Clasping a bracelet-easy hack!
This has always driven me bonkers. Trying to put on a bracelet by myself. Came across this trick several years ago. Pretty genius and easy! It also can work with a bobby pin. Bracelet hack.
Author: Liv D.
Wild. My beloved mom called me a wild child when I was young. And brave. I would say that's true but I'm also fairly shy, fun and a sometimes (borderline a lot) feisty woman with many interests! I've run the gamut of tackling, braving and mostly succeeding in many different arenas in my 50+ years. Some of my jobs and careers have included: a pizzaiola, a grocery store cashier, an AE for graphic design/ad firm, a wedding consultant, a copywriter, a personal shopper, a clothing organizer, a fine jewelry consultant and for the last 10+ years, manager of our family auto repair business. Amazingly, I've never been a bartender cuz I can mix a mean cocktail! Yes. I know. I've been all over the place. But I have NO regrets. I've learned so much from each job and person I've met along the way. And I've learned a TON about myself and what I love to do and what I don't like so much. Isn't that what life is all about? The journey?
I've always had an affinity for fashion, make-up, photography, movies, music of all genres (except country ;)) and beauty products. I love gift giving more than receiving and have been told I have a knack for finding the perfect gift. But my true passion has always been 2 things. Writing and researching. I'm the one that scours the internet to find the best product, perfect place to stay, restaurant to try, cool shop to frequent. It truly makes me happy to suggest a recommendation and know that the recipient loved it. And putting my feelings into words and hoping it made someone laugh or tear up or just relate. That is why I wanted to bring back my blog and tweak it for this new wild world we are currently living in.
Liv, pronounced "Leave" means life in Norwegian. Have I've lived my best and truest life so far? Yes. I believe so. I hope so. Yes.
Grab a chair and be ready for Post Covid Days! by Kristell M.
My wish for you and me.
Many months of a heart full of love from your family and friends and from yourself and those hugs we have been missing
Lot of weeks of memories full of daily sightings of nature’s beauty, the work of God and those awesome sunsets
Multiple days of fresh mornings – for plans, hopes, long walks, hugs, dreams, road trips, fun, to try new things, and for beautiful sunrises
Endless hours of wisdom – to focus on the things that really matter in life
All your minutes filled with lots of smiles and laughter
And time in the near future where the seats next to us will no longer be empty
Let’s make this year extraordinary! ❤
Green-eyed monster
Back in the 80’s, color mascara was ALL the rage. I wore electric blue, purple, a teal green and pink! Pink. 🤦♀️ Omg. Yes, it made me look like a bunny, smh. But bunnies are cute! 😆 2 of my besties have pet bunnies and they are indeed the cutest. 😃🐰 Rihanna has a lovely line of products-Fenty Beauty. The packaging is beautiful, super affordable, cruelty-free, vegan and free of tons of icky chemicals. And the quality of the powders are deee-vine. I have a shimmery pink (again with the pink) cheek highlighter, a setting powder, a bronzer and this gorgeous forest green mini mascara called Ivy League. It works well to elongate my lashes. ALWAYS use an eyelash curler, pre-mascara, my peeps! (Quick tip. Breathe some warm on the curler right before you use it). The mascara also comes in a burgundy color which I am about to purchase. And this particular green will work on all skin tones and eye colors. Here’s me with one good coat. Click Fenty or Sephora to purchase. Hurry though! These colors are limited edition!
Beboe Therapies-luxury CBD products
I’ve been singing the praises of these CBD face masks by Beboe to whomever will listen. I also have gifted them to some of my besties. This company Beboe Therapies launched in 2017 and has a celebrity cult following… for good reason. The products have such a lovely scent, do wonders to your skin AND truly relax you. It’s a plant-based line so NO chemicals, synthetics, silicone, etc. NO animal testing. These masks have 50 mg of hemp-derived CBD, vitamin C, aloe and algae extract to name a few ingredients. I also LOVE the face serum. It really gives an amazing glow with help from safflower, rosehip, grapeseed & pomegranate oil. The body balm is also soothing on my achy old bones. They’re having a Valentine’s Day sale til Sunday. Buy any full size product and get the 3 pack mask for free. And just look at the beautiful packaging by co-founder Scott Campbell who also is a well-known tattoo artist. Adore. We can all use some calming help these days, no? Beboe.
The 90’s called…Combat boots are back
In the early 90’s, I did indeed own a pair of Docs. Doc Martens (Dr. Martens), technically. How bout’ you? It was almost a necessity to be a young adult living in the grunge era to have a pair. I remember them being heavy and not the most attractive shoes I owned. I also remember taking them camping once and placing my cold feet in said boots on the edge of the open fire pit that was going, and burning holes in the bottom of each rubber sole. 🤦♀️ And that was pretty much the end of my Docs. 😆 These days, I’ve opted for a lighter weight and ergo fit for my older feet. I own these, made by Vionic. I love this brand. They are comfy and offer great arch support. I also like that they zip up on the side. I don’t have the time or the energy to struggle with laces or worry about shoving my Cinderella’s stepsister feet in. I have the classic black patent, but they also come in a Navy and Olive Green. You can find them @DSW too. Or, if you want to really go legit, find patent Docs here. They have pale pink, white and purple besides classic black as well as a million other styles. You Oughta Know that while this Smells like Teen Spirit, I am happy to let this fashion item Linger.
You stylin’
I often get asked where I shop as they like my style. What I always say is I shop EVERYWHERE. That’s the key. I don’t discriminate on the store name. I do love small boutiques as they will tend to have special pieces that you can’t find in big name stores, BUT I’m also a bargain hunter. Try not to buy things only from one place or you will look like you only shop at say a Banana Republic. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but to create a unique look, mix and match. Here are some things from my closet. I didn’t post any links as these are some of my tried and true pieces I’ve had for a few years. In the 1st pic, is my leopard jacket from Chico’s. I don’t buy alot from there, but again, I scour stores for unique pieces that grab me. I loved the little pleather detail on the collar. I paired it with a pink blouse I had from Nordstrom Rack. The necklace is by Jessica Simpson and it’s reversible! Solid rose gold on one side, crushed black stones on the other. Throw over some black joggers or blue skinny jeans and good to go. And I personally LOVE hats so I would add this sparkly beret if I’m so inclined or having a bad hair day. In the 2nd pic, I paired a scarf from World Market (always simply Cost Plus to me!), with one of my fav tops from several years ago from JCrew. I’ll grab a gray duster sweater from good old Tarjay (Target, obvi) and toss on a cozy hat. (No, not needed too much in Cali, but any chance I can wear a fun pom pom beanie, I will!) This particular one is pulling out some of the same hues of said outfit. Lastly, is an electric blue blouse again from Target, a cashmere sweater (Halogen brand, super affordable for cashmere) from Nordstrom. I added a red rose pin for a little jazz and a fedora. Pair with a black knit skirt, knee length and some booties. Again, these are just examples. The idea is to find a piece that speaks to YOU. Then work an outfit around it. A fun colorful scarf, a cherished pin that was your grandma’s, some funky blue earrings or a cool hat. 👌👌 I can’t wait til we can actually go places again and wear our put together looks, amiright?!! 🙌💃🕺
IVY Boutique
So this new boutique in downtown San Mateo is my dream. Friendly, helpful and down to earth owner. ✔ Woman owned. ✔ Unique and special pieces. ✔ Hand made crafted items by other local woman artisans. ✔ Beautiful, chic and organized store layout. ✔ There are scarcely any speciality shops in the peninsula that carries such a fun and ample selection. Amazing jewelry, fab masks, some home decor, divine hand made candles, bath salts and bath bombs just to name a few. And let me tell you. The prices are insanely reasonable for the quality and craftsmanship. Chesley, the owner, chatted me up today and offered suggestions while I gawked at all of her amazing torch fired enamel earrings hand crafted by her. I took my time wandering around picking out this and that. I could have left with ALOT more but I was happy with my purchases and a few gifts. Be sure to check out IVY. Support this fab local business! 55 E. 3rd Ave., San Mateo. Hours: Wed-Thurs. 11am-7pm https://ivyhandmade.com/
Porcelana dark spot cream
Many years ago, I fell asleep in the sun in Vegas. It was 105.° Yikes. I got some BAD sun spots on my face. 1 spot in particular has driven me bonkers all this time. I tried TONS of products. Expensive, cheap, all natural. Nothing worked. I’ve contemplated laser but quite honestly, I didn’t want to spend the $$ and from what I’ve heard, there was no guarantee it would help eliminate it. And it made me nervous with the thought of the laser being so close to my eye. A couple months ago, while at Kaiser optical picking up my glasses, a nice gal was helping me. We got on the subject of sun spots and how she found this product at the pharmacy right there at Kaiser. She raved about how it helped her spots. I said, shoot. I’ll try anything. It was literally $9. I started it the beginning of November. I did a thicker spot application and just left it on, once a day. Omg, I was so happy when I saw the results after less than 2 months!! It was probably only 1.5 months as I wasn’t good about applying it everyday. The main ingredient is Hydroquinone 2%. They have a day and night cream. I bought the day version. I’m working on some spots on my hand and a very dark one on my chest, currently. See if you can find it at Kaiser pharmacy if you’re a member. Also Amazon is “pricier” but still ridiculously cheap. Or Walmart. Let me know if it works for you! *The photos are un-retouched. And please ignore my bloodshot eye in the Nov. pic. I was having horrible allergies that morning.*
Birthmark by: Hope T.
This is a story of a part of the self. The story of a birthmark and a birthright. Let the words flow over you. I am not sure what you will get from it; perhaps nothing. But I hope…something. Fret not if you’re unsure what these words mean or even if it applies to you. It may not. But I encourage you to make your own meaning of it all. Each moment, each day, create more and more meaning. This path will bring greater happiness. I believe that to be true.
Dear self, holding and caring for babies was a somewhat foreign thing in your white middle-class family. On both sides, they were small families. Did this impact their ability to see you? No matter what, have compassion. Especially when there is the ability to forgive; it’s the best path. This is surely different for everyone. Forgiveness is not always the path.
You were one years old, you walked. You were two, a little fish in the lake on the regular. The greenish/blueish water shaped you. The smell of it comes now, sometimes fresh, sometimes very dense like the earth it sits upon. You were three, you skied on water skies! You smiled and waved and the friends, like family, on the shore. You liked a crowd. You were three, hangin’ in a playpen. You were four, you met your best friend. She was your other half. Maybe you were a bit sad to only have your much bigger brother up to this point? I am sorry if that was the case but now…friends! They will become much of your world and help you sail through each day.
What do we know of close-knit; of showing a child the closeness of family? Does this happen in our white cultures? If it does can it ever be without co-dependency? These are honest true questions. Questions I don’t have the answers to. I would be curious to hear yours. I see it very rarely, a “healthy” boundaried family. Perhaps you have an outlier?
Back to the late ’70s…the best friend was so kind. Her family was lovely and different. They are remembered fondly because they let you be you. And yet, there are so often differences. Perhaps each soul on this earth sees everything from exactly their eyes, their brain, so the differences will emerge. This friend, she held your hand. She played with you every day. She never turned you away. Even when your seven through ten-year-old body wet the bed, she never ever treated you poorly.
Then there is the matter of your birthmark. It’s on your glute, your butt. Only visible at sleepovers or a dance class when you changed in front of others. Girls asked, almost panicked, “what is that on your butt?!” Why do our bodies and our differences make others so uneasy? I think we are all beginning to wake up to these truths. If we had not known these truths before, the differences can be or seem fearful. And this difference you experienced was small. You were so sad that people made fun of this mark. This piece of you. At that age, it appeared larger than life. Today, it’s not big. Now that you are 45, you forget you have it.
But there was something else. What you were hiding all along, what you didn’t realize you were hiding, was your sexuality. You were so queer. Now that you have been out three years, just wow, it was blatantly clear. Queer, at that time of your birth, in Tennessee, was an insult hurled in dark alleys or likely in plain view. Gay men you knew were literally all accused of sexual assault of some sort. This could not have all been true. Was it? And so you stayed hidden, undetected, unexposed until it was safe. Safe enough.
queer kwîr
adj.
Deviating from what is expected or normal; strange.
adj.
Odd or unconventional, as in behavior; eccentric.
You felt different your whole life and it was not just the birthmark. It was your birthright to be seen. And there was no one to see you. Lesbians? There were none. You looked. Not on TV. Not at the theatre. Gay boys, yes. But no lesbians. There was not a single out lesbian couple anywhere to be seen…until…finally…You were twenty, in NYC. It was glorious to finally see others like you. It was the mark of your birth, to expand into expansive sexuality that would be life-giving. And yet, it would take time. And it would take a marriage and a tween along with it.
When we are young, we need role models. We need to be reflected upon, loved, and held. When we are adults, we need role models. We need to be reflected upon, loved, and held. No one person has to accept or validate your experience. If you find folks don’t agree or see you, keep looking. Keep moving. Always forward. Well, I have “shown my ass” (as some say in the south) for sure! Thank you for holding this truth.
Love, Hope T.
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