Hello Again!
It’s time for another monthly Wrap-Up… and this month was a great one! I read some incredible books, and discovered a bunch of other new favorite things! I can’t wait to share it all with you guys..
April was quite the month! The month started off with an amazing little Weekend away in Nanaimo B.C, visiting Ryan’s family for Easter. We took the float plane over again, and I got so many exciting photos! Taking photos during the 15 minute float-plane ride, is the only thing that distracted me from panicking, haha. We had a wonderful Easter weekend, and had SO much fun putting on an Easter Egg hunt for our two little nephews!
The week after, we packed up again, and flew off to Mexico! I posted a Mexico Travel Blog Post a few weeks ago, with a bunch of photos and recommendations. If you are interested in hearing all about our trip, and lurking some of our photos.. make sure to check it out <3
April was so busy! We had our Engagement Party.. I did a few amazing Photo-Shoots for some lovely couples…. I said YES to the Dress…. and the biggest most EXCITING news of all….. GUESS WHAT?! My Sister Paige got ENGAGED to the love of her life on Monday! She and her Fiancé Luke, are in Portugal right now… and the proposal was the most romantic thing ever. I couldn’t be any happier to officially welcome Luke into our family, as my Brother in Law! I have considered Luke a brother for so many years already, and this is just the greatest news ever. I can’t believe my Sister and I are both Engaged, and that we get to plan our Wedding’s together! So amazing. So much love this month.
So without any more rambling.. onto the Wrap-Up, xo
MOVIES
1.) “Ready Player One”
In Theaters
10/10
Based on the VERY Popular Book by Ernest Cline
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
“Ready Player One” is my Fiance’s favorite book, and a long time ago we made a deal. I really wanted him to read “Gone Girl”, because it blew my mind, and I NEEDED someone to discuss it with. He agreed, and in exchange I would read one of his favorite books too. I don’t read a ton of Sci-Fi, and I probably wouldn’t have ever picked this one up. Although this was like 4 years ago.. nowadays “Ready Player One” is EVERYWHERE, and I would have gotten on the bandwagon on my own I’m sure.
As soon as I read one page of the book, I knew immediately it was going to be a 5-Star read. I absolutely LOVED it. I was SO excited when I found out it was becoming a movie.. Directed by STEPHEN SPIELBERG no less!!!!
I’m always a bit nervous seeing any book I love, come to life on the screen… but this was SPOTLESS. Perfection. First off… VISUALLY this movie was mind-blowing. We saw it in 3D, and I can’t even tell you the last time I felt so immersed in a movie. About 80% of this film takes place in the “Oasis”, which is a Virtual World.. all done with Animation/CGI.. but it felt SO real. It was stunning… just wow. I felt like I was inside the Oasis myself. It was intense.
The actors captured the characters perfectly, and it was so well done. I loved every single second of this movie. It was changed a little bit here and there, from the book… but I think it worked. I can see some people being a bit confused by this movie, if they haven’t read the book, but I think overall it was fantastic, and I HIGHLY recommend it for anyone… Any age. Such a feel-good movie.
2.) “I Feel Pretty”
6/10
In Theaters
Amy Schumer’s latest Film
This movie has been getting a TON of negative reviews online, and has received a LOT of backlash by critics. I really like Amy Schumer, and I loved her movie “Train-wreck”, that came out a few years ago. I will admit, when I first saw the trailer for “I Feel Pretty”, I was a bit like…. “ugh… this isn’t going to go over well”. I sort of cringed my way through the trailer.. but I still really wanted to see it.
Before I get into the “cons” of this movie, I will say… I went to see this last week with my Mom, and Sister.. and we all really enjoyed it.. and left the theater feeling pretty good. Despite the horrible backlash, and the fuss being made.. I think overall the movie honestly meant to have a positive message, wrapped up in a somewhat clumsy delivery. It was a really funny film, with lots of laughs.. and also can I just say Michelle Williams is HILARIOUS in this. The character Avery she plays… is just brilliant. It just missed the mark in a few areas..
Even though I did enjoy this overall, I can completely understand the backlash. Basically, from the trailer.. this is the summarized plot. It’s about a woman named Renee, who has very little self confidence.. not only in her looks, but sort of overall. She gets into an accident during her Spin Class.. and hits her head really hard…. and when she wakes up, she looks in the mirror.. and sees herself as BEAUTIFUL. She then has all this confidence.. and sort of sets off changing her life, getting a new job, a boyfriend.. everything she wanted! The problem here is a few things…. First for this bizarre reverse “Shallow Hall” type plot to work.. we as a viewer we are supposed to agree that Amy Schumer looks “not beautiful” as she is (to make the joke work, right?).. and then when she hits her head and thinks she looks AMAZING.. it’s supposed to be SO funny to the audience.. watching her embarrass herself over and over…. by thinking she actually looks good? I mean it’s offensive right?. She looks amazing already, and while we the audience never actually see what it is she’s “seeing” in the mirror.. it’s HEAVILY implied that she sees herself as thinner. She makes comments like “look at my jawline”, and “look at these abs”… all the while every single other character around her is looking at her like “ugh gross I don’t think so”. So it’s sort of like Amy Schumer is fat-shaming herself… She kind of makes herself the butt of a whole slew of fat/ugly jokes. It made me feel a bit uncomfortable to watch, and I can’t imagine how a women who happens to be larger in size than Amy.. would feel watching this movie. Ugh.. like I can’t imagine how this movie was pitched. I think she meant for this to be like a body-positive sort of thing.. but in making herself the running fat joke.. it does the complete opposite.. because by any non-Hollywood/normal woman standards.. Amy has an incredible body! She’s not fat in the SLIGHTEST… so the joke kind of doesn’t work?
So all that aside.. the trailer doesn’t show the full picture. The movie really sort of comes around on itself, and she realizes she’s beautiful how she is. It’s problematic for sure… but I don’t think it deserves all the hate it’s getting. I’m not really sure how I feel overall.. I think it might have been a mistake for Amy, and I’m not really sure she can shake the backlash off of this one.
3.) “The Pianist”
7 Time Oscar Winning Film
An oldie from 2003, but I’ve never seen it
10/10
I can’t believe I have never seen this movie. Wow. This is one of the most heartbreaking, devastating, and beautifully acted films, I’ve ever seen. It’s a very difficult watch, and was quite hard to sit through in moments… but it’s one of the most amazing movies I’ve ever seen. Adrian Brody is simply stunning in this, and this has to be his best role ever. He won an Oscar for his portrayal of the real life Polish composer/Pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman. The movie is based on the autobiography of Wladyslaw Szpilman, who survived the horrors of World War II, the Nazi Invasion of Poland, the Warsaw Ghetto, being separated from his family when they are sent to a Concentration Camp.. and many other horrors while he tries to help the Resistance, is working as a slave laborer, and spends a long time in hiding. His story is an incredibly heartbreaking and difficult thing to learn about and watch. The absolute evil that this man had to witness.. it’s unbelievable. The one scene where he plays the piano in the ruins…. is just one of the most haunting scenes I’ve ever seen in any film, ever.
Adrian Brody is such an amazing actor, he really blew me away. Just a complete 10/10.
TV SHOWS & SPECIALS
1.) “Greg Davies: You Magnificent Beast”
Streaming on Netflix
Comedy Stand-Up Special
10/10
The other night, I was doing my usual late-night Netflix scroll… and I came across this gem. I have never heard of Greg Davies, (the Welsh comedy icon) and his saucy little pose on the Netflix photo-header, is honestly what drew me in haha. He just looked like he would be hilarious, and he was. I laughed SO hard at all of his jokes, and I just adored his whole vibe. Please check him out.
2.) “Somebody Feed Phil”
Streaming on Netflix
Cooking, Food & Travel Show
10/10
My Sister told me I absolutely HAD to check this show out, and I’m so glad I did. I really like shows about Food/Travel/Cooking etc.. especially something like Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations”, love that vibe. This is a LOT like that, but with a quirky little edge. That quirky edge is Phil. He is one of the funniest, oddest, and most wonderful people on T.V. A really random and funny thing about Philip Rosenthal, is that he is actually the creator of the show “Everybody Loves Raymond”. Random fact for you there haha. He goes all over the place.. to Lisbon, New Orleans, Bangkok etc! Loved every episode.. and love him.
3.) “Westworld”
HBO
Currently Airing Season 2
10/10
I’m sure I’ve mentioned my love for “Westworld” before, but Season 2 just started, and I’m just all obsessed about it again. I’m not going to spoil anything at all, or even tell you anything.. because I can’t remember what happened in which episode.. and I am way too afraid to spoil anything. There are SO many twists and turns.. like every episode ends with a WTF moment! I will attach the official Google Season 1 Plot Blurb, which doesn’t spoil anything haha.. if you are interested in the show, and haven’t heard anything about it yet, read on! Brilliant show, amazing actors.. and the premise is HORRIFYING. As twisted as it is, it makes me excited for our real-life future of A.I. Also the CAST of this show is outstanding. Anthony Hopkins, ED Harris, Evan Rachel Wood… etc.
Google-Plot Summary For SEASON 1 Only (Just an Intro Blurb, not the whole Season Summary don’t worry!).
(Westworld isn’t your typical amusement park. Intended for rich vacationers, the futuristic park — which is looked after by robotic “hosts” — allows its visitors to live out their fantasies through artificial consciousness. No matter how illicit the fantasy may be, there are no consequences for the park’s guests, allowing for any wish to be indulged. “Westworld” — which is based on the 1973 Michael Crichton movie of the same name — features an all-star cast that includes Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins and Golden Globe winner Ed Harris.)
BOOKS
1.) “The End We Start From”
By, Megan Hunter
10/10
Dystopian “End of the World” Style Book/ Lyrical/Short Only 134 Pages
“We are told not to panic, the most panic-inducing instruction known to man”
I was initially drawn to this little book, because of it’s STUNNING cover. I mean LOOK AT IT. It’s basically a gold-foil montage of an underwater London/a womb (I think), which is kind of what this book is about.
This book is one of those “end of the world natural disaster” type of Dystopian books, that I’ve realized I REALLY love. I don’t know why.. but I love these kind of books. They really scare me, especially when they aren’t too far fetched.. and you can 100% imagine these disasters actually happening.
I read this in one breathless sitting. It was SO beautifully lyrically written… and so eerie & haunting. It was very poetic, symbolic, and just a very hopeful read. This little book really surprised me. It’s never really officially specified on when exactly it’s set, but it seems to be modern day. There is a major Environmental Disaster, in which London has now become un-inhabitable. It’s slowly all being covered in flooding, until a vast majority of it, is underwater. It is CHAOS everywhere… and the story opens with an unnamed woman giving birth to a baby boy “Z”.. within all the chaos. She is trying to deal with childbirth, while the world is quite literally falling apart beneath her.
Every character in this book is referred to with only their initial.. like “Z”, and “O”. Which was a really genius literary device.. and made the book feel very frantic… like a rushed diary entry. I loved it.
This then becomes the story of our main character, her baby “Z”, and her Husband “R”. They are scrambling, scavenging, and trying to survive. This was so intense and stressful to read.. while also being so poetic. I underlined SO many quotes! She manages to write this beautiful, hopeful, and stunning story about Motherhood… surrounded by absolute chaos, death and despair. I LOVED this book. Wow. Wow. Wow. 10/10
“I have read that when someone knows they are going to die, the world becomes acutely itself”
(Good-Reads Plot Summary)
(In the midst of a mysterious environmental crisis, as London is submerged below flood waters, a woman gives birth to her first child, Z. Days later, the family are forced to leave their home in search of safety. As they move from place to place, shelter to shelter, their journey traces both fear and wonder as Z’s small fists grasp at the things he sees, as he grows and stretches, thriving and content against all the odds.
This is a story of new motherhood in a terrifying setting: a familiar world made dangerous and unstable, its people forced to become refugees. Startlingly beautiful, Megan Hunter’s The End We Start From is a gripping novel that paints an imagined future as realistic as it is frightening. And yet, though the country is falling apart around them, this family’s world – of new life and new hope – sings with love.)
2.) “The Other Mother”
By, Carol Goodman
9/10
Psychological Thriller
“I’ve been up since dawn looking through old things. I thought we’d get the juvenilia out of the way. Tiresome as it may be it’s the underpinning. It’s what makes us who we are, isn’t it?”
“All voices sound sensible at the time”
I almost didn’t read this one, because of the first page. The first page of this book, is a FULL PAGE Trigger Warning. It warns women who are suffering (or who have suffered) with OCD/Postpartum O.C.D, that this book deals heavily with it.. and that people suffering from Intrusive Thoughts, who may be highly suggestive.. should be careful reading on. While I’ve never dealt with Postpartum Depression/ or Postpartum OCD.. I do struggle with O.C.D sometimes.. and I was a bit worried. I’ve never seen a full-page Warning before like that in a book, and I think it’s AMAZING. I love that the author realized how suggestive, and adoptive O.C.D can be.. and realized the need for this. So many books don’t warn you about their contents, and can be very upsetting for the readers. Anyways, given I don’t struggle with Postpartum-Specific O.C.D, I thought I would go ahead with it, and I’m really glad I did… it was a fantastic thriller!
Firstly, I loved the atmosphere in this book. A large part of the story takes place, in this old stone house, with a huge wooded area, and a stone tower. It had such a fairy-tale, Gothic, moody feel to it.. and it felt very cozy and eerie. This story is about two women who meet in a New Mothers Support group. They are both struggling, and become fast friends. Then a whole bunch of CRAZY stuff starts happening. One of the women gets a job working for her favorite author.. helping her write her memoir. The author lives in an old castle home, overlooking a mental institution. The author’s father used to run the institution, and one of our main characters in the book.. while writing this woman’s memoir.. dives deep into the history of the institution, and of it’s patients. It was SO creepy, and brilliantly written. You guys!!! So twisted. The whole time I was reading this, I could physically FEEL the “something bad is coming” feeling, crawling up my arms. It was scary!
This is one of those books, that has three parts.. and is told from both women’s perspectives.. as well as from the perspective of a woman from an old diary. It’s a fascinating look at Motherhood, mental illness, loss, and SO much more. It’s sort of one of those books… that seems like one thing, and QUICKLY morphs into a completely different sort of thing. The twists in this book were INSANE. So wild. I yelled out in shock like three times. The way the mystery is all woven together, over so many timelines.. is genius. I really loved this book, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good thriller. Keep in mind the Trigger Warnings though 🙂 I don’t want to say too much more about the plot, because of insane spoiler potential.
(Good-Reads Plot Summary)
(“An atmospheric and harrowing tale, richly literary in complexity but ripe with all the crazed undertones, confusions, and forebodings inherent in the gothic genre. Recommend this riveting, du Maurier–like novel to fans of Jennifer McMahon.” — Booklist (starred review)
From the author of the internationally bestselling The Lake of Dead Languages comes a gripping novel about madness, motherhood, love, and trust.
When Daphne Marist and her infant daughter, Chloe, pull up the gravel drive to the home of Daphne’s new employer, it feels like they’ve entered a whole new world. Tucked in the Catskills, the stone mansion looks like something out of a fairy tale, its lush landscaping hiding the view of the mental asylum just beyond its border. Daphne secured the live-in position using an assumed name and fake credentials, telling no one that she’s on the run from a controlling husband who has threatened to take her daughter away.
Daphne’s new life is a far cry from the one she had in Westchester where, just months before, she and her husband welcomed little Chloe. From the start, Daphne tries to be a good mother, but she’s plagued by dark moods and intrusive thoughts that convince her she’s capable of harming her own daughter. When Daphne is diagnosed with Post Partum Mood Disorder, her downward spiral feels unstoppable—until she meets Laurel Hobbes.
Laurel, who also has a daughter named Chloe, is everything Daphne isn’t: charismatic, sophisticated, fearless. They immediately form an intense friendship, revealing secrets to one another they thought they’d never share. Soon, they start to look alike, dress alike, and talk alike, their lives mirroring one another in strange and disturbing ways. But Daphne realizes only too late that being friends with Laurel will come at a very shocking price—one that will ultimately lead her to that towering mansion in the Catskills where terrifying, long-hidden truths will finally be revealed…)
3.) “Night”
By, Elie Wiesel, Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize
A harrowing true-story of one man’s survival of the Holocaust
10/10
“Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed….Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never.”
This book is impossible to “review”. It’s a horrifying read, but a very important one. I don’t even have words to describe the horror, and the evil… described on these pages. It was very upsetting to read, but it’s something I will never forget.
“For the survivor who chooses to testify, it is clear: his duty is to bear witness for the dead and for the living. He has no right to deprive future generations of a past that belongs to our collective memory. To forget would be not only dangerous but offensive; to forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time.”
The responsibility he felt to write this story, and to tell this truth.. is very powerful to read about. This is a life changing book. It’s a book that will stand the test of time.. one that will be studied in schools.. and one that is so raw with life, loss, and emotion. Elie bares his entire soul to us within these pages, and it’s a very hard read.
There were countless moments while reading this, that I had to put it down, because it really deeply upset me. I think one of the hardest parts to read, was the part where he describes the moment he feels like he lost his soul.. the moment he lost his faith in a God. This was a powerful read, and I hope it reaches many people over the years.
“For God’s sake, where is God”.
“…I believe it important to emphasize how strongly I feel that books, just like people, have a destiny. Some invite sorrow, others joy, some both.”
(Good-Reads Plot Summary)
(Born into a Jewish ghetto in Hungary, as a child, Elie Wiesel was sent to the Nazi concentration camps at Auschwitz and Buchenwald. This is his account of that atrocity: the ever-increasing horrors he endured, the loss of his family and his struggle to survive in a world that stripped him of humanity, dignity and faith. Describing in simple terms the tragic murder of a people from a survivor’s perspective, Night is among the most personal, intimate and poignant of all accounts of the Holocaust. A compelling consideration of the darkest side of human nature and the enduring power of hope, it remains one of the most important works of the twentieth century.)
4.) “Then She Was Gone”
By, Lisa Jewell
8.5/10
Psychological Thriller
One of my FAV Book-Tuber’s “Gabby Reads”, read this recently and she loved it. I always trust her recommendations, and I’ve discovered so many incredible books because of her. I knew I had to read it!
The plot of this book was so creepy, I loved it. It starts out quite basic.. about a woman named Laurel with a smart and beautiful teenage daughter named Ellie.. who mysteriously vanishes. It’s been ten years, and Ellie is still missing. Laurel tries to pick up her life and move on… and ends up meeting a new man. The story gets REALLY weird, when Laurel meets the new boyfriend’s 9 year old daughter. It’s weird.. because his daughter looks EXACTLY like Ellie…. and just like that the mystery is back in full swing.
I love how this book is told from both Laurel’s perspective (current day), and from Ellie’s (past). It weaves the past and the present together is a really stressful/amazing way.. and I loved it so much. I found it a little bit predictable, but not in a overly obvious way. I read SO many Psychological Thrillers.. that I see a lot of the same type of endings, over and over.. and this one while a BIT predictable, still managed to totally surprise me!
(Chapters/Indigo Plot Summary)
(More than a whiff of The Lovely Bones wafts through this haunting domestic noir from bestseller Jewell…Skillfully told by several narrators (some of them ghostly), Jewell’s gripping novel is an emotionally resonant story of loss, grief, and renewal.” —Publishers Weekly
Ten years after her teenage daughter goes missing, a woman connects with a charming single father, but she is still haunted by her child’s disappearance in this “deeply emotional and incredibly clever” (Mail Online) thriller from the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of I Found You.
Ellie Mack was the perfect daughter. She was fifteen, the youngest of three. She was beloved by her parents, friends, and teachers. She and her boyfriend made a teenaged golden couple. She was days away from an idyllic post-exams summer vacation, with her whole life ahead of her.
And then she was gone.
Now, her mother Laurel Mack is trying to put her life back together. It’s been ten years since her daughter disappeared, seven years since her marriage ended, and only months since the last clue in Ellie’s case was unearthed. So when she meets an unexpectedly charming man in a café, no one is more surprised than Laurel at how quickly their flirtation develops into something deeper. Before she knows it, she’s meeting Floyd’s daughters—and his youngest, Poppy, takes Laurel’s breath away.
Because looking at Poppy is like looking at Ellie. And now, the unanswered questions she’s tried so hard to put to rest begin to haunt Laurel anew. Where did Ellie go? Did she really run away from home, as the police have long suspected, or was there a more sinister reason for her disappearance? Who is Floyd, really? And why does his daughter remind Laurel so viscerally of her own missing girl?)
5.) “Two Girls Down”
2/10
By, Louisa Luna
Detective Based Missing Persons Thriller
“Two Girls Down” is one of the books I decided to bring with me to Mexico. I REALLY wish I hadn’t. Okay, so this book wasn’t awful.. it was just SO slow. I don’t LOVE Detective-Based Thrillers… like the ones that go on and on and ON about the procedural stuff. Sometimes it’s brilliant.. like anything by Lars Kepler. Lars Kepler’s books are AMAZING, and I LOVE reading from their Detective’s perspective.
“Two Girls Down” was just boring. It’s a story about two little girls (sisters), who are kidnapped from a mall parking lot, while their Mom is shopping. The thing is.. right after the first chapter.. it then goes into GREAT detail going on and on about the retired Police Officer who might take up the case. It goes on and on about his personal life, his divorce, his kids.. etc etc. None of that has ANYTHING to do with the missing girls, and I honestly think like 5% of the entire book is really actually about what happened to the girls. It’s mostly about Max (the retired Police Officer with a dark past), and Alex Vega (the sassy bounty hunter) who are going over what, or WHO they think might have taken the girls. They question SO many people, and it’s SO boring to read about. By the time it gets to the end, and you FINALLY find out what happened to the girls.. I honestly didn’t even CARE anymore. There is literally ZERO character development for the girls, or the Mother of the missing girls.. I just didn’t care at all.
It was decent, but I was so so bored. I feel really bad saying that, because it wasn’t poorly written. The characters of Max and Alex (the detectives) were really well developed.. it’s just that it had NOTHING to do with the missing girls? It’s like the missing girls were just a prop, for this boring police procedural story.
(Good-Reads Plot Summary)
(When two young sisters disappear from a strip mall parking lot in a small Pennsylvania town, their devastated mother hires an enigmatic bounty hunter, Alice Vega, to help find the girls. Immediately shut out by a local police department already stretched thin by budget cuts and the growing OxyContin and meth epidemic, Vega enlists the help of a disgraced former cop, Max Caplan. Cap is a man trying to put the scandal of his past behind him and move on, but Vega needs his help to find the girls, and she will not be denied.
With little to go on, Vega and Cap will go to extraordinary lengths to untangle a dangerous web of lies, false leads, and complex relationships to find the girls before time runs out, and they are gone forever.)
6.) “The Witch Doesn’t Burn in This One”
By, Amanda Lovelace
10/10
Poetry
Oooooohh I was SO excited for this one to come out! I absolutely adored Amanda Lovelace’s first book of Poetry “The Princess Saves Herself in This One”. This is her second book, in the “Women are Some Kind of Magic Series”. It was just as amazing as the first one.
Amanda has the GREATEST dedication’s in both of her books. In fact her Dedication’s in each book, are maybe my favorite part of each book, haha! Seriously though.. a Harry Potter reference.. and a HUNGER GAMES one?! I’m all over it.
“Here’s the tricky thing about fire:
it stays soft even while it destroys everything in its path,
but it’s to you to make sure that it doesn’t burn the good with the rot”
Every poem in this book was beautiful. I am such an Amanda Lovelace fan. Her love of Fairy-tale’s is so enchanting.. also mix that in with some seriously amazing feminist flair, and it’s just an overall win. Loved each and every word. Can’t wait for #3!
(Good-Reads Plot Summary)
(2016 Goodreads Choice Award-winning poet Amanda Lovelace returns in the witch doesn’t burn in this one — the bold second book in her “women are some kind of magic” series.
The witch: supernaturally powerful, inscrutably independent, and now—indestructible. These moving, relatable poems encourage resilience and embolden women to take control of their own stories. Enemies try to judge, oppress, and marginalize her, but the witch doesn’t burn in this one.)
JEWELRY
When we were in Mexico, Ryan bought me some beautiful little treats from the local market. These stunning hand-made earrings, ankle bracelets, rings, etc.. are all from the local down of Bucerías, Nayarit! SO in love with everything. Especially with the woven little book-marks I found in a tiny sea-side market! Perfect.
PERFUME & LINGERIE
One of my absolute favorite online Makeup companies is Glossier. Their Hi-Lighter & Brow products.. are LIFE CHANGING. When I ordered my last makeup order, they sent a perfume Sample for their Perfume “Glossier: You”… and OH MY GOD the smell! AMAZING. I had actual strangers on the street stop me and say “WHAT IS THAT PERFUME ITS AMAZING?!”.
This is how Glossier describes the perfume on it’s Website.. and they can probably describe the actual science behind the scent better than me, haha! Best 60$ I’ve ever spent. I also bought it for my Sister last Christmas, because I need to spread around this joy haha.
( You’ll find that You makes a good first impression, and lives up to it as time goes on. Each note was chosen and balanced to allow the juice to be both long-lasting and true to how it smells at the beginning, without changing as it dries down. In other words, it’s heavy on the base notes. Mostly it smells like you: that familiar human-y note that makes up the body of what you’re smelling. Creamy, sparkling, clean, warm. That’s You.)
As for this adorable little bralette… I actually got it from Target, while I was in Palm Springs. I love how delicate and adorable it is. It’s a front-clasping bralette, and it fits perfectly.
TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
I’ve been doing quite a bit of Traveling lately, to hot places… and these little slip-on sandals, that I found at Old Navy.. are my new fav thing! Also I found the cutest little “Always on Vacation” travel-makeup-bag at Old Navy too. I don’t shop there a lot, and I was really pleased with how many cute Summer things they have right now!
Random Amazon Prime Purchases
I do a LOT of random 2 am shopping on Amazon Prime.. and this is one of the greatest late-night purchases I’ve made lately, haha!
It’s a little “Book Journal”, from Peter Pauper Press. It has 216 pages where you can fill out pages all about the current book you are reading.. quotes you loved etc. Also sections where you can log Books You Want To Read, Books You Have Lent Out… etc etc. It’s so little, it fits right in my bag! It’s so handy for me… especially since I do so many Book Reviews. I can write down all my random thoughts about the book, while I’m reading it.. and it’s the best reference for my Reviews. Huge fan!
DAWSON’S CREEK NOSTALGIA
I don’t know if you guys were into this at all… but I’ll never forget the first time I saw “Dawson’s Creek”. I was like 15, and I had just gotten my Wisdom Teeth out. T.V on D.V.D was kind of becoming a “thing”, and I had never seen Dawson’s Creek, while it was on actual Television. My Mom probably thought it was too racy. However, while I was at home drooling all over myself high-from-the-meds after my surgery, she stopped by HMV and saw the “Season One: Dawson’s Creek”, with the wholesome looking Dawson on the cover.. and brought it home for me. I was OBSESSED. Anyway.. it’s been 15 years since I first watched it… and when I saw them all doing a “reunion” on the cover of Entertainment Weekly, I lost my mind. Just the best.
All Images of Movies & T.V Shows @ Google Images 2018
All Photos of Scenery, Books & Me @ Carly Ingram Photography 2018