Meet My Fellow Blogger Aoife of Aofie in Wonderland

Friday, January 31, 2014


If you enjoy my blog then I'm sure you will enjoy the blogs of some friends of mine!  This week I'm introducing you to my fellow blogger friend Aofie of Aofie in Wonderland. She's got a fun personality and likes a little bit of everything, just like I do!




Aoife in Wonderland was started in the Summer of 2013. It's a space for me to be creative and explore my interests on an online platform. I wanted to shy away from being labelled a generic beauty blogger, and therefore aim to keep my posts varied. I explore my own range of interests, including literature, music, charity and awareness, lifestyle and cosmetics. I think there's something to suit everyone, and I aim to put my own stamp on all that I do. It's exciting that I've been accepted into the blogging community, and that I'm building up a readership, the future for AIW looks bright! 

3 Things about myself

1. I'm a full time student in the University College of Dublin (UCD) studying English literature and German.
2. I'm also a waitress and mother to a bichon frise puppy called Rosy, who thinks she's human.
3. In my free time, I'm usually out with friends or studying, whilst trying to maintain the balance between academics, work and play. 

Two of my favorite blog posts are:  
This post contains an interview with singer songwriter, Jethro Pickett. I wanted to showcase my blog's diversity, so I've included this interview.

And this review of Katy Perry's Killer Queen perfume. 

My Links Are:








Outfit of the Day: Casual Hearts & Spots

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Once again, my leopard and heart love is showing in this outfit! 



Boots, Fashion, hearts, leopard boots, leopard print, ootd, Outfit Ideas, outfit of the day, Outfits, what i wore, winter fashion,


Boots, Fashion, hearts, leopard boots, leopard print, ootd, Outfit Ideas, outfit of the day, Outfits, what i wore, winter fashion,


So What I Wore:
Boots - Impo (here); Jeans - Paris Blues (similar); Bag - Melie Bianco; Sweater - Old Navy; Scarf - TJ Maxx; Bracelet - BCBGeneration; Sunglasses- Chanel. 





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Why It’s Important to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone with your Wardrobe and How to Do it

Wednesday, January 29, 2014



For the longest time I’ve considered myself a wise spender.  When it comes to purchasing pieces to my wardrobe, I would make the most frugal decision.   If I saw several different colored pairs of flats at Target I would consider which color would be most beneficial to my wardrobe for the $20 I would spend.   When faced with choices such as Black, Brown, and Leopard print, I would choose the “safe” option and go with black.  I always justified decisions like this by assuming that I’d get the most wear out of that color since it goes with most anything.
 

But when I got my first pair of leopard print boots in the Fall, that changed everything.  You see, the leopard print boots don’t just go with 2 outfits as the statement piece, instead they go with at least 5-6 different outfits that I already own, as well as mixing with other statement pieces such as camo pants.

It turns out that I look more stylish  feel much better when I wear the leopard boots with an outfit that I normally would only wear black boots with.   Now they make every outfit stand out more and have been a huge hit on my social media pages.   

 

The key to stepping out of your comfort zone with your wardrobe is realizing that out-of-the-ordinary pieces can actually be versatile.  If you don’t believe me just google image things like “Leopard boots” “camo pants” “polka dot shirt”.

 

So how can you step out of your comfort zone when you shop for your own wardrobe? Here’s a few ways…


1.    Take Inventory to justify your purchase.I’ve blogged before about taking inventory when you organize and set up your wardrobe, but it’s super imperative when you need to justify buying the hot pink shoes instead of the brown ones.


 Say that you see a cute short sleeved shirt and you love the style and fit.  It comes in pink, polka dots, black, white, and light blue.  If you have some sort of inventory (I keep mine in my Filofax in my handbag at all times) that shows what colors and kinds of clothing you have, you may see that you already have a white short sleeve shirt, and a black one, so you should either go with pink ( a wise choice) or even a polka dot shirt that can be used as a neutral piece).
 

2.    Take note of what you go wild over in outfit photos.I never would have thought to add so much flannel and plaid print pieces to my wardrobe had it not been for the fact that 80% of the photos I favorite on social media are bloggers dressed in layered looks with plaid and flannel.  It’s not just a comfort piece, but now it’s a key to layering a good look. 
 
3.    Figure out what colors look good on you.Whenever you wear pale yellow, does anyone ever say the color looks great on you? Then consider that next time you have to choose between a color, print, or pattern.   Don’t worry about what you have in your wardrobe to go with it, because most of the time any bright color or pattern can be matched with any neutral outfit containing standard black, white, and brown pieces. 
 
So what colors, patterns, or styles have you noticed you are drawn towards? Next time trust that instinct!







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Outfit of the Day: Lacey Leather Polka Dots

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I like to do things different especially when it comes to mixing patterns and materials in my wardrobe.  This time I decided to spice if up with some faux leather leggings, and a lacey polka dot top.  




Fashion, front row shop, leather, ootd, outfit, Outfit Ideas, outfit of the day, polka dots, what i wore,


Fashion, front row shop, leather, ootd, outfit, Outfit Ideas, outfit of the day, polka dots, what i wore,
 The Lacey Polka Dot Overlay shirt is from Front Row Shop and it was the perfect touch to make this entire outfit just a bit more classy!  This is such a comfy top as well, not itchy or scratchy at all, despite how it may look!   There are so many ways to style it and I'm so excited that I can utilize this piece year round!

I just adore this necklace, which I got from Onecklace, a great place to get personalized jewelry.  It gets lots of compliments and people are guaranteed to always remember my name! It's so dainty but it still makes a nice statement.  


So What I Wore: 
Necklace - Onecklace; Lace Shirt - Front Row Shop; Faux Leather Leggings - Zara; Blazer - Guess; Cami - Express; Heels - JustFab; Clutch - Guess.




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My Kate Spade 2 Park Avenue Beau Bag

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Since I am such a handbag addict I figured I'd give you an up close look at some of my favorite bags.   So this post is dedicated to my Kate Spade 2 Park Avenue Beau Bag

This bag retails at $998 but I had a special Cyber Monday 30% discount so I did get it on sale!  I was in heaven! The other colors it comes in bring the bag to $498. 
You may have noticed her in some outfit pics I've posted recently but here's an inside out look at all the details.  

The Beau Bag is made out of cowhide and the leopard trim  is gorgeous!!   It has 14 karat light gold plated hardware!
It has a nice smooth top zip closure and a large pocket in the front, which is what you see as the giant black bow. 



It's a larger sized bag at 10.5" high, 18" wide and 6" deep.  And the handles are 4.5" which normally I don't like because I rarely carry my bags by the handle, but this one I LOVE TO SHOW OFF!  



The interior is gorgeous and is lined with little gold polka dots.  It has 2 cell phone pockets and a large zip pocket on the other side.  



I really love the unique texture of the leopard print calf hair and I just love the color combination of the entire bag.  It's a great neutral bag that still has a pop of style with the leopard print detail. 


It's large enough to fit everything I carry (which is a lot) and it's still easy to find everything.  I love how structured it is! 

I honestly love the simplicity of the exterior of this bag but I love the spacious interior and I love the attention to detail! 

I am so so so in love with  my Kate Spade Beau Bag.




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Outfit of the Day: Olive & Tartan

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I love love love earthy tones and I am so obsessed with olive pants, so I was overjoyed to put this little outfit together with olive pants, a brown jacket, and a tartan scarf from Front Row Shop

Fashion, front row shop, olive pants, ootd, outfit, Outfit Ideas, outfit of the day, tartan, what i wore,

Fashion, front row shop, olive pants, ootd, outfit, Outfit Ideas, outfit of the day, tartan, what i wore,
 Normally I freeze during outfit photos but this scarf was amazing and so warm!!    I found myself wearing it the rest of the day even just to lounge around! 
Fashion, front row shop, olive pants, ootd, outfit, Outfit Ideas, outfit of the day, tartan, what i wore,

Fashion, front row shop, olive pants, ootd, outfit, Outfit Ideas, outfit of the day, tartan, what i wore,


I love everything about this look!!

So What I Wore: 
Scarf - Front Row Shop; Leather Jacket - Piace Boutique; Olive Pants - Zara; Cami - Express; Boots - Bucklet.




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5 Effective Tips to Find a Job When You’re Unemployed

Monday, January 27, 2014








This post is geared more towards those who are unemployed. Why? Because you probably have more time on your hands than anyone else that’s working so you have NO EXCUSE to not be super productive during every waking moment.  Seriously! Get off your bum (after you read this post of course) and get moving!

Here are 5 effective tips to find a job and if you follow these and are intensely serious about it, you will see results in no time. 


1. Have a Quality Resume
Make sure you are prepared to send out your resume by creating one and always keeping it updated.

Some things to remember when creating a resume are:

*Keep it simple yet informative. 
*Don’t include anything that’s considered fluff. 
*Make sure you describe your previous employment enough to show the skills/capabilities you have.
*Include your contact info, degrees/certifications, and references. 
*Always get 3 good references and let them know ahead of time that you are including them on your resume.
*Keep your resume to 2-3 pages if possible (not including the references). 
*No fancy paper or colorful card stock.   BE PROFESSIONAL.
*Ask friends to review your resume to see what else you could add or remove.

Oh, and if you DON’T have a resume… then get your ass in gear right now and start googling resume templates!

2. Apply Everywhere
Every day you spend not working you should apply to at least 5 new places.  Personally, I think that's really low balling it, and I would shoot for 10 places.  You need to survive in this world and put food in your stomach and money in your bank account, so start SURVIVING!  

  Places to look for job openings include:

*Craigslist
*Monster
*Classifieds
*Grocery Store bulletin boards
*Temp Agencies (They can eventually help you secure full time positions)
*Drive around town and look at the different business options, walk in, and ask if they are hiring
*Post on social media to your friends and ask if they know anywhere that’s hiring
*Search hash tags on Twitter and Facebook like “#DallasJobs”
*Search on Google for things like “Companies hiring in Harrisburg, PA”
*Start going through the phone book under the category of businesses you would like to work in

3. Make Seeking Employment Your Daily Routine
When you wake up, start looking at all of the above options for any new listing and posts.  DO NOT sit in front of the TV, be productive!   Make a check list of all the places above and then each day put a check next to it after you’ve looked for any new openings or posts. 

4.  Stop Being Lazy
The other day I watched a younger boy ride his bike in the frigid cold to get to McDonald’s.   What’s your excuse?   Not only does he do what he has to in order to get to work, but he works at a place that some people consider less desirable.

You are not above any job out there…. Everyone starts somewhere.  I watched a video of Ashton Kutcher accepting an award last year and he explained how he worked at a restaurant cleaning floors, as well as some other undesirable laborious tasks.  And you know what he said after that?   That he was NEVER better than any job he had and looked at every job as a stepping stone for the next. 

And that my friend is how you get far in life.  If you want to start your own company you have to start somewhere and work a job for someone else.  No one gets to climb to the top without starting at the bottom.   You will never find me quitting my day job to do blogging full time until blogging guarantees me an income equal to what I make now, and provides benefits.  Seriously, because my lifestyle can not afford anything less than that.   I’m being realistic too!

 If you need money and have been unemployed for weeks, get off your ass and apply for part times jobs, and secure two of them so you can make a full time job income.  And then in your free time you can keep seeking out full time employment.   And if you think “no I’m not going to do that” then give me one good reason why you shouldn’t.   Because you won’t have any free time outside of two part time jobs?   SO WHAT?!   That’s laziness.    WORK WORK WORK and make money and SURVIVE.   Find two part time jobs that have a schedule that can work with your life.    

5.  NO EXCUSES
There is no reason to stop looking just because you’ve applied at 50 places or even 100.   The thing with that is, if you sit back and wait… the chance of you getting hired goes down.  After a week, most of those 50-100 places probably either found someone to hire, or you weren’t qualified.   Keep going keep going keep going keep going keep going.   The 5 minutes you just spent reading this blog post were almost a waste… so now go make up for it by applying for jobs!        GOOD LUCK AND THINK POSITIVE!!

Don’t get discouraged either. Sometimes one opportunity doesn’t work out just so that down the road another one will!  

 PS - here are some interview outfit ideas and tips to nail it!





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Meet My Fellow Blogger Colleen of CRichman Freebies

Friday, January 24, 2014




If you enjoy my blog then I'm sure you will enjoy the blogs of some friends of mine! This week I'm introducing you to my fellow blogger friend Colleen of CRichman Freebies.  Not only have we met in real life (and our Chihuahuas met too) but she loves Chihuahuas and animals as much as I do!  
CRichmanFreebies is a family friendly blog that is geared towards getting free samples and products for your family to help save you money. I also have giveaways each week as well as reviews and vlogs of our daily life on the farm.
5 Things About Myself
1.Former law enforcement officer
2.Current housewife and blogger
3.Chihuahua mommy
4.Freebie seeker
5.Entrepreneur
2 of my Favorite Posts 
My Links Are:
@CrichmanFreebie on Twitter

 



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Outfit of the Day: Polka Hearts and Pink

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I love printed sweaters and I also love heart prints, so this sweater was perfect for a chilly day.  I layered it with a blazer and then added a pop of color with pink jeans! 



blazer, Fashion, heart sweater, ootd, Outfit Ideas, outfit of the day, Outfits, phillip lim for target, pink, sweater, what i wore, winter fashion,

blazer, Fashion, heart sweater, ootd, Outfit Ideas, outfit of the day, Outfits, phillip lim for target, pink, sweater, what i wore, winter fashion,



So What I Wore:

Pink Jeans - Old Navy (here); Bag - Phillip Lim for Target; Boots - Just Fab; Sweater - Piace Boutique; Blazer - Kohls, Sunglasses - Chanel.


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