Five Friday Favorites

So it occurred to me that I actually skipped my FFF post last week... oops! But anyway, onto this week... 

1. I started my Sunday & my week off right with yummy pancakes! I added almond slivers and blueberries for a little crunch and flavor... yum! Sunday's weather was absolutely gorgeous, perfect fall weather. Of course since it's Tallahassee it lasted maybe two days and now it's humid again. But Sunday it was so beautiful, I opened up every window in my apartment, letting the air and the light in, and got right to my homework. Such a relaxing and productive day!

2. Berlioz loved that the windows were open all day on Sunday, and I believe my parents and my friends on Snapchat probably got sick of all the kitty videos I sent. He was just in rare form all day, running from window to window and being a goofball. 

3. A little look at one of my #ootd's this week; I love this color combo!

4. I am still so happy I finally got my haircut! You have no idea how frustrated I've been with it, so it's nice to have it styled again so I can start to grow it out for my wedding. :)

5. I recently hosted an online AvaHour with an Ava Anderson Non-Toxic rep, and I got my order in last night. I cannot wait to try everything, and it's nice to switch out a few more of my "toxic" products for ones that aren't harmful. I have already been using their eye makeup remover and facial exfoliator and love them both!

And that's a wrap! I hope you all had a good week, and I'll "see" you back here Monday for the start of my Apartment Tour Week!

--Caroline

Wedding Wednesday: Hair for the Big Day

Yesterday I got my hair cut, and as my hairstylist and I were catching up we started talking wedding hair! Now, I have a lot planned (or ideas planned) for many things but hair is not one of them, just because there are so many other more pressing things for both wedding and school right now. But she got me thinking and so I took a little break to explore some ideas on Pinterest. A few of my favorites...

What a beautiful, classic chignon! Source.

I love a good updo, and this is one of my all-time favorites I've seen. Source. 

A ponytail of sorts, but I love the headpiece accessory. Source.

I love the integration of the vintage brooch in this half-up style! Source.

A dressed-up & unique take on a ponytail for bridal hair. Source.

This beautiful twisted updo would be perfect for an August wedding. Source. 

This braided style would be elegant for a relaxed but pulled together wedding day vibe! Source. 

One thing I definitely want to make sure is that my wedding day hair is me, and something I would wear on the daily if I could. In my opinion, some brides go over the top and over-style their hair, which makes it look a little fake. But that's just my personal opinion.

Which one of these is your favorite? If you're married, how was your hair styled for the Big Day?

--Caroline

Year In Review

My oh my 2014 went by fast!

So many things have grown this past year: this blog, my world view... it's been an amazing year and I can't wait for what 2015 has in store for me! I'm truly blessed to have such a wonderful life, shared with wonderful people who encourage me and inspire me every day. Today, I'm sharing some highlights from my blog from 2014, and I hope some of these posts inspired you in some way in 2014!

In 2014 I...

Shared some DIY recipes and projects with you...

Pancakes / Healthy Cookies / Nightstand / Fall Wreath

Created outfits inspired by the design world...

Casual Chic / Girly / Color Block

Took you on a fashion journey around the world...

All You Need is Love / Prague / Germany / Bahamas

Gave you a little OOTD inspiration...

Neon Tee / Rain / Mixed Prints / Lilac / Sparkles

Shared some of my interior design knowledge with you...

Animal Home Accents / Bedroom / Final Studio Project

And talked about makeup & hair...

Skincare / Bold Lips / Hair / Lipstick

These are just snippets from the past year. Thank you all for reading in 2014; I sure had fun writing and sharing my style with you all! This Styled Life has grown a lot this year, and I can't wait to see where 2015 will take me.

Happy New Years Eve! 

--Caroline

Five Friday Favorites

At last, I completed my only final exam yesterday and my break can officially start! I'm off to Daytona to spend time with Kyle, then we go on a cruise, then I go to Colorado... It's going to be a whirlwind of a break but I'm so excited! But for now, here is a little bit about how my week went...

1. After my haircut and color last Friday, I was inspired to spend my Monday cleaning and having a spa day. Many people might not put those two together, but cleaning is fairly therapeutic for me so it works! 

2. There is a great resale shop in Tallahassee that always has a great selection of brand name clothes, and I picked up a couple new tops to wear over break. I'm thinking the black and white one will be great for a date night with Kyle, and the tan striped one will be nice for our cruise.

3. As some of you might know, my little kitty boy Berlioz is prone to UTI's. Recently, he's had another bought of irritation, and so in order to save a little money at the vet I learned how to give him fluids with an IV to help flush out his system. I absolutely hate needles, so it was a huge deal for me to a) hold a needle b) stick my own cat with a needle and c) do it daily for almost a week. I finished up this wee, and it definitely wasn't easy, but I'm really proud of myself for taking that leap and facing my fears! Especially since this is going to be a lifelong problem for him, and something I will need to do again. 

4. In packing for my trip, I discovered just how hard it is to pack for three different climates over the course of a month! In order to avoid bringing too much excess clothes, I did a lot of trying things on, and this quote by Kate Spade came to mind. I definitely have to agree with her here!

5. I went out for burgers with my brother before I left town, since I won't see him until later this month. Gotta love brother-sister bonding time! 

Have a great weekend everyone!

--Caroline

Five Fridays Favorites

Being sick really takes it out of you, and I've still got a lingering cough so I'll keep today's post simple and to the point. Here's what been going on in my life lately!

1. I treated myself to a spa day (with the help of an unused Christmas gift card from my sweet boyfriend!) which included a 1.5 hour long massage and getting my hair cut! As mentioned in this post, I was ready to do something different, and I am loving my new hair! It's so fun, so me, and so much easier to take care of! 

2. On Sunday, my first day of being really sick, I got a sweet & unexpected surprise from Kyle. He popped in on his way to his grandparents house, so that he could check in on his sick girlfriend and feed her some soup. :)

3. I pulled out my first item from "purgatory"! I went in my closet with an outfit in mind and was very confused when I couldn't find my white top with black polka dots. At first I was so confused, trying to think of if I maybe left it in Daytona the last time I was there or if I had a load in the washer, and then I remembered my purgatory! (Read this post if you are confused at what I'm talking about! lol)

4. This outfit was a cute & comfy success... check out my hair curled!

5. I spent some quality time with my bestie Caroline (we call ourselves C-Squared) which was long overdue! We saw Captain America 2... So good!

Have a great weekend, y'all! I hope you've got something fun going on! I've got a ton of homework to get done before Sunday, which is my sorority's sisterhood retreat to Seaside, FL. Beach dayyyyy!!!

--Caroline

Five Friday Favorites

It's been kind of a long week, but at the same time a very short week. In my classes, we've all been assigned our next projects, but either we can't quite start on them yet or we are just in the early stages of idea development. Because of this, we all feel a little tired, not motivated, and really just ready for another break. For me personally, it also doesn't help that I haven't quite gotten back on the working out horse, which always gives me more energy. I've just had a lot of errands to run or meetings to attend recently which has made it hard. But regardless, here are my Five Favorites things about this past week...

1. My furniture design class turned in our cardboard chairs to the local elementary school this week, and it was so much fun! (Look for a more detailed post next week!)

2. This Styled Life reached a milestone on Bloglovin'! I'm so happy with how this little idea of mine has grown since I started last June. 

3. I sported this cute ensemble on Wednesday for a little mid-week style!

4. I've made some progress on my closet clean out, check back next week for the update on this post!

5. I'm wanting to get my hair cut, thinking something along the lines of this...

Have a lovely weekend!

--Caroline

Let's Talk About My Hair

My hair has been through a lot of transformations throughout my life. As a kid, I'd go from bangs to no-bangs, short to long, pretty much through elementary and middle school. In high school it stayed pretty consistent: medium-long length. And then I graduated from high school and this happened....

I cut it short just before high school graduation, then I got a wavy perm, which I then grew out. At SCAD, I decided to dye a chunk of hair blonde, which turned a very unfortunate light orange color after awhile. Then, when I was taking time off and working at a hair salon, it went short again, and then shorter and darker with bangs. I grew that out, dyed it myself, and then recently had the red done! PHEW! My poor hair lol!

And now I'm thinking it's time to get it cut again. I'm thinking short-medium length, just below the collar bone; possibly adding more red and even other tones! I think as I transition into summer, shorter hair might be more fun and easier to keep up. My long hair is getting maybe a little to long, and I find myself putting it up a lot. 

Do you switch up things with your hair? Or do you not like to stray too far from the same everyday style?

--Caroline