Have you heard of the Beauty Blogger Headquarters? This awesome Blog/site was started to bring together Beauty Bloggers so that they have a "One Stop Shop" to get all kinds of awesome advice, tips, tricks and so much more.  I heard about this awesome site from Beauty by Krystal, a fellow blogger who I follow and communicate a lot with on Facebook.  I've been reading through the task responses from other bloggers and it's very enjoyable to read them and get to know a little more about this bloggers on a personal level.  #Verycool

I decided I wanted to take part in November's Task... In the Beginning.  This will allow me to talk about how I got started and what inspired me.  Here are the questions for this month's task:

• How long have you been blogging?

I started blogging in 2007.  So I've been blogging for just over 5 years.  

• What/who inspired you to start blogging?

That is definitely a hard question to answer.  I started my blog in 2007 because I wanted to share my thoughts and opinions with the public... and because I am the only female in a house of males, so I needed someplace where I could talk girlie things.  But through the years - I have been inspired by Bloggers like: Kandee Johnson and Makeupgeek (Marlena), who while they are YouTube Gurus - they also blog about their life and I really enjoy reading Beauty & Lifestyle blogs.

• Did you tell your family and friends about your blog? If so, what was their reaction? Are they supportive or "in the dark" about your blogging?

My husband knew I wanted to get into blogging and he supported me as he always does with all of my ventures.  Some of my other family members had thought it was a waste of time and effort... but they were also not very well versed in Technology and Social Media as they are now.  Many of my family members have since become open minded to the thought, especially since several of them actually read blogs often to learn about new ideas, DIYs, etc.

• What goals or dreams did you have for your blog when you started? Have you accomplished them?

When I first started blogging - my first Goal was to get at least 5 people to read my blog, lol.  I'm glad that people read my blog often and happy that they find the information useful.  Another goal I wanted for my blog was to make it into a hub of advice, a go-to spot for everything about my life and my passions.  I think in this year - I have definitely accomplished that.  It took some time for me to really embrace the look and feel I wanted and I think that after years of trying all kinds of things out... I have finally accomplished it. (see the photo below of my first blog "Beauty by Honey" and what my blog looks like today.)  I'm very proud to say that I did accomplish both, my traffic has increased tremendously on my Blog now and I'm very happy with the look and feel my blog now possesses.  

• If you could give your beginner-blogger-self one tip of advice, what would it be?

Blog about what ever it is you want to talk about.  When I started blogging - I was under the misconception that I could only talk about products that were sent to me by companies or I could only talk about High End, expensive things.  But - the fact of the matter is... when I decided I was going to "do me" and do my own type of blogging, that's when PR companies started to contact me to review products or talk about products for them.  My posts were definitely about things I loved and products I enjoyed that I purchased on my own, so people were loving to read about my thoughts and ideas.  If I knew that I could blog about my daily life and people would read it "just because", I would have started my blog off as a Lifestyle/Beauty Blog mix and would have relieved a lot of stress.  My blog is like my journal (now, at least)  and I wish I had started it off that way to begin with.

• What is your favorite and least favorite thing about being a blogger?

My favorite thing about being a blogger is that I can really just keep things "real".  I don't have to censor myself for anyone... it's my blog and my life and I can choose to share or not to share what ever it is I'm thinking about at that time.  My blog allows me to be open and share my thoughts without worrying if they are right or wrong.  Now... seeing as I also do YouTube Videos and I'm a Vlogger - I would have to say that I don't really have a least favorite thing about Blogging.  In YouTube land - I deal with a lot of negativity and drama sometimes (even if I'm trying to steer clear of it), but on my blog - I really don't get that often... thank goodness.

• What does your blog name mean? How did you decide on it?

My blog is named: Honeygirlsworld - because, that's exactly what it is.  A look into my life and my World.  My blog (while majority of my posts are beauty related) is a lifestyle blog of my life and all the interesting things it has to offer. :)  I have had 2 other names for my blogs in the time that I have been blogging:  Beauty by Honey and Destne146.  While they both are a reflection on myself, being a busy Mother of 3 boys (2 of which are twin toddlers) and a Work from Home Mom/Wife - I wanted to be able to really have a blog/website that would allow me to talk about a full range of things... and since it is my World and my Life - Honeygirlsworld was the best name I thought of so far. :)


Message from Honey:  On a personal note for anyone who is interested in blogging or contemplating starting a blog - I just want to say:  "Do It!"  While I love YouTube, making videos and editing them can be tedious and tiring.  I love that I can open my blog and just type what's on my mind... if it's not complete, that's okay - because I can always finish it another day.  It's difficult to start a video and stop it and continue 4 days later unless that is what your video calls for.  I find that no matter how many times I have been a public speaker or have spoken in front of a camera... I still get tongue twisted and it's hard to have to refilm or edit that part out.  Blogging and removing something you don't want is as easy as pressing "Backspace" or "delete".  Don't let anyone tell you can't blog - you'd be amazed at how many people will want to read about what you have to say. <3

I saw this awesome recipe in my email inbox the other day and while it is a simple recipe, it is totally hearty and a great dish for those nights when you need a little comfort food.  I wanted to share it with all of my foodie lovers. ;) Enjoy!

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb new potatoes, quartered
• 3/4 lb parsnips, cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 lb carrots, cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 1 lb beef (center-cut eye of round roast), about 3 inches in diameter
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 2 1/2 tablespoons drained bottled horseradish
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives or chopped fresh parsley

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 450°. In a bowl, toss potatoes, parsnips and carrots with 3 tsp rosemary, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tbsp water and 2 tsp oil. Coat a rimmed sheet pan with cooking spray. Rub beef with remaining 1 tsp olive oil and garlic; season with remaining 1 tsp rosemary, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Place beef on pan; spread vegetables around it in a single layer; roast, turning vegetables once, until beef's internal temperature reaches 145°. (Start checking after 20 minutes.) Transfer meat to a plate; cover loosely with foil; let rest 5 minutes. Return veggies to oven; turn off heat. In a bowl, combine yogurt, horseradish and vinegar. Slice beef; divide among 4 plates; top with yogurt sauce and chives; serve with veggies.
   

THE SKINNY 596 calories per serving, 30 g fat (5 g saturated), 48 g carbs, 8 g fiber, 33 g protein


This awesome Recipe was found at: http://www.self.com/fooddiet/recipes/2012/11/rosemary-beef-with-root-vegetables?mbid=enws_row1022.  The image is also from this link.  No copyright infringement intended - credit goes to the original owner.

I haven't shared a photography post in a long time.  It's probably because ICC has been so busy that I have been turning down and referring out Photog gigs because I just don't have the time. 

On September 17, 2012 I shot the wedding of a lovely couple - Terry and Steve.  This lovely couple is from Florida and they were surely enjoying the Hawaii weather.  It was a wonderful joy to shoot their wedding.  The sunset was lovely and the ceremony (by Keli'i Arruda) was wonderful.  The couple was sweet and generous of one another and surely - In Love.  Here are a few shots of their special day that I wanted to share with you.

Wishing Terry & Steve a lifetime of love and happiness!
xoxo
Honey

You will catch me reading these types of articles often, because if you have seen my crazy hair - during a bad spell (that's what I call it), my hair will be all over the place.  While we'd like to think that we can tame our frizzies, sometimes - it's just not possible.

Check out this article on 8 gorgeous Hairstyles you can create for Frizzy Hair by Totalbeauty.com.  I'm sure the tips in this article will surely be helpful for the days when your hair just doesn't want to cooperate.

To read the article - click here.

The images and article are from totalbeauty.com and the entire article can be read here:http://www.totalbeauty.com/content/gallery/hairstyles-for-frizzy-hair?lc=nw2310-1&utm_source=TBhairNL121026&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tbh_121026

"Don't wear white after Labor Day" and "Always match your bags to your shoes" are just a few Myths that we hear all about when out and about shopping or hanging out with girlfriends.  Check out this article from Lucky Magazine - I thought this was an awesome article to share with you all.  Learn a thing or two about those Fashion Myths that seem to linger and get the real scoops on it.

To read more about it, click here. 







The image and story belongs to the author of which the link was provided.  All credit goes to Luckymag.com
http://www.luckymag.com/blogs/luckyrightnow/2012/11/Five-Fashion-Myths-Debunked?mbid=NL_A1_1102#slide=1

I posted this look via my instagram earlier today - and was so in love with how it came out - that I called in "In Love for Fall" - one, because fall / Winter is my favorite seasons and two - because I have love being in Love... and this look was truly inspired by my love for my husband. It's fiery but still soft with a little pop of color.  The photo above was taken about 6 hours after I had put the makeup on and I even took a nap an hour before this image was taken.  I didn't do any touch ups - so this really speaks for the quality of I-Candy Couture shadows.  I woke up from my nap - got something to eat and snapped this photo.  Vibrant and pigmented.

The Photo collage above was taken about 30 minutes after I applied my makeup.  As you can see - I have my Green Azalea contacts in from Candy color lenses.  I obviously had to remove them before I took my nap later in the day - which is the reason I do not have them on in some of my photos.  The collage above was taken with my cell phone and uploaded to Instagram.

I really wanted to feature I-Candy Couture products in this look and show how any of our colors work so well together.

Products used:

Primer: ELF eye shadow primer

Eyeshadows: I-Candy Couture's Pumpkin Pie, Purr, Lady in Red and a blend of Ever After and Lollipop Lovin' eyeshadows are on my eyes.

Liner: ELF Liquid Eye liner in Black and Milani Liquif'eye Liner in Black.

Mascara: Maybelline Plush Mascara

Lips:  I-Candy Couture's Berry Smoothie Lipstick as a base and Revlon's Raspberry Pie Lip butter

Earrings are the I-Candy Couture Candy Bling Twisted Woven Hoops

I will be giving my skin a little rest after all the Halloween looks that I've been doing - but I will be sure to do more Fall/Winter Inspired looks soon.  So, stay tuned!
xoxo
Honey

Family is important to me and my Husband and my sons are my life.  This week really allowed me to have so much fun with them.  On Tuesday, 10/30/12, my hubby and I took our sons to the Pumpkin Patch to choose out their pumpkins to  carve or draw on.  They truly enjoyed themselves. (Pictures and video below).

The following day was Halloween (yesterday) and boy were the boys excited.  This was the first year that the twins (who are 3 years old) had gone trick or treating and walking - the last few years they were in their stroller.  We took them to our larger shopping mall because the stores give out candy - it's their contribution to keeping the kids safe.  Frankly, it's such a great idea because the twins are so small that we really needed them to be off the streets - crazy drivers are everywhere now a days.  The boys really enjoyed themselves.  The twins were Teenage Mutant Ninja  Turtles (they fell in love with those costumes because they have recently been watching my old TMNT Videos from when I was a little kid).  My eldest son was a Ninja.  They looked awesome.  The boys enjoyed themselves and it's a thought in my mind that I will not easily forget.  They had a lot of smiles and truly had a blast.

Click on the embedded video below to see some of the fun we had the last 2 days. ;) Smile along with me!
xoxo
Honey