Picnics are such a fun idea for gathering, having conversations, bonding and most of all ... having a photoshoot! If you're ever going to have a photoshoot, there are always lots of things to consider - time of day, weather, location, colors, props. This one came about quite spontaneously, but it was so much fun!
We woke up early this morning to snag a couple pieces from Target. Took a quick walk through the grocery aisles and picked up a few "props" for our little picnic here. The flowers are reused Mother's Day flowers and we just brought whatever we already had from home aka the decor pieces.
+ Think about props. They always make every picture look pulled together.
+ Use the outside. You can never go wrong with nature and outside (shaded or overcast) lighting.
+ Think about conversation starters to create better candid moments.
+ Bring all your furry friends & husbands. Each of our husbands were there at one point. Haha.
+ Just have fun.
I didn't learn to drive until I was in college simple because there wasn't a need nor an urgency to learn. So when I desperately needed to learn, I had a few friends in college who taught me and got to experience first hand what it was like for me to drive. Thankful for them as they've stuck around even after multiple potential accidents. Ha! Whoops. But you're not living if you haven't ever experienced those moments with your friends. Haha.
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| This was on our way to Vic's to help with bridal shower decor and Mai drove us down. |
So when I finally got my license in college, my parents gifted me with a little hand me down car that my brother used to drive. I am never picky with cars and I don't really ask for much as long as it gets me from point A to point B and this one did that. Was it fully reliable? Maybe not so much. There were many times I would go and just pray that it gets me where I need to go and y'all, it was a blessing. It took me to and from my student teaching locations and it brought me and my friends to places like McDonalds and Walmart when the late night munchies kicked in back in college. There was only one or two times I remember actually having any trouble with it .. haha. It was all good either way.
Even though I drove that car first, I don't consider it my first official car though it will always hold a special place in my heart. Haha.
My first official one is my cute blue highlander! A couple weeks before I was going to marry Jeff, my parents wanted us to look for a car for myself as a gift from them for my wedding. Honestly, they didn't give us much time to pick and choose so we went with the best offer after just two days of going out and looking at it. After a couple months of driving it, we named her Lola and saw that it fit her well.
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| This was the first day we brought my new car home. |
And Lola has treated us very well. She rarely had any issues and has taken us to many places that are all so memorable for both Jeff and I - our honeymoon, our moving journeys, road trips to and from home, traveling out of state to see friends. All the things.
And this car holds an even more special place in my heart being that it's a gift from my parents. So I love it with all my heart! <3
T O D A Y , T H A N K F U L F O R . . .
warmer weather // the fact that it's thursday // my body that is well and healthy // my family who are all generally doing well // my job that provides a source of income for us // paydays // melatonin 'cause it helps me fall asleep // coffee with protein shakes -- best thing ever // being greeted online by cute pictures of my niece and nephews // working close to home // a cast iron pot that we just go for my mother in law
D I S L I K I N G A L I T T L E L E S S T H A N N O R M A L . . .
the inability to go to the gym on rainy days // not having much to talk about in a conversation // annnd when you take melatonin too late ('cause it makes me groggy some mornings) LOL // not being able to go out to shop because I'm tired of waiting for shipping (first world problems) // breath after drinking a tumblr full of coffee // fried foods // moments when you can't function because you're so sleepy // decisions that are hard to make // the country radio station because it's the same round of 10 songs every hour
What about you? What are things you find yourself thankful for?
Here's a pet tag that I thought would be fun to do. Beware ... lots of photos and dog talk ahead. ;)
1. What is your pet's name? Shepherd
2. How did you come up with the name? I've already talked about this a little here, but it truly came from him being a shepherding dog. We just felt that it was fitting.
3. How old is your pet? He's going on 8 months! Already so close to a year. :(
4. When did you get your pet? We officially got him on October 26th, 2019.
5. What breed is your pet? Shepherd is a border collie and a blue heeler mix.
6. How old were you when you got your pet? It was just a couple months ago so Jeff and I was 24 and 25.
7. How did you get your pet? We got him from a friend who had a litter of puppies. It was incredibly spontaneous.
8. What is your pet's favorite food? When he was smaller, we bought him a few treats to try and he only truly enjoyed two out of the many that we tried. He likes these little chews made for puppies and then he'll also enjoy a rawhide stick with chicken and beef intertwined. Honestly, he's a little picky!
9. What is your pet's favorite game? Tug-a-war without a doubt.
10. What is your favorite thing to do together? We love running. Shepherd was made to work so he enjoys getting to go out and do things.
11. Do you go outdoors? If so, where is your favorite place to go together? We don't have a ton of outdoor hiking trails that are close to us, so we will often go on on neighborhood trails. There's a really pretty pond close to us that we'll always walk
around and he enjoys it plenty.
12. What is a bad habit your pet has? Shepherd has a really bad habit of going into our closet and grabbing all of the socks and he just chews on them. I think it's partially my fault though
13. What is the best thing about your pet? He loves us so well even when we get really mad at him. The other day, Jeff accidentally hit him a little too hard and he was sad, but then was totally fine and loved us the same after. He's so precious!
14. What is the naughtiest thing your pet has done? By far, it's making holes in our walls. Yep. There are five little holes in our walls because he either scratches at it or gnaws at it with his teeth. As a result, we've had to sit him further away from he wall. Lesson learned.
15. What is the funniest memory involving your pet? We have a gate that keeps Shepherd in our room and allows us to leave our door open. Jeff will often listen to music on his headphones and one afternoon, he didn't close the gate all the way. So of
course, Shepherd slowly crept out of the room and my mother in law found him resting on the mat in the kitchen .. just chillin' there. Such a cute little memory of him!
16. What is the best memory involving your pet? The best memory is probably when we brought him home. He was as tiny as my palm and he was so scared. It's been so long but I still remember his crying on the way home and through the night.
17. What is the hardest thing about being a pet owner? The consistency. I'm thankful for Jeff though because he worked really hard on training Shepherd and keeping him on a good eating and peeing schedule. The early puppy years are hard because
they're foundational in their growth, but I would say Jeff has done an amazing job and Shepherd is learning by the day!
18. What is the most rewarding thing about being a pet owner? Seeing them grow in their understanding but also seeing your relationship grow as well. It's the sweetest thing, after a long day, when you get home and he's so happy to see you.
19. Does your pet have a nickname? What is it? Oh goodness, we've started calling him all sorts of names. When we decided on Shepherd, we also decided that Shep would be for short. And then when we moved here, our family kind of named him Shepherdinho (like the soccer player Ronaldinho). Lol. I know. Such a name. And then we started calling him Sheparzzo and Shepardo. Haha. All the names!
20. Does your pet know any tricks? He doesn't know much yet, but like I said, we're working on creating foundational skills such as sitting, staying, down, and come. He honestly does really great at these commands, ut his current threshold is maybe 40% of the way there. He kinda wants to do whatever he wants, so we're working on it.
photo via here
It's those weird things no one wants to talk about. Y'all are gonna think I'm ridiculous, but here it is ... five weird things that I like.
ONE // When all the chips have been eaten out of a bag, I love dumping the crumbs into an almost empty can of jalapeno cheddar cheese and I will eat the can clean ... and I mean clean. Honestly, it's not good for my health and I can't remember the last time I did that, but every once in a good while, it's a total junk food crave during a movie kind of thing.
TWO // I like to pick my hair follicles. I know -- that's insane and don't know where it came from or where, but it's somewhat satisfying to me. In addition to that, I enjoy peeling scabs, too. Bad habit, but it is what it is!
THREE // I enjoy re-wearing my jeans/pants without washes in between. I will typically wait to wash them unless they're truly dirty.
FOUR // I love the smell of a rental car or a new house. No particular reason, but I just like it.
FIVE // Sometimes, I will play sad songs and pretend I'm in a movie. Not sure if it's something I truly enjoy, but it's weird so I figured I'd include it. Haha!
My closet is a never ending project. I have a really bad habit of creating "the chair" --- regardless of whether or not a chair is present. HAHA. I know y'all know what I'm talking about. A truly bad habit, but I've also been trying tackle it once a week, so it evens out, I guess!
+ need to get some bins to organize up top to get rid of clutter
+ literally get rid of clutter
+ organize clothes by color again (believe it not, I used to do that in college and it kind of helped)
B E F O R E
A F T E R
Closet checklist:
+ literally get rid of clutter
+ organize clothes by color again (believe it not, I used to do that in college and it kind of helped)
I've gotten a couple of things in the mail and wanted to show you guys what they are and how I'm planning on styling these pieces especially as we transition into the summer. I always find myself in a predicament when it comes to online shopping. I love it because it's so easy to click through and shop without the hassle of fighting lines (and crowds, let's be honest) ... but it's also hard because you can't try on clothes. If there's anything I could give you when it comes to shopping online, always read the reviews! I will literally ride of each review when I find something I like. Anyway, with that said, here are a few pieces I picked up these past couple of weeks.
Another piece from Old Navy, very similar yet so different. This maxi dress is so light but not see though and easy to slip on. Y'all, the petite sizing is so perfect for me as a 5'4" - highly recommend.
Gap was having a good sale so I picked up some cute stretchy pants from Gap. Worth it except it's a little big around the waist area. I'll still utilize it for work though since it's easy to dress them!
Also, these shoes, y'all. These are from J.Crew. They are so cute and so work appropriate. I love the cut of them and think they'll dress up a boring outfit perfectly.
Onto more casual pieces. I've been into graphic tees and sweaters. This top here is from band.o and is so great for all the events. I also really considered this one but decided against it. Anyway, it looks great as sleepwear but can be worn out, too. Win-win.
This next top I got a couple weeks back from Adybelle shop. It's a great quality t-shirt and especially encouraging in the midst of quarantine days. Lol.
Onto the shoes! I wanted some cute slip on shoes more so for on-the-go especially if I'm running errands and such. Ked's was having an amazing sale so I picked up these two.
This is probably my favorite clothing item out of the rest because it's so perfect in every way. You can easily dress it up or down, throw a t-shirt under and wear it casually or pair it with heels and make it a little nicer for an evening outfit. It's especially great for transitioning into the warmer months which I am so looking forward to.
Another piece from Old Navy, very similar yet so different. This maxi dress is so light but not see though and easy to slip on. Y'all, the petite sizing is so perfect for me as a 5'4" - highly recommend.
Gap was having a good sale so I picked up some cute stretchy pants from Gap. Worth it except it's a little big around the waist area. I'll still utilize it for work though since it's easy to dress them!
Also, these shoes, y'all. These are from J.Crew. They are so cute and so work appropriate. I love the cut of them and think they'll dress up a boring outfit perfectly.
Onto more casual pieces. I've been into graphic tees and sweaters. This top here is from band.o and is so great for all the events. I also really considered this one but decided against it. Anyway, it looks great as sleepwear but can be worn out, too. Win-win.
This next top I got a couple weeks back from Adybelle shop. It's a great quality t-shirt and especially encouraging in the midst of quarantine days. Lol.
Onto the shoes! I wanted some cute slip on shoes more so for on-the-go especially if I'm running errands and such. Ked's was having an amazing sale so I picked up these two.
And then lastly, again from Old Navy, these cute pair of wedges/sandals for the Spring. Again, easy pieces to pair with other spring pieces.
Have a great weekend, friends!
xoxo, Heaven
Work attire is usually a little nicer but since we've been quarantined, our office workwear has chilled out a bit. So I'm wearing the same jeans and a black tee as my go-to outfit every single day. The majority of my day is spent sitting, so I need to make sure my clothes are comfortable as heck.
New shoes that I'm finally getting to wear today are from Keds.
This shirt is from my friend, Vic. Tanks, girl. And clearly, I need to clean the mirror. Ha.
Happy friday, friends! Enjoy your weekend.
xoxo, Heaven
This bag has been one of my best amazon purchases thus far! It's cute and has so much room for me to throw in all the things. And it's super affordable!
Again ... room for so much junk. No rhyme or reason, really. Oil bag carries all my roller bottles, etc. Believe it or not, I carry my passion planner around with me as I find that writing in it clears my head a little. My huge, bright red wallet is also from amazon and is actually set up for budgeting with the cash system (which I have yet to execute well). My supplement case comes along so I'm reminded to take them while I'm at work.
Thieves on my key chain holder along with a gifted macrame key chain. The rainbow one is from an etsy shop listed here.
More on-the-go products. Ningxia, lavender lotion, and vitality drops for water.
Sprays and rollers in my oils bag for the moments you never thought you'd have.
Fun fact: I've always wanted both more piercings and tattoos, believe it or not.
In college, I remember wanting second piercings so badly that I was trying to convince my friends to get them with me. I loved the idea of getting them, but never went through with it which is okay. Now, call me crazy, but a tattoo is very different and I've been kind of thinking about getting one. I told myself that if I lose a specific amount of pounds, then that would be a gift to myself ... something small and dainty maybe. Maybe something along the lines of this:
Photo from here
How perfect is it that Cinco de Mayo landed on a Tuesday?! In the words of Lebron James, "It's Taco Tueeeeesday!" With that said, to commemorate the holiday, I'm sharing with y'all a fun little, easy as ever, recipe of how Jeff makes his tacos! Now, I'm not a big taco lover like others are (maybe a taco salad though?!) but he's won me over with this recipe and it's changed the taco game for me!
The best part is that it's so easy and you most likely already have the ingredients in your pantry already.
Ingredients:
+ Flour tortillas
+ Your choice of meat
+ Tomatos, lime, onions, green onion, and cilantro
+ Avocados to make guacamole
+ Jalepenos
+ Green chili peppers
Directions for cooking the meat w/ sauce:
1. In a blender, blend up cilantro, green onions, onions, garlic, jalapeños, green chili peppers until it's in a paste form.
2. When the meat is 1/3 of the way cooked, add in the sauce and cook until the sauce is fully incorporated.
The best part is that it's so easy and you most likely already have the ingredients in your pantry already.
Ingredients:
+ Flour tortillas
+ Your choice of meat
+ Tomatos, lime, onions, green onion, and cilantro
+ Avocados to make guacamole
+ Jalepenos
+ Green chili peppers
Directions for cooking the meat w/ sauce:
1. In a blender, blend up cilantro, green onions, onions, garlic, jalapeños, green chili peppers until it's in a paste form.
2. When the meat is 1/3 of the way cooked, add in the sauce and cook until the sauce is fully incorporated.
Honestly, so easy. Wash and dice the veggies as preferred. A portion of the veggies are used to top off the tacos later and another portion is used to cook in the meat.
The secret trick is to fry the flour tortillas...pretty sure that's a chalupa but I wouldn't know. Heat a small sauce pan with oils and hold the tortilla "folded" with a tong until one side is browned and then repeat for the other side. We kept them in the oven just to keep them warm, but they're great for serving right away!
Et voila! There's really nothing to it! Enjoy!
xoxo,
Heaven
My makeup routine consists of some good oldies, natural products, and new things I'm trying. I'm always about the business of keeping things simple and quick. On a good day, I can get my morning makeup routine down to 10 minutes at most and I take a lot of pride in that. Ha!
If I was limited to doing only three things for makeup, it'd be my eyebrows, mascara, and bronzer. I've started using blush a lot more and have been enjoying that immensely.
My go to bronzer is Saavy Minerals Summer Loved. I like this for the sheen, but will often pair it with Rimmel's foundation in a darker shade as my contour. Face makeup really is a game changer for me, y'all.
My lips have always leaned on the drier side and I've yet to find a bomb lip product that I'd repurchase. Bite beauty has this agave lip mask that I enjoy -- it's super soothing and works wonders throughout the night. Still trying it out, so I'll have to give a clearer review later!
And alas, the oldie. You guys, this might be bad, but I've had this Naked palette since freshmen year of college. I get that was a long time ago, but I've only hit pan in two shades and have plans to keep it around until it can't go on anymore.
If I was limited to doing only three things for makeup, it'd be my eyebrows, mascara, and bronzer. I've started using blush a lot more and have been enjoying that immensely.
My go to bronzer is Saavy Minerals Summer Loved. I like this for the sheen, but will often pair it with Rimmel's foundation in a darker shade as my contour. Face makeup really is a game changer for me, y'all.
My lips have always leaned on the drier side and I've yet to find a bomb lip product that I'd repurchase. Bite beauty has this agave lip mask that I enjoy -- it's super soothing and works wonders throughout the night. Still trying it out, so I'll have to give a clearer review later!
And alas, the oldie. You guys, this might be bad, but I've had this Naked palette since freshmen year of college. I get that was a long time ago, but I've only hit pan in two shades and have plans to keep it around until it can't go on anymore.
I'm breaking all the guidelines to a good ol' throwback Thursday, 'cause it's Monday - but it's all good. Wanted to share with you guys such a special moment in my life. Mindy and I attended annual conference in 2010 in Florida. We attempted to vlog a little as vlogging was becoming a huge thing at this point in time. We laughed, felt awkward, and shut the camera off.
Minutes later, as we sat in this position, I met Jeff for the first time.
Obviously at this point, I had no idea he'd be in my life for a lot longer than I'd ever imagine, but I'm so glad that it played out that way. Marriage has been so sweet.
Minutes later, as we sat in this position, I met Jeff for the first time.
Obviously at this point, I had no idea he'd be in my life for a lot longer than I'd ever imagine, but I'm so glad that it played out that way. Marriage has been so sweet.
Also, throwback songs, anyone?
To me, throwback songs are the kind of songs you didn't realize was released that long ago, but it was and yet still sounds like it was just yesterday you were listening to it. Lol.
+ Reaching // Jason Reeves
+ Love on A Lifeline // Jesse Barrera
+ Terrified // Kara DioGuardi
Now that I'm working, I've found that having quick and easy go-to meals really help when trying to find something to eat. Instead of wasting time, I know what I'm already making and it only requires minimal steps.
One // Toast with Avocado and a Runny Egg
Need I say more?
Two // Quick Bed of Salad with Tuna
I also like to add a lemon drizzle over top with black beans and garbanzo beans ... and more avocados!
Three // Zuppa Toscana
This has been my go-to soup as it's incredibly easy to make.
There ya go. Simple. Easy.
One // Toast with Avocado and a Runny Egg
Need I say more?
Two // Quick Bed of Salad with Tuna
I also like to add a lemon drizzle over top with black beans and garbanzo beans ... and more avocados!
Three // Zuppa Toscana
This has been my go-to soup as it's incredibly easy to make.
There ya go. Simple. Easy.
Livin' it up in loungewear all weekend long. In light of what may or may not be the last of our quarantine days, gonna share with y'all my fav go-to tv shows. To be honest, I don't have many, so these ones are the ones I genuinely enjoy and can rewatch time after time.
1. Friends. I know you already saw it coming. I just grew up with this show since my sister watched it religiously and it reminds me so much of my childhood. As I watch it now, there are so many more jokes that I understand and realize that it's truly not for children, but whatever. It's so funny!
2. Gilmore Girls. This show literally gives me all the small-town, cozy vibes. It was hard to get into, but I love it so much. The mother-daughter duo really gets me.
3. This Is Us. Duh! Jeff and I started from the beginning and we were so invested. We've stopped a little since the new season aired (kind of waiting for the annoying parts to be done with) but y'all, I kid you not, I was making notes every episode on topics we'd one day have to discuss or issues Jeff and I may walk through as parents ... etc. I don't know -- just things no one plans for, really, but it made me think a lot.
4. A Million Little Things. Again, invested. Lol. I feel like this one is so underrated! It's a show about a group of friends who go through trying times such as cancer, deaths, relationships, etc and it draws you in to see the importance of friendship.
What are your favorite go-to shows?
Hey gals -- popping in to share some of the things that have been my favorite as of late. I'm in a season where I'm kind of learning to dabble into things I wouldn't normally gravitate towards like changing my style a little bit or rocking different accessories....or straight up trying new things. This round of favorites is mainly revolving around style 'cause the older I get, the more I'm learning that I need to take care of how I present myself. It was a realization that came upon slower than it should have. Ha.... so I'm going to keep trying new things which means you can be on the lookout for new things also. Anyway, here they are!
- jumpsuits: these are going to be my go-to pieces for transitional pieces into the summer. They're light and so easy to pull off with a shirt underneath or a light jacket over top.
- spring sandals/wedges: I like the height with the sandal look.
- skirts: These are slowly being reintroduced to my closet. I enjoy how easy it is to throw a skirt on and call it a day!
- headbands: I think these are great to pull off especially on days where you have yet to wash your hair!
Hope you guys have an amazing and relaxing weekend.
xoxo,
Heaven
- jumpsuits: these are going to be my go-to pieces for transitional pieces into the summer. They're light and so easy to pull off with a shirt underneath or a light jacket over top.
- spring sandals/wedges: I like the height with the sandal look.
- skirts: These are slowly being reintroduced to my closet. I enjoy how easy it is to throw a skirt on and call it a day!
- headbands: I think these are great to pull off especially on days where you have yet to wash your hair!
Hope you guys have an amazing and relaxing weekend.
xoxo,
Heaven
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