Three years ago today I started this blog. I had been writing Brooklyn Orchids, my blog about orchids, for years, but I wanted to have a separate place where I could write about beauty products and other non-orchid-related things that interest me.

Three years ago today I started this blog. I had been writing Brooklyn Orchids, my blog about orchids, for years, but I wanted to have a separate place where I could write about beauty products and other non-orchid-related things that interest me.

1. National Archives Museum: on Monday I decided to check out this museum, which has been on my to-do list for quite some time. They don’t allow photography inside, so this pic of the (beautiful) building will have to suffice. I highly recommend visiting this place—inside the rotunda you can view the actual, real-life Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Bill of Rights. They’re wonderful reminders of the things that *actually* make America great.

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! I’m excited to write this post because it’s all about my first-ever haul from ColourPop. I’ve been hearing about ColourPop for some time now; I believe they were an online-only retailer until a few months ago, when Sephora began carrying select products by the brand online and in-store.
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After being in Los Angeles for a few days I was looking forward to getting back into my usual routine, which includes making dinner.* Each morning I read The New York Times morning briefing over breakfast; yesterday’s briefing included a recipe suggestion that sounded awesome: Creamy Polenta with Mushrooms. So I decided immediately that I was going to make this recipe for our first real dinner together back in town.

1. Dr. Jart+ Bright Rubber Lover Mask: after returning from vacation I wanted to do a face mask that would help brighten my skin, because it doesn’t take much sun to turn my dark spots even darker. So I chose this sheet mask from my Sephora VIB haul, which intrigued me mostly because of the creepy face on the packaging. And I rather liked this mask! I did a brief rundown of the two-step process on my @adventuresherman Instagram. At $12 it’s expensive for a single-use mask, but I’d repurchase if I could get it at a discount again.
I’m not 100% finished talking about my Grand Cayman vacation just yet. 🙂 Actually, this post is not so much about the trip as it is about the makeup that I brought with me to paint my face. I’m pretty proud of this little flat lay I did of my travel products, so I wanted to share it:

Because I’m not ready to let our vacation go yet, this week’s Friday Five is all Grand Cayman-related!
1. Grand Cayman Souvenirs: I have a shotglass collection, so of course I bought a couple to add to it—one general Cayman Islands, one Hell. And we have a turtle collection so I bought this adorable carved stone turtle from the Cayman Turtle Center.
I’ll jump right in to Part 2 of my Grand Cayman vacation recap! In case you missed Part 1, check it out here.
It’s cold here in Washington DC, but I’m staying warm by drinking hot chocolate and wrapping myself in fond memories of our recent vacation in Grand Cayman! Of course I took a ton of photos during our week on the island, so I’ll be doing a two-part recap here. Part 1 commences in 3…2…1… [LONG POST WARNING!]

My January Play! by Sephora post is coming to you later than usual because my box arrived the day before my husband and I left for a weeklong vacation in Grand Cayman. As much as I enjoy writing these posts, I was not about to work on one while in the Caribbean. 🙂

