Natural Beauty

I am a huge fan of makeup, which should come as no surprise to you. But I take care of myself to make sure I look okay underneath it as well. Makeup always looks best when it appears natural which means wearing as little as possible. To be able to do this, you must take care of your face. Daily. Not every other day, not every third day. Every. Single. Day. But, not to fear! It can be easy and you get used to it rather quickly. (Especially once you begin seeing results!)

First things first. ALWAYS remove makeup! Do not wait until the next morning. By then it will have been rubbed by pillows and clogged your pores for much much much too long. I use makeup remover sheets, the off-brand, and use one to remove eye makeup and a quick run over the face and a second to get any that may have been left behind from the first.

Also, find a good facial cleanser to use each time you shower. I, personally, don't use mine anymore often than that so that my skin does not dry out. However, do make sure to use it on a regular basis. I use Neutrogena Visibly Even Foaming Cleanser. It has a slightly gritty texture so it exfoliates the skin as you cleanse. I have tried other facial cleansers but this has been my favorite.

I still have breakouts sometimes, which for me are not bad... Maybe a bump or two. So I have found a product that I apply to any that I see after washing my face before bed and let it work overnight. I use Clean & Clear Persa-Gel 10. It is amazing!

Lastly, just before I go to sleep I apply a chapstick so that my lips will be soft, moist and smooth for any lipgloss/stick I want to wear the next day. I tend to have very dry lips and a hefty helping of Carmex really works wonders for me. (Tip: This also gives your lips a shine without adding color so I sometimes wear it during the day for a subtle look!)

For the rest of your body:

Apply lotion after each shower. Especially after shaving. This will keep skin from drying out and will make it appear much more healthy. Make sure to not skip out on feet! They get the most wear and tear and need love too! I apply a good amount of lotion and then put on socks to keep the lotion from coming off. I typically do this before bed and the socks keep the lotion from coming off on my sheets. If you apply lotion during the day, still wear socks until you are sure the lotion has completely soaked in. If you are applying lotion this often, it should keep your hands in good shape as well. Make sure to rub the lotion around each nail. This will keep cuticles from peeling so your nails stay looking salon perfect!

Every now and then exfoliate your whole body in the shower. I find that doing this once a week keeps my skin much smoother and helps me to have better results when shaving. But, if you do it too often it can cause irritation so be careful! Especially if you have sensitive skin!

Also, don't fall slack on grooming. Make sure that your eyebrows are tweezed in between waxes. Make sure hair is well conditioned. Dry hair is NOT pretty hair no matter how you style it. Anything else you know you need to do, just DO it! It will make you feel so much better afterwards! Totally worth the extra time.

-Hannah

Trends I Want to Try

Some new trends that I wan't to check out are...

Hair feathers. I think these are totally cute and I think they would definitely fit A. my personality and B. go with my wardrobe. If you haven't heard of them, they are thin feathers that come in a variety of colors from neutrals to neon! They are attached to your hair and are washable and can be styled just like your natural hair. That means they can be dried, straightened and curled! I think this is totally awesome! You can get one for a subtle look or many, if you're that courageous. They last for many weeks so at about $20 they are absolutely worth the money!

Light brown hair. I decided to get some heavy highlights last spring and I've kept them throughout the summer. I've decided I want to get back to my natural color but I would like to keep it a little lighter for the remainder of the summer. So, I thought that I would like to have a light brown J-Lo look and work my way back to my natural very-dark-brown. Concerns: I have a red undertone to my hair and I don't want to end up with a light red rather than a light brown and I do not want the color to wash me out. Luckily I have an awesome aunt who does my hair and I know she will be honest with me about what my hair can and cannot do. 

Ombre nails. I just saw a photo of Lauren Conrad with "ombre" nails. Meaning, her nails were painted a variety of colors within the same shade. For instance, white to powder blue to aqua to navy... Get it? So, I think this look is kind of cool and I would consider doing it but I can't help but wonder... How does this look with different outfits? I mean, I know that you don't necessarily have to match your nail polish to your clothes but this is such a bold look that I wonder if it would clash with a bold, say, print? 

Liquid eyeliner. I have some amazing black MAC liquid eyeliner that I have only used 3 times since I got it. I have very thick eyelashes (cry me a river, I know...) so I have trouble applying the liner close to my lash line. I watched a video that explained how to apply and I had more luck. Since the one time after watching the video I haven't tried it again. I want to get better so that I will use it more often. It is such a classy, smooth, clean look and I love it! 

If and when I try these different things, I'll update you and give you my tips! 

Happy Blogging!

DIY Wednesday

I really dig messy hair and luckily, I can pull it off. One of my favorite summer trends is beachy waves. So not willing to spend money on whats basically salt water, I decided to look into a do-it-yourself beach spray. Here is the recipe I used. I got it on Glamour.com and after my first use was feeling that it was more of a DIWhydidIdothis type thing. But, as I tweaked not only the amount of ingredients but also the way I applied it, I realized this was a pretty good little spray. So far what I've done is combine water, sea salt, conditioner and gel in a bottle. After my first try, my hair was a little frizzy so I decided to add some more hair gel. (I must admit that I didn't really do any measuring when mixing my ingredients.) After adding additional gel, I found that my hair was less frizzy but still very natural looking. I have put this salty concoction on wet hair, dry hair, damp hair... But what I noticed is that my hair tends to be flat at the root, which I definitely do not like! I did notice that the next day, however, my hair had much more body. Next time I long for beachy waves while living in middle Georgia, I'll apply the salt spray to damp hair the day before and hopefully the next day I'll look like a beach goddess! I do suggest applying a good hairspray as well just to give your waves some hold. If you are anything like me, meaning if you have enough hair on your head for TWO people, your hair will be very heavy and pull the wave and body out as the day goes on.

*Also, if you are in a hurry and need to blow dry your hair rather than let it air dry ABSOLUTELY use a diffuser! This will prevent any excess frizz. I suggest using a Hot Sock because it fits any blow dryer you may be using. Good luck Bloggers!

Love and Happy Blogging,
Hannah

Intrinsically Me

Here are a few things that will help you in understanding who I am. Silly things that shed a little light on my boho/eclectic/funky vibe:

• My tiny Kin phone with zebra print case
• My funky colored nail polish 
• Messy hair
• Toe ring from SSI
• Giant t-shirts
• Anything monogrammed (And, I know that may make you think of a soccer mom more than a boho chick, but I just can't shake my love of monograms)
• My very extensive CD collection which ranges from Patsy Cline to Mariah Carey to The Commadores to The Black Crowes to Audioslave to John Mayer
• My owl necklace
• Makeup 
• Although I do not love them, my freckles. I just can't imagine myself without 'em...
• My gentle giant black lab, Sunny-- Just his name is very me
• My Twitter background
• And of course, my BLOG!

These are just a few of the things that I love! Hope provides a little insight into who the "Girl in the World" is!

Love and Happy Blogging, 

Hannah 

6 Movies in 3 Days

The boyfriend and I decided that after a crazy week at the beach (how do vacations end up exhausting you when they should be dedicated to rest!?) we would take a day to just watch movies! A lazy day on the couch with comfy clothes, covers and DUH, popcorn!

How I came to the numbers 6 movies in 3 days is...

On Friday, we went to see Harry Potter in Milledgeville. We got to the theater 20 minutes early and were LUCKY to have found 2 decent seats! The place was packed! Not being a big fan of Harry's, since I was not an avid follower of the books, I wasn't as excited as Gil was. But, I knew that seeing it would make him very happy and that is something I love. Being the amazingly generous boyfriend that he is, after we went to eat at our very most favorite restaurant in the whole world, Kuroshima, where we have mastered the manipulation of the dinner menu, he took me to the mall and waited on me while I got a mani/pedi combo. This is something that he has never done in our two and a half years. He has done MANY things, but not this so I was shocked that he suggested it. But, that's not the point of this post... (I'll tell you all about my new turquoise love later.) So, after I finished drying we headed over to Carmike. Gil bought tickets the night before during the midnight showing so that there would be no chance of being victim to a sold out show. We waltzed in there like we owned the place... walked to the last theater on the right and found our seats a few rows from the top. We sat and waited. I would be willing to bet if Gil's vitals were taken his heart rate would have been off the chart! He was so excited and still I didn't understand. The movie began, and to my surprise, the little wizards held my attention the whole time! I thoroughly enjoyed the entire movie. So much so that I am seriously considering watching the ones I have yet to see. For me, this is a major feat!

Saturday is the day we had planned to be our movie day. The rules were that I would pick 2 movies and Gil would pick 2. We decided on Couples Retreat, The Pelican Brief, We Are Marshall and The Dark Knight respectively. We realized there was absolutely a certain order we must watch these movies in. We decided We Are Marshall would be the first. We put the DVD in, turned the light out, got cozy and the movie wouldn't play. The DVD was too scratched. (Oh no!) So, we had to regroup. For some reason, Gil decided that I had to choose the replacement movie. Well, after much thought I decided on Twilight: New Moon. We popped the recorded DVD in and began watching. Oh, how I love Twilight. When this movie was over, we decided that we had had enough of all the seriousness and moved onto Couples Retreat. Such a funny movie! Very heart warming but full of fun also! We laughed for 2 hours and when that movie was over, we took a break. We very quickly noted that we would not be able to fit all 4 movies in one day. Our last movie for Saturday was The Pelican Brief. An older movie based on a John Grisham novel. It was one I had seen a few years ago and remembered being very good. Gil had not seen it and I had forgotten most of what happened. It was a very good choice, if I do say so myself! After we turned the TV back on, I found Legally Blonde, which I LOVE! And we decided to watch it until it was time for Gil to head back to Devereux. Of course, I continued watching while I waited on him to confirm that he was home safe and sound and I am so glad that I did. Legally Blonde makes me laugh every time I watch it and I feel... kind of... empowered after I see it! Get it ladies!

Since we had not had the time to watch The Dark Knight, the one movie Gil was most excited to watch, on Saturday... I promised him that we would watch it Sunday evening. For some reason, probably due to the World Cup being televised, there was very little to watch on the tube. So, we watched a few episodes of Gilmore Girls that I have on DVD. (Gil is a recent convert.) After watching Gilmore for a few hours we decided it was time for Batman and the Joker. I had seen The Dark Knight in theaters but had not seen it since then. Yet again I was not as excited as Gil was and yet again he was right.

So, those are our 6-in-3! I suggest to anyone who has fallen into a rut, doing the same things every day, taking a movie day! The movies are great and I enjoyed each of them, but mostly I enjoyed uninterrupted time with my amazing boyfriend and I think its a great way to take some alone time with whoever you most like to spend time with! Even if you need some time with just YOU! Consider it, Bloggers!

Love!

Happiness

Okay, I know I'm not the only one out there who has a tendency to dwell on the negative. Am I right? Well, this blog helps me to see the good in my life because, well, I try to think of things to write that would make others smile, laugh, etc. And this week, while on vacay with the fam I heard my mom say the most wonderful thing. She asked James, 3, and Nae, 4, "What's our favorite word?" and after seeing their curious looks my mother replied, "Happy!". You know, this got me thinking. Why wouldn't that be our favorite word? Isn't that how we all want to feel? Shouldn't that be what we strive for? Here are a few of the happy things that have happened to me recently:

• I had a magnificent 22nd birthday
• My parents were gracious enough to pay for me and the boyfriend to go to Panama City for 3 days
• I got a sun tan
• I got my Kings of Leon tickets in the mail
• I am going to get a manicure (NOT a do-it-yourself)
• Woke up to a very funny, very thoughtful belated birthday card 
• Movie date tonight, even if it is Harry Potter

These are just a few of the wonderful things going on for me now and I hope this has you thinking about the good things in your life! 

Happy Blogging, 

Hannah

"Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves."

Dear Birthday

So, Ashley, also known as Little Miss, posted a "dear..." blog that I thought was too cute and since I have been having trouble deciding how to write about my birthday experience I decided this would be a fun way to tell you all about it!

Dear Boyfriend,
Thank you so much for my amazing birthday. I can't imagine spending it with someone more wonderful. The whole day was so perfect and I have you to thank. Having you to be silly with at the zoo, knowing you were just as excited as I was to see the animals, trying to get me on the screen at the baseball game and being happy that I was happy means more to me than I think you know. You have not only made my birthdays more special, but every day. Thank you so much for all the wonderful things you do. I love you with all of my heart.

Always,
Hannah
_________________________________

Dear Zoo Animals,

You were all very cooperative on Wednesday and for that I am thankful. You posed for pictures perfectly and there were no uh ohs (that I could see). I have to say, Mr. Tiger, you could have hung around a little longer... I was rather disappointed in your lack of enthusiasm to see me. However, Panda more than made up for it! She showed us how she finds the best bamboo to eat and her fun personality was SO apparent! Also, gorillas, yes you! You were probably my favorite animals at the zoo! Seeing your interactions with one another was beyond amazing! All of you truly made me think outside of my small world and made me realize that there is so much more outside of what I know.

Thanks for the fun times! I wont forget you!
- Girl taking tons of pictures behind the glass
_________________________________

Dear Braves Camera Guy,
First things first. You. Suck. I held my awesome sign up between every inning and any time there wasn't any action on the field! I stood up, I shook it around, I danced (kinda) and still... No love for the birthday girl. I am very disappointed in you. It seemed that everyone else who had a sign got some screen time... One girl even got on TWICE! So not fair Mr. Man.

Sincerely,
Distressed Fan

________________________________

So I hope these "dears" have given you an idea about how GREAT my birthday was! (Even if I didn't get my 15 minutes of fame) And have given you an idea for your next post! 

Happy Blogging!

Lazy Lady

Has anyone noticed my affinity for alliteration? Must be the writer in me... Well, if you refer to my Busy Bee post you'll see that I had some big plans for the weekend. But that all changed. We learned on Thursday that our cooks and boat driver, along with the boat, would not be at the lake. I quickly decided that this was not the weekend I had hoped for and opted to spend it at my house by the pool. I gotta say, weekends with the house to myself are pretty sweet (I guess I haven't mentioned that I live at home with my parents). We have recently begun keeping a 3 year old boy, James, and a 4 year old girl, Nae, who are so precious but so loud and rambunctious! My parents will adopt these sweet babies soon and our lives will NEVER BE THE SAME! It is so crazy around here every day... Any chance I get to sleep in without hearing little feet running through the house & shrieks of happiness, or relax and drink my coffee without a small voice asking "What is that?" is very much welcomed. Also, my boyfriend and I haven't had too much time to ourselves lately so we are looking forward to that as well (all couples need that sometimes).

So, today I cant wait to get in my bikini, set up a sweet spot by the pool and just relax with Gil, iPod playing and sun shining! --Might break for a quick mani/pedi to prepare for the big dinner on the 4th and my birthday. Always thinking about my beauty regimen! (Is that a bad thing?)-- Lazy day, here I come!

Happy July 4th weekend all!
Hannah

Bargain Queen

I love a good bargain and today I saved myself/my mother/my boyfriend approximately $70. Wanna know how? Well, I'll tell you! But first...

I have to tell you about my flip flip fiasco... Last weekend my American Eagle flip flops (which I have worn way too many times over the last 2 1/2 summers) blew out. I had worn them all weekend at the lake and just before heading home the thong broke... I knew this was coming, I just didn't know when. They had literally been hanging by a thread since the very early spring (which I should add began in February this year) and I was dreading the day that they met their maker. Luckily I knew I had some money coming from my grandparents for my birthday. Frugal as they are I get $15. Finding a good pair of leather flip flops for 15 bucks is dang near impossible. I did my web searching last night because I knew my opportunity to find the perfect pair was coming this very afternoon! To my dismay, there were none...

So, I took a chance on old trusty hoping that I would be so lucky as to stumble upon a sale. This morning while drinking coffee I check my email. And there it is! My saving grace! 20% everything at American Eagle! I checked the website to see if it could really be true! It was! It was! I checked on the flip flop status to see if they had any that were my style and they did! Will they have my size, I wondered? THEY DID! They had my size at the store I would be going to today! So, with hopefulness in my heart I walked into AE, discount code in hand. Found my size, the very common 8. Went to the register and got my discount and to my surprise the flip flops rang up at $16.95. Originally $29.50. Oh yeah, this feels good! 

My next money saving adventure required getting a library card... I know you're wondering what in the world I am talking about. Here it is, an awesome bit of information that few people know. If you go to any library in the state of Georgia you can, with the simple ownership of a library card, rent a 20 minute DVD and get free tickets to the Atlanta Zoo! For students, the price is about $17. That's a savings of $34! 

Lastly, I ordered tickets to see Kings of Leon in Atlanta on July 27. Being that I am a Diet Coke addict I have many times noticed the codes on bottle caps and boxes. I looked into it and found that these codes, which I had been throwing away for years, were basically money. If I collected 100 points I could get a $10 discount for a livenation.com purchase, among many other things. I had saved enough points to get 2 $10 off codes! I decided to purchase one ticket at a time so that I could use both codes and ultimately save 20 big ones! And it worked just as smoothly as I had hoped! I ordered one ticket, entered the code, and there was the total, $26.00. I ordered the other ticket, entered the second code... $26.00! I got both tickets for $52 which would have been $72 otherwise! GO ME! And go YOU, if you do it too! 

Grand total of... Drum roll..... $66.55 in savings! 

*Tip: Always sign up for rewards cards! They are worth it! And go to the websites of your favorite stores to sign up to receive emails. You will likely get extra discounts and deleting a few unwanted emails is worth the money you can save from the good ones!

I hope that these simple, very easy tips have helped you! Good luck savers!

Happy Blogging (and Saving!)