Everyone Needs a Little Sin in Their Lives...

I found the most amazing jewelry company, Sin Without Jewelry. They make amazing rings with sayings inscribed inside. Some are scandalous, like "promiscuous", some are sweet, like "saint", others ride the line in between, like "bitch." Once I saw these rings I knew I had to have one!

I bought the "bitch" ring in silver. The price is $70.00. All rings on the site can be purchased in a variety of metals ranging from silver, sterling silver, 18-karat gold, rose gold, and 14-karat gold.  The inside of each ring is inscribed with the word you've chosen (no custom word orders are available at this time), and the outside corner of the ring has a "s" insignia (representing the company, Sin Without Jewelry). Some rings, like gold, have the option to choose the finish, matte finish or high polish- either way you go your ring is sure to be beautiful! 

I was so excited for my ring to arrive! When it did I could hardly wait to rip into the package and see it!! The ring was beautifully wrapped, and had a handwritten note inside from the company- how thoughtful!! And the ring itself..wow!! I can honestly say the ring looks as great in person as it does on the site- the pictures definitely do it justice! 

I'm obsessed with my ring and wear it daily! I love my ring so much I'm thinking of getting another in gold!! 

If you haven't heard of Sin Without Jewelry yet you MUST check them out! Right now they only offer rings but in hoping in the future they expand into necklaces and bracelets, etc. I've embedded the link to the company within this post. Just click on Sin Without Jewelry in this post and you'll be taken to the site. 

New week, new challenge!!

If you're anything like me you don't drink enough water throughout the day. Coffee yes, wine of course, but definitely not enough water. I might get 16oz in during the day but not much more. It's not the I boycott water, it just doesn't enter my mind with all the other drink choices available to me. Recently I read an article about how a woman challenged herself to drink a gallon of water a day for an entire month. At the end of the month she not only noticed that she shed water weight she didn't know she had, she also noticed that she looked younger-her skin was brighter and more supple, bags under her eyes were gone and her skin was glowing in a way it hadn't since she was young! Amazing results all from drinking more water, who knew?!?

It's kind of an awkward time to start a challenge, given that it's the middle of the month but I'm going to issue one anyway. Since tomorrow is Monday, the start of a new week, I challenge you, as well as myself, to drink a gallon of water throughout the day for one month to see how much better we feel and look. At the end of that month we will decide if it's something worth implementing in our life in a permanent basis. 

                                                     

During this month challenge track your progress. I've found an easy way to track our water intake- there an app called "Water Alert"- it is free in the iPhone App Store. If you have an Android I believe it's in your App Store as well and is also free.  "Water Alert" is customizable, so you can change the amount of your intake goal (which for this challenge is a gallon) and the size of cups drank. I recommend making a few different cup size options for easy logging.

My cups sizes are set to the following:

Bottle- 22.o oz (the size of most large water bottles)

Large cup- 16.0 oz (the size of a large glass of water, or a small water bottle)

Small cup- 8.0 oz (the size of a normal glass of water)

The app has a default for daily water consumption. Because our challenge is a gallon a day you will need to change the default daily intake to reflect 128.0 oz, which equals one gallon. 

In the settings you should also choose the option that lets you know what percentage of your goal you have left so you see how much you've accomplished (the percentage that you've drank isn't as gratifying).

If you need a reminder there is also a setting for "water alerts."  If you choose this option a little alert will pop up when it's time to drink water.  The settings have preset water times, but you can customize it to times that work for you.

The app will also log your daily intake so you can look back at your progress thoughts the week/month.  The woman in the article I read took pictures throughout her month long water challenge, you can do this too!  This might be a good idea to try, since it will show the different in your skin, which may be hard to see since you see yourself each day and change is gradual.

.I recommend placing the app on the first page of your phone screen so you see it each time you turn on your phone.  As you can see by the screen shot of my phone, your "Water Alert" app will display a bade at the top right corner, which is easy to see and hard to miss, so you should be reminded easier that you still have progress left on your faily goal of water intake.

This is a challenge but one I think we all can do and one that I think will give us all great results. We can still drink our coffee, tea, and wine, we will just integrate more water into our life instead of more of the other. Let me know how your month goes and I'll let you know how mine is going.

 

                         

Saturday Style

South Florida summers can be brutal- hot, sticky and humid- what I affectionately call "Satan's weather." However, South Florida winters are the best! Sunny, moderately to cool temps, with a cool breeze flowing through the air-perfect jeans and sweater weather!  Check out the styles below for that perfect sunny South Florida winter Saturday.

Hair by Alterna, , lashes by Grandiose Mascara by Lancome, lips by L'Absolu Rouge by Lancome, face by Tarte BB Tinted Treatment, Delilah necklace by Jennifer Zeuner Jewelry, vintage t-shirt by Splendid (find a similar one here), sweater by Golden Tote

Bracelets by Alex & Ani , Que Sera Sera Mantraband bangle, The 2 Bandits Rigby Bangles, Brooke Hill Heavy Duty Stack ring, Torchlight Silver Oros Ring, nails by Butter London

Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell Isley Beige Nubuck, Jeans: Citizens of Humanity The Corey

Shoes:  Jeffrey Campbell Isley Beige Nubuck, Jeans: Citizens of Humanity The Corey, Shirt: vintage Splendid T-shirt (find a similar one here)

Oui Please... Most definitely

I've been doing the subscription box thing for a while- some I've kept, like Fabfitfun, Yuzen, Nina Garcia's Quarterly Box, and Popsugar, others I've grown bored with and have cancelled, like Birchbox, Glossybox, Ipsy, Wantables, Sample Society, etc. Recently I stumbled a new subscription box that I just had to try- Oui Please.  At first glance the subscription seemed a bit pricey for a mixture of surprise items, but after reading some of the reviews from others who had subscribed and received the box the cost seemed totally worth it. Usually subscription boxes receive mixed reviews, but the majority of this box's reviews, from what I could see, were rave reviews. So I headed over to the website and signed up for their flagship box called "Vol. 1.1 Paris, I miss you". 

My box was to be delivered Friday by Fed-Ex. However, when I came home Friday evening I found a door tag from Fed-Ex-my box needed a direct signature to be released. As disappointed as I was that I wouldn't be spending my Friday night opening my box, I realized that the value must be extremely high for them to require a signature. I spent rest of the night reading others reviews on their boxes, and imagining what might be in mine. I couldn't wait!!

I woke up early Saturday and the suspense was killing me. If the door tag delivery time from the day before was any indication, a second deliver attempt would be around 10:30 A.M. I patiently waited around the house, finding things to keep me busy until my box arrived. Soon there was a knock on my door and the delivery man was standing there holding a beautiful black box from Oui Please.  I quickly signed for it and ran inside to see what I was sent. 

The first thing I noticed was that the box was much heavier than I had expected.   Most subscription boxes weight less than 5lbs, this box was clearly over that!  I must say Oui Please has the most elegant wrapping! Just unboxing it you know you're in for something amazing, and what was inside did not disappoint!!

Vol. 1.1 Paris I Miss You

1951 Maison Française Leather Clutch in Brown (XL with chain) $100

Christian Lacroix Leatherbound 2015 Dated Diary $30, Dame D Necklace $45, Tassia Canellis Earrings in white $45

Charlotte Sometime Leather Wallet in Brown $40, Popup Scented Candle in Desert Storm $35

Marlette Cereal Bars with Figs and Apricots $10, Maison de la Truffe Grey Salt from Guérande with Summer Truffle $25, Le Bénéfique Tea Springs $5

Atelier Cologne Vanilla Insensée $25, Sothys Morning Cleanser $33, Sothys Desquacream $34, Myriam K Anti-Frizz Serum $50

Complimentary copy of the latest issue of "Et Voila" magazine.  Inside you'll find simple French recipes, style advice, interviews, lifestyle pieces, and discover the full range of current products that were distributed throughout that volume's box.  

Total Value= $477!!!

I don't think I've ever received such luxurious, amazing things in one box before. Typically subscription boxes have one or two items to covet and the rest are so-so. This box was full of things I coveted, none of which was so-so.

It's not often that I can say the price justifies the take away, as far as subscription boxes are concerned, but with this box it's more than justified! Although this is their flagship box, Oui Please hit it out of the park!! I'm beyond impressed and there is no way this box is ending up on my cancel list!!

It should be noted that this subscription is not monthly-it comes every two months.  Each box features a different region of France, and features a unique selection of full sized French products- unlike most subscription boxes that only offer samples, or deluxe samples.  This volume was all about Paris, next volume features Normandie. Oui Please offers three different membership options: Single parcel $175, Month-to-month $150, or Annual pre-paid $650.  

The excitement for my next box is already high, and waiting for it to be delivered will be torture, but from my impression of this box, the wait is totally worth it! Sadly, for those of you who are interested in the Vol. 1.1 Paris, I Miss You box, it is too late to subscribe but it's not too late to subscribe for next months box, Vol. 1.2 Dreaming of Normadie, sohead over to Oui Please and sign up!! I promise you won't be disappointed!!  I've embedded the link to Oui Please throughout this post, so just click on their name and you'll be right where you need to be.

This Week's Amazing Find: Prism Boutique

Anyone who knows me knows how much I LOVE clothes. Some may say a little too much, but those people don't know what they're talking about right?!? Haha! I like searching Instagram and checking out others style and everyone once and a while I run across some awesome brands or stores I wasn't aware existed. One night I was having trouble falling asleep so I headed to Instagram for some style searching and came across the most amazing store, Prism Boutique.

Instead of lulling myself to sleep and dreaming of beautiful clothing and jewelry I was wide awake going through each page of their website, quickly filling up a shopping cart of all the things I coveted. Clothing, shoes, jewelry, they had it all and it was amazing!!

An hour later my cart was full of "must haves."  I decided to shut my phone off, take a chance at falling asleep, and revisiting my shopping cart in the morning. The next day I came back to my shopping cart loving everything I had chosen and even finding more things I "needed" but had passed over the night before. Because it was around the holidays I wanted to watch my wallet and not spend too much, so I dwindled down my shopping cart to what I couldn't live without- and writing on a notepad all the items that didn't make the cut so I could come back for them at some point. I made my purchase and began stalking my inbox waiting for my tracking info.

A day or so passed and those items that didn't make the cut were still dancing in my head. I've pretty much been the same size my whole adult life so purchasing the other items wouldn't be a risk size wise, and I had some extra funds to cover them, so I went back to the website and filled my cart with the items. A few minutes later my email dinged and I saw an email from Prism Boutique with a coupon code for New Years for an extra 40% off sale items.  A few of my picks were sale items, so I figure that this was a sign! (Anything to justify a purchase right?!?)  I took one last look around the site, added a few more items and went to my shopping cart, and checked out using my coupon code.   After that I was once again stalking my inbox, waiting for my second order's tracking info.

I should mention both orders were substantial orders, lot of items and a pretty hefty dollar amount, so I assumed it would take a few days for both orders to be filled and shipped but I was pleasantly surprised to find out both orders were fulfilled and shipped the same day- which is virtually unheard of!! The best part was the items were shipped 2-day mail, which meant by the weekend I would be excitedly opening my boxes and devouring my picks. I emailed the store to find out if I needed to be home to sign for the package, as I work about 45 minutes from my home and wanted to make sure I didn't miss the delivery. I received a response quickly from the owner Danya, saying signature wouldn't be needed and asking me to let her know how I liked everything. How sweet!! Tracking showed one box would arrive on Friday, and the other on Saturday, what a perfect way to begin the weekend!!  As anxious as I was, I tried not to let the excitement get to me. There have been many time I've ordered things I was sure to love but upon their arrival was severely let down. I was sure in this instance that would not be the case, but either way I didn't want to get my hopes up, just in case.

On Friday when I got home I got my first box from Prism Boutique. I wanted to rip open the box like a kid on Christmas, but I contained myself and opened the box like an adult, studying and loving each item I pulled from it. Everything that came out of the box looked as amazing as it did on the site! I tried everything on, jewelry and clothing, and everything fit as if it was made for me! Score!! I spent the rest of the night putting together different mixes of outfits, trying to pass time until the next day when my other box was scheduled to arrive. Soon it was Saturday and I was waiting around to hear the sound of the mail truck so I could peek inside the next box. Around 3:00 the mailman arrived. I'm pretty sure I ripped the box from his hands out of excitement.... Oopsy!  I ran back inside and opened the box, excited to see what was inside.  This box was just as amazing as the first box! I loved everything I had purchased, and just like before it fit like it was made for me.  

After I finished opening the box and laying out my new swag I jumped on my email to write Dayna to let her know how much I loved everything, how much I enjoyed shopping with her and the store, and that I would definitely be back, soon!  She emailed me back thanking me, and telling me that she had opened the boutique two years ago in April, and how it had been a dream come true for her.  We exchanged a few more emails after that, and through our emails I could tell what a kick-ass chick she was-so brave and fearless to go after her dreams and totally succeeding at it-and how, if her brick and mortar store had been closer to where I lived, she and I would have been fast friends!!

Here are a few picture of just a few of the things I purchased at Prism Boutique (Don't worry you'll see the others items in the coming days and week when I post "What Bre Wore" posts)

Shirt: Knot Sisters Plunge Tee $48

Left hand: middle finger: Torchlight Large Arrow Ring $64, Brooke Hill Open Bent Midi Ring $26, Brooke Hill Heavy Duty Stack Rings $36

Right hand: index finger: Torchlight Wrap Around Arrow Ring $48, ring finger: Torchlight Petalite Ring $94

Earrings:  Brooke Hill Large Wishbone Earrings $48

Prism Boutique far exceeded my expectations, both purchase wise and customer service wise. Their clothing, jewelry, shoes, etc is off the charts amazing, and so is their owner Dayna. Since I often receive emails from you all asking what's in my closet, and asking about clothing advice I felt I needed to pass this amazing boutique along to you all so you could experience it too! Please do yourself a favor and head over to Prism Boutique and check out their site. (I've embedded the link to their site throughout this post). Your closet will thank you! I'm off to play with my new clothes some more. Have a great day!! And happy shopping!!

P.S. I think their New Year's Eve code, for an extra 40% off sale items, is still active... Just in case you needed an extra incentive!!

Goodbye 2014, hellooo 2015!!

Happy News Years Eve!! 

I'm just sitting here with my "big ole glass of relax", binge watching Revenge on Netflix until the ball is ready to drop. Exciting I know! Haha!!  Just wanted to drop a little line to wish you all a happy, safe and blessed New Year!! Cheers!!

In love with Garrison!

I got my new Sorella + TomboyKC "Garrison" glasses today!! 

TomboyKC teamed up with glasses.com to create a line of stylish glasses- some of which are named after inspiring stories shared by some of their readers. TomboyKC is a blog collaboration between Katie Cassidy and Lynsey Eaton.  They talk style, beauty, and everything in between, and their posts are always entertaining!! They are one of my must read blogs!! 

I purchased the "Garrison". They're black frames with just a hint of brown scattered in the frame-tortoise I think the color is called in the design world. They are available in prescription and blank lenses (nonprescription). Mine are blank lenses. I got them for purely for style reasons (I don't need or have a prescription). 

I always have a hell of a time finding glasses I like, sunglasses or otherwise, so I was a bit anxious about purchasing glasses over the internet without being able to try them on first, but glasses.com has an awesome 15 day trial period- try for 15 days before you're charged, and if you're not satisfied you can sent them back hassle free! I absolutely love my "Garrison" glasses so I have no intention of sending them back, but having that 15 day guarantee was awesome, just in case. 

All Sorella + TomboyKC glasses run $99. The website even has a face feature for you to click on if you're not sure which frame fits your face best. On the left hand side of the webpage you'll see a few different face types. Click on the type that best describes you're face and poof!! The best frames for your face appear! 

Do you want a pair of your own?!? I know you do!! For easy access just click on the embedded links within this post under "Garrison", Sorella and glasses.com. Curious about TomboyKC? I've embedded the link to their blog within this post under their name (TomboyKC).

UPDATE: As I write this TomboyKC not only "liked" my photo on Instagram but they also left a little comment!! Yayyyyy!!!! I'm in total fan heaven over here!!! (Don't laugh, I know I'm ridiculous! Haha!)