Looks as of Lately

Once upon a time I had a "Looks as of Lately" series, where I would post outfits from through out the week. I used to love putting these posts together, and it really cultivated a fun hobby for me of getting creative with my fashion. 

Lately, I've been getting my feet wet with a different type of fashion, hair fashion. It's been so fun watching YouTube videos, and trying to recreate them on my head. There's always a fail or two before a success, but I kind of like that. It kicks perfectionism to the curb, and forces me to embrace the learning curve. 

So, in the spirit of documenting this new hobby of mine, I'm bringing back "Looks as of Lately." It may be clothing related, or hair related; it might be weekly, or monthly, or every other month. Basically, no rules! Whatever it turns out to be, I want to document the way I'm experimenting with my personal style. 

I always envied hair fashion on others, but never thought I'd be able to learn, or manage to get my thick, dead straight hair to cooperate. 

Turns out, it's never too late to learn new tricks! Just takes some time to practice them. 

And so, here we have it, my hair looks as of lately!

Dutch Braid

I used this video from Twist Me Pretty to learn how to dutch braid. 

Fishtail Braid

Unfortunately, my hair is not at the best length for a full braid, and with my bottom layers varying in length, this baby didn't last toooo long. But it was great to practice!

I learned how to fishtail braid using the final look tutorial in this video. I had no idea how easy it is!

Curls

I bought a BedHead curling wand from Ulta, similar to this one. It was only $30, and works GREAT. I have tried curling my hair so many different times, using so many different methods, and I have never been happier! 

Since I have so much hair, it can get tiring curling it all. I separate into three sections, starting with the very bottom layer of my hair and moving up towards the top. If I'm getting over it by the time I get to the top section, I can just do a bun or braid with that hair, as shown above. 

For a girl who always wore her hair straight, it has been so fun to have some variety to work with!

***

What are your go-to hairstyles? And where do you turn for inspiration?

I'd love to know!

What I'm Wearing - Rehearsal Dinner

Stitch Fix is starting to take over my wardrobe, which I am 100% okay with. I've gotten all sorts of cute things from them, but one thing I hadn't kept yet was a dress. 

That changed on my last fix, when I opened it and saw this:

I love everything about this dress. The colors, the pattern, the fit, the style, and yes, even the price. Stitch Fix can be a bit more expensive than I typically pay, I'll admit that. But with the quality {which I don't usually go for while shopping}, it's totally worth it! And besides the jewelry, this dress was one of the least expensive items in my fix. Score!

This dress is perfect for tonight's rehearsal dinner. It's my first one, and I can't wait! I am beyond blessed to be a part of this beautiful girl's wedding:

We've known each other since second grade, and I'm still slightly in disbelief that she is getting married. Could not be more thrilled for her, and praising the Lord for the love story He's writing in her life!

It's gonna be a great weekend, that's for sure. Happy Friday, friends!

***

Outfit details:

Dress: Stitch Fix

Necklace: Francesca's

Shoes: Old Navy

Glasses: Firmoo

***

It's Beginning to Feel A Lot Like Summer

It's been raging hot here this week; we're talking 90+ degrees. And this born and bred southern California girl is quite happy about that! Time to break out the summer dresses. 

Summer's always been my favorite season. Growing up, that probably had something to do with my birthday, and the whole no-school thing. Even though the no-school thing has gone away {sad face}, there's still a whole lot to look forward to for Summer 2014!

-Being a Bridesmaid for the first time

-My 25th birthday

-My one year of sobriety. {One the very same day!} 

-Reed Sister Vaycay Part 2

-Being a Bridesmaid again!

-A Red Sox/Angels game

-Visiting this girl! 

So many good things! And not gonna lie, I would not be opposed to the weather staying like this allll summer long. Summer, I'm ready for ya!

Outfit details:
Dress: This one from American Eagle
Shoes: Aldo
Glasses: Firmoo

Happy Friday, lovelies!

Stitch Fix - Jeans Edition

What is by far the hardest thing to shop for? 

I'm gonna go ahead and assume that the majority of you would agree with my response: jeans. So hard, right? The best pairs seem to pop up when you're not looking, but when two out of three of your jeans have holes in the crotch and you're desperately searching for a new pair? Nada. 

Maybe you already know about the fun, new shopping experience {commonly known as Stitch Fix}, but allow me to share why I fell even more in love with them after this last fix: jeans! 

Stitch Fix takes the fun of getting mail and going shopping, and puts them together in a convenient new way to get clothes. For a $20 styling fee, their team of professionals will specifically style a 5 piece fix, and ship it straight to your door. You get to have yourself a little happy dance as you open your box and try on your fabulous tops, bottoms and accessories, and then choose what you want to keep. Whatever you decide to keep will automatically have $20 off (from that styling fee), and anything you don't keep, you don't pay for. 

I've loved Stitch Fix for a while now {this was my 7th fix}, but realizing that I just saved myself the hassle of jeans shopping? Woah baby, we just took our relationship to the next level. 

If you haven't signed up for Stitch Fix yet, you can do so right here. Signing up on that link gives me referral credit, so we can both rock our fix finds! They not only send great clothes, but accessories too. The necklace in my outfit is from my very first fix!

Outfit details:

Top: Clothing Swap (Thanks, Tabitha!)

Jeans: Stitch Fix

Necklace: Stitch Fix

Shoes: Target (like these!)

Happy Humpday, loves! Hope you're having a great week.

Some Lace & Some Navy

Happy Monday! Hope you had a wonderful weekend. I'm so excited to kick off this week by reviewing my first eShakti dress, especially considering I'm pretty much in love with it. 

If you aren't familiar with this company, be prepared to meet your new favorite dress site. Online shopping can be pretty tricky, am I right? I used to be a major skeptic, only buying shoes or something I was positive would fit. 

eShakti makes online shopping a whoole lot easier with tons of possible customizing options. Want longer sleeves? You can ask for that. Want shorter sleeves? You can ask for that. Want to change the length of the dress? You guessed it, you can ask for that. Heck, you can even enter in all of your measurements and have it completely custom made for you. Like I said: tons of possible options. 

I ordered the Illusion Lace Crepe dress, and I couldn't be more happy with it! I chose a standard size, didn't change a thing about the sleeves, and made it a tad shorter at the "above knee length." It fits like a glove, and I am so happy with the material and length!

I now consider myself a huge eShakti fan. Head on over to their website to check out their huge selection of cute, classy dresses. That'll definitely be one way to make your Monday better!

*Product provided by eShakti. All opinions are my own. Photos taken by Alicia Nelson Photography.*

Got My Fix In (& a Birthday Shoutout)

Yay for another round of Stitch Fix! This is actually my forth one, but I didn't post my third because I wasn't a huge fan of anything. Glad I came back for round 4 though, because this fix was definitely a success :)

If you don't know what Stitch Fix is, it's basically a new fun and easy way to get your shopping in. You pay $20 for personal styling and delivery, have a package arrive with 5 items (including one accessory) at your doorstep, and choose what you keep! Whatever you end up keeping, you get to automatically save that $20 you already paid, and whatever you don't want, you send back! Easy peasy. 

And now, let's get on with the good stuff! Bring on the clothes:

1. Amani Cowl Neck Sleeveless Blouse by 41Hawthorn

I love this color, and definitely am a fan of the versatility of this shirt. The neckline can easily be dressed up or down, and as I've said before, I like the longer in the back look. The only cons about this top are the fact that it may be difficult to wash, and it was a bit more than I'd typically pay for a shirt. 

2. Keller Sheer Swiss Dot Blouse by GLAM

I love the style and material of this shirt. The loose fit makes it extremely flattering for all body types, and the polka dots give it some fun flare. Being that it's see through, it definitely requires a tank top underneath. But, I kind of like that you can add some color to it that way! Only con is that it was the same price as the top above, so again, a bit more than I typically pay for a shirt. 

3. Jaclynn 3/4 Sleeve Button-Up Cardigan by Mak

4. Pop of Color Scarf by Rapti

Big fan of both of these items! They were the two least expensive things in my fix, which is always a plus in my book. Fall is right around the corner, and with it comes scarf season! I've been getting more and more into scarves each year, so definitely ready for that! And, I could always use another cardigan. Especially one with some color, like this gorgeous burgundy. These were both winners for me!

5. Dali Geo Print Skirt by Pink Martini

Loooved this skirt! Especially the way it matched these shoes perfectly. You can absolutely dress this up for work, or down for anything else! Versatile: check! Great print: check! Price? Eeek, that's where this one got me. It was the most expensive thing in my box, so definitely would have had to be my absolute favooorite in order for me to fork up that cash. 

All in all, Stitch Fix did a great job! Thank you, stylist Becky!

I decided to keep one thing this round, and the winner was:

...

The Jaclynn 3/4 Sleeve Button-Up Cardigan! 

I love it! And I know I'll get a ton of use out of it. 

If you want to schedule your first Stitch Fix, do it right on over here!

***

And also, happy birthday to the most amazing, wonderful, incredible roommate, friend and photographer that a girl could ask for. 

Kristen, thank you for being all that I could ask for in a friend, and more. 

Side note: I mention January 1st, 2012 a lot as the day that I truly surrendered my life to Jesus. Well, I was standing beside this girl. She is the one who brought me to church that day, she is the one who held me as I cried my eyes out (and has many times since), and she is the one who prayed over me that day (and has many times since). 

I couldn't even tell you what she prayed over me, but man, did it work. 

I love you, Kristen. Happy, happy birthday, my beautiful sister, friend & roommate!

Deal of the Weekend

Two posts in one day? Chyea. It's happening. 

If you follow me on Instagram (@sweethomesb), you know that it's no surprise that I love me some shopping. And because I don't have an endless bank account, I have to steer towards the good deals if I want to be financially responsible. 

I love sharing my heart and my passions on this here blog, and so I'm excited to announce that I'm starting a new weekly series called Deal of the Weekend.

My goal is to give mad props to the places with the right prices, and to devote some more space to my passion for fashion (ya like that rhyming right there?). 

So without further adieu, this week's deal of the weekend:

Lush Couture is a women's clothing store in the heart of downtown Palm Springs. If you find yourself in the desert for a vacation, do yourself a favor and stop by this little piece of clothing heaven! 

Besides shoes and accessories, everything is $16. You read that right, $16 for dresses, tops, pants, everything.  And they have cuuute things! I may have snagged myself a dress to wear to a wedding next week. (And some jewlery, too). 

I'm so excited to launch this new series. And I'd love to hear if you found any good deals this weekend!

Your Questions Answered - Health, Fitness & Fashion!

Goood morning, lovely people!! Happy Monday to you!

I'm so looking forward to answering your questions this week, thanks for the blogging material! :) I'm going to try and segregate these into different topics, and today, we're diving into health, fitness & fashion questions.

Starting with fashion: 

Shannon asked: Where do you buy your clothes? Does it take you a long time to pull an outfit together and honestly do you spend a lot on your clothing budget?

I like to shop at a lot of different places. My two recent favs are Cotton On and Old Navy. Both of which are extremely dangerous for me to walk into, because if I could, I would walk out with the entire store. 

Don't mind the dirty mirror, I swear I'll get around to cleaning it tomorrow eventually. 

Does it take me a long time to put an outfit together? Honestly, not too long. I would say it usually takes me less than 5 minutes to pick out on outfit, and then about 10 more to put it on and make myself presentable for the day. Let's just say that I really like my bed, so in order to maximize my time in it, I've minimized my time that it takes to get dressed :)

And do I honestly spend a lot on my clothing budget? Well, I guess this depends on what you consider a lot. Since I've been getting more into fashion lately, I would definitely say that I'm more lenient with my clothing/accessories spending. I'm a big advocate of pursuing your passions, and fashion has definitely become one of mine as of late!

That being said, I don't generally spend a lot on any one piece. I have a hard time rationalizing anything over $25, and that includes jeans/dresses/shoes/everything. I'm not saying it never happens (ahem Victoria's Secret bras), but I would say most of what I buy is under that price limit. Hence why my two favorite places are Old Navy and Cotton On where almost everything in the entire store is under $25. 

***

Anonymous asked: Are you still running? 

Yes! I unintentionally took a few weeks off due to a busy schedule, but I signed up for another half marathon in October, so time to get cracking! I kicked things off with a 5K this past week:

My race schedule for the rest of the year is:

September 7th: Bubble Run 5K

September 22nd: She is Beautiful 10K

October 13th: City to Sea Half Marathon

***

Anonymous asked: Are you still struggling with your eating disorder?

{For some background on this, feel free to check out this post}

The short answer to this is no, I am not! I'm very happy to report that I can't even recall the last time I struggled with the binging and purging of bulimia. 

This was much more of an issue sporadically through out high school and college. It definitely had a few brief appearances post-college, but I am happy to say that Christ has done quite a bit of healing in this area. I now see the worth in my body, and can't quite justify hurting it in this way anymore. 

The majority of this struggle was surrounded around stress and control, not so much on trying to attain a certain weight or body type. Understanding that was a huge part in my healing process. I now have found healthy ways to handle my stress, mainly bringing it all to my ultimate Comforter, God. 

***

Anonymous said: You look a little thinner. I'm concerned. Please take good care of yourself. Your inside beauty is beautiful, just like you. ;-)

First of all, thank you for the sweet comment about inner beauty :) Second of all, thank you for your concern! I fully understand that this comes from a place of love, and I appreciate that!

I hope my answer above reassured you that I am no longer struggling with my eating disorder, or any disordered eating at that. Honestly, these days I try my best to eat healthy, but I absolutely do enjoy the more-than-occasional indulges as well. 

I actually do not pay too much attention to my weight. I step on a scale maybe once every few weeks, and that number doesn't change too often. I'm fairly certain my body has found the weight that it likes, and I'm perfectly okay with that number. 

I am much more concerned with working on a balanced, healthy diet, and maintaining a regular fitness routine. If working on both of those things makes that number on the scale go down, fantastic! But if not, no big deal!

If I am looking thinner, I can absolutely assure you that it is a result of healthy life changes. But I can also assure you that there has been little to no change on the scale lately ;)

***

Tune in for more Q&A coming in the next few posts. Thank you guys for your wonderful questions! Hope you don't mind that I'm breaking them up into multiple posts. 

Have yourself a fabulous Monday!

Allow Me to Educate You {Hair Tutorial!}

"Educate us on something you know a lot about or are good at."

...

Aaaand my mind drew a blank. 

The best I could come up with was a hairstyle I learned recently, that has gotten quite a bit of positive feedback. 

It's super easy, so I figured today would be a perfect day for my first {and possibly only} hair tutorial. Get excited, because you're going to love how simple this is. 

One // Use a bobby pin or two to pin back some of the top of your hair. 

Two // Take a chunk from the very front, and make a braid. Any size will do, I like mine to be a medium size. Temporarily use a rubber band to hold your braid.

Three // Take out the bobby pins that you originally used to pin the top portion of your hair.

Four // Take your braid over the top of your head. 

Five // Remove the rubber band, and replace it with bobby pins to hold the braid in place. 

Six // This part is optional depending on how your hair looks at this point. Since you are flipping the braid upside down, you may have a section of your scalp showing, or a bump. If you would like to cover this, take a small portion of the front of your hair (that was previously pinned back in the very beginning). 

Seven // Use a bobby pin to cover the bump/your showing scalp with this small piece of hair. 

And voila! You're done!

Hope you enjoyed this simple makeshift hair tutorial :)

It was that, or how to do the sorority arm pose. 

Let me know if your blog has a "how to pose in pictures" tutorial, because clearly, this is all I've got.