The Most Stylish, Modern, & Functional Water Bottle on the Planet -- Ello's Syndicate Glass Water Bottle

I'm one of the many folks who love a unique, interesting water bottle (like the one here from Ello Products) since I'm an on-the-go kind of girl who either carries her beverage around in a travel-safe water bottle or doesn't drink her water. That's because I'm rarely in one place for very long throughout my day...

So, I'm here to introduce you other on-the-go folks -- who like to carry their water or other beverage in a unique, safe bottle -- to the Ello water bottle!

Ya'll know me, I'm all about sharing something I love here on Ribbons and Pearls, and when I share something I love, I also share a lot of images of that something. So, bear with me and just be happy that you have so many photos of the awesome Ello to cast your gaze upon while you read my review. 

The Syndicate Glass Water Bottle features a removable strap for carrying, which  makes it even easier to lug around.

I've become quite the water-bottle enthusiast over the last few years as I've been trying to find a great match for me and my needs -- you know, besides that pesky need of having water. 

From spills on my pants to spills in my purse (I sometimes have to carry my bottle in my purse), I've been through it all, and decided not only was it time I found myself a water-bottle that was interesting to look at, but also one that was actually functional and reliable. An ol' trusty who I could place my faith in holding the water so I could later drink it, rather than have it end up in my purse (have you ever seen mascara and keys try to swim amongst the other contents in an oversized handbag? I have. I sadly, sadly have.)

Aside from becoming my ol' trusty, I'm impressed with Ello Products because they are a "clean" and "green" company that uses eco-friendly materials. And well, I do like my water, but I am also very fond of not drinking water that may contain BPA, and I'm always looking to be a more eco-friendly kind of gal..

And really, who could resist the awesome, modern, stylish designs offered by Ello? Pink netting-like stuff wrapped around a nice, BPA-free glass bottle? I was all in.

And besides that, the lid has a unique way of preventing my mascara and other purse goodies from having to sink or swim... in a purse full of water, again.

  I was lucky enough -- and the folks at Ello Products were kind enough to toss me a bone . . . er, I mean a bottle -- and now the water bottle and I have become a lovely, totally carry-able, non-spill-able, stylish duo. The water bottle is those things -- such as non-spillable -- not me. I'm just the other part of the duo. And I am not non-spillable. I  am BPA free, though, now that I'm not drinking water that it has leached into!

This bottle is from Ello's Hydration line -- and it's called the Syndicate Glass Water Bottle.

 Before I go on, let me share with you how many times my spouse has said "I wish it came in blue too!" 

It does. 

Ello Products actually carries these in an awesome, light blue color, as well as teal, grey, and coral!

The one-touch flip cap is one of the most impressive features, aside from the things I mentioned above (like the bottle being BPA free, glass, cute and travel-friendly).

You press that pink button (like you see me doing in the photo above and below) an the lid springs open like a frog jumping from a dirty pond.

Notice the pretty pink circular piece on the top of the clear, plastic lid -- that thing creates suction so when you press the button, it un-suctions with an oddly satisfying pop...More about that in a second.

Ta-da! 

This also means it locks securely when closed. 

When the lid pops open, it makes the "pop" sound I mentioned, which is very satisfying to people who enjoy that sound. Someone I know has spent a lot of her time making the lid pop open because she loves the sound it makes.

The pink, silicone sleeve that encases the glass water bottle is not only really cute and fun to look at, but it also works as a grip -- helping you keep the bottle in your hand and not on the floor. 

And if it does hit the floor, the netting should help absorb some of the shock and keep your awesome bottle protected.

This silicone sleeve is removable, so you can take it off  when washing.

And of course, a company so dedicated to clean drinking made sure their outer "sleeve" is made of food grade silicone, so no worries with unhealthy materials in any Ello product. That makes me a happy girl. 

Almost as happy as the pop sound I get to experience each time I open the lid.

In this photo of the water bottle from Ello Products, I've crammed my finger behind the silicone encasing to show you the flexibility of it.

The bottle is dishwasher safe (including the silicone sleeve) and is great for cold drinks, but not for hot drinks or for freezing cold ones. 


I love it! I adore it.

I use the Syndicate Glass Water Bottle to carry around my water every single day. I'm not even joking. I have it sitting next to me right now. I've not put it down (except when drying) the entire time I've had it, which has been around 2 months.

If I want to keep hydrated, I have to fill a bottle with water and keep it next to me, to remind me to drink it throughout the day -- this has been my routine forever, so it's important that the bottle I use holds a lot of water.

 The Syndicate Glass Bottle holds about as much as I usually consume in a one-day period. I occasionally refill it once more before the day's over. So, this is handy for me as I am not always around clean water to fill it with.

I have to say, Ello Products have some of the most interesting, stylish, and fun drink ware I've yet to see, and I am totally diggin' the pink Syndicate Bottle. Cannot get enough of it!

Specs:

• Ello Products are my BFF because all of their products are BPA-free, have intriguing designs while being totally functional for every day, long-term use.

• The Syndicate Glass Bottle is travel-friendly, completely "locks" and prevents any spills -- even tiny droplets, holds about enough water for an entire day's worth, for me and it is adorable!

Have you guys seen the drink ware from Ello Products? Do you have an Ello BFF, too? If so, which and what are your favorites? I'm totally eyeballing their awesome coffee bottles, too!

This review and all reviews here on Ribbons and Pearls are in compliance with the FTTC guidelines. I recieve no monetary compensation, but a prouct in exchange for a completely honest review. Each review is my honest opinion.  See my disclosure page and honesty pledge for more info on sponsored reviews!

Defend Your Turf -- Torrain Fabulous recycled bags

Guys, I came across a lovely little online shop called Torrain.org where they sell recycled bags. Basically, the company set out to reduce waste and after being inspired by a woman in Cambodia, another woman named Nyla began collecting bags and turning them into something beautiful, incredible and contributory to reduction in waste and the well-being of the Cambodian artisan, Sothea Yung who happens to be the person that Nyla got her inspiration from. 

When I got my hands on two of Nyla's fabulous clutches, I could not wait to show them off, and to share with you guys! Seriously, since this morning when these two clutches arrived, I've admired them all day and so looked forward to getting a few minutes to share about them. They're just fabulous. The clutches are made from, I believe, rice bags or materials similar to that.

I only shared the brief version of Torrain's history, but you can read it in full on Torrain's website by clicking here.  



What's behind the name of the company -- Torrain? 

"The name is a combination of the word Terrain and the phrase, To Rain. In order for our earth to be fruitful, rain must fall. Just as in life, usually progress takes place in light of a fall. Torrain symbolizes this rise and fall by recycling old hazardous materials into new, vibrant products.

Even more, Torrain’s products are used for travelling, which encourages people to respect our globe, to preserve it and hopefully, to recycle.

Defend Your Turf with a Torrain Bag!"

 


The clutches I have from Torrain are the Tangerine Triangle Pleated Clutch and the Yellow Mermaid Clutch. Both are absolutely beautiful and I just adore the home-made feel and unique style! These awesome products are so exciting to me! 

The Yellow Mermaid Clutch is nice and roomy. The large size means while shopping, I can ditch the purse (since the clutch holds all credit cards, ID, and plenty more) and have a chance to show this beauty off! 

It has a button-snap and I adore how many card and money slots are in this! I can fit so much in there.  The yellow clutch has a nice clear plasticy cover sewn over it, so that makes it even more durable and I love how it looks. Plus, if it's raining out, no worries! It'll just run off the plastic. Very handy.



    

The back of the clutch -- mermaid is the front side

 

Lots of room and pockets inside!

 
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The Tangerine Pleated clutch is perfect for a super dooper cosmetics holder as well as about anything else you'd need storage for. If you're like me though, you'll be cramming your purse items in the clutch and carrying it alone just to show it off. Both fit in a deep purse, but who wants to hide the unique, stylish little things? 

                                                                           

The Tangerine  clutch features adorable pleating and a zipper to keep things inside, as well as an inner zip-pouch!  I just love the bold bright colors of Torrain's bags. They definitely stand out in a crowd of black and white purses. Seriously, nobody will have a clutch as stylish, cute and unique as one of these -- well, of course unless you're kind enough to let those sad people know where to get one, but you know what I'm saying.

There's other print on the clutches as well. The orange one has some words that I honestly don't know how to pronounce -- they aren't in English, but I thought that made it look even neater! 

Malibu Strings metallic purple scrunch bikini

 

The stunning metallic purple Malibu Strings swim suit is my absolute faorie swim suit ever!  It's so unique and well fitting on my petite frame.

Malibu String's suits are unique and funky and bold and while there's tons of gorgeous prints, styles and cuts to choose from, this specific one is certainly not for someone who's looking to blend in. It's bright. It's bold. It's sexy and it stands out. Just the kind of suit I love!

I have a love for swim wear, but it's hard to find a suit that flatters my figure and even harder to find one that fits my crazy style. I seen a metallic purple colored swim suit about 7 years ago on vacation and have searched my booty off to find one and only recently did I come across one of that color and I could've cried I was so happy! (I really wanted this swim suit!) 

I'm sure many of you ladies have heard the saying shiny fabrics make draw attention to your middle and are always unflattering. I beg to differ. I personally couldn't love this Malibu Strings bikini more. 

With the "scrunch back" bottoms, these are a cheeky fit. When I say cheeky, I mean they show quite a bit of cheek. They cover a good amount for someone like me with such a tiny be-hiney, but they do show some cheek. I love the scrunch back because I have such a small booty and narrow hips which makes it hard to get a swim suit bottom to fit well without sagging. The suit fit absolutely wonderfully! 

The purple string bikini ties at both hips and has plenty of room for adjusting for the best fit. It's not tiny, but it rides low on the hips. It can be pulled up higher on the hips at the sides, but I like it to fall right at my hip bones.

The bikini top has little coverage and while the triangle cups are adjustable, they only cover so much. The top has no extra support like underwire and it is not padded at all. I love everything about the swim suit, but if you absolutely must have padding you can easily sew some on the back side of the cups. 

The top ties both behind the neck, halter style and around the back. To adjust for a wider coverage the cups can be pulled to widen. To make a narrow fit, less coverage you simply scrunch them. This is no different from a regular string bikini's adjusting, only with less coverage and far better looking! 

The top has narrow cups as it is for less coverage so a medium was good for me, I usually wear a small or medium top. The medium top will cover an A-B size, but probably not a C or higher. 

Suit's Hardware:

To add to the beauty of this suit, there's 2 tiny metal circles below right at the top of the triangle cups. Most of Malibu Strings swimwear have little metal hardware on them. I think it's lovely!

 

The purple metallic swimsuit is made of a comfortable material that has so far held up nicely. I don't see it getting those cracks in it like some made of this material. I'm not exactly sure what the material is, but it seems to be a lame/spandex material.

Swimwear should be handwashed for keeping in it's best shape. Washing in the washing machine should be avoided and I would not put this swim suit in the machine. I hand wash mine and it's worked out fine. Do not dry, iron or bleach! To dry, let it hang out to air dry. A good place for drying your suits is in the shower. I hang mine from my soap and shampoo holder/basket thingy.

*See my honesty pledge (for products given in exchange for 100% honest  reviews) at the top of the page*

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A sparkly dream from Zaphon

The lovely, stunning and gorgeous.... Zaphon Hot Pink Strap Dress with Chiffon Animal Print Dress!

My, my, my! I don't have enough words for Zaphon.com's lovely items. Spectacular? Amazing, beyond stunning! To name a few.

The dress in the photo is from Zaphon. It's the most beautiful dress I've ever put on. I am crazy about this bright, sparkly thing.

A little about Zaphon:

Zaphon has an outstanding selection of very fashionable clothing, shoes, lingerie, swimwear, clubwear, etc. for men and women. You can find anything from sexy & always unique apparell. Zaphon has a site for prom gowns as well as their own special site for Zaphon shoes. (certainly to drool over!) At Zaphon.com you can find a very nicely categorized (I so appreciate that!) site making it easy to search. The list is huge!

You can shop the shoe section, clubwear section, the new arrival section, men's, accessories, swimwear section, etc. I told you they had everything!

   I'd also like to add how great & kind the customer service is which is always a plus. I'm also happy to say, Zaphon does have a beautiful collection of plus sizes as well.

                                        Now on to the dress here.  

No idea why I had my head like that, ignore that & check
out the dress! I've added pics of every angle of this dress!

    It's a beautiful pink sparkly material all over except for the bust which is animal print chiffon with some sparkle to it too. Y'all know nothing makes me happier than sparkles and animal print! I couldn't be happier in this dress. It's extremely bright and unique. I can be absolutely certain there won't be anyone else showing up in the exact same dress when I'm in this one! The straps are thin and even they're made of the pink sparkly material.

    Upon first glance on the site a little gasp slipped through my lips. It was love at first sight, but I did wonder if the sparkles would stay on. I wasn't sure if it was the material itself or if it was more like a sequined thing. I was happy to realize that there's no chance of sparkles falling off since the actual material itself is sparkly. I wish I was better able to explain the lovelyness of this thing, but words and photos will have to do. In the photo above it shows better just how bright and sparkly it is.

    The material has a good bit of stretch to it so it kind of forms to your curves. The bust is, like I said chiffon animal print and it's a bit ruffly so that adds a nice touch and it could possibly be worn without a bra though I didn't go in public without one. I was so excited I could hardly contain myself, but I had one worry. That the dress would be like most, so short that it would be considered a shirt. No joke! I have gotten several club wear dresses which I love dearly (although none are any match to this one!) but they are all so unbelievaly short that they don't even fall past my lower back! And that's saying something because I'm short, barely 5". Me, I'm not going to let a beautiful dress hang in the closet and not get worn so I've found a solution to those short dresses. Black spandex shorts underneath! Ha! Now, it's not the sexiest thing, but it's better than nothing. I was afraid I'd have to go find some matching pink shorts just to wear this dress outside the house. Guess what? This baby exceeded my expectations by far! It's perfectly long enough.

     While I complain about club dresses being too short, I can't wear regular dresses often either because they're so long on a short person like me that they're hard to find in the right size. This one was perfect. Couldn't be any better. It's the perfect length, falling above my knees, but it can be slightly pushed up without causing the material to gather around your middle. It forms perfectly to your shape without gluing to your body and making you uncomfortable. This is the kind of dress that would look stunning on every body type.

     I had to wear it around for a while to get a good idea of how comfortable and easy to maneuver in would be. Passed the test! I'm telling you, this thing is purrrrrfect! I felt so nice & pretty... and sparkly! I had no problems bending over, picking up kids and sitting down. I don't have to worry about my cheeks peeping out when I bend over and that's a huge plus.



    There's another thing that puts this sparkly dress at the very front of my closet. It's totally comfortable and requires no work! It's summertime and I hate having to wear clothes in the heat, especially with kids to lug around. I will do anything to not have to wear a lot of clothes. I hate jeans so much I will throw on dresses with a jacket and even carry around blankets in my car just so I don't have to wear jeans in the winter time, much less summer! I'm usually out and about a lot and going out regularly for "girl's night out" which isn't really girl's night out, it's more like girls plus one man night out. Lol. But I the kind of girl that wants to look like a lot of work without having to put in that work. I don't want to spend all my time slapping on makeup, doing hair, etc. No time for that. I want to throw something beautiful on and be done.


     Thing is most beautiful clothing is not that easy. Most of the time wearing a beautiful dress or a sexy dress is far from easy work. This little beauty goes right on no matter how bloated you feel and instantly gives you sexy plus pretty. No extra work required. Put on a layer of mascara and you look gorgeous! I've already gotten to wear the dress out twice and both times, it took me less than an hour to be ready. That never happens! This dress goes right on, you look great instantly and your done. It's so surprisingly comfortable and in the summer time I want extremely comfortable, but very beautiful. This dress really delivers. It's an easy wear and I have to admit gives a nice boost of self esteem. :)


    I get it, I did go on & on here about Zaphon and the dress I got, but I could not resist. I'm really a fanatic!


  Be sure to check them out and don't forget Zaphon's shoe site and their prom site!

- Zaphon Prom: http://www.zaphonprom.com/
- Zaphon Shoes: http://www.zaphonshoes.com/

     *You can ready my honesty pledge at the very top of the page*



Much love to my wonderful Pearls,
Kendra

Seven Til Midnight corset in red

RED SEVEN TIL' MIDNIGHT CORSET

Note: The Seven Til Midnight Corset does not come with skirt included. The skirt was my own and I paired it with the corset. It does go perfectly together though. This corset is the most comfortable one I own & it's flexible with a good bit of stretch. It's so far the easiest to slip in and out of and does much better for a night out than most.

The silky red material is beautiful while the feminie silk bows and ruffles add a lot of sexy!

Here, in the picture above, you can see the entire front of the corset. It has two strips of ruffly lace with bows at the bust and 2 rows to line the bottom, front to back. The bottom also has silky bows, one on either side. Looks very sleek and pretty!

You can't see the design on the corset in the photo, but it does have a pretty light little design on it in red.

I loved wearing it with the tulle skirt. It matched perfectly.

The comfort in this corset is outstanding. You can wear it out with a skirt or a pair of blue jeans and be absolutely comfortable. I like how easy it is unlike most that require wire pliers and a room full of people trying to get you in and out of the thing.

The back of the corset does not lace up. Instead, you have 3 rows of eye hooks to choose from. Use the last row for a smaller size and to expand/loosen, the 2nd or first row provides room. I hook with the last row so it doesn't slid off and even then it's still roomy enough to move around. I do like the sizing. It's hard to find lingerie that isn't a child's small, I'm glad this corset from Carrie Amber was truly made for a woman, not child. Mine is a small, but it would comfortably fit a medium as well.

   MATERIAL

I love the material of this corset. It's like silk, but even softer. The inside is smooth and soft too. The tag says 90% nylon & 10% spandex. It's very light weight.

The bones are very flexible and are not made of plastic so you don't have to worry about bending over and snapping one in half. They are thick and sturdy, but not hard.

I was pleased with the simplicity and the casual-ness of this corset. It's one that I will be able to wear out in public (at the right places of course) and still be able to breathe and move. It's perfect for someone who wants to add a really sexy, but conservative look when paired with jeans. It's not revealing, I really like that about the corset.

I can tell it's very well made and doesn't have that cheap look or feel. I would absolutely recommend the red Seven Til Midnight corset to anybody, especially someone who's not sure if they will like the discomfort that often comes with most corsets. This one holds up well and can be worn for long periods of time. It's great for those who are interested in trying corsets but are shy or intimidated by the tightness of them. It's a great first corset and seems to be one that will last for years to come.

  CARE & MAINTENANCE

The corset should be hand washed with cold water and of course should never be bleached or ironed. To best care for this corset, you should line dry it. I would not recommend putting it in the dryer. I can't say exactly what would happen, but I wouldn't even risk it.

It sounds like a lot of work, but really it's less trouble than most everyday clothing items. I just hand wash it which doesn't take long. Then I hang it up on the back of my bed room door or lamp post to dry. It dries quickly since it's not heavy.

Overall, my opinion on the red corset here, is a very nice one! I think it's a pretty piece. The comfortability is something I am beyond grateful for with. Seven Til Midnight is my favorite lingerie brand. They have so many different things that really suit my style and I love their products. I doubt I'd be disappointed with their items. They are certainly unique and all of the Seven Til Midnight lingerie items stand out from other brands. I'm sure you'll feel the same way! DO check them out. Also, I'd like to add that from what I've seen, they don't discriminate against the average sized woman! YAY! They DO make sizes that fit real women and not just size zeros. That's something I highly admire in a lingerie company.

WICKY TEES

                             WICKY TEES!                           

   You guessed it! The cute smiley t-shirt did come from the lovely Wicky Tees! How cute is that t-shirt?


   Yellow is usually not my color, but this is just too cute! It's actually very, very bright but doesn't show the color well in the photo. It looks even better in person or should that be in t-shirt?

  Wicky Tees has some very unique and adorable t-shirts. I love them! I like the crazy smiley shirt with the x eye, that's too cute.

  All of their tees look great and are very comfortable! You can throw them on with regular jeans and still look cute. I also like that they're a little bit baggy so that way you can wear them on the bloated days without it showing.

   Wicky Tees have some awesome graphic shirts too! They have humorous tees, offensive tees (love them!) and even t-shirts that light up! How cool! Right now they are having a great sale on the graphics & humor tees.

  They're prices are great especially considering how nice the shirts are. They always have great deals too. You can join them on facebook for a chance to win a free t-shirt too! It's definitely worth it & even if you don't win, you'll be able to stay updated on their news & know when they have new tees and there's always next time, right?

  If you like funny shirts, offensive shirts, etc. Wicky Tees have a lot to choose from & you'll more than likely find at least one or two that you just have to have! I do anyways.

  The t-shirts make the best gifts! I'm working on finding one for a father's day gift right now, but just can't choose which one is best! They're fun and will certainly put a smile on any dads (or other loved ones) face... well, unless you happen to be a female & get your dad the shirt that has an egg & a chicken F-ing. Lol That might not go over too well. Ha Ha. I have to admit though, I did consider getting that one for my dad! I'd love to see his face turn red when opening it! Their Tees certainly are good for striking a conversation! Lol

  CHECK EM' OUT! They're also on my post of 'best funny t-shirt sites" check it out.