Caramel Neutrals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Booties || Crossbody || Bodysuit || Necklace || Similar Cardigan || Denim

 

 

Holding onto Fall as long as I can! Hope you are all having a fabulous week! I am looking forward to Christmas but trying to remember to slow down and enjoy the days.  It is so easy to get caught up in the go go go of the season!  Thank god for online shopping or I would have nothing done and definitely would not be taking in the days! Shop this gorgeous vegan leather cross body at Urban Expressions use promo code UE25GQ5J8. Also, this New York & Company necklace is on sale....as well as everything else at New York  & Co. They are having a 50% sale! You're welcome!

 

Styling tip: Caramel and natural neutrals work not only with dark colors and dark denims, like the outfit I have on above but they also look amazing with light colors like whites and creams and a light washed denim. Versatility is everything!

 

Happy shopping!

 

xx,

Melody

 

The Easiest Way to Plan

 

  

 

 

 

 Hello Sunshine! I paired up with Eventbrite for this post to talk about a few of my favorite local eateries and activities. Initially, I had mostly used Eventbrite for planning events at work, but with my growing family Eventbrite has become my number one tool for planning mini adventures in my local area. It is so easy and user friendly, that no one in our family has a hard time operating it. We planned this family outing for about 10 of us. We planned dinner and a movie, with an impromptu coffee shop stop!  

 

The way Eventbrite sets up your event is you simply, pick the title of your event, location, date, image, if you would like to include a picture with your event, the details of your event, and then create a ticket. Ticket options are; free, paid, or donation. Free tickets, you simply are just responding if you can or cannot attend.  Paid tickets, could include organizing a dinner or event and having a fee included, or you could use it the way we use it... Since, we already knew we were doing dinner and a movie, the event administrator (in our case, my brother) priced each ticket in Eventbrite, as the amount of each movie ticket. That way he could buy our tickets in advance after we easily RSVP'd and paid for our movie ticket through Eventbrite. This made things easy for everyone and we didn't have to deal with costs or lines for the new movie release we were seeing that night. Donation is also a ticket option, which is perfect for a fundraiser or a holiday donation drive. There is an option to make the event public or private, as well.  My class reunion is coming up and we are using Eventbrite to coordinate. I have also seen it used for bachelorette planning, and for a an intimate event, that was accepting contributions. So really, the opportunities are endless.
Buy or sell Eventbrite tickets here!

 

So this is what we did on our "family date night"...

We went to Burger Yum, which is a newer local restaurant on Second Street, in downtown Harrisburg. It's laid back, old-school, yet urban vibe, doesn't disappoint to say the least! The open grill gives the food that delicious 50's style burger joint taste. But, their Burger Yum sauce is by far what makes their burgers so yummy and original. YUM! Oh and their shakes were loved by many that got them in our party so, I obviously had to try a sip! (I was too full to get my own.) It is easily becoming my favorite burger place in Harrisburg.

 

On our way back to our cars, we couldn't walk past Little Amps without stopping.  My sister-in-law, Stacey and I both got lattes, I know #basic but nothing is basic about Little Amps! They seriously make heaven in a cup. It was a perfect pick me up before we headed to see the new Harry Potter movie, Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them at Regal. The night was a success and the movie was great! They did a great job making this new chapter interesting.  It may have even turned some non-potter fans with us, into fans...well maybe not that far but they are now, open to watching the original series! So that's a win in my book!

 

After the movies, we talked about where we want to eat for our next Eventbrite "family date night". Some local eateries we plan to go to this winter are.... Cork & Fork for dinner, El Sol, for brunch, we are dying to try out their DIY Bloody Mary bar, Grilled Cheese Plus because what sounds better than a grilled cheese in the winter! Greystone Public House, well because any meal you get there is amazing, and we will definitely be heading over to our new favorite brewery, Ever Grain!

 

What are your favorite local eats for this season and how do you plan your local outings?

 

 

xx,

Melody

Mini Facial Regimen

 

R+F Enhancement Micro-Dermabrasion Paste || R+F Redefine Night Renewing Serum ||

 R+F Redefine Lip Renewing Serum

 

So I get a lot of questions on how I keep my skin so smooth and fresh looking. My first response is that I make it a priority and that I am a total review reader. Not too long ago I was looking to enhance my skin care regimen. I wanted to make sure I was catching that aging process early on! UGH! I started doing some research on products and trying some different aging/night creams out.  Just so happened, that my girlfriend actually ended up approaching me about Rodan + Fields around the same time.  I am so thankful because I am in love with these products! What's with spoons? My Mom taught me at a young age to freeze two spoons and place them on your eyes to help with puffiness. So while I am letting my Enhancement Micro-Dermabrasion Paste set (as I leave it on a little longer than suggested) I apply the spoons to my eyes.

So here's my "mini facial" bedtime skin care regimen...

Three out of the seven days of the week I use Enhancement Micro-Dermabrasion Paste. The oil-free formula is so light on my skin. The exfoliating elements are super gentle leaving my skin feeling tone and smooth every time. When I first used the micro-dermabrasion paste, this was a pleasant surprise to me as I was expecting a heavy, rough paste. You know where the beads actually can hurt and get stuck in your eyes sometimes. (Just me?)

Next, I apply Redefine Night Renewing Serum. While I sleep this stuff works on all my imperfections! I love the feeling of waking up to nourished skin! Moisturizing is key in the anti-aging department. I know it has to be working because of how fresh, bright and smooth my skin looks every morning.

Lastly, I apply Redefine Lip Renewing Serum. Even if my lips aren't as big as Kylie's I still want to take care of them! I am a huge bedtime lip moisturizing person. You could have found Aquaphor, Burt's Bees, or Coconut Oil on my night stand table any day.  Just like the rest of my skin, I want my lips to feel rejuvenated in the morning. Well, my bedside table may still have some Aquaphor on it but this lip renewing serum has replaced everything else. Not only do my lips feel nourished, the aging process has decreased with the use of it, so yeah...this is a new favorite of mine!

I hope my updated routine helps solve any skin care solutions you may be looking for. There's no better time to update your skin care routine than in the colder months!

 

xx,

Melody

Simple Ways to Dip Healthier

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fat Cat Salt and Pepper Shakers || White Pedestal || Kitchen Sign Ideas

 

I paired up with Chobani to share some simple ways to dip healthier. I highly recommend trying Chobani's Greek Yogurt and their new Meze' Dip if you haven't already! Their Meze' Dips are so delish, I forget I am snacking on a healthy dip. Another way I dip healthier is by substituting veggies for carbs. For me it is an easy way to get my greens in and veggies always fills me longer. I am often on the look out for healthy dips to spice up my usual veggie snack time. Although I am a hummus lover, I turn to Meze' Dips more frequently, as they have 80% less fat and 65% fewer calories than your typical hummus! Yeah, pretty awesome right! Anytime I am entertaining, going to a get together, or a holiday party (they are right around the corner) I try to bring a healthy snack so I know there is at least one thing at the party I can much on without the guilt. On this post, I included mostly veggies for dipping options, but I also included one carb option, Stacy's Thin Pretzels, as they are a "healthier" carb option, and a household favorite. I typically shop for Chobani Meze' Dip at Target and Giant. This Smoked Onion Parmesan is one of my favorite flavors but I also love their Red Pepper Meze' Dip. Below you will find some other options to make your dipping healthier!

 

 

Happy Snacking!

 

xx,

Melody

Falling for Fall

 

Dress || Booties || Bag || Vest- Here, Here & Here || Other Natural Amethyst Earrings

One of my favorite things about fall is the opportunity to layer. An easy fall staple for layering is a vest. This olive green vest could also easily be paired with a pair of jeans, leggings, stripes and patterns, long sleeves, short  sleeves, skirts...and the list goes on. I loved it paired with this lace up black dress, it was just warm enough and it created a perfect amount of texture to my outfit. What are some of your favorite versatile fall pieces?

Ps. I am obsessed with this vegan leather bag from Urban Expressions.

 To get 25% at Urban Expressions use promo code: UE25GQ5J8 

xx,

Melody

Home Progress-Outside

Many of you have been asking for updates on our home...so here you are, well at least an update on the outside. We thank you for the support and thank you for your patience with my blogging as we tackle this HUGE endeavor!  

These before photos really make me question what the ##^$* we were thinking!!! When we first bought our home back in April, spring had not yet, sprung! Little did we know the amount of foliage Spring and Summer would bring. We were working hard on demoing the inside of our home, and we were feeling accomplished. We were finally finishing the demoing inside of our home (which also ended up taking on a life of it's own), and we were ready to move forward.  To our disappointment, the progress we had made on the inside, was only greeter by an overwhelming amount of discouragement by the appearance of the outside of our home. The foliage was so bad and critters like mice and snakes were trying to use our yard has their home. Just mowing, clearly, was no longer going to cut it!  

So, we scheduled one day with about 8 of our family members and tackled that yard! There was no way we could continue to show up to do work there and be greeted by that mess, it was so disheartening. The day our families united to take on this yard will forever be a day I remember. We had about six chainsaws on hand and the guys were ready to take trees and brushes out!  It was so crazy!  I took sooo many before and after pictures, that day. Once we started no one wanted to leave until it was done! It was instant gratification at it's finest and everyone was loving it.

While, this whole foliage obstacle was being tackled there was no resting in the evenings. We were diligently working on all the details, which in turn brought more excitement.  We FINALLY finalizing floorplans, and the color of the siding of our home.

Shortly after that, we were watching, Osborn Renovations, work day in and day out at our house...that was actually starting to resemble a home! They were installing new siding, new windows, new doors and, new framework for our floorplan! We felt completely grateful to have these resources to help us, with these next steps. We still have a very long way to go...and a lot more work to do- but like I said every step feels like a big step! 

Thanks again for your support and encouragement- keep an eye out for inside updates!

Love always your, blogging fixer upper.

xx,

Melody