FabFitFun: Summer Edition & July Ipsy Reviews

https://youtu.be/7TkhU1fYU1Q

I have a bunch of beauty to share today--are you ready? Let's kick it off with one of my fave sub boxes, FabFitFun--a lifestyle box, as the title suggests. It's released seasonally and is $49.95 per box. Sounds pricey, right? But the value is over $275! Let's see what's in the Summer Box:

FabFitFun Summer 2015:

• FFF X CosmoBody Jump Rope--This comes with workout videos as well on the FFF website. You can burn around 150 calories in a 10 min session of jumping rope! $14
• Everyday Wireless Speaker--One thing I love about FFF is that you get you choose certain items. This also came in teal but I chose pink. This is a wireless speaker (up to 30 feet), a latch for on-the-go-sound, FM radio, and hands-free speaker phone. $29.99
• Gorge I'll Make You Look Amazing Daily Spray--Awesome leave-in conditioner with a yummy scent. $24.95
• Hello Konjac Cleansing Sponge--I'm a huge fan of these. It's a sponge from vegetable fibers that softens when saturated. I use it for the KP on my arms. $12
• Vaseline Aloe Soothe Spray Moisturizer--Spray-on lotion. I already use this and love it. $7.99
• Inkling Scents Sultry Roll-On Perfume--Alcohol-free pure oil fragrance of sandalwood, white amber, vanilla, and more. I love it and it passed the "will it give Elle a headache?" test. $25
• Tarte LipSurgence Lip Gloss--Love a lip crayon and love these--I don't have this shade, but did get to pick it out ahead of time. Check out the video to see the color on me. $19
• Scratch Nail Wraps--Haven't used this pack but have used this brand before and loved them. $12
• Headspace 3 Month Sub--A celeb-fave, this app gives guided meditations. Want me to try it? Let me know and I will report back. $38.85
• Wren 14k Gold & Black Sapphire Necklace--I'm wearing this in the video, so be sure to watch to see it up close. This was another item we got to choose. It's a small moon (heart and stars were other choices) with a tiny sapphire. $100. Yes--$100! Worth it right there!

Overall: Very pleased with this month's box, with the necklace, lip crayon, speaker, and sponge being big hits for me. Highly Recommend! FOR $10 OFF, please use this link.

Ipsy July 2015: Summer Lovin'

• Coolway Beachy Salt Spray--Perfect for creating beachy waves and natural styles with a non-sticky, matte finished look. Formulated with Dead Sea salts for additional mineral nourishment.--haven't tried this yet, but have been a Coolway fan for several years (if you're bored you can search for my really old Coolway post from when I took blog pics with my flip phone. HA!)
• Jelly Pong Pong Cosmetics 2-in-1 Shadow/Liner--This uniquely formulated crayon doubles as an eyeliner for thick, precise lines as well as a perfectly-blended eye shadow. It worked fine but not a must-have for me.
• tarte deluxe Amazonian clay waterproof bronzer--
  Two Tarte products this month! I already have the full size of this and love it. I use it a lot in the summer. 
• Eau Thermale Avène Cleanance Gel Soapless Cleanser--This is a foaming cleanser that worked great but I think oily skin would like it better than my dry skin did.
• Be A Bombshell Cosmetics Lip Balm--Hydrating formula to leave lips feeling silky smooth with a hint of color. I got French Kiss, and it pretty much has no pigment. I like it fine but I tend to only wear lip balm at night.

Overall: feeling kinda meh this month. No big complaints, but I have enough shadow/liners to last me a lifetime. I do love the ikat-print bag! Ipsy is $10 a month, and here's a code if interested!

Extra Elle:

• I have been on the biggest iced coffee kick lately. If you drink it, how do you make yours?
• Please enter the giveaways below:
• ReNu Microderm Kit
• $100 JCPenney Gift Card
• IT Cosmetics Palette
• $100 Jockey Gift Card

Happy Holidays Tag!

I am on a kick with doing tags--finally, right? Well, today's tag is in video form. It's 4 1/2 minutes and features a cameo by a certain pup. And I had to edit it 3 frustrating times, so please, please watch! Thanks MeetMissJackson for tagging me! Learn more about my holiday preferences in the...

1. Which Holiday do you celebrate? 
2. Favorite Holiday Meal/Dish? 
3. Favorite Holiday Treat? 
4. Favorite Holiday Drink? 
5. Favorite Holiday Movie? 
6. Favorite Holiday Show? 
7. Favorite Holiday Song? 
8. Sled Riding or Ice skating?
9. Do you make cookies? 
10. Favorite Holiday Memorie(s). 
11. Whats on your wish list?
12. Best thing you have gotten as a gift. 
13. Any other traditions? 
14. Are you making any resolutions? What are they?

Can't see the video? 
Click http://youtu.be/g8datpMFfS8

TAG YOU'RE IT!

PS: I'm in a contest and need your note--just like my pic!

Thank you!

Current Giveaways:

Pulsaderm Cleaning Brush--ends FRIDAY

Urban Decay Naked Palette 3

Winterlicious/December/Christmas Tags

My Christmas Nails, via my Instagram...follow me on there for pics like this and more of my pup :)

Every Christmas my Lil Sis and I do word searches, from this book I've had over 10 years, and we do surveys! Remember those from Myspace? And Blog Things? ;) Since it's the holidays, I thought I'd share a little something to do if you have a free moment/need an escape from family/bored/etc. Do a tag! I get tagged to do these, but I'm awful at remembering to do them, and thought for once I'd answer them here! Enjoy and I tag all of you! Answer here or on your own blog. Enjoy your day!

Winterlicious Questions:

1) Favorite Winter Nail Polish?
Orly Rockets Red Glare
2) Favorite Winter lip product?
Babylips
3) Most worn Winter clothing piece?
purple trench
4) Most worn Winter accessory?
scarves
5) Favorite Winter scent/candle?
sugar cookies or apple cinnamon
6) Favorite Winter beverage?
all of the starbucks holiday drinks, esp peppermint mocha
7) All time favorite Christmas/Holiday movie?
A Christmas Story
8) Favorite Christmas/Holiday song?
Silent Night, Christmas Wrapping
9) Favorite Holiday food/treat?
frosted sugar cookies
10) What is your favorite Christmas Decoration this year?
my tree, with my pup's pawprint (btw did you see his xmas card?)
11) What's at the top of your Christmas list?
watching nephews open presents; seeing family
12) What are your plans for the holidays this year?
visiting family in my hometown and opening gifts
_____________________________________________

DECEMBER QUESTIONS:

1. What do you love most about December?
Christmas
2. What is your favorite perfume to wear with the holidays?
Miss Dior Cherie
3. Which 3 products can't you live without this December?
moisturizing products, sparkly nails, red lips
4. What is your go-to look this month? Winged liner? Red lips? Tell us!
bold shadow looks, be it heavy liner or sparkly eyes
5. What is your favorite glittery product? It can be anything!
polish
6. Show us your favorite ornament from your Christmas Tree!
most of my ornaments are from my travels around the world, so those and a homemade one my sis made me when she was 6
7. Which candy are you going to eat too much of this month?
not really candy, more of baked goods
8. What is your favorite December/Holiday related movie or TV show to watch?
Christmas Story, Love Actually, Serendipity, CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS STORY, and the scary 1960s claymation (whatever you call it) movies
9. What do you really hope Santa has wrapped in a present for you this year?
Something expensive, since almost everything i wear on face/body is under $20
10. The Holidays are all about sharing the love, Who do you want to give a shout-out and why?
anyone who is a regular reader/supporter of my blog...that means the WORLD to me...THANK YOU!

____________________________________________________________________

1.- When do you start getting excited about Christmas?

day after thanksgiving

2.- Do you still have advent calendars?

yes, edible and collectible

3.- What are your favorite Christmas films?

Christmas Story

4.- Do you have any funny Christmas memories?

i would throw up every christmas from nervous anxiety...it's funny now.

5.- Talk us through your typical Christmas day.

wait on siblings/nephews to come over and open presents. spend the rest of day visiting 2-4 sets of families. 

6.- What do you eat for Christmas dinner?

pretty much the same as thanksgiving, but ham and chicken instead
7.- Do you have any Christmas traditions?

our parents get us lotto tix in our stockings. fact: i never win.
8.- Which are your favorite Christmas songs?

oh holy night, silent night, christmas wrapping, all i want for christmas is you
i prefer the old standards from the 50s, but i have a little of everything in my way-too-many-christmas-cds-collection.

9.- What is the best Christmas gift you ever received?

barbie dreamhouse!! 

10.- Real or Fake Christmas tree?

fake as a kid, but real as a grownup...i like both
11.- Worst present ever received?
Cheese slices from my neighbor

Answer if you'd like! Have a great day.

How To: Makeup Inspired by Carly Rae Jepsen

pic

This week has flown by for me, mostly because I've had the week off. My time off is running out! Speaking of time, a few weeks ago I went out with friends but only had 5 minutes to get ready. Does this happen to you? Here's the look I came up with, inspired by a picture of Carly Rae Jepsen (she sings Call Me Maybe, aka the song that you cannot escape but I still sing every time I hear it) and you only need TWO products.

T O O L S:

• NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in French Fries 
• Lashem Double Trouble Lash Mascara

M E T H O D:
This look is awesome for a few reasons: it makes the eyes POP,
it can be changed easily for daytime or night,
it uses two products,
and it takes 5 minutes to do.

place, pat, line

• Place the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil all over the lid. I'm a fan of these because they're cheap ($4.50), don't crease, and can be used as an eye lid primer. Check out how I use the white eye pencil here.
• Pat in with fingers to blend. You can get extra fancy and add more color to the outer edge, and make the area above the iris the lightest.
• Smudge pencil under the bottom lids.

Double Trouble Eye, Volumizing Wand, Lengthening Wand

• For mascara, I'm using the Double Trouble Mascara sent to me by Lashem. This mascara features a volumizing formula as well as a lengthening formula. You can use either one or combine them both for  the biggest lashes. It's like two mascaras in one!
• Use the volumizing end first. The rubber bristles are great because they get to every lash. Here are my lashes after one coat. I've never had an issue with clumps, and sometimes I will just use this wand.
• To finish the look, use the lengthening wand. It features flexible cotton fibers to thicken and curl lashes. I wear contacts, so I like that the Double Trouble doesn't irritate my sensitive eyes and is easy to remove. I used one coat and didn't curl my lashes. I'm pleased with my results.

<-- Double Trouble and No Mascara -->

T I P S:

• Line tightline and waterline to define eyes even more.
• While this copper-brown shade looks great on blue eyes (my eyes are blue-green), try an aubergine (eggplant) shade on brown and green eyes.
• Make it daytime-friendly by choosing a lighter shade of shadow.
• While I used a creamy shadow (Color Tattoo is another great option), use a copper-brown regular shadow if that's more your style. 
• In case you were wondering, I use Innoxa Gouttes Bleues Eye Drops to really whiten my eyes.
• Just in case you noticed, I'm totally wearing fake bangs!

Call Me Maybe? ;)

What's your favorite way to get ready in a hurry?

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?

Dreamy Waves: A Playlist for the Beach

I will always love the beach--morning, noon, or night. But my favorite time of day is about 4:45 pm, when the crowds begin to disperse. They pack up their belongings, brush off the sand, and leave. I stay and settle into what I call the "dreamy waves." The beach begins to resemble a faded 70s polaroid photograph. The waves begin to slow down. I'm a little sleepy, a little sunburned, and the salty sand is on my skin. This is what I hear:

Can't see my playlist? Click this link.

Have a great weekend & enjoy Memorial Day! 

I'll be back on Tuesday.

Be safe, behave, and be well. Love, Elle

Outfit of the Week: Black, White, and Blue

When: April 27

Where: Driving

Why: Because home is nearly 5 hours away

Heard: Black, White and Blue by Ladyhawke

Wore:

• I'm wearing a black Dolman sleeve shirt from American Eagle (similar & I like it better)
• White shorts from Old Navy
• DIY Morse Code necklace (mine says ILY).
• Gladiator sandals
• Flat Iron curls
• Kate for Rimmel red lipstick
• DIY Frame
• Now where does the blue come in, you ask? The trip for me was bittersweet. My Lil Sis turned 17. I can't believe it! She's still 3 in my eyes and has exactly the same laugh.
• Also, it was the first time I've gone home since my beloved Sugar passed away. It was always a tradition to stop by and visit Sugar on Sundays. It was just the two of us, and I'd get her caught up on everything in my life. She was always so proud of me (all of us) and my biggest supporter. Then, once she moved into the nursing home 5 years ago, I still made those Sunday visits, every month. I know she's not here anymore, but it's like I still can't believe she's gone. Bittersweet. 

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

What tv family would you move in with for a week?

I always loved the Cosby Show as a kid--I just knew that show was real.

Outfit of the Week: Mint Car

When: April 20
Where: Kroger, where I always run into Sharee from RHOA
Why: the gathering of items for my current smoothie kick
Heard: Mint Car, The Cure...I'm a big Cure fan!

Wore:

• Mint tee from Target, $5 (Similar)
• White skirt from Old Navy (last seen here) (similar)
• Sandals H&M
• Tarte Lip Surgence via Birchbox 
• Necklace fr Charlotte Russe (similar)
• Hair via velcro rollers how to

Can you see the Tarte Lipsurgence? 

It looks orange in the tube, but is such a pretty color on!

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

Have you ever been on the local news?

I was! Sorta! I walking into Trader Joes, wearing a yellow cardigan, when I slipped in the rain and fell! The local Atlanta news was talking about some event that had happened earlier, and there I was in the background! So embarrassing! 

Enter for your chance to win a $50 Sephora Giftcard, or NYX cosmetics. FOUR winners!

DIY: Beauty Beach in a Bag

Every year a gaggle of my friends head to the beach...it's our "thing" and I look forward to it every year. However, as friends get married, have babies, move away, etc, the group (sadly) changes. To cheer up one of my friends who can't go (boo), I'm making her a Beauty Beach in a Bag! Everything is under $10, too. Here are a few of the goodies I gave last year to friends along with my best tips on how to use them (seriously, read the tips!):

• Morning Burst Facial Scrub: 
• I love the citrus scent of this scrub--it wakes you up after a night of going out with friends. 
• It's perfect to start the day or or to end it by scrubbing off layers of sunscreen. And it doesn't bother my sensitive skin.
• I use it to exfoliate my feet, too.
• Golden Sunset Shadow Palette: 
• This is one of my favorite basic palettes, and has some dupes for the UD Naked palette.
• This can easily transition from day to night, depending on the desired look. 
• Use the darker shades together for a quick beach bronzer 
• or as a temporary fix to hide roots.
• NYC Long Wearing Polish in Times Square: It's coral and a favorite color for summer. 
• Need more splash? Use this as a base coat and add a coat of glitter polish on top.
• Use with darker colors for an ombre effect. 
• Stripe with a pink shade for a color blocked look.
• Paint bobby pins with the polish to add a pop of color to your hairstyles.
• Coconut Lime Body Splash: Nothing makes me think more of the beach scent-wise than coconut.
•  To keep the beach on your mind, even if you can't be there, spritz a little on your pillow before going to sleep. 
• Or spray in your hair after a long night out if you're too tired to wash your hair (I'm guilty of this...it takes FOREVER to wash/dry/etc.).
• I spray it in my car, too.
• WonderWaves: This is one of my favorite ways to get beachy waves. 
• Spray on wet hair, conditioned hair, and scrunch with a tee shirt (don't use a towel; the shirt prevents frizz). 
• Or spray and then sleep in a French braid for waves.
• After hair has dried, use a texturizing paste/wax to define pieces in hair. 
• Extras: some of these would be over my $10 limit and optional!
• a cute beach bag to pack all of the goodies in
• a Summer Music Mix perfect for the beach
• beachy-smelling candle (coconut for me!!)
• lip gloss with spf
• sunscreen...obvious reasons
• cute sunnies

What would you add to the Beauty Beach in a Bag?

PS: Enter my giveaway!

Outfit of the Week: White Sky

When: Last weekend!
Where: Tracey's, No Mas Cantina, Der Biergarten
Why: Surprise party for ME!!
Sounded Like:  White Sky, Vampire Weekend

Wore:

• I admit, I don't really tell my friends/family about my blog. I figure they wouldn't be interested. However, I was totally wrong! When I walked into my friend's apartment, I was greeted by friends shouting "surprise!" for ME! It was to celebrate my article. I was truly surprised and touched. I have an amazing group of friends and family.
• You'll be surprised to know there are no skinny jeans nor stripes in this post. A miracle, I know. I wasn't expecting a fancy dinner and such, so I kept it really casual. I wore this white quarter-sleeve tee from Target.
• Next, I added some comfy Old Navy cargo pants. I usually bring these to the beach (I'm headed there next month!).
• It ended up raining, so I sloshed through the rain in these sandals from Forever 21.
• I won this necklace from My Style Pill, via InPink. It's such a statement and I love it.
• And I got my hair done...much needed. You can't tell from the photos, but I have more layers now, a few inches taken off, and caramel highlights. It's just what I wanted for spring and I LOVE IT.

Um, ignore the smudges on the mirror from my Lil Sis, K?

PS: Did you answer my question from earlier today?

Have a great weekend! 

Be safe, behave, and be well. 

Love, 

Elle

Outfit of the Week: Comeback Kid

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? I finally unpacked after my Disney trip, did a thorough cleaning of my apt, and bought a new tv (Thanks, Twitter!).

When, Where, Why: Last week, shopping, supplies for Disney World & future DIYs!

Heard:

February wasn't the best month, especially blogging-wise, and boy did my readers let me know. My readers, followers, and comments dropped. Life can't be helped, but life goes on. Rest assured, things will be back to normal this month! Consider me the Comeback Kid. PS: I've been wearing out the new Sleigh Bells album!

Wore:

• Old Navy had a crazy clearance going on a few weeks ago, and I took part. Everything you see is from there! This green necklace (similar) is from a few years ago, but is one of my faves.
• To complement the green, I added this coral top (similar, more similar).
• I scored on the $19 jeans sale (did you?), and this is a pair I got.
• For beauty, I had 3-day hair from my velcro rollers. See tutorials here and here.
• I had some coral bouncy blush (it doesn't bounce!) and a cult fave; Revlon lipgloss.

What was your favorite outfit you wore last week? Leave a link in the comments & I'll share!

Giveaway tomorrow! 

Outfit of the Week: Sour Cherry by Holly

Do I look different? Ha. Last weekend my Lil Sis got to spend a few days with me. We're closerthanthis despite our many years apart in age. She's 16 and I'm, um, olddddd. And she's taller than me!!

I took her to a Greek restaurant for the first time, we went to the movies, played with hair/makeup, and most importantly, we shopped. Since she had a concert later, she wanted an outfit that would transition from shopping to show. And then she requested that I post it on here! Note: she has never read my blog. 

W h e n, W h e r e, W h y: Last weekend, the mall, shopping

H e a r d: Sour Cherry, The Kills (this song makes me wanna dance/get on an elliptical)

W o r e:

• red tank over a black tank with red/white flowers
• black cardigan
• skinny jeans
• black Tom's
• butterfly necklace (she said she's over the butterflies though and is now in a nautical phase. Typical fickle 16 year old, right?

A p p l i e d:

• She has gorgeous red hair--she's a natural red head.. Don't you love it? I did a side fishtail braid for her.
• Red lipstick, black eyeliner, mascara...she did her own makeup

What was own favorite outfit of the week? Post your link below & I'll add it here, if you'd like.


S H A B B Y  A P P L E   G I V E A W A Y !
Enter here.

Outfit of the Week: Sweetness

When/Where/Why: Valentine's Day/Valentine's Day/Valentine's Day
Heard: 

Wore: So far, 2012 and I haven't been getting along. And while I don't want this post (or blog) to be negative, I do want to be honest. Life has been trying for me lately (I promise I'm fine), so I look for the sweetness in every situation. Accentuate the positive, y'know? While this isn't my favorite outfit of all time, I'm glad I injected a little girly color to make me feel better. It worked!

• Instead of red, I kept it sweet with this pinky/peachy cardigan from H&M.
• I wore it over a grey tank, also from H&M (similar).
• Grey skinnies and flats (not pictured, oops) completed my outfit.
• A chunky drop necklace and a sweet pink gloss gave me that little extra.
• Like my hair? I can show you how I got it like this next week, if you'd like.

big hair, don't care ;)

Please enter my giveaway for $100 to SHOPBOP!

Outfit of the Week: Cut Your Hair

Thanks for being so sweet last week! I just adore y'all. While I believe I'm authentic on the blog (but still retain privacy), it's not always perfect peaches around here. Yet I don't want to be the blog that complains about everything/uses my blog constantly as a vent session. So it was nice to just let it all out and not apologize for it.

One thing I will apologize for is my hair. It's the one splurge, the one thing I'm vain about. And I've been keeping pics of myself far away from the blog lately. When my beloved stylist quit, and then her replacement quit, I was in quite a pickle. I decided to dye my brown, highlighted hair. I'd never done it myself before, sans the occasional root touch up or glaze. I had to use the whole box. And it came out black with unintentional ombre on the ends. My grays stayed (I left it on longer than the directions stated). It looked awful. My boss said it looked "witchy" (it did). But thanks to Twitter reccs, I am madly in love with Dada Salon! Yay!
When, Where, Why: Thursday, Dada Salon, to get color and cut my hair
Heard: Cut Your Hair, Pavement (I will not apologize of my love for 90s alternative)

Wore:

• Gingham shirt from Old Navy $5 on clearance
• White sweater from Target, $14 (mine isn't ribbed but I couldn't find a pic)
• Skinny jeans (rolled up) from Charlotte Russe, $20
• Ballet flats from H&M, $12
• Hannah Necklace, gift from GS Lillian
• Bouncy Blush from Maybelline, $3 (with coupon, regularly $8)

It's impossible for me to do a whole shot of myself!

Was this before or after? Guess! 

Have an amazing weekend!




{edit: I just learned my beloved Great Grandmother, Sugar, passed away at 95. She was truly a remarkable, amazing lady. I'm heartbroken and happy, if that makes any sense. I'll be taking the next week off from the blog. If you would like to send me a Guest Post, I'd be grateful. Email me your post if you'd like. Thank you for your thoughts, patience, and prayers. Love, Elle}

Outfit of the Week: All I Need

I had a pretty rough weekend (but things are getting better, yay!), so when it came to doing my hair or thinking of an outfit, I wanted to avoid just that...thinking. But as is my analytic nature, I did a lot of thinking about Sugar, and how lucky I am to have her still in my life (one day I'll have to share the stories of my great-granny). I thought about the prayers and thoughts from everyone she knows and how it all worked out. I thought about the amazing support you all have given. Just knowing you're thinking about me, someone you don't even know, is all I need. Thank you.

Heard: All I Need, Radiohead 
When, Where, Why: Thursday, work, why not?
Wore:

• This post gets less depressing, promise! ;) First off, this outfit is kind of the reverse of this outfit. I totally admit it. I wore a long sleeve white tee shirt and this comfort-inducing navy cardigan (both were fr Old Navy).
• I've gotten a bit of cold (convinced it was from the hospital!), so I'm still avoiding taking pics and am all about comfort. For even more comfort, I added jeans and Toms. For a pop of color, I threw on this mustard scarf (I got mine off Ebay!)
• But don't let all this fool you for one second when it comes to makeup--I had to look presentable. I did my hair this way, applied concealer (a must!), mascara, and this lipstick I got a couple of months ago in a blogger swap. 

PS: Have you entered my Space Bag Tote Giveaway?

Next Week Sneak Peek--I hope you join me:

• product review
• outfit
• New Year, New You Beauty Organization
• DIY (i think!)
• awesome makeup tip!

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

Outfit of the Week: Ritual Union

Heard: Ritual Union, Little Dragon

When, Where: Tuesday, Work
Wore:

• I was listening to Ritual Union but the song itself didn't influence me. Instead, those two words, ritual union, were my motivation for this outfit. I took classics--cable knit sweater, plaid shirt, and jeans--and attempted to dress them up. I'm pretty sure it's a standard JCrew look--just add wind machine. I thought of the sometimes mindless ritual of putting on clothes, combined with the union of comfortable, go-to, classics, but in a nicer-looking way.
• I'm still in Winter Calm-mode, so this creamy cable knit sweater from F21 fit my mood. It's currently very windy (and there might be a sprinkle of snow, but nothing like the snow from exactly a year ago!)
• But it's not all pale neutrals around here--I did insert a little color with a plaid shirt underneath the sweater.
• Some black skinnies--I swear I always wear these--black pumps, along with this hair (but a bigger curling iron barrel), and a bit of red lipstick finished my look. PS: I dyed my hair and it came out really dark, so no outfit photos this week! Maybe I will coax myself into it later.

What's your Ritual Union outfit?

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

Outfit of the Week: Candy Cane Memories

As I write this, I've just returned to Atlanta from a five-hour trek home for Christmas and wedding celebrations. My eyeliner is smudged from rubbing the sun out of my eyes. My nails are chipped cherry-red, leftover from the wedding. My hair is a tangled mess of curls. My bun needs no pins to keep its shape; just a knot. I'm wearing a rumpled cardigan rescued from my cursorily-packed bag, as the temperature has dropped twenty degrees. This is the uniform my family sees when I visit them. I live in pajama pants from Target and think about brushing my hair. I am comfortable. I am content. And planning outfits is the furthest thing from my mind.

It's time to unpack and unwind. There's mail to be sorted (that can wait) and wine to drink (that cannot wait). Before I sign off, I leave you with the outfit I wore for my drive home last week. Christmas has come and gone, but I'm reminiscing of candy cane memories.

When, Where, Why: Last week, driving, wedding & Christmas festivities
Heard: Gone Again, Best Coast

Wore:

• Red & white striped tee c/o Stylemint
• Black skinnies from Old Navy
• Black Foms, aka my Fake Toms I got for $5 in Chinatown
• Red polish to match my red bridesmaid's dress
• Just noticed this outfit is kinda the opposite of last week's! And someone needs to go on a stripe hiatus. I didn't take a pic-obvi-since I was driving/stressed, but here's the last time I wore this shirt, as seen on my HOLIDAY HAIR TUTORIAL.

PS:Thanks for you comments good/bad on yesterday's post! You guys are why I love blogging. And I hit 500 followers! THANK YOU!

Outfit of the Week: Candy Striped

When: Saturday
Where: Mi casa
Why: Party, anyone?
Heard: Christmas Medley, Ray Coniff Singers 
Yes, it's cheesy, but sometimes we don't need to be so serious! And don't you love it when you have the option to press play or not? I can't stand auto-start music--scares me every time. Who's with me? Anyone?

Wore:

• Give me anything striped, and I'm a happy girl! I wore this striped shirt from Old Navy.
• Next, Laura from the Blog of Worldly Delights, made me this red paperbag skirt. She has a cute Etsy shop full of scarves, pins, bows, and other whimsies. Go check out her blog and her shop!
• I added some black tights and black ballet flats.
• Since it was a party after all, my hair was curled via clipless curling iron and I wore some red polish on my nails.

Me, sans lip gloss, over hot cocoa & holiday parties, 

sneaking at pic in the bathroom at 11pm

PS: HAPPY HANUKKAH!