10 Products That Actually Work

Yesterday I found myself perched in front of a low shelf at my local T.J.Maxx/Homegoods ...waist deep in one time use Korean beauty masks, Aloe vera sock treatments and a variety of items that boasted ingredients like "real volcanic ash!" "compressed diamond fibers!" "mineral sea salt extract!" when it occurred to me...I'm addicted to miracle products.  I mean, who doesn't love the idea of phenomenal, instentatious results?  In most cases I'd go gaga for somewhat noticeable, slowly developing results!  I can tell you with confidence, however- and if you have a similar addiction I'm sure you'll agree- that's not how things typically play out.  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is...except for these gems.  Every so often a blind squirrel finds a nut, as they say, and over time I've developed a small arsenal of products that just plain work.  Here's a few of my favorites...

1. Bare Minerals Blemish Therapy: The trick to this is to use it the moment you start to feel a pimple developing...I'm always astounded at how well it works.  I can neither confirm nor deny that a few males in my family use it regularly as well.

2. Egyptian Magic: I first discovered Egyptian Magic at- of all places- Costco.  The price was a little steep for skin cream but you know how it goes when you're in the zone buying in bulk...in the cart it went.  It is, by far, the most hydrating product I've ever purchased.  The consistency might throw you off at first (it's more of a balm than a cream) but the results are unparalleled.

3. Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask: So, my lips get really dry in the winter.  Really, really, really dry (and cracked and peel-y and the whole enchilada).  They've been especially bad this winter and after trying everything I could think of (including, but not limited to, other items on this list), I finally found my solution in this lip mask.  Just before bed I exfoliate my lips with a sugar scrub, then use just a smidgen of product.  Come morning I'm a new woman.

4. Moroccan Oil: Nothing smells better, nothing works better.  Keeps my relatively thin hair shiny and smooth without looking greasy.  The best.

5. Wet Brush: This is the most fabulous detangling brush for wet or dry hair (though it's particularly amazing when hair is wet).  It's the only brush I've ever used that doesn't feel like it's doing damage to my hair...knots just glide right out.  

6. CeraVe: I've only been using this facial moisturizer for a few months but my skin loves it.  A little goes a long way, too...at the rate I'm going I should finish my first jar circa 2025.

7. Sweater Saver: I love our living room couch, but after about a year of use I realized it was covered in messy little lint balls.  After purchasing several products that falsely claimed they would rid me of said lint balls, I was at my wits end.  Thankfully my Mom found the Sweater Saver at a little boutique and it worked like a dream.  Every time I use it my couch looks brand new!

8. Foot Rubz: When I purchased this foot massager as a small present to throw in my husband's Christmas stocking I had no idea how much use I'd get out of it.  Although I admittedly hate the fact that whoever named the product substituted a "s" for a "z" in their name (never a z people...never a z), I have to say the dang thing rubs the knots right out of your feet without any pain.

9. Epsom Salt Soaking Solution: There's nothing like an Epsom salt bath to cheaply soothe muscle aches and pains.  I always feel like a remarkably new person whenever I take one, and the smell of this particular product is divine.  

10. Totally Awesome: If you're looking for a 100% organic cleaner made of all natural ingredients...well...keep looking cause this isn't it.  Don't get me wrong, it's not hazardous, but it is strong so ventilation is key.  That being said, boy oh boy does it work!  This stuff gets out everything.  Seriously.  It hasn't let me down yet and I've put it to the task on more than one occasion.

1. Blemish Therapy, Bare Minerals $18  2. Egyptian Magic, Costco $39.99  3. Agave Lip Mask, Bite Beauty $26  4. Moroccan Oil Treatment, Moroccan Oil $44  5. The Wet Brush, Amazon $8.96  6. Moisturizing Cream, CeraVe $12.99  7. Hollywood Sweater Saver, Amazon $7.34  8. Hand and Foot Massager, Foot Rubz $6.26  9. Epsom Salt Soaking Solution with Eucalyptus Spearmint, Dr. Teals $4.87  10. Totally Awesome All Purpose Cleaner, Dollar General $1

Come See Us at Gaslamp Too Antiques!

Fun fact: you can now shop with us at Gaslamp Too Antiques in lovely Nashville, Tennessee!  By that I of course mean we have some items for sale there...but hey- we're always up for a shopping trip if you are.  We're so thrilled to partner with Gaslamp because, quite frankly, they're the best of the best (just ask the Nashville Scene Reader's poll in 2015...and 2014...and 2013 for that matter).  There are so many surprisingly affordable, incredibly beautiful pieces available there- literally thousands!  No amount of explanation can do it justice, so in lieu of droning on and on I'll leave it at this: you should go there.  In the meantime, here's just few highlights of our little booth...

I was trying to decide on a favorite piece to highlight but I had a hard time landing on just one.  The table and chairs are custom pieces we whipped up that really turned out to be showstoppers.  The giant Audrey picture is- for obvious reasons- a personal fave of mine.  But if you forced me to pick only one item from our booth to put in my own home it would have to be this CR Laine chair.

The sole reason this chair isn't currently in my home is space constraints (and boy oh boy, did I try).  It's hard to really get a sense of scale in this picture but this is a big chair...I don't care who you are, this chair will dwarf you.  Last one and I'm done- I also really love this Polar Bear print on canvas & gauze by Elizabeth Lucas.  It's such a unique piece and believe you me, the price is right.  All that being said, come visit us!  Gaslamp Too is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00am - 6:00pm and Sunday from Noon to 6:00pm and the address is 128 Powell Place, Nashville TN 37204 (cue "The More You Know" comet trail).  Hope you check it out!      

Wanted: H&M 2014 Conscious Collection

I took a temporary departure from our usual format and dedicated today's Wanted exclusively to my favorite pieces from H&M's new Conscious collection…because I'm loosing my mind over it.  It's so chic, so reasonably priced and so high fashion I can hardly stand it.  Mark your calendars for it's launch April 10…if your local H&M isn't one of the 150 stores that carry it, don't fret!  They're making the whole collection available online as well (cue sigh of relief).  Good thing I have the next few weeks to narrow down what to buy because- from a monetary standpoint- I could get myself in all kinds of trouble here (affordable isn't so affordable when you buy 10 pieces).  Decisions, decisions…

1. Boho purse, $69.95  2. Shoulder Adornment, $149  3. White Jumpsuit, $69.96  4. Black Ball gown, $299  5. Fringe Earrings, $17.95  6. Shoulder Bearing Lace Blouse, $69.95  7. Metallic Sheath Dress, $69.95  8. Head Wrap, $17.95

Case Closed

So, I'm thinking about finally breaking down and getting an iPad.  While I've always loved the idea of owning one, I wasn't totally convinced it was something I needed or would even use since I work from home.  As our business continues to expand, however, it's looking like I may be able to justify buying one of these bad boys after all.  Score.  Now all that's left to do is tackle which case to pick!  I rounded up a few that caught my eye, though some are all kinds of aspirational.  Which to choose...which to choose...

1. Intrecciato Leather iPad Sleeve, Botegga Veneta $630  2. Rainspot iPad Sleeve, Kate Spade $50  3. Textured Leather iPad 2 Case, Mulberry $465  4. Gold Mirrored Sleeve Case, Juicy Couture $44.95  5. Baggu iPad Sleeve, Madewell $28  6. Solid Dark Walnut iPad2 Case, Wurkin Stiffs $135

Impractically Perfect

I spent the majority of yesterday in New York City helping a dear friend plan her wedding and as a fun treat, her Mom made reservations at Bergdorf Goodman for lunch.  Now, I don't know if you've ever been to Bergdorf Goodman for lunch (I, of course, hadn't) but in my now expert opinion, you should go.  You should go right away.  But let this be a warning to you if you do go right away!  Should you dare to browse around after lunch like we did, chances are high that you will loose your ever loving mind.  It's just way too many beautiful, wonderful, extravagant things under one roof...things you most certainly can not have displayed in such a way that tricks you into thinking maybe you might need them.  There's some kind of dark magic at work there for sure.  After spending part of the afternoon discovering so many incredible pieces, I got to thinking about the kinds of over the top things I would buy if I was the kind of over the top person that shopped there.  These were the first items that came to mind...

1. Coloring Book, Hermes $140  2. Mini Luggage Tote, Celine $2,400  3. Windows at Bergdorf Goodman, Assouline $695  4. Creme de la Mer, La Mer $1,800  5. Crystal Embellished Sandals, Alexander McQueen $1,710

The Shops At Target

The Shops at Target are open for business!  After weeks of waiting, I finally got the chance to explore their curated collection of items from boutique stores across the country.  First observation: wow.  Second observation: I'm not exactly sure what their restocking plan is, but based on what I saw yesterday you should probably pay them a visit sooner than later.  The concept itself is pure gold but the really great part is they were able to deliver on their great idea.  With all the self restraint I could muster, I walked away with only one of The Candy Store's dark chocolate sea salted caramels (best. thing. ever.), some bronze COS Bar nail polish and a few Privet House cloth napkins.  This sleeveless jersey dress from The Webster spoke to me (you've gotta see it in person...the material is incredible), as did the majority of the Privet House dinnerware but I silenced them all.  You've gotta draw the line somewhere.  Anyone else make their way over to The Shops yet?  What did you think?

1.The Webster Printed Belts, $19.99 each  2. Privet House Black Fig & Honey Candle, $15.99  3. Polka Dog Bakery Rope Ball, $9.99  4. Candy Shop Salted Caramels, $9.99  5. Candy Shop Nostalgic Candy, $9.99  6. Candy Shop Swirl Lolipop, $3.99  7. The Webster Sleeveless Jersey Dress, $29.99  8. COS Bar Bronze Nail Polish, $3  9. Privet House Journals, $28.99  10. The Webster Geo Print Bangle, $16.99  11. Privet House Small Woven Tumbler, $21.99

Flea Market Finds

Hola mis amigos- how was your weekend?  Things went swimmingly on this end...I fit in a trip to the flea market of all flea markets (over a mile long!), a movie night with my roomies, church, brunch, some trivia-based fun with my brother and friends and even a Sunday afternoon nap!  A delightful weekend if I don't say so myself.  After re-reading that sentence, I realize how geriatric it sounds...but...whadda ya do?  The heart wants what it wants.

I'm in a show and tell kind of mood so I wanted to share a few of the pieces I picked up during Saturday's flea market marathon.  All in all, I bought a picture for my new room (more details on that to follow), a beautiful scarf and a triple strand of pearls (a la Blair Eadie), a 16 piece gold rimmed glasses set, two old school apothecary bottles, a ladylike tea hat, a (brace yourself) red and gold turban, and- finally- a set of olive green glass plates.  I was in the zone people.  Oh, and did I mention it all came to a grand total of like...$50?!  Impressive, right!?

Missoni for Target

I know, I know- the whole world is exhausted with hearing about Missoni for Target.  I totally get it.  But I can't help myself because I love it!  I hit up not one but two Targets yesterday and was equal parts amazed and horrified by the events of the morning.  My Mom and I walked into the first store no less than 15 minutes after it opened and there were already swarms of women sweeping through like locusts. People were screaming "Just put it in the cart!  We'll sort it when we get home!" and literally wiping the shelves clean.  It was astounding.  The reason we went so early was to snag a particular blanket I had my eye on, which of course the locusts gobbled up in the 15 minutes before I walked in the door.  Unfortunately, it wasn't at the other Target either.  But you know what was?  Alllll the items below.  This, dear friends, was the bounty we reaped.  From what I understand the collection sold out much faster than anyone was expecting, but drop by Target as soon as you possibly can to see if any of the remnants are still there!  Best of luck!

Que Bella

If you've read my tweets, conversed with me, or really just been in my general vicinity over the last week, then chances are good you've heard me talk about Savant Vintage Couture.  I took my maiden voyage to Savant last Wednesday and yesterday marks my third visit since.  In a perfect world, it would be part of my daily routine...as it would be my closet.  It's like a drug, folks.  Can't...get...enough.  While I've only purchased a handful of items thus far, I've made sure to make 'em count.  The dress I wore for this month's Table for Twelve (which goes up in just a few short hours!!) came straight from the racks below.  It is, perhaps, my new favorite thing.  It's obvious Savant's lovely owner, Bev, knows quality and style, but what's really great is that she also knows a little bit of each item's story (and I love a good story).  I just couldn't possibly say enough wonderful things about this store- if you're in Nashville you have to go.  In fact, I'll meet you there.  2302 12th Ave S...last one there's buying. :)

by boe

My name is Gabby and I have a jewelry problem.  Real jewelry, vintage jewelry, jewelry that turns your skin green- I don't even care.  It all has the potential to get me bug-eyed.  When my sweet friend, Nadia, sent me the link to by boe, little did she know she may as well have opened Pandora's Box.  It's crazy stylish, extremely well priced, and I'm obsessed with pretty much all of it.  I pulled a couple of my favorite pieces below...L-O-V-E it.

BHLDN

I think it's safe to say Anthropologie + Weddings = the best idea ever.  Just yesterday this brilliant concept came to life with the launch of their latest venture, BHLDN.  Before I say another word, lets just talk about the name for a second.  It's pronounced "beholden" and was inspired by a dutch word that means "to keep".  It's as confusing as it is clever, but we're talking about Anthropologie here and- I don't know about you- but I'll take whatever they're dishing out.  At any rate, their selection of gowns, bridesmaid dresses and wedding accessories is as fantastic as one would expect.  Their goal is "heirloom quality" and they surely deliver on it.  As if all this wasn't exciting enough, they're already announcing plans to expand into wedding decor and will eventually carry everything from candelabras to cake toppers.  I posted a few of my favorite pieces below, but I hope you'll bounce over to their brand new site and check things out for yourself.  It's all so very gorgeous!

Ban.Do!

A few years back I went through a bit of a headband phase...though it was much less traumatizing than my Tommy Hilfiger sweatshirt phase or my skater pants phase, I still don't think back on it as one of my finer moments. After being introduced to ban.do, however, I'm thinking it may be a phase that bears repeating.  This time, I'm doing it right.  Though I'm a big fan of the brand in general, I was particularly smitten by the ban.do black label- their vintage, couture, one of a kind pieces.  You may recognize the model, Alison Sudol, by her stage name, 'A Fine Frenzy'.  I think she could make just about anything look good, but she does a darn good job rocking these mini works of art, don't you think?

Inmost Light

For whatever reason, I’ve always wanted a poison ring.  You don’t have to tell me how bizarre-o that is…I’m well aware.  While I never wanted to utilize the poison holding capabilities of said ring, I’ve always found the concept to be especially intriguing.  A few weeks ago, I finally hopped onto the world wide web and bought myself one.  Well, it came today- straight from Victoria Rogol, an outrageously talented artist in Israel- which of course gives my long awaited poison ring more cool points than I ever could have prepared for. 

(“Where’d you get that ring?”

“Oh this old thing?  It’s a poison ring from Tel Aviv…no big deal”)

I was so intent on ordering my poison ring, I didn’t pay much attention to the other items in the artist’s store until today.  After spending some time exploring it, I’m realizing that was less than a good call.  Turns out I may need to make a few more purchases.  Here are a few particularly great finds and believe me- there’s more where that came from.  Click here to browse Victoria’s store, and here to check out her lovely blog.

Oh, and did I mention it's ridiculously affordable?  Check out these prices...

1. Discover secret places long locket necklace, $26.50 2. Unravelling 8x12 original fine art photograph, $21 3. Naturalist's Journal vintage book locket ring, $20 4. Golden hour 5x7 original film art photograph, $7.50 5. Saturday morning 8x12 original fine art photograph, $21 6. Artemis vintage brass leaf ring, $13.50

Ik(eeee!)a

Preparing for a trip to Ikea forces you to ask questions that aren’t normally associated with furniture shopping.  Are you well hydrated?  Are you wearing appropriate footwear?  Do you have access to a map and/or compass?  I’m telling you…this store is no joke.  Show up unprepared and it will overwhelm you like a tidal wave.  Fortunately, I was in the company of a few pros and we came, saw, and conquered with little injury (with the exception of my completely knotted back- darn you heavy purse!).  My absolute favorite purchase was my new collection of stainless steel espresso cups. My Dad has a similar set and…lets just say we’re more alike than we are different. I guess it was only a matter of time until I bought (and subsequently obsessed over) one too. 

Swedish design is all about clean, white minimilism...and since Ikea might as well be a synonym for Swedish, it’s not surprising that most of my other favorite pieces fit the bill.  Here are a few other goodies I came across.

1. IKEA 365+ Serving bowl with lid, $14.99  2. MASKROS Pendant lamp, $49.99  3. IKEA 365+ LUNTA Floor lamp, $99.99  4. RÖNÅS Candlesticks, $3.99-$9.99  5. ANRIK Coffee/ tea maker, $29.99  6. TOLSBY Frame, $0.99

The Container-For-Everything-But-My-Excitement Store

This past weekend was a perfect storm of wonderfulness.  I took a mini road trip to Atlanta with a few of my lovely cousins and we had a grand time doing the whole eat, shop, and repeat routine.  As much as I adore living in Nashville, I must admit the stores in Atlanta are in a whole other league.  Ikea, Zara, H&M, Lush, and the list goes on- it's a veritable shopping goldmine.  I put up a pretty decent fight, but there were a few items I simply couldn't resist.  I'll share a couple with you throughout the week, but first I wanted to highlight one of my favorite stops we made- The Container Store!  Oh, how to sum it up.  It was...in a word...everything-I-want-my-space-to-be.  Who knew organization could be so fun?  Check out this office display I caught a glimpse of.  Shadow box frames filled with office supplies- genius!  Or at the very least, super cute!

Perhaps more than anything, I went crazy over the wrapping paper.  I mean seriously, how fantastic are these designs? 

Of course, it's called The Container Store for a reason- it's many adorable storage options just about floored me.  I may or may not have purchased a few of the cute gold gift mailers (and maybe a roll of the tweed wrapping paper above)...not sure what I'm gonna send or who I'm sending it to, but I couldn't bring myself to leave without them.   

1. Double Chrome Corner Shelf, $17.99  2. InterMetro® Wine Rack, $176.91  3. Gift Mailers, $0.99  4. Feathergrain Bins, $12.99-$29.99, 5. Take-Out Cartons, $0.99  6. Sapien Bookcase, $198