a rainy saturday & leggings

Today was a pretty rainy Saturday. If you don't know by now, this does not upset me. I love rain. It made for a pretty slow work day, though.

Life has been busy lately. I've been working and helping prepare for the holidays at the store and we redid the Halloween windows.

I did become an affiliate for an interesting company, Legging Army. I started off with two pairs, Cheetalicious and Paisley Days. I have to say, I love these things. They're so soft! I pretty much never have to wear real pants again.




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link love

Stephen King weighed in on the recent clown scares in North & South Carolina.

Bats cock their heads like puppies when targeting prey!

I follow The Secret Life of Dog Catchers on Facebook, and here's a neat article about Malachi the Wolfdog.

A vegan breakfast sandwich? Yes, please.

I love these heels!

I bought these sandals on clearance at Target the other day, then I found an almost identical pair at Anthropologie for $68! Sometimes it pays (saves?) to be a Target lover.

This recipe for vegan mushroom alfredo from Gourmandelle looks delicious.

Another recipe, this one from Vegan Richa. A gluten free and vegan almond poppy seed cake.

Make sure you get your Always Sunny Beauty Gift when you sign up for a Julep Beauty Box with the code "SUMMERBEAUTY"!

Nail biting may be a sign of something other than anxiety.


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book review: the butterfly garden by dot hutchison

From Goodreads: "Near an isolated mansion lies a beautiful garden.

In this garden grow luscious flowers, shady trees…and a collection of precious “butterflies”—young women who have been kidnapped and intricately tattooed to resemble their namesakes. Overseeing it all is the Gardener, a brutal, twisted man obsessed with capturing and preserving his lovely specimens.

When the garden is discovered, a survivor is brought in for questioning. FBI agents Victor Hanoverian and Brandon Eddison are tasked with piecing together one of the most stomach-churning cases of their careers. But the girl, known only as Maya, proves to be a puzzle herself.

As her story twists and turns, slowly shedding light on life in the Butterfly Garden, Maya reveals old grudges, new saviors, and horrific tales of a man who’d go to any length to hold beauty captive. But the more she shares, the more the agents have to wonder what she’s still hiding..."

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First off, whoa. This book was amazingly written. It's told in two perspectives - Maya's first person perspective in the Garden, and from a narrator's point of view. I will say there are triggers in this book, there's speak of suicide, rape, sexual assault, murder, and violence.

The characters are likeable and their stories come together in an intricate but tragic way. It's hard to talk about the plot without spoilers, so I'll keep it neat. The Butterfly Garden builds are you read, the stories told becoming more horrific as time goes on. It's written in such a way that you almost feel like you're in the garden with the victims.

I consumed this book in a little over three days, reading when I could. It's a thriller that sucks you in. At parts, admittedly, I wished the story would move just a tiny bit faster, but the details prove beneficial once you get to the plot twist and ending.

If you're even remotely a fan of thrillers, definitely snag this one. And from what I hear, the rights to the movie version are being discussed!

Get your own copy: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Goodreads

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empties #6

Nail Polish Remover // This was a spur of the moment purchase at Five Below quite a while ago. I don't think I'd buy it again.

Suave Invisible Solid Deodorant // This was my purse deodorant, so it took a while to use up. This did a really good job for me, but sadly it's not cruelty free.

Bath & Body Works Rainforest Leaves Shampoo // I found this in a bin after having it for years. It was a hotel snag. It worked pretty well, but B&BW isn't cruelty free.

Deep Steep Coconut Oil Sugar Scrub in Pineapple Coconut // cruelty free & vegan // I LOVE Deep Steep! This scrub was great and my skin felt moisturized afterward. If you use my link to order, use the code TNZ430 for $5 off!



Juice Organics Pompeptide Facial Moisturizer // cruelty free & vegan // I love this moisturizer. This is my third tube and I have one waiting to be used. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find it anywhere and I think it's been discontinued, which is so sad. I'll definitely keep searching, though.

Forever Red Shower Gel // When Bath & Body Works first released the Forever Red line in 2012ish, I fell in love with the smell (at that time I had a smidgen left). I bought this and used it for special occasions. I finally finished it. Phew. Sadly, though, as above, B&BW isn't cruelty free.

Oxy Face Wash // Boooo. I didn't like this facewash and couldn't bring myself to finish it. It bleached my towels even after a thorough rinse, and I just couldn't stand to use it anymore. Definitely won't be buying again.

Simple Smoothing Facial Scrub // Simple fooled me a while back and I thought they were cruelty free. Nope. This scrub was weird, too. Not a lot of exfoliating to be had, and it was hard to wash off. I ended up using it as a hand scrub. I will not be repurchasing.



Lancome La Vie est Belle sample// I'd totally buy it again if Lancome was cruelty free. :(

e.l.f. Poreless Face Primer // cruelty free & vegan // For the price, it's a decent primer. I like the way it applies. I'd buy this again. If you use my link, use the code TNZ430 for $5 off!

What have you tried lately?

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fashion friday: life is

I was provided the "Life is Tough" shirt from Cents of Style in exchange for this post. Affiliate links are included.

When Cents of Style contacted me to write a post about life, I wasn't super sure about it. I am generally a pessimist, but thought "hey, I can do this, I have a pretty decent life!" So I chose the "Life is tough, but so are you" tee.

Everyone's had some tough spots in life, and I'm no different. Sometimes a little reminder can make all the difference - that you're tough, too!



This shirt, though? So soft and the fit is fantastic. The best part? They're only $15.95 and they ship free with code LIFEIS1! ♥




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