lipsticks tips & favorites

Let's talk about the wonderful world of lipstick, shall we?

First, I would like to acknowledge how awesome it is. There are few things that come in such a small package, and yet have the power to completely change a look. It's relatively cheap, there are a thousand options from color to finish, and application is pretty fool proof.

While some women hop from various colors and brands, others have a lipstick that is "theirs." It is a color they feel comfortable in and keep coming back for. Having a favorite color is cool, but it's fun to try new things! Especially when it's something that's so easy to remove.

A few tips when choosing a new lip color:
1.) Consider when you'll be wearing it. Are you looking for an everyday lip color, or a product for special occasions? If it's something you'll wear everyday, choose something you feel comfortable in. If it's going to be a "special color," pick something slightly out of your comfort zone!
2.) Decide what kind of texture and finish you like. Thick and matte, or creamy and glossy? Remember that this choice will probably affect how long it lasts on your lips. The glossier the lip product, the faster it will come off (generally).
3.) Taste and fragrance. Do you like your lip products to smell, or do you prefer fragrance free? If you don't mind fragrance, smell different brands and find one you like.
4.) Skin tone is the most important thing to consider when choosing a color. Eye and hair color can play a role, but figuring out if you have a warm or cool undertone to your skin will really help narrow down your options!
5.) Try it on if you can. If you're shopping in a department store with testers, don't just try it on your hands. The shade will look different on your lips! Kindly ask the person behind the counter to clean off the product for you.

Here are a few of my favorite lip colors! Personally, I like to stick with warm tones such as red, orange or coral. 

1. Sephora's Rouge Cream lipstick in "It Girl." This lipstick is a rich orangey-red that is super long wearing and highly pigmented. It has a nice matte finish and ultra thick texture. This is the only lipstick of mine that I like to apply with a brush, because of the texture and deep color. Putting on a bit of chapstick before hand is a good way to go, because it can be a little drying.

2. Clinique's Chubby Stick in "Mega Melon." This product is great for summer because it's less of a lipstick and more of a tinted chapstick. Made with mango and shea butter, it feels great on the lips. Also so easy to apply! No need for a mirror.

3. Clinique's Butter Shine lipstick in "Ambrosia."  This lipstick is a Clinique "Butter Shine," lipstick, which means it has a glossier texture and finish. I love, love, love this color. Orange red with little specks of gold, it's perfect if you have a warm undertone.

4. MAC's "Vegas Volt." I wasn't sure about this color at first, because it's lighter and more pink than I usually wear. But it soon grew on me! The texture is smooth and it wears great throughout the day.

orange tulip

    Top: Gap

Skirt: Macy's

Vest: Macy's

Shoes: Macy's

Earrings: Forever21

     Okay, so I wore this outfit for about three hours today. Just enough time to go to the store and make this post. No, I was not naked for the rest of the day. I was lounging in the sun! This is a big deal you guys. It has been so cloudy and rainy here in Bellingham for the past week or two, I was sure we were just going to skip summer and jump into fall. But alas, the sun came out and I was able to put on my swimsuit! Definitely not doing a swimsuit style post. 

    I'm a little on the fence about this skirt. I got a great deal on it, which is a plus. But when I walk or if there is a slight breeze, the skirt opens up which  gives my underwear a chance to make a debut. Not my thing. But I'm thinking it will be great for fall when I can throw tights on underneath. 

     In other news, our asshole landlords came this morning and took down all the beautiful ivy growing on the garage. I understand that ivy can do some damage...but it was so charming! 

zigzags & coral

Dress: Bar III (Macy's)

Blouse: Coincidence and Chance (Urban Outfitters)

Shoes: Lucky Brand (Macy's)

Necklace: (Macy's)

      Today Tommy and I are going to see Moonrise Kingdom, I can't wait! Have you seen it? The cast is amazing and Wes Anderson always delivers, so I'm looking forward to it. Our local theater also started allowing beer inside to drink while you watch. In my experience, good beer has always improved my cinema adventures.

    I wore this dress while lounging around the house yesterday. It was the perfect dress for reading, tidying up, responding to emails and watching True Blood. I could really get used to only working part time with no school.

    Are there any amazing Apps that I need to have? I have been loving VSCO CAM, Family Feud (haha...yeah) and Bump. Oh, and Twitter. I have finally joined the Twitter club! You can find me @AmandaKbybay. I have two whole tweets so far! :)

instagram sunday

My first Instagram post! Oh how exciting!
Follow me  @ amandakerz

Left to right (top to bottom) 1. Bellingham clearly has not gotten the message that summer is here. It was POURING yesterday. 2. My cactus collection!3. LOVING Fiona Apple's new album. I cannot stop listening to it.   4. Yogurt cookies! Still enjoying these guys. They have gotten so soft!5. Reading and enjoying a popsicle outside. The weather was warm, but cloudy. Who needs the sun anyway? 6. Tommy's first show with his band, The Social Schema.  7. Statue outside Whole Foods in Seattle.  8. Mini mousse cups at my Clinique class! So cute and yummy.9. Clinique training is always fun, and the food at the Pan Pacific Hotel is always amazing!10. Tulalip tribe singing and rowing a canoe in Tulalip Bay.11. Visited the driving range with my mom and brother for the first time. Definitely not going pro anytime soon.12. Hush. Poster in my sister's room. 

cute cases

I have noticed that iPhones are incredibly slippery! Mine slips off everything. Because of this, I've been hunting for a cute case for my iPhone. It didn't take long for me to decide that Society6 is definitely the place to find one! Here are a few of my favorites. 


I think I'm leaning toward the first one with the triangles. Which one do you like?

1. triangles // 2. umbrella // 3. black & white paisley // 4. c'est la vie // 5. Sailboat  // 6. cherry blossoms

Yogurt Chocolate Chip Cookies

I cannot stop eating these cookies! Crispy and a little tangy, these cookies cut the butter content in half. Also, they don't contain any eggs, which means more cookie dough eating and less guilt! I got the recipe from Shannon's Kitchen.

• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup plain nonfat Chobani Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.

2. In a medium bowl, cream together the brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Stir in yogurt and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until incorporated, then mix in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoons, 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. 

3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges begin to brown. Cool for a minute on the cookie tray before removing.

Nutritional Information per cookie 89 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 11.5 grams Carbohydrates, 0.8 grams fiber, 1.4 grams Protein

hi instagram, my name is amandakerz

I got a new cell phone. It's an iphone. I'm kinda in love.

I have only had two cell phones in my phone owning career. Well technically three, but one went down the toilet and I got a replacement of the same kind. Yeah...it went down the toilet, never to be seen again. This was due to the perfect storm of pulling up my pants, shallow slack pockets and flushing the toilet right as my phone jumped out of said shallow pockets. I literally just stared in shock at the empty toilet bowl for about 20 seconds.

But back to my iphone. I have one, and am already loving Instagram, and all the other fun apps. But mostly that one. You can follow me at amandakerz, where can I find you?

things I'm afraid to tell you

    

   Like probably many other bloggers, I'm totally guilty of painting my life rosier than it actually is. I don't do this purposefully, but I often worry about how others perceive me when I put myself online. In real life, you often don't have much control over the impression you give people. But when you blog, you suddenly have all the control. In some ways this is great, but I fear that my online image isn't 100%  honest. I'm going to try to be more transparent and truthful, and I thought this would be a good way to start!

   I came across the "Things I'm Afraid to Tell You," on Allie's blog, Beauty and the Feast. After reading what Allie wrote, I researched the origins of this great idea. It started with Jess, and a bunch of other bloggers followed suit thanks to Ez and Meg. So I thought I would give it a go! Here are a few things I'm a little hesitant to put out there...

   

• Almost two months after moving in, the new place is still in a state of almost-disaster. The biggest explosion is my bedroom, where about half of my clothing is lying on my bed. Granted some of these clothes are on hangers...but that only makes it a teensy bit better.
•  Also, all of the broken-down moving boxes are laying in our breakfast nook area, while a kitchen table is notably absent. Because of our table situation (or lack thereof), all of our meals are eaten on the couch. 
• Today while at work, I was counting down my register when one of my coworkers notified me that the back of my skirt was stuck in my nylons...exposing my rear. Fabulous. Luckily I had jut taken my Clinique lab coat off, so I'm pretty sure she was the only one who saw. Her and probably all of Macy's security. I don't remember the last time my cheeks and ears became so hot and red!
• I have an acne scar smack dab in the middle of my forehead. It is both bright red and raised, so even when I cover it up, you can still see it due to the bump. I know it's not a huge deal, but it makes me feel pretty self conscious. I've had it for over a year, and the dermatologist recently tried to squeeze it (apparently there is still crud in there) and only made it bleed. "I'm confident it will take care of itself eventually," he told me. Yeah, thanks Doc. Please, by all means, take my money for all the words of wisdom you have just bestowed upon me.  
• I majored in Psychology, and intend on becoming a counselor. The thing is...I'm kinda bitter about how much counselors make, considering how much school is required. I want to be able to take vacations, damnit! 
• Sometimes I worry that counseling is just what I tell myself I want to, because I haven't come up with anything better yet and I'm running out of time. I know I'm not...I'm still young...but I know so many people who are so certain in what they want to do that it makes me feel crappy and unambitious. 
• I probably watch too much TV. I rationalize this by telling myself I mostly watch "good," TV, like Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, Breaking Bad, Weeds...you know, HBO and Showtime kinda stuff. But still...probably too much TV. 
• I pick at my nails. Not a great habit. 
• I'm an Atheist. Not something I'm ashamed of, but I think some people are offended by it. If you are religious, great. I don't have a problem with it unless you start trying to cram it down my throat, or try to use your personal believes as a way to dictate other people's lives. 
• I don't like big parties. I know this is pretty common, but if you're in college...this can be a problem. These parties are often filled with a bunch of people who base their opinion of you on how much you can drink. This does not sound like fun to me. Yeck. 
• Okay, not only to I not like big parties...but social situations in general make me anxious. This varies depending on how well I know the people. I just worry that I'm uninteresting and making conversation will be difficult.
• After a night of drinking, I crave McChickens. 
• When I was little, I had two imaginary sisters. Yeeaahh. Then when my sister was born, I asked my mom if we could take her back. Obviously, the reality of having a sister wasn't quite what I pictured. 

   

   Well, I guess that wasn't so bad. Maybe I should make these posts a regular occurrence. 

Guest Post: Meghan from The Magpie

    Today I'm sharing a guest post from Meghan, who is the creator of one of my new favorite blogs,  The Magpie. Meghan's outfits always look effortless, and yet so polished. Head over to her blog and you will see what I mean! 

..........

 Why did you decide to create a fashion blog?

     

     I have always had a passion for fashion; however, it didn’t fully blossom until after I’d graduated from college (having a small clothing budget up until then probably had something to do with it). It is so invigorating piecing together outfits and being able to express myself outwardly. To me, that's art... Creating.

   

     I enjoy experimenting and sharing my "inventions" with others – that is ultimately why I decided to start my blog. My idea was to utilize that mode of communication and help others discover/express their individuality via their wardrobe as well. Just spreading the love in the wonderful world of blogging! <3

Chihuly Garden and Glass: Part Three

   Okay, last Chihuly post!

   The last part of the exhibit was the "Glass House," and outside garden area. Without a doubt, the Glass House is the highlight of all the galleries. The sculpture is 100 ft long, and frames the Space Needle with over a thousand orange, red, and yellow plates. Directly outside the Glass House is a huge yellow glass sculpture, situated perfectly under the Space Needle.

    It was really lucky that it wasn't raining! It had poured the day before, so I was mentally preparing to get soaked while walking through the garden area. Thanks Seattle sunshine for making an appearance!

Heart Magnets

   
   Now that school is over, I am determined to get this house tidy and looking good. After working in the yard for a couple hours, I realized I need more magnets to hang all the stuff on my fridge! After rummaging through the boxes with my craft supplies, I thought these little wooden hearts would be perfect! I'm very happy with how they turned out.

You need:

• small wooden hearts (I purchased these at JoAnne Fabric)
• small round magnets (I got mine at Michael's)
• old magazines/ cute paper
• glue
• paint brush to spread glue (optional)

1. Look through old magazines, and cut out patterns that you're drawn to. If you have pretty paper you can use that as well.

2. Place a heart on the back side of paper, and trace.

3. Cut out traced heart. I find that cutting slightly on the inside of the pen line works best.

4. Glue pattern to heart, then glue magnet to the back of the heart.

5. Place on fridge or other magnetic surface!

Graduation

    I'm a college graduate! Very exciting, but also very, very strange. The past year (okay,  4 years) has been a count down to yesterday, and now that it's over...well, it's bittersweet. I've been going to school for 17 years, and I've gotten pretty dang good at it.

     I became pro at juggling the rest of my life around my homework and classes. I knew just how long I could procrastinate, and when I needed to really study. I knew once I got off work, I needed to go home and review my upcoming assignments. I knew that while I was blogging, watching TV, reading, or doing basically anything else, I should have been studying.

     But today, I came home and realized I had nothing to do. No assignments due tomorrow, no test at the end of the week, and no paper due in a month. Of course, this is exciting! I have all these new possibilities on the table, and more freedom to choose between them. But, it also really scares me. I had the school thing down. Now I have to assess what I really want to do.

      Anyway! Yesterday really was a great day. My mom, dad, grandma, sister, brother and Tommy watched me receive my diploma, and afterwards we had a delicious meal of pasta and red velvet cake. It's a rare occasion to have all those people sitting at one dinner table, so it felt really special.

      A big thanks to my family for all the love and support. Couldn't have done it without you!