OCTOBER FAVORITES ♥

I’m going to attempt to make these posts a little more aesthetically appealing!  Let me know how you like (or don’t like, ha ha ha) the new layout! :D

Film

Saving Mr. Banks

I had one of those “oh, that looks interesting, but I don’t feel like watching it right now” sort of relationships with this movie before I had seen it.  I’m not sure why, honestly.  I knew that it was about Mary Poppins and it had Emma Thompson in it.  Intriguing enough, right?  The rest was a mystery to me, and I have to say “the rest” really surprised me.  I was not expecting so much drama. 

            Anyway, finally, after months of dragging on this backburner relationship, my best friends sat me down and made me watch Saving Mr. Banks.

            The feels.  Oh, the feels.  I cried so hard at the ending, ha ha.  This is a beautiful, thought-provoking, incredibly well-made film.  The acting is phenomenal and the story is very poignant and alive.  After recently watching it for the second time, my opinion hasn’t changed.  As a writer and Disney-lover, this one will stay with me for a very long time.

Book

“The Art of Writing Poetry” by William Packard

One of the means by which I’ve been able to ease myself back into writing mode is poetry.  Usually I write a one-page free verse or a haiku, depending on how lazy I am that day.  Thanks to this nifty little poetry handbook, however, I’ve been exploring new territory within this exciting genre.  Ballads, sestinas, and villanelles—oh my.  I picked up this gem at a thrift store!

Music

Sky Sailing – An Airplane Carried Me to Bed (album)

Super Junior – Raining Spell for Love, Evanesce, Islands

Okay so this month, I have quite a few music favorites that I absolutely must share.  Sorry, I’m going to break the rules a little bit and share more than one, ha ha ha.   During my Resonant Song hiatus, I acquired several new albums, including Sky Sailing (Owl City’s Adam Young)’s An Airplane Carried Me to Bed, and Super Junior’s latest album, This is Love.

            Beginning with Sky Sailing, I can’t believe that I hadn’t bought this album earlier.  I LOVE Owl City, particular his older stuff (Ocean Eyes = quite possibly my favorite album ever), and AACMtB is the very epitome of why I love Adam Young.  Beautiful, unique, very listenable tunes paired with meaningful lyrics and Adam’s peacefully melancholic voice.  I fell in love all over again.  My favorite tracks on the album are Take Me Somewhere Nice, Captains of the Sky, and Brielle.

            What blew me so far away with Super Junior’s This is Love album (repackage of their previous Mamacita album) is, once again, the versatility of this incredible group.  The songs range from super catchy dance beats and One Direction-esque pop (Too Many Beautiful Girls.  You know you thought of that, too, so don’t go there) to gut-wrenching ballads and sweet, sexy R&B sound.  Out of the thirteen tracks, there are maybe two or three that I didn’t particularly care for, but that’s because they are just OK.  All the others are fantastic!  The three that I picked for this blog post are the ones that I like best, Islands being my favorite song on the album.  Yes, it’s a ballad.  

I’m sorry, I can’t help myself. cx

                                              Give it a listen~!

Product

Etude House Aloe Moistfull skincare set

            With winter just on the horizon, I’ve certainly braced myself and my super-sensitive skin for the cold and dry weather that is bound to come.  I’ve officially gone into cold-weather-mode with my skincare routine, and I’ve added a few new products to the mix in hopes that I can rid myself of my psoriasis once and for all.

            One ingredient which I’ve noticed really helps calm my skin is aloe.  I’ve been doing a lot of research in regards to which products would work better with my very specific skin conditions.  I’ve used Etude House products in the past, both in the makeup and skincare categories, and they’ve performed wonderfully and never irritated my skin.  So when I found out about the brand’s “Moistfull” skincare products, naturally, I was intrigued.  There are several types, but obviously I narrowed it down to the aloe set pretty easily.

            The three products I purchased were the First Essence, the Soothing Gel, and the Soothing Cream.  I’m not entirely sold on the essence just yet (it doesn’t seem to do anything except smell nice), but the gel and cream are great.  I wear the gel under my makeup in the daytime, and I use the cream at night.  Both after cleansing with my DHC oil, of course.  The Moistfull products, true to their name, really help keep my skin soft and more receptive to whatever I put over it.  The “soothing” aspect is spot-on as well.  Just minutes after applying, my skin is less red and irritated, even after exfoliating, which I find impressive.  Many products are quite uncomfortable to apply after exfoliation.

            I’d give the Soothing Gel and Soothing Cream four stars!

Makeup

Wet ‘n’ Wild matte black eyeshadow single

This one seems pretty basic, but man, has little eyeshadow single has changed my everyday makeup routine.  A lot of people tell me that I do eyeliner really well, but I WILL TELL YOU ALL THAT I HATE DOING EYELINER, LIKE ASDFGHJKLK.  NOPE.

            Ahem.  Many days would pass where I wouldn’t even wear any eyeliner because I was simply too lazy or didn’t have enough time.  …Okay, okay.  That was almost every day.  My eyeliner of choice is Milani’s EyeTech Extreme liquid pen liner, but honestly, it takes a long time to get those perfect wings.  Not happening on a daily basis. 

            Anyway, the point that I’m trying to make here is that there are far easier way to apply eyeliner, especially if you’re pressed for time.  Get an eyeliner brush, a bit of water, and a good matte black eyeshadow, and you’re good to go.  And it doesn’t have to be MAC’s Carbon.

            This eyeshadow single from Wet n Wild’s Color Icon collection cost me like, one dollar, and it does the job perfectly fine.  Yay.

Event

K + 1^st grade field trip to Detering Orchard

Finally, my favorite event for the month of October.  This was an incredibly easy one.  In the first week of the month, I had the opportunity to accompany the kindergarten and first grade classes on a field trip to a local orchard, where they could pick apples and pumpkins, pet goats, drink cider, and all sorts of other fun stuff.  I always enjoyed field trips, so I was happy to comply.

            The day ended up being like little autumn vacation.  The weather was gorgeous.  The kids were so happy and enthusiastic.  The cider was delicious and browsing through the stands was lovely.  I even went home with a few apples and a handsome little pumpkin—all handpicked by yours truly.

            Being a teacher constantly reminds me that we have to be grateful for the little things in our lives, not just the big things.  The little things are often what can give us the most joy, if we only open our eyes and our hearts to the possibilities that are waiting for us everywhere.