If Not Now, When?

Most of you know that I am a huge Incubus fan~

I love tattoos and I've always wanted an Incubus-inspired one.  After having such an amazing summer meeting the band and seeing them multiple times on tour, I knew it was finally time!

My girl Eden and I decided to get our first tattoos together, at Rising Dragon in NYC.  Tattoo artist Wendi Koontz helped me design a tattoo inspired by the artwork of Brandon Boyd and Jose Pasillas, and here's the final result!

Couldn't have asked for a better first tattoo experience.  Wendi was amazing, patient, and informative.  She made me feel really comfortable throughout the entire process, and the end result was even better than I imagined. 

Why this tattoo?  I'd been thinking for years about what I should get done.  It finally hit me on July 12th, 2011 when I popped in Incubus' newest album for the first time in my car.  I was going through a time in my life where I was making lots of changes and taking big steps.  The first track of the album came on, and the lyrics hit me so hard that I cried.  I felt like they were written for me.

If not now, when?  I don't ever want to forget that moment of clarity.  We only have right now.  I don't ever want to wait.

I have waited, dined on ashes, swung from chandeliers, and climbed Everest...but none of it's gotten me close to this.  I've waited all my life...if not now, when will I?  We've been good, even a blast, but don't you feel like something's missing here?  Don't you, dear?  I've waited all my life...if not now, when will I?  Stand up and face the bright light, don't hide your eyes...it's time.  It's time, it's time.

GUESS What's Sexy

Got my hands on a GUESS Summer 2012 lookbook at their birthday party the other night.  Bombshell model Claudia Schiffer returns 23 years after her first campaign with GUESS to model their 30th anniversary collection, looking hotter than ever!

The lookbook asks the question, "what is sexy?"

"SEXY IS WHO WE ARE AND EVERYTHING WE WANT TO BECOME."

"SEXY CREATES A BALANCE BETWEEN WHAT THE WORLD SEES AND WHAT WE KNOW INSIDE."

"SEXY SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.  IT ENGAGES THE BODY AND MIND IN A CONVERSATION THAT THE WORLD CAN UNDERSTAND."

I don't know about you, but this lookbook has me feeling all kinds of sexy!  Claudia looks amazing, I'm not so seriously considering wearing only bustiers & bodysuits and going platinum blonde.

What is sexy for me?

Summer.  Blonde.  Short shorts.  Days spent in the sun, on the beach.  Kissing.  Platform heels.  A pair of jeans that fit so perfectly.  Holding hands.  Tattoos.  Lazy Sundays spent together in bed.

What is sexy for you?

GUESS 30 Sexy Years

Ain & I attended GUESS' birthday bash last night, celebrating "30 Sexy Years".  There were tons of free drinks, candy, mini macarons, makeovers, and so much more.  It was unbelievably fun, GUESS really knows how to party~

Got a peek at the 30th anniversary collection, and did some shopping too.  10% of all purchases made last night went to Save The Children, so it was for a great cause!

Ain getting her lips done by Violent Lips

The Bumbys were there giving style readings

 My style according to The Bumbys - I'm pretty pleased with it!

 No fashion party is complete without a photo booth!

 Happy birthday GUESS!  Thanks for inviting us, pampering us, & treating us to all the free goodies, and thanks to Ain for partying with me!  Here's to many more sexy years~

Near The Willows Review & Giveaway

Near The Willows jewelry designer Katie was kind enough to send me one of her popular Infinity Mini leather bracelets in this newly released color.  It's a great, year-round piece...so perfect for stacking with other bracelets, and the color goes with just about anything.  I've been wearing it a lot lately!

Looking at the Maine designer's collection, you can easily see her natural design influences.  Her favorite trend is sea-inspired jewelry.  Having always lived by the sea, she loves working with bits of glass that she finds on the beach and turning them into beautiful & unique pieces.  As a beach-lover myself, this is something that I really appreciate!

Near The Willows is having a Facebook special!  From now until Mother's Day, enjoy a FREE pair of turquoise leaf earrings with any purchase from the Etsy shop.  Check it out here~

I'm so happy to announce that Katie is offering a giveaway for my US/Canada readers!  One of you will win an Infinity Mini leather bracelet just like mine.

RULES

Mandatory entry:  Comment with your name and a valid e-mail!

For extra chances to win, you can...

-Visit Near The Willows on Etsy and tell me your favorite piece

-Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect, bloglovin', etc

-Follow me on Twitter @hachidork

-Follow Near The Willows on Twitter @nearthewillows

-Tweet the following message on Twitter: "Hachi's having a @nearthewillows #giveaway! @hachidork http://tinyurl.com/7mtdv3h #win" (you may do this once daily)

-"Like" Near The Willows on Facebook

-Blog about this giveaway

-Comment on any of my other blog posts

Please be sure to do the mandatory entry first!  Each method of entry should be submitted in a separate comment.  ANY COMMENT NOT FOLLOWING THE RULES WILL BE DELETED!

The giveaway ends on Monday, April 30th at midnight EST.  Winner will be chosen via random.org and contacted by e-mail.  If the winner does not respond in 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen.

Disclaimer:  I received a product in exchange for this post.  All opinions stated here are 100%  my own. 

The Best Thing About iPhones

...is all the amazing cases to choose from!

Oh, and Instagram.  Those were the two main deciding factors when it came time for me to pick a new phone.

Nearly everyone has an iPhone these days, so I love that you can get a cool case and make yours stand out against all the others.  It's a simple & easy way to show off your own personal style, and sometimes great conversation starters too!  I have the pink bunny ears case on my phone at the moment, and I've had complete strangers comment on it countless times.

If only they were just a little cheaper, I swear I'd have one to match every outfit and mood!

Murad Clarifying Cleanser

Received a deluxe sample of Murad's Clarifying Cleanser from Sephora, and I just love it!

Murad Clarifying Cleanser

"This cleansing gel effectively keeps skin clean and clear. Use it daily to help eliminate blemishes, prevent new breakouts, and maximize penetration of powerful acne treatment ingredients. In less than one minute, it reduces 99.9 percent of irritating surface bacteria." 

To date, this is definitely the best cleanser I've ever used!  It lathers up really nicely with just a small amount, and leaves skin feeling soft, smooth, & deeply clean.  It has a refreshing scent of tea tree.  It tightens pores and controls oil throughout the day, so I don't even need to use a toner anymore!

This dermatologist-developed cleanser contains encapsulated salicylic acid and continually releases acne treatment for hours after use.  While I haven't noticed a difference in my breakouts as mine are mostly hormonal, this cleanser really does help get rid of them quickly once they appear. 

At $26, its a little more expensive than drugstore cleansers but still reasonable.  I've been using it twice a day for almost three months, and it's not even halfway gone.  You really only need to use a small, dime-sized amount so it lasts a really long time!

Overall: 5/5 

Totally love this cleanser and I'm going to continue using it for a long time!  I would say that this probably isn't a good product for people with dry skin, as it is very drying.  For people like me who suffer from oily skin, it's the perfect balance!