August Favorites

Oh hi, September.  Yep, I see you creeping in and ending my summer... tempting me with your fall sweaters, dark nail colors, and pumpkin spice lattes beer.  Alrigggghht, I will admit I love love love me some fall.  I'm always sad to see summer go, but fall is such a lovely season.  Plus, my first wedding anniversary is coming up annnnd we're getting closer to my favoritest holiday ever (hint: it's Christmas). Before I get ahead of myself, here's a quick look back at my favorite things this past month!

1. Memory - Dwyer Family Reunion

If you follow me on Instagram, you know I'm off floating in the water or laying on the beach in Curacao... so my favorite memory of the month may be changing quickly ;).  For the month of August so far, my favorite part was hands down the Dwyer Family Reunion.  If you didn't know, both my dad and his brother passed away within 5 months of each other last year.  As you can imagine, it was an incredibly painful and trying year for my family, and getting together was exactly what we needed.  To be able to see each other and offer support and some laughs was so comforting - plus we had a beautiful weekend!

2. Hair Product - TRESemmé Fresh Start Dry Shampoo in "Smoothing"

I bought this on a whim after I ran out of my last dry shampoo and boy am I happy I did!  This stuff smells amazing and gives my hair body all day.  All of dry shampoos I've tried tend to wear off and my hair gets greasy by the end of the day, but this product is really awesome!  It blends into my hair nicely and doesn't leave a white cast like others I've tried.

3. Find - S'mores Candy Corn

If you saw my latest recipe, you know I have a serious love for anything s'mores.  Candy corn is one of my all time fave candies (especially the pumpkins!), so when I saw a lil bag of SMORES CANDY CORN I knew I needed some in my life.  Its delicious and if you're a fan of both these things, try it!

4. Songs - Taylor Swift "Shake it Off" and Hozier "Take Me To Church"

These two songs are basically opposites so obviously I can't get enough of either. Half of me is an 18-year-old obsessed with Tay-Tay and the other half just needs some gospel- nah'em sayin?!

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Hope you all had a fantastic August, I think I'll end mine with another margarita on the beach!  Can't wait to share some pictures from our trip!

S'Mores Ice Box Cake

For my brother-in-law's birthday this past June, I made him a s'mores ice cream cake.  While that was pretttty good, I wanted to revamp the recipe a bit.  I decided to swap out a few elements, while still maintaining the three main s'mores flavors - marshmallow, chocolate, and graham crackers.

I came up with this recipe based on the ice cream cake and a few other ideas I've seen around, and it is killer good.  It only took about 20 minutes to make and everyone really loved it.  This easy to make, cold, sweet treat is perfect for your Labor Day BBQ!

S'Mores Ice Box Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 (5.9 oz) box chocolate pudding mix
• 2.5 cups milk
• 1 (8 oz) container of cool whip
• 3.5 oz of marshmallow creme/fluff
• Approximately 2 sleeves of graham crackers
• 1 (10 oz) bag of mini marshmallows

Directions:

• Line 9x5 inch bread pan with plastic wrap.
• Make the pudding as directed using only 2.5 cups of milk (the box will suggest 3 cups).  Refrigerate until ready to assemble.
• In a large bowl, combine cool whip and marshmallow cream (if you purchase the 7 oz. jar of marshmallow creme, you will only need 1/2).  Beat on low speed or whisk until throughly combined.  Refrigerate until ready to assemble.  Set aside about a quarter of the mixture for later use.
• Start with a layer of graham crackers.  You will need to break them apart to fit into the pan.  I found 3x3 worked for the first two layers, and 4x3 for the final layer.
• Alternate layering graham crackers with the cool whip mixture, mini marshmallows, and pudding, ending with graham crackers. You should end up with 4 layers of graham crackers and 3 layers of filling total.
• Refrigerate for at least 6 hours (I let mine set overnight).
• Once completely set, flip the ice box cake onto your serving dish and slowly pull the bread pan off.  The pan should slide off easily because of the plastic wrap.  Carefully remove the plastic wrap from the cake.
• Use the cool whip mixture you set aside earlier to cover the ice box cake, and top with remaining mini marshmallows.
• Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.  Toast mini marshmallows with a kitchen torch for the perfect final touch!

Mmmmmm.... this is really a great recipe!  It was so quick to put together and served beautifully.  An ice box cake is know for layering easy, and usually "pre made", ingredients to create a delicious dessert - and this one is definitely a winner!  Add it to your list of things to try, and let me know how it comes out :)

Make-Up Monday: Tarte BB Cream

For the past couple of weeks, I've been testing out Tarte's BB cream.  I was looking to replace a drugstore BB cream I had with something a little more high end, and picked this up for $35 at ULTA. The fact that this BB cream claimed to have 12 hour coverage and SPF 30 definitely drew me in.

The BB cream is available in 5 shades; I purchased light based on a recommendation from an ULTA make-up artist and it matches my skin perfectly.

The BB cream feels very similar to the POREfessional by Benefit.  It is lightweight and applies smoothly and similarly to a dry moisturizer.  If you haven't used something like it, the texture will definitely be a new experience, but I love how it feels on my skin.

Tarte's BB cream covers minor skin imperfections and evens out my skin tone really nicely.  It's a perfect option for days you don't want to wear a heavy foundation or something with full coverage.  I would say this cream is a light to medium coverage, and it is a bit buildable.

I am so glad I picked this up and notice myself reaching for it almost daily.  Unless I have a blemish or feel like applying full make-up, this product is great for everyday wear and definitely lives up to the 12-hour coverage claim.

With a little pressed powder in my t-zone, Tarte's BB cream lasts all day and holds my blush and bronzer beautifully!  I will repurchase this cream when I run out, and recommend you try it, too!

Foodie Friday: Leroy Fox, Charlotte, NC

During our Dwyer family reunion, we (20 of us) enjoyed dinner at a great restaurant - Leroy Fox.

The menu includes sandwiches, salads, and some great appetizers (I suggest the zucchini fries!).  They have a great drink selection, and Leroy's lemonades were on special so I had to try a few of them ;)

We were in a private room (which we definitely needed with all of us!), but I ventured out into the main area of the restaurant for a look around.  The decor was a mix of modern and rustic and bar was well stocked and an attractive feature.  The lobby was really fun with big leather chairs and a wall filled with popular streets in Charlotte.

Obviously I can't include pictures of everyones meal, but here are a few of the tastiest looking dishes!  I ordered the shrimp po'boy sandwich with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy.

Next up is the honey buffalo grilled chicken sandwich with mac and cheese... and my cousin Mike's beautiful smile.  He was pretty excited for this one ;)

My healthy husband ordered a grilled honey chicken breast with asparagus and rice pilaf.

Leroy Fox also features some great outdoor seating.  I love that you still get the feeling of being downtown even though you're not in the city!

We had so much fun and the service was great, which can be really hard with such a big group.  Thank you, Leroy Fox, for hosting our crazy family!  Next time I'm in Charlotte, I will definitely stop in again :)

Weekend in Pictures: Dwyer Family Reunion!

I have been looking forward to this weekend for months!  My Dad's side of the family decided to plan our first ever Dwyer family reunion, and it was a huge success!  Our weekend was filled with swimming, a great dinner out in Charlotte, a baby shower, and time relaxing with family.

Thank you to my amazing Uncle Dave and Aunt Nancy for the hospitality :)  They provided their beautiful home for us all to destroy hang out at, and an oasis of a back yard to relax in.  As you'll see we enjoyed the pool, the hammock, and lots of delicious home made food!

After such a hard year for our family, this past weekend was just what all of us needed.  Friday I'll share a review of an awesome restaurant we got to visit while in Charlotte, stay tuned!