Friday, November 10, 2017

Friday Favorites

Favorite Makeup Gigi x Maybelline
I'm a huge fan of Gigi Hadid so needless to say I was super excited when I found out she was releasing a makeup collection with Maybelline.  I have been dying for this makeup line to come out for a few weeks now and I'm so happy that it's finally available both in stores and online at Ulta.  I haven't had the chance to get to Ulta yet to check it out, but you can bet I will get there soon!  I love how the collection is broken up into East Coast Glam and West Coast Glow since Gigi is the ultimate bicoastal American girl.  I'm most excited to try Gigi's "perfect nude" lipstick Taura and her red lippie Lani.

Favorite Cold Weather Outfit Inspo Black and White Cape and Pom Hat by The City Blonde
When I found this on Pinterest I fell in love with it.  It's finally starting to get chilly in NJ (it's actually not going to get out of the low 30s today, which is a big drop in the temperature) and it has me super excited for cold weather fashion.  I'm all about capes and over the knee boots this year and once again I cannot get enough cute pom pom beanies!  This look is super chic and serves for the perfection fashion inspiration for the many cold months we have ahead of us.

Favorite Celebrity Look Jenna Dewan Tatum in Christian Siriano at War Dog: A Soldier's Best Friend premiere in Los Angeles
In my opinion Jenna Dewan Tatum always looks amazing, but I'm really loving her in this little black dress/statement heels look from this past week.  An LBD and statement heels ensemble is so simple, yet classic and Jenna really nails it here.  This look is also the perfect outfit inspiration for any parties you might have this holiday season!

Favorite Nail Color Deborah Lippmann Venus in Furs
For fall and winter I always love dark nails (the darker the better) and right now I'm really obsessing over vampy dark red polishes.  I love this deep berry red color from Deborah Lippmann and definitely need to get a similar color next time I get my nails done (I'm currently wearing OPI Lincoln Park After Dark).  I will absolutely be wearing dark reds, cranberries, and burgundies on my nails all fall and winter.

Favorite Launch Taylor Swift Reputation
So in case you live under a rock and/or just happened to miss this crazy big news Taylor Swift's new album finally comes out today!  I feel like we've all been waiting for what feels like forever for this moment and I'm so pumped the big day is finally here.  I've really loved all the songs she's dropped as singles so far and I'm sure the rest of the album is just as amazing so I cannot wait to hear all of the songs!  If you need me I'll be rocking out to T.Swift with Lucy all day 😉 !

What are your favorites this Friday?

                    

Today I'm linking up with Friday Favorites, Friday Favorites, and Fab Favorites.

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

7 Days of Pinterest Hairstyles (And Not Washing Your Hair)

It can get boring wearing the same hairstyle day-in and day-out.  I know this from personal experience since it's something I'm guilty of.  You get into a routine and it makes it easier just to keep doing the same thing.  What if I told you though that you could do a full week of different, easy hairstyles AND be able to skip washing your hair during that week?  It sounds almost too good to be true, but today I'm showing how to do just that.

Here I have for you seven easy to do hairstyles from Pinterest (one for each day of the week) and my tips on how to not wash your hair for one week, but still keep it looking good and feeling fresh.  Each look will work with your hair based on the texture you gain each day from not washing it, which will allow your hair to hold the style better.  In addition to helping you with your hairstyle and saving you time, not washing your hair is a great way to help keep it healthier, which is definitely a win-win!

MONDAY
Hairstyle: Simple Blowout
My Tips: To start off your week of not washing make sure to really clean your hair by shampooing twice before conditioning when in the shower.  You're going to kick off the week with this simple blowout, which will serve as the foundation for the styles you'll do during the rest of the week.  After completing your blow dry sprinkle a little hair or baby powder onto your roots, for added volume and to start extending your style, rub in and brush powder through your hair.

TUESDAY
Hairstyle: Cross My Heart Braid
My Tips: For the second day you'll work with the blowout you did yesterday and create an easy half up look.  Then on Tuesday night before bed spray dry shampoo at your roots and brush it through well so it is fully absorbed for Wednesday.

WEDNESDAY
Hairstyle: Pull Through Braid
My Tips: This look allows you to continue to build off that blowout and work with the texture your hair is getting from not washing it.  On Wednesday night sprinkle hair or baby powder onto your roots, brush through well to absorb any oil and prolong your style, also spritz with texture spray to prep for Thursday.

THURSDAY
Hairstyle: Big Easy Loose Curls
My Tips: At this point your hair will have the perfect texture to hold curls, make sure to spray your hair with a heat protectant before curling though.  On Thursday night, use dry shampoo and rub in with hands at the roots to preserve your curls.  To sleep on Friday night wear your hair in a really high ponytail to help keep your curls intact.

FRIDAY
Hairstyle: Side French Braid Ponytail
My Tips: Your curls should still be intact from yesterday, however if you want you can touch them up once you've put your hair in the ponytail.  Friday night use dry shampoo and rub in with hands like you did on Thursday or rub in and then brush through, this will extend your style and prep your hair for Saturday.

SATURDAY
Hairstyle: Messy Knotted Ponytail
My Tips: There's no need to curl hair your hair in the tutorial as it will already have the messy waves you need from your previous styles.

SUNDAY
Hairstyle: Messy Bun
Tutorial: 3 Messy Buns from Missy Sue
My Tips: On Sunday night apply a deep conditioning or oil treatment to dry hair, allow it to absorb overnight and wash out in the morning for a really intense treatment.

Which day is your favorite look?

                    

Today I'm linking up with Midweek InspoOh Hey Girl!I Feel Prettyand Trendy Wednesday.

Monday, November 6, 2017

Hostess Gifts: Thanksgiving

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Raise your hand if you can't believe that Thanksgiving is in just a few weeks 🙋. I am so excited for my favorite holiday and all the fun that is coming our way.  With Thanksgiving comes lots of celebration dinners and events with family and friends. All of these celebrations mean you need to start thinking of hostess gifts to bring with you so today I've put together a list for just that!  The gifts I have here will be great for everything from Thanksgiving to Friendsgiving and any other autumn/holiday parties you may attend during the season.  You can go super Thanksgiving themed with this serving spoon, this tray, or this adorable candle.  Or you can go with a more all year gift like cloth napkins, a dish towel, or oven mitts.  I've got you covered no matter what you're looking for and since everything listed here is under $45 (and most are under $20) you can even pair a few items together to create the perfect present.  Gifting any of these pieces is sure to make you stand out from everyone else who brings a bottle of wine and I know your hostess will definitely appreciate something different!

What do you usually like to bring as a hostess gift?


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Thursday, October 26, 2017

Recipe: Apple Peanut Butter Dog Treats

So it's no secret that I love my dog and I love to spoil her rotten!  This past Sunday Lucy graduated from puppy school and I decided to make dog treats to put in little goody bags for all the pups in the class.  The class we took with Lucy at PetSmart was 6 weeks long and she loved the other dogs so I figured it would be cute to do something for all of them!  I was able to bring each dog 10 treats in a little cellophane bag and brought some to the trainer for his dogs at home too.  I probably seemed a little crazy, but everyone was appreciative of the little gift and I'm glad I was able to spoil all the pups for their graduation!

I had made treats for Coco in the past, but she didn't like them and I didn't have the recipe I used so I went on Pinterest to search recipes.  I read a few recipes for inspiration and then came up with my own.  These cookies remind me so much of human peanut butter cookies, but just made with dog safe ingredients (aka no white sugar).  They smelled amazing while I was making them and I wanted to give them a try, but I'm allergic to apples so my Mom tried them for me and said they were good.  Lucy also goes crazy for them, which made me so happy!  This recipe is easy, healthy, and sure to make your pup(s) very happy.

Ingredients:
-2 cups gluten free flour*
-1 cup oats
-2 eggs
-1/2 cup smooth peanut butter**
-1 1/2 cups applesauce
-1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
*I used a mix of coconut flour, rice flour, and Arrowhead Mills Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Mix.
**Make sure the peanut butter does not contain Xylitol.

Instructions:
-Mix gluten free flour and oats until combined.
-Add eggs, peanut butter, applesauce, and melted coconut oil mixing between the addition of each ingredient.
-Mix until fully combined.
-Shape dough into 1/2 teaspoon balls and place on cookie sheet.
-Using a fork, flatten the treats (you can press the fork into the dough just once, like I did, or twice and create a criss cross design).
-Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
-Transfer from cookie sheet onto wire cooling rack.
-Allow to completely cool before giving to your pup.
-Store in an airtight container.

{This yields 128 1/2 teaspoon cookies, you can freeze both the dough and baked treats to use later and keep fresh longer.}

Have you ever made dog treats before?

                    

Saturday, October 21, 2017

Annual Pumpkin Picking

Top : c/o Charming Charlie  |  Joggers: c/o Charming Charlie  |  Shoes: Adidas  |  Sunglasses: c/o Charming Charlie  |  Hat: New York Yankees (similar here and here)

This year between the weather and catching a sinus infection I was a little late in getting to the pumpkin patch (check out 2016's visit here and 2015's visit here).  My Mom and I finally took a trip there this past Monday and decided to bring Lucy with us.  We had the farm almost entirely to ourselves which was perfect because Lucy got to run around and just have so much fun!  As usual I also got to go a little crazy getting a variety of pumpkins and some mums for the house to decorate for fall.  I already have an idea for how I'm going to decorate my pumpkin this year and can't wait to share it with all of you (see past pumpkin decorating tutorials here).

I really haven't been feeling well lately and I wanted to wear something cozy and cute to the patch.  I've been obsessed with joggers recently and have been wearing this pair I got from Charming Charlie on repeat because they're so soft and go with just about everything.  I paired it with the matching sweater which I am in love with with thanks to the sweet ruffles and can't wait to style with jeans in the future.  I'm loving how sweet sweatsuits/matching pieces are in style right now since they're a great way to be comfortable while still staying on trend.  I'll definitely be rocking this look all fall long!

Have you been pumpkin picking this year?

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