This month has brought so much to be thankful for. I only have one semester left of college, which is super exciting and terrifying at the same time. We aren't rich, but we're both employed, have a roof over our heads, and there is always food on the table.  We get to go spend time with our families for the holidays. I love being married to Caleb - we've found our groove and we're having so much fun spending our lives together.  Even when difficult things come up, we are extremely blessed and loving where we are.

Here's what we've been doing this season...

Traveling.... to visit friends and family in Alabama, and to Nashville frequently, for work and for fun.

Reading...... a bunch of thrillers. I don't know what it is about the cold that makes me want to read scary things.  I just finished Gone Girl (amazing) and I'm reading through Duma Key by Stephen King now.

Watching..... Christmas movies!  The Grinch, Elf, and White Christmas are favorites around here.

Making.... lots of jewelry! I'm hoping that once I get up some inventory I can open an Etsy shop.  I'll definitely keep you posted!

Listening... to the new Lana Del Rey EP - Body Electric is my jam.  I'm also still enjoying Daughter's If You Leave, it's perfect winter music.

Eating...... so many yummy things.  My friend Lindsey made us a bucket of Christmas crack (also called puppy chow in more conservative circles), and it was gone within a few days.  Caleb's grandmother sent us a batch of white chocolate dipped peanut butter crackers, and I'm sure they won't last long!

Learning... how to crochet again.  I used to do it all the time and fell out of the habit.  I've picked it back up and my first project was a big, cozy scarf.  

winter essentials

one: wella enriching hair treatment // two: the body shop hand and nail cream // three: rosebud salve // four: lush dark angels scrub // five: kiehl's ultra facial cream

I get super dry in the winter. My hair, my lips, my face, and my hands don't respond very well to the dry air and the wind.  These are a few products that help combat that.

1. Wella is great for your hair - and it helps keep your scalp from getting itchy as well! 

2. Hand cream is a must this time of year, and this one from the body shop is good for your nails AND your hands.

3. I've harped on rosebud salve over and over.  Just get some.

4. Lush is my happy place.  I have never used anything from them that I haven't loved.  Dark Angels is no exception - the coal in it brightens your skin and combats acne.  I usually just use baking soda, but in the winter I need something that brightens as well as cleans.

5. I don't moisturize every night, and this cream is thick enough that it's ok.  My skin tends to be on the oilier side, so being able to skip moisturizing every other night without my skin feeling tight saves the oil from getting overwhelming.

headband braid

My hair is super thick, so I get layers cut into it to lighten it up a bit.  While layers are great for keeping my hair from giving me a migraine, they're not so great for when I try to wear a braid.  I'm sure it's happened to you - pieces falling out, bobby pinning until you can't feel your fingers.  Not so pleasant.
Well, here's a solution for when you want a side braid and your hair won't cooperate.

Here's how:

1. Put your headband on so that it goes around the front of your forehead - like you're going to wear it boho style.

2. Take pieces from the sides of your hair and flip them through the headband.  I do about two pieces to a side.  How much you use depends on how thick you want the braid to be - for a thicker braid, use less hair on the sides so that there's more in the braid.

3. Take the remaining hair and braid it!  You can do a regular braid, a fishtail, one of those ladder braids I have yet to master... go crazy.

And you're done!  Takes 5 minutes and looks fancy :)

easy peasy Christmas: journals

one // two // three  // four // five // six

I'm one of those people with tons of journals who is always on the lookout for more.  I take notes in them, doodle in them, and occasionally actually write diary entries.  Everyone has a need for notebooks, and with so many different sizes and styles to choose from, it's almost impossible not to find one for everyone.

Any one of these pretty journals would make a great gift for the friend who still has tumblr, doodles on her arm, and took creative writing as an elective.

3 online boutiques that give back

This is probably the biggest month for online shopping.  Goodness knows I love to shop online; I don't have to drive, get out in the cold, or wear pants.  Since we'll all probably be shopping a lot in the next few weeks, I thought I would get together a list of my favorite shops from around the web that not only carry unique products, but give a portion of their proceeds to charitable causes.  The only thing better than scoring an awesome piece at a great price is knowing that you helped someone while doing it :)

1. Moorea Seal.  I just discovered this shop last week, and I'm in love.  They carry all sorts of gorgeous artisan jewelry, roomy bags, and perfect knits.  There's also a nifty feature where you can shop by cause - there are a variety of causes that Moorea Seal gives back to, different products for different causes.  They're also having an awesome giveaway going on from now until December 12!
The arrowhead ring, arc earrings  and urban jungle backpack are some of my favorites.

2. Sevenly. A good graphic tee will last you forever and make getting dressed easy.  Sevenly has a variety of cool t-shirts, sweatshirts, and tote bags, and every week they support a different cause, from human trafficking to autism research.  Their website also provides info on the cause they are supporting and other ways you can get involved if the cause is close to your heart.

3. The Akola Project.  The Akola Project is an awesome endeavor that empowers women in Uganda by giving them a platform to sell their handmade jewelry and accessories.  There is a 100% return on revenue to the women who sell their work, and the organization has opened training facilities for sustainable business as well as drilling wells for clean water.  Not only is this organization doing incredible work, but the accessories created by these women are beautiful.  A couple pieces I love are this necklace and this clutch.

fall stripes

Once you go high waist, its hard to go back.
I also really like this top - its light enough to layer with, but the longer sleeves make it look more cool weather-appropriate.

shirt: croft & barrow // jeans: gloria vanderbilt (yeah really!) // boots: steve madden (similar)

trim yo' bangs.

Let's start with some honesty - I only get my hair cut twice a year at most.  I trim my own split ends at home. When I got bangs, I thought I was going to have to change that habit, and my wallet was none too pleased.  So instead of succumbing to broke-ness, I dug in and researched.  Now, I trim my own bangs - pretty successfully, if I do say so myself.
Here's some pointers to keep your bangs tidy between haircuts, regardless of how few and far between they may be.

1. Cut vertically, not horizontally.  In other words, like this:

Not like this:

Its tempting to cut straight across, because it's one snip and done.  But your bangs will look like a shelf of hair if you do that - not a good look. Cutting vertically in small snips keeps that piece-y look that your hairstylist cut in when you first got them so you look like you got a professional trim, not like an overzealous 5 year old's Barbie.

2. Cut 'em dry.  This is probably the biggest mistake DIY trimmers make.  When your hair is wet, it's longer than when it's dry.  Cutting your bangs wet often leads to chopping off more than you meant to, only to realize it when you dry your hair and it's too late.  Dry cutting makes sure that you're only trimming off what you need to.

3. Keep to the middle.  If you had a good stylist, your bangs aren't a straight shot across your forehead; they're shortest in the middle by a tiny amount, frame your face on the ends, and are blended into the sides of your hair.  We can't recreate that, because we did not attend the same school of hair magic that our stylists did.  When you're trimming, keep most of your snips towards the middle of your forehead, where you bangs are shortest.  That's where the annoying hairs getting in your eyeballs are located anyway, right?  Stay away from the blended sides, because you can't do it.  Believe me, I have tried.  It wasn't pretty.

Follow these three tips and you can cut your amount of trims in half!

Pun intended.