Friday, November 29, 2019

The Best Black Friday Sales for 2019

Abercrombie

50% OFF ENTIRE STORE + FREE SHIPPING



American Eagle

40% OFF + FREE SHIPPING


Francesca's

50% OFF BOOTS AND OUTWEAR, $20 TOPS, $30 SWEATERS



Old Navy

50% OFF EVERYTHING



Amazon

NORMAL AMAZING DEALS



Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Winc Wine Review - The Membership You're Missing Out On

Winc Review
When Winc Wines reached out to me for a collaboration, I was so stoked. Maybe even too stoked. Who wouldn't want to work with a wine company!? Only some cockatoos, I tell ya!

*PS - don't miss the promo code at the bottom of this post!*

Before we dive into things, I do feel like I need to preface this post and acknowledge the fact that I am a new-ish wine convert. I do not know what I'm talking about when it comes to the sophisticated notes and tastes of wine. I once saw a wine described as having "hints of the inside of an oak barrel"....okay. Ridiculous statements like this are probably what turned me off of wine in the first place....

But within the last few months, I started to dive into it a little more and I think my palate has changed for the better. I started as a pure rosé girl and now I'm a proper 29-year old woman who likes an assortment of reds. I still don't know what I'm talking about so if you're a wine connoisseur, please don't hate me. If you have a sense of humor, please continue to move your eyes in a left-to-right-downward motion.

What's Winc, You Ask!?

So glad you asked! Winc is advertised as a wine club membership program, but there are no fees you have to pay, and no commitments. The "membership" just gives you discounted prices on their website. You can set up your shipments for however frequent or infrequently you would like. They've been mentioned by huge brands like Forbes and Vogue, which is part of the reason I wanted to check them out as well. One of the most important parts about Winc is that the wine gets delivered straight to your door! Alas, the wine gods have smiled upon us.

Winc is great for new-to-the-scene wine lovers because they give you in-depth descriptions of each wine, what food to pair it with, and a helpful little book with some general wine terms you should learn. It's also a nice idea for the more seasoned wine lovers who simply like to try new wines. Winc works with winemakers and vineyards all across the globe, and I'm pretty positive they make their own wines that you can't buy in store #exclusive.

How Winc Works

I got my first box at the end of August with whites and roses for summer, and just ordered a "fall" shipment with all reds. I am stoked about this!! I'll give another review after I've guzzled down those bottles.

As a novice wine-o, I love the fact that Winc really helps you figure out what you might like right off the bat! I have no idea what kind of taste, hints, or bodies I like so taking their Palate Profile is a great place to start if you don't quite know what you're doing.

Here's how the whole Winc process works:
1) You start off by taking a little quiz to help Winc better understand your taste buds.
2) They'll suggest 4 wines for you to get in your box. (You don't have to get these, you can switch them out for whatever you want!)
3) Your wine gets shipped quickly and usually gets to you within a week.
4) Sit around and relax while you get wine delivered straight to your door.
5) Review your wines online to get a better curated box next time! (They take in your feedback so that they can better suggest wines for future shipments)

Selection of wine from Winc
You can choose anywhere from 2-4 bottles in each package (but 4 bottles get free shipping so why not do that!?). Prices vary from $15-$55 without the Winc membership. With the membership, you get anywhere from about $2-10 off each bottle - which adds up to some extra cash money in yo pocket! With all the money you saved through Winc, you could make the ultimate charcuterie board! ;)

What I Tried From Winc

When I ordered my first box, it was still in the dead of summer so I opted for sweeter and lighter options. Here is what I got along with a short review of each:
  • 2017 Summer Water Rosé
    • A little too sweet for me, but good. This is one of their most popular options.
  • 2018 Mercana Malbec
    • Tasted like rubbing alcohol and made me cringe.
  • 2018 Cocomero Rosé
    • Light and fruity; was supposed to have hints of watermelon, but I couldn't detect them.
  • 2017 Rosa Obscura Red Blend
    • Yummy! My favorite one of the bunch.
Winc wine subscription

Winc Promo Code

By signing up for Winc through this link, you'll get $22 off your first order + free shipping! That's basically 2 bottles for free, babeh babeh!
Go getcha some 🍷


Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Breaking Up & Moving On: 10 Ways to Get Through it

Break ups suck. Moving on can be hard. Feelings about exes can be weird.

And today was a weird day for me.

Today I found out that my ex-husband got engaged.

I wasn't shocked by this news. I won't go into all the details but he has been dating the same girl since we broke up. It's been almost 3 years since then so by no means are any of the feelings fresh.

Things have been processed, everyone has moved on, but it's still a little weird. How I'm feeling is something that I can't explain besides... weird.

It's weird to think about the person I thought I'd share the rest of my life with is now spending his with someone else.

And it's weird that I'm not upset by it.

I'm not sad, I'm not jealous, I'm not wishing for something different in my life. And I'll probably be done thinking about it by the time I'm done writing this post :) I'm happy exactly where I am in life!

I actually wish them the best. And that's not something I ever thought I would say.


Thursday, October 10, 2019

ROCKTOBER, BABY - October Concerts in Dallas 2019

There is a weird influx of concerts happening in Dallas this month. I couldn't believe it every time I heard another musician! I don't know if it has always been a thing, but I October described as "Rocktober" on the radio and it was absolute music to my ears (LOLZ - get it?!)

Since there were SO many concerts going on, I decided to round them up and give you a little insight to the first one on my list - Cold War Kids at The Rustic on Oct. 9th!

Dallas Concerts 2019

Rocktober, Baby!



You'll find me at: X Ambassadors, Ra Ra Riot, and Chainsmokers!


Cold War Kids at The Rustic Dallas

I personally kicked off Rocktober with Cold War Kids at The Rustic's Birthday Bash! I'm usually begging my friends to go to shows with me but I somehow was able to drag some neighborhood friends along for the ride, too. 

Not going to go in depth about the concert because #boring but if you are a fan of Cold War Kids at all, I highly recommend seeing them live! They sound exactly like their music which is always a huge plus. They put on a great show, were interactive with the audience, played 98% of the songs that I wanted to here and it was an overall blast! 10/10 would recommend.




Friday, October 4, 2019

What I'm Loving: September 2019

Each month I round up a list of my current favorites - from TV shows, to beauty products, outfits and everything in between!

SONG

Flowers by Ra Ra Riot


FASHION

All Things Leopard
Of course, with fall on the horizon, all things leopard are starting to make their magnetic way towards women around the world. I have a complicated relationship with leopard that I think is just starting to be clear..

I love how leopard looks on other people but have never been a fan of it on myself. For some reason I just always felt like Jane of the Jungle in it... Until I realized I just need to wear leopard in small doses to make it work for me.  With that being said, the leopard flats below have been on repeat for me, and I just ordered the black zip up sweater featuring the subtle hint of leopard!

What's your favorite way to wear leopard - small amounts or full jungle suit?

Here are some of my favorite leopard items at the moment:




Thursday, September 5, 2019

4 Reasons Why I've Been Struggling with Blogging Lately

1) I Don't Spend a Lot of Money on Clothes

Without going into my whole life story, I am a 20-something lady with a very strict budget! I think no matter what your situation is, you should have some sort of budget, even if it's not a strict one! To be transparent, I give myself only $100/month to spend on "fun things" which include clothes, items I don't necesarily need (home decor, fancy shmancy hairspray, etc.) and concerts. Essentially, anything that isn't a bill or necessity that is absolutely needed in my life.


This effects my blogging life because (as you can imagine) I'm not buying a lot of clothes that are currently in stores. I re-style older items and buy a very large majority of my clothes on sale (so most of the time they are sold out by the time I can share with you guys!). I try really hard to link up "similar items" for you guys to shop when I share an outfit via LIKEtoKNOW.it  but from experience and analytics, "similar items" are not things you girlies tend to shop, which is understandable. If you see something you want, you probably want that exact item!

Plus, it's stress on me because I feel so obligated to post LTK links so if I can't find similar items, I tend to just not post the outfit - am I the only crazy who does this?

Question: would you guys rather me link similar items, or not even worry about it? Does it depend how close it actually is to the item I'm wearing that makes a difference?

A "good deal" to me is not $80 booties marked down from $150. A good deal to me is an $11 top (can I get an amen!?) and $30 wedges. And obviously, budgeting and finances are very personal things to each individual and if $80 booties are within your budget then by all means, have at it! That's just nothing that is within my realm of spending right now, nor did I grow up spending like that. This is one of my biggest peeves about the Nordstrom sale: yes, things were on sale. But the sale price was not a price that was reasonable to me.

Again, to each their own! I'm not bashing anyone for buying anything, as long as you're staying within your own personal budget!


Tuesday, July 2, 2019

What I'm Loving: June Favorites 2019

Each month I round up a list of my current favorites - from TV shows, to beauty products, outfits and everything in between!

SONG

In Love With a Camera by The Struts


FASHION

Espadrille Flatform Sandals
The platform/flatform phenomenon is my favorite trend of the summer! I've always been a big fan of wedges but the higher the heels got, the less interested I became. They're so cute but not quite functional for everyday wear. Then the rainclouds parted and God dropped off a little show called the platform sandal.

My 2 favorite things about the specific platforms below (that I own) are that 1) they are so comfortable! You can easily wear them all day and all night. I've worn mine probably around 10 times now and I haven't gotten one blister, pinch, nothing! 2) they are the perfect blend of casual and dressed up. Probably more so on the casual side but can be dressed up easily, so they have been my go-to for everything - work, dates, church, walks with the dogs... (just kidding)



Saturday, June 1, 2019

What I'm Loving: May Favorites 2019

Each month I round up a list of my current favorites - from TV shows, to beauty products, outfits and everything in between!

SONG

If I Can't Have You by Shawn Mendes
I mean DUH!!
(I wish Spotify told you how many times you listened to a song in a month.... Or maybe I don't!?)


FOOD

Zucchini Pizza Boats
Not to get too deep in a favorites post, but I’ve been feeling incredibly self conscious about my body lately. I’m close to hitting 30, and I’ve already been told many times how that’s when your metabolism hits a wall and I now see what everyone was talking about... I workout a few times a week and eat okay (not super healthy but probably healthier than most of the country) but I recently decided that I need to make some healthier choices as far as my diet is concerned. 

On my popular page on IG, I came across an account called @thecaloriedoctor that was sharing some surprisingly easy, healthy meals - like actually really easy, not easy compared to a 3 course meal - so I decided to follow! They had a quick 20 minute recipe for zucchini boats and compared them to pizza. They had me at pizza....

Obviously, if you’re truly craving a pizza, eat a piece of pizza. This won’t satisfy that craving or make you nearly as full as all the bread would but MAN is it delicious!! I was actually really surprised at how yummy these were!


Thursday, May 30, 2019

Checkin' Out Dallas: Oak Cliff Brewing Review

 Oak Cliff Brewery

Oak Cliff Brewing Company is less than a year old and located at the end of Tyler Station - yes, the DART station! In full disclosure, my office is also in Tyler Station, which is how I first even heard about OCBC!

The guys that work here are so chill and friendly, but super helpful at the same time. One of my biggest pet peeves at bars/restaurants/stores is when the employees are too chill. As in, too chill to the point of being unhelpful and seemingly uncaring. And that is quite the opposite of the Oak Cliff dudes! They are enthusiastic about their beers (as they should be!) and will let you taste everything before committing to ordering something.

It's always a little difficult for me to do beer reviews because I don't have the world's most sophisticated palette. I tend to stay towards the light/amber beers but hey, here we go.


Friday, March 1, 2019

What I'm Loving: February Favorites 2019

Each month I round up a list of my current favorites - from TV shows, to beauty products, outfits and everything in between!

SONG

Timebomb by WALK THE MOON 


OUTFIT

The weather in Dallas has been utterly bipolar, but that doesn't keep me from always wearing black. For some reason, this winter I really embraced my inner sk8r girl that has always been inside me. I went through an emo/punk rock stage in middle school, where I listened to a good amount of screamo and angsty music, and I always have liked an edgier style. Don't get me wrong - I dress girl sometimes but I still like to be a little punk rock girly. I'm already thinking about how to incorporate a hella about of black into my summer wardrobe when it's 100 degrees in Dallas... 





Thursday, January 31, 2019

What I'm Loving: January Favorites 2019

Each month I round up a list of my current favorites - from TV shows, to beauty products, outfits and everything in between!

SONG

Mais La by Royal Teeth

OUTFIT

I recently got these adorable tassel earrings from jane.com and built a whole outfit around them. Does anyone else do that!? They will come in so handy for Galentine's Day!





Friday, January 25, 2019

My First Bumble Experience

first bumble experience in Dallas

Bumble is a weird world. Online dating is a weird world. And you might be wondering why anyone would venture into the unknown land of online dating, when all you usually hear are horror stories.

For me, it was mainly out of curiosity. And my first Bumble experience was one for the books.

[ if you read over the whole post, at least read the screenshots at the end for a nice laugh. I laughed the whole time writing this ]

After being in a relationship for about 4ish years, I missed the start of the Tinder and online dating epidemic that overtook this country. I had always heard horror stories (and a few good turnouts) from these apps and the concept was always interesting/weird to me. When I found myself in a state of being single again, I thought I would give it a try!

If you aren't familiar with Bumble, you can choose to match or pass on every person who pops up on your screen. If you both decide to swipe right (aka match with each other), you have 24 hours to start communicating or you miss out on your chance to talk to this person - which is a pretty annoying requirement, IMO.

The first guy I seemingly hit it off with was this guy named Tom*; he was pretty cute, rather talkative, and actually kept my short attention span interested. After a week or so of talking on the app, he asked for my number and we start texting. Texting turned into sporadic but long phone calls and he was easy to talk to, kept the conversation going, and I had no complaints. I was feeling pretty comfortable with him - comfortable enough to want to meet up!