Not Another LA Blonde

Tag: blogging

Valentine’s Day: Gift Guide for Her
pillow bangle Kate Spade Macy’s bottle mask set 10 8 8 5 4 2 candleHappy Friday y’all! I’m at work today, but I can’t stop thinking about how Valentine’s Day is just under two weeks away! I know that shopping for that special girl in your life can be hard. But I know that coming up with a gift that you would want can be even harder! Personally, I can never come up with my own gift ideas, so I figured I’d try to help out any indecisive gals out there.

I’ve put together my top 10 favorite gift ideas for Valentine’s Day for her. Maybe you could even forward this to bae to give him a little hint about what you want!

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10

Voluspa Prosecco Rose 11-ounce Corta Maison Candle – $30.00 This candle from Bloomingdale’s has 60 hours of burn time and is made with coconut wax. It is phthalate, paraben and sulfate-free and there was no animal testing. This candle was also made in the USA! How perfect is this candle for that special lady in your life? This could be such a romantic gift for your special someone OR the perfect Galentine’s Day gift to your BFF. You can also find this candle at:
1. The Voluspa website
2. Nordstrom
3. Anthropologie for only $28
4. Distinctive-Décor.com for only $26
Alex and Ani Love Charm Expandable Wire Bangle – $28.00 This bracelet comes in either a gold or silver color and is made in the USA. Alex and Ani bracelets are the perfect gift for any special gal in your life. They’re fairly inexpensive, but the quality is excellent and it’s super thoughtful. You can also find this bracelet at:
1. Alex and Ani (right now it’s only available in a rose gold finish)
2. Nordstrom in both the gold and silver
GLAMGLOW #Multimasking Mask Treatment Gift Set – $39.00 ($97 value) Ok, who doesn’t love masks?? This mask set comes with 6 items. It is good for normal, oily, dry or combination skin. It is an exclusive, travel-friendly set of 6 cult-favorite mask treatments, so you can multi-mask on the go. This is perfect the perfect solution for pores, oiliness, and acne and blemishes. The set includes:
1. Supermud Clearing Treatment
2. Youthmud Tinglexfoliate Treatment
3. Gravitymud Firming Treatment
4. Thirstymud Hydrating Treatment
5. Flashmud Brightening Treatment
6. Powermud Dualcleanse Treatment
I know this is definitely on my hint list for Robert. I love GLAMGLOW products, so this is a no brainer for me. If you buy this item from Bloomingdale’s, you’ll earn double points in beauty if you are a Loyalist. You can also buy this gift set from:
1. Sephora
2. GLAMGLOW
3. Amazon
S’Well Pink Topaz Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle – $35.00 How cute is this pink bottle!? Y’all already know pink is my favorite color so I love this already. Stay hydrated in style with a sleek, double-walled stainless-steel water bottle featuring ThermaS’well fabrication that keeps cold drinks cold for up to 24 hours and hot drink hot for up to 12. Each bottle features a wide mouth that makes it easy to fill, add ice cubes and clean. Holds 17 ounces. This brand is so great because they donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of each bottle to UNICEF to help provide clean drinking water to children around the world. You can find this water bottle at:
Kate Spade miss to mrs. insulated tumbler – $18.00 As you all know I’m getting married in June and I think this cup is soooo cute. I’m also a huge love of Kate Spade so double love here. This is an insulated travel tumbler with flashy metallic graphics. Holds 20 ounces! You can find this tumbler at:
Baublebar Gabriela Tassel Fringe Earrings – $48.00 These earrings are super popular right now. Tiered tassels define head-turning statement earrings that frame your face in vibrant color. These are a 4” drop and 1” width. If you don’t like the pink, you can get them in a variety of colors. You can also purchase these from:
1. BAUBLEBAR
2. Bloomingdale’s
Kate Spade ‘post court’ heart dish – $20.00 This heart-shaped dish is perfect for putting your jewelry in at the end of the day. Put your heart into decorating with this sweetly shaped porcelain dish that provides a clever and colorful update to your space. You can also purchase this at Kate Spade.

Kate Spade All My Love Hinge Bangle – $78.00 How cute is this bangle with the hearts on it. Wear your heart on your wrist with this charming multi-heart bangle bracelet. The bracelet is 7.5” circumference and has a hinge closure. It is 12K gold-plated base metal/enamel/cubic zirconia. You can also find this bracelet at:
Slip Silk Pillowcase – $79.00 Silk Pillowcases are all the rage right now. Cotton grabs your hair and twists it at the root throughout the night, damaging on your hair and causing bed-head in the morning, whereas slipsilk is so gentle on your hair, it allows your hairstyle or blow-dry to last overnight. Unlike cotton, which draws moisture from your face, hair and scalp, slipsilk breathes and is a natural temperature regulator. I have a silk pillowcase and I can’t say enough good things about it. You can also buy these pillows at:
1. Sephora (only available in gold and black)
2. Nordstrom
3. Anthropologie
4. Pottery Barn
Levtex Pompom Heart Accent Pillow – $44.99 “A textured heart adds a sweet finish to this crisp canvas accent pillow.” This pillow is so freakin cute! I seriously wish I had a couch because I would buy this right now for myself! I can’t find this pillow anywhere except for Nordstrom.

Those are my top 10 picks for gifts to get her for Valentine’s Day. There are tons of other great gifts out there, but these are my faves. All of these gifts are either from Bloomingdale’s or Nordstrom, but I’ve linked other places that you can buy from!

Shipping:
- Bloomingdale’s: If you sign up to become a Loyalist (their rewards program), shipping is always free. If you don’t sign up, it’s free shipping after $150.
- Nordstrom: Always free shipping and free returns
QUESTION: what do y’all do for Valentine’s Day? Let me know if you go all out with your significant other or do you prefer a laid back celebration?

XOXO
February 2, 2018
5 Things I Learned in 2017
Y’all can we just take a second and let it sink in that it is actually 2018 already. Personally, I feel like my whole month is already booked. I’m busy every weekend and I don’t see any signs of it slowing down! For me, January is filled with basketball games that my girls have to cheer at and competitions pretty much every Saturday and then wedding things every other day of the week.

With all that being said, there are a few things that I learned in 2017:
1. Don’t let the small stuff bother you: In my opinion this is huge. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve had to stop and think about what is worth getting into an argument about. I’ve learned that not everything is worth getting mad about and that some things are just out of your control no matter how hard you try to keep it in your control. This is a constant struggle for me because I let everything get to me ALL the time.
2. Take time for you: Be a little selfish. You only have one life to live, so say no sometimes. Take the time you need to become the best version of yourself.
3. Don’t tell your secrets to everyone: Ah this is another huge one! I’ve learned the hard way that you can’t trust everyone even if they seem like you can. Find your trusted friend, coworker, family member or whatever and hang on tight to them. Not everyone needs to know everything about your life. There are people out there who would love to know every little dirty secret, but they don’t have your best interest at heart.
4. It’s ok to cry: I’m a huge crier ALL THE TIME!! My parents and brothers actually use the phrase “When is she not crying?” when describing me. 2017 brought A LOT of tears. Wedding planning is hard y’all and the tears come easily.
5. Let go: let go of the need to control everything. Let go of the self doubt. Let go of any negativity. Let go of anyone holding you back. Just let go of it all. Learn to delegate. Know that you can’t take on the whole world all by yourself. There are people who want to help you.
2017 was quite a year. I had plenty of self doubt, there were tears (more than I’d like to admit), there were days that I just wanted to run away from everything and say see ya later. I also learned quite a bit about people this past year. Who knew that planning a wedding would be so stressful when people tell you that it’s the best time of your life? I see other people being successful and I wonder when it will be my turn or if my blog will ever be more than just a hobby?

BUT don’t get me wrong, 2017 was filled with soooo many great things and I’ve been blessed to live the life that I have (you can read my 2017 post here), but it doesn’t mean every day was easy. Things take time and I want y’all to remember the 5 things I talked about above and learn with me. I want to keep growing to become the best version of myself.

I can’t wait to get further into 2018 and to see what not only the year has in store for me, but what God has in store for me and my soon-to-be husband AND I can’t wait to share it all here with you!

XOXO
January 10, 2018
January LP After Party Sale

Happy Wednesday and happy 2018 y’all!!! There’s no better way to kick off the new year than with a great sale! So drum roll please…the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale is now LIVE. I shopped this sale back in August and loved it, so when I got the email about the sale in January, I knew it was a must shop. This is one of the only times that Lilly items go on this kind of sale and let me tell ya, it is totally worth it. The wait time this morning to get into the sale said 25 min, but it only took 20 (there were about $14,000 people in front of me!). Once I got in thought I had no problems maneuvering around the sale and finding things that I LOVED. You can check out the sale through this link here and then hit the “shop now” button!

Below I’ve linked some of my favorite items (I actually purchased quite a few, even though my credit card might be crying and the rest were items that I just loved). Very important to note is the fact that all items are FINAL SALE so you have to be 100% you want the item and that it’s your correct size.

Row one: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

Row two: 1 / 2 / 3

TAMIAMI OFF THE SHOULDER TOP (Multi Sun Splashed)

Normally $64     On Sale for $19

This top is super cute. I got this in my normal size, XS. I love the pinks and oranges in it. I think that this top will transition very nicely from Spring to Summer. I bought this with the hopes of wearing it on my honeymoon!

SLEEVELESS ESSIE TOP (True Blue Seas the Day)

Normally $58     On Sale for $24

I got this style top during the August After Party Sale and loved it so much. I like the way it fits and is nice and cool when it’s hot. I originally purchased this in an XS and it was just a little bigger than I would have liked. I put this one in my cart this morning, but moved too slow and it sold out in my size!

KEY ID CASE (Multi Coco Coral Crab)

Normally $28     On Sale for $14

How cute is this ID holder? It’s perfect for taking to the beach or if you just need a little something to keep your ID in. I like that you can attach your keys to it as well. This is perfect for vacation!

PACKABLE ESCAPE WEEKENDER (Multi the Swim Accessories)

Normally $134     On Sale for $99

This is such a good deal for this bag! It is $35 off making it under $100! It looks like the perfect size for a weekend getaway or a carry-on for the plane! I already made my purchase and I have WWAAYYYY too many bags, but I would have definitely bought this bag!

CRAYTON RACER BACK TANK TOP (Indigo Keep on Trunkin)

Normally $48     On Sale for $19

How can you pass up a $19 Lilly tank? Especially one with elephants on it! This is such a cute, casual look. This tank is over 50% off!

ESSIE TOP (Multi Sea Salt and Sun)

Normally $58     On Sale for $24

I ended up getting this one this morning during my online shopping trip! This is very similar to the one I talked about above, 4 items up. I had this in my shopping cart during the August sale and didn’t end up getting it, but I was lucky enough to get it this time!

COURTNEY SHIFT DRESS (Brilliant Blue Catch and Release)

Normally $178     On Sale for $54

Ok y’all this dress is more than 50% off! I just had to get it, I got it in my regular size 0 so hopefully it fits the way I’d like it to! And can we just take a min to talk about how cute the back of this dress is! Talk about showing a little skin (in a good way)! I def bought this with my honeymoon in mind!

ROXI TOP (Multi Sea Salt and Sun)

Normally $108     On Sale for $29

I actually love this top, but I didn’t end up getting it. I had to weigh the pros and cons of it and couldn’t come up with enough times that I might wear this. At over 70% off, this top is such a steal and I highly recommend getting this if you think you’ll wear it!

During this year’s January sale, I bought with my honeymoon in mind. We’ll be going somewhere beachy/tropical in June and how perfect are these pieces?! My advice to all y’all shopping today or tomorrow is to think about things that your summer wardrobe was missing last year or what you think you may want this year and buy it. Go for it; I know that it’s close to Christmas and you may not want to spend that much, but this sale only happens twice a year. Get a head start on your summer wardrobe now! Even though I had to wait in a virtual line to get into the sale, once I was in it was smooth sailing! I can’t wait to get my things in the mail so I try them on and share with y’all what I love about each piece.

Let me know if any of y’all hit the online sale today or if there were any special finds that you picked up. I’d love to hear all about your experience!

XOXO

January 3, 2018