prep life Archives - Pearls and Polkadots

Samantha October 11, 2015

Inside My Mind: Personal Goals v13

I want to first start by saying Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Canadian readers! Today will bring family, pumpkins, turkey (yum!) and lots of pie! I am pretty excited to be home for an entire week so I can catch up on readings, studying and most importantly…blog planning! Thirteen weeks straight, I have been setting goals. That blows my mind! I have gotten so much accomplished because of this weekly series, and I cannot believe how far I have come.

Last time, I set one goal for myself (in addition to one other goal I had on the list):

1. Learn Bloglovin’. So time has been dedicated…and I still don’t see anything. My posts are not posting, so I am going to take another week (my week off) to get this up and running just the way I wanted to.

~~Look into a linkup party and begin to plan mine.~~ Point for me! Let’s just say…”coming soon”.

This week, I have three goals to add to my list:

Incentive Planning. I really want to build my mailing list over the next couple of months. This is something that I have kind of neglected since I built it, and I want to find some way to provide an incentive. I just have to figure out what that is…let the planning begin!

Release a DIY Tutorial. I released my very first DIY tutorial this past summer and loved it. Monogram stickers were great, and I have used them for everything…but there are some other things that I would love to share with you guys! I just have to put my thinking cap on and see what exactly I can write about!

Learn how to use my DLSR camera. My sister and I decided to purchase a really nice camera a couple of weeks ago, and since she is the one who usually takes my photos and did this whole summer, we had a great use for it! So we got it…and I realized that I have no idea how to use a DLSR camera…so that is one goal I definitely want to add.

With a week off, I am stepping the goals up this week. Obviously, some of these will not be accomplished by this week, but these are things that I need to work on, so I am adding them all to the list! I love having things to look forward to, work for and eventually accomplish, which is exactly what this series does for me!

I leave you with a few photos of my beautiful trip to the Farmer’s Market yesterday in preparation for Thanksgiving day!

Samantha October 9, 2015

Pinterest Finds of the Week: The Last Seven

Well, I loved doing it so much the first time, I am doing it again. I am going to my favourite board on Pinterest (“Dream Closet”) and showing you some of the recent pins. This time, I am going to show you seven. Such a random number, right?

I pin so much I can’t even remember what I am bringing to you today. However, I can assure you that they will be super cute, relevant to the Fall weather, and somewhat easy to replicate. There also may be a common denominator in the pictures. I tend to do a very narrowed search for pins (“pink midi skirt outfit”) and then a cluster of pins will all have that one wardrobe item in them…so beware. I love doing this because then I get to see my wide range in things that I like! Let the pin looking begin!!

For this post, I am going to use my oh-so-populated board, “Dream Closet”.

There we go…You can see that I am kind of digging the Fall looks (but who isn’t?). So let’s get to reviewing, shall we?

I have no idea where I found this or why I found it…but I looove it. I love how the print is of a city! In case you were wondering, no this is not a black and white picture…that’s the shade scheme of the dress! So cute, right? I can just imagine twirling around in it with a pair of pink heels or bright blue heels…any pop of colour would work! I may have to find this dress and get it for myself (Thanksgiving present???)

I really love grey dresses (as you can see already). This midi dress is adorable for Fall, and how she has styled it below is just perfect. I can’t really tell if this is a dress or a skirt, but either way, I love how it cuts right below the knees! Personally, I would brighten it up a little bit with a pop of colour somewhere, however the way she has styled it is really chic and totally appropriate for any business casual event you have coming up!!

Okay, so now do you see how I pin in categories? Or trends? If you scroll through my “Dream Closet”, the pins all fall around the same item of clothing. In this case, it looks to be a grey midi dress! This dress is such a great piece to have because you really don’t need anything. Even though it is a neutral shade, it takes the cake. A cute pair of black sliders and some great sunnies and you have yourself a look!

I featured this on my post yesterday because I looove tan pants! This is one of my favourite pins right now. How she has put the pattern on top with the solid scarf and the tan pants is a perfect Fall look. Tan pants are so cute and a black and white striped shirt is a staple in any girl’s closet. This is definitely a look worth replicating!!

I love everything about this look – the plaid skirt, the sweater with elbow patches, the cognac pointed heels. It is such a cute outfit and it is certainly Fall worthy. Here, the focus is definitely in the skirt. The sweater is also a really nice piece and I adore the elbow patches. The thing with mini skirts in the Fall is that you can also wear them with tights and it takes it up a notch!!

The large stripe pattern in the top is beautiful. Usually, I don’t go for large block stripes, but this tank is particularly nice. The gold jewelry really accessorizes well with the black and white. Finally, the pop of red-orange in the pants completes the outfit. By having that pop of colour on the bottom and the pattern on the top, it balances out.

This look is one I actually recreated this past week! I am obsessed with the colour wine, and this black skater skirt is adorable. Especially with the lace trim around the bottom of the skirt – that detail is extra great. In the Fall, tights are a must because of the colder weather. I love the brown ankle booties as well…it is a nice contrast against the black!

Those are my pins for the week!! Seven was a lot to review…but with the amount of pinning I have been doing lately, it’s kind of fun to look at each look. When you are pinning so fast, you don’t necessarily stop and look at it for a long period of time, right?

Do you have some picks that you would like to share? Leave a link to your favourite board below and I will go have a look…I am always looking for a little pinspiration!

Samantha October 7, 2015

#WishlistWednesday: Lace those Boots Up!

It’s getting crazy…there are too many things that I like and want. My closet can’t hold it all, but I love online window shopping. Now that we’re fully into the Fall season, boots are all I am searching for. I keep seeing these lace up booties everywhere, so I searched them up and found a few that I am dying to own. Now, personally…I may not get over the fact that I actually need to lace all of those laces, but they still are really cute.

Lace up booties, while some of them have insulation so you can wear them in the Winter, are mainly for Fall. Most of these boots could not hold up in the snow, and are purely for fashion (in my opinion), so I would not recommend wearing any of my choices in the depths of Winter. However, that should not prevent you from checking these picks out because they are certainly on my radar!!

Rampage Jeliana Lace Up Combat Booties, Rampage at Macy’s, $49.99

It’s boots like these that make me wish Macy’s was in Canada. They are so pretty and such a great price. There three things about these booties that caught my eye. First, the knit cuff at the top of the boot. That is beautiful and adds great detail to the boot. Second, the brown colour of the boot. I am such a fan of brown boots, and this is the perfect shade – not too dark, not too light. Third, the heel is the perfect height. Combat boots typically do not have heels, but this little one is great.

Troopa Boots, Steve Madden, $69.99

You can never go wrong with Steve Madden! I love these trooper boots, mainly because of how high the boot reaches on the calf. These boots are a little less “combat” looking (do you know what I mean?) and they are a little bit softer. The colour is rich and beautiful…and most importantly, they look really comfortable!!

Okeya Lace up Booties, Nine West, $149.00

These are interesting. The lace holes are offset which creates a cool look and I honestly haven’t seen anything like it! These are different from the traditional combat looking lace up boot, and that is because this is a wedge. Wedges are so comfortable, so I imagine these wouldn’t be too uncomfortable! I also want to point out the tab at the back of the neck of the boot. This will allow you to easy slip off the boot (provided that the laces are done up loose enough…)

Well there you go. Lace up booties seem to be everywhere, and these are some of my favourites! Of course, there are some black ones that are out there that are really nice, but they looked a little too combat for me (someday I might have to define what that means…) so I went for the brown. Plus, I feel that brown goes with a lot more of my Fall wardrobe!!

How do you like your boots? Do you go for laces? Let me know in the comments below!

Samantha October 6, 2015

Gold Jewelry: Why is gold the better choice?

I’m a huge fan of gold. Who isn’t? When used the right way in anything, it is the perfect accent. Gold is the perfect accent colour. We have seen the colour gold on many runways in the past, worn in all different kinds of ways. It can be the colour of the dress, or it can be in a gold necklace…or maybe the make up reflects the golden accent. However gold is used, it is used often.

The photos shown above are from the runway looks in Summer 2014. This is only a small sample of how we have seen gold been worn (Note: the photo compilation above is not mine, source). What I want to talk to you about today is gold jewelry used as an accent. Whether it is a designer necklace or a personalized name necklace, if it is gold, it just adds something special to any outfit. With this being said, we do all have our preference, so if gold isn’t for you, then silver it is! First, I will show you some of my favourite pieces that are on sale right now. Next, I am going to show you some ways and looks to incorporate those gold accents!

What is gold jewelry? This sounds like a simple question, but I wanted to define what I mean here…because there are different classifications (that I have come up with myself) under the umbrella, “gold jewelry”. First, you have your solid gold, all gold jewelry (the colour, not the metal), similar to like a gold name necklace for example. No colour or different accents (pinks, reds, etc.) included…just the gold. Then you have the jewelry that includes gold as an accent, or the hardware is gold.

So now that we have that cleared up? Let me show you my very favourites! All of these images are linked, so if you see something you like, you can grab it for yourself!!

The necklaces above are my top three “all-gold” statement pieces that I am swooning over right now. Each image is linked in case you love them as much as I do, but (from left to right) they are from Purple Peridot, Forever 21 and Charming Charlie.

The necklaces above are my top three “gold hardware” statement pieces that I looove right now. Each image is linked in case you love them as much as I do, but (from left to right) they are from Bauble Bar, Purple Peridot, and J.Crew Factory. I want to point out the middle piece (above) in particular. This is something I have seen all over Instagram, and it is styled so, so well! Which is why I wanted to give it extra attention!

Okay now on to the style tips…

You wouldn’t style gold jewelry any different than you would style silver jewelry or copper jewelry…but there are some looks I have grabbed from Pinterest for you, so that you can see what I mean. Keep in mind that gold jewelry includes necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings…the whole category!! I chose to feature necklaces above because that is mainly the type of jewelry that I wear…

You can see that gold is worn with all colour schemes, all occasions…which is why I love the colour. Silver jewelry is reserved for elegant, special occasions. However gold is for all around the clock! I love the accent and I think it really adds that step of sparkle that most people need in their looks.

So why is gold the better choice? You may not see why I love it yet, so let me give you a few reasons. First, it never goes out of style. You will never have to go get new jewelry because suddenly the world hates gold and will banish it forever. Second, it warms up your look. Warming up your look keeps it alive. Having warm tones will top your look off and make it the best it can be. Third, it’s just the right amount of flashy! Flashy is good. You may not think so, but just the right amount of sparkle is perfect for anyone’s look!!

There you go…it will always be in style, warm and flashy…recipe for success, right?

Do you agree? Do you like gold jewelry or are you more of a silver person? Let me know in the comments below and don’t forget to check out the links below for some other great pieces that are out there right now…

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Samantha October 4, 2015

Inside My Mind: Personal Goals v12

As the first true week of Fall comes to an end, I am hyped to kick October into gear! Apple picking, carving pumpkins and baking pies is all coming up soon as Thanksgiving approaches and with Thanksgiving comes Thanksgiving fashion! One week ago, I was wearing summer dresses, and now I am transitioning those summer dresses with tights, cardigans and booties! This week brought a lot of assignments, but I knocked them out of the park and this weekend has been the perfect time to kick back and relax!

Last time, I set one goal for myself (in addition to one other goal I had on the list):

1. Learn Bloglovin’. Believe it or not, I am still working on this one. I have made a lot of progress. I claimed my blog, I poked around the site a bit, but I can’t really figure it out because I haven’t really dedicated the time yet. So in the next couple of weeks, I am going to try and make it what I want it to be.

2. Look into a linkup party and begin to plan mine. This one just did not go. Too many things going on, but we’ll keep this one up here because it’s something that I definitely want for Pearls and Polkadots.

This week, I have no goals goal to add to my list. This will be the last week before I go home for the Thanksgiving break, and I am going to be a tad busy! So I want to focus on these two goals so I can get things rolling!!

I hope to add more goals to my list in the coming weeks, but we have to see what I can handle! There are some exciting things planned for the future that you will see in the next couple of months including new partnerships, great series and plenty more outfit details!! I am super excited to share it with you!!