Weekend Pin Ups

That's right. It's Mitzi Gaynor.
I'm always surprised when people don't recognize her; wasn't everyone brought up on classic American musicals? It's like when people haven't seen All About Eve. I just don't understand parents these days.

Anyways, here are my Pinterest picks this week:

My Favorite Things: Lush Body Products

There are two factors in a product that will sell it to me instantly and without hesitation: smell and packaging. That is why I don't let myself near the Benefit store. And why I am not allowed in a Lush store alone or with a credit card. (You heard me gush about their lotion in my this older post.) All of their lotions and potions come in the cutest, cleanest packaging with hand-made looking labels. Between that and the giggle-enducing, mind-calming, unmistakable scent that wafts from the doorway, I'm completely on bored. Add amazing organic ingredient and I'm driving the ship.

I have tried (what feels like literally) every single product on their shelves, and I've come to and important conclusion: I love them all. The bath bombs even make someone as impatient as me like sitting in a bath tub. I can usually only do a 10  minute bath tops before I get bored senseless. But when a Lush bath bomb is involved, I take my sweet time. The prices are higher than I'd like, but the quality and effectiveness make them worth it. These are just the after-bath bits I love; I'm afraid the bath time goodies are going to have to wait for another post. Until then, enjoy smelling, feeling, and looking amazing. 

(Trust me- you will)

Here are the products I love the best and are completely worth the price tag:

Breath of Fresh Air- I like to keep this toner in the fridge and spritz my face when it's hot. It's also a nice way to start your day if you're not a morning person (like me)

Tea Tree Toner Tabs- These are a great little addition to a spa night. After you scrub and before you put on your mask, get a pot of just-boiled water and a tea towel. Drop one of these little nuggets into the water, place the towel over your head and bask in the glorious steam. The tea tree oil in the tabs is incredibly cleansing for your skin, smells great and just makes you feel spa-like. Cucumber water, please!

Dream Cream- LOVE this. It smells and feels like a sunday where you have nothing scheduled and you stay in your pajamas all day reading.   

Volcano Foot Mask- It's a little tricky to use, but I think it's worth it. You slather it on your feet, then wrap them up in plastic wrap (which is a little strange at first, but you get used to it). Then you just sit back and let it soak in for a while. And then the awkward plastic-wrapping process becomes worth it. I don't know how, but it makes your feet tingle, then just relax. You feel the muscles in your feet calm down and unclench. Then, you take off the plastic wrap and rinse or scrub it off. The results? Soft, happy, relaxed feet. 

Stepping Stone- This little foot-sheped nugget is one of my favorite  foot scrubs. It crumbles into little bits and you can just scrub and scrub till your feet are soft again. Its also great for post-beach elbows and knees.

Bewitched- This massage bar smells RIDICULOUS. It has violet, lime and chamomile, which sounds weird at first. But trust me, you smell this and everything is better and sweeter and softer. It also has those yummy knobs to gently coax knots to calm down for a second.  

Shimmy Shimmy- LOVE this. It's basically solid body lotion. You rub it on and the warmth of your body makes it melt just a little. I like to use it before bed so it can soak in all night. Oh yeah- and it's a little bit sparkly. Which is a gimmie for this gal. 

Lustre- I use a little bit of this every day. It's a gold flecked powder with the finest glittery texture. It also smells like jasmine. I use just a touch (thats really all you need) on my shoulders and collar bone, or I put it in my hand with my lotion for my legs and arms. Not gonna lie; it kinda makes me feel like a fairy princess, and I kinda* love feeling like a fairy princess. 

*By kinda I mean REALLY.

Wish List: CHANEL

All I need is a million dollars.
Because then I could slather myself in head-to-toe Chanel products EVERY DAY.

so... pretty....

Until then, I'll just have to pine away from the glow of my computer screen, dreaming of that magical day when I find thousands of bills in the family banana stand.

theres always money in the banana stand.

The Never Ending Story: Defining My Personal Style.

some ridiculously cool ladies

My least favorite thing to do? Describe myself. I find it tedious, embarrassing and insanely difficult. It also makes me feel like I'm a walking contradiction, like I'm pulled in so many directions. I consider myself a loud person,, yet I'm drawn to simple clothes in muted colors. I love guilty nail polishes and cutesy aprons, yet I have my androgynous short hair and a meriad of menswear inspired shoes. So what the hell is my style?

more ladies who are way too cool for me

Since I'm moving, (in case you haven't heard, I am), I'm using this as an opportunity to put my art history skills to work and analyst my current wardrobe, isolate the soul-defining pieces and maybe even give my style it's own name.

Like preppy-boho-chic.
Or French-saucy-retro.
Or Ralph.

Maybe I'll call my style Ralph.

Either way, I want to pear down my wardrobe so it's only filled with pieces I truly love, pieces that speak to my deepest inner self. I also want to make sure that my wardrobe works as a cohesively as possible. What's the point of having clothes if you can't put them together? That's like having the makings for a sandwich and no bread. It's a sad delema that ends in no sandwich.

(i won't call my style ralph.) 

In order to make my clothes sandwich as delicious as possible, I'm going to need a game plan. Whenever I jump into things willy-nilly, it usually ends up with me staring at the beginnings of a project until I slowly push it off the side of the bed or table and sidle out of the room. Then I leave the pile for Future Katie to deal with. (side note: Future Katie never appreciates this). So here's how I've broken it down:

Step 1 is going through everything and identifying the must-haves, the cant-let-go-ofs, and the meh's.

Step 2 is analyzing the first two piles and figuring out what they have in common and how they talk to each other.

Step 3 is making outfits and combinations to find the holes.

Now that I have my game plan, let's do this!

ruh row...

Hopefully it will all become clear sooner than later...

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Lookin' Good: Products!

I love products.
I just... love them.
Sephora is my happy place.
Seriously, I get really quiet and calm among the creamy pots and tubes, the soft bristles, the wafts of scents. You know that scene in Amelie when she sticks her hand in the barrel of grains? Sephora is my barrel of grains. It's like yoga without any sweating.
Anywho, over the past decade, I have tested and futzed and perfected my skincare routine. So here are my favorites:

The Tools
My Clerisonic: Love it. It's an investment, for sure, but it's been 100% worth it. I'm an exfoliating enthusiast, so having a brush that lets me feel scrubbed and buffed every day is heavenly. And it makes me feel fancy, which is always a plus.

My Eyelash Curler: I used to have one of those fancy-pants Shu Uemura eyelash curers, but it always pinched my eyes. So I grabbed this one at some Walgreens or Target or something for $4 and it works GREAT. I do pine for one of the Chanel ones- I'm such a sucker for those C's.


The Lotions
I don't have skin that looks dry, but it is. It's that horrible itchy dry that plagues you in the middle of a meeting or when you're wearing tight jeans. I'v invested in the $40 tiny, super fancy bottles of lotion with very little success. But I found three me-priced ones that I LOVE:

Vitamin E Cream: I get the huge tubs at the drugstore. After I shower I slather it on and let it soak in. My skin sucks it up like halloween candy.

That Nivea Q10 Stuff: the firming lotions don't actually firm much up. All they really do is moisturize your skin so it plumps up and LOOKS firmer. So I guess it does work. I love this one because it smells great, soaks in nicely and laaaaasts.

Lush Sympathy for the Skin: It smells amazing. It lasts all day. It comes in a pretty tub. SOLD.

The Face Routine

My skin is... temperamental. It doesn't like moisturizers or most face washes. But it does love the proactive stuff, so I go with it and use that three piece kit thingy. In addition, I've found my favorite little bits:

Soap & Glory the Fab Pore: obSESSED with this stuff. you only need a little bit. You rub it in, then do the dishes or sort the laundry and scrub it off. The result is glory happy clean clean clean skin.

Origins Modern Friction: The best exfoliator, period. And I have actually tried them all. I got this one from my cousin two or three years ago and I've never looked back. You only need a teeny bit, and you can make it more gentle with a touch of water. I like to scuba it on and then go to town with my Clerisonic. Afterwards, my skin is so soft and glows like a happy baby.

Biore Nose Strips: Love these things. Is there anything more satisfying than pulling these things off and being grossed out by them? I say no.

Eye Cream: I get a little tub of the Eucerin cream once a year and use it under my eyes at night. Then in the morning I use Cinique All About Eyes Rich. Between the two, my makeup slides on nicely and my skin feels happy.

Five Things I've Learned From Living With Dogs

little harriet

In case you don't know, I love dogs. Correction, I LOVE dogs. I'm the person who stops on the street to get kisses form the fat bulldog on the corner. For ten minutes.

Besides my gorilla do-lovin, I've also been privileged enough to live with some truly amazing, opinionated, attitude-full dogs in my lifetime. And they have taught me some valuable lessons. I thought I'd take a moment to thank them and point out the things that these love nuggets have taught me between belly rubs and treats.

harriet napping

hobbes and matzah looking dapper

It's not always about you. Being in charge of another living creature means you have to make sure they fit into your day. You can't just not come home on time if theres a dog waiting to be let out or fed. It makes you take a step back and look at your priorities. What is more important: going out till 2am, or taking care of your pal? 

lydia and harriet

Look out for your pack. Check in with everyone to make sure they're ok. My dogs have always done this. Throughout the day, they interrupt their naps to make the rounds, as it were, and say hi to everyone. Even in the middle of the night, our family dog Lydia always gets up to poke her head into every room. If someone in your pack is upset, or hurt, or just plain having a bad day, pause and make sure you try to help them out. Whether thats stopping to hold a hand or just sending a text. And there's nothing snuggles can't make a little better.

Keep your room clean. This one is learned when you come home and find the dog galloping and dancing in a flurry of your underwear. Then you come in to find them chewing happily on you computer cords, or eating your chapsticks. Once these things happen, you start putting things away. 

Brush your teeth. Anyone who has had a dog yawn in their face will be reminded to do this small, annoying step. 

ready for her first walk

Walks and naps really do help. Even on the worst, most tiring, most emotionally draining day, take a little walk. even if its just up and down the street or around the corner to pick up your laundry. It clears your head, gives you more energy, and makes you feel just better. Its a pain in the butt to get ourself up, but once you are, you're never sorry. And naps are always a calming and reviving thing to do. Why do you think dogs are always so perky? It's because they nap most of the day. 

Weekend Pin Ups

Here are my favorites of the week. Happy Saturday!