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Filtering by Tag: Angel Elliott

What's Poppin' October: Halloween Decorating

October 03, 2016Angel Elliott

Helloooooo October! Welcome to my favorite time of year folks, fall! I just can’t get enough of Halloween, pumpkins, apple picking, fall foliage, sweaters and leather motorcycle jackets, hunting and cold weather hikes. Okay, you get the picture.

I anticipate decorating the house for fall and Halloween every single year! To me, decorating isn’t about who can’t throw the junkiest festive crap around and call it done. To me, it’s about picking special pieces to accentuate your decor, and let folks know it’s the holidays! I wanted to share some of my thrift store, Marshalls, and HomeGoods Halloween finds with you, because who doesn’t love a bargain on house stuff?! Besides, why spend a ton when (unfortunately) it’s only going to stay up for a hot minute? Allow me to present to you a little bit of my Halloween decorating.

Boooooo,

Angel

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categories Home
tags Home Decorating, Home, HomeGoods, Halloween, Fall, October, The Angel Era, Angel Elliott

Meet Me on the Trail: Rocky Mountain National Park

September 29, 2016Angel Elliott

If you know me, or have followed my blog at all over the years, you know I'm a nature savant, a hiking impresario, a pine master, you get it. I love long trails and anything having to do with the outdoors. A little while back I traveled to Denver, CO with my daddy. It was a bonding trip, we'd never been anywhere together just us two, let alone hiking, so I thought it'd be great to bring my dad along. We drove to Estes Park, CO to go hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park. Now my daddy is older, he can roll with any punches without complaining, but, to take it easy on his bones, I got us a jeep tour of the park (Rock Mountain Rush), that let us out for pictures at Sprague Lake, and other vistas. Our guide gave us an awesome history of the park, as well as guided short hikes on some of the more popular trails. We went in November after Estes Park had just experienced a big snow storm, and no one was out. It was like we had the entire park to ourselves.

Given that Sprague Lake was our rest/lunch spot, we decided to venture away from the group and do this short, one mile Sprague Lake Loop. The trail head is located on Bear Lake Road, about one mile west of the 'Park and Ride' shuttle bus stop. The lake was frozen over when we went, so we had to be careful not to walk on it, but it was still a gorgeous and scenic mile loop, with only a 10 feet elevation gain. Some people rocked crampons, but I found that my super sturdy Nike hiking boots worked just fine. If you're looking for a quick weekend trip with your daddy, or your boo, I'd def suggest this park. And if you're looking for a more intense hike like I'd normally do, check out this list of the top ten hikes in this park. I'm definitely going back to Colorado during the football offseason.

Let me know if you go!

- Angel

categories Travel, Nature, Hiking
tags rocky mountain national park, sprague lake, Angel Elliott, the angel era, Pretty Girls Hike

#TravelTuesday: Introducing Guadeloupe

September 27, 2016Angel Elliott

Guadeloupe is truly a gorgeous, slightly underdeveloped Caribbean Island (a part of the Lesser Antilles) and is a French “department” that has been largely undiscovered by American tourists. Why? Probably because hardly no one there speaks English, and if they do, they scoff at the thought. Also, there aren't many direct flights there. This island is filled with native Guadeloupeans, and white french folks on holiday. It’s pretty obvious that there are deeply rooted racial, and class tensions, and disparities within Guadeloupe between the brown native population and the descendants of french colonists who still have the lion share of the wealth in Guadeloupe. Native brown Guadeloupeans (they actually call themselves ‘Lé Neg’) actually started the 2009 French Caribbean General Strikes, where workers unionized, then decided to picket at their places of employment, not go to work, march in the streets, and demand higher pay. It’s obvious still that this wasn’t fully fulfilled.

But! If you’re looking for an adventure that isn’t too far from home (if you’re on the east coast) with bucolic islands, fresh seafood,and island hopping, this place is for you. Don’t mind me, my Angela Davis self has to go on a socio-political rant every once in awhile.

Guadeloupe is divided into essentially two big chunks. There’s Basse-Terre to the west and Grand-Terre to the east, separated by a narrow straight that is crossed with bridges. Basse-Terre has their national park, and is more rustic. We didn’t have time to visit this. Grand-Terre has a lot of resorts, and most of the things tourists would want to see. Also, Pointe-a-Pitre, their capital is on Grand-Terre. There are also several Dependencies of Guadeloupe, Marie-Gaunte, Les Saintes, and La Desirade. There’s also île de la Petite Terre that you can visit by chartered or boat and some ferries.

Getting There:
We got a very cheap, read VERY cheap ticket on Norwegian Airlines out of BWI to Guadeloupe. We landed at Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport, where we proceeded to the rental cars, but I’ll warn you. I’d ONLY rent from Hertz. They had the biggest selection and most knowledgable customer service representatives. The rest of the rental companies, were beauty. No cars, oversold, only manual, stick with Hertz. And I was not paid to say this, lol. Don’t expect long paved roads. When I say this place is slightly underdeveloped I mean it. Chickens and goats roam the roads. But it honestly adds a rustic charm to the experience.

Where to Stay:
I went with my dad and sister, so we rented a lovely (and super, duper cheap) home from a Guadeloupe native named Mr. Roland. The home was on a beautiful golf course, three stories with all the modern amenities. He stocked the refrigerator with food for the week, picked us up from the airport, and even lent us his car for our stay.

But if you prefer to stay at a hotel, I’d recommend La Toubana Hotel & Spa, or Hotel Amaudo. Both are gorgeous properties with four star amenities.

Things to Do:

Go to Sainte Anne beach, haggle with the road side merchants for spices, beautiful art and souvenirs, be sure to stop by La Toubana for drinks and lunch.
Take a self guided tour around Distillerie Damoiseau in Le Moule. Great rum, beautiful atmosphere.
Take a ride into Pointe-a-Pitre for shopping, late night concerts and the pier.
See Pointe des Chateux in St. Francois. Photograph the rocky beach, buy from the very affordably priced street vendors, then stop for lunch at Le Zagaya.
Ferry to Les Saintes (Iles des Saintes) from Trois Rivieres for the day. As soon as you get off of the ferry, you should literally run to one of the many shops that rent electric cars for the day. You’ll be able to cover more of the island, and it will save your feet. Les Saintes is beautiful and full of hills.

Where to Eat:

That’s it for me! This is a great little quick romantic or family (I’d say adult family) getaway. Let me know if you go!

- Angel

categories Travel Tuesday, Travel
tags Guadeloupe, The Angel Era, Angel Elliott, Travel Tips, French Carribean, Norwegian Airlines

My Fall/ Winter Skin Starting Line Up: Part 1

September 26, 2016Angel Elliott

Summer went way too fast, didn't it folks? We're a week into fall, and I've already felt the changes in the weather. Between the sun going down earlier and the ominously cool breeze blowing every once in awhile, I was reminded to switch my beauty products regimen. Oh! And by the way, being the bipolar creative that I am, you obviously see I've changed my template, and, I'll be focusing more on life style tips and tricks, along with cooking, travel and nature. Back to skin. I have super sensitive skin that can get dry at the drop of a dime, so because of this, it's very important for me to use the right products that will not only moisturize and exfoliate, but heal and reform.

Allow me to introduce my fall/winter skin regimen.

Philosophy Purity Made Simple 3-in-1 Body Cleanser
This gem is a three in one shower, bath, and shave gel. This body wash not only moisturizes my skin, but it has the magical ability to clarify it without squeezing it dry. Thick and luxurious, this is my go-to body wash for the fall and winter.

Soap & Glory Flake Away Body Polish
Omg. Like, literally, this is the best body scrub I've ever used. I'm a habitual body scrub addict because I love having silky smooth, shiny skin. Well this is it. With shea butter, sweet almond oil, peach seed powder, sea salt and sugar, not only does it exfoliate, but it makes you smell so sweet. It will flake off the roughest, toughest, skin.

Amlactin Alpha-Hydroxy Therapy
If you've read my blog before, you've already heard about the wonderful merits of Amlactin. It's a lotion that makes your skin absolutely smooth and shiny, and it continues to slough away dead skin throughout the day, as oppose to other lotions that just go on, and fade away. Ash freakin' be gone. It's scent free for all you sensitive skin folks out there.

Sweet Almond Oil
Last, but certainly not least, is sweet almond oil. I usually use this oil after I've already applied Amlactin. It absorbs in the skin quickly, and it's hypoallergenic. Once again, perfect for sensitive skin. I also use it as a kind of pre-bath before I jump in the tub. When you massage it in your skin, it dislodges dirt and debris, and let's be honest, we're all dirt balls on occasion before we get in them parts!

I hope this helps folks! This is just part one, next Monday (which I've official dubbed as my blogs' beauty day,) part two will cover skin care for just your face! Let's stay snatched ladies and gents, and that includes taking care of your skin. Beautiful winter skin makes shiny, sexy summer goodness.

Later!

- Angel

categories Self Help, Beauty
tags Winter, Skin, Beauty, The Angel Era, Angel Elliott

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