Mandii's Muse

After a long day at work, I love coming home to my monthly subscription boxes. They brighten my day, and I always look forward to ripping them open and looking at what I received!! I want to show you what was in my April Ipsy bag, there were a lot of good samples in there!! Lather|Ultra Light Face Lotion: I can always use a light moisturizer. Especially in the summer months when my skin gets dry from being outside. Once I try it out, I will let you know my thoughts! The Balm|Nude Dude Eyeshadow: First of all, I love The Balm! I received the shade Flirty, and it is a pretty shimmery purple/brown color. I think with a matte shade in the crease this would look so pretty. I have the Meet Matt(e) Nude palette, and seeing this beautiful shadow makes me want to get the full palette! Mica Beauty|Eyeshadow Primer: I am excited to try this! The texture on this primer is a little sticky, so I am curious to see how this holds the shadow on my oily lids, This is also in a pot, which coul...

Coming home to this pink box in my mailbox after a stressful day at work made my night so much better. This month Birchbox partnered with Rifle Paper Company to design the box. Let me tell you, it is gorgeous!! I think I am going to let this box sit out in my room because it is just that beautiful. First, let me get to the goodies inside the box! Beaver Professional|Hydro Nutritive Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner: This is supposed to repair and rebuild your hair. I think this combo will be more appropriate come July when my hair is fried from being outside all day. Check back with me then for my thoughts. Clean|Original Eau de Parfum: This scent does smell clean. However, I feel that too much of this could be a bad thing. Harvey Prince|Hello Body Butter: I am a huge fan of Harvey Prince. This scent is not too strong, slightly citrusy, and floral. This seems moisturizing, and not too heavy, so you could put this on your hands too. Jane Iredale|Just Kissed Lip and Cheek...

Hi! I feel like I need to reintroduce myself again. I'm Mandii and I write this very blog you are reading. I haven't posted in a while, so hopefully you didn't forget about me!! I usually post a Motivation Monday post, but today I am linking up with Andrea to share a few of my favorite things! Today I am sharing all about my favorite accessory! If there is one accessory that I can't get enough of, it would be scarves! I think scarves are the perfect accessory in any type of weather. You can wear a scarf in the summer and not look out of place. I wanted to share with you some of my favorite scarves. (Can we also just take note of the number of times I wrote "scarf" in that paragraph? It's 4!) The first scarf I get the most wear out of is my chiffon leopard scarf. I was on the hunt for a scarf like this and could not find one! Amazon.com to the rescue! Once I ordered it and it was in my posession, I wore it all the time! I always say that leopard i...

There was a time back in high school that I only wore colored lip gloss. Oh, how things have changed. In case you didn't know, I am a lip product junkie. I cannot get enough lip products! Recently, I have been loving lip products that are matte. There is something uniquely classy about a matte lip product. No shimmer, no gloss, just pure pigmented color. I definitely have acquired a few favorites, and want to share them with you. (Some of these you might have seen reviews for, and they will be linked in the post!) My first favorite matte lip products are those from Wet N Wild! I have three of their matte lip products, and I absolutely LOVE them! The first color I have is Cherry Picking. This is a beautiful raspberry color. Next is Wine Room, and it is a deep mauve pink. Finally, the last color is Cherry Bomb, and this is a deep merlot color. I plan on wearing this in the summer, because this color is very similar to Pantone's color of the year, Marsala! My next two favor...

My loyal readers all know how much I absolutely love lip products. Pinks, berries, mattes, you name it, I love it! I received NYX Butter lipstick in an Ipsy bag and immediately fell in love!! This shade is perfect for my skin tone. I can wear a "nude" lip without looking like death or "concealer lips." The shade is called Pops and it is a perfect pink with brown undertones color. There is just enough moisture for it to give your lips a sheen, but not too slick that it will rub off your lips. I have found myself pulling this lipstick out quite often, and have loved how my lips look when I wear it.  I have been wearing this lately with a neutral eye, and keeping my lipstick simple. This look is perfect for daytime or nighttime. The wear time on this is average. If you eat or drink, this will definitely come off.  The price can't be beat! This retails for $5.99 at Ulta. You better believe that I will be making a stop at my local store VERY soon and pick...

It's Monday! Last week was a crazy week. I took control of a first grade classroom, and had three meetings in the mornings. Slightly overwhelming. I was asleep on the couch by 8:30 Tuesday through Thursday. I wish I could say I was kidding. This week, I plan on being more prepared (with the blog and my classroom!) and have a new Motivation Monday post for you! This prayer appeared on Facebook, and spoke to me. How many times have I worried about things that I have no control over? The answer? A LOT! Worrying doesn't solve the problem, it just adds to the problem. I need to remember that my life is in the Lord's hands. His plans for me are far superior than any plans I have for myself. Things will happen on His time and I need to trust in that timing.  I may not know when I am going to get a teaching job, or married, but God does. It's been planned ever since I was thought into existence. My goal is to not stress this week. I'm going to put all of my concerns ...

This was a hard post for me to write today!! When Andrea posted this prompt on her Show and Tell page, I thought I knew what my most favorite vacation was. Then I started thinking harder, and kept listing other great vacations and I can't choose just one. So today, you are going to take a trip with me on a few of my favorite vacations! One of my very favorite vacations is a trip to Disney World I took with my family. I had been to Disney before, when I was five, but this trip was even more special. It was 3 months after September 11th happened. We found a hotel offering rooms for $29, and of course, flights were deeply discounted. We ended up booking the trip, and although we were nervous flying so soon after such a major tragedy, we went. As any Disney fan knows, there is just something magical about Disney at Christmas. Main Street in the Magic Kingdom had "snow", the decorations were absolutely beautiful, and it truly is the "happiest place on Earth!" Th...

Long weekends are just the best!! This Easter break was just what my mind and body needed. I am a strong believer that a clear mind does wonders! Even though it was a long weekend, it was packed with activities!! Fun activities though!! Nationwide Arena On Friday, I got myself organized. I just recently took over for a first grade teacher for the next few weeks, and I needed to get the Guided Reading materials set up. I did some work on my computer, planned my outfits for the coming week, and got my bag packed for my Columbus trip! Bar Louie is becoming my favorite restaurant! Saturday, was the big trip to watch the Penguins play! I chose to get up extra early so I could get my workout in before I left. I had to be at the tour company at 8:45. I passed the time by reading some magazines, and looking out at the scenery. We got to Columbus, grabbed a quick bite to eat, and went to Nationwide Arena. The Pens played awful, but I changed into a shirt that really matters. A Duke ...

Today I wanted to wish you a Happy Easter. May you be reminded today, of the great sacrifice Jesus made by dying on the cross to forgive us of our sins. I want to share with you this video of one of my favorite hymns. "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, because He lives, all fear is gone." Jesus died for our sins, and we can live our lives fearless. I hope that today finds you happy, healthy, and renewed with the promise of things to come. Have a great Easter!!

Happy Good Friday to everyone! I hope everyone has a great day! Today I am linking up with Andrea and Erika for Friday Favorites! My first favorite this week, is a LONG weekend!! I always say that long holiday weekends and summer's off are one of the perks of being a teacher! However, I spent last night working on setting up Guided Reading, because I am filling in for a first grade teacher for a month! So, this is going to be a "working" vacation! #sublife Another favorite is when this cute fella gets a bath! He always gets a cheeseburger when he is done and looks so darn cute! So cute in fact, that we took a selfie in the car! A HUGE favorite is that Duke is in the Final Four!! Oh my goodness, I am SO excited!!! We play Michigan State tomorrow, and you better believe that I am going to have that game pulled up on my tablet! (I am going to Columbus to see the Penguins play, and will be on the bus coming home. Thank goodness for wifi and data packages!!) #po...

It occurred to me that I never showed you what I wore for St. Patrick's Day!! Poor planning on my part, because I LOVED my outfit! St. Patrick's Day is always fun. First, I love all things Irish. (Hello, Celtic Thunder!!) Second, it is my Grandpa's birthday! My shirt was awesome because I found it on clearance at Wal-Mart for $3.00!! I could not help myself, and had to buy it!! Don't you love when that happens?? I paired with with some green accessories and black pants and I was good to go!! I could also wear this shirt to a Notre Dame game if I ever get the chance to go too!! Outfit Details: Shirt: Wal-Mart Pants: JC Penney Shoes: (not pictured) Macy's Accessories: Jade market in China (Not China town, China. My aunt and uncle gave me this jade necklace and earring set when I graduated college. My uncle was working in Hong Kong at the time.) I can't wait to see your outfits!! Leave me a comment and show me what you wore!! On Wednesday'...