Posts Tagged ‘flowers’

Prospurly April 2016 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Oops, I almost forgot to write about this one! It’s been here since the weekend and I opened it up, but then got distracted with the busy work week.

Prospurly is just under $45 per box (with code for 10% off your subscription – use my referral links from this post) and comes with artisan foods, bath & body items, home products, and other sustainably crafted items. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program that earns you free boxes.

prospurly april 2016 box open with products showing prospurly april 2016 info card with product details

Holy Schmidt Coffee Co. Costa Rica Rio Jorco – Alas, I’m not a coffee drinker so this will have to go to someone else. I don’t know much about coffee, but I like that this is ecologically responsible.

Heather Lane Cosmetics Hand & Cuticle Salve in Garden Blend – This is a great item for spring. I like the unique ingredients, like plantain and mallow leaf. It’s wonderful for the rougher skin you might get from working outside or even washing dishes. My cuticles will be very happy with this!

The Moontree Jasmine Rose Cleansing Facial Serum – How cool! I love the actual flowers and petals floating in the serum and I’ve never had a cleansing serum before. I guess it’s sort of like the cleansing oil I use. I didn’t really smell the flowers though, so I wish they’d added some essential oils for an extra boost. I enjoy rubbing it in and feeling it sink in, softening my skin.

Rishi Tangerine Ginger tea – Totally saving this for school, when I think I will be drinking tea all the time (at least I’ll try). This one’s herbal so I’ll keep it for drinking before sleeping.

Lotus Natural LifeBlends Essential Oil in Allergy – This came at the perfect time. I was having an awful time with allergies I developed recently and I needed everything I could get that would help alleviate the discomfort. This roll-on helps with sinuses and it just feels soothing to apply to areas that I’m itchy too.

Free Mountain Seeds Wildflower Seed Bombs – Perfect for Earth Day and spring in general, these seed bombs will be fun to plant! It’s so exciting to see something sprout and grow, though I’m not good at keeping things alive beyond that initial stage. Still, these will be great to use when I want an assortment of flowers. I’ll probably save most until I’m done with school and have a place to garden. I wonder if my mom would like them…

The Moontree Blush & Blossom Rose Clay Mask – I like how this mask smells and having it in powder form makes it easy to bring along. I love that I can mix it with things other than water, like honey or yogurt. That sounds like fun! I look forward to trying that out.

I enjoyed this box and found many items to be very timely for the season. I’m not sure I’ll be able to give this subscription up! What do you think of this month’s box?

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Tax free weekend scores

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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For the first three days of August this year, Virginia stores had tax free promos for school supplies and clothing. It’s an official August Sales Tax Holiday every year in the state, apparently. Panda and I thought it would be a great opportunity for us to go try to find some of the shoes and clothes I’ve been trying to get more of. While initially the plan was to go to Dulles Town Center, we decided to go check out the Leesburg Outlet. That turned out to be a great decision and I found so much stuff that we had no need to shop further after browsing those stores. For the first time ever, I actually enjoyed shopping (and Panda didn’t! It’s like we reversed roles). I guess it was because I went with a purpose: I needed some new flats and jackets.

What a fruitful day! Check out some pics:

girl stretching hands out towards giant hibiscus flower larger than both hands

Wow, I want my own!

charlotte russe black and gold tiger sandals

I was tempted, but they’re not ones I’d get around to wearing much.

shopping bags lined up after trip to outlet

Charlotte Russe, American Eagle, IZOD, J.Crew, and Bass & Co bags lined up. I used the little red Target bag as a purse.

j.crew marley ballet flats in cabernet and black

First stop was J.Crew, where I found these super comfy ballet flats! I’d never bought from this store before and I almost got black patent leather wedges too – also very comfortable. I hope I don’t regret not getting them.

g.h. bass & co shoes elizabeth in fuchsia and sophia in yellow

Next up was a store I was not familiar with – Bass & Co. They had these fun shoes on clearance and I decided to spring for more playful shoes for cheap!

cat sticking face into new shoes enjoying the smell

“Mmmmmm new shoe smell.” (as she stuffs her face in there)

izod jackets mixed media in teal and diamond check fleece in black

As we passed by IZOD, a jacket on the rack outside caught my attention. The teal color is fun and the thermal sleeves are different! I then came across the other style and almost got the blue before trying the black. Who knew golf gear would provide the perfect jackets for me?

american eagle outfitters loose knit sweater jackets

A peek inside AE led to two discoveries of nice, loose sweater jackets.

charlotte russe palmer embossed round toe two strap flats in cam, lace pointy toe ballet flats in black, and blazers in neon orange, purple, and blue

And finally, I spent a good hour in Charlotte Russe trying on jackets and shoes. I had a gift card from a previous return that I needed to use and I found a ton of things I wanted! I now have wonderful black and tan flats to choose from, as well as an assortment of cool blazers.

I’m pretty much set with what I want now, so I’ll only need to buy things that really catch my eye. That’s the stage I’m at with dresses too. It feels great to finally have some of the items I’ve been searching stores for, so I no longer have to think about shopping. Today was an anomaly and I actually wasn’t too tired/grumpy from shopping, PLUS I found a bunch of stuff. Usually I get bored an hour in and never even find something I want. I’m so happy to have gotten this all out of the way in one day!

Cherry Blossom Festival

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog,Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
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Rather last-minute, Panda and I decided to go check out the Cherry Blossom Festival today. Most of the trees aren’t quite ready yet, but a few early bloomers were there to greet visitors and it was a lovely day out to walk around. We got stuck in traffic all the way around the Tidal Basin and eventually got a parking spot at West Potomac Park. It was so crowded there were even a line of cars parking on the shoulder of an on ramp. Luckily, we were able to find a spot to park in legally. We then walked from the FDR Memorial all the way to the booths set up for the festival and then kept going to the MLK Memorial and back to the car. It’s the first time I’ve worn sneakers this year, after the crazy winter weather we’ve been hit with. I’m ready for the warmer months to finally kick in!

electronic traffic sign sharing message with drivers

We arrived to blocked off roads and I noticed that the dots on these signs are actually three dots in a triangular configuration. Never knew that before!

police k9 canine car parked on grass by cherry blossoms as lady stops to ask question

As we were stuck in traffic, I got to see this K9 police car complete with fan in the back window for the dog.

view of washington monument from across tidal basin with reflection in water

I don’t come to the Tidal Basin much, so it was a treat.

looking into interior of hollowed out tree trunk

A random tree trunk had been hollowed out from two sides.

tiny purple flowers growing in grass

Before we really even saw cherry blossoms, I stopped to admire these flowers.

edge of tidal basin by jefferson memorial

A ton of people were out enjoying the day.

view of cherry blossom festival booths and washington monument across tidal basin

Across the way were all the booths for the festival.

police patrol on horseback near tidal basin

Patrolling on horses. Not a bad way to spend the afternoon.

white blossoms on tree near tidal basin

One of the few trees that was a-blooming.

dozens of people on paddle boats in tidal basin

Every single paddle boat was out on the water.

cherry blossom buds on tree

Most trees looked like this.

bloomed cherry blossoms on tree by tidal basin

Some of the cherry blossoms had opened up. Spectacular.

365great Day 334: gardens

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , , , ,
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365great day 334: gardensIt’s so peaceful to wander through a garden. I love the variety of plants you can find there and of course the insects that are inevitably attracted to them. My mom loves to plant things in our backyard, making it a rather tranquil place to hang out. We have rose bushes, fruit trees, and other odds and ends. It’s a place that is teeming with life yet so calming all at once. I particularly enjoy gardens with water, benches, and shady parts to hang out by. I could sit and stroll among the plants for ages, basking in the sun or shade. I’d even climb and sit in a tree if I could. It’s very soothing to enjoy nature and decompress away from the stress of day-to-day life. What a great way to step away from our normal surroundings and relax for awhile.

365great Day 284: orchids

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365great challenge day 284: orchidsOrchids are my favorite flower, probably because they’re one of the few that come in purple. They’re also so beautiful, coming in a wide range of colors and shapes. I love the various patterns and structures of the flowers. It’s always so interesting browsing a selection of them and I can never choose a favorite! They make for a fabulous gift if you’re going to someone’s home and I’m totally going to have to get one for our kitchen when we move in. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them in a bouquet arrangement, which is awesome too – I much prefer my flowers to come to me in a pot so they can keep living. Every time I go to the grocery store, I check out their orchids and admire the display. It’s going to be so great when I get to see them every time I’m home in the future. 🙂

365great Day 262: hummingbirds

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365great challenge day 262: hummingbirdsHummingbirds are a fascinating type of bird. They’re so different that they’re almost like over-sized insects rather than a tiny bird. They’re delicate and cute, very much like butterflies. They even drink from flowers and flit around like butterflies. Their tiny little bodies are adorable and they rather feel like toys. Even though they tend to move around quickly, when they perch on something, there’s a certain peace about them. They’ll even stare at me sometimes, completely unphased. Because of their ability to hover, it’s easy to watch them for ages without ever moving your head. And well, I’m great at staring at things like that. I could sit and watch a (humming)bird feeder all day long. Hummingbirds are so cool! I wish I could have them as pets – wouldn’t that be great?

365great Day 199: flowers

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , , ,
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365great challenge day 199: flowersI’m a fan of many types of plants, but flowers are a surefire way to enhance a space so just about anyone would like it. They add color and sometimes fragrance to enliven an area. It’s no wonder you find them along streets, on tabletops, and adorning windowsills. Look at how they spruce up the front of this building! While many women enjoy a bouquet of these beauties, I find them to be useless in that form so I’d much rather get a live plant in a pot. That way I can enjoy the flowers year after year (assuming I can keep them alive). Flowers come in so many gorgeous shapes, sizes, and colors that you’re sure to find one that appeals to you. My personal favorite is the orchid, though anything purple or blue is perfect too. Whatever your preference, flowers are a great way brighten your day.

365great Day 34: spring

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
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Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 34: springThis year, spring has been elusive. When flowers should have been budding and people should have been admiring the lovely cherry blossoms of our capitol, we were stuck with mini snow/slush/rain storm after storm. Cold front this, wacky pressure that, and no temperatures over 60-something. Over here on the west coast, at least the LA area, high winds have briskly whisked away our hopes for a nice warm day. What’s going on?!

I think just about everyone looks forward to spring – the renewal, the budding flowers, the warm air, the change of wardrobe, maybe even some cleaning! The world around us becomes more active and the weather gets warmer so we can shed those layers. Colors come back and beauty is everywhere – check out how amazing this flower in my yard looks! Playing outside becomes more accessible and everything just seems so alive. What a great feeling that is!

Hibiscus variation

laelene Posted in photo blog,Tags: , , , , ,
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Such a gorgeous flower that comes in so many colors!

Huntington Gardens: Chinese & Japanese garden

laelene Posted in photo blog,Tags: , , , , , ,
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A continuation of the last gallery of pictures from the Huntington Gardens. Click images for full size.

See the final part here.

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