Recent Reading-Pet Sematary

My nightstand has looked out of control recently with all my "to read" books. I have a bad habit of going to the library and checking out waaaayyyy too many books. I'm a teacher and mother of 3 very young kids; who am I kidding? But I have been able to finish a couple of really great books recently. The first one is:

Pet Sematary by Stephen King

This was my first time to read a book by Stephen King and it's perfect timing with Halloween right around the corner. I don't normally read books in the horror genre and I decided to read this particular title because I've had a fascination with the movie since I was 13 years old. I think the reason why I've been so drawn to this story is the idea of bringing something back from the dead that you love so much; now that I have kids the idea absolutely terrifies me because I think to myself, "Would I if I could?" And the answer to my own question is what shocks me. This book is all about confronting death and that is not a subject one likes to delve in much. 

The particular edition of the book I read had an introduction by Stephen King. He states that it is the scariest book he has ever written. In fact he thinks he took things too far with this novel and at one point he threw away the story. It's a story of caution and warning. One particular quote from the book that sticks out in my mind is: “And the most terrifying question of all may be just how much horror the human mind can stand and still maintain a wakeful, staring, unrelenting sanity.”

I was curious to see how the movie follows the book and I was not disappointed at all; in fact, I ended up liking the book even more than the movie. It explores the psyche of the main character Louis Creed who seems to have the perfect life-a doctor with a beautiful wife and two children (one of them happens to be the age of my own son). His son gets hit by a truck and he decides to bury him in the Indian burial ground that brings dead things back to life. I can't even begin to describe how I felt reading the book and dealing with Louis's emotions while thinking about losing my own son (and daughters). It's the most painful thing I've ever felt. One moment can take away a lifetime of happiness. Life can be cruel, can't it. 

But what if you could take that unhappiness back? What if you could bring back what was taken from you? Would you? Louis decides to bring his son back but unfortunately the son isn't who (or what) he used to be. That's the price you pay-everything comes with a price. His son is now evil but at least he has the chance to be with him again. At least the sorrow is gone. For now. It reminds me of the Governor from The Walking Dead. He keeps his daughter, who has been turned into a zombie, chained up and cares for her. At first I thought, "how weird is that?" And then I look at my own children and I can't help but wonder and think, "I hope I never get put into that situation."

But that makes us selfish people, doesn't it, to bring them back or to keep them from moving on. I believe in Heaven and why would you take that away from someone you love just to have more time on earth with them. Another quote from the book that really stuck with me is “Faith is a great thing, and really religious people would like us to believe that faith and knowing are the same thing, but I don't believe that myself. Because there are too many different ideas on the subject. What we know is this: When we die, one of two things happens. Either our souls and thoughts somehow survive the experience of dying or they don't. If they do, that opens up every possibility you could think of. If they don't, it's just blotto. The end.” 

This book took a lot out of me emotionally, which is rare for a fiction book to do that to me. That's usually reserved for non-fiction books. There were several nights were I fell asleep reading the book and had weird dreams and other nights were I couldn't get to sleep because I was reading a particularly chilling part. I was a little too happy to finish the book; not because I didn't like it but because it was so depressing to me. “That lesson suggests that in the end, we can only find peace in our human lives by accepting the will of the universe.”

The other book I finished recently is "The Husband's Secret" by Liane Moriarty. Be on the lookout for my thoughts on that book within the week. 

What's the scariest book you have ever read, and why is it scary to you?

Birchbox Anniversary Box

About a week ago I splurged and bought a few different products on Birchbox. I had 2 coupon codes-one was get an Anniversary Box if I spent $50 or more or get 20% off any purchase. I had recently purchased the Fall Fete box for my best friend's birthday on a 20% coupon so I decided to try my luck and see what I would get in the Anniversary Box. 

Here is what I received-a Whish shave cream, a Laqa & Co. lip lube in Menatour, an eyebrow pencil, and a Suki exfoliating cleanser. 

I have to admit, my initial reaction was disappointment. HOWEVER, I have since changed my mind! 

Here's what I thought of each product: 

*The eyebrow pencil I gave away to my sister. I have platinum blonde hair and this pencil is for dark haired ladies. I'm bummed I didn't get a color that matched my profile. 

*I was originally unhappy with the lip color. I have NEVER worn a color like this before and I initially said it made me look like I have hypothermia. I decided to give it one more chance and take it to ACL with me. I have to say, I was really wrong about this color! I was insecure about wearing a color like this because it took me out of my comfort zone, but I have gotten several compliments on this color. So, thank you Birchbox! 

*The Whish shave cream is ok. I really don't like the smell in my opinion. It does leave my legs feeling soft, but so does the body wash I normally use on my legs. It's a nice little treat but not something I would purchase the full size product. 

*The Suki exfoliating cleanser-haha so I'm an idiot and didn't read the directions before I first used it (they don't have the directions on the label which is not a good thing-it makes somebody use it wrong or have to go find the directions themselves). I just put some of the cleanser on my fingers and started going to town on my face. Now, it is very grainy because it is sugar and lemongrass so it was a little abrasive, but had I read the directions first I would have known to rub it between my fingers and THEN apply it to my face. That being said, it did make my face look brighter and have a nice clean feel to it! I wish the full size price was a bit cheaper-I'd be more inclined to purchase this in the future. It is a nice addition to the box. 

If you ordered the Anniversary Box, did you receive the same samples or different ones? Were you happy with them?

September Birchbox

Special delivery! Look what I found in my mailbox on Thursday-my September Birchbox AND our ACL tickets! I felt like it was Christmas or my birthday :). My Birchbox took super long to get to me-turns out USPS lost it for a little bit. I was so jealous seeing other people's blogs and just waiting to get mine. I contacted Birchbox about the missing package and one of their awesome customer service people sent me out a new box in the meantime. I told them they didn't have to do that once we found out where the package was but they insisted and said I could always give it to somebody who doesn't get Birchbox to try out. How awesome is that! They were celebrating "Customer Appreciation Day" yesterday and I did feel appreciated as a customer when they did that. Thanks, Birchbox! 

The products I received were: 

1. Laura Mercier Full Blown Volume Supreme Mascara

Meh, another mascara. I had received a mascara in this month's Ipsy bag and had ended up giving that one away. I just love my DiorShow too much. I'm not a fan of the applicator that comes with this sample. The mascara had a nice color to it but didn't lengthen or make my lashes fuller. 

2. Cynthia Rowley eyeliner-silver

This was the product I was most excited about and the reason I chose the Fashionista box. I love the color! I wasn't quite sure how it was going to show up on my fair skin. I've used it on my bottom lid and love the extra sparkle it brings to my eyes. Now, it says its smudge proof and lasts all day. I've never had any issues with smudging when I use my black one on my top line. However, on my bottom line, when I used the silver color it does smudge a little which makes the silver color go everywhere. I also had to reapply it (and honestly my eyes don't really water that much). It just takes me a little bit of extra time to do my eye makeup but I love the end result! 

3. Naobay Body Radiance Lotion

This was the product I was least excited about. I had gotten this in my July box! Just too soon to be given this product again. I'm not a fan of the earthy smell. It does make my hands and arms soft but I like a more floral scent. I gave this to my best friend-I think she will enjoy it more. 

4. Macadamia Professional Flawless Cleansing Conditioner

I was super curious to try this product out. It is a no suds shampoo and conditioner all in one. It smells nice and my hair felt soft after I towel dried it. However, it did not leave it as soft as my normal conditioner does and I noticed my hair felt coarser than normal at the end of the day. I also noticed more frizz in my hair, though it claims to cut down on the frizz. It did leave my ends looking better than my normal shampoo does. It's a great size and I would definitely bring this with me while traveling or whenever I want to cut back on the amount of shampooing I do. Some other reviewers had the same complaint and so I used a leave in conditioner along with this product and my hair feels so healthy! 

5. dr. brandt pores no more vacuum cleaner 

Both my husband and I tried this one out. I don't really have blackheads; he does. It didn't work for either one of us! It is supposed to have a cooling sensation and neither of us felt it. Bummer. I'll add it to my weekly routine though. 

Overall, this box was good. I did enjoy the Ipsy bag more than the Birchbox this month. However, in the grand scheme of things, I am more loyal to Birchbox. In fact they are running a promo right now-if you sign up to receive 12 boxes they will only charge you for 10 AND they will credit your account 100 points (which is $10 store credit) AND they will send you a Cynthia Rowley gift AND you can add on a mystery sample pack (usually valued at $10). I went for it and subscribed for a year and I know I'm not going to regret it. Use promo code UPGRADEME and tell them I sent you ;) https://www.birchbox.com/invite/crystalking

Now I just bet you are dying to know who I am most excited about seeing at ACL. My top 5 can't miss acts are: 

1. Outkast

2. Foster the People

3. Phantogram 

4. Lana Del Rey 

5. Fitz and the Tantrums (I've seen them before here in Dallas but I was several months pregnant with the twins and didn't enjoy the show as much as I would have liked.) 

One month in...

Wow-we are already one month into the school year! I'm probably jinxing myself by saying this but it's been the best start yet. My advanced class is doing GREAT in their rehearsals for their fall show. We are doing a double header- The Summer People and 10 Ways To Survive The Zombie Apocalypse. We had such a wonderful theatre moment together yesterday-my students finally saw my vision for Summer People and they became totally invested and passionate about it. Makes me so proud!

Justin's parents have the kids for the weekend again. Have I mentioned before how grateful I am for them?! I feel a little guilty that I enjoy this "no kids" time so much, but I know we both deserve it. His parents love our children to death and it's so wonderful for them to get to spend the time together. I also appreciate getting to spend quality time with Justin. We dated for exactly one year before we got married (we started dating August 21 and got married August 20 of the following year) and then got pregnant with Julian right after that so we haven't had that much "just us" time for a while.

Truthfully, I'm glad for the weekend off. The fall is so busy with all the social and school obligations. But...the house seems a little too quiet right now! I guess that means it's time for a nap!

September Fall Finds

I've been having some fun this week buying fall fashion accessories and coming up with new ideas for my nails. Here is the result of my recent trip to Charming Charlie's and Target:

I just LOVE this infinity scarf from Target! It's a tan color but with pops of hot pink in the stitching. I'm also loving the purple/pink/grey necklace from Charming Charlie's. It can go with so many different colored tops! And the best part about my shopping trip? The price!

Here's a couple of different nail ideas I saw on Birchbox last week. I'm going to use the nail polish I received in this month's Ipsy bag.

My Favorite Halloween Pins!

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Time to start decorating for HALLOWEEN!!! I've been pinning like crazy and I wanted to share some of my favorite pins. Some I've done before; some are new ideas for this year.

*Grandin Road-grandinroad.com is your place to go for awesome Halloween decorations! Now that we have a house I can go crazy with the decorations (sorry, not sorry Justin!). I'll be purchasing some headstones from them to put in our front yard. I love the look of the Victorian graveyard!

Here's a couple more decorating ideas for outside/inside that I'm going to do. Hope I don't traumatize my kids too much!

What I'm going to do with the kids this year:

I REALLY want to do this one but I know the kids would keep pulling the sheets off of everything. I will save this idea for when they are older or if we host a big party:

*Here is my Halloween costume this year. In May I purchased this Betsey Johnson "Fit and Flare" dress that I just love love love. This is what I plan on adding for accessories to wear it as a costume:

What I plan on doing with my nails:

*I'm planning on hosting a little get together on Halloween since it's on a Friday night. Here are a few of my decoration ideas.

How easy (and cute) is this?

A playlist for the evening: 

A couple of food ideas for the evening:

These are just a few of the many, many Halloween ideas I have. Check out the rest of my Halloween board here. Click here to follow me on Pinterest. 

Ipsy September "Street Style" Bag

I received my first Ipsy glam bag on Wednesday. I signed up in July but was put on a wait list so I signed up for Birchbox in the meantime. It was actually a complete surprise that I got it this week-for whatever reason their emails had been going to my spam folder. Imagine my delight when I opened up my mailbox and there was a pink package for me!

I opened the package and found the silver studded makeup bag and the "Street Style" card. While I appreciate the novelty of a makeup bag, for somebody like me I only need one, not one with every shipment. I'll throw this one in my work bag and then start giving them away. It's pretty flimsy but fits my personality as far as an accessory goes. The theme is cute; I wouldn't describe my beauty style as "street anything" haha.

I was immediately impressed by the "sample" sizes. The only item that is small is the powder which is good because I NEVER use powder. The hand cream is also a sample size but it usually takes me a while to go through hand lotions and creams. As much as I love Birchbox sometimes I wish their samples were larger. No complaints here about the size of the products from Ipsy!

The items I received were:
1. Be a Bombshell "Smooth Criminal" powder
I wasn't excited to see this product in my bag at all, but boy was I wrong in thinking that! I don't ever wear powder; it's just not part of my routine. I'd use it every day if it were this product! It's colorless and 100% silica and made my face feel so soft and smooth. It did as promised on the label and I'm a fan.

2. Avon Big and Daring mascara
I ended up liking this product the least. I've loved and used DiorShow for years and mix in Maybelline when I've run out and haven't had a chance to go pick it up. I feel like I had to apply coats over and over again to try and get some volume and thickness. I get lots of compliments on the length of my eyelashes when I wear DiorShow, and even though it's expensive, I'll continue to use it. This mascara just wasn't for me which is a shame considering the size of the product!

3. Cailyn "Basic Instinct" lip gloss
This ended up being my favorite product (go figure, ANOTHER lip gloss to add to my collection). It's a coral color and is so smooth and creamy. The color looks great with my complexion and stays on pretty good. Usually I wouldn't wear a color like this (I tend to gravitate towards purple undertones).

4. Mitchell and Peach hand cream 
This product is "ok." When I apply it, it feels slick instead of creamy. It does absorb into the skin and leaves it feeling soft; however, I don't like the initial smell-it smells too "earthy." I'm definitely going to use it at work instead of at home. I like my hand creams to have a feminine scent to them.

5. Pacifica "Red Red Wine" nail polish

Overall, I was happy with my Ipsy bag and looking forward to next month's products.