What I'm Loving Lately | Hair Products

I love reading posts when other bloggers share their favorite products, makeup, foods, and miscellaneous items they love and use often. So I thought it would be fun to start a new series where I share a round up of my current favorite items. Since I recently cut my hair short, I thought it would be fun to start with my current lineup of hair products.

Davines Hairspray // I had been using a different hairspray for years, but I was no longer happy with it. I always had trouble with it crusting over and getting clogged which was annoying. And it was just too sticky and strong of a hold. I didn't like how it made my hair crunchy. This Davines hairspray is still a strong hold (which I need with my fine, thin hair) but it's not crunchy or sticky at all! It also has a really nice scent that isn't overpowering. I've found that it really does make my curls last throughout the day, but also makes them look more natural.

Aveda Phomollient // As I mentioned, I have really fine, thin hair. I like to wear it curled most days, so I need a little product to help make sure it stays throughout the day. The phomollient is great because it doesn't make your hair feel like there is a bunch of product in it. But helps create volume and hold the curl. I usually spray it into my hands then massage it into my hair at the roots for volume, then a bit at the ends to help hold the curl. I am really picky about hair products and don't like the feeling of them in my hair. This is a great product because it's hardly noticeable but really adds volume and helps hold the curl. I even got my Mom hooked on it!

Living Proof Dry Shampoo // For the longest time I've been using the cheapest drug store dry shampoo and was perfectly happy with it. But I had been hearing about this stuff forever and decided to buy the sample size at Sephora to try it out. Man, it is the best dry shampoo I've ever used. I used to barely make it two days without washing my hair, now I can do three no problem. It is seriously the best, highly recommend if you use dry shampoo.

The Wet Brush // I have always struggled with major tangles when brushing my hair because it is so fine. I felt like I lost half of my hair each time I brushed it. I tried combs, combing it in the shower with the conditioner in, and even detangler, but nothing really made a difference. I think I first saw this brush on The Sweetest Thing's Snapchat (love her)! so I knew I had to give it a shot. You guys, it's amazing! I was skeptical when I got it because the bristles are so flexible and seemed like they'd rip right out. But it works like a dream and I have significantly less breakage and hair loss from brushing. If you have thin/fine hair, or struggle with hair coming out from brushing, buy this brush immediately!



I'd love to know what your favorite hair products are!

Head Shoulders Knees & Toes: Spring Wedding Guest Attire

I thought it would be fun to bring back a series that I used to have on the blog called Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes. Basically, outfit ideas inspired by events or seasons. Since wedding season is around the corner, I thought spring wedding guest attire would be an appropriate place to start.  

I'm loving full midi skirts right now. They're so feminine, classic, and universally flattering on all body types. I thought the light blue and blush tones of this skirt were perfect for a spring wedding. The simple crepe tank will look great tucked into the skirt, I love how the blush color complements the flowers in the skirt. 

Since the skirt is a statement, I paired it with simple accessories. These strappy nude sandals are a closet staple that pair well with anything. I love tassel earrings lately, and these blush ones are fun but not too over the top. And of course, cute sunglasses to complete the look.  I would also carry a simple gold or neutral clutch to hold my lipstick, phone and the essentials. And add a fun pastel nail polish to complete the look. The best part about this outfit, it's completely affordable! I believe fashion doesn't have to cost a fortune. And that you can look & feel great, even when you're on a budget!  

So what do you think, is this something you would wear? Usually we have at least five weddings to attend every year, but this year so far we only have two. Next year we're already looking forward to the weddings of two of our closest friends! 

You can find more details on this look on my Polyvore account here:

Head Shoulders Knees & Toes: Spring Wedding Guest by fromfoothillstofog featuring round circle sunglasses

Wedding Wednesday: Asking Bridesmaids

Choosing my bridesmaids was one of the most stressful aspects of wedding planning for me. As I'm sure many brides would say, looking back there a few things I would do differently about the wedding. Especially when it comes to my bridal party. For whatever reason, I got the idea in my head I couldn't have a huge bridal party and gave myself a limit of six. I also didn't want to burden people with the cost of bridesmaid dresses and other inevitable costs of being in a wedding. However, those weren't my decisions to make. If my friends weren't able to travel, or didn't feel they were up to being a part of the wedding, I should have given them the opportunity to decide. 

Throughout my life, I have been blessed with amazing friendships. I am still very close with girls I met in elementary school, high school and my college roommates. People are often surprised that I've known my very best friends for so many years, and that we have such a tight knit group. If I could go back, there are definitely a few additional friends I would ask to stand by my side, and not limit myself to only six bridesmaids. And hopefully those girls know how much they mean to me, and that I wish I had gone about things a little differently. But lucky for me, I did have six incredible woman standing by my side as I said "I do" and we had the best time getting ready the morning of the wedding. They are friends I know will be aunties to our future children, and still love and put up with me once I become old & senile. 

Once I finally decided on my bridesmaids, I knew I wanted to ask them to be in the wedding with a simple, creative gift. I could have easily gone above and beyond, but I knew there would be a lot of upcoming expenses so I wanted to keep it affordable as well. 

I found a shop on Etsy to order a custom card with each girls name that I was able to print myself on card stock. Then I found a cute vanilla candle in a mason jar at the craft store and decided I could make my own custom labels to personalize them. I bought these labels and used PicMonkey to create a design and printed them myself. It was so simple and easy. Four of the girls I was able to ask in person, so I wrapped the candle and card in a cute bag for them. But I mailed my sisters package as well as my friend Joy who lives in Southern California. I felt like the box was a little bare so I added a pastel pink nail polish. 

It was a simple package but the heart felt card made it personalized for each of my bridesmaids and the candle was something they could continue to enjoy. I was happy with the way they came out and felt like they fit with the overall style of our wedding and was something personalized for each of my girls that showed how much they each meant to me. 

If you're married, I would love to hear how you asked your bridesmaids to be in your wedding!

Camping in Yosemite Valley

Growing up, I spent many weekends in Yosemite Valley with my family. And we still do an annual trip to Tuolumne Meadows in the summer. Early on in our relationship, Andrew started joining our family on trips and quickly fell in love with climbing, camping and exploring the Sierra Nevada. It has become one of our favorite things to do together.

Way back in November, we decided that we should plan a camping trip to Yosemite Valley in the spring to see the wildflowers and enjoy the Valley before the summer crowds and heat. We picked a random April weekend and hoped for the best.

Although the weather forecast tried to deter us, we decided to continue with our plan and spent a long weekend in Yosemite. We were met with heavy rain on Friday, and spent most of the day in the Ahwahnee Hotel (I'm not on board with the new name) playing cards and enjoying a glass of wine by the fire. It wasn't ideal, but luckily it's a beautiful place to spend the afternoon. That evening, we went to a movie at the visitor center rather than sit in camp in the rain. It was a nice film highlighting the landscape of Yosemite and climbing.

Andrew's sister, Nina, her boyfriend and another friend arrived late Friday night to join us. And thankfully Saturday was sunny and beautiful. We decided to do a longer hike on Saturday and took the John Muir Trail to the top of Nevada Falls. We decided we had an enough of our rain jackets and didn't want to take the Mist Trail since the falls were so full, we knew it'd be a heavy mist. It was actually really nice to be on the Muir Trail because there were far less people. It was a nice hike, and we were rewarded with awesome views.

On Sunday, we decided to do a shorter hike to Mirror Lake. I hadn't been there since I was young, but I was expecting more of a lake. It's become a bit more like Mirror Meadow, but the granite wall reflections are still breathtaking. We explored the lake and walked around a bit before heading back to camp. We also did a little tour of the Valley since Nina and her friends had never been. We pointed out some climbers, visited the store, Curry Village and walked around to view Yosemite Falls, Half Dome and the beautiful Dogwood tree blossoms.

It was a great trip despite the weather. We're already trying to find another weekend to go back, and we have our annual family trip to Tuolumne planned for later this summer.

Have you been to Yosemite? Do you like camping? I feel like most of my friends either love it, or really really hate it!

Fitness Motivation: Post-It Method

As I've mentioned, for the past few months I've been in a fitness/exercise rut. Last summer, before our wedding I discovered a little trick that was a game changer for me. It really got me motivated to consistently work out. I wanted to share it with you in the hopes that it will help anyone else having similar struggles.

I'm a very visual person, so for me this method is exactly the type of system I needed to help me create an exercise schedule and meet my fitness goals.

Post-It Note Fitness Motivation

First, you'll need Post-It notes in 2 colors, cut them into 1/2" strips.

One color will be for the weeks, like a countdown. The other will be for the amount of days you want to workout during each week. I used blue for my week Post-Its and purple for my days of exercise Post-Its.

On one color, write Week #1, Week #2....and continue for as far as you wish.

Find a wall in your home where you would like to display them. For me, I need it to be something I see when I get home from work, or wake up in the morning. A constant reminder if you will. So I chose the wall that divides our entry way and living room. It's literally the first thing you see when you walk through our front door. For me it's a great reminder to immediately change into my workout clothes when I get home from the office and head to the gym before I get lazy. But place them wherever will work best for you.

After you place the Post-It for the Week #1, use the alternating color and stick a strip for each time you plan to exercise. For me, I plan to go to the gym 5 days a week, so I used 5 purple strips. After you post your workout strips (purple) start a new week with another blue strip. Continue this pattern for as many weeks as you prefer.

Before the wedding I did a countdown starting 12 weeks before the wedding. Beginning with "12 Weeks" at the top, then went in descending order so it was like a countdown leading up to the Big Day. So, you could also set it up this way if you're counting down to a vacation or something exciting.

You'll also want to keep a jar near the area these are posted. The plan is for each time you work out, you take a Post-It off the wall and put it in the jar. If you miss a day, that's okay! You can make it up another day during that same week. Then, once the week is over, you can take down the blue "week" Post-It and place it in the jar as well.

I like to make it like a game and reward myself for my success. At the end of the four weeks, if I have put ALL the purple strips in the jar, I get to buy myself some new workout gear. You can determine an amount to spend or whatever type of reward you want. And, if you do extra workouts, think of some added bonus to treat yourself with!

It's amazing how well this worked for me. It's surprisingly powerful to see all those little Post-Its staring back at you from the couch, it definitely motivates you to get moving!

Unfortunately, after the wedding and through the holidays I lost my motivation for working out. So I decided to implement this trick again.  And it's been working wonders!


So what do you guys think? Am I crazy or does this sound like something that would help you, too? Let me know if you try this!

Currently | 2

Drinking: Hot Tea in the afternoon

Wearing: A white blouse

Listening: to Lord Huron on Spotify

Wishing: I had gotten up early to work out

Dreaming: About my next vacation

Thankful: For Andrew 

Excited: About blogging again, fun things on the horizon! 

Loving: My short hair! 

Missing: My friends who all decided to move out of San Francisco 

Entryway Makeover Before & Inspo

We've been in our current apartment for over four years now, and I still feel like it's not a true reflection of our style. We are lucky in that we have nice furniture that our parents have handed down to us, but it's missing the finishing touches that make it feel like home.

I've been wanting to start putting more effort into decorating our home and bringing in classic pieces that add style. I'm not afraid of a little DIY or bargain hunting, so I hope that we can accomplish the look we want on a budget.

I thought I would start with the smallest space that needs the least amount of work. Really, the only big purchase we need for the entryway is a new rug. Right now we have a cheap one I got at Home Depot when we moved in for $15, and its seen better days. It's just a basic carpet remnant that doesn't add any interest or color to the space.

I want to get a nice Persian/Turkish style rug with red & navy blue tones to add a pop of color. My parents have one that was my Gram's, but I haven't convinced them to give it to me yet... We already have a nice neutral gray-green wall color. But being the entryway and having so much traffic, plus having a dog, means it needs a little refresher. I also want to bring in a plant stand and some greenery add some life to the space. I found a cute one one here, but I may attempt making one myself to save on cost. Originally, I wanted to add a table as well, but the entry opens to the living room so it doesn't really work in this space. We'll see if I come up with any other accessories like a boot tray or umbrella holder, but I think this inspiration board is a good start!

I think this simple design will be a warm welcome when you come to our house. I'll be sure to share the photos and cost breakdown with you once the space is complete!

And for now, here are the before photos....

Wedding Wednesday: Magliozzi Wedding Vision

As any girl would, I turned to Pinterest shortly after we were engaged and started to gather inspiration for our Big Day. We decided early on we didn't want to wait over a year to get married, which meant that we were looking at late Summer or early Fall for our wedding.

As I started Pinning, it was easy to see a pattern of colors and styles in the images I was drawn to. I loved neutral colors with pops of navy. When I saw this wedding, it confirmed the colors and style I was going for. I loved the navy bridesmaids dresses with white flowers & greenery. I felt these colors would help create a classic, timeless and beautiful day for us.

Once I decided on navy bridesmaid dresses, we chose grey for the groomsmen with a navy tie. Instead of renting a suit, Andrew decided to buy a nice blue suit that he could wear again. And we liked that his suit would be different from the groomsmen.

In terms of flowers, I knew exactly what I wanted after we chose the color palette. All white flowers; like garden roses and dahlias, mixed with eucalyptus and other greenery to create that natural, romantic look I was going for. Another detail that I knew I wanted was an altar with fabric drapes and garland for the ceremony. Luckily, my mom is an amazing seamstress so I knew I could put her in charge of that.

In addition to the flowers and greenery, I wanted to incorporate rustic touches of wood with signs and vintage decor. I also knew that this would be a way for me to get creative and add my own personal touch to our decor.

As I look back on this inspiration board it makes me smile, because we were successful at making the beautiful day we had imagined come to life. It was even better than we could have imagined.

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 //8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12

Gift Idea: Keepsy Scrapbook

When my nephew Phillip turned 1 in 2014, I made him a scrapbook of his 1st year. So of course, when my younger nephew Joseph turned 1 this March, I wanted to do the same for him.

I discovered this site called Keepsy, that allows you to log into Instagram and it automatically inputs all of your photos to create an album. You can also upload photos from Facebook and other photo sharing sites. Since my sister shares a lot of photos of the boys on Instagram, I thought it was a perfect way to capture all the fun they had during the 1st year with both Phillip and Joseph. Luckily she was willing to share her Instagram log in information without too many questions :)

It couldn't be more simple to put these books together. You select a color theme and choose all the images from Instagram you want to include, then it does the layout automatically. You can change how many pictures you want per page, and move things around easily to customize the book as you want. Since I wanted to capture Joseph's first year completely, I also uploaded pictures from his baby shower, the pictures I took at the hospital when he was born, and the family photos my sister did last Fall as well as his 1 year photo shoot and birthday party.

It was such a simple thing to put together and I know my sister and the boys will treasure it for years to come. I love having completed albums at the house to be able to pick up and look through every once in a while. It always puts a smile on my face to go back and reminisce about fun memories.

This isn't a sponsored post, I just wanted to share Keepsy because it's such an easy way to create an album. Social Media is such a hug part of our lives, and sometimes I feel like I share all my photos but never actually print them out to enjoy later. Almost like I post them and forget them. With Keepsy, it's so much easier to create an album that you'll have to look back on for years to come.