Vancouver, Seattle- why not?

D and I have been together for a year now- it’s crazy how time flies. We decided that for our anniversary were would take a trip, and we finally set the dates and location. Starting off in Vancouver, we’ll see museums, eat great food and explore the Sky Bridge. Halfway through the week we will rent a car and drive down the coast of Washington state to Seattle. We’ll finish off the week with an orchestra concert.

I seriously can’t wait to get out of the Midwest for a bit. Both my job and D’s has been very stressful, to the point of both of us almost quitting simultaneously. Thankfully (I think) the worst is over. And what better way to celebrate getting through all that than to travel together?

What are your spring break plans? Any suggestions for places to visit in Vancouver or Seattle?

It’s been a long time…

Hello there. You look nice. Is that a new hairdo? Okay, enough jokes, but seriously it’s been awhile since I’ve been on this blog. Let’s just say a lot has been happening.

#1. Moved into a new place: bigger, better, and a fresh new start.

#2. Boyfriend moved into said place: Yep.

#3. Promotion at work: YAY! But at the same time, a lot less time on my hands for this blog. Hence the absence.

#4. My mom has/had cancer. Found out six months ago while in Chicago. She just had her last chemo this past week, opening up some time for myself.

That being said…here are the things that are inspiring me to start this bad boy up again.

#1. My boyfriend and I cook. A lot. We’re both vegetarians, and he works in food service, so some of the stuff we come up with is quite delicious and pretty. So pictures to come.

#2. I’ve been having body issues lately. With a new medication I’m on plus being happy in a loving relationship (terrible excuse, but you get what I mean: going out to eat, eating desserts, and more desserts…#dontjudge), I’ve gained almost 50 pounds in 1.5 years. Since I’m 6 feet tall it isn’t super noticeable to people, but to me it is. When jeans don’t fit anymore and coats are too snug, you know something has changed. I have a yearly physical through work in 100 days, so I thought that would be a great goal and a good way to keep myself on the being-healthy kick, I can post on here every once in awhile my progress and such. Ideas?

Anyway, I basically wanted to say hey, catch up over a cup of tea, and vent on here some things that have been going on. How have you been?

 

Elizabeth & James Nirvana Perfume Review

First off, can we talk about the beautiful packaging? Seriously. I fell in love when I saw the full sized bottle on a few blogs and in Sephora. After contemplating buying the perfume for just the bottle, I decided to buy a sample size of the scent to see if it was something I would wear. The sample also came with the black scent so I could try that out as well.

And I ended up loving them both.

My Perfect Outfit- OOTD

 

Top: Stitch Fix | Necklace: Thrifted | Bag: Francesca’s | Shoes: Target | Cardigan: Old Navy | Scarf: Silver Spider | Jeans: American Eagle

October Stitch Fix Haul

Have you ever wished that someone would style outfits for you? Maybe pick out items that are right up your alley without leaving the house? Well thanks to Stitch Fix you can do that!

Bedroom Inspiration: Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss”

Geometric shapes, gold tones and nothing too similiar: I think that’s what makes all the items in my bedroom go together. It wasn’t an easy journey- in fact it took me one year in my new apartment to get it right.

Style Evolution

 

Usually during a change in season I feel my fashion style morph a bit. But this time around, there seems to be a lot more changing other than adding more scarves and cardigans. I feel like my own personal style has changed and I now am drawn to monochrome with a punch of color using shoes or accessories.
When people used to ask me whether I liked brown or black better I would always say brown and barely had a black piece of clothing in my closet (except for one black shirt I would keep for recitals and music gigs). But recently, I’ve been more into black instead of brown. This whole thing may seem like no big deal to you readers, but to me it’s a bit life changing- or at least wardrobe changing.
Almost every day when I’m putting an outfit together I gravitate towards white, cream, and black for clothing options. I also love to pair these colors with a camel bag. I then add orange or red shoes, or a colorful scarf to complete the ensemble and I’m ready to walk out the door.
So what has triggered this change? Who knows. But I do have to admit it is nice to change up the wardrobe every once in awhile. A lot of the clothing items I own are oldies but goodies that I’ve worn season after season. It’s nice to get rid of items that have had a good run in my closet and breathe new life into my style.

Has anyone else made the switch from brown to black? I’d be interested to hear your fashion evolution stories!

And as always, please follow me on Instagram & Twitter to keep up with what I’m up doing!

BODY SHOP HAUL- FALL EDITION

I’m in love with The Body Shop. So many great products made with awesome ingredients!

The person that introduced me to The Body Shop products is none other than my favorite beauty-blogger, Essiebutton. If you haven’t heard of her, you are seriously missing out. Seriously. I want to be her best friend. Whenever she has her monthly favorites video on YouTube, I always write down what she recommends for a potential future purchase. Then, as luck would have it, The Body Shop emailed me introducing their buy three get three free sale going on this past weekend and I knew I couldn’t resist. I got out my list of items from The Body Shop I really wanted to try and got six new products I can’t wait to put on my face- plus two free samples, which was pretty amazing.

Last time I bought items from their website I got a grapefruit mini body butter to try out- and I loved it. So I thought I would try the bigger version in a smell that is so amazing and unique- satsuma. Citrus-y orange-y goodness. It will be perfect to keep my skin hydrated during the cooler months ahead. Seriously, this stuff does wonders.

The Colour Crush Shine Lipsticks are their sheer lipsticks, and it’s a nice product for people (like me) who are just starting to dip their feet into lipsticks. They are sheer enough to not look super bright, but add a tint of color whilst being moisturizing and leave a nice rose scent. I’d like to try a nude shade or something more fall-like in color. I also would love to swatch their other types of lip products in a Body Shop store at some point, there just isn’t one in my city. *SIGH*

I’m also excited to try out these two BB creams. I tested out the Vitamin E version in a Body Shop store when I was in Florida a few months ago and I was amazed how it matched anyone’s coloring. I have yet to try either one of these yet (I’ve been on a no-foundation kick lately) but when I do I will let you know- perhaps I’ll do a BB cream comparison post in the coming months…hint hint.

The tea tree creamy wash- oh, man. Words cannot describe how life-changing this stuff is, and my skin absolutely loves it. It has a bit of a cooling effect when applied and after washing it off my pores seem clear and my skin is  all glowy and happy. I use this every other day, and I seriously can’t wait to try other products in this range.

What are your favorite things from The Body Shop?

And lastly, I’ll leave you with an autumn picture I couldn’t help but snap while I was outside taking pictures of these products. And people wonder why I have a burnt orange car- because these colors are the best!

As always, please follow me on Instagram & Twitter to keep up with what I’m up doing!

 

SEPTEMBER STITCH FIX HAUL

Have you ever wished that someone would style outfits for you? Maybe pick out items that are right up your alley without leaving the house? Well thanks to Stitch Fix you can do that!

If you’ve never heard of Stitch Fix, it’s a super simple process. First you fill out a fashion profile so the stylists can get to know what style you like to wear- or would like to wear more of. Then you can link your Pinterest style board (because come on guys, you know you have one) so they get even more of an idea of items you like. You pay $20 for them to send five items of clothing in the mail for you to try on and send back what you don’t like- it’s as simple as that! Also, if you decide to keep something in the box, the $20 fee to ship the box gets deducted from the item’s price. So technically the box would get shipped for free and you get $20 off the item! And if you decide to buy everything in the box you also get 25% off the total of all five items! Pretty cool, right? Your welcome.

Here’s the line up of items I got this month- quite autumnal, which is my favorite time of year!

A lot of patterns, am I right? I’m quite picky with patterns, but most of these were tasteful- just not quite my style. Here’s the rundown of what I thought of each piece:

Tinley Brush Stroke Infinity Scarf: Nice colors, and reminded me a lot of falling leaves. I’m usually not a huge fan of infinity scarves. They never seem to be quite as big and cozy as I like my scarves to be. I also wasn’t sure what to pair it with in my current wardrobe, so I sent it packing.

Conor Lace Detail Flutter Sleeve Blouse: This is my favorite piece in the set this month. I love the lace detail and I think the sleeves are very flattering. I already have a shirt quite similar to this one, but I think if I keep this one I’ll get rid of the other. It’s a better navy for my wardrobe and the lace detail makes the top much more interesting.

Tyson Scarf Print Tab-Sleeve Blouse: I wasn’t sure about the print of this top, but I absolutely loved the color. And when I read the shirt print is literally called “scarf print” my heart skipped a beat. Scarves and me…we have a great relationship. Unfortunately, my chest is a bit too big for this top. The buttons were semi-straining and you could see the tank top I had on underneath. It also is a bit too busy for my simple wardrobe, so I’m going to say goodbye.

Helina Hi-Lo Dress: I like the top detail of this dress- very geometric and interesting. Just not a huge fan of the jersey fabric and color. Probably going to say no to this one.

Melisa Geo Print Pencil Skirt: If this skirt were a shirt in this print I would probably keep it. Unfortunately, the skirt didn’t really do much for me. Seemed to be an awkward length and a jersey/stretch fabric that didn’t really hold its shape.

A bit disappointed in this fix, to be honest. But every month is different and I still can’t wait to see what next month has in store!

What should I keep? Help me decide in the comments below!

Want to see my past fixes? Click here!

Interested in getting a Stitch Fix box delivered to your door? Click here!

And as always, please follow me on Instagram & Twitter to keep up with what I’m up doing!

BRAND FOCUS: TARTE COSMETICS

I would consider myself new to the beauty world, but one brand that I see and hear many beauty gurus out there recommend is Tarte. Of course I had to see what the fuss was about, so when my Wet ‘n Wild mascara had coated its last lash (RIP) I decided to head to my nearest Sephora and try out Tarte’s Lights Camera Lashes mascara. Let me just say, this experience changed my life and Tarte is now one of my favorite brands. Here’s my current Tarte collection which is sure to grow in the near future!

These five products are my holy grail. Seriously can’t leave the house without almost all of them on my face.

These two lip products are amazing. The shade “Grateful” is a good everyday shade with a bit of tint, but also very moisturizing. “Blushing Bride” is the shade I apply when I’m going out for the evening. I have quite pink lips already, so this shade magnifies my natural color but doesn’t look unnatural. I can’t wait to add to my lip collection, because the formula for these really work well for me and my lips.

This mascara…words cannot describe how it has changed my life. Just one coat of this and my lashes are longer, thicker, and darker looking than ever before but still look natural. It also lasts all day, but isn’t hard to wash off at the end of the evening.

I never used to fill in my brows. A few weeks ago I tried Tarte’s brow powder in blonde and I couldn’t believe the difference it made. My face just seemed more…put together. Polished. I have very light red eyelashes and brow hairs, so mascara + brow powder = perfection.

I’ve been on the market for a tinted moisturizer, and after testing out a few different brands and reading reviews I decided Tarte was the best option for me. And I’m sure glad I did! The Amazonian Clay seems to be great for my skin, and the coverage is enough to balance out the skin but not cover up everything. Perfect for everyday, and also build-able and can be layered with your favorite foundation.

I hope you enjoyed a peek into my makeup collection! Tell me below what your favorite Tarte product is at the moment, and if you use anything I mentioned. I love hearing your experiences!

And as always, please follow me on Instagram & Twitter to keep up with what I’m up doing!