Three Things Thursday

I'm finally back with another Three Things Thursday post today! it's been too long since I wrote my last one, and I had so much fun putting this one together. I'm going to shoot for at least one of these a month. Now, let's get into the 3 totally unrelated things that I am so excited to share with you!

1. Nativity Scenes

My mom has collected nativity scenes for as long as I can remember, and she has helped me start my own collection over the past few years. They are our favorite Christmas decoration, and they are also a great reminder of what the Christmas season is really about. I'm sharing pictures of 4 of my favorites below. 

A. I got this one from Hobby Lobby last year!

B. I got this one last week from Target! You can click here to check it out!

C. My mom put this cute and tiny one in my stocking!

D. This is my favorite Coton Colors Christmas attachment!

Shop some nativity scenes that are currently available:

2. Our Sectional and Ottoman

I realize this is a super random thing to share. However, my sister just purchased a sectional, which is what made me think about it. If you have been looking for a fabulous sectional, I highly suggest this one.

We got this couch when we moved into our house in Southaven back in March, and we could not be happier! I did months and months of research on sectionals. I was beyond ready to get rid of Parker's brown, ripped. faux suede leather sofa, loveseat, and recliner. Those things moved up to his mancave, and we finally got normal looking furniture for our living room!

It wasn't easy though.... after tons of online research, Parker and I went to 4 furniture stores in town (that were seriously disappointing) before we headed to Macy's in Memphis (thanks to my friend Emily for the recommendation!). I had no clue Macy's even sold furniture. As soon as we walked into the furniture section, we immediately knew we wanted the first one we saw. 

The color is just what I was looking for. It's lighter than the dark brown we had, and y'all- the fabric is magical. Bailey and Rosie's muddy paw prints and Parker's red wine spills have been so easy to get out. Macy's sent some magical cleaning supplies, and they get everything out so easily!  

I'm also bringing this sectional up today because it is on sale! It is currently marked down $1200! Maybe I should have dedicated an entire post to this sofa. I could go on and on about how much we love it, but I'll stop now. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out though!

3. Sweatshirt Dresses

I got my first sweatshirt dress when I went to the Nordstrom Rack Grand Opening party in Memphis a few months ago. At first, I thought it was an embarrassing thing to buy (because who actually wears these things?), but it was under $20 and so comfy that I purchased it anyway. And I'm here to tell you that money was well spent. I wear it every single weekend. It is so comfy!

The exact one I have is sold out, but Parker's parents are giving me this one for Christmas, and it is still in stock. Plus, I've linked quite a few options below. If you don't own one of these, you need one for comfy weekend wear! 

Thanks so much for reading! Have a great day!

Three Things Thursday

I've got another Three Things Thursday post for y'all today with (unsurprisingly) 3 things that have next to nothing in common. However, before I get into the three things, I've got to give Parker a birthday shoutout! It would take me way too many blog posts to attempt to put into words how grateful I am for this wonderful husband of mine! 

Parker did not ask to be the unpaid, hard working photographer for Art Fashion Fun. However, he has so kindly accepted this job and been the best behind-the-scenes supporter I could have ever asked for. He doesn't typically read my blog posts- I think the time spent on photographs is enough Art Fashion and Fun for him. But I couldn't write a blog post on his birthday and not throw a birthday wish out there!

That's enough for now. Back to today's 3 things:

1. The best, long-lasting lip color- I will be the first to tell you that I am not one who knows much about makeup. However, I have a few select products that I really do love, and this ultra wear lip color is one of them. It is known to be extremely long-lasting. And the color I have is perfect for fall and winter. On one side, it has the base color coat, and a clear gloss is on the other side. The color I have is #69 Tender Beige. It is a little more than I typically spend on lipstick. However, it is worth it in my opinion!

2. Marinating chicken in buttermilk- Y'all might think I'm crazy on this one. However, we love it! Parker watched something that said marinating chicken in buttermilk will make your chicken super moist. So, we buy buttermilk when we know we will be eating chicken. And the night before Parker cooks the chicken, he puts the chicken and buttermilk in a ziplock bag and lets it sit in the refrigerator overnight. 

We have been doing this for a couple of years now. However, Parker's parents got into town last night, and we cooked dinner at home for them. As soon as Parker's mom tasted the chicken, she said what did y'all do to this chicken? It is so moist! So that made me realize people may not know this little trick, and I decided to switch up one of my original three things to this one. If you try it out, let me know what you think!

3. The cutest holiday outfit- I shared this picture on Instagram last night, but I wanted to share it here too because it is the perfect outfit for any holiday party! Or any fun occasion really. Y'all, this skirt is the cutest! Bright pink and ruffles? I clearly had to have it. It also comes in indigo and topaz if pink is not your thing. The best news is that it is on sale right now. What you need to know is that it runs extremely large. I sized down 2 sizes. And the pretty silk blouse is true to size. It is also on sale!

The link I provided takes you straight to the Shop My Insta page. All you have to do is click on the picture shown below on the Shop My Insta page, and all of the outfit details will appear (along with some other pink sale items I linked). Click on any of the items you see, and you will be taken directly to that item on the retailer's site! You will definitely see more of me in this skirt. I'm thinking some sparkly silver or gold heels would be so much fun with it!

Parker's parents are in town, it's Parker's birthday, and I am meeting Kathleen from Carrie Bradshaw Lied. It's a great day! Thanks so much for reading! Have a wonderful day!

Three Things Thursday

I believe the three things I'm sharing with you today are the three most different things I could have ever put together in one post. However, they are three things I've been wanting to share with you lately, so I thought what better way to share them than in a Three Things Thursday post? 

Outfit Details: Shirt // Jeans // Shoes *Thanks so much to Mary Catherine for the help with this photo! :)

1. Dry Shampoo- I know I am so late to this game. My roommate used this stuff back in college, and I was never a fan. Now, I have heard from 62 hairdressers how bad it is that I wash my hair every night. I do not like the texture of dry shampoo, and I like going to sleep knowing that I have clean hair. However, after my haircut last week and hearing the same ole speech I always get from hairdressers, I started testing out dry shampoo options.

The two I found at Walmart are Dove and Herbal Essences. I put up a poll on my Instagram account (@artfashionfun) asking which one people preferred, and I got quite a bit of feedback (which is my #1 favorite part about blogging- I LOVE hearing from you!). 

The results:

• Most people haven't tried Herbal Essences.
• Most people despise Dove, aside from one person who adores it and said it is all she and her friends use.
• Batiste is the brand most people swear by.
• Other brands people suggested are The Dry Bar, Living Proof, Psssst!, Kristin Ess, and Suave Professionals: Keratin Fusion.

So far, I have used the Dove one once and Herbal Essences once, and I didn't like either. I think it's going to take me a while to get used to this whole concept of not washing my hair and spraying a product in there. I'm going to try Batiste soon, and I'm hoping I will like that one better.

One product I did buy and LOVE is Garnier Fructis Volumizing Mousse. You put it in your hair while your hair is still damp, and it's supposed to help with volume. I'm throwing this product in with the dry shampoo, although it is not dry shampoo. It is just the one hair product that I actually like and wanted to include.

2. Jesus Calling- In this day and age, people seem to be constantly busy. It is really easy to put our prayer life on hold while we make a cup of coffee, throw on our makeup, and race off to work. Sometimes it is hard to make yourself sit down and focus on the bible because that takes a lot of time and concentration (for me anyway). I picked up my Jesus Calling book several years ago, and it has been something that makes getting in a little prayer time easy. I know it is not new by any means, but if you find yourself wanting to make time for prayer, pick up a Jesus Calling book.

I honestly do not understand how it is so relatable every. single. day. But it is. It is a daily devotional, and I have been using it for several years now. I also picked up a copy of Jesus Always last year. It is another daily devotional written by the same author. I read Jesus Calling in the morning and Jesus Always at night. Both books provide easy ways to get in some quiet time.

3. Dog Costumes- I told y'all this post included the 3 most random things you could ever put together! But oh my goodness, I have come to the conclusion that nothing in life makes me laugh harder than dogs in costumes. I mean like laugh so hard I cry. My family thinks its cruel and torturous. Bailey and Rosie do too. We do not leave them on for long, but for the few seconds these pups turn into lions, pumpkins, or witches, I die.

Parker and I always laugh at the Amazon commercial where the dog is dressed in a lion costume.... so without telling me, Parker ordered 2 lion manes from Amazon. He put one on Bailey, and I bet you could hear my laughter from Southaven, Mississippi. She despises costumes, and lucky for her, the lion mane is too big, and she got it off so easily. But for the first minute it was on her, she sat 100% still and looked up at us with the face you will see below. 

What do y'all think about dry shampoo, Jesus Calling, and pet costumes? (Insert laughing emojis here.) As I mentioned earlier, hearing from you is my favorite thing about this blog, so always feel free to comment, email, or send me any type of message! Thanks so much for reading! Have a great day!