LALAlinks

Happy Friday LALAlovers :)

1. 30 Beauty Tips

2. Exciting Announcement from TOMS shoes!

3. Really Great Baking and Recipe Blog (How Sweet It Is)

We hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! 

Things I love about Fall

1) Fall fashion
I am all about cut off denim and bikinis under everything but once Fall rolls around I am so excited to dust off my tall boots and scarves. There are so many more options now that we aren’t strategies with the least amount of clothing possible to stay cool.

2) Warm drinks
Hello pumpkin spice lattes and hot caramel cider. These tasty beverages make studying all night for midterms in a crowded coffee house so much more enjoyable!

3) Football
Tailgating, DIY team shirts, food, drinks, friends and oh yeah...the game. I love everything about football Saturdays. Look for upcoming DIY game day outfit ideas from Dre and me!

4) Holidays
The most wonderful time of the year is fast approaching...Halloween. We have lots of festive posts in store. Please leave any suggestions for DIY or tutorials you would like to see in the comments. Oh and I almost forgot Thanksgiving is included in Fall holidays as well. Yum! I cannot wait.

How to: Fishtail Braid

Recently, I've been wearing my hair in a fishtail braid on mornings I'm in a hurry, just to mix things up from my usual braid. Since I always get people asking how I do it I figured I'd upload a little picture tutorial so that you can all enjoy a fishtail braid as much as I do!

Click to enlarge :)

1. Separate the hair into two strands
2. Holding both strands in one hand, take a small piece from the outside of the right strand.
3. Cross the smaller strand over the rest of the right strand.
4 & 5. Add it to the left strand.
6. Holding both strands with one hand, opposite of before, take a small piece from the outside of the left strand.
7. Cross the smaller strand over the rest of the left strand.
8. Add it to the right strand.
9. Repeat the 2nd step with a new smaller strand from the outside of the right strand.
10. Keep repeating these steps until you reach the end of your hair and tie with an elastic!

It's really as easy as that. Depending on what look I'm going for I either keep it sleek and tight, or mess it up a little bit and pull out some pieces for a relaxed look.

-Andrea :)

October Picks

October is one of my favorite months of the year. Walking through campus, seeing the changes in the leaves, apple orchards and pumpkins. What's not to like? October is also one of my favorite months to dress for because there's enough of a chill in the air to wear layers, yet the sun still likes to poke it's head out on a regular basis. Below are some of the things I've been gravitating towards as I wake up and get ready for these beautiful fall days!

1: Pashmina Scarves: I wish I owned one in every color possible so that I could wear one every day. And when you know how to tie them in 9 different ways (see yesterday's post if you need some scarf inspiration) how can you not want to wear one everyday? I love them for long days on campus because they keep me prepared during these days of bipolar weather!

2: Maybelline Color Sensation Lip Stain in Cranberry: Since I'm not much of a lipstick-every-day kind of girl I love the natural berry color that this gives to my lips. It's one of the easiest ways to make you look pulled together when you're in a rush. Just don't forget to add a thin layer of your favorite chapstick on top so that your lips don't feel dry!

3: Black Flats: I have been loving a pair of Franco Sarto Black Flats with flowers on the toes for at least 2 days out of the week. I couldn't find a picture of them, so I'm going to say that one of my favorites is just black flats with a toe embellishment. Anything like a bow or flower really adds an extra touch of girliness to a normally plain looking shoe.

4: Lincoln Park after Dark by OPI: One of my favorite nail polishes for fall. It looks darker on your nails than the swatch here, but it's the perfect dark shiny color if you don't like the severity of completely black nails.

5: Benefit's Eye Bright: I'm a full time college student with an almost full time job. This only means one thing. I sleep on average 4 hours a night. Enter my savior Eye Bright. A quick dab of this in either pencil or pan form (yes, these tired eyes own both ) and I can trick anyone into thinking that I've gotten my 8 hours of shuteye....shhh! Don't tell :)

6: Skinny Waist Belts: If you've followed our blog for awhile or know me personally, you probably know most of my fashion revolves around emphasizing my waist because I think it's my best feature. In a season of loose sweaters and lots of layers, skinny belts are perfect for making sure your waist doesn't get lost among a sea of fabric.

7: Bronze Eyeshadow: Browns, bronzes, golds, etc. You get the picture. If it's dark and neutral it's probably on my eyes. I try to stick to cooler tones because of my olive complexion but use what works for you. A brown, bronzey eye can add a lot of warmth to your overall look.

8: Loose Flowy Cardigans: Bet you didn't see this one coming! Sorry I'm so predictable. I just can't resist the comfort and effortless style of a wrap, flowy, or loose cardigan. My goal of fashion is finding outfits that compliment the shape of my body that require the least amount of effort to look pulled together. Let's just say that one of these cardigans and a skinny belt are a marriage that I see lasting forever, especially in my closet.


--Andrea :)

One Scarf, Nine Ways.

If I ever won a shopping spree I think the first thing I would spend my money on is scarves. My obsession is probably genetic, seeing as my mom has quite the collection, but whatever the cause I can't seem to get enough of them. In honor of my favorite fall accessory I've shown nine ways to wear a scarf that will keep your fall wardrobe looking different every day!

Wrap loosely around neck and belt it at your natural waist.

Wrap the scarf loosely around your neck with both tails in front. About halfway down tie a loose knot.

Wrap the scarf around your neck and halfway down tie the tails together in one knot.

Wrap scarf around your neck leaving one side longer than the other. Then wrap longer side back around again so that tails are in front. Pull scarf apart to make it bunchy and loose.

Do tie number 4 then tie the loose ends together very messily.

Do tie 5 and then pull the bottom loop over the top, disguising the tied ends. 

Do tie number 4, except instead of pulling the scarf apart to be bunchy, bring one tail up through the bottom of the part around your neck, to the top and the other from the top to the bottom. 

Classic! Fold your scarf in half, wrap around your neck and pull the ends through the loop that is created.

Fake an infinity scarf by doing tie number 5 but moving the knot to the back of your head.

Love & Cinnamon Spice Candles,

Andrea :)

Fall Jams

Fall is my favorite time of the year to put on my iPod and walk through campus. I like my music soulful in the Fall so here are some of my favorite songs that I've been listening to recently.

1. Poison & Wine - The Civil Wars
2. Love Vigilantes - Iron & Wine
3. Come Pick Me Up - Ryan Adams
4. Hold You In My Arms - Ray LaMontagne
5. 40 Day Dream - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
6. Dance Me to the End of Love - The Civil Wars
7. For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti - Sufjan Stevens
8. Someone Like You - Adele
9. One and Only - Adele
10. Three More Days - Ray LaMontagne

Love & Pumpkin Spice Lattes,

Andrea :)