HELLO (or A Real RAD Review)

 I'm back here, on the pretty side of my blog, with a few more extras for the month of June! 
 Ive never done a full fledged "review" of a product before however, these folks are worth the added effort. It began a while back while visiting my M2B. She had recently picked up a new soap and body lotion at the Saratoga Farmers Market. In addition to the picture of Alice and the Mad Hatter with the title TEA PARTY RED (enter my obsession with all things Mad Hatter), it was beautiful to look at!  A thick bar with one side rustically cut to an imperfect perfection, reminding me of something that could have been pressed together by hands back when my great grandmothers created their very own versions in the water basins out back. Then I smelled it! The label (which of course i hadn't seen at my first introduction) has the description "pomegranate and hibiscus", yet when i sniffed it for the first time i imagined endless fields of the most lush fragrant blossoms rolled together with expensive lavish oils to create this bar (wordy and dramatic, possibly but you haven't smelled it yet)! :)
I literally fell in love with this soap. Made with the good stuff, this little family run company boasting proudly "handcrafted in the USA" stole my heart along with my soap dish. 
 So a few minutes later (minutes could have been months, its difficult to say sometimes), the W2B was shopping the FM without me and happened to bring home a wonderful new soap and body cream she found! You guessed it! I know we had both loved it a while back but i thought she may have forgotten about it. Turns out nope! So now we own our very own TEA PARTY RED. Being the overzealous and easily-excited-by-simplicity gal that I am, I couldn't wait to get back to Saratoga to stock up. Turns out, we use it so frequently that we were almost out by the time we made it there to grab some more. In our search for the favorite scent, we also ended up giving a new one a try as well. We picked up the ROCKSTAR bar which is the spearmint and eucalyptus. I can't wait to lather up with that one. 

 

 *on a little side note, the bars are so nice and big, we cut one into about 5 smaller bars! Makes them perfect for travel and fit in your hands even easier! This way, you can have one in every room of the house too!:) 

 We had hoped to purchase the TEA PARTY RED in a pump lotion but no such luck at the stand. They do however, have a fully loaded website option that we can go to and order so that will be our next shop stop. I wholeheartedly recommend this little company called RAD Soap Co (i can not do it but, on their logo the "o" in soap and co are uniquely transformed into the male and female symbols...which i can't be sure the exact meaning intended but either way, I'm loving the idea). 

 I urge you to check them out, whether it be finding them at a nearby market, grocer or online and giving their products a sniff test and sampling many of their scents and lotions available on any given day. Their website is at radsoap.com (go ahead and use the link here for a quick and easy pop over) and the rest of their info (including a nice 10% promo offer) is listed on the snapshot below. 
I just LOVE supporting the little homemade, handmade, local and family businesses that are still out there neck and neck with the big boys and proudly remaining true to themselves, their values and their beliefs. And we get to smell awesome now too! Radical is right! 

 In other Pretty-Little news, although last month I did say I would no longer be expecting my favorite little beauty bundle in the mail for a while, I received a surprise BirchBox this week. I have yet to use any of the products but this one looks to be a good one! The samples are larger than usual and include a tiny spray bottle of a perfume called HELLO! I did sneak a quick sniff to that one and i love it already. The best part is this box cost me nadda! $0. Cant get much better than that i suppose. When I spoke to the sales rep she kindly explained that they had received my cancellation notice just after the shipments went out, that she would be sure to refund me this months subscription fee and for me to keep and enjoy June's box. Although I am taking a hiatus from them, if you've been curious and contemplating giving BirchBox a try, i highly recommend them. 

 That's that for now my pretties. Hope all is well in your summer so far. School is ending soon and vacations are coming. For us that means some camping, some bike trips and a lot of back yard hangin! So get your spf and your helmets and meet us on the trail! 

Sometimes Doing Less is More Than Enough

 Good day beauties! Here we are again, another month just ticking right on by. At least we are heading into the warmer season. Sunkissed skin and wind blown hair. Sounds so lovely, doesn't it? Of course, there IS the sweating, sticky, humid moments but hey, its better than frigid and buried in snow! It is, right? Lets just say I prefer balance and not extremes. Anywho...

 So, in relation to my Pretty Little Pick Me Up's, which I needed a few this month for sure, I am going to keep this entry short-n-sweet so we can get back to enjoying the great outdoors! 

 May was a busy month and (for me) had a bunch of endings and new beginnings. Finally we were able to see winter officially stay behind us and the blossoms of spring fully present! Even those like me who suffer from allergy sniffles and itches can not deny the absolute beauty in the first bloom of (my favorite) our local magnolia trees. They smell delicious and look divine, a bright white and splash of color fading from vibrant to cotton candy pink along the petals. They do not last long but during their fleeting appearance, the magnolias make even the harshest of winters seem ages away. 

Then enters the lilacs. Another favorite of mine, although this year seemed to come and go so fast I was unable to even snap a picture. Mom has two little trees in her yard that we like to clip from and bring indoors to fill the house with what i call "natures perfume". We decided to leave what few flowers bloomed on the trees this year. The violet puffs were here and gone and now all that is left are the green leaves. Still pretty though. Thank you mother nature, for at least giving us a quick glance. 

 So we came, we saw, we left. Mid month we flew (i use that term loosely seeing it took as an added extra 3 days on a 4 day vacation) to Folly Beach, South Carolina. The trip hit snag after snag, leaving us stranded in Washington overnight, hotel and transportation costs rising above plans, and finally arriving in Charleston exhausted but thrilled to be in the presence of palm trees and family! We spent 5 amazing nights (supposed to be 4 however the good ole airlines messed up not only our flights there but also back again leaving us stranded in SC an extra day too...this time we didn't care so much though) soaking up the sun, skimming the waves, devouring the local delights and relaxing with our loved ones. It turned out to be a fantastic adventure we hope to be on again soon! 

 Since the second half of May brought a few tears and some emotional reflections, I found myself looking into new avenues of where to put my hard earned (and soon to be non existent) flow of income. I had decided to move on from the job Ive had this past year and truly take care of my needs. Physically, mentally and emotionally (which of course always means spiritually as well). I have decided, with the loving support of my beautiful W2B, that there is much needed healing to be done within this self of mine. I will be patient with life and allow opportunity to seek me out instead. Certain perspectives need adjusting and views need clearing in order to see (and feel) myself once again. I have not disconnected as much as maybe closed my eyes for a bit or dimmed the lights, however it is time for illumination. Lightness. I adore my life and the blessings in it, therefore i plan on using my time and energy more wisely in order to truly say "thank you" for it all.
 In the spirit of cutting corners or simplifying just a tad (for the time being), I am putting BirchBox on hold (along with cable tv, Dunkin lattes and eating out...as much). And lets be fair, there will still be lattes! ;) However there are some Pick Me Ups that can be gone without...and our little brown box delivery will be one of them. Of course, there is still the need for a few "Prettys" which for me consist of a few basics. Among these are my ELF mineral makeups, my like-spa-experience haircare (the must have trio: Pureology Hydrate shampoo, Aquage Uplifting foam and Kenra 25 hairspray) and the skin essentials that include Aubrey Organics and Alba products and sunscreens. Following right behind these essentials are my scent candies: Pacifica Island Vanilla roll on and Young Livings Stress Away roll on(with lime, vanilla and lavender). I love to smell delicious! 
 One thing that can make a tighter Pick Me Up budget smile are unexpected freebies! Ordering from ELF often does this to a gal and my last order was no different. After ordering the summertime face essentials (a warmer toned spf mineral powder) and a warm shade of gloss, i received their bonus gift of their Baked line that included 2 Baked bronzers, 1 Baked blush and the Baked eyeshadow box. They also threw in 3 brushes. What lovely friends I have at ELF! I like to imagine they know me well and although we don't speak as often as we would like, we send one another gifts from time to time. Darlings!

 

 Now we are swiftly headed into summer Pick Me Ups, which as far as were concerned have a whole lot to do with the food we eat and the nature that surrounds us. Be ready for the next couple monthly updates to be full of flowers and foodporn (i stole that one from an awesome new found blog I'm following called This Rawsome Vegan Life, full of gorgeous food and smoothie pics...foodporn)! Go check out her pics alone, they are well worth the trip. We have officially begun our local CSA pickups (Common Thread) as well as the Farmers Markets so our counter tops and giant wooden bowls are adorned and overflowing with fresh healthful goodies. We will be taking advantage of the warm yet fleeting months ahead by filling our plates with whats in season and enjoying many dinners together in our cozy outdoor oasis. 

 Happy Summer to you and be sure to grab a lettuce wrap and meet us by the water! Lovely wishes!

~be sure to sign up and sign in here at Gmail to be a part of the Pretty Little Pick Me Up and Living Authentically sounding board! I want to hear from you and always love new suggestions and input! Peace y'all! 

Joining the Tribe

 Welcome back! It is officially Spring and you know what that means...coughing and laryngitis! 

Well, that and Fashion Week! Lets focus on the latter, shall we?
 So, we gear ourselves up throughout the second half of Winter, loving our warm and cozies however, (im)patiently awaiting the sun to swoop in and save us. Because with sun there comes warmth and with warmth comes... new fashion trends! Its always exciting (and a bit terrifying) to get our first glimpse at what the designers are sending our way. I admit, I'm not exactly a fashion guru or a trendsetter. Honestly, I'm not even a trend follower, so much as more of a, "oh that's cute, i think ill wear that" kind of gal (to which my VERY fashion savvy sis informs me, "beck that's been in trend all season" or even worse, "beck, that's last years trend"). And honestly, when i hear I'm wearing something "in trend" i almost cringe. Ive never been the "in" girl, choosing my wardrobe based on what the runways and magazines tell me. If anything, Ive been more of a rebel..."you can't tell me what to wear so now I'm purposefully NOT going to buy that hat! That adorable, priced to perfection hat Ive been looking at now for weeks and can't believe its in my hands and I'm putting it back because I'm just THAT stubborn." 
 Ok, so Ive softened a tad. Here's the thing, I am an advocate for "living authentically". To remain open to change and continuing to always evolve and be true to whoever shows up in my mirror. Sometimes that change occurs on a daily basis. I wake up some mornings and i need...i mean NEED to dress up! To completely blow out, curl up and spray to near death my hair. To spend an entire 10 minutes (that's a long time, trust me) on my face smoothing over, covering up and brushing on colors, shimmers and glosses. Picking out something purty for my ears, my fingers and my wrists. Then usually going about my day full of glamorous meetings, important classy lunches and high end shopping sprees. 
 I may have added a tiny portion of a Kardashian day in there at the end. Either way, then there are days (more often, I'm sure) that I wake up to my same fantastical life but my mirror looks more like how it did 8 hours ago, before i rolled into bed. Same tee shirt, yep. Black comfy stretch pants, sure thing. Wash face, brush teeth, assess hair situation. Ok, after a quick and thorough attack by the "dry shampoo of the moment" to my roots, its up to the crown with a cute messy bun we go! Voila! Flip flops on and were good to go. 
 All of this is to basically say, I actually DO love fashion. I own an obscene amount of black in my wardrobe but I love color! Designs and textures and pink! Every shade of pink now. It makes me feel like the girly side in me can play nice with the subdued side of me. I love my hoops. I cherish my chunky rings. I adore my super feminine flower hair clips, which double as pins (that you'll never see me wear...i can't stand pinning anything to my outfit). More or less, that is me. Continuing to just go with my flow. So...
 Its fashion central and my People StyleWatch is teeming with all the latest. The big, the bold and the beautiful. I am swooning and sighing at each page turning. I love to see what folks like me (cause I don't care who you are, you're just like me) are putting on in the morning. Yes, i realize not everything you see in the mags are necessarily "real life" for these folks either but, I do love the sections you go through that are the "stars are just like you" or "look at these ladies dressed down" or "wow check out the pages of Hollywood without their makeup on".  I live for those pages! The glitz and glam are wonderful to admire but I personally like to see the real people living out their lives from the gym to the dog park, stumbling back to their car dropping groceries while pushing strollers. 
 As usual, Ive gone off on a tiny tangent. Not too far though. I'm working my way back to the runways! They can be down right scary, at times. Take exhibit A for instance:

 This is Spring 2014 fashion trend #1 straight from the catwalk (pun most certainly intended)! The jungle print. This feels like, to me, they asked 12 designers to come up with a "wild" theme and then they used every single idea in one piece, resulting in the most hideous moo-moo Homer Simpson wouldn't even put on in his laziest of afternoons. Yes, i chose this a bit for the shock factor.
Yet, the trend I believe may have been born out of this extreme, in a much lesser and personally acceptable way, is the ever so present (everywhere) Tribal/Aztec trend. 
 When I say everywhere, I mean you name it and it is Tribal-ized! Aztec-tified! 
Swimsuits. Towels. Shower curtains. Living room decor. Foot stools. Kitchenware. Headbands. Nail designs. EVERY WHERE! As I looked around my local shops I became overwhelmed. For a gal who's fashion sense is in slow motion most days, always a few steps behind, this felt like an obvious and suffocating ambush straight from the Amazon. It is not that I am opposed to the design itself. I actually love that rustic, bold pattern. It stands out and leaps off the materials into the viewers eye. And the colors! Wow! Talk about using traditional and nontraditional hues together in a mash up of brights with darks. Primaries with pastels. Stripes, zigzags and swirls all creating gorgeous imagery all in one place. Truly an art. You can't miss it though. Have i mentioned, its EVERY WHERE! 

 This begs the question then; How much is too much? Do we buy up what we see just because its there? Its honestly difficult not to right now. Its a jungle out there, baby! Be careful. 

 Lets say you head out for an innocent day of shopping. You need a few things for the house. The weather is looking lovely and you've just cleaned out those summertime clothing bins from storage. Of course, you need a few newbies here and there. Off you go!
 Six hours later...you're sitting in the backyard under your new Aztec inspired lawn umbrella. Sipping a nice cool drink from your tribal patterned plastic table wear. Catching rays and perfecting(well, beginning for most of us) your tan in your fantastic swimsuit you just picked up on sale-who could resist those patterns and colors though, ROAR! Just then your daughter runs outside shrieking with excitement over the brand spanking new dress hanging in her closet...you guessed it, the maxi covered from shoulder to floor with various shapes, figures and patterns all intertwined and repeating  with what seems to be a thousand different colors. "Thanks Mom! Its just what I wanted...all the other girls have them too!" How could they not? 
 I actually adore the look. In a bright pink and neon green on my 10 year old, amazing! I'm only wondering, do we need this overkill? And in the same paragraph Ill give you my feeble attempt at an answer. Its a conclusion, really. In my opinion, this wonderful unique design is everywhere so that it can be loved and enjoyed by each of us in whichever way touches us. For some of us, it may be in a piece of clothing we wear. For others, maybe setting our fun outdoor tablescape to feel like a festive retreat. Ive even seen cellphone cases representing someones style with the dramatic effect of the tribal circles and colors popping from their palm. What a perfect way to make that statement with something new and on trend!
  It is within the taming of this beast (yep, gotta love those puns), that the true personal style evolves. Simplicity is key. Outplayed and overdone are the faux pas for this particular vogue. Suffice it to say, less is more. You will enjoy your one or two tribal inspired pieces so very much more if they are not in every corner of your home. Also, let the immensely populated patterns speak to you. Decide first, what would you enjoy owning or using? Set out and remain focused (trust me, you need to be focused for the adventure you are about to embark). Try not to be overwhelmed. You will know when you've found your individual Aztec-tified counterpart(don't you just love making up words)! 
 For moi, it was easy peasy. I wasn't out looking, by the way, finding my piece was accidental and mostly due to the inexplicable obsession I have with elephants. Then you throw a clearance sticker on that beauty and its a match made in all 
13 levels of Aztec heaven. 

 Happy hunting to all! 

A Month of Pick-Me-Ups

Hello pretty peoples! Gosh, we had one hell of a long March! Now we are on to April showers with the hope for a ton of May sunshine (which in turn will bring those flowers)! 

I thought this month, of all months, we could use a few extra Pick-Me-Ups that feel like the long awaited Spring is actually here! So in addition to a couple "Pretty Little" PMU's, I'd throw in some extras...the inspiring, the eye candy and the tastebud variety! 

I'll begin with my eye candy! Just cause it's so purty and who doesn't want to start with purty?! 

A bouquet...of hair accessories! :) my little collection of flower clips ignited my urge for stage one of Spring organizing. The warmer months are all about less clothing and more pretty pick me ups! The beads, the bling and these beauties. So with the help of $5 and some clever thinking, I transformed my cluttered jewlery shelves into a simplistic colorful display. And there's nothing that makes me smile more first thing in the morning than the special art and creations by my Paris Renee! All my favorites, from the 5 year old handprints to the ceramic painted elephant ring holder. And my personal fav, the pastel birdbath shaped by hand! Far better than store bought! 

Not to mention, sprinkled here and there are always some of my very favorite pieces from my sisters jewlery collection. You can find some of her designs on Instagram at http://instagram.com/ejjewels 

(I just realized how chatty I've gotten, not that any of you are shocked by, I'm sure! Better move along...)

My March Pretty Little PMU's almost all consisted of one order placed to one of my favorite cosmetic companies, E.L.F.  Being the thrifty shopper that I am, I like to time my orders perfectly (in other words, 50% off sale and free shipping)! And it doesn't hurt that the majority of their products are $1, $3 and $5. Oh yes dearies, you heard me! And I'm really impressed with the quality as well. They even have a mineral line, free of parabens, preservatives or chemical dyes. 

The ONLY product I wasn't thrilled with here was the jumbo eyeshadow stick. 

It seems to melt away super fast and with Summer coming we need makeup that will stay put. I do, however, recommend the Make Up Forever eyeshadow sticks! Awesome colors and all day wear! 

My other new "make me smile" item this month is a new twist on an good ole favorite. I'm addicted to the EOS lip balm in Sweet Mint but I stumbled upon their Lemonade flavor and LOVE it! Same great feel and coverage only it tastes like fresh yummy lemons! What's more Summer than that! 

 As for the tastebud Pick-Me-Up's this month, I have a 1-2-3 punch! 

1- The ridiculously tasty and still healthy mini cup Chobani puts out in the new flavor, Mint with Dark Chocolate Chips! No words! Mmmm!

2- It's almost farmers market and roadside stand season! Which for us means an abundance of fresh organic 

produce to juice! At least one a day will fill your tummy (and your blood stream) with pure raw goodness! We decided to get a jump on it and dust off the juicer early! Bottoms up! 

3- Last but not least, we are Ball glass canning jar junkies! We use them for juicing, storing and even vases! So alittle  reorganizing was needed in our nuts, seeds and dried fruit department and what's the first thing you do after you're finished...take pictures of course! To share! 

I think that just about sums up March for now. On to April and the rainy yet SUNSHINING days:) Our evening walks after dinner will begin again! Until the flip flops and tank tops come out, we will pull up our socks, button up our vests and take to the muddy streets!

Happy days and warmer nights to all!

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/

http://www.makeupforever.com/us/en-us

http://evolutionofsmooth.com/

http://www.chobani.com/products

http://kriscarr.com/recipe/make-juice-not-war-green-drink/

http://www.freshpreserving.com/home.aspx

Mid-March Pick-Me-Ups (little xtra needed to stay warm)

Baby, it's cold outside! But I received a little touch of Spring in this months Birchbox! From the "think sun" Coola mineral tinted sunscreen to Vasanti's face brightening cleanser, I'm practically hearing birds chirping! Yet they continue to warm your insides too with a few Mighty Leaf tea samples and a cherry dark chocolate mini. 

 

March seems to be moving along quite swiftly though...good and sad. But weather wise, we are all ready to break! And by all, I'm including my nails! Poor split, brittle, dry nails. I have, however, tried my best to pamper them a little(in addition to a sisters lunch and mani day last week) I've been attempting to stay ahead of the havoc and using my good friend Essie. A base coat (or two) of "fill the gap", topped with their multi talented "3-way glaze" to strengthen and protect, I'm ready for the gloves to come off! 

Although I've been loving my Birchbox surprises, I can rarely turn down a good ole sampler bag of beauties! While poking about in the local health store I came across one of my favorite  "good for me" natural lines, Zum by Indigo Wild. I've been meaning to try a new Zum body spray in a citrusy scent and low and behold, there was a trial size (eeeeee!) lavender-lemon spray in this lovely little bag! It didn't hurt matters at all that keeping each other company were some other friends like grapefruit body wash, lemongrass body oil, lavender-mint goats milk soap and tin of franckenscence Zum rub...among others! Even the W2B at home couldn't resist the excitement this bag surely can bring! Yay healthy slatherings! 

So with all these newbies lining the countertop, I'll have much to report on up ahead:) Guess that means lots n lots of warm showers while Mother Nature decides whether the weather should change, or whether we weather more of this weather together! (mmmmmm poetry) 

So stay bundled and snuggled and cuddled until further notice. Just keep thinking SPRING! I certainly am (just wait til I show you my next ELF order)!

Until then...

Good Day Lovies 

http://www.coolasuncare.com/

http://vasanticosmetics.com/brighten-up-enzymatic-face-treatment-exfoliator.html

http://www.mightyleaf.com/

http://www.essie.com/

http://www.indigowild.com/

Pretty Little Pick-Me-Ups

Welcome!

Oh, the beauty of Springtime! Not necessarily my "favorite" season really (ahhh warm Summer sunshine... Mmm soothing smells and crisp air of Autumn), but there is just something exhilarating and down right HAPPY about this time of year! Makes me feel like dancing! (*cue music*  http://youtu.be/y6Sxv-sUYtM 

...go ahead, I'll wait!)

See! Ok, back to the pretty talk;) This may just be the 6+ months of dreary, dark, bitter, cold, below zero temperature talking, but I adore the colors of Spring! Vibrant blues, pastel greens, lemony yellows and lovely lavenders! And of course, any shade of pink!!! And it's as if every designer, make up artist and beauty magazine editor have been waiting just as we have...to release a literal explosion of these colors! 

Have you seen the new Drew Barrymore collection of cruelty free/USA made/high quality for low price makeup line so appropriately called FLOWER?! 

(see how I did that!☺️)

Everywhere they are blooming right alongside the buds on the trees. And. We. LOVE. It! 

Every magazine rack. Every makeup counter. Every display window. Even the www, full of bouquet palette junkie fixes. And I am an addict! 

Now, I'm no expert nor will I ever claim to be! More of just a messenger. 

I love my fair share of fun beauty finds though! I admittingly can not miss a month of Stylewatch, find joy in reading a long list of favorite beauty blogs, have a drawer full of trial size this and that's and wait ever so (im)patiently for my Birchbox every 30 days. 

I tend to have that trait of being unable to choose favorites. For example, favorite color? I love pink...but have you seen mint green lately and coral and cobalt blue is to die for OH and black! Yes, black actually falls into my favorite color list. (Don't get me started on movies, songs or numbers! I'm a passionate, artistic old soul with obsessive compulsive tendencies...yeah, you do the math!) 

My very simple point here...and then this Blog was born! Pretty Little Pick-Me-Ups (and stuff) is exactly that! An extension of my Living Authentically... and Other Daily Chores but a tad lighter and a smidge more superficial;)

I truly believe it's important for EVERYONE to feel comfortable in their own version of beautiful. Unique, diverse, expressive, exciting beauty! I'm going to share my personal take while always encouraging yours. It's about trying new things, just like in life! Remain open. And honest. Always with yourself first. Use kindness and love towards yourself first and foremost and throw a little shimmery shadow on your third eye while you're at it:) 

Alright! Now let's get started. There's heels to be worn and lips to be glossed! 💋

Good Day Lovelies 

http://flowerbeauty.com/

https://www.birchbox.com/

http://www.people.com/people/mobile/stylewatch/