Mandii's Muse

My mom is the creative genius in our family. She does all the decorating around the house. She has a great eye for colors, and how things should look. I only hope that when I get a place of my own I can decorate my home as well as she can! I wanted to show you our decorations, in case you haven't started to put yours up yet! We always have several trees. There is one in our upstairs living room, one downstairs, and one in my room. This year, my mom got a tree and added all of her Wendell August ornaments to it as well. All of them are decorated beautifully, and match to the decor in the particular room. There is something so pretty about a nicely decorated mantle. We have a few in our house, so I wanted to show you those as well! My mom collects snowmen, and considering we have long winters these guys stay up long after the decorations have been put away! Let's take a minute to step outside into our entryway. How stinking cute is that snow-woman? I can't stand th...

There is a saying that goes something like this: Image "What if you woke up today, with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?" What would you wake up to? Thanksgiving is a time to reflect and look back at what we truly have and are grateful for. For me, I am thankful that I have family and friends who have their health and who love me. I have a roof over my head and food on the table. As we enter this upcoming season, let us all take a minute to reflect on what we are thankful for. Big or small, there is something in each day to be thankful about. Happy Thanksgiving, Friends.

So, it is November 26 and we've already had some snowfall. WHAT?! I'm basking in the light from the Christmas tree, with my Christmas scents burning in my wax warmer. I think it is safe to say that fall has been bypassed and I'm in full on Christmas mode! Since it has been cold here, my outfit needed to follow suit. I needed to be warm when I was outside! I'm linking up with the Pleated Poppy to show you my outfit! Outfit Details: Jeggings: Mossimo (Target) Boots: Mark Fisher (QVC Outlet) Top: Original TY Wear (This is SO old!) Earwarmer: Bijuju This outfit is simple, classy and perfect for a wintry day! What do you love to wear on a cold winter day? Leave me a comment and let me know! I'd love to hear from you!

Two things before we start. First, I'm sorry that I have neglected this blog so much these past 2 months. I came home from vacation and life kicked into full gear! Let's try to get this back on schedule shall we? Second, I took very few pictures during this trip. I was too busy getting my shop on! Last weekend my aunt, her bestie, and I took a bus trip to West Chester, PA. We had to be at the tour company at 5:45am. Yes, I had a cup of Jingle Bell Java coffee that morning! (From a local store, it is delicious!) We boarded the bus and tried to catch a few minutes of shuteye before the sun came up. We passed the time watching 27 dresses, and pretty soon we were at Rockvale Square! This is a cute outdoor shopping area that has the QVC Outlet store. I went into the weekend wanting something from Isaac Mizrahi, and bought nothing of his.  :( I did find the most ADORABLE pair of blue suede wedge booties of his, but decided against those. (One of the regrets I have of this weekend....

Have you ever heard, or saw a quote or saying and it was just what you needed at that specific moment? I have had that happen several times, and it is always a comfort. To me, it is like God saying, "I'm here." I was out shopping the other night, and had such an occurrence. I was walking through an aisle that had a plethora of signs. One in particular caught my attention, and I just stopped, and read it several times. "Don't worry about tomorrow, God is already there." I always get amazed with God's creation as I look out into the ocean. Wow! How profound and perfect is that? How many times have you worried about tomorrow? I have! Have you worried about what will happen in your job? What about waiting for a test from a doctor to come back? Worrying if you will have enough money to pay the bills.  The beauty of this saying is, that God is telling us not to worry. He has our days planned out for us already. Hard times and good times. Don...

Can you believe that one week from today is Black Friday? I don't participate, and I'm so glad. I'm more of a Cyber Monday kind of gal! Alas, today is Friday and I am doing what I usually do: Link up with Lauren . 1. I have begun to plan what I am making for Christmas Eve. I like to be well prepared! Who am I kidding? I make the same things every year! 2. This scene appeared outside. There is something beautiful about a fresh fallen snow. 3. I am probably the last person to have tried this but, Starbucks Peppermint Mocha- DELICIOUS! 4. I'm in full on Christmas mode, and it isn't even Thanksgiving yet! Trees are up, and my Nutcrackers are out, so I am good to go! 5. Posts are written and scheduled for next week! Time to get this blog back on track! What did you love about this week? Leave me a comment and let me know! I know this is my first post in a while! That problem will be fixed on Monday with new posts!!

My Ipsy bag was the second piece of mail I opened after I came home from vacation. Getting makeup in the mail is definitely better than bills and credit card statements. Can I get an amen? The items in my bag this month were exactly what I needed to cheer me up from leaving the beach. Here is what was in my bag! iEnvy|False Lashes: This lashes look natural, and will compliment any looks I throw together for the upcoming Holiday season! Jesse's Girl|Mineralized Baked Powder Eyeshadow: This is a pretty shimmery purple shade. I think this will look beautiful on the lid with a matte purple in the crease. This is huge and will last me forever. City Color|Be Matte Lipstick: Ipsy knows of my obsession. This color is a perfect MLBB shade! This will look great with a smoky eye where I want my lips to be neutral. From what I have tried so far, this applies nicely, lasts a while. I received the color Cappuccino. Rose Berry|Hand Cream: With cold and flu season approaching, I will...

When I got back from vacation, the first thing I wanted to do was open this little pink box. I bypassed all of my other mail, and opened this first. #Priorities. This month was a great month, lots of products I need, and will use for sure! Here is what was in my box! The theme this month was Fanfare. So, they want to know what your favorite TV shows, music, movies are. For me, it is Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D. and How to Get Away with Murder. Plus, now that hockey has started, college basketball is starting, and college football is underway Mandii is definitely happy! Dr. Brandt| Pores No More Vacuum Cleaner: I SO needed this! Coming home from the beach, my pores are clogged from putting sunscreen on multiple times a day. I cannot wait to use this and clean out my pores! Essentiel Elements| Wake Up Rosemary Shower Gel: This smells delicious! There is a perfect blend of rosemary and mint that will wake you up and get you ready for the day. Another bonus, I think the packaging is ...

Fall can sometimes be hard to pick outfits. You still have some warm days, but the next day could be rainy and cold. On this day, I was heading to my grandparent's house to celebrate my Grandma's 89th birthday! It was about 68 degrees, and I wanted to be warm for outside, but cool for inside my grandparent's house. (They like to keep the thermostat VERY high!) Outfit Details: Tank: Wal-Mart Shrug: Marshalls Capris: Chico's Shoes: So that was my outfit! As usual, I linked up with the Pleated Poppy ! Do you struggle with picking outfits for those fall days? Leave me a comment and let me know! I'd love to hear from you!

Any vacation that involves an ocean, sand, and sun is a vacation I will enjoy! Earlier in October, I spent two glorious weeks in Myrtle Beach, SC. Leaving PA the weather was awful! We (mom, dad, and myself) ran in rain the whole time. We made our traditional stop at the New River Gorge in WV, and I still get amazed every time I see it! After arriving in Myrtle after dark we were exhausted! We got our keys to the condo, made our beds, and crashed! We didn't even unpack! The next morning, we got ready and went to Dino's for breakfast. Dino's is a local hot spot, that is only open for breakfast and dinner, and boy are they busy until closing time! The rest of the time we did this. At night, we watched sunsets like this. In the evenings, we would go out and stop at our favorite shopping centers: Barefoot Landing, Broadway at the Beach , and the Market Common . I highly recommend you stop at a store that is located in all of these areas. It is an acc...

How many times have you said this phrase: "On my bucket list, I'd do this____." I know that I most certainly have! Who wouldn't love to pick things to do if money or time wasn't an issue?  This gives us just the right reason to dream! I loved writing this post as a link up with Andrea ! I guess you could call my bucket list random to say the least. There are places I'd love to travel to, sporting events I'd love to attend, and people I'd love to meet. So let me share my bucket list with you! They didn't play UNC here.  1.) Attend a Duke/UNC game at Cameron Indoor Stadium: If you are a Duke fan, this should be number one on your list! Getting a tickets to this even is tough, Cameron only seats 9,314 people! Oh, but one day I'd love to shout and cheer during the Battle of Tobacco Road! 2.) Go on a Humpback Whale watching cruise: Ever since my 4th grade teacher taught a unit on whales, I have wanted to go on a humpback whale cruise. Th...