Tag: summer 2018

life curation

This Month’s Plans

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Can you all believe that June is here already?! My mind is blown by how quickly this year is moving along! I’m really pleased at how I’ve been progressing with my goals and I’m excited about what I’m envisioning for the rest of this year.

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This month will have a lot of activity, both on this blog as well as on my social media accounts (Twitter and Instagram – feel free to follow me if you haven’t already!) Over here, I’ll be bringing more information about visual arts, self-improvement, and creating/curating a quality lifestyle. On Twitter, you can see all of the latest art and culture happenings for Washington, DC and Richmond, VA (two of my stomping grounds). Check out Instagram for daily photos recapping some of my daily shenanigans, as well as a special series highlighting incredible artists that are showcasing their work on Insta.

I’ll also be posting a goal update at the end of this month. Yes, I’ve been working on those goals! And I finally updated this website to show my goals on the righthand column of the page. Yes, overdue, but better late than never, right?

 

art

New Exhibitions Coming to Washington DC

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museum

Happy Thursday, friends! Before we welcome the month of June, I thought you all might enjoy a list of some of the exhibitions coming to DC during the month. Have fun planning your museum trips! I know that I will.

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Kreeger Museum, June 5 – July 31, 2018: The art for this exhibit is coming from the Museum of Art, Architecture, and Technology (MAAT) in Lisbon. This museum is fairly new: it opened to the public in October 2016.  This is a special exhibition because it is the first group exhibition of 21st century Portuguese art of the 21st century to be presented in the United States.

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Fabergé piece on display at Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Hillwood Estate, Museum and Garden, June 9, 2018 – January 13, 2019: As a lover of all things bejeweled and antique, Peter Carl Fabergé’s work is an eternal fave. So I won’t miss this exhibition at Hillwood Estate, Museum and Garden in DC.  Fortunately, this exhibit will be here for several months, so if you can’t make it this summer, you have until early 2019 to visit and check it out.

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Daguerrotype of Louis Daguerre, one of the fathers of photography

National Portrait Gallery, June 15, 2018 – June 2, 2019: The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) will be exhibiting daguerrotypes collected over 50 years. This early form of photography was the predecessor to photography as we know it today. The collection has some very famous faces, like P. T. Barnum and Matthew C. Perry, within it. The museum is celebrating it’s golden anniversary this year, so you can bet that there will be a lot of great exhibits throughout the year. 

folkart

Smithsonian Folklife Festival

National Mall, June 27 – July 1, 2018; July 4 – 8, 2018

June ends on a strong note with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. This year’s festival will highlight Armenia, Catalonia and the Sisterfire Concerts. It’s technically not an art exhibition, but if you’re in the area, you can’t miss the festival. This is always a great opportunity to take in international culture over several days.

culture · life curation

New Course: Cultures and Identities in Europe

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As part of listening to my intuition and stepping into my best life, I have stayed “light and loose” when it comes to my plans. I had been taking the ALISON Color Theory course for a bit, but I found it difficult to stay engaged in the content. Sure enough, a better online course came along that completely lit me up! When my gut told me “This is the course for you!” I didn’t hesitate to sign up and put the ALISON course on hold, so I can focus on the new class.

“Cultures and Identities in Europe” is a course available through FutureLearn, an educational website based in Europe. The course aims to give some background information and perspective into how European cultures and identities have been shaped over time. This is especially useful information for me, as I plan to travel to Europe several times over the next years.

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I’m looking forward to learning more about European history, culture, creativity, and the future of Europe’s cultural heritage. The course should be fascinating!

If you’re interested in the course, you should check it out. It’s free and available in an online format, so it’s easy to complete lectures and assignments on your schedule. Don’t delay: the course starts on June 4, 2018! You’ll want to make sure that you’re already enrolled once the materials are made available to class attendees.

I hope you join me in this class! Take care, and talk to you all tomorrow.

reading list

Reading List: June’s Book

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I’m almost done with The War of Art, so it’s time for me to select another book. I really wanted to read a book that I either 1) hadn’t read before or 2) had started reading but never completed. I also wanted the June reading selection to speak directly to one of my goals (by the way, I’ll be posting goal updates VERY soon!). At minimum, I wanted the selection to be in support of those goals.

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So, as it happens, the first book that I picked up while tidying my bedroom was Your Life by Design by Curtis R. Estes. I opened the book up and literally, the page I landed on spoke directly to me. I didn’t have to hunt for the book: my June selection found me!

I’m looking forward to reading this and discussing it with you all. Talk to you all tomorrow!

style

My Next Shoe Purchase

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This is going to be a brief post, because this is a BUSY week!

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it before, but I LOVE a creatively designed pair of shoes. I also love supporting true artisans, so it was only a matter of time before I sought out shoes that marry my love of creative design and excellent craftsmanship.

I was recently introduced to Aminah Abdul Jillil from a fashionista on FB. I didn’t realize it, but I’d been seeing Aminah’s designs all over a bunch of blogs but I never knew the name behind the designs. So yeah, I’m late to the party, but I’m glad I arrived. Her shoes are DROOLWORTHY. Just look at these beauties:

ChampagneOpenToe

Champagne Open Toe Pumps by Aminah Abdul Jillil

Considering the cost of most designer shoes, Aminah’s designs are downright affordable. These will be perfect for showing off the results of my foot exfoliation treatment. I can’t wait to purchase my first pair! When I get them, I’ll be sure to share photos and review them.

 

food

My Secret Weapon for the Summer

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After the languishing winter we’ve had, I’ll admit that I’ve been anxiously awaiting warmer days. For one thing, I’m a summer baby, and so I feel like I come alive during the summer months. Secondly, the foods that are abundant during the summer – fresh fruits and vegetables – are my favorites. I love eating salads and drinking freshly made smoothies.

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Summer’s almost here!

This brings me to the topic of today’s post. I have had a handy gadget since the fall, and I’ve used it several times, though I’ve never mentioned it on this blog. This gadget is such a game changer for me: it’ll allow me to easily create the fresh smoothies that I want, anywhere and at any time. This gadget is my portable, personal blender.

Sadly, the one that I purchased in the fall is no longer available, but I’m linking a suitable alternative below. Just click here or on the picture to take a look at it.


I got my personal blender in pink, as well. This device is ingenius: it has a charging port that allows you to recharge the battery using your standard phone charger. Once the blender is charged, you can make smoothies without having to be bound to an electrical outlet. It’s small and lightweight, not to mention very cute. These blenders are powerful enough to turn fruit into smooth, creamy deliciousness.

Do you have a personal blender that you’d like to recommend? Let me know in the comments below!

 

beauty

Beauty Review: Bea Luz Exfoliating Booties

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Hey friends! Sandal season will be here before you know it! To get summer-worthy feet, I knew I needed to intensify my moisture and exfoliation regimen. To really amp up the foot-softening process, I grabbed some exfoliating booties from Amazon.

You all know that I have an exfoliating routine that I’ve used successfully during the cold months. That routine really helped keep dry, rough skin to a minimum. But even the best maintenance can sometimes need a little “amping up”.

These exfoliating booties are similar to the Baby Feet products. These work by soaking your feet in a mild acid for 60 – 90 minutes. After soaking your feet, you remove the booties and rinse the solution off, moisturize and go about your day. In 2-4 days, you’ll see the beginnings of skin exfoliation.

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Foot (and polish!) goals

The product has a softly floral fragrance and feels cool on the feet. I put my feet into the booties then put a close-fitting sock over it, so that I could walk around while doing the treatment. While it felt weird, I was pleased that I could still move about as I let these exfoliants do the heavy lifting.

I will spare you my foot photos, but please know that I had lots of dead skin peeling off of my feet. It didn’t peel in the large sheets that I’ve seen others proudly post online, but the results were noticeable. I soaked my feet twice in the week after applying the treatment, and I used my Korean bath mitt to help slough off the dead skin. In less than two weeks, my feet were softer, smoother, and pretty much sandal ready! Needless to say, I was very pleased with the results.

I’ll be using this one more time at the beginning of May, just to make sure that my tootsies are flawless before Memorial Day. I’m excited to see how transformed my feet will be after this next treatment. The price is reasonable at $12.99 for two pairs of exfoliating bootles. I’m already ordering my next pair, so I can refresh the skin during the warm weather.