Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Christmas Traditions and the Perfect Holiday Leggings

I received complimentary products from L'Eggs for review purposes, but all opinions are completely my own.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

I just adore the Christmas season! Of course, the reason for the season (JESUS!) is the best of all - BUT there are so many great things to do and see. From enjoying cider, hot chocolate and yummy treats to decorating your house to enjoying Christmas movies (thank you Netflix!) and even watching the kiddos in the Christmas program at church. This really is a wonderful season.

One memory I have from my childhood that we did every year, was driving around to see everyone's Christmas lights on their houses. No matter if we were at home or visiting family in another state, we always drove around to take in the beauty of Christmas. Looking at lights is still something I make sure that we do to this day. Luckily, we have had lots of opportunities to take in the lights this year. Earlier in the month, my parents joined us for a trip to the Bristol Motor Speedway to see their five mile spectacle of lights. It was definitely worth the drive - so pretty! Also, there is a local house that has a grand light show set to music which we have already visited three times (Tolar, get to work on designing something like that for our house next year!). And of course, there are lots of houses around that have decorated with Christmas lights; I have been very impressed by how many families are getting into the Christmas spirit. My aunt joined us as we drove around town last night taking in everything. I just love this time of year.




And of course, one thing that is very important this Christmas season is what to wear! Well, I've got you covered whether you are checking out Christmas lights, heading to hang out with friends or singing Christmas Carols.

Check out Energy Tights from L'eggs. Their Footless Tights are the perfect leggings and are oh so comfortable (especially if you are sitting in a car for a couple hours looking at the lights)! I am new to leggings, having never really loved my legs before. But I LOVE the bootie trend and have decided to embrace leggings. The L'eggs Energy Footless Tights are a great thickness. They are thick enough that you don't have to worry about anything showing (although if you are wearing leggings, your top better cover your hiney!), but they aren't too thick. Because if you live anywhere near me it is going to be around 70 degrees on Christmas, we definitely don't need anything too thick or we will be a sweaty mess on Christmas Day. Also, the thickness is so great because I don't have to worry about the dreaded run/snag in my tights.

Being new to leggings, my first pair was a very cheap pair because I didn't want to spend a lot of money if I wasn't sure I would wear them again. That cheap pair kept falling down. The L'eggs brand is great; they offer a great fit and have an awesome band at the ankle that fits snug to the leg (not too tight, but not baggy at all). The ankle band keeps my leggings in place and keeps my look exactly as desired - which is having a little bit of ankle peeking out between my leggings and bootie. The L'eggs Energy brand is designed to massage your legs, keeping them energized all day.

L'eggs make the perfect stocking stuffer or are a wonderful addition to any holiday outfit. They offer a variety of products and styles, which I'm sure will complete any look you are going for this Christmas.




Oh and I got my haircut and I LOVE it. 




I'm linking up this post with The Pleated Poppy and Going The Distance.

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Family Photos are the Best!

Earlier this week I changed my profile picture on facebook and the internet blew up! Ok, maybe not really, but that one picture received a TON of likes and comments that I was not prepared for or expecting. I am so thankful to all of my friends and family for the sweet words and compliments.

The lovely display of comments reminded me that I have to share our family photos with you here on the blog. I have always loved professional photos, for many reasons, but the biggest reason is that I feel it is important to document our lives in photos as often as we can. K is growing and changing every single day and I often wish I could stop time. Capturing her precious moments are as close as I get to stopping time.

In order to really capture your family (and especially young children) in their element, you need a pro! And my sweet friend Whitney from Shine Photography nailed our photo session. Whitney is so calm and patient and has a special knack for getting K to smile so easily. Her photos of our family are simply beautiful and I am so excited to share some of our favorites with you. (If you live in Roanoke or the New River Valley and are interested in a great photographer for family photo sessions, definitely check out Shine Photography!)


Friday, November 20, 2015

Perfect Makeup Travel Bag

I received a complimentary cosmetic bag from London Soho New York for review purposes, all opinions are completely my own.



Are you traveling for the holidays this year? Have I got the perfect cosmetic/makeup travel bag to share with you! Perfect is a pretty bold word, but I can honestly say that London Soho New York has nailed it with this bag.

Before I get into why I love the London Soho New York cosmetic box, allow me to give you some back story. For a long time (at least five years) I carried all of my makeup in a giant bag that I got for free from a department store. I loved that bag, but after throwing so much makeup into it for 5 years it got quite dirty. Sadly, I decided to throw my beloved bag away and went on a quest to find an identical one but I could not find anything that came close to it. I've had to settle for mediocre bags since then. Yes it sounds silly that I just spent an entire paragraph explaining my saga about a makeup bag, but when you love makeup like I do this is important.

I've been looking for a bag that holds all of my makeup at once so it needs to be a pretty good size. However, I don't want it to be too large with a lot of extra space. When there is extra space, your powders can come open and spill all over the place. No one wants that! The London Soho New York cosmetic box is the perfect size. But why I really love the cosmetic box is the awesome brush holder in a separate zippered section. You are able to keep everything neatly organized in the brush slots. I hate just tossing my brushes into my bag and pulling them out later to see that the brushes have completely lost their shape. This way your brushes stay neat and tidy and will look how you expect them to look when you pull them out after traveling. Plus there is a mesh pouch which allows you to carry any extra brushes or miscellaneous items (lipsticks) you might have.

And one final note for all of you neat freaks like me out there. The inside is made of easy-wipe vinyl, so you don't have to worry about makeup staining your cosmetic box. I may never have to buy another cosmetic bag again! With a super affordable price point, this is THE cosmetic bag to own. It would also make a great Christmas present. You can pick one of these awesome bags up at Target.




Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Wore: Slouchy Beret

Tolar informed me that this outfit makes me look like a lumberjack. Of course, I responded with "No way, check out my bling," putting him in his place!

I love taking something casual or plain and pairing it with some "fancy" items. This buffalo check button up shirt might look like something that a lumberjack would wear, but throw on a gorgeous necklace from Stella & Dot and a slouchy beret from Scala Pronto and you transform into an instant trendsetter.*

This slouchy beret is everything I have looked for in a Fall/Winter hat and never found until now. I love the neutral oatmeal color coupled with the pop of silver bling woven through - the color allows this hat to be worn with just about anything. The knit is soft and extremely comfortable; no scratching my head and wishing I could just take it off. And it is the perfect thickness, not too thick and not too thin. So you can rest assured that your head will be kept warm during the cold months, but you won't be sweating underneath (and ruining your hairstyle). Because the beret is the perfect thickness, it is great to wear indoors as a fashion accessory or outside for warmth and functionality.



Buffalo Check shirt: Walmart (!!!!)
Slouchy Beret: Scala Pronto (c/o).
Necklace: Stella & Dot.
Earrings: Target.

*trendsetter status more likely to be achieved by you than me


I'm linking up this post with The Pleated Poppy.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

I'm Still Alive, I Promise

My sweet friend Marcy sent me a text message yesterday wondering what was up with me and why Pursuit of Pink seemed to be trapped in October. And of course I am sure that all of you are probably wondering the same thing!

First things first, I'm alive and have absolutely no plans of halting the happenings at Pursuit of Pink. I just needed a little time off. I've been a little busy with entertaining some house guests, planning a baby shower, Christmas shopping for a Thanksgiving gift exchange, keeping up with church and MOPS stuff, enjoying my fabulous family and suffering from a cold that knocked me down hard! Everything but the cold has been full of enjoyment for me and just kept me a little too busy to sit down at my computer each night.

But I'm back. And figured I'd show you some shots of life straight from the ol' iphone because honestly I don't do anything with out that cellular device.


-We took family photos during my hiatus and I cannot wait to get those back and share with you. The leaves at the park where we shot the photos were insanely huge and gorgeous!


-My dear friend Rebekah and her sweet family came to visit us for a couple days. Bek is the type of friend that you need to have in your life. She is so positive, such a wise woman constantly pouring into me and she is the type of friend who even if you don't talk every day it always feels like you just spoke with each other. While Bek was here we went to a trampoline park with the ladies from my church and had a blast - seriously it was the most fun I've had in a long time!


-Sesame Street Live came to Roanoke and my sweet friend Shelly (a former co-worker from D.C.) hooked us up with tickets. We all had a blast meeting Elmo and friends and enjoying the show. Thanks so much Shelly!

Friday, October 30, 2015

Pumpkin Patch Fun

I'm just going to warn you, this post is going to include a lot of pictures. I mean, when you have kids as cute as K and her cousin, the photographer just cannot help herself.

Over the weekend we took K and my sweet nephew to Thornspring Farms' Pumpkin Patch and we all had a blast. I had previously mentioned how much I loved Thornspring Farms and their Pumpkin Patch festivities did not disappoint this year.

I have to say that going to a Pumpkin Patch is most definitely one of my favorite Fall activities. This was our third year going and we had so much fun!!!! This might be my favorite year because K was able to do everything this time! Thornspring Farms offers quite a lot of activities: a corn maze for the adults, a hay maze for the little ones, teeter-totters, tractor-train rides, cart racing, big slides, silly photo opps and the pièce de résistance: an air filled jumping mat. K and my nephew did not want to stop jumping, they were having a blast and it was pure joy just watching them laugh and jump and slide.(You will see a pumpkin patch time out photo below, that's what happens when a tantrum is thrown for having to get off the jumping mat.)

Enjoy the photos! (And Mom, next time we must get you in one!)


You're welcome world - everything just got a whole lot cuter!

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Leaf Jumping!

When I first entered the "real world" I realized quickly just how boring being an adult actually can be. I had my first big girl job and all we concentrated on was work (the nerve!). We didn't take time to celebrate all of the little holidays and season changes that were happening around us. There was no pumpkin carving contest, no Thanksgiving or Christmas break off from work (only vacation days I had to use if I wanted that time off) and certainly no craft project to savor the beauty of the changing leaves. The real world kept on going, regardless of what the calendar said.

But I missed all of the small little celebrations, I missed the breaks, the time spent acknowledging that a new season and holiday was fast approaching. Which is one of the joys I find in motherhood - I LOVE exploring new seasons with K and teaching her about holiday traditions. I love that we get to watch her experience so many things for the first time. Watching my child take in the season changes and seeing her explore new things is thrilling to me. 

Last week, Tolar raked all of our leaves into a HUGE pile in the yard and he showed K the true art of leaf jumping. At first all she wanted to do was pick the leaves up and let them come tumbling down (we had just sang "The Leaves On The Tree" earlier that day), but after a little prodding she realized just how much fun it is to run and jump into a big ol' pile of leaves. And in true 2 year old fashion, she has asked to jump in the leaves every day since.