The Monogrammed Life: October 2013

Halloween has been a favorite holiday of mine since I was a kid. The costumes, the scary stories (love!!), the decorations and, of course, the candy. I love everything about the 31st of October. Another thing to love about Halloween now: whimsically themed cocktails. A simple mix of pomegranate juice + champagne makes a bloody good drink.

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Written By Lauren Anne from DC Girl In Pearls

Thursday, October 31, 2013 1 comments

Worry. Such a simple little word. Such a grand meaning.

I know everyone worries from time to time (if that's you, consider yourself lucky) but some of us, ahem...like myself, were gifted with the extraordinary talent to worry about every. single. thing.

I mean, everything.

I seem to be a pretty normal person on the inside...or so I'd like to think. I like to laugh, have a good time, show my sense of sarcasm and sometimes even make a fool of myself, but on the inside, I sometimes find myself to be a complete and utter mess. I am the absolute epitome of a worry wart and I've come to the realization that the older I get, the worse it becomes. (Thanks, mom.)

How bad do my roots really look? Does this outfit even make sense? What is this person going to think of me? Did I say the right thing? Did Beau make it to work in one piece? I know he's playing softball tonight...what if he falls in a hole and breaks something? Am I making the right career choice? Is Oakley alive at home by herself? What if she chokes on a toy? Or escapes from her kennel, eats an entire roll of toilet paper and her entire jar of treats and we have to have her stomach pumped? Is my mom doing okay? Is she happy? What about my brother? Did him and his fiance make it into work okay? Am I going to be able to make the mile run up to my gym and back without literally passing out, dying and being left for the coyotes? I left the Crockpot going when I left. Crap-the house is on fire. Again.

That last thought was real (as with 99% of the others). As I was sitting in Fire Warden Training this past week (Yes. Fire Warden Training. Yes. I'm a "Warden" now. And yes, I'm totally adding that to my qualifications on LinkedIn.) watching horrific videos of families losing entire homes, all I could think about was my Crockpot (on the lowest) setting, cooking our dinner for the night, causing a spark and starting a fire. As I watched these poor innocent people's homes become engulfed in flames, my mind just went wild. Absolutely out of control to the point of me just wanting to get up and leave to be sure my house, indeed, was not on fire. I know Oakley knows how to escape from her kennel but would she be able to get out and survive? Would the firefighters get to my house in time and be able to rescue her? What if the smoke detectors didn't go off for some reason and the firefighters never got called? Would a neighbor see the flames and make the call?

Granted some of these thoughts of mine are a little silly (okay-that last one is not silly) and even far-fetched but some...man, some are just downright deep.

How old will I be when I die? How will it happen? Will my family be okay? Have I let them know how much I truly love and care for them? What if when I get pregnant, something is seriously wrong with our baby? What if I can never get pregnant? Will I even make a good momma? What if something happens to Beau? Did my dad know how much we loved him when he died? What if our house really DOES ever catch on fire? Are we going to get robbed tonight? Is some whackjob going to come into my office building and blow the place up one day?

God forbid all of the above but these are real thoughts I've had on multiple occasions.

Have you ever thought about how much you actually worry about on a day-to-day basis? I know for me, it's probably not healthy. Let's be honest, y'all. It's a problem.

But it's real.

Though I try turning my worries into happy thoughts or even drop a quick line to the Man upstairs ~~and hope he doesn't consider me a total lost cause~~, sometimes my worries just continue to consume me and I can't stop myself from thinking all these crazy thoughts.

Do you worry this much and about crazy things like I do? Has your house caught on fire like 16 times now? (Please tell me I'm not alone here.) What do you do when you worry? How do you keep yourself from going nuts with all these weird thoughts we face on a daily basis?!

Thank GOD for ^that^, right?

Written by Stephanie from BEAUtiful mess

Wednesday, October 30, 2013 1 comments

I'm addicted to pumpkin. And pumpkin anything, really. Once September first rolls around, I decide it's fall (it's not), and I insist on layering (it's too hot), and I consume all the pumpkin everything (duh).

Pumpkin spice lattes are fab, but if you really want to make me love you, give me pumpkin bread.

Over the weekend, I made some extra delish pumpkin bread using my crockpot. Yeah. Holler. It was amazing.

{Hamilton Beach crockpot}

Ingreients:

Vegetable oil - 1/2 cup

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Brown sugar - 1/2 cup

Eggs - 2 large, beaten

Canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) - 1 cup, give or take

Flour - 1 1/2 cups

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Cinnamon - 1/2 tsp

Nutmeg - 1/2 tsp

Ginger - 1/4 tsp

Baking Soda - 1 tsp

Chocolate chips - 1 cup, or more if you like to live dangerously :)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix oil, sugar, and brown sugar.

2. Add eggs and pumpkin and mix thoroughly.

3. In a medium bowl, mix all dry ingredients. Add to pumpkin mixture.

4. Mix in chocolate chips.

5. Spray crockpot with nonstick oil, and pour in batter.

6. Place 6-8 paper towels between top of crockpot and the lid to absorb and lock in moisture.

7. Cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.

8. Over indulge.

Written by Mason from Mason...Like the Jar

Monday, October 28, 2013 5 comments

Hey Y'all! It's been a crazy couple days here at SMU. So many tests, and quizzes, and club meetings, and everything! But while the year is heating up, the air temperature here is cooling down. That's right. I said it. Dallas has officially gotten out of the 90s this week (*knock on wood). It's getting to about 75 degrees in the morning, so it's perfect long-sleeved shirt and norts weather. Or what's even better is the Spirit Football Jerseys I see almost everyone sporting.

Honestly Y'all, I cannot tell you just how much I ADORE these shirts. Like not even kidding, they are so cute. It's the number one (all right... number two behind a new Elsa top from Lilly) thing on my Christmas list this year.

Mostly, sorority girls wear them, but I have seen ones for SMU, for particular cities (like Charleston), and just plain ones (like 'Spring Break 2012').

Sorority:

Marley Lilly:

Cities:

Colleges:

THE FIT

They sell them online (on Spirit Football Jersey website or Marley Lilly), through Greek clothing websites, by the university (McCarthy's next to SMU sells them), or in specialty stores near major towns (there are places in Charleston, Savannah, Charlotte, Belfast, etc.)

Written By Savannah from The Lone Star Belle

Friday, October 25, 2013 9 comments

ankle booties // leather jacket (comes in four colors) // oversized sweater // leopard print belt // top handle bag

neutral necklace // pointed toe flats // perfect every day lipstick // faux leather skirt // tall riding boots

coated denim // tartan skirt // plaid shirt // pointed toe heels // gold chain necklace

When it comes to seasons, fall is easily my favorite to dress for. I love everything about it from being able to layer my favorite pieces to the bold colors of the season (who doesn't like burgundy and emerald?) Every year I read magazines and my favorite online fashion sites to see what the newest trends and fall essentials are. Above are 15 items that I have deemed essentials in my fall wardrobe. The best part is they are all under $50! You can't beat that!

What are some of your fall essentials?

Written by Emily from Life with Emily

Monday, October 21, 2013 6 comments

The days are slowly getting shorter and the temperature cooler, which only means one thing..sweater weather is quickly approaching! Whether you pair them with dark skinnies or leggings, there is nothing better than throwing on a big, cozy sweater with boots and a scarf. Recently I have been on the hunt for the perfect oversized, comfy sweaters for fall and winter. Here are some of my favorite sweater weather outfits via Pinterest.

What's your favorite way to pair sweaters for fall?

Written by Sarah Elizabeth from Belle In The City

Friday, October 18, 2013 5 comments

After School Boy Blazer :: Swing Velvet :: Recessionista :: Penny Talk

In the summer I relied on my tried & true Mod Square from Essie with occasionally tossing in pleasantly purple Play Date into the mix. Now that autumn is here, I’m adding the rich tones of my wardrobe to my manicure.

Normally I shy away from dark nail colors but After School Boy Blazer more than piqued my interest. Love my J.Crew boy blazer in my closet, I can definitely love boy blazer on my nails.

Swing Velvet & Recessionista are perfect complements to my overall maroon, beige, caramel and cream fall color palette. I hate to play favorites but Recessionista, it’s you.

The metallic Penny Talk can brighten up a monotone ensemble of neutrals instantly. I can’t wait to pair this hue with a black work dress and a fun pair of heels.

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Written by Laruen Anne from DC Girl in Pearls

Wednesday, October 16, 2013 8 comments

{J Crew camel sweater} {Madewell plaid shirt} {dalmatian print loafers} {YSL lipstick}

Intarsia Sweaters: I love it when sweater weather arrives. One of the biggest sweater trends from the past two sweater seasons has been whimsical knits with some sort of character on the front. They were a huge hit at J Crew Last year, and I'm So excited they're back! That camel sweater? Swoon!

Here are a few more intarsia sweaters I'm completely obsessed with

The Perfect Plaid: What's fall without the perfect plaid shirt? Actually, one of my very favorite fall shirts is a men's plaid flannel I got on sale at J Crew last year. It's so comfy, and it's perfect to throw on with a pair of leggings and boots. I can't get enough of it. Or any other plaid for that matter.

A few more "perfect plaids"

Printed Loafers: I live in my leopard print loafers in the fall. I brought them out this past weekend, and I've worn them every day since. Oops! I can't get enough especially since leopard print can be worn as a neutral. Same goes with driving moccasins. I'm obsessed. But now this fall, I'm thinking I need to enhance my printed loafer collection a bit with a few more pairs. Lesbihonest...otherwise, I'm going to wear holes in the soles of the ones I have now :)

Here are some other faves

Red Lipstick: Fall is also when I bring the red lipstick back out. I love the sharp pop of color it adds to an outfit, and it immediately makes you look 100% more put together and just the right amount of fancy.

Some of my favorite shades for fall

What are your fall essentials???

Written by Mason from Mason...Like the Jar

Friday, October 11, 2013 1 comments

Oh...those were the days : )

If you don't remember the days when Halloween meant Princess Costumes, School Parties, and candy for days and days...oh wait, did I say and DAYS! I deeply apologize, because those are some of my BEST childhood memories!

Well I don't know about you, but I would get some funny looks if I went trick-or-treating this year...unless someone wants to let me borrow their kid for a night?!?! Ok...Sorry, just had an idea to get free candy...now were was I? Oh yea! Even if you may be too old to go trick-or-treating, you still need the PERFECT costume!!

Hey, you may have a super cool boss, I know we do, who will let you come dressed up for work...if not, it is ALWAYS ok to dress up and go out with friends!

When I was a kid, I always had to have a cute princess costume, well one year I was a pink power ranger...hey don't judge - they were the best! But to quote Mean Girls:

"In the real world, Halloween is when kids dress up in costumes and beg for candy. In Girl World, Halloween is the one day a year when a girl can dress up like a total slut and no other girls can say anything else about it!"

So that means, whether your costume as a kid was the least of your worries or the only thing you had to worry about...choosing the costume now is a BIG decision!

Whether you are going the Mean Girls route or just wanting to go out with friends dressed up, here are some adorable group costume ideas!

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Photo Creds: State of Proper

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Photo Creds: State of Proper

Loofas

Photo Creds: C.R.A.F.T

iPod Shuffles
50 of the best group Halloween Costume Ideas!

Photo Creds: Buzz Net

Favorite Sodas
50 of the best group Halloween Costume Ideas!

Photo Creds: Buzz Net

Words with Friends

Photos Creds: Really Awesome Costumes

Disney Princesses

Photo Creds: Buzz Net

Peace, Love & Monograms
Written by Holly & Brittany

Wednesday, October 09, 2013 1 comments

Since everyone has been talking about drugstore beauty products and purchasing them in place of spending big bucks on expensive makeup and skincare, I thought I would join in on the fun and discuss my opinion! As you probably know I am not a big makeup person. I believe in minimal makeup and clean skin. That being said, here are 6 of my favorite Drugstore Beauty Buys!

Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser is the only soap I trust on my face. It leaves my skin soft and silky!

Aveeno Daily Moisturizer is what I use when I have a little patch of dry skin or need SPF on my face for the day. It smells delicious and super natural too!

Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch is actually the best lip butter out there. The pink color is neon but natural at the same time. A must have!

Cherry Chap Stick is something I use every day, and multiple times at that. Once when I wake up, usually at some point in the middle of the day and right before bed to moisturize throughout the night.

Organix's Macadamia Oil Shampoo and Conditioner is what I have been using to wash my hair nearly this entire year and I love it. I have thick dry hair and the ends in particular really get rather dehydrated. I would imagine it would be really hydrating for all hair types though and recommend you give it a try!

Now, let's hear it: what are your most favorite beauty buys from the drugstore?

xoxo,

cYa

Written by Caroline from Citrus & Style

Monday, October 07, 2013 4 comments