20th Birthday Giveaway: Saressa Designs

I turn 20 tomorrow and I can't believe it! I'm finally leaving the teens!!! YIPPEE!!! *personal party over, back to post* 

I found Saressa Designs through a fellow blogger awhile back and I reached out to her at the beginning of the summer. When she told me she'd host a giveaway with me I figured that was perfect timing with my birthday coming up!  Her jewelry is absolutely beautiful and very unique, and I mean that in the best way! Her jewlery is mostly made up of precious/semiprecious metals and gemstones. The meaning of "Saressa" means 'beautiful princess.'  I hope that's how each of you feel when you wear her pieces because that's certainly how I feel. :) 

I love the druzy in this ring and how it stands out on my hand without being extremely flashy. It's elegant and is really well made. This Etsy shop has everything from feminine, to bold, classy, dainty and more! It fits all styles and is lovely! 

Rachel is so generously giving one of my followers a $50 shop credit so enter to win that below! The giveaway ends Sunday night at 11:59 CST.  Please enter and share! She's also given my followers a special discount code to receive 20% your purchase! Use code BLOOM and shop her store here.

Happy Weekend! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tarte Contour as Eyeshadow Palette

Who doesn't love a dual use makeup palette?!! If you missed my Tarte Contour Tutorial, see it here. I mentioned in my video last week that I would show how it works well as an eyeshadow palette also. (Multi-use #forthewin!) I love the shadow look that the palette gives, it's matte, crisp, and warm.

This is definitely all the more reason for you to get the palette because it's not just for contour, it's for eyes too, AND Tarte is having a 30% off sale. Use code FNF to get your discount! It ends Thursday so HURRY!! Purchase your very own palette here!

Please share your thoughts in the comments below or on my Youtube channel! I love feedback!

Rodan & Fields Sunscreen Review

I am super excited to be reviewing the Rodan & Fields Essentials Sunscreen. I've been a fan of R & F since my journey with them began back in February to cure my acne. I am thrilled to say I am zit free! To see that journey you can click here or search Rodan & Fields in the search bar.

I have been using the R & F chapstick for weeks now and I am loving it. It has 25 SPF in it and is the perfect base before applying color and helps prevent sunburn. I will say it has a different taste to it with having sunscreen in it but it's the best chapstick sunscreen I've ever used.

The sunscreen smells very nice. I use it on my body and it lasts for 40-45 minutes before you have to reapply. It's 30 SPF but feels great on my skin. I am very particular about sunscreen and how it smells and feels on my body. This sunscreen smells great, soaked in quickly and is not greasy after application.

The moisturizer is great! Finding lotion that doesn't dry out my skin because of alcohol and added scents is hard. R & F's lotion smells great and is a thick moisturizing cream. It reminds me almost of a body butter but it comes in a squirt bottle. The thing I love most about it is how well it soaks into my skin and truly leaves my skin feeling hydrated.

Overall I was very happy with these products and would recommend them! The R & F Consultant that sponsored this post has offered to reimburse the $20 preferred customer startup cost. The benefits of this are 10% off every order and free shipping! It's definitely worth doing considering she is offering to wave the fee. Also, if you have any skin issues and aren't sure where to start there is a great consultation tool on the website where it asks you a bunch of questions about your skin and recommends the best products for you. I found it extremely helpful, especially if you aren't sure what the problem with your skin is. For your free online consultation, click here. If you have any questions about Rodan & Fields products please email Kim here.

I was traveling when I took these photos and wasn't able to bring the big bottle so that's why it's shown in my travel container. All products are full size.

Thank you to Kim Burton for sponsoring this post!

Family Emergency: Blessings for Josie!

Hi Friends, 

I write to you this morning with a heavy heart. For those that know me personally know my cousin Josie who is 4 years old was admitted into Valley Children's Hospital in Madera, California a week ago (July 15th) yesterday for a ruptured appendix, which abscessed causing Josie to be very sick. She has been through multiple procedures and has been hooked up to IV antibiotics all week. It's been a rough week trying to manage her pain while the abscess has been draining. Josie has been through a rollercoaster of good days and bad. She was originally expected to leave the hospital Saturday but now the doctors are saying maybe Monday. My mom and a few of my brothers left Thursday to go and help and my mom asked me last minute to book a flight to be there.  Josie is expected to make a full recovery and we are so grateful for that. We are asking for the Lord's covering over the entire staff at Valley Children's as well as my Uncle Tod, Aunt Cynthia, and of course Josie. Your prayers and positive thoughts would be so appreciated! Tod and Cynthia's insurance will only cover a portion of the medical expenses and they continue to mount as her stay is extended. If you feel led to give after reading this post then there is a link to do so. Thank you readers for your continued love and support. I won't be completely MIA next week but my posts will be a little less frequent. Thank you for understanding!! Blessings to all! 

How Did You Bloom This Month? Blush & Bloom Edition

I'm so excited about the start of something that I've been wanting to do for quite some time now, launching my very own Wedding Planning company. I'm thrilled to annouce that the budding of that dream has finally begun. I am slowly but surely starting this and I am over the moon to share that with you. Blush & Bloom Planning is now a part of my blog!

Weddings have been a passion of mine since I was old enough to watch a Wedding Story on TLC (I can't remember if that was the right name or not but regardless..). I loved everything about the show, the dress, the decorations, the love the couple shared, the unity of families, beautiful flowers, laughter, smiles and pure joy. It was all so special and I wanted nothing more than to be a part of each person's special day and bring them that happiness. All those things are what launched me into my major and desire to be a Wedding Planner. As I launched into my major, the desire to own my own company became another hope and dream. (I've watched the Lord's hand work in the midst of this and that has been absolutely incredible.)

I planned a friend's wedding back in May and that's when the journey began. I realized that this could be something I do on weekends while still going to school and it would propel me into the corporation I hope to own one day. I absolutely love how things have fallen into place. So my blooming for this month is the perfect timing of this dream that is slowly unfolding before my eyes. Thank you, Lord!!! Such a blessing!

That being said, please check out the page on my blog with my note to the bride and the name of my business and logo! Your comments on the logo would be so appreciated!

Also, I am changing up the monthly link up and adding spice to it for the next 6 months! For all the details, visit this page. I am super excited about it! I'm hoping with what I've planned it will give our posts more direction and make it fun to read what each other wrote!

Lots of writing today and not a lot of pictures but I had lots to share! Thanks for listening!!

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

#AskAbi

I am super excited about this short video I'm launching and I hope the turnout is amazing! I have a short video below explaining my hopes as a blogger and what I want my readers to get out of reading my blog. Not just content wise, but hopefully build relationships through Bloomability. I always want to stay connected with my readers and respond to them when necessary and never let anyone feel like they are talking to a computer screen. The minute my blog becomes that, I'm doing it for the wrong reasons.

That being said, I want you all to submit questions that you might have about me, blogging, my life; anything you may want to know about fashion, beauty, or lifestyle! Please don't be afraid to ask. Any questions submitted through social media or at the bottom of the post will be answered in my next #AskAbi video.

This whole idea started from Kate Bryan's blog, The Small Things. So thank you, Kate! My hope is to build relationships through this, not just with me and you, but with other readers. The blog world is incredible for networking so why not use our resources? ;)

Watch this short video and please submit questions below!

Blow Drying Basics

Blow drying can make or break the beauty of your hair (pun intended). If you don't do it right you can break and damage your hair. The tool is powerful in the hair world. lol I remember when I first started blow drying my hair and my arms would get tired and I would get so frustrated. I've found using a paddle brush makes the whole process a lot easier.

My video today explains how to blow dry your hair efficiently, beautifully and a tip for creating volume. By the end of this, hopefully your blow drying experience is easier and not as difficult as it used to be, or if it wasn't difficult hopefully these tips are helpful overall!

Please leave a comment below with your thoughts and feelings on blow drying!

Coconut Oil Mask For Dry, Tired, Summer Hair

Hi, friend! Thanks for stopping in. I hope your Monday is off to a great start. Today I'm sharing a super helpful, super easy hair and face mask to bring some moisture back into that skin and hair of yours during these hot summer months! I looked at the ends of my hair the other day and it looked so so dry. I knew I needed some hair intervention. Coconut mask it is...

For the face mask portion I used Coconut Oil and Tea Tree Oil. I only used a few drops of tea tree with about a table spoon of coconut oil. It said to let the mask sit over night but I couldn't do that. It was too greasy and started soaking into my eyes a little. But if you can bare it, lay a towel down and go for it! 

For the hair mask portion I put my hair in a pony tail and took about a tablespoon in my hand and soaked the bottom of the pony tail. The top of my head isn't dry so I didn't need to do it at my roots. If yours is, then go for it. Just be ready to wash a few times in the shower to get all the oil out. :) After I soaked the oil in, I twisted my hair into a bun so the oil didn't get everywhere and slept with it in overnight (put a towel on your pillow to avoid ruining it). The next day I put lots of shampoo in my hair and gave it a good wash.

The next morning my hair was refreshed and so was my face! It was the perfect amount of moisture! Here are some pictures from the mask experience! 

Let me know if you've done anything like this before and how it worked! 

Also, stay tuned because this week I'm sharing the start of a business I plan to launch very soon! Have a fabulous Monday! 

Dutch Braid Tutorial

I'm kicking off Friday with one of my favorite "get my hair out of my face" kinda styles. This dutch braid has taken me so far in the hair world and although it took time to practice I'm so glad I learned how!

The difference between a regular braid and dutch braid is how they are weaved. A regular braid is done over with each strand and a dutch braid is under with each strand. That's what creates such a nice thick look and makes the braid so beautiful and big! This braid is perfect for all year round!

(video correction: I said a dutch braid is going over with each strand but I really meant under each strand.)

Let me know your thoughts on this tutorial and if it was helpful or not! Also! Please subscribe to my Youtube channel and leave a comment on there if you're feeling extra sweet! ;)

Tarte Contour Palette Tutorial

I've been eyeing this beautiful palette for quite some time now and I bit the bullet when I saw Kate Bryan talk about all her Tarte products. The video below is a simple tutorial for how-to use the palette and I plan to show off next week how to use it for eyeshadow too! #twoinone

Tarteist Contour Palette, Tarteist Lash Paint Mascara

For my most recent current makeup favs, see this video. For the foundation and a few other basics, see this video.

Please let me know what you think of this palette below! I love hearing your thoughts! 

My (Practically) Free Guide to Austin

Friends, forgive me for not writing a post yesterday. I spent Monday night watching The Bachelorette and was just too tired to write, hence me postponing. ;)

I wanted to share my (practically) free guide to Austin. The reason I say that is because every destination I'll take you to in this post costs nothing except for one, and the places you eat of course will cost money. So take that into consideration and hopefully this guide helps you to enjoy a day in Austin and soak in the "weird Austin" atmosphere. :)

First stop: Jo's Coffee this is where the classic "I love you so much" wall is and amazing coffee! Get the Belgian Bomber if you like less sweet coffee drinks and the Iced Turbo if like sweeter coffee drinks!

Next stop: Baylor Street Wall Art-- this is another classic Austin exhibit that you can't miss! It's incredible and if you climb to the top of the wall there is a spectacular view of the city!

Our next stop was another classic Austin exhibit: The Welcome to Austin Postcard! This one is classic BUT so fun and definitely a scrapbook/Facebook album picture worthy.

Lastly, after a long hot day in the sun, drive 15 minutes to McKinney Falls National Park. This water hole costs $6 for ages 13 and up and is so refreshing and worth the drive! It wasn't super crowded and there are multiple options for where you want to swim. We swam at the Upper Falls and that was the best one in our opinion. If you really wanted to, I believe you can camp there. 

Hopefully the next time you are in Austin this is a helpful guide for touring the beauty of the city! Happy traveling!

Blog Milestone: 1000 Instagram Followers!

Hi friends! Happy Monday! For those that follow me on social media saw that I was in Austin for the weekend. I will definitely recap my adventures and all the FREE things we did but today I want to kick off the week with a milestone I hit on Friday. I finally reached 1000 followers on Instagram!!!! This may not seem very big but the amount of growth I've had in a year is close to about 450 followers from me purely growing my blog. I didn't pay to have anything endorsed, everything was raw, which makes me even happier. I wanted to celebrate the occasion with a confetti popper!

Who knew popping one of these would be so hard but it definitely was, especially when I was trying to film a video for Instagram to post. It took multiple tries so thank goodness we bought more than one!

On that note here are some fun action shots to celebrate this joyous occasion!

This was me trying to get photos of actually popping it, as you'll see that wasn't super successful so I just picked up the confetti and threw it. ;)

I want to thank all my family, friends and followers for being so encouraging! This process has been absolutely incredible and not possible without all of you. I'm humbled to be given such an opportunity and amazing platform to write. It's truly been such a treat to share the things I'm passionate about and little bits of my life! Here's to 200 thousand more followers one day! #goals

In light of these sweet milestone in my blog life I would absolutely LOVE if all of my readers would leave one comment as to how they found my blog! It would mean the absolute world to me! 

Friday Favorites: Birkenstock Edition

Happy Friday peeps! I never thought this day would come but I've found a new love in the shoe department: Birkenstocks! The quote above perfectly describes the story I'm about to share. 

Sarah actually started the interest in these and I followed suit. I've been considering getting a pair for awhile but wasn't sure if they were "me" if you know what I mean. Well turns out, after looking at them on my feet for a good 30 minutes and going to multiple different stores that the buy was worth it. The story of our very first Birkenstock purchase is rather funny.

I had this feeling in my gut as Sarah and I headed to the mall that these shoes I was so gung-ho about purchasing wouldn't look right on my feet. I was pretty sure before I got to the store that this style would be the pair that I purchase. Little did I know when I tried them on I immediately backed down from the game plan of purchasing and let Sarah have her moment because I thought they looked so weird on my feet (this is a rather dramatic story for a pair of shoes isn't it?). I think it was the "always put together" in me that couldn't decide if I liked the chill factor that the shoes brought to the outfit. Sarah was trying this style  on and to be honest I wasn't even sure if I liked them on her. Not to mention I wanted a white pair and Nordstrom didn't have that. I decided to let Sarah figure out her size and think on this big purchase and we would walk to some other department stores to see if they had anything else to offer. We walked in to Macy's and I opted to try the pair Sarah had on. Ironically we are the same size so we kept taking the shoes from one another, looking at them and asking if they looked good on the other person. Anyone walking buy would have died. We were giggling and being so indecisive it was ridiculous. But can you blame us?!! They are $100 shoes for crying out loud!

After a long 30 minutes we both walked out with the same pair of shoes and now all we do is wear them. If you missed my adorable post last night featuring the Birks, check it out here.

Here are a bunch of adorable ways to rock your Birks! Never say never because I did and look what happened. ;)

source

source

source

source

Get a pair just like mine HERE!

Happy Friday and HAPPY WEEKEND!

FabFitFun Summer Box Opening!

I decided to bite the bullet and subscribe to the FabFitFun box! You'll be thrilled to know that the box is without a doubt worth it! I am revealing all the goodies inside and giving you $10 off your very own box! Here is the link to purchase your very own box and receive a discount!

Comment below with your thoughts on the box and if you subscribe to FabFitFun! 

Mexico Recap: Last full day!

To say the least, our trip to Mexico was amazing! Our last full day in Riviera Maya was spent snorkeling, jumping into a cenote (aka sink hole), and swimming in a cavern!

Our tour guide was Jesse and he was a total hit! He was informative, hilarious, and all around just a feel good kind of guy! My favorite of the three places we went had to be jumping in the cenote! The water was so clear and it was so refreshing. I also experienced for the very first time those little fish biting the dead skin off my feet. #weirdestfeelingever

"Bikini kind of life"

We're one crazy crew!

Our friend from afar! 

ONE, TWO, THREE, JUMP!

This picture was so fun to take but let me just say the water was FREEZING! The cavern was dark and went on for miles deep. I kept telling myself "don't think about what's in the water." The cavern was the last thing we did and we were exhausted afterward. We were doing water activities from eight to two in the afternoon. I took a nice long nap after that.

And... that's a wrap!!



Mexico, you were wonderful! Thanks for treating me well (even though you did burn me after ridiculous sunscreen application, I'll forgive you), making the memories with my family so sweet, and giving me a glimpse of paradise and what I picture a small piece of Heaven will look like. I'll miss you!

P.S. I've decided to make my How Did You Bloom Link Up once a month! I have exciting stuff to share and it gives you each more time to come up with different moments that caused you to bloom. ;) It will now be on the third Thursday of every month so get your fingers ready to type!