Month: January 2017

valentine’s day gift guide| for him

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book | hat | tie | cologne |stitch fix gift card | shoes | chromecast

this book was one that my husband loved. it is such a good book about how to be a Godly man. we gifted it to my brother for his high school graduation and I think it is a book every guy should read.

you can never go wrong with sports gear for your mans favorite team! {disclaimer: I am NOT a Yankees fan. not even a little bit. however, my husband is and I made this guide with him in mind. GO TWINS!} he especially loves this hat because the style is “low profile.” it fits his head so much nicer than the boxy flat brims.

a new tie for all those date nights.

this is one of my favorite scents for men. I am really picky and luckily Andrew likes this one too!

did you know stitch fix has a mens line? check out the fix Andrew got here.

nikes are a great everyday shoe.

we love our chromecast! it is basically apple tv but for a much better price. {$35!}

hope these ideas help you spoil that man in your life!

XO Lo

*this post contains affiliate links and I may be compensated. thank you for supporting the retailers that support those pretty pieces*

valentine’s day gift guide| for her

~ thoseprettypieces ~ 1 Comment

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monogram | mug | perfume | sweatshirt | nespresso | stitch fix gift card

we are only a few weeks away from Valentines Day so I thought I would put together a little gift guide. these items are perfect for a friend, sister, mom or even to show your significant other to give ideas for YOU. flowers and dinner seem to be the norm so I thought I’d share some items that are out of the ordinary!

this monogram necklace has been a “most worn” item of mine this year! they come in a variety of finishes and sizes. {I believe mine is 2.5 inches, 16 in chain and in the gold acrylic} I love giving personalized gifts and this one is just perfect!

this mug is adorable and its pink. sold.

viva la juicy by juicy couture has been one of my favorite scents for quite a while! it is a little more florally than the original which is what I like most about it.

Christine Andrew’s boutique ILY couture has some super cute graphic tees and sweatshirts for valentines day. I also love this one and this one.

you’ve heard me talk about my starbucks verismo machine before and this nespresso machine looks equally as great. these machines are a great investment and will save you $$$$ if you’re known to frequent the starbucks drive thru {you know who you are}

a  stitch fix gift card is another great idea! I even heard that one of my friends husbands ordered her a stitch fix {filled out the style profile for her and everything} and was spot on with all her measurements and style preferences. what a guy!

do you have any other gift ideas?

XO Lo

*this post contains affiliate links and I may be compensated. thank you for supporting the retailers that support those pretty pieces*

curl your hair with me

~ thoseprettypieces ~ 2 Comments

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I recently bought this 25mm NuMe curling wand from Ulta after my beloved 1 inch curling iron died. I decided on the 25 mm size because my hair is just below my shoulders. however, if your hair is longer you may like the 32 mm (1.25 inches) better.  i love the loose curls i get with this wand and thought i would show you how i do it!

section your hair by pulling back the top layer at your temples. secure with a croc clip. {you can find the clips i use here}

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lets get started!

you will want to divide your hair into even vertical sections. {generally the rule of thumb is to use a section the same width as the iron you’re using: 1 inch iron, 1 inch sections. however, I like the look of a looser curl so I take a wider section} wrap your hair around the wand away from your face until you reach the back of your head. I try to wrap as much of the strand as possible around the wand without burning myself. you may not be able to get the entire end wrapped around and that is ok! {the wand does come with a glove to prevent burning yourself, but I like to live on the edge and choose not to use it} repeat these steps on the other side wrapping the hair around the wand away from your face.

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after you have finished curling the bottom layer, let that top layer down.

again, divide your hair into even vertical sections and curl away from your face. after you finish the top layer you may want to go through and add some extra curls to the side of your part with more hair.

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after my hair is curled all the way, i like to run my fingers through the curls to loosen them up and make them less “perfect.” then i will finish with a layer of hair spray.

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here is the end result!

products i used:

one | two | three

XO Lo

minnesota girl

~ thoseprettypieces ~ 4 Comments

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tee {from caribou coffee} | cardigan {old from hm, similar} | jeans | hunter boots

this tee just explains some things i love most: minnesota and coffee. this tee was a part of my  december wish list and my husband and i had to scour a few caribou coffees to find it in my size because i just had to have it. I grew up in minnesota and my parents and in-laws both live there. there are days i just long to be in small town minnesota out on the lakes. my husband and I have lived in north dakota for 6 years and we are really hoping that we can move back to minnesota after he graduates. {fingers crossed!}

my hunter boots were a Christmas gift from my in-laws. they always seem to get me something amazing that I have always wanted without even asking! but lets be real, who doesn’t want a pair of hunter boots?! they go so well with any causal outfit and are awesome in the snow. I know they are pricey, but I think they are worth the investment.  I have a trip planned for this summer and these boots will be perfect for the destination!

XO Lo

crushin’ on |5|

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happy happy friday! we did it-we made it to the weekend! it had been a while since I have done a crushin’ on post so I thought I would bring it back this week.

I saw this purse on the small things blog’s post yesterday. lighter colored purses are going to be really popular this spring and I love the shape and size of this one.

I got a sample of It cosmetics bye bye under eye from Ulta the other day and have been really impressed. it is a WATERPROOF concealer! it is super thick so a little goes a long way and man it is good stuff.

I’ve been {trying} to make a habit of working out 3 days a week. so far I’m failing, but I think having some new athletic gear could really help! I always wear pants to the gym and I love the detail in these leggings.

Lot 2029 posted on instagram about this hat this morning. I love it!

my 1 inch curling iron recently died so I picked up this 25 mm NuMe wand from Ulta. curling tutorial coming soon!

hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I have zero plans which is my favorite kind of weekend. what do y’all have planned?

XO Lo

|mascara review|

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my eyelashes are so so sad without mascara. if I had to pick one makeup product to always have in my bag it would be mascara for sure. so after reading Caitlin’s {blogger for southern curls and pearls}  best buys of 2016 post I decided to try out the mascara she claims “took the gold medal.” I’ve been reading her blog for quite a while now and love her posts and totally trust her advice! so off I went to Sephora to buy Too Face’s “better than sex” mascara. this mascara is a bit expensive so I just decided to get the travel size and I was super excited to try it!

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without mascara | two coats of “better than sex“

the first few times I tried this mascara I wasn’t quite sure if I liked it. the brush on the travel size is very chunky and I wasn’t used to that. now that I have the hang of it though i really like the way it makes my lashes look! my personal favorite has been  L’Oreal’s Voluminous mascara and even though i liked this one, i think might have to stick with my favorite! what is your “go to” mascara?

XO Lo

winter white + best parka under $60

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parka | sweater {color sold out} | jeans | booties

this parka was on my October wish list and I received it as a Christmas gift from my parents. {i wear a size small for reference} it is such a great alternative to the down puffer coats that are oh so popular. best part, its under $60!

these white jeans are a staple in my closet all year round. you know how i rave about old navy’s rockstar jeans so if you’re in the market for a new pair be sure to check these out! funny story: we go to an evangelical church and don’t do communion every sunday. every church seems to do it different. some the first sunday of the month, some the last sunday of the month etc. we haven’t figured out what rotation our church is on and I promise you that every sunday I wear these white jeans to church its communion sunday! how I haven’t gotten a huge grape juice stain on them is beyond me.

have a great Monday lovelies!

XO Lo