November 18, 2013

Some Before Pics of My New House

This is it. Like I said, a modest small house around 1,300 square feet. It's like a doll house--but for people. I don't even think I'm half way done packing...it's daunting. Moving is a hassle but I know it will be worth it once it's all over. We've already had some fun picking out curtain + blinds and the less interesting things. So it should only get more fun. There will be after pictures soon...
The backyard
Living room + front entrance
Living room -- with accent painted brick wall

November 14, 2013

Floorplan of My Teeny Tiny New Home

I finally closed on my house and picked up the key yesterday...which means I am officially a homeowner. Which also means my life will officially be swamped with home improvement projects...my favorite :) Which also means that there's a good chance a portion of this blog will now feature blurbs about my latest DIY home projects. 

This is a floor plan I made on Floor Planner (smallblueprinter.com) -- it's not as accurately precise as possible, but it's good enough for practical purposes + spacial planning. 

It's a small 1940's home with 3 bedrooms (one of which I'll turn into an office), two bathrooms (one in basement) and a cute backyard. There's also a basement which I didn't include in the blueprint. The master bedroom is upstairs which is kind of  neat because the bedroom has the whole floor to itself and is spacious, but there's no bathroom up there. Which is a bit of an inconvenience, but I figure eventually it shouldn't be too hard to install a half bath at least. 

I'll post up pictures of the actual house soon!

November 10, 2013

Twist Out Using TGIN Twist and Define Cream

Chris-Tia from Thank God I'm Natural sent me a bundle of products a while back which I've been using slowly and loving. I don't usually experiment a whole lot with new products because I kind of have my tried and true, but if I could (afford it...) I totally would more! 

People love her Buttercream Daily Moisturizer -- I actually gave mine to my little sister who loves it on her curly hair after she asked if she could keep it. She liked the twist and define cream, too, but didn't want to steal all my products. :)

I've used this product on a wash and go as well and got good results -- so you don't actually have to twist your hair for definition when using this product but I find that it works best on twist outs. To get this look, I did a regular twist out using Giovanni Direct Leave In as a leave in and then applied TGIN Twist & Define Cream on top to lock the curls in place.

Tutorial:

November 6, 2013

Latidoe Apron Featured in Coastal Living November Issue!

Well...in a WellnessMats ad. Would be nice if we could see a little bit more of the Latidoe apron. But it's something! It's the mat they're advertising obviously...but it's pretty cool that I got to sneak in some Latidoe accessories during the photo shoot! 

November 5, 2013

Health Benefits of Turmeric Powder + Must Try Turmeric Recipes

organicindia.mercola.com

Turmeric powder is one of my favorite spices especially for the Fall. It has a subtle flavor, but what I like almost more than the flavor is it's vibrant golden hue and endless list of health benefits. It's one of the primary components of curry powder...another one of my favorites. Turmeric is more commonly used in savory dishes, especially Asian inspired dishes -- but it can also be served sweet, as in turmeric milk or ice cream! 

Health Benefits of Turmeric:

Anti-inflammatory properties
Antioxidant effects 
Can aid in body's destruction of cancer cells
Promotes a healthy heart + cardiovascular system
Lowers cholesterol


Some Must-Try Turmeric Recipes:
Recipe and image by kelliesfoodtoglow.com

Recipe and image by lakitchenette.com

Recipe and image by veggienook.com

November 3, 2013

5 Favorites of the Month

LOVE THESE:

Derek Cardigan 7011 Ice Frames
First pair free from coastal.com -- they have a good selection of fun frames, worth a shot since you only pay for shipping!

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream
I've been using this + powder instead of foundation lately. It's a lot lighter and better for your skin, less breakouts. It also blends easier...saving me a few minutes every morning.

TGIN Honey Miracle Hair Mask 
Chris-tia sent me a package of sample TGIN products -- I recommend them all. But my favorite would have to be her TGIN hair mask. It's ridiculously moisturizing as either a conditioner or mask. I use it both ways (I actually ran out...need to get more asap).

Thrifted Silver Bangle
I got this for $3 at a Value World. Good buy. 

Pecksniff's England Gardenia & White Peach Dry Body OilThis is a spray on all-purpose "dry" moisturizer. It's a very light weight oil. I've been using it as a sealant on my hair and as a moisturizer on dry skin (knees, elbows, + feet...). I've never heard of this company before but saw it in a store and thought I'd try it. I love the packaging, too...

November 1, 2013

Fluffy "2nd Day" Wash + Go with Giovanni Direct Leave-In and EcoStyler

My favorite wash and go combo lately has been EcoStyler + Giovanni Direct Leave in. It's so basic...but it never fails. And both products are super affordable...Giovanni under $10, EcoStyler under $5. And a little goes a long way for both products. 

I like the combo because it gives a fairly decent hold (I can usually get 3+ days out of a style) and it is super soft. Definitely the softest and least crunchiest combo I've ever tried. Even softer than curl creams/milks/puddings. I also like this combo because it doesn't leave my hair so greasy. 

It does probably increase dry time, though. So I usually sit under a hooded dryer for around 30 minutes the night before and then style it the next morning when it's thoroughly dry. If you wait to tension blow dry (tutorial here) until your hair is completely dry, it will be the most defined and the most limp. If you want fluffier, closer-to-second-day hair (like my pictures below) then dry your hair until it's about 85-90% dry and then tension blow dry on slightly damp hair. The dampness will naturally bring out a bit of frizz for a more bouncy, fluffy, untamed look.

You'll need:
Giovanni Direct Leave In
EcoStyler Gel
Brush for detangling

This is how my hair looks completely wet. This is after detangling and adding product. First I sectioned into around 4-6 parts, applied a small amount of leave in to each section and detangled. I applied a modest amount of ecostyler on top of the leave in to each section as I went. The more EcoStyler you use, the more tight and defined your curls will be. But don't use too much or you might have some crunchiness and flaking. 

This is my hair about 85% dry after sitting under my hooded dryer. To fluff it out, I used the tension blow drying method. Which means separating hair into multiple sections, and pulling smaller strands of hair taut while blow drying the hair. Don't tension blow dry too long on each section or you'll have a blow out. You just want to stretch the curls a bit, not straighten them. 

The Results:



The Next Day:

To preserve the curls, I pinned my hair back and covered it with a wig cap, actually. This just secured the hair in place to avoid friction from tossing + turning in my sleep...the next morning, I sectioned it into roughly 4 sections and very loosely and briefly blew it out using blow dryer on my roots to give my hair its shape again. 

As you can see, the curls are not perfectly defined because my hair was still somewhat damp when I tension blow dried This gives the illusion of 2nd or 3rd day hair because it's not as perfect. Which I kind of like!