The Story Behind the Pic: October Linkup

Tell me your stories.

This is a link up that is for ALL types of blogs.

Just choose a pic of yours (or more), and tell me the story behind it. It can be funny, silly, serious, sad, etc.

I started this last month (read it here) and am doing it again, today.

Edit: I hope this post doesn't come off as too sad. It is honest and how I was feeling in those moments.

This picture was taken on this past Sunday, my birthday. It was OktoberFest in Helen, GA, and I made everyone buy the traditional Alpine hats. We wore them everywhere, regardless of what clothes we were wearing or what we were doing. If there was a small one for Charlie, I would have made him wear one, too! ;)

The leaves had just started to change a little and the weather was finally cool enough for a sweater. Autumn is my fave. Perfect weekend. I felt so loved. Lucky girl.

Straight up, I hate how I look in this pic--glasses and no makeup. But I made myself leave those things and the computer back in Atlanta. I tried to stay off the phone and enjoy it all. I am the worst at relaxing, especially when it comes to blog-related stuff.

Hard for me to let go.

I had mixed emotions this day--it was the first birthday without my Daddy. I was trying so hard to chill, to celebrate, and I did have a great weekend, but it was hard this day. As crazy as it sounds, I kept expecting him to call me, like he always did. But when a man stopped in front of me and started playing a harmonica, just like my Daddy did, that was all I needed to hear.

Hard for me to let go.

Yes, yes, yes, I LOVE autumn, and one of my traditions growing up was my late Great Granny Sugar's Apple Dapple Cake. My Daddy is the one who started calling her Granny Sugar. I remember eating it every year and I will forever associate it with her. I haven't had it since she passed away 3 years ago (I have no doubt she is fussing over my Daddy in Heaven) and decided this year I would make it.

I had my mom text me the recipe and she sent me this--the recipe written in Granny Sugar's handwriting, that Palmer Method cursive. Sidenote--I am fully aware that it's weird that I know the different methods of cursive handwriting. Handwriting analysis is a hobby of mine. Anyway, this was such a treat to me to see. I would know her handwriting anywhere.

When I moved away for college 3.5 hours away from my small hometown, she came with me (with other family) to help me move in. I didn't have housing there until the weekend before classes started. She had gotten on her knees every night to pray for me to get a room. And I did.

I was the first person in my family to gradate from college. It was a big deal. She was in her 80s then, having survived breast cancer a year or two before. She walked the four floors (!!!) to my dorm room and made my bed. She met my roommates, who were all basketball players. I was an English major, so I never saw them. It was a lonely year, but I grew up.

The next week I got my very first care package at school. It was from Sugar. Inside the box I found crocheted booties made by a lady at her church, a crisp $20 bill, decorative soaps, a card that said With Deepest Sympathy but it was scratched out (she was notorious for doing this--she had a huge box of random cards and never used them for their intended message) and instead she wrote, "I'm so proud of you. I love you, Angel Pie #1."

And the last thing I found in the box was a container of Apple Dapple Cake.

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to link up!

Missed it this time? Next link up is November 24.

How To: Inspired by Tina Fey's Golden Globes Hairstyle

inspiration via

Did you have Monday off for MLK Day? Did you watch the Inauguration? I had the day off and I think it was the first time I've been able to watch live instead of sound bytes on the evening news. On a much lighter and signifcantly less-historic note, I am excited for Awards Season. I'm a big movie nerd, but get just as excited for the gowns, makeup, and hair! While live-Tweeting the Golden Globes, Amy (visit her blog!) and I were fawning over the amazingness of Tina Fey's hair. I thought I'd share my inspired version of her curls. While her hair has extensions, my hair is longer, the layers are different, and I don't have bangs, the technique of these old-Hollywood curls is similar and easy to do. Here's how to:

T O O L S

• heat protectant
• brush
• velcro rollers (I used the largest size)
• clips
• volumizing hairspray
• 1.5 inch curling iron
• shine spray (optional)

M E T H O D

Spray hair with heat protectant and allow to dry.

Brush hair and divide into three sections: the left side, right side, and middle. By the way, I'm obsessed with this Mason Pearson brush I was sent from Clear Shampoo (more on that coming soon). Yes, it's very expensive, but if you have an extra couple hundred dollars (don't we all?) get this brush. My hair is instantly shiny. Obsessed.

Once the curling iron is heated, pick a side and about a one-inch section of hair. Open the clip and slide down the section until you reach the end of your hair. Clamp and roll from the ends to close to the roots. Allow to heat for about 10 seconds.

Open the clamp to release the curl. Carefully wrap the hot curl around a velcro roller and fasten with a clip.

Repeat on the other side. For the section down the middle, divide that section in half and repeat the process until all hair is curled.

Allow hair to cool, then remove the clips and rollers.

Gently brush the curls and use a volumizing hairspray at the roots of the crown area to add more volume and set your hair. Finish with a shine spray, if desired.

blerg

T I P S

• I tried to choose the easiest method, but this look can also be attained with large hot rollers or  as blow out with a large round brush/velcro rollers/
• I don't have bangs, but to get yours to look like Tina Fey's get a small round brush and a hair dryer. Take the bangs around the brush and blow them towards you.
• More velcro roller tutorials you might've missed: 
• curling hair with velcro rollers
• inspired by emily's hair from the bachelorette
• inspired by blake lively's curls

Which celebrity has the best hair?

How To: Bella's Hair & Makeup from Breaking Dawn 2

pics via summit entertainment

I mentioned earlier this week I saw Break Dawn Part 2 and I loved the twist!! Omg. Being the Professional Blogger that I am (big time jk), I brought my mini notebook and pen, ready to take notes on Bella's vampire look. I jotted and drew, only to realize later that my pen was out of ink, and what I could see had been blurred by chocolate. Professional, indeed. So here's my tutorial on her hair and makeup, based on her look in the movie. It is very wearable and can be done on a drugstore budget or high end; just use colors that are similar to the ones pictured. Enjoy!

Hair
1 1/2 inch curling iron or hot rollers
brush, hairspray, heat protectant

• The look we want here is big, voluminous Victoria's Secret curls. Bella had lots of extensions wigs/magic to achieve this, so as long as the hair you're using is layered and long, this should work! 
• This can be done with freshly-washed hair, since the curls are so loose. I usually just divide my hair in half and curl each side.

• Begin by taking a one inch section of hair and use the curling iron to roll vertically from the ends to the root of hair. Hold for ten seconds and gently release the clamp to release the curls. Repeat all over hair. 

• Lightly tease or curl or spray roots to volumize them.
• Bella didn't really have her hair parted, so flip your head over and then back for extra oomph.
• To make it look more natural: 
• Vary hair sections to half and one inch.
• Vary the direction of curl (away, towards face). This means if you're holding the curling iron vertically, and the clamp is not facing you, your curls with be towards your face. If the clamp is pointed at you, the curls should turn out away from your face. This isn't required, just optional to make it look more natural.

Makeup
Foundation mixed with luminizer (optional)
Concealer, powder, eye shadow primer
Mascara
Half lashes (optional)
Eye Shadows in white, light brown, dark brown (I used The Balm's Nude Tude Palette)
Shadow brushes in flat, crease, and pencil
Bronzer to deeper cheekbones & blush brush
Lip Stain

While above you'll see what's needed to achieve the whole face, I'm focusing on the eyes in this tutorial, as the rest is self-explanatory.

Pat white shade onto inner corner of eye.

Pat light brown shade on the rest of lid.

Place darker brown shade into outer corner and blend into crease.

Using a pencil brush, run dark brown shade underneath bottom lashes.

Add white shade underneath eyebrow. Add mascara, false lashes if desired, and bronzer onto cheekbones. Lightly pat lip stain onto lips with fingers.

Eyes edited! Contacts can be purchased for around $30 online (um, no thanks).

She only had red eyes at the very beginning of the movie, before she fed, 

and honey-colored for the rest of the movie.

Have a great weekend! Be safe, behave, and be well. Love, Elle

Friday is the last day to enter my $100 Shopbop giveaway!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Look Good Feel Better

It's an unfortunate statistic that we probably know at least one person affected with breast cancer. For me, it was my beloved Great Granny Sugar, who passed away this year at 95 (not from breast cancer). She was diagnosed at 80 and was a survivor of breast cancer. Every year since then, I try to contribute in some way. So naturally, I was very excited to hear about Look Good Feel Better--check it out:
Look Good Feel Better workshops help people with cancer to deal with the devastating outward side effects of their treatment: helping them to regain their self-confidence and focus their energy not on being a cancer patient, but on becoming a cancer survivor. They've been around for 23 years and the workshops are free, available in all 50 states! What a wonderful resource! 
Here's how you can help:
If you're like me, you want to support the cause, so check out just a few of these beauty promotions for Breast Cancer Awareness Month affiliated with LGFB:

OUR MISSION: Look Good Feel Better is dedicated to improving the self-esteem and quality of life of people undergoing treatment for cancer. It is our aim to improve their self-image and appearance through complimentary group, individual, and self-help beauty sessions that create a sense of support, confidence, courage, and community.

#spon: I'm required to disclose a relationship between our site and LGFB . This could include the LGFB  providing us w/content, product, access or other forms of payment.

 

How To: Taylor Swift Makeup & Hair (We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together)

Happy October! How was your weekend? Mine was full of fun--I saw The Perks of Being a Wallflower (LOVED) and sang karaoke with a band. Let's just say the latter was pretty terrifying and hard--they make it look so easy on tv! Speaking of singers, someone way more talented is Taylor Swift. I loved her take on the classic pin up look in her video We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together. This traditional look is easy to achieve and takes minutes. I'm linking to several posts I've done in the past, too. Enjoy!

T O O L S:

• liquid eyeliner
• red lipstick
• lengthening mascara or false lashes
• red nails
• brush and hair elastic
• optional: hairspray, light brown shadow and crease brush

M E T H O D:

EYES

• Optional: To make my eyes more almond-shaped, like Taylor's I used a light brown shadow and swept it in my crease and made a sideways V on my outer lash line.

• To create Taylor's cat eye, use a liquid liner and draw small strokes from your tear duct to the outer edge. This is much easier than trying to draw one continuous line. 
• Now pretend that the edge of your lashes is meeting your eyebrow. That's the angle of the direction in which you want to draw your cat eye. 

• Start at the tip of your cat eye and draw back down at an angle to meet the liner on the lid. It will look like a triangle. Fill in the liner. Click here for my gel liner cat eye tutorial.
• I used false lashes (click here for my false lashes tutorial), but feel free to use your favorite lengthening mascara. Click here to see how to get the biggest lashes tutorial.

LIPS & NAILS

• For lips and nails, wear a red shade of your choosing. There are yellow-based and blue-based reds. I chose a blue-based because I think it looks better on me. 

HAIR

• Taylor kept it sweet with a classic Barbie pony. My hair was already curled from earlier in the week, but use a big curling iron or rollers (here's a link to my velcro roller tutorial) to achieve your own.
• Brush hair and tease the root for volume. Then put into a high pony. Want a high pony with volume? Click to see my tutorial.

I tried to do the "surprised" expression with my fake bangs. ;)

1,2,3,

PS: Want to see how to get Taylor Swift's curls? 

I would love to reach 1000 blog followers for my birthday on the 18th.

If you'd like, please help. Follow via GFC and Bloglovin.  xoxoxoxo

Outfit of the Week: Sailing to Nowhere

Once upon a blog, I used to post weekly outfits. And then they became monthly. And then whenever I felt like it. I'm more apt to post outfits on Twitter or Instagram (ellesees). I feel more comfortable showing you my hair! ;) I've since lost followers over it (boo), but daily/weekly photos of me is just too much me. But due to requests, here's one, and who knows, maybe I'll start posting them again?

When: Monday
Where &Why: Birthday dinner for bff
Heard: Sailing to Nowhere, by Broken Bells

Wore:

• Inspiration for this outfit included nautical, sailing, sunset, summer, and a dash of the Greek flag. Weird? Yes, and welcome to my blog.
• Striped Cap Wedge Tee--Express
• White Linen Capris--Old Navy
• White Bracelet--H&M
• Summer Watch--Target
• Coral Polish--L'Oreal in Boozy Brunch
• Colour Riche Balm--L'Oreal in Caring Coral...obsessed with these!

What was your favorite outfit you've worn lately?

Spring Cleaning: Makeup & Beauty Products

My resolution this month is to not buy beauty products, and I've spent the past couple of months trying to use up many of them. I thought I'd share my Spring Cleaning methods in the hopes it'll help you too! So before you toss your makeup, read on:

D A M A G E D or E X P I R E D

• This is the obvious first thing to do--are the products damaged? Is it time to upgrade that hair tool? 
• Or expired? I use this guide from Allure magazine to tossing makeup.

 R E T U R N or E X C H A N G E

• Many recently used products can be returned to the store--be sure to have the receipt and check the store's policy (Sephora, drugstores, Ulta, allow returns, for example).
• Can't return for a refund? Try seeing if the store will exchange.

S E L L or S W A P

• This is another obvious idea, but trying selling gently used products online, perhaps via Ebay or your blog. 
• I would advise against selling/swapping things that promote bacteria, like mascara or products you touch with your fingers, like facial cream in a jar. 
• Be honest with the condition of the products. Sanitize brushes and cut off the tip of lipsticks.
• Swap with friends, family, other bloggers your makeup or hair products.
• Have a Product Swap Party!

R E U S E

• Can you reuse the products in some way? Check out just a few ideas below:
• For lipstick shades that don't look as great as hoped, try using concealer to lighten them or try mixing lipsticks. Use the lipstick as a blush instead.
• Too many or broken chapsticks? Reuse them to make lip plumpers or solid perfume.
• Take powder that's too dark and use as a bronzer.
• Expired sunscreen or lotion can be used to tame flyaways or fight frizz in a pinch.
• Use that last bit of lotion or conditioner as shaving cream.

G I V E  A W A Y or D O N A T E

• While friends and family are natural choices to give products to, there are other options.
• Donate products to charity--I've done this with old/outdated curling/flat irons, etc.
• This next idea is my favorite: donate products to a women's shelter. I saw this on a news story a few years ago and it always stuck with me/
• Google your city + women's shelter to find out if they take makeup/beauty donations. Almost all take clothing.
• Many of these women are leaving abusive situations with just the clothes on their back. They need clothes, makeup, polish, hair products and tools, not just to make themselves feel beautiful, or to rebuild a life, but for job interviews too.
• Again, follow the common sense/cleaniness rules. Clean and sanitize when possible. Don't donate if nearly empty.

How do you do Spring Cleaning for makeup & beauty products?

New Year, New You: Style Overhaul

Quick Update--my Great-Granny is doing so much better! After suffering severe respiratory failure, Sugar's slowly starting to heal. I was really worried we were gonna lose her, but all of the prayers and thoughts are working. Thank you. xo-Elle

If you're new to this series, I started off with Closet Organization Essentials. Last week was all about the Closet Overhaul (did you clean out your closet yet?). Today I'm focusing on style. Remember how I mentioned not to donate your old clothes yet? I hope you didn't because today we might get rid of more of them--read on:

The Books:
The first way to find or change up your style is by reading what the experts have to say. Here are a few that I own:

{a few faves}

• The One Hundred, Nina Garcia--100 items you need in your closet that will never go out of style
• The Little Black Book of Style, Nina Garcia--The ultimate guide to dressing your best
• The Lucky Shopping Manual--For those who are visual, this guide shows you exactly what to buy
• The Pocket Stylist, Kendall Farr--Tricks & tips from a celeb stylist--this one has lots of detailed info and is very thorough
• Style A to Zoe, Rachel Zoe--The guide to that Zoe signature look
• I Love Your Style, Amanda Brooks--How to develop personal style, with gorgeous photos for inspiration of fashion icons
• Matchbook Magazine's Checklist of 50 Classics (you can view & print!)

{me & an ampersand tee}

The Rules:
In this Ask Elle post, I mentioned when I first noticed fashion, but I didn't discuss my own rules for style. Here are the basic rules I use, and many are culled from the books above:

• Look for Inspiration:
• Magazines, style blogs, and street style are great starting points into developing style, or just an outfit. The colors I hear in music from having synaesthesia influence my outfits often.
• Stick to Basics:
• You'll get far more use out of basics (check out the 50 classics link above) and you'll always be in style. 
• Remember the Rule of 3:
• If you can't wear it 3 different ways, don't buy it (of course I'm excluding certain items, like a wedding dress). Take a dress, for example. Can you wear it dressy and casual? Add a belt? Can you add a shirt or cardigan over it? This really curbs my shopping and makes me think before purchasing.
• Know When to Spend:
• I spend money on classics, but I go the cheaper route if there's a fad piece I must have.
• Know Your Body & How to Flatter/Hide:
• It's time to be realistic on what looks good on you--The Pocket Stylist is a great resource for this. Learn how to hide problem areas and enhance your assets. Everyone has assets!!
• Tailor It
• You will look your best if your clothes fit well. Find a tailor (ask a department store for a recommendation) and get clothes altered when needed. I always assumed tailors were for men's suits and for formal dresses--I was so wrong! Just a simple alteration can make you look like a million bucks without spending nearly that much.
• Look Good, Feel Good
• When it comes down to it, wear what makes you happy. Having confidence will always get people to notice you before the outfit!

Spill your style secrets below! PS: Organizing beauty is next week!