From the Vault || Free Halloween Printable

As I'm sure you've noticed I've been MIA from the blog lately. I am feverishly working on rebranding and moving to a NEW WORDPRESS blog! I cannot tell you how excited I am for this new adventure. 

I will be Gingerbread no longer.

I'm scared, nervous, excited, and happy about this change.

Change is good.

You have to keep moving forward toward your dreams.

For now I thought it would be fun to drum up a free Halloween printable from last year that's still one of my favorites.

Enjoy!

april

Vintage Gingerbread Sale // Milkglass and Pyrex

I had a few epic thrift store visits this past weekend just time for my latest instagram sale! I don't think I've found more milk glass mixing bowls or Pyrex.
Swoon.

There are still so many items for sale in the shop, you can take a look @vintage_gingerbread.
xoxo

My August \\Beauty\\ Must-Haves

There are few cosmetic products that I truly feel I can't live without. I'm not a real girly girl, although I do like to get dressed up once in a while. My make-up routine doesn't take more than 10 minutes, and it mainly consists of me covering up my breakouts and Melasma (skin pigmentation that occurred after I gave birth to my 5 year old). 

Those few products I do love I REALLY love, and thought I would share them with you today! 

1. I have really dark circles under my eyes that I inherited from both my mom and dad. I use Dermablend concealer that I believe is for covering scars. You can purchase it at Sephora or Macy's. I won't leave the house without this stuff, it's that good.

2. These products aren't exactly cosmetics, but I felt I had to include them. My sister in law bought me this pillow mist and body moisturizer for Mothers Day and I can't imagine my sleep routine without it! I They smell dreamy and I am immediately calmed. Since I started using these products I don't wake up in the middle of the night, aside from a certain boy calling for me. This duo is from The Body Shop.

3. I have used Estee Lauder "Double Wear" foundation for the past 5-6 years. The older I get the more "heavy-duty" my foundation becomes. My mom dropped some knowledge about this product and I love it's coverage and ability to stay on all day.

4. Everyone loves a good red lipstick. I'm currently swooning over M.A.C. (matte) Russian Red #AB2.

5. Let's break this down. Mascara is my love language, I want thick, black lashes every.day.

For some reason when I use a lash curler my eyelashes fall out and stick to the curler. It's tragic.

I've tried so many mascaras it's not even funny. Estee Lauder's Sumptuous Bold Volume Lifting Mascara is amazing. It doesn't clump or wipe off during the day.

Try it.

A few of these products are pricey, but worth it, and that's coming from a girl so cheap I shop at garage sales. 

Do you have a "must-have" product in your make-up drawer? I'd love to know what it is!

How to Oil Cleanse Your Skin

A few months ago my face was in the midst of a major breakout. My skin had blemishes, was super oily and riddled with blackheads. Being a 34 year old with pimples makes me wanna scream, but I had no idea what to do!

At the time I was using sensitive skin makeup removers, acne wash, a toner and moisturizer every day. All products were for my skin type, so I felt like they should be working.

I took my frustration to Facebook one day pleading with my readers to suggest what they use for their skin. 

One amazing follower suggested I try the oil cleanse method. 

I was like "What is THAT"

I spent the next hour reading other blogs and websites educating myself on the topic and what it could do for me.

To be honest I was leery of the method and didn't think it would work. I mean, how could you use oil to get rid of oil, that must be impossible.

I figured since I already had one of the two ingredients I would try it. I really wanted clear skin. 

After the first use I saw a HUGE difference in my skin. I originally thought that after I used the oil my skin would "be oily", but it wasn't. My face was smooth and when I applied my liquid foundation it absorbed evenly into my skin.  Before my foundation looked sort of snake-like because my forehead is very dry. That issue immediately went away. I was shocked, and continued oil cleansing my face for 2 months before other people started noticing a difference in my skin. I actually a neighbor stop me and ask me what I was doing, because it looked so much clearer.
At that moment I knew I was in for the long haul.
I have now been oil cleansing my skin for about 6 months with no regrets.
It's cheap, easy and works!

All you need is:
> Extra virgin olive oil
> Castor oil
> Washcloths

The ratio of your oil mixture depends on your skin type.
- Oily skin: three parts castor oil and one part EVOO
-Normal skin: one to one ratio of oils
-Dry skin: one part castor oil to three parts EVOO

1.  Pour a small amount (nickel size) of your oil mixture on a few squares of folded toilet paper. You can use cotton balls but they would always break apart for me. I would be left with a face covered in cotton.  Side note: this method is great for removing make up!
2. Run your washcloth under hot water, as hot as you feel comfortable with. Drape the washcloth on your face for about 2 minutes to steam your skin.
3. Wipe off the oil with the same washcloth. This step is great for exfoliating.
4. Let dry and you're done.

My face still has the occasional breakout (completely hormonal) and I'm OK with that. I was looking for a natural way to improve my skin without harsh products or medication. I whole heartily endorse this method. I hope you try it out!
xoxo

**Original recipe and can be found HERE.

Reduce Skin Redness with a Turmeric Mask

This recipe is my all time favorite tool to reduce redness for pre\post skin breakouts. You know, when you can feel a huge painful bump under your skin and you can actually see where the blemish is surfacing? 

I get really deep blemishes that are both painful and annoying. I have a really hard time covering them up with makeup when they are super red and swollen. This mask helps reduce both problems.

You may even have the ingredients in your kitchen already!

Have I convinced you to try it out yet?

If so, go grab:

> 2 tsp turmeric

> 1-2 tsp milk (or until a watery consistency)

Mix and apply a thin layer to your face.
After a few minutes it will begin to harden and shrink down until you have a super tight face.

That means it's done and you can rinse it off.
I recommend using a wash cloth to scrub the mask off with warm water. Don't freak out if you have to rinse your face a few times. I thought I had dyed my face yellow the first time I used it, but no worries, it comes off.

Your skin will feel super smooth and have a more even tone.
Enjoy!

Thrifting at the Rose Bowl Flea Market

This trip to the Rose Bowl flea market was unique in the fact that I went with my husband, who has no knowledge of vintage or thrifting. To say I was a bit nervous was an understatement. I wasn't sure how he would react, or if he would be a bored mess after only half an hour of walking up and down aisles of vendors. 

When we pulled up to the parking lot he receive his first lesson in thrifting vintage, it's popular.

Everyone and their mother thrifts now, especially at the Rose Bowl. This specific venue is held only once a month, so you can bet it was crowded. Aaron's mouth dropped open when we pulled up and had to wait in line to be directed to an open grass field to park, you know, because the parking lot was full. 

Walking to the venue was a bit of an ordeal because my Fibro can creep up on me at any time, and was paranoid my hip would start hurting. 

Thankfully it didn't and I walked a large part of the venue like a boss.

The Rose Bowl has EVERY genre for vintage lovers. You can shop clothes, furniture, housewares and home decor. All of the vendors are very well organized into sections, so if you're only looking for one specific genre you can look at a map and shop what you re looking for.

Here are a few of my favorite things to shop for:

Colorful books to read or decorate with.

Small kitchy items to create a vignette.

Hard to find holiday decor like vintage Santas.

Any kind of specialty item with a specific name on it. (State, city or town)

Vintage costume jewelry.

Furniture and display items.

Anything colorful and happy.

People watching is also a great past time at the flea.
Hey man, nice stache.

To tell you the truth I don't really spend a lot of money at the flea market. I tend to walk the aisles and look for inspiration. I love to take pictures, sip on a cuppa joe and enjoy all of the love and work others put into their space.

If you're thinking about heading to the flea market here are a few tips.
1. Wear comfy shoes.
2. Bring sunblock. (I didn't and was very toasty when I got home)
3. Bring cash, and then add another $20. You never know, and the ATM the venue provides charge a big fee.
4. Bring a large tote or cart to carry your purchases.
5. Wear sunglasses
6. Dress in layers

I enjoyed sharing my passion for vintage with the hubs.
We will definitely being going back soon.

Pet Adoption Diary // Shit Just Got Real

Remember that one time I rescued a dog from the animal shelter and felt all good about myself?

I was like "April, you're an upstanding citizen in your community and an all around great human being."

And then shit got real.

Literally, the shit.

When we took Bella to her first check up a few days after she had her stitches out we were advised to have her checked for parasites and worms, you know, since we had no idea where she had come from. I patiently waited for the test results and I'm sure you can correctly guess how that phone conversation went. We were told she had been exposed to giardia and needed 5 days of medication. I was freaking out, and my husband thought maybe a parasite could crawl in his ear.

Great.

I was the lucky lady who had the job of giving Bella her white chalky awful medicine. She hated it, I hated it, my bank account hated it.

Why that medicine had to be liquid I'll never know. It spilled everywhere and made a huge mess of my kitchen floor.

During my time cleaning I had a lot of time to contemplate my relationship with this dog.

 I made up this story in my head that she ran with the wrong crowd before she ended up in the shelter. Maybe she was in a gang, hopefully she didn't have to be jumped in.

I've considered the past few weeks detox for Bella. Putting the past behind her and giving her loving memories with our family. We have been training her to behave, shocked her system with meds and basically changed her entire life.

I've had many moments over the past few weeks where I've thought

"maybe I made a mistake."

Isn't it normal to second guess a decision that causes you so much grief? 

But then I'll look over and see her cuddling with Dylan or playing with her toys and remember why I wanted to rescue a dog in the first place.

I wanted to help.

I wanted to set a good example for my boys.

And we all deserve to be loved.

Dogs are like people, they have baggage and issues that need to be work through.

and really, shit happens.