The Power of the (Daisy) Flower

I feel like I haven't been into floral prints since I was a kid, but recently I've been getting into the floral craze that seems to be happening. For me, specifically, it is the daisy pattern that I have gravitated towards. There are two different apparel pieces that I found that I think are both adorable. One of them works well for summer, while the other one is much heavier and will be more for the fall. I also found an accessory that I can't wait to rock this summer.

My first pick is this sweater from Nasty Gal.

This is actually a heavier sweater, which I didn't expect based on the daisies, but it would work well for cool summer evenings or for the fall.

My second pick is this dress from Asos.

You can't go wrong with a maxi dress. This will be comfortable to throw on at any time during the summer. It can be worn casually or dressed up for a party or even a wedding.

My last pick is the daisy headband. Etsy has multiple selections to choose from (seriously, just browse "daisy headbands"). Here is one of my favs (and one you can make yourself):

This is a great accessory for summer. It looks cute in beach-waved hair or if you just want to put your hair up into a no-fuss bun, but want to add a little extra to it.

Overall, I think it is something about the color combination that I like. Also, I think adding a floral pattern puts a cute twist on classic items and isn't just for little girls' clothing or the 70's.

Etsy find of the week: Ceramic Bowls w/ Heart Design

                                                                               Photo: RossLab

I am a sucker for cute dishware. Etsy has some great handmade dishes that are cute and funky and can add a bit of uniqueness to your kitchen or dining room. These are some cute bowls I recently came across. I tend to like heart patterns, so this fits my personal preference perfectly. There are more colors and different types of dishes in the store, so I recommend looking through it if these colors don't fit your current style.

Finland cares about its Mothers

                                                                                           Photo: shine.yahoo.com

I read this BBC report the other day and can't stop thinking about it. Perhaps it's because I didn't know a country would ever actually do this. Turns out not only does a country do this, they have been doing it for a long time (75 years)!

In Finland, the government provides all mothers with a "starter kit" of sorts, to have when they bring their baby home. The kit comes in a cardboard box with a mattress on the bottom, so a baby's first crib is usually this box. The kit itself includes clothes, diapers, toys, blankets, etc. One of the things it does not include is a bottle and this is to encourage breast-feeding.

My opinion on this kit is that it is a great program. I'm sure there are those who disagree, but it's difficult to argue against providing much-needed supplies to mothers and their children. It is not just for those with low-income and this is actually one of my favorite parts. It is a government-run program for all mothers. The mothers also have the option of taking money instead of the box of supplies, but most choose the supplies because it is of greater value. Some mothers said that they keep the box of supplies for future children (colors in the kit are gender-neutral) and take the money later on .

Now, would the U.S. EVER do this? No. At least, I can't see it happening. This is disappointing too. It's such a wonderful support and a great example of caring about your citizens. Oh yeah, and Finland also has a low infant mortality rate (which is why the program was started in the first place - to lower infant mortality. The mothers have to visit a doctor before their fourth month of pregnancy to receive it.) and Finnish mothers were recently revealed to be the happiest mothers. It's nice to see that is what results when a country puts some support into its citizens, INSTEAD of trying to take away contraception, the right-to-choose, prenatal care for low-income women (our infant mortality rate is high), and then telling, the inevitable increase in, pregnant women, "sorry, you're on your own."

Anyways, go read the article and be inspired that such a cool program exists.

I Love Happy Endings. So (suh) much.

I'm in mourning...

This show is Ah-MAH-zing and TERRIBLY underrated. ABC has decided not to renew it, but it is not dead in the water yet. There is apparently interest from another network in picking it up. PLEASE.

Now let me gush over it...

There's something about a TV show with six very different characters that are best friends that works so well (ahem, Friends). The clash of the different personalities is constantly what drives the plots in the show (that and the ridiculous words that come out of their mouths). This could be terribly predictable about creating a show, but Happy Endings has something else. It could be the non-stop dialogue that never slows down or is rarely not delivering joke after joke. The references to pop culture are sometimes so obscure or ridiculous it's amazing that the writers even came up with it (not that I ever doubt writers...). Watching the show feels like you are constantly sharing some inside joke just between you and the characters.

Now, personally, I like to think that I am a mix of Jane, Alex, and Penny. A take-charge person like Jane, a lovable (slightly neurotic) person like Penny, and someone who makes comments that sounded-very-different-in-their-head person like Alex. But in actuality, I'm probably a Jane (don't get me wrong, she's probably my favorite character)- the person who constantly reminds you that you are wrong about things and is probably too sarcastic for their own good. Also, ways that I'm not like Penny or Alex include: consciously working to not abbreviate everything I say (like Penny) and just, in general, thinking a bit more...unlike Alex...

I'd get into the guys, but that's worth a whole other blog post...

Some notable quotes from recent episodes:

"This is like gay Christmas." "Hold up, that's the Oscars."

"Or you could not say it. Up to you. I'm not your mouth boss." -I wish I could be a mouth boss for some people.

"You gave me a serious addiction to candy cigarettes."

"Cotton irritates my Nipsey Russells."

"Hey, watch your mouth when you're talking about the fabric of our lives."

"He's like Don Draper with twice the drinking and half the hair."

"You look like Coolio when he takes his braids out."

"Butt crack has no place in a super gay beauty pageant."

Sigh...

Please find a way to make this show come back! I want to watch them play more tennis set to "Playing with the Boys." That was SUH funny.

Current Beauty Obsessions: Spring/Summer Edition

There are three current beauty trends that I am excited about using right now. I think they are great for summer.

                                            Photo: Sephora.com

#1: Bright Pink Nail Polish

This is a great summer color. It's a little different from a typical bright pink color. It has a bit of neon to it when you put it on. I like SPARitual's Dreamsicle, but Butter and Zoya also have a similar color as well.

                                          Photo: Sephora.com

#2: Purple Eyeliner

I was a bit hesitant about this. I usually stick with neutral colors like black or brown for my eyeliner. I saw photos of Keri Russell and Olivia Wilde wearing purple eyeliner and I really liked how it looked. You could do a whole purple palette with your eyeshadow, but I like wearing it with neutral colors so that it is not overwhelming. For the purple eyeliner, I like Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil. They have a few different shades of purple ranging from brighter to a more muted tone. This one is Dark Eggplant Matte.

                                                        Photo: moroccanoil.com

#3: Moroccan Oil

I've taken a little while to board this train. I've always been against voluntarily putting oil in my hair. I've tried different oil products before and it never went well, but I was looking for something to help with the dry ends of my hair and I had heard good things about this, so I decided to give it a go. It turns out it's kind of a miracle product. This works really well on my hair. I put a small amount from the mid-length to the ends of my hair and it has made it soft and more manageable. A little goes a long way, which is good, because it's a little pricey.

So, those are my current three. I shall continue investigating for new beauty obsessions...

My three favorite summer shorts!

Summer is that time of year when we have to bring out our pasty-white been-hidden-from-the-sun-for-six-months legs and reveal them to the world. Not only do we have to increase our shaving productivity, we also have to find outfits we can feel confident about. The more revealing the clothing, the more difficult this seems to become. 

When this time of the year happens upon us, I go on the prowl looking for cute bottoms that make me feel better about having to bust out my could-be-more-sculpted-and-tan stems. Here are the three styles of shorts that I am going to be rotating through this summer:

White 

                                                     photo source: ae.com

Roll-up

                                                              photo source: ae.com

Polka-dot

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My current obsession: Dogfight (Original Cast Recording)

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I can't stop listening to this! Go purchase it right now.