As most of you know, I am a dog mom and both of my boxer pups were rescues. I strongly believe in adopting pups, and giving them that second chance at the amazing life they deserve. So when Houston Pets Alive reached out to me for a little help, I jumped at the opportunity!
If you haven’t heard of Houston Pets Alive, they are a non-profit organization with a huge heart, and mission to make Houston the largest no-kill city in the country. They work to save pups from being euthanized and assist in finding them forever homes.
Myself, Kristine of Kristine’s Kaleidoscope, and Alessandra of Alessandra Laura all spent the day at the Stella Link shelter location, to learn a bit more about Houston Pets Alive, meet the animals currently up for adoption, and spread the word!
The shelter is run by an amazing and inspiring staff alongside daily volunteers – which they are always in need of! The pets are all well attended to, and are provided a private kennel, water and food bowl, with blankets and a toy. They have veterinary assistance available to care for those at risk, and strive to keep the pups as happy and comfortable as possible. While there, we spent some time walking a few of the pups and gave as many of them love as possible. The air in the shelter is full of hope, and you can feel that even in the pets. They know they are in a safe space, and are just waiting for that special someone to come and take them to their forever home.
If you are looking for ways to help out, or want further information on the pups we have featured feel free to check out the HPA website! There are so many options that one is sure to be perfect! I have even listed a few ways below!
The shelter also hosts events you can attend! Click here to see their calendar!
I hope this inspires you to help out a dog or cat in need! I was completely humbled by my time at the shelter and will be working with them again in the future to help out in whatever ways I can.
Thank you Houston Pets Alive for all you do!
For my birthday weekend I wanted to relax and have a staycation, and what better place to do so than the newest downtown Houston destination hotel, The Hotel Alessandra!
This beautiful, and might I add, glamorous hotel offers it all! From a sleek bar lounge, to a full dine in restaurant, spacious outdoor pool with a skyline view, and plush guest rooms I could not have picked a better place to unwind!
The Room
We were in a corner room so the views were spectacular! All of the appointments from bedding to the tile were perfectly selected to create a chic ambiance. I personally loved the emerald green accents, complimented by their white embroidered logo.
Amenities at a Glance
For dinner we dined at the Bardot. This in house gastro-plush bar features a fabulous view of downtown, and comfortable relaxed seating. We decided on chicken strips and a burger (so there would be plenty of fries) I must say the burger was spectacular! SO GOOD! I am thinking about going back just to eat at Bardot! The food and ambiance were perfect, and with the excellent selection of specialty drinks they offer, it is the ideal location for a date night.
Even though it was a bit chilly, I wanted to check out the other on site amenities! The Alessandra offers an outdoor pool area which was so beautiful! Again, the view of downtown seemed within arms reach and the patio chaise were perfectly placed for a retreat within the city. The the gym offered everything you need for a well rounded workout all nestled perfectly in a floor to ceiling windowed room. Soon there will even be a spa available on property – even better!
Check out the Hotel Alessandra if you are visiting Houston on vacation, or just want a weekend staycation like I did. It is the perfect hotel to unwind, but also keep you in the center of everything, just step outside and you are in the heart of downtown! I would also like to add that it is right next door to a Forever21 so shopping is just inches away! What else can you ask for?
I recently had the opportunity to collaborate with Leo & Nicole, a women’s apparel label and was able to try out, and review, a few pieces from their fall 2017 collection.
The pieces I selected included a transitional cowl neckline tunic length sweater, and a cable knit cold shoulder sweater. Both sweaters arrived promptly, and I must say, I was very impressed with the quality of the pieces. The sizing is true-to-size and the fit is flattering. The weight of the materials is excellent and the colors are vivid and beautiful.
I have enjoyed wearing both of these pieces over the past few weeks and have styled them many different ways! Leo & Nicole pieces are so easy to wear, and seamlessly fit anyone’s style! I love the classic woven designs they offer, but with a trendy spin like the cold shoulder detailing and transitional cowl neckline. These pieces are great for any age range, and are perfect for gifting and sporting this holiday season. You can accessorize to your hearts content and are sure to look ultra fabulous with Leo & Nicole!
To see some more of my favorites by this brand click here!
So I noticed a trend in the majority of my ensembles this past month and that was – I have been wearing a lot of black and white! Not just to work, but also my casual ensembles have been black and white as well! Since I noticed this trend, I wanted to round up a few of my favorite looks and share the details with you, so if you are in the mood to sport some chic black and white looks you can get inspired here!
Work Chic
This is my favorite work look right now! This lightweight sleeveless sweater from Uniqlo, is the perfect staple piece for fall because it is layerable! I am wearing it with these elastic waist paper bag pants. These pants were actually an Amazon find, and I have linked similar here. I finished the look with oversized sunnies, this gorgeous Elaine Turner Ally bag, Stella & Dot feather earrings and black patent heels. This ensemble is both dressy and comfortable! Since the pants are high waisted, they give off the illusion of slimmer, longer legs which is ultra flattering.
Dinner, Date Night Chic
So I wore this dress for my first evening at NYFW and loved how beautiful and comfortable it was! Seriously, you can wear this dress all day and not want to change! I love the pockets, mock neckline, and back cut-out accent along with the tonal plaid print. I have paired it with my favorite fall OTK boots and oversized sunnies for the perfect finishing touch.
Second under this category, I’d like to feature this couture look I wore during NYFW! This black and white look is my ultimate favorite!! The white lace top contrasting against the crystal embellished mesh skirt from Danny Nguyen Couture creates such an amazing combination!
Weekend Casual Chic
I have been living in these ripped black jeans! Seriously, wearing on repeat! The rips are in just the right places and the construction of the denim is lightweight and stretchy. I love a comfortable pair of jeans and Dear John offers just that! I am wearing them here with an oversized white tie-sleeve top which looks cute slightly tucked in. This look is perfect for sneakers to pair with sneakers or even dress it up a bit with heels! Here, I have paired the ensemble with metallic silver sneakers I picked up at Target. This look is perfect for any and all weekend errands or traveling!
My second weekend look is all black with shades of grey! This beautiful color palette is perfect for when the weather gets a little cooler! I love how the light shade of grey pairs with black. I am again in my favorite Dear John jeans, and have styled them with a fleece oversized tie-front sweater top (similar). To dress up the look I’ve added matte grey stilettos and steel earrings from Berry & Leather to complete the look.
And lastly, a cute sweater look! Nothing beats a chunky knit sweater when the temps start to drop, and that is this great piece from Romeo+Juliet Couture (similar)! This sweater is such an eye catching piece with its bold angle stripe design. I paired it with black denim, a black and white structured tote and black loafer slides! This look is fun for casual Fridays of weekend outings!
I hope this lookbook of black in white ensembles has inspired you to create one of your own! No matter the occasion, or trend black and white transcends all!
This past weekend myself, Kristine, and Alessandra went on a girl’s trip to Dallas for StyleCon. We had the pleasure of staying at the Fairmont Dallas for the weekend which was not only convenient, as it was located right across from StyleCon, but also a luxurious and relaxing getaway for the three of us!
Upon arrival, we were welcomed to a table of evening snacks and a bottle of wine. The traditionally appointed rooms are spacious and decorated elegantly leaving a relaxed at-home feel. One of my favorite special touches was the personalized toiletry items!
Since we are bloggers we travel with quite a bit of accessories. To keep everything organized, here is our shoe and handbag set up! We found the best space for these items to be the living area. I will also add the closets are spacious and provided enough hangers for the three of us to hang all of our clothing!
We stayed in an adjoining King Suite and a Double Room. The bedding was plush and extremely comfortable. When I stay at a hotel usually the first night I cannot sleep well just because I am in a new place, but at the Fairmont I fell asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow!
In the morning it was just a short elevator ride and hallway walk to Starbucks! We loved that there was one conveniently located in the hotel, perfect for getting the morning started on the right foot!
After that, we spent the day at StyleCon, which I will chat about in a separate post. Once we arrived back at the hotel, we found lemonade and sweets in the entry to welcome us back, along with a beautiful fresh floral arrangement. After refreshments it was back to the room to change and get ready for dinner!
We met up with our fellow blogger friend Zaira at Mercat Bistro, a short 0.4 miles away from the hotel. We dined in the gazebo on steak, beet salad, shrimp ravioli, bread pudding, and creme brulee! The French inspired restaurant was beautifully decorated and elegantly appointed with printed china, linen table cloths, string lights and dark green rot-iron scrolled posts.
I would also like to add in the evening turn down service was provided by the hotel including a fresh bag of ice and a bottled water.
Since the weather was so beautiful while we were at the Fairmont Dallas, we had the opportunity to check out the amenities on the Terrace floor. Here they have lovely gardens and a sparkling pool overlooking the Dallas skyline.
If you are planning a trip to Dallas, or just want a relaxing weekend getaway, this is the place to stay! You will feel comfortable, welcome and leave well rested! Thank you Fairmont Dallas for the wonderful stay, be back soon!
For NYFW, I partnered with a super cute boutique located in Tulsa named Posh! They were so sweet to provide me with two looks for my trip, which I happily curated.
So I wanted to select something travel-friendly, that would be cute and be easy to pack. Following these guidelines I selected the white split sleeve top, versatile black jeans by Dear John in the style Joyrich, a lightweight mixed print romper from Olive + Oak, and sparkling bracelets by Rustic Cuff.
Co-owner Melissa, was amazing communicating with me throughout the process! And I must speak to Posh’s customer service, which is wonderful! They boast about their superb customer service in-store, but I must say, that translates to their online experience as well! Just wonderful!
The pieces were packaged so thoughtfully and arrived to me in time for my travels, despite shipping delays from Hurricane Harvey. I tried everything on and all of the pieces fit perfectly! I especially loved the way the jeans fit! I am hard to size when it comes to denim but Dear John is apparently a great brand for my figure! This is something else I would like to call out about Posh. They sell clothing that fits how it should fit nothing is misleading, or unflattering which I really appreciate! You can tell their assortment was well thought out with no fillers, just excellent merchandise!
So the first look I created was for my air travel to NYC. I wanted something comfortable, but also cute…something oversized but not baggy. This look was the perfect match for what I was looking for in a traveling ensemble! The white top I am wearing is in a size small for reference. I kept my accessories minimal with just the white Rustic Cuff bracelet and my favorite pair of oversized sunnies.
For the second look I paired the adorable, Olive + Oak lightweight button front romper with my Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Steve Madden boots, a burgundy lip, this oversized felt hat that I picked up at Marshalls, and a slouchy grey hobo from Kenneth Cole. I seriously wore this ensemble all over Manhattan! The relaxed fit and dual pocket design make it the perfect piece to trot around town in. From fashion shows, to meetings, and even the subway I managed to stay comfortable, confident and cute in this piece!
My experience with Posh was fantastic! Every piece on their site is of quality, and in my opinion, all pairs well together. The pieces’ compliment each other from department to department and the prices are extremely affordable for what you get!
If you are interested in shopping at Posh Tulsa, the great news is they have a website so you do not have to live in Tulsa to shop with them! Check out their site today and receive 25% off of your order with the code “HALEY”
I love gingham, but find myself rarely purchasing it. Maybe its because its usually just for summer? Maybe its because its normally offered in pastels, not too sure. But when I spotted this black and white embroidered gingham top on Amazon, I had to have it! The colors and sleeve length are perfect for transition to fall, so you can wear it in other seasons…not just the spring and summer!
I decided to pair this look with black skinny jeans and platform wedges, as this blends well with the gingham print, and accessorized with my black sunglasses and red lip ito finish off the retro vibe!
This look is so fun and totally revolves around this amazing top! The material is lightweight, and features elbow length bell sleeves. The floral embroidery is elegant with pops of beautiful reds. I love the fit and shape of the piece which is perfect for a slightly dressier look.
The Perfect Retro Red Lipstick
The lipstick I am wearing is actually YSL Glossy Lip Stain and I must say, this lipstick is wonderful! The formula is hydrating and very buildable. I love the coverage and lasting design! – Not to mention the gorgeous packaging! I think this shade compliments the look impeccably! Sometimes the smallest of details can make all of the difference!
If there is one piece of clothing everyone needs in their wardrobe, it is a chambray top. This is honestly one of the most versatile and transitional pieces around! From shorts in the summer to layered under sweaters in the winter, this piece will carry you through the seasons. And, another thing that makes this top a must, is no matter your style, you can work chambray into your wardrobe.
To show you just how versatile it can be, I have teamed up with Kristine from Kristines Kalidoscope, and Lan from Thelanline to give you three different style options that you can wear now!
Each of us will be sharing their outfit breakdown on their blog, so check it out! Here I will be sharing my look, enjoy!
So I decided to go with a printed pant and a fall transition palette. The tonal green of the camo print (similar) really makes the blue of the chambray pop! I wanted a more oversized fit so I purchased this top in a medium. The relaxed fit gives this a more casual feel, perfect for pairing with printed jeans and sneakers.
Speaking of sneakers, I chose faux suede mesh inspired sneakers from MIA and a cognac messenger bag to complete the look. The warm tones blend well together and give this look a finished touch. Once the weather cools I would layer a tan sweater over the chambray and add gold tone accessories to transform the look.
For some shoe inspo, here is a closeup of our selections. As you can see the color options are limitless with chambray, as well as the level of dressiness you want to take it!
So here’s to having fun the last few days of summer, and enjoy creating unique ensembles with chambray!
When I think of a luaus or Hawaiian print my first thoughts are of those terrifyingly tacky shirts people wear on vacation. You know… those vacation shirts that should not exist? Yea, those! Luckily there is a fabulous alternative to the Hawaiian print that has received such a bad rap!
Enter this beautiful dress from SaraBoo! The color palette is the first thing that really takes this print to the luxe level. And with the added cut-outs and shift silhouette, this dress is the ultimate representation of vacationing at its best!
Seriously though this is the perfect summer dress for vacation or any daytime event! The material is lightweight and easy to pack! It is unlined but does not require a slip. I decided to pair this piece with my favorite Mirina Collections necklace, my ceramic white Mickey Mouse watch(I was really channeling vaca vibes) and sparkling sandals from Olivia Miller. The silver accessories really pop against this print and complete the look perfectly.
So before your next vacation ditch that campy Hawaiian print top and get your hands on this fabulous dress from SaraBoo! Your photo reel will thank you!
Now that I have had the A Perfect World line for over a month, and have been using a few of the products in my daily routine, I wanted to provide you all with a quick review of the products I love and what results I have actually seen from using them on a daily basis!
So the 4 products I will be reviewing include:
Origins A Perfect World Age Defense Eye Cream with SPF 20
Origins A Perfect World Age Defense Skin Guardian
Origins A Perfect World Age Defense Treatment Lotion with White Tea
Origins A Perfect World Antioxidant Cleanser with White Tea
I really wanted to share my opinion with you after continuous use of the products, and specifically the changes I have seen in my skin over the past month.
So lets start with the Treatment Lotion with White Tea. I have been using this product in the morning when I wake up and at night before bed. The scent is consistent with the rest of the line, and since it is alcohol-free it doesn’t irritate or burn the skin, eye area, or nose. I apply this product to a cotton ball and glide it across my face. The product is cool and tightens my pores effortlessly. It leaves skin feeling clean with a slight tightening sensation.
Once the Treatment Lotion has dried, I apply the Skin Guardian. This product is by far my favorite from the line. The texture is like a gel, and leaves my skin feeling like silk! I use 1.5 pumps and disperse the product over my face evenly. I can definitely tell a difference in my skin overnight from this product. My skin is softer and smoother. In the mornings it makes makeup application so simple and gives me a “primed” canvas to smoothly apply my liquid foundation.
At night when I shower, I use the Antioxidant Cleanser with White Tea. This creamy cleanser removes all dirt and make up from my face, leaving my skin feeling squeaky clean, yet not over dried. I am prone to breakouts and redness but I have noticed since I have started using this product, and this line in general, my skin has balanced out and I create less oil on my forehead, my redness has subsided, and uneven texture and breakouts are minimal – if even at all! If you are thinking of trying out this line, I would recommend purchasing this product first.
I have been finding the eye cream most valuable on days I decide not to wear makeup. It lightens the area under my eyes a slight bit while hydrating. Plus, the added bonus of the sunscreen means I am protected while letting my skin breathe.
My regimen:
AM: Treatment Lotion with White Tea – Skin Guardian – Eye cream
PM: Antioxidant Cleanser with White Tea – Treatment Lotion with White Tea – Skin Guardian
If you are debating on trying out the collection, I highly recommend it for breakout prone skin, prone to t-zone oiliness, redness, and even if you just want something with anti-aging properties. This line has truly worked wonders on my skin, and I love that I can feel good about the product that I am using because it is from Origins!
I hope you have found this review helpful, and will give this line a try!