Holiday Gift Guides

Hi Everyone!

I cannot believe we are already 5 days into December!  With the holidays right around the corner I thought it would be a good idea to pull together some items for gift giving!  I know this time of year can be overwhelming sometimes with all you have to do.  I hope that these ideas can help you out.  I broke down the gifts into ideas for her, him as well as some home items that could be great gifts for anyone!  All the items I chose are either on sale or great deals.

collage gifts for her

The planner / Scarf / Top / Leggings / Luggage / Diffuser / Slippers

collage gift for him

Watch / Robe / Groom kit / Cuff Links / Weekender Bag / Slippers / DIY Kit / Fitbit / Gloves

collage home gifts

Google Home / Polaroid / Smoothie maker / Blankets / Glass / Tea Pot / Mugs / Bookends

Do you have all your holiday shopping already done?!  Which of these items is your favorite?

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Shopping!

xoL

The Best Cyber Monday Deals!!

Hi lovies!

It is my favorite time of the year!  Happy Cyber Monday!!  I just love sales and getting a great deal.  Between all the Black Friday, Small business Saturday and Cyber Monday sales you cannot go wrong.  I thought I would round up the top deals I have come across.  I am breaking it down by store and my top picks at each store and also just including some stores and their promo codes.  A lot of these deals will run all day long but it is first come so the earlier you get your shopping in today the better the deals will be.

Nordstrom

Extra 20% off select sale items

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  1. Zella High waist Moto leggings, originally $75 on sale for $36–these are my all time FAVE brand of leggings, soo comfy and can be worn to work out or as a cute outfit

2. Free People thermal top, originally $68 on sale for $41

3. Eliza J holiday dress, originally $128 on sale for $62.  Such a perfect dress and color for holiday parties!

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4. Free People V-Neck sweater, originally $128 on sale for $72

5. BP. Moto Leggings, originally $39 on sale for $21

6. Caslon high/low tunic, originally $49 on sale for $24

 

Gap

50% off of everything with code CYBER plus extra 10% off with code TREAT

  1. Gap sale 2Gap sale 11.  Mockneck sweater dress, originally $90 on sale for $41 -comes in one other color too
  2. Chenille sweater, originally $50 on sale for $23 -comes in a few colors

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3. Swiss dot ruffle top, originally $65 on sale for $30 -also comes in white!

4. Quilted sleep joggers, originally $60 on sale for $27

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Men’s Gap options

  1. Fleece lined joggers, originally $55 on sale for $25

2.  Merino wool v-neck sweater, originally $60 on sale for $25

3. Wool cable knit sweater, originally $70 on sale for $32

 

Anthropologie

20% off of full priced items + Free shipping on all orders over $100, no codes needed

Apparel

  1.  Hygge cardigan
  2. Flutter-sleeve pullover
  3. Tie front linen wide leg pants
  4. Adirondack Marled cardigan
  5. Oslo sweater coat

Home

  1. Snow capped vase
  2. slivered geode coaster
  3. holiday table top light up tree

The gift ideas at Anthropologie are endless! Soo many cute ideas for a wide range of people

Pier 1

up to 50% off and free shipping with code FREESHIP

I am in need of some new holiday decor and it is all on sale on their site today!  Here are some of my faves:

  1. Merry Christmas pillow
  2. Christmas Tree pillow
  3. LED light up Christmas pillow
  4. Faux table top pine trees
  5. Faux pine garland

 

DSW

25% off of pretty much the entire store with code HOLIDAY2017

 

Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5th

60% off cold weather styles with code CYBERMON

take an extra 50% off select styles with code 24HOURS

Extra 30% off select women’s shoes  + half off Hickey Freeman sport coats and suits with code HOLIDAY17

 

Sur la table

up to 75% off home, kitchen and dining items, no code needed

Free shipping over $59 with code SHIPFREE

 

Grande Cosmetics

I LOVE their lash growth serum.  I used it a little while back and saw great results.

25% off entire site with code SPARKLE17

you can also find there products at Sephora 

I wish I had more time to put together more ideas but I want this to be posted before it gets too late.  What are some of your go-to shops on Cyber Monday?!

xoL

6 New Steps To My Personal Happiness

Hi all!

I hope everyone is having a nice week leading up to Thanksgiving (for those of us in the USA)!  I love having a nice short week and looking forward to seeing my family and friends.

So I thought I would write a post about what I plan on doing to change my mind set  because I feel like I have been in bit of a rut and I sure others can relate.  Its strange that when you have nothing but time on your hands you do not seem to accomplish as much as you set up for yourself to do (maybe not everyone but I am speaking from my own personal struggles).  Let me explain what I mean.

My husband and I purchased our first home in July which meant moving to a new city where he already had an established job but I did not.  Our plan was to make the move, get us all settled in, unpacked, etc. and then I would begin the job searching process.  Well, I did just that.  Spent the first couple of months like a crazy person cleaning, prepping and getting us out of boxes and finding a new home for everything.  Since that has ended I have nothing but time on my hands (aside from the days I am non stop job hunting).  So I thought I would be growing my blog, getting into an amazing work out routine, eating healthier then ever and all these other goals.  I just feel like with time on my hands I am not nearly as productive as I am when I am crazy busy.  Can anyone else relate to this?!  I mean here I am not working a job and you would think that I would have 20+ new posts on here!  I am kind of frustrated with myself that I have not taken advantage of this.  I love being able to clear my head on here, write about new trends that I love, outfit ideas and our travels.  So why is it that its like pulling teeth to get me to write on here regularly or get into a good overall routine?! Ugh, well I need this to change.

So here are some things I have brain stormed to try and kick my butt into gear.

  1. Make lists each night on what I would like to accomplish the next day.  I feel that writing out goals for myself to achieve each given day will keep me in a better mindset with having a “work” schedule.
  2. First thing I do when I wake up, stretch.  I know that sounds weird but I have started doing this.  I wake up and I do some stretches in bed, then get up and continue to do some floor stretches.  It wakes me up and gets me feeling less achy.
  3. Plan out a schedule for my blog posts.  If I want to continue this blog I need to put some love and attention towards it.  Its not going to grow on its own without me putting effort forth.  So I plan on writing out each week what my content will be and what I plan on covering in each post.  I am going to aim for 4 posts a week to start, which I feel is attainable with the right mindset.
  4. Plan out other activities that I have been putting on the back burner.  I joined the YMCA near us.  Its nice because it has a gym, you can swim, take classes etc and I need variety when I work out.  So I have been wanting to check out some of the classes they offer and you guessed it, still have not done it.  I can see each week what time the classes start and I plan on adding these into my daily goals.  I also LOVE to craft and I plan on setting aside certain time slots for that as well.
  5. Say out loud what you are grateful for each day.  This probably sounds silly but I feel that sometimes we get in ruts that are just so not worth being upset over.  When we step back and look at what we have its amazing.  Your health, your family, a roof over your head, the means to put food on the table each day.  These are things that people all over the world take for granted.  I am depressed to be in my situation but if I take a step back and look at the big picture I am actually blessed beyond words.  I have a husband who can provide for the both of us until I can get back on my feet with a new job, we have an amazing new house that we will grow into and have so many memories in, we have our health, we have the love for one another, amazing families and friends, I could go on and on.  These are the things we take for granted and do not say enough.  I feel personally if I say what I am grateful for each day it will just be one more positive mood booster to start the day.
  6. Finally, setting long term goals for myself.  I am sometimes terrible at sticking to things but on the flip when I really put something into my head that I want to do I will do it.  I just need to be a bit more organized with my goals.  I would love to be a bit more active and be outside more.  I also want my overall health physically and mentally to improve.  I would love to have a meditation routine as well as a work out one.  All these things are so doable its just sometimes putting your mind to it to make it happen.  I feel that with my situation I have been getting a bit stir crazy and putting myself down a bit.  I used to work in the fashion industry in NYC and when we made the move I decided to not continue on with the crazy commute, which was definitely the right choice.  But that puts me in a spot where I now need to go out and explore new industries and find new passions which I am having trouble seeing.  Its easy to dream but hard to put things into reality at times.  I know if I stay positive and keep busy that the time will come for me to figure out what my new purpose will be and what new path I am meant to take.  I need to think real hard about what some of my long term goals will be but I think it could also be a nice mental exercise for myself.

So these are the new steps I am going to try and incorporate into my life.  Do you do something similar?  How do you stay organized and positive?

There is no better place then social media to really reach out to all corners of the world and get different opinions.

I would love to hear your thoughts and things you do, please comment and share 🙂

xoLauren

Fall obsessions

Hi lovies!

Happy hump day!

It has finally been feeling like fall here in NY.  Last week was literally in the high 80’s, which is so odd for this time of year.  Today is actually getting up to 80 again, so weird!  I mean I cant complain too much because I would much rather have the heat versus the snow…but I am excited for it to be getting cooler.  I can finally wear a nice cozy sweater and boots!  This is one of my all time favorite times of the year for fashion.  I just love sweaters, booties, fall colors and scarves so much.  I thought I would put together some of my favorite items right now.

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I just love this time of year for big sweaters, skinny jeans and cute mules or boots.  I also love these mules here and here .

I have the red sweater #5 from H&M and LOVE it.  Its very comfortable, the sleeve length hits right past the elbow and has a cute fold over detail on the sleeves as well.  Its a nice length too.  Could be worn with jeans or even leggings and the best part is its only $24!

The #6 jeans are a steal!  I found them at Charlotte Russe (go figure!) I haven’t really shopped in that store much since high school.  They are only $37 and super flattering!  I am loving the cropped flare look right now too.

What are your go to items right now?

I love finding new trends and seeing what others are loving too!

xoLauren

 

Where has the time gone?!

Hi lovies!!

I am not sure how 3 months have flown by so quickly!  Well I guess most of it can be blamed on the fact we just bought a house and I have been so consumed with the entire moving, unpacking and decorating process.  Its been such a crazy new chapter of our lives that I would love to share with you all.  I intend to get back to a regular schedule of blogging now that things have died down a little bit.

When we first moved it was just non stop go, go go!  It has been a month and a half since we closed and I am finally feeling like our house is becoming our home.  There are still some things we need to get to that will really make it feel like home.  The decor makes a huge difference.  We just started to put up some of our photos and artwork on the walls this past weekend and what a difference it makes!

I am going to do a before and after blog post.  We were lucky to have purchased our home pretty much renovation free.  The person we purchased our home from actually bought it and flipped it so all the big ticket rooms like the kitchen and bathrooms have already been gutted and redone, which saves us all that time and money!  We did paint almost every room though, just the two of us….which was insane haha.  If I learned one thing about the painting of an entire interior its that pick colors you wont get sick of because you will never paint it again.  That is what I kept saying while we cranked out all the rooms in just 4 days…I was like this color is going to be here for the rest of our time in this house, hubby agreed haha.  So most of the before pictures I have are of an empty home with different wall colors.  I have been waiting on posting any pictures until we really have the rooms decorated and put together.  We finally just got our dinning room table and are starting to get that room a little more put together.  It is just so crazy how many things need to happen when you move from an apartment with limited space to a home with lots of extra space.

I just wanted to get on here and say hi.  Keep an eye out for another post in the near future.

All the best,

xoL

 

Dream Dressing Room

Hi lovies!

Wow, its been far too long!  My life has been a whirlwind of craziness (all good, just busy)!  We have been in the process of buying our first home and boy, is that a long intense process.  We are due to close in the next couple of weeks and things have settled down just a tad bit.

Since we are moving into our new home so soon (and I finally have a chance to post) I though it would be fun to post some fun dressing room ideas or as I have been calling it with my hubby “my glam room.”  He was so confused at first but I explained that I needed a place to put all my makeup, purses and shoes and a place with room for me to get ready and not hog up the bathroom.  Here are some things I love and feel would be perfect for that dream dressing room!

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I just really love the look of gold right now in almost every room.  I think a funky colored rug and some cool furniture could really tie together the space and make it feel inviting.  I love this bench from Anthropology and its functionality in a dressing room.  I am also obsessed with this chandelier, I have been looking at so many fun beaded ones for our new home and just love this pottery barn one!  Another great site that I go to all the time for fun lighting is Arhaus you can find so many great options here!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

What would your dream dressing room look like?!

xoL

 

 

Wayfair Home Update

Hi loves!

So today is a great day, I am home having a SNOW DAY!  I feel like a little kid, so excited to not have to get dressed and travel to work haha.  The weather here in NYC/Hudson Valley has been crazy.  Yesterday was 60 degrees and then today there are blizzard and storm warnings in and around the area!  I normally commute a while to work, almost 2 hours each way, so with the weather being so nasty right now I am sure it would take me closer to 3 hours…So I opted to not travel out and stay home.

Anyone else home for a snow day?!

So I know in my last post I mentioned my hubby and I have started the home buying process!  It really has been a very new, exciting and nerve racking experience thus far.  As long as all keeps running smooth we should be moving into our new home in July!  So with that said I have of course been dreaming up each room and how I will decorate.  We also are moving from an apartment so there are a few items that we do not own now that we will need to get.  I have been filling up a cart on Wayfair (I know, a little premature, but I cannot contain my excitement!) and I thought I would make a post on some items we plan on getting or things I just love.

Is anyone else obsessed with Wayfair like me??  You can get anything you can think of and really furnish your entire home all on one site!

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  1. I love white and this table just jumped out to me.  I would love to pair this table with chairs like the one I included in this post.  We love to entertain so having a table that can fit 8+ people is a huge plus and this table is extendable.  I also love the distressed finish!
  2. The chairs are exactly what I would love to have for my dining room.  I love how they are a neutral color and would be comfortable for an everyday kitchen chair as well.
  3. I just love this nightstand for our master bedroom.  I love the lines, the fact it is white and also has a drawer.  It looks large enough to have a light on it as well which i really like to have next to the bed.  I plan on doing one on each side.
  4. THIS BED.  I just love it.  Again, the distressed look is amazing and I love that its natural wood but also has white on it.  I was originally looking for an all white bed but did not seem to like many that I came across.  This is one that I think would go great in our new bedroom and with those nightstands!
  5. I love the look of new rugs that have that distressed worn-in look.  I think this rug would be a nice addition to our bedroom.  Again, its more neutral but I love that it still has pretty blues in it.
  6. I love this sofa for a couple of reasons.  I love the blue velvet and I love that this is a pull out bed.  This would be perfect in my office/glam room I plan on having.  We want each bedroom to be able to sleep people, again since we like to entertain, but I did not want an actual bed in each room.  So this is perfect.
  7. This ottoman is just awesome.  It comes in a ton of different colors and would be perfect in my glam room or even in the living room.

Any new items from Wayfair that you have been eyeing?!

xoLauren

Life Update

Hi dolls!

It has been so long since I have had a free minute to get on here and post.  Life has been a bit hectic but in a really good way.  The holidays were just so busy and then we jumped into the new year in a big way, Tom and I started the house hunting process!  It has been a bit nerve racking but so exciting at the same time.  I am ready to say goodbye to apartment living.  The thought of having our own space where we can entertain and just have room and not be so confined, it just makes me really excited!  So we have found a house we love and are in the beginning stages so anything can still happen at this point, but we shall see.   More updates to on this to follow later on.

 How has life been for you guys?  Anyone catch the Superbowl, or more importantly Lady Gagas awesome performance.  I just love her.  She is so talented!

So I have some fun reviews in the works.  I like to really try the products first before coming to a conclusion on them.  I have this awesome PMD device that I have been using for 2 weeks, I need to do my 3rd treatment and then I will make a blog post on it.  I also have some hair products I want to try out a few times before reviewing as well.

Just wanted to give a little shout out to everyone!  I hope all has been well and keep a look out for my new posts filled with some fun things coming soon 🙂

xoLauren

NYE Outfits

Why hello there!

It has been so long since I have made a post! The holidays are always such a crazy time for me.  Involves lots of traveling which makes it hard for me to post.  I hope those of you that celebrate Christmas had a wonderful one!! It was so nice being home with family and friends.  My brother-in-law  flew in from Denmark a week ago so it was really nice having him in town as well.  We were one giant family gathering which is always lots of fun.

I thought with New Year’s Eve around the corner it would be fun to post outfit ideas.  I know some people go all out and others do more intimate celebrations.  Here are a few different outfits, all of which I love and would wear depending on what kinda night I have ahead 🙂

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Loving the ruffles and the texture of the sweater with the feminine length skirt.  I think the green is a gorgeous color and something different, pair it with some black shoes, bag and jewels and you are all set!

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I love this look.  A bit more casual with the pleather pants but still super cute and festive.  I love this ruffled blouse and the House of Harlow jewlry

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If you have read my blog before you know my current obsession with Rose gold.  I think this dress is so amazing and fun.  I wouldn’t wear any jewelry since the dress is so sparkly.  This would be a fun dress if you were going to a fancy spot or out in NYC

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I just love this outfit.  I am so into ruffles right now on tops, and the color of this blouse is pretty amazing.  This skirt is so classy and elegant yet fun and festive.  Also these Steve Madden heels come in a ton of different colors, I am loving block heels right now too!

Do you have a favorite?

Any fun plans for NYE? What outfit will you be wearing?!

xoLauren

Dream Closet

Happy Thursday!

So my husband and I have been talking about buying or building a house in the near future.  Since I am always on Pinterest (you can follow me here) looking for new home ideas I thought it would be fun to share a post about one room in particular, the closet.  Now, most people wouldn’t think much of this but I love clothes, shoes, purses and need a nice size spot to store them all, yes my husband has his hands full!  I have been thinking up what the perfect closet would look like for me and wanted to share some of my ideas!

I have always wanted a walk in closet/combo glam room.  I would love a place to store all my things as well as a place for me to get ready.  Right now in our apartment I have no room for getting ready in the morning.  Our bathroom is small and when the two of us are trying to get ready at the same time it does not really work out too well.

Here are some fun things I came across that I would totally incorporate into this dream closet:

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As you can tell I have a bit of an obsession with white and gold.  I just love a nice clean, bright look and then I love the navy and pink as fun girly accents!  I would also love white built ins along the walls and if there is enough room I would have an island with storage and a nice white marble counter top.

While searching for the perfect items for this dream closet of mine I came across a really cool company that I thought would be perfect to share in this post.  They are called MakeSpace.  MakeSpace is a new service that comes to your place, grabs your stuff, and stores it. Through the use of their app you can tell them to bring you whatever you need out of storage whenever! It’s kind of like having a second closet, or even a personal assistant that brings you your stuff at a snap of your fingers.  You can find the locations they are serving here.  I wish I would have come across this over a year ago when we had to clean out my in-laws house and had to take on a number of new things.  We bought a storage unit, which is always a hassle, and not everything fit so we had to bring a lot of it into our-not so big- apartment.  Have you ever used them, would love to hear feedback!

It doesn’t hurt to dream, what would your dream closet look like?!

xoLauren