Paradise Hill Designs

For those of you who were wondering what this was, here you go:



This was my dad's Christmas present. What arrived was the frame. It was hand crafted in British Columbia by Paradise Hill Designs. The wood is reclaimed barn wood and the coloring complimented the print perfectly. The size (10x10) was not one they had listed, but they were more than willing to accommodate the special request. It took about a week for them to get the necessary parts and build my frame, and it was shipped promptly after the transaction was completed. The frame is lightweight, solidly constructed, and buttery smooth to the touch.

I was so pleased with how smooth and easy the entire transaction was, and the frame was perfect.

Thanks, guys!

Etsy Review - GudonyaToo

Here at The Verbosery, it’s possible that we may have a mild obsession with lips. In fact, it may just be possible that lips are one of our very favorite body parts (in case you’re wondering, it’s possible that our other favorite parts happen to rhyme with lips). So it’s understandable that we take lip care very seriously.

Here “lip care” having the meaning of “how many tubes of lip chap can one woman possess, exactly?”

We always seem to have one eye out for new and interesting lip care products, with a specific inclination towards items relating to maintaining smooth and supple lips (mostly because we just love that word – “supple”).

While surfing Etsy (you know how we do), we discovered lip scrubbies. How cool is that? Of course, because we’ve been so spoiled by the Coffee Scrub, it took some searching and lots of clicking before we discovered a lip scrub that may actually live up to our expectations.

Meet GudonyaToo’s Sweet Lips TRIPLE SUGAR Lip Scrubby.

How beautiful is that? This is definitely the kind of lip scrub that can live up to our expectations – lots of scrub, not a lot of filler.

Is it just us, or have you noticed that most “scrubs” aren’t a lot more than shower gel with some scrubbies thrown in for kicks? That’s what we liked so much about the Coffee Scrub – it was tons of scrub, held together (barely) by rich, moisturizing, body happy oils. No fillers, just bliss.

The GudonyaToo scrub looked like it would be just up our alley, and an order was promptly placed. And, because we at The Verbosery are incapable of leaving well enough alone, we had to also get some tubes of lip chap to go along with it.

We’d love to tell you all about how yummy the scrub and the lip chap smelled and tasted. Unfortunately, between the sick and the allergies, our senses of smell and our palate have both become pretty jacked.

We can tell you, though, all about how the scrub and the lip chap worked, which, we suppose, will just have to do.

The scrub looks just like it does in the picture. Packed full of delicious, sugary scrub, held together by fabulous lip moisture. We use this in the shower, after we brush our teeth (yes, we brush our teeth in the shower). It’s particularly hard to fight the urge to stick our tongue out and have a taste, but we’re just not sure how tasty that would actually be. A sense of smell sure would come in handy right about now! The scrub feels so nice – rough but not abrasive. It leaves a very nice, smooth, moisturized feeling that sticks around for a lingering visit.

As part of our normal “beauty” routine, we follow up the lip scrub with a nice coating of lip chap.

GudonyaToo’s Lip Smoothies have the perfect consistency – smooth and creamy, without being thick, greasy or heavy. The feeling lasts a good, long time, so you’re not reapplying constantly.

At the end of the day, our lips are still smooth and soft, without a flake to be seen.

Perfect!

Recommended?

Absolutely?

Friday Contest Freebie?

Wouldn’t you like to know?

Here “wouldn’t you like to know?” having the meaning of “of course, duh!”

Etsy Review - Product Update

Wash the Day Away - An Update

Just over a month ago, I reviewed two products from Wash the Day Away - and Coffee Scrub. And I just know y'all are hanging on the edge of your seats to see how the products worked out long term.

The Coffee Scrub I just adore. The bumps never completely went away, though. Personally, I'm going to blame that on winter. The smell of the scrub is simply divine and it's got a staying power that's fabulous. I don't believe I've ever used a product in the shower that still smelled that strongly when I got home at night. It left my skin smooth and soft and well moisturized.

As for the Black Honey Soap... Well, there just aren't enough good things I can say about it. My face has been virtually acne-free since I started using it. I've even had my period, which usually brings a cluster-fuck of zits, and only got one zit the entire time. My skin is softer, smoother, more "matte" and definitely more clear.

I use it in the shower and use it to wash off my eye makeup, as I've done with every other face wash ever. This is the first time, however, I've been able to open my eyes after they're good and soaped up. No burning, no stinging, nothing. It doesn't even taste that bad, so if you get in your mouth - no worries.

I know it sounds like I'm gushing, but, really, I cannot say enough good things about Black Honey Soap. It really is that good.

In fact, I recently placed an order for another bar, so that I wouldn't risk running out. While I was at it, I ordered some of her Euphoria Dream Balm. I've always had a bad time remembering dreams, and when I do remember them, it's only bits and pieces. I figured it would be good for a bit of fun. I did notice that I remembered my dreams better when I used the Balm. However, it didn't help at all on nights when I got very little sleep. Of course, that's probably my bad, and I may just not have dreamed at all those nights. I do like it and I'm glad I got it.

I also tried a small sample of her Yarrow Patchouli Facial Moisturizer. It's lightweight, which means it smooths right in and doesn't sit on my skin. I like that a lot, because otherwise it makes me feel hot and kind of clammy. I think I used more than the "suggested" amount, but my skin sucks it right in. Plus, I've always ended up using more than the "suggested" amount of things. That is, apparently, my disfunction.

The only thing I didn't care for is that there isn't sunscreen in it. Then again, I'm sure the need for sunscreen is just some paranoia induced by the makeup companies, so I'm sure I'll get over that.

I will most likely be getting a bottle of this when I place my next order. I finally ran out of my sample yesterday, and I was really sad to be putting on my regular, clammy, store moisturizer this morning.

And, y'all... Not only are her products superb, but it is actually a treat to work with her. I know that it's a lot more likely to get good customer service at sites like Etsy, but Wash the Day Away definitely provides stand-out service.

Etsy Review - Coffin Color

I ran across Coffin Color during my Christmas shopping searches and just knew that I'd have to try them out. I'm usually not real big on eye shadow, because I always feel like I look like a dork with it on. And I am not exactly what you would call particularly adept at putting it on so that it looks good. Generally when I do my makeup I stick with what I know: eyeliner & mascara (ok, ok, and face powder and eyebrow powder and lipstick. happy?). Every now & again, though, I go through an eye shadow kick. When I saw the Coffin Color colors, I knew I had found my next kick.

Coffin Colors aren't the type of colors that are made to be blended nicely for a subtle effect.

Coffin Colors are loud and pushy in all the right ways. They stand up and say "HEY! Now tell me I'm pretty, bitch!"

And, you know what? How do you not love that in an eye shadow?

My Coffin Color order arrived last night, a mere five days after I had placed the order. It came with an extra sample (which is what I'll be giving away in the contest) and a Coffin Color button (which you can't have because it's mine).

Of course, I had to try some out right away. I used my fancy eye shadow brush to slide some Girl Pants all over my face on my lower eyelids, and then used Poison Purple on my upper lids.

I was really impressed by how much the color on my eyes was the same as the color in the jar. It didn't fade or get absorbed into my eye lid or whatever it is that happens with regular eye shadow. The color was bright and true and, yes, somewhat lighter than in the jar, sure, but what do you expect, exactly, it's powder? I'm pretty sure that, had I applied a second "coat", it would have been exactly the same shade as the powder in the jar. But I don't need that. So I didn't.

I have tried the bright, funky, wild eye shadows before and have always been disappointed at how they disappear and fade out when I put them on. That is not an issue with Coffin Color, and I love that! I don't have to try to guess what color it's going to be when I put it on, because it already is that color. For me, that is so awesome, not to mention helpful, because I am so not suave when it comes to these things, and I can use all the help I can get. Seriously.

This is what happens with loose powder eye shadow when you're as suave as I am:

And they are serious about the eye shadow's staying power! I had to use actual soap to get the strays off.

Much better after a clean up:


And, of course, because they have much better lighting than my bathroom, a picture from Mr. Pickle:


Obviously, the pictures do not do the colors justice. These are serious colors and they really pop. I am totally wearing these to work today, and I cannot wait. I'm sure I'll get lots of looks and double-takes, especially since I really don't wear much makeup. But that's ok.

At least I'll be pretty!

Etsy Review - Product Specific!

Etsy Review – Wash the Day Away

I do not even recall how I stumbled across her, but I knew I just had to have that Black Honey Soap. I’ve had terrible acne ever since I was pregnant with my daughter (hi! Nine years ago!). The only thing that ever kept it even reasonably under control was Dr. Bronner’s Tea Tree Oil soap. It worked great, and I could totally post pictures so you can see except that I really don’t remember where I put them.

Anyway… Dr. Bronner’s worked great but I still have breakouts, particularly when I’m stressed or getting ready to start my period.

So, of course, I thought that I would try this and see if it helps more than the good Dr., and can finally help me kick the last bit of acne.

It arrived Thursday night and I tried it Friday morning. The first impression? Wonderful! It left my face squeaky clean but not dried out. The squeaky, I have learned, is important to keeping my face zit-free. The not dried out? That’s harder to find and a great bonus. As oily as my skin is, it is also really prone to dryness. This soap seems like the perfect combination.

Obviously, only time will tell if it helps with the acne and I promise to keep you updated. However, I am already looking forward to my morning shower and another round with this wonderful soap!

Of course, once I knew I was placing an order, I had to check and see if there was anything else I wanted.

Duh!

So I bought this, as well. I opened the jar promptly last night when the package arrived. The scrub looks like coffee grounds, and smells like the kind of rich, oily coffee that you just know is going to make the best cup of coffee you’ve had in ages. I could also smell the patchouli, cinnamon and vanilla.

I tried the scrub out on my arms Friday morning. I used it in the shower, but I wiped the scrub off using the washcloth method indicated in the instructions, and only did a final quick rinse under the shower to rinse off stray scrubbies. I saved it for the very last thing I did in the shower, so I didn’t run the risk of washing away the goodness!

I have a skin condition that causes little rough bumps all over my upper arms. I usually just leave well enough alone, but when I feel like having smooth arms (a.k.a. “when I get a burr under my saddle about it”), daily exfoliation and moisturizing do the trick pretty well. Usually it takes a couple of days to see significant improvement, and it is something I need to do daily.

When I used the scrub Friday morning, I could literally see my skin smoothing out under the scrub. As I wiped the scrub away, I saw how much smoother it was than before. And she is not kidding about the moisture! Usually when I exfoliate, my skin is screaming for some lotion before I even step out of the shower. This time, I didn’t even need lotion. My arms are soft, smooth, and moisturized.

The difference it made on my arms would have taken two or three days of daily exfoliation and moisturizing. My arms aren’t perfect, so you know, and it will probably be at least one more day before they’re completely smooth and bump-free. This scrub, however, did so much more and so much better than anything else I’ve ever tried.

Utterly fabulous!

Next time, I’d really like to try some of the Euphoria Dream Balm, the Energy Clearing Aromatherapy Linen Spray (because our house can use a good energy cleaning!), and the Spark Room/Linen Spray.

I promise I’ll keep y’all in the loop.

The Etsy Review

Things I found/looked at one etsy:

This super cute bumble bee charm! SweetPea's nickname for me is BabyBee because, yes, we are that nauseating.

I love looking at the bath and body section. I made soap for awhile as a hobby, and while I enjoyed it and was pretty good for having no experience whatsoever, the soaps listed on etsy are so super-fab they blow me away! I can't believe all the deliciousness that's on display and I'm kind of glad that I have a scant ounce of self-control!

I definitely want to order some of this Black Honey soap because I am so over this adult acne!

I also stumbled across this store, which has the cutest little rubber duckies ever!

I spent some time cruising the market totes section because, you know, if I'm "going green" that must mean I'm making more purchases first! Uh... Oops! Maybe not? I really liked these - the size and shape look perfect for shoppers that have families and are likely to make larger purchases.

I started on etsy yesterday looking for something for my stepmother. We aren't exactly close, so that makes it seem harder to shop for her. I looked at necklaces first because I know she has a fabulous collection and I'm sure she'd love a new piece. Then I started looking at tea cups, because she also collects those. I moved on to candle holders and briefly thought I had a winner before I had second thoughts and moved on again to bookmarks. I saw lots of super cute things during my perusal, but I'm not sure if any of them qualifies as the gift.

I love these bookmarks! What a great idea - perfect for anyone that just has to write something down while reading a book. Or for students, who make notations while reading.

I also looked for something for my Aunt and got a fabulous idea and will probably be hand-making her gift. My aunt loves lavender dryer packets and was purchasing them through a local vendor at the Farmer's Market. Well, he raised his prices some time last year and I think she's never quite forgiven him. This is a fabulous idea for a re-usable packet that you simply empty and refill instead of throwing away and purchasing a new one! Awesome! Since my aunt lives close enough to the Natural Foods Co-op to make me jealous, it will be pretty easy for her to refill the lavender after the initial amount is gone.

I also keep trying to look for something for my mom, even though I swore I had all her Christmas shopping done! I think there's just a lot of things on there that she'd enjoy.