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Lifestyle: Live the Lovely Life

Lifestyle: How to live a lovely life ... in style!


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NOVICA Mohena Wood with Bronze Leaf Round Starburst Wall Mirror ‘Cuzco Sun’

April 24, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Are you looking for a showstopper of a decorating piece? NOVICA’s Cuzco Sun Bronze Leaf Round Starburst Wall Mirror is your shining answer.

NOVICA Bronze Leaf Starburst Wall Mirror 'Cuzco Sun'

NOVICA Bronze Leaf Starburst Wall Mirror ‘Cuzco Sun’

Its worth a few words as to the sizing of this mirror. This is considered the Medium Size of the design at 18 However, the depth and striking appearance of the mirror draws the eye far more than a larger and less detailed mirror would. So if you want to place the mirror as a centerpiece among other items, the Medium is the right size. If you want a stand alone large piece for a wall, then you might consider the larger version. But truly do not underestimate the impact of this mirror. As with all decorative pieces, think about the impact more than the specific size.

This gorgeous 18 mirror comes from Peru and is made of Mohena Wood, a Peruvian hardwood, and is intricately covered in bronze leaf. One of the things I love about this mirror is that the bronze leaf is a definite bronze color with indirect natural daylight, but takes on the most beautiful gold color at sunset, just as the sun does itself. The artist has truly made a study of light!

I chose to put it on the mantle above the Living Room fireplace as we have other bronze items around the fire and because the vibrant color of the piece is so striking against the dark wood. The mirror would look good against any background, but I think the depth of the detail especially lends itself towards a darker, richer wood background. It was a bit of a toss up for me between the Living Room and the smaller Dining Room fireplace mantle, but the grain of the wood in the Living Room and the grain of the Mohena Wood looked sharper to me.

The mirror itself is 7.8 but appears larger. It is an exceptionally true mirror and shines vividly. If you are looking for a central vanity mirror you might want to look for a piece that has a larger mirror, however the reflection is excellent and stands by itself as a good mirror apart from the incredible craftsmanship of the frame.

The ARTIST

The piece was made by Jose Marcos Luzalde Rosales, who taught himself his craft starting at 17 in his neighbor’s workshop. At the ripe age of 18 he decided to go out on his own and became known (with good reason, as you can see) for his incredible work. He has delighted in preserving Peruvian Woodwork Artistry for 35 years now, and thanks to NOVICA, we can delight in his work as well!

I absolutely adore this mirror. It adds light and depth to the room and has drawn gasps from anyone who has seen it.

Find this incredible piece at Amazon.com.

NOVICA Bronze Leaf Starburst Wall Mirror 'Cuzco Sun'

NOVICA Bronze Leaf Starburst Wall Mirror ‘Cuzco Sun’

I received this item at a discount for review purposes. If you have any questions about the mirror, leave me a comment below!

Posted by Style Chicks / Filed In: Decor, For the Home, Gifts
Tagged: Bronze Leaf, Cuzco Sun Mirror, Decor, Home, Novica

Gear Ultimate Infused Water Pitcher

April 21, 2016 · 1 Comment

This is the second Gear Ultimate Infuser I’ve tried, the first being the Infused Water Bottle. The Gear Ultimate Infused Water Pitcher has many of the same excellent qualities as the bottle, in a larger 93oz size. If you are looking to drink more water for health or beauty purposes, then this is a great product for you.

First of all, the infuser is far better than other fruit infusers I have tried in the past. The infuser has small enough holes that seeds and leaves do not get into the water. It is a generous sized infuser in the pitcher, and a lot of fruit can go into the infuser, which is nice. It also allows for infusion “recipes” of ingredients: you can include more than one kind of fruit/vegetable/herb. I tried out Mint and Strawberry and the result was wonderful. No calories, no sugar or artificial sweeteners, and the water is so crisp and refreshing. The packaging comes with recipes that go beyond your standard one fruit infusion: adding something like strawberries or mint to the typical cucumber spa water really makes it enjoyable. I have a whole Pinterest board of spa waters, but the booklet had some mixtures that I hadn’t seen before.

Once you have infused your water, you can take the infuser out and replace it with the freezable and reusable ice core to keep the liquid cold. This is great for outdoor gatherings or just keeping your beverage cold during the day. It’s great for keeping at your desk at work. I read an article recently that a top derm was saying that it takes two liters a day of water to hydrate your skin. This gives you a little extra, and may end up replacing some not great for you beverages like soft drinks or sugary drinks.

One thing I don’t like is that the lid slips off easily when pouring, even when you hold it in place. I found this out the hard way. However, if you are mindful of that it isn’t that big of a deal.

Gear Ultimate Water Infuser Pitcher

Gear Ultimate Water Infuser Pitcher

Posted by Style Chicks / Filed In: Beauty, Body, Skincare, Spa Economy, Tea
Tagged: Gear Ultimate, Spa Water, Water Infusion

Gear Ultimate Infuser Water Bottle

April 21, 2016 · Leave a Comment

I’ve been on a bit of a hydration kick lately. This is due to the fact that I have been feeling a bit dehydrated lately (the fact that it is allergy season doesn’t help), and a renewed fascination with spa waters. So for on the go and at the gym, I really like the Gear Ultimate Infuser Water Bottle.

It is made of BPA-free Tritan material, so no worries about chemicals leaking into your otherwise healthy water. The cap seals tightly so I don’t have to worry about it leaking into my gym bag (I have had some disasters of the sort.)

The infuser is made of two parts: the generous sized infuser tube and a cap. The infuser cap allows you to pour the liquid out without the fruit getting loose. The holes in the infuser are relatively small but that is a good thing as it keeps seeds etc from getting into the water.

I decided to test it out with some strawberries we have in the house. I sliced each large berry into 4-6 pieces. I was surprised that it didn’t take too many slices to fill the infuser – maybe 1-2 berries worth. I then filled the bottle with tap water and put in the infuser.

This next part is important: be sure to shake the bottle a few times in order to get the full flavor to infuse into your water. Since you are using cold water, this isn’t steeping the fruit like a tea in hot water. So the infusion needs a little movement to mix.

Since I planned on using it during the day, I left it in the refrigerator overnight. When I tasted the water this morning I was amazed: it was incredibly sweet. You would never guess that this was not artificially sweetened, just fruit sweetened. I drank it and then refilled it. Obviously the second batch wasn’t as flavored, but it was still a good, crisp taste. In the future I will probably bring along some extra fruit during the day to make extra infusions and keep my hydration momentum going.

The package comes with a little booklet that gives some ideas for infusion recipes, which I found interesting. The spa water staple, cucumber, can be made more interesting by adding strawberries or mint. I’m looking forward to trying some different fruit mixes.

The pieces all wash out clean and don’t retain taste, which is impressive since I infused it overnight.

I’m really excited to find a travel fruit infuser bottle that keeps the fruit and seeds out of the water and makes such tasty water!

Gear Ultimate Infuser Water Bottle

Gear Ultimate Infuser Water Bottle

Posted by Style Chicks / Filed In: Exercise, Gym Beauty Bag, Skincare, Spa Economy, Tea
Tagged: Gear Ultimate Infuser Water Bottle, Gym, Infuser, Water

Tea Tuesday: Vahdam Premium Green Tea Chai

April 20, 2016 · Leave a Comment

I am thrilled to say that I have finally found a Chai green tea that is the proper balance of tastes. I have spent years trying to find a tea that has the wonderful spice of Chai, and the health properties of green tea.

The closest I came before was a White Chai Tea, but I could never find a green that I liked until I tried Vadham Premium Green Tea Chai. I like fresh loose leaf green tea, and any chai varieties I tried always ended up a weird blend of a vegetal taste with a vague cinnamon top note. Not a great combination.

Vadham’s Green Chai gets it right, though. The green tea is sweet, not vegetal at all. The Chai spices (cinnamon, cardamom, clove, Black Pepper) blend beautifully to create a delicately spicy brew. I really enjoy that it can be re-brewed a couple of times before it loses potency, so my brewing travel tumbler can just be refilled with hot water through the morning before I have to change out leaves,

What is also wonderful about this tea is that it is truly a full-leaf green tea. Standard green tea bags only contain remaindered dust of green tea, not the true leaf. By brewing the full leaf, you will get so many more of the health benefits of green tea: anti-oxidants, EGCG, etc. This particular tea has even more anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties since it is a chai tea, and the spices in chai teas are anti-inflammatory in nature. So in addition to tasting amazing, it is really good for you as well!

While green tea is much lower in caffeine than coffee or black tea, it still does contain some caffeine if you are sensitive. But that is true of all green tea (there are some decaf versions out there, but those are more processed than the original leaf, so it is a balance.)

The packaging is also wonderful. To maintain freshness, each batch is packaged quickly. There is an expiration date to assure that you are using fresh tea, and the package seals tightly. There are step by step instructions on how to brew the tea, so if you are new to green tea, you will find it easy to brew!

As a side note on the instructions, it is recommended to brew the tea at a temperature of 194-212 degrees. Usually green tea gets brewed at lower than the boiling point. I tried both boiling and at about 192 degrees, and found the lower temperature produced a better taste.

I am truly thrilled to have found an excellent Green Chai after all these years!

Vahdam Premium Green Tea Chai

Vahdam Premium Green Tea Chai

Vahdam Premium Green Tea Chai

Vahdam Premium Green Tea Chai

Posted by Style Chicks / Filed In: Food, Tea
Tagged: Chai, Green Chai Tea, Tea, Tea Tuesday, Vahdam Premium Green Tea Chai

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