DIY At Home Spa Day

I thought it would be a nice, mid-week break to put together some easy DIY spa treatments. Pull out your kitchen cabinet, a DVD of Pride and Prejudice (I just got the Kiera Knightly version in the mail!) and relax. Maybe you can even get your guy to join in! Here are my top 5 at-home spa treatments.

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1. Soft Hands: TV-Friendly Hand Salve : Combine a few spoonfuls of cold cream, 2 drops of tea tree oil, 5 drops of lavender oil, a spoonful of olive oil and a banana (for a fruity smell) in a blender. When the consistency is smooth, slather liberally all over hands and cuticles. Then slip hands into a pair of yellow rubber gloves—yes, the kind you use to scrub the tub with. For the softest hands ever, I like to sit down and watch TV with my lotioned and gloved hands underneath a heating pad so that the heat will help my homemade salve penetrate my skin that much more. India-Jewel Jackson, GlamBlush, Posted on Glamour.com

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2. Silky Hair: Olive Oil Mask: Summer time means salt water and sun combine to make frizzy, unmanageable hair. To combat this, comb through your hair a couple of tablespoons of good olive oil and then cover with plastic wrap or a shower cap. Leave for fifteen minutes then wash clean.  Anya Merryfield, NZ Girl

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3. Tight Pores: Indian Tomato Tightener: This simple recipe only has 2 ingredients: 1 small or medium unripe tomato (the greener, the better) and 1 tsp. honey.  In a blender, puree tomato and honey to a thick pulp. Cleanse your face well and exfoliate with your favorite product or washcloth to ensure pores are open. Using two fingers, gently massage the pulp into your face. Let it sit for 20 minutes and then rinse off with cold water. Put leftovers in Tupperware and place in the fridge; they’ll last for up to a month. This mask benefits skin by tightening pores and removing excess oil (tomato) and naturally moisturizing (honey).  Shobha SoHo in New York City, Posted on TheNest.com

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4. Smooth Feet: Bedtime Piña Colada Callous Treatment: Even if rough feet aren’t a big problem for you, this foot soak sure sounds yummy. In a foot bath or large, clean bucket, pour in 2-3 cups pineapple juice. Add in ½ cup coconut milk and stir well. Soak for feet for 8-10 minutes and rinse well with warm water. Gently rub a natural pumice stone across any rough areas. Towel dry and apply your favorite moisturizer while feet are still damp. For extra softness, pull on a pair of cotton socks to wake up in the morning  Barbara Feiner, Organic Authority

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5. Touchable Skin: Sweetheart’s Chocolate-Honey Scrub: In a rubber mixing bowl, combine 2 cups honey (100% pure is best) and ½ cup grape seed oil. Stir in 6 Tbl. grated unsweetened chocolate (or dry cocoa powder) and 2 cups kosher salt, mixing completely. Consistency should be grainy and thick. Apply scrub to your skin and gently massage all over your body. Remove with warm, damp towels or rinse off in shower. Makes two treatments. The National Honey Board and Christopher Watt Esthetics in West Hollywood, California, Posted on TheNest.com

Have any other DIY at home spa recipes to share? Post them in the comments! Happy DIY spa day, and have a happy Hump Day!

Cheers,

Jenna Kate

Love is in the Air?

This summer has definitely been a big one for romance. In June, a classmate of mine Andrea got married in Greensboro, and yesterday Southern Weddings posted photos of her wedding shot by Abigail Seymour. I love the classic monogram:

and these adorable Elon cupcakes:

and who could resist these traditional North Carolina favors: Krispy Kreme doughnuts in adorable boxes reading “Glazed and delicious from the new Mr. & Mrs.” So precious!

Next to their cute favor boxes, I just had to leave this great photo of Andrea throwing her bouquet. Check out more photos in the Southern Weddings post and on Abigail Seymour’s blog. Congratulations! I can’t wait to borrow some of your fabulous ideas!

In July, Adam and I went to Jake & Kim’s wedding down in Durham. You saw a photo peek here, and here’s a snapshot of me and Adam all dressed to the nines:

and I snagged this adorable photo of the happy couple off Facebook (all my pictures were blurry thanks to the ambient low lighting and my point & shoot camera) thanks to Brian Mullins Photography:

There are some amazing shots up on Brian’s blog! I love how you can see the reflection of Kim and Jake in the piano. So classic! And to top it all off, the next day, Adam proposed in the Duke Gardens!

Then in the last two weeks, I had two sorority sisters get engaged as well. Congratulation Lisa and Alison! You can read Alison’s adorable engagement story here. And to top it off, The Wedding Chicks are giving away customized DIY wedding invitations with this classic bicycle built for two design:

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Just enter in your info, pick your colors, and each file will be emailed to your address. Get your invitations here.

So all this romance has to make a girl wonder, is there more in the summer air than just humidity?

Cheers,

Jenna Kate

Pineapple

In my office, they order dinner for everyone who is working late, which I think is really great. My Mediterranean salad from last night had some yummy pineapple chunks mixed in with grilled chicken, dried cherries, sesame seeds, chopped lettuce and a yummy honey-lime dressing. This got me thinking about how I never posted pictures up from Easter when my parents purchased a pineapple core-er.

Here you can see my little brother, coring completed, pouring the extra juice out of the pineapple:

And here’s my handsome (now) fiance proudly showing off his nice towering ringlets of pineapple:

So, in honor of Pineapple Wednesday, here’s an easy recipe for a great summer Pineapple Salsa from BlogChef.net:

Ingredients:
1 can pineapple chunks
1 onion (diced)
1 Red bell pepper (diced)
1 Green bell pepper (diced)
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons coriander leaves (chopped)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 jalapeno pepper (optional)
salt (to taste)

Cooking Instructions:

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Step 1: Combine pineapple, red bell pepper, onion, and green bell pepper in a bowl and mix.
Step 2: Add in cayenne pepper, coriander leaves, and lemon juice. Mix well. Let refrigerate until ready to serve.

Enjoy your pineapple today!

Cheers,

Jenna Kate

DIY: Twister Board

My girlfriends in college were obsessed with Twister. Not to say we played a lot, but a Twister board had accompanied us out for the evening on several occasions. I came across this precious DIY project for a custom twister board:

 

Photos from Polka Dot Bride.

This bride-to-be used circles of colorful fabrics on one side for the playing board, and used squares on the other for a fun picnic quilt. I’ll be sure to try out this project soon! Anyone have quilting tips?

Cheers, Kate

DIY Removable Wallpaper?

Today I stumbled upon a new obsession: Oh Joy! a great design, architecture, and fashion blog run out of San Diego. There was a discussion from a few days ago about the prospect of wallpapering a rental apartment, along with lots of suggestions of what to do.

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Readers suggested wallpaper designed to be removed, using starch and fabric, and putting up painters tape then attaching the wallpaper to it with double-sided take. Read the entry here. Any thoughts?