A Little Bit of This a Little Bit of That

Hello, everyone! I hope you all had a great holiday weekend! We're wrapping up ours here at the Bray house with a baby in bed, load of laundry in the washer, and toys on the floor. So basically a normal night here for us. Except for the fact that I start work tomorrow!

The Basics:
1. My position is an Account Coordinator
2. The office I will be working in is in Rogers, NOT their NY office!
3. News America Marketing is owned by News Corp and is a marketing tactics distributor that reaches customers at three different levels: in-store (samples, coupons, shelf displays), online (smart source.com), and at home (Smart Source magazine).

Those are some answers to questions I have been asked quite often lately. But the question I've been asked most is if I am nervous or excited. The answer to that is EXCITED! I struggle with anxiety a lot and am often stressed out but I am uncharacteristically calm about this and I think that is a sign that I am in the right place. Everyone I've talked to at this company is so friendly and welcoming and I can't wait to meet everyone at the office tomorrow! Anyways, enough about work, let's talk about something else!

We went to TJ's family's house in SE Oklahoma this weekend to spend some time with them and this child LOVES this cat. I'm talking squealing, running, jumping up and down excited about seeing this cat. He follows her around everywhere and has come to be so sweet with her. If she's laying down on the sofa he'll grab a blanket (or hand towel haha) and lay it on her, say night night, and just pat her back. Or he'll lay his head on her and wrap his arm around her (gently now!) and just cuddle. It's the sweetest thing and makes it so difficult not to just give in and run to Pet Smart to get him a cat!

We wore our Razorback gear proudly on Saturday morning, and then not so proudly late Saturday afternoon… I wasn't too happy about that second half, nor do I think any Razorback fan was.

Last but not least, I put this beautiful wreath out today! I figured now that it's finally September it's SOMEWHAT acceptable to do a smudge of fall decorating. This is all I did but after our AC randomly went out today but it was nice to have some reminder that colder weather is coming!

That is all for today, folks. I hope you had a great weekend and that your week treats you well, talk to you soon!

Confessional Friday

Hello sweet thangs! It's been a quick minute since I've blogged so I wanted to do a link up today with Leslie and confess all of the things that have been going on in my busy life!

1. I confess that I GOT THE JOB!! I flew into New York Thursday, had 5 interviews Friday and flew home that night. They went great and I got the call Monday with an offer and I start Tuesday! I was so happy I was crying and squealing after I got off the phone! I am so excited to start my future at News America Marketing!

2. I confess that I chopped my hair off! I went to my tried and true favorite salon, Crown Beauty Bar here in Fayetteville and Calley gave a wonderful cut and ombré and I am so happy I took the plunge!

3. I confess that I may or may not have splurged on a new Michael Kors bag yesterday. I've been dying to get my hands on a Louis Vuitton Neverfull MM for a long time and since spending that kind of money on a bag isn't possible in my near future I decided to go with a cheaper option. It's a beauty and I love it so far!

4. I confess that I have been SO busy this week. Ever since Monday I have been running around like a mad woman trying to get everything done, every appointment taken care of, and every errand ran before I start work on Tuesday.

5. I confess that we have had the BEST time with Carson at home these past few weeks. This age is so fun. He has been playing so well, been so affectionate, been in the best moods, and has been an absolute ham. It's been so nice to spend all of this quality time with him before I start work.

That is it for today, folks. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend and get to spend quality time with those that you love! Talk to ya soon!

Confessional Friday

Happy Friday, everyone! It's the end of the week so you know the drill, Confessional Friday with Leslie at A Blonde Ambition, let's get started!

1. I confess that I AM GOING TO NEW YORK IN 6 DAYS! The phone interview I had last Friday went well and they want me to move onto the final interview at their headquarters in New York! I am beyond excited, nervous, ecstatic, and anxious!

2. I confess that I haven't been able to set this down. I'm a hug fan of Mindy Kaling to the point of borderline obsession if you asked my husband haha. I started this book yesterday and will be finishing it tonight. I have smiled and laughed creepily to myself way too many times to count while reading this book and I will be so sad when it's over!

3. I confess that I am never eating another Sonic corn dog for as long as I shall live. TJ and I had some during happy hour on Tuesday and then we both woke up with food poisoning at 3:30 AM and were sick all day Wednesday. Thankfully Carson didn't eat any and was completely fine but it was interesting to try to juggle a toddler and food poisoning. I won't be admitting how much TV was watched that day!

4. I confess that I am so envious of all you coffee lovers and your blindness to how disgusting it tastes. Why can't I have that same blindness?? A can of Coke just doesn't sound appealing at 8 AM. I'm so anxious about New York and haven't been able to sleep well at all. I have never been, am going completely by myself, and am having 7 interviews in one day. I fly in Thursday morning, spend the whole day there to myself, then interview all day Friday and will be back Friday night. A short amount of time but plenty to make me crazy in the mean time!

5. I confess that I spilt some juice on my Macbook last night. I had it on the table last night at dinner because TJ and I were looking something up then when it came to take Carson out of his highchair, some of the juice that he spilt on his tray slipped off onto my keyboard when I was setting the tray on the table. So typing has been interesting. I'm hoping this can be an easy fix. Advice is welcomed and encouraged!

That's all for today, folks, I hope you have a great weekend!

Carson Spam (because he's really cute duh)

Well somehow the weekend is already over and it's Monday, sorry to burst any bubbles. But we are off to a fresh start after a rough weekend (for Carson) and the weather is beautiful this week with the highs in the low 80's! I can't wait to see what this week brings! 

This weekend was the first time ever that I kept Carson all to myself while TJ went to Branson with his family. I told TJ he needed to go because he had yet to take a weekend off and he had kept him before for me when I was sick, had big projects, or had interviews so his break was well overdue! 

Unfortunately though baby boy was sick with a stomach bug. He threw up 3 times Friday night, 1 time on Saturday, and was just not himself on Sunday for the first half of the day. Thankfully even through his sickness he was the sweetest mama's boy all weekend and just wanted to cuddle!

In one of 3 baths on Friday refueling with a pedialyte popsicle!

Being a cutie pie outside. This child will go outside rain or shine, in sickness and in health, he can't get enough!

This is what we call his "sick shirt," it was his aunt's whenever she was a toddler and for some reason we just always put it on him when he's sick. It's so soft and cuddly and cute and I'll be sad when he outgrows it!

This is from this morning and as you can see he is feeling 100% and back to his crazy self!

 We were at Target and I came across these and of course I had to put it on. This is only one of the three masks I made him try on but he was a good sport haha!

And lastly at Walmart before coming home. He was being a goober with the tired sillies and he pulled this Aden & Anais blanket out from the diaper bag, laid his head on the ball (in the bottom right corner) and said "night night!" And then of course pulled it over his head and played peek-a-boo with me. 

I am loving this time at home with Carson and soaking it up as much as I can before I start working, this age is just so fun and I don't want him to grow up on me too fast! 

That's it for today folks, I hope your Monday treats you well and I'll talk to you soon!

Confessional Friday

Well this week certainly went by quickly. It's Friday so you know what that means, a link up with Leslie from A Blonde Ambition, let's get to it!

I confess that I had all of my confessions listed out in my head last night and then I fell asleep and completely forgot them, oh well.

I confess that I had the best date with my little boy yesterday. I had to go to Shindig Paperie to pick up some thank you cards for interviews (I'll get to that later) and afterwards we went on a cupcake date at Bliss and then to the park with just the two of us. I love spending quality time with my favorite little boy.

I confess that I have been getting the itch to move. My neighborhood is expanding and there's always at least four homes being built in it and my favorite thing ever is to go through houses that aren't finished yet. Lord knows why but I just love it. Anyways, we found a great floor plan at a great price and now we just have to find the right location to have it built. Oh and get jobs to pay for it.

I confess that I have ANOTHER interview today. This will be my third interview with this company and I just really really really can't wait to speed through time and get the process over with. Don't get me wrong, I've loved the people I've spoken to, it's just very stressful and I really want to work for this company already!

I confess that I am so frazzled right now so that is all for today! Keep your fingers crossed for me today and have a great weekend!

Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick

If you're like me and a little too obsessed with making sure your lipstick is just right then you know how annoying the summer heat can be. Whenever you're running errands and you don't always bring your purse (or diaper bag) inside with you, you can be faced with a rude awakening when you go to re-apply your lipstick and find that it is melted! But what if your favorite lipstick was already melted AND long wearing?! Well, ladies, your dream has come true in the form of Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick! It is easy to bring with you where ever you may go and it isn't going to get ruined in the summer heat! It also will only have to be reapplied if you happen to be eating a greasy meal, other than that it is locked and loaded.

Here are the shades I own: Melted Peony, Melted Coral, Melted Nude, and Melted Berry.

Melted Peony on a hot day at the zoo.

Melted Coral

Melted Nude for a slushy date with my guys.

 Last but not least, Melted Berry today! Just because a bold lip is fun to wear for no reason at all!

They're fairly new so there are only ten shades. The next two I want are Melted Candy and Melted Ruby.

Since they are long wearing they can be a little drying but I've found that as long as you put on lip balm before you apply it then it doesn't cause any problems! When first put on it is wet but it quickly dries and feels as if nothing is there. They are honestly my new favorite lipstick and I can't wait to get more!

That's it for today, I hope you all have a great day and I'll talk to you soon!

My Skincare Routine

A year ago if you asked me what my skincare routine was I would tell you Neutrogena face wash and moisturizer and that was it! Ever since getting into makeup I have realized how important skincare is and along the way I have found some products that work for me!

This has stayed my holy grail face wash for years and I do not plan on changing that anytime soon. I use it at night first to get all of the makeup off my face before going in with my exfoliator and I use it in the morning too before priming my face. I truly cannot recommend this enough!

I use this Facial Radiance Polish by First Aid Beauty to exfoliate my skin. I just ran out last week and have been using this by Neutrogena since I already had it in my bathroom. I honestly probably will keep using the cheaper one. Since I use so many products it's hard to tell a difference between the results of this and the Neutrogena exfoliator!

After exfoliating I go in with my Clarisonic and use the gentle face wash like Purity. The Clarisonic has made a huge difference in my skin. It comes with the sensitive brush head which I would definitely recommend starting out with. I had a 2 week period after using it where my skin was purging out all of the dirt in my pores and I broke out but once I pushed through I was so happy! My skin is smoother and more clear thanks to the Clarisonic!

After I do all of the previous steps I use this toner from Mario Badescu to wipe away anything that may be left. Like I said, since I do use so many products it's hard to tell the results from each one. I haven't quit using it though because since I started this routine I've noticed a huge difference in my skin so I don't want to mess anything up because if it ain't broke don't fix it!

I like to use this GlamGlow mask at least once a week. I use it more if I am having a particular rough break out and it is great at getting everything pushed out of your pores so clear skin can shine through! I purchase mine off Amazon for nearly half the price of Sephora and it is definitely worth every penny because the results speak for themselves!

You can imagine that with all of the products I use on my skin that I would need to moisturize. I usually have oily skin but since starting this routine I would say it's normal and can get dry so what I like to do after everything else is put on this Ultra Repair Cream from First Aid Beauty at night. If my skin is more dry I also put it on in the morning after washing my face and before priming. I love it because it soaks in immediately, doesn't make your skin feel greasy, and it gives great hydrating results!

Well that is my current skincare routine and I can't see it changing anytime soon. I hope this has helped anyone who was curious about any products. If you have any questions just let me know! Have a great day, everyone!

Weekend Roundup

Hello, everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend! Carson went to his grandparent's for the weekend and TJ and I had one big giant date weekend. We figured this will be the last time we will be able to do this for a while so we took full advantage of it and it was one of the best weekends we've had in a long time!

My look for our date night on Friday

Friday was my last day EVER of college so celebrations were certainly in order. We decided to go out for a nice dinner and Bordino's is my absolute favorite restaurant to go to for special occasions. The food never disappoints, the service is wonderful, and it's just all around always a great experience! I had the chicken, TJ had the salmon, and we split the crème brûlée for dessert!

After dinner we played mini golf! Normally I am just awful at mini golf and TJ is normally awesome and wins. But for some reason I was on my A-game and somehow won by 4 strokes. I was pretty proud of myself haha!

Saturday

On Saturday morning I woke up early and went to the farmer's market and picked up some peaches, blackberries, tomatoes, and flowers. I plan on making some cobblers with the fruit so stay tuned for that! After I came back we headed south towards Devil's Den. We live in such a beautiful area that has so much to offer outdoors but we never get to take advantage of it since Carson certainly isn't ready to hike any mountains any time soon! I was glad we got to go and experience some of the trails!

Chili's Skillet Queso needs no caption.

After hiking we went straight to lunch because we were too lazy to go back home and get ready, woops. Arkansas was doing their back to school, tax-free weekend so after lunch we headed to the mall to see if we could get any good deals and boy we did. I had some rewards at gap that I wanted to use, plus if you used your gap card you were able to get an extra 40% off so we got $150 worth of clothing for $25. I was pretty proud of that steal! I can't wait to dress Carson up for fall!

Sunday

We FINALLY did our flower bed! You guys have no idea how awful it was. It was absolutely covered 100% with weeds that were as tall as the bushes on the left side. I suggested we work on it thinking it wouldn't be that hard and we could knock it out pretty quick. Boy was I wrong. We were out there 2 1/2 hours pulling those dang weeds. After they were all pulled we laid new tarp down and covered it with 7 bags of mulch. It was quite the project. We still need to trim the bushes, sweep the sidewalk, mow the lawn, and weed eat but I am happy with our results!

Sunday night we went out for dinner at Steak n' Shake and went to go see Guardians of the Galaxy afterward and it was SO GOOD! I am so happy we went and saw it and I would honestly probably see it again it was that good. It's truly an enjoyable movie for everyone!

This little boy comes home today! Doesn't he look pitiful?? This child LIVES to be outside and spent all day outside with his grandparents on Saturday and he was worn out by the time this picture was taken I think! This was before his night time swim and before his monster tantrum when they tried to bring him inside haha. I told you, the boy loves playing outside!

That's all for today folks, have a great day and I'll talk to you tomorrow!

Confessional Friday

Hello hello and a happy Friday to you all! I am linking up once again with the lovely Leslie today over at A Blonde Ambition to bring you all the juicy (and not so juicy) confessions of this week! Let's get to it!

1. I confess that today is my LAST day of undergrad ever! I have ONE pesky assignment until I can say that I am done but oh my gosh, it's real. 

2. I confess that I have never been more proud of myself. Is that conceited? A little? Okay. But I had a baby in the middle of a semester in 2012, finished those 12 hours, and then fast forward to 2014, I went on to graduate college on time with the exception of these 12 hours of summer classes. Yes, 12 hours in the summer, I'm impatient and wanted to be done! I've had a tremendous amount of help along the way so I shouldn't be too impressed with myself but I. Am. So. HAPPY! And I promise to cool it on the caps lock for the rest of the post ;)

3. I confess that I have mommy guilt. Carson is staying the weekend at his grandparents this weekend for the first time in a few months. He hasn't even left and I already miss him and feel bad. Don't get me wrong, he loves staying there and it's his personal heaven. Not to mention he's absolutely obsessed with his nana and papa. But still, he's my baby (yes baby, not toddler) and I'll miss that little booger!

4. I confess that I may have gotten a head start on my fall shopping. I absolutely love fall and am so happy that we are already into August and that college football and cooler weather are just around the corner! I had been wanting this vest from J. Crew Factory all of last fall and winter and I was finally able to snag it! It came back in stock and was even on sale for $75. Unfortunately I won't get it until November but I am okay with that!

5. I confess that I am strategizing my shopping for tax free weekend. I was miffed when I found out it didn't start today. I was like oh I'll just go as soon as the mall opens on Friday while everyone else is at work! Nope, all those other bargain hunting moms will be off work and will be there when the mall opens too on Saturday. So planning is necessary.

6. I confess that I may have laughed a little too hard at this picture. But look how squishy he was!

I posted this picture yesterday on my instagram for a throwback Thursday and couldn't help but miss all of his extra fluffiness haha. But alas, the arm rolls are all but gone and a neck has been discovered since this photo was taken. Thankfully the belly is still as big as ever haha! 

That's it for today folks, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and I will talk to you soon!

Tuesdays are for Spontaneous Zoo Trips

I had to double check that title after I wrote it. It's really only Wednesday?? It feels much later in the week. Summer always makes me get my days mixed up. Anyways, we went to the zoo yesterday! TJ and I have always loved going to the zoo and it has been so fun taking Carson and each time is more fun than the last watching  Carson grow, understand more, and be able to do more. This was his third zoo trip and it was a blast!

Carson LOVED the petting zoo. There wasn't many people at the zoo so we basically had it to ourselves!

 We got to pet Nemo the sheep, yes, Nemo. And by petting I mean he patted him once and looked to us for praise, which he of course got because, I mean, he's kind of adorable.

It may not look like it (like at all), but he really enjoyed the carousel! He may or may not have thrown a little tantrum when getting off too haha.

They had a dinosaur exhibit at the zoo called Zoorassic Park. He was doing fine during it until one of the dinosaurs sprayed him with a little water. And yes, I had to take a picture first.

 Still not a fan even after being picked up! I was just thankful I didn't have to buy him any dinosaur toys from the gift shop we had to walk through at the end!

And we ended the day with a train ride around the zoo. This boy was ready for a nap by the end!

If you made it to the end, thanks for stopping by and bearing through all the pictures! Have a great day and I'll talk to you tomorrow!

July Favorites

Well it is somehow already the end of July! This summer is going by so fast and I am completely fine with that because fall is my absolute favorite time of year with the weather, fashion and college football, which is the only sport I can actually stand! Anyways, summer months means blisteringly hot temperatures which means changes need to be made to your makeup routines. Here are some products that I have loved during this hot month!

Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream

I recently discovered this at the beginning of July. I had heard about it through Youtube and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I ended up being given a sample at the Origins counter at Dillards and was given enough to be able to use it every day this month and it looks like for everyday next month too! I just place this on my under eye area after washing my face in the mornings and it helps de-puff my eyes while brightening my dark under eye area. Two great qualities! I will definitely be purchasing this when I run out of my sample!

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

My skin has been breaking out lately and I can't seem to narrow out why. Anyways, between all of the products I am using to combat the break outs and being in the sun, my skin has gotten a tad on the dry side, which is odd for me since I'm usually an oily mess in the summer. To help moisturize my skin I have been using this in the morning mixed with my primer! I love it because it gets the job done without making me feel greasy. I also use it as a hand moisturizer when my hands feel dry from washing them all the time!

Side note: I bought the $12.00 tube and it has lasted me a good amount of time!

Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Foundation

This. Foundation. Is. AMAZING. I had been using a matte finish foundation and I wanted something with a natural finish for the summer months but that was still full coverage. I also needed something that was long wearing for obvious reasons. I had heard about this a while back and when I came across it on sephora.com I decided to try it out. I ended up getting a sample from Dillards and before I ran out I picked up a bottle because I had to have it! The finish is wonderful, natural, not matte but not too dewy. It certainly is long wearing. You guys I wore this at Disney World all day long and it STAYED! Need I say more?

Side note: Because it is long wearing, it can be drying to your skin so I wouldn't recommend this to someone with already dry skin because I've heard it can appear patchy. Thankfully I haven't had this problem!

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish

I always set my liquid foundation with a powder to help it last longer and combat any potential oiliness. I was using a matte finish powder and wanted something more natural (and I use that term loosely since I use so much makeup!).  This sets my makeup in place, keeps me from getting oily, but still doesn't look cake so it's a win in my book!

Sephora Pro-Contour Brush #74

I didn't like the way my brush before was distributing my bronzer so I was on the hunt for a new one. Little did I know I had the perfect one right in front of me! I had bought this brush off a recommendation from an employee at Sephora when I very first started to get really into makeup last July/August. I ended up using it incorrectly for a highlighter due to my misunderstanding. Then I was cleaning my brushes and rediscovered this one. It's perfect for a soft contour and just a regular bronzed look. The brush is always great quality! The hairs are soft and don't fall out when washed!

Side note: The brush is rounded on top, the picture just cut off the very top of it!

NARS Blush - Deep Throat

In my opinion, NARS is best known for their blush and bronzer. I had gotten a blush/bronzer duo compact a year ago and didn't think the colors lived up to the hype. Finally I made my way back to check out the other colors of blush and I fell in love with this! I typically go for a rosy color and I wanted to try something new. This is more of a peach with a slight shimmer. I am NOT a shimmer person but this is a very subtle shimmer and not disco ball-esque I promise! A great color for the summer months!

MAC lipstick - Lovelorn

I am obsessed with this lipstick. It's a lustre so it's still moisturizing. You can wear one coat for a stained, balmy look or wear two for a more opaque look. The color goes with so many looks since it's similar to my natural lip color, just better! I wear it probably 4-5 times a week, it's my go-to lipstick that is for sure! I'm also pretty sure this will be the first lipstick that I actually run out of and will have to repurchase!

Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray

Love. This. Stuff. I've always been on the oily side to getting my makeup to last was always a challenge. That is until I found out about this product! When we went to Disney World and I wore makeup I would set my foundation with a matte powder and then spray this on top and it would last all day through the sweat and heat! I used to use the chill setting spray for oily skin and it was fine but I feel like this makes it last even longer. I've gone through two bottles already and have a back up in my drawer for my near empty third! Love it!