Best of Blogtober: Week 1

I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time, bringing back Carousels. Remember Carousels?! They were just posts where a blogger shared everything they’d read on other blogs that week—or a selection of their favorites if they were particularly voracious readers.

I wanted to introduce this year a best of Blogtober weekly round up: all my favorite posts from some of my favorite bloggers. I’ll also be tagging them all on Twitter and in my Instagram stories. I’ve also started a Pinterest board for all of my Best of Blogtober bloggers!

Without further ado, here are my favorite Blogtober posts from the first week! (This week, I’m keeping it simple and not adding much of my own filler to this list!)

1. 31 Halloween Movies for People Who Don’t Like Horrors from Indie Rose Psycho

2. We’re the Weirdos Mister from Cardigan Jezebel

3. My Autumn Bucket List from Chloe Lauren

4. How to Have a Hygge Home This Autumn from Emily Aagaard

5. 10 Things You Need to Do in Your First Month Blogging from Quarter Life Quest

6. 5 Tips for an Autumn Night In from Rebel Angel

7. The Little Book of Self-Care for New Mums from Hannah’s Life Diaries

8. Why It Can Be Hard for People to Reach Out from Breakfast At Shelby’s

9. 7 Makeup Tips for Acne Prone Skin from Living in Saturn

---

If you have a blog post you would like featured next week, leave it in a comment or send it to me on Twitter!

How I Edit My Photos in Autumn

In 2017, I shared how I took better iPhone photos—and that included my editing process in the app, A Color Story. (You can read that post here.) My process has changed a lot in the last year. I primarily take blog photos with my DLSR these days (iPhone photos just end up too blurry in blog posts, as you can see from my post yesterday) and then use my phone to take photos for Instagram.

I recently started trying to keep a “theme” on Instagram. I had been planning to use a darker, orange-based filter for Autumn since at least late spring (yes, I am embarrassing) and when I finally got to start doing it, I was so excited. My feed looks lovely and I’ve had quite a few people message me asking about my process for editing.

So I thought I’d share a quick blog post about how I edit my photos. The process is pretty simple. Sometimes, it feels like people really complicate their photo editing process. I like to keep mine simple by saving my favorite filters in a sequence in A Color Story; this helps me always get roughly the same look (although sometimes I do adjust things later on).

Let’s start with a basic photo.

This is the process I use for a low-light photo. These are my standard filters; October is from the Seasons pack on A Color Story, Brent Wood is from the Mood pack, and Cashmere is from the Fawn pack. You can see that it increases contrast, adds a moody feel, and increases the warmth of anything that is golden- or warm-toned to begin with (like my skin and table). I will use this for darker photos as well and photos taken in better light. (I didn’t have any photos in need of editing for this example, so I know it’s not the greatest!) This set of filters is how I got the look on most of my photos on Instagram.

However, I do have a secondary set of filters that I use on Instagram specifically for photos where I don’t want my skin tone or Forrest’s skin tone to end up looking pumpkin colored.

In this photo, you see that Forrest’s skin tone was warmed up a little, but not much; the background is darker, the photo is moodier, and in general it looks like it would fit right in on my Instagram. (I love this photo of Fo because he looks like a little alien!) Cashmere, again, is from the Fawn pack; October is from the Seasons pack, and Venice is from the Mood pack. In general, this filter set is just a bit “lighter” on skin tones than my other, making it perfect for selfies.

So that’s it! That’s my process for editing photos for Autumn. Do you switch up your process seasonally?

Here's What I Learned from An Autumn Road Trip (with a Toddler)

I am not a traveller.

I know, I know. It seems like everyone these days talks non stop about traveling. Everyone wants to travel and see the world. And in some ways, I definitely want to see the world. But I don’t like traveling.

I don’t like driving for long periods of time. I don’t like airplanes. I don’t like the stressed, naked feeling of being transitional between two places (home and destination). I don’t like the anxiety it gives me. And now that I have a small human I’m responsible for, I absolutely do not like having to pack up everything I can think of for him (including but not limited to: blankets, toys, any medication he might need, extra food, juice, cups he can use, forks he can use, emergency meals, and milk). The amount he needs has consistently gone down since he was a baby (no more giant container of formula, bottles, bottle wash, sanitizer bags, Pack’n’Play, and more), but it’s still a lot.

And doing it by myself? Excuse me, no thanks.

Well, I did just that on Friday. Danny had gone over to Central Oregon (Sunriver, to be exact) for a teaching conference in Bend. My parents have a cabin in Sunriver, so we had decided it would be a family vacation. But with Forrest in school now, I didn’t want him to miss a day so we planned to go over once he got done with school.

As the days lead up to Friday, I started to seriously panic. Taking a three-hour plus road trip by myself with a toddler? Packing up the whole car on my own? I was nervous. Danny told me he would be fine if I decided not to do it, but I knew he really wanted me to. And of course, Forrest was excited at the prospect of a vacation. Nothing makes him nervous.

As I wrote on Instagram, I didn’t want my anxiety to make Forrest miss out. Yes, it would have been better for me personally to stay at home for the weekend. But Forrest would have missed out on some potential fun and that prospect made me sad.

So I did it. On Friday afternoon, I packed up the car, got Forrest a Happy Meal (no judgement), and drove 3 hours with a potty trained toddler. Here’s everything I learned.

1. It’s probably going to all be fine.

Probably. My biggest worry was that, while going over the pass, Forrest would need to use the bathroom. Since he’s relatively newly potty trained (it’s been about 3 or 4 months), when he has to go, he usually has to go immediately. This is fairly normal for preschool age kids. However, while driving across a mountain pass, the last thing I wanted to do I was pull over and break out the little potty we keep in the car. However, my anxiety was for nothing: we stopped at a rest area before the pass and he was fine all the way until we got to the cabin.

So yeah, the thing you worry about? It’s probably going to be fine. (Please remember to tell me this next time I go on a real vacation aka go flying.)

2. It’s ok to do things you normally wouldn’t (or that you would).

I had all these plans for things Fo and I would do. Museums. Outdoor parks. Everything. I wanted him to have as much fun as possible while we were on our own mini-trip, especially as Danny was still in a conference on Saturday. However, we ended up going for a nice long walk to get coffee and a treat, then went shopping and spent time relaxing in the cabin. I felt bad that we hadn’t done any of the exciting stuff I had planned, but we did have a nice lunch out together (my first time taking him to a real restaurant on my own) and he really has fun no matter what.

3. The weather won’t cooperate, but that’s fine.

Part of the reason we didn’t do all the fun stuff I had planned? It was raining! I think of Central Oregon as very cold and relatively dry. But it had been raining at home and that rain followed us on vacation. So, the museum I wanted to go to? Mostly outdoors. The walking trails? Off limits thanks to the puddles and downpour. We made it for our walk in the morning, but that was about it. We had fun jumping in puddles outside the cabin, then retreating inside to warm up and go pick up Danny from the conference. The weather wasn’t really what I had planned on, but that’s Autumn for you, really!

---

This is a much more personal post than I usually post for Blogtober, but I thought I’d try something different! I had so much fun over the weekend (even when Forrest pretended to have a stomach ache to get us to leave dinner!) and I tried something outside of my routine—and it was all fine! What’s something you are challenging yourself to try this Fall?

5 Inspirational Autumn Outfits

I used to love writing posts like this, but in the last year, it has become increasingly difficult. Why? Because Polyvore shut down! I feel like Polyvore was such a unique, early-to-mid 2000s blogging resource and now, it’s simply gone. I’ve turned to Instagram instead to gather outfits to inspire us in these Autumn todays.

Today is the first legitimately rainy day of Autumn here in Oregon. It makes me want to snuggle up and read, or watch movies. But instead, I have to work (of course). For that reason, the outfits I’ve chosen are appropriate for both the weekend and casual workplaces. In a testament to how much I’ve changed in the last few years, all of these outfits include jeans!

Let me know in the comments your favorite outfit (and what your favorite rainy day movie is!).

1. Burnt Orange

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ashley (@twentiesgirlstyle) on Oct 29, 2017 at 6:43pm PDT

I have always been a little obsessed with this slightly burnt orange color. And lately, I’ve been feeling bell sleeves and (dare I say it?) peplums. I used to be heartily anti peplum, but then I had a baby, and well… a peplum hides a lot doesn’t it? I love this outfit, complete with sensible boots, dark jeans, and a cozy scarf. 

2. Pretty in Pink

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ashleigh Hopping (@by.ashleigh) on May 14, 2018 at 3:08pm PDT

If you’re in a colder climate, this is a great outfit. As well, not all autumnal outfits have to be warm-toned! A dusty pink sweater, a thick cozy beanie, and jeans is perfect for a busy weekend. Pop on a coat over the top and it can transition to winter really easily. 

3. Monotone

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by d e b | sunsets and stilettos (@sunsetsandstilettos) on Dec 11, 2017 at 6:42pm PST

I love gray. I wear gray more than any other color. This pale sweater with a thick scarf and beanie is great for the weekend when it is particularly blustery. 

4. Striped

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ashley (@twentiesgirlstyle) on Jan 2, 2018 at 8:42am PST

Another peplum top! I told you, they are growing on me a bit! I love this simple, comfy looking striped peplum top. Paired with a simple cardigan and boots, this is a great outfit for the pumpkin patch or a work meeting. 

5. Grandpa Sweater

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ashley (@twentiesgirlstyle) on Oct 1, 2018 at 6:30pm PDT

I unabashedly love grandpa sweaters. You know the ones: the thick, homey sweaters that are perfect for tucking tissues into the pockets. (Yes, you heard me. Tissue pockets.) I love this sweater because it is so ornate and yet, so cozy looking. Add a striped top and your favorite jeans and you’re ready to go. 

---

One last note! Do you have a Blogtober post you want shared? Send me a tweet on Twitter with a link; I’m putting together my first Best of Blogtober post this week!

Monthly Wrap Up & Empties: September 2018

Originally, I planned to do an Inspiration Sunday post for Blogtober today. But then I realized I had September empties to discuss and it felt more important to do this post. Well, maybe important isn’t the right word… rather, it just seemed to fit better!

September was a big month for us: we were super busy with back to school, Forrest’s birthday, and lots of stuff. And that trend isn’t letting up in October. I have Blogtober, of course, and my birthday on the 20th. Forrest and I are on a mommy-son trip this weekend (I’m writing this in advance, don’t worry!). Next weekend, we have Danny’s parents visiting. Then the last weekend of October will be our Halloween weekend. Then suddenly it will be November. Whew!

I have a lot to talk about for this wrap up, so let’s get started!

Empties: Everything I Used Up

1. OGX Coconut Miracle Oil Shampoo: I reviewed this shampoo here. I love this shampoo and it’s my current favorite. Of all the shampoos I’ve used, it’s the only one that really soothes my scalp and leaves my hair feeling nice. At this point, that’s all I ask!

2. Love Beauty & Planet Murumuru Butter & Rose Magic Masque: I used this mask to help repair my hair after a disastrous PR shampoo I received. (I’m not even reviewing it, it’s that bad!) But I loved this mask! It smells lightly of roses and was so thick and lovely. It immediately helped my damaged, dry hair. You can buy it here.

3. Bliss Drench & Quench Moisturizer: I reviewed this moisturizer here. It’s not my favorite moisturizer ever, but it wasn’t awful. It was mostly just very expensive! This little tub lasted about 6 weeks and cost $20. It’s not a repurchase, that’s for sure.

4. Rosehips Oil: I recently added rosehips oil to my routine to help my dehydrated skin. As you probably know, I sing the praises of jojoba oil for removing makeup and helping improve my skin. However, jojoba as a moisturizer can give me a lot of texture. So I added rosehips oil as a sealant after my moisturizer to help my skin absorb a bit more. It has helped a lot, but I don’t love this one; I suspect the orange oil it’s mixed with hasn’t been helping my skin much!

5. Coty Flawless Complexion Tinted SPF Moisturizer: I discussed this SPF moisturizer in my Ipsy bag review here. I love this SPF, which sucks because it was such a teeny tiny tube! But it is absolutely lovely, hasn’t made me break out, and wears great under make up.

What I’ve Been Up To

Yes, that is the very rarely featured Remus. If you didn’t know (and most probably don’t), I have a beloved chocolate lab named Remus (as in Remus Lupin, the greatest werewolf). Despite playing second fiddle to Forrest, Remus remains my biggest baby. I don’t have any reason for this photo other than I took it while I was doing product photos for my Ipsy bag in September, Remus looked cute, and I can’t resist his big, golden eyes.

Anyway, I thought I’d share a few things I enjoyed from September here for your enjoyment!

1. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger: I impulsively borrowed this book from the library because the jacket contained the words “Highgate Cemetery” and “Victorian.” For whatever reason, when I started it, I thought it would be set in Victorian times. It is absolutely not; it’s set in the early 2000s, which leads to some truly hilarious ensembles worn by the main characters (remember white denim skirts!?). That being said, I still really enjoyed it. Highly recommend! How’s that for a tiny review?

2. Dr. Death: I started listening to this podcast after it was recommended on My Favorite Murder. This was a tough podcast for me to get into, because as I’ve written before, my grandfather was paralyzed by a neck surgery. The center of this podcast is a neurosurgeon who performs bad, irresponsible, and devastating neck and spinal surgeries; he paralyzes multiple people and kills a few. That being said, I really enjoyed it.

3. Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams: I have been waiting for this book on digital hold from the library for weeks and finally, I got it! I was so excited to read it. It’s set on a fictional island off the coast of New York where wealthy families summer for years on end. It was so good and kept me captivated the entire time.

4. Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson: Another book I had waited for weeks on hold! I keep doing this thing where I put holds on books, they take ages, and by the time I get them, I’m not “in the mood” to read them. I had to force myself to read Truly Devious about 4 days before it was due and I am SO glad I did! It was excellent and I found myself so disappointed that the sequel isn’t out yet. If you like mysteries and murder podcasts (which play a surprisingly pivotal role!), you’ll love this book.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Michelle 💐 (@michellelocke6) on Sep 11, 2018 at 8:12pm PDT

Oh yes, Fall is finally here! Gosh, it feels like time goes by so fast! I hope you’re having a great October and you’ve been loving all the cozy Blogtober content around lately.

Things I Love: October 6

Welcome back to another edition of Things I Love (or TiLT)! If you’d like to read past TiLTs, click here.

How is your October going so far? If you’re doing Blogtober, are you drowning yet? I swear, the past week has been the fastest of my life. I really thought I’d have more time with Forrest in preschool, but I feel like I somehow have even less time.

Thankfully, it’s the best time of the year! I love, love, love October. Danny and I are on a little vacation this weekend (oh la la) so he can attend a teacher’s union event; Forrest and I are therefore having a little mommy-son bonding time. You can follow me on Instagram for photos from our little trip. MAKE SURE TO LINK.

Without further ado, here’s everything I’ve loved from the first week of October.

1. Happy Birthday, Forrest

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Michelle 💐 (@michellelocke6) on Sep 30, 2018 at 8:58pm PDT

Sunday was Forrest’s birthday. It’s hard to believe that I’m the parent of a 3-year-old and not a baby anymore. And each day, I am consistently impressed with the wonderful, kind, caring, gentle boy he is. He loves nothing more than reading books, coloring, and playing with blocks. He loves school in the way that I loved school (which makes me so so proud). There are a million and one perfect, wonderful things I could write about Forrest, but I’ll keep this short: celebrating my boy is always going to be one of the best parts of my week.

2. Apple Picking & Assorted Apple Desserts

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Michelle 💐 (@michellelocke6) on Sep 27, 2018 at 8:13pm PDT

Technically, I went apple picking last week. However, I’ve been making apple everything because I have about 10 pounds of apples in my house right now! I’ve made apple strudel, apple pie, apple hand pies, applesauce, and, of course, caramel apples. It’s a nonstop apple party at our house and it’s so, so worth it. (And if you don’t go apple picking, I highly recommend it! Support your local orchards!)

3. October Traditions

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Michelle 💐 (@michellelocke6) on Sep 28, 2018 at 6:58pm PDT

Do you have a very specific October tradition? Mine is these cookies. In the first week of October, I have to buy and bake a box. It’s just the way I start the month! I got these ones mid-September to bake with Forrest before his birthday, but during the week, I definitely picked up a new box to make! They’re the perfect little cookie. Yes, I know they are processed as hell. Yes, I know they aren’t really that good as far as cookies go. But I love them. They are nostalgia in a box!

Here Are 5 Great Spooky Podcasts!

If you’ve read my blog for a while, it should come as no surprise that I listen to hundreds of podcasts a week. Yes, hundreds. I always have a podcast going while I’m cooking, cleaning, working, writing, or just sitting around. I always am listening to something because I get easily bored.

I’ve written two posts about my favorite podcasts which you can read here and here.

For this blogtober, I wanted to share 5 of the spookiest, scariest podcasts I listen to. Some of these are historical, some of them are designed to be spooky, and some are just haunting.

1. Lore

I’ve written about Lore before, but it goes without saying: Lore is super popular because it is so good. It’s one of those podcasts that is short enough for those who like short podcasts and good enough for those who don’t care. Each episode is meticulously researched and performed; you’ll learn something and be delightfully creeped out.

2. The No Sleep Podcast

No Sleep is an anthology-style podcast that sources it’s material from the subreddit, NoSleep. Basically: creepy stories written by random people around the internet, trying to write the most convincingly “real” scary story. NoSleep is one of my favorite subreddits to read and the No Sleep Podcast somehow makes them scarier. Definitely don’t listen to these right before bed.

3. Stranglers

Stranglers isn’t a scary podcast. But it’s a scary podcast. In the early 1960s, the Boston Strangler terrorized women and communities. But worse than that: the wrong person might have been arrested. This podcast does a deep dive into the lives of the victims, the women who survived, the women who were afraid, and the culture that allowed the Boston Strangler to thrive.

4. Unexplained

Unexplained is a podcast that does exactly what it says: details unexplained events. The first episodes I listened to were the season 2 episodes about the Dyatlov party deaths in the Ural Mountains. There was so much information I had never read previously. Meticulous research and spooky circumstances make this the perfect podcast to enjoy alongside a cup of coffee and all the lights on.

5. Haunted Places

Haunted Places is a podcast that visits, you guessed it, haunted places and details the histories behind them. I love podcasts that include the real history as well as the legends and this podcast combines both excellently. I also am fascinated by everything haunted (shout out to 12-year-old Michelle watched “Most Haunted” specials on the Travel Channel) and this feeds that love excellently.

The Best Lipstick Shades for Autumn

Sometimes, I think to myself: Michelle, is there any value in writing about lipstick so much?

Short answer, yes.

Long answer, absolutely yes.

Here’s the truth: is writing about lipstick going to change the world as we know it? Probably not.

However, does lipstick make me happy? Could finding the perfect lipstick make you happier day-to-day? Does putting on that perfect brick red lipstick make you feel like Wonder Woman?

Then yeah, writing about lipstick matters. Not everything has to be so serious.

I feel the same way about loving Fall. Every year, when Autumn rolls around, people love to trot out both the “I love Autumn” hats and the “you’re basic if you love Autumn hats.” And here’s the thing: love what you love. Love Harry Potter? Honey, yes! Love lipstick? Baby WORK! Don’t love Harry Potter? That’s cool. What do you like?

We don’t all have to like the same things, but we shouldn’t tear down other people just because they like something we don’t. This is a lesson I’ve learned as I’ve gotten older, for sure, and it’s in play here. For both Autumn and lipstick.

Whew. Now that I got that tangent out of the way, here are my top 5 lipsticks for Fall.

1. Huda Beauty in “Flirt”

I received this liquid lip in my August Ipsy bag; at the time, I wasn’t sure I loved it. And here’s my big “I was wrong” flip flop moment: I kind of love it. By which I mean, I really love it. I started wearing it just to get used to it and then, I was wearing it everyday. It’s one of those lipsticks that people don’t really notice or comment on, but that I find myself spotting my own face in the mirror and thinking, “Wow, girl, you look good.”

Flirt is a cool mocha brown color. I hesitate to say it would work on all skin tones; there might be some tones it might be too cool for, or might appear ashy, but I’m not 100% postive on that. As well, brown isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. However, it gives that cool girl 90s vibe that reminds me of my sister in high school, it lasts all day, and it smells like vanilla. It looks great with a good blush, an understated eye, and a mustard yellow scarf.

2. Wet’n’Wild Liquid Catsuit in “Goth Topic”

Wet’n’Wild’s Liquid Catsuit is one of my favorite liquid lip formulas of all time. And Goth Topic is no exception. Goth Topic is a very, very good (and affordable) dupe for Kat Von D’s “Vampira”, a lipstick I own in both bullet (classic lipstick) and liquid lip. However, the formula of Goth Topic might actually be better than the Kat Von D version. Heresy? Perhaps. But Goth Topic is a dark, almost black-berry color that dries down perfectly, doesn’t get flaky, and is perfect for tromping through the pumpkin patch in your favorite witch attire. I mean, Fall outfit. Which might just be witch attire.

3. Kat Von D Liquid Lipstick in “Nahz Fur Atoo”

Please accept my apologies for not including a Kat Von D lipstick on this list I try my hardest not to promote Kat Von D products, but there are some things that brand has just done right. And Nahz Fur Atoo is one of them. (And yes, before anyone starts, it is Nahz Fur Atoo. The name was changed from Nosferatu at the end of 2016 because the fair use license ran out on the word in Europe.) Nahz Fur Atoo is an almost perfect brick red (at least for me). It also does a pretty decent job staying set for several hours (at least if I’m not eating) and doesn’t smear all over my face. It’s perfect for a bold Fall look, because it is such a classic.

4. Anastasia Beverly Hills in “Catnip”

When I originally started writing this post, I had two Kat von D shades on here. But I started looking for dupes for the second shade I’d chosen and, surprise, it turns out I own it. ABH’s Catnip is a dupe for Kat Von D’s Mother… sort of. I find that Catnip isn’t as bright, but it’s still a lovely “true” pink with a slightly mauve-y, purple undertone. Plus, the ABH formula is amazing and stays all day without being drying, smeary, or worse, disappearing into nothing.

5. Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink in “Visionary”

I debated about including this lipstick: Maybelline isn’t a CF brand, but if you’re looking for an affordable Fall lipstick that is a little more unique, Visionary is where it’s at. Visionary is a soft lavender color. And, warning, it can  make your teeth look dingy (so get on the tooth whitening train beforehand if you don’t want to shock yourself in selfies). The SuperStay matte formula is literally one of the best out there: it takes literal scrubbing to get off. This color is gorgeous and way out of my comfort zone, but it is great for an edgy, gothy Fall look.