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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Beauty · September 18, 2018

Why A Massage Isn’t Just To Treat Yo’self

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

Hey y’all, just a note from Valery! This is the first of MANY amazing guests posts to come – I wanted to start using Fiercely as a platform for other phenomenal women making strides in their field! Leslie is sooooo talented and I’m so excited she’s sharing some of her knowledge here. I actually had a massage/cupping session with Leslie a few months back and it was sooooo rejuvenating. Alright, enough chit chat, here’s Leslie!

Why A Massage Isn’t Just To Treat Yo’self

by The Bodywork Guru- Leslie Meis, BA, LMT, CYT

Self-care has become the latest trend, and as capitalism realizes that Millennials (the new target market) are becoming obsessed, it becomes more Instagram-able by the day.

I could easily write this entire post on the topic of self-care alone, and why it frequently isn’t a purchase or Instagram post, but not only has that been done, I also have a more targeted focus: Massage Therapy.

Thanks to the enormous ad campaign of Massage Envy and similar large franchises, the past few decades have seen a shift in the bodywork industry. These marketing efforts have successfully shifted massage from a lavish luxury of the wealthy to an act of self-care accessible to many. Yet, there’s still a long way to go.

Almost a decade into my career I am still surprising new clients with education on what Massage Therapy can really do! People are astonished when they come in as a birthday treat, and I tell them we can rehabilitate a shoulder injury from twenty years ago that still isn’t the same. Even those who do know some of the therapeutic benefits are still pleasantly surprised to hear that, yes I can do something for those menstrual cramps, or no surgery isn’t the only way to relieve that wrist pain.

It’s beyond time to start considering Massage Therapists among your health care professionals: doctors, physical therapists, occupational therapists, chiropractors. While not every MT performs clinical work, the right therapist can treat issues that have even been failed by an MD, PT, or chiropractor!

A massage just to relax is certainly still valuable beyond measure. Just do some Googling on the effects of stress on your health, and you’ll be immediately more appreciative of anything that helps you relax. However, massage is NOT just to #treatyoself.

Massage has been researched in many areas and proven to alleviate arthritis, asthma, high blood pressure, PMS, and even burn injuries just to name a few. For muscular and connective tissues, massage therapy can not only relieve those painful “knots” in your back but can also hasten recovery of strains or sprains, or with dedication can even completely retrain and repattern your posture providing increased short term wellness AND long term prevention of issues like bulging spinal discs.

Still, even with knowledge of these powerful effects, many people still don’t truly grasp the investment in your health that is regular Massage Therapy. Many times I hear people say that massage is “too expensive,” but you know what else is expensive (unfortunately)- healthcare!

So let’s look at just one example of massage as a healthcare investment. In the age of desk jobs and cell phones poor posture is something that affects most people to some degree. When your spine is out of alignment it can no longer distribute pressure and weight evenly through the discs. Think of your spinal discs like a jelly filled doughnut: if you squeeze just one side of the doughnut hard enough, the delicious pillow will burst open on the other side and hemorrhage jelly. This is exactly what happens to your spinal discs after years of unevenly stacked vertebrae due to poor posture. It will begin as a bulging disc which CAN be reversed through Massage, Physical Therapy, and/or Chiropractic care. If left unattended the disc will burst.

When this happens, it is then too late for alternative therapies, and surgery is required. According to healthcosthelper.com a typical spinal fusion to treat a herniated disc costs between $80,000 and $150,000. Keep in mind this doesn’t even include additional costs of post surgical care, time off work to recover, or medications. Now let’s say you get regular massages for maintenance on a monthly basis at $100 per hour. That would be $1200 per year. Which means it would take 66 years of that massage schedule to equal even the lower estimate of $80,000 for a spinal fusion. Now which would you rather get- 66 years of massages, or a spinal fusion that will likely still leave you with back pain? I’ll let you in on a secret: if you’re getting regular massage, you [probably] won’t need that back surgery. Plus, you will enjoy a boosted immune system, saving you more money on not missing work because you got the flu. If you’re lucky enough to have paid sick days, you can use them for something more fun, like an Instagram-able #treatyoself day!

So make room in your budget and schedule for regular Massage Therapy, just like you would any other important expense or meeting, because if your body fails, you have nowhere else to live. Besides, if you find a therapist with the right expertise you will likely be surprised by what other improvements to your health massage can make.

Hi, it’s Valery again! Thanks again to Leslie for taking the time to share more about the benefits of massage! Visit her website to learn more and be sure to sign up for her email list! She does offer an Exclusive Cupping Session for just $40, a perfect way to give it a try!

xoxo
Valery 

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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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