Howdy, folks! I’m trying to get my life together on the health front and have been perusing the internet for workout clothes as inspiration. Take a peek at my picks and let me know what you think in the comments below:
Also, what is your favorite activewear brand? I’m quite partial to Old Navy, but I’m obviously dying to get my hands on some Aerie gems. I’ve heard such good things!
Our parents recently visited us here in the 901 over two separate long weekends and we were able to make the best of it while safely visiting some of our favorite spots. If you’re looking for a weekend getaway sometime in the fall, Memphis is always a great option. Here is a look at what we got up to with our masks on and our hand sanitizer at the ready:
My parents stayed at The Peabody for one of the nights and, as always, absolutely loved the experience. The Peabody is going above and beyond for customer safety and it is truly one of my favorite hotels in the entire world, no matter the circumstances or time of year. The history of the Peabody is incredible and walking throughout this beautiful location transports you back in time (pro tip: check out the placard next to the incredible piano upstairs. Its former owner will blow your mind). There really is nothing quite like getting a drink at the lobby bar and people watching.
We also lived our best foodie lives both weekends and had some amazing grub. Our favorite meals were definitely tied between the dinner we had with my in-laws at Flight, where we sat in the wine cellar for the first time and I may love the ambiance down there even more. You seriously can never go wrong with Flight if you ever need a special event location in Memphis. Our other favorite meal was at Slider Inn with my parents and two of our best friends, where I ate and drank my weight in corn dogs and their iconic Jameson Slushies. Yum.
For a quick meal (or a longer sit down or to-go situation depended upon what you’re feeling), we also went to Huey’s and Central BBQ, as per usual, because yes. All four restaurants are taking safety extremely seriously, but Slider Inn gets an extra gold star for taking all of our temperatures and having each of us fill in our personal contact information (just in case), to inform us if anybody who was also in the restaurant at the same time as us had tested positive.
And, if you’ve got a sweet tooth, Muddy’s is doing a contactless to-go preorder system that is fantastic if you want to be extra prepared and jump on the opportunity. The Prozac cupcakes will alter your life forever. I was lucky enough to get a gift card from my amazing director for my birthday and Tyler and I spent it all in one sitting on treats because #selfcontrol.
While you’re at it, since Muddy’s is in the Broad Ave. Arts Districts, you should go and pick up a Falling Into Place candle. They are SO good. Good to the point that I burned through the one I was gifted for my birthday by my sweet friend Kelsey in less than a week…
And, last but not least, we had to visit The Pyramid for both my father-in-law and my Daddio (and of course Tyler), because #manstuff and it was very easily to social distance because of how insanely massive that place is. It’s definitely worth going to once if you have never been, no matter if you enjoy the great outdoors or not (and especially whenever the new Wahlburger’s is built! So excited!).
Many other popular tourist areas in Memphis are taking tons of safety precautions, including the Zoo, Graceland, the Civil Rights Museum and Sun Studio, but we decided to take it easy and spend more time hanging out as a a family to catch up over yummy eats and drinks.
Have you ever been to Memphis? Or are you from the Mid-South area? Let me know in the comments below!
The Ulta 21 Days of Beauty Sale is always an amazing time to stock up on some old favorites or to take the chance on something new, since a new mix of items is listed at 50% off each day. With the days that are left of the sale, I decided I would gather together my list of what I would be interested in grabbing, as well as some favorites of my own (* are next to my faves):
We are lucky enough to be able to easily visit some of our best friends in Pensacola, Florida, whenever the opportunity arises (fun fact: Memphis is about a 7 hour drive from a whole list of incredibly awesome places – Chicago, Kansas City, Pensacola, etc). The location, the food, and of course, the company, are amazing in this popular tourist destination, and you can easily find more quiet spots to relax the day away in the sun. Here are some of our favorite spots:
Restaurants:
The Oar House: Y’all, this is one of my favorite restaurants that I have ever been to. The seafood is just *chef’s kiss*. I could easily sustain myself off of their St. Thomas Hot Pops and the delicious, frozen boozy concoction pictured below. 🙂
Jaco’s Bayfront Bar & Grille: LOVE this location and being able to sit by the marina. Great food and drinks. The desserts were AMAZING.
Hub Stacey’s: We went for breakfast and did NOT leave hungry. Great, laid back atmosphere.
Sushi Masa: The true un-sung hero of our most recent visit, Sushi Masa’s all-you-can-eat lunch was a true experience to the point that I didn’t even get one photo I was so immersed in the experience lol. The sushi was pretty flipping awesome if I’m being honest, y’all, and I have never seen four people consume that much sushi in my life. The price is fantastic for the insane amount of food you get, but be prepared to get there as soon as it opens because of the limited capacity due to COVID restrictions if you’re going anytime soon, because the locals LOVE this place. We waited in line to get in starting at 10:50 in the morning on a Saturday (they opened at 11), but it was totally worth it.
Coffee Guy Cafe: SUCH a cute coffee shop (it’s also connected to an optometry, which is so quirky and fun lol). The desserts looked incredible, even though we were too stuffed to grab any, but all of the drinks we got were great!
Activities:
Beachin’ & Chillin’: The Rosamond Johnson Beach in the Gulf Islands National Seashore area is the only beach we have gone to so far because it’s just that good. It is SO quiet as compared to some of the other popular beach areas and it’s such a relaxing vibe every time we’ve gone back.
Needless to say, I am beyond thankful for awesome friends and beach time. BUT, I am also SO ready for fall, folks. What has been your favorite memory from the summer of 2020? And how have you found joy in this strange year despite COVID-19?
As I am sitting here avoiding doing the deep clean that our house so desperately needs before family comes and visits us the next two weekends that I will inevitably wait to do until Thursday night, I started thinking about how we only have one candle in this whole house at the moment. That ain’t normal for us. I normally have a candle going all day long in the background, but since my T.J. Maxx and other shopping excursions aren’t happening right now, we are getting down to the wire. We currently have the Calyan Wax Co: Texas Bluebonnet that my wonderful bestie Allyson gifted us, which I highly recommend. She purchased it from the Clearfork Farmers Market for my Fort Worth gals, it smells EXACTLY like a field of bluebonnets, and has lasted for quite a long time thus far. #nostalgia #shopsmall
As far as my other favorite candles, my #1 is the Capri Blue Volcano Candle. I won’t even attempt to describe the notes of any of these candles, but know that I don’t love sweet scents and normally gravitate towards more botanical, outdoorsy, calming scents (lol, descriptive words). The Volcano Candle smells like summer at a rich house to me and I want to having it burning every day of my life. HOWEVER, if you want to save some money, the Scentsational Moonlight candle that you can find at T.J. Maxx is the exact. same. scent. We love them so much as well.
For another T.J. Maxx find, the DW Homes Calming Waves is an awesome option. Scentsational and DW Homes are the superior T.J. Maxx candle options.
And, last but not least, Tyler Candles are so strong, so wonderful, and I ADORE the packaging. I LOVE gifting a Tyler Candle, and always recommend looking for them at your favorite local boutique, as the prices in-person are oftentimes better than online: Diva, High Maintenance, Mediterranean Fig, Dolce Vita
What are your favorite candles? I’m dying to get my hands on a diptyque or Jo Malone candle, but I genuinely don’t know if I could ever purchase a candle that expensive lol. Let me know in the comments below!
If you are traveling through Texas, to Texas, or are a Texan yourself, you should definitely stop in Grapevine or Southlake to grab a bite to eat (in-person or to-go, for those of you who are more comfortable dining at home right now), or for some seriously amazing shopping options. Check out my top picks for two of my favorite Texas towns (which are located side-by-side and are only 10 minutes apart):
Grapevine:
Grapevine, as you would expect, has some really amazing wineries, and is known for its wine festival. It is also known for the amazing Gaylord hotel, where you can either experience my favorite event, ICE!, which involves a different, massive ice sculpture to walk through every holiday season, or for more warm-weather fun for your kiddos, Great Wolf Lodge. Their Farmers Market is also located in the middle of the town square across the street from my favorite brunch spot, Main Street Bistro & Bakery.
Favorite Restaurants: (All of the restaurants below, besides Main Street Bistro & Bakery, are conveniently located in the same area with a courtyard connecting all four restaurants, as you can see in the above pic of me and two of my besties as we had my bon voyage dinner at Winewood Grill before we moved to Memphis. So many options to choose from!)
If I could live in any city in Texas for the long-term, it would be Southlake. The city is beautiful, with incredible neighborhoods and a fantastic school system, while also being a hop, skip and a jump from either Fort Worth or Dallas. It also helps that it is the home of one of my favorite shopping centers, Southlake Town Square.
If you have a recent high school (or college) graduate to buy a gift for, below are some ideas (the majority of which I received as gifts for high school graduation, aside from the always-loved cash and gift cards, that helped me throughout my college experience that I still have and use to this day):
*Laundry basket filled with: Command strips (SO expensive for what they are, especially when they’re the only thing you can use in a dorm room), batteries, cleaning supplies, tool kit, power strips, 10 ft. phone charger, etc. (This would be SO appreciate by a college graduate. Maybe even more so than a high school graduate. #adulting)
As the humidity starts to crank up here in Memphis, I am dreaming about hitting up the beach on basically an every day basis (seriously, Memphis is worse than Houston on that front I’ve decided). I am wanting some sun and sand in my life, with a healthy dose of social distancing. Here are some items that I would love to have while having fun in the sun:
I have spent some time away from this space to intentionally learn more about what part I can and should play against racism and ways in which I can support the black community, as well as praying for healing and unity in the U.S. With that being said, out of all of the resources and content I have consumed on social media, Alyson Haley’s post, “I’m Angry. Now What? How To Put In The Anti-Racism Work,” has been incredibly helpful to me. As such, if there are any resources you would like to link to in the comments, or any black-owned brands that you would like for all of us to know about to support, please leave them below!
As I have felt throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and now through the protests being held throughout the world, I have been unsure on how to pursue this hobby of mine as I feel both personal (I find creating content for this blog very cathartic), and professional (I hope that I can grow this space into something that I am proud of and can help support my family with some day), pulls to create here. For now, I’m going to continue on until y’all provide feedback otherwise, but know that I am praying for every person that reads this blog (as silly as that may seem on a Target wish list post), and all of the other residents of this amazing planet that we live on.
And, with that, let’s get into some things I’ve had my eye on at Target, but that I have not been able to justify purchasing since I do not leave my pajamas as I continue to be lucky enough to work from home. A girl can dream, right?
I was inspired by Taylor Wynn’s (@taylorwynn), recent “Full Face of Essence Cosmetics” video and I had to try out an (almost) full face for myself! Coincidentally, Taylor’s video coincided with a B1G1 50% off sale on Essence at Ulta, so I was able to snatch up all of the below products, plus the Wet n Wild foundation and Maybelline powder that I already had in my collection (that were both also purchased previously on-sale), for a grand total of $46.67 before tax. With that being said, all of these products retail for $62.86 before tax, so you can get an amazingly affordable, full face of makeup for under $70, no matter if there is a sale or not. However, I of course always recommend you holding out for a sale and keeping your eyes opened to all available coupons! Now, let’s get into what I think of the makeup. 🙂
I got the nude shade of this pencil, and while it is very pigmented, it was a bit more crumbly than I would have liked and irritated my eyes a bit. However, I think that was partially due to having not worn makeup in quite a few days (keeping it real here in quarantine), so I will continue to test.
Okay, y’all, I adore this bronzer. Easily my favorite product (besides the highlighter). I got the shade for blondes and it warms up my complexion so well, without being orange at all.
This thing brings the glow in a really intense way! I like it so far, but will have to let you know more once I have more time to test these products out.
I used this mascara once in the past, but recall not liking it because it was difficult to take off. However, with my current DHC oil makeup remover, I had no problem at all. I do like the amount of volume and length that it brings to my lashes for every day, but I like my Urban Decay Perversion mascara for more volume for night.
This stuff really does brighten your under eyes right up, but it did make my under eyes look a little dry. However, I did add more powder than I normally would since I’m trying to stop the inevitable mascara transfer from my oily skin during the summer, so that experimentation could be a factor (or it could be the concealer. TBD!).
I liked the eye look I ended up with for the three shades I used, but the shades I did use were definitely the hardest to blend that I’ve used in a long time and are quite crumbly. However, for $5 for a palette with this amount of shades, that is a heck of a deal. But, if I’m honest with myself, I would personally purchase one of Melted Chrome Eyeshadows in retrospect, as I think I would have gotten more use out of that.
The shade that I purchased is no longer available on Ulta’s website, but I do like the formula. Essence’s lip gloss formula is supposed to be great in general, so I don’t think you can go wrong there (but you may be able to prove me wrong!).
Carly Elizabeth Wallace 