My obsession with Stoney Clover Lane has gotten completely out of control. I seriously cannot stop spending money with the brand and have joked (too many times) that I should send my paycheck directly to the company. 

I think what has fueled my obsession is the little community of Stoney Clover Lane lovers I've found on Instagram; other bloggers & influencers who adore SCL, interact with the brand and post inspiration on their accounts. It's like we're all enabling each other's addictions. 

If you are reading this and have no idea what I'm talking about, Stoney Clover Lane is an accessories brand run by two sisters, Kendall and Libby. They sell *mostly* nylon pouches that are completely customizable with letters, numbers, and different patches. There is truly something for everyone in this brand, whether you want a tote bag, a pouch for travel, or something for home organization. They also sell face masks and I have about 8 of them right now -- the best masks I own, truly. 

And you definitely don't have to customize the bags, I have a few things that are not customized and I love them! Stoney Clover is quite expensive but I think it's worth it; I was always buying makeup bags and pouches but now I just exclusively buy Stoney Clover.  

I have started using my pouches as bags when I run errands and it's really nice to have something small and compact. I just can't say enough good things about the brand. 

While I have been buying a lot of products from them, I also love to play around in the customizer and save designs for future purchases.  I figured that I could share some of the designs I created and maybe you can use it as inspiration for your next purchase! 

These are a few of my 'fall' themed pouches!

I was going to post this yesterday but the new Fall Nylon collection launched yesterday morning so I wanted to include some inspo with those colors as well! I love a situational, themed pouch so with the fall and holidays coming up, I've been designing a lot of themed pouches. Also, the new fall collections from SCL are so ideal for the season it's crazy.

Fall Collection

Sparkling Cider Large Pouch Sparkling Cider Heart Pistachio Heart Pumpkin Spice Heart Buttercream Heart

Pumpkin Spice Mini Pouch Rolled Embroidery Heart

Cinnamon Sugar Cordoury Open Top Rolled Embroidery Letters

Pistachio Mini Pouch Rolled Embroidery Letters Rolled Embroidery Heart

Sparkling Cider Small Pouch Buttercream Heart Pumpkin Spice Heart Pistachio Heart

Sand Notebook Buttercream Heart Pistachio Heart Rolled Embroidery Letters

Sand Jewelry Roll Pumpkin Spice Glitter Varsity Letters Sparkling Cider Glitter Varsity Letters Buttercream Glitter Varsity Letters

Fall Inspiration

Sand Small Pouch Sand Glitter Varsity Letters

Noir Mini Pouch Boo Icon Patch

Peach Small Pouch Noir Glitter Varsity Letters

Sand Clear Flat Pouch Noir Glitter Varsity Letters

Sand Clear Travel Pouch Turkey Patches

Textured Notebook in Sand Sand Glitter Varsity Letters

Corduroy Collection Inspiration

Toasted Marshmallow Open Top Gold Puffy Letters

Cinnamon Sugar Large Pouch Sand Glitter Varsity Letters Blanc Glitter Varsity Letters

Blueberry Pie Mini Pouch Sapphire Glitter Heart

Cinnamon Sugar Small Pouch Noir Glitter Heart

 I am not a sneaker gal. I never, ever wear sneakers unless I'm going to the gym. My friends used to make fun of me in college whenever I wore sneakers because I just looked so out of place. I think my issue was that I felt sort of clunky if that makes sense. I just didn't feel like I looked right wearing gym sneakers when I wasn't at the gym. 

As I've gotten older and my style has 'semi' changed, I bought a pair of Steve Maden slip-on sneakers (similar style here)  and I've been wearing them for years. They're the perfect shoe to throw on when running errands; super comfortable, go with everything and I don't feel like I'm wearing sneakers.

However, within the past year or so I've noticed a new trend popping up and that's what I'm calling the fashion sneaker. This isn't something new but something I feel has come back in style as a lot of designers and brands are putting their own twist on it.

To me, the fashion sneaker is a sneaker that is low cut, with or without laces, and clearly looks like a sneaker not made for the gym. These are sneakers I could tolerate wearing... so much that I bought two pairs. Even though they are my fashion sneakers, I still have rules *you cannot wear ANY kind of sneakers with jeans*. I just won't do it! 

The second pair of fashion sneakers I own is a Tory Burch pair I purchased from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. They are heavier than the Superga and a little more sturdy but still very comfortable. They aren't available anymore but a similar style is the Howell Sneaker. 

I've scrounged the internet for the best fashion sneakers and they're all below. Some are from Target, some from Nordstrom, however, all of them are what I envision the ideal sneaker. 

 I'm writing this on Saturday night, just having finished Emily in Paris on Netflix. My friends texted me last week to tell me to watch it, my cousins told me to watch it and my sister told me to watch it. They all said it was a show that reminded them of me and that I would love it.

From what I read about it online and saw on social media, it definitely was up my alley. Then, I found out that Darren Star, the creator of Sex and the City was the creator of Emily in Paris so like, obviously I was going to love it. 

I just binged the entire thing, start to finish today, and I simply will not think of anything else for a week. It was basically Sex and the City, in Paris, in 2020 if Carrie Bradshaw was a social media manager. Can someone please tell me when the second season will be released? 

For now, I will watch Hocus Pocus and dream of when I can move to Paris and find a handsome chef who lives downstairs from me. 

The week was solid; I was off on Friday and finally went back to the gym after 6 months. Working out with a mask is a task but I went again today so it can't be that bad. My anxiety and stress were at a 2020 level of minimum this week; I've calmed down about politics and just pray every night that things return to a sense of normal very soon.

I'm also trying really hard to get back on the Weight Watchers horse. I have never stopped following the plan but I could be stricter and I'm eager to stick with it and hopefully get back to the weight I was when I first lost on WW. 

That's where my head is at right now: fall, politics, and weight. 2020 is simply wonderful. *said no one ever.

Pink Positivity of the Week

I might just chalk it up to Emily in Paris. I haven't felt that much serotonin in a solid year. Also, getting back into the gym felt really wonderful and I'm excited to continue.

Links I Loved

What You Missed on Royally Pink 

What I Bought This Week

xoxo

B

To keep up with the spooky theme of the season, I'm only reading thriller novels, and first up was Final Girls by Riley Sager. This author has been on my radar for a long time but I never picked up one of his books, until now.

Final Girls was on sale a few months back and I've had it sitting in my Kindle library for a rainy day. Well, that was last week and I finished the book in less than two days.  

I can confidently say that this was one of the wildest books I've ever read. It was very twisty, very interesting, and had a deep psychological layer that was really interesting to see come to light.

Publisher's Summary

Ten years ago, college student Quincy Carpenter went on vacation with five friends and came back alone, the only survivor of a horror movie–scale massacre. In an instant, she became a member of a club no one wants to belong to—a group of similar survivors known in the press as the Final Girls: Lisa, who lost nine sorority sisters to a college dropout's knife; Sam, who went up against the Sack Man during her shift at the Nightlight Inn; and now Quincy, who ran bleeding through the woods to escape Pine Cottage and the man she refers to only as Him. The three girls are all attempting to put their nightmares behind them and, with that, one another. Despite the media's attempts, they never meet.
 
Now, Quincy is doing well—maybe even great, thanks to her Xanax prescription. She has a caring almost-fiancé, Jeff; a popular baking blog; a beautiful apartment; and a therapeutic presence in Coop, the police officer who saved her life all those years ago. Her memory won’t even allow her to recall the events of that night; the past is in the past.
 
That is until Lisa, the first Final Girl, is found dead in her bathtub, wrists slit; and Sam, the second Final Girl, appears on Quincy's doorstep. Blowing through Quincy's life like a whirlwind, Sam seems intent on making Quincy relive the past, with increasingly dire consequences, all of which makes Quincy question why Sam is really seeking her out. And when new details about Lisa's death come to light, Quincy's life becomes a race against time as she tries to unravel Sam's truths from her lies, evade the police and hungry reporters, and, most crucially, remember what really happened at Pine Cottage, before what was started ten years ago is finished.

My Thoughts

Over the past 6 months, I have hardly worn makeup. I have worn it when I'm going out with friends or family, and will occasionally throw on concealer and mascara when I'm working from home or running errands, just to feel like I have my life together.

That doesn't mean I've stopped buying beauty products or using what is in my collection... my skincare game is on point, especially with the maskne I'm experiencing. I've also been investing more in my body-care routine because right now, every aspect of your beauty routine is important. It's providing a sense of comfort and normalcy, and as long as brands are churning out products, I'm going to be buying them.

For now, here are a few products I've been using and loving so much over the past few months. *One of my most used beauty products at the moment are lip balms but I have loved so many, they are getting their own post later this month*

Shiseido Lash Curler

This is a lash curler that has been in the beauty world for a very long time but I never picked it up. I've always been on and off lash curlers but over the past year or so, I'm very much on. I had a Tweezerman eyelash curler that got the job done fine but then my sister stole it so I needed a new one. I decided to splurge on the Shiseido one and I have never looked back. It curls your lashes so beautifully, so beautiful that you don't even need mascara. It's also oddly smooth in the way it works... like it makes my lashes feel safe if that doesn't sound crazy. Is it worth the $22? Probably not but I'm now a lifelong fan.

Too Faced Born This Way Concealer

I mentioned another Too Faced concealer recently and while I'm loving the Peach Matte Concealer, the Born This Way concealer has topped it. It is obviously a little heavier due to the liquid consistency so I like it for the cooler weather, and it just blends into the skin beautifully. I can wear it without foundation and just a dot of the product will do. It makes me feel so put together and really looks fabulous on the skin. This might just be in my top three favorite concealers of all time. 

Soap & Glory Scrub of Your Life

Bath and Body Works Aromatherapy Restore Body Wash

While I am pretty obsessed with fancy body washes my sensitive skin does not allow me to indulge in them too often. However, I was in Bath and Body Works last month and had a coupon for a free body care item so I decided to try my hand at the Aromatherapy line. I chose the 'Restore' line, scented with Sage and Mint, and wow... just wow. I never want to smell anything other than this body wash ever again. I cannot properly explain how good this smells but I can explain how it makes me feel. It lathers up really nicely, feels super luxurious on the skin and the scent is oddly calming and invigorating at the same time. I will definitely be repurchasing this body wash and hopefully will get my hands on other items in the same scent. 

Soap and Glory Face Soap and Clarity Vitamin C Facial Wash

Yes, another Soap and Glory product but what can I say... I'm obsessed. I have been using Face, Soap, and Clarity for a while now but over the course of quarantine, it's the only face wash that really makes my skin feel clean. I mentioned my Summer Fridays cleanser last month and while I am still hopelessly in love, I only use that in the morning. Face, Soap and Clarity is my go-to nighttime face wash because it really deep cleans my skin and leaves my face feeling very fresh. I hate feeling like my skin isn't clean like my cleanser didn't get everything so I always have to go back in and wash with this if I didn't use it, to begin with. I also love how it gently exfoliates so you're always getting that deep cleansing action, without having to use a scrub. I cannot recommend this face wash enough, it is so wonderful.

What are your current favorite beauty products?
xoxo
B

There is simply nothing like a gorgeous, cool, fall day. The air is super crisp, there's a slight breeze and the sun is shining but not too hot... the scent in the air reminds you of a Scholastic Book Fair in 1997. Everything is perfect. 

The only thing that makes a fall day even better is when you have it all to yourself with no one to answer to. I always feel like I do my best self-care in the fall and winter because the weather really sets the tone. When the weather is cozy, you also feel the need to indulge in coziness. 

I've been thinking a lot about self-care recently because right now, we all need some extra TLC. I figured I'd share my steps to have the perfect, ultimate, self-care fall day! 

Take Your Time in the Morning

I hate nothing more than being rushed in the morning. I like to take my sweet time with every waking moment. If I don't have to, I don't set an alarm so my body wakes up naturally. I spend a little time in my bed, scrolling through social media before getting up and making coffee. Then, I usually get back in bed to unwind a little more. That usually consists of more phone time, maybe reading a few pages of a book, and watching Youtube videos. 

After, I like to make myself a healthy yet indulgent breakfast of protein waffles or pancakes (pumpkin-shaped, of course) and have more coffee. When the weather is extra nice, I make sure to open my blinds and windows to really let the fall air inside. 

I live for relaxing and being able to lounge around in the morning and get my head straight really helps me feel my best.

Do What You Love

In my masked up glory running errands yesterday. It felt so good to get things done!  Wearing Taylor Swift folklore merch, a Stoney Clover mask & Lele Sadoughi headband

This might sound weird but I love running errands. I love going food shopping, to the car wash, or to Target to roam around. I live for my errands and I love a to-do list. I don't know why but I just do... it's an odd form of self-care for me. On a self-care day, I put on leggings, a sweatshirt, grab my bag and run a few errands. I try not to do too much so I still have time and energy to enjoy the day but a quick Trader Joes or Target run does the trick. 

If you love doing something else, like going to the park or taking a walk around the block, make sure to make time for that during your fall self-care day. It'll make the day that much more rich and enjoyable! 

Eat Something Indulgent 

During the week I try to remain steady on my Weight Watchers plan but once Saturday rolls around, I just want something *more*. If it's a special self-care day, especially during the fall, I like to treat myself to a fall treat and it's usually something I bake. I find baking super relaxing and enjoyable so it's a win-win for me. It's usually a pumpkin spice cookie or muffin and to me, there's nothing better. 

Relax, Fall Style

When people say 'self-care', my mind immediately goes to a dark, cold room with candles & a good movie or tv show. That is how I self-care (it's also how I spend most nights). My mom always calls me the ultimate relaxer because I am truly an expert at finding peace and calm. To end my fall self-care day, I'll get under some blankets & throw on Hocus Pocus (or Gilmore Girls) and chill. I turn on my twinkle lights, light a fall candle and bask in the glorious feeling. I might dip into my face mask stash and do a fall mask, like the Summer Fridays Overtime Mask . I just really love to bask in my alone time and feel recharged and rejuvenated. 

My fall self-care days don't look much different from any other season but they feel different. The addition of the smells and tastes really enhance the experience and as someone who thrives in this season, it heightens my happiness. 

What do you like to do for self-care?
xoxo
B

Happy October!! I am so excited for my favorite month! There isn't much planned but I'm still happy for all things ~spooky~ and to watch Hocus Pocus every day. I watched it for the first time last night and the instant mood boost it provided was wonderful.

Tomorrow I am headed to New Jersey for the day for a little Oktoberfest celebration with some family. I baked an apple pie for it tonight and then curled up to watch Halloweentown on Disney+ and it's the perfect fall night.

This week, in terms of my mood, was touch and go. Politics got the best of me, work was super busy, and I just wasn't in the best mindset. However, I'm feeling much better and trying to keep up the momentum. 

I don't have much else to ramble about so I'll dive right into the roundup!