Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Off To Chicago!!!


Hello everyone!!! I am off to Chicago until July 3rd. I won't be able to upload anything because I'm not bringing my laptop; however I will have a Featured Friday that I have already written up ;). Also, make sure that you enter the new giveaway!
It's a family reunion, so wish me luck....

Have a lovely week!!!

Wednesday Inspiration-Jewelry

Hello, readers! I'm back with some more Wednesday Inspiration. I love this because it is inspired my one of my favorite Hispanic holidays!
Enjoy! :)

Dia de los Muertos inspired jewelry
Black and White Day of the Dead Goddess Cameo BRACELET

Black and White Day of the Dead Goddess Cameo BRACELET

Black and White Day of the Dead Goddess Cameo BRACELET

Black and White Day of the Dead Goddess Cameo BRACELET

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

And the Winner is.....


Hello, everyone! Thanks to Random.org, I was able to pick a winner for the Emerald Wings Earrings Giveaway by Never Forgotten Fantasy! There were only 6 valid entries for the giveaway. Random.org chose #1.
Therefore the winner is...
Krenee!!!!!

Congratulations!!!! 


Make sure that you enter the new giveaway ;)

Top 4 Tuesday

Hello, everyone! I am so happy that you guys are liking this new feature on the blog! Here are today's Top 4 picks! Enjoy!


1. Fashion- Coachella Street Style
Kimberly ParienteEstelle Reed
2. Make up- Leona Lewis

3.Hair- RA



4. Nails- Japanese Jeweled Nails





Make sure that you enter my giveaway! Thank you to my 100+ followers! You all are truly amazing ;)

Monday, June 27, 2011

Music Mondays- Blind Pilot

Hey guys! Back again with Mondays! This is one of my favorite bands, thanks to my boyfriend introducing me to them ;)
Enjoy!
Blind Pilot is an American indie folk band based in Portland, Oregon. The group's single, "Go On, Say It", was chosen to be a Single of the Week on July 7, 2008 on Apple Inc.'s iTunes Store, potentially yielding approximately 2 million downloads. As of July 22, 2008, their debut album, 3 Rounds and a Sound, has reached number 13 on the Billboard Top Digital Albums chart.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Giveaway!!!! Jewelry, Jewelry, Jewelry!


Hello, my lovely readers!!! I have a surprise for your guys! Giveaways!!! Sophia, our feature of the week and owner of Knock Softly online jewelry store, was nice enough to put 3 of her items up for a chance to be won by YOU! That means you have two chances to win a piece from her website!!! Winner #1 gets 2 pieces of jewelry, while winner #2 gets their choice of 1 piece of jewelry!
Knock Softly offers handcrafted pieces, as well as vintage collectibles. No matter what your budget (even if it's under $5!), you can find something truly amazing and unique at Knock Softly. I can personally say that if I could, I would buy EVERYTHING at her store! I've searched her whole collection, and everything stands out. Her accessories can go with any outfit, business or casual, and are guaranteed to be a conversation piece!

Here are the giveaways

Winner #1
 AND

Winner #2
Your choice of the Black Fringe Necklace or the Gold Coin Earrings
(Click the underlined links to see the prizes!)

In order to qualify for this give away, you must:
  1. Follow my blog officially!
  2. Visit the Knock Softy Website
  3. Leave a comment below with your name, email address and whether you'd like the Black Fringe Necklace or Gold Earrings, just in case you win 2nd place!
  4. Have a U.S. mailing address (sorry my international readers!)
  5. Visit a few of my favorite items on her Website:

Item #1- Click here
Item #2- Click here
Item #3-Click here

Enter for your chance to win! What an awesome giveaway!!!

The giveaway will end July 4, 2011 at 12:01 AM 
(which is my birthday, by the way ;) )

Featured Friday- Sophia

Hello, my lovely readers! I am back again with another Featured Friday! Today's feature is Sophia of the online accessory store, Knock Softly! She will also be hosting a giveaway at 3:31PM today! Let's see what Sophia has to say:


Current location: Georgia


Tell us a little about yourself:
I'm a free spirit that has always been obsessed with jewelry and antiques. I love all things old.....old houses, old furniture, old people...you name it:) Jewelry has been an obsession of mine, for as long as I can remember. Starting a jewelry website became a healthy outlet for my addiction:)

Tell us about your jewelry store:
You will find a variety of pieces at KnockSoftly.com, ranging from ethnic pieces to trendy pieces to pieces that will stand the test of time. Hopefully anyone that visits the site will find an item that caters to their sense of style.

What is your definition of cool?
I think cool is being confident in who you are. Cool is not necessarily adjusting your life to someone else's expectations. Cool is the calm during the storm:)

How do you fit this definition?
I try to take risks in life. I try not to let my fear of something stop me from doing something. I'm pretty sure my outlook comes from my parents. They took risks in life, and always encouraged their children to do the same. As my mother loves to say... "Nothing beats a failure but a try."

If your life could have a theme song, what would it be?
One Love by Bob Marley

Anything else?
I just want to encourage everyone to carve out their own journey. The wonderful thing about a carved piece of work is that no two are the same:) Take care and make sure to visit knocksoftly.com.
 
Make sure that you come back at 3:31PM for the GIVEAWAY! There will be two winners ;)

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Throwback Thursdays- The Princess Diaries

I use to love this movie! I watched it the other day, so I had to bring it as a Throwback ;)

Were you a fan of Anne Hathaway in the early 2000s?


Did you watch The Princess Diaries II?

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Wednesday Inspiration-Jewelry Box

The whole purpose of this blog is to inspire you to add some "cool" to your life, whatever that might be. Therefore, every Wednesday I will share with you one of my cool inspirations (most of which are on my wishlist) Enjoy!

Retro Car Jewelry Box
Retro car auto - small box for jewelry in vintage style - ready to ship - gift idea for him, father's day, dad, man, for her, mobile,

Retro car auto - small box for jewelry in vintage style - ready to ship - gift idea for him, father's day, dad, man, for her, mobile,

Retro car auto - small box for jewelry in vintage style - ready to ship - gift idea for him, father's day, dad, man, for her, mobile,

Retro car auto - small box for jewelry in vintage style - ready to ship - gift idea for him, father's day, dad, man, for her, mobile,


I love that the jewelry box is worn and not new, yet still beautiful. The beautiful things in life have age ;)

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Top 4 Tuesday

Hi, everyone! Here are my picks for today's Top 4 Tuesday!
Enjoy!

1. Fashion- StyleMePretty
wedding headpieces

2. Make up- Haute Feathers

3. Hair- Fashion Fame

4. Nails- Katy Perry's Royal Wedding Nails
(As Seen on Hungover Fashion)

Monday, June 20, 2011

Music Mondays- Okkervil River


Okkervil River is an indie rock band from Austin, Texas. Formed in 1998, the band takes its name from a short story by Russian author Tatyana Tolstaya. They self-released their first album, Stars Too Small to Use, which led them to the South by Southwest music festival. After recording their first album in a garage, they signed with Jagjaguwar. Okkervil River continued by releasing four more albums, including critically lauded concept album Black Sheep Boy.
After a period of touring for Black Sheep Boy, Okkervil River followed up with The Stage Names. The album sold 10,000 in its opening week in the United States. The group released a free covers album, Golden Opportunities Mixtape from their live performances.
Okkervil River released the album The Stand Ins on September 9, 2008. They promoted the release with a series of cover songs from the album on YouTube by people they've met as a band. Their 2010 collaboration as a backing band with psychedelic rocker Roky Erickson yielded True Love Cast Out All Evil. On May 10, 2011, Okkervil River released their sixth full-length album, I Am Very Far.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Giveaway!!!! Emerald Wings Earrings!


Cool people NEED free fashion! These naturally colored earrings by Never Forgotten Fantasy are the most interesting and amazing pair of earrings that I've ever seen! Guess what they are made out of? The hardshell casings of The Elytra Green Jewel Beetle! Is that not the coolest thing?! I can guarantee that none of your friends have these!
Emerald Wings
The owner of Never Forgotten Fantasy, Laura was our feature of the week! She is a gorgeous craftswoman from California and her vibrant personality shines through her pieces of jewelry. Her Etsy shop features reasonably priced, unique jewelry that you cannot find ANYWHERE ELSE! She says that she gets her inspiration from the 'world of Faery.' This artist is truly on the rise!


Want these amazing earrings? The retail price of these beauties are $25, however you have a chance to get them for FREE! 

In order to qualify for this give away, you must:
  1. Follow my blog officially!
  2. "Like" the Never Forgotten Fantasy fan page on Facebook (click here
  3. Leave a comment below with your name and email address
  4. Visit a few of my favorite items on her Etsy page:


Item #1- Click here
Item #2- Click here
Item #3-Click here




*****Bonus: You can comment on Both Laura and Gabriela's features for 2 extra entries. You can also like me on bloglovin, if you'd like ;)



Enter for your chance to win! You guys are so lucky; I want these for myself!!!!!

(By the way, thank you for making my first month of blogging amazing! I cherish my followers!!!)

The giveaway will end June 27, 2011 at 12:01 AM


Make sure that you leave your email address! ;)

Featured Friday!- Laura


Hello, my lovely readers! This is our second feature of the day! How exciting! I had the pleasure of interviewing Laura of Never Forgotten Fantasy last week and I found out that we have a lot in common; we both love dancing (and I have just recently began Irish dancing like she has been doing for years) and we have similar music taste! Laura is such a sweetheart and is an amazingly cool person! Let's see what she has to say:




Current Location: Esparto, California.

Tell us a little about yourself:
  I'm 20 years old and live in Esparto, California. I'm a college student striving to create unique items that express my love for fantasy and the world of Faery. In my free time I'm mostly dancing, drawing/painting, creating jewelry, or reading from my favorite author Charles de Lint. I'm hoping that my Etsy shop will attract those who also share a love for all things magical, or simply want a little piece of magic in their lives. I must admit that I suffer from the Peter Pan syndrome and find myself not wanting to grow up. Creating jewelry, as well as drawing, seem to help the ever curious and adventurous child in me while keeping me level headed in the "grown-up" world.


What is your definition of cool?
 "Cool" varies between every type of person; rather, they have a unique and beautiful ability to share with the world. Cool is the ability to see all things in a different light, as well as find happiness and strength when all things seem dark. Basically, "cool" is what radiates from a one's personality; it's the "pixie dust" and natural embodiment that sets you aside from everyone else. 

How do you fit this definition? What makes you cool?
 I feel so strange calling myself cool, but the skills I am proud of would be my love and devotion to dancing. I have done ballet for twelve years as well as taught it, and am also an Irish dancer with a teaching background. I love both with a passion, and find they are as important as breathing. Dancing, and my artwork, give me the ability to express myself when words aren't enough. I feel strong and confident because I know that I can always rely on dancing and creating pictures to keep my spirits high. I am balanced and am happy with who I am, and always remain hopeful towards my future.

Who inspires you to be cool?
There are so many people who I find to be inspirational! I feel so lucky because I have also been able to meet my role models in person. For one, I would have to say Brian Froud; he is the master of all things Faery. I am also inspired by Schin Loong and Renea Taylor for their indescribable artistic talent. My jewelry was inspired by Courtney Keene in a trip to Faerieworlds in Oregon; and for dancing, I have to say it would be Michael Flatley. He is the Lord of the Dance after all ;). Someday, I hope to aspire and reach even the slightest talent from these artists, and hopefully be encouraging to others as well. Although, the crown for inspiration undoubtedly belongs to my mom! Without her, most of my dreams would have been much harder to reach. She is my motivation and rock; I would be lost without her.

If your life could have a theme song, what would it be?
I believe my theme song would have to be Unbreakable by the band Fireflight. It expresses so many challenges we face, and how one can only come out of trials stronger. There is also the background which states that you can do anything with the help of Jesus; a spirit on fire is unstoppable and unbreakable. One should never let fear and doubt cloud what they want most in life; if you're following your dream, then I believe you are also following your purpose.

Anything else?
I hope this was insightful on both me, and my shop! I am fairly new to Etsy, but I see it going well in the future! A word of advice would be to never doubt yourself or your creations! There is a place out there for everyone, so stand tall and proud of you you are and what you have to offer. You have so much to give and the world is anxious to see what treasures you have in store!
    You can visit my shop here on Etsy, as well as visit my small facebook page link found in my shop profile. I hope to see you there!



Stay tuned for her GIVEAWAY that will start at 12:01 PM today!

Featured Friday!- Gabriela


Hello, my lovely readers! I would love to introduce you to our feature of the week, Gabriela of Collections (go check out her blog!) I had the pleasure of interviewing this amazingly fashionable woman, and she is absolutely cool! Let's see what she has to say:


Current Location:
I live in New York City, fashion central. I've actually lived in NY my whole life. During a summer in high school I toured Barcelona and Holland playing tennis. I then returned to live again in Barcelona during a summer at college. Love Barcelona, it's absolutely beautiful. Everyone dresses so unique there... it's awesome. 

Tell us a little about yourself: (This could be your age, your University, a few hobbies, etc.)
I am 22. I did a million and one internships in the fashion industry during college but, unfortunately, was unable to find a job once out of school. I now work as an administrative assistant at a hedgefund, trying to figure out what the next step in my life is. The plus to all of this is that I work in Soho which is freaking awesome. People are dressed to the T down here and all the shops are around so I get to peruse my favorite stores during lunch. I attended Barnard College in NYC which was awesome. There's no better place to go to college than NYC. My friends and I had many an adventure in this city.  I have a live in photographer (aka my BF) who takes pictures of me even though he himself is not into photography at all. That's what I call love hahah. When I go home to my parents house my dad takes over the responsibility. He, on the other hand, likes to play around with the camera. In all honesty the camera's actually his, I just "borrowed" it for an unspecified amount of time :) 




Tell us about your blog:
My blog is called Collections and it's basically a place where I joke about my life and obsess over clothes and accessories. I originally intended the blog to be a continuation of my thesis. I had done a photography project documenting the materialism of the fashion industry by taking individual pictures of everything I owned at the time. My plan for the blog was to continue taking pictures of what I was purchasing, however, over the past few months, the goal of the blog has changed significantly. It's really a place where I just have fun and make fun of myself in the most loving way possible. It's my way of staying connected to the fashion world. 



What is your definition of cool?
I think that you know when someone is cool by the confidence they exude when they walk down the street. Being cool just means you know how to rock whatever you want. And that no one's opinion can sway you. You love what you love and no one can tell you any different. 




How do  you fit this definition? What makes you cool?
I dress for myself and not anyone else. I always have. I grew up in Long Island where the normal uniform is Northface sweaters, Hard Tail pants, and Birkenstocks. I'd always come to school looking different, dressed in something funky...decked out in my mom's 70's jewelry. I got made fun of a lot, not in a mean spirited way just in a "hey you're different then us type of way". I never let that effect me, I dress like I do because I like it. That's how I continue to permeate cool hahah. And now I make fun of myself, I mean I am a tad ridiculous at times, so its just tons of fun. It's a good quality to be able to laugh at yourself. 



Who inspires you to be cool? ( A celebrity, yourself, your readers, etc)
Ahhhhh what a great question. My inspiration definitely comes from my favorite stylish celebs and fashion icons: Alexa Chung, Lauren Conrad, Taylor Tomasi Hill, Jenna Lyon, Joanna Hillman, and let me not forget Emma Watson, OMG I love that girl. If anyone exudes confidence/coolness it's these women. 


If your life could have a theme song, what would it be?
Wow, I'm going to have to think of this one.... hmmm.... probably "You Only Get What You Give" by the New Radicals. I love the constant theme in it of not giving up. And it feels like a song I could just dance in the street to. 



Anything else?
I think that the most important thing for anyone, but specifically for women, is to always be confident in yourself. To be secure enough to joke about yourself and feel good in your own skin is a wonderful thing, it's literally the definition of being cool. Who cares what size you are, the fashion world may preach that to be cool and stylish is to be a stick, but in reality the coolest and most stylish people are always those women and men (no matter what the size) who rock what they wear because they feel confident in it. They're not just wearing something because everyone else is, they're wearing it because they love it. Come check out my love for fashion at: www.fashionablecollections.blogspot.com 


Make sure that you check out her blog! Want to be featured? Email me at bree.l.law@gmail.com!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Hold Me Tight and Never Lego...

Hold me tight and never Lego. 
Check out these cool Interlocking Lego Rings! Perfect for promise rings, BFF rings or Superheros Unite rings!

interlocking_lego_rings.jpg

What do you think? Would you ever buy them?

Throwback Thursdays- Fresh Prince

Innnnn West Philadelphia born and raised, on the playground is where I spent most of my days....I think that introduction says enough!
Here is today's Throwback!

Also, how can we talk about the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air without bringing up the Carlton Dance?!

By the way...I'm a master at that dance. ;)

Were you crazy over Will Smith back in the day?

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Yummy! S'mores Cookie Recipe!!!

Are you drooling yet? I found this recipe on Baked Perfection, and I cannot wait to try it! This would be a great alternative to s'mores when you can't gather around a campfire.

Here's the recipe

S'mores Cookies
adapted from Make and Bake

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 dash of cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups miniature chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
2 Hershey bars, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium bowl combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, salt, and dash of cinnamon. In a second larger bowl beat together the butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 minutes, and remove from the oven. Push 3 to 4 marshmallows and a few pieces of hershey bar into each cookies. Return to the oven and bake an additional 3-4 minutes until fully cooked. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies.



For some reason, this recipe reminds me of the Spongebob Campfire Episode ;)


Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Top 4 Tuesday

Hello, my lovely readers! I present you with the newest feature on the blog, Top 4 Tuesday! Every Tuesday, I will show you guys my Top 4 picks; one for fashion, make up, hair and nails.

Enjoy!

1. Fashion- Alexander McQueen
"It's a jungle out there" Bodysuit

2. Make Up- Socialite Dreams

3. Hair- Inna Modja, Au Natural
Inna Modja, singer/author from Paris.
(photo via her MySpace)

4. Nails- MINX

So, what do you think?

Monday, June 13, 2011

Can you Feel the Teal?

One of the suggestions that I got from my Whatever You Like post was that the blog should have more fashion topics. Therefore I have set up an arrangement that you can emulate for a more affordable price this Summer!
Here are ideas for a Garden Getaway, a Summer picnic, or a Night Downtown!              

Music Mondays- Theophilus London

Hello everyone! I'm back again to feed your inner music monkey ;)
This week, I want to focus on a particular music video by Theophilus London. The music video, Flying Overseas has to be one of my favorite music videos ever for a rap artist! First off, the song is so soothing and perfect for summer. It also features, Solange Knowles, who is an amazing singer! Now back to the music video, I love the woman that he features as his love interest in the video! In most hip hop videos, women with fair skin and long hair are featured and are barely clothed, and those women are viewed as beautiful. However, in this music video, his love interest is a women with glowing dark skin, and a buzz cut. And she is absolutely stunning! I'm actually a bit jealous at how fabulous she looks!

What do you think of the music video?

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Adventures in Uptown Pt. II


Hello, my lovely readers! This summer, since I'm very limited on funds, I plan to make the most of my city by discovering new places in my hometown with my best friend, 
Kortney! Part two of our adventure takes places at a yummy French Bakery! 
This bakery is huge and has a homey feel to it! Plus everyone there is amazingly friendly!
 French mannequin!
 The bakery is open 24/7!!!
Cool chandelier made of pots and pans.
 Part of the dining area
 Yummy desert- Passion fruit candy and chocolate and raspberry tort!
Kortney hated the Passion fruit candy, but it looked so pretty!
 Cupid Lamp
Pimped out Mona Lisa ;)