FEBRUARY ROUND UP | #BRITSBRAIN

Something I have decided to do (and I am so happy that I did) was keep little notes in my notes app on my phone throughout the month. To be honest, I wanted to write little things each day and pull it all together at the end of the month into a single blog post. I do realize though, in my ever-long process of how I'll manage this revolution of the blog, that it isn't realistic to think I'd write everyday. Thank god I'm realizing that!

Anyway! I am so excited to share my first Monthly Recap (February) with you. These are not going to be meant for any other reason than to share in the thoughts with you that I've been having throughout the month. I feel like maybe, JUST MAYBE they might be able to help you process some things?

NOTES OF NEIGHBORHOOD 6 + A BIRTHDAY CAKE

It's honestly insanely crazy to think that the holidays and my birthday have passed. Another whole year is over and better yet, the month of January is almost completely over. I wanted to share another Notes of Neighborhood with you from back earlier in January when things were still still decorated for Christmas. I hope you enjoy the tranquility of these pictures as much as I do.

3 THINGS THE WORLD NEEDS MORE OF

There are three things that I definitely think the world needs more of and I think they are very reasonable to say.  They are very simple and I want to share them with you. 

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.

Reasons (Mostly Related to Fashion) Why I'm Excited For The Cold Weather, Because I Hate The Cold Weather Itself

As August graces us with its presence, I can't help but think about how close fall really is.  I bet you're thinking the same thing.  I don't know, there's just something about the Back to School section coming out in Target and the Bath and Body Works in your area coming out with the fall candle line.  Blogs coming out with their 'Fall Clothing Haul and Outfit Ideas,' and Starbucks teasing the Pumpkin Spice Lattes.  Sidebar: I hate PSL's, gross.  

I figured, in the name of fashion, I would show you a couple of reasons that I just cannot wait for the the fall to arrive.  I was going through some old photos and I found some outfits that I love and cannot wait to wear again.  There seemed to be a theme of burgundy that I was obsessed with last season and I can definitely imagine that coming back for another round this season.  I'm not hating.  Let's get started.

Outfit #1: Burgundy tights, a tight black skirt and a white bat-winged sweater with black boots.  Is there really anything else in the world that makes you happier during the fall when it comes to styling?  This is the easiest thing to style to look effortlessly chic and I full well plan on turning to it this year.  

Outfit #2: Another simplistic approach and little more casual than the first.  I can see myself spending some weekends in this outfit.  Jeans, cute sneakers from H&M, a black tee and a cardigan from Forever 21.  Doesn't get anymore basic than this.  I threw on my MK because we all know I can't live without.  

Outfit #3: I have since deemed this shirt horrifically ugly but this combined with the next combination of shirts I have just gets me so incredibly excited for the holiday season and fall/winter.  I know it's grossly early to be thinking about this but I can't help it.  This is a post about what I can't wait for right?  Well then, there YOU GO.  

Outfit #4: This gets me even more excited than the one before.  As I said, I can't stand that shirt anymore but this just gets me pumped for Christmas.  I remember wearing this outfit to the office the day before Christmas and it just got me in such a spirit.  The green oxford is from Old Navy and the maroon sweater is from H&M.  They are both basics that I know you probably all have in your closet.  Of course too, there's my watch.  My hair is obscene, but then again it is in all of these photos.  Most of the time it's just too cold to really do anything with my hair.  The only reason I end up doing anything with my hair in the first place is to warm myself up with the straightener.  -_____- #lazygirlproblems 

Outfit #5: Last but not least with the outfits is this gem.  Ugh, this is my favorite.  This little frock that I got from forever 21 like forever ago just makes me so happy.  I feel like this was meant for fall.  I wore it once in the summer but I just felt like it belongs in the cooler weather.  I mean look at the colors!  I love the way I paired it with the maroon tights which are so comfortable, warm and gorgeous and let me just NOT EVEN START talking about these booties.  I know you can barely see them here but they are these that I got from Aldo not too long ago.  ~*Let us stop for a minute, take it in, and appreciate that beautaaaaay*~  Okay, proceed.  I just love this outfit combo.  Please ignore the million shopping bags and Friends on in the background.  ;)

Non-Fashion Fall Fun

NFFF #1: This is just something I can't live without in the fall/winter.  Whenever the weather gets colder I am always the one to hang up Christmas lights.  There's something about the lights that just make me feel so much warmer.  What you don't know about this photo is that there's totally a candle burning to the left of my computer screen and this was taken from bed.  I'm so cuddly and happy.  

NFFF #2: This is technically about fashion people.  You know you do the same thing.  Can you tell what it is just from looking at the photo?  BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING.  I honestly cannot believe I'm writing a post about this already, but I just can't help it.  Look at all those savings that are cutting off the circulation on my arm!  Lord Jesus, maybe this year I will actually take the time to write about what I purchase on my blog.  Looks like here I hit up all the basic white girl spots: H&M, Forev, ON, VS & AE.  Don't blame me, I just cannot be stopped when it comes to Black Friday shopping.  I'm not alone, I know it.  

Are you excited for the colder weather for anything other than the colder weather?  Share your rationale with me in the comments or in a tweet.  I'd love to hear what your thoughts are.  I cannot wait to get out and purchase those fall candles but I think I'll give it a little more time.  I'd never wish summer away any sooner than it would stay.  If it was 90 degrees all the way through the holiday season, I'd be so happy it's unreal.  That's the whole point of this post.  K, bye for now.  -Brit.     

PS- How do you like this new blog header!?  Let me know!  Also, follow me on Bloglovin!

Jeffrey Campbell Day Dreams.

Coming from a place of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), I can't help but just long for summer every single second of every single day.  I know I have talked about it before but the struggle is real here as I wait very impatiently for the warmer temperatures to come.  I say all of this with the temptation of this past weekend where it was 61 degrees on both days.  Yes I am serious.  Here at the good old Jersey Shore, we had a beautiful weekend but now it's almost hump day and I am left only with reminiscing thoughts on the warmer temperatures of the weekend and hoping that they'll come again soon.  

On this glorious Wednesday eve, I want to talk to you about a certain Jeffrey Campbell lookbook called "DAY DREAMS."  I don't know why I haven't seen it until now, but I am in love with almost everything in the lookbook, I want it all.  There has to be something special about a shoe for me to love it.  Granted, there are some basics that I'm sure are loved by everyone, but for me to be obsessed with a shoe, it has to be next level.  Do you feel the same way?

There's something about the pastel colors here that make me swoon.  Being that I do want the desirable temperatures so bad, maybe the colors just make me feel like they are already here.  Whatever it is, I just love the vibe.  I love the blue hair, the whimsical feel and everything else.  Check it out and let me know for yourself.  Do you have SAD?  I certainly do.  Check out the lookbook here and send me a tweet to let me know your thoughts.

My heel collection!

I am going to be completely honest with you here and just let you know that I was NEVER a heels person.  It might be hard to believe after reading some of the posts on this blog, but it is completely true.    I must have transformed into a different person but I am totally okay with that because now, I couldn't imagine my life without them.  I wont ever be able to understand how I can go from hating them to loving them, but with that being said, it took a couple of years for that to happen.  So if you hate them now, wait 5 years, you just miiiiiight love them come 2018.  Here are the heels that I currently have in my collection.  I don't have an over abundance of them, but this is the perfect amount for me.  To make it a little more fun than usual, I decided to brave the cold and go outside into my backyard and shoot the photos there.  So enjoy this post of my heels "backyard edition." :)

Prabal Gurung for Target- Nolita Print Pumps

Aldo Nude Pumps

Aldo Brown Pumps (love the heel!)

Aldo Orange Pumps (AHHHH, absolute FAVORITE!)

Mossimo Black Heels (Target, super inexpensive but love!)

The nude and black heels, I have found, are absolute staples.  I find myself reaching for them on so many different occasions.  The most inexpensive is the Black Mossimo Heel, which I have had the longest and worn the most.  

I hope you guys loved this post.  I am so in love with the fact that I took the photos outside for once,  I might end up doing this more often.  Do you guys have a lot of heels?  What is the perfect amount?  What pair of heels in your collection is your favorite?  Post a comment or send me a tweet and let me know!  Thank you for reading.  :)

Xoxo-Brit.

Organization nation: tips and tricks.

I have always been the person that works really well under pressure.  While this is true, that doesn't mean that I am terrible at managing my time, it is actually one of my best qualities (not meaning to toot my own horn).  While I was in college, I always spent my time doing some of my most important papers, articles, assignments and other school related projects at the absolute last minute because I knew that it would come out great at the last second.  It sounds like a contradiction, but if you manage/organize yourself well enough, you should be able to work wonders in your personal "life of organization."

Step one:

Set goals for yourself.  This is so cliche and a lot of this post may seem cliche, but it really is true.  Actually, Shay Carl (one of my favorite vloggers) always says that "some of the best things in life are hidden behind the word cliche," or something of the like, and I really believe it.  Setting goals for yourself is just a fancy way of saying that you're weeding out things that are not the most important to you.  Now me saying this might seem a little bold, but it's true.  Saying this also kind of defines what kind of goals you should set.  You can set familial, financial, social, relationship, career related or any other type of goal, sky is the limit here.  When you are done setting your goals, just like magic, it will help you realize what is so important in your life.  This will in turn help you become and stay a lot more organized. 

Step two:

To get started, I think it is really important to equip yourself with everything that you will need to succeed.  This is really important.  You don't want to have an excess of things that may make you feel cluttered and disorganized though, so only give yourself tools that you will 100% use on your quest to better organize.  Also, I have found that if you do give yourself more than you need, you can actually find yourself drowning in goals that you have set for yourself, making you feel like they are unattainable.  This is the last thing that we want.  I swear by my phone calendar and my dry erase calendar at home (it's humungous and helps SOOOO much that I can see everything so well).

Step three:

Plan, plan, plan.  After you have set the goals for yourself, plan them out.  Come up with a step by step contingency about how you will achieve these goals.  This plan is absolutely 100% specific to you and your lifestyle.  Some suggestions include making a chart for yourself or starting a journal about the hardships that you endure while trying to live a more organized life.  This can be so cathartic and freeing.  While planning, make sure that you budget in time for you to rest.  You don't want to make your quest for more organization difficult or grueling because if you do, theres a bigger chance that you wont follow through.  If you feel like working a little bit at a time and then a whole lot once your goals deadline becomes nearer is a good thing, do it!  The whole point in getting goals and making a plan is making it specific to you and your needs.

Step four:

Actually follow your plan.  Sometimes you may feel the plan needs an amendment, but don't do it!  Stay true to your original founding plan because if you change it now, you'll change and maybe danger your entire path to more organization.  The plan that you originally set for yourself was the plan that you thought would work the first time and it was the best way that YOU thought you would get things done, so leave it and stick with it.  Do not fix it if it's not broken!

Step five:

Reward yourself.  I talked about this previously but it is really important if you reward yourself and let yourself know that you are doing a great job,  A lot of times we look for validation from other people in our lives and that gets us nowhere.  So, if you come to the realization that you are doing a great job succeeding in your life and plan to become more organized, treat yourself to something (even if it is time spent recreating a DIY, going for a run, cleaning the house).  If you have a list of things that you always wanted or something that you have been thinking about a lot lately, go and get it.  Like I have also previously said though, don't break the bank!  Small investments to reward yourself are great but over-indulging can be detrimental and we don't want that!

Before you know it, you will see that you are climbing the ladder of success to ultimately becoming the more organized person that you want to be.  Take a deep breath and keep setting goals for yourself.  Come up with a plan and make sure that you leave time for yourself, and reward yourself.  Positive reinforcement is always a great thing, even if you have to create it for yourself.  Good luck to you all, I know you have it in you!  If you think a calendar will make you more organized, maybe check out my DIY Dry Erase Calendar (super fun, easy and inexpensive).  If you are stressed, read up on my ways to become less stressed out.  If you need an idea of how to make an inspiration board of things that you crave so that you can reward yourself when the time comes, check out my Think of it Thursday post!  Thanks for reading everyone.  Send me a tweet and let me know if there is anything I forgot, or anything you do to stay organized in the comments below or by sending me a tweet!

Xo-Brit.

Relaxing fashion.

When I get home from work and the majority of my day is over, I want to do nothing more than sit at my computer and read blogs for the rest of the day.  I absolutely love dressing up and looking great, but  loungewear is perfection in my eyes.

I was in Forever 21 last month and I picked up this great cream colored sweater.  Now this isn't your normal cable knit sweater, the fit is loose and relaxed with an open knit, diagonal pattern.  I love the simplicity and comfort it provides for just relaxing at home with some coffee or tea on a rainy afternoon just like today.  Don't get me wrong, you can absolutely throw a denim button up underneath this sweater and wear it with jeans and boots for a shopping day with the girls, but I love it for relaxing.

To go with the sweater is a classic pear of yoga pants from Victoria's Secret Pink.  Who doesn't love them, right?  These are just so comfortable and always make me feel relaxed but not sloppy.  Sometimes when you're chilling at home you want to feel relaxed but not like a bum, and I love these pants for that reason.

On the feet are my absolutely adorable booties that I got for Christmas from Judy, I love her so much!  These are by Rocket Dog and exactly what I was looking for but couldn't seem to find, thats why I was thrilled to receive them.  The booties are so comfortable and warm.  In this case they even go with my sweater, in love!

I hope you guys liked this quick little post on fashion for relaxation.  I love feeling calm, cool and collected and this outfit is exactly what I need some days after work.  Okay, every single day after work.  What do you all wear when you get home from work?  Share it in the comments or send me a tweet!  Thank you for reading.

Xoxo-Brit.

5 Outfits For The Work Week!

It's really easy to get carried away when you wake in the morning.  Thinking about all of the things you need to get done is just enough to drive you insane before you leave your bed and your feet hit the floor.  You race downstairs and you turn on the coffee (if you still aren't with the times and don't have a Keurig yet), you make sure all your ducks are in a row and then you start getting ready.  There is your skincare routine, your hair, your makeup and of course your outfit.

These outfits are a couple of simple ways that you can turn your drab feelings, into fab feelings in the morning.  Don't worry about freaking out and keep these simple ideas in the back of your head for when you're feeling over the top stressed and like theres nothing you can do.  You will end up walking out of the house with your head held high, looking professional and confident.

Outfit #1

This first outfit is amazingly cute.  I love this dress that I got from Forever 21.  The dress has adorable lace detailing on the wrists and the back (which is not pictured because we are trying to keep this as professional as possible) and pleats in the front.  I layered a black blazer over the top of the dress to cover the lace detail in the back and for a more polished look.  I cuffed the sleeves of the blazer to show the lace on the wrists because I love this detail and its acceptable at the office!  I have my Michael Kors gold watch on and my Forever 21 hair band that I just never took off but absolutely love.  Now I must admit, the shoes I have pictured (My Prabal Gurung's) may not be incredibly professional for the office but I absolutely love the pop of color amongst the black.  If you don't think you'll be rocking this in the office, try a classic  black heel with just the right amount of height.  A great thing about this outfit is that you can ditch the blazer and take it from day to night in two seconds!  If you'd like me to style it on the blog for night, let me know.

Outfit #2

This second outfit is great, its a lot of fun and professional at the same time.  I love the tweed skirt so much, it's from H&M.  The top is from Forever 2, a simple sheer black top that you can just layer a black tank top underneath.  If you must, you can always put a blazer on with this, but it really doesn't need it.  The single pleat in the front of the skirt is super cute.  The shoes are neutral sense we have so much color in the skirt.  I like that the nude shoes (from Aldo) make the legs look a little longer and don't take the attention away from the outfit.  If you wanted to, you could always opt for the classic black heel at an appropriate height for the office.

Outfit #3

For this outfit I decided to give two different options.  The skirt is absolutely perfect for spring with a blue floral pattern, it's from H&M.  The peplum top is a cream color from Forever 21 and the blazer on the left is a blush color that pairs great with the skirt's lighter colors, while the blazer on the right is just plain black.  There is just something about these shoes that I love with the outfit.  For some reason I am obsessed with the brown and blue combination and for some OTHER reason I love the brown shoes with the black blazer, this is normally a no-no for me and generally for anyone.  The shoes are from Aldo, they are so incredibly comfortable, perfect for the entire day at work.  

Outfit #4

This outfit is great.  I love the mixture of the bold pattern in the blouse and the peplum style in the skirt.  The top is from Forever 21 and has a great blue floral pattern with subtle button details.  The peplum pencil skirt is from Forever 21 as well.  The gray and blue go excellent together and the gray in the skirt brings out a small amount of gray in the top.  The shoes are the brown heels from Aldo.  This seems to me like a great outfit to wear on a Friday for some reason! ;)

Outfit #5

This outfit is adorable and seemingly more fitting for the spring/summer.  The white lace dress I have on is from Francesca's.  This is a great piece for layering, just as I do here.  Over the dress I have a black blazer and on the bottom, my most amazing pair of heels I will ever own, ORANGE HEELS,  Ugh, can we all just take a second to adore them..... Okay.  I love this outfit because it is super playful and fun at the same time.  Take this look from day tonight also by ditching the blazer and heading out!  I love this look.  The blazer is from H&M and the shoes are from Aldo.

I hope you all loved these five outfits that are professional and fun at the same time.  I wanted to also show how versatile some of the pieces in your closet can be.  There is no need to have a billion different black blazers and a million different pairs of heels.  As you can im sure realize by now, I don't have my black heels pictured.  I wore them the other day and couldn't find them, great.  Haha!  Let me know what you think in the comments below.  Am I forgetting something that is essential to your professional work outfits?  Granted, there are other more simple things that I often wear but these outfits were styled to show you how you can stop being so bored during the work week.  Hope you enjoyed!  Send me a tweet and let me know what you think or leave a comment below!

Xoxo-Brit.