diy | passion tea body scrub

Honestly, I don't think I had ever used a body scrub before today. While I'm a total sucker for great smelling bath products, I'm also a major sloth. That means I tend to stick to a pretty simple, minimal product routine. Well, let me tell you -- I have been converted. Gone are the days of my daily struggle to cleanse, shampoo and condition before the commercial break ends so I can catch the end of Chopped. From now on, I suspect shower time will become a pampering, relaxing, soothing portion of my otherwise chaotic days. Why the sudden change of heart? THIS. FLIPPING. SCRUB.

Game changer. Life saver. Instigator of "come over and touch my skin," text messages. This sugar scrub is just that damn good. I got it into my head that I wanted to make some of my friends all natural bath and beauty products for their birthdays and, after some research, I settled on a sugar scrub because of the freedom for all sorts of recipes it allowed. The scrub itself is made up of only two ingredients: sugar and oil. I happened to use granulated sugar and coconut oil, but your options are much broader than that! From brown sugar or even salt to olive or almond oil, there are quite a few combinations to try out. I can tell you, however, that this combo worked out pretty spectacularly, so it might be a good starting point for you, too! From there, it's just mixing one part oil to two parts sugar. You can even stop there if you want and have a perfectly functional body scrub. If, like me, you want to try out as many different smells and "flavours" of this gem as possible, stay tuned.

I did a lot reading up on what kind of additives to mix in with the sugar and oils. Essential oils, dried flowers and herbs seemed to be the most popular suggestions and, while they all sounded amazing, I wanted something a little different. Then it hit me -- TEA. Although I'm not much of a tea drinker, I do indulge in a fun flavoured iced concoction every so often, with Starbucks' Passion Iced Tea being at the top of my cravings list. Bringing that into the shower was a no brainer at that point. The orange peel, hibiscus, rose hips and, of course, passion fruit infusion is sweet and sexy and might have you referring to yourself as "Supermodel of the World" by the end of your shower.

I used about 6 tea bags to infuse a batch of scrub that was probably around 10-12 oz. Keep in mind that your tea leaves may need a while to 'steep' in the oil. The smell may not be as strong as you want it to be at first, but it'll intensify with a bit of patience. If you find that you are still not happy with your scent, I don't see a reason why you wouldn't be able to simply add a bit more leaves.

And that's it. Your scrub is ready to make you feel like a winning lottery ticket. These would make awesome gifts for the 'bucks addicts in your life. Just pop on a handcrafted, ombre watercolor tag to match the familiar colour of the fruity drink, label it in your best cursive and try not to gloat too much about what an amazing friend you are.

Let me know if you guys give this 'recipe' a try! I can't wait to concoct all sorts of different combinations and will definitely share any winners I discover!

july mixtape | instrumental summer

road tripping,
crumpled in the front seat,
knees at your chest
and left arm out the window,
stretching and waving,
leaving traces of you in the wind.

For those summer trips, early morning drives, and journeys home, wherever that is.

image via flickr

snapshots | i could live like this forever

J got his wisdom teeth removed on Friday and we took the opportunity to lay around all weekend. We spent our days migrating from his bed to the couch and back, venturing as far as his grandparent's house on Saturday, where we took over their couch and TV until much past the time grandparents should be awake. There was a lot of Netflix watching, plenty of juice drinking, and just the right amount of snuggling under the covers as a thunderstorm brewed outside the window.

It's Monday morning and my legs feel strange being untangled from his.

lustings: minimal, geometric jewelry

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

I'd ask if anyone else is as obsessed with minimal, gold or silver toned jewelry, but clearly, you are all as in love with this trend as I am. Let's also pretend that you are all spending entirely too much time (I'm talking upwards of eight hours, people) stalking Etsy shops for the prettiest dainty jewelry, too. Er, no? Just me? Oh well, it's not my fault that I have an insanely hard time committing to a purchase, meaning I must spend hours and hours trying to decide on which triangle necklace or midi ring to put in my cart. 

What are your favorite places to shop for jewelry? Have you found any shiny, pretty things you'd like to share? I'd love to hear any recommendations, even if they make my selection process even more difficult! 

  

letter to my 18 year old self.

Dear 18 year old Lauren,

I know 22 seems like some sort of distant, unattainable future, but, I can assure you, it’ll come, and it’s nothing like you've imagined it to be. That’s not a bad thing. Yeah, shit gets rough sometimes, but you’ll get the hang of it. You’ll meet people who bring out the best in you, and you’ll lose touch with some you thought would always be there. You’ll be living hours away from your entire family, be neck deep in student loan debt, and prefer staying in bed on Friday and Saturday nights to roaming the downtown streets. Oh, how things change.

Although the life you've lived has made you into the person you are today, it doesn’t mean there weren’t things that could have helped you get here in a better state. Take note of this advice, listen to yourself and what you need to do, and make life your bitch.

Take more photos of yourself and your friends, of your adventures and of your average days. Give yourself the chance to relive those moments in the years to come. Give zero fucks about your hair looking frizzy or your lips doing a weird thing and just smile for the camera.

Don’t dilute your feelings. You are human, very human indeed, and feelings are meant to be felt. While we are on that subject, don’t let others dictate the way you should feel, either. Just because every other 18 year old you know has had multiple boyfriends, loved, lost and everything in between doesn't mean they are qualified life experts. Don’t rush to feel these things, don’t go on dates with boys you know you will never like as more than a friend, don’t lie and pretend to feel something you don’t in order to gain these experiences. One day, you’ll meet a boy and, just like that, you’re going to realize that all those things you felt before were mere illusions, things you convinced yourself you were feeling so you’d have something to contribute to conversations about boys. You’ll know what love feels like in a few years – don’t rush.

You’re going to have some fun times seizing the night with your best friends, that is undeniable, but take a careful look around every once in a while. Is a bar really the place you want to be that night? If you’d much rather spend the evening sipping coffee and eating cookies in front of a good movie, say so. Don’t go along with the idea that being college-aged means you must also be a frequent club goer and consumer of far too much alcohol – you’d be surprised how untrue that is! You don’t need to be constantly surrounded by large groups of people, and you know that. You enjoy your own company to a very high extent. Don’t wear yourself out by trying to keep up with others who don’t feel the same way about themselves.

Don’t stop making art. I know, right now it seems like the most important thing is to spend as much time as possible exploring Miami with your friends, getting into places you couldn't before, and illegally obtaining vodka but, please, don’t stop creating. In four years, you’ll give anything to get those skills back.

Lastly, don’t lose sight of who you are. You are a clown, a clutz, a bright mind, a creative thinker, a punk-rock gig frequenter, an activist and an all-around awesome human specimen. Remember, go easy, step lightly, stay free.

Sincerely,

22 year old Lauren

Note: I may very well not actually be 18 in this photo, I have absolutely no clue. Further proof that there is no photographic evidence of me at 18. 

June Mixtape: With You.

June days are for lemonade and tequila, biking at dusk, letting the sunshine into your room, sleeping naked, cold beer, bare feet, iced coffee, and the one person you'll never let go of.

Image via iTunes.