Throwback Thursday (on a Friday)

This last week got the better of me and I'm off on my posting!  Couldn't miss a Throwback Thursday though so it's coming at you on Friday.  

In both images, I'm the one on the left

1.  You get a two-fer today, you lucky dawgs.  Both pics were just so fabulous that I couldn't choose.  

  

2.  Oh the hair!  So many wonderful feelings about the hair.  My mom's hair is totes freshly permed.  Which is FINE because it was 1989.  I even once had a perm as a child because it was/is my dream to have beautifully curled locks.  Instead, it just sorta looked like my hair normally does on a really humid day (which is not great).  

3.  However, I'm not positive if my dad's hair is freshly mullet-ed.  But it is undoubtedly mullet-ed.  I'm not sure I can blame 1989 for that though.  He's gotta take full credit for that 'do.  Let's not blame a perfectly good decade for the mullet.  We all make our own decisions in life.     

4.  My parents have some mad style though.  My mom is poppin' collars like a boss.  And my dad is pulling off a plaid black and white short sleeve button up shirt with black tie as well as one would be expected to pull off such a garment.  Also, Blue Blockers apparently.  

5.  Doesn't it look like my mom has no legs? She's just a floating torso behind us.  

6.  I could probably just rename "Throwback Thursday" as "I had bangs."  Seems to be a running theme.  

        

Oatmeal Raisinet Cookies

Uh, so about America's Next Top Model again.....  Who in the heck is BryanBoy and why is he telling us about social media?  He says things to the models like "Social media loves you today."  Oh really BryanBoy?  All of social media?  As though "social media" is just a unanimous body of voters.  I can't even.   

Also, I just saw a guy get a weave.  I can't unsee that now.  What happened to the good old days of Nigel Barker and Miss Jay?  I just want to watch Tyra flutter her lashes aggresively while saying "The next name I'm going to call is..." which is like if you started every sentence with "The thing that I'm about to say is..."

But I digress because none of it has to do with Oatmeal Raisinet Cookies.  And let's get our priorities straight here.  #1-Cookies  #2- Brownies  #3- Reality television.  Those are my priorities.  Everything else can wait.       

And these cookies fit the bill.  The ONLY way I will accept raisins in my cookies is if they are first ensconced in chocolate.  Then and only then should they appear anywhere near an oatmeal cookie.  If you believe otherwise then I suggest you leave.  I'm sorry I had to yell at you like that.  

Here's the recipe! 

Oatmeal Raisinet Cookies
makes 15-20 cookies

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup rolled oats 
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/4 cup Raisinets 

Directions
1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment or silicon mat and set aside.  
2.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using your muscles), beat butter and sugars until smooth.  Add egg and vanilla, mixing for about 2 mins until fully combined.  With the mixer on low, add flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  Add oats and mix until dough comes together, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Fold in Raisinets and refrigerate for 30 mins.  
3.  Once chilled,  scoop dough about 2 tablespoons in size onto baking sheets, 2 inches apart.  Flatten dough slightly.  Bake 9-11 minutes, rotating pans half way through baking, until cookies are set around the edges but still soft in the middle.  Allow to cool completely on wire rack.  

Enjoy! 

Recipe barely adapted from How Sweet It Is

Spend Your Pennies: Elf Daily Brush Cleaner

Time for another round of Save Your Pennies/Spend Your Pennies!!  Glad to report, I got another a "Spend Your Pennies" this week.  It's the Elf Daily Brush Cleaner! 

I bought this little nugget on a whim while at Target one day (as most things at Target are purchased, I suppose) because it was cheap and I'm soooooo (ooooooo) lazy when it comes to cleaning my makeup brushes.  I mean, I eventually get around to it but I wait FAR too long.  

The idea behind this product is that it's meant to be spritzed on makeup brushes daily to clean and disinfect them.  The weird thing is, Elf never includes ingredients on their packaging so I actually have no clue what's in it.  I will say, it smells squeaky clean (and the smell sticks around for awhile, FYI) so it makes me think it's getting the job done.  And, from what I can tell, it removes some leftover makeup residue on my foundation and cream blush brushes.  However, I would never let this fully replace a good brush cleaning.  But it does let me sneak a few extra days before the next cleaning.  

All in all, I'm really pleased with the Elf Daily Brush Cleaner and at $3, you should Spend Your Pennies! 

Throwback Thursday

I'm the one in red. 

1.  First day of school!  Kindergarten to be exact.  Thought it seemed timely.  You can always rely on my for quality content.  

2.  Check out my white patent leather shoes and my frilly socks.  If I have a little girl someday you better believe she'll be born wearing adorable tiny saddle shoes or something.  There's nothing cuter than a tiny pair of shoes.    

3.  Like pretty much everyone in the world, I absolutely LOVED shopping for school supplies.  It was one of the best days of the year.  Picking out a backpack was arguably the very best part (a close second was picking out markers.  No, crayons!  No, folders!) I think I could still describe every backpack I've ever owned and what year I owned it.  I couldn't tell you what the ending of the book I read last was but I could describe my pink and aqua blue backpack from 5th grade.  

4.  That high half ponytail was my go-to hairstyle for most of kindergarten.  I don't have the guts to pull that off now.  

5.  A cap sleeve always suited me well.  

6.  Bangs forever and ever.  And ever.    

Roasted Strawberry Salted Sunflower Seed Bars

I just gotta get something off my chest.  What is it with people and escalators?  I was behind a woman today who waited a solid 5 seconds before stepping onto the escalator.  And I know 5 seconds seems brief but when we're talking about escalator transportation, that's a REALLY long time to contemplate boarding.  

And I get it, it's a moving staircase.  It's unnatural.  It's understandable to proceed with caution.  Children and the elderly get a free pass.  But any adult with even minimal foot/eye coordination (ahem, me) can manage to accurately time a step onto an escalator without missing a beat.  It's not like the stairs are barreling forward at 60mph and you've gotta work up the nerve or risk death.  So what's the hold up, lady in front of me? 

August Ipsy Glam Bag

Let's talk Ipppssyyyy!!  This is my favorite month yet!  Amazing stuff in here guys.  For the bag itself, it's cute and a good size but the print seems a little cheap.  Whatevs, because I'll still put it to good use.   

Michael Todd Jojoba Charcoal Facial Scrub: I was really excited to see this because I've been hearing a  lot about Michael Todd products for awhile and I've contemplated trying some.  I think it's only available online (?) so that's probably what's stopped me from getting anything so far.  However, I tried this scrub the first night I got my Ipsy bag and it was fantastic.  Don't be alarmed because it looks like black tar, it's actually really great.  My skin felt baby soft afterwards and it didn't give me any irritation.  Normal price is $18 which is more than I'd usually spend on a scrub but I might consider it.   

                             

Noya Cherry Lip Balm: A girl can never have too much lip balm so I wasmpleased to see this.  I've tried it a few times and it applies easy, it's smooth and creamy, not too greasy and smells yummy.  I've never spotted this brand in stores so I don't know if I would specifically seek it out or order it online when so many other options are available but it seems like a great product if you happen to spot one in a store.  

Pixi Lash Booster Mascara: It's no secret that I have a thing for mascara.  I'm always on the lookup for my new favorite.  This ain't it though.  From what I can find, this retails for $17 and it's really nothing special at all.  Considering most drugstore mascaras are $9 or under, there's just no way I'd ever see myself purchasing this.  It was decent and I didn't particularly dislike it but for $17 I need to be wowed.  Wowed I was not.      

Pacifica Alight Multi Mineral BB Cream: If I'm being honest, I gave up on BB Creams mostly.  I just really couldn't figure out how they fit into my routine.  I tend to go one of two ways: either I want a full-face look so I use foundation or in every day life I'll just use concealer where necessary.  So BB Cream never really felt like a necessity.  I don't really think this BB Cream will change my mind at all.  It's not bad by any means, but it's got a very definite sheen to it that I think would look sort of funny if you wore it all over your face.  You'd probably look like you were in the Cullen family.  However, it's actually quite pretty and I think it would make a beautiful highlighter or even a liquid-y eye shadow.  

Chella Dazzling Brow Pencil:  I'm probably the least qualified person to review a brow pencil because I've never actually used one.  I have a pretty strong brow au naturale so I only fill it in with shadow (sometimes) and my trusty Maybelline Clear Mascara.  My focus is usually around taming my brows, not "styling" them.  However, from what I've tried, this seems great and I've enjoyed the other Chella product I've used in the past.  

Urban Decay Moon Dust in Diamond Dog:  Holy crap I practically kissed the package when I saw it.  So so pretty!  This stuff is so heavily pigmented with the finest glitter in the best way possible.  It's not the "I shop for makeup at Hot Topic" kind of glitter.  It's like microscopic dense glitter with a wash of brown.  I'm already obsessed.  I know glitter isn't for everyone but it's VERY much for me.  Plus, on the real, this stuff retails for $20!  Ipsy is seriously the best.  

If you're interested in giving Ipsy a try, click HERE. (<< that's my refer a friend link! If you sign up, they might give me extra goodies in my bag to write about!)

What did you guys think of August's Ipsy Glam Bag?  

Peanut Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

Ugh, guys, remember when I entered this recipe contest? Well forget about it because I lost and we must never speak of this again.  True to my word, I will now retire from blogging.  Right after this recipe.  

It's not even that I'm particularly competitive.  I'm just a really terrible loser.  A terrible sore loser.  It's partly why I never played sports growing up.  The thought of losing was terrifying.  Winning didn't even cross my mind.  Just paralyzing fear of losing.  Also, I had zero aptitude for athletics.  Minor factor.    

My dear ol' dad was sure that at least ONE of this three daughters would excel in sports.  Just one of us.  But we did not.  My older sis briefly tried golf in high school (not really sure what that was about) but it ended pretty quickly.  May have been shortly after she broke my dad's hand with a golf swing.   I would occasionally toss a ball around with him when I was younger (I think he tried grooming me young) but then I jammed my pinky finger once and that was the end of that nonsense.  Then I pretty much stuck to dance and drama club from there on out.  Though I can say my dad enjoyed many a nap from the audience of my shows.     

And my little sis didn't even pretend to try sports.  I appreciate her honesty.  Point is, I don't like losing and I lost so I will now sulk for as long as I feel necessary.  So, if it pleases you, give these mildly sweet Peanut Oatmeal Breakfast Bars a try.  Or don't.  Or do.  Whatever guys.  I need to go dance my feelings out.  

Here's the recipe!

Peanut Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

Ingredients
2 cups rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 vegetable oil
1 egg
1 1/4 cup soy milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 cup peanuts, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
1/3 cup sliced almonds

Directions
1.  Preheat oven to 375 and slightly spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.  Set aside.  
2.  Combine oats, flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside.  In another medium bowl, stir together peanut butter, oil, egg, and vanilla extract.  Slowly add milk while gently whisking being careful to avoid splashing.  
3.  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula to combine until there are no dry spots left.  Fold in peanuts and chocolate chips.  Pour batter into pan and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the top with sliced almonds and flaxseed.  Press gently into batter to help adhere.  
4.  Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with only a few crumbs.  Allow to cool completely before slicing. 

**Note: These bars are very mildly sweet.  The sugar is almost undetectable and I'd classify them as "hearty."  If you craze more sweetness, adjust the sugar to your preferences.   

Enjoy!  

Recipe adapted from Big Girl Small Kitchen

Throwback Thursday

1.  Those are actual bunnies everyone!! Cuddly, adorable, tiny bunnies!!!  This was the best day of my life and everything else has been downhill.  Kidding but only sorta.  

2.  To our surprise and delight, we came home one day to find that one of our rabbits had given birth to 6 bunnies.  Who knew that rabbits like to procreate except everyone on Earth?  Turns out that baby bunnies are actually just little helpless creepy blobs (probz like real babies?) for awhile before they start to look adorable.  

3.  The mother rabbit was actually completely terrifying and genuinely frightened my sisters and me.  She scratched and thumped and bit.  Worst pet ever.  After she gave birth she basically ignored the bunnies, let two die, and then we intervened.  Intervening meant we put oven mitts on to hold her down so she wouldn't scratch our hands and then we let the bunnies feed.  I'm gonna make a great mother one day.  

4.  Gracie is holding the bunnies in her armpits for some reason.  

5.  Probably one of the last times I wore shorts.  My family genes do not allow for shorts in adulthood.  

Teddy Graham Toffee Peanut Butter

I'm starting to think you can add close to anything with peanuts in a food processor and you'll get something delish.  Case in point, these Teddy Grahams.  It almost became a sort of peanut butter and cookie butter hybrid.  A lovely sweetness and a dose of peanut buttery heartiness.  

And this is definitely a "straight off the spoon" situation.  Just don't even bother with crackers or bread or sliced apples.  It doesn't need the bells and whistles guys.  That might also be the only time I'll refer to crackers and apples as "bells and whistles." 

Spend Your Pennies: Voluminous Million Lashes Excess

Spend 'dem pennies y'all!!  Oh Em Gee.  The L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess is my new all-time favorite mascara.  Forget everything I said in my Top Drugstore Mascaras post.  Ok, don't forget it, those are still great, but this is way better.

Let's just address the one thing we're all thinking:  this packaging is not great.  Just terrible.  I mean, it would look great if I liked buying mascara in 1996.  It just looks very dated.  And being that I'm a HUGE sucker for packaging, especially with mascara, I never would have considered purchasing this under normal circumstances.  

However, I've actually tried the regular (not "Excess") Voluminous Million Lashes and loved it so I was eager to try this version.  My oh my, my friends.  This mascara gives my lashes insane length.  Like, it somehow creates length that isn't there.  Plus, the wand is the bomb.com.  It grabs each minuscule individual lash and separates them all so it basically looks like I just applied a strip of false lashes.  Also, I can't be sure because I don't own YSL's Baby Doll Mascara but from what I've seen, the wand looks incredibly similar.  Except this one won't wipe out your saving's account to get.  (Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating).  

Plus (there's more!), I find no need whatsoever to curl my lashes when I wear this.  The thing is, I don't ever actually curl my lashes.  I couldn't tell you where my lash curler is right now if you asked.  Do I even own one?  I have no clue.  However, I've noticed that some mascaras make my lashes look super straight or oddly heavy/droopy.  This formula isn't the slightest bit heavy and my lashes even look like they're slightly curled.  

So there you have it.  Spend your pennies!       

Throwback Thursday

Sadly, I'm the one in blue.

1.  I wanna explain the circumstances but there's really nothing I can say that will make this better.  It would only make it slightly less worse.  I'm wearing bedsheets AND pillowcases.  Just like the Native Americans, I used all parts of the bed linen.  And a tiara.  And I'm clearly too old/not a bed for all of those things.     

2.  Alright so obviously, we're dressed as ladies of Elizabethan England.  That is obvious right?  Oh god, it's not is it?  We're just weirdos on a porch wearing bedsheets for no discernible reason.    

3.  I orchestrated this event as a project for my 7th grade English class when we were reading Taming of the Shrew.  I think the parameters of the project were very open-ended so CLEARLY I took some artistic liberties.  Namely, I forced my little sister and my cousin to wrap themselves in bedsheets and pillowcases, be filmed for my English class, talk in fake British accents and then I made Gracie rub actual dirt on her face so she looked like an authentic "groundling."  I was very concerned with authenticity, obviously.  Naturally, I was a member of the aristocracy (hence, the tiara).  And then I willingly PLAYED THIS MOVIE FOR MY ENTIRE CLASS.  Miraculously, I still had friends afterwards.  Perhaps not surprisingly, I did not have a steady boyfriend at this time or any times prior to or directly after this.    

4.  I also played the parts of both Romeo and Juliet (the balcony scene, obvi) by filming myself and changing my clothes back and forth after every line so it appeared as though I were speaking to myself.      

5.  Absolute ridiculousness aside, can we all agree that these outfits were actually incredibly crafty?  Like, dang 7th grade Annie, you were a major dork but at least a resourceful one.  

Let's never speak of this again.  

Blueberry Lime Galette

Hi!  I'm Annie and I'm a liar!  I'm lying to your face.  This galette is a sham!  Ok remember when I made an Apple Galette and then also when I made that Cranberry Cocoa Galette?  Annndddd how I sorta cheated and used a pre-made store bought pie crust?  Well, I did it again.     

It's just SUCH a perfect quick treat.  You can literally have this in the oven in 10 mins with only a single bowl used.  You can't beat that!  And it's a great way to use up leftover fruit if you're like me and buy 4 pints of blueberries just for kicks.  Throw 'em in a pie shell and you got yourself dessert.  

I'd like to think of myself as a bit of a Galette Whisperer.  I just get them on a deeper level.  They're under-utilized and under-appreciated and I won't stand for it dag-nabbit!  

And besides, if you tell someone you made a galette they're all like "Oooo, how fancy!" and you can casually say "Oh it's just a french pastry.  No big deal."  It's our secret, y'all.  Just you, me and the internet.  

Here's the recipe!  

Blueberry Lime Galette

Ingredients
9-inch store-bought (or homemade) pie round, room temperature
2 cups blueberries
2 tablespoons sugar plus 2 teaspoons
1 teaspoon cornstarch
juice of half a lime
zest of half a lime
1 egg

Directions
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with silicon mat or parchment and place the 9-inch pie crust in the center of the baking sheet.  Set aside.    
2.  In a medium bowl, combine the blueberries, 2 tablespoons of sugar, cornstarch, lime juice and lime zest.  Gently toss together to combine.  Pour the mixture into the center of the pie round, leaving about a 2 inch border of crust.  Begin folding the dough over the blueberries, overlapping as you go until you've formed a tightly sealed package.  
3.  In a small bowl, add the egg and a splash of water.  Whisk with a fork to combine.  Brush the egg wash over the crust of the galette so it's thoroughly coated.  Sprinkle crust with remaining teaspoons of sugar.  
4.  Bake for about 45 minutes until crust is golden brown and center is bubbly.  Allow to cool on a baking sheet on a wire rack until room temperature.  Slice and serve! 

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

July Beauty Favorites

It's that time again laaaddiiees!  July Favorites!  Woo!  I should also note that I've still been loving the heck out of all my June favorites too.  Ok let's get started.  

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush and Shading Brush: These are my first Real Techniques brushes and I'm in love, I'm in love and I don't care who knows it!  Until now, I've mostly owned pretty cheap brushes.  I mean, they got the job done and they were decent but when I saw a Buy One Get One 50% Off sale at Ulta, I immediately scoped these up.  I kept hearing about them on all the blogs I follow and they definitely live up to the hype.  And now, of course, I want the whole collection.

NYX Matte Finish:  I mentioned this setting spray in my Ulta Haul and I've definitely used it every day since purchasing.  Like I mentioned, it's not a miracle spray and I still get a little shine by the end of the day but I can confidently say that this keeps my makeup in place all day without the drooping eyeshadow/blush look.  Totally affordable and effective.  

L'Oreal Carbon Black Lineur Intense: Ok so given my strong feelings about another L'Oreal product, you might think I'm an idiot for trying another one but this is the version that Makeup By Tiffany D actually recommends and I can see why.  I've actually heard mixed reviews on this but I've found that it doesn't smudge at all on me and it doesn't lose pigmentation through out the day.  Plus, it's easy to apply.  It's a win for me.

NYX Cream Blush in Tea Rose:  So I don't think I need to drone on and on about my NYX Cream Blush obsession anymore since I seem to mention it on a weekly basis.  But I wanna give a shout out to Tea Rose because I think it's the most wearable every-day shade.  It reads a little dark in the pan but on the cheeks it's a lovely warm rosey color and just subtle enough to go with most anything.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Brightening:  So I deffiintely bought the wrong version of this the first time I purchased it.  It worked alright though the color was a bit off.  As soon as I tried the brightening version though, welp I was sold.  At first it seems almost shockingly pink but once it's blended, it brightens up the under-eye like whoa.  Ah-mah-zing.

Milani Lipstick Chilled Brandy:  In reality, I could have listed all of the Milani lipsticks but I narrowed it down to a very un-summer color which is fabulous.  I just tried Milani lipsticks for the first time this month and I can't believe I've waited this long.  They are so well pigmented and they really don't dry my lips out at all (which I ALWAYS have problems with).  At about $5 a piece, they're an amazing steal.  I basically want the whole collection.

Elf Makeup Remover Pen:  I ordered this pen online, from Elf's website, months and months ago.  I actually didn't entirely know what it was but it was $3 and I figured I'd find a way to put it to use.  It's pretty much makeup remover in a spongey tip applicator pen and it's so perfect for clean up around the eye.  No matter how many times I use liquid eye liner, I still always have an unsteady hand so this pen has saved me many a time from just dunking my face in the sink and starting over again.   

theBalm Nude 'tude Eyeshadow Palette:  The second I saw this palette mentioned in a YouTube video, I was immediately on the hunt for it.  I managed to find it online for $20 and I think I've used it every.single.day since I got it.  Neutrals are my jam for life and this palette does not disappoint.  It's even got a great deep magenta shade that's really wearable.  I already know this will be a longtime fave for me.  

Welp, that's all I got ladies gents.  What have you been loving this month?

Angel Food French Toast

Now we're talking!  This Angel Food French Toast is the jam.  Total heaven.  

 First, French Toast is one of the best brunch foods.  It's carby and usually drenched in syrup.  For years in my early twenties I ALWAYS ordered the French Toast at a diner we used to frequent at about 2am.  It just hit the spot.  And strangely, it's one of those things I almost never make at home so getting it at brunch (or diners at 2am) feels extra decadent.