Darphynia's Diary

The holidays seem to come earlier and earlier.  Of course, it's now the end of October, and before you know it, it'll be time to give gifts.  Personally, I love gift-giving.  Whether it's a gift card, set, or something handmade, there is something for everyone.  Here are a few ideas for the makeup-lover on your list.  I have complied a list a high- and low-end (regarding price) sets that will hopefully fit any budget.  You can also create your own gift set by adding full- or travel-sized items to a basket, jar, or other container. 1.  ULTA:  Time to Shine 71-Piece Collection , $24.99 Image courtesy of ulta.com For the makeup lover who is just starting their collection, or someone who wants a kit on-the-go, this ULTA brand collection has everything in one convenient train case.  The train case has two pull-out drawers that house makeup, and comes in either a pink or silver finish.  Time to Shine contains the following (list from U...

It's over, and there is a serious need for sleep.  No, it wasn't mine, in case you were wondering.  My beautiful cousin got married.  Given everything that has gone on, it was wonderful to spend the weekend with family, and welcome her husband into ours.  It was also announced that they will have a new addition after the new year.  It's a boy!  I am so excited for the both of them. We were in a little town up north, where the mountains meet the ocean.  Rarely do I find a place that combines two very different elements.  If Big Bear was located right on the beach, it would be like this place.  Simply beautiful.  The only downside was the lack of reception, so we were pretty much without Internet for the weekend.   Here is the plane we flew to get there: Sorry it's not a better quality.  I had to be quick.  And this is a photo from the cliff where the wedding took place: Hopefully you all had a wond...

When I say it's an ultra mini haul, I mean it.  My cousin's wedding is this weekend, and I really needed a dress.  I'm not all that into dresses, and the few I have are tucked away.  Since I have the Nordstrom debit card , I thought, "Why not spend where I can get some points?"  I did a search, filtering for black dresses only.  This sounds morbid, but since I go to far more funerals than weddings, I wanted something multi-functional.  There were so many cute dresses to choose from, and I came upon the Topshop's Drape Tunic Dress ($75.00, but some of the colors are on sale for $40.00).  It comes in a few colors:  light blue, cranberry, olive, black, and white (I think).  Originally I was going to get the olive color, but that limits the occasions where it would be useful. Image courtesy of nordstrom.com After I placed the order, I figured it would go one of two ways: 1) I would love it, or 2) It would make me look like a whale in a ...

This weekend my friend and I attended Artisanal LA (thank you, Connie!!).  It was so much fun. Artisanal LA was held at the LA Mart, now called The Reef.  The Reef combines the LA Mart, Maker City LA, and Magic Box.  It was over 100 degrees, so we were wuite happy to find that the event was being held indoors.  The second floor housed the various vendors, and I purchased more than I anticipated.  But, then again, doesn't that always happen that these things?  We also ended up spending nearly the entire time there.  It was open from 11am-6pm, and we arrived at around 12pm.   We decided the best thing to do would be to wait to purchase anything until we walked the who show.  Here is some of what we experienced: Califia provides almond milk, juices, coffee, and other non-dairy beverages.  In all honesty, I am not a fan of their almond milk.  It reminds me of colored water.  That being said, I really li...

I am always on the lookout for a high quality SPF brand, and I really love COOLA .  COOLA is an organic suncare company that focuses on quality suncare free of phthalates, parabens, petroleum, and paba.  COOLA also donates to the Melanoma Research Alliance and Healthy Child Healthy World .  To learn more about the company, click here .     They were amazing, and sent me a couple of products to try out.  One has the scent of plumeria (body), and the other is unscented (face).  Plumeria reminds me of strolling up and down the beach in Waikiki when my family and I went a few years ago.  Don't you just love when scents bring back happy memories?  The unscented face suncare is great because it absorbs fast and is not sticky.  Because it is unscented, it does not irritate my nostrils.  Sometimes, scented face products can be a bit nauseating, don't you think?     Plumeria SPF 30 for Body Unscented SPF 30 for Fac...

It's hard to believe the holidays are upon us.  Before we know it, it will be a new year!  I always try to have my holiday shopping done by August, unless I am making gifts.  I have about half of my list checked off, so I guess that's something.  Anyway, the stores are starting to be decked out in holiday cheer.  Today, we took a trip down to Roger's Gardens , which put me more in the holiday mood.  There was a Halloween section and a Christmas/holiday section, both of which were beautifully decorated.  There were also some interesting props, which I wouldn't mind having if I had the space.    This is the doorway to the Halloween-themed area of the grounds.  How fun is it?!  It reminds me of entering a house of horrors that has a circus-type theme.  When we stepped inside, that is exactly what it was like.  A carnival of spooky decor, trinkets, Halloween-themed paper lanterns, and so much more.  On the ceiling ...

Up until yesterday I was house-sitting, thus I was a bit lazy.  I know, I know... that's not good, but hey, at least I'm honest about it.  There have been a couple exciting developments, so I will keep you posted as things move along.  This month is turning out to be quite busier than I anticipated, which means that posts are backed up.  I will be out of town at the end of the month, and there are a number of things going on in between that time.  On the 10th I will be attending Artisanal L.A. If you are in the area, come on by!  Here is the link to pre-sale tickets, otherwise it is $15.00 at the door.  In upcoming weeks, I will be (most likely) posting a few a day.  Trying to make up for lost time. Stay beautiful!