august favourites (makeup brushes, new camera, and more)

There is this quote I keep thinking about. It says, "Don't ever waste a day. Once time goes by, you can never get it back." This is a philosophy that I have been applying to my life lately. In the past, I would will time away by wanting to speed through the work day or skip past certain activities. Now? My goal is to find something valuable in each and every experience. That mentality has allowed me to learn, grow, and become a more grateful person. So, in the name of gratitude, I wanted to take some time today to show you some of the things that have been making me smile.

New Camera: Sony Cybershot DSC-HX80 

My old camera lasted for about five years before it started wearing down. As time went on, the playback button needed to be pressed multiple times to work properly, the outer casing was cracked, and the flash refused to pop up unless manually raised. As much as I do not like getting new pieces of technology (I want the items I love to work forever), a new camera was very much needed. I was gifted the Sony Cybershot DSC-HX80 - along with a carrying case to go with it. One feature that this camera has that I really like is the flip screen. The display screen on the back can flip up so you can take selfies with ease...though my intention is to use it to make filming videos easier.

Reading: Lots and Lots of Joanne Fluke Books

Reading is something I love to do. As much as possible! Though I have quite a few books on the go right now (I read multiple books at a time and it varies based on my mood)....there have been a lot of Joanne Fluke mysteries. I absolutely love her Hannah Swensen series and have almost all of them. With almost twenty five murder mystery books in the collection, every once and a while, I am lucky enough to find one that I haven't read before. Right now, I am reading lots and lots of mystery novels as I eagerly await her next release.

Beauty Musts: Makeup Brushes + Holder

Of course, this little favourites list had to include a couple of beauty items! The first is a gorgeous glittery makeup brush holder, designed by my good friend who runs Cas & Co. Custom Creations. She is so talented and  I was thrilled to add this beautiful design to my beauty room. We met up for a long overdue lunch date and it was such a wonderful experience. And now I have this stunning piece to remember the day by. Inside, I placed a couple of new brushes from Quo that are super soft and have a unique woven design on the handles. They look incredible and have a distinctly luxurious design.

Some Random Favourites for August

There are many other things I have been loving this month, including: this YouTube playlist that has tons of old episodes of "Out of This World" (an 80s sitcom about a thirteen year old girl who is half alien), spending lots of time with friends and my wonderful husband, trying out new workout routines (because mixing it up is always a good idea), the audio book sale Hay House hosted earlier this month ($5 for each audio book...amazing), and the warm weather. Though the month isn't quite over yet, there are more than enough favourites on this list!

What are your current favourites?