Christmas 2012 Haul

I know I'm supposed to be taking a few days off, but I wanted to share some of the lovely gifts I got during Christmas this year - I was a very lucky lady! My husband and family showered me with amazing presents and I cannot wait to share how I will wear them on this blog! :)

I had been combing sites trying to find a look-for-less for this J. Crew "Heart Me" sweater - my mom scored a fab one from Target! And remember this jacket that I blogged about back in October! Yay!

H&M Goodies from Bill - A neon coral sweater & a striped boat neck tee - can you believe I've gone THIS long without a striped t-shirt?!

If you follow me on instagram, then you know these booties were a hidden surprise gift! I've been coveting them for MONTHS. Bill also knew how much I loved this Jack Russell print shirt from Zara and knew how I sad I was that I missed it. I got this French Bulldog one instead :)

We popped into J. Crew a few days before Christmas and it looks like Bill scored majorly during their sale! Polka dot sequin top & their signature pave link bracelet!

Magazine subscriptions from my parents & brother, nail polish & Target money from my mother-in-law!

And lastly, Merry Christmas to me! These were some finds I grabbed when I went shopping on the 26th. Bill & I got new phones the week before Christmas so these Touchscreen Compatible gloves from Target were a must - how rad that they work on electronic devices (have you ever tried to use gloves and your phone? Not easy!)

I've been eyeing these green J. Crew bow print pants for forever - I walked into the store, found my size and nabbed them for 27 dollars!! Talk about a major score. I also grabbed a pair of jacquard skinnies from Express on sale for 30 bucks.

What are some of your favorite things you got for Christmas? Have you hit any sales yet??

Giveaway Winner [$100 to LASH Clothing!]

Okay, Okay... I know I said I was going to take a break.. but let's get real! haha I realized this morning I forgot to announce the winner of the $100 Lash Gift Certificate!! Actually, truth be told, I was perusing the site to spend some of my Holiday Cash.. though not sure how I can justify to Bill that I need some more clothes ;) Anywho.. Let's see who the lucky reader is..... keep reading to find out!

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Congratulations to Tiffany from Tiffany Style Blog! I can't WAIT to see what you get from LASH. My only request is that you send me some pics of your finds so I can put them up on the blog :) I'll be emailing you shortly!!

 

Thank you SO much too all who entered - you helped get my Facebook likes up past 300! Yay!!

Christmastime Is Here [photos]

 Clockwise from Left: {my mom's creative way of wrapping a magazine subscription // the Zara booties I've been dreaming of for months // Bill & one of my favorite wrapped packages // Christmas Day breakfast - a tradition in my family // our tree on Christmas Eve // The Grinch, Allagash White & a Christmas mani // traditional Christmas Eve presents // Christmas Day dinner - steak diane  // opening presents!  // the finished mani product // Me, Bill & the self timer}

 

I'm taking a few days off to enjoy the holidays with my husband. I'll be popping around here and there but mostly I'll be eating the last of the sweets & watching fashion documentaries on Netflix. Regular posting will begin again after the New Year. Don't forget to follow me on Instagram! Hope you and yours had a very merry one!!

Vogue Chops Karlie Kloss' Hair

One thing is for sure, this has been Karlie Kloss' year. The down-to-earth model has a resume a mile long, most of which has happened within the last 13 months. She's got 2 Victoria's Secret Fashion Shows under her belt, been on numerous magazine covers, appeared in campaigns for Juicy Couture and Elie Saab (to name a few) as well as new co-host of MTV's revived "House of Style". Now, she can add hair-icon to the list.

 

In the January 2013 issue of Vogue, Karlie was picked for their "Haircut of the Moment" series shot by photographer Patrick Demarchelier. Famed hairstylist Gareen (known for iconic cuts on celebs like Linda Evanglista, Victoria Beckham and Amber Valleta) chopped off over 7 inches of her stick straight locks. The result?

 

 

A sassy, super chic, shag that has me itching to grab the scissors.... It's fresh, fun & faulous. It's also what Garren calls "low-maintence" a.k.a. every woman's dream. After wearing her new hair for a few days, Karlie believes it's changed her attitude. The short hair “actually takes the focus off your hair and puts the focus on you. I’m starting to realize that it’s all about confidence.”

 

A model admitting she needed a boost of confidence? How refreshing...!!

 

all images via Fashion Gone Rogue

Outfit Post: Casually Chic

 

 

Sweatshirt: Hanes via Target (not available online)

Jeans: Express

Hair Clip: Ban.do Glitter Bomb Bobbi Pin c/o

Bag: Vintage

Flats: Target

 

I've been Christmas shopping nonstop for the past week so living in comfy clothes has been must. Thank GOSH I haven't had to sacrifice style too much. Black on Black with some statement pieces make this laid back outfit still casually chic. I bought this sweatshirt in the hopes of creating something similar to this or this but just haven't had the time yet. Have any of you guys done a DIY word sweatshirt with success? I need some ideas...

 

Also, until the end of this month, Ban.do is offering 20% off any product with the code FEELPRETTY. I hope you'll use it to gift yourself with a little sparkle - After all, New Year's is literally right around the corner and I think you're outfit could use a little glitter/sparkle/shimmer/shine! But you better hurry so you can get it shipped to you in time. :)

 

Happy first day of winter everyone!! Don't forget you have until Sunday to enter my giveaway for $100 from Lash Clothing! :) I hope you'll enter!

 

OMGeeeezies! Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds Wedding Pics!

Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds secretly married back in September and we've all been waiting with bated breathe for a few photos to surface. (You'll remember this post when I went crazy for her ridiculously amazing wedding rings) Well apparently, the pair worked directly with Martha Stewart Weddings & the Crafty Queen herself, to create a gorgeous and enchanting affair.

Even though the magazine is only giving us a teeny tiny glimpse, and most of the photos are from the dessert table (come on, I want to see more dress!) it's still better than nothing - right? Shall we take a peek...?

 

This is the one and only shot of the dress folks, so soak it in! Blake wore a stunning rose gold embroidered & crystal beaded tulle Marchesa wedding gown while Ryan wore a Burberry suit & custom made leather suspenders. Of course Lorraine Schwartz designed their wedding bands

 

 

Style Director Kate Berry of Martha Stewart Weddings actually created Blake's gorgeous bouquet. A few of the flowers like pink jasmine and blushing bride hydrangea were a perfect mix of rustic and romantic. She also dipped several of the flowers petals in rose-gold glitter to match the stitching on Blake's dress (and rings!) Super cute & super smart!

 

 

Since Miss Martha is Blake's self-professed "Idol", she wanted to make sure the dessert table was filled to the brim with sweets. But the true life of the spread was their Vanilla and Sour Cream cake with peach-apricot preserve (um, YUM?!). To top it off, their milk chocolate butter cream icing was dyed an earthy and cool Early Grey.

 

 

 Desserts, Desserts & more Desserts! The table was littered with Smores Bars, mini Strawberry Shortcakes & Espresso Beans held by gold foil cupcake liners. (Seriously though, there's like 5 more photos of sweets)

 

So what do you guys think? I LOVE the rose gold colors and the romantic touches. Looks and sounds like Blake & Ryan's wedding was a picture perfect event!

 

 

all images via Martha Stewart Weddings

Outfit Post: Curls & Sequins

 

Dress worn as top: Rubber Ducky via Anat B. (Love THIS one)

Skirt: H&M

Shoes: Zara

Bag: Vintage

Spike Bracelet: c/o T+J Designs

 

Okay - my hats off to you bloggers posting outfit pics in the SNOW. It was about 48 degree when we took these pictures.. but with the high winds the temp was about 42. I swear I thought my toes were going to fall off! I know I'm being a baby but here in Southern California that is pretty damn cold!

 

Here's another Holiday Party outfit for you! This one involves one of my all time favorite dresses that was a Christmas gift last year. It's backless and a tad on the short side (Let's just say it's perfect for Vegas.. haha) so tucking it into a maxi skirt kept it totally party time appropriate, don't you think?

 

I can't believe how much use I'm getting out of this sheer skirt (seen here & here) It was purchase made on a whim & I'm so glad I did!!

 

Have you guys been to any holiday parties yet? I need some more ideas on what to wear - let me know what outfits you've donned for the festive time of year!!

 

*Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY for the chance to treat yourself to 100 bucks!!*

 

Holiday Party Style: Gwyneth Paltrow's Glitter Pant Suit

 

Will my girl crush on Gwyneth ever subside? I know, I know, she gets a lot of flak for that whole pretentious "I'm-Better-Than-You" attitude - but I really don't care. Her hair, her body, her style, even her cooking... I've got a full blown obsession with her, so pretentiousness be damned!

 

Gwynnie (oh yeah we're on a nickname basis) showed up last week at an opening of a Boss Nuit store in Dubai, donning what I think is the PERFECT holiday outfit. Don't get me wrong, I still love my sparkly dresses! But this is just so fresh and unexpected. I ADORE it. A matching glitter brocade pantsuit? I mean who woulda thunk it? Plus that reddish-pink sandal is so festive and fun! L-O-V-E

 

I've been searching high and low for a look for less {actually no one even knows who makes this suit} but have come up empty handed. You better believe when I find it I'll be sharing it with you loves ASAP!

 

Hey, have you entered my giveaway for a $100 Gift Certificate? Is that a "No" you say? Well what the heck are you waiting for?? Go do it now!

 

image via People

Giveaway: [$100 to LASH Clothing!] *closed*

You've officially made it to Friday everyone! And I've got just the thing to start your weekend off right - A Giveaway!

 

I introduced you to LASH Clothing a few months ago when they first launched their online store. Now, they're ready to gift one BAD reader with a fabulous holiday gift - $100 gift certificate towards their store! Yes, you heard right! One Hundred Dollars! Lauren & Ashley have hand picked all the items in their store so there are some amazing options to treat yourself to.

There are a few pieces that I'm totally obsessing over right now - that pink Rory Beca dress is just calling my name! One of my favorite sections is their LASH for Less where they list budget friendly items that are super cute & super affordable. Double bonus? They offer free priority shipping on every order! Yay!

 

Now on to the details - find out how you can enter below for your chance to receive a very special Holiday gift!

MANDATORY ENTRY: 1. Like both Bedazzles After Dark & LASH Clothing on Facebook

2. Leave a comment below letting me know you did both, and what you would buy from LASH Clothing if you won the $100. Make sure you leave your email address so I can contact you when you win!

 

After you've done the above, you can boost your chances of winning with these extra entries!!

BONUS ENTRY 1: Follow LASH Clothing & Bedazzles After Dark on Twitter. Leave a 2nd comment below saying you did both & your Twitter handle/email address

 

BONUS ENTRY 2: Follow Bedazzles After Dark via Google Friend Connect (the box on the right) Leave a 3rd and final comment below.

Good luck!! 

Please note: Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Up to 3 entries per person. Winner will be chosen at random via Random Number Generator. Giveaway ends at 10:00pm PST on December 23rd, 2012. I will announce the winner in a blog post. The winner must respond within 3 days of announcement to claim the prize. If there is no contact by the 4th day or the winner is not a follower, I will choose another winner at random

Outfit Post: Sequin Holiday

 

APART "A Million Stars" Dress via HauteLook (almost identical style here)

Shoes: Steve Madden Luxe (old)

Bag: Vintage

Headband: Nordstrom BP (recent)

 

I've been wanting to do some Holiday Party posts for a while now - but in between our situation with  Jack, Bill's birthday & holiday stress, I haven't had much time. But I wasn't about to miss this week's Copy Cat Closet challenge - SEQUINS! Now, normally you guys know I love sparkle in everyday outfits. But, if you're unsure of bedazzled territory, the holidays are the best excuse to experiment since sequins & glitter are actually encouraged! And though it would be easy for me to go slightly overboard, I kept my first holiday look super tame. :)

 

How amazing is this dress?! I scored it majorly on sale from HauteLook last November. It's beyond perfect for all my Christmas soirees. I love that it isn't super tight (trying to keep it classy here folks!) but has amazing details like strong shoulders and gunmetal colored sequin discs. The weather in LA has actually been cooperating with the date on the calendar so I picked my favorite Simply Vera tights & black booties to complete the look.

 

I've been searching for new hair ideas and when I saw this photo from Natalia I instantly fell in love. I just HAD to try it out! Now, I'm totally obsessed! It's not just an ordinary ponytail, but a ponytail with flair y'all! I think the only thing I would change, is to wrap some hair around the ponytail elastic so it's not visible. I picked up this headband in San Diego (15 bucks!) and thought it matched beautifully. Thanks Natalia for challenging me to try something new! :)

 

Lastly, I didn't quite make it to 300 likes before Sunday as I hoped, but I'm so close! If you haven't "liked" BAD's facebook page - would you be so kind as to hop on over and hit that thumbs up button? I would GREATLY appreciate it! :) Personal pages first, then your blog's page so I can "Like" back! :)

 

And stay tuned.. I've got a FAB giveaway coming up that I can't WAIT for you to enter!! Who doesn't like free stuff??

 

*ENTER THE $100 GIVEAWAY HERE!!!*

 

How Do You Say Goodbye?

How do you say goodbye to a friend?
 

How do you say goodbye to someone who always has a kiss and a hug for you?

 

Who always wants to cuddle with you?

 

Who can make you laugh endlessly with just a funny face?

How do you say goodbye to someone who wears anything you put on him?

 

Who supports your dreams no matter what they are?

 

How do you say goodbye to someone who loves the same things you do?

 

Who is always up for a game of hide and seek?

 

 And who loves all creatures great & small

How to say goodbye to someone in your family?

It's been almost a week and I can't answer these questions - my heart aches when I realize I can't go give him a squeeze or scratch his head. But knowing that Jack is no longer sick or in pain makes it slightly easier to accept he's not here anymore. For the past week we've been trading stories and sharing our favorite moments about him. I've had my fair share of crying and laughing... and then more crying. I know that we'll invite another furry friend into our home again at some point, but no one will be able to replace our little Jacky. We will miss him every single day! Thanks for 16 years (16 for Bill, 6.5 for me) of friendship & love! Many x's & o's!