8 Holy Grail Drugstore Products

Hey guys, so two years ago my husband and I spent 8 days in Florida for Christmas. Which was super fun for me because I was forced to check my carry-on luggage that I intentionally pack with my essentials that I could not go with out, (or the items that are a pain to replace; for example, all of my makeup, other toiletries, bras and jeans) and that particular piece of luggage and it was sent to Stockholm #bestchristmasever.

Well, my husband and I are packing to go to Florida for Christmas again this year and I was reminded of my frantic trip to the drugstore to pick up an entire face of makeup at 11:30 at night. To this day I am actually really grateful for that trip because that is where I discovered quite a few products that I could never live without.

1//Olay Pore Minimizing Cleanser//This scrub is amazing, ever since I purchased this two years ago this has been pretty much all my husband and I have used. We had tried one or two others but nothing gets our skin as clean and keeps it as hydrated as this. The smell isn't great but it isn't bad either, they actually now make a couple of other scents as well but I don't think they are the same formula. I haven't tried them yet.

2//Maybelline Fit Concealer //I freaking love this concealer. I actually had never heard of it before I purchased it, it was just on sale so I decided to try it. This was another product I picked up on my frantic drugstore run. I really like this for under the eye area and it's actually a great highlighter because it doesn't cake up at all. I also never have any issues with this settling into my fine lines. It's very buildable, so you could also use this as a spot corrector too.

3//COVERGIRL Ready, Set Gorgeous //I should preface this by saying that I am an absolute foundation snob. However, that gets expensive so I read some reviews on this product recently and decided to give it a shot. My absolute favorite foundation of all time is the Makeup Forever Mat Velvet+ and this foundation is actually the perfect dupe. The main difference between the Covergirl and the MUF is how the product blends. I do still find that the MUF is easier to blend but if you use a Beauty Blender you shouldn't notice too much of a difference. Otherwise, the product is extremely long wearing with great coverage and a beautiful matte finish. I can get by without setting my foundation when I use it.

4//Wet N' Wild Trio //I also came across this eyeshadow two years ago and it now lives in my permanent makeup bag. This is great for those mornings when you opted for sleeping in over doing an in-depth makeup routine. These shadows are perfect because no matter how you apply them, they always look great. You could easily take this particular trio from a day to night look. My favorite is the "walking on eggshells" trio.

5//REVLON Lip Butter //These lip butters are no secret, they are amazing and if you haven't tried them then you should. You will never look back. All of my anti-lip-product-babes, this is for you.

6//Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask //I have been using this mask for years. This is just a great purifying mask, it is minty so this is a great mask for those stressful days. It's also super cheap so you really can't go wrong :)

7//L'Oreal Lineur Intense //If you are new to liquid liner, you have to try this. I know a lot of people say that the liquid pens make applying liner super easy, but I don't think any are as black as this stuff. The applicator is a felt tip so it is actually pretty fool-proof.

8//Maybelline Me Fit Blush Light Rose //This blush is the bomb dot com. It is the perfect natural and warm flush color and it looks great with bold lips or bold eyes. I also found this on my emergency drug store run and I can't get enough of it.

Easy Christmas Decorations

This is one of those things that you have probably seen before. These pretty, fluffy lights came across my Pinterest a long time ago. When I saw a roll of sparkly tulle in my craft supplies a couple of weeks ago, I decided to play around with the idea and ended up loving this. It's incredibly easy. I am sure you are all very smart people and know how to cut strips of tulle and tie and it around a strand of lights. 

But just to help you along...

1. Cut tulle into strips

Cut tulle into 6-7 inch strips. I layered the strips so that there were two pieces in each knot. This made it look thicker and fluffier. 

I used gold sparkly tulle. You can use whatever color you'd like; it doesn't have to have sparkles in it, but the sparkles add a little extra holiday glam and the finished look is so fun.

2. Tie the strips around the strand of lights

The lights I used are about 6 feet long. I tied the strips of tulle around the strand in the gap in between every light bulb.

Once you're finished, you may want to take scissors and trim the strips. I adjusted a few pieces to make it look a little imperfect. 

Drape it over your mantle - or, just leave it trailing on the floor. Mine is gathered around the bottom of my Christmas tree since I don't have a tree skirt yet. I might try another one using white tulle...

What do you think of this easy diy? Share your pictures with us on Instagram if you make this! @rusticandluxe

Affordable Entry-Way Curtains

Hey guys, so with this being our first home and having saved as much as we could while we lived in our apartment, I haven't ever actually bought any home decor. So, I decided that we needed some curtains for the windows around our front door. I started looking for sheer white panel curtains and I almost had a heart attack seeing the prices. The cheapest I could find them for was $30/panel in the length I needed which was 108". There was no way I was going to fork over that kind of money. Then, I found these babies for $7/panel with free shipping! SCORE! (I googled a coupon code, it seems like they always have some sort of code out there) I was actually expecting the curtains to feel and look pretty cheap but as soon as I opened them I realized they were actually very smooth and luxe feeling so I was even more pumped.

Next up was finding a curtain rod and this thrifty new home-owner was not about to spend what most places were asking. So I decided to buy a tension shower curtain rod from Bed Bath & Beyond for $15 after my 20% off coupon. Although the brushed nickel looks fine, I really wanted more of a golden bronze color so I went to Michael's and picked this stuff up.

It's pretty cold in Kansas City so I had to spray paint in the basement, here is a picture of the before, progress and after result.

....and all together now:

Total cost for this project:
Shower curtain rod $15
Curtains $14
Gold Spray Paint $6
Grand Total $35

Do you guys have any other go to places for curtains? I would love to find some cute printed ones for a decent price!

christmas tablescape on a budget

This year, we decided not to spend a lot of money on Christmas decorations since everything is marked up now, and will go on sale after Christmas. If you know my husband, you know he is very... thrifty. Which is fine with me because I love a good deal. However, I wanted our house to feel homey this season, and since a lot of the house isn't furnished yet, I set out to get some decorations on a budget to make the house feel cozier.

This is a little preview of my decorations so far. I wanted a woodsy feel with lots of greenery so the house is sprinkled with greens and pine cones. My tree still needs a little work, but since I still haven't found a tree topper and ribbon for it, I might just have to let it be until next year. Plus, since our tree was a quick-pick in the Lowe's parking lot, it's a little wild looking. It looks more like a round bush in the corner than a symmetrical Christmas tree. But at least it smells nice!

Almost everything is from Big Lots. I love that store for Christmas decorations. You can't beat the prices and a lot of the stuff they have is adorable. The sparkly garland is 8 feet long and was $8 dollars.

The two burlap trees are from Target and were $3 each. The white pumpkins are leftover from when we hosted Friendsgiving, and I just don't have the heart to throw them away yet.

I made the glittery candle jars for my wedding, and now have them all over the house. I will do a DIY on how to make them soon. They were very easy and inexpensive to make! The lantern in the middle was a gift at my wedding shower. A big part of my decorating game plan was using things that I already had and mixing it with festive decor to give the illusion that I had more going on.

The cushions were the result of a spontaneous shopping spree with my mother-in-law, and she  bought these for me. I love them because they are sparkly and look festive for the holidays. I believe they were around $7 a piece when we got them and then we got an extra 15% off. The table cloth is the same material as the chair pads, I just folded it into a runner. My mother-in-law got it on sale for $11.99, but it's now $16.99. (Target is offering 10% off at checkout and 15% off decor purchases of $75 or more for a limited time. Yes!)

This is our first Christmas in the house and it's been so fun adding touches of Christmas to everything. Until I acquire more decorations in the years to come, what I decorations that I do have is just enough to hold me over until everything goes on sale.

Send us a picture of your Christmas tablescape on Instagram and tag us so we can see! @rusticandluxe

our table and chair set was from Overstock for under $800

6 Questions to Ask your Builder

Today I am coming at you with a list of questions I wish I had known to ask before beginning the build process. Home building can be tedious and quite stressful to be honest. You start getting really uptight when you are being charged an extra $182 to stagger your bathroom tile versus leaving it squared off.

1. How will you communicate with me what is going on with my home? This one was huge for us. Our builder actually uses a website that has an up-to-date calendar that allowed us to see exactly what was being done every single day. This was great until the day we logged on only to find that our calendar had been cleared for the entire upcoming month. I mean this is what we were working with:

Guys. Our home was not touched again until July 11. If your builder does not have a fancy little website like ours then ask for a print out of a typical home building schedule. For example: what are the order typical order of events, how many days does it usually take to put up drywall, install lights, put a roof on, etc. The process will be a lot more enjoyable if you are aware of what is going on with your home and what you can expect from your builder during the process. Chances are if the builder has a scheduling conflict, you will be a lot more understanding as to why your home has been at a standstill for a few weeks versus being left in the dark.

2. Will you walk me through the model and show me what comes standard and what is considered an upgrade? Even if the model is not your same floor plan, the builder should be able to walk through and tell you what you need to know. Don't be afraid to go through every single room, you will be extremely disappointed when you find out that all of those little things that made the model look so appealing (crown molding, granite in every bathroom, back splash tile, wainscoting, etc) all comes with a very large price tag. Some of the things that I completely forgot to ask about were garage door openers, a sprinkler system and blinds.

3. In order to cut costs, what are some things I can provide on my own? Okay, so you definitely do not want to phrase it like that but the goal is to save as much money as possible so your husband will let you buy that useless completely necessary accent chair, right? Some things to consider are supplying your own appliances, kitchen hardware, bathroom vanities, light fixtures and any other item that you know you will end up switching out anyway. I would have loved to supply my own bathroom vanity, like this one from PB which would have actually saved us money but our builder wouldn't allow it.

4. May I tour your design center? Every builder is different but regardless there should be some type of design meeting where you get to pick out your cabinetry, carpet, hardwoods or tile, countertops and paint colors. If you have a specific granite color in mind that you know you are completely set on, you will want to make sure they have it or something very close to that before you commit to the home. The point in building your home and not buying a pre-existing one is customizing it to be exactly what you want, or at least very close to what you want. I realize that this may seem ridiculous to some people but if the design of your home is something that is very important to you then this may be the deciding factor between one builder and another.

5. Will I have the option to make a few minor changes to my floorplan? Make sure you know which changes you would like to make, if any before asking this question. For example: my husband and I knew we would never use the jacuzzi tub in our master bath but we both really enjoy showers big enough for the Brady Brunch. Did that just get weird? Anyways, we had our builder credit us for the jacuzzi tub and we used that money to add a second shower head and extend the shower. We also got to enlarge our closet (you can see the before and after photos below) Our builder agreed to do this with no charge to us. Just make sure you get it in writing! Also, builders loathe the word "credit" we figured this one out later on in our building process. They really prefer the term trade.

6. How energy efficient is this home going to be? Although there are a ton of new building code requirements that have to be met, which also help make your home more energy efficient than one built 50 years ago, there are a lot of things you can do that will save you money in the long haul. I would like to preface this by saying that I this is far from my area of expertise but when you have an uncle who is an awesome architect (seriously guys, he designs huge, well-known sports stadiums) to tell you what he would do if he were building his home, you don't ask questions, you just do it. Our uncle strongly recommended spray foam insulation. It lasts a lot longer and it will lower your electric bill significantly. The other advantage? It contains flame retardant.


I hope that this list helped, home building is supposed to be fun and enjoyable. You're building your dream home so don't let petty things ruin that for you. Make sure you have the answers to all of your questions and then sit back, relax and enjoy seeing your home go up :)

christmas gifts under $100

Brita  Hard Sided Water Filter Bottle is the perfect gift for a health nut or someone that wants to start the New Year by drinking more water. This water bottle is perfect for the office or the gym and the handy filter makes it easy to drink from the not-so-delicious water that comes out of a foundation or sink. $20

The Giving Keys located in Los Angeles, is a philanthropic company with a beautiful message. Choose from a variety of gifts in key form - from jewelry to iPhone cases. Each key is inscribed with the inspirational message of your choice and the company provides jobs for homeless people and helps transition them off of the streets. This dainty-style necklace starts at $40

I love books that look pretty on a coffee table or on my cookbook stand in my kitchen. The perfect mix of a good read and cozy recipes, Bread and Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes by Shauna Niequist is a heartwarming cookbook that is on my own wishlist. It's the perfect book to have around the house to flip through for inspiration and delicious meal ideas. $10

Any of the Sephora Favorites sets are a great value and the perfect gift for a makeup lover or someone just starting out. Many of the sets include full sized items and it's the perfect opportunity to try a sample size before you pay for the full price item. I personally think the Sephora Favorites Superstars is the best way to sample 12 of Sephora's best selling items for the price. $75

Cornhole is an all-time favorite American backyard game. You'd be surprised at how much this adds to a cookout in the backyard. We have so much fun with the set that I got my husband last year for his birthday, that I always recommend it as a gift idea. We have corn hole tournaments and it's a very serious event at our house. 

This cashmere scarf is a great gift for the special men in your life. This is definitely splurge-worthy, you will find yourself curling up to this thing every chance you get. You can't really go wrong with plaid, it's masculine and pairs well with just about anything. $99

My aunt got me a bottle of this Dior nail polish one year and it is seriously still one of my favorite gifts to date. The brushes are actually flat and rounded to imitate the shape of your nail and the formula is ridiculously creamy and long-wearing. Most people aren't going to spend $25 on a bottle of nail polish for themselves but trust me, they will always appreciate it as a gift! 

This gold initial necklace is a great way to make someone feel extra special. I bought these for all of my bridesmaids and I adore them. I love how dainty they are, they look great on their own or layered with other pieces. $39

This perfume sampler set is a fantastic gift, you receive 14 different deluxe-sized perfume samples so you have a chance to wear each one and see how it reacts with your skin. Once you decide on your favorite, you bring the coupon provided into Sephora to redeem for a full size bottle. $60

I am completely obsessed with these porcelain measuring cups. They are totally swoon-worthy and I can't wait to give a few of these out as gifts this year. I feel like they are a potential heirloom item that would stay in a family for years. Anthropologie has some really nice ones too but they are almost three times the price. I am also a sucker for blue and white dishes so these were my choice. $15 

Happy shopping!!
xox Jordan and Kyla

And we're rolling...

For those of you who actually know us, this blog has been a long time coming. We kept pushing our launch date because we wanted everything to be perfect and we wanted to have a little less going on in our lives before we actually launched. Well, life isn't always perfect and if you don't have a lot going on then you are not living so here we are, chaos and all, bringing this blog to you.

We hope you find helpful tips for building a home, inspiration for decorating it, and dining ideas for around the table with loved ones.

xox Jordan and Kyla