Author: elspeththeblogger

My name is Elspeth. I'm young professional living life one day at a time. I have a passion for fashion, a love for living a clean and healthy life and I can organize anything.

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Fabulous living

Simple Christmas Decorating

Hello! Hello!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with family and friends. I know I spent my break seeing family, eating, and sleeping; refueling before its back to school and finals are upon us. While I was home, I did some decorating for Christmas. Today I am going to showcase some easy and affordable Christmas decorations that can work in a dorm, at home or even in an office.

Here are some home ideas:

These glass jars filled with bright and colorful candy and sweets and make a great centerpiece. They also make a great discussion piece. The jars are in different shapes and sizes. In my jars, I have peppermints, ribbon candy, marshmallows, red hots, and candy canes. Fun and colorful!
This sleigh was from an old floral arrangement but I am reusing it for decoration. I got these colorful ornaments from Target. Put them together and you have a great table decoration. The book behind it adds a child aspect to the arrangement.
I love making a home feel cozy. By pairing together a candle with a candy dish and a floral arrangement turns a house into a home.

Here are Dorm Ideas:

I got this stocking for sale last year and it was perfect to bring some Christmas Cheer in to my dorm room. I have it hung on my bed so it’s one of the first things my guests see when they enter.
I love dressing up a room with festive pillows and blankets, I got this pillow as a gift last year and it goes perfect on my chair.
Gel clings are inexpensive and can dress up a window. Not only does it dress up your window but people passing by can get a taste of Christmas Cheer!
I got both the Christmas Lights and Santa’s sleigh from Target for $1.00 each!

These are a few easy and affordable ideas for Christmas decorating. All these decorations can work at school, work, and home. What are your favorite places to decorate? What decorating tips do you have?

Categories
Fabulous living

Things I’m Thankful For

With Thanksgiving, this coming week, I’m taking some time to remember what I am thankful for. We all get busy and caught up that we forget what’s truly important. So, here it goes, the things I’m thankful for.

  • My loving family. Both immediate and extended. Always there when I need them most. From texts to care packages. My family knows me best and I couldn’t be more thankful for have them in my life especially this past year.
Family over everything
  •  My supportive friends. The older I have gotten the smaller my circle of friends has gotten. I am beyond thankful to have such good friends who have always been there. My friends from high school are always there to remind me where I have come from. Who else would I text about our favorite TV shows with?!  My friends from college remind me where I’m going. I know I have people in my life to sing Beyonce with, spill tea with, dance and eat the night away at a Semi Formal dances, and have real life talks with.
My favorite chick in college, Shay
Two words. Squad Goals. Spending time with these two is never boring. High school friends last a lifetime.
My first friend in college, Danielle and I have been through it all
  • My dogs. As cliche as it sounds, one of my favorite places to be is at home, on my couch cuddling with my pups. Just being with my dogs relaxes me. Plus, how can you say no to this face?!
One of my favorite parts about coming home.
  • Good Health. I’m thankful I can happy and healthy along with my family. Health is so important especially for all the sickness in our world. I’m thankful I can wake up every morning healthy.
  • My job. I took on a new job this year and although there have been some challenging days, I have great coworkers who I have grown close with over the past few months. I have learned so much about myself through this job and I can’t wait to see where else it takes me.

    New year, new opportunities
  • The country I live in. I thankful for living in a free country. I am so lucky to live in such a wonderful country.

    Land of the Free and Home of the Brave
  • I am thankful for the things that bring me joy. I have interests, hobbies, and activities that make me love life.  I am thankful for all the opportunities that fulfill me.
  • I am thankful for going to a school that I have grown in many ways. I have learned so much in and out of the classroom. I have be given so many opportunities and I could not a picked a better school to attend.
  • My faith. I am so thankful to have a deep rooted faith. When times get tough, I always know God is there. I am thankful for the friends I have made through my faith.
  • I am thankful for people to look up to, whether they are family members, people in the industry I hope to work in one day, authors,bloggers, actors, and anyone else that inspires me. I am thankful to have inspirations in my life.

There are so many things I am thankful for, but these are just a few. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with loved ones. I will be taking Thursday off, but will be back on Tuesday! What are you thankful for this year?

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #27

LOTD

Hello and Happy Thursday!

Today I am sharing a more formal outfit, I wore to to a Semi-formal dance last weekend, but in the past, I have worn it for Christmas.

This burgundy and black dress is from Francesca’s Boutique. This unique fabric gives the dress a fitted top and waist but a wide skirt. I love finding clothes and dresses that are unique. Francesca’s offers a wide variety of unique clothes, styles, and accessories. Some pieces of clothes I would never think to wear together. This is one of my favorite purchases from Francesca’s I love the black detail on the bottom of the dress.

For my accessories, I wore a black statement necklace and matching earrings. Although, the jewelry may look formal, I have worn them both with jeans and a blouse. The jewelry is very versatile. I wore my favorite black heels for a night out. I am a big fan of heels,  if you are not a fan of heel, a black wedge would go cute with this outfit too. I would pair this with black tights in the winter months but since its still fall, I decided to hold off.

My nails are done in black and the are from Chrome Girl Nail Polish. I am wearing Like  A Boss.  

I hope this gave you some ideas for Winter and dare I saw Christmas fashion? Have a great Thursday and weekend! Thanksgiving is in one week. What is your favorite part of the holiday?

Categories
Fabulous living

Finding Happiness Every Day

We have all had those days when it’s gloomy outside, our outfit isn’t working, we over commit and we are left with nothing but stress. We let everything pile up around us until we are left completely overwhelmed. I may not be able to change the weather or help free your schedule but I can show you where to find happiness every day. These are five easy ways where I find happiness in every day life. We are all humans and mistakes happen and some days are harder than others, but it’s important to remember to stand up again and keep moving forward. I hope this helps you find some happiness in your lives.

  1.  Play Good Music. Blast your favorite   Pandora station and dance around. Put on some soothing music when you just need a break. When I really need a pickup up, this is my favorite Pandora station. Sometimes we just need to let go and let God take over.

    My favorite station
  2. Talk to a friend. Whether it’s your best friend or your mom (or if that’s the same person), stop the texting and have a phone call or Face Time session. Talk about your latest tv show you both are watching or what’s going on in your lives, or even plan an activity. Whatever you talk about it will take you mind off what you are stressing about. Reminisce and relive your favorite moments.

    Friends always make things better
  3. Read a book. Sometimes we need to step away from everything, even technology. Pick a up book you keep telling yourself you are going to read but haven’t started yet. Get lost in a world besides your own. Flip through your favorite magazine. Do something for you.

    My next read
  4. Go for a Walk. Step away from your stressful day and just spend time thinking and being one with nature. Let your mind wander and then come back to the task with a fresh set of eyes. We all feel happier after spending some time with our own quiet thoughts.

    Beautiful morning walk
  5. Do something you love! Whether it’s eating your favorite snack, grabbing lunch with a girlfriend, or catching up with your favorite show. Take that time and do something you will feel relaxed and happy with.

    Smiling is the easiest way to spread happiness

Well, there you have it. When I am in a rut, I turn my frustrations into joy. To leave you with a quote on the Tuesday. “What’s broken can be mended. What’s hurt can be healed. And no matter how dark it gets, the sun’s gonna rise again.” -Meredith Grey

 

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #26

LOTD

My favorite color combo for Fall/Winter.

As we get into the middle of November, we are closer to winter than fall. I like to start to transition my clothes from fall to winter colors. Black is my favorite color to wear. A color so simple can go with every outfit.

I wore this outfit out to shopping and lunch and it was perfect for the chilly air. I get my jeans from Old Navy. I love how they carry styles for every body type. I am wearing the body cut jeans and I paired them with my favorite black shoe boots. Wedges or peep toe shoes would also work with these jeans. Since it is getting colder I opted out of a peep toe.

I got his black top from Francesca’s Boutique. I love the wrap around your midsection and the detailing on the top. The shirt is also very comfortable with soft fabric.

Since I am pairing black and navy together, I wanted to add some bling with gold accents. I am wearing gold hoops and rings both finds from American Eagle on sale!

Good Vibes Only especially on a Thursday

This outfit was perfect for a day of shopping and fun. When it gets colder, throw on a black jacket and you are good for a night out. Have a fun filled weekend!

Categories
Fabulous living

Pinterest: Success or Fail?

I love baking, and trying new things. I was home for Fall Break a few weeks ago and besides being home and seeing my family, I wanted to try some new recipes. I hit up Pinterest and a few of my favorite blogs for some ideas.

Here’s the first one I tried. You can see the full recipe here. It was a delicious fall treat for October.  Here’s a quick recap:

All you need are some apples, crescent rolls, cinnamon, brown sugar, nutmeg, all spice seasoning  and butter.

You are going to lay out all your crescent rolls all spread out on a sheet of wax paper on a cookie sheet.

Slice your apples and peel the skin off if you so choose.

Apples and butter mixture

In a bowl you are going to melt your butter and mix in the sliced apples.

Crescents with the mixture on them

In a second bowl you are going to mix brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and all spice and then you are going to spread it over each crescent roll.

Rolling crescent rolls with the apples and mixture

I used the large crescent rolls so I put two apple slices per roll, in the future, I am going to put more than two because I found while eating them there was too much pastry and not enough apples.

Ready to be put in the oven.

You are going to roll the crescents up, put one coat of the melted butter over top each roll and put some of your mixture on top of each crescent. Bake it for 28 minutes at 350 degrees.

Ready to eat for delicious fall treat!

Take them out and cool. Eat them warm for a delicious fall treat.

I hope this gives you some ideas for fall treats. I ate this as a dessert but they would also be great as an appetizer or lunch snack. Give it a try and let me know what you think of it. What are your favorite fall snacks?

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #25

LOTD

I am loving this outfit for the look of the day. This is a much more hip and edgy look, but I like to step out of my comfort zone and try new things even when it comes to clothes. My whole outfit is from Francesca’s Boutique. This is perfect for a fall day and if it gets colder, grab a jacket and you are good to go.

Let’s start with the shoes, these are my favorite black leather short booties. I have had them for a few years and the are so comfortable plus they can go with so many outfits, from jeans, to leggings, dresses and skirts. These are my favorite black heel. If you are not a heel fan, a pair of high black boots would work great as well.

My black skinny jeans are from Francesca’s. The tight jeans work well with the tighter shirt. I also like the few rips in the jeans, they are not taking over the outfit, but it’s enough to add a more edgy look to it.

The shirt goes great with any pair of pants but I paired it with these jeans due to the contrast between them. It is sleeveless so if you do get cold fast then I would recommend a short black jacket. The shirt is perfect for days when its cold in the morning but hot in the afternnon.

You can wear this outfit in any season but I prefer to wear it in fall or winter because they are very dark colors. This outfit is great for going out to dinner or going shopping. Where would you wear this outfit?

Categories
Fabulous living Fashion

My Halloween Costume

Happy Halloween everyone. I hope everyone has a spooky day filled with more treats than tricks.

Over the weekend, I had a lot of Halloween festivities planned. One of them was a Halloween Dance. I went with some of my best friends for a night of dancing, costumes, and memories. So, what did I go as? Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. I loved dressing up for a fun night. I found this costume on Pinterest, and lucky for me I had all the supplies at home. This costume was all DIY and it was so fun to put together.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

So, if you are in need of a costume for tonight, here is how you can pull off this look at home. I am a lover of heels. I feel confident, in my element, and I feel I can take on the world when I am wearing heels. Naturally, I wore my favorite pair of black heels for my costume. They were so comfortable I wore them the whole night, through walking to the dance, dancing the night away and walking back to my dorm. Now, if you aren’t a heel girl, no worries, a pair of wedges or ballet flats work fine too. Whatever you feel your best in.

I am wearing just a simple black dress. This style was pretty close to the one in the movie but any little black dress works. Wear what you feel your best in. We all have one little black dress tucked away in our closets.

It’s all in the details.

I found  a lot of pearl costume jewelry between my mom and I so I wore two pearl necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. The more pearls the better. I had a pair of velvet long gloves that worked perfect to complete my costume.

Up close shot at my hair, makeup, and jewerly

As for my hair, I used a sock bun to get a high bun.  To replicate the iconic picture with her long cigarette, I just used a black colored pencil for the pictures.

I didn’t spend a penny on my costume and I had a great time. It’s always a good time with the girls when you can get dressed up and let loose. What are you dressing up for Halloween? What’s your favorite Halloween candy?  Let me know in the comments below!

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #24

LOTD

A fall outfit for a fall festival

A few weeks ago, I went home for Fall Break. As much as I like school and everything I am doing, there is truly no place like home. While I was home, I ate a lot of good food (cafeteria food doesn’t compare to mom’s Shrimp Alfredo), spent time with family, did some retail therapy, and did lots of fall activities. From a fall festival, pumpkin patching, and fall treats, I did it all. Here is one outfit I wore to a fall festival and with cooler temperatures and the leaves changing colors, this outfit was perfect.

I wore my go to converse for this fall outfit. They were comfortable and worked great for a lot of outdoor walking. I also wore my favorite black leggings to compliment the outfit. My top was a neutral white long sleeve t-shirt. Both my t-shirt and leggings are from GAP. I wanted comfortable clothes since I would be outside and doing a lot of walking. I also wanted to wear layers in case the temperature changed. With fall and spring you never know how the weather will change from morning to afternoon.

My mustard sweater really completed the outfit. I love a long sweater especially in the fall. I got my sweater from GAP as well.  I matched my purse and hat with my outfit. Both my purse and hat are from Vera Bradley. I love this mustard color and I am finding more and more pieces like this in stores and online.

My leggings and t-shirt are simple and neutral colors but my sweater, hat, and purse tie the whole outfit together. It only takes a few small pieces to make your outfit stand out. What accessories do you add to your outfits that make them feel complete? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy Fall everyone!

 

 

 

Categories
Fabulous living

What’s Up Wednesday (10-25-17)

What’s Up Wednesday

Hello, hello! Today I am linking up with some of my favorite blogs: The Larson Lingo, Mix and Match Mama , and Sheaffer Told me To to talk all things Wednesday, hence why I am posting this on Wednesday and not Tuesday. Don’t worry I will be back tomorrow with a fall look then I will be back to my Tuesday/Thursday posting. Once a month I will answer some questions so you know what’s going on with me. Today I will be answering the following questions. Wanna answer them too? Let’s see how much we have in common.

What I’m eating this week

I’m loving these proteins packs for lunch. They are quick and have great combinations. They are perfect for when I don’t have time to eat a full lunch.

What I’m reminiscing about

Halloween as a child! I always loved dressing up and going Trick or Treating. It’s hard being away from home during a holiday especially when I have younger siblings still trick or treating. This year I will still be dressing up, but I won’t be getting any free candy…or maybe some. We will have to wait and see.

What I’m loving

I am loving that we are finally getting cooler weather. It is consistently cool which is perfect fall weather. Also, now it is acceptable to wear high boots and jeans and not get worried to will bounce back to 70 degrees.

What I’ve been up to

Lots of school work. We are in the middle of the semester so papers, quizzes, and projects are all I have been looking at. Between going to classes and my job I’ve been busy.

What I’m dreading

Scheduling for next semester classes! Ugh, a stressful time for all. One step closer to the real world. Scheduling is always hard especially when you don’t get into classes you want are struggling for a back up!

What I’m working on

School work all day. Every day.

What I’m excited about

After looking at my calendar, I have something planned for every weekend from now until the end of the semester. From Fright Nights, to Light up Nights I am going to be busy but, I am very excited for the upcoming weeks.

What I’m watching/reading

I’m currently watching my favorite fall shows: This Is Us, Seal Team, Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How To Get Away with Murder. These shows are my motivation to get through long and stressful days.

I’m reading Grace Not Perfection by Emily Ley and I’m loving it. I can’t wait until her new book comes out A Simplified Life.

What I’m listening to

I’m listening to Jessie James Decker’s new album Southern Girl City Lights on repeat. She is the only country singer I follow and I love her. This album has a great message filled with beautiful music. Get yours today!

What I’m wearing

Did someone say sweater weather?! I am wearing all the sweaters I can find. I can’t get enough. Also, check back tomorrow for my latest Look of the Day!

What I’m doing this weekend

Lots of Halloween fun! From a Costume Dance to a Fright Night, I’m excited. I’ll be sharing my costume next week with you all.

What I’m looking forward to next month

Thanksgiving and seeing some family for the holidays! As much as I love school and what I am doing, there’s no place like how especially during the holidays.

What else is new

Nothing much. Between classes, work, and the holidays I am always on the go.

BONUS QUESTION: What’s your favorite Thanksgiving Side Dish?

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, love my mom’ s recipe.