Tag: life

life curation

The Result of My Toleration Release Experiment

MstldelanoLeave a comment

It’s been several days since I completed my toleration release exercise for 2017. I wrote about it initially in this post, but I also gave an update in this subsequent post. I’m really excited to tell you about the outcome of that experiment.

As a quick recap, I’ll explain the specifics of this exercise. The goal was to release/discard items every day in the month of December, and the number of items I released had to correspond with the date of the month (1 items on December 1st, 2 items on December 2nd, so on, until 31 items on December 31st). At the end of the month, the items released/discarded should total nearly 500 items.

I didn’t release 500 items. I did release 450, and I’m very proud of that.

prawny me uk

She makes it look so easy! (image courtesy of Prawny Me UK)

I could have released more, but I’ll be the first to admit, this was HARD to do! I’m still sifting through a lot of stuff and coming up with more things I should discard, but I can’t come up with more than two or three items a day that I’m perfectly fine with releasing. I can say, unequivocally, trying to reduce my possessions has been a challenge. But I’m glad I tried, and I’m really proud of what I did accomplish.

I’ve resolved to do this again in a couple of months, and I’ll focus on clearing out some of (well, most of) the junk in my attic. I think I’d benefit from doing this at least once a quarter, so I’m sure I’ll have more to say about toleration release throughout the year.

Have any of you taken a stab at releasing tolerations? If so, let me know in the comments below!

wine

Wine Collectors Rejoice!

MstldelanoLeave a comment

Screenshot 2018-01-06 at 5.23.12 PM - Edited (1)

 

Sotheby’s London is starting 2018 off with a bang! Their first wine sale of the year will feature nearly 400 bottles of rare and fine wines. The auction house has titled this sale, “A Great Collection From a Secret Grotto from a Northern European Connoisseur“. With a title like that, who wouldn’t want to participate?

Screenshot 2018-01-06 at 5.23.12 PM - Edited

Serena Sutcliffe, MW, describes this enchanting collection as follows (you can read more of her thoughts in the catalogue for this incredible sale):

“In the dark days of winter, it takes a treasure trove of truly joyous wines
to bring a smile to the face – and this is just looking at them rather than
drinking them. Contemplation of mouth-wateringly beautiful bottles brings
immediate memories, as well as hopes of meeting these wines again, which
is more than possible for you, the wine-loving client. You literally can smell
them and taste them when you see them in the cellar, or on the written page
– they come to life in all their dimension and diversity. This is a collection
that displays some of the greatest wine-making talent of our days which,
on reflection, might well be on unrivalled top form in the last few decades.
These years have shown a glittering balance of technical know-how with
enormous human skill, driven to its peak by pride in the profession and
critical competition. It is the consumer who has benefited.

Above all, this collection puts the greatest vinous gems of France under
the spotlight. It is clear that the wines were chosen by someone with
remarkable gastronomic and wine knowledge.”

Screenshot 2018-01-06 at 5.22.45 PM - Edited

The wines range from the luxurious but affordable to the truly exquisite.  On the lower end of the estimate spectrum, a Chateau Lafite 1994 is expected to fetch anywhere between $400 and $500 USD; for the most serious collectors, a Petrus 1995 is expected to soar anywhere between $21,000 and $30,000 USD.

Screenshot 2018-01-06 at 5.23.02 PM - Edited (2)

Screenshot 2018-01-06 at 5.23.02 PM - Edited (1)

This sale is going to be spectacular! Too bad I won’t be anywhere near London at the end of the month: otherwise, I’d definitely attend. The sale occurs on January 24, 2018, at 10:30 GMT in London. If you can attend, I highly encourage you to do so!

 

(all photos courtesy of Sotheby’s)

life curation · reading list

Review: The Best Year of Your Life by Debbie Ford

MstldelanoLeave a comment

Happy Monday, beloveds! After getting the first snow of the new year, I found myself with some extra downtime – I didn’t want to go out venturing with snow and ice on the ground! That gave me even more time to pick my favorite highlights from December’s reading selection, The Best Year of Your Life by Debbie Ford.

Just a few weeks before reading this book, I decided to look up Debbie and see what projects she is currently working on. Imagine my shock when I found that Debbie had passed on nearly 5 years ago. I mourn the loss of such a wonderful writer and incredible coach. However, I am thankful that she left her wisdom with us in the form of her book and other teaching materials.

The Best Year of Your Life takes the reader through three phases involved with creating your best year. The Dream It phase involves creating a intention that will guide you throughout the year, realizing that what you really want is how you desire to feel throughout the year, and discovering the personality traits that need to be developed in order to realize this ideal year. The Dream It phase helps you create a concrete vision of your ideal year, and gets to the core of the attributes needed to make it happen.

The Plan It phase involves laying the groundwork for the best year ever. Debbie shows readers how to clean up all of the unresolved/incomplete projects and tasks in their lives and how to expose and correct common pitfalls on the path to creating an ideal existence. She then goes step-by-step through the process of setting goals up in a way that practically guarantees success.

Finally, the Live It phase gives readers daily and weekly actions that keep them on track to achieve their goals. Debbie teaches how to create integrity “anchors”, practices that keep them focused throughout the year. She then teaches about the power of having high self-esteem, the necessity of being mindful and aware of our significant moments, and the importance of regularly creating “unforgettable” days that will be the cherishable memories of tomorrow. Lastly, she discusses the power of dedicating the year to a worthy cause or individual and how aspiring to excellence is the perfect support for an ideal year.

Without a doubt, my favorite chapter was Chapter 6, “Planning Your Year”. Debbie’s step-by-step formula for successful goals was just what I needed to get clear and organized in my plan of action. Sometimes, there are a lot of thoughts swimming around in my head, and Debbie’s approach helped me cut through the mental static and get laser-focused on what I need in order to make my best year possible.

The toughest chapter for me to read and begin implementing was Chapter 3, “Stepping Into Greatness”. Identifying the traits that I needed to cultivate in order to be the kind of person that easily attains my goals is something that I’m still working on. Hopefully, I’ll continue to get more clarity as the weeks go on, and, as I get clear, I can start consciously exhibiting those traits more consistently.

My favorite quote in this book was in Chapter 9, “Claiming the Moment”. That quote reads, “Time is precious. And when we realize this, we become aware of the importance of claiming each moment. Every moment holds the potential for being memorable. We all have the power to stop what we are doing and look for a way to make each moment special. If we won’t stop each day and claim some of these moments, they will pass us by, never to be found again.”

I know that this was my December 2017 reading selection, but I suspect I’ll be referencing it throughout the year. Debbie’s words are impactful and her guidance is easy to follow: I can see myself coming back to this as a refresher all year long. This book is a jewel!

international · music

Currently Listening To . . .

MstldelanoLeave a comment

A few weeks ago, I went to Charlotte, NC to visit one of my friends and to attend a kizomba weekender. You may have seen that in my post and wondered when the follow-up would be posted . . . Well, here you go.

I love kizomba and, while I’m a beginner, I really enjoyed learning the history and technical aspects of the dance. It’s sensual, elegant and so much fun. Not to mention, it made me very aware of some areas where my life could stand some improvement. More about that in another post. . .

So today, this is technically a “currently listening to AND watching” post. I found this kizomba tutorial and I’ve been using it to practice my moves. The position and fluidity of the female dancer’s body is what I’m watching closely: I want to make sure that I’m holding my body correctly while doing moves. I can already tell that I’m improving!

Are you all familiar with kizomba? Let me know in the comments below!

style

Boohoo Dresses – An Update

MstldelanoLeave a comment

As you all recall, I had several Boohoo hauls that I wrote about here and here. I just wanted to give you all an update on my dresses.

Since it’s been ridiculously cold in the Mid-Atlantic region, I’ve only been consistently wearing one of my Boohoo dresses: the Flo Ribbed Hi-Neck Dress (see photo below; as a side note, this color is no longer available at Boohoo, but there are still a lot of other color options to choose from on the website).

 

flolilas

 

This dress has been perfect for the chillier weather, since it’s thin enough to layer but has long sleeves and a slightly below-the-knee length. I’ve worn it with a blazer and knee-high boots, and it’s still a favorite! Here’s how I wore it before the weather got extra chilly:

IMG_1930 - Edited.jpg

While I had all of the dresses in rotation, I washed all of them at least twice, using a lingerie bag and regular wash cycle. I’m pleased to say that ALL of the dresses are still in excellent condition: no loose strings, fading, stretching or otherwise damaged fabric.

I have to say, these dresses have held up beautifully and were a great value. I look forward to wearing them again when the weather warms up!

beauty · luxury

Review: KoyVoca Mini-Haul

MstldelanoLeave a comment

After trying KoyVoca’s incredible Hi Life Highlighter in $1,000,000,000 Babe, I was eager to try some more of their products. I initially reviewed a few of their items in this post, but I really wanted to try their foundations and lipsticks. So I ordered two of the Classic Cream-to-Powder foundations in the shades Savannah and Mali. I also ordered the Nude Perfection lipstick in Vanity.

For starters, my products arrived fast, as in, less than a week. Kudos to KoyVoca for consistently getting their products out quickly! Next, I squealed when I saw the package: the products came in a gorgeous, festive envelope. Can we get into this shiny red packaging?

IMG_2417

Next, I was impressed by the size of the foundation compacts. There is a lot of product in them! These also have really nice mirrors in the interior of the compact.

Wrappers on, wrappers off

 

(left, Savannah, right, Mali)

I’ve swatched the products below. Can you tell which foundation is Savannah and which is Mali? I’ll give you a hint: Savannah has neutral undertones and Mali is warm-toned. In person, I could clearly see that one foundation was warmer than the other.

IMG_2427

I was really glad to see that Savannah (the shade that most closely matches the skin on my face, top swatch) is truly neutral: not too warm or too cool. Mali (bottom swatch) will be perfect during the summer, when my skin gets a bit warmer toned (even though I don’t necessarily tan every summer).

The product picked up easily with a swipe of my finger, though they work best with sponges (I wish the compacts came with sponges! Oh well.) I actually applied Savannah with a flat top powder brush and it buffed into my skin perfectly. It looked like my skin but better!

Now these are cream-to-powder foundations, so I was surprised that I had to apply powder on top of them to mattify the finish. Normally, cream-to-powders dry down and look flawless, but these still had a bit of shine to them. No matter: a good mattifying primer and a light application of translucent powder does the trick.

Next, I tried the Nude Perfection lipstick in Vanity. KoyVoca has only a few lipsticks, and each of them are designed to flatter women with deeper skintones. Vanity was one of the deepest shades available and looked like it would be a gorgeous hue, so I got it. I wasn’t disappointed.

First, the tube is magnetic, so the top of the lipstick tube is extra secure (it’s unlikely that the top will just “pop off” while in your purse). Next, the lipstick has a pleasant smell. It’s difficult to describe, but it doesn’t reek of the cheap chemicals that can occasionally be smelled when purchasing inexpensive lip products. And then there’s the color.

IMG_2426

This gorgeous shade looks like a grown up nude hue on me. I love it! It’s moisturizing, smells good and looks great. It’s been my go-to “throw it on and go” shade. It may even be taking the place of my Liya Nude, since Vanity is a richer hue with a little more red to keep it from being a “flat” brown.

Overall, this KoyVoca mini-haul was a hit! I have 3 products that I know I’m going to enjoy using over the next several months. The prices are reasonable ($10 for each foundation compact and the lipstick is also $10), and the quality is great! I still highly recommend that you give KoyVoca a try!

life curation · Uncategorized

Taking Time for Me

MstldelanoLeave a comment

One of the gifts I’ll give myself for 2018 is a social media fast. I’ll still maintain the Instagram account related to this blog, and I’ll also be sure to continue doing my daily posts (as I have for months now).

shutterstock

Truly carefree : this is how I’m living (photo from Shutterstock)

But I’ve grown weary of people “living” on social media and not taking advantage of life OFFLINE. Worst, I don’t want to become one of those people.

I’m excited to spend this self-imposed hiatus taking care of all of the things that I want ticked and tied before I jump headfirst into my big goals. This break is overdue and much needed.

Don’t forget to take time for YOU as this new year begins.

Love and blessings to you all!

reading list

Reading List: January’s Book

MstldelanoLeave a comment

I’m almost done with December’s book so I’m looking ahead to want I want to read in January.

As I’ve mentioned before, the Book of the Month is just one of the many books I read monthly, so sometimes I don’t always get around to finishing it. However, I’m a big believer in trying to stick to my word and do what I set out to do. So here’s to actually reading all of the books I add to the Reading List in 2018!

There’s a lot of pressure for me to pick the right book for this month. After all, it *is* January’s reading selection, and I *am* a fan of starting the year on the right foot. So yeah, pressure . . .

But since I have a very LARGE goal that I want to accomplish in 2018 (more about that in an upcoming post), I guess I should start the year off with a book that directly supports that goal. So, the book I’ll be (re)reading is The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss. It’s been a while since I read it, and I hadn’t yet read it in it entirety, so now seems like the perfect time.

I mean, a four hour work week sounds dreamy, right? Who doesn’t want more time to do the things that they enjoy? And I have a LOT that I want to enjoy in the years to come. No time like the present to start creating the reality that I want!

life curation

Preparing for 2018: The Advantage of Setting Impossible Goals

MstldelanoLeave a comment

2018 is almost here and I’ve got a final “Preparing for 2018” post for you all. I saved this one for last, not just because it’s my favorite (though it is), but because I truly feel that doing this is key to great goal setting.

Here’s the thing: goals that are easy to attain tend to feel “flat” when accomplished. Realistic goals may be great for boosting confidence but they don’t offer you any inspiration.

That’s why you should always have some impossible goals on your list.

Now, all of your goals shouldn’t be impossible. After all, how long will you continue shooting for those goals if you feel like you can’t reach any of them? Your fire and zeal won’t last long if you feel like you keep failing. You do, however, need some goals that light you up and put some pep in your step.

You can’t let your energy get cold, which is where those impossible goals come in. Impossible goals have FIRE, and FIRE keeps your energy from going cold.

I set an impossible goal in 2016. What made it impossible, you ask? Well, I wasn’t 100% on where it would take me, or even that I was ready for it. All I knew was that I know how I wanted to feel when that goal was accomplished.

My goal was to land in my dream job. I wrote out my goal in April 2016. I had my dream job by August 2016. Now a “job” may not feel impossible for most people, but this is the job I’ve wanted since 2008. It took nearly a decade to get it, but it happened only four months after I did the steps I mentioned in previous Preparing for 2018 posts.

Setting “impossible” goals can work for you. And if you need help in accomplishing your goal, just click on the “Preparing for 2018” tag below, and you’ll see all of the other posts I’ve written that can help you on your journey.

I have more to say about goals in general, but this is it for the Preparing for 2018 series. I hope you all enjoyed it!

 

food

Review: Busboys and Poets’ Shrimp Cake

MstldelanoLeave a comment

One of my favorite lunch spots in Washington, DC is Busboys and Poets, a bookstore/restaurant mashup that attracts foodies and literati alike. It may sound like a strangle combination, but it works. The restaurant’s name is a creative take on Langston Hughes’ background as a busboy that left poetry on patrons’ tables.

IMG_2469

Statue outside of the Busboys and Poets, 5th and K location

During lunch a couple of weeks ago, I decided to try a dish I hadn’t tasted before. The shrimp cake intrigued me, as I love traditional shrimp and grits. FYI, I’m taking a break from my vegetarian diet until the new year, so I’m getting my share of seafood NOW.

The Busboys and Poets website describes the dish as,

shrimp grit cake, asparagus, corn, tomatoes, Cajun cream sauce

For the record, all of the menu descriptions are short, to the point, and fail to capture the deliciousness of the dishes offered. Here’s a photo of the meal I enjoyed:

IMG_2468

Now here’s what you really need to know: This. Was. AMAZING! For the readers that know the trickiness involved with cooking grits (trying to make them not too watery yet not too dry), you’d appreciate the fact that the grit cake was firm yet had just enough moisture to keep it from being too dry. The cajun sauce was flavorful but not too spicy, and it was a perfect complement for the lightly seasoned grit cake. The shrimp not only surrounded the cake but little bit of crustacean were actually cooked into it, as well.

This dish is an appetizer, but you could easily add a side and make it a meal. It’s satisfying and delicious.

I’ll be reviewing more Busboys and Poets meals in the months to come because, truthfully, I look for any excuse to eat there. If you can, you should definitely stop and have a meal there. The restaurant has six locations, all within the Northern VA/DC/Maryland area. Stop by and treat yourself!