New Ink

I wanted to share a picture of my brand new tattoo. Its about 18 hours fresh, so still looking pretty rough.

The phrase "fola sorella" is roughly translated into "blood sister" in mixed Irish/Gaelic and Italian. My baby sister and I have used this as sort of a pinky swear for the past five years, as a promise that no matter what, we are always going to be sisters by blood and by heart.

For her 18th birthday, we got these tattoos done together at Coastline Tattoo in Provincetown.

Seeking :: Polish Pairings

Oh, the complex art of pairing your manicure and pedicure. It is basically advanced color theory. Some just have an eye for it, and some, like me, require lots of research and quite the headache before I head to the parlor. I never want my fingers and toes to match… but I want them to complement each other.

Here's my current dilemma:


Last week, I got a pedicure with OPI's Coca Cola red (boyfriend's choice, pictured on the left). Now, I'll be getting my manicure done with my little sister today, and I have no idea what to pair this bright red with. This pedicure is still going strong, so there's no real reason to get it done again. Pinterest research turned up some solid suggestions: gold (although it's still summer and that seems like such a holiday-time pairing to me) and hot pink (and I simply can't imagine myself with hot pink nails, it just isn't me).


Finally, I found a suitable combination on Purewow. Their "Meet Your Match" quiz turned up the seemingly obvious combination of a bright nautical red and a sandy nude.

Now that's a summery match I can really sea myself in.

Warning :: EOS lip balm

I am honestly more than a little disappointed to be writing this post. I have loved EOS lip balm since before I even started using it. They have established such an amazing brand in a short period of time, and I admire the seamlessness of their marketing, graphic design, and public relations departments.

A Facebook friend shared yesterday that she thinks there might have been a formula change in EOS products. She had been an avid user for a long time, and developed a nasty rash when she started using a newly purchased Sweet Mint.

I did a little research online to see if I could find any other relevant conversations, and mostly turned up people describing their allergic reactions. Not very informative in this case, when a product has seemingly turned against you out of nowhere. But when I saw a pictures of these reactions, I realized that I had this same experience earlier this summer.

I thought I had skimped on the SPF in my balm, and ended up with sunburnt lips for a week. But I stopped using my EOS after that, simply out of convenience. I didn't have another problem all summer.

Stranger yet, I've had this same lip balm since October 2013 and never before experienced a negative reaction. My friends EOS was newly purchased and gave her this reaction right away.

I have so many questions... Do they expire faster than usual (and can therefore expire on the checkout shelves)? What is in this product that I am reacting to, when I have no other known allergies? Is it safe to purchase EOS again?

Have you been affected by this?

Seeking :: Dress Shop

I am in need of some recommendations. I am attending a wedding in January and I want a stunning dress to wear to the event, of course. I am looking for something in a deep color - like navy, burgundy, or emerald. Preferably with a sweetheart neckline and a classic silhouette, possibly with some elegant embellishments. This needs to be one of those "I might see my ex-boyfriend at this wedding and he needs to regret every decision he ever made when he sees me in this" dresses. You know what I mean? Of course you do.

I would love to support a small online shop this time around, rather than falling back into my spiral of settling for less-than-perfect at the mall. 

If you have any recommendations for great clothing retailers on Etsy or elsewhere around the internet, please leave a comment below so I can check them out!

App :: Happier

I am back from my all-consuming seasonal job at summer camp, so that means my iPhone is fully charged and back online. I've taken this opportunity to clear out some apps that I don't use anymore, and I wanted to take a brief moment to highlight a rock-star application that I've rediscovered.

 Happier is an app that gives you a place to share all the things in your life that make you, well, happier! You might remember those 100 day gratitude challenges that were circulating on Instagram in the spring, and have seen a recent revival as part of a Facebook "challenge". What I like most about Happier is that it can be a totally separate community from my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts. I can maintain my privacy, and in this generation of over-sharing and social media noise - that is really important to me. Happier is like a virtual gratitude journal that I can keep by my side while I'm going through my daily activities. The interface is bright and bubbly, the inspirational quotes are on point, and my intense need-to-organize is thoroughly satisfied with their post tags.

The app is free, and they have recently introduced a couple of courses that you can pay for. They center around topics like meditation, yoga, and gratitude for $19.95. I am so tempted to give one a try… If anyone has taken one of Happier's courses, please let me know if it was worth the money! And if you download Happier, feel free to share your own thoughts.

Buzz :: Vermont Women's Expo

I was putting off this mini-haul of samples for so, so long... Watch my video above to check out the goodies I picked up at the Vermont Women's Expo on March 15th!

Haul :: Bath & Body Works

In February and March, I picked up quite a few free samples from Bath & Body Works through the offers posted on their Facebook page. It's a good day when the little "Get Offer" button is the first thing I see on my newsfeed. I've quickly rounded them up into this master post. Bath & Body Works is a company based primarily on their scents, so that's what I'll be focusing on here.

The first offer was posted on January 19th to welcome spring very, very early with a free 3 oz Body Lotion in their new scents: Sun, Sky, or Air.

As you can see, I picked up two! After briefly trying all three scents at the store, I decided Sun and Sky were my favorite of the bunch. Air was "pear blossom" scent, and something about pears I'm not very fond of. Sun is "golden magnolia", so it's very warm and sweet. I've already carried this around in my purse a bit as my on-the-go hand lotion. Sky is "violet lily", so it's got a very fresh and clean scent, which is perfect for springtime. I'm glad these little bottles don't have the scent descriptions on the back, so I get a chance to train my nose.

For Valentine's day, February 14th, Bath and Body works posted an offer for their Mad About You Diamond Shimmer Mist, which was a one day offer and meant that I dragged my very patient dinner date to the mall before they closed. When I asked the sales representative about the offer, she said it was for the full sized bottle and caught me by surprise. The scent is sugary sweet, and reminds me of a cotton-candy-esque perfume I had growing up. I'm very skeptical of shimmer mist, so when the sun comes back out I'll have to pull this out again for a test run to see if my boyfriend asks why I'm covered in glitter. So far, swatches have looked not-so-subtle to me. I do appreciate that Bath and Body Works were willing to give away full sized products to their dedicated customers. - that's generosity and I like that!

Last but not least, this fan exclusive offer for a free 3 oz sample of the new Hawaiian-inspired scents was posted for one day only on March 10th. The scents were Hawaii "passionfruit kiss", Oahu "coconut sunset", and Maui "hibiscus beach". I finally settled on Hawaii "passionfruit kiss", but Oahu "coconut sunset" was a close runner-up. Coconut always reminds me of summer without fail, so I was impressed with Hawaii's summery scent without coming across as too beachy. Make sense? My mom loves this new collection, as she pointed out while we were shopping this weekend. Likely that's because of their inspiration more than anything else, considering she's irritated by fragrance.







 

My favorite so far? Of the new scents that I've tried, I think my favorite is Sky. It's so perfect for the time of the year, with such a late spring finally unfolding and the sky gradually turning from it's wintery grey into a clear blue. I'm excited to take home some new products that caught my eye at the store yesterday, including the new French Lavender & Honey and the Morocco Orchid & Pink Amber.

Keep checking in - I'll always try to post an alert when I see a Bath & Body Works Facebook offer!