lip tips

I'm fairly picky about makeup, especially lip products. I hate most lip glosses because of the goopy, sticky, hair-catching feeling they all seem to leave! I have tried various lipstick/balm/tints/stains/etc, but these two pairs are my current faves:

Nars Roman Holiday + Smith's Rosebud Salve

I know it sort of looks like bubble gum, but this lipstick is quite sheer. It's honestly the most perfect shade of pink! Rosebud Salve is a super moisturizing and keeps the color intact. I think of this pairing as my "dreamin' of spring" combo!

Clinique's Almost Lipstick in Black Honey + Burt's Bees Lip Balm

This color only looks intense! It is also sheer, and definitely not as pink as the Nars. And really, who doesn't love Burt's Bees??

images via Sephora

music for your monday

I know I should wait a week to post this, but I love this song so much, I just can't! Though, I will say, Jacob's version is much better ... if only he'd let me record him singing it!

sponsored post: ice.com

I was recently contacted by ice.com about a little contest they're running for Valentine's Day! If you have a great Valentine's Day love story (or horror story!), you can enter the contest by visiting the ice.com facebook page. The winner gets a diamond & blue topaz necklace valued at over $3,000!

In the mean time, if you're planning on buying some jewelry from ice.com for yourself or a loved one any time soon, you can get 25% off using the coupon code IBLOG upon check out. This code is valid until March 31, 2010.

If you enter the contest, let me know. I'd love to read and vote for your story!

scarf and boots

scarf: gift from my brother, sweater: gap, skirt: lux, socks: urban outfitters, boots: nine west, bag: thrifted

My sweet big brother gave each of the women in my family a gorgeous pashmina scarf for Christmas. I thought he did a great job of picking out prints/colors to suit our styles!

Also, what are those on my feet ...? The Fiddle Boots! After I posted about my boot dilemma, an awesome gal named Caitlin from Nine West contacted me with news that she had tracked down a pair for me from a store in Florida (really, who needs boots in Florida? ;-)). I am so happy with them! Dilemma resolved!

a happy list & (practicum) teacher style file: 02.03.10

Rachel, the sweet blogger and amazing designer behind the Elephantine Etsy Boutique, gave me a Happy 101 Blog Award today with the stipulations that I write about ten things that make me happy and pass it along to ten happy bloggers!

1. Archer Farms Chocolate Chunk Hazelnut Biscotti Granola. This cereal-snack is AMAZING. I don't usually eat it for breakfast because it is so sweet, but it is the perfect afternoon snack!

2. Successfully parallel parking on the first try. This rarely ever happens, but when it does I definitely do a little happy dance!

3. When facebook phenomenons happen ... like the bra color for breast cancer awareness and celebrity doppelganger! It's so funny to see people's choices! I put up a picture of Michelle Williams, but I get Hilary Swank a lot, too!

4. My new favorite drink at the coffee shop: coffee with steamed half n half and a 1/2 shot of gingerbread flavor! I can hardly believe it, but I'm actually drinking *coffee* now!

5. Stella by Stella McCartney perfume. My dad got this for me for my birthday a few months ago, and it is probably my all time favorite perfume. It really does smell like roses!

6. The Baxter. My roommate and I recently instituted weekly roomie bonding time, and the first activity was watching this adorable movie starring my fave girl, Michelle Williams. It's such a sweet, quirky film and seeing her in it makes me want to chop off my hair and color it brown!

7. The zombie girl picture Jacob always takes as we finish snapping outfit photos. Seriously, it's in every single set of outfit photos!

dress: thrifted, sash: j.crew, turtleneck: j.crew, earrings: ann taylor

8. The fact that spring break is a less than six weeks away!

9. The Urban Outfitters Spring Collection. Still trying to decide if there will be a February item of the month (last month's item was a $3.00 t-shirt off the Target clearance rack) ... If there is, I'm thinking this, this, or this would definitely suit my fancy!

10. This new Joanna Newsom song, discovered on For Me, For You. It's so good! The first instrument I ever wanted to play was the harp, so I have a special place in my heart for Joanna!

Ten Bloggers Who Make Me Happy (really just the first ten who come to mind, you all make me happy!):

1. becoming jolie
2. edie + andy
3. bienvenue
4. tangerine umbrellas on an indigo day
5. little thoughts
6. ringo, have a banana
7. dores
8. calivintage
9. kansas couture
10. flashes of style

music for your monday

Every Saturday morning I bake at the bakery from 6:00 AM until 1:00 PM. The only thing that gets me through this shift is the local radio station that broadcasts "Saturdays in the Seventies." Whenever this song comes on, my baking buddy Gaby and I both exclaim, "OH MY GOSH I LOVE THIS SONG!" and then disco dance around in our aprons!

mixing neutrals

coat: ann taylor loft, blouse: goodwill, cardigan: gap, skirt: lux, boots: dolce vite (gift from Jacob)