Evie's Lifestyle

Friday, June 13, 2014

Currently Reading: The Signature Of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

The Signature of All Things is coming out in a beautiful paperback very soon and to celebrate that, we are giving away a copy on Bookish (US only, enter HERE).

I am only about half-way through the book right now (and it's a long one - 500 pages in a tiny font), but I am completely and utterly mesmerized by both the gorgeously rendered historical settings and Gilbert's beautiful writing style.

I haven't read Eat, Pray, Love.

Nor have I read any of her other novels.

This is my first experience with her prose. And I am kicking myself for not picking up one of her books earlier.

It's, well, quite frankly, amazing. Intelligent, clever, meaningful, charming..

Spanning much of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the novel centers around the Whittaker family - focusing mainly on Henry Whittaker, a self-made millionaire who makes a fortune in the South American quinine trade, and his daughter, Alma, a brilliant and gifted botanist. It's a meticulously researched, evocative tale of ambition, love, desire and the thirst for knowledge and self-improvement.

“Take me someplace where we can be silent together.”

“You see, I have never felt the need to invent a world beyond this world, for this world has always seemed large and beautiful enough for me. I have wondered why it is not large and beautiful enough for others-- why they must dream up new and marvelous spheres, or long to live elsewhere, beyond this dominion... but that is not my business. We are all different, I suppose. All I ever wanted was to know this world. I can say now, as I reach my end, that I know quite a bit more of it than I knew when I arrived. Moreover, my little bit of knowledge has been added to all the other accumulated knowledge of history-- added to the great library, as it were. That is no small feat, sir. Anyone who can say such a thing has lived a fortunate life.”

“The trick at every turn was to endure the test of living for as long as possible. The odds of survival were punishingly slim, for the world was naught by a school of calamity and an endless burning furnace of tribulation. But those who survived the world shaped it--even as the world, simultaneously, shaped them.”

“I would like to spend the rest of my days in a place so silent–and working at a pace so slow–that I would be able to hear myself living.”

Sunday, June 8, 2014

GURAIO Striping Tape Line Nail Art (Review + Nail Art Bundle Giveaway)

I'm a beginner when it comes to nail art, but I recently got an opportunity to try out GURAIO Striping Tapes and boy, was that a lot fun! These tapes are not only visually appealing, but also really fun and easy to use. It takes a bit of practice and some manual skills to get a really nice and clean design, but once you get a hang of it, the possibilities are endless. If you need inspiration, there are literally hundreds of YouTube tutorials to help you.

I got the tapes on Amazon from a seller located in China, at a wholesale price (they came in a bundle of 30 for only about $2.00 with FREE shipping!). The order came way faster than I expected, which was a pleasant surprise, and the variety of colors and patterns was amazing. I didn't get any doubles in my order, though I probably wouldn't mind either way, not for that prize! There is enough of product to last me a life time, honestly. I don't think I'll ever have to order these again (though I totally would!).

The only thing that I could complain about is the quality of the glue. It just doesn't always stick well. But then again, like with any other nail art stickers, as long as you put on a layer of clear coat nail polish on top, you're all good! Overall, this was an awesome purchase and I'm really glad I gave these a try.