It's hard for me to fathom that we are already a whole month into the new year, because it feels like only last week that I was watching the New York City count down to 2016. I have been at a bit of a crossroad this month: on the one hand I am excited about the new year and have many exciting things that are coming up to look forward to, but a part of me has also been struggling with this dreary time of the year. Because I live in Pennsylvania, this time of year is typically very snowy––which I love––but this year it has been unseasonably warm, and we've gotten almost no snow! Instead, it is semi-cold, and the scenery is relatively bleak... not the winter wonderland I am wishing for.
With that said, despite the disappointing weather this winter, there have been a lot of things I have been loving this season. And I wanted to share them with you! This will be my first 'favorites' post, so I will be experimenting with how I want to format my photos and such, but I'm thinking I'll might make this a seasonal routine. Without any further ado, let's get into the mish-mash of what I've been loving!
Food and Drink
Earl Grey
I am a huge black tea fanatic... I always have been. Maybe it's partially a result of having lived in England for a year, but I have at least one mug of black tea daily, always with milk and sugar. It's a vice I feel comfortable saying I will never give up. As I have been drinking more tea in the colder weather, I have found a love of earl grey as well. Earl grey is a type of black tea which has the addition of bergamot (a variety of orange citrus), giving it a more delicate and perfumed taste. Not only do I love drinking earl grey, but I absolutely adore the smell (and would 100% wear it as a fragrance!).
Daily Detox (Traditional Medicinal Detox Teas)
I wanted to get an herbal tea to drink in the morning during the week, and ended up picking this one up, and have actually really been enjoying it. The tea consists of stinging nettle, burdock root, cleavers herb, dandelion root, and lemon; all of which are good for healthy skin and liver functions. One thing to keep in mind if you want to try this tea out, is has a very subtle taste, and if you want the best flavor, you should let it seep 10-15 minutes. Sometimes I will also add a little bit of honey, which tastes great!
Brookside Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Seeds (not pictured)
This is a bit of a random favorite, but I adore these little chocolates. Sometimes in the afternoon when I'm having tea, I'm in the need of a little chocolate fix, so I'll have a small handful of these. The dark chocolate is always a pleasant pick-me-up, and the fruity, tangy flavor of the pomegranate is the perfect pair. The one bad thing I will say, is that it's always hard to keep myself from devouring the entire bag!
Fashion and Beauty
Michael Kors Bedford Crossbody Saddle Bag
I received this bag for Christmas from my parents, and I adore it. It's the first really nice handbag I've owned, and it is perfect because of it's versatility. While I use it on a day-to-day basis, it can also be a great bag for a special occasion if dressed up. The bag is small, but easily fits all the basic things I need when I'm out and about. The gold accents of the 'Michael Kors' logo and the small chain detail give a classy appearance, so I would definitely recommend it if you're in the market for a small and chic new purse.
Knitted Scarves
This is a bit of a random favorite, but I definitely wanted to include it: I have been knitting! In the evenings I always love to relax by watching something on Netflix and having a cup of tea, and in the past couple of months I have started knitting while I watch. I'm embracing my inner grandma! In all seriousness, this is actually really relaxing and you can get a beautiful scarf at the end. I knit a grey infinite scarf in December, and am currently working on another one which is a beautiful lavender color. For both of these scarves I have used yarn from the brand Vanna's Choice, which is not only incredibly soft, but also pretty inexpensive at Michael's Craft Store. Even if you don't know how to knit, it's a very easy skill to learn, just by looking up tutorials on YouTube.
Black Nail Polish
I wear black nail polish year-round (and it is probably my favorite color to have on my nails), but I especially love it for winter. I find myself often wearing dark colors during the winter months, as well as a lot of monotone, so black nails just seems to pull my day-to-day look together. The black polish I am currently using is called black onyx by OPI. If you're not into the completely black look, I also love deep berry shades, which can be more wine-toned (like vixen from Revlon) or purple-toned (like devious from Ulta).
Pear and Magnolia Perfume
Crabtree and Evelyn is definitely one of my favorite body-care brands, because all of their products have really lovely scents. The brand is centered in London, and offer a wide range of products in their scent line (many of which are fruity or floral). Pear and Magnolia is probably my favorite fragrance because I love wearing floral scents, but the pear introduces a more unusual and unique twist. The bottle is quite simple, but in a classy and charming way.
My cover of Frankenstein isn't very nice, but the Dover Thrift and Penguin editions are both stunning
Random
My Paris Kitchen
This is a cookbook of French-inspired recipes, written by David Lebovitz (who is currently living in Paris). If you're a fan of french cooking (or even just want to experiment with it a little bit), pick this book up pronto! I originally got it from the library, but definitely will be buying it soon, as it's a cookbook I want on my shelf at home. Not only does the book have stunning photographs and irresistible recipes, but Lebovitz also shares some stories from his time living in Paris, which are short, humorous, and allow you to transcend your kitchen to Paris before beginning cooking.
Frankenstein
I read Frankenstein as a choice book for my English class in early January, and was delighted at how much I loved it. Most people know that the story follows a scientists who brings to life a 'monster' created from assorted body parts, but there is so much more to the novel than that. It is certainly not just a tale of a green comic monster! Mary Shelley wrote this novel when she was only 19 years old, which by itself is phenomenal. The novel is a result of romanticism, which is shown in the absolutely beautiful writing, much of which is dedicated to the themes of nature and what it means to be human. This book certainly makes you think, but it is also very entertaining because it reads almost like a classical sci-fi thriller. As a relatively short novel, I would say Frankenstein is ideal for cold days when it's snowing outside and you can curl up with a blanket, some hot coco, and just read!!
That wraps up my favorites for this season. I did not include very many fashion/style favorites, however I am wanting to do an outfit post soon, in which I will show my current favorite wardrobe pieces. I have always loved looking at other blogger's favorites posts, so I definitely want to make this a regular upload and hope I have inspired you to try out something new!
xx
Erin
No comments:
Post a Comment