How to Use Oils in Your Beauty Routine

I’ve been using coconut oil, argon oil, and grapeseed oil in my beauty routine for years, but these oils have been used in beauty routines for centuries. My husband just recently joined Pinterest and one of the first things he discovered on Pinterest was how oils could help moisturize his itchy beard. He had me run to the store and to Sally’s Beauty Supply to pick up a combination of grapeseed, jojoba, and almond oils. I already had coconut oil (because I cook with it) and Josie Maran’s argon oil (which I picked up on sale from QVC). You can mix […]

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How to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

When you think of Cinco de Mayo, you probably think about hitting up a Mexican restaurant for chips and salsa and gulping down big glasses of margaritas. I’m not a drinker (or at least not much of one), but I could probably eat my weight in chips and salsa. What most may not know is that “Cinco de Mayo—or the fifth of May—commemorates the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867).” (Source: History.com) So you want to celebrate Mexico’s victory of France? Then do it with craftiness (i.e., make your own […]

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Wanderlust Wednesday: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Wanderlust Wednesday: Rio de Janeiro / www.vanesshwood.com

Later this summer, Rio de Janeiro will be hosting the Summer Olympics. And despite the Zika virus flying around down in Brazil (’cause it’s flying around here in the U.S. as well), Rio de Janeiro is a city full of beauty. I want to walk on the Copacabana Beach, walk up and down the colorful Escadaria Selaron (a stairway decorated by Chilean-born artist Jorge Selaron), and stand at the feet of the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer. “Rio de Janeiro? But it’s not safe!” If you think about it, nowhere is 100% safe, but if take the necessary precautions and travel […]

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My 101 Things in 1001 Days List

For the past two hours, I have been perusing Pinterest, clicking on links, and reading blog posts by other bloggers about fashion, beauty rituals, Coachella, as well as  watching a few DIY and “how-to” videos. But for the past 30 minutes, I have been reading other blogger’s “101 things in 1001 days lists.” I thought to myself, “What a cool idea!” Who inspired me to do this list? It was two bloggers… first was Kate from Kate The Almost Great, and she pointed me in the direction of Mackenzie Horan at Design Darling, who put together her first list together in 2011. This list, like Mackenzie says, […]

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Taking A Cue from InStyle for My Spring Colors

I’ve been readying InStyle magazine for years. To me, it’s like one of my fashion bibles. I love to see all the styles and colors splashed on the pages of the magazine, but I have been hesitant to venture out of my black-on-black fashion style. With InStyle’s challenge to discover this season’s spring colors, I now have a shopping list full of not only styles to try, but fabulous colors with which to experiment. InStyle predicted several complementary colors for this Spring, including: coral and melon; pale blue and aubergine; tangerine and tan; cobalt and peach; spruce and teal; chocolate […]

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