July’s collection of items may not look like much, I know- but I assure you- this month was not without a TON of things that I loved. Some of them were just a bit more difficult to photograph- like the feeling I got watching the sunset over the Boston skyline on my friend’s balcony one last time before they move to a new apartment outside the city this coming weekend, or how nice it felt wading and swimming in the lukewarm waves at the beach this past Sunday- or how my heart swelled with all sorts of emotions as I watched The Killers perform ‘Smile Like You Mean It’ to an arena packed with people last week.

July was all about emotions: some bad, but thankfully most of them good- and many of my more “material” favorites were carried over from May and June (like my lightweight BB creams, hair care, and clothing)– but I did pick a couple more things to highlight for this month- like some bits and pieces from my Negan(ette) costume I’m debuting at the ‘Walker Stalker: Boston’ convention tomorrow!

The most important part of my costume, of course, was the Lucille replica- and considering there are strict weapons/props guidelines in effect at the convention- I wanted my version to look as realistic as possible while still being safe enough to carry and swing around. I turned to Etsy’s own Creepy Twists Productions for assistance- and I was not disappointed at all. This hard foam and leather version of Negan’s weapon of choice is so cool looking, and so unbelievably sturdy. I was blown away the first time I held it- and I know it’s going to look bad ass in my photos. I can’t wait!

For skincare in July, I kept it as simple and as basic as possible- although I had a couple of new additions to my regimen. For my face, this cooling and refreshing mist from Happy Spritz (which I received in a recent POPSUGAR box) has been a lifesaver. The temperatures have been uncomfortably scorching hot here in New England over the past couple of days- so this facial spray is a Godsend when I feel like my face is about to melt right off. It instantly cools me down and softens my skin. Also? It smells REALLY good. Totally calming.

And while having a cooled off face is great- I gotta’ make sure the rest of my body doesn’t burn up when I’m out in the sun, too. I try not to be overtly “choosy” when it comes to sunscreen- but I’ve been highly appreciative of this waterproof, sweat-proof and non-greasy SPF 100 spray from Banana Boat lately. I spent an entire afternoon at the beach this past weekend- in and out of the water- and I applied this liberally throughout my day. I didn’t get burned in the slightest. Considering how pale and sensitive my skin is to the elements- that’s a huge deal for me.

And now, for the miscellaneous stuff!

– MUSIC/MOVIES/TELEVISION –

• San Diego Comic-Con ’16 Recaps – I came for ‘The Walking Dead’ season 7 trailer, but I stayed for all the behind the scenes footage and updates from Marvel, ‘Game of Thrones’, and the cosplay community. As much fun as I had when I attended SDCC a couple of years ago- catching the recaps at the end of the day is WAAAAY more convenient than having to race from panel to panel (while in costume) or wait in line after line for hours at a time.

… I’d love to be in San Diego for some Mexican food or In-N-Out, though…

• ‘Stranger Things’ – I know I vowed to spend more time outdoors in the month of July, but- c’mon- this Netflix series is/was SO good. Winona Ryder is forever my girl-crush and I loved her even more as I binge-watched this homage to my favorite horror films from the ’80s.

– TECH/APPS/GAMES –

• Pokémon Go – I don’t have this app (yet), but I know plenty of people who do and I truly think it’s amazing how the country- as divided as we are at times- can unite for one common goal: catching imaginary monsters with our phones. It’s so fun to watch kids (and adults) race around and play this game together. I’m not being sarcastic, either- I genuinely love it- and the memes that have been created since the game’s launch have been hilarious.

And that, my friends- is my Hits List for July 2016! I’ll be wrapping up the overall month in a nice little post this coming Sunday before I head out to see The Last Shadow Puppets at House of Blues- but I’m really excited to see what makes the cut in August!

‘Til next time!

xx