Monday 31 March 2014

Warby Parker, the blind girl's BFF.

We've discussed my blindness before; but have we hit upon my cheapness yet? I love shopping, and I love spending money, but nothing gets me going more than when I hit a great product, at a wicked deal. Enter Warby Parker. My beloved glasses are on their last arms (ha ha glasses pun), with the hinge just waiting to break. I happen to work above my optometrist's office, so I went down to see if they could fix them, no luck. Obviously needing to buy new ones (although I gave serious thought to duct taping the arm and making that a new thing..), I asked how much I'm looking at spending here: "Well, you're a year overdue on an eye exam so that's $150 right off the bat, then with your 'special' prescription, you're looking at $300 for the lenses, then the cost of whatever frames you choose." So, around $600, minimum. MINIMUM. Not, a f-cking chance. Before I could have a panic attack followed up with a "I'm too broke for this shit" ugly cry (those are really fun), it was like the blogging gods blessed me with a break, and I got an email from Brian at Warby Parker. Like clearlycontacts, they do a lot of their sales online. They do have store fronts, but are only in LA, New York & Boston. Now, unlike clearlycontacts, for every pair they sell, they donate a pair to someone in need. Best part? Glasses & lenses for a total of $120 ($160 for me, since any regular lenses look like coke bottles and I have to get the fancy ones.). !!! $120! Sign. Me. UP. I haven't taken the plunge quite yet because I'm undecided on a few pairs, front runners being these & these. Opinions?

With their new summer sunglasses collection just launching, I thought it would be fun to style some of their frames in the meantime. Because who doesn't love playing virtual dress-up? For the outfits, I chose to do the "Minnie Eucalyptus", the "Downing Striped Sassafras" & the "Piper Woodland Tortoise", in that order. How fun is the word Sassafras, anyway? That alone should be a deal maker.

Great Blog! (Brizzie Styles) - breezylutz@gmail.com - Gmail - Google Chrome 33114 104821 AM.bmp{Minnie}c600x769{Downing}
c600x626{Piper}c600x617

 

*this is a sponsored post, though all opinions are my own.

Tuesday 25 March 2014

Pinterest, you so silly.

Good lord, I love Pinterest. I mean, I'm a girl in my mid-twenties (it actually burns to say it like that, sorry ladies over their mid-twenties, but it's a hard pill to swallow), I enjoy pretty things, cute outfits and food; it's basically my bible, online. But man oh man, there are some se-e-erious fails on that website. I often wonder how many people actually believe some of the horrible "disaster waiting to happen" pins, or just some of the "unless you're the second coming Martha Stewart, don't even fucking bother" pins.

1. For instance, I have had it with these pins that include putting peanut butter on a raw banana. How the fuck are you doing this!? Share your secrets, people. I too would enjoy a banana covered in peanut butter rolled in rice krispies treat, but when I try it, this is how it looks:nailed it Rice Krispies Peanut Butter Banana “Sushi”#nailedit.


2. How fat are some of these people pinning these foods?! "My family absolutely loved this homemade mac & cheese, there wasn't even any for leftovers!" No shit, it has a pound of cheese and two sticks of butter in it, with a splash of whipped cream, only an alien wouldn't devour that.

3. Keep this is mind while looking at the super cute picture of that fantastic outfit that has layered a chunky sweater over-top of a button up, a jean jacket, and either a chunky jacket or massive scarf: that is probably the 101st picture taken of said outfit, and that is the one angle that makes that outfit work, without making the model look a couple shades of knocked up.

4. Ladies, maybe it's just my skin is so sensitive that just looking at the pin makes me break out in a rash, but seriously: a cinnamon and nutmeg paste on your face for 20 minutes will for sure erase your acne scars, because it will burn the absolute piss out of your skin. End of story.

5. Don't even get me started on some of the fitness pins these people make. I'm really sorry, but 20 squats, 20 jumping jacks and 40 crunches didn't just burn 100 calories. Life isn't that fair. If it was, we'd all have wash board abs and perky little booties. Last time I checked, I had neither.

7. Rule #1 of Pinterest. Do not look at the food section while hungry and or dieting. It is ten thousand times worse than going grocery shopping hungry. You will regret it almost immediately, and cry into your bowl of frozen grapes while drooling over the caramel cheesecake bars. Trust.

Thursday 20 March 2014

Put a little spring in your step.

One post a month, that's not a very good average is it..? Whoops.

First day of Spring!! Can you feel it? Can you feel picnics, flowers, sunshine and flip flops coming nearer? I can, and it's got me thinking outfits, as per usual. Here's the thing with myself, I'm not a very "out there" dresser. I like the odd unusual/quirky piece (have you ever tried explaining a "kimono" to a guy? Here's what I got - "you mean the dragon? pretty sure that's a dragon you're talking about"), but I will always pair it with neutrals to tone down the overall look. So for some of the bigger trendy pieces hot this spring: bold prints, neon, etc. It's not exactly my thing, but I like the look. Therefore, I've thrown together a little looksy at how to use these two trickier trends to your advantage, while staying comfortable.

First up, printed trouser pants.

c600x635These are shockingly versatile. I have a leopard pair myself, and a black & white tribal pair. I tend to keep everything else basic-ish with them, and keep my usual love of pattern mixing at home when I decide to wear these. If paired with a looser fitting shirt, the half-tuck makes for the most flattering silhouette. Don't forget to accesorize, or it may look like you're still in your jammies when you walk into work/the grocery store/your date.

Next, neons. I'm not going to lie, I do not like neons very much. They remind me of Ravers, and 13 year old girls. Not a fan. But, if used very sparingly, as accent pieces, I find they can be quite appealing without being too Lisa Frank.

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Happy Thursday/International Happiness Day - literally a real thing/ First day of Spring! xo