Things I’m loving lately

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So…who wants a glimpse at what I’m loving lately?  It’s been awhile since I last posted one of these and wouldn’t you know it–my list is twice the size as normal.  I’m sharing ten things today, instead of my usual five.

First up is a new app I’m loving.  It’s called Over, and it’s kind of like a mobile photoshop.

Over is great for creative on-the-go type of people who enjoy embellishing photos with words and/or artwork.  If you act fast, you may be able to still download it from the iTunes store for free.  Here are a couple examples of what I’ve done with it over the past few days.  (And yes, my kids did already go back to school.)  The second photo was one I snapped from the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

Next on my list is an eyeshadow kit from Urban Decay.  It’s called Naked 2 and it includes twelve neutral shades of quality shadow that won’t rub off the first time you blink.  I don’t buy makeup terribly often.  The only reason I went in search of this one was because while Torri and I were in Europe, I complimented her on her eyeshadow shade one day.  She thanked me and told me the name of the shade and let me borrow some the following day.  I loved it then and now that I have my own set I love it even more.  The colors are really flattering for us warm, earthy tone types.  At first I was hesitant to try the glitter shades, but having worn them several times now I can honestly say that I will use every single shade in the kit.

Moving right along, there is a new song I’m loving.  It’s called “When I was your man,” and it’s by Bruno Mars.  It fits right in to my wine sipping playlist.  And that’s all I have to say about that.

There’s no good way to transition here so I’ll just tell you that the next thing on my list is Tom’s toothpaste.  We used to always buy our toothpaste at Costco, but when they stopped carrying the brand I preferred and went strictly to offering whitening toothpastes, we had to look elsewhere.  I settled on Tom’s not only because it’s made without artificial colors, flavors and sweeteners, but also because we really like the natural (less sweet) flavor and texture.  I’m a total Tom’s convert.

Next up is a pair of shoes that I fell in love with while traipsing around Europe this summer.  They are the Merrell barefoot wonder glove shoes and I absolutely love them.  They have the same vibram soles as all those barefoot running shoes, so they do take a bit of getting used to but once you do, I promise that they’re as comfortable as all giddy-up.  They come in several different colors.  I have the black ones and am seriously considering a second color.

Something else I discovered in Europe was this Kinder bueno candy bar.  As a fun treat for the rest of the family, Torri and I brought home several varieties of European candies.  We had fun taste testing all of them at home together, and this was a clear winner.  It’s got chocolate and hazlenut.  Need I say more?  I thought not.  The good news is that it is available domestically not only from Amazon, but I’ve also bought it at World Market since returning home.I know I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, but I picked up another favorite flavor in Europe: passion fruit.  Native flavor or not, the Europeans know how to do up some passion fruit.  More on that in a future post, but let me tell you that it is yummy stuff.  Not easy to find, though.  I’ve searched high and low at every specialty food store within proximity of my house and there’s but one place I’ve found passion fruit puree: Amazon. It is anything but cheap, in part because it is sold frozen and it has to be shipped overnight.  But if, like me, you’ve developed a passion for it (pun totally intended), then this is where you’ll find it.

The next thing on my list has nothing to do with Europe.  It’s a pillow I bought at Costco.  Let me preface this by saying that I have recurring back and neck pain that can be really severe at times.  Jeff and I sleep on a Tempur-Pedic mattress which I love.  The bed came with a pillow, but it only lasted so many years.  When I realized that my aged pillow was to blame for some of my neck pain and probably should be replaced, I tried the Novaform contour pillow .  I’m happy to report that my neck pain is totally under control for now and I do believe that this pillow should be partly credited.

How about we move along to clothing, shall we?  Like, say, this fabulous lace top that I got from Forever 21?  It cost me a whopping 16 bucks and it was worth every penny.  It’s super comfy and totally flattering and extremely versatile.  Forever 21 tops are finicky as far as laundering, but this top is so cute that I don’t even mind having to wash it separately and hang it to dry.  It got me started on a lace kick and I’ve since gone back to Forever and have added several more lace tops to my summer wardrobe.

Okay, last but not least.  I recently finished reading Still Missing by Chevy Stevens.  It’s about a young female realtor who is abducted during an Open House.  The first part of the book details her experience living with the kidnapper.  The second part of the book is about her escape and the mystery that unravels as the police close in on the guilty party.  It’s a page turner for sure–great for a summer read by the pool or on the beach.

So there you have it–my list of things I’m loving lately.  How about you?  What are you loving these days?