Galentine's Day Gifts

Galentine's Day is this Saturday! It's a holiday in which us ladies celebrate each other and how awesome we are! #girlpower 

Galentine's Day should always be spent with your bestie or girl squad, so I'm spending the day with my best gal, Avra. We haven't made plans yet, but our day will probably involve Starbucks, shopping at Sephora and LUSH, maybe seeing the movie Hail, Caesar!, and singing along to Coldplay in the car. On a slightly unrelated note, Avra and I started going to the gym together last week and it was awesome. Exercising isn't so bad when you can chat with your bestie!

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How are you spending Galentine's Day?

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What Kind of Energy Do You Bring to a Room?

**This is a reposted blog article from May 2013. I brought it out of the archives 

because I thought it would be interesting to get new feedback on it.**

I had an interesting conversation with my friend Brittany a really long time ago (January, I think), but it's been stuck in my head ever since. She told me about an article she read where the person talked about the energy you bring into a space. When I was searching online, I found this blog post; apparently the concept was mentioned on Oprah but originates from Jill Nolte Taylor's book My Stroke of Insight.  

Anyway, it's an interesting concept to think about: If there were a group of people in a room and you walked in what sort of energy would you bring to the room? In essence, how do you make others feel?

It's a great question to ask yourself and then an honest friend. What kind of energy do you think you bring to a room? What kind do you want to bring to a room? And then what of energy do you actually bring? 

In the back of my mind, while Brittany and I were talking, I was hoping she would say that my energy is friendly and warm, and that I make her feel accepted. Luckily, she said exactly what I hoped she would!

What kind of energy do you bring to a room?

P.S. -- Do you have recurring dreams? and How do you describe your style?

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Life Lately {Work, Ladurée & Bloggers} + A $250 Giveaway!

May has been a crazy good month! I got into the swing of a new job, attended fun work events, beautiful flowers started blooming, the weather warmed up, and I got to know some lovely bloggers at Ladurée while eating French macarons. 

(Nicolette, me, Meagan, Alexandra, Alex)

(Simone, Nicolette, me, Alexandra, Monica)

(All of our stylish shoes!) (Last three pictures by Monica)

Brought donuts to work on my first day || Pretty Julep nail polish || Smoothies with my mom

Beautiful flowers blooming near my apartment

At work || New sandals from Yellow Box || We had tacos and margaritas at work!

Read Adulting and I loved it ||  What I wore to work || Ate macarons at Ladurée 

Macarons are coming home with me! || Me at Ladurée || Pretty macarons

Got a signed book and wine from a work event || With my dog || Influenster Spring VoxBox

It was wonderful meeting more New York and New Jersey bloggers! Monica, who put this all together, and Alex, who has her own beauty line, are the two bloggers I've met before, and they're the sweetest people. Monica even made us all personalized mini mason jars (which you can see at the bottom of this post)! I love mine so much! 

The new bloggers I met are Nicolette, who is so friendly and cute, Simone, who has the fiercest style and she's so nice, Meagan, a fashion illustrator who oozes cool, and Alexandra, a stylish Texas girl who makes her own scarves. It was great chatting with them about blogging and life, and I wish I could've talked to all of them more to get to know them better. 

We're planning to meet up again for a picnic in Central Park and I'm looking forward to it!


♥ ♥ ♥

Enter to win a $250 Loft gift card!

In celebration of Marissa of The Modern Austen's two year blogiversary, 

a whole bunch of bloggers have teamed up to giveaway $250 to Loft! 

You won't want to miss this! 

The giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. only. 

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What wonderful things happened to you in May?

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Marion Claire Stationery

I think it's amazing what you can accomplish when you have a dream and the drive to fulfill it! We all have goals we want to achieve in our lifetimes, so it's wonderful when you see someone you're close to, an acquaintance, or even a complete stranger work hard to make that dream come true. 

Maybe your dream is a work-in-progress like me and my novel, but doesn't mean you can't help someone else's become a reality. That's one of the reasons I love Kickstarter and Indiegogo. You can help fund someone to make them that much closer to their ultimate goal. 

My friend Chelsea of Chels & The City has always dreamed of having her own stationery business, and I think it's amazing that she's being proactive and chasing her dream!

Hers what Chelsea told me about why she's always wanted her own stationery business:

For as long as I can remember, I have loved creating greeting cards and wanted to start my own business. When my grandma died in 2003, it was the first time I realized that some greeting cards just miss the mark. While I know my family appreciated all of the support from friends, I was a teenager at the time and just wanted one of those cards to tell it like it is.  

That's when I decided one day I'd be the designer of cards that give it to you straight. May 1, 2014 was that day. I launched Marion Claire Stationery, named after and inspired by my grandmothers, Marion Martin and Patricia Claire Oliver, in hopes of making this life-long dream come true and as a way to honor my grandmothers. I like to think that my cards are the perfect blend of heart and sass, which are two of the most memorable qualities both of these, greatly missed, women had. Through this business, I hope I can continue to create cards with heart and sass that meet the needs of my customers. Hopefully my cards will help to create memories and cherish milestones for those who buy and receive them.  

I'm a firm believer that it doesn't take much to make someone's day and sending a greeting card is the perfect and easiest way to do so. I hope that you'll join me in this journey by supporting my indiegogo campaign so that I can start producing these cards. However, if you cannot support finically, I hope that you will share my story and link to Marion Claire's campaign page. I truly appreciate every bit of support and look forward to going on this journey with you.

Help Chelsea make her dream come true by contributing to her Indiegogo campaign! If you contribute $10 or more, she'll send you a card on your next birthday! So sweet, right? You can also help by spreading the word about her new business and Indiegogo campaign!

Indiegogo | Website | Facebook | Twitter  | Blog

What's one lifelong dream you would love to accomplish?

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Life Lately {January + February 2014}

The beginning of the year has already been a whirlwind of fun! I met up with some amazing blogging ladies (Alex, Melissa, and Julissa), saw a Kix'ies presentation, hung out with my besties, drank lots of tea while it snowed a ton, painted henna tattoos with friends, worked with some wonderful companies, got my first Influenster VoxBox, ate lots of yummy food, and had dinner at Up Thai with Kate and her friend Emilie, who are both really cool people! 

New Years! || Be Awesome! || Yummy tea and biscuits

Henna tattoos with friends || Heart-print socks || New trinkets

Mini me stickers from Jess' Etsy shop || More tea || I got a poster from Quirk Books

Love this heart pin || Writing! || I love the movie Austenland

My dog watching the snow || Polka dot Kix'ies || Behind the scenes

Temporary tattoos || Pretty lanterns at Up Thai || The Thai iced tea at Up Thai was amazing

While walking, Kate, Emilie & I saw these pretty trees || Delicious crepe || Half selfie

What have you been up to?

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Review: LoveCoups

I was recently contacted to try out LoveCoups and I love it! At LoveCoups, you can create your own love coupon book that is perfect for couples or to give to a loved one! There are so many things that I love about LoveCoups, so I thought I would list them out for you: 

• Your LoveCoups come as a bound book, so it's worth your money because you're actually getting a little love book.
• You can customize the characters, which is so cute because it's a little figure of you and your loved one on the actual LoveCoups.
• You can also customize the cover, the dedication, and the wording on the individual coupons.
• There are so many coupons to choose from -- over 200 coupons in 16 categories so you won't run out of coupons to pick.
• The pages are in full color, glossy, and are perforated so your loved one can redeem them.
• On the back of each coupon is a "Redeemed on:" circle so you can write down the date you spent that time together.
• There are also adult coupons for you and your partner. Oh la la la!
• Each LoveCoup has a flat rate cost of $24.95 with no extra cost per page. 

So perfect, right? Out of all the things listed, my favorite is the customizable characters. It was so much fun making two little figures -- one that looked like me and one that looked like mom, and then seeing them on all the LoveCoups. It's cute seeing my mom and I drinking coffee and my mom relaxing at a spa day on the love coupons. 

The only downside is that LoveCoups is garnered towards romantic couples, so in two of my coupons the characters are holding each other or holding hands, and my mom and I don't each other when we watch movies or hold hands when we take walks. Since everything else is customized, it would be great if there were two options for some of the coupons -- romantic and friendly. 

Other than that little detail, I really love LoveCoups and I would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a fun Valentine's Day gift that can be used throughout the year!

LoveCoups | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Google+

(My mom and I like to hold hands when we walk. Just kidding.)

Win your very own customized LoveCoups book!
This giveaway is open internationally!

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**This is a sponsored post. I received a free Love Coup in exchange for a review. 

All opinions are my own.**

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Inspiration: Valentine's Day

I don't have a boyfriend (and I never have), but every year I still get really excited about Valentine's Day! It's a day that celebrates love, so what's not to love? I may not know romantic love, but there are so many other kinds of love out there! I'm certainly not lacking in the love department with all the family and friends I have! So whether you have a significant other or not, I hope you have a beautiful Valentine's or Galentine's Day, my friend!

What are you doing for Valentine's / Galentine's Day?

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{via Design X Five, Ban.do, Ban.do, Britta Nickel, Wedding Bells, 
Britta Nickel, Kaylee Daily, Lauren Conrad & A Little Dash of Darling}

Life Lately {End of the Year}

It's the end of the year! Wow, that went fast, didn't it? These pictures are from the last month and a half of the year; I met up with a bunch of amazing bloggers in Soho, did a lot of relaxing because I finished my thesis, and I got so many wonderful gifts from Secret Santa's, friends, and family. Despite some health problems, this has been a very nice holiday season!

Starbucks deliciousness // Met Sharon of The Tiny Heart // My blogger meet up outfit

Sunny day // An old picture of my grandparent's store // An awesome tumbler

Out of Print tote // Snow! // Little owl lip balm from my mom

Secret Santa goodies from Amy // The last of fall's leaves // Bundled up

Grand Central // Pretty photography from Lix Hewett // Foggy day

Pretty gifts from Avra // New booties // Secret Santa gifts from Alex

Drinking hot cocoa // Wearing red lipstick // Christmas gifts! So excited about my new Photoshop!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season 

and I hope you have a lovely New Year's!

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Life Lately

October and November have been pretty busy months so far. November means it's National Novel Writing Month, so the biggest change is that I've been sitting down and writing every single day. It feels good to write every day, even though I'm behind on the amount of words I should have by now. The goal is to have 50,000 words, but since I'm already half-way through my novel, I don't think I have enough story left to complete the task since most novels are between 70,000 and 90,000 words. If I run out of story, I'll just have to start working on my next novel!

Tomorrow, I'm going to a NJ/NY blogger meet up started by by Monica of Moda by Monika! Not sure who else is going other than her and Sharon of The Tiny Heart, but I'm excited to meet everyone in person!

Mini pumpkin & Almay lip gloss // Starbucks with friends // After exercising

Using the BeauCoo app // new Payless heels // Writing & drinking a chocolate chai tea

My silly little sister // new sparkly bow flats // necklace & sweater

Warm winter gear // "Coffee friends. The truest kinds of friends." // Booties

Fall leaves everywhere // I won this make up book! // New greeting cards in a cute box

Light & shadow // Love this WoodWick candle // Couldn't resist a teacup candle, pink bow hooks, and a book print pillowcase from H&M

The easiest DIY ever! 

All you need is a string of twinkle lights and a glass jar to make a pretty and romantic light!
Just make sure the actual lights don't touch anything flammable since they got hot.

I wanted to share this cute infographic from You + We Photography!
If any one of are professional or amatear photographers, or are simply going to a wedding this weekend, you could use some of these tips to take some amazing pictures!

Have a lovely weekend, friends!

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Life Lately

Well, a lot has been happening lately! I've been reading a lot, mostly for school, but I've also been reading Insurgent and really getting into it. I did homework at Panera with my friend Avra while she studied for a test and we were literally there all day and it was amazing to be both productive and have someone to chat with when I needed a break. 

Some sad news: I'm currently not doing anymore blog posts for Jewelissima's blog. It's not that I did a terrible job (at least, I hope not!), it's just that the owner is focusing on opening a storefront, which is really cool and obviously takes a lot of time. So hopefully when all is settled, I can go back to writing more. 

In other sad news, my beloved 1990 Acura Integra (I know, ancient car) has to be retired because it's costing too much to fix even though it still drives fine. I might as well start using the 2006 Nissan Altima that my dad has taking up space in his driveway. So maybe this isn't bad news after all!

A friend gave me a typewriter! // Goodies from Jewelissima (GET 20% OFF WITH CODE SARA) // Yum! 

Exercising // I helped live-tweet at a NYPL event! // Scarf + cardigan

New polka dot cardigan & hot pink ice pack from T.J. Maxx // Sunny day // Lots of rings

Homework // Fro-yo // I won an InStyle giveaway! 

New AEO jeweled sweater & LC top // Eating apples // Apple picking with Avra

More apples! // New books from a book sale // More homework

Below are more pictures from my apple picking adventure...

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Happy Friday! 

Don't forget to check out my amazing sponsors:
The Biker Store / Faith in Families & Ten Penny Dreams!

What have you been up to lately?

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Life Lately

Some of these pictures are from around my birthday, but I figure it's never too late to show off fun pictures, especially if they remind me of my birthday, and who doesn't want to be reminded of that? During the last month, I got a ton of wonderful presents, went to the city a lot, drank lots of summer peach tea, and got new beauty products.

Jackie and I // Avra and I // My present to Avra (from JewelMint)

Wake up and smell the flowers! // Lunch at Alice's Tea Cup // Grand Central Terminal

Graffiti on Spring St. // New Lush products // Discovered a free library with Kristin

New nail polish // I want to look good in these bikinis! (via Target & ON) // Gift from Brittany

Love my new clothing from SearsStyle // July Glam Bag products // Gifts from Rachel

Have a great weekend!

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My Friend is a Published Author!

My friend Lauren Peterson published her first novel called Iridium! 

If you like fantasy, murder mystery, and dragons, then you'll love this! I read several chapters in our college workshops and she writes wonderfully; her characters are fully fleshed out, the imagery is so vivid that it feels like you're actually in the story, and the story is intense and takes you on a fun ride. She's going to be the next Neil Gaiman or George R.R. Martin. 

Here's the synopsis:

Kellermark: A seven-tiered city that towers two miles into the sky. It is home to two distinct, segregated races, commonly called the ‘whites’ and the ‘hueds,’ who have viewed each other with hatred and distrust for three hundred years. When hued Lieutenant Elwen Southeridge discovers a massive egg shell alongside bizarre white antiques at the scene of a crime, it is the beginning of a case that will lead him into levels of Kellermark no hued person has entered in centuries. The white levels comprise a technologically advanced world where the streets are policed from the sky by riders mounted on dragon-like creatures, and the residents themselves have been genetically altered in an effort to create a ‘superior’ albino race. With the reluctant aid of a prickly white archaeology professor, Elwen finds himself involved in a case that has far greater ramifications than delving into an illegal antiquities market and solving a murder, but will challenge the societal structure of Kellermark itself.

Lauren even drew the cover herself! I already bought the e-book and I can't wait to read it!

Buy the book:
Amazon | B&N

P.S. -- Check out the awesome bloggers I'm switching ads with this month!
My Life as a Teacup | Introvert's Introduction | Catching Cody K | My Random Lovelies
If you want to swap ads or sponsor me, check out my sponsor page!

P.P.S. -- This catchy song from Skylar Grey is available on iTunes for free!

Have a great weekend!

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