My IKEA Wish List

For about five years or so, I've been a major fan of IKEA. The one closest to us is an hour and a half drive away and I think I've been at least five times, most likely more. I know the store intimately. For any home decor problem, IKEA has an answer. Or at least that's what I maintain. They're products are affordable, durable and beautiful. I imagine I will practically live at the store once they open their new location in my city. In the mean time, here are a few things that are on my IKEA wish list. Because I always have one.

Fall Nails

When I paint my nails, Essie is my go to brand. I don't remember exactly the first time I used it, but I do remember loving it. Over time, it's become the only brand in my nail polish jar. It glides on so smooth and the colors are true. Since Fall is here, I've pulled out my Fall colors. Basically these four shades that I go to over and over again.

Sole Mate: If you like purple, you'll like this polish. It has a deep plum hue, not too shimmery but nice and shiny.

Midnight Cami: I have an obsession with navy blue and this polish fills my soul with happiness. Not only does it go on dark blue, it has a shimmery sparkly effect to it.

Wicked: Remember when oxblood was the color of the season last year? This polish was a way for me to sport it without going deep red nutso.

Penny Talk: Metallic goes with anything. So this rose gold polish is a great way to keep your nails warm and girly.

It  kind of becomes a tradition to paint my finger nails on weekends during the cold months. Probably because I wear out the polish too quickly in the summer. But add some tea and good music and it's a great tradition! What are your favorite Fall nail polish colors?

6 Scarves to Add to Your Fall Wardrobe

One thing I have learned about a Fall wardrobe is the necessity of a scarf collection. With two cardigans, a few different tops and jeans, just pop on a scarf and you can have a different outfit every day of the week. I have two hangers in my closet full of scarves and I'm always finding even more pretty ones. Like these!

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What are some Fall accessories you've had your eye on?

(Top image via Chronicle Books Blog)

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My Fall Wishlist

Tunic // Blush Scarf // Kitty iPhone Case // Patterned Votives // Black Booties // Bath and Body Oil // Black Blazer // Marmee and Louisa

Patio Inspiration

I'm not going to lie, after March's Paintathon, both Dearest Carl and I are quite painted out. So we've been looking to our yard for projects and have been making some improvements! We've got our front porch and front yard looking spiffy and have added a bit of landscaping to the backyard, mainly under my beloved lilac bushes. Next on the to do list, put in the patio!

If you've ever been to our house, you know that there is nothing out the back door but a little sidewalk that runs to our parking spots. No deck, no concrete slab, no nothin'. While I'm so thankful to have a backyard in the first place, it would be nice to have a space for bonfires and cookouts and entertaining outside. So of course I've been patio daydreaming.

Just to give you an idea, we're thinking a flagstone patio with a pergola over part of it and an uncovered area for our fire pit. Dearest Carl has even thought about hanging a swing from the pergola! It's going to be so pretty. And I obviously went straight to IKEA to look at patio furniture. ;)

Image // Lights // Bistro Set // Chair // Fire Pit

Do you have any experience with installing patios yourself? We can use any tips we can get!

A Burt's Bees Review

I'm always on the hunt for natural and affordable beauty products. I believe that if I'm going to add something to my established beauty routine, I want it to be better for my skin. That being said, I use lots of Burt's Bees products and I feel like I'm always finding something new and amazing and raving about it here. So I decided to put together a post about the products I've used and how well I like them! Deal? :)

1. Deep Cleansing Face Wash: I've been using this for a couple months and I think my favorite part is the feeling my skin has after I wash my face with it. It just feels and smells so clean! And it works too. ;)

2. Lip Balm: I have to say that I've never been a huge fan of the plain ol' peppermint lip balm but when they started selling these other kinds, I kinda went nuts. I tried pomegranate, blueberry and chocolate, eucalyptus, coconut, and kokum butter in the space of about a month. I'm not sure I have a favorite cause they're all amazing.

3. Rosewater Toner: For whatever reason, the blogosphere decided that skin care was a huge deal just after the holidays and I kept reading about the benefits of toner. Someone suggested using apple cider vinegar as toner so I thought "Hey! I'll try that for a month and see if it's really that amazing." Conclusion, it is. It helped my acne and overall facial color within two days! However, it smells pretty bad and Dearest Carl complained. Entré la rosewater toner. It smells great, leaves my skin feeling fresh, and while I wouldn't say it works quite as fast as the apple cider vinegar, it still works! I'm sold.

4. Tinted Lip Balm: This stuff. I cannot rave enough about this stuff. I've tried two difference colors and, being a lipstick addict, I've fallen hard for both. It applies and sticks like lip balm but it really does add a hint of color to your lips. Perfect for surprise date nights and kissing babies.

5. Blemish Stick: I struggle with acne so I was excited to find this natural solution. It worked really well for about two weeks.... and then decided to quit. But that's the same story for almost every acne soap and spot treatment I've tried. So since it worked great for two weeks, I feel like there's hope for people with more cooperative skin.

6. Peppermint Foot Lotion: While this works awesome for me, I have to warn you. After you apply, don't put your hands anywhere near your eyes until you've washed them. I forgot the first couple times I used this stuff and I could just forget about perfect mascara that day. Otherwise, it's great for your feet and keeping them hydrated during the winter.

Okay now it's your turn. What is your favorite Burt's Bees product? If you've tried any of the products above, what was your impression? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

** This post is purely my own opinion and is not promoting the Burt's Bees brand. **