Fashion – Page 13

THE JEWELRY BRAND YOU NEED TO TRY THIS YEAR | MADE BY MARY

January 18, 2021 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday! And, more importantly, Happy MLK Day. I hope that you take some time today to educate yourself and unlearn, where necessary.

I don’t buy jewelry often because I don’t like spending money on stuff that will tarnish or break quickly (unless it’s holiday earrings, I’ll buy those for sure) but I am not in a position in life where I feel that I can spend money on jewelry that I lust after on Instagram. My dear friend told me about Made By Mary a couple of years ago, and finally, just a few weeks ago I ordered my first two pieces, and today I will share those with you.

Made By Mary Jewelry

Made By Mary was started in 2013 by a mother and while the company has grown substantially since its inception, each piece is still hand-stamped for you.

What is gold filled?

Gold-filled is a pressure-bonded layer of gold that has 100 times more gold than plated jewelry. It is durable, won’t chip or flake, and it is tarnish-resistant. It is much more affordable than solid gold jewelry.

Live In Hoop Earrings

I knew I wanted to snag a pair of these when I placed my first order because my friend had spoken so highly of them. I am a stud earring girl, and the smallest size of Live In Hoop earrings is so small it’s almost stud like (in fact, my 9 year old calls hoops this small loops! She got her ears pierced last year and she calls her own similarly sized pair her loops). I always take my earrings out to sleep, workout, and shower but I have left the Live In Hoop earrings since I got them and I don’t even notice them. They do have a tutorial for how to put them in, but I was able to ask my husband to help me and it only took us a few minutes to get them in.

Mini Lennon Rectangle Necklace

I love the simple style of this necklace and it can fit up to two lines of 4 characters each. You can also opt for a Made By Mary hand drawn zodiac. I chose to get “1K” to commemorate that in 2020 I ran over 1,000 miles.

I plan to continue to build my Made By Mary necklace, with my biggest reward piece being a Roman Numeral bar necklace. I also would like to get some for my children, and husband.

Do you have any Made By Mary pieces? What piece would you pick, first?

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Aftershokz Open Ear Wireless Bone Conduction Headphones | Runner Review

January 4, 2021 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday! And, Happy 2021!

Last week I shared What I Got For Christmas 2020 and received a comment on the post, as well as a few comments on social media, asking me to review them and now that I have used them several times, I want to share my first impressions review.

Aftershokz Headphones

How They Work

Aftershokz headphones use bone conduction technology and the Open Fit design delivers music through your cheekbones, ensuring your ears remain completely open to ambient sounds for maximum situational awareness during long-term wear. The Aftershokz headphones are also designed to repel sweat, dust, and moisture.

What You Need To Know: The Tech Details

These offer bluetooth connectivity. 1 connectivity and convenient multipoint pairing compatible with your iOS and Android Bluetooth-ready smartphones or tablets and Mac and PC computers and laptops.

Why I Love Them

I wanted these headphones after hearing from a lot of folks in the running community speak so highly of them. They are easy to set up and pair with my iPhone, and the buttons on the headphones are simple and easy to operate. The charging cord is also very simple and the battery life is up to 6 hours, which is perfect since I am an endurance runner who enjoys heading out for hours at a time. They are extremely lightweight and comfortable to wear. The situational awareness is INCREDIBLE. It is hard to describe, but you can hear the music while still hearing cars, people around you, birds, the rope hitting a flagpole (seriously!), and it somehow isn’t chaotic or noisy.

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Have you tried bone conduction headphones? Let us know in the comments.

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What I Got For Christmas | 2020

December 28, 2020 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

I love watching and reading “What I Got For Christmas” vlogs and blogs, and I hope that you enjoy this post. If this post will trigger you, please click out now. This is, of course, not to brag. I’ve had Christmases with chocolate and socks, and lavish Christmases. I see you, I respect you, and I ask that you respect that I share this to give ideas for things you may gift or wish for in the future. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!

What I Got For Christmas 2020

It’s no secret that I am an avid runner, and I got several running related items.

Asics Gel Kayano Lite

I overpronate and I am so pumped to try the brand-new Asics Gel Kayano Lite. I love the Asics GT 2000, and this is a lighter weight option that still overs stability support for overpronators.

AfterShokz Running Headphones

These headphones deliver music through your cheekbones, ensuring your ears remain completely open to ambient sounds for safer situational awareness.

Quarter Zip Pullover Running Shirt

I gravitate to black colors for my running gear, but want brighter colors for safety and so that during races (come on 2021! Safe races, please!) family and friends can spot me.

Oiselle Flyout Long Sleeve Apple Watch Window Running Shirt

I am so excited because this shirt has a window for my watch. The company, Oiselle, is highly regarded in the running community.

Apple Air Pod Pros

I am on video and audio calls for work every day, and I also watch a lot of YouTube on my phone. I have never had nice earbuds, and I am so excited. These Apple Air Pod Pros from my husband were a huge surprise! WANT SOME? Definitely snag ’em on Prime Day!

I didn’t get any makeup or skincare items, but I did get a few beauty related items that I am excited to share.

Gel Nail Kit [most highly reviewed on Amazon!]

I don’t prioritize on allocating part of our budget for my nails, but in my line of work and being someone who talks with my hands, I want to be better about keeping my nails nice. I hope this Amazon Gel Nail Kit helps!

A New Day Beaded Hair Clips

These are so pretty and perfect for clipping my little baby hairs up when I wear my hair in a ponytail or messy bun.

We also got a couple of gifts as a couple.

Instant Pot Duo Crisp Pressure Cooker

I can’t wait to use this! Do you have one? If so, please share favorite recipes with me on social!

Wireless Video Doorbell

We do a lot of shipping with our business The Mitten Print Shop and this is an item that we feel that we need to keep our business and family safe. This video doorbell is well-rated and affordable.

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What did you get for Christmas? Let me know in the comments!

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“Ugly” Sweater Party Look 2020 | Feat. Target Snowman Dress

December 21, 2020 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Morning!

2020 is different, but we are continuing with as many of our normal traditions as possible, in different and safe ways. This past weekend was our gingerbread house decorating party, but this year it was just our family and our co-host family (as opposed to our dear friend’s house being packed with 20 kids!). We always wear Christmas sweaters, and this year we kept up with that as well. Today I will be sharing my “ugly” cute sweater dress, holiday earrings, and makeup. I will also link my kid’s looks, and my hubster’s in the shop section at the bottom of this post.

The Look

Target Snowman Dress

Target has some of the best Christmas sweaters and sweater dresses! I found this women’s Target Snowman Dress and a matching girl’s Snowman Dress for Hailey.

Walmart Holiday Time Bulb Earrings

In-Store purchase only! Only $5

Too Faced Melted Matte Lipstick in Candy Cane

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Do you rock the same “ugly sweater” each season? Do you grab a new one? Let us know in the comments!

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How-To Take Your Own Christmas Card Photos| Tips and Shop Our Style

December 7, 2020 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

If you’re finding yourself reading this on December 7th and clutching your pearls because oh [insert explicit word here] you are behind and all the mini sessions you saw on Facebook are booked and you can’t hit up JCP because #COVID, I’ve got you.

Stephan and I have done DIY Christmas card photoshoots for years, and this started out because we financially couldn’t justify hiring a photog, and because I’m married to a graphic designer [ praise!], I’ve always been able to avoid spending $$ on card design.

Today I am going to show you the very simple, not fancy, way that we got a holiday photo that has folks texting me asking what tree farm and photographer did our photos.

How-To Take Your Own Christmas Card Photos

What You’ll Need

-Camera [don’t have a DSLR? No prob! Use an iPhone!]

-Tripod that fits your camera/iPhone

-Cute Christmas jammies or clothes

-Location, preferably outdoors

-Photo editing app [Lightroom, Afterlight, Colorstory, etc]

-Discount code for card website [Shutterfly, Walgreens, Paper Culture, etc] ;]

Instructions

Step 1-

Get yourself in your holiday best, or be like us a rock matching jammies, and head to an outdoor spot. We have done this in our yard, but the last two years we have combined this with our trip to the local tree farm and take our picture before we cut down the Kwapis Family Christmas Tree.

Step 2-

Set up your phone and tripod. *Pro-Tip: Look up and practice the auto-timer beforehand so you aren’t scrambling when people are cold, the dog is barking, or the baby is crying! Get everyone in position [it helps to have a plan for this, look up Pinterest inspo ahead of time], and don’t be afraid to take A TON of pictures before selecting one.

Step 3-

Don’t fret *too* much about lighting. You can use an app on your phone [free ones are totally fine, if you like my vibe you are essentially going to up the brightness, but not so much so that everyone is so blown out that you can’t make it out. You want a glow but not a halo, amiright?] LISTEN TO ME! I am married to a graphic designer with photoshop, illustrator, and ALL THE THINGS but I edit our darn photo on my phone! You can, too. I use a preset I got as a gift, but even just bumping the brightness and vibrance will give you a more professional and trendy look. Get the photo how you like it and email it to yourself.

Step 4-

Order photos! I am *thrifty* [cheap?] about this and order 4×6 prints on Walgreens with a coupon code. But I’m lucky and have a husband who can make me the card I want. If you don’t have that, no worries! Just upload the photo to the card company of your choice, pick a card, and order that way.

Step 5-

Send out snail mail joy!

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*Similar

Mickey Mouse Red Truck Flannel Jammies

Do you send out holiday cards this year?

Let me know in the comments below!

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Unique Gift Ideas 2020 | JORD | + GIVEAWAY

November 30, 2020 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

2020 has been…well, here we are ; ) And as we approach the gift-giving season, I am feeling like everyone on my lists is deserving of an extra-thoughtful gift. I’ve been sharing my JORD Wood Watches for several years now (see my posts here), and I always enjoy working with them because both my husband and I count them as our favorite watches. This year I want to open up this post to share more from JORD, because they have a lot more than watches available on their website, and everything is packaged perfectly and ready to gift. YES!

*JORD provided me with a gift set for review, but as always all opinions are my own and I do not accept money in exchange for a positive review.

Shop Small For Holiday 2020

JORD is a small business with less than 10 employees. They are located in St Louis and are a family owned business. In 2020, we are all doing our best to support our local shop and shopping online keeps everyone safe (but let’s be real, I am always all about online shopping…just ask our UPS guy!)

Custom Gifts Delivered to You

JORD’s signature timepieces are available with custom engravings: backplates and cedar gift boxes can be personalized engravings such as monograms, images, & personal messages.

I picked out an incredible gift set! You can scroll through and pick any watch you like and the gift set comes with matching wood sunglasses along with a cool, collapsable JORD sunglass case! I was thrilled to see that they offer leather Apple Watch bands, becuase while I love my JORD watch it sometimes collect dust because I am always wearing my Apple Watch.

Whenever I order from a company that isn’t Amazon, I worry about shipping taking forever or costing more than the gift, but JORD offers fast and free worldwide shipping. Each watch can be professionally-sized as well. Generous returns and exchanges and great warranties make purchases for loved ones worry-free.

Ethical Handbag Collection for Her

JORD’s newest line of accessories is a collection of luxury handbags. They come in lots of colors and styles – crossbody, backpack, clutch… The purses are made ethically of JORD’s own type of vegan “leather” – created from cork! It isn’t like a wine cork though ; ) I asked! This is very soft but durable.

Unique Gift Ideas

The Barista Watch Gift Set for Coffee Lovers

One of the things JORD is known for is the materials they incorporate into their unique accessories. So they have developed a way to suspend real coffee beans around the watch! The dial features the color of the roasting process and the deep roasted coffee color band is created from JORD”s vegan cork “leather”. It’s available in a gift set featuring local St. Louis coffee beans plus a collector’s thermos. The watch is minimal in style and size – perfect for any coffee lover on your list!

The Harper Limited Edition Gift Set

This watch series has beautiful marble and stone faces plus interchangeable wood and padded leather watch bands. The cool thing is that each watch is unique because the pattern and color on the face are unique. The face itself has a modern retro feel that I love and can be personalized with your choice of bands!

Burmese Dover II Automatic Watch

This is the prettiest watch! The wood is a warm cedar tone contrasted with dark gunmetal steel fittings. This variety of Padauk wood is rare, so this is a limited edition timepiece for this year. The Dover has a skeleton face that allows you to see the automatic watch movement (no batteries needed!)- a super cool classic gift! My favorite part is that it comes with a special engraved gift box.

Stocking Stuffers

JORD offers a variety of new accessories: watch styles, from casual to sophisticated, many colors of Apple bands to dress-up any Apple watch finished in a variety of materials, as well as cool sunglasses & hats.

Signature Apple Bands in Exotic Wood and Leather

Know any guitar lovers? JORD’s limited line of harmonic apple bands features woods from American guitar designers. In 2019, JORD’s wood Apple bands were voted “best” of the year by Forbes! These bands are a strong statement piece to really dress up any Apple watch and I find them to be a very gender-neutral piece. I am loving mine and it is easy to put on and take off of my Apple Watch.

Sunglasses & Blue Light Glasses

I am loving the pair that came in my gift set! They are so much fun. They have a huge variety of vintage-inspired and modern sunglasses – great lenses and finished with cool, natural materials. Blue light glasses have become super popular, and JORD has you covered! Check out their blue light glasses with natural accents ; )

Steel Wool & Carling Retro Hats For Men

I always talk about hats because they can take clothes (say jeans and a tee) and turn them into an OUTFIT! Check out JORD’s steel wool flannel and signature, structured caps!

Giveaway

All entrants will receive a 20% off gift code for JORD store sent to their email
Excludes Limited Editions & restrictions apply based on availability
The winner will receive a gift code toward a free gift set directly to their email!
ENTER JORD GIVEAWAY HERE!

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Who knew? JORD has something for everyone : ) I want to hear from you – did any of my gift recommendations work for you? Tag me and @JORDwatches in the pics!

Jealous of my gift set? I’ve got you! Just enter via my link to win! Whether you win or not, you’ll automatically get 20% off to use on any gifts in JORD’ shop ; ) Good luck and happy shopping!

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Wooden Wrist Watch

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LAUREN BUSHNELL STYLE | JUST FAB CLOTHING REVIEW

November 23, 2020 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

Nope, this isn’t an accidental re-post! I am sharing another incredible clothing item I found from JustFa b.

I have been a member of JustFab for years and to tell you the truth? It’s sometimes a love/hate. The shoes are SO cute, my favorites are the boots, and I typically have great luck with fit and comfort. I set up reminders on my phone, and *almost* always remember to skip the month, so I end up purchasing only about 4 times each year. I do get frustrated when I have a credit from months I forget to skip and get charged (valued at $39) and can’t use it towards more expensive items or use it for a less expensive item. I have noticed lately that the shoes I like are either $10 more or less than that value. I won’t sugarcoat it, that is annoying. HOWEVER, because of this, I have found several sweaters over the last year that I love, and today I want to share my current favorite with you.

Mock Neck Tunic Sweater

Why I Love It

This sweater from the Lauren Bushnell’s collection from Just Fab. I love a chunky knit like this because it is as comfy as a sweatshirt but you instantly look pulled together and chic. This sweater is soft, not at all itchy, and I’ve received compliments on it each time I wear it.

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Where do you shop for sweaters? Let me know in the comments!

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JUST FAB | A BETTER USE FOR YOUR JUSTFAB CREDIT

November 16, 2020 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

JustFab Chunky Braided Turtle Neck

Why I Love It

The Chunky Braided Turtle Neck is comfortable, and a classic look. I love a good chunky cream or white sweater because even with a simple ponytail and no makeup on, it looks polished and chic. This sweater isn’t cropped, but it hits just at the top of my high rise jeans so it isn’t a lot of bulky fabric if I want to tuck in the front.

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Where do you shop for sweaters? Let me know in the comments!

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NADINE WEST CLOTHING BOX REVIEW | OUTFIT SUBSCRIPTION BOX

November 2, 2020 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

Have you ever wondered how a clothing subscription box works? Nadine West offers an affordable style subscription service.

I have shared my outfits from Nadine West for two years now on my blog (read the posts here). Nadine West sent me this box for my consideration for review but I was not paid to write this post and as always all opinions are my own.

What is Nadine West?

NadineWest.com is a company that sends you an outfit to try on and you keep only what you love. The outfit is a surprise, but you take a style quiz and the stylists get to know your style more each month. The outfits are affordable with pieces costing about $10-$30 each, which is very affordable compared to other similar services.

How Does Nadine West Work?

On the Nadine West website, you take the style quiz so that the stylist can get to know what you are looking for in an outfit. You will receive a pink package in the mail with your personalized outfit. Try on the outfit and keep what you love and send back what you don’t.

My Thoughts On Nadine West

The style quiz was super easy to do, which was great because I wanted something that didn’t take too much time but I was still able to make notes to make sure the stylist knew my preferences. I really loved the surprise aspect of this, and it was like opening up a girly gift from a really stylish friend. I cannot stand having to return things, it is such a bummer, but I LOVE the way this company does it because your outfit comes with return shipping.

Nadine West Coupon Code

Use the referral code “Nadine” on NadineWest.com (not an affiliate code for me, just sharing the one they currently have on their website) to waive your shipping fee which means you’ll get your outfit in the mail without paying anything!

Nadine West Unboxing

I received a really gorgeous olive dress that I am so excited to wear! I likely won’t wear it much until next fall though, because here we are getting into temps that are way too cold for bare legs. I also got a basic navy v-neck that I know will get lots of use. The last item that I got that I am keeping is a Tory Burch inspired necklace that I love but it did come tangled.

Nadine West Final Thoughts

I love getting my Nadine West box each month! Most months I get a few things that I love, but I do wish that there was a simple form to update style preferences or check-in each month to see what I’d like to find in my box. I hope that I will continue to get neutral pieces that fit my style and delicate jewelry that works with my sense of style. I would love to see some simple, neutral-colored maxi dresses for spring, too. I would rather receive two or three nicer items than a lot of pieces that aren’t as nice of quality.

Have you tried any fashion boxes like this? Have you tried Nadine West? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Have a wonderful rest of your week! Thank you for reading! xx

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COPY MY STYLE | WEDDING GUEST DRESS, HAIR, AND MAKEUP

September 28, 2020 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of attending an engagement party that was aaaaactually a SURPRISE WEDDNG for one of my dearest friends, my Littleton, my sorority sister and “little”. I love an excuse to dress up and drink bubbly while hanging onto a hunk of candy (hubster), so today I wanted to share my details with you today.

THE DRESS

I am so thankful for my daughter (she is 9 but legit has better style than most adults and puts together things I would have never thought of) and one of my other best friends who I trust to tell me “Girl, no” or, for this one “HELL YES!” which I appreciate endlessly.

I rarely order from ASOS, but I need to more often. It is priced similarly to H&M, and I like this dress as much as ones I have paid (or swooned over) from Nordstrom for quadruple the cost.

Shop the ASOS DESIGN halter neck pleated maxi dress in rust here.

THE MAKEUP

FUN FACT: I am obsessed with Hilary Duff. I am not one who would stand in line forever to meet a celeb or flip out if I touched one (I mean, if I touched JT I’m sure I might. I’d try to keep the chill but COMEON) but I love her. During quarantine and the summer months I’ve really embraced only a few dabs of concealer, a tiny bronzer because I’m super fair, and mascara, but the handful of times I’ve worn a full-face it has been my copycat of this Hilary Duff Vanity Fair makeup tutorial. I don’t have all of the products, but my makeup collection is large enough that I have something similar and make it work.

My FAVORITE Lip Liner! Seriously, buy it. I have had it for years and it’s a stub now and still going strong. It works with any nude or pinky nude lipstick. THE BEST.

THE HAIR

I curled all of my hair with a Nume wand and let the curls set completely (hello Shirley Temple at the Rest Areas. oh well) and then add a little bit of my beloved Batiste Dry Styling Plumping Powder that gives me alllllllll the sexy volume! *Note: I didn’t like this when I had long hair but with my lob? LOVE! I also tip my head upside down and finger comb it so that the curls and volume look natural…I woke up like this, clearly.

Where is your go-to place for dresses for special events?