Cool Things

Craving: Wooden Toothbrushes

via here

I'm one of those people that always forgets when to replace something. Having mental conversations that go something along the lines of "how long have I had these contacts in exactly?" or "when did I buy this mascara again? I mean, it doesn't seem that old..." are incredibly common with me, so these bamboo toothbrushes spoke to me. Never again would I have to wonder when I needed to replace my toothbrush.* (And bonus points for actually being attractive toothbrushes!)

Now if only I didn't use an electric toothbrush...

*you know, in case that question plaques you.

craving: ipod victrola horn

via here

While I was sitting around hoping to be released from jury duty* and attempting to sleep in the most stealth-fully way possible (i.e. without my mouth hanging open or snoring) I stumbled across this in House Beautiful. How cool is this?! I'm normally more of a record player kind of girl, but I could definitely be open to having this little lovely play my music.

*And just in case anyone was curious, after almost 3 hours of waiting, I was told I was no longer needed and was allowed to leave. Awesome!!

craving: red lips

Kate Bosworth in Instyle via here

I'm loving red lips this holiday season, and apparently I am not the only one. Red lips are everywhere! I've mentioned before that I can't just wear any ol' thing (thanks sensitive skin) but there is one brand without a doubt that I can wear every time. Which one you ask? No other than the beautiful lipsticks at Chanel. If the black and gold packaging doesn't get you, the wide range of colors should. I just picked up a tube of Gabrielle yesterday and can't stop admiring it. It's so bright and playful- perfect for the holidays!

And for all those out there that want the red pout, but can't stand it wearing off and leaving you looking like you just ate a messy Popsicle, try these easy steps.

1) Prep. Exfoliate your lips with a warm wash cloth to get rid of any flakiness.

2) Use a lip pencil. Do the edge, and then fill in the whole lip to create a "base. "(I can't always make myself to do this because I get lazy, but I promise it does make it last longer. Thing to remember though, is to never wear too dark of a liner. You can match it to your lipstick, but if you've chosen a dark shade, go one shade lighter with your liner. Otherwise you'll look like you're bringing back the 90's- and not in a good way.)

3) Apply. You get more pigment straight from the tube so don't feel like you have to use a brush. After the first layer, blot, and then reapply.

4) Powder. It seems kind of counter-intuitive, but adding a small amount of loose powder (use a big brush lightly) actually sets the color and doesn't dry out your lips. If you want to reapply color again, use a brush this time or it can come out cakey.

5) Protect your teeth. The only thing worse that the lipstick ring, is lipstick on your teeth. (Well I guess the only thing worse than that is no one telling you that you have lipstick on your teeth...) I think it was Cindy Crawford who first made this popular but the trick is to take your index finger, put it between your lips, pucker up and pull your finger out. Any lipstick that would have made it on your teeth is now on your finger.

6) Smile. Because like Audrey said, happy girls are the prettiest girls.

What about you all? Have any good tips?

craving: joulies

Joulies found on lady and the blog

Pronounced "jollies." these little stainless steel "beans" are designed to cool your coffee/tea/hot chocolate to the perfect temperature and then keep it there for up to 5 hours. I've started drinking chamomile and peppermint tea (separately. not sure those would work well together) and I have to admit that there is really nothing more annoying than spending 15 minutes waiting for it to cool off enough so you don't burn yourself and then being left with cold gross tea 5 minutes after that first "perfect sip." So, when I saw these little shining babies I immediately knew they would make a very nice addition to our tea/coffee routines.

studio sneak peek: commemorative road trip map

both images via courtney khail stationery and design

Before I start recapping everything, I wanted to show you a little something I painted to commemorate our trip. I love the whole putting pins into a large map thing, but since this was more about the journey than the specific places, I thought it deserved something a little more special. Plus, I have a soft spot for maps so I figured why not bring in a fun colorful one?