Vintage Advertisements

I stumbled upon these darling vintage ads yesterday and just had to share. As a small busted gal, that bra ad literally had me laughing out loud. NO PADS! Every small chested girls dream come true. Seriously. I get so irritated with that. It is hard enough to find my size, and when I do, all the bras have inch thick insulation in them.
All images FREE and courtesy of ArtByChrysti
Enjoy lovelies! I've got a busy morning ahead of me.
XO, Steph
P.S. Don't forget to check out Ace & Ivy's boutique. They've got beauty blenders for $3.39 right now! I LOVE my beauty blender. So stock up on some.

How to Get Summer Ready Skin + Exfoliating Scrub Recipe

Summer is approaching! Did you hear me right? Summer is almost here! Never you mind these intermittent days of snow. We shall merely pretend they don't exist. I can feel the sun right on the cusp of warming my skin each and every day. 

Now that I'm finally in a place where I can get my health under control, and set some goals for myself, I'm adding to the list my super soft skin. Once upon a time I had the softest, shimmeriest (is that a word?) skin. It was perfectly tanned, had a slight glimmer, and I never had to wear foundation. Oh how I miss this! So I've stocked up on the essentials I once used for my own daily DIY exfoliation treatments, and would love to invite you lovelies to have this same delectable skin. It's so easy, too. Just a few all-natural ingredients from the supermarket.

WHAT YOU NEED

1. Loofah
2. Pumice stone
3. Body wash/cleanser
4. DIY Exfoliating scrub
5. Moisturizing lotion (low alcohol content)

GET DOWN TO WORK

1. Use your loofah or a dry cloth to remove any dead skin cells and to open up your pores, before you get in the shower.
2. Starting from the feet and moving up, toward your heart, begin scrubbing your body with your cleanser.  By going upward in a circular motion, you will increase your body's circulation. Be gentle on sensitive areas such as your face and bikini line. 
3. Use your pumice stone to remove any dry or cracked calluses on your feet.
4. Give your body a good once-over with your homemade exfoliating salt scrub.  I'll include my quick and easy recipe at the end of the this post. Rinse well.
5. Once you're out of the shower, towel dry, leaving your skin somewhat damp. Apply a moisturizer all over your freshly exfoliated skin. Give the lotion a minute to dry and really soak into your skin before getting dressed. You don't want your garments absorbing most of the moisture. My favorite moisturizing lotion is Eucerin healing cream. But whatever you're using, be sure one of the first few ingredients is not alcohol. Many scented or otherwise inexpensive lotions contain a lot of alcohol, which dries out your skin. Once my tan has started to set, I love to use Jergens Natural Glow to slowly build upon it.

NOTE: Don't exfoliate on freshly waxed or shaved skin, or on skin that is sunburned or has any open wounds. This can be very painful and will most likely burn. Believe me, learned that the hard way!

DIY SALT SCRUB RECIPE 

• 1 cup almond oil
• 1 cup course sea salt
• 10-12 drops of vanilla scented oil (or preference)
• Mason jar or other container with lid

Mix all ingredients into your chosen container. You can use more and fewer drops of your scented oil, depending on how strong you prefer your scent to be. Each time you use your homemade salt scrub, shake or mix it well first.

Thanks for reading! Steph Sharing with: Craft-O-Maniac || The Girl Creative || C.R.A.F.T. || Still Being Molly || New Nostalgia || Ladybug Blessings || Sugar Bee Crafts || Tip Junkie || Seven Thirty Three || Sew Much Ado || Someday Crafts || Not Just a Housewife || Free Pretty Things For You || Chic On A Shoestring Budget || The Shabby Nest || Peek-a-boo || Be-You-Tiful Party || Glitter Glue & Paint || The Sits Girls || Tatertots & Jello ||

How to Catch a Leprechaun | DIY Craft Ideas

Monday is St. Patrick's Day and my kids are both excited and frightened. Excited because they get to wear green to school Monday, excited about the prospect of their being gold and rainbows, but nervous of the possibility of a sneaky little leprechaun playing his tricks in their classrooms. So I rounded up the many ways we could catch one of these tricksy little green guys,

 Lure him in with rainbows with The Classroom Creative's trap.

Recipe by Photo gives a step-by-step photo tutorial to trap him in a little cake cage. Gold, the perfect trap cover and irresistible to Leprechaun's.

 Make him work for that gold with Snoodle Doodle, then BAM, straight into a too-tall trap!

 Even Leprechaun's get tired from all those pranks. Modern Parents Messy Kids tricked him with a little vacant hotel.

Call me the mean mom, but I'm willing to take A Differentiated Kindergarten's idea and let my kids think a leprechaun snuck into our house and played his hijinx on us. And stopped to use the bathroom along the way. Too bad he is too rude to even bother flushing.

Have a fun St. Patty's Weekend, Steph