Warby Parker At Home Try On!

I am SO excited to be writing this post right now!  I have been wanting to try Warby Parker for the longest time and I have finally done it.  There is going to be a follow up post about the process after I've chosen the pair that I like the best but this is just informational about the first couple of steps in the process.

After going to the website and entering my information, I was asked for my credit card info.  I was charged $1 just for authorization and probably just for Warby Parkers assurance. I didn't mind it at all because everything was so incredibly seamless.  After doing so, I was able to select any of the frames that are on the website at any price.  I selected five I liked the best and they sent them my way for free! I heard of this service a long time ago and I'm so excited to finally do it.

Here's a preview of what the inside of the box looked like:   

I can't wait to further share my choices with you!  Stay tuned. -Brit.

Terrarium Time!

As you all know, there's no shortage of love in my body for succulents and terrariums.  I had been planning to make another one for some time now but time just hasn't allowed.  I finally had the chance to go shopping for all of the materials to make one and the first place I went might actually surprise you.  

Marshalls is actually one of the best places to get a container when you plan to make a terrarium.  They have a ton of different options at outrageously great prices.  I have a friend who also likes to make terrariums and she normally goes for a nontraditional look with hers and she found a skull container and other assorted shapes and sizes.  You would be shocked to see what you can find so definitely check it out!

Right now Lowes has an absolutely amazing selection of succulents and cacti.  I couldn't have been happier when I walked into the greenhouse and saw so many selections.  When you're looking at the options, don't forget to pick up some soil that is specifically for cacti, it should be right next to where you'll see all of your options for succulents and cacti.  They will try to entice you with sand and pebbles and stones and all this other stuff but do not fall victim! 

I have to admit this is probably the terrarium that I have made that I most proud of because it is absolutely stunning.  I didn't even realize that when I was selecting some of the plants to include, they were matching!  I had just been picking out some of the ones that I loved the most but I didn't realize that they all had a purple motif.  So, if matching is something that you enjoy, try and design your terrarium that way!

First I put a layer of soil in the bottom of the open bowl.  After that, I decided to plant the largest plant and then situate some of the rocks on the side.  I don't know why, but when I was planning to build this terrarium, I had in mind to include some rocks.  I specifically wanted to have them included in the design.  So if you're not sure what you want to include or you don't know where to start with your terrarium, planning it out a little bit beforehand is a great place to start.

After the largest plant was included, I started placing everything else around it and designing everything as I went along.  If you're not a planner or a control freak when it comes to DIYs, this is the best way to go.  I really think it comes out best when you just go with the flow.  Here is the final photo!

I hope that you absolutely love this as much as I do! Let me know your process on how you decorate your terrariums.  Have you ever made one before?  Send me a tweet and let me know where you get your succulents from as well!  Thanks for reading as always.  -Brit.

Why You Shouldnt Be Afraid To Be Unapologetically Yourself

I have, for some reason, been doing a lot of thinking about this topic.  I normally don't practice 'speaking out' about things like this because I do believe that it's up to you what you think about such topics.  BUT!  There are a couple of reasons why I believe that you really shouldn't be afraid to be unapologetically yourself. 

First Things First

There will be a lot of people who are going to try and bring you down no matter who you are.  In regards to your style, what you eat, how you approach certain things, etc.  There's a lot to be said for someone who has the balls to come up to you and tell you that the way you are doing something isn't the right thing.  Everyone has differences for a reason.  Just take a minute and think about what the world would resemble if we were all the same person.  

When you're young, you have no choice but to follow in the footsteps of your parents.  You look to them for guidance (which wont change even when you become older) and you always listen to what they have to say.  With that being said, when you start getting older, it's your time to start learning, growing and listening to yourself.  This is the time where you really start becoming someone who you are going to be proud of, and THIS is a powerful thing.  I have always been the one to say that in the end, you are only going to have yourself, and growing up to become the person that you are proud of is the first step in this process.  Ultimately, making yourself happy is the first step in being able to make everyone else in your life happy.  

Don't Be Afraid of Acceptance

People will have more respect for you if you are unapologetically yourself, than if you give in to everyone else's demands.  You are a stronger person this way.  As an individual, it's important to value respect from other people humbly, it will just make you feel like such a better person in the wrong one.  

Still Remain Respectful

If you feel like people don't understand you or you feel like they're not respecting you and your choices (big or small), you have to just kill 'em with kindness.  My father always told me that and it's really very important.  I think thats partially why I always try to stay so positive and succeed at it.  If you make a conscious effort to kill 'em all with kindness, you'll start to realize how kind and happy you can really be.

You'll Establish a Sense of Confidence

If someone doesn't like the shirt you chose to wear for an event, but you LOVE it and feel good in it:  WEAR IT, don't listen to outside influences because you're afraid of making someone else happy. By making these decisions (the small ones at first), it will give you a sense of confidence that you never knew you had to make decisions like this all the time.

How do you make sure that you're unapologetically yourself?  Share your methods with me in the comments or on Twitter.  Thank you for reading as always.  -Brit.

Ally's Engagement Party!

I'm a little behind on my posts but it's for a great reason.  I have been so busy with things but as I sit here on Easter after my family has left, I am just so happy to have some time to chill.  Last weekend I went up north to Ally's house for her engagement party.  She had been planning to have a party for a while after her engagement in November, but it was put on hold for a couple of different reasons.

I've been waiting to celebrate with her for so long in a more grandiose way.  We've been celebrating in our own little way every time we see each other but we were both looking forward to the party.  There were a couple of surprises that we both didn't know about, check them out.

    

I started off the day going up to her house in the morning so we could shop a little before the party.  Ally had picked out a shirt and pants that she wanted to wear for the party but she was told that she looked 'matronly' so she wanted something else to wear (LOL).  SO, needless to say we went shopping and we found the adorable top (white, lace tank) from Target and the black cardigan from Marshalls.  The back of the cardigan is adorable!

          

Phase one of the party was just getting everyone there.  Sense the decorations were going to be a surprise for both Ally and her fiance, they were blindfolded and lead to the clubhouse.  Little did Ally know that the decorations were not the ONLY surprises, her cousin was here from California for the party!

                    

 Adorable cake.  Who KNEW people still put photos on cakes?  Maybe I'm behind the times but this is pretty cute.  I hate this photo of us because honestly we were both drinking.  I was trying to make sure that Ally was having a good time and she was busy greeting everyone else.  So all of those things combined didn't make for any good pictures haha.  SO, if as a MOH you're at the engagement party, don't freak out if you don't get any good photos.  Chances are someone else is taking them and you'll see them later.  Plus, there are going to be plenty of opportunities to take photos and celebrate throughout the whole time you're planning for the wedding.

The decor of the place was incredible.  You can see Ally's fiance in the distance taking everything in.  The white branches were beautiful and they were actually what Ally wanted for the wedding originally, so it's kind of cool to have them at the engagement party.  The candles and lights were magical and awesome and everything looked incredible with the lights turned off.

This last photo is kind of showing you how Ally asked everyone to be her maid of honor.  She decorated boxes with memories of each bridesmaid and her.  Inside the box she included and cute little notebook with a message inside asking them to be her bridesmaid.  It was absolutely adorable and made everyone so happy (as you can see in the photo).  

How have you celebrated engagement parties in the past?  This was really fun and I was so happy to share it with my best friend!  Send me a tweet and let me know.  Thanks for reading! -Brit.