Start making memories with custom designed rings!

Let's picture this scenario... You and your boyfriend have been dating for two years, you have discussed taking the relationship to the next level. You have had several encounters where he has been with or met your parents on several different occasions. You are all comfortable being around each other, and have discussed marriage with your parents.

Now that you and your boyfriend have sat down and discussed getting married. You want to find an engagement ring that is unique and one of a kind, but you don't know what your options are. I have just the place for you to shop, Simone & Son will help you start making memories with custom designed rings for your wedding. Simone & Son will help you create the engagement ring of your dreams on the budget that suits your needs.

Now that you have your rings taken care of, you can start planning the rest of the wedding. Where are you going to get married? In your church or his? Maybe you already go to church together, maybe you don't go to church at all. Are you planning an indoor or outdoor wedding? Maybe a big wedding isn't for you and you are going to plan a destination wedding? Bahamas maybe? Virgin Islands? Maybe even Las Vegas? What ever you are thinking, why not let a wedding planner help you with the stress of the wedding?

Photo Editing Made Easy

I have always been fascinated by photography.   I had an earlier post about cameras I liked, but now I want to share some of my photo editing secrets.  Sometimes even the best camera doesn't come out with a nice photo, but photo editing can fix a LOT.  More than you could imagine!  And you don't need to be a pro to know how to do it.  By using an online photo software program, that is free, you can make amazing pictures, fix problems related to lighting and enhance lighting, shadows, blemishes, red eye and more!

While there are several places that you can edit photos online, my favorite is Ribbet, formerly known as Piknik.  You simply upload your photo and start playing!  You can crop, resize, color, add text, and more.  My favorite one ever though is "auto fix"  It really does almost everything you need it to do!  With just a couple clicks, look how much you can change the original photo.

All I did to this photo was adjust the exposure, highlights and shadows, and add a black vignette border.  It went from a pretty much unusable photo that would normally get deleted to a very cool looking sports photo!  Go play and see what you can do!

Mascara Musts

Whether you walk around in full stage makeup or stick to the bare essentials, mascara is pretty much a staple in every woman's makeup bag. With all the different brands, formulations and brushes there is a little something for everyone.

If you are like me and have very fine sparse lashes, wearing false eyelashes is easy to do and can be very natural looking. The newest versions don't even require glue. They come with a pre applied adhesive strip. The key to great lash application is starting with a good base. Wash your face well with a gentle cleanser like Purity Made Simple by Philosophy. Gently washing away and oil is key to the adhesive sticking well. The next important step is putting your eyelashes on before your eye makeup. The glue will stick better than it will over shadow. Next apply shadow as desired then coat with a bit if mascara to make your own lashes blend in better.

If you opt for the mascara only route but still want fullness, coat lashes with mascara, and while still wet, tap a bit of powder onto lashes to thicken and boost them up, then finish with another coat of mascara.

If you have oily skin, opt for waterproof mascara. You won't get the raccoon look that way!   

Facials Orange County

I can hardly wait for warmer weather, and my skin is equally excited! I try to keep my face moisturized, but with cooler and drier weather my skin dries out really fast. I decided that it was time to re hydrate my skin facials Orange County delivers the moisture my skin so desperately needs. I love the HB Facial that lasts 45 minutes. My skin feels great when they are all done and has a wonderful glow.

Getting a facial should be as important as getting your hair cut every 4-6 weeks. Cleansing your skin and maintaining is the ultimate anti-aging treatment that you can do for your skin. I like to schedule my facials about every six weeks, that way my skin stays radiant, even toned, and resilient. Another tip for good skin is drinking lots of water and getting a good nights rest. How many hours of sleep do you get a night? I usually get 8 hours of sleep and I like to drink almost a gallon of water a day! Now I make frequent trips to Ulta to make sure I have enough moisturizer. I also make my own facial scrub to keep my skin exfoliated, head on over to my other blog and check it out!

Dance Competition Season

Whether you are a fan of the show Dance Moms on Lifetime or not, it is definitely dance competition season in the real world.   While there are competitions all year round, most dance studios start classes in the fall and go to 1-4 competitions in the spring.  My daughter's first one is this coming weekend and I am so excited.

Life as a real dance mom isn't quite as glamorous, or as drama filled, as it is on tv.  We aren't nearly as catty, nor is our life as scripted as theirs.  Nor do we have that much money!  While dance is an expensive hobby, many dancers work at the studio helping out with younger girls' classes to help pay their tuition bills.  Having your child work to pay for their own sport/hobby/whatever is always a good idea.   My daughter has learned to appreciate what she has all the more since she is vested in it.  

Our studio usually does three competitions a year, but this year, my daughter will be in a fourth competition at nationals in California.  It's her first trip anywhere with out me and although it makes me really nervous, I am very excited for her to go on this grand adventure!