Last Day of 2014

Hello all! This is my last post for the year 2014. How exciting is that?!

It has been a rather tough year and I hope next year will be much better. I have some ideas for Upcoming posts, but mostly it will be more Empties posts and reviews of products. I really hope the coming year is better than the last.

Watch out for My New Years Resolutions post tomorrow.

October Empties 2014 Part One

Wow. this is super late. Be ready for a whole bunch of Empties posts coming your way!

It seems like October just came and went. I used a bunch more products this month than I thought I would. I have split the post into 3 parts so they aren't ridiculously long and take forever to load.

My October Empties! I used 19 products this month!

135. Paul Mitchell Original Awapuhi Shampoo .7 fl oz
(see # 128in September post)

136. Facial Bar in Citrus Sage by Marietta Corp. 19 grams / .67 oz
This is such a wonderful smelling soap. I picked it up at a hotel on one of my trips to Birmingham for a family wedding. It doesn't smell like citrus or sage that much. It just smells clean. I used this in the shower as a facial and body bar. I know next to nothing about the Marietta corporation, but they are not cruelty free.

137. Estée Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara 01 Extreme Black (1oz)  

My grandmother gave me this sample mascara a while ago and I just got around to using it. The good things first: It was very black. A lot of times black mascaras tend to look grey on my lashes because they are light colored on the tips. I did not find that to be the case with this product. I loved the Volumizing effect this had on my lashes. It made them look full and thick without making clumps or creating spider leg lashes. The cons: It is not cruelty free and I did not like the smell. I will not repurchase.

The first six products are all sample or travel size.

138. Bodycology Enchanted Forest Fragrance Mist 2 FL oz
I picked this perfume up while in college. It was one of those fragrances that smells fantastic in the store, but smells horrible once you have been wearing it for an hour or two. I ended up combining the scent with rose water body creme and it toned it down to the point where I began so like the scent. I did some research about the company that owns Bodycology, Advanced Beauty Systems Inc, and could not find an animal testing statement anywhere. The phrase "This finished product is not tested on animals " is placed on the packaging of this product. This tends to imply that the individual products are tested on animals  (which is usually the case when this sentence is used). I will not repurchase from this company.

139. Harvey Prince Ageless Body Creme 15 ml (cruelty free and vegan! )
I got this sample in one of my birchboxes (maybe September?) This is hands down my favorite bodes creme I have ever tried. I don't use lotion or creme much now that I'm back in Louisiana where it is humid year-round. I do use it occasionally though: after I shave my legs or exfoliate. The scent is "pink grapefruit and Vanilla" , but to me it mostly smells of a general sweet fruitiness. It isn't your typical citrus scent. this is more fun and bouncy than lemon or orange would be. the Shea butter in the formula makes my skin soak up moisture, but doesn't leave a greasy residue. I absolutely love the smell of this product and I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves light fruity Scents. I won't be repurchasing this as a lotion, but I did buy the companion perfume: AGELESS.

140. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion + 1 fl oz
I've used many of the lotions and gels in the Clinique Skincare line, but this is a reformulated version for very dry skin. I don't like the reformulation at all. the smell is more chemical and the lotion leaves a residue on the skin. I used this as a deep conditioner at night only. I Know my mom has also used this new reformer lotion and not liked it as well. I do not recommend this product. Clinique is not a cruelty free company.

Stay tuned for Part 2, Coming soon!

Nature Pics

 Hey y'all! This is another post i never uploaded from the beginning of October. I took some pictures in the yard. Here they are :) I hope you enjoy!

Sweet Olive in the front yard. I love the smell of sweet olive. They are planted all over New Orleans and Metaire and they smell fantastic. Whenever I smell them, I think of home and late summer/autumn.  

I have no idea what these are, but they are all over my front yard and by our front porch. I love that they look furry. AND THEY ARE PURPLE! I love purple flowers. 

These are another plant of unknown species. It is like a pod/berry thing. I love it! 

Live Oak in the front yard! With purple and yellow flowers. 

Yellow flowers of awesomeness!

I hope you enjoyed these pictures!  I'm working on my empties posts and they should be ready I the next few days! 

Anything you can eat, I can eat vegan

Anything you can eat, I can eat vegan. I can eat anything vegan-er than you!

So this was a post I wrote wayback in October . Because I never posted it, I am posting it now. Enjoy the pictures.

For my mom's birthday we went to Macaroni Grill for dinner. I really love their create-your-own pastas. This was Cappelini with an Olive Oil Garlic sauce. It contained broccolini, mushroons, tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, and asparagus. It was really tasty!

And this is the drawing I made on the table cloth for my mom... I love drawing on the paper table coverings when they leave crayons. 

And this is probably the most basic thing I have eaten in a while. It's tofu cooked in Soy Sauce and sesame oil on top of rosemary sea salt bread. 

Hey look! Another stir fry! This one is with Tofu, bok choy, watercress, mushrooms, and jasmine rice cooked in soy sauce and sesame oil.

And here are the leftovers that I ate at the next meal. I love leftovers because the flavors really merge together when they have all been sitting there marinating for a few hours. 

This is a new kind of chocolate I tried at the store. It even says vegan on the back of the package (love it when they do that!). This chocolate is super rich and really satisfies any chocolate craving with just one square.

Quinoa burgers on rosemary sea salt bread with ketchup, mustard, and vegenaise. Pickles on the side! 

Ramen with tofu, watercress, baby corn, mung bean sprouts, soy sauce, and sesame oil. This was very tasty and filling. I used to eat ramen every day in my latter years of college. This was the first time in a while that I had bought some. A splurge treat instead of regular noodles or rice.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Stay tuned for more to come!

Merry Christmas

Hello all! Merry Christmas!
I know it has been a long time since I posted, but I promise to post new material soon. I've been very active on my other social media platforms recently, so if you want to hear more about what I've been doing in my day to day of, follow my on instagram  (KnittingOpera ).
It was a pretty good Christmas, even though I didn't get to see my grandmother. I did get to see my aunt and cook some wonderful vegan food, so life is good.
Talk at you later!

Quick Update

Hello All!

I haven't posted in over a month. Real life got in the way. I did about a week of NaNoWriMo before I had to stop, but I did get a chunk of writing done on my story and fleshed out some of the background information. Maybe when I have more written I'll start posting it on FictionPress.

I've been pretty busy with ballet, church, and Christmas Caroling. I am not ready for it to be December. When did this happen?!

It's been a really hard time for me lately with several church members passing away and having to sing at a few funerals. I actually have to sing at one today. It's always really hard trying not to cry. I have a hard time singing while crying, so I have to be extra careful with my tears.

I have finally gotten a Twitter. You can follow me @darksunnygirl. I've been using it and tumblr more and more because it is easier to update from my phone.

Sometime in the next few weeks I will be posting lots of empties posts and reviews of products. Be ready for them!

Until next time!