Thursday Randoms

I'm slightly lacking in motivation/ I don't really have anything to talk about today so I'm doing another Thursday randoms post. enjoy!

• I'm loving this slightly cooler weather (72 degrees in June? love it). I've been doing far too much front porch sittin and sippin this week, if you follow me on instagram you already know. oh well. 

peach mash | peach juice | champagne = Bellini ? sure

• I'm haven't been able to drink a hot cup of coffee all week, which is very strange for the girl who normally drinks 2-3 by 10 am. It's something about pouring hot liquid down my throat in all this humidity, I just can't do it. 
• I got my hair cut and colored this weekend (still haven't taken an after picture) and I got suckered in to buying products. Does this ever happen to y'all? 

• I've been spending WAY too much $ lately, and I don't even know on what. oh wait... now I remember this and a trip to target, and my grocery bills have been OUT OF CONTROL lately. I really need to work on #8 from my 25 before 25
• Do y'all ever get the itch for change? I think I've gotten so used to constant moving over the last 6 years or so, that I get anxious when I stay in one place for too long. I need something new to happen. shake up the routine. I'm bored.
• I'm debating about finding a new hobby? Any suggestions? I'm so inspired by the art that Pawleys Island Posh does, and I feel like it wouldn't be that hard to re-create or do something similar? I've never really been an artist, but I think it would be nice to have a creative outlet like painting. 
• Do you ever "un-follow" blogs? I have SO many in my Google reader, but I only really invest my time in a few (okay more than a few, but you know what I mean). While I love reading some mommy blogs, I don't really relate when all you do is talk about what your baby is doing now. Am I alone in that? maybe, but that's okay with me. I'm sure you're a wonderful person, and you have beautiful children, but I'd rather spend my time making "friends" with ladies who have lives more similar to my own. 
• I'm seriously LOVING my birchbox this month! I even tweeted them about it (and they responded!) also please ignore my misspellings. I was so excited I hastily tweeted with out proof reading. 

• I promise I'll do a full review of my June Box soon.
• I need a new book to read. Does anyone have any fun, easy fiction books they recommend? Also does anyone know of any book swaps? I have so many books that I'm never going to read again... I guess I could donate them, but I'd love to swap for ones I haven't read yet.
• My fake tan is wearing off very oddly. I feel like I have spots. HELP!!!
• I need something fun to do this weekend? Anyone know of a wine festival or anything happening in the DMV?
• Also. To my dc ladies, blogger brunch on Sunday?
• Did y'all see the TANK made out of cupcakes? Georgetown cupcake you never disappoint. I can't find a picture, but I'll post one soon. 

Okay. I guess that's all I've got. Off to work. Have a great Thursday y'all!

WILW: Monogram Madness

For this What I'm loving Wednesday I want to focus on my latest obsession. The monogram. 

Marley Lilly

Marley Lilly

etsy

Marley Lilly

etsy

Marley Lilly

Contemporary Desk Accessories design by Design Darling

Marley Lilly

 and FINALLY. I've been lusting over one of these for YEARS. It's one of those that I know I'll LOVE once I get it, but I can't quite justify the price tag. Oh well. I can still dream

marley lilly

 Also I want to give a quick (and unsolicited) shout out to one of my favorite ETSY shops. Jennifer Lauren Bijoux is a jewelry designer and helped me with all of my Christmas presents last year. As well as a few birthday presents since. I bought one of her small gold disk necklaces and I seriously wear it EVERY day. 

golden leaf and monogram

Hope y'all have a great rest of your Wednesday!

{Beauty Tuesday} DIY Body Scrubs

First of all I want to say thank you to the wonderful Julie I just won a sweet giveaway, and I'm so excited for my sparkly earrings to get here :) Thanks love!

It's summer time and we all want that glow that comes from spending the day in the sand and surf. Since I'm beyond fair skinned I've tried to re-create the look, just from my bathroom. First I started off by thinking about what creates that glow exactly? my answer was salt, sand and sun. So what better than a DIY salt scrub and a little sunless tanner to get the job done? This is a two part project. Lets start off with the salt scrub.

I just kind of winged it, and now I'm completely obsessed and will be making these like crazy (slash I was BEYOND crazy to pay so much for those fancy scrubs from bath and body works). You need to just keep in mind this basic ratio. 2 parts grit (salt/sugar) 1 part oil.

I used a combo of sea salt, sugar and epsom salts. Each of have a slightly different size so my thought was they would combine to make a more efficient scrub. The epsom salt is definitely larger than my sea salt, so it wasn't the most gentle scrub (but I liked it). The sugar and the salt I used were pretty much the same size, but I felt that the salt dissolved a little faster than the sugar.

To mix up the scrub I simply filled a bowl with equal parts sugar, sea and epsom salts (about 1 cup). Then I added 1/2 a cup of olive oil. stir together and maybe add your favorite essential oil (I'm definitively thinking lavender, maybe lemon? the possibilities are endless). Stir it all together. bottle. and your ready to go.

via

Seriously y'all. that's its. so easy. and I was REALLY happy with my results.

*I will note that if you do not use enough oil, shaving AFTER exfoliating could potentially be painful. I say this from experience (round 2 with more oil went MUCH better)

 So now you're clean shaven on your legs. They're glowing with baby smooth skin. Now apply your favorite sunless tanner. I'm still just getting into the world of sunless tanner but I am loving this one in particular

Sublime Bronze

This one goes on dark, so you can see where you're putting it. This goes for any sunless tanning lotion but BE CAREFUL with how much your using. A little really goes a long way. You can always do two coats if  you're not happy with the results. I like this one because it doesn't get you super dark on the first application, though it's certainly build-able. One thing I don't like it that it has glitter in it. It's kind of fun for going out, but I'm more of a shower at night, sunless tan then rinse off in the morning before work. The glitter doesn't really come off that first shower though. Not so work appropriate. It's subtle enough that I'm probably the only one that notices, but still.

So there you go. Look like you just stepped off the beach (well in my case I never look like that when I get off the beach, HELLO SUNBURN) but save the cancer causing UV exposure for another time.

Now I have a question for y'all. I NEED sunless tanner recommendations! I don't like being super dark, but the Jergens daily lotion isn't fast enough for me. I'm a klutz with the sprays, so lotions or some other rub on products only please! What sunless tanners do you love/hate?

I've been doing too much shopping lately.

Yes. My wallet is a little angry at me, so after so savvy couponing/sale shopping this weekend I wanted to share with you my finds. I am going to have to take a small break from shopping for a while, so I had to make it count right?

forever 21

forever 21

the limited

the limited

the limited

forever 21

Mostly work stuff, but such is my life. I feel like in DC especially everything has to be work appropriate. Slash, my personal style has gotten far more conservative since I moved here. I used to have no problem with tight jeans, shorter dresses, lower cut tops, (still with in reason though). but now I feel like I've become paranoid. I rarely wear ANYTHING above the knee. it has to hit mid knee or it's out. I put camisoles under everything (but that is mostly due to the fact that a larger bust makes EVERYTHING look low cut). I'm far more comfortable wearing stockings/tights when I have a dress or skirt on (even in the summer), and I bring a cardigan absolutely everywhere.

Has this ever happened to you? Has your style changed dramatically since college? High School? I wonder if I'm the only one.