thepennydarling

[thepennydarling]

Cheers to the Summer!

Cheers to the Summer!

Hello friends! Happy summer!

It has been an incredibly strange year so far (in good ways and bad!) and I have been looking forward to being able to jump into the lake, swim, hike, and just be outside in nature….and maybe enjoy all that with a glass of wine too! Ha!

As things start to phase into re-opening, we are all looking for ways to have a little extra fun in the sun, while still maintaining…

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The Seven Types of Friends at Your Big Game Party!

The Seven Types of Friends at Your Big Game Party! #sp by The West Shore Plaza!

Happy Friday, Penny Darlings!

Happy New Year! New exciting news coming of a big project I’m working on! I just started my YouTube channel if you want to subscribe here! Be sure to check out my Instagram & Facebook!

THE BIG GAME IS ON SUNDAY!

For Preston & I – the ‘Big Game’ is usually more a social gathering than a viewing of an actual game! We’ve never been big sports fans but we love any excuse…

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#big game #diy #football #host #local #sports #west shore plaza

[thepennydarling]

Tips for Packing to Go Through the Woods, Over the Hill, & to Visit Family

Tips for Packing to Go Through the Woods, Over the Hill, & to Visit Family with my friends at @notyourmothers to keep you looking good from head to mistletoe!

Happy Friday, Darlings!

Coming to you live from the Penny Darling HQ and we are in full holiday madness! We’re shopping, planning, all the good stuff!

With the advent of that, my parents are planning on moving next year to a smaller home, and out of my childhood home. It’s sad to close the door but I’m excited for them on the next chapter of their journey. So this year, heading home for the…

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One-Stop Holiday Gift Guide

One-Stop Holiday Gift Guide with West Shore Plaza!

Happy Thursday, Penny Darlings!

This December has been absolutely NUTSO and it shows no signs of slowing down, so I’ll see my sanity next year! I don’t mind though – it’s mostly all good things! Still things I can’t tell you but I’m dyiiiiiing to tell you!

ANYWAY! One of things that has proven to be the most difficult so far is finding time to go shopping for gifts! I lovelovelove finding the…

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Five Activities to Get You in the Holiday Spirit!

Five Activities to Get You in the Holiday Spirit! #1 is checking out my adorable sweaters from @CBanksStyle for a very festive look!

Happy Tuesday Penny Darlings!

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood! I’m getting pumped for some potato filling, cooking, & most importantly: the socially acceptable transition to Christmas season! Ha! Now while I’m more of a November 1 kind-of-gal – now I won’t get any funny looks for bumping Christmas music on the radio, wearing sweaters every day, and being a general Cindy Lou Who!

Let me…

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Five Ways to Get Some Pre-Holiday Self Care

Five Ways to Get Some Pre-Holiday Self Care with @nymbrands

Happy Tuesday, Penny Darlings!

As we approach closer & closer to the holiday season, it’s getting busier and crazier! Or at least it is in the Darling household! Between getting ready for Preston to open his play (Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, whaaaat!), shopping, cleaning, traveling, working, and spreading a little cheer – I’m constantly on the move.

As we kick into lots of travel & projects –…

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Holiday Gift Guide with Tuesday Morning

Holiday Gift Guide with @TuesdayMorning

Happy Friday, Penny Darlings!

I am coming to you live from my couch with the flu. Or bronchitis. Or something that’s making me hack up a lung, sleep a ton, and be in general achy miserableness. But I’ve been downing soup, tea, Vitamin C, and DayQuil, mixed with some OJ & popsicles. I shall not let this defeat me! Ha!

One thing comforting me from my blanket pile is the sight of Christmas & the…

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Happy (rainy) Wednesday, Penny Darlings!

We are bewitchingly close to the big spooky day, and as All Hallows’ Eve approaches – I am doing all the things I’m supposed to be doing. I’ve watched Hocus Pocus, drank ALL the PSLs, stocked up on candy for trick-or-treaters, and most importantly: got some costumes!

Now, if you’re like me, then I’m sorry.

Ha! Just kidding!

But seriously, I have CURLY CURLY CURLY hair and it is TOUGH to style. It doesn’t hold style very well (it’s also SUPER fine and silky!), it gets frizzy the second I start sweating or thinking about humidity, and it deflates to being totally flat in under an hour.

I’m also not that great at doing really inventive hairstyles – but I love an excuse to do my hair up nice and fancy or to get to experiment with something new. I knew that I definitely needed something to beat the heat, humidity, frizz, and last my whole Halloween party long: so obvious choice is: Not Your Mother’s She’s a Tease Volumizing Hairspray!  (which you can shop at your local Ulta, CVS & a million other places!)

If you don’t have curly hair, don’t want curly hair, etc. these tips and styles should still work (with some slight variations) and you can totally just ignore step one!

  Step One

For my hair looks, I started out with “day to day” hair treatment to get my curls looking fly with my Not Your Mother’s line! I did a whole post on this back in the spring – so check out my step by step process here!

A little mini-review for the TL;DR-type-readers:

After washing (or rinsing) my hair until it is totally wet, I wrap in a cotton t-shirt (SO much better for curls than a towel!), then spray some Beach Babe Texturizing Spray near the roots. Next, I scrunch my hair from tip to root to give it a little boost. Next, a decent dollop of Curl Talk Defining Cream followed by more scrunching. Third, you guessed it, another scrunch with Curl Talk Curl Activating Mousse. Then I let it air-dry!

  Cinderella

This is one I’ve been wanting to tackle for awhile now!

So for this look, I had all the ingredients (like a dress and shoes!), but I was trying to get an easy bun with a bit of a bump in the front for the classic princess look!

how to get that royally perfect bun

Step 1: Listed above. Follow it. Believe. Step 2: Once hair is dry, apply a healthy layer of She’s a Tease Volumizing Hairspray Step 3: Take a comb (I used a regular comb, but a teasing comb with have worked better) and comb on your top-most layer of hair. Step 4: Put your hair in a ponytail. Step 5: Loop the ponytail halfway through the holder, creating a messy bun. Separate * fluff to desired bun size. Step 6: More hairspray Step 7: Take your index fingers from your hairline back to the bun, lifting a small section, but not so much that it falls out of the bun to create a small bump or lift in front Step 8: More hairspray Step 9: Finish with a ribbon (or scrunchie, like I did) for that royal bun with the bump Step 10: One last layer of hairspray all around the hairline (for any frizz or flyaways!).

Fun Fact: while taking this photo, a group of probably 30-40 Italian & French tourists walked by Preston & I at the exact moment I kicked off my shoe (pictured below). They all stopped and took pictures and videos on their iPad and phones of us! #MortifiedButLaughing –  And a lovely young Italian man with bleach blonde & yellow hair wearing a leather vest yelled: “Slaaaay Queen” in the HEAVIEST ITALIAN ACCENT of all time. I cannot express how awesome it was! (hence my intense laughter in this pic!)

  Bew*tched!

I grew up totally obsessed with Samantha on Bewitched. I thought she was so rad and her costumes were totally envy-inducing. I was forever trying to wiggle my nose and see if any magic happened.

For this hair look, I wanted a softer, more brushed out, and looser blonde curls to pair with this retro dress & vintage sofa!

Step 1: I literally just told all of you what step one is. Scroll back up, ya nerd! Step 2: Wait for hair to completely dry! Step 3: Spray (dry) hair with She’s a Tease Volumizing Hairspray & let dry Step 4: Brush out curls – STOP 1-2 INCHES BEFORE THE ENDS! Don’t brush THROUGH your hair. Step 5: More She’s a Tease Volumizing Hairspray Step 6: Repeat brush process from the under side of hair, leaving tips unbrushed. *When you split the ends, that’s when the frizz gets crazy for me and the ‘bushy’ hair starts – by not brushing the tips, it only softens the curls in the middle.* Step 7: Spray underside of hair

You are on your way to a nose-wiggling good time!

Britney Spears

Obvi, a 90’s queen had to make this list – so I went ALLLLLLLL the way back to the most iconic music video of all time* – Hit Me Baby One More Time

*not a fact

I wanted to do her iconic pink hair scrunchies mixed with pigtails. My hair is a little too short to make the braided version work – so I did a variation with pigtails!

get those iconic 90’s pigtails

Step 1: Listed above, for real, get it together. Step 2: Separate dry hair into two sections and gather towards the shoulders. Step 3: With small elastic bands create two ponytails just above and behind your ears. Step 4: When tightening them, pull at a wide angle to create some volume. Step 5: Spray with She’s a Tease Volumizing Hairspray Step 6: *OPTIONAL* braid both pigtails and tie at the end with small elastic bands. My hair CAN’T do this, so I modified and that’s totally fine! Step 7: Obvi, spray that hair – braided or unbraided – it’s gotta survive your Halloween plans! Step 8: Accessorize! I got my pink scrunchies at Claire’s in the mall, and when I told the girl what I needed them for (Britney Spears costume) she went, “Who?” and I nearly DIED ON THE SPOT OF OLD AGE. Step 9: One last spritz of She’s a Tease Volumizing Hairspray for hold & for good luck! Ha!

  TA-DA! Those are my Halloween hair looks.

…for those of us who are only okay at doing our own hair, welcome friends. Ha!

Double bonus: I can pick these up at CVS or Ulta, just around the corner, without breaking the bank!

I find my hair to be such a big part of my confidence and my femininity that I love to take care of it and find products I can stick with for a long time and use again after I’m done being spooky. I hate buying products that I use once and then end up sitting around until they’re crusty – get some supplies that last!

Seriously, switch out your hair towel for a tee and thank me later!

Everyone – be safe & spooky & awesome & haunted & make good choices & look cute & don’t forget to put an extra coat of hairspray on & eat candy.

CHECK OUT NOT YOUR MOTHER’S ON SOCIAL MEDIA

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  *this post is sponsored by Not Your Mother’s Brand, however all thoughts and opinions are my own!*

SO HERE’S THE “END OF BLOG” SPIEL!

If you are at all interested in doing a collab or working with me – please feel free to check out my new Contact Me! page!

Follow me on Instagram: @thepennydarling

If you want to follow my darling, Preston – you can click here!

Like my Facebook page here!

Follow me on Twitter here!

Subscribe for updates!

If you’d like to donate to help me keep Penny Darling going – click here!

Thank you for all that you do. You are truly extraordinary.

Love all you wonderful ladies (and gents!) out there!

How Very,

Abby

3 Super Easy-DIY Halloween Hair Looks Happy (rainy) Wednesday, Penny Darlings! We are bewitchingly close to the big spooky day, and as All Hallows' Eve approaches - I am doing all the things I'm supposed to be doing.

#costume #diy #hair #halloween #Halloween hair #not your mother&039;s #NYM

[thepennydarling]

6 Things to Make Your Period Way Less Awful

Check out 6 ways to make your period less awful! @foreverbrazen

Hey, ya’ll.

That’s right. Today: we’re going there.

Periods. Aunt Flow. Menstruation Station. Time of the Month. The Curse. Code Red. Playing Bloody Mary. Shark Week. The Crimson Tide. The inciting incident of the movie: Carrie.

No matter what you call it, it’s pretty universal to, like, half the population.

While it is a natural bodily function, and can often be a sign of uterine and ovarian…

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[thepennydarling]

9 Things I Learned From Care Bears That I Still Use Today

9 Things I Learned From @CareBears That I Still Use Today #ad

Happy Thursday, Penny Darlings!

Preston & I are planning a weekend getaway, are planning for fall, just closed our show, cleaned our house, did a fall photoshoot, saw a play, went to the DMV, it’s been a whirlwind week! AND my peanut turned THIRTY! AH!

Let me just sneak the boring stuff so we can get to the goods! Check me out on Instagram here!  I also have a selling Instagram page where I sell…

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#Care Bears

[thepennydarling]

10 Things I've Learned in My First Year with a Dog

10 Things I've Learned in My First Year with a Dog......and bow-WOW has it been a lot! #ad with my friends @WestPawUS

Happy Monday, Penny Darlings!

It’s a beautiful day here in the Darling HQ. Preston & I opened our play last week – so I apologize for being a bit off the grid last week! We were rehearsing like crazy! I have some exciting things that I can’t wait to announce (not pregnant!) so stay tuned on your tippy-toes!

Let me just sneak the boring stuff so we can get to the goods! Check me out on Instagram h…

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7 Ways to Have a Practically Perfect Picnic Princess Party!

It's totally okay to let your inner kid out, to totally indulge yourself in the simple things, and to act like a total royal diva for one day! See my tips as I team up with @PicnicTime #ad

Hey there, Penny Darlings!

Happy Thursday! Preston & I are in the last few days before our play opens in ONE WEEK! EEP! I can hardly believe that we just open in a week! It’s been two years since I’ve been on stage so I am very excited to revisit this part of my life again!

Also, we’re in the last few days and the last true big weekend of summer! This summer has been a beautiful thing, helping me…

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Visiting Downtown Glens Falls

Happy Friday, Penny Darlings!

It’s currently almost 2am in the Darling Household. My car broke down on the highway last night. I’ve NEVER had a car breakdown, and it’s not old and I take care of it! Ugh. Tow truck took 2.5 hours to get there, so I waited IN THE HEAT & HUMIDITY. Ugh. Thank goodness for AAA, ya’ll! But my tow truck driver was top notch, so at least there’s that.

But when the job…

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[thepennydarling]

Finally: A Rainbow Home Tour!

A peek inside our rainbow abode!

Hey there, Darlings!

I’ve finally done it! I’ve DONE THE HOME TOUR! I always get asked about our Rainbow Abode, tchotchkes, decorations, posters, my polka dot wall, or my record wall. I’ve been looking for the right time, and today is that day, my friends!

Let me just sneak the boring stuff so we can get to the goods! Check me out on Instagram here!  I also have a selling Instagram page where I…

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[thepennydarling]

Happy Friday, Penny Darlings!

Let me just sneak the boring stuff so we can get to the goods! Check me out on Instagram here!  I also have a selling Instagram page where I sell some of my old clothes/styles so that I don’t drown in my own wardrobe.

We’re a little past the half way point of summer, so Preston & I have been lighting a fire under our own butts to get out and have more adventures and do more things!

We live in Central, PA (near the capital and Hershey…yeah, like that Hershey!) – so we have a hodge podge of adventures. In summers past, we’ve hit the battlefields at Gettysburg, Chocolate World at Hershey, and Centralia, the famous city on fire.

So we had to add a new adventure to the list, and I recommended to Preston that we head to the Crayola Experience in Easton, PA. He had NEVER been! I couldn’t believe it! I had gone SO many times as a kid, and I think we even went on a field trip there! (Mom, did I make that up?!). I was so excited for him to see it!

*GIVEAWAY INCLUDED: STAY TO THE END!*

We planned a day trip to the Crayola Experience (and packed a few rainbow items!) and hit the road!

We rolled up to this building:

  So, obviously, we knew we were in for an EXPERIENCE. (a Crayola Experience…I’ll see myself out for that joke!).

I’m obsessed with murals and wall art and interesting buildings so obviously, this made me smile like a lunatic.

That was a big theme throughout the day. While Preston & I walked through, I would get to climb something or play with something  or slide down something or see a Crayola crayon that’s the size of a house, we were just laughing and smiling. It was so fun to just play! It brought back such fun memories and it was fun to watch Preston see everything for the first time!

We also got to go in a little early, so we had the place mostly to ourselves – but towards the end, it filled up with kids and it was INCREDIBLE to see so much joy and how every kid was having a different experience. I saw a little boy running around trying to play with everything at once, and a little girl who just sat down at started quietly coloring, kids climbing the indoor playground, kids naming crayons and shrieking with excitement to see their name on a crayon, some kids taking their time at EVERY room. There was SO MUCH creative energy and they were all having their own Crayola experience. It was truly awesome!

So here’s some different things we got to do!

  Color Playground

This two-story, Crayola marker & crayon, multi-layer indoor Color Playground was the first thing we hit. I was so PUMPED! I literally went down that slide and LAUGHED like crazy because it was so fun! Color Playground is like my inner child DREAM!

    The Adventure Lab

The look on my face in that first picture was SHEER CRAZY JOY because when I stepped on that floor – it went RAINBOW. It wasn’t rainbow when I walked there! THE FLOOR IS INTERACTIVE! It was awesome! This was a puzzle challenge room with lots of cool touch screen tablets.

  Meltdown / Melt & Mold

So the tippy top floor is where we got to play with the Melt Down area where we made a wax painting! (super cool!). And then the Melt & Mold area was where we got to melt crayon’s into these little cool shapes (and you keep them!)

Also, the art installations up there are AMAZING!

  The Colossal Caddy & The Trading Post

The Colossal Caddy is this HUGE amazing installation with a mug full of HUGE crayons, and surrounded by a gazillion regular sized crayons – perfect for coloring and drawing and creating! I saw two little girls sitting there later in the day just coloring quietly!

This was also in the middle of the room with a BUNCH of other things, like selfie stations, arcade games (like ski ball, my fave!) a toddler sized playground, the Crayola Theatre, and a million other little cool things!

  Other Attractions:

We stopped by the gift shop, where Preston was pumped to find something with his name on it (it’s a pretty rare find!).

There’s also the Crayola Timeline as an amazing mural of the progression of the classic yellow Crayola box! One of my favorite things! SO cool!

A wax hand station where you can make your own souvenir mold, a paint station, an 85-foot-water table, & a place to wrap and name my own crayon color rounded out our trip!

  And here’s the absolute craziest part, ya’ll!

WE DIDN’T EVEN GET TO ALL OF IT. There were complete other rooms and activities we didn’t even get to try! It’s the absolute perfect mix of creative energy, Insta-worthy spots, and absolute nostalgia for your inner child! I love feeling that joy and watching kids experience it for the first time!

If you want to check out their map to see ALL of the places (and all the places not featured) – click here!

Check them out on socials here!

Website Facebook Instagram

  *Giveaway*

I’m giving away three pairs of tickets to the Crayola Experience in Easton, PA!

To Enter:

Follow me on Instagram here!

Like the post & tag two friends!

Follow the Crayola Experience! 

  Giveaway Closes 8/5, winner selected 8/6, winner selected at random!

    *this post is sponsored by The Crayola Experience, however all thoughts are my own!*

SO HERE’S THE “END OF BLOG” SPIEL!

If you are at all interested in doing a collab or working with me – please feel free to check out my new Contact Me! page! I also do social media consulting and photography, so please reach out! Let’s work together!

Follow me on Instagram: @thepennydarling

Like my Facebook page here!

Follow me on Twitter here!

Subscribe for updates!

If you’d like to donate to help me keep Penny Darling going – click here!

Comment for topics you would like to see me cover! Like to help my self esteem! What do you think so far? More fashion? More lifestyle? Do you like the mix?

Thank you for all that you do. You are truly extraordinary.

Love all you wonderful ladies (and gents!) out there!

How Very,

Abby

I'm tickled pink to bring you on our journey out of the classic yellow box and into the Crayola Experience! Happy Friday, Penny Darlings! Let me just sneak the boring stuff so we can get to the goods!

[thepennydarling]

Individually Laudi Vidni

I'm obsessed with customizing my burritos, why wouldn't I lovelovelove customizing my bags?!

Happy Wednesday, Penny Darlings!

Preston & I are gearing up for a long weekend of picnics and deliciousness! We’ve got plans for popsicles, poolside, and plenty of sun! And even more SPF (Preston’s a sun-burn-KING!).

You may remember a few months ago, I went to one of my fave cities in the U.S. – Chicago Illinois! It’s one of my fave places of all time! I actually went out to meet with CEO &…

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[thepennydarling]

Splish Splash: Charlie Got a Flea & Tick Bath

Splish Splash: Charlie Got a Flea & Tick Bath

Hey there, Penny Darlings!

Welcome back to another exciting episode! We’ve got some exciting things coming up, so be sure to stay tuned for more exciting things!

Now, the past few weeks have brought on one of my fave things: SUMMER. I’ve gotten a smidge of sunburn, pools are opening, flowers are blooming, the nights are cool, and the days are warm! It’s hiking-lake-side-camping-bonfire-beach-trip…

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