it is christmas in the heart that puts christmas in the air.

I love the Christmas season. It is possible that I love it a little too much, but hey - there is nothing wrong with that! In between work, seeing friends, and family traditions, I have been decorating up a storm. The house looks as close to perfect as it ever will. Since the holiday season has overwhelmed my life lately, I got super excited when I saw a Christmas tag on Laura's All Made Up. So, I decided to post the tag on my own blog. This is the Christmas tag....and I tag all of you to answer it for yourselves!

1) What is your favourite winter/Christmas scent?
Gingerbread! I just love the smell of gingerbread. So much so that I bought a bunch of gingerbread scented bulbs from Bath & Bodyworks - along with gingerbread scented hand soap. Nothing says the holidays like gingerbread.

2) What is your favourite winter drink?
No doubt about it....white hot chocolate. My fiance and I go to Second Cup a few times each holiday season to treat ourselves with one of these. It is the perfect holiday beverage!

3) What is your favourite item of clothing to wear in the winter/near Christmas?
I actually have a ton of Christmas PJs, sweaters, and t-shirts. So, I like to spend the weeks leading up to Christmas decked out in holiday gear. It just makes me feel happy!

4) Favourite Christmas song?
Hanson's version of "O Holy Night." I remember listening to it over and over again when I was young. It still gives me goosebumps today.

5) Favourite Christmas movie? 
This one is tough because I am a Christmas movie addict. I will watch them over and over again and never grow tired of them! My favourite is probably Doug's Secret Christmas or Christmas With the Kranks. I love the Doug movie because my brother and I always watch it together. And I love Christmas With the Kranks because my mom and I always plan a special afternoon to watch it.

6) Are you on the naughty or nice list this year?
I'm pretty sure I am on the nice list! I can't think of anything too naughty that I've done....

7) Where do you usually spend Christmas? 
I always spend Christmas at home with my family. It is my parents, brother, sister, and I - and that is how I like it. When I was young, we used to go see extended family in the evening but now it is just my immediate family. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

8) Where do you wish you could spend Christmas? 
There is nowhere I would want to spend Christmas than at home with the people I love.

9) What is your favourite part of a Christmas dinner?
Mashed potatoes and stuffing. Yum!

10) What is your favourite thing about Christmas? 
This is a tough one because I genuinely love everything about the Christmas season. I love that warm fuzzy feeling when you are curled up on the couch watching a holiday movie. I love spending time with the people that matter most. I love the traditions, the decorations, the sights, and the smells. I love every single little thing about it.


If you haven't done this tag yet, give it a try! It is a great way to reflect on the magic of the holiday season. And if you end up doing the tag - let me know. I can't wait to see all of your answers.

How do you celebrate the holidays?

xo Shannon

guest post: cruelty free makeup and finding the perfect purple.

Something that is not easy? Being a makeup lover and buying only cruelty free beauty products. While there are plenty of great makeup brands out there, certain companies choose to test on animals. This is an unfortunate reality. A friend of mine has a passion for makeup....and has made the conscious decision not to purchase products from companies that are not cruelty free. This is something I commend for her for! It takes a lot of time, energy, and research to fill your makeup collection with only cruelty free products.

I asked my friend to write a guest post for the creation of beauty is art. Here she will tell you a little bit more about her hunt for the perfect purple (and cruelty free) lipstick. So, without further ado, this is Michelle's guest post:


Searching for a certain lipstick colour is hard - especially when you're against animal testing.  

The Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics brand is 100% cruelty free and is vegan. "This is awesome," I thought, since almost every brand Sephora sells is tested on animals.  

My goal that day in Sephora, was to find the perfect purple lipstick. I found the OCC Lip Tars that some people were talking about and reviewing on YouTube. I tried on a  light purple colour, but I didn't like how it looked. Then a staff member mixed that with a dark colour and it was actually really nice! The good thing about these lip tars are that you only need to use a little bit of the product. The downside is that it can be kind of hard to take off. 

I was so glad that I had finally found the perfect purple colour and that it's vegan and cruelty free. That is very important to me because I love animals. They don't have a voice, so we have to speak up for them. Seeing pictures of the poor rabbits who have been used for testing, just so we can look pretty, breaks my heart. Hopefully in the future there will be a world without animal testing. 

--- Michelle


I just wanted to thank Michelle for her wonderful guest post. It shows that with a little hard work and determination, anyone can find the perfect purple lipstick.

Do you try to buy cruelty free makeup products?

xo Shannon

happy haul-idays to you.

It's hard to believe how quickly this month is flying by. We are almost halfway through December....crazy! My days have been filled with work, decorating, and plenty of holiday traditions. Personally, I love this time of year. It helps to break up all of those day to day responsibilities. It also re-focuses us on what is really important. I find it so easy to get wrapped up in stress, deadlines, and to-do lists. December makes me remember that family, friends, and the people I love should always be my priority.

In between all of the work and holiday traditions, I have also managed to sneak in a little shopping. Mostly for other people. But hey - a little for myself as well. Those pre-holiday sales were too tempting to resist! On that note, this is my holiday haul:

The holidays are a great time to spend time with the people you love....and they are also a great time to do a bit of shopping! Did you take advantage of pre-holiday sales?

xo Shannon

let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius.

There is something about winter that makes fashion easy to overlook. The chilly temperatures and snow filled streets put warmth and practicality above anything else. Including style. Truthfully? Even I am guilty of this. When the mornings are so cold I can barely force myself to get out from underneath the covers…. the last thing on my mind is looking good. Not this year. I am determined to make a change. This year I will be devoting myself to fashion – even during the winter months.

Wondering why I am so determined? Fashion matters every day of the year. Especially when you want to beat those winter blues! Getting into a routine of slipping on a onesie when you get home or wearing a bulky hoodie to work isn’t always a good thing. When you stop putting effort into the way you look, it makes you more susceptible to the winter blues. That can lead to feelings of sadness, isolation, or general unhappiness. Taking care of yourself and having pride in your appearance has been proven to be effective at combating those feelings. So, when you want nothing more than to cuddle up with a giant blanket in your sweats, remember: the winter blues are real!

It’s true. While the winter blues may seem like a silly idea, they actually do exist. When men and women spend less time outdoors (thanks to that massive snowstorm that forced you to cancel plans with your BFF) it can lead to feelings of loneliness. If that wasn’t enough, it also becomes harder to get in enough exercise. This in turn impacts our general mood and feelings of self-confidence. The change in weather conditions can also impact the quality of sleep we get each night – making us feel tired and lethargic. The easiest way to deal with these issues is to take a good look at your wardrobe! You don’t have to get dressed up to the nines, but put on something that makes you feel special.

Other reasons to put a little effort into your style during the winter season? Wearing something that makes you feel good can boost your confidence level, help you to feel more social, and improve your overall mood. Those are definitely good feelings to have when the snow is coming down outside!

Despite my longing to be cozy every single day this winter – I refuse! There is a time and place for PJ bottoms and hoodies. Instead of forgetting about fashion and style, this year I am striving to find a balance between warmth and a wardrobe that makes me shine. Will you be doing the same?

xo Shannon

my purple dreams

Have you ever given yourself a limit? Like, I won't buy anything until the end of the month. Or no more shopping trips to Sephora until I actually need something new. Several months back, I gave myself a limit on purple lipstick. At this point, I have a deep purple, a bright purple, a lilac, matte, gloss, and so much more. One day I decided: use what I have....stop looking for more.

Then this funny thing happened. I was at Sephora and came across the line of Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipsticks. Over the years, I have added more than a few products from her line to my makeup collection. I love the edgy packaging, the bold colours, and the array of unique items. Instantly, I fell head over heels for that studded packaging. How unique! I rationalized that even if the lipstick wasn't one I used all the time, the lipstick would look amazing on my dresser.

Then my eyes fell on Wonderchild - a neon lilac with tons of glitter. How did I manage to rationalize yet another purple lipstick? Glitter! Surely the glitter made it different enough. Right? Okay....maybe that isn't totally true but it is at least partly true. And that is the most important part! Now that I have been wearing the lipstick on and off for the last several weeks....I finally feel ready to review it.

If you couldn't tell by now, I am obsessed with the packaging. The studs look amazing. It is such a fabulous detail that makes the line of lipsticks stand out from the rest. As for the lipstick itself? The colour is amazing. It is bright, bold, and fun to wear. Plus, that extra pop of sparkle and glitter makes it look even better. My only criticism? The formula can be pretty drying. I find that I need to layer a lip balm over top to keep my lips feeling comfortable. Other than that - it's a total hit.

Ready to see that bright purple in action? This is the smokey makeup look I created to showcase that stunning colour. Take a look:

This Kat Von D lipstick might not be something I needed in my makeup collection....but it is something I love. I find myself excited to wear this over the top but totally sultry shade. I love the colour and the packaging. 

Have you tried any of the Kat Von D studded lipsticks? What do you think of this colour?

xo Shannon

life is a story. make yours a best seller.

It sounds cliche, but it's true. Time flies. Lately, time seems to be going by even faster! Between work, spending time with family, and making time to see friends, there seems to be very little time left over. My to-do list is massive....and always seems to be growing. Sigh! I think this is a busy time of year for everyone. There are all of these responsibilities to take care of - not to mention all of the holiday traditions that are coming up in the next few weeks. It is enough to stress anyone out.

That is why I am taking a bit of time to look back today. Over the last couple of weeks, I have been trying to make time for myself. New makeup ideas, date nights, shopping trips with my mom, spending time with friends.....the works. Even though I spend the majority of my time working, it is nice to break things up every now and again. Especially during this time of year!

On that note: these are some of the pictures from my life lately....

I guess like has been zipping by in the last little while. So, it feels good to take a few minutes to look back at some of the makeup looks, the nights out, and the new beauty products in my life. They may be small and simple - but sometimes, those are the best things!

What has been keeping you busy lately?

xo Shannon

december, make my wishes come true.

This? This is my favourite time of year. It is officially December - and that means Christmas is on the way. I have been doing my best to make the most of every single moment. In between work and other responsibilities, my life has been Christmas, Christmas, and more Christmas. That means holiday movies and music, decorating, making plans, and spending time with family. There is nothing quite like it. The warm fuzzy feeling in your stomach when you forget about everything and just embrace the spirit of the season....what could be better?

It's only the beginning of December- but already there have been plenty of exciting holiday moments. Like the first snowfall, white hot chocolates, watching the Santa Claus parade on TV, making gingerbread cookies with my fiance, doing a little gift shopping, and setting up the mini Christmas tree in my room. All of these things make me excited. See, I love everything about the holiday season. I might be a bit of a Christmas fanatic - but that's okay. It's called the greatest time of year for a reason!

The great thing about December? There are plenty of things to look forward to. Some of the things I am counting down to this month? Other than Christmas, of course! Going to a few concerts (O-Town, Barenaked Ladies, and Donny & Marie), seeing my friends (dinners and nights out galore), putting up the Christmas trees (we have a grand total of three in my house) and watching Christmas With the Kranks With my mom (it is our all-time favourite holiday movie). These are just a few of the things that make the holiday season so wonderful.

Since my mind is all holiday all the time, I thought that I would share a few of my favourite Christmas photos. I've been saving them on my computer here and there for the last month or so. They inspire me and fill my heart with joy.

If you couldn't tell, I am very happily that the holiday season is here. I love absolutely everything about it. The time spent with loved ones, the smells, the tastes, and everything in between. I almost wish I could slow down time and enjoy every single moment of it....because I know that it will all end too soon.

Are you getting excited for Christmas? What are your favourite holiday traditions?

xo Shannon