Obsession Confession

I have a confession. 
I am obsessed.  I am obsessed with monthly subscription boxes!

This is one of my favorite trends.  I love the idea.  Getting mail and surprises presents are two of my favorite things, so of course I would love subscription boxes.  They are the best of both of those things!  
I've tried many boxes and I would love to try some.  It can be overwhelming trying to decide where to start with them.  So here I am going to break down some of my experiences with the subscription box trend.


My obsession started in Late 2012-Early 2013 with my first subscription. 

The first box I ever subscribed to was Birchbox.

It was so long ago I honestly can't remember how I even heard about Birchbox, but to my knowledge the were really one of the first monthly subscription box.  To me at least that was definitely true, I had never heard of the trend until then.  At the time I was still in college and it was a really fun mail day when my Birchbox arrived.

All in all I'd give the box a 7/10..It really introduced me to a lot of beauty trends and companies I otherwise would have never known about.  Since then, there has been many other similar boxes that have popped up, such as ipsy, and while I've never personally tried ipsy I have always heard great things.  I've considered joining many times, it's pretty inexpensive also.
At the time I was doing Birchbox it was also fairly inexpensive which was helpful to a full-time art student.  I can't speak for ipsy but I would recommend Birchbox if beauty boxes are your thing.  I haven't subscribed in the last 3 years, but I'm sure they've only grown and improved over the years.

Would I re-subscribe? I don't know, possibly one day.  I'm less interested into beauty products at the moment though.  I could see it making a really good gift for someone though.

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A couple years later I moved on to my next box subscription.
That box was Club W, well back when the company was still called Club W.  It is now known as Winc.

I've always loved wine.  From when I first started to even drink anything alcoholic, sure there was the whole red bull + vodka phase when your in high school, but wine was still there.  In part probably due to my sister.  She usually always had wine and she is who I would drink it with.
So when I found a subscription box that would deliver wine to your door every month for a pretty reasonable fee I was sold.
It's great to try different brands that may not be in your area, and when you join you take a taste survey that lets the company help you decide which wines to get in your box. Every month you are a member from then on they give you suggestions, but you can pick which ever ones for the month that you want. So helpful and fun!
I would give it a 10/10, because it's wine and I love wine.

Would I re-subscribe one day?  Yes! I've been wanting to go back to this one many times, so possibly next year. Check out Winc for yourself and tell me what your favorite wine is.  

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Shortly after that one, the boyfriend and I wanted to subscribe to a box that would be good for the both of us.  (Yes, I pulled him into my obsession web.)

That's when we discovered Globe In
Globe In is a fantastic box fun by a group of people that do something amazing for artisans around the world.  Every box comes with a handwoven basket in various colors and then the basket is stuffed with other things from artisans around the world.  Not only do you get to support and learn about these fantastic makers you save money-about 40% than if you would pick something up at a store. 

Every box has a different theme, and the products in the box all revolve around that one theme. 

I would give GlobeIn a 9/10- It's fairly pricey, but the quality of the products makes it worth it.  Everything we have ever received has been used so not only are the themes fun, they are full of practical products. 

Re-subscribe?  Yes! I would love to go back to GlobeIn, and the only reason we canceled our subscription for the time being was so that we could try out some other boxes.  I look forward to going back to GlobeIn though. 

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After GlobeIn, we switched to a much more specific themed box.  

We love board games.  I always have for as long as I can remember, but I've gotten Richard into them quite a bit also.  We host many a game-night at our house that last for hours into the wee hours of the morning.  For that reason, we wanted to try out a board game subscription box.  There were a couple, but the start with we tried Game Box Monthly.  It was the cheaper one of the ones we were interested in and it had good reviews. 

When you join, you tell them what board games you currently own so that there's no chance of you getting something that you already own.  I really liked that, and that was actually another reason as to why I chose them.  From that list, I'm sure they can also deduct what type of games you really like. 

From what I could tell through various social media stalking, I don't think everyone got the same game as others each month but some did.  We liked our subscription with them, it introduced us to a lot of games we never would have heard of otherwise, and games I still have yet to see in stores, so that makes it feel like I know something others don't. 
All of the games were also fun!  Which was a great plus.
I would give them a 6/10..while we really enjoyed it, we only ever got card games from them.  And two of them were fairly similar.  In that aspect, we were hoping for something a little more diverse.

Re-subscribe?  At this point, I would say probably not honestly.  There are other boxes out there that I think I would rather try.

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We mainly canceled Game Box Monthly because I wanted to try Board Game Bento. 
Everything I read and saw on Board Game Bento really made me want to try them out.

Board Game Bento is more expensive, but you get a lot more for your money also.  You usually get 3 games, and they do send both card and actual board games.  Sometimes they also include expansions to the included games and little company themed accessories.  While for the moment they have stopped the accessories, the games are usually all solid. 

I would give Board Game Bento a 9/10..if you love board games and have the money to try it out I would say to do it!  There's really only one way to figure out if you like something.  They do themed boxes every month, so you could even wait until a certain theme seems interesting to you. 

They also are really good at sending out newly released games, or games that are going to be released soon.  So you get to try them out first in a way.  Many of the games we've gotten I have never heard of, but as we go out to different stores I've noticed certain ones beginning to pop up.  So that's really fun.

Re-subscribe?  We are currently still subscribed actually, we have been talking about taking a little break in the near future though.  Just to try something else, as we tend to do.

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While we were doing some of the other boxes for the two of us I was also still doing boxes for myself.  One that I tried out for a couple of months was Once Upon A Bookcase


Once Upon A Bookcase is a box that revolves around a certain theme each month.  Every box comes with a book-themed phone case, an art print, and other little things that relate to the theme.

Everything I got from this subscription for the 2 months I was a member were super cute.  The phone cases were also of really good quality. 

I would give this box an 8/10, it's not too expensive and all of the themes are really cute

Re-subscribe? I would!  I only canceled at the time because I was thinking of getting a new phone ( I still am) and I didn't want to get too many phone cases before I made up my mind about it.

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I'm an avid reader.  There are SO many book subscription boxes out there, and I knew I desperately wanted to join one of them.  Therefore I picked one and that's the one I tried.

That's how I came to be a subscriber to The Best Damn Book Box
(A box I honestly decided to join mainly for the name..)

I was really excited to join this one.  I love themes and books and it seemed perfect. 

The above picture shows what my first box was.  I was really pleased with it.  There were also no problems in receiving this box.  It was a great first box. 
Everything with this subscription sort of slowly started to go downhill from there, sadly.  There started to be a lot of problems with shipping and getting your monthly boxes when you were supposed to.  It would be less of a problem if it just happened a time or two, because hey, things happen.  I get it.  But this was a constant issue with this box.  For the price of the box it was a bit ridiculous.  Months would go by where I still didn't have my box, but I had paid for 3 boxes and was therefore out over $100 with literally nothing to show for it.

I would still even be willing to forgive and forget the backed up shipping because I try to be positive.  I loved the announced themes, and that's really what made me stay for as long as I did.  Sometimes it wasn't even that worth it though.  The items included would always be hit or miss.  Some items were great and I loved them, like my Game of Thrones wood coaster and magnetic bookmarks.  Others were cheap and just didn't seem necessary.  Like, a cord necklace with a Chinese dragon charm or a "bookmark" with a quote from a book I have never read, is not the included book, and I literally have no desire to read.  I could understand trying to promote other stuff, but it still felt like I was being slighted somehow. 

At the moment, from my personal experience, I would rate them 5/10.  I think maybe they need to get it a little bit more together, or try different tactics.  I wish them well.
The 3 pictured boxes are the only 3 that I actually really liked from them, and I still am not impressed with everything included.  But they are still better than the other boxes I've received from them.
For example, one I was SO excited for was the Beauty and The Beast themed box, and it was actually such a let down.  The "necklace" that was included was literally a piece of twine with some cheap key charm attached.  I mean, I expect a lot more for $40 every month. I know the quality for the price can be done, I've seen it.

Re-subscribe?  No.  I wouldn't.  There's so many other book boxes out there that I would love to try, that I don't think giving this one another shot would be worth it.  I canceled my subscription almost 3 months ago, and I'm still waiting for my last box that I paid for to arrive. 😒

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When I left The Best Damn Book Box I went in a new direction for a change. 
I decided to join Goddess Provisions 

I had followed the company on instagram for months before I finally joined.  Everything included looked so great and useful.  

 I would rate them a 10/10.  I have nothing bad to say about this box.  Shipping has always been fantastic.  It's not over priced, and I don't feel cheated for the products that I get.  I've used everything I've ever gotten from them.  They also have a great social media presence and the owners are great at interacting with their clients.  

If you enjoy things of this nature, and your physical and spiritual well-being I would highly recommend trying this box out.  I'm not disappointed at all.  Plus, every box always smells amazing from all of the goodies inside.  

 
 Re-subscribe?  I still am a subscriber!  But if I did ever unsubscribe for any reason, I would definitely go back!  


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Another box I tried out for a few months, was not for myself.

I'm talking of course, about Bark Box
The box for your four-legged best friend! 

Every box had an adorable theme and was filled with usually 2 toys, 2 treats, and 1 chew...all tying in to the main theme.  Everything was adorable, I probably loved in for that fact much more than my dog did, but she was a big fan too!  She loved getting her boxes, and she came to know exactly when one arrived for her. 

 I would give Bark Box a 9/10.  It was well worth the money and it made my dog so happy.  Plus, I got a kick out of all the themes and products.  Everything was of great quality, my dog is just the biggest destroyer ever.  The toys didn't really last as long as I would have preferred.  Some did though! Which was a nice surprise.  Now, they do have a specialty box for heavy chewers like my dog, but it is more expensive.  At the time I couldn't afford that, while still risking her destroying the products in 5 minutes.

Re-subscribe?  Yes! I look forward to one day going back to Bark Box, and I know Lana is awaiting that day as well! 


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There you have it! Past and current subscription boxes I have tried.  
I doubt I'll ever be rid of this obsession.  There are still many boxes out there I would love to try.  If you have any suggestions I'd love to make that list even longer!  

I have recently subscribed to two new boxes not mentioned, because I have yet to receive them. 
Those are:


Stars Hollow Monthly: I am Gilmore obsessed.  I've been wanting to try this box for so long now, and every time I see a post about a past box I get really mad at myself for not joining.  I am scheduled to get my first box in January so I look forward to making my first review of it. 

Awesome Pack: The newest game box we are going to try out is Awesome Pack.  This company is a little different than others we've done.  You can choose between 2 different subscription packs-1 for families where they included stuff for the whole family and the Big Kid Pack-which is catered more toward adults and big kids.  I'm looking forward to this box and can't wait to review it.





xBrittany
 

Celeste Appreciation Post

I was working on some images for my etsy shop: Wonder Whimsy and my cat Celeste decided she needed to crash it for her own personal photo shoot.

I was working on showing off my 2017 Wes Anderson themed desk calendar I had designed and printed out when she had to come inspect.  The calendar is available as a digital download on the etsy page!

She's lucky she's a cutie.😻😻

We adopted her earlier this year from the Avery County Humane Society which is an amazing place to adopt a new friend at.  She is one of the greatest pets I have ever had the pleasure of calling my own.  She's both loving and playful, with just the right amount of crazy.

Just a reminder to please adopt and don't shop.💕

xBrittany

Back in to Music Monday

Now that I'm trying to do this whole blogging thing again, I figure I should still do Music Monday, because I like music and I hate Monday's.

This week I went with some Saint Motel
All of their songs are so catchy, and they constantly get stuck in my head.
One of my favorites of theirs would have to be "My Type"
So give it a listen, and try not to dance while listening to it, I dare you.

This song plays at the end of the movie Mr. Right, starring Anna Kendrick and Sam Rockwell and it made me so happy when I heard it.
Also, that's a great movie that no one probably knows about and you should watch it.  Anything with Anna is perfect, but that one is really fun and silly.

Happy dancing💃

xBrittany

Experimental Shoots

I run a photography business called Colored Arrows Photography
While I do take normal clients for all of the usual shoots: family, weddings, senior pictures, baby, etc.  My favorite shoots are ones that are for me.  The ones where I try something I've always wanted to try, or a style I want to experiment with.  That's what I'm trying to do more of these days.  Starting with this shoot I did last month with someone I've considered a best friend since 6th grade.

This shot is the one I keep going back to, so I think this is probably my top photo..for today at least.  If there's anything I've learned in all of these years of photography, it's that your favorite photos will almost always change.  That's good though, it shows growth.  There were other great shots from the shoot though. 

The main thing about this shoot that I'm still uncertain about is how I what them positioned.  I have these horizontal with her head to the right for now, but when rotated they almost could go in any other direction.  I just don't know what I like best.

 

Then there are these, which obviously work best in they way they were originally shot.

So I'm still playing with them some I guess.  But it was a lot of fun to do and I'm glad I finally got the chance.

What I like most about the shoot I think is the contrast of the water with the flowers.  That worked better than I could have hoped for.  I was worried it wasn't going to show up  blue enough but it was perfect.  Gotta love Lush Cosmetics for their bath bombs. Would love to do a color series with different models and different bath bombs.  So hopefully that will happen soon.

Big shout-out to my mom for having bushes in her yard that were still in bloom and for allowing me to steal them all to use for this.  This is one of the best smelling shoots I've ever done.  The smell from the flowers mixed with the bath bomb made for a very relaxing setting, even if it was one of the more weirder things I've asked my friend to do for me.

She's a trooper, gotta love her.💙💙💙

xBrittany

Christmas Ornaments

As I've mentioned in my Christmas Movie post, I love decorating this time of year!
Here's a little bit about some of the favorite ornaments that are currently on my tree.

First I'll start with the tree topper.  For many years, we didn't have anything for the top of our tree.  We usually just used a random object we found laying around the house.  Last year I decided the Sorting Hat from Harry Potter would make the perfect tree topper and immediately ordered one from Amazon.  I have no regrets.

Foxes are my favorite animals.  I love anything and everything that has to do with a fox.  Videos of foxes always make me cry, no joke.  This is sadly the only fox ornament I currently have though, which is strange to me.  I feel like my whole tree should be covered in them, my house almost is anyway. This was a gift I didn't get until last Christmas from my mother.  Since my family doesn't get to celebrate Christmas until January, this is actually the first time this lovely fellow has been on the tree.

These two are new additions this year.  Every year I try to buy at least one new ornament but I couldn't help getting them both.  Game of Thrones is probably my favorite TV show, but I currently own nothing that declares my love for it.  I'm actually pretty obsessed, I'll talk theories with someone any day, all day.  So hit me up if you ever want to discuss some Thrones, because I have feelings and ideas.
The second is Alice from Alice in Wonderland.  Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is my favorite book and is my favorite animated Disney movie.  She's a queen among Disney princesses and I can never get enough Alice things.  This is actually my 3rd Alice in Wonderland ornament, but it's my newest so that's why I chose to show her off.
Both of these ornaments were purchased at Target.

This is one that I handmade from clay a couple of years ago.  One day I got really bored and wanted to make something.  That something ended up being randomly sized round clay ornaments with random quotes from TV shows I liked.  This particular quote, "You're a garbage person" comes from New Girl.  It's said by Nick Miller and is addressed to Jess's sister.  The whole quote is funny and makes me laugh every time.  Richard and I enjoyed that part so much, we would end up randomly quoting it all the time.  Therefore, it had to be a part of Christmas.

Last year in October, Richard and I road-tripped up to Portland, Maine and fell in love with it.  It was a great week full of amazing food, nice people, a crisp-seafood smelling air, and beautiful sights.  It pretty much gave us our current house goal, and we are now saving up money to eventually buy a house up in the area.  Until then, we had to have a little bit of Maine for our tree.

Finally, the last ornaments I will talk about are these two.  These are two mini-golf balls that I accidentally stole from one of my first dates with Richard.  I was wearing a dress with pretty deep pockets and they came in handy because at this particular course in Nashville, you actually can do 3 different courses.  If that's what you decide, they give you your three ball in the very beginning and you just have to keep up with them because at the last hole of each course you lose your ball.  So I put our extras in my pockets and it wasn't a big deal.  The whole time though, we kept finding random balls that people lost all over the course so we just used ones we found and goofed off like that.  Therefore, two of our original ones got lost in my pockets and I completely forgot about them.  They just happened to be the colors we originally picked and also Christmas colors.  I asked him to drill a little hole in them and then I used a jewelry eyelet dipped in superglue and attached a hook to them and BAM.  They've held up perfectly so far for these past couple of years.

Cheers!

xBrittany

Saturday Morning

I've never liked mornings.  I have always had to deal with them though.  In high school, I lived 30 minutes away from my school district.  So, to be able to go to my same school, I had to go in to work with my mother every morning before I was old enough to get a drivers license.  This meant I had to be up at 5:30 every morning, then wait for it to be time to go to school.  Then I had school all day, and then I usually had to go to work from 4PM-8/9PM.  Then do it all again the next day. 
My schedule didn't get much better when I had my own car, it was 6:30 instead of 5:30 and I had to be able to make myself get up on my own.  It was a lot more than most of the kids my age had to deal with, but it made me more prepared for later in life.  My schedule was about the same when I left for college, only this time after work I usually was going out, or we were having a party at the apartment, then I had to wake up early and go to class hungover.
Basically, I have never gotten much sleep.  That is still true to this day now that I am out of college and living on my own.  I work from home currently and I'm a freelance photographer, so I have no real reason to get up early.  But even on Saturday's there is one reason I am awoken early.

That reason would be this brat of a dog.  She is my constant alarm each and every morning.  Meaning I don't get to sleep in on any day past 8AM, sometimes 7:30.  This still isn't that bad, it could be much worse.  I know from experience. It still gets frustrating, when it's each and every day for no real reason.  I get over it though.  She's lucky she's pretty cute.

After her feeding, that's when she goes into crazy mode.  It's usually a little worse on Saturdays for whatever reason though. We have many daily wrestling bouts with this pup.  She's insane, and like I said, a brat.

She's so crazy we can't even let her around our 1 year old cat that we've had since about April.  She's just too hyper and is all claws and teeth that I still don't trust her around my baby kitty.  They have some contact though, they like to swat at each other from adjacent rooms.

This is about as much contact as they currently get.  We are working on it. 😅

xBrittany