Oh Christmas Tree, don't be like that.

Can't believe December is only a few days away! Where does the time go? Well ever since "amen" of thanksgiving dinner I've been a little too excited for Christmas. So Cory and I went Christmas tree shopping for our very first Christmas tree {Last year we were kinda lame} and came home with this cute little 7 footer. Only thing is... See something wrong with this picture???? See it? YA. Middle-ish right hand side of the tree is out. A whole CHUNK of darkness. Soooo.. call me grinch, but were taking all our hard word down to put it back in the box and return it. Boo!!!!!

Winter has officially hit Utah and i could not be more excited! I love this time of year and there is nothing  that can put me in the mood for the holidays like a good snow storm. It also seems like the time of year i realize i need some new boots. A nice coat and the perfect pair of boots are an everyday wear when you're trying to stay warm and dry. Here are a few of my cravings for winter.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5/ 6/

xoxo

Hi.



This little beaut is the newest addition to our family. Her name is LulaBell. She is 3 months old, going on 18. I have been gawking at little shihpoos {Shitzu-poodle mix} for a while now and trying to convince my husband that we needed one. I don't know how i did it, but he gave in and we found this little bundle of joy. I don't know what happened, but she's got him wrapped around her little finger. He's pretty in love with her and she's pretty in love with him as well. So i guess i did pretty good, however i never would have imagined how much work one little puppy could be. I feel like i have a newborn baby that i can't take my eyes off of or leave alone. She's getting the hang of potty training but there's a few things we still need to work on. For some reason the word "Come" to her means, "sprint away as fast as I can, preferrably into sprinklers where i know mom won't come get me." She is a little handful and she definately has some mischevious attitude, but i like to think she's making me a little more patient one, day, at a time. Crossing my fingers she grows out of it.

NYC

Summer has come and gone, and like every year i don't know how it went by so fast. It never seems to be long enough and i think I'll probably feel that way forever. Cory and I headed to New England with my family a few weeks ago. It was not a "relaxing" vacation per-say. It was more of a tired feet, smelly clothes, caffeine and a lot of crowded subways, kind of vacation. There is never a dull moment in the city, and that is exactly why i think I'm smitten by it. I've always considered myself a city girl and even though I've never lived in any huge cities, I always have had a love and weird satisfaction that comes from being in a big city of any kind. We started our trip in Connecticut for a day to visit old friends, reminisce, see our old home etc.  The day after we headed to NYC and spent a week and then ended our trip with a week in Boston. We loved going to the Red Sox games, touring fenway stadium and of course indulging in a monster dog. Boston has so much history and nostalgia that it makes every part of that city unique and quaint. In New York we were able to go to a Patriots Football game which all the boys {like died and went to heaven} loved. And all the other days were filled with walking, sight seeing, shopping and more walking. You know, like when your feet can hurt to the point where you think they'll never be the same again. That kind of walking. Mostly because i refuse to wear tennis shoes. I can't. I won't. 

You can see more pics of our little adventures on Instagram @Lauren_Boyack

Bang Bang

Bangs or no Bangs? I keep going back and forth on whether i should cut some side swept bangs like Ms. 

Witherspoons or whether i should stick it out a little longer and wait for longer locks. What do you think? My Hair doesn't grow quite as long or as fast as i'd like it to but i have noticed a difference when i take Biotin. It especially makes my nails grow faster which is always a plus.

 

Happy Thursday!

Lately

Ya know those days where you just feel like crying at almost any and everything that you see. Not a sad cry, but a grateful cry. The cry that exhales thoughts and feelings that you've been feeling but kept to yourself because they seem to only make sense to you. I feel like my life lately has been filled with those tears. Luckily my husband is cool with all my random sob fests and even though he may not totally get me, he pretends to really well. So much about life seems to change non-stop and too quick. I've never loved change and I don't see myself ever really changing my mind about giving change a chance, but i am hopeful that through all the changes I will get stronger and better. And i guess that's what life is about right? It seems like just yesterday I was counting down the days until i could go on my first date and get my drivers license, and now I'm married, 22 years old and supposedly an "adult". I keep waiting to wake up one day and feel different. Feel adult. Something. But I guess I'll just have to wait a little longer.

Lately our lives have been filled with School, Work, Driving to Work and School, Boxes, Bubble Wrap, Morning Walks, NBA finals, Bachelorette, Oatmeal {Which i am so very proud of}, Decor inspiration, and DIY discoveries galore. I'm summer times biggest fan and i think sometimes we should all break up with responsibility {he's never been that good to us anyway. kinda  Needy.} and pretend like were in high school again. So on that note, I'm going out with my husband and I'm going to stay out as late as i possibly can!

I Love my {Boyfriend} Jeans

The Thing about Boyfriend jeans is that they are so easy to dress up and dress down. I love them styled so many different ways. They are versatile and flattering on every body type. 

I found this picture of miss Kim K on pinterest and thought this would be such an easy go to outfit for summer. I love it! So here is something similar you can add to your closet.

Boyfriend Jeans and Bag {H&M} Top {Top shop} Blazer {Target}  Shoes {Hinge 'Asher' T-strap via Nordstrom} Watch {Asos}

I Just finished My last final and Cory and I are off to Vegas/ St George for the weekend to celebrate! I'm so excited to relax and have some fun before summer school starts. 

Happy Friday!!! 

G&B Baby Rancic

Just in case you didn't hear

They are Pregnant!... With a baby mama

I love these two and  I'm so happy G finally gets her baby. 

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

When Cory is Away...

 With Finals, Graduation and a super cute husband, i have slacked on my blogging. BUT no longer.  I'm determined to get back into the swing of things and no better time than when Cory B is out of town.   Boo Hoo.. I know i know, but when you're use to having your Bf next to you everyday its kind of shocking when he's MIA So it has been a rough few days riding solo. Okay Da{y} (singular). I'm a newlywed! What can i say? So i'll catch you up on our adventurous little lives mmmkk?

Cory B Graduated from BYU!!!!!!! A day i never thought would come. Just kidding (In case he's reading this). My boy is studious and he's definitely got the brains in our relationship. I am so proud of him. So we celebrated with Balloons, Dinners, Presents and Graduation Ceremonies. It was exhausting but so fun and i am so happy for/jealous of him. Maybe One day i'll graduate too. One day.

I finish up finals this week and i am so excited to get a whopping week of school off before i start summer semester. These next few semesters are going to be busy to say the least, but at least i'll be done with school forever. I can't imagine that day. What does a married Mormon girl do on that day to celebrate? Shop. Thats the answer. What every mormon girl does on any celebratory occasion. I guess i can only speak for myself.

Cory and i are 2 weeks away from celebrating our 1 Year anniversary. It's crazy how fast it has gone. I'm so grateful for that boy and all he does for me. I still can't get enough of him and he will never understand how much i adore and love him. I'm excited to celebrate our 1st year. What is a good 1st year gift? A puppy? Can you tell I'm a little puppy hungry? I may have brought it up the last 5 posts but hey... i need something to talk to when Cory is gone! But  I guess that's not really a "cory" gift, sigh.

I hope your month has been as fun and eventful as ours! Here's to blogging more and getting a tan in this warm weather... Promise
xoxo

Frumpy to Fab

So my parents are building a new house and in the process they've been De-cluttering the house and going through all the unwanted Junk. We  had this cute little lamp and debated sending it off to the DI, but i decided it was perfect for a redo. I've seen the coffee filter lamp shade idea and wanted to do one so bad! I love all things furry and feminine and this one was perfect for me. 

I switched out the lamp shade for a more circular shape that i got at the DI for $1. I wasn't sure if the flowers would show through so just to be safe i used a plain shade... but I'm sure you could use a pattern as well. I initially got one pack of 100 coffee filters {4cup size} and just barely ran out at the end and had to go buy another bag to finish. The Lamp color is Catalina Mist from hobby Lobby and I primed the dark brown with a white primer.

The trick to speeding up the actual gluing process is using a wide tip marker for your base. You gather the filter around the marker as shown above and hot glue the base of the filter. Then use the marker to press the filter to the shade and hold until secure. I used a basic size shade, but after your done the shade expands by 2-3 inches {FYI}

I'm in love with it.

Happy Thursday! Almost the Weekend!!!

Hoorayy

Crushing {Lately}

 

Ruffle{Layers and Layers} Cake. I Am going to attempt this. One day

Pink Nails with Some glitter

Disney Cruise. They made these for people like me! 22 year olds that still love and watch the Disney channel should get free tickets eh?.

Cat-eye Sunnies

Gulianna and Bill I love this show/them. If you haven't seen it on the style channel you should.

Pink Hunter Rain Boots

Liam Hemsworth {The last song, Hunger Games}I just wish he'd lose his stooopid accent

Viv Jcrew Flats

Lace Lace and Lace!! If it came in pants i'd wear it.{maybe}

What/Who are you crushing on?

Happy Tuesday

City Creek

That is the face of one happy girl. It FINALLY opened and it didn't disappoint either. Cory and I made a quick trip today. I died and went straight to heaven...We didn't get to spend as much time as we would have liked but i can't wait to go explore more this weekend. The J.Crew and H&M alone are worth the trip.

Happy Shopping Utah Girls! 

Grateful For {Abc's}

• A car 
• Brothers
• Cory
• Dad
• Eyes that Mostly work
• French Fries
• Girls
• Hair on my head
• Instagram
• Jazz Games
• Kardashians
• Love 
• Missionaries
• Nordstrom
• Outlet Malls
• Parking Spots on the front row
• Quiet time
• Roses
• Shelly {Mom}
• Time with Family
• Underwear
• Valentines Day
• Weekends
• teXting
• Yellow
• Zucchini

7 Things On March 7th...

. 1.Babysat my sweet baby cousins yesterday with Cory in an attempt to get some "baby hungry" out of me. Turns out it backfired and has had me swooning over them all day long. I just can't get enough perfect baby closet ideas

 

2. I recently bought a new tan summer purse, only to finally learn that i HATE deep bottomless soft bag's that have no hard bottom. Lesson Learned. At 22 I have finally figured out that hard bottom purses are my true loves.

3. I love Subway. I do. I never get tired of it and never feel guilty for it. BUT... Big "BUTT" but. Who was the wise guy who put the best chocolate chip cookies known to man at a place where we eat to avoid Chocolate of any kind? AND at the Cash Register. They stare me down and Beg me {Scream at me} to buy them. So i want to know who, whose idea was it? 

4. I'm a little crazy for name polish. Have you seen this stuff?

Orange, Its Obvious. They need to quit making this. Do we really need a polish in every shade? Yes..Yes we do.

 

5. Did you see American Idol tonight? I'm not an avid AI fan but i have a weak spot for crazy vocals. This little girl sang Whitney Houston -I will always love you. I thought she was crazy to even attempt it, and then this happened.. 

6. Old Navy has some Reallly cute things right now. Really. Look.

Everything under $20. 

7. I think I'd feel safer being home alone if i had this little guy protecting me... 

 Wouldn't You? Lets talk Cory into it. I  could call him pet names, Carry him in my large {hard bottomed} Purses, Feed him Human food and wake up with him in the middle of the night to go potty. And finally, I'd have a dog that doesn't Mourn when it stays with me. ah hem {cola!}

Happy Thursday!

Lola~

 

Happy Birthday...

 Happy Birthday to the Beibs!
Thank you for everything. Especially "Baby!" It makes me so happy.

Ps. Don't go bad boy on us.
xoxo

Inspiration

On the top of my "to buy" List... All of these make up the perfect Spring outfit

Bag: Featured Above: Zara; Similar Here

Jeans: Featured above: H&M; Similar Here

Ballet Flats: Above Here; Similar Here

Essie Polish Color: A Crewed Interest

Cat Eye Brown Sunglasses: Featured above Here;Similar Here

Gold Watch: ASOS Here {Very Affordable!}

Gold Hoop Earrings: Here

Lace Top: Featured above Here. Similar Here

Lipstick: Yves Saint Laurent

Similar, Revlon Color-burst in Coral

...Happy Monday!

Saturday Store { T J Max }

I'm normally not a huge fan of TJ Max only because I Don't love to Dig for things while shopping... However I found soooo many Great things today! I must be excited for summer because i can't stop admiring bright crops, summer wedges & bright accessories/nail colors. This last tan coat is quite possibly the cutest little girl coat I've seen! It reminds me of this picture and even though I don't have a little girl to dress up YET, I think i need to buy it & save it for her later? That's not crazy is it?

Lets Talk Makeup

This weekend i was determined to go makeup shopping. I've been unhappy with my foundation and color for a few months now. Before I got married i was using bare minerals powder foundation {in golden tan}. I've always been afraid of liquid foundation and the bare mineral powder provided great coverage. Just after we got married i had ran out and needed a refill but instead of spending the $25, i was convinced i could find something in the drug store that would give me the same coverage at a cheaper price. I tried powder after powder.. averaging $14 a bottle {Lasting only 2-3 months}. Some were better than others but Even with the Color Matching Swatches i could never match my skin perfectly. I looked washed out in pictures, was touching up halfway through the day, and loading on the bronzer to get some color in the winter months of "white". So... Mom, Sara and I took a trip to M.A.C. For the holiday off School. Before we knew it we had been there for HOURS and racked up quite the bill. BUT... I think its info worth sharing.

I wish I had taken Before and After Pictures of my foundation but i didn't. So you'll just have to take my word for it. Maybe i will do pics later. 

 {From Top Left, to Bottom Right}
*Disclaimer: I am not a MAC consultant and/or making $ promoting MAC Products. Promise.*

187 Duo Fibre Brush, Bronzing Powder {Golden}, Brow Pencil {Lingering}, Studio Sculpt Foundation {NW20}, Eye Shadow {Handwritten}, Fuchsia Tinted Lip Conditioner, Lip Liner {Magenta}, Powder Blush {Margin}, Lipstick {Plumful & RubyWoo}, Eye Shadows {Soft Brown, Wedge, & Woodwinked}

Duo Fibre Brush- So soft, Can be used to apply Foundation, Moisturizers, and powders. Makeup goes on Smooth and flawless. This Mac Brush should last years and years as long as you clean it regularly. 

Brow Pencil- I was previously using a store bought brown pencil to fill in my brows. It didn't match great and made my brows an unnatural color. MAC Lingering is lighter than my natural color and lightly fills in my brows looking completely natural and full. 

Studio Sculpt Foundation-  Matches my Skin tone, Leaves my skin Moisturized, Doesn't Sink Into my pores and looks bright and flawless. It also stays on All Day Long and I'm hoping this will last me 6 months rather than 3.

Eye Shadows- Wedge, Woodwinked and Handwritten are my favorite everyday Eye Shadows. They are natural looking and can be toned down during the day and played up at night. 

Margin Blush- I have always been scared of blush. Really scared. This Coral tone adds just enough color and gives a glow that is beautiful and helps bring out my cheek bones. 

Lip Stick + Liner- I know the Magenta Lip liner sounds crazy but added with the plumful color is surprisingly mild & Beautiful. I tend to be drawn to bright colors but this darker tone is so pretty together. Ruby Woo is bright Matte Red and i just love it!

Tinted Conditioner- This is perfect for the chap stick lovers that just can't quite handle lipstick yet. It goes on like chap stick and has a subtle pink tint that gives a really pretty color.

Other Makeup Favorites:

Cover girl Concealer

Mary Kay Time wise Moisturizer {Before Bed & Before Makeup}

Full N Soft Mascara

Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti {Color + Butter Feel}

Face Primer {Sephora}

Long Story short, There is a few items that are just plain worth the money. Foundation is one of them. There is so many different brands and variations in skincare and makeup but good skin = good skin care. I wash my face Morning and night and make sure it is always moisturized. I am far from pro when it comes to this topic but i always can tell a big difference in my skin when i take care of it. I also notice a difference in how my skin reacts to certain makeup and i find myself breaking out when i don't use good product.

Makeup on my Wish List:

Nars Heatwave

Benefit High Beam

Nars The Multiple

Revlon Lipstick {Siren}

What Makeup do you love???

 OH! And we did more of this...
 Shopping Shopping Shopping

Five Guys {My Guilty Pleasure}

Basketball

Happy Wednesday!

My Valentine

Shopping

Cheesecake Factory

See's Chocolates

Red Roses

Sneaky Preview of This Means War

Diet Coke

Hoops and Yo-yo

One Fine Day

and One Verrrry Spoiled Girl

My Husband Knows me way too well. 

It was a great, Mushy Gushy, 1st Valentines Day being Married!

Happy Valentines Day!

I hope Your day is filled with Love, Chocolate and Kisses! I'm off to spend Vday with my Best

Friend.

xoxo

 

 

 

 

 

Blondies

You'll have to excuse me. I am sooooo so very sorry for being MIA the last 3 days. I got ran over by a truck of the flu. I don't know what bug i got but i was too bed ridden to even find my computer. So forgive me? I am not even going to attempt to catch up on my missed days because i am unprepared and behind. This little set back has ruined my plans so, again, i apologize for my flakiness! I'll make it up to you somehow.

I made these last week for my family and they were a Hit. If your family loves coconut like mine, these are the perfect Sunday treats. They are thick, soft and chewy, and filled with coconut and chocolate in every bite. 

The recipe only makes a small 8x8 pan so if you're looking to feed a larger group, I'd recommend making two or three batches. It won't waste.

The Recipe Comes from Six Sisters Stuff. They have some amazing recipes! Go Check out there blog. 

xoxo

Date Ideas {Day 6}

Whether you are Married, Dating Someone special, or loving being single on valentines day, there are so many different ideas on how to spend your one night a year. Might as well do it with a bang right? Here are some Typical &Creative {and appropriate} Date Ideas for your V-day Night out. 

Dinner and a Movie

I know i Know, its the every date night "go-to" but why fix something that isn't broke? I Love my dinner & a movie nights. Is that because I'm just shy of a year married and everything is still fun to me? Maybe. Does that mean married pro's can't enjoy it to? Oh Cont-re my friend. Every girl loves a good dinner, a giganto diet coke and a good chick flick. Plus your options this year are top notch. 

 

Single Girls Party {I Hate V-day Party}
Whether you stay in or go out, it was always fun to have a girls night for all the single ladies {hey Beyonce}Stay in- Order out Chinese, Pizza, or Cook something together. Candy, Cupcakes, Cookies, Chips & Dip, Diet Coke Whatever it may be but have enough chocolate for all the girls who didn't get some from a boy. Watch Chick Flicks, Play Just Dance, make a craft from pinterest, and just talk and enjoy your best girlfriends while you're single!

{Side note, Look into how much a big heart pinata similar to this would cost}

Date Night In

Last year Cory and I stayed in for Valentines Night and it was PERFECT. He got My favorite Fast food {Wendy's #7 with cheese, mayo & onions only. Large DC}, had chocolate and strawberries ready for dipping, The couch cushions spread across the floor with numerous blankets and pillows, and One Fine Day ready to watch{A classic favorite if you haven't seen it}. It was So relaxing, and adorable and i loved every second of it.Bake and decorate valentines cookies, Have a Movie Marathon and stay up all night.

Spa Night

I am an avid studio 5 viewer, and they informed us a few days ago that Elase Academy is doing a Spa Couples Night with Massages, Strawberries, Champagne, the whole nine yards. I am not sure how much it is per couple but if you really want to splurge that sounds like a pretty good idea to me! I've yet to have a massage, mainly because the idea of a random stranger rubbing me naked grosses me out a little, but once i get over that minor detail a couples massage is in my future someday. Eh Em.. Cory.

First Date

Cory and I had this idea a while back to have a fake "First Date". Mostly because we didn't technically have one before we started dating exclusively and i always wondered what ours would have been like. I always Joke that it wouldn't have gone well, only because i think we both were a little too "Flirty/Lets play games with each other like going out and then not calling or texting after" Kind of daters. So, Cory called and asked me on a date. I hesitantly said yes. He then came to pick me up {Left through the back door, Knocked at the front door}and we proceeded with our Fake First Date. It was actually really fun and extremely entertaining. It only lasted about half way through the night because it's hard to pretend for so long! But if you DID have a first date, going back to your first date location and date activity and that would be a perfect valentine idea.

Other Ideas:

-Shopping: Hey if it makes you happy, do it! I think Cory and I might go to the mall and let each other pick out one thing we want for our v day gift to each other. 

-Color Me Mine

-Dancing

-Hotel {Stay in the same hotel you did on your wedding night}

-Cooking Class

-See a Comedian

-Go to the City

-Karaoke

-Video Games 

-Window Shopping Spree

What Are you doing for Valentines Day?

xoxo

Lola B.