My Week In Shoes {Week 3}

I only managed to save five pairs this week despite buying five--eek! (they basically just cancel each other out, right?) One pair I bought in a pinch because I went out of town for the night forgot my shoes to go with my dress and all I had were flip flops--totally not appropriate. Then I was sucked into a clearance sale at the mall and snagged some extra summer flip flops and the cute studded canvas shoes below. I know, I know...I just can't resist a pair of $4 shoes!

Braided Flip Flops from Wet Seal (same ones I wore here, just in green)

Gold Studded Canvas Shoes from Wet Seal. How cute is the animal print lining?!

Black Peep Toe Pumps with Feather Heel Detail (can't remember where I got these...somewhere from the mall during the Black Friday/Christmas sales)

Bedazzled Rhinestone Flip Flops....allow me to explain. The hubby and I were on vacation for our anniversary in Atlantic City and the heel of my beloved Blahniks broke in the middle of a casino! We were at the one down the boardwalk from ours and it was February and almost 11pm, so I bought the only shoes the gift shop had. Now I wear them around the house just for fun =)

I also saved a pair of plain black ballet flats, but didn't get a chance to snap a pic.

Total Pairs of Shoes in Closet: 175

Total Pairs Saved: 18

Want to learn more about the Shoeper Shoe Challenge? You can check out my post about it here or visit the shoe challenge page on the Shoeper Woman blog. 

Previous weeks: Week 1, Week 2

Fashion Friday {Gold & Black Brooch}

One of my all time favorite things to do is hunt for vintage costume jewelry. Thrift stores, flea markets, antique malls--you name and I'm game for an adventure. Specifically, I collect brooches, interesting clip on earrings, and just about anything with an art deco influence. When I was treasure hunting at the Value Village here, this pin caught my eye right away. It is a gold-tone metal filigree base with a large black faceted crystal in the middle. It appears to be unmarked, but I love it all the same. And, it set me back less than $2. Now, that's my kind of deal =)

What's your favorite thrift store find?

Black Pepper Chicken Spring Rolls + Chili Basil Dumplings Recipes

Here are two more of the recipes from my Homemade Dim Sum lineup. These were also inspired by some of our favorites from Ping Pong. After a lot of trial and error, I found what I think is a tasty balance for these. These are great as part of your own dim sum spread or as a party appetizer. Enjoy!

Black Pepper Chicken Spring Rolls

Ingredients

• Chicken Breasts (2-3)
• 2 tbsp. Honey
• Black Pepper
• Black Pepper Sauce (found in the ethnic foods aisle)
• Soy Sauce
• Spring Roll Wrappers

Preparing the Filling

1. Cook the chicken breasts all the way through, then mince them.

2. Return the chicken to a frying pan over low heat.

3. Add the honey and stir until the chicen is coated.

4. Add the black pepper sauce to your liking and use the extra black pepper and soy sauce to adjust the seasoning to your taste.

5. Remove from heat, place in a bowl, and set aside.

Assembling the Spring Rolls

1. Thaw the spring roll wrappers according to the package instructions

2. Spoon the filling into the wrappers and roll them being sure to seal all of the edges.

Note: Be sure not to overfill them. If you do, them might burst when you fry them. I overfilled the batch above. They don't look the prettiest, but they are still tasty!

Cooking Instructions

Cook the spring rolls in a deep fryer or in a pot of oil (I recommend using vegetable or canola oil). The oil temperature should be about 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Be careful, the oil will by very hot. Submerge the spring rolls for 60 seconds or until the wrapper is thoroughly cooked. I suggest using a spider or tongs to move the spring rolls into and out of the oil. Place spring rolls on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Allow to cool to a comfortable temperature and serve with your choice of sauce (my favorite is the chili sauce below!)

Chili Sauce

• Ground Chili Paste
• Brown Sugar
• Sesame Oil

Combine 2 parts chili paste with 1 part brown sugar and 1 part sesame oil. Heat and serve.

Note: These ratios can be adjusted for your desired taste. The chili paste adds heat, the sesame oil thins out the sauce, and the brown sugar balances the heat. I suggest starting and then tasting frequently until you are satisfied with the result.

Chili Basil Dumplings
Ingredients

• Dumpling Wrappers, thawed
• Vermicelli Rice Noodles
• Thai Basil, finely chopped
• Chili Peppers, finely chopped (I use either Thai or Vietnamese Chilis, but you can use whichever you prefer)

Assembly Instructions

1. Prepare the vermicelli according to the package instructions (usually boil for about 3 minutes, then rinse under cold water for 1 minute).

2. Roll out dumpling wrappers slightly with a rolling pin.

3. Fill dumplings with vermicelli, basil, and a sprinkling of chili (adjust these amounts to you taste preference).

4. Fold dumplings, making sure to seal the edges.

Cooking Instructions

Using a griddle pan on medium heat(or a fry pan if you don't have a griddle pan), lightly coat it with oil. Place dumplings on the pan and allow them to cook for about 2 minutes, until cooked and grill marks are appearing, then flip over and repeat for the opposite side. You can also pour a small amount of water onto the pan during the cooking process, which will steam them a bit and keep them from burning.

Once the dumpling wrappers are cooked to your liking, plate and serve with soy sauce.

The Blog Workshop {Online Blogging Conference and Something Off My 26 Before 26 List}

Well as fate would have it, I was engaged by The Blog Workshop on a Sverve campaign to try out and review their conference. Yay for something I can already cross off my 26 Before 26 list!

The Blog Workshop offers workshops and learning opportunities for bloggers. It is set up to be an instructional environment and community for bloggers to learn tools to improve their blogging skills (something I am definitely interested in!). They offer a variety of online workshops, including one called "Blogging Laws you SHOULD Know." As a lawyer, I think that workshop would be especially useful. I see bloggers making mistakes all the time with regard to copyrights and disclosures and I think there is a lot to be gleaned from workshops that focus on the legalities of blogging. Here's a brief video introducing that course if you're interested.


They also offer the TBW University, which offers course on design and marketing among others. They've given me the opportunity to review the online recordings of The Blog Workshop 2013 Conference. This is a 3 day conference that helps bloggers improve their blogging abilities and their blog model. I'm excited to take part and will report back on what I learn!


Disclosure: I am being provided access to the conference gratis for providing my honest opinions on the course and sharing this information with you.

26 Before 26 {A Birthday Bucket List}

Along with my quest for finding the right fit in a job, I've also thinking a lot about other non-work-related things I want to accomplish--big and small. So I decided to make a list of 26 things to do before I turn 26 (next February). Some of these have sentimental reasons, some are business oriented, and others are just for fun. So in no particular order:

1. Find a geocache. I am intrigued by this hobby and I tried unsuccessfully a few times so far. I'd like to be able to log at least one!

2. Make a dress sample. I have countless sketches and dreams of showing at Baltimore Fashion Week, so I need to actually make some of the designs. But, to be realistic, I'm starting with a goal of just one. If I end up making more, all the better!

3. Run a 5k (preferably the Color Run or another obstacle run)

4. Write a business plan. I always have all the elements that a business plan contains in my head whenever I'm working a side venture, but I want to actually write it all out.

5. Paint my office. I've been putting this off since we moved in to this house 2 years ago.

6. Take a sushi making class. I'm allergic to seafood, but I have this dream of making fusion sushi and want to learn the basics.

7. Start a project life scrapbook or just scrapbook in general. I have a box of keepsakes and mementos just waiting to be scrapbooked and hundreds of photos to print. It's about time I got on this!

8. Take a blog workshop. I started blogging back in the LiveJournal days of the early 2000s, but that was mostly high-school induced, privacy protected, emotional rants. I picked blogging back up a few years ago when I started The DC Frugalista later renamed Endlessly Frugal, which will soon become the frugal section of this site. I've learned a lot about blogging along the way, but no where near enough. I've been wanting to learn more of the ins and outs. hence the desire for a blog workshop.

9. Organize my books. I have worked in multiple libraries and spent the majority of my academic life with my nose in a book. Book sales are still one of my favorite shopping excursions. You could easily confuse my office with the back room of a used book shop. I've been intending to sort them in some meaningful way and have lots of ideas. Now to actually do it...

10. Learn how to pair wine. I love wine, specifically Moscato wines. I've been to my fair share of wine tastings and I know what I like, but it would be nice to know the correct rules of pairing.

11. Go to a music festival. As soon as I found out the hubby has never been to a music festival, I decided that had to go on the list.

12. Finish a photo challenge. I keep telling myself I will take more pictures and with my handy smart phone and my T2i, I really don't have an excuse. I've been doing better, but I think completing a photo challenge will get things jumpstarted.

13. Start a garden. I've recently discovered that I enjoy gardening and we started a fairly large garden plot (this was on my mental list before I got around to the post). So far it has been a lot of trial and error, but if I get a pumpkin harvest in the fall, I will consider it a success.

14. Attend an NFL game. Every time I've had tickets, I've ended up giving them to someone who is more a fan than I am. This shouldn't be too hard since the hubby asked for 49ers tickets for his birthday.

15. Finish my book project. I've been working on a book idea for a while now and it's on the way to being done. This is my push to hopefully finish it and query it out.

16. Visit the Appalachian Trail. When I was a kid my grandfather hiked the Appalachian Trail straight through. He passed away six years ago and I miss him like crazy. I would love to find a spot on the Appalachian Trail just to spend a few moments alone and feel close to him.

17. Finish my DAR Application. I have all the documents, I just need to organize them and submit.

18. Complete Top Chef University. The hubby and I have until October to finish our online cooking course on Top Chef University that we bought a Groupon for last year.

19. Improve my coding skills. My adventures in blogging and online shop creation have resulted in learning some basic coding skills--something I never really expected I would be able to do. Now that I
can, I want to learn how to do some more advanced html tricks.

20. Go skiing. I haven't been skiing since I was in a accident many years ago. I spent a lot of time earning that black diamond skiing skills and I want to try to get back into the sport (although this time I will stick to the green and blue trails).

21. Take salsa lessons. The hubby and I had a voucher for salsa lessons, but due to scheduling conflicts we weren't able to take them. I still really want to go and I'm hoping that we'll be able to make it work in the fall.

22. Create 26 new jewelry designs. In light of 26 birthdays, I want to add 26 more designs to my online jewelry shop.

23. Bake a perfect batch of cookies. I can bake pies, cakes, muffins, you name it...but cookies still elude me! I always end up burning them or my ratios aren't quite right.

24. Buy an umbrella. Because I never seem to have one when I need it.

25. Refresh my memory of sign language. I learned a fair share of sign language growing up and I have let it lapse. You never know when it might come in handy.

26. Write/compile my poetry. I enjoy writing poetry (I even received a scholarship for it in college). I always seem to find myself writing stanzas on scrap paper or napkins, but never pull them together in one place. As I keep writing, I want to try to centralize my work in a journal or word document.

Hopefully this isn't too ambitious of a list, I'll cross things off as I complete them. What's on your birthday bucket list?

Photo Credit: Ava Blue via Flickr

Casino Night {A Peek Into the Hubby's 30th Party}

This past weekend, a friend and I threw a casino themed party to celebrate our husbands turning 30. We had it in an enclosed backyard "party room" at a house in Annapolis. I put together a lot of little touches to bring the casino theme to life and I'll post tutorials as soon as I can get them written up. For now here's a peek into the party for some inspiration.

I made two dice cakes (with the help of my awesome mom) and spread the candles and the birthday message across them. I also made card suit chocolates that we put around them on the cake board.

In addition to the cakes, I put together a dessert bar of chocolate dipped marshmallows, black and tan cookies, casino mints, and red and black candies. 

I added this popcorn bar to the food buffet for snacking throughout the night. Guests could fill a brown bag with popcorn and pick a seasoning then shake it up!

I also assembled a "Cashier's Table" with random goofy prizes that people could pick up for their chips.

I set up my camera on a tripod with the remote and left a box of props for an easy photo booth and made these cute cards with the address of where the photos could be retrieved.

I ordered cardstock cutouts of casino signs to label the games and put balloon arrangements throughout the room.

I put bowls of peanuts and pretzels on the tables and around the room for snacking and made these cute dealer buttons for each game.

For favors, I made sets of Craps and Liar's Dice along with a tag that outlined all of the rules. I also made up cards that had the ranks of poker hands.

We kept the black and red color scheme throughout the room, using black and red tablecloths, balloons, ribbons, and streamers. Everyone had a blast!

Fashion Color Collection {Mint}

Mint has become a recent obsession for me. It started with an infinity scarf my mom made for me around the holidays followed by my Icon bag from just fab. Now I'm always looking for ways to work it into my wardrobe. Mint can range from a light pastel to a bright shade making it appropriate year-round. Pair it with basic black or white pieces for a classic look or mix it with other colors and patterns for a trendy take. Here's 11 of my favorite reasons to love this color:

1. Cotton Jersey Dress from H&M

2. Patent Love Me Pumps by Michael Antonio from Zappos

3. Convertible Envelope Crossbody Bag from Forever21

4. Hepcat Shades from Madewell

5. Mint Green Jacket from Wallis

6. Swinger Sandals from Steve Madden

7. Mint Candy Apple Nail Polish by Essie from Cusp

8. Ankle Pants by Mossimo from Target

9. Silver and Mint Stacking Rings from Guess

10. Twist Knot Headband by Carole from Nordstrom

11. Big Bow Phone Case from Wet Seal

My Week in Shoes {Week 2}

This week I was running errands and prepping for the husband's 30th party, so I was all about comfort. I've been hitting up the sale rack at Wet Seal in Arundel Mills for the last few months, so a lot of the flats and sandals are from there. I'm most of the way through those though!

Jeweled American Eagle Flip Flops from Payless

Silver Glitter Fabric Ballet Flats from Wet Seal (What I love about these is that there is no actual glitter on these shoes, it a silver shimmer fabric)

Cherry Print Canvas Wedges from H&M

Braided Flip Flops from Wet Seal

Pink Braided T Strap Sandals from Wet Seal

Gladiator Sandals from Wet Seal (If the backs of these look broken, it's because I unbuckled them during the birthday party yesterday and the buckles got stuck in between the deck boards. The only way to get them free was to break the buckle off. I'm going to cut off the heel straps at the second ring and wear them without. They will still be super cute!)

Total Pairs of Shoes in Closet: 170

Total Pairs Saved: 13

Want to learn more about the Shoeper Shoe Challenge? You can check out my post about it here or visit the shoe challenge page on the Shoeper Woman blog. 

Fashion Friday {Crystal Earrings}

Sorry the posts have been a bit sparse this week, we've been going through some family events and I've been busy planning my hubby and his friend's 30th birthday party. It's a casino night with lots of fun DIY projects that I'm going to share once everything is all done.

Okay, on to Fashion Friday. This week I'm lusting after these vintage looking Swarovski crystal earrings from Max & Chloe. I love statement earrings because I prefer to wear my hair down instead of an updo and want my jewelry to show through. Pair these with a solid color cocktail dress and you're ready for a night on the town.

Honey Glazed BBQ Chicken Puffs Recipe

As promised, I'm writing up the recipes from my Homemade Dim Sum post. Here is the recipe for the Honey Glazed BBQ Chicken Puffs. These were inspired by the honey roasted chicken puffs from Ping Pong Dim Sum. Although nothing, at least in my opinion, will ever be as good as the original, these come pretty close!

Ingredients:

• Puff Pastry (I use Pepperidge Farms located in the freezer section)
• 2-3 Chicken Breasts
• BBQ Sauce of Choice (I've tried them with both Chinese BBQ sauce and a regular sauce, both are tasty!)
• Soy Sauce
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 Egg
• 1 Tbsp. Honey
• 1 Tsp. Water

Filling:

1. Pan fry or bake chicken breasts. 

2. Shred or mince the chicken and return to a a skillet.

3. Add the BBQ Sauce, a small amount of soy sauce, and salt and pepper to your liking.

4. Simmer over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until chicken is coated and sauce is warm.

5. Place filling in a bowl and set aside.

Assembling and cooking the puffs:

1. Start by thawing out your puff pastry according to the package instructions and then unfold one sheet on a baking sheet that is either greased or lined with parchment paper.

2. Cut the puff pastry sheet into nine squares.

3. Spoon the filling into the center of each of the squares.

4. Fold one side of the pastry over to the center, then fold over the side slightly overlapping and pressed closed.

5. Flip the puff over and pinch down the sides to seal.

6. Whisk one egg in a small bowl to create an egg wash and using a basting brush coat the tops of the puffs.

7. Thin out 1 tbsp. of honey by adding 1 tsp. of water and whisking in a small prep cup. Use a basting brush to coat the puffs with the honey glaze.

8. Cook for 15-18 minutes until flaky and golden brown

9. Allow to cool, plate, and enjoy!

Colorful Thumbtacks DIY

I've been in the process of sprucing up my office and thought that some colorful office supplies would brighten up the mounds of papers I have stacked and pinned everywhere. These colorful thumbtacks are super easy to make (and a lot cheaper than anything you'll find at the office supply store)!

1. What you'll need:

• Thumbtacks. I chose silver thumbtacks with a bit of a beveled top. 
• Nail polish in your favorite colors. Pastel, neon, and glitter polishes work well. This is a great way to use up the last bits of nail polish in a bottle or for using up those shades that weren't quite right on your nails.
• A piece of scrap cardboard.

2. Stand the the thumbtacks up in the cardboard. Be sure not to push them flush, you want there to be some space between the top of the thumbtack and the cardboard. This will allow any excess polish to drip off and provide easy access for painting around the rim.

3. Paint the heads of the thumbtacks with the nail polish. It took about 3 coats for an even, opaque color. Be sure to let them dry completely between each coat, and I suggest letting them dry overnight for the final coat.

4. Let them dry and pin away! I was really happy with the final product. The glitter ones were definitely my favorite.

And that's it! Super simple, right? Let me now if you try this. I'm thinking of making a set in red and gold for the hubby's bulletin board in the man cave (he's a die-hard 49ers fan).

Beach Wish List

I can't stop daydreaming about a tropical beach vacation. I'm not sure if one is in the cards this year, but I'm sure we'll at least make our way out to Ocean City at some point. In the meantime, I'm having fun window shopping and creating my beach wish list. I love mixing classic pieces and cuts like this black one-piece suit with pops of bright colors like the striped bag and beach towel. Here's what's on it so far.

1. These Metallic Rim Sunglasses by Tory Burch add a touch of glamour.
2. Black swimsuits like this Miu Miu Bow Embellished Bandeau One-Piece Suit from Net-a-Porter are universally flattering and always chic from season to season.
3. The fringe adds a little something extra to this striped lilac Pastema Foutal beach towel from Overstock.
4. I have always wanted an oversize straw hat like this one by Collection XIIX from Piper Lime.
5. This South Beach Cream Crochet Tunic from New Look is perfect for sunset drinks at a beach bar.
6. These London Rebel sandals from ASOS will transition easily from the beach to dinner.
7. I love this delicate silver starfish pendant necklace from BaubleBar.
8. This colorful striped tote from Forever21 is perfect for stashing beach reads and sunscreen.

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What's on your beach wish list? Any exotic vacation plans? Tell me about it below!

Homemade Dim Sum

One of my best friends, who also happens to be my favorite foodie, was visiting this weekend and we decided to try our hand at some homemade dim sum. We're working on putting together the recipes and I'll post them soon!

Fried Chicken and Vegetable Dumplings

I've made the occasional plate of spring rolls or dumplings and she has made her fair share of one recipe or another, so we had the basic technique down.   

Black Pepper Chicken Spring Rolls

We braved H Mart, the Asian grocer, on a Saturday afternoon to pick up ingredients. If you've ever been to an H Mart on the weekend, you know how crazy it can get! After about an hour of wandering through the aisles and one broken jar of black pepper sauce later, we thought we had everything we needed. The three subsequent trips Shoprite proved us wrong. 

Pan Fried Chili Basil Dumplings

We honestly couldn't decide on just one or two types to make. So we made a lot. It honestly looked like we were starting a catering business in my kitchen. There were fry pans and prep bowls and steamer baskets everywhere.

Fried Hoisin Pork Dumplings

But in the end we had a delicious mini buffet of homemade dim sum that was more than enough for us, the hubby, and his friend. We were all stuffed!

Steam Chicken and Vegetable Dumplings

I will work on writing up the recipes and a tutorial to share. Once you learn how to roll and cook the wrappers, the possibilities for fillings are only limited by your imagination =)

Update: I'm linking the recipes to the captions as I post them.

Honey Glazed BBQ Chicken Puffs with a side of Pickled Carrots and Cucumber

My Week In Shoes {Week 1}

I finally finished organizing my closet and had the chance to count up all of my shoes. I decided to include everything--flip flops, running shoes, you name it. I ended up with 170 pairs (sheesh that seems like so much more in black and white!). So now begins my challenge to save them or donate them. Many of them have seen better days, so I doubt they'll all make it through the challenge.

This week was definitely all about comfort. You just can't beat ballet flats and sandals for cleaning and running errands.

Bronze and Snakeskin Print Sandals by Apt. 9 from Kohl's (you can also get 10% your Kohl's purchase if you use code BLOGGER10 before July 11)

Silver Ruffled Sandals by Candies from Kohl's

Quilted Sandals with Rhinestone Bows by SimplyVera for Kohl's (can you tell that these are my favorites right now!)

Black Knot Ballet Flats from Wet Seal

Sequined Floral Flats from Forever 21

Black and White Sneakers from Wal-Mart (bought these in a pinch and need to replace them with something better)

Purple Velvet Ballet Flats from Wet Seal

Total Pairs of Shoes in Closet: 170

Total Pairs Saved: 7

Want to learn more about the Shoeper Shoe Challenge? You can check out my post about it here or visit the shoe challenge page on the Shoeper Woman blog. 

Fashion Friday {Marc by Marc Jacobs Watch}

I'm not usually a watch wearer. I always feel like they get in the way while I'm typing or I inevitably break them due to some clumsy incident. But this Marc by Marc Jacobs watch totally caught my interest. I love the rose gold tone and coordinating face color, with the little touches of sparkling stones on the face. This is a timeless neutral piece that I can picture going with just about anything.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Giveaway! {Lace Edge Scarf}

I loved the lace edge scarf from Wet Seal featured in this post so much that I picked up a second one to giveaway! This lightweight, gauze scarf is cream colored and has a crochet-like lace trim along both edges. It's perfect to pair with a sundress or wrap around your shoulders on a cool evening. Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by Dana Renee Style. The prize was purchased by me. This giveaway is in no way affiliated with Wet Seal, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

The Glamorous Beaded Dress

The Great Gatsby movie may have brought beaded dresses back in vogue, but I have always had a soft spot for fashion inspired by the roaring twenties. There's just something indescribably glamorous about a beaded dress (bonus points if the beadwork is in an art deco pattern). Now all I'm missing is the black tie event or ultra chic cocktail party invite giving me the excuse to splurge on one of these. The floor length gown from Adrianna Papell above is my favorite (and a steal at only $167)! Scroll through these gorgeous beauties and shop the look or create a wish list for your next big event.




Don't forget to subscribe or follow me on Facebook, and be sure to watch for a pretty accessory giveaway launching tomorrow!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Fashion Color Collection {Coral}

In these Fashion Color Collection posts, I'm rounding up my favorite fashion and beauty items of a specific color. This week I'm giving you a peek at my coral wish list. There's something about coral that just exudes an essence of summer. Whether you wear a coral dress, a pair of flats, or just swipe on some coral lipstick, it instantly brightens your look. One of the great things about coral is that you can find pieces in many shades, so you're sure to find one that will suit your skin tone. If you're not much a bright color person, start small with a pair of studs or try out a dress in a paler shade.

1. Coral Bramble Bloom Bracelet by BaubleBar ($24) / 2. Full Tilt Owl Charm Necklace by Tilly's ($5.99) / 3. Top Ford Beauty Lip Color in True Coral from Bergdorf Goodman ($48) / 4. Small Square Studs by Kate Spade New York from Zappos Couture ($38) / 5. Coral Enamel Signature Stud Earrings by Fossil from Macy's ($34) / 6. Love & Beauty Nail Polish in Sugartooth from Forever21 ($2.80) / 7. Strappy Dress with Frill by Zara ($79.90) / 8. Taleeka Embossed Leather Clutch from Ted Baker London ($105) / 9. Ravesh Pumps with Bow Accent by Steve by Steve Madden from Lord & Taylor ($149) / 10. Coral Abby Criss-Cross Gladiator Wedge from Avenue ($19.99) / 11. Casey Flats by Coconuts from PiperLime ($39.99)

Matching up MAC Eyeshadows

Confession: I'm addicted to YouTube beauty videos. I enjoy watching tutorials for different makeup looks that I wouldn't necessarily think of or know how to do on my own. When trying to recreate these looks, the challenge is always matching up the products they use with what I have on hand.

Now, I don't know about you, but a full collection (or even a modest collection) of MAC eyeshadows is just not in my beauty budget. And oh do beauty gurus love their MAC eyeshadow. So how do you figure out which of your eyeshadows come close to the shade used in the video that you saw a swatch of for 2 seconds? Enter this MAC eyeshadow post from Makeup Geek.

Image Credit: Makeup Geek

Although this post focuses on organization of shadows (which is a really great system if you de-pot and palette your shadows), it's the pictures in this post that amazingly useful. Each palette photo is clear and each shadow is clearly identified. So the next time your favorite video mentions Mylar or Clarity, you can use their photos to easily identify the shade.

***

• How do you organize your eyeshadows?
• Who are your favorite YouTube beauty gurus?

Let me know in the comments!