Blog of the Month: March 2014

Last month, the lovely Linh from Blushology was my featured blogger. You can read that post and see other past featured blogs under the "blog of the month" label! Being my blog of the month gets you a designated blog post, a sidebar button, and a mention on my Twitter account. The sidebar button stays up all month long. I don't believe in making bloggers pay for advertising and I'd much rather show you blogs that I really enjoy reading. And I hope you end up enjoying them too! :)

This month's featured blogger is Rebecca from Hello Pretty Bird! For starters, she is an absolute sweetheart! I love that she reviews a lot of brands that I have either never heard of or might have never thought to try. If you enjoy reviews of indie products, you'll love Rebecca's blog. If you drop by her site, let her know that I sent you!

P.S.- I'm going to be pretty MIA on the blog for the next week or so. I'll try to get some drafts prepared and scheduled to post during the absence. We get the keys to our new place tomorrow, so it's time to start the renovating, painting, and actual moving. With the way our luck has been going lately, we need all of the positive thoughts we can get!

Happy Easter!

I hope you all are having a fantastic Easter weekend, for those that celebrate! I'll be back to posting on Monday. Lots of posts in the works. For now, I'm still enjoying my vacation week. It's been nice, but I think I will be ready to get back into my usual routine next week! :)

InstaFriday!

I am so excited right now because come 6pm EST, it will be the start of our vacation! My husband is taking next week off and I cannot wait! Monday is our 7th wedding anniversary- where does the time go?! So next week is all ours! I'll share pictures when I return.

While I am away, I do have a post scheduled for next Wednesday. When I come back to post in April, I will have two special announcements! Stay tuned! :)


To see more pictures, please keep reading.

Keep reading!

Holiday Hiatus

One more post for the day! My first one is photos from IMATS- you can scroll down or click here to see it!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and while I'm in Canada, I'm still celebrating! My husband has found a place downtown called The Peartree Restaurant and they serve an American Thanksgiving feast. How cool is that?! So he has taken the day off to take me downtown to see Christmas lights, an event at The Bay that Christine told me about, and then a big turkey dinner. Fun day ahead! I'm glad he is taking Friday off too, because we will need it to recover!

So I am taking a short hiatus just until Monday to enjoy the holiday. On Monday, I'll return with my group post. And on Tuesday, my IMATS haul! Yay! I hope all of my fellow Americans have a fantastic Thanksgiving. If you're brave enough to conquer Black Friday, I wish you luck with finding what you want...and not getting knocked over to get to it!

See you all on Monday!

Hiatus

Hi guys! This is just to let you know there will be a lack of posts for the next week. I'm heading home to attend my high school reunion! I'll be shopping at a few stores and outlets, so I'm sure I'll have some hauls and new products to show you and/or review when I get back. I also have some fun posts coming up when I get back.

I will have one special post that is scheduled to go up on Friday! :) I'm very excited to be headed home to visit my family (especially my little brother) and friends. The only problem that arises is how to fit everything in. I'll manage somehow! See you when I get back. I hope you all have a wonderful week. ♥

Sick. :(

I had every intention of blogging today, but my husband decided to share his cold with me. Isn't that sweet? Sheesh! :P So I'm down and out right now. Depending on how I feel, I may not post anymore this week.

Above is a picture from my Instagram (you can find me as "wendybanner") account and my plans for the day/rest of the week. Hot green tea with honey, Vitamin C, throat drops, and cold medicine. My plans also include vegging out on my couch or in bed while watching Netflix and/or sleeping. Well...at least I have an excuse to be lazy. Too bad it's because I am sick! :/

Hope you all have a great week! ♥

Short Hiatus Until Wednesday!

Hey guys! Just a quick notice to say that I won't be updating until Wednesday. We leave this weekend for our anniversary trip. We've booked a couple of nights at a bed and breakfast in northern Michigan and then we are traveling a short way to visit the Detroit Zoo. I'm super excited to see their amazing polar bear exhibit!

With going to Target, Birch Run Outlets, and the Somerset Collection, I know I'll have a haul to share with you once I'm back. I mean, let's face it...there isn't any way that I'm going to be near all of that great shopping and not take a little advantage of it.

I look forward to sharing pictures from our trip with you next week. I hope you all have a great weekend! ♥

Holiday Break & Video Post

I leave tomorrow morning to head to Tennessee for close to a week! We have rented a cabin near downtown Gatlinburg that has billiards, a fireplace, and a swimspa. Oh if only I could blink and be there right now! After that, we are going to South Carolina to spend the holidays with my family.

I'll have internet access in the cabin, but I don't know how much I'll get on it. With that said, this may be the last post until I get back around the end of December. If I'm up late at night alone and bored, you might just see a post or two from me! ;)

I filmed another "what's in my travel makeup bag" video today. I always like filming videos like this because they are easy and I enjoy watching other similar videos.

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Short Hiatus

I hate to do this, I really do. I have to go on a break for just a little while. My husband is sick and I've been spending most of my time caring for him. With that, I just don't have available time to work on blog posts. I hope to be back at it by next week. Fingers crossed for my husband to start feeling better very soon!

Also, I did get an email that one giveaway winner received their prize. I hope the other two have! If you're seeing this, please let me know if you got your package. I always stress out until I know they arrive safely!

I would like to apologize for not responding to many comments and emails as of late. I can't even begin to tell you all how much is on my plate right now. So I just need this time to take care of my husband, try to stay sane, and get through my days one at a time. Thanks for understanding! I'll be back in full force soon!

Short Hiatus

Just letting you guys know that I won't be updating again until Monday! My husband and I will be celebrating five years of marriage on Friday, so we've rented a cabin in upstate New York for the next few days. :) We'll be leaving in the morning! I would give a better update today, but in true procrastinator fashion, I still have to finish packing our suitcase and cleaning up around the house. I also have to do anything online that needs to be done, because the cabin does not have internet. I'm having to dig deep into my survival skills to get over that major hump in the road. No internet? I might just have withdrawal symptoms!

Thanks to my MIL coming over while we are gone, we won't have to worry about the cats being lonely or running out of food and water. I've warned her of Jade's boxing match with my face. I told her that she might want to wear either a suit of armor or bring a ten foot pole and wear a mask! Haha! That's the first time (and hopefully last!) that Jade has ever done that and leave it to me to be the darn victim. :P

See you all again on Monday. I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week!

Future Contest, Card Exchange, and Hiatus!

When I get to 200 followers (less than 50 away), I'll have my next giveaway! I have already started to collect a few prizes for it. :)

Also, it's getting close to that time of the year. Christmas cards! If you would like to exchange cards with me, I would be absolutely thrilled. Shoot me an email at wendy@fashionableheart.com, if you are interested! :)

One other thing is that I am going on hiatus until around December 7th. I leave for the holiday tomorrow, because I'm going home for Thanksgiving. After that, it is time for a vacation (Yay!) in Orlando, Florida. And when I get back, I have a MRI scheduled on December 6th. So I will try my hardest to have some posts ready for the rest of that week when I get back. Expect a haul, because I am going to take full advantage of the outlets. ;)

So if you don't see posts from me for awhile, don't leave me. I'm coming back...Promise! See you guys in about two weeks. Take care! ♥

June Favorites!

Is June really almost over? Really? 2010 is going by ridiculously fast. I feel like it should still be January! Oh, I also changed my page a little bit and added Pages at the top. Please let me know if it does not load properly for you! Still a work in progress!

Korres Guava lip butter- I talk about them here. I can't put this one down!

NARS Laguna bronzer- I still plan on doing a bronzer round-up of the ones that I own. This one has a permanent place on my makeup tray while the others are tucked away in a drawer, if that tells you anything.

MAC Blonde's Gold pigment- A swatch of it is here. This looks great as a neutral wash of color, a highlight on the inner corner, or as a lid color. It's completely versatile in looks and I have worn it in every look I've worn since I got it!

Urban Decay Rockstar 24/7 liner- I like the little added pop of color it gives to a neutral eye. It's a nice substitute when I don't want to use my usual black liner. Swatch is here.

Sephora by OPI's I'm Wired nail polish- Just a pretty and bright coral color! I love coral in the summer. At the moment, I have this on my fingers and toes. It's such a fun color to wear on the toes! Looking back, this was in my favorites last June also. That says something!

Making Faces by Kevyn Aucoin- I'm on a makeup book kick lately and of the three that I have recently bought, this one really sticks out. There are a lot of looks, tips, and tricks in the book. I really think it is great for beginners and pros alike. I'm looking forward to reading more of his books and about him.

Also, tomorrow is a holiday here (Canada Day)! I'm not too certain that I'll have time to post until Monday, simply because my husband has both Thursday and Friday off. So we'll be running around, doing errands, and taking advantage of the holiday weekend! I get double the holidays with Canada Day and Independence Day. Yay!

I've been working on the next contest and getting the prizes and rules together. I can assure you that the contest post will be going up next week, if I don't manage to update again this week. So stick around and send your friends! ;) Have a lovely weekend!

Lip Erase & Hiatus!

I got Lip Erase in my haul from the other day. You can see a back-of-the-hand swatch in my last post. Here I will show what it looks like on the lips.

I've said it before but my lips are highly pigmented. The above picture does no justice as it was taken with the flash on! To show a true color of lipstick, I like to cancel out the pigmentation in my lips. Otherwise, nudes end up looking like pinks. Light pinks end up looking rosy. You get the idea. I had been using concealer to do the job and it does!

I decided to try Lip Erase (in Pale) to see if it would work any better. It was a lot smoother to put on, but it definitely highlights any dryness in your lips. Moisturizing your lips with a balm before applying the Lip Erase helps that out. It's not supposed to make your lipstick last longer, only make the true color show.

Concealer gives the same results, honestly. So if you want to save money and can't get your hands on Lip Erase, that is alright! A creamy concealer does the same trick and lasts just as long. I will probably reach for my Lip Erase more, if only to keep my concealer a little longer and not run out as fast.


I'm officially on hiatus! This Thursday is our 4th wedding anniversary. I will either be back posting next Monday or Tuesday. :) I will then share hauls, pictures, and details from our vacation! I hope you all have a lovely week. ♥

P.S.- I will possibly be posting pictures up on the Fashionable Heart facebook page from my vacation! So become a fan and let's chat on FB! :)

Extended Hiatus

As in my last post, you all know that Nan was suffering from pneumonia. She's no longer suffering as she passed away on Friday night. It is hitting me really hard as I grew really close to her the minute I met her. She gripped my heart instantly and never let go.


- on Nan's 90th birthday in 2008

I loved everything about her. I loved coming over to help her and watch after her. I loved listening to her stories that she would tell even when she had already told me the same story five times before. I loved talking to her about our common interests. I loved our inside jokes. I LOVE HER.


- Nan on her 91st birthday last November! She was so funny especially when she would pose for the camera!

I suppose I can't really say that at 91 years old that she was exactly taken too soon. She lived a long life! Not many people even reach that age. It just feels that way to me, because I only came to know this fantastic woman in 2004 when I moved here to be with my husband. I'm completely selfish in saying that I wish it had been a longer time frame. I enjoyed every single second.

Her visitation is Wednesday and her funeral is Thursday. With that said, I feel that I must take this week off from blogging. I just do not feel in the mood to be posting at this time when my heart, emotions, and thoughts are elsewhere. I will be back next week with my reviews, swatches, etc. etc. Hoping you all understand! I'd also like to thank all of you that offered prayers, wishes, and positive thoughts for Nan (and for me and my family, as well). They do not go unappreciated. It means a great deal! Love to you all.

Smile, Though Your Heart is Breaking

You'll have to forgive me for having no post today. As I've stated in past entries, I've been helping my mother-in-law for the past two weeks while she has been in the hospital. I have been watching over Nan (my husband's grandmother). Last night was a really rough night for her and she was complaining of being cold and not being able to breathe.

She went to the hospital where we found out that she had a fever of 101 and pneumonia. I stayed behind with my MIL, because she just had knee surgery and can't really get around. It was truly a rough night of emotions and sleep was next to none for all of us. Nan's fever is gone now and they are taking care of the chest congestion. At 91 years of age, they are taking this all very seriously and giving her great care.

With all of that said, I can't promise an entry for tomorrow either. I won't deny that I have been an emotional wreck, but that's what I do to myself after something like this happens. So I'd like to take some moments for myself and find my footing again. Thanks for understanding! Prayers, best wishes, and positive thoughts for Nan are always appreciated. Love to you all!

Christmas Hiatus

Currently ready: to go run errands
Currently doing: making a list of what to pack
Currently feeling: excited

I'll be on hiatus from today until around Monday, January 4th. I'm heading home for a week and I'm super excited! I also have plans for the first few days of January. So I hope you guys understand. :) I hope you all have a fabulous holiday season with lots of fun and good memories made.

When I come back, I'll share my hauls from Christmas and my trip home. Also, more reviews and swatches to come! Love you all!

Enjoy your holidays! Please be responsible if going out. Don't drink and drive. Don't get in a car with someone who is drunk and call a taxi, if needed. Wear your seatbelt. But feel free to overdose on good food, yummy sweets, and fun times! :)

Shopbop F&F Sale!

Currently at: my mother-in-law's house
Currently excited: to leave tomorrow!
Currently feeling: extremely sore
Shopbop just had their Friends & Family sale (just ended yesterday). I couldn't enjoy the Sephora one with it being US only, so I was excited that I could use this one! I've wanted a working watch for months now and I had to jump at this chance. Even with the money conversion, I'm saving more than $30 had I bought it here instead. I only got the one thing, because I'm going to Detroit this weekend and want to hit the outlets. :)

I got this pretty baby:

I can't say no to bows! And I certainly can't say no to Marc Jacobs! I love his timepieces as they are very durable and make every outfit just a little bit cuter. My other watch necklace is the red padlock heart (stock picture below for reference) which I've had for almost three years, so I'm very happy to include this black bow into my collection. Especially since I've been much too lazy to replace my watch battery in my other one. Silly me!

Did any of you happen to get anything with the discount?

Also small posting hiatus just on Monday since I'm heading to Detroit this weekend for a Kelly Clarkson concert and won't be back until late Monday night. Take care, lovelies! I hope you all have a terrific weekend!

Sick leave.

Currently drinking: water
Currently eating: cough drop
Currently feeling: dreadful

Oh the fun. My husband got a cold last week and while trying not to catch it, I caught it. Honestly, I can catch just about everything but a ball thrown to me. Story of my life! This is just to say that I might possibly be absent from posting the rest of this week. I just feel the need to sleep this out, stay medicated, and not go outside for awhile. It's already starting to get chilly here and it didn't help that I got caught in the rain and heavy (and very cold) winds yesterday.

So if any of you are sick right now, I hope you feel better soon! ♥

Happy Labor Day!

Currently excited: HOLIDAY!!
Currently listening: Hush Hush by PCD
Currently feeling: hopeful
Just a quick post to say that it's a holiday weekend and as always...don't expect a post from me until after it's over. I'll be back on Tuesday, posting as usual!

I hope you all have a fabulous Labor Day. Enjoy your holiday! :)

Hiatus

Currently doing: packing!
Currently thinking: I'm forgetting something
Currently feeling: stressed

Sorry guys! I did not get around to posting yesterday because I'm really busy this week. Between a birthday dinner planned for tonight, packing for Chicago, booking travel plans, etc. etc....I'm worn out emotionally and physically.

Anyway, I won't bore you with details! I leave tomorrow morning for Chicago. I will not be back until Monday night. Therefore, I will not be updating again until sometime next week. Sunday is my 25th birthday and to celebrate, I'm going to the Harry Potter Exhibition. Yep, I'm a HP nerd. :) Can't wait to tell you about my trip and share with you what my birthday goodies will be! Until then, take care and best wishes!

XOXO ♥