Adventures in Nature Park + Fall Photoshoot

WAHOOOO! ADVENTURES!

My good buddy Emily is a credit to her profession, people, let me tell ya!

She finally came home from college to visit and we'd been waiting so long to do a fall shoot. Hours were spent researching other fall photoshoots and sending each other ideas and basically trying not to explode from excitement at the endless possibilities.
On Saturday morning, we got up and at em ready for a magical morning shoot.Things didn't go exactly as we dreamed (especially since it was 90 degrees), but they still went fantastic and it was kind of fun climbing all over rocks on a creek that we spent a while searching for and walking a mile or two on park trails. It doubled as a workout as well which is always a plus and my boots had heels on them. WOOO!
I personally feel that my expression game was weak this time around but we are determined to get an epic part 2 in to this fall shoot and I am NOT complaining because Emily is a beast at photography and got some gorgeous shots!
My shirt and boots are from Target and I thrifted the fuzzy white cardigan, but it's from Forever 21.

Here are just a few of my favorites:

 

I wasn't kidding. Emily is a photography wizard.

 

Check out love5emily on Instagram to check out some of her fabulous work!



 

 

Thank you, Emily. You rock my pug socks, bruh.

Mid-October favorites

Here this goes.
Typically these "monthly favorites" blog posts and videos are made at the END of each month, but I found this to be troubling for the month of October due to the fact that there are so many things that could be related to Halloween that I'm loving at the moment that would be strange to talk about once the holiday has past. So.... Here I am. Let's get into it, shall we?

THIS CANDLE. The first and foremost priority of the blog post.
It is the Pumpkin Pecan Waffles candle from Bath & Body Works that I actually purchased yesterday.... Yes, yesterday.. When all my troubles seemed so faaar awaaaaay. Not a Paul McCartney fan? Alrighty then.
Anyway, I purchased this after forcing encouraging my buddy Craig to join me in the courageous act of deliberate sensory overload which consisted of sniffing out the most triumphant Autumn-scented candle that was worthy of a good piece of my bank account (this precious wax is pricey). People, this candle is no joke. I lit it ONCE and it made not only my room, but the entire HOUSE smell like Jesus and his twelve Disciples. Those must've been some tasty smelling Disciples.
It has the warmest Autumn smell that won't cause your mind to wander to Christmastime like many Autumn scents tend to do. The name of this candle will not fool you.
I may or may not be burning it as we speak.

BEAUTY PRODUCTS.

First on the list is the L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche eyeliner in Black. I love the smudging tip it has on one end and the product is very smooth and creamy without having the dreadful inconvenience that is creasing. Simple as that, really.

Next, the Maybelline The Nudes eyeshadow palette was surprisingly better than I thought it would be. I've been using it almost every day when I'm not taking a break from eye makeup altogether. The only downfall is the fact that some of the shades are super pigmented, only requiring a dab of the eyeshadow brush and some of them require the rapid swirling of the brush or the classic aggressive finger dig into the product. Other than that, the palette is pretty versatile and reasonable priced (.... Holla).

Speaking of rich pigments, the Maybelline New York Fit Me concealer (I have the shade "fair") is such a lovely liquid concealer and may even be a nice dupe for the NARS creamy concealer and the Sonia Kashuk Liquid Light concealer. With a damp beauty blender and this concealer, magical things happen.

I want to love my OPI nail polish in "Lincoln Park After Dark" SOOOO badly because it is a gorgeous deep purple color, but realistically it really just looks black under crappy lighting. However, I love purple and this is the type of color that gives me that spooky, dark feeling for Halloween which is always fun.

The Lorac Pro matte lip color in "Merlot" is so divine. I say that because it's truly matte without drying out the lips. That's ALWAYS the problem not just with matte lip products, but with lip stains and even the classic-textured lipsticks. It's fantastically creamy, yet it didn't budge after I attacked some chicken enchiladas and with some makeup wipes, it comes right off. I love the fact that it's a stick instead of the traditional tube and not to mention the color is out of this world. I regret not swatching it for a picture, but trust me on this one, it's a glorious shade.

Smith's Rosebud salve. I dare you to sleep with this stuff on. You'll wake up with smooth, lucious lips. Oh, it's nice.

CONGRATS YOU'VE MADE IT TO THE END.... Or scrolled to the end.
Either way, I thank you for even clicking on the link to this place.
As I suspected, the temperatures in Dallas are still in the 80s, but I can feel the Autumn vibes and the rush of my A/C cooling me down.
For now, though, let's just enjoy the Halloween vibes and cheesy horror movies.

 

I may do the whole mid-monthly favorites for the fall/winter months... What do you think?

Sweater Weather Day 1 + I'M BACK

Whaaaaaaat?! A new post?!
Yes, people, this is happening.
Disregard the one and only post from 2011. Or don't. I think it's funny.
Anyhow, I can only hope any of you who read this will find my style and strange sense of humor tolerable or maybe even......... Pleasant? We'll see.
Enjoy.

 

 

(Sweater: Topshop, Jeans: Forever 21, shoes: Target, bracelet: Beya)

Oh YES.



Yesterday was the first day that it actually felt like Autumn in Dallas so far and the weather was glorious in the most grey, chilly, dreary way. I personally love it. Of course the weather is expected to head back up to mid-80s in the next few days, but this weather gives me hope that it will be a cold fall/winter which would be lovely!
Anyway, for days like yesterday, I really love to throw on simple pieces that are warm and chic, but don't require any work like a dress and tights would.
A fuzzy cropped sweater, trusty skinny jeans, and a statement shoe really get that point across for me by staying a bit on the minimalist side but keeping it eye-catching with the furry material of the sweater and leopard print loafers.
I will admit, I had a little trouble keeping my stomach from showing due to the sweater being cropped, but it's all about keepin' those pants up, people! I've never been a fan of high-waisted pants on me, so that wasn't an option, but I just freaking ADORE cropped sweaters!! There's something about a big boxy sweater and tight bottoms that I find so nice and balanced. I like to roll the sleeves up a bit for a more put-together feel. Plus, they are SO easy to find at thrift stores which is actually where I found this beaut. I'm thinking about pairing a cropped sweater with a bodycon skirt soon (although as I mentioned, I'm not a fan of working to keep an outfit on fleek). I hate myself for saying that.... No I don't.

 

Although my pictures don't do it justice, my chunky gold bracelet with rhinestone accents reeeeally added an extra little spice to the dark top and jeans and I'm a huge fan of the sparkles it gives off under dim, glowy lighting.
YES GLOWY LIGHTING. I love the romantic feel of fall and winter. Plus, I tend to spend more time putting outfits together when it's cold outside rather than miserably hot. I can already tell this Autumn is rock my cute little Pug socks. I'm serious... I have a pair socks with Pugs on them and they are AWESOME.