Twenty Something Plus

May 28, 2015

May Loves

Shopping has always been something I’ve indulged in more than I should.

However, lately, that has not been the case. So, when I do buy something, I get really excited to tell you about it. Especially when I love it!

Here are some of my May loves…

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

OK, so the plan was to keep this post brief, but there’s a couple of things I feel like I need to explain.

The & Apparel cactus necklace is from their recent Dear Lizzy collection and it’s rose gold, and quirky, so I of course I totally love it. Their Cat’s Meow Sunglasses I got, because, well, look at them! While I love & Apparel and had been eyeing those items for a while, if I hadn’t won a $50 gift card from one of their Instagram account giveaways, I probably wouldn’t have been able to buy them just yet. So, YAY to contests! These weren’t the only two things I got with the gift card and I did go over the $50 just a little bit…

You know when you’re in Target, and you can’t make it out of there without a cart full of things you probably already have or stuff you don’t really need. Well after grabbing Starbucks, and combing through the dollar section, I get what I went there for, then get in line and each time I manage to pick of the Neutrogena makeup remover wipes, they’re travel size, and I use them so it’s not a bad thing to grab. Although, I should probably start getting more than the little pack.

As for the Vaseline lotion, I kept seeing it on Instagram and wanted to see if it was worth the hype. It is seriously the best smelling lotion I’ve ever tried! The manfriend even asked if I was wearing a new perfume. This is without a doubt my favorite lotion, EVER.

And before you go judging me on the Flonase, know that allergy season is rough for me. I have pretty bad allergies in general (dust, pet dander…), but I legitimately thought I was sick before realizing that it was just my allergies kicking my butt. After a few sprays it was like, allergies, what allergies? It’s been wondrous!

So much for brief…

May 26, 2015

Alt Summit Summer: I’m Going Again!

Around this time last year, I won a ticket to a conference that would legitimately change my life. Especially the blogging part of it.

I got to hear Joy Cho and Martha Stewart speak. Huge.

I networked and made friends.

I learned SO much about blogging.

And I got to party my little butt off.

It was everything.

I don’t think that it’s humanly possible for me to be any more thrilled to be attending Alt Summit Summer for the second time.

And even more so, because this time I’ll be speaking.

Yep, that’s right, I’M SPEAKING AT ALT!

I AM SO FREAKING EXCITED.

I’ll try my best not to go Alt crazy on you, but my mind is already going into overtime thinking about things I want to share, like what I’m bringing with me, and what I plan to wear, and what I want to accomplish while I’m there…

No promises.

If you’ll also be at Alt, I can’t wait to see you there! How are you prepping?

Fun fact: I’m a tiny bit shy, but love conferences. If you’re anything like me or even just feeling a little nervous, this will help!

P.S. In case you haven’t yet had your fill of my IG ramblings, make sure to be on the lookout for an Instagram related post that may possibly be coming soon(ish) to Gilit Cooper’s blog, Shoes Off Please.

And, yes, the Gilit Cooper of The Bannerie. Love her!

May 22, 2015

My Number One Instagram Tip

If you’re not on Instagram, you are seriously missing out.

And if you do have an Instagram account and aren’t following me, we’re fighting.

Hardcore.

When I first started out on Instagram my page was private, I didn’t follow anyone, was obsessed with using filters and pretty much just used it to tweak my photos before sharing them on Facebook.

I may not be all that well known in the blogosphere (yet), but 9 out of 10 times, when someone has heard of Twenty Something Plus, it’s because of my Instagram account.

The most common question I get asked about Instagram is what do I use for my white background. I recommend a basic white foam board that you can find in any office or craft store. But you can pretty much use anything white. Paper, fabric…I also use white (or off-white) walls, the top of a short white bookshelf that I have, and I now have a white tray I found at Target (similar here), which I like because I can also carry stuff on it and don’t have to worry too much about getting it dirty.

There are tons of articles and blog posts out there about Instagram tips, tricks, and apps. My number one Instagram tip is to use natural light.

Why?

I mean, seriously, just look at the difference!

Both photos were taken with my iPhone 5s, are haven’t been edited, aside from being cropped to be square. The ONLY difference is that the second one was taken in front of a window and the other wasn’t. Natural light provides a much better starting point for editing. No?

When natural light isn’t an option, I use daylight light bulbs. They’re still not quite as good as using natural light, but believe me, they make a world of a difference. (So much so that my mom switched most of the lights in the house to daylight ones.)

Oh! And those things that roll around when you’re trying to do a flatlay like a boss? Painter’s tape. It’s cheap, and in my opinion, works the best, without tearing your board.

Want more tips?

Here’s some Instagram related blog posts that really helped me:
Cupcakes and Cashmere
Bloguettes
Zelma Rose
Who What Wear

May 21, 2015

DIY Floral Arranging with Neatly Noted + Azalea Floral Design

I am not always the most creative person , so when I get the chance to learn how to do something new or crafty, I jump at it.

Like, almost literally.

A few weeks ago, I joined fellow Monarchs, Latanya of Sprinkles and Booze Whitney of Leopard Spots & Pineapple Dots for a DIY floral arranging ladies night event hosted by Ariel Nathan of Neatly Noted (a friend of a friend, I’d been dying to meet, plus secretly stalking on Facebook and Instagram…) and Shannon Gagnon of Azalea Floral Design.

There was SO much food, wine, and lots of shared laughs. I. HAD. SUCH. A. BLAST!

I managed not to cut myself and walked away with a super cute, flower filled Neatly Noted coffee mug.

I hope this was the first of many other craft events.

There was talk of a DIY flower crown night…
If so, count me in!

If you’re not in CT, there’s no need to be too jealous, you can get your very own mug here. Photos via the Neatly Noted blog. Except for the last one, that was me.

May 18, 2015

Long Live Snail Mail!

Isn’t it nice that there are people who actually exist, that get how crappy the world can be and then work actively to go about making life better?

They may be about as rare as unicorns, but they do exist.

Mary is one of those people.

Who is Mary? She is one of the fabulous women I met at Monarch Workshop. If you check out her blog, you will have an idea of just how AWESOME she it. Well, she sent out some snail mail and it absolutely made my day! Even though it wasn’t completely unexpected (she had to get the addresses somehow), it didn’t make getting mail that wasn’t a bill any less special.

Of course I had to share.

A sweet note, stickers, temporary tattoos, and TONS of confetti!

To say thank you, wouldn’t be enough.

There needs to be more of this.
Make it happen.

May 15, 2015

Borrowed from the Boy: Birchbox Man

One year, for the manfriend’s birthday, I made the mistake of getting him a one year subscription to Birchbox Man.

For obvious reasons, I adore Birchbox, but my low maintenance gaming partner? Not so much…

Occasionally, when Andrew did decide to try a sample, he’d like it and stick with it. He’s a product loyalist like that. When his box had a cool tech product he was happy, but that was as frequent as he would have liked.

He was much more pleased when I learned my lesson and got him Loot Crate the following year.

His samples haven’t gone to waste, I found his stash and have been trying some of them. One month he got the same Vasanti exfoliator that I’ve sampled twice now, the second time by choice. I told him how much I liked it and thought he’d love it. He never even tried it. Yonk!

The exfoliator wasn’t the only product offered in both the men’s and women’s shops…

The smell of this shower gel (that also has a matching body lotion) is euphoric. He missed out.

A face and body wash? Don’t mind if I do!

With my short and now straight hair, I thought why not try some of his hair product samples. So glad that I did, I found two that I use and keep in my purse!

Majority of the products that he’d received were beard grooming products. He had the beard, and groomed it, but found one cream he liked and that was that. I was talking to a friend about it and she told me I should use the shaving cream too. I have yet to, but that’s now the plan.

Do you have any products that you borrow from your boy? If so, tell me what in the comments! Want more info on any of these products? Just let me know.

May 14, 2015

My April Birchbox

I know it’s May, and I just got my May Birchbox, which I am so freaking excited to share with you, but I figured I should probably share my April Birchbox first…

The box itself was designed by Rifle Paper Co.
Is it not the prettiest?!

A lot of Birchbox subscribers received this Beaver Professional Shampoo and Conditioner, and many weren’t happy about it. Probably because they’re sick of shampoo and conditioner sets, since they do kind of make it feel like you’re only getting four samples instead of five. This set was a decent size (anything beats the foil packets), and the fact that it hydro nutritive, makes me excited to try it. I haven’t yet, because I’m still using the Soapbox Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner.

This was the first month in a while that I’d opted for a sample choice instead of the monthly feature box. Why? Because I’m a makeup junkie and really really wanted to make sure I got to sample this POP Beauty eyeshadow palette. I’m still debating if I want to buy the full size set, I have a few points saved up, but I want to wait and see how I feel when I use up this sample.

This Cynthia Rowley illuminator was such a pleasant surprise! I’m trying to use it as sparingly as possible, but I really do love it.

My very first Birchbox included a Wei mud mask, so call me overconfident, but I truly bee-lieve (insert canned laugher here) that I’ll be obsessed with their bee venom mask. I’m saving this for the next time I want to pamper myself. I just wish the sample came with a brush…

I’m pretty content with all the products in my April Birchbox. Can’t wait to show you why I am seriously SO freaking excited about my May Birchbox!

Soon.

May 12, 2015

Soapbox Gives Hope

Not sure if you noticed, but in my wedding season post, my hair had recently been done professionally. A little snip snip, a few extensions added, I was happy with the results and felt really good.

Usually, if I get extensions I have them sewn in, this time bonding glue was used.
Not a huge deal.

Then, after about two weeks it was time to take the extensions out. This process involved a lot of baby oil. It was one big slippery mess. Here’s where there was a problem, afterwards, my hair was still sticky. I washed it, tried more baby oil, dry shampoo, you name it. Nothing worked, and I was starting to get grossed out by my own hair.

When better to try a new shampoo courtesy of Influenster and SoapBox Soaps?

Maybe washing my hair for a second time also helped, but the shampoo got the remaining stickiness out so my hair was squeaky clean. And the conditioner left my hair soft, especially considering I had just washed my hair twice.

Soapbox Argan Oil Shampoo helped rescue my hair from the scary bonding glue monster.

Soapbox gave me hope for my hair and after doing a little homework, I learned about the mission of the company and my heart smiled. They “use soap to improve the world”.

For under $5 at Target (because you know you’re going to be going on a run there soon anyways), you can give the world a little hope and look good while doing it!

April 29, 2015

Because, Wedding Season

Wedding season is basically upon us.

Get ready for…

Is it ever OK to wear white?

Do you think anyone will notice that I wore this to another wedding?

Is the venue air conditioned?

How short is too short?

Will this match the wedding party a little too much?

I try to avoid the stress by wearing two things.

Yep, two.

A dress.

And a sweater.

I know! How easy is that?

I bought this dress from T.J. Maxx when it was the day of and I couldn’t think of what to wear to a friend’s wedding. I ended up being late (UGH!) and vowed (sorry…) that I would never let that happen again.

Keep jewelry and makeup simple, remember you are not the bride.

This tennis bracelet Anjolee sent me is elegant and ideal.

If you’re looking for a more personal touch, with Anjolee, you can customize any jewelry design from designer stud earrings to anniversary rings for women.

Add matching heels and grab a clutch and you’ll never have to worry about what to wear again!

I personally don’t have any weddings to attend this wedding season. What’s really great about an outfit like this is that it can also be worn for a nice dinner date.

April 27, 2015

Adding Amara Organics

Before living in Vermont, I didn’t really care if a product was at all natural or if my beef was grass fed.

While, I still use products that aren’t organic or vegan, and I am not above scarfing down a process patty…it’s nice to be made aware of healthier product options.

That being said, I recently got the chance to test out a few products I was gifted from Amara Organics.

I just started using them and have to admit that I was surprised by how well they work. Adding these products to my skincare routine.

The eye cream is 100% natural and smells like cucumbers!

I love how the Hyaluronic Acid leaves my face feeling moisturized in a way that I never thought possible. The word acid scared me a little, but it’s worth it. Just make sure to follow up with a moisturizer and you should be good for the day.

And, you guys, I’m almost thirty (kind of, sort of, give or take…) so the Retinol Serum is pretty nifty, but to be honest, I’ve been using it to combat my acne scars more so than wrinkles. I haven’t been using it long enough to see any drastic results, but I’m hopeful.

A special thank you to Amara Organics for sponsoring this post AND they are giving away three of their products to 25 lucky winners! You can enter there giveaway here.