Botox in a Bottle

{the coveted bottle that travels between my bathroom and my mom's}

I think Emily Maynard said it best when she said she'd be "living under a bridge wrinkle free" when it came to spending money on skincare. You only get one crack at your skin... so I think it justifies spending a little extra moola on the good stuff, and this, my friends, is the good stuff. 

I was first introduced to Nerium AD when my sweet baboosh, EZ E, brought it on our Memorial Day beach trip. She said she'd found this ah.maze.ing. new cream we all had to try. Everyone was skeptical, but me being a junkie for anything beauty-related, I gave it a whirl. I remember saying it smelt like apples. Not bad, eh?

After the trip, I didn't think much of it until I started noticing my forehead wrinkles grow increasingly more visible. I'm one of those lucky gals that has overly expressive eyebrows anyway, and that, paired with arching them every day when I put on my mascara started to take its toll at the age of 23. yikes. 

Then, a funny thing happened. I started noticing Nerium AD pop up everywhere. Molly and Sally swear by it on A Piece of Toast, Catheirne Giudici of the Bachelor even has people wining cars selling it! I was 100% sick of looking like grandma wrinkles in my 20s and decided to give it a try. Baboosh was sweet enough to send me a bottle to try (fo free). I used it, and instantly fell in love. I've recently gotten compliments on my skin, and my mom said she noticed that my forehead wrinkles had nearly disappeared, even when I raise my eyebrows! 

This stuff is that good. I'm even sharing with my mama to see what kind of results she gets.

I agree with Molly when she says this stuff is truly "botox in a bottle," and I'd be willing to guess it's less expensive and more natural-looking than it, too. 

So, maybe I'll living under a bridge since I spend my paycheck on skincare and beauty products, but at least I'll be wrinkle free... and in good company (cough, Emily Maynard).

folks dressed up like eskimos

In preparation for the festivities this past weekend, I allowed myself to swing by Old Navy to see if I could find any seasonal steals (I must admit, all of the posts from A Piece of Toast and Glitter Guide about Old Navy sales tipped me off). To my delight, I found 2 pairs of jeans, and 3 tops and only spent a little over $100 total. How fabulous is that?!

One of my finds was this Kelly green monogram sweater. I'm in love. It's comfy cozy, soft, and oh so cute. I was a bigger fan of the color scheme for the "S" sweater ( a camel sweater with red letter), but was happy they carried my initial at all (they only have about 5 to choose from... so I'm sorry in advance if your name or last name isn't on of those chosen letters [M, J, S, A, or  L]). Even the cashier noted, "Lucky you-- we had your letter!"

But in the chance they don't, don't fret. I promise your trip won't be in vain. From sparkly flats and wool winter coats to dressy flannel (I paired this flannel shirt with my white columbia vest, jeans, and Minnetonka moccasins to run errands Saturday morning) and holiday blouses (I wore this one to the Peabody and Majestic this weekend), I'm sure you'll walk away with something. I highly recommend a trip if you're looking for a little last minute stocking stuffer for yourself or a loved one. 

Look for Less

I admit that I'm way more obsessed with a few of my blogger friends than I should be, considering I've never actually met them. But that doesn't stop me from have major wardrobe envy for A Piece of Toast, Gal Meets Glam and Dallas Wardrobe.

 

{photo from Dallas Wardrobe}

Specifically, these boots (similar also seen here on InStyle) that can be found on Happily Grey and Dallas Wardrobe on many occasions (see here, here, here, here or here). I loved, but let's be real... I'm not about to spend my entire paycheck on a pair of boots...just yet anyway. Thankfully, I found a discount double take at trusty H&M (and a middle of the road double take at ALDO).

 

Left: real $598 // Right: knock off $59.95

Gang's All Here

Blame it on the journalist in me, my love of all things Entertainment (E!), or just plain curiosity, but I don't consider my day "started" until a few things have happened.

These things include, but are not limited to, drinking a large cup of coffee, scrolling through the top news on E! Online, and hanging out with the girls. 

In this scenario, the coffee has 2 sugars and heavy cream, E News is the only legitimate form of news (an argument for another post, but celebrity coverage is one thing a gal can count on in this crazy life), and the girls are my blogger consultants.

So yes, now is the time to insert any joke about cyber friends. Good. Now that that's done, I'll introduce you to the ladies I check in with nearly daily (besides my TNB's).

Sally Ann and Molly from A Piece of Toast. Amy from Dallas Wardrobe. Courtney from What Courtney Wore. Mary from Happily Grey. Julia from Gal Meets Glam. Helena from Brooklyn Blonde. Mackenzie from Design Darling. Alicia from Cheetah is the New Black. Erin from Elements of Style. and last, but not least, Inslee from Inslee Illustrations.


So, meet the gang and see for yourself why they're so spectacular.