Currently Obsessed: Target Stationery

This year, I decided to try and send snail mail regularly to my friends. It’s been going pretty well so far.
I just wanted to try and brighten people’s days with happy mail, instead of the usual bills and junk.
It started with some note cards I purchased from the one spot at Target, as well as the discount section at Michaels.
The addition of rubber stamps and washi tape for my scrapbooks help to add a bit more flare to the mail.
But the start of this became the start of something else…

Have you been to the One Spot of your Target lately? If not, I suggest running as soon as possible.
Most people know that if you go to Target for one thing, you will leave with so much more. That place is magical and dreadful all at once. However, the One Spot, where nothing is more than 3 dollars (and, of course, the majority is $1) is a nice place to look if you’re feeling the need to buy something without spending too much.

Each item in the photo above is from that section and cost $1 a piece. And the best part about all of it is that it all looks amazing. It’s so inexpensive, yet it’s beautiful and it doesn’t feel like an impulse buy because it’s all useful.

Obviously, there are the notecards…they come with matching and often decorated envelopes.

 

Next up is the gorgeous matching stationery. The top polka dot and floral, coral and blue designs are insanely beautiful. I love the color combos so much, I even did nail art inspired by the floral! The bottom set satisfies my deep love for multi-colored polka dots. If you’re a close friend, you may know that I wear a particular Gap t-shirt waaaayyyy too often. So anything that reminds me of it automatically becomes a must-have.
I don’t know what I’m going to do with the twine, but why not?

One final thing from the $1 section are these page flags. I’ve been using them on the library books I’ve read so far this year, particularly the ones that Katie and I are reading for our book club. Cute and fun!

I am just so in love with these items, and they seem to keep adding new designs and new types of notepads, from To-Do lists to journals, on a regular basis. There’s something for everyone!

Bonus:
Although they are not a part of the One Spot, these Mara Mi notepads were on clearance at Target, as well.
I had to share them. They make me want to get a nice desk to display and organize all of my lovely stationery and notes.

 
 

A Collection: Mugs

When you have a tight budget, it’s hard not to feel guilty about spending money on things that aren’t necessary.
That especially goes for items you already have plenty of (like clothes or books or nail polish…yeah, that’s all me). However, I will never feel guilty about buying more mugs.

I don’t remember when exactly the mug obsession flourished, but I’ve always loved mugs. Who doesn’t have a favorite one they grab when they make their morning coffee, evening tea, sick day soup, or milk and cookies? I know I always have. Now I have SO MANY MUGS to choose from, but I couldn’t be happier. And I know it won’t stop anytime soon.

I figured I would share some photos of the mugs Brad and I have accumulated over time.
Not all are showcased, but I focused on some of my favorite mugs.

  

It’s hard to choose favorites, but the top and bottom mugs are high on the list. They are both from Target, which is one of the best places to find mugs at a great price. Whether you want a basic, solid mug or something trendy and interesting, Target is definitely an awesome place to go. The Good Morning mug is just so cute and makes me smile, and the bottom came out around the popularity of Gotye, so it was a must-have (we have a similar mug in different colors).
The middle mug was a gift from Brad during one of his business trips. If you know me, you know I have a soft spot for Hello Kitty. This mug is big and perfect for all hot beverages (hot chocolate would be great in it, since it’s like a super-size helping). I’ll never forget how he gave it to me. He came home and put some of his things down. He then ran to the kitchen, saying he was thirsty. He came into the living room drinking water out of this adorable mug. It’s made better by a super cute picture inside that makes drinking out of it much more fun!

The majority of my mugs are at Brad’s, but the mug obsession spills into my home with my sister.
This is some of her super-cute collection, along with mugs we have had for a while.

These three mugs are my stay-at-home mugs for the times I’m off work and come home for a few days.
The Bloomie’s mug is kind of amazing. I sometimes wish it was a little bigger (should I have gotten the Big Brown Mug?)
The orange mug was a super cheap find at Wal-Mart. They had every color, but I was attracted to this orange hue. I bought it so that I would have a mug for coffee at my previous job. It’s the perfect size if you love adding a lot of cream.
The blue mug was a purchase at TJ Maxx (another great mug spot). I left without it the first time I saw it, but then I couldn’t stop thinking about it. That’s a good sign that it’s not just a useless impulse buy. It’s my favorite mug at home.

What do you collect? Are you as obsessed with mugs as I am?
Brad and I have already acknowledged that we will probably have a whole wall of mugs when we live together.

May-ven Box

Okay, so I talk about Julep a lot lately. For Pete’s Sake, I made a video about it (there’s another one video in the works, by the way). 
I showed you what my Sea Salt Mystery Box looked like, but I wanted to share with you guys what the typical monthly box is like.
Enter, the May Maven Box.
This month’s box is inspired by the 1920s…I love it. Jazz, flappers…I mean, you saw my birthday party last year, right?
I think they were definitely inspired by the release of The Great Gatsby (which I can’t wait to see, I’m a big Baz Luhrmann fan!).

Anyway, this what the May Bombshell box looked like.

Even though you know which colors you’ll be getting a week before you receive the box (to ensure that you actually want to get it that month/change it if you like a different Maven box), it’s still a sweet surprise unwrapping the box. Everything is decorated and wrapped in appropriate paper and ribbon and it’s very exciting!

I wasn’t expecting these adorable hair pins! That was a sweet little touch. This is only my second Maven box, and the April box came with a rock candy lollipop. I’m curious if there will always be a cute little treat inside…and in this case, it’s incredibly cute and reusable (whereas a candy can only be enjoyed once, of course).

In the video, I mentioned that every Maven (with the exception of Modern Beauty, which is only beauty products, and It Girl, which is only nail color) receives a full-size beauty product with the nail colors you’re getting. This month, we got these beautiful lip color trios. I got Paris, but my Boho Glam friend Lauren got the New York trio. Each has two sheer colors that go with any and everything and a matte red color that is pretty much the perfect lipstick. Again, this is excellent. Not to mention, the packaging…I die. It’s like an art deco cigarette holder.
Attention to details, people.

My nail colors were Zelda (which is the gorgeous shimmer, I’m wearing it right now and it’s too beautiful to handle) and this amazing dusty purple called Gabrielle. I had to include a picture of the tops of the caps…this is a genius idea. I love these stickers!!

 

So that’s the box! What’s not to love?
I also did an add on of the color Paris (which I purchased using Jules instead of cash), but unfortunately the add-ons come separately and I have yet to get mine in the mail. At least I have something to look forward to!

Don’t forget to click the Bombshell sticker on the top left if you’re interested in becoming a Maven!
But you can always check out the Julep site if you’d rather not do the referral!

A Review: Julep Sea Salt Mystery Box

About a week after making my Julep Maven video, I received an email from Julep advertising their Julep Sea Salt Mystery Box!
The mystery box is something they run on a regular basis…I believe they had one in February and March as well.
The deal: For one price (24.99), you get a package with anywhere from $70-200 worth of products from Julep.
How could I pass it up?

I ordered it on Thursday night and got it on Wednesday…this is the longest it’s taken for anything from Julep, but I think it’s fair because it was still less than a week and it was bigger than the typical package I get from them.

Here is my box and a review on the mystery box itself.

As always, the Julep box is decorated with bright tissue paper and fun confetti-like packaging.
It’s like unwrapping a present you bought for yourself! Super fun.

First in the box were these toe separators and an emery board. Will I use them? Sure. I feel like pretty much everyone is going to get this in their box. It’s simple accessories that will always have a place in your supply stash.

Next, Pomegranate body scrub and body crème. I don’t have anything like these, and I think they will be perfect for a DIY spa day, especially for getting my legs and feet ready for shorts and sandals. The scent is really lovely and, once again, perfect for summer.

Finally, these are my polishes. Each box is guaranteed to have one of their new Sea Salt Texture polishes. There were 3 possibilities.
I got Sadie (middle), which is black packed with silver glitter.
I also got Ally (right) and Melissa (left).

And here is a final photo of all of the contents together:

Considering the boxes contents range in price, there are obviously going to be bigger boxes. I’m pretty sure I got one of the smaller, if not the smallest, boxes. That’s the luck of the draw, so it doesn’t discourage me. It’s part of the mystery, after all! I will say, I was bummed that I got the black Sea Salt color…there was a beautiful beige and a beautiful pink as the other possible options and I would’ve loved one of those.
Again, not a big deal…that’s what you’re bargaining.

Complaint: I got Ally in my box. I know it’s a mystery and that they don’t personalize the boxes based on what your Maven profile is or what you might have purchased in the past. However, I already own Ally because it came in my April box. I don’t think they should’ve included polishes from the latest collection in the mystery box because of the large possibility of overlap.
I guess that could happen with anyone, though, whether it’s a newer polish or one from their constant collection.
Luckily, it’s a beautiful color, so I don’t mind having an extra.

Praise: No matter what, the mystery box is an excellent deal. The total price of everything in the box hovered around $80 dollars. Even if you’re a Maven and get the discount on pricing, you’re still saving at least $40, and that’s just with a small box like mine. You can imagine the savings if you were to get a bigger box! What’s even better is that this is open to everyone, Maven or not. I believe Mavens get a day notice before the general public, but anyone can buy one. There’s no subscription necessary and it’s an excellent way to treat yourself.
I can complain about getting dupes, but there’s the chance I might not like a product at all, which is a risk you’re taking. And in that case, you can save those products (unused, I would hope!) as presents or hand-me-downs to friends who would put them to good use!

Overall, I’m pleased. It’s a fun way to treat yourself, and this will not be my last mystery box!

The Sea Salt Mystery Box is still available on the website, and you can purchase it here.
If you’re interested in becoming a Maven, you can visit the site here, or you can click the Bombshell link at the top left of the page.

And don’t forget to check out my video if you’re curious about what being a Maven is like!

The Exception

Okay, so I don’t have a lot of money. I scrimp and save so I can buy food and gas for my clunky car and pay my bills.
And yes, it is super important to save money and be smart. But I also believe that you should treat yourself…and for me, it comes in the form of nail polish. In the last three days alone, I’ve gotten these 6 nail polishes. And I love every single one.
And OPI has a new collection that just hit the stores on Wednesday.
So I’ll be getting more. When I have money again, whenever that is.

These polishes have been on my lust list for a while now. China Glaze’s It’s a Trap-eze is from the recent Cirque du Soleil collection and it’s pretty much the only polish you can’t find from it. I ended up finding it on Amazon and spent less money on the polish and shipping than I would’ve if I had found it in stores (about 5 bucks as opposed to $6-8). I’m wearing it right now and it’s just wonderful.
I also fell for the awesome blue of Essie’s Butler Please within the last week, found it at Rite Aid (they have an awesome selection and they almost always have all the good colors in stock), and bought it immediately.

And then there’s the Deborah Lippmann GIRLS collection that I just spoke about the other day…

When I wrote this post, I went ahead and ordered this collection. As a massive fan of both GIRLS and nail polish, it would’ve been seriously silly not to! The colors are gorgeous and classic. And the packaging…seriously, stop, you’re amazing.
So, I know I have to keep it together and be smart, but these things make me smile.
It’s been a rough week, and it’s the small things like my growing nail polish collection that has helped me get through.

Well…that and Pinot Grigio.

Happy weekend, folks!

Etsy Lust List

Here’s this month’s list of wonderful Etsy things I wish I owned.

This Bunting Flag necklace from Rare Indeed is super cute. I’d love these adorable flags hanging from the ceiling, so it’d be like a party around my neck! This entire shop is chockfull of super cute, unique, handmade items. I’d be happy with anything.

This coffee cup ornament has the molecules for caffeine on it, which is cute already. But add the little pocket for gift cards and messages and I’m in love! What. No Mints? is filled with hand-sewn geekery. I think this would be such a sweet gift for anyone!

When I was in college, I was attracted to crazy beaded necklaces, obnoxiously large hoop earrings, and chunky plastic rings. I’m not knocking that jewelry, and I still love a good kitschy piece (hello, Hello Kitty ring!), but I’ve become a bit more simplistic.
This Little Bird Ring from Proteales is so delicate and precious.

I have nearly every item on Flapperdoodle saved on my favorites, but I narrowed my blog choice to these adorably sweet pendants.
Eloise and Ernest Play Telephone makes me super happy. I love that the she’s chatting and he’s just listening. I don’t know what I would do with these, but they are just so sweet and lovely and adorable…like everything else in the shop.

That Time I Made a Choice

For the last little while, I’ve been juggling with the same dilemma. I wrote about it back in November, and it’s been a consistent question in my mind. Ultimately, it was the tax return season that helped me make the choice. And a couple of answered questions and opinions and weigh-ins from the people who know me best. That’s right folks…

…I got a Kindle Fire! I seriously thought about this over and over, weighing all my options. There are several different versions of the Kindle, so I had some choices. Ultimately, I settled on the Fire. It’s an E-Reader and Android Tablet all in one! I haven’t had it for more than a week, but I simply adore it. I can watch videos, look at color graphic novels and magazines, surf the web, and stream music.
And, of course, I can download books in seconds and read right away.

It will definitely take some getting used to reading on the Kindle. I am finishing a book at the moment, so I have yet to actually start one of the books I purchased in my first few days owning le Kindle bebe. I’m excited to start!

I know E-Readers are kind of a sensitive subject. Though the people I know who have Kindles/Nooks really like them, there are just as many people I know who think it’s practically offensive to own one if you truly love books. I get it. I really do. I will always love books. And I still plan on buying books. There are some authors I truly love, some books I truly love, that need to have a place on my future bookshelf to be shared and seen. But for now, I’m happy to embrace this bit of technology. I think it’ll be a great purchase in the long run.

Special credit to my boyfriend for taking/editing these photos that look a whole lot like legitimate Kindle ads haha.

One Track Mind

All photos from my iPhone. You can see where my priorities lie (and where most of my paycheck goes).