A Sprinkle of Life

Create a Ginny Weasley Costume

October 20, 2016 No Comments

Halloween is a little under two weeks away, so what’s a redhead to be? This year this redhead is paying homage to my favorite series (book + movie), Harry Potter. I’ll be becoming Ginny Weasley this Halloween. I’m actually surprised it’s taken me this long to be Ginny Weasley for Halloween.

To put together this costume, I knew I didn’t want to spend a lot of money, and I wanted to find pieces that I could potentially wear at other times of the year as well. Searching on Google gave me a few ideas, and I found my first stop was hottopic.com. Hot Topic is a great place for fan pieces and less costumey pieces.

The first piece of your costume you’ll need is a Hogwarts/Gryffindor sweater, which you can pick up from Hot Topic or Amazon. I chose to get mine from Hot Topic since a lot of people on Amazon complained that although the picture presented was of the grey cardigan, they actually received red ones. Hot Topic had the right color in stock, and it was on sale!

Gryffindor Cardigan - Hot Topic — Gryffindor Cardigan – Hot Topic

I did have some issues with Hot Topic though (lost package and a poor experience calling customer service), so I would suggest shopping in store if possible. However, once I finally got a cardigan, I have to say, the quality is awesome, it’s super soft, and very cute! For sizing purposes I went up a size because when I tried on my usual size in store (even though the online size chart said it would work for me) I found it was too tight around the chest and the button areas kind of pulled apart leaving not so pretty gaps. Try on the sweater in store if you can to make sure you get one that works best for you.

The second thing you need is a black pleated skirt. I bought mine off of Amazon – the MBJ Womens Basic Versatile Stretchy Flared Skater Skirt. Don’t be surprised if you get a skirt several sizes larger than you would normally get. The size that I requested equated to a size 2 times larger than I’m used to wearing. The skirt itself is cute, comfy, and soft, so a pretty good find for only $15. The skirt also comes in a ton of different colors, so if you fall in love with it, go crazy!

To capture Ginny’s look, you’ll also want black shoes or flats. I’m going with a pair I already had in my closet. Pair these with black tights, socks, or go bare skinned if you prefer.

I recommend wearing something under the cardigan. While Ginny has been captured wearing a button up top, I figured I would go with my own style, adding a white tank top underneath. Since I’m going with a tank top, I’m also opting out of the Gryffindor tie, but if you’re wanting to go all out, definitely wear a white button up and the tie. Pick up the tie here.

For extra fun, throw in a wand and you’ll be good to go! This outfit will work for girls and women of all ages, and is really easy to put together. If you’re also not wanting to look to costume-y, this outfit is perfect.

If you’re not a redhead, you can still rock this costume, be it as Hermoine or another lady Gryffindor favorite.

Happy Halloween!

Travel

A day at Riamede Farm

October 19, 2016 No Comments

Who doesn’t love driving in the countryside, leaf peeping, and picking up some of Fall’s best products, pumpkins and apples on a lovely Fall day?

This past weekend we found ourselves with the Fall activity itch, and since it was the first good weekend of October, we wanted to take a drive in the countryside and see what we could find. We happened upon Riamede Farm in Chester, NJ.

Riamede is a cute farm for picking up pumpkins, apples, and yummy goodies, so we did just that! The farm claims they have trees that were planted half a century ago and that they were first “pick-your-own apple orchard in New Jersey.” Who wouldn’t want to give their apples a try with a claim like that?

There’s a ton of different apple varieties at Riamede, and plenty of apples to go around.

It was a beautiful day on the farm, the air was crisp and full of the smell of apples.

We walked away with Red Delicious and Baldwin Apples. If you want massive apples, bigger than you’ll ever find in store, Riamede Farm is the place to go. I couldn’t believe how big the apples were that we found.

With our apples, we decided to make an apple crisp! Luckily the store had an apple crisp mix so we picked one up, especially since this was my first time ever baking one! Since the apples were so huge, we only needed 2 apples for the crisp, which came out delicious if I might say so myself.

If you find yourself free over the next couple of weekends, head over to Riamede Farm in Chester, NJ. I promise, you won’t be disappointed.

Things to note:

Admission to the farm costs $2.00 per person on the weekend – free during the weekday
You can buy plastic bags for your apple picking adventure for .50 cents. We had a bag with us, so we just brought that.
Apples are charged by the pound (under $2 a pound), which get weighed at the register
Riamede Farm is cash only. They do have an atm in the little shop if you forget.

Happy Fall and happy picking! 🙂

Uncategorized

FabFitFun: Fall Must Haves

October 4, 2016 No Comments

Fall is here, and it’s my favorite time of year! Warm beverages, fall leaves, apples, and cozy sweaters are just a small part of what makes Fall amazing. This Fall I also had my FabFitFun box to look forward to. Check out what’s in store for this season!

First up, the box this season was plain white with fun Fall designs, so it was absolutely perfect to find that FabFitFun included a coloring book and set of color pencils (which they recommend using to decorate your box!). Coloring books are all the rage for adults nowadays!

Time for beauty products! This box you’ll find yourself with a luxurious body oil, gel for your eyebrows, and a night serum.

Mullein & Sparrow Mini French Lavender Body Oil
This oil smells just like a fresh bouquet of lavender, it’s heavenly and not too overpowering. They say this oil helps calm your skin, but I also find it helps calm me as a whole, making me feel like I’m having my very own private spa experience. Tip: You can also add this to a bath.

The Browgal Clear Water-Resistant Eyebrow Gel
Full brows have been all the rage lately, so this gel is a great essential for keeping them in place and looking fabulous. The best part, is this gel is waterproof so you can even go swimming and still look great.

Skin Laundry Restoring Night Serum
I’ve been meaning to find some sort of night beauty treatment, so I can’t wait to try this serum out. The serum promises to provide firmness, elasticity, and improve your skin texture.

To go with your beautiful skin and brows, I also received the Pure Cosmetics Nude Collection Eyeshadow Palette. This palette is full of beautiful colors that will look great on anyone.

So we’ve got our beauty regime covered, so of course it made perfect sense for FabFitFun to include something for your bath/shower.

Spongelle Bulgarian Rose Body Wash Infused Buffer
This buffer/sponge smells amazing! I love the cute shape and how it comes prefilled with body wash. This buffer promises to restore your skin leaving you feeling like silk. Once the rose body wash has been used up, you can add your own soap to this sponge to keep the buffering going.

Fall is the time of year when you want to feel nice and cozy, and you can do just that with the next two items.

Toesox Toeless Fitness Socks
These socks are so cute and perfect for use on your yoga mats. Slipping and sliding on your mat will be no more!

Modcloth Loch and Key Scarf
This scarf is great and oh so massive! The scarf is practically a blanket and there’s nothing better than an oversized scarf when the air starts getting chilly. You can belt, wrap, or poncho this scarf up. So many options, so much warmth!

As always, every season FabFitFun provides some sponsored extras as well. This month they provided a couple great bathroom must haves as well, a Cottonelle Fresh Care Flushable Cleansing Cloth box and a tester size Secret Outlast Xtend Clear Gel.

Overall, I think this Fall box is a great haul. I’m looking forward to using these items this fall, and pampering myself a bit with some of these amazingly smelling products. There might still be some boxes to purchase, so don’t wait, you won’t be disappointed!

Reviews, Style

Stitch Fix Review – Fall Essentials

September 18, 2016 No Comments

September is here, and it’s always been the time of the year when I feel new clothes are in order, probably due to all the back to school commercials. While I have been out of school for a few years now, I couldn’t help but treat myself to some “summer is over” clothes. If Stitch Fix was around back in the day, I think I would have enjoyed back to school shopping a lot more!

This month I asked my stylist for a pair of black leggings, a cargo jacket, and two specific items from my Pinterest board. Unfortunately, just about everything I had wanted was apparently unavailable, but I did receive the black leggings. Here’s the scoop of what I received for my “summer is over” fix.

#1 – Rune Porter Legging

I had asked my stylist for the perfect pair of black leggings, since Fall is on the way. I’ve been wanting to get a new pair of leggings for a couple of years now, but never got around to it, or was afraid I’d pick something that would end up being see-through. I’ve always been someone in the “leggings are not pants” club, so I wanted to make sure my stylist also provided me with a top that covered my bum if I were to receive leggings. These leggings are tight, a bit hard to pull on, but really comfy once they are on. They’re thick enough where I feel I’d be comfortable wearing them around on a crisp fall day apple picking. I’d say these are a great staple piece for Fall.

#2 – Alice Blue Gerard Crew Neck Blouse

The colors in this Alice Blue Blouse scream fall! The pattern is fabulous, fun, and festive. The deep colors are very regal, and dare I say look amazing with red hair. The blouse is loose, comfy, and airy. I’d recommend styling with dark jeans, but you could really dress this up or down depending on your accessories. A perfect top for the transition between Summer and Fall.

#3 – Daniel Rainn Henriete Suede Trim Knit Top

The Henriete Suede Trim Knit Top by Daniel Rainn is a great piece for the office. At first look I wasn’t sure I was going to be a fan of this top. I have to say it doesn’t photograph the best in either of the below photos because of the minute multi colored pattern but it’s soft, comfortable, and just an easy piece to throw on and go out the door. The suede trim around the neckline adds a unique touch, leaving you without needing to throw on a necklace. I’m going to request a pair of black skinny jeans in a future fix, which I think would be the perfect pant pairing with this top.

#4 – Market and Spruce Barty Henley Tunic

What girl doesn’t love (or need) a tunic?! Tunics are just all around amazing. They’re comfortable, can be dressed up or down, and are a perfect match for black leggings! I was hoping my stylist would provide me with an appropriate top to go with my new Porter Leggings, and this is exactly what I had in mind. This deep purple a great color. The length of the tunic is perfect, and makes me feel oh so comfy! This top does wrinkle easily, so I’d recommend getting a little hand held steamer to take the wrinkles out.

#5 – London Times Bridie Knit Dress

Ladies, this dress is amazing! I can’t get enough of it. First off, the colors are beautiful, a mix of cool and warm tones that will look great on just about anyone. When I first saw the picture of this dress on Pinterest I figured it would feel stiff and stuffy, but the dress is really comfortable and flows nicely away from the body. No accessories needed for this dress!

Final Thoughts: Another great fix! I ended up keeping everything, and I’m looking forward to pairing some of the items with a few of my own pieces in my closet. I was a little disappointed that most of the items I had wanted this month were unavailable, but sometimes that’s the luck of the draw. Hopefully one of the burgundy jackets I’ve had my eyes on from Pinterest will magically make their way in my next Stitch Fix box because I just can’t stop pinning and adoring them. For next month I’ve requested the cargo jacket again, and other than that I’ve said to send me great fall essentials so we’ll see what surprise pieces come my way!

Big News: Stitch Fix for Men has arrived! Now all the men in your life can look as fabulous as you. Click on the picture to get started. I’m thinking about forcing my boyfriend to sign up and gifting my dad with a gift card to see if he likes the service just as much as my mom. Please note, I may be compensated for the use of my Stitch Fix affiliate links (picture + gift card link). #stitchfixmen

As always, suggestions for a better fix:

Be very specific. If there are certain pieces or types of clothing you really want, provide that in your styling note to your stylist.
Create a Pinterest Board. Stylists will check them out if you keep mentioning them in your style notes.
Call out designers or names of actual articles of clothing . Your stylist may not provide those exact items but they’ll start to get a better sense of what style you’re into.

Don’t forget to follow my Pinterest Boards for more Stitch Fix fun!

Haven’t tried Stitch Fix yet? Sign up with my Stitch Fix code! Disclosure: As a Stitch Fix Affiliate I receive compensation when someone signs up using my code.

Reviews

Blogilates Challenge and Popflex Review

September 8, 2016 No Comments

You may recall a post I did at the start of August mentioning my plans to tackle the Blogilates Adore the Core Instagram challenge. Well, I’m here to report it was a success!

I tend to consider myself a quitter, but that’s something I’m trying to fix about myself. I really wanted to prove to myself that I could stick with the Blogilates challenge. There were definitely some challenging days where the moves or poses were quite advanced, but I gave it my all and did a modification of the move when necessary.

Things I learned:

The Pop Pilates community is actually as great as they say it is
- I’d always see posts where women would gush about how supportive the community was, but it wasn’t until I actually participated in something publicly that I actually experienced the support and warmth myself. Every time I posted a picture, other ladies taking on the same challenge would like my photos giving me a boost of confidence. I loved following other popsters journeys.
Modifications are ok!
- Some of us might fear doing a modification will show weakness or failure, but no way jose, modifications are a-oh-kay! We’re all coming from different skill levels so you should do what’s comfortable for you and your body. There’s no shame in doing a modification, the thing you should remember is that you’re giving this move/pose a try and that’s more than many others can say! I really appreciated it when Pop instructions like xogingy would showcase some modifications in their Instragram videos since the Blogilates Instagram challenge printout didn’t, so some days I looked at the challenge printout with fear in my eyes
I wanted some Popflex Active mermaid collection pieces
- Seeing tons of ladies take on the challenge in the brightly colored mermaid collection by Cassey for Popflex Active made me desire to own my own pieces so I could be the little mermaid at long last.

After I completed my challenge, my boyfriend suggested I should treat myself to some Popflex Active pieces since I completed the 28 days successfully. I thought what the heck, maybe I should!

I own some bodypop items (shorts) already, which I love, so I figured I would also love the new collection from Cassey Ho. I opted to go with the Mermaid Pop Short 2.0 and the Criss Cross Crop bra top also in the mermaid print.

Mermaid Pop Short 2.0

fullsizerender-6 — POP SHORT 2.0 – MERMAID from Popflex

I love the length of these shorts. The 2.0 short is supposed to be longer than previous shorts offered, and appeal to a larger audience since they are a bit more flattering. I wish the leg of the short was a bit tighter so that when I moved there wasn’t an occasional tiny gap opening, but it’s not a huge issue.

Before I made the purchase, I checked out other reviews for these shorts and came across a lot of the same pieces of feedback, mainly that the shorts are see-through. Ladies, this is not a lie! I found the shorts were ok in the front, but in the back, you can definitely see one’s underwear depending on the style/coloring. It’s a shame that the fabric isn’t lined well or the color isn’t dispersed better, but it is what it is. I would recommend wearing nude colored underwear (if fuller coverage) or a light colored thong (if you want less coverage). Thankfully, I work out from the comfort of my own living room so I don’t really have to worry about the shorts being see-through.

The shorts also have cute little pockets on the sides. I don’t think I’d ever actually need pockets, since I just workout at home, but I suppose for those who want to take these cute shorts out for a walk in the park and listen to music, this would be perfect for holding your phone.

POP SHORT 2.0 – MERMAID with pockets from Popflex

The shorts are comfortable, and too cute to pass on. If Cassey was to make shorts like this again, I would recommend she lines them so that people can feel more comfortable wearing these out in public and not having to double think about what underwear they put on for the day 🙂

Criss Cross Crop

fullsizerender-5 — CRISS CROSS CROP – MERMAID by Popflex

I mainly bought this top for it’s unique design and that it wasn’t a traditional styled sports bra. Since I’m working out from home, I’m ok that it’s “revealing.”

The top itself comes with padding that you can remove. Not only was the padding overly massive, but it’s also unnecessary. Who needs padding in a sports bra?! I took it out right away, and found that not only made the top get on easier, but made the fit better. Unlike the bottoms, the top I bought is lined with a light nude color.

In regards to sizing, I went by the size chart and my measurements. My top measurements fit a size 6, which is the size I ended up ordering, but I probably could have gotten away with ordering a size 8 now that I’ve actually tried on the top. It is a bit hard to get on, and my chest fills out a bit more than the area above the band that you can see in the picture. If you’re between sizes, you might want to size up just to be safe, especially if you want to use the padded cups, you’re going to be wanting a larger size than you’re used to. I’m hoping one day Cassey will get these items in an actual store (like Target!) so we can try stuff on in person.

fullsizerender-4 — CRISS CROSS CROP and POP SHORT 2.0 – MERMAID by Popflex

Final thoughts: The print is beautiful, I can’t deny that. The fabric is decent but not as amazingly life changingly soft like butter as some people advertised. I love that the top is unlike anything else I’ve seen before, and the shorts are super comfortable. Will I buy something again from the new Popflex Active line? Yes, because I love everything that’s related to Pop Pilates, but I just hope that future prints are tested for see-throughness better.

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