Sweet April…

I’ve enjoyed the rain and the blooms and blossoms. The weather has been cool but so beautiful. Sweet April you brought me joy, love and you tested my patience. All in the most gracious and gratifying way. I’m grateful and thank you. I had a beautiful Birthday and I love my family so much. They really made me feel so very special. We had a lovely dinner and the weather was perfect.

I won this beautiful Tulle Skirt from the talented and inspirational Brianne. Her blog is Sincerelybri.ca. the Tulle skirt is from Garderobetoronto. I’m in love with it. I absolute love the quality of this skirt. It’s so perfect and can be worn in so many ways. I just had to wear it on my Birthday. Thank you to Bri and to Garderobe Toronto for the win. I feel so lucky to have won and I feel beautiful wearing this skirt. I’ve always wanted a tulle skirt!

I haven’t been running away from online, I promise. I’ve been so busy with the house, renovations and family. I’m slowly making my way back and miss sharing my life with you. I’m really happy and life is teaching many things lately. I’m so grateful to be able to learn from my journey. It’s never perfect and I love that. I’m growing and learning.

THIS MONTH’S WORDS
LOVE
COURAGE
STRENGTH
GRATITUDE
GIVING
PRAYER
PEACE

Thank you Joy for sending me a lovely Birthday card.

I love it and thank you for always being thoughtful, caring and supportive.

Thank you to my hubby for my beautiful flowers.
xoxoxo

B E A U T Y

*THANK YOU FOR ALL THE BEAUTIFUL PR SAMPLES!

Perfect For Mother’s Day

Thank you so much to Darline Chalmer for this beautiful PR Sample. I Adore bears and OMG right? MOSCHINO TOY 2! Can this get any cuter? This is my absolute favourite bottle and fragrance at the moment. This will be finished in a month.

The iconic Moschino Teddy Bear Fragrance is Back! The unique second edition is this time sculpted in glass revealing an exclusive fragrance. Toy 2, the new women’s fragrance by Moschino.

The fragrance has mandarin orange and Granny Smith apple accompanied by delicate floral notes of magnolia, revealing a fresh, joyful scent that is pure elegance. Jasmine petals are enhanced by the velvety tones of peony and the crisp fruitiness of white currant amber wood and sandalwood express an enveloping sensual dimension while crystalline musk adds radiance and softness.

30ml $69.00 |50ml $89.00 |100ml $120.00|Body Lotion $59.00

Moschino Toy 2 is Available at Hudson’s bay, select SDM, Sephora and retailer.com & .ca sites.

Beautiful Mother’s Day Gifts by AVON

AVON FLOURISH HONEY BLOSSOM fragrance is “A bright floral that opens with sparkling apple blossom, blooms to a full heart of sweet and vibrant honeysuckle nectar and finishes with the soft notes of airy vanilla orchid. Avon Flourish Honey Blossom Eau de Perfume 50ml $30”

Iconic Avon Blooming Blush in four fabulous shades. Comes in iconic gift box. 16g total $14.00.

Iconic Avon Lipstick, chic shades housed in a gorgeous packaging with classic springtime Avon Print. Subtle Shimmer finish. comes in iconic gift box. 3.2g $12.00. This shade is Pink Blossom.

NEW SHADES!

AVON True Colour Nourishing Lipsticks infused with marine collagen and jojoba oil to nourish plump and soften lips and fine lines. 3 g. $10.00

My new Skincare Favourite! ANEW ULTIMATE SUPREME DUAL ELIXIR
A unique and superior serum, Black Pearl Extract. This rare ingredient infused into our serum is how to enhance skin’s ability to retain moisture.
Camellia oil Rich in essential fatty acids, helps to improve the look of skin texture and firmness. Argan Oil so precious, it’s called liquid gold with vitamin E, helps visibly infuse skin with radiant moisture. $60.00
Avon.ca

Thank you so much for all your love and your comments and support. Thank you for everything and have a beautiful May!

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FREE SHIPPING now available on all my artwork on ETSY

SHOP HERE

Dear April…

This month you brought happiness and sadness to my life, chaos and gratitude. This best describes how I feel: “Life is amazing. And then it’s awful. And then it’s amazing again. And in between the amazing and awful it’s ordinary and mundane and routine. Breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful, and relax and exhale during the ordinary. That’s just living heartbreaking, soul-healing, amazing, awful, ordinary life. And it’s breathtakingly beautiful.” ― L.R. Knost

I lost my brother-in-law five months ago and now my sweet mother-in-law has passed away. I can’t believe how sad and empty I feel inside. It feels like my heart is torn in many pieces. My mother-in-law was always sweet and kind to me. She was the heart of the family and very kindhearted woman. She made me laugh and also gave me courage and strength when I needed. I will forever miss her.

Dear April,

you

have

torn

my heart…

when you least expect it

healing happens with love

from

animal.

April showers?

No!

APRIL ICE STORM

I have no words…

Time for FIRST hair Salon Experience!

My sweet Eleni

Where did the time go my precious love?

Why grow so fast…

*Tears roll down my cheeks.*

I love you…always and forever.

I was supposed to be somewhere this day

but ended up here

that one day

Don’t know why

maybe my soul needed the water

to let go of the sorrow and pain

healing

sun

and blue sky…

It’s not the ocean but this will do just fine.

G R A T I T U D E

Always and forever!

My sweet cousin Anna

thank you

always and forever

for everything.

The rest can be seen on my vlog

MariaMVlogs

Thank you for all your love and comments on my Birthday. Wow! my heart is filled with so much gratitude and joy. Thank you so much for all the love you have given me. I’m truly grateful.

April 25th

Birthday

Another year younger…

Thank you to Joy for being my number one supporter online. Thank you for the beautiful and lovely Birthday Card. Much love and happiness to you!

Time To Live In The Moment

During March break I got the flu and it caused me to slow down. I had time to teach art and do a lot of soul searching and living in the moment. I enjoyed being away from social media and blogging. I enjoyed it so much that I’m calling a halt to blogging for the time being. I pushed my self into doing a lot of work and creating a lot of content. I’m the type that likes to deliver good and amazing photos and create amazing blog posts. I always go above and beyond and this has caused me to feel anxiety and stress. The opposite reason I got into blogging.

Some people think its amazing to received PR samples, don’t get me wrong I’m grateful and I don’t want to sound rude. PR Samples come with a lot of work. When I receive samples I photograph them, read up on the product, I test it out for a while, write a blog post and do a video sometime. I put a lot of time and effort into it and sometimes way too much.

The funny thing is that people with high social media following sometimes receive PR samples and all they do is show it on camera and then say “oh look! Thank you so much for the samples” and they are done. Wow right? Then I look at my self and say “what the fudge! Something is wrong here! I literally spent over 8 hours or more on one blog post!” How come I have to do so much work and they just showcase it like the friken Price is Right!

My time is valuable to me and I need to use my time wisely. So I don’t want to work for free anymore. I’m done with it. I think this happened to me last spring as well. But it is my fault I fell back into it. I truly feel that no one should work for free. I don’t care if it’s the most expensive or posh brand. I won’t do it anymore.

My future posts will be more lifestyle, recipes, art, culture and travel. I will have some products but they will be products that I’m finishing up and products that I buy on my own.

*I can feature products on my blog from PR but I have a fee. Please have a look at the PR and DISCLAIMER Page.

In April I’ll be mostly living in the moment and vlogging on my vlog channel. I like vlogging because there is no pressure and it feels relaxing. Please Join me there if you like. I will also do a couple of blog posts like I did last spring and summer of my travels in and around Toronto.

Here is a piece I did when I was teaching art in March. The kids and I worked on Abstract and collage work. We used a small sponge foam to paint instead of brushes. I enjoyed challenging the students’ to use foam shapes instead of brushes. I’m currently planning a Spring Painting Party for Kids and one for Adults.

I’m truly grateful for everything that has come my way. I’m truly blessed and I definitely need more courage in my life do you? Sending you oodles and oodles of Courage in your life to speak up and do what you love. We learn from our mistakes and weaknesses and it’s okay to have faults and bumps a long the way. I encourage you to learn from mistakes and not to be so hard on your self. We are only human and the beautiful part is living, loving and learning.

Currently Reading the book The F Word , written by Lily Pebbles. She is a YouTuber and now a number one selling author. The book is lovely so far and talks about friendship. I look forward to reviewing this on my blog.

So my friends, this is a beautiful new beginning and I’m very excited and happy. I feel courageous and inspired. I look forward to April and I feel it will be a MAGICAL one!

Until the next blog post,

Much love and positivity!

xoxoxo

Maria

NEW! Hydra Beauty Chanel Skincare

CHANEL Research presents two new hydration, protection and vitality boosters: HYDRA BEAUTY Masque de Nuit au Camélia and HYDRA BEAUTY Micro Liquid Essence.

HYDRA BEAUTY Masque de Nuit au Camélia is the CHANEL product with the highest concentration of camellia. It is inspired by dewdrops that bead up on camellia petals at dawn to detoxify and reoxygenate the flower. Richly endowed with zinc, copper and magnesium, this complex reactivates cellular oxygenation mechanisms by capturing the oxygen circulating in the blood vessels. In seconds, fine water droplets appear, like pearls of morning dew. A poetic sign that the active ingredients are diffusing into skin.

The texture is absolutely beautiful. Feels very lightweight and it’s opalescent cream. I apply a thin layer to my face and neck. I wake up with a suppler, fresher and more radiant skin.

TIP: Apply small amount of product to the lips. Leave on for two minutes, then massage gently while the texture becomes more fluid. In seconds, fine water droplets appear, like pearls of morning dew. A poetic sign that the active ingredients are diffusing into the skin. Leave on to infuse all night. Skin quenches its thirst for water, oxygen and rest. In the morning, it is fresh, supple and rosy. In one word: radiant! -CHANEL

HYDRA BEAUTY Micro Liquid Essence combines the moisturizing properties of a skincare water with micro-droplets. Its incredible texture becomes one with skin soaking it in a wave of freshness before enveloping it in a comforting cocoon. Every bottle holds about 3,000 micro-droplets, each one filled with 50% fresh camellia cell active ingredients. A quintessence of skincare, free from alcohol and surfactants, suitable for even the most demanding skin. Almost magical, but assuredly scientific, protected by five patents.

The texture of the Hydra Beauty Micro Liquid Essence is gentle and feels very pleasant and hydrating. It has a jelly consistency and really offers a feeling of comfort. I take about five to six drops and press the fluid onto the cheeks, forehead and chin. It feels so fresh like water. The micro-droplets burst and envelop the skin, infusing it with extreme comfort. My skin immediately feels fresh, plumped, luminous and revitalized. I really love using this anytime my skin feels dehydrated and needs a little boost.

The new HYDRA BEAUTY Masque de Nuit au Camélia and HYDRA BEAUTY Micro Liquid Essence will be available as of April 2, 2018 at all CHANEL Beauty counters.

Hydra Beauty Masque De Nuit Au Camélia 100ml $105.00

Hydra Beauty Micro Liquid Essence 150ml $135.00

*PR Samples

Thank you CHANEL!

#hydrabeauty #ChanelSkincare

Be Beauty Brave! Mark. Colour Collection by AVON

I kindly received this beautiful and lovely PR package from AVON Canada and I screamed with joy! Why you ask? Because I’m a huge fan of PLL and I adore Lucy Hale. Lucy Hale is now the new brand ambassador for mark by Avon. If you haven’t watched Pretty Little Liars I totally recommend you check it out on NETFLIX. PLL is coming to an end with 10 last episodes and I’m going to cry like a baby. I cried so much with the ending of Vampire Diaries and now PLL. I’m so emotional!

Beloved because she’s real, followed because she’s always surprising. Lucy is beauty brave in the most inspiring way possible. As her hit show enters its final season and new projects look, we expect Lucy to continue pushing her own beauty boundaries. Watch her experiment with her look, and get ready to be fearless with yours. -AVON

I made a video for you! I hope you take some time and watch the video and please don’t forget to subscribe and give the video a thumbs up. This really helps with the growth of my channel.

Eye Contact $18.00

Hook Up Eyeshadow

9 Mix-and-match must have shades. 5g.

SMOKE AND MIRRORS

Cheek Magnet

$18.00

Hook Up Blush

Provides a radiant flush. Buildable for extra impact. 5.5g

Mauve Forward

Dusk Till Dawn $10.00

Waterproof Eyeliner

Sharpenable plastic pencil liner that lasts all night-or day! Glides on smoothly and precisely. Provides velvety finish. Smudge0resistant formula. 1.2g

Blackout, Daybreak

All Butter Now $14.00

Lip Treat

Increases lip moisture by 124%

Contains Shea, cocoa and mango seed butters. Delivers colour with yummy, buttery shine. 3g

Bare All

A huge thank you to AVON CANADA for these incredible samples. I absolutely adore everything! The eyeshadow is amazing and the blush is so beautiful. The lip butter is so soft and silky. I love the creamy pencils and they are so soft, creamy and they blend out nicely and last so long. Truly wonderful! The quality of the makeup is phenomenal! I adore everything and totally recommend them.