01/21

Case of the Winter Blues

emily emily1 emily2 emily3 emily4 Blazer (similar) // Tee // Jeans // Booties (similar) // Bag // Bracelets (similar)// Necklace (similar) // Watch // Sunnies

Winter is my absolute least favorite season to dress for. There I said it. While I can appreciate the art of a good oversized sweater, especially if it is a turtleneck, I absolutely detest having to put on layer upon layer of bulky items that just make you feel like a marshmallow. I am a southern girl, so the fact that the grey weather makes my skin painfully pale is just an added negative to my hatred for this season.

The way I beat the winter blues is by wearing colors and shapes that make me happy. That break the mold on traditional winter wear of neutrals on neutrals or all black everything. Not that I don’t love both of these options and wear them quite often. Le duh.

This jacket is the definition of a shape that makes me giddy like a school girl with a giant crush on the super hot star football player. The exaggerated puffed shoulder is a nod to the giant shoulder pads of the 80′s, but completely modern and super chic. And that color! (Can you believe it was under $50!!)

The pop of pretty pink from the bag and necklace in this look elevates the basic tee and jeans for me. I am thinking that duo is going to be on hard repeat.

Side note, I am also a giant fan of the colored lip for winter.

How do y’all like to beat the winter drag?

xo, EM

 

Photos by Marianne Lucille Photography

posted by 3 Comments
Filed Under: Contributor Posts, Fashion, Uncategorized
01/12

New Year, New Closet – Get Organized!!

Everyone that likes a clean organized space put your hands up, this one is for you!The New Year always makes me itch to get organize. I know I’m not alone. All the Christmas stuff is put away and the house feels open and fresh. You just want to keep that feeling going.

If you haven’t already started your organizing frenzy, Samantha is going to kick you in gear by giving one lucky reader a $50 gift card to The Container Store!!!!

Pretty darn good amiright?!

I love that store. Seriously, I could spend hours in there. And I did just that the other day. To feed my need to get things organized, I finally tackled my daughter’s closet. She has a really nice space with natural light, but it wasn’t being used well at all.

BEFORE
It was a hot. mess. All of her clothes were crammed together on a rack so her Barbie toys could be kept below instead of in the playroom (away from her little brother who likes to put things in his mouth). She could never get dressed on her own because she couldn’t reach her clothes. The biggest pain ever. The other side of the closet was all wasted space.
To make her closet more functional we added in some organization game changers from The Container Store.
AFTER

 

 

I think the biggest help was adding the double hanging closet rod on the wall that use to be all wasted space. Her clothes are more spread out having the second row, and she can easily get to them on her own now. I also gave her a stool to get to the top row. No more, “Mom! I need help!!!”
I also added an additional shelf to that side of the closet. Now she has a display shelf and another for bins that can corral her craft supplies and other “treasures” she can’t bring herself to part with.
Before I forget, those fun gold heart decals are from Urban Walls. You can find them here.
On the left side I brought in a stacking shoe rack which works so much better than the hanging shelves we used to have for shoes. There was enough room to also give her a spot for her jewelry. The difference in having her favorite pieces displayed verses all mashed and tangled up in a jewelry box is night and day! The little bracelet stand makes her feel so special too :)
We still needed to keep her Barbie stuff in the closet, but made it less of an eye sore boy making a little curtain to hang from the rod. When she’s not playing she can close it off.

 

Barbies even have their own spot now in a hanging shoe organizer on the back of her closet door. This is HUGE people! This is one of those things I first saw on Pinterest. Whoever thought of this is a genius!

 

And just because side-by-sides are fun.
If you’re needing to do something similar, here are the workhorses I used in her space.
shoe stacker | children’s hangers | stripe bins | shoe bag | bracelet storage | double hang rod
Now it’s your turn to get organized! For a chance to win $50 to The Cont ainer Store use the Rafflecopter below!
One winner will be announced February 1st. Good luck everyone!!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
posted by 70 Comments
Filed Under: Contributor Posts, Giveaway, Home Decor
12/17

Oversized or Cropped.

Before I even get started with today’s rant, I just have to take a minute to talk about our favorite gal Samantha and the fact that her and her hubby make the most adorable children like EVER. I mean, I know y’all have seen that precious Harper by now. I can’t get enough of those cheeks, not to mention the outfits. All this cuteness on my Instagram feed makes this perpetually single gal want babies. Lots o’ babies. Guess I kinda need a man first right?!

Enough of me living vicariously through this perfect little family, let’s get down to business.

blog (28 of 61)

blog (30 of 61)

blog (31 of 61)

blog (35 of 61)

blog (37 of 61)

 

Top – Pink Blush // Jeans – J.Crew // Pumps – Marshall’s (they are Guess!) // Necklace – Kendra Scott // Sunnies – RayBans

This season it seems like everything is either oversized or slightly cropped. Sweaters, the infamous blanket scarves, t-shirts, even hats. You name it, it was cut three sizes bigger than normal or cut to show your belly button. Now, don’t get me wrong. The eternal “basic white girl” in me absolutely loves both trends. However, it is beyond easy to go from cute & trendy to Mary-Kate & Ashley bag lady style to you looking like you’ve tried on a 12-year-old girl’s clothes. Not to hate on the Olsen twins, they basically taught me everything in life growing up.

Fit and proportion are the key pieces in making these trendy shapes possible. The other items in your look have to be the right fit and give the opposite shape to make a look work.

For the cropped options (like the sweater in today’s pictures above):

1. High waisted denim (like the ones I got at J.Crew) to elongate and to not show too much skin.

2. Midi skirts. These are a god-send and probably my most favorite skirt EVER.

3. Large cardigans or the poncho to give texture.

For the oversized options:

1. Skin tight pants. Leather leggings are perfect. I also, spoiler alert, wear my yoga pants from Old Navy as pants.

2. The skinny, tailored sweatpants. Always with a heel.

3. Over-the-knee boots. Especially if the sweater is large enough to be a short dress. The one way pants aren’t always required.

**One thing I can’t stress enough is to find a tailor for your staple items. Someone to take the clothes from the rack you found them on, to one of a kind, only fit for you pieces. WORTH IT. **

Are y’all loving these oversized & cropped tops as much as I am?!

xo, Emily

posted by 2 Comments
Filed Under: Beauty, Contributor Posts, Fashion
12/10

My Favorite Gift Sets

BLovedBoston Collage

I have a confession to make!! I love gift sets, not only because there are so many goodies in one package, but because you get to test out so many products!! These are some of my favorite gift sets to give and to receive, perfect for the make-up lover or product hoarder in your life!!

Super Star Favorites

This little beauty has a large haul of Sephora’s best selling products in perfectly sized samples!! It’s a little bigger than a sample size and get’s you enough product to really test out if you like it!
Glitz & Glam Party Essentials
Getting this set for Christmas and being to turn around and really get dolled up for New Years Eve would be perfect! It even has a metallic clutch that can double as your purse for your night out!! My favorite product is the fake lashes to really glam up your look!
Give Me Some Lip
If you’re anything like me then you love lipsticks and glosses – so this is the perfect gift set for the lip lover!!! I have the Bite Beauty Lip Crayon and the color is gorgeous!! My other favorite from this set is the Urban Decay lipstick – it’s my everyday lip color!
Hand Creams of Provence
If you’re anything like me then your hands get super dry in the winter – these are some of the best hand creams out there!! They are full size so you’re basically getting one for free! Another option with this gift set is opening it up and gifting as a stocking stuffer for the ladies in your life!
Lashstash
One of my favorite things to have on hand in every purse, gym bag or make-up case is a travel size mascara. You can never have too mascaras right?! I really love all of these in the set, but They’re Real and Lancome’s Hypnose are my favorites. Another great piece in this set is the eye make-up remover that comes with it, it’s not oily and doesn’t leave a residue behind which I love!
Winter Dreams
I’m a huge fan of Josie Maran’s argan oils and this set is one I purchased for my mom last year and she’s already requested another one for this year!! It has her best selling products in here including the daily moisturizer which has an SPF of 47 and doesn’t leave your skin feeling greasy!!
So there you have it – a few of my favorite gift sets!! Are you a fan of gift sets? Which is your favorite?
-Biana
posted by 1 Comment
Filed Under: Beauty, Contributor Posts Tagged: , , , ,
12/08

5 Ways To Freshen Up Your Bathroom

 

CW collage

The holidays are here and more than likely, people are going to be over at your place a lot more than usual. Whether they’re dropping by for a quick get together, party, or staying the night, your bathroom is going to be a frequent stop for them.

// pretty soap containers //
| via |
Swapping out a your blah soap pump for a stylish one with a great scent is an easy way to make guests feel special.
// new hand towel //
| via |
A fresh new hand towel is probably the easiest way to spruce up your bathroom. I especially love the turkish looking ones.
// fresh flowers //
| via |
Get rid of the fake ones. Real is best here. You don’t have to do it all the time, but it’s a special touch when people are coming over.
// candle + matches //
| via |
We all know what’s going on in there, so let’s make it a little more pleasant on the next person ;)
// toilet paper storage //
This may seem like a no brainer. But, if your TP is stored behind doors or out of sight, your guests aren’t going to want to go on a hunt for it when they run out. Make it easy on them and put some extras in plain sight. Baskets are perfect for this!
Now that you’ve got all the ingredients you need, go freshen that bath up! Your guests will thank you :)
posted by 1 Comment
Filed Under: Contributor Posts, Home Decor Tagged: , , , , ,
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox

Join other followers: