The A List: 4.29.16

alist-4.29

After a week full time back to blogging, I'm loving the sense of accomplishment I feel after writing each day. I'm also loving all of this stuff on this week's A list.  Here's a look at my weekly picks:

Quick Snap Vol 1 - Victoria McGinley She self admittedly doesn’t blog much anymore, but i still love visiting Victoria’s site every week. Between sharing really thought provoking links, or her beautiful product layouts, she behind my recent inspiration to try and resurrect this little corner of mine on the internet again. Her latest series she introduced is genius, Quick Snap. It’s a play on the popularity and authenticity of snapchat, with the greatness of a true behind the scenes story. It truly does peel back any superficiality the social network may have, and tells a great personal story to go along with it.

Fresh Black Tea Firming Mask My skin has been under serious torture this week, from dehydration, to lack to sleep, to a super bad diet. Seriously, I’m ashamed of myself. My skin's one saving grace has been a week long sample of Fresh’s Black Tea Firming Mask that was bundled with my last Sephora order. I’ve been applying a daily dose of it nightly to my overworked skin and each morning waking up refreshed, like no abuse happened at all the day before. If this stuff is doing this when my I can’t get my act together, I can only imagine the results for my after a "normal week”. Hey Sephora, I see another purchase in the near future.

The Girlfriend Experience I first heard about this Starz drama from The Globe and Mail and was curious as to where specifically the series films in my hometown of Toronto. It’s full of amazing shots of T.O’s financial district, but unlike the super sleekness of Suits, it’s a darker, sexier version. And the actual series lives up the visuals, helmed by Steven Soderbergh, it’s seductive, mysterious and creepily gripping, with a great “blank” performance by the lead, Riley Keough. Each episode packs more drama than the next, I can’t wait to see where it builds for the finale.

& Other Stories Candles I was lucky enough to be in NYC for work back at the end of February and had a few hours to kill before having to “clock in”. I ventured up to Soho for a quick stop IRL to some of my favorite stores, including & Other Stories. Stories is already one of my faves for cool, quirky affordable jewelry and shoes, but I was delightfully surprised to see the middle of the store was dedicated to beauty and candles. I sniffed every candle they had on display multiple times (to weird stares from others) and each of the scents are so gorgeous I can’t wait to pick up more. They instantly transform a room to smell like a Paris salon and will have you daydreaming of the City of Lights. (And if you’re in NYC, pick up some of their nail polish. The colors are awesome - I’m still kicking myself for not doing so).

Korea! Lately, a lot of the entertainment options in my life seem to be revolving around one culture, the culture of Korea. From my obsession with Korean beauty (toner, essence and sheet masks are my new skin savers) to watching (and re-watching) Aimee Song’s recent trip to the Peninsula on snapchat, I’m can’t get enough of Korean’s way of life. Perhaps my favorite piece of k-culture is the korean drama, I just finished Oh My Venus and it was adorable. Seriously, I could watch So Ji Sub and Shin Min Ah flirt back and forth for days, they’re chemistry onscreen was fantastic. Note to self: keep expanding my Korean palate next to food, and get planning on my bucket list trip to Seoul. I’m sure it will be life changing.

Links Loved <3

ca-e-bar-curio1

Will Shilling, Columbus Alive

The vortex of social media is strong, luring one to links all over the internet. Here’s a roundup of some of my favorite links I’ve ventured to this week.

Columbus Alive Columbus Cocktail Challenge For their bar guide issue, the folks at Columbus Alive challenged local mixologists to create a "Columbus-themed cocktail." I love that each of these libations highlights a different part of what we've come to define as Columbus. There's the VI-I-IV, named after a local mathematician and featuring Columbus' own Watershed Gin (Columbus is a smart city after all), The Franklin, paying homage to the crazy weather in our city, and The Buckeye, a drink playing off flavors of Columbus' favorite local chocolate candy.

Cocktails You Should Be Drinking Based on Your Zodiac Sign I love a good zodiac pair up and this one includes more drinking fun courtesy of Marie Claire. Ever wonder what cocktail you should be drinking based on your zodiac sign? #TeamGemini

How Refinery 29 built a $100 million media company for Millennial WomenRefinery 29 is a daily web and snapchat story destination for me, and this profile on how they've been able to connect millennial women and advertisers directly is fascinating. (We actually like brands!) Worth the listen.

Generate Your Own Minor League Baseball FranchiseThe El Monte Lake Oysters The Dayton Space Beagles

The name generator for this minor league baseball franchise name is hilarious. Needless to say, it's a great way to waste a few extra minutes here and there.

See all the Stylists Behind Beyonce's Lemonade She has a tour stylist, a street style stylist, an Ivy Park Stylist (and personal fashion director?) - and remarkably they kept all of this quiet before Lemonade’s first air. See the folks behind the fashion for Beyonce's buzzworthy Lemonade, fashion that plays just as much of a role in the album as the music.

Succulent Shopping

For years, with serious fail, I’ve tried to grow plants in my home. Flowers? Pretty much dead on arrival.

Ferns that don’t need sun? Always meet their demise.

Lucky bamboo? I’m pretty sure I’m doomed to years of bad luck.

But still, there’s something so effortlessly stylish about a fiddle leaf fig tree perched in a corner of a home, soaking in the sun from a neighboring window.  If only.

And so I’ve continually search for a solution to my black thumb desires and luckily I haven’t had to look too far.  Yup, I’m talking about succulents.

Whether it’s an ikea cactus perched on top of my windowsill or a blooming echeveria (yeah, I totally googled that) as part of a larger planter, these little plants are seriously hard to kill.  And they’re seriously stylish too. Because they’re super small and don’t need a lot of attention, they’re perfect for any urban dweller looking for a little green. Singularly stylish in a cute pot on their own, or grouped together with other equally stylish vessels, these unfussy plants are a chic way to add a bit of green to your abode.

Here’s a selection of some of my favorite pots, perfect for growing your own succulents.

succulent-shopping

Clockwise from top left:boxcar planters |  cat planter | melting mug | paper planters | polka dot planter | rain planter