Working from Home.

Yawwwwwn.

Starting your own business can be a very rewarding, yet very tiring!! I'm talking about, early mornings, late nights, running back and forth to the post office, to home, to the studio, to the store, to online shops. {i'm telling you…it never ends}

But that doesn't mean that a home business doesn't have it's perks. ;)

A nice cup of joe helps me get motivated in the morning to sit down and actually start working on my business. I also go to Pandora and listen to my favorite country station. Plus! I get the luxury of staying in comfy t-shirts and shorts all morning. Digging my Code Name Kids Next Door shirt I found at Goodwill? 

So since I've been working all morning, I decided I'll give you a little peek of what I do on a daily basis for my business. 

My little iPhone 5 sitting on one of my sketch books that I like to draw my designs in. There's a little preview on a "Congrats on Twins" card I'm making (you're welcome). And my GWTW phone wallpaper…I'm a tad obsessed with the classics. 

I got a few boxes at Michael's since they were on sale ($2!) to put my cards, packaging supplies, stamps and other necessities for my business. I'm still getting everything organized and it's certain place. Since I'm not fully moved out of my current living situation, it's hard having everything everywhere. Hopefully in the next month I'll have my own little station set up (where no little hands will be allowed to wander!)

I'm the type of girl that LOVES lists. I make lists for literally everything. So I bought a separate notebook (Michaels for 50 cents!) to keep track of every card that a customer buys, when they bought it, and when I've shipped them out. Just to make sure that I keep everything organized. Again, once my little business station is set up, I'll probably have a better filing system. But this for right now gets the job done and well! 

Since the desk I'm sitting at is currently full {with a desktop computer, sketchbooks, printer, coffee, mac and cheese, sharpies, ect.} I was forced to set up my laptop and little box of supplies on the bed next to me. But hey! Space is space! Aren't Derek's cowboy sheets cute? haha.

Last but certainly not least, what's working from home without the little one constantly getting in your face? She kept asking me to take a picture of her truck. What can I say? My little girl has a thing for boy toys. And I couldn't help but include this in my blogpost. Look at those delicate little hands!

There you have it!

This is a morning in the life of derae art! And how unorganized, messy, and coffee ridden it is! Haha, kidding {not really though}. 

Madalyn's Lookbook

Bonjour Dolls!

So I've noticed something that I do a lot more for my two year old daughter, than I do for myself…and that's buying her clothes. It hit me when I spent a $100 on a pair of yellow Hunter boots and an adorable little Mini Boden skirt. (pictured below)

So I decided why not put a little Lookbook together for the clothes she wears!! I know that I look to other children for clothing tips when it comes to styling her. And since I'm a photographer, I tend to take pictures of her constantly! (I tend to do it a little too much, actually)

But let's look through some of her looks, shall we?

 What she's wearing: 

Jacket: Shirred-Collar Twill from Oldnavy

Shirt: Her father's Army portrait- Custom Made

Pants: Coral Leggings- Oldnavy 

Boots: Target 

What she's wearing:

Jacket: Winter White Sunday Rose Coat from Addie&Ella

Shorts: Dark Navy Dita from Jottum

Tights: Target 

Glasses: Ray-Ban Junior CrewCuts from JCrew

What she's wearing:

Shirt: Bow tank in stripe from CrewCuts by JCrew

Overalls: Gapkids 

What she's wearing:

Jacket: Aqua Rose Ruffle Jacket by Stella and Stevie

Pants: Coral jeans from Oldnavy

Boots: Target 

What she's wearing:

Hat: Knit hat from H&M

Sweater: Reindeer from Oldnavy

Leggings: H&M

Boots: Waterproof premium from Timberland 

As you all can probably see, I have one stylish chick on my hands!! We're always looking for new styles and new clothes to try on her. (Or I am anyway, hehe) I have a personal problem with dressing her better than I dress myself! That's what you sacrifice when you become a parent. Sigh.

What outfit did you like the best?

Springing into 2013

Bonjour Dolls!!

It's that time of the year again, S P R I N G ! That means it's time to put away all those heavy sweaters and warm pants, and bring out the florals, skirts and shorts! I don't know about you guys, but I couldn't be more excited. Living in Florida for five years, really makes you get use to warm weather (and appreciate it compared to the cold!)

So instead of the "popular post" about spring florals you should pick up this season, I'm going to talk about two nail colors that I've recently picked up that are MARVELOUS for Spring!

After receiving a sample size of Illamasqua's nail polish in my Glossybox a couple months back, I have been completely in love with their nail polishes. They're soft, clean, and don't chip too fast. These are the two colors that I have been adoring for this season.

The first color (on the left) is called Milf. Which just kinda makes me happy, I don't know why hehe. But it's a very pastel-y greenish teal color that is perfect for the spring time! 

The second color is called Gamma. Gamma is a bright orange color that instantly gives your skin a nice looking glow with it's contrast. This bright color is sure to add a nice pop to any outfit! 

So if you've been really looking for a new springy color that will just transform your outfits, these are definitely two colors you should pick up! 

Have you tried either Milf or Gamma? How did you feel about them? Or what is your go-to spring color?

Oz: The Great and Powerful Review

My beautiful cousin Carrie and I decided to have a girls date night and see no other than the very very handsome James Franco. Whom we'd both decided that he's on our "I'd leave _____ for:" list, haha. Not only did we indulge in some eye candy, we also overdid it on the calories.

Lets start with the basic storyline:

Oscar or Oz (James Franco), a carnival magician, is a amorous guy who desires to be something great in life and not settle. A tornado randomly rips through the area which the carnival is stationed and Oscar hops into a hot air balloon and is whirled away to the Land of Oz. When he lands he meets Theodora (Played by Mila Kunis), who tells him that he is the wizard from a prophecy, and that he is to stop the evil witch, save the people and become the King of the Emerald City. Oz doesn't believe that he's a wizard simply because he is a con man, but greed sets in and he decides to play along with "wizard" business. 

I don't want to spoil too much of the story, so I'm going to list the pros and cons of the movie. 

Pros:

1. I loved the transition from black & white to color like in the original. 

2. The musical score was simply amazing.

3. Mila Kunis transitioned her character very well, prosthetics and all. 

4. I like the parallels that were made from beginning to end. 

5. The minor (supporting) roles were my favorite, like Finley and the China Girl.

6. It made a great prequel to the Original Wizard of Oz film. 

Cons:

1. Although I love James Franco, sometimes he seemed a bit off.

2. Some scenes were shot for 3D which threw off the movie a bit, in my eyes. 

3. I think the film could have been more serious. It seemed like a big spoof or parody at times. 

4. There were some "1st person RollerCoaster" shots that were just irritating. 

5. Weirdly, I feel that Glinda could have been cast better. 

Overall I feel like this movie was a 3.5/5 stars. I definitely recommend seeing it. I'm still iffy on where I stand with the film overall to how it will sit in the film history. 

Have you seen Oz: The Great and Powerful yet?! How did you like it?

DIY Tanner & Exfoliation

HELLO DOLLS~

It's that time of the year again, S P R I N G !! And when the warm weather hits us, we all want to naturally have a healthy glow and look great in all of those pastel colors, don't we!?

So let's start this glorious season with a diy self tanner! Self tanners can get pretty expensive. Last season I purchased the VS Self Tanner spray and lotion which equalled over $50. And I was about to pick up a self tanner at Sephora the other day, but for $35 it just didn't seem worth it. With Pinterest being amazing as it is, I was able to find a few home remedies, give them a try over the week, and report back to you which ones (I believe) work better.

** BEFORE APPLYING ANY OF THIS TO YOUR SKIN, MAKE SURE YOU EXFOLIATE. 

Exfoliation: removal of the oldest dead skin cells on the skin's outermost surface.

Exfoliating allows the tint from any of the remedies to set deeper into your skin, and last longer!! Without doing this, the color might not set at all, and it's easy! Take your loofa or an exfoliating brush and scrub the dead skin cells off your body. You could enhance this by also using an exfoliating body scrub. 

First off, the cocoa powder in lotion, I didn't even try. You're suppose to mix a bit of the cocoa powder in the lotion and rub it all over your body. But every single person who tried it reported that it was sticky, and didn't go on evenly. And who likes a streaky tan? No one. I don't recommend it.

The second thing was the Tea Tan. This one was an alright solution. If you're really pasty and would only like a little tan, or already tan and just want an extra boost, I suggest this remedy for you.

Take 1 cup of boiling hot water, and let 6 Black Tea bags (I used lemon infused so I didn't smell like tea) sit in the water for about 10-15 minutes. Take the bags out and let the water cool. After it's cool, pour it into a spray bottle or take a sponge and apply it all over your body. Rub it in and let it sit until it's dry. I recommend doing this in the bath tub so you don't get tea everywhere. 

**The result is not a deep super noticeable tan, but it does give you a healthy glowing color. This color lasts for 4-5 days, depending on how well and how many times you've applied it. You can do more than once a day since it is a gradual change in color. 

The method I recommend is the Coffee Scrub Tan. 

Take 2-3 table spoons of Coffee and mix it with 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil until it looks like a scrub. DEFINITELY stand in the shower when applying this one, it gets pretty messy. Take a handful of the coffee scrub and apply it all over your body. Don't put too much in one area because it will just be a clumpy mess. Rub the color in deeply and let it dry. Then gently wash it off. 

**After I did this, I still looked a little lighter than I wanted. There was a little bit of Coffee Scrub left in the bowl so I mixed it with a bit of water and applied it on my body and just pat it dry with a towel, instead of washing it completely off. This left a golden hue on my skin. Perfection! 

What's better than getting a tan without paying for one?! NOTHING. Especially when the spring/summer season is coming towards us. Have you tried any of these out? Let me know how they worked for you, or you had another secret to share. ;)