Halloween Bar Scene + Chandelier by NK (with a nod to Harry Potter!)

Happy Halloween!

October is the kickoff to my faaaaaaaavorite time of the year.  First comes Halloween, then my birthday (at the beginning of November), Thanksgiving, the Christmas season, and NYE!

Being the extremely festive person that I am, I find no greater joy than dressing up for Halloween.  I usually have a million costume ideas and have to narrow it down to the best one.  And starting October 1, I think it's acceptable to decorate your home with all things spooky.  So fun.

I've been dying to do a themed bar cart, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity (although if you've noticed, it's on a table not a bar cart)!  I say it's a nod to Harry Potter because all the labels on the bottles are different potions mentioned in the books and movies!  I found all the labels on Pinterest from all different sites.  Now, why you would ever use Skele-Gro in a cocktail, I have no idea.  But it's a classic potion from the Chamber of Secrets!  (If you're a true fan, you know what scene I'm talking about!)  We have that, some liquid luck (felix felicis), truth telling serum (veritaserum), love potion (amortencia), and what Lupin took to stop himself from becoming a werewolf every full moon (wolfsbane potion).  Oh, and can't forget some freshly brewed butter beer from the Three Broomsticks!

This was also a great reason to use my Turquoise Fancy Chandelier from Chandelier by NK.  This time around, I have a black crystal hanging from my chandelier. Colored crystals are something you can add on to your purchase for $10 (black is special by order).

In case you missed my last couple of posts about the chandelier (the outer space celebration HERE & Addy's room reveal HERE), I'll give a little background.  I am lucky enough to be one of the brand ambassadors for Chandelier by NK, which means that I have centered a few different styled shoots around this lovely piece of decor.  These acrylic chandeliers are the perfect detail to add to your living space, party, or special event!  You can choose from a number of different colors for the fancy chandelier (that's the one I have).  It's super easy to assemble and surprisingly lightweight. It's just as amazingly beautiful in person as it is in photos!

P.S:  Nicole has begun crowdfunding in order to take the next necessary steps for her business.  She wants to do her first trade show in early 2018 AND come out with new chandeliers in different shapes, colors, and metallics!  SO exciting!  I donated and you should too.  Click here to support the Chandelier by NK campaign.

P.P.S:  "Lookit, lookit!  It's freakin bats.  I love Halloween." (love her)

"It's always Halloween in my soul."

Turquoise Fancy Chandelier:  Chandelier by NK

Crystal Add-On for Chandelier (black is special order): Chandelier by NK

Wall Bats: Joann Fabrics

Cardamom & Ginger Candle:  Bath & Body Works

Happy Hour Sign: Target (Dollar Spot, earlier this year)

Two of a Kind Less/More Jigger: kate spade new york

On the Rocks Glasses: Target (Dollar Spot, last winter)

Bottles/Decanters: Everywhere, collected over time. But Dollar Tree has some good ones.

Polka Dot Paper Straws: Coqui Paperie

Brandy Sign: Twohig and Tuinstra

Cool Gourds:  Trader Joe's

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OOTD: kate spade Fall Faves Part 3!

Welcome to Part Three of my kate spade fall faves!

Although this dress is actually from a couple of years back, it's a classic.  This plaid never goes out of style.  And neither does a giant bow, at least in my opinion!  But the icing on the cake (or novelty purse cake, mwahaha) of this outfit are the accessories which can be found at kate spade right now.  

Read on for links!

-Griffin Dress: kate spade new york

-Golden Girl Bauble Drop Earrings:  kate spade new york

-Ma Chérie Cherry Open Hinged Cuff: kate spade new york

-Langley Boots: kate spade new york

-Ma Chérie Cherry Cake: kate spade new york

Black Opaque Tights: Vera Wang

Lips: Nudestix Magnetic Matte Lip Color in Greystone

Nails: Essie in Smokin Hot

Like I said, this dress is literally my fall favorite!  But accessories are what really helps putting the "fall spirit" into an outfit.  I am a huge fan of opaque black tights like these ones.  In the fall and winter, I throw them on under every dress.  And I finally found the pair of black booties I've always been looking for!  They can be dressed up or down, and have a cute bow that makes them unique.  

I knew that the cake purse would look great with this outfit, so I had to bring it out again!  To make things even more perfect, I wore my cherry hinged bangle.  I'm also loving this style of earrings this year.  Mine are the golden girl bauble earrings from kate, but I've seen this style all over the place lately.

I got this lip color in my Sephora Play box and I love it!  It's probably the darkest I've gone, in all seriousness.  At first I didn't know if it would work, but I ended up loving the way it looks.  For nails, this is my classic fall nail color.  I know I've influenced others to purchase it too because it's just THAT good!  It's a dark espresso brown called Smokin Hot.  I actually bought it for the first time back in college, when Jessica Garvin recommended it!  PS:  That's the first blog I officially started reading!

I can't wait to get even more creative with my fall outfits this year.  It's my favorite season!

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Oils for Your Skin & Hair!

Nope, oil is not just for your car!

Although, you have probably known that since the Moroccan oil craze started a few years back.  I have consistently used Moroccan argan oil in my hair since...high school?  Not sure!  But I do know that my hair has never been healthier since starting to use it!

Lately I've been learning a lot more about organic/natural beauty products and ways to use oils for your hair and skin.  I've started researching lots of new oil-based products and learned that there are so many benefits that I never would have known about!  I'm starting to pay much closer attention to the ingredients in the products that I use on my body.  I also really like the idea of knowing exactly what's in a product, and the less chemicals the better.

I'll be sharing three products I've recently found that have definitely made an impact on my hair and skin!

Jojoba Oil

This organic jojoba oil is a skin necessity.  When I went to Florida, my face freaked out on me!  It was super unusual.  I don't know if it was the change in humidity or constant application of sunscreen...or both.  One of my cousins recommended jojoba oil and said she uses it daily as a moisturizer. I ordered to make sure it arrived right when I got back.  Since then I have recommended it to multiple people.

I usually moisturize twice per day, after washing my face.  I replaced my nighttime use of moisturizer with jojoba oil and...magic, I swear.  Not only does it work amazingly as a moisturizer, it keeps my skin nice and clear.  Obviously there are other factors at play when it comes to clear skin, but I think using jojoba oil is a great replacement for a lot of the popular current products out there.  I'm trying to cut back on anything with salicylic acid, even though it can help clear up blemishes, because it can actually dry out skin.  I have generally clear skin to begin with, but with jojoba oil, I am seeing far less blemishes than I normally would anyway.

Jojoba moisturizes without clogging your pores.  I also have mildly oily skin, so using an oil on my face "tricks" it into producing less oil.  That's a thing.  I'm no expert, but I haven't experienced anything is better for my face than jojoba oil.  

The one I use, linked above, is 100% USDA certified organic cold-pressed and unrefined jojoba oil.

evanhealy Rose Geranium Facial Tonic

Another product for your face!  It can be used for any skin type.  I like applying 5-7 sprays after the jojoba oil.  It just feels super hydrating (and it is), like spraying your skin with a hydrating elixir.  It's gentle, yet slightly astringent and helps with blemishes and reduces wrinkles.  The antibacterial properties in geranium oil can also help to fight external infection.  I use it before I apply makeup, but you can spray it on your face throughout the day.

The product contains 100% rose geranium hydrosol, and nothing else.

Tea Tree Oil Shampoo 

c/o Maple Holistics

During this mission to a cleaner beauty cabinet, I was offered a bottle of this tea tree oil shampoo to try!

If you Google uses for tea tree oil, there are tons.  It's good for a lot of different reasons.  But right now, we're going to focus on why tea tree oil is the perfect oil for hair.  It promotes growth and unclogs hair follicles.  It can also improve scalp health and stop dandruff.  I've also read that it can even prevent hair loss.  

A great benefit to this product is that it's cruelty-free, paraben-free, GMO-free, and gluten-free.  It smells like eucalyptus and leaves my hair feeling refreshed.  But I'm going to be honest, I was using their website as reference when looking at ingredients, and they list aqua, jojoba oil, botanical keratin, argan oil, lavender oil, and rosemary oil.  Sounds great, right?  But then I grabbed the bottle.  There are about 15 ingredients on there that are not listed on the website.  So I Googled all of them.  They all seem to be naturally occurring, mostly derived from coconut oil.  And they all serve a difference purpose (foaming, anti-humidity, etc), which is obviously understandable in a shampoo.  But I would appreciate it listed on the website!  They were all very wordy, so I would have had no clue what they were had I not looked them up.  And I'm no expert, but it seems like they're all legitimately natural ingredients that I wouldn't have a problem rubbing all over my scalp and precious hair!

Overall, I really like the product.

You can enroll in a free sample program with Maple Holistics to try your own products.

As I discover more products I love, I will of course share them with you!

Until next time, 

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OOTD: kate spade Fall Faves Part 2!

Hello again!  Happy Friday the 13th!

Here's the next installment of my kate spade Fall Favorites of the 2017 collection.

Cherries, poppies, and bell sleeves, oh my!
Yup, denim skirts are back.  And so are those 70s bell sleeves, apparently!  And you may have never thought of a purse as delicious, but here's one that might change that.

PSA: The friends and family sale starts today!  So you can get (almost) anything in the store, full price or sale, for 30% off!  Use the code FRIEND if shopping online.

-Poppy Denim Skirt: kate spade new york

-Black Flounce Knit Top: kate spade new york

-Langley Boots: kate spade new york

-Ma Chérie Cherry Cake: kate spade new york

-Wine and Dine Metro Watch (on sale!): kate spade new york

-Tassel Earrings (last year, similar HERE and HERE)

-Floppy Burgundy Hat (on sale!): Target

I am in looooove with this embroidered poppy skirt!  It's so vibrant against the denim.  It's also super stretchy and actually really comfortable.  Paired with the black flounce top, it's the perfect way to do florals in the fall.

And for the piece that is arguably the star of the show, my cake purse!  It is like walking around with a celebrity when carrying it.  It's the star of the show and everyone wants to comment on it.  Typical for a kate novelty bag!  Surprisingly, there's enough room in there for an iPhone 6, a small wallet, and a few other things!

The kate spade Langley boots are definitely going to make a lot of appearances this fall and winter!  They came out this summer in preparation for fall, but I couldn't pull the trigger until I was sure I would be able to wear them soon.  I finally did it, and have worn them a ton of times already!  I love that they look great with and without black tights, giving me lots of options for whatever the weather may be.

For accessories, I wore my trusty kate spade wine and dine watch.  I threw on a floppy burgundy hat and tassel earrings.  Luckily I have a lot of items in this color scheme!

If you missed the last fall favorite, check it out here:

Embroidered Chiffon Mini Dress

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OOTD: kate spade Fall Faves Part 1!

I'm back again with another rendition of my kate spade favorites!

...And we're bringing out the fall looks.  During this season, the theme is France!  So all things Parisian are on the scene.  You'll see lots of red, embroidery, poppies, and cheetah (in homage to Josephine Baker and her pet Chiquita the Cheetah). 

-In Bloom Chiffon Mini Dress: kate spade new york

-Cameron Street Sima: kate spade new york

-Garden Garland Statement Earrings: kate spade new york

-Black Felt Hat (almost identical HERE from Target): Charming Charlie

-Burgundy Lace Up Flats (last year, same color HERE and same style HERE): Target

The silhouette of this dress is one of my favorites and tends to make an appearance every fall or winter season in different prints.  The flowers sewn in are so pretty and delicately embroidered.  If you look closely at the fabric, there is a subtle black overlay of the dress that looks like cheetah print!

For accessories, I paired the dress with a pair of velvet burgundy lace-up flats from Target last year.  They fit in even better this year since velvet is such a huge trend!

The rose gold earrings are new from kate spade for October.  They're so ornate and the dripping gems give them a très elegant look.  I can't wait to wear them with my hair up!

The black Sima is a classic black evening bag.  When I bought it, I had no idea how much I'd actually use it! It's easy to wear as casual or fancy, as a crossbody, shoulder bag, or clutch.

I was so excited to finally be able to bring out my felt wide-brimmed hats!  They're too hot to wear in the summer, and finish off outfits perfectly for the fall and winter.  This one is from Charming Charlie a couple years back.

There will be many more fall faves coming your way!

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