Skincare Routine

It is getting to be that time of the year when my skin starts drying out, and I hate it.  Yesterday when I washed my face I felt several really dry spots, so I knew it was time to break out the winter skincare routine.  I don't know about you, but my skin gets really dry in the winter, which causes me to break out worse than the summer.  Breakouts are not fun (I mean who thinks they are really haha), so I try to keep my whole body super hydrated in the winter.  Here is my dry skin routine!

links

The three products I absolutely recommend are Clinque's gentle face wash, their dramatically different moisturizing face lotion, and Crabtree and Evelyn's hand thearapy.  Each of these work like a charm and really help keep my skin form getting dry!

What do you use to stay hydrated in the winter?  Anything I should try?

 

Last Minute Costumes

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays!  It is so much fun to dress up and I love working on my costume so it is just right for Halloween; however, I have definitely been in a last minute costume fix before, so here are a few easy costume DIYs that never fail!

Rosie the Riveter

source: Buzzfeed

 

 Mary Poppins Couples Costume

Source: Keiko Lynn

 The Classic Holly Golightly

Source: In Honor of Design

 

All of these costumes are super fun, a little different, and easy to pull off!  My favorite is, of course, the Holly Golightly costume.  Just get a large men's dress shirt, a face mask (you can buy here, or DIY here), and some dangle earrings in place of the earplugs, and you're ready to go!

What are your favorite Halloween costumes?

 

 

What Got Me Through the Week

This has, yet again, been another rough week for me.  The winter cold has been making me want to stay in bed forever and school seems to be dragging on; however, I am so close to being done with my college applications and that has been such a nice feeling-- I only have one essay left!!  Other than getting my applications done, here are a few things that have been getting me through the week.

1. Real Life Disney Princesses: This video is absolutely hilarious and so true.  Every time I have gotten stressed out this week, I pulled out this video and it made me laugh instantly.

2. Beloved: For class, we are reading Toni Morrison's book Beloved.  It is haunting and terrifying, but, so far, one of my favorite high school books.  Morrison is able to highlight the horror of slavery and relay history so well!  For those of you who don't know the book, it is loosely based on Margaret Garner, the woman who killed her child when she crossed the Ohio River, in order that she could free her child of slavery.

3. Chorus: This week, I performed for my chorus class with my college audition piece and it went so well.  My belt has gotten much better and I can transition through middle voice so much easier now!  My teacher even asked if I could perform the song at an upcoming concert, which I was happy to say yes to :)

4. Pockets and Lace relaunch: Frannie just relaunched her site for Pockets and Lace and, I must say, it looks fantastic!  You can look forward to new outfit post with Pockets and Lace really soon!

5. Peach: I wrote a post on Peach about a month ago and honestly, the auctions they have cheer me up every week.  Although I don't win most of the time, I always love looking at what they are auctioning off-- it is so much fun to daydream of having a Prada handbag or Celine tote!

What has gotten you through this week?

Mary Jane Manolos

link

If I had the money, I would definitely buy these Manolos.  As mentioned in a previous post, I love the mary jane trend this fall and these Manolo Blahniks fit the bill perfectly.  They would be great for work and would help complete the school girl look I have been seeing this fall-- a girl can dream haha.

Are there any designer shoes you are in love with right now?

 

Oscar de la Renta

Two days ago, we lost one of fashion's greatest designers: Oscar de la Renta.  His work and life was amazing, starting off in huge fashion houses and later creating his own brand.  Here are a few of the iconic dresses de la Renta created in his career. 

 via

 via

via

Oscar de la Renta had a wonderful career and I hope his classic, feminine, designs will carry on for years to come.

What is your favorite de la Renta gown?

 

 

Tips for Organization

Believe it or not, organizing used to be something I was terrible at.  I had difficulty making sure I knew what was due and I never wrote anything down; however, when I started my blog and as I have gotten older, being organized has become a part of my everyday life.  I have found ways to make sure I get everything written down, done ahead of time, and prepared!  Here are some of my tips for organization.  

These three tips have made my life so much easier.  Technology is one of the best things... my iPhone and Macbook calendar hold my life, like seriously though; and having a planner and notebook to write everything down is a lifesaver!

 

What do you do to keep organized?

 

Royal Blue

Nordstrom Rack never seems to fail me.  A few weeks ago, Seth and I stopped in before dinner and I ended up going home with three new goodies: a sweater, a fall dress, and my prom dress-- who knew right?!  I'm waiting to share the prom dress since I want it to be a surprise, but over the weekend Seth and I decided to take some pictures with the new dress I bought for fall!

I will definitely be repeating this outfit throughout the fall season; everything goes together so well.  Thanks to Nordstrom Rack for providing me with a good find once again!

What have you found at Nordstrom Rack recently?

 

Top Favorite Brands

It's no surprise that I love to shop haha, but there are definitely a few brands that I have stayed true to over the years.

1. Nordstrom Rack: I love this store.  I always find such great deals and everything lasts forever.  Some of my favorite purchases include my Badgley Mischka shoes, my Michael Kors trench, and a fantastic navy blue cashmere sweater!

2. J.Crew Factory: Finally there is one coming in closer to me, that way I won't have to order online, but this is such a fantastic store.  The best thing about J.Crew Factory is that most of their products are from previous seasons; however, they are just as good quality as a piece from J.Crew for a much lower price.

3. Anthropologie: For the most part, I try to stray from more expensive clothing (just because I never have the money haha), but I always find myself pulled into Anthropologie.  The store smells so great and I always leave with something, even if it is just a little thing.  My most recent purchase was this dress and I cannot wait to wear it!

4. Kate Spade: Kate Spade is definitely an investment brand, but it is worth it.  I own a couple of bags from Kate Spade and both have become such great closet essentials.  I can't wait for their spring collection to come out because I want to look into purchasing their fun heart tote!

What are your favorite brands?  Any stores I should check out?

 

Mid-Week Pickup

I don't know about you, but this has been such a long week; thank goodness I don't have school on Friday, otherwise I seriously might go insane!  Since this has been such a long week for me, I thought it would be fun to do a little mid-week pickup.  Here are a few things that are getting me through my week!

1. This dress: I am so happy I decided to keep this dress!  It is perfect for me and hopefully perfect for the #AnthroOpenCall contest-- crossing my fingers and hoping they will choose me!

2. Buzz Feed Videos: I can't get enough of these Buzz Feed videos.  Seth always sends them to me while I'm working on homework, as they are the perfect distraction (sometimes a little too much of a distraction haha).

3. The Shopbop Sale: Whenever I am having a rough week, a good sale tends to cheer me up.  I mean, in all honesty, who doesn't love a great sale?!  I am lusting over these, this, and these.

4. Mail: Keep it a secret, but Seth's birthday gifts are coming in the mail this week and I can't wait!  I think he will really like them :)

What is helping you get through your week?

These Scents

On one of our recent mall trips, Seth and I stopped in at Sephora to test out a couple of perfumes.  For some reason I have been obsessed with perfumes for the past couple of months.  They look so great on a perfume stand and I love experimenting with different scents.  Here are a few that Seth and I love!

links

Each of these are fantastic, but if I had to choose a favorite I would have to go with the Tory Burch or the Chloe perfume.  They smell so great and would make the perfect addition to any girls collection!

Also, I highly recommend Estee Lauder's Modern Muse.  My mom got me a small sample for Christmas and I use it for date nights all the time!

What is your favorite perfume?  Any scents I should check out?

 

Alice in Wonderland

After a lot of thought-- and encouragement from all of you, Seth, and his mother-- I decided to keep the Anthropologie dress!  It is just way too great to pass up and I think I will get a lot of use out of it.  I also justified keeping the dress by doing a major closet clean out, which, in all honesty, was much needed.  

Anyway, over the weekend, Seth and I took some pictures with the dress for the Anthropologie Open Call contest.  With the little house in the background and the playfulness of the dress, I thought the perfect theme for this shoot was Alice in Wonderland!

I can't wait to wear this dress out, I'm thinking it will be perfect for Seth's birthday party :)

Have you found anything at Anthropologie lately?
 

 

Feeling Fall Linkup

A few weeks ago, Jamie, blogger over at the Fashion Newcomer, asked me to join Carrie, Laura, and herself for a really fun fashion linkup: The Feeling Fall Linkup!  For this linkup, we are all sharing an outfit with our favorite scarf and a few fun Q&As.  My absolute favorite scarf is the tissue scarf from J.Crew Factory!  I bought this scarf last year in a great plum color and it is the only scarf I wear in the fall, as it pairs so well with all my fall clothes!  Here is how I like to style my tissue scarf!

scarf/sneakers

This scarf is the perfect accessory for a casual fall outfit; I just love pairing it with a comfy longsleeve and my favorite jeans!  BTW, do you like the pictures?  Seth was the photographer this time and I think I may rehire him for some upcoming outfits ;)

Now for the Q&A!

1. What is your favorite fall trend?
My favorite fall trend this year is the school girl look.  It is such a playful trend and I just love all the outfits I have been seeing!

2. What is your favorite fall starbucks drink? 
As always, I am a huge fan of Vanilla Lattes with just one shot of expresso.

3. If you could only wear one pair of boots for this whole fall season, which pair would they be?
I love my boots, but I would have to go with converse.  They make me so happy and are super comfy!

4. What is your favorite fall activity?
One thing not a lot of you know about me is, I love Halloween.  I could sit and watch old Halloween movies forever and they make for a great date night, so, I would have to choose watching Halloween flicks!

What is your favorite fall scarf?  Any of you have fun plans this weekend?

 

Should I Keep the Dress?

 Dress

Since our rehearsal was cancelled, Seth and I had tons of time to kill before my voice lesson so, we went to the mall of course!  In retrospect this was probably not the best idea, as I always see things I want; however, I couldn't help myself when we stopped in at Anthropologie.  There is this adorable dress I have wanted for the longest time and it was on major sale, so we figured why not buy it; I can always return it.

My mom said she would pay for it as my birthday gift-- Yay!-- but I still don't know if I want to keep it or not.  It is such an amazing dress, but I just worry that it isn't something I should be investing in, but I love it so much!  Ugh, why does shopping have to be so difficult???

Anyway, I want to know, what do you think of the dress?  Should I keep it or look for something else?

P.S. Anthropologie now has an unlimited return policy, so I have tons of time to think it over! 

 

Kate Spade Zodiac Collection

This year has been a great year for Kate Spade!  I don't know one person who hasn't been excited to find out what the next month's theme will be, including myself; however, I was super excited when I saw that Kate Spade came out with a new zodiac collection of idiom bangles.  They are such a fun idea and great birthday gifts for anyone!  Here is what my zodiac bracelet looks like!

Aren't these so cute?  Each bangle has an idiom that describes the zodiac sign; I absolutely love mine!  You can find the whole collection here!

What is your zodiac sign?

 

Homecoming

This weekend was so much fun!  I haven't gone to homecoming in two years, so I was really interested to see how it would go-- it went perfectly.  I have never been a huge fan of school dances (Prom is the exception; nothing beats it!), but this was really great.  Of course, Seth was the best thing about it.  He always makes everything so much more fun, and also happens to have a great taste in jewelry.  The earrings in the third picture were gift from him for homecoming and I love them so much!  So, here are a few pictures from homecoming :)

Remember that fun tassel necklace and zebra dress I bought from the Lilly After Party sale?  Well, they just so happened to be the perfect combo for homecoming!  I am so happy I decided to go for my senior year.  It was definitely worth it!

Did you go to homecoming?  What did you wear?
 
 

Weekend Links

I haven't done weekend links in while, but since it is homecoming weekend, I thought this would be the perfect time to share some of my favorite links.  I have had such a great start to fall so far.  Everything with college has been going smoothly and I think I am finally ready for all these college auditions, hallelujah!  Anyway, here are some links to kick off the first weekend of October!

1. Shoreline Converse: I just got these shoes, but I know they are going to be a staple in my wardrobe.  They go with everything and are so comfortable!

 

2. Weird Things Couples Fight About: This video is so funny; it definitely describes my relationship sometimes haha.

3. Undeniable Report: Undeniable recently launched and I am so excited about it.  We all have worked so hard to create our website and can't wait for the future.  Please check it out and spread the word, we would be so appreciative :)

4. Emma Watson: After Emma Watson gave her speech, she got a lot of negative reactions; however, she got tons of support too.  You need to check out this article from Vox!  It is fantastic.

5. Reilly Wieland: Speaking of articles, one of our Undeniable writers got featured on the Huffington Post.  Her article is so great and definitely worth reading!

6. This Styling: I am obsessed with this outfit; I seriously want everything! 

What are you loving this week?  Any special way you are kicking off fall?

 

Undeniable Launch

I am beyond excited to be announcing the Undeniable Report launch!  So much has gone into getting our site ready, and now it is finally here!

If you haven't heard of the Undeniable Report, here is how it started.  Back in March, Anna (Undeniably Anna) contacted me asking whether I would like to be a part of an online magazine she was planning on creating, Undeniable.  Anna thought it would be a great way to bring bloggers from all backgrounds together in one huge project.  What started as a small magazine on Issuu, soon turned into something big and we decided to expand.

Now, Undeniable has around 45 participants and has expanded to our own little piece of the web!  I am so happy to be a part of such a great group and I can't wait to see what happens in the future-- I know there are great things to come!

If you haven't yet, make sure you check out Undeniable and subscribe if you like us that much :)