Camping in Colorado

It's been eons since I posted on this blog, and I may explain why later but for now: I went to Colorado this summer! Myself, my boyfriend and two of our mutual friends went camping for a week in the woods. It was so beautiful there and it was great to be able to get away from technology for a bit before the school year began. 

The entrance to the ranch.

We stayed at a place called Tomahawk Guest Ranch. It was in Powderhorn, CO technically but really it's in the middle of nowhere. That suited us just fine. I've honestly never stayed somewhere that the owners have been so nice and accommodating, even helping us find trails to hike that were just walking distance away! Also, it's very cheap in comparison to other campsite we were thinking of staying so I would definitely recommend if you're on a bit of a budget. 

The owners had a dog!!

Standing on a bridge at Tomahawk Guest Ranch

 The property itself was beautiful too, with a bridge crossing this gorgeous river.

Our campsite!

 Our campsite actually backed up to the river! We spent most evenings just hanging out, making s'more around the campfire and talking well into the night.

There was a cave/mine on the property

 They had two mine shafts on the property, the one above and below that actually only extended about 12 feet back, the owner filled in the hole that led further down. There was also another one that extended 2 miles but that one had to be caved in because of the risk to tourists.

It wasn't very big

Our very unsuccessful attempt at just climbing up the side of a mountain.  

 The second day there, we thought it would be a good idea to just climb up the side of the mountain that was right beside our campsite. While I wouldn't say it was a bad idea, we certainly didn't make it to the top before we just gave up.

This was the valley that we were in the majority of our time in CO.

 After we managed to actually find a hiking trail (just right across the street from where we were staying) I was able to take a lot of pictures of the beautiful landscape. Since I'm from Texas, the cool air and mountains filled me with excitement and energy.

View from the top! 

Us after making it to the top of the mountain. 

 After making it to the top of the mountain, we sat for about an hour lamenting the fact that we had forgotten to bring lunch. We took this picture before heading down.

We also visited Gunnison, CO on the way in to stock up on supplies and spent a day there just exploring. They have a beautiful area with little shops and great food!

All in all, it was the perfect end to the summer and the perfect beginning to the school year.

Thanks for reading!

Heather

September Favorites

It's finally October! Which means it's time for September favorites! I loved a lot of new things in September and it's a rather random assortment of things as well. So let's get crackin'.

 Beauty wise, I enjoyed three products last month:

Essie Nail Polish in Roarrrrange- I actually made a blog post about this one. Which I will link here. Although this is definitely more of a summer color, it transitioned well for me into the fall. It tended to go well with what I was wearing and isn't too showy, which is surprising considering it's orange. 

YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick in #13 Peach Passion- This is the first product from YSL that I've ever tried and I was really impressed. It's super moisturizing and is a beautiful color for daytime wear. The only complaint I would have is that it doesn't last all day, however it's simple to reapply and doesn't take as much work as some other lipsticks do.

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Bronzer in Medium Deep- Firstly, my skin is VERY pale, yet medium deep worked well with it. I love this bronzer because of it's buildable quality and the color it gives you is beautiful without being overpowering. I would suggest this for anyone just looking for an everyday wear bronzer. Plus, it's huge and can last for quite some time. 

Entertainment wise, I've enjoyed two things. One is the comic book series called Saga. If you like to read comics or have ever wanted to start, I would HIGHLY recommend these. Currently, there's three volumes in graphic novel form. However, they do release these chapter by chapter as well. The story line is well thought out and the art is impeccable. If you like fantasy, you won't go wrong with these. The next thing is 642 Things to Write About which i bought on a whim in Barnes & Noble one day. It has a lot of different prompts for you to write about, and it helps to get your brain turned on and the creative juices flowing, especially if you're stuck on something. This is also rather good when you're bored and want to do something different. Recommend for anyone who wants to try their hand at writing but don't know where to start. 

That's all I have for September, what are you liking during the month of October?

Thanks for Reading!

Heather

Chloe. :)

So there's this really cute dog. Her name is Chloe and although she's old, she'll play fetch with you and cuddle all day. This is her looking up at the camera before I threw the ball in the pool. Do you guys have any cute pets? 

Side Note: I just noticed my panda socks made it into the picture as well haha!

Thanks for Reading!

Heather

Hot Chocolate Essentials!

I absolutely adore hot chocolate. Especially since it's the beginning of Autumn, I felt it would be a good time to share what I use when making the delicious treat! Although it won't be cold in Texas for some time yet, that doesn't mean I can't enjoy this yummy drink, right? 

 First things first, the mix. I either melt my own or use a powder mix. Pictured is the Silly Cow Farms Chocolate Truffle Mix. It tastes super delicious, especially when you don't want to take the time to melt chocolate. I prefer just melting my own, however. I then use Reddi Wip Whipped Cream on top of that, which I then drizzle with Hershey's Chocolate Syrup, sprinkle with Ghirardelli Mini Chocolate Chips, and then pop one or two of the Pepperidge Farm Chocolate Hazelnut Pirouette Rolled Wafers into one of my many mugs (currently the turtle mug). It tastes super sweet but super delicious, especially with the chocolate chips and wafers. I am trying to find a syrup that's not as heavy as the one Hershey's produces, however. Does anyone have any suggestions? 

Thanks for Reading!

Heather

Friday Night Football

This Friday I spent in my hometown of Academy, Texas watching my sister, Sarah, cheer at the football game. Although I'm not a football fan I do love supporting Sarah in all she does and it's hard not to get involved with the energy of the crowd.

Sarah and a couple of her friends at half time.
This is actually when I ended up making it to the game.

Sarah and her best friend, Kaylee.

At one point, they let some children cheer with them!

Sarah and her two friends, Kaylee and Kylie. (They posed for this picture)

Sarah and the squad leading the fans in a chant. 

My sister after the game. 

Academy v Salado. Academy ended up winning 14-7. :)

Overall, I had a great time and I was super proud of my sister and the team for doing so well.



Thanks for Reading!
Heather

Favorite Summer Nail Color

I picked this nail polish up on a whim at Walgreen's one night. I love how it looks on and you don't need to apply more than two coats. I've actually never tried an orange nail polish and was pretty surprised that it looked good on me. See? Stepping out of my comfort zone worked out! This one is by Essie and it's called roarrrrange. It is part of their summer 2014 collection but I'll probably still wear it in the fall since it's not a super vibrant color. 

Essie Nail Polish - Roarrrrange

Thanks for Reading!

Heather

My Makeup Essentials

These are some of the things that I always make sure to have on hand whenever I decided to travel anywhere. I generally keep it pretty simple and natural that way I can fit virtually any occasion!

Maybelline Lip Balm - This is one of my favorite lip balms, not only does it make my lips look and feel super soft, it also protects against the sun with SPF 20!

Revlon Powder Blush in Naughty Nude - This powder blush gives a nice flush to the cheeks without being too pigmented. It has a slight shimmer and blends very nicely with a bronzer.

Naked Basics Eyeshadow Palette - As with the larger palettes, I prefer the original basics to the Naked 2. To me, it provides a wider range of shades and the matte shades plus one shimmer comes in handy for a day to day natural look.

MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC15 - This is my favorite foundation that I have at the moment. Not only does it provide full, buildable coverage, it also contains SPF 15. The coverage is why I like it so much, however. Since my skin is acne prone I tend to need a fuller coverage foundation to hide any blemishes.

Benefit They're Real! Mascara - This mascara is to die for. It doesn't clump easily and stays on for the whole day. I have yet to notice any flaking or running from this mascara. It's great for length and volume as well as helping me look more awake than I generally do when I roll out of bed in the morning.

MAC Large Angle Contour Brush (168) - This brush goes with me everywhere. It's super diverse and I can use it for contouring, highlighting, and blush! However, be sure to wash it in between so that it doesn't get dirty (as mine is in the photo, whoops...).

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Transparent - Obviously, this product has seen its fair share of love. It's definitely one of my must haves for any season. Especially if you have oily skin, such as myself. It decreases the shine without getting rid of your natural radiance.




Thanks for Reading!
Heather