Smell ya later, 2020. (This is an old photo from Smell ya later, 2020. 

(This is an old photo from this summer when I did my Harley Quinn makeup, but the energy felt right.)

I’ll be honest, I think the first half of 2021 is gonna be brutal but there is a light at the end of the tunnel, babes. We are almost there so stay safe and stay diligent.
I posted an embarrassing photo in my stories so I I posted an embarrassing photo in my stories so I have to balance it by posting a hot one here 😂 Also wow I haven’t posted since HALLOWEEN. I’ve been spending most of my IG time on my candle account, @brennancandleco, but I truly MISS Y’ALL. I formed so many great relationships over the years and I want to get back to that. So you’ll be seeing more of me, probably in a less curated way than you used to. I might lose some of y’all but I hope the ones I call friends will stick around because I really do miss you. 

And lastly, if you ARE into more business-y content from me, follow @brennancandleco, there are some pretty awesome things happening over there if I do say so myself.

Photo by @narirophoto
I may be at home, but I wasn't going to miss out o I may be at home, but I wasn't going to miss out on transforming into Furiosa. 

2020 has been a heck of a year, and I think we're all feeling a bit like we're stuck in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Ready to turn things around and kick our own Immortan Joe to the curb.

Happy Halloween. Stay home.
My latest project: @brennancandleco 🖤 My latest project: @brennancandleco 🖤
Welp I think this negative space mani is my new si Welp I think this negative space mani is my new signature look so prepare to get sick of seeing it in different colors. 💅🏻
Our tomato plants finally started flourishing and Our tomato plants finally started flourishing and thennnnn there was snow in the forecast 🙃 Tomorrow we are supposed to get quite a lot and I’m very cranky about it. Hoping our plants survive but more importantly, I hope the snow puts out the wildfires that seem to be never ending. It’s been a brutal summer for many reasons, but it’s still pretty cool to look at this bowl and know we grew these tomatoes from seeds. Also there’s currently zucchini bread in the oven from our garden ☺️
I am so so so grateful to @crispy.ray for designin I am so so so grateful to @crispy.ray for designing this and putting it on my body, y’all 😍 They are SUCH a talented artist and all around great person. I felt super comfortable and they executed my vision perfectly. 👽 I’ve been a diehard X Files fan since I was a kid (swipe for evidence and a photo of me and Gillian Anderson where I have never felt uglier lmao), so this means a ton.

Re: COVID-19. Truthfully I felt super nervous to get my tattoo and super nervous to post it here. I’ve still been doing my best to stay home but am also (like many of you, I think) struggling mentally. So where is the balance? Honestly I don’t know. I haven’t had a haircut (besides doing it myself), had my nails done, or sat down to eat except for once (and it was a place with no servers). I barely see anyone except my husband. Some days it’s fine and others it’s “how much more of this can I take?” So anyway. I took a risk, but @blackbirdinktattoo was taking everything very seriously. All were masked and sanitized (duh it’s a tattoo place) and I specifically chose a leg tattoo so Christa and I wouldn’t be breathing on each other. I long for the day when things are normal again. I long for the day when I can see my family again. But for now, I’ll try to safely find small pockets of joy and normalcy and ride those little waves until the next pocket of joy.
Dennis and Sweet Dee are here to help ward off the Dennis and Sweet Dee are here to help ward off the Sunday scaries 🐾 In case you missed it in my stories, these are our newest fosters! (We just decided on names today - I think having to name two slowed us down 🤣) Usually we only have pups for three nights but we had to keep these little pals for an extra week before they’re ready to be adopted. 

Also I PROMISE I am going to record a video/write a post about fostering this week so keep your eyes peeled for that. 

Annnnd last but not least if you’re in the Denver area and looking for a puppy, message me if you want more info on either of these little ones! 🥰
Once Upon A Time in Hollywood is still one of my f Once Upon A Time in Hollywood is still one of my favorite movies from the past five years, please don’t judge me 😂🙈 “Hey! You’re Rick f*cking Dalton. Don’t you forget it.” (that line was improvised btw - it was based on something someone told Brad Pitt once when he was struggling 💕 I just love that.)

Print by @rbrunoill
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Life · June 5, 2017

Life Update + June Small Goals

This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click and/or make a purchase, I may earn a few cents at no additional cost to you. Any products gifted by a brand will be marked "c/o." Thanks for helping make this blog possible! <3

Happy Monday, friends! I’m writing this post from my bedroom – one of the only rooms in our house that isn’t a *total* disaster. Our entire place is packed up and ready to move to Denver….which is just plain nuts. Our original move date was July 1 but due to some circumstances outside our control that I’m too lazy to explain, we’re moving early!

If I’m being honest, right now  most of my feelings are pretty negative. I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer but I also want to be totally honest. I mean I know deep down it’s going to be SO fun being a homeowner and living in such an amazing place, but moving three weeks earlier than anticipated is really taking it’s toll on me. I’m exhausted constantly, I’m really sad about leaving friends and family behind and I’m just on edge all the time. So if you see me tread lightly….I wish I was kidding about that haha.

SO that’s where things are right now. Let’s review last month’s small goals, shall we? Per usual, I am linking up with the lovely and wonderful Nicole of Writes Like a Girl.

  1. Hit my sales goal for Everyday Unicorns – Nope. Straight up nope.
  2. Send out at least one newsletter – YES. Oh y’all, I spent hours making this happen but I’ve finally got everything up and running with my newsletter! I sent out the first one in over six months (oops) this past week, and now newsletters will go out every single Tuesday. Pro tip: I’ll be running a giveaway this week so make sure to sign up for the newsletter once the giveaway goes live tomorrow!
  3. Spend more time marketing – Hmm. This one is kind of a toss up, but probably no. My time has been stretched really thin lately and marketing wasn’t at the top of my mind, unfortunately.
  4. Work out four times a week – YES! I’m en route to perfect attendance for my very last Kaia Brik session (*sobs*) and I’m really stoked about it!
  5. Drink 8+ cups of water per day – Nailed this one too! Honestly I might’ve missed a day or two, but I’ve been consistent so I’m giving myself a win. It has definitely improved my overall health and I’m excited to continue drinking plenty of water.

Considering how this past month went, I’m feeling good about 3 out of 5. For the month of June, I’m keeping it REALLY simple. Part of self care (for me) is knowing my limits and with a cross country move, things are going to be stretched pretty thin for me.

  1. Blog at least once per week – My blogging is definitely going to slow down this month, but I want to maintain a consistent presence. I’m hoping for two posts per week but one is the bare minimum.
  2. Continue working out after our move – I really don’t want to lose my momentum with physical fitness so I’m challenging myself to keep my fitness in check. It might be less intense, but just *something* 4 times a week is important.
  3. Take care of myself – I’m going to need to spend lots of time focused on self care this month and that’s okay. Time to make it a priority!

Thanks for sticking around, y’all. I love each and every one of you and I can’t wait to get settled in Denver and get this train back on track!

xoxo
Valery

In: Life

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June Small Goals
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Comments

  1. Andrea says

    June 6, 2017 at 3:40 PM

    It’s amazing the difference that water makes! I made that change a couple of years ago, and now I average drinking 3+ liters of water a day, sometimes less on weekends or more if I have an intense workout. It’s become normal for me and my body just craves it now.

  2. Jess says

    June 6, 2017 at 8:05 PM

    OOF moving three weeks early sounds awful! Your state of constant stress and exhaustion seems totally normal (unfortunately). I hope the move goes well! I’m amazed you accomplished any of your May goals with all that going on!! And self-care is a great goal for June.

  3. Arwen @ I Love A Good Book says

    June 7, 2017 at 11:29 AM

    Moving is exhausting! It a good thing to keep self-care in the forefront of your mind. We moved into a smaller place in the fall and I still have boxes all over, trying to sort out what goes into storage and what stays.

    Here is my June Small Goals: http://books.thetechchef.net/may-wrap-up-and-june-small-goals/#comments

  4. Sonya says

    June 8, 2017 at 12:17 PM

    Nice job with your goals last month! And I definitely commend you for keeping June simple. It sounds like you’ve got plenty going on without trying to stretch yourself thin with some excessive goals on top of it all. I hope the move goes well and you get settle in fairly easily!

  5. Heather says

    June 11, 2017 at 9:36 PM

    Packing and moving can be the worst, it’s just so stressful, not to mention having to do it 3 weeks earlier than you planned! You fully have the right to be a Debbie Downer if you feel like it! I think scaling down your goals and focusing on the essentials is a good plan for this month! I hope your move goes smoothly and I’ll have to hit you up next time I’m in Denver!

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Smell ya later, 2020. (This is an old photo from Smell ya later, 2020. 

(This is an old photo from this summer when I did my Harley Quinn makeup, but the energy felt right.)

I’ll be honest, I think the first half of 2021 is gonna be brutal but there is a light at the end of the tunnel, babes. We are almost there so stay safe and stay diligent.
I posted an embarrassing photo in my stories so I I posted an embarrassing photo in my stories so I have to balance it by posting a hot one here 😂 Also wow I haven’t posted since HALLOWEEN. I’ve been spending most of my IG time on my candle account, @brennancandleco, but I truly MISS Y’ALL. I formed so many great relationships over the years and I want to get back to that. So you’ll be seeing more of me, probably in a less curated way than you used to. I might lose some of y’all but I hope the ones I call friends will stick around because I really do miss you. 

And lastly, if you ARE into more business-y content from me, follow @brennancandleco, there are some pretty awesome things happening over there if I do say so myself.

Photo by @narirophoto
I may be at home, but I wasn't going to miss out o I may be at home, but I wasn't going to miss out on transforming into Furiosa. 

2020 has been a heck of a year, and I think we're all feeling a bit like we're stuck in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Ready to turn things around and kick our own Immortan Joe to the curb.

Happy Halloween. Stay home.
My latest project: @brennancandleco 🖤 My latest project: @brennancandleco 🖤
Welp I think this negative space mani is my new si Welp I think this negative space mani is my new signature look so prepare to get sick of seeing it in different colors. 💅🏻
Our tomato plants finally started flourishing and Our tomato plants finally started flourishing and thennnnn there was snow in the forecast 🙃 Tomorrow we are supposed to get quite a lot and I’m very cranky about it. Hoping our plants survive but more importantly, I hope the snow puts out the wildfires that seem to be never ending. It’s been a brutal summer for many reasons, but it’s still pretty cool to look at this bowl and know we grew these tomatoes from seeds. Also there’s currently zucchini bread in the oven from our garden ☺️
I am so so so grateful to @crispy.ray for designin I am so so so grateful to @crispy.ray for designing this and putting it on my body, y’all 😍 They are SUCH a talented artist and all around great person. I felt super comfortable and they executed my vision perfectly. 👽 I’ve been a diehard X Files fan since I was a kid (swipe for evidence and a photo of me and Gillian Anderson where I have never felt uglier lmao), so this means a ton.

Re: COVID-19. Truthfully I felt super nervous to get my tattoo and super nervous to post it here. I’ve still been doing my best to stay home but am also (like many of you, I think) struggling mentally. So where is the balance? Honestly I don’t know. I haven’t had a haircut (besides doing it myself), had my nails done, or sat down to eat except for once (and it was a place with no servers). I barely see anyone except my husband. Some days it’s fine and others it’s “how much more of this can I take?” So anyway. I took a risk, but @blackbirdinktattoo was taking everything very seriously. All were masked and sanitized (duh it’s a tattoo place) and I specifically chose a leg tattoo so Christa and I wouldn’t be breathing on each other. I long for the day when things are normal again. I long for the day when I can see my family again. But for now, I’ll try to safely find small pockets of joy and normalcy and ride those little waves until the next pocket of joy.
Dennis and Sweet Dee are here to help ward off the Dennis and Sweet Dee are here to help ward off the Sunday scaries 🐾 In case you missed it in my stories, these are our newest fosters! (We just decided on names today - I think having to name two slowed us down 🤣) Usually we only have pups for three nights but we had to keep these little pals for an extra week before they’re ready to be adopted. 

Also I PROMISE I am going to record a video/write a post about fostering this week so keep your eyes peeled for that. 

Annnnd last but not least if you’re in the Denver area and looking for a puppy, message me if you want more info on either of these little ones! 🥰
Once Upon A Time in Hollywood is still one of my f Once Upon A Time in Hollywood is still one of my favorite movies from the past five years, please don’t judge me 😂🙈 “Hey! You’re Rick f*cking Dalton. Don’t you forget it.” (that line was improvised btw - it was based on something someone told Brad Pitt once when he was struggling 💕 I just love that.)

Print by @rbrunoill
Complementary 🧡💙 If you have hooded lids and Complementary 🧡💙 If you have hooded lids and/or you’re scared about mixing colors, this is such an easy way to do it, y’all! Monochromatic on top (I incorporated an orange shimmer but you could keep it super simple and just blend out one shadow), and then a different color on bottom. I was worried the blue would look too heavy on me since my eyes are a bit downturned but I think it turned out just fine! 

I’m using a @shopaltergo palette again here, this one is a dupe for the Natasha Denona Metropolis palette ($129). The Alter Ego palette is a whopping $22….and so far it’s a GEM. I don’t have ND so I can’t compare them directly but I didn’t have any issues with these shadows at all.

Lips are @lagirlcosmetics liner in Keep It Spicy + @flowerbeauty lipstick in Spiced Petal
Brows are eyeshadow and a bar of soap

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