Beauty Find: Cocolicious

I HEART coconut scented & flavored things. So perfect for the middle of summer, but also for year round really! going into autumn too, Because usually they add richer scents to the mix of perfumes, such as, Sandlewood, amber or vanilla. It's an awesome feeling when you're in the shower and use coconut scented shampoo & conditioner, or you spritz on perfume that just so happens to be coconut scented. Or you slather yourself with coconut oil or use hand lotion in a coconut scent. and drinking coconut flavored drinks are wonderfully refreshing! See I told ya! I really like the smell/taste of coconut! It's tropical and refreshing! I have just a few items that I'm just as happy as a clam with using! And they're worthy of trying out for yourself!

I adore this perfume! I wear it practically every day I leave the house! It's so yummy! The brand name is Love & Toast! (Cute name, right?!) You can get it at Wholefoods : )

 

I really like this brand of sparkling water! I discovered it from one of the people I follow on instagram. It's the best when traveling. Each of the flavors I have tried are yummy. It's whatever kind of flavor you like! La Croix= Yum Yum!

I really like this sea-salt spray. It works well with my hair! It's perfect. But my roomie, she's not too keen on this product for her head O' hair, it made it too dry for her. She has thinner/curlier hair than I do, I have thick wavy-ish/straight-ish hair. But it works great to enhance the waves I do have in meh hair.

 

I don't actually own this perfume, I've just swooned over the scent for literally years! It's such a yummy scent! if you are ever at a sprout's, wholefoods, etc. go smell this perfume! I bet you'll like it! : )
 

I have used the shower gel, shampoo, conditioner & body lotion and I like the WHOLE line! The lotion is super rich & moisturizing! And very fragrant!

 

This drink is great for getting probiotics in your system, but the taste has a little to get used to! I don't hate it, but I'm not sure I like it either! It has some getting used to. But I probably will drink it again... Or maybe a different flavor.

I like organix hair care! I'm impressed with all of their shampoos & conditioners. It makes my hairs really soft! : )

Coconut oil is the miracle product of the century! It's like a one man band! You can use this stuff internally, sunbathing lotion, sunscreen, sunburn soother, hair mask, moisturizer, etc.

 

So, I hope you really liked this post! Enjoy - Ryn 

DIY Friday: cookie dough dip

This dip is seriously decadent! It's super yummy! And according to the name of this dip, there should be cookies or cookie dough in it, but you really don't with the taste that this dip brings. You can dip animal crackers, graham crackers, apple slices, pear, etc! It's relatively healthy & really easy to throw together, whether it be for a gathering or ALL for yourself!

Your ingredients: 

1/2 cup Butter

1 8oz Cream cheese

1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

1 cup Chocolate chips

1 cup powdered sugar ( I skipped this part)

2 tablespoons Brown sugar (I only used 1/2-3/4 cup of coconut sugar.)

First: Gather your ingredients. Cream together cream cheese & butter. If you have a mixer, it's handy! If not, use yo muscles! 

Notes: do not use reduced fat or low-fat cream cheese. As it may cause your dip to have the wrong consistency. 

Second: add all remaining ingredients and mix until well combined. 

Third: Enjoy!

If nothing else, try making it for a house party or a hostess gift by buying a pretty dish and platter and putting graham crackers with it. 

Enjoy! - Ryn 

Style find: Nordstrom anniversary sale

                                

This is my ALL TIME favorite time of year! The time when Nordstrom sends out their catalogs for their infamous anniversary sale!!! I received mine about a week ago! And I got giddy, just thinking about autumn & clothes! My favorite season for clothes is autumn! Once it hits July, my mind is already on fall clothes & outfits! It's happened like that since grade school. Although I would usually go shopping in August, but why wait?

If they are putting autumn stuff out in July, you might as well peruse the racks and get outfit inspirations too. Take advantage of it. With the Nordstrom anniversary sale, you go into these curtained rooms, where all of the autumn inventory is on sale before it hits the shelves. It's such fun! But I believe you have to own a Nordstrom credit card. But if you know someone who owns a Nordstrom card, make it a shopping date & go with them! It's like attending a private party while you shop! Amazing!

Cashmere, velvet, corduroy, oh my! 

My style is always eclectic but I'm liking right now the madewell/free people style. Boho, free, easy & preppy! 

On my list for fall: 

Denim flare jeans 

Flared out tees (HERE)

Cardigans
Cashmere

Sidewalk skimmers from Madewell 1937

Monogrammed The Transport Tote in saddle brown

Heeled leather clogs 

Rockstar jeans in batman rinse

Brown ankle boots

Corduroy flare pants

Leather motorcycle jacket

I just LOVE the richness of autumn colors in clothes, such chicness: chartreuse, oxblood, sapphire, onyx, pewter, Bordeaux, orange, tobacco etc!

Here are some of my favorites from the Nordstrom anniversary sale catalog: 

                               

                               

                                

                                     

                                    

                                   

                                 

                                    

                               

                                     

                                  

                                 

                                  

                                        (all photos taken from my iPhone)

Does anyone else like autumn as much as I do?! 

Happy outfits, Ryn

Soul searcher: my lil firecracker!

So all last week, was convention time! www.kcm.org to watch some phenomenal teaching!  I've been attending for 24 years of my life! It's a part of who I am, and I enjoy going every year! Well, this year was a bit different! For one, the children's pastors I've grown up under for 20 years, this was their last year.

Then the drummer that plays for the adult services, it was his last year aswell! And then I didn't get to enjoy some of my traditions I've picked up through the years, like, Friday night ice cream, Saturday lunch at Neimans, every day lunch with my mom... That was a little bittersweet... But still very fun! I did however spend Saturday with with Christian, a really great friend of mine!

And I wore the "DIY Shakira top" pretty much everyday! Just to let you know! Ha!

I did babysit my ever so cute nephew ALL week! : )  Which as you can see was really fun! Our days consisted of: cheddar bunnies, gospel bill, go, wa-wa(water), naps, making faces, apple-see(applesauce) & reading! 'twas fun 'twas fun! 

and I met some of the sweetest people ever! Melina, Carrie & Hannah to name a few!!!

Melina & me

This is Carrie! I just love her hair!!! She has a birthmark that is in the form of grey streaks in her hair! Love it!

And then on Thursday, you know, July 4th, a package arrived that I have waiting for, for about 10 months!!! My niece was born! She's beautiful! And I'm totally in love with her! Emma Grace. 8lbs 4oz born at 6:02pm.

My sister is just beautiful! Hence this picture! 

(I haven't heard so many "has your sister had the baby yet" & "congratulations auntie lala" in a span of one week! So funny!) 

Even though I was unable to do the things that I wanted, it was still the best week! Totally worth it! 

-Ryn 

Soul searcher: Takin' a breather!

Sorry y'all for not posting today! I've been wee bit busy! I have been nannying my nephew, and well an almost two year old is a handful. And there wasn't any time to actually write! So I will be back next week  same schedule: Monday, Wednesday & Friday! So check back then! 

I will tell you some updates though, 

I took a friend to the airport on Sunday and it we had to leave around 4:00, and well, I just don't do that we'll, and I've been wanting to reset my internal clock so, I just stayed up all the way till Sunday night & no naps either! And so far so good on the resetting! So I went with out sleep for 26 hrs! Eek! But I feel great! 

And then I met the most amazing sister, Melina! She's gorgeous, fun, & a powerhouse for the most high God! She's wonderful! 

Here we are! (Melina & me)

And here was my outfit of the day Monday : 

DIY Shakira top, Gap flares, madewell sidewalk skimmers in teal, Louis Vuitton (discontinued), madewell leather bracelet, Maude  C. Earrings  & A Michele watch. 

I felt super cute in this outfit! 😊 I may write again this week, but I wouldn't hold your breath if I were you!  But you can alway follow me on Instagram, I always post pics there! My username is: @rynb

Come see me sometime! 😉

-Ryn 

DIY Friday: Shakira shirt

 

Soo I was tuned into The Voice the entire season! And I saw Shakira wear the really baggy men's button-down shirt. Buuut the neat part was that it had short sleeves. Now you're probably thinking, what's the big deal, name brands make men's short sleeve shirts! But no, this was a long sleeve shirt cut to make it a cuffed short sleeve shirt. Suuuuuuper cute! I made one and then wore it and I just love it! (I got compliments too! Bonus!) I already like the free people style and this was a cross between j.crew/madewell & free people! I'll probably live in that shirt allll summer! (And the 3-4 others I made ;) )

And I can totally say I enjoyed Usher and Shakira on this season of the voice! This is just my preference, but this season it was so much better with those two! I'm sorry, but cee-lo kinda creeps me out! Although I did see either a commercial or an ad in a magazine and he had on a white v-neck covered from shoulders cascading down to mid chest, covered in rhinestones big and small! That's the only thing I liked of him. He's just an odd duck I suppose... 

But I just love Shakira! She's so cute! But this shirt is super super cute! Thanks for the idea Shakira!

You'll know how much you like this shirt when you want to cut the sleeves off a shirt you are ironing for you husband or dad! Hah! (True story)

I encourage you to make this DIY! It's fun, and it's cute to wear with skinnies, pencil skirt, flare jeans, etc! 

You can wear this shirt belted, tied, loose or buttoned and it will make you look effortlessly chic. My kinda shirt for sure! This could work for summer as a cool staple and it would work for autumn with a sweater on top! Über cute! 

I was going to post a pair of jeans I saw on free people, which were cuffed skinny jeans, and on one leg it was vertical stripes & on the other leg it had stars. Super cute and since we're celebrating 'merica, It would have been perfect! But it will have to wait, since I ran out of time! : /

What you'll need: 

Iron

Embroidery thread

Needle

Straight pins

Men's shirt

Scissors

Step 1. Buy a roomy (a few sizes too big) men's button down. (Thrift stores, plato's closet, retail stores will have these.)

Step 2. Fold in half, line up the sleeve, shoulder & side seams. (the 3 S's. sleeve, shoulder, side)

Step 4. Iron your sleeves together, on top of each other. Iron on high if contents are 100% cotton.

Step 5. Guesstimate on long the sleeve should be. It's your choice, but I like it when the length is between a cap sleeve & regular sleeve. Then cut it.

Step 6. Fold over one sleeve at a time. and Iron it. Fold on the outside so you can see the cuff.

Step 7. Fold over again and iron the sleeve again. 

Step 8. Thread your needle with 3 strands of embroidery thread. (You usually get 6 strands of embroidery thread in one skein)

Step 9. Pin the cuff in place. Even though you have already ironed it. You still want some stability. 

Step 10. Start the stitching process. I did crisscrosses around the entire sleeve. It's time consuming but super cute. 

Step 11. Iron it again and then you're finished! And you'll look just as cute as Shakira. ; )

Enjoy your summer & autumn staple!

: ) let me know if you make this!!! I'd love to hear about it!!

-Ryn