{Wordless Wednesday} A hike through Red Rock Canyon Open Space





{Friday Favorites} Pebble Time Round

Hello and happy Friday! Today I am sharing a favorite that was a long time coming. And now that I own it, I'm pretty much smitten. That being the Pebble Time Round smart watch. 

I say it was a long time coming because my husband has been a Pebble user since their first rodeo on Kickstarter a few years back. He wore the trusty black and white e-paper version for years before joining their second go at Kickstarter for the new colored face Pebble Time. While he's been getting a great amount of use out of both watches I have been trundling along trying out various fitness trackers and watches. None of which I was ever happy with. We had found an amazing deal on a Fitbit Surge, which was exciting at the time, but quickly became less so. It's bulky and awkward. The small size barely fit my wrist, which meant I couldn't use the clip that helped lock the band in place. But if I had sized up I would have had to tighten the band all the way. Plus any weight loss would have left me with a too-large to wear fitness tracker. Which is extra pointless as the heart rate monitor wouldn't have been able to work. Not that it mattered, because the monitor on the back of the watch spent most of it's time hitting my wrist bone in the most annoying manor possible. The fitness tracking that it did, it seemed to do well. Except the "elevation climbed" part which was meant to count how many floors you had climbed up/down. Seriously, I live in a 3 story house and one day I was informed that I was a power climber after it registered me climbing 70+ floors. No. Not even close. Maybe it's because of our altitude and driving up and down hills confused it. Maybe it's because of all of the high and low pressure weather systems that move through the area. I don't know. But I do know that I never climbed 70+ flights of stairs. Oh and did I mention that it was bulky as fuck? Seriously I have never hated having something on my wrist more than I did the Surge, especially when I was wearing long sleeves, or god forbid...a jacket.

My husband seemed to notice my annoyance. Probably because I was vocal about it. Very vocal. I was mad, because I want to track my activity. I want to not have to be glued to my phone every time it buzzes. I want a watch. A basic, normal, tell the time watch. So after the 5 millionth pissy fit, where I ended up tearing the Surge off my wrist and throwing it into my purse, my husband started talking about the Pebble Time. More specifically The Pebble Time round. As it was a classic round watch that offered step and sleep tracking, among other things. With the huge added bonus of it being a normal, non infuriatingly bulky design. I hemmed and hawed. Then hemmed and hawed some more. We had just done Christmas, where I was spoiled. And if I couldn't find a fitness tracker/watch combo that I liked, why would this one be any different? Then I went the "I don't deserve it route". After my long song and dance of "what if", a new Pebble Time Round found its way home and onto my wrist.


Best. Decision. Ever.
My version is the Pebble Time Round silver with the red leather 14mm band. The red leather band/silver and white face is apparently specific to Target. Though you can get the red leather band/black on black through Pebble's website.

Like I said, I'm pretty much smitten with it. It gives me notifications on what's going on with my phone. I can read text messages and emails. See various app notifications. Check to see who's calling and decline phone calls is need be. I can control music on my phone. It can vibrate at me as an alarm. I can change the watch face depending on my mood, with some even having the weather integrated or fancy animations. Best of all I can track my steps and sleep habits.



With a simple flick of the wrist, the face lights up so you can easily read what it says, especially useful in a low light space. Then after a few seconds it fades back to a dim, but still readable face. 


I'm excited to have this. Not just because it looks cool and does equally cool stuff, but because it will help me track my activity level. Which in turn I am hoping will help me reach goals and new milestones. 2016 is the year that I am pushing forward, living my life for me while striving to make me a better version of myself. It's oddly fitting that I am starting off the new year with a time piece.

So there's my Friday, but actually everyday, favorite. What's your current favorite thing that you have or are eyeing?

{Wordless Wednesday} Where's Swarley?



{Mani Monday} SpaRitual Instinctual

Happy New Year everyone! I personally am happy that 2015 is behind us. Saying it was a bitch of a year is an understatement. For 2016 I'm focusing on it being the year of me, but that's a subject for a blog post. Which will happen soon.

Today we are focusing on SpaRitual's Instinctual. Which is a lovely, sheer topper filled with glass flecks that shift and flash color. There's a bit of a blue flash as well as a color shift from a rosy pink to orange to gold. This is a wear on top of another color, which I did by using my last posts color as "underwear". So in the photos you will see Instinctual on top of Orly Rage. I really loved the combination and found myself mindlessly looking at my nails in various lighting. The photos I have do not do the color shift and justice what-so-ever, but I tried. I wore three light coats of SpaRitual Instinctual over two coats of Orly Rage.


{Outside: Evening light}

{Outside: Evening light}

{Outside: Evening light}

{Outside: Evening light}

{Outside: Evening light}

{Outside: Evening light}

Hope you all have a great Monday and an even better 2016! I'm excited to make this year mine. Keep checking back because new things are already in the works for this little ol' blog! 

{Wordless Wednesday} The elephant(s) in the room