Patriotic Memory Planning Stickers & Journaling Cards

Last week I shared my first free printable memory planning kit and this week I have another for you!!  Remember how I used to share free Journaling Cards each month?  Well I'm going to try to get back into sharing a few Memory Planning kits on the blog!  This one is July 4th or Patriotic themed for the upcoming holiday.  If you don't have your week already planned - or you might be doing some post planning if your reading this from the future - I've got the kit for you.

(this post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.)

Since I plan on taking a lot more pictures than normal, I thought I might need some more filler cards so this kit is huge!  First you get 2 printable PDFs of journaling cards.  There are six 3x4 cards and one 4x6 (I hardly use 4x6 cards, so that is why there is just one).  Secondly, you'll find a PDF and a Silhouette Studio file of printable stickers.  

I used my favorite (and free) design software to create this download for you - PicMonkey!  So if you need anything to match you can use the new 4th of July inspired overlays (for Royale members only) + some fonts offered by PicMonkey.  The fonts I used were Lavandaria, Sue Ellen Francis, and Shadows into Light Two.

DOWNLOAD THE FILES HERE

If you haven't already, you should consider signing up for the Royale feature through PicMonkey.  Not only do you get access to more overlays, filters, and other options - but you get more fonts.  And the fonts are some of those really cool brush script style fonts that are very popular right now!  Royale is $4.99/month or $33/year and you can sign up here.

Don't forget to tag me on Instagram if you use this kit!! I'd love to see it!!

Have a happy and safe 4th of July!

xoxo, Moe

Beauty Review // Elizabeth Mott Thank Me Later Eye Primer

I'm not 100% sure how to review an eyeshadow primer - it has no color so there are no swatches of it - but I just knew I had to review this one.  First off I will spoil the review (I don't really like doing that) because I love this primer.  It seriously brings out the colors of even the cheapest shadows and makes them last super long!  I was very impressed using this primer thte other day with a drugstore Wet n Wild palette.  That palette is not the best quality that Wet n Wild can put out, but applying the shades over the primer made the colors more vibrant and increased the lasting power.

So let's just get into my thoughts on this product :

From the Website

A lightweight and waterproof formula that locks in your eye makeup and prevents shadow creasing. This silky blend dries transparent and preps your lids for a smooth and even application. Watch your favorite eye shadows intensely come to life. More importantly, it protects your eye makeup all day, so you can get back to the important things in life (cat videos, selfies, and hoarding makeup samples).

taken from the website here.

First Impression & Application

When I first applied this primer I was a little confused - it is very thick and I didn't realize that you only need a very, very tiny bit.  The first time I used this I think I used too much - it felt like a cheap cream shadow on my eyelids.  The key is to use the very least you can.

The way I apply this primer now is to take a bit about the size of the head of a pin - this is for both eyes!  I rub it between my two fore fingers to warm up the product, then gently swipe it onto my lids.  I then dab a clean finger (often my ring finger or middle finger) on my lids to pick up any excess product.  This is important because the shadows will blend easier.  This is the first primer I've used that has acted like a glue.  It doesn't really absorb into your skin but rather sits on top to create a sticky layer that holds onto the shadows.

Wear Time

This primer is great for cheapo shadows.  I used an old (yikes!) Wet n Wild eye shadow palette that didn't really have that great of a color pay off or lasting time with any other primers.  And I went into the bathroom before I left work to grab some lunch and my eye shadow was still there! It wasn't the greatest but it was still there!

In the picture above I tried to capture the color payoff of that not so great Wet n Wild palette and the lasting power of the primer.  This was a hard review to photograph!  You can see the light colors became a little more vibrant - like the pastel purple and even a little tiny bit of that pink and the cream color.  And the darker colors were the last to stick around.  That purple though is still showing up in the far right image!

I put on my make up at 6:30am and leave work around 4pm - so that is around 10 hours.  If I use a good shadow - like a Lorac palette - I find that I'm taking off my eye shadow with the rest of my make up when I get home.  That is impressive to me!

Overall Impressions & Recommendations 

I love this primer.  However, the full price is $20 for .35oz.  I got this sample in one of my last Ipsy bags and the sample size is .17oz.  I don't think I will ever go through this whole tube, honestly, so I can't tell you if I'd purchase this again or not.  I can tell you that I'm glad I tried it!  If long lasting primers are important to you I would suggest dropping the $20 on this.  The tube will last you literally forever so it is worth the money.  This is my current holy grail primer - I've had it in my last few make up baskets too!

I hope this little review was helpful - I am so very glad I have this product.  It really is a standout!

Do you have a current favorite eye shadow primer?  Any products to recommend?

xoxo, Moe

Make it Monday // Printable Episode Tracker Insert

I've been watching a lot of stupid TV recently - like every night for the past few weeks I've settled in with my History Channel app to watch Ancient Aliens.  The good thing about watching something on Netflix or an app on your Apple TV is that the program keeps track of your progress.  When you're watching a current TV show - like Game of Thrones - you may need some tracking.  For example I have zero idea what episode I was on when I stopped watching Game of Thrones...I honestly think I'm like 2 seasons behind!

(this post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.)

So I decided to pop over to my favorite little design program, PicMonkey, and whip up a fun episode tracker.  This is great for any current shows your watching or to mark what episode you're on when it comes to Netflix in case you find yourself using someone else's Netflix while on vacation!  I've done a few DIY's like this before - monogrammed notes pages, Christmas countdown, Halloween notes pages, school class schedule planner inserts - and I used the same technique for this tutorial.

First, head over to PicMonkey.com.  Under the Design tab, open up a new 4x6 canvas.  Crop this canvas using the iPhone 5 proportions.  Uncheck the scale photo box in order to maximize the print quality.

Overlay the text you would like - in this case the title Episode Tracker.  Make sure that you're kepeing the text and images over to one side of the canvas.  This will leave room for the holes to be punched later.  One of the things I love about PicMonkey is the array of fonts they offer.  I also love that I can use my own fonts, but this fonts I used here are part of the free selections.  I'm subscribed to Royale - which offers a greater selection of every aspect of PicMonkey - but the free version works great for simple designs as well.

The font for the main text of the design is Geo Sans Light.  This font is clean and simple.  It looks great in a block of text.  Use that font to create your episode guide.

Next, overlay some rectangles in a gray color.  Right click and select send to back.  Copy and paste the text boxes and rectangles down the length of the insert. 

Once the insert is complete, save your work but do not close PicMonkey!  You'll want to then click on each element and using the arrow keys move each element over to the other side of the page.  This will give you the opposite page to punch the holes on the opposite side.  Save this image

Now you'll want to open your images in a word processor - you can use Word, Pages, or even Open Office (like I'm using) to insert the images into.  (Here is a video to follow along.)  Insert both images, align the right page to the right of the document using the arrange and align feature of the program you're using.  Align the left page on the left side of the document using the same process.  Be sure that each insert is lined up at the top or the bottom so that double sided printing works with the document.  You may also need to add a border around the image so that it is easy to print.  This should be under border settings.

Then print!  Once you're fully satisfied, close out your PicMonkey screens and save your document for future printing.  If you're not down to make your own, you can download this one here.  Remember all things on the blog (unless otherwise stated) are for personal use only.  If you'd like to share, please link to this blog post.

What are you currently watching?  Anything good to catch up on?

xoxo, Moe