Oct 31, 2012

PopSugar Must Have Box - October

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!


This month's PopSugar Must Have Box Rocks!!

This months box is comprised of all kinds of goodies.
I love this subscription service, it is seriously one of the best out there, and I have tried most of them.

I was super excited and anxious for it's arrival. I left my kid's in the car and rushed this sucker inside, set it on the counter and actually pulled out a knife to cut the tape away. Then, I remembered my kid's were in the car still (okay, well maybe my daughter reminded me by yelling MOM!). Whatevs, it's like getting a awesome present every month - call it Christmas. 

I just need a note card that says - To me. LOVE, Me. 
   


The Skeleton heads and pumpkins were my own addition as they were readily available on the table.
I thought it added some Halloween flair. 


Red Flower Petal Topped Candle
Smells amazing!! 


 OPI Pink of Hearts Nail Polish Duo

Hello my Pretties!! The glittery one is super special looking. It's got small flecks of glitter with some larger brighter pink flecks mixed in. 

Crescent Moon Socks

These are so cushiony. Is that a word? It is now. Very soft, my husband actually claimed these!!

 Dylan's Candy Bar Gummy Bears

LOVE. Super cool. I do not need to go trick-or-treating now. Seriously, this is all the candy my family needs. 
Kidding. I will not deprive my kid's of the American past-time. These will last maybe five minutes between my husband and my kids. I could make them last a month!! Not Kidding. 

Clear Scalp & Hair Beauty Therapy by Unilever 

How cool is this? Shampoo & Conditioner.
Considering I am the only person in my household who purchases this sort of products, it kinda feels nice to have someone do the thinking for me. I am one of those people who stand in the hair care aisle for ten minutes reading bottles. 

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

Can I get a Heck YEAH!! Seriously, I get excited by books. I am that boring, yes. It is something that I am happily passing along to my children. Books are AWESOME. This book is super cool, and was on my read list  Hubby actually claimed this too. So I will be the second to read it. I found the dust jacket on the bookshelf and was like "Wha?" He took it off so as not to mess it up. Love that man. You have to understand how I feel about books and magazines - I cherish them. No bent pages, scratches, etc. (I need help, I know.)

On another note, this book alone costs $35.00. The box costs $35.00. 
I get asked all the time if it is worth it?? I think so. 
Add all the other products up and well it's a good deal.
The surprise and anticipation every month is so much fun too.

Pirate's Bootie Aged White Cheddar Puffs

I opened these to try them and gave one to my son to try. He ate the rest of the bag. They were yummy. Well the two that I was able to wrangle away from him anyway. 


For more information on Popsugar's Must Have box: http://popsu.gr/tsT


Oct 30, 2012

Running Series - Part 2 - Get Clearance.


My first running installment regarded that of my own running story. I felt it was important to share how my journey began so that you know I started with virtually no training, but discovered something I LOVE. 

You will find that most runners have a story of how they began their running journey. It is a journey that will never end. You will slack off, speed up, take breaks, get injuries, life will get in the way, etc. BUT you will evolve. 

Now I feel that it is important that your NEXT step be about getting clearance. 

First and foremost, GET MEDICAL CLEARANCE. Especially if you:
  • have been sedentary for a long time
  • have not attempted to run ever before
  • have never attempted any form of exercise
  • are pregnant
  • are overweight / underweight
  • over 65
  • have a history of heart trouble
  • have diabetes, borderline or full on
  • are a smoker
  • have high blood pressure
  • have joint issues
  • have blood circulation issues
  • have any other medical condition that might hinder your abilities
This is important. Running puts strain on your body and your joints. It increases your hear rate, accelerating the rate at which it pumps blood, throwing your blood pump into overdrive. While this is GOOD. It might be harmful if you have a history of or an underlying condition that you do not know of.

It is always better to be safe. Getting clearance does not mean that you will not experience injury or setbacks. But it gives you the knowledge that you are healthy enough to start. I really can not express that to you enough. There are so many factors that come into play when you think about running, let this one be one you can mark off your list. 

Keep in mind I am not a professional runner. My running education stems from my own personal research and trial and error. It's what works for ME, it might not be for everyone. Just some ideas to keep in your mind.

Now that we have that boring but very important factor out of the way Part 3 will regard Shoes. The second most important factor. 

XX ~ E 

Kate Spade Idiom Bracelet - Ohh La La



This has to be the prettiest packaging I have seen in a while. 
I have already framed the pink card. I have it sitting out in my kitchen.


She is so perfect. I love the way she looks paired with my Audrey bracelets from mrsheek.

OOTD - Friday Day to Night Transition

Oct 29, 2012

Essie Luxeffects Collection

I realized the other day that I never shared this collection. How that happened I have no idea, considering that it is one of my favorites. Of course I say that of Essie all the time.

This collection was released late last year and is still being sold in stores. An collection entirely comprised of glitters. GENIUS!! Even more genius is the Mirror Metallics collection.

*photo courtesy of Essie.com
A Cut Above (pink glitter)
Shattered pink diamond in a bottle. LOVE!! 
How pretty this looks alone. How pretty this looks layered. I love it with a creamy pink or a deep red. 
Own it. 

*photo courtesy of Essie.com
Set In Stones (silver glitter)
Disco anyone? I got this in a Birchbox and love to wear it over any shade. Most recently I have enjoyed painting it onto just the tip of my statement nail. 
Own it. 

*photo courtesy of Essie.com
Stroke of Brilliance (blue glitter)
This is the only way I can wear blue. It looks awesome with taupe, gray and greige. Looks equally as good with a black. 
Own it. 

*photo courtesy of Essie.com
As Gold As It Gets (lame sparkles)
This is a very refined glitter polish, it has little flecks of gold in it. 
It is the only one of the collection that I do not own, and that is because I have a gold glitter in the OPI line. 

*photo courtesy of Essie.com
Pure Pearlfection (Iridescent)
Like a pearl in a bottle. Literally. Just a little pearly shade that looks awesome over a true white. It just pearlizes any color you layer it with. 
Own it. 



These polishes were meant to be layered as top coats or worn alone as just sheer glitter. So pretty either way. As a fellow statement nail wearer (is that a word?) these are must haves in my collection.

What are your must have statement nail picks?

XX ~ E

Oct 26, 2012

Running Series - My Story

*Image borrowed from gorunstayfit.co

This post will begin my Running Series. 
I get so many messages questioning my running routine. How do you run? How often? How fast? When do you find the time? What do you need? How do you start?

I will try and answer all these questions over the duration of this series. 

Keep in mind I am not a professional runner. My running education stems from my own personal research and trial and error. It's what works for ME, it might not be for everyone. This series will be just some ideas for you to keep in your mind. 

I started running at the age of 18. Before then I actively avoided being outside at all. Sweat was not something that was in my teenage vocabulary. I danced ballet and tap growing up and loved that. But the idea of "working out" was lost on me. Of course I was a teenager with a great metabolism who could eat a Twinkie and drink a coke for lunch every day. I avoided gym class like the plague, there was always some reason that I could not participate. Sadly, if I had actually tried I might have known early that I had a love for running. I probably would have run track in high school. I also would have had a gym teacher or coach who would have laid he groundwork of guidance for a good running foundation. 

My dad was a runner. He was in great shape and he found the time to run when we were very little. He would run with some kid's down the street at our local park. One of those kid's would be my future husband. I remember seeing my dad in his super cool running short shorts and those super cool two stripe knee length tube socks. It was the 80s.  

At 18 my future husband and I dated for the first time. LOL, that sounds funny. Yes the first time. He was a runner and I started to tag along. I took my dad's running partner (my husband is older than me, not the same age as my dad mind you.)  I could not even run ten feet. He would run the entire track at the park four or five times. I had no idea what a mile was. Slowly he coached me on pace, breathing, stride, he taught me how to run. Now we broke up for some years. Hey, I was 18. But I knew even then that he was the man I would marry. I needed to grow up though. 

I kept running. Nothing great or anything. Just building on what he taught me. I started to be able to run half of the track, then slowly the entire track and then two times around the track. Little by little I built up my distance and worked on my speed. At 22 I dated my husband for the second time and we were married by the time I was 23. Working out together was just something we did daily. 

I had my daughter when I was 25. THAT is when I went into workout overdrive. I had baby weight to get rid of. Running did that for me. I started to notice my leg tone change, my quads popped, my calves slimmed down. I started to feel strong. I equate feeling strong with both becoming a mother and knowing what I am capable of as a human being and real physical strength. 


*Image is borrowed from ifitshereitship.blogspot.com

Then right before I got pregnant with my son at the age of 28 my running stamina went through the roof and peaked again after my son's birth when I was losing the baby weight again. Since then and right now I am on fire!! I also do Turbofire by Beachbody to cross train. 

I just run. I love it. My energy throughout the day is awesome.  I can keep up with my kids. It gives me a high and it keeps me in shape. It gives me great looking legs, keeps my belly flat and I can eat whatever I want too if I run. That's the bottom line. 

I have always been more concerned about being physically fit and feeling strong than with actual weight. I feel that if you try to become your strongest and fittest weight falls off as a factor. 

As for finding time, 

I MAKE it. One of Chalene's sayings in the Turbofire videos is about making a date with yourself. This is so true. Schedule it. Tell yourself that you are going to work out that day and do it. I workout at home while my kid's play. I run outside or on my treadmill. You do not need a gym to work out. I am fortunate enough to have a treadmill, but you can easily just open your front door or go to the local park and run. 

In fact I would waste more time going to a gym - making sure my kid's are watched, getting in and out of the car, driving to the gym, collecting my kid's - than I do just working out at home. AND I can have dinner in the oven or slightly cooking the entire time. Plus a load of laundry going and my daughter doing her homework. Multi tasking all while working out. 

Now there are a lot of components to running and I will touch on those in the upcoming posts. For now get yourself ready and empowered. Decide that you want to make a change and become the best you that you can be. It is easy to sit around and think about doing it. Get up and actually do it. You will grow to LOVE it!! 

Do it for yourself. 

You are worth it.

You will feel amazing, I promise!!

P.S. To quote one of my favorite movies, Legally Blonde:
 "Exercise gives you endorphins--endorphins make people happy and happy people just don't shoot their husbands... they just don't."

XX ~ E 

This is my part 1. Part 2 - Getting Clearance.




Oct 25, 2012

Trendsnag.com Necklace Giveaway

I am so excited to be able to offer one of these beautiful necklaces to a lucky subscriber. 
I will share more pictures tomorrow. 




Oct 24, 2012

Essie - Winter Collection 2012

YAY for a new collection.
*All photos courtesy of Essie.com

I never can get enough Essie polishes. Just when I think I have every color I might need a new collection debuts and well, there are more colors that I need.

I really can not tell you how happy the little square bottles of color make me. Giddy. Like my five year old in a candy store. Literally.

I was so excited to see an ad for this collection in a recent edition of Allure. The colors are a little unexpected for winter. So bright and happy and different from the dark and moody colors that I love. Imagine my surprise when I stumbled onto it amongst the shelves of Target. Yippee!!


*photo courtesy of Essie.com
Leading Lady (red glitter)

This one really surprised me. I initially wrote it off, but in person it was gorgeous. I have no red glitter in my collection and everyone needs a little red glitter in their life. Right? 
Picked it up already. 


*photo courtesy of Essie.com
Butler Please (bright blue)
LOVE this color. I love blues, love them. Just look at THAT color and tell me it does not make you smile. If I buy this it would be just to HAVE a bottle full of that color. I want to be able to wear blues so badly, but I have said it before they make my hands look bad. They bring out the veins in my hand. Weird? 

*photo courtesy of Essie.com
Beyond Cozy ( silvery gold glitter)
I knew this was a polish I was adding to my collection the minute I saw it. Silver gold?? I have silver and I have gold glitters, but I do not have a silver gold. Holding it in my hand however I realized that it looks exactly like a silver glitter by Orly called Tiara. A little more silver than gold in real life. Seeing it here though I  might change my mind, it looks so silvery gold. Touche.

*photo courtesy of Essie.com
Snap Happy (red orange)
So pretty. Red oranges are so exhilarating. This seems perfect as a winter pick me up. If I can find it. 

*photo courtesy of Essie.com
Where's My Chauffeur
I needed this. While blues and greens do not look good on my hands, turquoises and teals totally work. This is just such a pretty color and if it snowed here, this is what I would want on my fingers to play in the snow. Why does it remind me of a snowflake? I want a white statement nail with this one. I also want a silver/gold glitter statement nail. Picked it up already. 

*photo courtesy of Essie.com
She's Pampered (red)
Another red. I love when collections feature both a blue red and an orange red. 
When it comes to red I can be very distinctively in the mood for one or the other. 



So I already got ":Leading Lady," and "Where's My Chauffeur." I am leaving myself open to the possibility of both reds in the future, if I find them. Like all my Essie shades I wear them year round not just season by season. Although I do tend to be very dark and moody in the colder months and brighter in the warmer months, but I live in Houston. Distinctive seasons are a technicality. It is technically fall right now and I am sitting here in shorts and sandals.

XX ~ E



Oct 22, 2012

OOTD - Places to find me....




Places to find me:
1. Leave a comment. I answer them all. Promise.
2. Tweet me here: https://twitter/TheStyleChron
3. Like my vids? Wanna see my pics?? Instagram:  @TheStyleChron
   or   https://followgram.me/TheStyleChron
4. Visit my blog: https://the-stylechronicles.blogspot.com
5. Chictopia: http://www.chictopia.com/thestylechronicles

Oct 15, 2012

OOTD - Grandma Alice's Birthday

Grandma Alice.
She makes me smile.

My grandmother was born in 1922 in Port Arthur, Texas. As the matriarch of our family she has always been one of the most influential people in our lives. She had six children. How she stayed sane is beyond me. I counted the other day and there are 14 grandchildren, and 22 great grandchildren. So a total of 42 lives that would not be here if not for her and my grandfather. Can you imagine 42 lives? I can only take credit for two. 

Here she is Saturday at a reception. 

Grandma has Alzheimer's. 
I was in the ninth grade when I remember my dad telling me that she had the early stages of AZ. My grandfather had just been diagnosed with Leukemia and my family was in health overdrive. Making sure that grandma was okay and prepared. Her early diagnosis and treatment has helped her so immensely. 
She is confused sometimes and she can get disoriented, but for the most part she is still very capable of remembering things. She can tell you lots of things about her youth and early adulthood. Not so great about what she had for breakfast or did yesterday. 

It's crazy because there are times that I miss her so much. How do you miss someone that is there? I miss her witty little sayings, I miss her quick comebacks, I miss her happy go lucky straight forward say what you mean attitude. Most of all I miss being the nine year old sitting in the backseat of Grandma's great big blue boat of a car. My sister and I and my cousin were always with Grandma growing up, and we were always going somewhere in that blue car. Adventures, since she only got on the freeway when she had to. 

My great grandfather Mac (her daddy) lived to be 101. Her sister Carmen turned 94 last week.
I am so fortunate to have her in my life and I am so grateful that my kid's got to meet her and know her.

She taught her kid's the virtues of patience, kindness, forgiveness, community service and love.
My family has had disagreements they have had misunderstandings, but above all they love. We love.
She is also one of the wittiest people I have every known.

When it comes to community service my grandparents were pioneers here locally. Four of their children made careers for themselves in the public service sector.                                                                                                   Neither of my grandparents were college educated and they stressed the importance of an education and being well read, well informed and well spoken.

At 90 she is still very well read and well spoken. You just have to tell her what she needs to know to be well informed now, and she jokes about that all the time. That and hiding her own Easter eggs. Not kidding. She thinks that is funny. Leave it to my grandma to be so graceful in the face of Alzheimer's.


 A not so great outfit picture. 
Blouse - Forever 21
Pants - Express
Pumps - Target
Bag - Shoe Dazzle


Note my daughter rifling through the icebox in the background. 
"Icebox" is one of my grandma-isms. That and "witty-witty," "thing-a-ma-jig" or "bob."

 Eyes:
MAC All That Glitters, Bronze, Sable
Ardell Lashes #110



Lips: Dior 465 Singuliere Lipstick




Oct 14, 2012

OOTD - Friday Night

Here's a little Friday Night Outfit. We had dinner at Tokyohana. I love this place for the Hibachi show they put on. It totally entertains my little ones. I do have to tell you that I have a predisposition for Benihana's when it comes to Hibachi style eating. Preferably the one downtown. It is one of the places my father frequently took my sister and I to eat at when we were little for birthdays and Valentine's dates. 

I am not sure if it is the color palette or the darker lip, but these pictures take on a very somber look with the Halloween decals in the background. 


Yes, that is painter's tape. Remind me to peel the rest of that off. LOL!

Blouse & Camisole - Forever 21
Shorts - Old Navy
Pumps - Target Pearce Pumps
Bag - Shoe Dazzle
Bracelets - http://mrsheek.com
Bracelets - Forever 21




Showing some Bracelet love!!!
 Enamel Bangles from Forever 21
Audrey Bracelets from http://mrsheek.com




 Makeup:
MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC15
Tarte Adored Blush
CG Coffee Shops Shadow Palette (Cream color)
MAC Antiqued Eye Shadow
Ardell Lashes # 110
MAC Rebel Lipstick
Too Faced Borderline Lipliner


 Ardell #110




MAC Rebel Lipstick
Too Faced Borderline Lip Liner

Oct 9, 2012

OOTD - Cobalt & Gold


Halloween decorating has begun. I am a stickler for certain things. Halloween does not start for me until October 1st. I can not and will not have a pumpkin until that date. I will not purchase decorations or even "Halloween" printed candy (Snickers,etc.) until then. Until October 1st I will roll my eyes at the stores that have aisles of stuff already out in September. What is your deal?? Oh and Target why do you have Christmas lights and decorations out already? Do you not realize that Halloween has not even passed yet and we still have Thanksgiving to get through before December? 

I started my decorating with my wall decals. I have these for nearly every holiday and this is our formal dining room wall. I decorated the chandelier with spider webs and placed a black tablecloth that has little spider webs on it on the table. My way to decorate for Halloween is with black rats. I used to trace and cut them out  on black construction paper and then tape them onto the walls in various parts of the house. I found these guys at Wal-Mart though and it is soooo much easier!!! 


Originally this outfit was about fall color blocking with primary colors. Blue & Red. I wanted to add a red blazer to the mix. BUT it was way too hot for that. The long sleeve oxford alone was steamy. So I will save that for later this month and give you the base. Be prepared to see the same thing with a red blazer later. Fair warning. 


I get asked a lot if I ever repeat the same outfit. Yes and no. Is that a good answer? The long answer is that I do repeat some outfits. If I find I really love a combination I will write it down as a template in my closet. This way I can remember that it worked and looked great. It will be something that I will wear over and over and tweak or add to here and there. Usually I forget outfits so if I do re-wear the same thing it's by mistake. NOW, if you ask my husband he will tell you that I wear things once. So not true. I love pieces that can be mixed up and re-worn lots of times. This oxford for example has become a standard layering piece for me. It stands alone or can be jazzed up with a great necklace or just plain layered over. 


Cobalt Jeggings from Target (Spring)
White Oxford from The Gap
Glitter Belt from Target
Black Pearce Pumps from Target
Gold Necklace from http://www.mrsheek.com
Fendi Spy Bag (old)





Here is a Eva outfit:

Tee & Skirt from Old Navy





Thank you so much for watching and reading!!
XX ~ E