Birthday Wishlist

one // two // three // four // five


1. "Youth Novels" LP by Lykke Li ($19 USD) - I've wanted this album for awhile & now that I have a new record player that's easier to use & portable I'm trying to beef up my LP collection. I also really want 'Reflektor' by Arcade Fire. I had trouble picking between the two but this one looked best in the image haha.

2. 'Buns & Guns' Sailor Moon baseball tee ($30 USD) - I've been wanting to start working out regularly again & this seems like the perfect tee to get me in the workin' out spirit. Plus it's Sailor Moon!! I'd honestly like the Sailor Jupiter or Neptune one as well but the Sailor Moon one has pink sleeves <3__<3

3. NARS 'Final Cut' Illuminator (Exclusive to Nortdstrom) in 'Adelaide' ($30 USD) - This is just pretty & I want it. Plus, it's limited edition & I love 'Copacabana' so much I figure this illuminator has to be just as amazing, right?

4. Jeffrey Campbell 'Malt Shop Heel' ($185 USD) - Haha these are totally out of my price range & a huge ridiculous wish but geeze, they're beautiful. Then again, this is a "wishlist" so I'm putting whatever I'm wishing for on here. Deal with it!

5. Betsey Johnson Ice Cream Wristlet ($68 USD) - THIS IS SO CUTE. I really hope this just shows up in a TJ Maxx sometime soon because I will scoop it up SO FAST. I don't really have any wristlets & I feel like I really should stop carrying around huge purses at some point in my life. Do I really need all that crap I carry around 24/7? Nope.



Not gonna lie I am not excited about turning 26 at all. Not at all. Wanna bury my head in the sand and pretend it's not happening. Maybe it's time to start lying about my age. I have trouble remembering how old I am on a regular basis so I'm sure I could confuse everyone & eventually no one would question me.

I'm gonna be 25 forever.

-Becca

Happy Birthday to Me

Yesterday was my birthday & I spent the beginning of the day in a pretty cruddy mood but as the day wore on I felt myself feeling less bleak about turning 25.

Ryan & I went to our local Bath & Body Works so I could pick up some hand soap and candles & had half-priced frappuccinos at Starbucks since they were having Happy Hour from 3-5. Then we came home & watched The Mindy Project on Hulu while we ate cake.

Oh! And my sister sent me these really funny videos of my family's dogs sending their birthday regards. She used a helium balloon app to make her voice sound so high.




And these are the presents I got this year from Ry-Ry & Taylor. They'll indulge my sad & intense obsession with NARS products. I luv them:

Taylor got me the 'Boys Don't Cry' limited edition Pierre Hardy NARS blush, some cute strawberry soft foam hair rollers, & a Jonathan Adler box of matches.



close up of 'Boys Don't Cry'

Ryan got me 'Gina' & 'Sin' from the NARS website so I used a coupon code for a free 'Super Orgasm' mini. I haven't tried it yet since the glitter is a bit scary in the pan but I've seen Taylor wear it and it looked beautiful on her.



from left to right: NARS 'Gina' // NARS 'Super Orgasm' mini // NARS 'Sin'

And finally, this is what I bought myself... a 1oz bottle of Chloé.

I bought this from Sephora with a gift card & used the voucher inside for a full size bottle. It's a great deal since you're getting a bunch of samples & a voucher for a free full-size bottle of any of the 6 or 7 perfumes you sample inside. The 1oz bottle of Chloé is normally $65 but since I used the voucher it was only $50 for the sample box + voucher &&& I used a 10% off coupon along with my giftcard so I spent maybe $20 of my own money.



I felt really spoiled this year & my NARS blushes make up what seems like half of my makeup collection now (I have a problem). I'm so thankful to have such sweet best friends that will buy me ridiculously priced little boxes of sparkly pigmented powder and put up with my neurosis on a regular basis. They're the best.

Anyways, here's to being 25!



-Becca

Patricia (Patsy) Taylor Carnes

Today marks my late Grandmother's (aka Grand-ma-ma's ) birthday. She's been gone for nearly 8 years now & it's still hard to remember that she isn't a phone call away. I can't call her and chat about my love-life (always the first thing she asked about) or listen to her upbeat reflections on life. She was one of my best friends & I miss her so so much. My childhood was full of trips to Mississippi to visit my mother's parents. Their house was truthfully one of the few places I think I will ever consider "home" and I know that I would have been a completely different person without their guidance and support.



My grandma was incredibly sweet and generous but had a definite spunk & spitfire that I believe runs rampant in Taylor/Carnes women. She was only 18 when she married my grandpa & spent the first months of their marriage feeding him the only things she knew how to cook: mayonnaise, boiled eggs, & lemon icebox pie. At some point I guess he protested that he was tired of eating the same things and that it would be nice if she "changed it up" so she did.. She dyed everything with food coloring (mostly green) and called it a day.

She also once tried to pluck my grandpa's beard with tweezers to help him avoid shaving every morning.



She was a gifted cook & baker, an avid reader & a super talented seamstress. This blurb honestly doesn't do her justice since she was such a wonderful & kind & strong woman.

I love & miss her so very much!



-Becca

**p.s. all photos of my grandmother were taken by my grandpa. He was an amazing photographer & artist.

Birthday Wishlist

I turn 25 on May 9th & while I'm dreading it, I am looking forward to having an excuse to buy myself something cute.


1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6


1. Betsey Johnson 'Having a Field Day' Handbag

2. Cath Kidston Ladybird Enamel Earrings

3. NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in 'Tender Night'

4. Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

5. Absolutely Adorn-able Flat in Sky

6. NARS Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in 'Barrow Street'



I know I won't get the Betsey Johnson purse unless I buy it for myself (which I might) since I have a $50 Modcloth giftcard I haven't spent. Just gotta wait until it comes back in stock. I love love both of the NARS products featured -- they're from the NARS summer 2013 collection. The lip pencil apparently doesn't have much pigment but the iridescence is so pretty & I have fairly pigmented lips anyways. I can already invision myself using the seafoam green eyeliner as a pop of color in my water line or making a neat cat-eye look when I wear something white & girly. Augh, I want them so bad. Why do things cost moneys?


Have you checked out the new NARS summer collection? Is there anything you've got your eye on?


-Becca

Birthday Wishlist

I'll be turning 24 on May 9th so I put together a wishlist to kill time. I'm excited about having my little party this year and making home made ice cream.

I normally buy myself a dress or outfit for my birthday that is relatively expensive as a treat to myself, but this year I just never really found anything I was in love with. So my mom is helping me make a really beautiful sheer pink party dress this year. It's going to be so so pretty!

Anyways, these are some of the things I've been lusting after the past few months, some of which I know I will never own, haha.



1 2 3 4 5 6 7

honorable mentions:


1 2 3

-Becca

Happy Birthday Coco!

Seems a little obsessive to have two consecutive blog posts about my dog but that's how I roll.

Today my little pup turns two years old! She's only been a part of our tiny family since August but I really can't remember what it was like before we adopted her.

3 quick facts about Coco:

1. She's a Shiba-Inu. A small Japanese breed of dog known for their loyalty, intelligence, stubborn-ness (is that a word? I don't think it is but oh well), and cat-like nature.
2. When Coco doesn't feel like she's getting adequate attention, she likes to flip over on her back and writhe around on the floor, making yodeling sounds while furiously kicking her back legs in the air. It's one of the weirdest things I've ever seen a dog do.
3. Coco is a surgeon with toys. She manages to take all of the stuffing and the squeaker out of the toy with only one very small incision.

I'm working on a tutorial for tailored velvet bows and it should be done within the next day or so. Stay tuned!

-Becca