I’ve been diving back in lately to things I used to love. I don’t know how it happened, I just stumbled upon one thing and then the next and all the sudden, I’m doing lots of things that I did and loved in past years. Funny how that happens. So today I thought I’d share a few things I forgot I loved.

Country Music

We don’t drive much. I’m not really a music person (yes, that’s a thing). Since I usually only listen to music in the car and I’m usually only in the car with N, I haven’t listened to country in a long time. He doesn’t like it so we always agree on something else or listen to a podcast.

I recently heard a country song that I remembered how much I loved. I made a throwback country playlist and have been listening to it ever since. I don’t know anything about new or recent country but country from the 90’s and 00’s used to be my jam. Apparently it is again.

Here’s my playlist so far:

1. Run by George Strait
2. These Days by Rascal Flatts
3. The Good Stuff by Kenny Chesney
4. Storm Warning by Hunter Hayes
5. Red Ragtop by Tim McGraw

Help me add to this list please! Leave a suggestion below.

BareMinerals Original Foundation

My skin changed a lot after having Ben. I used to have a real problem with dryness (though I still broke out). Now I’m finding that my skin isn’t dry at all and can even be kind of oily at the end of the day. I’d long since stopped using powder foundations because of the dry problem but one day recently it occurred to me that I should revisit them.

I’d loved BareMinerals original foundation* when I wore it in college and the Sephora reviews were still fantastic for it. I love that it’s safe (EWG rating 1).

Sephora gift card in hand, I bought the original foundation in shade fairly medium and the new brush for applying it. I still have my BareMinerals brushes from 10 years ago but they’ve come a long way and the brush felt heavenly.

Turns out, some things that are good just stay good. This foundation lasts all day, makes my skin look even and clear, and hasn’t caused breakouts.

Getting Really in to a Book Series

I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a diehard Harry Potter fan. I am ashamed to admit that I was also very very in to the Twilight series.

I had forgotten how fun it is to get hooked on a book series and just devour them. There’s something special about reading books in a series, where you know that when you finish one book it’s not really the end. It kind of takes away from the sadness of finishing a really good book – knowing there’s more where that came from.

I got hooked on Outlander and I’m now on book 5 – The Fiery Cross. Since each book is more than 700 pages, I’ve read over 3,000 pages this year so far that probably beats my reading total for the last 5.

If you like historical fiction, romance, adventure, time travel, war, love, kilts (you might think you don’t like kilts but I promise you will after this) and you don’t mind losing sleep because you stayed up late reading, then buy the first Outlander book*.

Taking Pictures with a Real Camera

DSLR’s are pretty huge. I love mine but have long since stopped bringing it with my everywhere because it just isn’t convenient. I love taking pictures and since I taught myself how to use Lightroom, I love the editing process too.

I’d been eyeing a smaller camera for quite some time. Something to replace my DSLR with similar results but more portable. I had decided on the Sony RX100 V* (note: watch for a sale, we did not pay this price) and had mentally put it in to the “someday” category. Then N surprised me with it for my birthday! It was the sweetest thing and I’m so grateful for how supportive he is of my hobbies. I think he especially loves that I take pictures, because he knows I’m capturing timeless memories of our family.

I’ve been taking it with me everywhere and I forgot how satisfying it is to take a picture and get the shot you want instead of maybe 3 blurry shots on an iPhone. Toddlers move quickly and my iPhone was filling up with shots that could have been great, with a faster shutter speed. I’m so excited to keep using my new gadget to take pictures of my family. The best part? It sends the photos directly to my phone so I can share them with our extended families (we have shared family albums) in minutes.

I will never forget how much I love chocolate chip cookies and look at that blurry background behind the deliciousness! The new camera is a win and so is this chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Black Tea

I’m a coffee person. When I was pregnant with Ben, I abruptly stopped liking coffee in my first trimester and switched to black tea. Once my taste for coffee came back, I forgot about black tea and hadn’t drunk it since. Maybe I’ve been watching too much Outlander but I recently had a craving for black tea and have since been drinking a cup in the early afternoon.

Wedding Planning

I enjoyed planning my own wedding. I’m that girl who genuinely loved all the little details and don’t even get me started on dresses – I probably tried on 100. You can see our wedding photos here and details about our tapas style wedding reception here.

One of my best friends is getting married in October. I’m a bridesmaid, N is a groomsman, and Ben is a ring bearer.

I’ve been taking wedding details with my friend for months now and it’s become pretty clear, I’m not over wedding planning just because I’m already married. I love hearing about all the little details and I thoroughly enjoyed dress shopping with her.

Yesterday we went to Philadelphia Wedding’s Bridal Brunch and Bubbly event and despite the fact that none of it applied to me, I still had a ton of fun. I love weddings!

That’s all I have for now. Hope you’re having a wonderful week!