Sunday, March 31, 2019

Sunday Night Thought


Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Guest Post :: How To Clean Your Leather Bag With Just The Egg And A Pan

Don’t you just hate it when in have a leather handbag that you are completely and totally in love and you get caught in the rain, spill a bit of drink on your handbag, or you lotion/makeup/body oil rubs off on the leather? Then all of a sudden there is a spot on the leather of your most favorite handbag and you could almost just kick yourself for letting it happen. Today this guest post covers how to clean your leather bag – just in time for those rainy spring days when a drop of water will inevitably get on your purse.
Any lady who is the owner of an old leather bag knows how hard it can be to remove all the spots on the skin. Because the leather, being more sensitive, can not be treated like synthetic materials. That said, be careful when using chemical products to wash your bag, as you could damage and break it. In today's article, we will explain how to clean a leather bag, in a simple and homemade way. Find the method that fits your type of bag, because you will discover that light or dark skins should not be treated equally. 

Do Not Throw Away Your Old Bag, as It Can Be Preserved Easily in Your Home!

If you have a old leather messenger bag with light tones, keep in mind the following tips and tricks to eliminate stains. These spots on a lighter coloured bag are always flashier, so you should pay more attention when removing them. 

With these tricks, your light skin bag will look like the brand new. Start by using the white of an egg. Separate it from the yolk and mix the white until it becomes white as snow just as if you were making a sponge cake. Next, dip a clean cloth in the mixture and carefully pass it over the spots on your leather bag. We advise you to cover the whole bag with the egg white, so you don't miss all the stains that are soon about to pop but are not easily visible at the moment. 

When all the skin is covered with the mixture, let it dry outdoors. Once you notice that the bag has dried, rub it with a piece of wool. This fabric will be the most suitable to remove the egg white and it will leave your bag with perfect skin shine without damaging it. 

But, If your stained bag is dark-skinned, the way to remove all dirt is easier and much faster. You will have your bag in perfect condition in just a few minutes. Fill a container with water and place it on the stove. When you notice that the water starts to boil, remove the pan from the fire. 

Place the stained part of the leather bag on top of the pan with boiling water, so that the vapour that comes off can soften the stains. Leave it in this position for a few minutes and then let it dry outdoors. In a few moments, you will see that you have got rid of the annoying stains and your beg will look just as it was on the day of purchase. 

In case the dirt is very intense and visible, type ink or makeup, we advise you to take your leather bag to a dry cleaner. There they will surely use the right products to leave it gleaming and they will preserve it in good condition without damaging it.

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

So Many Shops To Visit In Coconut Point

If you fancy a shopping spree in a gorgeous setting, then you should think about going to Naples, Florida and nearby communities. Specifically, look at Coconut Point, a bustling shopping haven. This outdoor shopping mall gives people access to 140 plus shops. Some of the great shops there include Everything But Water, Dillard's, Michael Kors, MAC Cosmetics, Sephora, and Charming Charlie. 
If you're going to be in Naples or anywhere close, then your choices in shopping destinations will surely delight you. But if you want to take a breather from hauling shopping bags, there are all kinds of attractions for people who are going to be in this lovely part of Florida, as well. 

Vital Attractions in Naples 
Lowdermilk Park isn't just any basic park. It also has a beach of its own. If you want to play volleyball and walk on the soft sand, this Gulf Shore Boulevard site is the place for you. The sights at Lowdermilk Park are stunning, too. 

Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens has been around since the autumn of 1969. If the intriguing universe of plants sounds like your idea of a good time, you’ll want to stop by this local favorite. People who want to learn all about mesmerizing animals may want to stop by as well. There are roughly 70 different types of creatures at Naples Zoo. The zoo encompasses approximately 43 acres or so. 

If you want to do even more shopping, you can try Waterside Shops on action-packed Tamiami Trail. It's been a widely known shopping destination in the region since the beginning of the nineties. The high-end shopping center has all sorts of top-notch shops accessible to visitors. Several examples of these are Sunglass Hut, Banana Republic, Louis Vuitton, Saks Fifth Avenue, Anthropologie, Pottery Barn, Lilly Pulitzer, and Kate Spade. 

Terrific Food in Naples 
People who can't get enough of seafood delights should head to local hotspot Truluck's. This posh restaurant gives diners plentiful steak and seafood meal choices. Dishes that are on the menu at Truluck's include salt and pepper calamari, escargot, lobster bisque, crab macaroni and cheese, Pacific swordfish steak, New York strip steak, Alaskan king crab, and Hawaiian ahi tuna. 

Osteria Tulia is a vibrant Naples restaurant that's on Fifth Avenue in the city. If you're searching high and low for tried and true classics items from Italy, Osteria Tulia may be precisely the eatery you need. Diners at this establishment can feast on all sorts of superb lunch and dinner offerings. They can chow down on pizza pies, meatball sliders, potato gnocchi, pork tenderloin, braised short rib paninis, duck liver crostino, risotto, and parsley linguine. 

Bonita Springs Hotels and Resorts 
Identifying excellent accommodations in the region is pretty simple. The Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa is a lively accommodation choice for people who want to revel in waterslides and more. Access tot he 24-hour Hyatt StayFit gym is a perk for visits to the resort, as well. Visit their website to learn more about what they can offer. 

Hampton Inn Bonita Springs/Naples-North is a pleasant hotel that is fitting for people who are traveling for business. It's fitting for those who are tourists, too. Perks at the hotel include a business center, coin laundry and luggage storage. There are even staff members at the hotel who can speak numerous different languages.

Omnifever

With warmer weather just around the corner I always love stumbling onto new websites, especially ones that have a great hot swimwear selection! I recently just learned about Omnifever, they are a great online go-to site for anything and everything, and not to mention, everything is marked at a fantastic price. 
Via
I hate to be ‘that person’ who starts to complain about the cold weather at the very tail end of the season, but…I’m going to be that person. I am so ready for sundresses, skirts, sandals, and bright colors. But for now, the next best thing is to daydream about warmer days and do a little Sping shopping online. Oh! I almost forgot to mention that Omnifever has cheap online sandals that also happen to be super cute!

Saturday, March 23, 2019

Happy Hour Time

Well…well…fancy meeting you here weekend, it is so nice to see you again! Where have you been all week! I hope everyone has had a wonderful and will have a chance to enjoy the beautiful spring weekend that is ahead of us. Here’s to spending time with friends and family and a chance to relax. Cheers!

“Anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve.”
~ J.K. Rowling
    
Drink Special! 
Schnorkel
2 ounces rum
½ounce pernod
1 ounce fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
Ice cubes
Shake with ice and strain into a highball glass

Around Town!
Nashville, TN: Blooms & Brunch at Cheekwood, Sunday, March 24, 11:00am
Lexington, KY: Bluegrass Bucket List at Lexington Visitors Center, Saturday, March 23 – Friday, March 29
New Orleans, LA: St. Patrick’s Day in New Orleans, Sunday, March 24
Savannah, GA: Flannery O’Connor Birthday Parade & Street Fair at Lafayette Square, Sunday, March 24
Little Rock, AR: DIY Artful Fun at Pinot’s Palette, Sunday, March 24, 3:00pm

Thursday, March 21, 2019

Oldies But Goodies

Not to sound like an old person, but is there anyone else out there who thinks today’s TV show can be a little too intense? Full on confession: I used to love Grey’s Anatomy, but I stopped watching it about it about three years ago; there was just too much drama for me and I hated the fact that someone was always going through something negative. I like to sit down at night, decompress, watch something on TV that hopefully has a good ending, and just zone out for an hour or so.
I don’t if it just seems this way, but the way life is portrayed 50, 40, and even 20 years ago seems so much simpler than today. Sometimes I resort to watching old sitcoms that were on TV Land back in the 90’s and were even the shows my parents watched growing up. After a hard day the last thing I want to do is sit down and watch a show with a strained and problematic character relationships. So for those of you who are with me, here are a few oldies but goodie TV show that will send you to bed feeling a bit happier than you were before you turned on the TV. 

Bewitched// This is probably one of my all time favorite shows. Samantha and Darrin are just such a cute couple and I always love how Samantha’s family members are literally always popping in and out. 

I Love Lucy// Lucy probably one of the most iconic tv shows that has every existed. I have started watching this one again on Amazon Prime and have fallen in love with the show all over again


Save By The Bell// Hands down, one of the best TV shows of the 90’s. I used to watch this everyday after school; even at the age of six I was rooting for Zack and Kelly!

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Guest Post :: 5 Ways Stress And Anxiety Affects Your Skin

Along with a breath of new air, beautiful flowers, sunshine, and the sense of everything being renewed, Spring can also bring a little stress. No matter what your age the spring seems to have stressful moments… tax season, holidays, and if you’re still in school – exams. As much as we all hate to admit it, everyone is guilty of letting stress get the better of them and in return it can affect your skin and health. Today Peter Minkoff is sharing five ways stress and anxiety affects your skin and what you can do about it.
Stressful and anxious situations are something most of us have to deal with on an everyday basis, and they can often get the best of us. Not only does stress trickle from our brains to our bodies, but it can show up on the skin as well, and even exacerbate existing physical and psychological conditions, which in turn wreaks havoc on our complexion. Here are five negative ways stress and anxiety affect our skin:

1. Flushed face

When you feel anxious or stressed, you breathe in short and shallow breaths, and can even find yourself holding your breaths for longer periods of time, which can often lead to flushing of redness. In order to calm your face down, try breathing in a scented candleor a soothing beauty elixir that contains calming ingredients, such as chamomile and patchouli, which will keep you from feeling overly stressed and anxious. It may sound too simple to be effective, but it’s crucial for achieving a properly functioning system and lowered levels of stress.

2. Flare-ups and breakouts

Whether you’re prone to acne, psoriasis or eczema, stress can cause all sorts of existing skin conditions to flare up. When it comes to acne, stress and anxiety activate cortisol, which can throw off the other hormones in your body and cause breakouts on any part of your skin. Stress also has the tendency to disrupt the balance between the good and bad bacteria in your stomach that can then show up on your skin in the form of acne, whether you’re prone to breakouts or not. In order to prevent this from happening, try to drink a lot of water and eat a healthy, balanced diet, as your body can’t handle stress well if it’s not properly nourished.

3. Cold sores

Cold sores are small, but painful sores or blister-like lesions that appear on certain areas of the skin, such as the lips, chin and cheeks. They are caused by a highly contagious virus called HSV that remains inactive most of the time once it enters the body. However, if a common trigger like excessive stress or anxiety activates the virus, itchy and painful cold sores can develop. While there is no way to prevent the appearance of cold sores, a high quality cold sore creamcould reduce their frequency and duration, or even get rid of them completely.

4. Rashes and hives

Both rashes and hives are caused by dysbiosis, or an imbalance in your gut. They occur when stress or anxiety takes over and too many bad bacteria outweigh the good. In order to help minimize the chances of getting a rash or hives when you’re stressed out, try to practice some deep breathing exercises. Take a big breath that fills your whole stomach, hold it in for a couple of seconds, then exhale slowly through your mouth, and repeat the process until you’ve managed to calm yourself down.

5. Fine lines

Constantly making the same facial expressions, such as furrowing your brows or pursing your lips when you’re stressed, could lead to the appearance of deeper wrinkles in those areas over time. So, be mindful of making unconscious facial expressions when you’re feeling anxious, especially while sitting at your desk. If you need help training your muscles to relax, put a piece of clear tape between your eyebrows or above your upper lip when you’re at work. That way, when the muscles contract, the tape will crinkle, reminding you to relax and eventually helping you drop the habit.
Since we can’t avoid the stress of everyday life completely, the best thing we can do is learn how to manage it properly and treat it adequately, in order to avoid any negative consequences.

Saturday, March 16, 2019

Happy Hour Time

Aloha Friday! It’s so wonderful to see you again! March is finally here and spring is in the air! The flowers are blooming, the days are getting a little longer, and the weather is getting a little warmer {thank goodness}, and it’s St. Patty’s Day weekend! Here’s to dancing a jig, enjoying a few potatoes, a little luck, and some basketball. Cheers!

“We must dare to be great; and we must realized that greatness is the fruit of toil and sacrifice and high courage.”
~ Teddy Roosevelt 

Drink Special! 
Goat’s Delight
¾ounce brandy
¾ounce kirschwasser
½teaspoon cream
1 dash pernod
1 dash almond-flavored syrup
Ice cubes
Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass

Around Town!
Nashville, TN: The Book of Mormon at TPAC, March 12 – March 14
Franklin, TN: St. Patty’s Day Bash at Mockingbird Theater with Molly Ramone, Sunday, March 17, 6:00pm
New Orleans, LA: Pink Beautiful Trauma World Tour at Smoothie King Center, Sunday, March 17, 7:30pm
Savannah, GA: St. Patrick’s Weekend in Savannah at Embassy Suites, Friday, March 15 – Monday, March 18
Charlotte, NC: 2019 ACC Tournament at Spectrum Center, Friday, March 15 – Sunday, March 17, 5:00pm

Friday, March 15, 2019

Guest Post :: The Best Paint Colors For Each Room In The House

Spring is the perfect time to rearrange and paint to give your house a fresh feel after a long winter. Today Lisa is guest posting on the blog and is sharing the best paint colors for each room!
Source: Sherwin-Williams
Are you interested in giving your home a new feel? If the answer is yes, it might be time to spruce up your interior with a fresh coat of paint. Paint makes all the difference in a home. It’s amazing how a simple change, like the color on the wall, can completely transform a space.

However, choosing a paint color is no easy task. How in the world are you supposed to sift through the thousands of paint colors out there? The answer is, you can’t.

Before you go flipping through dozens of paint color fan decks, you might consider this:

Color has a psychological effecton our brain.

 Yep—it’s true. Paint is more than just a color on a wall. In fact, the colors we choose to put on display in our homes can affect our emotions, even our mood. While certain colors calm us, others stimulate our brains. 

With the power of color in mind, you can narrow down your color choices by matching the purpose of the room with the right color.

1.      The Kitchen
Warm colors tend to work well in the kitchen. That’s because colors in this palette are known to stimulate appetite. If you’ve ever wondered why every fast-food restaurant features warm hues, this is why. Contrary to popular belief, warm colors can be done tastefully. The goal is not to replicate your kitchen after the local McDonald’s franchise.

One of our favorite warm colors, is Sherwin-Williams’ color of the year, Cavern Clay.

2.      The Bedroom
When choosing a color for your bedroom, stay away from intense colors like reds, purples, and oranges. Colors in these hues tend to energize and stimulate our brains, which the opposite of what we want to achieve here—sleep.
Source: iStock Photo
The best colors for sleep are cool tones that help you feel relaxed. Try out light shades of blue and neutral when creating your sleep haven. Hues in this color family have been proven to lower blood pressure and help you relax. Not to mention, blue psychologically stands for serenity, calm, tranquility and peace.

However, the color on the walls isn’t the only thing that promotes a good night’s sleep. Make sure to manage the light, noise and mattress you are sleeping onto get your best night’s sleep each and every night.

3.      The Living Room
Next up is the living room. The room of congregation, relaxation and Netflix binges. After a long day, there’s nothing like coming home, kicking off your shoes and plopping down on the living room couch to relax.

A great color for the living room is green. Here’s why:

Green is said to be the color of balance, harmony, refreshment and comfort. For one of the most popular rooms in the house, you’ll want this space to be an inviting place to relax and host guests. Green helps you achieve an inviting ambiance.
Source: iStock Photo
1.      The Master Bath

         Last but not least, the bathroom

The best color for your bathroom is white. White represents cleanliness and offers a cool, refreshing feeling. Just walking into a crisp, white bathroom will make you want to pop in the shower.

All in all, your paint choices should be a representation of you and your style. This is simply a guide to navigate the endless sea of color options.

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Spring Party Dresses

With hints of spring in the air everyone seems to be in a signigicintyly better mood and climbing out of their winter rut. After all, who couldn’t help but walk with a little extra spring in their step when longer days, sunshine, newly bloomed flowers and dress, and of course, a new wave of fashion on the way!?

I always think it’s a bit funny {in a good way} that people are always so ready to break out the next season’s wardrobe a little ahead of time. In Nashville, it can be 79 degress outside in September and people will start to break out cable-knits and boots {me included} then in March, once it hits 65 degress…Hello Spring!
I’m cold-natured so I usually have to hold off till April to start doing Spring clothes, but let me just say, there are some sup cute spring party dresses out there this year!!! Whether you are looking for a garden party dress or a dress for the races…her e are some of my favorites!

Thursday, March 7, 2019

Guest Post :: Top 5 Benefits of Spa Treatments

I for one could go for a spa day just about now, and every single day of the week. There is just something about going to a place that is meant just for a relaxing and pampering experience. As if we didn’t need any more reasons to love a spa day there are actually a few health benefits that come from Spa Treatments! Today Peter Minkoff is guest posting and is sharing the top five benefits of spa treatments!
Everyone’s aware of the fact that spa treatments are beyond amazing, but do you really know anything about their most important benefits? If the answer is ‘no’, just keep on reading and you’ll learn something new today! Here are the top five benefits of spa treatments you should know about, so check them out and enjoy!

They can lower your stress levels and help you relax

You’ve probably already known that visiting a spa is one of the best ways to de-stress and relax, which is exactly why millions of people love it so much. In fact, a visit to the spa is a fantastic opportunity to let go of your everyday worries and separate yourself from your routine that can be quite stressful. Besides that, you should also know that enjoying a few relaxing spa treatments can result in a clear mind and increased productivity once you leave the spa, which are the benefits you should definitely take into consideration! 

They can slow down the process of aging

In case you weren’t aware of it, the fact is that a large number of spa treatments are designed to address the process of aging. Of course, we’re talking mostly about facials, which are known to both prevent and reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines by stimulating collagen production and hydrating the skin. On the other hand, when it comes to full-body treatments, we must say that these, too, stimulate cell renewal and therefore make your skin much smoother and firmer. Apart from diminishing wrinkles and other signs of aging, such spa treatments can improve your overall skin tone as well, so give them a try and you’ll see what we were talking about!

They can relieve pain

Spa treatments such as massages are undoubtedly the best possible choice when you’re experiencing any kind of pain – especially trigger point pain, chronic one, soreness, and referred pain in your muscles. If that’s the case with you, be sure to opt for a treatment that improves blood circulation and flexibility while relieving pain, relaxing tender muscles, and releasing emotional stress at the same time. One of such treatments is trigger point release therapy you can book at Sol Spa in Eastern Suburbs, which is a great option if you live in Sydney. This kind of treatment will address specific areas that hold a lot of stress and tension, which is exactly what your muscles need!

They can promote better sleep

As already mentioned, spa treatments are an amazing way to relax and unwind, which is exactly why we can freely say that paying a visit to your favorite spa will promote better sleep. This is particularly true for any kind of massage, simply because massages are known for relaxing your muscles, lowering your blood pressure, and helping you maintain a healthy heart rate. All of these significantly contribute to a better night’s sleep, so don’t skip them if you have trouble falling asleep at night and you’ll instantly see a fabulous improvement!

They can support weight loss

Last but not least, various spa treatments are said to support weight loss and help you maintain a healthy weight, which as a wonderful advantage you should certainly bear in mind. This goes primarily for hot spa treatments, which open up the skin’s pores in order to get rid of the toxins while encouraging the body to burn calories at the same time. Apart from these, we should also mention deep tissue massages that can break down deposits of fat through the pressure and friction exerted on the skin. Of course, we must emphasize the importance of a well-balanced diet and other healthy lifestyle habits which, in combination with these spa treatments, can do wonders for your body!
Spa treatments indeed have a lot of fantastic benefits, but you know what? These five are unquestionably the most important of them, so make sure to bear them in mind the next time you book an appointment at your favorite spa. All you have to do is to completely relax and enjoy the moment, as that’s the only way to experience the best side of magnificent spa treatments!