September Inspiration Board

Mustard Sweater, Source. Deer, Source. Boots, Source. Doorknob, Source.
Ripped Jeans, Source. Quote, Source. Audrey, Source. 

I've been wanting to dip into the world of mood boards (or inspiration, goal, or life boards). Essentially, to me, that means I gather photographs and textiles that inspire something in me or remind me of how I want my month, or life, to be like. It could be a feeling, a mantra, what I want to wear, how I want to feel, or how I want to eat. I think there is something special about gathering magazine clippings, writing quotes out by hand, and tacking up dried flowers or fabric scraps, but for now, Pinterest is my friend. After randomly scrolling around and liking photos that spoke to me without giving them too much thought, I can see that I want my September to feel cozy, warm, stylish, and homey, with some elements of nature and New England, possibly walks in the woods and trips to the flea market. I'm also journaling again and the quote struck a cord with me.

If only I had a pet fawn like Audrey Hepburn...

Petals

I have a few girls in my life that I like to refer to as a "muse". One of those being my cousin's daughter Daizey. (Side note: cousin's daughter seems so informal & removed! Can't someone come up with another term to use?) She spent the night and when she noticed that my scrapbook was lacking her face, she asked me to take some photos of her - and then my creative wheels started turning. 

These are just quick Iphone shots but I love how they came out. She's very good at taking direction and her facial expressions are perfect! 

We also decided to try to make a petal Mandala (like this). With Daizey's assistance, it turned into the slightly crazed mess you see above, but I like it anyway. 

Here's to my muse! 

 

My 2015 Scrapbook

Before this year, for some reason, I thought that scrapbooking was a little bit overkill. Walking down the aisles of a craft store and seeing hundreds of packets of paper, stickers, and colored tape was overwhelming. I am a "saver" by nature and I always have been, but for some reason there was a big difference between stacking years upon years of birthday cards, movie tickets, and letters in a box and cataloging it by gluing it to a page and searching for coordinating embellishments to surround it with. 2015 rolled around and I changed my tune. Scrapbooking has suddenly been turned on to a younger crowd and I have jumped straight onto that bandwagon.

I heard about Project Life sometime in December of last year and was intrigued by the simplicity of the whole system. Not in the mood to glue a bunch of photos to a scrapbook page? No need. The clear pages come with multiple slots in various sizes and shapes. At my laziest, all I need to do is make sure the photos I'm including are printed to size to fit into one of the slots on my page. I bought a large pack of Design A to start (4 6x4 slots, and 4 3x4 slots) and have been happy with the layout. Project Life also offers card kits, which are decorative pages designed to fit into your slots. I've found them handy for including anything hand written (I've been documenting which books I've read each month), and are also great for gluing or taping down smaller items like movie tickets.

 January 2015 page

February 2015  page

I bought my Project Life materials on Amazon, and my actual scrapbook at Target (the Project Life brand pages fit into most standard sized scrapbooks.)

Creating my pages has been a great reminder of small accomplishments and good memories and I'm excited to be able to look back at my completed scrapbook at the end of this year.

Currently - February 2015

Thinking about how things change and stay exactly the same all at once. I look at my surroundings and the things I want to work on within myself and it's both comforting and infuriating that not much has changed in the past year. 

I'm thinking about how much snow and freezing weather we've had this winter and how it hasn't really bothered me at all.

Wishing I were mentally strong enough to feel more okay most days. I'm working on not allowing negative thoughts take over, but there are still a lot of days that I'm too tired to fight them and I just let those terrible things drag me down.

Watching Friends. I'm still going strong with the Netflix marathon. 

Listening to Kane Holler. 

Loving positive people. People who practice unapologetic love and acceptance to those that surround them in their daily and even virtual lives. It lifts me up to see people being so open, honest, and good.

Looking forward to 2015. I want to plan some big trips and I know that having some travel dates to write on my calendar will really impact my morale. 

High Fashion Spotlight - Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2014

High Fashion Spotlight - Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2014 by bitty603 on Polyvore

Can we have a chat about this Fall collection? I saw the yellow dress posted on Pinterest shortly after it's debut on the runway and audibly gasped. It's completely gorgeous. (You can't tell from this photo but it's patterned with squirrels and owls. Perfect.) The collection is fairy tale inspired - easy seen in the furs, hoods, jewel tones, ornate gold embellishments, and woodland creatures. I approve. To see more photos, check out this post.

Comfort for the Blindsided

One of the biggest comforts for me during the last few months has been knowing that the crazy thoughts and emotions that I'm dealing with are not the first. Others have been through this and come out the other side in one piece. I'm learning to be kind to myself again and forgive myself for not being okay. I'm also constantly reminding myself to fake it until I make it. Here are a few of the words I read - multiple times a week (or day, depending on how things are going)!

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What Self-Love Means: 20+ Ways to Be Good to Yourself

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These words are framed above my vanity.

Holy Grail! Kat Von D Tattoo Eyeliner

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in color "Trooper". $18. Achieve eye perfection with this high-pigment, waterproof liner that stays put all day for a fade-, melt-, crack-, and run-resistant finish. The superfine and flexible brush tip glides across the lashline for incredibly fluid application, allowing you to create a variety of looks with ease. Unlike traditional felt tip liners, this brush tip will not fray. (Sephora Website)

Do you watch far too many Youtube tutorials on how to get a winged eye look? Yeah, that was me and I still failed miserably almost every time. I had come to the conclusion that liquid eye liners were the devil and the women (and men) who could create a clean line with them were sorcerers. I could never get the pen close enough to my lash line, the wing was always too thick, and the stupid thing smudged like heck by the middle of the day. Granted I do have oily skin and a bit of a shaky hand but still, that many practice tries should have given me at least a decent shot! I had all but given in to the fact that this was my cat eye destiny, until I gave this baby a shot. 

This eyeliner is gold. I can't explain how it solved all my problems but it did. I chalk it up to the brush tip itself. While most liquid eyeliner pens have a fine felt tip not unlike a Sharpie marker (which in theory sounds great. Who hasn't been tempted to Sharpie their eyes at one point or another?), the Tattoo liner has individual brush hairs so it functions like the smallest, most delicate paint brush at the art store. It's like calligraphy for your eyelids. For the first time in my makeup wearing life, I can use ONE eye lining product to get the job done and I can feel confident in the fact that I'll be able to create a wearable look in the 45 seconds I have to spare before I need to be out the door. It's one of those products that you just have to use and feel to understand. The smooth application of that "flick" at the end is just all too satisfying. 

Now, if only more colors would be released... I'm itching for a deep navy or burgundy shade. (Note - Kat Von D does offer other colors in her "Lightning" Liner line, but I've heard mixed reviews on that formula and have not tested them out yet.)

Disclaimer: Kat Von D Cosmetics is owned by the Sephora brand, which is not cruelty free. If you are an animal loving consumer who avoids companies who do not test on animals but are owned by a company who does, unfortunately Kat Von D does not fit in with your morals!