An Open Letter To...

Dear 2014,

It isn't until you look back on something to realize that your perception of that said something, were completely wrong. I was scrolling through photos from the year and although I felt that nothing was happening during the year and that I wasn't accomplishing anything, I found that I had a hundred tiny little things to be happy over. Until that moment, I had forgotten that I had gone on a handful of adventures, made friends, celebrated holidays, birthdays, basked in the sun, learned, taught and grew.

You've shown me this year that the little things in life are the most special... cups of coffee, new babies, watching my pets sleep, kissing the ones I love, good food, phone calls, discovering self-love and so much more. When 2014 begun, I could never picture my life being as it is today. It's amazing to see where myself and the ones around me have come in just short 12 months. There are two things I'm most happy about from 2014. The first was my watching my sister, Michele, become a mother. Something she swore she'd never do. It's beautiful to see he comfort him, hold him, laugh with him and to see the look in her eyes when he discovers something new. The second, was watching (and continuing to watch) my best friend come into themself. It makes me so happy that they were able to share with me their true feelings, and to see their willingness to change everything for what their heart wanted. It's inspiring to see someone discover who they are and just go for it.

I hope that in 2015, life will continue to provide me with the love and friendship I received last year. I want to discover more about myself and the world; to try something new and give it my all. My wish is to go through 2015 searching, doing and loving more every single day. So that when December 31st, 2015 comes around, I won't have to look back through photos to know that I did something. I want to be able to write about as many accomplishments and moments that I can without reminders. I think it's time that I start appreciating my life and everything that comes along with it.

Cheers,
S. Hadley-Smith

Pike Place Market

It never fails, when ever I am in Seattle I make it a point to stop at Pike Place Market. If you're in the city, you won't want to skip out on a trip to here. Seattle is full of such diversity and culture and Pike Place Market encompasses of it in just one stop. Here you can find an array of delicacies. Such as, handmade turkish delite, piroshky, vietnamese buns, a french bakery, and oh so much more.

I wish I could live in the city just so that I could stop by the market and pick up a bouquet of flowers, some fresh produce and just baked bread for our home. Last month, Sean and I were able to visit the market and the florist had to most beautiful autumnal bouquets you could imagine. They featured deep purples, oranges, seasonal greens and warm yellows. I quickly snatched up one of the $5 bouquets which are just as beautiful as the more expensive ones. 

The weather was absolutely gorgeous that day and it made standing in long line for the original Starbucks much more pleasant than if it had been raining. The original Starbucks is like any other apart from the original wooden plank floors and being a bit more pricey than other locations. However, it's really cool to see where it all started.

And you can bet we stopped by Post Alley to see the Gum Wall! It is both one of the most disgusting and intriguing things to see. When ever we're in Seattle we like to head down and see it. Apparently it started with the theatre on Post Alley. Because you're not allowed to chew gum in the theatre, patrons would stick their gum on the wall just before entering. Now people head down there just to put gum on the wall.

Even though I've just visited Pike Place, my only wish is to return again and buy up all the mini donuts, macaroons and Beecher's macaroni and cheese my heart can possible handle. xoxo

Love Always, 

Sarah 

Aztec Sweets

Sean came to visit me! We both grew up in Washington and it's so refreshing to have him here with me. The weather has been unusually mild this month and so it's really easy to get away with just wearing a few simple layers. Over the weekend we headed up the I-5 to visit our friends, Maegan and Aaron, from Clovis who now live just north of Seattle. It's about an hour drive for us and honestly, I don't mind the drive at all. I love coming up over the hill to have the city appear right before you. It's hard to believe that the Space Needle was the tallest structure out there when you see all of the massive buildings that are there today. 

It felt so nice to spend a day with our friends again. It reminded me of when we all lived in Clovis and it took less than 5 minutes to drive to one another's houses. We went out to a Mexican restaurant for lunch and spent the evening walking around the Alderwood Mall. I've never been to this particular mall, and I must say, it was massive! We discovered a candy story called Lolli and Pops. It's a quite pricey, but if you're looking for any foreign or old fashioned candy, check this place out. They even had candy cigarettes! However, I don't recommend the truffles behind the counter, I found them to be too expensive and overly sweet for my taste.

Back at their apartment, we snacked on popcorn and M&M's while watching the movie 'Flubber'. If you want me to truly enjoy my time at your house, make sure you're well stocked with popcorn and M&M's! They are my favorite snack (thanks Mandy). We were just about to start a second movie, 'Galaxy Quest', when the building's fire alarms went off and we had to evacuate. We didn't let that spoil our fun though! We joked that taking the 5+ flights of stairs was to work off the Mexican food and sweets we had eaten earlier. Fortunately, all of it was a false alarm. Sean and I ended up staying too late, and as I was too tired to drive back home, we crashed on their living room floor on an air mattress. In the morning we enjoyed ooey-gooey cinnamon rolls, croissants, and turkey bacon for breakfast. Yum! 

Jacket: H&M Black Long Sleeve: a.n.a. at JcPenney

  Sweater: a.n.a. at JcPenney

Jeans: Aeropostale Boots: Target

Handbag(pictured above): Rue21

Makeup:

Estee Lauder Duo in 'Raisins'

Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in 'Blackest Black'

MAC ProLong Blush in 'Stay Pretty'

---

Around lunch time, Sean and I said our farewells and headed off. On the way home, Sean and I stopped at Pikes Place Market and picked up some macaroons from Le Panier, Macaroni and cheese from Beecher's Cheese, and coffee from the original Starbucks. It was a lovely night away and am very thankful Sean and I got to spend that time together. 

Love Always,

Sarah

Ghostly Pudding Cups

Who doesn't love a good chocolate snack? These pudding cups are a cinch to make and don't cost a lot to make. These ghostly pudding cups can easily serve as an afternoon snack for little hungry goblins, or an afternoon treat to tie you over until dinner.
Here are all of the ingredients you will need:

-Chocolate Pudding Cups

-Candy Corn Pumpkins

-Pretzel Sticks

-Oreos

-Marshmallow Ghosts 

-A Ziploc Bag, a Kitchen Towel, and a Rolling Pin (not pictured)

So here's what you need to do: 

-Open up the pudding cups and set aside.

-Scoop out the Oreo creme out (you can either eat it or throw it out) and put the Oreo cookies into the Ziploc bag. Set the bag in side the kitchen towel.

-Take the rolling pin and smash the Oreo cookies.

-Place the smashed Oreo cookies on top of the pudding; set aside.

-Take a pretzel stick and push it into the bottom of the ghost (to help it stand up) I also put a pretzel stick into the pudding behind the ghost for more stability. 

-Finally set a candy corn pumpkin next to the ghost. 

Aren't these just so cute?! And they taste good too!

For a more in depth and visual explanation, head over to my YouTube channel for a how-to video for this recipe and three other Halloween inspired treats! Want more Halloween treat ideas? Check out this recipe for Candy Corn Kisses and the video that goes along with it!

Love Always, 

Sarah

Candy Corn Kisses

These quick & easy treats will leave you with plenty of time to go to the pumpkin patch or go out shopping for your costume! Here are the ingredients you will need:

-Pretzels

-Hersey's Hugs

-Candy Corn; I used a mix of original, caramel apple, and chocolate.

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees fahrenheit. Then you'll need to cover a cookie sheet with wax paper and lay out your pretzels in neat little rows. Next, unwrap your kisses and set them on top of the pretzels.

Carefully place your sheet into the over and I mean carefully. They like to slide around! Let them get all nice and melty for about five minutes and then pull them right out of that toasty box! Place your candy corn on top of the chocolate and press them down gently. 

Lastly, throw these beauties into the fridge or freezer to help the chocolate set. In about 10 minutes or so they'll be ready to enjoy. Now you see what I mean about quick & easy? Delish!

For a more in depth and visual explanation head over to my YouTube Channel for a how-to video of this recipe and three other Halloween inspired desserts. Also keep your eyes out for the other 3 recipes coming to the blog later this week :)

Love Always, 

Sarah 

Taylor's Homecoming Look

When I was weighing the pros and cons of moving back to WA, a big pro was being more involved in my families lives, and being able to share in the special moments that occur every day. Last weekend, I had the privilege of doing my nieces make-up for her sophomore homecoming. It was a great opportunity for me to practice doing others make-up and being able to participate in such a special night for Taylor. Here is a picture of all the products used:

Taylor is young, and is lucky enough to have clear skin. So I skipped on putting any kind of foundation on her, because she really didn't need any. I started off by blending in Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in the shade 245-Light just underneath her eyes and used Urban Decay Primer Potion Original Formula on her eyelids >

Next, I used the shade Strange from the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette as a base, blended the shade Mugshot into the eyelid crease, and finished it off with the shade Darkside on the outer corner >

I then added the Naked 3 Palette shade Buzz to her inner eyelid corner, and shaded in her eyebrows using the Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette shade Faint >

After I finished the eyeshadow, I used Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Eyeliner in the shade Blackest Black only on the upper lid and smudged it with the Naked 3 Palette shade Black Heart for a more smokey look >

And to complete the eyes, I used Benefit They're Real Mascara >

Moving on to the face: I used Mac Pro Longwear Blush in the shade Stay Pretty on the apples of her cheeks and N.Y.C. Sun 'N' Bronze in the shade 702 Fire Island Tan along her cheekbones, down the sides of her nose, hairline and chin >

And last but not least, lips. I used a mixture of NYX Butter Gloss in the shade BLG02 Eclair and Maybelline Color Whisper in the shade 60 Petal Rebel >

And here is the finished look!

I had a lot of fun practicing doing make-up on Taylor and was very happy with the way it turned out. However, I don't think these pictures do her beauty justice so here's another! 

Don't forget to cherish the time you have with the people you love and to appreciate their presence in your life. I hope you enjoyed my very first beauty post! Go ahead and give me a cheeky little follow if you feel so inclined. Head over to my YouTube channel to see Taylor's Get Ready With Me video and see her whole look get put together.

Love Always, 

Sarah 

My Summer Reading List

Summer is the perfect time for taking long road trips, back packing through foreign countries, or simply enjoying the sunshine in your very own backyard. All while reading a good book. I have read a few books this summer and thought I would share a short review of each. 

I started the summer by reading this lovely gem, "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green. If you know anything about John Green, you know that any one of his books is a good read. However, I found it quite difficult to become invested in this book at the beginning. I'm not sure if it was because I was distracted with things going on in my life or if the book just didn't appeal to me. The story starts out with a recent graduate from high school who sets off on a self-discovering road trip with his best friend after being dumped by the love of his life (or so he thought), Katherine. The book is full of quirky footnotes, and math equations. I know what you're thinking, math? During the Summer? Trust me, it's not what you think. You'll have to read it to find out ;) With that, I loved the book once I had finished it and I definitely recommend giving this book a go.

Harry Potter! The boy who lived! I hadn't read Harry Potter since I was a little kid, and so I thought it would be the perfect time for a re-read. I bought the whole series and set in. Boy was I surprised! I didn't remember the books much at all from when I was a kid and now I know why some people dislike the movies. They changed so much from the books! But I understand that they couldn't put everything from the book into the movie, and that it needed to flow and work for the film. Regardless of this discovery, I love the Harry Potter series. I've recently just finished Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and will start the 4th book very soon. These books are perfect for children and adults alike. They're full of the wonder, imagination, and of course, magic, that every person dreams of having. Harry Potter allows you to step into a world full of wonderment that you cannot achieve from the "muggle" world. Plus it's exciting to think that magic could actually exist ;) I recommend Harry Potter 100%, 24/7, and to any with a brain.

Hoping you enjoyed this little review because I may do some more in the future!

Love Always, 

S. Smith

July iPhone Snaps

I can hardly believe that July is over and we're a week into August! Today is the perfect day to go back into July and show you just a little bit of what I've been up to. These are just a few pictures from last month. Enjoy :)

(From left to right)
-Bean helped me study for my anatomy final by sleeping at my feet... so sweet
-Bean using me as a personal pillow :)
-Freaked out when I saw the light on in Las Vegas, NV. I made mom stop and go in at 9pm :)
-Wild fire on the way into Salt Lake City, UT
-Enjoying the green soft grass in West Jordan, UT. Much better than the grass in NM
-Neighborhood kids running through smoke bombs
-Bubbling homemade root beer
-Creamy delicious homemade ice cream
-My new nephew, Kyle, born just two weeks ago
-Mom & I enjoyed some hot cocoa at Denny's while it rained and thundered outside in Tooele, UT
-Got my hair and ombre re-done at the beauty college
-Found this amazing Kodak camera at a thrift store for only $25!


Love Always,
S. Smith

Chicken & Broccoli Braid

I often find myself in need of comfort these days. For reasons I am not sure. Today was one of those days. A storm has rolled in, and as the rain hit the windows I knew that this would be the perfect pick me up. There is something about warm biscuits, chicken, and a few veggies to warm you up inside. I discovered this recipe a few years ago when a dear friend at the time shared it with me and instantly fell in love. This meal is inspired by the original recipe by Pampered Chef. You can find the original recipe here. I do make a few changes, so make sure to keep reading. Enjoy!

Start out by cutting 1 Cup of broccoli (leaving just the florets). Dice up a 1/2 Cup of red bell pepper and onion and 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded:

Next, measure out 1/2 Cup of Mayo, 1 tsp. of both dill and parsley (fresh or dried) and 1 tsp. minced garlic (equivalent to 1 minced garlic clove):

1 Cup of glorious cheddar cheese and a little salt & Pepper (1 tsp. of each):

Add all of the above ingredients into a large mixing bowl, and combine well:

Set the bowl aside, and grab 2 tubes of refrigerated crescent dough. Do NOT separate the crescents. Simply unroll the dough and lay it out onto a greased cookie sheet:

Next, cut in from the sides towards the center. Making 1 1/2 in. long strips:

Grab the chicken mixture, and spoon it down the center of your dough. Leaving room at the ends of the dough. Like this:

Finally, grab adjacent strips, bring them to the center, twist them together once, and lay the strips down the sides of the mixture. Making a braided loaf: 

Place in the oven at 375 degrees fahrenheit for 30min. or until golden brown. Your chicken & broccoli braid should look like this when done (absolutely scrumptious and beautiful): 

Hope you guys try this out and love it as much as I do! Get the printable recipe here.

Love Always,

S. Smith

The Boys In Blue

A huge rain storm came through town on the 3rd and left the local park completely flooded, which caused our town's firework show to be cancelled. So for the 4th of July, Sean and I hitched a ride with some good friends, and spent the day in Roswell, NM. The alien capital of the United States!

We spent most of the day walking around the small fair they had put on, which featured countless alien memorabilia, and local vendors selling their homemade art. Sean and I ran into a winery which advertised alien wine slushies on the window. Oh ya, wine slushies, how could wine get any better? I really wanted one, but as it was 90 degrees outside, I decided alcohol probably wasn't the best idea. Instead, we opted for slushies (half price!) at Sonics Drive In. Later in the day, we went into the International UFO Museum & Research Center. If you go here, expect a lot of reading! Most of the displays were written accounts of sitings by military members, and locals. They had a lot of pictures of crop circles, UFOs, and even animatronic aliens! After eating some yummy free BBQ, we headed to the park and waited for the fireworks. The firework show was beautiful! The city did a really great job, and I loved it. Somehow I managed to not take any pictures today. What?!

The next day, Clovis put on its firework show. Fun fact: the city had to pump out all the flood water in order for the show to happen! Together with the same friends from the 4th, Sean and I sat in the park enjoying Dairy Queen blizzards, popping 'pop-its' on each other (ouch!) and the lack of mosquitoes! I was able to bring along my camera and tripod and tested out using slower shutter speeds. I have never tried this before, partially because I wasn't sure how, and the results were very satisfying! My pictures are far from amazing, but I think they're really cool, and I hope you do to. Here are a few pictures from our town's firework show. Enjoy!

Love Always,
S. Smith

Settings I used on my Canon Rebel T3i:
f22 10"-30"sec 100iso