A Surprise Called Life

I was setting a table at work today and a sales associate had told me a story about recent events in her life and shortly after she was done she made a comment on how she never would have imagined a year ago that she would be where she is today. You know when a simple statement can stick with you throughout an entire day and just plays over and over again in your head? Well that was me today.

I thought back to a year ago today and couldn’t agree with her more. I would NEVER have imagined that I would be where I am one short year later. This time last year I was only out of college for about half a year, I had my own store. I absolutely adored my job. I had amazing associates on my staff and a great support system behind me. I loved the company I was working for and appreciated their belief in me. That part of my life was perfect.

Now the not-so-perfect part of my life… I barely knew anyone (besides coworkers) in this new town (which was near Amish country), the Mennonites which consumed my town were against my college party lifestyle, my best Pennsylvania friends were over three hours away at our college town and I was dating a boy who was completely wrong for me.

Forward a year and look at me now. I have a new job, that I love even more than my last one, I work for a fabulous company that offers many options to my career, I live in a city and I have yet to see a Mennonite while here, there isn’t any “horse and buggy” reserved parking at the doctor’s office, my best friend lives two short hours away in my favorite city, three of my best friends from PA are moving down in a month, I’m dating a man who treats me  better than Kate Middleton and things are only looking up.

It’s crazy to think that nothing in my life is the same as it was a year ago, but everything has only improved. I believe that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes things might go in a different direction than we imagine them, but in the end it all plays out how it should.

So when you get thrown a curve ball, all you can do is slap on a smile, enjoy the ride and be surprised with the outcome.

What has happened in your life that turned into an unexpected surprise?

True [[Happy]]ness

It's amazing how much one person can affect you.

A couple days ago AJ came home after being in Chicago // Des Moines // Atlanta for over a month. As the day got closer for him to come I got more and more excited. Literally I was more excited than a 5 year old on Christmas. 

After work on Tuesday I jumped in my car and excitedly was on my way to Charlotte. The two and a half hour drive felt like it was going to last FOREVER, and the anticipation kept building up each mile I encountered. When I was nearing Concord, just outside of Charlotte, I had the pleasure of hitting the evening traffic. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal but that day - it was.

Finally after what felt like a lifetime, I was turning into a driveway that I haven't seen in forever.

And there he was:

The most handsome man I have ever laid eyes on. Tall (6'8"), dark, handsome and now super toned from basketball workouts. I was definitely okay with his slight change of appearance. Then it hid me. Butterflies. Like I was 12 or something. And that is exactly how I felt. From the look on his face, I could tell that he was just as excited as I was.

 

Now is the part that won't be a surprise to my friends. We had a nice evening planned out, dinner at an exclusive restaurant that I could never afford, maybe a movie or drinks in the city. HOWEVER... what really happened was a lot of Grey Goose and Red Bull, followed by AJ convincing me that there was a ghost in the house. A drunken heart-to-heart about religion was placed somewhere in between.

Nevertheless, somehow it turned out to be a perfect evening, with my perfect man.

A Season Full of Color: Makeup

What's big this season? 

Tropical colors such as turquoise, aqua, coral and bronze are a hot topic right now. The goal is to look like you've spent a month at the beach, even if your toes haven't touched the sand yet. The color pallet is a mix of warm and cool to compliment each other.

And the Pantone color of the year is tangerine tango. 

Which is featured across the runways as well as in Sephora with their Pantone Color of the Year cosmetics. This dress from Alexander McQueen might be a little extreme for every day wear, but it combines all the trends for this year. We will be seeing a lot of lace and texture for the spring/summer season. (also note that the shoes are flat out FABULOUS!)

I know orange can be a scary color for a lot of people, but the tangerine tango will work on just about every skin tone. Why? Because it has an underlay of red AND yellow which compliments both types of skin tones. So before you rule it out, give it a try.

All over tangerine tango can be a little extreme, especially if you're not use to wearing a bold color so try breaking it up by wearing it in a print, accessories or just in a top or shorts. A little punch of color can go a long way. Or you can also color block it with turquoise, aqua or mint green for a fun pop.

But today I want to focus on how to wear it in makeup. I spend a lot of time at  Sephora and recently went in there on my lunch break. I immediately fell in love with their Pantone cosmetics, as well as my cosmetic consultant, Jewel, who is one of the most fabulous girls I've ever met. (pretty much a spitting image of Queen Latifah with a personality to match)

The one product that you really need to apply with the tangerine is a highlighter. Notice how the light gently reflects off of the model's cheeks and eyebrows? By using a highlighter this softens the look which is needed with such a bold color. Another option instead of the lips would be to use the color on the eyes, but PLEASE please please, never do both!

Finally, for an intense, night-out look you can amp it up by using the tangerine and one of the blues to play off of each other.




I am so in love with the color choices for this year. You can have a lot of fun with all the shades, and like I mentioned before, it will work on all skin tones, you just might have to adjust the shade a little. So hurry into your local Sephora and grab the color set ($68 for $118 worth of product). After all, you deserve a little pick-me-up!

Shopping With A Man...

The good thing about not seeing the one you love very often?

When you finally do get to see them it’s extra special. Once you’re with someone for a while you can start to lose sight of the small things that matter. Little things go unnoticed, unappreciated. And it’s not because you don’t care about those things anymore, I believe you just get use to them. Since it can sometimes be a rare thing for me to see AJ, I’ve really come to recognize the littlest things again.

Anyways, yesterday I showed him how to shop FOR REAL for his first time. And boy was he in for a treat. I won’t lie, he had pretty good style to begin with, but there’s always room for improvement no matter who you are. We ended up shopping for almost 8 hours, I was on a total retail therapy high. And, he may not admit it to anyone else, but he LOVED me using him as a real life Ken doll to dress up. (So much in fact that he dropped enough money to almost cover my rent this month)

I got him into some Polo Ralph Lauren, in actual colors, not just black like he prefers. I even showed him that he could layer them to have that extra pop of color. I’m pretty sure he fell in love. Then we found this super sleek charcoal button down and layered it with a light blue v-neck. No lies, he looked pretty fly… so much in fact that I told him he wasn’t allowed to wear it when he went out last night since we were going to different places! (granted, I would never tell him what he can/can’t wear)

He’s obsessed with watches so we checked out G Shock and fell in love with a red one. It had orange detailing on the frame and the face of the watch. It was perfect. And last, but not least, the shoe section came up. Last time we went shoe shopping we looked at countless Jordans and Nike street shoes. But this time would be different for him. We got away from the black and white comfort zone he has and looked into these fabulous Ralph Lauren Faxon sneakers. Navy can be worn with just about anything and since orange is the complementary color his insignia really pops.

Needless to say, this was the first of many shopping trips to come. Plus, what better way to bond than to shop?!

Pastels

Pastels are huge this spring, from skinnies, dresses, flowy tops, accessories to shorts. We are going to find pastels everywhere we look, and with the gorgeous weather that most of the US has been seeing, it definitely feels like spring is in the air.

So for those of you who aren't use to wearing pastels, or are unsure how to I'm going to show you three ways to wear pastel every day.

Here we go!

1. Shorts:

Lace tank
$22 - amazon.com

Pleated shorts
€85 - welikefashion.com

Dolce&Gabbana wedge high heels
€549 - veryeickhoff.com

Assad Mounser gold plated jewelry
$300 - net-a-porter.com

Morra Designs disc earrings
$95 - calypsostbarth.com

This first look is perfect for a girls day out. You can throw this one to go shopping, get a mani/pedi or head out for a lunch date. Pair these shorts with a fun top, such as a ruffled tank as pictured, and accessories that add a little extra pop of color. Prefer a more simple look? Swap the tank for a plain tee and switch from heeled sandals to gladiators. Add tights and a blazer for an evening look.

2. Dress:

Mint dress
$40 - lulus.com

Christian Louboutin peep toe platform pumps
$2,795 - barneys.com

Dolce Gabbana dolce gabbana handbag
$2,245 - net-a-porter.com

Isabella Oliver genuine leather belt
$115 - isabellaoliver.com

This dress was pictured with a royal blue belt that I covered up with a neutral. For a look so plain and simple focus on adding fun in the accessories. I love these Christin Louboutin shoes with color and design. You could also pair a fun necklace or dangle earrings to add a little more pop.

3. Skinnies

Short sleeve cardigan
simplybe.com

Daytrip crochet tank
$32 - buckle.com

Faith stiletto heels
£52 - debenhams.com

Jones New York crystal cuff bracelet
$50 - macys.com

Wendy Mink yellow gold ring
$182 - charmandchain.com

Pastel skinnies are showing up in endless colors this year. Yellow has been the most popular at work, but blue, green and pink have been selling like crazy as well. Pair with a floral top, also popular this season, and neutral cardigan or blazer with fun detailing; such as ruched sleeves. These heels with a flower detail add a fun accent that pulls the look together.



How do you plan to wear pastels?

FAIL.

Considering my last (and only second post total) was in the middle of December, I think it's safe to say that I'm not doing too well here. Haha Anyways, it is a new commitment of mine to do better. I FINALLY got internet hooked up at my new place, and an iPhone which actually supports the app for this blog. I'm good to go(:

Anyways...

I'm in love with the new show Fashion Star! It definitely sets itself apart from other fashion shows because actual buyers from H&M, Saks 5h Ave and Macys purchase their favorite designs to be sold in stores the very next day. It airs Tuesday nights after The Biggest Loser and let's be honest, I have my DVR set to record the entire season already!

Last week's winner for H&M:

Such a cute shift dress with a cutout back designed by Sarah Parrott.

Click here to check out her profile and learn a little about the designer.


Who's your favorite designer so far??

The brighter, the better!

One of my new favorite things to wear right now is brightly colored blazers. Usually in the winter it's easy to gravitate towards dark colors and muted tones, so adding a pop of color can really liven up your winter wardrobe. Pair it with simple garments such as a cami and jeggins. Spice your look up with fun accessories and heels to go from a day look to night. Guliana Rancic demonstrates this look perfectly.

Get the look for less by skipping the designer. Blue, pink & silver blazers are at H&M for $26, orange blazer is at Forever 21 for $29. Submit your pictures to amandajoy04@ymail.com of how you wear your colored blazer. Best entries will be uploaded. (:

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