made at home: simple scrub

   These winter months can make for dry skin, which I know I have personally been experiencing after mass amounts of snow and drastic climate changes. Exfoliating using scrubs is perfect to slough away dead skin cells and moisturize the skin. I am pleased to bring all of my readers a "simple scrub" that is made with only three ingredients that can be found always in your kitchen! 

   This recipe was given to me by my dear friend, and Skin-Care Therapist at Hagoyah salon (which is one of my sponsors this month!), Caprice. I received a facial from her earlier in the month, right after her salon opened in the Waldo district of Kansas City. Any local readers out there should check out Hagoyah, and the facials they offer. I completely enjoyed mine, which was a peach clay mask, and did my skin wonders! 

Simple Exfoliating Scrub

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon of your choice: almond oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, grapeseed oil, etc. (I used olive oil!) 
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg

Tips for Scrubs and Facials: 

• Use this scrub while in the shower. This steam will help get rid of the dead skin cells.
• Always use a scrub before applying a facial. 
• While applying the scrub, use a circle massaging hand movement. 
• Wash off the scrub with cool water and pat your face dry with a towel. 

   A huge thanks to Caprice for providing me with this recipe! Follow her on twitter for daily skin tips and other useful information regrading facials. 

a lack of color

(the woodland house (ours), in the snow storm.)

(my snow-covered car, we used my boyfriend's car to drive us to the grocery store for much needed coffee beans.)

(long sweater: kohls, rose detailed sweater: vintage, from my mom's closet, knitted scarf: made by my granny, floral dress: from a friend, sweater tights: h&m, boots: payless.) 

   Oh winter, I believe I have experienced the full force of you this last week. I awoke this morning to a land of snow and ice, another day of canceled classes, and cold breezes coming through my windows. The sound of icicles falling from the porch and the snow plow men driving their giant trucks down my street. Today actually transformed my neighborhood into what an actual "blizzard" would be told to look like. So lovely to view, but I am ready for the first of Spring now! 

    As February comes to a close, I am hoping for a bit of warmer weather which will replace the snow with rain. I believe everyone else wrapped up in the last two major snows will be sided with me! Welp, seems I got my wish of snow this season, but I must say: I am ready to turn my sweaters in for sundresses.

wolves at the door

 (winter snowday reads.) 

(cold days call for grilled "cheese" and tomato soup while watching netflix.) 

(poncho: boomerang, blouse: cargo largo, dress: from clothing swap, hat: kohl's, sweater tights: h&m, boots: payless, mittens: kiddo tv.) 

   Somehow, I feel as if this "second snowday" has drifted away so quickly. Although I do enjoy the days off from the real world (school, nannying, etc), I do believe I start to get cabin fever. It is so odd for me to have a completely scheduless day, now to have two in a row, confuses me. Realizing I must find a way to get out of this 12 inches of snow surrounding my house,I proceeded to shovel my driveway (taking an hour and a half because the snow plows had made a "wall" of snow and ice between the street and the end of my driveway). After shoveling, I was planning on catching up with a friend over coffee at a local place, but managed to get semi-stuck on a side street. 

   Needless to say, I turned around and headed back to my home! Ah, I always talk of wanting days to relax without time always a constant, but when it comes I tend to only take it for a few hours. Well, the snowy streets should be more cleared tomorrow and I am fully ready for some sort of an outing.. even if it is just buying groceries. 

made at home: chai concentrate

   The Midwest was awaken this morning by a snow storm (yes, there was even thunder to be heard!) this morning in late February. Luckily, for myself, all of my classes were canceled and I did not have to nanny... which meant I had the day to sit at home. I do not even remember the last time I was at home an entirely of a day. It has been rather nice.

   I thought, what a better way to sip on something warm then perfecting my chai concentrate recipe. This recipe is about a 1 part chai to 1 part milk ratio (I used rice milk, but any kind will work!). This recipe yields about 2 1/2 cups (which was just perfect for me today!), but you can easily double it to make more to store in the fridge for later use.

Chai Concentrate

3 cups of water

3 Earl Gray teabags (mine were from Trader Joe's)

1/4 cup brown sugar 

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon allspice, ginger, and nutmeg

1 tablespoon honey

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla abstract 

(mix together brown sugar with spices, while boiling water in a medium sized pot.) 

(add spice/sugar mixture and teabags, then try to simmer for 20 minutes  let the chai cool, then use a strainer to move the liquid into a container for keeping.) 

   Cheers everyone! Now I am heading back to spend the rest of my snow day with my sewing machine. Readers, how do you spend snow days? 

on your porch

(lovely prints from Floating Canopy, a goodie-filled letter from Hallo Valerie.) 

(sweater: target, vest: thrifted, skirt: gap, belt: j.c.p., tights: american apparel, boots: payless, scarf: banana republic, headband: thrifted.) 

   I have recently come to this conclusion that I will not live without a backyard again. I feel like these are just things people take for granted (if you live in the typical house with a backyard). Yes, a random thought on a Tuesday, but my boyfriend I and were talking about our "life after I finish school" today... and I threw New York City out of the question (hey, I can't have my backyard with only being able to afford a studio apartment, can I?!) 

   Enough of the obsession of my backyard (in all honesty,  it is really not that viewful. Just a place that is mine.), I will be having a third kitty living in our home for a short time! Well, and one of my boyfriend's friends... but I am excited to have a new furry friend to photograph. Along with news, I am also going to start selling a few prints of some photographs I have taken over the past year in my shop (one or two requests have been made, so I am trying this!). Readers, do you have any tips on selling photo prints? Or any tips on introducing cats to each other? Both are appreciated at this moment!

sponsor introduction: floating canopy

   Hello readers! I am so pleased that I have the pleasure to introduce one of my lovely February sponsors to you, Stephanie Priscilla of Floating Canopy. I found her through her instagram, and fell in love with her artwork right away. 
   Stephanie is an animation student from LASALLE College of the Arts in Singapore. She has been in love with animation since she was extremely young, from watching Disney's animation films. Her illustrations are mostly inspired by nature. Her classmates say her style is a bit dreamy, because she adores children storybooks and fairy-tales. She always has a certain message behind the images that she creates. 

What is your favorite medium to work with? "My favorite medium is watercolor. It's the most comfortable medium and I've never learnt it before in my life. It just comes naturally. But recently I'm starting to like digital painting too."

Do you have a favorite piece you have created? "My favourite piece I have would probably the latest work because it may courage people to always try to stand up again when you fell down to the ground. I made that illustration because of what happened earlier today. Me and my classmates were all really tired of our workload in college but if we do something good I always believe we must try to make it work every time we fall apart."

What artists inspire you? What other elements inspire you, as well? "I'm a big fan of Mark Ryden's artwork as for a painter. In other sides, I really love Oliver Jeffers and Jon Klassen for children storybook. They are all so amazing."

Do you plan to pursue art as a career? "I plan to be character designer if one day I work in an animation company. The other choices will be either become a children book illustrator or open a shop full of my illustrations printed in gift cards, notebooks, etc and hope that people will like it."

Do you create in a certain place? "Normally, I will do my artwork at home after I come back home from college. Definitely, I like to listen to music when I do my artwork. My personal favorite genre will be folk. I love to listen to Avalanche City, Sea Wolf, etc. Some of the local band from my hometown are also really nice like Stars and Rabbit, The Trees and The Wild, and Angsa dan Serigala. Sometimes I will go to a cafe and bring my sketchbook. I will drink tea and draw there."

How do you believe you stand out as an artist? "Well, I believe in not just making an artwork. I'm trying to tell a certain message behind of what I create. I apply the things I learnt as an animation student as well. A friend of mind once say there is no originality in this world anymore, but just being different is the key. There's a certain style that will remain in every character that I make."

(how I displayed my two prints Stephanie sent me! one in my craft room, the other in my dining room.) 

Find more of Stephanie's artwork on Floating Canopy, and follow her instagram for daily updates of her work. If you are interested in her artwork, contact her here:  stephanie.priscilla(at)yahoo(dot)com. (She sent me two variations on the first featured "Fox Bride" print, they are grander in person.)