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February Favorites

Better late than never for a February Favorites post, right?

1)  Pureology Hair Treatment Spray with 21 Benefits - 21 benefits in one product? SOLD. I apply this product on freshly washed hair and let it go straight to work. It instantaneously adds some 'slip' and detangles towel-dried hair. I'm also pleasantly surprised at how long this has lasted - probably a solid three months. I'll be repurchasing this over and over.

2) Leopard Ballet Flats from Target (similar) - why am I just now discovering that leopard truly goes with everything?! I'm late to every trend, I swear.

3) Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof eyeliner in Lionfish - the most perfect deep brown eyeliner out there. I think this came in a Birchbox a long time ago (I unsubscribed at least last summer from the Birchbox months subscription), but I only stumbled across it during a bathroom cabinet clean out in January. I'm normally a black eyeliner kind of gal, but this has completely changed my view and subtlely changed my look, too. Did I mention that it lasts all day, too? Well, it lasts all day.

4) Vaseline Lip Therapy - the only thing that's unchapped my very chapped lips during this crazy winter. Cost is only about $1.49 and I've purchased enough to have tubes on my nightstand, in my makeup bag, in my car and in my work bag. I'm never too far from a tube lately.

5) OPI Nail Envy - I mentioned this a few weeks ago in my Healthy Hands and Nails Routine post, and you can read more about it here.

6) Rebecca Minkoff Mini M.A.C. - my post-holiday present to myself (funded by some Christmas cash given to me in lieu of gifts). It was a bit of a splurge, but I'm still smitten by this handbag.

Cate Blanchett's Oscars Look

Cate Blanchett looked pretty perfect Sunday night, didn't she? The Australian Meryl Streep (<- nickname I just made up for her) was stunning in a perfectly selected Giorgio Armani gown that was perfectly accessorized with her second gold statue. With fair skin and light hair, it takes the right tone of gold to not completely wash a gal out. I'd say she nailed it and she's my pick for Best Dressed.

Cate complimented the illusion dress with ethereal makeup that didn't go unnoticed by me. She easily could have pulled off a Hollywood red lip with her hair and dress, but she kept her makeup fairly understated except for the piles of lashes to make her eyes truly standout. Here's a closer look …

I'd wear those earrings every single day if they were mine.

The look is fairly simple to recreate, and I think most women already have a the needed items in their beauty arsenal. Here's what I would use to mimic Cate's look:

1) L'oreal True Match Lumi - a medium coverage foundation with subtle illumination
2) MAC Peachykeen Blush - a slightly shimmery peachy pink blush to bring out Cate's sculpted cheek bones and to add some color to her complexion
3) Benefit Gimme Brow - a brush-on fiber gel to fill in her eyebrows and better frame her eyes
4) MAC Painterly Paint Pot - it's hard to tell what she's got going on for eyeshadow because of her hooded eyes, but I can't detect any shimmer and this paint pot color would help even out fair-skinned eyelids that might be otherwise translucent and show veins (trust me, I'd know)
5) a swipe of black eyeliner on the top lashes only (keep bottom lashes bare)
6) two coats of black mascara (again, keep bottom lashes bare) and a strip of false eyelashes to really enhance the eyes
7) light coat of MAC Hue lipstick, blotted to sheer the nude color

A Queso Vessel

Many people expected me to host an Academy Awards party last night. It's something I've always wanted to do, but with a rather chaotic work schedule every February and March, it'd be a hard task to pull off. However, it's definitely on my Bucket List right below "be a seat filler at the Oscars."

Anyway, Academy Awards Sunday is usually an afternoon and evening spent with Mr. Cush where he mocks me for caring what the A-listers are wearing. (Actually, he spent yesterday afternoon watching Dallas Buyers Club so he could understand all of the Matthew McConaughey/Jared Leto hype. I rented it on iTunes over the weekend and watched it on a work trip Friday night - it's terrific.)

Since the Academy Awards are a bigger deal to me than 10 Super Bowls combined, I usually try a new snack recipe to have a little something to munch on during the big show. I stumbled upon a Queso Blanco recipe via Pinterest last week and gave it a try yesterday ... like Dallas Buyers Club, it didn't disappoint!

Ingredients:
1 1/4 lbs. white American cheese (block cheese cut into 1-inch cubes)
1 4 oz. can diced green chili peppers
2 jalapeno peppers (chopped)
2/3 cup half and half
1/2 cup cold water

Directions:
Toss all ingredients into a microwaveable-safe bowl. Microwave on high for five minutes, stopping to stir after every minute.

Queso Blanco

While I made the queso, Mr. Cush was busy dicing up an avocado to add to the finished product (you know, since we add avocado to everything around here). Out of nowhere, a moment of genius struck ...

QUESO BOAT!!!

BAM! That happened.

Since I'm not the most creative person in the kitchen, I'm pretty proud of this above concoction. Is it totally lame? Probably. But for one singular moment yesterday, I felt like a gold statue winner.

So how did I spend the evening? Mostly with this view pictured below ...

My judgy best friend, Riley.

Chicken Tot Pie

I have to hand it to Mr. Cush ... he sure knows how to multitask, especially in the kitchen. Whereas I follow every recipe down to the tiniest detail, he's happy to experiment and try unexpected things.

For example, here's the Chicken Tot Pie he invented last night ...

I picked up a salad on my way home from work for my dinner (No. 31, for anyone counting), so he was free to do his own thing. Usually that means a frozen pizza or chicken tenders, but last night he got creative. Using a rotisserie chicken from the store, he simply garnished it with frozen green beans and tater tots and baked it at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. 

Finally ... a use for the pie dish that's been taking up space in our cabinets!!!

High Five For Friday #H54F

Is it just me or has this week absolutely flown by? I'm going to go on ahead and nominate Feb. 16-22 as the fastest week thus far of 2014.

Here's a quick look back at five of my favorite things from the week that's almost in the rearview mirror ...

Link up at thelaurenelizabeth.com

1) Woke up with a tickle in my throat Tuesday morning and it was a full-fledged sore throat and head cold attack by Wednesday. Spent the day at home alternating working and resting and was on the mend by Thursday after a few doses of NyQuil. (<- Could rival Snapple as the best stuff on earth when a head cold hits.)

2) I'm embracing my two-year old leopard ballet flats from Target as my go-to flats lately. Leopard is my new neutral.

3) Pictures of "carrot cake" and "birthday cake" flavored M&Ms are popping up all over Twitter and I'm intrigued. If anyone has seen these available for purchase anywhere, please let me know in the comments below so I can get my hands on some!!!

4) Posted this picture on my Instagram feed Monday for Presidents' Day and I'm still mesmerized by it. Regardless of your political party affiliation, it's hard not to love Ronald and Nancy.

5) 47 more days 'til the Masters! Seriously - I can't even wait. This is the first athletic event I really look forward to each year, mostly because the Masters never, ever, ever disappoints. (Plus, Augusta National is just dreamy as far as golf courses are concerned.)

Thanks for checking in today! Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend!!!

It Doesn't Cost Anything To Be Kind

It's been 14 years since the movie "Pay It Forward" debuted. You remember it, right? The one with Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and the kid from "The Sixth Sense," Haley Joel Osment. Paying things forward was a big deal for the few years after the movie, but it seems to becoming more and more rare lately and we need to bring it back.

One of my Twitter friends mentioned the other day that the "courtesy wave" seems to be a thing of the past and it really saddened me. Coming from a small town, there's nothing more engrained in my being than the courtesy wave. The courtesy wave I'm referring to doesn't only apply to the roadways - it applies to seeing an acquaintance across a crowded room, or seeing a neighbor walking their dog when you're cruising through the neighborhood on your way home from work. There's nothing at all wrong with a friendly flick of a few fingers that simply let you someone know you're acknowledging their existence.

In a world that's lacking kindness, let's bring some back. There are a ton of things that don't cost a single penny and could make a huge difference in someone's day. 

Need a suggestion? Just snag one of these below. Let's all commit to doing at least one of these today and making someone's day a bit brighter than it might've been ... if we're feeling really crazy, let's try to do at least one of these every single day this week, k?

1. Hold a door - or elevator - open for a person behind you. (Seriously - this shouldn't be a one-time thing, though. Elevator karma is the worst kind of karma out there. If you don't hold it open for someone, the next time you're in a rush it'll inevitably close on you.)

2. Compliment someone.

3. Listen to someone else and not mention yourself. Tell them you believe in their hopes and dreams, too.

4. Share a coupon at the checkout line with a stranger.

5. Donate blood.

6. Tell someone you love them.

7. Pick up litter in a local park while you're walking your pet.

8. Let someone with less items than you checkout before you at the cashier.

9. Donate those hotel toiletries you've accumulated to a local shelter.

10. Overuse the courtesy wave for an entire day.

Ready to make a difference? Let's go!