2016 Oscar Fashion Winners

First of all, can we all just agree that Leo is the obvious winner of the night. He was brilliant in the Revenant. I wasn't initially thrilled to see this film, but my hubby drug me along and  I was immediately drawn in by the incredible acting and beautiful cinematography. When he won (FINALLY!), Leo was gracious, handsome and continues to keep my girlhood crush going strong. *swoon*

Now, on to the real reason we're all watching- The FASHION!

Best dressed top 3:

3rd- Rachel McAdams

Stunning. Her August Getty gown was simple, elegant, and most importantly fit her PERFECTLY. I love that she went with something a bit more understated and in doing so, stood out for her natural beauty and poise. Well done Rach!

2nd- Naomi Watts

Holy, beautiful Australian mermaid. The simple hair and makeup compliments this glitzy gown beautifully. Once again, fit was the determining factor for me, this Armani Prive dress looks as if it was painted onto her and the beautiful deep blue keep the sequins looking hollywood and not Las Vegas!

1st- Cate Blanchett

Stepping away from simplicity for my final best dressed selection and overall winner of the night, Cate Blanchett! I thought Cate looked incredible. The color would have been too "easter egg" on any other complexion. The embellishment could have been distracting. (I'm rarely a fan of this sort of thing, if you can't tell.) But instead, the color and design of this Oscar De La Renta dress were exquisite. Every time they panned the audience, she just radiated in the BEST way and if that isn't what makes you the best dressed in the room, then I don't know what is.

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The Craft Escape:

I'm so excited to be teaching at my first craft retreat! The Craft Escape is happening Thursday, March 10th to Sunday, March 13th at the beautiful Journey Home just a short trip north of Kansas City. There are still tickets available, so hop over and grab some to join in on the fun. 

I'll be teaching how to make these fun zipper pouches on Saturday, March 12th. They are so simple and easy to customize- once you get the hang of it you'll be whipping them up for every occasion.

The weekend is full of all kinds of other great crafting as well. Watercolor painting. String art. Cookie decorating. Crochet. Click here for the full schedule. There is something for everyone, so grab your crafty friends, go register and join me for the fun!

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FabFitFun: Welcome Box Haul!

As part of my New Year's resolution to "Love Myself," I got myself a little gift that keeps on giving c/o FabFitFun! What better way to kick off this bliggity-blog but with a quick haul post? 

They now start all new subscribers off with what they call The Welcome Box. Here's a pic of how it comes. (Except, I may or may not have chugged the delicious Dark Chocolate-Organic Protein Shake before I remembered to snap a picture. Just keepin' it real...)

The Welcome Box includes:

1. WREN- 14 kt Rose Gold Dipped Heart Necklace with Black Sapphire Accent

2. Passport to Beauty- 0.5 fl oz Tibetan Goji Berry Eye Serum

3. FRENDS- "The Donna" Earbuds

4. GORGE- "I'll Make You Look Amazing" Daily Leave-In Conditioner Spray

5. COSMOBODY- Jump Rope

6. ZOYA- Nail Polish in "Avril" (pale pink)

7. Organic Valley- Organic Balance Milk Protein Shake in Dark Chocolate

8. *BONUS*- $25 gift card to www.shoptiques.com

Total Retail Value: $315.95

My favorite product by far is the Tibetan Goji Berry Eye Serum. I thought I had found my lifelong favorite eye cream over at Kiehls. Good thing I can admit when I'm wrong. This stuff is amazing. It is so gentle and I wish I had taken a before and after to prove it, but I'm certain the "anti-aging" is doing its thing. I've definitely noticed the fine lines around my eyes have diminished. It's paraben free and even more important- full of lots of other skin-loving ingredients. I give it two thumbs way up even though the $88 price tag is more than I would usually spend. The good news is you get a 20% off code to buy more thanks to being a fabfitfun member!

I found my love for this rose gold necklace a bit surprising. I don't generally love hearts. At. All. But, I do love rose gold, so I decided to give it a try and now I've found myself reaching for it multiple days in a row. The length is just right to layer up with other pieces and the tiny sapphire accent is great. I personally wouldn't spend the $100 that it's valued at, but the quality is great and it truly is beautiful.

The Gorge spray was like a little gift from the hair gods for my newly processed blonde that was struggling to fight the frizz during this frigid winter. The best part, though? The smell. Sweet heavens, the smell. I wish I could take a bath in it. Have it in candle form... you get the idea.

The Frends earbuds are surprisingly comfy. I thought they looked a bit bulky and was afraid they'd hurt my ears, but so far, so good! I wish they were wireless considering the $80 price tag, but I can't deny the comfort, style and sound, so they still get a positive rating.

Now, for the parts I didn't love:

The Zoya nail polish. The color is lovely, and I appreciate the eco-friendly and health conscious product, but it just didn't deliver for me. I found that it chipped easily, coverage was thin, and the brush didn't spread nicely.

The Cosmobody jump rope is nothing fancy. I'm 6 ft tall, so I found it a bit short. I also hate jump roping. So, I admittedly didn't put a whole lot of effort into loving it. I just happily handed it off to my daughter, who thinks it's fabulous!

The Shoptiques gift card. Holy. Hannah. Maybe my midwest is showing here, but I found the majority of the website to be grossly overpriced. There were a few good finds and I did end up settling on this new jacket from the sale section, so it wasn't a complete loss.

All in all, I think FabFitFun is a great concept and even if you deduct the value of my 3 no-gos, it's STILL a great deal.

Go. Buy. Love.

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