5 Links to Love This Week

1. The 8 Hour Project: Apps If you're not sleeping well, here are some great apps to help you get rested. I'm always open to new apps that boost productivity and learning, but sleep apps will always have a special place in my heart.
2. 9 Crucial Tips for Self-Editing Your Blog Posts for any of my blogging readers out there!
3. 73 Questions with Sarah Jessica Parker because you've seen her shoe collection. Carrie is my fave!
4. Curry Butter Popcorn. Popcorn. And. Curry. You'd be crazy not to try this.
5. 10 DIY Ways to Make Cheap Wardrobes Look More Expensive because I too am obsessed with making my wardrobe both beautiful and functional.

New Blog Series: DIYs & Ingredients

Introducing two new playgrounds to the Brown Girl Next Door yard.

The DIY Corner is self-explanatory - it's where all the do-it-at-home recipes will be noted. And there's tons that you can do at home, so stay tuned!

The Ingredients Corner is where you can find information on the natural and not-so-natural ingredients that make up the beauty products we use everyday. Sometimes reading the label can be overwhelming, but that's why it's important to identify a few ingredients that you know work for you and will combat your unique combination of skincare problems.

I'm excited to hear what kind of posts you'd like to see - maybe you want to know how lemons can boost your skin's glow and how you can incorporate it into your skincare routine. Maybe you want to know how vitamin E can help get rid of scars. Share below and I'll get right to it!

The Cutest Cookie Mix Ever

Received this adorable jar of cookie mix as a gift from a friend. She's the hostess type, so it's no surprise that she'd put together something like this.

You can DIY too. It's really simple - just layers of dry cookie dough ingredients that you combine with a bit of butter (this one used 1/4 cup) and vanilla to taste. Then voila! You have wonderful cookies!

My jar was full of a white chocolate macadamia and cranberry mix.

Throw Some Buttons On It

Blazers are timeless pieces that pretty much go with everything. I love dressing them up to be more than just a simple basic and there is one really easy way you can do it.

Switch out those buttons.

Typically, basic blazers come with plain, solid coloured, plastic buttons.  While this gives the blazer a casual feel, sometimes you want a little more. Sometimes you want a piece to dress things up a bit.  Other than tailoring, buttons are the simplest way to make your blazer your own.

Take below for example.  Simple enough. Regular blazer, regular satin lining.

But then BAM.  Look at those beauties. I love the half nautical, half collegiate feel that these ones brought to my relatively inexpensive blazer. Blazers that come with buttons that are not simple plastic usually go for around $70+.  Got this bad boy for something like $50.

 

I personally like when the buttons are a complementary colour to the blazer fabric, but they can also look equally as nice if they are the same shade and embossed.

I challenge you to find a blazer that has blah buttons and sew some fancy into it instead.

Soap Squares

Tired of using the same bar of hand soap?  So was I.

This mini project came about simply because I was getting bored of my hand soap (it takes so long to use up and I don't like what it looks like when it's halfway there) and I wasn't ready to hide or throw away the soap dish that matched the rest of my bathroom accessories.  I was this close to buying something from Bath and Body Works (their soaps always smell so good!), but then I stumbled upon this cute DIY idea from Blair Fowler, juicystar07.

It's the most basic idea.  You take your favourite bars of soap.  You put them on a cutting board.  You cut them into cubes.  You arrange them on a soap dish.  You use.

SO SIMPLE.  And what's great is that a) you get a variety of colours and smells and b) your guests can pick a different one each time too.

Happy lathering.

Homemade Facial Masks: Avocado

Hello readers!

My skin has been acting a little strange recently...dry in some patches and a little blotchy in others.     I've always liked experimenting with facial masks, but I'm apprehensive about putting too much product on my face.  With that in mind, I've taken a great liking to homemade remedies since I know that the ingredients are all-natural and I can also tamper with the concentrations based on how my skin normally reacts.

The Avocado Face Mask 

Avocados are rich in skin-loving vitamins like A, D, and E and have been known to purify skin.  I have heard that it works particularly well on dry skin, so this should be perfect for me right now.  If anyone else is experiencing pre-summer dryness, try this one out!

Here's what you need:

1. One ripe avocado
2. 2 teaspoons of extra-virgin olive oil
3. 2 teaspoons of honey

Here's how you do it:

1. Mash half of the avocado with a fork until it is creamy
2. Add two teaspoons of olive oil and mix it in
3. Add two teaspoons of honey and mix it in
4. Dampen your face with warm water to help open your pores
5. Spread the mask over your face generously (try to avoid any avocado lumps!).  Let it sit for 10-15 minutes.
6. Rinse off with warm water and seal your pores with a last splash of cool water.  Pat dry.
7. Moisturize with your favourite face lotion or cream

My Review

Would definitely do this again.  While I let the mask sit, it felt a little tingly, but that could be simply because of those sensitive, dry spots on my face at the time.  No burning or itchiness, which is definitely a plus.  Once I rinsed it off, I could still feel the dry spots, but my skin did feel rejuvenated and soft.  For best results, do your body an extra favour and drink lots of water.  Nothing beats chugging water.

Random sidenote, if you're anything like me, you may eat the mask.  For those of you that have a stronger willpower, you can store the mask in the fridge for a few days.