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I Love Birchbox!

 

Does anyone else love Birchbox? 

It’s so fun!  Here’s the deal.  Every month you get a box of beauty products delivered for $10.  Most are sample sized but a generous sample size and sometimes you will get a full size.  You set up a beauty profile so you can decided what kind of products you want to get.  Like I said “no perfume”.

I have lots of beauty products now and there’s some stuff I don’t have to buy anymore because I get them enough.  Plus- it’s way more fun to try before you buy.

They also send a card that tells what everything is, how to use it, and how much it costs for a full size.

Here’s what I got this month:

 

 

1st up- a lip balm- great for this season of cold and dryness.  I’ve used it and I really like it!

A mascara- it’s works well, don’t know how much curling it does but I really like it so far!

 

Dry shampoo.  I was soooo excited about this one because I love me some dry shampoo.  I’ve only used suave so it was great to have a fancy brand to try.

 

Sometimes they will throw “lifestyle” products in.  I love it when it’s chocolate or tea.  This is my least favorite product in the box but it smells really good… like Christmas even.

 

I haven’t tried this face mask yet.  You look absolutely ridiculous when you put it on so I have to wait for everyone to be gone. 

 

So then when you get your products you can write a review on them on the birchbox web site and earn points, then with 100 points you get $10 towards your next purchase.  It adds up quickly and it’s fun to pick out free stuff!

Here’s the link to check them out.  Birchbox Web Site.  There might be a waiting list to get boxes but put your email on it and they will let you know when there’s a spot. 

 

I didn’t get any bonuses to write this.  I wish I had but I just wrote it because I really like getting beauty stuff every month!  Do you love birchbox too?

Adoption Party

I waited 15 months to have this party!  I even skipped having a 1st birthday party for her so I could focus on this.  I wanted to celebrate her adoption!  As with most parties- I had this planned in my head for a long time.  And I bought her shirt and her bow before she was officially Zoe.  Some things you just know!

Our church has a great patio where we could have the party.  It really took a village to pull this off.  I’ll try to thank everyone who helped because we really couldn’t have done it alone!

Here’s the party girl!

I think this picture was after the party was over- June in Texas- I was super sweaty!  But don’t mind that.  My friend Julie wrote this chalkboard for us.  Zoe’s bow… it looks like a dinner plate on her head.  I love it!

 

My friends make adorable children!

  

I hired some models to stand at the entrance of the party.  Every good party needs models.

Bella and Zoe enjoying the AC!  Bella is Rene’s beautiful daughter and Rene is the photographer who took all these photos.  check out her company Roots Photography and hire her immediately for your family photos!  She also takes our family photos AND we are going to Portugal together.  Rene has the biggest heart ever!!!  She didn’t think it was enough to take pictures so she and her husband also smoked all of the meat for lunch!  

 

My salsa is NOT world famous- but a couple of weeks before this event we had VBS.  I made the salsa for the VBS workers and they were practically drinking it with a spoon.  It’s as if they had not eaten in days.  So I made it again the next day and declared it famous.

Good signage at a party is important! 

My friend Anna did the flower arrangements.  I had collected the tea tins they are in for about a year but at the last minute doing flower arrangements made me want to cry.  I can do lots of things but flower arranging is not one of them! 

I made the little straw flags for the arrangements.  Well, originally I was going to make them for all the drinks but I didn’t have time for that!

The fans and lanterns were left over from my sisters wedding.  The paper was some wrapping paper I found in my stash- I had picked it up from the dollar spot at Target years ago.  The tea tins are from my favorite kind of tea.  If you are a tea lover, check Harney & Sons brand out.

A friend of ours came and fried things with his giant fryer.  This stuff is delicious and I even had him fry some apples so it would be healthy.

 

My mom had this fabulous cake made.  It tasted as delicious as it looked! 

I got her shirt from THIS SHOP on etsy.  I had purchased a “5” shirt for Cason’s birthday and asked if she could do a custom one for Zoe.  She did and it’s wonderful!  You can’t really tell but it says Zoe Cate on the side and a big Z on the front.  They are the softest, best shirts everrrrr.  I highly recommend them. 

I got her bow from THIS SHOP.  I’m pretty sure I need to buy all of these bows.   

The kids had a great time!  My friend Michelle brought the washer pit for an activity and the sand volleyball courts served as a great way to keep the kids occupied while the adults sat in the shade. 

I had so much fun planning and hosting this party!  I hope you enjoyed the virtual tour!

There were so many people that came to help decorate and organize.  Sabrina, Paige, Lauren, Anna... my mom and sister are always a huge help for these crazy parties I want to throw.  Thank you, thank you.

Mid-Century Side Table Makeover

 

 

About a year ago a friend found a dresser and a side table at a garage sale and it was exactly the kind of dresser I had been looking for to use as our entertainment center.  Of course, I didn’t document the before picture but if you look to the left of this adorable boy, you can tell how it turned out. 

So after the dresser was done the side table sat in the garage for a year because we didn’t have time to get to it.  I had a vision though…

 

A friend sanded it for me to save some time. 

I painted the doors and drawer white and stained the wood all the way around and the legs.  Staining furniture was apparently new to me because I did it wrong a few times and had to re-do it.  Even with the unprofessional stain- I really like how it turned out! 

Here’s a picture of the bedroom that it goes in.  This is before I had finished the side table but you can imagine how great it looks :-)

Mission Trip to Portugal

 

So, I don’t remember if I ever posted about this trip last November so I’m going to post about it now.  I also want to announce that I am going back on another trip to Portugal in October.  This crazy summer and kindergarten prep hasn’t given me much time to even think about the fact that the trip is coming closely and also that I haven’t thought about how I am going to pay for it. 

I am hope to write this and show you a little more about why I love Portugal and why I’m going back.  I hope you will feel led to pray for the people of Portugal and the trip.  If you also feel led, you can help fund my trip by sending a donation to the church.  Every little bit will help!

First Baptist Colleyville

Att: Susan Evans

5405 Pleasant Run

Colleyville, TX 76034

Please put Portugal Missions in the memo line and my name somewhere in the envelope but not on the check. 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

 

And now, a little about sweet Portugal!

As usual.  The pictures are out of order so let me tell you a little about this trip and then you can see the sights.

5 people from First Colleyville went to Coimbra Portugal last November to bring Thanksgiving to Portugal.  We were working with missionaries there MG and Cristi.  They think of great ideas to engage people and create community.  So we went to cook Thanksgiving dinners and invite people over to the house to feast and fellowship.  We cooked 5 American dinners for 5 different groups of people and they came over, visited, we prayed together and they built stronger relationships with the missionaries there. 

 

I saw this bag on the train.  It made me laugh. 

 

I love Europe so much.  The history, the architecture, the food.  It’s wonderful.  We were in the city of Coimbra for the majority of the trip but the last day we went to Lisbon and toured there.  I have pictures from both cities.

 

 

 

Here we were touring a castle.

 

A little “restroom”.  I’m assuming this is a men's room.

 

Lots of hills to climb!

 

A beautiful church with no roof.

 

 

 

The churches in Europe…. amazing.  Most of the early history of architecture revolves around churches- but that’s another post!

 

This elevator was designed by the guy who designed the eiffel tower. 

 

There is no starbucks in Coimbra but there was in Lisbon- so I went a long week with no soy vanilla chai.  Long.  Week.

 

This is actually the Madrid airport.  It’s architecture is fantastic!  I love the use of color.  The seats are horribly uncomfortable.

 

A little game after dinner.

 

I don’t make pies normally but I did here- it was thanksgiving after all!  I was very pleased with how it turned out.

 

This was a beautiful bridge in Coimbra.

 

The whole group!

 

 

 

So many beautiful doors in portugal.  I could make a whole blog post about doors.

 

This is what so much of the city looked like- beautiful buildings, mosaic tiled streets that were full of pedestrians.  LOTS of walkinghere.

 

I think Michelle was too tired to move.

 

We got to tour a really cool underground city… or former city.

 

 

 

This was one of my favorite cafes- or at least my favorite decorated cafe.

 

 

Another one of my incredible pies :-)

 

Sometimes we were so hungry yet so busy, we had to multitask.

 

Pumpkin cake balls.  So American.

 

My friends always look cute in selfies and I look ridiculous.  Not sure why.

 

Lots of stairs.

 

Where’s Michelle?

 

More stairs.

 

Dance contest!

 

Not all the pies turned out perfectly.  I’m sure I didn’t make this one.  I’m also sure we covered it in whipped cream and called it delicious!

 

The Thanksgiving Buffet!

 

Y’all, this city is so beautiful!  Everywhere you go it looks like this. 

 

This was the little hotel room that Mike and I stayed in.  It had an upstairs and downstairs.  Super cute and every corner of space was used.  There was even a miniature kitchen.

 

 

 

 

 

And this- there were cafes everywhere stocked with delicious pastries.  Like seriously, there were more delicious cafes on every corner than there are Starbucks around here.

And I’ll end with a beautiful church. 

 

The October trip is a little bit different than the Thanksgiving trip.  I am going with 4 photographers who are taking family photographs for lots of different families.  The last day we will have a party and give them photographs as a gift.  It’s a great way to minister to families and create community.

I know you are wondering why I am going- since you can tell my photography skills are nothing to celebrate. 

I’m going to assist- to cook or clean or visit with families as they wait for their turn… anything and everything that I can do to help, I will.  Maybe I’ll learn some photography tricks too!

 

Please let me know if you have any questions about the trip and please be in prayer for us as we prepare and especially for our friends who are already in Portugal- most of the prep work falls on them.