A Little Hello

i don't know about you, but my day just got a whole lot better. happy wednesday!

xo eliza

(image via lauren conrad)

Because He Cares For You

the subject of my Lord is near and dear to my heart. honestly, i could go on for hours. (i try to restrain myself to two or three paragraphs so that i do not bore you!) 

it is so amazing to me that God cares for us. for all our faults and difficulties, He wishes to be with us! a day never passes by that i am so thankful that He saved me - that He loves me. 

you can tell Him anything, i hope you know that. it's always nice to come to a dear friend or trusted mentor and tell them something that is troubling you - we serve a God who wants to hear us all the time, all day every day. He will never get tired of hearing from you, about every little thing or things too grave to tell anyone else.

i do hope that you know that you have a confidante in the Lord. He will always be there for you!

xo eliza

(image via ida pearl tumblr)

Style Icons // 03

it may be cliche, but audrey hepburn really is such a style icon for me. she just exuded class - a very rare and beautiful trait in a lady, let me tell you. she always seemed tailored, fresh, and put together without looking overdone. 

i just love gloves. honestly - i wish someone would bring them back. and dresses. (although, i must admit that there are few things i love more in this world than my favorite jeans. nothin' better, folks.)

xo eliza

(images, first to last, via step by step, the daily mail, fashion and style guru)

Mini Waffle Cakes

um, hello. how cute are these mini waffle cakes from sugar and cloth? i'm sold! waffles plus frosting and sprinkles equals a very happy blogger.

have a wonderful weekend!

xo eliza

(image via sugar and cloth)

Beauty Reviews // Calvin Klein CK One Mascara

it was recently my birthday. (i accept visa, mastercard, and cash...) because of this i was gifted free ck one mascara by ulta. really everyone who had a birthday in april was, but it sounds way more pretentious to say that ulta gave it to me personally. anywho - i thought i would do a review on it.

for starters, the bottle is really, really cool. i didn't even notice that the top controls the wand. when you turn the top the wand goes from a normal, long wand to a shorter and twisted wand. this is the 21st century at its greatest, ladies and gentlemen. 

in the length and separation department this guy is a champ. i'm honestly not all that thrilled with the thickness this gives, but it is easily remedied by layering. right now i put covergirl flamed out mascara over top and it looks perfect. (i wouldn't be that pleased had i paid for this, but it's free so i really don't mind all that much)  

to each their own, though. if you love the more natural look, then this should be fine on its own. personally i like my lashes to be a bit more thick and dark so i layer, layer, layer. 

overall, i like this product. as prestige mascaras go, this one is definitely not my favorite. (i love benefit badgal lash mascara!) but it is a nice product, and it was free. (did i mention it was free?)

xo eliza

Hello Again, Wednesday!

hope your wednesday is as fun as this!

xo eliza 

(images, first to last, via weheartit, pinterest, classy girls wear pearls)

Hydrangeas

i've honestly never been all that good at gardening. sometimes i'll try to grow something, but it usually ends up in a lot of frustration and some dead plants. (black thumbs unite!) 

this season i would love to grow beautiful hydrangeas. a lovely lady i know has the most amazing garden - complete with both blue and purple hydrangeas. it really is a wonderful sight when the flowers are all in bloom.

are there any flowers you'd love to grow this year?

xo eliza

(image via pinterest)

Artful Style // 02

sorry i was MIA on friday - i was taking a bit of an internet fast because of good friday. it really gave me a chance to realign my focus and get back on track. 

more purple for me! i never really liked purple until recently - now i wear it all the time. it's a beautiful color in all of its forms, although i myself am partial to lavender.

xo eliza

(art via daily imprint)

{1. juicy couture dress, 2. modcloth top, 3. ban.do flurry pouf in blush, 4. urbanears headphones}

DIY Wall Art

how adorable are these DIY wall art pieces? i'm telling you - there are such creative people out there in this world. i must bow down to the superior craftiness. 

i'm lovin' it!

(please note the mcdonald's reference. #'merica)

xo eliza

(images, first to last, via design*sponge, brit and co, say yes)

The Best is Yet to Come

we live on a beautiful planet, am i right? the special things that God created for our pleasure are to be celebrated and appreciated. sadly, we also live in a very corrupted world. it's all too easy to become swept up in the current of this society; to believe that this is it. we as Christians should be foreigners in the world. this is not our home - we are only visiting. 

please don't get the impression that we should be taking a leisurely vacation. this is a business trip! there is much work to be done for the kingdom - there are millions of souls that need to be saved. 

the best is yet to come. we're headed home after a long time away. it's a nice trip here, but i'm willing to bet that Heaven is so much better. 

xo eliza

(image via papery rain)

Color of the Year

um. yeah - i'm going to be a bit bold today. if you know anything about me, let it be this: i have an unhealthy obsession with neutral makeup. i mean, it's getting to the point where my eyeshadow palette that has tons of beautiful colors in it has maybe four or five colors actually used. i'm about to hit pan on my browns and grays, while lovely purples and blues get the cold shoulder. (or maybe the cold eyelid? no?) 

because of this you can understand why i've held off so long on doing this post. i had wanted to a while ago but some little old lady in the back of my brain said "oh my goodness, those colors are really bright - better not!" (a little disclaimer - while i am going to try and experiment with my color choices a bit in the future, i still love my handy dandy taupes and chocolates best!) finally i just decided to go with it.

it's such a beautiful color. it's flattering on all skin tones. it makes your eyes look bright and your teeth look white. any questions? to dip my toes in the world of purple i've been using my almay eyeliner (i did a review a while back!) with some purple-ish shadow. to anyone other than me it looks brown, but for miss safe over here it's a pretty big swap! maybe i just have to step outside of my smokey-eye comfort zone.

would you ever wear orchid? if so, which feature would you rock it on? sound off in the comments!

xo eliza

(images, first to last, via pinterest, colores de carol, makeup minx, the berry)

Food & Fashion // 03

mint is such a pretty color, especially for spring. honestly i have never really loved the taste of mint - in small doses i don't mind (and i love junior mints somehow!) but too much makes me feel like i'm eating toothpaste. maybe it's another case of "eliza's weird food ideas". (i have several - including my rule that no foods can touch, pizza must be dipped in caesar dressing, and that only the top half of the banana is edible. odd, i know!)

somehow i got on a monologue about food. moving right along, i do love mint and camel together. it's an unexpected and yet altogether welcome combination.

xo eliza

(food, fashion)

Featured Artist // Isabelle Menin

this was a wonderful (and rare!) recharge week where i was able to spend time with friends and family, and just really take a load off. on monday i get back to my usual hustle and bustle, but i am looking forward to it.

in other news, i am officially in love with the beautiful work of isabelle menin. the shapes, while recognizable as flowers and botanicals, are whimsical and inventive. i also can't get over the colors - love!

have a great weekend!

xo eliza

(all images via isabelle menin)

Five Interiors I Love (Again!)

i really love putting these posts together. it allows me to source beautiful rooms from tons of talented people, and pick my favorites. (so hard to do!) i love the simplicity of these rooms - i always have some blank wall area in my space so that i don't go crazy. too much clutter equals a very unhappy me.

which room is your favorite?

xo eliza

(images, first to last, via plum pretty sugar, feedly, emma's design blog, creature comforts, miluccia)

Ban.do's New Collection

i love ban.do's new collection - especially the pops of black, white, and pink. it's really a classic color combo that is reworked in a wonderfully original way. something about this seems different and fresh.

twist scarves, man. i just can't get over them.

xo eliza

{1. iphone case, 2. twist scarf, 3. bobbi set, 4. power trip}

Habits and Intent

sometimes you get to a point where you kind of run on auto pilot. i'm sure a lot of you can relate. for instance, every morning for a long time now i have gotten up, brushed my teeth, made my bed, and then read my Bible before i start the day. that's my routine. it is all too easy for me to read through my daily chapter, check it off, and then get on to the "important stuff". i try so hard to not view that portion of my day in that light. 

my time with God should be the most important thing i do all day. i know that if i miss out on that, then i have to compensate for the rest of the day. even if it's only 10 minutes, that time spent with my Father makes me so much more ready to face all the stuff that the day holds. it's like i get refilled, ready to pour out into other people.

let's not treat spending time on God as a habit, or a "to do". it's great to plan a time each day to really just lay everything else down and enjoy being with Him, but i want to not view that as something that has to get done, or that i must do. i should be with Him because i want to be. it's so wonderful to know that God is always ready to just talk to me - He is always available, you could say. 

today i want to make God the first priority. i think it is safe to say that everything else will run so much more smoothly.

xo eliza

(quote via curiano)

Mini Style // 02

how adorable! nothing better than a little fluffy bunny tail. (honestly, the entire outfit is precious!) 

you may have noticed the new social buttons in the sidebar. i recently created a facebook page for the blog - it seemed like a really great way to network. i am by no means a whiz, but i'm getting better. 

i hope to catch up on some missed sleep this week. i don't have much on my calendar so it's a great chance to just chill out and not let anything be pressing. no deadlines, no due dates, just some old fashioned r & r. it's long in coming, personally!

what does your week look like?

xo eliza

(image via shop sweet things)

Beauty Reviews // Loreal True Match Foundation

foundation and i never really used to get along. i have this horrible fear of looking cakey and unnatural, so i would always avoid any liquid makeup like the plague. that was until i heard about loreal true match foundation. it seemed super light and breathable, which was just what i wanted. so i picked up a bottle. my life has never been the same. (i kid, i kid!)

seriously though, this stuff is amazing. it is so smooth and blendable, and it looks really natural but still flawless. (i need a little "flawless" lately, can i get an amen?) while it isn't the least expensive foundation on the market, it really is worth it when you think about other foundations with similar results that retail from upwards of $30. anyway, a little dab with do ya!

i use a little beauty sponge i picked up from target. there are professional ones (at sephora) but i just wanted to test the sponge waters with something inexpensive. it works for me, but i may upgrade in the future. anywho, all i do is run it under some water for a bit and squeeze it a few times. this helps your makeup go on smoother and more evenly. 

long story short (i suppose it's too late for that!), this product really is great. not sure yet how it will handle the heat, but i may do an update once things start getting warmer. who knows.

oh, and about stippling for those who don't know - it's basically like little patting motions, all over your face. it makes the makeup look more natural and even all over your face. make sure you don't load up your brush/blender, kind of tap it off a bit. also, let your face dry completely before putting on powder, it keeps it looking fresh instead of cakey.

i think i've covered everything...if you have any more questions you can share them in the comments!

enjoy your weekend!

xo eliza

French Macarons

aren't french macarons so pretty? i will confess - i have never tried one myself (after several failed attempts to whip up a batch!) but they seem to be so delicate and light. plus, look at all the fun things you can do with them!

something about pink and gold just makes me so happy.

xo eliza

(images, first to last, via lauren conrad, cooking classy, pinterest, amazon)

Brass Planters

aren't these brass planters just the cutest things? i love the succulents in them - those are the plants for a black thumb, i'm telling you. 

these would be so adorable for a little vignette - or with a glass cloche over one of them. there are so many possibilities!

xo eliza

(image and inspiration via a beautiful mess)

April Wishlist

april, april, april! we're getting into springtime now, guys.

i absolutely love that sweatshirt. it's so classy and understated. and those boots? subtlety embodied. in fact, i would wear all of those pieces together. maybe with some cargo shorts or something. paris, here i come!

xo eliza

{1. walmart tee, 2. juicy couture sweatshirt (sold out!), 3. target rainboots, 4. amazon belt, 5. forever 21 tote}

(p.s. april fools!)