Big Announcement

~ kelleyblakelee ~ 2 Comments

If you follow me on Instagram, then you may have seen the big announcement…

Maddie Announcement

Baby Lee will be here in September, and we couldn’t be more excited!!

It’s been a rough first trimester and I’m just now (14 weeks) starting to feel a bit of relief from the morning sickness (“morning” is such a lie – they should call it “all day or whenever it feels like hitting you sickness”). I’m going to try and post more often and give updates on this journey!

Also, it’s such a relief to finally be able to tell everyone our little (big) secret! I feel like I’ve been such a hermit lately because I’ve just felt like absolute crap. Zach has been amazing – doing all of the errands, picking me up food when I’ve felt like eating anything other than ginger ale and saltines, cleaning the house, etc. Oh, and putting up with my hormonal self.

This has already been an interesting and exciting ride – so I know the next few months will be even more so!

Happy Tuesday!

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Friday Five

~ kelleyblakelee ~ 2 Comments

FF - Guest Room

1  |  Love the look of this guest room (especially those mirrors).

2  |  Broke down and finally bought this planner (enter heart eye emoji).

3  |  These would make the perfect Super Bowl snack.

FF - LGN Flowers

4  |  Great tips on how to keep your flowers fresh longer.

5  |  Am I totally crazy for loving this dress? (Don’t answer that…)

Happy Friday, y’all! I’m headed to Birmingham tomorrow to meet up with some of my closest friends for lunch and shopping and can’t wait to see them!

 

Friday Five

~ kelleyblakelee ~ Leave a comment

Hello! Long time no see (talk? write? blog?)! Sorry for the unplanned blogging hiatus – the holidays took us by storm (kind of literally) and I feel like the dust is just starting to settle and our routine is getting somewhat back to normal. I always feel like December is balls to the wall and that January should slow down…but it doesn’t. Zach and I are jam-packed every weekend in January and several in February. Oh well, at least we’ll be having fun 🙂

So, on to the Friday Five…

FF - House Beautiful

1  |  I love this home makeover. I plan to steal a few ideas for our house since majority of it is in that same color scheme.

2  |  We’re heading to a friend’s wedding later this month and this seems like such a chic and easy way to do my hair.

3  |  I think I might need this tunic in my life.

FF - Furbish Tassel Pillow

4  |  I love anything with tassels and this pillow is no exception.

5  |  This looks divine.

 

Happy Friday, y’all!

 

Slipper Chairs

~ kelleyblakelee ~ Leave a comment

Happy Monday y’all! Hope everyone had a nice weekend! My friends Rachel and Ryan have purchased a new home and will be moving into it soon (less than two weeks, guys!). Rachel mentioned that they just got some slipper chairs out of storage and it made me start thinking about how much I love the look of a set of slipper chairs. They aren’t bulky and look so sleek, so they’re a great addition to just about any room when you need extra seating.

Here are a few ways to incorporate them in your home…

Slipper Chairs - McGrathSlipper Chairs - BHGSlipper Chairs - LonnySlipper Chairs - One Kings LaneSlipper Chairs - Hello SukioSlipper Chairs - DecorPad1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  6

I’m headed to Asheville, North Carolina, later this week with my mom, her best friend, my sister-in-law and my niece for a girls weekend. I haven’t been since high school, so I’m excited to experience it as an adult, do some sight seeing and eat some delicious food (duh). If you have any recommendations for places to see, things to do or restaurants, please pass them along!

 

The Best Pecan Pie

~ kelleyblakelee ~ 1 Comment

 

Pecan Pie

Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and ate way too much. I know we did. So why not continue that trend with the very best pecan pie recipe?! Want to know the secret to a perfect pecan pie? Roasting the pecans ahead of time. You’re welcome universe.

Pecan Pie 2

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

  • 1 frozen pie crust
  • 6 Tablespoons butter
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 cup loosely packed brown sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon bourbon
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups whole pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Melt two tablespoons of butter and mix with one cup of nuts. Spread out evenly on a baking sheet or jelly roll pan. Bake for 15 minutes, tossing halfway. Once cooled a bit, roughly chop and set to the side.

In a medium bowl, melt remaining four tablespoons of butter. Add eggs, corn syrup, sugar, bourbon and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth. Stir in chopped pecans.

Place pie crust on a baking sheet (this will help keep the pie level and prevent any overflow from the pie getting everywhere). Pour in the filling and top with remaining pecans.

Bake at 350°F for 45 – 55 minutes, or until filling is set. Let it cool completely. You can also make this pie the day before. Slice, serve and enjoy!

 

Beautycounter Favorites

~ kelleyblakelee ~ Leave a comment

With Christmas around the corner (and an awesome Beautycounter deal continuing through Cyber Monday – all orders over $150 will receive a free full-size shampoo and conditioner!), I thought I would share a few of my absolute favorite products that would make great gifts and stocking stuffers! (In case you missed my exciting news, go here!)

Beautycounter - Face Oils

Lustro Face Oils – These face oils are hands-down the best thing I have ever put on my face. My skin has never felt this smooth or moisturized. I use the number 2 oil, which is for normal to dry skin and is anti-aging. The number 1 oil is for sensitive skin and the number 3 oil is for combination skin (or angry skin!). I use mine as a primer after I’ve cleansed my face in the morning and again in the evening after I wash my face.

Beautycounter - Beauty Balm

Nourishing Cleansing Balm – I LOVE THIS STUFF. It’s a bit pricier, but it is totally worth it. And the jar is big and lasts a long time. It has the consistency of coconut oil when in the jar, but once you rub it between your fingers it becomes a liquid. I use this nightly after cleansing and it help lock in moisture without any stickiness.

 

Beautycounter - Rosewater

Rose Water Uplifting Spray – This spray serves me in several different ways. I use a spritz or two after I wash my face as a toner, after I put on my makeup and/or if my makeup needs a little afternoon pick-me-up. It’s made from real roses and smells DIVINE.

Every Day and Every Night Hydrating Creams – To give you an idea of how much I love these face creams, I should let you know that I stopped using the moisturizer I had been using for 15 years to switch to this. It’s that good! It’s smooth and hydrating, not sticky and absorbs quickly.

Beautycounter - Tint Skin

Tint Skin – This is a super smooth foundation that evens out my complexion beautifully. Don’t get enough coverage with one application? Just layer on another for more. It doesn’t look cakey or dry and it comes in eight colors.

Beautycounter - Mattify Powder

Mattify Skin Finishing Powder – This is the first time I’ve used a translucent powder and I really love this one. It sets my foundation, makes my face look finished and has true staying power.

 

Beautycounter - Lip Sheer

Lip Sheers – These perfect little gifts or stocking stuffers! The colors are beautiful (my favorite is ‘Petal’). They go on super smooth and give great color without being too lipsticky. Yep. That’s a word.

Beautycounter - Sugar Scrub

Sugar Scrub – By far my favorite product. It really gets the dead skin off and seems to polish my skin leaving it silky smooth. I honestly don’t think I could live without this product, especially during the winter. And it’s the perfect luxe gift without a big luxe price! If you wanted to give a little more, I would definitely suggest the Scrub + Body Butter duo.

Beautycounter - Lustro Body Oil

Lustro Body Oil in Rosemary Citrus – This may be the final thing on my list of favorites, but it’s definitely not the least favorite of my favorites. If that makes any sense. I love using this right after I hop out of the shower, or I add it to my body lotion to make it extra hydrating. Needless to say, my skin is loving me right now!

If you’re interested in any items or have any questions, feel free to email me or comment on this post! Happy shopping!

 

 

 

 

Beautycounter

~ kelleyblakelee ~ 1 Comment

BC

A few weeks ago, my sweet friend Jessie (who grew up with my husband and was my roommate when I lived in Huntsville) texted me about trying out some products for a skincare and beauty brand she was selling called Beautycounter.

The whole mission behind Beautycounter is to get safe products into the hands of everyone. Now, I’ll admit – I was skeptical. Usually, when things are deemed as being more natural or “organic” in the beauty industry, they just don’t work as well. Not to mention, there’s already several direct sales beauty brands out there. Regardless, I was intrigued and Jessie sent me a huge box full of skincare, makeup and bath/body products.

BC 5

Let me just tell you – I WAS SO WRONG. Not only do these products work, but they work better than the high-end brands I was using – and they are safe! Now, you may wonder what I mean by safe. I’ll keep this short (because I could go on and on and on…). The U.S. hasn’t passed a federal law to regulate the ingredients used in personal care products since 1938. Scary, right? So that means these beauty companies are allowed to use chemicals known to be extremely harmful (lead, formaldehyde and phthalates) in the products we put on our bodies and on our kids every single day, day after day. And to add to that, the E.U. has banned almost 1,400 harmful and toxic ingredients from there products – of those, the U.S. has banned 11.

E L E V E N.

BC 1

These harmful ingredients are known to cause endocrine disruptions, cancer, hormonal issues, etc. When I heard that these ingredients could be linked to cancer, it struck a chord with me. My mother and grandmother are both breast cancer survivors (not genetically related cancer either). If changing the products I put on my skin every day (remember, skin is your largest organ!) could only help reduce the chance of any of these issues, then why wouldn’t I?

BC 4

And that’s where Beautycounter comes in. They are leading this charge. They have already banned more than 1,500 ingredients from their products setting a new health and safety standard—all while ensuring their products perform, and that they’re as indulgent as any luxe shampoo, lipstick or oil in the market. This company and their mission for safe beauty has truly won me over. They are genuine in their fight to change the beauty industry and to create safe products that actually work.

So, I’m so excited to say that I have joined Beautycounter as a consultant! If you’re interested in joining this wonderful team or want to try out any of the products, just shoot me an email at kelleyblakeblog@gmail.com. Or you can always visit my Beautycounter website to see all of our great products. Please let me know if you have any questions! I plan to post a few of my favorites soon – and there are many things that would make great Christmas or Hanukkah gifts!

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and eat way too much!

 

Setting the {Thanksgiving} Table

~ kelleyblakelee ~ 1 Comment

This year, Zach and I are staying home for Thanksgiving and I’ll be making dinner for a few of us. I’ve got my menu all ready and most everything has been purchased with the exception of some veggies and the meat. It’s finally starting to get colder here (thank ya Jesus!) so it’ll be nice to wear clothes that look like it’s actually Thanksgiving here. And leggings. Always leggings. They’re stretchy and comfy and I don’t care if you think they can’t be worn as pants. As long as my top covers my bottom, I will be wearing them!

Along with Thanksgiving comes beautiful ways to set your table, whether keeping with the traditional colors or going a bit more modern with metallics. Here are a few of my favorites to give you some inspiration for your table…

Thanksgiving Table 8

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Thanksgiving Table 7

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Thanksgiving Table 1

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Thanksgiving Table 2

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Thanksgiving Table 4

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Thanksgiving Table 5

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Thanksgiving Table 6

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Also, as someone who is fully in her “adult” years now, I think that fall break and Christmas break are wasted on the youths. The real people who need it are those of us who work 40+ hours a week and are cooking these holiday meals and prepping for out-of-town guests. If we could just get someone to pass legislation on this making it mandatory, that would be great.

God speed to everyone hosting Thanksgiving at their house this week.