On The Hunt

Happy April! If you're in Utah, you probably needed this reminder that it is actually April. Hello snow and rain??

So, we are currently on the hunt for housing in Houston, but today I'm talking about another hunt I'm on!

Today's post is brought to you by my desperate/clueless girly self..? Yes. I'm on the hunt for a few new "essentials" and I've come to the point where I just need any and all suggestions!

Ok, first of all---face wash and moisturizer!! I've been blessed to have pretty clear skin, but I still want to take care of my skin so that it can age well and be healthy. I've been trying lots of different kinds and I'm just looking for more suggestions to try!

Second--Mascara!! This has been a real struggle for me! My eyelashes are about as straight as they come, so I'm a firm believer in a lash curler (except a few blogs once told me to put my hair dryer to my curler to basically get the "curling iron" effect for my lashes...um hello burning metal on my eyes?? That was a horrible idea. I probably did it wrong though)...and of course a great mascara is necessary. All you bright-eyed beauties/eyelash Yodas, share your knowledge!

Third--Foundation!! I have the hardest time matching foundation to my skin, and also not feeling like I have caked on makeup. What are your favorites? Like I said I feel like I have pretty good skin, but I just need to highlight that and even things out sometimes. And I HATE feeling sticky.

Oh, and lip color. I want to be more adventurous. But I'm a whimp. You guys obviously know what I look like, so um, suggestions on colors?

Well now that you know all my deep dark secrets, we can be even better friends, right?? Oh, and I want to try out things you guys recommend...and I'll report later. But no guarantee on any beauty posts, because we all know how awkward I feel about doing those types of things.

Also, I'm on the hunt for some shoes for graduation. Here are some I've been looking at but I'm convince I can get them at an even better deal. Where are your favorite places to find shoes?

Spring Wedges by kelseybnielsen featuring wedge heel shoes

Extender Slips: Fancyslips!

Happy Sunday! I'm so sad the weekend is over. It was a good one.

Today I'm talking about slip extenders! Basically these slips are made to wear under dresses or skirts that might need a little extra length or just a little extra texture or frill. Being 5'9" and having legs longer than my husband and many other people taller than me, I always need help in the length department. Sometimes something may be long enough, but because I have a curvy build, things ride up when I bend down, walk, etc. so I like having a little extra coverage just in case!

About three years ago I made my own extender slip (look at the end of that post), which I loved! It was less expensive to make one than to buy one, but if you take into consideration the time it took to make, it's basically just as good of deal to buy one and save on time and labor.

About a year ago my mom found this new company called FancySlips and she purchased one for my little sister. I saw it and loved it and wanted my own! I've gotten so many compliments on it. Their slips run between $30-35 which is just about $10 more than I spent making my own.  I've seen several small boutiques that sell "extender slip" for $19ish. Let's just say that what I've found with extender slips is that you get what you pay for. These less expensive "extender slip" were cheaply made, and were practically the same length as the skirts I needed to lengthen, so they weren't extenders at all. Taylor and I have found that there are some things we can save on (generic brand this or that), and there are some things that are ok to "splurge" on (buying the slightly more expensive one for better quality). This is why I've become a loyal customer to FancySlips! I pay a little extra for GOOD quality slips that I love. I own the Patricia in cream and the Diane in taupe. I'm currently eyeing the Bethany in black and in ivory. Oh, these slips are also made in the US! I won't lie, I'm not one to ONLY purchase US made products, but I feel good when I can support companies from my own country. FancySlips also hosts a contest each month on their Facebook page with a FREE Fancyslip as the prize! All you have to do is post a photo of yourself wearing your new Fancyslips slip, get at least 10 'likes', and whoever has the most likes at the end of the month wins! It's a fun incentive to style your slip in a creative way and share it on their page.

My little sister and I put together a few outfits to show how we wear our FancySlips. The outfits we chose didn't need a ton of length, but they add some texture and give some "just in case" coverage. The mustard dress I'm wearing has a pretty high slit in the back, which is why I first thought to add the slip!

Excuse my awkwardness. :) You know I don't do outfit posts much!

These slips are my favorite! Modesty is something I strongly believe in and I love that it's as easy as adding an extender slip to make something modest. 

The "Sock bun"....minus the dirty laundry.

Aloha everyone!


So after arriving too late to check in for our flight to Hawaii yesterday, we were able to get on the next flight after waiting standby. And I'm so happy to say we're finally here! It's been so fun hanging out with Taylor's family---especially the nieces and nephews! I'm especially excited to finally have more time to post the new recipes, crafts, styles, etc. I've been experimenting with.

Today's post is dedicated to those who are still confused about the whole "sock bun" thing...and just for anyone who is interested :) For the past few months (in Utah anyway) the "sock bun" has been the big 'it' thing. What is a sock bun? you might ask. Well, don't feel alone. I have yet to understand it fully either. Click here for a sock bun tutorial. While the idea is creative, I don't always just have a sock with the toe cut out lying around. And I won't even mention the amount of times I've tried this and had it not turn out correct/attractive:

This picture above is a sock bun I found when I Googled sock bun images. 

Here is an alternative method in easy, simple, picture form: 

This is a the magical tool you can use in place of that dirty laundry in your hair. 

Click here to learn more about them from the brand Goody. You can find them at basically any store that has a hair/makeup section. 

Ta-dah! So it has a little different look than the sock bun because I pulled all the sections (that's just my personal preference), but you can really do whatever you want with it. Anyway, there's just a fun idea if you're wanting a quick 'sock bun', messy bun, or anything. Those Good Spin Pins are just little miracles in a package. 

Colored Jeans. Happy face.

          Hello everyone! Happy June! I love that it is summer. I have so many things to blog about, so please keep following and giving feedback! Recently I've had so much fun trying new things-- many of which were inspired by Pinterest. Today's post is about D.I.Y. colored jeans. I tried this for myself after finding this gem. I LOVED this cute girl's blog post, but I decided to post about my own experience with it for you all because I did mine a little different and it's good for anyone who doesn't have as much time and doesn't mind spending a little more for pants that already fit.

           So you want colored jeans huh? Here's what you have to do:

*Be willing to experiment. There's not always a guarantee of a perfect outcome, but that's the fun of it.
*Be confident! Colors are so fun, and even if you're nervous to wear a new color as a base, so was everyone else who started the trend!
*If you want it to be a cheap and easy D.I.Y. project, don't be bummed if it's not perfect quality--you're literally saving 40 or 50 dollars.
*If you try this, I want to see what you came up with! It's such a fun thing to do.

            I'm going to make this part simple: Watch.

                                       Gap: $60. Too poor for those. Sad face.

Trip to Wal-mart. $12. I can afford that. Sort of happier face. 

(I can't figure out how to rotate this sorry!) Hobby Lobby dye. $2. 'I hope this works' face. 

I read almost all of the comments on the girl's blog who originally did this, so this is what I decided I'd take a gamble on: 

*filled my washing machine for a SMALL load with HOT water  (it's a top-loader---Whether that matters or not I have no idea)

*added 1/4 c. salt (regular table salt)

*put the pants in

*ran machine for a small colored load (12 minutes--the package says to continuously stir for 15 min, but I was worried about them being too dark, and my colored setting is only 12 min. so that worked for me). 

* When the washing was done I took the pants out. They were kind of a bright green---not what I was hoping for, but I'd still wear them. However, I wasn't done with them yet, so my cute husband reminded me to be patient (love him :) 

*I washed the pants with WARM water, with the settings again set for a small load (12 min). I put a small amount of liquid detergent in (that's just what we use). I just put a regular amount for just washing a pair of pants like normal. 

*When that cycle was done, some of the excess dye had come out and my pants were the perfect mint green I wanted (they have more green in them than the girl's pants in her post---something I was hoping for because I like green). 

*I let my pants hang dry, away from the SUN and NOT in the dryer. 

$14 Mint jeans. Happy face! 

If you love them, that's great, if you hate them, that's fine! But here's what I did and I hope you like it!

*note: aside from actually running a cycle in my wash machine instead of stirring my pants continuously for 15 min., I just followed the directions on the Tulip brand dye package. I wrote them out though just to be thorough. :)
Let me know if you have questions or comments! Feel free to pin this or anything you see on my blog onto Pinterest if you like it! I want to get more followers for more ideas and input!

xoxo,
Kelsey :)