A Sky High Beauty

I received a beautiful gift!

A pair of shoes. But not just ordinary shoes but high heels. A super sexy pair of sky high beauties! The color in regal purple.

Did I mention they are by a designer? No NOT those infamous Christian Louboutin shoes with the lipstick 💄 red sole bottoms.

Now you may or may not know I’m not a designer label anything kinda girl. I buy and wear what I like the label means nothing to me. I do wear Diane Von Furstenberg, Halston, Gucci, and the ever cool designer Betsey 👄 Johnson to name a few.

But this pair is something else. They are by ESCADA. My first Escada fashion item! Do you own a pair of shoes or heels by Escada?

They stand mighty and glorious on a shelf looking at me.

Teasing me!

Taunting me with their beauty!

Daring me to put them on!

But the question is can I even WALK in them? That is the question!!!

Kicking up with glee kinda heels!

Nothing like Gifting a D.I.Y. & Tea

Tis the season and I love to give gifts MORE than receiving them. Really! So I am sharing with you some gift ideas that are a D.I.Y. or store bought that they may just ❤️ love.

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Here is an easy recipe to make a Japanese Matcha Tea face mask for yourself or someone else.

You can place the Matcha tea in a small glass jar with a recipe and tie it up with a bow or ribbon.

🍵 Or place this recipe in a gift basket with a pretty Asian style tea cup, a mini bowl for the DIY mask, a face mask brush and include a mini jar of honey and a container of Matcha tea.

Recipe for one treatment to enjoy today:

1 teaspoon of Matcha Tea

1 teaspoon of raw 🍯local honey (I love local)

🍵 Another gift idea is giving a pretty mug, a box of tea and a few of their favorite magazines or assorted magazines you know they will love ❤️ tied in a gold gorgeous ribbon. I still love print and enjoy turning the pages and exploring the magazines in my hand. I know I’m not the only one!

🍵 Give a teapot, a cup and a Beautiful Journal wrapped with a pretty pen and ready to give. Add a heartfelt note card.

🍵Give a tea scented candle with a bar of green tea soap and a luxurious sponge.

Give a few teabags from a variety of tea bag boxes and place them in a basket with some store bought or home-made tea biscuits or something yummy you know they love.

Buy them an eye mask and face mask that has TEA as the star ingredient. Add a cup with a tea bag inside for them to enjoy while they mask the day away. Aaah…the beauty of self care!

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PLAY and make them a tea blend from tea leaves and flowers: to relax with,to sleep well and or invigorates them to start the day. Choose from: chamomile,lemongrass,lemon peel,lavender,rose hips and more. Recipe is one cup of water to one teaspoon of tea blend.

I hope you have some fun creating and shopping for Tea for One OR a few. It is so nice to receive a gift package that shows you care!

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Make Mom Happy!

If you’re on a budget and you want to show mom some love ❤️ today. Here are a few ideas you can gift 🎁 her today!

*If she’s away from you mail her something with a love note.

Even better than a card. Nothing like an old school love ❤️ letter to your one and only MOM!

❤️Calling and saying I love you is priceless and will last in her memory a lifetime. Really!

❤️Colorful flowers 💐 are lovely but a plant will last a lot longer! Choose ivy, 🍃 aloe, rosemary. Every time she looks at them grow she will be reminded of you!

❤️ Give her a relaxing foot massage. Use sunflower oil or coconut oil and add a few drops of lavender or rose 🌹 essential oil.

❤️ Drop off a bag of her favorite cookies 🍪

❤️Give her a bottle of her fave wine 🍷 Or even a few cans of exotic 🍺 beer.

❤️A bag of Hershey’s Kisses says I love you and sends kisses too!

❤️Run a bubble bath 🛀 for her bubbles and all! Add some Epsom salts for ultimate muscle relaxation. It’s like a cheap massage in a tub! So relaxing to the nerves. Especially in the midst of this pandemic.

❤️ Make her a face mask… wearing facial covers and 😷 face masks are rough on the skin on our face. All you need is: 1 cup of natural Greek yogurt and 1/2 cup of oats.

Blend the oatmeal and yogurt together.

Mix well and place in a jam jar. Or a jar that you can recycle that has a large mouth for scooping the product out.

This mask is great for normal to dry to sensitive skin. give her instructions. Tie a bow and a small spoon for scooping out. She needs to leave on at least 10 minutes. Rinses off with warm water 💦 and a washcloth.

❤️Buy your mom a few of her fave magazines. Or buy a years subscription. Fashion, food, beauty or wellness. She’s bound to love anyone you choose.

❤️ A book 📚 is another great choice!

As you can see these are all SIMPLE ideas but ones she will love ❤️ and they are so useful too!

These are great ideas for a glamma or auntie or godmother too! Whoever you want to celebrate this Mothers Day… do it in your own loving way. Life is short and sweet. We’re not promised tomorrow so celebrate 🎉 all things mom today.

If you’re like me and your mom is no longer with you. Talk to her and let her know how you feel. She’s listening.

Blessings 🙏 to all you moms all over the world 🌎! YOU rock and are yet another essential worker on the universe!

 

 

SHOP on,Gorgeous!

Last weekend was Shop Small Saturday all across the country started by American Express. I participated in it proudly again this year. And here are a few takeaways of what girls bought for their  besties or themselves.

Stocking Stuffers or token gifts…

Remember it is the thought that counts not the price OR how much you buy for that person! And you know what the real reason for the season is!

Makeup Brushes by the set are a coveted gift a girl struggles to get for herself. So many to choose from and it can be overwhelming. Buying ala carte is not the best thing to do unless that is your budget. It is cheaper and chicer to buy a set. And you don’t have to spend a fortune for them. Remember the $ dollar $ quality is not the same as a boutique.

Wine,rose,champagne  wine holders  chic and so versatile. Use them for booze, décor and or to rest your bling and baubles on. They say wine is most gals best friend over any other libation. Add a few gourmet or edible delights like below and you have a gift that won’t be forgotten!

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Lipsticks are always in style and putting together a set of a variety of them for your mom or bestie can be so much fun! Add a gloss or balm and they love you forever.

*Add a lip brush and you’re all set. Yes, they are still in.

Bath and Body Treats are so lovely! And SO NEEDED. When you shop you can get a lot of little pieces. Aromatic and hydrating are best for the skin. And aromatherapy is so relaxing and mood lifting and calming.

Candles are always a good idea!

Palo Santo,Sage and herb plants are both unique and practical too.

Fragrance is a very personal thing. So, I usually only give it in bath and body lotions not necessarily by the bottle. Unless you know the exact fragrance they love.

 

 

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I hope I got your juices and creativity going for finding that perfect token gift or stocking stuffer.

Have fun and happy Shopping,Gorgeous!

 

 

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Gifts and Stocking Stuffers For HER!

I am all about filling the Christmas stocking!

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I have taught my husband all about it too and he rocks MINE every year! In fact to be totally honest I love the filled Christmas stocking more than him going crazy and stressing out to find what he thinks is the perfect gift!

But I am also all about that thoughtful token gift for the lady in your life, bestie, sister wife or moms in your life!

Here are some suggestions for a fabulous token gift and a filled stocking I know she will LOVE!

Again, put some thought into it. Give them what they can use and need!!!  While I love to laugh and ENJOY  fun gifts. I do know they cost $$$ and sometimes are a waste. So, think hard and shop or give wisely. I also love the beauty of handmade and home-made.

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1. Candles
2. Potpourri
3. Salt lamps
4. Humidifier
5. Soaps
6. Bubble baths,fragrance and hand and Body care
7. Shower gels
8. Travel toiletries
9. Champagne & Caviar or Truffle Mousse Pate (decadent)
10. Cocktail Caviar for the lush (or Vodka lover in your world)
11. A satin pillow case to protect that blowout and or for the complexion
12. Stationary or note cards
13. Cosmetic bag
14. Lipstick and Blush
15. Lip gloss
16. Eyeliners
17. Eye shadow kits
18. Colored mascaras
19. Earrings
20. Bracelets
21. Highlighters or Body Glitter
22. Necklaces
23. Fashion earrings
24. Music Cd’s
25. Gift cards or certificates for someplace or somewhere they love to go
26. Pens,colored pencils and more. I am addicted to all things office supplies and writing instruments… Sharpie’s are something I can’t live without or WRITE without them! Add an Adult coloring book..
27. Sage and incense to set the mood and purify their space
28. Food like cookies, chips or candy like chocolate but believe it or not some women hate it. Can you believe hate chocolate? So, discover what candy or crunch she loves first.

Yum! Coffee or tea give her some!

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Fun night out! Certificates or gift cards for their fave place. Or show them something or something new that you have discovered!

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I also enjoy creating handwritten coupons redeemable for things.

So does this get you going and your juices flowing?

Day 5 Gifts for HIM!

The best way to a man’s heart is through his mouth.

MEN  love food,drinks and yummy treats too.  Plain and simple it is so true! So fill his stocking with some goodies or whip up some decadent and or healthy treats you know he LOVES. YUM!

Santa isn’t the only one who wants you to leave him a few cookies and milk.

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Day 4 Gift Idea for HIM!

I LOVE to make a special treat for my husband,family or friends from time to time. Christmas is the perfect time of year to create one!

I go to antique malls and other stores and collect bottles and jars I like and save them for D.I.Y. gift giving.

One of my favourite stocking stuffers or gifts to give is massage oil.

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An easy massahe oil recipe is:

1 1/2 cups of jojoba,sunflower or almond oil as the massage oil base. (depending on the size of your bottle you might need more). Add a few drops of an essential oil (pure and quality one. Not a a cheap one)  My husband has loved the relaxing lavender as well as sweet orange or sandalwood. A little essential oil goes a long way. Shake so the oil and the fragrance make love together.Add a hand written card that entitles HIM to a relaxing massage one and only you. You might want to add a candle to set the mood too.

 

Another well received D.I.Y. recipe is a jar of relaxing bath salts. It can be made as simple as filling a container with epsom salts and sprinkling in a few drops of eucalyptus oil and a sprig of aromatic roesmary from your garden on top.

Add a ribbon,tag with instructions on what it is and a lush sea sponge or brush and you have  completed this gift!

As I mentioned before you don’t have to spend a fortune. It doesn’t have to be a designer anything. Enjoy the little things that can turn intobig things.

The Holidays are here…Love is in the air…it’s almost Christmas. Stress less and enjoy the beauty of now!

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The scent of a woman…is important!

Shopping for makeup is easy! 

Shopping for fragrance is yet another kind of shopping altogether. I recently went shopping for Christmas gifts for my brother- in- law and lured by a fragrance counter. The lights,the bottles and scents! The sales associate greeted me quickly and wondered who I was buying for. I said no one. I  told her I thought I would touch, spray and see what calls out to me!

She started to assist and I did not mind as I used to work in Bloomingdales 59th St. and Macys 34th Street in NYC  and I know all about the job. They stand all day and work hard! 

She tired her best to introduce me to some scents. After she was about to show and spritz the fifth one. I had to say “Bye” at least for now. I was getting fragrance overload. She was disapoointed to see me leave and offered me the infamous coffee bean bowl. If you haven’t been to a fine fragrance counter this is a PROfessional fragrance and perfumer’s tip …You sniff the coffee beans to clear your nose of all the scents and start sniffing scents again. Sort of like the sherbet or sorbet that they serve you between dishes at a fine restaurant! That is why I chose to do this blog post today to let you know the process.

Back to the fragrances and the sales associate…I was confused and wasn’t feeling it. I needed to shop for holiday gifts. So, I left that store. Every time I placed my wrists or hands toward my face to move my hair, or sling my tote over my shouder I suddenly fell in love with the top of my hand where one of the fragances I tested was. I couldn’t stop sniffing and smelling my hand. I smelled so sexy and the scent made me feel so happy. I drove back to that store that night and had to buy a bottle and a body cream to go with it.

So, the next time you are in the mood or just happen to feel like you want to test drive something new. Don’t try more than 3 or 4 fragrances at a time tops! Don’t be in a hurry. Wait a while to see how the fragrance traslates and smells on you. Smelling coffee beans is great but most times you simply have to wait.

I smelled so …Delish!

What scent are you wearing today? Talk to me.

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Relaxing Gifts…

Sometimes giving a gift means giving one to yourself!

I think self-care is so important especially this crazy but beautiful time of year. I love to support the makers. You know sweet and small companies who make things with their hands. Like me. I love to whip up many beautiful things.

Rosie’s Handmade Jax makes an Aromatherapy Hot Pack that may be used hot or cold for when you need to relax and chill out and say “Goodbye to the bad days.”

Natural pain relief made by a MOMMY  (FYI Rosie is her little daughter) in Jacksonville Florida!  Made with 100% premium cotton and well made at that!

Lovely lavender takes the cares and stress away.

Do you or anyone on your list get migraine headaches or simply exhausted from working at the computer all day? Rosie’s HandmadeJax has a pack for your eyes too.

Find them on Instagram and Facebook at:

rosies.handmadejax

I’ve so loved these two handmade relaxing & calming beauties the past few weeks and simply had to share! You just might fall in love with them too! Or to give as a gift this holiday season.

You don’t have to spend a fortune on gifts! It truly is the thought you put into  that gift counts.

Come back to my blog for more gifts to make the people in your life smile!

 

 

 

 

 

Let the shopping begin!

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Stand Tall and Shop Small November 24th,2018

Small Business Saturday is a special shopping day created by American Express for us to celebrate that small biz owner and shop small biz all over the country. It is important to keep small businesses alive and kicking!

I’m so delighted to be a part of this glorious movement again this year! We sent out an invite to our clients and hope to have them shop our…

Lipstick red door!

If you do happen to live in JAX Fl come explore our store and join us for a cup  of cheer.

SHOP our unique and pretty gift ideas and stocking stuffers and receive 20% off your visit. Bring a friend or family member. Enjoy door prizes and more! Code:20OFF online or in our cottage. http://www.noreenyoung.com

Shop Small Biz and Sip Small Biz too!

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Wherever you live it doesn’t have to be in Jacksonville Fl where my beauty cottage is…

Shop in your city or where ever you might be traveling this weekend.

Spread a little shopping LOVE…big box stores are nice but SMALL businesses need your business even more too!

#ShopSmall  #AmexLife  #SmallBizSaturday  #getyourkisson #noreenyoung