A Heavenly Home: Wall Décor Haul

                When my father came to visit me a few weeks ago, he told me that I did not have enough wall art. As I stated in a previous post, I moved away from decorating for myself (a girly girl) to decorating for a couple. I had to change the way I was thinking when decorating.

                Tonight on Valentine’s Day, while getting supplies for dessert, we decided to stop by Kohl’s for something to hold our keys. So we got four pieces of décor for our living room. We purchased the key holder and then traveled around the art section looking for items. Besides the fact that my boyfriend spent a lot of time looking at sports memorabilia we were able to select a few other pieces. The “Love Lives Here” sign was only $4! Then we got two other pictures, each one depicting my boyfriend or I. He chose the music note one to highlight his love of music. I chose the outdoor city picture because that reminds me of a place I would love to travel to.

      

        

                We still have a few more pieces to add to finish off our living room. We need two more pieces next to the mirror above our sofa. We also purchased a new coffee table because while I have loved my coffee table for five years, it has seen better days and needs to go to coffee table heaven.  We also purchased two new matching nightstands. When those items come in I will be sharing them in a blog post. Also, stay tuned for a blog post about my “little pink drill” and my pink tool kit. I am an independent woman who finds accomplishment in building things on my own.  

                What have you purchased for your home to make it yours? I really feel like our apartment is becoming “our” home. 

Technology Treat: Kindle Fire Review

                A few years ago, I thought I had every technology item I needed. But then, the Kindle Fire came out. I was given a Kindle from my parents just before they released the first Kindle Fire.  I waited a while for the hype to die down, and then finally decided to purchase the Kindle Fire. I absolutely love it. I sold my other Kindle and have been happy ever since.

The main reasons I wanted a Kindle Fire were because of the color features and the fact that you can read magazines on it. I LOVE to read magazines. I really enjoy the fact that I can read magazines on it as soon as they come out. I am a fan of the “older” versions of the magazines that allow you to slide through each page (not down). I find the magazine versions from Glamour and Lucky to be more annoying than useful. They take up a lot of space on my Kindle and I have to remove old magazines before downloading new ones on there.  I also get confused when following the order of the pages. 

 The main reason most people would buy a Kindle is for the book feature. This is true for me as well. I do “purchase” a lot of free books from the Amazon.com website in hopes of finding time to read them. I only purchase books that I really want to read. When I read on my Kindle Fire, I become truly immersed in the reading. Before I know it, I am finished the book.  I still enjoy reading actual books, especially paperbacks when I take bubble baths.

At this point, the music section does not appeal to me; it can’t be transferred to my Iphone (or can it?). I typically only buy a song or two when I am given a $1.00 credit for purchasing something else.

The video section is extremely dangerous for me, and I try to avoid it at all costs. I only purchase movies or TV shows if I can’t find it elsewhere. Remember, before buying anything from Amazon, think about it: Can you watch it on Netflix, the free version of Hulu or the affiliate website? If not, then go for it. I try not to make many purchases that end up hurting my bank account. It is a challenge that I will continue to work through.  Also, you can download the Netflix app.

I do not use the DOCs section at all. The apps section houses a variety of apps I use frequently. I try to keep my Kindle Fire for entertainment purposes only. I do not use it to do work or check emails.  There are a variety of apps to purchase (which again I only purchase ones that are free).

                The last feature I use most frequently is the Web section. I use this to watch my YouTube videos. Sadly, they do not have a YouTube app to date but I don’t mind it. I enjoy watching YouTube while taking a bubble bath at the end of a long day.  I got a nice cover for it that allows my Kindle Fire to stand up so I can watch a show while in the tub.

                My favorite feature of the Kindle Fire is that I have access to so many resources.   I enjoy the magazines, books and so on. I wrote this post early because a new book, The Indigo Spell will be coming out on Tuesday, and I want to spend my time reading the book. It is very nice to turn on your Kindle and find a newly anticipated magazine or book on the carousel.  Speaking of the carousel, I am not a fan of it.  I just don’t like the way you can slide across and it keeps piling up. I wish it was more like smart phones and other tablets. However, it is something I can live with. The other thing to consider when purchasing a Kindle Fire is that you have to be careful when making purchases. I put a password on so that only I can sign in to turn on my Kindle Fire. Someone can accidently make purchases without typing in a password. Amazon is nice enough to let you cancel an order after making an accidental or unwanted purchase.

                I love my Kindle Fire. Of course, the newest Kindle Fires have come out with more space, better graphics, etc. However, I don’t plan on getting rid of my Kindle Fire until it goes to technology heaven.  Now that the Ipad mini has come out, I am considering purchasing it when my Kindle Fire dies.  What type of tablet do you have?  What do you like about your tablet?

P.S. My boyfriend is a technology enthusiast so he thinks I need to add the stats on the Kindle Fire. So here they are from Amazon.  This is for the newest Kindle Fire, mine is the older version. 

A Heavenly Home: What’s in My Nightstand?

                A home should make you feel safe and comfortable. When you crawl into bed at the end of a long day, you should be ready to relax for a bit before falling asleep. I put a lot of items in my nightstand that I use frequently before bed or when I wake up in the morning. All of these things help me feel comfortable and feel as if I have everything I need. 

                First, and most importantly, I have a lamp on top of my nightstand. I have the sleep Lavender Vanilla Lotion and Pillow Mist sitting on top of my nightstand. I like to keep the rest of my nightstand pretty clear because I like to only see “pretty” things. 

                 In my nightstand I have a variety of products. My most used item is my Kindle Fire (stay tuned for a later review post) and my lip balms. I get very chapped lips so I have a variety of lip products.  I have Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter from Lush and I have a few other lotions. I also have some pens and notepads and post-its. I like to make notes before I go to bed. I also have a journal (which I hope to get back into writing in before bed). I have remotes, a flashlight and a coaster.  I frequently will have a drink of water in a sealed container on my nightstand so that my cat and I do not knock it over and spill it. 

                I will admit that my nightstand can often get cluttered. I am NOT a fan of drawers; while I find they are a necessity, I often end up piling items on top of each other and forget they are there.

                Lastly, my nightstand has a variety of books that I enjoy reading or haven’t yet read. For example I have Bobbi Brown’s Makeup Manual, Lauren Conrad’s Beauty Book, and a variety of magazines and books that I like to read. My physical magazine collection is slowly dwindling due to my Kindle Fire, which helps eliminate clutter. I often fall asleep with a variety of things on the nightstand but put them all away before heading out for the day.

                When putting things in your nightstand, think about what you really need. I try very hard to NOT use my nightstand as a junk drawer and remove items that I no longer need. I believe that your surroundings should make you feel comfortable and relaxed. What do you put in your nightstand? How do you keep it organized? I am always looking for new tips to organize my small spaces. 

Beauty Boudoir: Mini ELF and Neutrogena Haul

                It’s that time again, another haul! As you will soon see, I am in love with beauty products. It must be thanks to the fact that I was a tomboy as a kid and felt awkward dressing up. Nowadays, I love to wear makeup, especially on the weekends to liven up my look.

                On my way home from dinner with my boyfriend, we decided to stop at Target. I will admit that Target is my weakness. I love looking around each section, from clothing, to shoes, books, home items and makeup! I did pretty well until I got to the makeup section.

First, I looked at all of the new products and then stumbled upon the ELF products in the back. I love ELF makeup. They are very inexpensive and of good quality. I love the packaging. It kind of reminds me of NARS packaging (which I refuse to buy, too expensive). I got an ELF Eyebrow kit with a gel and a powder for your eyebrows. I have seen a lot about using products to fix your eyebrows. I got the medium kit, which may not work as I have a strawberry blonde hair color.  It comes with a mirror and double ended brush.

Next, I stumbled upon the ELF tone correcting powder. I have heard great things about it. I was a little confused as to why it had so many colors but it is meant to “brighten and neutralize the skin.” I have Rosacea, so I am always looking for ways to neutralize the redness on my skin. I am excited to give this a try. Check out the ELF website to purchase your products. They are super inexpensive and they always have coupons that you can find online.

Finally, I was able to find the Neutrogena Moisture Smooth Color Stick. To be honest, when I heard Neutrogena did makeup, I was a little apprehensive because they are known for the Neutrogena face lotion (or at least in my house growing up). However, I heard about this lip product from Emilynoel83 on YouTube and she referred to it as the “sweatpants of lipsticks.” It was a little odd of a statement, but I had to give it a try and I am so glad! Like many people, I am suffering from severe dryness on my lips due to the cold weather. I put on this lip product and it felt like butter; it is so smooth and comfortable. I think it is even better than the Revlon and Tarte products.  I really want to purchase more. I got it in the color Plum Perfect. It tastes fruity as well. All of the names have flavored names so I believe the flavor matches the name.  

                Have you purchased any new beauty products lately? I hope you give these products a try. You will not regret it!

               

A Heavenly Home: Decorating for a Couple

                I have lived on my own for almost 10 years. From experiences in dorms, to a basement, to a one bedroom apartment and beyond, I have had many opportunities to decorate my home.  As a homebody, I have enjoyed the process of decorating my new place and making it my home.

 As I grew, I began to be obsessed with everything purple. I had that purple v-tech phone. You remember that popular gel one? I loved it! I loved decorating my homes and making them mine, comfortable and pretty. I spent a lot of time making my room look more pretty than functional (stay tuned for a later post on functional versus pretty decorating).

                A few months ago, I came up with an interior design dilemma, I moved in with a man. I had to change my way of thinking when it came to interior design. I had to get rid of all the purple in my house and make it comfortable and gender neutral for both of us. My boyfriend is not very picky regarding to how our house is decorated as long as he has access to technology and his needs.

                When I first rented my studio, I purchased basic pieces.  To be honest, I would have loved to have a purple high heel chair, but I had to think seriously about it.  I wanted to get classic pieces that would last for a long time. I decided to purchase girly items that can be easily changed: pillows, artwork, sheets, comforters etc. I have to admit it was a bit sad to say goodbye to some of those pieces when I moved in with my boyfriend, but I often remind myself that we change and grow in life and sometimes our needs change. I didn’t get rid of all my purple and girly items. Some are in my bathroom; some are in my closet for guests (such as my blanket from my college dorm) and others were donated to a thrift store.

                The hardest part of living with someone else is the art of compromise. I believe men are taught at a young age to go with the flow when it comes to designing a house. Or they must just not really care as long as they have a comfortable place to put up their feet at the end of a long day. We worked as a team to purchase red pillows and very generic pieces that we both like. Our apartment is not done yet, but it looks more like us rather than like a girly girl lives there.  My boyfriend is very patient with me as I move around decorations on our coffee table and puts up with my OCD tendencies such as putting away remotes when not in use.  

Living Room for Two                  Living Room for One 

Bed Linens for Two                      Bed Linens for One

 If you are just beginning to move out on your own, consider purchasing neutral pieces so that you can take them with you as your life changes and you grow. Also, enjoy this time to make it YOUR home. It won’t be long before you live with a roommate or a boyfriend or spouse.  If you’re just beginning to move in with someone, remember to compromise. Do everything you can to make it a home that you both want to live in. Pick out pillows, art and linens together.  Take your time and enjoy the process of finding new pieces that fit both your personalities. Remember it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.

Have you ever had trouble decorating for two? What did you do? Enjoy decorating your home!  

Lynn's Library: Vampires Academy and Bloodlines

                I am an avid reader. As a child, I thoroughly enjoyed reading and then lost the love of reading throughout my teen years. I then fell in love with reading in my college years. I suffer from anxiety and have trouble sleeping, so reading before bed really helps me fall asleep. Try it out, it works. I love sitting with a nice cup of tea, a good book and my kitty Sophie on my evenings and weekends at home.

                I am in love with Vampires movies and books. You name it, I love it. Vampire Diaries, True Blood, Twilight, The House of Night Series, The Morganville Diaries and the Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series.  For some reason, this topic really appeals to me. It may be thanks to my love of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in my teen years.  

                I found out about Vampire Academy from a few sources online and slowly fell in love with the series. The author, Richelle Mead, starts off each series with a background of characters and then goes deeper into the characters and their lives as you read each book. I don’t want to give away too much, but Vampire Academy is about two girls who are best friends who go through a series of teen and supernatural struggles. One of the major characters falls deeply in love in one of those impossible, forbidden romances. The author does an absolutely amazing job at making the reader fall in love as the characters are falling in love. 

Picture obtained from: http://www.averysbooknook.com/2010/12/top-5-sunday.html

                Bloodlines is a spin-off relating to some of the characters in the original series Vampire Academy.  Again, the author does an amazing job at making you fall in love as the characters do. I am impatiently waiting for the third book to come out on February 12^th, titled The Indigo Spirit, and can’t wait to read it from cover to cover. Every time a highly anticipated book is released, I am so glad that I have my Kindle Fire (Stay tuned for more information about my love affair with my Kindle Fire). 

 
  Picture obtained from: http://www.paperdreams.scarlettmoon.org/wordpress/?p=1528

                Before I sign off for the post, I must confess that yes I read TEEN books!  I am confident in that fact because at least I am reading. It makes me so sad to see young children not have a desire to read. I used to think that if I didn’t read Pride and Prejudice or Moby Dick that I wasn’t smart. Those books just didn’t interest me. Slowly I have learned to gain confidence in myself and my ability to be me. If I can teach and motivate my blog readers anything, it would be to be yourself. When you read, you are becoming more educated. Your interests may change as your life changes and you grow, so I hope you get out there and read. It is time to jump off my soapbox, make a cup of tea, cuddle with the kitty and read a book as I wait impatiently for the newest Bloodlines book to be released.

                Do you know of any other amazing Vampire series? I love the books that have those impossible forbidden romances. Happy Reading!