Tag Archives: shopping

Dec3

Flight Of Fancy OOTD

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Flight Of Fancy OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD from my Thanksgiving weekend! This past Saturday, Johnny and I visited our favorite bar, the Cashmere Cricket, and then met up with my parents and niece for a Santa parade in downtown Cuyahoga Falls. As always, Johnny was kind enough to take some pics of yours truly – he’s a total blog husband! This is one of my favorite OOTDs that I’ve done in a long time so let’s get to it:

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Who? What? Wear?

I have been waiting for the right occasion to break out my feather collar and I thought that a day date with Johnny was the perfect time to do so. This OOTD is exciting to me because most of the pieces that are in this look are fairly old and just one accessory breathed new life into all of them. In fact, I totally forgot that I even owned the Express blazer that I purchased during a trip to Goodwill!

When I originally was styling this outfit, I had a simple black sweater on but it wasn’t doing anything for me. I decided a pop of color was needed and went with a white button down that I had bought at H&M forever ago. It has seriously been years since I have worn that shirt and it was just what this outfit needed against the all black palette.

Another thing that I struggled a bit with was finding the right coat to wear because it was friggen freezing that day! One of my heavy winter jackets did the feather collar no favors and I knew that I needed something thinner, despite the cold. Anything for fashion! It took a second trip back into my closet to discover the Express blazer and it was perfect for the sleek silhouette that I had envisioned.

Finally, all that was left were pants and shoes and what I went with was an obvious choice for an almost All Black Everything OOTD. With simple pieces and one outrageous accessory, I felt like a model when my husband was taking my pictures. It was also so nice to revisit one of the spots where we had our engagement photo shoot!

Once I was satisfied with the pics that Johnny took, we warmed up in the Cashmere Cricket while we waited for the parade to start. I enjoyed a delicious color changing martini called The Butterfly Effect and I definitely know what I’ll be ordering again the next time we go!

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Be sure to tune in tomorrow for bonus pictures from my Flight Of Fancy OOTD as well as more about the Santa parade!

How would you style my feather collar? Have you done any fun holiday activities? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov30

Thanksgiving Day OOTD

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Thanksgiving Day OOTD

Howdy! I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with good food and good company. I know that Johnny and I did and it was a vast improvement from last year because we had to sit it out due to a potential COVID exposure for yours truly. Rather than spending my day crying and watching Law & Order SVU, I got to enjoy my Thanksgiving with my family and I am very… THANKFUL!

Check out this lil OOTD before your girl got into her PJs and let the food coma take over. Featuring a cameo by Archie the dog:

Who? What? Wear?

For my Thanksgiving OOTD, I wanted to incorporate fall colors as well as maximum comfort because we all know that it’s a bad idea to wear something tight fitting before a big meal! I played around in my head with what I wanted to wear for Turkey Day several days prior to and am very happy with what I came up with – especially my owl knee highs which I forgot that I even owned lol.

My OOTD started with the Luna Moon peasant blouse that I got during a recent TJMaxx haul and I thought that it was perfect for Thanksgiving. I absolutely love the mustard yellow base combined with the colors of the beautiful embroidery and thought that it screamed fall festive. The skirt was actually a hand me down from a client’s friend and it paired wonderfully with the gold button accents.

It was a cold and rainy Thanksgiving day in my neck of the woods and I knew that I needed something to cover up my legs. I was hoping to wear a white pair of tights but realized that I didn’t have any so I had to do some digging in my odds and ends box in my closet. There, I discovered my owl knee highs that I purchased during a brief stint of working at Claire’s and knew that they would do just fine. In fact, I liked it even better than the original idea of tights!

To complete my outfit, I chose my Lulu Hun heeled oxfords for a little touch of student teacher chic. I haven’t worn these shoes in a while, which blows my mind because they are adorable. These shoes also helped tie together the fall palette that I wanted to create with each component of my OOTD.

When it comes to combining cute with comfortable, this look accomplished my mission to the T. I love how the different colors and patterns worked all together, which made for a really fun OOTD out of fairly simple pieces. Although, I’d be a liar if I said that I wasn’t dying to get into my pajamas all day!

How was your Thanksgiving? What did you wear to stunt in your house? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov29

Holiday Gift Ideas

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Holiday Gift Ideas

Hello! We are going full speed towards gift giving holidays so I thought that it would be the perfect time to share some gift ideas for all of those last minute shoppers out there. I have been done with my shopping since October and just the thought of completing shopping now gives me anxiety! On the contrary, though, I have been SO procrastinating on wrapping all of them lol. Whether you want to find unique gifts for phlebotomists or you want something more general, this list is going to give you the inspiration you need. Let’s get to it:

Baking Kits:

King Arthur Flour has an amazing gift selection filled with baking kits and gear. Even if you aren’t so handy in the kitchen, the kits make it easy to bake a delicious dessert and it’s also a fun activity to do if your giftee has little ones. This year, I purchased a hot chocolate kit for the families of my clients that included two mugs too. It was so reasonably priced and I think that they are going to love it!

Relaxation Station:

If you have a giftee who could benefit from some extra chill time, how about a relaxation kit filled with candles, aromatherapy oils, and bubble bath. You could even take it one step further and gift them with a gift card or membership to a yoga studio. These past two years have been so difficult for everyone and relaxing themed presents will also gift the person you’re buying for with some much needed “me time”.

Sports Fan:

If you have a sports fan on your shopping list, then you have a plethora of options to choose from. Customized gear of their favorite team will be much appreciated or you could get them a puzzle or model of their favorite stadium. You could even take them to try their hand on the links with a golfing instructor. If they are not the athletic type, sports games at an arcade bar will do just fine. As always, tickets to a big game will always go over well!

Travel Lovers:

Those who love to travel will surely enjoy guides to the next place they’d like to go to. You could get them all kinds of travel sized products, a subscription to Audible for those long plane rides, and a neck pillow or blanket. Then, put it all in a customized carry on. The ultimate gift for the wanderlusters on your list.

A Piece Of The Beach:

For many, the beach is their happy place. If you know someone who daydreams of the ocean on a dreary day, then bring the beach to them. There are many Etsy shops that put sand from a favorite beach into a locket style necklace for a beautiful and timeless gift. In fact, I bought something like that for one of my besties and she absolutely loved it!

If jewelry isn’t your giftees thing, then fear not. You could go with beach themed decor, a stack of books to tackle on their next ocean side vacation, or a noise machine so the sound of crashing waves can soothe them. Bringing a touch of the beach into freezing December has never been easier.

Subscription Services:

There are so many awesome subscription services out there, which are truly the gift that keeps on giving. You could sign your giftee up for Netflix, Spotify, Audible, or Amazon Prime for easy access to entertainment. There are also monthly gift boxes like Sephora Play! for makeup gurus, BirchBox for pampering, or Hello Fresh for those who can’t stand cooking. It will be like the holidays all over again when their monthly box arrives in the mail!

If you are stumped for gift ideas, then hopefully the ones listed above will help steer you in the right direction. If you guys finish your shopping, then I guess I can finish my gift wrapping! 😀

Are you an early or late holiday shopper? What is your favorite type of gift to receive? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov19

Polymer Clay Accessories Are Bringing Back A Funky Trend

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Polymer Clay Accessories Are Bringing Back A Funky Trend

The growth of the online shopping industry has encouraged budding entrepreneurs to get creative in making their products as unique as possible. Trends in accessorizing have leaned toward asymmetrical looks, like mismatching earrings to highlight each one as an individual work of art. More than ever, photo editing for jewelry eCommerce shops has become necessary if the entrepreneur wants their campaign to be successful.

Recently, polymer clay came into prominence due to the unlimited designs that accessory makers can shape and bake. Aside from the available colors of the clay, artists have the option of creating new ones similar to how you might form a new color from mixing paint. The shapes can also have iterations without limiting makers due to how easy it is to mold clay.

It is also more durable once baked compared to cheaper materials that are mass produced. The assurance that the accessory will be long-lasting, unique, and personalized encourages the market to prefer it as an addition to their collection. These are just a few of the reasons why these accessories are so special:

Durability Of The Material:

So long as the accessory is baked and shaped properly, it cannot be broken by hand. This curing process allows it to be stronger while imprinting on the mold or the shape formed. If it is not performed according to the curing instructions for your clay, it will become brittle and easy to break. Due to its durability, it is easier for shop owners to ship to their customers without the possibility of them breaking.

These accessories might be a bit more expensive than the normal off the rack accessories, but they allow you to style yourself without the worry of glued on objects falling off. They will also be cheaper than the more luxurious kinds of accessories while allowing you to be more expressive about your personality.

Personalized Accessories:

Polymer accessories are often used to make tourist key chains because they can be easily personalized. The clay acts as a sandbox for the customer, allowing them to request any design they prefer. Names, phrases, and even likeness can be imprinted on the clay depending on the method used by the artist.

This medium is similar to having commissioned artwork, wherein the client can have a say in what is produced. The items can be personalized for a particular event like a wedding, anniversary, or the perfect gift for a friend.

Each Is Unique:

Early in the 2010s, IKEA released vases that would have hand prints on each one from the potter. The argument for this design was to make them unique and to have an imprint of the human touch. Each polymer clay accessory made are likely to be handcrafted and pressed with the artist’s fingers. Although they might avoid leaving unintentional prints on their designs, the uniqueness of each item cannot be avoided because humans cannot perfectly replicate one design.

There will always be a small adjustment or a faint hint of the attempt to duplicate the original. Even though the customer might not notice the difference, the artist can likely identify their experience when presented with an accessory, even if it is one of two in a set of earrings.

Polymer clay is yet another platform for creativity to enter the fashion world. It encourages vibrant and one of a kind designs to entice the public with the chance for a unique addition to their look!

Featured Image By: ArtHouse Studio from Pexels

Nov19

Black Friday Shopping Tips

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Black Friday Shopping Tips

Hello! Yesterday we discussed some tips and tricks to help get you prepared for Thanksgiving, which means that it’s time to talk about Black Friday shopping today. Black Friday is going to look different this year with COVID-19 still being so prevalent so it’s important to have a game plan to safely and successfully complete your shopping. Let’s get to it:

Do Your Research:

Lots of major retailers are no longer going to be open on Thanksgiving evening which I think is great. Or, some of the shops might not be open period due to COVID. When you’re planning your shopping route, make sure you consult the websites of your favorite stores to see when they are open, if at all, so you don’t end up at a store that’s closed.

Don’t forget to look into the COVID precautions of where you’re going too. They might be limiting the amount of people allowed in the store and masks could be needed for entry. Pack a couple of extra masks with you and dress in warm layers in case you have to wait outside of the store until you can go in.

Sign Up For Rewards Programs:

So many different stores have rewards programs that you can sign up for to save money and this is something that you can usually do online. If the stores you’re going to offers a rewards program, it never hurts to sign up for it. Some stores might be offering special Black Friday deals specifically for those who are part of their rewards club. This might include early or prolonged access to Black Friday deals and an extra percentage off of your purchase.

Check Out Cyber Monday:

In many cases, you don’t have to step foot in a store to get great post Thanksgiving deals. Due to COVID, many retailers are probably going to be offering the same deals online as they are in store. If you prefer to stay home and aren’t seeing any sales online on Black Friday, hold off until Cyber Monday. Monday is, traditionally, the day when you can save a bundle with your online shopping so don’t fret if you aren’t seeing what you would like to buy on promotion immediately.

Don’t Forget Small Business Saturday:

It is always important to support your local businesses, especially now more than ever. Your favorite local boutiques, eateries, and storefronts are sure to be offering great deals on Small Business Saturday. This is an amazing way to pick out unique gifts for those on your shopping list (Or yourself!) and give back to the small business owners in your area.

Safety First:

We have already discussed looking into the COVID precautions for Black Friday and now we will be talking about a different kind of safety. No matter how good the deal, nothing is worth getting into a fight over! If this should happen to you, just let it go for your safety’s sake. And, please, if you see anyone hurt or who has fallen: HELP THEM.

Whether you’re shopping Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, or Cyber Monday, use the tips above for maximum efficiency and maximum savings!

Do you participate in any of the mentioned shopping days? What is the best deal you have gotten if so? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov4

Spooky Spectacular OOTD

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Spooky Spectacular OOTD

Hi! Today, we are going to take a look at my Spooky Spectacular OOTD for Halloween. I’ll be the first to admit that I threw this costume together and hoped for the best and I am incredibly pleased with how it turned out. Although I couldn’t find a vampire costume to match Johnny’s, that’s okay, because I was able to come up with a costume that no one else would have. Take a look:

Who? What? Wear?

During our search for Halloween costumes, Johnny and I went to three different stores and I couldn’t find NOTHIN minus a couple of super cool accessories. This included the claw rings that I am obsessed with even though they are way too big and crazy cheap lol. Johnny was able to find a vampire costume that I thought he looked dashing in while I had to resort to online shopping after our rounds at the stores.

I scoured Amazon for over a half hour and was still coming up empty. I just couldn’t find anything that spoke to me and I had all but given up when I stumbled upon the skeleton bodysuit by Tipsy Elves. It was definitely more expensive than what I was comfortable with, however, it was one of the few things I saw that I could actually work with so I gave it a shot. It conveniently arrived with free one day shipping and it was a huge relief that it fit well when I tried it on. The last thing I needed was to find another costume in a sea of not so muches.

Despite having the bodysuit, my costume was not complete because I felt too exposed in just the bodysuit and fishnets. I decided that a black tutu skirt was a necessity so Johnny and I made our way back to Spirit Halloween the Thursday before the big weekend. The store was so picked over and entire shelves were completely bare with no black tutu skirt in sight. All that was left was red and purple skirts, so red it was. At the time, I wasn’t thrilled about it but after putting on the completed costume, I should have been looking for a red skirt all along – it’s so cute!

To finish the look, I went with my wedding heels that worked perfectly with the skeleton bodysuit. I also was really happy to be able to wear them again after mine and Johnny’s June nuptials. After my OOTD was ready to go, it was time to apply makeup and that went as well as to be expected with a palette from Spirit Halloween lol. Needless to say, it didn’t apply very well but I was pleased with how my attempt at skeleton makeup turned out even though I didn’t have the best tools to work with.

My Spooky Spectacular costume is one that I am really proud of and it turned out even better than I expected. Thrown together? Yes. So cute it’s scary? Yes times a million! Be sure to tune in tomorrow for bonus pictures! 😀

What did you do for Halloween? What did you dress up as? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Nov3

Sephora Haul

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Sephora Haul

Hi! I was running low on my Better Than Sex mascara, which meant that it was time to put an online order in with Sephora. I love shopping on Sephora’s website because of all of the amazing freebies that are offered with your purchase. You can’t beat free shipping, two samples, a mini product, and cashing in your Beauty Insider points for a haul worth writing home about… Or posting on your blog about, I should say! Check it out:

The Haul:

  • 2 Too Faced Better Than Sex mascaras
  • Clinique Moisture Surge moisturizer: FREE with Beauty Insider points
  • Summer Fridays Jet Lag face mask: FREE with twenty-five dollar purchase
  • Lancome Advanced Genifique serum sample: FREE with purchase
  • Fenty Skin starter set sample: FREE with purchase

The Better Than Sex mascara by Too Faced is the most expensive makeup product that I use. While I cringe a bit at the twenty-seven dollar price tag, I can justify it by all of the goodies that I get to test out from my purchase. Sephora always offers an assortment of free mini products with twenty-five dollar orders and if you shop with Sephora, then you know that that isn’t hard to do!

During my online shopping, I usually like to cash in my Beauty Insider points and when I saw that the Clinique Moisture Surge moisturizer was available, it went into my bag immediately. I do love my Garnier SkinActive moisturizers but the Moisture Surge by Clinique is SO nice. It is ultra hydrating, so lightweight, and absorbs like a dream. Although I have a ton of my Garnier moisturizers in my stock pile, the Clinique one will be much appreciated during the winter to help combat dry skin.

For my next freebie, I chose the Jet Lag face mask by Summer Fridays because it has been a while since we have had a Face Mask Festivities post. Testing out new face masks is one of my favorite things to do to relax and you can’t beat trying one out free of charge. I’m excited! 😀

Finally, for my samples I went with a serum by Lancome and the Fenty Skin starter set. I could take or leave the serum because I am most looking forward to trying out the Fenty products – I have always wanted to! The starter set came with the Total Cleans’r, Fat Water, and Hydra Vizor. How can you turn down testing out a product named Fat Water?! The answer is that you don’t lol.

For under sixty dollars, I was able to get my must have mascara and a whole lot of freebies along with it. I can’t wait to try out all of the new to me products in my haul so keep it posted for reviews!

Have you used any of these products before? What do you think of them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

 

Nov2

Accessory Story: Halloween Haul Pt. 2

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Accessory Story: Halloween Haul Pt. 2

Hello! After acquiring our Halloween costumes, Johnny and I realized that we didn’t have everything that we needed. So, we made our way back to Spirit Halloween to pick up some odds and ends to complete our costumes. Makeup was an absolute must but I also needed to grab some type of skirt for my bodysuit style costume, which I can’t wait to show you all! Now, take a look at this part two Halloween Haul:

Despite getting everything that we needed for our costumes, I will be the first to admit that Johnny and I should have done this a lot earlier. When we hit the store last Thursday, Spirit Halloween was so picked over with entire displays completely bare and a check out line longer than waiting for a ride at an amusement part. I think if we waited even an hour longer to go, we wouldn’t have gotten the last few essentials for our costumes!

Originally, I wanted a black tulle skirt to compliment my bodysuit but there was none to be found. All that was left was purple and red skirts so red it was! Because the red was going to be such an abrupt pop of color, I decided to go with the glitter top hat headband to tie the look together. It might work or it might not but, on the bright side, I could use it if I celebrate Halloween as a sexy Mad Hatter next year lol.

With the costume accessories taken care of, it was onto makeup and Johnny purchased us a palette with red, black, and white cream based makeup. While he selected our face palette, I needed eyelash glue in a bad way because all of mine was no longer usable. I won’t be wearing the bow fake eyelashes with my costume but it gave me all of the Hello Kitty vibes and I couldn’t pass them up. So cute!

And, finally, the hair glitter was not really a costume purchase either but something fun to have. I used to love using gold and silver spray glitter in my hair for some fairy sparkle so I just had to buy a can for myself. I was a bit disappointed that there was no gold glitter but beggars can’t be choosers when the entire store’s supply was almost entirely gone.

Partially for costumes and partially for fun, Spirit Halloween provided me with another successful accessory haul. I can’t wait for all of you to see mine and Johnny’s Halloween OOTDs so keep it posted!

What is your favorite holiday? What did you dress up as for Halloween? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov1

Accessory Story: Halloween Haul Edition

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Accessory Story: Halloween Haul Edition

Hi! Halloween is mine and Johnny’s favorite time of the year. We love the style, the decorations, and all of the other spooky treats that come with the season. Last week, we ventured out to three different stores to search for vampire costumes for Halloween weekend and while Johnny found a great costume, I had no such luck. I had to resort to purchasing a costume off of Amazon (Which you will all see soon!) but I didn’t walk away from our shopping empty handed. Check out my Halloween Accessory Haul:

While I normally prefer accessory shopping at TJMaxx, you can’t beat places like Spirit Halloween to find odds and ends that add a touch of the macabre to all of your OOTDS. I have always wanted finger rings despite my pointy acrylics and just couldn’t pass up on the ones that I bought. And, yes, I had to buy them both because I couldn’t decide between the Vampire and Skeleton pack! Can you imagine typing at the keyboard with those babies on? 😀

Several years ago, I bought a pair of my favorite bloody knife earrings from Spirit Halloween and was looking forward to scoping out their earring selection. It definitely didn’t disappoint and I love the Day Of The Dead inspired dangly pair that I picked out. The real piece de resistance, however, is the feather collar for all of the Black Swan vibes. I recently rewatched that movie for the millionth time and when I saw only one collar left on the shelf, it had to come home with me.

I seriously cannot wait to create a look with the collar as the centerpiece so keep your eyes peeled for that as well as my Halloween costume OOTD very soon. It may be November first but that’s no matter when every day is Halloween in my household! ❤

What did you dress up as for Halloween? How would you style my feather collar? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct24

Bath & Body Works Haul

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Bath & Body Works Haul

Hello! When it comes to my beauty hoard, I like to keep it very well stocked. This means having at least two backups of my most used products on hand at all times. Johnny and I are both extremely partial to the hand soaps from Bath & Body Works so when I saw that we only had one left, a restock was definitely in order! Check it out:

Would I Buy Again?

  • Island Papaya: YES
  • Ghoul Friend: YES
  • Afternoon Apple Picking: YES
  • Blueberry Maple Pancakes: NO
  • Peach Bellini: YES
  • Let’s Get Nuts: MAYBE
  • Spooky Hand Sanitizers: YES!

Despite a couple of misses during this B&BW haul, I am still pleased with it. The Island Papaya was a huge success with Johnny who loves all things tropical and I am always happy to get another Peach Bellini hand soap – it’s my favorite! Afternoon Apple Picking was also a scent that we both really liked because it smelled strictly like apples without a touch of cinnamon, which we both hate lol. Now, let’s move on to the not so liked buys:

When I saw the Blueberry Maple Pancakes soap, I thought that it would smell amazing and was looking forward to its arrival in the mail. Unfortunately, it missed the mark big time. Instead of a delicious blueberry bakery scent, it just smells like straight up syrup and is almost sickeningly sweet.

Let’s Get Nuts is another scent that I could probably do without. It is your basic vanilla and, don’t get me wrong, I am a huge vanilla fan. However, vanilla can be kind of boring when there are so many other fun hand soap scents to explore. I actually didn’t plan on buying the soap but almost all of the Halloween scents were sold out so I added it to the shopping cart to make the most of the six soaps for twenty-four dollars deal.

The biggest success of this haul was not the soaps but the hand sanitizers! Last month, I got a coupon for a free sani and I absolutely loved it. The scent was nice and light and it made my hands feel clean without drying them out. Since we couldn’t get many Halloween scented soaps, we settled for the five for eight dollars spooky sani pack which is a great deal. Johnny and I are both currently using Vampire Blood and the only thing that would make it perfect is if we had the hand soap too – it smells SO good!

Hit or miss, you can never go wrong with the foaming hand soaps from Bath & Body Works. I am already looking forward to the next restock! 😀

What is your favorite B&BW scent? What is in your beauty stock pile? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah