Always, Always, Always The Bridesmaid #1

I have had the pleasure of being asked to participate in the bridal party of FOUR weddings in the last few years. One of these nuptial events already took place last year, but I have three coming up to look forward to! I am blessed with some truely awesome friends, and each wedding experience I get to be a part of is a new and exciting learning experience for me about friendship, event planning and of course: love.

I thought it would be fun to write a little series about the upcoming and past wedding celebrations I have been a part of as a bit of a ‘Bridesmaid Diary’ I can look back on, since these are such special and fleeting memories I never want to lose.

That being said, here are some photos from the first wedding I had the pleasure of being a part of: The wedding of Becky Sue Means & Matthew Means! These two tied the knot on May 26, 2013 and have since expanded their brood (which already includes 2 adorable fur babies) and are expecting a bundle of joy arriving in August 2014. 🙂

Here is a photo compilation of my experience in The Means Wedding festivities from start to finish, I can’t believe it has already been almost a year!

Flashback to Becky’s Birthday, right after she got engaged! She’s sporting her new bling and we’re all excited to celebrate. From left to right: Lisa, Myself, Becky & Stephanie

Next item, Engagement Party!

 

Becky, Lisa and I at the Engagement Party. Lisa and I accidentally matched and inadvertently accidentally both wore the wedding colors… funny how things work out. 🙂

Next up, Bridal Shower! We went with a CANDYLAND theme!

The bridal shower was a huge success and everyone had a great time. A few months later, it was time to get crazy in Vegas for the Bachelorette Party!

We had a lovely suite at The Venitian and spent time by the pool during the day and went out for dancing and drinks at night. Vegas did Becky right that weekend LOL.

A few short weeks later it was time to get Becky down the aisle and in to wedded bliss. Here are some of the moments from that day…

Hotel room bridesmaid fun!

Getting Becky dressed…

More poses in the room.

Check out my cool hair!

Posing before the processional.

Walking in with the Best Man.

Ceremony candid.

Walking in the reception hall with the Best Man.

Greeting the new Mr. & Mrs. to the reception.

My Maid of Honor Speech!

Bouquet Toss: I wanted Lisa to get it!

Getting our boogie on on the dance floor.

 

Formal photos with the bridal party.

Becky and I having a moment, I love these shots!

Wedding favors

They had Ruby’s cater the food, yum!

The flowers.

Centerpieces and wedding theme.

Becky with the gorgeous cake maker (and my neighbor) Shelly!

Getting the Mr. & Mrs. ready to ride off in to the sunset.

So much fun! We did the ‘Bridesmaids’ pose and got featured on Pinup Girl Clothing’s Instagram as their PUG Pinup of the Day!

For all those interested, the entire bridal party’s hair was done by Lissette Castaneda, the dress is here from Pinup Girl Clothing and my makeup was done by me. Becky’s makeup was done by the lovely and talented Christina Cofran!

I hope you all enjoyed these photos from the  Means’ Wedding! Like I mentioned before, I have two weddings coming up this summer I have the pleasure to serve in the bridal party of and another wedding next fall I will also be a bridesmaid in, so this is the first post of MANY wedding related blogs. 🙂

Always, always, ALWAYS the bridesmaid (never the bride) but that’s A OK in my book!

Thank you all for spending some time reading and I hope you’re having an amazing day!

struts, stumbles, hugs & kisses- Nicole

The Wet Brush, the brush that changed my life!

The Wet Brush. It’s here, and it’s going to save your hair!

I have to start out by saying I was a skeptic. I had seen some YouTube beauty gurus talk about this brush, but I don’t trust many of those gals because I KNOW they are usually being sent product for free or are being paid to talk about stuff on their channels.

I was a skeptic because I have a long history of disappointment with hair products claiming the world and not living up to my expectations. I have LONG, blonde, thick, dry, color treated, tangled hair and it is always an ordeal to brush it out after a good washing. That being said, I finally tried out The Wet Brush and it CHANGED MY LIFE!

I received The Wet Brush in my October PopSugar Must Have Box and didn’t pay much attention to it. Truthfully, the brush had stayed nestled in its original plastic packaging until my boyfriend and I happened upon it while cleaning out my spare bedroom a while back.

He said, “Hey, isn’t that the brush you got in your box?” and picked it up off the dresser. I told him it was and that I hadn’t tried it yet, but my hair was wet at the time so he suggested we try it out.  Let’s be honest here, when I say ‘suggested,’ that’s more of a loose interpretation of what really happened which was more like him grabbing the brush, ripping it out of the packaging and savagely attacking my wet head. LOL!

(Yup, that’s my head. Long, damaged, bleached hair. My hair is extremely thick, coarse and brittle, making it a nightmare to brush while wet.)

I never let anyone brush my hair for me, but I figured since The Wet Brush makes such hefty claims, I figured I would try it out to its full potential and let him attempt to brush out my wet, tangled locks. At the first pass through, I was astounded. There was no pulling, no ripping and no pain! He continued to run the brush through my hair and the tangles were no match for the magical bristles of The Wet Brush.

(This is with a few strokes of The Wet Brush, my tangled mane was tamed!)

Needless to say, I was floored. This seemingly innocent little brush packed enough gentle strength to coax out the most stubborn snags painlessly. The Wet Brush is AWESOME and I suggest it enough!

Here’s the specs for The Wet Brush according to their website:

“The Wet Brush, The Best Detangling Brush EVER!”

“• Super soft IntelliFlex™ bristles.
• Detangle hair with ease.
• Works great on wet or dry hair.
• Perfect for men, women & kids.
• For thick, curly or straight hair.
• Great for hair extensions & wigs.”

This product is available online at their website and also in store at some salons, though I have yet to find this product in a shop around me. On their website a standard Wet Brush will set you back $14 and the Pro Paddle Brush I’m after costs $16. The site boasts a variety of styling tools and additional brushes to try including The Squirts (for little hands), The Hot Brush (for heat styling) and they even have specialty brushes for your pooch called The Love Brush! So cute! 🙂

I think you all knew from the title, but The Wet Brush is a huge STRUT in my book. I love my standard brush and even plan to purchase the larger Pro Paddle Brush in the future.

As always, thank you all for spending some time reading my rambles and I hope you’re having an amazing day!

struts, stumbles, hugs & kisses- Nicole

FTC: I was not paid to write this post. None of these links are affiliate links. I received The Wet Brush in my Popsugar Must Have Box, which I paid for with my own money. When I reached out to compliment the company, The Wet Brush sent me one additional brush for review. All opinions are my own.

Emily & Tony Aromatherapy Massage Candle – Coco

Sometimes I find myself in a bit of a rut with finding new things to write about, so when I was offered the opportunity to try out this  Emily & Tony Aromatherapy Massage Candle in Coco this past month, I jumped at the chance. I mean who doesn’t love scented candles in their life? (Or the chance to coerce their boyfriend in to a back massage!?!)

Emily & Tony’s website describes this candle as such:

“This luxurious soft glowing massage candle sets the mood for an exhilarating sensual experience. Scented in a tantalizing Coco fragrance, which opens with top notes of coconut, with a sexy hint of cedar in the heart of the fragrance. The base is warmed by a delicious vanilla note. This formula is designed to moisturize and nourish the skin for the ultimate sensory experience. Burns up to 50 hours.”

Once again, who wouldn’t LOVE all of the above? I was so excited to receive mine to try!

When the candle arrived at my doorstep I was floored by the packaging. Honestly, photos don’t give this gorgeous bauble the justice it deserves. If you didn’t already know, I LOVE the color grey. I just always have. The opaque grey hue of the glass on this candle is so pretty, I know I will keep it around long after the candle is all burned out.

The next thing I immediately noticed by first impression was the scent. The moment I opened the box, I was greeted with the most rich and aromatic coconut fragrance that immediately filled the room with a lovely freshness and warmth. It doesn’t smell too sweet or overpowering, the perfect balance of softness and richness I usually go for in a home fragrance.

Lucky for me, this candle arrived right around Valentine’s Day, so convincing the boyfriend I absolutely needed a back massage to try it out wasn’t too difficult 🙂

Once burning, the candle’s scent was amplified and filled the room with the gorgeous Coco scent. After just a short few minutes, there was enough melted wax in the candle to test out and I was pleasantly surprised by the texture.

Emily & Tony’s site describe the melted wax’s benefits:

“Beeswax, an intense moisturizer, helps heal damaged skin. Soybean Oil smooths and moisturizes while helping to brighten and even skin tone. Coconut Oil, and excellent hydrator, helps to preserve the skin’s natural moisture.”

I would definitely agree with the claims on this one, the texture of the melted wax is velvety soft and hydrating, without unpleasant stickiness. The infused oils allow the product to glide on skin easily, but the beeswax keeps it from being messy and runny like other, less complex, novelty massage oil candles available.

Once massaged in to the skin, the melted wax made my skin feel supple and moisturized, a feeling that lasted well in to the next day of wear. I only wish I would have done a heavy exfoliation prior to to trying out the product, I think the oils would have given my skin even more hydration benefits if I would have had that foresight. Regardless, this product feels like an absolute dream on the skin.

I have thoroughly enjoyed testing out the product and can honestly say I will be repurchasing this item when the candle has completely burned out. If you’re interested in checking out one of Emily & Tony Aromatherapy Massage Candle’s for yourself, they are available in three scents Coco, Creme de Vanille & Fougere. All three fragrances sound divine and I’m looking forward to checking out the additional scents in the future.

All things considered, the Emily & Tony Aromatherapy Massage Candle in Coco is an absolute STRUT. The scent is heavenly, the texture left my skin hydrated and glowing and the packaging is a lovely addition to my bedside nightstand.

Have you tried out a massage oil candle before? Any suggestions for additional home fragrances I should look in to? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time, thank you all for reading and I hope you’re having an amazing day!

struts, stumbles, hugs & kisses- Nicole