Loving Lately: New Eye Shadow Palettes

Now that I've been the proud owner of the Naked Palette for a year I am convinced that high end eye palettes are 100% worth the investment. I'm feeling like I've hit a bit of an eye makeup rut lately, so I'm debating about investing in a new palette. (Or maybe my Mom will read this and get me one of these for an early Christmas present. Just kidding Mom, but if you want to send me one I'd totally be okay)

These are the three palettes I've narrowed it down to... 

LORAC PRO Palette

The LORAC Pro Palette is GORGEOUS. Half matte and half shimmer, I think there are a ton of looks that you could create with this. There are a few similarities to the naked palette though, so I'm a little hesitant.

Too Faced The Return of Sexy Palette

The Too Faced The Return of Sexy Palette is shimmery and fabulous! I love the idea of this combo of three palettes in one. Browns, Purples and Grays. All are go-to color combos for me, plus I don't have a ton of these colors in my collection, so it would be a great way to expand.

Urban Decay The Vice Palette

The UD Vice Palette was just released, and from what I hear it's going to be the next big thing. I'm more of a neutral girl, so the bright colors are a bit scary. However I love UD shadows and they are all super blend-able so the pigmentation isn't super scary if you tone it down with some of the neutrals. 

 

This is a weekly link up hosted by the fabulous Carly, Kristen, Niki & Rachel!  Join us and link up what you're loving lately! Whether it's fashion, color, crafts, interiors, beauty products, yummy and delicious, or really anything else, we want to know!

Rules

1. Follow Your Hosts and Co-Hosts

They are the first 8 in the linky! Carly @ Lipgloss and Crayons Kristen @ The Wright Stuff Niki @ Glossy Blonde Rachel @ La La Lists This week's co-hosts are: Angela @ Head To Toe Chic Emily @ Blue Dog Belle Harmony @ Thistles & Things Whitney & Nicole @ Something Brought You Here

2. Grab a Button

Or link back to one of your hosts, and help us promote Loving Lately!

3. Link Up!

Link up your post on what you're loving lately! Please do not link up your entire blog or any posts that are not "Loving Lately"!   We are so happy to have you link up, and we do go through and read all of the posts, so if you do not give credit, we will have to remove your link.  And we don't want to have to do that!  So please share the love and include a link back!

4. Mingle

It's a linky party after all!

Visit some of the other posts in the linky and say hello!

5. Tweet!

Help us promote and grow this party! Send a tweet and let everyone know you linked up!

<center> <a href="http://www.glossyblonde.com"><img border="0" src="http://i1053.photobucket.com/albums/s467/nikicaron/LLlogo-1.jpg?t=1345733318"/></a></center>

Let's get this party started!

Giveaway winner and the blue skirt

First of all, thanks to everyone entered the Starbucks giveaway. What better way to start off the week, than by announcing a winner. Congratulations to the lovely 

Kasey

Expect an email from me shortly lady. Hopefully we'll have another give away coming up soon! 

Now. I have another outfit post! Yay! 

  

Top: Old Navy | Skirt: Eloquii | Necklace: Eastern Market | Glasses c/o Firmoo | Watch: Michael Kors

FYI-- my lip color is Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Lovesick. I'm obsessed.

Hope y'all have a great start to your week! See you tomorrow!

all images c/o Lawfully Wedded Wife Photography

Hard work.

Outfit Crush

Dress  | Booties | Pumps | Day Handbag | Evening Clutch handbag | Watch / Earrings | Necklace

I am obsessed with peplum, still, but who isn't. This Alexander McQueen dress has been taking up a big spot in my heart lately. I couldn't style it just one way because I love it too much!

Hope y'all have a great weekend!

{Coffee Hour} Skinny Pumpkin Spice at home

It's been a while since I've done a {Friday Cocktail} but I've been loving {AV}'s Friday Fancies link up so the series is going on a mini hiatus it seems. I know we are all crazy about pumpkin spice lattes for fall, but if you want a skinner version or just want to make it at home, give this recipe a try.

Ingredients

• 6 oz fresh coffee
• 1 Tbsp fat free half & half (regular is fine too)
• 1 tsp of sugar free vanilla syrup
• pumpkin pie spice
• 2 Tbsp pumpkin puree

Directions:

In a saucepan heat the pumpkin puree, syrup, half & half and a few dashes of pumpkin pie spice.  Stir until well combined and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to overheat, you can easily burn the cream. Add mixture to your coffee and enjoy.  Feel free to add some whipped cream and more pumpkin pie spice if you are so inclined.

OR if you don't want to bother enter my Starbucks giveaway, and go buy one.  

Politics 101: Voting

Yesterday was National Voter Registration Day! Did you register? I did. I will officially be voting in the District of Columbia on November 6. I'll be disenfranchised on the Federal level, but I so believe in the importance of voting, that I didn't want to skirt the lines of legality by voting in Arkansas. where I've been registered the last 2+ years. *Side note, my parents live in Little Rock, Arkansas--- I don't know if I've ever shared that little tidbit with y'all. Anyways. I mailed off my registration form to the DC Board of Elections and I'm so excited.

No matter what side of the aisle you fall on I think we can all agree voting is so important. I've talked about why I love politics before but in the weeks leading up to the election I think it's important to address it again. So here we go. Blue Dog Belle's top 10 reason to vote.

10. In order to be heard--- you have to make a statement. Duh, right? What I mean is Congress appropriates funds for various projects and initiatives. They really do listen to the constituencies who make the most noise, so speak up!

9. Don't let someone buy your vote (or your silence). Who wants to be manipulated by the powers that be?  No one.

8. Votes make Democracy work. Our government is by the people for the people. But if the people disappear from the process, the whole thing will break down.

7. It's important to stay up to date on the issues. No matter what the policy, you should know how you are affected. If you're up to date on the issues, your far more likely to vote.

6. It's fun. Who doesn't love that little "I voted sticker"

5.  You should get paid from work for any time you take to vote--- so hey, wait it a line. Exercise your rights. And take a break from work.

4. You shouldn't complain if you don't participate. Obviously, this is just my opinion, but it drives me NUTS when people start facebook or twitter rants about something stupid that the government is doing but I know they don't take the time to actually go vote. If you don't participate you don't get to complain. (okay--- that's a tad extreme, but it still a pet peeve).

3. Every vote counts. Voting is the ultimate equalizer. No matter how much money you have, what you do or where you live. Your one vote counts the same as that billionaires.

2.  The government is broken--- this is the easiest way for you to help fix it. Record deficits, unfunded entitlements and a broken tax code. There are so many important problems that we desperately need to solve. Voting helps provide a direction to the country, let Congress know how you think we should fix it!

1. It's your Constitutional Right. How many millions of people are denied freedoms every single day? In this country alone just think about our relationship with voting throughout history. 90 years ago our mothers won the right to vote. Less than 50 years ago African Americans were barred from voting all across the country. We are so lucky to live in a country, no matter your race, gender, sexuality-- nothing bars you from exercising your freedom. Above all this is why I vote. I vote because I can.

Is that enough for you? You only have a few days left to register (there is a 30 day deadline) so go on and register

Woes and Wins

Lately I feel like my life has been flip flopping all over the place. I'm so hyper focused on studying for the lsat, I'm losing it in other aspects of my life. And the hits just keep on coming. So I need a vent day. Here are my recent woes, and some of my recent wins. And if you make it through, I'm linking up with Niki for Loving Lately with my latest obsession.

Woe-ing

Flat tire on a Monday morning. Great way to start the week.

Forgetting about soup simmering on the stove. For 2 hours. Can we say burnt soup? yum.

Sucking at sleeping. I just have too much on my mind, AND I am on an over caffeination cycle where I drink too much during the day, then can't get to sleep at night. Then I'm exhausted the next day, so I once again over caffeinate, oops and there goes the sleeping. How do I get off this ride?

Instagramming. I keep wanting to do an instagram drop post because lets be honest we all like picture heavy posts (and they are easy to pull together). But I've taken like 4 pictures since my last one. Oh well. I'll throw in a few

Parking. I got a $100 ticket For parking on the street in FRONT OF MY HOUSE in DC, in a two hour zone over night during the week, when the "supposedly" don't monitor this block between 8:30 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. Annoying.

My room is in a state of disarray. One that it has never seen (okay, that's a lie but it hasn't been this bad in a long time). There are just stacks of clothes everywhere. I forget what's clean and whats not... then it needs to get washed again because Oliver inevitably sits on it and leaves his black fur everywhere.

Yoga. I haven't been in TWO MONTHS. and I miss it so... I need to start going again for my sanity. Maybe I'll squeeze it in tonight.

My Job. I normally pride myself on being great at my job. I'm super on top of things. Work through lunches when we're busy, show up early and stay late. I'm work hard, try to be as thorough as possible, and take on new projects regularly. I'm a pretty good employee if I do say so myself.   Well, I haven't done anything major, but I keep making just stupid mistakes. Losing receipts. Forgetting to print things for meetings. Not returning phone calls. I just have been so focused on the LSAT lately, I can tell my work is suffering. Time to step it up.

Winning

LSAT studying seems to be finally coming together. Just in time might I add. 11 days.

Losing weight. I'm currently hovering near a three year low! Yay.

Officially being free of a lease requirements for the first time ever in my life (we just went month to month!!)

Blogging. I feel like I've been kind of phoning it in since I started the LSAT studying, but I continue to add new followers at an astonishing rate! Thanks y'all. All the support and comments really mean so much to me! Don't forget to enter my starbucks reader appreciation giveaway.

Saving money/sticking to my budget. Having to study for the LSAT has been an awesome excuse not to go to happy hours or out for late nights on a weekend. Granted I paid a stupid amount of money to Kaplan for my class. AND I have to pay an even stupider amount to apply to schools. Oh yah... then there's that little thing about paying for school. Goodbye savings. I'm still counting this as a win, for now.

The GEORGIA BULLDOGS. 4-0. 40+ points in each game so far. #5 in the country. We are off to a great start. I'm feeling UGA vs Alabama in the National Championship. Anyone else? Gosh the SEC is awesome (4 of the top 6 teams are SEC right now. #winning).

And Since you read this far (and I'm so loving this link up so why not join in again)

Oscar de la Renta flat / Madewell leopard print shoes / J.Crew ballet flat / Faith leopard print shoes, $55 / L' Autre Chose ballet flat / Steve Madden flat / ASOS ballet flat / Madewell ballet flat

 

September Birchbox

It's time for another round of

This month's Birchbox was not my favorite ever, but once again I picked up a few good things.  First off they threw in a twistband. I seriously love these y'all. If you haven't picked one up, you need to! They are super flexible and don't crimp your hair!

Twistband

Then I got a pack of the La Fresh Instant Body Soothers. These are wipes for your hands, face body, etc. that are supposed to sooth skin. They smell great and are definitely refreshing, but I don't think I'd invest in them. 

La Fresh Instant Body Soother

This Custom Color Club Polish was my favorite find of the box. Birchbox and Color Club teamed up this month to put together a few of the hottest colors of the season. I got the rose gold metallic color called "put a pin in it" I'm OBSESSED. This is definitely worth the $8 investment

Custom Color Club Polish

They also threw in a few of these brush guards. Definitely a nice thing to have when traveling. These are supposed to protect your brushes and help them keep their shape. They're essentially like those chinese finger traps and they can expand around pretty much any brush.

Brush Guard

Boscia Purfiying Cleansing Gel is preservative free, which is great. I've only tested it out once, so I don't feel like I can give you a recommendation one way or another, but so far so good!

Boscia Purfiying Cleansing Gel

I think I'm just not a Beauty Balm person. I need/want more coverage. While this Dr. Jart Beauty Balm is by far the best I've ever tried, I still got oily and felt like my imperfections were obvious a few hours into wear. I do have super oily skin and am constantly battling all of my products to extend the wear, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. 

Dr. Jart Beauty Balm

So that's it. My September Birchbox. Want to see more? Here's my August, July, June, and April reviews.

AND. Don't forget about the Starbucks GIVEAWAY 

Happy Fall!

Please go enjoy this lovely weather. 

Friday Fancies #4: Football Frenzy

Thanks to everyone who entered my reader appreciation giveaway. If you haven't yet, go here.

I'm all over the internet today. Thanks to the lovely Kellie of The Yuppie Files for featuring my fall favorites. If y'all don't read her blog, you need to. She's absolutely fabulous. 

AND my post from Monday made it on the Fashion Blogger Weekly Round up over on Fashion Treatment! 

Now. It's time for

Now obviously y'all know that the belles in the SEC (and across the South) take gameday fashion seriously. Dresses. Hats. Pearls. Heels. It's like a fashion show, where everyone wears the same colors.  I went to The University of Georgia (how bout them dawgs?) and I've accumulated quite the red and black collection over the years. Now that I'm out of school, I dearly miss saturday's in Athens. One thing I don't miss though is the standing up for hours on end. Sweating. Gross. Now I get to enjoy the games from the comfort of my couch or a booth in a bar. As I was putting together this outfit, I didn't realize how formal it is, but oh well. Better to be over dressed than under dressed right? 

Dress | Sweater | Flats | Bag | Watch | Bangle | Earrings

*GIVEAWAY* Just Because I love y'all

Okay. So it's just been one of those days. I've been a little down lately because of all this LSAT madness. But I've decided that I can't let it take over my life. The weather is beautiful. Life is good. Stress is stupid.

I took a break to swing by Starbucks to pick up another pumpkin spice latte. I decided a few things.

I love fall coffees

I love you guys

So lets do a random giveaway.

All you need to do is be one of my lovely followers and enter below through the rafflecopter widget. You can follow on Facebook and Twitter and all that jazz for more chance to win too. But mostly I just wanted to thank all of you who come by my little slice of the internet and leave such sweet comments every day.

I know every blogger in the world says this, but I really appreciate you all so much. Your comments and emails mean the world to me.

Enjoy.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

* The Giveaway will remain open through September 30. A winner will be announced October 1.

Currently

Currently...

Reading  LSAT books

Practicing logical reasoning flaw questions

Listening to "It's Time" by Imagine Dragons on Spotify

Smelling triple chocolate brownie bites aka stress relief

Working at my real life job. In my big girl office.  

Writing this blog post.

Hoping that the LSAT goes well, and all this hard work is not for nothing

Thinking that I need to start thinking positively and have more faith in myself

Sipping a big old cup of Joe

Watching CNN. What else is new.

Gawking Governor Romney. Keep the gaffes coming sir. 47% of us would appreciate it. 

Wearing yoga pants and an over sized old navy tee. Top knot. No makeup.

Wishing that the LSAT would go ahead and be over so I can focus on blogging. Priorities.

Feeling Exhausted. Burned out. Drained. Defeated. Lazy. Frustrated.  

Loving that there are only 15 more days until the LSAT

Hating that there are only 15 more days until the LSAT

What are you doing.... Currently? 

Braided Crowns

Thank you all for your sweet comments from my post on monday. I'm definitely a little nervous to get into fashion posts, but all of your overwhelmingly positive notes and emails make it worth it. I got quite a few questions about the braided head band.  I pinned a tutorial on pinterest, but I thought y'all would like me to take you through it, and since this pin was so perfect (and I've been living under a pile of LSAT books---aka no time to put together my own tutorial)

via

I'm SO loving this look. It's really easy, and such a cute option to spice up up your everyday do. 

I would recommend a few adjustments. I like a little more poof. Shocking I know. So tease away my friends. 

You may want to practice the braid a few times, because you have to braid "up" or straight out (not down). You'll understand when you try it. Just warning you... your arms may get tired. 

Braid all the way to the end of your hair (or else you'll get weird fly-a-ways)

Hope this helps girls. 

I came across a similar tutorial from one of my favorite beauty/fashion bloggers, Keiko Lynn and I thought this was another cute take on the braided headband idea. I just wish my hair was long enough to try it!

via | Keiko Lynn

Happy Wednesday!

Fall Beauty Picks

For this round of Loving Lately, I am featuring some of my favorite beauty products for fall.

FIT Me foundation | Benefit boi- ing | Philosophy | Eos | Revlon Lip Stain | Essie | ELF's High Definition Powder | Essie | Mega Plush Volum' Express Mascara 

I recently switched over to my fall foundation since the summer humidity seems to have disappeared (thank goodness). I'm loving rediscovering some old products and some new ones.  I bought the FIT me foundation right at the end of spring this year, but the shade was too light for me during summer. Needless to say, I'm loving the coverage this light weight foundation provides. 

I also have been loving the ELF High Definition Powder. Amazing. 

I recently discovered boi-ing, and I'm wondering what rock I've been living under? This stuff is seriously awesome. It's the perfect texture and lasts all day! Loving it. 

Y'all know how much I love lip products and I picked up another lipstain in honey. I've been loving a bright bold lip for summer, but think I'm going to transition to something softer for fall, so Honey has been perfect.

Also, and it get's cooler chapped lips are inevitable. My favorite is this Eos in soft mint. Perfection in a lip balm if you ask me.

Mega Plush ads have been everywhere lately, and for good reason. Y'all need to pick this up. I promise you'll love it. 

All dressed up with no where to go

How was your weekend? Mine was pretty good, but full gaffs. First, I drank entirely too much coffee on Saturday, then after getting home from babysitting I couldn't get to sleep until after 2 am. Fail. I was supposed to take a practice LSAT Sunday morning. Well. 2:45 am rolls around. I still wasn't quite asleep when heard the door open and close downstairs. My roommate KJ was out and about, nothing to be concerned about, so I rolled over and went back to sleep. Then some time later I turned over and opened my eyes. 

There was an unknown man standing above me. Just staring at me. I swear to god. 

I initially thought it was a dream, but no. There was definitely a man there. I don't entirely remember what I said. I didn't scream or jump or any "normal" reaction. No. I was so taken a back I didn't know what to do. I kind of assumed that KJ may have brought home a gentleman friend and by the time I realized what happened I thought running out would have ruined "the mood," so I stayed put. 

Well I get a text about 90 seconds later from KJ apologizing. Apparently this guy was her drunk married  co-worker who also happens to live in our neighborhood so they were simply sharing a cab, until he invited himself in. At 3:00 am. Needless to say, he was asked to leave shortly there after. It made for quite the interesting morning. Let. Me. Tell. You. 

Sunday was once again filled with LSAT Studying. 18 days folks. But I was so excited to head over to the Dew Drop Swap as I mentioned to y'all on friday. KJ was tagging along so we got ready. Full hair and makeup because lord knows you have to look good when you run into the fashionable bloggerati of the District. Well. We were running late. Shocker. With 5 minutes to spare make it to the building to head upstairs. Once we arrive the place was not quite as hopping as we expected. Nope. Not a sole in sight actually. That's when we realized the swap was on SATURDAY. Another fail on my part. 

Thankfully we redeemed the outing with pumpkin spice lattes. (PS if you're counting calories check out this post from Samantha's Brewed Awakening) 

So. What is a girl to do when she's all dressed up with no fashionable venues to frequent? Take pictures of herself. Duh. 

Top: Forever 21 | Skirt: Macy's | Shoes: Nine West | Watch: Michael Kors

I saw this tutorial on pinterest the other night and had to try it. I over did it on the teasing a bit, but I'm kind of obsessed!

Pink and Gold Mani--- also inspired by pinterest here

That's it for today. Hopefully the rest of the week will be slightly less eventful. Though I did appreciate the comic relief. LSAT nightmares have been increasing in frequency of late, so it was a good change of pace.

Saturday Motivation

Three more weeks. LSAT I'm coming for you.

My Friday Fancies #3: Autumn Lust List

Happy Friday ladies! I'm linking up with the lovely {AV} for another round of....

This week is all about your lusts for fall, and let me tell you, this girl has a serious lust list going. Anything leopard, anything cap-toed and anything metallic especially.  I love fall. I think it may be my favorite season (if it wasn't for this silly rag weed in the air killing me with the allergies. come on). I'm so excited to break out the scarves and coats again. Winter can stay away for a while, but oh to cozy up with a hot pumpkin latte in my favorite sweater with scarves and boots. oh my. yes please. 

Blue dress / Burberry Trench  / Vince Tights  / J.Crew high heels / Kate Spade Bag  / Oasis leopard scarve

Alright. Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend. DC Ladies, I'm going to attempt to make an appearance at the Dew Drop Swap on Sunday, hope to see you there!!!

Guest Post: Paint Wine Repeat

So, we are in the home stretch of LSAT studying 22 days to go! I have another fab guest post for y'all today. Amy is a craigslist hunter extraordinaire. I hope y'all love her (because I do), and go visit! Take it away Amy. 

Hello Blue Dog Belle readers!

I am honored to be guest posting for the beautiful and talented Emily today.
I'm Amy, a Canadian blogger, from Paint Wine Repeat. I love to complete DIY projects, test out new recipes and blog about life! I hope you will check out the rest of my posts if you like what you see here.

I, like many other people out there in cyberspace, love to find furniture online. As you probably know, there are services such as Craigslist that are online versions of classifieds (if you remember when newspapers were relevant and they had a whole separate section dedicated to such things!)
If you're willing to use some elbow grease AND if painting, staining and restoring furniture interests you, I encourage you to peruse these online classified for what you might be looking for. I should assure you that there are some items to be found that won't need any work, too!

I decided that since Emily is based in DC, it would be fun to find some awesome deals where she is!

Let the fun begin!!

This dresser is available for $100... and just needs a coat of paint and/or new hardware to brighten it up. You could probably barter to get a bargain and fix this puppy up with some TLC! I'm certain that mirror is removable too, if you'd rather not have it attached.

This next one... is a $75 accent chair that I wish I lived closer to, so that I could snag it for myself! Love the mix of wood and fabric, but mainly - it looks so cozy!! If you don't love the colour, you could always reupholster it down the road. But as is, this chair is pulling all the right moves... maybe its lines are just whispering sweet nothings to me? Anyone? Bueller?

This next one needs a little love... it's a round table with an awesome chrome base. It looks like he's worked his whole life in a conference room, but you could let him retire in your home! For $55...it could be yours. The top looks like wood veneer to me, so you could easily paint it a fun colour to add some spice to your kitchen. I think this baby is a diamond in the rough.

Here's a great example of a perfect as-is piece. This rocking chair would easily fit into a nursery or a porch without much fuss! At $25 only for the chair, you could also spend a little extra on paint or cushions to spruce it up if you like. That's the beauty of inexpensive finds, its up to you to discover their potential!

Things to expect when buying online:

1. You can barter. Try offering a lower price and see where it takes you. Be prepared though, that some sellers won't budge.

2. You'll have to be able to pick the item up. Some people offer delivery, but most expect you to make the trek and use your vehicle to transport the item.

3. You'll have to pay in cash.

4. It can be disappointing. Spot something too good to be true? It could be! If you want to be cautious, always arrange a time to view the piece before committing to buying it. This allows you to inspect it and make a decision without pressure.
5. You might need a thesaurus. Lots of people have different words for the same thing. Want a buffet for your dining room? Search buffet, but also try sideboard.

Disclaimer: Be alert when using these services of scams or giving out too much personal information. Always practice safety and don't meet someone alone.

What have you had the pleasure to find online? Is it too much work for you? Let's talk adventures in babysitting furniture finding...

Thanks to Emily for having me guest post and thanks to all of you for reading!

Happy searching :)