Retin A Update

I have been doing the Retin A on my face for a few weeks now. I am still going through the peeling, dry, burning skin. But, my face is visibly clearer. It is peeling and burns when I touch it but hey, it's worth it?! Ha. I really do love this stuff but wish it wasn't so harsh on my skin. I am still doing the vigorous moisturizing once a week at bedtime and skipping the Retin A that day. Also, in the mornings, I cleanse my face and put on my Aragan Oil and moisturizer. I don't put makeup on until I absolutely have to. I just tell people to excuse my skin while it sheds. Makeup almost makes it look worse because of the flakiness the makeup brings out. It. Will. Be. Okay. Lenci. If you are considering trying Retin A, do it. Don't be afraid of the first few weeks. It will get better, I promise!! Don't forget to always wear your sunscreen! The sun intensifies the bad parts of the cream. I went outside for about 20 minutes the other day, with a low SPF sunscreen, and my face is still burnt red. Try the Neutrogena baby face sunscreen. I just got some because the stuff I was using just wasn't cutting it. And if your makeup claims to have SPF in it, still use some more. Makeup doesn't have enough to really protect against the sun.

Happy Thursday!!

Lenci

Give Away Time!!

Ok, I am giving away another Clinique Mascara. The stuff is the bomb. Really. It is. Here is what you have to do:

Follow this blog.

Follow my Instagram: Lencirod (if you don't have an account, comment that in the comments below).

Comment on this post. On Saturday, April 12, 2014, I will pick a random winner.

It's that easy.

Happy day,

Lenci

Little Pink Guess Dress

I have never had a Guess store in any of the malls in the cities I have lived. When they opened one in my mall, I walked by it and paid no attention. When I had a kid-free outing I stopped in and was surprised how cute their stuff is. And they are always having awesome sales!! I was looking for something cute and simple and this dress was the perfect fit. Can a girl really ever go wrong with pink?! And I love that the shoes you wear can dress it up or down. I paired with my fave black gladiator sandals and made it more casual. But on a date night, I will wear with heels and more jewelry. Perfect.

I seriously need to get better pictures.

But you get the idea...pink dress....

I couldn't find this exact dress online (I bought mine in store) but I found the white one here.

I also didn't pay that much for mine. In store the already marked down was an extra 40% off. 

Happy Tuesday!

Lenci

Happy Tutorial

Well, this SoCal girl is moving to the East Coast. Yep, the Marine Corps is taking us away to a four season place. Bummer. These next couple of months are about to be really hectic while I take finals, pack, purge through our junk, pack, get rid of stuff, pack, and oh yeah, make that 38 hour road trip. But while I should be packing, I am still hanging stuff on the walls because I just can't get enough, These letters were actually inspired by my sis-in-law and I put my own little twist on them. I made them several months ago but just recently found the perfect spot for them: my daughter's room.

I don't have step-by-step pics but it is pretty simple and I will walk you through each one. There are so many ways you can do this, these are just my fave.

Here is how I did this:

First, pick a saying you love. It can literally be anything you want. These are the cardboard letters from JoAnne's. The best time to get these is when they are on sale. 

For the "H" I covered the letter in fabric. This is from Hobby Lobby and a canvas material so it is thicker. I used modge podge to glue it down. This was the second hardest out of all the letters. Making the fabric fit just right and cutting and gluing is time consuming. 

For the "A" I used acrylic paint. Like .69 at the craft store. Easy peasy. I used a sponge brush and used two coats. You might have to use your finger to get in the little triangle part.

For the first "P" I used foil. My sis-in-law did all of her letters except one in foil and painted the A. That was my plan as well...until I did the first one. It is torture. It wasn't for me because I am SO impatient. The foil does not adhere well with glue. It sticks to your fingers and rips. These are just ripped pieces glued down. It was my first letter. After this one, I decided I would do all of them differently. She is a saint for having the patience to do hers!!

The second "P" is easy. I taped off stripes with frog tape (Don't use the blue stuff!!) and used black acrylic paint. The brown you are seeing is the original color of the letter. It isn't perfect, but it works. 

The "Y" is glitter. Just straight glitter. I modge podged it all over and poured on the glitter. I am still finding glitter in the cracks of my kitchen table! But this one was super easy, just messy. 

You can leave like this and hang or set on a counter or whatever. I have had these on my kitchen counter and on our bookshelves. But I wanted to hang pictures in my daughter's room so I used tape and taped them to the wall. Next, I spray painted clothes pins. This isn't necessary but I like the pop of color. I used twine and used thumb tacks to secure to the wall and picked out pictures to hang. And that is it! 

It added a lot to her boring wall of her room. And she loves looking at her family:)

Lenci