thursday latelies

Can't see the video? Click HERE

Goodness it's been too long!

Yes, the braces are off.

Yes, I said another college degree.

And yes...I did say Boston!

I swear I'm not having a mid-life crisis (I'm not mid-life). We're planning every last detail. 

I'm spontaneous...not crazy - ok I'm not completely crazy.

Are you from Boston, been to Boston, seen Boston on a map?

 Great! Tell me everything...I'm all ears!

I've got sunshine...

Sweater  |  Skirt  |  Ring  |  Watch  |  Flats  |  Sunnies: AE  |  Nails: Essie "Armed & Ready"

...obviously. 

I typically get irked when the sunshine blinds out my photo sessions but when your skirt harnesses the power of the sun itself somehow it only seems right. So, here's to you sunshine!

Shine on!

Did you win the GENS du MONDE giveaway? Check HERE!

friday giveaway - Rissy Roo's

I can't wait to introduce you all to the gal behind the scenes of Rissy Roo's, where this week's amazing giveaway comes from! Larisa definitely has a talent for creating unique accessories...I mean skull earrings? Yes, please! Her shop is full of goodies made from fresh and recycled pieces that are sure to make a statement in your outfits!

Meet Larisa of Rissy Roo's:

I'm a hairstylist by day, and crafter by night.  I live down the street from a beautiful beach, get to see a sunrise every day, have a crazy Italian family and an amazing fiance'.  My goal is to keep busy and conquer all I can while I'm still young enough to do it.  I am a big fan of nice people, colorful hair, coffee, music, and peace.

Giveaway:

$35 shop credit!

How to enter:

1) Be a follower of this blog with Google Friend Connect!

2)  Visit Rissy Roo's and comment below on your favorite piece!

Extra entries:

(one entry for each! Make each entry in separate comments to count!)

1) Like Rissy Roo's on Facebook HERE

2) Heart/Favorite Rissy Roo's on Etsy HERE

3) Follow Rissy Roo's on Twitter HERE

4) Follow Rissy Roo's on Pinterest HERE

5) Follow me on Twitter HERE

6) Follow me on Bloglovin HERE

7) Follow me on Instagram HERE

8) Follow me on Pinterest HERE

9) Tweet, Facebook, or blog about this giveaway & comment for each

Feel free to copy & paste this tweet:

"I really want to win the @RissyRoo0924 $35 shop credit on @SimplyBoldBlog ! http://bit.ly/Umd4do"

Don't want to wait?:

Use code "LOVEBOLD" for 25% off at checkout!

Giveaway is open to Simply Bold readers with a US mailing address! Closes on Friday, September 28th at midnight CST! I'll announce the winner the following week!

P.S. The GENS du MONDE Giveaway for a gorgeous gold anchor bracelet ends tonight!

Update: The winner is...Brittany! Congrats girlie! Send me an email

guest post - Looking Glass

Today, I get the pleasure of introducing you all to Lissa from Looking Glass! This girl is crazy adorable and super thrifty! Her blog is chocked full of her life, love, and fashion...and trust me here - Lissa can put together a mean outfit! I'm so excited that she's sharing these amazing tips with you today! I have a love for dusting off treasures and finding gems while thrifting... now I'm going to be on the hunt for new blazers for this Fall...Take it away Lissa!

BLOUSE//thrifted  DENIM//thrifted  HANDBAG//lulu's  PLATFORMS//steve madden  NECKLACE//thrifted  WATCH//michael kors

hellooooo, simply bold-ers!

my name's lissa & i'm from the looking glass.

i'm honored to be here today. kristina's sense of style

is just impeccable & she inspires me to try new things.

today i'm going to share with you the...

TOP 5 THINGS TO THRIFT//

BELTS//

amazing belts are all the rage these days: with skirts, over sweaters, 

paired with button downs... yada, yada. (after all, isn't kristina the belt-styling 

queen? seriously, i look at her photos and wonder how in the world she did that

kind of magic on a plain old belt??!) belts are kind of expensive. even plastic ones

can cost up to $16... really? a lot of thrift stores have quality leather belts in a variety
of colors & designs. belts aren't in high demand so they're usually at a low price point.

JEWELRY//

thrift stores are a gold mine (literally!) of quality jewelry. of course, this is

not an easy job. you have to dig through a lot of junk in order to find the quality

pieces. look for 925 silver or 14k gold markings! trust me, they're buried in there! most

of the time, people get tired of cleaning out their closets and just dump their old jewelry.

FEMININE BLOUSES//

see that blouse in the picture above? i thrifted it. for $2. yep. i love how

it's very equipment blouse-esque. it's seriously one of my absolute favorite

go-to's. this style of blouse has just been recycled for decades. cut out shoulder

pads, itchy tags, and roll up the sleeves. you just saved yourself a whole lotta monies!

FURNITURE//

i realize that i'm going out on a limb here & risk sounding like

a really old lady, but they don't make furniture like they used to. now,

don't get me wrong, i love me some ikea and target, but it's just not made

out of the same quality wood and crafted with timeless carpentry. (check
for dovetailed corners!) you'll get amazing thrifted furniture for nearly nothing.

strip & treat the wood (visit me next week for my formula!); add a little paint, if that

strikes your fancy; and VOILA! you have furniture that looks amazing & will last for years.

BLAZERS//

blazers with brass buttons are hot today. everybody wants one.

before you go out and splurge, check out your local thrift store!

they are brimming with well-made, wool blazers in every color of

the rainbow. for pennies. (like $5-$8 in comparison to the j. crew $200!)

i hope these points have encouraged you to save 

some cash & hunt for some gems this week!

be sure to visit me & let me know of your finds!

xo

easy breezy

DIY Denim Vest  |  Necklace  |  Watch  Skirt  |  Flats

On drizzly days, I get an overwhelming urge to wear color. Ok, the same generally goes for days that are sunny, cold, or end in "day". It took several attempts and a pile on my closet floor to figure out what would go with such a feminine and bright skirt. So I reverted to denim, duh. But not any denim, oh no! This was a fabulously tacky western denim jacket for $2 at the thrift store. What? How did nobody scoop this up yet?! Ok, from my description I'm sure you know why. Off came the extra rivets and of course the sleeves and wa-la! Vintage denim vest for two smackeroos!

Are you Nicole? You won the Tzunuum Giveaway! Send me an email!

friday giveaway - GENS du MONDE

I'm sure you're all familiar with my love of stacked bracelets and unique pieces. Are you familiar of my love affair with all things nautical? There's something so calming about the ocean and having a little token to remind me of sound of waves and the sun on my face is pure heaven. This week's giveaway is from GENS du MONDE and their anchor bracelets are the perfectly chic way to get my nautical bliss in year 'round and add to my arm party! Win-Win!

Meet GENS du MONDE:

GENS du MONDE - people of the world. Broadly understood as fashionable people, leaders in society, trendsetters. Operating out of Toronto, Canada, GENS du MONDE juxtaposes the worlds of streetwear and high fashion to produce innovative designs with a unique aesthetic. Our statement pieces are unisex, stackable, and versatile: suitable for any occasion. Handmade with high-quality materials, our designs are inspired by the diverse peoples and cultures of Toronto. We aspire to build and international reputation and one day develop a complete luxury ready-to-wear line.

Giveaway:

Gold Anchor Bracelet in Winner's color choice!

How to enter:

1) Be a follower of this blog with Google Friend Connect!

2)  Like GENS du MONDE on Facebook HERE & comment below!

Extra entries:

(one entry for each! Make each entry in separate comments to count!)

1) Comment on GENS du MONDE wall letting them know your favorite piece HERE!

2) Click on your favorite product & use the option on it's page to share via Facebook or twitter HERE

3) Facebook, blog, or tweet about GENS du MONDE HERE

4) Follow me on Twitter HERE

5) Follow me on Bloglovin HERE

6) Follow me on Instagram HERE

7) Follow me on Pinterest HERE

8) Tweet, Facebook, or blog about this giveaway & comment for each

Feel free to copy & paste this tweet:

"I entered to win a gold anchor bracelet to add to my arm party on @SimplyBoldBlog from GENSduMONDE! http://bit.ly/UQzSUC"

Don't want to wait?:

Use code "SIMPLYBOLD" for 15% off! 

(Expires October 31, 2012)

Giveaway is open to all Simply Bold readers...International readers, this means you too! Closes on Friday, September 21st at midnight CST! I'll announce the winner the following week!

PS The Tzunuum Giveaway ends tonight! Trust me, you'll want this gorgeous leather collar necklace for Fall!


Update! And the winner is...agnieszkazg! Congratulations! Send me an email!

thursday latelies - colorado style

picture. overload. Gold star for making it to the bottom!

Colorado, I miss you already. Your gorgeous mountains, clean air, and Breckenridge are almost enough to make me pack up and not look back. Thank you for the stunning and paranormal Stanley Hotel (complete with the infamous room 217, muahahaha!). Coors Brewery? Yes, please. Red rock is one of your finest creations and the amazing acoustics were astounding. Thanks for the tip to yell while on the stage - the crazy looks were well worth the pleasure of hearing myself in maximum stereo. The popping of my rice quakes bag because of the altitude cracked me up. My ears? not quite as funny...but I get it so no hard feelings, ok? I'll definitely be back, maybe this winter to make my attempt at skiing. So if you can prepare for that atrocity, I recommend it. In the meantime, stay beautiful and don't change a thing, except for snow...you may want to start that prior to my skiing accident otherwise it won't be a believable story.

fall-ing

Hat c/o Oasap  |  Dress  |  Necklace c/o Fresh Tangerine  |  Watch  | DIY twig bracelet  |  Heels: Vintage

I'm back from Colorado! The word of the trip was gorgeous with several lovely's sprinkled in. I'm officially jealous of those of you who live in that crisp clean air! When we visited the mountains, the slight chill in the air and yellow turn of the leaves had my heart aflutter. Now I'm craving Fall like nobody's business; the rich fall colors , layers - oh my the layers, and wool hats. Speaking of, did you notice the heart cut-outs along the brim of my hat? Love.

Also, I have to give my mom credit for my gorgeous vintage heels...dang she's on a roll. First the floral jeans and now this? She bought them when she was sixteen. Ok, so they weren't vintage when she had them but they are now, and they're mine, and I'm in love!

P.S. did you enter the Tzunuum Giveaway for a stunning leather collar necklace? It's on my Fall must-have list and will be sheer perfection over a sweater!

friday giveaway - Tzunuum {CLOSED}

While I'm away in Colorado, I couldn't forget about you all now could I? I'm so excited to introduce you all to Raphaela, the owner and creator of Tzunuum! Raphaela has some killer skills - from jewelry to leather bags - and this week one of you will score an amazing piece from her shop! Let's just say I have a list a mile long of pieces I'm drooling over so I'm jealous to say the least because this collar is on the top of my Fall must-haves. It's just screaming to be styled over a sweater or under a collar! Take it away Raphaela...

Meet Raphaela of Tzunuum:

Tzunuum is a direct reflection of my own world, merging mythical and tribal influences with modern aesthetics. I wish for every woman to be the queen of their own universe and for all the dreamers to rise from the big grey crowd!

All of my creations are designed from vintage and dead stock materials for a more sustainable approach of fashion.

Giveaway:

The winner will score the Siouxsie Geometric Collar!

Worth $49!

How to enter:

1) Be a follower of this blog with Google Friend Connect!

2)  Like Tzunuum on Facebook HERE & comment below!

Extra entries:

(one entry for each! Make each entry in separate comments to count!)

1) Heart/add Tzunuum to your Etsy favorites HERE

2) Follow Tzunuum on Twitter HERE

3) Follow Made by Raphaela Blog HERE

4) Follow Tzunuum on Tumblr HERE

5) Follow Tzunuum on Pinterest HERE

6) Follow me on Twitter HERE

7) Follow me on Bloglovin HERE

8) Follow me on Instagram HERE

9) Follow me on Pinterest HERE

10) Tweet, Facebook, or blog about this giveaway & comment for each

Feel free to copy & paste this tweet:

"I want to win the perfect collar necklace from @oooTZUNUUMooo on @SimplyBoldBlog ! http://bit.ly/Q2ymhU"

Don't want to wait?:

Use code "SIMPLYBOLDLOVE" for 20% off any item in the store!

Giveaway is open to all Simply Bold readers...International readers, this means you too! Closes on Friday, September 14th at midnight CST! I'll announce the winner the following week!

Colorado, here I come!

Source: tabithaemma.com via Jackie on Pinterest

With the help from this amazing video (thanks Linda!) my bags are packed and I'm on my way to Colorado! No worries, I won't be gone long - too bad because this girl needs a seriously long vacation. We're just heading out for a girls getaway to celebrate Kattie's birthday! Yup, Jake and his sis Kattie share a birthday - 4 years apart!

Source: visittelluride.com via Colorado on Pinterest

There'll be plenty of shopping, hiking, good food, amazing people, stunning scenery, and of course a tour of Coors brewery and Stanley Hotel. What can I say, if you say haunted hotel - I'm there. Wanna follow along in the fun? Follow me on Instagram!

Is nothing new?

Top  |  Jeans  |  Scarf Necklace c/o EcoShag  |  Mint bracelet c/o Fresh Tangerine  |  Cross Bracelet  |  Watch  |  Flatforms  | Clutch: Anthro

When I ecstatically pulled my new floral friend from my shopping bag the look on Jake's face said it all...utter disapproval. It's pretty rare that he ever has an opinion about my duds but from time to time it happens. I sat in mourning when I thought about my mom, who let's face it, will always tell me her opinion - even when I don't ask for it. I text her a pic and immediately got a phone call, "I had a pair just like that when I was your age! Keep them! Pleasssse!" 

Wha? Really? So here I am loving my floral jeans and wishing my mom could locate hers - secretly so I can "borrow"them, return mine, and spend the money on more lovelies for my closet - and even more secretly because I miss dressing like a mini-me with her...you know your mom use to dress you too. Sometimes it's just easier that way.