Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies!!!

I always make chocolate chip cookies around Christmas time. With different variety of toppings, like peppermint m&m's, different kind of nuts and all sorts of Christmasy things.

 Some time ago I got this idea in my head, what if I make Autumn chocolate chip cookies? And the first thing that came to my mind was PEANUT BUTTER! 

So I searched the web and found a few recipes, and chose the one that is very similar to the cookies I usually make.

So here is how you make them:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

We will need to mix together 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter and 1/2 cup softened butter, until very creamy and there are no lumps. I used a stand mixer to do so, but you can definitely use handheld mixer or even do it with a wooden spoon.

Then add 1 cup white sugar, 1 cup brown sugar (packed), 1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract. And mix well with butters until creamy, on medium speed  about 1 minute.

In a separate bowl, using a whisk mix 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour, 3/4 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt.

Add to the creamed mixture and mix well again until you get a thick dough.

Then add 1 cup of chocolate chips of your choice (I used 1/2 cup white chocolate chips and 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips) and fold it in with a spatula.



Place parchment paper on 2 baking sheets.

Using a spoon, place 6 balls of dough on each sheet and slightly form a tidier ball with your hands. (The dough is quite thick so the chocolate chips fall out of it when you spoon them on the sheet, using your hands, sort of press them back into the dough)

Now bake for 8-9 minutes. Do not over bake them, since they still need to be chewy inside.

Take out of the oven and leave for 10 minutes to cool on the baking sheet.

Then transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.

This is a pretty easy recipe but so perfect for those chilly fall evenings to enjoy with a glass of milk or a cup of hot tea.

Autumn Decor

Hello everybody!

Today I wanted to share with you my autumn home decor.

 I really love this time of the year, because of the cold air I can finally cuddle in a warm blanket with a hot cup of tea, light some candles and watch a Halloween movie.

There is more reasons why I love fall (like my birthday, hot baths, Thanksgiving, hot cocoa, Christmas right around the corner), but it would be way too long to list them all. 

So I hope you enjoy a few of my photos and get in that autumn cozy mood (if you're still not in it :p)

Love this set up because it still feels autumny but it's all white <3

Please excuse my dusty tv stand. Since I don't have a fire place, I always decorate my tv stand in stead. 

That big pumpkin is waiting to be carved and than I will post some of my outdoor decor.

New make-up buys

I've bought a few make-up items and wanted to share. 

Smashbox Photo Finish More Than Primer Dark Spot Correcting Primer

I really like this primer it really covers the pores and makes your skin look smooth. It dried really fast so you need to apply quickly. Plus, it's dark spot correcting. Although I don't have any dark spots, I hope it will help me get rid of my acne "dark spots". I just started using it so, not sure if that feature works yet lol

Estee Lauder Pure Color Cheek Rush in #1 Hot Fuse

I haven't tried this product yet, but what I can say from the first impression is that it's very pigmented. Like, VERY pigmented. A little goes a long way and you need to work very fast to apply it, since it does stain the skin. I applied on my hand and it actually stayed there even after washing my hands.

Clarisonic Mia 2 Review

Well, I'm back!

I know I said I was going to do fall makeup look but my skin has been breaking out so bad for the last 2 weeks that I didn't even bother wearing makeup not to irritate it more.

And the reason for all the break outs is because I gave another chance to my Clarisonic brush. 

I got my Clarisonic Mia 2 about 2 years ago for Christmas. 

My skin doesn't have acne of any kind of serious issues, just hormonal blemishes here and there. But my main issue is these small bumps that turn into blemishes eventually. And they give my skin texture and cannot be covered with any makeup. Plus, the hormonal blemishes would stick around for a long time and leave redness under the skin for about a MONTH!  

So I looked through the booklet that came with the brush and started using it. It said, your skin needs to get worse to get better and this whole "worse" stage will last for about 2-3 weeks. Well, I thought okay I can go for 2 weeks with spots here and there. But oh my how surprised I was when my skin started to have ACNE! And on top of reading negative reviews about the brush I got scared and stopped using it 1 week in. Than on and off I've been giving it a try and same situation would happen and I would stop using it.

Anyway, for the last 6 months I haven't used it and decided to actually research about it a little more. And what I found out is that this whole breakout stage can last for about 3 months! depending on how bad your skin is, but you're supposed to keep using your brush and not give up. Well, that was a shocker to me and realization point of why it never "worked" for me.

So 2 weeks ago I decided to give it another last try and actually stick to it for 6 months and see what happens. 

As of now, 2 weeks in my skin has been breaking out REALLY bad but yesterday I actually noticed the spots going away and my skin is not as oily as it used to be. I see that as a good sign and will definitely continue to use my Clarisonic to see if my skin actually improves. 

Oh, and I use the sensitive brush.

By the way here is what mine looks like, I didn't feel like taking a photo of it. So here is a pic from online

P.S. Some time later I will write an update to this post, with results.

MOTD and Mini MAC Haul

Hey guys! Recently I've been very inspired to create things for my blog hah... So expect to see more posts on here and more often =) 

I brought this MAC lipstick and lip liner and decided to create a last summer look for this season. 

Some time soon expect to see summer to autumn transition look on my blog (it might be even this week ;) )

Face:

Clinique Stay-Matte Oil-Free Foundation (I will stop using this soon, because it makes your face really matte and I tend to be more dry during the cold season and will need more moisture from my foundation)

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Powder

DermaBlend Cover Cream as a Concealer

Physicians Formula Bronze Booster Glow-Boosting Pressed Bronzer (damn that's a long name! lol)

Elf Blush in Tickled Pink

Eyes:

Smashbox WonderVision Cosmic Palette in Sandstone and Silver

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Eye Pencil in Smoke

L'Oreal Voluminous False Fiber Lashes Mascara in Black Lacquer 

Lips:

Mac Amplified Creme Lipstick in Girl About Town

Mac Lip Pencil in Embrace Me

Mac Lipstick in Myth (to lighten the color in the middle)

And of course what kind of brunette without a cat hehe

Well I hope you enjoyed this look and see ya next time!

Favorite Autumn Nail Colors

So, I've been "under the weather" and inspired for all these fall colors. 

It got a little cooler in my area and I'm finally feeling like fall is here, and you know what that means! YES! Dark nails! I've always been a fan of dark nail polishes and decided to share with you guy some of my favorites for autumn.

1. Estee Lauder Pure Color Nail Lacquer - Insatiable (2 coats)

This one is a perfect transition color, when it still feels like summer but you already feel that fall breeze coming in. 

2. OPI Nail Polish from 2014 Holiday Gwen Stefani Nail Effects - So Elegant (One Coat)

This one is perfect to top off any color, I love the small black spots and large dark silver spots. This nail polish would be perfect for around Halloween time.

3.  MAC Nail Lacquer - Screaming Bright (2 Coats)

I really like this one because it's not complete gold, it's in between gold and silver. So, it's not too flashy lol

4. Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Color - Dig Fig (2 coats)

This one is a perfect red color for fall, since it's a deep red and doesn't have any pink or orange undertone.

5. SPARITUAL LAUGH Nail Lacquer - Hugs (One coat)

And best for last, def my favorite out of all of these is deep purple, to the point that it's almost black. 

H&M Haul

This haul is really nothing special, just some things I bought on sale for autumn. 

It's still hot where I live but I am hoping to wear these things soon.

Just a classic white button-up shirt, to wear under some sweaters and with skirts:

I love the way this sweater feels, very light and flowy and the splits on sides look very nice:

The  shoes are a bit big on me, but I think with a pair of thick tights they will fit just fine. Gotta admit the quality of shoes from H&M are not the best. Probably the last pair I buy from there:

This is obviously not for fall but found this bikini top in clearance, but they didn't have matching bottoms. I still decided to buy it since I already own black bottoms:

Well thanks for reading and I'll see you soon!

Just a little about my Fitness Routine

Today I wanted to share with you my fitness routine. 

I work out by Kayla Itsines, Bikini Body Training Guide. Its basically a workout routine for 12 weeks. You're supposed to do 3 days strength workout and 2 days cardio. I usually skip cardio (since I don't wont to lose any weight), and just go for doing toning exercises 3 days a week, 30 mins a day. There is 2 stages of 12 weeks each to the program, I already finished first program so I'm on Bikibi Body Guide 2.

Since the program is copy righted and all and I cant share exactly which workouts are involved I will try and describe simply how my workout looks on Mondays.

Mondays are leg day:

15 broad jumps

30 weighted step-up 

50 jump rope skips

30 lunges

15 weighted close squats

15 jump squats

30 walking lunges

100 jump rope skips

Do all this with as little breaks as possible and repeat the whole cycle one more time

Well there you go, that's what I do every Monday. On Wednesday is usually an arm day and on Friday is abs.

If you need any help understanding what any of the workout terms mean, just copy the name and google it =)

I hope you enjoyed this post and have a great day/night! 

Make-up Look and New Hair Color

Hello Everyone! First, I want to start off by apologizing for not making any posts in so long. I will try and change that and be more consistent.

Today I'm going to show you which make-up I wore to my nephews 3rd birthday party. It's more of a simple look but not too casual. 

Also I colored my hair, now I'm a true brunette hehe I'm not sure what the color is called but my hairstylist explained it as black currant. And I call it red-violet.

Well lets get to make-up. 

Eyes:

I wanted a light shadow look so, on the lid I used WetNWild Cream Shadow Pencil in Pixie as the base. (The color is very glittery so I had to tone it down with the next shadow)

Than for the rest of the eye shows I used Smashbox WonderVision Cosmic Palette

All over the lid I applied Sandstone Shadow (matte nude).

Than lightly  blend in Silver (shimmery beige) shadow, just on the lid, and blend in Luster (medium brown) in to the crease.

Than drawing very close to the upper lash line I used MAC Eye Liner in Smolder. And to soften the black liner top it with Smoke (dark brown) shadow from the palette.

On my lower lash line I used the same Smoke eye shadow, and smudged it into the lash line.

For lashes I used MAC False Lashes Mascara.

Face:

 Clinique Stay-Matte Foundation, DermaBlend Cover Cream as a Concealer, American Beauty Perfect Mineral Powder, Physicians Formula Bronze Booster, and Elf Blush in Tickled Pink

Lips:

Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color in Plum Rose and Estee Lauder Pure Color Gloss in Raspberry Pop

Well, Thanks for reading and see you in my next post!

Sunday OOTD (Outfit of the Day)

Hello everybody! This is what I wore to church today. Most of the things I wore are pretty old, so they don't sell it anymore. But, I'll try to find links to similar items.

Coral Peplum Top (Similar*) - I got it from F21 but last year

Black Satin Skirt (Similar*) - Not even sure where I bought it

Black Strappy Sandals (Similar*) - So old that I should get rid of them, but they are just too comfortable

Jessica Simpson Bag (Similar*) - Bought at TjMaxx

Juicy Couture Necklace that I use as a Bracelet (Similar*) - Bought at TjMaxx

Small Intro + Macy's and H&M Try on Haul!!!

Hello everybody! 

My name is Olesya and welcome to my blog! 

Here, I will be sharing my interests with you and that is; fashion, beauty, fitness and health, cooking and recipes and of course reviews and haul. Practically a big mess of things :)

I would like to start off my first post with a....HAUL! 

So the 4th of July sales past and my shipments have finally arrived. Macy's had a great 4th of July sale (additional 20% off), so I stocked up on some summer clothes. I also rammed through H&M clearance and found some good deals. So, I will try and find links for all the clothing, but I'm not sure they will still have it, since most of the stuff I bought was from clearance. 

Here is the picture of everything I got (this photo is the reason for my blog name, meet my cat Eva. Who gets involved in everything I do, not by my force haha):

I'll start with the tops. I noticed that I didn't have many crop tops and I just love how they look with high waist jeans or shorts, so all the tops I bought are somewhat short. 

This white tank is loose fitted and flowy, it is a little bit lower than my belly button. But, the straps adjust so if desired, you can make it lower or shorter. This one is perfect for hot summer day, since the fabric is really soft and breathable.

 

This tank top is really fun in my opinion. I just love the print and shell like bottom. It has 2 layers, top layer ends right below bust and the bottom layer ends right above the belly button. The fabric is also very light and perfect for summer.

This crop top is definitely made from thicker fabric, it's not for hot humidy day. It has a wrap front and much shorter than the rest of the tops, so I'll have to wear it with a higher skirt and jeans. It has beautiful lace back that's only on top half of the back. And the print is just my favorite :)

 

This last one is a t-shirt that says "Take me to Paradise". It's white and light, again perfect for summer. I love the rolled up sleeves and tied bottom. This one is longest out of all, I wouldn't even call it a crop top.

Okay, so this one I guess is a top too. I've seen many people wearing kimonos and I decided that i had to have one too. It came out to be so freaking cheap that I wish i bought one in white too (the only other color they had). It has velour flowers printed and see-through fabric all over. Tassels on the bottom are my favorite (I'm obsessed with tassels on anything ;p). It would be a little hot to wear in hot weather, but since its flowy it's manageable. 

I wasn't too sure if I liked this dress when I ordered it, since they didn't have my size in the color I wanted, so I settled for this one. But oh boy, when I unpacked it I just wanted to keep rubbing it on my skin. This fabric is so soft and the print actually looks much better in real life. But when I put it on i fell in love with it even more. I really like this fit on my body, how it's fitted on top and flared on the bottom (but not to the point if the wind blows you'll flash everyone lol).

These 2 things are from H&M. I'm obsessed with textured leggings and these have stripes on the knees, so i had to have them. Plus, on the website their name was "Biker leggings", so uh hellz YEAH! Right way I imagined wearing these with a long sweater and my leather jacket (in fall of course, even thinking about leather jacket in this hot weather makes me sick haha)

These shoes were influenced again by seeing so many other people wearing it. For the longest time I was debating if I would be able to pull these off and when I saw these for super cheap and REAL SUEDE! I went straight to nearby h&m to see if they have them there, they didn't. But, I did try similar ones on and made sure the size fits me right. Went home and ordered these the same night. When they arrived I couldn't believe how soft and comfortable they are! Can't wait for the weather to get colder to wear these!

WOW! This post turned put to be pretty long! Sorry for that and if you actually reached all the way to the end, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed my haul!