So Loving it Right Now

Seasons greetings mah people! Sorry for the lack of updates, I am currently vacationing in Ohio and forgot my camera cord in Titletown. I wanted to wait so that I could use my pictures along with my posts but I am impatient (go figure) and just want to post NOW! (Hence the shoddy picture quality from the iPhone even though I have the newer one with the better camera...it's still crap.)

It has been beautiful and snowing here almost every day! I haven't seen snow in about two years! My life post-finals has consisted of the following things that I am SO LOVING. (In case you are wondering the photo at the top is from my last day of Accounting class. To celebrate my friend Andrew dressed up as Santa and I obvi had to get a pic. Please disregard my random elf ear peeking out of my hair, not sure what that is.)

So Loving it Right Now.........

1. Mad Men on DVD

This show is hands-down the best non-comedy show on television. I have been watching the DVD's starting at Season One over break and I am hooked. If you are otherwise sitting on your rear watching "The 400 lb. Virgin" or "Jersey Shore" there is no reason why you should not expose yourself to this piece of small screen magic. January Jones and Jon Hamm are equally gorgeous and the layers of each character is truly mesmerizing. (Sorry Snookie and The Situation, please don't take it personally, I unfortunately love your show even though you single handedly deface the Italian culture one poof, blowout, and roid rage sesh at a time.)

2. "Cardy" Ugg Boots

I just got these ADORABLE boots from my bf as an early Christmas present because he knew I could use them in Alaska Ohio. The are SO comfortable and go with everything! I have been a fan of the older knit Ugg boot that came out about a year ago and I like this new "Cardy" style even better than the older one! I have discovered a million different ways to wear these guys (besides the above, traditional way) and I am sure I will come up with more as I have been wearing them every day! Here are some ways I have figured out so far. (Again, sorry for the crapola pictures, it was late afternoon.)

Scrunched down!

Top half fold! (Could also fold all the way!)

Unbuttoned and folded! (Probably my favorite!)

3. Gator Snuggies

Although I do not yet have one of my own I have been schlepping around in my bf's Gator Snuggie that my mom gave him for his birthday. Make fun of these things all you want, the second you put your arms into "the blanket with sleeves" you will understand. (And if you get a collegiate Snuggie you will not only understand but you will look like an enthusiastic, sports-loving monk. And what could be better than that?)

4. Crush It

I recently won this book off of Twitter from one of my favorite entrepreneur/social media dude/wine connoisseur Gary Vaynerchuk. (Follow him @garyvee) This dude is a high energy, in your face, no crap kind of business man and I LOVE watching all of his videos about building your business and using technology to your advantage. Gary grew his family's discount liquor store into a 70 MILLION dollar business all through hard work, sweat, and something that he likes to call CARING. This book is an easy read and will give you the kick in the you-know-what you need to start doing something about your passions and dreams. Oh, and did I mention he sells wine for a living? Where do I sign up?

5. Nordstrom Rack

I always find the BEST deals when I come to Ohio and visit Nordstom Rack. Last visit I found Burberry rain boots for UNDER $100! Well, I must have good Nordstrom Rack Burberry karma because this trip I found Burberry gold quilted flats for......$4o! Can you believe it?! Point, me. Thank you come again. I can not wait to wear these with an all-black outfit and minimal gold jewelry. Poss black tights, black turtle neck under a black tank dress, thin gold bangle, and gold chandelier earrings? Okay don't mind if I do!

Hope everyone is SO LOVING their holiday!

Through Pink Colored Glasses,

Rent the Runway? Okay!

RENT? RUNWAY? What is this you ask? Well, in my opinion, it is one of the most genius business ideas I have ever heard of and I am kicking myself that it wasn't my own.

RentTheRunway.com is a brand new site that offers designer gowns and dresses for...you guessed it...RENT. I know everyone has probably already heard of Bag, Borrow, or Steal which offers you handbags, watches, and accesories (basically) for rent. I honestly have never wanted to try that site because I rarely spend oodles on super trendy bags and accessories. You are never going to find people like me getting tired of carrying a classic Louis' but you will find us wearing a beautiful designer dress only once and then shoving it in the back of our closets behind a pile of gaucho pants. This site offers dresses for weddings, special formal events, birthday soirees, and, well, if you are that fabulous, for lounging around the crib.

I had the pleasure of speaking some of the ladies from RentTheRunway.com and learned that the idea for the site came from two women geniuses before their graduation from Harvard Business School. (Yet another reason why I must Legally Blonde myself into Harvard...I wish I was joking.) Founders Jennifer Hyman and Jennifer Fleiss recognized the need for a service like Rent The Runway and pounced upon the opportunity to fill this retail void.

Rent The Runway offers a multitude of designers from Proenza Schouler to Alice + Olivia. Once you decide on which fabulous frock you would like to rent, you will be sent TWO sizes, a luxury garment bag, a "fit kit" full of styling essentials, and everything you need to ship it all back! You can rent your dress for 4-8 days and can even pick out a second (or third) dress for only $25! (Which could potentially be a conundrum if you LOVE all the ensembles...Then again, I guess that is a good problem to have!) If you don't like your selection, you are offered the chance to return any unworn dress within 24 hours for a full credit! (But really, I doubt that would happen.) The cost of the rentals start at $50 and are approximately 10% of the retail price. Think, you could wear this Catherine Malandrino dress that retails for $595 for only $75!!!

Here are some of my favorites!

Christian Siriano

Fierce Mocha Mini

Retail $1200, rent for $150!

Herve Leger (Pardon the no accent marks...)

Gunmetal Bustier Sheath

Retail $1650, rent for $200!

Helmut Lang

Cold Shoulder Dress

Retail $415, rent for $50!

Currently Rent The Runway is operating similar to many sample sale sites and you must be invited and accepted as a member. If you simply leave a comment in this post with your name and e-mail address I can invite you from my account!

Through Pink Colored Glasses,

All I Want for Christmas

It's that time of the year for giving and getting. I normally obsess all November about what I want for Christmas and this year I had a little bit harder time deciding exactly what I want! (Oh, the horror, I know.) So, here are some gifts am adoring right now!

Nicole Richie for Bebe Aztec Necklace

$69.00

I can not BELIEVE this is even real. I have been obsessing over Nicole's House of Harlow jewelry line forever. One problem, the necklace that I wanted was about $300. She now makes the EXACT same necklace for Bebe! After I found out about the Bebe version I looked up exactly how much the House of Harlow necklace was. To my surprise, the lowered the price of the original one!

American Apparel Velvet Stirrup Leggings

$45.00

I swear I had these when I was about five years old but fashion is cyclical people! I think these are perfect for the holiday season and would keep you warm and toasty!

Anthropologie Ruffle Jacket

$128.00

Just, BEAUTIFUL! Perfect for a fashionista of any age!

Flip HD Mini Video Camera

$149.99

These little guys are SUPER popular as of recently because bloggers have been using them to create content. My camera takes video but this is is way more hip! They are also all over Amazon and other sites for way cheaper! These are perfect for any age, pretty sure a three year old could work one. They even make an underwater case to shoot your own version of Finding Nemo.

Tory Burch Reva Ballerina Flat

$195.00

Cute and versatile flat! I could wear these puppies in ANY color!

Snuggie

$14.99

I have simply held out long enough. I can't deny the fact that I want one of these! Hello, it is a blanket with SLEEVES. To you it might just be a backwards bathrobe, to me, it is awesome.

What gifts do you want to give/receive this year!?!?

Through Pink Colored Glasses,

Euro Fashion Recap Part One: Be a Swinger!

As most of you who read my blog may know, I recently took my first trip across the pond. During my trip I made SURE to snatch up fashion mags everywhere I could so I could report everything that I saw! I was actually pretty surprised that the fashion was not too far ahead of the good 'ol states! Even though that was the case, I still found some great ideas that I would like to share with y'all! I also discovered TONS of Euro-only stores that sell their clothing, accessories, and shoes online! Let's all cross our fingers that the dollar appreciates and we can go bananas Euro-shopping rather than crying after looking at the exchange calculations. Since there is positively too much to blog about in just one post, I will write a couple installments of some of my favs from the magazines.

Ok so I know you are wondering why I titled this post, "Be a Swinger!" No, no, I am not advocating a life of partner swapping and living with reckless abandon...I am talking about SWING COATS! This snippet is from Vogue UK!

The Swing Coat

Swinging is fun! Even though it is hard for me to come to grips with the dropping temps, I love cute winter wear. This particular denim swing coat was sewn from an old Vogue design specifically for this article. I absolutely LOVE it! This outfit is perfect for a cool day and could be converted easily to accommodate cooler weather! Even though you can't purchase this custom coat, there are plenty of adorable swing coats in stores! I LOVE the mix of patterns and textures in this outfit. Pile on the necklaces over a breezy white top and a pair of shorty shorts with heels and you are set!

Swing Coats in a Dark Palette

A darker palette allows for greater ease of pattern mixing. If you wanted to pair these darker coats with an outfit similar to the one above, simply pair with black shorts, a black micro mini (with or without tights!) or even black leggings!

Houndstooth Swing Coat

Charlotte Russe

$34.99

Black Wool

Forever 21

$32.80

Tucked

Seven for All Mankind

$149

Swing Coats with a Splash!

Each of these yummy coats can be worn with the same type of outfit as shown in the magazine! Or you can pair them with a short, structured dress for a work look!

Bow Coat

Forever 21

$24.80

Pretty in Pink

Asos

$76.49

This one is actually from a UK site!

Cerulean Blue

Anthropologie

$128

Now let's all shop and be SWINGERS!

Through Pink Colored Glasses,

Everyone Needs a little SPA in their life!

If you have a case of the Mondays, here is something that might make your day a little cheerier! If you are not already, follow me on Twitter to get your daily (most of the time hourly) view of my life Through Pink Colored Glasses!

Through Twitter I have become friends with Michelle (follow her on Twitter here!) who writes for SpaWeek.com 's blog! This chick is hilarious, fabulous, smart, witty, and FULL of great ideas to keep you beautiful! (You can also follow SpaWeek on Twitter here~!)

To get a little glimpse of what Michelle does, here is a hilarious (and brave!) video of her trip to get a Brazilian wax. Great tips here, check it out!

If that wasn't enough to get you to check out her blog, SpaWeek is also hosting a SPALIDAY COUNTDOWN full of giveaways and prizes! Head here for the full details!

Here's some deets peeps (Just click to see the picture full size!)

Check it out and win some free stuff or get a great discount on gift cards!!! Their holiday special right now is to get a $100 gift card for $80!

Through Pink Colored Glasses,

So Loving it Right Now

Hey y'all!

Here is the latest installment of "So Loving it Right Now." A compilation of all things I am So Loving! This post doesn't even need a "So Not Loving it Right Now" because things are just peachy and nothing is driving me nuts enough to put in a list. (Minus the Gators losing but I am not at a place to talk about that quite yet...sensitive subject.)

So Loving it Right Now

1. Hershey Kiss Holiday Candy Cane Kisses

OHHHH EMMMM GEEEE guys. I don't think you get it. These are amazing. I need a 12-step program for realz. I haven't tried it yet but I am going to soon crush these up and put them in coffee and hot chocolate...YUM! By the way I think these are low calorie as well......not. (I wish.)

2. American Apparel Circle Scarf

I am genuinely surprised that I don't have an actual picture of myself in this scarf. I bought my bubblegum pink circle scarf at Midnight Madness on Thanksgiving night from the American Apparel Outlet. You can literally wear this thing a hundred different ways. AND hello, mine is pink and therefore goes with almost everything that I wear. My favorite outfit that I wore the scarf with is black leggings, tall black Uggs, and a long grey tank!

3. Free People Moccasin Wedge Booties

I recently purchased these adorable booties for $35 from a store here in Gainesville called Urban Threads that sells discounted Free People, Urban Outfitters, J Crew, and Anthropologie treasures. When wearing these you walk a fine line between boho chic and looking like a knock-off Sacajewea. So, make sure you don't go crazy with this trend. The day I bought these booties I realized once I got home that I had nothing (that I liked enough) to wear with them! So, I wore this Lara Miller dress and boho bangle that belong to a girlfriend of mine.

I loved the outfit and can't wait to wear these with tights or a neutral colored romper. Unfortunately I can't find these anywhere online, assumedly because the store sells a lot of merchandise that is no longer available in stores/online. BUT, I can't leave you without any recommendations on where to snag the style for yourself!

I found these Juicy booties (haha get it, sorry couldn't resist!) on NeimanMarcus.com for $275. They don't have a platform but could be worn in even more ways that the wedge! Neiman's is also running a special right now where you can get free shipping at any price with the code DECNM!

I also found these Minnetonka "Woodstock" boots on Zappos for $82! They look so comfortable and cute!

Through Pink Colored Glasses,

Christmas Crafting

In this post you will find:

How to make simple, low-cost, quick Christmas decorations that look like Pottery Barn!

I am SO excited to share with you all some holiday projects that I have made to decorate my apartment this year! I love Pottery Barn's decorations and this year they were absolutely fabulous. BUT, since I am a poor graduate student I can't exactly afford to pay six dollars for one ornament...I made them myself! Since my apartment is a non-denominational holiday household I decided to ditch the red, green, and Santa's and EMBRACE THE CHRISMUKKAH! (One of my roommates will be putting up her menorah soon and I am so excited to light it! Ooo and eat chocolate coins.) I went with a color scheme of purples and silver also because I mooched half of the decor and crafting materials from my mom whose favorite color is purple.

I was first inspired to craft after seeing this BEAUTIFUL peace sign tree in Pottery Barn's catalog. I then looked at the $6.00 price tag for one sparkly ornament and got out my exacto-knife. Here are the step by step instructions for how I made my own peace sign tree! (Since I had most of the materials already I am not sure exactly how much it might cost but I would imagine if you spent about ten dollars on materials you could use them for all kinds of other projects!)

Peace Sign Ornaments

Approximate Time: 15 minutes (with drying time, etc.)

What You Need:

-1 Can of Silver Spray Paint

-1 Jar of Glitter (I used clear whitish glitter because if you use colored card stock of the color you want the color will show through and you don't even have to paint them!)

-1 Thick Piece of Cardboard (You don't want to cut your counter)

-Exacto-Knife

-Paint Brush

-Glue (I used Tacky Glue but Elmer's or spray glue would work fine)

-Pieces of Card Stock

-A Computer

-A Printer

-Painter's Tape (Or whatever tape, I just used this because it is what I had)

-Hole Puncher (Preferably one that you can see where the hole goes)

-Thin Ribbon (I picked purple!)

-Newspaper

-Scissors

1. Print out a peace sign from the computer, I used this one.

2. Tape the template on top of a couple of pieces of card stock. I did three pieces at a time, any thicker would have given me tennis elbow.

3. Tape the edges of the card stock together so they don't slip while you are cutting.

4. Start cutting from the inside-out along the lines of the peace sign.

5. Use Scissors to cut around the circle, I swear it is easier than the knife.

6. Punch a hole at the top where you will want the peace sign to hang from.

7. Set out the peace signs on the newspaper in a well ventilated area unless you are attempting to have a VERY merry Christmas.

8. Spray the peace signs on the front and back, they will take about two minutes to dry unless you drown them in paint.

9. Paint one side of the peace sign with glue with the brush. Sprinkle with glitter to your heart's desire.

10. Once dry, you can do the other side, leave it silver, or even try another color glitter on the other side! (If you are super anal about your crafts...unlike me...you can glue pieces of a coffee stirrer sprayed silver or a popsicle stick sprayed silver to make sure the peace sign stays straight and has some weight to it. I may do this eventually but I am impatient and wanted my pretty tree to be decorated!) Attach your ribbon and you are done!

*I also made teensy tiny peace signs without holes to just stick in the tree! I love them and they are too cute!

VOILA! Here is the finished product! I am obsessed!

The next project that I decided to do was make metallic sparkle pine cones. The pine cones in Pottery Barn are eight dollars.....uhhmm no. I headed out in my parent's backyard with a flashlight (because I got the holiday crafting itch after sundown of course) and gathered all the pine cones I could find.

Metallic Pine Cones

Approximate Time: Five minutes (longer if your pine cone gathering expedition is more difficult than expected. If so, you can buy them from a craft store for cheaper than eight bucks.)

What You Need:

-1 Can of Spray Paint (I did silver again)

-Spray Glue (Usually comes in an aerosol)

-Glitter

-Pine Cones

-Newspaper

1. Place the pine cones on the newspaper after you shake them out for critters and dirt.

2. Spray the pine cones with the spray paint. Make sure you turn them and look at them from different angles to ensure they are covered.

3. Spray the cones the same way with the spray glue. Do not use too much, this stuff goes a long way.

4. Sprinkle with glitter.

THAT'S IT!!!

I put mine as the filler in a vase and scattered in my tree but you could put them in a bowl, in the bottom of a poinsettia plant, or any other idea you come up with! Here is the finished product!

I hope you all enjoyed my holiday crafting how-to. Hopefully I will have time to craft more and let you know how it goes! Let me know if you have any questions, here are some other photos of my peace, purple, and silver holiday decor!

Through Pink Colored Glasses,