My Book Outlet Birthday Haul

My birthday recently passed and I'm still taking advantage of some of the discounts. Bonus points to the companies that have a lengthier amount of time for redemption! One birthday discount I put to use was for Book Outlet. Combined with our reward points and cash back with Rakuten (my referral link), I got everything I ordered for under $70 CAD! There's three books I'm not showing because they are part of Larry's Christmas gifts. What a deal for 7 books!

They have a pretty decent selection. You may not find everything on your TBR list, but you won't step away disappointed. If you're anything like me, you actually end up adding more books to your wishlist from browsing. Oops! If there's one thing I do miss, it is the Book Outlet's physical location. Everything is now only online, but they do have both an American and Canadian website.

This haul showcases my love for romance and classics. Two of my favorite genres! I actually haven't read a classic in a while, so I need to rectify that soon. If you're on Goodreads or Fable, I'm happy to connect! I prefer Fable and that's where you can find my reviews. It's also great for tracking TV and is more social than GR. The breakdowns on the profile are fantastic. Highly recommend!

 

Keep reading!

Motivational Monday #2

I am not sharing these every Monday, but I do love a good motivational quote! I made this one and shared it on my Instagram earlier this month. Maya Angelou was one of the most quotable women of our time, if you ask me. Everything that came out of her was full of grace and wisdom.

We all have a past. We all have hurdles to jump over. Don't let them win! Pick yourself up, wipe the dust off, and keep being the best you possible. As Maya said, "That's life!" You've got this!

Motivational Monday #1

It's been a sad time in the Banner household after losing our cat. But I've been trying to get back into the swing of things and focus on positives. Perfect timing for Motivational Monday to come swinging full force! I have had some extra drive in my work ethic and creativity recently. I don't know where it came from, but I'm grateful for the sudden inspiration and determination that it has brought!

Maybe sometimes I know exactly what I am doing and maybe sometimes I'm flying by the seat of my pants. Maybe I'll fail, but maybe, just maybe I'll soar. Let's all get out there and dare to fail!

Source

Birthday Cookout

My birthday is not until Friday, but my sister-in-law and I share our birthdays five days apart. And this past Saturday happened to work for both of us to have an early joint family cookout. Thought I would share a few pictures from the day! I'll be sharing more pictures on my photography blog soon, as well.

^ Flowers in my MIL's garden.

Keep reading!

New Summer Sandals!

I have been so good these recent months with my spending, but every now and then I still catch that retail therapy bug that follows us bloggers around! I originally wanted to find a dress at Old Navy on Saturday while they had a lot of their summer dresses on sale, but I was so disappointed in the selection at the store that I went to.

I practically live in flip-flops during the summer, but I only have three or four pairs of sandals. So I figured that since the dress search didn't work out that day, why not run into Payless and see if I could treat myself to some cute new sandals! Again, I found myself not impressed with much of the selection but then these bad boys popped out at me!

American Eagle Whitney Sandal

My local Payless only had the black ones available in my size, but I'm so tempted to go to another location to see if they have any of the other colors. The gold ones are gorgeous! Many of my ballet flats are American Eagle and they never let me down. They actually make really nice shoes.

I really like these, not only for the design, but because the sole is nicely padded. I hate flat sandals that have no padding whatsoever! Another great thing is the piece of rubber along the toe strap that makes it much more comfortable. The back of the shoe band is elastic and does not rub against my ankle. It's hard to find shoes that fit my wider feet, but these fit very well. I jump for joy when I actually find shoes that fit my big ol' feet!

And the best part? You know how most glittery shoes turn your hands and feet into a glitter bomb? Not these! The glitter stays put on the shoes. Score!

P.S.- I'm not sponsored by American Eagle or Payless. I spent my own money on these shoes and just wanted to share a good buy with all of you! :)

Birthday Wishlist!

I guess it has something to do with getting older, but I find each year more difficult than the last to come up with ideas for what to ask and do for my birthday. Christmas is different, because I feel like anything goes. But birthdays? I've never been comfortable asking for a lot of gifts, getting a cake, and especially the singing. I hate being the center of attention more often than not, more so with bigger groups and parties. I was always so happy to have a birthday during the summer, so I did not have to do any of the celebrations at school.

I've managed to put together a small list of what I truly want and what I think I would enjoy. Ok...and maybe a few superficial pretty things to make me happy! I'm not asking for any beauty products though, because I'm still finishing up my Project 10. :)

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G lens- I love taking pictures of flowers and this is perfect!

Moving- I want to find our next home, put ours on the market, and get this move over with.

Puppy- This is the longest I have ever gone without a dog and I'm going crazy without one. If you see me around any dog, you'll understand that this is not an overstatement. They make up a great part of my livelihood. And that's another reason I'm ready for this move so that we can be in a pet-friendly building!

Pandora cupcake charm- Because I love cupcakes and I love Pandora.

Jo Malone English Pear and Freesia cologne- This smells delicious. It's been on my mind for months now. Freesia and pear have always been two of my favorite scents. Put them together and it was love at first smell.

Sam Edelman Gigi sandals- Ah, these scream summer to me!

H&M messenger bag- Love this print and the colors. I can see this easily moving from summer to fall.

Nothing too exciting, but I know each of these things would get used often or be loved tremendously. And hey, if I don't get anything, I'm ok with that too. I've got some great friends and family that will make the day special enough!

Let me know in the comments what you got or what you are asking for on your birthday! I love seeing what people received and wishlists!

Bloggers.com

Got a nice little email this morning saying that I was one of Bloggers.com's Featured Bloggers of the Day. How exciting! Bloggers (not to be confused with Blogger) is another site similar to what HelloCotton used to be. I have not been on it that long, but it's nice to follow other bloggers on sites like this. You can follow the blog and/or the blogger.

If you are on there, let's connect! My profile: Wendy Banner.

April Favorites + New Layout!

So I might have gotten super restless the other night...and I might have stayed up late completely redesigning my blog. I may change a few more things, but I'm happy with it right now. And if you personally find the light purple to be hard to read, just move your mouse over it and it highlights black.

I have a few posts coming up on a few moving tips, since that has pretty much consumed my life these days. A couple of people have said they would like moving, organizing, and packing tips. I suffer from a mild case of OCD and I am an avid organizer. Might as well share some of the things I'm doing to help make my future move a little easier!

You'd think moving everything would be the hardest part, but I'm learning the dancing around with realtors and bankers while searching for a place that meets our needs is the absolute worst part. I wish it were all easier and something would just fall right into place! Wishful thinking to the max.

Anyway, on to my favorite products from this past month! I have stuck to a rather basic look of a light base, neutral eyes, and a pink lip. I've just wanted something I can throw on within 5-10 minutes and be out the door! It's all about shopping my stash right now too, as I'm still on my Project 10 Pan/Empties.

- Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy
- MAC Satin Taupe eyeshadow
- Maybelline Age Rewind undereye concealer
- Dr. Jart+ BB Cream
- Benefit High Beam highlighter

Share your favorites! I'd love to hear about them!

Around the World in 80 Eyeshadows Week 31

I think life is starting to get in the way at the moment for all of us, so we have decided to take a little hiatus from our weekly Monday posts. With working, traveling, moving...we all have something that is making us struggle to keep up with the group right now. If you enjoy these posts that we do, don't worry because we'll be back soon when things have slowed down a bit!

Until then, you can see all of the past questions under my "group post" tag. I hope you have all had a great weekend. Expect an exciting post from me this week, which is the second April announcement I had alluded to in a recent post. ;)

Around the World in 80 Eyeshadows Week 30

Group post time! Here's this week's question!




Good grief, this post made me realize how many primers I have in my collection. Luckily, they all have something that sets them apart from the others. I don't use primers all that often unless it is a full day out or going to a special event, aside from Embryolisse which is a mainstay in my routine. The ones I use the most are my L'Oreal Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base and the Embryolisse cream.

I love the idea of primers, but my skin is so dry that I don't often have an issue with my makeup not staying on. I like the dual-purpose ones like the green L'Oreal one that cancels out redness and the Embryolisse which also acts as a moisturizer. It has become my favorite moisturizer, hands down.

I do have a bit of an oily t-zone, in which case I like the Magic Perfecting Base. It provides a nice matte finish. The little jar is misleading, because a little goes a long way and it will last you quite a while!


Affairs Magazine : TBA.
Beauty & Baggage : discusses her favourite products of March
Fashionable Heart : enjoyed a trip to Lake Muskoka in Ontario.
Massachusetts Mask : has a bit of spring fever!

So how would you answer this week's question?!

Around the World in 80 Eyeshadows Week 29

Group post time! I was missing in action on the group post last week since it was my anniversary, but I am back now and getting back into my routine. I had such a lovely week of vacation, but I'm happy to be back to blogging. I missed you guys! Here's this week's question!




I would say I spend more on makeup, especially based on an annual amount. All of those fun palettes add up! However, I definitely splurge on luxury bath items that I am sure adds up to quite an embarrassing amount. Also I used to not focus nearly enough on skincare like I should, so I really have been splurging on facial skincare items in the past few months. I guess I would say at this point in the year, it is about half-and-half.


Affairs Magazine : is taking the week off.
Beauty & Baggage : experiments with coral eyeshadow.
Fashionable Heart : shares what is on her makeup wishlist!
Massachusetts Mask : finds the perfect nail color for Easter!

So how would you answer this week's question?!

Around the World in 80 Eyeshadows Week 27

Group post time!




The two kind of go together for me with this one. I can never get enough of vanilla scents. It's just so calming to me! I find Vanilla Fields to be a perfect vanilla scent that is not overbearing or have other scents thrown in to compete. It is just an airy light scent of vanilla. The perfume is by Coty and is usually affordable in pricing. You can find it on Amazon right now for $23. This bottle was given to me by my aunt Doris, which makes it even more special to me. I love a perfume that makes you think of happy memories when you smell it.

Another vanilla scent that I love is Bath & Body Works' Warm Vanilla Sugar. I find it overpowering at first, but the lingering smell is lovely. And well, if you're looking for a man or want to make the one you have want you more, vanilla is supposedly a scent that makes them drool and crave you. Have fun! ;)


Affairs Magazine : makes some weightloss goals.
Beauty & Baggage : is trying out bold shades with Wet n Wild!
Fashionable Heart : shopped at one of Canada's first Target stores.
Massachusetts Mask : goes a little brush crazy with an e.l.f. haul!

So how would you answer this week's question?!

Around the World in 80 Eyeshadows Week 26

Group post time!




I'm not original when I say that I am drawn to pastels in spring. That doesn't mean that I stick solely to them, but I do crave them more than darker colors on the nails during spring.

The colors above are Essie's Brooch the Subject and Navigate Her, Models Own  Pastel Pink, China Glaze's For Audrey, and Revlon's Flirt. These are five of my favorite pastels to wear.


Affairs Magazine : started a weight loss journey... 200 lbs to go!
Beauty & Baggage : is coming around to textured nails thanks to Barry M's new Nail Paints.
Fashionable Heart : is obsessed with the Urban Decay Oz palettes!
Massachusetts Mask : is stuck in the middle of a move!

So how would you answer this week's question?!

Around the World in 80 Eyeshadows Week 25

Group post time!




Origins Clear Improvement mask has definitely turned into a favorite item. This is a deluxe sample that I got from Sephora and I've already gone through a small sample I got during Christmas. The charcoal in the mask unclogs pores. I love the feeling of this mask on. It has a cooling effect and dries like a typical clay mask. My face does not feel tight afterward and it leaves my skin feeling soft. It's been great for my sensitive skin without causing any breakouts or redness. I do not have acne-prone skin, but I imagine this could be amazing for those that do!

They have a body wash with the same active charcoal that I may just have to try when I go through a few of my other shower products first.

Affairs Magazine : did a Soda Shoppe face of the day.
Beauty & Baggage : gets Nearly Naked with Revlon!
Fashionable Heart : had a great short trip to the States!
Massachusetts Mask : talks about some possible dupes for MAC's Fleet Fast blush from last summer!

So how would you answer this week's question?!