We’re currently in the middle of a rather premature heat wave and I’ve been craving all things summer. Sandals, sunglasses, swimming, and ice cream have been at the top of my priority list, especially since our home air conditioning unit decided to call it quits and our house is reaching sauna-like temperatures (ugh!). That being said, there are four new additions to our home that I’ve been loving lately, some of which are quite summer-weather appropriate….
Spring has sprung! Perennials are in full bloom, tree branches are covered in fragrant blossoms, and the air is filled with the soft hum of delighted bumblebees. As with my wardrobe, I tend to gravitate towards more monochromatic nail colours, like grey and black during the colder months. With the arrival of spring, I enjoy incorporating slightly softer, more romantic shades inspired by the colours of the season. These shades from essie are my top four nail colour picks for spring….
Yes, I realize that it is now May. However, this has been one of those winters that just keeps hanging on. Spring has been fighting to take over, but the emerging tulips have been greeted with a sprinkling of snow on several occasions this spring. February through April were all about keeping warm and staying cozy while hanging the light trench coat in the closet in hopes of sunny days ahead.
There were a couple of things that were definite favourites this winter, but that I continue to reach for every day during this transitional time of year.
First of all, are a couple of products by NUXE. I received a travel-size set of NUXE products as a birthday gift and fell in love with the Huile Prodigieuse, so I had to pick up the big bottle! I have been using this dry oil on my face both in the morning and before bedtime and it is an amazing moisturizer without being greasy; it penetrates deep and leaves skin feeling super soft and supple. I feel like it gives my skin a dewy sort of glow and it smells soooo good. I read online that NUXE has created a fragrance in this scent–tempting!
As my chapstick was empty to the point where I was scraping plastic on my lips when applying it, I picked up the NUXE Rêve de Miel Ultra Nourishing Lip Balm at the same time as the oil. The NUXE balm is very thick and has a pleasant honey-citrus smell. It is sort of sticky, but this seems to help it stay on the lips longer and I find that I don’t have to constantly reapply. It’s really soothing and moisturizing for chapped lips, whereas other lip balm products I’ve used almost feel like they make chapped lips worse. All in all, this NUXE lip balm is awesome!
Next, are my beloved Glerups that Ryan kindly gifted me for Valentine’s Day. Ryan bought himself the slipper style in January and I was getting quite tired of him telling me how warm and cozy his feet were, so I was VERY excited to get my own pair in the boot style. After all, I can think of few better ways to show one’s love than giving the gift of warm feet. Cold mornings have become a little easier to handle now that I can put these on my feet as soon as I roll out of bed. These house shoes from Denmark are made from felted wool and have a suede sole. As is suggested, I wear them without socks and they keep my feet nice and toasty, without ever making my feet sweaty (eww). As wool is a natural fibre, it regulates temperature, so even now that the days are beginning to get warmer, they still always keep my feet at the perfect temperature. Every minute at home has basically been spent in these slippers since I received them and they are holding up really well; they still look like new. Great product, excellent quality, love ’em!
Winter is dark and gloomy, so lighting a candle can help amp up the cozy-factor and make a space feel warm and inviting. When it comes to scented candles, I tend to prefer more masculine scents, especially in the colder months. This DW Home candle in Warm Tobacco Pipe was one of our favourites this winter.
Green house plants add life to any space and can really make a space feel more inviting. During the winter months when everything was monochromatic brown outside, the touches of green throughout our home always cheered me up. We try to have some sort of green plant in every room. In spaces where there is not enough light for real plants to thrive, artificial plants like this one from IKEA are a perfect alternative. We caught several of our guests sneaking a closer look at these little potted shrubs, trying to figure out if they were real or not. Success!
Lastly, I love this calendar from Rifle Paper Co. featuring beautiful illustrations of different cities. We have this calendar displayed in our kitchen and it adds a great pop of colour to the space. Here’s to counting down the days ’til summer!