Trying my hand at homemade things

Recently I have been inspired by a friend to get back in touch with my creative and artsy side and craft some homemade jewelry and accessories. Initially this was purely for myself and close friends, and I was making my own earrings and headbands after work or in my spare time. However, upon posting pictures of my creations there was an overwhelming amount of positive feedback from friends and acquaintances surrounding the idea of selling the items. I've now set up a booth at a few outdoor summer festivals and have been quite successful. It's a really positive experience, engaging with new people and essentially, having their support in something you enjoy doing. It's a confidence boost. Wow, someone is interested in purchasing something that I have created.
To anyone out there that has a passion or a hobby that you enjoy and maybe have stopped indulging in and miss, sincerely suggest you take some time to dive back into it. I have, and the positive impact on my life is vast. It gives me a creative outlet, opens my horizons and comfort zone, lets me meet new people, takes my mind off of more stressful things in life, relaxes me, and the list could go on. Make a difference in your own life! Give yourself that confidence boost and source of positivity!

B - xo

DIY sea salt spray

Instead of paying for one of the sea salt hair spray's out on the market this summer, I decided to make my own. After trying many different recipes, I found a blend that worked perfectly to create some texture in my long wavy hair. Since the tousled, beachy waves is a nice look for the summer (or any season in all honesty) I got some good use out of this, and used 2 batches this summer.

• 1 cup of hot (not boiling) 
• 1 TBSP of sea salt
• 1/2 - 1 TSP of coconut oil (I used all natural, virgin coconut oil)
• 1/2 - 1 TSP of hairspray 
• A squirt of coconut scented conditioner 

Garnier Body Intensive 7days Lotion.

It's starting to cool down from the summer heat, and with that the air gets more brisk and dry. My skin, along with many others, does dry out so much at this time and in the winter months especially. I do usually moisturise all winter long, but this year I decided to go for something thicker for my body. Also, start it during the fall months to prep my skin for the winter dryness. So I've started with the Intensive 7 days Repair lotion for extra dry skin, with Shea butter. There are a lot of claims on the back of the bottle, of results after one use, 7 days use, 30 days use, etc. Apparently "L-Bifidus" is in the formula which is like a probiotic for the skin, as well as Shea butter which is ultra moisturising. So this is a test, and I will do a review at the end of the winter!

The bomb balms

The infamous Revlon Just Bitten Kissable balm stains. I purchased my first one and since they're raved about by beauty gurus on YouTube, I had high expectations. I bought Rendezvous, which was a bold move for me as I'm usually reserved in the lip department. Oddly enough, I think I could wear this every day. Zoe, or Zoella, inspired me to step out of my comfort zone with this one, and the orange looks great on her so I thought I'd give it a shot! It's quite moisturising, and definitely does not dry my lips up which I do usually have a problem with when it comes to lip products. It's easy to control and doesn't bleed onto my skin around the lips which is also important. Needless to say, I am as impressed as I thought I would be with the product and I will be purchasing more!

My room is singing the blues.

So these are some small details of my room when I first redid it myself about a year ago. It was nice, fresh and neat. It has since gotten a bit cluttered, and I'm hoping to bring it back to it's former visually appealing state. I've made it my mission to donate a load of  items by the end of the summer, anything from clothes and accessories to books, dvds and trinkets. Over the month of August I'll be bringing home a box from work every 10 days and doing a sweep of my desk, drawers, boxes, clothes, closet, etc. I've decided to treat myself (once I've completed my goal) to some cute boxes from ikea to organize the things I do keep.
Do you have any organizing tips? How do you decide what stays and what goes?

I caved again...

So one perfectly structured bikini top was not enough... I went back for the chevron multi-coloured top that I fell in love with last week. Same size, same fit. I think I could buy 10 and wear this style for the rest of my life!

Let's go to the beach

       I'm going on a trip soon, and I decided to buy a few new bathing suit tops to take with me. I like the look of solid black or dark coloured bottoms with a patterned top or different colour top.
       Anyways, cutting to the chase, I am rather large in the chest region and finding a flattering bathing suit top at Target or Old Navy just doesn't happen. After deciding not to pay the $40 in shipping for an on sale $20 top on Victoria's Secret online, I bit the bullet and went into the store. I'm glad I did. The ladies there were extremely helpful in picking a few flattering tops in the perfect size, and even shared my woes about shipping prices to Canada. I left with this beauty, paying about $50, but at least I know it's a great fit. You've got to do what you've got to do!