense you throw on the hat as a joke and mention to your friends "hey guys how ridiculous is this?" and then you see your self in the mirror and and you have a moment where you and the hat agree, that maybe it's not a wise purchase or how often you'll even wear the darn thing.. but who cares because "holy crap, I look amazing!"

In other news, I've cracked the code on the whole leggings thang.... So here's the deal we can all agree that leggings are the bomb.com however I've yet to find a pair that isn't too sheer.. yikes.. So what do I do? I do what any 30 something girl would do, I reach for my yoga pants.. yup that's right folks those leggings are meant for exercising... gasp, shock awe... And even though I do exercise (not in these ones) I wear leggings on a regular basis so these guys were sacrificed for the sake of fashion... it had to happen... it was for a good cause.. So, here's my secret, I bought long ankle length fitness leggings for when I'm not wearing boots.. when I am wearing knee high boots I wear these guys, which hit right about the mid calf.. I know, it's kind of ridiculous but really if I'm wearing boots no one will know and I now have the most comfortable leggings (not see through) known to man.. and let's be honest we all wish we could live in our crazy comfortable work out gear anyways... am I right?

P.S. I'm sorry for the lame-sauce pun for the title... sorta..