A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS NO.02

pring time is my favorite and therefore it deserved a list of my favorite beauty and lifestyle products, and what's better than putting together a favorite's post! I'm so excited for today's post, I've been saving it for just the right occasion!

                                                          Let's dive in!

                                             ANTHROPOLOGIE 

Anthropology is my favorite shop because it's filled to the brim with lifestyle products that are perfect for home decor, and luxury beauty items! To be honest I have spent hours on end just browsing through every little shelf because I could literally purchase every product for my future home someday, ha! I believe this product has been mentioned on my blog before, but considering it's spring time, it just had to be included. I'm obsessed with burning candles because it makes me feel so relaxed at at ease with my surroundings and myself personally. This coconut milk mango candle smells heavenly. I find it so challenging to describe scents, but I can say that it contains the perfect amount of coconut/tropical scent along with the hint of mango that is just perfect for spring!

                                            THE BODY SHOP 

Over the holiday's I was gifted the coconut body butter from The Body Shop, and I'm loving it!! Are you sensing a theme yet...I love the scent of coconut! This brand is only in the UK, so they're aren't any stores that I can explore here in California, but obviously they do ship to the US. I've found this body butter to be very motorizing for my body, and it feels so healing on my skin. It's probably because I'm a tad bit sensitive, but when I apply the body butter it feels cold to the touch. However, that feature makes me feel super relaxed and refreshed.

                                                     SUNNIES

Especially because I drive everywhere now with my school and work schedule, sunglasses are a must! Leaving home without them is never ideal, because I literally cannot drive with some type of sun protection for my eyes. It seems like no matter where my destination may be, the sun is always shinning in my direction, ha! I don't need prescription eyewear, so I always pick up a cheap pair at the mall. I bought these heart shaped ones at Tilly's for less than fifteen dollars, and I love how fun they are! These types of shades are perfect for my lifestyle because I tend to either lose, or break them within months, so this way they are easily replaceable!

SUCCULENT CAFE

ucculent cafe is a coffee shop I've wanted to visit now for the longest time, and I finally had the chance to spend the morning and go with my best friend, who you probably already know, Alex! This cafe is located in Oceanside, CA right next to the pier which is perfect for the rest of the day! I've had this cafe bookmarked on Yelp for the longest time and I'm so glad I was able to go with Alex, and make a photoshoot moment out of it!

The scenery and ambiance was beautiful and so peaceful. As you can see from the photos, the entire patio is covered with succulents, and water fountains. They had many tables and chairs, and sofa seating, and coverings in case of crowds, or weather. I adore succulents, so the entire concept was amazing. They had so many different types of succulents, and the best part was that you could purchase some right there (I was tempted). I mean how cute are these walls covered in succulents? Literally my favorite part of the whole patio area, and what drove me to this cafe!

It makes the perfect place for photoshoots, and the gals working there were great about letting us have fun with our camera's, honestly we weren't the only one's there making a scene which was nice ha-ha, because everyone is capturing the beauty with their iPhones. This morning was just so fun with Alex, and it's what I've been longing for especially this summer. I have this little list of places I want to explore more of which are local spots. I've been born and raised in Cali, yet there are so many areas I've never been to, or know much about. So happy, this cafe can finally be crossed off my list!

Sadly I'm noticing that I am not a Gilmore girl in the sense of being able to handle five cups of coffee a day (cry) let alone a few sips. That's right, pure heartbreak. Coffee gives me migraines, and it can put me under for the whole day. As you see, I did order a latte specifically for photos, and within three sips I already felt it coming, so as for the coffee and drinks they offer I really cannot give a fair review on the great taste they are known for. However, the scenery is just too beautiful for words, and would go back just for the fun of it all! You must try it for yourself, to experience such unique beauty right by the beach.

OREGON GUIDE

Portland, Oregon is a very unique place. It has beautiful architecture and the buildings are very old. Everything you'll see here is in downtown pearl district! I loved spending the day down in this area. There's so much to see and do, yet it was a few short hours before boarding the plane to head back to California! Hope you enjoy this little guide for a place to eat, buildings to admire, and

Wanting something sweet? Salt & Straw is just the place to satisfy your craving. It's a darling little ice cream shop with unique flavors like sea salt with caramel ribbons, lavender honey, or happy birthday Elvis. It's based from LA, but of course I happened to only try it out of state, haha. Loved trying this place out, it's a must try here in Portland, and there are many locations which is perfect depending on where your visiting! Beware, the lines are crazy long and tend to be a thirty minute wait, so patience is needed, but the flavors and sweet taste it worth every bite!

                                                           BREAD & INK 
It's hard to find good quality food in new places, so here are a few I loved and still day dream about! The first one up is Bread & Ink, also known as the Waffle Window. It's an adorable little breakfast cafe that serves about everything. I ordered the chicken and waffles which were simply heaven. I can still taste the crunchy, and saltiness in my mouth. Yes, it was that good. Would love to go back, just for this dish alone.

                                                     SIZZLE PIE 
 If you enjoy pizza, then you must try this place! It's a great hangout spot to sit and gain some energy for the rest of the day when spending the day exploring around the city. The prices are reasonable, and the size portion is plenty! I wish we had a pizza joint like this in California. Be aware though because this place get's packed at noon, and the sitting is spare therefore making it more of a pick up and go, instead of a sit down restaurant. Loved this pizza, and would recommend it to everyone!

                                               FIRE HOUSE GRILL
This was a fun, and hip place! Their food is elegant, and unique. Perfect for a Saturday night out on the town. It's location is a bit rural, but the food is worth it. Anything on their menu is delicious, and even though there isn't a lot to chose from, you can't go wrong with anything. The portion sizes are perfect, and the flavors are perfectly seasoned. Some favorite dishes were the meatballs, pizza, cauliflower, and humus platter.

                     THE COFFEE COTTAGE:



Loved. This. Place. Too. Much. The coffee is so delicious, and better yet, the outside patio is adorable, and perfect for photoshoots (blogger mind), or peaceful environment with friends to chat and catch up. This coffee house, is literally an old house, turned into a cafe. So it has a very homey feel, and full of charm. Such a fun place, and a must visit if your near downtown Newburg, Oregon.

                               COFFEE CAT:


If your a cat lover, this place is right up your alley! This cute coffee cafe is decorated with kitty everything, it's pretty insane. Ranging from cat wallpaper, to kitty frames, to paw print mugs. I know, you've cat to be kitten me right meow! Get it? lol. This shop is right in the heart of downtown Newburg, so the location is perfect!











                                                PLACES TO SHOP: 
Pulp & Circumstance is an adorable little shop filled with paper items, local art, and jewelry finds. I loved stepping into this place, and everything reminded me on Anthropologie or Home Goods. This is located right next to Coffee Cat, so it's a perfect place to whip through with your cup of coffee, if your looking how to spend the rest of your afternoon.

UNBOXING MESSY BOX SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE

  essy box is one subscription service I've always wanted to try out, and this month I had the chance to enjoy a typically unboxing for April! If you haven't heard of it before, it's created by the bloggers Emma & Elsie by A Beautiful Mess. Messy Box is especially for the scrapbook lover, and crafty gal. I was super impressed when I opened the package, everything is adorable, and great for many DIY's! I will use everything, which is uncommon for a subscription service, because there are always something that's not "you" or an item that fits your lifestyle, but that's not the case with this service. This months theme, is all about the weekend with a touch of french or girly decor. Super cute! 

So here are some details about the box, it's $25 month to month, or $15 for a year commitment. Now, for me personally that's a lot when I don't know every months theme until I open the package, so committing to this service wouldn't be ideal, like I was with Happy Mail. The reason why I gave this a try for April was because I'm connected through A Beautiful Mess's email notifications, and they had a special limited offer, which was just pay shipping for April's box if you've never tried Messy Box before. So the entire box cost me $5! Steal right? It's promotions like this that really make it worth while, and is right to enjoy subscription services without going overboard, collecting junk, or braking the bank! All in all, I really loved the whole concept, and the type of items they provide every month! I just like knowing ahead of time, because again, I'm picky on every theme they have, some I love and others I think are horrible, and I loved to be surprised which I find I cannot do with the messy box. 

When I ordered the messy box, I was thrilled, but then I thought what am I going to do with it all? I'm not really a scrapbooker, so that option is out. Yet, I thought it would be perfect for my Bible Journaling project, personal life list journal, and cork board for my bedroom decor. The options are limitless, which is why I love how they provide different sizes of paper, and die cut outs. The journal cards are the cute watercolor designed paper you see in the photos, which is my favorite! It comes with a roller stamp which has phrases on it like coffee break, the weekend, Saturday, weekend vibes, good times, Sunday, and a few more cute sayings. The stickers include alpha, and phrases similar to the roller stamp concept. Everything is just darling, and I can't wait to put it all to good use.