Sweet Sunday

 

Here are some sweet words of inspiration for your Sunday...I hope it is wonderful!

The Perfect Bootie

I found them...finally! The perfect pair of black booties: the Taryn Rose Kuri Wedge Heel in black (they are also available in chocolate brown). I simply ADORE the back zipper closure and the 2.5" patent leather wedge heel.  The elastic gore panels allow the booties to stretch to fit your feet perfectly.  They are originally $359, but I got them on sale on HauteLook. You can also find them on Lord and Taylor's website, DSW, Amazon, or eBay.  

This purchase is reflective of the recent 180 degree change in my shopping mentality. I used to buy pretty much anything and everything that caught my on eye on a whim, and I accumulated a lot of trendy garments of mediocre quality that were out of style in one season (and tearing, falling apart, pilling, etc by then anyways).  In the past six months, I have been shopping for quality over quantity and thinking about every purchase for a little while before I seal the deal. (Of course I have allowed myself a few splurges!)  I have been trying to purchase staples that I know will remain in my closet for years to come...meaning they will stay in style AND remain in good shape, and these booties definitely fit that bill.

My Facial Skincare Routine

For the past six months, I have absolutely sworn by Ling Skincare. Ling Chan has a spa based in NYC, but thankfully she also sells products online. On Ling's website, you can shop by skin type, product type, Ling's signature five step system, or home spa facial kits. Ling has cleansers, toners, peels, masks, serums, moisturizers, body soap, lip and eye exfoliators, sun screens, and many more incredible products. Whenever I go to NYC, a facial at Ling's spa is a necessity!

"Each formulation goes through extensive ‘real life’ testing, meaning the product must be overwhelmingly loved for their results before launching." 

I currently use four Ling products, and my skin has never been better. It's clear, smooth, and glowing when I wake up in the morning. I use an enzyme cleanser called the Triple Action Exfoliator ($42) and the Purifying Facial Cleanser ($38) twice a day, once when I wake up and once before I go to sleep. I blend a small amount of both cleansers onto my face and use the Spin for Perfect Skin Brush (Vitagoods, $99.99) to gently and thoroughly lift dirt, sweat, oil, and make up trapped in my pores.

I also rotate one mask and one peel. I use the Ginseng Therapy Moisture Mask ($36) approximately once a week. However, you can use this mask two to three times a week or as often as necessary for dry and dehydrated skin. This moisturizing facial mask is formulated with aloe vera, collagen, panax ginseng, and glycogen. My favorite product is the Spotlight Papaya Resurface Peel ($65), and I use it once every week or two, but you can use it two or three times a week. This peel is a very strong product, so I personally don't like to use it more than once a week. But I love how it it removes dead skin cells, which enhances the performance of my other skin care products.

A few more tidbits about my skincare routine: I use Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion (Sephora, $38) and Blend Minerals Eye Cream ($169.95) every night before bed, and I wake up with soft and dewy skin. I use Clearasil Ultra Rapid Acne Pads (Amazon, $9.38) and rinse my face with water in the locker room at the gym after I workout and try to shower immediately when I get home. I also swear by Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips (CVS $7.99), which pull the nastiest stuff out of your skin and get rid of pore-clogging build-up, dirt and oil that cause blackheads. I use them whenever I remember, which is about once or twice a week. 

If you have a routine that works for you, that's all that matters. My skin has been at its been best lately, and I attribute it not only to the amazing products I have been using, but also to my commitment to the routine I've established. If you have any great products I should be aware of, please let me know!

2014!

I am so incredibly excited for 2014! This year I will be leaving my teenage years behind, reconnecting with best friends from the past, traveling on my own, reading more books, trying to improve certain aspects of myself, and hopefully making new friends and having exciting and unexpected experiences.

One of my favorite parts of 2013 was traveling with family and friends. For Thanksgiving, my family went to New Hampshire and Boston. We started off at the beautiful Mt. Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, NH, which is the resort where the International Monetary Fund was established in 1944...for finance majors like me, that's a little exciting! We spent Thanksgiving day with 43 extended family members and friends in Boston, which was definitely a change of pace from our usual intimate Thanksgiving celebration. 

Love you sissy!

I just returned from a trip to Israel with a group of students from my school, the University of Florida. We started in the north and traveled south, and we had the opportunity to visit the Golan Heights, Haifa, Tzfat, Tel Aviv, Be'er Sheba, Jerusalem, the Mediterranean Sea, the Dead Sea, Masada, Ein Gedi, the Negev desert, and many other truly amazing places.

Bahai Gardens, Haifa

This fruit stand had the most amazing pomegranate pineapple smoothies...these were everywhere!

My sweet new friend Jonathan, an Israeli soldier

A gorgeous oasis in Ein Gedi with Ofir, another Israeli soldier friend

Surreal view of Jerusalem

Mineral Beach, Dead Sea

A little enchanted forest in the Ovdat Valley

View of the Dead Sea from the top of Masada

All in all, a perfect way to end 2013. I'm sad to say good bye to a few things from 2013, but even more excited for everything that awaits in 2014!

Inspiration c/o Google

Happy 90th birthday to a woman whose vocals and flair for the dramatic I have admired as long as my father has forced me to listen to opera...I never let him know how much I enjoy it. Her enduring artistry always inspires me.

"Nearly thirty years after her death, she's still the definition of the diva as artist." - Opera News, 2006

Black Friday + Small Business Saturday + Cyber Monday

Braving the Black Friday crowds has never been for me. I like to sleep off my food-induced coma and spend time with family and friends soaking up the blissful end of Thanksgiving vacation. However, thanks to the world wide web, I can shop the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales from the coziness of my bed. Here are three great sales from completely different companies catering to completely different markets...hopefully there will be something for everyone!

C. Wonder

Shop everything from clothing and shoes to pet gifts and home decor! C. Wonder carries many monogrammable items, such as stationary, coffee mugs, and jewelry. Browse more items to personalize at their amazing online Monogram Shop here. I love to give monogrammed gifts because it shows I chose a special gift instead of sending the same thing to my whole gift list. (If you're like me and a lot of your friends share apartments, gifting the same thing to more than one person is a MAJOR mistake.) See some of my favorites items below!

Save 30% off all items with code GIFTS30 (terms apply).

Banana Republic

What more do I have to say? Banana is my all time favorite place to shop for any level of business wear, but they also have a huge selection of casual and evening attire, shoes, jewelry, handbags, and other accessories. The items below are on the top of my wish list this year...

Save 40% online and in-stores until 12/1 with the code BRGIVING. Free shipping over $50!

BR Monogram Tulip Dress in rich magenta (online exclusive), $140

BR Monogram Pieced Sequin Tank (so perfect for New Year's Eve!), $79.50

Vintage Link Necklace, $125. (Currently obsessed with all things chain link)

Urban Outfitters

HUGE sales at Urban! Not everything at Urban is my style, but I can always find something I am absolutely obsessed with.

Big deals under $20, $30, and $50, gifts from $5, and free shipping over $50

BDG Animal Games Sweater, $59  $39

Rag Union X Urban Renewal Leather Babydoll Dress, $169. Paired with chunky booties and metallic jewelry...so great for a fun night out!

Menorah Glasses, $14. Sorry, had to! Happy 4th night of Hanukkah!

In my opinion, even more exciting than Black Friday and Cyber Monday is SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY! Small Business Saturday is a new American shopping tradition (est. 2010!) held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving promoted by American Express. Hopefully you were able to hit a few local boutiques during your packed shopping weekend :)

One of my favorite small businesses where I live is Pink Narcissus. Like them on Facebook here! Pink Narcissus Pink Narcissus is our one and only Lilly Pulitzer Signature store, and the fall and holiday Lilly collections are to die for. Pink Narcissus also carries exquisite sorority and home team essentials (Go Gators!). Navy has always been my go-to color, so obviously I can't get enough of this season's navy Lilly dresses, shoes, and accessories. The classic looks can be dressed up or down for holiday parties, family dinners, or a night out with the girls. The dress on the left below is my absolute FAVORITE! I have been eyeing it for ages...I think I'll take advantage of Pink Narcissus' Small Business Saturday sale to finally add it to my collection.

amanda catherine designs

I have a confession to make. I am not an Etsy girl. Or a Pinterest one either for that matter. Would you hate me if I said that I think simply browsing the interwebs is kind of...well, a waste of time? Don't get me wrong, if I wasn't taking a rigorous 15 credit academic course load, did not teach dance approximately 20 hours every week and intern another 5-10 hours, didn't have commitments to fulfill for my sorority, wasn't training for a half marathon, and wasn't involved with organizations on my college campus, I probably (definitely) would have a drastically different opinion. But I am just so incredibly busy all the time that I only use Pinterest or Etsy to find recipes or inspiration if I know exactly what I am looking for.  

HOWEVER, an amzing Etsy shop came to my attention today and I'm obsessed.  The College Prep feature amanda catherine designs (AmandaCatherineDes) on her perfect blog and I was instantly hooked. amanda catherine designs has a large collection of cute and witty prints for sale at an extremely reasonable price, in addition to other products such as pencils and bar carts. Visit (and favorite!) her adorable Etsy shop here. The holiday collection is to die for!! I am definitely going to buy some for my friends and family for holiday gifts...and a few for myself :)

Early tomorrow morning (well I guess it's technically today), I am off to Vermont and New Hampshire for a few days of skiing with my family before heading to Boston for Thanksgiving with my dad's family. Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Hanukkah, and safe travels! xoxo