Blood Orange

Like Ox Blood, I am loving Blood Orange.  It's bold and beautiful; it also makes a great pop color.  These items pictured are not items I necessarily own, they are only a tiny sampling of the color.  I'll soon be making a polyvore or something of the sorts so that I can make collages of entire stylized outfits.  Until then, I just want to post a color sample if you will.  I'll eventually do the same for ox blood too.

January 2013 Daily Treats 2

Okay, so this is not something very new at all, yet I still love this nail look.  Black matte nail polish with glossy black tips.  The black matte french manicure.  It can be done either of two ways.  With matte black polish, or with regular black polish and a matte top coat on the nail bed (excluding the tips), I like Essie, however the photo I am posting showcases OPI matte black polish.  This is not a photo of my nails, because in honesty I need to buy the top coat (I already have an excellent black polish--Licorice by Essie---so I will be doing this look using a matte top coat on part of my nails).  Once I test this look out for myself I will post my results.

Both Essie and OPI polishes run anywhere from $6-$8 depending on your place of purchase.  Have you tried this look?  Do you like it?  If you tried how did your nails come out?

Winter is sexy comfort

Now that we're into the new year we can also start padding our closets thank to all of the great sales going on right now!  I'm going to post a few items that I love from various sites & stores...some are full price and some are great steals!  Shopping in January, June, and October are the best times to mix up sale and full price pieces to give your closet the boost it needs to keep you looking fabulous year 'round.

1.  I am in love with this comfortable WildFox sweater.  It's $108 (which is affordable if you know anything about this brand), super cute, and comfy for Winter and Fall.  It can be purchased here, and is a great mix-in piece for sweat pants or yoga pants at home, but can be paired with leggings, jeans, etc for looking comfy, casual, and cute while out during the day.

2.  Okay, this includes a couple of items.  January and June are my favorite times to shop specifically because of the Victoria's Secret Semi-Annual Sale!  To go with the importance of feeling comfortable, yet still cute in the Winter, I am including a few PINK items here that I love.  I went with this collection, because though I did splurge on items from both Pink and Very Sexy, the Pink collection offers great sports and yoga bras that feel amazing for the gym, but look great under everything so you can wear them out.  There are also some great pajamas and lounge outfits too.  Also, last but not least, I should mention that Pink also has great sports team and collegiate wear.  Here are a few of my favorites!  They can be found in the Pink Sale Section...I'm not putting direct links past the main page because I think you should go look at all that is offered during this wonderful event!  I'm showing The VS Pink Yoga Push-up ($23.99); The VS Pink Perfect Zip Hoodie ($32.50); and The VS Pink Fitted Flare Pant ($32.50).

3.  Last but not least I'm posting two shops from Etsy where you can get some great accessories to help keep you warm in the Winter.  The first is Grace & Lace.  This shop makes the best leg warmers...all around $30-$40! They have several styles, I'm posting a photo of the Miss Molly leg warmers for $34. And the second is Nanokiki & Triko.  I love the gift set for $66.00, and it's available in several colors!

There you go!  These are only a few items, but they're great items to give your winter wardrobe the oomph it needs for the new year!

January 2013 daily treats

I'm back!!

I apologize for the lack of posting in 2012.  I have just been thoroughly busy!!  However, now it is the beginning of a new year, and new blog posts too!

This entry is the first of a month long series I am going to be doing.  Everyday I will post one (or two if they go together) item(s) that I love.  Along with each item I will also post where to acquire my goodies...because what is the point of teasing people with items they cannot purchase?

Enough with the introductions.  Today's item is my new favorite jewelry set.  These two items are exquisite together, hence why I am posting both.  I am including a photo of each item & links to the sites/stores where you can make your purchases.





The Michael Kors Astor Buckle Bangle which you can get here and here.  You can apparently also go to Piperlime, Amazon or Zappos.  I just prefer these two major retailers.  This bracelet comes in silver, rose, gold, and gold/rose (which is what I have pictured because it is my favorite).  This retails for $95.  Very affordable.













My second item is the Michael Kors buckle 3 ring set.  It comes in gold, rose, and for a little more you can get the pave set rings.  I prefer the less flashy rose gold to go with my bracelet.  You can acquire this here.  Any of the style can also be purchased at Saks. $65 for gold or rose and $85 for the pave set.  Also, very affordable, and absolutely fabulous with the bangle.












 I hope you enjoyed these items!  Come back daily to see more finds & for other future posts!

Summer: A Time of Parties

If your Summer is anything like mine, it is jam-packed with birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers, bridal showers, weddings and the like.  One thing to make your gift stand out more so than anyone else's is to theme it out!  I always like to add a personal touch to the way I package my gifts.  I do themed diaper cakes and gift baskets, or I create a personal wrapping paper scheme that all goes together and fits the likes of the person receiving the gift.  I will include a couple photos...of baby shower baskets and birthday gifts I have done.  If you don't have time or the resources to create a specific theme then go the extra little bit to make the package look great:  use a very decorative bow or mix various ribbons and papers together to make your package stand out from all the rest.

As for hosting your own party?  Well the same principles all still apply.  It is not all about money, but rather all about the details and personal little touches that make everything else so extra special.  I will be including a full blog entry on Summer party planning later this Summer as I dive farther into planning my best friend's bridal shower.  Most of the deets are a surprise to her though, so I cannot divulge any juicy secrets for my own personal events this Summer until after they all pass.
So here are a couple gifts I have done in the past (some very themed and detailed, some as simple as just adding extra ribbons or contrasting the paper), and perhaps I will update with another entry on this subject after the next upcoming even passes---my boyfriends birthday next week.  I will post with all the cool themes I did for his gifts!

(Above) All casino themed, personally crafted handmade.

Playstation Themed paper

Birthday Gift, contrasting papers

Diaper Cake Gift Basket

Gift Basket Finished

Gift Basket Finished 2

Purple gift.

Girl's Noah's Arc Basket

Make Your Mascara Work

To achieve the best mascara look, I prefer to use Maybelline's Falsies Mascara (very black) in conjunction with Maybelline's Mega Plush Mascara (very black).  I do two light coats of Falsies and one coat of Mega Plush to maximize my eyes.  Doing so allows me to create the glamorous look of false eye lashes without looking so fake.  I often get asked if I am using false eye lashes, and my answer is always "no."  This is my trick, and I swear by it.  One thing I really do love about both of these is that they look great on their own for a less dramatic touch.  I also really love the fact that they, not only are inexpensive, but also do not clump right away---like many brands promising the same look---so purchasing both together is quite worth it and cost effective.

What I love:

*Eyes appear wider and more awake.
*Cost effective way to achieve dramatic false eye lash look.
*Lasts all day and night.
*Doesn't smear or smudge easily.
*Washes away cleanly.
*Can be worn alone or together to maximize your budget, purchase, and look.

Keep in mind:

*If you have lighter hair, then you may want to try a lighter shade of mascara---darker is more dramatic, however for blondes anywhere from brown to dark brown or brown/black would probably suffice.  Also, I would NOT use both of these together if you plan to use a waterproof mascara; using too many layers of waterproof mascara may require ripping your eyelashes out to remove the make-up if you choose to do so.

Oh, and the best part?  This is not just a Summer tip; this is an all-year-round tip!  Enjoy!

Fashion Tip Of The Day