Hoots of a Night Al

It's Just Another Manicure Monday: OPI Shootout at the O.K. Coral!

June 2, 2014 No Comments

Looking for that perfect summer polish? This is it! I love OPI polishes, and this color is no exception. Shootout at the O.K. Coral is a pearlescent pinky-coral that goes on smooth and lasts forever.

It’s slightly pearlized but not “6th-grade-shimmer” looking. It’s versatile enough to work for a variety of ages and skin tones because it has hints of orange, pink, and coral and can be layered for varying intensity. Plus, it is bright enough to be eye-catching without being too neon or loud. (Though I love a good neon polish!)

My one qualm is that it takes three or more coats to become opaque. I have two coats on in these pictures, and it is almost opaque, but you can still see where my nail bed ends. Some people may not care, but it kind of bugs me…It doesn’t bug me enough to stop wearing it though! The color is just too refreshing and pretty to pass up!

As you can see it looks and photographs very differently in all lights, but it’s always a gorgeous color! If you’re into wearing warm shades on your nails for summer grab a bottle like this one to coat your nails until the fall!

Hope this works its way into your summer polish rotation!

Family

Definition of a Mother

May 11, 2014 4 Comments

I’m blessed to call you mom, today and everyday, Mom. Thank you for being exactly who you are; you’re an example to women and mothers everywhere. If the world was filled with people like you, it would be a pretty amazing place.

I love you more each day, bestie!

Humor, Married Life

High Five for Friday #3!

May 9, 2014 2 Comments

Howdy! It’s Friday, which mean it’s time for another High Five for Friday! Here are five things that made me happy this week:

1. Cindo de Mayo: Monday was Cindo de Mayo, so I decided to throw a spontaneous, tiny fiesta for us! I made tacos, picked up Chili’s chips and salsa (so yummy if you’ve never had them), and got some glass bottled Coca Colas. Instead of stopping there, I put on the most traditional looking Mexican dress I owned (that had never been worn and will probably never be worn again…), twisted my hair up in a bun, donned my hoop earrings, and added some sassy makeup. Too much? Probably. With my getup on, I greeted Louis at with door with a loud, “Hola!” and mariachi music blaring in the apartment. He literally fell on the floor laughing, so I’d say Cinco de Mayo was a success!

I also whipped up this simple “banner” by cutting up some orange paper, adding the letters with a silver Sharpie, and taping them on our mirror. Easy as can be! Confession: it stayed there until Thursday when I finally took it down.

2. Being Married: I mean, this is a high five daily, but the past couple of weeks Louis has been leaving me super sweet notes for when I get home from subbing. It really makes my heart happy and reminds me what a loving, romantic guy I married. Also, yes, his handwriting is ~~probably~~ definitely neater than mine.

3. Pink & Polka Dots: This weekend is Mother’s Day, so we’re heading home to celebrate with our moms! I finally got a chance to wrap my mom’s gifts, and I’m in love with how they turned out! When I saw this wrapping paper and baker’s twine at Target, I just knew it was perfect for Sassy Kat! Pink and polka dots represent her perfectly. I hope she likes what’s inside the boxes as much as the wrapping!

4. Tiki Beach Candle: I picked this up during Bath & Body Works’ most recent 2 for $22 candle sale, and oh man. It smells SUPER yummy. It’s described as a “luxurious blend of toasted coconut, vanilla musk and orchids,” and I think it smells like the summer version of Leaves (which you know I’m obsessed with). It has a delicious, refreshing smell that totally fills our ~~mansion~~ apartment when we burn it, and it makes me want to eat watermelon and have a tan. Tiki Beach FTW.

5. #LivinDatSubLife: Um, I’ve been obnoxiously using this hashtag on all of the pictures I Instagram while subbing, and I secretly love it. I love that I used a TI-83 for the first time in forever this week. I learned to love listening to the same four chapters of Touching Spirit Bear on audio book seven times. I laugh that during every class, every day, at least one student sees “Mrs.” written on the board and asks if I’m married and if I’m even old enough to be married, which leads to a series of questions about my age, my life, and my husband. They’re funny. I’ve been subbing at the same school a lot this month, so it’s great that I’m starting to remember several of the kids and to have them greet me in the halls.

Hope your Friday is great! Mine will consist of packing and driving home to see family for Mother’s Day! Don’t forget to plan something special for the moms in your life this weekend! And if you’re a mom yourself, enjoy being celebrated! You deserve it!

Beauty, Humor

Tangle Teezer AKA The Official Brush of Disney Princesses

May 4, 2014 8 Comments

If you’ve read any of my posts that are littered with selfies, you’ve probably seen that I have long hair. Half of the time I feel like Merida because my tangles are so bad that I have to rip out half of my hair to get rid of them.

If I decide I don’t want to rip out half of my hair, it takes me as long as Rapunzel to brush out each and every knot.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any animal friends to manage my hair for me à la Pocahontas.

Enter: Tangle Teezer. I snagged this little brush for about $9 at Target a couple of weeks ago, and it’s been a serious game changer.

The Tangle Teezer was invented by a UK hairstylist, and it is without a doubt the best brush I’ve ever used. I think one of the best things about it is the fact that it can be used on wet or dry hair. I use it both when I get ready in the morning and to brush in my leave-in conditioner after showering.

It doesn’t even matter whether I’ve had my hair wadded up all day or been walking through a wind tunnel (What? Just go with it.), the Tangle Teezer glides through my hair like a hot knife through a stick of butter. I think it may be due to the fact that it has 1.8 million bristles. (Note: I have not, in fact counted the bristles.) It’s also great because I’ve noticed I’m pulling out far fewer hairs when I brush than when I use a regular paddle brush.

One thing I had to get used to was the fact that it didn’t have a handle, but now that I’ve been using it for a bit, I don’t even notice. Another thing worth mentioning is that it’s not meant to be used with heat, so don’t plan on using it while you style your hair. Also, it sort of bugs me that the name is Tangle Teezer since teasing your hair is literally the act of tangling it, but that’s just a personal note. I would have preferred Tangle Terminator, but there may have been some copyright issues.

So, if you’re sick of wasting hours being careful not to yank out your knotted hair, go pick up your own Tangle Teezer! You’ll be smiling like Jasmine in no time!

And Ariel! Except…no, not Ariel. She’s lookin’ kinda crazy here. Someone get that girl a Tangle Teezer.

Humor, Monthly Favorites

April Favorites!

May 1, 2014 4 Comments

It’s May! I’ve been looking forward to May for months because this is the month my 2nd nephew arrives!!! (Unless he’s super late…just kidding, Amy…that isn’t going to happen!) April was great, but it flew by! Here’s a little roundup of some of my favorite things of the month….

Dr. Pepper IN A CAN: Dr. Pepper is my favorite soda by far and my favorite drink after water. On snack runs, road trips, or to accompany popcorn it’s always my top pick. However, this month, I thankfully remembered what really sets it over the top. Drinking it out of a can. It may sound stupid to you, but I promise. Out of a can it’s a different consistency, a different flavor, a different experience. Don’t judge me until you try it. And if you disagree, don’t tell me. Because you’re wrong. Dr. Pepper out of a can for life. (Striped straw not necessary.)

Springy Jewelry: I’m all about these “statement pieces” lately. I guess the statement I’m making is, “I love this $9.80 necklace from Forever 21 that is probably turning my neck green at the moment.” Seriously though, I can’t bring myself to spend a ton of money on this fun jewelry, so my current collection is all from Forever 21 and under $15. I love pairing these necklaces with my Old Navy chambray tunics, and I wore these earrings with my Easter dress.

My Easter Dress: Speaking of my Easter dress, it was one of my favorite outfits from April. I found it on the clearance rack at Target, and I knew it would be perfect for Easter Sunday! It had such a fun pattern with so many pretty colors, so I paired it with my nude pumps and faux stone (thanks for the clarification Forever 21…I thought I was spending $5.80 on REAL diamond earrings) earrings for a fresh, pretty look. Perfect for celebrating Jesus and all that Easter means!

Easter: Easter was so great. It was filled with confetti eggs, Peeps cupcakes, Easter egg hunts, church, laughter, fun, and most importantly FAMILY FAMILY FAMILY. It’s hard living in a different city from our families, but it makes the time we spend at home so much sweeter. If I’m being honest, one of the best parts of the weekend was when my nephew called me “Alla.” He’s at the age where he’s really starting to talk, and I felt so special that he knew my name! Totally melted my heart. Side note: How precious are the chocolate covered strawberry “carrots” my mom made below? Love.

Pappasito’s: If you aren’t from Texas, first of all, I’m sorry. Secondly, you wouldn’t understand the magic that is Pappasito’s Cantina. Their thin, salted tortilla chips dipped in delicious roasted salsa followed by perfectly marinated beef fajitas wrapped in fresh tortillas and dipped in mantequilla is a heavenly experience. Louis and I have been craving it basically every day lately, but unfortunately they don’t exactly have Taco Bell prices. We’ve limited our visits to weekends, but I can’t get enough! Seriously, next time you eat Mexican food, make it Pappasito’s.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier: There haven’t been many movies we’ve wanted to see lately, but Captain America was a must-see! We love the Avengers movies, and Captain America may be my favorite Avenger…I just love America so much. Anyway, this movie was great! It was a little darker than the first Captain America, but it still had several funny moments, great action sequences, and crazy special effects. If you haven’t seen it, I’d recommend it!

This GIF: Because it is everything.

See ya, April. Howdy, May!

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