The Perfect Black Friday Outfit

Anyone else struggle with what to wear when you go shopping? When I was little, I always wanted to look like those girls in the magazines with the glamorous high heels and gorgeous outfits. However, is that really the ideal way to go shopping? No, it's just not comfortable.

Today I'm going to show you how to come up with the perfect shopping ensemble. Especially for Black Friday.

1. WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES. I swear, I can not stress this enough. Currently I am out of town, and though it might be nice to wear warm fuzzy boots, my flats are generally more comfortable because they have arch support. That's what's going to make the difference.

2. Pick a top with a pop of color, or a pretty pattern. In the picture, you'll see that I'm wearing a vibrant coral sweater. This makes you stand out - without the added glam.

3. Statement jewelry. Something "compliment worthy" really makes you feel on top of the world and ready to get things done.

4. Wear your hair out of your face. I'm wearing 2-day curls in a ponytail. Cute, and out of the way. What more could you ask for?

5. Also, a cross-body handbag is essential for shopping. That way you don't have a lot of weight on one shoulder.

When you're shopping today (or any day for that matter), be safe, cautious, and kind to others. Most of all, be thankful for what you already have.

Have an amazing holiday season, and I'm sure I'll have another post soon. :)

-Callie B.

Denim Overload

Hey ladies! Has chambray captured your hearts like it has mine? I have been asked to do a post on this, and it really couldn't have came at a better time. Recently I got in an order from Loft (I doubt you're surprised), and I had ordered the SOFTEST denim shirt ever. I had already tried on most of my things, pairing them with jeans and such. As I put on the denim blouse, I realized how much it clashed with the jeans I had on! So, I preceded to pair it with a pair of rust colored pants and it honestly looked a thousand times better - I'm not kidding. With that being said, read on to unwrap the logic behind my "Denim Theory."

I believe that there are 3 ways to wear a denim blouse with pants:
1. Opposites Attract
Before I get into this first one, we need to consult our handy-dandy color wheel. Because denim is a varied, blue, cool, color it's really difficult to match up the hue with other blue jeans. Thus, we must pair it with warm colored slacks. My pick was the aforementioned "rust." Since there is a contrast between the two opposing colors, the ensemble ends up looking fantastic.
2. Denim on Denim: How to Make it Work
If you have absolutely no warm-colored pants to choose from, first of all, you need to invest in some - they rock. Second of all, we're gonna have to break our whole "No Denim on Denim" rule. *Gasp!* I know, rebellious right? Anyways, I have worn my chambray button-down with a dusty rose sweater before, leaving the button-down open, and wearing regular skinny jeans. Again, the "opposites attract" thing still applies. I advise you to stick with your reds, oranges, and pinks - especially when doing this second option.
3. Neutrals - They ALWAYS Work
You've heard me talk about neutrals before. They are the backbone to our beloved fashion world. Khakis, gray, black, etc. all would go fantastic with a denim button-down.

Jean blouses can also go with pretty skirts, but I haven't worn mine with one yet. So, more on that later! I hope this was helpful, if there are any questions or any issues I haven't addressed, feel free to comment below! Also, if you have any post suggestions, let me know!

Have an amazing day!

Till next time ladies,
-Callie B.

Update: It has been brought to my attention that you may want to spice this outfit up some with some chunky jewelry. I would stick to gold tones to accentuate the warm-colored pants. There's a picture below of my jewelry selection for this outfit.

The Fashion Forward Man

Okay guys, let me put it to ya straight: You really have no excuse -whatsoever- to not dress well. Truly. All you need is a pair of jeans, CLEAN shoes, and a nice t-shirt. Seriously. Let me explain.

My brother, Clay, was my model for this post and his preference is a nice, plain t-shirt. He doesn't like graphics or brand names printed all over the place, and to be honest, I don't either. Why? It makes your eye go straight to what you're wearing. You want people to see how YOU look, not where you got your shirt. Also, I know I've said this before, but I'm going to say it again: PLEASE IRON YOUR CLOTHES. Not only does that make your outfit look better, but it also doesn't have "laziness" written all over it. Plain t-shirts are easy to find, and can often be on sale. Clay's shirt was from American Eagle, and that's where I get most of his simple shirts from because they are good quality with a good price to match.

I want to teach you something in this post that I've taught Clay throughout the years. Neutrals go with everything. For those of you who don't know, neutrals are gray, black, white, brown, and navy. The one combo out of those that I absolutely DO NOT recommend is navy and black. PLEASE don't do that. That just clashes and it's a big mess. Anyways, as you can see, Clay's wearing dark gray jeans, a light gray shirt with charcoal sleeves, and light gray shoes. Obviously, he's got a theme going there.

Let's talk shoes. I pretty much begged Clay to get these when he went school shopping. You can wear them with shorts or jeans and they're a neutral so they'll go with practically anything. Also, they were only $45.00 at DSW and that is a great buy for Ralph Lauren shoes, if you ask me.

At the beginning of this post I presented the point that you don't have any excuse to not dress well. Do you see what I was saying? Grab a t-shirt and jeans with some sporty shoes and you're good to go! Us girls don't get by that easy, so please, consider yourselves lucky.

I hope this was helpful in some way, shape, or form and I'll have another post for you soon!
- Callie B.
P.S. Watch the video! The Fashion Forward Man Video

Dressing to Impress: Why this should be an everyday occurrence

Hello ladies! I apologize for not posting in a while. As it's the start of a new school year, I'm meeting new people and I have been asked multiple times today why I dress-up to go to school. Well, here it is.

To dress your best is probably the biggest confidence booster out there. I'm serious! This morning, as I pulled on my blazer and slipped into some peep-toe wedges, I felt more awake, I felt better about myself, I felt beautiful.

I don't dress up for those around me. I dress up because it makes ME feel better. And ladies, when you feel better about yourself, that's when natural beauty shines through. I promise.

I know, as teenagers, there is a tendency to want to ignore your alarm clocks. I don't have that issue because I am literally excited about the outfit I'm going to be wearing that day (I know, I'm the only one with this problem). I pick out and iron my clothes the night before and I also plan what I'm doing with my hair for the next day. I like to wake up at 6:00 and be ready by 7:00, getting out the door at 7:20. If I am to curl my hair, that means 5:30 is my wake-up time. Planning ahead is a major time saver, in my opinion.

While that may sound absolutely INSANE to some of you, it's my routine, and it's my normal. That's what I'm used to. You owe it to yourself to feel great. It's worth the effort. You may see me dress up on the day of a test. You're like, "Callie, why on earth would you wear heels on a test day?" Confidence. It makes me feel like everything's under control. I'm serious.

Also, when I'm sick, I almost always wear a skirt or dress. When I know I look even just a little bit better than how I feel, it makes the sickness just a teensy bit more bearable.

I'm sorry if I rambled, but I wanted you to see why I dress-up for school and I encourage you to do the same! DO IT FOR YOURSELF. You owe it to yourself to feel beautiful. Express yourself in your fashion choices. My motto for mine is, "Simple elegance."

Put forth the effort. I know you can do it, and trust me, it's amazing what it will do to turn a day around!

-Callie B.

"Eye" Think You're Beautiful

I always, ALWAYS, see girls wearing too much eye makeup. Perhaps they think the excess is helpful, covering up what they don't what others to see? But tell me, why cover up beauty?

The past week or so, I've decided to not do my normal eye makeup. I've not put on any at all actually. I just put my foundation over my eyelids, add a little highlighter under the eyebrow and the inner eye, and top it off with mascara. And would you believe that my eyes have never looked more blue?

In fact, my boyfriend has continuously complimented me this past week, having no idea that I've started dialing it down a little bit on the eye makeup. 

Ladies, the only makeup you need (if any) is concealer (to cover up any blemishes and under-eye circles), foundation, a touch of blush, and the small amount of eye-makeup I mentioned in the second paragraph. 

Why put on extra, if it's not necessary? If you feel more comfortable with a small - I repeat: SMALL - line of eyeliner, I understand that completely. Seriously though, think of what a time saver this will be! I can get my makeup done in five minutes or less on a good day.

Ladies, it's of my personal opinion, that guys prefer natural beauty. Why not enhance it then? I don't care what anyone says, all of us are beautiful - inside and out. 

God gave you gorgeous eyes. Enhance them... please, don't cover them up. You're BEAUTIFUL! Trust me.

-Callie B.

P.S. The picture I have uploaded is without a filter and without editing. 

Shades Galore

Hello ladies! Clearly, I have been unable to do posts as of late. This would be due to the fact that school is stressful and time consuming. Thus, no blog posts.

Today, however, I had a "Blog Post Inspiration". My outfit to church this morning consisted of about four or five different shades of teal. And yes, that IS aloud. 

The color wheel has many, MANY, variations and shades of colors. To be able to pull off the "Shades Galore" look, you must first be very thorough and evident throughout your whole outfit of which color you want to pursue. For instance, you can't just choose an off-white blouse and pair it with a cream cardigan without any follow through. You may want to continue to -instead of gold/silver accessories- branch out into both cream AND off-white accessories. You will be able to see what I mean more clearly in the picture of my Shades of Teal outfit, below.

There are some things that we MUST NOT DO when putting different shades of colors together. A big no-no would be hot pink and coral. Ladies, trust me, they are not anywhere close to the same color. It would be extremely difficult to pull that look off. Coral is a mixture of pink and orange -not just pink.

When doing this outfit, the variations of shades I keep talking about would be like light teal, teal, and a darker teal. Think about it like this: if you were painting a portrait, and you wanted a lighter variation of a color, you would add white to it. If you wanted a darker version of that color, you would add black. Thus providing three different colors from the same base. That's what this whole look is about.

Below, you will find a picture of my outfit, and also a picture of my hairstyle for today. I got the look from www.hairromance.com. It's where you section three layers of hair from top to bottom. Tie each in a ponytail with an elastic and braid each ponytail separately. Then all you have to do is put them in a bun, pinning as you go! I did mine more to the side (at first on accident, and then I just continued to follow suit for lack of time, and it turned out alright! Just make sure it's obvious whether you want your hair on the side or straight down the middle). 

I hope you found this post helpful and I pray that you have a wonderful day!

-Callie B.

The ULTIMATE Skin Care Routine

Ladies, this summer I have solved every single skin care problem I've ever had. I realize everyone's skin is different. Remember, I'm not a physician, I'm just sharing my story with you.

So, here's my skin care story. Towards the end of the school year last year, I had an allergic reaction to one of those supposed acne clearing soaps. It was odd because I'd used it for years, yet it didn't really seem to do anything to help my skin. The allergic reaction was minor, but effective. I had pink spots all over my face that itched every once in awhile, but otherwise did nothing. No amount of concealer could cover the blemishes. I was horrified. To be honest, it was difficult to look in the mirror.

I tried everything to get rid of them. I researched and researched. I tried home remedy after home remedy. One thing said to try Dove soap, and yes, that did help some. By the time I got to the dermatologist the spots weren't as inflamed as they were before, but they were still there. We told my dermatologist everything we'd tried and she said that I should switch to Dial soap. You know I'm thinking, "Yeah, okay. Like that's going to help anything." She gave me a few pills to take to ease the allergic reaction and some lotion too. The spots were gone in about a week.

I'd been using Dial soap diligently until we went on vacation a few weeks ago. I figured that hotel soap was usually for sensitive skin anyway, so I didn't bring the Dial soap with me. Boy was that a mistake. The spots came back, but only a few. When we came home I immediately washed with Dial and they again, cleared up within a few days.

People I am telling you, Dial soap is the most amazing thing that I have ever used on my skin. For the past few weeks, I've hardly worn makeup. Do you know how rare that is for me? I love putting on makeup, but my skin is so clear lately, that I don't need it. I only use it when I go out somewhere nice. I wash my face twice a day and I haven't had a single pimple in weeks.(By the way, try the Clinique moisturizer that they have. It does wonders as well. It really evens the skin tone.)

Also, I used to have really minor back acne on my shoulders that I was really self-conscious of, even though it wasn't severe. However, now, it's completely gone.

I know this is a really long post, but I have one more thing to share with you. There is a sugar scrub that I have been using the past few weeks. This particular one is for really soft skin, but I have also found that it prevents razor burn like nothing I've ever seen before. Below is the recipe:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil (canola or vegetable, it doesn't matter.)
3 Tbsp. Lemon or Lime juice

Shake well. Rub on skin and shave. No shaving cream required just use the scrub. You'll be amazed at how smooth your skin feels! There is one drawback to the scrub. I haven't had this experience, but my mom has. Apparently mosquito's really like the sugar, so make sure you wash your skin off with soap (preferably Dial) when you're done using the scrub. Like I said, I haven't had the whole mosquito problem, but just to be safe, wash your skin after applying this mixture.

If you want to try this, I think it'd really be beneficial. You can buy Dial soap at the Dollar Store, for crying out loud. The sugar scrub contains ingredients that should be right there in your kitchen. I promise, it's worth it.

I hope this is useful to you, I know it was for me.

Have a wonderful week!
-Callie B.

P.S. I've also been drinking a ton of water and exercising every other day, and that has helped plenty as well. I didn't start exercising till later in the summer though, so the Dial was doing an extraordinary job beforehand.