Monday, 13 January 2014

Fashion Haul & OOTD

 **COME MEET-UP WITH ME AT IMATS LA!! I'll be at the Sigma Beauty booth from 10:30am-12:30 pm on January 18th (Saturday's show). Be sure to stop by and say hi! I'd love to meet you!!

Gotta be honest... All this cold weather lately totally inspired a fashion haul. So while I definitely picked up some cozy sweaters, I'm pretty proud that I also found a lot of really versatile pieces that would work for any season.

Hope you guys enjoy the video! ....Oh, and scroll on down the post to see an OOTD idea with one of my new items!



Haul items shown in video...


Also, here's all the details of the look worn in the video...  I LOVE this emerald green plaid. So fun!



 Outfit details...


Franco Sarto boots (no longer available) similar here
Kate Spade watch (similar here and here)

I hope you all have a wonderful week!


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Friday, 10 January 2014

Cozy & Warm Makeup & OOTD

 **COME MEET-UP WITH ME AT IMATS LA!! I'll be at the Sigma Beauty booth from 10:30am-12:30 pm on January 18th (Saturday's show). Be sure to stop by and say hi! I'd love to meet you!!

Well, I guess we survived the 2014 "Polar Vortex" around here. I still laugh a little inside every time I hear it called that considering we got ZERO snow that actually accumulated, but we had TONS of ice and frigid temperatures. It stayed in the low single digits for a few days... So 30's and 40's now (which we normally consider freezing cold in Georgia), now feels like a heat wave.

But seriously, I hope you all made it through ok. I realize that while tons of our neighbors and friends suffered busted pipes and property damage, I'm thankful that we made it out ok. All the stories of property damage, living with no heat and water, and all the other horrible things extreme and sudden cold weather can cause is always terrible to hear about.

But on a lighter note, I decided to do a look with a "Warm & Cozy" theme to help a little with these winter blues. So I filmed a more informal "get ready with me" type of tutorial and also shared my more realistic and cozy, winter-appropriate outfit that is still fun and fashionable.
I hope you all love it!!




Products used:



not shown:





Outfit Details...





Gap sweater
Valentino shoes


Oh and don't forget about IMATS this coming weekend!! I'll be there at the Sigma Beauty booth from 10:30am-12:30pm on January 18th (Saturday's show). Be sure to stop by and say hi! I'd love to meet you!!

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Thursday, 9 January 2014

Basement Bar Finds!

 **COME MEET-UP WITH ME AT IMATS LA!! I'll be at the Sigma Beauty booth from 10:30am-12:30 pm on January 18th (Saturday's show). Be sure to stop by and say hi! I'd love to meet you!!

So for this week's home decor break, we're headed down to the basement.  I had mentioned in previous posts that we had made some changes down there. Two HUGE things in particular that we had been on the search for since we moved in, and one lighting update I mentioned in my recent home decor haul here.

Before I get ahead of myself, here's what we started with...


We had been on the hunt for the perfect piece for that big blank wall since before we moved in. We knew it had to be pretty huge. Notice how tiny that mirror looks against it! That mirror used to hang in the living room at our old house and I actually considered it quite large!
Also, the big empty space in the middle. Having the little bar built in is really nice, however, we really wanted an actual "bar" that people could sit at for the middle area. We looked at a lot of them (they're not easy to find), and they definitely aren't cheap. We considered getting one eventually when we found the perfect one, but I also didn't want to limit that area to JUST a bar, you know? A giant bar isn't exactly the most versatile piece of furniture...  Plus, for the price we'd be paying (the cheapest option we found came in around $1700), I just couldn't justify it. There was no reason we needed an actual "bar" with storage and all that good stuff that a typical bar would have since we already have more storage than we need for that area in the cabinets. I really just wanted a seating area, at least counter-height.
So the bar idea was toast.

So I had seen some photos of large counter-height tables (a little taller than an average table, but not quite as tall as "bar" height) used in basements and kitchens and decided that one would eventually be mine.  I didn't expect to find the perfect one so soon...


First of all, this thing is huge.  The guys who delivered it said it was the heaviest table they had ever lifted. It's really made nice and solid too which is a huge plus.


This photo shows off the pretty natural grain in the wood.  It's the same height as the adjacent counters which makes it all look "pulled together".


Notice the huge leaner mirror?? I'm SO in love with it! I got a great deal on it at Ballard Designs during a recent mirror sale. It goes with the whole "industrial" theme and really opens up the space by bouncing around a ton of light. It makes the room feel so much larger! We waited on that baby for almost 4 weeks... Getting that thing delivered was not easy.

I'm planning to refinish the light colored base of the table to something a little more dark and rich to compliment all the bronze and darker finishes down there.  We'll get there soon!
Also, I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for six industrial-style counter-height stools so we can put three on each side.

I actually found the table at a local furniture store when I had gone to look for my tufted chairs. I wasn't looking for it at all. I just turned a corner and there it was! They had the exact same one with a darker base for $1700. This one was normally that price and I got it for $500 because it was marked down because of some inexplicable sale.

I'm loving the versatility of the table- It's taller and the dimensions are a bit more "stretched" than a typical table. By that I mean it's super shallow front to back, and very wide left to right.  So we can use it as a bar, serve food on it during get-togethers, or sit at it like a typical table for game nights.  We could even push it back further toward the wall if we needed more floor space for whatever.

Here's another good shot of the mirror...


It has sort of an antiqued finish so that's why the actual mirror looks cloudy in some places. It's super pretty in person.

As far as adding any accessories to the table top, I think I'm going to keep it really simple.  I posted a photo on Instagram a few days back of some pretty hurricane style candleholders I found at Target. I actually purchased a large size as well. I think before the day is over he'll be living atop the new table. Totally just got that idea as I'm writing this post...haha.
Here it is...

Here's that Instagram photo of the smaller ones in our dining room...


Totally just got an idea for next week's post. ;)

Oh and here's the light fixture I showed you all a few weeks ago in this post!


I think it worked out pretty perfectly in that little stairway heading down to there.  Still can't believe what a great deal I got on it! I actually found the fixture on the website and was mistaken about the original price... It was actually $198 originally and I got it for $60. Always fun finding an amazing deal on something you'd been wanting and didn't expect to go on sale!

So that's it for the basement...for now. Like I've said before, we've got SO many plans for it! Including a completely empty room that is twice the size of the area I just showed you that we can't wait to get our hands on...  I'll keep you guys updated!


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Tuesday, 7 January 2014

My Current Makeup Rotation & IMATS Announcement!

**COME MEET-UP WITH ME AT IMATS LA!! I'll be at the Sigma Beauty booth from 10:30am-12:30 pm on January 18th (Saturday's show). Be sure to stop by and say hi! I'd love to meet you!!

So I decided to do a type of video I've never done before... What's in My Current Makeup Rotation. Similar to a "What's in My Makeup Bag" video.  I tend to go in phases where makeup is concerned. I usually go a month or two sticking with a few different products from each category that I'll choose from. For example, a few go-to foundations, a few eye shadow palettes that I'm using the most, all the way to lip colors and mascaras.  Every single category where makeup is concerned.
I decided to share because lately, I've been keeping this little group of go-to's in a makeup bag that I can take back and forth to my vanity table in my closet (where I film), to our bathroom where I also like to do my makeup day-to-day. Our bathroom has sort of a built-in vanity area with great lighting, as well as a ton of natural light.
So here she is... A full list of my current products in my rotation! I'll share my most-used specific makeup brushes soon as well!






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Monday, 6 January 2014

Red Blazers in Winter...

Totally just realized I haven't shared any of my resolutions for 2014 with you all!  I've got to admit something here... I've totally slacked with posting OOTD's lately.
Of course, I share little fashion-y bits and pieces on Instagram here and there, but I really want to make it a point to get back into posting looks here.

Actual, non-iPhone-photographed looks.  I've always kept this blog pretty organic to what feels right to me. A little mix of everything. Lately, it's been mostly beauty things, as usual (at least 2 beauty posts per week) and one home decor post per week.  Not sure why the fashion posts have fallen off the map, but they're back! Ideally, I'm going to mix in at least one OOTD per week with everything else. Sound good??

K, on to the look...


First of all, it's been frickin' freezing around here lately. I like that this look works for both day and night. It doesn't look too bulky or "bundled-up", yet is still pretty warm thanks to the thick, well-lined blazer and thicker knit "skinny leggings".


Don't get me wrong, I love looking cozy and bundled-up sometimes, but sometimes when you're going to a specific event, or out to dinner, you want a more sleek look that you won't freeze your buns off in.



Keeping with the whole "secretly warm" theme, I threw on my warmest heels. Heels can totally be warm, right?

These are super thick and a bit hairy. Love.

Plus, whenever I wear red, I always love to mix in a bit of leopard.


 details:



Hope you all have a wonderful week!

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Saturday, 4 January 2014

My Complete Skincare Routine!

Hello and Happy Saturday to you all! I hope you guys are having a wonderful weekend so far! Today I'm sharing with you all my long-awaited COMPLETE skincare routine!

...well, "long-awaited" by me, at least.  I've been putting this off for what feels like forever. Skincare is a tricky business.  I really wanted to wait until I had the "perfect" routine all hammered out. Well, I started to notice that while I was changing things around and using different products at different times, I realized, "ok, this is your routine."  So I'm sharing all of my (many) skincare favorites with you all that I reach for often. Things that are my "best of the best".  Just all around good stuff.



Be sure to check out the video for all of my tips and explanations as to how and when I use all of this stuff. Basically, don't let the long list fool you. My routine is actually not that complicated. I just use what my skin needs, when it needs it. But these are my "go-to" products I choose from...



~cleansers~
~toners/sprays~
~treatments~
~moisturizers~
~eye creams~
~makeup removers~
~masks~

~tools~


Hope you all enjoyed this peek into what I use! What are your skincare must-haves??  Any great eye creams/treatments you'd recommend?? While I love the Murad eye cream I've been using, it's almost out and I'd love to try something new!
Have a fabulous weekend!!



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Thursday, 2 January 2014

New Year, New Family Room Changes...

Happy New Year Everyone!! I'm so happy that you all have stuck around and shared another great year here!
A new year always brings about new changes--  Fresh feelings, resolutions, and most noticeably... a suddenly very open (and empty) house.
Does that happen to you all?? You take down all of your Christmas decor and feel like you've suddenly been left in a new, open house with tons more space.

Well that change brought about this change in the family room...


Early in December, I found these gorgeous tufted chairs at a local furniture store. I had seen similar ones all over the place online, but I knew there was no way I was going to buy chairs online without sitting in them first. So I was so surprised when I found these there and that they were exactly what I was looking for for this space! You may remember what we had in here before...


These chairs were totally fine, but way to small for the area. They remind me more of dining chairs anyway, and not of a soft, family room-ish chair that screams, "Hey you... You come here to me.  No, no. You come here to me."

5 points if you know where that's from. ;)

But seriously, no one ever wanted to sit on them. I wanted something a bit more comfortable and substantial for the space since that side of the room always felt super unbalanced. These are SUPER comfy.



I love how well they work with the tufted coffee table/ottoman as well.


That shot gives you a better idea of how much better they sort of balanced the area.

Well, that, and my new pretty antique "library table".


This table belonged to my great-grandfather. He was a preacher, and used it as a desk where he would sit and write his sermons. There are still pencil marks underneath it where he would "sharpen" his pencils. Really special.
My Grandma used it in her house for years, then when she moved in with my parents, my mother used it in their basement. She recently gave it to me a few months back and I've been searching for the perfect space for it.

I wasn't originally planning on using it here actually. This came about in literally about 5 minutes.
We took down our tree and moved the chairs over to this space. Then, I put the little white tray table I used originally between them. You may remember (in this post) I had moved it up to the guest bedroom while the tree was up. Well, it was WAY too small. It worked fine with the smaller chairs, but it looked too tiny between these. Plus, it was just too many lighter shades. Using this table crossed my mind, but I was convinced it would be much too large. Turns out, it worked perfectly!

...and I still was able to use my little tray table! Well, a part of it at least. The prettiest part.


The little tray top detached from the bottom so I centered it on the table. I think it works perfectly!


As far as styling everything else, I kept what was actually in the tray exactly the same, and added some lamps from target I've had forever. They were packed up, all sad and unused. I couldn't bear to part with them at our last garage sale. Glad I didn't!
They actually match the lamps on the other side of the room pretty well! These are a bit smaller and not actually glass. The larger ones on the sides of the couch are a bit nicer, but I like the size of these for this space.

Here's a closer shot of the chairs...


Oh and it looks like I found the perfect spot for my new bargain pillows I found recently (more on that in this post).

I'm super happy with how things are coming together in here!

Are you guys in the mood to de-clutter and clean out like I am now that the new year is here?



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