Chicago Wanderings (Part 1) + A New Beginning!!

"Never tell me the odds." - Han Solo, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

     Good day! Wow, this is the day when I will finally compile a post of my recent Chicago trip this past month. This first post will focus mainly on the architecture tour that I went on throughout the city! The following post will be where I go more in depth about the museum and art gallery I visited, as well as Millenium Park, and the foodie excursions I experienced whilst there this last time! Here's the biggie: I'll actually be calling the Windy City my home late this September! Yes, I am moving there - for all intents and purposes, I'm now Chicago-bound, getting preparations in order. I'm in the process of selling my car, moving my stuff out of storage, and everything else involved in constituting a big move. I had the fortune of connecting with so many awesome people while visiting there, and just went there again for a visit this past month feeling like I was home already, so decided that it was time for a change. I just fell in love with the city in a way that I'd never before realized when visiting before with family or friends, and just knew that I would be able to move there before winter. 💛

Karrueche X Colourpop Fem Rosa 'She' Eyeshadow Palette | Simply Swatches! + First Impressions!

Ciao, erryone! Well, guess this is my first actual Colourpop post! I'm a bit late to the Colourpop party, I know, but in all seriousness, can we just discuss this $16 limited edition Colourpop She Palette for a minute - the newly released Fem Rosa lineup of products are quite the hot ticket items from our beloved crazy-affordable, high quality colourful brand, Colourpop - and for good reason! This will be a pretty succinct post with the main focus being on swatches, as I haven't had the chance to play with more than 4-5 of these shades on my eyes - hardly enough experience with this to do a review. Hence, why I usually do not like featuring (or even purchasing) limited edition products. Once they're gone, they're quite gone. 

I do have a first impressions video of this palette up on my channel! You can check it out here. 

Currently Reading: The Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

     - Dialogue from Sherlock, BBC, Season 1, Episode 1: 'A Study in Pink'

     John Watson to Sherlock Holmes: "Who are you?"

     Sherlock Holmes: "I'm a consulting detective."

     John Watson: "What does that mean?"

     Sherlock: "It means when the police are out of their depth - which is always - they consult me." (😁)

     As the time is approaching where I will inevitably be in the mindset where I want to read things other than Sherlock Holmes, for the moment, I'm definitely on a Sherlock kick. I'm currently reading Modern Library Classics The Adventures and Memoirs, as well as the Sherlock Holmes-Mary Russell spinoff series by Laurie R. King, and don't have any intention of slowing down on the great detective and master of wit anytime soon! (And, please forgive this picture lol, it's the only one I've taken of the book, and it was during a Panera breakfast time ages ago...been a while since I've had it, now that I think about it 😊). 

Thus Far . . .

     This is a very fine collection, and the stories of Sherlock Holmes have been so very cherished throughout the 20th and 21st centuries for good reason, I now realize. They will continue to be as such. I like to read these short stories on my short breaks in between classes at uni, as well as just before I go to bed. I've put the entertainment and excitement of 5 cases in this novel behind me so far, and am now on page 122 and am reading The Adventure of the Man with the Twisted Lip - and the thing I'm left wishing at the conclusion of each case, is only that these stories were longer than 25-30 pages! I'm nowhere near complaining, though, because Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was an absolute master at brevity, and the cases are fleshed out enough and are quick-witted and incredibly detailed (I just like reading a lot). We are able to see the human side of Sherlock, along with the impact of the help of his comrade and former army doctor John Watson, as well as the mysteries and grisly work they do in their travels. 

How I'm Reading These Cases . . .

Needless to say, I'm a linear reader, and I don't like to jump around in novels I'm reading, regardless of whether or not they're short stories. In the case of the Sherlock Holmes Adventures, these cases are developmental, and indicate progress in the friendship and camaraderie between Sherlock and Watson, and skipping around stories would probably be rather a disservice to the reader, in my humble opinion. The prolific sarcasm and deductive reasoning never gets stale, and is only part of why Doyle's works are known as overt classics recognized under the genius breed. 

These are stories that I along with many other classics readers treasure greatly, and I've read one of these cases in the past as a kid, however I wish I was introduced to more of them sooner - nonetheless, they resonate at any age, and the way these characters think begins to rub off on the reader as time goes on, whether the reader may realize it or not. I'm so glad to have these stories in my possession now, as I began watching the BBC show around the same time I started reading the Sherlock-Mary Russell series, but long before I ever got back into reading the wonderful originals.

I'll update you as my journeys from reading these mysteries begin to accrue! Have a wonderful Sunday!

Clinique Pops of Happy Lip Glaze & Perfume Coffret | First Impressions + Weekend Chicago Trip Ramblings!

Clinique Pops of Happy Lip Pop Glaze Lip Colour & Perfume Coffret

     Hello again!! 😁💛Wow, I'm soooo incredibly happy to be back on the bloggie! Phew, long hiatus there, right? So, *awkwardly clears throat* aaaaaand - begin riff: Uh - It's been a long time...I shouldn'ta left you - without a dope beat to step to.....step to - step to - uhhuh - step to.... boom. Ok...I'll stop embarrassing myself now. 😄😝I could've left you with a travel blog post, or something a bit more interesting than a measly book review, damn. Well, let me stop there....because I just recently took a short weekend trip to Chicago for some discoveries and urban dwelling and inspiration (and possibly a new beginning soon!) so there will be an entire account of my wanderings in the heart of that city! The photos are being curated, and will be up on my blog soon!