Inspire Me Thursday

Hello Good People!

Thank the heavens it’s Thursday AND I’m off tomorrow AND it’s my mother fucking BIRTHDAAAAY on Friday…What, What! *raising the roof like someone born in 1984*

But on a darker note, my FAV... I’ve been on a roller coaster of worry lately. Big surprise right? This world is so messed up and my mental state is having a hard time handling it. This time my usual mental breakdown was mixed with a newly found fear of death! So this experience has been super special! In moments like these after I cry, yell at dangerous drivers, drink copious amounts of wine, lay awake grinding my teeth thinking about worst case scenarios as my heart pounds out of my chest, I always turn to my better, more rational half and he always has a way of snapping me out of my irrational fears with his impeccable logic mixed with irritation. Thank-GOD for him or I’d be more of a nutcase than I already am. I love this man so much. You’d be amazed at his ability to say the exact right thing to make you feel better. I haven’t been able to escape my anxiety but I’m doing my best to evaluate risks with a level head and respond accordingly. My goal is to live in the moment so I don’t spend the good times worrying about the possible bad times. This is a ridiculous habit I have that can spiral out of fucking control rendering me an agoraphobic.. so instead I gotta try real hard to stay on the right side of the sanity spectrum and fiercely defend all the love in my world.

I think I might get this tattooed on my forehead. And how are you guys? ; )

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P.S It's a temporary tattoo you can buy online.  Would be the perfect gift to a new mom or anyone in your life with the worry gene.

And back to fashion to find my peace.
Denim. Always. Works.

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 A beach day craft...that I will likely never do because my child would insist on "helping" every step of the way.  Bless her good intentions.

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  I think I have to buy this.

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I have a very similar chair that I have been patiently waiting to attach to something strong enough. This wait is going on 3 years but I still have hope.

I DIY'd some shade sails the other day to shield myself from the rays...value village table cloths.

Working on a post about feminism so get ready ladies... I'm riled up.

And lastly, in general I must

Have a lovely weekend!

Desiree

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Inspire Me Thursday

Hello there.. we're nearing the end of the week and I'm loosing steam! I'm thinking about warm weather fashion, indoor plants and smashing up the patriarchy!

You know, I think I should probably do my feet a favour and get on this running shoe trend while it lasts...and mom jeans could not have come back at a better time. : )

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Current Mood...

Loving these graphic tees.

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Perfect for that special lady in your life..

Happy Thursday everybody!

Love Desiree

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My Skin: A Love Story

 Hello my friends...I’m having a real moment with my skin right now and I’m going to tell you about it at the risk of possibly oversharing some pretty personal details about myself, but hey, I’m technically a millennial so it kind of comes with the territory…so get comfortable or close your browser and come back later if you don’t want to hear about my endocrine system. : )

Natural skin care is one of my favourite topics because discovering it really changed my life and I want to tell anyone who will listen. I struggled with acne and oily skin starting in grade 5! I covered my face in cheap shitty, orange, cover girl foundation and powder which I scrubbed off with harsh cleansers, spot treatments, and oxy pads…Nothing worked and it seemed like the more I washed my face the more oily it became! As I got older my products got more expensive but my skin didn’t really improve…now I had dry AND oily skin with pimples AND wrinkles! I wouldn’t face a soul without a full face of makeup on. It wasn’t until I started to try and get pregnant that I started to face the fact that my entire body was out of whack. My periods were irregular, my skin was bad, my hormones were all over the map, even my scalp was itchy and flaky! I got diagnosed with a minor case of PCOS and on one of my many tearful trips to Dr. Google I found the book No More Dirty Looks which led me down this crazy path of throwing away thousands of dollars worth of cosmetics, reading many many more books on women's health and making some pretty drastic changes to my diet and lifestyle. The diet and lifestyle stuff took a hit once I got pregnant but I’m back on that train now and have never felt better. (More on that later.)The skin/hair care has remained steady for over three years now because my skin and hair look better now than it did when I was 11 years old! No joke.

'No More Dirty Looks' lists all the ingredients that are bad that are found in so much of our over the counter cosmetics and then it tells you what that means. The thing that hit me the hardest was that some of these ingredients were proven to be hormone disruptors…and are actually linked to PCOS! Here I am with all these problems and I’ve been wearing this shit day and night for more than half my life! I was done. I literally went home, got a garbage bag and threw away EVERYTHING. I was pretty empowered about the whole thing and I had no choice but to do a 'skin cleanse' because I got rid of everything and still hadn’t found organic replacements. After a few days of minimal makeup and only using organic soap, my skin was already looking better.

It took me a while to relearn everything I knew about skincare and to research products that were clean but I think the biggest lesson was learning that stripping your face of oil will not make it less oily, it will do the opposite. I started doing the oil cleansing method with 'grapefruit balm by Stark Skincare. (A major ingredient is organic coconut oil). My skin was so soft, not dry, and NOT oily at all. I did get some zits but eventually they went away and I was left with clear, hydrated skin. Serious game changer. I realized I didn’t have oily skin at all, it was dry and i was just messing up the oil production of my face by using super drying cleaners. All these products that we use disguise our skin and we really have no idea what condition it really is in until we stop using everything.

Since then, I’ve used some super awesome, super expensive organic stuff that has been amazing for my skin, but terrible on the bank account, so I started to simplify my routine and DIY some stuff.  My original routine was shared here if you want to have a look at the specifics but I've made some changes since then. Right now I’m cleansing with coconut oil (organic, raw) and then using Manuka Honey as a face mask (OH MY GOD MANUKA HONEY, I think it deserves a post of its own), rinsing that off and putting my face serum on (One Love Organics, Love Springs Eternal). To oil cleanse you use about a tsp of coconut oil...warm it up in your hands and rub it all over your makeup covered dry face and remove it with a warm soft wash cloth. I only splash my face with water in the morning and then put more serum on under my makeup. I’ve also started using a Konjac Sponge…which I got at Noah's Health Food Store.  It’s a good exfoliator when I feel like a scrub.

It’s been a few months of just using the coconut oil, Manuka honey and serum and my skin is looking AMAZING. People comment on it. I catch myself looking at it and touching it often and Eloise has started to caress my face. This is huge for me and I've been telling everyone I meet to toss out the soaps and cleaners and just get yourself some coconut oil and honey! Just be sure to get organic since you don't want to be putting pesticides on your face. Your local health food store will have both.

If you're interested in reading some of the books that have helped me on this skin journey I strongly recommend 'No More Dirty Looks' and 'Skin Cleanse'. I've linked them for purchase but if you have a Toronto Library Card you can read the ebook online for free! Isn't that great!?

Thanks so much for reading,

Next we can dive right into into how I’m balancing my hormones with food...so hurry back now. ; )

Love Desiree

The beautiful illustration above is by Ensee and it pretty much sums up my current mood. Pin It

Inspire Me Thursday

This week has not been my favourite. It's felt a bit cursed so yay for Thursday and bring on the inspirations...and wine! It's a scattered collection to match my inner dialogue.

 I am so over helmet head! My hair today is an embarrassment. Today my mission is to buy a new headscarf and wrap up this sweaty mess. Eva Mendes pulls it off pretty well.

 And in the theme of laziness...the best bedding is the kind that looks good messy, and the best height is the kind that if a kid jumps off it they won't break their neck. These were my bedding inspirations...
 

 

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 And here's a bad picture of what I came up with...still a work in progress but I'm pretty into this bed...

 What a great idea this is for herbs! I want to do some urban gardening this summer...but I hope to get more than my usual handful of cherry tomatoes! I find that the problem with gardening is the ongoing effort it takes to keep things alive...I'm pretty lazy.

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 I've been scouring Pinterest for small backyard inspirations for our current reno... I love the idea of a swing under the pergola!

 And again, how awesome would a living roof be!?

or a slide off a tiny deck...

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 a DIY water station? I'm basically looking for a backyard retreat where I can lock the gate and sit back and enjoy a cocktail with friends, or alone...while our children are occupied. This may be an unrealistic goal but I can dream. Suggestions?

I love this look but imagine what it would look like if a kid actually lived here? I picture the wreath bent, every white surface covered in an unexplained stain, the plant tipped over with dirt everywhere, and toys covering all the empty space. Sound about right?

 

Speaking of a walking mess maker, I bought Eloise this nightlight for Christmas and every night we turn it on and she sings a rainbow song before bed. How sweet is that. :) A good buy.

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Happy Thursday folks...and thanks for reading.

Love Desiree

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Inspire Me Thursday

Hello lovers. Back by popular demand I give you Inspire Me Thursday...; )

I can't find this plant anywhere!

Loving this hat and dress.

 I bought a bralette this winter and now I fully consider the bra a part of any outfit. Got a shirt that's too revealing? A sweater that gives a free show every time you bend over? Bralette! Get one.

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A nude scarf. Hmm. I like.

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Moody shades are really inspiring my home decor these days. I'm loving this shade for a little girls room.

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And I'm painting my hallway this colour on the weekend.

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A beautiful bouquet back-dropped by my beloved navy wall in my kitchen.

  Beautiful.

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 Inspired to try macrame! 

This woman is my hair muse...and now she's gone and done it again with the bang part. Feeling it.

Major back yard renovation underway...thinking about putting in a green roof! How fun would that be...for the racoons.

 

I made these lace up ballet flats in an hour. Follow this link to try to make a pair of your own. Spring will be here...tomorrow I'm pretty sure.

 Word to the denim pencil skirt!

 So, can I wear 90's throwback trends even though I was wearing them in the actual 90's?

Thanks for reading guys! 

Love Desiree

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