Bought A House! + Home Decor.

Yup. Just leveled up one level in the adult world. 

When we first began packing for the big move, I was a bit sad believe it or not. Our little apartment was our first "home" on our own since getting married. All those memories!!! I miss you already my dingy, beige, mediocre carpet. Hah. But now that we're moved in, I couldn't be happier :)

I'm excited about finally being able to decorate too. I was never really interested in decorating our apartment because I knew it was temporary. The practical side of me also didn't want to take down the decorations once we decided to move. Haha.

SO. Here's a little sneak peak of what the top of my dresser looks like at the moment. It's topped with my jewelry right now but I think things will be moving around more once we really get settled in. The gold jewelry tree pictured below is from Uncommon Goods, where you can find literally that. Uncommon goods. They have super cute unique pieces for all aspects of your home and they're all handmade by designers using sustainable and ecofriendly practices. Cool right? To check out a few more jewelry pieces, click here.

I chose this jewelry tree from their jewelry line because well, I've always wanted one lol. Here's a few more unique pieces that would make awesome Christmas presents too! And a list of ideas here that your special someone might enjoy.

The Jewelry Tree is perfect for hanging pretty dainty things and honestly, it looks awesome as a standalone piece too. I feel like when I can see all my jewelry at once, I wear different pieces more often. You know? Like, if its tucked away in a box somewhere, I'm more likely to forget about it. Oh hi necklace from 2 years ago. I think I'll wear you out today.  

 +  Jewelry Tree  +

Hopefully more home updates to come soon! We're taking a big trip to IKEA tomorrow. Whoop :)

A special thank you to Uncommon Goods for sponsoring this post. And thank you to my readers for being so supportive of this blog and also of my sponsors. Happy Holidays!

A little #ootd ++ a giveaway winner.

Truth: One perk about blogging is that from time to time, I get to collaborate with awesome companies and introduce them to you guys! Today, I bring to you a little #ootd featuring this gorgeous statement necklace from Happiness Boutique.

I chose the Art Deco Necklace because it's nothing like what I already own. I love the way it's layered and has a super cool and unique shape that would make any outfit pop. Happiness Boutique also offers free shipping as well as a customer reward program so that's definitely something you could take advantage of. 

To be completely honest, the quality of the necklace isn't the greatest but I mean for the price and awesome design, it's definitely a great deal. You guys know I would never blog about something I don't think is something you guys would enjoy. Especially since it's hard to find cute, unique statement necklaces for this kind of price. Have fun finding yourself a necklace! And a big thank you to Happiness Boutique for sponsoring this post :)

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 happiness boutique necklace c/o  

oversized zara cardigan 

[ more options: 1, 2, 3 ]

bag: steve madden 

[ similar designer bag ]

french connection reva loafer

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Winner to Younique giveaway here!

Winner has 24 hours to email me back before I pick a new winner. 

Thank you everyone for participating!

Younique Fiber Lash Mascara Giveaway

Hi friends,

// cat beanie //

Thanks to an awesome sponsor, today I bring to you a giveaway! A lot of  you have probably heard of Younique's fiber lash mascara right? They're everywhere and I think a lot of people are interested, but not so sure if they want to spend the money. So here's a free pass friends. Enter the giveaway below & good luck!

oh, and i do plan on blogging more. i really do. but... some big things are happening right now and i can't wait to share them with all of you! :)

As always, thank you for continuing to read my very sparse blog haha :p

++ enter giveaway using the widget below: ++

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cheap online shops. Worth it or not? Good & Bad Review.

So I've always wondered about those super cheap online shops that sell clothes for anywhere from $1-$10+. It seems crazy right? Like, it HAS to be a scam. Well today I'm doing a review on some products I got from Lovely Wholesale. Some positive, and some negative. 

I'll also link the exact ones that I ordered so you can compare the online photos to my personal review :)

Work Out Leggings:
+ Good: Super cute & looks just like the photo.

+ Bad: Somewhat thin cotton material.

+ Sizing: The whole "one size" thing is a bit... meh. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone larger than a size 4. They're super cute though and overall I'm quite happy with them.

+ Overall: Your typical cotton leggings. Not very thick, and not suitable for working out it. Awesome for going grocery shopping and making people THINK that you workout ;)

Mirrored Sunnies:

+ Good: Overall looks like photo and size & shape are flattering for my face.

+ Bad: Lens not as reflective as photo

+ Overall: I really liked how these looked online so I was reallllly hoping they wouldn't let me down. For $3.50, they're pretty dang good. One of my favorite go-to sunnies now. I wish they were a little more reflective and opaque but for the price, I think anybody would be happy with these.

Spiked Flats:

+ Good: Cute & looks just like photo.

+ Bad: Sole is a little hard.

+ Sizing: I'm usually a 6.5/7 and I ordered a 38 in these. Make sure to follow the size chart!

+ Overall: Very cute shoes. Sole is a little hard but honestly, if you're expecting some louboutin quality shoes for $8, you're the one who's cray cray lol. Shorter trips here and there should be completely fine in these. Quality is comparable to Aldo's flats.

Dream, Believe, Achieve Tee:

+ Good: Sincerely Jules tee dupe. Looks just like the original and is soft & comfy.

+ Bad: Overall shape is a little different from what I expected. Sleeves are not quite long enough to roll up and look like photo.

+ Sizing: Runs small. I ordered a large and fits slightly loose on me. Make sure to follow the size chart for this one too!

+ Overall: Design is very cute and for $6.49, its an AWESOME deal. Material isn't as high quality but it looks just like the original and as long as you get the right size, it'll fit nicely.

Harem Pants:

+ Good: Comfy and good for lounging.

+ Bad: Sizing and shape are a little off. I feel like some areas were too loose while others were too tight. Color is also more of a dark gray rather than the "black" that I ordered.

+ Sizing: Runs small/odd. I ordered a large in these too. The legs were slightly loose but not in the right way, and the waist was wayyy too large.

+ Overall: These were probably my least favorite of the bunch. The shape and size were just off for me. I wouldn't recommend these unless you have the perfect body type for these pants. I don't even know what kind of body that would be lol. Super long thin legs maybe? They also weren't as 'harem pants looking" as I wanted them to be.  I would only wear these around the house.

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Overall Review:

If you're someone who wants a lot of cute clothes for a cheap price, Lovely Wholesale is a good  choice. Quality isn't the highest but for the price, a few of their things did exceed my expectations. Be VERY careful while shopping though. Pay attention to the sizing and product description! The description is much more reliable than the photos themselves. I also received one other item (outerwear) that I didn't like at all. It looked nothing like the photos, sizing was off, and the material was unflattering. I should have paid more attention to the description though so that was my fault. 

That's it! I hope this was helpful for you. Now go find something for yourself too :)

And thank you Lovely Wholesale for sponsoring this post!

Sole Society Giveaway

heyooooo.

Today I'm teaming up with Sole Society to bring you guys an awesome giveaway! $50 to Sole Society loves. Not only do they have the cuuuuutest shoes, but they also have super cute bags, accessories, and jewelry. Sole Society brand is also sold in Nordstrom stores so you know its gonna be awesome quality. To enter, all you have to do is scroll all the way down to the bottom of this post and use the widget to enter. Good luck! :)

here's some looks i created using sole society products and photos i found on pinterest.
which one is your fave?

L O O K #1: All Black

bracelet   l   bag   l   booties

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L O O K #2: Spring Ready Pastels

scarf   l   bag   l   pumps

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L O O K #3: Boho Pretty

bracelet   l   bag   l   sandal

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E N T E R   G I V E A W A Y   B E L O W 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A gift idea + Discount code. Also, I made Jerry model for me.

So one of the "perks" of being a blogger's husband is that from time to time, Jerry gets to model for me. I know, so lucky! And he totally loves it too ;) hah. For one of Jerry's birthday presents this year, I got him this Daniel Wellington watch because I got the amazing opportunity to collaborate with them.

I got Jerry the Classic Bristol in silver. Even though they have watches specifically for men and women, you can totally wear a men's watch if you like the bigger face, and a women's if you like the smaller face. Honestly, I tried on the watch I got for Jerry and I really like the bigger face on my wrist so I already plan on borrowing it from time to time :)

The watch straps are also interchangeable so you can get a lot of different looks with just one watch which is really nice. Right now they're having an awesome promotion where you can get 50% off any nato strap with a purchase of a leather watch. Shipping is also free worldwide so that's awesome of course. Oh, and one last thing!!! Daniel Wellington is giving all of you 15% off with the code "holidaymarsa" that's good until January 15th! The watches are beautiful guys. I promise! I would never promote something that I don't think you guys would love. Make sure to check them out kay?

check them out here:
shop   l   instagram   l   facebook   l   twitter

Happy Holidays! <3

So let's talk about them lashes. Video Time!

Question for ya.
Do you have time to carefully glue on false lashes every morning?  No? Me neither.
Do you have money to spend $75+ every couple of months for eyelash extensions? No? Me neither.
Do you have looooong luscious lashes that bring the boys to the yard? No? Me neither.

I did a review on some Younique 3D fiber lashes. At first I was totally against them because I've seen how it can look on some people and it Freaked. Me. Out. Guys. Seriously. AH! Spider lashes. Scary. But then I also saw other people put it on and it looked amaaaaazing. So I thought okay, lets try this thang out. So I did. If you wanna know my honest opinion, watch the video below.  And also, scroll to the bottom of this post for all info about where you can get your lashes from. Love yas :)

direct video link

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get your lashes on here:
 www.Iashesbyerikab.com

social media for lashes:
instagram: lashes.by.erika.b
fb: facebook.com/Lashesbyerikab
youtube: YouTube.com/Lashesbyerikab

**like or follow Instagram and fb business site for the most recent deals, events, and giveaways
**subscribe to YouTube for tutorials

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Fall / Winter 2014 Lookbook ++ a little 101 about one way I make money through blogging.

l l  S H O P   M O R E   I T E M S   H E R E  ll

Here it is! The fall / winter 2014 lookbook. If you ever want to shop my favorite looks, just click the "here" link above, or the "shop" button in my navigation bar located at the top of the blog :)

So here's a little something you may or may not have known. Whenever I do an outfit post or a lookbook post like this one, I use a gadget called "Reward Style." Basically what it is, is a way for me to make a few extra bucks here and there. A commission type of ordeal. So a lot of the time when you shop for something off of my blog, I make a small percentage from it. Does that make sense?

For example, say you like some shoes I listed in my lookbook. When you click on that particular shoe, it'll take you to the exact location of where you can purchase it. Then once you do, I make a buck or two depending on how much it costs.

So why am I telling you this? Well, because it's something I thought you guys should know, especially if you use my blog as a way to shop online. And also because I wanted to thank those of you who are helping me out by doing so. It really means a lot and I'll try my best to find stylish things for reasonable prices for you guys :)

Love ya! Thanks for all your support <3

On Sponsored Posts. The truth. And stuffs.

Hi! 

This is going to be a little bit different from what I usually write but I just wanted to bring something up with all of ya. Hope you don't mind. And I guess before I begin this whole spiel, I should tell you about the kinds of sponsored posts I've done in the past. 

($$$ = I get compensated for it)

1. Product Feature: I wear a gifted item on the blog.

2. Blogger Feature: blogger does a guest post on my blog. $$$

3. Company Feature: a full post solely about a company/shop. $$$

4. Product Feature: a full post solely about a gifted product. $$$

5. Giveaway: a company hosts a giveaway on my blog. $$$ 

6. Sidebar Ad: an ad is placed on my blog sidebar. $$$

What I'm mainly talking about today is option #3 and #4.

For a while I stopped doing sponsored posts like #3 and #4. But I've decided to become open to doing them again. But this time, it's going to be different. In the past when it came to sponsors, I used to think... "Free stuff?! More moneys?! Yes!" to almost anything that came along. Shaaaaaame! I know. But then when I found that the "free stuff" wasn't always so great, it felt awkward posting about them ya know? And I would try my best to blog nice things about them without compromising my integrity but sometimes, those lines started becoming blurred and I felt like I was being forced to say certain things. It wasn't very fun. Because as much as I wanted "all opinions to be my own," inside, I always had this small feeling of obligation to say certain things. And I didn't like doing that. So I stopped doing those kinds of sponsored posts completely. 

But then, that got me thinking. You know what one of the many beautiful things about blogging is?? The opportunity to work with different brands and share them with you guys. Because honestly, there are sooooo many little boutiques and companies that are worth blabbing about and I didn't want to cut out that part of the blogging world completely. Because it really is exciting when I find something awesome that I think you guys would enjoy too. So basically, I decided to start it up again but be more picky with it. But guys, lets be real. Even if I'm picky, sometimes things still turn out to be.... meh. And when those situations arise, I don't want to find myself stuck in that same place where I was before. Feeling all obligated and stuff.

So this is what I'm doing. I'm letting all potential sponsors know that if I receive a product that I don't like, I'm giving them two options. The first is to pretend like it never happened. Meaning, I won't blog about it at all. Cuz' you know, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. And the second option is to go with the post as planned anyway. This way the company might not get the most positive review, but at least they're still getting some kind of exposure. Because you know, exposure is everything nowadays. So this is how I plan on keeping myself in check. I know it's not the biggest epiphany or anything, and a lot of bloggers don't need to go through all of this because they're already awesome like that. But I do. And I just wanted to share this with you guys. Because you's are all the beeestest ;)

And so with all that said, Mindy Mae's Market sent me this necklace and people! Isn't it absolutely beauuuuutiful!?! Why yes it is! - see how smooth I was with that transition just there? ;) Hah. But seriously, I mean look at it. It's a stunnah f'sho. Check them out okay?

<3

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wearing:

tee: free people

sweater: 2020Ave- - similar (1, 2, 3)

hat: anthropologie- - similar (1, 2)

shoes: dsw- - also here

necklace: c/o mindy mae's market

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