March Favorites

As this month comes to a close, I wanted to share with everyone a few of my favorites this past month.



1.  Lancôme's Tient Idole Ultra 24H Long Wear Foundation

I originally bought this to wear for dance competitions, but it blends so seamlessly and if I mix it with a bit of moisturizer or primer, it works perfectly for everyday










2. Too Faced's Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer

I'm not the type to get a lot of sun.  I slather on sunscreen and stay very pale for much of the year.  So, to bring a little bit of warmth to my face when I look like a ghost, I'll brush a little bit of this on, or I'll use it in the crease of my eyelid on low-maintenance days for a little color.  I think I bought mine a couple years ago, but just recently hit pan.  It's the perfect shade for me, and they also sell Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate.  (P.S. they do smell like chocolate, it is heavenly)







3. My GoPro Hero+

I have wanted a GoPro for the longest time, and my trip to Florida was the perfect excuse to buy one, I could bring it one Splash Mountain, in the pool, and all over the parks. I picked up the camera, a Lexar MicroSD Card, an extendable selfie stick, and the floating grip handle so I could bring it to Disney (remember: Disney banned telescoping camera grips, so make sure you get one that doesn't extend!)  Because the GoPro's shoot in super high resolution, they take up a lot of space on computers, so I would suggest an external hard drive unless you have a lot of cloud space, I found my terabyte of extra storage for Macs here at Best Buy.  Check out some videos I shot at Disney here!



4.  Zella Athletic Wear

I'm not gonna lie, I wear leggings more than I care to admit.  They're comfy, cute, easy, and you can find so many on-trend pairs at Nordstrom Rack for way less than everyone else is paying at Nordstrom.  One of my favorite brands is Zella, I love their tank tops, jackets, leggings, and everything in between.  I've been obsessing over this jacket and these leggings.  I will warn that these links take you straight to Nordstrom's website, but head over to your local Nordstrom Rack, it's worth it, I promise.  And for my long-legged friends out there, fear not, Zella's full-length leggings actually reach your ankles.

5. twenty one pilots

I know.  I'm a little late to the game, but I discovered TOP this summer and have been obsessing over them this past month (I'm actually listening to them right now).  If you haven't heard of them, put their songs on shuffle on Spotify and you will not be disappointed.  My favorite album of theirs is Vessel.  All the songs sound happy, but lyrically, they have huge meanings beneath their metaphors and stories.  

6.  Birkenstocks

I know, some of you love them, some of you can't stand them, but I love mine.  The weather in Virginia recently has been... confusing.  In the low-70's one day and snowing two days later.  To cope with  this, I've been rocking ripped jeans or leggings and Birks.  Say what you will about the style, but no one can deny that this are the comfiest shoes in the world.  

That's all for March, fam

-jules

Dinner in Disney

Some of y'all may know I was in Orlando last weekend for dance team nationals (you can watch our hype video on YouTube!), and while there, I took the time to take pictures with my fellow bloggers, Taylor (Vividly Yours, on Blogger and Instagram), and Kendyl (gowiththekflo on Instagram).

My bff, Tara (Tara4Thought on Blogger and Instagram)

The weather was beautiful, we broke out our summer clothes and soaked up the sun.

Another teammate and fashion blogger, Brittany (plain
old b, on Blogger and Instagram)

jules christine+Vividly Yours

These pictures are from our first night, out at dinner in Disney Springs (previously Downtown Disney).  We ended up at Rainforest Cafe and had so much fun walking around, going into all the shops and dancing to the live music.  I picked up my dress from South Moon Under, my halter bra was from Pink, and I threw on these comfy gladiator sandals that were super easy to walk in all night.

On our last night out, we went to a fun, lively Mexican restaurant in Epcot, the San Angel Inn.  I found my black, flowy tank from Marshall's a few months ago so I could show off my flash tats and paired it with these amazing jeans from Hollister.  I stuck with the same sandals I've been obsessed with, and added this metallic Kate Spade clutch and blue-mirrored sunglasses from Nordstrom Rack. 

see ya next year, Disney,

-jules

dress: South Moon Under

halter bra: Pink

sandals: Target, similar here

black tank: Marshall's, similar here

jeans: Hollister and Co.

clutch: Kate Spade

flash tats: Amazon

sunglasses: Guess from Nordstrom Rack, similar here

Winter Faves

Rose gold sunglasses! I have been obsessed with these from Shevoke and have been seeing them everywhere! They're a perfect addition to any dreary winter outfit!

Black knee high boots are perfect when you want to wear a dress but don't want to be too cold.  I picked mine up from DSW and I've been wanting to wear them all the time, with dresses, skirts, shorts, leggings, and jeans.

Big, oversized cardigans are always a staple, and Madewell and Urban know how to make them.  I love throwing one over my outfit right before I run out the door, plus the stripes and burnt orange color make them different.

My philosophy? You can never go wrong with a Timex.  Watches add a touch of sophistication to any outfit and when you invest in a good, neutral one, you can wear it everyday! Find this one here.

-jules

Last Minute Holiday Treats

Last night I went to a White Elephant Party and decided to make this yummy and sweet popcorn to share with everyone.  This snack is a perfect last minute treat and easy to bring to parties.  I made four full cookie sheets of it for my fashion class and it was gone by the end of the day!  I'm including two different types of popcorn, and you can choose one, or even both! This recipe isn't very precise, and it's all about what you think looks and tastes good, so scroll down for the instructions.

What You Need
For popping popcorn:

• A large saucepan and lid
• About a tablespoon of vegetable oil or enough to coat the bottom of the saucepan
• Enough corn kernels to coat the bottom of the pan

For the hot cocoa popcorn:

• Dark or semi-sweet chocolate melting wafers
• Mini marshmallows 
• Festive sprinkles
• Parchment paper lined cookie sheet
• Microwave safe bowl
• Spoon

For the peppermint popcorn:

• White chocolate melting wafers
• Candy canes (Regular sized ones would be better, but I couldn't find any)
• Heavy duty Ziploc bag
• Parchment paper lined cookie sheet
• Microwave safe bowl
• Spoon

 Optional:

• Cute tins, bags, or trays to package up the popcorn (I found these adorable tins in all different styles at Michael's)

Instructions

1. Add enough vegetable oil to the saucepan on medium-high heat to coat the bottom of it, add three or four popcorn kernels, and cover with the lid.  Turn down that Christmas music, and listen for all the kernels to pop!  Once they do, you can add enough kernels in an even layer to coat the bottom of the pan.
2. Once they start to pop, shake the pan and keep them moving until they stop, take the pan off the heat, and the pour all the popped popcorn in a thin, even layer onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
3. Now, you can repeat the process to make as much as you want.

For the Hot Cocoa Popcorn

1. Melt the dark or semi-sweet chocolate wafers in the microwave on 30-second increments, stirring between each, until it's smooth, but be careful! Depending on the bowl you use, it can get very hot!
2. Layer drizzles of chocolate and mini marshmallows, and you can build up as much as you want!  Add some festive sprinkles, wait for it to dry, and then package up however you want!

For the Peppermint Popcorn

1. Unwrap and add candy canes to a heavy duty Ziploc bag and mash it with a hammer, throw it on the ground, hit it against the counter; whatever you want to crush up the pieces, you can even throw them in a blender or food processor to pulverize it into a fine dust.
2. Melt the white chocolate wafers in the microwave on 30-second increments, stirring between each, until it's smooth, but be careful! Depending on the bowl you use, it can get very hot!
3. Layer drizzles of chocolate and candy cane bits, and you can build up as much as you want! Wait for the chocolate to harden and you can package up the popcorn however you want!

And you're all done!  Bring this to parties, work, school, or put it in cellophane treat bags and give it to friends!  The best part about this is you can alter what you add to fit the season- caramel, sprinkles, candy, pretzels, spices- make it sweet, salty, or both!
Let me know if you decide to try this out, and have a Merry Christmas!

-jules

Girly+Grunge

This weekend I went for a comfy and updated take on the white tee, jean, and black heel look.  I went with this lace crop top (sold out, similar here) which I got for 70% off at Nordstrom Rack and cuffed my basic Gap straight-leg jeans.  For add ons, I picked up these Sam Edelman heels from Nordstrom Rack a while ago (you can still find them here on Amazon!) where I also found these Baublebar ear jackets (similar here).

To combat the cold of DC, I threw on a super soft and cozy men's flannel from Target (similar here and here)

Special thanks to my friend, Sarah Greisdorf, for taking these pictures, visit her website for some more of her pics!

https://sarahgreisdorfphotography.wordpress.com

I can't wait to update y'all with more cozy and easy looks for this chilly winter!

-jules

Starbucks Run

On Sunday, I took a quick stroll to Starbucks after church and snapped some pics on the walk over.  It was rainy, but I tried to girl up this utility jacket with some feminine accessories and this super comfy, flowy dress.  I am obsessed with neutral booties for the fall, they're easy to walk in, but still give me height and dress down an otherwise more formal outfit.  I recently ordered this cross body bag from Amazon and I carry it everywhere now.  It's perfect with either a neutral fall dress and booties like this combo or a dressed-down jeans and tee outfit.  Since it was still sunny, I went with my trusty Ray-Bans and added a pop of color through some of my gorgeous Sashka and Co beaded bracelets.

-jules

DC Fashion Week

As a part of my high school fashion marketing class, a group of 12 of us, sophomores, juniors, and seniors, interned for the International Couture Collections Show at Carnegie Library.  We were led in, given a tour of the venue, and then were assigned to a designer to help them set up, conduct fittings, and prepare for the show.  I was first working with Anca Designs, pulling models from hair and makeup for fittings, steaming clothes, and setting up her collection prior to the start of the show.

http://www.dcfashionweek.org/portfolio/anca-design

http://www.dcfashionweek.org/portfolio/anca-design

When guests started to arrive, I was one of six hosts welcoming them and showing them from the entrance to the reception, VIPs to the lounge, and ultimately to their seats.  Then I went backstage, and as models began to walk, I went from one designer to the next, helping models with quick changes and helping the designer retrieve pieces of their collections from other tables and hanging them up.  While I was backstage, a lot of the work was consistent, fast-paced, and busy. However, we had some downtime, which is when I snapped these pictures.

Designer: Sera Vero Nik

Designer: Nooree Collection

 Overall, I had an amazing experience and gained so much knowledge outside of the classroom, and I look forward to more opportunities to network and find volunteer work.

-jules