Hello Again!

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Hello, everyone! It’s been a while since I’ve written. So, I thought I would give you a quick catch up on my life recently.

Here are some of the things I have been up to:

  • Visiting Teddy Roosevelt’s house in Medora
  • Coloring and cuddles with Cecilia
  • Chalk painting a rock display box
  • Reading my new book, Tranquility Du Jour Anthology by Kimberly Wilson
  • Adding new rocks to my collection
  • Attending a chocolate exhibit at the North Dakota Heritage Center
  • Stopping by the Mandan Kite Festival
  • Visiting Buckstop Junction —Historic buildings were moved to a piece of private property, creating a ghost town that never existed!
    • The Foley House circa 1907
    • Bethel Lutheran Church circa 1915
    • Yagen General Store circa 1877
  • Enjoying all of the lilac and lavender blooming in Bismarck
  • Jumping in the Tardis at the Fargo-Moorhead Comicon
  • Getting a caricature drawn of Ben and me at iMagicon
  • Raising money for the Abused Adult Resource Center at iMagicon
  • Creating collages
  • Starting an art journal 100 day project and playing with washi tape

I have some fun posts coming up!

xo Dana Maye

Ona Restaurant Review

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Brr, the weather is cold and windy today -I think it’s time for another summer post!

While Ben and I were at my family reunion trip in Yachats, Oregon, we went to the Ona Restaurant & Lounge.

The waiter was friendly, and gave great suggestions on entrees to try.

I ordered some Oregon Dungeoness Crab Cakes -they were amazing! The crab in them was so fresh. Also, I loved that the crab was the featured star -the crab cakes weren’t mostly stuffed with breading and other fillers.

Ben got the McK Ranch burger and said it was great. He loved the taste and the size of the burger. He wasn’t too impressed with the fries, but then, we have spent quite a bit of time in Idaho. 🙂

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Kelly, Ross and Audrey -my awesome sister, her man and adorable baby -went with us too. We had loads of fun together. I held my  adorable niece as often as I could. 🙂

All in all, it was a great dining experience. ❤

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Ona Restaurant & Lounge

Hours:

Monday-Friday: 4 pm -8:30 pm
Saturday -Sunday: 11 am -8:30 pm

Address:

A131 Highway 101 North
Yachats, Oregon 97498

541-547-6627

Comfy Car Ride Style

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This past weekend, Ben and I went to Fargo. Knowing that I wouldn’t have  time to change before the car ride, I decided to wear something comfy, yet work appropriate.  I came up with this simple outfit -a white button-up shirt with black leggings, a pair of boots, and a cozy scarf. I think it worked well.I especially like the mint and peach scarf-it’s a fun color pairing.

It was nice to get away for the weekend. Ben had some work to do in the Fargo design studio, so we headed over for a couple days. We also went to the Fargo-Moorhead Com-icon (more on that later). It was lovely to spend time with Ben, especially with no distractions. I think we both needed the relaxation and fun. 🙂

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I also want to show off my latest makeup routine! I am love with my Clinique chubby stick! Lipstick tends to dry my lips out and make them look thinner, but this lip crayon helps my lips look naturally full. I love the  sheer, barely there color.  I also like my eyeliner, made by Just For Redheads. I plan on buying one of their mascaras and reviewing it later on!

My Makeup:

  • Covergirl Outlast Stay 3-in-1 Foundation in Classic Ivory: $9.47
  • Clinique Chubby Stick Lip Balm in Super Strawberry: $17
  • CoverGirl Clump Crusher Mascara in Black Brown $6.94
  • Mirabella Blue Color Duo in Blissful: $34
  • JFR Mineral Eye Crayon in Penny: free gift with purchase ($16.99 retail)

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Since it was 20 degrees outside, I did wear a coat most of the time. 🙂  This pink pea-coat  is one of my favorite pieces in my outerwear wardrobe. It’s made by Monoreno, a clothing brand that you can find on Shoptique and Zulily. One thing I love about thrift shopping is that I am introduced to brands I’ve never heard of.

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Isn’t the design studio lovely? It’s a perfect place for a blog picture, if I do say so myself. 🙂

My Outfit Deconstructed:

  • White Button-Up Shirt -Part of $1 Bag, thrifted (Van Huesen Studio/JC Penny)
  • Black Jeggings : Part of $1 Bag, thrifted (Mossimo/Target)
  • Mint and Peach Scarf -$3, thrifted
  • Brown Leather Boots: $8, thrifted
  • Leopard Print Purse: $8, thrifted (Sienna Ricchi/Kohls)
  • Pink Pea Coat: $1, thrifted (Monoreno)

Nature’s Bling Rock Shop

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When it’s cold and sleeting outside, my thoughts easily drift back to summer vacations. So today, I thought I would share a throwback post to my summer vacation in Oregon.

As you probably already know, I adore rocks. Rocks are pretty much the coolest creations on this planet. I have rocks all over my house, in my car, inside my suitcase, in my jewelry box; I even have a rock keychain! Well, while I was in Oregon, I found a super cool shop, called Nature’s Bling.

Nature’s Bling had some of the coolest things like this amethyst stalactite – or portable cave as I call it. If I were a rich woman… I would have five of these amethyst caves in my yard… or perhaps my ballroom… 🙂

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Check out this huge chunk of rose quartz. I couldn’t even lift it! I find it interesting that both amethyst and rose quartz are the same type of rock, but have different minerals that change the color. Rose Quartz is pink because of the manganese it contains. Amethyst is purple due to iron impurities -and ultra violet irradiation.

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Nature’s Bling is a fun rock shop, and I’d definitely recommend going the next time you are in Yachats, Oregon!

—

Nature’s Bling Facebook Page

Hours:

  • Monday -Tuesday: 10 am – 5 pm
  • Wednesday -Thursday: 9 am -5 pm
  • Friday -Saturday: 9 am – 6 pm
  • Sunday: 11 am to 4 pm

Address: 

2334 Highway 101 N
Yachats, Oregon 97498

(541) 547-5033

Music Monday: Renee Olstead

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Welcome back to Music Monday…. or should I say Music Friday. 🙂 I was a little late this week, but I wanted to make sure that I found a fantastic artist to share with you. As I listening to my trusty Pandora vocal jazz station, I came across Renee Olstead. Although she is more known for acting roles in TV sitcoms, Renee Olstead started singing jazz at age 13. She published a self-titled album with Warner Brothers in 2004, and then Skylark . One of her songs, “A Love that Will Last,” appeared in Princess Diaries 2.

I love her traditional jazz, bluesy voice. I also love her talent with vocal scatting -a skill I would really like to develop. 🙂 I can’t believe it took me this long to find her!

Here are five of my favorite songs by Renee Olstead:

  1. Summertime by Renee Olstead

2. Alright, Okay, You Win by Renee Olstead

3. Hit the Road Jack

4. Skylark by Renee Olstead

5. Someone to Watch Over Me by Renee Olstead

 

I hope you liked Renee Olstead’s amazing voice and stylistic talent as much as I do! 💚

My Word of the Year for 2017

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Sometimes it is best to be fashionably late. For me, that is starting new years resolutions. When I start new goals, I like to have a practice month, where I figure out what I’m doing. So, I spent all of January conceptualizing and working on my goals for the year (which I will share in just a few moments). I decided that finding a word of the year would help focus my efforts.

Inspiration

I was inspired by Tonya Leigh’s blog post, “My Surprising Word of the Year: and Inspiration to Help You Find Yours.”

 

In this post, She challenged us to find our own concept for the year – not just fashion brands, but also places, animals, and other tangible things to represent the year. I thought this was a wonderful idea. Rather than choose a vague adjective, choose something you can visualize.

It took me over a year to decide on a tangible word of the year, but I finally found it. 💛

And the Word of the Year Is…

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I settled on two words, but one brand -Kate Spade.  To me, Kate Spade New York is whimsical and timeless at the same time. It is elegance and joie de vivre.

For 2017, I have two main goals, which are represented well by the two Kate Spade perfumes:

Goal #1: Live Colorfully

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To me, this means to be happy. Live life in color, not in dreaded drudgery. To seek out new experiences, and discover everything that gives me vibrancy. To bring more joy and delight to those around me, by finding joy inside me.

Goal #2: Walk On Air

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Walk On Air sounds like magic.  I imagine traveling to far away places, without a care in the world. I see winding trails, daring adventures, excitement, and confidence. Basically, I want to gain the confidence to seize adventure and opportunity.

What’s your word of the year?

Music Monday: Fréro Delavega

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I am starting a brand new blog series, called Music Monday!

Music has always been a deep love and integral part of my life. 💙 I love to listen to the human voice (it’s my favorite instrument!) But sometimes — and especially when at work — I can get distracted by the lyrics. To combat this, I love to listen artists sing in foreign languages.

Lately I have dived into the world of French pop and folk music. There, I discovered an amazing duo –Fréro Delavega! This music group first premiered on the third season of France’s version of the Voice (The Voice: La Plus Belle Voix). While singers Jérémy Frérot and Flo Delavega did not go on to win the season, they have enjoyed success with their two albums: Fréro Delavega and Des Ombres Et Des Lumieres. In addition to their amazing voices, I love the folk influences, syncopation and acoustic guitar in these songs. 💚

Here are five of my favorite songs by Fréro Delavega:

I hope you enjoy Fréro Delavega as much as I do! 💛💖💚