Author: Mstldelano

Digital curator, art enthusiast, creator of daily luxurious experiences.
life curation

Winter Socializing: My Game Plan

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Happy Hump Day! I’m already looking forward to the weekend, but I’m two days away and trying to make the best of it. As the days get shorter and the air gets cooler, I’m considering what my social calendar will look like. I hate having to go outside during the winter so any social events I attend must be pretty special in order for me to participate.

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My ideal calendar for December 2018 to March 2019 would involve the following:

  • A monthly art event
  • One wine event during the season
  • Two or three workshops (less than 3 hours long each)
  • One long workshop (more than 3 hours)
  • Biweekly dinners with friends
  • One date per week

I’m an introvert, so this schedule is ambitious for me. In fact, there’s a good chance I could line up my calendar to include everything I’ve written above and I still may end up flaking simply because I don’t have the energy. But what I’m learning is that it’s really important for me to set social goals, much like I set career, education, health and financial goals. Social goals can really help me with managing the emotional lows that I tend to experience during this time of the year.

As much as I love to isolate myself, I really benefit from interacting with others in small doses. If I don’t overdo it, being around others tends to lift my spirits and give me some energy. So I’m going to spend some time today figuring out which events to add to my calendar. And, once I have those all lined up, you can look forward to some reviews and discussions regarding the stuff that I’m doing as I ride out this fall and winter. Wish me luck!

fitness · food

Diet Changes for Colder Months

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Hi everyone! I went grocery shopping yesterday and I couldn’t help but notice the higher prices of some of my favorite fresh fruits and vegetables. Yes, summer is officially over and that means that the things I enjoy will cost a bit more since they are no longer in season.

That isn’t a problem, per se – we all make adjustments for our preferences from time to time – but I know that the foods that make me feel light and healthy during the summer don’t necessarily give me the same feeling during the colder months. In fact, I generally crave heartier, warmer foods during the fall and winter, and my body doesn’t feel as nourished by my typical summer fare.

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I figured that now would be a good time to assess my diet and transition from my warm weather palate to my winter one. I’m still doing intermittent fasting (IF) so the timing of meals won’t change. I’m still on a 8-hour (more or less) eating schedule and I enjoy whatever I want during my window. But what I’m choosing to eat will be more suitable for the season.

I decided to consult a website to see which vegetables and fruits are in season during this time of the year. Lifegate has a very convenient breakdown of the fruits and veggies in season by month. I’m finding the website very useful for my dietary planning.

For starters, I’ll be putting most of my tropical fruit preferences (kiwis, mangoes and papayas, specifically) on hold. Instead I’ll reach for pineapple (which, despite being a tropical fruit, is in season right now), apples, and grapes. As far as vegetables go, I’ll still have the occasional salad but it won’t be my go-to lunch. I’m going to incorporate more gourds (squash, pumpkin) and root vegetables (carrots, turnips, potatoes) into my recipes. I’ll also be cooking more beans and legumes, as I find these very satisfying during the chillier months.

Because I’ll be doing a lot more cooking during the winter, I’ll be sharing some of the recipes that I’ve created or tweaked. If you have any meal recommendations, let me know: I’m always looking to try something new! In the meantime, I’ll be shopping with the Lifegate list in mind, and focusing on eating the foods and meals that leave me feeling full and cozy this winter.

I hope you all are doing well! Talk to you all tomorrow.

 

beauty

Beauty Review: Harvey Prince Hello Perfume

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A couple of months ago, I saw a promo on Instagram for Harvey Prince Organics perfumes. After following the page, I received a message inviting me to get a perfume for free, with the only out of pocket cost being shipping and handling. Being a perfume lover, I couldn’t resist: I got a bottle. Behold!

The perfume arrived in a sleek black box with salmon pink writing. I wasn’t sure which rollerball scent I would receive (either it wasn’t explicitly confirmed by the company or I wasn’t paying attention) but the one that arrived was “Hello“.

The rollerball has a good amount of product for the price, and the small size is perfect for tossing in a purse or gym bag. The scent is fresh and has a slight sweetness to it. According to the Harvey Prince website, “Hello” has a lot of citrus top notes (Meyer lemon, white grapefruit and satsuma mandarin) layered over heady floral midnotes (summer forsynthia, pink plumeria and wild verbena). It dries down to a sweet, warm fragrance in the base notes (Tahitian vanilla and musk).

I initially enjoyed “Hello” when I applied it. I like citrus notes so the clean smell was an immediate hit with me. However, as it dried down, I liked it less and less. It turns out it didn’t agree with my personal chemistry and it started to smell kind of rank on me. I think it may have been a bit too floral and sweet for my tastes. In short, this smells delicious in the bottle, and probably amazing on someone else, but for me? I can’t do it. I plan to pass it along to someone who may like it better, because I’d hate for a good product to go to waste.

To it’s credit, Harvey Prince specializes in organic products. So for those that are looking for a perfume that is cruelty free, vegan and safe for pregnant women, this company is worth checking out. The prices are also very reasonable, so feel free to give them a gander if you’re curious.

That’s it for today’s review! I’ll talk to you all tomorrow.

life curation

Listening to My Creative Cycles

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Happy Sunday, friends! I had been experiencing some emotional lows over the past few weeks and I recently came across an article that really put things into perspective for me.

Over on Affirming Spirit (a website created by teacher, artist and Law of Attraction guru Nancy Barry-Jansson) I read a post about entrepreneurs are more effective when they work with their natural creativity cycles. As I read it, I had a “lightbulb” moment: I’ve been resisting a natural cycle!

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Embrace each phase of the creative cycle

According to Nancy, there are four stages to the creative cycle: gestation, inspiration, creation/birth, and renewal/rest. You see, I am constantly in “create” mode. I love creative expression and didn’t think that I needed a “rest” from it because I loved it so much. I know the importance of recharging but I never paid attention to how I needed it for my current creative endeavors.

I also don’t allow enough time for the other stages: I tend to want to fast-forward from gestation to creation without allowing enough time for inspiration to come in and guide me. This disorderly way of going about things is part of the reason why I had been feeling out of sorts lately. Yes, I’m sure there are other things at play, but this part can’t be ignored.

So, even though I’m committed to completing my NaNoWriMo project, I will be incorporating a lot more rest into my routine. I’m also going to stop “rushing” through the phases of the cycle so I can have an energizing and satisfying creative experience. This will require some changes on my part, but I think it’s worth it.

That’s all for today. Take some time to get familiar with your creative cycle and learn to respect the phases for the best results. I’ll talk to you all tomorrow!

beauty

More Reviews A’Comin’!

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Happy Saturday, friends! I hope that wherever you are, you’re enjoying better weather than I am. This rain and cold in Virginia have me frowning, but I’m trying to look on the bright side. I have lunch AND dinner plans today, so I’ll be out in the yucky weather and making the most of it. Rain can’t slow me down!

I have so many products that I still have to review. I bought a lot of new beauty products over the summer and I’m (finally) making my way through them. So look out for those reviews over the next week or so.

makeup

Also, I am behind on my art museum visits. Yes, I try to visit art museums no less than twice per month but it’s been MANY weeks since the last time I stopped by one. That will end this weekend – I have an exhibit that I’ve been itching to see and I want to catch it before it leaves, so a museum visit is a priority.

Finally, I was sent a great book by a publisher and I have a little more than half to read before I’m finished. Then, I have to do a bit of an experiment using what I learned in the book. That being said, that review won’t be ready for at least another 30 days or so, just because I want to make sure I take good notes and have some good information to provide to you all when I write up my review.

So that’s what you can look forward to over the weeks to come. I hope you all are enjoying your day, and I’ll talk to you all tomorrow. Take care!

art

Christie’s Impressive Impressionist Auction

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I’m no art expert, but I’m anticipating that Christie’s upcoming “Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale” auction will be the topic of discussion for many art connoisseurs in the weeks and months to come. The auction will be held on November 11 at 7 PM EST at Christie’s New York.

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Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Portrait de Mademoiselle Yvonne Lerolle

The sale doesn’t have an abundance of lots – only 61, at last count – but each piece is highly collectible. All of the artists featured are what most people think of when hearing the word “artist”: Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet, Dali, etc.,. With these famous names on display, it’s no wonder that this auction doesn’t need many pieces to get a lot of buzz.

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Tamara De Lempicka, Femme a la Colombe

The sale is part of 20th century art week and the offerings do not disappoint. Most of the lots will be sold of the 7-figure or higher price point. This auction is not particularly for newbie collectors: only serious connoisseurs will be bidding here. However, I think that viewing the art would be a great education for anyone that wants to know more about some of the more famous names in art.

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Vincent Van Gogh, Coin de jardin avec papillons

I’m fascinated by the fact that the auction will feature Picasso paintings of each of his most famous muses: Francoise Gilot, Marie-Therese Walter, and Dora Maar. Also, the painting by Vincent Van Gogh that will be sold is a true treasure: I know that will make some collector very happy. There really are too many good items to post them all in this post, so make sure that you check out Christie’s online catalog.

(Left to right) Pablo Picasso, Portrait de Francoise Gilot, Femme au beret orange et au col de fourrure (Marie-Therese), Buste de Femme (Dora Maar)

I won’t be able to make the trip to New York to see these works in person, but I’m including in this post some of my favorites from the auction. Enjoy and, if you can swing by Christie’s, go check out these treasures in person!

Talk to you all tomorrow!

 

life curation

NaNoWriMo 2018 Week 1 – Updates, What’s Working for Me

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I’ve got NaNoWriMo updates, everybody! I have 7,000 words written so far. Only 43,000 more to go! Considering that averages out to 1k words per day, I’m feeling pretty good about my numbers so far. I’ll be writing a lot more over the next few days since I anticipate having some more downtime (not to mention I’ll have to make up for a few days where I won’t be able to do much writing at all).

writing

I just want to share a bit of what I’ve used this first week to help me make progress on my writing goal. What I’ve found it helpful is to set aside 15 minute chunks of time to write. Of course, I always end up writing for longer than 15 minutes, but at least if I set aside the time, it’s more likely that I will not only write for that time but I will also write even longer than I originally planned.

I also find that I’m challenging myself to see how many words I can write in 15 minutes. I’m seeing that it’s normal to get at least 300-400 words written in 15 minutes (if I haven’t thought out what I want to write before I sit down). However, if I have a good idea of where I want my story to go and what dialogue I want to capture, I can easily squeeze out 500 words in 15 minutes (full disclosure: I type at about 75 or 80-ish words per minute, so that helps). I’m trying to get my words up to 700 in 15 minutes: imagine how many pages I could cover if I committed to 1 hour a day at 2800 words in an hour! I know, that’s pretty ambitious (even for me) but I like thinking about the possibility.

Finally, I’ve been writing my story slightly out of sequence. I started writing the beginning, but then I jumped and started writing the last couple of chapters. That made it easier for me to stay interested in this book idea, which goes a long way in making sure that I actually finish it!

Those are all of my NaNoWriMo 2018 updates for this first week. So far, things have been going well and I’m looking forward to telling you all about my progress next week, as I think I’ll be doing this each week until the end of the month.

Alright friends: it’s time for me to get back to writing. I’ll talk to you all tomorrow!

words of wisdom

Words of Wisdom: Lorraine Hansberry

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“Never be afraid to sit a while and think” – Lorraine Hansberry

Talented, intelligent, and gone too soon: Lorraine Hansberry was an award-winning playwright and activist. She, like many other Black American writers during this time, captured the smoldering inner turmoil and external conflict of ambitious Blacks living in pre-Civil Rights America.

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I recently came across a photo of Lorraine while looking up information on another writer and, as always, I was drawn in by her soulful eyes and sweet smile. Behind her wholesome beauty was a gorgeous brain: her writing talents got her critical acclaim and earned her the spot as the youngest playwright to ever have a play produced on Broadway. She is also the youngest winner of the New York Drama Critics Circle Award.

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I really resonate with her thoughts regarding the path of the creative. Embracing her talent meant encountering feelings of loneliness, over-familiarity with the lows of life, but also an undiminishable hope in a more beautiful and brighter future. Her positive view of life inspires me tremendously.

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“I wish to live because life has within it that which is good, that which is beautiful and that which is love” – Lorraine Hansberry

(Photos courtesy of AZQuotes and Pinterest)

life curation

Managing Recurring Lows

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As a student of Law of Attraction (LOA), I know that what we focus on expands. So I was dismayed when I noticed that I was feeling blue for longer than a day or so. I recognized a pattern of sad feelings during this time of the year. I experienced some major losses during the fall season several years ago, and I’ve continued to experience some anxiety, sadness and grief during this season.

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It did not help that  I was having interaction with someone that didn’t generate the best feelings in me. That person is currently in “neutral”: not a factor in any sadness but not a factor in any joy, either.

I know that this time of year leaves me vulnerable to low emotions, so I’m starting to up my self care: indulging in a good cry if I need it, employing tools from my self care kit, resting as I see fit, etc.,. I have even added a therapist to my arsenal, so that I can continue making progress in managing these emotional lows.

I’m sharing this with you all in the hopes that you will continue to take good care of yourselves and not ignore the signs if you are feeling less than stellar. Your body and mind must be cared for: don’t neglect this. You’re special and precious so remember to take care of YOU.

Talk to you all tomorrow.

international · travel

Fall Vacation Part 1 – Cruise Overview

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Happy Monday, friends! Today’s post will be an abbreviated one, because I’m going to flesh out some more of the details over the next week or so.

As you all recall, I just returned from a cruise. I’ve cruised many times before: please don’t ask me to count them, because I can’t LOL! It’s something that my family enjoys doing, so I participate because I enjoy spending time with them. We have done several Caribbean cruises and this most recent cruise also took us back to the Caribbean.

cruise

This isn’t a photo from our ship, but the sunset looks so much like the ones that I saw!

We cruised with Royal Caribbean on the ship, Allure of the Seas. The ship is large, beautiful and has lot of activities for all age ranges. Believe it or not, one of my favorite things to do on the ship was get cotton candy on the boardwalk area. There are several videos you can view, if you want to see the ship and its features.

We visited Nassau, Bahamas; Cozumel, Mexico; Roatan, Honduras; and Costa Maya, Mexico. We cruised for 7 days, and we sailed out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. My family has found it prudent to arrive one day prior to sailing and leave one day after arriving back, just to have a bit of a travel “cushion” in case there are any unexpected delays. So, I also have a post reviewing the hotel where we stayed coming up pretty soon.

I tried to stick with my IF eating plan but I gave up two days into my vacation! There were so many great dining options that I have to discuss those in a separate post.