Favorite Etsy Shops
Just a quick post for this Sunday morning! I thought I’d share with you what I ended up purchasing for my luggage tag and passport cover. I had been debating for awhile what I wanted to do about both of these items before my Bahamas vacation and finally decided only a week before. I honestly don’t remember how but I ran into Gracie Designs on Etsy but I did and fell in love with the simplicity of her designs.
{Passport cover and matching luggage tag}
Speaking of Etsy, I’ve had my eye on a few other shops as well! Here’s some of my favorites.
One of my favorites is ayofemijewelry. I’ve purchased some bracelets before and I’m always getting compliments when I wear them. My current favorite is this gilded bracelet.
How amazing is this floor cushion! lacasadecoto has this and so much more!
AthenaCreates makes amazing towels that replace using paper towels. I love this idea and definitely hope to pick some up soon!
I’ve had my eye on these beauties for awhile now from Onestonenewyork!
Even more ring love at StreetBauble!
What about you! What’s your favorite Etsy shop?
** Also, don’t forget to enter my e.l.f. giveaway going on!
e.l.f. haul and giveaway
Good Saturday morning everyone! Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend! I thought I’d make a quick post about an e.l.f. purchase I made not too long ago AND also introduce my first – ever – giveaway on Vanilla & Rose!
Right before my Bahamas trip last month, I made a purchase of e.l.f. It was mostly items that I’ve wanted to try for some time now and I’m glad I did! The above photo has a Studio SPF 45 Sunscreen, Eyelash & Brow Wand, Shine Eraser blotting cards, 2-in-1 Sponge, Translucent Matifying Powder, Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder and lastly the 3-Piece Eyeshadows in Romantics.
I had already used the 2-in-1 sponges and the Eyelash & Brow Wand before and loved them (especially for the price) so I decided to repurchase. All of the other items were new though. My thoughts? The Studio SPF 45 Sunscreen powder was amazing in the Bahamas! I used it instead of a translucent powder while on vacation. I wanted a great SPF without having to use a lotion on my face. My back and upper body got burnt BAD but my face was perfect after using this! It’s amazing stuff! I definitely plan on using it throughout the summer! I also used the Shine Eraser blotting cards while on vacation and they were perfect. The Translucent Matifying Powder is amazing as well. I actually finished it up yesterday! Since the weather has been the typical, rainy, non-sunny spring weather, I haven’t found the need for the strong SPF like the one mentioned above so I had been using this! I’ll definitely be re-ordering it as well. As for the Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder… another awesome product! The shades are perfect for me and I could see it working for others as well. I love both of the colors and have honestly used this every day since I got it. Lastly, the 3-Piece Eyeshadow & Brush Set in Romantics is another great purchase. Unfortunately, I thought it would encourage me to use eyeshadows more often but I just rarely find the time to do it in my morning routine. Overall, they are both great products and lovely colors but I rarely use them.
The second part of my purchase was lipsticks! I’ve wanted to start wearing more lipstick and at $1 a piece I figured that this would be the perfect way to try different colors! So, I got them all. Seriously, all. (Minus the ones that were out of stock) So, above you’ll see Fantasy, Classy, Seductive, Gypsy, VooDoo, Post, Nostalgic, Flirtatious, Sociable and Fearless. 10 total! I love them all and for their own reasons. Some of them have amazing summer tones, others are perfect for getting all dressed up and others are just amazing for day to day wear.
{These are not the lipsticks for the giveaway. They are mine for color reference. The giveaway lipsticks are unopened.}
So, what goodies do I have for you! Well, due to a shopping cart error, I got a few doubles. Ops! So, I figured why not host my first ever giveaway for my readers. The best part? They’re some of my favorite items! The first item is the Studio SPF 45 Sunscreen powder and the other three items are all lipsticks including VooDoo, Fearless and Posh.
The giveaway is for ALL 4 items. Please do not ask to seperate them. There are multiple ways to enter. Two of the entries you can do every day to enter, so be sure to come back every day to earn an extra entry to win! I will announce the winner shortly after the giveaway ends. Also, continental U.S. entries only please. To enter, go to the link above (WordPress can be a pain about html codes so all giveaways will be hosted on my blogspot account). The giveaway will end on 5/31 at midnight. I will announce the winner shortly after that.
Royal Albert China
Awhile back I started reading Southern Weddings magazine online to get photography inspiration. Little did I know I’d fall in love with everything southern within a short period. Not only did I find amazing photography inspiration for VRP but I also found inspiration for my daily life. Between gorgeous floral displays, seersucker, lace, burlap and cotton arrangements I’m not sure what I love more. And then there’s mason jars… don’t even get me started!
Another thing that I fell for was china. Yes, just china in general. And long story short I ended up finding this gorgeous pattern some time ago and fell in love. Since then I’ve seen multiple pieces at garage sales and other little shops and I, of course, had to pick up a few pieces.
Wine Favorites
It’s all about wine today! Living in NEPA and Upstate New York, I’ve had my share of great wines. It’s actually pretty hard for me to go out of the area and order wine because I’ve become so accustomed to the wineries around here that I barely know about other wineries.
Today, I thought I’d share my collection. I didn’t realize I had so many until I went to put this post together! So, here you have it. My collection!
Thousand Island Winery is by far my favorite in my collection. I love their sweet wines and as you can tell they take over my collection! I honestly can’t even begin to pick a favorite! Pictured above are : North Country Red, Delaware, Raspberry Isle, Niagara, Vignoles and Seaway Blues.
Ashley Lynn Winery is new to my collection. We have a few different wine events throughout the year in this area and I actually was introduced to them during one of the events this winter. They are very similar to Thousand Island in the fact that their sweet wines are amazing! Pictured above are their Elderberry Mist and Blueberry Burst. Lakewood Vineyard is another old favorite. Between their Glaciovinum (pictured above) and Vignoles, I’m not sure which I’m more in love with! Lastly, in this photo, is Seven Vines Winery which is another newbie in the group! I found them this past winter as well. They still seem pretty small but I found this Winter Peach wine and had to have it.
Yea, there’s still MORE! So, this Concord is from Eagle Crest Vineyards. I’ve yet to try this one but it was given to me as a gift from my mom and she knows what I love so I’m sure it’s amazing. The Regatta White from Cascata Winery was also a gift but, once again, I am sure it’s great! Lastly, in this photo, I have my Black Cherry from Knapp which I love. I’ve had a few different wines from them but Black Cherry is my last one left in the collection. If you ever get a chance, make sure you check out their Loganberry, Superstition and either Kat Knapp!
Next up, some old favorites from Catherine Valley including The Lost Irishman and Seneca Steamer. Also, the far right bottle is a wine made by my mom!
And now, my newest favorites! First up, I have to mention Bully Hill Vineyards. If you ever come to Upstate NY then you’ll definitely hear about their wine! I recently picked up these two lovely wines! The first is Banty Red, which I got while at a hockey game and fell in love. The second is Ravat 51 in which one of my friends would not stop talking about so I gave in and purchased it as well! And last, but not least, is my Cupcake Vineyards wine in Red Velvet. This was given to me as a gift as well. I love wine and I love a good cupcake so it only makes sense. It’s a much more dry wine than I usually prefer but there’s something about this wine that I am enjoying!
Got the Blues…
If you love dark polishes then todays post is just for you! I have some amazing finds to share today! The first two to the left are both black polishes. The first Cover Girl – Midnight Magic is an older polish I purchased while on a mission to find the perfect black. I failed. It’s more of an off black which is fine if that’s what you’re looking for. It really is a pretty shade of black with a very light hint of shimmer to it. The second, Pure Ice – Black Rage, is the perfect black. It’s the purist of blacks and absolutely gorgeous. The American Eagle navy blue wowed me to say the least. When AE originally came out with polishes, I purchased a few and some were (to say the least) horrible but this one is OPI/Essie quality! It’s a rich, thick polish and a great color at that! I’m not usually one for blue nails but it won my heart. As for the last, OPI – Russian Navy, this is a great dark blue as well. It’s definitely more for someone who is looking for an off black polish with a little twist! (I also have this in crackle which I’ll share later!)
And a little added bonus! Check out this gorgeous blue I found while creeping on Pinterest!
Source: google.com via Kirsten on Pinterest
Current Loves
Pretty random post today but I wanted to share two things I’ve been loving lately. The first is this amazing WoodWick Candle. I purchased it a little while back and I’m definitely glad I did. I’ve wanted a WoodWick for some time now but just never really got around to purchasing one. I saw this fragrance and decided to pick it up. I also love the sound it makes while burning. It took a little time to get use to the cracking but after that I really started to enjoy it.
The other item that’s stolen my heart lately is L’Occitane Almond Supple Skin Oil. I had heard many things about this little beauty but after hearing Vivianna rave about it time and time again I decided I must try this! And wow! Like I’ve mentioned many times, I have pretty oily skin so I don’t find the need to use lotions and moisturizers on a regular basis but when I do need something this is just perfect. It’s a little on the pricey side but well worth it.
Ann
Uganda. What do you know about this small country? Personally, I didn’t know much about it – at all. That is, until this week. The past week I’ve read more and more about this country, its culture and every little thing in between. Why? Because last week I decided to check one of my big items off my 101 in 1001 list and something that was very important to me. I officially sponsored a child.
I could not be more excited and happy about this. I debated on writing this post because I was, and still am, afraid that people will think I’m doing this post (and talking non-stop) about this because I want people to praise me for doing something good. – That is not true AT ALL – I’m genuinely excited and so happy to do this. Also, I hope that by me sharing my experience as a sponsor over the years I can aspire others to do so as well.
Now, that I got that out of the way! I’m so excited about this I’m not even sure where to start! Hm, the beginning? So, ever since I was little I wanted to adopt a child from another country. I always remember hearing how poor their living conditions were over seas and I wanted to help. Right now, I am no where near where I’d have to be in my life to do such a thing. But, I found other ways to help others to my best ability. TOMS was one of the first things I heard about and I thought it was a great idea. And, later, I found FEED. Both great organizations in which I felt I made a little difference but that wasn’t enough.
A few months ago, when I started to write my 101 in 1001, I ran into Melissa Jill‘s post about her sponsor child. I thought it sounded like a great idea and a wonderful alternative. I put it on my 101 in 1001 but didn’t act on it. Then, I ran into Andrew & Carissa through Naomi‘s site. I started to read about their experiences with Rinah and I fell in love. Seriously, their site is wonderful and their story about Rinah is amazing. I was completely inspired by their story. So, I did my research… found a lot of organizations that were OK but then I found Child Fund and I knew they were the one!
After finding them, I put it off again. I kept thinking “How can you just pick ONE child to sponsor!?” It was overwhelming for me. Finally, I decided that by the end of May I would pick a child no matter what. Picking one child was better than putting it off and never deciding. (I realize you can pick more than one child but financially having one sponsor child right now is best for me. Also, I think it’ll help me get to know her better rather than taking on too much at once.) So, I got online. Read a few entries, read a few more… then I saw her. Her name is Ann and she’s from Uganda. There was just something about this little girl that I just knew right away that she was who I wanted to sponsor.
So, there you have it. My big news! I am super excited about all of this! I’ve already gotten several letters from Child Fund about their program and Ann, which included two photos. Seriously, she’s such a beautiful little girl! I’m already beyond excited to start writing her. I have so many little things planned to send. Unfortunately, due to many different reasons you can only send items that’ll fit into flat envelopes so I’ve definitely been trying to get creative on what I’ll be able to send with my letters. I’ve thought of some fun, simple things though that she’ll hopefully enjoy! I won’t lie… I have already made a trip to Michaels and picked up a bunch of paper supplies and fun stickers! I’ve gotten a lot of inspiration off my Paper Love board on Pinterest! Oh, Pinterest…
I hope that we’ll be able to write often and share a bond of friendship over the years. I truly wish the best for her, her family and their community and hope that my contribution will really make a difference in their lives. Child Fund seems like such an amazing organization and I have full confidence on their program which I think is such an important part about sponsoring any child!
I’ve noticed over the week that I tend to concentrate on the negative sometimes and doing this has really made me realize how good I do have things even when I feel like I don’t. I appreciate what I have a lot more after reading about Ann, her community and Uganda.
I’d love to hear from anyone else that has ever sponsored a child, either from Child Fund or another organization!
sponsor love
{image from my fair haven trip}
Me again! I’ve been all about the mini posts this weekend! Just wanted to share a little news for the blog today. I’ve decided to start sponsorship. My blog is still growing more every day and I wanted to give the chance for my readers to advertise their amazing blogs and shops as well. I’ve decided to do a month by month sponsorship in three different sizes ($5-$15). I hope to attract blogs and shops similar to my own.
For more information, please check out my sponsor page!
Fair Haven
For Mother’s Day, my family went to a beach a few hours away. The weather in NY has been up and down all month and that day wasn’t an exception. Originally it was suppose to be raining all day. We got there and it was gorgeous, then it got pretty cold and then the fog came! Oh, NY weather…
You can find a full set here.
Call Me Maybe
Hope everyone is having a great weekend! I ran into this video through Pinterest a few days ago and thought I’d share. They look like a fun bunch, huh? haha
