I'm behind schedule in hitting my goal of reading 50 books this year and that's because I have been basically forcing myself to read books that have been in my library for too long versus reading what I think genuinely interests me. 

I've also had a hard time getting into books, paying attention, and generally just finding something that clicks with me. I'm also not reading as fast as I usually do which I guess is a good thing because I do tend to read  way too fast.

All of that being said, I learned that it's ok to give up on books you don't think you're vibing with, but it's also ok to admit you made a mistake. That's exactly what happened with Finding Mr. Write. 

This new novel from Kelley Armstrong will be released on June 25th but thanks to Netgalley, I had an ARC and recently finished reading it. 

At first, I wasn't convinced that this book was for me but as it continued, and I got more familiar with the characters, I was obsessed. It's one of the best 'rom-coms' I've read in a while and I highly recommend it, especially if you love books about authors. 

It's no secret that I love accessories; they make my world go round and my wish to have every single object of my heart's desire.

As of late, that desire is a vanity case. I don't know if there have just been too many pictures floating around on Pinterest of beautiful, messy vanities overflowing with designer makeup and luxury accessories, but I can't get a vanity case out of my head.

I want to replicate those photos and have a sleeker, more sophisticated way to both hold and display my makeup both at home and traveling. I've been very into vanity cases lately and have been lusting after so many different designer ones...from Celine and Louis Vuitton to contemporary brands under $100. 

I've been very into the vintage aesthetic lately and vanity cases fit that perfectly. These are the ones that I've had my eye one and maybe one of them will be mine soon.

Hello there... it's been a minute, hasn't it? I haven't gone an entire week without a post in a long time and it was needed. Last weekend was incredibly busy and so much fun, and then the week just got away from me so no blog posts were written. 

I've also just been a little uninspired lately and obsessively thinking about what I should do; should I stay on the blog? Should I move to Substack? Is social media even worth it anymore? I've been having an existential crisis which feels very on brand, but also off brand because I don't think I've ever struggled with this part of my life before.

I've always loved creating, but now I wonder why am I doing it? Am I being authentic to myself and my interests? Am I doing it because everyone else is doing it...even though I was doing it first back in 2012? 

Ever since I got my Instagram taken away last March it's never felt the same and I hate that so much. I don't want that to be the case but it's a hard pill to swallow.

Sometimes it feels like I'm just writing to myself and that's hard too... I thought I'd have a little success by now and I guess I'm just living in my pity, comparing myself to everyone else, which I know is no good.

That being said, the show will go on as usual but I did pivot my Substack to not be so pop culture focused and a little more open ended, so make sure to follow me there as well. 

Let's get into the roundup!

Happy April! I cannot believe how fast time is flying, but at the same time it does feel sort of slow which I'm grateful for. 

April is going to be so busy and it's starting to stress me out. My Oura Ring has been telling me for the past week that I've had stressful days and no matter how hard I try I can't seem to relax. I need to find a balance so I can try to function and prepare for everything happening over the next few weeks.

I also have been feeling confused about the blog, social media, and my writing. I have been obsessed with Substack lately and I really want to try to expand my writing beyond the blog, but on my own terms. I tried a pop culture Substack but that doesn't seem to be working out so I want to pivot. I want to indulge myself in the things that interest me and that I love reading about so we'll see what happens.

I've just had a lot on my mind and I need to sort it all out.

This weekend will be a fun one; I'm off from work today for some doctors appointments and errands, tomorrow I have a bridal shower and then Sunday is brunch for my friends' birthdays. 

Let's get into the roundup!

Ever since I read Rachel Kapelke-Dale's debut's novel "The Ballerinas", I've been enamored with the worlds she creates and how she writes. She combines literary fiction with niche hobbies and occupations, and it's truly fascinating. There's always a conflict but it feels like that conflict is a sub plot to the main character finding their voice, and their path. 

I reviewed her last novel, The Ingenue, last year and was delighted when I received an ARC of her latest book, The Fortune Seller, I was delighted. It was released on February 13th and I read it very recently. It was an interesting book and I liked it a lot better than The Ingenue, but maybe not as much as The Ballerinas. 

It was intense, interesting, and maddening in so many ways.

 It's that time of year again... the Spring Sephora sale is right around the corner and I feel particularly more excited than usual. My beauty shopping has been curt the past few months because I've mostly stuck to using my gratis at work, and have just trying to curb impulse shopping as a whole.

There have been so many incredible beauty launches recently and I'm dying to get my hands on them. I also need restocks on some old favorites that I'm running low on so the sale is coming at the perfect time. I'm not holding back anything... I'm in the mood to shop, to do a big haul and try a bunch of new things.

The sale starts on April 5th for VIB Rouge who get 20% off and April 9th for everyone else (VIB gets 15% off and Beauty Insider gets 10% off). Everyone gets 30% off the Sephora Collection until the sale ends on April 15th. 

Get your credit cards ready, it's time to shop. Below are my favorite products I think you should pick up from the sale and then everything I want to buy. I'll also link some reviews of my favorite products for you to read before shopping.

How in God's name is it April already? March feels like it started off slow but then picked up as soon as the 2nd week hit. Like March 1st feels so long ago but March 11th feels like it was yesterday. Time just moves so fast as I get older and it's very scary.

This month was an off one for me; I had a lot of great days but a lot of bad days too, and I'm working on accepting both of them. I'm working on reminding myself that just because I have a bad day, it doesn't mean I can't have a good day. Progress is still progress. 

Also during March, I feel like I went through a little bit of an identity crisis. I feel like I have so many interests and I don't know where to put all that energy. I've had this blog for almost 12 years, and I think over the years it's gotten more beauty, book, and fashion focused vs personal, career, lifestyle. Because of that, I feel like my creative writing, in terms of personal/think piece format doesn't have a place to go. I started a Substack last year that was centered on pop culture, because that's also a really big interest of mine but how do I combine everything? 

I don't want to lose my blog but I want a place that I can write different things... so I merged my substack to be almost like a second blog. For now, it's spilt up between pop culture and 'thoughts & personal essays' which will be where I share more long winded, personal feelings and thoughts about things happening both in society, and inside my brain. Please go support my writing over there! 

Now, let's dive into my favorite products from March!