freshly picked moccasin review

Ever since my kids were born, I've been a fan of Freshly Picked. I remember I started following them on instagram, and would get excited when Susan would post a picture of someone famous with their kids wearing FP moccs. A female entrepreneur who built herself up starting with some scrap leather she bought at a yardsale? Yes, I can get behind a lady like that! Then when I saw she was appearing on one of our favorite shows, Shark Tank, I just knew this would be her tipping point. She signed a deal with Daymond, and watching from my living room I felt so happy for her. Is that creepy? Haha, whatever... Since then she has expanded her line to include carryalls, clothing, and even crib-sized moccasins (adorable!!).

cutest packaging ever!

My kids had a BLAST with the emoji stickers that came in the package. They were a huge hit. At one point Henry and George both teamed up against me and covered my back with emojis. I have to admire their teamwork ;)

Because I wanted a pair of moccs that would match almost anything George wears, I got a pair of Swimmin' With The Sharks in a size 4. They fit George perfectly and have a little bit of room to spare in the toe region. The elastic design at the opening makes it simple to put on his feet but also stay put, all while not cutting off the circulation to his fat little feet ;). 

The leather is both soft and durable, and George has even walked around comfortably in the desert of Arizona in them. No stickers or "pokies" even made a dent or scratch on the sole!

Overall I've been very pleased and impressed by this pair of moccs! I will say I've owned a suede pair of FP moccs as well and while they are still very durable, the material developed a scratchy look rather quickly, and the original pattern is hardly visible. If you are considering buying a suede pair, I'd just save them to be used as a dressier pair of shoes (if you want them to stay in their original condition).  These leather ones have been used for some serious playing, and I'm happy to report they still look pretty close to perfect! 

I know for a fact that you will all be seeing a lot more of George in these fabulous shoes. Also, almost everything in her shop today is 20% off for Cyber Monday! Go check it out! Also, keep your eyes peeled on my Instagram account, because I will be hosting a giveaway for one lucky person to win moccs of their choosing!! Happy shopping friends, and I hope to see you tomorrow on IG :)

obsessed: nail art

In case any of you missed it, I'm sort of obsessed with nail art these days. And by these days, I mean it's an ongoing hobby that I don't think will ever go away. I've been painting my nails since high school (before then I used to get embarrassed because I thought it was "too girly"!), but just solid colors. With the trend of nail art becoming more popular in this past year or two, I've become a little more interested in doing more than just a solid color. Last year I started doing an "accent nail" and the occasional diagonal color line. This year I've gone all out. And what really fueled my fire is Instagram (a photo app). There is an entire nail art community on Instagram...who knew, right?? I've learned so much from everyone there about nail care, polish brands, indie nail polish (people make nail polish themselves, and it's awesome), and all kind of new/cool/crazy designs. 

Last month my long-time friend Jennifer asked me to do a guest post on her blog about Manicuring 101. You can find the post HERE. I talk about proper nail care and nail prep, and my whole routine for taking care of and doing my nails. I know some of my friends have expressed interest about some of those topics, so go check it out! 

Now I'll just show you some of my recent designs I've done on my nails, because like I said--this is my hobby. I would love to become a nail tech, but like I have stated before, I hate feet. They really gross me out. So I don't think I could do it! Anyways, here are some pics:

"spatter nails" for the tv show Dexter season premiere (he's a blood spatter analyst)

this color made me feel like a mermaid

my ring finger is actually a nail sticker i bought from forever 21

i did "Mary Poppins" nails because this past week I went and saw the play with my MIL, SIL, and nieces (I will try and blog about that later!!!)

i just did these dots last night

 If you want to check out more of my nail designs, THIS is the link to my Instagram account. And if you want me to paint your nails, just ask, because I love it! :)

eShakti dress review

Spring has sprung! And to celebrate, eShakti was kind enough to send me another dress to review! They have a whole spring clothing line, that is filled with fresh, springtime clothes to welcome the new season!

I decided to go with a knit green dress that is both spring-y and will be comfortable while I'm pregnant. While it is basic, it is still cute and perfect for the season. And sometimes basic pieces are the best because you can add more elements/accessories to the outfit, it acts as a great building block to your outfit.



Go check out eShakti to see all their wonderful new pieces. And remember, they offer customization for a mere $7.50, if you want to tailor your look--and the first time you order customization you get it free! And the nice thing is that eShakti offers sizes from 0 to 36w. Holla! Anyways, they are worth checking out. I have only had wonderful experiences with them so far!

grease lightning!

Ok, I promise this will not turn into a nail polish blog...haha. I just wanted to share my last manicure I did that I was really proud of. All my practicing with nail stamping is finally starting to pay off. But if you are a real nail blogger, don't look. Because this is still amateur hour!!

 

My sister got me this awesome yellow color for my birthday, and I am in love! Then I thought it would be perfect to pair with lightning bolts. This past weekend we went up north and saw all of Josh's family (minus BJ of course, boo), and Lila asked "why is one of your fingernails black?" It was really cute, just picture a little girl saying that in a sweet little voice. I said "just for fun!" She's only 5, so we won't worry about the fashion details toooo much yet ;)

Now, who wants to come to Jessie's Nail Shoppe?! Haha!

houndstooth happy

I recently got a nail stamping set, and some plates from Bundle Monster. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, it's ok. Basically you can get little metal plates with designs etched out, and you can fill the designs with nail polish and stamp them onto your nails. Which sounds easy, but it's much harder in person. After doing my research online, the main theme was practice practice practice. So I've been trying to practice, and this was my first decent attempt. Definitely far from perfect/amazing, but for the average joe like me, I'd say not too shabby ;)

I LOVE houndstooth, and it's one of the main reasons I wanted to try nail stamping. I mean, who doesn't love houndstooth, right?!

So the houndstooth doesn't match up perfectly, blah blah blah, whatever. It transferred over to my nails so that's the most important thing :) haha. I am pleased with the outcome. The next thing I'm going to try is caviar nails! I'm a little late on that trend, but who cares. I'll let you know how it goes. Have you been doing anything fun with your nails lately? I will say if you want inspiration, there are like a billion nail art girls on Instagram--I follow a bunch of them and it's awesome. [Confession: they're totally taking over my instagram! haha]

eShakti dress review



I was contacted by eShakti to do a product review. After looking into their company and at their clothing selection, I [excitedly] agreed! eShakti is an online clothing store, with the option to customize your purchase so it will not only fit you, but all the preferences will be to your liking! Have you ever looked at a piece of clothing online and thought "oh, if only that had [fill in the blank]" - longer sleeves, a different neckline, a different length, etc. - "I would totally order it!" Well...this website offers that. This customization allows you to alter a piece of clothing to match your size, shape, and style! They have sizes from 0-36w, so there are styles for every type of woman!

Now, tailoring can be very expensive. Basic tailoring can start at $50. So you may think this service could be very pricey. However,  with eShakti, the customization only costs an additional $7.50. That is amazing!! Also, they have an incredibly fast turnaround. After I ordered my dress, I got it in the mail within a week. I was very impressed.

I ordered the Ruffled tiers chambray dress, and had it customized. I added a short puffed sleeve, and I love the way it came out. Here are some pictures so you can see how adorable it is in real life :)

how the dress is shown online

and how it looks on me

i love it!

you even enter your height, so when you say you want it to hit knee length, for example, it will actually hit at your knee!

Henry approved

he was also happy he got to be in some pictures with me :) haha

 

he also loved my shoes ;)



The verdict?? I think the dress is fabulous. It hits at the perfect length, so when I'm going to church and Henry is climbing all over me, it won't ride up and show things I don't want to be seen haha. I love the sleeves, and I love the collar. I don't have a lot of dresses, so this is a wonderful addition to my wardrobe.

I definitely recommend this website, and I am very pleased with my dress. I love the customization options, and I think it is a unique, yet needed, feature. They have a great selection, so go check it out right now! Thank you eShakti, I had a great experience :)

Shabby Apple Giveaway!

I was generously contacted by Shabby Apple to giveaway a $50 gift card to their website! In case you aren't familiar with this company (gasp! how could this be?!), Shabby Apple is a clothing company that sells lovely modest and vintage-inspired clothing. They have all kinds of adorable dresses, skirts, tops, accessories, etc. I've picked out a couple pieces that I would consider getting if I could win this giveaway:

The Promenade Blouse

I love this cute red blouse, and I don't even normally wear red! The cute center panel that hangs down is just so perfect!

The Francine Skirt

 I am obsessed with this high-waisted pencil skirt. The bow is just the icing on the cake, in my eyes.

So how can you win $50 towards Shabby Apple? Just follow these rules below, my dearies:

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Official Rules: You must complete the two mandatory entries. You must have a US shipping address (sorry, international friends!). I will announce the winner within 48 hours of the giveaway closing (Monday Jan. 21 at 12AM).

Good luck!!

PS: Shabby Apple has a current 20% off promotion with the code NewYears. Offer expires 1/31/13. Yippee!

if i were rich: marc by marc jacobs

if i was rich, i have a sneaking suspicion that my entire wardrobe would consist of marc jacobs pieces. well, a majority of my wardrobe. i think he is an amazing designer. i especially love Marc by Marc Jacobs, which is where i found all of the following:

tribal dress? yes please!

amazing jacket

who says you can't wear navy and black together?!

cardigans are one of my staples. love this whole look.

color + style = amazing!

i mean, the pictures really speak for themselves. and it's not just his individual pieces, it's the whole outfits he puts together too. i would wear any of these outfits! and i love the purse. of course i could never afford any of it, which is why it's being shown on my blog, instead of on me ;).

do you have a favorite designer?



ps: i should totally be a model for marc jacobs, right? anyone have his phone number? ;)

latest and greatest

...manicure, that is. as you all know, i love doing my nails. one of these days i'm just going to open up my own salon where you can only get manicures, and your feet need to be out of sight! i can see it now: "Jess's salon rules: No shoes, No service!" now if only i could find a nail school where you don't have to deal with disgusting feet, then i could get all certified and stuff. anyways, sorry about the tangent.

usually every weekend i will do a new manicure. how interesting/detailed it is depends on how much time i have, and how lazy i'm feeling. i keep telling josh i need some sort of nail dryer/UV light so my nails will dry faster. that way the whole process would be so much faster! (note to self--add this to my christmas wishlist!)

this weekend i used my new ulta polish 'freshwater pearl' as the base, and then used tape to add ulta's polish 'little black dress'.  if you aren't familiar with using tape to get awesome manicures, you can look at this tutorial i did a couple years ago. after adding the diagonal half of black, i wanted to make one nail a little different. so after the polish dried, i put tape down going diagonally in the opposite direction, which left the little triangle of pink on top.

sorry for the slightly blurry ipod pic...

i think it turned out really cute, and i [vainly] love looking down and seeing this new manicure. what do you have on your nails right now? if you'd like, just come on over to Jess's Salon and i'll hook you up :)

if i were rich: jeffrey campbell edition

i haven't done an "if i were rich" post in a while, so i thought it would be appropriate to do one with my current obsession: jeffrey campbell. his shoes are to die for, and i would love to wear any of them. here are some of my favorites:

link

link. i think they're sold out of this color now, which is a huge shame!

link

link

link

link

there are also tons of other awesome ones like this, but i couldn't get the pictures to save. anyways, aren't they glorious? i'm seriously in love. if anyone wants to buy me every single pair of these, my shoe size is an 8 ;)

if i were rich: shoe obsession

reason #345 i wish i was rich:

these lanvin wedges. theres a black version w/a gold heel (instead of silver) that i saw in harpers bazaar, and i want them so bad. too bad they're like $1500... if only i were beyonce and then they would just give me these shoes for free...

tutorial: how to make maternity pants

ok, so i am kind of tall. like 5'11" kind of tall. so i require a pants inseam of at least 35". the longer, the better. so i knew i wouldn't be able to find maternity pants that were not only long enough, but also didn't look frump-a-licious. soooo...i scoured the internet and looked at a lot of tutorials, and sort of combined a bunch of them. i think this is the best way to take an existing pair of normal pants, and convert them to maternity pants. these are a pair of my work pants, which i bought last summer for 10 bucks. here is my version on how to make your own maternity pants:

materials needed:
-pair of pants you can still at least sort of zip up (my pre-pregnancy pants worked just great, and i'm 22 weeks along right now. and i'm pretty sure they will fit for my whole pregnancy, unless my butt gets about 15x bigger)
-t-shirt (the smaller the better, even one that was pretty tight before your pregnancy)
-seam ripper
-scissors
-sewing machine
-fabric marker/pencil (a regular marker would be fine if you mark it where you won't be able to see it after you sew up the zipper flap)

instructions:
(click pictures to enlarge)

start with the pair of pants you want

do this for all the belt loops, and it will make cutting it up much easier

try them on and zip them up. mark where it feels comfortable. i marked this with a fabric marker. then later when i cut the front, i left a little extra fabric to allow for seam allowance.

most of the tutorials i found didn't have this step. but who needs a zipper for pants that will be zipper-less!? and who wants to sew over that? i cut that baby out asap!

remember, like i said before, leave some extra fabric above where you marked-- for seam allowance

then take your t-shirt you want to use:

i cut some extra off the bottom part of the tshirt, so it would fit smaller. i'm sure it would have been fine if i left it though.

i hope this makes sense. after i pinned the seams on the sides, then i stretched the shirt and pinned the front middle, and the back middle. then i stretched between pins and pinned the center of that area, and so on. [if you still don't get what i'm saying in this step, email me.]


i did the zig-zag stitch all the way around on the edges. i just forgot to take a picture afterwards.

you made it! try it on! the t-shirt i used won't fray when you cut it, so i left the edges raw. the t-shirt was tight enough that it stays up. you can always make a hem, or sew in some elastic on the top.

this is a weird picture, but i wanted to show how it looks with just the pants and the added t-shirt portion. you can fold the shirt down if you want to wear it under your belly.

long pants! with my shirt pulled up...awkward...

yay! they look normal! and fit well!

i wore these pants to work today, and was amazed with how comfortable they were!! and they didn't fall apart, so thats always good ;) no one even knew they were maternity pants (yes!). so thankfully this was a success, and now i have some more pants and t-shirts to rip up!