Thanksgiving Travel

Thanks to the whirlwind that is the end of the semester, I haven't been able to post in awhile. However, this weekend I took a trip up north to see the family for Thanksgiving. One of the upsides of the holiday, was that I was able to catch up on some of my homework and projects. As I wait in the airport to catch my flight home, I thought I'd give a post on what I wore for le plane trip.

I didn't want to be awkward and take a full outfit shot in front of a terminal of people, but I was sneaky enough to get a makeup shot.

Now looking at the pic, I think it looks way creepy. Anyways...I kept my makeup simple with foundation, liner, mascara, and and brown smokey eye. Experts say that flying with makeup on is bad for your skin--I say, whatevs.

As for my outfit, I'm wearing black leggings, a white tunic, a black open-front cardigan, and black suede pull-on boots. The goal for shoes while flying, is to always wear ones that are easy to slip on and off when going through security. Also I like to wear layers, as between the cold airport and my nerves, I end up shaking like a freak. Lastly, as much as I love loud, obnoxious jewelry, I go jewel-free when flying because it's one less thing to worry about at security.

--Bree

November Loves

10. Vaseline Coco Butter Deep Conditioning Body Lotion

I know this seems like a completely rando thing to have in my favorites, but Florida has been uncharacteristically dry lately, and this stuff is a lifesaver.

9. Once Upon a Time on ABC

8. e.l.f. Golden Bronzer

This makes me appear awake and alive without giving off too much color. I close my eyes and mouth and dust it all over my entire face. (Paler ladies might have to be a bit more careful.)

7. Pumpkin Spice Lattes

6. Sonia Kashuk Nail Colour in Mauving on Up

5. Looking for Alaska by John Green

This is a reread (Is this a word?) for me, and I found it even more meaningful this time around. I definitely recommend this to anyone who hasn't read it yet.

4. Aquaphor

This is my favorite lip balm year-round, but in the cooler months I sleep with it slathered all over my lips, eyelashes and eyebrows.

3. Wet n' Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Single in Nutty

A cool, silvery taupe that goes on pretty sheer for daytime but can be intensified for going out.

2. Apple pie

My mom's friend Miss Jackie from Alabama makes the best pie in the universe (from scratch).

1. iPhone 4S

I lost my Palm Pre and was due for an upgrade, so I got a white iPhone 4S and I'm basically obsessed with it. Hopefully I can avoid dropping it at least until the case I bought arrives in the mail. (I'll post pictures when it gets here.)

XOXO, T

About Bree

Of course, I had to copy Taryn and do this ABC blogger thingy. Don't be suprised to find similar answers, we're almost the same person.

Age: 22

Bed Size: double (cheers for student housing and squeaky mattresses)

Chore that you hate: Taking out the trash; I hate touching germs.

Dogs: My family has some kind of mixed mutt dog named Rocky, that we saved from a pet rescue.A g

Essential start to your day: Coffee!! A giant cup of coffee.

Favorite colors: Black, grey, pink

Gold or Silver: Gold! (very Cleopatra)

Height: 5'3

Instruments you play: :(

Job Title: Student, Peer Educator, and PINK campus rep!

Kids: Some (not all) are cute.

Live: Orlando

Mother-in-Law’s name: Not married

Nicknames: Bree, Bee, Cheese (get it??)

Overnight hospital stays: None, knock-on-wood

Pet Peeves: Laziness

Quote from a movie: "No. The blues are because you're getting fat and maybe it's been raining too long, you're just sad that's all. The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you're afraid and you don't know what you're afraid of. Do you ever get that feeling?"

Right or Left handed: Right.

Siblings: One younger sister and one younger brother.

Time you wake up: weekdays: 6:30 (I know) weekends: 9

Underwear: All kinds! Depends on what I'm wearing. oy shorts, mostly.

Vegetable you hate: Corn.

What makes you run late: Taking forever to decide on an outfit

X-Rays you’ve had: Again, none, knock-on-wood toes as a kid.

Yummy food that you make: Baked Ziti, T

Zoo animal: Elephants (even though I don't like animals

XO, Bree

(White) Collar TV

After seeing this video on FabSugar, I only have one thing on my mind: BUY A WHITE BUTTON DOWN.

The ABCs of Taryn

I've seen this thing going around the blog community, and I thought it'd be a good way for our readers to find out a little bit about me.

Age: Twenty-two and a half.

Twenty-two.

Bed Size: Twin or double (if I feel like sleeping in the guest room).

Chore that you hate: Hanging up the mountainous pile of clothes that always seems to accumulate on my saucer chair.

Dogs: My border collie-blue heeler Tuffi Rose:

A giant cup of coffee.

Essential start to your day: A giant cup of coffee.A giant cup of coffee.

Favorite colors: All, with a slight tendency toward jewel tones.towares.toward jewel tones.

Gold or Silver: Gold, mostly, although I wear both and have no qualms about mixing metals.

Height: 5'3-1/2"

Instruments you play: An acoustic guitar named Blondie.

Job Title: Student and adventurer.

Kids: They kind of hate me.

Live: Orlando.

Mother-in-Law’s name: Single life.

Nicknames: Ashlee calls me Tinkerbell.

Overnight hospital stays: Far too many in February of 2009.Way too many

Pet Peeves: Ice-biting noise.

Quote from a movie: "I always tell the girls, never take it seriously. If you never take it seriously, you never get hurt. You never get hurt, you always have fun. And if you ever get lonely, just go to the record store and visit your friends."

Right or Left handed: Right.

Siblings: Don't have any.

Time you wake up: Typically around nine.

Underwear: Boy shorts, mostly. oy shorts, mostly.

Vegetable you hate: Brussel sprouts, obv.

What makes you run late: Taking forever to decide on an outfit.

X-Rays you’ve had: Tons on my ankles, feet and toes as a kid.d toes as a kid.

Yummy food that you make: Chocolate Oatmeal Chippers (cookies).

hants.XOXO, T

Zoo animal: Elephantsphants.

XOXO, T

Phone Addicts Anonymous

While perusing the usual fashion blogs and websites, as I do every morning, I came across a concept that, I believe, is just ingenious. Texting gloves. No but really. Mind officically blown. Thank you, Refinery29. I am a phone addict, I have no problem admitting it, so winter is just not my favorite season--the cold weather is not conducive to texting, Facebooking, or Tweeting. These gloves will save my poor fingers though; I need some ASAP!

Weekly Favies

7. This color personality quiz (I got deep teal. Tell me which color you get.)

6. I've been watching the Hard Times of RJ Berger pretty much nonstop.

5. The (ex)boyfriend sweater

4. How great are these old photos?

3. Winter white

2. Faux fur

1. Yet another to-die-for Urban Decay palette

I just created this post on Mary-Kate and Ashley's line, Elizabeth and James, for job application. What do you think?

Remember the cutie-pie little Michelle, played by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, from the 90’s hit show, Full House? Remember the cute bows, pastel dresses, and sweet rompers that composed the character’s outfit? Fast forward about twenty years and you have the Olsen sisters and their fashion forward, high-end brand Elizabeth and James. Gone are the days of adorable, four-year-old outfits; chic platform heels, fitted pants, and fabulous accessories have arrived.

Started in 2007, Mary-Kate and Ashley named their clothing line after their younger sister and older brother, Elizabeth Olsen and James Olsen. While this type of clothing brand was a new venture for the twins, it was not their first fashion line; in the early 2000’s, marykateandashley was launched. This line was carried by Walmart stores throughout the United States, supplying preteens with affordable looks that mimicked the twins’ personal style. Before Elizabeth and James, The Row was also created. The Row is a luxury line, a far cry from the preteen line of Walmart, featuring furs and exquisite materials—worthy of a Vogue magazine cover.

The Elizabeth and James website states that the line, “...embodies an eclectic lifestyle by blending uptown and downtown elements with casual and traditional styles.” Featuring leather pants, feather-trimmed shirts, and the like, the clothing line is the perfect style for It Girls and It Girls-to-be. The line is perfect for layering the pieces (think: an outfit for a day walking around the city with a coffee in hand). Pieces in the Elizabeth and James line are very similar to looks Mark-Kate and Ashley wear themselves, the perfect combination of boho and classic.

The line has yet to make a fashion show debut at New York Fashion Week, but new lookbooks are created for Fall, Holiday, Pre-Spring, Spring, and Resort seasons. Included in the brand are women’s and men’s clothing, jewelry, shoes, and eyewear—all reminiscent of May-Kate and Ashley’s own, personal styles: glamour, bohemian, and classic touches all blended together.

Interested in buying a piece from the collection? Or even just scoping it out in person? There are many retailers that carry the Elizabeth and James line, including (but not limited to): Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Shopbop, and Net-A-Porter.

XO, Bre

Weekly Favies

I know I typically do these on Saturdays, but yesterday I was on a field trip at Sebastian inlet all afternoon, and crashed pretty much immediately upon getting home. So here are my favorite links from the week of 10/30-11/5, one day late:

10. Because I'm secretly a sucker for Star Wars

9. How sick is Make Up Forever's black light pigment?

8. Like I need an excuse to eat candy

7. All of these makeup trends

6. Have I mentioned how incredibly excited I am to be participating in Micaela's ornament swap?

5. I die for Lindsey's show-stopping red coat and polka dot tights combo and, you know, her life in general.

4. Emily's gorgeous new take on glitter nail polish

3. Sycamore Hill's adorable upcycled vintage silverware

2. SML

1. You need to go vote for Bre to win this American Eagle contest thingy right now and again every single day.

$$ Young Mullah $$

Let me begin this post by stating that this is definitely off topic from our normal posts, which are centered around fashion and personal style. However, I think it's important to know how to budget once you're in college because this is when you will being taking over expenses of your daily life. Those four (maybe 5 for some) years will fly by fast and you don't want to find yourself at the end of senior year not sure how to not blow your budget on shoes and handbags. So I guess I'm not going too far off the beaten path by writing about budget, I mean after all, it's that extra money that could add up to a pair of Louboutin's a few years down the road.

Also, I am not a financial expert by any means--just someone giving first hand tips to anyone interested.

Here is a quick list of ways you can spare some extra dough during those college years (or maybe even after):

I think the biggest portion of my budget goes to food and drink, so this is probably where most people want to cut corners. Let's start with the grocery store:

• Make a list. #1 money saver, hands down. By going to the store, list-in-hand, you're going to know exactly what you need and will avoid wandering up and down isles, throwing food you don't need into your basket.
• Now, to take the list a step further, check the store's website first. While putting together my grocery list, I head over to publix.com to see what kind of sales they have. This is a little tricky though, so USE DISCRETION. Obviously, you are not going to need every BOGO item, if it's a granola bar that's usually a part of your weekly list, go for it. You do not need to buy those 3-for-$10 candy bars, just because they are on sale.
• Also, make sure to stock up on some frozen veggies--not only are you adding some vitamins to your diet, but you're going to make your food stretch further. For example, last night I made a box of couscous that cost me somewhere around $2. To that couscous, I added a can of chickpeas ($1.10) and half a bag of frozen green beans ($.99) that I had steamed beforehand. Putting all three of those items together into some kind of salad mixture landed me with a lot of food--enough for 2 more meals. And the total cost? About $4.09...way less than you would pay for 1 meal from a restaurant.

• Transportation is also a big thing to consider when looking at your budget. In Orlando, we're a little behind in the times with public transportation, so everyone basically drives everywhere. Thankfully, UCF has set up a shuttle system from the nearby apartment complexes to campus. While many students still drive to campus several times a day, I try to use the shuttle as much as possible so I can save a little on gas. Try to find alternative methods than just driving to your campus, or at least try to set up a carpool system with friends and roommates.

• The other budget blower for college kids? FUN. All those fun things we plan with our friends can really add up quite a bit. My piece of advice is to research when places have specials. Let me give you some examples of deals near UCF: Monday--Moes Monday!! $5 for a HUGE burrito and chips, get dinner wit yo friends. Tuesday--$6 movies at one of the nearby theaters, how can you say no to saving a few bucks at the movies?? Wednesday--college night at World of Beer, cheaper beer with your student I.D. Thursday--$1 Bowling, $1 for shoe rental and $1 per game; add some drinks in there and you've got a party! Friday--free beer at happy hour, free drinks til 12...I dare you to turn that down.

I hope at least someone out there founds these tips useful, share your's in the comment section!

XOXO, B