2013, According to Instagram

What. A. Year. I feel like I probably say this at the end of every year, but I can't help myself. It's amazing all of the things that can happen in the span of 365 days. 

I thought it might be fun to see what treasures Instagram held from 2013!

(Clockwise, from top left) Hawaii was a perfect way to start the year. I'm now convinced everyone should take a tropical vacation at least once a year! Ohio in April was so much fun. I always love getting to catch up with high school friends, especially since I don't get to go back to Texas much. Who couldn't love a trip to Disney? Spending days with my favorite Brits was a great way to end the spring semester. Texas, oh boy do I love thee. I also very much love Whataburger. (And I'm very sad there is no Whatburger in the north!) Getting to visit El Paso was a highlight of my year. My very first trip to Chicago for my first AOII International Convention? Two greats in one trip! My visit to The County Fair started as a random adventure and turned into more fun than I could have guessed!

2013 was an eventful summer, capstoned by another first, a visit to Mackinac Island! The family road trip up north took us to Traverse City, Petosky and St. Ignace in the UP (another first!).  I became a G Big, twice! My family grew with two wonderful new additions. Another AOII related - I was given the honor of Chapter President for next year. I could not be more thrilled & excited. 2013 ended with a bang with a family trip to Florida. Getting to spend time with extended family and a trip to the Kennedy Space Center was the relaxing vacation we all needed!

Looking back, 2013 was full of travel - Hawaii, Ohio, Florida, Texas, Illinois, Michigan and Florida again! It's no surprise to me that most of my highlights are travel related. 

Now it's time to look ahead and plan for 2014! Here's to hoping it will be just as great as 2013!

Five on Friday: Inspiration for the New Year

Today is the very last Friday of 2013... Where did time go? 

Since now is the time for beginning to think about resolutions for 2014, I've complied my favorite pieces of inspiration/advice from Pinterest. 

What inspires you? 

All images via my Pinterest: Pinterest.com/livmanning

Happy Christmas!

No matter what holidays you celebrate this time of year, I hope it's a time full of family, love and the spirit of the holidays! 

Thanks to Starbucks for this great image! 

Now, back to celebrating you & I go! 

Five on Saturday: Holiday Fashion

Okay, I know, it's usually five on Friday, but since it's a holiday week, the rules don't apply! (That, and this was a perfect five on Friday!) 

Holidays mean lots of family time, yummy food and occasions that require a good outfit. I've complied my favorite looks for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day & New Years Eve!

First up, Christmas Eve:

Christmas Eve

http://www.polyvore.com/m/set?.embedder=4196535&.svc=copypaste&id=107749086

No matter your traditions for Christmas Eve, it's a great excuse to dress up. A blouse & skater skirt is a perfect combination. Added some festive jewelry (how cute is that necklace?) and simple studded flats and you're good to go!

Christmas Eve http://www.polyvore.com/m/set?.embedder=4196535&.svc=copypaste&id=107751269

If a dress is more your style, pick one in a festive color with simple accessories. Red or green are great options, or if you prefer a neutral find some colorful accessories to go with! Black smoking slippers are a nice simple options for shoes. Add in a chevron clutch for some interest. Side note: when in doubt, go to Kate Spade! I couldn't find a good clutch for this outfit until I searched Kate Spade!

Christmas Day http://www.polyvore.com/m/set?.embedder=4196535&.svc=copypaste&id=107748595

Christmas morning is the ultimate lazy morning in my house! But that doesn't mean I shouldn't still look cute. Mom always has the camera out, so having cute pajamas is key! I paired some patterned leggings with a simple Shep Shirt for ultimate coziness. 

New Years Eve http://www.polyvore.com/m/set?.embedder=4196535&.svc=copypaste&id=107749471

New Years Eve means p-a-r-t-y! If you're out to hit the town, sequins is the ultimate NYE fabric. However, you have to be careful when it comes to sequin - choose a dress with sleeves, rubbing under your arms isn't attractive on anyone! Keep your accessories simple, you don't want to go overboard. 

New Years Eve Staying In http://www.polyvore.com/m/set?.embedder=4196535&.svc=copypaste&id=107750032

If staying in to watch the ball drop, or just having a casual get together is more your style, no worries! I picked a harem pant paired with a cozy sweater and simple smoking slippers (cute enough for outside wear, cozy enough for indoor wear). Break out the popcorn & nail polish and sing along to all the pre-drop performances. 

What are you wearing this holiday season? 

P.S. So sorry for the awful links! Blogger & my iPad don't agree!

Review: Unmentionably Cheeky

Rick from Unmentionably Cheeky (http://panties.umcheeky.com/) was kind enough to send me a box last month to review! For those of you that don't know - UMCheeky is a subscription box for underwear. Just $6 a month for 2 pairs! 

I received a pink pair & white lace pair. Along with being super cute, they are very well made. They've both held up through multiple washes & haven't faded or discolored. They were both quite comfortable as well - I always expect lace to be scratchy, but not the case at all! I would size up from my usual size (though, I didn't measure according to the guide on their site). 

When my box was shipped, there was about a 4 day delay from my order to receiving it! Talk about super speedy customer service! 

I absolutely love the wife/husband team that runs the site too! It's a great story of entrepreneurship (and you all know I love a good entrepreneurship story!) 

If you're looking for an update to your undies wardrobe, without the fuss of shopping, UMCheeky is the site for you. At only $3 a pair and free shipping, it's a great bang for your buck. 

Overall, I think UMCheeky is a five star subscription service! I would highly recommend them for your undie updates! It would also be a great last minute gift idea that will keep on giving all year long!

Five on Friday: Telling Time

I feel like I've been spending a lot more time browsing Shop It To Me recently thanks to the new iPhone app (which you should go download, right this second!). It's perfect for browsing on the go and finding gifts!

Yesterday, I came across a bunch of watches on sale (thanks to Nordstrom!) and I had to share! A watch makes a great gift (even a gift for yourself!).

(Clockwise) Betsey Johnson, Kate Spade, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Fossil, Anne Klein

I absolutely love the tortoise shell accents on the Betsey Johnson one and you really can't go wrong with a classic gold watch.

Some people might tell you a watch is an outdated accessory but I couldn't disagree more! It is a perfect piece to look more pulled together and intelligent. I will admit - when I first got mine, it took me a week or two to retrain my brain to read analog time. But it's such a critical skill! What happens when you have a meeting or an exam where you can't have your phone? You'll thank me!

Monday Melodies: Holiday Playlist

Confession: I had to procrastinate writing this post. I couldn't start listening to holiday music before December 1st.

But now that December has rolled around, my holiday Pandora stations have been added to my mix and I've got my holiday playlist on all the time.

If you ask me, the perfect way to get through finals is with holiday music & a hot cup of coffee or cocoa!

Take a listen to my holiday playlist on Spotify or check out my favorite Pandora stations for holiday music: Ella Fitzgerald & Bing Crosby (Holiday), Michael Buble (Holiday) and Aaron Neville (Holiday).




Happy Holidays!

Gift Guide: Beauty Queen

The holiday season has officially begun. Cue the holiday car commercials, bizarre holiday songs & gift guides! With my time off for Thanksgiving (plus anticipation of procrastinating studying for finals) there's been lots of time to put together lots of gift guides for the next two weeks.

First up: gifts for the makeup-obsessed, Sephora VIB friend. Inspired by my summer roommate B and multiple Sephora & Ulta trips! Bonus: they're all under $50!

Stila Color Me Glossy Lip Glaze Set ($28) | You can gift this as an entire set or split it into three different gifts! Every girl could use some new lip gloss for her stash and this Stila set is a great combination of colors.

Urban Decay Naked Basics ($27) | This is the perfect solution to wanting to buy an Urban Decay Naked Palette and not wanting to completely bust your budget! I bought this palette over the summer and I use it every single day. The pigment of colors is fantastic and it provides some essential neutrals to craft a basic, everyday eye look.

Sigma Basic Eyes Kit ($69) | This is the only item over $50 in this post - and for good reason! Good brushes are an essential basic item. Too far out of budget? Try gifting just one or two! It will allow the recipient to start building a set of high quality brushes.

Clinique Chubby Stick in Coral ($17) | Hello gorgeous lip color on the go without messy gloss! I absolutely love these cubby sticks (and have quite a few friends that swear by them!). They provide the perfect amount of color without any mess or blotting required.

Lorac Pro Palette ($42) | B bought this a few weeks ago and is completely obsessed with it! This offers a great range of colors and is a great bang for your buck. High quality shadow with enough colors you can use it for any occasion.

Julep Extraordinary Color Kit ($27) | This little nail polish kit was too cute to leave out. Four party ready colors plus a top coat? I'm sold. This would be a great gift for almost anyone!

Stila Holiday Essentials Kit ($19) | Liquid eyeliner for the perfect cat eye, red gloss for the party-ready pout and a neutral shimmer eyeshadow to balance it all out? This kit is seriously the essentials when it comes to holiday parties! Read: signature look. Now, to perfect my cat eye...

NARS Orgasm Blush ($29) | You really can't go wrong with the classic orgasm that looks good on absolutely everyone! This would be a great gift for someone that is just starting their makeup collection - no guess work about what color will look good!

Yves Saint Laurent Glossy Stain ($34) | I should count the number of times I've used "messy gloss" in this post, so now you're probably wondering why there's a lip gloss? I tried this on the last time I was at Sephora and swooned over the perfect color and consistency! This is a lot more of a stain than a gloss. This falls under the luxury I wouldn't buy myself normally but perfect for a gift category.

Urban Decay Black Market Pencil Set ($36) | I love UD pencil liners. They are the perfect consistency and the color lasts all day (and night). This is a great set of six perfect colors for any occasion!

Happy Shopping!