enJOY it by Elise Blaha Cripe

maps on my mind.

Super inspired by these two pins. (Original sources : framed / hearts.) Not sure if it's because Paul and I are separated on a map or because shortly we'll be moving to a new city (Ventura, CA in early December!). Either way, I know I am going to need some DIY map decorations for our new place.

I would love to do a combination of both the images above and do a row of framed map hearts of places that mean a something to us. Right now, that would be Bethesda, Maryland (where we first lived together), Downtown Sacramento (where we're from and where we were married), Bora Bora (where we honeymooned) and Little Italy, San Diego (where we live now).

We're looking at about eight moves in the next fifteen years (remember, he's Navy), so this is certainly a project that could grow.

And related : I love this project idea. Paul and I are planning a road trip down the CA coast for when he gets back. It would be rad to stitch our course and frame it.

magic monday.

Yesterday, my grandma, my mom's mom, suffered a stroke. I would greatly appreciate your thoughts and prayers for her, my mom and the rest of my extended family over the next few days as we wait to see how things go. Thank you so much.

ps. that print in the photo above is sadly not available at the moment, but it came from a fundraiser hosted by the fantastic kate miss.

guess what i'm working on?

recent skincare changes.

So I mentioned recently that I made some skincare changes. You might have thought the big reveal was going to be some sort of mind-blowing infomercial. But really it's a little bit boring :

Yep, that's it.

There are lots of arguments for organic skincare products and I cannot even pretend to understand them all and don't think this is the forum to speak on them. Some people think what's in so many of our skin products is no big deal and some people think it's worth sounding the alarm. I probably fall somewhere in the middle. However, I know that the more natural I eat, the better I feel, so why should that not apply to what I put on my skin as well?

And after taking a look at a cheat sheet (scanned in below / click to enlarge) from the book There's Lead in Your Lipstick (and realizing that everything I owned had at least two of the toxins listed), I decided that when I ran out of a current product (face wash, lotion, makeup) I'd replace it with something that was paraben (and all other toxins) free.

I have been carrying it around in my wallet for the past two months and so far have switched out my face wash, lotion and mascara. My skin has never been softer and smoother. And even better, the awkward white pores that have been visible around my nose for the past few years are no longer a problem.

Some of the products (starred above) I was able to find at Target. I like the YesTo product line, but should note that they have "fragrance" listed on the label which is not considered natural. The Pangea Organics skincare line is really fantastic and I was lucky enough to grab a bunch of stuff at a discounted rate when Swirl ran a sample sale a few weeks ago. I am pleased with everything, but my favorites would be the Avalon Organics face wash and the Pangea Organics face lotion (I apply it every night and morning).

The mascara is the only make-up switch I have made so far. I figured my eyes deserved the least amount of chemicals and I found the Lavera line at Target. It's not the best in terms of BOLD, FULL LASHES, but it works fine and is toxin-free.

And a word on body soap : I switched from Lever1000 (or whatever it's called) to natural Burt's Bees at the beginning of September. It seems less soapy (i.e. less bubbles and foam) but my skin still gets clean and even better, I have noticed I no longer need to apply body lotion everyday. I think my old soap was stripping my skin of natural oil and leaving me dry and flaky. My current bar is almost gone and I am excited to try the Dr. Bronner's brand next.

I am still looking for a new mineral based face and body sunscreen & some less-toxic nail polish. I would love to hear if you have any suggestions! Also, if you are into shopping online for Pangea Organics products, I recommend The Green Life which was founded by my friend Jessica & her husband.

EDIT : I can't thank you enough for all these suggestions. Natural skincare for the win. Thank you, thank you & keep them coming.

Just a reminder : tomorrow (10/21) is the last day to save $20 on early bird registration for my minibook workshop at Teahouse Studio. The class will be a jam-packed & fun-filled two days and will take place in Berkeley, California on November 12 & 13. More information can be found here and please feel free to email me with any questions.

I hope you can come!