Candles Currently Burning
I really can't get enough of candles. I think I would actually prefer getting a candle as a gift than a perfume. Aside from the obvious fact that they can make an entire room smell good I really enjoy decorating with them. whether you've got a stack of books, magazines, or just an empty table, candles will tie everything together and make everything look and feel much more cozy.
I know that this isn't the cheapest candle but I find that out of all of the candles that I own I have to burn this one for the least amount of time in order to get my entire living room to smell good, takes about 5-10 minutes for the area to smell amazing so you really do get your moneys worth... but on top of everything how gorgeous does it look?
If you follow me on just about any social media you would know that I absolutely love Pf Candle Co. I love the simplicity of their design and I have yet to try a candle from them that I do not like. This candle in Piñon was actually just released this Tuesday August 15th and it is my favorite scent from them so far. Smells masculine, warm and fresh all at the same time, which is my favorite combination of scents for my home.
Another one of their scents that I really love & is still a favorite is black fig Again, it is a very warm earthy scent which I also find very calming due to it's hints of lavender.
Paddywax apothecary chamomile & figSpeaking of fig this is one of my first candles and I have repurchased it numerous times already. I really love the apothecary-esq bottle.. if you haven't noticed by now I have a thing for vintage looking bottles. Again, aside from how it looks it is a beautiful scent and one of the lighter/fresher scents that I own.
If you guys are in the market for VERY inexpensive yet aesthetically pleasing candles please do yourself a favor and take a look at H&M Home's candles. This candle is slightly softer than the other candles I mentioned and not as potent but still a very nice scent and they last quite a long time despite how inexpensive they are.
Manly Indulgence Candle in MidnightThis is my newest candle but it has already become one of my favorites. It is pretty big and only cost me $7.99 at marshalls so definitely check out marshalls candle section!This stuff is pretty potent as well but not overbearing at all and it smells very masculine and brings so much warmth to a space. I absolutely love it and have gotten nothing but compliments from everyone who walks in.
Finally, I have this candle by mine design in cucumber mint at the entrance of my home.This candle isn't exactly the warmest candle but it is so perfect for hot summer days. Really reminds me of summer so I usually burn this one earlier in the day. A lot of people hate it when the glass gets stained like this but I actually like it. I think it makes things look a little more rustic and less perfect.
Current Throw Pillow Collection
A little while ago I had mentioned that I was slowly going to create a throw pillow collection so I thought I'd share what I have so far.... definitely not finished but wanted to share the progress.It's pretty hard to refrain from buying 17 throw pillows all at once, especially if you are a new homeowner but I have found that taking your time with it really helps you collect pieces that you truly love and aren't going to get tired of in two weeks. This actually applies to all interior decor purchases. However, even if I were to get tired of them, all of the pillows are actually pillow covers with pillow inserts so I can change them whenever I want either way so it kind of works out to wait a little longer and spend a tiny bit more.
The covers themselves are not even that expensive, what makes them a tiny bit more pricey is the fact that, for each cover, you need a pillow insert but I guess it's kind of an investment since you purchase the insert once and then switch out the cover whenever you please.
So far my favorite places to purchase pillows are Etsy & H&M home. On Etsy the covers are a bit more expensive but on H&M they are ridiculously inexpensive and actually very nicely made. I purchase most of my inserts on amazon and onlinefabricstore.com and all of my pillow inserts are mostly composed of feather in order to get the perfect shape when I karate chop them lol
As a person who has serious commitment issues with wall decor, I really enjoy decorating with pillows and throws & pretty much anything that doesn't require me committing to something 100%. Don't get me wrong, there are certain things I don't mind putting on the walls but for the most part I prefer being able to switch things around whenever I please. Links to all pillows are captioned on pertaining pictures. Please note that some of the pillows that I've purchased from etsy are one-of-a-kind so I have linked the store which I purchased them from instead of the actual pillow. xx
Friday Five
1. It is no surprise that I have a serious love for candles and it is even less of a surprise that PF Candle Co happens to be one of my favorite candle companies. They were kind enough to send me their latest scent Piñon last month to test out prior to their launch on August 15th. It really amazes me how they top their previous scents every time. You think, there's no way they can make another scent as good as their current collection but yes, yes they could... & they did. Personally, I love warm, some-what masculine scents that are still fresh and not over-bearing and that is exactly what this candle smells like. It has the perfect hint of both warmth and freshness, I cannot stop burning it. I've only had it for a couple of weeks and am already almost half way. Really recommend this brand if you're looking for candles and definitely be on the lookout for their launch on Tuesday the 15th.
2. This week I received a lovely package from Saturday Skin. They were kind enough to send me their balancing act skin smoothing lotion, which I use during the day, their feather weight daily moisturizer, which I use at night and their hydrating masks, which are probably the best hydrating sheet masks I've every tried. I've only tried them for a couple of days but so far my dry skin is LOVING everything.
3. If you guys follow me on IG you have probably already seen this little beauty from Hieleven. So in love, I really appreciate bags that remain small and compact but still have some kind of compartmentalization. It helps me keep everything organized. I also can't get over the design, I've been really into circular designs lately and I love how simple the ring on this is, yet it still makes a statement. It reminds me of Chloe bags, which I love, but can't justify purchasing at the moment.
4. Say hello to my new favorite powder! I've only had this powder for a couple of days but it doesn't take very long for me to determine if a powder works for me or not. I use this all over my face and underneath my eyes and it works perfectly, despite the fact that I have dry skin. It does not crease or look cakey. It just melts into the skin and helps your makeup last all day. Stay tuned for an upcoming video of this little guy in action.Get 20% off your first glossier order by shopping with me here. 5. Not sure if you guys noticed but I changed my blog this week. Not only did I change the theme but I actually moved on over to the wonderful world of Wordpress. I started my blogspot many, many moons ago and it worked well for all of these years but I needed more control & customization and I feel as though Wordpress delivers that. Pretty excited to expand my horizons.See you all next week! xx
Finding Inspiration
Sometimes, it's not very easy to remain inspired. We hit blocks at one point or another whether that be creatively or in other aspects of our life. Here are some of the ways I remain creatively inspired.
- Music. I don't think anything inspires me quite like music does. The majority of my videos (the more cinematic ones) are inspired by music. Sometimes it doesn't even have to have lyrics, I will listen to a song and create a video out of it, most of the time I have the song I am going to use in a video before I even planned on filming that particular video.
- Videos, movies, shows, documentaries. The reason I started creating videos in the first place is because of the way they can make you feel something. They can move you in a way that pictures cannot. I can take a piece of my mind, translate it into a video and literally show it to you.. it lets me let you inside of my head, in a sense. Sometimes when I hit creative blocks I watch cinematic videos or documentaries. I will also watch a movie, even if I've seen it a million times, I will watch It again if I know it inspires me. Shows are also great, I'm currently watching Mr. Robot and love the way they shoot their scenes. Documentaries related to relevant topics also really help get my creative juices flowing.
- Magazines. Don't get me wrong, I love social media and digital inspiration but there is nothing like holding something in your hands and feeling the pages. I absolutely love to collect beautiful magazines and I often flip through them, even years after purchasing them, for inspiration.
- Pinterest. This is a no-brainer. If you don't own a Pinterest please open up a new tab or window and quickly make yourself one because this is seriously one of the best sources of inspiration for pretty much anything you need.
- Tumblr. Will forever hold a place in my heart. I've had it for about 9 years and I still use it very regularly. I honestly like the content on there more than Pinterest sometimes.
- Walking outside. I don't do this as often as I would like but sometimes removing myself from anything digital for a little while actually helps me. I will look at a flower, a tree, I will look up, smell something... anything and it will actually help inspire me.
- Open a sketch book or a bullet journal. I draw a lot whenever I feel both inspired and uninspired. Sometimes when you keep a sketch book or a bullet journal all you have to do is flip back a couple of pages and look back at something you wrote or drew a couple of months ago when you were inspired and that, in itself, helps a ton.
- Quotes. I've always loved quotes, a lot of the time I find great ones on Pinterest but when I'm looking for something in particular I love Goodreads and Brainy Quote.
- Instagram. You were probably wondering when I was going to mention IG since I practically live on that damn app but yes, even though I don't really get the majority of my inspiration from there, there are seriously some very talented people on Instagram. Take time to follow some accounts that you really enjoy that post regularly, there is nothing wrong with gaining inspiration from other content creators, so long as you stay true to your own style, and don't blatantly copy anyone.
- Create an environment that inspires you. Whether it be your home, your room or your apartment, make sure that you wake up everyday and truly love your space. This is the place you are going to spend most of your time in, make sure you create a space that you love and inspires you. Not only will this help you creatively but it will help you mentally, physically & emotionally. Part of the reason I love interior design so much is not just because of aesthetic... it is because of the way it can literally alter the way you feel, your productivity, your mood, pretty much everything. Our spaces dictate so many aspects of our lives, you want to make sure you are happy in it.