It's "Princess Season"! [I'm Baaaaack!]

Wow it has been over a month since I last posted! I have just been insanely busy and honestly... a little lazy in my spare time! Haha!

Any updates since the last time I posted? Hmmm...:

1) I have a school counselor interview next week! Wow... this is huge! I am both nervous and overjoyed! I feel like I have been in school forever and FINALLY! It is starting to be beneficial!

2) I got inducted into Chi Sigma Iota-- the International Counseling Honor Society! Apparently the whole not having a life thing is paying off :) Insert cheesy nerd pic here:

I looked much cuter before the convenient rain downpour... thanks, Mother Nature!

3) Spring is here! And if the cold weather would stay away, I would be even more happy!

Alrighty, so on to the inspiration behind this post...

So formal season is upon us...or as I like to call it "Princess Season"! Once you reach a certain age, some of us relish every opportunity to get all glam-ed up and feel like a princess [let's just reflect back to when it was a life goal of mine to be a princess... ahh memories.]

I remember when prom or sorority formal time came around and I just haaaad to go out and get a new dress, new make up, and figure out what to do with this head. Also, I used to tan before big events... that glow was much more important than wrinkles... hehe. Well I just haaaaad to spend lots of money to feel like a princess. 

With the gaining of the years, I like to think I also gained a bit of wisdom... just a bit. Now, I realize that "princess" is a frame of mind. You don't need to spend a ton of money to feel like a princess. 

Let's do an experiment: So go to your mirror, strike your "Wonder Woman" pose and look at yourself for two minutes without passing judgement... embrace your inner princess! Because you are gorgeous and you would still be gorgeous in a paper bag with some mud splattered on your face :)

I know I know... Ashley, it's not socially acceptable to wear a paper bag and mud during formal season... fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine! 

I glam-ed myself... well kinda :) [I'm just not a glam person anymore, but I do enjoy wearing a little extra sparkle occasionally haha]

Earrings from Forever21
Make Up Products will be listed after the pictures :)

This dress cost me $10! TEN BUCKS, PEOPLE! I saw it and haaad to have it :)
I got it from J.R.'s... yes, I know, mind blown! Soooo pretty!

I don't really do anything with my hair... I made it big, put some waves in it with
my flat irons, then twisted and pinned back some pieces!

My eye makeup was inspired by this look on Pinterest. I also own the Naked2
palette so it was super simple!

Make Up Products I Used:
Hard Candy Sheer Envy Skin Primer
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Urban Decay Naked2 Palette
Maybelline Master Precise Felt Liquid Liner in Black
Maybelline The Falsies Volum Express Waterproof in Very Black
Benefit Erase Paste
Clinique Line Smoothing Concealer in Light
Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation in Creamy Natural
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Transparent
Wet n Wild Powder Blush in Pearlescent Pink
Perfect Arch Soft Powder Brow Pencil in Dark Blonde
Palladio Clear Brow Gel
L.A. Colors Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Orchid

Enjoy your Princess Season and remember every girl is a princess! :)

What's In My Carry On?

Over the Christmas holiday, I got to go visit my brother's family in Washington state! I love to travel, but anyone that knows me knows I was even more pumped to meet my baby nephew, Lincoln! My boyfriend calls me "baby-crazy", but honestly I am just "Lincoln-Crazy"! That baby is by far the cutest baby in the world! I am even more crazy about him now that I have officially met him! Soooo hard having your family on the other side of the country :(

I was one happy Auntie :)

How I spent my Christmas vacation! On the couch with this little Chunky Monkey! Couldn't have asked for more! Terrible picture of me, but let's be honest... it's not about me :)

Well enough bragging about my AMAZING nephew... hehehe...
I thought I might do a "What's In My Carry On Bag?" since I did some travelling during Christmas!

1) A Nice Sturdy Bag: Mine is an Adrienne Vittadinni laptop tote bag. Typically, I will just slide my bag under the seat in front of me because I hate putting my bag in the overhead bins. However, on the return trip, I had to put it in the bin so next time, I will probably bring a bag with a zipper since everything gets all shifted during the flight!

2) My Cellphone: Nope, not an Iphone gal... I love my Samsung Galaxy S3! I am not really one of those people that has to get the latest electronics [not that there is anything wrong with that]... I usually keep mine until it dies then I get something new :)

3) My Nook: I know the Kindle Fire is the thing to get nowadays, but I love my Nook Color! However, my mom did just get a Kindle Fire HD and it is pretty cool! Anyway, I love to read and this is much more convenient than carrying around books [but I do love the feel of a book occasionally].

4) My Grandma Ipod: I bet some people don't even remember what the IPod Classic looks like... well here it is... oh yes, I have a Classic and if it ain't broke, don't fix it haha like I said, I use something til it dies then I update it. I love it haha

5) Earbuds:  These are the Samsung earbuds that came with my cellphone and they are AWESOME! I always like to have a good pair of earbuds, not only to listen to my ipod, but because most of the time, the complimentary earphones on the plane don't work. I cannot survive a flight without some good earphones!

6 and 7) Wallet and an "Everything Else" Bag: I just put my purse in my suitcase and keep the essentials on hand in my carry on. So I have my Belvah quilted wallet and make-up bag which hold all of those knick knacks and doo-dads that might get lost in my carry on, like ID, money, lip balm, etc...

8) Sleep Mask: Pretty self explanatory... for those of us that are easily distracted on long flights when we need to be sleeping or you have that really annoying person is keeps using flash photography on an overnight flight. Typically, I cannot sleep on flights, but it's nice to have just in case.

9) Hand Sanitizer: This the BBW mini hand sanitizer in Fresh Snow. OMG... a hand sanitizer that doesn't smell like alcohol... hallelujah! Reasons for having this are obvious: planes are icky and people on planes can be icky [not all, but some can be] :)

10) Mini Brush: Convenient size to battle plane head... you know what I mean? Nobody likes to look all crazy- haired after a long flight! 

11) Gum: Any kind will do to battle those popping ears!

12) Lip Balm: Always an essential :)

Well that's what I keep in my carry on and I hope it maybe gives you some helpful ideas for your next trip :)

2014: The Year of Skincare, Hair, and Organization [HAUL]

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I definitely did! It was soooo great to see my family and meet my baby nephew for the first time! Now that I am back and settled back in, I should probably get back on track with my posts! :)

With the new years comes the tradition of resolutions and normally I do make the typical resolutions of exercising more, but this year I decided that particular resolution should be a "durrr...". So I strayed from that typical resolution and picked a few new ones... and try some new products while I'm at it! Yay! 

On to my New Years Resolution Haul:

Resolution #1: Battling My Winter Skin!

I am suffering people... my skin is soooo dry and itchy this year! So I am going to try these lovely products to fight it before I scratch my skin off! [P.S. Any product recommendations are welcome!]

Resolution #2: Grow Out My Hair While Also Keeping It Healthy

I have pretty much had short hair since about summer of 2008 when I chopped my goldilocks off. I had really no idea of how to take care of my long hair back then so it's unhealthy, frizzy, and ridiculously annoying. And though I cannot stand when my hair even gets to shoulder length, I am attempting to give long hair another go in the new year since my hair is much more healthy now. I will probably lob it off out of impatience and frustration, but I'll give it a try [my next decision will be what color my hair will be for this growth... my natural dark blonde or continue to highlight...hmmm]

Resolution #3: Develop a Consistent Skincare Routine

I just have not found anything that I am crazy about when it comes to a skincare routine and with my skin as dry and wintery as it is now, consistency is key. So I bought some new products to try... hopefully I fall in love!

Resolution #4: Be More Organized.

This was first purchase towards organizing my life haha I have put it off, but my love of beauty products has prevailed [and this was actually decently priced!]. I really need to be more organized and not have everything just sitting around. I'm not a neat person, but clutter can drive a gal insane! Other than my bathroom, I also have some other organization projects in mind for the new year like getting into a more consistent cleaning schedule and being much more school organized because this next semester is going to be a KILLER!

All of these products were purchased at Walmart and were on sale [woot woot!]

Hope everyone is having an amazing beginning of the year and I hope it's not too chilly where you are!

Wedding Weekend!

One of those things that can really make you feel old and unmarried is watching your baby cousin get married! However, I was too completely over the moon happy for him that I can't even be bitter haha! One life milestone at a time for me... Step 1: Finish Grad School :)

I could get into my rant about how women feel like they need to get married right away, but I will save that for another blog post! 

The wedding was absolutely beautiful and very simple... which I love! I am not a big fancy, shmancy wedding person and they definitely did it right! So congrats to the happy couple and I cannot believe my little Michael Shane is all grown up! [And I must add that I'm only 11 months older than him, but he's still the baby haha]

Well, I will begin with the morning of the wedding because my mom and I had to go shopping. My mother has a huge closet full of clothes... most of which are waaay too big for her. My mom has lost a great deal of weight and looks fabulous now [and quite stylish. May I add that we are pretty much the same size now so her closet is my closet when I'm home hehe]. Anywaaay, she had nothing to wear to the wedding because everything was too big. 

I title this OOTD: My mom is the only person that can convince me to leave the house without washing my hair.

I know, I know.... you shouldn't wash your hair everyday, especially if you color your hair. Well, I was blessed with hair that gets oily very quickly so noooo thank you. However, if my hair is curly, I can work with that and deal with my second day hair.

Thank goodness, I did not wake up with a fro which often I do when I go to bed with my hair styled. I was able to run some damp hands through it to reactivate some product and scrunch it a bit to make it look like I meant for it to look this way haha

Forest Green [or green in general] is a color that I have never really worn before. I just have not found it to be very flattering, but one day, I happened upon this shirt and fell in love. It is such a great color for the season, looks very put together, and is comfy at the same time! It's by the brand "Jolt". I think the lace detail is a cute accent and I always were a tank under it because I don't wanna show everything I'm working with ;)

Here is how I style this shirt for work because the lace detail makes it a bit inappropriate for the office: 

Moving on to my wedding outfit :)

Pardon the duck face... it doesn't happen often :)

My dress is from Delia's and can I just say that this dress has me written all over it! The color and the style is right up my alley. I flirt with the fine line between being too old for certain looks, but too young for others. I think this works perfectly because it is conservative, but does not make me look matronly. And even though the waist of the dress was already cinched, I always like to throw on a belt to break up the single color.

My necklace is old, but I'm pretty sure it's from Charlotte Russe. And with statement necklaces being so popular these days, I have no doubt there are similar necklaces everywhere.

I also had to through a cardigan and some pantyhose on the night of because brrrrrrrr... cold and rainy! BTW, I learned that night that I haaaaate pantyhose.

P.S. That's my mom! What a hottie! :)

Hope you enjoyed my wedding weekend outfits! I am travelling across to U.S. of A. this weekend to see my brother's family for Christmas so this week's posts will be packing and other travelling goodies! Stay tuned :)

OOTD: $9 Sweater Dress

This is my 9 dollar sweater dress from Ross. To be honest, I didn't even try it on in the store and when I first put it on, I wasn't sure it was a wise selection. Felt a little like a navy and camel jailbird. However, it grew on me. I really wish I could belt it, but because of the way it is made, it just doesn't work. I do like this dress and I got to wear my new navy tights [it's the little things]. 

My boots are the brand Rampage and are from Belk [Got them for 20 bucks on Black Friday... thought I was gonna have to fight someone hehe] 

My earrings are borrowed/stolen from my mom and they could possibly be from some other time period [my mom doesn't purchase jewelry alot], but I like them! 

I curled my hair with my GVP ceramic flat iron from Sally's today! One of my favorite things to do because I have really boring stick straight hair naturally haha 

My rose gold watch is from the Fossil Outlet and was a birthday gift from my wonderful mom. I love that it is huge like a man's watch and is often mistaken for a Michael Kors but without that outrageous price tag.

Baby, It's Cold Outside! [My Winter Essentials]

The cold weather is ushering itself into the Southeast and 'tis the season for bundling up so no better time than the present for my Winter Essentials! These are the clothing, accessories, beauty items, and miscellaneous things that I just cannot live without during the colder months!

Belk//Belk//Target//Target

1) BOOTS! I am a boot loverrr so of course, boots must be on the list! I live in Southeastern U.S. of A., right smack dab in the middle of the state so I don't have much need for some intense winter boots. 

• The first two pairs are examples of what I consider to be everyday boots [and I mean every single day]. I like structured, tall boots with a teeny tiny bit of heel. So comfortable and great to dress up or down.
• Like I said, I don't really need intense winter/snow boots where I live so a nice pair of rain boots with a fleece lining and some thick socks are all I really need to survive any slush we happen to get. I love the idea of fun pattern or a bright color because rain boots can be a great opportunity to have a little fun with color and you don't have to wear them all day so they don't have to match your outfit.
• I call the last pair "Warm and Snugglies" and honestly, they're not even the most attractive pair of boots, but they are warm and comfy on those casual winter days. Heck... I wear mine first thing in the morning to take my dog out :)

2) SCARVES! Anyone that knows me knows that I have a serious addiction to scarves. In fact, I use them as a decoration on one of my bedroom walls because I have no way to store them all and I want more. Scarves are the perfect way to accessorize an outfit and for me, they are a great way to add a pop of color if I'm wearing a more neutral look. Winter is a season when people can fall into those darker winter clothing colors and a scarf can spice it up a bit. I want all of these scarves pictured above... so adorable! BTW, I googled these scarves so I don't know where they're from...oops! 

[Ohhhh and for those who don't know what to do with a scarf *cough* mom *cough*... here is a bunch of different ways :) ]

J.Crew//Old Navy//Belk//Old Navy

3) Puffer/Quilted Vests! Disclaimer: The first vest is from J.Crew and the only time I shop at J.Crew is when it's from the factory store and it's marked waaaaay down. However, kudos to J.Crew because they really know how to make a good quilted vest! Anyways, these vest are great to just throw on with a long sleeve tee, jeans, a scarf, and boots. Insert my "I don't want to get all girly-ed up outfit" now: 

Forever21//Google//Forever21

4) Tights and Leggings! Can I get an AMEN?! Tights allow me to continue wearing my large collection of dresses [that I get off the clearance rack at the end of the season...yeayah!] throughout the chilly months. And leggings [if worn correctly... say it with me... LEGGINGS ARE NOT PANTS] can be comfy and slimming. Just make sure we are keeping what mama gave us covered up... please and thank you :)

Now for beauty essentials!

1) A Berry Lip: Winter is a time where you can mix it up a bit and have fun with some darker lip colors. A berry lip can be subtle or dramatic! My favorite berry lip color right now: LA Colors Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Orchid.

2) Dark Red Nails: Winter is also a time where you can rock some darker nail colors without looking too vampy. This color is "Mrs. O'Leary's BBQ" by OPI. I think this is a perfect dark red nail polish and if you're not into those OPI prices, some great alternatives are: "Wined Up" by Sally Hansen Insta-Dri and "Vixen" by Revlon.

3) Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer: I am battling some dry skin! With the weather changing and Mother Nature not being able to make her mind, my skin has been doing some freaking out! This moisturizer was actually my mom's so I tried it out/took it off her hands and it is really the only moisturizer that has been working for me lately. SPF 50 is a little higher than I would normally go, but during the winter, I'll deal if the moisturizer does its job.

4) For the more neutral nail folks out there, a taupe-y colored nail may be for you. I tend to lean towards a more neutral color on my fingernails and a bolder color on my toes unless I'm feeling a little saucy. Taupe-y nail colors are great way to stay on trend without going dark. This color is "Glamour Purse" by Essie and some other great alternatives are: "Slick Slate" by Sally Hansen Insta-Dri and "Gray Suede" by Revlon.

5) Aussie 3-Minute Miracle: Winter for me = Dry Skin AND Dry Hair so about once a week I like to give my hair a little extra pampering with a deeeeep conditioner. It helps replenish my dry hair and it smells AWESOME! [Sidenote: If you're ever without your shaving lotion/cream, it also makes a great shaving cream. Just saying haha]

6) Red Nails: 'Tis the season, my friends and who doesn't love a festive nail color. It's bold, darker, and adds a little spice to those cold winter days. What woman paints her nails red and doesn't feel fierce?! This color is "Red Hot Glam" by OPI and a great alternative is "Rapid Red" by Sally Hansen Insta-Dri.

7) Bath and Body Works Winter Candy Apple: I'm a weirdo... Everyone seems to really love Fall and Winter scents from BBW, but I am a Spring-y, Summer-y, and Clean-y smell person. But I do have a weakness that tends to emerge during the colder months... I looooove the smell of apples! My boss got me this lotion for Christmas and I am obsessed with this smell! Right up my alley and mixes nicely with my DKNY Be Delicious perfume which also smells like apples... a trend appears. Mmm... apples :)

 8) Dryness is a winter trend so to accompany my dry skin and hair, I give you my dry lips. Nobody likes chapped lips...eww and ouch. Maybelline Baby Lips are my holy grail lip product. They are so moisturizing, give you a splash of color, and they smell amazing! I probably have every color and I like to have them with me at all times. If you have never tried these, I would definitely give them a go!

9) And last but certainly not least, my Urban Decay Naked 2 palette. This baby was definitely pricey and they just came out with a 3rd one, but for me, this palette is perfect. I am a neutral eye make-up person and these are really great colors. A great dupe [and I wish I had gotten it before I shelled out the moola for this baby] is the Coastal Scents "Revealed" Palette which you can get here [It's currently sold out, but you can get notified when it's back in stock.]

I hope you enjoyed my Winter Essentials... I know it was long, but I'm a talker... thanks for sticking it out with me! BTW, it's a wedding weekend so stay tuned for some OOTDs from this weekend :)

OOTD: Winter Break

Well I am on Winter Break until January... one of the perks of being a full-time student and a grad assistant! If the students are not in school, I don't work. So if I'm not working in the Career Center and I am not going anywhere, it is rare that I am in anything but sweats or track shorts.

So in honor of the fact I decided to get dressed and leave my apartment today, I bring you my first outfit of the day :)

P.S. I apologize for the state of my room... I am not a big cleaner. I'm trying to be a little more organized... New Year's Resolution for 2014... I think yes! Blog post as my organization journey begins!

I am a comfy outfit freak when I'm just running errands!

Love this thick grey sweater from Marshall's! The brand is Kaisely. Though it's a chunky sweater, the detail in the ribbing make this a flattering fit. It also has a cute zipper detail on the back!

I always layer or I fill naked so under my sweater is just a basic white racerback tank from Wal-Mart. The brand is No Boundaries. Love Wal-Mart's basics bc they are sooo cheap :) [P.S. I always get a larger size in the long tanks because they tend to be too tight!]

My jeans are from American Eagle and they are the skinny fit in Clean Rinse! I am huge fan of dark wash jeans and I rarely wear anything else. AE jeans are a little pricier than I like, but I only buy them when they are having a great sell! You can find these jeans here!

And these are my favorite boots! I got them from Belk at the end of winter last year, marked down to 30 bucks! That is insane! They are the brand Naturalizer and the style is "Malloy".

I love scarves and I got this one last year at the end of Winter at Forever21 for like 3 bucks!

I like how easy it is to accessorize a neutral sweater by just throwing on a scarf! Plus this one is warm and snuggly!

This is such a great purse to just throw on and go! Crossbody bags are so convenient and I am in love with the bow detail on this one. I loooove a good bow detail haha I got this from Belk! 

I think a nice pair of dangly earrings is a great way to dress up a comfy outfit. Gives my errands outfit a little bling :) They are from Burke's Outlet. I am not a huge fan of Burke's clothing selections, but they do have some cute accessories for a decent price... you just might have to dig a little.

I got this Relic watch from the Fossil Outlet for 20 bucks. I really needed a silver watch because I wear alot of silver jewelry and when I saw this, it was a great deal! I get alot of compliments on this watch because it looks more expensive than it was.

Very neutral make-up (as usual) with a little pop of color with a berry lip. This is L.A. Colors Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Orchid. I was a little scared of this color at first, but just one coat is a really great pop of berry. It's also very buildable if you are looking for a bolder lip!

Hope you enjoyed my outfit of the day :)