words of wisdom

Words of Wisdom: Mae West

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As you all recall, this month’s book selection is Mae West’s biography. I’ve gotten through the first half of the book and I’m absolutely HOOKED! Mae was quite the dynamo, and her talent, discipline and creativity are inspirational.

Mae’s mix of sexiness, wittiness and charm is one reason why I wanted to feature her words of wisdom. Aside from those things, she was very accomplished and her ability to balance brains and beauty – during a time where women were expected to be one or the other (preferably beautiful), but not both – leaves me awestruck. Here’s some of my favorite Mae West quotes:

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(all pictures from Pinterest)

 

Do you have a favorite Mae West quote that I didn’t include? Make sure to let me know in the comments below!

luxury

An Eye for Gemstones

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Happy Friday, my friends! I’m eagerly looking forward to the weekend, as there are a lot of events going on and I’m ready to enjoy the last, lingering bits of warm weather.

But, if the weather should turn chilly, I have an online course I can check out to pass the time. I recently found a gemology course that I think will be great for increasing my body of knowledge. The woman that created the course, Barbara Smigel, is a college professor that knows her gems inside and out.

moziru(image courtesy of Moziru)

Even as a child, I was enchanted by gemstones. The sparkle, the colors, the amazing cuts … I can’t help but find myself hypnotized when looking at high quality gems. So it only makes sense that I would be drawn to this kind of course. I’m looking forward to going through the materials and learning more about gems!

Other than that, I don’t have much else going on this weekend. I hope you have some fabulous plans in the works! Talk to you all tomorrow!

art · culture · international

Haitian Embassy Tour

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Back in May, I participated in the Around the World Embassy Tour event in Washington, DC. This is part of the annual Passport DC event, which allows visitors to tour various embassies during the month of May. Generally speaking, the first weekend of May features African, South American, Caribbean and a couple of Asian embassies, the second weekend of the month is the European Union Open House weekend, and the following weekend is the Festival of Asia.

I’d never toured the Haitian Embassy before, so I was excited to visit this year. Funny enough, I’ve been to Haiti when I cruised with Royal Caribbean in the past, and I always loved the island. In fact, I’ve stated on multiple occasions that Haiti is my favorite Caribbean island. So it’s a marvel that I’d never gone to the Haitian Embassy until this year. In any case, I was eager to go. And the embassy DID NOT disappoint.

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I think the thing that I found most incredible was the prominence of Black mermaids in Haitian art. As a born-and-bred American, the mermaid image I see most frequently is the Disney version, with porcelain skin, red hair and blue eyes. Seeing the Haitian depictions of Black mermaids was deeply moving. These depictions are far more accurate to the creatures that Christopher Columbus reported seeing in his travels, and they also predate Hans Christian Andersen’s tale. Of course, practically every culture has stories of merpeople, but seeing the image of magical brown-skinned beings was surreal.

The embassy is a stately, breathtaking building, and the art that lines every wall is stunning and memorable. It looked more like an incredible museum than a political office space! It has multiple floors, and, sadly, I only toured one level.

My biggest regret? Not allowing more time to tour. But no worries: I will return next year!

 

beauty

Review: Ginger + Liz Nail Polish

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During my massive beauty haul nearly two months ago, I purchased a bunch of cosmetics and also a few nail polishes. However, I hadn’t had a chance to try out the new polishes until recently. As a result, this review is a bit late, but better late than never, right?

I decided to try Ginger + Liz nail polishes. This indie brand isn’t quite so small anymore: it gained quite a bit of notoriety when Beyonce wore Ginger + Liz’s “Boss Lady” nail polish in her 2013 H&M Summer campaign. The line is known for creating nontoxic, vegan friendly nail polishes in both classic and trendy shades. The polish collection has a little something for everyone.

As pretty as “Boss Lady” is, I know that red shades with orange undertones aren’t flattering on my skin tone. So I opted out of purchasing that shade. But I was still curious enough about the brand to try some of the other shades. I ended up selecting Catch the Bouquet (CTB) and Happy Wife Happy Life (HWHL) (LOL, I see a theme with the names of the shades I chose!)

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(from the left: Catch the Bouquet and Happy Wife Happy Life)

“Catch the Bouquet” is described as, “a pastel pink with pearl undertones. The perfect nail colour for your demure looks, walking down the aisle, or catching the bouquet.” “Happy Wife Happy Life” is, “a textured rose pink foil metallic with contrasting pink tones of holographic glitter and tiny black specs for extra dimension.” I found the descriptions to be accurate for both shades.

The polishes dried in an average amount of time, and the smell was the same as your standard nail polish scent. I did two layers of “Catch the Bouquet” without any base coat or top coat, and I was pleased with the wear (it lasted several days without chipping). Just for the sake of seeing the color and intensity of the polish, I swatched the polishes on white paper and plain (unpainted) press on nails.

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Swatches on white paper: (left to right) “Happy Wife Happy Life” and “Catch the Bouquet”

(l to r: plain nails, one layer of “Catch the Bouquet” and “Happy Wife Happy Life”, two layers of the polishes)

Out of curiousity, I decided to layer “HWHL” over “CTB” and when I tell you I fell in LOVE with the layered look …

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The layered look (HWHL over CTB)

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(l to r) The layered nail look vs. two layers of HWHL

I love the colors and the lasting power. The line continues adding new shades, so I’ll be sure to try more of Ginger + Liz’s products in the future!

 

 

 

 

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life curation

Preparing for 2018: Before Setting Your Goals …

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Hello friends! Thanks for stopping by. In a previous post, I discussed the fact that I prepared for the things that I wanted during 2016 and 2017. I also touched on the fact that things don’t have to already be perfect in order to create a better reality in the year to come.

Today, I’m talking about goals. If you’re expecting the same kind of chatter that you would get from your average Facebook/Instagram/Snapchat “life coach”/”guru”, I’m going to disappoint you. I don’t repeat the words and sentiments of charlatans that make their living spouting off cliches and charging $97/$197/$997/any figure ending in “7” for exclusive “workshops” to tell you what you’ve already heard. I also have no interest in positioning myself as an “expert” in anything but how I choose to live my life.

Goals are as personal as fingerprints: no two people desire the exact same things. Because of this, I can only give you some general advice on setting goals for 2018. But this is the advice I’ve followed, and it worked for me, so take it for what it’s worth.

-It’s okay to start out vague. Most of the time, we are told that our goals must be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achieveable, Results-Focused, Time Bound). The truth is, our biggest dreams are usually fuzzy and not very specific at all. That’s because our big dreams often are some general emotion that we want to feel (happiness, joy, love, contentment and satisfaction, secure, confident, etc.,). The problem with SMART goals is that the concept disregards the WHY behind the goal. Every goal is rooted in how it will make us FEEL. So it’s far more important to understand the desired FEELING than to have a SMART goal.

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(plucked from @ImprovUpdates on Twitter)

-It’s important to be honest about how you feel while aiming for particular goals. As the phrase goes, “Happy endings do not come from unhappy journeys”. To the greatest degree possible, avoid taking “unhappy” journeys in an attempt to “justify” your success. In other words, you don’t have to be uncomfortable in order to deserve good things. We often take to heart the phrase “no pain, no gain”. Yes, we can learn a lot from our pain and missteps, and yes, there are often sacrifices that must be made when going for our big dreams. But don’t torture yourself on the path to reaching your goals, simply because you *think* that the only way to get to the goal is to do it the “hard way”. The “hard way” isn’t always the best way. Personally, taking uncomfortable actions doesn’t work for me: the action must either feel neutral (doesn’t make me feel happy but doesn’t cause discomfort) or feel good to me. If the action doesn’t feel good, then it doesn’t serve me in the accomplishment of my goals.

-Get very acquainted with how you want to feel when you reach your goal, and tap into that feeling regularly. What I found is that regularly activating a particular emotion can reveal the fact that I’m much closer to my goal than I initially thought. Some emotions are harder to activate than others: activating a feeling isn’t always a clear, easy-to-do task. How can you feel “secure” when you don’t know if you will have a job next week? How can you feel “love” if you’ve never had a nurturing, satisfying romantic relationship? In cases where it’s hard to generate certain feelings, your best bet is to find someone that easily exhibits that emotion and emulate them and associate with them. Birds of a feather …

If the previous points resonate with you, try putting them into action before you get specific about what you want to realize during the upcoming year. Getting clear on your feelings prior to pinpointing your goal will help you get much closer to what it is that you really want.

 

adsff

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art · culture

Return of the Drawing Salon at The National Gallery of Art

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(image courtesy of ClipArtPanda)

Recently, I shared that the National Gallery of Art hosts Writing Salons, to assist all interested in getting in touch with their inner author. However, the Writing Salons have a counterpart that is equally as, if not more, popular: the Drawing Salons. NGA has finally began accepting reservations for the Drawing Salons, and I’m here to tell you all about it, both as an art enthusiast and as a former salon attendee.

Similar to the Writing Salons, the Drawing Salons are hosted monthly and the salon topics vary for each session. The Drawing Salons also run from now into the springtime, though they end one month after the last Writing Salon session. There are also only 5 Drawing Salon themes, as opposed to the 6 Writing Salon themes available this season.

The topics being explored during this season of the Drawing Salon are as follows:

American Impressionism

Cézanne’s Landscapes

Picasso’s Palette

Rodin’s Sculptures

Matisse’s Cut-Outs

I attended one of the Drawing Salons in 2015, and thoroughly enjoyed it. NGA provides supplies and is well equipped for each group of budding artists. I found that the art instruction was solid and appropriate for any skill level. I liked that the groups were small enough that the art instructor could provide each attendee a measure of one-on-one attention. But the most impressive part of the session was the art history lesson provided to attendees: the historical context deeply informs the sketch that attendees create during the session.

So, much like the Writing Salons, if you have a chance, GO! You won’t be disappointed!

beauty

Review: BAABS Beauty

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When I did my makeup haul several weeks ago, I ordered from multiple vendors. I reviewed Kimberly New York (both here and here), Glow by Melodye, Nicolet Beauty, and KoyVoca. The review to follow is of BAABS Beauty, another indie brand with a wide variety of offerings at great prices.

BAABS Beauty has a full range of cosmetics, from foundations, to eye color, to lip color, and tools to apply just about anything you could want. I loved that the foundations are in multiple rich shades of brown, accommodating many different undertones. I was also pleased by the fact that the company offered foundation samples, so that you could attempt to match to your correct shade with only a minimal investment.

My order consisted of a felt tip eyeliner,  lip vinyl, and a set of foundation samples. The eyeliner was in the shade Chocolate Brown, the liquid lipstick was in the shade Safe Bet, and the foundation samples were from the Rich Hot Chocolate collection (the deepest shades that the company offers).

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Isn’t this bag adorable?

Promotional materials and coupons enclosed in the order; my products.

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I found the felt tip liner wasn’t as nice as I’d hoped. I compared it to Mary Kay’s Liquid Eyeliner Pen (also has a felt tip) which glides on intensely and easily. Unfortunately, the MK eyeliner pen only comes in black. The BAABS liner took quite a bit of pressing to express the product into the felt tip, and the resulting color was faint (the color payoff was similar to dragging a partially-dried marker on the back of your hand). I don’t recommend it in its current formulation.

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The liner gets a thumbs-down from me.

 

Now, about the foundation shades. I wasn’t totally clear how many containers I’d get, but, as it turns out, I received four small jars of color cosmetics, and one oil mattifier sample. The shades enclosed were N95, N10, N11, and Dark BB Cream.

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The swatches are shown below.

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(Shades from top to bottom: N95, N10, N11, Dark BB Cream)

As it turns out, the BB cream was the only product close to the skin tone on my face. Fortunately, the BB cream is AMAZING and applies beautifully. It has a light feel but gives quite a bit of coverage. I found that the coverage and dewiness were perfect for me; I used a little powder to set and the product lasted all day. Since the other shades were too dark, I didn’t wear them on my face.

Finally, I tried the lip vinyl in the shade Safe Bet. The website describes the product this way:

Applies as a medium rosy brown nude

Our liquid vinyl has high impact pigments, more coverage and shine than lipgloss, longwear lip-hybrid formula, similar to liquid lipstick with insane high watt shine, fade proof, infused with maximum staining pigments, non-drying stay put finish.

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Lip Vinyl in Safe Bet, a happy medium between brown and rose

I found the description to be spot on. The product didn’t dry down matte or chalky: it remained smooth and creamy. I paired it with a dark brown liner and I loved the overall effect.

Overall, I enjoyed the products, but the order wasn’t without a few issues.

I placed my order on August 27th. I found out that the package was on its way on September 11th (I received an email confirming this). Then, on September 14th, I received another message: my shipping fees had been refunded due to the delay. I finally received my products on September 20th. It took nearly a month to receive products shipped from a neighboring state (the products were shipped from North Carolina to Virginia).

When I opened my products, I also noticed that the jar of N11 was nearly empty. See for yourself:

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The jar looked like this fresh out of the package. I literally had enough to do a swatch or two. I swatched it for the photos and threw the empty jar in the trash.

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To the company’s credit, I did not have to initiate the shipping fee refund. The company get an “A” for proactivity. When it comes to small businesses, it’s important to remember that sometimes they don’t have the inventory or staff to quickly prepare and ship orders. Along with returning the fee, the company enclosed a free jar of lemon vanilla bean body cream, and a handwritten note expressing that they appreciated my patience. Since the N11 shade was too dark for my skin, I decided against contacting the company for an adequate sample size: it would have been a waste of resources, since I already knew that the shade wasn’t a fit for me. Another key point to note: the company offers FREE foundation samples for first time buyers, so the N11 container wasn’t wasted money for me, since it was free on this order.

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The complimentary body cream enclosed in my package.

Now the big question: would I order again?

YES, absolutely. I wouldn’t chance ordering when I’m experiencing a time crunch, but if I’m not in a rush, sure, I’d order from BAABS Beauty again. I really enjoyed the BB cream so I’ll probably reorder that. I’d also like to purchase the sample set with a few of those lighter foundation shades, to see if one of those works better on my skin tone.

That’s my not-so-short review of BAABS Beauty! Do you see any products that you would want to try? Let me know in the comments below!

life curation · style

Clothing Solutions 101

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(Photo courtesy of ClipArtPanda)

Recently, one of my friends came to me with a dilemma. She dripped a bit of salad dressing on one of her favorite tops. She lamented over how the oil in the dressing had practically “ruined” her top. I’ll admit: I was genuinely confused. I had spilled salad dressing, coconut oil, frying grease, and a host of other oils onto different outfits and I never considered them “ruined”. Then it occurred to me: I didn’t think those items were ruined because I knew how to get the oil stain out of them. I told her my trick, she tried it, and she raved about how well it worked. I’ll tell you all about my trick in a moment.

That conversation inspired me to write this post. So many of us invest in beautiful, long-lasting pieces, and we want those items to look as stellar as possible for a long time. So when we encounter clothing issues, like awful stains, it can be a bit frustrating. But I’m going to share some of my household go-tos, which I’ve used consistently to preserve and retain the appearance of my clothing.

My first recommendation is Dryel. This at-home dry cleaning system not only leaves your clothing look like they just came from your favorite cleaners, but the concentrated stain removal solution enclosed in the kit is amazing. I’ve used that stain remover so many times, and you only need a little bit. One bottle tends to last me quite a while, even when I find myself using it regularly.

Lingerie bags are my next favorite laundry item. I used to buy them on a nearly monthly basis, until I purchased the ones made by ATopDay. These are the most durable lingerie bags I’ve ever owned. They are made of fine mesh, so they seem to protect your clothing better than the wide mesh that is usually found in lingerie bags. The price on these have doubled since I last purchased them but, given the number of lingerie bags I’ve purchased over the years, even the doubled priced still seems to be a good value. However, there’s a good chance that you can find these at a lower price, so feel free to shop around for the best value.

About that oil stain I mentioned in the first paragraph . . . Baby powder is the cure. The trick is to apply the baby powder to the oil stain, and pat it a bit. Allow it to sit for at least an hour, though I usually let mine sit overnight, or until I wash it (which could be two or three days later). After letting it sit for a period of time, launder the item and check to see if the stain is completely gone. Sometimes, the oil is pretty persistent; in those cases, I do the baby powder treatment again. No oil stains seem to last through that second powder treatment.

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(photo courtesy of StockUnlimited)

Baby wipes are another fantastic item to have around (I don’t know what it is with the baby products, but they are fabulous for laundry!). I use these to remove stains from clothing as soon as the spills occur, but I also use these to quickly remove and pretreat stains before laundering. These are good to keep in your glove compartment and in your laundry room.

My handheld steamer is my last favorite laundry item. This is great for knocking out the wrinkles that the dryer may have missed. I love using this on scarves and delicate lingerie as well: it gently removes wrinkles without too much direct heat.

The steamer I own is the Crazo Garment Steamer, pictured above.

 

Do you have any laundry tricks you’d like to share? Tell me in the comments below!

festivals · relaxation

Weekend Shenanigans

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Happy Friday, sweethearts! Yes, another weekend is upon us, and I, for one, am ecstatic! It’s been a hectic week and I’m ready to leap headfirst into the weekend! Also, Monday is a holiday (Columbus Day), so I’ll have an extended weekend. Let’s all do a dance for having an extra day off!

As it turns out, this weekend is extremely popular for Virginia festivals: I counted six festivals in Richmond and the surrounding areas. I have so many options: I don’t know where to start! If you’re in the area, the Richmond Times Dispatch has a list of all of the October festivals going on this weekend.

Saturday evening, I’ll be checking into a hotel and enjoying a change of scenery. I won’t be venturing far, but it will be nice to relax in a space that isn’t so stimulating. As much as I love my loaded-down bookshelves, I enjoy taking a break from looking at them LOL!

Aside from this weekend’s festivals, I should have enough time to get deep into the October book selection and work on the next post in the Preparing for 2018 series. I may even have enough time to squeeze in another vintage movie. The last time I watched an old movie, I saw “Gang Smashers” (I can’t wait to tell you all about that one! It’ll be in another post, pinkie swear!). But I still have to watch “Sepia Cinderella” and “Hell’s Angels“, so maybe this weekend will be a good time to squeeze in another movie.

For now, enjoy a couple of screenshots of the gorgeous Nina Mae McKinney in “Gang Smashers“. And be sure to get out and ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND! These are the perfect fall weekends that we’ll be longing for when winter comes. So SAVOR them, and have some fun!

 

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Nina Mae McKinney in “Gang Smashers”

 

 

 

 

 

food · relaxation

Vegan Pea Soup Recipe

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As the seasons change, I find myself reaching for more comfort: less light and airy experiences, more warm, full-bodied pleasures. This desire for comfort comes in all forms, from clothing I wear, to conversations with friends, to foods I choose to eat.

It occurred to me that I was reaching my “comfort” period when I stumbled across a bag of frozen peas and decided to whip up a batch of pea soup. I love how light yet filling this soup is: it really is a perfect meal for the fall. I ate it with garlic knots and a small glass of white wine on the side. To me, the lightness of peas – a summer vegetable – contrasts well with the heartier feel of this soup. Some people add mint to their version but I choose to omit mint: that herb feels very “summery” to me, and that wasn’t the feel I was going for.

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I don’t frequently post recipes, but I think this one is worth the share. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Pea Soup Recipe

  • 1 bag of frozen peas
  • Top of one leek, washed and chopped
  • 1/2 cup yellow onions, chopped
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable spread (I use Earth Balance)
  • 1 cup water
  • Salt, pepper and dried chives to taste
  • Vegan sour cream (as garnish)

Melt vegetable spread in a medium pot, then add leek tops and onions. Saute for five minutes until translucent and fragrant. Add vegetable broth and water, and bring to a boil. Add bag of peas, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off heat and allow soup to cool for at least 15 – 20 minutes.

Pour cooked peas and broth into a blender, and blend on low until smooth. If the soup has cooled down too much, return to pot and reheat over low heat. Pour soup into serving bowls and sprinkle black pepper, salt and dried chives onto each serving. If desired, put a dollop of vegan sour cream on top of each bowl.

Serves 4