DIY Turkey Craft! Yes, he stands up.

I have been so busy; I have had literally no time to blog whatsoever. BUT! I did happen to think it was important to show you this little craft I made as a demonstration for the little ones in Art today. It's really easy, and I'm not gonna lie... I had fun.

Gobble Gobble! Happy Thanksgiving!
What you need: 1/2 paper plate, toilet paper roll, construction paper & googly eyes!

Side note: I really, really, really dislike winter dresses this season. They're terrible - awkward styles, matronly designs, and vibrant, mismatching colors and overlays. ( <---- and this is coming from a major color person! )

However, I did happen to find this awesome little dress at J Crew, where I usually find absolutely nothing. I looooove it! If you do too, spoil yourself as an early MERRY WHATEVER present! It also comes in a blouse...

Really have no other fashion inspiration as of now -- I've been too scared to really shop because of the mob of people I anticipate in stores around the holidays!

Leg Lingerie??

Yup, that's right. Lingerie for your toes and your legs. And I'm excited about it!

I haven't blogged in FOR-EVER -- kind of bad move since so much has happened (like sky diving!) and I've made awesome purchases (check out Anthro boots right now *cough!*) -- but these wonderful new hosiery items came into my life this afternoon, and they got me motivated again...

I got these bad boys in these colors:

Check out their site! http://voethosiery.com/shop/cori.php

<3 Madison

Vacay Sneak Peak

So, it's been a while since I've posted, but I have a good excuse! I was packing and planning for my Pacific Northwest vacation and now I'm on it! I have tons of good stuff to share with you guys once I have the time to get organized, but for now I thought I'd give you a little sneak peak into which parts of the country I'm roaming:

Don't judge the outfit! San Francisco's way colder than I thought it'd be this time of year, and you've already seen this shirt before. I hate to be an.... [wait for it].... "OUTFIT REPEATER" [GASP!], but I wanted to show you that even when you only have 1 long sleeve shirt on your trip and a much-needed sweater that doesn't quite match, you can still make it look cute.

...stay tuned for a "What to Wear in Nor Cal" post!

My Friend's Closet: Guinea Pig Edition

I am going to be starting a monthly tribute to my friends' closets on my blog, because they are oh so much fun to go through when you are bored of your own stuff! "My Friend's Closet" posts are going to be exactly what they sound like... posts that feature my friend's and random articles of clothing I find in their closet and a brief interview about their style. I am randomly going to pick things out from my friends' closets and throw them together in an interesting way each time. You may not always like the outfits, but the idea is to show you new ways of mixing and matching what's already in your closet!

 

Are you someone that constantly feels like you "have nothing to wear?" Well, I guarantee that you are wrong. I also guarantee that if I came to su casa I could pick out a hodge podge of my favorite things in your bureau and make you look like a super star. 

Also: confidence is the best accessory you can sport, and my little guinea pig below clearly has tons of that! It resonates in her photo shoot...

Meet Rachel. She's my guinea pig, and I am so thankful to her for striking poses for me and flaunting her cute clothing (and bod, for that matter :-D). 

 

Sunglasses = Ray Bans; Earrings = Joan Rivers via QVC; Bra = DKNY; Watch = Michael Kors

 

A bit about Rachy: We met in elementary school because we were on the same "yellow team" in rec soccer. She is always adorably, appropriately and somewhat preppily (yes, that is now a word) put together. This outfit is completely out of the norm for her, and something I know she'd never put together herself. 

Dress = Forever 21; Belt = purchased while in Greece

Ring = from her grandmother (Rachy cleans up in the "grandma hand me downs" collection. It's pretty awesome)

 

 I put her belt on backwards... I wanted the leather to show in the front, and since she had absolutely no say in what she wore, I won the debate. It's a little bit out of the box to buckle your belt in the back, but I think it looks cute here!

Shoes = MRKT via DSW

After our photo shoot, I asked Ray some questions about her personal taste in fashion:

What season do you like best (in terms of fashion, of course!), and why?

Fall or spring. Fall because you can take summer items into it with a light jacket, or throw a leather jacket on top of a summer dress. You can also get into sweaters, especially if you go to school in the Midwest like I did [Indiana University]. Fall is also "boot season," and I don't like wearing heels. Spring is the same idea, but you get the bright colors. By the time winter ends you are ready to dress for something new and go shopping.

What is your go to accessory and why?

My watch and my diamond studs. Diamonds' clarity brighten up your face, go with anything, and are classic. They also look good with your hair up or down. My watch because I always know what time it is and it doesn't jingle around like a bracelet...

What is your favorite item in your closet?

That's really hard... [she stared at her closet for about 5 minutes before answering, so I then asked the below...]

Okay, top three?

Cowboy boots, my leather jacket, my "birthday" dress (21st)

What is the most useful or used thing(s) in your closet?

- Jeans - my jcrew ones. (matchstick style)

- Michael Kors white peasant shirt - I've had it for so long!

-Gap maroon and white (rugby) striped lightweight sweater

Why did you agree to do this blog post? 

I didn't... you made me [such a typical "Rachel" answer]. But seriously? Friends are always borrowing friends clothes, so why not share my closet with you?? :)

 

Her last answer pretty much sums up why I'm starting this whole "My Friend's Closet" thing! Let know what you think!

Thank you, Rachel! You look great! 

<3 Madison

Things you should know....

1) Dolce Vita came out with a line for Target!

This is my favorite pair of wedges, and they are unbelievably reasonably priced! Hmmm... I wonder when these bad boys are going to make it into my closet!

2) BHLDN, Anthropologie's bridal line, is opening its first store in Houston, Texas and they are hiring! I'd apply if I felt like moving to Texas, but it's too hot there for this chick, and I am, by no means, ready to start working on August 18th ;) Click here for more info!

Consider this a shopper's public service post for the week!

<3 Madison

P.S. I stumbled upon this yesterday, and thought I'd share it:

Products to AVOID!

During the summer, I find myself trying out a myriad of cosmetics and hair products... aren't you guys a lucky bunch of followers? :) I try them out, and you get to pick and choose which of the good ones you wanna go buy!

Anywho: In my search for the perfect shampoo to keep my hair soft, healthy and frizz-free, I stumbled upon this load of _____:

Stay away from me! I don't work!

This shampoo, which contains keratin, the main ingredient (protein for the hair) that keeps your hair straight after a Brazilian treatment, sounds awesome, but in reality.... really sucks. If you have the type of hair that needs it, and you can afford it, I highly recommend getting a Brazilian or Keratin hair treatment. Unfortunately, I still have to babysit.... like.... 80 more times? until I can get my next one! But seriously. This shampoo does the opposite of what it's supposed to, and I found my hair to be dry and brittle during the time I used it.

The next item I'm going to tell you to stay away from is a product that I wish worked:

L'Oreal one-sweep eyeshadow

This is supposed to be "eye shadow made easy" for those who need it, but I, as someone who doesn't need it, am telling you that it is not easy ( <---- In fact, it's as difficult to understand as that sentence was to read). The applicator of this make-up is designed to color the lid and crease of your eye perfectly (this can be challenging for some to do evenly), leaving only a little bit of blending left for you. However, I find myself adding more color from a different shadow with a different brush to fill in areas or alter the original shading. 

I was even more disappointed when this product didn't work out because L'Oreal makes all of these different color combinations:

L'Oreal tells you on the packaging which color combos are best for your eye color. I tried two different sets, and I still couldn't get the look I wanted. My mom's a make-up artist, so an affinity for this sort of thing runs in the fam.... I suggest you take my advice and stay away from these products! If you are one of my readers who has trouble with eye make-up application, don't worry! I will post a cosmetic tutorial soon!

Have any of you tried these? Do you agree with my opinion? Do you know of any awesome products for me to try?

<3 Madison

My weekend in photographs

I had an amazing weekend and I hope you all did too! 

My grandmother turned 80 yesterday, and we had a party for her on Saturday. It was an intimate gathering with only family (my family is extremely large - I have tons of cousins and my two favorites came in :)!).

One of my closest friends from high school graduated from college this year, and her little brother graduated from high school. They had an amazingly fun party (as this family always does), and it was also a beautiful evening.

I couldn't possibly express how much fun I had in words, or explain just how pretty the grounds where we had my grandmother's party were, or how special it is to celebrate milestones with friends you've known your entire life, so I'll just show you some pictures!

PARTY BUS!!
My grandmother is pictured on the left. She looks amazing, doesn't she?!
My beautiful cousin is on the right (her dress = BCBG)

the grounds of Antrim 1844
dress via Anthro
bag = Furla

Trying to hone my photography skills... I have a point and shoot camera.
anyone wanna buy me a DSLR as a belated grad gift? ;)

My favorite person in the world happens to be related to me. He
is not only my cousin, but my very best friend in the whole wide world!
Also: notice the live music at this happenin' 80th b-day bash!

To all of my beautiful friends even those of you not pictured,
CONGRATS ON GRADUATING!! 

Let me know if you want to see more! What did you do this weekend?

<3 Madison

P.S. Does anyone have any photography tips for me?