BACK TO THE BRICKS

Every fall most people are excited for the leaves to start falling and to taste their first sip of a pumpkin spice latte but for me, it's homecoming.  I graduated from Ohio University and I still make my annual trip back every homecoming to relive my glory days of staying up all night and then enjoying kegs and eggs at the crack of dawn before the parade.  I sometimes still think I am enrolled there and frequently say oh ya I live here or I go to OU....I guess some things you jut can't let go of, this being one of them.

 

My friends and I piled into our cars after a long "grown up" work week to go back to our playground we call, OU.  After getting stuck in traffic and lost in a detour I finally made it back to where I left my heart.  I teared up as soon as my tires hit the bricks of Athens on Court St.  I cannot describe how much this place means to me.  It was overwhelmingly special to be back there with all of my best friends and reminiscing about all of our memories and the ones we can't quite remember.  We enjoyed bar hopping and gulping down all of their signature drinks at every bar then to end the night with our favorite drunk food.  The smell of stale beer, the way my feet stick to the floor, and the insanely loud music in every bar, I miss it all!  I would give anything to go back and relive those best 4 years of my life.  I cannot imagine going to a different college and meeting a different group of people.  For those of you still in college ENJOY IT...it will pass by FAST.  I guess all good things must come to an end but I am proud to be a...

BOBCAT (in my heart.)

BURGANDY + STRIPES

What I love the most about fall (other than pumpkin everything, of course) is all of the new fall clothes.  Who can resist cozy sweaters, boots, and leather jackets…. I have a hard time finding something I don’t want, which can be pricey!  I have the perfect fall outfit to share but don't worry this is budget friendly! :)

1.     JcPenny & H&M

I found this long sleeved gem from JcPenny ON SALE for only $12!  The brand is called Joe Fresh, who makes awesome clothes so if you have not checked it out go take look. This shirt is excellent for layering and comes in 5 different colors! Oh, did I mention it is the perfect length to wear with leggings also.

H&M is where I found these cute burgundy skinny jeans (similar here).  They appear to give off that “coated” shiny look, that I love and the dark green top goes together so well with the color of the pants.  The gold zipper at the bottom of the pant also gives it a little something extra…I scored these for only $30! 

2.     Report

The shoes..

            Ohhhhh the shoes.

I have a severe weakness for booties.  It is a daily battle to control myself from buying every pair I see. I found these bad boys at Nordstrom Rack for only $60.  When I saw them I immediately fell in love with the color and the three gold buckles. The brand Report makes the trendiest boots and they are always pretty affordable. You can purchase this pair at Zappos.

3.     Nordstrom

Now let’s talk about my favorite

 .the jewelry. 

I found my gold Caitlin bugle necklace at Nordstrom on sale for only $20 {I am obsessed} I wear this all the time. I also became attached to this necklace because it reminds me of my child hood when I used to put those Bugle chips on all my fingers and ate them off…(please tell me someone else used to do this too?)

My 2 bracelets are from the designer Alex & Ani.  The first bracelet I got was my initial from one of my best friends as a Christmas gift.  The second bracelet I bought was when I was in San Francisco and stumbled upon an Alex & Ani store…needless to say I was in heaven.  I was able to choose from hundreds of different charms and I decided to pick the 4 leaf clover that stands for:

Blessing • Fortune • Prosperity

I love these bracelets because they are easily stackable and you can wear with any outfit!  I also love the look of mixing the gold & silver together so my next bracelet will be a silver one.  They are $28 a piece and you can buy them at Nordstrom.

Before I leave I would like you to meet my fur baby---(:Daisy May:)!  She is about 8 years old and is the sweetest little cocker spaniel around. 

HAPPY HUMP DAY!

CLARISONIC-Deep Pore Cleansing Set

About a year ago I invested in the Clarisonic Plus, which was one of the best decisions EVER! Skin care is the most important step in my beauty routine.  I immediately fell in love with the brush and it definitely helped with removing my makeup.  I have always just used the brush with any regular face wash I had.  I am always on the search for the best products for my skin and I think I just hit the jackpot.  This past weekend I was hunting for a new brush when I came across this kit.  I was very skeptical about this bundle.  After talking to the sales woman for about 30 minutes....I decided to buy it.  I will admit when I bought it I was still not confident in my purchase.  BOY WAS I WRONG....the sales woman was spot on when she was describing how awesome this new kit was.  I have only used this for 5 days and I have already seen a huge difference in my skin!  The kit itself is only $65 and well worth the investment.

Included in the kit is:

1. Deep Pore Daily Cleanser
2. Deep Pore Detoxifying Clay Mask
3. Deep Pore Cleansing Brush Head

THE BEST Body Lotion

Everyday Shea is hands down the best body lotion I have ever used.  I was in an endless rut of buying lotions that made me feel sticky, smelly, and itchy.  One day when I was getting lost in the aisles of Whole Foods I stumbled upon Everyday Shea and boy am I glad I did.  I decided nothing else seemed to do the trick so I miswell go the all-natural route.  Unlike all of the other brands I have tried, this leaves NO sticky substance on my skin and it is not scented so it doesn’t stink up my clothes or bed.  The virgin coconut oil is very light and had good deep hydration. What truly impresses me is when I workout and sweat it doesn’t leave me having a weird scent on my body unlike the other brands. 

The benefits of the brand:

·  Paraben Free

·  No Synthetic Fragrance

·  No Animal Testing

·  Certified Fair Trade

·  10% of sales go to the support of Alaffia's community empowerment projects in West Africa.

Needless to say I am obsessed and in love.

LIPSTICK LOVIN

I am going to let you know a dirty little secret about me....i am OBSESSED with lipstick.  No matter what I am doing or where I am going, I constantly need to have something on my lips.  It was a daily battle with myself for me to muster up the confidence to wear it because I always thought it was for grandmas or everyone would stare at me funny.  I am telling you though it is an easy confident BOOSTER! I cannot tell you enough anyone and everyone looks good with a little lip color!  I am going to go over my top favorite 4 right now that NEVER leave my purse....

1. MAKE UP FOR EVER-satin vermilion red
2. LIP TAR-grandma
3. SEPHORA-satin electric fuchsia 
4. MAC-snob 

I have 2 lipsticks and 2 lip stains!  Lip stains do tend to stay on a lot longer so if you are looking for an all day or all night look you definitely want to look into the stains.  I always carry my favorite red but also have my coral, fuchsia, and light pink! 

VIVA LAS VEGAS

  

I had the most amazing time in Vegas! I went with my boyfriend's parents, sister and her fiance.  We spent our days shopping and nights gambling.  There is something about traveling that makes you forget all about what is going on back home.  My highlight of the trip was seeing Adam Sandler and David Spade, the crew was there filming Grown Ups 2.  Also, if you are going to Vegas in the near future you MUST go to the Premium Outlets NORTH....it is way better than South!

THE BUN BOW

THE BUN BOW

Buns and bows are all the latest craze so why not combine the two together to create the bun bow?! This look was first inspired by Lady Gaga who made it oh so glamorous.  Surprisingly it is super easy to create, check out the step by step guide to the super cute hairstyle…

1. gather hair on top of your head and secure with an elastic hair tie

2. loop your hair through the elastic and on the last pull through, don’t pull your hair all the way through and instead create a loop, leaving the tail of your hair/ends

3. separate the hair down the middle

4. take make sure you pull the ends to the front of your forehead

5. take the ends/tail of your hair and pull it back in between the separated hair-secure with bobby pins

Once you have secured the ends with bobby pins fluff up the bow by gently spreading out the loops on the bow you created!  Spray some hair spray and you are all set!