Holiday Gift Guide 2016

Life has been super crazy + blogging had taken a backseat for a bit, but recently I found time to sit down + put together a holiday gift guide, which is one of my favorite posts to write [yet least favorite post to design, haha]. Not to toot my own horn, but I'm pretty good at choosing gifts for my friends + family [I'm also the master of the greeting card, if you haven't heard]. Whats cool about this holiday gift guide is half of the items on here are created + sold by small businesses that belong to my friends. Everything on here is under $100 + a lot of the items are under $20, which is clutch for Secret Santa gifts or stocking stuffers. If you have a small business [or your friend has a cool one you'd like to tell us about], share the info in the comments below so we can show them support as well. Happy gifting!

AquaNotes Waterproof Notepad $8.18 Have you ever been in the shower + had the best idea, but couldn't get the words on paper? Well, now you can! There are a few different designs available, including love notes + word search puzzles.

Stranger Things Volumes 1 + 2 Glow in the Dark Green Vinyl 4xLP $69.98 Stranger Things was one of the most talked about shows of 2016. This treasure encompasses two of my favorite things: fun stuff that glows in the dark + vinyl!

Beta Tools SL-Ultra-Thin Inspection Lamp $72.61 This powerful LED inspection light is clutch. It works well in small spaces, its hella bright + its also battery powered [it can also get power via cigarette lighter with a 2.5m long cable]. Next time you're stuck changing a tire at night with only the flashlight of an iPhone to light the way, you're gonna wish you put this on your Christmas list.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Let's Kick Shell! Limited Edition Hand Painted Cassette Tape $9 each Need a unique gift for the pop culture lover in your life? Look no further. These cassette tapes are one of a kind + make for great stocking stuffers.

MerCurios Jewelry Silver Chunky Crystal Quartz Ring $19 [on sale] I'm obsessed with my friend Mary-Jo's jewelry, especially her Chaotic line. This ring is simple, yet its such a statement piece.

Alex Strangler Artemis Iron On Patch $10 Alex Strangler's take on one of the main meows from Sailor Moon is one of my favorite designs of hers. This design is also available in sticker form!

Mondo Jurassic Park Long Sleeve Tee $30 Mondo teamed up with their pals from Industry Print Shop to create this premium fitted tee. The graphics on the arm are pretty sweet.

Humble Pride Glass Peach Ornament $15 [save 15% on any purchase with the promo code GLASS15] I know I'm not the only one who uses the peach emoji when talking about a juicy butt, so when I saw this ornament, I knew I needed my own handcrafted booty beauty.

Turntable Pizza Cutter, $19 [save 40% on any purchase with the promo code TREATYOSELF] Usually inexpensive novelty items lack in the quality department, but the whole line of musical kitchenware from Rocket is super durable +

LEGO Yellow Submarine $59.99 The LEGO Ideas series are some of my favorites. When I found out that they were creating a Yellow Submarine set, I knew I needed it, even though LEGO sets technically aren't a necessity. The set includes the Fab Four, plus Jeremy.

Music Monday

Gravel Kings//Left Alone



Bonus Track:

Music Monday

The Lumineers//Cleopatra

Music Monday

Rihanna//Sledgehammer

Music Monday

Wild Belle//Our Love Will Survive

Things I'm Loving Lately

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Initial D
Every once in awhile, I'm introduced to a solid anime show that I can't stop watching + Initial D is no exception. Takumi Fujiwara is a racing phenom who is clueless to his gift, as he only delivers tofu for his fathers business [side note: his father just so happens to be one of the greatest drivers in their city]. You can watch the episodes subtitled or dubbed over at FUNimation.

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Club W
I've been ordering from Club W for a few months now + I have to say, its pretty rad. The wine is good, the artwork is solid + the price is totally reasonable. Plus, it never hurts having an extra bottle or two on hand for guests or last minute party appearances!

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Lord of Misrule Shower Cream
I'm not a fan of winter + this spicy shower cream is my new favorite. Its a limited edition item + surprisingly still available on the LUSH website. If I were you, I'd snag some small bottles [they're buy one get one free at the moment] along with a few Valentine's Day bath goodies.

Pandora Hipster BBQ Radio
Over the summer, I stumbled upon Hipster BBQ while searching for Hip Hop BBQ [another gem you should check out]. This past week, I revisited Hipster BBQ + it's been a nice switch from my usual choices, which have been more poppy sing-alongs than I'd care to admit.

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Mad Libs

During Winter Storm Jonas, entertainment was essential. In-between episodes of Initial D, Snoop Dogg made an appearance, as did Star Wars. Amazon has adult-friendly editions which cover an assortment of topics + televisions shows. I'd keep one on the shelf in case of an emergency.

Music Monday

Demi Lovato//Take Me To Church

Music Monday

La Luz//You Disappear

If you happen to have 3D glasses lying around, I suggest you toss them on.

Music Monday

Band of Horses//The Funeral [Excision Remix]

Music Monday

H3DRON//CardboardBoxTimeMachine

Music Monday

Best Coast//Feeling Ok

Music Monday

Of Monsters + Men//Crystals

Music Monday

Adria//Falling

Gypsy Rose Cosmetics

A few months ago, I had found out that a pal I had met through Black Milk Clothing had launched Gypsy Rose Cosmetics, a natural cosmetics line with some of her best friends. All three ladies also happened to be former LUSH employees, so obviously my ears perked up. Gypsy Rose Cosmetics procured the cutest care package with an assortment from their brand spanking new product line + being a former LUSH employee myself, to say I'm picky about the products I use on my body is an understatement. Gypsy Rose Cosmetics passes the test, so scroll down to see what goodies the gals sent me + to snag a coupon code for 15% off your order.

I opened up my parcel to find a nice assortment of products - The Fortune Teller shower gel, The Tattooed Temptress body wash, The Ringmaster Lip Balm, The Amazing Cure-All Tincture + a pair of   their Mermaid High Waisted Knickers.

The Fortune Teller is reminiscent of LUSH's sought-after Twilight shower gel. Lavender, bergamot + lemon are some of my favorites, super calming and mind-clearing. I prefer the consistency of GRC's shower gel over LUSH's formula + like how the shimmer powder is actually suspended in the gel, unlike Twilight, which sinks to the bottom of the bottle + refuses to surface. I love The Fortune Teller's scent, but wish it were a bit stronger. 

The Tattooed Temptress smells just like a chocolate orange. Upon opening the jar, I just kept sniffing it + sighing, hahaha. Its amazing! This sugar scrub is gentle + leaves you moisturized, plus the scent lingers for a bit, which I like.

The Ringmaster is probably my favorite product, because I use it daily. It smells + tastes like Orbit Sweet Mint gum, but without that slightly creepy artificial aftertaste. The consistency is also amazing - its not waxy or sticky + moisturizes really well.

The Amazing Cure-All Tincture is good for a plethora of uses, thanks to the essential oil blend. My favorite as of late? Using after I shave, mixed with equal parts water. Sounds weird, but its awesome.

The High Waisted Knickers are cool, but I feel that since I'm so short, they come up too high on me. It might be that I'm just not used to the cut, but I can see myself wearing these as a bathing suit bottom, not underwear. I was telling a friend last night that if I'm daring enough, I may wear them to the Coney Island Mermaid Parade!

Gypsy Rose Cosmetics offers all of their scents in multiple products. Each scent has its own shower gel, body scrub, soap + lip balm. I've been eyeing The Mermaid shower gel + The Bearded Lady, which is their new deodorant paste. If you use the code GYPSYGIRLS1, you'll save 15% on your order.

Music Monday

Refused//Elektra

Music Monday

Ready Jet//Sugar

Music Monday

Mumford + Sons// Tompkins Square Park [Live]

Vinyl Me, Please + a #RandomActOfVinyl

Over the holidays, I was hanging out at Sarina + Tim's house + decided to shuffle through Tim's ever-expanding vinyl collection. I had come across the Perfume Genius' Too Bright + noticed it had something attached to it that said Vinyl Me, Please - including a recipe for a cocktail. Obviously, being the nosy midget I am, I picked Tim's brain about the company. Lo and behold, I learned that Vinyl Me, Please is a record subscription service. Each month, subscribers are sent a record, which is carefully chosen by their music loving staff, along with a plethora of other goodies [an original art print - which looks killer in a record frame, a custom cocktail recipe, plus a slew of other perks only available to members].

I knew I needed to look further into this, so I sent an email to the powers that be, which led to a solid phone chat with co-founder Tyler Barstow about music, Long Island + the direction he saw VMP going in. After learning more about the company, I decided that I needed to get my hands on the next release.

April arrived + soon enough, so did my surprise from Vinyl Me, Please. April's Record of the Month just so happened to be Menomena's 2007 release, Friend & Foe.

I was like a kid in a candy store + opened the box as fast as my little hands could. Wow. This was way cooler than I had anticipated + photos don't even do the art justice. The album has a six panel gatefold cover, with cut outs on the front. You can spin a disc of art on the cover, which changes the faces + shows the track listing. Genius, I tell you. The art print included is also really nice - I feel like I could hang it in any room of the house [pretty sure I'm going to put it in the kitchen or bathroom when I move into my new place at the end of the summer]. As for the drink, The Old Square, I have yet to drink it because I've been battling a killer sinus infection, but next week I will be heading over to Swallow in Huntington Village to snag one! Oh, as for the music? Its awesome. I was worried that I wouldn't enjoy the selection, but its a solid album start to finish. The dudes at Vinyl Me, Please know whats up. 

While I was on the phone with Tyler, we decided that a contest would be really rad. I haven't done one in ages + they had yet to participate in a contest, so it was perfect! I've had to keep this a secret for MONTHS, so I'm stoked that we can get this started. Scroll down to get the details.

I'm all about random acts of kindness, so this is a random act of vinyl. The prize is a three month subscription to Vinyl Me, Please [valued at $75]. What do you have to do to enter? Just comment once below with a band//album//song that you really dig that you think we [me, fellow readers of the blog + the dudes at VMP] should check out. Super simple, but hella informative for everyone involved. 

Now, for those of you who know me, I always want to do a little more. We decided to give away TWO subscriptions, not just one. One winner will be chosen from the blog, but we will also be choosing another winner from Instagram as well. All you need to do for the Instagram contest is follow @VinylMePlease + repost the photo below with the hashtag #RandomActOfVinyl. You can enter on Instagram as many times as you'd like. The contest starts today + ends at 11:59p EST on Friday, May 8, 2015. Winners will be chosen the following day + contacted within 24 hours after the contest ends.

Good luck - I can't wait to see what y'all are listening to! :)

Gift Guide: Mother's Day

Mother's Day is right around the corner + I haven't done a gift guide in awhile, so I figured this was the perfect holiday for one. All shop owners are mama's to human babes +//or furry creatures, so if you haven't snagged a gift yet, check out their wares!

1. Lead to Paper Art Custom Artwork [$75+, save 40% with coupon code SPRING40]

2. Erin Donnelly Ellis Copper + Black Obsidian Necklace [$118.25, save 40% with coupon code SPRING2015 until April 30 or 10% with coupon code ILOVELAKETAHOE]

3. Indie Nook For Like Ever T-shirt [$24, save 20% with the coupon code mothersday]

4. Vaya Bags Record Bag [$125]

5. Square Cat City Biergarten Necklace with Stein Charm [$21.99, save 20% until May 1 with coupon code ILOVEMOM20]

6. Nerd Craft Librarian Marvel Zipper Bag [Sarina is currently on maternity leave so the shop is technically closed, but said she would take some orders for the holiday]

7. Dabshark Glass Extra Large Cheesy Pizza Pendy [$60, save 15% with the coupon code HOMIEHOOKUP]

8. Destiny Candle I LOVE YOU MOM Cherry Blossom Candle [$24.99, save 20% with the coupon code love]

9. Buckley Pieces of Meces Throw Pillow Cover [$20]

10. Mi Vida Vintage Shit Could Be Worse Typography Print [$25 - $75]

11. E. Binard Designs Jack + Meg White Tee [$28]

12. Pink Avenger Rainbow Heart Ring [$17, save 15% with the coupon code AWESOMEDUDE]

Not pictured, but equally awesome shops nonetheless:
Mercurios Jewelry
Ankh by Racquel
Foul Owl Vintage
Echo + Air [save 25% with the coupon code madeinla]
Sour Girls [save 20% with the coupon code treat20]

Music Monday

Mumford + Sons//Snake Eyes