A new {Favorite Thing}

I had seen these in several magazines awhile back, and had been on the lookout for them...

well, I finally tracked some down :)

EOS Lip Balms

ok...first, are they not the cutest little things??

The flavors are (pink) Summer Fruit - smells like peaches

(citron) Honeysuckle Honeydew - yum!

(light blue) Sweet Mint - can't seem to find this one :(

They have lots of great qualities..

Organic

Paraben free

Gluten free

Petrolatum free

Phthalate free

Shea butter and Vit E

I had been looking for them in the cosmetic sections of Walgreens and Rite Aid (the only two stores I know of that carry them in my area), but found out they are in the aisle with Chapstick, Carmex, etc...just FYI

Just a new summer favorite!

"Royally" Thrilled!!!

We had some family travel to London just days after the Royal Wedding, and they gifted Lucy this darling Paper Dolly Book straight from the UK!!

Can you stand Will's union jack briefs?!?!

ahhh....the famous blue engagement announcement dress!

I spy Hunter wellies!!!

oops...wasn't our Wills wearing a RED uniform on his wedding today???

This is such a treasure...we LOVE it!!

Cheers! It's Wedding Day!

LONDON Calling~

I am an Anglophile

I LOVE London

I love the union jack

I love the history

I love the royal legacy

I will watch the royal wedding :)

I love my tea the English way

I LOVED Princess Di

My girl Tracy Porter loves this too...and she is hosting a fabulous giveaway until midnight....so if you love all things London...hurry over and sign up!

...and now there are 2!

I have shared my LOVE of these books here...

and today my second in the collection arrived, Hello Lovely!

You can get yours here!

I am a little obsessed with.....

My new Jonathan Adler mug from Starbucks!

♥LOVE♥

Meeting a Blogger Friend~FINALLY!

When I knew my son and I were heading to Boise, there was NO way I was going and not getting to meet my friend Catie.

 You see, Catie and I met blogging over 2 years ago, we have emailed and commented, but until my trip was booked had never even talked on the phone.  When Catie found out I was coming she offered for Powell and I to stay with her and her family.  I truly felt as if I have known Catie for years, and so my answer was a resounding "YES"!

Getting off the airplane and seeing Catie and her children waiting for Powell and I was like getting to see an old friend...we hugged as if it had been years (2 in fact :)

After our BSU tour, Catie picked us up and we headed back to her house. 

We laughed, chatted, and caught up with each others lives.

On Saturday, we headed to Powell's Sweet Shoppe...seems like the perfect destination for an aspiring dentist...don't ya think??

After that we had lunch and went to Catie's favorite thrift store.  Catie always finds the BEST stuff there, so I was so excited to see what treasures I could find!

(we took these pics in the thrift store because we had a group of friend holding their breath WAITING for pics of us together:)

Later in the day we went for a walk to visit the ducks.  Catie found 2 abandoned duck eggs during the spring, took them home, hatched them, raised them, and released them back to the ponds where she found them.  I have seen video and heard stories of how Pip and Papito KNOW Catie when she gets to the ponds...but to see it in person was so 

heartwarming....

(even Powell had to see this in person, and he could NOT believe it!)

We had such a fun relaxing visit...Catie and her family made us feel so welcome in their home...

(Marian, Emily, Powell and Ned) 

I know that if Powell ends up going to BSU, I will not have to worry one bit about him, knowing that Catie is just a phone call away!

My name is Dawn, and I am addicted to PUMPKIN!

Once the kids go back to school, it really feels like fall kicks in for me...

and nothing says "FALL" like PUMPKIN!

I have shared my love of Pumpkin Spice Lattes HERE..which I now make on my own..thank you very much!

I just made the MOST delish Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Frosting...recipe HERE

I eat Pumpkin Oatmeal...a recipe I found in Clean Eating Magazine, DELICIOUS!

I have made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies,

 and this week I have made (TWICE)

 Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

(how cute are these cupcake papers by Wilton?  I found them at Walmart:) 


So...what about you, do you love pumpkin too??

Ciao Bella Italia!

I have been blessed with two trips to my beloved Italy~

Both trips were at almost the exact time of year...the end of October.  So every year at this time...my heart aches for this beautiful place...the history, the people, the food!

Our first trip was in 2002, and we toured the Tuscan Countryside, wine tasted, had cooking lessons, olive picked, went to many wonderful cities and stayed in countryside  Villas...a dream come true trip.

My second trip was in 2005 with my sweet Mom.

I encouraged my Italian Mom to go see this beautiful country.  She had never left the U.S. before, so this was a very exciting trip for her.

We decided to stay in Roma (Rome) for the whote 8 days and make a day trip by train to Florence, one of my most favorite cities~

The Coloseum, the Vatican, the Parthenon, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish steps...

be still my heart♥

Oh David...how I love thee!

Oh my sweet Italia...we will see each other again one day~

♥Ti amo Italia♥

{Friday Favorites}

I have to share TWO of my new favorite things!

First up....

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure nail polish in

Commander in Chic!!

I first read about this polish in InStyle magazine, and thought I would give it a try!

Amazing...this color, first of all, is so fabulous, a taupey grey neutral, that looks so great on short nails for fall...and the compliments flow! They have lots of great colors from palest pinks to a black/brown that resembles a cool OPI color!

The best part...this polish LASTS and it dries very quickly!! I rarely paint my fingernails anymore. With all the cleaning and dishes and bathing, polish never seems to last more than a day before it chips! This polish LASTED...seriously it stayed on for 5 days without chipping while still doing all my usual chores. It is about $7 a bottle and I bought mine at Walgreens.

You MUST try!

Next up....

L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes mascara

So, I saw an ad for this one too, and was in the market for a new mascara.

You apply this using the white end first (a primer if you will) and then the red end.

Yes, it does make your lashes look longer, but for me the cool factor was that it doesn't smudge or run. I wear contacts, so I usually go for a waterproof mascara, so there is no flaking etc...but I hate trying to get waterproof OFF...and with some, all the black that ends up on my white towels!

This mascara literally comes off in "tubes". Once you rinse your face with water, and wet your lashes the mascara comes off each individual lash...very cool...and no more black eyes!!

So...there you have two of my new favorite products!

Let me know if you use or try one!

Need a little COLOR??

....on your body? I LOVE to be tan. I love the way I feel when I am tan, but my days of BAKING in the sun are over. I admit when I am on vacation I do lay in the sun because it feels so good. Of course, as I have gotten older I am much more conscience of using sunsreen and wearing a hat to protect my face.

Here in the Northwest, you could tend to look a little "pastey" ...so this is my "go to" spray tan! I have used quite a few, but I love this one. It really is practically mistake proof, the spray is so fine, and the color gradual. The lastest version has a new spray tip that I think is going to make it even better!

I, of course, do not use spray tan on my face...so to give myself a little color there as well, I love to use a bronzer. I am a big fan of Bare Escentuals and their Warmth is my favorite...a little goes a LONG way, so this jar last a really long time!!

So....if you're feeling like you need a little color, give these a try!

Grey is my new favorite color!

First...let's clear something up...is it GREY or GRAY?

Here is what I found:

Gray is used primarily in the United States and other areas that use US English. Grey is used in Great Britain and areas that use UK English.

I'm an Anglophile so, GREY it is!

CrewCuts

Anthropologie

GapKids

Target

Tracy Porter

Books Books Beautiful Books!!

I have always LOVED reading ever since I was a little girl...reading was always one of my favorite pastimes. It seems as the years have passed, I go through phases where I read like mad, and then...nothing. As my Boys have gotten older, my reading time slowly re-appeared, and then after bringing home Lucy it took a backseat as we adjusted to life with a 4 year old.

So, this year, I plan to make time to once again enjoy my favorite pastime...there are so many wonderful books I want to read...I have begun stacking them on my bedside table so they will call to me as I climb into bed everynight. As a way to motivate myself and keep track of all the books I have read this year...I am going to keep a list on my sidebar and look forward to watching it grow~