:: fridays fancies: snuggled up ::

This collage needs no words. Except to say my body will be all over it this weekend if all goes well.

fridays fancies: snuggled up 

Linking up with #FridaysFancies!

:: get your boston bronze on ::

And by "bronze", I do not mean that lovely pink hue on my cheeks. That's windburn. Escalating slowly into frostbite. On days weeks like this when ice and snow remind me who's boss, I need some extra help to not look like death.

Here are my tips for a good winter bronzing:

1. Go a shade lighter than your summer bronzer. In my case, this is only one shade lighter than my skin tone instead of two.

2. Use a powder, always. Not a liquid (too fake-y and too hard to apply and blend).

3. Use a kabuki brush instead of regular blush brush. It distributes the color better and helps to avoid streaking.

imitation summer.

And if you're looking for a tutorial, here's a great one from Birchbox:

:: navy + black: i just can't ::

I know this is a thing now, according to those who are far more fashion forward than me. But it just feels wrong.

Source

So here's what I'm told is the new loose rule about pairing navy with black (via a very nice personal shopper at the Copley J. Crew): Navy is blue and black goes with anything, therefore, navy and blue match. Um, ok, I guess I can go along with that logic. Also, but are neutrals. You got me there, too. And navy and blue are always good together IF the textures are different. So, if I wear a silky navy skirt and a black leather jacket like my friend Kate Bosworth over here, then I'm good. 

I'm still not sure. I'm not judging anyone who does it, but it's kinda like fringe and tassles for me. I get that it's fashion-y and on-trend, but I just feel ridiculous doing it. Anyone else?

:: need your stocking stuffed? start here ::

So, I don't know about you, but holiday shopping always gives me a teensy bit of anxiety.

 

Plain old shopping, I love. But the gift giving and the "Is it enough" and the  "What if someone gets me something and I didn't get them anything" and  the questions about what do I want is just too much for me. Which is why I try to do a little shopping all year round. But then I forget where I put the gifts I got people, or I find the gift but forget who it's for, and....well, you get it. Total mess.

Last week I headed over to the North End's Cocoanuts  for a Blog and Tweet Boston event that was a total treat (ha ha). From gourmet nut mixes to gift baskets to artisan chocolates, they have it all and it's so much better tasting and better for you than that stuff you get at the grocery store. Hershey's, I'm looking at you.

Instead, we feasted on samples from the following confectioners and chocolatiers, which are now prominently displayed on my list to Santa:

McCrea's Caramels: With names like Highland Scotch, Black Lava Sea Salt and Rosemary Truffle Sea Salt, these are an adult foodie's dream. I bought a sleeve of the truffle flavor and had no idea that mushrooms could ever be so welcome in a dessert. They're made with no chemicals and no corn syrup and are available at a whole bunch of retail stores as well as online. If you're ever tried to make caramels at home, you know it's haaaard. But these folks make it look easy. Packaging, color, taste.






Pure 7 Chocolate: Handmade by two moms in Carlisle, MA, Pure 7's website isn't quite up and running yet. But here's what I know: They use honey instead of refined sugar, so those of us trying to be a bit more natural can eat it and not at all feel deprived. At all. The chocolate is super smooth.  The packaging is low on processing, just like the product and it's available in mint, coffee, dark chocolate and salted almond.








Raaka Chocolate: Billed as virgin chocolate, this unroasted, stone ground, small batch chocolate is made in Brooklyn and comes in amazing flavors like Himalayan Sea Salt and Vanilla Rooibos, my personal favorite. They liken the different flavor profiles of different cacao growing reasons to wine varietals. And the chocolate is called "virgin" because it's certified organic, fair trade, soy free, nut free and vegan.









So if you're on my Christmas list, you're probably getting chocolate this year. And now you know why. Feel free to thank me with...well, chocolate. 

:: falling for follain ::

So, a group of us got together last week at Follain, a cute little skincare shop on Dartmouth Street in the South End. From the white tiling to the farmer's sink to the bottles and bottles of good things for my skin, its a dream for anyone who wants to try to inch their way to a more natural hair/skin/cosmetic regimen.

The idea of it is overwhelming. One thing that Tara, the owner, mentioned was that the reason birth control and nicotine patches work is because our skin absorbs what we put on it. Sounds obvious, but I never really thought about it like that. So if the lotion I bought on sale at CVS has a million ingredients that I can't pronounce, some of those chemicals penetrating my skin must be a little bad. Or, at least not good.

Most of the lines in the shop are available only in spas, so it's great to get to browse, sniff and learn about them outside of that setting. I chose a few to experiment with:

Earth Tu Face Palmarosa + Aloe cleanser: The purest form of gentle soap made with organic oils. Vitamin E and Olive Oil replenish and refresh the face without drying. Palmarosa and Ylang Ylang balance both oily and dry skin types. Aloe hydrates and heals the skin.

Shamanuti Seaweed toner:  Skin loves this nutrient and mineral rich toner. It adjusts pH and refines the pores. It will nourish and hydrate the skin while removing any residual make-up or cleanser.

Shamanuti Creme #1:  This beloved Creme is an ingenious formulation that works in multiple ways. Cosmetically it works to balance color imperfections and shine while working on a cellular level to stimulate cell repair. It has a high percentage of silk peptides which, when encapsulated into the layers of the skin, create a stronger firmer clearer skin. Crème No. 1 also provides a physical block against environmental pollution and sun damage. The proprietary seaweed complex in Crème No. 1 is a healing agent for scars, fine lines and wrinkles. This luxurious recipe contains neroli, a rare and precious essential oil, which works as an antispasmodic, helping facial muscles to relax. Crème No. 1 is ideal for all skin types.

So far, the scents are divine, which is ironic because they're all natural. They're just herbal-ly and my sensitive/winter itchy/dry skin is not complaining one bit. 

:: pantone-ing it with radiant orchid ::

I'm ready for 2014. So ready. And feasting my eyes on the shade below as Pantone's pick for color of year, makes me even more excited for the year ahead. Purple is my favorite color, but usually I'm drawn to more of an eggplanty/aubergine instead of this more pinky swatch. But it's working for me. It matches with black, brown and navy. I haven't seen that since....well, since Pantone's pick for 2013. But that makes them at least two for two in my book.

Also, I need that fur hooded coat in my life, stat. It's getting cold up in here.

pantone color of the year 2014 

:: first printer food and drink ::

So, we can't have happy hour in Boston because...well, no one really knows why. Those dollar Buds? $5 margaritas? Nope. Not here. Again, I think it has something to do with us being pilgrims.

Anyway, a lot of smart restaurants get around this by offering food specials along the ten-cent-wings kinda theme. And First Printer in Harvard Square is one of them. Aside from a location tucked away on Dunster Street and yet still steps away from the Harvard T stop, a cozy bar and helpful staff, I got a delicious meal for $18:

1 glass of Proscecco: $7
Six oysters: $6
Margarita flatbread: $5

The $5 flatbreads and $1 oysters are round the clock specials if you sit at the bar. It's a perfect spot and a perfect menu for a cold December day (or night). Just face the window and watch those crazy Cantabridgians walk on by.

And just for the record, the oysters and flatbread were shared. I'm trying to get back down to my fighting weight by New Year's Eve. Le sigh.