book haul // i actually bought new books

This is a pretty groundbreaking post in the book talk category - all of these books were bought brand new. Very rarely do I ever buy new books, but in my defense, I didn't pay retail for any of these. I've been reading like crazy this year so my interest in books has been renewed.

I picked up If the Allies had Fallen on a whim while browsing Barnes & Noble. They usually have a great selection of WWII books in their bargain section. That same trip I picked up Matt Bellassai's Everything is Awful, which I'd been pining over since I started listening to his podcast. I scored it for half off since it had just left the new release table.

Leah Remini's Troublemaker was an order from Books-a-Million with a gift card from Christmas. I've always been morbidly interested in Scientology and I've wanted to get my hands on this for a long time since I'm a big fan of Remini. How Not to Kill Your Houseplants was an Amazon purchase since the reviews were good and I've recently really gotten into houseplants.

Lastly, K picked me up Gizelle's Bucket List by Lauren Fern Watt from the airport one night when I was on my way to get him. (What's better than a man that buys you books?? Nothing.) It's almost guaranteed to make me cry, but it looks really good!

And there we go! I'm super excited to get started on all of these. If you haven't already, add me as a friend on Goodreads! I love seeing what other folks are reading.

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depotting & decluttering

I recently decided to try to broaden my horizons and start using eyeshadow that isn't brown, taupe, or gold. I know, how daring. I just get stuck in a rut because I believe that's what looks best on my eyes. (shrug) However, as I was testing some other shadows that I've had for absolute years, I realized that a lot of them were past their prime or just flat out weren't good shadows. I recently purchased Tarte's Tarteist PRO Custom Magnetic Palette* (I couldn't resist that leopard print) and I was excited to try it out, so I got to depotting!

Here's the pile of eyeshadows that I depotted and decluttered. Depotting is the act of removing the shadow in it's metal tray from the clunky plastic packaging. If your shadow has a plastic tray, you can get little adhesive pieces of metal that stick to the backs so they'll stay put in your palette. Here's a good tutorial on depotting if you're new. This was my first time! If the shadow was crap or I couldn't get it out, to the recycling it went.

How nice is that leopard print??? I love it. And here are the shadows in their new home. I broke a few and threw out a lot, but these are the ones that made the cut. The three at the top are on top of a bit of scrap brown paper bag because their glue was super tacky and I didn't want it damaging the palette.

I didn't label any of these because none of them are cruelty free, so I won't be repurchasing. I just didn't want to waste what could be used.

I have SO much more room in my makeup organizers now! Sadly I can't replenish them because we're saving money right now, but soon enough! I'll be using these and my other shadows up in the meantime.

♥

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link love

In Africa, geneticists are hunting poachers using rhino DNA.

Derby, the bat dog for the Yankees Double-A affiliate, has passed away from cancer. His son, Rookie, is carrying on the tradition like his father and grandfather, Chase.

Here's an interesting article about C. diff and a sugar found in ice cream.

I'm completely obsessed with living spaces in Brooklyn. Here's a little 400sq.ft. apartment, a gorgeously arranged studio, and this artisanal bodega.

Two of my very best friends, both named Jess, have each started their own podcasts: Millenial Mixology and I Can't Believe You've Never Seen. Check them out!

CC Sabathia has gone vegan.

Look at this adorable tutorial for heart shaped pom pom bookmarks!


Ant Rozetsky
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pacifica // kale detox face wash

I've tried a lot of face washes and cleansers and  I can say that I love Pacifica's Kale Detox. I've gotten two travel sizes in sets from my mom, which is where this one came from, and I've got a full size waiting in the wings (also from my mom...she keeps me stocked with Pacifica products).

Kale Detox is a smooth gel face wash that is a cheery green but has some great cleansing power. It smells very earthy and, well, kale like. I'm one of those people that scrubs their eye makeup off with cleanser, which this does nicely, without drying out my skin or irritating around my eyes.

At ten dollars for five ounces, the price isn't bad at all. I've found this in person at Target and Ulta, so it's pretty readily available, along with being available at several online retailers.

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2018 reading challenge

I love to read. However, with my end-of-year schedule, I practically had to pencil in times to sit down and enjoy a book. With 2018 just starting, I decided that I really wanted to buckle down and knock out a reading challenge fully.

This past year was a much better year for reading than 2016, but I'd still like to read even more in the new year. There's been so many new books that have come out that I've been dying to read, but I keep getting stuck in the mindset that I need to go through the actual physical books I have cluttering my bedroom. Instead, I'm going to read the books I want to read instead of the ones I feel the obligation to read. I think that's why I've had so many lulls.

I use Goodreads to keep track of books I've read, want to read, and am currently reading. It's such an invaluable resource if you're a bookworm! You can even participate in an annual reading challenge. For 2018, I've challenged myself to read 55 books. Fingers crossed.



All Bong
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