If I Got Married Today...

First things first, my wedding was flipping amazing.   We did it all for under 10K- dress, church, and reception included- and seriously I couldn't have chosen anything better.  I got all of the things that were important to me (a Catholic wedding, a beautiful dress, a party atmosphere) and skipped the things that weren't (band/DJ, expensive food, flowers).  I never had any regrets and am amazed every day at how well the whole thing actually came together.  But that being said, if I got married today, there's a few things I would do differently.

1. I'd leave the bouquet behind.  While I didn't order flowers for the venue or church, I did make little bouquets for myself and my bridesmaids because I was all "I don't know what to do with my hands".  I thought it would be weird to have my arms just loose so I figured I would need something to hold.  I hadn't really thought about the fact that at least one arm would be attached to my dad and honestly, that would have been enough. But anyway, despite the fact that I had like 2 feet cut off the bottom of my dress, on my actual wedding day, I started to walk down the aisle and was suddenly walking on the front of my dress.  I was stuck.  I had to backtrack to get off of it and start moving forward again.  I think I thought to kick it for a second, but quickly realized it wasn't working.  I had to lift up the front of my dress to walk.  If I hadn't had the bouquet, it would have been an easy grab, but I did.  Dang it.  I knew I should have just said no to all the flowers.  So I ended up having to let go of my dad's arm to pick up my dress and have him walk awkwardly beside me unattached.  On the way back up the aisle, I abandoned my bouquet with my MOH and declared I never wanted to see it again.

Prior to this, we had also taken our girl side of the wedding party photos and my mom, who was lost trying to find the church, happened to have my bouquet.  At the time, this seemed like an issue, but in hindsight I thank God for hiding that bouquet at that moment.  I very very highly prefer my photos without the bouquet to the ones with it.  I don't want pictures of flowers.  I want to see my beautiful dress that I waited a lifetime to wear and will never wear again.  I want to see the gorgeous styles that my bridesmaids picked out.  I want to see everyones smiling faces, not covered by a row and random flowers in front.  But that's just me.  You do what calls to you.

No thank you.

So much better. Photos by Maureen Pacheco.



2. Tuxedo delivery service.  I mean I ask this every time we have a wedding but with all of the technological changes in shopping these days, why are we STILL schlepping to the Men's Warehouse every single time and anxiously racing there in our hungover stupor the next day to find all the missing pieces and return said tux before the cutoff time?  Because men.  That's why.  Men don't do change when it comes to shopping, like my husband who keeps telling me he needs to go to the mall because he needs a new cologne.  Really?  People still do that?  I digress..  Turns out, there actually IS a better way and you CAN do the online rent and return thing without hassle.  And at a $95 starting price point, I'd say it can't be beat.  For more details on how to rent and return your party's tuxes without having to make inconvenient trips back and forth to the warehouse, check out The Black Tux.  You're welcome.

3. LipSense!  Oh how I wish I knew about LipSense when I got married!  To be clear, I LOVED my color, but I can't say it stayed on for long.  Yes, I kept the tube in my little clutch, but who knows where that ended up and I was definitely having wayyy too much fun for that! When you wear LipSense, your color stays on throughout the entire event - even up to 18 hours!  I do recommend starting LipSense at least a month before your wedding to make sure your lips are in prime shape and used to a non-wax based product ;)  Did you know I also provide brides with a 10% discount on all products?  Contact me for suggestions and to snag the perfect color for your day!








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Currently Loving...

Still definitely summer, but our brains are already gearing towards Fall, here are some season neutral looks I'm digging right now.


1. Warby Parker concentric eye glasses.  I've said it before and I'll say it again.  I'm secretly jelly of all you guys who can't see because I just think glass styles are the cutest, and these top the list!  Totally clear with a colored inner rim, hence the concentric look, these are different than anything I've seen before and pair perfectly with your favorite fall comforter and a good book ;)

2. Ruffle sleeves.  Since I'm officially in the trenches of mom mode, toddlers pulling at my every inch and rolling around on the floor regularly, many of the styles I would deem fashionable are also just quite honestly not practical.  I'm always on the hunt for typical mom tunics with a little something special, and the ruffle sleeves do just that.  I also love the basic colors because I can pair them with any of my jazzy LuLa's without having to worry about print clashing.

3. A little bit of summer, a little bit of fall, I love this Apple Cider color for a touch of warm peachy of pink that's sure to take you through both seasons. 

4. This double wrap (and charms) are a part of the August collectors edition from KEEP and I'm in love.  Just when you think you have everything you need, something new comes out and throws you for a loop.  Like, do I need it or do I need it?? Have you tried KEEP collective yet? 

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How to Get Plump, Color Worthy Lips

Ok guys, it's honesty time.  You've probably heard me raving about the magic of LipSense and spreading my lip selfies all over Instagram.  It's easy to see I love the product.  But even as a spokesperson, my early experiences using it were often met with disappointment.  I looked at the photos, watched the tutorials, and followed every bit of directions, but my lips just didn't look like theirs.  They weren't young and sexy and voluptuous.  I wanted the color, but I wanted it on their lips.  Could I really pull it off with a thin, crackly pout?

Luckily, I have also learned a few very simple and easy to implement tricks to rectify this situation.  

1. Gloss and let your lips exfoliate.  This is really here for the newbies who are wondering where the magic is.  If you just started, you probably feel like you are glossing every 10 minutes and the color is still peeling off at your water line by midday.  I promise this will end. Your lips are thirsty.  Like parched for actual, healthy moisture.  They're soaking in your gloss like a plant that hasn't been watered in months and sloughing off the junk like crazy.  It's a good thing.  See through the process and I promise the lips that are waiting for you will already be better than what you've been working with thus far.  And because your lips will be naturally moisturized, your gloss will last a lot longer too!

2. Drink water.  Of course it's good for our bodies to stay hydrated.  Guess what?  It works for your lips too!  You can help your products to work at their best by doing your part to moisturize from the inside out. If you feel like your lips are cracking and drying out quickly, you probably need to drink more water.  

3. Lip volumizer!  Oh my gosh you guys, I LOVE this product!  I personally put it on once a day at night before I go to bed and sleep in it.  It has done wonders to fill in some of the cracks in my lips and reverse the signs of aging.  I mean, I have to keep up with these 20 somethings on my team somehow right?? ;) 



4. Over-line your lips.  You might feel a little silly doing it the first time, but if you do it just slightly, it really helps your pout to stand out.  I always take the pointed part of my applicator and line around the outside of my lips, just to make them a little bit bigger.  

5. Contour under your bottom lip.  Add just a tiny dot of shadow under your bottom lip and it will help to create the illusion of a fuller lip.  Just be careful here because it's easier to add product than it is to remove (I may or may not know from experience lol). 

So there you have it.  While none of these tips are necessarily going to leave you looking like Scarlett Johansson, they will give you some gorgeous, color worthy lips you can feel confident in! Good luck and let me know how it goes! xo


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