Pretty Pastoral – A girl and a farm.

May 11, 2020

Well, That Escalated Quickly…

Well… it’s been a minute. Some things have changed and some have not, but I’m back to type another day.

I was laid off from my job in retail buying in August, along with hundreds of other people from my company. I collected my severance and then switched over to unemployment while applying for jobs. My son’s 3rd birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the new year came and went. And 2020 seemed like the year things would come together – who couldn’t like 2020? So even! So pleasing to the eye! Everything’s coming up Milhouse this year, friends! And then?

Well, then it all went to hell.

In January, a friend of mine shared an article on Facebook about a virus causing chaos in China. In retail, we do a lot of direct business with China and get packages overnight all the time for product approvals. She expressed concern with opening packages knowing there was a new virus, and I fought my inner OCD demons and forced myself to say: that’s so silly. Nothing is going to stay alive on a package! I mentioned it to my husband and he shrugged it off. I was secretly glad I wasn’t opening packages anymore.

By February we knew that this was more than we’d expected. It was the last “normal” month, but we didn’t know that then. My mind was completely elsewhere, dealing with some complicated and disheartening news, applying for jobs, redecorating our bathroom, and chasing my little boy around our house as his winter-induced Space Madness reached peak levels.

Winter got us all like…

On March 4, I didn’t buy Clorox wipes or toilet paper at Costco. There had begun to be runs on these items, and I thought: maybe I should? I was victorious over the voice in my head that makes me overbuy cleaning items (even on normal occasions) and put my 6-pack of Clorox wipes back on the shelf. On March 6, the wipes were gone when I went back with my sister. On March 8, we skipped a family trip to the zoo. It was the first beautiful day of False Spring and half of the city of Chicago was headed to the zoo, which seemed like exactly the wrong idea for avoiding this weird new illness. I felt a little high-strung for not attending – like maybe I was overreacting – but my husband understood and we stayed home. On March 9, it rained all damn day. It was cold and wet and miserable – basically the perfect time to NOT interact with other humans. And that night I hit grocery shopping hard. Again, I felt a little crazy pushing my completely-full shopping cart around while people just grabbed a couple of items and gave me weird looks. Even by then, there were no cleaning products to be had. I grabbed the last 2 bottles of hand soap from the shelf. There was very little pasta or beans. Shit was getting real and weird. Real weird. I packed up my $300 grocery haul in the back of my car in the rain aaaaand my trunk wouldn’t latch. Damn it. I struggled with it both inside and outside the car while my lower half got completely soaked. I only had a quarter tank of gas but didn’t want to stop on the way home because I was tired and overwhelmed and freakin’ wet. I can get gas another time, I told myself.

Well friends, I haven’t left my property since that night – with the exception of a Walmart grocery pickup the next week that I didn’t leave my car for, and a bi-weekly start and drive to keep my car alive. I still haven’t gotten gas. And that’s where we are now. Hanging on to whatever shreds of sanity I have left and blogging again. OH – and Netflixing and online shopping. More on that later, guyzz!

August 26, 2018

How I Make Money on Poshmark

Like a lot of women (and men), I have a much larger wardrobe than I actually need.

I mean, needs-wise, you’ve got what – a couple pairs of jeans, a few sweaters, some tshirts, enough underwear to get to the next laundry day, a handful of socks, a couple of pairs of good shoes, and whatever might be required for your chosen profession. My workplace is casual, so my “dress slacks” (UGH) have been in storage for years.

What I actually have? TONS of shirts, jeans, sweaters, cardigans, shoes, underwear, socks, etc. Enough to fill my closet… and my dresser. Enough to make it difficult to put away laundry when I try to wash it all at the same time because there’s just not enough space. So it lives in the laundry basket.

A couple of years ago I did a massive purge. Bags and bags of clothes went to donation. Last year I sold a big box of clothes to a girl on Facebook. YET, here I am again. Still stuffed to the gills.

Enter Poshmark. I joined a couple of years ago and bought a pair of LulaRoe leggings because 2016. I posted a few items and sold a couple of jackets, but the rest of my closet went ignored and unpurchased. What was I doing wrong? How did people make a living off this? All I want to do is sell some random crap from my closet!

Last month, I made about $250 from Poshmark sales. Here are 5 things that I did differently this time:

Follow People – Lots of People

The point of “following” on Poshmark should be that you’d follow a closet that had a similar style to your own, creating a timeline of shares of items you actually like. In practice? Follow as many people as you care to click “follow” on. Following people increases your audience and increases the number of people viewing your item. This might seem silly because most people just search Poshmark for what they want, but I’ve gained likes and sold a few items just moments after sharing and having my item re-shared by a follower. It doesn’t hurt and it doesn’t take a long time, so why not?

SHARE, SHARE, SHARE

Like, at least once a day. This sets your item back at the top of search results. If you don’t share your item, it will be lower on the list of search results. Location, location, location. It also signals to a buyer that you’re an active seller and not someone who posted items and completely forgot that Poshmark exists. The joy of sharing extends to sharing from others’ closets. Whether it’s something you like or something you just think is interesting, this will hopefully result in a person sharing an item from your closet, too – which means that they clicked into your closet and shopped around. Sometimes this can result in a sale! I usually share from people’s closets who have posted similar brands to the ones in my closet. They might just see something that tickles their fancy.

Delete and Re-Post – Even If Your Item Has a Bunch of Likes

This seems counterintuitive on the surface but has worked for me more than once. You post an item. Your item gets a bunch of likes. YAY! You do a couple of private price drops and no one bites. Then you do a couple of public drops… and now you don’t want to go lower but it’s still sitting there. Girl, the odds of someone changing their mind is slim. They might be following your item for any number of reasons, but so far the price hasn’t been the deciding factor. Delete the listing and post it again. Change up the description if you’d like. Add a couple of new photos. Or post the exact same listing again – you do you. Re-posting resets the ‘clock’ on your item – it shows up as “Recent Listings” on feeds and refreshes it in the system. It also deletes your history of price drops. Give it a try.

Check “Sold” Prices – Not Just “For Sale”

You might think your Kate Spade bag is super presh and in excellent used condition, but that doesn’t mean that someone else agrees with you. I always check for comparable items, both currently for sale and already sold. I can usually figure out a reasonable landing price and decide if it’s worth it for me.

Follow Users Who Purchased Items Like Yours

OK, this one takes a minute. Search for an item like yours. Look under “Sold” and click on a recent sale. Check who “liked” the post and follow them. That’s all. There’s good reason to believe that if someone liked an item, but didn’t buy it, maybe they will be pleasantly surprised to see a similar item in your closet. If not, NBD.

I’m sure that people who do this as a full-time job have lots more tips and tricks but I cleared some closet space and earned enough to buy myself a little something – that will eventually meet the same fate. Sigh. The cycle continues…

August 22, 2018

Thirty-One, You Almost Got Me

About a month ago, I posted in one of the Facebook mom groups looking for a Thirty-One rep to buy a tote bag. Specifically, the large utility tote. My research had shown that this was the perfect size and shape for bringing to the pool, hauling loads of cupcakes to other locations, and helping to carry groceries from the car. Plus, those adorable prints! I got my first large utility tote (at a nice discount) and I fell in love. I quickly fell down the rabbit hole into obsession.

Once a get an idea into my mind, it’s tough to get it out until I act on it. This can be great for pressing through adversity, but decidedly less fruitful in other pursuits. If I decide that I need a green, cable knit sweater, I’ll be goddamned if I’ll rest unless it’s cuddled up wearing my new, green, cable knit sweater. I was quickly adding Thirty-One “likes” on Poshmark. I was contacting reps on Facebook and asking if they had certain prints. I got invited to a Bingo event. I even watched a few minutes of a Facebook Live. I was in deep.

Last week, my mother in law hosted a Thirty-One party for a family friend who recently got into the biz. Her ‘mentor’ was a woman who has been selling the product for about a year and a half and had a ton of stuff. As she excitedly told us all of the ‘thirty one uses’ for each product while passing bags around the circle of women in my mother in law’s living room, I thought “This is great. How cute is this bag? This would be perfect for…”

me, to myself.

I’m a former Tupperware rep, so I guess I’m an easy mark. Tupperware was fun for me. I got a bunch of free stuff, bought some discounted stuff, made a little money, and was on my way. But I can see how women are pulled into an inventory and debt black hole with this stuff. I still have Tupperware in my basement that has never been touched by human hands. Most MLMs say that they don’t want you to buy inventory to sell, but it’s hard to justify having a party where you look at a catalog of stuff you can’t touch or try. It’s tactile stuff, that storage and org. You need at least one of everything because who would buy a $50 bag they’ve never seen in person?

Image result for thirty one fall kit 2018

But that sign up package, tho! That’s pretty impressive. Lots of people sign on with these companies just for the discount and the onboarding package, and Thirty One totally has their number. They have two onboarding packages. The Signature Kit is $99 and includes some classics – things you’d actually use day to day – but not really any of the new and exciting ‘fashion’ items. This is the kit you buy if you just want a considerable discount for your own use. The second option, the Deluxe Kit, $179 and includes 2 versions of their new purse with zippered flaps you can change out (I don’t get it), another purse, a different pillow, and some totes and thermals. This is the kit you buy if you actually want to sell this stuff.

I admit that I got sucked in. For a few days I thought, “Should I just sign up? I’ll get a bunch of stuff, I can order some Christmas gifts, and then I’ll probably be done with my MLM venture.” It was enticing, for sure. I’m a bags girl and I love the idea of perfectly organized things in perfectly organized bags and totes for a perfectly organized life. My actual life, though – NOT PERFECT. The large utility tote I purchased a month ago? I have yet to take it to the pool (it’s the end of August, btw), I never remember to put it in my car when I go grocery shopping, and the last time I needed to transport cupcakes to a secondary location was actual years ago. The bags would be perfect for a multitude of things, but a multitude of things I mostly already own a bag for accomplishing. Rationally, I have a purse. I have a tote. I have a bag that clips onto my shopping cart (HELLO ALDI) and can be filled with groceries, then toted directly into the car. I did use my new tote for laundry and to take to a parade last week, but I have other things that could have accomplished that job satisfactorily as well. Things that do not cost upwards of $30.

Image result for too many bags meme

But honestly, I love the print! It makes me happy to look at and I enjoy owning it. As Marie Kondo would say, it sparks joy and is thusly considered ‘worth it’. Most of the stuff in that onboarding package? Not my dream prints. Not something that would spark joy and not ‘worth it’. That’s not to say I’m entirely purged of the Thirty-One bug yet, y’all. I think the basic products are good quality and useful. If the spring season brings cute prints that I absolutely adore it might be something I’d like to get down with. But for now? I’ll stick to purchasing useful things in prints I love.

August 20, 2017

TV Talk: Bachelor in Paradise

I’d never watched a season of The Bachelor/Bachelorette until this summer. I heard my coworkers discussing it for years, but felt confident that it was basically a cast of the most vapid, self-involved, fame-hungry, crazy-beautiful people in the United States. Aaaand, after watching Rachel’s season of the Bachelorette, I discovered that I was mostly right. You could see her picking Bryan a mile away, which is approximately how far away you could smell his total bullcorn. Almost everyone was kind of awful and now, with Bachelor in Paradise, we can delve deeper into the psyche of a select few of these wonderful gentlemen and the ladies that could possibly love them.

It took me 3 late nights before I managed to watch all 4 hours of Bachelor in Paradise available this week. OK so lesson #1 when I started watching this show: the episodes are two hours long. WHY, ABC, WHY? That’s too long for normal, human people to watch. That’s the same time commitment as a movie – EVERY EFFING WEEK. “But you could record and flip through the commercials,” you might say. Yes, I could do that… in theory. In practice, my stupid Playstation Vue won’t fast forward through the vast majority of advertisements on this show. Le sigh.

So filming was interrupted just a couple of days in due to some sort of drunken sexual encounter between two cast members that I won’t go into here because it’s old news now, which caused a huge upheaval and lots of drama, but seems to have left our remaining cast completely ready to continue making their love lives public knowledge. Honestly, short of a hurricane that destroyed the entire southern hemisphere, I’m not sure anything would have deterred these folks from continuing making their love lives public knowledge. Even then, they’d probably set up in someone’s basement in New Jersey and continue filming. They want to be on TV and they want it now.

I know these are real people and not characters on TV. I try to tread lightly because my approval means everything to them, but this show has the biggest bunch of handsome dorks I’ve ever seen in my life. Most of these guys are just completely undateable. They’re annoying (Alex) or douche-y (Iggy) or clearly just commitment-phobic (most of the others). STOP DOING THAT TO YOUR HAIR, ROBBY. On the lady side, some of them are crazy (Jasmine, Lacey), some are obnoxious (Corinne), and the rest fairly nondescript (so far). I don’t know the history on any of them since I never watched any of their seasons, but I don’t think it will take me long to catch up.

My main point is this: I CALL BULLSHIT. These people are super attractive. There is either something so, so wrong with them or they stay single for the sole purpose of continuing to sip pina coladas on a beach and be “famous.” There is no way on this Earth that all of these people just haven’t found “the one” if they are truly trying to meet a person to marry. Especially if the only criteria for being “the one” is being featured on a television show (which, reminder, is how you all got there). Truthfully, finding someone to be with isn’t that goddamn hard once you decide that’s actually what you want and you’re willing to compromise, be vulnerable, and accept that someone else is an actual human being with flaws. Either these folks are so annoying or damaged that no one else will take them (which I maintain is impossible – there’s someone out there who will deal with a lot for pretty) or they don’t actually want to be in a relationship.

So right now, we have Taylor and Derek. Derek seems like he’s hitching his wagon to the first available lady to secure his rose. I don’t buy it. Jasmine has seemingly no idea that Matt Whocares is now regretting his decision. Kristina has realized about Dean exactly what Rachel did: there is no man behind the curtain. Alex, leave Amanda alone. Is that everyone who is actually doing anything?

OH ALSO, this constant talk about who girls are “giving their rose” to gives me the weirds and the coverage of Carly and Evan’s wedding was too long.

I’m looking forward to continuing to enjoy this slow-motion trainwreck as a distraction from the very real problems happening in the good ol’ US of A right now. So Danielle, take it from here:

August 16, 2017

IRL: L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara vs. Too Faced Better Than Sex

As I wrote last Wednesday, I wanted to love Too Faced’s Better Than Sex mascara. It made my lashes look large and in charge and just… beautiful. However, it was less beautiful as it began to flake and smear under my lid throughout the day. That’s a huge mascara no-no.

So when I heard that L’Oreal was coming out with what was essentially a dupe for BTS, I was excited. And when I started seeing reviews that called it the best new mascara ever, I had to run out and get some ASAP. For me, ASAP meant a couple of weeks later. I have a baby at home, y’all! I can’t run out to Walgreens all willy-nilly. I’m also on a budget and was waiting for a bit of a sale, so when I picked up my mascara at Walgreens last week it was not only BOGO 50%, it was also a dollar off each. So I spent a grand total of $13 (with tax) on two mascaras. WIN.

Of course, I had to test it against its competitor and luckily I still have a barely-used BTS at home. Now, it’s not a perfect comparison because this is a new Lash Paradise tested against an older Better Than Sex, so some might say that differences could arise based on how long the BTS has had to dry out BUT I say that it’s close enough for me. And probably you, too. And really, that packaging? Anyone who says this isn’t a direct dupe for BTS is being silly. Color, texture, everything is remarkably similar on the tubes. Comparing price: Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara retails for $23 full size and $12 for travel size. L’Oreal’s Lash Paradise retails for $9.99 but ranges from $7.99 to $9.99 depending on where you buy it.

Let’s compare the two wands, shall we? I’d watched videos on YouTube comparing the two and in person, honestly it’s hard to tell the difference. The L’Oreal (left) bristles seem to be slightly shorter. That’s about it. They both have a slight hourglass shape that fits the curve of your lashes. Both nice.

Let’s get down to business. Here are my eyes with a bit of shadow and no mascara or liner. And my face without foundation (hello, freckles!). Woof, need to work on those brows, girl.

OK, here is my scientific experiment. This was around noon, so start the timer. BTS on one eye, LP on the other. Two coats – light on the lower lashes – and no liner. I thought liner might throw off my results a bit. They look very similar. The LP makes me lashes look a bit longer and the BTS looks a little fuller but overall pretty good on both. (As a side note, I promise I don’t have uneven eyes. I was trying to get better light and I tilted my head. Oops. OR I do have uneven eyes and this is how I find out. TWIST.)

A few hours later and the BTS still looks nice, but you can see the flecks starting to collect under my lower lashes as they always do. The Lash Paradise was flake-free and I didn’t snap a photo.

Aw man, flake city. Lash Paradise still looked good. Not perfect, but fine. Also by this point, my BTS eye was getting really irritated. I think I’ve blamed my contact lenses in the past but since it was only the BTS eye, I’m pretty sure it was due to the flakes falling into and irritating my eye. (Sorry about the lighting on this one, folks. My downstairs bathroom light is super yellow and it was getting dark outside by this point.)

Here are my official results. It’s hard to tell, but the flecks below my eye are the remnants of my BTS mascara. The Lash Paradise eye was irritation-free, but I did have a bit of flaking. Not as much as the BTS, but saying it didn’t happen would be untrue. My LP eye just looks better. The length is still there, which is awesome. Overall, I give Lash Paradise a thumbs up. For me, it is not only a dupe for Too Faced Better Than Sex but it’s actually BETTER. Definitely worth it and I won’t be purchasing Better Than Sex again. If you haven’t tried it yet, go. Go now.

I also picked up L’Oreal’s original “Voluminous” mascara and will be testing it alongside my new love Lash Paradise soon. Which is better? We’ll find out!

August 9, 2017

Want It Wednesday!

Here’s what’s on my list this week!

1. L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara

So that seems like a real mouthful of a name for some mascara but I’ve heard it’s great. Back on Black Friday, I picked up a $10 deluxe sample size Too Face Better Than Sex mascara at Sephora and when I tried it out, I was in love. My lashes looked amazing. A few hours later, I was decidedly out of love. There was no trace of mascara left on my lashes. My previously beautiful flutter was now smeared under my eyes like a bug on a windshield. My experience is not unique. I’ve kept my BTS around since then for special (and short) occasions, but if this can give me a similar look that doesn’t end up under my eyes and costs less than half the price? I’ll take it.

2. A new flat iron

A few years ago I used a gift card to purchase a fancy Sedu flat iron. I remember thinking it was the bee’s knees when I began using it. It flipped, it straightened, it curled. And now? It sucks. What happened? I tried cleaning it. I tried turning up the temp (bad idea, btw). I tried using smaller sections of hair. I have not yet tried ritual sacrifice. My hairdresser says one of the heating elements may have gone haywire or gone out completely. Either way, it’s no longer trustworthy. I’ve been trying to decide what type I want – ceramic, titanium? – and how much I really want to spend. One of my friends recommended the BaByLiss Titanium and my stylist recommended something from FHI. Online reviews are dizzying so I might just head into my local Ulta and see what they have to say.

3. Space Bags

I’m packing up baby clothes that my little guy has outgrown. We don’t really have any storage space that isn’t in a damp basement or a hot attic, so anything stored has to be pretty secure. I don’t need these bags so much for the ‘space’ conservation – just to keep the critters out. FUN OLD HOUSE STUFF. I plan to seal those bags up, put them in a plastic container, and try not to think about how adorably small he was until we pop those suckers open for a future, hypothetical baby.

4. Time to clean my house

Having a baby around brings immeasurable joy. He brings so much joy that I rarely have time to do much else when he’s around. He’s at the age where I can no longer put him in one spot and have any expectation of him still being there when I turn around. He’s not a kid who is unwilling to play on his own, but he is a very, very curious baby. As such, he is always on a new adventure and I am always on his tail to keep his new adventure from maiming him. Last week my husband hung out with him for a couple of hours while I (gasp!) cleaned the bathroom and my bedroom. It was glorious. I actually really enjoy cleaning so when I get a good, uninterrupted period of time to mop a floor – oh man, watch out.

What do you want this Wednesday?

August 3, 2017

FabFitFun Summer Box – Better Late Than Never!

I was enticed to try to FabFitFun box from an acquaintance on Facebook who was showing off her summer box. “Look at this great stuff!” was her basic message, and I said to myself “I agree, but I’m not yet sold.” Since Facebook knows everything now, about an hour later I scrolled past an ad for $10 off my first box plus a mystery eyeshadow palette. I can be bought with eyeshadow. I signed up and my friend signed up using my referral code that evening, deciding to compare boxes when we received them. Yay girl stuff!

While it’s more expensive than your monthly Birchbox, the items in the FabFitFun box are also full size. After a year or so of subscribing, I was drowning in tiny samples from my Ipsy and Birchboxes. Before we moved I ended up giving most of it away, trashing the rest, and canceling my subscriptions. What a massive waste of money. Luckily, FabFitFun is also seasonal, so you get a box every quarter instead of every month. It makes the cost a little easier to swallow for me.

So anyway, approximately 10 business days later, my friend got a note that her box had shipped. But… I got no such note. Shucks. Maybe mine will go out tomorrow? No? Next day? No. Day after? No. Week after? Sorry, still no. A week later, I was offered a $10 credit as consolation when I asked about it, which I felt okay about. But when Monday came and nothing happened? I felt less consoled. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday… nothing. Friday I reached out on Twitter. FabFitFun responded quickly with message that my box had shipped that day, providing tracking info and all. What a happy coincidence! I settled in and waited for my box to arrived the following week.

Only it didn’t, guys. It didn’t. It sat there for almost an additional week before I finally reached out again and said “Guys, it still hasn’t shipped.” At which point, it finally did AND I did receive credit for my fall box on the house because of the wait. I received my box a full 5 weeks after ordering. I know that things happen and sometimes you get the short end of the stick, but it was a bummer that instead of feeling excited when I got my box, I sort of just felt like “Oh, finally.” I do totally appreciate them giving me a free fall box, and I can’t wait to see what kind of fun stuff it has. Thumbs up, FabFitFun. Way to turn that frown upside down!

Anyway, my battle with shipment isn’t why you’re here. You’re here because you want to know what the eff was actually in the box. Well, here it is (including my extras on the bottom).

Regular Stuff:

1. Michael Stars Ruana – Retail $54

I didn’t know what a ruana was until I got this box. It’s a not a scarf, it’s not a sarong, it’s not a shawl – it’s all of those things plus whatever the heck else you want. I got the black and white print, but I think there were a couple of nicer colors. It’s nice and big and soft, but I wouldn’t pay $54 for it and frankly, neither would you. But I’m sure I’ll use it on my next beach vacation. Insert wishful thinking right about here: ________

2. BKR Little (500 ml) – Retail $35

This is a cute water bottle. It’s glass, which is both scary and nice, and it has a silicone sleeve to keep it from ending up as tiny shards at the bottom of my sink. I like the pretty blue color. I might pay like $14.99 for it at TJ Maxx.

3. Cargo Cosmetics Picture Perfect Highlighter in Bronze – Retail $30

I’m just not really on board with this highlighter thing. I spent a lot of years trying not to look shiny in every photo of me, ever. I don’t think the lizard people among us understand the struggle. It’s pretty, for sure, and I sometimes wear a really light color under my eyes to brighten them up. This is a darker color, right around a sparkly version of my own skin. I might one day use it for a janky Twilight Halloween costume, but I can’t see using it regularly.

4. Juice Beauty Smoothing Eye Concentrate – Retail $29

When I told my friend I probably wouldn’t use this, she was like “What! We’re 33! You’re not going to use it?!” And I was like, shrug. To be fair, she’s an aesthetician and I’m tired. She’s probably right.

5. Kris Nations Mystic Bar Necklace – Retail $58

$58 gets a hard NOPE from me on this one. It’s cute and gold (my preference) and came in an adorable little glass jar that I will 100% repurpose. It’s 18k gold overlay which I guess explains the high price tag. I kind of wish I’d gotten a different color. I’ll wear it, but it’s not something I would have picked out for myself.

6. Eau Thermale Avene Ulta-Light Hydrating Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50+ – Retail $24

Yes, this is something I can get behind. You need sunscreen, people. And while I normally hate getting skincare items in subscription boxes, I was happy about this one. You can’t pin me down, folks. I’ve used this once so far with no negative effects and plan to continue using it.

7. Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk – Retail $20

This is one of my favorite dry shampoos and I was excited to see it come in my box. It’s a bit pricey, but works really well. The only downside is that I feel it runs out super fast. I purchased it once from Sephora after getting a sample and wasn’t planning to purchase it again (for the running out reason), but this was like a happy little accident surprise. Huzzah!

8. Ready, Set, Create Art Kit! – Retail $22

OK, so… what? This is fun but I have absolutely no idea what buyer gave this the green light to send to adult women. As someone who purchases many craft supplies, I find that $22 price tag tough to believe. Cute stencil though, and I guess I’ll keep it in my closet for when my niece comes over.

Extra Stuff:

My Box had a couple of extras, including the mystery eyeshadow palette.

1. Spongelle Cleanse Buff Glow Shimmer Buffer with Built-In Body Wash – Retail $20 (according to their website)

This is really something. I’m not sure why I received this, since there’s no mention of it in my little summer box newsletter thing. It’s very sparkly and smells interesting. It will make a festive stocking stuffer at Christmas. Or possibly a white elephant gift. No shade – some women really like being sparkly. OHH, maybe for my off-brand Twilight costume? Now I’m using my noodle.

2. RealHer Play Book Shadow Palette Do Your Squats – Retail $28

“Do Your Squats” is an interesting name for this warm, rather brown-themed eyeshadow palette. It’s not bad, really. The shimmers are nice and aside from “Terrific”, which is a gaudy glitter bomb, this palette is totally wearable. It’s also paraben free, vegan, cruelty free, and sulfate free. I used it once over the weekend and it blended well. I’ll definitely keep it in the rotation, but I wouldn’t have purchased this on my own for $28.

So that’s all, folks! Overall I was pleased with my summer box from FabFitFun and looking forward to seeing whats in my fall box. Until then, enjoy!

July 31, 2017

Home: Renovation or Preservation?

Recently, we went to visit friends whose house is on the market. I’ve seen their house only twice – once shortly after they’d moved in, and now as they attempt to move out. They’ve made lots of upgrades to their home to increase the value and hopefully make a buck before heading off to their new life. As I toured their house, the freshly painted walls, neatly vacuumed carpet, spotless and clutter-free surfaces, huge closets, and newly renovated master bathroom and kitchen spoke to me. They said, “Girl, I know we’re great. But you’re going to have to get over it.”

My house is the opposite of this.

I live in an old house. Not surburban old like built-in-the-1960s-old, but in a few short years, it will hit its hundredth birthday. The first time we saw our house, we were struck by how much charm it had. Our home has never had a major update or addition, aside from a kitchen renovation a few years ago and an unattractive bathroom remodel that’s got to be going on 15 years. We have dark woodwork that appears to have never been painted, never removed, never touched. We have original hardwood floors. We have the original built-in dressers in a few of our closets. Our home is lovely, cozy, and oh-so-charming.

What our home doesn’t have? Large windows. Good lighting. Large bedrooms. Walk-in closets. An open-concept floor plan. A master bathroom – hell, I’d take more than one full bath. Good storage space. In short, it’s not a modern home. There are huge trade-offs to living in an older home that don’t end with mysterious plumbing, electrical issues, and possibility of ghosts. We have small, dark, enclosed rooms with very little closet space.

My husband simply says that we knew what the house was before we moved in. We are lucky to live in such a wonderful place with so much history. This… just makes me feel worse. I get it, I’ve had plenty of pairs of shoes that looked great in the store but gave me blisters. And honestly, I do enjoy our home and appreciate its charm, but there are some things that just don’t work. Of course, we could make updates but mentioning any structural changes that might make the house more livable but less “original” are met with dismay. Who are we to make changes? I don’t want some glitter-suited stranger in the future to look through his smartlenses and say “Yeah, this place was great until a previous owner came along and ruined the whole character.” I don’t want a cookie-cutter home in a subdivision – I just want a home that belongs to me.

I must admit that it’s been tough to come to grips with the limitations of what might be our “Forever Home.” In many ways, it feels like it’s not ours – a museum rather than a home. Like we are eternal guests in our house, some dead person’s VRBO. I always thought I’d be free to make my home my home, and it’s frustrating to be met with so much internal and external pressure to keep it someone else’s.

So yeah, the green-eyed monster came out a bit seeing our friends’ home. I left feeling a bit defeated, a bit disappointed, and a bit jealous. I mentioned this to my husband, who offered 3 options: we could sell our house, knock it down and build a new one, or get over it and accept what it is. His problem-solving didn’t do much for my mood. There are several home projects we’d like to begin the next year or so – finishing our attic, building a deck – maybe that will make me feel better? Maybe. I just can’t push away the image of still having separate too-small closets when we’re 70. Maybe by then we’ll have fewer clothes. We will be shrinking instead of growing. Maybe by then this house will seem too big instead of too small. We are making memories in this home with our baby that can’t be renovated or replaced.

Maybe. But I still want a new bathroom.

July 17, 2017

Super Easy DIY “Scentsy” Wax Melts

As I mentioned in my last post, I recently won a Scentsy warmer from a Facebook party after a friend of mine became a consultant. But when my warmer arrived on Wednesday, I had nothing to warm in it. As a dedicated scented candle enthusiast, I’m not sure how I’ve missed this whole “wax warmer” trend the last several years. Scentsy is the OG direct sales kinda thing, but Walmart (and some other stores) now carry a few knockoffs. I ordered a few bars from Scentsy that haven’t arrived yet and honestly, I guess $5 for a wax “bar” from Scentsy isn’t a huge deal if I can a lot of hours of use from it. But that $8 shipping, Scentsy. Unless I’m buying stuff other than a few wax bars, that’s a deal killer. On my limited budget, a $2 knockoff from Walmart is definitely enticing. But why buy when you can DIY? And it’s seriously easy.

I managed to drip some oil in the pan. Oops.

A wax bar only needs two things: wax (or some other meltable oil) and scent. As a handmade soap maker, I already had those two things on hand. I decided to use plain old coconut oil and beeswax to make my bars, but I did read some recommendations to use soy wax for a better scent throw. If you have soy wax laying around, you could definitely try using that too.

That bump on the back of the bottom cube was from my trying to salvage the last few drops after it had started cooling. Waste not, want not!

I used a 2:1 ratio, beeswax to coconut oil. I added 4 tablespoons beeswax pellets (you can easily purchase these on Amazon) and 2 tablespoons coconut oil (any kind you wish) to a glass measuring cup and placed it in about an inch and a half of water in a pot on my stove. This makes a quick, cheap, and convenient double boiler that I’ve used on many occasions. After turning my heat to medium, it took about 10 minutes for my wax and oil to melt down to liquid. I added about 30 drops of peach fragrance oil that I had kicking around my craft room (you can also use essential oils if that’s your jam), then carefully poured the wax into a silicone mold and let it cool on the counter. After about 30 minutes on the counter, I popped it into the fridge for a few minutes to make sure it was solid because I was impatient.

Look at that cute owl!

It worked! I turned on my warmer around 9 am and got a full day of peach scent in my living and dining rooms. Since I live in a century-old farm house that’s basically the opposite of open concept, it’s tough for any scent to make it around the whole house. I could smell it faintly in the kitchen and upstairs, but I really had to search for it. Overall, I was pleased with my results. I’ll definitely give my actual Scentsy bars a comparison when they arrive (I ordered a few bars and a second warmer during the “flash sale” last week) but I’d be surprised if I get drastically different results. I’ll update further when I receive them, but until then this flexible, super easy DIY has my vote!

July 8, 2017

Christmas in July

I tend to be one of those horrible bloggers that vacillates between “I have no time and no one cares what I have to say, so why bother?” and “I simply must write about this immediately!” And unfortunately, the former has been winning a lot of my battles. Plus, I underestimated how much time my kiddo would take up in my life. With my son turning 9 months old soon and finally on a (and I use this term incredibly loosely) schedule, I’m finally getting a little break in my day to breathe. And… to shop. Online. Because honestly, I still don’t leave my house that often.

I have some exciting things coming in the mail soon! I just can’t wait to see them sitting, so unassumingly, on my doorstep.

My First FabFitFun Box

My friend and I both ordered ours on the same day, but hers shipped a few days ago and mine… didn’t. Sigh. I signed up after the FabFitFun summer box was released and the website said it would be shipped within 10 business days. Sad trombone noise, but it’s been 11 business days. I sent a message to customer service today to see what the 411 was and they said it will ship next week. Siggghhh. But they did give me $10 in credit to appease me, and I feel appeased.

Fragrance Oils from Brambleberry

I’ve been making and selling handmade soap for a few years now and I’ve always been an essential oil girl. I liked that they had the “natural” element and felt that it kept my labels clean. But scent selection is extremely limited and I felt that was limiting my customer base. Trying fragrance oils is an experiment. If they sell, great! If not, I know that I can always go back to my roots. Plus Brambleberry is so fun to browse if you’re a soap nerd like me. I could spend a ton of money there… and sometimes I do.

Some Scentsy Stuff

OK, so the other thing about me is that I love me a scented candle. I know they might give me cancer or whatever people are worried about. But they make my house smell fresh as hell and I like that. There’s nothing better to me than coming home to a pleasant-smelling home. I’ve never ordered anything from Scentsy, though it seems like it would be right up my alley. Surprisingly, I’ve never been invited to an in-home party. (As a side note, are other people just way more popular than me or what? It seems like they turn down enough invitations to be annoyed by them and here I am like, “Hey guys, I like stuff.” I don’t know. Something to consider.) But one of my friends just became a Scentsy consultant and invited me to her Facebook party, where I managed to win myself a wax warmer. She’s far away so I have nothing to sniff, but I’ll probably order some little blocks and try it out.

Me, tho.

That’s it for now, folks. Will report as further developments present themselves (ie, my stuff shows up). I know I bought all of this stuff with my actual money (except the warmer, that is) but I can’t help feeling like I’m getting presents. Ahhh, delayed gratification.