10.31.2012

Blog Sale is Live!


Just click here or on the top nav bar under the label "Blog Sale!" Happy Halloween and cheers to fun shopping!

Be blessed, lovelies-

Happy Halloween & Blog Sale Deets!



Happy Halloween, doll babies! I hope everyone enjoys this fun, chocolate-filled night as much as I will...it's one of my favorite bubblegum holidays, (as in light on substance, but real sweet nonetheless.) To get us al in the mood, I thought I'd provide my Halloween playlist in case y'all want to download some of the tunes and listen along with me:

Disturbia - Rhianna
Thriller - Michael Jackson
Heads Will Roll - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Monster - Kanye West
E.T. - Katy Perry
Black Cat - Janet Jackson
Love Potion #9  - The Clovers/The Searchers
Howlin' for You - The Black Keys
Zombie - The Cranberries
The Boogie Monster - Gnarls Barkley





Now, for details on tonight's blog sale...are you ready? I thought you might be.


Process for Buying:

I’ll list all items around 7 p.m. tonight. To buy, simply email me at askblondeambition@gmail.com with the subject line “Blog Sale”. Please include your first and last name, the name of the item(s) you wish to purchase and your shipping address. If you plan to purchase more than one item, please include everything in the same email.

This will be a first come first serve deal. I’ll mark each item as sold on this page once the sale has closed.

Again, email if you want the item. COMMENTING WILL BE CLOSED.



Rules

-You MUST have a PayPal account established to purchase items featured in the sale.
-All purchases are final; no returns.
-Items must be paid for within 24 hrs. of agreeing to buy
-Items will be shipped within 5 regular business days via USPS.
-Items will be shipped only to the contiguous United States; no shipping to Alaska or Hawaii (sorry!)


Sizes

Tops: Most of my tops are size extra-small or small. 

Dresses and Skirts: Most dresses run size 0 to size 2. I do have one size 4 Petite that is brand new from Ann Taylor. Unfortunately, it was too big and I couldn’t ever wear it : (

Shoes: Most shoes are size 7 to size 8. Most are Aldo brand. 


Brands

Seychelle and Aldo shoes, Judith March dresses, Ann Taylor tops and various boutique brands. 

The Blog Sale page will go live at 7 p.m., so come back here and shop while you pass out candy to the trick 'or treaters! I'll send out a tweet and FB message when it starts. 

Be blessed, lovelies-

10.30.2012

Happiness Is: {Halloween Edition}




Remember this post where we discussed what “Happiness Is” to us? And remember how we all tweeted and Instagrammed various things with the #HappinessIs hashtag throughout that day?

Let’s do it again. But this time, let’s theme it (!!)

Fun-Size Candy

Even though I think it’s more fun to devour a regular or even king-size candy bar, I’m a sucker for anything miniature. These included.

Scary (and Non-Scary) Movies

We touched on this briefly yesterday, but I love the shows and movies surrounding this holiday. A few of my must-sees every year include:

-Hocus Pocus
-Beetlejuice
-Halloweentown (and the three sequels that followed)
-Sleepy Hollow
-The Others
-Travel Channel’s Most Haunted series

Trick ‘or Treating

I hate that it’s frowned upon for adults to trick ‘or treat, however I have almost as much fun handing out candy at home. I love to brew up a pot of apple cider and spend extra time putting out Halloween décor to make our doorstep look inviting.

Monster Cookies

Again, touched on this yesterday, but I love these Halloween-themed cookies. Other must-bake treats include:

Old Fashioned Rice Krispy Treats

Caramel Dipped Apple Pops

Salty Caramel Corn - here

Costume Parties

I’m so sad that we didn’t get to throw one this year, but I’m already brainstorming themes for next year. I love a good costume and REALLY love the fine art of getting dressed up for no particular reason.

Ghoulish Music

To get in the mood for All Hallow’s Eve, I turn to Pandora. The following stations are on my current rotation.

Heads Will Roll  
Harry Potter The Essentials
Monter Mash
Thriller

Let me know what Halloween elements make you happy by using the #HappinessIs hastag in your tweets and Instagram posts today!

Be blessed, lovelies- 

10.29.2012

Remembralls



I do hope you are all Harry Potter fans, otherwise the title of this post is probably lost.

Several things worth remembering this week, such as:

Halloween
Unless you're trick 'or treating, you might easily forget this candy-filled holiday. Celebrate at home with some good scary flicks and this recipe for Monster Cookies that is one of my favs!

For movies, I love Disney Channel's Halloween Town, (yes, I'm 10 years old), Hocus Pocus, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and Beetlejuice. I also really enjoy all the cool shows on the Travel Channel where they feature neat haunted houses (which I'm not brave enough to walk through) and places in the U.S. that are haunted : ) It's delicious TV, I tell you.

Blog Sale Extravaganza
Don't forget that Halloween evening is also when my clothing sale will happen, right back here. If you don't have a PayPal account and believe you will want to buy items, please set one up prior to Wednesday. Most dresses are size 0 or size 2, tops are XS and Small, pants running around size 2 and shoes are size 7 to size 8, depending on the brand. Of course size doesn't matter when it comes to jewelry, so don't fret about that.

Maude Boutique Turns Five
Don't forget to stop by Maude Boutique on Thursday, November 1st! Help them celebrate from 6-8 p.m. 


The Details: It is going to be an evening you can't miss, benefiting one of our favorite NWA non-profit, The Northwest Arkansas Children's Shelter. There will be drinks to sip, sweets to munch on, a live auction and silent auction, with all proceeds benefiting the shelter. 
There will also be five $50 gift card giveaways! You will be entered to win one by bringing one item from the shelter's need list. You will be entered to win a second byinstagramming a photo of you and your pals at our party and tagging @shopmaude. You will be entered by making any purchase that evening. And the 5th and 15th purchaseswill automatically receive a $50 gift card each! 
Also, ten percent of all proceeds that evening will also benefit the shelter. 
The most exciting event of the evening will be our 5 minute all-you-can-stuff in a shopping bag shopping spree! To be entered, you can purchase a $5 raffle ticket, with all proceeds from the raffle being donated to the shelter.

Outfit Post from Maude Coming Thursday
In honor of Maude's birthday, I'll have a very special dual outfit post featuring two lovely frocks I got at Maude this fall, one in beautiful melon lace (graciously gifted from Maude) and the other in luxe wine. And there may or may not be a cake involved in this post ; )

Riff Raff Site Launch


Don't forget to check out Riff Raff's new website, which launched today! It's a fun, whimsical boutique in NWA that you can now experience wherever you live. Get on it.

Be blessed, lovelies-

10.26.2012

Confessional Friday: {Link-Up}


I thought since quite a few of you are new to A Blonde Ambition, I'd have a Confessional Friday post that sort of introduces you to me. 

Without further babbling, here are some confessions...

  • I confess that I’m getting my hair done tomorrow and I couldn’t be happier. Roots, be gone! 
  • I confess that nothing makes me more satisfied than a fresh, blonde highlight and a well-executed hair poof. 
  • I confess that I have a phobia of cats and pigeons. But mostly cats. 
  • I confess that I absolutely adore miniature goats, pigs and donkeys. And yes, there are miniature donkeys that do exist. My parents own one on their farm and his name is Gus. 
And this is Gus.
  • I confess that I always have a pencil in my hand. Even when I type, I’m still holding a writing instrument. I guess it’s a habit of my profession. (I’m a writer for a PR firm/creative agency.) 
  • I confess that I enjoy the slight taste of melted wax on a piece of birthday cake. 
  • I confess that I was set to go to an acting school in Chicago, when I had a change of heart and pursued writing instead. I celebrate this decision and my steady paycheck every day. 
  • I confess that I’ve never met a Scorpio that I didn’t like. Heck, I even married one. 
  • I confess that I get nervous around people who are too serious. Laughter makes us human.
  • Be blessed, lovelies-

10.24.2012

Savoir-Faire Moment: {One Fine Day}


Sunday, Stephen and I had our Christmas Card photos/One-Year Marriage Anniversary photos taken by the lovely Bethany of Bethany Blair Photography! Earlier in the week, I stopped by Savoir-Faire and within five minutes, had stumbled upon this absolutely darling lace shift dress in perfect winter cream. Suddenly, I new exactly what I'd be wearing for our photo session.


As most of you fashion-forward doll babies know, off-white is HUGE this fall. Gwyneth Paltrow and Sienna Miller have been seen rocking this subtle non-color on the red carpets as of late, which has spawned tons of shoppers to adopt the hue for fall/winter 2012.


I paired it with a simple garnet scarf, vintage earrings and distressed oxford booties in a burnished brown shade.



My favorite element of the dress is the sleeve line. The sleeves are sheer, but come together at the bottom with a vintage button treatment, reminiscent of a Victorian-style dress.


Another item that Tess generously gave me was this cozy-yet-stylish cardigan in the perfect shade of red. A girl can never have too many cardigans in the fall and this one is a must. It's made of super soft mohair and looks great dressed up or layered on your favorite T-shirt.


I paired mine with a plaid button-up, J.Crew rhinestone necklace, Forever 21 skinnies and my favorite black heels from Aldo, which y'all have seen in about 25 posts at this point : )


Get yourself over to SF and snatch up a few of these pieces before they're all gone!

P.S. - Happy birthday to the love of my life - my husband! I hope that this year is your happiest yet. God blessed me exponentially when he placed you into my life and I'm forever grateful.

Be blessed, lovelies-

10.23.2012

It's Fall, Y'all


This past Saturday, Stephen and I met his parents and sister Sarah for a day filled with hay, farm animals and pumpkins. Of course it wasn't just us, though. Our niece Ava and nephew Reed came along for the ride. Because let's face it, a bunch of adults at a pumpkin patch without kids? Creepy.

From left to right, clockwise: Stephen's sister Stephanie, Me, Frances, Jeff, Ava and Reed

Ava thoroughly enjoyed the corn box. She wouldn't get too close to the animals...


But Aunt Leslie sure did. For new readers, it's time I tell you about my obsession with goats. I LOVE me some goats. Needless to say, I was in heaven.



We went on a hay ride. Oooohhh....Aaaahhhh.


I grew up on a farm (cattle farm), so it cracks me up how awkward some people are around farm animals. Parents were sanitizing their kids' hands every 30 seconds, which I thought was a hoot! (Trust me folks, dirty as they may seem, those farm animals are 10x cleaner than most things you come in contact with.)

I also got to meet a couple of very sweet ladies who read the blog. One I met by the goat pen and the other, by a haystack. That's where we Arkansans like to hang out on the weekends, you see. BIG thanks to both of you for reading this silly thing : )

Fun day, kids. Fun day.

Lastly, we got a sneak peek of our Christmas Card/One-Year Anniversary photos that the fabulous Bethany of Bethany Blair Photography took. OH MY LORDY....LOVE!!! We can't wait to see all of them in a couple of weeks.

Dress from Savoir-Faire...conveniently coming up in tomorrow's outfit post.
If anyone out there in NWA needs pics of you and your husband or your kids or just you....send Bethany an email. She is SO easy to work with and had really great ideas. Thank you again, Bethany!

P.S.- If you could, please send out a little prayer for our friend Kyle today. His dad passed away unexpectedly this past weekend and the funeral is tomorrow. I cannot imagine losing a parent and I know he'll need lots of prayers right now and in the months to come. Thanks, friends.

Be blessed, lovelies-

10.22.2012

Notables


I had envisioned this Monday post going a bit differently, if we're being frank. We had a gloriously fall-themed weekend, complete with pumpkin patches and Christmas Card photos. However, this morning got away from me and now you're left with a quickly written stream of conscience. So coming up tomorrow...

PUMPKIN PATCH PHOTOS AND IPHONE PICS THAT DIDN'T FIT IN OTHER POSTS!

I'm sure you're feeling as much exuberance as I am about that.

Because what would you do this week if you missed out on seeing Stephen and myself posed awkwardly in front of a corn maze?

1. As I said, we visited the pumpkin patch on Saturday with some family. It was a lovely day, but darn near 80 degrees. I'd prefer to not sweat my britches off in late October, but I guess it's better than 100 degrees. And in Arkansas, we'll take what we can get, in terms of cooler weather.

2. I started organizing items for the blog sale and quit after the two minute mark. I am not cut out for this virtual yard sale nonsense. Instead, I'll just give y'all our address and you can come over and just shop straight from the source, m'kay?

Kidding. Sale starts Oct. 31 at 7:00 p.m. Be there (or rather here) or be without pre-owned clothes from some blogger in Arkansas.

3. I feel it's worth noting that I have fallen in love with Kaboom bathroom cleaner. I recently purchased the variety that you can spray and, after mere seconds, turns from blue to white. In the words of the infomercial host, "The white tells you it's working!" I'm sure it has nothing to do with some chemical being exposed to air that causes the solution to go from blue to white...

It smells clean and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't fun watching it change colors. I even had to show Stephen the other night. Our conversation went a little something like this:

Me: Come look at this Kaboom Foam-tastic cleaner! You spray it on-

Stephen: Ack! Why is that mess blue? Does that come off? Did you read the instructions?

(Always with the questions...)

Me: If you'd let me finish, you'd know that it turns white in about...wait for it...see! Look there! When it turns white you know it's finished anti-bacterializing. Or whatever.

Stephen: Woah. Well hey, let me try that-

Me: No! I've got dibs on the shower. You can do the counter tops.

And that ladies, is how you trick your husbands into thinking that cleaning is fun. By a gimmicky bathroom cleaner and sit back and paint your nails.

4. I know that Foursquare is ancient by now, but I still get requests that say "So and So Wants to be Your Friend on Foursquare!" Maybe it's just me, but I'm not sure I want the whole bloomin' tri-county area to know that I'm at the Cave Springs Dollar Store buying Oreos and Us Weekly. Simply put, I do not understand the point of "checking in". I'm not exactly Indiana Jones, so you can bet if I'm not at work or home, I'm usually at some point in-between the two.

Be blessed, lovelies-


10.19.2012

Confessional Friday: {Link-Up}




  • I confess that our office had depleted itself of regular ‘ole Coca-Cola and I majorly needed a caffeine boost in carbonated form. So... 
I DRANK A DIET COKE. Which for this hardcore, regular coke-only drinker, is sacrilege. I admit, it wasn’t terrible at all, but I won’t be changing my 32 grams of sugar ways. But now y'all can give me a hard time for drinking the beverage that I constantly preach about : )
  • I confess that my Memaw and Papaw are the most darling things I’ve ever seen. My mom took them on a mini road trip to Mountain View, a town about an hour from where my parents live. They stopped in a little soda fountain for cokes and sandwiches and she snapped this picture and sent it to me. I also admit, it made me misty-eyed. I am so glad that Stephen and I both have such good examples of lasting love and strong marriages. 

  • I confess that I added on access to the women’s-only gym to my fitness center  membership and am SO glad that I did. Long story short, I had some issues last year with a couple of creepsters and it really did keep me out of the gym for a while. It’s nice to feel comfortable and safe again when I work out.
  • I confess that I made a pot of broccoli and cheese soup last night and ate 3 bowls. Yes, 3 full bowls. And then topped it off with a cup of apple cider. #hungrygirl
  • I confess that we have our Christmas Card photos/one-year anniversary photos on Sunday and I have no idea what I want to wear. I thought about a winter white dress that I just got this week, but I'm incredibly pale. Maybe a spray tan is in my future. 
Now link up, ladies!


Be blessed, lovelies- 

10.17.2012

What's In My Make-Up Bag



I get questions from time to time about my make-up routine and preferred products. I'm not going to play the coy card (like some) and pretend I use nothing but mascara and a tinted moisturizer. Am I the only one that wants to scream expletives when a blogger (clearly wearing make-up) that says she "woke up and threw on some lip balm"?

Did ya throw on that Nars blush and set of faux lashes, too sister?

Not saying natural beauty doesn't exist, but come on, y'all. I've personally never seen someone that looked worse with a little help from Estee Lauder and Bobbi Brown.

I'm Southern to the core. I wear make-up. Every day. And love it. And I'll never deny it. I have imperfections on my face (redness, spot dryness, under-eye circles). I don't care if they do "tell the story of my life" or what have you - I'm using some dadgum concealer, thankyoukindly.

So, for you pretty ladies, make-up mavens around the U.S., Canada and beyond, here's what's currently in my fall rotation:

Laura Mercier Primer 

A must, if you wear foundation.


Estee Lauder Double-Wear Foundation (otherwise known as the best stuff ever.)


Make-up Forever HD Translucent Powder

It sets your make-up without getting cakey. And no one ever wants a cake face.


Nars blush in Angelika

Don't be turned off by the bright pink - this stuff will amaze you. It provides very subtle color that, for once, looks like you're actually blushing. Nars makes the best blush, hands-down.


Mac eyeshadow in Satin Taupe and Urban Decay in Twice Baked for shading

I wear mainly neutral shadows, which play well with my blue eyes. I do use a plum shadow on occasion, but it's typically browns and taupes. I'm currently wearing both of the below.

Mac shadow
Urban Decay shadow

Covergirl Khol eyeliner in Black 

Pictured is the liquid blast CG liner, but I can't seem to master liquid eyeliner. Khol is my personal fav.

Falsies mascara in Blackest Black

It's cheap and it gets the job done. Win-win.

Lip Smackers Berry Peach

I know what you're thinking, but hold on a hot second. This middle school favorite provides the perfect amount of sheer color, moisture and staying power - pinky swear. That is, if you can resist the temptation to lick your lips... 

And that, as they say, is that.


P.S. - Someone asked me if I planned to get Botox when I'm "more mature". You bet your Kate Spade slingbacks, I do.

Be blessed, lovelies-

10.16.2012

Halloween for Grown-Ups


The month of October kind of inspires me to push the envelope a bit with my clothes and accessories. I might experiment a bit more with some darker nail polish or do a daytime smoky eye. I might go for a pair of printed tights instead of the usual black. (This may not seem out-of-the-box for some, but for me, it is.)


To me, the month of October and All Hallow’s Eve allows you to be a little more playful with your attire. Here are a few Halloween-inspired everyday pieces that I’m coveting right now:

Polka Dot Flouncy Dress - ONLY $39!


Rachel Zoe Corduroy Flare Pants

Pilgrim Wolf Ring from ASOS


Black Ponte Peplum Top from Dorothy Perkins

Plate and Spike Detail Waist Belt from ASOS

Prairie3 Velvet Ankle Boots from Topshop

Armed and Ready by Essie
Stila Eyeshadow in Rocker
Criss Cross Faux Eyelashes - my all-time fav!

Major announcement: On October 31, I’ll be having a blog sale! From blouses and jeans, to dresses and shoes, I’ll be selling some of the goodies from my closets. (Yep, plural. I had so many clothes that I dominate our master closet, as well as the closet in one of our guest rooms. Oops.) I’m ready to stock up on some new fall cuteness, but need somewhere to put it!

I plan to actually post the items via Facebook rather than here on the blog, so stay tuned for more details. Also, if you think you might want to buy, please go ahead and set up a Paypal account. That will be the way in which I’ll be accepting payment : )

Be blessed, lovelies-