Time to work on my eyes...

Thanks to L'Oreal for sponsoring my post about my favorite beauty looks, tips and tricks! Check out Makeup.com for beauty advice from the experts.

I have been doing much better with making an effort when I got out in public to look better than I use to! If you know me you probably know that I don't wear makeup very often. I have changed that over the past year but I still see nothing wrong in going as free on your face as possible. 

Thanks to the wonderful world of pinterest I have been opened up to the amazing ways to make my eyes pop and even some new ways to clean my face! 

(via simple mom)

The first thing that I was drawn to on pinterest was how easy it is to clean your face with oil! That is right, oil! Check out this awesome post from Simple Mom on The Oil-Cleansing Method! It is amazing and I no longer look like a teenager with hormones raging a certain time of the month! 

The next thing I am dying to try is all the eye makeup tutorials! This is where I have my biggest issues! My eyes are pretty deep inset so you dont see much if any of the lid. I am trying to learn how to make this annoyance an asset and cant wait to try some of these pinterest finds! 

(via pinterest)

I had no idea that you put that part on first!! How pretty does these eyes look? I love them and I might even try this for a event I am going to tonight! 

(via pinterest)

I adore how open these eyes look with the white corner. They just scream clean and beautiful to me! Apparently they are the Victoria Secret Eye! I need to get some white shadow and liner!

(via pinterest)

I have green eyes and apparently purple is the complimentary color. This looks so pretty but I cant imagine too many times I could wear it!

via bows and curtseys

Okay you have to go check out this blog because she does some cool eyes and I love how she drew inspiration for this! I am not sure I could ever in my life do this but I am love with them! 

So now that you have seen all of these amazing eyes, doesnt it make you want to go get some new makeup and try on a new style?? I know I should do want to! Thank goodness for the aww inspiring pinterest for giving me so many ideas and making me think I can actually have eyes that look likes these! 

I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. Click here to learn more about Makeup.com or become a Facebook fan by clicking here.

one of my favorite holiday things....desserts!

Thanks to Duncan Hines for sponsoring my writing. There's no limit to the baking possibilities, so grab your favorite Duncan Hines mix and Comstock or Wilderness fruit fillings and Bake On! www.duncanhines.com.

my favorite holiday dessert, seven layer bars!

When it comes to the holidays, I know my calendar gets filled up with lots of events around the city! My favorite thing at the events are the desserts! I am a sucker for desserts and while I know they aren't always the healthiest, I make sure to adjust the rest of my diet accordingly!

I have a confession to make, when I have to make a fast dessert my fall back is always a ooey gooey pumpkin bar! They are so quick and easy to make and a real crowd pleaser! I know what a confession from someone who cooks healthy all the time right...you know I like to keep it real so there you have it! Simple to make with a cake mix, pumpkin, powdered sugar and eggs (oh and lots of butter, it is a Paula dean creation so how could it not have butter!)

Speaking of Paula Dean, have you had her chocolate crinkle cookies or gooey butter cookies before. I think she has a love easy to make thing loaded with things I probably shouldnt be eating. Another easy cookie with chocolate cake mix, cream cheese, egg and her famous stick of butter. They are so bad for yah but another thing I cant pass up on the christmas table!

The great thing about all of these are you can find ways to make with with real food or the simply way! Both are tasty and work well with whatever works best for you! I know if I see them on a table at a holiday event, I probably will be making some!

Of course my favorite holiday thing to do is make sugar cookies! I love decorating them and thanks to a fun cookie workshop I went to at the awesome Sweet! Baking and Candy Making Supply  in Lawerence, I am ready for a good year of cookie making! 

Remember to check out Duncan Hines' website www.duncanhines.com to find some great recipes for your holiday get-together! I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective.

Christmas Mantels

If you follow along in the DIY/Decor blogging community, you probably know its Holiday Home Link Party Time!

So here are some of my mantels for the holidays! One is an actually mantel and two are my fake mantels in my family room and kitchen!

My living room mantel pretty much stays the same each year and it probably will for a while! I bought all of this stuff at Pottery Barn so it needs to be used for years to be worth the cost!

I love the candles and adding a bit of snowflakes to match it up to my Christmas tree!

My kitchen mantel is probably my favorite because its the rusty antiquey look that I am loving right now! 

My family room is the fun Christmas decorations so the bright colors and vintage snowman work so well in the room! I add some trimmings from the tree to add a bit more Christmas in the room.

Are you mantels all decked out?

holiday bokeh

I am taking off some time to do some blog thinking, you might not see as many post over here on Cooking Up A Family. I will be doing most of my blogging over at A So-Called Runner, so come over and visit. I will still randomly post over here but I am in the middle of deciding what I want to do with the two blogs, so I am taking a bit of a break from this one. I love all my followers but my heart just isnt into cooking and lets face, many blogs in the blogging world do food much better than I do! 

I hope to figure out a happy medium for both blogs but at the moment, lets look at some bokeh! I asked for my 50mm lens just so I could take bokeh pictures. 

2011 Picture

2010 Picture

(I think I like this one better!)

Do you love taking bokeh? I haven't ventured out too much in the bokeh but I sure love it. How about you?

today Ashlyn is 3...today and always, I love you and miss you!

I kind of hate today, but I also love it. 

I hate it because I hate remembering how awful of a day it was.

It has forever changed my life in so many ways.........good and bad.

I love it because its a special day for my beautiful little angel. 

Sorry I am not posting much right now, but I just need time processing time this time of year!