Little J Headbands

Fun colors!

If you've followed me for any amount of time here or on Instagram, you know I love a good hair accessory to add some pizzazz to a braid. I'm also a fan of small businesses and donating to a great cause.

Little J Headbands meets all of the criteria. I got one of their headbands a couple of years ago and recently added to my collection. There are a ton of color options and each headband allows you to customize the buttons by choosing from gold, brass, silver, or pewter, so no two are alike! If headbands aren't really your thing, they also have some cute scarf options as well.

Cute packaging (and yes, a pumpkin candle)

The creator, Julie, made Little J Headbands with the idea that even a little change can make a big difference. I am a huge fan of that, and it's something I try to convey all of the time. No one person is capable of enormous change individually, but the ripple effect of multiple people spreading kindness and consciousness makes a huge difference. A portion of each headband purchased goes towards ALS research. About 15 people a day are diagnosed with ALS in the U.S. alone!

Glacier blue with a woven fishtail

In addition to giving back, these headbands are versatile. My favorite way to wear them is woven into my hair/a braid, but I'll be trying some other ways out as well. The sage, burnt spice, and wine will be perfect for the fall (hurry up already), and I am looking forward to pairing them with sweaters once the weather gets cooler. The glacier color is a perfect match to the summer sky but is my favorite shade of blue so I'll weave it into my braids through winter too.

Be sure to follow along on Instagram @mydaintybeautifullife (if you don't already!) to see the ways I style these fun headbands, and let me know if you check them out!

O Christmas Tree

Allison's Christmas Trees 

I've had this dream for a while now of going out to a Christmas tree farm and cutting down our own tree. My family used to get our trees from the VFD up the street until they stopped selling trees, and then we moved on to Home Depot.

The perfect tree! 

We always had a pleasant experience doing so, but there was something about the idea of truly selecting my own that appealed to me. And yes, I always opt for a real Christmas tree even though they're-- to quote Julia Louis Dreyfus in Christmas Vacation-- messy and corny and cliche. I will never get the dreaded fake tree.




I was driving one day and passed a sign for a place called Allison's Tree Farm. After some research, I decided their prices were comparable and so Shelley and I went to check it out. It was adorable-- as soon as we pulled in, we were greeted by the staff.

Shells cutting the tree 

the shop

They have two options: choose a tree from their pre-cut selection in a lot near the shop or go choose your own and cut it down. They provided us with a saw and a map of which trees are where and sent us to trudge through the rows and rows of pines.

When searching for a tree, my criteria is to get it as close to the tree from the Eat & Park commercial as possible, so that's what we did. All the way down and back, scoping for bald spots or soft needles, standing beside it as a height check.

Finally, I saw one and zoomed in on it like a light was shining, spotlight style. As I'm walking towards it, Shelley pointed out from ahead of me, "What about that one?" and indicated the same tree. It was unanimous. We (read: Shelley) sawed it down and we carried it back to the little shop, where it was shaken, wrapped, and attached to our car.



When we went inside to pay, we perused the ornaments and fresh wreaths for sale. They have tables set up and sell hot cocoa in little paper cups as well. I also learned that for every tree someone cuts down, they plant three more. I am never less of an environmentalist than during Christmas, where I have lights up everywhere and cut a living tree to put in my living room until it dies. Knowing that three were planted in its place assuaged that a bit.

Just grab a tripod and some lights and go!

If you're like me, you put your tree up on Black Friday instead of shopping. If you aren't, maybe you're one of those people who wait until Christmas Eve to do it, or you are just super busy and haven't gotten around to it yet. Either way, I highly recommend stopping over to check it out. Side note: it's also a prime Christmas card photo location.

Zorro's favorite spot

Zorro loves the tree too. We've had a pretty difficult time keeping him away from it (and any attempts to do so have been met with as much sass as a silent ball of fluff could muster). Instead, we just allow him to lay on the tree skirt. I don't really blame him for wanting to be close to the lights and the delightful scent of pine.

Top Eight Autumnal Haunts

Hello friends! Happy Halloween from thee worst blogger. The goal is to post a bit more regularly, but for those of you who have stuck around through the eight month dry spell, thank you!

I am taking today, the Saturday before Halloween, to share with you my favorite haunts of all time. If you don't mind the incessant rain we've been getting out here, I highly recommend the trip.

So, here are my Top Eight Autumnal Haunts:

1) Demon House: This is my all-time favorite haunted house. It's out in Monongahela, PA, down a bunch of winding back roads. Literally every time we go, it is raining and cold, which adds to the appeal. It has an outside area, a bonfire, and a screen that shows scary movies. If you get the Groupon, you also get a ticket for a little hot chocolate. Shelley makes fun of me for this every time, but I can't not bring that up, even if it is just Swiss Miss in a styrofoam cup. Apart from that, though, the actual haunted house (no, really, there is a legend you can read here ) is fantastic. The workers are very in-character, and it's the only haunted house that I went to this year that made me scream out loud instead of just jump and laugh. 

2) Kennywood Park Phantom Fright Nights: I love Kennywood Park. Located in West Mifflin, PA, it's a haunt I've gone to every year since high school. There are several haunted houses to go through, and most of the rides are open as well. The houses are all fun, but there's only one I remember being truly scary. Regardless, it's a nice excuse to go back through the park after the disgusting humidity of summer has dissipated.

3) Scarehouse: I have only been to this twice, but the most recent was this year. I went in undergrad and had to wait nearly two hours to get inside, so I was salty and unamused by the time I walked through the house-- especially after driving to Etna. This past time, we went in mid-September when it first opened, so all of the workers were highly engaged and it was scary as well as long. Nothing is more annoying in haunted house land than going through a house that is brief and lame.

4) Soergel's Orchard: I used to go here with my family as a kid, and the apple at the entrance always seemed enormous. Now I realize I was just very small. There is a cute country store, a winery, a greenhouse, and a little market. Hayrides take you to the pumpkin patch, and you can go apple picking. They also have trivia nights at the Arsenal Cider House. The highlight last year was being transfixed and watching apples be mushed up to become apple cider.

5) Eastern State Pentitentiary: I went here in undergrad as well, and it may be one of the best (behind Demon House) that I've done. It's apparently really haunted, so everyone was taking pictures and looking for orbs, but it was equally creepy to see some OG electric chairs and Al Capone's old cell. Philly is a pretty historic city, so it wouldn't be surprising if there were some real ghosts floating around.

6) Nightmare at the Canfield Scaregrounds: I always enjoy this one, although this year they did away with the creepy slide down the bleachers (after Shelley, Erica, and I clunked heads last year like the Three Stooges, I can see why-- I KNOW we weren't the only people who did that, but it was still fun). There are always six or seven features, including a hay ride. Some of them are scary, some are more giggle-inducing. This past year, Shelley and I followed some friends through and got to laugh at them leap away from a person in a polka-dotted bodysuit stepping away from a polka-dotted wall. Shelley and I go to this one traditionally, so even though we won't be roped into the Zombie Paintball again (seriously, don't waste your time), the rest of it was hokey and entertaining. If you live anywhere near Canfield, OH, I highly recommend it.

7) Gettysburg: This is allegedly one of the most haunted cities in America, so it belongs on this list. I went in summer, and Devil's Den definitely felt like hell-- it was so damn hot. Over the course of the few days I was there, I went on 2-3 ghost tours. The Candlelit Walking Tour was fantastic. One of the tours gave you little gear like you were on some paranormal show. I felt like I should've been filmed in night vision or something, but I did get a little action on the radar while we were walking through a cemetery. Spooky and historic.

8) Janoski's: This is another one that is less scary and more just autumnal and fun. When we were little, we would get in the car and spend a day driving out, enjoying the pumpkin patch and getting a caramel apple, and then heading over to Hozak's for their fall festival as well. Cute family farm, with a store, bakery, and winery as well.

There it is. If you're looking for something to do between now and Halloween, these are all solid options. Let me know if you go and what you think! :)

Summer Update

It’s been quite a summer. There have been plans made, plans cancelled (RIP the vacation that never was), and me skidding to the end of it by the skin of my teeth. However, I am celebrating the end of summer with a new job (yay!) so now that I’m not riddled with anxiety about the coming school year, I can relax a bit and write with more regularity.

I tried to curl my hair...and failed.

Although I spent many of my days at home, reading in the sunshine (while still maintaining a translucent complexion), our evenings were full of an array of things that kept us busy, whether it was little things like a gorgeous sunset with deep talks on the porch, meeting with friends, or going to shows. 

Point State Park

Early in the summer, we went to the Three Rivers Arts Festival downtown with our friends Anthony and Dylan, watched fireworks (no one finds prime fireworks spots like those two), and of course Giovanni's pizza. 

I liked the nights we stayed at home and played games on the back porch, or baked cookies and (WHYYYY am I admitting this?) watching "The Bachelorette". 

Lake Life

We went fishing at Raccoon Park a few times, with not much luck. Shelley's joke was that I spent more time feeding the fish than actually catching any, because I would (correction: she would) bait my hook, and then five minutes later, after a slight tug, I'd reel in to find the worm missing. 

Fish, where are you?!

We decided to go in a boat one day towards the end of June, hoping to catch fish if we were actually out in the middle rather than off to the sides. Our only option was a rowboat, and I confidently claimed we could handle it. I'm not one to admit defeat, so rather than wait hours for a motorboat, we wandered to the dock and Shelley took the position of more experienced rower (let's be real-- neither of us are experienced rowers but she is strong so she was in charge of rowing). 

NKOTB

After a bit of rowing in circles and me laughing so hard I nearly rolled out of the boat, we got the hang of it, got caught in the rain, and managed to row back to shore! Still no fish though. Honestly, I wouldn't know what to do if I did catch a fish, so I'm okay with that. 

Me & my little dude

We went to a concert I never imagined I would witness-- New Kids on the Block with Paula Abdul and Boyz II Men. Shelley's sister/nephew got us tickets for Christmas. I knew a few Boyz II Men songs, but not much from NKOTB, and the only thing I knew about Paula besides "Straight Up" was her odd manner of clapping when she was an "American Idol" judge. I ended up being pleasantly surprised by the show. I'd never been to any of the boy band shows (my boy band was the OG boy band-- The Beatles), so I was pretty entertained by the choreography. 

Sisters <3 

#palepeopleproblems

Independence Day dawned beautiful and sunny, and I had the brilliant idea of a picnic for our families-- games, burgers, and everyone together.

Shelley's youngest sister and her nephew came out from OH, and my mum, sister, and her boyfriend came out too. We had amazing food, because even 4th of July tradition gets elevated when my girlfriend does the cooking, and played games in the yard. All the siblings drove out to Moon to watch the fireworks together, and my sister played paparazzi to commemorate the event.

Of course we went to see Jane Lynch sing with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (see prior posts), which was the most random thing I think we did all summer. 'Twas enjoyable nonetheless.

Mum, me, and Shells at a Pirates game 

Shelley is the queen of spontaneous happenings/finding great tickets on Craigslist (I feel like all I would ever find on Craigslist would be an ax murderer), so on her days off, there is usually a "Hey, do you want to do ______ today?" at 6:30am as I grumble and try to sleep. One day, I was awakened to text my mum and invite her to a Pirates game. We were all really excited about going out together, the day was lovely and clear, and we had great seats. Cut to an hour later, and the sun is in full force, the breeze is gone, and it is HOT, which is not cute. We abandoned the good seats and stood in the shade after a few innings, but still had a blast!

Disastrous braid courtesy of scorching day!

Another random outing we had was to see Ru Paul's contestants do drag at the Byham. Shelley and I watched the season and when we saw the tickets on Groupon, we decided to check it out.

Honey Lake Boutique dress 

We stopped at the Social House for a drink and dinner beforehand and then went to see the show. It was as entertaining as I expected, and the people-watching opportunities were on point.

Amazingly, I was able to get this picture-- "Why do we have to stop where people can see us taking pictures???" Because.

At the end of July/beginning of August, we had a couple concerts coming up that seemed really far away for a really long time and crept up on us rather quickly. The first was Jimmy Eat World and Incubus. I've seen Jimmy before, and they were amazing as per usual. Incubus was a band I adored in undergrad and they played all the songs I love, including "Here in My Room," which made me absurdly happy considering how melancholy the song is.

Melissa Dunham found us!

 Equally exciting was seeing our purple-dressed friend Melissa ambling towards us through the crowd. She saw a post that we were there, sent her location via her iPhone map, and then found us (this is all very typical of Melissa). We haven't seen her in forever, and it was hilarious and wonderful. In the last year, with working two jobs and going to school, I feel like I didn't see anyone. I rarely saw Shelley some days, and we live in the same house. Being able to run into an old friend in between sets and pick up where we left off was awesome.

The rest of the summer was just little bits of loveliness, so I'm adding them scrapbook style.

Student teaching at extended school year

summer days in linen dresses

Zorro learned to jump on the couch, so it's become his new favorite place 

At the drive-in 

Summer Lovin'

We went to the drive-in a couple times. The last time we went the weather was perfect and cool, but the movies we saw were sort of a let-down (I had high expectations for "Atomic Blonde" because I spent my childhood imagining I was a female James Bond). However, there is something about sitting in your car seeing 2-3 movies for the price of one, being comfortable, being outdoors, and being united with all these people from the last 60-odd years doing the same thing on summer nights. 

I love when God gives skies that look like art.

We look like we're wearing hats. My hair, prior to humidity.

The other concert we went to was me kicking it old school again-- this time hearkening back to my high school love of Muse (Thirty Seconds to Mars was there too, but let's just say some bands are not great at singing live). It was another great night with a perfect vibe, and Muse was incredible.

So, humble readership, there's my summer of bright sides in a nutshell. Here's to posting more regularly in the future! I hope you all had a fantastic summer full of sunshine, flowers, trips, and relaxation. I'm definitely looking forward to fall and everything it holds!

P.S. Future college attendees-- do not go to RMU. Thank me later. 

For Tomboys Who Sometimes Go Glam

I’ve always thought of myself as kind of a tomboy—not the rough & tumble athletic type, but the Vans and t-shirt kind of girl who can’t be bothered with manicures or purses (what would I even put inside?!) or keeping up with the latest makeup trends. I’m too busy and too laid back for that. In the cooler months, a cardigan or a flannel is my go-to, and in the summer months I like a flowy top or a sundress (which, I recognize, is infinitely more girly than the winter attire but also about as effortless as it gets—dresses are one piece, eliminating any need for matching). And let’s not start with me trying to curl my own hair. Why can I do things to other people I can’t finagle on myself? Mysteries.

            

I feel like every time I log on to any form of social media, there are either women who look completely flawless (read: unrealistic), or women doing makeup tutorials. Look, I’ve watched “Ru Paul’s Drag Race,” and after seeing average dudes become gorgeous women, I get the benefits of contouring and enhancing brows. My sister is a makeup aficionado herself and always has that doll-faced look that astounds me.

However, these makeup tutorials are always on super speed with some EDM music in the background and still end up being ten minutes long. I do NOT have time for that routine when I’m tumbling out of bed at 6am. Furthermore, all the contouring and layering results in a different looking person than the one running to the store in sweats and a messy bun on Sunday morning. As I said, my sister is into makeup and said she enjoys wearing it, and that’s wonderful—as long as it’s something women want to do for themselves and no one else, have at it! I enjoy eyeliner in that it makes me look awake and thus a little more human on the days where I’m dragging through in a sleep-deprived state. 

           

Bridesmaid :)

That being said, I do like the occasional smokey eye. Ever since I tried it out for my best friend Liz’s wedding a couple years ago, I love using it as a go-to feminine touch for my standard finger-raked locks and Chapstick. I don’t wear a lot of makeup—I typically keep the routine to a basic neutral eye shadow, signature winged eyeliner, and some mascara. Boom. I like the minimalistic look and sometimes even opt for just a couple coats of mascara (especially when it’s humid outside, because why bother?). However, I’m wont to expand for special occasions, such as the aforementioned weddings, holidays, or date nights where we actually feel like going out. 

I pulled my inspiration from Kristen Stewart. Say what you want about her shrinking violet personality and the Twilight saga, but the girl rocks the smokey eye look better than anyone I’ve seen, and she does it with variety as well as finesse: bold black rocker-chic, turquoise highlights, or neutral browns and greys. I went with the latter for my wedding look, and it’s soft enough for me to recreate every day (though Mary only knows I don’t want to).

         

I don’t use any kind of anything on my face—except for the minor sweep of Cover Girl blush on each cheek to give my Casper skin a glow in the winter. I swear by Proactiv’s three step system—sensitive skin, of course, because I’m allergic to everything—and I finish with their green tea moisturizer for a nice dewy effect that’s also great for my skin. That’s it.

           

I actually made a tutorial for my femme fatale eye shadow routine because sometimes even the chillest chicks like to look a little daintier. J

Matriculation, Relaxation, & Chasing Waterfalls

Hi friends! It has been an absurdly long time since I've written anything for this blog. I feel I have a legitimate reason though-- I was going crazy working two jobs and plowing through getting a masters degree in 9 months, and as that was wrapping up I was on the grind hardcore.

We matriculate a lot.

Since graduation has been over, I don't think I've opened my laptop more than a handful of times. In spite of teaching at a cyber school for the past year (with a different laptop), my love of technology has not increased any and having the luxury of unplugging was glorious to me. I got to do so many things I hadn't done: read books I wanted to read (rather than what I had to read), play guitar, fiddle with my new camera, and of course spend time with people I hadn't seen in a while.

Now that that's happened, though, and the school year is over and I'm just writing articles over here, I can get back to blogging on a regular basis (and hopefully incorporate images captured on the aforementioned camera).

With our favorite professor, Dr. Donne

Yes, we wore Converse.

Graduation was a whirlwind, as were the weeks leading up to it. I am so grateful to my huge support system for helping me through it-- especially Shells and my family. Honestly though, although at times we wanted to murder each other for deciding to go back to school (again), I couldn't have gotten through it without my BFF Liz. We endured four-hour night classes two nights a week, suffered online courses, plowed through homework, and motivated one another all while working multiple jobs each and trying to run our households. Even though I completed finals and made Shells swear to me she would never let me go back to school, there was something about watching all the doctoral candidates process in wearing those odd hats that made me contemplate the possibility of someday-- though, dear God, not any day soon.

US side 

Visiting Three Sisters Island

After all of that, I was lucky enough to have three days in a row off of work and Shells took off too and surprised me with a trip to Niagara Falls, which was exactly what I needed to calm my reeling mind and relax with her. Apart from a day trip when I was in eighth grade, I've never been there and I enjoyed it immensely. There is something fun about roaming a city you're unfamiliar with, even for a control freak like me.

Misty Maids 

It was wonderful to walk around in the sunshine exploring with my favorite person. Sure, there are a lot of tourist traps (which we went in primarily to mock) but there is also a lot of beauty. It's crazy to me that that is all nature/God in its glory. Also, I had never ridden the Maid of the Mist and that was the one thing I wanted the most...so we rode it twice (my mum said I was like five years old).

Wistfully gazing at the Falls...

Another thing I noticed while we were there, in addition to the gorgeous scenery and intense crowds and the jokes of my love, was the incredible amount of people taking aesthetic shots in a way that said "hey, I see you trying to get by but IDGAF because I need this same shot with every member of my family, baiiii" so that naturally led to me awkwardly standing there and impatiently waiting and Shells saying "Okay, that's enough" and assertively ensuring we get our turn before our trip is over.

By the end of the first day, as we walked off an awesome dinner-- culinary students delivering five-star dining at Olive Garden prices-- and went back to catch the falls in that lovely low sunlight I am obsessed with, we were taking our own aesthetic shots (partially (mostly) jokingly).

Since then, I've been reading like crazy (I have a shelf waiting for me to read its contents), trying to introduce Zorro to his harness so I can take him outside (he is less than interested), and I planted flowers-- like, from seeds. I feel like a small child because I am so excited each time a new pot starts sprouting. Here's to hoping I don't kill them!!!

Looking forward to everything this summer has to offer and all the beauty that comes along with it. More super soon!

Love,
Rebecca