The Simple Things

It's the simple things, like curling up with a good book on a quiet day, that mean the most. It's been months since I let myself get lost in a fictional world while the rest of the actual world passed by. I missed that feeling of getting sucked into a story. It's something I need to let happen a bit more often. It's a good refresher when real life is nothing but a drain.

Monday Favorites

Good morning! It's another new week, and what better way to start it than with a little list of pretty things found 'round the internet?


I would love to have all of this cabinet space.


This trench coat is to die for.


Chocolate. Crepes.


I'm a sucker for goat cheese, and these black bean, grilled avocado and goat cheese tacos sound like perfection.


My inner worry-wart needs to remember this more often.


Isn't this tea and scone shop in Yorkshire just lovely?


On a different note, what about these dark hedges in Ireland?


Yes, please.


This photograph is stunning.


I adore this envisioning of Disney characters in real life


The Beatles will always hold a special place in my heart.


As will Spiderman.


This would have come in handy during my English classes in high school.

Five Things

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1. I'm spoiled. Chris bought me an early birthday gift in the form of a nook color. I am so in love with it. I can't keep my hands off of it.

2. The rain we've been getting the past few days has been a welcome change. The pond in our backyard was drying up, so hopefully now it can start to recover.

3. My favorite quote at the moment:

"I have never let my school interfere with my education." - Mark Twain
It pretty much sums up how I've been feeling regarding my college experience.

4. Today is a movies all day kind of day. These are the best.

5. Now that I have a nook, I finally have no more excuses left to put off reading. I used to read almost constantly, and then I started college. I'm thinking a book goal for the year might be in order. And it's so easy to just download a book from the comfort of my bed on a lazy morning... such as today.

Go With The Flow

Dress (worn as top): Lulus; Skirt & Belt: Ruche; Cardigan & Shoes: UO

I'm finally getting past that uncomfortable part of starting a new job when you have no idea what you're doing. I hate that feeling. You know that you're more than capable of doing what you need to do, and you know that it's only a matter of time before you get the hang of things, but you're just not there yet. Thankfully that period is coming to an end.

I'm also starting to gear up for the coming semester, and the final half of this year. It's remarkable how quickly this year seems to be flying by. Isn't that always the case though? You don't realize how quickly time is passing until you stop for a moment to reflect on it, and then it starts speeding up once again. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the way time seems to be rocketing by. It's almost like I'm missing something.

Sweet Mother Nature

These bits of nature remind me that Fall is coming, and I simply cannot wait. The foliage and the air is perfect around here come late September. It's my absolute favorite time of year.

Eyes, Lips, Face

I very rarely venture beyond my neighborhood drugstore when it comes to purchasing my cosmetics. A big part of that is that I simply have a hard time justifying the prices when it comes to a majority of what you'll find at Sephora. Since really getting into makeup in my mid-teens, I've experimented with my fair share of products, and while there are plenty of duds to be found in stores such as CVS and Walgreens, there are a few gems that I've fallen head over heels for.

Eyes

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips in Nude

I purchased this Physicians Formula palette over a month ago, and I've been nothing short of pleased with it. Each shadow in this shimmer strip looks wonderful alone or paired in trios to create a subtle smokey eye, or something a bit more dramatic, yet still natural. The colors are true to what you see in the packaging and they last me all day long. I've mentioned on the blog before that it's been extremely humid as of late, and working in retail should mean that my makeup is melting off my face within a couple of hours, but these hold up quite nicely. I haven't noticed much of an issue with creasing and the color lasts until I get home.

Not to mention I was able to purchase this product for under $4 after taking advantage of CVS's fantastic sales. Even still, I'd absolutely cough up the $12 to purchase this again.

*Be warned: these are definitely shimmery and if you're looking for something more matte, this isn't really for you.

Lips

EOS Lip Balm Sphere in Summer Fruit

I love, love, love this lip balm. I will never buy regular old chapstick ever again. I'll admit, I really only picked this up because I was intrigued with the packaging. It was an added bonus when I realized that this lip balm was almost entirely organic as well as paraben free. What I love most about the EOS lip balm though, is that it stays on my lips much longer than other balms I've used in the past. My experience with Chapstick has been that you swipe it on and within a few minutes it's gone. This isn't the case with my EOS lip balm. I really feel like it's continuing to nourish my lips well after I've applied it.

Face

Physicians Formula PH Matchmaker Blush in Natural

It's starting to look like Physicians Formula is becoming my favorite drugstore brand. When I'm not using the Stainiac sample from my June Birchbox, this is my go-to blush. It has a ton of color payoff and staying power that I haven't really gotten from other drugstore blushes. The packaging claims that it is supposed to adjust to your chemical composition and give your your perfect color, but I'm not so sure (I'm pretty skeptical of this claim when it comes to drugstore products. I haven't really found one that truly does this for me). Even still, I love the color, the way it applies to my skin, and the fact that it stays put for hours. While it's a bit shimmery I don't really mind that at all.

The packaging also comes with a brush and lighted mirror, which could come in handy if needing to reapply later in the evening.


What are your favorite drugstore products?

Monday Favorites

Happy Monday! I don't know about you, but I'm feeling about as ready as I'll ever be to tackle the next few days. So to get started, here's a little list of pretty things found 'round the internet to brighten up the week ahead.


This lovely living room.


Who knew washi tape made such interesting wallpaper?


This color combination is fantastic.


This entire outfit is perfection.


This reminds me that I desperately want a trench coat exactly like the one this girl is wearing.


These origami bows look fun to make.


These lemon bowl raspberry sorbets look delicious, and so bright and colorful too!


This recipe for grilled peaches with mascarpone and honey sounds wonderful.


Spring in Japan


This field of flowers.


These color blocked nails are so pretty and don't look all that difficult to recreate.

Five Things

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1. I may have seen The Dark Knight Rises twice this weekend...

2. Microwaved mug brownies are my new favorite thing. So delicious and easy to whip up in a few minutes when my sweet tooth feels like being a pain.

3. I'm starting to feel like I'm ready for the semester to start up again. I'll regret this come the end of September.

4. Speaking of school... I cannot wait until I have enough credits to graduate. It'll be nice to be done with it once and for all.

5. My other favorite thing is taking a long walk with my dog. It's nice to get out of the house and disappear for a while, and what better company than my favorite pup?

Sweet and Simple

Shirt: Old Navy; Shorts: AE; Belt: F21; Shoes: Target

I love a simple white button down shirt. Especially in the summer, and this one is light and airy - great on a day like today where the sun is bright and the air is warm.

Tonight I'm heading off to the movies (again!) to see The Dark Knight Rises. Because, if you read my blog often, you'll know that I am very much into the whole superhero genre of movies. Aside from the fantastic weather, I adore summer because it means there will be plenty of fantastic action packed comic book related movies to fill my Friday nights with.

As soon as I'm out of work I'm heading home to get myself prettied up for my movie date with Chris. I'm beyond excited, you really have no idea. Batman is my all-time favorite, and I'm so anxious to see how Christopher Nolan wraps up this trilogy. That and Anne Hathaway looks fantastic as Catwoman, and it's about time someone do her character justice. I've got to admit though, I'm a bit sad that this remake has run its course. It was a wonderful one.

Long Walks and Sweet Fruit

Now that the humidity has finally cleared out, we're left with air that feels fresh and clean and perfect for a walk around the neighborhood. It can be so peaceful along our little road in the summer. We live just a few feet from the high school/middle school/elementary school, so during the rest of the year, it's almost a guarantee that stepping away from the house means you'll hear screaming children or there will be cars racing down the street after the final bell rings. But during the summer it is quiet and serene all day long.

While I was out this morning, I thought I'd check up on our fruit plants, and my oh my, was it a pleasant surprise to find that the grapes are exploding and the peaches are almost ripe enough to pluck right off the tree. Come next month I know where I'll be getting my afternoon snacks from.