Sharing a few finds for Valentine’s Da – gift guide for women, baby, toddler and little girls.
I hate it when I light my candles and then wick tunnels all the way down with a large amount of unburned wax on the sides!
Well, I recently learned how to fix this problem and I had to share it with you all!
Unfortunately I was so excited to try it, I forgot to take a “before” photo. But you can see in the picture below, the different layers of unmelted on the side. If I were to continue to let this candle burn, it would just tunnel down leaving a lot of wasted wax.
It is simple: wrap aluminum foil around the edges of the candle. You will want the foil to hang over the unmelted tunneled wax you want to fix. You need to leave enough room for the flame in the center so it has enough oxygen to burn. Don’t let the flame touch the foil. You light the candle, and let it burn long enough until the wax has melted completely to the edge. Depending on how bad your tunneling is, this may take several hours, so be prepared! Be careful removing the foil as it may be hot. Do not leave burning candles unattended or near pets/children.
The size of the candle and wax quality may affect how well this works. But I say if you’re frustrated about all the wasted wax, it is worth a try! This candle below is Diptyque.
Below is the after! See, much better! There is still a tiny bit on the side. I probably should have let it burn 30 more minutes but I had places to be!
Now, the best thing to “fix” the tunneling problem is just to AVOID it happening from the beginning!
How do we do that?
First, With bougie candles, like Diptyque, you do NOT trim the wick on the first burn. It is exactly the correct length. The first burn wick has to be a little longer. I am uncertain about B&BW candle wick length and if you need to trim them first.
Second, you must let it burn long enough on the first burn so the wax is completely melted to the rim. A general rule of thumb is: for every inch diameter the vessel is, it must burn 1 hour. So a 3 inch diameter vessel must burn 3 hours. The type and quality of wax will affect this.
Other tricks to keep candles burning properly: you should trim the wick just before lighting. It should be about 1/4 inch. Don’t trim when when the wick and wax are hot/warm.
This year’s Halloween table features a spooky cauldron brewing potions. Steam is bubbling out of the cauldron on top of a little fire.
I made the potion bottles a few years ago. You can print off the exact labels I made in this post.
The table looks really cool at nighttime!
Have a Happy Halloween!
First off, disclaimer: I am not paid to write about Diptyque.
I recently stopped by in a Diptyque store and fell in love with one of their new limited edition candles.
This candle is conceived as a Parisian stroll along the Seine. We stroll along the “weeping willows and chestnut trees, passing antique shops before losing ourselves in the pages of old books found on the booksellers’ stands. At the heart of the composition, notes of polished wood, and the spicy vanilla accents of weathered books and paving stones evoke this Parisian atmosphere where art meets history” – Diptyque.
If you close your eyes, you can transport yourself along this stroll!
This candle comes with a wooden lid. The label has a rose inspired “by the compass rose carved on the forecourt of Norte-Dame de Paris”.
Is it bougie of me to write about a $100 candle? Yesssss. But I love it. And you should buy things and do things that you love. I have a weak spot with Diptyque, what can I say.
I don’t burn my Diptyque candles every day. I use them for occasions when I went to feel special. Sometimes I just go and smell them and put them back in their box, or under their cloche, or in this case, put the lid back on.
You can get the candle here:
Happy September!!
I’ve pulled my velvet pumpkins out and have them on display!
The centerpiece of this table are dried hydrangeas from my garden! Planned ahead in July and started drying them. It took about two weeks to dry.
Aren’t the pumpkins so pretty?!
This color scheme can easily be converted to Halloween with a few spooky elements.
A look at my mantel in the dining room. I ran out of deep purple pumpkins for this display. I made the chinoiserie toile pumpkins myself a few years back.
Now you too can claim that you’ve slept at Versailles like the King of France (or rather like Jacques Necker, Controller-General of Finances and last Chief Minister of Louis XVI… as that’s whose apartment you can stay in!). Airelles Palace of Versailles just opened and WOW what eye candy!
The hotel is in Le Grand Contrôle on the property, built in 1681, that hosted diplomats and ambassadors and other special guests. Just look! You can view the Orangerie from your bedroom and from a soak in the tub!
There was a four year countrywide hunt for antiques. 90 percent of the hotel’s furniture will be period-appropriate antiques!!
Wallcoverings and fabrics were made by Pierre Frey to mimic Marie Antoinette’s Petit Trianon!
Other hotel highlights:
Alain Ducasse Restaraunt
Valmont Spa
Indoor Pool
BUT the pièce de résistance is TOURS AND EVENTS for hotel guests only!! Before and After hours you will get private tours of different parts of Versailles! Just take my money now.
You can check out the hotel’s website here (and book me a room while you’re at it….) Images are all from Airelles.
Been shopping at Nordstrom every year. They often have similar or the same items featured on sale every year. Sharing a few that are great and a few that I think are a little overrated that seemed to be overhyped. I am trying to feature items that are NOT on my other two posts about the Nordstrom sale.
Diptyque Candle Set – I think this is a nice little candle set for your entry into the world of Diptyque. Also makes a great gift – especially if you don’t know what scent someone would like. The candles are SMALL so they don’t do well in larger spaces.
Neulash Eyelash enhancing serum – I think this works just OKAY. It is supposed to make your eyelashes grow denser. I will confess though I forget to put it on EVERY night so part of my disappointment may be user error.
Wit & Wisdom AB-Solution Skinny Jeans – these jeans have a lot of stretch so you may need to consider going down a size. That said, I love them! I have several pairs in several sizes (postpartum was fun). They suck in your belly in just the right spot!
Barefoot Dreams Cozy Chic Throw – This throw is SUPER SOFT. In fact, I have it on my toes right now as I type. My cat loves this blanket. That said, BEWARE. It SHEDS. It shed like CRAZY. It was annoying to own for several months since I was constantly vacuuming under it. But after time it seems to have stopped. My cat’s claws also snagged the blanket, but I can’t tell wear.
Longchamp Le Pliage expandable tote – This bag is very functional and is perfect for travel! I love it. They also have their backpacks added this year to the sale – I have the small one, which I use in Disneyland. I also use this bag frequently. I like Longchamp Le Pliage line because it is lightweight, durable, and folds down into nothing.
Adidas Swift Run Sneaker – First bought this several years ago. I like them a lot and they are at a great price.
Kiehl’s lotion – I bought this lotion two years ago and am still using it. This year they only have their refillable pouch. While it has 1000+ reviews of 5 star, I think the lotion is just okay. It doesn’t make my eczema go away. But it has lasted forever, so I would say I’ve definitely got my money’s worth!
Nordstrom Cubic Zirconia Earrings – I have these in the 1ct and 2ct size. They look like real diamonds! I have fooled many people! I’ve had them for several years.
Here are all of my finds for the sale, Women:
HOME
Children’s
Today I’m sharing with you my picks from the sale! Today I’m sharing with you MY picks. In TWO days I’ll share with you items I have purchased in the past and I’ll give a little review about them.
I plan to purchase these items. Some of the items will likely go back because they don’t fit, etc. Also sometimes when I’m in the store I find other items that I didn’t find online.
What I plan to purchase
Caslon Shirt – Going to pick this up in white. I get a new t shirt every year.
Cotton and Cashemere jogger set – top linked here and bottoms linked here. I live in loungewear at home. Last year I purchased some cheaper lounge wear and they look crappy now. I am hoping purchasing a nicer set will last longer.
Bombas socks – getting the no-show three set for my husband and myself. We love Bombas socks!
French Connection Cotton Sweater – I am going to get this in black. It might go back as sometimes this fit is hit and miss with me. I do like the crisp white sweater though, but with a kid I’m confident it will be stained before I even leave the store lol.
I am going to buy all three of these striped sweaters and then keep the one that looks the best.
Caslon striped sweater – going to get it in pink
Madewell Pickford Pullover sweater – this is a “boxy” cut so in all honesty it will probably go back.
Mock Neck Knit Sweater Dress by Vince – I am hoping this looks good on me!
L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil – I love that the oil has a pump and a refill. Normally it doesn’t come with a pump.
Shoes: Debating between these three pairs of shoes. I am hoping my local Nordstrom will have them in stock so I can just try them on in store and decide!
Children’s – Here’s what I am debating about getting for my baby girl!
See Kai Run blue metallic sneakers – my baby girl wears this company’s other shoes in a smaller size and it’s hard to beat this price. I’m debating between the shoes ABOVE and the ones BELOW.
Skechers twinkle toe tennis shoes – these light up when your kiddo takes a step. We have hand-me-downs in a smaller size that I can’t get her foot into (her foot is chunky!) so I’m not optimistic that these will fit her.
I am debating about one of these outfits for play. I think I will have to just wait and see in person!
Little Me Hooded Faux Fur Jacket set – I really only like the coat in this set, if I’m being honest. So still deciding about this one, as I write this post.
Faux Fur Sweatshirt and leggings set – perfect little play set for the Winter.
Kitty Sweatshirt and leggings – Also a cute little play outfit. I am debating between the before it and this one, since they are kind of similar.
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Every year Nordstrom holds it’s Anniversary sale in July. What’s unusual about this sale is that NEW upcoming Fall and Winter merchandise go on sale…. instead of the previous season going on sale AFTER the season is over!
Needless to say, growing up in the Northwest, it was a huge deal (at least in my mind!). It brings back fond memories… my mom and I would literally shop ’til we dropped since I was a little one!
To shop the sale EARLY, you need to be a Nordstrom card holder. To join the Nordy Club, click here. Once you have joined the club, on their website you can PREVIEW the Sale now by clicking here!
Browse your favorite items and add them to your wish list. On the day you can shop the sale, simply add the items from your wish list to your cart and purchase!
EARLY ACCESS Begins July 12. Log into your Nordstrom account to see what status you are. Icons shop July 12. Ambassadors shop July 14. Influencers shop July 16. PUBLIC ACCESS begins July 28. See, you really need to be a Nordy club member to shop the sale early! Often times a lot of items are sold out by the time public access arrives, but not always. Sale ends August 8.
Sharing YOUR TOP PURCHASES from Last year’s sale (AND just so happens to be most of my favorites as well!)
2. Ugg Slip on Slipper – Great price for Uggs! Love all of my Uggs! I think though the Ugg slippers at the sale aren’t *quite* as good of quality as regular Uggs. Just FYI.
3. Josefina High Waist Boyfriend Jeans – I LOOOOOVE these jeans. They are so comfortable! I have two pairs.
4. Barbour Coats! I’ll share the various ones here: BUT I LOVE BARBOUR!!!!!!!!! I have one Barbour coat. I am thinking of getting another, but I cannot decide.
5. Longchamp Le Pliage Expandable Tote – I have this Longchamp bag and love it. I also have this backpack and this bag, which are also in the sale. I love them all!
6. Voluspa Candles – You love Voluspa candles! So do I! This set is new this year and has some of their best selling and smelling candles! Perfect for holiday gifts as well!
7. Fragrances– You love perfume – but you all like different scents! I love it too! My husband always ask what I want for my birthday or Christmas and the answer is almost always: more perfume!
8. Caslon T shirt – always a top seller at a great price. I pick up a new one every year in a different color.
9. Barefoot Dreams Circle Cardigan – seriously like wearing butter! SO soft! I have one and love it for the Winter. My mom says it’s too warm for her though.
10. Plush Throw – comes in so many colors at a great price! You all went crazy for it last year! Such a great gift too! But my most favorite throw is pottery barn’s Sherpa throw, followed by a Pendleton blanket.
Happy Shopping! STAY TUNED as I am perusing the sale and picking out my favorites for this year!
Sponsored post. Sharing my beach themed tiered tray used as my centerpiece for my Summer table. I used these beach themed ornaments I received from Old World Christmas.
I love the pops of blue and green! I sprinkled the ornaments amongst my collection of seashells. Aren’t the cute?
I love Old World Christmas ornaments and have purchased many of them through the years! They aren’t just for Christmas- I use them also for my Easter and Halloween decor. I’ll plan to use these for a coastal theme Christmas tree in the future!
Looking for inspiration for the perfect patriotic charcuterie board for this upcoming Independence Day? I’ve rounded up a few of my favorites!
Don’t have all the supplies to make a charcuterie board? I’ve got you covered… check out my Amazon Kitchen Favorites here. Great part is, most of these are Amazon prime meaning they will (likely) be here in time for 4th of July weekend!
This is NOT a sponsored post. I saw the ads all over the internet last year and purchased a Pura diffuser.
Never heard of it? It is a smart home diffuser that plugs into the wall and is controlled by an app. You can put up to two scents into the diffuser. The nest starter set is below.
What’s great about the diffuser:
You can determine the “strength” of the scent – perfect for say, your bedroom, where you may not want the scent super strong.
You can set a schedule – turn the diffuser off when you’re not home so you aren’t wasting precious oils! Let’s say in the morning you want to smell like crisp linen but then in the evening you want your house to smell like roses… you can set the schedule between the two scents in the device to allow you to do that.
LED nightlight has a gazillion colors (you can turn it off too!). I love this pretty pink nightlight.
They have a lot of premium companies with fancy scents to choose from.
What I don’t love about the diffuser
The scents are expensive. The first scent I used, Thymes Frasier fir, I used on HIGH intensity and ran it all day long – it was gone within a few days! WHAAAT! At $16-18 per refill, I need it to last longer! So I reset my schedule, turned the intensity down, had the schedule so it would not run when I was gone or overnight. That made the scent last about 1 month. But I really wanted the diffuser to run all day on the weekend – but then I will have to refill it faster.
The other problem is, some of the scents are not too intense (could be good thing too!) so you have to run them at high intensity – so thus you will need to refill it more frequently. Well if I’m burning through the refills at $18 each, I can burn a lot of Diptyque candles….
I wish they had a sample pack for a discount – I have tried various scents and haven’t really found one that I LOVE (except the Thymes Fraiser fir at Christmas!! They also have the Nest holiday scent which I will get this year). I thought I would like the Volcano by Capri Blue but I really didn’t care for it in diffuser form.
They have a subscribe and save function which does make it a little bit cheaper.
Conclusion
I probably wouldn’t purchase this again for my other rooms – UNLESS the refills got cheaper. I WILL still use it at Christmas though for the Christmas scents. I will stick to my Bath and Body Works plug ins to hide cat box smell, my antica farmacista reed diffusers for my entry way and bathrooms, and my Diptyque candles and room spray for bedroom.
We use affiliate links in our posts and our site. This means if you make a purchase using these links, we may earn a small commission. You don’t pay a cent more than you would otherwise! Our full disclosure is available under About.
Memorial Day… the unofficial kick off to Summer! Also a time for some great sales from many retailers. Sharing a few sales with my favorite retailers and a few favorite finds on sale too!
Frontgate – up to 40% sitewide! My Bistro chairs are on sale!!
Also the best pool noodles are on sale too! They are a little more expensive but we’ve had ours for 2 whole summers going onto a third summer and they are still great!
Serena and Lily 20% Off Everything Love the counter and bar riviera stools from Serena and Lily! These Dip-Dyed Stools are extremely popular. Use promo code DIVEIN – some exclusions apply. Runs 5/27-6/1.
I also love their avignon club chair which you can order in tons of colors.
Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale! Up to 50% off. I have these Paul Green tennis shoes in gold and I have to say they are the most comfortable tennis shoes I have EVER owned. EVER!!!! They are on sale for $200, which still expensive but I promise you won’t regret it.
This Staub Cast Iron 4qt Cocotte is $149 which is a great price.
Caitlin Wilson is 20% off Site Wide with code Summerready. I LOVE this blue charcuterie board from Caitlin Wilson and want to get it for my kitchen but fear it will clash with my island.
I just got this crossbody convertible RFID bag from Vera Bradley – perfect for travel. It can be worn as a fanny pack, or cross body. It holds my phone, a few credit cards, my sunglasses (with soft case, no hard case), chapstick and a mask. Vera Bradley: Take 30% off sitewide. Valid through 6/1.
Ballard Designs: Up to 20% off sitewide. Valid through 6/1. Up to 75% off clearance. Valid 5/28- 6/1.
Love this cute Bunny William’s scalloped umbrella!
And my umbrellas are also on sale at Ballard Designs! I have this color below as I wanted my backyard to look like the South of France on the Mediterranean sea!
Macys: Take an extra 20% off with code MEMDAY. Valid through 5/26-5/31.
J. Crew: Take 25% off your purchase with code WEEKEND + an extra 40% off sale items. Valid for a limited time.
I was perusing online when I ran into two new dinnerware patterns that I love!!! I haven’t done much shopping in the store so I am curious to know what they look like in person.
First up is Juliska’s Country Estate Seaside.
It comes in both a melamine outdoor version and a ceramic version. I think these are really fun and perfect for Summer entertaining!
Below is a 4 piece dessert and salad set (get it in Melamine here and ceramic here)
The fun dinner plate! In Melamine and Ceramic.
Of course there are matching napkins!
And Mugs! (only in Ceramic)
And a serving bowl
Next up is this beautiful set by Williams Sonoma! It is called Famille Rose. I LOVE the mixed salad plates!! They remind me of the antique famille rose patterns. But these are microwavable and dishwasher safe! WHAAAT!
Here is the dinner plate, available with pink or green rim.
Here are the appetizer plates!
In fact, here’s a link to their entire collection.
So the question is… WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE?!?! Famille Rose or Country Estate Seaside?
I have an easy decor trick for you today. I set my Spring table up recently and then decided hmm… maybe I should make this my Easter table. Want to know my secret? (you’ll have to keep reading).
Let’s first take a look at my Spring table. Freshly cut flowers are from my garden. That took some planning… from last Fall. I make a reminder on my calendar to plant bulbs!
Aren’t the daffodils so pretty? They almost look like faux flowers!
And now here is my Easter table…
Ready for my easy trick? I ADDED BUNNIES. TA DAAAAA! I told you it was easy. I’ve been collecting these little Steiff bunnies for years. My mom would give me one in my Easter basket for many years and I’ve purchased a few here and there too.
I also put a little Lindt chocolate bunny on each place setting.
A picture of my mantel with a few added Spring touches on it.
By the way, this room smells AMAZING because I am burning my Diptyque Tuberose and Orange Blossom candles. SIIIIIGH. I only burn these when I want to feel extra special. Today felt like one of those days with the pretty daffodils!
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