The Shoebox Project

November 17, 2014 Danielle D'Ornellas

There's only forty days until Christmas, how is your holiday shopping going?

If you're like me, you've probably been shopping and putting away presents for a few months (only since September! I'm not a super-keener!) but have you been planning on any charity?

Even thoughout my debt repayment (Read all of that on Househippo.org!) I tried to prioritize charity every month, even if it was just volunteering. This year I found an organization that captures two interests of mine: charitable giving and beauty products!

Meet the Shoebox Project!

Welcome to Darling Magpie, a beauty blog for ladies who don't have time to look like a Kardashian every day, but still geek out about the latest Urban Decay palette, scour Shoppers Drug Mart for a limited edition Essence product and dream about a drawer full of Dior.

Learn more about me here

Contact me here

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Looks like it's time for my monthly makeup! This time last year I was only two weeks post-eye surgery so I couldn't wear makeup at all and then all of ~ this ~ happened. I was going through my vanity recently, not that I've had to desire to wear stuff again, and discovered that SO many of my products had gone bad, and, of them, how many were things I had barely touched. I'm not heading to MINIMALISM or anything, but it has been a bit cathartic to throw out things and really take stock of things, whether it's makeup, or just anything else in life. The one thing I feel grateful for in the last time is more of this time to figure out what *I* actually want, even if it's not what I expected one year ago.

Took a half day yesterday and ended up at the lake. It wasn't too cold, but the skyline looked amazing. I'm still pretty sad these days, not gonna lie, but it felt nice to do something outside and I hope this weather sticks around so I can experience some new things soon. 💙

Today was a holiday, it meant I didn't need to go to work, but when work is just a desk in your living room two feet from your couch, it still feels like you're always at work and never at work, and always waiting until you just turn the laptop back on. Days have no real meaning, time has no meaning, the monotony is just what it is now. Today wasn't a good day. I didn't have to do anything and I couldn't really do anything. Stuff felt pointless, hobbies felt pointless. Everything felt hard and yet I still had to force myself through it. Here's to basically just muddling through. Because we're all gonna have these days and to pretend you don't isn't helping anyone, even yourself.

To celebrate our 14th anniversary, @thecjm and I made the best of it and ordered the set course from @alobaryorkville including some amazing scallops, a duck confit, amazing milk bread & a truly decadent millefeuille, streamed their Spotify playlist, made some cocktails & had a good night in. I even threw on a dress and tights so at least I partially felt like we were really going out! ♥️ Not our most exciting anniversary, but definitely in the top ten 😉.

First pic on the grid in 2021 is a makeup free, eye bag visible, sunshine selfie and I'm not mad about it. The last few weeks have been rough, but so have the last two months of lockdown in Toronto and hell, the last ten months in general. But it is still nice to see some sunshine, even if it's bouncing off of 1 Bloor East & blasting me in the face as I try to read! 😂☀️