Oct 27, 2012

Hair Straighteners

It seems like everyone and their dog uses a hair straightener these days to do all sorts of things to their hair- straighten, curl, wave, etc.  I absolutely LOVE using a straightener to curl my hair and do that every other day- you can watch how here.   I have found that not all hair straighteners are equal, and you can get very different results from different straighteners.

As you can see in my video, I am using this Conair straightener I got at Costco and I have been very pleased with it.  I have had it about 3 years now and its still going strong...knock on wood.  But, I was getting a little bored of the same hairstyle every day and was excited to be able to try a different straightener.

The HANA Pro 1" FlatIron was definitely different than my Conair.  The HANA is more rounded- which makes the waves/curls a little different.  It also gets hotter (450 degrees) and the plates are self-adjusting to your hair's texture- which makes it glide more (makes it easier for beginners to curl with a straightener)



With any new hairstyle, you should give yourself at least a week or two to master the technique.  Even with experience of curling my hair with a straightener for going on 3+ years it still took me about a week to really get it down with the HANA Pro.

But, after a few runs at it I love the way my hair curls with the HANA as you can see here.  It is a pretty curl that is looser and more wavy and I love it!


You can read more reviews on the HANA Pro website- and see how many people absolutely love it. 
 
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Oct 24, 2012

Personalized Birthstone Necklace Giveaway!


I fell in love with the designs of Masha from Delzhen right off the bat.  Every single piece is stunning:





I was so lucky to be able to review these pretty pink (October birthstone) earrings:


I have been wearing them with skinny jeans and a big comfy sweater and they totally complete the outfit and make it look so much more put-together.  I LOVE them.

Masha has generously offered to give away this beautiful necklace you can customize with your own birthstone, initials, and chain!  


To enter please use the rafflecopter below:

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Oct 19, 2012

My Rubber Stamp Giveaway!


Here is yet another chance for you to win a customized rubber stamp for your Christmas cards this year!  Out of all the Etsy shops for stamps, I think My Rubber Stamp had the most selection (and cutest.)  You can just see what I mean:



They design & make stamps for every occasion:
• Rubber Stamp
• Self Inking Stamp / Pre-inked Stamp
• Exotic Handmade Wood Stamp
• Craft Stamp
• Wood + Chalkboard Stamp
• Gift Certificate
• Fabric Ink Pad & Supplies
• Muslin Bags & Burlap Bags for your DIY projects



This is the cute one I got to review.  The tree is SO adorable!

{Special Coupon Code for MyRubberStamp Followers}
Enjoy 15% off for any stamp in Our Etsy Store. Enter "AFEWOFMYFAVORITEMRY" during checkout.
* Coupon code is valid during the period of the giveaway, and 2 days after the giveaway.
* Coupon code is valid for any EXISTING STAMP DESIGN listing in Our Etsy Store.
* NOT applicable for ink pads, muslin bags, burlap bags, gift cards, supplies or any other promotions.
* One coupon code per transaction, cannot combine with other coupon code.

My Rubber Stamp has offered to giveaway a custom stamp of choice! Shipping will be included for both International and Domestic follower!

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Oct 16, 2012

Remodeling Your Kitchen on a Budget

Well, we are hopefully closing on our house this week- yipee!  So, I thought I would share my plans for the kitchen, because, let's face it- that IS the most important part of a house, right?

You can see what the kitchen looks like currently here.  It is definitely liveable, but I thought, why not make it the kitchen of my dreams with a remodeling budget of $2500?

Here is how we are going to do that...

Cabinets will be painted white (Behr - Polar Bear is the plan) and antique brass hardware will be added.  I bought the hardware for a greatly discounted price on Restoration Hardware, but you can look online and in stores for less expensive options.  

Paint, Paint tools, & Hardware: $170 total.


Counter tops will be changed out to a durable and beautiful granite.  We are having them done by Granite Guyz in Orem, UT.  So far we like them a lot (mostly because of price)- I will let you know when we have a finished product if I still do :)

The granite is called Angelus- these are examples, but not the exact slab we are using:

Just a tip for if you buy granite counters- when you are at the granite yards, ask the owners if they have any left over pieces they are trying to get rid of.  (This will only work if your counter tops are around 55sq. ft. or less)  We are getting this granite at a fraction of the cost because it was the last slab left of this particular kind.

Granite Counters (45 sq ft) AND under-mount sink included: $1700 total.

I am planning on buying this facet from Home Depot- it had great reviews and I have a friend that loves hers too.  


Facet and Dispenser: $130 plus tax

Floors will be this "Vineyard Cherry" laminate we bought from Costco. We got it on sale and saved even more- thanks Melinda for telling us it was on sale! :)  It comes with the pad attached to save money and time too- important since we will be installing it ourselves.  Plus, since you always have to buy a lot extra, we will be able to return the extra with Costco's awesome return policy.  That will probably save us around $50-$100.


Floors: $700 for the kitchen AND living room, so $400 for just the kitchen.

So far we are looking at $2400 so that leaves $100 for a backsplash and any other expenses if we stay in the $2500 budget.

Another way we are saving on the kitchen remodel is keeping the white appliances- which I like more than stainless steel anyways, because I am obsessed with white and they are easier to keep clean- win win!

I can't wait to share the finished product- hopefully coming mid November!

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Oct 12, 2012

Bravo Tee Giveaway!



When I first looked at Bravo Custom Apparel I noticed how funny their t-shirts were.  I loved how they were able to print a picture or character and one word and it said so much and was so funny!  You can tell the guys that print them have a great sense of humor.  They were great to work with and seem to really like what they do.  Here are some of my favorites from their shop:


I got to review this one:

GO take a look at all the designs they have come up with- you will love them!

Use the Rafflecopter below to enter the giveaway:



a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Oct 11, 2012

My Haircut!!

I just had to show you the haircut (and color) I ended up getting last week...I chose the medium layers (thanks to the opinions of you guys and my fam) and went blonder.  The color in this pic isn't quite right...thanks to my bathroom lighting- oh well.


I will be sharing a review of the tool I used to curl it soon!
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Oct 9, 2012

Pink Taffy Designs Giveaway!


How about a super cute giveaway from Pink Taffy Designs today?  They are a unique children's boutique with baby gifts, clothing, room decor, and even toys that I haven't seen anywhere else.  These are just a few of the items on their site I loved:

For Macsen:

For Allie:

 For me:


Pink Taffy has offered a set of hand painted and personalized wall letters to one lucky reader!
You can see the wall letters I decorated with in Allie and Macsen's room to get some ideas.



They have SO many to choose from!

To enter the giveaway, FIRST make sure you are a follower or subscriber to A Few of My Favorite Things (and leave a comment stating how you follow) 

Then, use the rafflecopter below to get as many as 4 entries!

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Oct 3, 2012

The Beach

I have been craving the beach lately- it has been a year and a half since I have been last...I think I need to go once a year to be fully satisfied :)  I think that is why I tend to gravitate to beachy home decor.  The blues, tans, and whites, along with wicker, shells, and light driftwood tones.  





If I could I would live on the beach on the gulf side of Florida and be a wedding photographer out there.  As long as I could take my whole family with me :)
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Oct 2, 2012

JEM Apparel

Some of you may remember the post I did on JEM Apparel a while back.  I was lucky to be able to work with them again on another review.  This time it was another cardigan:


It is so flowy and the gathers create so much more interest than your usual plain cardigan.  I love to pair it with a cute dress and boots for the Fall with a fit like this one:



Or with a flowy tank like this one and some skinny jeans:


There are so many options with a cardigan, which is why I love them so much, and JEM Apparel has tons of cardis to choose from!

Go stop by and take a look!  Right now you can get 25% off orders of $50 or more with code: SUMMER25!  Hurry though, offer ends this Friday!
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Oct 1, 2012

Haircut!

I am finally getting a haircut on Thursday and I am not sure what I want to do!  

I know for sure that I want it super light...



I'm just not sure how I want it cut...

Just a trim:

A long bob:


Or medium layers?

images via pinterest

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