Sundays Are All About Winding Down- Love, Arista

Hi! How are you doing? I hope you’re having a cool weekend! I’m Arista, a year-old chocolate Labrador who lives in a mountain-side property. Over here, there’s lots of fresh air and also grass to roll around in. If other dogs avoid water, I am the first one to launch into it and just play around. I also know how to fetch! My mommy buys me toys that don’t last for more than five minutes, but she tries. She does. 

Mommy right now is busy baking in the kitchen, and I think if I make a good show of my darling eyes, I can make her give me some of that butter cake. Since she left her laptop open, I thought I might do her a favour of narrating to you what Mommy and I did this weekend. Good thing there are photos here to support my claim on how behaved I really am, you know... 

Well Mommy just started reading this paperback version of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday. She brought it home from a business trip last month and realized that it has been months since the last book review, so there you are. She’s also bought more stationery for writing, and Mommy has a weak spot for chocolate milk but she added ice to Swiss Miss with marshmallow instead of drinking it hot. 

There’s another haul from Sample Room that arrived this week. The package includes Probiotics fiber, Celeteque Back Acne Spray, and Calchews in Chocolate and Caramel. Mommy says that the Chocolate tastes like Tootsie Roll! 

Do you see that Reese’s sticks up there? Mommy is crazy for those. She also has two new Kit Kat flavours whose labels she can’t even read. At least I’m smart enough to say that the green one is green tea. There’s Radiant Orchid in the Human Nature eye shadow palette (which I believe is the last one ever out there) and Tropical Rose seems to be a good, healthy color on the skin. #sampleroom

Another thing that excited the both of us is the arrival of Onecklace monogram necklace in silver. Isn’t it lovely? What makes Mommy happy also makes Arista happy! Watch out for a separate post on this. #silver #jewelry #onecklace

And finally, this haul is simply for the babies. Mommy found the green silicon bone at a local supermarket. It’s supposed to clean my teeth and keep me from stealing people’s slippers here in the house. Mommy also had to make sure there’s enough stock of dog soap here at home. I also have a new pink collar. Don’t I look pretty in it? The blue one is Axle's.

See, I told you I am so behaved. Mommy allowed me to stay with her to keep her company. We went for a walk shortly after I was all fresh and clean and smelling good. Mommy has to get more shampoo for me!

 

I also went to say hi to my friends the goats at the back of the house. I promised I didn't bark or harass them. I'm a sweet baby like that.

So I guess that's it. I'm sure there will be more to follow but I do know that it's going to be a busy week for the both of us and Mommy wants to get me a bed of my own so I won't have to really stretch on the hard and cold floor. I'm trying my best to be clean all the time. 

I hope you enjoy your time with family! It's time for me to be a good girl because I smell the cake in the oven calling my name!

Love,

Arista

Colors and Forms: My Latest Finds From Christine’s Books and Baubles

Two collections later, I could say that Christine’s Books and Baubles is doing well. More people are discovering the beauty of Ms. Christine’s handmade creations. They’re unique, affordable and most importantly, made with passion by the lady that inspired them all. Christine’s Books and Baubles expanded clientele might be good for online business but it means more competition for handmade jewelry lovers like yours truly. I’ve gotten better at being the first to comment on her page once I’m alerted that a new collection is launched. 

So why am I all hyped up about her designs? Why should a newbie at handmade jewelry be lurking around in her Facebook page for a start?

I already mentioned unique-so if you’re looking for something that is  new and would want to walk around with jewelry that has no replica, you know where to go. That’s when you will encounter people appreciating and commenting on the outstanding color combinations, if not whimsical characters of your jewelry. At this point you can do an advertising plug and say “I got them from Christine’s Books and Baubles”. 

Here’s where you recall how affordable they are. If Ms. Christine knew just how pretty her jewelry are, I swear they’d cost more, but she’s sweet and humble like that. Well you can also mention the fact that they’re handmade, it only adds a certain charm to them. Personally, looking at the pieces that she’s conjured makes me wonder what emotions, thoughts and ideas she’s had at the time when she sits in her crafting corner and brings birth to these beautiful pieces. 

In each collection, I’ve fought really hard to control myself from hoarding. But I’m not going to suffer alone. I’m sharing the beauty with you. =)

 

The Santorini Collection: Turquoise and pale pink stone bead matinee necklace with a sea glass wire-wrapped pendant, matching bracelet 

This is my latest acquisition, (listen to me, as if I'm talking about diamonds) that's how special her creations are, at least for me. Just looking at these lovely colors immediately brings me to blue skies and sparkling waters.

 

I'm a ridiculously happy girl.

For orders and inquiries, visit

Christine's Books and Baubles

DressV: Cheap Bridesmaid Dresses for Any Season

Bridesmaid dresses are one of those tricky things to shop for. Sure it may be nice for you to have your entourage looking formal and have the same color motif as your wedding, but have you thought of how much it will approximately cost? Will these uniform dresses suit each bridesmaid? Will they be costing about half of your wedding’s budget? You have to be very careful treading around this area since you have to be mindful of the fact that you will be spending too much on bridesmaid dresses and your bridal entourage will only be wearing it once. After the wedding, it’s more likely that the gorgeous bridesmaid dresses you have splurged on will simply go to the backside of the closet.

You can, however, find beautiful but cheap bridesmaid dresses that are appropriate for any season and budget. Shopping at DressV has been made convenient for every bride and her entourage. When you have chosen the style that you want for your cheap bridesmaid dresses, you can then choose the material and color that’s suitable for the season and overall ambiance of your big day. There are many charming and elegant designs that can go well with each of your bridesmaid’s body types. You can be guided with size charts to reduce mistakes in fitting when making your order, and refer to a color chart for each type of material. 

DressV has made many brides more than satisfied and made each wedding day truly memorable. The floor length goddess inspired dresses can look very flattering for formal weddings, and the knee-length designs for semi-formal weddings. 

Are you nervous about ordering online? Simply refer to the testimonials from impressed brides to help you decide. You can start browsing for your cheap bridesmaid dresses at http://www.dressv.com/bridesmaid-dresses-c103394.

You can also like DressV on Facebook.  

 

On Fragrances: Green Tea Cherry Blossom by Elizabeth Arden

I've had a crush on this scent for a really, really long time now. Ever since I have emptied my bottle of the original Elizabeth Arden Green Tea, I've been going crazy and felt restless wanting to have a substitute. I was just so darn grateful and happy when this arrived as a gift last Christmas from my  secret sponsor. Admittedly, the other ladies in my family have a crush on this scent as well.

 "Elizabeth Arden celebrates cherry blossom with her new fragrance of the Green Tea collection. Sakura or cherry blossom inspired designers of the collection to launch a new edition of the Green Tea line this spring. Cherry Blossom brings a romantic composition created of luminous citruses, cherry blossom and tree, enriched with woody warmth and sensuality."

My Observations

This is just a great year-round scent. It's very fresh and sparkly, and I welcome the floral notes on top of the green tea. I like that it's all scent and no shimmer whatsoever. Then again, Elizabeth Arden knows how to stick to the basics with just the freshest elements. I can sense a little musky base but it reflects to be something woody and then the body has just a dash of green tea. I haven't had experience with cherry blossom so there's no really telling on my part how much of the fragrance it composes.

It's lasting power is just one thing that I would like to point out. I can't get enough of the scent, it's one that I will never get tired of. But it only lasts for five hours maximum, from a couple of spritz early in the morning before leaving for work until noon break. Then if I am feeling too intent on another refreshing spritz for inspiration, there goes a couple more sprays.

The packaging is simple, also a reflection of minimalism, and the bottle is slim so it can fit in most bags. Thankfully I have not dropped it in order to see how durable the bottle is but I am hoping that won't happen... ever...

I currently have no means of going to Japan to visit the cherry blossoms and admire them in bloom. But maybe if I close my eyes and inhale the trail of this scent, I might be able to figure something out.

 

 

January Hauls, Bits and Pieces

The first month of the year, I thought I had enough time to wrap things up and take it slow, but it's not what I expected. I'm currently going after my personal goals and realized that it takes courage to do all the things I really want and that I have to trust in myself.  It's really no use holding on to the things that weight me down when I want to fly. 2013 was a year of hits and misses, but at least I am mature to realize what I should be prioritizing and what I should be accomplishing this year. My goals may be difficult but still doable.

Starting the year, it's all a mixture of re-energizing and indulging in comfort (as you can see in photos of my favorite food) and the things that I enjoy. Throughout this week I was kind of feeling pressured, but now, I feel relieved and encouraged somehow. I find strength in the least expected places and I am glad to know that there are people who truly value me as a person.

There will be more to come here in my corner, albeit I struggle to find time to let you know what's happening with me so far, but I'm still going to make it a point to come back on every now and then.

From me to you, thank you for making my time here truly memorable.

xoxo

Raisie